Skip to Main Content
The School Newspaper of Southwest Career and Technical Academy.

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow

Experiencing her first RTC in 2019, freshman Rochelle Barrameda sits alongside her fellow club members after performing their chants for the Spirit Stick. “My favorite thing about RTC last year was probably competing with our division to win the spirit stick,” Barrameda said. “Although we didn’t win the spirit stick we cheered our hearts out, I know I did!”. Photo Credit: Rochelle Barrameda

Key Club members collect hours at virtual RTC

Kamryn Baldenebro
November 13, 2020
Instead of physically going to RTC this year, due to the ongoing pandemic, Key Club held a virtual workshop where members were able to come together as a team as well as gain community service hours.
Holding their second monthly Coyote Congress meeting, Student Council has reimagined it in a virtual format again. Coyote Congress is an opportunity for students to voice their opinion and see what is happening at the school, and at this meeting, they discussed new class t-shirt designs among other topics. "If you would like to email any shirt designs to student officers or the student council advisers we would like to see your t-shirt designs,” Sumabat said. "We would really like to see what designs you have created or some of your ideas."  Graphic Credit: SWCTA Student Council

Program representatives discuss class updates at second coyote congress

Hannah Paine
November 12, 2020
Student Council held its second virtual Coyote Congress during the 2020-2021 school year to talk about October’s spirit contests and answered questions from the student body.
Intently measuring with her eyes, sophomore Jayden Licanto makes precise cuts in her onion, as part of her knife skills lab. Home labs allow students to experience hands-on learning in a virtual classroom during the pandemic when physical teaching is impossible. "With everything that's been going on, school has been really challenging, but I think doing at home labs is actually a good opportunity for culinary students," Licanto said. "For me, freshman year was kind of stressful because I didn't really know where anything was in the kitchens. Now, I'm in my own kitchen, and I have the luxury to redo a lab or take more time on it if I'm confused." Photo Credit: Jayden Licanto

Culinary II students start at-home kitchen labs

Hanae Furugaki
November 12, 2020
Culinary II students participate in at-home labs to further their cooking knowledge and skills.
With his victory in Pennsylvania, Joe Biden has been elected the 46th President of the US. The Southwest Shadow has called the races in North Carolina and Alaska for President Trump, and Georgia and Nevada for President-elect Biden.Photo Credit: Gage Skidman

BREAKING: Joe Biden elected 46th president, on track for second largest popular vote margin in 24 years

Ahmed Ahmed
November 7, 2020
After a chaotic presidential race, Biden comes out victorious.
Creating individual sections that contain information regarding the three separate diseases, burns as well as the functions of the various elements in the integumentary system, junior Isabell Min made a simple, yet effective brochure. students have been given 15-20 minutes at the end of every class to finish. “Although this project took me quite some time, it helped me learn about many intriguing skin diseases I didn't even know existed,” junior Isabell Min said. 
 Photo Credit: Isabell Min

Creating professional, informative integumentary system brochures in Anatomy & Physiology

Gurleen Swaich
November 5, 2020
Students are completing a creative integumentary system brochure project to better understand the functions, disorders, and treatments.
Sophomores in Computer Science II begin learning the basics of Java, one of the most widely used programming languages in the industry.  Students used Java in AP Computer Science but have been increasing their knowledge of it this year. “I am questioning pursuing programming as a career, but it sure is going to be good for the other things I am trying to do,” sophomore Liban Tuni said.
Photo Credit: Liban Tuni

Computer science II students learn the basics of Java

Tishie Nyitray
November 3, 2020
Students in Computer Science II Honors are beginning to learn the basics of Java, a computing language that will be prevalent all throughout their career.
Updates on the election. "Joe Biden" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 .

THE OFFICIAL SOUTHWEST SHADOW 2020 ELECTION LIVE BLOG

Ahmed Ahmed
November 3, 2020
Will weakened Hispanic support sink Biden in Florida? Can Trump hang on to the Midwestern Rustbelt states he won four years ago? Who will win the race for Congress? Follow our OFFICIAL live blog to find out!
As she types her ideas on the keyboard, sophomore Bella Gomez reviews the rough draft of her reflective essay. For this particular assignment, she and other students must go into detail on how a profound experience has impacted their life.  “I liked working on this assignment because it allowed  me to write about this life-changing event and how it really affected me.”  Photo Credit: Bella Gomez

Sophomores begin writing reflective essays in English 10 classes

Monserrat Mendieta
October 29, 2020
Learning the basics from writing a reflective essay to how it differs from regular essays, students in Virginie Guillemette’s English 10 class share what they have learned.
Plant based dying is a safe and environment friendly activity anyone can do from the comfort of their house, using foods that they were about to thrown away for another purpose. Unsplash Photo Credit: Monica Dihiya

FIDM Club members learn how to dye fabrics

Madison Land
October 27, 2020

Members of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising club learn how to dye fabrics and textiles using natural plant based dyes by Fashion teacher Levi Harbeson. Students will take plant based...

Adding information to her group project, sophomore Hannah Segura continues to add to the project with her group members. The lodging unit is to hopefully give the students an idea of all the various jobs that are in the lodging industry. “Even though [the lodging career path] isn’t my first choice I do find the information important to at least know,” Segura said. “I do hope in the future though we learn more information about the other branches in hospitality.” Photo Credit: Hannah Segura

Hospitality students create intricate hotels

Aila Pasic
October 23, 2020

To test students’ knowledge about the various branches such as the lodging branch in the hospitality industry, students in Catherine Viggato’s Hospitality and Tourism I class are creating “hotels”...

As he reads through the Integumentary System Chapter of Egan’s Fundamentals of Respiratory Care, sophomore Juan Valdez-Sanchez sits at his desk to understand what organs are a part of the Integumentary System.  Students must read through this textbook, take notes, and complete lessons within The Applied Educational Systems program to develop a complete understanding of all subtopics covered in the unit. “I would define anatomy as the study of an organism and its body parts,” Valdez-Sanchez said. “As for physiology, it is the study of the body parts of an organism and its function.” Photo Credit: Juan Valdez-Sanchez

Respiratory students study systems within the body

Kayla Thomas
October 20, 2020
Respiratory Therapy students are going into the second unit of the year: anatomy and physiology, and focusing on the location and functions of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems along with diseases, disorders, and conditions of the body.
As she listens attentively, sophomore Wendy Ramirez prepares to learn the skills of coronal polishing to be able to utilize them in later practice. This unit will help push students further into their careers as dental practitioners. “I’m ready to dive straight into the unit,” sophomore Wendy Ramirez said. “ It’s interesting and I’m going to absorb as much information as I can about coronal polishing.”  Photo Credit: Wendy Ramirez

Dental students begin new unit on coronal polishing

Truong Phan
October 15, 2020
The unit focuses on the cleaning and removal of bacteria from the surfaces of the teeth through lessons of theory and at-home practice.