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The School Newspaper of Southwest Career and Technical Academy.

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow

In order for students to get to class on time, many chose to walk through the landscaping. Students like sophomore Marley Farinas are glad that there will finally be more sidewalk to walk on. “Walking on the dirt ruins my shoes,” Farinas said. “So it’s good that they're expanding them for more walking space.”

Campus interior, exterior changes in the making

Amelia Castellanos, Staff Writer
October 16, 2023
Staff have started adding new things to show school spirit by putting the school logo to gym pads.
Co-Founder Lezli Magana-Contreras smiles down at her Bible as members finish reading and discussing Luke 9:50. L.I.F.T/Bible Club creates meeting plans and then discusses how the assigned passage affects them as people, trying to analyze the reading. “It just brings many people together regardless of whether some people might not believe, some people might believe,” Magana-Contreras said. “I would say personally that it’s nice to have a community that shares the same values as you. It also gives them a feeling of belonging.”

L.I.F.T/Bible Club Begins As Newest Religious Based Student Organization On Campus

Ava Torres, Staff Writer
October 16, 2023
Student-led organization creates community for those interested in learning God’s word.
 In the process of making the announcements, sophomore Samantha Mangalonzo puts her best effort into making the information she is sharing sound interesting. Every day, Video Production students record new episodes. “I don’t really mind it,” Mangalonzo said. “It's definitely an experience and a bit nerve wracking. In the end when it’s all finished and good I’m proud of myself.”

REINTRODUCTION TO ANCHORED MORNING SHOW

Joy Ryan, Staff Writer
October 12, 2023
Ernesto Zita is the new Video Production teacher, starting the announcements with on-air talent again.
Celebrating their victory, last year’s Professional Academy (PA) cheer as they were announced to be the winners. “I came to this school last year, so I never got to go to the flag football games of years prior,” STUCO adviser Brandon Lafountain said. “I’m pretty excited now that I’ll be able to, because it’s like a tradition at the school.”

Flag Football Returns for PA/DA Game

Adrienne Vera-Perez, Staff Writer
October 11, 2023
Students participate in yearly school tradition.
Sophomore Jadyss Tim concentrates on his chromebook as his World History teacher, Trey Takahashi-Brummer goes over a lesson. Class work has become increasingly digital since the introduction of electronic devices to 90 percent of middle school and high schoolers in 2021. “I’d rather take my test online,” Tim said. “I think it’s good for the environment since we’re using devices we wouldn’t have to waste paper.”

Digital PSAT To Be Administered Nationwide

Ava Torres and Joy Ryan
October 10, 2023
PSAT will be taken on Chromebooks for grades 8/9, 10, and 11.
Student Council members are putting the finishing touches on decorations for the homecoming dance. They have been preparing for this occasion and thinking of ways to surprise the guests. “For this year's homecoming, we’ve been a lot more creative with decorations, advertisements, and overall just trying to make it fun and unforgettable for students,” student council member Ysabella Felix said. “We were also able to incorporate the theme a lot more into our planning, so I hope that adds to everyone’s experience.”

Peter Pan themed homecoming tickets selling quickly

Hunter Rhee and Amelia Castellanos
October 10, 2023
Homecoming plans to be unforgettable this year.
In the video production studio, students are creating videos using tripods and their phones to practice essential videography skills. They have worked for a while now to create their videos and make them as effective as possible. “Some students have decided to do a PSA about keeping our campus clean, or about drugs and their bad effects, so it’s a wide gamut of different subjects,” Video Production teacher Ernesto Zita said.

Video Production I Students Work on PSAs

Hunter Rhee, Staff Writer
October 5, 2023
Video Production I students are working on their first video project. They are working diligently to get their work up to standard.
Rehearsing his lines for the school announcements, Atmospheric Specialist Philipos Alebachew prepares to record the weather reports for the week. The club prepared a slide as a visual for students to further understand the weather report. “I hope people will get more educated about climatology and meteorology,” Alebachew said. “Then they can spread the good word of nature.”

New Meteorology Club Discusses the Weather

Zelina Panissidi, Staff Writer
October 2, 2023
The club is to meet every other Wednesday from 2:00-3:00 in H211
Diligently working, juniors Adyen Ionescu and Rayan Awad collaborate to improve their writing. Students use this class to develop their speech and debate skills. “I’m a novice and everything is still new and intimidating to me,” Ionescu said. “So far I like how I have this sort of creative freedom. I’ve had classmates that have noted that I’m really good with speech, but only being restricted to a handful of topics just for an assignment isn’t enough for me. I’m participating in the October tournament, and I’m both excited and nervous about it as well. I can’t wait to see if that freedom pays off in the end and truly see my speaking capabilities.”

SPEECH, DEBATE CLUB EXPANDS INTO COURSE

Joy Ryan, Staff Writer
September 26, 2023
This year Speech and Debate is not only a club, but an elective.
Working solo, Jessica Kelly teaches a lesson covering racial injustices. Kelly has been keeping her students engaged through slideshows and weekly discussions. “I'm really into teaching this class. And I just want to make it a culture at this school,” Kelly said. “Everybody should want to take this class, regardless of what they look like, or their ethnic background. I feel like everybody needs to hear this important information.”

Teacher’s Goal of Offering Ethnic Studies Course Materializes

Daphney Garcia-Hatton, Staff Writer
September 25, 2023
New Nevada State University Ethnic Studies 101 course makes its first appearance to our curriculum, here at SWCTA.
Attempting to cool down an Engineering classroom, senior Brandon Pecayo adjusts a small portable fan. Over the past month, the F building has been one of the places on campus that has been the most affected by the AC breakdowns. “The fan in the room definitely makes it more comfortable to work,” Pecayo said. “I like being able to do my work in comfort instead of having to sit in the heat.”

Campus Air Conditioning Receives Much Needed Repair

Adrienne Vera-Perez, Staff Writer
September 21, 2023
Classrooms cooled down after a month of abnormally hot temperatures.
Being new to the school and its policies, freshman Cameron Kefale signs out of the class to use the restroom. He has found these rules to be helpful with shaping school safety. “I think that the bathroom policies are actually pretty good,” Kefale said. “Let's say someone does something bad while they are gone, this rule helps them [staff]  know who was in the bathroom at that time.”

Updated District-wide Bathroom Procedures, Technology Set in Place

Amelia Castellanos, Staff Writer
September 21, 2023
Staff has recently added regulations regarding bathroom usage for students.