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The School Newspaper of Southwest Career and Technical Academy.

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow

Would you forgive a father who was embarrassed of his own son? Your path for enlightenment is now darkened by a shadow of a man you once looked up to. 
Photo Credit: Gabi Fernandez

Does the death of thousands justify corporate profits?

Vinh Tran
October 6, 2015
Tobacco companies hold the planet in their greedy hands. They infect the population with a cloud of fallacies, death, and anguish.
Homemade clock or bomb? The teachers and administrators at MacArthur High School supposedly could not tell the difference in the case of Ahmed Mohamed. Personally, I think they knew better.
Photo Credit: Summer Thomad

Tick Tock goes the—bomb?

Summer Thomad
October 2, 2015
Ever since the 14 year old's homemade clock was mistaken for a bomb, Ahmed Mohamed has received international attention; but was the student's experiment ever truly thought to be a bomb?
While taking dean Sherrae Nelson's blood pressure, Sophomore John Paul Avenido is aided by Mrs. Donna Hatch to ensure an accurate reading.

My profession is not a costume

Vinh Tran
September 22, 2015
Popular T.V. show, ‘The View,’ berated Miss Colorado for wearing her nurse scrubs instead of a gown, like contestants usually wear.
Keeping your cool

Keeping your cool

Vinh Tran
September 16, 2015
Life tests your sanity every day, one of those challenges we face is anger and how we can control it
It was a short one liner but what she said had a huge impact. Nicki Minaj did not go out of her way to start a “feud” between pop stars. She was just one of the many artists fighting for equality within Hollywood.
Photo Credit: Iris Zervalakos

Systematic Racism, What’s Good?

Summer Thomad
September 14, 2015
The Minaj-Cyrus debacle is shedding light onto a much bigger issue than simple celebrity drama.
Those who idealize see the world through an alternate, romanticized lens, almost as if they have another pair of eyes.
Photo Credit: Summer Thomad

Through my ideal eyes

Summer Thomad
September 10, 2015
The act of idealization contains many ups and downs; It is a complex behavior that is experienced by different people in different ways.
Procrastination can lead to a student without any idea of how the real world works and the expectations of how life will be.  Illustration by Gabi Fernandez

Satire: Preparation? A preposterous pain

Vinh Tran
September 3, 2015
Summer is ending and the stress is piling: it's time to get ready for another year of Instagram likes and Twitter follower count. This guide for preparing for school will guarantee an expulsion before you can ask for AP lunch.
With senior year and the new school year come a multitude of changes; the best way to approach them is to embrace them with open arms and a positive attitude.
Photo Credit: Danijel Zekanovic

Sing the Changes

Summer Thomad
August 31, 2015
Life is rapidly changing in a variety of ways; coping and adjusting to these new experiences can be just as exciting as it is scary.
In the words of famous psychoanalytic psychologist Sigmund Freud, "Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength."
Photo Credit: Nikki Molina

Embracing Vulnerability

Summer Thomad
May 15, 2015
Repressing vulnerable emotions is a common practice in society; however, getting in touch with my vulnerabilities can be beneficial in a variety of ways.
With the ever-increasing amounts of responsibility rearing themselves in and outside the classroom, qualification barriers are created to separate the esteemed from the undesired in the workplace. Breaking down these barriers can be difficult, but manageable with the correct system of logic. Photo credit: Tyler Antonio.

Selling myself: surviving the interview process

Brandon Hatch
May 4, 2015
Interviews can be one of the most stressful parts of a responsibility, meaning they should be approached with some level of intuition.
Sleeping in class is not an uncommon occurrence with school start times as early as 7:00 a.m.
Photo Credit: Jenika Chiang

Nice Sleep If You Can Get It

Summer Thomad
April 30, 2015
High schools should be required to start at 8:30 a.m. or later in order to ensure that teenagers are getting enough sleep.
The availability of gender neutral restrooms are a reasonable solution to helping all students, no matter what their gender identity, feel comfortable at school.
Photo Credit: Acel Soriano

School: A place of education, socializing and . . . segregation?

Summer Thomad
April 24, 2015
For transgender students, selecting which bathroom to utilize can be a daunting task with the implication of a new district wide bill.