The School Newspaper of Southwest Career and Technical Academy.

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow
Jaden Espinueva

Jaden Espinueva, Assistant News/Features Editor

Hi, I’m Jaden and this is my second year as a member of the Southwest Shadow. I love to play sports and take photos.

All content by Jaden Espinueva
PODCAST: Why Everyone Should Work Out

PODCAST: Why Everyone Should Work Out

Johnny Tao and Jaden Espinueva
September 15, 2025
Join fitness enthusiasts Jaden, Johnny, and Hunter as they share their workout journeys and try to persuade their friend Kevin, who’s not exactly a fan of exercise, to give fitness a shot.
Preparing for the upcoming national competition, the Arte Al Mare team continues to refine their restaurant concept after months of collaboration and growth. Through the challenges of the project, senior Quinn Loughton discovered more about himself. “This competition really allowed me to achieve my personal goal of developing my skills I hoped to use in the project,” Loughton said. “From my interior design skills, to my organizational skills, I was able to put these into practice in a scenario that greatly mimicked real-life. This proved invaluable to my future career as I can look back at this competition and see where I started compared to where I hope to be.

ProStart Team Takes First Place in Managerial Category at Competition

Jaden Espinueva, Staff Writer
May 5, 2025
The team is now preparing to compete in the ProStart National Management Competition, which will take place in Baltimore, Maryland from May 1-5.
Managing the volleyball team, junior Liam Day takes his time carefully planning out each practice to give his team their best chances for success. Planning out practices ensured that the team was prepared the best they could to ensure optimal performance on the court. “Being able to notice the mistakes the team makes helps me be able to really focus on what they need to work on,” Day said. “If they shank a couple of balls, we’ll focus on passing. Or if they're not calling out during plays, we’ll work on communication. It’s all about figuring out what went wrong and using practice to fix it so we get better each day.”

Behind the Whistle: Meet Liam Day

Jaden Espinueva, Staff Writer
April 2, 2025
Junior Liam Andre Day illustrates what it's like to be a volleyball manager
Indulge and Savor the Flavor at ‘Marufuku Ramen’

Indulge and Savor the Flavor at ‘Marufuku Ramen’

Jaden Espinueva, Staff Writer
March 31, 2025
Enjoy a variety of savory ramen dishes, rich in flavor and packed into a mouth-watering experience.
Where Are They Now: Rhamil Taguba

Where Are They Now: Rhamil Taguba

Jaden Espinueva, Staff Writer
March 27, 2025
Here’s a look at 2023 graduate Rhamil Taguba’s life after high school.
Where Are They Now: Andre Jones

Where Are They Now: Andre Jones

Jaden Espinueva, Staff Writer
March 13, 2025
Here’s a look at 2023 graduate Andre Jone's life after high school.
Six Artists You Should Be Listening To: March 2025

Six Artists You Should Be Listening To: March 2025

Jaden Espinueva, Staff Writer
March 4, 2025
Discover new artists to listen to this Month.
Working together, senior Bannon McCleve helps junior Emmy Hedges with writing a letter to senior citizens in nursing homes. These letters provided an opportunity to brighten the lives of those who may feel isolated or lonely. “With the goal of spreading love and positivity to those who may not often have the chance to visit family,” McCleve said. “Our aim was to bring some kindness and joy to their lives, letting them know they are remembered and appreciated.” Photo Credit: Achol Akot

Club Preview: A look into the week of Dec. 9

Jaden Espinueva, Staff Writer
December 10, 2024
Volleyball Club discusses future plans, HOSA hosts a guest speaker, and Dungeons and Dragons Club runs a Christmas themed campaign.
Demonstrating discipline and elegance, junior Ashton Yim warms up before starting his daily wushu practice. Warming up prepared Yim’s body before his real training began. “You have to think about it as a transitioning phase,” Yim said. “Before warming up, our joints, muscles, and mind are cold which can lead to injuries. Warming up helps the athletes to get prepared for big ranged movements. For my sport, this is especially necessary. Warming up would prevent me from dislocating, tearing, or fracturing bones, muscles, and joints. One small mistake and it could cost you your career. No muscle or joint can adjust into a heavily dynamic movement after you’ve sat down for seven hours of schooling.”

Wushu Martial Artist: Meet Ashton Yim

Jaden Espinueva, Staff Writer
November 11, 2024
Junior Ashton Yim explains his experience growing up doing Wushu martial arts.
Social worker Marcella Garcia and SEIF Maura Staten work together to build a jigsaw puzzle with a student. They both engaged in conversation with the student fostering a calm and supportive environment. “We don't want to add too much pressure,” Garcia said. “[Students] already have a full schedule and things that [they] have to do, and so we want to make sure that principals patio doesn't add to the pressure of having to get things done. We really do want to try to keep it as unstructured as possible in a safe way.

Social Workers Introduce Principal’s Patio for Students

Jaden Espinueva, Staff Writer
October 24, 2024
To create a relaxed space for students, social workers Jocelyn Kim and Marcella Garcia establish Principal’s Patio.
Demonstrating the correct piping technique to his class, Chef Michael Hadobas goes into intricate detail about piping roses. Mastery of this technique made it easier for the students later on in the unit. “Knowing exactly how to hold the piping bag is important because just a couple of degrees off can totally change how the finished product looks,” junior Addison Marsh said. “From Chef, I also learned how to move the nail around so that you weren't making more work for yourself and just letting the nail do the work for you.”

Baking & Pastry Students Explore Cake Decorating Techniques

Johnny Tao and Jaden Espinueva
October 3, 2024
With the guidance of Chef Hadobas, the students learned all the skills included in the Cake Decorating unit.