The School Newspaper of Southwest Career and Technical Academy.

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow

Southwest Shadow

Philipos Alebachew

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer

Hello! My name is Philip and I’m super thrilled to be back as a staff writer. I love watching movies and playing basketball, and I have double jointed thumbs.

All content by Philipos Alebachew
I told ten of my friends that I was doing a raffle for a $25 gift card of their choice, junior Jaylen Moore said. My friend who won picked out the gift card and everything but I didnt pay for it, so it was funny.

Q&A: Did you participate in April Fools Day?

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
April 8, 2024
Learn about how students fooled others or got fooled on April First.
I didnt fool anyone but someone did get me, sophomore Devin Uclaray said. My best friend posted that she was back together with her ex and I had a whole paragraph typed out to respond, but the next slide said April Fools.

[Photo]

"I didn't fool anyone but someone did get me," sophomore Devin Uclaray said. "My best friend posted that she was back together with her ex and I had a whole paragraph typed out to respond, but the next...

For April Fools Day I jumped out of a closet and scared my sister, junior Brian Price said. It was really funny, but she got mad at me after.

[Photo]

"For April Fools' Day I jumped out of a closet and scared my sister," junior Brian Price said. "It was really funny, but she got mad at me after."

I posted a picture on my story soft-launching a relationship with my friend, senior Logan Ford said. He didnt know about it and it was really funny.

[Photo]

"I posted a picture on my story soft-launching a relationship with my friend," senior Logan Ford said. "He didn't know about it and it was really funny."

I didnt do anything for April Fools Day, freshman NiayLah Burns said. It looks like it could be funny, but Im not a big fan of it.

[Photo]

"I didn't do anything for April Fools' Day," freshman Niay'Lah Burns said. "It looks like it could be funny, but I'm not a big fan of it."

©Public Domain 1 
©Public Domain 2

Everyone should be able to enjoy art, but we shouldnt forget the reprehensible things its creators do.

You cannot completely separate art from the artist

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
March 30, 2024
A piece of art is forever attached to whoever made it, and although it can be enjoyed no matter the creator, it is important to acknowledge who they are and the terrible things they’ve done instead of ignoring or defending them.
PODCAST: Fandom Culture

PODCAST: Fandom Culture

As a prevalent part of being a teenager, a lot of us join fandoms to connect with people who share the same interests. Join us as we discuss what it’s like to be part of a fandom and how it has affected our lives.
Bowing their heads, Team Serbia receives their medals for earning the most points and winning the Coyote Olympics.

Coyote Olympics Day 4: Serbia takes it all the way

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
March 25, 2024
Friday was the final day of the olympics where the top three teams played an array of minigames to earn some final points.
Jumping up to smash the incoming birdie, junior Andre Aquino polishes his technique in between matches.

Coyote Olympics Day 3: Djibouti grabs the first spot after third day

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
March 21, 2024
Serbia has been dethroned but there is still one more day for teams to get more points.
Getting into position, senior Dwayne Soria prepares to serve the ball to the opposing team.

[Photo]

Getting into position, senior Dwayne Soria prepares to serve the ball to the opposing team.

Sliding to the middle of her side, senior Neah Tablit hurries to try to send back the birdie before it reaches her side.

[Photo]

Sliding to the middle of her side, senior Neah Tablit hurries to try to send back the birdie before it reaches her side.

Switching around cans, senior Riley Longboy attempts to match the order of the soda above the box with the soda inside the box to earn bonus points for his team.

[Photo]

Switching around cans, senior Riley Longboy attempts to match the order of the soda above the box with the soda inside the box to earn bonus points for his team.

Swinging his hips, sophomore Matthew Pamaran wins a hula-hoop contest and gains extra points for his team.

[Photo]

Swinging his hips, sophomore Matthew Pamaran wins a hula-hoop contest and gains extra points for his team.

Soaring above the net, junior Jace Angeles reaches out to strike the ball before it reaches his side of the court.

Coyote Olympics Day 2: Serbia holds the lead after second day

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
March 20, 2024
The games continue with indoor volleyball.
Driving inside, senior Jordan Rodriguez tries to dribble past the defender.

Coyote Olympics Day 1: Serbia takes the lead on the first day

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
March 20, 2024
The Olympics kick off with 5 on 5 basketball
Pulling up from three, senior Ka Wu throws up some practice shots during the intermission between games.

[Photo]

Pulling up from three, senior Ka Wu throws up some practice shots during the intermission between games.

Speeding down the field, sophomore Ashton Yim races a representative from another team to earn bonus points.

[Photo]

Speeding down the field, sophomore Ashton Yim races a representative from another team to earn bonus points.

Waiting for the correct cue, sophomore Crispin Njunia tries to pick the cup up faster than his opponent to gain bonus points for his team.

[Photo]

Waiting for the correct cue, sophomore Crispin Njunia tries to pick the cup up faster than his opponent to gain bonus points for his team.

Leaping into the air, junior Micah Tiongson stretches his arm out to try to block the ball.

[Photo]

Leaping into the air, junior Micah Tiongson stretches his arm out to try to block the ball.

Having a constant sleep schedule is a struggle for many students who have to spend hours on homework every night. Caffeine is often used by teens who feel the need to stay up past their natural sleep time. “My sleep schedule is kind of sporadic,” senior Josh Burgos said. “There are days where I get eight hours of sleep and there are others where I have to stay up until 3 a.m. just to finish all my homework.”

Sleepless Students: The fight for eight hours

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
February 5, 2024
There are many detrimental, long-term effects, of sleep deprivation that most teens don’t realize.
 “The Talos Principle II” is a massive puzzle game that takes place 1000 years after the saga’s first entry. 
Rating: A-Photo Credit: Croteam

Uncover the Secrets of a Futuristic World in ‘The Talos Principle II’

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
February 2, 2024

One thousand years ago, a new kind of humanity emerged, becoming the new caretakers of the Earth. They were created by The Founder, a god-like being revered by the new race. The Founder also founded New...

Looking over her slideshow notes, junior Sydney Hester prepares for BSUs club meeting.  We wanted to make sure we were prepared, junior Sydney Hester said. Since it was a slideshow we wanted to

[Photo] Club Preview: A look into the week of Jan. 8

Kylie Dacquel, Staff Writer
January 8, 2024

Looking over her slideshow notes, junior Sydney Hester prepares for BSU's club meeting. "We wanted to make sure we were prepared," junior Sydney Hester said. "Since it was a slideshow we wanted to"

Looking over the rubric, junior Nic Burgess plans out his contribution to the project. His paragraph accompanied his partner’s tribal tattoo drawing. “The paragraph essentially describes what our tattoo or kapa is about,” Burgess said. “I’m not super artistic so I opted to do the research part of the project. Our design is about Pearl Harbor and how it affected Native Hawaiian people at the time.”

An Hour In … US History H

Philipos Alebachew and Kailie Sicolo
January 5, 2024
To show their understanding of the history of Hawaii as a state, US History students sketch visual representations of Hawaiian culture and history.
Cracking eggs for the wet portion of the ingredients, junior Zarah Abarico prepares cookie dough for the SkillsUSA fundraiser. Abarico and other culinary students will be taking a field trip to learn more about the food industry.. “Sysco and Newport are both food purveyors and supply a lot of the ingredients we purchase,” Culinary teacher Chef Michael Hadobas said. “We’ve been working with the Nevada Restaurant Association for six weeks now to plan this trip, and I think it is something we will do every year.”

Advanced Culinary Students to Visit ‘Newport Meat Company’

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
November 27, 2023
Seniors and a select group of juniors in the culinary program will be leaving campus to learn about meat grading and manufacturing processes.
“Kagura Bachi” tells a beautiful story through its panels, but it still has much room for growth.
Rating: B-Photo Credit: Shonen Jump

Beautifully Tragic, ‘Kagura Bachi’ weaves a devastating revenge tale

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
November 13, 2023
Becoming a meme has launched “Kagura Bachi” into the center of the manga world stage despite its infancy.
Consuming artificial dyes is now an essential part of the American diet as nearly all mass-produced commodities with unnatural hues are colored with these dyes. They come in all different colors and are made from synthetic acids that are combined to make sodium and calcium salts. “It may be an additive in some products we’ve used,” Foods teacher Chef Bakke said. “It’s in the red food dyes we use to color our buttercream for our cake lab.”

Photo Credit: Wholefort Inc.

Researchers debate on the dangers of Red No. 40

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
October 30, 2023
Despite proven evidence of the adverse effects of Red. 40, it continues to be used as an FDA-approved dye.
“One Piece” changes many aspects of the source material but still holds onto its main themes.
Rating: A-Photo Credit: Netflix

‘One Piece’ breaks the live-action anime curse

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
October 3, 2023
The long-awaited live-action adaptation of “One Piece” covers the first “East Blue” saga where the straw-hat crew begins their journey.
“One Piece” changes many aspects of the source material but still holds onto its main themes.
Rating: A-Photo Credit: Netflix

‘Jujutsu Kaisen: Season 2’ is a stunning origin story

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
September 19, 2023
“Jujutsu Kaisen’s” much-anticipated continuation does not disappoint.
Painting a Prom poster, junior Sahib Rattan draws the landscape around Rapunzel’s castle. About 500 people are expected to attend Prom. “Everyone has really been looking forward to Prom,” Rattan said. “It’s a huge event so we’ve been working really hard for months to plan this.”

‘At Last We See The Light’ Prom to be held at Stoney’s Rockin’ Country Club

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
April 20, 2023
Tickets are being sold all this month at the school banking office, starting at $50.
Celebrating another successful Coyote Olympics, sophomore Student Council president Brianna Scherschel embraces her fellow Student Council peers.

Coyote Olympics Day 4: Dominican Republic Takes Home the Gold

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
April 3, 2023

Friday was the fourth and final day of the Coyote Olympics. The following are the top 3 teams. Dominican Republic China Vietnam The top teams played various minigames like balloon popping...

Leaning in for a drop shot, junior Jaidyn Reed attempts to send the birdie to the other side and gain a point for his team.

Coyote Olympics Day 3: Vietnam Narrowly holds the lead after third day

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
March 30, 2023
The top three are very close in points, so it is still anyone's game.
Leaping up into the air, senior Vassily Tan spikes the ball over the defender, gaining his team the point.

Coyote Olympics Day 2: Vietnam pulls ahead to lead after second day

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
March 29, 2023
The games continued with volleyball.
Announcing the plans for the Coyote Olympic event, sophomore class president Brianna Scherschel speaks to the team captains at their meeting on March 22. The meeting went over fees, procedures, and overall information to help prepare students for their upcoming games. “This gives them the necessary information needed for the event and what we expect to see from them,” Schershel said. “This helps our event run much smoother as we know for a fact that the teams are given the information.”

[Photo] Athletes Prepare to Compete in Annual Coyote Olympic Events

Kailie Sicolo, Staff Writer
March 28, 2023

Announcing the plans for the Coyote Olympic event, sophomore class president Brianna Scherschel speaks to the team captains at their meeting on March 22. The meeting went over fees, procedures, and overall...

An Hour In ... Interior Design II

An Hour In … Interior Design II

Philipos Alebachew
March 6, 2023
Making use of room-building kits, Interior Design II students produce unique rooms.
Trying to create a peaceful atmosphere for her room, Ruth Desta pastes together the tiny details for the bookshelf she created. After a slight mishap with a piece of furniture, Desta’s group is now set to finish in a few class periods. “I wasn’t expecting the process to go as well as it has been,” Desta said. “When we first built the walls, we alternated holding it which saved us a lot of time. I’m really proud of me and my partner, and this has been fun.”

[Photo]

Trying to create a peaceful atmosphere for her room, Ruth Desta pastes together the tiny details for the bookshelf she created. After a slight mishap with a piece of furniture, Desta’s group is now set...

Placing down segments for a dresser, sophomore Chris Nikolic (left) and his partner continue to construct the room they’ve been designing for a week. Each pair of students was given a similar kit, but tasked to create unique rooms. “I struggled with the measurements,” Nkolic said. “The room kit is made using centimeters instead of inches, and there aren’t many centimeter rulers in the classroom.”

[Photo]

Placing down segments for a dresser, sophomore Chris Nikolic (left) and his partner continue to construct the room they’ve been designing for a week. Each pair of students was given a similar kit, but...

Being careful to not to make a mess, sophomore Amani Rahman glues together a window she built for her room model. Rahman’s group had already finished by the end of that class period, believing they expressed their idea successfully.. “Our model has a kind of cottagecore aesthetic,” Rahman said. “A lot of the kits were just bedrooms, but there was only one kit with couches, so I wanted to choose the different one. I’m proud of what we created and it all came together really well.”

[Photo]

Being careful to not to make a mess, sophomore Amani Rahman glues together a window she built for her room model. Rahman’s group had already finished by the end of that class period, believing they expressed...

Capturing the essence of a teenage boy’s room, sophomore Sydney Guerrero and her partner attach decor to the walls of the room. A common problem expressed among many of the groups was figuring out how to effectively use the glue and follow the instruction manual. “Our room has spaceships, stars, basketball, and other decorations you might see in a teenage boy’s room,” Guerrero said. “Working on this with a partner has been frustrating, especially the gluing, but I still love them.”

[Photo]

Capturing the essence of a teenage boy’s room, sophomore Sydney Guerrero and her partner attach decor to the walls of the room. A common problem expressed among many of the groups was figuring out how...

Using electrical engineering techniques, sophomore Phoebe Schreiber enhances her model by wiring LEDs’ to tiny lamps. Schreiber and her partner chose to create a room that is a mixture of a living room, bedroom, and bathroom.”I used the wiring from a battery box to connect the positive white and gray wires with the negative black and red wires so that they light up,” Schreiber said. “The model we chose was one of the biggest ones, and we’re just trying our best to follow the picture.”

[Photo]

Using electrical engineering techniques, sophomore Phoebe Schreiber enhances her model by wiring LEDs’ to tiny lamps. Schreiber and her partner chose to create a room that is a mixture of a living room,...

Carefully looking over state standards and criteria, newly appointed English 10 H and 11 teacher Pier Shoates creates lesson plans. Since the start of the second semester, Shoates has made the move from support staff to teaching. “I have a way better understanding of how students are now,” Shoates said. “I can see it from both the staff perspective and the student perspective.”

[Photo] New ‘Teacher Pathway’ Program for Future CCSD Employees Hopes to add to pipeline

Jianna Aganon, Staff Writer
February 21, 2023

Carefully looking over state standards and criteria, newly appointed English 10 H and 11 teacher Pier Shoates creates lesson plans. Since the start of the second semester, Shoates has made the move from...

Deliberating with his fellow BSU members, sophomore Demetrios West confirms the outline for the poster before continuing to write. Since mid-January, BSU members have been working on posters that were hung in all the hallways. “It was fun, but it was stressful because we were limited on time,” sophomore Rediate Hunde said.

BSU Hosts ‘Princess and the Frog’ Movie Night in the Gym

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
February 8, 2023
This event was chosen to be held in February to coincide with Black History Month.
“God of War Ragnarök” is a beautiful game with a compelling story and historic references. Rating: A+ Art Credit: IGDB Press Kits

Battle the mightiest Aesir Gods in ‘God of War Ragnarök’

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
January 18, 2023
God Of War (2018)’s much-anticipated sequel has finally been released with updated graphics, mechanics, and a whole new journey to embark on
To raise money for Key Club, junior Jonathan Lin gets pied in the face. Continuing with the pie-oriented event trend, sophomore president Brianna Scherschel, along with the rest of Student Council, is planning a similar pie-themed event. “We got the idea and started planning before Key Club,” Scherschel said. “We had a good laugh when we found out we both were doing a pie event.”

Upcoming ‘Pie-a-Teacher-Palooza’ to be held in the gym

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
January 13, 2023
Students bid to pie teachers in the face
Competing in the Esports Mountain Region league playoffs, the Southwest Squids celebrate their hard-earned win. Practicing since September, their hard work pays off. “What sets us apart from the other school teams is that we have a lot more power and a lot more strength as players,” junior Carl Reiner said. “I’m noticing that whenever we play the best teams the region has to offer, I’m just kind of disappointed. I felt like we would have a much bigger competition but it turns out we’re beating them with no more than eighty percent of our power.”

[Photo] First place, undefeated: Meet the Southwest Squids

Kailie Sicolo, Staff Writer
December 12, 2022

Competing in the Esports Mountain Region league playoffs, the Southwest Squids celebrate their hard-earned win. Practicing since September, their hard work pays off. “What sets us apart from the other...

Holding up her tennis racket, sophomore Ihsan Seman finishes out a great tennis season. She made many new friendships while still donning her hijab proudly. “I came to play every single day,” Seman said. “I wasn’t forced to do this. I’m dedicated to this sport, and I want to be there.”

Committed Tennis Player: Meet Ihsan Seman

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
November 22, 2022
She tells her story of embracing her culture while still playing a sport she loves.
Students in Bryce Wadas Dual Credit math class study polynomial and rational functions for their upcoming test.

[Photo] National Report shows GRADE SCHOOLERS EXPERIENCED LARGE DROPS IN TEST SCORES

Ayma Malik, Opinion and A&E Editor
November 28, 2022

Students in Bryce Wada's Dual Credit math class study polynomial and rational functions for their upcoming test.

Designing her cavalera, freshman Lilian Avila is creating an outline for her project. She worked on it for two weeks.

Spanish Students Design Cavalera to Celebrate Dia De Los Muertos

Philipos Alebachew
November 2, 2022
Day of the Dead is similar to Halloween, but it's from Mexico.
Going through his email, Cameron Roehm sorts through facility maintenance requests from teachers. He prepared for a meeting with a student after going through his email. ”As an administrator, you can have an impact and on more students,” Roehm said. “Though it is more indirect because youre not with the students day to day.”

NEW ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL JOINS ADMINISTRATION

Philipos Alebachew, Staff Writer
October 20, 2022
Roehm shares his plans on campus as assistant principal
After being announced as the new VP of Fundraising, junior Colin Chamberlain participates in the Penny for Your Thoughts icebreaker. FCCLA plans on attending the upcoming symposium. “I can’t wait to show people what’s in store with FCCLA this year,” FCCLA President Karim Abd-Elmalek said. “We plan to display our projects and spread the word about our upcoming events.”

CLUB LEADERS TO MEET FOR FIRST SYMPOSIUM

Philipos Alebachew
September 19, 2022
SWCTA to hold first ever meeting with CTSO officers to communicate future plans.

Comments (0)

All Southwest Shadow Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest