JJP: The Middle ~ Front Page ~ Page 1
Tis The Season To Be Jolly
By George Jordan and William Hardee, Feature Writers
All students look forward to the winter season. Whether its presents, mouth-watering food, or the happy spirit,
students wait for these exciting components of the winter
season. Different winter holidays including Christmas,
Chanukah, and Kwanza all contain some of these activities
and items.
Continued on Page 8
Chanukah dreidels
Volume 8, Issue 3
December 2014
8th Grade Basketball
By Kate Faris and Andrew Duong, Editors-In-Chief
This basketball season has just kicked off
spreading basketball pep all around Pershing.
The eighth grade teams have both brought their
‘A’ game, the girls having won their first match
against Pin Oak.
Continued on Page 5
8th Grade
Basketball
Team
Photo Credit
to Jacqueline
Schneider and
Kate Faris
A Critical Decision
schools, and it may be the most
stressful experience I have ever
By Kirsty Leech, Editor-in-Chief
gone through.
It might seem as though the school Obviously, there are some eighth
year has barely begun, but for 95% grade students who know exactly
where they are going because their
percent of eighth grade students
zoned school provides everything
in every middle school across the
nation, this time is not spent dwell- they desire, whether it be academiing on the school they are currently cally, athletically, or artistically. And
enrolled in. We are deciding on high to you lucky few, I openly admit
Holiday cheer
has been
expressed
through door
decorating at
Pershing
that I am bathed in jealousy towards
you. You don’t have to worry for
hours on end or scream when March
29th, the dreaded acceptance day,
approaches.
Continued on Page 12
In This Edition . . .
News- Pages 10, 11 Feature- Pages 2, 3, 6, 7 Editorial- Pages 12, 13, 15 Centerspread- Pages 8, 9
Sports- Pages 4, 5 Beauty- Page 14 Backpage- Page 16
JJP: The Middle ~ Feature ~ Page 2
Girl Tradition as They Turn 15
By Vanessa Galindo, Feature Writer
Most Hispanic girls dream is to
have what you call a Quinceanera, a
traditional celebration where a girl
who turns 15 gets their last doll and
a day where they feel very special.
This type of celebration is celebrated in a huge salon where there’s
enough room for the guest to dance
and seat all her guests.
The age where a common number of girls celebrate is on their 9th
grade birthday. Many girls actually
appreciate this from their parents
because they spend thousands of
dollars not to mention how much
time it takes to work hard for it.
This celebration has many preparations to start off with.
First, the most important decision
is if they want females and males to
be part of the honor or just males.
With the people chosen, they have
to make a dance where everyone in
the audience will see. Eventually,
it will be on the dance floor, and
afterwards, it’s time to fully dance
for hours.
The special girl has to choose
theme, colors, decorations, food,
cake decoration, the salon, DJ, god
mother that will give them a necklace and bracelet of gold, invitations, place to dance for practice,
place to take pictures of themselves
in dress by photographer, choose the
dress, and even servants, plus many
more activities to organize. To add
it up, she will be the princess of the
party, but she has a lot of work to do
first.
If a girl gets asked if they want a
Quinceanera and she knows what it
is, it is something that won’t be rejected. Yes, it may cause drama, but
yes, it will be the best time in your
life. After all of this is done, and
its times to celebrate, it’s a whole
different story. The only way to
remember this special day is to hire
someone to take a tape of the whole
celebration.
Of course this has to be earned.
This girls need to get good grades,
behave, and actually prove that they
won’t take it for granted. The doll is
something that gets given by their
parents. It’s the very last toy that
they will keep and never let go.
With this being the last toy, the
daughter then dances with her father
or uncles and enjoy the celebration.
This tradition has been around for
many years, and will always continue to get passed down within their
children. Wouldn’t it be nice to be
that special girl?
Give the Gift of Play
By Colleen McLean and Libby Perez, Feature Writers
The Toys for Tots foundation was
founded in 1947, making it 67 years
old this year, and is run by the Marine Corps Reserve.
Major Bill Hendricks made the
organization when he was inspired
by his wife, who sewed a doll for a
needy child but had no organization
to distribute it to. This gave him
a bright idea. Hendricks met with
some Marines who then decided to
collect 1,000 toys! The foundation
was then launched, so anyone could
donate toys to local donation centers
with the provided donation boxes.
The boxes can be found at most
grocery stores, parks, drug stores,
and schools, we even have our own
donation box at Pershing Middle
School. Many other schools all over
the United States are participating in
the act.
Their mission is simple: giving
toys to children in need for Christmas. Some families can’t afford expensive (or any) Christmas presents
for their kids, and some can’t even
afford food. The guided age group
for donations is up to 12, but gifts
for teens can be donated as well.
Eighth grader Lauren Donovan
says she donates to the foundation. She said “When I give toys, it
makes me feel good about what I’m
doing.”
If you donate a toy to the Toys
for Tots foundation, you’ll receive a
free dress pass, so that’s something
to think about. But the real reason
to give is to make a child in need
happy on Christmas day. Give them
something to smile about. Sharing is
caring, and giving is winning.
Give a toy to a child
in need.
JJP: The Middle ~ Feature ~ Page 3
Pershing Alumni
By Johana Jose, Feature Writer
You might see famous people in
movies, TV shows or on random
videos. However, do you ever think
about what school they went to?
Many successful people have gone
to Pershing Middle School.
Dennis Quaid is a perfect example
of one of these wealthy people. He
was born in Houston, Texas. His
parents are Juanita Bonniedale and
William Rudy Quaid. Of course,
Dennis went to Pershing Middle
School. He was raised a Baptist, and
studied drama, Mandarin Chinese,
and dance while being a student at
Bellaire High School. He continued
study at the University of Houston,
Midterms are Upon Us
but dropped out before completing
his degree. Dennis then became
an actor, and played many roles in
movies. Some of the most famous
movies he was in was “Traffic,”
“Vantage Point,” “Footloose,” “Frequency,” “The Parent Trap,” and
“Soul Surfer.”
Phylicia Rashād is an American
Tony Award-winning actress, singer
and stage director, best known for
her role as Clair Huxtable on The
Cosby Show. She was nominated
for an Emmy Award for this part in
1985 and 1986. She also was in a
movie called “A Risen In the Sun.”
Anthony Joseph is a retired Amer-
ican automobile racing driver. He
raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His racing includes United
States Automobile Club Champ cars
and midget cars. He won several
major sports car racing events. He
holds a record with 159 victories.
All these people worked hard to be
where they are now. Whatever career you strive for, you should have
the mentality of making it. Pershing
has drama, art and many electives
that are able to boost and help your
career path.
doesn’t take up that much time, and
it really does refresh memory and
push your head into testing mode.
“Studying sucks, but it is necessary
for a good grade”, said Ben Negron,
an eighth grade student preparing
for midterms.
Secondly, utilize the fact that
many of the Pershing teachers
assign midterm review packets. At
the time, they may seem like excess
work and a waste of time, but the
majority of what is being reviewed
in the packet will be on the test.
Lastly, don’t stress too much
about the tests. If you stress yourself to the point of no return, this
will actually decrease your chance
of success on the exam. There is
already a large amount of pressure from the teachers and parents
around us, so adding internal pressure will stretch your brain until the
information falls out.
Midterms are, to say the least,
not a fun time to be in school, but
they are necessary for evaluation.
As long as you study, sleep, and
breathe, you have nothing to worry
about.
By Kirsty Leech, Editor-in-Chief
Some people may think that the
week before Winter Break is a fun,
and exciting time for students, but
in all actuality, it may be the most
dreaded week of the semester. A single word can sum up why students
spines tingle with fear as these five
days approach: Midterms.
A whole school week of nonstop
testing, studying, and stress that
could last until you’re 30: what
could be more fun. Midterms are
considered worse than finals by
many, and considering they count as
much as a whole six weeks, can be
extremely overwhelming. There are
very few things that students can do
to be entirely prepared, but there are
steps you can take to further your
readiness.
First, do not, on any circumstance,
put off studying until the night prior
to testing. Cracking open a textbook
or reading over notes for an hour
each night for the weeks before
Dennis Quaid, one
of Pershing’s most
famous alumni
Study up: Midterms are a coming!
Stay cool and collected in your
journey to success. Freaking out
may make you fail.
JJP : The Middle ~ Sports ~ Page 4
Morgan Parker, Female Star Student Athlete
Swim Team
For the third six weeks of school year, coaches and the
newspaper staff have chosen a prominent student athlete
to look up to. Morgan Parker has been chosen because of
her love of the game and her determination to get better.
Morgan’s uplifting attitude during school and during
the game makes her peers appreciate her as a player and
friend.
Swim Team season has started and a new team
has risen. Multiple people have signed up and more
applications came in than last year. This is how one
swimmer, Bao Dong feels about the team. When
asked, how he feels the new team will do in comparison to last year’s team, Bao said, “I fell we will
do well because we have a lot of good, experienced
swimmers on the team. We also have swimmers that
swim outside of school.” The swim team does have
a lot of new simmers compared to last year, a lot
of the swimmers do swim competitively outside of
school.
Last year swim practice was early in the morning,
before school. This allowed swimmers to go home
after school, if they didn’t have other activities,
and do homework or anything else they needed to
do. This year practice was moved to the afternoon,
which means swimmers have less time to do what
they need to do when they get home. Bao said, “I
would change the practice to morning practice.”
Swim team now has land workouts and warmups, like cross training. You do planks, wall sits,
pushups, et cetera. Bao was asked how he felt about
the land warm ups and practices. He said, “They
do [warm ups] get your muscles warmed up so you
don’t get cramps. I think they [land practices] are
effective because they are good for cross training.”
Bao was also asked what swimmers could do to
stay healthy during, before, and after the season. He
stated, “Eat less snacks, warm up before practice,
stretch, and eat healthy.” Swimmers can also do
oyher forms of cross training to stay healthy besides
what Bao suggests, and what you do at practice, but
these are some suggested techniques.
All in all it seems like this years team will be
better than last years. With new crosstraining and
land workouts, swimmers will be in better shape.
This swimming season could end in a 1st place for
Pershing. Go Pandas!
By Kaitlyn Altamirano, Columnist
Q: What sport(s) do you play?
A: I play softball, volleyball, basketball, and I run track.
Q: Which sport do you prefer?
A: Softball because I played it the longest.
Q: What position do you play?
A: Softball – catcher
Basketball – power forward
Volleyball – middle
Track -4x400m relay, 100 and 200m hurdles, shot-put
Q: Did you play rec (YMCA) or select?
A: I did play WUSA softball before playing for Pershing.
Q: Is this something you would like to do when you’re
older?
A: I would love to get a scholarship for softball for college but that’s about as far as I would go.
Q: What’s you favorite subject in school?
A: English because I like to write stories.
Q: What high school would you like to go to?
A: Kinkaid and if not Lamar.
Q: What college would you like to go to?
A: Stanford because I know it has a very good education
there and I might want to play softball there.
Q: Who inspires you?
A: JJ Watt because he strives to be a good athlete and he
is very hot.
Morgan Parker is known and wanted by many high
school coaches. She always strives to be the best at what
she does.
By Evan Poythress, Sports Writer
Star Student Athlete,
Morgan Parker
Photo Credit to Kate Faris
JJP : The Middle ~ Sports~ Page 5
8th Grade Basketball
Ben Negron: Male Student Athlete
The Lady Pandas, coached by Mr. Mosley, had a stunning performance in their game against Pin Oak. Their
awesome defense helped their success. “We’re going to
win it all!” said eighth grade basketball player, Keona
Johnson.
The Boy’s Basketball Team, coached by Mr. Henderson, have so far played teams such as Lanier and Pin
Oak, working hard to catch a win. Their players crushed
the Purple Pups in a tense game against Pershing’s
famed rival.
These dedicated players practice until 5:30 every day
after school except Fridays. Being the “senior” players,
they must work extra-hard and be good role models for
their “juniors.”
Overall, Panda Basketball has won a gold star for
teamwork and their outstanding confidence. The Pershing basketball teams have been, and will be hearing a lot
more cheers for their dominating skills.
For the third six weeks of the school year, the coaches
and the newspaper staff have chosen a prominent student athlete to look up to. Ben Negron is known by his
coaches, teachers, and peers as a hardworking individual in both his academics and athletics. His kind-hearted
and goofy personality makes him an easy-going person
to be around.
Continued from Front Page
Junior Ballers
By Harrison Swales and Kyle Morgan, Sports Writers
This year the seventh grade boys’ basketball team
will, like always, strive for an undefeated season. Now,
we aren’t going to say these guys can dunk, but they
have some serious talent. With a new coach, and fresh,
ready-to-play-ballers, this season is looking good.
Mr. Breaux, the new seventh grade basketball coach
said “I feel they will perform with excellence. He is
both a seventh grade history teacher and a first time
coach, but he is confident in this year’s team. Breaux is
very confident that his junior ballers will start and finish
out this season with a bang. Hopefully his coaching will
make his wish come true, however, it also takes dedication and hard work from the players.
This 2014-2015 basketball season has officially
started, their first game was on Wednesday, November
17, 2014. The players were very excited and energetic
as it is their first chance to play basketball for Pershing
Middle School, due to sixth graders not being allowed
to play basketball here.
With these “junior” ballers taking the court this
season, many are hopeful of a great undefeated season.
Everyone can cheer these guys on in the large gym on
game day to represent the Pershing Pandas. Hopefully,
most of these athletes will become “senior” ballers,
playing on the eighth grade Pershing Basketball team
next year to lead us to yet another great season!
By Morgan Parker and Kaitlyn Altamirano, Columnists
Q: What sport(s) do you play?
A: I only play basketball
Q: What is your favorite sport?
A: I love basketball.
Q: What positions do you play?
A: I play center and forward.
Q: Did you play rec (YMCA) or club before playing for
Pershing?
A: Yes, I played AAU.
Q: What is your favorite subject in school?
A: My favorite subject is math.
Q: What high school would you like to go to?
A: I want to go to Carnegie.
Q: What college would you like to go to?
A: I want to go to a school with intelligent and smart
people (Harvard).
Q: Who inspires you?
A: My dad inspires me because he has raised me up to
play the sport I love.
Ben Negron was chosen for his great personality and
great athletic performance. Ben Negron is loved by
many coaches and teammates.
Star Student Athlete, Ben
Negron
Photo Credit to Kate Faris
JJP: The Middle ~ Feature ~ Page 6
Out of Sight Out of Mind…
one is the right answer? The next
question is what type of news? E!
By Charlotte Dale, Feature Writer
News, The Today Show, Fox, Local
News, or CNN Student News.
Out of Sight Out of Mind, a
Every morning during school, we
phrase used to minimize the stress.
watch CNN Student News. CNN
The meaning of this phrase is if
Student News is a 10 minute news
something is not destroying the
clip that is a fun way for students to
environment, economy, or human
beings in the United States, then it hear about the news from all over
doesn’t matter, and the U.S does not the world. Sometimes the students
know a lot about the topics, and
need to do anything about it.
other times they may not know as
How important is watching the
much.
news? Is it necessary, or unnecessary? In some households, watching It really is surprising that some
students don’t know who Usama
the news is a daily routine; wake
Bin Laden is, or who killed him, or
up and watch the news. In others
the news is unimportant, not really why he was such a bad person, but
something watched regularly. Which that is a perk of watching the news
every morning because you might
actually learn something.
Next time when your mom or dad
asks what you learned today, be sophisticated and answer with, “Well,
on the news…”
Worst Things You Could do
to Your Body
easily and ripped out, so stick to the
studs or be really careful.
There’s also body piercings like
body studs and the corset, which is
the back of a corset used by rings
and ribbon. Just know that you can’t
take those out without the equipment, so you are going to have to
sleep with that in your skin. You
have to know how to deal with the
pain when they jab it in your skin.
I’m not saying getting a tattoo or
piercings are bad, just be smart
about it.
A tattoo.
Be smart
about
your
choices.
By Angie Peavy and Dannie Lopez,
Feature Writers
Have you ever thought about if
you will get a tattoo or piercing?
Well, you might realize that tattoos
are forever and most piercings scar
if you want to get them to close,
so these are things that you don’t
want to do to your body. First things
about tattoos: make sure the tattooist is a professional or you might as
well get mistake tattooed on your
forehead.
Which brings me to the worst
mistake anybody could make: a face
tattoo. You may say, “That’s ridiculous. Who would do that? But trust
me, there have been people walking
down the street with regret tattooed
on their cheek, literally. But what
if you want something written in a
different language? Make sure you
know what it means.
And make it meaningful, because
you might not like what you put on
your body later on. This is something you must never do, get a girlfriend or boyfriends name tattooed
on you. It’s ok if it’s your kids when
you have kids. Also, know how to
spell because “no regrat” is not the
same as no regret, and trust me, the
tattooist won’t fix it if you give it to
them on paper.
The meaning of certain tattoo
places could come in handy. Like
the closer your tattoo is to your
heart, the more meaningful it is.
And if you get a tattoo on your
ribs, it’s personal. If you get the
sleeve tattoos, your whole arms
are covered in tattoos. You don’t
care about what others think about
what’s on your body.
Now for piercings. First think
about how many holes you want in
your face before you get any face
piercings, because they take a long
time to close. Also, if you get an
eyebrow piercing and it gets ripped
out that leaves a streak across your
eyebrow. No hoop piercings because
they can get caught in stuff very
Fox News
JJP: The Middle ~ Feature ~ Page 7
Bestsellers to Movie Screens have been Mrs. Peregrine’s Home
By Alexandra Mosby, Feature Writ- for Peculiar Children, and Insurgent.
Perhaps one of the more peculiar
er
of this small list from the island of
misfit movies, is Mrs. Peregrine’s
Some students may be excited
Home for Peculiar Children. This
to hear that many of their favorite
books will be becoming movies in movie is about the critically acclaimed book following a boy on
early 2015. Bestsellers from The
his quest to find whether his grandMockingjay to The Maze Runner
father was killed by a ‘monster’ or
series are becoming major motion
not. Instead of finding the monster,
pictures.
he finds Mrs. Peregrines House for
“I’m getting pretty excited for
Mockingjay part two,” says one sev- Peculiar Children. Peculiar meaning having odd supernatural powers.
enth grade student. This has been
one of the most anticipated movies This bestsellers hits the screens on
of the season, even though part one March 4, 2015.
Insurgent is the second book of
has yet to air in theatres. Speaking
the popular Divergent series, comof, Part one is to come out on Noing to screens on March 20, 2015.
vember 21 of this year.
This continues to watch Tris’ progSome titles that may not have
been listed in the previous list, but ress as she finds the way out of her
dystopian society as it crumbles
have made it high on the rankings
Stomped on by the School System
By Maggie Burruss and Danna Gadalla, Feature Writers
before her. Read the book, or watch
the movie to find out what happens
to the dauntless Tris.
As for some fun honorable mentions, Horns, Paper Towns, Pan,
Wicked Lovely, and so many more.
Which can our students name?
These are just a few of the top
paper to screen adaptations of our
favorites. Will they all live up to
their names?
The grade that
doesn’t define you
Have you ever been squashed by those standardized tests? Had your dreams crushed by those bad grades? You
are nowhere near the only one, and those bad grades and missed assignments do not mean you aren’t intelligent.
School is a very skill oriented place where, if you aren’t good at reading and math, chances are you are labeled
as not good at school.
The real question is, “What does ‘being smart’ mean?” Well, in school it means doing well on your given
assignments, acing your tests, and studying until late at night, but is that really what intelligence is based on?
What happens to the students that are left out because they aren’t the best at math, or science just doesn’t flow
into their brains, or maybe they have some trouble with grammar? These are all very important topics, yes, but
do they dictate your “smart-ness”?
“School systems are so messed up, because they put you down as soon as you make a bad grade in one of
your classes, or even get a bad grade on a standardized test, and forever label you as ‘un-smart’ ”, says eighth
grade student at Pershing, Hayley Hunter.
Not only are there bad reputations for kids who don’t excel at school, but the kids in Life Skills class are
being labeled as, “Incapable of being as smart as the students in the more advanced classes.” In all reality, that’s
not even close to the truth. In fact, the students in those classes are incredibly intelligent, and may be skilled
at things such as writing, drawing, dancing, and other fine arts. They are incredibly smart and have the same
potential as everyone else.
“A lot of kids in those classes are really smart, but no one looks at them with a bright future because they’re
handicapped,” say the school janitor, Jeremy Patrick. Mr. Patrick helps the class during the day and after school
without pay.
Don’t stop believing, for school isn’t made for everyone. IQ doesn’t matter, because I can is 100 times more
important than IQ.
JJP: The Middle ~ Centerspread ~ Page 8
Tis The Season To Be Jolly
Continued from Front Page
Referring to a poll taken at Pershing, 67 percent of students celebrate
Christmas. Christmas celebrates the
birth of the Christian Messiah, Jesus
Christ. According to the bible, he is
the lord and savior of the Christian
community, Christmas is time when
they celebrate his important birth.
During the Christmas holiday
people gather for religious services
to celebrate his birth. They may
also volunteer for needy people and
spread the story of Christ. To the
side they still give presents, sing
Christmas songs, and share their
love with one another.
Chanukah is celebrated by 14 percent of students at Pershing, Chanukah, also known as the Festival
of Lights, celebrated the eight days
that the candle oil lasted when there
was only enough for one night. The
candles were located in the Second
Winter’s Almost Here
By Daniella Lopez and Angie
Peavey, Editorial Writers
Do you feel that cold breeze in the
morning, the trees losing more and
more leaves, you see water vapor
coming out of your mouth when
you speak? Tank tops leaving and
jackets coming in? That’s right. You
guessed it. Winters coming up, and
let me say were really excited for it,
for many reasons. Houston won’t
be as humid so your hair doesn’t get
ruined, and holiday break is coming
soon. The winter breeze feels amazing. Hopefully it snows (fingers
crossed). Hot chocolate, fire warming the house the smell of cinnamon
and the warmth of your cozy blan-
Temple during the Maccabean Revolt. Nobody knows how it happened scientifically, so it is thought
to be a miracle.
When the Jewish people celebrate,
they gather with their families and
there are gifts given. They also go to
religious services and pray to their
God, Adonai. There are few plays
are composed compared to Christmas, but Jewish people tell many
stories as well. They use a menorah
with nine candle slots: eight represent the number of days the candles
lasted, and the ninth holder, called
the shamash, is used to light all of
the other candles. They add a candle
after each day.
Kwanza celebrates the culture
of African Americans. Kwanza is
a winter holiday not celebrating
religion or replacing Christmas.
Families will decorate their houses
and create Kwanza flags. Similar to
Christmas and Chanukah the family members give presents to one
another and have feasts. Kwanza
has been around for 48 years and is
gladly celebrated by African Americans and even those not of African
descent.
Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanza
along with other winter holidays
occur every winter. These holidays
unite us and spread positive spirit
throughout Pershing and the world.
kets: It’s a winter wonderland.
Houston’s really beautiful with
all the lights and decorations on the
buildings. So if you asked us which
our favorite season is, we choose
winter 100%.
When you say winter, the first thing
that comes to our head is joy. I
mean, how you could not be happy
when there’s hot chocolate and time
away from school coming up.
Lots of people style in winter
clothes. Winter’s a time where the
most delicious sweets come out;
cookies, brownies gingerbread,
mints, and egg nog; it all sounds
tasty. It’s also a time where people
can help the less fortunate and families are able to be together. Now, we
know a lot of people probably don’t
agree with us, because no matter
how much amazing winter sounds,
there’s also people who have it
tough, and the cold doesn’t make it
any easier.
But it’s okay; times are tough but
we’re with you. Your spirit doesn’t
have to change though. We can’t
wait for the junk food, the lights, the
joy; we can’t wait for winter!
Some menorahs have
seven or
nine slots.
Hot chocolate. Yum!
JJP: The Middle ~ Centerspread ~ Page 9
High School Applications
By Evan Poythress, News Writer
It is now December and it’s that
time of the year again. A lot of
eighth graders are finishing high
school applications. These applications show high schools if you
are the kind of student they want at
their school.
Applications usually ask a few
simple questions, but sometimes
they are large and important. For
example, this is a question from
the Strake Jesuit application form:
“What books not assigned by a
teacher have you read in the last
year?” Most schools take a lot of
time and effort into choosing their
students.
There are some schools now that
are choosing from only the top students. The way the system works is
if students qualify for a school, they
take a test. If they score well enough
on test, the students’ names go into
a computer, and the computer randomly assigns them a number.
The lowest numbers, like 1 2 3
etc., get an automatic spot in the
school. You have to accept the
seat to go to the school, and if you
don’t, they go to the waiting list
and choose the next student. Mrs.
Burgan sees this from both points of
views, school staff and a parent. She
said, “The computer gets rid of bias,
but for a parent it can be painful
because it is based on luck.”
There are many things to consider
before doing applications. Where
do I want to go? Should I apply for
more schools than less? How will
the lottery system affect my chances
of getting in? If you take all of these
questions into account, you will
hopefully be able to choose the right
schools to apply for.
Bellaire is one of the many high
schools that randomly picks
students to enroll after they have
qualified.
Be Prepared After Christmas a break to come back and succeed in from school, but at least a bit to go
work.
over school work may refresh the
Break
By Vanessa Galindo, Feature Writer
This Christmas break is not too far
from becoming the time of relaxation. Everyone won’t have to stress
about homework, unless the teachers passes some out. The worst that
could happen is not enjoying such a
vacation.
When students and all teachers
come back, teachers would review
everything to refresh our memories.
Others may start off onto a new
chapter or lesson given to learn.
Either way, preparation for tests is
needed.
Teachers have had enough stress
onto the beginning of the 2nd semester. The least they would want
to start off with is students failing.
The STAAR test had been moved a
month earlier and that means time
can’t be wasted. Homework is too
much, but at least everyone can take
Even students who are in any
sport teams or clubs need to prepare. Except for them, it could be
extra because the games at Pershing
Middle School are still up to continue. Homework and sports into
the late afternoon is too much. At
times, it can cause students to sleep
in class, but a little snack can boost
them up.
Also, 8th graders have to find
exactly what high school they want
to go to. Many spots will be taken,
and the choices need to be choosen
once and for all.
When school starts for the second
semester, some classes change for
students. For lucky students, they
get good classes, but still need to
pass in all academic classes.
This break will take more than
one week, which the least students
could do is study. Hardly anyone
thinks of studying during the breaks
memory.
Time will pass by super fast so
what needs to get done needs to be
done on time. There is no time for
mistakes and excuses; its time to
get serious about any school work.
Like everyone knows, testing will
start soon, so study hard and enjoy
winter break (while you can.)
Be prepared for all of the
homework you may have
when you get back from the
break.
JJP: The Middle ~ News ~ Page 10
Wild Pig Infestation
By Clara Brotzen-Smith, News Writer
Wild pigs have invaded 36 US
states, and threaten many more.
Texas has the largest infestation,
with over three million swine on the
loose.
They are thought to have originated from an escaped sounder of
domesticated pigs who then eventually spread across North America.
Because of their high birthing rate
and ability to easily adapt, the wild
pig species population is spiraling
out of control. The average feral
hog weighs 200 lbs. and is equipped
with tusks that range from five to
eighteen inches in length.
Each year in the US, wild pigs
cause 1.5 billion dollars’ worth of
damage. These animals are mostly a menace to farmers because of
their tendency to decimate crops,
but also leave a path of destruction
throughout suburban areas; posing
danger to residents. Many people
have resorted to simply hunting and
trapping them, and currently in our
state it is legal to shoot wild hogs
from helicopters.
With this situation only getting
worse, officials are looking for more
effective, and hopefully more humane ways to take control. Before
resorting to violence, think of what
Winston Churchill once said: “I am
fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us.
Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us
as equals.”
the vent Halema’uma’u Crater, is
easily viewed from Jagger Museum. The second location is the Pu’u
‘Ō’ō vent located 10 miles east of
the summit, on the east rift zone of
Kilauea volcano.
Lava from the Kilauea Volcano is
flowing toward houses in the island’s Ka’ohe subdivision. The current volcano alert level is at warning. The governor of Hawaii, Neil
Abercrombie has issued emergency
orders to protect escape routes, but
residents haven’t been asked to
evacuate homes yet. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HOV) scientists
are on the ground monitoring the
situation every day.
Hawaiian citizens are frightened.
They are left with many questions.
What do we do next? Do we have to
move? Will this flow of lava pro-
ceed? All we can do as Pershing students is give as much of support as
we can. “We should donate anything
they need or send any organizations
to Hawaii” said Lilian Asonye, a
7th grade student. We hope that the
volcano will slow down and stop
before it destroys the people of
Hawaii.
Wild Pigs
Hawaii Volcano Warning
By Johana Jose, News Writer
The volcano that everyone seems
to be talking about is Kilauea.
Kilauea is the youngest and most
active Hawaiian shield volcano. It is
located on the southern part of the
Island of Hawaii. The reason why
this volcano is so popular is because
the lava has been flowing out. It has
been constantly coming closer to
citizens.
Right now, Kilauea Volcano has
one of the most long-lived eruptions
known on Earth. Kilauea Volcano
has begun erupting in 1983 and has
been firing on and off ever since.
The First eruption happened on June
27.
The eruptions are coming from
vents, which are basically small
holes on the side of volcano. The
eruption of Kilauea Volcano continues at two locations. In the park,
The Kilauea Volcano lava
spewing over the land of
Hawaii
JJP: The Middle ~ News ~ Page 11
Schoolgirls Escape from
Boko Haram
By Clara Brotzen-Smith, News
Writer
On April fourteenth, two hundred girls were kidnapped from
their school in Chibok, Nigeria.
They were abducted by the terrorist
organization Boko Haram, and have
not been formally released. Despite
the conditions, fifty three schoolgirls have managed to escape. The
kidnapping has gained worldwide
recognition, with even the first lady
tweeting a photo of herself with the
hashtag “bring back our girls” that
virally circulated through social
media.
In English, Boko Haram means
“Western Education is forbidden”.
Virgin Galactic Spaceship
Crashes During Test Flight
By Dylan Terrell, News Writer
How would you feel if you were
testing out a space ship? You would
feel pretty proud of yourself, imagining that you were on a vessel that
could one day be famous. Then
suddenly you’re heading down at a
fast rate of 600mph. You try to pull
up on the controls but they don’t
work, and you start to panic. Then
you get thrown from the plane. You
think your lucky stars knowing you
were to close to a sure death, and
you look back wondering if your
copilot has survived. You find out
that he is dead.
That is exactly how the pilot
of the Virgin Galactic Spaceship
pilot must have felt when the ship
crashed. The big question is why
did the spaceship crash in the first
place? Was it a manufacturing error,
The group opposes both the education of women, and westernized
schooling. Boko Haram was formed
in 2002 by Mohammed Yusuf, but is
now under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau.
One escaped girl told her story under the pseudonym “Saa” to protect
her family in Nigeria. Saa fled by
leaping from the back of a moving
truck that was transporting the two
hundred girls from their school. She
made the jump with a friend, both
of whom then hiked through the
forest until running into a shepherd
who gave them a ride to a near-by
village.
Other girls who managed to free
themselves told stories of rape,
forced marriages, and mandatory
conversions to Islam. The Nigerian
government continues to negotiate
the freeing of the “Chibok girls.”
With all these atrocities being committed, it is truly time to bring back
our girls.
Girls
from
Boko
Haram
or did someone sabotage the ship to
make sure there would be no space
tours?
Some people think that the copilot
set off the moveable tail section,
which appears to have set off a
change of destructive events. If this
is true, why didn’t the copilot tell
the pilot? Could it have been as far
as sabotage, and if so, who could’ve
done it?
Coach Burgan said, “I don’t have
enough information to make an
educated guess on whether it was
sabotage or accidental, but I hope it
was accidental.”
What they are planning to do is
space tourism, but this task can be
slow and expensive. The only company providing up to date transport
is the Russian Space Company.
Could they be trying to sabotage
potential competitors, if this ever
becomes big? They might want to
be the only ones that could do it, to
bring in the big money.
What would happen if in the
future, if people could space tour?
They would see wonders and many
cool thing from a view up there.
They would be experiencing a new
world. Let’s hope that this mess up
has not stopped space tourism.
Whether it was anything sabotage
or coincidental, there is too little
evidence to find out anything about
the crash right now. Though investigators are still doing what they do
best investigating, we will soon get
to the bottom of this mystery.
First Lady
Michelle
Obama’s viral
picture in
support of the
schoolgirls
Virgin Galactic Spaceship
JJP: The Middle ~ Editorial ~ Page 12
A Critical Decision
Continued from Front Page
Considering our school district
contains schools with hundreds if
not thousands of students pressed
inside a compact wait list, it can be
everything but a breeze. No matter what grades you make or what
extracurriculars you pack onto your
application, everyone who meets the
initial standards of acceptance is put
in the same mixing bowl of aspiration and doubt.
Of course, you can’t forget the
schools that accept only the best
students in whatever field or art they
choose to specialize in. I, for example, am auditioning for the High
Do Students Really Give
Enough Credit to Faculty?
Jahkayla Lee, Editorial Writer
Think about it. Who cleans when
you leave? Who provides breakfast
for you? Who makes sure you can
go to school in a clean environment
and eat if you can’t bring your own
lunch?
Faculty does the work that most
students don’t show appreciation to.
An apology would suffice. People
go through the lunch line, get lunch
and leave, not saying a word. When
some students speak, all that comes
from their mouths are rude remarks.
Sudents would notice if custodians and cafeteria workers didn’t do
their job or quit. Students need to
realize that faculty deserves more
respect than they actually receive.
If custodians quit, there would be
changes students would notice immediately. After complaining about
dirty restrooms, students don’t think
to thank custodians for keeping
School of the Performing and Visual
Arts for creative writing, along with
many other students in Pershing’s
eighth grade class. And may I say,
to be blunt, that it is the thing that
keeps me up at night. The portfolio,
auditions, and possible call backs
would make anyone toss and turn
into the late hours of the night.
To bring back the fearful date
of March 29th: the day that alone
decides our future for the next 4
years of our lives. I’m sure that day
will be one of many tears, excitement, and critical decisions. There
is no guarantee that any school you
pick will be the right choice, yet
there is no certainty that it isn’t. And
who knows, maybe some people
are lucky enough that they can slip
perfectly into all the schools they
are accepted into.
To everyone who is as stressed as
I am, my heart goes out to you. But
whatever decision you make, I’m
sure everything will be just fine.
The High School of the Performing and Visual Arts (Above)
them clean.
They are the ones who clean them
so in the mornings the restrooms are
at least clean. Students at Pershing
Middle School rarely thank or show
appreciation to them. I think that is
something students should practice:
how to show appreciation for elders.
Students probably don’t realize
Lamar High School (Above)
that they don’t use manners towards
the cafeteria workers. I have had
conversation after conversation with
the cafeteria workers. They are great
people.
“Six out of ten students actually
say something to me and it isn’t always polite,” says a local custodian
at Pershing Middle School. (Rather A rhino, the mascot of Carnegie
than janitor, they would like to be
Vanguard HIgh School (Above)
called custodians.)
This may be my opinion, but these
people can’t even enjoy their jobs. It
may not be an ideal job, but students
should make it better by using manThe cardinal,
ners towards cafeteria workers and
the mascot of
custodians.
Bellaire High
School
JJP: The Middle ~ Editorial ~ Page 13
Cliché Cliques
By Jacqueline Schneider and Morgan Parker, Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Writer
Movies like Mean Girls and Clueless portray common stereotypes,
which have influenced students
to create their own stereotypes at
school. This creates a range of effects, mostly resulting in negativity
depending on how you are ranked
on the popularity scale. Here are
some of the common stereotypes
(and remember that these are not
necessarily true about people):
The jocks are big and dumb,
according to the stereotypes in
movies. They use their heads and
hands rather than their brains, which
results in their failing grades. They
have a tendency to date the cheerleaders, which gives them a reputation for being popular.
The cheerleaders aren’t too bright
themselves. They care more about
their looks than anything else, and
will risk anything for their image.
The preps aren’t exactly jocks and
cheerleaders, but they may include
them in their group. They are known
for keeping up with the latest trends
and displaying their possessions
from the most well-known brands.
They are respected by everyone,
because they know the ins and outs
of the school.
The emo and goth group consists
of people who don’t have respect
for themselves. They cause harm
to themselves because they see no
point in living their lives. They
dress in dark clothing because the
darkness in their souls overpowers
their image.
The nerds and geeks are at the
bottom of the popularity scale because they have no popular friends.
They only care about school and
their grades, and spend their free
time studying, rather than partying.
They know what they want in life,
and it usually includes science and
math.
We think these stereotypes can
have negative effects on peoples’
self-esteem. This label may stay
with them throughout school, and
maybe even the rest of their life.
They won’t be able to see themselves any other way, because this
stereotype clouds their perspective
of themselves and others.
At Pershing, we have noticed that
some stereotypes have been applied to students which can result in
bullying. These stereotypes are the
fixed image of how we see them on
the outside, but not on the inside.
Our standards and expectations
based on how they look or do things
can cause them to be made fun of.
No one should ever have a label of
who they may or may not be hanging over their head during school,
when school should be perceived as
a safe haven for them. So make sure
to get to know someone before you
stick a stereotype on them.
Class Tunes
It’s too distracting for them
Music tunes out the outside distractions. The classroom would be
quieter with some of the students
listening to music. Moderate levels
of music can stimulate creativity.
Some music can be inspiring. This
music will cause students to have
higher quality work. There would be
less detentions and referrals because
students wouldn’t be talking out in
class to the teacher or other students.
Music is an amazing way for
students to relax in class quietly.
Everyone should have the privilege
to listen to their favorite tune.
Pershing needs to have music in
classes because I think that students
will enjoy school more. Music has
always been a big part of my life,
and I think it has made me a better
student. I think students’ focus will
be improved.
By Madeline Ryan, Editorial Writer
Music stimulates the brain, so
students can pay more attention in
class. Shouldn’t students have the
joy of listening to their favorite
songs during school?
I would love to listen to my favorite music in whatever class the
teacher allows it. The only time you
would listen to music is when the
teacher is not talking. Music has
always helped me focus, and other
people have said so too. Some students can study with music. It’s easier not to get distracted with music,
but some people become distracted.
A student jamming out to
music
Photo Credit to Kirsty Leech
JJP: The Middle ~ Beauty ~ Page 14
Break Free From the Break- easy and affordable.
The best way to prevent anything
outs
in the medication section of your
grocery store or drugstore. But,
make sure it’s powdered. Once you
have that, just take one pack and put
it in a very small cup of water. Stir it
with your finger or a small spoon to
make the paste. Once made, apply it
to the spots and acne and leave it on
for about 5 minutes. Then just wash
it off. Your skin is going to feel like
liquid butter.
Chelsey Hinojosa said “I use
Neutrogena Visibly Even foaming
cleanser. It refreshes your face and
clears your pores. It smells good,
it smells like flowers. It evens out
my completion and makes my skin
brighter.”
A good thing to use to get rid of
oil after a long day is Oil Absorbing Sheets. You can get them at the
drugstore. They come in a small
portable pack that you can use on
the go.
Just follow these tips and you’ll
have clean & clear skin in no time.
Fashion Week Worldwide
a real professionally done fashion
show. Many opportunities may
arise, for those designers in disguise. Though fashion is not a big
deal to some people, others actually
do keep up with the latest trends,
eyeliner, and Marc Jacobs design.
By Colleen McLean, Beauty Writer bad on your face is by simply
washing your face every day. Once
Acne; the occurrence of inflamed is all that’s needed, although if you
or infected sebaceous glands in the can you should do it when you wake
skin. It’s a difficult part of a teen’s up and before you go to sleep. Your
everyday life, as well as one of the local drugstore has a wide variety
of different cleansers for all types of
effects of the devil puberty. Kids’
ages from 11-17 all over the world skin. Recommended washes for evare victims. Now, here’s some facts, eryone are: Biore Pore Unclogging
Scrub, Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne
tips, and tricks all about acne.
Let’s begin with a question: “How Wash, and the Clean & Clear Acne
Wash Foaming cleanser. Although
do I get acne?” Acne is formed
if you want to take an extra mile
weeks before it begins to show up
on your face. Beneath the skin there and spend a little more money, the
could be layers and layers of it. The X-Out acne care is highly recommended.
most common ways you get acne
If you feel like just washing might
are from the hormones in the body
and bacteria on the face throughout not be enough, there are special
the day. If you have a lot of bacteria creams and zit-zappers. Applying
on your face, black and white heads these products to areas of acne will
help “those spots” fade away.
will start to form and clog up the
Now for some weird things that
pores on your skin.
you probably wouldn’t think get
Now you might be wondering:
“How do I get rid of it?” Well, here rid of spots. One amazing trick is
powdered aspirin. You can find this
are a few tips and tricks that are
ers. There were different designers
every evening, so there are fresh
By Haylie Sims, Beauty Writer
new looks as well.
In Houston, we had our own
Fashion week season is here!
fashion week. It began November
In the past few months, Mer18, 2014 and ended November 21,
cedes-Benz Fashion Weeks have
2014 is the Fashion Houston Five.
been occurring worldwide. Their
Designers such as Chloe Dao, Little
latest fashion week was in Zurich,
Switzerland, and started November Black Dress Designer, and Rebecca
Minkoff were there. Many things
12, 2014.
occur throughout these exciting
The fashion designers there
nights. The after parties are really
are showing off their flashy
flashy and are for adults, (don’t get
Spring-Summer 2015 designs.
any ideas). The shows took place at
These designers consist of Max
the Wortham Theater. The highest
Mara, Bibhu Mohapatra, Julian
price for tickets is $195.
Zigerli, Lala Berlin, and Lug von
What would you wear to these
Siga on Wednesday. On Thursday,
celebrity filled events? How would
Elisa Kaufmann, Julia Seemann,
Nathalie Lukasik, Nitya Unju Park, you feel if you met some of these
Tosca Wyss, and many more design- designers? Take a chance to go to
Fashion Week Runway
JJP: The Middle ~ Editorial ~ Page 15
You’ve got a Friend in Me
By Colleen McLean, Editorial Writer
Our friends at and outside of school
make up a majority of our social lives.
There are the good ones. The ones
we can count on to save our lives,
keep our darkest secrets (really keep
them), and not flake out like autumn
leaves. There are fakers among us,
the backstabbers and traitors that will
make your blood boil inside your head
just at their slightest annoyance. They
don’t feel pain and they won’t feel
yours, not even if you told them. It’s
like talking to a mirror, because you’re
the only one in the conversation.
Finding good friends can be difficult. It usually isn’t a walk in the
park. The process can take time that
will never be gained back. But finding the one, the shining light over the
horizon shouldn’t be a big struggle.
But we shouldn’t always be coming
A Cure to Bullying
By Johana Jose, Feature Writer
Using superior strength to intimidate
someone, forcing him or her to do
what one wants. That is what a typical
bully does. You have heard lectures
after lectures to not bully. However,
what about the people who are getting
bullied.
Parents, teachers, and other adults
in communities are there helping kids
prevent bullying by talking about it. If
you are getting bullied, you have to do
something about. Talking to someone
is the first step. They don’t even have
to be an adult; you can tell a close
friend or a sibling.
Bullying can threaten students physical and emotional safety at school,
and can negatively impact their ability
to learn. If you don’t do anything
about any bullying issue, eventually it
across new friends on a regular basis. Although having a wide range of
them makes good diversity, there’s so
many tactics to being a good person,
friend, and just nice in general. Each
friend needs to know you personally
care about them. Imagine living a life
knowing your best friend wouldn’t
even take a bad test grade for you. If
it was like that for me you’d be able
to hear my heart cracking from miles
away.
Don’t lose yourself in others. Never
give your full self away to any one
person, even with their full trust. Because you, yourself, has it all. Don’t
lose sight of your morals, chase your
dreams and once you catch them never
let them go. You mustn’t show hurt
or pain, let them find out for themselves. If they can’t, they don’t know
you, and you shouldn’t be wasting
your hours. Because there’s only one
friend, a friend within me.
will affect the things you do. Believe
it or not, ignoring it will not help. The
best way to address bullying is to stop
it before it starts.
Teenagers are not likely to talk to
their parents about their problems.
You must not forget that parents
were teenagers too. They have been
through this. If you think they don’t
understand, make them understand. Sit
down and talk to them.
Bully leads to suicide, cutting and
depression. You need to take care of
it, and you are not alone. “It’s okay to
speak up. Many people are in the same
positions. They deal with this too. You
are not alone,” said Michelle Nguyen,
7th grade student.
Be a good person
Our Pershing Newspaper Staff:
Andrew Duong (Editor)
Kate Faris (Editor)
Kirsty Leech (Editor)
Jacqueline Schneider (Editor)
8th Graders:
Kaitlyn Altamirano
Pari Bondalapati
Clara Brotzen-Smith
Ashlyn Bryant
Maggie Burruss
Charlotte Dale
Sedan Daniels
Ben Enos
Nick Fava
Chloe Freeman
Danna Gadalla
Vanessa Galindo
Megan Garibay
William Hardee
Shelby Jackson
George Jordan
Zane Knipe
Drew Koenig
Dannie Lopez
Colleen McLean
Kyle Morgan
Maddie Ogden
Neel Pai
Morgan Parker
Angie Peavy
Libby Perez
Evan Poythress
Noah Ryan
Harry Swales
Dylan Terrell
7th Graders:
Michael Batten
Ashley Cuevas
Johana Jose
Jahkayla Lee
Alexandra Mosby
Madeline Ryan
Haylie Sims
JJP: The Middle ~ Back Page ~ Page 16
All I Want For Christmas is...
From Your Pershing
Newspaper Staff