Guess what, we survived!

The world panicked at the wide spread fear of a “Mayan Apocalypse” that obviously didn’t happen

Serena Quintero, Opinion Editor’13

When some decided to once again scream the rumor of the end

of the world, I responded with the infamous words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, “I’ll be back.” And we all were back after De-cember 21st, 2012. Well, at least most of hu-manity and BA students. Even though to many of us this “End of the world” thing wasn’t more than a meaningless and comic warning, it wasn’t that way for all. It became common knowledge that the Mayan calendar ended on our supposed “Dooms Day.” However, many people actually took this very seriously. People committed suicide and others prepared for anything and everything, since they didn’t know what was really going to happen. For example, a high school student and her father

decided they were going to buy guns and stay up all night just to make sure that crazy people wouldn’t randomly attacked their house. They believed people were simply going to go crazy that day. This seemed logical at the moment, later on that morn-

ing it seemed like a dumb idea when dad had to go to work and she had to do chores. An-other inter-esting story was the one of a man in

China that spent his whole life’s savings to build an ark. He hopes the world floods, but if it doesn’t, he hopes his giant “Noah’s Ark” will become a tourist attraction. Well, more money for Chinas economy, thanks to this now impovershed man.

See WE LIVE page 2

Guess the teacher’s baby pictures.

PAGE

4

Volume 56, Issue 03 January 2013 Bryan Adams High School, Dallas, Texas 50 Cents dallasdisd.org/bryanadams

PAGE 5

Up Coming Movies

2013PAGE 5

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PAGE 3

Check out how

many lives we

saved at this year’s blood drive.

I Hate Shakespeare hits big

Chris Uresti ‘13 (Unhappy Person), Marcelino Vasquez ‘15 (Ghost of Hamlet’s father), Evan Uresti ‘13 (Hamlet), Shaun Clancy ‘14 (Laretes/ Ophilia), Antonio Chaffin ‘13 (Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle/stepfather) , Jennifer Duran ‘13 (Gurtrude, Hamlet’s mother).

This year’s theatre production received high praise from appreciative audience

Jennifer Duran, Co-Editor in Chief ‘13

This year’s production I Hate Shakespeare, written by Steph Deferie, was a huge success selling over 150 tickets. Weeks before the show students, teachers and parents anticipated the comedy. When opening night came the lobby was packed with eager audience mem-bers. The auditorium was practically full of people each night.

The whole idea of show is to teach the audience about Shakespeare and his plays, while at the same time poking some fun. The show tactfully flowed from scene to scene quite easily, hav-ing only minor pauses to set up props. The audience followed with amazement as they experienced the different worlds Shakespeare created.

See PLAY page 2

Celebrity DeathsEach year we note the passing of the famous and infamous.

Here are three that hit home with BA studentsVanessa Nino, Ad Manager ‘13

T he calendars have moved past 2012 but sadly some of

our greatest idols didn’t get to experience the New Year. These amazing legends include: Jenny Rivera (1969-2012), Jerry Brown (1987-2012), and Whitney Hous-ton (1963-2012). They may no longer be with us but their legacy and memory will live on forever. Recently, “La Diva De La Banda”, Jenni Rivera, passed away in a both myste-rious and tragic plane accident. Everything with her name is in big demand. Sales of her albums, clothing line, and perfume have skyrocketed. Much speculation arose on whether it was an accident or the cruel act of a Mexican drug cartel. Many thought, or hoped, that she might still be still alive, possibly kidnapped, but were lat-er proven wrong when investiga-tors found bits and pieces of her body. Her family and millions of her fans continue to mourn her death. Earlier last year one the most iconic singers in the

world, Whitney Houston, died in an accidental drowning. Similar to Jenni’s case there was a lot of questioning on the cause of her death before the autopsy report came out. At the time of her death she was still consum-ing drugs and alcohol. She was found face-down in a bath tub filled with water. Beside her were found a spoon with a white crystal like substance in it and a rolled-up piece of white paper.

Again, any-thing that was associ-ated with her was in high demand. The last movie in which she appeared, Sparkle, pre-

miered after her death, making big bucks at the box office. Fans around the world will never forget this amazing artist. Jerry Brown Jr. line-backer for the Dallas Cowboys was killed in a terrible car ac-cident on December 8. One of his teammates, Josh Brent, was driving while intoxicated causing the accident. The incident again illustrates the dangers of drinking and driving.

Human beings are complicatedly illogical yet intelligent carbon based life forms. Many more irrelevant and strange ideas came up about our dying day such as alien visits and days of darkness. Honestly, I really looked forward to buying a T-shirt that said “I survived the Mayan Apocalypse.” Imaginations ran wild with excitement but soon died out as we drew closer to our “End.” Religion and science seemed to have sat together and decided they were going to do the impossible to stop this end of the world conspiracy from actually happening. But the idea was just too much fun to be left alone. Between all the cool over-whelming ideas, was the awe-some real event that really took place on December 21st, 2012 was…Winter Break! Now that’s ironic, freedom the day were all supposed to die. Well it was a complicat-ed and unimportant thing to say the world was going to end but hey, apparently it’s become part of human existence to be afraid of the end. For now we can all be glad were alive. For now I’m just glad my story made it to our sur-viving school newspaper Cross-roads. This December was a long uncertain and weird month for many. So in a way this really was the end of some people’s world but also the beginning of a whole new one.

Crossroads staff 2012-2013

EditorsMr. Hall.......The Big Boss

Jennifer Duran.......co Editor in Chief ‘13Liliana Garcia.......co Editor in Cheif ‘13Serena Quintero....... Opinion Editor ‘13

Jessica Velazquez.,.Student Life Editor ‘13Karina Melendez.......Ent. Editor ‘14Natalie Ruiz……… Asst. Editor ‘13

Vanessa Nino.......Ad Manager ‘13Jonas Veazey....... Contributor ‘15

Staff WritersAlexandria Moncada ‘14

Sadaf Yasmeen ‘14Roochie Chaudry ‘16Juan Sandoval ‘14

Vanessa Andrade ‘15Marilyn Carreon ‘13Edith Sanchez ‘13Liliana Valdez ‘13Julia Arriaga ‘13

Rayneil Williams ‘13Richard Guzman ‘13Christian Arguijo ‘13

We Live! Continued from page 1

Resolve to EvolveResolutions are a common way to bring in the new year

Alexandra Moncada Staff Writer ‘14

Everybody wants to improve themselves and better their life in one way or another. Be-fore the new year approaches, people usu-

ally set their goals in the form of resolutions for the upcoming year. Most resolutions are famously not kept but whether you want to lose weight, do better in school, or learn a new language resolutions are at least a good place to start. Different goals are set for different people; it all depends on your take on New Year’s Resolu-tion. Here’s what a few Cougars have in mind for the upcoming year.

“Get a job…then a car.” – Crystal Fernandez ‘15

“Get out of this school.” – Juan Munguia ‘15“Lose weight that’s for sure.” – Beatrize Nunez ‘16“Finally go to a Mavericks game with Alexandra.”

– Natalie Fonseca ‘14“Gain weight, so I can finally be able to donate

blood.” – Juana Trejo ‘14“Go to Brazil!” – Victoria Tamayo ‘15

“Go to state in Track.” – Jermie Johnson ‘14

“Make a movie with Jennifer Alba.” – Stephanie Alba ‘15

“Break my record and not fail any class.” – Michael Meneses ‘15

“Keep doing me.” - Ryan Jiminez ‘14“Get my belle kicks high enough to touch my

nose.” – Perla Romo ‘14

How ‘bout some celebs....

“I decided to change my twitter background to nothing. Iwanna be more simple.”

Kim Kardashian“I always say my New Year’s resolution is to eat

better, be healthy, and not eat junk food but I don’t do that. Ever. I wear a slimming coat,”

Christian Siriano“I will not use texting as a form of reaching out

for superficial attention/affection at all hours of the night.”

John Mayer“To stop saying ‘um’,”

Abigail Breslin

“I was amazed on how many plays Shakespeare has written that I didn’t know about”, Diana Martinez ’14. The play began with a famous soliloquy from Hamlet (Evan Uresti ‘13), who is interrupted by a rude unhappy audience member (Chris Uresti). He complains about Shakespeare’s plays being so difficult and boring, so Hamlets goes through various plays, break-ing them down so they’re easy to understand. With the help of the many different skits like the Jerry Springer show, Burbage scene and Macbeth; Hamlet was able to show the unhappy person the beauty and importance of Shakespeare. Ms.Allen, head of the theatre department, directed this masterpiece. Her work in the real theatre industry was a real asset when working with the cast and crew. Her attention to detail and her demanding perfectionism insured the overall success of the perfor-mance. Ms. Allen was assisted by Senior Esperanza Murphy. She was a very dedicated assistant; she often read in lines and acted some scenes for actors who couldn’t make it to rehearsals. She was always

Play all around success

Continued from page 1

2

there for the actors who needed a little help - and there with a smile. The elaborate set was built by Mr.Roberts and the Tech Theatre department. He pushed his students and staff to make sure the set was built safely and professionally. The set was very elaborate yet simple and versatile. The pillars were painted with a beautiful canary yellow. Mr.Roberts wasn’t just in charge of the set but also props and lighting. He had to put up with the frustration that comes when actors break the props while rehearsing. All actors deserve recognition but a few stood out. Shaun Clancy ’14 did a stupendous job. He took on nine roles in the plays, each one played magnificently. Junior Jazmine Valdez and senior An-tonio Chaffin did an awesome job. Lime Shaun they played many parts. They brought spunk and charisma to each character. The performances of the main leads Evan and Chris Uresti speak for themselves. All in all this play was a big success. The audience laughed and cheered throughout the play. The smiles on their faces were enough for every-one to know that they enjoyed themselves. This play deserves at least 20 stars. The hard work of these actors, directors and techni-tions all deserve awards. “I wish it ran for more than two nights, so I could come and re-watch however many times I wanted.” said Lupita Serrato ‘15.

Last scene of the play. Everyone excitingly points as they wait for the unhappy person’s answer.

Drama breaks loose during an epic episode of The Jerry Springer Show.

Macbeth and Macduff battle for their lives.

Student Life

Red Gold at Bryan AdamsBryan Adams students give a little to save a lot

Serena Quintero, Opinion Editor’13

The semi-annual blood drive took place November 20th, 2012 in the gym. Many students

participated making the drive a big success. Over 50 pints of blood were collected by the end of the day. The Red Cross staff did their best to keep all donors moving. The process of donating blood isn’t as simple as people may think. Before a donor actually donates blood he or she must go through a long process of tests. There is weight and blood health standards that must be met by the donor or else the donor can’t donate. They have to make sure your blood is healthy since it goes to differ-ent hospitals and blood banks. Many people, like Senior Viridiana Morales, were not able to donate because they failed to pass the test for iron levels. The most common reason for non-acceptance is that the iron level is not high enough. The required level was 12.5. Kim Jones, the drive overseer, has a lot of experience in blood drives.

Senior Kem Maduagwu relaxingly stares ar her arm as the she saves three lives with her pint of blood.

“Iron is necessary in building the proteins of red blood cells and is required for producing energy from food”, she explained. She also ex-plained that this is one of the main reasons people are usually unable to donate. Students were restless because of how long the test took. Some waited up two hours before they got tended to. “I’ve been here since 2:40 PM, what time it is?” complained Angelique Garcia’13. It happened to be 3:50 p.m. After the rigorous waiting, donors were ecstatic to finally be able to save a life. Or three. It was the first time for many. The process of giving blood isn’t fun.

“This is uncomfortable!” said Christy Grandinetti’13 as she squeezed a foam ball to get her blood flowing. With all the time it took to organize the event, the blood drive was a huge success.

3Student Life

Hypnotically Dubstepping“Can you feel it the beats”Juan Sandoval, staff writer’14

The dubstep epidemic has hit BA. Girls and guys throughout the school have been jammin’ out to

the cool beats and bass drops. This new sensation has students grooving to the beat. The dance in and of itself isn’t as good looking as it is fun. Many think that the dancers look as if they’re having a sei-zure. But the majority find the difficult fast-paced dance a new artform. “I think it looks awesome but hard at the same time. But it looks fun,” said senior Sara Amesquita. Dubstep music originated in the late 1990’s in UK. Its beats derived from 2-step, dub and drum and bass. One char-acteristic of certain strands of Dubstep is the wobble bass, the sound that makes this

type of music unique. A track usually begins with a melodic tune, and within a minute or so, there is a bass drop. Typically the drum-ming will stop reducing the track to a

silence before the bass, resumes with intensity. Good Dubstep is hard to produce, which is why many respect the genre and its successful artists. Speaking about music and dance; have you heard of the Bryan Adams Hypnotic crew? In case you didn’t know, it’s a Hip Hop group that meets on

Mondays and Fridays after school. This crew is where dancers of different styles get together and share their own talents with each other. They recently held try-outs. This is dance heaven for many. So if you feel the need to dance please join.

Renovations and innovationsBA tennis court gets facelift

Jennifer Duran, Co-chief in Editor ‘13

After years of having battered old fencing, the Bryan Adams tennis court finally gets new and

improved fencing. The Court now sports taller, shinier and better looking fence. The new upgraded fence now has three new opening with doors, unlike the old one that one opening and an open side. Tennis players were excited at the thought of not hav-ing to run after the ball every time it went over the fence. “The new fence is awesome! It’s so much better than the old one; I hated having to run after the ball every time I hit it wrong.” Commented junior Diana Martinez. With all the excitement of having a new court, the tennis court has been packed with new students everyday. I hope we don’t damage it before we get a new one.

Guess The Teacher

Answers: 1.Bryan Maratto 2.Homer Harris 3.Bryan Bolster 4.Robert Allison 5.Prashant Fonseka 6.Eboni Williams 7.Sean Dowd 8 Amy Solorio

1. Italien bodybuilder. You can find him in the history hallway. Need I say more?

2. BA’s beloved AP U.S. History teacher. If you’ve never heard his name you must not belong to this school...

8. Newly wed, dance lover! She is the woman behind the success of BA’s annual Spring Show.

5. Who said math teachers can’t be cool? He brings fun and laughter to the math club. He is well liked for his high energy and youthful spirit.

6. “Don’t do that!” is her signature phrase. She is a young, jolly eng-lish teacher that also coaches one of BA’s spirit teams.

3. Guitar playing physics teacher. His classroom is also known as “Defense against the Dark Arts.”

4. “That’s illegal math!” You can hear him yelling across the hall. He coaches one of BA’s most successful sports and teaches one of the toughest AP math subjects.

7. Ever need a good laugh? He is the one to go to! The Math Club refers to him as the “FOIL” master because of his great dancing skills!

Now that we have proved the Mayans wrong, we can open up those 2013 agendas and save the dates for these must-see films! Remakes, sequels, reboots, and even 3D versions of classics can be found in theaters this year.

Movies 2013Gangster Squad - (January 11) Set in 1949, an entire

town is intimidated by a ruthless mob king, Mikey Cohen. All except a small, secret crew of LAPD outsid-ers led by Sgt. John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) and Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who

try to put an end to Cohen’s mob. So ladies, mark the date! Ryan Gosling is back on the big screen!

The Great Gatsby - (May 10) Aaspiring writer Nick Carraway leaves the Midwest and goes to New York City in an era of loosening morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick lands next door to a mysterious millionaire, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). As he witnesses the life of the rich, he pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and tragedy.

Carrie - (March 15) A remake of the 1976 classic hor-ror film based on Stephen King’s novel. Carrie White (Chloë Grace Moretz), a shy girl bullied by her peers and raised by her deeply religious mother (Julianne Moore), unleashes telekinetic terror on her small town after being pushed too far at her senior prom.

Other must-sees

January25th- Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunt-ers

February14th- Safe Haven

March1st- 21 and Over29th- The Host

April12th- Scary Movie 5

May3rd- Iron Man 324th- The Hangover 3

The Lone Ranger - (July 3) The Texas Rangers chase down a gang of outlaws, but the gang defeats them all except one who is found by a Native American, Tonto (Johnny Depp), who nurses him back to health. The Ranger, wearing a mask and riding a white stallion named Silver, teams up with Tonto to bring the gang and oth-ers to justice.

G.I. Joe Retaliation - (March 29) A sequel to 2009’s G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra. When Cobra spy Zartan has most of the Joes assassinated, the remaining Joes band together to strike back. With an ensemble cast, starring Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, Channing Tatum, Arnold Vosloo, Ray Park, and Lee Byung-hun, this is a must see!

Warm Bodies- (February 1st) Move over sparkling vampires and harry wolves. The zombie apocoloypse has officially started! After a zombie epidemic, zombie R encoun-ters Julie (a human survivor), and rescues her from a zombie attack. The two struggle for survival. Julie notices that R is slowly becoming more human as their relationship continues.

June21st- World War Z

July29th- The Smurfs 2

October25th- Paranormal Activity 5

November22nd- The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

December12th- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

4 ENTERTAINMENT

Best of 2012

Best App:ifunny

Best movie:Ted

Best song:We are young-Fun

Best TV show:The Big Bang Theory

Best shoe brand:Adidas

Best dance song:Ai Se Eu Te Pego-Michael Telo

Best BA moment:Belle championship

Best fast food:McDonalds

Best trend:Swag

Best artist:Taylor Swift

Best game:Black Cops

Best snacks:Takis

I am a treeI am a tree

A lonely evergreenWaiting for you

To bring me home for Christmas.

My pines needles are greenThe fragrance strong

Branches extending their armsI am waiting for you to cut me down.

I have been waitingPatiently waiting

For this day to comeSo I could belong to you.

I weathered cold nightsHorrific rains

The snow so coldMy roots froze.

The summers were hotNo rains to soothe me

But I know at ChristmastimeYou will come for me.

Others trees teased meThey say you will not comeThey say I’ll be forgotten

A little evergreen left in the cold.

But I never lose hopeWith each new sunlight

With each new snowIn my heart I know you will come for me.

You see, it’s ChristmasAnd I am the only tree leftI am the one with the star

I am the one rooted in the center of the field.

But just in case you forget meIn case you are too busy to remember me

I will not lose hope, for I believeYou will come for me next Christmas

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year... and remember the little trees in your life

Ms. Simpson

Random things you hear in the

hallways“You smell like Hollister”

“DON’T DO IT!”“Hey does it smell like up-dog

in here?”“Not Even!”

“We’re Pregnant!”“My momma hood but she

Christian!”“I’m grown in 17!”

“Ms. Spray Me!”“Boy get off me!”

“Ohhhh look what shes wearing!”

“I almost ran into the pole looking down”

“Where the heck is my teacher!?”

“What’s up dog?”“Yankee Doodle Dog!”“I aint heard no bell.”

“You beat me to the water!”“We have matching

backpacks!”“It’s cold I’m black and I’m

gone!”

13 interesting facts about the number 1311 facts of the number 13 that you didn’t know and 2 that hopefully you did know.

1. The fear of number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia

2. The number of colonies that

formed the United States was 13. The current U.S. flag has 13 stripes to represent the original 13 colo-nies.

3. Traditionally, there are 13 mem-

bers in a witch coven

4. Some hotels skip number thirteen when number-

ing rooms

5. There were thirteen people at the Last

Supper. Tradition states that Judas Iscariot, the dis-ciple who betrayed Jesus,

was the 13th to sit at the table.

6. It’s the natural

number be-fore 14 and after 12.

7. It is the age at

which children officially become teen-agers.

8. Apollo 13 was

the only unsuccessful

moon mission by NASA.

9. We will have two

Friday 13th days in the year 2013 (September and December)

10. In Florence, Italy, the houses between

number 12 and 14 are ad-dressed as 12 and a half.

11. The Columbia Space Shuttle was sent

into space on 01/16/2003 (1+1+6+2+0+0+3 = 13). The shuttle exploded during re-

entry and all its crew members died.

12. Microsoft skipped their office version

13, assuming it may not be so lucky for them.

13. The number of cards in a single suit of a

standard deck of playing cards

5ENTERTAINMENT

Since the first day of school the tennis team has been diligently working their

way to bettering their racquet skills. This year’s tennis season started out with a tournament. The team beat Pinkston in the first round 10-6. Which took them to the second round to play Roosevelt, they fell short 10-4. This year’s team has so much dedication. They show up every morning at 8 am to prac-tice. However, as if that wasn’t enough they also train during their 1st period athletic class. This year brings new and old faces to the team. Returning players from last year are Danny Lam, Fernando Galdamez, Richard Guzman, and Andrew Diaz who is this year’s captain. The team has also wel-comed a new tennis star Kim Li. This year the varsity team believes they will have a shot at the district title, with all the talent they have on board. When people see them practicing, most of them think

it's easy, but tennis is a sport that takes alot of concentration and preparation. One wrong angle of the racquet could send the ball anywhere. Except were you need it to go. Senior Andrew Diaz said, "I feel good about this years team, they give it their all in the

matches. And I appreciate the time they sacrifice for this team." A few weeks ago it was time for the team to get a new fence

around the court. The demoli-tion and the creation of the new fence had the tennis players hold off practice for a week. All the players were glad they got a new fence though. Fernando Gal-damez told us, "I am happy we got a new fence, the old one had holes everywhere!" The regular season tennis matches will start after Winter break. As soon as the break is over the team will come back to dominate. Come out and watch Bryan Adams tennis team on their road to hopefully being called district champs.

Slamming RacquetsBryan Adams Tennis team’s season has started

Sports Editor Richard Guzman ‘13

Soccer season is here and there is no doubt that many athletes are eager to

start off the season. BA varsity soccer coach, Harold Mason, is ready to watch his team succeed in this upcoming season. “It’s the time where our players have the opportunity to show what they have been working towards. We have been waiting for the arrival of the new soccer season since our final game last year.” said Coach Mason. As you know the soc-cer team is made of two teams: junior varsity and varsity. Both make a great team although the JV squad is at a lower level, the competition is still intense. As for the Varsity squad, it’s an elite

Goooooooooooooooooal! “Soccer season is here.”

Juan Arcos , staffwriter‘13

6

The BA Boys Basketball team is off to a rocky start. Although the season hasn’t started the way that they envisioned, the boys still have high hopes and expectations for the rest of the season. “Yeah, we didn’t think the beginning would be like this, but we’re definitely going to flip this thing around,” says Senior guard Marcus Steward. On November 23 and 24, The BA “Hoop Squad” participated in the annual Jack Frost Invitational Basketball Tournament at George-town high school in Georgetown, Texas. They got off to a great start winning their first game against Reagals High. With moral high and confidence oozing, the boys prepared for their next opponents, the hosts of the tournament themselves, Georgetown high school. Although the Boys were’nt out-

Jack Frost Annual Invitational Basketball TournamentBoys basketball start off strong!

Staff Writer Rayneil Williams ‘13

team who competes in a much tougher level and environment. Not many have what it takes to make the varsity team. It demands great amount of skills. Your attitude and personality also play a big factor into being recruited. The BA Varsity team is notoriously known for their catchy slogan “We Are One.” This phrase will carry them through the season. Their only weakness may be losing focus and not playing as one, but as everyone who plays for the team knows, every year is different. With new players joining each year, comes a new adventure of learning how to play as a team. The JV team not only has some new players to but also

a new coach. He is just as excited as the athletes for the upcoming soccer season. Now the Cougars anx-iously await whether or not this year’s soccer teams are going to meet last year’s high standards. The stands should be full during our home games showing Bryan Adams school spirit. Come out and support your boys’ soccer team!

Just keep swimmingBryans Adams swim team scores big.

Main Contributor, Jonas Veazey 16’

The Bryans Adams Boys and Girls Swim Team competed in the City Swim meet on Tuesday, December 11. Both teams competed very well as the Boys placed 2nd and the Girls placed 3rd. The meet started off as it always does, with the 200 medley relay. Jonas Veazey led off with backstroke, Sam Malone breaststroke, Simon Cohen but-terfly, and Senior Captain Aubrey Lohrengle anchored with the freestyle. The Boys led at points but were unable to keep their lead as they finished 3rd in the event. The girls relay consisted of Jennie Tai on backstroke, Alina Linde on breastroke, Joey Wikelski on butterfly, and Destiny Garza on freestyle. They swam their hearts out, but finished 6th. After the relay came the 200 freestyle and the 200 individual medleys, Boys Aubrey Lohrengle, Jacob Lopez, Sydney Eichelberger, and Enrique Men-doza swam hard in these events and earned the Cougars vital points. Freshman Jennie Tai was the lone girl in the two events, but finished 4th in the 200 freestyle, an impressive performance for a freshman. Next the 50 freestyle, Brandon Gibson-Keys blazed to a 4th place finish as he showed that he is a legitimate for the dis-trict title, and Sophomore Stuart Cook finished 7th. Joey Wikelski, one of the top girl sprinters in the dis-trict, finished an extremely close 3rd, while junior Destiny Garza finished 18th. A sophomore duo of Jonas Veazey and Stuart Cook swam the 100 butterfly; Veazey

placed 1st and Cook placed 5th, Cook’s performance raised eyebrows as the new swimmer showed his potential and swam well in one of the most grueling events. The 100 freestyle, Bran-don Gibson-Keys once again did well as he placed 6th and the fastest freshman in the district, Sam Malone finished just after in the 7th place spot. Joey Wikelski finished 2nd for the girls earning much needed points. The longest event of the meet, the 500 freestyle, was won by Jonas Veazey, who then proceeded to hop out of the water and join his teammates Simon Cohen, Sam Malone, and Aubrey Lohrengle to participate in the 200 freestyle relay. The boys dominated beating 2nd place Woodrow by 5 seconds. The girls also performed well earning 5th place. The 100 backstoke and 100 breaststroke were the last 2 individual events of the meet. Jacob Lopez finished 7th in the back, and Aubrey Lohrengle, Simon Cohen, and Sam Malone performed well in the Cougars best overall event. Girls Jennie Tai and Alina Linde finished 7th and 4th in their events, completing a night of awesome swimming for the girls. The boys still had one more event, the 400 freestyle relay, Enrique Mendoza, Sid-ney Eichelberger, Jacob Lopez, and Stuart Cook competed in this event for the Cougars and finished a hard fought 4th place. The Cougars had a great meet overall and individual Cou-gar Jonas Veazey earned a Best Male Swimmer Award, awarded to the swimmer who scores the most individual points for his team.

matched skill wise, they were outmatched as far as the “focus” aspect goes. They took their first loss of the tournament to Georgetown , and were knocked out of the running for the first place gold trophy.

They Hoop Squad were down, but not out. They still had an opportuni-ty to take home the 2nd place silver hardware. “We still could win 2nd place, but we would have to buckle down, focus, play hard, and play as a team,” said Senior guard Marlon Roberson. The next day began their journey to the 2nd place trophy. With their

minds focused and their spirits high, the Hoop Squad fought hard until the very last second, and pulled off the victory. And so this was it. If the team got one more win under their belt, they would bring home the silver.

Sports

winterseasonJanuaryscarf beanie

mittensglovessweatershawlleggings

pajamasbootiesblanketVanhoozer

WINTER FUN

Serena Quintero, Miss GigglezSerena never hesi-tates to ex-press her opinion. Hence, she is the opinion editor. She suffers from daily giggle

attacks. Don’t worry; it’s only a little contagious. She’s is known to be full of rainbows, unicorns, and glitter. It has not yet been confirmed that is a thug. She loves to write and laugh, like a lot!

Cougar Blurbs

During the week of December 10, dozens of hope-fuls were eager to try out for BA’s upcoming cheer squad. The senior cheerleaders ran the cheer clinic but four experienced judges determined who made the cut whether in the varisty squad, the junior varsity, or just simply not “cheerleader material.” The try outs consisted of a dance, a cheer, jump technique, smiles, school spirit and vocal projec-tion. On Friday, December 14, the cafeteria started filling up as soon as the dismissal bell rang at 4:25pm. Tryouts started at 5:30. Girls were straightning their hair, adjusting their bows, and putting extra mascara to im-

Cheerleaders return to co-ed squad Squad welcomes Justin Alexander

Co-Editor in Chief, Liliana Garciapress the judges. This was a life changing moment for some stu-dents and a devastating turn out for others. Out of an average of 30 hopefuls, less than half passed the test. One of the successful inductees happened to be a boy, junior Justin Alexander. This is the first time BA will have a co-ed squad since 2005. “I feel like I have a lot of dancing and stuff to bring to the squad. I just want to bring spirit to my school. I feel like I can bring something good to the team.” Jason eagerly said. The new squad will perform alongside this year’s current team at the annual Green and White Game.

BA BuzzSimple Rules to live by

Punching objects when you’re mad doesn’t make you look like a “passion-ate bad boy”, you look

more like an “angsty 8th grader”

Easy mode: being able to brag that you went to

school with a famous guy. Beast mode: being the guy people brag about.

It’s been less than an hour since you’ve seen your best friend; you don’t

need to stop in the middle of the hallways.

Not being able to sing, but doing it anyway is brave, not being able to rap, but doing it anyway is embar-

rassing

It’s obvious when you’re fake texting to avoid say-ing hi to someone on the side walk, just give the

nod and carry on.

It is not always the physical attributes that makes a person beautiful. Mostly it is their

personality. Every person is per-fect in their own way. It doesn’t have to be the 90, 60, 90 ratio body that makes up the perfect person. It doesn’t matter if they have the perfect skin tone, long silky hair, or the pearly, white smile. What good is physical beauty if the personality is filthy and rotten? Who you are is what makes people like you. Charisma

is the key to beauty. The media is constantly telling society what true beauty is supposed to look like; skinny, tall, and perfect measurements. Remember that Victoria Secret Fashion Runway (admit it, you know you watched it.)? Ladies torture themselves by tuning in to shows like these and feel-ing bad for not looking like the Victoria Secret Models. But what people do not realize is that noth-ing in this world is perfect. Those

front page models are not real. The secret behind that flawless image? Cosmetic surgery, eating disorders, and of course, Photo-shop. Now, don’t take me wrong, some girls are born with natural physical beauty. But that doesn’t mean that behind that smile they are happy. All people worry about today is how they look, what make up to use, how to be pretty, or how to cover up their imper-

fections. What they do not real-ize is that beauty comes naturally because you are born with it. You have to let yourself shine. There is no need to “buy” beauty because everyone has it. All you have to do is keep your self-esteem high above the clouds because we all have true beauty within us and there is no one that can take it away from us. We are all beautiful. Like Rihanna says, “shine bright like a diamond.”

“True Beauty is not those perfections people think they have but those imperfections they carry.”Staff Writer, Marilyn Carreon

The Real Definition of True Beauty

Meet the Editors and other Valuable ContributorsNatalie Ruiz, Random Bubbles

She is well known for her quote “Yan-kee Doodle Dog!” Natalie never fails

to bring a great sense of jolliness when she walks into a room. She is one of those half-alien breed people that get the work done while having fun and making us all laugh. Writing is like breathing to her. In a room full of stressed writers Natalie knows exactly how to lighten up the mood.

Vanessa Nino, The Goof-Ball that eats a lot!Vanessa is one of the only people that would dare taken on extra work when ev-ery other editor is

franticly trying to finish their own work. She’s not afraid to whip up a couple of extra stories to save the day. Vanessa is outgoing and well liked by the staff. Let’s not forget to mention she always has food!

Jennifer Duran, The Sweet Gabble Dicta-tor

Dedicated is an under-statement to describe how much time she spends on the newspaper. Even with the stress of home and

school she still manages to try and get things done. Deep down that fearless dictator there is a very sensitive and sweet person. Without her we would get even less than the little we get done before deadlines. She makes our stressful work for Crossroads quite enjoy-able.

Liliana Garcia, The Silent NinjaShe lives the life we all wish we had. Not that many people achieve their goals, but Lilly over achieves! She seems to have been trained in an

academy of silent genius ninjas. She has the ability to be quiet but have a loud mind. She is just that amazing. Her calm, sweet talk would make anyone feel relaxed and happy. Her commitment to the newspaper makes us all proud to call ourselves her friends.

Just before school was out for the holidays, Belle tryouts were held. Throughout the week, over sixty girls were learning a dance, the traditional Belle March, and other important techniques. The girls were judged on memory, dance abil-ity, technique, and projection. The judges also looked for nice grooming and their overall pres-ence. On the first day of try-outs, the girls learned a dance. Belle March and clip turn was taught on the second day. Mock tryouts were held on Wednesday to give the girls a feel of the ac-tual day of tryouts. The girls had to show the judges their right

and left leg split, Belle March, the dance, and most importantly that they were proud of becom-ing a Bryan Adams Belle. Thursday was a HUGE review day for the girls and fortunately a lot of them felt a lot better about tryouts. Finally, on Dec. 21 the final decision was made. As tryouts continued, the decision became clearer for the judges. Many nervous girls became anticipated to see their name on the list. As the list was posted, many tears were shed, whether for joy or sadness, many screaming was made due to their excitement, and many happy faces seen on those who became a Bryan Adams Belle.

1,2,3 Belles“Kick High, Split Low, Smile Big”

Ad Manager Vanessa Nino ‘13

Jessica Velazquez, the Comedian in disguise

At first glance she’s seems quiet and when you get to know her

you realize that whenever this come-dian in disguise opens her mouth she’s sure to make you laugh. She’s a kind hearted and very intelligent girl that should not be underestimated.

Alexandra Moncada, Crossroads’ little elf

She is not a pro-crasti-nator which is very rare in today’s society of lazy teen-

agers. She’s the good kind of friendly person that makes even the most awk-ward person feel comfortable. The best way to describe her is simply by saying she’s cool.

Karina Melendez, Boss JuniorDon’t trash talk 1D because she will get on to you! Karina’s jokes may be a tad bit too intellectual for the average human being but as soon as your light bulb lights up you will be laughing

nonstop! She is one of the most reliable friends you will find. Her witty remarks bring smiles to the staff.

7

Aquarius (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) This year will prove to be a year of achievements for you.

The love and affection of people you love, and respect from the people at your workplace will bring happiness for you. This year is going to be good in terms of career

too.

Pisces (Feb. 19 - March 20This is the year to put your compassion to better use. Resolve to find a project where you can help others in need. Your understanding and supportive nature is a

gift you need to give on a regular basis. Reach out and extend it beyond your friends and family.

Aries (March 21 - April 19)If one of your resolutions last year was to finish projects still lying…it's time to pick them up and make room for new ones. Here’s the resolution you will need: I won't

start a new project until I finish the one I'm working on.

Bryan Adams HoroscopesSee what the New Year has in store for you!

Staff Writer Roochie Chaudry ‘16

8

Taurus (April 20 - May 20)Your fixed energy makes you great at follow through, but it can also keep you stuck in bad habits. Resolve to get rid of a few of your worst ones, if you are true to your resolu-

tions for just a few months, you will be on your way to breaking even stubborn habits.

Gemini (May 21 - June 21)Your life can be a lot of fun, but it might serve you well to slow down this coming year. Even though patience

isn't a big thing for you, try adding some here and there. It will help you make progress in places where your

energy has actually been holding you back.

Cancer (June 22 - July 22)You love your habits and your security, but it's time to try something new. Resolve to reach out into unknown

territory and see what you find this year. If it feels strange, remember that you're in the right place, coming

up on an edge where you need to stretch further.

Leo (July 23 - Aug. 22)Events will flow better this year. Some moments of uncer-

tainty might creep in during the middle part of the year, but do not lose your cool. You shall have many occasions

to delight yourself as the year moves on. Follow your ideals in life and this year will be better than you think.

Virgo (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22)This year you will see long term plans and ideas tak-

ing wings. Your values might be put to test as the year moves on.Get in touch with those around you, the near

and dear ones. Communication will come handy in times of need.

Libra (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22)This year you cannot have it both ways. Promise your-self you will make decisions this coming year. You can still weigh all of your alternatives, but when it comes down to it, make up your mind and stick to it. Your

friends and family will breathe a sigh of relief.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21)Keeping secrets adds to your mysterious attraction, but

there's a limit. If you're using this technique to manipulate others, that's where it needs to end. Resolve to be clearer with those close to you this year. Tell them your deepest

secrets and enjoy the fruits of greater intimacy.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21)You're good at thinking big and you shouldn't change that this year …put more time in developing strategies

that will help you reach your goals. Remember -- a goal without a plan is just a dream -- so make this the year

the best.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan 19)Your resolution this year is not all about money. Keep

your eye on every dollar, but also take time to smell the roses that line your path to success. Your friends and

family need you. Resolve to be more generous with your time and attention.

Nerd BlurbsA few things to look out for this year.

Natalie Ruiz, Asst. Editor ‘13The New Year has come as fast as a bullet. It’s time to take a look into a new era. For “Nerds”. Here is the latest info:

What ELSE happened on December 25th?Is the birth of Jesus the only thing that happened on December 25th?

Jessica Velazquez, Student Life Editor ‘13.

Many people see Christmas as a day to give and receive gifts. In reality, there is much more to it. It is a day where people all over the world celebrate the birth of Jesus. However there were also other events that took place on this day that

had nothing to do with Christmas or ornaments or snow. For example, Washington’s crossing of the Delaware on the frosty night of December 25, 1776 during the American Revolution. It was the first move Washington made in a surprise attack. He led his troops across the cold Delaware River in a chal-lenging and dangerous operation. Here a few more that we may not be aware of:

Birthdays• Isaac Newton 1642: An English physicist, who described universal gravi-tation. It all started with that apple falling on his head.• Ricky Martin 1971: Well-known Puerto Rican pop singer and actor with more than 60 million albums sold world-wide. “Livin’ La Vida Loca”

Deaths• Jon Benet Ramsey 1996: A child beauty pageant queen of only six years old, was murdered in her own house in Boulder, Colorado.The case is still un-solved• James Brown 2006: Known as the hardest working man in show busi-ness. “I Feel Good!”

Historical Events• Washington crossed the Delaware 1776: The Americans marched through the snowy night, some without shoes, to surprise the Hessian forces at Trenton.• Birth of the Internet 1990: It began as a Cold War project to create communication network immune to a nuclear attack.

Natural Disasters• In 1717, floods ravaged coastal provinces in Holland, killing thousands. Much of the country is below sealevel.• In 2004, earthquake in south-east Asia, measuring 9.3 on the Richter scale, led to a devastating group of tsunamis the next day, which would ultimately kill over 200,000 people.

HOLIDAYS GAINS"7" ways to cut weight off”Christian Arguijo, staffwriter ‘13

Say goodbye to that unsightly muffin top and hello to a slimmer you for the New Year. Most people gain 7 to 10 pounds or more between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Don’t be one of them. These great tips will help lose or maintain your weight.

1. Drink more water; it helps you feel full without the need to go buy

those expensive protein shakes. You don’t need to drink exactly, especially those who aren’t used to drinking it. For beginners start by drinking 2 glasses a day and increase the amount as time passes by. Forget about the soda and drink water during meals.

2.Set realistic goals, like one to three pounds a week. You don’t want your

goal to be a ridiculously large number, like 20. For one, it’s not possible to do without outside help like medication, and operations. Two, drastic weight loss in a short amount of time is really unhealthy. Moderate weight loss is always healthier.

3. Plan your work out hours each week; treat your workouts as an ap-

pointment that you cannot miss. Exercise in and of itself is essential for everyone in general, but especially if you want to shed those extra pounds. If you remain consistent with your training, it becomes easier to stay on track.

4. Don't go Hungry! The temptation is great enough

already so don't make the situation any harder on you by starving. There are many drawbacks to starving yourself. A, it’s dangerous. You can only last so long

without food in your system. B, it does more harm than good. When you starve

yourself instead of los-ing fat your body actually produces even more fat for you to function. And C, it’s plain unattractive when you only eat three carrot sticks for dinner on a date.

5. Get your family and friends into it to sup-

port you and to help you stay on track of your plans.

Everything is easier with some helping hands. It feels good when your friends don’t shove snickers in your face every second in hopes of making you cave. In fact try and get them involved as well.

6. No fast-food and junk-food; it’s the worst thing you can eat at any

time of the day its nothing but fatty foods. Try to eat healthy snacks throughout that day help survive those sneaky moments of temptation. Try keeping granola bars on your purse or backpack throughout the day.

7. Remind yourself. To help you stay on track post notes on the fridge and

next to your bed, put up a little stop sign or make tags with questions like “Are you really hungry? Or are you just bored?” Write motivational messages anywhere around you.Good luck!

MoviesStar Trek into Darkness (May 17)

Man of Steel (June 14)The Wolverine (July 26)Ender’s Game (Nov 1)

Oblivion (April 12)

Anime2nd Gintama movie (summer 2013)

Naruto: Road To Ninja English dub (April 24)Boku wa tomodachi ga sukunai season 2 (January 11)

Inuyasha: the final act English dub (Part 2) (February 20)

Video GamesGrand Theft Auto V (March 15)

Gears of War: Judgment (March 19)BioShock Infinite (February 26)

Tomb Raider (March 5 )

Books Asunder by Jodi Meadows (January 29)

Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting (April 16)Just One Day by Gayle Forman (January 8)

Going Clear By Lawrence Wright (January 17)