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2 <strong>School</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
News News<br />
<strong>The</strong> Magnet Tribune<br />
May 11, 2007<br />
Next year’s school calendar gives less time for holidays<br />
BY CLAUDIA RAMOS<br />
MT STAFF WRITER<br />
A variety <strong>of</strong> differences can be seen<br />
when comparing the 2006-2007 calendar<br />
with the 2007-2008 calendar.<br />
A bill passed by the state Legislature<br />
in a previous session moved the first<br />
day <strong>of</strong> classes back to the last week in<br />
August.<br />
Next school year classes will begin<br />
later and end earlier. For the ‘06-‘07<br />
school year, classes began Monday,<br />
Aug. 21 and will end Thursday, May<br />
31. For the ’07-’08 school year, classes<br />
will begin Monday, Aug. 27 and will end<br />
Wednesday, May 28.<br />
Teachers will return on Monday, Aug.<br />
20. <strong>The</strong> general session at the LEC is<br />
scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 22.<br />
Graduation will also be held on an<br />
earlier date, moving from May 31 <strong>this</strong><br />
year to Thursday, May 29.<br />
Next year the district will not be<br />
observing Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 3),<br />
President’s Day (Friday, Feb. 15) and<br />
Art student explains what<br />
makes his paintings attractive<br />
BY ANNABEL GOMEZ<br />
MT STAFF WRITER<br />
LIFE Art Show best <strong>of</strong> show winner<br />
Luis Rodriguez, sophomore, describes<br />
the painting that he made which won<br />
the show, drawn with a graphite pencil.<br />
It was an angel walking towards light.<br />
“I tried to make everything even —<br />
the clouds, hair, and wings” he said.<br />
Rodriguez said his inspiration was<br />
fantasy and emotions. He shows his<br />
emotions through his work.<br />
“This painting represents ‘sadness<br />
and hope,’” he said.<br />
Rodriguez explained what makes a<br />
painting valuable.<br />
“When you show your emotions<br />
through your art, a person can let go <strong>of</strong><br />
frustration and let go <strong>of</strong> bad surroundings,”<br />
Rodriguez said.<br />
<strong>The</strong> reactions <strong>of</strong> people towards his<br />
work is enjoyment. He said they like<br />
his art, even previous work. People tell<br />
him to follow what he likes and if it’s<br />
art then he should follow with it.<br />
His future in art will not be his<br />
major, but it will aid him in his<br />
planned area <strong>of</strong> study, fashion<br />
design.<br />
“It’s something I won’t let go <strong>of</strong>,” he<br />
said.<br />
His influences are art instructor<br />
Jorge Vasquez and his sister, Nidia<br />
Rodriguez.<br />
“It’s people that you love and support<br />
who inspire you,” he said.<br />
Rodriguez thanks VMT for the opportunity<br />
to be here. Without experience<br />
in <strong>this</strong> school he said he probably<br />
would not be as advanced due to the<br />
lack <strong>of</strong> resources.<br />
Vasquez said his students do not<br />
prepare for the show. <strong>The</strong>ir paintings<br />
and other items come from regular<br />
schoolwork.<br />
He recalled seeing students participate<br />
at the LIFE fair from Cigarroa,<br />
Nixon, and United South.<br />
Students in Vasquez’s class also participate<br />
in other events such as the<br />
Senior Art Show, and shows at the<br />
Center for the Arts.<br />
VMT winners are as follow:<br />
Luis Rodriguez, best <strong>of</strong> show,<br />
Graphite Pencil, 1st place.<br />
Easter, which in 2008 falls on Sunday,<br />
March 23.<br />
<strong>The</strong> only recognized holidays will be<br />
Thanksgiving, Winter Break and Spring<br />
Break along with staff development<br />
days on Monday, Oct. 8, Monday, Jan.<br />
21, and March 24, Easter Monday.<br />
Thanksgiving holidays will be<br />
Wednesday-Friday, Nov. 21-23, with<br />
three days as last year.<br />
Winter Break will begin after school<br />
on Friday, Dec. 21 and end on<br />
Wednesday, Jan. 9 when students<br />
Daniel Villarreal, Oil Pastels, 2nd<br />
Yesika Vasquez, Mixed Media, 1st<br />
Denize Solis, Printmaking, 1st<br />
Marco Sanchez, Printmaking, 2nd<br />
return. Teachers will return on<br />
Monday, Jan. 7.<br />
Spring Break is still the third week in<br />
March, from 17-21. Easter Monday,<br />
March 24, is a student holiday but a<br />
teacher staff development day.<br />
TAKS will also be pushed to a later<br />
time, scheduled for April 22 through<br />
the 25 instead <strong>of</strong> April 17 through the<br />
20 <strong>this</strong> year.<br />
Academic calendars are available at<br />
the district’s Web site at www.laredoisd.org,<br />
then click on “Calendar.”<br />
MT photo by Ricky Soliz<br />
Sophomore Luis Rodriguez stands next to his charcoal drawing <strong>of</strong> an angel that<br />
won best <strong>of</strong> show at the LIFE Downs art show in February.<br />
Claudia Martinez, Printmaking, 3rd<br />
Angelica Siriaco, Acrylics, 3rd<br />
(MT staff writer <strong>The</strong>resa Rocha contributed<br />
to <strong>this</strong> story.)<br />
Conference teaches different ways <strong>of</strong> presenting theatre<br />
BY THERESA M. ROCHA<br />
MT STAFF WRITER<br />
<strong>The</strong>atre students enjoyed a two-day<br />
event dedicated to drama and theatre<br />
arts.<br />
Under the direction <strong>of</strong> Vernon Carroll,<br />
dean <strong>of</strong> <strong>The</strong>atre, theatre students headed<br />
for Houston last winter for the annual<br />
<strong>The</strong>atreFest hosted by the Texas<br />
Educational <strong>The</strong>atre Association.<br />
Held in downtown Houston at the<br />
Hyatt Regency Hotel, the event consisted<br />
<strong>of</strong> several student-directed perform-<br />
ances and presented countless workshops<br />
geared toward the theatrically<br />
inclined.<br />
“<strong>The</strong> convention,” Carroll said,<br />
“<strong>of</strong>fered a number <strong>of</strong> workshops such as<br />
acting, play writing, directing, theatre<br />
business, drama, and UIL One Act<br />
coaching that were open to anybody,<br />
even those who were only interested in<br />
theatre.”<br />
<strong>The</strong> trip was a great experience for the<br />
students to gain exposure toward<br />
drama and theatre outside <strong>of</strong> Laredo.<br />
<strong>The</strong> convention pr<strong>of</strong>fered a student<br />
perspective towards theatre.<br />
“…A great opportunity for the students<br />
to meet fellow students out <strong>of</strong> the<br />
city, state and even from other countries.<br />
<strong>The</strong>y also had the chance to talk<br />
to college recruiters and major show biz<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals” Carroll said.<br />
Students had the chance to interact<br />
with like-minded peers. Ages <strong>of</strong> scholars<br />
who attended ranged from middle<br />
school children to college students.<br />
“It was nice to be able to interact with<br />
students who have the same interests,”<br />
said Meagan Pavek, theatre student.<br />
Pavek was one <strong>of</strong> the five students that<br />
attended the conference in January.<br />
“[<strong>The</strong> convention] was a wonderful<br />
experience. We got to watch plays that<br />
students wrote, directed and even acted<br />
in,” she added.<br />
Next year the conference will be held<br />
in Dallas, Texas. TETA rotates conference<br />
sites every year from Dallas to<br />
Austin then Houston.<br />
<strong>The</strong> <strong>The</strong>atre Department has <strong>of</strong>fered<br />
<strong>this</strong> trip for eight years. It is made accessible<br />
by departmental funds and a small<br />
contribution on the students’ behalf.