Posted inEducation, Carter Update

STAAR

Jared M. by Jared M.

STAAR is a test Texas students have to take. Last year and this year, the STAAR will be online.

STARR, State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, is an end-of-course test given by the state that determines if you are ready to continue to the next grade level. The STAAR test has evolved from paper-based to an online version that many schools opted into due to the pandemic.

TEA, Texas Education Agency, which oversees public schools in Texas, has plans to make all future STARR testing online beginning in 2022.

“I don’t like the STAAR being online because I like writing on my tests with strategies I know work for me, and I can’t do that online,” junior Ruby Hernandez said.

Hernandez later lets us know that she has never failed a STAAR test in the past, so it seems that strategies have helped her.

“I don’t really like taking the STAAR online because my eyes get really tired and dry over time. Since technology implementation has just risen due to covid-19, I’m personally still getting used to the idea of technology revolving around us. I am more used to having everything on paper because I have done most of my school year experience. Having the STAAR on paper is better than having it online, in my opinion,” junior Melissa Villanueva said.

Students now have to come up with alternative ways to get used to the STAAR online and prepare for these yearly exams.

“This year, to prepare for STAAR, I am just paying attention in my classes, keeping my grades up, and a couple of weeks before the exams, I work on study guides,” Ramiro Rodriguez said.

That’s just one student. All students have different ways of preparing for big tests.

“I am trying my best to get the most information out of all my classes so that I have a chance to pass the STAAR. I ask questions when I need clarification and take note of what I’m learning,” Adamaris Ochoa said.

Posted inEntertainment, Opinion, Reviews, Community

The Nicholas Sparks Novel We All Forgot About

Adilene V. by Adilene V.

“For at that moment, the world is full of wonder as I feel her fingers reach for the buttons on my shirt, and slowly, ever so slowly, she begins to undo them one by one.” This is the ending line of The Notebook, perhaps the most popular romance written by Nicholas Sparks.

Although, the movie adaptation ends differently. There, we see Ally and Noah’s love interests, embracing each other, dying in each other’s arms. Of course, I know why the change was made, to make it more romantic. They’re soul mates. They spent so much time trying to be together, and here they are, dying in each other’s arms. What better way to end a lifelong romance?

Well, why not follow up with another romance with Noah and Ally’s children? There is a sequel to The Notebook that people seemed to have forgotten about—the Wedding. Okay, technically, it isn’t a sequel. But it might as well be. Sparks himself said that he “wrote about the next generation.”

In this novel, we follow Jane and Wilson, Noah and Ally’s daughter and son-in-law. They, sadly, are forced to recognize that the romance in their marriage has officially died. In fact, they never even had a wedding. They got married in front of a judge in a courthouse so Wilson could return to his job.

Wilson is desperately trying to win back the heart of his wife. He has spent years forgetting anniversaries, and he wants to somehow make it up to her for their 30th. He fears she fell out of love with him, and he wants to win her back.

So he goes to Noah. Perhaps the mastermind behind his own fifty-year love affair. The mastermind behind so many things, actually.

Coincidentally, Wilson’s youngest daughter Anna reveals that she has gotten engaged. And that she wants the wedding to happen within the next two weeks. On the same day as her parents’ wedding anniversary. Noah is alive, but he is sickly, something that comes with his age, so they all want the wedding to happen before his eventual passing.

Anna is young, 27, but still young. She doesn’t know what she wants. Or, more so, she wants her mother to believe that. So she lets Jane make the most important decisions, including Anna’s wedding dress.

Remember how I mentioned that Noah is the wonderful mastermind behind everything? Well, we may also have to add Wilson to that list. Before the engagement was revealed, he took a few weeks of vacation to prepare. He also managed to find caterers and a photographer who just happened to have an open spot on the right day. Then, of course, we have to mention the godly workers who found time in their schedule to fix up the venue. And I have to honor the guests who all had an open spot in their calendar. What a neat little coincidence!

Then we have our final chapter—arguably the most tearful. Slowly, Jane and Wilson become closer to the stress of their daughter. They go to the wedding venue, Ally and Noah’s old house turned retirement home. We watch Wilson drop off a dress for his daughter, but it’s not her wedding dress.

Anna gets ready, and so does everyone else. Then we see her walk down a set of stairs wearing the dress her father gave her that morning. Tears begin to fill Wilson’s eyes, and confusion fills Janes. She asks her daughter why she isn’t wearing her wedding dress; then it is all revealed. She is getting married, just not yet. It’s never been her wedding. It’s always been her mothers.

And then Jane turns to Wilson. Everything became so clear at that moment. Wilson was finally able to give Jane the wedding she had always dreamed of. She still has more questions, but Wilson leaves. Grooms are not supposed to see their brides before the reception; it’s bad luck.

Then the wedding happens. Wilson re-courts his wife.

It is extremely predictable and cliche, but honestly, what would you expect from romance? Everything is a cliche at this point, but it still works. It is a sappy story, and that might be what I love about it.

Though it really is a shame to see that this rendition does not get the love it deserves. I would love to see this as a movie, but it’s canon that both Ally and Noah pass in the movie version of The Notebook, and Noah is an important character in The Wedding.

This book was published in 2003, around the same time the filming took place for The Notebook. The ending was changed to make it more romantic, but I think that was the one useless one out of everything they changed. There is no reason that they had to die.

Nicholas Sparks is known for writing romances coated in tragedy. So while it’s romantic, it would match much better to his writing style if it ended with Ally dying in Noah’s arms and Noah waking to find her. It would be the final tragedy in their story—the perfect sad ending.

Of course, this is all my opinion, and I do not claim to be right. I would love to see The Wedding as its own movie and finally get the same love The Notebook or Dear John.

And so I leave you with my favorite line.

“But love, I’ve come to understand, is more than three words mumbled before bedtime. Love is sustained by action, a pattern of devotion in the things we do for each other every day.”

Posted inSchool Pride, Education, NHS

Carter National Honor Society

Yuridia N. by Yuridia N.

The National Honor Society develops and promotes leadership, commitment, character, and community service; it is a national organization established to recognize outstanding high school students. NHS members have the opportunity to engage with their community and serve as a benefit to students’ future social and academic interactions.

Being a member of the National Honor Society represents an ethical, hardworking individual; Which demonstrates excellence in character and leadership both on-campus and community. You’ll need to be on top of school work academically and while in service.

“I wanted to be in a club where it helps the community and the school at the same time.” an NHS member said.
It recognizes and encourages academic achievement while developing character and leadership skills.

“The responsibilities of being an NHS member is; technically being committed and serving the community as well as being respectful,” said Esmeralda Loera. “Any NHS members understand that they are representing the school itself, people are going to look up to them, and they’re well aware of that.”

Some benefits of NHS are giving to the community, arranging activities to help the school out. Additionally, NHS allows students to make a difference for those in the community who are struggling or do not have enough.

“Giving back to the community by helping others, for example, on a past event we were on a toy drive in an Elementary school, and it was rewarding to see the smile on the kid’s faces after they all received a toy,” Loera said.

There are many responsibilities for the NHS; being trustworthy, being fair, caring for others, having citizenship, and being well informed of everything.

“When there was a big freeze during February in 2020, the NHS community helped out by volunteering at a food drive in Palmview and giving back,” NHS member Frida Beltran said.

Posted inEducation

The Care Academy

Ruby G. by Ruby G.

The Care Academy Program offers activities every day to help students “Become more independent.”

Starting from 18, students stay at an apartment-like building to learn the necessities needed to help their parents at home. By teaching the students how to do floral, cooking, and baking, students can think about potential future careers they could be interested in.

“We see them follow picture instruction recipes, programming themselves to see what is a teaspoon or a tablespoon. The same thing goes with the floral arrangements; they see the vision and want to copy it, sort of like Copycat Syndrome,” said Gustavo Sifuentes, one of the care academy instructors.

Because of the various learning levels, these students have due to their disabilities, teachers “Go to their level and bring them out.” With teachers bringing these students out of their shells to teach them new things, students can get a taste of what they like and what they can see themselves doing in the future.

“We do on-the-job training with students, but as if now because of COVID-19, we are not allowed to leave. Students clean and set up tables or whatever the restaurant tells them to do; they’ll go in and do it. I have students who enjoy doing certain things, and they see themselves doing such things in the future,” said Sifuentes.

With the growth of students doing these activities daily, they are getting closer to reaching their goals, moving one step forward closer to independence!

Posted inEducation

‘Students Need Different Food Options’

Francisca O. by Francisca O.

Students at Jimmy Carter Early College High School raise concerns about possible food waste.

“I think it’s pretty healthy, but I do know it’s hard for some students to eat it cuz they don’t like how it tastes,” Carolina Amador said.

Sophomore Kevin Martinez shared that on most days, he ends up throwing the food away. Students then progress through the day without appropriate nutrition or calories to maintain them.

“I will often find myself falling asleep in class cus’ I don’t have enough energy,” Martinez said.

“It does; I tend to get headaches after not eating, so what I do is just bring something from home,” Amador added.

“I think it’s a good idea because it’s kinda what kids eat at home, so if it’s available at school, I’m sure they’ll eat it in place of what they don’t know what to eat,” Amador said.

“Pues si se puede, nada mas que ahorita por la pandemia y todo eso, estamos enfocadas en un solo menú,” lunch staff said.

Posted inEducation, Community, Culture

Carter Holds Domestic Violence Awareness Vigil

by Ivan Silva

Student council hosts domestic violence awareness vigil.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), October has been the designated month to promote and raise awareness for victims of domestic violence. The movement was officially launched in 1997.
“Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) was launched nationwide to connect and unite individuals and organizations working on domestic violence issues while raising awareness for those issues,” NCADV said.
The vigil held this morning involved students lighting candles during the ceremony as they listened to a speaker provide facts and statistics regarding domestic violence. Over fifty students gathered in the student union as they watched and listen to their council.
“I was glad we had a very good turn out, Mr. Bernal thought we would not have that turn out,” Daniela Flores, student council secretary said. “I was very glad that we were able to attract so many people. I am for sure that many kids have experienced or seen it. All of us have at least on a TV show.”
STUCO vice-president Domingo Bazan said that the event was focused on providing facts, statistics and observing a moment of silence to honor and pay respect to those “lights that have gone out”.
“I have had close relatives who have gone through that and I wanted to be respectful to those people that have gone through that,” junior Sebastion Marceliano said. “I saw a bunch of people holding candles and wearing a ribbon that symbolized that October is for Domestic Violence Awareness.”