ronald reagan high schoolapril 2013 volume 13 issue 3

smartiesUnprescribed stimulant

use rises in student bodypage 8

2 staff reaganrecorder.com

editor-in-chiefkris seavers

managing editormckenna harford

social media editormichelle saccar

photo editorblair bolger

sports editor nellie jafaar

business managervictor carrillo

staff writerskaitlyn skowronnick hayesjaymi morrisjulia mendezisabella mata brooke youngrobin brownbrandon haberthurcristina perez-lopez

contributorslorena duran

advisermonique sandoval

the staff

cover photo by Monique Sandoval

The Reagan Recorder is a district approved and student-produced news and feature publication that is distributed to students, faculty and the community.

The publication has been established as a public forum for student expression and for the discussion of issues of concern to its audience.

The Recorder and its staff will strive to publish only legally protected speech following the legal definitions for libel, obscenity and invasion of privacy. The staff will also refrain from printing stories that create a material disruption of school activities.

The opinions and views of the Recorder reflect those of the staff and are not necessarily those of the student body, faculty or administration. The newspaper has been reviewed to uphold the high ideals of NEISD.

Letters to the editor are strongly encouraged and will be published unless slanderous, vulgar or unsigned. Please send e-mails to msando11@neisd.net or recorderrhs@gmail.com.

The Recorder is a member of Texas Association of Journalism Educators, Journalism Educators of America, National Scholastic Press Association, Interscholastic League Press Association, American Scholastic Press Association and the Student Press Law Center.

For more information, visit reaganrecorder.com.

Once upon a time, there was a student. That student was expected to wake up early, go to school and sit through seven 50-minute classes. In each class, the student was expected to stay awake, alert and focused. After school, the student had a Chinese Yo-Yo Club meeting, followed by lacrosse practice, followed by church youth group, followed by obligatory family time. At every activity, the student concentrated at the task at hand. This may not be your schedule exactly, but as a Reagan student, you can probably relate. We, the students, are expected to be focused all the time. In this issue of the Recorder, the staff found the kids who concentrate their energy for a charitable cause and scarves (page 3), the class that teaches readiness (10), the boy whose determination is guiding him to overcome cancer (4) and the teacher whose combined brilliance and love for life is contagious (6) .Additionally, we spoke to the students who turn to an extraneous source for a chemically engineered attention span (8). And while the staff believes you should always consider the consequences of your actions, we are not here to judge. We are here to sympathize with the stresses that school and life bring and remind you that every goal can be reached with one key ingredient: Focus.

-Kris Seavers

from the editor’s desk

“I find hope in the darkest of days and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe.”

-Dalai Lama

page 5

3knitting club“Go Do”Jonsi

Last summer, junior Renee Li found a use for the yarn lying around her house. She picked up knitting. After checking out some books from the library and teaching herself, Li decided to form a club based around the idea of knitting for the less fortunate called Quilting for Community. She recruited friends to join her, including eleventh graders Ilse Puente and Bailey Orr, and collected 20 signatures from people interested in the club. Li planned the first meeting of the club to be Wednesday, Feb. 20. She wants the club to grow and gain members.“You should join the club because you get community service hours,” Li said. “You get a rewarding feeling from helping others in the community, and you get to learn the lifelong skill of knitting.”“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Pu-ente added. “It’s a skill that can help in the future, and I just like it.”The club has a goal of making two blankets by the end of the year. Li encourages people who don’t know how to knit to come to a meet-ing and learn.

“You don’t need experience,” Li said. “You just need to be willing to dedicate time for the meetings and to work as a

team player.”Anyone who joins will be taught how to knit, and

the members promise it’s not hard.“Once you get the hang of it, it’s really easy,” Puente said. “You can talk while you knit, so it isn’t boring.” The club discusses different ways they can help the community with their creations, such as giving beanies for babies to the hos-

pital or making quilts from old clothes.“Our aim is to make blankets, beanies,

or anything else we can knit and do-nate them to help the community,”

Li said. “The club is really fun and the skill can be valuable.”During the meetings, they teach the new members how to knit or teach everyone dif-ferent ways of knitting, such

as finger knitting instead of using needles.

The club meets ev-ery Wednesday in

RI248.

Quilting for Community President Renee Li instructs others on the beginning stages of the knitting process during one of the first club meetings in RI246. PHOTO BY N. HAYES

a close knit groupWORDS | JAYMI MORRIS

Left: Junior Bailey Orr models scarf that other club members knitted at the Quilting for Commu-nity club meeting on Wednesday, March 20. PHOTO BY N. HAYES

Right: Junior Amado Saade creates a swatch of material that he created at the Quilting for Community club meeting on Wednesday, March 20. PHOTO BY N. HAYES

4 duran reaganrecorder.com

WORDS | NICK HAYES

With the ambition of building more muscle mass, junior Dominic Duran and his twin brother, Christian, began taking a legal testosterone supplement over Thanksgiving break to give them an extra edge while working out. After using the supplement for a couple of days, Dominic began to feel a discomfort and a slight pain in his testis. Dominic immediately stopped taking the pill, and the pain began to subside, only leaving the testicle slightly hard.

Weeks passed, and Dominic proceeded with life as he knew it, but the hardness stayed. Finally Dominic told his mom about the firmness of the testicle. While sitting in the quiet doctor office and waiting for the results to come back, the family joked about torsion (the twisting of a testis).

The doctor came in and gave Dominic the news. Dominic was diagnosed with embryonal carcinoma of the testis, a very aggressive type of cancer that is easily spread to other parts of the body.

“I reacted just like anyone else would,” Dominic said. “I could barely understand what the doctor was telling me. I broke down and began to cry. The next couple of days were a blur to me. It really did not hit me that I had cancer until I had my surgery that week.”

Regardless of just undergoing major surgery, Dominic decided to come back to school after the Christmas break. A few weeks later, in January, Dominic had a checkup to make sure that the procedure was a success. But the cancer had come back.

“The doctor said it came back and that it spread to my

abdomen area and lymph nodes,” Dominic said. After the extreme news, Dominic knew that he would

have to begin chemotherapy by the end of the month to attempt to get rid of the spreading cancer. While undergoing this therapy, patients are required to be “hooked up” to the a pack of liquid to keep him hydrated.

“All the tubes are connected to an artery or something just to keep me hydrated,” Dominic said. “It just kind of sucks. I always have to go to the restroom, like ten to 15 times a day. It’s awful just to carry the bag around to wherever I go.”

Dominic started the first round of chemotherapy on Monday, Jan. 28. He said the process is stressful and exhausting, but Dominic’s mother, Lorena, said the support of his friends and family is inspiring.

“It is really heartwarming to see all of Dom’s friends supporting him. With all of the great things that everyone is doing for us really makes the difference,” Dominic’s mother, Lorena, said. “A lot around this the house has changed. I always thought my family was close, but now all of the children are wanting to stay home with their brother instead of going out with friends.”

Dominic is very hopeful for the future and believes that he will be back next fall for the beginning of his senior year. He knows that he will make it through with all of the support from his family, friends and all of the supporters that bought a t-shirt and shaved their heads.

“Thank to all of my friends and family for all of the support,” Dominic said. “I love them. I will be back soon.”

live strong like Dom

5“It’s Time”Imagine Dragons

Duran’s father, brother Chris-tian and friend, junior Mason Hill, all shaved their heads. PHOTOS FROM LIVING-STRONGLIKEDOM.COM

Above: Duran’s friends shaved “Dom” into their hair in support. Right: Lorena Duran shaves her son’s head in preparation for his chemotherapy. “I felt such a pain in my stomach when I did this,” Duran said. “Preparing my beautiful child for a horrible experience is gut wrenching.” PHOTOS FROM LIVINGSTRONGLIKEDOM.COM Below: Students at school hung a banner above the main stairs reading “Live strong like Dom.”PHOTO BY K. SEAVERS

Left: Friends of Duran gather together to shave their heads. Above: Duran grins for the camera during the third week of his chemotherapy. PHOTOS FROM LIVINGSTRONGLIKEDOM.COM

duran

Above: Hooked to an IV, Duran prepares for the fourth round of chemotherapy. PHOTO FROM LIVING-STRONGLIKE-DOM.COM

To keep up with Dominic and view more photos, visit www.livingstronglikedom.com

6 cuellar reaganrecorder.com

the doctor is in

WORDS | NELLIE JAAFAR

PHOTOS | BLAIR BOLGER

Dr. Cuellar grades papers at his desk. He has his favorite quote, “Vires et digna-tio,” meaning “strength and honor” on the front page of his binder.

Dr. Cuellar grades papers at his desk. He has his favorite quote, “Vires et dignatio,” meaning “strength and honor” on the front page of his binder.

Dr. Cuellar’s animated personality shows. He makes his students very alert and focused during class.

During seventh period anatomy, Dr. Cuellar helps junior Zoie Kruger with her worksheet.

Anatomy teacher Dr. Carlos Cuellar teaches mind, body, spirit

7“Doctor Robert”The Beatles cuellar

On a cloudy and dim day, the sun is always behind the clouds. After a drenching rainstorm, a rain-bow appears to vivify the sky. Before thunder, a bright and powerful light flashes over the environment. And when a young individual needs a mentor, role model, and friend, Dr. Carlos Cuellar (“Dr. C”) is always there to assist.

Dr. Cuellar epitomizes a teacher who educates, enlightens and inspires. He is a friend who motivates, supports and understands. His affinity for life allows Dr. Cuellar to cherish the time he spends with his students.

“I love everything about teaching, being involved with people. It’s uplifting, and I get to see the future of the young people,” Dr. Cuellar said. “It’s really about developing rapport without setting rules and limits, accepting people for who they are. It is the most en-riching thing because you learn so much about life and help people think. I love working with young people. It keeps me alive.”

Health issues have hindered Dr. Cuellar’s ability to work as a teacher for many more years. Well aware of life’s increasing value as he gets older, Dr. C has decid-ed to retire in 2014 so he can spend more time with his wife.

“I think every year is unique. It’s like life, everyday is an experience and you need to cherish everyday,” Dr. Cuellar said. “Now more than ever, I appreciate life and the richness and fullness it brings to you. You get to see the beauty of the world.”

Serving as an experienced teacher and an amicable person, Dr. Cuellar has displayed a positive attitude with an effort to never take a day for granted.

“I’m very open, always willing to break paradigms. I take everything with a grain of salt and sweeten it up. I love being around people, period,” Dr. Cuellar said.

Dr. Cuellar has been at Reagan since its conception in 1999. Even before Reagan, Dr. Cuellar has always been involved in education; he worked in another district prior. In college and medical school, Dr. Cuel-lar tutored peers in microbiology, organic chemistry,

physics and biology. Dr. Cuellar has established close and genuine relationships with many of his students due to his optimistic approach to life and people.

“He not only makes me want to be a better person, but a better doctor. He makes me work harder to get to my goals mainly because I want to be half the doctor he is,” senior Michaiah Jackson said. “He is phenom-enal.”

It is Dr. Cuellar’s understanding and willingness to connect with others that ultimately garners the respect of students.

“He exemplifies what it is like to be a doctor and care about your patients,” junior Matthew Goehring said. “We are not his patients, but it’s the same affec-tion you would give a small child if you were operating on it to save its life.”

Dr. Cuellar’s interpretation of the title “doctor” is “teacher.” He believes that being a teacher covers a wide scope of characteristics as it introduces new roles and responsibilities.

“He is so passionate about his job, and I want to be as equally passionate,” senior Victoria Ibarra said.

Despite his students holding him in a high regard, Dr. Cuellar seems to always remain humble and appre-ciative.

“Students think I know so much, but I tell them ‘It’s because I’m older than you are, and I’ve done more things, and given time you’ll do the same things and even more,’” Dr. Cuellar said. “I just love life.”

Dr. Cuellar manages to spend time with his students by taking them to breakfast usually every morning at Jim’s. His favorite breakfast meal includes migas with chili serranos (the hotter the better) breakfast of champions, and on occasion he likes to eat a burnt pancake with melted butter and sugar free syrup.

A mentor, teacher, doctor, and friend, Dr. Cuellar stands as a role model and idol to many students be-cause he is open to life’s challenges and surprises.

“Life is a never-ending education, a dynamic, an ev-erlasting force that you need to accept and work with and become a better person,” Dr. Cuellar said.

8 smarties reaganrecorder.com

smartiesUnprescribed Adderall

use rises in student body

WORDS | VICTOR CARRILLO

9smarties“Just Like a Pill”Pink

he stood in the hall while her friends passed her the pills. Before entering school, she grabbed one from the palm of her friend and quickly swallowed it before the PSAT started. It wasn’t dramatic or horrific. The effects

wouldn’t be immediate, but 30 minutes later she would experience something she would

later describe as “opening your eyes for the first time.”It was freshman year, and Sarah* took the pills that would

form a part of her habits for three years. It was cheap. It was easy. It was Adderall.The number of students in the United States taking

prescribed stimulant medications to treat Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (A.D.H.D.) has been on the rise since the 1980s.

According to school nurse Gigi Branch, around 238 students at the school are diagnosed with A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. Three students take medications like Adderall through the nurse’s office.

Countless more users, nationally and locally, take unprescribed stimulant medications to focus on their school work. These drugs, often referred to as “smarties” or “addies,” are easy to access for most teens. All it takes is a quick call, text or arrangement to get a handful.

English teacher Michelle Hunter had heard of college students using the drugs. Until recently, she considered most high school students oblivious to the possibility of using stimulant medications as the strength to pull an all-nighter.

“I just don’t think it’s needed for people who are not prescribed to it,” Hunter said. “The level of stress in high school does not merit such a drastic reaction from the student body.”

Hunter said Reagan has always been a high achieving, competitive, college-ready campus, and that type of environment breeds stress and desperation from students who are willing to do anything to get into the school of their dreams.

An article in the New York Times mentions the tendency for drugs such as Adderall to become more common in schools that focus on college-bound individuals.

“It’s all about prioritizing your schedule,” Hunter said. “If you are taking so many AP classes that you are turning to Adderall, then you should reconsider some of the classes that you are choosing. It’s not going to get any easier in college if

that is the lifestyle you are choosing right now.”Physicians denounce the practice of using

psychostiumalants without a prescription.“A.D.H.D. medications should only be used by people

who have a diagnosis of A.D.H.D. made by a physician,” Dr. Steven Pliszka, Professor and Chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Dept. of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, said. “They should never be used to help someone without A.D.H.D. study or take tests.”

Additionally, students are inclined to research the appropriate symptoms of A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. They imitate the symptoms upon going to the doctor’s office and are then prescribed stimulant medications as the doctor has no means of objectively testing for A.D.H.D. or A.D.D., something the New York Times mentions as a problem to the accessibility

of such drugs. Junior Allison Payne, who has been

taking prescription A.D.H.D. medicine for 7 years, takes her Strattera at night before going to school. Payne said she feels impartial toward students who take the pills for recreational purposes and who deal them.

“Since I was young I would just go around and be excited about my medications,” Payne said. “Now I feel like everyone has A.D.H.D in high school.”

STAN counselor Niki Jackson has been educating some teachers about the

psychostimulants “It’s very similar to meth - it’s methamphetamine, and

when people that start to use them unprescribed, they can develop an addiction to them, and they get to the point where they start to snort them,” Jackson said.

As for Sarah, the girl who chose to take her first pills her during the freshman PSAT, she needed the grades and knew that her friends were going to take the pills, too. The dangers were not the main issue.

“I know I am not prescribed, and it can be dangerous, but you just channel productive things,” Sarah said. “Once you take it for the first time, it just opens your eyes. It changes your personality. Most of my friends take it too, prescribed and unprescribed.”

Sarah said she will continue to take Adderall for major tests, despite its risks.

“I can’t risk not getting a high score,” she said.

I feel like everyone

has A.D.H.D.-Junior Allison Payne

*Student’s name changed upon request

10 smarties reaganrecorder.com

infogr.am

gliffy.com

GRAPHICS | VICTOR CARRILLO

Stimulant medication will increase ability to memorize or stay up later

If a person does not have ADHD, stimulant medication may produce very rigid thinking or slowed thinking, worsening performance on tests

ADHD has onset in childhood. People do not suddenly develop ADHD in high school or college

It is illegal to fake symptoms at a doctor’s office in order to get a prescription

Taking large doses of stimulant to get high or counteract alcohol can be addictive or lead to psychosis

It is illegal to give ADHD medication away to someone else

NAME

DATE

AGE

ADDRESS

MEDICAL CENTERStudent 13-18

201319000 Ronald Reagan Dr.

Steven R. Pliszka, M.D.SIGNATURE

Steven R. Pliszka, M.D., is a professor and chief of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Dept. of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

11ads

12 AVID reaganrecorder.com

Many students worry about grades, extracurriculars and getting into college. Studying and maintaining grades are major stressors in the life of most teens. However, what many students don’t know is that there is a class to equip students with the skills they will need to get through high school and college. Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is a course that helps with college preparation and other useful skills.

“I like AVID because I feel like I was put at an advantage over my peers because I got to learn all about scholarships, essays and other important things,” senior Brittany Araujo said.

The class, taught by Chris Surrat, is open to all grade levels, and students are selected for the class after completing an application and interview process. AVID’s mission is to ensure that students “in the middle” with academic potential have the opportunity to succeed in a rigorous high school curriculum and become college ready.

“The class really prepared me for college and prepared me for what the professors will be looking for and expecting,” senior Bryce Juhnke said.

Juhnke has been in the class for two years, and he will be attending Texas Tech in the fall.

Students who are focused and willing to work hard by challenging themselves with Pre-AP and AP classes are encouraged to join the class.

“People should take AVID because Mrs. Surrat is one of the greatest teachers I’ve ever had,” Kosub said.

“She gets to know everybody on a personal level,” Juhnke added.

AVID focuses on the teaching of critical thinking skills, study skills, test preparation and organizational skills by promoting both collaborative and independent learning and incorporating the use of trained tutors. Junior and senior AVID students focus on colleges, majors and areas of interest, and career possibilities.

Senior Alan Kosub, who has been taking AVID for three years and will be attending Baylor in the fall, said AVID is more than a prep class.

“It not only prepared me for college but also taught me a lot of life lessons,” Kosub said.

Above: Junior

Daniel Campos con-

verses with Junior

Jordan Martinez

during the seventh

period AVID class.

Left: Senior MJ

Baker studies during

seventh period AVID.AVID teacher Chris Surratt

helps Junior Jordan Campos

sign up for upcoming AP

tests.

Advancement Via Individual Determination class alleviates college stress

WORDS | KAITLYN SKOWRON

streamlining academicsuccess

PHOTOS | BLAIR BOLGER

13opinion“Sail”AWOLNATION

doesn’t ADDerall upStaff gives viewpoint on recreational use of A.D.H.D. medications

A growing number of students are taking A.D.H.D. prescription drugs recreationally to complete high school and college work.

It is unacceptable to use A.D.H.D. medications recreationally because the user can become dependent on the drugs, experience major side effects and have an unfair advantage over those patients who use it for prescribed A.D.H.D.

Initially, A.D.H.D. medications were used as a way to allow students with attention deficit disorders to concentrate on everyday work. Such drugs can be habit-forming when used recreationally because they contain amphetamine. Amphetamine (a schedule II controlled substance) has been known to be addictive because it stimulates the nervous system and causes an overall sense of well-being for a varying length of time, a feeling that can become easily addictive and obtainable to the user. Some say that they take it once and will never use the A.D.H.D. medication again recreationally, but with five to 20 percent of college students using a stimulant medication such as Adderall or Ritalin or Concerta to help them study or focus, it is apparent that students can become addicted to the feeling the drug produces.

When one agrees to take such A.D.H.D. medications, they are inviting serious side effects into their lives, whether they are aware of those or not. Adderall side effects range from lack of appetite, headaches, inability to fall and stay asleep to severe symptoms such as abdominal pain and discomfort, dangerous increases in blood pressure, irregular heart rate, seizure activity, excessive and uncontrollable shaking, mood swings and depression. If students were aware of all the side effects that such A.D.H.D. medications possess, they will be more likely to think twice about taking and most certainly abusing such drugs.

Some refute that if the drug can help them get done what they need to for that all-nighter, then the effects are well worth what the drug entails. They fail to realize that by taking such dangerous medication, there are long term

implications present as well. High doses of A.D.H.D. medications can target the heart and respiratory

system, causing temporary or long-term damage. If taken throughout childhood and adolescence,

A.D.H.D. medication can stunt growth or weight gain and lead to long term complications related to development. Those that take A.D.H.D. medication

recreationally have an unfair advantage over those who use it for their attention deficit disorders. Nowadays, almost

everyone is downing these types of attention enhancing drugs to pull all-nighters. When compared with others performance, it is apparent that if you are not taking Adderall and such drugs, you are at a disadvantage to the rest of the student body. It becomes unfair for those who work sedulously to receive the grade they do without such drugs. Although the drug doesn’t increase your intelligence, it can improve your diligence to finish the task at hand. Some say that if the drug is available to the entire student body, then it is your decision whether or not to the use the advantage readily-available to you. However, people that refuse to use A.D.H.D. medication believe that the grade they receive is earned by them alone rather than some attention enhancing drug.

A.D.H.D. medications should not be used by students recreationally because the user can become dependent on the drugs, experience major side effects and have an unfair advantage over those patients who use it for ADHD means. Instead, they should find it in themselves to work hard enough to complete what was given to them and know that they earned the grade average without any help from such a detrimental drug.

WORDS | MICHELLE SACCAR

14 ads

15ads