Why did school start on a Wednesday?

Waking up on a Wednesday
By Viviana Topete

As all you Raiders know, this year school started on a Wednesday. Many students were annoyed at the fact that they would have to wake up early on such a random day, others were disappointed to find out they wouldn't be able to go to Comic Con because of school being on the same week. Although we all had our own mixed emotions about starting on a Wednesday, we were all curious... Why on a Wednesday?

Well, to answer that question, we asked Mr. Leaf, the AP English Literature and English 12 teacher. He had said that we started three days earlier so that we could have a whole week off for Thanksgiving break. That's a good thing, right?

So instead of being grumpy about starting earlier than usual, we should be very grateful that we are getting a whole week off in Thanksgiving, just three weeks before our winter break!

RUN SOH

Raiders hit the ground running
By: Stephanie Meza


As the new school year starts, many fall sports coaches are beginning their pre-season practices. One of the most challenging fall sports is cross country; you might recognize some of the raider runners wearing their RUN SOH sweaters around campus. However, many raiders wonder what the true meaning of RUN SOH means. Come join cross country, find out and be a part of it!


Last year, the cross country season had an excellent start having about 50 runners walk through the fall sports assembly. Unfortunately, less than 20 runners actually finished the season. If the athletes that quit had shown more commitment toward the team, they would have actually had a chance to win a banner for the school.


Now more than ever, the cross country team is recruiting people to come run this season. Yes, cross country is a difficult sport that requires speed and endurance, but as the old saying goes: ‘No pain, no gain.” Anyone can run, and anyone who wants to be a part of the team is more than welcome to give it a try. You’ll need a pair of running shoes, shorts, and most importantly enthusiasm and desire to run and help the cross country team win a banner and make the school proud.

Beginning of School

SOH starts a new year
By: Stephanie Meza




It’s 7:34am and the first bell of the 2010-2011 school year rings at Southwest High. Different people on campus are having a rush of different feelings. Some freshmen are anxious to discover what their first year in high school has in store for them. On the other hand, the seniors are excited for all the events of their final year


Despite all these emotions, what are the expectations some raiders have for this year? Senior, Mildred Rubio, says: “This year looks great; I can’t wait for homecoming, prom, grad night, etc. I’m also excited because I’m on the cheerleading squad!” While others, such as Yazmin Alejo, hope this year will be the one when they can get involved as she explains: “I can’t wait to this year to get going, I finally want to be involved in so many things!”


This year will also be a little different from previous years at Southwest High. There are many new faces on campus from incoming freshmen, and a lot of new staff members. Many raiders are also excited about their classes since the school offers a variety of classes including ROP and Advanced Placement. Senior, Gerardo Santos says: “My favorite class is AP English, with Mr. Leaf.”


The school year will be different for everyone, but everyone has the ability to make the decisions to make this year unforgettable. It doesn’t matter if it’s a club or a sport, being involved makes a school year unforgettable. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you make this a great year!

Changes in High School

Changes affect raiders of all ages
By: Vianney Casas


We all go through changes in life, but definitely the biggest ones you’ll go through are during high school. It doesn’t matter whether you're a freshman barely starting high school, a senior ready to graduate, or a sophmore/junior in process, your life still gives this sudden, unexpected spin and your way of seeing things still changes. It’s like every step you take before becoming an adult, every grade you go through you become a different person - a better one maybe - and you will find yourself thinking in a way you never thought you’d ever think. All of this sudden difference, all of this change that for a second might seem like magic, happens just as you move onto the next level of high school.
We must all admit all the credit should be given to the freshmen. I’ve been there; I know what it’s like to feel like you’re lost in a mall full of frightening strangers. Bye bye middle school, hello high school. Welcome to a whole never-seen-before planet, to a whole new life. They’re no longer in this fantasy pretty little world where everything is so simple. They’re no longer there, now they’ve arrived at this world where life turns more difficult in every way possible. For the sophomores and juniors come the infamous AP classes, more responsibility and most importantly, independence. Congratulations students, you’ve passed freshman year, now on to more work.
For the juniors though, there is a little but not insignificant difference. They have to make sure they try their best and hardest academically, and help as much in their community as possible for community service hours, for they will be filling college applications in the beginning of next year.There’s no time to try to do everything in their senior year, which leads us to the final level of this difficult and unpredictable game: the seniors. It isn't the change they face as they become seniors, it’s more of what change they will encounter later on.
Seniors, get ready for the biggest, most frightening maybe - and hopefully one of the best -change of your life: College - the determination of your future. It all starts over again. It’s time to say goodbye to the old and hello to the new again. The “welcome to a whole new world” comes back after four years of facing the different changes a high school student goes through in the unforgettable journey we call high school. Changes come to us every day, and every day we see at least one thing different in our lives, but these changes believe me are nothing compared to the ones a student has to face while in high school.