When I was very little, I grew up in a small, two bedroom house with two parents and five siblings including myself. Let’s talk about crowded!  Believe it or not, now that we are living in a house of four bedrooms it is a drastic change considering my family of seven changed to a family of nine.  Luckily, we are now extending the house to add two more rooms since we didn’t have enough room. Adding space to the house will definitely help out a lot. I will even have my own room.

I have never known what it is like to have my own bedroom or much less my own bed during the last 18 years. I have always had to share with my sister. She is two years older and my closest sibling. We have had our difficulties like her being messy and putting her stuff on my side of the room but because of this closeness, she is also one of my best friends.

Having a big family can also have its downsides. Growing up my family members didn’t come around as much because there were always “too many kids” or invite us out to things because they didn’t want to deal with an additional nine people. After all, you can’t just invite one of us to the birthday party. I would say growing up with a big family has been a struggle at time, but you learn to appreciate what you have.

When holidays like Christmas came around my extended family wouldn’t buy me or my siblings gifts because they knew “if you buy one a gift you have to buy all of them something” so they just didn’t even bother. So my mom and dad always went the extra mile to make up for this. They always did their best to give us as much as they could. You would think since there are so many of us that my mom would favor one more than the others but she has always had a different connection with each of us that never made any of us feel excluded. She always makes time for each of us.

Growing up with a lot of siblings isn’t so bad when you’re young.  You always have somebody to play with and get into trouble which makes it more fun.  I feel like having a lot of siblings just made all of us closer to each other and to my parents as well. There is a lot of fighting and arguing that happens but that’s a normal thing in any household. But you consider yourself lucky if you get a nap in without screaming or arguing waking you up other.  Overall, we get along great and always enjoy our time when we’re together.

I have my moments where I sometimes wish I didn’t have such a big family but then I think my life wouldn’t be as crazy or fun without them, so I am glad I have so many to love. I am extremely grateful for having a big family and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The movie follows want-to-be writer, and narrator, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire, who starred in The Spider-Man Franchise and Brothers) as he leaves the Midwest for the fictional area of West Egg, Long Island in the summer of 1922; an era filled with bootleg kings and glistening jazz.

 Later he befriends his neighbor, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio who starred in Django Unchained and Romeo + Juliet) who is a mysterious millionaire with secrets that can go for miles.

While there Carraway becomes entangled with the problems of the rich, which involve his beautiful cousin Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan, who acted in Drive and An Education) and her arrogant husband Tom (Joel Edgerton, starred in Zero Dark Thirty and The Odd Life of Timothy Green).

Most of the characters were on point, except for Tobey Maguire who plays Nick. In the book, Nick was more human and had a love for life, but in the movie it seems he was just there for the ride and didn’t really have a voice.

The bright, full and loud living ideas of Luhrmann bring a delightful twist to Fitzgerald’s tragic masterpiece. However, true fans of the novel will not enjoy some of the slight character changes. For example, in the book, Gatsby appears a little more on edge than in the movie where he seems to be just a love sick boy. The movie also quickly labels him a gangster where in the book this is more of a minor background for him.

The scenes were great. The film symbolized everything that the time period had to offer. The detailed party scenes made viewers feel like they were there dancing with Gatsby and Daisy, instead of sitting in a movie theater.  The music in the film was incredible with a playlist including well and little known artists; just listening to it makes people want to swing dance.

Many think Luhrmann totally butchered Romeo and Juliet because he set the film in an updated, gangster society instead of keeping it in the past. However, he learned his lesson and kept Gatsby set in the 20s, and was rewarded with an incredible movie people will want to see. 

“We also wanted to open it up to Music and Welding majors because those were other interests Alex had,” Scholarship Co-founder, and his godfather and uncle, Jesse Cancino II said.

Puente, a 2008 graduate, died of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in the fall after pursuing a Business Degree at Mountain View College; the next spring his family set up a scholarship in memory of him.

“Because of Alex’s passion for education, we felt it was only appropriate to honor his wish through the scholarship that was established in his memory,” Cancino said. “Even though Alex was not able to continue his education due to his illness, his wish lives on through the individuals who benefit from the scholarship fund.”  

The amount of money provided for the winner of the scholarship has gone to $750.

“We increased the amount of the memorial scholarship to meet the times of increased tuition,” he said. “Whether our scholarship recipient takes 12 hours (full time) or less hours (part time) we want to make sure our scholarship amount pays their tuition.”

The family has been spreading the word of the scholarship to many different avenues.

“(Information can be found) through The Alex Puente Foundation website, the Foundation Dallas County Community College District website and on the Grand Prairie Independent School District website” Cancino said.

 Any student that is going to Mountain View College can receive this scholarship.

“Service schools that are the affiliates to Mountain View College can tell their students about our scholarship,” Cancino said.

The foundation is planning to continue the award for many years.

“We have enough funds in our memorial scholarship fund to award a scholarship till the year 2027,” Cancino said. “Our goal is to establish an Endowed Memorial Scholarship so that The Alex Puente Memorial Scholarship is a permanent fund.”

The main objective of the foundation is to help students succeed.

“Our ultimate goal is to get more young people inspired to complete their college education and obtain an advanced degree particularly in all three majors,” Cancino said. “Our resources will be used to provide incentives, motivation and support that stimulate social, spiritual, academic and professional success among children in our community.”

Honoring Alex’s memory in this scholarship is the best way for the family and the community, according to Cancino.

“There is never a day we go without thinking about Alex; everything around us reminds of us his spirit and soul and we will make sure he is never forgotten through his memorial scholarship,” he said. “It is not a matter of ‘forgotten’ for us. He lives in our hearts 24 hours a day and we just want to give students in our community an opportunity to fulfill their dreams through an education.”

With fifth period being extended for 15 minutes to accommodate the lunch shifts, teachers are often left with finding a way to keep their students engaged.

For English teacher Tiffany Henschel this provided an outlet to let her class do something unusual.

“I have been writing to pen pals for two years, so I have seen first-hand how corresponding with someone from a different part of the world can broaden my horizons,” she said.

In February she came up with the writing assignment. 

“I am always looking for ways to incorporate real life experiences into the classroom,” she said. “So as soon as I heard about International Correspondence Writing Month I knew I wanted to involve my students.”

She decided to bring the idea to her students.

“When Mrs. Henschel told us we were going to do this writing project I thought it was lame, (but) boy was I wrong,” juniorGarry Riley said.

Pen Collectors of Americahelped the students get started with the project.

“They sent each student a fountain pen, an ink cartridge for the pen, and a pad of paper,” Henschel said. “The students were awed by the generosity of the PCA, and many of them still have their pens and use them in other classes besides just English.” 

Most of the time, Henschel decides who they write to but sometimes she will let students choose.

“Usually, I choose who we write to,” she said. “It is hard to write someone you don’t know, so I give a mini-biography highlighting interesting facts about the person of the day and then suggest questions we might want to ask. Occasionally, I designate a student choice day where they can write to anyone they want.”

People from all around the world have written back to the kids and sent postcards.

“I have written people from Florida that worked for NASA to people who live in England or Australia,” junior Alyssa Garza said.

Seeing that the class has more than enough people to write to, they have continued writing letters even after International Correspondence Writing Month.

“When I asked for volunteers to write to my class, I actually had more than we could write in that time,” Henschel said. “Now we take one day a week to write letters after lunch. I soon had enough people lined up that we could continue to the end of the year.”

Aside from using social media, handwriting gives the students a different way to communicate with others.

“Email and social media definitely have their place; I text and use Facebook and Twitter every day, but there is something different about a handwritten note,” Henschel said.

She hopes to expand the program in the future.

“I would like to find a way to expand the project to all of my classes but this year I started with 5^th period,” Henschel said.

For those wanting a pen pal Henschel suggests InCoWriMo.org, LetterWritingAlliance.com and Postcrossing.com.

“If someone is interested, there are websites devoted to helping people connect with pen pals,” she said. “Writing letters is a rewarding experience and is worth a try.”

Based on the horrific film Psycho in 1960 by Alfred Hitchcock, the new Bates Motel is a horror, thriller andmysterytelevision series. It has been bringing in enormous ratings for A&E on Monday nights at 9 p.m. Even though the series officially ends tonight, it is still a must watch on On Demand.

After his father’s scandalous death, a teenage Norman Bates (Freddie Highmore, star of  August Rush and The Art of Getting By) and his mother Norma Louise Bates  (Vera Farmiga, star of Safe House and Orphan) move to a small new town called White Pine Bay in Oregon. There they buy a house and motel.

After fixing up the motel, his mother goes through her own personal issues and finds out the building has its own secrets. The mother’s intense, close relationship with the son is appealingly weird, but then again their tagline for the show is “A boy’s best friend is his mother.”

Norman meets new friends Bradley Martin (Nicola Peltz, star of The Last Airbender and Eye of the Hurricane) and later befriends Emma Decody (Olivia Cooke who starred in The Secret of Crickley Hall and the Quiet Ones). But with these new friends come new obstacles and responsibilities in life.

Bates’ half-brother Dylan Massett (Max Thieriot, star of Disconnect and House at the End of the Street ) also shows up in White Pine Bay in search of the truth behind his step-father’s death. He also wants to raise Norman as an ordinary young man instead of an awkward boy who doesn’t have any fun. However, Massett has his own hitches he needs to work on.  

Bates Motel is made by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin and Anthony Cipriano, and produced by Universal Television. The series budget is an estimated $10 million. A&E renewed the sequence on April 8, for a second season, because of encouraging reviews and strapping ratings. The filming days are set for the summer of 2013 and will air in 2014.

Since it’s on cable television, the show is pretty graphic and has bad language but it makes it even more interesting. Bates Motel is a bone chilling show that will keep viewers guessing.

“AP tests are always stressful,” senior Moon Yoon said. “Whether or not the struggle all year was worth it will be determined in that moment.”

Some students take only one exam, others take five, but over 425 students participated in taking over 60 AP exams offered this year.

“I have had to sacrifice a lot of time during the year in order to study and be prepared for the tests but the possibility of college credit keeps me going,” senior Eric McDonalds said.

McDonalds said earning hours in high school not only saves money but prepares students for college level classes.

“I want to be a mechanical engineer,” he said. “I want to learn as much as I can now in order to get a head start.”

Although juggling five AP classes has been a challenge, McDonalds said he believes they will do more than just prepare him.

“I see myself having an internship toward the end of college that could give me great job opportunities,” he said. “I believe that the classes I take now can give me the upper hand in the competition.”

Another senior, who has taken 11 AP tests, agrees.

“Although the classes are sometimes a pain, the long term effects are worth it,” Yoon said.

Yoon said the stress that AP students feel now will result in less work later.

“When you get college credit, depending on where you go, that means you don’t have to take that class,” he said. “Not only does that save you money, but that is one less class you have to worry about and one less final exam to sweat over.”

McDonalds said that there are a lot of misconceptions about AP students.

“A lot of people think that (these) students just take the classes to raise their GPAs but the thing we are most worried about is passing that test, so we can get one small step closer to college and to raise our chances in the future,” he said.

AP Courses are designed to resemble classes that students will encounter in college.

“If you are not used to the work load or the stress, it isn’t a good idea to take these classes just for fun because they can ruin your GPA,” Yoon said.

However, McDonalds said if any student wants to get a head start and thinks they can handle it, to go for it.

“Be prepared for a lot of work and to make extra time for studying,” he said. “Those classes can be really fun and beneficial if you let them.”

The festival, located at 2511 FM 66 in Waxahachie, is one of the largest outdoor craft shows in the country and with an annual attendance of 200,000 people it proves to be a very popular place. More than 2,000 performers, artisans, food service people, grounds crew and retail staff bring the time period to life.

Visitors can try limitless activities. One can easily spend an entire day there without feeling bored.  However, if you want to see the new Mermaid show be sure to arrive as early as possible though because the line is atrocious!

The most well-known things to see at Scarborough, and the more likely to have space, are the glass blower show, a real life joust, turtles race and all the different acts such as Don Juan and Miguel or the Birds of Prey show.

One of the most unique features of the faire is that all of the people who work there are in costumes, which would have been their regular clothes in the Renaissance. If you ask them a question they usually have some great story and talk about it in terms of the era too. They also provide clothes to rent and take pictures in if you are someone that is really into that time period or just want to try something fun. This detail can expand your experience and make you truly feel like part of the faire.

Many people go to the festival for the variety of foods. They offer non-traditional items such as hand-made pastas, seafood, stir fry, steak-on-a-stick, Scott’s eggs, Italian Ice, fried ice cream, empanadas, fajitas, meatball sandwiches, baklava, quiche, pastries and more than 60 other hearty foods. There are five food court areas strategically located throughout the festival, each offering a completely different menu selection.

Prepare to spend a lot of money. One ticket cost $24 but discount admission can be purchased at Tom Thumb. The rides, including a hand pushed swing, range from $3 to $6 dollars. Food prices start at $6 for a turkey leg, while fried ice cream is $4. Also, don’t forget the souvenirs for purchase. There are fairy wings, swords, face paintings, little wooden crafts and many more items that can be expensive, but trust me it is all worth it!

The variety of this album is unbelievable, but yet it all flows together. With big name singers like Beyonce, Jay Z, will.i.am and Florence + The Machine creating new songs just for the movie, the soundtrack already was attracting attention. There are a few unknown new talents with artists like Lana Del Ray, Nero and The xx that will catch listeners off guard. Whether you are into the big name people or want to hear something new and fresh, there is something on the soundtrack for everyone.

For those who are fans of the book, details from the novel are in almost every song. In Florence + The Machine’s Over the Love (Of You) she sings words like, “Now there’s green light in my eyes and my lover on my mind. And I sing from the piano, tear my yellow dress and cry and cry and cry…over the love of you,” that focus on details from Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship.

Also a few covers of songs are included. Beyoncé and André 3000 cover Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black as a duet. Then Emeli Sandé covers Beyoncé’s Crazy In Love by adding a 20s twist to it.

This album has additional songs available on the deluxe edition, that are not worth the extra money.  There is only one extra song, three scene clips and two songs are repeated as new versions, so it isn’t even a full six additional songs.

If viewers want a great feel of what the movie is like, then go buy the soundtrack. Just by listening to the songs, fans will be able to remember scenes from the film and think of the characters.

No one really had any questions about whether Iron Man 3 would place at the box office but rather how many records it would break. The film debuted with a breaking $175.3 million, making it the second largest debut in movie history.

Due to the stress of the world on his shoulders and the trauma from his near death experience with his fellow Avengers, Tony Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man has been on edge. He has not had the chance to recover. On top of all that, the United States is crumbling down to the breaking point as terrorists threaten the safety of the country. Pepper Potts, Stark’s girlfriend, has a larger role in this film, much to fans’ enjoyment, as she becomes his motivation to overcome the terrorists and the leverage they have over him and the world. Stark takes on a more serious role in this third installment of the acclaimed trilogy, and although the movie is still comical, critics are praising the script for have less of the Stark sneers and jabs.

Despite his personal issues and the problems that the country is having, Stark has to completely take on the “super hero” role and save the world again. How the past can affect the present becomes true as Stark faces villains with unique regeneration characteristics and old acquaintances.

Even though this is the third, and some say final, movie it is still very action filled and will leave viewers on the edge. Unfortunately, the villains are a little unbelievable and at times it feels like the movie is dragging, struggling to find its direction. However, it will be a huge hit and is a great beginning to the summer movies. If you get there in time, fans can see previews of many upcoming super hero films including Thor and Man of Steel. Also stay after the credits and fans can get a little sneak peak surprise.

After a close series, the Varsity Baseball team has advanced to the second round of playoffs against Flower Mound Marcus this Thursday through Saturday.

“Each series will be a battle and as you can see,” Head Coach Dennis Pelfrey said. “Two of the three games in the last series were one run games and the other was a two run differential.”

Pelfrey is working to improve the team’s sacrifice bunting with the players.

“We need to do a better job of moving runners into scoring position,” he said.

The team has an 18-17 record; Flower Mound’s record is 29-6.

“I am not worried because they are just another team in the way of the State Championship,” Catcher Patrick Stratton said.

The first game will be today in Flower Mound at 7:30 p.m., with another game at home on Saturday and, if needed, a third game will be held 30 minutes after the second game.

“Hopefully, the series won’t have to go three games but if it does we need to just take care of business,” Stratton said.

Pelfrey said he is not looking forward to playing a double header on Saturday if needed.

“I’m not a fan of the DH, but it doesn’t faze me or the ball club,” he said. “We have overcome many adverse situations this year and I don’t see this being any different.”

The team has been practicing all week.

“The fight and heart of our team is second to none,” Pelfrey said.

Pelfrey is confident that the team will move on.

“I love our chances in this series,” he said. “We just need to play our game and stay focused on what we are doing with our mind set.”

The chances for success are high according to Stratton.

 He said, “They are a good team but if we just minimize our mistakes, we will do well.”