Feb 13, 2017
The Louisiana YMCA Youth Legislature conference is three-day conference held each spring that engages high school students from across the state at every level of state government. Students assume roles in all three branches of government and the news media as they debate issues of local and state importance. Through the conference, they gain first-hand knowledge of the democratic process and develop leadership and presiding skills.
Lauren Stevens at the 2016 Youth Legislature Conference.
Youth Legislature is a student-led conference where State board officials are elected by their peers to plan and preside over each conference. During the conference, delegates assume control of the Louisiana State Capitol building, as they become members of the House, Senate, Executive Branch, Supreme Court, and Press. First-year delegates receive intensive preparation as members of the Novitiate program, which provides training in bill writing, parliamentary procedure and debate. Senior members of the legislature prepare for the conference by authoring legislation on a topic of their choice. At the conference, they will have the opportunity to present and defend their idea as it wends its way through the legislative process and potentially to the Governor’s desk. At the conclusion, the conference recognizes outstanding delegates, those whose legislation has been signed into law, and those students elected or selected to lead the next Youth Legislature. With over 50 years of proud tradition in the state of Louisiana, the YMCA Youth Legislature conference is the state’s premier opportunity to engage and educate youth in the political process while preparing them for the leadership opportunities of tomorrow.
The WHS Youth Legislature students that will be attending and presenting bills are President, Lauren Stevens whose bill deals with Driver’s Education in Schools, Brennan Burleigh, whose bill deals with the controversial topic of LGBTQ rights, William Casey whose bill deals with Sex Offender laws and lastly our school’s Italian foreign exchange student, Luca Gambelli who will be taking on education with his bill.
Last year both Burleigh and Stevens’ bills were successful in getting passed by both houses and signed by the Governor presiding over the Louisiana Youth Legislature.
Feb 11, 2017
The Louisiana State Senior Beta Convention was held February 8th through 10th at the Baton Rouge River Center. The theme for the convention was “Beta Above and Beyond.” The State Beta Convention gives students the opportunity to participate in a variety of competitions, giving them an arena to showcase their academic achievements, artistic creativity, critical thinking skills, collaborative team work, all while increasing their leadership skills. The convention also gives students a chance to interact and compete against students from schools from all across the state.
The Woodlawn High Beta Club brought 28 students total, for which they were awarded a G.O.L.D. Key Award (Growth Opportunities in Leadership Development). The G.O.L.D. Key Award was presented to schools that increased member attendance by 10% compared to their 2015-2016 convention attendance.
Members of the Spotlight on Service Team from the 2017 LA Beta Convention.
In total, 25 of the 28 students who attended the convention competed in different competitions. Amari Bacon, Ezaria Coates, Montrell Frank, Danielle Massey, and Byron Taylor made up the team which competed in the Spotlight on Service category and placed second.
The Spotlight on Service competition allowed students to showcase one service project in which their club participated in, developed, or initiated. Woodlawn’s Beta Club chose to focus on The Walk for Arthritis, which was held at Woodlawn in May of 2016. The club helped set up, organize, and operate the walk last year. The Walk for Arthritis will be held at Woodlawn again on May 20, 2017. The Woodlawn Beta Club will also participate in The Walk for Arthritis this year.
Members of the Team Chant from the 2017 LA Beta Convention.
The Woodlawn Beta Club also placed third in the chant competition. The chant competition gave students 30 seconds to present an original chant, which could be based on the convention theme, principals of Beta, or what Beta means to your club and school. Nakavia Chapman, Renee’ Robertson, and Tamiia Williams created the 30 second chant. They then taught the chant and motions to the other 17 club members who participated in the competition. The chant focused on what Beta means to us as a club.
Other members also competed in different competitions at the convention. Madison Brooks (Speech), Christian Lejeune (Math), Ana Orellana (Spanish), and Elizabeth Zhang (Social Studies) each took an academic test. Erin LaBorde, Makenzey Heughan, Jarielle Johnson, and Calah Williams made up the members of the Quiz Bowl Team. Brennan Burleigh (Acrylic Painting) and Christian Riley (Pencil Drawing) each participated in the onsite art competitions.
Two groups of Beta Members also created different items for the convention, and each was also entered into a competition. Dabria Gage, Nichole Goodman, Briana Jacob, Hayden LeBlanc, and Vy Nguyen were members of the team that created the club’s banner. The banner was free flowing and it depicted the convention theme. Brayden Cockerham and Goodman also hand drew the design for the club t-shirt, which was then printed and worn by members at the convention.
Overall, the students had a great experience and made the most out of this opportunity. The Woodlawn Beta Club will continue to participate and compete in the LA State Beta Convention, and plan to bring more students next year as the club continues to grow.
2016-2017 WHS Beta Club Officers.
“As sponsors, we are extremely proud of the students for competing and having a positive attitude throughout the entire convention,” stated Ms. Ortego, one of the sponsors.
The 2016-2017 Club Officers are as follows: Hayden LeBlanc – President, Emelee King- Vice President, Vy Nguyen- Sergeant at Arms, and Elizabeth Zhang- Secretary. The Beta Club is sponsored by Ms. Fentress, Ms. B. Fetter, and Ms. Ortego.
Feb 10, 2017
State Representative Edward “Ted” James visited Ms. Hawkins’ World History and African-American Studies classes on Friday, February 10th for a brief but detailed discussion on important issues. The discussion began on the governmental level and the importance of elected officials.
State Representative Edward “Ted” James speaks to Woodlawn students on February 10, 2017.
Representative James then visited the different offices and jobs within Congress and how a bill becomes a law. He then asked questions and discussed the importance of TOPS. Representative James also reviews the qualifications that may change for TOPS in the upcoming years.
Lastly, Representative James brought all of the issues closer to home by having students explain what they planned to do after graduation. He gave students tips on finding the right career to suit their talents. It was an exciting experience for everyone involved, and we thank Representative James for spending his morning with Woodlawn High’s students.
Feb 9, 2017
The fifth seeded Woodlawn soccer team moved onto the third round of the LHSAA Divison II soccer playoffs Thursday night. The Panthers dominated the second half of their match versus the twelfth ranked Beau Chene Gators, pushing seven goals past the keeper in the last forty minutes, for an 8-1 victory.
The Panthers soccer team poses after their 8-1 victory over Beau Chene on February 9, 2017.
“We hadn’t played in a little while. Having the bye is a good thing, and a bad thing. We were able to come out in the second half and actually play our game, which resulted in quite a few goals,” said Head Coach Andrew Barnes. “All in all, I’m very happy with the kids. I’m glad that we could represent Woodlawn and get the W.”
The Panthers first threat of the night came in the fourth minute. Junior midfielder Igor Castillo-Veliz put a shot off the post from 25 yards out. This would prove to be the first of many close calls in the first half for Woodlawn.
Sophomore forward Brennan Arceneaux was next to get into the action, with a shot in the fifth minute that was saved by junior Gator keeper LaTrell Beauchamp. Just three minutes later, Castillo-Veliz put his second shot on goal from the box. Beauchamp was able to make another save, but this time for a corner.
Sophomore defender J-myri George was able to get a shot off after the corner from junior midfielder Jacob Barnes, but the ball was deflected by a Gator defender and the Panthers forced another corner. This corner found the feet of senior forward Eduin Delcid, but his shot from the box was just wide of the goal.
The next ten minutes saw Arceneaux just miss from twenty yards out, Beauchamp make an acrobatic save on an eighteen yard Delcid shot, Castillo-Veliz miss a shot attempt just wide, and Beauchamp make two additional saves on Delcid shots from the edge of the box.
The offensive barrage did not stop there, but the Gator keeper was up to the task, as he saved three more shots, one by Castillo-Veliz and two by Delcid.
Beau Chene was finally able to threaten in the 26th minute, as a Gator forward was able to get past the Panther defense. As the Woodlawn faithful called for an offsides, sophomore keeper Jakarie Davis made his first save of the night to keep the score knotted at zero.
Eduin Delcid looks to score versus Beau Chene.
In the 28th minute, Delcid appeared to open the scoring when he slid a ball past the slide Gator keeper. However, the offsides call negated the goal. Not to be deterred, the Panthers were on the board less than a minute later when Castillo-Veliz found Delcid streaking past the Beau Chene defense. The Woodlawn forward found the back of the net for the 48th time this season, making the score 1-0. This score would carry into halftime.
When the Panthers came out in the second half, there was one notable change in the formation. Delcid, who had been playing midfield, had moved to the top of the offense as a forward.
“At halftime, Coach Barnes said that we needed to keep it up and the goals will come. He said that we were working hard,” said Delcid of his coach’s halftime message. “He moved me from midfield to forward because we felt that I could take advantage of the matchups with their defenders.”
This strategy paid off quickly for Woodlawn. Less than two minutes into the half, Barnes sent a through ball into the box. Delcid gave chase, but reached the ball with no apparent angle for a shot at the goal. An attempt at finding a teammate in front of the goal instead resulted in his second goal of the night, and a 2-0 lead.
“I didn’t have an angle, so I just kicked it toward the middle, trying to center it for a teammate. When I hit it, I just got lucky and the ball went in,” explained Delcid.
It did not take Delcid long to end any thoughts that the Gators may have had of keeping the game close. In the 46th minute, he was able to collect a ball from junior Erick Ixcotoyac in the box. From about ten yards out, the senior forward found the back of the net for the hat trick.
Jacob Barnes wins a ball over a Beau Chene player.
With the score now 3-0, the Panthers continued to apply pressure which resulted in goals. Castillo-Veliz took a pass from senior Alan Orellana-Gomez and finished the goal from ten yards out in the 48th minute, and Barnes scored his first goal on a penalty kick in the 50th minute, giving Woodlawn a 5-0 lead.
Over the next ten minutes, both keepers were tested, but neither team were able to score. That changed in the 63rd minute when Arceneaux was able to give the Panthers the 6-0 lead from ten yards out. The offensive fireworks were not yet done, as Barnes scored his second goal of the night on an amazing corner.
“I noticed that the back post was open on all of our corners. When we finally got a corner on the right side, I just went for it and the ball went right where I was hoping,” said the younger Barnes when asked about his goal.
J-myni George dribbles past a defender.
The scoring ended in the 76th minute, as junior J-myni George was able to score his first game of the season, giving the Panthers the final margin of victory.
Delcid was asked about the impact of moving the speedy defender to the top of the offense.
“J-myni did a great job tonight hustling down the field. Anytime we kicked a ball long, he stretched the defense and opened up the field, allowing me free space in the middle. I was really excited that he scored the goal to end the game.”
The Panthers dominated the ball throughout the game, finishing with thirty shots compared to only ten for the Gators. The Gators one goal came in the 73rd minute, denying Davis
Feb 3, 2017
Woodlawn High School held it’s annual Honor Roll Breakfast on the morning of Thursday, February 3, 2017. Over 150 students were recognized by administration for their outstanding academic achievements during the first semester. In order to be invited to the breakfast, students had to have only A’s and/or B’s on their first semester report card.
Junior Marissa Segura is recognized for earning A’s and B’s during the 2016 Fall Semester.
Brandy Williams, Assistant Principal at Woodlawn, was in charge of the program. She was happy with the outcome of the breakfast.
“We were extremely pleased with the number of students recognized this year,” said Williams. “The students here today represent the best that Woodlawn has to offer, and we were proud to be able to recognize them and give back to them for working so hard during the first semester.”
Food for the breakfast was provided by Woodlawn’s Pro Start students, who are taught by Chef Steven Oubre. Pro Start students were also present at the breakfast to serve the honor roll students. The breakfast included eggs, bacon, grits, and biscuits that were all prepared in Chef Oubre’s classroom.
Junior Tamiia Williams was one of the students recognized at the breakfast for earning A’s and B’s during the fall semester.
Senior Vu Truong is served by Karin Perry at the Honor Roll breakfast on February 2, 2017.
“I felt important for being invited to the breakfast. I appreciated that our hard work was being recognized and not being overlooked. It gives us something to look forward to,” said Tamiia when asked about how she felt when being told she was invited to the breakfast.
When asked about how her mother felt about the breakfast, Tamiia’s face lit up with a smile. “It made my mom extremely happy to see me recognized in front of my peers and it made her feel really proud as a parent.”
