The preparation for the One-Act play took more than just skill. It took dedication, commitment and grit. The majority of the crew was new to the world of performing, with five out of eight actors experiencing their first year with on stage performances. Xochipilli Theater performed “And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson” on March 31 at the 5A Bi-District competition at Eastwood High School.

“Every year I looked forward to competing whether we advanced or not. It felt good to have that pressure on us,” senior Ailani Lechuga said. “Knowing that I was a part of school history made my senior year feel straight out of a movie.”

Lechuga’s four years in theater prompted her to pursue a career in film and acting. During production, the magic of a show can’t shine without a crew backstage and in the tech booth. The tech crew received the Best Overall Crew award at Districts and Bi-Districts. Despite joining the production late, senior Abigail Perez quickly understood what she could contribute to the program as assistant stage manager. Perez ensured that costume changes and transitions ran smoothly on top of giving time cues to the actors.

“I loved getting to know everyone and seeing how committed everybody was to their role. Competing in Lubbock was definitely very stressful on everyone because there were so many things we weren’t used to and the competition itself was very different,” Perez said. It was very fun, but it put a lot of stress on us these last couple of months.”

Prior to Bi-Districts, stage manager senior Estrella Ortega received the All-Star Technician award. Ortega’s job was to keep track of time and call cues for light and sound behind the curtain. One of the major challenges for Ortega was keeping the play under 40 minutes to meet competition requirements.

“It’s very stressful not getting to see what’s going on and not knowing if the actors are loud enough to be heard by the audience. The fact that we got Best Tech Crew back-to-back says a lot about how dedicated everyone was,” Ortega said. “Standing on that stage for senior night felt so surreal. At the beginning of high school I was told these next four years were going to fly by and they sure did. We were able to accomplish far more than what we anticipated, and I’m so proud of my team.”

At the Bi-District and Area competition, light board operator senior Valeria Ruiz received the All-Star Technician award. Ruiz’s dreams came to life when she found out she’d travel with her closest friends, pursuing what they love. Ruiz has been a mentor for the underclassmen and continues to teach them about the technical world of theater.

“Knowing that we made history not only for our program, but for the school was insane. I was extremely emotional during senior night because I knew that it was all going to end that very night,” Ruiz said. “It was our turn to go on stage and take our final bow. I’m very content with everything we accomplished and I’m also extremely proud of myself. A big part of our success was Mr. Stokes, he’s incredibly talented and knows what he’s doing.”

 Each click of ‘submit’ brought them one step closer to a life beyond high school, a step closer to achieving their future goals. Seniors complete every step in the application, including their financial aid. Senior Mia Luna spent months modifying her Common App application to ensure it was perfect for the colleges on her list.

“Financial aid didn’t really change my outlook on colleges, but it did change my outlook on ‘how am I going to pay for this?’” I still applied for the colleges I wanted to apply to, but it adds to the stress of the extra applications for scholarships, so I can make sure I get some help paying for my education,” Luna said. “The hardest part of completing the Common App was definitely the essay. My California applications required four essays. Also, the activities section for Common App was difficult to fit everything into such a small, limited amount of words because those words characterize you.”

Hours of preparation of personal essays, Luna gave it her all to make her application perfect. Along with her senior, Abigail Perez, she spent hours preparing until the last second of the deadline for New Mexico State University.

“Making the deadline overall was a little difficult because I tend to put things on hold,” Perez said. “Once I got accepted, I felt relieved and happy because now I have an actual opportunity to do the things I want; also, being able to study in a new place expands my opportunities.”

Students often struggle with beginning personal essays, and seniors have turned to Samantha Jones for review and guidance.

“A moment I know an essay truly reflects a student’s voice is mainly when you read the essay, and it is telling the story with a placement I can see them being in the school. For instance, if one of the essays I read was talking about the career they wanted once they told their story,” Jones said. “I could see them sitting in that classroom knowing that they would bring value to that content, to that subject, to that major. I think a lot of students don’t realize that the essays for college are about what value you bring to the school and not necessarily a story about your life.”

While others can enjoy Christmas without financial strain, some families struggle to afford it. Schools allow students and staff to donate to The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree program, which benefits children and families, helping them have a Christmas filled with gifts and long-lasting memories. Senior Kiana Malacara, along with the other Student Council members, showed their generosity by loading up the truck with toys.

“Lots of preparation went into this from having classes claim angel tags, allowing ample time to buy gifts, and giving them to the council, where we organized and loaded them into the trucks,” Malacara said.

An abundance of donations and gifts were brought to elevate Christmas for families, and the boys’ soccer team gifted bicycles to make a few angel wishes come true. Oftentimes, people avoid larger, more expensive gifts, but El Dorado went the extra mile to give back to families. Senior Treasurer Nevaeh Matsuda expresses her gratitude and hopes to influence others to give back and feel cared for.

“I think schools and communities should donate more, and can make it easier by holding more donation events. This is something I would most definitely do again. I love giving back to those in need and think everyone deserves to feel loved, especially during the holidays,” Matsuda said.

This community service project has influenced students to become more involved and considerate of others. Aztec Angels bring awareness and perspective to the differences in everyone’s Christmas. Senior Secretary Janelle Lamptey felt the charity event changed her outlook on the holidays.

“This is something that I would for sure do again because growing up, I was always blessed with everything and given everything by my parents, and now I want to be able to do the same to others. I want to give them a good Christmas. Even with the simple things like socks and clothes, something you would think everyone has, I’d like to provide them with that,” Lamptey said.

Phillips is an 18 year old singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California. During the making of her first EP, “self sabotage,” Phillips navigated her high school years and squeezed her way into the music scene through TikTok. The EP explores friendship breakups and her need to please others.

“I started writing “self sabotage” when I was 15. The first song I was truly confident in was “no closure” which was the first song I ever released,” Phillips said.

Despite the occasional critique, Phillips has received every bit of support from her fans and new listeners since the release of “self sabotage” on June 6. Phillips started posting herself on TikTok in 2023. Within months, she went viral for covering “obsessed” by Olivia Rodrigo, gaining millions of new viewers on the platform. 

“It’s been crazy. It’s interesting knowing that people are listening to it and relating to this feeling that took over me when I was writing these songs,” Phillips said. “I’m so happy people can feel connected to it because that’s all I ever wanted.”

Phillips worked with LA based producer Aidan Laprete, in his home studio. The pair worked together over the course of two years, starting with the lead single “no closure.” The title of the project was unknown until Phillips wrote the final song on the EP, “self sabotage.”

“When I started writing I didn’t know how to play a single instrument. I would just sit in my room and sing some melodies,” Phillips said. “That’s what I did when I went into my first session with Aidan, but as we kept writing I started to pick up more instruments. Now I start all my songs on guitar.” 

Her passion for songwriting isn’t just a part of the new wave of ‘TikTok music,’ her artistry is sewn into the seams of her life. The two pop stars, Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo, paved the way for Phillips and inspired her musical talents and artistry. Although Phillips takes inspiration from the artists, she wants to be known for her unique sound.

“The first people I gravitate towards are Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo because their music is so lyrically compelling and relatable in every way,” Phillips said. “I’ve met both of them, so their support genuinely means the world.”

Growing up surrounded by the music scene in the heart of LA pushed Phillips to do what she has always admired. Through this journey, Phillips can now move forward in her career now that she knows what it takes to grow in the industry.

“Take any opportunity thrown at you. You never know who you’re going to meet, you never know if one connection will lead to another,” Phillips said. “A lot of people will tell you who to be in the music industry, but at the end of the day you know yourself better than anybody else.”

Rumors circulated last Thursday about the principal’s leave from El Dorado High School. Nothing had been confirmed till the morning memo notified all faculty members of the meeting that would take place the following Friday. The meeting began by reviewing standard business and procedures for the week. As the meeting concluded, Betancourt broke the news to the staff that she would be accepting the position as the new HR Director at the district.

“Breaking the news to the staff has been extremely bitter sweet. El Dorado has been my second home since November of 2018 and I never thought when I became a part of  this community that it would leave such a huge imprint on my heart,” Betancourt said. “So it’s not saying ‘see you later’ to a school, it’s saying ‘see you later’ to a family.”

Betancourt’s mission for the campus was to achieve success, be recognized as an AVID demonstration school and acquire an A-rated school status. She “bleeds cardinal red and gold” and hopes that the campus can continue making strides toward greatness.

“I wasn’t surprised because she’s really been everything that a principal should be and more, and I could see why the district would want her in their offices. However I felt really sad to see such a strong leader and someone who I consider a personal mentor to leave our campus,” Martinez said. “Mrs. Betancourt has been a fierce supporter of student journalism and really respects our program so she will be missed.”

The selection process for a new principal began Monday with a Principal Profile Meeting led by district officials with the first session pertaining to faculty and the second being open to parents and students. Mr. Norton will be serving as the acting interim principal while the search for a new principal continues.

“My goal is to make sure we are always safe and that the priority for the next principal will be to ensure our school continues to perform at high levels. The transition is bittersweet,” Norton said. “I’m excited to take on the position. My life has been dedicated to this school since I’ve been here in El Paso. It’s a big responsibility because I want to make sure I’m doing the best for students, teachers and all the staff we have here. I want to make sure I bring my best so you all can have the best.”

Norton remarked Betancourt has left an imprint on the school with her love and instruction. Aug. 29 marked Betancourt’s final day on campus, in which she gave closing words of affirmation to her students through the morning announcements.

“I want them to know that they are enough, and that the only barriers in life are the ones they put before them. They will make mistakes but it’s not the mistake that defines us but the lessons that we learn from them that will refine us and help us become better individuals. I wholeheartedly believe that I may leave the Empire for a moment but my Aztecs will rule the Empire one day,” Betancourt said. “And so, I will leave with my parting words. I want them to always know that in my heart, it’s true that everyone is important, they matter and that they are very much loved.”

Updates about the new principal may be discussed at the Sept. 17 district board meeting.

“You two just qualified for State!” journalism teacher Vanessa Martinez said.

On April 26, UIL regional journalism qualifiers travelled to Lubbock, Texas, before the sun had risen to compete in the regional competition for editorial, headline and news writing at Texas Tech University. Acuna and Pinon qualified for the state competition, taking place at the University of Texas at Austin, on May 19. The two qualifications solidified the team for the sixth overall ranking in the region with 22 points.

Accomplishing dreams required hard work and dedication from the competitors. Pinon carefully studied her Associated Press stylebook every night before bed to prepare for the high-stakes competition, refreshing her mind on the newest guidelines. Pinon knew what had to be done to qualify for regionals for the second time after taking a trip with the 2024 UIL journalism team in Lubbock, Texas, the previous year.

“I went to regionals for speech last year and learned a lot from rooming with the former UIL journalism team,” Pinon said. “State qualifying for editorial is something I never dreamed would happen, and qualifying makes me one step closer to achieving my dreams of being a professional journalist.”

Along with it being both Acuna’s and Pinon’s first year competing, junior Frida Estrada was another regional qualifier and first-time attendee, placing first in News Writing at the district meet. Experience at the regional level has conditioned Estrada to move forward with her goals, even if she did not advance to state.

“I felt a lot more pressure competing for news writing at regionals than at districts because everything felt much more professional and serious,” Estrada said. “Having this experience has prepared me for next year’s UIL. It has shown me the rights and wrongs of writing a news story, and it makes me excited for the upcoming year.”

The team’s experience and efforts continue to propel them forward. Only three students out of the four regions in Texas qualify for the state competition. The UIL journalism team had not qualified for state since 2022, but now, The Legend staff has made history with two state qualifiers in the same year. 

“The fact that we’ve had two girls advance to state in the same year, which we’ve never done before, says a lot about the quality of our program,” Martinez said. “It prepares journalism students not just in the yearbook realm, but in the competitive realm too. I am super excited for the two girls who worked very hard for this.”

With a student and faculty population of 2,531 at the Temple, security and a safe learning environment for all is the top priority. On May 24, 2022, the tragic school shooting that occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde caused Texans to worry about how safe schools were. 

Governor Greg Abbott issued a $15,000 grant per school in El Paso to fund safety measures to prevent shootings like Uvalde and other security threats. El Dorado used the funds to purchase fences installed around the school’s ungated areas to block threats. Campus Security Guard Jose Perez believes the fences could be seen as a negative change by students.

“The gates are in place because of what happened at Uvalde. It’s actually a Texas state requirement now; all schools should be fenced in. I’m sure the kids are going to hate it due to the fact they can’t get out when they want to. The whole point is to keep everyone safe and that’s going to go over kids’ heads,” Perez said. “It could raise a concern with drills because somebody has to open the gates and we only have one guard outside. I’m sure there’s spots where kids are going to jump over because there’s easy access in a sense.”

Assistant Principal Nicole Matsuda believes the fences benefit students and faculty by adding that extra wall of defense to keep everyone safe in the learning environment.

“The fact that the money was given to us by a grant and didn’t cost the campus any money to have an extra layer of security for you guys is always going to be a beneficial thing, in my opinion,” Matsuda said. 

From firsthand experience, Matsuda wished the fences were added on earlier to protect students when they go off campus for lunch or dismissal.

“There was one time where a mentally-ill man was around our campus and I was on crossing duty for kids to cross the street at lunch. Obviously, I had to defend my students but I wouldn’t be able to stand up to him, so having these fences is a really good addition to prevent things like that from happening again,” Matsuda said.

According to senior Student Council President Melanie Roman-Naciff, the fences make parents and visitors think negatively about the campus.

“I do honestly think it makes us look bad. In my first period, we were talking about the gates and it really did bring a lot more morale down. If you compare these to other high schools here in SISD, I do notice a lot of them have more of a better stance or better look to them,” Roman-Naciff said. “It’s just a matter of being able to make it better for the students to be able to walk out of it, considering the short openings and making sure it looks good for our school. Maybe also taking it into consideration to make them look nicer.”

The staff is working on signs to make these fences not be seen as ‘unappealing’ from the student point of view. Matsuda states that students are afraid of change to the campus and ignore the full picture on why they were added in the first place. 

“I will admit when I first heard about perimeter fencing, one of my concerns was that it would be too sterile or almost prison-like and obviously that’s sending a bad message, but I think that they did a good job design wise. It’s still an inviting campus that is secure,” Matsuda said. “I know that we’ve started working on signs and things like that to add to the fencing to help make it a little more homey, a little more appealing, a little more aesthetically pleasing, so it’s not cold, sterile iron pieces.”

According to senior Student Council Vice President Lauren Riperto, the fences leave a bad impression of El Dorado. Riperto believes there are other approaches to keep students safe without fences.

“My honest opinion of the gates added around the school is that they’re a waste of resources and funding, in no way are they necessary to our school. If anything, I think they would cause more problems,” Riperto said. “As a leader in our school, safety is one of my top priorities for my fellow peers, but there are so many flaws with the gates. It’s hard to see them as something beneficial to student life. We should be able to trust our students and they should be able to trust us to keep them safe in return. I can see both sides of the coin, but I think that there are just so many different ways to keep our students safe other than these gates.”

On April 11, Terrazas and Martinez began their next chapters, committing to play college ball. Before the commitment, the two men thanked their team, coaches and family and then signed. After leading the football team as captain, Terrazas committed to Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas

“It felt good to sign to Trinity. It’s mind blowing to think that I worked toward this goal for so long and it finally came true,” Terrazas said. 

Terrazas and Martinez dealt with the anticipation and pressure of football all their lives. From a regular season record of 1-9 their junior year, both players contributed to concluding their senior regular season with a record of 10-0.

Martinez began playing football at the Temple his sophomore year. He was driven with purpose on the field and later earned the defensive captain position. Every win and loss acted as fuel for Martinez to keep going.

“My ambition is unlike other people because this is something I have wanted since I was little and it’s driven me to where I want to be,” Martinez said. “I think discouraging moments are important because once you get past that, it’s easy to do the rest.”

The intention Martinez put into his high school career is what made his lifelong goal possible. Just like Martinez, Terrazas poured everything he had into his sport all four years, making his ‘why’ for football not a question, but a statement.

“I do it for my ‘why.’ My ‘why’ is living on for my dad. Because of that, I never got discouraged by anything. I just played through the hard times,” Terrazas said. 

Terrazas and Martinez could not have arrived to this point without head coach Frank Martinez. Frank helped the boys get on their feet and rushed them to that end zone of success. 

“Gabe is the most inspiring individual that I have been fortunate enough to know. His presence is known everywhere he goes and always finds a way to make everything better,” Coach Martinez said. “David helped his teammates be successful. Whether it was him running the ball on offense, or being the leader of our championship defense, he can do it all.”