14
Separation Anxiety Kevin Olson
“I
heard about it from Kealing. It became like my homeschool,” LASA junior Louie Cantu says in a proud tone. Before LASA was it’s own, it was a “magnet program”, or advanced academic program, in LBJ high school. The Liberal Arts and Science Academy, or LASA, gained approval from the AISD schoolboard in 2007 to separate from LBJ and become it’s own school. Now LASA is one of the top-leading academic high schools in the district and continually pushes beyond its limits. Louie liked when everyone was looked at as basically the same. “We used to eat together, walk the same halls everyday, and everybody was happy.” While most new LASA-goers look at the separation as a good thing, a lot of upper-classmen liked it better when they were together. Louie even believes that the separation of old friends created a tension between the student-bodies, and feels that now there is more verbalabuse than there ever was. “LBJ kids make fun of us way more now that we are not with them”, Louie says, “When we were together, the LBJ kids didn’t look at us as different, we were all the same, we were just learning on different academic levels.” Even though there is more verbal-abuse, Louie feels that the physical violence between the two schools has gone is almost non-existent now compared to when they were together due to the lack of either school being together at the same time. Even though Louie doesn’t necessarily favor the separation, many students are getting used to the new
situation. “It was a big deal at the time, but I guess I’m more ok with it now because it’s become my everyday schedule”, Louie says almost sarcastically. Even though both schools are separated, they still share some of the same characteristics as far as sports and some clubs etc. LASA and LBJ students alike compete in sports as one school. However, the schools do have differences. Obviously, now the schools are ranked differently when it comes to academic grades, and TAKS scores. Also, LASA has “blockschedules”, which means that two days a week, you go to four of your classes and they are an hour and a half, and then the other two days a week, you go to the other four classes. All days are block, with the exception of Mondays, where
students attend all seven classes plus a “forum” period, or advisory, where students will do an activity whether it be about their grades and studying, or getting ready for college. “I like forum because it puts me back on the right track in thinking about college, and just my school week in general,” Louie says in a rather serious tone. While LASA’s workload is intense, it pays off greatly in the end. Student’s can expect at least two hours of homework each night plus studying. To incoming eight graders, this is intimidating, but they will eventually appreciate all that LASA has to offer. The school is ranked “exemplary” according the state of Texas, and was ranked number 95 on Newsweek’s top 1300 high schools. In 2008, 22 of 39 National Merit Semifinalists came from LASA. Right now, high school juniors and seniors are in crunch-time as college application deadlines slowly creep up. “Yes, the college-admission process is stressful to everyone regardless of your school, but if you go to LASA, they make sure that when you’re sitting down, writing your application, you have numerous worthy accomplishments to put down” Louie says. “We also have a lot of extracurricular things to be involved in like all the clubs and sports better yet, it doesn’t seem like I’ve done of this extra work. It just comes naturally”, Louie says. Many agree that the school has bigger and better accomplishments yet to make, and the kids just keep getting smarter, and smarter. “But the best part,” Louie says smiling, “I’m just a normal kid going to a not so normal school. But in a good way.”