~

By Leah 🐊 San Jacinto Plaza🚎 The San Jacinto Plaza, not only a two acre piece of land, but a place for people to interact, has affected the identity of the city of El Paso. From the purpose it served long ago, to the historical significance it provided today, the Plaza continues to impact the way El Paso is viewed, and has gifted a historical location for the population of the city to connect. For instance, the San Jacinto Plaza was opened to the public in 1883, making it an establishment impactful to the community since over a century ago. The San Jacinto Plaza, opening opportunities for new establishments to form, brought in many people, making businesses such as the Plaza hotel and the Plaza Theatre as successful and popular as they are today. Its convenient layout and purpose have drawn much of the population together in one iconic area.  During the late 50’s, my grandmother worked as a maid, crossing the border every day to take the streetcar to the Plaza and arrive at the home

  El Paso weather has been something else for the past few days. It was hotter than even I, an El Paso native, could handle and suddenly there is snow and rain all over the city. But that's El Paso for you, it has some of the craziest weather I've ever seen. The weather is just one part of El Paso however.  Roaring with excitement, filled with talented individuals ranging from all ages, El Paso holds many gifted people within its borders .  While some may never get the chance to  pack their bags ,  seek ing  out their dreams, others luckily find their way outside of the surrounding Franklin Mountains. Part of thes e lucky few include a triad of siblings, The Johnson Trio, of which  consists of  two brothers and a sister   that sing, perform, and create   art of all mediums and genres  for the country to enjoy.   The Johnson Trio. Photo Courtesy: brandonbaileyjohnson.com The three siblings include Brandon, Chance, and Shelby ,  each  possess  their own talents. The tight-knit si

Warning: There are mentions of bullying, harassments, and mental illnesses including depression. There are also reports of suicidal thoughts and actions. Please avoid reading if these could affect you and please seek help if you feel anything close to this. Numbers will be listed at the end of this report. This essay, produced as a report, presented a topic close to my heart. As a member of the LGBT+ community, I find it essential to fight for the rights of those who have been marginalized, terrorized, and erased from the world. Transgender individuals are faced with constant harassments from family, friends, the world for identifying as their true gender rather than the gender they were assigned at birth. My report focused on transgender teens, perhaps one of the most vulnerable groups of trans individuals. There are an estimated 1.4 million adults (Deschamps & Singer) nationally that present as trans [gender]. That number is roughly adults. Which mean there could be even more tee

By Leah    🏥 Blood Transfusions-Worth The Risk? Whenever a person thinks of blood transfusions, they certainly do not think DANGER! The true nature of blood transfusions involves more risks than many believe, especially transmitting highly dangerous, and oftentimes fatal diseases. Some of these transfusion transmitted diseases include parasites, viruses, and bacteria. These infections vary in intensity and severity from recipient to recipient. The severity is also affected by how severe the person which donated the blood contracted the disease. Not only have blood transfusion been proven to transmit fatal and deadly diseases, but they also have proven to cause extended stays after surgery on patients which received pre as well as post surgery blood transfusions, and caused more post surgery complications.  A brief excerpt from my report better explains this information: “HIV, malaria, syphilis, and various other harmful infections enter the bloodstream, people who unknowingly contract