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Del Dios Middle School October 2013
Dragons Support their Teacher with Purple Love! Read more on Page 4
Dragon Counselors Extraordinaire Keep you Up-to-Date on Pages 5 & 6
Volume LII
Mayor Abed Visits Del Dios By Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer There was a lot of buzz around campus on October 1st, 2013 when Mrs. Adkins announced that the Mayor, Sam Abed, and City Councilman Gallo would be on our campus for the day. There were other special guests including the superintendent, Janet Walters. Mrs. Adkins spent first and second period showing them around our campus. Then, during nutrition the students in ASB who ran for president as well as the Journalism staff got to have a meeting with the guests. The ASB members told the mayor about Del Dios and our Dragon culture. Then the students went back to their third period class. It was time for the Journalism crew to interview Mayor Abed. He gave great answers, so enjoy the following statements from Mayor Sam Abed. Question: What advice do you have for students? Mayor: “Work hard and get the highest grades you possibly can. That is the goal because if you don’t get good grades, you’re not going to be able to go through high school and college. That is why I’m glad to see the 2.5 minimum requirement here. Also, get the best education and you can learn not only in school, but after school as well. Get prepared and get good grades.� Question: Is there going to be some changes to any parks or public buildings such as Kit Carson Park?
Photo by Kora Shaw, Staff Writer
A picture with Mayor Abed, City Councilman Gallo, and ASB members during their meeting in the library. Mayor: “No. But of course we need to have an open mind about how we make the best of our public facilities. We have a lot of different interests and we need to try to accommodate everyone’s needs. There were some ideas about a water park in Kit
Carson, but the community didn’t want it, so we’re not going to do it. Again, we always need to have an open mind.� Continued in Issue 4
Champions of the DRAGON Pillars By Mrs. Murphy, Editor-in-Chief
CST Debacle! Second Grade Teacher Cheats on Test! National News on P8
Table of Contents P2 Events P3 Feature Story P4 & 5 Campus News P6 College P7 Career P8 Local News P9 Sports P10 Puzzles P11 Leisure P12 The Back Page
Each year four students from our school, as well as the other middle schools in Escondido, are honored as Students Champions. For Del Dios, this is not only an honor it is a big responsibility because being a Student Champion means being an example of the DRAGON Pillars. First Year Dragon, Juliana Lopez, is going to be a doctor. She is DETERMINED to go to college and achieve her goals because Juliana's experience with her own doctor's RESPECTful ways have inspired her to do the same for others. The future Dr. Lopez is definitely on-track as a Champion of Determination and Respect. Second Year Dragon, Gaby Grimaldo, knows that in order to ACHIEVE her GOAL of becoming a forensic scientist she's in for a lot of science classes. The only way to get there is by setting
Photo by Michael de Neve, Student Champion Video Editor
"Kind of a big deal," with Gaby Grimaldo, Eric Campuzano, Eduardo Torres, and Juliana Lopez at DDMS filming the 2014 Student Champion video. very clear goals and achieving them one at a time. A good support system, being organized, and maintaining her focus is what will keep Gaby on her path. Future Detective, or Dr., Grimaldo is an outstanding choice for championing the pillars of Achievement and Goals. Eduardo Torres knows exactly how to prepare for college and career. As a Third Year Dragon,
Eduardo knows that OWNERSHIP over his school work and a NO-EXCUSES attitude are going to ensure his success. As the founder of a peer-counseling group on campus, Eric Campuzano Lopez exemplifies ALL of the Dragon Pillars and represents Del Dios as our final Student Champion.
Dragons Getting College & Career Ready By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer On September 26, Del Dios held Career Day of 2013. It was a great event and the students obviously enjoyed it. Career Day included many speakers, anywhere from journalists to a retail worker at Costco. The variety and diversity of visitors definitely inspired many of the students to follow their dreams and not to let anything get in their way. We interviewed a couple of students to see what they thought. “The three visitors that I went to were the social worker, retail, and the police department. Of those three speakers, the retail would have to be my favorite speaker.� Ben Lee, a second year at Del Dios said. Ben also explained, “Before Career Day, I was interested in joining the military when I grew up. Career Day showed
me a new range of options and that I could do anything if I followed my dreams.� The next student we spoke to was Katelyn Bandrum, a first year dragon at DDMS. She told us, “The three speakers that I went to were the artist, retail, and the hair dresser. My favorite part about Career Day was meeting all the new people and speakers that I got to listen to.� Katelyn also commented, “A job that I am interested in is being an artist. The artist that spoke to us at Career Day influenced me because he said to never be afraid to be yourself and don’t hold back.� Career Day was a wonderful event that was put on by Gear Up and several Del Dios staff members including the Counselors. Gear Up also provided the snacks that were given to the speakers after Career Day during the reception. All of them worked really hard and deserve to be recognized.
While the students were learning in their sixth period classes, the visitors went to a reception at the library which was meant for guests to go, relax, and enjoy a few snacks after talking with many students. The speakers at Career Day talked, laughed and had a great time meeting new people. At the reception, Mrs. Ayles, one of your counselors here at Del Dios also explained how much they appreciated the speakers being there. All of the visitors took time out of their day to be at our school to educate students about being college and career ready. Mrs. Ayles also thanked all of the staff and Gear Up members who helped out in planning Career Day. To learn more about the guests who spoke at Del Dios at Career Day, turn to page 7.
Spirit of the Dragon
Staff and Editor
December 2013
Letters to the Editor By Evan Fox, Staff Writer Jeremy Says… Comment: “It really looks nice and it has lots of pictures, but try to get people to place more ads. Reply from the Editor: Thanks and we are working on it and will be full of ads in the next issue. Anonymous Dragon Says…
Comment: “I like how you guys added a puzzle and illusions page; however, can you guys add more illusions instead of sudoku.” Reply from the Editor: Ok. We will work on that. Sasami Says… Comment: “I like the pictures, but I would like a word search included.” Reply from the Editor: You can find a word search on the puzzle page.
Anonymous Dragon Says… Comment: “I liked the pictures, but you should add more pictures of WATER!” Reply from Editor: As a fellow water dragon I agree, yet there are some metal dragons in the Journalism staff so it might be hard to convince them.
Making Issue 3 of Spirit of the Dragon Newspaper has definitely been a major learning experience for both me and my sister/co-editor. It has taught me so much about becoming a leader as well as a good friend. My fellow Newspaper Staff is so amazing and creative, I could never in a lifetime do this on my own. Of course we had our good days and our bad days, but in the end we came together as a team and accomplished the
impossible. Creating something special and great with your friends is one of the best experiences one could ever have. This paper might not be very important to you, but to me it contains all of my hard work, stress, and energy. And trust me, staying up late on the computer for three hours straight in a meeting drains a persons energy pretty fast. All in all, this has been so fantastic I can barely put it into words. I hope you enjoy this issue of Spirit of the Dragon Newspaper as much as I do. Stay scaly dragons!
Don't forget Dragons! Whether you're giving us friendly advice or even just a simple comment, you can submit your Letter to the Editor to Mrs. Murphy in room 47 or 76 during nutrition.
Anonymous Dragon Says… Comment: “It looks nice and good
COMING UP: IN OCTOBER
Editor's Note By Skylar Heyveld, Editor and Staff Writer
work.” Reply from Editor: Thanks we really appreciate it.
10/31
10/17-18
DDMS Halloween Parent Dance Conferences NO SCHOOL for students
10/11
Del Dios College Fair
10/11
Parents @ Lunch
10/31
Turn in BoxTops to be tallied and sent it for CASH!
Calendar by Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer
Here are some of the Upcoming Events in October so hang on to them to stay updated!
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Feature
Spirit of the Dragon
3 October 2013
Alondra Diaz: 2013-2014 ASB President By Leandra Heyvled, Staff Writer “You can’t vote for someone if you don’t know what they’re going to do. If you don’t know what they’re going to stand up for. If you don’t know what they believe in.” That’s what Mr. Duncan Hunter, a Congressman, stated at the third year dragon ASB president election assembly. On Monday, September 23rd, 2013, all of Del Dios Middle School listened to the speeches presented by the ASB president candidates stating why they should represent us dragons. The first year and second year dragons attended the assembly during their advisory, and the third year dragons attended during their seventh period class. The third years had a special treat when Congressman Hunter visited Del Dios Middle School. There were other special guests such as our Gear Up leader, and an assembly director. Once Mrs. Adkins told the Dragons what was in store for the assembly and Mrs. Lopez explained what the future ASB President would do for the school. The students watched a video titled “Why Vote?” Afterwards, the candidates gave their speeches. The first speech was presented by Alondra Diaz. She is a third year dragon and has maintained a 4.0 GPA for all three
years so far. She is funny and crazy most of the time, yet was serious when giving the presentation. She claimed that she would get Del Dios better equipment for educational purposes and would help everyone succeed. She also stated that she would provide lots of fun events. Up next was Tim Hansen. He started off with an inspiring quote from Charles R. Swindoll. “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.” He started to talk about the reasons he should be elected president. He said that he wants Del Dios to have the highest test scores in the district. Additionally, he mentioned that he wants everyone to be successful, happy, and feel like they’re part of the dragon culture. After that, Jorge Sanchez presented his speech. He noted that he wants to be ASB president from the bottom of his heart. He also commented that he would devote to any project and complete any goal us dragons asked for. His intention is to make Del Dios be the best it can be. When his speech was over, he wowed the audience when he took off his shirt to reveal a white t-shirt that read “Vote Jorge Sanchez for ASB President!” Finally, the last but not least contestant in the running, Reignmarc Lariosa was up. He said that he would give Del Dios more of its Dragon swag and more energy. He also gave a quick,but funny, lesson on how to pronounce his
name. Apparently, he is a big Laker, NFL, and Selena Gomez fan! As Reignmarc left the stage, the dragons were faced with a big decision. On September 30th, 2013, during the Dragons’ advisory class, the winner was announced. As the ASB members appeared on the TV screen, everyone quickly silenced. The ASB dragons said, “And the winner is… Alondra Diaz!” Alondra came up on the screen and described how excited she was. All of the dragons were ready to be led by Alondra Diaz, our new ASB president.
The Spirit Point Dilemma By Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer Spirit Days, Pep Rally’s, and even just wearing your house shirt can earn you points for your Dragon House. All of the events that ASB puts on are fun and really boost our dragon spirit, although it has come to many Dragon’s attention that the house points and competitions have been heavily weighted on teacher participation. Associated Student Body is meant for students to participate in student activities. It’s not supposed to be all about teachers! Do you think that it’s fair that teachers are earning almost twenty times the amount of points that students are earning? Several dragons say “no”. Sunny and Danavanh from ASB have a different opinion. Sunny stated that, “ASB gives teachers more points than students because they actually spend money and can afford costumes; whereas, a student may not be able to purchase spirit wear because of financial issues.” In other words, teachers purchase spirit wear and costumes to show spirit, and they earn points for doing so. Danavanh also mentioned that some teachers don’t even participate. He said,“It is kind of half and half because some teachers are putting a lot of work into their house and some don’t really care about it. Most teachers that don’t care just tell their students to bring their house shirt and lanyards on Fridays and that’s really it. They claim that they are trying to get students to show more spirit." He said that if the teachers show spirit, the students will too. We also interviewed Lizbeth Gonzalez, a second year dragon, to find out more. We asked Lizbeth what her opinion was and she said, “It is unfair because students put as much effort into winning points as teachers do.” She also stated that it isn’t right that
Photo by Del Dios Middle School
The Dragon House Scoreboard on October 9th. teacher-earned points are taking over the house score board. Lizbeth commented that it is a problem and to solve it, ASB should give teachers the same amount of points that students receive. Do you agree with Lizbeth? To get even more information, we went to Mrs. Lopez, ASB Director. Mrs. Lopez seemed surprised when we told her that teachers were getting more spirit points than students. She explained that when teachers earn more house points, it is usually because they are the most spirited. Plus, students also get points when they are the most spirited, too. We asked her what ASB is planning to achieve by giving teachers a greater amount
of house points. “We hope that students will become more spirited if the teachers show more spirit. I think that when teachers show spirit, it will be easier for the students to do it too,” she stated. So, what do you think? Do you agree with Lizbeth or ASB? Write to us and let us know! Support your position and we'll put your thoughts in the next issue of 'Spirit of the Dragon'. Remember, Del Dios is a middle school with a great culture and part of its greatness is that we're able to debate a topic respectfully. So let's hear it!
Photo by Staff Writer, Skylar
(Top to bottom) Del Dios' first Pep Rally! Your ASB candidates on stage, about to give their speeches.
Boo! How was Your Halloween? Ghosts and goblins, vampires and witches! What time of year is it? It’s October and Halloween is right around the corner! We all know that Halloween is a fun time to dress up in our amazing costumes and go door to door trick-or-treating, but do you even know why Halloween is celebrated? Keep reading to find out. This spooky holiday was a tradition passed down from the Irish and Scottish people as they came to America. The Gaels, Irish and Scottish folk, celebrated Halloween by performing a festival called Samhain to take stock of their food and prepare for winter. They also believed that spirits and ghosts were able to show themselves on the day of Halloween and that they would cause sickness and poor crops. To avoid this, the Gaels would create bonfires and wear masks to please the spirits so that they would not wreak havoc on them and their crops. Today in America, our celebratory activities are much more evolved than what the Gaels performed long ago. Most people in America celebrate Halloween by going door to door asking for candy dressed in interesting and usually scary costumes. If you want to enjoy your Halloween evening as much as possible, you have to make sure that you are safe as well as spooky. Stay safe and have a great Halloween Dragons!
4 December 2013
Spirit of the Dragon
Campus News
Admin and Counselor Updates School Counselors, Mrs. Ayles and Mrs. Fierro
Assistant Principal, Albert Ngo
Career Day was a huge success! We The Dragon Pillars are had 12 speakers from all over the county significant for Del Dios Middle here speaking about their careers and School. Each of our pillars are all occupations. We had a Box Retailer very important and represent our from Costco, Hair Dresser, Event school in a different way. In this Manager from Del Mar Fairgrounds, DEA Special Agent, FBI, article written by Mr. Ngo, it Lawyer/Judge, Social Worker and many describes how crucial these more. It was a great day and Ms. Fierro pillars are. and Ms. Ayles want to thank all the As we get deeper into this students for dressing for success and school year, we hope that you looking like you are college and career ready. learn how to embrace the pillar of School Counselors, Assistant Principal, respect more and more. Learning Mrs. Ayles and Mrs. Fierro We continued our quest for college Albert Ngo how to respect others 10 out of 10 with our second annual College Fair in times will be something you will work on for the rest of your life, the quad on Oct. 11 during advisement. The schedule went as follows: guaranteed. Mrs. Peterson and I are very proud of the fact that 7th grade advisement- 11:11-11:25 classroom tardies have been declining. This shows your respect for 8th grade advisement- 11:25-11:41 our school, your teachers, and most importantly, yourself. Arriving 6th grade advisement- 12:00-12:15 on time to class shows your determination to learn and be your best. Keep in mind you are building skills that are important for the AVID students made this College Fair happen by making all of the future which not only means high school, but the rest of your life. displays and interviewing teachers. Thank you AVID for a job well done! You have six more weeks to make the best of this trimester and to Counseling in room 62 is the place to go if you feel out of place, need a be the best version of yourself every day. Keep it up Dragons! place to get organized, or someone to talk to. Make it a great day Dragons!
Purple Love for Mrs. Wontorsky Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer A wave of purple dragons washed over the upper quad to show their support for Mrs. Wontorsky, who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. As the purple crowd gathered together, Mr.de Neve announced that a video would be taken and sent to Mrs. Wontorsky, to let her know that her Dragon family is supporting her and sending strength and love every day. Throughout the quad cheers and shouts of "We love you Mrs. Wontorsky!" were echoing. To those who are wondering what pancreatic cancer is, what is the pancreas, and why did you have to wear purple on that Friday - we have some answers for you. First, pancreatic cancer is a disease where, when malignant, cancer cells form within the cells of the pancreas. The pancreas is a pearshaped gland that is situated between the stomach and the spine, and its job is to produce enzymes, or digestive juices, that help break down food in the small intestine, as well as regulate the body’s sugar levels. Symptoms of pancreatic cancer include back pains, jaundice (the yellowing of the eyes and skin), and unexpected weight loss. Pancreatic cancer can be caused by smoking, because cigarettes contain carcinogens that cause long term swelling of the pancreas, and obesity, because it raises the body's sugar levels and it makes it harder for the pancreas to level the sugar levels out. Even though these things can cause cancer, sometimes cancer just happens - even to healthy people. We researched why we all wore the color purple and we found that there are colors associated with ribbons for a LOT of things. The following are linked to wearing a purple ribbon. Cool thing: purple means pancreatic cancer, but it also means cancer SURVIVOR!
Photo by Kora Shaw, Staff Writer "Your Dragon family loves you, Mrs. Wontorsky!" could be heard all over campus as "purple" students shouted out their support. When you see people wearing a purple ribbon in the future, it could be to support awareness of any of these things: ADD, ADHD, Alzheimer’s Disease, Animal Abuse, Arnold Chiari Malformation, Cancer SURVIVOR (all kinds), Childhood Hemiplegia and Stroke, Children Left Unattended in Cars, Crohn's Disease and Colitis Cystic Fibrosis, Domestic Violence, Epilepsy, Fibromyalgia, Hurler Syndrome, Leimyosarcoma, Lupus, Macular Degeneration, March of Dimes Mucolipidoses Thyroid Cancer, Mucopolysaccharidosis Pancreatic Cancer, Pancreatitisis Chronic, Religious Tolerance, Sarcoidosis, Sjogren's
Syndrome, The Homeless, The Victims of 9/11 (includes police and firefighters), Thoracic Outlet Syndrome As for us here at Del Dios, the color purple, represents our hope that Mrs. Wontorsky will make a strong recovery and be in remission soon, and that all others diagnosed with cancer will be as well. Mrs. Wontorsky is a Language Arts teacher for Third Years. Cards, letters, and wellwishes for Mrs. Wontorsky can be dropped off in the front office any time. We'll be sure to send them to her. Keep her in your prayers and good thoughts so that she comes back to our Dragon family soon! We love you BIG, Mrs. Wontorsky!
What is ASB Up To? In this next brief update written by your new ASB President, Alondra Diaz, it lets you in on what ASB is planning and what events will take place in the month of October. By the way Dragons, don't forget about the Book Fair which is taking place the week of October 14. October seventeenth and 18 will be Parent Teacher Conferences so no school, yet you will still be able to purchase books from the Book Fair. Are you ready to get into the school SPIRIT? ASB has a great month planned for all of you. Red Ribbon Week begins Monday, October 21. Don’t forget to turn your back on drugs by wearing red on Wednesday, October 23rd.
5
Spirit of the Dragon
Campus News
October 2013
AVID is Your Key to Success! By Mrs. Melis, Faculty Member AVID is a program here at Del Dios that helps students get into and succeed in college. Every AVID student is on the path to college and they work together to reach that goal. Students in AVID get help with maintaining high grades, staying organized, and learning how to work as a team. Here at Del Dios, AVID students are considered student leaders and work towards being role models for others. However, AVID is not just about hard work. AVID students have fun too. We plan field trips, sell fruity bars after school and participate in activities that help develop self-esteem and teamwork. This year AVID
students will be visiting UCSD, Cal State San Marcos, Palomar College, and maybe even SDSU. Did you know that every Thursday is AVID spirit day? On Thursday, AVID students wear their Del Dios AVID t-shirts to show their college bound pride. All teachers and students are welcome to participate by wearing a college shirt or sweatshirt on Thursdays. Please join us in showing your college bound spirit! If you think you might like to join AVID and get some help getting ahead in your studies, please visit Mrs. Melis in room 27 or Ms. Fierro in counseling. We always have space in our AVID family for one more.
Photo by Mrs. Melis, Faculty Member
AVID students going around campus collecting recycling
Do you Like Building, Compass Learning Learning, and Creating? Odyssey: One of the Tools MESA is the Class for You! to Building Your Future! By Mrs. Thornton, Faculty Member M.E.S.A. is a class at Del Dios that focuses on math, engineering, and science skills. Students spend weeks at a time designing, building, testing, and reflecting on several hands-on projects. The first project our students completed was building a bridge made out of paper. Students designed and created truss bridges out of two materials: manilla folders and tape. What did the paper bridges hold? Science textbooks! The goal was to create the strongest bridge to hold the most amount of books. Our winners from 7th grade were Iliana Olea and Eric Montejo. their bridge held 14 textbooks! Our 8th grade winners, Victor Reynoso, Eric Sanchez, and Giovanni Ramirez made a bridge that held 9 textbooks!
So what did the students do next? The second thing we did was working on building bottle rockets and researching how rockets work. We built the rockets with two-liter bottles and attaching fins and parachutes. They also gave a presentation to the class about how a space shuttle works and gave details about a specific space shuttle mission that flew into space sometime in the last 30 years. Fieldtrips?! What? Our MESA students get to travel to San Diego State University and Chapman University to compete against other middle schools across San Diego. The competitions showcase their projects that they make in class. Our first competition will be February 8, 2014 at SDSU and students will compete in making mousetrap cars, stick bridges, prosthetic arms, balsa wood gliders, and more!
By Mrs. Jaquess, Faculty Member
Have you ever sat in a classroom and thought, “I already know how to do this.” or “This is way too hard for me!”? Do you wish the lesson was exactly what you needed? Del Dios Middle School has the answer! Compass Learning Odyssey is the answer to your prayers. It has the perfect lessons for YOU! NWEA (MAPs) Testing is connected to Compass Learning
CJSF... What is That? By Kora Shaw, Staff Writer
CJSF, the California Junior Scholarship Federation, is an after school club that helps students achieve potential scholarships from colleges. This club only takes on students with acceptable grades, mostly A’s and B’s, and fuels their potential to be the best students in the school. A president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer are nominated and elected by the students enrolled in this program. These four very important people run each and every CJSF meeting, with the help of their
Odyssey. NWEA takes the results of your test scores and tells Odyssey exactly what lessons you need to raise your Language Arts and Math knowledge and skills. Imagine: Every student works diligently for one hour a week on Compass Learning. Math and reading becomes easy for all Dragons. Make the commitment to complete your Compass Learning assignments each week. Middle School, high school, college, career, Dragon success begins right here!
club coordinator, Mrs. Middleton. school and collect recycling from the street to Albertson’s and turn in At meetings held every Tuesday, the every class. Once a good amount is the recycling for money, which they students of CJSF go out in the collected, the students walk across use for their field trips. Ice-O-Plex, Chuck-e-Cheeses, and Bowling are all examples of the field trips CJSF takes. Also, CJSF is responsible for the planning of everyone’s much loved, Dixon Lake field trip. If you are interested in serving our community, hanging out with a bunch of great kids, taking great field trips, and have good grades, seek out Mrs. Middleton in room 37 for an application, and even more details on the benefits of CJSF. Kora Shaw, Staff Writer
Eugina Dominguez, Eduardo Torres, Brian Nguyen, Andrew Doan
6
Spirit of the Dragon
October 2013
Stanford Student Gives Us the Scoop By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer One of the members of the Journalism staff happened to know a Stanford student. His name is Jacob Cruz, and if you want to learn about him and his college experience, keep reading. Q: What are the requirements to get into college? A: “The requirements to get into college include taking either the SAT or ACT, submitting an application to your college of choice, and in most cases, obtaining a letter of recommendation from a teacher and/or coach. The SAT and ACT are both tests that colleges look at to help evaluate a student's academic abilities. Most students take this in their Junior year of high school. There are several materials and resources that students utilize in order to prepare for this test. The SAT is broken into three separate scores, 800 points each, that evaluate a student's math, writing, and critical thinking skills respectively for a total possible score of 2400. I am not familiar with the ACT, but it does use a different scoring system. Every college has their own application forms that you must fill out if you wish to attend there. These forms often ask about a student's background, their interests, hobbies, passions and usually include a number of essays that help you to communicate. Most applications also ask for letters of recommendation. These are usually written by a well known teacher or coach of the student.”
stress can be a lot to handle on one's own. Knowing that you have friends facing the same challenges whom you can talk to and hang out with can help diffuse this stress. There are also several activities for students to participate in. Such activities might include massive games of capture the flag, NERF gun wars, cruising across campus or into town on bikes, longboards, etc. You form tight bonds with the friends you make in college.” Q: Why do you think college is important? A: “A college degree opens up the options you have for possible occupations to pursue. Aspiring to an engineer, most jobs I'm interested require at minimum an undergraduate college degree. In addition, college offers a wide variety of experiences that you cannot get anywhere else. It is often the case that within this wide array of offered experiences that students find what they are passionate for. There are opportunities to learn, to travel, to have fun, and to grow.”
"College offers a wide variety of experiences that you cannot get anywhere else." Jacob Cruz
Q: What is your favorite thing about college? A: “The friends that I have made in college certainly make college worthwhile. Stanford is a very academically rigorous place and the
Q: What advice would you like to give students that want to go to college? A: “Academics are important, so study hard. But also be aware that academics is not the only thing colleges look at. Colleges like to see well rounded students involved in their communities. Participating and excelling within extracurricular activities, involvement in community service and projects, and academic success are some the traits that colleges look for. Now this is not to say that you should overload yourself to the point where you stress yourself out trying to keep up with it all. All you can do is push yourself to do your best in all that you choose to pursue. Colleges are very keen in searching for students with a passion. This is probably the most important factor.”
Photo by Sheryl Cruz
Jacob Cruz tours his new college, Stanford University.
College
What College Are You Attending? Cal State San Marcos - CSUSM California State University San Marcos is a public comprehensive university in San Marcos, California, United States, and one of the 23 campuses of the California State University system. There is a Campus Marketplace for everyone attending. CSUSM has a program called Community Engagement, and they are committed to building a stronger and more vibrant community. They also have a store and bookstore. They enjoy a low crime rate which makes a good environment to study and learn. Address: 333 S Twin Oaks Valley Rd, San Marcos, CA 92078 Phone: (760) 750-4000 Acceptance rate: 41% (2010) Enrollment: 9,722 (2010) Mascot: Crash the Cougar Colors: Black, White, Dark blue San Diego State University - SDSU San Diego State University is a public research university in San Diego, and is the largest and oldest higher education facility in San Diego County. The college offers lots of charity work and is a great facility. It has several fun events too. SDSU has many stores and restaurants nearby. It even has it’s own bookstore. San Diego State University Police Department supports the university by main-
taining law and order on campus. Address: 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182 Acceptance rate: 30% (2010) Enrollment: 31,303 (2011) Phone: (619) 594-5200 Mascot: Monty - Montezuma Colors: Black, Scarlet, Gold University of California San Diego UCSD The University of California, San Diego is a public research university located in La Jolla, California, United States. UC San Diego is an academic powerhouse and economic engine, recognized as one of the top 10 public universities by U.S. News and World Report. UC San Diego is ideally located near the Pacific Ocean, the U.S.-Mexico border and the Pacific Rim. Our diverse student population is drawn from the best and brightest worldwide. Address: 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093 Enrollment: 29,052 (2012) Acceptance rate: 35.5% (2011) Mascot: University of California, San Diego Triton Phone: (858) 534-2230 Colors: Navy Blue, Gold
If you want more information on tutoring and other things that will help you with school, go to the GEAR UP room, room 72.
7
Spirit of the Dragon
Career
October 2013
Photos taken by Kora Shaw, Staff Writer
An example of Sharif's painting. Artist Sharif, looks at a students' drawings and gives him feedback along with some advice.
What do YOU Want to be When You Grow Up? By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer There were several visitors who took part in Career Day at Del Dios Middle School. Their job was to educate students about their job and how to be career ready. The contrast of professions definitely made Career Day interesting and very exciting. One of the speakers who visited was a journalist/professor named Professor Charles Iyoho. He started taking part in journalism when he worked on the school paper in high school. After that experience, he knew he
wanted to write for the rest of his life. He explained to the Dragons that several people tried to discourage him and told him that his dreams weren’t possible, yet the those kind of comments just motivated him even more. No matter what anybody said to him, he couldn’t get over the thrill of interviewing people and creating stories for people to read. His advice for students who would like to pursue journalism is to read and write as much as you can as well as staying updated with technology. Journalism has a lot to do with computers and it is good to stay updated and familiar with it. Another speaker at Career Day was Mrs. Martha Henderson who works at the Del
Mar Fairgrounds as an event coordinator. During her presentation she described what event coordinators do such as planning concerts, dances, parties and much more. She also told the students about how her career began and why she loves her job. Furthermore, an FBI agent, Gabriel, was a big hit at Career Day. He talked to the students about him figuring out that he wanted to become a member of law enforcement when he was fourteen years old. Later when he was sixteen, he realized that he wanted to become an FBI agent instead. There was just a sense of goodness inside of him when he served the public.
The mammal keepers, Mrs. Amanda and Mrs. Julie, also pleased many students. They described what their typical day was like at the Safari Park and what they normally do at work. Mrs. Amanda’s advice to students is to get started in volunteer work as soon as possible so you have some experience with animals. There were several other volunteers who came to our school and they were all equally interesting and unique. They took time out of their day to educate students about their profession and deserve a big thank you from all Dragons.
Career Day Spotlight, Sharif Carter By Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer
Spain to study the art and paint there. Q:
What obstacles do you encounter
being an artist and how do you overcome them?
Did you enjoy Career Day? There were so many speakers that visited Del Dios and taught students a lot about their specific occupations. One of the many speakers at Career Day was Sharif I. Cater, an artist. We chose him for our Career Spotlight because he was extremely fascinating and inspiring. Q:
Read further to learn more.
What
inspired
you
to
become
an
artist? A:
As an engineer, I’m a visual person at
heart and enjoy sketching my ideas and thoughts. Art has always been a part of my life, but my older brother who is a selftaught musician and overall talented guy inspired me to take my art to a professional level. He told me: “Buy a sketchbook and just start sketching!” So I did.
A:
As an artist, you encounter obsta-
cles similar to any other profession such
of school that supports young talent. Arthatch.org is good place to start.
Q: How did you get started as an artist?
Step 3. Participate in art shows and com-
What steps should students take who want
petitions outside of school to gain expo-
to be an artist?
sure to the local art scene.
The first step I took to get started
Step 4. Find a local artist here in Escon-
as: rejection, criticism, and low pay. But
as a semi-professional was renting a stu-
dido. (there’s a lot!) Admire and study their
more specifically, as an artist I have expe-
dio space at Distinction Gallery where I ma-
technique, go to their shows, and ask them
rienced low show attendance, not being ac-
tured my skills. Next, I joined a collective in
questions. You’ll be surprised at how much
cepted in galleries, censorship, damaged
Temecula where a group of about 10 local
you’ll learn.
art, etc. My solution to overcome these ob-
artists would get together every Monday
Step 5. If you would like to pursue a ca-
stacles was simply.. don’t stop.
night and paint in the garage and listen to
reer in the arts such as animation, graphic
music. Soon after joining the collective I
design, fashion, etc., visit an Art Institute
was introduced to live art and have been
and attend an open house or sit in on an
performing live art throughout Southern
actual lecture. A good alternative would
California ever since.
be Palomar College which has a superb
Q:
Where do you get inspiration for
your paintings? A:
All of work is inspired by music which
I listen to religiously. A few years ago I did a series of paintings based on the culture
A:
The steps students should take to be-
and colors of Spain. The subject of the paintings was a masked woman with a large
arts program.
come an artist of any level are: Sharif Carter has inspired many Dragons Step
1.
Get
a
sketchbook
and
start
here at Del Dios and continues to amaze
Andalusian hat and a bright flowing red
sketching. At any age, it’s a great way to
people everywhere in Escondido. Look at his
flamenco dress. A guitar was depicted as
practice your skills at your own pace.
website, imandesign.com for more informa-
her weapon. I’ve always wanted to go to
Step 2. Join a youth art program outside
tion or to see his outstanding creations.
8 October 2013
Spirit of the Dragon
International News
GA-ASI Highlights Predator Assist in Yosemite Wildfire By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer
Predator, a drone that uses electro-optical infrared full-motion video to identify wildfire activity and the direction of fires, helped firefighters put out a recent fire in Yosemite National Park on September 27th. The Predator, remote-controlled by California Air National Guard unit, transmitted live video of the wild fire to the firefighters, so that they could locate the wildfire and prevent it from damaging anymore of the
park. “Predator's life-saving capabilities aided in expanding the firefighters' situational awareness, enabling them to fight the rimfire effectively and safely while also uncovering critical safe routes for retreat.”, says Frank W. Pace president of Aircraft Systems Group, GA-ASI. Last month, wildfires burned a quarter-million acres of the park, but,thanks to the Predator, firefighters can watch for wildfires day and night as well as minimize property damage. Article found on UPI.com
Photo by Anonymous
The Predator, remote controlled by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., scans for any wildfire threats as it is flying over the forest.
Gold and Cash found in Second Grade Teacher German Train Station Helps Students Cheat Locker On Standardized Tests By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer
Authorities in Cologne, Germany are baffled when several pounds of the gold and cash was found in a locker at a train station. The valuables were discovered when the lease of the train station locker expired on September 30th. The police kept it under wraps as they were searching for the owner of the money ,so that the owner of the train station wouldn't claim ownership of the money. “The train station owner would have to
know the exact sum of money, how many gold bars there were, and what sort of imprints the bars had on them.”, says Chief Prosecutor Ulrich Bremer. “It’s possible that the items are a product of crime, and that’s why no one has come forward, but we will have to wait and see.”, suggests Bremer. If the owner of the money is not identified, then the gold and cash will be auctioned off and the proceeds would go to public funds in Cologne. Article found on UPI.com
The Del Dios Library
The Book Fair is coming to Del Dios!!! there will be a bunch of new, amazing books to buy. The library has been open since the start of school, so get your books now. You can also come to the library to do Compass Learning.
By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer
not been announced to the public, was fired after the officials were informed of the situation. Because of the lack of an API score, Ruskin Elementary will lose the A Ruskin Elementary second grade ability to receive state awards, won’t be teacher's secret is revealed when he or she able to meet federal requirements, and was caught helping students cheat on probably won’t be given outside intervenSTAR testing. The year before, Ruskin had tion from the government. "This was seribeen the highest-performous. The whole community ing school in the district was penalized," says Will for the state’s Academic Ector, Berryessa Union Performance Index, but School District Superinthis year Ruskin’s score tendent. The moral of this wasn’t recorded because a story goes for students as second grade teacher was well as teachers. Don’t found to have been erasing cheat, for you are only errors from second cheating yourself. graders’ STAR tests. The Article found on teacher, whose name has -Will Ector: Berryessa Union UPI.com School District Superintendent
"This was serious. The whole community was penalized."
Sports
9
Spirit of the Dragon
October 2013
First Years Start Off the Season By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer Anticipation and excitement filled the First Year Dragons' heads as they bent down waiting for the football to be thrown at the very first game of the football season. As the word “hike” rang out through the air, the players reacted quickly, willing to do whatever it takes in order to bring victory to Del Dios Middle School. The first game of the season began with the Del Dios Middle School football team putting on red flags to determine their team. Before the Dragons stepped foot on the field, Coach Williams got the Dragons excited and ready to play. Despite the Dragon’s best efforts, Rincon quickly made the first touchdown and changed the score to 0 to 7. As the game went on, Mr. Finn, Mrs. Adkins, Mrs. Anderson Cain, Mr. and Mrs. Jaquess, and X-Track all cheered on the Dragons. However, even with everyone's encouragement, the Dragons weren't able to stop Rincon from making another touchdown bringing the score up to 0-14.
During halftime, the team took a water break while Coach Williams explained what they needed to work on including interceptions and improving defensively. The game resumed, and although the Dragons were able to stop the opposing team from making a touchdown for a while, number 85 playing for Rincon made a touchdown. Soon after, number 33 made another touchdown changing the score to 28 to 0. Right when it couldn't get any worse, number 22 on the Bulldogs managed to score yet another touchdown with five minutes left of the game. Regardless of the Dragons efforts, Rincon made two other touchdowns before the game ended. One scored by number 89 and the other by number 33. The game ended with the score being 0 to 49. Coach Williams recapped with the team and explained to us, “The game was definitely rough and challenging, yet it’s all just a learning experience for the kids." Although the First Year Dragons lost, they walked away in excitement for their next game, hoping to claim victory against their opponents. GO DRAGONS!
Photo By Staff Writer, Kora Shaw
Second Year Captain, Andy Valencia, in action at the second year first game.
Second Years The Third Years Take the Field First Game
By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer
First Win of the Season
The second year dragons chattered excitedly while Jonathan, the chief referee, laid down the rules of the game. Then the team left to warm up with a few stretches and drills. After they were warmed up, the Del Dios team put on their flags. Coach Wagner got the team in a huddle and explained the plays and plans. Then, the team put their hands together, yelled, “Dragons!”, and took the field. The Dragons were pulling flags like crazy, while Rincon dropped the football constantly. The Dragons switched to offense and Isai Ramos made several attempts to make a touchdown, but was getting his flag pulled each time. Then when Rincon tried to make a touchdown, Ben, number 2, removed the Rincon player’s flag and in the process revealed the other player’s underwear. At that moment, the ref called halftime and both teams took a water break. Coach Wagner gave the team Everyone was proud of the second year dragons when they defeated Mission Middle School with a score of 21 to 0 at their second game! The first touchdown was made by Isai Ramos, number 15. Later on, Andy Valencia, number 21, intercepted the ball and then made the second touchdown changing the score to 14-0. The crowd went wild when Isai Ramos threw the football and was caught by Andy Valencia, or number 21 making the third touchdown. Afterwards, Orlando number made another touchdown! The Dragons were so happy when the game ended and they were the winners! They high fived the opponents and walked off the Del Dios field as victors.
some pointers and tips. After halftime, number 18, Christian Marquez from Del Dios, made the first touchdown of the game from the 4 yard line averaging about 50 yards. Soon after, number 15 from Rincon made a touchdown from the 5 yard line averaging about 70 yards. The score was then 7-7. It was a pleasant surprise for the team when Jose Torres, Annabell Garcia, Jose Morales, Enoc Ramos, and Cristian Ramirez sang the Dragon Cheer with the team. Del Dios was definitely playing with all of their effort after that. Despite their best efforts, Rincon somehow managed to make another touchdown during the second down. That ended the game with the score 714. Unfortunately Rincon won, but the Dragons ended the game by showing their good sportsmanship and high fived their opponents. Even though Del Dios lost, Mr. Wagner commented that the Dragons did very well for their first game and that they played their hearts out. “Having fun is all that matters.”
halftime came. After a quick pep talk from Coach Wagner, they were off again, giving it their all. After half time yet number the Bulldogs sucThe game started when the Del Dios team ceeded in scoring a touchdown. The score was lined up as offense. It was so serious and it now 29-0. The third year dragons then made a seemed that nothing could break the mood as slight comeback when Enoc Ramos, a Dragon, the Dragons and the Bulldogs looked at each caught the ball and ran to the goal line, making other with a cold stare. Suddenly a whistle rang a touchdown. The Dragons cheered and the out from the referee and the “I think that we played crowd went wild. But the happy crowd suddenly realized that mood quickly ended when well, yet we can im- number 0 from Rincon made Enoc Ramos had forgotten his flag! That certainly got the prove on everything another touchdown changing team in an amused mood. the score to 44-7. like being prepared, Even though Del Dios gave Del Dios was still giving it so much effort and passion, staying focused, and their all and not giving up no number 23 on Rincon made matter what the score was. Unthe first touchdown changing learning the fundamen- fortunately, Enoc Ramos the score to 7-0. Once again, tals.” played a little too hard. He inthe bulldogs somehow manjured his left knee and had to aged to score another touchsit out the rest of the game. down by number 5. Then, After a rough game, with the when there was 15 seconds until halftime, num- final score 44-7, the Del Dios Dragons went to ber 0 from Rincon made yet another touch- change with their heads held high, ready to down! The football game was on pause when practice hard and take on the next game.
Second and Third Year Coach: Coach Wagner
Second Year Captain: Isai Ramos
Second Year Player: Nyla McGlory
"I thought that they played very well and they played their hearts out. As long as they had fun that’s all that matters.” Mr. Wagner explained.
"I think our teamwork was the most important skill we used to beat Mission Middle School 28 - 0 ." Captain Isai Ramos stated when we asked him what the most important part of the game was.
"The game was very exciting and we did really well on blocking for our teammates," Nyla McGlory stated when we asked her how the game went.
By Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer
Coach Wagner
10
Spirit of the Dragon
October 2013
Visual Visua V al Puzzles P Puzzzle es
What W hat wor wordd ddoes oes iitt ssay ay on th thee bbottom? ottom?
Puzzles
Sudoku Sud do k u
The T he o object bject iis s to ffill ill iin n th the e rremaining emaining squ squares ares so o that that e every very rrow, ow, every every co column, lumn, a and nd every every 3 ! 3 bo box x contains contains e each ach o off th the e numbers numbers ffrom rom 1 to 9 exactly o nce. exactly once.
Ch ange th osition of Change thee pposition on angle to make a onee tri triangle ssquare! quare!
Answers Answers will wi ll be be in in Issue 44..
DRAGON DR RAGON WORD W WO OR D OR SEARCH SEA SEARCH
DOWN 1. Pu naw hite sh eet a nd y ou a re th is. 1. Putt o on white sheet and you are this. ACROSS AC ROSS 3. A ight th ese cr eatures ffly ly a round 3. Att n night these creatures around 2 his k ind o rson m ay ca st a spe ll o ny ou 4. T his gu ym ay co me a nd bi te y our n eck 2.. T This kind off pe person may cast spell on you 4. This guy may come and bite your neck 5 ob ffor or _ ___ ____ 6. W hen y ou go g do or to do or y ou o ften ge 5.. B Bob _______ 6. When you door door you often gett 9 hild go do or to do or a nd sa y ttrick rick o ______ this 9.. C Child door door and say orr _ _______ this 1 2. T o di sguise y our fface, ace, y ou pu na_ ____ ___ 7. D on't cr oss th e pa th o ____ _ ____ 12. To disguise your you putt o on _______ 7. Don't cross the path off a _ _____ _____ 1 3. Y ou stu ff lleaves eaves iinto nto cl othes to om ake o ne o ese 8. 8. M any co mmunities w ill cr eate a _ _____ 13. You stuff clothes make one off th these Many communities will create ______ 1 4. T he m onth th at H alloween iis s iin n house ffor or y ou to go th rough. 14. The month that Halloween house you through. 1 5. M any o e sto nes iin n th is pl ace c sa yR IP 10. W hat y ou ca rve a nd pu ndle iin n ffor or 15. Many off th the stones this place say RIP 10. What you carve and putt a ca candle 1 6. "I t's a G reat Pu mpkin, C harlie _ _____" Halloween 16. "It's Great Pumpkin, Charlie ______" Halloween 1 8. A bu nch o nes 11. A ffamous amous ch aracter iis s th e_ _____ 18. bunch off bo bones 11. character the ______ 1 9. W hen so mething ffrightens rightens y ou, y ou a re _ _____ Horseman 19. When something you, you are ______ Horseman 17. D on't llet et tthis his gu y se e th e ffull ull m oon o 17. Don't guy see the moon orr he w ill turn turn iinto nto th is. he will this. 20. Y ou dr ess u p iin na_ ______ 20. You dress up _______
Leisure
11
Spirit of the Dragon
December 2013
Sea of Monsters Movie Review By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer
obstacles that test their friendship, trust, and love for each The movie, Sea of Mon- other. sters, is a funny and exciting If your expecting the genius film that all families are sure to love. Although, to you of Rick Riordan's work, the bookworms, if you're hoping movie will be a let down. Alfor the movie to be true to the though the film includes many Percy Jackson series, it isn't important family values, the acting was poor and the jokes worth watching. were corny. Additionally, it In the movie we see Percy, didn't include many characters Annabeth, Grover, Tyson,and and places that were in the Clarisse go on a quest to the book such as Circe, Circe's IsSea of Monsters after Thalia's land, Blackjack, and the tree, a tree that protects the Sirens. Furthermore, there is camp with its magical powers, very little action, which is poisoned. To save the tree, caused the movie to be less exthe band of demigods must re- citing and not as unexpected. trieve the Golden Fleece, a In conclusion, this movie golden fleece that can heal anything, to heal Thalia's tree would be great for a rental in and restore Camp Half Blood's the family room, but not on borders. As they go on their the big screen. adventure, they are faced with
Bookbox Daily, The Scholastic Reading Club Blog
The Sea of Monsters movie is based off of the series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and is written by Rick Riordan.
Get your Fruiti Bars for ONE dollar on everyday of the week except for Monday! You can only get them after school at Mrs. Melis’s room, Room 27, for AVID.
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Spirit of the Dragon
The Back Page
October 2013