Spirit of the Dragon, Vol LII, Issue 4

Famous Artist Paints Mural at Del Dios Middle School Feature Page 3

Del Dios Middle School Dance Crew Information Campus News Page 5

SPIRITdragon

Del Dios Middle School Volleyball Players Take the Court Sports Page 9

Del Dios Middle School • EUSD • Escondido, CA

of the

Vol. Vol. LII

Spirit of the Dragon November 2013

LII

World Famous Artist Paints at DDMS Have You Been Following the Dress Code?

By Skylar Heyeld, Staff Writer Many students around campus have walked by and admired the beautiful mural that was painted by well-known artist, Santos Orellano. The mural was painted by him with some help from the Del Dios art class. Santos explained to us that art class was part of the art not the product. What he meant by that was art class helped out in making the art, yet they weren’t a complete part of the final product of the piece. It was admired by many when it was being painted, yet few knew what it actually was. The mural represented Samples and Examples which is what he titled the artwork. The piece may look a little bit like street art, yet it still has its beauty from the vibrant colors and patterns that it displays. One of the best parts about the mural is the colorful background accented with the solid black lines. Santos started making the

By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer

Photo By Mrs. Murphy, Del Dios Faculty

Ms. Adkins and Santos posing for a photo as she thanks him for the mural. mural on the 29th during school hours. all of Del Dios faculty and students reAt nutrition and the four minute passing ally enjoyed the mural and that it brings period, students would stop and look at inspiration in their work. To read more the beautiful mural that was in the about Santos and the beautiful mural process of being made. I would say that that he painted, turn to page three.

In order to be college and career ready, students must dress for success. Students can practice that by following the Del Dios dress code.

The first time a Dragon doesn't follow the dress code, it will be logged. If the student has disobeyed the dress code several times before, he/she will see an assistant principal. Some of the things that are not allowed at school are blankets. The weather might be getting colder, yet they don't help you become college and career ready. Pajamas, beanies, and hats in the classroom are also a violation. They’re comfortable, but they are not appropriate for a working environment. So next time think before you come to school in your Hello Kitty pajama bottoms and violate the dress code.

Del Dios Middle School's Dinner, Dance, and Drama Night

By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer Dinner, Dance, and Drama Night began with friends and family taking their seats in the Hall of Champions. If guests had pre-ordered an orange ticket, they would get to sit at tables near the front where they would be served a special tamale dinner. The dinner included chips, salsa, guacamole, rice, beans, and a tamale entree. The other guests purchased a four dollar ticket that would grant them access into the Hall of Champions as well as a seat towards the back. Suddenly, the lights went dark and music began to play. As the curtain

opened, the audience saw the Del Dios Dance Crew lying on the floor as zombies. The dance crew slowly stood up and started performing “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. Once it was over, the crowd went wild. Afterwards, Mrs. Flaherty came out from behind the curtain and explained what the rest of the night held. The next performance was a skit, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Harriet Beecher Stowe. It was put on by eighthgraders who were currently learning about that period of history. The skit was about a debate between a slave trader who didn't care about anything other than making money, and a slave

Photo By Ms. Robson, Del Dios Faculty

Second Year Dragons performing in "A Midsummer Nights Dream" by William Shakespeare at Dinner, Dance, and Drama Night. owner who treated his slaves like family. Although it was sometimes difficult to hear, the performers did a great job.

The next play was “A MidsummerNight Dream” by William Shakespeare.

It included Second Year Dragons who

did a great job memorizing and reciting the play. All in all, visitors had a great time watching the fantastic performances put on by Del Dios Middle School at Dinner, Dance, and Drama Night.

Drug Free Begins With ME! Haunted Halloween Maze

By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer “The drug addict loses the sense of dignity, responsibility, self- esteem, self- respect, and he forgets how to live like a human being.”

- Dr T.P.Chia On October 21 to October 26 Red Ribbon Week was held at Del Dios Middle School. The point of Red Ribbon Week was to inform students about the dangers about drug abuse.

Throughout the week we had events that went along with being drug free. On Monday, October 21, all Del Dios Dragons received a pencil that said, “Drug Free… It begins with ME” during their advisory classes. Other events included “Wear Red Day," “Backwards Day," and a poster contest. Mr. Velasco’s class won the poster contest and won 500 points for the water house. In the end, Red Ribbon Week was a huge success and really improved students awareness of being safe and responsible with drugs.

By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer

,and saw a dark specter pointing us toward the exit.

We emerged into the light, glad that we had survived.

After I handed my ticket to Tim Hansen, our guide, he led us into a dark room. He told us that ghostly hands had once reached through the wall we stopped at, and took the soul of an unfortunate person. Suddenly, he was quickly pulled through the walls. We screamed, and continued down the path in search of an exit. We were subdued by angry spirits with our every step. We came to a dead end where we found a body on the ground. We ran away

On November 1st, ASB had created a haunted maze in the Hall of Champions for Dragons to enjoy. The maze was composed of tables covered in various types of poster paper, scary props, strobe lights, and fake blood. The haunted maze was an adventure that was enjoyed by all Del Dios students, and had them lining up to go in again and again.

That is, if they were brave enough to enter.

2

Spirit of the Dragon

Staff

November 2013

Editor's Note

By Kora Shaw, Staff Writer

Being editor for this issue was a very rough job to withhold, so I had some help from the staff members. It was hard to complete this issue without our awesome teacher behind us, badgering us to stay on task and not stray from what we needed to do, but we

managed to avoid most of the obstacles in our way together. Together we made this newspaper come out, later than we hoped for, but at least it has finally come out. It has been a wonderful experience and it has taught me more about teamwork and overcoming obstacles with people at my side.

Photo By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer

Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer, working hard to create the newspaper you're holding in your hands.

A Dragon Author, Ask the 300 Word Story Dragon Master

By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer 78.2 million households in America own a dog. In the Renaissance era small dogs like Miniature Poodles could be found in noble’s homes. They were used to keep the hands and laps of their owners warm. Coonhounds and Pointers helped humans by hunting animals like birds, foxes, and raccoons. Dogs can be found everywhere you look. A conservation biologist by the name of Dr. Laurie Marker decided to try using flock guarding dogs to save cheetahs in Africa.

When Dr. Marker traveled to Africa, she discovered the threat that cheetahs and farmers posed to each other. The government in Namibia, Africa allow farmers to shoot and kill predators. They believe such violent measures are necessary to protect the livestock. Since the cheetah is a daytime hunter and aren’t aggres-

sive towards humans, they are very vulnerable when they are passing by a farmer’s flock.

Once Dr. Marker learned about why these magnificent creatures were disappearing, she knew in order to save this endangered species she would have to help.

Her idea was to form the CCF, Cheetah Conservation Fund. This organization that she started breeds flock guarding dogs, Anatolian Shepherds, and gives them to farmers to be raised with the livestock. The shepherds adapt to life in the flock and the animals become the dog’s pack; therefore, when a cheetah or other predator closes in on the flock, the presence of the dog scares it away. Cheetahs were built for speed not fighting, so they are not confrontational.

Twenty years ago in Africa, 800 to 900 cheetahs were shot annually. Today only 200 are shot each year thanks to Dr. Marker’s helpful efforts.

Marker says, “Today, the future of the cheetah is in human hands.”

Mazes!

By the Wise Old Dragon Dear Dragon Master, I have some struggles with some of my friends.

They always try to pressure me into things that I don’t want to do. If I tell an adult they might get my friends in trouble, but if I don’t do anything I might be the one in trouble.

Please help!

Dear Fellow Dragon, First of all, your friends shouldn’t be pressuring you to do anything. If it happens again tell them “No.” If that doesn’t work don’t hesitate to tell an adult. Although they may get in trouble, its better than you getting in trouble for doing what they were telling you to do.

Dear Dragon Master, Lately I have been falling way behind in my math class. Some friends have recommended CBA, asking a teacher for help, or even getting a tutor. All of them sound like great suggestions but I don’t know which one to choose!

Dear Fellow Dragon, Well it looks like you have some really supportive friends who want you to succeed in school, yet I understand why you might not know which path you want to take. I would say, you can test out each of them and see what works for you. If you are really struggling in math, a tutor might be the best bet. If you are just a little behind, then you could go to CBA. It really just depends at what your level is and what works best for you.

"All of them sound like great suggestions but I don’t know which one to choose!"

Anonymous Dragon

Spirit of the Dragon

Feature

November 2013

In the photo above, Spirit of the Dragon Newspaper is interviewing Santos, a well known artist who painted a beautiful mural at our campus. We had a fun time learning about his style, mural, and himself as well. I hope you enjoy the article/ interview that we have provided below.

The mural you see on the right is a masterpiece created by the art class and Santos. You may be thinking what the art class has put into this mural. Well, as Santos said, "They helped make the art and not the product." What that means is that they helped out a little bit with making it, yet was not part of the final product.

Overall, the mural was a great improvement to our school and is loved by everyone. We are very grateful to the art class, Santos, and his crew for making our school a better place.

World Famous Artist Paints Mural at Del Dios Middle School Santos, Famous Artist You have learned all about the mural on the front cover, but do you know anything about the creator of it? The Journalism staff had the pleasure of interviewing the masterpiece maker himself and getting the inside scoop on the mural.

Q: Why did you make the mural for us?

A: “Well, I love painting and so anytime I’m allowed to paint on the walls like this, I don’t take it lightly. Most artists have to do it illegally in order to express themselves. This year, I started to do a mural campaign, and I’ve done three schools now in Escondido. I did one really, really big piece in Saudi Arabia and I just got back from doing one in Arizona.

I’m not a street artist. I’m more of a gallery artist. It’s just my style is very urban, so it can be confused as street art.”

Q: What does the mural represent?

A: “Well first I’ll tell you a little bit about my style. What I’m trying to battle with is conscious and subconscious at the same time. It’s not easy because most of the time, as artists we can be self indulgent.

Whatever makes us feel good, we do. I don’t know if you guys know that there is scientific power behind doodling. It’s supposed to be when you doodle, you’re just allowing yourself to express without trying to do anything. So what I do is try to doodle, but try to have some sort of voice within it. So now you ask me what it represents to me. I decided to entitle it Samples and Examples. Whenever I paint in these school settings, there’s a certain expectation of what graffiti is. Like I was telling you before, I get confused for

being a graffiti or a tagger, which is fine, but there is a certain expectation in graffiti. And most of the time it’s letter based.

So then the kids are always saying, “What does this mean, what does it say?” And then there’s negative implications of graffiti where it’s illegal. So the kids are saying, “Why are you tagging our walls?”

Also, there was a girl I heard the other day say, “Why are you giving us bad examples?” And then I started to kind of play with that thought and what it comes down to is that this is a sample of me as a person and I lead by example. So that’s kind of what the piece is all about.

Q: How did you become an artist?

A: “I don’t think artists are made. It seems like everyone wants to be an artist, but they don’t really understand the discipline that comes with it.

And it’s not an easy living. I mean the last couple of years have been very kind to me, but the first few years were not. Especially when you have a style that is not always seen.

Because if you go into a gallery and your work is not very normal, it doesn’t do very well in the market. So a lot of artists are forced to try to do what’s expected in order to be able to sell. So I’m not going to split hairs whether that’s art or not, but for me, I’m very lucky to kind of stuck to what I wanted to do. Because now I’ve been doing this full time for six years now and people have gone from saying, “I’ve never seen anything like that before...,” to “I’ve never seen anything like this!” in more of a positive tone. You

see people wanting to buy something that I made.”

Q: What is your inspiration?

A: “My inspiration is practically everything. I’ve been asked boldly, like to the point, “What is it that you sell? Do you sell art? Or do you sell yourself?” And so that’s kind of where my inspiration is. So if my inspiration was purely San Diego, then I would probably be a landscape artist. Like maybe I would paint the Coronado Bridge all the time or a marine landscape or surf art or something along those lines. But for me, I think if there is a product that I sell, it’s more me. Myy experiences, what affects me, the things I see, the things I read, everything. To sum it up, it’s pretty much me.

Everything that affects me and not just on a deeper level. Who am I? Why am I here? What’s my direction?

Who are the people who love me? Who hates me? You know, the deeper questions. So not only that but, everyday things. Like a song that I hear, something political, social, economics, just everything.

"This is a sample of me as a person, and I lead by example."

Santos Orellana

Q: Do you do other art pieces besides murals?

A: “Well I’m 99.9% known for art pieces.

Not just from murals themselves. Even though from the very beginning, people and myself could see that my work on a larger scale was cooler. Because I didn’t start pursuing art full time until I was 32 years old, I had to worry about real

things. Usually, most muralists sprout when they’re younger. When you live at home or whatever and then you can go paint walls whether they’re legal or illegal and not really think about anything. I mean I wish I could just go and paint walls anywhere, but I have to think about being arrested and things like that. But at the end of the day, I have a family. I have two kids and I would never want anything bad to happen. And I have to provide for my family. So I’ve focused on doing gallery pieces from a business standpoint.

Like this year I started to do a mural campaign. So now one of the efforts I’m trying to do is to bring fine art pieces to schools. Though one of the problems with the school settings is that there is a certain level of expectations. So if someone calls from a school and they say, “We would like to commission you to paint a wall.” then the problem becomes that the school has a certain expectation. So the only way I feel like I can control what the outcome is, is if I donate the work. Therefore, all of the pieces in the school settings are donated by me. It’s much easier and I don’t know if you guys saw it, but art in process is scary. Imagine now being your principal. And she’s like, “Oh my god, what is this? What have I done?” So that’s the problem with the art in process.

I mean imagine if you saw a car that wasn’t complete when you were going to go buy it and they were just building it.

You’d kind of be like, “Well are they going to put the tires in the right place?”

We hope you enjoyed this inside scoop of the amazing work of art and the creator of it.

4 November 2013

Spirit of the Dragon Newspaper

Campus News

Counseling Corner and AP Updates

By Mr. Ngo and Mrs. Peterson, Del Dios Faculty

By Mrs. Ayles and Mrs. Fierro, Del Dios Faculty

New Trimester, new start! As we begin this new trimester and think about the holiday season, I hope that we are grateful for having a new beginning and can proudly say that we are starting off with an A. Doing your very best does not mean you have to maintain a 4.0. Doing your best means you …

Online Bullying Report: To make an online bullying report, go to http://deldios.eusd.org/. Then, scroll all they way down to the bottom of the page. Next, click on the "Stop Bullying" Icon. Finally, fill out your report and click submit.

Dragon Post-it Positives: Have you seen post-its and positive messages around campus? We have a new group on campus, Peer Positive Ms. Ayles and Ms. Fierro, Group. Your Dragon peers want to Counselors stop bullying and want to do it by spreading positivity and creating a safe and welcoming environment. This group is just starting, but the students are excited to plan and create fun events to prevent bullying.

Students meet on Thursday after school, from 12:30-1:15 P.M. in room 72.

If you have ideas and want to be part of this group, join us this Thursday!

Positive Peer Group: Del Dios students have created this group to reach out to all students who want a safe place to be themselves. Come to room 71 at lunch on Mondays.

1. Treat everyone with respect. Be excited to be you. Respect yourself. Respect every student and adult on campus. And remember that you cannot speak to adults the same way you speak with your peers. Follow directions the first time they are given to you by staff members.

2. Don't react... ACT! Be proactive and think about things ahead of time. So many of the Mrs. Peterson and Mr. Ngo, students who end up in the AP office for referrals and discipline tell us they responded to someone Assistant Principals else. Please think about your actions and the consequences that follow rather than reacting to other people’s bad decisions.

3. Be grateful. Gratitude is a simple way to make you appreciate your life so much more. There's nothing wrong with having dreams or goals, but in the meantime, enjoy what you have now. You have so much, Dragons! You already attend the best middle school!

4. Seize every opportunity you have instead of regretting it later. Take advantage of Compass Learning time and CBA before and after school.

5. Believe that you are in charge of your destiny. No one can take your dreams from you. If you have determination, you can do almost anything. Success is whatever you determine it to be and you can be successful. We are DRAGONS! Remember that our campus is closed at the end of school. If you are not in CBA or X-track, you may not be on campus or sitting unsupervised at the front of the school. Please report to CBA or X-track immediately at the end of school. Let’s keep our campus safe.

Exploratory Wheel Updates

By Mrs. Melis and Mrs. Thornton, Del Dios Faculty

In MESA, the students are working through a robotics unit.

The students are using the program LEGO Mindstorm to build and program robots.

MESA students have also finished building their robots and now are programming it to travel through a challenging maze.

The maze that they are programming to go through is about 16 feet long with twists, turns, and narrow pathways.

The students that can get their robot through the maze in the fastest time will win the robotics challenge.

This unit is good practice for our students, because in March, they will be competing against other students from around San Diego County in a robotics competition, very similar to this maze. However, in March, the students will have to add color and light sensors to their robots so that the robot cannot only move through the maze easily, but also follow colored lines and pick up and drop barrels on a

Photo by Mrs. Thornton, Del Dios Faculty In the photo above MESA students are building their robots to practice for a competition that they will compete in.

target in the middle of the maze. for college. If you think you might be interested in joining AVID and getting a head start on In AVID, we continued to work being college ready, please see on taking really effective notes Mrs. Melis in room 27. and working together in study Every Thursday AVID students groups. AVID students have also show their AVID pride by been preparing to visit 6th grade wearing their shirts. You can study skills classrooms to gear join them by wearing a college tup for AVID applications in shirt as well. Please join us in February. It seems early but it's celebrating our goal of being never too early to start planning college ready!

What is ASB Up To? This is ASB with an update on December activities. We will be having a fun and festive spirit week on the week of the 9th. On Monday you can participate in pajama day, Tuesday will be crazy hair day, and Wednesday you can dress alike with your friend for twin day (ASB recommends twinning with someone in your advisory class). Then, on Thursday, it will be red and green day. You will have a chance to dress in red, green or any festive attire. Lastly on Friday is the Winter Wonderland Dance. Eighth graders will have a king and queen, seventh graders will have a prince and princess, and sixth grade will have a duke and duchess. Also, there will be a soccer tournament the following Friday. Of course, there will be no school from December 23 to January 5 due to Christmas break. Hope you have a super great winter break and have happy holidays!

Spirit of the Dragon

Campus News

5 November 2013

Mayor Abed Visits Del Dios (Continued)

By Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer This interview is continued from Issue 3 when Mayor Abed visited Del Dios Middle School.

Question: Have your intentions for this city changed since the last time you visited our school and if so, what way?

Mayor: “I think I’ve learned more about Del Dios, how hard the students work, how hard the teachers work, and how motivated the principal is. The staff works so hard and they care about your education.

Question: What are the greatest benefits of being the mayor of Escondido?

Mayor: “It’s to serve the public and the city.

It’s not about the money, it’s a great position. The good thing about it is that you can make a difference in your city and that is the best thing about being mayor.”

Question: What are some of the biggest problems Escondido faces and how can we solve

them?

Mayor: “We have to make sure we have a balance in our city. I think we have more than our share of social services and low income housing.

We just don’t have a balance. My goal is to bring the balance. Every city should have homeless shelters, great universities, poor people, and rich people. We have to create a prosperity and wealth and create opportunities for everybody.

My goal is to bring balance in our city demographically, socially, and economically and that’s how we can succeed.”

Question: Is it possible that Del Dios could receive money from the city to benefit our campus such as getting a roof over our basketball court?

Mayor: “No. The political structure is that the school districts get their money from the state and the city has their own money. We can not comingle the funding because it’s the school’s responsibility. But what the city can do is we can work with the school districts, which we’re doing today, to make education as a priority, yet we can not interfere with the two different funds. Also, what what we would love to do is help put on fundraisers to help your school.”

Photo By Mrs. Murphy, Del Dios Faculty

Sianna Cruz and Leandra Heyveld interviewing Mayor Abed and Councilman Gallo.

Dragons Show Off "On the Way to College Achievements at Night" Parent Letter Student Led Conferences

By Gary Hanna, Dragon Parent It is important to us that all Dragon parents know why we stress college and career readiness here at Del Dios. There are several events Del Dios holds for parents to come in and learn about the college preparation that goes on here. One of the events was the “On the Way to College” parent night we had recently. To inform you of everything that your parents would learn at these events, a Dragon parent, Gary Hanna, has written a letter about the important info you can learn by attending the events.

“It’s never too early to think about college, even in middle school,” said a representative from Cal-State San Marcos.

Marivel Rojas, assistant director of early outreach, encouraged Del Dios parents to start thinking about their child going to college on Nov. 5 at the parent night, "On the Way to College."

Rojas said students can take tours of local campuses, figure out their financial aid options and work toward applying for scholarships. Volunteering in your community and leadership experience is very important as well, she said. Keep a journal of what you have accomplished when you volunteer or lead a group or project.

When your child enters eighth grade, Rojas said your student can take courses that fulfill college prerequisites, such as Algebra. And make sure to keep your grades up, at least a 2.5 GPA is required for college admissions. For more information go to this site http://www.certicc.org.

By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer October 17 and 18 was Student Led Conferences at Del Dios Middle School. First, Second, and Third year Dragons had Thursday and Friday off of school. Dragons and their parents were able to visit Del Dios on Thursday and Friday from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm with breaks in between for teachers. Right when you entered through the Hall of Champions, there were treats such as cookies, pastries, hot chocolate, and coffee. There were

also progress reports and some fliers that parents received. Then, Dragons made their way around campus, showing their parents where their classes were located. Some of the things that students showed their parents were their grades, assignments, homework, and classwork. Student led conferences were important because parents could see what their child was working on and what they would continue to work on throughout the school year.

Once Dragons were done showing their parents around, they left to enjoy the rest of their day.

Del Dios Middle School Dance Crew

By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer Flash mobs in the quad and Thriller during Dinner, Dance, and Drama! Who are the students that are showing off their dance moves?! The Dragons responsible are the Del Dios Middle School dance crew!

flash mob in the lunch area and upper quad, the dance crew performed Superstition in the middle of the first trimester. When the dance crew performed Thriller during Dinner, Dance, and Drama, they left everyone with chills running down their spines.

While in the middle of dancing to Rockin’ Robin, the music was stopped and Cha Cha Slide started to play. The dance crew had the parents on their feet and students on the stage. It was a very exciting experience thanks to them! In all of their dances, the

For you second and first year dragons that want to join the dance crew, I’m sad to announce that only third year Dragons are allowed to join, and that you’ll have to wait one to two years. If you really want join the dance crew so badly, talk to Ms. Robson and read this interview to get a better idea about dance.

Q and A with Gissele Nieto and Miriam Fuentes:

The DDMS dance crew is consisted of great Third Year dancers. Some of the dances that they have performed include a street style dance in the first pep rally, a flash mob in the lunch area and upper quad, and Thriller at Dinner, Dance, and Drama Night. The most recent dances that they performed was a 50's dance called Rockin’ Robin and a more modern dance to a song called Fine China.

These dances were performed at the 1st trimester awards assembly.

In the street style dance, that Ms. Robson choreographed, the DDMS dance crew started off the first pep rally of the year with an upbeat tempo. For the

DDMS dance crew showed great skills and rhythm.

Q: What is your favorite thing about being in dance?

A: You get to work together and interact with people you didn’t know before.

Photo By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer

The DDMS Dance Crew performing "Fine China" at the 1st Trimester Awards.

Q: How does dance help you be college and career ready?

A: It could be a backup plan if you can’t get the job you wanted. For example, if you’re in college and you need to earn some money, you could dance in a dance club until you graduate and get a real job.

6

Spirit of the Dragon

November 2013

College

Del Dios Annual College Fair

By Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer Mrs. Melis’ AVID students prepared their college display boards as First, Second, and Third Year Dragons left their advisory classes to visit the College Fair. All students were given a sheet of paper that had a college bingo on it. The sheet contained facts of different colleges that were arranged in rows and columns, and the students had to find the colleges with those facts to complete their bingo paper.

When the students had completed a row and a column, they earned a point for their Dragon

house. The Dragons learned very much about the different colleges that were displayed, all the way from USC to Pepperdine.

Many wonder why the College Fair was put on and how the college display boards were created. Well to make the display boards, the AVID students interviewed teachers and then researched important facts about the college the teachers went to. After two weeks of researching and making their display boards, AVID students were ready to show their display boards at the College Fair.

AVID put on the fair to help increase student awareness of their college options. There are so many colleges out there and many stu-

dents don't know they exist. They also put on the fair because Gear Up is not on campus as much. That means that AVID had to fill the role of putting on the college fair. AVID is all about college and supporting students’ goals to become college ready so it seemed like a natural fit for them to take the job up.

Ms. Melis was very happy with the results of the college fair. She said the students seemed to enjoy seeing the boards and learning about their options. The AVID students had a lot of fun from interviewing teachers, designing the boards, and standing up and answering questions. It gave them an opportunity to be experts on something and share that knowl-

edge with their peers.

The college fair helped the student body in general to see what sorts of colleges are out there. The AVID students not only put academic information on the boards, but also fun things like clubs, sports, music, traveling opportunities and extracurricular activities.

Sometimes people get so focused on grades and studying for college, that they forget that college is also a lot of fun and full of new and exciting experiences. Ms. Melis hopes that the college fair opened Dragons’ eyes to a few opportunities they would like to work towards.

UC Berke- What College are You Attending? ley Alumni Interview

By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer

By Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer Did you know that there is a UC Berkeley alumni on campus? Her name is Ms. Fierro and she is a counselor here at Del Dios. Please enjoy this interview with college alumni, Ms. Fierro. Maybe you’ll realize that you belong at UC Berkeley.

Q: What college did you go to?

A: “Bachelors Degree- University of California Berkeley, Masters Degree- University of San Diego.”

Q: What did you major in?

A: “UC Berkeley- Double Major in Ethnic Studies and Social Welfare with Minor in Education, USDMasters in School Counseling.”

Q: Was college a challenge for you? How? A: “College was challenging for me because it was 8 hours away from home and some of the classes were really hard. Homework didn't really count though because for most classes your grade depended on a midterm and a final.

Q: Why did you choose to go to UC Berkeley?

A: “I visited Berkeley when I was in high school and I loved it. College campuses all have a different vibe and I really saw myself and my personality in that campus.”

Q: What was your favorite thing about college?

A: “My favorite thing about college was making new friends and getting involved with school organizations. Our school had a huge rivalry with Stanford and it was fun to attend football games and have a lot of school spirit.”

Q: What was your least favorite thing about college?

A: “I really did enjoy it all.”

Q: Why do you think college is important?

A: “Many people would say because of the money, but for me just learning new things was fascinating.

Your perspective on the world and people expands and makes you a much more critical thinker.”

Q: What are the requirements to get into UC Berkeley?

A: “Back when I was in high school you had to be a well rounded student, good grades, high test scores, extracurricular activities, community service, and a good personal statement.”

Q: How did UC Berkeley prepare you for being a counselor?

A: “It was at Berkeley that I discovered I had a passion for working with youth. As a college student I worked as a college advisor, in a high school in east Oakland, and I really loved the work that I did.”

University of San Diego (SDSU)Notes: The University of San Diego is a private Roman Catholic research university in San Diego, California. The university offers 40 baccalaureate degrees, and several degrees in law, masters, and doctorate programs. SDSU offers over 200 student organizations and students volunteer tens of thousands of hours each year for community service. Viejas Arena is one of the premiere collegiate arenas in the nation: home to Aztec Basketball and host to entertainers like Gwen Stefani, Van Halen, Maroon 5 and Jennifer Lopez.

Tuition and fees: $40,00 Most Popular Majors: Business, Management, Marketing, Communication, Journalism, Biological and Biomedical Sciences Acceptance Rate: 48% (2010) Colors: White, Navy Blue, Columbia Blue Enrollment: 8,321

University of Southern California (USC)Notes: The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, research university founded in 1880 with its main campus in Los Angeles, California. USC is also the largest private employer in the City of Los Angeles. Big-name concerts and special USC events take place at the Colonial Center. Both men and women varsity sports include track and field, basketball, soccer, tennis, and more.

Tuition and fees: $43,722 Most Popular Majors: Support Services, Social Science, Visual and Performing Arts, Communication, Journalism, Engineering Acceptance Rate: 18% (2012) Colors: Cardinal, Gold Enrollment: 38,010 (2011) Pepperdine UniversityNotes: Pepperdine University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. Pepperdine offers over 60 student clubs along with a student government, strong athletic tradition, theatre, dance performances and more. The curriculum at Pepperdine emphasizes the broad discovery of all disciplines, as well as a deep concentration in one area of study.

Tuition and fees: $44,902 Most Popular Majors: Management, Communication, Business, Social Studies, Psychology, Marketing, Acceptance Rate: 32% (2010) Colors: Blue, Orange Enrollment: 7,539 (2011)

Photo by Google Images

A photo of San Diego State University campus from above.

Photo by Google Images

A glimpse of University of Southern California campus.

Photo by Google Images

Pepperdine University from an aerial view with the coast in the background.

Career

7

Spirit of the Dragon

November 2013

Career Spotlight

By Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer Have you ever thought of becoming an animal trainer? Or maybe you just want to learn more about being a zoo keeper. Whatever you want to find out about the animal careers, it can be answered in this interview. Here is an interview with an experienced animal trainer, Shelly Heyveld.

Q: How would someone become an animal trainer? How did you become one?

A: My first jobs were at an pet boarding/training/ grooming facility and then later a vet clinic.

I went to community college and found out about the Exotic Animal Training and Management program in Moorpark CA. I applied and was accepted. The route you take will usually depend your age. Volunteering at animal shelters or getting a job in an animal related industry is one way. Veterinarians are always a good choice because it will test your ability to handle the reality of what working with animals is like. Sometimes there is blood, bad smells, aggression, and even death.

Q: Do you have any advice for people who want to be an animal trainer?

A: There are different paths that you can take to become an animal trainer or work with animals in general. It can depend on if you have a specific species in mind. Obviously volunteering etc. with the facility that is your goal to work in, a degree in that type of psychology or biology, as well as the EATM program in Moorpark. Go through life with the intention of that goal, make choices that keep you on that path and work hard.

Q: What are the ups and downs when working with animals?

A: The rewards are many but it is a dirty, sweaty, stinky, sticky, gooey, hairy, bloody, physical, emotional and challenging job. You are usually working in a team environment so you need to like people as well as animals.

Q: Are there other jobs out there that specialize in animals? What are they?

A: There are many careers that a person can choose that either work with animals or impact them; zoologist, veterinarian, aquarist, zookeeper, vet tech, wildlife biologist, conservation biologist, animal refuge or shelter manager, pet therapist, wildlife photographer, animal control officer, humane investigator, environmental lawyer, environmental educator, ecologist, fish and game warden, ornithologist, herpetologist, conservation and wildlife manager, wildlife author, animal rights advocate, nonprofit conservation employee, national park service employee, fish and wildlife employee, ecotourism guide, wildlife educator... as you can see it’s expansive.

Q: Have you ever had an incident with one of the animals?

A: If you work with animals you have had an incident. I’ve been bitten by monkeys, sea lions, birds, and dogs, scratched, smacked, pinched, dragged, and had my hair pulled. It’s part of the job and learning to communicate.

Q: We’ve heard that you are working on a career change. What is that about?

A: In the future I hope to develop a program that pairs at risk youth with shelter dogs. We will teach the kids to train the dogs in basic manners so the dogs become more adoptable and the kids develop skills in communication, empathy, responsibility and goal setting. There may be some that choose to follow the path to become an animals trainer.

Photo by Dixon Photography

Shelly Heyveld spending time with Taboo, a koala at the L.A. Zoo.

8 November 2013

Spirit of the Dragon

International News

The Local Google Glass Violation

By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer A Californian woman, Cecelia Abadie, was was the first person in the world to be pulled over for wearing Google Glass while driving. The authorities said it violated the California Vehicle Code 27602: A person shall not drive a motor vehicle if a television receiver, a video monitor, or a television or video screen, or any other similar means of visually displaying a television broadcast or video signal that produces entertainment or business applications, is operating and is located in the motor vehicle at a point forward of the back of the driver's seat, or is operating and the monitor, screen, or display is visible to the driver while driving the motor vehicle.

Cecelia argued, “The Glass was on, but I wasn’t actively using it.”. After this incident Google replied with, “As we make clear in our help center, Explorers should always use Glass responsibly and put their safety and the safety of others first. More broadly, Glass is built to

connect you more with the world around you, not distract you from it. It’s early days for Glass and we look forward to hearing feedback from Explorers and others in advance of a wider consumer launch next year.” Cecelia continues to fight this citation because she believes that Google Glass provides easier navigation than GPS and smartphones, and therefore should be legal while driving.

Many don’t know what Google Glass is. To clarify, Google Glass is the most recent product of Jason Tsai, a researcher from the Topology Research Institute, and Google X. Google Glass is a wearable computer that can take pictures, videos, and much more without the push of a button, but instead with spoken commands. The only part of Google Glass that includes touching, is the touchpad on the right of the Google Glass. You slide up, down, and across to go to the different parts of Google Glass, and these parts show up on a transparent display. Recently, Google is holding an Explorer program where people can

volunteer to test Google Glass.

Cecelia Abadie was one of those Explorers, but Google says that she may have abused her power as an Explorer. To learn more about Google Glass and how to become an Explorer, go to http://www.google.com/glass/start/whatit-does/.

The Giraffe Riddle Has Gone Viral

By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer

(Top) Here is a close up of google glass. (Bottom) Cecelia Abadie wearing google glass.

How was Your Thanksgiving Break?

By Evan Fox, Staff Writer

Many are wondering why so many people on Facebook have changed their profile picture to a giraffe. The answer is this riddle.

“It’s 3 a.m., the doorbell rings and you wake up. Unexpected visitors!

It’s your parents and they are here for breakfast. You have strawberry jam, honey, wine, bread and cheese. What is the first thing you open?”.

This riddle has caused many people on Facebook to change their profile picture to a giraffe. Why? The giraffe profile picture was chosen as a punishment if you answered the riddle incorrectly because it was random enough for our Internet Culture that likes hedgehogs, corgis, and slow lorises. The process of this riddle is to read the riddle, answer it, and receive the consequence that you have given yourself. Be it changing your profile picture to a giraffe or relishing your victory of answering the riddle correctly.

Then, you post the riddle on your page for others to enjoy!

Photo by Google

Photo by Google Images

Here is an example of what fellow Facebookers might change their profile picture to.

The creator of the Great Giraffe Challenge is Andrew Strugnell, a video blogger from New Zealand.

After watching a Youtube video on this riddle, Andrew wanted to share this riddle with everybody on Facebook. Now that The Great Giraffe Challenge has gone viral, Andrew has received fame and about 13,000 Facebook messages to look through. As for the answer to the riddle, there has been a great debate on whether it’s to open

your eyes or the door. It might be your eyes because you would have to open your eyes before opening the door or, it might be the door because opening your eyes is used in the past tense, but the riddle is written in the present tense. I guess the world shall never know and the only thing we can do is to take part in The Great Giraffe Challenge.

Many people know what Thanksgiving is and how we celebrate it yet little know how Thanksgiving started. To learn more, read on.

The Englishmen went to Holland because they were protestants that wanted to leave the Church of England.

Before the Englishmen left on their long voyage to the United States, English merchants funded them to go to where New York City is now located. The Englishmen were funded by the English merchants because of financial problems in Holland.

The Mayflower was on the Atlantic Ocean for 66 days and had to stop early and land somewhere near what is now called Cape Cod. When they settled in Plymouth, the Englishmen tried to gather as much food and supplies to survive the winter ahead. After winter, they started to hunt and fish for food.

The Wampanoags, who have lived there for hundreds of years, heard gunshots in the woods and thought the Englishmen wanted to start a war. After they thought that they wanted to start a war, Massasoit went to the settlement to see what was happening. In the end, the Englishmen weren’t wanting to start a war against the Native Americans. They were actually hunting for a harvest celebration. During this celebration, there were many games, dances, and songs that were sung.

Today at Thanksgiving people prepare for a feast most of the day and eat it later that day. Usually people eat turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, biscuits, pumpkin pie and more!

Sports

Spirit of the Dragon

9 November 2013

Chargers and Broncos Battle it Out Kora Shaw, Staff Writer The Denver Broncos escaped San Diego with a narrow 28-20 victory, despite the Chargers erasing a 22point deficit in the second half.

Peyton Manning threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns, while Demaryius Thomas finished with 108 yards on seven catches for three touchdowns.

The Broncos held off a late surge by the Chargers to pick up their eighth win of the season.

ning of the game because the Broncos were blowing them out, but the Chargers came back."

Q: How do you think the game went for the Broncos overall?

A: “Well, I enjoyed the game thoroughly and the Broncos really showed that they were dominant and a better team, but I really liked the heart that the Chargers showed and they were good competition for the Broncos.”

Q: Who is your favorite player on the team?

A: “Mr. Peyton Manning and Mr. Wes Welker."

Article from http://bleacherreport.com.

As you may know, Mr. Jaquess, a math teacher here at Del Dios, is a huge fan of the Broncos. However, his wife Mrs. Jaquess, who is also a teacher here, favors the Chargers. We interviewed them to make sure there wasn’t any tension between them while the game was going on. After all, they are very serious fans!

Interview with Mr. Jaquess, Del Dios Faculty (Broncos fan) Q: How do you think the game went between the Chargers and Broncos overall?

A: “I thought it was a very fun game and it went great!

I was a little worried about the Chargers at the begin-

Interview with Mrs. Jaquess, Del Dios Faculty (Chargers fan) Q: Who is your favorite player on the team?

A: “My favorite player is Antonio Gates.”

Q: How do you think the game went for Chargers?

A: “I thought they were good in the last half of the game and they ended up being better in the end.”

Q: How do you think the game went for the Chargers and Broncos overall?

A: “I think it went great and I’m glad at least the Broncos won because they are my second favorite team in the NFL.”

Photo by Google Images

Rivers, number 17, dodging a sack from number 25, Harris Jr. from the Broncos.

Del Dios Volleyball Flag Football Players Players Take the Court Depart From the Field

By Sianna Cruz, Staff Writer The first volleyball game was at the Boys and Girls Club between first year Dragons and sixth graders from Hidden Valley. The first year Dragons had many great plays, with the Hidden Valley team in awe. Unsurprisingly, the first year Dragons won all three matches.

Coach Jennifer's players were the first second years to get onto the court. They played against seventh graders from Hidden Valley for their first game. During the game, the second years had many good passes and serves. Unfortunately, Del Dios lost all three matches. However, they displayed good teamwork, effort, and sportsmanship.

The next second year Del Dios team to play,

was Coach Stephanie's team. They played a seventh grade team from Hidden Valley. During the three matches of their game, Del Dios exhibited great collaboration, sportsmanlike conduct, and hard work. Del Dios won the second and third matches and Hidden Valley won the first.

The last second year team to play, was the Del Dios black team. They played against seventh graders from Rincon. In the duration of their three matches, Del Dios showed their teamwork, good sportsmanship, and effort. Unfortunately, Del Dios black lost all three matches.

The Del Dios black and green third year teams had an exciting game when they played against each other. The teams were evenly matched and there was a lot of tension during their game. The green team won the first match, and the black team won the last two.

By Skylar Heyveld, Staff Writer The flag football season is now over, yet all players had a great time playing and competing against other middle schools in the district. We caught up with a football player and coach to see how the season went in their point of view.

Interview with Mr. Wagner, Seventh and Eighth Grade Coach: Q: Overall, how did you think the football season went?

A: I was very proud of both our 7th and 8th grade teams. They competed the whole season with intensity, honor, and dignity that would make all here at Del Dios proud.

Q: How did the football players improve from the

beginning of the season and what skills did they learn?

A: Overall, I think the players learned to work as a team better and hopefully they picked up on some skills that might help them in future years.

Interview with Orlando Sosa, Seventh Grade Flag Football Player: Q: Overall, how did you think the football season went?

A: Overall, the season went great. Our first game we lost but as we started playing we got excited and improved our playing.

Q:What was the best thing about being on the flag football team?

A: The best part about being on the flag football team was everything.

Q:What skills did you learn while being on the football team?

A: While being on the flag football team I learned the different plays and I improved on running faster.

All You Need to Know About the Volleyball Season Wednesdays, and Thursdays. They ball drops on the opponent’s side of teams, the Del Dios teams have to are held anytime from 5 to 9 the net. There are three matches per play against each other at some o’clock. You can earn points if the game. Since Del Dios has so many time. So make sure to watch the Do you want to go cheer on your volleyball games when Del Dios friend at a volleyball game but you plays against Del Dios. don’t have information? Well this article will help you out!

The Del Dios teams are so dedicated, that you can find them pracThere are 6 Del Dios volleyball ticing technically everywhere. From teams in all. Sixth grade has one the courtyard at nutrition, to the team (green), seventh grade has field at lunch. They are always three teams (green, black, and eager and ready to play which you white), and eighth graders have two need in a successful team. Make teams. (green and black) The games sure to go cheer on the Del Dios and practices are held at the Boys teams at the Boys and Girls Club!

Photo By Sianna Cruz, and Girls Club of Greater San Go Dragons!

The 8th grade black team poses for a photo after a well earned victory.

Diego. The games are on Tuesdays,

By Leandra Heyveld, Staff Writer

10 November 2013

Spirit of the Dragon

Puzzles

Leisure

Spirit of the Dragon

11 December 2013

$30

Buy online at Jostens.com or in person at the Dragon Den

Make checks payable to Del Dios ASB. Only 200 books available this year!

Get yours before they sell out!

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Friday, November 22, 2013 9:14:35 AM Pacific Standard Time

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November 2013