Volume 50, no. 3 by Carson Trailblazer

trailblazer

carson high school

volume 50, no. 3

december 5, 2012

22328 main st. carson, ca 90745

Fifth annual Harvest Festival

VCYC member, Kaylin Michel, paints a little girl’s face at the face painting booth.

Key Club doesmore than cheering at Fall Rally South Carson High’s Key Club donated to the Pediatric Trauma Program in its annual Fall Rally.

by Mary Santomin staff writer Carson Key club members fundraised for Pediatric Trauma Pro-

gram as members showed off their spirit at the annual Fall Rally South on Saturday, November 10, at Six Flags Magic Mountain. “Fall Rally a celebration of all the big things that we have accomplished. Among all these things we also get a chance to raise [money] for a great charity known as PTP,” said Zhihui Ong, Division 19 South’s Lieutenant Governor. Members from 12 divisions within the

Julia Cruz

California-Nevada-Hawaii district met, had spirit sessions, and helped out a foundation known as Pediatric Trauma Program. Pediatric Trauma Program was established by the Kiwanis CaliforniaNevada-Hawaii Foundation in 1994 . PTP develops local projects that “help decrease the number of children who are killed and injured by trauma” (cnhfoundation.org). Carson Key Club is a part of Division 19 South together with Key Clubs from schools like Narbonne, North, Bishop, Redondo and Peninsula. Division 19 South raised a total of $6,700, with Carson contributing $1,000. The money was raised by selling Bobaloca drinks from early 2012 to the event and holding a car wash on Saturday, October 27.

see Fall Rally on page 8

by Julia Cruz and Lawrence Dizon copy editor and staff writer The fifth annual Harvest Festival was held on Thursday, November 1 at the Toberman Center in San Pedro. “[Harvest Festival] is for underprivileged children who can’t go out trick or treating because their neighborhoods are not safe”, said Anusha Sadda and Denise Mercado, VCYC Chairs. The Volunteer Chapter Youth Coalition has been conducting this annual event specifically for the purpose of making these children happy. Sadda and Mercado, were in charge of organizing the event. They led committee meetings every Monday in the main VCYC, located in Torrance, where they discussed ideas and planned the event. The Co-Chairs chose the booths and assigned a committee member to managed one booth. The committee also made calls for donations such as toys and other supplies for the event. There were 15 booths available for the kids to interact with, such as the bowling alley, pumpkin decorating, face painting and bean bag toss, all operated by volunteers. The most popular booths were the Dunk Tank and the Goldfish game where kids had a chance to win and bring home their very own little goldfish. “Bowling Alley…no, the Dunk Tank!” 7 year-old Eduardo in a skeleton costume exclaimed when asked what his favorite booth was. “I like the Photo booth,” 5 yearold Jennaiah in a princess costume shyly stated when asked the same question.

see Harvest Festival on page 8

Finals Schedule: December 1o-14 Monday December 10

Tuesday December 11

Wednesday December 12

Thursday December 13

Regular PD Schedule

Per. 1 & 4 Finals

Per. 2 & 5 Finals

Per. 3 & 6 Finals

Per. 1 8:00-8:48 (48 min.) Per. 2 8:56-9:39 (43 min.) Minimum Day Minimum Day Minimum Day Nut. 9:39-10:54 (15 min.) Per. 3 10:02-10:45 (45 min.) Per. 1 8:00- 10:00 (120 min.) Per. 2 8:00- 10:00 (120 min.) Per. 3 8:00- 10:00 (120 min.) Nut. 10:00- 10:15 (15 min.) Nut. 10:00- 10:15 (15 min.) Nut. 10:00- 10:15 (15 min.) Per. 4 10:53-11:36 (43 min.) Lunch 11:36-12:11 (35 min.) Per. 4 10:23- 12:22 (119 min.) Per. 5 10:23- 12:22 (119 min.) Per. 6 10:23- 12:22 (119 min.) Per. 5 12:19-1:02 (43 min.) Per. 6 1:10-1:53 (43 min.)

Friday December 14 Minimum Day

Per. 1 8:00-8:35 (35 min.) Per. 2 8:43-9:18 (35 min.) Per. 3 9:26-10:01 (35 min.) Nut. 10:01-10:16 (15 min.) Per. 4 10:24-10:58 (34 min.) Per. 5 11:06-11:40 (34 min.) Per. 6 11:48-12:22 (34 min.)

op/ed

trailblazer

Perspective: Romney’s Concession Speech

december 2012

Americans Are What They Eat

By Tamia B. Hudson (representative essay from Ms. Ernaga’s Life Skills class topic)

Americans are what they eat? This is practically a rhetorical question. Majority all foods that people eat affect them as far as their appearance and health. Americans eat and eat and do they really think about what they are eating? Now, I feel as if people should think about the stuff they eat before they eat. Obesity is real! So many Americans are obese and unhealthy; they eat too much. Based on what people eat depends on their weight and health! If people continue to eat the same things on a daily basis, it won’t do anything. If your favorite food is unhealthy, you will most likely get a negative outcome out of it. Most Americans question why they are obese and question how BY BRIDGETTE JAMESON come they work and don’t lose Comic based on speculation that during the day of the Presidential election results Mitt Romney did not any weight. Sometimes after prepare a concession speech-- only an acceptance speech as working out and eating healthy President of the United States. for some time, Americans soon

trailblazer staff 2012-13 Editors-In-Chief Karina Lopez & Francis Espina News Editor Dylan Angel Opinions Editor Thea Cabrera M. Features Editor Kate Masancay Sports Editor Matthew Mata Entertainment Editor Samm Streitfeld Copy Editors James Copeland, Josh Cinco, Julia Cruz Exchange Manager Mariano Isaac-Garcia Business Managers Claudia Curiel, Cesar Oropeza Photo Editor Bridgette Jameson, Teresa Ortega Computer Technician Jordan Sayson Staff Writers Richelle Acebedo, Vanessa Aragon, Ivan Barragan, Demme Carter, Santino Chavez, Steven Crespo, Lawrence Dizon, Madel Flores, Alexandria Herrera, Pamela Isidro, Alonso Jimenez, Fatima Larios, Kyle Lee-Garcia, Ian Lina, Leony Mijares, Dakota Morales, Alexander Noriega, Genesis Reyes, Cassandra Rodriguez, Justin Rojas, Mary Santomin, Justin Silva, Levaivaialii Tiliaia, Alexa Vazquez, Aldo Vega

start to crave back their favorite fatty foods or even, Americans just get lazy and don’t buy the right foods they need to balance their routine of staying fit. Americans try to stay fit, but what does not help is when the media advertises fatty, unhealthy foods. Sometimes food can really become an addiction for people. When you eat foods and its your favorite, you’ll have to be able to say “no”, now I know many Americans tend to crave their favorite foods. Cravings and advertising can really have an impact on Americans road to lose weight and even stay fit. Americans are what they eat if you really think about it. Eat healthy stay healthy, stay eating fast food and fatty foods you will no be as healthy. Pus, another thing that can cause people to be obese, unhealthy and lazy would be the lack of regular exercise. In order to stay healthy even when eating healthy foods is physical activity. Stay active, eat healthy, live long! Americans really are what they eat.

‘Tis the Season to be Stressful

By Justin Silva staff writer

The end of the year is here, and it is when the holidays kick in and the stress over gift giving begins. No matter what holiday you celebrate around this time, there’s always some sort of gift giving involved. Preparing food for dinner itself is a gift offering. But speaking on a more materialistic note, society has made gift giving so essential and has promoted it in every way possible. Stores worldwide put up sales that have everyone crawling to their doors with consumers wallet in their hands. Come to think of it, a lot of the stress during this season comes from pressure and more on a personal level The stress all depends on what kind of person you are. You can be the type to not even bother to dwell on the subject of gift giving. You can be the type to care and give a little something, but only enough to say you gave someone something. Or you can be the type to actually put so much thought into your gifts Be grateful; not stressful. and who you give them to. So ask yourself, which one are you? Christmas has been turned into a holiday that’s all about presents and along with it, is the big fat man in a red suit with a beard and sack full of surprises. Santa Clause has been portrayed

as man whose generosity has had some influence on us and how Christmas is a time of giving. The holidays are something people want to make magical, something to remember and something better than the year before. And people have resolved this by giving items of some significance and/or money value that represents what many think is “love.” There’s the mental things in your head: Is this good enough? Is it too cheap? Will they like it? And that’s where the stress comes in. Everyone builds these expectations as a gift giver and gift receiver. People fall under the pressure especially with days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday which consists of super good deals. If you’re like me, I want to give everyone a gift, which actually means something to them. I am the perfect example of a gift-giving-stress-er. I think a lot of it has to do with the constant worry of how my loved one will react to my present. And at times the stress leads to giving gifts blindly, in a sense, not knowing whether the MARY SANTOMIN gift will be appreciated, sympathetically accepted, or just disdained. All of these are factors of the big factor that is, well, gift giving. It’s okay to stress. But just always keep in mind, it’s not always about the dollar value or the thought itself, but rather the holiday. It’s about family and love, the real kind.

Letters to the Editor Have any comments about the newspaper or anything happening in the school? Do you need voice to be heard? Write a letter to the Trailblazer and have it published here! All letters to editor must include the writer’s name and contact information inside Ms. North’s box in Carson Complex office. The Trailblazer reserves the right to edit content for appropriateness length. We also reserve the right not publish the story but rather have it posted online on our web

What are you doing during the holidays? “(I’m) going dirt biking with some friends for the holidays !” - Eric Estrada “The aftermath is going to include me in a food coma” - Angel Alvarado

your the the and site.

By Santino Chavez staff writer

“(I’m) going to Bakersfield for Thanksgiving. (I) love spending time with family and friends!” - Stephany Garcia “This is my favorite time of the year; I’m doing to eat a lot.” -Karina Arguera

trailblazer

3 Senior Stress / “Laid-Back” Survey

december 2012

30 25

# of people

20 15 10 5

op/ed

By Julia Cruz copy editor

150 Students Surveyed Total from Nov. 8- Nov. 14

Students were givent two lists, one for stress and another for “laid-back”, and they were asked to designate the stage most true for them.

Stress Level “Laid-back” Level

Okay: “I can totally do this.”

Hesitant: “Publicizing my stress”

Fidgety: “Just sleep.”

Strained: “About to strangle my cat.”

Agonized: “Waiting for 12/21/12.”

Productive: “Everything will be okay.”

Robot: “I’ll force myself to care.”

Snorlax: “I’m sleeping the night away.”

Carefree: “Nope. Not dealing with it.”

Sloth: “I’ve been in bed for over 24 hours.”

STAFF EDITORIAL: By Mariano Isaac Garcia Exchange Manager How are seniors supposed to manage their time if some are taking AP classes, college classes, extracurricular activities, working or are in a sport? On top of the school work, November itself is a hectic month because it’s when UC and CSU applications are due. Where is a senior to start: study for the AP Psychology test that they’re taking the next day? So we decide to start studying, but for how long? Oh! But don’t forget to start on the personal statement that we need for my applications that’s

Time Management? due the next day! We still have to read and answer questions for my AP English class too! Yes - some seniors do have to live with this daily and yearly for different classes. Starting the work and continuing to keep up with the progress of managing time, it’s crucial in order to divide time equally to do all the work left. I know the other commitments that people have, such as band, require hours of practice to reach the perfect note and song as a whole. Events like football games, parades and competitions can take up a lot of hours. Then usually after such events, even I get exhausted and take a nap. Facebook, Tumblr, Youtube, Instagram

and Twitter makes it difficult to manage time and it cuts out time I would need to do school work. Access to these sites for a couple of minutes can steadily turn into hours. As soon as we know it, it is 10 p.m. and we still have to do two more essays. What a way to manage time. Occasionally, when this happens, there isn’t much to do but to stay up late to finish the work. When I don’t manage my time and work is still needed to be done, the consequences are horrific. I’m not the only one who goes through this. Sleeping late, waking up late, and even forgetting to do some homework because it just slipped out of mind happens to seniors occasionally

Oh, if only I can relive those days of being a freshman and not care about how I manage my time. I guess if my past self were to have saved a note through Facebook with a heads up about managing my time, then it truly can be like how it was three years ago. Well, time to put this aside and do more work.

7 AGREE 0 DISAGREE 7 TOTAL

A SATIRE: The End of the World & Skeeter

By Aldo Vega staff writer There once was a man in Texas named Skeeter. He was a doomsday prepper which means that he was preparing for the end of the world. He believed that the world was going to end on December 21, 2012. For years he stocked his basement with Twinkies, Lay’s potato chips, Capri-suns, and Coca-Cola-- the four most American products he could find. Skeeter built his own basement because he doesn’t believe in outsourcing. He made it so that the basement could withstand any kind of weather or natural disasters, but because he didn’t have any experience with con-

struction, it turned out to be really crappy (kind of like this story). He wanted to buy pepper spray and a shotgun to drive away any potential zombies, but he only had enough money to buy a BB gun and a can of whipped c r e a m . Skeeter was currently unemployed because his last boss said that he had “issues” and he was “crazy”. His jar of toenails begs to differ. Pretty soon the “end of the world” was ap-

proaching and Skeeter felt prepared for what he thought was about to come. He locked himself in his poorly constructed basement with his BB gun and his can of whipped cream and w a i t e d . On the day of D e c e m ber 21st, an SUV crashed into Skeeter’s home. Skeeter ran out of his basement with the BB gun and saw a man stumbling across his living room. Skeeter was certain that

Skeeter’s... last boss said that he had “issues”. His jar of toenails begs to differ.

this man was a zombie so Skeeter fired the BB gun and the BB’s went into the zombie’s mouth which ended up choking him. Later that day, the police arrived at Skeeter’s house. Skeeter was shocked to see another human being, however it turns out that the zombie that Skeeter killed wasn’t a zombie at all. It turns out that he was just a drunk driver that crashed into his house. Skeeter was certain that the end of the world would come on December 21st, but the only thing that happened that day was Skeeter’s arrest for voluntary manslaughter.

CONTINUATION: “I can’t wait for thanksgiving, it’s my favorite holiday of the year because you get to gather around with family and eat a lot!” - Kevin Gonzalez “Im going to gain like 50 pounds. Im going to spend time with my whole family and have a big potluck.” - Kevin De La Torre

“Im going to spend it in my grandmas house. The family is going to get together and everyone will bring their own food.” - Irene Rodriguez “I’m going to Big Bear for the holidays to spend time with my family, I can’t wait!” - Matthew Aguilar “I will see no end to the food in front of me” - Alvin Malabanan

trailblazer

features

december 2012

by the day a holiday-ish calendar

dec. 9

- Hanukkah begins

The Jewish “Festival of Lights” for 8 days.

- The last day of school!

dec. 14

Have a grand winter break, folks!

dec. 21 - The end of the world. According to the Mayan calendar, happy apocalypse!

dec. 24 - Christmas Eve! Also known as the number one shopping holiday.

dec. 25

- Merry Christmas!

dec. 26

- Kwanzaa

The Christian celebration for the birth of Jesus.

SAY WHAT?

FILL IN WHAT THIS confused zombie-SANTA COULD BE THINKING ON CHRISTMAS EVE. THEN, DROP IT IN MS. NORTH’S BOX OR SEND IT TO CARSONTRAILBLAZER13@GMAIL.COM

A week celebrating African culture and tradition.

dec. 31

- New Year’s Eve

Who will you be kissing at midnight?

Jan. 1

- Happy New Year!

Jan. 7

- Welcome back!

Good luck with writing “2013” on your papers!

What, Spring semester already???!

Holiday cusine for meat-lovers and vegetarians alike! jewish beef brisket Makes 6 - 8 servings Cooking time: 3 hours & 15 minutes Ingredients: -One five-pound beef brisket with some fat on top -Black pepper -Salt -Three Tbls. oil -Two large onions, sliced -Three cloves garlic, chopped -3 bay leaves -One package dry onion soup mix -One cup water -One large can peeled & crushed tomatoes -Six whole medium potatoes, peeled -Six large carrots, cut into chunks

instructions 1. Heat oven to 325 degrees 2. Season brisket with salt &pepper and sear in oil in a heavy b o t t o m roasting pan until browned; remove 4. Add the onions and sate until tender, add garlic until fragrant 5. Add bay leaves and return meat to pan fat side up 6. Place vegetables around meat in a roasting pan 7. Dissolve onion soup mix with a cup of water, add canned tomatoes, mixing well. Add to roasting pan, pouring over the meat 8. Cover and cook three hours or until meat is fork tender 9. Let the meat cool completely. Slice against the grain and reheat in the pan juices

y: rovided b p s a w e ecip t-lovers r This mea

llllyy e e K K e e i i n n a a h Stteepph CChheeff S

Cranberry Bars with Chocolat Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins 9 servings Ingredients •Crust •cup all-purpose flour •cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder Scant ¼ cup oats • cup chopped almonds •cup butter, softened (I used salted butter because it’s what I had. If you have unsweetened butter, add pinch of salt) Fillings •cup granulated sugar •3/8 cup water •12 ounces (1 bag) cranberries (fresh or frozen) •2 Tablespoons juice (I would have preferred orange juice but I had an open jug of lemonade and it actually worked well) •1 tablespoon butter

ed by: as provid w e ip c e r tarian This vege

s.com e i v o h c n a d lemonsan

Instructio 1. To prepa an 8-inch top of th 2. In a bow sugar, flou chopped a mixer, mix dough fo 3. Transfe to the co for a few fingertips w much easie ter to the 4. Cover t weights. B cover and 5. To prepa medium sau Cook on about 5-6 another 3 thickens. 6. The crus cooking. P distribute the oven, another 15 started to 7. Cool in t

trailblazer

december 2012

‘ Twas a No Shave November By Samm Streitfeld entertainment editor November is the month when the hairy creatures of the night come out to play. Well, at least, it’s the month when everyone transforms into a hairy creature to satisfy their hibernating needs. Pants, facial hair, and scarves become more frequent in our everyday lives as we inch closer and closer to the coldest time of the year. November is the month that officially marks the beginning of the chilly, winter season-- which means that it’s time to get cozy and warm. So what better way is there to celebrate this time of the year than to embrace your natural self and to let yourself get all fuzzy and warm? It’s time for “No Shave November!” It’s time it to store away your razors and shaving cream and stock up on grooming materials. Although “No Shave November” seems to be something that males mostly take part

in every year, many females are starting to show eagerness towards participating in this silly holiday tradition. I personally know a few females who actually don’t shave at all as a form of protest against gender roles. Although this motive is highly inspiring to me, it just isn’t something I think I could ever fully take part in simply because of my personal choices. However, when November came rolling around, I quickly saw this as my opportunity to “make my statement,” without having to confine myself to a permanent decision. All I had to do was restrict myself from shaving for a full month. The first week was purely easy for me, especially because it was already cold, so I found myself wearing clothes that didn’t need to expose my body hair. Then again, there were days in early November that were much warmer than usual, so since I refuse to wear pants because I despise them, I found myself slightly uncomfortable when I thought of wearing a

skirt that exposed my legs, or sleevelessshirts that exposed my armpit hair. To get over my discomfort, I would simply laugh about it and tell my friends, “it’s not long enough to make a statement yet!” By the third week of November, I was simply uncomfortable with the feeling of having leg hair, (although the armpit hair was actually quite comfortable) so I “wussed” out and decided to pull out my razor and shaving cream that had been collecting dust for weeks. I did not choose to finally shave because I was concerned with what others thought, I chose to finally shave as a personal choice because I was becoming uncomfortable with the feeling. In fact, I was very vocal about participating in No Shave November during those first few weeks. I was blunt and talked about my “progress” and often made listeners feel a bit uncomfortable as they laughed a confused, I-don’t-knowhow-to-feel-about-this laugh.

features

It felt extremely gratifying to make such a bold statement... for about three weeks. I’m even considering trying it once more, except permanently. Others may make snide remarks about it, or feel indifferent about my actions, but the important thing that I want everyone to understand is that EVERYONE GROWS BODY HAIR. So celebrate the remaining months of the winter season by transforming into the natural, hairy creature that you are.

we are thankful

vanessa aragon

julia cruz

alexandria herrera

justin rojas pamela isidro

te Shortbread Crust

ons are the crust: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter square pan, line it with wax paper and butter the he wax paper. Set aside. wl of a stand mixer, sift together the powdered ur, cocoa powder, salt. Add butter, oats and almonds and, using the paddle attachment of the the ingredients on low speed just until a soft orms; this will take less than a minute. er the dough to the prepared pan and spread out orners. If your dough is too soft, refrigerate it w minutes to make it more manageable. I rubbed my with a little butter to keep from sticking. It’s also er to push and press the dough out from the cene corners. the dough with wax paper or foil and add pie Bake for 10 minutes then remove the weights and d bake for another five minutes. are the filling: Combine the sugar and water in a ucepan. Bring to a boil then add the cranberries. med to medium-high heat until the cranberries pop, 6 minutes. Add the butter and juice and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium low heat until the mixture

st should be ready by the time the cranberries finish Pour the cranberries into the pre-baked crust and evenly onto the pan. Place the baking pan back in raise the oven temperature to 400°F and bake for 5 minutes. I pulled the pan out of the oven when I o smell the chocolate in the crust. the pan on a wire rack before cutting into squares.

according to the Trailblazer editors... Karina: take a hot shower. Francis: drink hot cocoa <3 Dylan: go to the beach Thea: roadtrip! Kate: ugly christmas sweater party Samm: christmas movie marathon Matt: ice fISHING! James: sleep. Josh: camping trip! Julia: be laaaaaazy. Claudia: travel Cesar: relax and just enjoy Bridgette: outside ice skating Teresa: go frolic in the snow Jordan: see family

bridgette jameson

6 trailblazer Student Spotlight: Ital Vibes december 2012

entertainment

Carson students, Thomas Rivera (left) and Mauricio Ruiz (right) join together in a reggae band to explore their love for music.

Rivera and Ruiz showing off their band shirt.

by Teresa Ortega photo editor

Ital Vibes is a fairly new Carson-based reggae band, but it they have already established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Mauricio Ruiz, saxophone player, and Thomas Rivera, trombone player, are dedicated musicians who have been playing their main instruments for seven years. The band formed a year and a half ago, roughly, starting out “jamming just to make music,” said Mauricio, a senior at CHS. The group has already gone through a number of names, the first being Vibes

Alive, then High Tides, and now Ital Vibes. As a band, they have evolved tremendously; they had their first show at the 2011 ASA banquet here at the Carson High School MPR, and since then have shared the stage with bands like The Wailers. Their influences? Mauricio quickly responded, “Well of course it’s going to be Bob Marley,” and also that he personally listens to a lot of jazz and funk. Thomas, on the other hand, said “everything inspires me,” even if it is outside of his genre of music. The music writing is not a fixed process, but Mauricio comments, “it’s usually Mark, our keyboardist, or Kennedy that comes up with lyrics for the songs. Usually though, someone has a bass line to start off and people just start collabo-

Crespo’s

Critique

TOP FIVE ALBUMS TO LISTEN TO BEFORE YOU DIE

by Steven Crespo staff writer

5. The Rolling Stones–Sticky Fingers (1971) Who doesn’t know The Rolling Stones?! They have great blues influences and catchy guitar riffs. My personal favorite songs are “Wild Horses”, “Brown Sugar”, and “Bitch”. This is a great album to listen to, from their catchy opening riffs to the vocals of the famous Mick Jagger. 4. Led Zeppelin–Led Zeppelin IV (1971) This album contains the band’s most famous songs like “Black Dog”, “Rock and Roll”, Going to California” and their most well-known, signature song “Stairway To Heaven”. 3. The Beach Boys–Pet Sounds (1968) The inspiration to this album was to make a greater psychedelic album than The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Their most

known love song, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” is on this album. 2. Pink Floyd –Dark Side of the Moon (1973) This remains to be one of the best selling albums in the world. With the “plain and simple” album cover , space-sounding beats, and lyrics about mental states, Pink Floyd proved they were way ahead of their time. The two famous singles, “Money” and “Time/Us and Them” represents time-tripping, psychedelic rock. 1. The Beatles –Abbey Road (1969) The last recorded and probably the most tightly constructed Beatles album. It opens up with John Lennon’s catchy song “Come Together,” that actually describes each Beatle. The climax of the album is the 16 minute medley of multiple short McCartney songs. My personal favorite is “Oh! Darling,” written and sung by Paul McCartney. Listen: enjoy music before you die.

Teresa Ortega

rating and it just forms into one song.” At that point, the song is far from Teresa Ortega finished. Carson-based reggae band, Ital Vibes. The two a g r e e When asked how he balances that they are all constantly adding his time, Mauricio laughed while reto and changing their songs, which sponding, “I don’t manage my time.” Thomas calls “upgrading” the music. They just keep on mov Music, despite how big it ing forward and evolving as musiis in both of their loves, occasioncians and students. “Spread our music ally needs to come second; they also and get our message across,” is what have to balance their time with school the friends of six years hope to do. and their girlfriends (cute, right?).

Black Student Union celebrates talent by Claudia Curiel business manager

Black Student Union (BSU) Open Mic welcomes all students who carry any talents from to perform in the Multi-purpose room (MPR) during lunch. These open mics are held once a month, depending on how the audience responds to the performers. When the audience is supportive, Ms. Harris , the head of BSU, approves another month. BSU members go from class to class, in hopes of finding students willing to sign up for a live performance. Although some students are shy, the BSU members encourage students to express their hidden talents. During the show, students preform solo singing, group singing, singing with instruments (such as the guitar), and there are comedians as well. The audience thoroughly enjoys the performances. BSU member, Avory Robinson said, “Each

year it gets better; more and more people come.” Taylor Walker, also a BSU member, said, “It was a good turnout because most people are shy. Many people are apprehensive when they go up on stage, yet they still have the courage and are brave enough to do so.” I thought Open Mic turned out well. It was upbeat, entertaining, and an overall success. I encourage anyone who has talent (whether it is hidden or not) to attend these events so that everyone can be aware of such talents. Students should also take advantage of the free opportunities, such as open mic, that the school offers. Talent can be anything: beat boxing, dancing, reciting original poems; talent can even be analyzing and annotating syntax in less than five minutes! Talent can literally be inside anyone; you just need to have the passion. And always remember, when someone goes up to perform, show your respect for their talent, and they’ll show respect for yours.

december

2012

trailblazer

sports

Every Player Has a Story By Justin Silva Staff Writer Cross country, track and swim are three of the sports, CHS junior, Michael Guevara has found a strong passion for. “There’s really not a better sport. It just depends which one you have a passion for,” he says. This is Michael’s first year on the cross country team. There were no tryouts, but even before considering it, he knew he wanted to do this. A friend of his, Ruben, who had graduated, told him about swim season during his 10th grade year. Ruben had suggested the sport to help his performance in swim. It was a lot of work, but despite all the constant shin splints and the extensive amounts of running, this is a sport Michael finds worth while. Michael states how honorable it is to able to handle three sports that revolve around endurance, courage and integrity. Guevara has these traits and more, according to Frances Castellon, a fellow cross country team member. “Michael is so good at what he does and at the same time, he’s funny and cracks a lot of jokes. He’s just so pas-

sionate in the sport,” Frances states. When Michael not taking lap after lap or working out, he’s playing basketball, football, even ping pong! When he’s bored, he puts in hours of reading or power napping. On top of all of the sports, Guevara also has his academics and social life to set separate time for. “Well, I guess you kind of just learn as you go on through the year. Even though practices do take up a lot of time I can still find time to manage. Luckily, cross country and swim are in two separate semesters.” he explained. Cross country is a sport that doesn’t normally get the spotlight like football or basketball, but when asked to give advice to anyone wanting to join the team, Guevara replied with an honest, genuine answer. “Join and don’t be scared. A lot of the time, people don’t do something due to fear. If you can put in the work, then it’s all good ‘cause you can only get better from there,” he says. Michael portrays the image of a player who has not only just a strong backbone, but a strong heart. His passion shows in his play and passion is something one needs to have to excel in anything. He is the epitome of the saying, “It doesn’t hurt to try.”

Richelle Acebedo Carson High School’s cross country, track, and swim team member Michael Guevara poses for his spotlight

Carson High Fall Sports Records Girls Volleyball (Varsity)

Girls tennis (Varsity)

FootBall (Varsity)

@ Narbonne 3-1 (W)

vs. Narbonne 3:4 (L)

vs. Santa Margarita 72-0 (L)

vs. South San Francisco 2-0(L)

vs. Rancho 7:0(W)

vs. Centennial 45-24 (L)

vs. King Drew 3-0 (W)

vs. Gardena 4:3(W)

vs. Narbonne 26-20 (L)

vs. Gardena 3-0 (W)

vs. Washington 7:0(W)

@ San Pedro 28-0 (W)

vs. Washington Prep 3-0 (W)

vs. Banning 5:2(W)

vs. Washington Prep 53-0 (W)

@ Banning 3-0 (W)

vs. San Pedro 6:1(W)

@ Gardena 42-7 (W)

vs. San Pedro 3-0 (W)

@ Rancho 6:1(W)

@ Banning 49-0 (W)

vs. Chadwick 2-0 (L)

@ Gardena 4:3(W)

vs. Cerritos 2-0 (W)

@ Washington 7:0(W)

Playoff games (SEED #4) vs. Roosevelt 15-7 (W)

Playoff Games (SEED #4) vs. Marshall 3-0 (W)

@ Banning 3:4(L) @ San Pedro 7:0(W)

vs. El Camino Real 3-1 (W) vs. Palisades 0-3 (L)

@ Birmingham 33-14 (W) @ Narbonne 12-39 (L)

Playoff Games (SEED #8) @ Narbonne 4:3(W)

vs. = Home Game @ = Away Game

vs. Palisades 0:7 (L)

By Ian Lina Staff Writer

trailblazer

news

december 2012

New Faculty Members at Carson Complex

Paul Farbman, the teacher-librarian,

has been doing his best to benefit students’ trips to the library. Mr. Farbman has been making many improvements to the library by bringing in more graphic novels which will “stimulate reluctant readers” as well as “making the kids’ brains grow”; many kids are now visiting the library more than ever. To attract these students to come often to the library he says, “I want to provide books and magazines that they want to read.” Mr. Farbman used to be the teacher-librarian at Andrew Carnegie Middle School for 20 years. He has been a librarian for a total of 25 years, but “never wanted to be a librarian,” he says. Mr. Farbman states how he “wanted to teach the use of technology…got into library for media.” In 2011 and over the years of teaching, Farbman was nominated for Carson Teacher of the Year by the mayor, and in 2012l, received a Platinum Apple Award for Excellence of Teaching by United Teachers Los Angeles. Aside from working as a librarian, he enjoys “being president of the South Bay Archery Club, [and] a lot of rock climbing,” and Farbman even says that he is “looking forward to snowboarding this season.” byRichelle Acebedo staff writer

Chau Nguyen, Computer Technical Support,

fixes many of the technical problems around the school. Mr. Nguyen’s office can be found in Carson High School’s library. He spends his time taking care of Carson High’s computers and he also makes sure that the school’s network is running properly. Mr. Nguyen successfully fixed the school’s recent internet access problem on November 28 and 29. He has been working for LAUSD for a total of 11 years. Mr. Nguyen was the Computer Tech of Huntington High School for five years before deciding to move to become the new tech support at Carson High He didn’t choose to move, but it was the district that decided to move him. In Mr. Nguyen free time he still spends his time working on computers; he also enjoys playing the guitar and playing the piano. Mr. Nguyen has an interest in computer programming and is currently taking some classes on programming for different software. In fact, at his house he has his own custom server to access. He says, “My work is basically my hobby, which is what I enjoy.” by Jordan Sayson

computer technician

Victor Borrayo, the plant manager, is in charge of the whole facility, from set-ups and repairs to aiding and assisting. If something needs to be fixed, he is the guy to call. He is the one who decides whether to call a professional or have his crew do the job. Borrayo just recently moved to Carson High on July 27, 2012. He says, “I wanted a challenge; I used to work at a middle school, so moving here was a step up.” The position usually requires extensive management training, therefore, moving to a bigger campus of approximately 3,000 students is a bigger responsibility. “I knew some of the staff here so I thought coming was not bad,” he added. Outside of his work Victor likes to go out to the desert to ride his ATV and camp out with his kids. by Karina Lopez and Demme Carter co-editor-in-chief and staff writer

Harvest Festival Fall Rally

continued from page 1

Free popcorn, nachos and lemonade were available for everyone throughout the event. These snacks and refreshments, as well as the toys and other necessities that made this event possible, were “funded by donations and fundraising events of VCYC” according to Heather Ramirez, the head coordinator of the VCYC. There were 20 Carson High volunteers who worked with West, Mira Costa, Torrance and Bishop Montgomery High School volunteers to make this event happen. Besides the children, the volunteers had fun too as they interact themselves with the kids. “I participated in Harvest Festival because I love working with underprivileged children…the memories can be everlasting,” AMA senior Jennifer Garces stated when asked why she participated in the event. “What I like best about it was meeting new people and spending a day with kids; making their day and ending it with a smile is worth it,” she added. Harvest festival was once again a successful event thanks to the VCYC.

Lieutenant Governors from the 12 divisions were auctioned together with Cali-Nev-Ha district officers to add more funds for the PTP donations. Division 19 South, raising the most money for PTP, auctioned two LTGs and three district officers. “It was a pretty great sight to see everyone cheering when we pushed the bids up high. It was also pretty amazing and funny when we saw the other Divisions’ faces drop when they saw how much we had raised for Pediatric Trauma Prevention,” said Ong. Carson High students represented the “Beastie Bunny”, Division 19 South’s mascot, as they cheered their hearts out during spirit sessions. The division competed with over 12 other divisions in the big spirit session. “[It] being my last Fall Rally, it just made me glad how unified and spirited our division and school really is,” CHS senior and Carson Key Club’s co-president Neiron Penalba concluded,

Big Sib, Lil Sib Mixer

Left to Right: Big Sib Justin Silva and Lil Sib Janine Acosta bond in the 7th Annual Big Sib, Lil Sib event.

Katherine Mendoza

Mr. Borrayo was too busy helping the entire complex. Can you guess who he is on campus?