The muir.pusd.us
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Don’t drink and drive, it’s not worth it
an opinion piece by MARIELA MARTINEZ
How many people do you personally know that were killed in a drunk driving incident? I thought it would never happen to one of my friends, but it did. It was the first time, but according to national and state drunk driving statistics, it probably won’t be the last. It was a typical Sunday and I was out with my family. We were on our way to my dad’s favorite restaurant in the San Fernando Valley, and my friend sent me a message on Kik. “Are you going to Gabriel’s candlelight thingy?” “Um, which Gabriel? What candlelight thingy?” “Cabral! The one that used to go to Muir, that we sometimes used to hang out with.” “Oh! Wait, what happened to him?” “He passed away. Everyone’s going to the site of the accident later to light candles and pray.” Oh. My. God. Oh my God. OH MY GOD. I swear I repeated that at LEAST 10 times. I was shocked. I wanted to cry. I couldn’t believe it. But why was I so surprised, if each year, thousands of teens are killed or injured in traffic crashes as a result of underage drinking. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens, and about a quarter of those crashes involve an underage drinking driver. Gabriel was the only victim who lost his life in the crash, but there were four other teens in the car, including Melodie Martinez, Emerald Bailer, Monica Bravo, and 18 year old driver Gerardo Garcia. Violators of underage drinking laws often face a trip to jail, the loss of their drivers license, and dozens of other unanticipated expenses, including attorney fees, court costs, and other fines. There were many people present at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church for his viewing on Jan. 12. On my way up the aisle to his casket, I saw many familiar faces. (continued on page 3)
1905 N. Lincoln Ave. Pasadena, CA 91103
School district showcases it’s schools at festival by DIEGO OBREGON
Representatives from each school in the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) gathered on January 13th to promote their school to parents and students interested in enrolling in their school at the First Choice Festival. This is the second year all the PUSD schools were represented at the festival. The festival was held at PUSD headquarters from 4-7 pm. The PUSD schools were showcased at different tables in the halls. Each school had either an adult or student representa-
tives (or both) at their table showcasing some of the features of the school. The festival is held during the open enrollment period, January 8th - 29th. Open enrollment gives students a chance to enroll in a school outside their attendance boundary. For example, a student living in the Pasadena High School (PHS) attendance boundaries can apply to be a student at Muir during this time period. Adam Wolfson, PUSD Director of Communications, said “One [reason PUSD allows open enrollment] is that this is
a very competitive education market in Pasadena. Only 62% of school-age kids in Pasadena go to PUSD schools. This is a district where it’s important to give people choice.” Wolfson also said that part of the reasoning behind open enrollment is helping to desegregate the schools in Pasadena. However, Kimberly Mejia, an Engineering and Environmental Science (EESA) senior, had other thoughts. Mejia said, “Honestly, I think that open enrollment continues to segregate the schools’ populations because students
want to go to a high school because their friends are going there, or the students are attracted to the schools’ reputations. At Muir, I definitely notice how we do not have a diverse student population on our campus.” Mejia was part of a board meeting with a panel featuring high school students from PHS, Muir, Blair High School, and Marshall Fundamental High School was held at 6:30 pm. The students were there to positively promote their school and what it has to offer. (story continued on page 4)
Mason, others sign commitments
Photo courtesy of Joshua Alcaraz Senior football players Khlan Drake, Taeon Mason, and Christian Robinson signing to Dixie State University, San Jose State University, and Montana State University respectively.
by LOGAN PATTON
Three football players have officially signed with universities for National Signing Day. National Signing Day is the day for athletes to officially sign with the schools that they have committed to. The date for National Signing Day this year was February 4. Wide receiver Taeon Mason officially signed with San Jose State after decommit-
ting from both the University of Southern California (USC) and Washington State University (WSU). Mason verbally committed to USC during the spring of his junior year, however he says that his feelings toward USC changed in early January. His feelings toward WSU changed in late January. “I felt there was a change in my relationship with
the coaches and that it wouldn’t be best for me,” Mason said. Mason decided to to sign with San Jose State on National Signing Day Cornerback Khylan Drake also participated in National Signing Day, signing with Dixie State University in Utah. “I signed with Dixie State University because I felt like that was a good place for me to learn. They have an awesome
business program and a football team so I fit in well,” said Drake. Drake visited the campus and said he he received a tour of the campus and the facilities. “[I don’t think I’ll have a hard time transitioning]. I feel that I’ll fit in [because]] I already took my visit and I had fun.” said Drake. Christian Robinson signed with Montana State.
I N D E X OPINION 3
NEWS 4
COMICS 5-6
FEATURES 7
SPORTS 8
Skate or be late
Drivers Ed course rolls into second semester 4
Zombie Seniors
Senioritis: The begining of the end 7
Girls soccer last again 8
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The Blazer News
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Columns
A look into Logan’s logic: A column
by LOGAN PATTON
Being involved with my community in Pasadena has given me the opportunity to interact with a plethora of people, ranging from congresswoman Judy Chu to homeless people on the street. Up until my sophomore year of high school, I was a close-minded teenager who was quick to prejudge those living on the street. This all changed after I assisted the Hot Meals program in Pasadena. During my first time serving, a woman approached me with her children to receive a hot meal. In those few minutes we spent together, she shared her story, stating that she was in that situation because she was laid off. When she was leaving, she also shared that our conversation made her day and kept her motivated. From that interaction, I realized that simply talking and listening to people is a way to get to know them better while also making them feel better. After taking the time to reflect on the situation, I felt a great sense of accomplishment because this was the first time I was able to really empathize with others. There I realized that people’s living situation doesn’t define them. Volunteering with the Hot Meals program gave me the chance to interact with others in the community and learn their story, as well as gain a better understanding of my community and those who live within it. Now I take the time to hear people’s stories to truly get to know who they are and what they represent. This experience has allowed me to become not only the social person that I am today, but also the socially conscious person who goes out and makes it a point
Valle’s View: A column
to hear and understand individual’s stories by CECILIA VALLE which is an action that seems to lack with This past year I decided to spend human interactions. As a result, I began my last summer before my senior year of to add these thoughts to my column in the high school participating in a program school newspaper in hopes of sparking with Johns Hopkins, Engineering Innovainspiration into my fellow peers at school. tions (EI). Seeing this program that I put ef- When my educational advisor told fort into make such a positive impact in my me about EI, I knew it would be a perfect community was extremely rewarding. This opportunity for me to see if Engineering also allowed me to realize that unless you really was the right career for me to pursue. let people speak up for themselves and tell In sum, EI was an engineering their side of the story, you’ll never be able course squeezed into one month. A student to truly get the accurate depiction that you can receive three units of Johns Hopkins need. credit if they passed with a B or higher. Allowing individuals to share These short, rigorous five weeks brought their stories and experiences, and attempt- many challenges that changed the way I ing wholeheartedly to understand their ex- looked at school. periences allows for more empathy and un- I was one of the four students derstanding. In return this allows for more from Muir that participated. Here at Muir, healthy interactions between individuals, most students are only there because they which is less likely to result in judgment, have to be and, for the most part, only alienation, or even violence. Knowing that about five students in each of my classes that individuals’ own voices need to be put an effort in any of the work. So I pretty heard is part of what has motivated me to much work with the same students every pursue a career in journalism. day. The environment at EI was the com As a journalist, I find it important plete opposite. I was surrounded by stuto tell all sides of a story, giving a voice to dents that wanted to be there, and actually those who are not always heard. Being part paid money to be in a class that they didn’t of a community that is often underrepre- even need. sented and misrepresented I understand the For the first time, I had a motivafrustration with being unable to get your tion that came from my peers and not just own story, voice, or opinion out to others from myself. Although I only knew these and be acknowledged. students for five weeks, we all became a As a journalist I will ensure that support system in order to comprehend I truly get all sides of a story and repreall the material. It was nice being around sent different opinions and points of view students that had a passion for learning as accurately; and will give individuals who much as I did. All of us brought something belong to underrepresented populations the to the table and we helped each other when opportunity to be heard and to be acknowl- one of us had difficulty comprehending edged by others. something. For the most part, each project
MISSION STATEMENT
The Blazer is produced by the Journalism Class at John Muir High School. It is a com-
pletely student-run newspaper, and all content is revised by student editors. Our goal is to release a high quality, informative, and factual newspaper that accurately depicts the John Muir community. We, the Journalism staff, understand and will apply our rights under the California Education Code 48907. This newspaper does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the John Muir High School administration, faculty, or the PUSD. For any questions or concerns, letters to the editors are always welcomed. They can be sent to The Blazer’s email at jmhsblazer@ gmail.com where editors reserve the right to edit any submissions for clarity and content. The Journalism staff can be reached during 7th period in room D458. We strive to leave no story untouched.
was done in groups, and homework was done independently. So collaboration and being able to work with others was a huge factor if I wanted to pass the course. One week we were learning chemistry and the next we were working on robotics. Each week we had a new project; each day brought new material to learn. The hardest part about this course was learning at such a fast pace and devoting as much time as I could to learn the material. Adjusting to a fast paced schedule was one of my biggest challenges. I commuted to Pasadena City College from Long Beach every single day so my time was very limited. My days began at 6 a.m. and I did not arrive home until about 7:30 p.m. I devoted four to five hours studying, which only allowed for three to five hours of sleep each night. I can honestly say that this course had me physically drained because I had other commitments to other programs on top of it. In the end, I passed the course and received the college credit. I learned a lot about the some of the different subfields of engineering, the basic principles of each one, and most importantly, I had fun. I feel that enjoying myself is the important because I do not want to go into a career and not enjoy myself. So despite the stress and challenging work, I learned a lot about myself as a student. I learned better study habits, and I learned that getting good grades after high school will require a lot more effort. I learned not to run from a challenge, because in the end it will be worth it.
Editors Editor-In-Chief: Cecilia Valle Co-Editor-In-Chief: Logan Patton Copy Editor: Jennifer Salvador Writers, Contributors, Photographers Diego Obregon Mariela Martinez Alexis Young Mariana Garcia Cynthia Sandoval Destiny Arriaza Kylee Sharp Jair Gonzalez
Joshua Alcaraz Marisol Garcia Malik Pearson Drae Upshaw Jasmin Guzman Cheyenne Goddard Domonique Ballew Juan Guillen
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(Drunk Driving opinion continued from front page) Some crying, some emotionless. I looked at him for the last time, and compared the body to a picture of him that stood next to it. Of course dead bodies never look the same as when they were living, but he really was unrecognizable. I think that was when I realized that he really was gone, that it really had happened. I immediately burst into tears, remembering the few moments we shared together; moments that really had changed my life.
“
Freshman year, we walked home together a couple of times, and one of those times, he introduced me to a friend who would soon after become a very good friend of mine too. I still remember his voice and laughter. I’ll never forget that. But the thing Mariela Martinez,that got to Studentme most was when I hugged Gabriel’s sobbing grandmother who said, “Thank you for being my grandson’s friend”. Imagine your grandmother weeping, telling your friends the same thing, all be-
Someone loves you. Please drive with care”
Opinions
cause you couldn’t wait to drink until after reaching your destination. It makes me mad, honestly. I, as many others, knew about drunk driving, but did not pay much attention to it. I knew it happened, especially around my close circle of friends. I always pleaded that they let the soberest person drive, but it was mostly out of habit. I never thought that any of them would actually get into an accident, and they never have, and hopefully never will. I already experienced losing a friend to drunk driving once; I wouldn’t want it to happen to me, or to anyone, ever again. Someone loves you. Please, drive with care.
February Word Search Puzzle
Word Bank: John Muir Mustangs
Valentines day Chocolate Basketball Soccer
Spirit Week Seniors Presidents Day The Blazer
Juniors Sophomores Freshman
Skate or be late
an opinion piece by by JAIR GONZALEZ
Transportation equipment such as scooters and skateboards should be allowed to be ridden on school grounds as a means for convenient transportation around campus. The distance between the K-building and the A-building is long and it takes time if a student has to walk from the P.E. area to the A-building. At least riding a skateboard or scooter across campus to get to class would definitely help students be on time before the tardy bell rings. It is not written in the PUSD Parent/Student Handbook that skateboarding is not allowed on campus. In fact, the handbook says that a person can’t ride one without proper safety equipment, like a helmet. The Handbook says, “No person under the age of 18 shall operate a bicycle, non-motorized scooter, skateboard, or rollerblades without wearing a properly fitted and fastened helmet that meets specified standards.” However, riding a bicycle
or skateboard on campus is against Muir rules. It weren’t for the schools policies against the use of bikes and boards, there wouldn’t be as much hype going on when security sees someone skating. The major reason why students cannot ride in school is due to the responsibilities that Muir has to keep their students safe. “As far as Muir goes, we cannot let kids ride their bikes or skateboards on campus due to liability. If someone gets hurt, we’re responsible”, said Mr. Sippel. The only thing at risk are the riders, since one of the reasons students cannot ride their scooters or skateboards is the risk of the rider getting hurt or injured. However, both riders and students are pretty sharp at avoiding accidents. Take a look at busy streets like Colorado Boulevard. These streets are filled with people, yet not only are skaters skating, but cyclists are riding their bikes. Even then, it is not often that people get injured in Colorado Boulevard.
Thursday, February 12, 2015 | Page 3
Skating in particular has been one of the major problems in school. The principal, vice principal and security confiscates skateboards and scooters as soon as you start riding, even when there are no students around. Students who get their skateboards taken away would have to go through the troublesome process of having their parents retrieve it. In certain school administrations they allow the use of longboards on their campus. Schools like Gould Academy, Manhattan High School, and some elementary schools have even integrated Skateboarding programs in their curriculum. These schools believe that by allowing their students to skate they are promoting active lifestyles, but thats beside the point. Skaters aren’t asking for a class on skating. They want the liberty to ride without any authority confiscating their board. If skating down the busy sidewalks of Colorado Blvd. isn’t hurting anyone now, how can skating on school grounds hurt a fly?
Artwork Courtesy of Cheyenne Goddard A sign with a message for those driving on the road.
Bad bathroom blight an opinion piece by KYLEE SHARP
School restrooms are facilities provided for the students to use, but not a lot of students use the restrooms. The restrooms are very often so dirty that students refuse to use them, and honestly, I refuse to use them as well. When someone walks into the restroom, the first thing they will most likely see is paper towels and water on the floor. This sight may not be enough to turn someone away from the restrooms, but the broken stall doors and full toilets might be. “The stalls have graffiti on them, which is weird,” said senior Wendy Perales. Students complain that the janitors do a poor job cleaning the restrooms. As many students may not be aware, certain janitors clean specific restrooms. Richard, the janitor responsible for the girls’ A-building restroom, stated, “I clean [the restrooms] everyday after-school.”
Proposing bathroom monitoring to assure that the bathrooms remain clean and students do not engage in prohibited behavior seems juvenile since students are young adults who should be responsible. I think that students should just be be responsible and realize that the bathroom isn’t there to be trashed. Most of the facilities that are clean look that way because they are not used. They most likely aren’t used because there is something wrong with them, such as the broken stalls in the A-building How the facilities look depends on how the students treat them. When there are complaints of the restroom, students forget that they are the ones using these restrooms. Students should treat the facilities, provided for them, better if they want to have clean restrooms. The only thing that should happen in the bathroom is you go in, you do your business, wash your hands and leave.
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Chromebook cafe makes it’s debut by CYNTHIA SANDOVAL
The Chromebook Cafe in the library at Muir opened its doors on Mon. January 7th. It is open everyday from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm. The cafe is open to all students and serves as place to hang out or get homework done. Students can work on group projects, read books, listen to music, or just relax. Google Chromebooks, laptops, are also available to students as long as they have a student I.D.. The cafe provides free hot chocolate, supper, or coffee. The cafe is run through Muir LEARNs, an afterschool program for students. LEARNs coordinator, Nicole Stephens, said, “the cafe is a place for students to get together and study or just relax.” Stephens says that she hopes to collaborate with the Business Academy to get a full service student store running in the cafe. She said that the turnout was good the first couple of weeks but has since lessened to one or two students a day. She attributes this to “students not knowing about the cafe, students not wanting to study, or that they just might not be interested. Jizelle Munoz, a junior in the Business Academy, visited the cafe recently and expresed her thoughts. “It was false advertisement. It’s called the Chromebook Cafe, but we were denied access to the Chromebooks. There were none of the snacks that were supposed to be offered available.” said Munoz. Students may have expected the cafe to look and feel more like a cafe, not just like the library serving a double purpose. She says that although the staff was really nice, her experience overall was not what she had hoped. Stephens said that there was an agreement with the librarian, Ms. Helen Moses, about letting students borrow them [the chromebooks], but that maybe Ms. Moses wasn’t available and that’s a possible reason why students were not able to use them. Jessica Pena, a junior in the Arts, Entertainment and Media, said “It was stupid because we were supposed to be able to use the computers but when we asked we were told no, because they had been put away even though we went right after school.” Ivy Gonzalez, a junior in the Business Academy, said that although her experience wasn’t the best, the hot chocolate was good.
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News (District festival story continued from front page) Prakash Dass, an EESA junior, and Mejia, a senior, were asked by Timothy Sippel, Principal of John Muir High School, to represent Muir on the panel. The students discussed the different academies available at Muir, their plans after high school, opportunities they have received through Muir, and the
extracurricular activities available at Muir. Mejia said, “Prakash and I previously attended a panel for the Pasadena Unified Education Series at Caltech, which was another event that parents attended to get information on PUSD. Most of the student panelists at the First Choice Festival, also, previously attended the Caltech Series. I was nervous for both events because I wanted to
do my best and talk about John Muir High School for all of its qualities which includes the Arts and Business Academies.” Dass said, “I thought the First Choice Festival was great, it was interesting. I liked to see how much parent involvement there was and how many people from the community actually do care about others education and were very interested in all the schools.”
she hopes to become an animator artist. Velasco said, “Even though I haven’t got an acceptance letter I’m sure that once I get it I’m going to be really happy about getting accepted to college... I want to go to Cal State Monterey Bay because the campus is really nice and because it has a really solid art program.” Some of the seniors have yet to receive an acceptance from any school, but they are hoping to get one soon. AEM student, Aurianna Braddy said, “The reason why I wanna go to college is to get away from home, get a higher education, and get more money when I work.” If Braddy were to get an acceptance letter she said she’d be “anxious about finding
out if I got accepted to college.” Although she doesn’t have a preference, she hopes to get accepted to LSU( Louisiana State University). Adam Garcia an AEM student got an acceptance letter from USC. Garcia said, “The reason why I want to go to college is because I want to play football and also because I want to get a higher education.” Garcia also said, “I feel happy and proud about myself because I’m going to be the first person in my family that is going to college.” “The college I really want to go to is USC (University Of Southern California) because I like their football team and I’m really happy because I got accepted to that college,” said Garcia.
Senior acceptance letters rolling in
by MARISOL GARCIA
After waiting for months seniors have started receiving letters from prospective schools informing them whether or not they were accepted. Seniors that applied to Cal States were asked to wait 8 to 12 weeks for the processing of their complete application. Seniors that have applied to UC’s, they’ll be informed throughout the month of March to find out if they got accepted. Seniors who have applied to private schools, then they have to wait about 3 weeks to hear back from their desired school. Georgina Velasco, an AEM (Arts Entertainment And Media) student said, “I want to go to college so I can study better in becoming an artist.” Another reason why she wants to go to college is because
Lunchtime club campaigns for change by DIEGO OBREGON
Since last year, two of Day One’s team members come to Muir to host a lunchtime club every Wednesday. Day One is an organization in Pasadena that promotes healthy living and positive change One positive change Day One students are bringing is a hydration station that is being added to the softball field as part of its remodeling process. This is a result of a project the Day One students have been working on that is focused on improving water quality and school lunches through the Champions for Change movement. Lisa Odigie, Nutrition Education Coordinator, said “This water station is not like the traditional fountains Muir has, but a refillable water bottle station with a water fountain. This will help encourage students to drink more water as a healthy alternative to sugary beverages.” On January 31st, Day One took Muir students to a youth health forum in in Downtown Los Angeles hosted by iSEEED. The forum was focused on driving youth to use media to spark positive change. Kourtney Jones,a sophomore, attended the forum with Day One. Jones said, “I would love to go to more events like these. I love the energy of all the different youth. I had fun participating in many of the activities” Day One has become increasingly involved at Muir by having representatives at different events, such as Back-To-
Photo courtesy of Day One Day One students Ana Valenzuela and Esmeralda Huizar visiting a sample hydration station at the
School Night, where they passed out free bike helmets and lights to promote bicycle safety and a fit lifestyle. Day One has also had representatives at Muir Beautification Day, PTSA Meetings, and has provided a Rethink Your Drink demonstration, where they gave out free healthy smoothies. This year, Day One will be having Nutrition Education workshops in Muir’s PE classes along with hosting free yoga classes during PE. An upcoming event
Day One is hosting is a Youth Candidate Forum on March 4th, where the youth of Pasadena will meet the candidates for Mayor of Pasadena, discuss the candidates, discuss what they want to see in their city and what they hope to positively change. Odigie said, “We hope to find more students who want to make a positive change on campus and we want to be there to help the students at Muir find their voice and use it to make a difference.”
Driver’s Ed course rolls into second semester by DIEGO OBREGON
Drivers Ed, a free course presented by afterschool program Muir LEARNs, began its second semester on January 14th for students who have not yet had an opportunity to take the course or are retaking the course to complete it. Passing the course allows students to take a written test to get their learner’s permit at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Last semester, 40 students signed up, with 20 completing the course. This semester, there are 36 students enrolled. Breanna De La Torre, a junior, took the course the first semester, completed it, and passed her permit test at the DMV. De La Torre said, “There were a couple questions on the test that I don’t think I remember ever learning, but they were common sense, so its not like I struggled to answer them.” David Vega, a junior, is taking Drivers Ed this semester. Vega said that he enjoys how the class can work with their instructor to review practice tests, complete worksheets, and watch Drivers Ed videos. Vega also said that he enjoyed the atmosphere of the class. Nicole Stevens, Muir LEARNs Site Coordinator, said “We have a lot of students that enrolled last semester, however, they were not able to complete the hours, so it was necessary to run a second session to give those students an opportunity to complete the hours.” Stevens said that, to her knowledge, this is the first time Muir has offered a Drivers Ed course. The instruction is provided by American Driving Academy, a driving school in Pasadena. The instructor for this semester is Michael [last name requested to be withheld]. Michael said, “My favorite thing about Driver’s Ed is being able to see these kids excel and watching their test scores raise up when they take practice tests.” Students applied for the course by filling out an application found in the Muir LEARNs office. Since the course is paid for by Muir LEARNs, students don’t have to pay anything, except the $33 at the DMV to take the permit test. In order to take the DMV permit test, a student must have completed a minimum of 30 hours of drivers education with an instructor or online. De La Torre said, “[I would recommend Drivers Ed] If they’re actually going to go to the classes and not just go to get the blue slip. It actually does prepare you if you show up.” Michael said, “Muir is actually my favorite school to teach at. I feel like the kids are the best, they have really good energy, they’re very social, they’re good and respectful in class with me.” Drivers Ed meets after school on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:30.
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Entertainment and Features
“Taken” it too far: A movie review Academy Awards by DESTINY ARRIAZA
Taken 3, the third movie in the Taken Trilogies was finally released with a entirely different plot than the first two movies. Bryan Mills who is played by Liam Neeson, was seen in the first movie trying to find his daughter, when she was kidnapped while on a trip in Paris. However, the second movie is slightly different, but in my opinion it still deals with the same concept. His daughter, once again is in jeopardy of being kidnapped, but this time his ex-wife and himself are taken instead. Now the third movie takes a turn for the worst when Bryan is accused of murdering his own wife. While being chased by a police inspector, he uses his set of skills to find the real killer and prove that he is innocent. In order of trying to protect his only family member he has left (daughter), he must make sure to be cautious of who
he trusts. Taken 3 was a good movie, but it certainly didn’t meet my expectations. I was expecting way more action and more of his daughter in this movie. After seeing this movie, I still stand by my opinion that the first Taken will always be the best. I felt that the writers continuing the original movie was a bit too much and could have left it without a sequel. The action parts were good and caught my attention, but why make a third movie? I wonder if they ran out of ideas for this movie or something because there really isn’t anything else to add. The plot wasn’t boring, but I just felt as if they could have added much more action. In my opinion this wasn’t a well thought movie and could have been done way better. Maria Rool, an AEM student, was able to watch the movie and gave an interesting input on it. “I guess it was a good movie. I still think that the first
and second ones were better than the third one. They could have added more action to the beginning because honestly I got so bored.” Rool says. Also adding that Liam Neeson is a good actor, but this movie was not his best. Liam Neeson is an amazing actor that can put up a serious front, but I expected more thrill from this movie. The director Olivier Megaton should have also sped up the beginning because it was very slow paced and kinda boring and he could’ve added something to entertain the viewers more. Overall the movie was bad and had little action and too much drama. Neeson is classified in my list as one of the greatest actors ever and the Taken movies are some of his best he’s featured in. From my perspective, I would give this movie a 3 out of 5 star rating, so it only met half of my expectations. I would recommend others to watch this movie because who knows, they may like the movie.
Artwork by Cheyenne Goddard A senior suffering from “senioritis” and avoiding his responsibilities.
Senioritis: the beginning of the end by MARIANA GARCIA
Senior year is the year many seniors start to think about college, prom, senior activities, and graduation. However, when a senior starts to get lazy and starts slacking off in school, they’re giving senioritis the power to take over their goals. Instead of preparing themselves for the challenges they might face in the real world, they’re letting the challenges become harder for them. Procrastinating, not turning in work, or just having the mentality that they don’t have to do work is a choice they make themselves. Most seniors have different views of what senioritis is and do different things to either fight it or let it fight them. Jesse Sanders, a senior in the Business Academy, defines senioritis as doing nothing. He believes the consequences of having senioritis are not passing classes and missing out on scholarships. Although Sanders gets his schoolwork done, he feels like he has senioritis. “Often when in class I
choose to be on my phone rather than listen to the teacher. I still get my work done, but my phone can be a distraction,” Sanders said. Sanders believes it’s important to fight senioritis because life is about progression. His motivation is going to college and being successful. Sanders feels that senioritis is strongest around and during finals week when grades are due. He feels senioritis goes away once a senior has all their stuff together. There are seniors like Sanders that recognize they have senioritis symptoms, but keep in mind the significance of fighting it. Sonia Castaneda, a senior in the Arts Entertainment Media (AEM) Academy, defines senioritis as when a senior tends to slack off during their last year of studies. “I hope I don’t [slack off], but that would be a straight out lie, lately I have been putting off the assignments for ‘tomorrow’ and end up doing them at the last minute,” Castaneda said. Castaneda believes a senior doesn’t need motivations
from anyone to make them want to fight senioritis. A senior needs to stop it and fight it for their own convenience. Jose Moncada, a senior in the Engineering Environmental Science Academy Academy, believes getting inspired/motivated is a way to get rid of senioritis. “Knowing the feeling I’m going to walk across the stage and making my family proud is primarily the reason I want to fight senioritis,” Moncada said. Moncada sometimes gets the feeling of being so close to graduating, so he feels that he doesn’t need to do the work that’s given. However he recognizes that to make senioritis stop, it all depends on the individual. No matter what academy a senior is in, if they have faced or are facing senioritis symptoms, it’s very important to keep in mind graduation is just around the corner. The only cure for senioritis is graduation and to push themselves forwards. Keep doing what needs to be done, Class of 2015 !
Show lacks diversity an opinion piece by DIEGO OBREGON
The 87th Academy Awards (The Oscars) are upon us, and before the ceremony has aired, there is already controversy about the nominees. Why? All 20 nominees in the acting categories are white. This isn’t the first time all the acting nominees were white; it happened once in 1995, and again in 2011. Drae Upshaw, an Arts Entertainment and Media (AEM) student, said “It shows once again, a year around, the western entertainment industry has failed to break the old typical cycle of white main characters and avoided making a hard hitting film with the main role with someone of colored skin.” The nominees for last year’s acting categories were barely diverse at all. Out of 20 actors nominated for an award, three were African or of African descent. At the 2013 Oscars, there were two African American actors nominated for an acting award, out of 20. At the 2012 Oscars, there were two African American actresses and one Mexican actor nominated for an award, out of 20. The 2011 Oscars saw all whites nominated in the acting categories. In 87 years of Academy Awards, Halle Berry has been the only person of color to win a Best Actress award. There have only been five men of color who have won a Best Actor award, like Forest Whitaker in 2006, Denzel Washington in 2001, and Sidney Poitier, the first black to win the Academy Award for Best Actor, in 1963. It’s not like there wasn’t good acting this year by people of color. Despite a critically acclaimed performance and a Golden Globe nomination, NigerianBritish actor David Oyelowo was not nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in Selma, a biographical drama film about Martin Luther King, Jr. However, the film itself gained a nomination for Best Picture. While doing research, I’ve noticed that diversity is not as lacking in other categories as it is in the acting categories. Alejandro González Iñárritu, a Mexican director, is nominated for three awards for his film Birdman. Frank A. Montaño, a Latino sound mixer, is nominated twice in the same category for his sound mixing work in Unbroken and Birdman. In fact, Birdman is tied with The Grand Budapest Hotel for the most Academy Award nominations this year, with nine. All of Birdman’s nominations, except for its three in the acting categories, are due to the work of Latino men in the Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, and Best Cinematography categories.
It seems when Latinos are nominated for an award at the Oscars, it’s most often in the direcing, cinematography, and sound categories. Last year, Alfonso Cuarón, a Mexican director, and Emmanuel Lubezki, a Mexican cinematographer, won two and one awards, respectively, for their work in Gravity. Cuarón’s win last year also made him the first Latino to win Best Director. Upshaw said. “Consumers won’t mind what goes on and who makes a film as long as the finished product pleases them. It’s a category where hard work is recognized rather than someones appearance.” Louis Bond, AEM teacher, said “On the screen you have to deal with people’s culture. Behind the screen, you don’t. So if a black person is doing a movie with an all white cast, still, the majority of audience will see it and some of the people who run Hollywood will see it. So then, they come into it with an open mind.” Even though Birdman is produced by predominantly Latinos, it has still had great commercial and critical success. On the other side, there have been successful films with mainly a black cast that have had equal success, but were produced by whites such as 12 Years A Slave, produced by Brad Pitt, or The Color Purple, produced by Steven Spielberg. Louis Bond said, “The movie 12 Years A Slave, Brad Pitt was behind that movie, so Brad Pitt kind of made it acceptable to the majority of Hollywood. The same thing with The Color Purple, it was a Steven Spielberg movie. Even though almost all the major characters were black, with Steven doing the movie, it made it acceptable for the white establishment to get into it, because it wasn’t considered really a black film.” Even though there is no diversity in the acting categories this year, I think that it’s a huge accomplishment that the film with the most nominations is a film produced predominantly by Latinos. It’s a huge difference from last year’s most nominated film, American Hustle, which was produced by and starred predominantly whites. What I wonder is if the actors and actresses nominated last year and this year would still have been nominated if they were black or Latino. It makes sense for films like American Sniper or The Theory of Everything to have white actors and actresses in leading roles, for historical accuracy, but otherwise,I think it would be a refreshing change to see a black or Latino dominating the silver screen.
Page 8 | Thursday, February 12, 2015
The Blazer News
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Sports
Boys’ Basketball faces PHS in final showdown Football gets new head coach by LOGAN PATTON
After former Head Coach John Hardy stepped down from the football team, it was announced that former offensive coordinator Antyone Sims. The news was announced on Friday, Jan. 9th in the A-Building. Sims will be fulfilling the role of a Special Education Aide along with his duties as the Head Coach making him a constant presence on campus for the players. “I plan to bring student accountability, motivate and push and challenge our kids academically and I plan to get the community involved as far as the youth and the pop warner and keep our Pasadena area kids in Pasadena,” said Sims. Athletic Director Milica Protic said, “He has an essence to build young men, not just young athletes [and] provide guidance and support throughout the school day as well as on the football field” Players have also began to express their own thoughts on the news of their new head coach. “I don’t really care it’s whatever. We’re just going to see what happens,” Right guard Sebastian Villamil said, “I’m really just expecting leadership and seeing how he controls the team. This team is going to be crazy.” Freshman wide receiver, Jonathan Stephens said that playing under Sims would be different from Hardy. “I don’t know really, I’m just expecting a different program than it was last year as far as the discipline and having everybody at practice on time.” Villamil seemed to agree that there would be a difference in the program with a coach that has a constant presence on campus, “[His presence on campus] is definitely going to make a great impact on everybody,” Villamil said, “but there’s still going to be kids that don’t care what he says. It’s not going to mean anything to anyone [because] as long as there’s no respect, it doesn’t mean anything.” Sims said, “I can’t wait to have our first team meeting and get started on a new season.”
Questions About College? CAP is Here to Help!
Photo courtesy of Logan Patton Combo guard Jeremy Hayes goes for the jump shot in a home game against the Pasadena High School Bulldogs on January 30, 2015.
by ALEXIS YOUNG
Boys’ Varsity Basketball team will advance to the playoffs with a league record of 6-7, and an overall record of 14-12. After starting out the seasonwith a three game winning streak, the Mustangs fell into slump after losing their first game to Glendale High School. Earlier this season, they lost to rival school Pasadena High School with a final score of 54-46.
Their season started on Jan. 7th with the leagues opener against Crescenta Valley (CV). This kicked off Muir’s winning streak with a win of 46-44. The next two games were both wins as well. “We had a tough season that could’ve been better, yet it could have been so much worse. We had lots of high and lows.” said senior guard Jeremy Hayes. Muir faced their first loss of the season against Glendale with a 55-57 score by the
fourth quarter. They managed to bounce back when they won against Burroughs with a score of 63-59. It didn’t last long as they faced another lost against Arcadia with a score of 50-57. The Mustangs’ last league game will be away against Pasadena High School tonight. “I feel confident going into our final league game vs our rivals,” said senior guard, Daniel Harris.
Girls’ Soccer ends early again
Photo Courtesy of Juan Guillen Goalkeeper Drae Upshaw deflects a ball out of the net in an away game.
by CECILIA VALLE
The girls’ soccer team this year had a total of one win in during preseason and 12 losses. Their most recent loss was against Arcadia High School with a score of 17-0. “Sometimes one must fail in order to succeed,” Angelica Cortez, a returning senior soccer player said. “It is very frustrating when my teammates just seem to give up on the match just as soon as our
opponents score on us.” The teams’ sole win for back-to-back seasons were against Blair High School. The first loss of the season was against Crescenta Valley High School with a score of 12-0. In mid-season, the team forfeited their game against Burbank High School, resulting in another loss. Last year’s season ended with 1 win and 13 losses. Junior Sierra Pearson, a returning player of the team,
said in the beginning of the season, “I’m hopeful and I think we’re going to do better this year than last year’s season.” “I’m happy my teammates chose the game I love to play, and some are actually trying something new in their life. They try hard and try to stay committed.” said Erica Montano, senior and team captain. Their last game this season will be a home game against rival school Pasadena High School today at 3:30 p.m.
College Access Plan is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping all Mustangs achieve their college dreams! Program Coordinator Javier can helpall students with their college questions, ranging from college applications, personal statements, college research, and more. CAP’s programs are held every Tuesday and Thursday during lunch in Room A151 and after school in Room A116. CAP is also excited to announce that we will again offer our FREE SAT preparation course this spring! This free course will teach juniors SAT fundamentals and provide comprehensive preparation for college exams. The program begins on February 23rd and lasts for eight weeks, meeting every Monday in Room A157. Juniors interested in participating can pick up an application from Javier during lunch and after school. While juniors have SAT’s to look forward to, John Muir seniors can submit their applications for college financial aid! The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CA Dream Act are both due March 2nd. These crucial applications provide the bulk of a student’s financial aid for college, so make sure you submit by the deadline.