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04.09.12
VOL. 55 NO. 7 ON THE WEB
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Softball
Pacific interns encourage opening up through alternative therapy
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INSIDE THE ISSUE Standing STRONG
NEWS IN BRIEF Baseball There will be a home baseball game tomorrow against McNair. JV will start at 4 p.m and varsity will play at 6:30 p.m. Stagg Factor The talent show will be next Thursday from 6-8:00 p.m. in the theater. Tickets will be sold for $2 in advance or $4 at the door. Circle of Friends dance The dance will be on April 21 in the large gym from 4–7 p.m. It is semi-formal so no jeans or t-shirts will be allowed. CST testing CST testing will be held from April 17-20. Each testing day will be a minimum day with school ending at 11:25 a.m. Seniors have the same release time. Trivia Bee Congratulations to Angelo Robles, Carol Amaya, and Emily Cornelison for placing first in high schools at the trivia bee. The team, named Beeware the Deatheaters, showed knowledge in sci-fi/fantasy.
ANNAMARIERODRIGUEZ Singing is not the only form of therapy One intern beats the drum. Another during this session. The interns also incorbegins to play the keyboard. The students porate dancing as well. One therapy session start to sing. The sounds send a wave of mu- included dancing to multiple songs with sic through the P-wing. Walking into this scarves as a form of letting loose and releasclassroom, you are surrounded by laughter ing their stress. During this exercise, every and smiling faces. This is a normal Wednes- student was participating fully in every acday in P-1. tivity. All students seemed as though this University of the Pacific interns come was something they wanted to do. Another every Wednesday to direct a music therapy form of therapy is writing or drawing. session. This class offers a release for special- The interns try to make this experience education students who have issues at home as effective as possible. They do or at school. this by including every student Observing this class there BONUS VIDEO in the class, either by asking for would be no signs of students volunteers, greeting everyone, going through hardships. But or adding in every student’s as the class progresses they start thoughts. to talk about their issues. With At the end of the therapy problems like being teased, session, the interns ask for any staggonline.net breaking a remote control or suggestions from the students even a father dying, this music — what songs to add and what therapy class offers ways for teens to cope. they liked and disliked about the therapy Singing familiar songs and incorporatsession. ing their own lyrics is part of the therapy session. Talking to a teacher, adult, family Participating teachers say this session is member or friend is one of the solutions the effective for the students. “It improves people’s lives in an organized, systematic way, interns suggest. “Playing makes me believe in myself, through music,” said Pam Curtin, a special that I can play good,” sophomore Hillary day class teacher. Along with the improvement of the lives Scott said. Songs such as “Mirror” by Lil Wayne of students, participants say it creates an and Bruno Mars have meanings related to exciting learning environment. As the muthe lesson, which can offer therapy in a sty- sic arises, the singing and dancing makes listic way. This song was broken down to students look forward to the session. “I get observe and evaluate how the students live excited for music therapy,” junior Jordan Arndt said. “I don’t get to sing a lot.” their lives.
photos by Annamarie Rodriguez
Students start off their day in the music therapy class by singing good morning songs and playing music on a drum. Afterward they volunteer to share their thoughts and feelings.
Ugandan speaker helps localize KONY 2012 MIKEALAAXTON
Stagg Line NSPA Hall of Fame newspaper Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, Calif. 95207
Pacific mentors help students express emotions through the use of music. They also encourage them to write what they’re feeling down.
Annamarie Rodriguez Benjamin Otecks, who moved here from Uganda, spoke to a local church group about his experiences in the country. photo by
Childhood is thought of as a time of milestones: starting school, learning to ride a bike, joining a Little League team. This was not Benjamin Otecks’ experience. “We were trained as kids to defend our cows, shoot guns, and walk miles to school,” he said. Otecks is from Uganda and on his recent trip to America he made a stop at Stockton Covenent Church to share his story and what he calls “the truth behind Kony.” Otecks and his wife, whom he met through her missionary work in Uganda, came to the church March 26 at the request of youth director Cori Sinclair. Sinclair met Otecks in his homeland of Uganda while working in the same area where the KONY video was filmed. “They were here visiting from Uganda,” Sinclair said. “It was good timing with all the Kony stuff going on.” Otecks gave an account
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headline graphic by
Seyma Tap
I’ve seen teenagers at work before. Just one teenager can have an idea and everyone else gets into it.” JANNETHA THON, sophomore
of life in Uganda in the hostile environment of Kony’s attacks. Two of Otecks’ brothers and his sister were taken in the night by Kony’s forces. Otecks was spared by what he calls “the grace of God.” Otecks and his wife run Favor of God Ministries out of Gulu, Uganda. Their organization rehabilitates Kony’s child soldiers and assists their families, both difficult tasks complicated by the after-effects of war. It was not an uncommon thing to have an escaped child wake in the night and kill his parents, a lingering effect of their training.
According to Otecks, Kony is currently hiding in a forest between Congo and Northern Africa. In addition to this theory, Otecks also presented his belief that the now-infamous KONY video is “10 years late” – that is, Otecks says the war and resulting atrocities depicted in the video happened a decade ago. Senior Madison Sadler, however, has qualms with the entire KONY 2012 movement. “It’s more of a status update than anything else at this point,” she said. “No one (here) knows what’s actually going on (in Uganda) anyway.” Junior Carol Amaya appears to be of the same mind. “People really don’t know what to believe because there are a lot of contradictions.” After attending Otecks’
presentation, senior John Hart was struck by the possibly inaccuracies of the KONY video. “It’s like commercials,” he said. “They want to show you what they want to show you.” Regardless of the video’s legitimacy, there are some who see the overall value of the movement, considering the mass effects in the realms of social media. Sophomore Jannetha Thon noted the value it has had in getting youth involved in the world around them. “I’ve seen teenagers at work before,” she said. “Just one teenager can have an idea and everyone else gets into it.” Fellow sophomore Johnathon Edmonds seems to agree. “That’s what everybody needs – someone to change the world.”