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DAY readiness
Every year, MESA participates in competitions where they put their building skills to the test. This year, they are mixing things up a little.
One of the national competitions involves constructing a prosthetic arm. Made out of various hardware tools, each arm has to perform three tasks: toss a ball into buckets at certain distances, pick up a wrench and screw in a bolt, and pick up items of different weights and consistencies. The teams hope to pass the preliminary round, move on to regionals and ultimately defend their national championship. staggonline.net BONUS VIDEO
1sport 2seasons 5credits
graphic by Allison
Ho, Reanna Rodriguez and Fe Valencia
Cheerleaders ask, why only five credits? nicole lawrence
For most seasonal sports, athletes receive 5 P.E. credits. For football, they receive 10 because they are a part of a summer weight training class. However, cheerleaders receive 5 credits even though they begin in summer and work throughout two of the three sports seasons. Senior Alexus Raquel who has been cheering for three years, said that cheerleaders are getting less than what they deserve. “It’s not fair for the students who need credits and cannot have a P.E. class in their regular schedule,” Raquel said. “If people need (the credits), why not give it to them?” This has been the question, according to athletic director Tony Espinoza, that has been asked for years. Cheerleaders try out in March, practice all summer, go to cheer camp, and then cheer through two full sports seasons. So some wonder why they do not receive the 10 credits for both basketball and football season. Years back, cheerleaders did not get any P.E. credits. Instead, they received extra curricular credits. That is, until cheerleading coach Corene Lugo stepped in and made it possible for cheerleaders to get the correct kind of credits. “I know I am to turn in credits at the end of the year,” Lugo said. “But it’s how much (cheerleaders) receive that has been an issue for a long time.” According to Chan Sam, head counselor, the explanation is simple. “If the coach identifies a student to get a certain amount of credits, they may receive them,” he said. “But students may not exceed the 10 credit limit per school year for P.E. credits.”
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3.8.13 Vol. 56 No. 6
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207
Students win contest
Three juniors placed in the Inspirational Women’s Writing Contest, which was held countrywide. Samantha Gonzalez got first, Salvador Pasillas got second, and Brian Walker got third.
Similarly, a student-athlete who has a P.E. class, cannot earn double credits. Meaning if an athlete were to play a sport and take P.E., they’d only get credit for one. If students were to receive credits for every P.E. related course, then some students could eliminate their requirement freshman year if they are enrolled in a P.E. class and also are on a sports team. “If the students earn the credits by committing to the time and effort, then they can receive the credits,” Sam said. “Other schools are doing that, too, and we want to be make sure we do the same.” Lugo is now interested in getting cheerleaders 10 credits, as long as they are not also enrolled in a P.E. class. She is hoping to send the information to be approved by Sam and Espinoza. “It’s not a guarantee that every cheerleader submitted will receive the 10 credits,” Lugo said. “But it is definitely something that we can work with.”
photos by Annamarie
Rodriguez and Nicole Lawrence
(Top) Junior D’Auria Hudson works with her stunt group at a basketball game, in the winter. (Left) The varsity squad pulls off a complex stunt during halftime at a football game, which was in the fall.
Stagg Line wins
The school newspaper won the Sweepstakes trophy last Saturday at Fresno State as part of the annual San Joaquin Valley Scholastic Press Association competition.
SAT/ACT sign-ups
Juniors who are preparing for the SAT or ACT should stop by Mr. Sam’s office to look through prep books and take practice exams. There is also information available on deadlines.
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Check out the Features package on pages 4-5. This issue the Stagg Line examines race and how far society has come in the past 50 years.
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AP opportunity for Spanish speakers
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hen we think of Advanced Placement, what do we think of? For most students accustomed to the classes it’s mainly core subjects of English, mathematics, science and history. But for next school year, this had a chance to expand. AP Spanish was a proposed class that would have allowed fluent Spanish speakers a chance at more challenging material and possible increased readiness for college. However as of today, despite having more than 20 students signed up for the class, it is unable to become a course for the next school year. Why is this ? It’s simply due to a lack of available funds. Administration has since made commitments to have the AP Spanish course available for the following year, when more money and better training are available. But let’s ask a couple fairly relevant questions at this point: why don’t we have money for such a beneficial program and why can’t money be found anywhere? Let’s start by saying that there is money available. AP courses receive some financial help through Title 1 funds, which help train teachers for AP. So while there may be little of the school’s money involved, there are resources to get it.
photo by Jessica
Mangili
Junior Dalia Fernandez explains her idea for a poster to sophomore Alejandra Nuno. This is one of the many activites Spanish teacher Raquel Chavez incorporates into her lesson plans.
However, due to the economic problems of the nation in the wake of the Sequester, the funds could be frozen and hence be unusable for the course at this time. Whether these funds be frozen or not is another story, but there are usually funds that can be taken from or raised in different
places that can be put to a common good. Whether they are with the schools or outside of them. This AP Spanish endeavor is one of those things. Even though the class cannot be put into place for the upcoming school year, we should not just retreat from an idea that
would still do good for the Stagg community. Having the class would have benefitted students who are advanced Spanish speakers, but also students who learned English as a second language from the start. It could also push those students, who may have been at a disadvantage because of their lack of linguistic ability, to try and take more challenging courses like AP in other subjects. Even more so, it would help open the door to other AP courses to get started at this school. And perhaps most of all it would have gone beyond having Spanish as simply a graduation requirement or elective, and propelled it to become more challenging and possibly more college relevant in a much more competitive world. Because even something as small as one more course on a students transcript can make a difference in their future. It’s understandable that in not so great economic times, not everything can be fit in. But something that can benefit students in a genuine way should not be dismissed. And even though the program is delayed, it is better than having it fall by the wayside altogether.
Aptitude tests force ‘best fit’ jobs Adrianna Paper Doll
adrianna owens
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Choose between these three careers, and pick the best suited job for the doll. 1. Artist 2. Doctor 3. Lawyer
1. Artist
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Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207 (209) 933-7445 ext. 8487 The Stagg Line newspaper is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Awards and recognitions include the following: XX 19 consecutive NSPA All-American rankings XX NSPA Hall of Fame, 2005 XX NSPA First-Place Best of Show five times XX NSPA Newspaper Pacemaker seven times XX JEA Impact Award, 2002 Stagg Line student journalists have won many awards and scholarships over the years, including California Journalist of the Year, National Story of the Year, and National Photo of the Year.
Annamarie Cunningham Editor-in-Chief
Fe Valencia
or those of you who were introduced to the Bridges program while planning your classes for next year, I want you to think. Think of how you felt sitting in front of a screen, scrolling through the lists and taking the online surveys. Think of the aptitude test and your results. And for those of you who haven’t heard of this program, it is meant to give students an idea of where they want to go in life. What college they want to attend. What career path they want to choose. It gives them links to college websites and help in finding scholarships. For some, this can lead them to finding out what they really want to do. For people like me, however, it only led to confusion. Throughout my life, whenever I say I want to be an art therapist, and an art teacher on the side, my idea is shot down. Whenever people tell me how great I am at a certain subject, I wonder about becoming a teacher, only to hear my father’s voice in my head saying, “That’s not where the money is.” We, as a society, have come to a point where we worship a little green piece of paper. We praise the money that buys us our basic necessities; and we refuse to acknowledge our obsession with extravagance. Currently, I have set my mind on becoming an art therapist, helping people who have been sexually abused, assaulted, who struggle with depression, or other issue illnesses. I want people to know that they can get better through the use of art.
Nicole Lawrence Editor-in-Chief
Don Bott Adviser
The Stagg Line newspaper is published monthly and distributed free of charge to students and faculty. Our newspaper is a long-standing open forum for free student expression. Student editors and reporters make content and style decisions with the adviser offering guidance. Editorials reflect the view of the entire editorial board and therefore are unsigned. Opinion columns reflect the view of the writer. Readers are welcomed to write letters to the editor. We will make every effort to print any letter as long as it is not libelous. Letters longer than 250 words may be edited. Unsigned letters will be printed only in unusual circumstances, and only when we know who the writer is. Letters may be brought to the newspaper room, A-8, or emailed to dbott@stockton.k12.ca.us
And even though this will only pay enough to give me the basic needs, I don’t care. A career is something that you want to do. A lifestyle. I want to know that when I’m ready to retire, I helped people. While going through the aptitude test and reviewing my results, it made me realize that I knew what I wanted to do and that I didn’t need someone or something suggesting things. Occupations like “teacher” and “nurse” and “surgeon” and “musician” came up. If I relatively liked a certain school subject, it would group together all of the job choices that can be categorized under them. Because of a lack of guidance through the website, I was left perplexed. And I’m not trying to put the blame on counselors or teachers for my uncertainty. I knew that with programs like this, no one was trying to force a decision upon me. No one wanted me to go into a certain career. But for some reason, there were people taking the results as something quite serious. They would be discouraged because “mailman” or “salesperson” popped up instead of “lawyer” or “doctor.” For these people, I would say one thing. Don’t settle for less than you want. Instead of taking the outcome of the aptitude test as some sort of ultimatum, challenge it. Ask yourself what you really want to do. Find out what they recommend, and then throw it away if it doesn’t make your decision any easier. Take advantage of the opportunity to grow and explore, but don’t let it bring you down in the search for yourself.
Reanna Rodriguez
Dellanira Alcauter
News Editor
Nuvia Cervantes
Jessica Mangili Opinion Editor
Michealla Foules
Gabriella Miller
Victorious Gemma
Features Editor
Marcella Hawkins
Adrianna Owens Entertainment Editor
Allison Ho
Brian Walker
Jada Johnson
Sports Editor
Miranda Maurino
Fe Valencia Graphics Editor
Blanca Mendoza
Annamarie Rodriguez
Alexus Plascencia
Photo Editor
Alyssa Rojas
Chao Xiong
Rebecca Romero
Web Editor
Damon Heine Blog/Social Media Editor
Veronica Vargo Devin Wickstrom
Opinion
women strive in A
ll-male combat units couldn’t have made the message any clearer to women—“Stand aside little lady, and let the big boys handle this.” Even though women were welcomed into the army, they weren’t allowed to obtain jobs in infantry, artillery, armor, and other combat roles because of a 1994 Pentagon rule that excluded them from performing in those units. From then on, women were not legitimately permitted to fight on front lines until Thursnuvia cervantes day, Jan. 24, when Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced his official decision to change that military policy. When I first heard of this news, I thought, “Wow, this is a really cool thing.” And it is. Allowing women to operate in ground combat is a big change for the U.S. military. I believe this change will bring
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inspiration, not only to women who are dead-set on joining the army, but also to ordinary women because they know that they’ve just been handed another choice in life even if they’re never going to take it. I thought all of America would praise women going into combat, but later I encountered the opinions of those who felt uncertain about women joining men in those roles. Seniors Seled Galvan and Amber Jacques are both passionate about our country’s military and are both planning on joining the Air Force. Even though they’re dedicated to joining the military, they both feel reluctant about the idea of participating in direct combat themselves. Galvan said that ground combat units aren’t the best positions for women to be a part of. She said, “Most women aren’t as physically strong as men… but if women who want to (fight in combat) can, they definitely should.” “If a man can do it, a woman can do it,” Jacques said, “but this is something you dedicate your whole life to.” She also said that women who want to join ground combat should have the chance to, but she doesn’t recommend it because then, not only would we have male war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, but also have women suffering through the same post-war effects.
I do understand how people can feel hesitant about women joining men in combat. There have been debates about whether women will be strong enough to handle the heavy weaponry, gear, and equipment that men usually have to carry with them. There have also been concerns about a woman’s ability to carry injured service members out of harm’s way. Despite the restless opinions shuffling around, I believe that women who absolutely want to be part of the action are well aware of the risks that come along with the job.This certainly does not mean that the requirements for being able to fight in ground combat should be lowered so women can slip by easier because that can prove to be disastrous on the battlefront. The standards should reasonably remain as they are now and women who can meet them should be allowed in. Now that this inspiring change has been made, people should support women who want to join ground combat units. Having women and men serve side-by-side in combat strengthens the idea of equality amongst all people in America. It can prove that by collaborating together and giving all of their effort, people can plow through the toughest challenges for the good of our country.
Being skinny PLAYING FAIR? isn’t being happy Sportsmanship “
is necessary Media influences eating disorders A I am 5’7”, about 125 pounds, by it. “Media does push people and I wear a size 6 in jeans. to be perfect,” said one student This makes me a “plus size” who was uncomfortable being model. Today’s modeling innamed. “It lowers individual dustry considers all girls sizes 6 self-esteem.” On websites such and up as plus-size models. This as Facebook and Tumblr, teens is just one sad example of how that are just a little overweight today’s “skinny” is never quite are condemned while girls that skinny enough. are unhealthily skinny and boys Modern media conveys the with the cut muscles are looked idea that people need to be upon as if they are some new skinny to be happy, implying deity. that the smaller your waist size A picture of celebrities with the happier you will be. rib bones almost bursting from Half naked women on TV their sides, with all their weight rebecca romero and magazines boasting “LOSE in all the right places, circu10 POUNDS IN 7 DAYS” lates the Internet and gives the constantly bombard people (women especially) to impression to kids that the smaller you are, the be skinny, no matter the cost. Even if the cost is better. “Everything you see on the Internet is the your life. Shows like “90210,” “The Victoria Secret girls with the curvy bodies,” said one senior. The Fashion Show,” and “Skins” are just a few exsmaller you are the more people will like you and amples the subliminal messaging that is constantly the more you will like yourself. forced on the viewers. What a lot of people don’t realize is that yes, Eating disorders are one of the most common eating disorders can make you skinny, but at a illnesses faced in America. With a 10 percent mor- great cost, and for only a short amount of time. tality rate, according to the National Institute of Research shows that 95 percent of dieters will reMental Health, they have become the deadliest of gain their lost weight in only a matter of five years. any other mental illness. Eating disorders, such as Not to mention the other health problems that anorexia and bulimia, have become today’s silent will arise from poor eating. killers. “Every tooth is either pulled or capped in my With media pushing for perfection, it’s no mouth,” said my mother, who suffered in high wonder that 86 percent of college students surschool from bulimia. “That’s when the skinny veyed by the National Association of Anorexia look was in, full hair, skinny face, that’s what you Nervosa and Associated Disorders, reported an wanted.” onset of an eating disorder by age 20. My mother knew at the time that what she was While anorexia and bulimia are the most doing was bad, but the “attention and the drive to common eating disorders, they are only two of be skinny is strong.” the four main types. The four main categories What my mother didn’t know at the time was for eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia that she was cutting her life short and by the age nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorof 47 she would have the body of close to a 60 ders not otherwise specified. Less known illnesses year old. like binge eating are defined as someone who feels The media’s push is strong. Teens must realize like they cannot control how much they eat, so in that eating disorders are vicious and terrible cycles. turn they eat large amounts of food to the point of Eating disorders make you feel good in the now being sick. but will damage you in the end, both physically EDNOS is the least specific of the other three and mentally. The ANAD reports that 50 percent disorders. It is defined as when a person does not of those suffering from eating disorders meet the meet the definition of other disorders perfectly, or criteria for depression. switches between multiple disorders. The broad Media’s influence is powerful. But you have to range of EDNOS is what gives it its high mortality believe that you are more powerful than any words rate. on a screen or photo in a magazine. “Don’t let With so much emphasis on about getting someone tell you what to do....don’t get pulled in,” smaller it’s hard for young teens to not be affected said one senior. “Perfect is boring.”
art by Alyssa
Rojas
player dribbles down the court to make another basket, but the opposing team comes back with their own three-pointer. Both teams go back and forth, racing neck-and-neck, each leading the other until – stop. A man, apparently a father, is yelling profanity at an opposing player; the game must halt until he is escorted from the gymnasium. Is this really necessary? Time and time again spectators, mostly parents, get so involved in their child’s game that they end up making a fool of themselves. And sometimes they’re unaware of how vulgar they may sound. It’s pride gone amok. Come on people, these are not professionals. The whole point of high school sports is to teach young people sportsmanship but a lot of times it’s the spectators that need to be taught, not the devin wickstrom athletes. Martin Bagnasco, who teaches english, is also a current referee for high school volleyball. “Everyone has a right to question a call, but please have some perspective; this is still high school. A lot of times it’s the parents who didn’t play sports when they were younger who are harder to deal with as a referee.” It makes sense: parents are living vicariously through their kid’s sports lives because they themselves haven’t played, or maybe their glory days are over. Every parent wants their kid to do well in everything they do. But the child needs to grow up on their own and if the player wants more time on the field, then they address the coach, not the parent. Sports help students grow up and find their passion, but they can’t do that with helicopter parents. For those that haven’t heard the term, a helicopter parent is someone who hovers over their child constantly without leaving them space to make their own choices. High school studentathletes are at an age where they start to become more independent and confident, which they can’t do with their mom or dad constantly breathing down their neck. Also, when an athlete is hurt in the game, naturally a parent would want to go help their child but shouldn’t. “Parents should not come on the field if their kid is hurt,” Bagnasco said. “Parents, most of the time, are not certified and can actually make the situation worse.” It’s actually quite confusing and even frustrating when someone tries to give commands that are different from the coach’s, especially when it is a parent telling their kid what to do. Naturally the child listens to the parent but when they’re in a game, leave them be and enjoy it because this is their time with the coach. “We just need to remind parents, as well as ourselves, why we are all here: to support (students),” said Tony Espinoza, athletic director. Again, my goal isn’t to turn children against their parents. But a coach is like a father or mother away from home and their time is on the field. They too have valuable lessons to teach, just like parents. Sometimes coaches can connect with kids in a way parents might not be able to. Here’s a bit of advice, reading the book “Being a Successful Athletic Parent” could be a great learning experience for both parents and their student-athletes.
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It was during a Tokay meet and Joey was racing a guy in the last leg of the race. The guy stepped on the back of his foot and sent him flying forward. Tokay’s coach got angry, because we still won.” Michael Albinto freshman
We were playing West and were in the lead. They were fouling us to stop us from scoring. But you could tell their intentions were to hurt us, not play the game.” Marcello Salazar freshman
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One of my softball coaches would get mad when we were losing. He would always throw helmets at us and start cussing.” Savhanna Lopez junior graphic by Jessica
Mangili and Michealla Foules
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Junior Bryan Barajas visits Village Oaks Elementary School twice a month to assist people with the DREAM Act process.
Where did I come from? veronica vargo The waves clashed the side of the ship and one woman aboard began to holler. Was it because of the long trip in the vast ocean? Was it because she was scared of drowning? Or was it because she was doing her best to give birth? On the crowded ship, Jannetha Thon’s mother, Sakhom Pen, had successfully given birth to a baby girl. But wait, aboard a ship? It seems unusual, but that is exactly how Thon had been born... so she thought. During the interview process for this story, Thon discovered that how she had understood her birth wasn’t exactly how it happened. In fact, she came to discover that she was born in sunny Philadelphia. While Thon was under the impression that she had a history from Cambodia, she actually took on the story from another’s point of view. Her mother was born a Cambodian citizen who lived the average life in a Cambodian family. When she was 8 years old, she was sent to concentration camps, for the Khmer Rouge was nearing an end. During this time period when Pol Pot was in power, people were starving and working themselves to death in labor camps. Pen was one of the lucky few to escape to Thailand for a vigorous voyage to America and it was then that she was aboard a ship. A year later, Pen and her husband met through a family friend and were wed. Staying with his side of the family, Pen left her eldest son Johnathon Thon with her parents here in California, knowing that there was no way she could take care of a child at that moment in her life. A year later, she had Jannetha and another little boy some time after that.
Because of her mother’s exposure to various diseases in Cambodia, Jannetha was born with a cleft palate and hepatitis B. “I don’t have to take any medicine or anything for it,” Jannetha says, “but the Hep B will forever be part of my genetics.” Complaining of the absence of grandchildren, Pen’s parents convinced the family to move down to California. “She only stayed in Philadelphia because she had to make a living,” Thon said. Always curious, Thon was constantly told stories about the concentration camps and how difficult it was to escape. Her father, Neal Thon, told of how his friend had to bury one of his own family members. Even though he came to America a year after Pen, he doesn’t regret leaving the gruesomeness taking place in his homeland. One of the biggest challenges both he and her mother faced when they were here was learning the English language. Jannetha herself had to learn English at school then go home to a family that only spoke Khmer. It was then that she assisted her parents in speaking English as she did her homework. Always remaining active in their daughter’s education, they learned more than they thought they would. Despite the practice, they still have the heavy Cambodian accent and lack the understanding of some words. Thon realizes that school is her main priority in life because in order to be successful and not live a life like her parents, she has to further her education. Still adopting the customs of Cambodia, Thon and her family live a normal everyday life. A busy schedule keeps them on the edge, but for the most part, other than an occasional car breakdown, life can be lived without fear.
answering the question
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Race doesn’t play a huge role in today’s society.You don’t see just one race playing on the soccer field. It’s a mixture.” Johana Nuno Senior
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Fe Valencia
chao xiong Every other Friday, junior Bryan Barajas volunteers at the Village Oaks School. He helps fellow immigrants apply for a chance in the land of dreams. This chance is given in the form of the Development Relief and Education of Alien Minors Act, otherwise known as the DREAM Act. President Barack Obama signed an executive order on June 15 that gives certain immigrants a legal status. This law went into effect in mid-August. Barajas has been volunteering at Village Oaks for two months. The program started about five months ago. Undocumented students were a big concern of the Lincoln Latin Leadership group. “Parents asked questions and we didn’t have the answer so we went to find the right answer,” said Ileana Ortiz, co-president of Lincoln Latin Leadership. The answer they found is to help undocumented students apply for the DREAM Act for free. El Concilio trained a group of volunteers who have passed on what they learned to other volunteers. Barajas had struggled at first while helping people apply but picked up on it quickly. His first time helping someone was when he still hadn’t even thought about volunteering yet. Someone who was applying at the same time needed help and there was no one to assist him, so Barajas stepped in. Although he wasn’t confident in the little knowledge he had about the DREAM Act, he was still able to help.
“It was hard at first, but it became easier every time I helped someone.” After two months of work experience, “I have memorized the process and am confident in what I do.” Barajas found it easy to answer the questions that were constantly thrown at him since “everybody asks the same questions, even I used to ask them myself.” He had applied for the act a few months before he started volunteering and had received a lot of help from the volunteers. “The reason I help out is because they helped me and I wanted to help them back,” he said.
One of the few people that Barajas has helped is Lorena Molina. Even though he wasn’t assigned to help her he was “nice and helpful” and “explained the process really well,” making it easier for her to understand. The process itself “was not hard but more frustrating,” said the sophomore, referring to the rigorous amount of paperwork she had to provide, like old water and electricity bills. She had to find proof that she has been in America before she turned 15 and that she has lived in America for at least five years. “The hardest part about it is knowing where to go,” Barajas said. Village Oaks is not the only place that offers assistance. There are other places that offer help like Catholic Charities, where junior Nayeli Ramos went to for help. This opportunity to apply and to get a temporary citizenship is open to all but ff Entered the United States benot many people go for it. And one reafore the age of 15-16 son is that “some people are scared that they might get deported if they aren’t acff Lived in United States for at cepted.” Ramos said. When applying, a least five years person’s record in America would have to ff Be under the age of 35 when be reported. And once they’re in the deciapplying sion of whether or not a person is accepted is up to the government. “And if they don’t ff Have a good moral character like it (the records) then you will become ff Have a high school diploma, an easy target for deportation.” Graduate Equivalency Degree But even so she still encourages people and/or some sort of education to apply for it. “It’s a really good opportunity for those in the U.S. who don’t have the opportunity,” Ramos said. “(And) if you don’t take the opporIf you have any questions about tunity now you don’t know when another the Dream Act contact Ileana Ortiz: lincolnlatinl_lhs@yahoo.com or (209)271-5968 one will come.”
DREAM Act Requirements
or at Village
Oaks school in the library infographic by Annamarie Rodriguez
How do we reach a common goal?
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There are still a lot of judgmental people out there from jobs to sports. Everything is based around race, so race is still a factor in today’s society.” T.J. Blair Junior
Junior Jannetha Thon reflects on her mother’s experiences in Cambodia. She taught both of her parents to speak English while she was in elementary school.
Chao Xiong
Students express their views on how far this country has come in terms of race over the past 50 years. Racial slurs often occur around a comfortable environment; however, some people don’t have a filter and proceed with their comments. That’s when it becomes offensive.” Linda Torres Senior
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Can I become succesful in my life?
Where are we now This summer marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. His words painted a world of equality and justice. He dreamed of a better future for the country as a whole. The dream was for everyone to come together and now, 50 years later, we are forced to reflect on these questions: Where are we now? And how far have we come in terms of equality? Students and adults from different backgrounds examine this question and wonder what the future holds. How far will we be in another 50 years? As you read these stories, consider your own feelings about where we are now.
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Former NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabar visited UOP on Feb. 26 to speak about his life and the African-American community.
damon heine It’s a cool February night as people went into the night donned in a wide array of apparel, from formal dress to Los Angeles Lakers gear. The packed crowd came that night to University of the Pacific’s Faye Spanos center to hear none other than the National Basketball Association’s all time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. While many came to see the retired athlete for his storied athletic career, his time with the Lakers was the minority of what he discussed. As a speaker for the university’s Black History Month series, Jabbar talked about his interest of history and the achievement of black Americans. “A lot of the goals that Martin Luther King Jr. and others talked about…we’re only halfway there,” Jabbar said. There was a sense throughout the presentation that the progress of accepting African American achievements throughout history has come a long way, but there is still a lot of work left to be done. Jabbar’s interest in history, especially African American history, came when he was at a very young age, despite not having much background on the subject. “My family never
explained to me in detail the history of black Americans,” Jabbar said. It was during his junior year of high school while in Harlem that he was exposed to it the most. Jabbar participated in workshops that “challenged kids in Harlem to make it a better place.” While the workshops worked to create community involvement, Jabbar learned about the Harlem Renaissance, the subject that would become a main point in one of his books. His most recent book, “What Color is my World? The Lost History of African American Inventors,” emphasizes creativity and learning among children. “When you ask a person today who invented the lightbulb, they’ll say Thomas Edison, when really it was Louis Latimer who did more for the improvement of the invention,” he said. Since his retirement, he has written a total of eight books, five of which have to do with the history of African Americans in different parts of American history. Jabbar has since won a National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Image award and became a “critic of popular culture,” a title that came to him after he criticized the HBO series “Girls” for being set in Brooklyn, yet having no African Americans in the cast. While the majority of the event talked
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A lot of the goals that Martin Luther King Jr. and others talked about... we’re only halfway there.” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
about black history, Jabbar also spent time discussing how to improve the community, something that ties into the city of Stockton. When asked by an audience member on how community involvement can be strengthened, his answer was simple. “The first step to building a better community starts with the people,” he said. “You can’t wait for someone to fix the community.” Jabbar emphasized an Ashanti proverb that “sticks in a bundle are unbreakable.” He used this as a metaphor to apply to communities across the country. “When we have the support of the community, we are unbreakable.” And as another Black History Month comes and goes, this is the attitude that many are taking when moving forward in a more accepting world.
What needs to be remembered for the future? hawkins
marcella A sea of students flood into the theater and wait for the speeches to begin. Stewart Jacoby, history teacher, starts to speak on stage. He talks about how his wife, Rita Jacoby, and Sephira Shuttlesworth, one of the speakers, are best friends. Shuttlesworth came to speak about the civil rights movement on Wednesday Feb. 13, telling about her life first, then her husband’s . At age 6 Shuttlesworth witnessed police dogs and fire hoses turned on innocent people ranging from 12 to 18 years old for a peaceful protest and wondered how people could be so hateful towards one another. As she grew, so did her understanding of the hateful world around her. She knew she wanted to be a teacher by the age of 8. She also knew if she wanted a quality education a “white” school was the place to obtain it. “Times got tough, but it was our
decision. We took names, threats, everything,” she said. “The story of her life was inspiring to me,” sophomore Eugene Parrish said. “I remember she said, ‘Work for a cause, not applause,’ and that really stuck with me. It makes me want even more to be successful in life.” Sephira Shuttlesworth was the wife of Fred Shuttlesworth, who worked in the civil rights movement alongside Martin Luther King Jr. “When he got an idea... and he set his mind to it, you couldn’t sway him,” Shuttlesworth said. There was also a lunch where a few chosen students had the chance to eat with Shuttlesworth. Sophomore James Lee attended this lunch and was able to speak to her. “We’ve progressed a lot and it gives me the motivation to work harder,” Lee said. Fred died on Oct. 5, 2011, and Sephira feels it’s her responsibility to
share his legacy. “The struggle for African Americans has been very difficult despite adversity, but people like her husband who commit and sacrifice (create change),” Audrey Weir-Graham, world history teacher, said. Shuttlesworth helped start photo by Veronica Vargo Project Confrontation. Project Sephira Shuttlesworth ate lunch with teachers and students between the C was an aggregate of cautioustwo speeches she gave to students about her husband’s life and his accomly planned protests with strategies ranging from sit-ins to mass plisments in the African-American community. marches to boycotts. People who rights movement wasn’t that long hard in school and “was blessed to were against Shuttlesworth called ago,”senior Charnay Brown-Thomas be one student not beaten or thrown him out as a notorious criminal said. “I think we’ve come a long way; into jail,” he said. “But I was always and crook. He knew that the Ku we still have some racial issues, but one of those numbers.” Klux Klan tried to kill him at least they remind us of where we come He showed students a book from 12 times. In fact, he didn’t think he from and to not repeat history.” his grade school that basically said would live to be 40. Shuttlesworth’s Another person that spoke that “colored people” were inferior and church in Birmingham, Ala., was day was Jesse Nabors, a retired ad- that they liked to work in the hot bombed over 50 times. For a while, ministrator who comes back to help sun because they couldn’t handle the Birmingham was actually nicknamed with the S3 grant. He grew up in the cold. This book gives him inspiraBombingham. time of the civil rights movement tion and he said, “You’re not going “Her speech was inspirational and learned how to read by match- to tell me what I can’t do. We can do and made me realize that the civil ing pictures with words. He worked this, but it’s on you.”
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E ntertainment
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In the midst of the awards season, the Stagg Line decided to give some awards of their own. These awards aren’t going to the best movie, actress, or soundtrack. In fact, they aren’t going to the best anything. These awards are being given to the worst of the worst, in music, television, and movies. Enjoy!
1. Rebecca Black - “Friday” Catchy doesn’t always mean good. In fact, catchy is a word usually used to describe a song that you hate to love and love to hate. Rebecca Black’s infamous song “Friday” is a perfect example of that. We all know that this song is bad, like really bad. The lyrics, the melody, the beat, the terrible music video, everything made it a hot mess. I wish there was something good to say about any of it, but sadly there isn’t. A few lines of the song go “kickin’ in the front seat sittin’ in the back seat/ gotta make my mind up/ which seat can I take?” Now let that sink in for a minute. Don’t you just want to ask Rebecca why she’s so blind and can’t see that there’s only one seat available for her? Besides the laughable lyrics it’s also hard to get past her nasally auto-tuned voice. While this song was stuck in many of our heads regardless of the day, it’s safe to say that it’s been one of the worst songs of the past two years. 2. Carly Rae Jepsen - “Call Me Maybe” 3. Chief Keef - “Love Sosa” gabriella miller
1. “Jersey Shore” If you like spray tans and bump-its, then “Jersey Shore” is for you. But if your IQ is higher than, I don’t know, 2 maybe, you’ll want to stay away from this show. Between the forced drama and obnoxious dialogue, it’s impossible to find anything good about this show. And I still don’t know what a Snooki is. Also, don’t get me going on how insulting this show is to Italians everywhere. I mean, is this seriously how we’re perceived? Because I can assure you, we’re not all petty little goblins obsessed with partying, the beach, and more often than not, partying on the beach. Some of us are obsessed with interesting things, like bread or pasta. But really, I have no clue what this show is about. I understand there’s drama and people live on the Jersey shore for a month or something but besides that I have absolutely no clue. It’s a trashy show and I would suggest it’s time we all move on. 2. “Honey Boo Boo” 3. “American Idol” annamarie cunningham
1. “The Room” (2003) Imagine a film that has an incoherent plot, mind blowingly terrible acting, and is also absolutely hilarious. Brought to us from internationally unknown director Tommy Wiseau, this holy grail of awful films has become a cult classic in the same way “Plan 9 from Outer Space” did 50 years ago. The movie is packed full of horrible lines of dialogue (“I did not hit her, it’s not true, it’s bulls****, I did not hit her, I did not…..Oh hi Mark.”) The characters are all wooden and dull, with the exception of Wiseau himself. Whenever he’s on screen you can’t help but laugh at his over the top and awful delivery. Say what you want about Adam Sandler’s multiple Razzies, this guy is deserving of the award for worst actor of all time. If you’re in for a horrendously bad ride of overly dramatic cinema, then by all means, sit down and watch The Room. The worst movie of all time. 2. “The Twilight Saga” (2008-2012) 3. “The Last Airbender” (2010) damon heine graphic by Adrianna
Owens
Evil wizard ruins ‘Yippy-kae-yay’ — essence of fairy tales it’s cliché but still okay brian walker
Once upon a time there was a fairy tale. It was told by many people across the land and enjoyed by all. One day the big bad wizard from the land of the entertainment industry, came in, and found the fairy tale and corrupted the people. This wizard’s name was Hollywood. He took the stories we know and love and added guns and explosions and retold them… in 3D. In my youth I remember the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. It was simply about a boy who buys magic beans that grow into a giant beanstalk that he then proceeds to climb and rob a innocent giant of his pet goose. Nowhere in this story do I remember Jack being a medieval giant slayer. This is one of the lies Hollywood wants to make us believe. There is the story of Snow White. A princess who is “fairest of them all” is banished to the forest by her evil stepmother. There she meets seven dwarves and lives happily ever after. Nowhere in this story is she hunted by Thor! Hollywood made Snow White into a warrior princess that chops heads off and takes names. Probably one of my favorite fairy tales ever, Hansel and Gretel, has also fallen victim to Hollywood. It started as the story of a couple of kids whose father abandons them in the woods. There they fall into the clutches of the evil witch and are lured inside her candy kingdom. After fattening up on sweets the witch tries to cook them alive and eat
art by
Nuvia Cervantes
them. The witch fails, is pushed into the oven, dies and the children live happily ever after. That’s it. End of story. BUT NO! Hollywood had to rear its ugly head in and turn those sweet little children into tough, gritty witch hunters. This is an outrage. Hollywood is running out of ideas of his own so he’s changing stories that have already been established, thinking they will be blockbuster hits. The problem is that these are stories we already know and like. What Hollywood needs to do is come up with fresh new ideas. It seems that every new release weekend includes at least one movie that is a prequel, sequel, remake or horrible rip-off a movie or story we already love. I may just be channeling my hatred for the “Scary Movie” franchise here but really, their use of satire is really not funny. Originality is dying and if something doesn’t change soon the industry will turn into nothing but repeated movies. A sequel should only be used to continue a movie where the previous one left a cliffhanger. Who isn’t anxious to see the thrilling sequel to “The Hobbit?” When done right prequels are very informative. By coming up with fresh angles like the “Star Wars” trilogy or “The Hobbit,” Hollywood is responsibly not retelling stories but carrying on where it left off.
devin wickstrom Looking for explosions? Looking for nuclear terrorists? Looking for ignorant Americans who tear up other countries? Well, “A Good Day to Die Hard” is the right movie for all of those. John McClain, played by Bruce Willis, is back with even more powerful guns and cliched phrases. For those that are familiar with the franchise, Willis isn’t new to anything that involves firepower. But there is one difference with this new film: McClain’s son is involved. That’s right, Jack McClain, played by Jai Courtney, is now in the car chases and helicopter crashes with his daddy. What a father-son bonding activity, huh? So it begins with Willis traveling to Russia to stop a nuclear terrorist, but instead of finding the bad guy he finds his only son; the two try to take down the master criminal together but not before some bumps on their journey. The film brings a campy reminder to the fans of the hit “Live Free or Die Hard.” Willis plays the role exceptionally well. He’s the ignorant American who doesn’t give a rip about which cities are destroyed by his devotion to justice. In the first 10 minutes of being in Moscow, John is already driving over other vehicles in a car chase and all that he is worried about is talking to his son, who isn’t very happy to see him. Willis eventually destroys half the city within 20 minutes and all he complains about is that he is on vacation. Courtney, who is new to the series, plays the role of Jack surprisingly well. He seems humble yet is exactly how someone would think John’s son would be. The music adds just the right touch to complete this impressive film. It has a mix of soundtracks from artists such as Frank Sinatra, The Rolling Stones, Beethoven, Michael Kamen, Stan Getz, and Joao Gilberto. These songs mix perfectly with the slow-motion scenes and visual effects which really top off the awesome theme to the movie.
Without the right music, this film wouldn’t have been so great but John Moore, director, couldn’t have chosen anything better. Overall, this sequel complements the last “Die Hard” movie but I wouldn’t recommend it for just any action-packed seeker because it does come with a lot of cliched scenes and phrases which can help ruin the experience. Other than that, this movie is recommended for the fans of Moore’s “Yippy-kae-yay” series.
ff Good: The film brings a bang. It still
has elements of “Die Hard” that people are dying to see. ff Bad: It has several clichéd scenes throughout the film that can ruin the experience for a new viewer. ff Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Sports
3.8.13
Pooling together talent
the
Swimmers from different schools help out team dellanira alcauter
If diversity is supposed to cause conflict, don’t tell that to the swim team. Diversity is the one thing unites them. The team consists of different levels of experience among the swimmers, different cultures, and even swimmers that come from different schools. Orkun Alkan, for example, is not only from a different school, but from a different country; Turkey. Then there’s Annamiguel Rodriguez, who is referred to by her teammates as the “beast.” She is a senior at Stockton Early College Academy and has been swimming since a very young age. And finally the swimmer that attends Stagg, freshman Aja Reyes. She has been swimming year round since a young age as well. Alkan, a junior from Pacific Law Academy, was a water polo player for two years on a community team in Istanbul. When he came to Stockton, photo by Gabriella Miller he wanted to continue playing, but since there isn’t a water polo team, he decided to swim. “I really wanted to be a part of a team,” he said. “It’s nice to know that I am a part of something and that I can dedicate my time and effort to,” he said. And sure enough, his teammates appreciate his dedication. Fellow swimmer, senior Ramon Alvarez, said, “He really dedicates to the spirit of the team. His swimming is powerful and he is high spirited.” (Top) Freshman Aja Reyes practices her butterfly Alkan enjoys having different stroke in a race against the boys during practice. cultures on the team, “It brings new perspectives and makes us (Left) Turkey exchange student Orkun Alkan keep an open mind. Others may freestyle swims in the 400.
“
It’s nice to know that I am part of something that I can dedicate my time and effort to.”
Orkun Alkan Junior
photo by
Dellanira Alcauter
Bad to the bone
Pitcher throws through the pain of an abnormal elbow blanca mendoza He is a lefty with a strong arm. Yet there is so much more to him than just being an extraordinary baseball player. What especially separates him from the rest of the team is the extra bone in his left elbow. Many times an extra bone means that a player won’t be able to play because of the pain and bothersome effects, but not for this baseball player. Senior Anthony Jimenez has been playing baseball since he was a little boy, starting with TBall, and does not plan on stopping now. He first experienced pain December of his sophomore year and was sent to Sacramento to see a sports physician. They told him it was just a dead arm, a common symptom of pitchers who have pain and soreness because of the lack of rest. Jimenez agreed until he began to experience more pain over the past two years, so he went to get checked once more. And on Feb. 14, he learned that he indeed had an extra bone in his elbow. So the next step was figuring out how to fix this problem. His doctor offered him three options. The first was going to physical therapy for a few months and keep playing baseball. The second was getting a shot with dye to figure out the seriousness of his elbow. The third was going to Stanford, and/or Los Angeles, to get surgery which would require him to sit out for the rest of the year. He chose to get physical therapy because he couldn’t imagine his life without baseball. “I remember running around,
not knowing what I was doing, just having fun.” Eventually after years of constantly playing baseball that fun turned into passion and love for the game. Although Jimenez has this rare condition, it does not stop him from doing anything less than his best. “Anthony still plays with full intensity and effort at every practice,” Jesse Basilio, a teammate said. Jimenez also plans on going to college with baseball. He has recently been speaking with Delta Community College, East Bay State University, and Fresno State University. He has the talent to play at a higher level, that is why he is constantly talking to counselors to get their advice on ways to get into colleges. “Every year kids want to play at the next level.” varsity baseball
coach Tony Angelo said. “Truth is very few of them have the dedication, and talent, to do so but Anthony does.” He has good velocity and the capacity to strike out various players. Aside from his talents and dreams, this is Jimenez’ first year playing for Stagg’s varsity baseball team, after transferring from Franklin. He is currently playing at scrimmages, and practice because he is a transfer student but, is told to be the starting pitcher for the game on April 2 vs. Franklin here at Stagg. However, this doesn’t stop him from connecting with his team and getting their support. “Jimenez is quickly becoming one of the leaders on the team,” Angelo said. “He is encouraging, and never lacks to hustle.”
photo by
Nicole Lawrence
Senior Anthony Jimenez warms up with the team in a game against Chavez last week. Jimenez did not play in the game, but the team went on to win 15-2.
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have talents I don’t, and vice versa.” Rodriguez, one of the strongest swimmers on the team, feels that even though she doesn’t see her teammates very often, besides when they have meets, they are still really nice and close to her. She learned something new too, that her teammates are inspired by her. Knowing this she said, “Wow that is really going to help me keep going, knowing that I have teammates counting on me.” Alvarez also had thoughts to share, “She’s a beast, and that’s all that needs to be said.” Reyes, the youngest of the three, feels that they have a strong team this year, “As long as we practice hard, I think we can succeed.” Her inspiration arose since her youth. When she was little she would always go to her cousin’s swim meets and just being in an environment pleased her made her want to be a part of it as well. And she continues to swim, ever since the fourth grade. Another big motivation she has is the desire to swim in the Olympics. “I really want to be on an Olympic swim team and swim with Michael Phelps.” Mikayla Gambio, a sophomore on the team, said, “Aja really inspires me, she is a really strong swimmer and I want to be able to swim like her.” The swimmers agreed that they loved the fact that their team was so diverse. A common thought among them was that they would all be able to be like a family once they got to know each other better. And from the looks of it, they’re headed in the right direction.
Girls soccer trains to return to playoffs alexus plascencia A variety of personalities and attitudes. A mixture of players from various schools and other sports teams. All working together to unite their team as one, to become more committed. Girls varsity soccer team this year aims to rebuild their dedication and bonds between each girl. “Every girl brings something different to the team,” senior Vanessa Garcia said. “Miranda brings a positive perspective, and Bri brings speed.” Junior Brianna Hernandez is one of the four girls transferring from another school. After being on Edison’s soccer team, and working with her new teammates, she realizes how much more focused the girls here are. “All we need is to work hard, play hard, and do our best.” Transferring from Franklin, junior Dalia Fernandez also notices the changes. “There’s more engagement amongst all girls, and they all actually want to succeed.” The coach keeps track of who’s focused and puts in the girls that are more active. With playing soccer for the first time, and coming from the basketball team, Alijah Turner acknowledges the different environments. “(Soccer) doesn’t get as much recognition as it should,” Turner said. “Our mindset is to take each game at a time, and to just focus on us.” “This year my goal is to win a league title and to beat St. Mary’s,” varsity coach Viri said. With having the four girls coming from different schools, and the two from the basketball team, playing soccer for the first time, it’s going to naturally take time to create chemistry between all the girls, he said. The first step to creating this chemistry, and bettering the team, is going back in time. “The coach will go back to the way he used to coach, and the girls will go back to how they used to act,” Viri said. “Once they figure that out, they will become a better team.” With the coach using old coaching habits, and girls bettering their sportsmanship, Viri believes the team will then soon be on their way to success. Being on varsity for four years, Linda Torres has developed a different perspective. “It’s my senior
photo by Annamarie
Rodriguez
Junior Stephanie Silva dribbles past a defender in a game against Franklin. Silva is captain of the varsity girls soccer team. year, so you have the mindset of wanting to win more than anything.” Also, with having the new players, Torres wants to work more together to become a “soccer family.” She has already developed a close bond with Hernandez. “I love Bri because she’s so social.” “During practices the girls have their head in it,” Garcia said. “But on the field, the commitment level just drops.” If everyone were to have more of a positive attitude Garcia believes their team can be successful, and make it to playoffs. “Each year we get new players, and different struggles,” junior Stephanie Silva said. “We need to have more full practices, as in having all the girls showing up, so we can all work harder as a team.” So far with multiple scrimmages played the girls have a 1-6-1 record. Commitment is key, according to every player. And with each girl putting in their dedication, and their individual qualities, they are more than determined to meet every one of their goals for this year.
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AP Spanish will not be revived next year miranda maurino
photo by
Dellanira Alcauter
Seniors Shelby Wilson, Edgar Perez and Jesse Basilio work together to assemble a scrambled song in Spanish. The game tests students’ understanding of the language.
Staff considers safety changes
In previous years, the AP Spanish course was one of the most successful Advanced Placement classes offered here. Students thrived and most passed the AP test. However, after the previous AP Spanish teacher, Maria Cordova, retired three years ago, the program died. That is why AP Chemistry teacher John Steiner and current Spanish teacher Raquel Chavez are working to revive AP Spanish next year. Steiner has an interest in bringing AP Spanish back because it was a successful program in the past and “the more AP courses offered, the more reasons for students to come here since we would offer more academically challenging courses.” The current Spanish 3-4 and 7-8 teacher Chavez, who volunteered to teach the AP Spanish class next year, has been working tirelessly to recruit students for the AP Spanish class. “I would be glad to teach it, but if there’s not enough students then fine.” Unfortunately, due to different issues, such as planning, AP Spanish will not be offered here next year. However, Phillips has made a commitment to bring AP Spanish here the following year. One of the main obstacles with bringing AP Spanish back to the school next year is the number
of students who want to take the class. About 22 students are signed up for AP Spanish now, but at least 25 are needed to make the program possible. Junior Teresa Zacarias looked forward to the opportunity of AP Spanish next year. “Colleges will look at me more because even though I know the language, I want to improve it.” It is unfortunate for students like Zacarias, who won’t be able to be a part of the AP Spanish next year, but the school is working to change that for the next class of students. Even though the AP class isn’t going to happen next year, Zacarias still sees the bright side. “It wouldn’t upset me that much because they have Spanish 7-8, but it’s a great resource.” Junior Tosha Monroe agrees with Zacarias’s opinion about colleges looking at her more. However, she thinks that the amount of students who want to sign up could be a bit of a problem. “I think there would be a lot of students willing to sign up, but nobody knows about it.” Even if the school does get enough students to sign up for this class next year, it is still just a proposed idea. “With AP Spanish the first step is getting the population and the second step is looking to see if there are funds available,” said Chan Sam, head counselor.
Lewis wins the Cortopassi
Second science teacher to receive award
annamarie cunningham
Every day people wake up to information sources bombarding them with news of misfortune. But these happenings are mostly distant, and it becomes easy to forget that the dangers of the world could happen right here. After the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, CT, schools nationwide have been on red alert. Stagg is no different. After Stagg’s own two lockdowns in early February, administration is looking to keep students and staff safe at all costs. And according to Assistant Principal Gamal Salama, more emergency drills are only the beginning. “The district requires two a year, but we will be doing more,” Salama said. Another thing is that no administration will ever use the word “drill” to announce an evacuation, whether it’s a drill or not. Principal Andre Phillips said, “We’re not going to say drill or for real. We need people to take it seriously. We need people to follow procedures.” The procedure that took place last month wasn’t respected. Many teachers didn’t order students to stay quiet or hide under desks, and some didn’t even turn off their lights or stop teaching. Phillips and Salama, as well as all of the safety coordinators on campus, recognize that people weren’t taking the situation seriously. “The rules weren’t being enforced,” Phillips said . And it would have been impossible for anyone in a classroom to ignore the urgent message on the all-call. Except for a few – seemingly forgotten – classrooms in the back of the school. The dance and fitness rooms, as well as L3, have no mode of communication with the rest of the school. The closest all-call is in the gym, which is separate from two of those rooms. Physical education teacher Rosslyn Halekakis has been working for several years to get at least a phone in each classroom. “I’ve tried and tried and tried and tried but still nothing.” These events raise a serious question. Is campus safe? Some say that there is a gap in what needs to be done and what is actually being done. There used to be security cameras on campus, but they stopped being used. Emergency situation plans were recently put in sub packets. The evacuation map was remade to be clear. And there are still classrooms on campus that aren’t connected to the rest of the school. Administration is doing what they can. But according to science photo by Nicole Lawrence teacher Marcus Sherman, “It’s taking a lot longer to get to where we need to be than it should.” Sherman has been an advocate for Lewis assists students in a lab, which involves isolating increased measures of protection on campus. pathogen bacteria and growing it in a pure culture. The class “We have a lot of work ahead of us to be ready for any emergency takes part in many different labs throughout the year. situation,” Salama said.
adrianna owens
Two years. Two awards. $20,000. Last year, science teacher Marcus Sherman took home the Cortopassi Family Foundation Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Awards, which recognizes two “outstanding” science and math teachers in the county. And with the award money that Sherman received last year, he purchased classroom response systems, commonly referred to as clickers, for the science classes that allow the teacher to quiz the whole class while having the answers on screen after every question. This year science teacher Elizabeth Lewis won the $10,000, and with it she plans to buy another set of the clickers. “There’s this unspoken rule that the same school can’t win twice in a row and I’m glad the committee overruled it,” Assistant Principal Youlin Aissa said. She is rather fond of Lewis, claiming that she deserved the recognition, because of all of the hard work she puts into making this campus great. Lewis has worked on many activities and programs on campus and she has strained over “behind the scenes” work for years. She says that now she is glad that she was recognized for her hard work. One of her many accomplishments on campus is creating lesson plans for substitutes that have taken over for one of her department colleagues, spending her time working on them whenever she can.
The money that she will receive is split in half, giving $5,000 to the science department and another $5,000 for her personal needs. “I was incredibly excited because we can get cool new supplies for the department,” she said. Taylor Garcia, a junior, knows that the money will be put to good use and said that Lewis knows what the students need and what they will benefit from. She is very fond of Lewis’s teaching style. “She’s a good teacher because she cares a lot about her students and she makes sure they get the best opportunities they can,” she said. And aside from being a caring teacher and an influence in students’ lives, Lewis has volunteered her time to partake in various activities around campus. “My students typically don’t know all of the stuff I’m involved in,” she said. Aissa thinks that she is very humble and that she has dedicated herself to making the school and her colleagues improve. “She’s a very deserving candidate,” she said. In Lewis’s mind, having two teachers win back-to-back really makes a strong statement on the campus as a whole. The whole science department has been working on ways to improve, and she thinks that with the winning of the award, it says that what they are doing is working. “It shows that we have a strong instructional environment,” she said.
Assembly celebrates Black History Month jada johnson Students and staff were taken on “A Musical Journey” on Feb. 25. A more uncommon genre was sung in the theater during fourth period in celebration of Black History Month. Gospel. “Black History Month isn’t recognized enough,” freshman Makayla Hannah, who sang “Precious Lord” at the assembly, said. “It’s not appreciated, even by (African Americans).” “It’s fitting that we take the time to recognize all the people who have given their time, their sweat, and their blood to build this country,” Social Studies Department Chair Audrey Weir-Graham said. Weir-Graham even went so far as to do “Facts on Blacks” in her classes to inform students about the
accomplishments of African Americans. Hannah, who celebrates Black History Month outside of school through her church, has learned to appreciate African Americans who made history but go unnoticed. In fact, the first successful heart surgery was performed by an African American. The first traffic light was built by an African American, as was the first gas mask -- a very resourceful tool during World War II. “It wasn’t just Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks who made a difference,” she said. The unappreciation of Black History Month inspired the assembly. Campus security monitors Otha Dread and Donnah Glover, whom the students commonly refer to as Ms. G, not only directed the “musical journey” program that featured students who expressed
their faith through gospel songs, but also expressed their beliefs by singing as well. The music was hoped to be the fuse to bond all students of all ethnicities together in honor of the equality African Americans fought vigorously to gain. After the program ended, students attended a celebration and gathered around at lunch to discuss the performances. “That was an amazing thing to see,” Glover said. “All ethnicities walking hand and hand,” referencing Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Senior Alona Green had the privilege of reading the landmark speech at the assembly. “I felt like it was important to show how we’ve changed as a culture over time,” Green said. “I felt proud to read his speech because it’s so inspirational.”
Green went on to say that she felt the students grasped the culture of African Americans through the speech and every other aspect of the assembly. “I can’t get over the hidden talents our students have,” business skills teacher Ron Tankersley said. The main goal of the assembly was to encourage students to look beyond themselves and be the people Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Thurgood Marshall wanted us to be. Advocates of equality, freedom, and self worth. In hopes that the assembly will take place next year and years to come, Glover said, “I’d like to introduce more topics. I’d like to do skits and inform the students on inventors. It’s all a matter of time.” Francine Baird, assistant principal, agrees. “Everyone deserves to be culturally enhanced,” she said. “We’ll just continue to build on making these events possible.”
Staff and students participated in an assembly in celebration of Black History Month on Feb. 25. This included the band, choir, and select individuals who performed. photos by Dellanira Alcauter, Chao Xiong, Reanna Rodriguez