Stagg Line
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11.13.15 Vol. 59 No. 3
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207
Home of the Delta Kings
’Tis the season of contradictions. Thanksgiving is approaching, but it’s also Native American Heritage Month. A handful of students speak out to recognize a culture mostly forgotten. their ancestral birthright and the center of Native American life The relatively small size of as well as their gradual displaceStagg’s Native American popula- ment and dispersal have, partiction and their status as a low-pro- ularly for those with strong ties file group on campus have natu- to their religion and culture, left rally led to their not receiving some with an intense feeling of much attention. alienation from American soci Interviews conducted with ety. 12 Native American students Spurlin’s three-times greatwith a view to filling this gap grandfather John Ross led part revealed that they feel almost of the Cherokee nation along the abandoned by the United States Trail of Tears. Up to a third of government. them would die along the way. “I think it’s hard for a Na- “I am entitled to it,” Spurlin tive American to trust the gov- said, referring to the land. ernment,” senior Parker Spurlin Yet none of these students said. were resentful. Many of them ex From the students’ perspec- pressed an ardent desire to see the tive, the U.S. government holds U.S. government, as the current itself to a lower standard when it steward of their former domains, comes to Native Americans. show more transparency and Whereas the government treat it well. feels obligated to honor its com- Ross-Stearns, who speaks mitments to far-off nations and some Sioux and regularly goes other Americans, they feel that it to tribal gatherings, said that rarely honors its promises to Na- his concern for and detachment tive Americans. from the land has led to an alien A government promise, said ation so grevious that he comsophomore Andrew Ross-Stea- pared it to a nightmare. rns, “ just feels different. When “They’re not telling us what they tell you something, they is happening to the land, what we don’t do it.” really want to know,” Ross-Stea The confiscation of the land, rns said.
MatthewKimani
“It bugs me to see that Columbus is hailed. It can be a little bit enraging at times.” Parker Spurlin Senior It’s not only the fact that the land was taken that bothers them. The deliberate distortion of their history of dispossession cannot but add insult to an already festering injury. “It bugs me to see that Columbus is hailed,” Spurlin said. “It can be a little bit enraging at times.” And his anger is justified. Bartolomé de las Casas, a contemporary of Columbus, described him and his compatriots as “ravening beasts, killing, terrorizing, afflicting, torturing, and
please see NATIVE page 8
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOANN SAGARAL AND CELINE LOPEZ
Science starts next generation Safety Academy New standards put emphasis on discovery rather than facts
MatteoDanforth “Here’s the lab.” “Where are the procedures?” “Figure them out.” In the coming months, science classes across the nation will soon experience a shift like this, where educators place more responsibility onto the students due to a new set of standards recently created. On Oct. 22-23, science teachers William Lorentz and Marcus Sherman attended the National Science Teachers Association’s annual convention in Reno, Nevada. The highlight of this event: implementing the new Next Generation Science Standards. NGSS is a new set of benchmarks developed by all 50 states to better prepare students for the competitive world of science. The standards took inspiration from an older set of standards as well as from
those set by other nations with students that are leading in the sciences. In many ways, the new standards coincide with Common Core in how they emphasize apply learned skills. At the NSTA convention, the two teachers were exposed to a multitude of new techniques and recommendations for teaching, especially for Advanced Placement classes. “One of the main points was emphasizing the use of inquiry-based labs,” Sherman said. He explains how many labs now come with a set of procedures students merely follow like rules. The new standards stress having students assess the situation and figure out what to do based on their analysis. What does that mean for students? According to Lorentz, it’s going to be a challenge for most. “Majority of students need to be rewired to demonstrate their learning. That’s what NGSS, like Common Core, are trying to do.” Lorentz explains how science education, up until high school, was mostly fact-based. Once most students entered AP science classes, “they struggled with it.” The most significant change to science classes will be seen in labs. Many of the labs currently used will be adjusted to incorporate NGSS and new labs will start being used in the coming semester. In Sherman’s anatomy classes, junior Aaron Vang explains how they conducted a nerve lab that “was unlike anything I’ve done before. Even though we learned how to use the tools, we had to figure out how to record our own data.” Students were given the opportunity to assess their data and neatly record it as well as evaluate their own errors and create a conclusion. Although NGSS poses some struggles for students, it advocates hope that students will be more prepared to compete with people from other countries who have already been using standards like these. Lorentz also exPHOTO BY ARACELI VALENCIA plains how the added difficulty Senior Alexis Desio and her partner work on a sensory lab in Anatomy and Physiology. They had to come will better prepare students when up with their own procedure because it is a part of new science standards that will change most classes. taking the AP tests for the science subjects.
Bottom Line
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Thank you grams
Key Club will be selling candy grams from Nov. 16 to Nov. 20 at lunch and after school. The grams will cost $2 and $5 for a bear bundle. A portion of the profit will be donated to charity.
Thanksgiving break
There will be no school from Nov. 23 to Nov. 27. School will resume on Nov. 30.
College applications
California State University and University of California applications period has opened and will be until midnight, Nov. 30. See College and Career Center for more information.
Necessities drive
There will be a drive to collect necessities for the homeless until Nov. 20. All items can be turned in to fourth period teachers or to Gina Ming, Key Club advisor, in H-7. The donations will be made into care packages.
will start next year My’KaylaMoore
There’s about to be a new school on campus, and it’s already impacting over half the R-wing. Class will be in session at The Stockton Public Safety Academy next fall. Megan Russo, a new assistant principal as of last month, will be overseeing the academy when the school gets started, but for now she’s here at Stagg. SPSA is a school that will be for students grades 5-8, and it will target students who aspire to work in the field of law enforcement some career choices may include firefighter and police officer. The school will start out to be grades 5-8 for the first year, and the second year, it will be 5-9, and so on until the 12th grade. “Since it is an academy students will have to apply to be considered for acceptance, but as far as requirements go, I’m not 100% sure of what they are yet.” “It’s not a private school or anything, but there will be requirements that people will have to meet,” Russo said. The academy is not just for law enforcement studies, though. Russo says that students will still be learning the required subjects that every other student has to learn: math, science, and social studies. It will still be a standard school, but its main focus is education, integrity and service. With the addition of a new school, some may think what
PHOTO BY MY’KAYLA MOORE
The new assistant principal of the Stockton Public Safety Academy is Megan Russo. This school opens next fall in the R-wing.
about all the teachers and students that have classes in the R-wing? Will they have the same lunches and passing periods as the high school students? These are questions that have been floating around campus since people have heard about the new school. Russo assures that she will be sure that the lunches and passing periods will be different. Half of the R-wing teachers had to move to make space for SPSA, so what happened to the teachers there? Most of the teachers have been moved to the other side of the wing, but some others have been put in vacant classrooms throughout the campus, and the ones still there will need to move out to the rest of the campus after this year, too.
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Stagg Line
Opinion
11.13.15
Police Academy will improve city S CHARTERS IN THE U.S., CALIFORNIA, AND SUSD
These specialty schools can be found in any district across the country but usual miniscule ff Out of the 98,454 public schools in the United States, 6,097 of these schools are charter schools, making up only 6 percent of the schools in the nation ff California is home to the most charter schools, with 1,230 as of 2015 ff There is an estimated 581,100 students enrolled in California charter schools for the 2015-16 year ff The Weber Technical Institute was establshied in 2000 and was the first charter school opened in Stockton ff There is a total of seven 9-12 grade charter schools in Stockton, not including the new Public Safety Academy being created for the 2016-17 year SOURCE: US NEWS, CALIFORNIA CHARTER SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION WEBSITE, SUSD WEBSITE
tockton is in bad shape. City-Data.com states we have had up to 71 murders per 100,000. This is enough to make us 40th on the 100 deadliest cities in the United States by neighborhoodscout. com. Stockton and its residents need help. The police force has had trouble with recruiting in past years which doesn’t improve the situation. How are we supposed to fight crime without the department made to combat it? To boost recruitment of trained people, with more than just base knowledge, a new academy will open on Stagg’s campus. We feel that this will be a great improvement for the city and within as little as nine years we, as a city, will have new officers from this academy. Stockton Public Safety Academy and the principal, Megan Russo, will take over next August. Students will study the a-g required subjects but the academy will also include an Intro
to Public Safety, Forensic Science, Law Society, Peer Psychology and Criminal Behavior. According to a flyer promoting the academy, it is designed for students that have academic skills as well as character, integrity, and who are physically fit. We feel that this will make more able officers, who are more ready to serve. Students will have police agencies providing support, mentoring and training on a regular basis. We feel that this training over many years is the next step in law enforcement. It gives them time to get to know the city and know the bad parts of it. This vital information, when being an officer, helps with navigation, alertness, safety and mobility. With more time, the police force may have better recruits, because their training can be more thoroughly ingrained. They will have the support of being in a school that strives to prepare students for a career in law enforcement. They will have more time to learn and pro-
cess the information they need. And finally they can be monitored more to weed out the ones that don’t fit the police form. We feel that they can change the way that police are trained. We believe that this recruits will rise through the ranks and strengthen the police force. With other states seeing how our police force has come back from being so ill equipped to being so forceful they may follow suit. This may spread and officers around the United States can be trained over many years. This pioneering program can turn into great things and we can be a part of it. In conclusion the academy shows great promise. The boost in ready and willing recruits will stimulate the police force and hopefully gain ground on the rising crime wave. We hope that the new school is successful and in the future can make our city a better place.
Whitewashing takes away opportunities D
id you hear? Apparently actors like Rooney Mara, Emma Stone, and Benedict Cumberbatch are so talented that can play any race! What? While actors do indeed have the talent to play characters of a different background, sexuality, and identity, one cannot portray a different race. Race is something that simply cannot be forged. Unfortunately this happens way too often. This act of offense has been going on since the late 1800’s where it was not common to hire people of color in any sort of film. “Blackface” was actually used on white actors to give off the illusion that they were a person of color. Whitewashing primarily occurs when a fictional character who is supposed to be a person of color is played by a white actor. This usually occurs in films that are adapted from a book or a true life event. There’s a difference between casting a POC with a white actor and casting a POC as what was originally meant to be a white character. Fictional characters have the freedom of being a POC. If the race is not significant to the story, the casting does not have be limited to white actors. Minorities have very little to no representation in the industry since it is predominantly consists of white males. It is not equivalent in any way, shape or form. Not only does whitewashing remove an opportunity to represent a whole culture in Hollywood but it also neglects to give a POC a job. As a Hispanic woman, I see the limited ways Hollywood represents my culture. I can count the very few actresses that do on one hand. It would
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EstefanyNunez
“As a Hispanic woman, I see the limited ways Hollywood represents my culture.” be difficult for me to find a Hispanic woman that has the same aspirations and goals as me on screen. It’s discouraging. While there are more diverse roles popping up now than there was before, whitewashing is still occurring in 2015. Movies like “Stonewall,” “Aloha” and “Pan” have all released this year and have
Staff & Policies the
Stagg Line
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207 The Stagg Line is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, whose awards include the following: ff All-American: 21 years ff Hall of Fame ff First Place, Best of Show: five times ff National Newspaper Pacemaker: seven times Stagg Line journalists over the years have won many awards and scholarships, including California Journalist of the Year, National Story of the Year and National Photo of the Year.
The Stagg Line newspaper is published monthly and distributed free to students and staff members. Our website staggonline.net is updated regularly with online exclusives. The Stagg Line is a long-standing open forum for free student expression. That means, student editors and reporters make content and style decisions with the adviser offering guidance. The staff editorial, which appears at the top of this page, reflects the opinion of the entire staff and therefore is not signed. A personal column is signed and reflects the writer’s point of view. Readers are welcome to submit letters for publication regarding any story published or any school issue. We will make every effort to publish any letter that is not libelous, obscene or inflammatory. Letters longer than 250 words may be edited for length. Letters may be given to any staff member, delivered to A8 or emailed to dbott@stocktonusd.net.
whitewashed characters that were meant to be of color. All of them also bombed in the box office. In “Pan,” Rooney Mara was cast as Tiger Lily, a Native American friend of Peter Pan and the daughter of the native chief. The justification for her casting was the fact that it was set in Neverland, a made-up place. The movie made only $15.3 million in the opening box office weekend, which is catastrophic compared to the $150 million budget they had. In “Aloha”, Emma Stone was casted as mixed Chinese and Hawaiian character. The movie cast was a majority of white actors, in a film set in Hawaii where white people are the minorities. “Aloha” opened with $10 million to their $40 million budget. “Stonewall,” a film about the Stonewall riots, an event said to have started the LGBT rights movement, was also whitewashed. Instead of having the African American transgender woman Marsha P. Johnson and drag queen, transgender
Sylvia Rivera, a made-up white male character was created to tell the historic story. The pattern is evident. It’s comprehensible when the casting call is limited to very specific identities, but the whole idea of representation isn’t about how difficult it may be. Young children deserve to have role models like a black superhero or a strong developed female character. It creates a safe environment for everyone, not just white people. It’s 2015 and awards are still being given out as “First African American women to...”. It’s extremely significant especially when people of color are discouraged from following the arts due to lack of representation. We’re in a different time and, as a person of color, I hate seeing stereotypes continue to be endorsed due to lack of representation. Whitewashing is insensitive and quite frankly, a waste of time and money.
REPORTERS
EDITORS CelineLopez, editor-in-chief AraceliValencia, news editor MatteoDanforth, opinion editor PhillicityUriarte-Jones, features editor EstefanyNunez, entertainment editor SathinaFlores, sports editor MarleenePheav, web editor My’KaylaMoore, photo editor AngelGonzalez, graphics editor
SaraAbdeltawab GamelaBrice LouisFuentez RosaGarcia StephanieJimenez MatthewKimani JeffersonLeiva StephanieMatsumoto JuliaRosete JoAnnSagaral ArrianaSmith LuciTomas BrennonTurner
DonBott, adviser Follow us on Facebook (Stagg Line) as well as Twitter and Instagram (@staggonline). Current and older issue PDFs are available at issuu.com/staggline
Opinion
11.13.15
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Much needed end to policy
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Stagg Line
China terminates one-child family planning
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PhillicityUriarte-Jones
aving a sibling can be a blessing or a curse. You can either get along with them or develop a deep-set and almost irrational rage toward them, but they are a part of your life. They have affected you in some way, good or bad, and made you the person you are today. In China, however, there had been a one-child policy, which has only recently become a two-child policy. The policy was originally invoked because of a detrimental population boom years ago, but while it may have served its original purpose, it has also left the country with a dying workforce. It has also left a vast gender ratio divide, with males outnumbering females by 33 million. This is due to a preference for male offspring
and couples aborting female fetuses conceived. If a couple were to accidentally conceive a second child it was not uncommon for the government to force an abortion any time before the birth of the child. There has even been a reported case of a forced abortion eight months in on The Telegraph. The woman was restrained and injected with a fatal compound to kill off the “illegal” child. The Chinese government is playing too large a roll in a place where the decision should be made by the couple. Telling a couple that they are limited to a certain amount of children and that they would kill them if they couldn’t afford paying thousand dollar fines because of them is disgustingly dictatorial.
When my mother was pregnant, I was ecstatic. Imagining someone forcefully taking that away from not only me, but my whole family, would leave me more than heartbroken — I would’ve been devastated. Only within my thoughts can I feel the loss couples have felt. Only in my thoughts can I feel how children there feel. Now, with the two-child policy, couples and families rejoice. They can finally expand their families, children will finally have siblings. But it could be much too late. The baby boomers are dying out, becoming too old for labor. The generation after is miniscule in comparison. Will the new policy create another boom? What will they do then? Repeat history and enforce the one-child policy again?
ARIAN ZWEGER/CREATIVE COMMONS A poster in the streets of China promoting the infamous “one-child policy” that the communist nation developed.
Mandatory test offers boost in academics W e were encouraged to take this seriously, all 300-plus sophomores and a handful of juniors who sat down Oct. 28 to take a practice version of a much more important test most of us would take in the future. That test, the Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test, or PSAT, was something that I didn’t 100 percent believe would help me at all. It was, however, an extremely challenging experience. The PSAT was difficult at points. Like possibly many other students I could read the same sentence from a passage over and over again as I attempted to make sense of what was happening. I struggled to comprehend formulas and expressions that I felt as if I had never seen before. The never failing “I haven’t chosen C in a while” came up more than once. Saying that I wasn’t stressed when I heard that I would only have 15 more minutes to finish five more passages and questions, or that I wasn’t disappointed after time was called only to see two more pages of problems would be a lie. It was disappointing, yet that disappointment is what pushed me to only try harder after every section. The dissatisfaction of seeing all these empty bubbles of questions I wasn’t able to get to was motivating in a way. Section by section I started to see improvement on how efficiently I worked and by the last section, I had actually completed it on time. Though the test was not the SAT, I wanted to treat it as important and, by doing so, it
THANKS ... A LOT
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StephanieMatsumoto made me realize how unprepared I would be if it was. However, the feeling of not knowing those problems wasn’t a bad thing in this case.Though someone can think that is one of the worst feelings when taking an important test, it wasn’t how I felt. I found out what I struggled with or what I needed to better myself on such as how much time I spend on each question. Before taking the PSAT, I couldn’t assure myself as to whether or not I would have taken it under different circumstances. Unlike past students, I didn’t have to pay to wake up at an absurd time in the morning, nor did I have to drive to a school foreign to me with people I have never seen before. At that point, it didn’t seem worth it. Now, I would urge upcoming sophomores and juniors to take it next year. It was an eye opening experience that I was glad to take in the end. If you want to prepare yourself for one of the most important tests of your high school life, this test would be a great way to do so.
Celebration of holiday covers up history of Native American oppression
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t’s a holiday filled with family, food, and gratitude. Aromas of deliciously-plump ham and freshly-baked pumpkin pie invigorate the atmosphere of happiness and joy. Having family and relatives sitting around a homemade meal with turkey as the main dish is the epitome of modern-day Thanksgiving. But for some, it’s a reminder of the grim past. The genocide, enslavement, and oppression of the indigenous people of America, known as the Native Americans, are reminders about the history of their people and their land while the rest of America enjoys days off and a celebratory meal. Learning about Thanksgiving in grade school has always been a pleasant occasion. Making turkey hands, coloring in print-outs of cornucopias, and
MarleenePheav writing letters about how thankful we are sums up the usual holiday activities. But the only history ever taught was about explorer Christopher Columbus, who “discovered” America in 1492. A century after he landed
on what he presumed was India, European colonists took over what was later revealed as a “new world.” Because of that, Native Americans are also constantly given the mistaken title of “American Indians.” My grandparents and parents had that chance to escape from the holocaust in Cambodia, created by the people known as the Khmer Rouge. They were able to find a safe haven from the massacre and restart life in “the land of opportunity.” The Native Americans, indigenous people of America, had nowhere else to go. As their homeland was seized and their rights expropriated, fleeing elsewhere was not a viable option. To create a modern-day holiday during this time of year, during the terror and fear they faced in the past, and to cele-
brate it, is reprehensible. It wasn’t until high school when I became aware about the actual events that happened during the so-called “discovery” of America. Native Americans were stripped of everything: culture, lives, freedom. It’s what happens to civilizations that become colonized by more-developed societies, especially those who have a paternalistic view of the world. Why is it that, as children, we are taught by the filtered education that runs through our country? Then again, why would we speak of the horrific, unpleasant history to them at such a young age? It makes sense to sweeten it up a little when they’re young, but we can’t forget to teach them of the brutal and realistic history as they grow.
We are more than our stereotype E
JuliaRosete
very day, people make jokes about our school and our city’s bad reputation. People joke about how the things that happen here are due to the fact that “it’s just Stagg” or “it’s just Stockton.” Is that the real reason? It’s sad that we make jokes about this and degrade our home. Students and citizens of this town should be proud of where they come from, not joke about our negative connotations. There is no reason for snide jokes. This is where we come from. We can wish all we want that it was different. No matter how much a person may complain about their life, they won’t change it with a negative word. We must take the initiative to make it better.
A way to do that would be to stop these comments. One of the school’s slogans is “Stagg Pride Inside.” But there always seems to be a lack of just that: pride in our school. If we want people to see us differently, we have to make that change. Passing through the halls, I hear people talk about how Stagg and Stockton “sucks” or “has nothing fun to do.” But if they were to look a little harder, anyone could go online and see that there are plenty of fun activities, such as ice skating and local sporting events, to go do with your friends. When people hear the name “Stagg” or “Stockton”, they almost immediately say something about lack of safety and crime.
“No matter how much a person may complain about their life, they won’t change it with a negative word... Take the initiative to make it better.” The students of this school and members of this community need to step up to the plate to make our area known for more positives than negatives. For example, our school has a national award winning MESA program. We have teachers that go above and beyond to help their students get into UC schools or even private universities.
Over just the past few decades, our city has produced doctors, musicians, lawyers, professional sports players, and scientists who work for NASA. Why don’t we look at that instead of how many murders have happened so far this year?
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Features
Stagg Line
11.13.15
Bratz and Barbie undergo make-under Dolls change appearance to appear more human
ArrianaSmith
Dolls are made to be admirable and alluring to young girls so that they will want to play with them. But for Tasmanian artist Sonia Singh that was not the case. Singh took old Bratz, dressed the dolls in new clothes, repainted their faces and posed them to take photos in nature inspired scenery. They have now been labeled as Tree Change Dolls. Those who played with Bratz were aware of their makeup, clothes, and urban style. Bratz dolls were originally supposed to represent the urban and Latina cultures. “My favorite one was always Yasmin,” said senior Destiny Guzman. “She was from a Mexican family.” Guzman felt good about herself because there was a doll with a similar background. For senior Aja Reyes she believed the makeup made the dolls more appealing and attractive. For someone who was always into sports, Reyes said that playing with the dolls made her feel girly and helped her bond with her cousins. “When I was younger I felt like Barbie dolls primarily represented white girls,” said Reyes. “I liked that some of the Bratz dolls looked like me.” Many people want dolls to accurately represent teens and young women. If a person takes a Barbie doll from different eras you’ll see a clear change in the body shape, a bigger expansion of ethnicities, a smaller chest and wider waist. After the Bratz relaunch, alterations were made to the dolls, their slogan, clothes and makeup. Their clothes are now more conservative and their makeup is more natural.
Senior Sharley Mendoza played with Bratz growing up. “Looking back on it now I don’t think Bratz dolls were good role models for young girls to be playing with.” ` She believes they should have been more covered up and wore less makeup. Junior Alyssa Martinez disagrees. “Playing with bratz was how I learned about makeup,” she said. “ Repainting their faces erases their culture.” Martinez feels that dolls should not be limited to the superficial forms of beauty: long blonde hair, blue eyes, long eyelashes, and big lips. A bald Barbie doll named Ella was released to show that even girls without hair be beausophomore can tiful. Another example was when an image of a plus sized Barbie doll went viral. There was an uproar of disgust. There were also people who believed Mattel should consider manufacturing a plus sized doll. Mattel’s latest Barbie doll has an even wider waist and moveable joints. Older Barbie dolls were only be able to wear heels due to the structure of their feet. They are now making them with a flatter footbed for those whose Barbie beauty standard is not of the classic doll. Sophomore Isis Rocha turned to Barbie dolls when she felt ignored or alone. “It was just me and my sister,” Rocha said. “When no one wanted to play with me I would just go play with my dolls.” Sophomore Selena Chom played had one Barbie doll that was very sentimental to her. It was a present from her mother before she left. Chom said this doll was more than just something to play with. It was also her best friend.
“When I was younger I felt like Barbies primarily represented white girls.”
Aja Reyes
Young Democrats spread political awareness PhillicityUriarte-Jones and AngelGonzalez Politics are often disregarded by those who are “too young” to completely understand them. More often than not, teenagers especially are more consumed in other activities that relax them rather than cause them to have to think so thoroughly about their political views. To generalize all teenagers this way would, however, be inaccurate, as a group of students on Stagg’s campus are prime examples of teens who are politically aware and active. Senior Itzel Godinez has been a member Young Democrats of San Joaquin County just her senior year and has already been more politically active than many people who have had the ability to vote for years. As a part of the program, Godinez has gathered with the rest of the members and volunteered for Congressman Jerry McNerney’s annual BBQ Cook-Off, the Annual Truman Club Omelet Breakfast, the Annual San Joaquin County Democratic Party BBQ as well as fought for students in our community by taking action to expose terrible votes that would freeze the PELL Grant. Being in the program has helped her look at a candidate and evaluate them based on their beliefs rather than support someone just because they have the ability to present themselves well. Godinez has also developed the ability to form her own opinions on social issues rather than basing hers off of something someone else said or implied. “I think being in the program helps us understand more about political issues and politics,” she said. While Godinez identifies as a Democrat wholeheartedly, senior Ebony Gonzales has many beliefs identifying with both both major parties. The program, while directly affiliated with Democrats, has not made her feel uncomfortable with her Republican beliefs. Within the group she feels safe and is treated respectfully even if her views differ from one of her peers. One of the main goals of YDSJC is to contribute to the community, something she supports wholeheartedly. Gonzales has become more aware of what goes on in Stockton because of this, and consequently learned of a different program she was interested in within the community.The basis of the YDSJC is to give back to the community and doing their part to make sure that all people have the tools they need. Currently serving as chairman of the outreach committee, Gonzales has a newfound respect and understanding of politics and has come to enjoy being involved. “Politics are connected to everything that happens around me, whether that be good or bad.”
Programs promote positivity
But do they make enough of a difference?
Both organizations of #ICanHelp want students to post only positive messages, to report anything inappropriate and to stop negative talk The PLUS Program is all about building a positive culture among with positivity. Soeth said “we’ve heard more negative comments than the students and staff — a positive school climate. Both organizations positive.” So “speak up don’t pass,” he said. of #ICanHelp (the help line and delete negativity) help schools fix “How do you look at the social media platform?” and “how do we and prevent arising problems in social media by providing internet focus on the positivity?” he asked. “There’s a lot going on and you just safety and teach about educated don’t see it.” We also need to be linguistics to the students. And aware of the consequences when Point Break is to have students things are shared because “once feel empowered on their school you share it, it’s out.” campus. #ICanHelp wants students But are all of these programs “to feel empowered on the web,” making the kind of difference Soeth said. they hope to make? organization’s effectiveco-founder of #ICanHelp nessTheir Kevin Oki, coordinator of is based upon the school, the PLUS program, says the proand how much they want to help gram’s goal is to ensure that students can feel safe in their own school, students. connect better with peers, gain a sense of belonging, and engage more Then there’s Point Break: the all-day program that works with the in school functions. The program allows “students to voice out their entire sophomore class over a series of four Friday’s is all about helping opinions of what they see on campus,” said Oki, so that they could students with their problems in their lives — to face and overcome try and transform the issue in a positive way. (I’m going to ask Oki for adversity. more information) Point Break provides bonding activities for students to open up Matt Soeth, co-founder of #ICanHelp and a former Stagg teach- and realize they aren’t the only ones going through difficulties in their er, enjoys working with schools and empowering students but also life. They want students to feel empowered on their school campus building them up. “If we can empower students and educate schools,” but most of all that they’re not alone in all that they go through. Soeth said, “their ecosystem could be better.” Conflict Mediator Perla Gonzalez, junior, said her favorite part #ICanHelp has all the tools to remove negativity off the Internet about being able to help out “is being able to be there for people.” but it all depends on the user to report it. You see, the system won’t Gonzalez only knew Point Break from a student’s perspective but this go in and manually check every video or photo if it is inappropriate year she joined as a helper and it became more of an eye-opener to her. because it’s such a hassle checking everything especially with people She saw the effect of helping other people through their probuploading new content all the time. Networks rely on the user to re- lems. In the eyes of Gonzalez Point Break is very effective due to the port it. idea of “the whole message is that you’re not alone,” she said. “Social media to me is only as good as the user,” Soeth said. As Soeth said, “Do you build people up or tear people down?”
SathinaFlores
“Social media to me is only as good as the user.”
Matt Soeth
(left) Sophomores Ciera Wallace and Aaliyah Wilson-Mercado partcipate in a morale-building Point Break exercise. Junior Alexander Qualls leads a PLUS forum addressing key issues on campus.
LEFT PHOTO BY SARA ABDELTAWAB ABOVE PHOTO BY SATHINA FLORES
Features
11.13.15
More than just hours
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Community service helps build character JeffersonLeiva Usually, high school is filled with riveting stories about people’s social lives. They may go to a sporting event or the next party. Yet there are some students who haven’t figured out where they really belong. Coming to a new stage in life isn’t easy. Everyone can’t be expected to find their place of choice or their future aspirations in four years. But these four years are crucial to discovering who you really are. Whether it’s friends or school that drives your life, nothing can prepare you better than experience. Senior Marlene Espinoza is aware of this. She began contributing to her community her sophomore year. Yet before she became a virtual Samaritan, she was indifferent about serving her community. Her primary motivation for joining a club was “to do hours for Mrs. Weir-Graham.” She entered her first club meeting, which was Interact, nervous. Not knowing a lot of peers her age, she felt discouraged at first. But ever since deciding to join a club and to do community service, it has become a passion. This has been the case for several students, one of which is Martha Valencia. Valencia, also a senior, was able to find what she really wants to do later in life. She has had the opportunity to help in various service events, totaling in about 200 hours. “It’s really fun helping the community, seeing people happy at an event because everything is going the way it’s supposed to be,” she said. “I think you get more out of it as you see the smiles on people’s faces.” One of her most memorable service events was when she had to help at the Stockton Bread of Life, where volunteers handed out food to the needy. “If you’re helping them even in that little contribution, as in just putting something in a bag and giving it to them, it makes a big difference,” Valencia said. “Apart from the smiles you see in people’s faces, it’s humbling.” Now she aspires to help those in need and ultimately go into a pre-medical field where she can achieve that goal. Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, it’s never too early or late to contribute to your community. There are always plenty of chances to help, and high school especially encompasses many of those opportunities. Sophomore Leslie Coronado joined the MESA Club after attending her middle school MESA class. As a freshman, she contributed exclusively to MESA and Red Cross. But now she is part of a wide range of community service clubs such as Key Club, National Honors Society, Interact and much more. She has noticed a major difference after volunteering. “I learned how to work with people,” she said. “That’s one thing I couldn’t do. But now I learned how to do it better.” Before, she felt as if she “was a lot more introverted. I didn’t talk as much.” But Coronado is now more outgoing. Senior Daniel Diep, also part of MESA, has noticed this. Since having the requirement of completing hours for the class, he feels that it is now much easier to communicate with peers and strangers. “It’s easier to communicate because before I used to be quiet,” Diep said. “But when I do community service I actually have to talk to people and interact with them” Yet students like Isamar Figueroa, a senior, didn’t realize how important serving their community was. “I didn’t really care back then,” Figueroa said. “But when I started that’s when I started to care more about my community.” She also said how serving community service has made her more responsible. “I was a really irresponsible person,” Figueroa said. “I didn’t really care about anything. I would see people in need but I didn’t really care about them. When I started, that all changed.” They all agree that volunteering is not about completing hours, but the experience. Whether they help for 30 minutes or four hours, the thing they look for the most is the change they are creating in their community. But the thing they don’t really realize is the personal growth serving the community has provided. “I think everyone should (do community service),” Coronado said. “It’s not that hard to do. If you’re just willing to give one Saturday to help someone then I think you should.” Diep also shared the same feelings. “It’s better if you do community service because it shows that you can interact with people instead of doing nothing.”
PHOTOS BY JOANN SAGARAL
Zackary Liel spends more than 20 hours a week practicing.
VIOLIN VIRTUOSO
Zackary Liel proves practice pays off JoAnnSagaral
His hands are calloused and constantly cramped. Wearing worn out plaid and walking with a hefty stoop, he is the the last person you would expect to be a professional violinist. The junior’s name is Zackary Liel and he has been playing the stringed instrument for seven years. He has been involved in the County Honors Orchestra for six of those years and he is currently the only student from Stagg to be a part of it this year. Next year, he plans on taking part in the County Honors Symphonic Band. The first chair has been occupied by him for a large majority of his musical career. Practice is not the only reason for his adeptness, though. Before music became a career aspiration, music was a remedy for the student’s anxiety. Liel was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder in his earlier years of elementary school. It was not until sixth grade that he found an outlet for his nervous tics. A natural inclination for music bloomed when his teacher showed him the violin. The instrument gave him a great amount of joy while at the same time soothing his behavioral problems. Liel is able to be constructive with his compulsions by directing them towards his meticulous orchestra rehearsals. Now, he said, the symptoms of his OCD are barely visible. On an average day, he will probably spend up to three hours practicing on his violin. Monthly, he will receive four hours of private lessons from the
very same woman who introduced music to him. He easily spends up to 22 hours a week practicing on his own. When he is away from the violin, he will dedicate time toward writing various stories and poetry. Liel can be found in T3 either practicing on his trademark instrument or trying his hand on another. Band director Joseph Updegraff aids Liel in
career, but it does not interfere. The skills gained in violin have helped him in multiple subjects, particularly in mathematics. Liel praises music in deeming it a perfect way of learning “discipline” and “patience.” He aspires to give back the same experience he had to other children. Next year, he wishes to provide his own private lessons to Stagg students. He describes the feeling of performing in concert as “exposing what music is really about to me.” Liel finds there is a certain connection that is made between performer and stranger, something he strives to achieve every time he stands in front of an audience. Humbly, he explains how he would love to be able to play at the Faye Spanos Auditorium at Band Director the University of Pacific. In fact, Liel exclaims it would additional lessons on musical theory. Friday after- be a dream in itself just to attend UOP. He is set noons, Liel will go down to the University of the on getting educated in the fields of performing and Pacific to compose overtures with his colleague Jon- educating. athon Ivy, a former orchestra member here. Further in life, he sees himself performing with Rehearsals with the County Honors Orchestra the Stockton Symphony as well as the San Francisare “incredibly enriching.” More advanced players co Symphony. “If I’m lucky,” he said, “I’ll make it as well as college-level performers provide Zack- to Carnegie Hall.” ary Liel with invaluable advice. He also engages in As of now, Zackary Liel is preparing his audimeaningful conversation with the directors them- tion for the 2016 All State California Orchestra. selves. The pieces chosen by the directors are the Unlike the Country Honors Orchestra, Liel deones he absolutely relishes. He describes his first scribes it as “more competitive, more exclusive, and few County Honors Orchestra concerts as “his first the audition excerpts are far more challenging.” big push into pursuing a music major.” The volume of applicants far surpasses the Liel dubs himself as a “violinist all the time,” amount that the County Honors Orchestra reexplaining that he finds music intertwined with all ceives. He says with an unwavering confidence, aspects of his life. It is a large part of his school “Oh, it should be no problem.”
“Zack is singularly dedicated to the excellence of music and learning to be as a superior violin player as he can be.” Joseph Updegraff
Life hack: H2O edition Teen coders succeed in creating an effective app to conserve water SaraAbdeltawab It began with a few random students, and after 11 hours they were able to develop their first app. Two of the participants who joined the H2O Learnathon, within the Hackathon, had little to no background in programming. Those two students are sophomores Alberto Valencia and Luis Moreno. “At first I was a little confused,” Valencia said. “Because I didn’t know much about the competition.” At the Hackathon, which took place Oct. 9 at the Robert J. Cabral Agricultural Center, there was a group of judges that supervised the participants. The challenge was to make an app that would help San Joaquin County conserve water using codes they had just learned that day. Valencia and Moreno collaborated with a group of five other students. Once the students were put into teams, they were informed that whoever had the best app would receive a cash reward. While coming up with ideas for an app, Valencia and Moreno’s team set up a system where, if they were using more water than they should, they would receive a tweet informing them of their waste. The tweet would say something like “You have saved x amount of gallons, keep it up,” if they saved water; but if their team went over their water usage they would get a tweet that said, “You have exceed-
ed x amount of gallons, please stop or we will contact the authorities.” As a group they decided to divide their team in two. The “U.I” team, or the people that take care of the visual aspects of the application. And the coders, which coded the app. They had to preset the app to the panel of judges. They presented their application’s logic and also how it would look like on a phone. Their group used IBM Bluemix’s platform, NODE-RED, to code their app. Moreno and his team came up with Sprinkles as the name of their app as a haphazard attempt to comply with the judges’ requirements. While making the app, they compared it to using solar panels, because San Joaquin County doesn’t use a lot of water, compared to other counties, so Valencia and his teammates decided on taking the water that is not used and sell it. The company that buys it can then make money off of it by reselling it. Moreno, Valencia, and the five others on their team won the Cal Water Golden Spigot Award for having the most well-put and effective app in conserving water. The judges awarded a $3000 prize which was split among them, and the company Cafe Coop would like to sponsor them to finish their app. “I think that winning wasn’t the big thing of the day, Moreno said, “I think that getting the opportunity to attend the event was.”
Alberto Valencia (left) and Luis Moreno (right) were part of a team of seven working on the their project “Sprinkles.” PHOTOS BY SARA ABDELTAWAB
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Entertainment PUMPKIN’S HYPE 11.13.15
Fall brings pumpkin spice frenzy GamelaBrice
Fans are buzzing with “The Walking Dead” releasing its sixth season and “American Horror Story” releasing its fifth season: Hotel. Usually around the beginning of October, fans prepare to watch their favorite horror shows after the immense time wondering and waiting what will happen next in the new seasons. The suspenseful shows have captivated a vast fan base, all of whom share common interests ranging from surviving a zombie apocalypse or staying at a killer hotel. In the new season of “The Walking Dead,” fear and danger corrupt the chances of survival in a world overrun by walkers (zombies). The show’s season is full of surprises and struggles. Specifically when Rick (Andrew Lincoln) battles to decide whether he’s drawing the line or not when deciding whom to kill left from the living. This then leaves others to question his sense of morality. Meanwhile struggling to lead a horde of walkers out of sight, as others think twice whom to trust, is this living or just surviving? The show gets better and better, satisfying fans to hunger for more. In Season five of “American Horror Story,” the story is set at a vacant hotel in Los Angeles, where the thirst for blood is to die for. The season’s new featured star rises instantly into the spotlight, the countess (Lady Gaga) who owns the Hotel Cortez. This season includes a detective who investigates a series of murders by the Ten Commandments Killer, targeting anyone who breaks the Biblical laws. The sinister events follow as the detective tries to figure out what’s happening, and checking out won’t be as easy checking in. The show however, does a remarkable job with its horrifying storytelling, although it hasn’t been rated its best season compared to seasons two: Asylum and three: Coven.
New episodes of ‘American Horror Story: Hotel’ are on FX, Wednesdays 10/9c.
New episodes of ‘The Walking Dead’ are on AMC, Sundays 9/8c.
GRAPHIC BY ROSA GARCIA
Every year seasonal trends become more popular. With Thanksgiving approaching, pumpkin spice has become the main ingredient for various foods and drinks. However, Starbucks happens to be the most well known for selling not only pumpkin spice lattes but pumpkin spice instant coffee, frappuccinos, scones, and cream cheese muffins. “When word of the pumpkin spice drink first came out, I just remember tons of people coming in with their friends and family,” said Lilia Ishihara, senior from PLA. “Majority of the orders were either for the pumpkin spice latte or frappuccino.” Along with the change of every season comes the start of a new trend. However, after falling into the habit of purchasing the products that are temporarily trending, customers are forced to jump into a new one as a new season approaches. Although they may not always agree with this, a change of menu is what makes Starbucks the go to place for what is current. This season’s pumpkin spice trend is a perfect example of this. “I appreciate that customers really like what we are currently selling,” Ishihara said. “But it can get a bit frustrating when we stop selling something because the season is changing and they continue demanding items that are no longer in stock.” The pumpkin spice latte was originally brought about in January 2003. Seeing that there weren’t many popular pumpkin items around this time other than pumpkin pie, the Starbucks company decided to experiment with different components of pumpkin and spice, in search of a recipe. Once the recipe was found, approved, and released; sales of the drink exceeded its expectations. Today the pumpkin spice latte is one of Starbucks most popular seasonal beverages.With all this talk about pumpkin spice the question of what exactly is there to love about it comes up. Seeing that it is a Starbucks favorite, there must be something about it that keeps customers coming back for more. “I love the pumpkin spice drinks. I’ve actually tried both the latte and the frappuccino, and I plan on trying the muffins that I’ve heard so much about very soon,” said senior Nayannah Krauland. “I think that (the latte) is the perfect drink for this time of the year; (it) makes me feel like Thanksgiving is here early.” The change of season/theme process may be frustrating for some individuals, but that’s what sells. Yes, an item no longer being available because it is no longer in season can be a disappointment, but the change of scenery in stores, restaurants, and cafe’s is what keeps customers on their toes, and gives them something to look forward to. “I really enjoy how stores are set up and decorated for each season,” said Ishihara. “It really gives people the feeling of joy, and I believe by changing the drinks and some of the foods we sell to fit the holidays we do the same.” Although the newest trend is only temporary, that is no reason to not enjoy the season. As the month of November continues and slowly goes into December customers are looking forward to the new specials that will be coming soon. “Starting Nov. 10 we will be transitioning into our Christmas specials and products,” said Ishihara. “But, seeing that the pumpkin spice theme is really trending we’ve decided to extend the days it will be in stock and continue selling it throughout winter.”
WHAT’S IN YOUR CUP?
PHOTO BY GAMELA BRICE
“When word of the pumpkin spice drink first came out, I just remember tons of people coming in with their friends and family. Majority of the orders were either for the pumpkin spice latte or frappuccino.” Lilia Ishihara senior
Scan this QR code to watch an exclusive video about pumpkin spice at staggonline.net The extremely popular fall treat, the pumpkin spice latte starts with expresso and milk. Hints of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove are added. This is all topped off with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spices to finish off the hot treat.
Nutrition Facts Per Serving (16 fl oz) Calories 380 Calories from Fat 120 % Daily Value 22% Total Fat 14g 40% Saturated Fat 8g Trans Fat 0g 18% Cholesterol 55mg 10% Sodium 240mg 17% Total Carbohydrate 52g 0% Dietary Fiber 0g Sugars 50g Protein 14g 20% Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 50% Calcium 0% Iron Caffeine 150mg GRAPHIC BY ANGEL GONZALEZ
Sports
11.13.15
SAFETY FIRST? CelineLopez
One head-on tackle and it’s lights out. But how do athletes react once they’re pulled out of the play, on the sideline and surrounded by physical trainers probing at their body? Put me in coach. I’m fine. Sports-related concussions have in recent years become a subject of investigation, and sports that aren’t conventionally associated with head injuries are now being targeted. The University of California, Irvine, has initiated a study regarding head injuries received in waterpolo, one sport that has little to no data on concussion injuries. Water polo coach Marcus Sherman says his goalies wear compression helmets during practice but not for games since they aren’t currently allowed. “They’re trying to get that passed for everybody. I don’t get what the holdup is — it’s stupid.” The National Federation of State High School Associations has not
yet approved helmets, so wearing them during official games is technically “illegal,” according to Sherman. Yet he’s still hopeful. “It’s going to have to happen,” he said. “It’s such a simple measure to help people.” Amanda Munoz, the girls water polo goalie, said that she had a concussion her freshman year when a ball ricocheted off the goal post and hit her face. “That’s why (Sherman) got the helmets,” she said, “to prevent (concussions).” Munoz would like to see helmets regulated because “if you love the sport,” she says with helmets “you can still do it without worrying.” However, athletic trainer Christine Bolthouse says that helmets are not a “guarantee” in protecting athletes from head injury. “A lot of times when people wear padding they are more prone (to injury) because they feel protected.” Instead, she advocates for more athletic trainers working full-time and covering all sports. “They have these nice fields, nice equipment,” she said,
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Coaches, trainer try to wrap their heads around issue of head injuries
GRAPHIC BY CELINE LOPEZ
regardnig the funding allocated to sports. “If you’re going to have an athletic program, then safety should be the biggest concern.” Bolthouse says when an athlete is suspected of being concussed, they are immediately removed
from play and cannot return until a licensed healthcare physician had cleared them. She performs the SCAT3 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool) protocol, which is series of questions to evaluate symptoms and the play-
er’s cognitive and physical state, as well as a separate assessment to go “above and beyond,” she says. Sherman, however, wishes athletes receive better care than the standard protocols taken. I think trainers are great and they’re fantastic,” he said, “but they’re not MD’s.” He also thinks there . “It’s not a big hit (that hurts players),” Sherman said. “It’s all the little stuff.” Sherman cites an accident last year where a player was hit by the ball, which the Irvine study says can be thrown as fast as 50 miles an hour in short distances. “I knew he was hurt because he was dazed,” he said. “If I asked him a question he would answer, but it would be delayed.” That player, now a graduate, couldn’t play again until he was cleared by a physician. Understanding this risk, Sherman is pushing for the regulation of helmets in water polo. “What I and many coaches want is for all players to have them during games.” Adrianna Jimenez became used to wearing headgear. Al-
though she played soccer, Jimenez had so many concussion injuries that risking another would cost her health. “I go out there and play my hardest whether I’m hurt or not,” Jimenez said. “I tried playing with a fractured ankle.” Not only that, Jimenez says she’s had four concussions since her freshman year. “My doctors all told me I should quit,” she said. “That’s where the headgear came in.” The headgear Jimenez wears has padding that straps all around her head Chris Viri, the varsity soccer coach at the time, said he required his players to wear headgear if they have had one or multiple concussions. In soccer, headers are what pose the most risks to players’ health, so to limit concussions, Viri said he made sure to teach proper heading techniques. “We always made sure we put safety first,” he said. “Her health and future health are always more important than a high school soccer game.”
Marrone takes a seat After 18 years, James Marrone steps down as boys varsity soccer coach StephanieMatsumoto A kick goes from one to another as the ball travels down the field, narrowly dodging players from the opposing team. The intensity is felt by not only the team but the coach observing on the sidelines as well. He never kicks the ball or blocks the goal, but he analyzes. He finds the weaknesses and openings to alert the team about, a crucial part to their play. The constant sound of the coach yelling instructions and words of praise to his team can be heard from across the field. As the clock ticks down to the final crucial seconds, a player kicks the ball into the net and scores a goal for the whole team. It’s a feeling of success, of victory, and a coach to pull it all off. Now, this coach throws off his towel and puts his clipboard away. After 18 years of coaching the boys varsity soccer team, James Marrone is retiring from his position hoping to focus more on his family. The decision had been the most difficult one in his life, he said, yet his mind was set. As his daughters get older and become more involved with activities, he wants to spend more time with them. Marrone has sacrificed moments such as his anniversary and daughter’s birthday. While spending time with his family is his main reason, Marrone also thinks there needs to be a change. As times change and as players change, he believes it’s about time the program has another coach. “Every year has been a different year and every year has gotten a bit tougher to be able to do what we need to do,” Marrone said. “I guess I think that in life some things need to change and I think in this situation things needed to change.” The news of losing Marrone isn’t easy for players such as Jose Mejia, a senior, who had just joined the team last year. Despite that, he felt close to the coach, remembering the times they spent together. “He gave me rides to games,” he said. “We’d bond, laugh and joke
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE JIMENEZ
This year is James Marrone’s last year being the soccer coach. Marrone steps down after 18 years of coaching at high schools but will continue to coach his daughters’ comp team.
around on our way there.” While Mejia is deeply saddened to lose Marrone, saying that he shouldn’t have ended his coaching on a difficult season, he understands his decision to focus on family. “He’s been putting off his family for too long,” Mejia said. “After 18 years, he finally gets to put his family first.” Like Mejia, Luis Gomez, also a senior, has had a wonderful time having Marrone be his coach. Playing since freshman year, Gomez feels a bond between him and his coach. When Marrone first told the team he was leaving, Gomez couldn’t believe it. While he now understands, Gomez feels as if he’ll never find a coach with the skill Marrone has. “He’s an amazing guy,” Gomez said. “Like no other coach I’ve
had before.” For players such as David Zermeno, sophomore, who will still be on the soccer team, the news was especially tough. He says that while Marrone treated the team like his own kids, he now wants to spend time with his real ones. While it was hard for him to lose his coach, Zermeno will continue to think highly of him. “He was the one who never gave up,” Zermeno said. “He was always the one to motivate us.” Although he described this year as tough, Marrone loves “his boys,” Stagg, and coaching for the school. As he looks at the younger players, it would almost make him feel like staying around. “Outside my wife and daughters, there’s nothing I’ve loved more than being my boys’ coach.”
Running themselves into the ground BrennonTurner
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SATHINA FLORES
The cross country team started off with 10 runners. Eight out of 10 made up the varsity team but throughout the season runners individually left the team for reasons of their own.
A lot of sports, or clubs, preach about members being “like a family” and about a close knit bond between the people involved. On some occasions, though, for whatever reason, the team drifts apart, leading to the overall chemistry being less than desired. Another thing that could happen is the runners having mixed opinions about the coaches or club advisors, leading to hostility within the team. The cross country team members report that they got along okay and never had any arguments or confrontations. Were they an extremely close knit group? Well, no, but during the season they were acquainted to the point of knowing each other’s names and had no issues.
They did, however, have contrasting opinions about assistant coach Paul Sison. Ernesto Valencia, junior, said, “he was a good coach, he was always encouraging me and others to not stop and to persevere.” Returning senior James Garcia said, “We (runners) got along just fine, but there were arguments between me and Sison.” Junior Alfonso Ramos had nothing but praise for head coach Richard Johnson, but, like Garcia, he had a more negative opinion of Sison. “He yelled at me one day for taking the wrong route during a run and he threatened to kick me off the team for it,” said Ramos. “I ran to the required location and got there on pace with the others,” but, “he yelled at me and told me to run four laps.” Ramos
responded saying, “I’m going to run five, but not for you, for me.” Now, the team had pretty big shoes to fill after last year’s 10-0 season, and the departure of key runners didn’t help their chances heading into the season.Sophomore Lizeth Barajas said, “the coaching staff was very supportive. Even though at times they could be pushy, but overall they were encouraging.” Even with the supportive coaching, the team wasn’t able to achieve success anywhere near the level of last year’s team, and, as Valencia puts it, “we unfortunately won only two meets.” Even with the lack of success this season, the runners persevered and stayed for the love of running. Ramos said, “we all pushed ourselves to improve, and we love running.”
News 11.13.15 Supreme Court Justice speaks at summit 8
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Sonia Sotomayor encourages students to succeed in life
choices she asked, “What’s the secret to achieving a dream? It’s called a liberal arts education.” She also conveyed a message to students to take risks in college and to take introductory courses you don’t know about. “Let yourself explore. Take an art class. Take a religion class. Take an economics class.” Amy Purdy, paralympic bronze medalist and world class snowboarder appeared to be the most inspiring and motivational speaker on stage. “Amy was the most inspirational speaker and she was still determined even with her leg deficiency,” said senior Daniel Diep. “ It starts with a hardship and gets better.” When Purdy was 19 she contracted meningitis that made her rely on a machine with a 2 percent chance of living. But she didn’t give up. She thought the worst was over until she got her new legs. She wondered how she was going to snowboard and travel the world again. With her new legs, a new life was ahead of her. Purdy recalls herself feeling the fire and the passion when her new life started again. Seven months after her recovery, she started snowboarding again and realized that her knees and ankles wouldn’t bend with a prosthetic. To this day, she jokes that she can be taller than 5’5’’ and wear any shoe size she wants. Connie X. Rishwain, president of UGG Australia, and alumna of both Stagg and Pacific, also spoke on stage. Growing up in Stockton to a Greek family, Rishwain was motivated by her father to find a career of her choice. “My father said you can do anything you want.” She took her father’s advice and later found interest in marketing. As president, Rishwain developed the UGG brand into a $1.5 billion lifestyle brand which she found very sucPHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC cessful because of the many sales nationwide. On Oct. 23, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor talked at University of the Pacific and inspired the Marisol Gutierrez, said, “With UGGS, you can do lives of many young girls and boys in the Advancing Women’s Leadership Conference.
LuciTomas
Coming from a Puerto Rican background, she grew up with a single parent in the Bronx. But nothing in her environment held her back from reaching her potential. Currently, she is known as the influential Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor: advocate for justice, legal scholar and Hispanic role model. On Friday, Oct. 23, Justice Sotomayor stood on stage in front of a sold-out crowd at the University of the Pacific’s Spanos Center as the keynote
speaker for the Women’s Leadership Summit. Individuals at the event included students from various high schools, college students, and business leaders. She spoke for a few minutes on stage and then visited students in the upper deck of the arena. “I was very excited when she approached my side of the stadium,” said senior Marisol Gutierrez. As she gave worthy advice to the young generation she said, “Look for the good in people and have a good attitude. Find your passion and surround yourself with people who say you can do it.” As she addressed students about life and career
NATIVE
Continued from page 1 destroying the native peoples, doing all this with the strangest and most varied new methods of cruelty, never seen or heard of before” in his “Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies.” “It bugs me that they (Americans) know that this land was taken,” sophomore Jesus Garcia said, “but they don’t talk about it.” Some of the students also felt that Native Americans have been left out of a perceived trend towards greater appreciation of cultural and ethnic diversity in America. While public and private institutions alike will often go out of their way to demonstrate their commitment to diversity and equality with regard to Hispanics, African Americans, women, and other high-profile disadvantaged groups, they feel that they generally do not place anywhere near the same amount of emphasis on Native Americans. “We’ve looked at other cultures differently. We’ve had all this change,” Spurlin said, noting that respect for various cultures is more common now. “Yet Native Americans are not part of that.” The students also claimed that Native Americans have become progressively more ashamed of their culture. “I hear a lot of people saying they’re not proud of being Native American,” junior Kevin Price said. According to several students, this has developed partly because of a perceived general stigma against Native Americans and their culture. Americans, said senior Valencia Martinez, think that “we’re savages.” Despite the fact that many of the students had no strong ties to Native American culture, none of them were ashamed. “I’m not ashamed,” senior Merisa Jimenez said.
INSPIRED “Amy Purdy inspired me because she always had a positive attitude.”
Jocelyn CortesRebolledo senior
“None of them were given the opportunity on a silver platter. They had to work for it.”
Daniel Patino senior
whatever you want starting from a small business to making billions of dollars. It’s amazing.” As she talked about marketing and sales she said, “Love your customers and treat your co-workers like your family.” Overall, the event inspired many young women, leaders, and even men. “It was a very nice inspirational event,” said Diep. Being recognized in front of thousands of people conveyed significant messages to students. Do what you set your mind to, never give up despite a disability, and you can achieve great things coming from Stockton or anywhere.
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SOLAR SUITCASE: StephanieJimenez The MESA program has always offered opportunities for students and club members to work on creative projects. This is the first year the MESA program will participate in the Solar Suitcase Project. The Solar Suitcase Project consists of a group of people that construct a battery using that can power up a house. The suitcase contains electrical equipment that will be used by students to build a battery. Suitcases are used in remote Third World locations in order to connect with people. “You start from scratch,” Andrew Walter, MESA advisor, said. Students and members are to create a functional battery using only the equipment inside the suitcase. Alex Qualls, a junior, says that the key is that the battery is “durable and efficient.” Solar suitcases are expensive and the MESA program is grateful to own a few. “Each kit costs about $750,” he said. “The Cortopassi family from Stockton is willing to donate three solar suitcases to the program,” Perla Gonzalez a junior, said. Students are preparing themselves for this activity by learning the basics of electrical engineering. “We’ve taken notes and took a quiz,” sophomore Edwin Hidalgo said. As they prepare to start, participants have shown excitement towards the activity. “I am excited that I’m being exposed to different types of projects,” he said. “It’s a way how Stagg can be connected to other schools,” Gonzalez said. Using the equipment and building
MESA has started new project involving electrical engineering
a battery, the MESA program has thought of sending it to other schools in the district. “We’re planning to branch it out to other schools to provide electricity,” she said. “For example, to charge their phones.” Several groups are participating in this year’s project, but only three groups will be chosen. If a group is selected and is considered one of the best, the participants receive the opportunity to visit a Third World country. Students say it is beneficial to create this battery and help others that are in need. “People never think of other countries, like the consequences they have to face just because they don’t have electricity in their homes,” Gonzalez said. The school with the best design can win a trip to a country like Cambodia, Nigeria, etc. and the participants can power up a house using the battery. Walter is planning to ask students if there will be chance to take batteries to their home country, to provide others with electricity . “We can send them to villages in Mexico that need electricity,” he said. “Although I am not interested to become an electrical engineer, this is great way I can learn different skills I may use in the future,” Gonzalez said. Qualls said that this project is a “good way to be exposed to diverse fields.” This project will both benefit students and, most importantly, families in Third World countries. “People should rePHOTO BY ARACELI VALENCIA alize that we don’t have the same luxury as other countries,” MESA advisor Andrew Walter explains what the solar suitcase is and how it is used. Qualls said.