Home of the Delta Kings
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Vol. 60 No. 4
12.16.16
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207
New curriculum sheds light on internet’s dark dangers JuliaRosete
W
ith nine of every 10 young adults in this country consuming social
media, according to a 2015 Pew Research survey, the vast power of the internet is becoming harder and harder to avoid. Pictures, posts, texts, emails, and various forms of communication are shared, liked, received and seen by millions around the world every second.
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TRISTEN TUCKER GRAPHIC BY JULIA ROSETE
Rumors (15.63%) Posted mean names/comments with sexual meaning (9.88%) Threatened to hurt (9.49%) Threatened to hurt through text (9.25%) Posted mean picture (8.63%) Pretended to be them (8.01%) Posted mean names/comments about race/skin (7.85%) Posted hurtful video (5.75%) Created mean webpage (5.52%) One or more of above, two or more times (15.63%)
With all the time spent on social media, there is a side that many probably know about, full of people ready to access your personal information at the click of a button. Social media was meant to be a place to connect with friends and family both near and far, but this facade is what keeps many from knowing its full power and potential, as well as its dangers. Now, schools in the district are starting to shed light on just that. Along with other states, California has adopted a free curriculum provided by Common Sense Media, taking a week out of each school year to teach students, starting in kindergarten, the rules and risks of the unknown side of the online world. The curriculum consists of 13 units, one unit per grade level, with 45-minute lessons making up each unit. “That way students get access to appropriate use on the internet, how to use the tools correctly, how to set up good passwords, just how to be safe online,” Wayne Stagnaro, the district’s administrator of instructional technology, said. These lessons are taught in English classes for freshman year and in social studies classes after, a decision made at each site. This is a common way of dividing it in high school because “they are the only teachers that see everyone,” Mark Hall, curriculum specialist technician, said. English teachers in ninth grade found a way to link the digital citizenship curriculum with one of their units of study. Mary Stoner, freshman English teacher, explained that the unit focused on how to write a research paper and avoiding plagiarising sources, which seemingly went along with one of the lessons about introducing students to copyright laws. Freshman Yaliey Ceesay
particularly found these lessons valuable and informative. “We get stuff from the internet and connect it to our homework, not knowing that what we’re doing is plagiarism,” she said. When it comes to the topic of cyberbullying, there are different layers to how it can be handled, monitored or controlled. “There’s a lot of negative stuff that’s coming out through kids hiding behind digital bullying, so we want to help kids understand that there could be legal ramifications,” Assistant Principal Linda Roberts said. Rather than suspending students left and right for everything they say, Roberts said they look to use interventions to resolve these issues. Interventions could include conflict mediations. Within the Google Apps for Education world, all accounts are monitored by the district. Disclaimers are shown at the bottom of emails sent from these accounts reminding the recipient that the email was sent from a monitored student account. If anything on one of those accounts indicates threats or inappropriate comments toward other students, staff members, or themselves, the school site is notified so the administrators can handle it. “We figure the teachers and the counselors and the on-site administration have a much better relationship with the student than we do sitting at the Curriculum Office,” Stagnaro said. “If it’s so egregious — people accessing adult websites, people accessing adult services — then we’ll shut that account down.” The account may restored, and the student can be granted access to that account again once school administration has handled the situation in the appropriate manner. One main point of the curriculum is that what happens on social media stays there forever.
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If it’s so egregious — people accessing adult websites, people accessing adult services — then we’ll shut that account down. WayneStagnaro Administrator of Instructional Technology
Ceesay said that when teens post something on social media, the thought of possibly getting in trouble isn’t the first thing on their mind. “We post it just to post, and the time that we get in trouble for it is when we actually think of the repercussions,” Ceesay said. “There are also resources within the Common Sense curriculum to send some stuff home so we can actually start to bridge that gap a little bit and get folks at home, parents and guardians, some more information about how things are being used,” Stagnaro said. He added, “We could certainly bury our heads in the sand” and act like the internet is an evil place to stay away from, but this would not solve anything and only make this fear of the unknown worse.
Juniors produce creative videos for national project SaraAbdeltawab With a bunch of charities around the globe, not everyone will get noticed without a depressing commercial with sad music in the background or celebrity sponsorship. How can someone get the word out for a charity they support? How could one help “have a little less suck in the world”? Project for Awesome, also known as P4A, is an organization started by Hank and John Green. This year is the 10 year anniversary for the Project for Awesome organization, and students in the Advanced Placement English Language classes are taking a stand for charities they believe in. Both classes created videos supporting the charity they wanted people to donate to, which was a bigger success than most of them thought. “At first it felt like a chore, and I didn’t want to do it,” junior Karen Cervantes said. “But after I got done reading about the different charities I felt good inside.” Although it was viewed as another assignment, a lot of the students soon started becoming aware of those less fortunate than them, the main focus the Green brothers had when they first introduced P4A. “I wanted (the students) to see that there was something they could do to help the community and help the world,” English teacher
Victoria Marinelli said. In 2007, when Hank and John said they started the organization, wanted to “decrease world suck” and use YouTube in a positive way. This year they received 647 videos, making this the most successful year for them. “This is the time of giving, and I feel like by participating in this event I gave a lot,” Cervantes said. In order for the charities to raise money, the video can either be picked by the Green Brothers or by having a substantial amount of votes from viewers. “I feel like people should donate, and join in on P4A in the future,” junior Sarai Luna said. “Even though the whole process of making the video and finding a charity was frustrating, I would still vote.” As depressing as it was to film and learn about, junior Abby Thao and her group did their video on the “Trevor Project.” The Trevor Project is a suicide hotline for LGBT teens who get bullied for being part of the LGBT community. Their video starts off as a monologue and from then on it already intrigues the readers, because it uses emotion and sympathy towards the charity and the audience in order to persuade them to vote. ¨Participating in (Project for Awesome) doesn’t make you feel useless,” Thao said. ¨It makes you feel accomplished while getting to help others.¨
Post-break schedule
Herff Jones Orders
Delta dual enrollment
School will resume on Tuesday, Jan. 3, following the two week break. The second week will be semester finals. During finals, there will be a different bell schedule for the final three days. Stay tuned for more information.
For seniors who have not placed orders for their cap and gown, Herff Jones will be in the library from 11:30 to 2:30 on Jan. 10. Seniors can also search “Stagg Sr High Sch” on the Herff Jones website to place orders there.
San Joaquin Delta College will continue offering dual enrollment to students. The Administration of Justice course will begin in January.
Bottom Line
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE MATSUMOTO Belen Sandoval (left) and Abby Thao (right) film parts of their video. The group’s video revolves around “The Trevor Project” charity, a suicide hotline for LGBT teenagers.
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Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
STAFF EDITORIAL
Opinion
The Stagg Line
12.16.16
Smarter education prevails Proposition 58 will create a better system for assimilation, English learning for immigrant students
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earning a new language takes time. We have all experienced the difficulties that come with learning a language with its rules regarding grammar and pronunciation. But even then, the teacher still spoke to us in our first language. This hasn’t been the case for English learners in California for quite some time. In 1998, the state passed Proposition 227, the “English In Public Schools” initiative that required EL students to be taught almost entirely in English. In the decades that followed, the flawed system of teaching made learning English seem insurmountable for a state with the highest numbers of incoming foreign immigrants. “English In Public Schools” eliminated many effective public school programs. These multi-year programs ensured that students would learn English without trying to force retention too quickly.
Before Proposition 227, English learners were given several years of moderately intensive instruction. After Prop 227, this was cut to one measly year before students would be pushed into English-only classes. But with this past election, there is now hope for English learners in the form of Proposition 58. In a landslide 74-26 decision, Californians have eradicated Proposition 227 and ensured the success of non-English speakers. Under Proposition 58, power has been restored to school districts and eliminates the English-only requirement. Students will again be taught by bilingual teachers who could be fluent in their native language. Not only will the process of assimilating be much easier but English learners will have a better chance of retaining the language. The new system will promote success in a slightly longer amount of time instead
of trying to force proficiency in such a brief period. Along with these changes, Proposition 58 requires a district-parent connection when it comes to programs offered to English learners. Parents have a say as to which program their child should enter and can make suggestions on what types of programs can be offered by a school district. The passage of the proposition is simple common sense. California has one of the highest populations of English learners and is home to many immigrants. Proposition 58 corrects the mistake voters made back 1998 with Proposition 227. With the proper execution, California can continue to improve English proficiency numbers among English learners and make education in the Golden State the gold standard.
Crimes due to election Military won’t change the results strength will affect S the future W ince the results of the recent presidential election, incidents of hate crimes have escalated around the country. Interestingly, both sides of the election are the victims. It’s not just minorities getting harassed on the streets, but it’s also Trump supporters getting beaten up because of who they voted for. It’s not a surprise to see a rise in these crimes due to the winner of the election, and it’s reasonable to believe that this would’ve occurred no matter the result as there was much controversy toward both candidates. The crimes committed by Trump supporters show their fear and hatred of things they can’t understand, whether it be a religion that’s not Christianity, or a culture from the other side of the world. One of the more recent crimes has been the sending of a letter addressing Muslims as
LeslieCoronado “children of Satan” and praising Donald Trump to several mosques in California, including one in Stockton. Other acts have included vandalism with the swastika and the words “Make America White Again.” Not to mention the fact that an intoxicated man threatened a Muslim woman to remove her hijab or
else he would set her on fire. It’s horrifying and just plain disgusting to see people so cruel and so ignorant of other cultures . It’s unbearable to see that some find it appropriate call people “vile and filthy” when they fail to realize the irony of the act. What’s even more ridiculous is the fact that some find themselves entitled to do so simply because Trump was elected president. Yet Trump supporters are not the only ones committing acts of violence. It’s also Hillary supporters or those who just hate Trump. They showcase their anger and frustration over the presidential election results. In one case a man was pulled out of his car and beaten by three men as onlookers encouraged the violence. Apparently the attackers simply assumed he voted Trump because he was white. Other cases report similar results of students, classmates, and people in general getting assaulted and beaten because of who they voted for. Although I do not support Trump, I think it’s idiotic to beat up others for supporting a presidential candidate. Is it not the basis of our country to be able to have the freedom to elect our president? Violence can never be justified, much less so when people are practicing their rights in a democracy. Beating up others will not change the election results, and it will only create more division in an already divided United States.
GRAPHIC BY MARK WALDING
Stagg Line Staff & Policies 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: 5 times ff National Newspaper Pacemaker: 7 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.
GRAPHIC BY ALBERTO VALENCIA
MatteoDanforth
ith President-Elect Donald Trump now assembling his cabinet and his team of advisors, the nation watches with a microscope over every person. Are they qualified? Are they capable? Are they for us? These are the qualities that matter to the American people. These are the questions we now have to ask of retired Marine Gen. James “Mad Dog” Mattis, whom Trump has just named as his pick for Secretary of Defense. As someone who admires military service members, I am impressed by his accomplishments. From 2010 to 2013, Mattis led the United States Central Command, which handles overseas operations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. A decade before this, he was a part of efforts that would later topple Saddam Hussein and fought in the battle to retake Fallujah. As someone who is also a journalist and as someone who makes a conscious effort to be an informed citizen, I also have to consider his stances on certain issues that will affect our nation. It’s no surprise that Mattis sees Iran as a major threat to world peace and has criticizes the Obama administration for their reactive efforts rather than proactive planning. However, Mattis has some strong differences from the president-elect. Not only does Mattis see Russia as the deplorable expansionist that the Kremlin has turned out to be, he also urges that the Iran Deal be kept. The general has shown favor for revising the deal and continuing to establish peace with our allies and other countries. Gen. Mattis has proven his loyalty to America in service and I am curious to see how this will continue if he is able to take the position as Secretary of Defense. Looking to the future, the biggest opponents to the United States are going to be found not only on the battlefield but in cyberspace. And this is where the Trump administration must focus.
Cyber attacks have become so common in the past decade that the biggest tech companies like Sony have been breached. A person’s entire life can be accessed and exploited online by a hacker on the other side of the planet. This is also true for our military and intelligence agencies. Everyday, the military must ward off attacks from hackers seeking government information. In recent years, agencies like the National Security Agency have come under heavy fire for their controversial means of protecting our country. One of the biggest questions now is whether President Obama will pardon Edward Snowden, who leaked information about the NSA’s surveillance activities in 2013 and allow him back into the country. It is hard to say that privacy doesn’t matter, but it is also hard to say even now that Snowden’s actions can be justified. People applauded his actions because it “opened the eyes of the American people.” They couldn’t be farther from the truth. Although the NSA’s work can be mislabeled as spying, their work is key to preventing many potentially world-ending catastrophes. The actions of Snowden and others who have leaked government information have placed the United States in a vulnerable position. It is also hard to say, however, that the status of our military strength — cyber and physical — is more important than other issues facing our country today. We are at a time where our country not only faces enemies abroad but domestic issues that continue to tear our country apart. The problems we face will ultimately be solved — or neglected — by Trump’s administration and the people he selects as members in his cabinet. We, the American people, must stay informed and use our collective voices to ensure that our opinions are not trumped.
REPORTERS
EDITORS PhillicityUriarte-Jones editor-in-chief MatteoDanforth news editor StephanieMatsumoto opinion editor EstefanyNunez features editor JuliaRosete entertainment editor SaraAbdeltawab sports editor JeffersonLeiva web editor StephanieJimenez photo editor
SamanthaBaker AmberlyButler MariaCastillo LeslieCoronado LouisFuentez KevinGutierrez ErnestoHarwell TristenTucker AlbertoValencia AaronVang AngelVasquez MarkWalding
DonBott adviser Follow us on Facebook (Stagg Line) as well as Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram (@staggonline). Current and older issue PDFs are available at issuu.com/staggline
12.16.16
Opinion
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
I probably didn’t get in to that college because I’m WHITE
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+ ART BY STEPHANIE MATSUMOTO
Reverse racism doesn’t exist White people were not exposed to the same prejudice as people of color in history and therefore aren’t truly oppressed
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uring a time where race seems to be the main topic in news everywhere, we should not only recognize our divide but learn from it. 2016 has been full of negativity: news of a corrupted election or a violent protest or yet another tragic case of police brutality. There’s commonly two sides to every story. Yet, as we’ve seen recently, there’s been hardly any effort to compromise and meet in the middle from both sides. Rather than seek comprehension of the contrasting perspective, there’s recently been a tendency to avoid that settlement. We, as human beings, have developed the vice of believing that our perspective is the only right perspective. This unwillingness to find common ground is why some are so outraged about the Black Lives Matter movement or as to why some are so vehemently against gun reforms. The result is that we find chaos, an unevenness to the whole situation that truthfully is not any more progressive than it believes to be. It wouldn’t be uncommon
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EstefanyNunez
Racism is based on systematic oppression and disadvantage based on race.
for someone to feel frustrated about problems like this. After all, aren’t we supposed to be content with our “melting pot”? In the age of a technological industrial revolution, people are seeing the injustice people of color face on a day-to-day basis. Media has made it easier for individuals to demand diversity and fairness for those who are less privileged. An outcome
of this is affirmative action, usually a policy or action that is in favor of those who are discriminated against. Surprise! This most likely affects the minorities: POC, women, the poor and the LGBT community. Now this is where people would cry “reverse racism!” What is reverse racism? Some examples: questioning the lack of a White History Month, the lack of a #WhiteGirlMagic Twitter hashtag and the lack of a straight white male scholarship. Racism has been one hot topic regularly brought up in the past few years. In the United States, it’s almost impossible to have a conversation about our country without it involving race. Many understand racism as that outdated textbook, Googled definition: the idea that someone is inferior because of their skin color, which reinforces their own basic belief of their own race being superior. To me, racism is based on systematic oppression and disadvantage based on race. Therefore, POC do not benefit from this and can never truly play into reverse racism. It’s important to note that while
racism and prejudice go hand in hand, they’re not quite the same. POC can discriminate and prejudge but that does not necessarily suggest that they are participating in institutionalized racism, especially against white people. POC are literally raised in a society where white skin is the default race. This means the cliche and overused “I don’t see color” catch line is actually the opposite of progressive. It’s pretty racist. It’s understandable how white people may begin to feel oppressed due to the needed societal changes. America’s history consists of white people being in power for so long that when a call for a change is brought up people would have an urge to be defensive. In a faulty attempt to call out the prejudice against the “reverse racism” crowd, the issues they claim to have are obviously very minimal compared to the struggles POC have. In a world where a president-elect is allowed to degrade marginalized groups, where POC are criminalized by the justice system and overall have to deal with institutional racism, the issues white people have aren’t as significant.
Class v. extracurricular activities
Teachers shouldn’t be so strict
The Stagg Line
3
Be mindful of fake news on social media
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crolling through social media is not only a way to keep up with friends and family but increasingly one of the most common ways people get their news. The media has branched into a new and unfamiliar territory, to the benefit but also the detriment of the general public. No longer do we live in a time where the news goes through paid professionals exclusively. It has become increasingly difficult to blindly trust news outlets. As someone who takes pride in being part of multiple PhillicityUriarte-Jones scholastic publications, someone who keeps up with politics and not only global issues but also issues regarding my community, I felt disappointed in myself when I was told some of the news articles promoted on Twitter were false. I took the headlines as truths. Fact checking was nowhere near my mind, because how could a promoted story be false? How could someone lie and have it be seen and trusted by millions? I was part of the problem. I had not promoted the stories personally, but the possibility of me doing so was strong. I could have perpetuated that dangerous cycle. My peers trust me to be informed, to be a reliable source of information, and I could not have blamed being misinformed on Twitter as a whole, or social media. I felt tricked, and ashamed. As not only a journalist but also a consumer of the media, it is my responsibility to ensure that anything I personally promote is true. If I place that responsibility on my shoulders, would my peers not do the same? It may not be their intention, but believing something online is easy. People like myself can get caught up in the consumption of news and not in the checking the validity of the content. For this age, but especially this generation, the web plays too large a role in lives to be constantly questioned. It’s a tool, a commodity of the 21st century and it won’t be leaving anytime soon, so utilize it. Others are only able to become part of the conversation because of this increasing accessibility. Voices are heard and points shown because of this, but the validity of those can be difficult to determine. Groups that have been marginalized suddenly are heard and can gain traction. However, with every advantage comes disadvantages. People can create fake articles to either support their beliefs or disprove the ideas they oppose. Creating gossip online is much easier than it is to in person, and can be even more difficult to delete. Yesterday, the words of the president were strictly controlled. Today, the president-elect can go on Twitter tangents and make claims with no support behind them.Yesterday, they came from professional news outlets. Today, news articles come from Twitter. But this give-and-take relationship, ultimately, is good. A lot of those bloggers, those online authors and journalists are spreading knowledge to places it would never be seen. Yes, that means that there is a larger margin of error, fake news has become more commonplace, but the responsibility of discerning fact from fiction has always been on the readers shoulders. It makes it more difficult to trust what I read, but questioning the media is what I should be doing, regardless of where I see it. Being a productive member of society is about staying informed, not about retweeting something with an intriguing headline that may be false.
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igh school — four years These trips didn’t just revolve of X and Y equations, around colleges, but around four years of making sports as well. There were times sure you know the difference when I would have to leave for between “there,” “they’re,” and a game mid class and not be “their,” and four years of joining excused for it. Not only that but different clubs and exploring there has been other times when new possibilities. Yet, how much I’ve missed some assignments exploring can you actually do, that the teacher wouldn’t easily and how many clubs can you let me make up. It’s not in the join before it starts to become a hands of the students to pick problem with interfering with and choose when these trips classes? take place, or when our club Coming into high school advisors want to pull us out of my freshman year I didn’t join class. I will say it is in our hands many clubs or really do any extra to think wisely if we really need SaraAbdeltawab curricular activities, but as soon to participate or not in certain as sophomore year hit I started to join a lot, and activities. at first it didn’t seem like a big problem. Boy, was For example if there are 10 different things I wrong. Coming into my junior year brought many opportunities going on that I would want to participate in I understand that I can’t being handed out to me left and right. Yet I’ve noticed some teachers do all 10, but I should do the ones that will later benefit me. Some don’t seem to be very fond of the fact that when it comes to these kids don’t understand that, they feel they have to do every single acextra activities class time has to be taken up, because during school is tivity and that is what I think frustrates the teachers. Imagine being the most convenient time for both students and teachers. a teacher and showing up to class with only five people there, I’m From a student standpoint we think that joining clubs and gosure they wouldn’t be the happiest. ing on these college field trips will help us when it comes to college, It’s not betrayal that I and others feel, but it’s a type of guilt that because that’s what we’re led to believe. doesn’t leave us. What I mean by that is at times we do feel bad for Yet, in order to participate in these activities we have to miss having to leave class to attend these trips because we know the conclass time, which is a part of our education, which will get us into sequences, such as missing assignments. But, we go on college trips college. So yes, I understand why teachers would be mad, but some to open up our minds to different colleges because it will benefit us don’t just get mad, they get even. I say that because there has been in the future. times where I was supposed to be excused for certain trips, but the Yet, when some teachers get mad at us for it it leaves us feeling teacher refused to clear the absence. like we shouldn’t join in on any extra activities. It limits us instead Although teachers do have the right to deny the students going, of letting us expand on knowledge outside of what we already know the inconvenience interferes with both the scheduling and class time. from sitting in class for six hours.
GRAPHIC BY MARK WALDING
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Features
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
12.16.16
The Stagg Line
5
being
Your presence online makes a...
RESPONSIBLE
L A T I G I D o o tatt
online
GRAPHIC BY AMBERLY BUTLER
PhillicityUriarte-Jones Etiquette is important in everyday life, but it is also important in the digital world. Just as someone is encouraged to use their manners as a child, translating this to the digital world is just as important. Everything we do online stays with us, marking us and our reputation. There is no backspace or delete. We cannot restore previous versions or restart. From the moment we create an online profile of any sort, an online reputation is under construction. Every comment and like, video watched and content posted creates an online identity, and that affects the perception of someone’s overall person. People, especially young people, may not understand the severity of the situation because it is so easy to delete a post from their profile. But just as easy as it is for one person to post and delete something, it is equally easy for someone else to save it. But these words are not meant to intimidate someone into not posting for fear of the past being dredged up and putting them in a compromising position. They are merely a warning. At the Digital Citizenship Summit held at Twitter headquarters Oct. 28, one of the main topics was teaching safe online use instead of scolding. Parents should be a part of the conversation instead of running away from the unknown. This is not something that can be ignored. According to Pew Research, 90 percent of 18-29 year olds use some form of social media, and that number has grown consistently as social media has become more prominent and more platforms have been developed. That percentage is even higher if we look at teenagers, with a reported 92 percent going online daily. Because of this, being safe online is essentially the same as being safe in person. The internet also gives people a place they believe they can do as they’d like, even if that means saying things and posting things they would not otherwise. Being responsible online is about more than just refraining from posting revealing pictures of yourself, or saying mean things. It is about an online image reflecting who we are as a person. If you see yourself as a decent human being with good intentions, why would you want your possible employer to look on your social media and see things that disprove that? Take some cues from selfie taking: put yourself in a good light, check your angles, and smile. Think of each post as another puncture with the digital tattoo needle. Create beautiful artwork that you would be proud of others seeing, not something you conceal because you’re ashamed of it. There will be deviations from the projected path because you are human, but also be conscious of how painful it may be to remove it. You can not simply cover these tattoos up. Being a digital citizen is about being a productive member of online society. Be you, but be the best you you can be.
Using social media wisely It is important to evaluate news feed will benefit everyone JeffersonLeiva
MariaCastillo
With teenagers spending so much time on social media, it is normal for them to see videos of fights, mean derogatory comments, and people trying to get their “clout up.” Do people really think about the consequences of their posts, though? Judy Rauzi, the Healthy Start coordinator, deals with a lot of these teenage problems caused by social media. Rauzi said that social media is the worst thing that has ever happened to teens. “Someone gets mad so they post something that maybe they wouldn’t say to your face, but it’s so easy to go on social media and say something really negative about somebody and then it’s hurtful,” Rauzi said. “People say, ‘Oh, you can take it off social media.’ No, you can’t. Once you post it, it’s out there.” Rauzi, who has worked in this role for 20 years, has definitely noticed the huge impact social media has caused on the younger generation. Before posting one should take some time to consider the consequences by asking themselves, ‘Who is it going to hurt?’ and ‘Is it going to make me look stupid?’ A lot of people don’t realize that after high school, employers will do a background check on them and see what they’ve posted in the past.
Not all people use social media in a negative way. Some people use social media as a news outlet, to see humourous content like memes, or spread positivity. Seniors Jalend Dinwiddie and Samuel Cornelison rarely use their social media, but when they do - they use it responsibly. Dinwiddie says that staying humble while using social media is a big factor when it comes to using it responsibly. “I usually don’t retweet or favorite fights and stuff on Twitter because it’ll look really bad if colleges, coaches, or recruiters see it on your social media.” Cornelison agrees with Dinwiddie on being extremely cautious about what one posts on social media. He prefers to stay off of social media because he doesn’t want to be involved in any unnecessary drama, specially when it comes to relationships. “Often times appreciation for your significant other is dictated by what you post and how often you post about them,” Cornelison said. He added that social media is a place where you are able to glorify yourself, creating a persona of perfection. Social media can end up not only hurting oneself but hurting other people as well. What teens post could potentially ruin their future. Most of the problem with social media is that it’s used to start drama and spread negativity, but if used correctly the social media platform could be used efficiently.
Lately the legitimacy of news articles has been put in the spotlight. Whether it is biased or fake news content, senior Alyssa Martinez has noticed this stark divide in her newsfeed. “If you follow more liberal or conservative sites, that’s what you’ll see.” With the recent controversies regarding social media and fake news, Martinez knows to be cautious when scrolling through her newsfeed. A Pew Research report states that 62 percent of adults get some form of news from social media sites and 30 percent rely on social media platforms like Facebook for their news. Martinez points out that if “you’re leaning to one side, you’ll hear what you want to hear.” She recalls when #repealthe19th became a trending top-
“Somebody in my class believed 11,000 people voted Harambe for president,” Beaty said. A recent Stanford study notes that it has become harder to tell the difference between real and fake news. When high school students were asked the question the legitimacy of a post on Imgur, only 20 percent were able to identify the post as fake. Meanwhile “nearly 40 percent of students argued that the post provided strong evidence (of it being legitimate),” the report states. This report among other studies have highlighted the epidemic of fake news and the authenticity of real ones. Some have called for people to verify their sources, while others are denouncing companies like Facebook for not filtering illegitimate
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Somebody in my class believed 11,000 people voted Harambe for president.” ChristopherBeaty Junior
articles from appearing in their user’s newsfeeds. Such articles have seen an unprecedent amount of shares in social media, at times exceeding the amount real news articles were shared. Beaty is aware that some of these posts have provocative headlines and that headlines can
“be very scary.” “A lot of people assume what the article is about just by reading the headline,” Beaty said. Formulating these types of assumptions can make “people scared for absolutely no reason.” The 2016 election saw one of the most untrustworthy influx of articles.
The Washington Post goes on to say that Russian propaganda helped propagate these articles, while a teenage in Macedonia has been accused and admits he was responsible for writing fake news. Social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have begun implementing algorithms that would filter articles from untrustworthy sources. Even after these initiatives, Beaty points out that “people just read whatever they see and they instantly believe it’s true because of how many people have shared it.” Beaty and Martinez agree that after the outbreak of fake news and biased sources people should be cautious when reading news content on social media unless it’s from a verified source, and don’t completely trust those.
#ICanHelp addresses cybersafety
PhillicityUriarte-Jones
PHOTO BY ANGEL VASQUEZ Behind the screen, people feel more comfortable posting opinions and thoughts they normally would not say in person because there is no face to face interaction.
ic on Twitter and how different news organizations covered the topic. Twitter experienced the spark of this hashtag when sexist comments were made by politicians. Users citing that their comments were representative of repealing the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. “Fox News talked about what the hashtag was about, but CNN went into the historical perspective and importance of the 19th Amendment,” Martinez said. She added that she is worried that “people don’t take the time to fact check their information because they want their news to come quick.” With the spread of fake articles, sophomore Christopher Beaty is aware of how far fake news can influence people.
Social media, according to senior Vernesha Shaw, should highlight the positives in one’s life. “When someone views your social media profile you want them to think of you, and not the negative parts.” She uses her social media to highlight happy memories because she considers it not only a reflection of herself but the key means to keep her family in contact with her. “I don’t want to put a negative thing I’m going through online because that becomes one of the largest parts of my identity to them.” Because of her views on social media, cyberbullying is particularly upsetting to her, especially when it is not directed toward her because she considers herself someone who can handle that negatively appropriately and take it in stride, but others may be affected more drastically. She takes it upon herself to get that sort of negartivity offline. And that makes her just the kind of student #iCanHelp looks for. “Whenever I see cyberbullying and I know the person, I message them on the low,” she said. #iCanHelp places the responsibility in students’ hands because when it goes from peer to peer it has a stronger impact.
Student-reported accounts of online harassment are more likely to be taken seriously when they are noticed by students for students. Thanks to #iCanHelp, founded in 2013, “over 200 cyberbullying accounts and pages have been deactivated.” Matt Soeth, co-founder of the organization, said. He believes
PHOTO BY PHILLICITY URIARTE-JONES
the key to keeping this organization effective is ensuring it is student-led and adult-advised. The power should be in the hands of the student who is experiencing or witnessing these acts, and “they need to know what to do.” A n y student who wishes to rem o v e some of that negativity online can use
the hashtag #iCanHelp, and the negative page in question will be evaluated and then has the potential to be taken down. The organization encourages not only deleting negativity but also spreading positivity. Soeth encourages PDA, as in public displays of appreciation. The website also encourages “compliment pages”, or social media accounts that go around leaving compliments on other student’s accounts and overall contributing to the spread of positivity online. According to DoSomething.org, 43 percent of kids experience cyberbullying, and 70 percent report seeing it. Being a bystander to online bullying versus bullying in person is very different, because unlike the bullying in person you can not escape it by going home. In contrast, However, they are also aware an adult may need to step in to make a change, so that’s exactly what they’re offering. Shaw, while unfamiliar with the organization, considers it a useful tool. She is used to having to take the responsibility of her own posts, but now there is a way to reach out to people and help even when she does not know the perpatrator or the victim.
GRAPHIC BY KEVIN GUTIERREZ
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Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
‘Pitch’ throws curveball at pro athlete norms LeslieCoronado April 14, 1947, was the day the Brooklyn Dodgers started Jackie Robinson on first base. Robinson was the first African American to play Major League Baseball. But there has yet to be an iconic date, or name, for the first woman to play Major League Baseball. The Fox series “Pitch” delves into that possibility. Although the main focus of the show is a woman, Ginny Baker, playing MLB, the show focuses more on the complications of a female playing in such a male-dominated sport. The audience doesn’t have to be a fan of baseball in order to enjoy the show, just as a baseball fan might not enjoy it for the same reason. In the beginning, Ginny, played with great sensibility by Kylie Bunbury, has to deal with the fact that her own teammates only think of her as a gimmick to earn more cash for the stadium, and they ignore her actual talent. Usually in this type of situation the protagonist goes against all odds, proves how good they are, and blows away all doubts of their inability. Most shows go with the overused and boring super hero act. But “Pitch” resists that easy cliche and goes for something deeper. For Ginny’s first game, she does horribly. The pressure of performing well for her father and for the girls in the stadium gets to her. She throws wild pitch after wild pitch, till they take her off the baseball field. Bunbury does an excellent job of showing Ginny’s panic as her pitches continue to miss the batter. It is an unexpected twist in the pilot episode, but one well appreciated because it is realistic. Usually shows make the protagonist someone perfect, someone that has very minor and easily fixable flaws. They make a protagonist someone that people can only dream of being, and so they make a person untouchable and out of reach. Ginny, although she is an incredible pitcher, is still human. In her situation she has a lot of pressure to perform well, not only for her family, but also for all the girls who placed their hopes and dreams on her. She cracked under all the pressure and as a result couldn’t throw her famous screwball, or any pitch for that matter. She becomes someone relatable to her audience. Even more so when we see her break down into tears in her hotel room after her father reprimands for her poor performance and tells her to practice with him till she gets it right. The next game for the San Diego Padres is against the famous San Francisco Giants. Ginny is put on the mound again, and like last time the stadium is packed and the whole world is watching. It seems that there is even more pressure for Ginny to perform well, as her career with the Padres is on the line too. The first pitch thrown is wild and out of control. So are the next two thrown. A timeout is called and the catcher and team captain, Mike Lawson, played charismatically by Mark-Paul Gosselaar, walks up to Ginny and tells her, “Stop doing it for all those little girls with their Ginny Baker signs and do it for yourself.” With those words, Ginny seems to pull herself together. Her next pitch is a strike, with the batter not even having time to react. An audible breath of relief is heard. The plot is well-written and the actors deserve applause for conveying the tone and emotion meant to be shown. “Pitch” does an incredible job in portraying a realistic situation and even more so in making the characters people that the audience can sympathise with and relate to.
Entertainment
The Stagg Line
12.16.16
and Ratcliff make Dancing Chom moves being in local hip-hop SamanthaBaker
duo
Swinging to the beat. Feeling the rhythm. Ever since the last century, there has been an increase of acceptance in the world and the freedom to be able to express yourself, and dancing is just one of many outlets to express oneself. For Selena Chom, a junior, and her boyfriend, Derrick Ratcliff, a sophomore, dancing is more than just expressing themselves individually. It’s also something special that they share and that brings them closer to one another. The couple joined Rhythm Inc., a dance group that practices weekly at University of Pacific. After discovering the dance group through a dance workshop she attended, Chom then auditioned for them and brought Ratcliff along. Now they both enjoy dancing for the group, which participates in competitions such as “Complex” and hosts events such as the “Breakthrough” dance competition. Rhythm Inc. performs all dance styles but primarily focuses on hip-hop and R&B. Ratcliff greatly enjoys being able to dance with Chom in their dance group because of
dance group, Rhythm Inc.
PHOTO BY KEVIN GUTIERREZ Junior Selena Chom (right) and sophomore Derrick Ratcliff (left) practice their dance routines at lunch in the dance room whenever they have the opportunity. The two were dancing to “Gangsta” by Kehlani and “If It Ain’t Love” by Jason Derulo. their shared interest. “When you’re dating someone who can dance just as good as you, because dance is all I’ve been doing, it’s an awesome feeling.” He has always loved to dance and uses it as a way to express himself. “It’s my passion,
“
The experiences of being in this team is absolutely amazing because no matter what, they are so kind..” SelenaChom Junior
so I dance when I’m happy, I dance when I’m stressed, I dance just because. I wake up in the morning brush my teeth and I’m dancing.” Ratcliff’s family encourages his love for dance, and he and Chom are able to support each other while at practice. For Chom, dancing is not only something she loves doing, but it’s also something that helps her when she feels down. “Whenever I would feel depressed I would go to UOP and dance a little.” Even when Chom is struggling to learn a routine, she knows she can rely on her dance group to be there with her every step of the way. “The experiences of being in this team is absolutely amazing because no matter what, they are so supportive, kind, helpful, and much more.” Her father disapproves of
her dancing, wanting her to pursuea more steady career option. “He told me it was a waste of my time and that it didn’t make money.” Yet despite her father’s disapproval she continues to pursue her passion, and she especially enjoys sharing one of her passions in life with her boyfriend. Even with the stress of school and life in general they still manage to attend practices. “It’s kind of hard for the both of us because we have school … but we still dance.” Both Chom and Ratcliff are interested in pursuing careers that pertain to dancing. Being members of the dance group Rhythm Inc. has been able to bring Chom and Ratcliff closer to one another, and help them realize their common passions in life.
SOURCE: IMDB
This show demonstrates the difficulties that a female pitcher would have to deal with as a Major League Baseball player.
GRAPHIC BY MARIA CASTILLO AND ANGEL VASQUEZ
12.16.16
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
Sports
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The Stagg Line
Martial artists get their kicks
Taekwondo helps participants gain self-control and perseverance in life KevinGutierrez Have you ever watched a movie where the characters were doing cool “kung fu” moves? Well, sometimes the fighting is, in fact, taekwondo. Sisters Mariele and Liezle Jones, and Leonardo Sifuentes all partake in this challenging art. Taekwondo is a systematic and scientific Korean fighting style that really tests one’s mentality, physicality, and discipline. “You need to be both physically and mentally strong to do taekwondo,” said Liezle, a freshman. “Discipline and respect is a crucial part of it, and it helps you become a good person.” Sifuentes, Mariele, and Liezle are all black belts in this art. To earn a black belt in an art like this, requires dedication. All three of the students go to the same dojang, a place where taekwondo is taught. They are patrons of Discover Martial Arts dojang, found on the Miracle Mile in Stockton. Sifuentes, senior, has a parent who is an instructor of taekwondo and this persuaded him to participate. As for sophomore Mariele, she caught interest in it by her friend from when she was 9 years old. Mariele really likes the physicality of it and how it made her more self-confident. Leizle started to gain an interest in it because she saw her sister doing it. Liezle had done gymnastics before that, and she had to choose between the two activities. Her admiration towards her sister participating in this sport influenced her to ultimately choose taekwondo. Although they do participate in taekwondo, Liezle also plays volleyball and basketball for Stagg, but occasionally she runs into schedule troubles. At times her different practices will conflict. In these cases it is likely that she will choose her school sport over taekwondo because her dedication to that sport is year-round, instead of seasonal. Sifuentes is also very dedicated to the sport, but with that dedication comes risks. During a tournament he had attempted to kick his opponent and fell backward, landing on his leg and severely injuring himself. He recalls hearing a “crack” and not being able to get back up. This sport is physically demanding and aggressive, so in-
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MarieleJones Sophomore
Taekwondo is mostly focused on the kicking aspect of fighting while karate is focused on punching and MMA is mixed in.”
PHOTO BY SARA ABDELTAWAB Freshman Liezle Jones and sophomore Mariele Jones not only live together, but train together for taekwondo. They typically train twice a week.
juries are not only a risk but a strong possibility. While Mariele is dedicated to taekwondo, she appreciates the differences other sports in the same category offers. Taekwondo is easily mistaken for karate because there are many similarities in their fighting styles, but there are also many differences. The main similarity is self defense, but each art focuses on a different way to do it. “Taekwondo is mostly focused on the kicking aspect of fighting while karate is focused on punching and MMA is mixed in,” Mariele said. “Taekwondo is an Olympic sport,” Sifuentes said. “Karate, on the other hand, isn’t.” Mariele who has won nationals a total of three times, consistently practices so that she can retain her title. Despite this, her nerves never cease. When facing a match, she is not sure what her opponent is capable of. But because of this the excitement regarding the sport is still strong. She hopes to join the US Olympic team and compete on an even steeper scale, even if the skill level becomes even more unpredictable. However, for all of these athletes the sport is not about winning but rather about dedicating time to something they enjoy.
Dark times fall upon winter sports Same-season Time change, late practices cause concerns for students, parents soccer brings friendly competition StephanieMatsumoto
Conditioning and working hard at practice to get ready for games is important for all sports. Yet, due to practices revolving around coaches’ schedules or when the gym can be used, the times can get late for certain sports. In the winter when days become shorter, that can be a problem for many players, but it especially affects those who have to walk home. Waiting out in the dark nights for extended periods of time could bring unsafe conditions, especially with the temperature dropping into the 35
degree range. However, the harsh weather isn’t the only hazard to athletes with late practices. For those who travel home, there’s also the danger of people who are out that late. No matter what the distance their house is, the pitch-black environment of night is when many creeps and crooks come out to do things they wouldn’t do in daylight. Danger can be hiding from any corner of any street. Kenyon Pierce, a sophomore, is on the junior varsity basketball team and finishes practice at 9 p.m. On his way home after basketball, he has to walk past a lot of homeless and strange people standing outside.
Walking is only a mild inconvenience to Pierce and since nothing has happened to him, he doesn’t find it too unsafe. However, making sure that players are getting home safely is important to his coaches and parents, especially at that time. “My mom has said something because last year’s practices started from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and she wanted to try to find a way for practices to be shorter.” Though having to walk home at 9 p.m. can seem dangerous, the same can be true for anytime after the sun goes down. Sophomore Frederick Shadday leaves the wrestling room at 6:30, long after sunset. Shadd-
PHOTO BY SARA ABDELTAWAB Sophomore Julius Freeman waits for the arrival of his parents after football practice which takes place between 3 and 6 p.m.
ay still prefers his later practices because he has more time to do homework or relax, but can see how there are some risks walking out at night, due to having to go through an alley to get home. Although he feels reassured when the soccer players are practicing and the front gate isn’t locked, it’s still frightening if the lights in the football field are off leaving the area pitch black and with an eerie feeling of suspense. The dark doesn’t scare him as much as what might hide in it does. “You can pass by a stranger and you don’t know who they are or what they can do to you.” That fear became a reality for Jasmine Khan, a sophomore, who gets stuck walking home after usually missing the bus due to wrestling practice ending the same time the bus leaves. Walking home after practice one night, Khan was approached by a strange guy behind her who started yelling incoherently. She was left shocked but quickly moved away from him by walking across the street. “I eventually did get away, but it freaked me out quite a bit.” It takes Khan about 40 to 50 minutes walking in the cold weather with her clothes damp from practice to get home. The sudden change in temperature from the training room heated by wrestlers to the cool outside air is a strange experience to her that isn’t always welcomed. Wrestling was a sport she wasn’t too sure about playing at first but her mind has since change. While the walk can be difficult and frightening occasionally, her dedication to the sport is what convinces her to keep going. “Sometimes I get a bit nervous walking by myself, but it never does change if I want to go to practice that day.”
PHOTO BY JULIA ROSETE Senior Jose Estrada tries to pass the ball forward while being held back by two defenders on Mountain House. With nowhere to run, Estrada tried to go forward and not be held back. So far, the varsity team has gone 4-0 in preseason and hope to continue this into the regular season after a 3-5 season last fall. New coaches and two teams, both with new bodies, keep their spirits high.
PHOTO BY ALBERTO VALENCIA Sophomore Uricenda Lopez moves the ball away from the edge of the field to keep it from being called out against Stagg. Junior varsity girls have gone 0-4 during preseason so far. They hope to greatly improve their record in the regular season, with a few weeks until it starts.
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News
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
The Stagg Line
12.16.16
Trump talks DACA, students concerned AngelVasquez
During President-Elect Donald Trump’s candidacy, many promises were made towards cutting back and eliminating immigrants from coming to America. His promises include building a wall around the southern border and having Mexico pay for it. The estimated cost being $10 billion to $15 billion. He also promised to triple the number of immigration and customs agents in an attempt to increase border security. In addition to this, Trump promises on challenging birthright citizenship and imposing e-verify on employers hiring foreign workers. One thing Trump has mentioned is the removal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals that President Obama started in 2012. This program can be granted to undocumented immigrants who were younger than 31 years old as of June 15, 2012, and who are at least 15 years old when applying. It also applies to people who have received final orders for removal from the country, or who have never been in removal proceedings. Individuals who are in this program can apply for jobs or attend school in the U.S. under cover of law for two years subject to renewal. For students like senior Joel Castillo, news that President-Elect Trump has shown intent to remove this program from people is devastating. “It’s completely wrong of him to take this away,” Castillo said. “But something like this is sort of expected from him.” Trump plans to take action against immigration by removing federal funding from “sanctuary cities.” There are around 31 cities across the country that ban city employees and police officers from asking about an individual’s immigration status. These sanctuary cities provide immigrants with a job and schooling. Fundamentally, this means that in these “sanctuary cities” that federal funding might be removed from will allow their police force to question people’s immigration status. The removal of “sanctuary cities” will allow their police force to question one’s legal status, which
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Immigration has and will continue to be a heavily contested issue in the United States. Many people fear that President-Elect Donald Trump will pass radical initatives that will deport a record number of immigrants. However, most people don’t know that the Obama administration has had the highest deportation numbers. GRAPHIC BY KEVIN GUTIERREZ
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has drawn concerns of racial profiling.This can really start the process of removing illegal immigrants, something Trump is very much in favor for. Many immigrants come to America seeking jobs. One of Trump’s visions, according to his website www.donaldjtrump.com, Trump plans to establish new immigration controls to boost wages and to ensure that open jobs are offered to American workers first. “My parents immigrated here so they could work,” said senior David Gochez.
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“As immigrants, we are dreamers. Trump is trying to take away our dreams.” One question remains: Will Trump actually go through with all of the promises made during his campaign? It is quite possible that these promises made during his campaign were just empty threats. It all boils down to one thing — just how aggressive is the president elect is about enforcing immigration laws. One thing is certain, though: change is going to happen.
Despite loss at English learners, teachers hopeful Quiz Bowl, MESA after passage of Proposition 58 stays optimistic StephanieJimenez
SamanthaBaker Losing is a disappointment. But despite the disappointment we are often able to learn from the experiences we acquire through losing. For a word with such a bad connotation associated with it, losing isn’t such a horrible thing if you are able to take something positive away from the loss. Quiz Bowl proved to be one of these kinds of experiences for Stagg students attending the competition through MESA Club. The event took place at University of the Pacific on Dec. 3, with about a dozen schools attending from both high school and middle school levels. It takes place annually and features a series of 10 questions for both high school and middle school levels each that are based on a range of topics, primarily consisting of math and science. Although Stagg didn’t take the win, participants were able to gain a lot from the experience. Denise Ramirez, a junior, was glad that she participated this year and said, “I got to experience something new that I never thought I would ever do, which was very exciting.” She discovered that teamwork is essential to succeeding in Quiz Bowl and learned that “working with the entire team is important because of all our different ranges of knowledge.” As for next year Ramirez is planning on participating in the event again and has her hopes up because of this year’s experience. “Although we didn’t make
it to the next round, I think I would do much better next year since I got to know how it was like and what kind of questions they were asking.” For Justin Tran, a sophomore, he felt that the competition was a lot of fun despite the loss, and is considering competing again next year as a result. He said that practicing questions that pertain to the types that were asked this year during the competition would greatly help in preparing for next year’s Quiz Bowl. “We should practice more questions that are school-related topics instead of just random trivia.” He also said that teamwork was a crucial part to prevailing in the competition, “I learned that teamwork is really important because we did work as a team to try and get up there.” Although it’s certainly disheartening to lose, there are many lessons to learn in the process that will be helpful throughout life, and that would never be gained if you had won in the first place. In spite of losing in the actual competition, all the students who attended actually won in the sense that they acquired irreplaceable experiences, gained newly discovered knowledge, realized the significance of teamwork, and are looking towards the future for the chance to attend Quiz Bowl again and to be able to prove themselves next year.
PHOTO BY SAMANTHA BAKER Senior Alexander Qualls (right) has participated in Quiz Bowl all four years, and although this is sophomore Justin Tran’s (left) first year in MESA club, his skills are also strong.
Unheard, voiceless and simply ashamed: that is what sophomores Moises Saavedra, Florinda Favian Carrillo and Jesse Meza feel once they enter their classes. However, the recent passage of Proposition 58 will soon change these students’ lives. Proposition 58, being entirely focused on bilingual education, gives the opportunity for students to learn the required subjects in their native language and at that same time become familiar with the foreign language, English. Leaving their family behind and missing their home country is one of the many things these students have sacrificed only to have a better life. Saavedra, arriving only seven months ago to Stockton from Jalisco, Mexico, has dealt with the usual difficulties as a non English speaker. He left with his older brother in search of a job and better stability. “My family over there completely supports me, they want me to learn English,” he said, in Spanish. All of these students share the same motive, which is learning the language and soon becoming bilingual. After being informed of the passed proposition, Saavedra believes it’ll benefit him and others immensely. “Learning in English isn’t the same. In order for me to learn I need to hear it in my language.” Saavedra admits he often finds himself feeling like a burden to others during class sessions. “When my friends try to translate what the teacher is saying, I feel like I’m causing them to be behind in class, ” he said. “When it comes to writing, I don’t know what to do and I’m too embarrassed to ask for help.” Meza’s situation is similar. He personally wanted come to the United States to learn English for better job opportunities. To him being bilingual is essential. Reminiscing to his school days in Nayarit, Mexico, not much English was taught. The most was just learning how to introduce yourself and knowing how to greet others. Although Meza struggles with comprehension in class, it appears to him that classes are of higher quality than in Mexico. “Teachers tend to explain carefully unlike over there,” he said, in Spanish. Having only the ability to greet and say numbers, Meza still refuses to speak the little English he knows. “I catch the bus everyday and this girl always asks me for the time, but I do not mean to ignore her but I’m too embarrassed to try to pronounce the numbers in English.” For Carillo, English is something she was exposed until this year.
PHOTO BY STEPHANIE JIMENEZ Moises Saavedra and Florinda Favian Carrillo often do work dealing with English acquisition and function. As learners, many of the textbooks are equivalent of fifth grade English. Coming from Guatemala, English classes in school aren’t enforced at all. Aaron Ferguson their English Language Development teacher, is happy the proposition passed, and believes his students will be less self conscious. “Having these classes will help these students blend in the English language, instead of dropping them in the pool of an English class. With this proposition they’ll float around with arm floaties and be put in the shallow end. Instead of drowning, now they’ll have the ability to swim.” Pamela Barrow is one of the bilingual assistants has been translating for students since 1999. She assists numerous students on campus, including Saavedra, Carrillo, and Meza. “Students will have a better understanding of their core classes,” she said. “One of the weaknesses is that it’ll take longer for students to learn English.” Conversation in English, she said, needs to surround students in order to give them exposure to the English language.
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Visit staggonline. net to watch our coverage of the music program’s Walking Tour with interviews from student performers and the directors.