Stagg Line 2017-2018 Issue #3 by Stagg Line Newspaper

11.09.17

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207

Vol. 61 No. 3

the

Grant kickstarts band program AidanDanforth

Noticing a decline for music appreciation, band teacher Joseph Updegraff is making moves to replenish the band program. A grant from the Stagg Alumni Association helped kickstart his project that lures students to participate in the program. When Updegraff was attending CSU Fresno, he privately tutored students at Madison and Kohl Elementary during weekends. He wanted to make a couple extra dollars, as well as practice his music skill. Recalling

this distant memory Updegraff decided to start a band tutoring program. Needing more manpower, Updegraff invited University of the Pacific music majors to help. Flute player and junior Kristal Garibay goes every Thursday to practice. “The lessons are intimate and focus more on the flute than anything else,” Garibay said. “With lessons every week I have more time to practice what I have learned that day.” Updegraff hopes to draw more attention to the music program. “I had a choice. I could have

bought an instrument or create a long-term program,” Updegraff said. He wants to see an advancing band program. Senior Marco Luna wishes the program had been available for him in previous years. “If I was a freshman, having these lessons would truly progress my skills,” he said. Luna sacrifices an hour to get his lessons for bass clarinet. Luna takes the lessons to focus on his breathing techniques. “I played the music piece once and I messed up. Then I thought about what the tutor said and when I played it again,

it was perfect,” he said. “Instead of affecting one student we could be affecting 25 students,” Updegraff said. The program is setup to have inexpensive, reliable lessons that are paid for by the donation. “It’s set up for the next year’s students,” he said. The students have taught others what they learned. “It’s tips and tricks that we probably wouldn’t be taught without professional help,” junior Jasmine Khan said. With multiple sets of tutors the, band program shows great promise.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIEMATSUMOTO

Juniors Laura Diaz, Kristal Garibay, and Cevina Calderon are getting lessons on how to play from their UOP tutor.

#MeToo

PSA freshmen get involved in classes, sports Far from Hollywood, students share stories of sexual harassment on campus A newly formed partnership has brought Stagg High School and the Public Safety Academy even closer. Now, PSA students are involved in Stagg classes as well as sports. The classes and opportunity to join sports are offered to the ninth grade students since that’s the highest level of education there so far. Next year, students in ninth and 10th grade will be given the opportunity. Freshman Alyssa Sanchez took advantage of the opportunity to join a sport. She played for the girls water polo team during the fall season. Not once did she feel left out just because she goes to a different school. “I feel a part of the team since everyone is so open,” she said. “The coach was very encouraging to me.” Sanchez had described the process to join a sport as very easy. Once she had gained much interest in joining the team, she had asked her officers about joining. “I asked my officers if I could join water polo and they said if I had the grades, then yes.” Water polo had also given Sanchez the chance to interact with other students from a different school. This was new to her since she’s normally surrounded by the same group of people. She enjoyed the experience of talking to other teenagers very much. “It was fun to interact with students from a regular high school. Everyone was just so nice.” Other than participating in water polo, Sanchez also chose to take Spanish as her elective.

At first, the class was mixed with both PSA and Stagg students, but later on they were separated. “We used to have some Stagg students in our class, but now our teachers won’t let us have combined classes with them since we’re a different program.” However, Sanchez did say that the students were getting along before the separation. Brianna Flores, freshman, decided to take a different path and chose yearbook as her elective. Along with Flores, freshman Vivian Castillo also decided to take the same path. Both students have no regrets on choosing yearbook as their elective. Spanish was not the only elective offered to the students. “There was yearbook, French, Spanish, and other electives offered,” Flores said. The work Flores does in yearbook is usually separate from what other students are doing. This is because she is working on a different book than the Stagg students are working on. Flores said, “We work on the Public Safety Academy yearbook while the Stagg students work on their own yearbook.” Like Sanchez, Flores also enjoys interacting with the students from Stagg. “I have no problem interacting with other people from different schools,” she said. “I like that Stagg is offering PSA students to take classes at their school.” To Flores, it only makes sense that they should take classes at Stagg. “Especially now since we’re in high school, it’s better that we’re taking classes actual high school students take.”

PHOTO BY ANGELVASQUEZ Public Safety Academy students Daniel Dongo, Heidi Dinz and Adolfo Alonzo talk about Newtons Law with science teacher Jeremy Elwood.

StephanieJimenez & HannahWorkman

ART BY SERINASIENG

DonavinCollins

BEHIND THE CURTAIN,

actresses have been victimized and left voiceless. They’ve felt objectified, sexualized. Then last month Harvey Weinstein, an influential producer, was accused by dozens of celebrities, and the curtain started to fall. Angelina Jolie, Cara Delevingne, Kate Beckinsale and many more finally raised their voice. Courageously, these actresses gave testimony against sexual abuse and harassment. Before sharing their experiences, the actresses felt that Weinstein was untouchable. Because of his power, these women almost felt obligated to remain silent. They feared being blacklisted by the industry. The hashtag “Me Too” originated from a post by actress Alyssa Milano. The movement encouraged women to speak about a topic not usually discussed. Numerous stories surfaced around the world. Women were opening up to the harsh realities associated with sexual harassment. The trauma is not only present in Hollywood. It is also present on high school campuses.

   “I was wearing my cheer uniform,” a senior said. It was last school year when she was walking into her classroom and noticed the substitute. Later, while sitting with friends, the substitute approached them. As he began to talk, she soon felt uncomfortable by his comments. “‘You know what’s my favorite part about seeing cheerleaders perform?’” she reports the substitute as saying. “‘When their skirts lift up.’” The girls looked at each other. “We all felt weirded out.” A junior felt uncomfortable in one of her classes freshman year because of the teacher’s constant sexual remarks. “The boys would laugh, but to me, it wasn’t funny.” She remembers him saying, in reference to his wife, “‘I fell in love with her cookie.’” Another day in his class, she was sit-

ting on her desk when he poked her on the chest. “He thought there was a star on my sweater, but I know he made that up in that moment.” Some students insist this kind of atmosphere has become far too common. Though they say it is frequent, they still feel appalled by such remarks. Even males have voiced their disapproval. “I hate seeing people taking advantage of others and making them feel uncomfortable,” senior Christopher Steed said, referring to such interactions.    A senior recalls sitting at her desk this year. She was looking at her phone, which was placed between her legs. As her teacher noticed, she apologized for having the phone out. “‘Are you sure you weren’t playing with yourself?’” she remembers him asking.

The thought of reporting this teacher was nearly impossible, she said. She felt as if her words wouldn’t be trusted, which is a common fear among victims. “Who are they going to believe? Me or the teacher?” While Principal Andre Phillips has stated that he has not received any complaints of this nature regarding any permanent teacher, he urges students who feel they have been sexually harassed to come to his office to file a complaint. “I am disheartened and must assert that this type of behavior is intolerable,” he said. For those who worry about their name being used, he added, “We have a process in place to ensure all parties’ privacy are protected.”    Compliments from a teacher can sometimes go too far.

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League champion varsity football will play against Central Catholic at 7:00 p.m. tonight.

Seniors, a $100 deposit is due to Corene Lugo with your registration form no later than Nov. 30.

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OPINION

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School

11.09.17

the Stagg Line

STAFF EDITORIAL

Sexual harassment is a reality How to Report W

hat happens when you know something is wrong, but you don’t know what to do about it? School is supposed to be a “safe place.” But after talking with many junior and senior students at this school, it turns out this is not always so. Students were randomly selected to answer a simple question: “Have you ever had an uncomfortable situation with a teacher or staff member on campus?” In a majority of the classes, we found a student who had a story. We were aware that this was an issue, but we were shocked to discover its magnitude.

After speaking to several students, we learned that this is a problem that must be addressed. While listening to their experiences, it was clear that many students never took action against the perpetrators because they weren’t aware they could or they were ignorant of the process. The steps of reporting sexual assault shouldn’t be something that victims are clueless about. The process should be an easy option for everyone, which it is. The problem is simply delivering the message. Schools seem to put so much focus on bullying and drug prevention, and rightly so, but in-

formation regarding sexual harassment has been neglected. This isn’t a topic that should be brushed under the rug. It’s easy for adults to assume individuals would know what to do if such actions take place, though students need to be informed nevertheless. It is ironic to portray high school campuses as “safe places” when students reportedly have been targeted. The fault is not among students. Change is needed in this situation. Inform students, inform teachers. Emphasize the protocols, let them be known. Fear should not silence the truth.

BSA adds girls to raise numbers

he Boy Scouts of America is an organization known by many that teaches youth responsible citizenship, character development, and other life skills. It focuses solely on males. However, starting next year, girls will be able to join the Cub Scouts and by 2019 girls will be able to earn Eagle Scout rank. Yet, having girls join the Boy Scouts isn’t a choice I can agree with. Don’t get me wrong, I believe girls can and should be able to do the same things as Boy Scouts. What bothers me about this decision is the reasoning behind it. If I felt that they made the decision to stop being gender exclusive and break stereotypes, then I would have no problem. However, it seems pretty apparent, to me at least, that all of this is being done for recruitment. According to the Boy Scouts of America’s website, the amount of members since its peak in 1972 has been decreasing. Though they once had 6.5 million members in 2016, the organization has shrunk down to only 2.3 million members. Boy Scouts of America refused to let transexuals join since they use “information on an individual’s birth certificate to determine eligibility for (their) single-gender programs,” according to their website. The organization still followed that rule, in use for over a century, until earlier this year. When they were thriving, they had no problem turning away transexual or homosexual males, or

The Stagg Line is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, whose awards include the following: ff All-American: 22 times ff Hall of Fame ff First Place, Best of Show: 6 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.

2. The student can fill out a form that is found on the SUSD website under Departments > Compliance Services. The form may also be picked up from the main office. 3. Within a school day from getting this information, the trusted adult must report it to the principal or the district’s compliance officer. GRAPHIC BY ALBERTOVALENCIA

City experiments in giving cash should consider all effects Stephanie Matsumoto

girls. Why now would they suddenly make these changes? They say they want to be more gender inclusive, but is that what’s happening? Rather than a step forward towards inclusivity and female empowerment, it’s a step back. Girls who would’ve joined the Girl Scouts are deceived into joining an organization that just wants membership. Even when girls join, they’ll likely be a small minority. It doesn’t sound welcoming or empowering. Even Girl Scouts of the U.S. are against the change. Without explicitly calling out BSA, Girl Scouts USA responded with “The need for female leadership has never been clearer or more urgent than it is today -- and only Girl Scouts has the expertise to give girls and young women the tools they need for success.” Though I was never a Girl Scout, I believe the group is a positive influence and their words should be heeded. Women have a better chance to learn valuable life lessons and leadership surrounded with other women, rather than a group who just wants their numbers to go up.

STAGG LINE Staff & Policies Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207

1. If a student thinks he or she has been sexually harassed, or has witnessed a peer being sexually harassed, they are advised to report the incident to a trusted adult employee at the school.

Free money?

ART BY AMBERLYBUTLER

STAGG LINE

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

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.

ayor Tubbs announced on Wednesday, Oct. 18, that Stockton was awarded $1 million to pay for what will be called the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration. This program involves providing a guaranteed monthly income to select families in Stockton’s population who are currently living beneath the poverty line. Tubbs said that these payments would be given with “no strings attached” and he encourages other states and cities to think about the long-term effects of this idea and to consider following in his footsteps. This project is funded by the Economic Security Project, an organization whose aim is to end poverty and rebuild the middle class in America. Cochair of the project, Natalie Foster, and her organization chose to invest in Stockton because she and Tubbs saw eye-to-eye on the subject and shared the belief that this project is the best way to fight against poverty and income insecurity. Tubbs is the first mayor in modern American history to take the steps necessary to provide his city’s residents with a guaranteed monthly income. In my eyes, however, this project will not work. It is obvious that this project could produce positive results, but on the other hand, I think there are more cons than pros. My first concern is that the recipients of this stipend could change their behavior. Given this additional $500 a month, they may stop coming into work on some days or abuse the mon-

ey they are given. As of May 2017, the unemployment rate in Stockton, CA was at 6.9 percent, a number that has slowly increased to 8.3 percent as time has gone by. With the introduction of this project, I would not be surprised to see this percentage get higher as the guaranteed income continues. In terms of abusing their monthly stipend, they could spend the money on luxuries rather than things that they actually need. My other concern involves the $500 that recipients would receive every month. Since these people are beneath the poverty line, they may also be living in low-income housing. If the combined total of their salary and their guaranteed monthly income was too high, they could become ineligible for their housing. If you were one of the recipients, would you rather receive a theoretically small sum of cash every month or have a roof over your head? When structuring the payment plans, designers would need to be careful and create a plan that would avoid that obstacle. For the next six to nine months, Tubbs said that the city will finalize the eligibility criteria and payment amount. While I imagine more negative effects following the launch of this project, I also see how it could be very progressive for our city and the beneficiaries of SEED. I think that if the payment plan was to take the recipient’s annual salary into consideration and base their stipend off of that, this could be a very effective idea. Giving them enough money to do more than

Niko Rosete just scrape by off of their salary could possibly prove to be a great step in the recipients’ lives as well as the future of Stockton. Here is what I believe needs to happen before the program is implemented. First of all, the criteria needs refinement. If these stipends were given to current or former drug or alcohol addicts, the money could go towards their addictions. Another example could be people with low credit scores. If they are not able to maintain a good credit score, they may not be the most trustworthy or reliable person to give $500 to every month. If the city was somehow able to filter out people with addictions or low credit scores, the money would be more likely to go to someone with the intent to improve their current living situation. Second of all, the payment plan needs to be made to fit the lives of recipients. In saying this, I’m referring back to the conflict between the monthly payments and the reception of other federal or state benefits. Giving someone $500 a month is ridiculous if it means that their roof is being taken away from over their heads. If the program can find a way to allow recipients to remain eligible for their federal or state aid while giving them their stipend, the program would be a lot more beneficial for the recipients. These are all things to think about before the launch of this project later on in 2018.

EDITORS

REPORTERS

SaraAbdeltawab & StephanieJimenez editors-in-chief

ShannonBradberry

AngelVasquez news editor SamanthaBaker opinion editor

DonavinCollins AidanDanforth CarlosDavalos SolomonJuarez

StephanieMatsumoto features editor

OleediaHarris

LeslieCoronado entertainment editor

BriannaRodriguez

MariaCastillo sports editor JuliaRosete web editor

NicholasRosete SerinaSieng AlbertoValencia

KevinGutierrez photo editor

MarkWalding

AmberlyButler graphics editor

HannahWorkman

DonBott adviser

Current and older issue PDFs are available at issuu.com/staggline

11.09.17

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School

OPINION

the Stagg Line

IS TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL?

President Trump uses social media to pick fights

S ART BY SERINASIENG

President Trump doesn’t show sympathy or compassion when citizens need it the most

rom our founding as a nation we decided to put one person in charge of our Executive Branch. Thus, the position, President of the United States. Presidents have two major roles in their job description: chief executive of the federal government and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Job requirements for president are surprisingly simple. One must be 35 years of age, be a natural-born citizen, and have lived in the United States for at least 14 years. But what does it take to be a good president? Yes, they need to manage our national budget and decide when it’s necessary to launch nuclear weapons; but one thing that’s not in their job description even though it is needed is compassion. The feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for one who is stricken by tragedy is one of the many things President Trump is lacking. His awful timing in stating “facts” ends up backfiring even if his intentions were good. In past years during tragic events like Hurricane Katrina, you see the president at that time, George W. Bush, visiting the victims and comforting them. He assured them that they will receive the help needed. There are many photos of Bush consoling people who lost their homes and belongings. He did what he was supposed to: conduct himself as a good person. Recently the news has been filled with tragedies across the nation, affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands. Due to the hurricanes, mass

Brianna Rodriguez shootings, and fallen U.S. soldiers, the people within our country are vulnerable. The last thing they need is for someone to kick them while they are already down. Recently, four U.S. soldiers were killed during a mysterious mission in Niger, one of them being Army Sgt. La David Johnson. Trump made a condolence call to the widow of Sgt. Johnson, Myeshia Johnson. During that call he is said to have told that her husband, “knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway.” The widow also added how Trump didn’t remember her husband’s name.

What benefit does it bring to state the obvious? All soldiers, and their loved ones, are aware of what they sign up for, but none of them hope for them to be wounded or even worse dead. Rather than telling Johnson what her husband “knew” what he was getting himself into, Trump should have been a comforting soul and left her with reassurance that she will make it through the hardships she is currently facing. He should have shown compassion to the widow and her children. We can all agree that being the President of the United States is no walk in the park. I’m not dismissing the difficulty of the job or the work Trump is attempting to put in to “Make America Great Again!” But I believe trying to figure out the expectations of what should be said during a consoling call shouldn’t be difficult for any regular human being to figure out. President or not, one should know when some things are and are not appropriate to say. Like my parents always told me, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.” If Trump didn’t know how to make the widow feel better, for whatever reason, then he should simply have had one of his secretaries send out an appropriate letter, one that will not make her cry of sorrow even more. If President Trump could be more sensitive in regards to people’s thoughts and emotions, these conflicts could be avoided and maybe people would grow more supportive of him.

Leslie Coronado

ocial media: a place to upload pictures, keep updated with friends, and post opinions. Usually you associate social media with young adults, but older people participate as well. From them you expect mature comments. You would especially expect this from someone over 70 years old. And yet, we have a 71 year old guy calling the dictator of North Korea a “little rocket man.” He also attacks journalists for writing unfavorably of him, accuses the mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, of poor leadership, and calls for NFL players who kneel during the National Anthem to be fired. This 71 year old runs our country, but finds it more important to push the blame on others or make uneducated comments. As soon as someone “attacks” him, he’s on Twitter the next second complaining about it from the comfort of a golf resort. From the time he’s on Twitter, it’s expected that he has more to say on serious topics. Not that he never does, but at times he doesn’t comment on important situations or shifts the attention to himself. For several days after the four special forces soldiers were killed on Oct. 4, Trump remained silent. Instead, he tweeted about his iconic “fake news” media. The next day, when the bodies of the first soldiers arrived, he continued to attack the media and warn of the “calm before the storm.” On the 12th day, he finally made a comment only because a reporter asked him about it. In his response, the president said he had written personal letters to the family, trying to make )it a political advantage by accusing his predecessors of hardly ever or never calling the family members of the fallen soldier, when, in fact, they regularly did. It was immature and stupid to try to use the issue to make himself look good. People died and family members are in mourning. He should have just focused on the family and the soldiers, not himself. It’s even more ridiculous that he had time to make stupid comments, and yet kept silent over a matter that required him to speak. The president should just be banned from social media. If he wants to make a comment on something, then he can hold a conference or make a speech to the public. It would give him time to think over what he wants to say and how he wants to say it. It’s clear that he can’t keep his temper and use social media properly without picking fights. He can put all that extra time not spent on Twitter to some use, like avoiding nuclear war with North Korea or helping the residents of Flint, Michigan, finally get some clean water.

“

Sara Abdeltawab

urning on the TV to a news channel or opening a paper you expect to see things like a local fire or the weather for the week, but it’s funny how 281 pages filled with humor, mystery, and a powerful moral message could cause such a controversy. Not only did 281 pages raise a lot of talk, it got banned from a reading list. Harper Lee’s most famous piece of literature “To Kill a Mockingbird” was banned from

It’s ludicrous to go through all that trouble because of the “n” word.” a local school district in Mississippi for making some students and even adults uncomfortable, because of its use of the “n” word. For all the things that it contains such as accusation of rape, sexual scenes and even incest, how is it that the “n” word is what makes students in the eighth grade uncomfortable? The book itself has been around for so long and a majority of students

have been required to read it, so why now is it a big deal? Although the book is fiction it holds so much truth behind it, especially during the time it was published. The story is told through Scout Finch and alongside her is her brother Jem and father Atticus who is an attorney defending Tom Robinson, a black man who was accused of raping a white woman. Due to this, I don’t believe it was the eighth graders who felt uncomfortable, I believe it was the teacher and the students’ parents. These are middle school students who only learn about history through the winner’s point of view, yet “To Kill a Mockingbird” is a side of history that these kids get to be exposed to. This book exposes them to how black people were treated during that time period, while still adding humor and mystery to it. Why would anyone want to keep that away from them? Let alone ban it from the curriculum. It’s ludicrous to go through all that trouble because of the “n” word. The book itself is so much

more than that. The word is used for an educational purpose, to teach kids about the suffering African Americans had to go through. Racism has been and still is a prevalent problem within America, which makes me think it was the parents and the teacher of those eighth graders that wanted to get the book banned. There are many books that have explicit language, even some history books have racial slurs in them, but many of them aren’t banned. I read “To Kill a Mockingbird,” my sophomore year, as well as many other sophomores and not one person made it known that they had any concerns with the reading. So I wonder, why was the book really banned, who really wanted to keep them from the truth? After being said to ban the book the school has yet to return it to the curriculum as long as the students’ parents sign a permission slip. In a sense that only makes one person look guilty, and it’s not the students.

ART BY AMBERLYBUTLER AND SOLOMONJUAREZ

It’s a sin to ban a ‘Mockingbird’

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School

FEATURES

the Stagg Line

11.09.17

PHOTO BY ANGELVASQUEZ

Sophmore Hector Camarena shows up to participate in the Color Run before his cross country practice.

Family with cancer changes students’ view

JuliaRosete

Being told someone you care deeply about has only a couple months to live can be devastating. This was senior Angel Garcia’s reality. His cousin was diagnosed with leukemia and passed away two years ago at 27 years old. Garcia’s cousin had been diagnosed with autism and Down syndrome as a child. The doctors had previously said that treatments were going well, and he was stable. His family struggled with understanding the weight of the situation, making it hard to realize that his time was limited. “He was a core part of the family,” Garcia said. “He was a really sweet guy.” Junior Giovanna Lovato is in a similar situation with her brother-in-law’s father. He is currently going through physical therapy to return mobility in his legs. “He used to come over all the time,” she said. “My nephew is young so it’s sad to see that happen to his grandfather.” According to Lovato, he has cancer in his muscles, spine and lungs. This affected the muscles in his legs, making him unable to walk. She said he’s been able to move this toes, but walking is still a goal that will be very hard to accomplish. “It was kind of a shock, but it also wasn’t a shock because

“

He was a core part of the family,” Garcia said. “He was a really sweet guy.” Angel Garcia Senior there were signs,” she said. “It was mostly just heartbreaking.” For Garcia, the aftermath was short-lived but heartfelt. His family, being very religious, saw it as a tragedy, but they soon accepted it. “We grieved for a moment and moved on,” he said. He says that others going through hard times like this with an uncertain future should appreciate the time they have and live in the present. “Visit them as often as you can, and appreciate them,” Garcia said. “If they do pass away, don’t be sad that they’re gone. Be glad that you had them.”

PHOTO BY MARIACASTILLO

Junior Natalie Robles attends the first year of the Color Run. As she participates, paint is thrown at her at the start of the race. At the event, donations for The American Cancer Society were accpeted in exchange for paint.

Colorful for a cause

In order to raise awareness for all types of cancer, Associated Student Body hosts its first color run StephanieMatsumoto Cancer is a serious disease that creates a feeling of sorrow to all impacted. Though the issue may appear as a solemn cloud of gray, bringing awareness to the topic can come in splashes of vibrant color. For those who went to the Cancer Awareness Rally and Color Run on Oct. 27, this was exactly what they received. Moses Richardson, a senior, was involved in planning the event, along with others in Associated Senior Body senior class. Though the run was originally going to be a breast cancer run, along with pink powder, they decided it would be better idea to have a variety of colors and change the overall theme. “Even though the focus of October is breast cancer we wanted to support awareness for all cancers and just do the run for a good cause.” In order to see how many people would come to the run, ASB decided to hold a rally before the event. There, students were able seriously to honor cancer survivors and pay respects to those who’ve died from the disease with a moment of silence. They were also able to play games and watch a performance from Dem Bague Boyz. “The people who planned the assembly did a wonderful job at making games and being fun while capturing the seriousness of the topic,” Richardson said. The event, to him, was a success. Because they sold powder packs for a dollar and had a donation jar, ASB raised over $100. Richardson was also surprised by the sheer amount of students who showed up as

well as the positive atmosphere around them. “There were no outbreaks of fights, just students who wanted to come to the event to have fun,” he said. “I was told that they’d love to have a run happen again soon.” Adrian Flores, a sophomore, was one among many who participated in the event. He decided to run the mile to support the cause as well as honor his uncle who was diagnosed with cancer when Flores was little. The reason that running meant so much to him was because it wanted to raise awareness of all cancers and have students be involved as well. “Most of the time you don’t really see others supporting against cancer,” Flores said. “I mean there’s a month for breast cancer but what about other (types)?” While Flores enjoyed the event, he started to think about a deeper meaning behind it while he ran. Though he was happy, he started to look at what was happening from another perspective. “I imagine all the people who are in pain because of cancer and they’re fighting against it then imagine the powder being thrown at you and maybe you don’t like that so you fight back,” Flores said. “You have to run around so many times while powder is thrown at you but then it’s done and you can say you’ve conquered it.” In the end, the event brought nothing but joy to Flores. As he ran around the soccer field, packets of bright colors being thrown at him, there were only positive thoughts. The Color Run succeeded at combining a good cause and fun for all students. “All you saw were big smiles and everyone enjoying themselves.”

Unity Day kicks off Red Ribbon Week ShannonBradberry

PHOTOS BY KEVINGUTIERREZ

Near the cafeteria, Senior Leonardo Leon, junior Diego Contreras, and other students participate in a watermelon eating contest for Unity Day, a first time event for Stagg hosted by PLUS. Many students joined in on the festivities by challenging others in competitions or watching and recording their friends participate with good laughs.

As October came to an end, PLUS students wanted to honor the fact that it was Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, so they hosted Unity Day. This took place on Monday, Oct. 23, and was the kick off to Red Ribbon Week. Unity Day consisted of teamwork and a lot of watermelon. At lunch that Monday, PLUS teacher Mary Stoner and some PLUS students organized a watermelon eating contest as well as a three-legged race. During the watermelon eating contest, students tried to keep their focus strictly on not gagging while they were trying to devour watermelon as quickly as possible. This activity started to gain an audience; peers gathered around recording, laughing, and encouraging the contestants. Jasmine Jennings is a senior in PLUS and she explained the importance of this day. “It’s a great way for everyone at Stagg to bond and respect each other,” she said. “Having more days like this just makes the environment at Stagg more welcoming and fun, it makes kids want to be here and get involved.” Laughter was all that was heard as students tried their hardest not to fall while taped to their partner during the three-legged race; PLUS leaders encouraged all students to participate in each separate activity that they planned out for the week ahead. Following Unity Day was Red Ribbon Week. Shania Larkin, a PLUS member since her freshman year, talked about why students should be more aware about the dangers of drug use. “People never know what they’re gonna get themselves into,” she said. “What if they try to smoke and their stuff is laced. There’s so many things that can be avoided by just saying no to drugs.” On Tuesday, the Public Safety Academy staff organized for army sergeants to volunteer and set up a rock climbing activity to show the difficulties

of climbing a wall without any restrictions . People challenged themselves to reach the top of the wall as peers cheered them on from every direction. The following day, a huge army recreational vehicle was set up in front of the library, which was organized by PSA staff as well. Many students wondered what it was as they were walking to their sixth period. Questions were resolved after school when people realized it was for Red Ribbon Week. The inside of the RV was dark and looked like some sort of army tech room with many screens. The sergeants allowed only 12 people at a time inside the RV. When students entered the RV, a video was on display of a secret robot the army has been developing and some say it will be released in the year 2032. After the video, students entered through a clear door and on the other side was a total of 16 screens in all different shapes and sizes. In that room, the games took place. Participants were asked to get into four groups of three. From there they competed in multiple games against each other to win a free army t- shirt. Students absolutely enjoyed friendly competitions and playing brain stimulating games. One of the games played was a memorization game. Pictures were displayed on four of the 16 screens, they had to memorizes the photographs and rearrange them sort of like a puzzle, The rivalry was clearly evident as students began to get competitive when they noticed they were losing to an opposing group. Red Ribbon Week and Unity Day tied students together and showed them that school isn’t all work and no play. Stoner and her PLUS students love organizing these activities and hope to have more successful lunch days. “Seeing students come together in a fun, positive way on campus,” Stoner said. “It just warms my heart.”

11.09.17

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School

FEATURES

the Stagg Line

Drawing is a form of expression

Creating original characters also creates friendships among artistic students MariaCastillo

“We clicked instantly.” That’s how junior Angelina HangPres describes her friendship with senior Nabikkie Thoeun and junior Annie Traxler. Hang, Thoen, and Traxler all draw their own characters. They take inspiration from “Cartoon Network” shows like “Adventure Time,” “Steven Universe,” and “Amazing World of Gumball.” “When I see something really cool, it helps me base my characters of off that,” HangPres said. Despite taking inspiration from the same shows, their drawing styles are different. HangPres makes her drawings more cartoonlike while Traxler is more anime-oriented and Thoeun focuses on realism. When creating new characters, their imagination explodes with creativity. Because Thoeun’s drawings are realistic, she enjoys having diversity in her creations so she thinks about the little things. “My drawings are like actual people, they all have their own unique features,” Thoeun said, “I have to think of details like the eyebrow, face, and eye shape and also the skin color. ” HangPres and Traxler think of whether they want a vibrant character with bright colors and exuberant shapes or a dark character, with somber colors and a gloomy tone. HangPres said, “It all depends on where I get inspiration from. Recently, I was listening to a rap song and it gave me ideas that are different from my regular style.” The three were introduced to the world of drawing in different ways. When Theon was a child, she spent a lot of time with her dad who would always watch anime shows and movies. Eventually she became interested in all the colors and figures that she began to copy the characters until she started creating her own. For HangPres, it all started in kindergarten when she saw one of her classmates drawing cartoon characters and she immediately became intrigued. Shortly after, she asked her friend to teach her about it, which sparked her interest even more. As for Traxler, she began to draw when she was 13 years old, out of boredom at first but as she continued her imagination began to kindle. Both Thoeun and Traxler say that HangPres is the one that gives more tips. “Angelina gives me tips on how to color,” Thoeun said. “She tells me to make sure not to dab too much so it doesn’t bleed out.” Traxler said, “She (Angelina) helps me when I freestyle my drawings.”

PHOTO BY STEPHANIEJIMENEZ

Junior Angelina HangPres looks thorugh her drawings. This particular drawing represents one of her orginal characters. It is influnced by a rose bud that grows into a celestial being along with a backstory to her character. Although HangPres gives the most tips, she still learns from her friends’ creations. She said, “I’m always fascinated by my friends’ work. Their style and their characters’ background story… it’s so amazing.” It took a huge amount of love and dedication for them to become skilled. Throughout the years of them drawing, sometimes they felt like giving up. Thoeun said, “When some of my drawings wouldn’t come out how they looked like in my head, I’d get frustrated.” The amount of time it took them to complete a drawing was

Check out staggonline.net to watch junior Angelina HangPres describe a character she created.

another frustrating factor for HangPres, who said, “To complete just one drawing, it would take me about two or three days. During those days I’d get tired and I would start wondering if it was worth it.” Since HangPres plans to go further in life with her drawings, she would tell herself that in order to get better, she had to put in the time. Traxler agrees with that by saying, “The more you practice the more you get it and once it comes out the way you wanted it to, you know all that time you put in paid off.”

Wildfire disasters impact students SamanthaBaker

PHOTOS BY STEPHANIEJIMENEZ

Both assistant principals live active and healthy lifestyles in one way or another. Byers is an avid hiker who has done half dome twice. C)hauhan eats healthily by being vegetarian and staying away from fast food.

Get to know your assistant principals OleediaHarris

Although students have noticed two new assistant principals on campus this year, they may not realize that they have both been here before. Gurvinder Chauhan was an English teacher for 13 years. She said that if there wasn’t an opening here at Stagg that she would have had to wait probably three or four more years to gain an AP position. Just last year she was working as an instructional coach. “I helped reinforce instruction, grading and curriculum.” She added that being neither a teacher nor working in administration helped her get ready for her new job. “I was creating and supporting teachers,” she said. “Being an instructional coach helped me prepare for the role of being in administration.” Her main focus as an AP is to improve English Language Development. “English language learners are now in a different category called reclassification,” she said. “I want to make sure students are getting enough support in their classes.” Chahuan’s second main focus is to make sure testing procedures are more efficient. Her goal is to make sure students are more prepared for standardized tests. When Chauhan is not busy with her new administrative position, her favorite hobby is reading. Some of her favorite books include, ”The Mill on the Floss”and “Wuthering Heights”. “British literature is something I grew up with so I love reading books from that genre.” For AP Kathryn Byers, going to visit nature is more of an ideal way for her to escape. Byers likes

visiting the beach and the mountains. Her love for nature stems from her love of biology. Some time before starting her current position, Byers taught at Stagg for several years teaching biology. “If I was going somewhere for fun it would definitely be the mountains or the coast.” Interacting with wildlife and dipping her feet in the water give her a sense of comfort and nostalgia. “When I was a kid, you could literally make anything fun and you didn’t really have a choice because there wasn’t all this technology.” She said she and her friends could make playing with dirt and a stick the highlight of their day. At home, baking is Byers’ favorite pastime. “I like to bake just for fun or for family events.” Byers is more interested in baking for others and says she feels good when getting a compliment on her treats. As an AP, Byers focal points are the PLUS and PBIS programs. “I want there to be more positive and fun things to do on campus.” There are plans that are now getting assembled. For example, Byers and Principal Andre Phillips would like to turn the library into a student union. “I’ve bought a Wii and our athletic director coach Nguyen has bought two ping-pong tables.” She suggests that positive activities like a student union will be able to help keeps students engaged while still having fun at school. Her most important goal and concern is attendance. “I ran our attendance and we have 18 pages of students who have missed 20 or more days.” She wants to focus on the reasons these kids aren’t coming to school, and what administration can do to get them actively back and involved.

We would often see horrid photos of the destruction that the recent wildfires wreaked in Northern California. We would hear the news stories about roads being blocked, people being relocated, irreplaceable belongings being destroyed, homes obliterated. Despite how close these tragedies were, many from here feel a dissociation from these events. Yet, for students Margarita Thomas and Angeliah Smith, seniors, the fires hit a lot closer to home. When moving to Stockton, Thomas left a lot of close friends behind in Napa. She’s been able to keep close ties to them over the years, so when the wildfires hit it caused her and her family a lot of grief seeing how their loved ones were being affected. On Snapchat, Thomas would see how her friend, Destiny, would joke about the fire coming close to her area. Yet as the Snapchats progressed Destiny would begin to cry and it could be seen that the wildfires had taken her home. Other friends were evacuated, others moved to Vallejo during the time. While her uncles have been able to volunteer in the area, Thomas and her mother and sister weren’t able to go to Napa and help out at the time due to the congested roads. “It was really stressful for us not to be able to go and try to help.” As for Smith and her family, having not only friends but also family, including two aunts and an uncle, living in regions threatened by the wildfires caused much stress and worry. Her family in Napa would often distance themselves, busying themselves with figuring out plans of action that they would possibly have to take, or what they would have to do financially if catastrophe were

“

We would ask how they were doing, how they were holding up, if they needed money, just things like that.” AngeliahSmith Senior

COURTESY BY DESTINYBECK

Destiny Beck’s family members look through the rubble left by the widlfire. The majority of their belongings were destroyed, the only thing left standing of their house was the chimney. to strike. Despite how busy they were, she and her family would check up on them every chance they got. “We would ask how they were doing, how they were holding up, if they needed money, just things like that.” Luckily, her aunts and uncles were only on close watch for evacuation during the whole ordeal and didn’t suffer damages to their homes or belongings, the only thing affecting them being the thick and heavy smoke that permeated not only outside but

inside their homes. A family friend of Smith’s, who lives in Napa, was not as fortunate. Their friend of 20 years was only able to snatch some photos and clothes before being evacuated. His house, along with the whole neighborhood, was burnt down, leaving nothing but ash to sift through. Smith and her family were devastated at the news. “They lost everything and basically have to start their lives over.”

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School

ENTERTAINMENT

11.09.17

the Stagg Line

Using platforms to bring light to social issues SaraAbdeltawab

“

The way they decide to use that voice could help the youth that look up to them in a positive or negative way.”

ART BY AMBERLYBUTLER

Many of today’s youth look up to those they idolize for the virtue they bring to society. Actions they take to convey powerful messages to their audience tend to have a big impact on those who don’t agree with them rather than those who do. Those who are idolized consist of TV show hosts, athletes, musicians, and even actors/ actresses. They use the platform they stand upon to express ideas they believe in. People like Ellen Degeneres and Oprah Winfrey have had the privilege of having their own TV show and with it they spread positivity and help those in need. Although they use their fame and fortune to give back to their audience and or to those who have been through tough times, there are those who use their platform for bigger issues. Those like Colin Kaepernick, who started the “kneel during the national anthem” protest last football season, has used his voice for a message that goes beyond spreading positivity. It is one that has stuck with not only the American youth, but people all over the United States. Kaepernick’s reason for kneeling was to show that he was fighting against racial oppression and trying to raise awareness about social injustice that was happening during the time, and continues to happen. Being that he was very well known during his football career his actions created an uproar of emotions in society. Many saw what Kaepernick did as a sign of disrespect, but a season later fellow teammates as well as other football players

are joining in on his protest. The Indianapolis Colts football team took part in Kaepernick’s stance by wearing shirts that expressed their fight against social injustice as well. Although Kaepernick does not play in the NFL anymore and therefore no longer has the same platform his

voice is still being heard. The way Kaepernick presented himself on and off the field showed the youth a part of the industry that isn’t seen in everyday light. Those like Kaepernick and the Indianapolis Colts aren’t the only ones who used their platform to spread a

message so deeply rooted in the world we live in. Musicians like Eminem and Snoop Dogg used their music to “attack” the negative ways of our president. Eminem released a video addressing all the nonsense Donald Trump has committed whether it was via

Twitter or on live television. He said things along the lines of “he gets an enormous reaction when he attacks the NFL so we pay attention to that instead of Puerto Rico.” Such words show how Eminem’s using his skills in music to put together something

powerful to show the world how our president cares more about NFL players than those who lost lives in disastrous events. Snoop Dogg used the cover of his new album “Make America Crip Again” in a negative way to also express his hatred toward the president. Because of the fame he holds in the music industry there were those who agreed with the point he was making. Celebrities are idolized and looked up to everyday. No matter what industry they are part of, sports, music,or movie industry they have a platform that lets their voice be heard by many people. The way they decide to use that voice could help the youth that look up to them in a positive or negative way. Even if it’s a voice that many people from society don’t agree with.

‘Stranger Things’ fans are left wanting more AidanDanforth

GRAPHIC BY JULIAROSETE, SERINASIENG, BRIANNARODRIGUEZ AND NICHOLASROSETE

If you liked the first season to “Stranger Things” and haven’t seen it, you better go do it now. The new nine-episode season questions the audience’s fondness towards Will Byers. The Duffer Brothers produced an 80’s thriller mystery show that veers away from their intended dreams but nonetheless produced a compelling plot line. “Stranger Things” Season 2 compels viewers who understood 80’s culture with various references to the hottest songs at the time or the latest blockbuster film. The characters go through relatable social embarrassments, like being ditched during a middle school dance. After showing up to school with his friends, Will Byers experiences various flashbacks that pull him back into the dark and cold ‘Upside Down.’ Only this time the world is filled with a new and bigger threat than before. Throughout the season Will experiences these flashbacks. In one of these flashbacks Will comes across a “Mind Flayer” who possess Will and takes controls of his mind. The main plot line of “Stranger Things” Season 2 seems too similar to the first season. The second season only adds a bigger threat that Will might lose himself to the monster. Still with the interdimensional portal being opened for so long, the “Upside Down” created hounds to destroy and take over the world. The characters must focus, and stick together to try and stop the monsters and close the portal. Gratefully the creators of the show kept the original cast of the show and added other main characters to the second season. At times some of the new characters were meant to develop more run time, but nonetheless many of the characters from the previous season form a character arc that many fans didn’t get to see to much during the first season. Many characters managed to connect during the new season, an unlikely duo, a slurring, nerdy, preteen manages to team up with the high school cool kid. Some of these bonds create a compelling change to the characters that fans enjoyed to see. Although some characters seemed too predictable, the story progress creates an attraction for the viewers. The cast for the second season for “Stranger Things” was a melting pot with young talent and highly experienced actors. Sean Astin who played in Lord of the Rings and The Goonies, played a vital role throughout the new season, he helping his girlfriend, Will’s mom, Joyce uncover puzzles

The show continued with the same lovable characters and setting but fell victim to an unnecessary and similar plot. that lead to the discovery of the portal. “Stranger Things” answered many questions from the previous season, added more character development and a developed a broader cast. “Stranger Things” continues to give fans what they want, heart-racing scenes that leave you amazed. No comment has been made about a third season, but fans are desperate to watch the bizarre turns in the quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana.

11.09.17

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School

SPORTS

the Stagg Line

Getting to kick down under Cazarez is picked to represent California in Australia KevinGutierrez & AngelVasquez

Senior Ricardo Cazarez started off his high school athletic career as a soccer player. He played center, and he was known by his coach and teammates for his powerful kick. Toward the end of his sophomore year his coach pushed him to try out for football. After seeing how adamant his coach was about him playing football, he decided to try it out. Cazarez’s coach took him to a one-on-one practice with the football coach, and he “just kicked footballs for the whole practice.” Recently, Cazarez was invited to a handpicked American high school in Australia. Cazarez received a letter from football coach Don Norton before his practice started. He was sure that the letter was from one of the many colleges seeking to recruit him, but to his surprise when he opened the letter he found out the great news. “I was having a terrible day that day, I woke up late, had a headache, and I was tired,” he said. “Opening and reading that letter immediately made my day better.” The letter was from Down

Under Sports, an organization that puts high school sports teams together from all over America. The letter stated that Cazarez was chosen to represent California for kicking on the U.S. team against other teams from around the world. Cazarez’s has yet to fill out the registration form, but he plans to get it done soon. His entire family will be accompanying him on this trip, something that Cazarez is grateful for. “I’m happy my family is going, but I wish my team could go too,” he said. “After all, they’re the ones who motivate and push me to keep going.” Receiving an offer like this is a great accomplishment, but not much of a surprise since he has had 28 touchbacks and a total of 2,900 kicking yards this season alone. “I’m really excited to have this oppurtunity to something great for California,” he said. “I’m also excited to progress in my football career. Cazarez hopes to play college in college, and he dreams of making it onto an NFL team one day. “I wish I would’ve played football sooner,” he said. “I really love it, and

Check out staggonline.net for Cazarez’s exciment for Australia

used to think it would interfere with soccer.” Although Cazarez dominates the field with his powerful field goal kicks, he does mess up from time to time. “I’ll never forget the day I missed a field goal tie with Bear Creek last season,” he said. “It made me feel terrible at first, but everyone makes mistakes, I guess.” One of the fondest memories Cazarez holds of his football career is his first field goal he made last season in a game against Modesto. “I honestly couldn’t stop smiling, I felt amazing.” Cazarez is the only kicker for the football team, so he sometimes feels immense pressure to perform the best he can from his coaches and teammates. Also seeing as he has no replacement, he takes extreme precautions not to get hurt during games and practices, although those efforts weren’t always perfect. Cazarez has gone through a countless number of injuries this past year, all ranging from minor to major. He recalls pulling a hamstring, and limping for days. One of his most recent injuries was to his “glute.” “It hurt really bad to be honest,” Cazares said. “But you know how it is, I just had to ignore the pain.” Although Cazarez believes he’s only known for his kicking, that’s not the case according to the football specialist coach Anthony Lee. Most kickers for the football team usually only kick at practice, but Cazares does everything, ranging from weights to actual contact. “He’s the first kicker that’s truly done all the exercises,” Lee said. “He’s not known as Ricardo the kicker, he’s known as Ricardo the football player.”

Dougherty refuses to quit, now loves water polo SamanthaBaker

Sometimes it’s hard enough to keep your head up above water only by the kicking of your own two feet, without the reassurance of the bottom of the pool to support you. It becomes even more difficult when you occasionally get hit or pulled on by others in the pool or smacked by a ball. All this while attempting to score a goal against the tough defenders. Like many others reading this, Krissi Dougherty, a junior, questioned the appeal of water polo and why she even decided to do it in the first place; eventually she came to love the sport. After participating in swim last year, Dougherty became interested in water polo mostly because her friends on the swim team played it. After joining, because of how hard it is on the body, she immediately hated it and soon asked herself why she joined. Yet whenever she thought about quitting, her friend Lucas Nincioni, also a junior, would encourage her not to drop the sport. “Lucas said, ‘If you quit then you’re like a quitter’ and so I thought, ‘Okay, well, can’t quit then.’” Though Dougherty struggled with holding herself up in water while trying not to be drowned,

pummeled, or clawed, she refused to give up on her commitment. Despite how strenuous and exhausting the game proved to be, she found that it was also fun. She began to enjoy how much physical effort it required, the teamwork it involved, and the communication it demanded. Because of her previous experience with soccer, Dougherty was able to channel some of her skills acquired there and put them to good use in water polo. She understood the basic game and the importance of moving to open spaces as a result. “When she started to understand how much it was similar to soccer, then she understood how to do it and she improved tremendously,” Sherman said. In of her favorite scores of the season, Dougherty was sitting out of the pool after getting slugged in the eye, when she told her coach, Marcus Sherman, that she was going back into the game. “Immediately, as soon as I went in, I grabbed the ball, and I scored.” Despite her initial hatred of the sport, Dougherty soon softened up to it because of the camaraderie she felt and the arduous physicality she eventually began to enjoy. Winning some games didn’t hurt. “It was pretty fun, I’ll definitely do it again.”

PHOTO BY MARKWALDING

Junior Krissi Dougherty plays defense against Edison. By attempting to block the pass, she keeps the opponent from passing the ball, keeping them from scoring. Stagg won, 13-3.

PHOTO BY SARAABDELTAWAB

During senior night, Ricardo Cazarez helped the team come back by making the field goal. In the last quarter, Stagg was able to put six points on the scoreboard winning 38-35 against Edison.

TENNIS WINS AGAIN

Seniors pass down wisdom to new players to continue their legacy of taking league DonavinCollins & Hannah Workman

The women’s tennis team has enjoyed a remarkable year, winning league and strengthening the program’s foundation in the process. As senior players approach the end of their high school careers, newcomers are prepared to take up the mantle. “After this season, we’re losing a lot of veterans,” first-year Alanah Grisby, a sophomore, said. However, she feels as though the more experienced players have provided enough support to where they feel confident going forward. “If you need help with something, you could ask them and they’ll find the time to work with you.” Sophomore Keimora Armstrong and junior Marissa Gonzales were looking for a new sport to become involved in when they decided to try out for tennis. “It ended up sticking on me and I really like it,” Armstrong said. She plans on joining a club to improve her skills during the off-season. Second-year Xscence Perez, a sophomore, has had a different experience than she did during her rookie season. “Last year, I wasn’t really involved because I was in exhibition,” Perez said. “This year, I’m in top 12 and much more active.” For her, the change in team dynamics isn’t only evident on the court, but also off. “We all talk to each other and have fun together. We’re a pretty close-knit group.” She believes this, paired with their positive attitude, are major factors in their success. “We encourage one another to keep our heads up and maintain a positive atmosphere.” Kassidy Chhoung-Sun, a sophomore, agrees with Perez. “I think everybody has a stronger bond than we did last year,” she said. “We’ve gotten the opportunity to get to know our teammates and grow fond of each other.” Chhoung-Sun gives much of the credit for their victories to the seniors. “They worked hard. When we got moved up, we felt like there was a lot of pressure,” she said. Receiving guidance from the veterans relieved a bit of that burden. At the beginning of the season, each player was asked to set three personal goals. They were to choose one of the goals, write it on a ball, and practice with that ball.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIEMATSUMOTO

Jasmin Luz, a junior, hits the ball across the court to Angelina Chu, a senior, while practicing serves. Luz plays No. 2 singles and went undefeated during the season. “My goal was to improve on my serves, which I did,” Chhoung-Sun said. “My serves are better than they were last year.” Team goals were also set, the first was winning league. “It feels pretty great to know we accomplished that as a team,” she said. Kristina Matsumoto just wrapped up her third year playing for Stagg. Being a part of the team for so long, she has seen the program go through many changes. “Every year, we lose dedicated senior players,” she said. “We gain new players, so it’s kind of like starting from the bottom again.” While the veterans do have to teach newbies the ropes, she is confident that they will continue their winning ways.

NEWS

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School

11.09.17

the Stagg Line

‘Mockingbird’ causes controversy, discomfort SaraAbdeltawab

Humor, mystery, drama, and segregation. With all these things you would think one word couldn’t possibly start so much commotion, but yet it did. Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” was banned for almost a month and removed from an eighth grade reading list due to its use of the “n” word. A word used for educational purposes was the reason an award-winning book was banned in Biloxi, Mississippi. Rumors went around that many of the parents, as well as teachers, didn’t feel comfortable with the “n” word being used

multiple times throughout the book. Because of the complaints, the book was taken away from students mid-lesson plan. According to NBC News, Kenny Holloway the district’s school board vice president said that the school could “teach the same lesson with other books.” Although banning the book doesn’t affect students in the SUSD school district, there are some teachers who feel strongly about the situation. For sophomore English teacher Bonnie Villegas that is the case. “The book has such a rich message behind it,” Villegas said. “We read books like this and try

Newsfeed determines awareness It seems that everything on social media is the latest celebrity gossip, the Kardashians’ rumored pregnancies or the ever classic “Who wore it best?” However, is that really all there is on everyone’s feed? As it turns out people have different content on their newsfeed. Nathaniel Bones, a senior, has three social media platforms, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter. On his Twitter he typically sees “funny videos, selfies, pictures of people dressing up for spirit day, and opinions on controversial topics.” However, it bothers him whenever he sees people complaining about videos without any context of what’s going on. For example, he saw a video of a cop just doing his job and someone was making it out to be more than it was by calling it police brutality. Sometimes Bones will reply by pointing the actual content of the video, but it doesn’t do much to the misunderstanding it created. What he sees on his feed is based on Twitter’s algorithm, which is based on relevance, not chronology, leading to a person seeing more tweets from the people that they interact with. It also allows the most popular tweets to be more widely seen and to go viral on a larger scale. This would explain why he sees a lot of controversial opinions and mislabeled videos because they are most likely very popular and

SURVEY SAYS

SOURCE: SURVEY OF 30 STUDENTS

Bones sometimes interacts with them. Social studies eacher Tara Hayes also has a Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat, but what she sees “depends on which one I’m using.” On Twitter she’ll usually see a lot of politics whereas on Instagram and Facebook, Hayes will see “a lot of friends and family and former students.” Kassidy Chhoung-Sun, a sophomore, and Kristen Price, a junior, both have an Instagram and a Snapchat. “Makeup videos, dresses, memes, and posts about single people” is what Chhoung-sun normally sees on her Instagram feed. She usually gets her news from a YouTube channel called Inside Report which does videos on people rather than current events. Price typically sees funny videos and quotes as they make her laugh and feel better on days when she’s “bummed out.” She’ll also see some political memes, although it “mostly involves Mexicans and Donald Trump.” Their feed is based on the algorithm that Instagram uses, which is similar to Twitter in which posts with the most likes and comments will rank higher on their feed. Other times it’ll be based on how quickly a post receives likes and comments or the amount of time spent viewing a post or the posts of people that you interact with the most. It will also take note of what kind of accounts you follow — fashion, sports, etc. — and will start to show you more of that type of content you see in your feed. So while some people may see more memes and jokes, another person may be looking at news articles and politics. It’s all based on the algorithms of social media and in detail. SOLOMONJUAREZ

LeslieCoronado

“

People need to stop being triggered by the way words are used and remember it’s just a book.” DavidZermeno, senior not to repeat things in the past, but by banning it aren’t we.” Some who disagreed with the district’s choice of removing

positive things to say. The same language that the school said made people “uncomfortable” is the same language that was used throughout the era the book was

Harassment Continue from page 1 “ They can go to anybody ... a counselor or a trusted teacher, who will then relay that information to one of the administrators.” AndrePhillips, Principal One senior said she is experiencing that in one of her classes. “He compliments me almost every day.” she said. Other than her appearance, the teacher compliments her body, she said. “One day, he implied (because of the sport she plays) that I have a big butt.” She felt extremely unsettled, but she chose to “dust it off.” Counselor Samantha Wirzberger guesses students might feel like it’s their fault when such comments are said. “Girls often feel they create the problem. Maybe the way they dress and the way they talk makes them feel like they’re asking for it. Which is obviously not necessarily true.” A junior also experienced receiving inappropriate comments regarding her body. In the beginning of the year, she was walking to her class when she noticed a teacher she’d never seen before. She said she felt the teacher was looking at her body. “He said he wanted to touch my butt,” she said. The teacher then asked her if she could come into his classroom later that day, she added. Sickened after his proposal, she threatened to report him if he continued talking to her. She’s never seen him since. Last year a junior was wearing shorts when she felt her teacher was staring at her. “I caught him looking at my legs,” the student said. She felt disappointed because of what happened. “He was my favorite teacher.” Weeks later, she was wearing leggings and once again caught her teacher looking at her. She tried to transfer out of his class after that but it was too late in the semester. “I just decided to move seats away from his sight.” Other students have expressed similar stories of inappropriate comments and gestures.    Although most cases go unreported, senior Margarita Thomas knew she had to report her expe-

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the book broke out on Twitter and Facebook criticizing the school’s actions saying things like “it’s just a word get over it.” Yet, others had nothing but

published in, as well as in today’s generation. Since the banning of “To Kill a Mockingbird” the district has made new changes stating that the book will still be read, as long as the students parents sign a permission slip allowing them to continue reading it. For those who don’t live in Mississippi find it strange for the schools to ban a book so harmless to those who read it. For senior David Zermeno who read the book his sophomore year said, “People need to stop being triggered by the way words are used and remember it’s just a book.”

rience to Phillips after talking to her mother. This occurred during her junior year. For that day, she had a substitute in her class. “The whole period he kept talking to me,” Thomas said. The substitute asked her personal questions and attempted to relate to her to continue their conversation. He asked where she lived, where she liked to eat and what she enjoyed doing. To Thomas, these questions seemed intrusive. She made it clear she didn’t want to talk to him, though he persisted. “I asked to leave class but it was just an excuse. I didn’t want to be there.” She went to the Career Center to escape his interrogation. The bell rang and she returned to the classroom to get her belongings. This is when the substitute allegedly made a startling remark that upset her greatly. Later on that day, she saw him in the hallway and she recalled that he winked at her. His misconduct prompted her to file a complaint. Since doing so, she hasn’t seen the man anywhere near school grounds. Girls on campus often choose to forget their ordeal rather than going through the process of reporting the conduct. The first step in the complaint process is notifying an adult. “They can go to anybody,” Phillips said. “They can go to a counselor or a trusted teacher, who will then relay that information to one of the administrators.” Students also have the option of going straight to him. For those who are hesitant to come forward due to the fear of their name being revealed, Phillips urges that it is all confidential. “When we do the investigation, we refer to the students as student A, student B, student C, and so on.” “It’s never too late to come forward, especially if you feel like that person could hurt somebody else,” Thomas said. “Don’t feel

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that what you say  doesn’t matter.” ge She encourages all  toAhave a voice.    School board policy states that sexual harassment on school grounds consists of “unwanted verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature made against another person of the same or opposite sex.” With little or sometimes no exposure to this subject, students may fail to realize what’s happening to them. In some cases, students are not fully aware that this can be reported. At the start of a new school year, a student handbook is given to everybody. In it, rules are spelled out, such as dress code and other school policies. Not one of the 48 pages is dedicated to the protocol regarding sexual harassment. To senior Areli Hinojosa, a topic like this needs to be addressed and should be taken seriously. “Just as we have suicide and drug abuse awareness, this conversation shouldn’t be brushed under the rug as if it’s not happening every day in any school campus.” Because of lack of information, Hinojosa believes that students have not come forward or even considered the idea of it “It needs to be told. It needs to be addressed during assem-

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blies or on posters,” Ciana e agjunior e next p ue to th Buenrostro Contin said. A “support system” should be installed on campus, said counselor Kevin Oki. “It’s unacceptable and unprofessional that this behavior is displayed.” Shocked at the frequency of these unknown cases, Wirzberger agrees with Oki. “An anonymous box is needed in the main office and in Healthy Start,” she said. By this, she hopes students would come forward without hesitation. “Students probably think it’ll affect their grade if they report, but that’s retaliation.” Wirzberger has dealt with student-on-student harassment but was unaware of teacher-on-student interaction. She hasn’t had any students speak to her about the topic. “It’s hard to face a counselor and tell them what’s going on, but if people don’t speak we’re not going to know.” It upsets her that students aren’t coming to her, but she encourages them to speak up. “Don’t be afraid. Chances are if it’s happening to you it’s happening to someone else.” She welcomes students during lunch and after school if they wish to speak about their experiences. “No one coming to school should be subject to that type of harassment.”