Stagg Line
Home of the Delta Kings
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
1621 Brookside Rd
Solar suitcases help foreign countries
Fine FINAU
A strong team comes together to meet a need. Students of the MESA Club just recently came together to make solar suitcases. Each one will be filled with supplies to conduct electricity, pump clean water, along with other useful things. They plan to ship it out to different countries who need support. This has been discussed for the past few years and they have finally got it together. Sophomore Carlie Rodriguez and juniors Dillion Griffith, Erik Cazarez, and Adrian Bens-
man have put together the first suitcase. They have been working on it for a few weeks now. Cazarez said, “Because this is our first year building this we had no idea what we were doing until Mr. Walter explained how it worked. Then we got the idea of what was expected.” The suitcase so far is going as planned and 90 percent of their expectations are being met. “Everything is coming out the way it’s supposed to be and I feel satisfied with our work,” Cazarez said. As they continue to build this suitcase they are feeling more
accomplished with what is done. Not many students will have the thought of building something to help another country. So the club has applications out so people can know more. They wouldn’t mind if anyone outside the club came to help out. There are pros and cons to building this suitcase. Pros being the fact that it is going to have an impact in the environment and helping people who actually need the supplies. “This is a good cause because the feeling of helping people makes me feel like a better person,” Griffith said. There have been frustrations
as well. MESA students hope that the suitcase stays in piece as it arrives to its destination. “One thing I would say would go on the bad side is lack of participation,” Bensman said. The group wants to make more suitcases to be sent out, but they can’t do that with only a minimum of students. Overall, they feel confident throughout the process of building. “The more suitcases we are able to make the more help would be given,” Rodriguez said. Bensman added, “This is a great learning experience for anyone who likes to help people.”
Holiday season can be a difficult time for many
Stockton, CA 95207
Volume 62 Issue 4
12.20.18 Junior Erik Cazares pieces together the electrical componets of the solar suitcase. He assembles the wires on the suitcase’s frame which connect to the motor. MESA will build various suitcases and send them to different countries. PHOTO BY SOLOMON JUAREZ
Seniors develop propositions to create change
Brianna RODRIGUEZ
Story by Oleedia HARRIS & Brianna RODRIGUEZ
Art by Serina SIENG
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — but not for everyone. “It used to be a happy time,” senior Andrea Ramirez said. Being over 3,000 miles away from her parents, Christmas for her is far from merry. “My parents are in El Salvador and I’m here.” Moving to the United States with her older brother two years ago, she expresses her extreme sadness and reminisces about the past holidays with her family. “Last year was the first Christmas I wasn’t with my dad,” she said. “I don’t know if my parents are coming to visit this year. It makes me really sad thinking about it.” Senior Sal Hernandez has that same desire to see his family during the holidays. “I don’t live with my family,” Hernandez said. “I live in a group home with eight other boys.” He hasn’t spent the holidays with his family for three years. He’s grateful for the donations that his group home gets. “Just yesterday the Stockton Heat came for a toy drive.” Although Hernandez is grateful for his group home family, he’s still affected a lot. “It hits you harder during the holidays because everybody else is with their family.” Chaos. That is how junior Destiny Allen describes Christmas. “I have to go to multiple places,” she said. “My family is really divided. Living with her grandmother is not ideal, Allen said.“My grandma is bipolar.” Going through episodes of depression and manias, her grandmother is unpredictable and aggressive. “The holidays trigger her episodes since a lot of people are around.” Being under the care of her grandmother her whole life, Allen has never enjoyed the holidays. “When my grandma is in a mania she has OCD and wants to clean everything, which makes everyone uncomfortable.” The holidays have improved for her recently. “Now that my mom
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is around holidays are tolerable but still not completely enjoyable.” Healthy Start Coordinator Christiane Highfill said that it is extremely common for depression rates to increase during this time of the year. “Seasonal depression is an actual diagnosis and it does spike during the holiday season.” Highfill recommends that one should find a trustworthy family member or friend to talk about what’s happening. “Students may also self-refer themselves to the school’s therapist.” Students can go to Healthy Start and pick up a form and after they turn it in an appointment with the school’s therapist will be made. “I come from a divorced family,” senior Emily Watterson said. “It’s not like the traditional family together around the Christmas tree.” With her mother not being in the picture she lives with only her dad. While her father is around she explains how they don’t have a normal father-daughter relationship. “I support myself,” she said. “My dad doesn’t treat me like a daughter. He treats me more like a roommate almost because I pay rent and do everything myself.” Not experiencing the holiday cheer or the opening of gifts on Christmas, she says that there is nothing happy about it. Seeing other kids her age have a close relationship with their family and create long-lasting memories during the holidays makes her wish she had what they had. “I don’t think the word is jealous. The holidays just make me crave what other people have. I don’t get that. I haven’t had that at all in my entire life.” Knowing her situation, this time of year makes her more aware of her state of independence at such a young age. “The holidays are a reminder that I’m not perfect. Christmas is just one of those holidays that reminds me again, I’m on my own.”
It hits you harder during the holidays because everybody else is with their family. Sal HERNANDEZ senior
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What’s happening? Local scholarship For seniors tomorrow is the last day to turn in your local scholarship application to the Career Center.
Winter formal Winter formal is from 7 to 10 p.m. in the main gym. Students who do not have their student ID will not be allowed in. There will be no ticket sales at the door.
To have students fully understand the lessons taught to them and relate to them is the main goal for many teachers. Getting them engaged is the big challenge. This year in all the American Government classes the teachers Christopher Rothrock and James Marrone wanted to do an interactive lesson that dealt with how bills are created and passed in Congress. “We decided to do this because we were trying to create a lesson that tied into the midterm elections,” Rothrock said. “So we wanted to create something that was relevant to the students.” Creating a mock representation of how the government works, seniors were asked to create propositions of their own that would make a positive impact on our school. “The classes were essentially Congress,” Rothrock said. He continued to explain how giving the students a voice in what goes in the school makes the lesson more meaningful to them instead of just doing a lecture on it. Each class had multiple propositions but had to narrow them down to the best one through the process of voting. After class discussions, promoting, and voting, each class had their own proposal. One of the propositions that made it to the final round was created by senior Natalie O’Neal. “My proposition was to create a study hall period that could be in place of an elective,” she said. This period would allow students to study, make up assignments, or work on life skills with the supervision of a teacher. “A lot of students will get their work done and possibly pass their classes more,” she said. “There would also be teachers there on top of them to make sure they are being productive.” The other proposition was for graduating students to be able to decorate their caps at commencement. Senior Adelina Mc Nutt created this proposition because she felt it’s important for students to be able to express themselves. “We get to show what motivated us to graduate,” she said, “After all the work we have done to graduate I feel like we should be able to do this for our special day.” While these propositions are intended to positively affect the school, they also teach an important lesson that will stick with students. It allows them to open up their eyes and decide on things that will effect themsleves and their community. After being refined and confirmed by Rothrock and Marrone, the propositions will soon be proposed to administration. Hoping to keep students engaed and make an impact in their school, Rothrock and Marrone plan on continuing this process with future classes.
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PHOTO BY CARLOS DAVALOS
Senior Brianna Ochoa looks over the two propositions with Government teacher Christopher Rothrock before she votes. After creating their own propositions in groups, every senior taking Government voted for the proposition they favored.
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2
Opinion
The Stagg Line
EDITORIAL
12.20.18
Propositions help express a democracy This year, seniors in Government classes were given the task to create a proposition about a positive change that they would like to see at Stagg. All of the propositions were reviewed in each teacher’s class until the top two choices, one from, each class,remained. Then, all of the students involved voted on which one of the two they wanted Principal Andre Phillips to review and hopefully pass. Seniors chose to have the proposition to decorate their graduation caps pass, which was proposed by senior Adelina Mc Nutt. The seniors have all come together in a way through this process. Now they all wait in anticipation to see what will happen. Through this project, students have been able to realize the action they can take to make a difference in their school. This project has also allowed students
to experience hands on the process of how a bill is created and passed through Congress. This interactive way of learning is much more appealing to students who might not really like learning from a textbook. In this project, the students were essentially Congress, and Phillips was the president. Now, students wait in anticipation as their proposition awaits an answer from Phillips. As the seniors wait, the government teachers start to plan out this project for the years to come. Government teachers Christopher Rothrock and James Marrone not only plan on continuing this lesson plan for their government classes, they also plan on involving other grades and hopefully making this project a yearly tradition for all. Through this project, seniors are able to appreciate the legal process of the way a bill gets passed. Because of this early
PHOTO BY SOLOMON JUAREZ
Senior Gavin Altide questions the different aspects of each proposition to try and determine which one he would like to choose. Christopher Rothrock shows Altide how to submit his choice.
exposure to this process, seniors also might be more willing to vote when they can.
This project has not only been a learning experience, but a fun one as well.
Sanitation of restrooms Long lunch lines, must be maintained by all short time period prove frustrating W e all hear people whine about the restrooms on campus. But who tries to really do anything about it? We all know what we need to do in order to keep the restrooms clean and sanitary. As a student, I know that we students should not expect all staff will clean up ever mess we make. Do we really expect people other than ourselves to be responsible for maintaining the sanitary conditions of the school restrooms? I regularly inspected two of the hallway restrooms from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, keeping statistics for each day by east and west hallways; these inspections showed that neither boys or girls have consistently had the soap or the toilet paper restocked. I spoke with Principal
Krystena Meza Andre Philips and brought the attention to him about all of the issues inside of the restrooms, which he had not heard about until I brought it up to them. Custodial staff members told me they do not like to restock more than one roll of toilet paper, or any of the bathroom necessities because the way students treat them. We as students should be
maintaining a clean and sanitary environment inside and outside of the restrooms. Although restrooms can be unpleasant sometimes, they are an extension of our school environment, and a representation of our student and staff body. Proper etiquette would include cleaning the toilet seats before and after using them, flushing the toilets/urinals after using them, and disposing of all pieces of garbage in the proper place before leaving the restroom. At the same time, taking initiative as a custodial staff should be making sure each stall has restroom necessities and that student have accessibility to working hand dryers. If everyone does their job, then things should work out properly. ART BY SERINA SIENG
B
ackpacks already packed. Eyes bouncing between clock and door. Shoes tap to the final seconds of fourth period. The bell rings and students bolt to cafeteria, trying to get a decent spot at the lunch line. They arrive disappointed, seeing a line funnels yards back from the door. The cafeteria lunch line is a daily frustration that many students face. Leaving straight to the cafeteria or waiting some time later, a long line will inevitably be present. Having a fourth period class anywhere farther from the H wing means an extensive wait. It’s the same experience for any student who participates in a club meeting. Obviously there will be some wait, but the time that it takes to get lunch is outrageous. Growing numbers of students have started to address this problem by cutting the line. Without any administrator to monitor the lines, a reasonable waiting period can stretch to the end of lunch. Principle Andre Phillips has started to notice this problem as well. “I walk to the lunchroom and the line is out the door,” he said. Phillips has started to pour more attention about the cutting. He has assigned an administrators to each line. Even with an administrators present the line is still long. When a student finally reaches the front of the line there is a limited amount of time left. Students have to scarf down meals in order to make it promptly to their fifth period. No one can eat comfortably knowing that they are constricted to this countdown. Students have started to bring lunches into classrooms. Teachers then have to make a difficult but necessary choice of banning food from their class. This decision leaves food uneaten and wasted. Phillips reassured that administration is trying to limit the length of the line. He is trying to ensure students that they have time to eat their meals. “There are a lot of things we are thinking about doing,” he said. Lunch carts were added last year and they helped fix a previous problem. They
Aidan Danforth
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No one can eat comfortably knowing that they are constricted to this countdown.
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were installed after the removal of off-campus passes and have helped compensate for the large number of students who stay on campus. They are provided by Child Nutrition and Food Services from the district. With the additional of lunch carts meant more staff. With their budget it’s hard to expect support for this inconvenience. “I can request them but its all up to Food Services,” Phillips said. A solution needs to be implemented. It’s frustrating having to spend what should be a social period waiting in line. There are a few ideas that Phillips has been thinking about. He wants to establish a guard rail that confines the students, but that idea wouldn’t address the long line that already exists. He is also thinking about having two lunches. Extensive meetings and planning would have to be done in order to implement this idea. Even with the idea implemented it wouldn’t go into effect until next year. Phillips mentioned how the cafeteria is scheduled for a remodeling. Andre Phillips and Gary Phillips have agreed privately that the cafeteria needs a revision. By fixing the cafeteria layout, they hope that the improvements will fix the length of the lines. Their idea removes the center counter island and creating a long lane across. From there administrator can monitor and help shorten the length of the line. That kind of improvement is drastically needed for our campus.
Who’s on staff?
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: 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.
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 and all students on campus are encouraged to volunteer ideas. 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 point of view of the writer, not the paper. 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
Current and older issue PDFs are available at issuu.com/staggline
EDITORS
REPORTERS
Maria Castillo & Kevin Gutierrez editors-in-chief / features
Shannon Bradberry
Brianna Rodriguez news
Yalie Ceesay
Oleedia Harris opinion Donavin Collins entertainment
Cevina Calderon Fine Finau Marissa Gonzales Solomon Juarez
Niko Rosete sports
Camila Kendall
Aidan Danforth web
Jake Marcelino
Carlos Davalos photo Serina Sieng graphics Don Bott adviser
Monze Martinez Krystena Meza Kenyon Pierce Angel Vasquez
Opinion
12.20.18
N
ART BY SERINA SIENG
HEADLINE GRAPHIC BY DONAVIN COLLINS
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The Stagg Line
owadays it seems like everyone is suffering from some sort of mental illness. People often find themselves eating more, feeling down and exhausted for no particular reason, or full of anxiety, and they are quick to assume the worst. Naturally, it would make sense to see a doctor about these issues, but instead it seems as if people are completely bypassing that step and skipping to the diagnosis. Everything is just one click away. People often use Google to search up their symptoms and look for treatment. When diagnosing the common cold there’s not much harm in giving a diagnosis through a quick Google search. It becomes a problem when people start to self-diagnose illnesses that aren’t so harmless. There are countless sites online that provide self-diagnostic quizzes that claim to help someone find out if they have a mental illness, mainly anxiety and depression. I took two of these types of quizzes, one from smokefree.gov and another from psychcentral.org. In both quizzes I was asked over about 20 questions, each of them asking me about how I’ve been feeling in the past week. I answered completely honestly for both quizzes; smokefree.gov reported that I was moderately depressed, and psychcentral.gov reported that I was severely depressed. The problem I with these quizzes is the failure to acknowledge any other factors that might affect someone’s answers. For example, one of the questions asked if I’ve lost weight recently and I answered ‘yes.’ The reason I’ve lost weight was because of exercise, not depression
or anxiety. The questions on these quizzes tended to be vague and generalized. The only good thing about these quizzes was the disclaimer that said the quiz was not to be taken as a serious diagnosis, and that the user should see a professional. But the disclaimer does not do any good if users pay no attention to it. Diagnosing oneself of different serious illnesses, specifically mental disorders, is dangerous. When someone diagnoses themselves with mental disorders they are oversimplifying a complex medical condition. Often times, self diagnosed illnesses are based off of common symptoms that aren’t limited to just one illness. For example, people who are always tired might say they’re depressed, or people who are more on the introverted side might be inclined to say that they have anxiety. The large increase of selfdiagnosed depression can be attributed to the large increase of professionally diagnosed depression. In the time span between 2013 and 2016, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, the amount of diagnoses of depression increased by 63 percent among adolescence and 47 percent for Millennials. Because of this large increase in numbers, people might feel as if depression can be easily diagnosed, and in turn, they are more inclined to label themselves as depressed. The problem with selfdiagnosing such a complex mental illness is the danger that comes with it. When someone self-diagnoses, they are under the impression that they know exactly what is going on with their “illness.” People who assume that
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Angel Vasquez
Diagnosing oneself of different serious illnesses, specifically mental disorders, is dangerous.
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they can figure out what is going on with themselves may miss the nuances of the diagnosis. Self-diagnosis can also become a problem when someone doesn’t want to accept their symptoms. Some may dismiss their symptoms of depression as just feeling “off.” They might think that they are okay, but a doctor might think otherwise. Depression often goes unnoticed or ignored because one might believe it doesn’t really affect them, but it is actually disruptive to their normal daily life. Self-diagnosis of mental disorders can have huge negative repercussion on a patient. Because of this, it is always best to discuss concerns with a doctor and not rely on the internet, this way necessary treatment can be given.
Class rank does not determine one’s worth
Life skills need to be taught in school
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GRAPHIC BY DONAVIN COLLINS & CEVINA CALDERON
tudents may look forward to leaving high school and scratching the surface the freedom it promises. But what lies outside of of how our government these four walls are responsibilities that possibly most functions. Students students aren’t prepared for. memorize to pass a test Camila Kendall Throughout these four years I have been taught and are soon to forget Shakespeare’s classics, how to solve quadratic formulas, and everything that was that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. But once taught once the what about paying taxes, how to deal with credit, how to next topic comes along. do first aid, how to vote, what laws our country has? To help better prepare students, there should be an Yes, some skills such as how to parent a child could elective class that would teach students how to manage be taught by a parent or guardian, but what if that person their money, how to apply for student loans, how to apply doesn’t have that luxury due to not having parents or if for jobs, and how to properly set up a resume. their parents are uneducated? Are we to turn our heads Yes, there are classes that touch on subjects such away from them? as these, but it would be best if there were a class that It seems that schools, if you’re not a student who took specifically targets these skills. an AP class or certain club, will barely touch on topics that could be vital for students to learn. In classes such as American Government and Economics, each of which is only taught in one 42 out of 50 students semester, it could be difficult for students to fully are uneducated on grasp the information. how to file taxes All Economic teachers have different ideas as to what should be added to the curriculum. Christopher Rothrock believes that it would 31 out of 50 be a great idea to add subjects such as handling students don’t credit into the class to help students better 27 out of 50 understand credit understand how our system actually works. students don’t Social Studies Department Chair James know how to vote Marrone, on the other hand, believes that some skills such as how to pay taxes is not one that is necessary to learn. He explains that majority of people nowadays don’t do their own taxes by hand due to the possibilities of errors. So people would either go to a professional or use programs. Although taxes aren’t a needed skill, classes about finance still cover what taxes are and other topics such as interest and credit. The issue is that the current Economic classes is taught only in one semester and have a set curriculum. With such a short period of time, students are unable to fully grasp what is being taught. Even 50 students were now in my American Government class, because asked 3 questions of how much there is to be covered we are to cram about their as much possible into these very last weeks of the knowledge on life semester. skills used in the Rothrock states that teaching only one real world semester of American Government, he is merely
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hirty years later, it’s your high school reunion and you find the most shocking news. One of your classmates became the successful millionaire that everyone dreamt to be. No, it wasn’t the boastful valedictorian or the mediocre athlete. It was the kid with a 2.7 grade-point average who didn’t always go to class. As someone who holds a high class rank, this doesn’t come as a shocker. Even more so recently, I continue to find myself wondering if I’m really as smart as my GPA makes it seem, or if I’ve just become an expert in following directions. GPA has become really a matter of who has the greatest passion for school, not who wants to be the most successful in the real world. Studies have even found that the millionaire’s average college GPA was a 2.9. Rather than being great in all subjects, they’ve went down the smarter path of excelling in the subject of their career choice. Even two of the richest men on the planet, Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates, followed a similar strategy by dropping out of college. They didn’t want to waste their time, so
Donavin Collins they applied their skill of thinking outside of the box by pursuing their true interest. While people may think the valedictorians are destined to be the richest, it simply isn’t true. That is not to say that valedictorians will end up being unsuccessful slobs. In fact, most will be quite the opposite. The only catch is they’ll be the type to take orders from authority figures. This is something that I imagine for myself in the future since from school I have learned the idea that following directions will bring success. It’s a common misconception that even I find true. When I am assigned school work it’s uncommon for me to think outside of the box, and when I think of a future career I never imagine myself creating a company. Even when discussing with other students who are at the top of our class, they also found themselves attached to the idea that
they’ll be employees who follow orders. Is this saying that valedictorians won’t have notable success? No, anyone has the ability to succeed. It’s just a matter of what kind of mindset they have, and in the case of becoming a millionaire it’s best to have one that thinks outside of the box. But even if two people were to have a huge gap in their income, it doesn’t mean one is way more successful than the other. After all, success is not about income. Success isn’t about how many accomplishments you’ve made. It’s about whether you’re content with the career that you’ve landed, the family life you have, the health you’re in, and so much more. A millionaire could be living a life full of stress, while a person in the middle-class could be living a life full of happiness. In the end, one’s class rank doesn’t and shouldn’t have a huge say in their future. It’s only a number, and if the holder has the wrong mindset, it will take them nowhere. In the real world, that millionaire success comes from the ability to think outside of the box, taking charge for your own interests.
4
Features “He influenced me
The Stagg Line
“CONFIDENT
He made me
to make music
Shannon BRADBERRY A father should be someone who teaches you right from wrong, guides you through a path of positivity, and inspires you to be a better person. In this generation where many young people have had to live life without a father figure, senior Anthony Nelson, Jr., considers himself blessed to have such a role model to look up to. Nelson’s father dropped out of high school during his sophomore year when he found out he was going to be a father, so he had to grow up at a young age. Throughout this time he was constantly put down for his choices and labeled as an underdog. This only motivated him to overcome all obstacles for his family. His father struggled for employment in his days of youth but when Nelson arrived he was was lucky enough to find employment as a truck driver. “Without a diploma he found a stable job,” he said. “He makes good money working for the 7-Up company.” “My dad has been through so many things that I couldn’t imagine facing,” Nelson said. “He still manages to provide for seven people and have extra money for me and my siblings to get the things we want.” The dedication that stirs in him constantly to give his children a better life is what Nelson admires most. “During troubled times, he always keeps me grounded,” he said. “He gives me a sense of clarity and really reminds me that everything will work out the way it is supposed to.” The life lessons his father continues to teach him are ideas Nelson cherishes and one day hopes to pass down to his future children. The most valuable lesson his dad shared with him was remaining true to himself. “My dad always told me to do something with a purpose,” Nelson said. “To always be sure of myself and put my all into things I’m passionate about.” Nelson recalls a time when he was younger and he lied to his dad. “In fifth grade, my dad had bought me new shoes.” Being a child, Nelson wasn’t responsible with his things and wore them to go play, which resulted in them being ruined. “I got them all dirty and I lied to my dad that these were my old shoes,” he said. “I walked back inside and he was holding my old shoes and gesturing to my feet, I knew it was over.” Nelson explained. His first reaction was to immediately start apologizing, but that didn’t stop his dad from disciplining him. “I’ve never lied after that,” Nelson explained. “One beating from my dad at the age of 10 set me up for a lifetime of honestly.” Being truthful was a value Nelson’s father wanted to plant in his Throughout his youth, his father shared his passion for sports, his love of music and his overall wisdom. “When I was a kid, my dad would always expose me to respected artists from all genres.” Nelson explained how this sparked the idea to create his own music. “He gives me the confidence to explore my interest with rapping and making beats.” Being a family man, Nelson notices everything his father does to keep his household afloat. “I have a lot of respect for him, he never lets us see when he’s struggling or anything,” Nelson said. “I hope one day I can be half the man he is, I got the true definition of a father.”
Nicholas ROSETE
“ Rihanna
“She made me
humble
Monzerrath MARTINEZ
Dad
5
12.20.18
Many teens find themselves feeling inspired by music or a musical artist. For sophomore Pichinda Ha this was the case. She first stumbled upon a Rihanna music video around the time she was in middle school. She became fascinated with the choregoraphy and the overall talent Rihanna carried. After being introduced to the artist, it was a slow build up for Ha to become inspired by her. At first, she was more invested in listening to the artist’s catchy songs and phrases. “My favorite song is Umbrella,” Ha said. It wasn’t until she started to pay attention to the singer’s actions that she found herself feeling inspired by her. More recently, Ha admired the artist’s choice to become the ambassador from Barbados. From her introduction to Rihanna to now, she continues to be an inspiration. Ha began noticing certain things like her fashion. “She has a really bold fashion choice. She is not afraid to wear what she wants.” Ha also emphasized how Rihanna is
different from other artists. “She doesn’t let fame get to her. She actually volunteers and travels places to help children in need.” “Not many other celebrities give back or care about those who need. They don’t remember where they came from but she does.” Also recently, Rihanna shared an Instagram post with her millions of followers. In the post, the artist was seen helping children get water from a water well. For Ha, that is the right type of role model to follow. “She donated over $1 million to a Barbados hospital because her grandma died of cancer there so she wanted to give back and help other people to help prevent that.” To Ha, this demonstrates how important a family bond is for the singer. Perhaps the most impactful for her, and even other students, was the singer’s helping hand towards college. “I know that she started her own foundation to help out college students.” For Ha, Rihanna is not just another artist. She is someone who teaches others to be humble and giving.
Everyone has some sort of connection to music, whether you play it yourself or just listen to it on a consistent basis. Everyone also has their favorite artists who sing their favorite songs and who can relate to their listeners. Someone who matches this profile is not the hardest to come across. However, it is a lot harder to find someone who is so inspired and influenced by an artist’s music that they go on to create their own. This certain someone can be found in the form of Bryan Medina, a junior who is inspired by the music of Dr. Dre. In his household, Medina grew up listening to old school rap and hip hop. Dr. Dre, a rapper and producer from Compton, CA, was one artist he often found himself coming back to. “I could always relate to what he was going through, and I was able to use his music as an escape from what was going on in the outside world,” he said. “I was going through some pretty bad stuff, but I was able to use music as a path away from that.” Medina admires the amount
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SERINA SIENG
of creativity that Dr. Dre uses in his beats and tries to instill such creativity within beats of his own. “I really like to listen to his instrumentals whenever I’m just riding around or when I’m just chilling around the house,” he said. “I just love the energy of the beats and they are really easy for me to just vibe with.” Medina uses a digital audio workstation software called FL Studio 20.1 on his laptop to produce his own instrumentals from home. “I saw that other people who went through the same things as me were starting to make some of their own music,” Medina said. “It seemed to help them, so I figured that if other people could do it, I could make it work for myself too.” Currently, Medina doesn’t feel comfortable releasing his music for the ears of others. He feels that he has a lot to learn about musical composition before posting or sharing any of his music online. “I’ll feel more comfortable later on when it’s more perfected,” he said. “I need to get a bit more experience with the instrumentals and the melodies and things like that and when I can perfect that, I’ll feel better about posting it.” Online resources such as
“ MATURE MOTIVATED
She made me more
Monzerrath MARTINEZ Coming into high school, not many expect to embark in a relationship that will impact them. For sophomores Khmauni Perry and Kimberly Orrala that was the case. From the beginning what pulled Perry towards Orrala was her genuineness. He said, “She was different. She was just being herself and I appreciated that. Sooner than I knew it, I was already head over heels for her.” Luckily for both of them, the feelings were reciprocated. Now that they are further into their relationship, he has come to realize how much she inspires him. “She’s very wise, she really understands a lot about life.” Perry says that the relationship has motivated both to want to strive to obtain good grades and succeed in school. The relationship has also made Perry want to help inspire others to have a good life just like the one he is having. In the long run Perry sees how this relationship will perhaps change him even further saying, “I know that I’m probably going to grow into a mature young husband for her.”
He made me more
you
Monzerrath MARTINEZ Orrala remembers when they first met in Jeremy Elwood’s science class their freshman year. Every quarter he would accommodate his students with a different seating chart. This time he decided to sit Perry and Orrala together. “It was sixth period last year and he just started to flirt with me and he made sure it was obvious.” Like Perry, Orrala did not expect to find someone so special in her freshman year, saying, “I thought all the boys were going to be the same.” For Orrala finding someone unique that fit her persona was important if she decided to begin a relationship. That’s why when it came to Perry, things started as a friendship. Fast forward to now and Orrala has gotten to know Perry’s personality and work ethic. That is something she likes about him. “He is responsible when it comes to school work. I admire him a lot because he doesn’t give up so easily.” Orrala is aware that a relationship doesn’t always last forever but hopes to make theirs last. But even if it didn’t, she knows it will have had a good impact on her. She said, “If we were to separate he would still be my friend and all because he understands me and he is there for me just like I am there for him.”
“COmfortable He made me feel Maria CASTILLO
luis
“I know the sacrifices that have to be made when you move to a new country… and they’re really hard.” This is how senior Paola Zamora describes her experience moving to the United States from Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico, six years ago. She was sent to the United States when her mother decided it would be best for her to be in a new environment after the loss of her uncle. “He would take care of me when no one else could. He was my second dad.” First arriving in Los Angeles, Zamora lived with her grandmother. She attended elementary school there where she began to explore the English language. “At that school I felt better because most of the people were Spanish speakers, even the teachers,” she said. Things took a turn for Zamora when her parents separated. Her mother moved to Stockton and so she had to leave the City of Angels.
The language barrier is one obstacle to overcome, but another is getting over the fear of people ridiculing you. “There’s a lot of racist people out there. They make fun of you when they see you struggling, even when you’re trying your hardest to get it right.” Zamora experienced this her freshman and sophomore year when she attended Edison High School. The laughs and fingers tore her down. Zamora felt embarrassed when she spoke English, so much that she decided not to speak it at all. That changed, though, when she moved to Stagg her junior year and met Luis Lopez. Lopez moved to the United States two years ago and already has a great grasp of English. “I had him in my class last year when he first arrived,” Zamora said. “But when this year started, I noticed that not only did he make a lot of progress with the language, but he had the determination to keep on improving.” Lopez impacted Zamora’s life in a way she never knew a friend could. “He told me that I had to keep practicing English if I wanted to develop my skills,” Zamora said. He helped her understand the language better, but he also helped her regain her confidence that she thought she could never find.
YouTube help him to learn how to use the tools within the application. “I watch a lot of tutorials online about how to work with FL Studio,” Medina said. “If I need to learn how to do a specific thing in the software, I can look it up on YouTube and learn it that way.” Other than using it to learn more about the software, Medina plans on using YouTube as a platform to turn his music into a career. “With things like YouTube, I can get paid for posting my music if I can get enough views,” he said. Medina has made several beats so far, but he has left them all unnamed and doesn’t really have one specific favorite. Rather than looking at his craft as a mere hobby, Medina looks at his musical tendencies as his own sort of comfort zone. “If I’m stuck doing homework or something, I see my beats as an escape,” he said. “It’s something for me to vibe to if I’m ever going through a rough time.”
Dr.dre
“
I was going through some pretty bad stuff, but I was able to use his music as a path away from that.
Bryan MENDOZA senior
” “She made me
ALL PHOTOS BY CARLOS DAVALOS
hard-working
Brianna RODRIGUEZ She is her aunt, not her biological mother. But don’t tell senior Belinda Sauaso that. She connects with the woman she calls “Mom” on a profound level. Her mom motivates her to perform at a high academic level and pursue higher education after high school. “My mom has been my inspiration since the day I moved in with her. She took me in when I was 6 years old.” Having raised eight children who are all part of an extended family, the mother always made sure they had food to eat and were tucked in at night. Life for Sauaso and her family was far from easy. The struggles they had to face were unimaginable. “When we moved to Stockton after my grandpa passed away we couldn’t afford a house.” she said. “We stayed in a church for a year or two.” While living in the church was not ideal, it gave
the Sauaso family shelter. “But then the pastor wanted to sell the church. We had no other place to go.” The family was left finding refuge in their car and sometimes even sleeping in front of the school and local stores. Recalling such events can bring a person down. But that wasn’t the case for Sauaso’s mother. Without a job and no one to lean on for help, the mother continued to take in a number of kids to help them have the best life possible. “She tells us to use our struggles as motivation,” Sauaso said. “She has always been on me about going to school.” Thankful is the word Sauaso uses when asked about her mother coming into her life. Her admiration for her mother has driven her to make sure she has a comfortable life and stable career when she is older. “I figured out what CSU I plan on going to and I know I want major in the medical field.”
“ OPEN UP She made me
Niomie
Mom mom
Donavin COLLINS & Oleedia HARRIS While some favor friends for being funny, senior Jaime Saucedo values senior Niomie Rosas for her support. “I’ve never really talked to anyone about my personal life, and she’s one of the few people that I trust to reassure me rather than just make a depression joke,” Saucedo said. After reuniting at the start of their junior year, Saucedo began to know more about her life and how much they had in common when it came to their troubles. “We’ve both had pretty tough lives with our families. After problems with siblings and my parents splitting up, I started to suffer from depression.” With Rosas suffering from similar problems with her parents, he became inspired by the way she reacted. “She’s always been able to carry herself better than me even though we go through the same stuff.” As a result, Saucedo has pushed himself to have a different, more positive mindset. “She inspires me to want to do better and reflect on my problems differently.”
Entertainment
We called chief, he said... First Place
GRAPHIC BY KEVIN GUTIERREZ
6The Stagg Line
People really out here
Second Place
12.20.18
After death, musicians receive love from fan bases that seemed much smaller
Surprised Pikachu
Third Place
Hearing that someone has passed away is a sad moment. But when a musician dies, it means so much more to fans. Musicians or artists who pass away often receive dramatic increases in their popularity since the shocking news is an eye-opener to the world, regardless of the amount of fame the person had. Recently, a wave of fake love has trended across social media. Music artists who weren’t as worshipped before their death are now raved about on social media. People tweet out statements of support such as “just listened to XXX for the first time after I heard he died...RIP” and “I never heard of them before until now...but their music is so good.” The fact that it takes death for someone to be noticed is frightening. Senior Felipe Orozco is a
GRAPHIC BY JAKE MARCELINO
Cevina CALDERON
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You don’t know what you have until it’s gone. It begins to open up the eyes of the generations. Keimora Armstrong junior
Villainous Patrick Honorable Mentions
Moth Lamps
Johnny Johnny
MEMES were it.
These
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huge Lil Peep fan, both before and after his death. He finds some people disrespectful for trying to join the rare culture of being an original fan. “Bandwagons are only okay if they enjoy music after someone passes, but if they claim to be a hardcore fan
they’re not really part of the culture,” Orozco said. Not only are these artists gaining more publicity than before on social media, but their music sales also skyrocket. Hours after the media heard XXXTentacion had been shot dead, his albums “?” and “17” held the No. 1 and No. 2 slots in big music apps. The recent death of hip-hop rapper Mac Miller had similar results. On Aug. 3, 2018, Miller released his album “Swimming.” About a month later he died. Suddenly his songs earned 32.5 million streams, compared to the 3.04 million streams from the day before. Why did it take him dying to make this increase happen?
Keimora Armstrong, a junior, shares the popular opinion of how it’s bogus to support music artists after they die. “It kinda seems like they are posers,” she said. To her, people just claim their love for the artist for show. Armstrong believes another reason behind the fake love is lack of appreciation. “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” These unexpected deaths begin to trend and “open up the eyes of generations.” From artists like Mac Miller to Selena, dying has played a huge role in their fame. It’s tragic to know that after such unforeseeable events, fake love is revealed.
‘Riverdale’ finds its groove with supernatural storyline Donavin COLLINS
Improving from last season, plotlines and characters receive enough screentime.
With flying baby twins and mystical worshipped figures, Season 3 of “Riverdale” is certainly a change — and a controversial one at that. Out are the simplistic murder mysteries, in are the supernatural storylines. While some fans may not like this drastic change, it solves the problem of different seasons seeming much too similar. Having already established the cult known as The Farm, the town of Riverdale was also introduced to a board game called Griffins and Gargoyles. The new season has revolved around the mystery of who is orchestrating the deaths from the game. Rather than just having one storyline that contains supernatural aspects, “Riverdale” has two. Along with having stronger connections between storylines, fewer storylines are now in focus. Problems including some characters not receiving enough screen time were also fixed. In Season 2, it would be rare to have an episode with Reggie in it whereas now he’s heavily involved. Even if “Riverdale” may be known for having some cringe-worthy scenes with idiotic actions, it’s also known for taking risks with its special episodes. To connect the board game with more characters, an episode was dedicated to when the parents played the game in their high school years. Giving off nostalgic vibes, the episode was well received for the choice to cast the on-screen children as a past version of their parents. With the promising solutions and risks they have taken so far, “Riverdale” is set to bring the success that their first season was able to experience.
Movies “Aquaman” (Fantasy) - Dec. 21 “Bumblebee” (Action) - Dec. 21 “Holmes & Watson” (Action) - Dec. 25 “Escape Room” (Horror) - Jan. 4 “Hellboy” (Fantasy) - Jan. 11 “Glass” (Science Fiction) - Jan. 18
TV Premieres “The Orville” (Season 2) - Dec. 30 “Gotham” (Season 5) - Jan. 3 “Young Justice” (Season 3) - Jan. 4 “Golden Globe Awards” - Jan. 6 “Shameless” (Season 9) - Jan. 20 “Suits” (Season 8) - Jan. 23
What’s new in entertainment?
GRAPHIC BY FINE FINAU & YALIE CEESAY
Nearby Concerts John Legend, Oakland - Dec. 22 Elton John, Sacramento - Jan. 16 Jacquees, San Francisco - Jan. 19 Kelly Clarkson, Oakland - Jan. 24 ASAP Rocky, Sacramento - Feb. 1 Marc Anthony, San Jose - Feb. 8
Trending News After their split, questions of Cardi B taking back Offset have surfaced. Ariana Grande’s single “Imagine” is thought to be about Mac Miller. Following Kevin Hart’s controversy of pulling out of the Oscars, others are hesitant to replace him as host.
Sports
12.20.18
The Stagg Line
7
Short in height, not short of talent Senior Kevin Bland is able to rise above his competition Yalie CEESAY First impressions tend to be based off of appearance and for senior Kevin Bland, he’s often underestimated. Being 5’4” is not a usual height for a point guard, but Bland defies all odds. Bland’s family has a long list of football players. Desiring to stand out, he chose to be the first one to play basketball. He began recreational in the fifth grade, and his passion grew as he got older. Eighth grade was the first year he played on an organized team, and that’s when Bland knew he wanted to play the sport in high school. With football being a big passion in his family, he wanted to see what the hype was about. Waiting for basketball season to come around he played football his freshman year, but he didn’t enjoy it, as expected. “Football was a cool experience, but I just didn’t feel the same way about it.” That’s why when basketball season came around Bland was ecstatic. After Bland completed his first season he knew this is the sport he needed to play throughout high school. Basketball is a very competitive sport. “You need speed, stamina, and spirit to do well in the game,” Bland explained. Making friends on the court with the opposite team is not something he does. Bland thinks of his match-
Kevin Bland utilizes his size to emphasize defense and pressure the opposing team. PHOTOS BY SOLOMON JUAREZ
ups as a challenge. He will be friends off the court but never on the court. “It keeps me on my toes and at the end of the day winning is a very rewarding feeling.” His height never hindered him from receiving playing time or enjoying the sport. “They always say he’s short but I play taller than I look. I let my skills speak for me.” Bland plays two main positions point guard and shooting guard. These offensive positions are usually the ones to handle the ball and bring it down the court. They are the playmakers throughout the game. Over the years Bland has played travel ball for an organization called Lion’s Truth. This has helped him gain so much knowledge for a sport he thought he already knew. “Playing travel has improved my skills. I have more momentum, I’m faster and I play smarter. If I wouldn’t have done travel ball, my approach to the game would be very different.” Bland admires NBA players Stephen Curry and Chris Paul. “Everytime I watch the Rockets Paul stands out to me the most. He is so quick on his feet and he has so much stamina. Curry is another great basketball player because his fast releases are accurate.” If Bland would have let others’ opinions cloud his mind about basketball he would not be playing the sport he loves.
Jesus Chavez fills the cleats Spring soccer hopes to his brother left behind improve girls soccer team Brianna RODRIGUEZ
the bond they have. “We’re like brothers,” he said. “It’s fun being around them all the time.” Having played on the boys varsity soccer team Chavez grew up around the sport. “I started since his freshman year, Jesus Chavez is determined playing when I was 5,” he said. His love for socto make his last year count. “I’m looking forward to cer began the moment he was able to run. Seeing a winning season,” he said. his older brother, Stagg alumnus Jose Chavez, play It takes more than just talent to be on varsity all when he was younger inspired him to lace up cleats four years. Countless hours of practice and training of his own and follow in his footsteps. “My brother helped Chavez gain the edge he needed to be able was really good,” he said. Though he looked up to to perform at the highest level. “Each day I practice his brother he didn’t want to live in his shadow. “I at least an hour,” he said. “Five days a week.” wanted to be better than him.” Having his broth He describes his experience on varsity all four er around, Chavez was able to learn from him and years as irreplaceable. “I mean, it’s been great. have someone to practice with. While his brother I’m just having fun out here making memo- was his inspiration to play, he was also his comperies.”Although he has been playing on varsity longer tition. “I want to make a name for myself.” He did than most of his teammates he does not see himself not want to be known as just “Jose’s little brother.” any different from the other players. “We all work as Being a defender he protects the back field. a team.There is no individual that is better than the Making sure the opposing team has little to no opother.” One of his favorite things about the team is portunity to score when they have the ball in their possession. Chavez has been a factor in the team’s ability to limit other teams’ chances on offense. Once season is over Chavez plans on continuing his soccer career. “After high school I am unsure of where I’m going to play,” he said. Whether it is playing for college or a city league, he doesn’t count on putting up his cleats anytime soon. “I just know that I will continue playing for as long as I can.” As for the season currently, Chavez believes they have a good shot at performing well during league. “I think we’re going to do PHOTO BY KENYON PIERCE good this season.” he said. “We just have to keep ourselves motiSenior Jesus Chavez dribbles away from Lincoln’s forward after vated.” tackling the ball away from him. Stagg went on to lose, 2-0.
Angel VASQUEZ & Shannon BRADBERRY Athletes dedicated to a sport usually do whatever they can do to improve. Last season, the girls soccer team worked hard and took second place in league. After the season ended, a few of the girls decided that they were going to join a spring soccer league in hopes of taking the league title this season. During the spring league season, the team faced more experienced and older players. This was an opportunity for the girls to see where they were at in terms of communication and performance. For junior Jasmine Cordova, going against these teams helped her realize the importance of communication. Cordova said, “Because of our lack of communication during the (winter) season, we had lost lots of chances to score.” She added that in the first few off-season games they had a sort of “wake up call” about their lack of communication. Jessi Camacho explained how the spring season gave her more time to really explore the different positions and how to take advantage of their strengths
PHOTO BY KEVIN GUTIERREZ
Sophomore Norma Zaragoza runs up to take a goal kick against Franklin (Elk Grove). The Delta Queens went on to lose the game, 8-0.
and weaknesses. “During season everything goes by so fast,” she said. “You never really get the chance to go in depth at all because we’re always getting ready for a game.” Camacho added that there were fewer games in the off season, and because of that she was able to really take her time to hone her own strengths as well as address her weaknesses. Not only was each player able to assess their own selves, but they were also able to get together and find out what they needed to work on as a team.
“During the season our coach would tell us what we needed to do, but we never really took the time to break it down,” junior Kim Robles said. Not only did they never get around to breaking it down, but they hard a hard time realizing just what they were doing wrong. Robles said, “Everything just sorta started to click after the first off-season game.” This season the girls hope to share what they learned with their teammates, and hopefully improve upon last year’s finish.
Who’s coming to our house?
Boys Basketball
Boys Soccer
Wrestling
Wednesday, Jan. 2 vs. Lincoln HS 4:00 / 5:30 / 7:00 PM
Friday, Dec. 21
Thursday, Jan. 10
vs. Liberty Ranch HS 4:00 / 6:00 PM
vs. Franklin HS 5:00 PM
Girls Basketball Thursday, Jan. 3 vs. Mt. Eden HS 5:00 / 7:15 PM
Girls Soccer Tuesday, Jan. 8 vs. Edison HS 4:00 / 6:00 PM
8
The Stagg Line
News
12.20.18
Mental health resources available here
Healthy Start provides one-on-one therapy and support groups with specialized counselors Shannon BRADBERRY Healthy Start offers more than just sports physicals and a place to rest when feeling ill. The program also offers a whole area strictly for mental health that is available for everyone. Healthy Start Coordinator Christiane Highfill described the importance of these resources. “We strongly advise students who feel the need to talk to someone to reach out to us,” she said. “We want to make our campus more comfortable for everyone.” Some students who deal with mental health issues often feel like school is their only outlet and a way for them to distract their thoughts from the problems they are faced with at home, she explained. Students who are interested in registering could refer themselves, or speak with an adult on the troubles they are facing and they can refer them to a counselor. Every day they have at least one-on-one therapy open for
anyone, but that isn’t the only way to get help. They also have support groups with counselorsThey are individuals who specialize in mental health and work to ease the minds of teenagers and ensure they get professional help. Providers from outside agencies meet with students anywhere from five minutes to even an hour depending on the severity of the situation. Their motive is to help students get a better understanding of their personal lives while teaching them strategies on overcoming their current obstacles. They also promote the idea of seeking a better future and working towards small term goals to set guidelines for bigger ones. The support groups cover various topics such as anger management, depression, coping strategies, substance abuse, and gang intervention. Each day of the week is dedicated to these situations. “We have a counselor from Point Break, a staff member from the Child Abuse Prevention
Healthy Start Resources
Healthy Start doesn’t only offer information about sexual education, but they offer a lot of information on mental illnesses as well. Healthy Start is located at the end of the west hall at the end of the E wing.
Healthy Start is open Monday through Friday from 7 to 3 p.m. Monday Healthy Start Offers Gang Relation Specialists Strategies to discover needs and strengths Tuesday/Thursday Depression Specialist Ways to develop healthy coping methods Wednesday Anger Management One-on-one personal Specialist help Friday Substance Abuse Specialist Monday-Friday Trauma
Accessible and addictive
Eating fast food is a difficult habit to break Angel VASQUEZ Fast food. It’s cheap, ready to eat, and, for some, addicting. It seems as if there are fast food restaurants everywhere. For some students needing to grab a quick bite once in a while, the cost and convenience can be tempting. For others, though, this way of having an already made meal once in awhile can turn into an everyday occurrence. According to a 2015 report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 in 3 children percent of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 eat junk food everyday.
They also reported that American teenagers receive nearly one-sixth of their calories from fast food. “I guess it’s bad for me, but it just tastes so good you know?” For junior Mario Castillo, eating out every week is a given. Castillo takes every opportunity he can to go out to eat, whether it be with his friends or by himself. “I love the salty taste especially. I even ask for extra salt on my fries from McDonalds.” One problem with fast food that usually affects these teens is the addiction. The sudden random cravings or the feeling that they need to have something from these restaurants can start
PHOTO BY ANGEL VASQUEZ
Juniors Miguel Sanchez and Alex Ochoa enjoy an order of asada fries together at Taqueria Carolina. The couple usually takes trips to fast food chains after school whenever there is a half day.
What’s online?
WeeklyGallery Check out our staggonline.net website for weekly galleries featuring drama putting on a puppet show, the girls varisty basketball team, and the wrestling team taking a victory.
to take over the way these students spend their money. “I work at McDonalds so I sorta know what kind of food I’m eating,” senior Malia Cristiano said. “Because of how gross the food from there is I try not to eat it (fast food) but I always end up doing it anyways.” Food addiction is a relatively new to the medical world. Simply put, food addiction is being addicted to junk food in the same way someone is addicted to drugs. This addiction involves the same areas in the brain, the same neurotransmitters as well as many of the same symptoms. Food addiction is similar to several other eating disorders, such as bulimia, compulsive overeating and having an “unhealthy” relationship with food. Sometimes, students might turn to fast food when they’re stressed out or upset about something. “I eat it all the time,” junior De’Bohray Mack-Smith said. She also added that she tends to eat it more often when shes’ feeling upset or under pressure. “I guess the taste brings me comfort.” Fast food is known to be an unhealthy way of getting a meal. Despite this, students continue to turn to it for the taste, the comfort, and the continuous cravings.
Confidentiality A safe place where you can get the help you need GRAPHIC BY KEVIN GUTIERREZ
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We are happy to provide services that you students think you need. This is your school and you should feel comfortable here. Christiane HIGHFILL Healthy Start coordinator
Council that also does depression screenings,” Highfill said. “Holly Agundes also comes every Wednesday and works with the anger management students.” The depression group meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays and last about four weeks at a time. The group that focuses on coping strategies lasted around 12 weeks. A new group will start in January. They aim to get more recognition to this special assistance. They began workshops for staff to increase resources. “The more people we get involved the better our school will be,” Highfill said.
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For students who feel they don’t necessarily meet the criteria of one of the provided resources, they offer open-ended sessions that allow students to reduce pressure and tension during stressful times such as finals. “We are happy to provide services that you students think you need,” she said. “This is your school and you should feel comfortable here.” Healthy Start wants students to know that they aren’t here just for you when you’re sick. They want to represent the idea of a safe zone.
Video game club launches existence with tournament Marissa GONZALES
Getting a new club off the ground can be difficult, but the Video Game Club makes it look easy. Often times new clubs don’t have the means to put on events so close to their founding. However, in only five short months the club has managed to put on their first tournament. During the tournament held after school Friday, Dec. 7, the club had two Nintendo systems surrounded by students aching to play Super Smash Bros. Having more than 30 students purchasing not only their entry in the competition, but a cold drink and a slice of pizza as well, was beneficial for the club’s wallet. From the event the club made around 50 dollars in profit allowing them to plan for future events. During Friday’s tournament each student who purchased a ticket was guaranteed two rounds of competition. As the number of players dwindled and the competition became harder, one final round determined the winner. Joshua Boado emerged champion in his final round, hitting his opponent with a combo move. Not only did Boado win the competition, he also won a 30 dollar gift card to GameStop. Club advisor Mary Stoner created the club for the students who think of themselves as gamers. In addition to her love of video games and gamers she wanted to create a club for students who feel they don’t have a place on campus. “In high school I had a group of friends who were like me. We weren’t the cool kids, but we understood one another and it helped me step out of my circle.” The club also has a secondary advisor, Brandon Enos, who shares this view. He feels the most rewarding aspect of starting this club is seeing the enthusiasm on students’ faces. Enos also looks for-
PHOTO BY MARIA CASTILLO
Freshman Zoe Ornelas plays Super Smash Bros Melee on the GameCube. She gets excited competing against her friends. She said, “Gaming makes me happy, specially when I win.”
ward to future tournaments and having fun with students. Considering how well the first tournament went, club president Harvey Cummings aspires to put on tournaments on a regular basis. Profit made from the tournaments will go toward purchasing a new console for the club to use during meetings and other tournaments. This will ensure that in the future the club will have their own system rather than relying on donations from students or the school. The leaders of the Video Game Club want students to feel a sense of comradery and have fun while they bond over a common interest. “It was fun because I don’t do a lot of school things,” Joshua Cortes, a junior, said. “People there made me feel welcome.”
15 Seconds of Fame
Watch how senior Lucia Hernandez prepares for a festive choir performance given at Kohl Elementary.
Weekly Sports Focus Visit our website to see Estaban Rivera cherish his final year of basketball.
Read about how Andrea Ramirez discovered her interest for soccer.