the
StaggLine
First in the family to... — See pages 4&5
Officer brings new events to campus
AdriannaOwens Neon-colored posters hang on the hallway walls. Excited voices advertise the event in the morning announcements. Music pumps by the ticket sales window, enticing students to buy tickets. The next week, the event is cancelled and the posters, voices, and music all fade away. This has become a common pattern with the events scheduled on campus this year, but new school resource officer Donte Butcher aims to bring a new mentality to campus. He wants to make this year’s talent show a success. “A lot of people don’t realize how connected I am to the music industry,” he said. “I saw what talent Stagg really has.”
Butcher asked the help of science teacher Debbie Lebanik to spread the word and to boost ticket sales. The two are spearheading the event and hope that ticket sales boost soon. To meet their minimum requirement, 100 tickets must be sold by next Friday. “The proceeds are going to the school and the police association,” she said. “We are also inviting Edison and Chavez and other high schools in the district.” The money made will go to a scholarship foundation in honor of Kimberly Pinto, an officer who was killed in a car crash in 2012. The talent show and dance will cost $15 together. The show alone is $10 and the dance alone
is $7. Lebanik hopes that with this event, the students will show more pride. Butcher aims to connect with students and teach them safety. He is also creating a new class in which he will teach students self defense to hip-hop beats music and he’s trying to set up a basketball tournament where students can compete with police officers and celebrities. “I think it gives a bond between the students and police department,” he said. “It’ll show them that we’re more than just officers. It’ll bridge that gap between students and us.” Assistant Principal Linda Roberts is excited for the talent show and other events being planned and said “it’s refreshing to have
Officer Butcher on campus.” Students around campus hear the buzz about the talent show and are planning their acts, from music to magic to poetry. Jonathan Ivy, in particular, is going to do a musical act and said though he is nervous, “it’s something that Stagg needs in order to boost confidence in our school.” “I think that we needed this. I see other schools hosting (talent shows) but we’re not usually like that. In order to have pride in our school, we need more things like this.” The junior also looks forward to participating next year if possible. “It definitely should be an annual event, and maybe they could have special prizes for people who won more than once.”
photo by
School resource officer Donte Butcher talks about the upcoming talent show on a classroom visit.
Schedule to change next year Block periods at the most twice a week — to benefit science experiments, Common Core DellaniraAlcauter
When there’s a broken tile in the hall, it is replaced. When there is a broken board on a bench, it is replaced. When there is any safety hazard for students, it needs to be taken care of. The head custodian sends out a work order and a handyman comes and fixes what is broken. When the district office said the school would no longer be able to stay on a block schedule for next year, the teaching staff came together to address the problem. The district said that the current schedule isn’t ideal because the nearly two-hour class periods are too long. Although fixing the schedule to their liking may not have as easy a solution as replacing a broken tile, to most teachers, it should still be treated with the same urgent care and attention. The students may not be physically harmed, but the education will be. The schedule that is chosen and up for a vote for next year ultimately affects the education all of the students receive. Over much discussion and voting, the new schedule to put up for a final vote was chosen last week. It includes three 1-6 days and two block period days. To pass, this new schedule will have to receive two-thirds of the staff’s votes. If the vote comes up short, by default the new schedule will be 1-6 every day. Coach Rosslyn Halekakis, the one who introduced the schedule, said that “including all students is key.” “I like the new schedule because you don’t get stuck with the same teacher for too long,” junior Angel Flores said. “In some classes, you don’t do much.” Supporters of the block schedule say science classes with labs and some of the honors and Advanced Placement classes need the extra time a longer period offers. However, critics say that the majority of classes don’t always need a two hour period. They figure that when the lesson plans the teacher prepares are finished, the rest of the class time may disintegrate into socializing. “You can’t build anything in one hour in MESA,” junior David Morales said. “I could use the extra help in calculus. Same thing for anatomy, we need two hours to get stuff done.” Halekakis understands the need for the block but said “we’re on a Catch 22, especially with Common Core for next year.” If the schedule she introduced isn’t chosen, there will be no block period days next year, which could be detrimental to both students and staff. Having to implement Common Core into their lesson plans requires longer instructional time to adapt to the new teaching and prepare for testing. Chemistry teacher John Steiner said he “(likes) the added flexibility (the new schedule) gives since some of the classes require more time.” From the start, it was a given that there was no simple solution to fixing the schedule that would accommodate everyone’s needs. The decision will be finalized at the staff meeting in May.
This lab in John Steiner’s AP Chemistry class deals with finding the levels of acidity in liquids. Including the setup and cleanup, labs like this require block periods. photo by
Marcella Hawkins
Proposed Schedule Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
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If two-thirds of the teachers don’t vote to support this schedule in May, then every day will be a 1-6 schedule. The schedule allows 10 minimum days and fall, winter, and spring breaks will still be in place. School will continue to start at 7:25 and end at 2:10.
the
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207
Vol. 57 No. 7
S3 Grant provides cameras, security NuviaCervantes
BottomLine 04.11.14
Dellanira Alcauter
For years the campus has been vandalized and breached after school, on weekends and during the summer. The incidents were performed by students and strangers alike. This problem has pushed the school to acquire new security cameras this year through the S3 security grant. “We have two main focuses on having these cameras up,” Assistant Principal Gamal Salama said. “Student safety and school entries.” The new cameras cover the school entrances and most of the campus, especially where campus security monitors can’t always watch. This does not mean that CSMs will be replaced. “They’ll still be around,” Salama said. “The cameras are just a tool to help keep a watchful eye over the students and keep them safe.” Math Department Chair Andrew Walter said the cameras will be beneficial for the school “to keep random people from walking onto school campus.” He said that the school’s multiple entrances “make it pretty impossible to watch over everyone with few (CSMs’) eyes.” He himself even has a camera installed in his classroom. His main purpose for having the camera up is to help keep track of the materials he has available for his students. Thefts play a factor in the installation of the cameras, as well. Both school property and personal possessions have gone missing, with classroom projectors and laptops being the most common objects reported stolen. The cameras are linked to the SUSD Police Department. That means the police will have access to the security footage, linking them even closer to our school campus and further enforcing their presence on school grounds. This can help them identify criminals or suspicious people the police may be searching for. In addition to receiving new cameras, the school also updated to a new program to view their recordings through Video IQ. This new program is Web based so it is easier to access by school personnel who are authorized to view the footage. Spanish teacher Raquel Chavez supports having the new cameras set up on campus for security purposes. “Anyone could come in and start causing problems,” she said, adding that the cameras could help put a stop to strangers entering the school. The old cameras have not been used for the past 10 years. The old system used to view the footage wasn’t as good quality as the new ones. The new cameras also have a broader view of the area they are positioned to look over, making them more useful. “This is not the end of the camera project,” Salama said. “This is just the beginning. When we get more grants in the future, we’ll look into adding new cameras.”
Prom
PowderPuff
Got talent?
Prom is Saturday, May 3, at the Scottish Rite Temple, with a Great Gatsby theme. Tickets are $45 for singles and $75 for couple, early bird prices for a week. They will be sold in the Student Activities Office during lunch.
Anyone who is still interested in participating in the PowerPuff game should see Roger Esparza in room B-9. If participants want to keep their jersey, a $20 fee must be paid to the Student Activities Office.
Pick up an application for the upcoming talent show at the Student Activities Office. Auditions will be held April 16. Tickets will also be sold at the Student Activities Office at lunch. Tickets are $10.
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Opinion
4.11.14
STAFF EDITORIAL
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New cameras installed for security
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ecently, the S3 grant has funded the installation of security cameras on campus. Not surprisingly, students have erupted with complaints. Frequent thefts and vandalism have encouraged cameras being implemented into school security and we, along with faculty, support the decision. Some students are bothered by the fact that cameras will be “watching” over us, and believe that being recorded is an invasion of privacy. What many don’t realize is that privacy doesn’t exist in a public setting. Security cameras are in nearly every public place that’s visited by a large amount of people. We’ve all seen them — at traffic lights, shopping centers, ATMs, and parking lots. So, in reality, we should all be used to being observed by security cameras. The purpose of having surveillance isn’t to spy but to ensure safety. Cameras will only be placed around campus hallways and open areas, not in
bathrooms or locker rooms. That would be an invasion of privacy. Cameras aren’t being installed so faculty will have more reason to punish students for anything we do wrong. They help the staff make sure that students aren’t misbehaving in the first place. Students who follow school rules have no need to worry. Cameras will not be constantly monitored, picking out every person who commits a small “crime,” such as littering or wandering the halls during instruction hours. Instead, they will be used primarily to review and provide evidence for reported crimes such as theft, vandalism, and acts of violence. Ultimately, having these cameras will be helpful not only for administration to resolve crimes, but also for us. For example, if someone were to accuse one of starting a fight or stealing a phone, there could be footage to reveal what really happened or provide evidence for the crime. On another account, if your belongings ended up missing
Art by Mareleene Pheav
or vandalized and you report it, that’s when the cameras could be put to use. Safety will remain a priority as the practice of cameras, as another “watchful eye” is being enforced. The cameras will be used to benefit the overall safety of our campus — not
a way to spy on students, or to find an excuse to write referrals. While the cameras will definitely be useful to administration, they may prove to benefit students. If your phone was stolen, wouldn’t you want to know who took it?
AP classes High school doesn’t change you; people do are rigorous but worth it “ W hen I was a little kid, my parents chose my friends, putting me in Trisha playgrounds or arranging play Newman dates with kids they knew and liked. But now that I’m older it’s apparent to me that I have the power to choose my friends and how I spend my time. I’m just trying to figure out who I am, what I believe, what I’m good at, what my responsibilities are and what my role in this world is going to be. Despite the nostalgia, I looked forward to being in high school as a kid because I wanted to feel older as soon as possible. Once I got here, I felt like high school was what I had made it out to be. This was a place where I could be with my friends and not feel pressured to be something I’m not. My friends made me feel secure, like who I was, was enough. I didn’t need to fit the mold of others’ expectations. Recently, I had an epiphany; before, I used to think that high school changes people. But now I realize that it’s the people one chooses to affiliate with who change them, not the school itself. Anywhere you go you can find trouble. My dad has always offered me the analogy, “If you hang around the barber shop long enough, you’re bound to get your haircut.” Meaning if one is around bad influences long enough, eventually they will get themselves involved in immoral activities. I have seen my friends from elementary school change drastically — some for the good, as they’ve found their group of friends, their clique, but others for the bad. They have found a group of friends that are not the best influences. One reason for this may be that with age we receive the luxury of making our own choices. However, growing physically doesn’t give us maturity, nor does our age define us. In high school, we choose our friends, which in turn brings about a new sense of independence. College fraternities are a place where common values and likes are shared. Before getting into the frat house, pledges must do unbearable tasks before making the initiates a part of the brotherhood However, if Kappa Beta Pi is more about having parties than making connections with each other, the pledge tasks would have just been collaborative damage, a waste of time. High school influences can change people, but I haven’t let them change me. Will you be the pledge for the wrong crowd or will you be independent?
I don’t want to hang out with people because they are cool, but because they are my friends.” AlexanderQualls
had to step “Iaway when
freshman
some people I know went to smoke. I still talk to them, but I had to step away for me.” ShilahMitchell senior
friends “My invited me
to go to a talent show but I didn’t go because I had to study for calculus.” NinaXiong junior
art by
Marleene Pheav
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’m going to take AP next year to raise my GPA. Too bad it’s not true. Advanced Placement courses provide dedicated students with the opportunity to excel in a subject while the rigorous homework and studying mimics college-level classes and prepares students for the workload. Indeed, it does give students the opportunity for an extra point for one’s grade-point average — if they do the work. A study of Texas universities showed that AP classes are worth the struggle. Students tend to have higher four-year graduation rates and there is a strong correlation between high SAT scores and students who take AP. While they offer many benefits, some argue that these courses are too stressful for high school students, and therefore do not help. Yes, AP courses are stressful for students, especially those who participate in athletics or clubs, but they’re worth it. “(AP) puts students in a demanding environment,” Stewart Jacoby, social studies teacher, said. “It is an unreasonable amount to do, but you do it (to pass the exam).” Some students may not be sure whether to take AP, either because it’s too hard or because their GPA might slip. Now that’s just the problem. Grade point averages have become so important to dedicated students that they may rather take an honors class than an AP one because they’ll receive the same credit for less work. But AP means much more than passing a class. GPAs are useful because they sum up an entire year’s worth of work into one number and they are always considered when a college looks at an application. But they cause a lot of stress to dedicated students because if their GPA falls just a little, it may be hard to recover it before report cards come out. And students often come to the conclusion that GPAs represent exactly how much they learned and how intelligent they are in academics, when really it simply shows how well they passed a class. This is the same for all courses, regular through
Devin Wickstrom
AP. This isn’t to say GPAs aren’t important, because they are; colleges always look at them to get an idea on how well one did throughout the year. On the other hand, colleges also look at how much one pushed him or herself. Dedicated students should enroll in AP courses to prepare themselves for the college level work and grow much more than they would in an honors class. GPAs are very important, and students should always aim to improve them. But the point of school and the point of AP is to teach students how to think. They teach them how to take information and put its puzzle pieces together to support an argument or go against it. But it is important to note that AP classes can be very difficult and students should not take several of them just to make their transcript look pretty. Instead, a student should pursue a subject they enjoy and push themselves to learn more about it because there is no real sense in taking an AP class that is not enjoyable. The irony to that note is that students who do take AP should remember that the class will be moving fast every day and it may get overwhelming. But if students are there for the right reason it’ll be worth the work. Students should not be afraid to push themselves now in high school by taking AP classes because colleges will see that they challenged themselves to learn more. This school offers open access AP courses, which means any student should be able to take them without being tested before they are accepted into the class. “It’s the top course that students should take,” Jacoby said. “And to not take it means you’re going to be that much farther behind in college.”
Opinion
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4.11.14
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boys boundaries of the toygirls aisle Gender-specific toys influence future roles in workforce
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arbies. Kitchen sets. Baby dolls. Pink, frilly princess Celine dresses to play dress-up. Lopez This sums up the girls’ aisle in a toy store. On the opposite side, it’s a whole other world. There’s Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! cards. Dinosaurs. Action figures of your favorite super heroes. Firetrucks, science kits and Lego building blocks. Much more variety than the typical girls’ aisle. If you’re a boy playing make-believe, you have way more choices that can push the limits of your imagination. You can pretend you’re a doctor, a scientist, a fireman, or a superhero. You can create your own metropolis and construct skyscrapers as tall as yourself. Girls, well, we’re left with less to choose from. Since childhood, we’re programmed to be beautiful, girly mothers that can cook. It’s as if we’re handed a housewife-training kit and told, “Here you go, now remember to look pretty while you’re in the kitchen cooking and taking care of your children. Oh, and don’t forget to clean up after.” Why can’t we cross the “gender barriers” of the toy aisle? Why are the genders segregated from each other, labeling innocent toys with a certain gender that can’t be negotiated? The labels never go away, neither do the stereotypes. Little girls weren’t seen playing with chemistry sets, and now, few are seen in labs. The matter may be by pure coincidence, but some influence is brought upon by the toys we played with.
When a little girl sees that her idol, Barbie, is a fashion designer instead of a physicist, she wouldn’t be as encouraged to pursue a STEM career as she would a more traditionally female-oriented job. The division between blue and pink in the toy aisle discourages not only what toy a certain gender can play with, but the development of interest in certain careers. The gender gaps in many fields have been created either through lack of interest or discouragement, but nonetheless should be filled. It is true that the gender gap in colleges is narrowing, and some studies have shown that women actually do better in school than men. However, wage differences are still present in the workforce. Despite many obstacles women face, the traditional role that women have taken on for centuries is now fading into one more independent and respected, such as a manager or boss. And “girly” toys are not condemning girls to be housewives; they are showing girls only one option, not straying from anything but the traditional role of women. This issue isn’t just
graphic by
Alyssa Rojas
one-sided; boys are subjected to stereotypes just as much. Not every guy is as macho, or masculine, as the next, and the fear of being cast out by their peers as “feminine” lingers in their minds. Boys aren’t supposed to cook, play the nurturing mother role, and do “girly” things such as ballet or ice skating. They’re told to “man up.” They shouldn’t have to “man up” to meet the outrageous standards of gender roles that society has set. Sure, I had my fair share of Barbies and, like almost every 6 year old girl, I desperately wanted an Easy-Bake Oven or a Barbie Dreamhouse. But among my Barbies were Legos and Pokemon cards. And, honestly, I wanted a science kit way more than that oven. I saw the boundaries of the toy aisle, but I didn’t care whether I crossed them or not. As I grew older, girl toys just became too boring for me. I wanted to play with something that was more than just pink frills or a cute baby doll . For me, that just happened to lie in the boy’s aisle. Easy-Bake Ovens are targeted to girls, placing the role of the family cook on them instead of boys— but that doesn’t mean that only girls can cook. Saying that only a girl can play with that toy or that only a man can do this job implies that men and women are not equal. Gender equality exists when both men and women can do the same job, or when both girls and boys can play with the same toy, and when both men and women receive the same pay. We shouldn’t be conditioned to act a certain way or like certain things by the influence of the toys we played with as children. The gender boundaries that have been embedded in society are weakening more and more as people come to understand that the world, unlike the toy aisle, isn’t just in blue and pink.
Morals come not just SENIORITIS: from our parents A transformation Understanding that one’s personality starts in teen years to adulthood
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very morning is a battle. Struggling to open my eyes, I realize it’s another school day. Instead of waking up early to do my hair, do my makeup and pick an outfit, I decide to get an extra hour of sleep. Although that one hour flies as fast as a fly, it makes up for the few hours of sleep the night before. Over excessive wearing of yoga pants. Wearing bummy, oversized t-shirts and sweatshirts. Instead of doing my hair, I throw it up in a bun or ponytail. Weeks ago, a perfectly white piece of paper that was supposed to be turned in, now lives in my bag. This is my laziness that wasn’t expressed until this year. Maybe it’s because the excitement of knowing that in a couple more months I’ll be in a different city, a different school with different people. If you are experiencing this, my friend, you may have senioritis. This horrid disease has been spreading for many years among upperclassmen and has hit me in its finest. Yes, my appearance changed dramatically from freshman year to senior year but that’s not the point. I noticed my lack of interest in coming to school. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing my teachers, friends and learning new things, but I’m sick of being here. I know I’m going to miss high school and all of my friends, because of the four long years of knowing them. My past three years have been
Yesica Ibarra
graphic by
the
StaggLine
Alyssa Rojas
Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, Calif. 95207 209.933.7445 ext. 8487 The Stagg Line newspaper is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Awards and recognition include the following: ºº 20 consecutive All-American rankings ºº NSPA Hall of Fame, 2005 ºº NSPA First Place Best of Show five times ºº NSPA National Newspaper Pacemaker seven times ºº JEA Impact Award, 2002 Stagg Line student journalists have won many awards and scholarships over the years, including California Journalist of the Year, National Story of the Year and National Photo of the Year. Keep up with us ºº Facebook: Search “Stagg Line” ºº Twitter: Follow us @staggonline ºº Web: Check out staggonline.net ºº PDFs: Go to issuu.com/staggline
fun, but this year, it’s different. I’m at the end, but this is the beginning of a new beginning. I’m ready to leave — maturity is growing. Along the way, you may lose some people and your looks might change, but that’s okay. Growing up happens at one point or another, and now I’ve reached that point. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one that’s sick of walking down the halls, seeing the same thing for the past four years, wanting to do something different. Eventually, there will be times where I will miss high school and all of the wonderful people I’ve met along the way. But I’m looking forward to the future that awaits me at Cal State East Bay. All of the late night studying has paid off. Sadly, they won’t be ending — because of college — but that’s okay. Like track, I have to get to the finish line. Senioritis stopped me halfway and almost knocked me down, but I realized I have to finish this run. I have to finish high school strong as the student that I have been by maintaining good grades. College isn’t going to be any easier, but that’s the exciting part. Every day one will endure a new experience, good and bad. The point is to learn from your mistakes and not repeat them. High school has prepared me for the next chapter in my life, and I am ready.
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elving into the A child’s ideas vastly open about many subjects discipline of are mirrors of the psychology has made instruction of their me realize a lot this parents. It is not until past school year. later that they can break A class in which away and be their own I had hoped to learn person. a new subject and The teenage years broaden my knowledge are a vital part in the about human behavior development in a has actually led me to healthy adult. dig deep and think As one is exposed to Brian Walker about the inner constructs of the more wrongdoings and horrors of mind — particularly growing up, the world and their community morals and the question of when do we stop being they must decide for themselves, “Is this okay?” children and truly become adults. This is why these years are important. As As much as one would like to think that they independence is gained one must decide for were born a blank slate, they weren’t. The basis of themselves who they want to be and what they one’s personality isn’t something that is constructed think is right. as we grow older. They have the choice. The mind is something born raw with capped One can look back on the behavior they were capabilities and limited potential. Meaning that subjected to in their earlier years and decide if it some people are going to be better than others at was something they think was right or not. The certain things and it is nobody’s fault. freedom to be their own person is there. One can A person can’t just work really hard and become build their own morals. the next LeBron James or Stephen Hawking. Life is governed by one’s own actions toward Physical and mental abilities are factors that are what they think is right, and as we grow older we preset before we are born. However, a factor of self gain more free will to choose what is right. one can control is their morality. I believe it is not until one can truly make their The development of one’s morals starts at own decisions that they stop being children and an early age at which it can’t be controlled. It is become adults. shaped and molded based on what one sees as they Now as I move onto the next stage of my life, are younger and views as acceptable as they grow all decisions I make are truly mine. As graduation up. approaches I feel ready to move on and become If a child is taught that lying and cheating is fully independent and out on my own. Being in wrong at a young age they will be more inclined to psychology class this past year has forced me to be avoid those things as they grow older. introspective, and realize my high self efficacy. And if a child is subjected to smoking, I have taken my past experiences and drawn up drinking and domestic violence they will be more the conclusions that I like where I am headed and influenced to think it is okay when they are older. who I have become.
EditorialPolicy The Stagg Line newspaper is published monthly and distributed free of charge to students and faculty. Our website is updated regularly with photo galleries, video and breaking news. Our newspaper is a long-standing open forum for free student expression. That means that it is student editors and reporters who make content and style decisions with the adviser offering the guidance. A staff editorial, which appears on the top left of the first opinion page, reflects the opinion of the entire staff and therefore is not signed. Opinion columns reflect the view of the writer. Readers are welcome to write letters to the editor in response to any story or to make a comment about an issue at school. We will make every effort to print any letter as long as it is not libelous. Letters longer than 250 may be edited. Unsigned letters will be printed only in unusual circumstances and only when we know who the writer is. Letters may be delivered to the Stagg Line newsroom, A-10. They may also be emailed to dbott@stockton.k12.ca.us
NewspaperStaff AdriannaOwens & FeValencia Co Editors in Chief
WilliamAlexander
JadaJohnson // News Editor
JessicaCervantes
VeronicaVargo // Opinion Editor
AngelGonzalez
DevinWickstrom // Features Editor
MarcellaHawkins
AlexusPlascencia // Entertainment Editor
YesicaIbarra
JessicaMangili // Sports Editor DellaniraAlcauter // Photo Editor AlyssaRojas // Graphics Editor MicheallaFoules // Web Editor BrianWalker // Social Media Editor
MichaelBishop
CelineLopez BlancahMendoza BaylinMoran TrishaNewman MarleenePheav RubiRico
NuviaCervantes // Copy Editor
ArrianaSmith
DonBott // Adviser
AraceliValencia
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Features
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ALISHA HERNANDEZ: Proving herself to family
theinfirst the
family
JadaJohnson
Every morning is the same. No matter how long she stays up to do homework, Alisha Hernandez wakes up at 5, does her chores, and wakes her younger siblings up at 6, all just so she doesn’t have to hear her mother “nag.” Her mother incessantly yells at her, “You’re not going to college. You’re just going to get pregnant. You’re not going to be anything.” And yet behind her brown eyes lie no tears, only a burning fire that grows each time she hears another criticism of her. “You know, I take all these criticisms and let them motivate me,” she said. Her mother had her at a young age. Inexperienced and ill-equipped to care for her daughter, she set her child in the arms of her proud El Salvadorian mother. The reunion of mother and daughter years later would be one of high tension. Since then, Hernandez has blossomed. The junior stands proud, as if a reflection of the woman who raised her. Although she is two generations younger, the intellect of this vibrant teen is uncanny and seems to match that of her grandmother. A reunion with her mother was 14 years in the making. Hernandez made the decision to move in with her parents after realizing her longing to be closer to her siblings.
to ...
… go to college, graduate high school, learn a new language. This package tells the stories of several students who have family links to other countries. Each one is aspiring to be successful in this country of immigrants, and through their determination they plan to accomplish their individual goals.
Devin Wickstrom
Alisson and Jefferson Leiva both consider what different career paths each wants to take.
photo by
Veronica Vargo
YesicaIbarra
Falcon
photo by Jada Johnson
He works hard every day. Chores, homework, and many other tasks occupy his attention. The little time he has for himself, he spends on his future. He prepares himself for college. He wishes his parents could see how college could help him provide for them. But, he says, they want an instant product from his high school education. This is Alberto Vargas, a sophomore. His parents came to the United States in the early 1990s and he was born here. He loves school and is an Astudent. “I’ve just had a passion for learning all my life,” he said. While his parents appreciate his love for learning, they want him to help support those who supported him. After Vargas finishes high school, they want him to apply for jobs rather than universities. They wish they had gotten more than an eighth grade education, but they need him to work and help them through the hard times they are currently having. As much as he wants to help them immediately, he knows that if he goes to college he can get a
Vargas better job. “I love my parents, but I also want to pursue my dreams.” He isn’t particular about what subject he likes the most, but he loves to write. He enjoys putting even the most random thoughts to paper and letting the ideas flow. He loves to write just about anything and mostly writes creatively. In this way, he expresses himself with great elaboration and accuracy. Vargas wishes to pursue a higher education, though he hasn’t figured out which field or what college he wants to go to. Day in and day out, he is thinking of this. It pushes him to try
harder and reach new heights in the classroom. The best example of this is in Honors World History, which is taught by Audrey Weir-Graham. He is determined to impress WeirGraham. He turns in excellent writing, takes immaculate notes, and always looks to improve in her classroom. His parents expect nothing less, but they always try to instill in him the idea of getting a job. He wants to defy them, but at the same time he doesn’t want to disrespect them by not adhering to their wishes. He wants to strive toward the best education he can achieve, but the ghost of an idea of acquiring a job sits in the back of his mind. He said this has happened several times and will most likely continue, but he doesn’t mind. “They’re my parents,” he said. “They are going to do what they will.” Still, he stands unwavering. Vargas said he will continue to chase his dreams despite his parents’ desires, even though it pains him not to obey them.
RAKAN SAEED: Balancing work, school
MicheallaFoules In Arabic, senior Rakan Saeed’s name means quiet. Being in his presence, you would understand that his name suits him perfectly well. He and his family came from Yemen five years ago. His dad owns a couple of stores and decided to take his business to America. They arrived in the States with a warm welcoming from his cousins who had come before them. With a dialect undistorted and his words carefully enunciated, few would guess that his tongue was once foreign to the English language. “When I first came here, I didn’t know English,” Saeed Saeed said. Saeed needed to be held back in the eighth grade. He didn’t allow this setback to cripple him. It only ignited his persistence in school. Another barrier that he didn’t allow to get in his way is living so far away from Stagg. In his freshman year, every day he commuted to school, catching bus rides that took about an hour. His home school is originally Franklin High, but because he was a part of the Newcomer English Language Development Program, which has since been discontinued, he was able to attend Stagg. “He was never late,” Homar Juarez, who was Saeed’s teacher at the time, said. Saeed’s independence and focus lead him to his current status — a
college,” Falcon said. Unable to get loans for college due to her not being a citizen is worrying Falcon. Hoping to afford college, Falcon plans on getting a higher paying summer job before school starts so she can help herself out. None of Falcon’s friends knew about the DREAM Act so she felt lost and confused on the foreign process. English teachers Thongthip Duangsawat and Alison Lockheed are teachers that Falcon highly appreciates for the help they gave her. “I didn’t know who to ask,” Falcon said. “Then Ms. Duangsawat began helping me.” Lockheed offered her own laptop as a graduation gift but Falcon couldn’t accept it. “I always thought of going to school to get a higher education,” said Falcon. “Never saw it as something I can accomplish, more like a dream.” Now that she’s been accepted to colleges, Falcon explored her options and has now made the decision to attend San Jose State University. Although her parents don’t understand the college process, they continue to support Falcon. “Just because I’m an immigrant doesn’t mean I can’t go to college,” Blanca said. “Because I’m an immigrant, I still have the same opportunity as anyone else.”
Homar Juarez’s room after school to help with the process. She even attended CAHSEE tutoring in the Homework Center to increase her chances of passing the test. She wants to perfect her English so that she can graduate high school and go to a university and study architecture. “I would like to design something and be recognized,” Murillo said. “I would see my brother and how much he loved (architecture), and I wanted the same thing.” But above everything else, Murillo said, “I wish to design a building like a hotel. I want to demonstrate that there aren’t only male architects.”
BLANCA FALCON: Chasing DREAM despite money troubles
Hurrying to the Homework Center, Blanca Falcon rushes to finish her DREAM Act application for the remaining 30 minutes before leaving to work. Shoving papers and books in her bag, Falcon runs to her mom’s car on her way to work only to repeat the same cycle; school, work, then homework. Coming from Pericos, Sinaloa in Mexico, Falcon has come a long way. But it was a long process of learning to get where she’s at now. With her parents possessing only an elementary education, they sought the opportunity to come to America when Falcon was 3. “They wanted a better life for our family, for us,” Falcon said. Occasionally, Falcon works more than 30 hours weekly and comes back home to tons of homework from her rigorous courses. During the college application process, Falcon was hit with the news that she wasn’t eligible for FAFSA. The Falcon family was unaware of the DREAM Act and the benefits it acquires. Falcon’s older sister, Brenda Falcon, attended Stagg three years ago and graduated early with a 4.0 grade-point average. She didn’t go to college because of her limited financial sources which led her to not further her education. “Brenda not going to college inspired me to go to
WilliamAlexander
Ozornio finds a passion in helping other current stuRubiRico When walking into her class you hear kids speakdents that were just like her. The entire period, students ing both English and Spanish. With a smile on her are yelling, “Ms. Ozornio! I need help!” Ozornio is alface, she walks over to the students and interprets the ways helping students and she almost never has time to lesson she just taught. sit and get stuff done. But this isn’t Spanish class — it’s Algebra 1-2. In She knows what it feels like to be in that position and this period five class, Sandra Ozornio has a majority she remembers hating it — therefore, she offers her help of students who do not speak English or understand to many students. “I try to help them in English and it. Ozornio can relate. Spanish,” she said. Ozornio was born in Guanajuato, Mexico and “I don’t want them to fail the class three times when traveled to the United States by bus when she was 10. they can move on and do better.” She says her students Being the oldest of four kids, she felt the necessity to are very hard working and determined to pass the class. go far in life and be a good example for her younger “Ms. Ozornio helps us a lot,” said senior Juan Lara, andra zornio through a translator. “She gives us all the help that ususiblings. Her family also helped her keep going to school to get a education. ally no other teachers do.” The students say they would “They pushed me to stride,” Ozornio said. Ozornot pass the class if it wasn’t for her help. nio is the first generation to learn English in her family and the first to Senior Edwin Lopez is inspired by the teacher she is — he plans on ever go to college on her dad’s side. going to college and becoming a math teacher as well. “Math fascinates Growing up in the U.S. was a big struggle for her. Since she came me,” he said, through a translator. “I want to be a math teacher just like here in the fifth grade not knowing English it was very hard for her to she is.” learn. “At first it I didn’t like it here,” Ozornio said. “I felt like I didn’t Ozornio says that it can be challenging to teach a class in English belong.” She had a lot of trouble communicating at first. and Spanish — she struggles with giving them all equal attention. But She would struggle with things like ordering food or asking people according to her students, she balances everything well and teaches evhow much things cost and always assumed people were talking about eryone equally. “I really don’t mind her helping the students that don’t her since she couldn’t understand them. speak English in Spanish because I know that she’ll help me, too, if I Since she grew up living through the struggles of an immigrant, need it,” said sophomore Able Charria.
the class three times when they can move on and do better.” S O
Math teacher Sandra Ozornio tutors several of her students in Spanish.
ALBERTO VARGAS: Striving for college, parents pushing for job
football game. Most importantly, she’ll have beaten the odds. Her name will have been called and she’ll have taken that freeing walk across the stage.
don’t want “Ithem to fail
JessicaCervantes & NuviaCervantes
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her grandmother, Hernandez’s father suffered from a stroke. His entire right side was paralyzed. Reconstructive surgery was supposed to undo the damage. However, his right leg was left still paralyzed. She understands how hard this is for her father and feels she’d be able to motivate others to keep pushing on. “Maybe I’ll be a physical therapist because of my dad,” she said. She wants to help people. She believes she can also do this by being a politician. “A lot of people have big voices but don’t know how to use them,” she said. “I’m pretty outspoken about things I have an opinion about.” Helping others to not be afraid to speak is important to her because, she said, “Everyone should be able to express themselves freely with confidence.” Stockton is where her family is, but “I want to explore,” she said. “I love trying new things. I want to travel the world. I want to leave.” In 418 more days, she’ll be one step closer to being a politician. She’ll be able to attend her first
SANDRA OZORNIO: Relating to her students
THE LEIVAS: Pursuing their diverse interests: arts, sciences Alisson Leiva is a junior. Jefferson Leiva is a freshman. She likes to draw, while he likes to tinker with computers. Siblings born in Nicaragua, they spent the early years of their childhood in their home country. When she was just 8 and he 7 years old, they flew in a plane with their mother to the United States. Upon being enrolled in school, they became the first of their family to obtain an education in this country. Their parents are educated people, having worked their way through high school and college in a different country. Their mother obtained a degree in business administration and took up an internship at the national airport in Nicaragua and their father earned his degree in computer engineering and became an airplane mechanic. Even though their parents were educated in Nicaragua, the jobs they had paid the same amount that low wage jobs in America pay. They wanted their children to have a chance at choosing a career they loved with a reasonable payroll. Alisson says she hopes to become the first person in her family to go to college in the U.S. and looks forward to pursuing a career in the arts. Her artistic abilities really skyrocketed when she came here. “There was no art class, there were no art lessons in Nicaragua,” she said. Her mother supports her decision to start taking on a career in the arts. “Art makes me happy. I’m forced to go to college, but it’s for something I like, and to me that’s fun.” Jefferson finds himself heading in a different direction. With his interests centered around computers, he wants to continue into CalTech to earn a degree in computer forensics, which has to deal with collecting, analyzing, and reporting digital information. He’s even interested in pursuing a career with an intelligence agency. “It’s spooky,” Jefferson said, “but it’s exciting.” The fact that no one else in his family has a similar occupation motivates him to continue his education in it. Each sibling wants to hold a job that is different from what their parents’ jobs were. However, the type of work they could do as adults in Nicaragua is limited because the colleges there offer only so many classes to study in. Though Alisson and Jefferson share the same backstory, each is in the process of carving their own pathway as to what they want to do with their futures.
When she arrived on the doorstep, hopes for a new beginning arose. What she hoped was behind the door was her mother, her father, and a loving family waiting to welcome her with open arms. She would soon realize that behind that door was not what she’d hoped — a new world yes, but an unpleasant one. “I’ve been bullied,” she said. “I’ve been told I can’t do it. But there are plenty of teachers who tell me that I can.” These are the voices she listens to. These are the people that motivate her more to be the first in her family to graduate from high school. “I know what it’s like to not have a diploma.” She sees it in every one of her family members. “I know their struggle.” She does everything she can to make sure she never struggles the way her family does. From MESA to Advanced Placement classes to applying to be a member of the PLUS team, she keeps herself busy despite it being an issue with her parents. They get upset, she said, sometimes when she wants to do “too much.” “I tell them I just have to.” In fact, her parents haven’t allowed her to go to a single football game for all three years she’s been in high school. While she was still living with
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senior ahead on credits. As a result, he only needs four classes to graduate and holds a 3.45 grade point average. He is well on his way to graduating. “Saeed came with a plan and executed it,” Juarez said. After his classes, he sometimes works as a cash register for his dad’s shop. In his family, Saeed’s dad is the parent who had made it the furthest in education. As soon as his father graduated from high school, he went into business. Saeed has a plan to pursue his education even further by attending Delta College to get a degree and study to become an engineer. His mom supports and encourages him to stay in school. Juarez says he was a model student. When Saeed was in the program with other English learners, he was still willing to help his classmates. “(He) was very open to other cultures,” Juarez said. “He embraces everyone.” Seniors Griselda Lara and Miguel Padilla, who were in the program with Saeed, remember him as being “very smart.” Padilla also had him in P.E. and says that he was a good friend. “I learned a lot in Mr. Juarez’s class,” Saeed said. “He helped me a lot.”
BRENDA MURILLO: Breaking down language barrier
DellaniraAlcauter Many people migrate to the United States in hope of achieving the American dream — a better life and more opportunities. However, many lose sight of that dream once they step onto the new soil. Sophomore Brenda Murillo hasn’t lost hope, despite the others before her who have. Her two older brothers and sister all have high school diplomas and one even has a degree in architecture from a university in Mexico. However, they do not carry out their professions or even have the desire to further their education, she said. When she was 15, she wanted to attend school in America in order to get a better education. So
her family moved here, where her older sister lives. Murillo shares that “apart from the fact that everyone here speaks English, adjusting to the way teachers explain the material differently was a struggle.” At the school she attended in Mexico, all of her classes were in the same room. One teacher taught all of her subjects: math, science, Spanish, and history. When she came here, the idea of having to walk from one side of the campus to the other just to get to another class was radical. Although learning English has been difficult, she attends an English Rosetta Stone class every Monday and Wednesday in English Learner Department Chair
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Dellanira Alcauter
Sophomore Brenda Murillo takes a Rosetta Stone English course after school in English Language Development class.
Entertainment
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ArrianaSmith
Once upon a time... Fairy tales had all begun to sound the same. There is a damsel in distress who must be rescued by her prince. Just another day in any average person’s life. Right? Fortunately, Disney’s latest movies such as “Brave” and “Frozen” tell a more realistic story. Disney’s princess-movie evolution started in 2009 when “The Princess and the Frog” was released into theaters and featured the first princess of color, Tiana. This whole story is based around African-American culture, with a jazz based theme that takes place in New Orleans, right down to Tiana’s heavy southern accent. This movie shows that Disney is breaking away from its usual kind of fairy tale, and is exploring the different cultures. Shortly after that came “Tangled,” Disney’s version of Rapunzel. Many knew the story of the young girl trapped in a tower by her stepmother. However, no one expected she
Disney begins to show diversity in the typical princess movies
revolution
would be forced to find a way out on her own. Rapunzel had no idea that her hair would be the cost in order to save her Prince Charming.
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Disney used to be caught up in their princess’ looks and making them a symbol of beauty. They are now more focused on designing their
princesses to be good role models for young girls. The newer princesses show more down-to-earth personality traits such as independence. They have
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also started to give princesses a healthy, more realistic body type. With a wider waist and smaller chest, Disney’s “Brave” is a perfect example of this.
Merida, the princess in “Brave,” has messy, fiery-red, ringlet curls, showing that a princess’s hair doesn’t always have to be perfect. However, aside from appearances, Merida is determined to break her family’s curse and make the future she wants for herself. Chaos begins when she disobeys customs in her kingdom. She is allowed one wish and all the rest is left to her archery skills and her bravery within. Disney’s newest princess sisters, Anna and Elsa of “Frozen,” must find one another to save their castle that is destined to an endless winter. The story defines how powerful a sister’s bond truly is. It is certainly not your average fairy tale with its happily ever after no one expected. These movies are examples of how Disney is evolving. It is about time that a company as universally loved as Disney should begin to feature a movie with not only a nice story but one with a message that will live on forever. Happily ever after.
Marleene Pheav and Arriana Smith
2NE1 crushes the Shows cut short Cancelled TV shows can still be KPOP competition watched by Netflix and streamers MarleenePheav
Korean pop became globally popular two years ago when comedic singer PSY released “Gangnam Style,” making it a viral and most viewed video ever. It set the stage to open K-Pop into other countries with more ease. But, every era of promotion has a different concept. The world’s No. 1 girl group, 2NE1, set a new U.S. record for the highest-charting, best-selling K-Pop album with “Crush.” What is making this album such a big hit? The tracklist contains 10 songs, two of which are title songs and two others that have music videos. “Come Back Home,” both a title song and a music video, holds a soft mellow tune throughout the song. But during the chorus, it mixes into the techno jamming session that
Overall
2NE1 pulled off the futuristic concept while maintaining their amazing performance.
envelops one into it. In the music video, they inserted “Come Back Home (Unplugged Version)” in a scene to tease and to pull in the listener to discover the rest of the album. “Gotta Be You,” the second title song in the tracklist, is a mix of ballad and hip-hop. Its chorus will leave one humming the catchy tune all day. The meaning conveys that even though people can break up, feelings could still linger in the relationship. “Happy,” which is also a title song and a music video, sends the message of letting someone go if it’s for the greater good. They wish their lover to be happy without them, even though they are lonely and miserable. Although it is rather a gloomy song, it is sung in a very upbeat tune. Most of the songs in the album speak of love. Lee Chaerin, better known by her stage name, CL, is the leader of 2NE1. She wrote several of the songs herself, including her solo, “MTDB.” Known for being confident in her songs and on stage, she raps about the power and fierceness she grasps within herself. “Scream” was released two years ago as 2NE1’s first Japanese single. The Korean version in this album does not only change the language back to default (from Japanese to Korean), but also alters some of the lyrics. Even the first line is changed from English to Korean. Being under YG Entertainment, one of the many known music companies in the K-pop industry, makes it easy for 2NE1 to be one of the best. They are also group members with BIGBANG, a fairly popular boy group, and the famous PSY. Overall, 2NE1 accomplished a successful promotion era. They gave a new splash of taste, along with their signature styles. Their next comeback is definitely something we will all be waiting for.
BaylinMoran We are gathered here today to remember an amazing show that had an unexpected ending. These shows were dear to those here, but it is time to say goodbye and move on to bigger and better entertainment. That’s what they would want. There have been shows that have pushed up daisies and buried under broadcasting. The question is, why? Well, many times with shows like “Pushing Daisies,” “10 Things I Hate About You,” and “Kyle XY,” the show doesn’t gather enough ratings. “Pushing Daisies” was a comedic drama that featured lively colors to help contrast with the living dead and make them more friendly than horrifying. The dead are brought back by a pie maker, Ned, but only for a minute and it was usually done to solve murder cases. Meanwhile, “Kyle XY” was a science fiction/mystery drama, which features the main character, Kyle, who doesn’t remember anything of his past aside from the fact that he was adopted and he tries to rediscover his old memories. These shows may have
s ’ o h W YOUR favorite
“His ratchet girl vines are hilarious. He makes stereotypical generalizations.”
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Jose Mejia, sophomore
Landon Moss
“He doesn’t care what people think. He is super cute. I stalk his page all the time.”
Mikayla Gombio, sophomore
passed on from the television but they’re now waiting for us on Netflix. While these shows seemed delicious to our entertainment taste buds, that doesn’t lead to the big bucks these producers are spending to create the episodes. Our job is to accept the inevitable ending to some shows that we once looked forward to seeing once a week. Some other cases of why shows are cancelled can include but are not limited to the following: actors dying, expenses, and actors moving onto other things. When these producers and T.V. channels decide to drop the cow on them it’s so they can move on to something hopefully with more potential, but that does not mean that the cancelled shows have fallen off the face of the earth. Even the long lasting shows come to an end but they can still be seen somewhere on the Internet, you’ve just got to look for them. Overall, shows that might’ve been cut from T.V. can still be seen on other sources.
“She’s funny and speaks the truth. She’s down to earth.” Jonathon Ivy, junior
Special K
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Araceli Valencia and Adrianna Owens
Sports
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Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
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Many feared the track team would falter with the loss of last year’s seniors, but these six athletes stepped up their game to help carry the team.
Michael Albinto, junior Pole Vault Highest vault, 12’ Jasmine Pharms, sophomore Shot Put Farthest thrown, 40’1”
Jackie Garner, senior 100m, 200m, 4X1, 4x4 Fastest time, 100m 12.5 sec.
“When I want something, I’ll go at any length to get it.”
“When I see that I don’t have much competition I think of the meet as a practice, I need to get better.”
“When I look at my competiton, I hope they’re fast so that I have something to push me.”
Melvin Flax, senior Discus Farthest thrown, 138’
“When I go into the ring, I think of the guys I have watched, like Olympians. I think how they throw so when I do my technique I can check myself.”
Davon Gillum, senior Triple jump Farthest jump, 42’6”
“You got to get dirty.”
Lisa Espinoza, senior Hurdles 100m Fastest time, 16sec.
“Every time I go out there I just want to do better than I did last time.”
Graphic by StaggLine Staff
Standing strong on the court JadaJohnson
photo by
Dellanira Alcauter
Senior Kalen Archangel is the No. 1 ranked player on the boys tennis team.
He tilts his head back, draws a deep breath, and drops his head down slowly. Just as the rain begins to fall, tears begin to flood from his hazel eyes. “She’s had me ever since I was 3 and she’s never let me go.” Senior Kalen Archangel loves to talk about his grandmother and her importance to him, but it has become more difficult with graduation approaching. It will be “impossible for me to say goodbye,” he said, to the woman who did not give birth to him but gave him life. “It’s not like I’m disappearing off the face of the earth,” he said, “but I won’t be able to do what a son should be able to do.” Six states away lies his new home-to-be – Greeneville, Illinois. He plans to join football alumni Kevin Tran and Andres “Texas” Flores at Greeneville University. His scholarship, however, is for academics. His passion for football will follow him to college, but so will his love for tennis. Ranked No. 1 on the team, a captain, and considered to be “one of the most self-motivated people (she’s) ever met,” according to assistant coach Mary French, Archangel has surely proven himself to be a threat on both the field and the courts. Despite his noted skill, his fellow football mates still give him a hard time. They say it’s not “a man’s sport.” “Come out and play me and I’ll show you who can’t handle it and that’ll make you look like less of a man,” he says to them.Tennis, according to Archangel, is a sport he really has to work at. “The common visual of a workaholic is someone working in an office,” he said. “But I’m always
working on my sport.” He lacked work ethic for throughout his elementary years. “I had to grow up and realize that I couldn’t put life on the back burner anymore.” High school sports are “a privilege,” he said. He knew if he wanted to continue playing sports, he had to keep his academics in line. The only reason he joined the team was because of a dare. “He came up to us (coaches) and said ‘I’m probably not going to be out here tomorrow,’” French said. The next day, he was one of the first on the courts. “I fell in love with the sport,” Archangel said, last year being his first. Archangel, according to head coach Shannon Markley, is their “sacrificial lamb.” “He’s playing against other No. 1’s that have played for years,” she said. “He’s got the confidence for that spot.” But It’s not losing that scares him, it’s leaving his grandmother. “She raised me,” he said. “I feel obligated to take care of her, to return the favor.” His mother was a great person, he said. “I don’t know how, but I pretty much got whatever I wanted,” he said. “Her decisions led her to jail.” His grandmother has always been his “pride and joy.” Now that he has a little brother, he feels he must be a role model. “The only reason I push myself so hard is because of them.” Last year, Archangel didn’t win a single match. For most, he wasn’t even close. However, this year, his sharpened skill is inching him closer to his first victory.
grandparents attend every single one of his games. The support of his family is what keeps him going. “That’s why I play,” Cardona said. “I want to be able to support my family in the long run.” Also, baseball is the main reason why Cardona has a 3.30 grade point average. “If I didn’t have baseball I wouldn’t be motivated to get good grades,” he said. “Without grades you can’t get anywhere.” Cardona currently plays alongside his childhood buddies seniors Roman Florentino, Ruben Corona and sophomore Valentin Valentin. They have all played together since he they were 12. Valentin says Cardona has always been in love with the sport of baseball and has always been dedicated to playing ball. “He would always be the first one to practice and the last one to leave,” he said.
Having many people who care about him in the stands and on the field keeps him going and makes him try harder. Two of those people being his current baseball coaches. “If It wasn’t for coach Angelo and coach John I wouldn’t be the ball player I am today,” Cardona said. “Austin is one of our leaders on team,” Angelo said. “He makes sure everyone one is doing their job .” Many of the players look up to him and the way he plays. “He gets the guys going before each game,” Angelo said. Cardona says he will keep on playing baseball for as long as possible and plans on continuing to work hard in the hopes of getting the baseball scholarship of his dreams.
Passion for baseball is family affair RubiRico
Since he was 3 years old, senior Austin Cardona has been playing baseball and constantly growing a passion for it. The senior was recently invited by UC San Diego to go for a baseball prospect camp but did not attend. Cardona hopes to get picked up by a college that offers him a scholarship. “If they offer me something I’ll go,” Cardona said. “If not, I’ll go to Delta.” Growing up, Cardona was always around baseball. His uncle played minor league baseball in the 1990’s and his grandfather played for the Stockton Ports – he is determined to live up to their legacies. Cardona is currently starting at shortstop and plays pitcher as well. Cardona is greatly motivated by his family, his
Taking a closer look Here is a breakdown of his stats for this season through Monday.
Avg .486 14 RBI
Fielding .872 Avg
Strike 28 outs Earned 28 runs
Swim provides therapy BlancahMendoza
There is little noise as she dives into the pool. Her mind is in deep concentration. The only thing that matters is winning the race. Once that air horn goes off, the world is the water. Taylor Garcia has been swimming for two years and is currently undefeated. She swims a 100 meter freestyle in 1:12 and a 100 meter backstroke in 1:29. The senior hopes to take her 4x200 relay team to sections. She has a close friendship with her teammates “We learned to grow and feed off each other’s energy,” She said. In preparation to compete for sections running and lifting weights is a part of her free time. However, going from school to practice to work isn’t always easy. Time management is a big issue and everything has to be on time. “I like swimming and being in the water it’s different.” Part of the reason is for the large amount of time she spends Hawaii. When Garcia is in Hawaii, she tends to swim a lot and this has helped generate a love for swimming. Swimming is not the only sport she partakes in. During the fall and winter most of Garcia’s time is taken up by cheerleading. Cheerleading is generally a team sport as opposed to swimming, which is more individual. This was a major change. “It brought out the competition in me and helped me become more independent.” She is currently interested in swimming at Delta. Her family is completely supportive of her interest. They attend every meet and are always cheering her on. Garcia would’ve never thought she liked swimming. All it took was was courage to try.
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Dellanira Alcauter
Senior Taylor Garcia practices her main event, back stroke, during practice.
News
04.11.14
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VeronicaVargo
An uncontrollable disease reaching epidemic proportions: cheating. This year on campus teachers in various departments have dealt with this problem. Spanish teacher Raquel Chavez caught a student cheating on their first semester final, admitting that he/she bought the answers. After catching the student, Chavez stopped the test immediately and gave a short answer final. The student did receive disciplinary action by the administration after the incident was reported, but the distributor of the answers was never caught. The same final in another class was also compromised, that of teacher Carlos Morales’s Spanish class. They, along with the French teacher Deborah Berg, plan on getting together to address the cheating issue. “Students cheat different ways: they use their hands, write on desks,” Berg said. “If I find out, I take the test and give the student a zero.” In order to reduce the opportunities for students to cheat, Berg gives different versions of the test to her class periods. Another widespread cheating event happened throughout the English Department with the district assessments for the first semester. “Because we have to take the assessment, I just gave the students points for taking the assessment, but did not count their score,” English teacher Gurvinder Chauhan said. When the English teachers reported the problem to administration, they reported back that the cheating was “too big to catch,” Chauhan said. “Somehow (students) get the test or answers beforehand and give it to the people they know.”
When taking the tests, sometimes the answers are just passed on in the moment. One student, who asked not to be named, said, “I don’t like (cheating), but if it was a really good friend that really needed to pass the test, I would give them an answer or two. If a person was constantly asking I wouldn’t give them the answers. That is unacceptable. They need to learn it for themselves.” Another student added that in the case of being constantly asked for answers during test time they would deliberately give the student the incorrect answer. However, testing is not the only time that students are cheating. “During the first semester, in my Advanced Placement Government class, students had to complete current events,” said teacher Tara Hayes. “Because there was a certain way it (current event) needs to be done, students began to pay other students to do it for them; it was the same article, different words. As a result, I made the students handwrite the current events and the cheating decreased.” Hayes expressed how even AP students aren’t exempt from the cheating realm. “I received an anonymous e-mail that told me what was going on. I had my suspicions, but the e-mail was like, ‘wow,’” Hayes said. Another form of cheating that took place was when Chauhan assigned the class to do research essays. “I had students who were copying websites word for word. Some plainly admitted it and some didn’t,” Chauhan said. “I had to explain that it is plagiarism.” When asking a student who cheats how they do it they replied, “I just Google it and something will eventually pop up.”
Cervantes
Cheating causes stricter policies
art by Jessica
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Since a large population of students on campus are smartphone owners, Google is just a click away. Hayes says, “I am afraid it is a sign of the ages. A lot of students that don’t know how to think just pull it up. Smartphones are changing the whole culture of cheating.” One student said, “It’s not that I don’t know how to do the work, it’s just easier (to use Google) than
to do the work.” Cheating on campus is being addressed by having all teachers select new usernames and passwords for Illuminate, and having no sub with a log in. The tests are more secured and the cell phone policy is strictly enforced. Aside from the efforts by administration, teachers adjust their strategies to avoid cheating possibilities.
Team approach helps in mixed classrooms Special-ed resource teachers assist in core classes
MarcellaHawkins
Entering the room one sees a bright light shining from the projector, creeping out of the darkness. It’s shining light on the students’ faces as they sit attentively. They’re watching Alvaro Ruiz go over a PowerPoint. Ruiz, a special-education resource teacher, goes into the class regularly to help those who need it. This help is part of the initiative of slowly integrating special education students into mainstream classes. “The Least Restrictive Environment is a federally mandated law,” said Pam Curtin, special education department chair. “Students with exceptional needs are to be put in the least restrictive environment. That is the most appropriate placement where the student can succeed.”
Resource teachers Gina Ming and Alvaro Ruiz not only assist teachers in special-ed classes but make daily visits to core classes to help any student in need. photo by
Blancah Mendoza
Program cut rumors scare Healthy Start JessicaMangili
For many students, Healthy Start coordinator Judith Rauzi is a smiling face who greets those that enter in the E-Wing. But beyond that desk she acts a liaison between the district and the various health agencies in the area that provide services for the center. She also coordinates the conflict mediation program and is the site coordinator for the local program Students In Prevention. When rumors started to spread that the district was looking to close the health center, opened seventeen years ago, she jumped into action. She contacted a board member and invited him to experience the center first had before making a decision. “He took a tour and I opened his eyes to what we do here,” Rauzi said. “We are a licensed medical facility.” Like most school nurse offices, Healthy Start is fully equipped to hand out Band-aids and ice packs. But unlike most, the center is the only fully licensed medical facility in Stockton Unified School District. The center maintains a medical staff courtesy of the insurance company Delta Health
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Any student can go in there and get help.” SamanthaGonzalez
Senior
Care that is prepared for any medical need of a student with or without insurance. Among medical care that is offered, the office also provides a grief and loss group, family counseling, and substance abuse counseling. All programs are open to students upon request. The center is also the pilot for the University of Pacific program Crossroads, where mentors work with students that are on the road towards jail time.
It takes $80,000 a year for Healthy Start to run, but the money doesn’t come out of the district’s budget. The funds needed to maintain the services offered are from the various health agencies in the area and the insurance company. “It doesn’t cost Stockton Unified any money,” Rauzi said. “We provide it all for free (to students).” The center not only provides services to students on campus but also health students at the University of Phoenix, who use the “site as their practicum site,” Rauzi said. The students fulfill their on-site hours before graduation and the center receives qualified services without additional cost. For senior Samantha Gonzalez the center is more valuable than just for sports physicals. “Any student can go in there and get help. (And) a lot of students wouldn’t get services because they don’t have insurance,” she said. “If (we) would have lost the Health Center, the only thing you would be getting is Bandaids, pads, and that’s it,” Rauzi said. “It seemed ridiculous to me to close it down.”
The environment where the student is placed is based off an individual basis. It depends on how much support the student needs in a certain area. “The goal of the law is to serve students as much as possible, along with the general education peers,” Curtin said. Ruiz is one of the people who is helping carry out this law. He does this by going around to classes and offering his help. Organization skills is one of the things he helps students with. He has certain students that he is sure to help, but Ruiz helps more than just the select few. He focuses on all students in the class. In science teacher Debbie Lebanik’s room, she is already starting to see changes in her students. Ruiz has helped her
students become more attentive during their lessons. “I go into classrooms and provide support for teachers, not just students,” he said. Lebanik said, “He helps me with all projects. He teaches alongside me, and he’s given me lesson suggestions.” She said that he served as a substitute for her class before when she was absent. Another person helping with this is Gina Ming. She has a study skills class where she teaches students tools to be successful in core academic classes, test taking, writing skills, and reading comprehension. “I want my students to be successful,” Ming said. “I want them to have the skills to be in general education classes and to have good study skills.”
In Ming’s class her students get extra time to work on general education class work. If they need extra help she is there to to supply it. “It’s working well for some students, but for some it is a struggle,” she said. Both Ruiz and Ming agree that this will take time to see major results, but for it being the first year it is going pretty well. This will probably take more time to see major effects, but Ming is happy with the progress they have already made. Lebanik thinks that what they’re doing is wonderful and that it provides “an extra set of eyes, hands, and a brain.” “I hope that by being there with support, that students will start being more proactive for themselves,” Ming said.
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Scholar Athlete of the Month?
qualifications:
This new award, sponsored by Under Armour, is meant to inspire student-athletes during and after sports seasons to excel in academics.
Recipient has to be participating in any sport at the varsity level 4 year commitment isn’t required; recipient is eligible even if they only played for one year 3.0 GPA or higher is required to receive award Recipient has to show good sportsmanship throughout the whole season Behavior is a major factor; if you don’t have appropriate behavior in and out of the game, you won’t be eligible graphic by
Yesica Ibarra, Alyssa Rojas and Fe Valencia