the linestaggFeb. 5, 2015

Vol. 58 Issue 5

A.A Stagg High1621 Brookside

Stockton, CA 95207

Device dependence has teenagers feeling He shies away from people, constantly averting his eyes as to not meet another’s. His voice, barely audible, wavers in volume and confidence. Jonathan Phillips speaks only when “necessary.” In a new social divide where depen-dence on devices is growing, many people avoid face-to-face contact, instead seeking shelter behind a screen. With three out of four teenagers own-ing a cell phone, according to National Pub-lic Radio, it is no surprise that this device dependence is so prevalent. In a 2010 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Founda-tion, teens were spend more than seven and a half hours a day watching television, surf-ing the Web, social networking, and using other media. With so much time being spent inter-acting online, making phone calls, ordering food, and even speaking to people are now challenges to many teens who’d rather use a device. Phillips, a junior, is one of many teens who experiences trouble speaking to peo-ple in person. “I don’t like talking in gen-eral,” Phillips said. As he struggles to find the words, he explains that talking to people online or through text is easier because he doesn’t talk really loud. He describes himself as “awkward” when speaking to someone he doesn’t know that well, so he refrains from talking to peo-ple outside of his circle of friends, who de-scribe him as talkative and louder than usu-al. He says besides his football and basketball teammates, and a few other close friends, he rarely acts that way. With a soft voice and timid nature, sophomore Katherine Ortiz tends to let others speak for her. When she has to ask a question in class, or order food or movie tickets, Ortiz usually asks a friend or family member to do so for her. “People scare me,” she said, explaining why she’s shy, “because they judge you.” Or-tiz is another teen who prefers communi-cating through social media, such as Twitter or through text messages. She even ignores

phone calls, feeling more comfortable to chat through texting. Ortiz notices the differences in her be-havior with people she’s comfortable with and others who intimidate her. For exam-ple, she said when she has to ask a teach-er a question, she looks down, but when she meets one of her best friends, she’ll run up to them. When she’s communicating through text messages, she describes herself as “weird and funny,” definitely comfortable with the conversation. Psychology teacher Ryan Berg has no-ticed this type of behavior in a lot of his stu-dents. Not only are teens more comfortable with communicating through devices, they depend on them for the quick availability of conversation. “It’s a must-have culture,” he said, one that “expects instant gratification.” Berg explains that the culture now is a “major shift” from when means of commu-nication involved letters and travel on foot or horseback just to send a message. In ad-dition, he describes how people’s attention spans nowadays are much shorter, as “every-thing’s about quick, quick, quick.” “There’s an anxiety that comes in be-cause we’re so accustomed to an instant re-sponse,” he said. Michaella Booth, senior, is one who is “paranoid” when she doesn’t receive that in-stant response. ”I usually get (anxiety) when I text something long, or express my feelings … and don’t get a text back,” she said. “I think, ‘What could I have said differently?’” She says she’s “shy as hell,” and is more inclined to speak through social media since “there’s not a lot of pressure.” “You kind of hide behind the devic-es you’re using,” Booth said. Talking with close friends is easy, she says, but presenting in class is difficult to manage the transition from colloquial conservation to a more “ed-ucated” way of speaking. But the transition to depending on technology and being so-cial may become a little easier. Berg says that although new teaching methods encourage students to work together and discuss the subject, technology is also being used to en-gage students.

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FAFSA deadline Seniors don’t forget that the last day to submit the FAFSA application is March 2.

Globe AcademyStudents interested in participating in dramatic workshops, in the fall and spring, and a performance at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis should see Marc Glassberg in G1 for more details.

No schoolMonday, Feb. 9 will be no school because of Lincoln’s birthday. The following Monday, Feb. 16, will also be no school because of Presidents’ Day.

Undocumented gain license rights A shiny laminated card sits in the win-dowed area of most wallets in America, re-sembling the freedom that most teenagers are eager to have. Getting a driver license is an American rite of passage that is now being extended to a larger group. Assembly Bill 60 has allowed for un-documented citizens to drive legally on the road as they too can become licensed driv-ers. On Jan. 2, California joined nine other states who are already issuing driver licens-es to individuals who cannot show proof of a legal presence in the United States. Applicants, however, must show proof of

residency in California with any of the doc-uments listed on the Department of Motor Vehicle’s webpage for AB60. Citizens of 136 countries around the world are able to apply with their foreign passport as long as they meet the other re-quirements. Teenagers who immigrated to Ameri-ca no longer have to feel ridiculed as their classmates share the nerve racking experi-ence of taking the behind the wheel driver’s test and exchange celebratory comments, knowing they have no horror story to share. Senior Alejandra Lupercio understands the benefits of AB60. “I think it’s a good idea,” she said. While Lupercio herself is not an undocumented citizen, she shares

that members of her family put themselves at risk everyday behind the wheel. “I have family that doesn’t have papers and they drive (without a license) and it’s danger-ous,” she said. “I think there are going to be less accidents and more accountability.” Sophomore Joel Castillo, who in the past two years has received a visa, thinks that it is a significant improvement also since he feels he was basically “tossed over the border.” Since the Jan. 2 implementation date, there have been 217,000 issued tests (be-hind-the-wheel and written) with 25,300 issued driver licenses in California, accord-ing to the DMV weekly update on Tuesday.

Prom committee takes lead Four years of prom being at the Scottish Rite Temple have come to an end. The new location will provide a view of the stars and the water front. Prom’s venue has received some scrutiny from the attendees in the past, but now it is going to be held on the rooftop of French 25, in part due to efforts and assistance of the newly founded prom com-mittee. This committee has been organized by seniors ex-clusively in efforts to relieve some of the pressure from the Associated Student Body’s junior class. “Prom is what you make of it,” Ryan Berg, ASB advis-er, said. The committee’s first goal was to change the ven-ue. However, Berg saw potential in using the Scottish Rite Temple. “If you decorate the same place four different ways it can look like four different buildings,” he said. “In the past years prom hasn’t been the best,” com-mittee member Allison Ho said. She remembers last year’s prom theme. “You walk in and you wouldn’t even notice that it was the Great Gatsby.” She also remembers that “it was kind of claustrophobic.” She believes that with the ven-ue change it may be better. “Last year it was a very small confined banquet hall. By moving the prom to somewhere outdoors, like the rooftop, it will be better,” Ho said “We are involving student body in the process of creat-ing prom,” said senior Faith Recio. She says that the most valuable asset that the committee brings to the table is that they are involving the student body. The committee hopes

that this will increase the excitement for prom. The reason the Scottish Rite Temple remained the ven-ue for prom for several years is because of its affordability. Despite adversity with funds, Berg wanted the event to be “the best prom possible.” ASB makes its money by selling tickets to dances. Because the homecoming and sweetheart dances were canceled, not enough funds are coming in.

The prom committee discovered that holding prom at French 25 was less expensive than the Scottish Rite, so it satisfied the need to keep the price tag down. However, Recio’s push for the venue change stems from a previous engagement that was scheduled the same day as the Scottish Rite date, which would not be a problem at French 25. Recio said that there was going to be a music competition and that if it came down to it she would have just left early from the competition.“I am happy that prom now doesn’t conflict with my music trip because it would have been unfair to have to choose,” Recio said. Other con-flicts of schedules included the section championships for sports like track and field. Now that prom is set for May 2, Recio and others no longer have to worry. Berg sees that this change stirred a positive reaction from the seniors. However, he urges the committee to rec-ognize that normally prom planning is a junior class neces-sity since the funds go towards their senior year events. “The prom committee that we are trying to have is just to help the junior class,” Ho said. She, along with other seniors, is happy to lend a hand to the junior/senior prom. Prom is a very big event for most students. “It’s one of those rights of passage that before you leave that you go to senior prom,” Recio said. “Lots of girls wait for prom to happen and even guys wait for it to happen.” “The more people to help out reduces the stress level and get things done faster,” Ho said.

photo by Jada Johnson

ASB adviser Ryan Berg talks over plans for prom and shows the layout for the old venue, which was changed to the rooftop of French 25.

“I don’t like talking in general, but I only talk if it’s necessary.”

Jonathan Phillipsjunior

celinelopez

photo illustration by Jenifer Flores

veronicavargo “I think there are going to be less accidents and more account-ability.” Alejandra Lupercio

senior

angelgonzalez

opinionthe linestagg2 Feb. 5, 2015

Editorial

Disassociated student bodyA.A Stagg High1621 Brookside

Stockton, CA 95207

Editorial PolicyThe Stagg Line newspaper is published monthly and distributed free to students and staff members. Our website staggonline.net is updated regularly with online exclusives.

The Stagg Line is a long-standing open forum for free student expression. That means, student editors and reporters make content and style decisions, with the adviser offering guidance.

The staff editorial, which appears at the top of this page, reflects the opinion of the entire staff and therefore is not signed. A person-al column is signed and reflects the writer’s point of view.

Readers are welcome to submit letters for publi-cation regarding a story published or any school issue. We will make every effort to print any letter that is not libelous. Letters longer than 250 words may be edited for length. Letters must be signed to be print-ed. Letters may be given to a staff member, delivered to A-10 or emailed to dbott@stocktonusd.net

Awards/RecognitionsThe Stagg Line is a member of National Scholastic Press Association, whose awards and recognitions include the following:

f 20 consecutive All American rankings

f Hall of Fame f First Place Best of Show

five times f National Newspaper

Pacemaker Award seven times

Stagg Line journalists over the years have won many awards and scholarships, including California Jour-nalist of the Year, National Story of the Year and Na-tional Photo of the Year.

EditorsJada Johnson

Devin Wickstromco editors in chiefVeronica Vargo

web editorMarcella Hawkins

news editorMichealla Foules

opinion editorAlexus Plascencia

features editorBaylin Moran

entertainment editorAraceli Valencia

sports editorEsmeralda Mascorro

photo editorMarleene Pheavgraphics editor

Angel Gonzalezvideo editor

Nuvia Cervantescopy editor

ReportersMatteo Danforth

Jenifer FloresSathina FloresLouis Fuentez

Fernando GonzalezJonathon IvyCeline Lopez

My’Kayla MooreTrisha NewmanEstefany NunezArriana Smith

Luci TomasPhillicity Uriarte-Jones

Follow usFacebook: Stagg LineTwitter: @staggonline & @stagg_sportsWeb: staggonline.netPDFs: issuu.com/staggline

Immigrants need welcoming

Like most other seniors, I’ll be turning 18 this year. I don’t have a lot

of set plans; I may party, I may not, it depends on who’s reading this. One thing is certain, however, that is: I’ll be filling out my voter application. The world of politics is engaging to me; I enjoy reading the news, as well as participating in it, and the current events of the world excite me. Of course, not everyone is as passion-ate as I am when it comes to this topic, but most people will want to or will feel the need to vote one day. A majority of the application will be simple. Name. Address. Phone number. Yeah, yeah, let’s get to the ballot. But be-fore one can go into the voting booth, the party affiliation section must be complet-ed. The what? Of course, there are the Democrats and the Republicans, but what do those labels stand for? Their platforms are much more com-plex than just saying one fights for equality while the other fights for jobs. Depending on where one gets his or her news from, biased stories can poison that person’s mindset on a certain party or official. For example, “Fox and Friends” (a daily show on the Fox News Network) ran a health story last December saying Presi-dent Obama wanted to ban donuts. Another media site, Breitbart, just days after this story, stated that the Food

and Drug Administration was aiming to ban cake and donut sprinkles. If anyone goes to Krispy Kreme today, it’ll still be open and there will still be sprinkles on the cakes. Why? Because the presi-dent didn’t ban them. He had no aim to. In truth, he wanted to ban trans fat, which is not required to make donuts or nearly any

food for that matter. This component is merely a bad health habit that is found in daily foods but can banned without monetary or taste costs. In fact, New York City banned it in 2007; even McDonalds stopped cooking their fries in trans fat a decade ago. So why is this silly example important? If students, or people in general, don’t do their research and listen to one biased news source, their knowledge of current events is crippled and therefore they can-not make intelligent political decisions. Another example is the University of California tuition increase, which was a hot topic towards the end of last year and is still being discussed. The term “tuition increase” receives an automatic NO from most students, but what isn’t known by some is the reason for this increase. The UC system aims to increase the number of undergraduates by 5,000 with this escalation, along with other monetary reasons that include hiring more staff. Now that sounds reasonable. That’s a greater chance for high school graduates to get into college. And those with a legiti-mate financial need can receive an increase

in monetary aid. So not everyone will be in a lot of debt. Another example is the more recent goal to make community college free. This may sound spectacular at first, but the only way to make this possible is to have higher taxes to pay of the millions of students who will qualify for this benefit. Those tax-es will come out of the civilians’ pockets. Again, this is not to say this endeavor is positive or negative. Instead, this is merely to offer a different point of view. In addition, this isn’t to defend the UC tuition increase, nor is it to support the biased headlines that persuade viewers. These are just a few examples that display the complexity of some issues. These models aren’t the only contro-versial topics, but a decision can still be made by well-informed individuals; and the reality is that some things will be sacri-ficed for the majority’s choosing. The point is that in order for young

people to intelligently participate in the politics that influence their lives, they must first understand the basics of an issue — from all perspectives. This works the same with the party affiliation mentioned earlier. It’s effortless to make a decision based off of what one’s parents believe or don’t believe; but if students want to make ratio-nal decisions as an independent individual, then they must understand the politics that are impacting their lives — and take a stand toward those issues. One political party is neither bad nor good, but a student should side with the party that is most similar to their views, not because of what their parents or family or friends believe. It doesn’t take much to understand who the Democrats and who the Repub-licans are and what their platforms mean, but it does take some initiative from the individual to be informed of legitimate current events.

Just by taking a glance at somebody you may not guess their religion,

ethnicity, or nationality. Many people perceive me as just white. They don’t realize that I’m first generation American. To understand one’s cultur-al background you must understand where their ancestors came from.

For those who don’t know, I am a daughter of immigrants. My parents came from Croatia, part of the former Yugoslavia, located in southeast-ern Europe. My family’s immigration story started well before my parents’. In fact, my great-grandfather came to the United States when the

1906 San Francisco earth-quake occurred, then soon returned to Croatia. My father escaped the Communist country and later gained citizenship from his father. My mother soon resided with my father in the United States before the civil war broke out between the Croats, Serbs, Bosnians, and Slovenes. As many of us know, immigrants often come into the United States having to face prejudice. Why is that? Why do they have to be judged for being them-selves? Foreigners often receive peculiar looks just for pronouncing a word incorrectly. We shouldn’t judge immigrants based on their status, but instead how

they contribute to our society. Foreigners who migrate here are willing to obtain a job position to support their families. Most foreigners look for laborious jobs, which most Americans aren’t willing to take. We usually see Amer-icans giving unusual looks to immigrants at the DMV, supermarkets, and even at school. Immigrants may take this as impolite. Think about their situation. If we were to live in another country, then we would have to learn the lan-guage and get accustomed to the culture the same way foreigners do here. I recall a time when I was at the

supermarket and a foreign-er accepted rude remarks because they didn’t under-stand English. For senior Junfeng Chen, the main rea-son his family migrated from China to the

U.S. is for a prosperous life. Under the same circum-stance, junior Jazmin Piedra and her family came from Mexico for more opportu-nities in education. According to the New York Post, the United States is home to 41.3 million legal and illegal immigrants, the highest percentage in 93 years. An interesting fact, from the book Blossoms Into Gold, is that Croatians were the first people to settle in the Pajaro Valley in Watsonville, Ca starting

in the 1800s. Across the states of America, there are more Croatian immigrants than you may think. In the Pittsburgh region there are about 50,000 Croatian res-idents who settled, accord-ing to Popular Pittsburgh. Today, many Croatians live in the Los Angeles area, Chicago, Watsonville, and New York. Also, various Croatian Fraternal Unions and Cultural centers reside in these areas, bringing the Croatian community together with the public. Foreigners shouldn’t be judged for their cultural background, appearance, and English speaking skills. We must understand that they migrate into this prosperous country for different reasons: for more opportunities, to find a job, or to escape a regime. We should accept them for who they are because we wouldn’t have an insight of what diversity is like.

The key to running success-ful businesses is to consid-er feedback, ask for sug-

gestions, and implement changes. Any entrepreneur will agree.

The Associated Student Body is not just a class but a business of planning a fun and revenue-filled year. However, when the actual student body speaks up, the ta-bles are turned to “us vs. them.”

The student body then be-comes uninterested in whatever ASB has to offer because of a lack of consultation.

No, ASB does not have to get the approval of all students, but if tickets are expected to sell, a critical mass should be interested in whatever the activity may be.

This is not intended to be a blind-sided attack. Several exam-ples from recent years demon-strate the inefficiency of ASB.

It is easy to blame failed events on lack of money or spirit. The reasons are more complex.

The real hurdle that needs to be jumped is organization. Yes, it is difficult to start again with a new adviser, but the students should be the ones pushing for-ward. For example, the prom committee that just established itself needed no adult to make it happen. The group keeps in good communication with the rest of the senior class to ensure that prom is what they want, not just what a handful wants.

Association implies communi-cation. Yes, one can walk around campus and see a plethora of posters on the wall and listen to the Thursday morning announce-ments. Yet this doesn’t compen-sate for the lack of direct com-munication with the students.

Since word of mouth is the fastest means of travel, we suggest a mini fourth period monthly visit from members of ASB so that the class-rooms can ask questions if need be and to ensure that the student body is actually picking up what ASB is putting down. This also allows ASB to express their pas-sion for events.

These meeting would demand a calendar of the events. ASB could then never be accused of a last minute planning.

Social media is another means of communication. However, the @staggasb Instagram has not published in more than a year, and the Twitter account has not published since November.

Opinions should not only be considered when determining when to have a dance but how to arrange that event and how to

execute it. A handful of students have offered their help through-out the year with not only prom but with other smaller activities that could help raise funds for the bigger events. ASB should wel-come such assistance.

In the event that ASB does not want to be faced with the timely task of setting up and cleaning up, there are several service clubs on campus that have members willing to donate their time.

Simply, we ask that ASB take advantage of the people power that already exists out there. The acronym is Associated Student Body, which means all of us. It’s crucial to come together and improve lines of communication, so that the student body and ASB can work together like a well-run business.

devinwickstrom

lucitomas

Teens should understand politics

Read about Croatia’s first female president at staggonline.net

art by Marleene Pheav

Last summer, junior Luci Tomas and her family visited Dubrovnik, Croatia. To view more scenic photos of her vacation, check out the online version of the story on staggonline.net.

photo courtesy of Luci Tomas

the linestagg 3Feb. 5, 2015 opinionFreedom of speech has boundaries

On Jan. 7 just before noon, two masked gun-men entered the office

of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, Their goal was to kill. A total of 12 people lost their lives. They were all staff members, except two guards who were on duty during the shooting. The reason behind the shooting was when the magazine released an issue with an offen-sive caricature of Muhammad on the cover. It is forbidden in the

Hadith, a collection of the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, to depict him in any way. The cartoonists should have used bet-ter judgement when designing the cover of this issue. Freedom of ex-pression is a birthright some countries have. However, one should

be sensitive when it comes to insulting faiths. It seems to be routine to just victimize the peo-ple who were killed, disregarding anything they did wrong. Even so, the mockery does not justify the men killing the magazine staff. It was horrible what happened to those people. It should have never happened at all, but the cartoonist were not

completely innocent. They didn’t need to use such gritty humor in order to make a point. When a person uses one freedom to downgrade someone else’s, in this case freedom of religion, it seems to minimize the impact that the birthright has in the first place. French teacher Deborah Berg agrees that the magazine’s comments and caricatures were over the top. She understands how people could easily get upset over something like that. Believing that the writers never imagined their comments would cause an attack when publishing this particular issue. The cartoonists should have respected the Islamic culture as they would have wanted any other culture to respect theirs. The writers were aware of what they were doing and how offensive their magazine was; they just didn’t care about the possible consequences. Most of their cartoons were offensive to not just Muslims, but to differ-ent religious and political groups as well. The Islamic community was outraged by this. Instead, they saw it as deliberate mockery and downgrading of their prophet, the person they hold to be most sacred. The writers didn’t just

mock Islam, they also made the Muslims look bad as a whole. When something is different, too often we insult rather than attempt to understand. Terry Welch, history teacher, feels that this tragedy was caused by the fundamental difference between the Islamic and Chris-tian communities and beliefs. This needs to be an awaken-ing for every country — that we

as a whole should respect each other. Our freedom should be used to make a positive impact, not a negative one. Sometimes it takes a reign of terror and mourning to allow people to finally see the light of things. In a way, all progress is made by trial and error. Sadly, this was an error that ended lives. However, there is always a lesson to be learned. The lesson

we can take away from this experience is just understand-ing respect and knowing when things are being taken too far. Although satire allows writers to insult someone or something, the excessive and exaggerated insult and disrespect from the cartoonists and writers of Hebdo magazine crossed the line.

“Never, unless you are hating someone — pure hatred. That’s when you’re being destructive.”

JoAnn Sagaraljunior

“People should be able to say whatever they want, whatever the topic. They are entitled to their own opinion.”

Vincente Arburuasenior

Is there such thing as too much free speech?

Protesters in front of French restaurant, L’Evidence in Paris, armed with signs of political art.

By Thierry Marianne [CC BY 2.0 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/thierrymarianne/], via Flickr: Creative Commons

We may not have flying cars, but technology still advances

Hair does not make you beautifulIn the past, Hollywood cre-

ated movies that depicted a technology-rich future that

fueled the imaginations of many people across the country. They were convinced that by the beginning of the 21st century, the skies would be lit by the headlights of flying cars and outer space would be inhabited by people living in spaceships. When one looks around now, none of those highly antici-pated gadgets are anywhere to be accessed by the general public This fact seems to disap-point as social media churns out reports of the public being dissatisfied with today’s world, believing that the lack of such technology is proof that the world is taking a turn for the worse. Because we still don’t have floating cities built in the skies or hoverboards, people don’t think we are advanced enough. People are so convinced that the technology we do have now is actually doing the Earth more harm than it is doing good. Dams are looked at as great ways to create energy. How-

ever, many old and damaged dams cause harmful effects to the environment. According to American Rivers, dams can com-pletely alter the environment surrounding the river, drying out riverbeds and changing the way rivers flow. Deforestation is another serious problem that people have created for themselves. The cut-ting down of trees is critical to have wood for building houses, stores, and offices. Lumber is just one of the vital resources people need to keep making buildings that are needed to house families and businesses. As the population keeps growing, so does the need for

more buildings. But just because people are now dependent on the wood that is constantly be-ing hacked down it doesn’t mean that we should go ahead and strip entire ecosystems of their forests. Deforestation is incredibly harmful to the land and the animals that make those forests their home. Without these forests, entire climates can change, species can become extinct, and the forest itself can ultimately be wiped from existence. Then where will our precious resources come from? People keep talking about such man-caused disasters and including the deterioration of natural resources by humans and it leading to the “end of the world.” However, it really isn’t nec-essary to drag a negative future that hasn’t even happened yet into the present. If people only think about the future in negative terms, then that may as well be the only future we come to see. It dooms us to only think of the

worst that can happen. If we look to the technol-ogy that we do have today and compare it to what we had in the past, it can be fairly asserted that we have gone such a long way. An everyday tool that perfectly represents such an advancement is the Internet. In the 1950s, it was nonex-istent. Because it is now literally everywhere in the world, people treat it like it’s nothing special and automatically assume that everywhere they go, the Internet will be with them. The most amazing way that the world has advanced its use of technology is in the medical field. With all the laser surgeries, body scans, and antibiotics, peo-ple are now living much longer lifespans than in the past years. To avoid our “own destruc-tion,” we must change the way they look at the world and pick up on the good things about the technology that we do have. If we are capable of degrad-ing such a world, then we are still capable of improving its environment.

She sits down at the screen. What does she see? Flowing hair atop a model’s head, the

standard of beauty. She sits down at a mirror. What does she see? Scars, bruises, a shadow of herself, no hair. When I heard the snips of my hair meeting the blade, I braced myself for the change that was about to come, still confi-dent in my decision. I was going to donate my hair. I had always feared the change in my ap-pearance, but recently, I felt the need for that change. No matter how it looked, I realized my hair would grow back. But the hair of a cancer pa-tient going through chemothera-py wouldn’t. Not for a long time, at least. It’s because of this that I donated 10 inches of my hair to Pantene Beautiful Lengths, an organization that creates and distributes free, real-hair wigs to both girls and women battling cancer and hair loss from che-motherapy. My intentions were purely selfless; I wasn’t looking to do something to improve my image or pretend I’m some saint. I figured if I was going to cut my hair anyway, I might as well contribute to a great cause. After donating my hair, I got to thinking. Organizations like Locks of Love and Pantene Beautiful Lengths have the same message: Donate your hair to make a women with cancer feel beautiful! But, wrong is that? How vain is that? Do you see the problem here? Women already face problems meeting standards of beauty, so when we tell cancer patients suffering hair loss that they need a wig to be pretty again, or expect them to drape their heads with scarves, we’re

creating more problems with society’s expecta-tions of beauty. Hair doesn’t deter-mine beauty. Not its length, color, texture, or presence. I fully support cancer organi-zations. They aren’t the problem. It’s the mindset, the message that we’re sending that the piece of the beauty puzzle cancer patients are missing is hair. In a world filled with pink ribbons during October, it is almost as if people want us to think that cancer is beautiful. Cancer is not beautiful. It’s a horrible, ugly disease. Yet we and the media have gotten used to as-sociating cancer with beauty, and that is wrong. Nothing about cancer is beautiful, and we can’t be in denial about it no longer. We can’t continue to deceive cancer patients with these lies and false encouragements. Cancer doesn’t make them beautiful. Wearing a wig doesn’t make them beautiful. They’re beautiful because they are strong. They have hope. They are fighters. Exterior characteristics can’t define beauty. A destructive disease can’t, either. It’s time we destroy that image. Because if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then maybe we need to look at the world differently. If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, maybe it’s time we opened our eyes.

nuviacervantes

arrianasmith

celinelopez

graphic by Jenifer Flores and Trisha Newman

The world’s future has changed over decades. Movies predicted the 2000s to be high tech, and have robots and flying cars. Now, people believe that the world is doomed, either by a natrual disaster or by war. People were asked what they would invent to make the world a better place.

What’s a better world in your eyes?

“... a machine to teleport people to their families.” - Hugo Virrueta, sophomore

“... a time machine to change history. I’d change (events) like the holo-caust.” - Chan Sam, head counselor

“I would create a machine that would end world hunger.” - Gabrielle Wallace, junior

“I would invent a ma-chine that diminishes all trash because it gets (in) our beaches and hurts animals.” - Olivia Burkhart, senior

featuresthe linestagg4 Feb. 5, 2015

After last month’s attack in Paris on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, many people have been blaming Islam. They are also categorizing Islam as a religion of terror. This is hitting home for students who are associated with Islam and students who have a desire to pursue a career in art. The attack is raising questions about religious tolerance and respect for the First Amendment. Questions like, “Is it appropriate for Muslims to pursue the murder of an individual who drew an offensive cartoon?” and “Is it okay to draw pictures of something that is offensive to one’s religion?” “It is a religion of peace, as long as you practice it correctly,” senior Zeshawn Khan said. He was born in a home that practices Islam, which he said cultivated him to be giving, and let others in. He was taught to be compassionate and to believe that you must always help those in need. “And spend for the cause of Allah, cast not yourselves into

ruin with your own hands, and do good; surely Allah loves those who do good,” he said, quoting the Quran 2:196. This scripture is often recited in Khan’s home, giving him the inspiration to believe that Muslims aren’t all bad. “There (are) a lot of bad ones but good ones too.” The attack also took a huge toll on freedom of speech and

just exactly what it means, not only in France but around the world. Artists who feel like their freedom of expression is being violated are speaking up. “People threaten people all the time, but threatening someone for their art is wrong; people draw out of expression,” senior Monica Kunz said. She plans to attend college and major in art in hopes of becoming an animator someday. She, like many others, is appalled by the attack because it amplifies a statement that elevates religion over freedom of expression. It is critical for students on both sides of the issue, yet they seem to both agree on one idea. “It was really offensive to the Muslim culture,” Kunz said. “But they should not have been killed.” Khan agrees that “you can not get mad enough over satirical jokes to kill someone.” Other students, like senior Ali Khan, feels like America is his home, his country, and where he belongs, and he would never commit an act of terror over an offensive statement directed to his religion.

Categorizing a group by the actions of a few is common. It has been seen over and over again throughout history. After World War II, many considered all Germans to be part of the Nazi regime. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, many Americans considered all Japanese to be anti-American. Today the same scenario is painted: all Muslims are terrorists because of the acts of a few extremists. The complexity is found in the question, “Can one individual determine an entire race or group?” Every mind is made to generate original thoughts and cultivate personal opinions. An opinion lead to the drawings of the prophet Muhammad, and an opinion lead to the killing of the cartoonists. Now, an opinion has lead people all around the world and students on campus, to choose what they believe in. The choice is in the hands of the individuals to choose what is more important: religion, freedom of expression, or life itself.

art by Celine Lopez

Freedom of expression extends to artists and Muslims

Fear of losing family connection

Nyob zoo. Hola. Hello. Senior So Her is terrified of losing his ability to communicate with his parents. His parents know some English, but only certain words and phrases. Her said, “If I lost the ability to speak Hmong it would depressing.” There are about 6,500 spoken languages in the world today. Of the 311 spoken in the United States, 149 are immigrant languages. With one out of every five people in this country speaking a second language, this issue of cross-generational communication is common. People who migrated to the U.S. brought their languages with them, but some are worried that they may be losing it. Her is one of those people who feel like they are losing their roots. While growing up, he was taught to speak Hmong and that was his first language. When he was enrolled to start kindergarten he had to start learning English. As he continued through school he learned more and more English. “I could still hold a conversation with my parents in Hmong, but sometimes I would struggle to find the right word,” he said. Luckily, his sister is a Hmong language tutor so she can help him relearn his first language. “Hmong ABC’s are very long so it gets hard to remember all of them, but I’m working through it.”

Junior Daniel Diep is also afraid of losing his Vietnamese language. School is also the reason his ability to speak the language decreased. “Some words I can’t really say and some I just have completely forgot,” Diep said. If he forgets his language then he risks losing communication with his parents as well. “I try to speak English with them, but it gets foggy,” he said. Another student, junior Martha Valencia, recently visited Mexico to visit family for Christmas. While she was there, she realized that her grasp of the Spanish language wasn’t as strong as it used to be. “When I spoke I noticed I couldn’t say certain things and others were jumbled,” she said. In seventh grade, the junior lived in Mexico and actually had to adjust to reading and writing in Spanish. Valencia said, “At first the kids used to make fun of me because I couldn’t read or write Spanish as easily, but after I explained to them my situation they understood.” The junior would also help out with the English lessons given in class. She would even help fix the teacher’s mistakes if one was made. Valencia tries to keep up with her Spanish by talking with her mom, who lives in Mexico, on the phone. Spanish is Valencia’s first language and she said that it is really important to her culture. “My language connects me with other people and we’re allowed to connect on that level because of our language.”

marcellahawkins

photo by Marcella HawkinsWith the help of his sister, senior So Her refreshes his memory on Hmong, his native lan-guage. Although it gets difficult, he knows it’s important to his heritage.

No power, sweltering summer days, falling trees and pole lines, collapsing houses, rushing wa-ter full of debris. Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc for several cities along the Gulf Coast. Deemed as one of the most destructive and deadliest hurricanes to ever occur, Katrina caused an approximated 1,836 fatalities and $108 billion of damage in August of 2005. A week prior to this natural disaster, Alabama residents were warned with hurricane drills inform-ing them to prepare for the Category 3 hurricane heading their way. Senior Genesis Williams was only 8 years old when Alabama was hit by Katrina, a catastrophe that ended up being one of the worst moments of her life. Now, 10 years later, Williams uses this traumatic experience as motivation to cherish the little things in life. “We (had) been through many hurricanes be-fore,” Williams said, but in a situation like Katrina, “all we (could) really do is hope and pray.” Williams had woken up to most of the damage already being done. Bewildered as to why it was so hot, she remembered that they were in the middle of a storm. Having to stay inside, she waited hours in her powerless house patiently with her family, doing what she was told. She stayed away from win-dows, obeyed her parents and tried to keep hopeful thoughts in mind. “I don’t remember all the details as much as I would have when I was 9,” she said. “You don’t for-get something like that, though.” Worried and afraid, even at a young age she was not only concerned for her own life, but for the lives of her family members. So that’s how she spent her day, isolated in a house with her parents, two younger sisters, and the apprehension caused from waiting for the hurricane to pass over. It lasted the whole day, beginning in the ear-ly morning and ending by the late evening. De-spite her house’s screen door was broken, and areas around her home were flooded, the Williams made it out okay. “I remember a lot of people coming out, checking if everyone was alright and seeing if any-one needed help,” Williams said. “People were just making sure (that) everyone was okay.” Seeing as she could have lost her life, she allows herself to reflect back on Katrina, “but we have to keep living our lives.” Since she was exceptionally young, her memo-ries of Katrina are things that normally one would not expect to remember. She remembers sensory details such as the water, the people who helped

them afterwards, or the damage done to her neigh-bors’ houses. Individuals who have been through such a traumatic experience all deal with trauma differently. She remained strong through the aftermath and refused to let the questions ‘what if?’ haunt her, a good method that has benefited her in shaping to be the person she is today. “You can’t really hold on for things so long, you just have to heal those wounds up and keep going,” she said. Katrina definitely left a large impact on her life but Williams has used it to her advantage rather than bringing her down. She lives in the moment, seeks positivity out of everything and lives life with a ‘can do’ attitude. Regardless of having experienced this hurricane in Alabama, she still considers it home. Though she has lived in California for seven years now, she’s naturally inclined to Alabama. She has even ap-plied for some colleges there. “You can’t run away from mother nature,” she said. Williams will be graduating high school in a few more months to continue her life, more details slipping from her memory as she grows up, but 2005 will always be memorable for Williams. “I’m just really blessed my whole family made it.”

estefanynunez

Hurricane Katrina shaped senior Genesis Williams to “live in the moment” and appreciatie how precious life is to her.

photo by Matteo Danforth

Senior puts trauma of Katrina in past

esmeraldamascorro “People threaten people all the time, but threatening someone for their art is wrong.”

Monica Kunzsenior

the linestagg 5Feb. 5, 2015 features

graphic by Sathina Flores

Poverty in Pakistan inspires dreams of wealth

An early life start

From a young age students are told they will “be something” in life, whether it be the President of the United States or a neurosurgeon. Aspirations are remarkable and hope remains prominent. As more is expected from them, slowly some students begin to lose hope, start settling and stop caring. Their grades are now satisfactory, sedentary behaviors become prevalent and motivation drops. “I am going to be valedictorian” becomes “I am going to graduate high school.” Despite this motivation epidemic, a handful of students maintain their drive. Some, in fact, have begun taking advantage of the College Early Start Program that Delta offers. The requirements are limited to completing a few forms and applications, taking a placement test and eventually gaining counselor and parental permission. However, a student may only complete a maximum of 11 units per semester in which they are still enrolled in high school to ease their workload. Once this is completed, students select their desired classes, register, then pay $46 per unit as long as students are categorized as California residents. And in some cases, students can qualify for a fee waiver that will cover a percentage of each units’ price. Senior Vincente Arburua is one of the few high school students who also attend community college. “I am serious about my education, I always have been.” While he has always thought about college, being a senior brings forth the sense of reality that comes with adulthood. Arburua is completing his college general education now and plans to transfer those credits to a four-year university. Last semester he took Child Development and this semester he is taking Music Appreciation. On top of taking rigorous courses at Stagg, he also participates in other extracurricular activities, such as tennis and cross country, which he has to balance with his college classes. “I have to choose the class on days I have practice, and on days I have games I go to the game.” Despite his time management challenges, Arburua enjoys the time he spends at Delta. While on the college campus he notices that the students there are more serious about their education and while they are older than him, he feels comfortable. Some students had considered the option but later decided against it. Senior Clarissa Navas, for example, had thought of the possibility. However, she eventually decided she wouldn’t have time for it being that she is so invested in her high school activities such as track and field and various clubs. If she had chosen to attend Delta within the College Early Start Program she would have taken English. Navas had planned to take these classes during the school year, not over the summer as her peers suggested.

Some students need that extra push but ultimately achieve their goals. Victor Flores, also a senior, is currently taking classes at Delta and plans to remain a student there for two years after high school, then transfer his credits to the University of the Pacific. Currently, he is taking English and Public Communications. Flores admits he was not the one who initially considered the idea. His school counselor, Samantha Wirzberger, suggested he start now rather than after he graduates. Though he needed that extra push, he does not lack the enthusiasm others may have. Flores finds it difficult to cope with attending two schools and dealing with two different sets of teachers. “It’s hard but I have to do it if I want to be something in life.”

He remembers first grade weeping, feeling inadequate because he couldn’t understand his teacher. She was speaking English and he was transitioning from living in Pakistan for the first five years of his life. Senior Ali Khan is originally from Attock, a city located in the northern border of the Punjab province of Pakistan. In 2003, he and his immediate family came to America, leaving the rest behind. The open spaces, cows, lack of electricity in some areas, and hardships of living in a Third World country. But in the past two school years Khan has gone back to

Pakistan to visit. Opposed to vacationing in the summer because of the heat, Khan’s family prefers to travel during more reasonable weather. Because of this, it has even resulted in Khan being dropped out of the school system from being gone so long and lowering his GPA from a 4.5 to a 3.1 in the past school year. But still, he always enjoys going back to the place he once called home. Seeing life on the western part of the hemisphere has shown him that Pakistan has a lot of flaws, some of which can’t be fixed. “I’m just grateful to have gotten away from there.” Khan describes the area as seen in the movies with run down villages and brick buildings. Although Khan sees Pakistan for what it is, a not so fortunate country, he still has plans of beginning a future back home. In his hometown, none of Khan’s family works full time. They buy, own, and sell properties. Since his grandfather began the business of building, owning, and then selling properties, “there’s no such thing as work.” His family is provided with what their grandfather started for them, which is (how much) property and money to live off of while keeping the lifestyle going. From the amount of properties his family owns, the money from it converted equals up to one million American dollars.

alexusplascencia

phillicityuriarte-jones

photo by Alexus PlascenciaSenior Vincente Arburua had to make multiple trips back to Delta’s admissions building to be registered for general education courses. Arburua is currently placed into a music appreciation course for the semester.

While visiting family back home during the holidays, senior Ali Khan and his father went out to the major tourist attrac-tions, including the Dubai Mall.

Students participate in early start to begin general education courses

photo courtesy of Ali Khan“I just want to make something of myself, and life, by be-coming rich and success-ful.”

Ali Khansenior

“In Paki, value never drops,” he said. “It always goes up.” At first his family had the expectations of a “typical Middle Eastern family” for his career. They wanted Khan to become a doctor or even an engineer. But Khan decided to follow in his father’s, uncle’s, and grandfather’s footsteps in selling property. “I’m going to go to UOP so I can major in business, then I’ll go back to Paki to continue the business with my uncle.”

He plans to go back and forth from Pakistan and America to check on properties he owns out where his family live. He loves where he came from and visiting family to get away on a vacation, but Pakistan isn’t a place to live for him due to the dangers from the lack of safety regulations and corruption of their government. “I just want to make something of myself, and life, by becoming rich and successful.”

entertainmentthe linestagg6 Feb. 5, 2015

“Transparent,” which debuted on Feb. 6, 2014, is about a transgender woman coming out to her family, along with the struggles their dysfunction-al family goes through. The word “transparent,” a clever play on words, refers to the main character Maura Pfefferman’s journey, letting the world see who she really is. If you break it down to “trans” and “parent,” trans is short for transgender, and Maura is a transgender parent. Recently, the series won a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards. The show rep-resents the LGBTQ community, enlightening the audience on the hardships transgender people go through. Creator and director Jill Soloway was inspired by the transitioning of her own father three years prior to the show’s release. For the show, she was “favoring the hiring of transgender candidates over nontransgender ones.” The atmosphere of the set was comfortable; all the bathrooms were gender-neutral. She also hired “two full-time transgender consultants to steer her away from any pitfalls.” When the show won the Golden Globe Award, Soloway dedicat-ed her speech to Leelah Alcorn, a transgender girl who committed suicide due to unacceptance by her family and friends. This shows how much Soloway cares for the representation of the trans community in the me-dia, which is truly amazing. Jeffrey Tambor, a cisgender male — meaning

he identifies with the gender he was biologically born with — plays Maura Pfefferman. Tambor is known for his flexibility and captivity of the diverse roles he plays, but I would have much prefered an actual transgender woman acting as Maura, because

a trans woman should represent a trans woman. Di-rect representation is important because it accurate-ly portrays transgender people in the media, which hardly even includes them in the first place. How-ever, with shows such as Transparent and the Net-

flix series Orange is the New Black, which features a trans woman, Sophia (Laverne Cox), transgender people are finally starting to get their fair share in the media spotlight. It also accurately shows the discrimination trans people go through. In one scene, Maura is at-tending someone’s funeral and dresses feminine. A lady attempts to console her and acknowl-edge her transition, saying, “I just wanna say (that) I totally get it. There’s actually a little boy in my class who suffers (from) the same condition.” This script was formulated to expose the ignorance that trans people experience daily. I was appalled to hear that woman call Maura’s transition a “condition” and that she is “suffering” from it. Transgender peo-ple are fully aware of their gender identity; they are not confused nor do they have a “condition.” People are so used to the normative of cisgen-der that if someone chooses to identify as the oppo-site or a nonbinary gender — outside of the male or female spectrum — they treat that as abnormal. One should not conform to the standards of soci-ety, but identify as what is comfortable for them. It is difficult to face the unaccepting ways of oth-ers, but if others cannot accept them for what they want to do with their own body, their mindset is stuck on that negative norm. With its well-rounded representation and comedy, the show was renewed for a second season, which will be released later this year. More shows like “Transparent” should be publicized so people are more accepting of the LGBTQ community, for it does an incredible job in doing so.

A slice of fun

Online transgender show review

The first thoughts that most high schoolers have in their head once they hear the glorious ringing of the bell for lunch or the end of school goes a little something like, “Finally! Class is over!” *Stomach growls* “Man, I’m hungry. Where can I go off campus to get something to eat that’s inexpen-sive?” Well, the new and improved Depot Pizza may offer some relief to the empty stomachs of students and walk-in customers alike. The restaurant was previously known as Saigon Sandwich which offered Vietnamese style sandwiches and lunch plates, and was a pop-ular spot for getting a bite to eat. However, after some surprising news, the old owner sold his be-loved restaurant and went back to work. Now the restaurant is under the ownership of Le Nguyen who previously owned a bayside pizza place, hence why she has added pizza to the menu. To the relief of students, alumni, and local patrons alike, the spirit of Saigon Sand-wich lives on as the owner has kept the Vietnamese items on the menu. So obviously, to the majority of student that are unemployed, the first question is always, “How much is it going to cost me?” Well, the restaurant offers the same prices regardless if you want plain cheese, pepperoni, or a combination pizza. For a group of friends coming in for lunch or right after school, a large costs $7.99 while a medium will cost $4.99. But is the food well worth the price? The restaurant is known for having quality Vietnamese food, so the main focus was the quality of the pizza. After ordering the pizza, the customer can expect to wait around 10 minutes before the pizza is brought to their table, fresh out of the oven. The service lacks here because no plates are provided to the cus-tomers beforehand and must be asked for. The pizza is clearly fresh from the heat as the crust exerts and the melted cheese elongates as each slice is pulled apart from the whole. The pizza doesn’t go overboard with the sauce which is quite de-lectable but the cheese tastes like that of store bought string cheese. Over all, the pizza is very filling and is worth the price of $8. Al-though the service could be better, the owner and employees at Depot Pizza are very down to earth and very friendly people.

mattdanforth

marleenepheav

Depot Pizza is a good venue for the price. Quality may vary but is ul-timately satisfying. The pizza place is cheap and easy for family fun.

The pizza is well worth the price and easy to get to for students to enjoy. It’s a great add to the options for off campus eaters.

New pizza place attracts eaters

Comedy-drama televison series “transparent” represents transgender people and the LGBTQ community.

SELMAAn extraordinary film that is able to capture a historical event throughout the good, the bad, and the ugly. This allows an explanation of how it took more than just one person to get a movement going.

AMERICAN SNIPER

An intense movie that’s able to scope out a tragic tale and explain the hard jobs that those in war go through. Not only does it explain war, it goes to show how fame and glory might not be all that it seems.

With the Oscars coming up, here are a few movies that could be an award winner.

BOYHOOD

A phenomenal motion picture captures the process of 12 years of growth on a single person. This allows people to see just how much we change while developing into a young adult.

graphic by Baylin Moran

source by wallwidehd.com

PRICESLunch deals:• They do not sell by the slice• $4.99 Medium pizza• $7.99 Large pizzaSOURCE: MENU AT DEPOT PIZZA

sports the linestagg 7Feb. 5, 2015

Father and son bond through bowling

Christy’s passion for hockey leads to trip to Canada

His eyes never left his target. As he reached for his arrow he took note of his surroundings and all that could interfere with his skill. He pulled the string back, took a deep breath, and let the tension build in the arrow before he re-leased, and then relaxed. The arrow’s flight path was already forming in his head. Between the branches, over the rocks, and straight toward the target. The string snapped forward and the arrow took off. Senior Randi Brigance has been doing archery for five years and it all began with his dad. He said one day his dad pulled him outside and said, “Try this,” and ever since then he has been shooting ar-rows. He said archery is taken too serious by people when it’s just meant to have fun. He not only shoots in his free time for fun but also joins archery tournaments where he decides to join the older age group. “The guys are just old and they just make it fun for me.” Brigance mentions that one of his tournaments was located in the mountains. Out of 100 competi-tors he took fifth place. At a point he describes one of his tournaments as “Jurassic Park — the mist right above tree line.” “You just have to focus,” Brigance said. “You can’t think about everything.” Senior Christian Morgan is another archer. However, he has been shooting since the sixth grade. He said, “I grew up around it, so it’s kind of

like a given.” Morgan said there isn’t really anyone who inspired him because his family always did it, so shooting arrows just became a daily thing to do. Reminiscing back to the first time he held a bow in his arms he said, “I was little, so the bow was the same height as me and it was weird.” Morgan said his arm got hit a lot with the string because he had an improper grip on the bow. He described it as one of his most painful experi-ences of shooting. He also said he had an awkward stance at first. He said, “I didn’t have the right form.” Not having the correct stance in archery led Morgan to not be able to shoot accurately. “It was really uncomfortable,” he said. It took him at least six months to master the right form. However, Morgan said that in the end it’s all how the person feels. “There’s no one way.” As he improved his dad took him out into the woods and Morgan said, “The first thing I’ve ever killed was a squirrel. It was small and far away.” And he was proud of that. Morgan said focusing is the way to shoot well. Even Brigance said, “Clear your mind and you shoot well. You just stop worrying and relax.” Morgan said that the first time he tried archery he told himself this: “If I did good today it was go-ing to decide if I did it in the future.”

Bowling alleys are typically seen as Saturday night destinations for family fun, but for senior Jor-dan Farmer it is about getting better in his sport on Monday nights. Though there is a competitive spice to his passion for bowling it is still a family friendly affair that he looks forward to. “It’s like a second home, I get along with every-body here,” said Farmer. “It’s positive vibes because everybody is here to have a good time.” Though he averages a 205 now, Farmer first be-gan at the age of 14. “Watching him bowl for the first time was like watching a baby walk for his first time,” said Andrew Carterez, one of Farmer’s bowl-ing friends. In just his first year of bowling, his traveling team took first place and he was awarded most im-proved bowler. He stands with a steady posture and a serious energy radiates him as he holds the 15 pound ball. With all of the noise and chaotic commotion around him, he remains focused and undisturbed. Even after he bowls two perfect strikes his face remains serious with no celebra-tion at the end like most would do. “I guess I’m more zoned in,” said Farmer. “I’m the same way when it comes to baseball.” The highest Farmer has scored in bowling is a 299, which is only one pin away from a per-fect 300, meaning straight strikes every frame. The 299 Trophy he received was no award but mere-ly a reminder of what could have been. The final pin is the hard-est one for him to knock down, meaning every other pin falls down except one. “No one wants to bowl near perfect,” said Farm-er. Bowling is a flexible sport that gives an individual the op-portunity to compete yet still have fun with family and friends at the same time.A father coaching his son is very common to see but when a father

becomes a teammate, he is more than a teacher. It is rare to see father-son teammates and even more rare to see a lack of clashing between the duo. Yet, there is minimal competition between Farmer and his father as they take turns bowling. Little jokes are mutered here and there but great smiles and laughs emerge from them. “This is our time to hangout together,” said Farmer. “We hangout at home, just without the bowl-ing balls,” Joe Farmer, Farmer’s father, said. “This is just an added feature,” Kay Farmer, his mother, said. Bowling is a hobby for Farmer. “It can make my days better or worse depending on how I bowl. It does have an effect on me,” said Farmer. He has gotten scholarships here and there worth $100 and does plan to continue bowling even after high school.

Senior Christian Morgan has been into archery and shooting at Jerry’s Archery, the only professional shop in Stockton, since the sixth grade.

Along with his family, senior Jordan Farmer bowls every Monday night at West Lane bowl.

photo by esmeraldamascorro

photo by jadajohnson

trishanewman

Aim, shoot, bullseyeFamily traditions inspire students to join archery

louisfuentez

“Other teams were looking really good but we knew we had the talent to de-feat them.”Gregory Christy

freshman

School sports revolve around the conventional, like basketball, football, soccer and golf. However, there are other sports that aren’t affiliated with the campus. Those sports are less common, the ones many have heard of but never thought a student would play. These three individuals are athletes just like others with one big difference: They don’t represent brown and gold.

Not your usual athletes

Visit staggonline.net

sathinaflores

To see the interviews about archery,

The chilly air, the ice on his face, and the red-ness on his cheeks. He skates down the ice rink with his mind set on two things: score and help out teammates. Freshman Gregory Christy has been on many hockey teams in the valley such as the Stockton Colts, the Tri Valley Blue Dev-ils, and the Capitol Thunder. These are all travel teams, which means they play all over California and even travel to some teams in nearby states. As a kid, Christy used to go to games with his dad and watch the local hockey team, the Stockton Thunder, and watch all of his favorite ath-letes play the game that he would end up loving. He was inspired by a play-er who went to the NHL from the Thunder. He saw that with hard work and initiative he too could get in the big league. “I would love to be drafted in the World Hockey League, which is pretty much the step to the NHL, but I would have to wait till I am 17 and out of high school.” Though this league is for the players in the world that have been considered the best, Christy hopes that one day he can make it. Christy was able to over-come the struggle of constant-ly traveling because of these teams and how they go to many places in California. “There was a tournament in San Jose to qualify to go to an even bigger tournament in Canada,” said Christy. The Tri Valley Blue Devils

ended up winning and Christy had the chance to finally play an international tournament in January. “When we arrived, it didn’t feel any different that we were going to play, but it was just super cold,” said Christy. He was really excited to be part of a team that

could possibly win the tourna-ment but was also scared because these teams were really hard to beat. As he took to the ice, he looked at all of his surroundings and was really surprised to see that many people were going to be there and watch his team play. Let alone the fact that this team was from a small city, they had to work as hard as they could to get to where they were. “Other teams were look-ing really good but we knew we had the talent to defeat them,” he said. The first match that they played was a tie. “I remember I made a big hit for payback,” Christy said. “Once I hit him pretty hard, he fell back and my teammates banged their stick against the wall and I heard the crowd clap.” The second team they played was the host team and they were defeated by them. However, they never put their head down. Christy and his team knew that the second game was going to be better than their first. “It was late in the last pe-riod and we were on the offensive side and my teammate passed me the puck and I just took the shot and I made it. I was pumped,” he said.

newsthe linestagg8 Feb. 5, 2015

Fundraising opportunities limited

3.11 problems and a bus pass is oneStrict regulations make it difficult for some to get to school

Senior Tony Torris sits in front of the many boxes of Sun Chips that were used to fund-raise for the music department. Now that food sales are all booked up, clubs find it difficult to determine what to sell next.

photo by Jerry Garcia

The first day of second semester Band and Or-chestra Club adviser Joseph Updegraff logged into his computer to find an alarming email. While it wouldn’t affect him personally, he and Choir Club adviser Mark Swope had to tell their students that the trip to Six Flags may not be free for them. The email, which was sent to all club advisors, said that there is no longer any available space to sign up for on campus food fundraisers for the rest of the year. The fundraising they had hoped to do would have covered the cost of the trip. “In the end, no fundraising means students having to pay for themselves,” Updegraff said. “We missed out. We would’ve and could’ve done more sooner.” While the music classes face the struggle of having to figure out how they are going to raise the money, other clubs also struggle with trying to get money for activities. The Snowboarding Club has to pay for their trips while the French Club has to pay for their annual field trip to San Francisco. Several of the clubs on campus are affected be-cause the Associated Student Body has to follow certain strict guidelines that were put into place at

the beginning of the school year. Along with that, the deadline for all club money to be turned in is May 1, shortening the even shorter period of sale opportunity. According to the California Education Code section 48932, there is to be no competition among clubs during fundraisers. This includes two clubs selling the same product at the same time, and hav-ing more than the ASB regulated number of one club selling at once. “What is the purpose behind no competition?” Ron Tankersley, snowboarding club adviser, said. “Not being able to sell food on campus is under-standable but outside should be unlimited.” While the competition regulation affects the amount of money to be made by the clubs, the lack of available spots on the calendar of events only ap-plies to on campus food sales. Clubs can still do fundraisers that don’t involve food and also fund-raisers that are not on campus. This allows for clubs to still make money despite the recent news that lit-tle to no money can be made for the rest of the year. “Having to do off campus selling is a lot more work,” Selena Magallanes, a senior, said. “It’s frus-trating not being able to make as much money.” The MESA Club is trying to fundraise for their

annual trip to Great America, a reward for all their hard work over the year. While they have money from past years, they still struggle with trying to raise the amount they need. The lack of space forces them to resort to off campus selling which entitles “less support and a lower income estimation,” according to off campus event coordinator Selena Magallanes. Part of the reason why the email’s content was a shock to advisers is because of what they describe to be a lack of communication between ASB and the clubs. Aside from the future event calendar and informed students, there is no way for clubs to tell who is selling what. According to California Educa-tion Codes, the clubs must sign up for fundraisers on a first come, first serve basis, so any clubs that signed up before the winter break landed spots. “I hate it, it’s unfair,” French Club secretary Katherine Phan said. “I don’t understand why more than one club can sell.” Phan, along with several other members from other clubs, weren’t informed about the lack of space for the rest of the year until after the second semester had started. ASB Advisor Ryan Berg said he is in the process of making a calendar with all the planned fundraisers that will be shared with all club advisors to avoid conflict in the future.

One-fifth of a mile, approximately the distance of three football fields, is all it took to disqualify se-nior Maria Kun from getting a bus pass provided by the district. Every day she asks friends for rides to and from school. Unsure of when they will tell her they don’t have the gas or the time, Kun relies on hope that she will have a ride for the day. The extension of the distance boundary to receive free transportation has left some students trudging be-hind buses to get to school. Annett Ferreyra, a specialist from the district transportation office, confirmed that the distance has always been 3.1. “The radius is decided by where the students live,” she said. However, when Sandra Johnson, textbook as-sistant and head of bus pass distribution, first start-ed handing bus passes out several years ago, the dis-tance limit was about 2.5 miles. The distance last year was 3.1 miles, and this year it is 3.11. Back in 2005, students were able to walk to neighborhood bus stops to catch a free ride to school. Now, after the $1.5 million cost switch from Stockton Unified School District buses to Regional Transit District city lines, students are being asked to walk hundreds of feet to pay fare for a bus they simply can’t afford. Johnson sympathizes with those who come in but don’t qualify. She used to walk from her house to school everyday. “It’s about a mile and a half away,”

she said, “so it didn’t take that long.” She estimates it took 15 minutes. However, she said, “All I can do is what the district tells me to do.” She admits that she wouldn’t want to walk three miles each way. Kun, who lives 3.09 miles away, cannot be ac-commodated for a pass because she is within the

limit. “I was basically told I needed to live at my neighbor’s house to get a bus pass,” she said. Principal Andre Phillips said he used to get ex-tra passes sent over three years ago to use at his dis-cretion. “There are kids that really need it and are struggling,” he said. The pile has dwindled down to

a mere rubber band that marks what used to be. Waking up at 4 a.m. was the norm for freshman Stephanie Jimenez. She grabbed $1.50, the fare one way, and walked to the bus stop by 6. This handful of change wasn’t easy on her parents’ pockets. “A bus pass would provide stability,” she said. “I wouldn’t be as worried about rides.” She recalls a time where she’d woken up too late for both the bus and her back up plan. “My dad works at 4 and my aunt had left already,” so she had no one. She remembers her mother frantically calling everyone she knew, try-ing to get her daughter to school. Jimenez arrived at school at 8, missing the majority of her first period class. Jimenez was advised by her cousin to see John-son before her father began providing a reliable ride and find out her standing with getting a bus pass. Johnson receives 200 bus passes every month. This quantity does not cover the 245 that qualify. How-ever, only 112 students have been recorded as taking advantage of the offer. This leaves 133 passes at the end of the month. However, transportation services requires for the student to have the previous bus pass provided by Johnson upon arrival on top of the distance requirement. All of these guidelines overwhelm Jimenez. She brushes them aside. “At least make an exception,” she said. “Know (our) struggles and situations.” Taking cases like Kun’s and Jimenez’s into con-sideration, Johnson believes bringing back the old transportation system would be best.

Sandra Johnson, the textbook clerk, goes through the many emails she has received from district transportation of students that don’t qualify for a free bus pass while the binder contains those who do.

photo by Jada Johnson

jonathonivy

jadajohnson

Service week. A time for raising funds while hav-

ing fun. Not many know why the school hosts this week of events

when the entirety of service week lies in its name. Service. Prior to

the actual week of walking, danc-ing, eating, and quizzing, the main

four clubs begin a campaign to raise cans for the Stockton Emergen-

cy Food Bank. The presidents of Key Club, Red Cross Club, Interact Club, and

the National Honors Society work hand in hand to get their members to accumulate

as many cans as possible to sponsor people to compete in the events. Teachers are encouraged

to participate in the quiz off and stare off while the dance off and eat off have proven to be the most popular, this year, with students standing on cafeteria tables to see the competitors.

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