EOTT
Eye of the Tiger // Bonanza High School
l o o h c s r Is e g n o l no ? e f sa
Issue 42// Volume 4
Table of Contents News:
Rigor-4 Why guns- 6 March for our lives-7 Saving our future-8
Feature: Allergies-9 Campus safety-10 Blossoming-12 Get it together-13
Opinion: Enough is enough-14 Is school worth it?-15 Then and now- 16
A&E:
Movie review-17 Book review-18 Food review-19
Sports
Balancing school-20
Eye of the Tiger 6665 W. Del Rey Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89146 (702) 799-4000 eyeofthetigerbhs@gmail.com Managing Editor Alondrah Ramirez
Section Editors Presley Cole Rhea Colli Jayla Griffith Manon Ladeyn Angelica Valazquez
Staff Writers Katya Green Liam Guerro
Affiniti Hall Decrum Hawthorne
Leslie Munoz Devon Neary
Jolie Qualls Brenda Ramirez Gabrielle Ramos
Eye of the Tiger is a public forum for the students of Bonanza High School. The Eye of the Tiger staff will publish news, features, editorials, entertainment and sports stories in an unbiased and professional manner. Editorials are the official opinion of Eye of the Tiger, and in no way reflect the official policy of Bonanza High School, nor the opinions of the administration, faculty or adviser. Opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Eye of the Tiger. All content decisions are made by student editors. Business advertisements are accepted in Eye of the Tiger. However, the news publication reserves the right to deny any ad. Those interested in running advertisements can call (702) 799-4000 ext. 4002. Letters to the editors and inquiries may be submitted to Room 209, Ms. Hubbard’s mailbox or emailed to hubbab2@nv.ccsd.net and must be signed. Identities for those who submit questions will remain anonymous. The sta reserves the right to edit letters to conform to style and policy. Letters to the editor will be published at the discretion of the staff. Eye of the Tiger is the official student publication that publishes six to eight issues throughout the year.
What is rigor?
Angelica Velazquez, EOTT
EYE OF THE TIGER // 4
Students, staff battle with high level academics By: Rhea Colli and Angelica Velazquez Rigor. What does it mean? Most students and teachers need to be reminded of the definition of rigor, which is an academic challenge in class. Many students at Bonanza agree that teaching methods can be improved, but it’s difficult to assume that the students graduate with an adequate amount of information pertaining to college and other subjects. “Students come with less knowledge every year,” math taecher Mr. Sadri said. According to Sadri, more students are lacking in basic math skills and don’t particularly grasp the ideas of algebra quite easily. Senior Natalia Figuroa thinks CCSD cares more about trying to make sure every student passes, even if that means watering down the curriculum. “They don’t go through the material,” she said. “They just move on.” According to senior Will Wise, who transferred to Bonanza after spending the first two years of high school at a private school, CCSD and Bonanza are better equipped than other options out there. “Private school was actually less rigorous,” he said. “The teachers were just lost.” Some staff at Bonanza think classes have been getting evidently easier for students due to the teaching methods in classrooms. “Teachers are making it easier for students,” government/psychology teacher Ms. Drake said. Math teacher Mr. Mar also
Angelica Velazquez, EOTT
Mr. Leighton teaches up at the board during AP biology, one of the more rigorous classes Bonanza has to offer.
“I can increase the rigor a little bit, but I feel like if I do, I’ll lose too many of them. Push hard and let the others fail? Or do you go slower and everyone is in?” -Mr. Leighton agrees that teachers are making it easier for students. “I can’t make it easier in my honors and AP classes, but I’m seeing more and more students struggling with basic math,” he said. “If a student only learns 80 percent of the math taught to them in each of their freshman, sophomore and junior math classes, then by the time they come to me as a senior, they will only have 51.2 percent of the knowledge needed to be successful in my AP classes.” According to science teacher Mr. Leighton, increasing rigor in his classes could
possibly turn out negatively. He worries about the outcome. “If we’re being perfectly honest, I can increase the rigor a little bit, but I feel like if I do, I’ll lose too many of them,” he said. “Push hard and let the others fail? Or do you go slower and everyone is in?” Leighton feels that he’s not the only teacher who wonders about the cost of rigor. “That’s a decision every teacher struggles with no matter what they teach,” he said. For many, the case is not how difficult the classes are, but the apathy found in students. Some students don’t even
show up to class; one can only be helped if they seek it. “I lack motivation during my last year here at Bonanza High School,” senior Michelle Breucop said. Lack of motivation is common in most seniors. Ms. Kundanani, a graduation counselor at Bonanza, stated that procrastination plays a big role in the lack of motivation in the students, attendance as well. For the last year of high school, most students just want to get it over with, but it’s not that easy. It may seem like senior year is unimportant, but that’s false. Every year of high school is crucial. It shows the effort and struggle of one throughout those four years, and how well one did in their classes. It’s never too late to pick up the slack and create a better future. “Do I think I’m ready for college? Yeah, but it might just be blind enthusiam,” Wise said. Only time will tell for Wise if Bonanza prepared him for the next academic step.
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What should be done? By: Manon Ladeyn There are multiple things that can bring a person to act a certain way or to take particular actions. With all the school shootings and threats that have been occurring, students have every right to feel unsafe. Some of these students may own a gun or can easily get one from their parents. It is surprising to see that so many children have such easy access to these weapons. The danger of guns has been a topic quite talked about, however it always gets put aside after a little while. Many people may ask, do children have the right to own these guns? How do they obtain one? How can parents let these children play with such weapons? How, why? There are so many questions that are asked with no answers in return. Now a couple gun owners have answered some of these questions. Senior Trevion Hankins is one of those people. He owns guns and states that the second amendment gives him the right to. These weapons can be obtained in many stores. A person who wants to acquire such weapon must be 18 years old to obtain a rifle and 21 years old for a handgun. Although he is not worried about other people who own guns, Hankins still feels it is important to own a gun. “Yes, I feel it is important because it is your right to have and carry one,” Hankins said.
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“It can be used to protect yourself.” Hankins feels that it is really important to own a gun right now, with everything happening. “Because you don’t know what people are thinking,” Hankins said. “It feels good to own a gun and I know that I have access to a weapon while in a dangerous situation.” “Nothing, it is not the guns. It is the people,” Hankins said. “Guns are not killing people, people are killing people.” Hankins makes a point, some people have mental problems and should not have the right to be near a gun. Senior Josh Dickinson also owns some guns. “In my life, I have only received guns that were passed down from my granddad or that my dad bought me,” Dickinson said. Dickinson only uses his guns to hunt and to shoot on a gun range. It does not worry him that other students may have a gun. However, having a gun with him makes Dickinson feel safe and secure in need of defense. With everything that has been happening, Dickinson has the same feelings towards guns as before. “I know that I am a responsible gun owner,” Dickinson said. “I wouldn’t do anything bad.” Some of the stores where a person may obtain these weapons can be: Wal-Mart, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shop, ect. and can also inherit a gun.
Manon Ladeyn, EOTT
According to Dickinson, a good way to improve the safety of guns would be to check people’s mental health. If a person has a mental problem, no weapons should be at their disposal. A parent or a teacher can also help by signaling any suspicion of mental health behaviors. “Just making sure that guns don’t get into the wrongs hands of people,” Dickinson said. Although guns can be bought, some people can easily obtain one from their parents. Whether it is to go shooting, hunting or even to be used for harming people, parents have a massive influence on their children. Senior Anicia Cantley does not own a gun, but her parents do. It is used to go shoot some targets and can be used as protection. “I’d rather be protected than defenseless,” Cantley said. In order to protect people
and the safety of guns Cantley believed that there should be more mental health evaluations and background checks. Knowing that other students doesn’t really affect Cantley, unless they are being careless. “Guns give us protection,” Cantley said. “Guns should not be banned, unless there are guns specifically for mass harming of people.” Everyone has a different point of view regarding guns, however in the end, we all agree that there some standards and rules that need to be set. Guns are good as far as going out and shooting some targets, for going hunting and for the protection of oneself. However there are still needs to have some restrictions and awareness on how dangerous a gun is, it is not a toy and some people need to understand that. Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.
Safety first, safety always
Manon Ladeyn, EOTT
By: Editorial staff Imagine sitting down at your desk, just working hard and studying for the next test, stressing out about how you are going to remember all of this by the end of the week. Now imagine having gone through what other schools across the United States have gone through and not only worry about a test but worried about someone coming through the door and not saying good-bye to family at home. Fear has risen among students in the last few months. Everything has changed in not only the students but also in the atmosphere. Students don’t wish to be
in silence any longer. Although nothing has yet to happen here in our school students still may have stood in fear but they are now standing up against what they feel must be changed. There are doors all around the perimeter of the school, from the entrance to the emergency doors, there are just too many to keep track of. That’s where the first issue occurs. Students fear that the lack of security and watch on those doors may cause an accident that could lead to another ones death. Students have the freedom of walking in and out of those doors even if they’re not from our school, that’s when students fear of who will enter
our school next. Another issue that is feared is who is holding what. Students bring in weapons and they go unknown for due again to lack of security. Students feel it would be safe to have more protection it the school. First things first is to lock all the emergency doors from the outside and not allow student to open the doors forcing the individual to take the front entrance and be easily seen. Next would be to have more security such as more armed and trained police officers around campus keeping watch among students for anything suspicious. Another way to add protection for the students would be to add metal detectors at
the front of the school like in an airport. Student’s backpacks would be check before hand and will pass through metal detectors to show that they’re safe to go through. By doing so, if a student must be checked some more metal wands will be helpful to see where the source of metal is coming from and may be handled cautiously. Students are tired of letting fear overrule their school and what to take back what is rightfully theirs, their education. Together, students will unite to show that students have a voice and they want to be heard. Never again will students sit in fear, students should be stressed for a test not from a stranger.
EYE OF THE TIGER // 7
Saving our future
Manon Ladeyn, EOTT
Bonanza High School students are currently praticing a hard lock down.
Schools practice safety in rise of violence across nation campuses By: Brenda J. RamirezPerez School grounds are now painted with blood rather than with scattered papers. Guns and people are putting the future in danger. Yet, the government still seems to be waiting for more deaths to do something. What goal can students reach in order to survive? Sophomore Luis Salas is less concerned about what is happening around but wishes for a better-improved security. “We can increase security, have a faster way of calling for help, and have at least one professional carrying a gun,” Salas said, “Imagine how easily he would take that kid down and we would save so many more lives.” Teachers now seem to be our only safety to depend on when it comes to school shootings. Bonanza teacher Mr. Yetter explains this
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“The goverment needs to start to realize we need to save lives, not money.” -Kimberly Munoz, freshman issue due to lack of attention towards mental health in our community. “Definitely, definitely, definitely, definitely, need to take care of mental health issues,” Mr. Yetter said, “Maybe they need someone to talk to. Not just serious illness. Sometimes we have these school shootings happen because it’s a scream for help. We should definitely have sociologists around the school but we need it in society.” “I think we need more security,” Mr. Yetter said, “More expensive equipment to keeps kids safe. We need
bulletproof sheets. Have armed security guards. Go even further, this might be extreme but the security guards should have the same guns as the criminal.” Freshman Kimberly Munoz, a student in her path to success, agrees practicing more hard lockdowns will help us. “A hundred percent. Let’s do it. We fool around too much and when it happens, we’re open to a bullet in our head that it’s stupid. We need it more.” Munoz said. “I’m going to be extremely honest right now.
Forgive me. Let’s hope your classmates want their lives enough to be quiet.” Salas said. If this outcome turns out to be a fail, President Donald Trump suggests that arming teachers could be the solution. Mr. Yetter disagrees but if it ever does happen, he has bought a gun and is being trained to handle a gun by his son. Most people aren’t too happy about armed teachers. Another suggested option was getting rid of guns all together. “No. Bad people will always find a way to get them. We need them,” Salas said. Seventeen victims died in the recent shooting. Guns are going to kill our future president, doctor, the next person to cure cancer. The community needs to raise awareness towards school shootings. School grounds need more safety before another seventeen more deaths happen.
Allergy season is here, are you ready? By: Affiniti Hall and Jolie Qualls Allergy season is coming fast, are you ready for it? For reference we got students to share their own perspective on how they deal with allerfies. Freshman Jazlyn Reynolds gets through allergy season by taking Benadryl or Claritin. She also gets a lot of sleep and stays indoors. Her allergies affect her during school by making her leave class to rinse her eyes in the bathroom. Her eyes get red and itchy while she gets a congested nose. Allergies make her tired and not want to do school work. Reynolds isn’t quite sure when her allergies began but she believes it was around fourth or fifth grade when they started to get worse. Trees, grass, wind, and pollen are to blame for her allergies. Her allergies do not really prevent her from doing any kind of activities as long as she has her medicine. Reynolds doesn’t welcome her allergies but she is learning to cope with them. Sophomore Leah Evangelista thinks allergy season is the worst. She cannot go a day without having her medicine otherwise she cannot stop sneezing and it’s hard for her to breathe. Her allergies affect
EOTT Affiniti Hall
her during school when her eyes won’t stop watering. Evangelista’s allergies began when she lived in California. Her face is affected worst by her allergies she gets a congested nose, her eyes puffy and watery. She wishes she could outgrow her allergies they just seem to get worse throughout the year. “It’s not that hard to live with allergies,” Evangelista said. “You learn how to maintain them, I just take my medicine and I can go through my day normally.” This is her opinion towards living with allergies. They have never prevented her from doing certain activities. The pollen and wind make it hard to be outside, but even that didn’t stop her. Evangelista’s symptoms are: runny nose, puffy and watery eyes and sometimes not being able to breath. Sophomore Samarah Beneford, says she gets through her allergy season by covering her
nose when she is outside and taking medicine when needed. Benford allergies affect her badly during school. Benford nose itches a lot and she constantly needs to blow her nose during class. Benford doesn’t know when her allergies first began, but she estimates around 13 years old. Benford nose and eyes are the only parts affected by allergy season. Pollen triggers her allergies mostly, however certain plants also affect her. Benford’s allergies only come in the springtime not year round. Her allergies have never prevented her from doing any activities, but she has to make sure she has her medicine when she needs it. She suffers from an itchy, stuffy nose to where she cannot breathe through it sometimes and red, itchy and puffy eyes. Junior Jessica Ibarra gets through allergy season by taking ibuprofen. “I believe in the use of
home remedies, my family is really supportive of them.” Ibarra said. Ibarra mostly uses Vicks or (vapor rub) on her chest and drink lots of hot tea and cold water. Her allergies affect her nose and throat mostly. While in school allergies affect Ibarra’s ability to do work and stay awake in class. She doesn’t push through her allergy season she sleeps in class. “My allergies are bad around March but they get worse as the season goes on.” Ibarra said. However, Junior Karina Mondragon uses herbal tea such as apple and Herbal Buena to combat her allergies. Mondragon suffers from headaches; it affects her school day by causing her to not be able to focus. In conclusion, allergy season is tough. We had some studemts elaborate on how they deal with their allergies. Allergy season is just another test to get through the year.
EYE OF THE TIGER // 9
KEEP SAFE
Don’t be afraid
Katya Garcia, EOTT
Attending school doens’t have to be terrifying By: Katya Garcia From hassling every morning to get out of bed, to the constant fear of school. Whether it’s getting, being and leaving school, here are some ways to stay safe in school. Before school Bus riders: Be aware of traffic and stay a safe distance away from the street. Don’t rush to get to the bus stop, but rather try to get early with time to spare to be safe. Pay attention to your surroundings; listening to music, being on your phone and/ or having your hood on is a distraction. Wait for the bus to come to complete stop before you move towards it to get on, or before you stand up to get off. Walkers: Walk with another person (make sure to be seen to drivers and others). Look for traffic and parked cars getting ready to move.
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“GHSA indicated that 15 percent of pedestrians killed each year are hit by a drunk driver, while 34 percent of pedestrians killed are legally drunk themselves.” -GHSA report Don’t go through the intersection of cars. GHSA report states that, 74 percent of pedestrians fatalities happen at night, and 72 percent of those killed were not crossing at intersections. GHSA indicated that 15 percent of pedestrians killed each year are hit by a drunk driver, while 34 percent of pedestrians killed are legally drunk themselves. Don’t go out when your drunk and plan to drive or walk, calling someone to take you is the best thing you
can do for yourself. Bike riders: Before using the bicycle, make sure it is ready to ride. Always inspect the bike to make sure all parts are secure and working properly. See and be seen by cars and others. Always ride with both hands on the handlebars. Be on the lookout of hazards such as broken glass, gravel, puddles and leaves. Stop at corners of sidewalks and streets to look for cars and to make sure the drivers see you before crossing.
Don’t be on your bike when crossing a crosswalk. If there’s a pedestrian don’t try to move them out of the way and onto the street, causing them to get in an accident. Get off the bike to cross the street and always look for traffic while crossing. Alert pedestrians near by saying, “Excuse me,” or “Passing on your left,” or use a bell or horn to let them know you’re coming. Walmart, Target and Amazon are good to get bike lights so riders can be safe during the night. Drivers: Before getting in make sure you have gas and turn the engine on for a while to get it warmed up. When getting in make sure to put on your seatbelts. Stay alert and don’t be distracted by music or others in the car. Distractions like texting and driving distract 330,000 people each year causing one out of four accidents. Don’t endanger those around you and
yourself, the text and phone call can wait. At school zones, be aware and look at all three mirrors at all times. Never pass a bus from behind when the stop signs are up or flashing. Reduce speed to their limit signs and pay attention to other kids crossing. When parking, be aware of cars backing up and park where signs allow you to park. During school Fire drills: Never ignore the alarm. Everyone must evacuate the building the safest way possible and closest exit or stairway, don’t use an elevator. Once outside of the building, move away from the building. The front of the building is where the firefighter and firetruck will operate, so don’t obstruct the access to the building. Once evacuated, don’t re-enter the building until you are told to do so by the fire department or police. Earthquake drills: Protect yourself. Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that
Students shouldn’t feel unsafe and unprotected when getting an education and a future. could fall such as lighting fixtures and furniture. Get under a sturdy table/desk and do the “duck, cover, and hold”. Stay inside until shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. As soon as the shaking stops instruct the students to evacuate the building quickly and safely as possible before the aftershock. Lockdowns: Lock all doors and windows immediately. If a door can’t be blocked, attempt to quickly block the door with heavy items. Never open doors or windows unless ordered to do so by a safety or school official. Turn off all lights and close any blinds or curtains. All students and staff stay low and away from the windows and doors and Keep students inside the classroom.
Silence televisions, cell phones and other electronics. Clear hallways, bathrooms and any area or room that can’t be thoroughly secured. Account for all student in the room. If another backroom is available, go farthest as possible, lock doors, cover windows, duck and cover. Remain quite, calm, and low. After school Walkers: Walk with a group of people back home. If someone you don’t know has been following you on the way home, take the long route and if they continue go back to school. Report them, call your parents or rearrange rides if you feel unsafe after school. Being home alone: Being home alone may sound
Katya Garcia, EOTT
cool at first when coming back from school, but once there’s a noise that’s in the house, we freak out. When waiting for parents or guardians to come back from work, don’t blast your music all the way up so you can’t hear anything in your house. Play your music low to the point where you can hear a knock on the door. Close all the windows and doors when being at home and stay downstairs. If there’s a knock or someone rings the doorbell and you don’t know them, don’t bother to open it. Have the security guard numbers on speed dial or 911. Other than that stay calm and don’t open the door. Having a constant fear of getting to school, being at school, and leaving school is not how students should feel. Students shouldn’t feel unsafe and unprotected when getting an education and a future. Hopefully, this how to and tips have helped with students day to day life.
EYE OF THE TIGER // 11
How long does it take for a flower to fully blossom?
Manon Ladeyn,EOTT
By: Decrum Hawthorne When will the flower finally bloom? School is very social place to meet new people. Over the years people find themselves talking more. “I start talking more at school when I got more comfortable with the people and my friends,” senior Geoffrey Shaw said from Bonanza High school. Maybe a class gets people talking more. “When I joined theater, you kind of have to talk to people and I felt welcome,” Freshman Perla Ruiz said from Euphoria Institute. High school presentation’s can be very stressful on students. Over the years people evolve and gain more confidence in themselves. “When I was a freshman I’d refuse to go and now I’m still nervous but I push myself to present,” Senior Shelly Garcia from Bonanza High school said.
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“The hardest thing is to try to not make things awkward and give a bad first impression.” -Geoffrey Shaw, senior Maybe nothing changed and presenting are still a problem. “I still get nervous to the point that I shake and my face gets hot but it also depends on the class,” Ruiz said. People either love groups or hate them, if there’s no communication then the work falls all on one to do. Maybe there’s a quiet person who has ideas too, but they’re too shy to say anything but over the years theirs confidences grows. “As a freshman I’d be more solo but now I relied on my partners and talk more to them,” Shaw said. There’s after school sports
or cubs that can be really fun but being nervous can stop someone from even checking it out. “I wish I tired out for volleyball, I even went to the practice but when it came time to try out I got too nervous to go,” Ruiz said. Standing out and being a go-getter can put a toll on someone’s confident. “It takes a lot to put myself out there I’m more to myself,” Garcia said. The first thing in meeting someone new is the introduction. How does it all start? “I don’t introduce myself proper but I make it known
what my interest are,” Shaw said. What’s the hardest part about talking to new people? “The hardest thing is to try to not make things awkward and give a bad first impression,” Shaw said. There are all kinds of ways to approach a new person. “It’s difficult to approach a person and start a conversation, I wait till they say something first,” Garcia said. It can be awkward to hangout with a friend’s friend but it’s how someone’s attitude is toward the idea. “It’s fine to be with my friends friend because it’s easy to relate to them and I can get to know them,” Ruiz said. People may not be completely confident in the beginning but there’s a difference from freshman year to now. Confidence can’t be come over night, it’s more gradual so hang on.
If you’re reading this it’s not too late
By: Jayla Griffith Only three more months until summer begins and we say goodbye to seniors as we wrap up this school year, but first things first, is to get it together. Now how do you do that? Step one; Do. Not. Procrastinate. When you are given or assigned work, don’t push it for later. It really isn’t hard. To have some time to rest and keep your grades up, get your work done in class. Most teachers give you time during class to do your work and ask any questions if necessary so there is nothing to worry about and you can relax. Also, don’t overwhelm yourself because you wont be able to do anything. Always put school first, because in the long run it’ll be so worth it. Procrastination is a leading cause for failing your classes, and it’s easy to turn into a habit. Set reminders on your phone at a certain time for homework to be completed. Step two; maintain good grades
That way you can be eligible for sports you would like to be involved in, and not have to do summer school or APEX due to bad grades. Ask your teachers for help, so you know what you’re doing. Pay attention in class, meaning, don’t listen to your headphones, play on your phone, or talk to your friends. Know what is being taught and what is due. If you’re a senior, and your grades aren’t passing, take a moment to think that not only do you need to get them raised but there are also finals, so you really need to get it together. School isn’t just a place to meet new friends and have relationships, it’s to learn and prepare for the rest of your life and find a career. Raising and maintaining your grades at straight A’s is pretty simple. As long as you do your work, you can be a 4.0 student with AP/Honors courses and graduate with no worries. Our education system is also very “dumbed-down” so
Jayla Griffith, EOTT
nobody should even be failing. Step three; strive for your goals Scholar students start their freshman year and plan out their entire graduation process so they can prepare for what will look best and get the diploma they desire. So even if you are a junior or senior, you can still graduate if you take the time and talk to your school counselor. To get it together all you need to do is take care of business at school (and home if necessary) and then do what you want, just
make sure priorities are taken care of first. You could go from nothing to something in a matter of time just by getting it together and not messing around or being lazy. No matter what it comes down to, stay motivated because school can be tiring and annoying but it is definitely hard unless you make it hard yourself. One small slump could cost your whole graduation. Again, get it together for yourself and your future.
EYE OF THE TIGER // 13
#Enough is enough
Manon Ladeyn, EOTT
Students walking out of the school to march for everyone who has passed from school shottings and showing that students will not take this anymore
By: Alondrah S. Ramirez When will it be enough? From Kindergarten through High school, students have been programmed to wake up early and get ready for school. A very harmless environment, nothing can go wrong, right? Well with recent events that have been occurring, wrong. Students now more than ever have a growing fear of going to school. Freshman Tyreese Patterson, now more than ever wishes for things to change. “It shouldn’t be so easy to get guns,” Patterson said. “There should be a more in depth background check when purchasing a gun” Patterson believes that the schools should try to make a change and help students feel safe again. “Metal detectors would be a good idea to have in schools,” Patterson said “It makes the school look more safe and feel safe as well.” Senior Dayana Zazueta
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also feels strongly towards the recent events in our country. “I feel devastated and feel truly sorry for those families who unfortunately lost one of their family members in such a horrific way,” Zazueta said. “Truly these victims, families and survivors deserve justice and the government should take action to make not only make the schools safer, but the country as a whole.” Although guns are permitted, Zazueta feels it should be handled a bit differently. “People have always had the right to guns,” Zazueta said. “It’s in the constitution as our second amendment, but we have twisted it from its true definition that we now are seeing these things unravel themselves. Zazueta believes that as a country we must all stand together to be heard. “Students should make their voices be heard, we are the future and we shouldn’t hide or silence ourselves,” Zazueta said. “We should
stand up and not only fight for justice, but also for those who unfortunately had to meet their fate this way.” This does not only affect us but it affects of siblings and future children as well. “We need to fight for future generations so theses shootings wont continue and will cease to taking innocent lives,” Zazueta said. Students are not the only ones who feel that change must start, but teachers feel the same as well. Sam Sadri, a math teacher here at Bonanza feels that the change we want must be shown. “Innocent people should have not had to go through what they went through,” Sadri said. “Unfortunately it will happen again somewhere.” Change begins with students and their school, it should be there place to learn, not hide. “You guys are basically sitting ducks and a school should be a safe space,” Sadri said.
“Education should be the only thing you are thinking about, not scared of who might walk into that door.” Protection must come from the inside and out in order for students to know they’ll be okay. “We should do whatever is necessary to keep it that way,” Sadri said. “We should get metal detectors and also have a metal wand for extra protection, and instead of having teachers armed have trained police to protect students.” Sadri believes that students are the voice to change, and they will help change their own future. “The march is just the beginning, soon students will be eighteen and have the ability to vote,” Sadri said. “Every vote matters and the students that will vote will know what change we need.” When will this stop, students need to stand as one and show that this will not be taken any longer. Enough is enough.
Is the risk worth the consequences of education? By: Presley Cole
Try to imagine this: You’re walking from your car and you see a school in the distance. Your hands start to shake and you hesitate to walk any further. You wonder, what if I’m next? Ever since I could remember, I’ve always been aware of school shootings. When I grew up in Colorado, the Columbine High School Massacre always reminded us that life will be something one second and then the next, it’s gone with a gunshot. Its bullets were imbedded in the town and the scar tissue from that day on April 20, 1999 still remained. Only in middle school, I closedmindedly thought, “That will never happen to me.” And I was right. It didn’t. Then on Dec. 14, 2012, 20 children younger than 8 years old and six staff member were killed. Twenty children, who would never grow old and live their lives; never learn how to drive, graduate, fall in love. They were supposed to get the opportunity we all deserve. The choice to fall in love, see the world and the worst part of it all, they were just going to school. I was 12 years old and up until this point in my life, missing school was out of the question. Why would I? I looked forward to learning and being with all my classmates. I didn’t want to believe someone could just walk in and kill whoever was in the wrong place at the wrong time. No, but that wouldn’t be the case though. You see, it would be the right place at the wrong time. School is where we are supposed to be. We are supposed to learn, grow posi-
Manon Ladeyn, EOTT
The education that I’ve learned will have meant nothing if I’m not even alive to use it.
tively as individuals, but most importantly, are safe where we are. I’m now a senior, one of the most exciting and yet terrifying years of my life. Not only am I stressing about what college to attend, how I’m going to style my hair for prom, and deciding what I want to pursue in life, there is one more thing that must be added my list: making sure I make it alive
from school. I now find myself question whether coming to school is worth it anymore. People will say the education you learn now will help you in the future, but listen to me as I tell you this: the education that I’ve learned will have meant nothing if I’m not even alive to use it. We are at a day and age where these shootings are happening more frequently with higher casualties every time. These tragedies are not just numbers; they come with faces and stories. They had names,
families, fears and aspirations in life just like any of us. They deserved to feel safe in school and we failed them. The only thing that keeps me coming to school is the hope that one day kids won’t need to wear bullet proof backpacks, go through “airport security” before walking into class or fear for their lives. I look forward to the day we live in a whole where everybody feels equally safe and gets to experience the beauty education has the potential to be.
EYE OF THE TIGER // 15
Going from shyness to boldness
By: Gabrielle N. Ramos From being shy to being bold. There is a true difference between the two completely clashing personalities. When people are shy, they tend to keep to themselves. So when the kids, teens or even adults are shy they really don’t know who to go to because they tend to be way too bashful to ask about anything. When they are shy they usually stay with the one person that they trust. Shy teenagers stay to themselves because they don’t want to let people into their lives. When I see shy people they try to hide. They don’t like when new people try to socialize with them. People see shy teenagers as teens that try to isolate themselves, in reality they are just trying to be
EYE OF THE TIGER // 16
Teenagers want to make new friends, act different and be themselves. careful. When the shyness of teens starts to go away, they start to trust other teenagers. They want to open up to those that they have started to get to know. I see people like this all the time; they want to be there with their friends but are scared because they don’t really know anyone. They want to have fun, but don’t know how to open up to the people that they barely know. When those people completely open up they have fun and want to try new things. Teenagers want to explore
more and they want to find out what they want to do for fun. Teens are trying to find themselves after they are out of the shy phase. Teenagers want to make new friends, act different and be themselves. There are teenagers who are way too happy to not be timid anymore because they tend to get a little foolish. The teens go wild trying to find out who they are. Teens try to figure out what they like and dislike. Teenagers want to see what they can get away with when they are bolder then before. When teens are with their
Gabrielle N. Ramos,EOTT
friends they love to hang out and they want to have fun. They want to be like the other teens that they see on television and in movies. Teens go from shy to bold throughout the years. Teenagers love to go out and have fun. When teens became bold they love to do stuff that they can have actual fun doing. Teens love to know that they can be themselves with their friends that dont know them to well. Teenagers will never can after they become bold. Teens don’t understand that they are just finding them selves throughout the years. They learn to come out and be bold. Also hey leran how to get out of the shy phase with the help of others if not by themselves.
The remake of a classic thriller in theaters
now
By: Rhea Colli Based on true horrifying events, The Strangers: Prey At Night, is a movie that surprises you with twisted suspense and the expected jump-scares. If one enjoys the thrill of horror movies, this movie was made for them and is in theaters now. Johannes Roberts’, director of The Strangers: Prey At Night, makes this film a sequel to the original 2008 film, The Strangers, and they are both quite similar in content. She takes a modern twist and creates a whole new level of creepy in the movie. The film starts out with a family headed up to Gatlin Lake to drop off their troubled daughter, Kinsey (Bailee Madison) at a boarding school and during the night, things go extremely wrong. The events escalate quite rapidly, because the killers had no reason to kill them in the first place, which
Photo courtesy of Aviron Pictures
If one enjoys the thrill of horror movies, this movie was made for them and is in theaters now. if you think about it, it’s kind of pointless killing and that aspect kind of aggravates the audience. At this point, horror movies have reached a dead end because they start to become more cliché, but The Strangers: Prey At Night tries to stray away from generic endings, but unfortunately, the classic death scenes are definitely included in this one. Horror movies come with a lot of sacrifice and that means while they wanted to save themselves, they’d rather be the ones slowing them down before they can even get to the others. The plot of the whole film
was somewhat a senseless type of killing and there was no real reason as to why the killers decided to prey on that family. Some scenes that will have the audience scream at the character for being stupid because they are given solid opportunities to take out the killer, but obviously, they don’t take it. Of course, it’s easy to assume that most horror movies are that way because if they did kill the killer, the movie would be over in 30 minutes and movies like these like to drag on and extend to the limit. More to the point where sometimes, there are scenes that seem irrelevant to the plot
and the overall story. Throughout the movie, the daughter, Kinsey (Bailee Madison) seems like a problematic teenager, but the movie doesn’t exactly state what she did for her to end up going all the way to Gatlin Lake and getting ready for boarding school. The Strangers: Prey At Night revolves around 80’s music and when the music starts playing, that’s when the killings begin. The killers only kill when the music is playing in the background. Overall, The Strangers: Prey At Night, is a pretty solid movie with some fallbacks, but what movie doesn’t have flaws? The movie is straight to the point and the visuals are pretty gruesome. Of course, it’s only the start of 2018 and there is more to come. Rating: 4/5
EYE OF THE TIGER // 17
A transformative summer By : Leslie Munoz
Warning: This book talks about racism, bullying, vulgar language, sexual assault, homophobia, emotional abuse, and physical assault. Age range recommended, 14-18. Frannie and Tru by Karen Hattrup, is a book that takes place in the summer with 15-year-old Frannie, and her 17-year-old cousin Truman (Tru). Karen Hattrup (the author of this book) is a former newspaper reporter, who studied writing at Johns Hopkins University. The genre of this book is fiction and young adult. It was published on May 31, 2016. It has twenty-six chapters, plus an epilogue and acknowledgments. Frannie overhears her parents talking one night about her cousin Tru. Saying he was going to live with them, when she hears this, she automatically assumes that this is because his parents found out that he is gay. But it is more than she can believe. “It was a story that fit my view of the world,” Frannie said. Tru is a bad influence, but Frannie doesn’t see it that way because she sees him as an idol to her. Tru is rich, his personality is charismatic, charming, and sassy. Frannie is the complete opposite; she wants to be everything she isn’t. The author, Karen Hattrup, captures Frannie’s shyness and insecurities, but it doesn’t make her an interesting character. Frannie seeks Tru’s approval throughout the story, because when Tru first arrived he doesn’t seem all that interested in her. She initially
EYE OF THE TIGER // 18
Photo courtesy of karenhattrup.org
falls in love with the idea of Tru, more than the reality. And that is where all the problems come in, not that there wasn’t already some. Their relationship has a lot of tension, but the drama doesn’t come in until towards the end. While spending their summer together, it reveals some shocking truths, Frannie’s idol isn’t who he claims to be.
Tru is hiding something from Frannie. Frannie meets new people, tries new things, and does things that she would have never imagined because Tru had changed her. Because before this, Frannie would make wrong assumptions on gay people and people of color. She confronted herself and came to the realization that her way of
thinking and assumptions were wrong. This was a great part of the book. Overall, anyone can portray this book in different ways, because it is personal. Though it lacks depth and it has a weak plot, it has a character that realizes their way of thinking is harmful and or wrong. It was a transformative summer. Rating: 3.7/5
Oreos for all By: Devon Neary Cookie vs. Cream. The age-old debate. Oreos, those staples for snack time, have grown tremendously in the hundred years they’ve been round. The original Oreo cookies had a 71 percent to 29 percent cookie to cream ratio and were first sold in Hoboken in 1912. Back then there were only two flavors of the delicious sandwiched cookie that has come to be known and loved, original and lemon meringue. Now, decades later, there are over 50 different kinds of this scrumptious snack. But which cookies are “good” and which are “bad”. Granted, that depends on individual’s own preferences, but the EOTT staff decided to do a little taste test and see what flavors were worth buying. The classic Lemon cookies were first in line for the test. In the category of appearance the Lemon Oreo was pretty standard, a normal golden cookies and a light yellow icing. It smelled extremely similar to a Lemonade Girl Scout cookie, and it crumbled when broken in half. Overall rating: 5/5 The Peep Oreo seemed enticing at first, but proved otherwise in the overall taste. The cookie was admittedly adorable, with a picture of a peep engraved into one side of the cookie and pretty pastel purple icing. When broken in half, the icing was sticky like a
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marshmallow. It smelled overwhelmingly sweet but didn’t taste as strong as it smelled. Overall rating: 3/5 Next up were the Cinnamon Bun flavored Oreos. The cookie was a shade darker than the normal golden cookie and had little specks of what could presumably be cinnamon. It smelled true to a real cinnamon bun and the filling was noticeably creamer than a typical Oreo. Overall it tasted exceptional. Overall rating: 5/5 Red Velvet was next on the chopping block. The cookie was a deep red and the icing was off white. It was a double stuffed Oreo and smelled
strongly like red velvet cake. The filling although tall, wasn’t very wide. It seemed to be all set in the middle and not near the edges of the cookie. This cookie had an overwhelming intensity of sweetness. Overall rating: 3/5 The Salted Caramel Thins followed the Red Velvet. When Oreos are labeled “thin” they really mean it. The cookie was another slightly darker shade and the filling was a color pretty true to caramel, a light golden brown. This delicious combination offered a taste not too sweet, but not too salty. Overall rating: 5/5 Birthday Cake came up next, a normal chocolate
cookie with colorful speckled icing. Its scent was overpowering and extremely sweet. When broken apart it was a bit shocking to find that the cookie was sweeter than the icing inside. In general, it was a let down to the other birthday cake flavored items out there. Overall rating: 2/5 Last but not least, Hot n’ Spicy Cinnamon Candy. This one seemed intimidating and presumably not enticing. The cookie was a normal dark Oreo with bright red icing. It smelled almost exactly like the Hot Tamale candies, but tasted nowhere near as spicy as it let on it would. Overall rating: 3/5
EYE OF THE TIGER // 19
It’s not as easy as it looks By: Affiniti Hall and Alondrah S. Ramirez School. Sports. Focus. High school can be very stressful. With the different courses and homework, sometimes it can be hard to stay on track. Yet, students add more to their plate by adding after school activities such as sports, which keep them busy throughout the week. Sports are a devotion, but without good grades, students can’t have them both. Sophomore Miguel Martinez motivation for school is sports and never plans for that to change. “It’s pretty difficult,” Martínez said. “Even so every athlete should know that good grades is a number one priority.” Even though sleep might be lost, why not enjoy what you can get?
“No matter what, anyone could do it, the key is to stay orginized and never give up.” -Robyn Fossum “I love my six hours of sleep,” Martinez said. “Of course I love my few naps I get in between.” Everyone is different, sophomore Sara Riley works hard to keep both her grades up and her team together, but may become hard to stay on track. “It’s very hard to keep grades up, I have to go to school then straight to practice and don’t get home around six thirty to seven o’clock,” Riley said. “Once I get home I have
to do homework, eat take a shower then sleep.” With all the long hours, homework must be forced into the night. “It’s hard because I have barely any time to do school work unless I stay up late,” Riley said. Having to stress throughout the day, sleep is hard to fit in such a tight schedule. “On average if it’s a good night I can get a good six to seven hours of sleep,” said. Although it may be very
troublesome it does pay off. “Sports is worth it because I want to go to college and it’s one of the ways I can get to college is by a scholarship,” Riley said. Senior Robyn Fossum had a different experience with balancing both school and sports. “I didn’t have too much of a problem balancing sports and school,” Fossum said. “I always stay organized and stick to my planner.” Although it may be easy for Fossum to balance, sleep does get affected with the added hours of sports. “Usually I used to get eight hours of sleep but with sports I can only get around six,” Fossum said. “No matter what anyone could do it, the key is to keep organized and never give up.” Although it may be tough, it’s always best to look at what’s to come.
Manon Ladeyn, EOTT