MIR ROR 20 April 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 11
Loma Linda Academy News Reflecting on LLA since 1940s
Polar Bears by Kaleo Smith
Plastic by Ivanna Vargas
pcture by S. Dumbar
This Sunday is the 48th annual Earth Day, and the theme for this year is Ending Plastic Pollution. As the day approaches, people are reminded of the damage that plastic pollution has created in our world. Already, many people have begun to take action and are coming together to help solve this issue. As of April 19, the United Kingdom has become the first country to take a step towards banning the use of plastic straws. According to BuzzFeed News, this is only their first step to-
ward their goal of banning all plastic waste by 2042. Recently a student in College English, Becky Bates (12), wrote a paper on the effects of the use of plastic straws, and how they damage our environment. In this paper she explains that “So much plastic is currently in the ocean that it endangers the marine animals who consume it, strangles those who are entangled by it, wastes valuable resources producing it, and kills the lowest creatures on the marine food chain whose habitat is covered by it... Recognizing that plas-
Giraffes by Ivanna Vargas
Dolphins by Chloe Hegstad
Over the last few years, a number of animals have begun to go extinct. Many of these animals, such as the panda and bees, have been in the news, and conservation efforts have slowly pushed them back out of extinction. However, animals such as the Northern White Rhino, which recently lost the last male of its species, and the giraffe have not been so lucky. According to National Geographic, the giraffe has lost 40% of its population in 30 years (1985-2015), and the number of giraffes continuing to disappear is rising. This is due to the growing amount of land being taken over by human activity, thus taking away food and shelter from the giraffes. However, one of the biggest issues affecting giraffes is the continuing separation of their herds. When each herd becomes smaller, the giraffes are more vulnerable to dangers such as poachers, deforestation, drought, and many other things. As time goes by, the creatures inch closer to extinction. If you want to help, organizations such as the Giraffe Conservation Foundation allow you to adopt and give to a specific giraffe or to organizations that help protect them. You can find out more information at http://giraffeconservation.org. picture by Grace Morales
04/22 EARTH DAY
Pollution has impacted many aspects of the earth, one of which is ocean life. Dolphins in particular, thought to be some of the most intelligent sea creatures, have been significantly harmed. Per year, three hundred thousand dolphins die from entanglement in nets and other pollutants. Dolphins’ health can be impacted by other factors such as trash, oil, and chemical spills. They eat up to 22-50 pounds of fish a day and can ingest toxins through biomagnification, or a process where toxicity is increased in the tissues as it travels up the food chain. These toxins can lower the dolphin’s immune system, making it more likely for them to get pneumonia or parasites that they can’t fight off. In recent studies, dolphins have 20 times more mercury in their system than the US government permits in food. Another cause of a lowered immune system is when a dolphin is exposed to PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls). These are highly toxic chemicals thought to cause skin disease, birth defects, and cancer.
04/25-30 BAND & CHOIR TOUR
05/05 CINCO DE MAYO
Polar bears are in danger. According to the World Wildlife Fund, polar bears were put on the endangered species list in 2008 due to habitat loss. Climate change is melting the polar ice caps at record-breaking rates and three subpopulations of polar bears are already in decline. One subpopulation in the Southern Beaufort Sea has already had a 40% decline in its population. According to National Geographic, polar bears rely on ice to hunt and maintain their 12,000 calorie diet. They are still-hunters, meaning that they wait for seals to come up through breathing holes in the ice. The disappearing ice sheets means that the bears are being forced to swim and walk more often. Swimming decreases the amount of time they can hunt and increases their caloric needs, which in turn is leading to starvation. These majestic creatures need our help. If you want to help their cause or donate to those who already do, go to https://polarbearsinternational.org/get-involved. picture by Ivanna Vargas
tics can harm the ocean in many ways and human dependence on the ocean for oxygen can be significant motivation [to make a change].” She then goes on to suggest that there are many ways to regulate the use of plastic straws, and that, in the end, it is up to us to begin this change. As Earth Day comes and goes, remember to keep this in mind and next time you use a straw don’t forget to stop and think twice about it.
picture by Ciara Rader
There are different types of pollution beyond chemicals and trash that people should be aware of that affects our earth. Noise pollution made from cars, boats, and construction can make a dolphin feel distressed and even kill them. Distress sometimes may temporarily or even permanently make dolphins lose their hearing. Even if the hearing isn’t lost permanently, it can be detrimental to their survival. This is because their hearing, or echolocation, is the basis through which they communicate. Without hearing, dolphins can’t find food, could lose their pod, or have difficulty swimming. If you are wondering about how you can help save the dolphins or give a dolphin a happier life, you can always adopt! The money goes for dolphin research and conservation. Go online to Adopt a Dolphin - Ocean Society or, Adopt a Dolphin - Pacific Whale Foundation. There are many other websites to go to. It’s simple - all you have to do is type “Adopt a Dolphin” and multiple search results will pop up!
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Succulents by Noah Hernandez In the last few years, owning a succulent, cactus, or agave has become a popular trend. The uniqueness of these plants is in their water consumption, or more specifically lack thereof. These plants are native to the desert, so there must be something more to these plants than normal plants. According to Science Daily, the secret is an enhanced form of photosynthesis know as crassulacean acid metabolism, or CAM. As everyone knows, part of a plant’s energy comes from the CO2 in the air, but what is unique about CAM plants is that they can absorb CO2 during the colder nights, which helps to reduce water loss. Inside the plant cell, CO2 is stored as a malic acid ready to be used the next day for photosynthesis, without losing water. Dr. James Hartwell says “Drought is a key cause of global crop losses, so understanding the mechanisms that some desert-adapted plants have evolved to survive water stress is vital for engineering improved drought tolerance in crop species…” The desert is a large holder of underground freshwater, and people dumping their trash everywhere doesn’t help. Clean water is a major issue around the world, and non-profit organizations like The Water Project share clean water with Sub-Saharan Africa. The more we learn about these incredible plants, the closer we will come to a better world.For more information, go to https://thewaterproject.org picture by Noah Hernandez
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Enjoy your nature!
What is your favorite National Park? “I still have so many more to visit but for now I think Zion is my favorite!” -Ms. Lewis
“Joshua Tree is my favorite National Park.” -Gunney Cho
“My favourite park would have to be Sequoia National Park.” -Alyssa Knecht
What are some things you do to help the environment?
“I try my hardest to not litter, to pick any trash, and to recycle.” -Brett Straus
“Recycling is pretty important and... I’m a pescatarian, so I think that helps not to eat as much meat.” -Megan Napod “I always recycle, try to conserve water, and not waste it.” -Alex Chiquimia
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School Clubs
Photos by: Angela Jin, Grace Morales and Yearbook Staff
MIR ROR 20 April 2018 Vol. 86 Issue 11
Loma Linda Academy News Reflecting on LLA since 1940s
Spring Break by Noah Hernandez
Easter by Kaleo Smith
Easter is a fun holiday in which people around the world celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and celebrate their salvation from sin. Some families go to church for an Easter service, where they learn about Jesus’ last supper, foot washing, His death, and His resurrection. They later gather for meals and children run around the great outdoors among the dandelions and flowers in search of colorful eggs. One can ask the question, “What do rabbits, eggs, and springtime have to do with Jesus’ death in Israel?” The answer is stranger than many might think. Like Christmas, Easter is a Christian festival that borrows pagan symbols and traditions.
According to “From Paganism to Christianity” from the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies, the pagans celebrated spring, renewal, and reincarnation. During the Christianization of Europe, the church often absorbed pagan culture, holidays and traditions and applied them to Christianity to help the native population assimilate to Christianity. According to “Easter Lore and Superstitions” from Snopes, Easter gets its name from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre and the Germanic equivalent Eastre. According to “Easter Bunny: The Origins of Easter Day’s Rabbit” from Time, Eostre was the goddess of spring and fertility and her symbols include rabbits and
LLA Clubs by Salomon Gallo Loma Linda Academy has many clubs dedicated to a variety of genres from the complexity of mathematics, to the fun game of ping-pong. Art Club is sponsored by art teacher, Mrs. Gillespie and lead by students presidents, Kailey Gianni (11) and Sophia Zhao (9). Gianni describes Art Club as an “all about coming together as both artists and friends and to just draw and hang out. It’s a very inclusive club that’ll accept anyone of any art level. We all talk together, but we also plan like what we’re going to do for maker’s faire and the art show.” Zhao says, “those who in the art club are the [people] that loves art, it’s not necessarily to be really talented in art, as long as you have the interest in it and want to have some improvements in art, our club will be very happy to have you. People can actually join our meeting Tuesday at lunch whenever they want. We will have an art exhibition, if you are interested in our club, come have look at that!” Photo Club has been a particularly popular
club over the years, led by co-presidents Shantel Guzman (12) and Jayden Antonio-Valdez (11), and Ms. Taylor Johnston as sponsor. Guzman illustrates Photo Club as “all about collaboration. We take photos with each other and seek critiquing from our members. We go on trips through nature every couple months. During our meetings, we take photos, do some studio work, and learn to use Adobe Lightroom to edit our photos to finish off the photo-creating process.” Antonio-Valdez explains that the club is for people “who’re already really interested in photography, but there’s also a few people who don’t know much about photography and want to get into it. People can join by either talking to me, Shantel, or Ms. TJ and going to our lunchtime meetings on Thursdays.”
Mirror Staff Editor-inChief Ivanna Vargas
Design Editor Hannah Sitanggang
Photo Journalist Angela Jin
Walk Run Club, the physically-active club, is lead by president Nathaniel Leon (11) and sponsor Dr. Sandiford. Leon states that “Walk Run is basically a club that gets together on Tuesdays and Thursdays [after school] and get better at running. We meet and go either to [someone’s house], or we usually run on the track if we’re doing a track session. That’s basically Walk Run Club, running with other people. We will do 5Ks outside of Walk Run Club, just any local 5Ks. It’s really for anyone. It all started off with just a couple of people [three years ago], and it grew.”
Shades Club, the multi-cultural club, is run by president Judy Chu (12) and sponsored by Mrs. Vega. Chu says that “Shades Club is all about being inclusive and being aware & knowledgeable on all cultures. We host different themed potluck to learn about different cultures and help around the community. Everyone is in Shades Club. People can join by just coming to one of our meetings or potlucks!”
Ping Pong Club is sponsored by Dr. Sandi-
ford and headed by Nick Nolfe as president (11) in its third year running. Nolfe mentions that “Ping Pong Club is about bringing different people together through ping pong. We play ping pong and organize tournaments. Anyone who wants to play ping pong and wants to be involved can join. You can join by asking me or Tanner Lazar and just come and play Wednesdays at lunch [either in the courtyard or gym].”
Photo Journalist Grace Morales
Reporter Leileen Aguilar
Reporter Salomon Gallo
No matter who you are or what you did, spring break was an adventure with your friends, family, or maybe even church. Some students like Isha Patel (9th) traveled to places like Catalina and Ensenada on a cruise. For Scarlett Ruiz (9th), spending quality time with her family at home and an amusement park was a week wellspent. Steven Queja (9th) went to Pyramid and Six Flags where he was able to hang out and get to know his fellow pathfinder members. Spring break was relaxing and fun, but there are still things that we were not able do do, although we wanted to. Patel wishes she could have seen more of her friends and celebrate birthdays together. Traveling to different places, being excited about meeting new people with a different culture. Queja wanted to go to a race track and learn autocross, a competition with cars racing around obstacles. picture of sunrise by Grace Mo- Even if you didn’t do everything you wanted to, anyone can still appreciate the break that they rales have received. School can be stressful, and Patel enjoyed her time off from the responsibility of eggs, which is why those symbols are prevalent in education. Relaxed at home, Ruiz seized the moEaster traditions. According to “Origin of Easment to be way from school and with her friends ter: From Pagan Rituals to Bunnies and Chocoand family. Queja enjoyed not having to worry late Eggs” from ABC News, pagans celebrated about maintaining grades for a week and getting the end of winter and the start of new cycles of to see his friends. Spring break was a week to life in the beginning of spring. The church saw breathe, to enjoy time off from school. Now stuthe celebration as an opportunity to draw a comdents are looking forward to the next big break, parison to Christ’s rebirth and renewal on the with only eight weeks left of the school year until third day after his death. summer. In spite of Easter’s pagan past, it is still a very relevant and important celebration. Although the origins of Easter symbols aren’t Christian, they still carry the same themes of renewal and deliverance from a problem, whether it be sin or winter.
The Robotics Club, more widely known as RoboRunners, is directed by co-presidents Kenny Dockham (12) and George Corrales (12) and sponsored by Mrs. Elssmann. Corrales wants us to know that “Robotics is about building robots and all the fun that comes with. We learn together and teach the upcoming members about robotics. We’re all about having fun building robots and competing them. We design the robot based on the specific challenge each year, take that design and build it, program it, then compete in competitions all over in Southern California. We’ve even had the opportunity to travel to places like San Francisco. I’d say there’s a huge variety of people in robotics. It ranges from the mathematically inclined people who design the robot to the more hands on people who build the robot itself. We also have people who photograph and use their skills for things like our display board. People can join whenever they want. Our season just ended but it runs from a little bit after the year starts to right around January and February. We have meetings every Thursday at lunch in Mrs. Elssmann’s room and everyone and anyone is welcome to step in and find out if they’re interested.” Youth-to-Youth is a community service-based club that works to help the community. Leading the club is Andrea Lau (12) and sponsor Mrs. Hattendorf. Lau emphasizes that “Youth to Youth is all about helping the local community around us. The club plans events like [the] Christmas and Easter Parties for the Inland Empire homeless families. We are also in charge of the Red Ribbon week set up and can drive. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, & seniors. Everyone can be a member! You can join at the beginning of the school year during the Club Fair or during the school year at anytime. Just talk to Mrs. Hattendorf who is the sponsor of Y2Y.” Reporter Chloe Hegstad
P. 2 Please Recycle
Reporter Cheerleen Hu
Reporter Noah Hernandez
Briefs • Alumni weekend was on Saturday, April 14. Lots of alumni of Loma Linda Academy along with their family members came to the gym to watch the games. Games included Alumni vs. Varsity Girls Volleyball and Alumni vs. Varsity Boys Basketball. • On Sunday, April 15, Junior & Senior Banquet took place at the Castaway, Burbank. Juniors and Seniors had a good time spending time with their classes. • From April 16 to 20 was Spring Week of Prayer. There was chapel everyday & shorter class periods! • The Color Run took place on April 19 as a noontime activity. Each class had four boys and four girls as participants, and each of the participants had to wear a white shirt. • April 3 marked 50 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. • All Charities on first page where found by Leileen Aguilar.
Reporter Kaleo Smith
Sponsor Danelle Taylor Johnston
Publisher Datha Tickner
Junior/Senior Banquet 4/15/18
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Student Alumni Art Show 4/14/18
Photos by: Angela Jin and Grace Morales