Stagg Line 2015-16 Issue #5

Stagg Line

the

02.05.16 Vol. 59 No. 5

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School

1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207

Home of the Delta Kings

Chloramine in water causes controversy

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY JOANN SAGARAL

Seniors face harsh realities because of prior mistakes SathinaFlores

When thinking about graduation, there are those who get a knot at the pit of their stomach. It’s not from anticipation. it’s difficult to describe — a jumble of fear, a pang of regret, then acceptance.

Senior Jesse Hamilton will not graduate this May but may earn a diploma later. He said he’s been doing horrible in school since elementary and he “gave up kind of early in (his) school career.” Every time he tried he “just lacked the motivation” and gave up on school. He said education isn’t right for him. “I don’t want the same thing everyone else wants.”

In order to graduate students need at least 210 credits. And some students are on a thin line to meet those credits. There are 305 seniors in this year’s graduating class and 56 of those are at risk of not graduating, according to statistics provided by head counselor Chan Sam. Seven students as of now will not graduate and will later transition to an adult school to earn their diploma or Graduate Equivalency Diploma.

Hamilton has approximately 95 credits and is currently retaking classes such as U.S History. He’ll tell himself to at least try to do the work but loses motivation. He doesn’t understand how students are expected to “attend school everyday, early in the morning, (and is still) expected to get the full eight hours of sleep,” he said, and “sit here and stare at some old person talk for hours. It’s not very entertaining to the human mind.” He goes on to describe that counselors only do the bare minimum of helping out.

In such situations, counselors do their best to help out students who may or may not graduate. “This is a long process,” counselor Samantha Wirzberger said. “Near the end we encourage them to stay strong. We want to see our students graduate.”

Some take an Apex class, an after school credit recovery program.

Mary Stoner, an Apex teacher, said it’s “the last best shot for a lot of students who just make bad mistakes.”

“I see a lot of students make those bad choices,” Stoner said, “and I want to be part of it — the solution — rather than feel like they don’t have a place to go or have someone they can talk to.”

After high school Hamilton will either attend adult school to get his diploma or get his GED or “possibly become a bum” he said. “I don’t see it as a bad thing. If anything, a homeless person is more free,” he said. “They can go wherever they want, they don’t have to worry about answering to anyone.”

Amber Talent will not be able to graduate as well. “I did mistakes in the past but I’m willing to move on,” she said. She’s talked to counselor Kevin Oki, who tried to help her out and get her into Apex. Talent said that “after retaking classes again I’m able to get my work done easier,” but all the credits she made up is still not enough for her to graduate. She said, “I’m glad I noticed my mistakes.” She will continue to keep going in hopes of finding the motivation she needs to be on task with school. Talent will attend Delta because she’ll be able to get work done without teachers hovering over her.

Then there’s the uncertainty and expectation in the air making that last year for seniors so exciting but equally frightening.

Out of the 305 seniors, 150 of those students will probably go to Delta, Sam said.

Madison Crown faces the possibility of not graduating. “If I don’t pass all my classes this year,” she said, “I don’t graduate.” Crown knew for a while she was on a narrow margin to graduating. “During my sophomore year I failed four of my classes because of poor attendance.

If I don’t graduate I’ll probably get my GED and then go to Delta like I planned on.”

She said her counselors have asked her to sign up for Apex to make up credits and fill her a-g requirements.”But she didn’t “because (she) figured (she) was just going to go to Delta.”

Crown is afraid of failing. “I’m just trying to pass all my classes and hope to graduate,” she said.

“I don’t want the same thing everyone else wants.”

Jesse Hamilton Senior

Date conflict puts field trip in jeopardy StephanieMatsumoto For the second year in a row, students in choir, band, and orchestra will have to have to make a decision whether to go to prom or Disneyland. Joseph Updegraff and Mark Swope, heads of the Music Department who teach band and choir respectively, didn’t expect the dates for prom and their field trip to clash dates on April 24 for another year.

In order to avoid the situation from happening again, the Music Department turned in its paperwork to Associated Student Body back in August. Because it was turned in early, Updegraff thought there would be no problem this year.

That was the plan, until a student from ASB came to his class to tell him that prom was on the exact day their field trip would be taking place.

Both Swope and Updegraff

believe that the blame is being placed not on the Junior Class or Ryan Berg, ASB director, but on the ASB calendar. Because their event wasn’t listed due to only certain ASB events being put up on the main calendar, it was assumed by the Junior Class that the weekend was open.

Though the situation is stressful, Swope understands and wants to avoid future conflicts.

“It’s nobody’s fault,” Swope said.

“There’s just needs to establish better communication.”

While students taking music classes are now struggling to decide which one to go to, seniors especially will now have to decide what they want to do for their last year at Stagg.

For students such as senior Katherine Phan, having to choose between the two for her final high school year was one she felt was wrong. “It’s really, really unfair,” Phan said. “Especially for

seniors like me.”

Hannah Swope, a senior, is also having a difficult time deciding between Disneyland, a place she hasn’t been at for 12 years, or prom, in order to redeem herself from her bad prom experience last year.

She’s leaning more towards prom, however, due to the majority of classmates choosing that

Casino Night

Spanish tutoring

Delta registration

Bottom Line

the

ASB will be hosting a night of gaming on Feb. 26 in the gym.

More information will come later.

Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica members will offer tutoring in all levels of Spanish every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday in the Homework Center and in A-1.

Mark Swope

Delta College representatives will register prospective students in E-7 on Feb. 11.

Sign up today with guidance technicians Susan Suarez or Rebecca Hernandez in the Career Center.

over the trip. When first told the news that she would have to make a decision between one or the other, it was for her hard to accept.

“I was absolutely furious,” Hannah said. “Not only because they put it on the day that we leave for Disneyland, but because we’ve had our Disney trip on the calendar for months and this isn’t the first time it’s happened.”

Hannah feels irritated that dates are conflicting again another year in a row, but is sympathetic towards the music teachers who tried all they could to avoid the situation.

In the end, having to make the choice was an inconvenience she thinks could have been avoided. “It’s just more stress for all of us to decide between these two activities when it could’ve been avoided and we could’ve gone to both,” she said.

MatteoDanforth

At a time when the drought is causing problems across the state, water is going to be a hot topic. But Stockton is facing another water-related problem that doesn’t involve rain measurements.

Two years ago, the City of Stockton agreed on a switch to disinfecting water from the Delta with chloramine instead of chlorine. Making the switch during the driest periods of the drought would have caused potential environmental problems and health risks, so Stockton officials waited until Jan. 13 to start distributing chloramine-treated water.

The events prior to this faced criticism from Stocktonians and environmental activists at the town hall meeting at Delta College this past Monday.

The switch was proposed to fix a recurring problem with Stockton’s water. In two of the last three years, the city has exceeeded federal standards for amounts of carcinogenic byproducts that are produced when chlorine reacts with organic materials in water. Chloramine is less likely to create these byproducts, hence the switch.

Chloramine is a chemical compound of ammonia and chlorine. The use of the chemical isn’t a government experiment, as chloramine has been in use since the late 1920s.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s page on the chemical, it is a safe alternative to chlorine and poses no health risks in levels used with disinfecting drinking water.

In 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that 68 million Americans were drinking water disinfected by chloramine.

The backlash by citizens was brought on by anecdotal accounts from other cities and communities that stated water disinfected with chloramine had caused multiple health issues.

Reports varied from breathing problems and internal issues to skin rashes.

Counter arguments include that chloramines can cause lead and copper pipes to corrode, a problem that could result in lead poisoning when consuming water. However, CBS 13 Sacramento reported that plumbing can be fixed so that pipes are not susceptible to corrosion. Chemistry teacher Bill Lorentz said that

although lead in water is a problem, “water filters in sinks and refrigerators are able to pull out these trace amounts of lead.” Residents can ask for chloramine-resistant pipes in order to resolve this issue.

The city’s water managers would do regular testing as well to prevent dangerous amounts of lead from entering drinking water.

Opposition also increased when activist Erin Brockovich entered the arena. Brockovich commented on Mayor Anthony Silva’s Facebook post about the news, stating that city officials are “lazy and cheap” and are taking the easy way out by switching to chloramines.

At the town hall meeting, her and Bob Bowcock gave presentation on the dangers of using chloramines. In their presentations, the two referred to a study done

by Kaiser that showed evidence that chloramine disinfected water can cause a high percentage of miscarriages with women in their first trimester.

Both Brockovich and Bowcock advised citizens to demand a change to using carbon filtration instead.

Stockton residents were also given a chance to ask questions to the panel at the meeting.

One resident, who was a youth representative for Stockton at the Paris conference, wondered if chloramines was included in the conversation with the Delta tunnels. Another was a dialysis patient who worried if the new water would affect her treatment, but she was assured that dialysis centers filter out chloramines as a default.

Alex Breitler, the environment reporter for the Stockton Record, has written a string of stories on the events leading up to a town hall meeting. Breitler has been reporting on chloramine related news. “Chloramine is generally safe,” the reporter said. “It’s up to water managers to closely monitor the water.”

He explains how governments that switch to chloramines are given guidelines they must follow to ensure the water is safe.

Research shows that the dangers of chloramine are in the use of high concentrations of the chemical, higher than levels used to disinfect water. “The status quo called for a solution and that’s what the city is doing.”

Stockton residents voiced concern for the use of chloramines in the water at the town hall meeting on Feb. 1. Some feared the new chemical would cause severe health problems.

PHOTO BY MATTEO DANFORTH

FAFSA deadline

The deadline to apply for financial aid for college is March 2. Deadlines could be earlier for certain schools.

Applicants are encouraged to check.

Find us on Facebook Search for “Stagg Line”

Follow us on Instagram @staggonline

Follow us on Twitter @staggonline

Keep updated at our website staggonline. net

2 Editorial

the

Stagg Line

Opinion

02.05.16

Textbooks are sometimes superior

O

utdated information, broken spines, and vandalized pages mark the quality of our textbooks. Still, the school manages to make do with them. The core classes of history, math, English and science usually have sufficient materials, but classes such as AP Spanish and AP Physics currently suffer the most without textbooks for their students.

Without these resources, teachers have still managed to effectively teach the material. However, the lack of textbooks takes a toll on students who struggle and need additional support after school.

Foreign languages, math and science classes find textbooks helpful when a lesson isn’t being understood well.

English and history have the freedom to be more open, while other subjects, like math and science, require definitions, formulas, and instructions that are accessible within textbooks. It makes sense to have them.

Most teachers direct their students to their textbooks for examples or clarifications of lessons. Not only do textbooks hold the information desired, it includes activities and practice assignments that can aid in learning the content.

If someone were to look for information needed for AP Physics, several research papers would come up. That is usually not what students are looking for. Sometimes,

resources can be too simplified or too advanced for the high school level or may not meet AP standards.

It’s especially hard with Common Core impacting the curriculum. While many see this as an opportunity to not depend on textbooks, we see this as an issue.

English and history should focus more on Common Core to engage students even more. That is encouraged.

Despite that, math, science and foreign languages do need to rely more on textbooks and the information they hold.

Our generation is seeking to advance and improve.

There is a long list of electronics that can be utilized in an educational environment.

Teachers have found alternatives to depending on textbooks.

While this might be easier for teachers, students might not learn from the teacher’s methods of teaching. Teachers challenge their students to go more in depth with their work. The basic knowledge that students need to go deeper can be presented to students with textbooks.

Despite the books being outdated, some information does not change. The most basic knowledge is available for students to refer to. Students can study at their own pace with textbooks. Classroom instruction then enriches that knowledge.

The content in textbooks is not in need of updates.

GRAPHIC BY ANGEL GONZALEZ

Academy nominates for quality, not diversity T

he 88th annual Academy Awards have come under a lot of fire.

Huge stars in Hollywood are boycotting this year’s award show due to a lack of diversity among the nominations in several categories, including Best Picture and all acting categories.

According to Time, celebrities like Tyrese Gibson and 50 Cent have called for Chris Rock, an African-American comedian and actor who will be hosting the event, to step down from the position.

Several people blame the demographics of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which votes for which films should or should not be nominated. A study done by the Los Angeles Times found that most of the voters are older white males. In fact, 94 percent of them are white, 77 percent are male, and the average age is 62 years old. Since all the nominations in the mentioned categories are white, people have started an uproar all over social media.

However, just because the voters may be mostly white doesn’t necessarily mean that there won’t be any diversity in the nominations.

The Academy consists of directors, actors, actresses, and others in the film industry who have done amazing work in the past and even present. These people have most likely won countless awards in the past for their work. The members would know what makes a good movie.

However, the question is this: when does this justification stop holding water?

It’s perfectly reasonable to question the legitimacy of the Academy’s votes if, for example,

German assaults not about immigration B JuliaRosete the votes continue to be predominantly white for a number of years. But just because it makes big news one or two years in a row doesn’t mean that the Academy is completely biased.

According to a CNN report, filmmaker Spike Lee and actress Jada Pinkett Smith are boycotting the televised event. Both posted separate messages saying they would not be going to the awards show. Lee took to Instagram and said, “We cannot support it and [I] mean no disrespect … But, how is it possible for the second consecutive year all 20 contenders under the acting category are white?”

Recently, in an interview with Graham Norton, actor Ice Cube who stars in “Straight Outta Compton,” addressed the diversity issues within the nominations. He felt it wasn’t something to get upset about. “We don’t do movies for the industry,” he said. “We do it for the fans, the people.”

When it came to the fact that he only got one nomination for the movie he starred in, Ice Cube went on to say the movie has received lots of praise from others. “It’s crying about not having enough icing on your cake,” he said.

While there were probably several movies that may have deserved at least a nomination, the Academy should be trusted in making the right decision on which movies, actors, and actresses are the best.

At least for now.

Staff & Policies the

Stagg Line

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207 The Stagg Line is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, whose awards include the following: ff All-American: 21 years ff Hall of Fame ff First Place, Best of Show: five times ff National Newspaper Pacemaker: seven times Stagg Line journalists over the years have won many awards and scholarships, including California Journalist of the Year, National Story of the Year and National Photo of the Year.

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

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

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

Readers are welcome to submit letters for publication regarding any story published or any school issue. We will make every effort to publish any letter that is not libelous, obscene or inflammatory. Letters longer than 250 words may be edited for length. Letters may be given to any staff member, delivered to A8 or emailed to dbott@stocktonusd.net.

arbarism is a word often paired with the immigrants currently fleeing their home countries. The argument is that their seventh century faith and ideals do not fit into today’s world. However, delinquents come from all faiths and backgrounds. Barbarism can describe any man or woman, regardless of background, who decides to commit the heinous act of sexual assault.

On New Year’s Eve in Cologne, Germany, gangs of men with “Arab and North African appearances” gathered around the city’s train station and harassed several hundred women. The women claimed they were groped and simultaneously robbed.

No arrests were made that night, despite over 90 complaints being filed the following day. The police admitted that they did not expect a riot of this magnitude to occur and the square was deficient in security. According to The Guardian, police were unresponsive despite their presence at the square.

A multitude of protests have occurred as a result of the police’s incompetence. Initial peaceful demonstrations involved women’s right activists carrying signs with slogans such as, “No tolerance for such acts. Protect our children and women!”

The Atlantic reports that the Cologne police chief was fired a week after the New Year’s Eve fiasco. Currently, the number of complaints is at 766, of which 40 percent are sexual offenses. Almost a thousand men were involved; only three have been arrested.

Protests comprised of neo-Nazis and anti-Islamic groups such as the Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident marched around Cologne on Jan. 9, following the women’s right activists. Nearly 1,700 policemen faced the eruption of a crowd pummeling them with firecrackers and broken bottles.

Water cannons were used to control the herd of infuriated demonstrators.

But where was this force on New Year’s Eve? Mayor of Cologne Henriette Reker suggests

REPORTERS SaraAbdeltawab GamelaBrice LouisFuentez RosaGarcia StephanieJimenez MatthewKimani JeffersonLeiva StephanieMatsumoto JuliaRosete JoAnnSagaral ArrianaSmith LuciTomas

JoAnnSagaral that women “keep at arm’s length” from strange men in order to prevent rape. Other officials suggest that immigrants ought to be more informed about the cultural differences in the the places they take asylum in. Both proposals tiptoe around the only logical solution.

Treat the perpetrators equally — by incarcerating them as one would with any lawbreaker.

There is a difference between a lack of cultural understanding and a blatant abuse of immunity. A man does not unintentionally commit lechery or thievery.

Crime is wrong in all religions and in all races The neo-Nazism and the anti-immigrant supporters neglect to recognize the bystanders to all this chaos. Eighty years ago, the same collective blame of a particular group led most of the world into an atrocious war. “As abominable as the crimes in Cologne and other cities were, one thing remains clear: there is no justification for blanket agitation against foreigners,” said German Justice Minister Heiko Maas.

The pleas of numerous women who desire only justice have been overcome by the overt need to be sensitive to criminals of Arab and North African origin.

EDITORS CelineLopez, editor-in-chief AraceliValencia, news editor MatteoDanforth, opinion editor PhillicityUriarte-Jones, features editor EstefanyNunez, entertainment editor SathinaFlores, sports editor MarleenePheav, web editor My’KaylaMoore, photo editor AngelGonzalez, graphics editor DonBott, adviser Follow us on Facebook (Stagg Line) as well as Twitter and Instagram (@staggonline).

Current and older issue PDFs are available at issuu.com/staggline

Opinion

02.05.16

the

Stagg Line

3

STRUGGLING WITH SYRIA Understanding U.S. relations with the Middle East Jaish al-Fatah The Army of Conquest is an alliance of anti-government Islamist groups. Its two strongest members are Jabhat al-Nusra and Ahrar al-Sham. Jabhat al-Nusra is the Syrian branch of al-Qa’ida and has launched several attacks in Lebanon. Ahrar al-Sham is not an alQa’ida affiliate, but their ideology is similar.

Free Syrian Army The FSA is the most well-known Syrian anti-government group. Like Jaish al-Fatah, the FSA is a loose coalition, and not a coherent fighting force. They are not adverse to Islamism - they invited Jaish al-Islam to join them and were turned down.

Hizbullah Founded in 1982 for the purpose of fighting off the Israeli invasion, Hizbullah is a Lebanese Shi’a Islamist group. They first intervened in the war in 2013, ostensibly to support the Mosque of Sayyidah Zaynab, but have in fact fought for Bashar al-Asad all over Syria.

Jaish al-Islam The Army of Islam is an anti-government Islamist group based mainly in and around Damascus. They have very close links with Jabhat al-Nusra and regard Osama bin Laden as a hero. They are stridently sectarian and reject democracy.

Quds Force Little is known about the Quds Force, but we do know that it’s an elite special forces unit within the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps that primarily operates outside of Iran. They armed and trained fighters in Iraq and Lebanon, and they’ve intervened in the Syrian war to support Bashar al-Asad’s government.

Kata’ib Hizbullah/Liwa Abu al-Fadl al-’Abbas/Peace Companies/Other Iraqi Groups Numerous Iraqi Shi’a Islamist groups have used Sayyidah Zaynab as an excuse to travel to Syria to support Bashar al-Asad. Most of them are staunch allies of Iran and are fighting ISIS in Iraq at the same time.

GRAPHIC BY ANGEL GONZALEZ AND MATTHEW KIMANI

S

carcely a day has gone by since the beginning of 2011 without the Syrian Civil War or its dreadful side-effects being prominently featured in domestic and international media.

Every facet of the war, from the refugee crisis to the rise of ISIS, has been the subject of round-theclock reporting by outlets of all nationalities and political affiliations. The Obama administration has steered a firmly anti-government course in Syria, and every Republican presidential hopeful has promised to be more aggressive in pursuing American interests in Syria.

But why, exactly, is the United States so concerned with Syria? Why are so many American politicians clamoring for war with Syria? And why has the American political establishment insisted on the removal of president Bashar al-Asad, instead of seeking a democratic solution to the conflict?

The answers are to be found in the complex politics of the region. Syria has played an active role in the region since the coup that brought the current president’s father to power in 1970. Three years later, Syria took part in the October War, the last major conflict between Arab governments and Israel, and would have invaded Israel if not for

MatthewKimani Egypt’s decision to drop out of the war.

Since then, Syria has provided significant military and political support to groups that threaten the interests of the U.S. government in the region such as Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in Palestine. Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, the current Secretary-General of Hizbullah, the most powerful paramilitary in the region, has repeatedly

underscored the importance of Syrian support to the survival of their organization and the independence of Lebanon in his interviews and speeches over the years. He has even gone so far as to claim that they could not have ended Israel’s occupation of Lebanon without Syrian support.

Hizbullah would not have been founded without Iranian ideological and military training, but it was only through Syria’s intermediation that Iran was able to penetrate Lebanon. In fact, Iran cannot exercise any influence in the region except through Syria. The close relationship between Syria, Iran, and their armed allies in the rest of the region has led to their being dubbed the “Axis of Resistance.”

It is precisely this Axis of Resistance that has continuously disrupted the plans of the United States and its allies in the region. They have worked together to combat Israel in every way, shape, and form since its invasion and occupation of Lebanon in 1982. In Lebanon, they took up arms, expelled their army, and repulsed them when they returned in 2006. They have repeatedly called for the Palestinians to rise up and destroy Israel and have even provided them with weapons and other assistance. Iran, in particular, has seized the

opportunity presented by the political vacuum in Iraq to gain immense levels of influence over the country. Iran armed and funded numerous groups that fought the Anglo-American occupation, many of which have gone on to fight for Bashar al-Asad.

In response to this threat, the American political establishment has become increasingly bellicose in relation to its members. Removing the threat through direct military intervention, like in Iraq, would be the fastest, though not necessarily the most prudent, method of dealing with them.

It would also permanently remove Bashar al-Asad from the political scene and allow them to direct post-war politics, thus ensuring that he and his supporters will never again pose a threat. However, unlike with Iraq, the facts on the ground in Syria can be used to create a somewhat convincing justification for direct military intervention — Bashar al-Asad is a dictator, and participants in the uprising claim that they are fighting for freedom.

The conflict in Syria has given the U.S. government an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate one of the biggest thorns in its side and isolate Iran in one deft stroke, and many American politicians, particularly in the conservative camp, have been milking it for all it’s worth.

Respect shouldn’t be politicized T

he Red Party rejects the red holiday Starbucks cup in disgust. The evening debate is fueled by rants denouncing the secular yet still merry greeting “Happy Holidays.” Meanwhile, there are American citizens without a home or a meal to enjoy whichever sacred holiday they believe in.

These candidates running for office cry that being politically correct is ruining this nation, yet not a single piece of legislation is introduced in Congress to address the nation’s lack of jobs. Instead, the aim of most legislation is to defund vital programs.

It’s an ugly cycle: politicians are offended that society is so offended by everything. Well, I’m offended by “political correctness.” Not the practice, but the term. While I think people should watch what they say when it comes to words like “illegal aliens,” “retarded” and the n-word, I don’t think this practice should be politicized. The point of being politically correct is to be inclusive and respectful of marginalized or oppressed groups in everyday conversation;

CelineLopez it is a matter of expanding equality and not normalizing racist, sexist, ableist or any -ist culture.

Of course, people can choose to say what they want, offensive or not. But the idea that using inoffensive terms has to be something political has polarized this concept of “political correctness” so much that some people even deliberately choose words to purposely offend.

Watching candidates take turns exchanging petty insults is so tiring when I want to hear, I don’t know, an actual debate.

I’m glad I can narrow down my

list of potential candidates from nearly 20 to the small handful that at least talks about some issues.

I wish immigration would be meaningfully discussed so the nation can develop a more consistent and efficient policy, not so politicians and reporters can discuss the term “anchor babies” and point out which presidential candidates have immigrant parents. That rhetoric is getting old. Be done with the birther controversy and get over it, please. Let’s focus on which candidates actually qualify based on merit and experience.

Politics has become a circus where the main event is a sad excuse for a presidential election.

Candidates try to relate to voters with embarrassing attempts to be cool or by comparing themselves to people’s abuelas. Some Republicans seem like they’re having a contest to determine who’s the whitest, most patriotic, most conservative Christian Democrat-hater.

Despite public opinion that millennials are apathetic when it comes to politics, I and the majority of my peers are worried about this election. This year will

be the first election in which my friends and I will be allowed to vote. We have been paying attention to what the candidates have been saying and what condition this nation is in. There are issues we are concerned about and we expect the next president to address them.

We care about health care, immigration, gun control, minimum wage, jobs, taxes, and education. We don’t care about birth certificates or deleted emails or poll numbers.

I don’t want to be assigned to watch the debates by my AP Government teacher for me to actually sit through all of this.

The public will take interest in politics only if there is something valuable being addressed.

There’s an obvious need for change. There are issues that need to be resolved and a nation to lead.

Some things, like offensive terms, really shouldn’t be politicized. Neither should being respectful to others.

When politics strays so far from being about national issues and instead snarky comments, what needs to be politicized is politics.

ART BY CELINE LOPEZ AND MARLEENE PHEAV

Features CREATIVE CLASSROOMS

4

the

Stagg Line

02.05.16

Real-world application reinforces standard lessons StephanieMatsumoto Building boats, listening to podcasts, and playing Jeopardy don’t seem very educational or what you would think to be doing in a English, math, history, or science class. However, more and more of this type of learning is being applied in core classes.

With the ideas of Common Core now being administered in many classes, students can experience other and possibly more interesting activities being incorporated in their learning.

In Advanced Placement Physics, senior Miguel Vega was one of many students to experience the hands-on learning of building a mousetrap boat.

They had to work with other students and use materials such as plastic bags and wooden dowels to make a boat that can move in water by the power of a mousetrap.

This method of learning proved to be successful for Vega and captured his attention more than a textbook would have.

“It’s been easier to understand hands-on work than just reading how it should work,” Vega said. “You get a more personal experience.”

Vega also felt that the lesson not only helped him as an individual, but the whole class as well. Students had a fascination for building the boats and strove to make theirs better than everyone else’s. “The little bit of competition captured everyone’s interest.”

Luis Valenzuela, also a senior, agrees that the activity benefited much of the class. It helped create teamwork and creativity between classmates.

Activities such as the mousetrap boat are one of many different and unique lessons in place.

Sophomore Khalisha Perkins is in World History Honors with Audrey Weir-Graham as her teacher.

In that class, Weir-Graham brings unique ways to each lesson. One example would be the hot seat. The hot seat is a Jeopardy spin-off where students are put

on the spot to buzz in and answer a question related to the lesson. This activity helped Perkins remember questions on a test more than when she read the book.“It helped reassure me that the answers I had were correct so I was more confident and did better on the test.”

Perkins felt that although Weir-Graham’s ways of teaching can be unorthodox, they are beneficial and prepare her for the future.

“Her methods are crazy,” Perkins said. “But it’s more engaging and you remember more.”

Activities are not only seen as helpful in the eyes of students, but also in the eyes of Assistant Principal Richard Capello. Capello stressed the value of Common Core and how it benefits students. Hands-on activities are seen to be helpful, engaging, and necessary for any future careers.

“I think teachers should talk less and apply more, and that means more activities in the classroom and interaction between students.

When Capello was still teaching at Edison High School, he got to go to Delta College for a justice class.

The class really opened his eyes to the imporof kinessenior tance thetic learning methods. The chair of the Justice Department talked to him and said that the problems Stockton students had w was their ability to write and their critical thinking skills. Times have not changed.

“Here we are 10 years later and that’s still a problem,” Capello said. “I think more hands-on activities in class and less teacher talk would really be more productive to reach these goals.”

While Capello thinks that 90 percent of students can reach these goals and become more successful in college given the opportunity, classes must start applying more hands-on learning now to prepare them for the future.

“We’re still in the infancy stage of applying class activities so we want to get away from that and be more engaging in the classroom.”

(Above) Giacomo Abdallah, senior, grabs senior Oscar Gonzalez’s face during a scene reenactment from Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure”.

(Below) Seniors Hunter Sellers and Sean Jannay examine the paddle mechanism on their mousetrap boat before they test it in water.

“It’s been easier to understand hands-on work than just reading how it should work.”

Miguel Vega

ABOVE PHOTO

BY ARACELI VALENCIA BELOW PHOTO

BY CELINE LOPEZ

Business skills USA Returning Workplace skills make a difference clubs make impact GamelaBrice

Business Skills USA gives all students a chance to gain the necessary tools that will prepare them for not only college, but their future career. These students are able to interact with students from schools in California and compete against them in career advancement and technical education associated tasks. This year, students in Ron Tankersley’s Business Skills course have been given the chance to join his club and compete.

Although the club and competitions are open to all grade levels, it is recommended that underclassmen participate. Tankersley said that it will be most beneficial to those who get an early start.

“Every one of my students in all of my classes are automatically enrolled in the club,” he said.

“But I most definitely am trying

to pick up my younger classmen and get them actively involved. I would like them to understand what it is and be prepared for next year.”The past few meetings have consisted of resume creation, dress for success tips, and mock interview preparation.

“I think Business USA club exposes students to the workplace early,”said Veronica Sidrian, junior. “Even though this club is something new I trusted Mr. Tankersley when he said it was beneficial because of all his first hand experience.”

Although this may seem like an all work and no play extra-curricular activity, the benefits make it worthwhile in the long run.

When the time comes to partake in real job interviews and flaunt their skills, these students hope to be more than prepared.

“I joined the Business Skills USA Club to polish my skills and to become more professional,”

said Oscar Gonzalez, a senior. “I’m pretty pumped up for the competitions, I really hope we do well.”

On Feb. 16, a number of students will be competing in the job interview portion of the competition at Delta College. This will be held all day and lunch will be provided to all those who attend.

“They have a bunch of different competitions from automotive, to fashion, and so on,” said Tankersley. “This is my first time doing this, so we are all just learning as we go, but my hope for our students is to be the best chapter in our region.”

This is the first year Stagg has had a club like this. Neither Tankersley nor the students involved are aware of what is to come, but they hope for the best.

“If any students place in the upcoming competition,” he said.

“We will look forward to going to a state and then national competition.”

PHOTO BY CELINE LOPEZ

Ronald Tankersley, Skills USA adviser, coaches senior Oscar Gonzalez in building his resume for an upcoming mock interview.

JeffersonLeiva

Students are the fuel that keep clubs ignited.

Even if there are times when that fire is extinguished, there is always hope that those clubs may return.

During the 2013-2014 school year, science teacher Deborah Lebanik advised the Rainbow Club.

Unfortunately for the members, the club was unable to continue since Lebanik began having health issues.

Yet this year, the Gay Straight Alliance made its debut, continuing the presence of the civil rights issue.

Club adviser Susan Diohep explained that their first priority was to “create a safe space for students to feel comfortable and to break down barriers.”Diohep stressed that there is a continuity issue with any club and that they need to be flexible for generations to come.

GSA Vice President senior Aryana Salvador is trying to maintain flexibility among the group by partnering with Lincoln High School’s GSA and the San Joaquin Pride Center.

ASB Director Ryan Berg agreed that some “clubs are self contained here on campus, so they can only get help and membership within our school’s boundaries.” But clubs that keep in contact with different local groups tend to get an overall advantage. “They get guidance,” Berg said. “They learn things that are going on and things that they should do.”

The new Black Student Union is also trying to get involved with students.

BSU was inspired by both English teacher Valarie Pugh and Assistant Principal Felicia Bailey-Carr.

BSU President senior Charmaigne Gresham explains that their motivation to create the club was to “get African American kids to know more about their culture and their history.”

They are reaching out to students by hosting an SAT preparatory program.

Both GSA and BSU agree that networking with different local groups has helped them. Not only do they plan to build their members for next year, but they are also setting the foundation that will once again be tested by time.

GRAPHIC BY JEFFERSON LEIVA

02.05.16

Features

the

Stagg Line

Students witness religious prejudice MatteoDanforth

PHOTO BY JOANN SAGARAL

Senor Diana Centeno is the first of her family to attend college. She made it into her college of choice, Fresno State, and will be a college freshman in the fall.

First-gen celebrates success JoAnnSagaral

In the 1980s, college was probably an unreachable target for many of today’s parents. But in the four decades since then, the percentage of Hispanic students enrolled in college has risen from 4 to 15 percent, and the percentage of African-American students has risen from 10 to 15 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

From a numerical standpoint, the change is miniscule.

For a family in this day and age, making it to college is significant. Guidance technician Rebecca Hernandez says that students are too nonchalant about their college acceptances. “It really is a big thing, no matter it being a CSU or a UC,” she said.

“When we post them on the bulletin or on the intercom, it gives students a sense of pride.”

The enemy of many students during the college application process is the deadline. People fall victim to procrastination. Jose Mejia, a senior who aspired to go to the University of the Pacific, admits that the biggest obstacle was finding the time to fill out the applications completely. That did not stop him from getting accepted to UOP. “Why haven’t

they contacted me yet?” was a question he often asked himself during the lull of December.

Some seniors took the initiative to ensure that they did not suffer through the stress of deadlines.

Senior Diana Centeno, who was recently accepted to California State University Fresno, finished herapplication in the middle of October.

As a first-generation college student, Centeno faced some difficulties in filling out her parents’ educational background.

With help from AVID teacher Deborah Spector, Centeno was able to apply to several schools well before the cutoff date. Jocelyn Rebolledo-Cortes said that doing applications with friends eases the painstaking process of filling out applications. They notify each other of deadlines and relay important announcements to each other, such as when workshops take place.

Transferring information is the biggest annoyance to students. Seniors must list every class, even those they have not taken yet. Counselors alleviate that burden by guiding them through every step and ensuring that it is all correct. For first-generations students, which make up a large majority of Stagg’s population, teachers and counselors are the

sole source of assistance.

All three students mentioned in this story are first-generation college freshmen and all three of them were accepted into colleges they had chosen.

Now they must prepare for the immediate culture shock of college living. Centeno has already finished her housing application. Rebolledo-Cortes is more hesitant, however; the prospect of independence is daunting.

This year, many California State Universities have made it a requirement for freshmen to live on campus. This requirement has been implemented in order to increase the retention rate. It is one challenge to be accepted into college, but another is staying true to the commitment. Centeno is going to be studying pediatrics, knowing fully well the work load she’ll be taking on.

Mejia has questioned his major several times throughout the year, but he knew that UOP was the place he wanted to go. His final decision was to enroll in the dental hygienist program. He beamed as he said: “It’s my dream school, the ideal school for me. I’m really looking forward to just staying in Stockton. It’s where I grew up, I want to stay here.

It’s a lame reason, I know, but… it’s true.”

Struggles bring new perspectives

Teens learn to overcome the loss of loved ones RosaGarcia

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JESTONIE SOTIANGCO (ABOVE) AND SELENA RIVAS

(Above) Jestonie Sotiangco sits with his grandmother prior to her flight to the Phillipines. (Below) Selena Rivas will always cherish the memories and laughter she shared with Steve Franco.

For everyone there comes a time when hardships get the best of them. In the new year, new hardships arise for some. Each individual has a story with a struggle, but also something that makes them bolder and better. How do people manage to stay positive through it all and focus on school?

Senior Jestonie Sotiangco recently faced hardship. His grandmother passed away from cancer just last year. She was like a second mother to him, and he learned a lot from her growing up. He said, “The hardest part of it all was not being able to be there for her funeral because it was held in the Philippines.”

Because of the circumstances, he couldn’t attend and had to say goodbye early on. The most important thing that he learned from his grandma was to never judge others, because you never know what a person might be going through.

Sotiangco explained how he copes with his loss by turning to his friends and family. “I have a great supporting cast I can turn to, they always have my back and listen to me whenever I’m down.”

In the future he plans to save up and visit her grave in the Philippines. He says his motivation to do better throughout the school came from wanting to make her proud.

His perspective changed and he appreciated his family more. He learned to not take people or the precious time we have for granted. “Life’s too short to spend so much time alone or with friends and instead spend more time with family.”

Senior Selena Rivas also faced a new hardship this year involving the loss of a loved one. Her best friend passed away at the end of last year. Recently, Rivas received her acceptance letter from her dream college and said that the hardest part was not being able to tell her best friend the news.

She explained how it really hit her because she wanted him to be the first to know about her acceptance.

Rivas explained how she copes with her emotions by keeping herself busy. She follows a routine she created for the purpose of coping: waking up, going to school, going to work, and finally to sleep. She said that he’s a daily reminder to her to stay positive and not give up, because he would be the one to help her through rough times. Through the happy and sad memories that she shares with him, their special bond is what keeps her motivated.

“He would always tell me not to give up and keep going.” She explained how his death affected her, but that after getting accepted, she’s really thought about not giving up on school, because she realized he would’ve wanted her to go and be successful.

Rivas plans to go to University of Nevada Reno to continue her education. “I’m going to be successful for him, but also for myself.”

5

When asked to describe his religion, senior Lavante Bushnell said that it is “just like any other lifestyle. Nobody treats me differently because I’m a Witness.”

As of 2014, there was a population of about one million Jehovah’s Witnesses in the United States alone. Many view Witnesses as obnoxious, giving their religion a negative connotation due to things such as door-to-door preaching. In reality, a Witness’s beliefs don’t stray far from those of other Christian denominations.

For Bushnell, it’s something he has grown up with and grown deeper into. “I go to church and I read the Bible like I’m supposed to,” he said. “If any person were to talk to me about another religion, I wouldn’t believe them if it wasn’t in the Bible.”

The senior is closely intertwined with his religion and accepts its teachings, believing that he would never stray from the church. Bushnell insists, “Even if I were to go away, I would always come back.”

Bushnell insisted that his religious views and lifestyle don’t change who he is. Even as a Witness, none of his friends at school view him any differently. He jokingly said, “No one says, ‘Oh thats Brother Bushnell.’”

Not everyone is raised in a religion like the senior has been. Junior Michaela Maloney’s parents are Witnesses, but she isn’t. “It’s sort of the ‘house rules’ for me to follow their beliefs,” she said. “I believe in God, but I don’t think I could follow a religion (strictly).”

According to the Witnesses’ interpretation of the Bible, the world will not end, but will come under the domain of the Kingdom of God and become perfect. This version of Heaven doesn’t make sense to Maloney. “My parents were told in high school the end was coming,” she said. “Now they are older and it still hasn’t come. I just can’t understand it sometime.”

Maloney and Bushnell fall into two extremes of being raised in a religious household. Some, like Maloney, will go against their parents’ beliefs and their religion. Others, like Bushnell, will accept the teachings and grow in their faith. However, there are many that fall in the middle of these two categories. Junior Mariposa Guerrero is one of those that fall in between these two extremes.

Having divorced parents, a father who is a Witness and a mother who isn’t, becomes difficult for Guerrero and sometimes frustrating. “I feel like I miss out a lot because there are certain holidays Witnesses don’t celebrate,” the junior said. Witnesses have interpreted the Bible to say that birth shouldn’t be celebrated but death, a way of symbolizing the end of one’s journey on earth, should be. Because of this, the religion doesn’t condone the celebration of birthdays and Christmas.

“I’m conflicted because of the different views of my parents,” Guerrero said. She describes a time when she almost missed a play that she had a major role in because of conflicting schedules with Bible study. “I argued with my dad a lot, but he let me go,” the junior said.

GRAPHIC BY MATTEO DANFORTH

6

the

Stagg Line

Entertainment

02.05.16

T4 made just for U MarleenePheav

Imagine a milky, creamy texture. Each flavor isn’t too overpowering or plain, but balances within the pearls.

The blend of a chewy add-on with a rich milk tea ultimately creates the fusion of what is commonly known as bubble tea.

Originating from Taiwan, bubble tea has become a trendy and delicious drink throughout the world, including the U.S. It usually consists of a tea base mixed with fruit or milk, along with chewy tapioca balls (also known as boba or pearls) or other fruit jellies.

T4, or Tea For U, which first opened about two months ago, is a boba café located between Planet Fitness and Baskin Robbins on March Lane. A glass exterior makes the inside look attractive to those who pass by.

The interior design and decor stand out with their modern, teal-themed color, aesthetically unifying the restaurant.

One special characteristic noticeable about their menu is that a customer can change the sweetness and ice cube percentages of their drink.

For example, if I want my drink to be a little sweeter, telling the cashier to add an 80 percent

GRAPHIC BY MARLEENE PHEAV AND CELINE LOPEZ

sweetness to my drink would do the trick.

A couple of my favorite drinks are Okinawa Milk Tea, Caramel Milk Tea, and Thai Milk Tea. I prefer mini boba from the rest of the addons.

They’re smaller, easier to chew, and hold more compared to the equivalent capacity of regular boba.

T4 doesn’t only serve drinks, they also provide snacks. The fried calamari is a bit oily, but the rings are huge. The french fries are also a plus, due to their black pepper seasoning.

Along with the free Wi-Fi, T4 provides playing cards and board games for customers to play with while waiting for their order.

The atmosphere holds a friendly and chill environment. The music can be a bit loud at times, but it’s no distraction when socializing over a game of Jenga.

Compared to the other local boba shops, T4 and Quickly are neck-and-neck. Both offer friendly customer service and entertainment, but their own drinks and food have a unique style.

Being the closest boba café from Stagg, T4 has quality grub, social activities, and a pleasing visual environment.

Their milk teas may just be for you.

ART BY MARLEENE PHEAV

Fans looking forward to Super Bowl Sunday JuliaRosete

People gather around the television, friends and family close by. Some cheer for one team while others support the other. And some come together for the social aspect, without even caring about either team.

Homes are packed with people stuffing their faces with a seemingly endless supply of food. The ridiculous, hilarious, and sometimes heart-warming commercials make people look forward to the event.

There are many things to look forward to on this day. And that day is Sunday, Feb. 7. People across the country have been waiting for this day.

The big game, the final game. It’s the 50th National Football League Super Bowl.

With events like this, many people have certain traditions that they do with their friends and family every year. No matter the size of the celebration, they look forward to them each year.

Freshman Kevin Gutierrez looks forward to seeing the action during the game.

“Usually I like to see the big hits with the nice jukes that some people pull off during the game,” he said. Gutierrez likes to watch the game with his mother, even though she doesn’t enjoy it as much as he does.

With the game being played at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, the entire Bay Area has erupted with hype, preparing for the event. Sophomore Julian Moreno recently went to San Francisco and saw the anticipation.

“Everybody was wearing a football jersey from their favorite team,” said Moreno. “You’ll see people for the Green Bay (Packers) and all the other teams.”

Others are going beyond just watching from home with friends and family.

Junior Tatiana Jones has a rather unusual family gathering for the big game.

Her family has an extravagant party, featuring kids riding

horses and jumpers. The scene can get pretty crazy, she said.

“We just all get together and have a good time,” Jones said.

The next couple of days, after the game day, they’ll stay outdoors and have a bit of a camping trip to just have some family fun.

“We teach kids (how to ride horses) and give them lessons,” Jones said. “It’s the biggest day of our tradition.”

Senior Jasmine Pharms said her mother and step dad will be tailgating outside the venue, enjoying the excitement of the game. Her mom told her tailgating is just as good as going to the game itself.

From her experience tailgating in the past, she can tell it will be exciting.

“Everybody had their little trailers out, and everybody was barbecuing,” Pharms said. “It was really fun.”

She thinks that this year’s game is gonna be packed with excitement for different reasons.

Matte lipsticks are now a social norm. Popular and very trendy among the world of makeup, many choose to wear matte lipstick for its natural look. A new way of tinting lips without the shine.

GRAPHIC BY ROSA GARCIA

Sports

02.05.16

the

Stagg Line

7

SHOOTING FOR BIG DREAMS Senior Jasmine Pharms considers playing basketball during college

ArrianaSmith

Her nerves were in overdrive as she walked into a room full of sophomores. She worried about keeping up and being as good as her teammates.

Senior Jasmine Pharms remembers her experience as a freshman on the JV girls basketball team.

“After tryouts, coach Offield came to me and said he thought I had potential,” Pharms said. “He offered me a spot on the JV team.”

Her nerves were quickly put to rest as her team began to help and motivate her to be the best she could. Since her teammates could all perform well, keeping up with their pace was Pharms’ biggest struggle.“I was a freshman and really didn’t know much about the sport,” Pharms said. “Receiving MVP at the banquet really shocked me because I thought my plays were sloppy.”

Pharms continued her high school basketball career the following season after trying out and being placed on the varsity team, where she has played all three years. So far in the season she has averaged 26.8 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. Although she wants to play basketball for the college she attends, she received a scholarship to Northridge for track and field. “The scout said I most likely won’t even be able to try out for basketball if I take the scholarship for track,” Pharms said.

While Pharms enjoys track she feels like it is a quieter sport that requires a lot more focus. She finds herself more determined with the sound of an audience cheering her on.

“I love the intensity and physicalness of basketball,” she said. “I just don’t get the same feeling when running track.” However, sometimes the pressure she gets from her coach and team affects

her even after a game.

“I missed two free throws and we ended losing by two points,” Pharms said. “I really felt like I failed my team that night.”

Now with the end of the season approaching, her decision remains between Northridge and the Southern University of A&M College in Louisiana.

Her expression changes as she begins to talk about her future.

“I realize no matter where I attend college it won’t be the same,” Pharms said. “After this year I’ll never be on the court with any of the same people.”

One relationship she’s made during her basketball career and plans on maintaining is with her coach.

“Coach Nguyen and I have a father-daughter relationship,” Pharms said. She is anticipating the arrival of her siblings, who will be starting as freshmen next year, which will make staying in contact with Nguyen easier. She hopes that he will stay her lifelong mentor and friend.

Motivation and encouragement from her coach, team, family and friends have built Pharms into the the person she is today, on and off the court. Her close friend and teammate, senior Charmaigne Gresham said that when their team is in need of points coach Nguyen urges the players to pass the ball to Jasmine since she is the top scorer.

Pharms hope that no one else get the nerves she did when being put on the JV basketball team as a freshman but rather excitement for what lies ahead.

“I feel like what stops people from moving up is they’re afraid of not getting playtime,” Pharms said. “They need to have an open mindset and know they’ll continue to get better.”

(Left) Senior Jasmine Pharms waits with anticipation for the basketball to get passed her way. (Below) Pharms runs across the court to her opponents side in order for the team to work together to pass her the ball so a shot can be made and a point for their team.

PHOTO BY ARRIANA SMITH

Wrestling changes lifestyle Boys varsity basketball has improved

StephanieJimenez

In every sport an athlete gains physical endurance, mental toughness and overall fitness, but not every sport offers athletes the chance to change their lifestyle drastically.

Wrestling consists of two opponents wanting to unbalance, tackle down or immobilize the other in order to win a match. But in order to participate players need to be a certain weight.

Players are required to weigh between 106 to 195 pounds, to be categorized in light, medium and heavy weight. At times this is difficult for players to achieve.

For freshman Aidan Danforth, in the lightweight category, losing weight before a match is critical.

“If I don’t make the weight and can’t compete I feel like I abandoned my teammates.” Losing and gaining weight is highly important to a wrestler.

Throughout the week players spit in a bottle during practice simply to lose an ounce.

Danforth admits to wearing three layers of clothes during practice to burn calories.

“Our coach isn’t strict when it comes to losing weight, but of course he’ll get upset if we don’t wrestle,” he said.

Danforth says it hurts him

mentally when he doesn’t compete in a match.

Junior Aden Bernal, in the lightweight category says that a day before a match, he avoids

eating a large meal. “I work out; I run, do pushups (and) situps to maintain heat to lose weight,” Bernal said.

Freshman James Hoang, in the lightweight category, says wrestling has changed his lifestyle in a positive way.

“I feel amazing, I feel more active than other people,”Hoang said.

Hoang eats a sandwich and water for breakfast, lunch and dinner. “I see a lot of changes in myself. I see more definition on my body, I can run a mile without stopping now.”

Wrestlers tend to eat small portions of food before a match.

“I only drink water and eat a fruit (such as a) banana,” Danforth said.

Although wrestlers put themselves under strict conditions to maintain a specific weight, it is benfits them.

Bernal decided to quit consuming fast food because it interferes with wrestling expectations.

PHOTO BY ARACELI VALENCIA Wrestlers get the opportunity to become stronger players In the photo above the wrestling team goes up against Edison. And the wrestler uses a certian method taught to him during practice in and improve their health at the order to pin down his opponent. same time.

What holds the pyramid together?

AraceliValencia Last year the varsity boys basketball team went 2-8 in league and didn’t land a playoff spot. However, this season team entered the second half of league 2-3. They have beaten Franklin 93-79 and Bear Creek 64-44.

“We went through a lull,” varsity head coach Ryan Berg said.

“We’ve gotten better and better.”

As the season progresses, the boys have found themselves trying to fight the lull. In the beginning of league, the team started with two losses. The next week they bounced back with two wins. Last week they lost both games. After the two losses against Edison and McNair, senior Marcello Salazar says the team was “hungry for a win” and it made them play “stronger and harder.”

“Players must contribute in order to do well,” sophomore Kaleb Carter said.

Whether or not they fall into a lull, Berg says, is determined by how they play in the first quarter, which has been the hardest for the boys because that is where they must set the tone.

“There are moments where we are stronger and better, but we’ve had a challenge trying to get the guys to play to their fullest,” Berg said.

However, the stats have shown that the team has outscored all opponents, in the first quarter, except Edison and Chavez, in the first five games of league of league. “If we don’t come out strong we end up digging a hole for ourselves,” Carter said.

The stats show the team has struggled more in the second and third quarters, which are critical to the game. Salazar explains that the team sets the tone in the first quarter then the second and third quarter determines if they are left to catch up or be relaxed in the fourth quarter.

“We can ride the highs and when it’s low it takes a while to get back into it,” Berg said.

In the game against Bear Creek, the boys “executed the gameplan good” and Salazar says that a big part of that success was senior Kevin Johnson. Johnson helped suppress Bear Creek’s top player, who averages 18 points a game.

“Every team has that one person,” Salazar said. “(If ) we shut that one person down, (we will) win it.”

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE JIMENEZ

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY SARA ABDELTAWAB, LOUIS FUENTEZ, ANGEL GONZALEZ

During preseason the varsity team huddles before the game begins.

They chant and exchange encouraging words before they break.

8

the

News

Stagg Line

WITHOUT TEXTBOOKS

02.05.16

Students in AP Physics and AP Spanish classes manage with printed copies of class texts PhillicityUriarte-Jones

The words “Class, turn to page…” usually signify being in a classroom. However, students in AP Physics or AP Spanish do not hear those words. As of now, neither Advanced Placement class taught by Bill Lorentz or Raquel Prado has a textbook, and neither has ever had them.

AP Spanish, which has been taught since last year, has not had the opportunity to order books yet.

Prado has been teaching this class and has had to learn to adapt to teaching without a solid base. She relies most on materials she has received in her training, including AP workshops. This has given her the opportunity to build her own lessons, which is what the Common Core movement calls for.

“It’s both freeing and limiting,” Prado said. She has the ability to create and organize lessons based on her knowledge of Spanish and can use her best judgement as a teacher. However, certain assignments require more materials than she or her students have access to.

However, with this advantage comes difficulties that are placed on the students’ shoulders. Without physical materials, they must take pictures of the board and share with those who do not have the capability to take their own. Junior Katherine Ortiz is a student in Prado’s class and recognizes that “you do what

PHOTO BY ARACELI VALENCIA

In AP Spanish, students are relying on printed books and photos on their phones to get the homework assignments done.

you gotta do.” Perhaps it is easier for her than others as she has a camera phone, and those who do not may be at a disadvantage.

“It’s relatively easy for me because I have a phone, but not everyone does.”

Prado has based her lessons on an AP Spanish book ,“Temas,” for two years now, and with the expected order of books she hopes that the district will purchase the book she has already created a full year’s worth of lessons around.

With this would come more materials for students as well as the teacher. “It would be nice, not only for myself but also because the students would have more materials for themselves.”

As of now, Prado has to make multiple copies of anything she uses. “At this level of learning,

they have to do a lot of not only writing but also reading, such as articles. To be fair to them they need a copy to study personally.”

She also has learned a great deal from teachers she is in contact with that teach the course in other districts. “Their guidance is really helpful as a new AP teacher.”

The AP Physics class, on the other hand, has already purchased 20 of their textbooks for this year and will be purchasing an additional 20 for the upcoming year.

They have already been supplied with what was considered a textbook by the district, a two-inch binder full of printed papers. Despite the availability these “textbooks” offer, their lessons are based on another AP Physics textbook that they cur-

rently only have one copy of.

Unlike what the majority may think of as a disadvantage, senior Giacomo Abdallah thinks the lack of official materials to take home acts as a way to reinforce his memory. Not being able to refer back to a text makes forgetting what he learned earlier that day not an option. “It definitely makes it more challenging, but it makes you have to think more and be more involved in the lesson.”

In this way, he sees textbooks almost as a nuisance. “I don’t want to have to lug it with me all day, especially if it’s heavy.” The binders they currently have in their class do not make much of a difference.

They generally have the same material, but the different context can be confusing for students who are trying to learn new material.

The class is small, with fewer than 20 students in total, and is the only class on campus for both Stagg and PLA. Yet, the few students from PLA have their own textbooks, unlike the rest of their classmates.

Class instructor Lorentz frequently creates his own material regardless of textbook availability. One of his more recent assignments was building a mousetrap boat with his guidance.

This real world application, though advantageous,potentially poses difficulties to students who need its guidance.

WeeklyGallery

Check out our website for galleries spotlighting eighth grade registration, the blood drive, science and sports.

To see more visit staggonline.net

PHOTO BY ANGEL GONZALEZ

Students needed to truge through the large puddles that scattered around the lunch area, due to the constant rainy days.

El Niño brings hope but not enough water

SaraAbdeltawab

Wet clothes, flooded streets, giant puddles, and a hint of flying umbrellas. It’s been pouring a lot more lately, but does that mean the drought is over? Several students say that they think the rain that we have gotten has cleared up the drought we’ve been having. What do these students really know, versus what they hear from other students and teachers around school?

El Niño, which brings about higher than usual rain to the West Coast every few years has had California residents wondering, “What drought?” Over the past four years, California has been struggling to get a single drop of rain. Entering the new year, rain is the only thing we seem to be getting. Although it may seem as if we are no longer in a drought, a couple of weeks of showers has only done the environment so little. According to San Gabriel Valley Tribune, we would need at least 53 inches of rain in one year to come close to not being in a drought. When El Niño comes close to home, it affects the way students act, and or how they go on with the constant weather change.

“The weather change is good,” Nicole Richards said, “we need a little rain, but it causes our (track) practices to get cancelled.”

Getting to school later in the day and using the rain as an

“I can’t wear my flip flops, I hate wearing sweaters.”

Cynthia Keo Sophomore excuse to not come to school, it seems that the rain is having an affect on students who just care about getting their shoes wet.

For sophomore Cynthia Keo the change of weather is something she has grown to hate, because it messes up her fashion sense.

“I’ve been getting more sick lately, and I can’t wear my flip flops, I hate wearing sweaters,” Keo said.

With more than half the students repeatedly saying they think the drought is over, for some they know it’s not. Richards went on to say that she knows the drought isn’t over, but she says it isn’t as bad as it used to be. Spring sports are on their way, which will make it a pretty tough beginning season for most, since El Niño is expected to continue through the end of February and most of March.

“We need the weather change,” Richards said, “so we (should) just live it.”

Work Experience course creates opportunities LuciTomas

PHOTO BY LUCI TOMAS

Junior Danny Murillo-Estrada works at Kentucky Friend Chicken, where he cooks the chicken.

Deadlines, homework, and stress all come with a night time job that ends at 10:00 p.m. This is the life of work experience students who gain valuable credits in this extracurricular class. This is a class that provides students with more career options in order to live a successful work life.

Senior Brianna Alford has been looking for a job since her junior year. After speaking with Julie Yescas, Work Experience coordinator, about job opportunities, she was immediately hired at McDonalds.

She felt a drive to apply for a job because she wanted to do things on her own and gain experience.

While serving customers at the drive-through, she described the work environment as a team. “We all work together as a team and I don’t feel left out,” Alford said. “This class is definitely setting you up for the future,” she said.

For the few months of her enrollment, she recalled that the class is a good experience because students learn about job essentials that can help later on in life. “Ms. Yescas is always there to help you,” Alford said.

Senior Chelsey Rojas agrees that the assignments are very helpful when it comes to certain situations in the workplace. “It helps us with taxes, sexual harassment, creating a resume, and personal reference list before we go on our own,” she said. Rojas has been working as a waitress at De Parsia’s restaurant since her sophomore year.

“Working during high school takes a lot of energy,” she said. Al-

though it’s time consuming, she still maintains a high grade-point average. Other than doing homework and working, she also is responsible for picking up her sisters from school and after work she goes to the gym. She mentions that her days end at 1 a.m.

Any student interested in finding a job should meet with Yescas.

Students must also meet the requirements which include being a junior or senior, maintaining a 2.0 GPA, and having good attendance.

Then once students are hired to the job, she will provide them with the permit. “The skills and experiences will benefit (you) now and later. Learning now helps them navigate life more easily,” Yescas said.

Junior Danny Murillo-Estrada works at Kentucky Fried Chicken and is the cook. He thought about working at KFC because his mother is the relief manager. Murillo-Estrada said that he started working because he needs more credits and wants to financially support his family.

Although he recalled that finishing the class assignments while working is challenging, he still finds the homework to be helpful because it covers real-life situations.

Yescas highly recommends students to stop by her office to speak to her about job opportunities, work permits, and enrolling into the class if hired at the job.

“It’s great on your transcript and you still want (the grade) to benefit you, not hurt you,”Yescas said. At the end of the year students tell her they’re thankful they have learned a lot.

“It makes me feel good to see my students at the job sites and that the job is making them afford college,” Yescas said.