Cornflower 002 June 2024

FINALS AND COLLEGE ADMISSIONS TIPS

SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW: MR. ZIEMANN

FEATURED CLUB: WISTEM

cornflower

MARINA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Tips to ace your finals (two weeks! start studying!)

Answers on page 18!

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EDITORIALPOLICY

The Cornflower is the student led news publication of Marina High School. All issues are published digitally through ISSUU. This is the first issue of The Cornflower, for April 2024. This student publication may contain controversial matter, so please note that opinions expressed in the newspaper are not necessarily representative of the faculty, staff, or administration of Marina. Students are solely responsible for the creation of this magazine and all of its the content.

ADVISOR: MRS. JONES - RM 232

The Cornflower strives to achieve accurate information delivered in a quality manner If you wish to make corrections or clarifications in this or any past issue, or wish to contact a member of the staff with opinions, please contact mhscornflower@gmail.com.

Hey Vikings! This is Twilight, your editor-in-chief for the Cornflower 2024! I’m a junior this year, and am very passionate about writing in all its forms fiction, poetry, non fiction, music, script, etc I feel that lately, not very many of us have enough time in a day to invest into getting to know the parts of school that we aren’t relevant in. So, I started the Cornflower in order to quickly spread more awareness on all the activities and talents that Marina has to offer, which also supports my fondness for journalism. I’m excited to be managing the paper this year!

I’m very proud of all of our staff for this issue, June 2024, the Cornflower’s second issue On Pages 6-7, read about our top tips to prepare for final exams Page 8 begins our summer crossword puzzle Page 9 contains tips on navigating the college application process, and page 11 is a special interview with Mr Ziemann, AP US History teacher

Page 13 begins our spotlight interview with the WISTEM club, and a photography feature on page 16! Thanks for a great semester, team

Please absolutely message me using the contact information on the previous page if you would like to suggest an article idea, submit a piece, or find any issues with our publication. Feedback is greatly appreciated and encouraged. Thank you for reading the Cornflower!

Twilight Williams

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hi, my name is Alec, I'm a junior at Marina, and a few of my special interests are astrology, psychology, art, and music. I hope to see Cornflower grow before I graduate and that everyone enjoys reading and writing it I'm so glad that this club was created and I hope to see all of you at our meetings!

ALEC GRABOWSKI, ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE

Hi my name is Nami Sy and I am secretary of the Cornflower I found an interest in creative writing when I was 12 and found solace in this newspaper because of how much freedom it gives me. I am also a 2-year captain of the Marina Color guard team

NAMI SY, SECRETARY

ASOFJUNETHIRD

12

TOTAL DAYS

10 SCHOOL DAYS

We’re almost there! Keep at it for just a few more days. Take care of yourself and see things through to the end!

9 DAYS UNTIL FINAL EXAMS START

TIPSFORSUCCESS ONFINALS

1) Get a good amount of sleep

During finals week, students frequently cram information at the last minute and avoid getting proper rest. Unfortunately, this imposes the opposite effect of doing well on finals because not only will that information refuse to stick in the brain, but cramming the night before leads to exhaustion. A final frequently averages around an hour to complete, and being tired throughout all of it will lead to mistakes that normally wouldn’t be made if proper sleep was acquired

2)

Study a few days before hand

Instead of studying the night before, it’s more effective to study a few days before, that way all that is needed the night before a big final is rest. The human brain remembers information by sorting what is considered important during sleep, therefore having a few days beforehand to organize information will lead to a higher chance of success during finals.

3) Be in a study group

A study group allows everyone in that group to discuss what they struggle with and work together to figure things out This method enables people to teach others while concurrently deepening their understanding of the content. Simultaneously, the people being taught are also learning, resulting in a mutualistic relationship within the group.

“ THE HUMAN BRAIN REMEMBERS INFORMATION BY SORTING WHAT IS CONSIDERED IMPORTANT DURING SLEEP. ”

4) Eat a good breakfast

As repetitive as this sounds, eating a good breakfast corresponds with the brain working to a higher ability. Protein from foods such as whole-grain cereal, and eggs contribute towards increased concentration Carbohydrates from fruits and oatmeal allow the brain to have more energy to its exposal. A breakfast containing these foods will in turn lead to a higher chance of success on the upcoming final(s).

5) Don’t stress (as hard as it may be)

Stress releases two chemicals in the brain called adrenaline and cortisol. Although adrenaline is often viewed in a positive light, a high amount of it can lead to haste and not taking the time to process questions correctly Cortisol often corresponds with anxiety, and high blood pressure, which is negative towards one health and therefore puts someone in an unfit shape to perform on their finals well.

BY SEBASTIAN PEREZ

2 A state that is also an island in the United States where tourists visit a lot on vacation

3 Don’t forget to apply before going out in the sun

4 The climate during the summer months in the United States can be described as being:

8. This frozen treat is often enjoyed on a stick

11. Refreshing fruit is eaten a lot during summer barbecues

13 The main star in the solar system

15 This sport is often played on the beach

16 Southern State known for its beaches and sunny weather; nicknamed the Sunshine State

18 Clothing used when we go into the water

20. Creamy and often served in a cone

21. An ocean sport that requires a board ACROSS DOWN

1 When people travel on a large boat to different tourist spots in different countries

3 People build these structures with sand on the beach

5 People flock to the beaches to swim in this landform

6. Used to dry off after being in the water

7. A large hole filled with water so we can swim

9. Used to protect our eyes from the sun‘s UV rays

10 Independence Day is celebrated during this month

12 This industry gets a huge boost during summer since that is when a lot of people go on vacations to different places

14 Since there is no school, we can stay in bed and all day

17. The month when summer vacation comes to an end

19. The first day of summer begins in this month every year

HOWTODOMINATE COLLEGEADMISSIONS

These tips are paraphrased from Marina’s college secrets exposed, where five of Marina’s own seniors shared their best tips and experiences from getting into top colleges like Yale, UC’s, the Military Academy, and more

STAYINGTRUETOYOURSELFBETTERDISPLAYS WHATMAKESYOUAUNIQUEANDREAL PERSONRATHERTHANJUSTANOTHERGPA.

On May 21st, five of Marina’s very own seniors who conquered the college admissions scene spoke at a panel to answer questions about their experiences. A common theme among all five was getting to know your university or college. Of this group, two seniors were three were heading into the medical field For those pondering such careers, it was mentioned that there are both direct and non-direct nursing programs and recommends that you figure out which one you are looking for Vising campuses also helps to determine the “vibe” of a school For example, you may think you want a small, quiet school, or a large party school, but in reality you end up wanting the opposite Our students recommend visiting campuses while their school is in session This includes the earlier half of Thanksgiving break (as most colleges will only take the day of and the day after off), and during spring break, which likely won’t line up with most college’s spring breaks It would be beneficial to apply to a wide range of schools as your preferences my change

They also found themselves wishing they started applications earlier It’s common to procrastinate personal statements, but these seniors found that you can almost never start early enough Prompts are typically released in the summer, so they recommend to brainstorm early so that when application windows open, you already have drafts and ideas.

Our students each applied to a number of schools, ranging from 720. In terms of extra-curricular activities, the students commonly chose programs which were based on their desired major. They say it’ s great to have a cohesive theme in your application that ties into your major, but to still stay broad and do everything if it interests you, which shows open mindedness, flexibility, and a greater skill set Volunteer work is good for returning to the community, but leadership roles like ASB, club board positions, and passion projects Dual enrolling in college courses (a really great resource!) also helped to boost applications and expose you to college level material and experiences, as well has help you to decide what you want to study

Overall, don’t try to fit the mold of what a school’s “perfect applicant” is It not only doesn’t stand out much, but is not expressive of who you are beyond grades and lists Staying true to yourself better displays what makes you a unique and real person rather than just another GPA Stay authentic Writing about things that are genuinely important to you will naturally have a better flow on paper

College is not the end of the world It’s not a make or break, and not getting in one year does not determine the course of the rest of your life. Explore your options, keep a wide perspective, and good luck on application season!

THEDEVELOPMENTOF HIGHSCHOOLERS: ANINTERVIEWWITHMR. ZIEMANN

BY ALEC GRABOWSKI

Earl Ziemann, a teacher on campus who teaches both AP U.S. history and AP Human Geography clearly knows a lot, but unexpectedly he didn’t do too well in high school. Ziemann moved to California and attended Golden West College when he was already an adult and was surrounded by newly graduated high schoolers there. He became a tutor there and due to the recent influx of Vietnamese refugees, many of the people he helped were Vietnamese Ziemann was considering becoming a politician because he wanted to help people, but since the office is elected it was not guaranteed. Realizing that he was helping all the people he was tutoring he decided to be a teacher because not only did he get to help people but it was also guaranteed He later transferred to Cal State Long Beach and got his teaching degree and then began teaching at Marina in 1995, 29 years ago. With his own life, Ziemann himself is proof that one’s performance in high school doesn’t determine the rest of one's life, as long as one puts in the effort

“IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME OFFERED DURING YOUTH, AND THAT SUCCESS DOESN’T HAVE TO BE RUSHED.”

Within Marina’s history lies a successful CEO, Andy Yen, the founder of Proton who was a student of Ziemann’s One day in class, Ziemann discussed how the government tracks everyone on social media Later, a student made a post on social media discussing how he had a dream the night before that the U.S. Open of Surfing would be bombed, and his account was flagged It’s important to note this occurred after 9/11 and the government was on high alert since the U.S. Open of Tennis, considered a likely terrorist target, was occurring at a similar time of the U.S. Open of Surfing. Not only was the student’s account flagged, but a SWAT team showed up at his house as he was believed to be a potential terrorist As a result of this, Yen strived to create the most secure messaging system in the world, which he did in the form of Proton Mail, so that people could have privacy online Yen is one of many successful students from Marina, and ended up attending CalTech, and is now someone who current students can look up to as a role model.

Ziemann observed that students today are more reluctant to read, which affects their learning in a way that wasn’t a problem in the past. He believes this stems from electronics and the shortened attention span that comes with it. Students seem to look for immediate answers to questions using the internet and reading to accumulate knowledge is no longer the norm for this generation. Ziemann stated ‘Our best students have always been extremely hard-working young people and they don’t allow themselves to have a childhood anymore ’ He believes it is important that high school students as a whole should have a proper work-life balance because these are the last few years before students enter adulthood. AP students usually focus more on school due to these high expectations, and in contrast, the average student doesn’t care as much about school and focus more on having fun. The goal is to have a good balance between the two, that way when either student looks back on their high school years they don’t regret not allowing fun into their lives or not studying enough and potentially changing their future

Although the stress of wanting to succeed and live a good life can be overwhelming to some students, the path to success isn’t determined by high school grades alone, as long as the effort is put in. Ziemann remarks that community college is not a failure, especially with programs such as the one at Golden West College that allows students to transfer to CSU and UC schools. It’s important to remember to take advantage of the time offered during youth, and that success doesn’t have to be rushed. A phrase related to this is “There are many different paths that will lead us to the same destination,” meaning that the community college route is not as detrimental as it seems for students who take it, as long as they put in the effort and try they too will reach success. Even Ziemann himself who as an AP teacher would be expected to have an outstanding GPA in high school didn’t, but he went through community college and transferred to a CSU. In the end, it’s not necessarily the road that matters but the effort that is put into getting to the final destination.

BY ALEC GRABOWSKI

MARINACLUB SPOTLIGHT: WISTEM

This year’s spring rally Caldwell’s Club of Choice is Marina’s WISTEM The Women in STEM Club, or WISTEM, was started this year to empower the community through STEM and encourage young women to pursue careers in the STEM field Their board consists of Nardeen Gebraeel and Lia Ysabella Sanchez as co-presidents, Holly Turner and Peyton Grasse as co-vice presidents, and Madi Keany as secretary They often host socials with other clubs at Marina and other schools, to help build a bigger community inside and outside of Marina. One key highlight of their year was the bracelet-making social between three other WISTEM and Girls Who Code clubs in the area, where everyone met up at a park to bond and make bracelets. Madi Keany, the club secretary notes, “It was really awesome to meet such an amazing group of like-minded girls!” There are also professionals in the STEM community, visiting guest speakers, who share their knowledge and expertise with the members. The club plans to expand next year with even more social events and guest speakers. For anyone who is interested in joining, WISTEM encourages and welcomes newcomers to stop by every Wednesday at lunch in room 219.

BY SIDNEY NGUYEN

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BY IKE IKEMORI

With the height of Spring just behind us means the wildflowers are in full bloom. Clarkias, California Poppies, Monkeyflowers and others are in peak bloom bringing a collage of colors to our area.

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FIND US AT CLUB RUSH IN SEPTEMBER 2024 FOR ANOTHER GREAT YEAR!

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