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The JagWire Staff is dedicated to providing fair and accurate information of universal interest with the intent to stimulate thought-provoking conversations.
JagWire Policy Statement:
• Published 9 times a year, the student newspaper of Ontario High School is a public forum, with its student editorial board making all decisions concerning its contents. • Unsigned editorials represent the views of the majority of the editorial board. • Letters to the editor are welcomed and will be published as space allows. Letters must be signed, although the staff may withhold the name on request • The paper reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws governing obscenity, libel, privacy and disruption of the school process, as are all contents of the paper. • Opinions in letters are not necessarily those of the staff, nor should any opinion expressed in a public forum be construed as the opinion or policy of the administration, unless so attributed.
Advisor Traci White
Staff writers Carlos Amador Alejandro Anguiano Chantal Ascencio Alyssa Bautista Sarah Campos Gabriela Cano Nicole Chavez Aaron John David Alejandro Gonzalez Nathan Gonzalez Ernesto Hernandez Miranda Lopez Max Moreno Hillary Nguyen Emily Peralta Amanda Perez WambliSka Roan Eagle Celia Ramirez 2
Student Discipline 4
Human Interest CPR and First Aid Classes New Teachers on Campus Self Defense for Young Women
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Editorials
Membean Controversy 3
Entertainment
Art Walk 4
Editors Adam George Noemi Chaves Jasmin Avila Leilani Fu’Qua Juan Govea Viridiana Salgado
School
Co-Editor in Chief Co-Editor in Chief Editor Editor Editor Editor
Sports Mariano Rivera 5 Is Cheer a Sport? 7
Community Huerta del Valle 6
Columns Man on the Street 3 Photos by Noemi 5
OHSJAGWIRE.org
Membean Controversy T
Man on the Street: Disney Edition NOEMI CHAVES & VIRIDIANA SALGADO Staff Editors
ADAM GEORGE Co-Editor in Chief
he “comprehensive, engaging vocabulary building” website Membean, has been implemented into over 4,600 schools nationwide, and has crowned itself as the most effective site for learning vocabulary. Membean can be useful in that aspect, but I think that students aren’t really reaching their full potential with the software. Membean appears to be a beneficial website that allow students to engage with terms that they are unfamiliar with. However, an issue arises when students become lazy, and just mindlessly answer the questions with no regard to learning. Students become obsessed with merely completing the alotted time required for a certain class and grade, and sometimes aren’t concerned with learning in the slightest. Ontario High School senior, Rodrigo Gutierrez, stated, “I just completed my minutes for a grade.” He also said “I never really pay attention when I do it. I just randomly click on words to get it done.” Ontario High School educator and Honors English Teacher, Judy Jackson, claimed “I think Membean works for students who focus on it and take it seriously,
and I do think that it is nized the importance of reflected in their writing membean to a student’s and also in their undervocabulary; however, I standing during reading.” have also noticed first The controversy is two hand how many students sided, and comes down may never reach their to whether or not the stu- full potetial with the site, dent is willing to put time including myself. Memaside to learn vocabulary bean needs to be taken and benefit from the site. seriously whenever it’s From my own being used, and it’s sad personal experience to think that thousands of with Membean, I think students aren’t getting the the site has proved to full effect out of the site be very useful in futherbecause of their lack of ing my own vocabulary motivation and and ability to use more unwillingness to set time sophisticated words, but aside to practice. at the same time, I have I think these noticed that very laboriissues should be ous sessions of Membean addressed by the dry out my motivation to teachers, and inform their learn. At the beginning of student’s on the overall every session, my brain is benefits that membean fresh, and ready to learn can provide, but also the a variety of new words impact that it can have on and word roots that I am their grade if not taken unfamiliar with; but after seriousy. a solid 30 or 40 minutes Some suggestions to stuof it, I become mentally dents could be to advise exhausted. them to take more fre The other issue I quent breaks if they feel have noticed is that when as though they are you choose not to pay becoming lazy in their attention, you don’t work, and maybe also try perform well on the mem- to spend some more time bean tests on the definition slides to teachers assign from time try and retain the to time. In my own information more personal experience, efficiently. membean has had a massive impact on the gradebook, and a bad test score can certainly lower your grade by a substantial amount. At this point in Membean has over 1500 extravagant my junior year of high words for students to study and school, I have recoglearn.
1. What is your favorite Disney character? 2. Favorite Disney movie? 3. What movie would you like to live in? 4. What character are you like the most and why?
1. Ariel 2. The Little Mermaid 3. Toy Story 4. Ariel because I’m goofy and I like to be free.
Stephanie Ortiz, Freshman
1.Mulan 2. The Little Mermaid 3. Sleeping Beauty 4. Ursula because she is sarcastic and knows how to get her way.
Jazmine Chavez, Sophomore
1. Belle 2. Beauty and the Beast 3. Brave 4. Merida, because I don’t follow rules.
Yamilet Valenzuela, Junior 1. Nemo 2. Brother Bear 3. Monster’s Inc. 4. Mike Wazowski because he is small.
Dmitri Gonzalez, Senior
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Student Discipline A t Ontario High School, along with many other schools in our country we struggle to keep students focused on academics. In the months of December, 2018 and January, 2019, Ontario High School reported a total of 992 incidents schoolwide pertaining to numerous violations including failure to reach class on time, electronic misconduct, and teacher defiance. These particular months show a considerably high frequency of incidents due to tardy sweeps which were held at the start of each of the two months, where a multitude of students were held for not arriving to school on time.There can be a variety of reasons why a student might arrive to class late; for one, there can be conflicts with athletics where a student might need to drop off equipment or clothing. Sophomore Jordan Rand says, “I got here at 7:26 a.m. and I still have to drop off my clubs and it makes me late.” Location issues are also a factor which weigh into students ability to arrive early. Senior Britney Castañeda says, “I’m late because I live 30 minutes away
and there is also traffic.” Tardies aren’t the only problem on campus, depending on the severity of the subject, incidents such as excessive aggression or defiance towards teachers can often result in suspension, parent conferences, and Saturday school. In regard to student violence, Assistant Principal of Discipline, JeanCharles Placide, states “It all depends what happens. If you have a fight, you’re gonna sit down with every student, talk to their parents and very likely there will be suspension.” Each level of violation has a varying consequence. For example, Dress Code Violation will have significantly less repercussions than possession of weapons or other dangerous or illegal paraphernalia. In addition to tardies and contraband, there was a large number of violations regarding electronic devices. These incidents can involve anything from texting to making phone calls in class. “if you refuse to follow the teachers instructions they can kick you out…teachers have the right to kick you
Art
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our times a year, the Emporia Arts District, people of all ages can attend a free art walk accompanied by music, food, and artisanal goods. During each season there will be a day where people can come and attend. As of this year there will be three coming up, one on May 18th, August 17th, and on November 16th. This art walk is located at 211-223 West Empo-
JUAN GOVEA Editor
out,” says Placide. Most incidents involving the discipline office will result in student’s phone being taken away until the end of the school day or might even involve a parent confrontation. The growing popularity of substance abuse in our nation’s youth makes it hard for schools to contain student beliefs on subjects such as substance possession. “If we can get to the kids, [and] put a message out saying that vape pens aren’t cool and aren’t safe… we can suppress this issue.” On campus, there are a variety of programs and counseling opportunities students can utilize to avoid getting cited. Peer counseling, the counseling team in the guidance office, and school therapists are all resources for preventative action. The school librarian, Ms. Potter, even goes as far as informing students about what’s permitted and what’s not on campus by giving presentations. Ontario High School’s Discipline Office works diligently to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and staff.
Walk
HILLARY NGUYEN Staff Writer
ria Street 119 Transit Street in Ontario, California. For students looking for a place to find themselves or find something to connect with, the art at the Ontario art walk is the place to to find that. The city of Ontario has made it its job to promote art and help local artists teach others about skills and different cultural aspects. For an artist to participate in the event, they must fill out
an application and follow requirements. Some of the requirements include fees, a short biography, and at least five pieces of personal art that will be displayed.
PHOTOS BY NOEMI
Mariano Rivera: Induction Rthe Hall of Fame into
ADAM GEORGE Co-Editor in Chief
etired Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, referred ADAM GEORGE to as “one of the most prominent Co-Editor closersininChief baseball history” according to beyond the box scores website, has become the first ever Major League Baseball player to be unanimously voted into the etired Yankees closerHall Mariano Rivera,On National Baseball of Fame. referred to as “one of the most prominent closers Tuesday January 21st 2019, Rivera was votedinin baseball history” according to beyond the box scores by the Cooperstown Hall of Fame council, receivwebsite, has become the first ever Major League Baseing player 425 votes by allinto 10 the members. ball to beunanimously unanimously voted National Rivera beganOn hisTuesday career January with the21st Yan-2019, Baseball Hall of Fame. Rivera by the of for Fame kees atwas 25 voted yearsinold, andCooperstown played withHall them council, receiving 425 votes unanimously by all 10 19 consecutive seasons. During his career with members. the Yankees, Rivera held a record breaking 652 Rivera began his career with the Yankees at saves, surpassing the 400 pitchers 25 years old, and played withsaves them closing for 19 consecutive club by During a landslide. He also the major leagues seasons. his career with left the Yankees, Rivera held a record breaking 652 saves, surpassing the with a 2.21 ERA (Earned Run Average), and400 alsaves He also left lowedclosing only 2pitchers earnedclub runsbyina landslide. 35 postseason innings the major leagues with a 2.21 ERA (Earned Run Averpitched. age), and allowed only 2 earned runs in 35 postseason Rivera has won 5 World Series Championinnings pitched. thehas Yankees, whichSeries ties him for the 5th ships with Rivera won 5 World Championships with the Yankees, which ties him for the 5th most most Championships of all time and the most by Championships of all time and the most by any All Star any All Star closer.
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closer.
In Order to be elected into the Cooperstown Hall of Fame, a Major League Player must meet the criteria that all Hall of Fame requires. For starters, the players must “have been active as a player in the Major Leagues at some time during a period beginning fifteen (15) years before and ending five (5) years prior to election,” according to the BBWA (Baseball Writers Association of America) election rules website stated. In addition, they also must have played in at least 10 championship seasons. Rivera surpasses all of these requirements by a landslide, which resulted in his unanimous nomination. Mariano Rivera’s career has become a milestone in major league baseball history as a 13 time all-star and a 5-time top AL (American League) reliever award. His career is considered the best of any relief pitcher to ever play baseball, deeming him the infamous “GOAT” title by many other professionals and major league coach staff. He retired as a legend in both Yankee and Major League Baseball history, and was also the last player to wear the number “42”.
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Huerta Del Valle CELIA RAMIREZ
O
Staff writer
ntario is a city where people can buy and eat organic food from Huerta del Valle community garden. Located here in Ontario, on Belmont and Campus, garden community members are able to fill out a form where they pledge to treat the earth right along with other members in the Huerta del Valle family. To become a part of the their community, filling out a form and paying 30 dollars per year is all that is required. “To be here, you have to get your hands dirty and that’s that,” says Rogelio Ramirez, a Huerta del Valle member. However, if you’re not willing to get your hands dirty, you can still support the garden by purchasing products from Huerta del Valle such as fruits and vegetables. Huerta del Valle has become more and more recognized and has a second location in Jurupa Valley. In the near future, there will be a third location, also in Jurupa Valley.
Once someone becomes a member of Huerta, they are required to make a sign to place in front of their plot of land. This third location will be known as the ‘showdown’ due to its extensive size planned compared to the other two. On the large piece of donated land, members will be able to have one acre for their fruits and vegetables. The Huerta del Valle community is looking forward to making it the best they can. “It’s incredible that more locations are being opened for an organic garden that will be for the community,” says Maria Alonso, who is the head of the members in the garden. Not only is Huerta del Valle a garden, it’s also a place for people to come together for activities and lessons on fun things such as making ice cream with Huerta products.
Painting is also an option, so there are times when you paint murals or signs for each phase in the garden. Last year, Huerta del Valle hosted its fifth anniversary with Aztec dances, food made with the garden’s products, and music. “We couldn’t have done it without our volunteers, I mean, they are the core of this garden,” Alonso says. People are encouraged to volunteer, especially younger people because it helps them get more involved in the community in which they live. Volunteers are found doing things from making baskets to sell to the community to painting murals to make the community garden more appealing to others. Huerta del Valle hopes to be a safe place for people to come together and has the goal of helping the community to work together to better the atmosphere in Ontario. The goal for Huerta del Valle is to have one garden in every mile in the city and to be a place where people can learn about different types of plants and healthy living.
When the communitiy garden was first founded, this mural was painted to embody the vision for the garden.
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IS CHEER A SPORT?
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HILLARY NGUYEN Staff writer
s cheerleading a sport or just another hobby? At Ontario High School, students in cheerleading will now be getting P.E. credits. Ontario’s competition squad is now considered a sport after a tedious process. The origins of cheerleading stem back to November 2, 1898 at the University of Minnesota. Johnny Campbell, a medical student, created a chant to cheer up the crowd when his team was losing. Campbell’s rally caught wind in the news which then led people in the early 20th century to experiment with different routines. Competitive cheerleading routines include stunting, or lifting a flyer with 3-4 “bases,” tumbling and jumping. Each stunt also varies in difficulty. The modern cheerleading that we see now began after the end of WWII.
Cheerleading, like soccer, basketball and many other sports, is competitive and team-based. Ontario High School’s Assistant Principal, Dr. Gomez believes cheerleading is a sport. “Having seen what they do in my years of being in the district, I absolutely do think [cheerleading] is [a sport].” Dr. Gomez also explains cheerleading takes time and commitment just like any other sport. Not only is cheerleading the sport with the highest injury percentages and risks, but also has national competitions just like any other sport. Part of the reason cheer students began receiving P.E. credits this year involve the discussion between schools regionally and nationwide on whether cheerleading is a sport. Ontario’s adminis-
tration had then began the process of approving cheer. The process included deciding whether cheerleading had met requirements such as the numbers of hours spent preparing for events, and seeing if cheer’s conditioning met with the CIF standards. When (it was clear that) the requirements were met, Ontario High School’s administration proceeded to make a proposal to the district with Ontario’s Site Leadership. The Board then looked at the updated course requirements as well as took into account the proposal from OHS. The school board was then able to make the executive decision, which now grants cheerleading students P.E. credits. The Ontario High School Competition squad will compete in 5 competitions this year, including some at the national level.
CPR and First Aid Classes T
he Ontario Fire Department, located on Cherry Avenue, offers online classes open to the public to help further their knowledge on the basics of CPR and First Aid. The Ontario Fire Department hopes to reach out to as many people as possible in order to create a safer environment and save as many lives as possible.
“As an attendee, I think it’s important to have these opportunities because they teach us how to act in a situation where there is an accident,” Amanda Robles says. According to the Ontario Fire Department website, “Knowing CPR and First Aid skills empowers you to help someone in need.” CPR and First Aid skills are something important that can help save lives. The fire department offers these classes for sixty-five dollars. Applications for the course are available online and linked on the Ontario Fire Department website, and at the fire department itself. Once the application has been filled out, a key code will be provided for access to the course. The code is valid for a year after its activation and the course will remain in the same section it was left in. The course on its own takes two hours to complete. Once the student completes
CELIA RAMIERZ-HERNANDEZ Staff writer
the class, they will take an exam. If the student cannot pass the exam on the first try, they have a second opportunity, and a minimum score of eighty-five percent is required. The second part of the course consists of physical training must be completed within sixty days of taking the exam. This part of the course will take about 1 and a half hours to complete. After the student completes this session, their AHA card will be processed. The AHA (American Heart Association) is a non-profit organization that educates the communities on healthy living and how to deal with cardiac care. Students will receive their card about two weeks after passing the course. To register, call the Fire Department Administrative Office at 909-395-2002 during office hours; Mondays through Thursdays from 7:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
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NEW TEACHERS ON CAMPUS MS. ROBLEDO is a new Spanish teacher
here at Ontario High School. She started teaching this year and is looking forward to seeing herself become a better educator by continuing to learn new strategies and techniques to help get to know students’ interests and motivate them to keep on learning. Robledo describes her current role at OHS as being drastically different from her previous jobs, where she worked in sales and sold everything from Verizon cables to home appliances. Robledo says, “There is not one favorite memory from the time I’ve been here. Really, it’s just anytime my kids are here laughing and smiling, having a good time.” She describes Ontario High School as welcoming; stating that everyone from our students to our principal welcoming upon her arrival. Robledo notes that she loves OHS because of the environment and how we are all so friendly and accepting.
NICOLE CHAVEZ Staff writer
MS. RUFFIN is an English
teacher at Ontario High School. This is her first year working at this school as a teacher. Ruffin is looking forward to becoming comfortable and getting to know everything on campus, especially her classroom and the students in it. She notes that this job is very different from her last because of the environment. There is always so much going on and people are very involved. Ruffin describes OHS as spirited. She says that there’s always people here no matter what time it is or what day of the week it is. There are beautiful signs and sports, clubs, electives, etc. Ruffin says that she loves that everyone is just so involved and committed to bettering our campus.
MS. NAVARRO is an educator here at Ontario High school in our foreign language department. She has
been teaching for a year and hopes to get to know the campus more along with its students and staff. She is also looking forward to becoming more involved in different activities to help her grow. As a Spanish teacher, Navarro’s job is very different from her last position where she worked with probation youth. Now Navarro teaches a subject she is passionate about and could not be happier. She describes Ontario High School as caring, saying “I think it’s neat that a lot of OHS staff are alumni and the close-knit feeling we have is something so cool.” Navarro loves OHS because of the community. It is evident that both the children and staff want to grow and better their school. This community feel is what sets us apart.
SELF DEFENSE FOR YOUNG WOMEN
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here are about 20,000 active missing women cases in the state of California alone, and that number increases on a daily basis. There are 10.6 million female survivors of sexual assault and rape, not including the number of unreported cases, in California according to the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. The California Disaster Center reports 14.3 million robberies in 2017 alone. Robbery, kidnapping, sexual assault, and rape prevention are focused on educating female and male victims on what you shouldn’t do, where you shouldn’t be, and how you shouldn’t act, but rarely are victims educated on simple self defense tactics that can ward off a public assault or help you escape an attack. Self defense can be beneficial to all ages and genders, but learning simple self defense tactics can be extremely beneficial to women under 30 or entering a college/ party atmosphere.
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LEILANI FU’QUA Editor
Krav Maga, or contact combat, was developed by Israeli Defense Forces and is widely known for its’ targeted defense in real world situations and accuracy. Krav Maga simplifies moves from other fighting forms, such as wrestling, mixed martial arts, and boxing, to make them extremely teachable and effective. Sensei Michael Johnson from Universal Martial Arts Centers in Chino, California holds a 2 hour self defense class that is exclusive to women. The class is taught by Johnson and another male sensei in order to give the women experience of being confronted and facing a male attacker who may overpower them. During class, they teach the woman simple defense tactics including punching, “hammerfists,” kicking, palm-strikes, kneeing, and how to escape from a chokehold and a bear hug. Johnson says, “As a women, you’re targeted because you’re an
easy target. No attacker is gonna go up against a 6’5” and 230 pound guy, but a woman who is 5’3” and 125 pounds can be easily overpowered. We want to give these women a leg up against someone who won’t expect them to fight back.” Johnson recommends learning basic self defense and escape tactics to women of all ages, especially those on college campuses and big cities. Self defense can not only teach you self-respect and determination, but provide you with the skills to defend yourself in a sticky situation.