Service week makes difference tagg inethe 12.21.12

Vol. 56 No. 4

From straining brains andthrobbing legs to eye pop-ping dance moves and water-ingeyes, lastweekwasnothingshort of entertaining. Studentshelpedcleanupthecampusandschooledtheirteachersinatriv-ia game. Principal Andre Phil-lips raced to the finish line inthewalk-offandseniorCliniahTevisdancedherwaytothetop.And last but not least, seniorAnnamarieCunninghamstaredherwaytovictoryovertwodaysofcompetition. But the week wasn’t aboutthe entertainment or praise. Itwasaboutthefourmainserviceclubs on campus: Key Club,National Honor Society, RedCross, and Interact all collabo-rating to host events and help

studentsraisecannedgoods. The goal was to raise 1,000cansbutstudentsandstaffwentaboveandbeyond,raisingabout1,300cans,plussomecashfromthestaredown.Thegoodswillbegoing to the Emergency FoodBank to help families in needduringtheholidayseason. “It went better than expect-ed,” senior Carol Amaya, KeyClubandNHSpresident, said.“We collected more than whatwasplanned.” Unlike last year’s stare offafter school, this year’s cannedfood drive was connected to awholeweekofeventswherestu-dentscouldbringcanstowatchevents. In addition, clubs were ableto submit students to partici-pate in service week events byraisingacertainnumberofcans

per event, which encouragedstudentstobringincanssotheycould watch their friends par-ticipate. InFrenchClub,forexample,theyhad a club stareoff to seewhotheyshouldsubmit. “I was really into serviceweek,” junior Paul Spauldingsaid. “Ineverdidanything likethisbeforeandIwashappyformywinsandlosses.” Itseemedasthoughstudentsweremoreintunetotheeventsoflastweek,somegoingsofarastoparticipateinmultipleevents.AfewparticipantsevengotVIPseatingatthefinalevent. “Thiswasagoodway togetstudents’ attention,” Frenchteacher Deborah Berg said. “Itbrought to focus the real needwehaveinourcommunitywhilehavingfunatthesametime.”

Stare-OffsuccessNow that the hype of the Stare-Off has died down, we decided to revisit the subject and ask teachers how it

felt to help the community while having fun.

It was wonderful because the whole campus worked towards a common goal.”

“

Stewart Jacoby

I really enjoyed it. It’s nice to think you’re making a difference in a small way while having fun.”

“

Ty Pafford

There was a comfort that our students provided that afternoon. It was a nice landing after a turbulent day.”

“

Tip Duangsawat

It was a lot of fun and it’s important to realize there are always others in need.”

“

Marcus Sherman

It’s always a good feeling when you can help someone in need, because at one point or another we’re there.”

“

Kathy Sady

It was inspirational to see students and teachers working together towards a common goal.”

“

Erica Dei Rossi

phOtOS by (abOve) NicOle lawreNce aNd (left) dellaNira alcauter

(Top) Principal Andre Phillips and teacher Don Bott race against senior Elliott Miller in a walk-off as part of a week long service event. (Far left) Seniors Cliniah Tevis and Efemeh Files compete in a dance battle, which drew a large crowd in the quad. (Left) Andrew Walter, math teacher, answers “pop garbage” when asked about One Direction’s latest single during a quiz bowl between teachers and students.

graphic by reaNNa rOdriguez, fe valeNcia aNd dellaNira alcauter

nicole lawrence

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School1621 Brookside Rd.Stockton, CA 95207

(209) 933-7445 ext. 8487

The Stagg Line newspaper is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Awards and recognitions include the following:

X 19 consecutive NSPA All-American rankings X NSPA Hall of Fame, 2005 X NSPA First-Place Best of Show five times X NSPA Newspaper Pacemaker seven times X JEA Impact Award, 2002

Stagg Line student journalists have won many awards and scholarships over the years,

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 of charge to students and faculty. Our newspaper is a long-standing open forum for free stu-dent expression. Student editors and reporters make content and style decisions with the adviser offer-ing guidance. Editorials reflect the view of the entire editorial board and therefore are unsigned. Opinion columns reflect the view of the writer. Readers are welcomed to write letters to the editor. We will make every effort to print any letter as long as it is not li-belous. Letters longer than 250 words may be edited. Unsigned letters will be printed only in unusual circum-stances, and only when we know who the writer is. Let-ters may be brought to the newspaper room, A-8, or emailed to dbott@stockton.k12.ca.us

Reanna RodriguezNews Editor

Jessica MangiliOpinion Editor

Gabriella MillerFeatures Editor

Adrianna OwensEntertainment Editor

Brian WalkerSports Editor

Fe ValenciaGraphics Editor

Annamarie RodriguezPhoto Editor

Chao XiongWeb Editor

Damon HeineBlog/Social Media Editor

Dellanira Alcauter

Nuvia Cervantes

Michealla Foules

Victorius Gemma

Marcella Hawkins

Allison Ho

Jada Johnson

Miranda Maurino

Alexus Plascencia

Alyssa Rojas

Rebecca Romero

Veronica Vargo

Devin Wickstrom

Don BottAdviser

Annamarie CunninghamEditor-in-Chief

Nicole LawrenceEditor-in-Chief

Drug dogs lead to preventionEditorial

Imagine this: high school students be-ginning their daily routine in one of their classes. Then, out of the blue, a

stranger with a dog walks in, announces that they will be searching the classroom. The students are sent out of the room, left wondering what exactly the dog is looking for. Sound strange? Well, the district has re-cently signed a contract with a private com-pany, K-9 Detection Services, which brings trained dogs to schools to help search class-rooms, locker rooms, and parking lots. Though this may sound like a hassle, administrators say this service has actu-ally helped in keeping illegal substances off campus. “In the last few visits, classes have been clean,” said Assistant Principal Gamal Salama. “And it’s because of these random searches and dogs.” The company doesn’t tell the school when they will be coming, so everyone must work with their schedule. The dog and officer come two to three times a year. Since the unit can come at any time, administration has to be ready at a moment’s notice. Even when students are out of class during lunch or passing period, if the unit ar-rives, then the administration must instead search public areas. The main substances that the dog is sniffing for is gunpowder, marijuana, alcohol, or the misuse of pharmaceutical drugs. We strongly agree with Assistant Principal Youlin Aissa who called the detection dogs a proactive tool. The point of this service is that once students know that the administration

has this tool at their disposal, students will cease bringing illegal substances on campus. In fact, that dog’s nose is so sensitive it will smell marijuana on somebody, even if they did not use it. But if they were around somebody who did, then that is what the dog smells. Now some may not approve that there is a trained dog on campus because it might be a disruption. But there have been random searches in past years, so it should be nothing new to students. The random searches may disrupt a lesson, but that’s because they are completely unscheduled. The administra-tion has no control over when, or even where, the searches will be conducted. It’s basically like drawing a card from a hat. Random searches have always helped keep the students safe from illegal substances but now the district has stepped up their game in keeping campuses safe. For not only does

Stagg receive this great service, but every high school in SUSD has it. One student recalls his classroom being searched by a canine. “We were in the middle of a lesson when a lady with a dog came in,” said Nathan Luna, sophomore. “It was quiet and didn’t take long; it was only about 15 minutes then we went back to what we were doing.” This helpful service is used to keep students and faculty safe, not to harm anyone. The district made a safe, useful choice that can help campuses keep clear of illegal substances. The dogs are just an extra precautionary measure to make sure students and faculty are safe. This brilliant idea is not to punish anyone, but to change them. We and the adminis-tration believe that this service is for the best of students and that the district should keep this contract.

art by Nuvia CErvaNtEs aNd adriaNNa owENs

pinionOtagg inethe2 12. 21.12

The amount of time

that will take you to read this would be precious time that you could have better spent taking several photos of yourself. As you’re taking these photos, you may be won-dering which pose to use. That’s a major decision to make. And then after you take the perfect photo, there is the

next challenge, what should I put as my caption?!! Cash me out, gettin them dollas up. Long hair don’t care. Kisses. Gettin big. Man I swear I’m too thick. MySpace pose. I’m such a thug. Thizz face. Just woke up. After the final step of writing a caption, it’s time to post the picture that all of your friends can see. What an exciting, yet nerve wracking feeling. Now the question comes up, should I post it? I wonder if anyone will “like” it? Then, of course, there’s a bright idea, like every Facebook picture, let’s put in a phrase such as “like if you...” just so the odds of getting more likes is higher. And boom the photo is instantly uploaded.... Just waiting for anyone to like it. Oh my gosh only 15 “likes”! DELETE THE PICTURE! Post it again later. Now, we are all guilty of

doing this, and if you say you’re not, then you are lying. Ugly is the new cute. So just post the photo and let the thirsty com-ments roll in. “Daaaaaaang you are BAD,” and when you receive this comment you know that it was the right choice to post the photo. The fact is it is easier to take a silly picture than a nice picture. It’s just the reality of our social me-dia now. We’ve evolved into a society where you’re only considered cute if you get so many “likes.” We’re so obsessed with ourselves that we’ve even created more ways we can share our gorgeous pictures. Brilliant entrepreneurs have came up with this ingenious invention called... *drum roll* Snapchat! This app allows us to spread these pic-tures in mere seconds with just a click of a button. The best part about Snapchat is it only allows the person receiving the photo to view it for just a

few seconds before it is lost forever, to the grave-yard of ugly photos. Although I do love taking these photos, like every day, they do get annoying sometimes. I hate scrolling down my timeline and seeing the captions that say “like if you love God, or keep scrolling” “like if you hate school” “like if you love babies.” This is the only time where I feel obligated to like the photo because I think that I may send a bad message if I don’t. In our generation it’s acceptable to take and post obnoxious amounts these self-serving photos. While some adults may not understand why we make these poses, it makes complete sense to us. We don’t always need to be serious and it’s funny to capture silly moments.The only time we should worry is if our parents start taking these photos.

Mistakes you make when you take photos

Top 10 poses

long hair don’t carethug face Myspace pose

just woke up making it rain thiz face

daaamn hella thick

juicy lips

photos by NiColE lawrENCE aNd aNNamariE rodriguEz

graphiC by aNNamariE CuNNiNgham

annamarie rodriguez

kisses

gym flow

Opinion tagg inethe 312.21.12

We now take

a moment of silence in honor of a few legendary members of our society. On Nov.16, 2012, the Hostess Com-pany passed away due to complications of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Hostess products may not have been the healthiest friends to be around, or the most ap-propriately named. But their hyper sweetened snack food legacy will live long beyond their original shelf life. They will live on forever in our hearts, minds, and arter-ies. All right, now that the moment of sap is over with, let’s ask a very important question. How many of us even cared that Hostess existed before they went out of business? On the day that this national tragedy occurred, the image of the Twinkie and its counterparts were inescapable. News reports and status updates blistered the Web and TV stations so much that it became the biggest story of the day. Forget the fiscal cliff and the violence in Syria, it is the demise of our snack cakes that gets us real involved in paying attention to current events. Within the week Twinkies were being sold on eBay for anywhere between $60-$5,000 and more. I’d say this was a little overpriced for an item that before could be bought for less than $5 indi-vidually, but some people have to make a living, I suppose. As much as the story of one snack company closing was reported upon that one day, it would appear that this company was dear to America’s heart. But there is only one problem with that: they weren’t. There is a reason that Hostess went could not survive in this modern day America. They had simply lost touch with the public. For the last decade, health issues have been at the forefront of hot topics that this country has tried to solve. In order to survive in a more health conscious environment, companies that distribute less than healthy products have had to adapt to their sur-roundings, or die off. This was Hostess’s Achilles’ heel. It could not keep up with the times and was forced to go with the latter of those two options. The mindless status updates by not all, but many people about the Hostess closing were not done out of actual consideration for the company, but simply because the people they knew were posting the exact same news. Are people becoming so sheeplike that they fol-low people in even the most simple things? We can not be sure about that just yet, but it’s safe to say that in a month, we won’t have a desire for Twinkies and their snack counterparts. Will that desire come again? Well … no. And that is the bitter truth.

Its been an honor playing with you, gentleman.” Prob-ably my favorite line from

the movie “Titanic.” Facing inevitable doom and these guys choose to just sit around and play one last song. What a way to go out... LAME. I felt this reference was ap-propriate given that today this is the day we face the end of the world. If these are my last moments on earth then I’m going out like a boss. It’s not like I’m going to live to face any consequences. What are they going to do? Sue me? Even if they tried, in the time it would take to find a lawyer, make a claim, and take me to court, I’d be long dead. We’d all be long dead actually. The oh-so brilliant, never wrong Mayans predicted on this day, Dec. 21, 2012, that the world would end. According to Hollywood and the film “2012,” we are due for earthquakes, volcano eruptions, and water. Lots and lots of water. If you are one of the, I assume, few who actually plan on living through Christmas, then I recommend go-ing to space. In space there are no fiery volcanoes or massive tidal waves. All is peaceful and quiet. Your only problem would be aliens; there are terrifying, brain hungry aliens in space… and black holes.Here on earth I plan on living it up; after finishing school today, of course. First, I plan on going and buying lots and lots of fast food and ice

cream. Calories do not apply to dead people. Honestly I do not know what I am going to do next. I mean, is there anything more to life besides food? I’ll probably continue my day doing life-threatening actions that will probably kill me in the process. Ever since watching an episode of “Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Fac-tory” I’ve always wanted to go swimming with sharks. Anyone can go swim with dolphins, but that’s weak. And why stop at sharks? Let’s take it a step further, killer whales. Assuming I make it through that, I plan to get a tattoo of “killer” on my face as a memento of my great accomplishment. The next thing on my bucket list requires me to go to Nebraska. I remember once in my adolescence watching a Food Network special on cakes. Somewhere in Nebraska resides a restaurant with a two foot chocolate mousse cake with Oreos and cookie dough baked inside. My dying wish is to go and try a piece of this cake. If I can do all of this then I can rest in peace knowing that I was able to try a piece of this heavenly masterpiece. I would end my day by spending it with the ones I care most about, my family. Unless of course I can spend it with Nicki Minaj. I looooooove Nicki Minaj. She is so perfect in every single way possible. If I can accomplish all this I shall take my final sleep a happy man. And if for some reason I wake up to see Dec. 22 then I would like to formally apologize for my actions. I was not myself and just know you will never be seeing me again. Having the tattoo “killer” on your face does not send the best message so I am going into hiding. I am, however, taking donations for anyone who would like to help with my impending debt. Buying all this food is not going to be cheap!

Hostess hype is idiotic

nuvia cervantes

Father’s mistakes help inspire daughter to do better

A broken home, sleeping on the streets, walking to school starved, being

abused, teased and disrespected for his brown skin, he did what he could to survive. That meant eating whatever he could find and taking whatever he needed. He was a violent kid, with a hot temper. School, unfortunately, didn’t help improve his attitude. My dad had the roughest child-hood, living in a broken home. Nowhere compared to mine or anyone else’s that I know. My father was born and raised in the Philippines to a Filipino mother. His father was an African American military dad that came from the South. Living in poverty in a Third World country, with eight other broth-ers and sisters was hard on my grandmother, as she felt like a single mother. She had a couple of her kids living with her, but most of them lived with their dad. When I was little I would ask my dad about what kinds of things he did when he was little and what his childhood was like, but he wouldn’t give me a real answer. He would find a way around the question, or even make something up. I’ve always felt like he didn’t want to talk about his past, because he has things to hide; things he isn’t proud of. As I grew older, I started to learn a bit more of my dad’s history and how tough it was for him and his siblings to live through poverty and domestic violence. One day I decided to ask one of my aunties the same question. Aunt Pat was very open with it. I was hooked like a little kid during storytime. “Again, again!” I was the kid that couldn’t be satisfied with just one story. Beg-ging for another story to be read to me. One book after another. The stories of them running away from home to escape their father’s beatings and

whippings, wandering around the city were almost unbeliev-able. The outrageous ideas they had when they were little seem a little humorous now. Some left me astonished. I imagined my dad doing the typical stupid teenage stuff, but his experiences were far from the usual. One story that always sticks out to me was the time my Aunt Pat and my dad were plotting to walk from one city to another just to see their mom. The dis-tance was about Stockton from San Francisco. They knocked on doors to get food and water when they needed it. They got caught by my grandfather who

was driving around the city looking for them. He grabbed them back and threw them in the car. When they got home they got punished. Despite all of my dad’s hardships with abuse,

education, and violence now that he’s grown, he’s a loving and protective father. He could’ve been one of those dads who just left and neglected his kids and his wife, like other men have done to my aun-ties. But he isn’t. He’s a very hardworking father and he goes out of his way to make sure we’re safe and taken care of. When people see or meet my dad, they say he looks “scary.” I think it’s because he’s a short, sturdy looking black guy. I guess he has that intimidating look. I have to admit, he is a little frightening. But my brother, sisters and I all know he’s the biggest goofball. I’m very proud of what my father has become. He’s not able to help me with my math prob-lems or proofread my essays, but he does much more help than that. He does his best to keep me and my brother and sisters happy. My dad’s my motivation. He deserves all the love in the world. I think about how lucky I am that I don’t live the life that he had. I want to finish college for my dad. For my parents. My education is the most important thing. For now, doing well in school is the least I can do to repay them.

First friend is worth keepingEveryone

has friends,

whether they’re aware of it or not. It’s those friends who make you feel secure because you know them well. You can be yourself around them because you feel comfort-able with them. Over time, those friends fade in and out of the big picture, causing you to lose track of their existence. It’s one of life’s most natural occurrenc-es, even though watching your friends leave may rouse a stinging pain in your eyes. However, the person you should really clutch to your heart is that first true friend you make. They won’t necessarily be that first friend back in pre-school or the person you hang out with the most, but sometimes they are. I’m talking about that first real friend. The one you whisper your deepest secrets and most sacred

thoughts to. You overexaggerate epic life stories to them. Sooner or later, you eat out of each other’s re-frigerators without asking.This friend makes an enormous impact on you, even if it sometimes goes unnoticed. If the time comes and they depart, they pat a giant sticky note on your back with the words “I was here” scribbled on it. Their impression on you sticks because they mean so much. They’re the fuel to your rocket, the cheese to your macaroni, the peanut butter to your jelly. You talk and complain to your friend for hours and listen to them in turn. People think such a friend is reached after years of familiarity, but there are exceptions. I didn’t meet my true friend until I was in eighth grade. Her name is Amaryllis Mercado and she is the most amazing person I’ve ever met. From the day she shyly said “Hello,” I knew that Amaryllis was different. During my time with her, I seemed to learn how to live. I opened up to more people and accumulated a love for art, literature, and music. Smiles came more easily and laughter rolled off my tongue without hesitation. My friendship with Amaryllis brought me to the happiest point of my life. Everything admi-

rable about me was made possible because of her. She brought me higher than anyone ever has and I cannot even explain how grateful I am. Even so, the higher you are, the further you fall. The day came when Amaryllis moved away, and eventually, so did I. The news was so sudden and events were unravelling too fast. I was at the peak of my happiness before I felt like the world I had come to enjoy was caving in around me. We went from seeing each other every day, to every month, and now only twice a year. I feel her sticky note curling up at its corners and in danger of fluttering to the ground. But despite our lack of communication, I still hold Amaryllis dear. I haven’t let her go and have no plans to do so anytime soon. Amaryllis was my first true friend and will remain my friend for years to come. That’s how one should treat their friend, with tender care and companionship. Cherish your time with them and enjoy their presence, for you never really know how long you’ll get to keep them. Strive to let good feelings flow between you two. Always keep your true friend in mind and never let your memories of them slip away. To forget this person is like losing a piece of yourself and with-out them you wouldn’t be the same person you are right now.

damon heine

photo courtesy by Michealla Foules

typography by gabriella Miller

art by Fe Valencia

brian walker

michealla foules

Sitting in the top right next to his sister is Michealla’s father Jerome Jr. Foules, who was 2 years old at the time. This was takening in Angeles City, Philippines.

eaturesFtagg inethe4 12.21.12 512.21.12 tagg inethe

His grandfather has alwaysbeenhisinspiration. “My grandpa started takingmetohisgamesandIcouldjustimagine myself playing downthere with thousands of peoplecheering and screaming,” saidClaudio Celis, a junior. “AfterthatIfellinlovewithsoccerandIknewthatthat’swhatIwantedtodo.” Attheageof5,hesetagoalofdedicatinghislife to playing professionally. With two familymemberswhoplayedattheprofessionallevel,hisfatherandgrandfather,thepassionforplayingsoc-cerrunsinhisveins.Fromthenonhealwayshadasoccerballathisfeet. Manyofhischildhoodmemoriesconsistofus-ing his grandmother’s glass vases as targets whilepracticingtheaccuracyofhisshot. OneofthekeystofulfillinghisdreamisbeingapartoftheSanJoseEarthquakesAcademy. “TheprogramI’min,wellItakeitasafreetickettogetseenbynationalcoaches,scouts,andcollegecoaches,”hesaid.“It’slikemyjob.” Theacademyprovidesplayerswithhelpforbe-ing recruited by college and national coaches byhaving them participate in various college show-caseswheremanycollegesattendregularly. Theacademyisalsoconnectedto,theSanJoseEarthquakes, a Major League Soccer team, andgives players who have enough skill a chance tocompeteforthetwospotsreservedforthem. Each game that the team plays is specificallypickedinordertobenefitplayers.Becauseofthis,heplays in a variety of places across the countryincluding San Diego, Washington, Arizona, and

Florida.HealsohasplayedonprofessionalfieldssuchastheHomeDepotCenter,theDallasCen-ter, and the Earthquakes Stadium. The academycoversallcostssuchastravel,training,fields,gear,shoes,andoverallparticipationcost. Hestartedtheacademywhenhejustturned15. “Iwas theyoungest in the team,”he said. “Atfirstitwasintimidatingbecausetheywereallbig-ger than me, but I just focused on me and keptworking.AndnotehowIgot like thisbyall theeffortIputinbutthereisstillmoretocome.I’malwayshungryformore.Iwanttofindoutwhat’snextformesoIjustkeepworking.” Although the academy’s purpose is to prepareplayers for the next level of soccer, they have astrongfocusonschool.Eachplayerhastomakeayear-by-yearplanforacademicsandaswellasturn-ing in their grades on a regular basis in order toensuretheyreachtheirhighestlevelofsuccess.Iftheydonotgetgoodgrades,theywillberemovedfromtheteam. With the help of the academy, he has alreadyreceivedmanyemailsfromcollegecoaches. “They invite you to come to a camp at theirschool,because theywant toseeyouplaymore,”hesaid.“Ifyougothentheytalkscholarshipsandtakeyouonatouroftheschool.” PlayingincollegeisextremelyimportanttoCe-lis,butwhatcollegehegoestodoesn’treallymatter.

Heishappyaslongasithasastrongacademicsandagoodsoccerprogram.HistruedreamthoughistoplayfortheU.S.nationalteamorplay inEu-ropebecauseaccordingtoCelistheymakeaplayerbetter. Although he is receiving notifications from

collegesandhastheskilllevel,hedoesn’tplayforStagg’ssoccerteam. “When you play academy you sign a contractthatpreventsyoufromplayingonanotherteam,”hesaid.“Ipracticefourdaysaweekanddon’thavetimeforanythingelse.”

Photo by Jessica Mangili

Junior Claudio Celis practices with the San Jose Earthquakes academy team four days a week and travels across the country playing soccer.

Thuy Tran helps children in Vietnamese community

Church & culture, a tradition

ClaudioCelisworkshardtobecomeaprofessional

There’smudeverywhere,we’reknee-deepinwater,we’veonlysleptfortwohours,it’scold,andthere’sagroupofpeopletryingtostopusfromcompletingourmission. ThesearesomeofthethoughtsthatrunthroughjuniorThuyTran’smindassheattemptstomakewaybacktohercamp.Everyyearduringthesum-mer,herchurchtakesacampingtripandeveryone

getssplitintoteamsandtheyhavetogomilestoreachtheircampsite.Whicheverteamgets tothecampsitefirstwins. Attheageof6,TranbegangoingtoSt.Luke’sChurch,aVietnameseCatholicchurch.Asyoungas she was, she appreciated everything that theydidforthekids,findingapassionforit.However,itdidnotcontinueonforlong.Transharesthat,“AfterawhileIbegantotakeonadifferentside.Most of the kids go through a stage where they

misbehave,andtheybegintobedisruptive.” ButTrandidn’thavethatopin-ion for too long. She began toadmire all the time and effortthattheolderkidswerecontrib-uting, and wanted to become a

partofitherself.“It’snotonlyimportanttohavethechildrengothroughCatechism,butwehavetoalsokeeptheVietnameseculturealive,”Transaid.Apartofherinspirationtohelpthechurchareherparents,astheyareveryinvolved.Herfatherplansmanyoftheeventssuchastheannualcampingtripandhermotherhelpsmakemajordecisions.Butoverall,Transays thatherbiggest inspirationwastheolderkids.“WheneverIhungoutwiththemIcouldseethattheyareonlytryingtobeniceandhelp,andthatmademeseethatthebehaviorIbe-gantoadoptwasn’tcorrect.” HerchurchisnolongerapartofSt.Luke’s,theVietnamesecommunitydecided tobreakoffandraisemoney tobuild their own church,which isnowcalledSt.Mary’sHelpofChristianChurch. AfterTran finished Catechism, she decided togobackandreturnallofthehelpandservicestheyprovidedforher.EverySaturdayshegoestochurchandhelpsthechildrenwithlessonsandplaysgameswith them. But apart from devoting her time tothechildren,shehasresponsibilitiestotakecareof,takingtwoAdvancedPlacementclasses.“Idohavealotofhomework,butIdon’tmindspendingtimeat thechurchbecauseIknowthat it’s foragoodcause.” Tran strongly encourages the kids to keep theVietnameseculturealive,andbydevotinghertimeandeffort,shecertainlydoesherpart.

Redlipstick.Blush.Colorfuleyeshadow. Tomosthigh school girls this is justmakeup.But to Kalani Moreno and Derricka Wilson it’smuchmore. Thesejuniorsseemakeupdifferentlythanmosthigh school girls.To them, it’s more than just adailyroutine.It’stheirfuture. Morenobecameinterestedinmakeupwhenshewasonly4. “Atfirstitjustgavemesomethingtodo.NowIlikewatchingthetransformation.It’slikemakingawholenewperson.” Makeupisn’tsomethingthatMorenodoesjusttohelpothers,though.Shefindsherownjoyinitaswell. “Itreallyrelaxesme,”shesaid.“ItmakesmefeelgoodwhenotherpeoplelikewhatIdo.” Morenospendsalotofherextratimethat’snotconsumedwithher schoolworkandcheerdoingmakeup for her friends for various special occa-sions. However,herpassion formakeupdoesn’t stophere.Shehashopesofattendingcosmetologyandbusinessschoolaftershegraduatesinordertogetapermitforthesalonshedreamstoopenup. When opening up this salon, Moreno hopestodomorethanjustmakeup,though.Shewouldliketoeventuallyexpandtodoinghairandotherbeautyrelatedservicesalongwithhermakeup. Inthebeginning,Moreno’sparentsweren’tverysupportiveofthisdream,butwhentheysawallthehardworkandpassionsheputintoit,theybegantoseethatitcouldreallyworkout. Wilson’sloveformakeupgoesbackbeingalittlegirlmessingwithhermom’smakeupandadmiringherdoherownmakeup. LikeMoreno,Wilson’sdreamsformakeupalsogopasthighschool.HerFrenchteacherevengaveherbrochures formakeupcollegesMarinelloandPaulMitchell,whichshehopescouldhelpherpur-suehercosmetologydream. Wilson’smaingoalistobecomefamiliarwithallthedifferenttechniquesofmakeup.Shewantstodofashionmakeup,anddospecialeffectsmakeuponthesideaswell.

“Iwanttodomakeupforfashionandforscarymovies or something,” Wilson said. “I want tosomehowintertwinethemtogether.” Wilsonalsohasaninterest intakingaclasstolearnaboutphotographyinordertoprofessionallytakepicturesof the things sheaccomplisheswithmakeup. “Iwanttobeabletoshowcasemyworkafterit’sdone.” JuniorMichelleKitchenshaspersonallyhadher

makeupdonebyWilson.KitchenssaidshewoulddefinitelyrecommendWilsontootherfriendswhoneedtheirmakeupdone. “Igotoherbecauseshelikestodoitandshe’sreallygoodatit.” BothWIlsonandMorenohopetoaccomplishgreatthingswithmakeup.Withallthehardworkanddedicationtheyputintoit,itshouldn’tbelongbeforetheirdreamsareareality.

Hair & makeup, a passion

Juniors create art through cosmetic paints and brushes

Photo by adrianna owens

Junior Derricka Wilson posts tutorials onto her Tumblr.

Vote & voice, a reality

Wang Xiong becomes a citizen to participate

in elections

graPhic by Victorius geMMa

Wrestling & school, an accomplishment

Eduardo Vargas makes goal to

become stronger

Soccer & family, a commitment

Wrestling is more than justphysical determination. It is amentalchallenge. EduardoVargas,asenior,hasfaced this challenge. Ever sincehetrainedinjiujitsuandnoticedpeople wrestling, he wanted toaccomplishwhattheyhadaccomplished. “Theywouldbeatmeinmatches.Ijustwantedtobelikethem,”hesaid. He has wrestled his way to the top, and nowfeelsthatheisreadyforthechampionships. “I want to be a TCAL (Tri County AthleticLeague) league champion,” he said. “I have thecoachesandenoughtrainingforit.” Among the thoughts that roam through hismindisthethoughtoflosingamatchandembar-rassing himself. Because of this, he still needs totrainhismindbecauseit’shardtogethisheadinthe game.Throughout his wrestling career he hasstruggledwiththisissue,butsometimesherealizeshowtotuneouthisthoughtsandplaythesport. “Sometimes I think too much, but when I’mwrestling, I don’t think. I just wrestle,” he said,lookingatthegroundwithasmallsmile. He isdeterminedtomake it to the top.Fromwrestling comes life. Josh Dumlao, also a senior,referstoitasanextraappendage. “It’slikehavingasixthfingerononehand,”hesaid.“Hewasbornwithit.Hewasbornwithwres-tlinginhim.”

Not only does the sport fit in his life and hismind, but it brings a love for academics as well.Insteadoftakingtimeandenergyawayfromhim,wrestling gives him the confidence to do well inclass. Though Vargas has always been relativelystrong in school, coach Andres Uyeda says thatwrestling’s“structure”pusheshimtodowell. “He’sreallyseriousaboutschoolandwe’reproudofhim,”Uyedasaid.“Schoolcomesfirstforhim.” Thoughhepracticesvigorouslyfourhoursaday,hestillmanagestogethisschoolworkdone,andeven when he spends 12 hours wrestling on theweekends,hedevoteshistimetoschoolaswell. “AllthatstuffthatIgothroughinwrestlingpre-paresmeformyschoollife,”hesaid. Uyeda praised Vargas on his work ethic andmotivationtogooutandseekhelpandcampop-portunities.Vargashastakenituponhimselftodomorethanheisrequiredtodo,whichinturnhelpshimgetbetter.Andeventhoughhespendsmuchofhistimeinvolvedinthesport,wrestlingisn’tdet-rimentaltohisfuture. “Wrestlingdoesn’ttakeawayfrommylife;itismylife.”

Thuy Tran and members of her youth church group reach their campsite during their annual wilderness trip. They stayed over the weekend.

Photo courtesy of thuy tran

Frightenedbytheexperienceofstaringdownthebarrelofagun,theyounggirlbeginstoquiverintears.Assherunstoherfathertoshake away the fear, more andmore soldiers appear. There’s noforgetting this sight. The younggirl has just learnedfirsthandofher country’s autocratic control.Themilitaryiseverywhere. Wang Xiong is more thanhappy that she never becamethat frightened girl. The seniorwas brought to America whenshewasonly3monthsoldfromLaos. “He just wanted a better lifefor us,” Xiong said, referring toher father. “We’d still be in the

hillsifitwasn’tforhim.” Shebegantopicturewhatherlifewouldbelikeifshehadnevertakentheplaneridehere. “When it’s raining, your feetare all stuck in the dirt.” Thethoughtof sloshing in themudisunfathomabletoXiong. Sofar,she’sreallyenjoyedliv-ing in the United States. Untilacoupleofweeksago,however,Xiongwasn’tofficiallyacitizen. “I’m already living here,” she

said. “Why not become a citi-zen?” In order to become a citi-zen, in the usual case, immi-grantswouldhavetogothroughmonthsofstudyingU.S.historytoprovetheirknowledgeoftheirnewcountry. Except because her father isalreadyacitizen,Xiongonlyhadtogothroughtheprocessofnat-uralization. Naturalization tends be a

tedious process, according toXiong. First, she had to fill out pa-perwork.Second,shehadtogetfingerprinted and interviewed.Finally, Xiong had to attend aceremony where she took anoathtotheUnitedStatesandre-ceivedacertificatecertifyingherasanAmericancitizen.Ittookatotaloffivemonthstogetallofthepaperworksignedandtore-ceivehercertificate. “IdiditsoIcouldvote.” Xiongturned18onDec.15,soshemissedoutongivinghervote in the 2012 election. “Ihelpedoutwithmymom’svot-ing,”shesaid. Being a part of society isimportant to Xiong because,

“America is the dream land to(her).” Shebelievesthatnoteveryonetakes advantage of the democ-racy we have. The right to votemeansalottoher. “Alotofyoungerpeoplevot-ed,” she said, referring to thisyear’s election. Xiong has set agoaltobeoneofthose“youngerpeople” in the next presidentialelectionin2016. Another important privilegetoheriseducation.Shesaidtoomany young people don’t takeadvantageofit.However,shehasaspecialappreciationofschool-ingbecauseinLaos,manywom-endon’tgetaneducation.“Youdon’thavetopayforelementaryschool(inAmerica).”

Senior Eduardo Vargas practices with his coach Andres Uyeda for the Western Invite tournament.

Photo by nicole lawrence

Wang Xiong received her certificate stating that she was a citizen after going through a long process involving paper-work.

Photo by adrianna owens

miranda maurino

jada johnson

dellanira alcauter

adrianna owens

jessica mangili

“I like watching the transformation. It’s like making a whole new person.

Kalani Morenojunior

Kalani Moreno has a large collection of makeup including many different colored eye shadows.

Photo courtesy of Kalani Moreno

ntertainmentEtagg inethe6 12.21.12

Comic book earns disciplesdamon heine

The Second Coming is here. And no, it’s not because of a Mayan prophecy of doom. Scientists have designed a clone of Jesus Christ from the Shroud of Turin with the permis-sion of the Catholic Church. What do they do then, you ask? The most obvious thing, of course. Create a reality TV show about the young messiah. Sean Murphy’s six-issue Vertigo comic book se-ries asks one important question. “What would Je-sus do?” The story, which takes place in the not so distant future of the United States, revolves around the life of Chris, the clone of Jesus Christ. His life itself is a media circus and the most successful reality show in history. At the same time it causes chaos between the New American Christians, a militia organization of religious zealots and the rest of the American popu-lation. “J2”, the name of the show, has Chris creating a variety of miracles that were forged for the view-ing public’s entertainment. This causes unintended consequences, as Chris, who feels his life is being manipulated, reb-els against religion, turns atheist and becomes lead vocalist one of the last remaining punk bands to bring down organized religion. Murphy’s original idea stemmed from the political and religious rhetoric being tossed about during the 2008 presiden-tial election, but the book was not released until the summer of this year. “If I tried to do it years ago when I was younger, I may have hit readers too hard over the head with my secular beliefs,” Murphy said. “Now that I’m older, I know to pull back and be more inclu-sive.” And more inclusive it is. Treading on some very contro-versial topics such as religion and the media, crafting a story that is criticizing them and all the while still have an engaging storyline that doesn’t sound like a public service announcement is not an easy task. Yet Murphy does this with such ease that you can’t help but be caught up in the massively engaging storyline. The characters in the story are some of the most unique and

memorable of any recent book put out by Vertigo, and arguably any comic company. Chris, while the story revolves around him, is not the most compel-ling character. In most cases the supporting charac-ters outstage him in backstory and action. Thomas McKael is a fantastic anti-hero. A former Irish Republican Army terrorist and a devout Catholic, he now serves as Chris’s bodyguard to make peace with God for all the violence he has caused. This creates great tension between him and Chris in the later books as Chris argues that Thomas’s mission is little more than a fallacy. Rick Slate, the primary antagonist, is the incarnation of the slimy business-man. He’s vile in every sense of the word and his ac-tions let everyone know that he’ll do anything to get money and success no matter who he has to hurt. Dr. Sarah Epstein, the doctor who is behind the cloning of Christ, is another compelling figure. She could be as much a villain as Slate because it was her science that brought Chris to life. Instead, she is one of the more compassionate and level headed charac-ters in the story and brings balance to the morally

ambiguous supporting characters. Environmental issues surpris-ingly have a big influence to the storyline as well. In this future, humans have failed to stop the growth of global warming, and much of lower Manhattan, the base of the punk rock army, is mostly flooded due to rising sea levels. As with the religious prob-lems that are addressed, these les-sons interwoven into the storyline feel neither heavy-handed nor overly preachy. They are just sim-ply there and that’s all they need to be in order for the point to get across. This comic is not for everyone. Reading it takes an open mind. However, if you are willing to embrace the rebellious attitude, gritty storytelling and truly un-derstand the actions of the char-acters and the beliefs that they hold, it will definitely be a worth-while read. Murphy himself has said, “If you’re a fan of cyberpunk and don’t mind provoking a little controversy, then pick it up.” One thing’s for certain, though. Punk Rock Jesus has got himself a disciple.

allison ho marcella hawkins

It’s that time of year again when almost everything on television has something to do with Christmas. There are mixtures of what types of movies and specials come on. For ex-

ample, you have the classics like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “A Christmas Story;” then they have some of the newer ones like “Shrek the Halls” and “Polar

Express.” Personally, I believe that the older movies are better than some of the mod-

ern ones. When I watch older Christmas movies I feel like there is something that just clicks and then I know Christmas is really here.

I feel like the older ones deal with more human emotions, compared to modern movies that have more songs than film.

“A Christmas Story” is one of those movie classics. It’s the type of movie that gets played 24 hours on Christmas day. This movie is about Ral-

phie, a young boy who dreams of owning a Red Rider BB gun. He believes that this is the perfect gift for him and tries to prove

it to everyone, but while he’s trying to convince his parents, his teacher, and even the Santa Claus at the mall, they all tell him the same thing, “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” This movie evokes the memories and feelings of your childhood. One of my favorite television specials that I have to watch each year is “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Watching this has become somewhat of a family tradition. I remem-ber when I was about 5 years old staying up to watch it. I

Modern Classic

Graphic by annamarie cunninGham

f Good: Storyline is massively engaging. A great relfection of America’s seeming obsession with religion and reality tv.

f Bad: Only six issues? I wish this was longer.

f Rating: 5 of 5 stars

vs.

It’s a regular day in December, and I turn on the TV. As I’m scrolling down the list of shows being televised, I find that most of what’s on are Christmas movies and specials. I choose one of the movies to watch and it is “A Christmas Story.” I think to myself, “Wasn’t this on yesterday?” I continue to watch the movie but after 20 minutes, I lose interest. I realize that this movie and most of the other ones were made in the 1900s. The newer films more ap-pealing than the older ones, which seem to be repetitive and slow. One of my favorite Christmas movies is “Polar Express.” I remember when it first came out, I immediately went to the theaters that following weekend. The movie is about a boy who is on the verge of not believing in Santa. Suddenly, a train pulls up in front of his house. He boards the train, and it takes him and other kids to the North Pole. On his journey to meet Santa, the other children say, “do you hear that bell?” He is the only one who can’t hear the bell until the very end, when he finally meets Santa. I was only 8 when the film was released, so it was just a visually interesting movie with a great storyline. After watching it again, I real-ized that the movie had more meaning than it did to me back then. “Polar Express” taught me that I shouldn’t doubt the possibil-ity something magical can happen. The boy finds the true meaning of believing in yourself when he finally hears the bells on Santa’s sleigh. The newest Christmas movie that I have seen is “Aurthur Christmas.” I got hooked from the very beginning. When Santa forgets to deliver a gift to a girl, everyone shrugs it off except for his youngest son, Aurthur, an enthusiastic, awkward,and clumsy guy. Aurthur travels to London to deliver the bike, getting lost on the way. It’s only three hours until Christmas and just when he is about to give up, he finds the letter the girl sent, wishing for a bike. He does whatever it takes to get there and doesn’t give up. This movie explains what Christ-mas is all about-- Hope. I prefer newer Christmas movies over the older ones because they grasp the audience’s attention. Movies such as “A Christmas Story” and “White Christmas” are called timeless classics, yet they drone on and seem to never end. These “classics” are played 24/7 on The Hallmark Channel, and often times I find myself changing the channel. Christmas is about being happy. It is about sharing joy with others and about believing in happiness. Modern-day Christmas movies capture the essence of what Christmas is-- what Christmas should be.

would get so excited whenever it came on. This is a great memory for me because that Christmas was one of the best ones I ever had. Another Christmas classic is “Mira-cle on 34th Street.” This movie is about a man claiming he is Santa Claus. People think he is just a crazy old man, and that leads to a trial in which a lawyer sets out to prove that he really is Santa. To me this movie teaches us to believe that it is okay for people to still believe in things. A more modern movie like “Polar Express” is an exceptional movie, but doesn’t interest me that much. I feel that the movie is kind of slow. The main plot of the story isn’t fully realized until he actually reaches the North Pole. The scenes before he reaches the North Pole seem more like a way to make the movie longer. Christmas is about being with your family. It is a time when all harsh feel-ings toward one another should go away. I believe older movies capture the true essence of Christmas whereas today’s movies do not.

Newer Christmas movies teach lessons of hope

Older Christmas movies capture essence of holiday

Gr

aph

ic b

y F

e V

ale

nc

iaT

exT b

y D

ella

nir

a a

lca

uT

er

portsS tagg inethe 712.21.12

“Is it in you?” Water, Gatorade, or Powerade? We know that Gatorade prides itself on being the No. 1 sports drink with a G3 series to keep the body ready for any sport activity or physical activity at all. Their rival Powerade also strives for the name “best” but neither of them, according to studies, quite hits the mark like water does. When engaging in physical activity, people sweat. When you sweat, the body is burning carbs and dehydrating. So after a long, tough day at football practice, what’s the best choice? Well, according to the nutrition facts of the drinks, there really is no wrong choice. Although the obvious decision would be water, Gatorade and Powerade also make a lasting contribution. Water is the best way to keep hydrated and quench thirst. However, something that water lacks is what sports drinks contain. Sports drinks contain carbohydrates and electro-

lytes that help replenish the body. This results in your body being able to keep energized longer. When being active, sports drinks will assist in maintaining stable levels of respiration. The pres-ence of vibrant colors makes people want to drink them more than necessary. After a while, the taste is bitter and some con-tinue to drink it because it looks cool, a technique used by the vendors to get consumers to buy it. Those who are not participating in some type of exercise should avoid consuming these drinks. On and off the field, varsity football player Kev-in Tran gets the best of both worlds. In the morning and during a game he stays on the water track to keep himself hydrated, which is water’s main advantage over sports drinks. In the evenings after school he enjoys a Gatorade to gain energy for the game. “I’m more sluggish when I don’t drink water.” So the difference is very noticeable when it comes to performance level. Between Gatorade and Pow-erade, their products are pretty much the same, but Gatorade is known for a higher quality product. On both websites, they seem to acknowledge their opponent but still claim their drink is better. They tend to contradict themselves since they both contain massive levels of high fructose corn syrup that are never good for the body. Also, they both contain electrolytes. Electrolytes are ions created from sodium and potassium. These things can easily be consumed by food items such as bananas or potato chips. To keep from getting thirsty and dehydrated, water is the best choice. Sports drinks are an “ev-ery once in awhile” drink that will only benefit you during such activity. In fact, Marcus Sherman, a biology and anatomy teacher, says, “They do work, but the best time to drink one is afterward.” He argues that grown men who play football get dehydrated during games because they are constantly drinking these sports drinks and not drinking any water which is the main hydrant. After a game or hard exercise a sports drink is recommended, but during activity and all the rest of the time, water is the better choice.

Girls and boys are surround-ed by the walls of the wrestling room. But they’re not just walls. These walls contain the achieve-ments of previous wrestlers whose names will stay in the wrestling room’s wall of fame. The wrestling history dates far

back to the schools early days, but the wall of fame was recently put together. The wall was cre-ated in 2008 by John Hittle, a previous wrestling coach. On the wall are photos of past players and the story of how they got to be on it. They could be a league champion, a Sac-Joaquin Masters qualifier, undefeated in

league duels, or a state qualifier. But no matter how great the achievement is, they’re not al-lowed on the wall unless they graduated from high school. The players don’t necessar-ily have to graduate from Stagg; they can graduate from schools like Pacific Law Academy and Stockton Early College Academy.

The wall is a way to “honor the achievements of past wres-tlers and to give new wrestlers something to aim for,” said var-sity coach Andres Uyeda. Eduardo Vargas agrees with the coach and plans to get on it himself. “The wall shows everybody it’s possible to be successful,” the se-

nior said. “I plan on getting on the wall by qualifying for master, state, and by becoming Tri-City Ath-letic League champion.” But Vargas isn’t the only one aiming for the wall. “I think to myself ‘I can do better than them,’” said senior Jose Valdovinos. “Anybody can do it if they put their heart into it.” Even though Valdovinos com-plains and whines during practice he puts his “heart into it” when it comes to a match. “I leave it all out and try not to think about it.” The wall is filled with mostly boys and very few girls. Because of the few female competitors, senior Seled Galvan and other girls have to compete with boys. She feels that this makes it harder for her to get onto the wall. “I’ll (probably) have better chances to get on the wall wres-tling against girls.” But only the “cream of the crop” deserves to be on the wall. “The workout, practices, and matches are hard,” she said. “And I respect them for being able to get up there through these condi-tions.” The wall of famers had achieved multiple goals and also inspired those that come after them to achieve their own goals. Their success means the success of the whole team. But even though they’re so successful many students don’t know about it. “It’s our way of showing Stagg students the wrestling history,”

Uyeda said. But he Wall of fame isn’t the only wall that should be recog-nized, there’s also a memorial wall and a wall of excuses. The wall is dedicated to Car-los Ledesma, a 1994 graduate who previously wrestled for the school. He became a police offi-cer and was killed on duty. “It’s given to someone who goes above and beyond,” Uye-da said. Anyone could be on it whether it’s a teacher or a stu-dent. There’s no better way to en-courage wrestlers to do better than a wall of excuses. This wall was started by the current coach Uyeda and was inspired by the constant excuses given to him by his wrestlers. Having a wall like this means that he and other coaches are able to differentiate whether wrestlers are trying to ditch practice or not. But there are times when new ex-cuses are made and whenever this happens Uyeda just adds them onto the wall. And an example of it is Valdo-vinos. “During the first few days of practice I told my coach that my mom was picking me up but while I was waiting with a girl, I got caught by one of the coaches. He waited with me for my mom but she never came. I asked him ‘Do I have to go back to practice now?’ And I did.” These walls are used as a way to help the wrestlers aim higher and to do what the poster in the wrestling room states: “Put doubt in its place, flat on its back.”

Sports drinks help performance but water still best choice

What you put in is what you get out

Senior Kevin Tran stays hydrated with a bottle of water during a varsity football game.

Photo by AnnAmArie rodriguez

veronica vargo

chao xiong

Wall of

championsinspiring

Photo by nicole lAwrenceSeniors Christian Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas train for the Weston Invite Tournament that took place last Saturday.

Remember the time when...you scored in your own goal, tripped out of the blocks, hit yourself with a bat? Many people have had an embarrassing experience and sports is home for face-blushing moments.

It was my first day at the driving range...My hands were slippery...I swung and let the club go and it flew into a tree.”— Omar Zamora, senior

“I was on the block, felt cool. I started off perfect...then ‘boom’ hit my head on the bottom of the pool... (Sherman) looks at me and starts laughing.” — Ramon Alvarez, senior

”“

”“

“During my first match... I attempted to hit the ball but didn’t... I was trying to be aggressive but missed.

— Papow Her, senior

I was so tired...I wasn’t focused when I got the rebound. I put it back up for them, a lay-up... Everyone was just staring at me.” — Destiny Aho, senior

“I was throwing a free throw and my hands were slippery and the ball flew behind me... I didn’t know why people were laughing.

— Jessica Ibarra, junior

ewsNtagg inethe8 12.21.12

Sniffing out trouble

Pen pals from FranceStudents embrace culture of foreign peers

It is no longer a surprise when K-9 units appear on campus. In the past, dogs have been mentioned in security letters and the handbooks, but now, their presence is clear. Authorized by the board of education, they are used to increase drug awareness and bring a positive impact to the school. Showing up randomly, an officer and canine search the parking lots, locker rooms, and up to 10 random classrooms. Their time that is spent search-ing classrooms varies based on how many pauses they have to do to for the people who are caught. The dog’s main targets are marijuana, weapons and other contraband items. So far students have been caught with the scent but did not possess the illegal item. Students are asked to step outside the room while the dogs sniff the students’ bags and various items. They do not have the authority to search a student unless something is suspected in the bag. Those who are caught are immediately reported to Gamal Salama, the disciplinary assistant princi-pal on campus. The contraband item is confiscated, and depend-ing on what it is, a student can be suspended for up to five days. However, Salama says, “it’s not just about catch-ing students, it’s about making students aware.” So even though they have these types of searches at their disposal, getting people in trouble is not their focus. In fact, from the educational point of view, As-sistant Principal Youlin Aissa said, “it’s disrupting a classroom regardless of the cause, but in the end it’s beneficial.” Since Aissa has been at previous schools where these dogs were used, she said that they were only

protecting the students who are “harmful to them-selves.” It is beneficial, she added, that students are now prompted to not bring the items to the cam-pus and focus more on their studies. A canine handler, Debra DeShan, who made the most recent visit to Stagg had a positive outlook on the visit. She was more worried about the students than what her dog, Dace, was doing. Trying to en-force the idea of “thinking twice” about bringing contraband items to school, the random searches will continue. Although it has been proven effective, some stu-dents disregard the message. One senior, who re-quested anonymity, said, “I was happy when the dogs came in and I had my weed in my pocket and not my bag this time.” He later said that he had it on him the next day as well. Not all students are worried about the dogs like junior Oscar Godinez. “When they come I’m just like whatever, I don’t bring drugs so I don’t worry about it.” Godinez also said that the presence of the dogs shakes up the kids who do bring them and that they are not flaunting it as much as they did in the past. These trained dogs and their handlers will ap-pear on campus more often. In light of the recent tragedy in Connecticut, the district may be looking to take more measures to ensure student safety. Aissa says, “it’s just about the students.”

veronica vargo

Tiffani Zermeno sits at her computer at home and begins typing the basic, “How was your day?” or “What’s new?” to her 15 year old friend Chloé Lefeuve. But instead of using English words, she’s communicating in French. And of course she’s making sense, considering the fact Lefeuve lives in Belgium. For about a month, the sophomore has been sending emails back and forth to her pen pal that French teacher Debra Berg set her up with. “It feels like I really know her, even though we live two different lives.” When writing to Lefeuve, Zermeno makes sure to use the proper French words. And if wrong, she is then corrected by her Belgian friend. And when typing in English, Zermeno makes sure to catch any mistakes Lefeuve makes. Though they live in two different places, they share similar interests. For example, they watch the same shows that air on Disney Channel. Except in Belgium, the characters are played by French speaking stars. Also, this past Thanksgiving, though not celebrated in Belgium, Lefeuve thought of Zermeno and wished her a Happy Thanksgiving. It made Zermeno very thankful to have a friend like her. From being able to have a pen pal that will not only give Zermeno a chance to be exposed to new things, it has greatly helped in her French writings for class. Zermeno isn’t the only student who has a pen pal, or will have one. Berg, with the help of Ivan Bertoux, a cultural attaché at the French consulate in San Francisco, has partnered the school with Le Lycée de

la Mer, another high school in Southwest France. So soon enough everyone in the French class will be able to com-municate with someone across the country. So far, students from the French class have prepared PowerPoints of the city, school campus, athletics, and academics. They are also planning on sending a presentation of the school that will introduce the students in French class, and will still need to ask for contact to get the pen pals started. Berg is more than devoted to get her students exposed to what the world has to offer. She will be taking her annual France trip with her students in March, during spring break, and will hopefully be in contact with the high school the school is paired up with. She also plans to go to San Francisco to exhibit world treasures from the Louvre museum. “I like being able to tell my class and friends about Chloé because they think it’s actually pretty cool,” Zermeno said. “And just being able to communicate with someone outside of the country shows how different our lives can be.”

alexus plascencia

courtesy of Le Lycee de La Mer students

(Top) French students pose for a group photo to send to their American pen pals. (Bottom) A small section of the French campus, where students practice sea farming.

photo by nicoLe Lawrence

Dace, a 7 year old canine, visits the school with his owner as part of a company that spe-cializes in searching bags for items such as weapons, drugs, and other illegal items.

Hired company brings in dogs to search for illegal items

“Just being able to communicate with someone outside of the country shows how different our lives can be.”

Tiffani Zermenojunior

Inside the issueThe Stagg Line takes a positive stance on having random searches on campus, which have proven to be successful so far.See EDITORIAL, page 2

“I hate this weather, mainly because when I get wet, I’m wet all day, especially when I ride my bike to school.”-Anthony Nevarez, junior

“I love it. I like how the light seeps through the window.”-Faith Recio, sophomore

As we all can see, and feel, winter is finally here! Here are some things that students around the

campus are saying about the weather...

“Because it’s so cold outside, I don’t even want to get out of bed or leave my house!”-Victoria Stevens, junior

“I actually like the cold better than the heat. I like the warm clothes I get to wear. It just gives that holiday feel.”-Arista Dutra, senior

graphic by aLyssa rojas