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

11.08.13 Vol. 57 No. 3

BottomLinethe

Full football coverage

— See page 7

No shave NovemberMale teachers and stu-dents around campus are participating in a movement. Despite it not being the proper month, they will not shave their faces for the entire month of November to bring awareness of prostate cancer.

Blood driveASB is hosting this year’s first blood drive on Tue., Nov. 19. Students are to turn in their permission slips to Michelle Can-field in the Student Store, located by the cafeteria. Today is the last day to turn them in.

End the ‘Hunger Games’

The second night rally of the year is coming up on Thursday, Nov. 14. The fee is two cans and $2 or $4 presale and three cans and $3 or $6 at the door. All cans will be donated to St. Mary’s Dining Room.

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When walking into the the-ater one might not notice any-thing wrong. Everything seems to be functioning correctly. As students sat in the theater for the sixth Annual Stagg Edu-Concert, they had to squeeze into their short and scarce seats. According to choir teacher Mark Swope, this is not the only problem with the theater. There are various malfunc-tions. The electrical systems are out of date, the public address system is worn out, curtains are ripped, circuit boards for lighting and

electricity are unusable, there is no audio equipment, and aisle steps are unsafe without lighting. In addition, the pianos in the piano lab are 20 years old. Over the course of 11 years the theater has been put on hold for renovations. “Every year they tell me they will do something but it just gets pushed on to the next year,” Swope said. Originally the theater was supposed to be renovated along with the sports fields, but it was removed from the grant accord-ing to Swope. Now the Stagg theater remains

as the one of the oldest theaters in Stockton Unified. Although the theater has the most compli-cations and malfunctions, it has been used for many purposes by the district. The lack of equipment in the theater has caused the music de-partment to use a trash can to hold a projector because they did not have the proper equipment. Swope has tried many times to get help from the district for the theater but nothing has been done. He does not plan on giving up on this issue. He has written a letter to Su-

perintendent Steve Lowder ad-dressing the issues and hoping to get the theater in preparation for renovations. “Every student deserves to perform in an up to date theater,” music instructor Joseph Upde-graff said. The ultimate goal for the ren-ovation of the theater is to give students a decent theater. However, many years have passed, and nothing has been done. “We don’t know what a good theater is because we have be-come so used to our theater,” Swope said.

Being Updegraff’s first edu-concert, he said there was a lot to be done. “Getting the scripts and slide show together was hectic,” he said. “Rehearsal wasn’t a big deal to Mr. Swope and I because we started the second day of school.” Swope, like Updegraff, describes it as a lot of work that came with a sense of relief when it was over. But he felt everything went well and the show was a success, calling it “marvelous.” “It’s exciting, but then you get nervous because you’re performing for so many people,” freshman Taya Collins said. By the end, band, orchestra and choir all had different feelings about their performances. “It’s hard because we have so much fun putting it on, there’s sadness when it’s over,” Swope said. Updegraff feels that reflection is valuable. “This allows students to get the chance to look back at how they did and what they want to do differ-ently in the future.” Sophomore Gabrielle Wallace feels the opposite in that by the end of the concert the songs are kind of worn out after performing them all so many times. The three months of preparation proved to be worth it. A sigh of relief could be breathed. The claps, the cheers and the whistling at the end of the show showed that the time was well spent.

Torn clothes, dripping blood, and a hunger for flesh. It’s not every day a student walks to their classes around campus dressed as a zombie. Freshman Ruben Nuno said he expected the fake blood and ripped clothes to be really embarrassing, but was shocked by the crowd’s pleasant reaction to how dedicated they were with their performance. Most members of the concert had similar reac-tions and expectations to dressing up in costume. “I didn’t expect everyone in choir to be so into (the concert) the way they were,” freshman Alex Qualls said. Running back and forth from the makeup room to the stage, the performers should have been stressed out. Even though backstage was in a hectic rush to get things done and be ready to perform for their audience, they still managed to help one another and have fun by enjoying every step along the way. Freshman Jessica Eth said she expected choir to be a lot more strict and really formal. She was sur-prised by how much she enjoyed performing.

The “Concert of Monsters and Death,” coordinated by Mark Swope and Jo-seph Updegraff, took place in the theater on Oct. 30 and 31. The concert not only showcased music performed by Swope’s show choir and Upde-

graff’s concert band and orchestra, but entertained and educated students in the history of Halloween using comedic skits. Frightful screams echoed throughout the concert at unexpected times, causing the audience to jolt and indulge themselves even more into the performance. Not only did the band, choir, and orchestra overcome their anxiety of perform-ing multiple times during the day, they also put the show on after school for family, friends, and district officials to attend. “It’s nerve racking,” sophomore Marilyn Plascencia said, “but the more I got into it, the more comfortable I felt.” The first concert of the year has satisfied and left audiences wanting more. According to Swope, that’s exactly what they’ll get as the year rolls along.

The songs sung by choir had a variety of tempos. “Little Shop of Horrors” from the self titled movie was upbeat, while others were more mellow, like Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years” made famous by the “Twilight Saga.” The band featured pieces with a dark vibe perfect for Halloween such as “Apparitions,” a musical composition by Brian Balmages. The orchestra pieces were similar, giving the audience a feeling of suspense. The concert was closed with a stir of excitement as show choir performed Michael Jack-son’s “Thriller.”

(Above) A trash can is used to hold up the projector during shows. (Left) Music Department Chair Mark Swope has been trying to get the tears in the cur-tains fixed for years. photos by Dellanira alcauter

‘Halloween: Concert of Death and Monsters’

brings audiences to their feet

BlancahMendoza

photo by baylin Moran

photo by baylin Moran

photo by baylin Moran

story by arriana sMith anD heaDline graphic by Marleene pheav

Arts program refuses to give up on theater

OpiniOn the StaggLine11.08.132

STAFF EDITORIAL

Can we fix it?Yes, we can

Bruised legs, dirty hands, sore limbs, getting kicked in the face, nudged in the

stomach — all of that with an outcome of almost perfection. The exhausting, over-repeated lines “5, 6, 7, 8!” two hours a day, three days a week, all for four quarters of glamor and a

two minute halftime; it’s all in the life of a cheerleader. In movies cheerleaders are often depicted as the girls stretching their butts up in the air or fooling around with the boys on the football team: they are known as dumb, crazy, girly or stuck up. Those are just some of the far-fetched statements that cheerleaders get and chances are, you’ve heard them. Having first-hand experience as a cheerleader, I can say none of those qualities apply to me. We’re lumped into a big category with unflattering traits. But, with the influence of media and what’s trending, I can tell why people would assume this about cheerleaders. Movies like “Bring It On” and all of the movies that follow are probably some of the most well known movies that stereotype cheerleaders and their behaviors. I’m definitely far from girly or stuck up.

I was raised with three brothers, all of whom treat me as if I’m a little brother instead of a little sister. I was a tomboy all of my childhood and at times I still can be. While most of the girls were playing with Barbies, I had Hot Wheels, action figures, and Pokemon cards. Before I came to high school I played basketball, and even after cheer season I set down the pom pons and head to the weight room with my track team. Regarding the whole thing with cheerleaders being dumb and ditzy, just like any other sport on campus we have to keep a grade-point average of 2.0 or higher. In fact, many on the squad strive to exceed that. In our case we have to maintain this throughout more than half of the school year since we cheer throughout football season and basketball season. Although our practices are

demanding and require a lot of endurance, we depend on each other and it shows how committed we’re to what we do. Fast thinking and being able to concentrate on counts is vital. We learn a two-minute routine that has 26-30 eight counts. The next week is the same thing but with new counts and new struggles to overcome. After all of the comments I’ve heard I learned to push it aside and not acknowledge it because I know my abilities and no one can limit me but myself. I’m not dumb, crazy, girly, or stuck up. I’m far from any of those traits. It takes a lot of strength, stamina, flexibility, and

conditioning to do what we do year round. The minute cheer season ends and the next year’s tryouts are right around the corner and we have to stay ready. Not to mention, all of the work we put in at home, it never stops. Sure, we go out on the field every Friday, cheer and make a bomb halftime, but what people don’t realize is the behind the scenes work: what we really do and what we go through to make it something people will remember. I can’t stop the stereotypes but what I can do is educate people with my intelligence and hands on experience with cheerleading.

Not every cheerleader is a ditzy one

With respect to our troops, there are igno-rant people who join

for wrong, ridiculous reasons. Some join the military because they’ll have a chance to shoot a real gun, not one from a video game. Others join to show off their cute uniform. Stupid, right? And then there are those that see the military as a last resort. Serving your country should be to earn honor, to gain skills you might never receive as a civilian and most importantly to protect our nation’s liberty. There are thousands of men and women giving up their civilian lives to make sure the people of America are safe. Without the mili-tary, America would be vulnerable to the dangers of some foreign countries and natural disasters. They fight for our freedom and for our chance to be safe in our own country. Having a long history of ancestors who were Army officers and enlisted soldiers, wanting to serve my country isn’t a surprise. It’s what I want and will do. However, there is a different route I’m taking — the U.S. Navy. I’ve applied to Northridge, Long Beach and other state universi-ties. Now I’m applying my strength to serve. I’m still going to college, striving to get my BA in mass commu-nications. Additionally, I’ll be going to training once a weekend per month and two weeks for annual training during the summer at my local unit. Talking to my recruiter, I realized that careers in mass communi-cations are rare in the Reserve unless deployed at a big, active unit.

There are many opportunities offered in the military to take advantage of. One just has to be determined on what they want and know what they’re getting themselves into. There are benefits and that good stuff, but there are risks such as dying in combat or losing a body part. That’s why the military is no joke. You are risk-ing your life. The many times that I’ve gone to the Sacra-mento Valley National Cemetery for burials and watched a casket be lowered, I understand the sacrifice these fallen soldiers made — they didn’t die in vain. It bothers me when people say, “Oh, I’m join-ing the military because... um... I don’t know.” And then they give a ridiculous reason. The decision they are making is a commitment of a lifetime, because you’re basically the government’s property. It’s not like they’ll be able to call in sick or decide to quit. By contract, they are entitled to the requirements listed upon the official paper. So those that chose the military as a last resort better be prepared for the rigorous training and persevere with mental toughness. With-out that toughness, one won’t survive the 9-14 weeks of bootcamp and the upcoming years required to serve. Intelligence, wisdom and courage is what the military wants. It’s what America needs. If you are considering joining, be aware that there are tough times, but with your fellow comrades it’s all worth it. All those emotional homecomings, written letters and humanitarian work will pay off. The honor of serving for our

beloved America is sacred. My friend and I talked about the military all year, about ROTC and enlisting. Now he has sworn into the Marines. When I asked him how he felt when he swore, he said it felt great. Empowering. My loved ones have said experiencing boot camp and training changed their view on how to take on obstacles. They disliked some sergeants for the rough yelling and put downs, but the sergeants guided them to grow as an individual and be the best of the best. It made them value their freedom, their fam-ily and their country. Despite the different branches, they said the same thing, “It changed my life and I don’t regret it.” And that’s what it’s all about.

I played basketball, and even af-ter cheer season I set down the pom pons and head to weight room with my track team.”

“Stereotypes unfairly based on fictional high school movies

Trisha Newman

Yesica Ibarra

Advances in technology have left the decaying theater in the dust, whose electrical circuits can be dated back to the “dinosaur” age of floppy

disks. It has been a recurring problem for the performing arts department when they cannot speak into the microphone and be heard or step onto the stage’s flimsy floor. Concerts with themes like the recent “Concert of Death” are hard to make visually appealing. Because the lighting can only be changed using the designated colors, special effects cannot be created. The theater on campus has not been modified for a long time and it shows. When special guests are presenting in the theater, a projector has to be imported from another classroom because there is not one built in, and a quick-n-easy plastic screen is assembled. While the presentation is taking place, one can hardly hear what is being said because of the

poor microphone quality; even the audience’s low murmur drowns out the information that is being communicated. Aware of the needed theater improvement, choir teacher Mark Swope invited Superintendent Steve Lowder to experience the damaged theater. He was pleased with the performance, but Swope was left in the dark about what he thought about the needed repairs. “The list is so long,” Swope said when discussing the problems in the theater. A wise investment would be to repair the theater so that we avoid incidents like students falling through stage floors and tripping on unleveled steps. If the concern is saving money, why waste it on renting special flooring every time we have a dance recital or buy new batteries for the poor outdated microphones all the time? Even though repairs would be costly, they are seriously needed.

If Stagg can have a top of the line sports facility, there should at least be a theater that belongs in the 21st century. New technology, like 3D projections and auxiliary cords, are advances that should be at a theater’s disposal, but aren’t in ours. There is not even a port where Internet connections can be made. If one has ever been in the tech room atop the rows of seats in the theater, the first thing that would pop out would be the rotting wires that appear to have been abandoned for years. This is clearly a safety hazard. In the event that another person becomes injured because of the low level theater, it would be a quick lawsuit for the district. It would be much more suitable to refurbish the current theater to make it more valuable; it may even encourage students to take a career interest in performing arts or theater.

your countrynot your ego

phOtO cOurtesy Of reanna rOdriguez

SERVE?

phOtO by VerOnica VargO

Cheerleaders smile and show off their pride at home football games after countless hours of practice.

phOtO by dellanira alcauter

the StaggLine 11.08.13OpiniOn 3

the StaggLine

1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, Calif. 95207

209.933.7445 ext. 8487

Amos Alonzo Stagg High School

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

º 20 consecutive All-American rankings º NSPA Hall of Fame, 2005 º NSPA First Place Best of Show five times º NSPA National Newspaper Pacemaker

seven times º JEA Impact Award, 2002

Stagg Line student journalists have won many awards and scholarships over the years, includ-ing California Journalist of the Year, National Story of the Year and National Photo of the Year.

Keep up with us º Facebook: Search “Stagg Line” º Twitter: Follow us @staggonline º Web: Check out staggonline.net º PDFs: Go to issuu.com/staggline

The Stagg Line newspaper is published monthly and distributed free of charge to students and faculty. Our website is updated regularly with photo galleries, video and break-ing news.

Our newspaper is a long-standing open forum for free student expression. That means that it is student editors and reporters who make content and style decisions with the adviser offering the guidance.

A staff editorial, which appears on the top left of the first opinion page, reflects the opinion of the entire staff and therefore is not signed. Opin-ion columns reflect the view of the writer.

Readers are welcome to write letters to the editor in response to any story or to make a comment about an issue at school. We will make every effort to print any letter as long as it is not libelous. Letters longer than 250 may be edited. Unsigned letters will be printed only in unusual circumstances and only when we know who the writer is. Letters may be delivered to the Stagg Line newsroom, A-10. They may also be emailed to dbott@stockton.k12.ca.us

EditorialPolicy NewspaperStaffAdriannaOwens & FeValencia

Co Editors in Chief

JadaJohnson // News Editor

VeronicaVargo // Opinion Editor

DevinWickstrom // Features Editor

AlexusPlascencia // Entertainment Editor

JessicaMangili // Sports Editor

DellaniraAlcauter // Photo Editor

AlyssaRojas // Graphics Editor

MicheallaFoules // Web Editor

BrianWalker // Social Media Editor

NuviaCervantes // Copy Editor

DonBott // Adviser

WilliamAlexander

MichaelBishop

JessicaCervantes

AngelGonzalez

MarcellaHawkins

YesicaIbarra

BlancahMendoza

BaylinMoran

TrishaNewman

MarleenePheav

RubiRico

ArrianaSmith

AraceliValencia

T he sky is pitch black. I hear the thuds of tree trunks falling around me.

I see blood and unknown body chunks dispersed in the distance. A foul smell hangs in the air, that of rotting flesh and burning bodies. I don’t know what lies in the next couple of steps... A grenade goes off. One, two, three. There goes another one. People are running frantically — trying to escape the wrath of war. My partner, he wasn’t so fortunate. All I can feel is the rise and fall of my chest as I am looking through my scope, searching for my target. I know he’s around here somewhere. Intense, right? When playing a first-person shooter game, the player feels this intensity. The player feels as if they’re inside the game, really shooting others and being shot at.

Increasingly, this is what a lot of children and teens are spend-ing their time doing. Going out for a bike ride or playing ball is no longer suffi-cient entertainment. According to CNN, “About 90 percent of U.S. kids ages 8 to 16 play video games, and they spend about 13 hours a week doing so (more if you’re a boy).” In the past year, there has been numerous mass shootings. Hundreds of innocent lives lost. And the most common question

Americans ask themselves is: why does this happen? The entertainment companies send a barrage of commercials promoting violent video games and make it seem as if this is what everyone needs to be doing. The night before a video game is released, there are people camping outside of the store, eagerly waiting to get their copy of the game. Well, this doesn’t happen anymore. Now people even order them months before they’re released. And if that’s not enough, many people will trade all their old video games so they can af-ford to buy the new one. These games have a strong influence in the characteristics children develop. In a recent study that Dr. L. Rowell Huesmann, director of

the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor made, he discovered that there are two major ways in which violent video games affect a child. First is imitation; children have a hard time distinguishing the game from reality, so they may feel that the world is a hos-tile place and that being aggres-sive and violent is an appropriate way to act. Second, kids can become desensitized to violence. They are around it for hours a day, and since it is “only a game” they grow accustomed to it. A person being blown to bits is no longer an image that makes them shudder. “Once you’re emotionally numb to violence, it’s much easier to engage in violence,” Huesmann said. And we can see the reality of this in our society. Even in the smallest of gestures. People aren’t the kindest when it comes to waiting in line at the store, walking down a crowded sidewalk, or driving in traffic-packed lanes. It’s a paradoxical thing that there is so much advertisement for violent video games, yet we abhor the thought of mass shootings. It is time for people to realize the damage these violent video games are causing on our society. It is time to accept that we cause much of the unwanted tragedies. It is time to stop the violence.

Christianity is more than a

religionPeople often think of Chris-

tianity as just a religion. However, there is so

much more to Christianity and being a Christian. In order to be a Christian I first have to believe in the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Also, I must believe that Christ himself walked on the earth and was sent from God to save all of the sinners who believe in him. When a person hears the word Christian or church, they might think rules and regulations. However, that is not true for me. In my church we don’t focus on doctrine and how you dress or look. Our main purpose is to spread the love of God with others and be loving people. In my church just because you say curse words or don’t go to church every weekend doesn’t mean you are a bad person. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross and as a result anyone who believes in him will be seen like him in the eyes of God. People make mistakes, even Christians make mistakes, because we are all far from perfect. I do not live with guilt or shame because of the mistakes I have made nor do I feel like I will be condemned for them because my sins rest on the cross. Growing up in a Christian home, I have been taught that Chris-tianity isn’t just about saying the right thing or raising your hands in church but rather what’s in your heart and whether God is in there. It is very easy to be a follower of Christ and get lost in religion and forget why you are a Christian. Some people believe being a Christian is just showing up at church on Sundays, worshipping and not really trusting in God, just doing it because it is a routine. I struggled with not knowing the true meaning of Christian-ity for so long. Feeling stuck, unworthy, and just plain miserable at church. These feelings stayed with me for a long time because I thought God only loves the people who don’t say bad words, follow the rules, and attend church all the time. I then learned that God’s love for me is not measured by the good deeds I do. Once again I was told that there is more to being a Christian than doctrine and rules. My pastor explained to me that God loves me no matter what because He sees me as Jesus. It was then that I started forgetting about the rules and just em-bracing the love. I no longer started freaking out when I sinned, but began to repent. Although God forgives and loves me no matter what, I knew that this didn’t give me a free ticket to do what I wanted. After realizing that God loves me no matter what, I felt so much better. I then discovered that to say you are a person that goes to church every week and to actually be a Christian are two different things. Although part of being a Christian is to be part of a church family, the main purpose for any Christian is to show love to all they come before. There are two principles that Christians live by. The first is, “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, mind, and soul.” The second, which is just as important, is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” The real purpose of Christianity is found in these two principles. It is easy to be con-flicted and think that Christianity is just about rules and regula-tions, but the real meaning is love.

Social media used as a weaponSticks and stones may break

your bones. But words can kill you.

Her name was Rebecca Sedwick. She was 12. And last month, she jumped off of a tower in an abandoned factory — to her death. This girl should have been en-joying her life, hanging out with her friends and making memories. She shouldn’t have been afraid to go to school. She should have felt safe in her own home. According to the New York Times, the parents of this girl moved her to a different school and deleted her Facebook profile. But the tormenting didn’t go away. Whenever Sedwick’s cell phone buzzed, she was terrified to see the notification. Two children, 12 and 14, cyberbullied Sedwick through mobile applications such as Kik and Snapchat, along with posting tormenting Facebook statuses. The concept of cyberbullying is not new. What is new, however, are the charges that the children, and the parents, are facing in this specific case. Mark O’Mara, CNN Legal Analyst, has been pushing for the parents to be charged for negli-gence and ultimately their obliviousness to their daughters’ Internet and cellular use. He believes that the parents are liable, just as they would be if they let their children have access to their car, or alcohol, or a gun. So why is the Internet any different? Anyone can go online, create a fake profile, and torment someone for no reason at all. What makes this even more distasteful is that children are doing it. For fun. Before cyberbullying, a parent could take the matter up with the principal or switch the child’s school. Now, the child is never safe from antagonizing messages. Always fearful to pick up their phone. Always wondering when the distress will end. When it comes to a point where a child, or any human for that matter, has to live in constant fear of someone, then it’s just not

right. Disgusting, actually. What some people don’t realize is that sending a message that reads: “Kill yourself ” or “Why aren’t you dead yet?” may have the same effect as holding the gun to their head. Even someone who believes suicide is never an option, or that it is morally wrong, can see that the torture that Sedwick was put through was reprehensible. The parents of the two children who bullied Sedwick should be held responsible for her death. A parent should aim to be aware of their child’s online presence, especially since there are so many ways to hurt someone. In just an instant, a harmful message can be sent. There’s no taking it back. There’s no recycle bin in the mind. Once someone sees the message, it takes effect. Often times, typing a short message feels so easy. So fast, simple. It isn’t hard for one to mask themselves online and to taunt people. But does that mean that it should be done? Does that make it any less hurtful? Any less real? Because there is no difference between telling someone to die in real life and telling them through a quick text message. Why would anyone, much less a child, want to hurt someone so badly? Make them feel like they cannot live on this planet anymore? What’s even more frightening is the fact that parents can be com-pletely oblivious to what their children are putting online. And this worries me. In the case of Rebecca Sedwick, there was little parental interfer-ence. No one to tell the tormentors that their petty Facebook posts and useless plotting against Sedwick would eventually lead her to her death. No one was there to tell them that they weren’t just sending messages. Weren’t just playing a game. They were making a little girl’s life unbearable. They were pushing her to end her life. The parents of these children should have stopped this before it manifested itself into such a delicate problem. Sure, they may not have grown up with this same technology, but does that mean they had to disregard their daughters’ Facebook pages? Some parents may feel that this is just the same as peeping into their journal or invading their private space. But when it comes down to it, a child’s Facebook profile can be used as a weapon. Locked and loaded. Ready for the kill.

graphic by aDrianna Owens

First-person shooters migrating to real life

Blancah Mendoza

Dellanira Alcauter

Adrianna Owens

art by arriana smith

Features the StaggLine11.8.134

Inside the T-Wing lies one of-fice shared between two music instructors, Joseph Updegraff and Mark Swope. Updegraff teaches orchestra, concert band, jazz band, and two classes of gui-tar. This year marks his third year teaching at Stagg. Swope teaches beginning and show choir, musical theater, and two classes of piano. He has been teaching here for 11 years. Every class consists of a mix of skill level, from students who have never picked up an instru-ment or sung before to those who can display their musical talent in several different ways. This comes with the excep-tion of jazz band and show choir, which tend to have students with more advanced skills since the classes themselves demand more experience. Both music instructors enjoy teaching more than one music class. Updegraff said, “There’s definitely a love of music and honestly a love of teaching the students.” They also like how students take more than one music class. That way, they are explor-

ing more aspects of the musical world instead of just sticking to one type of music. They both even encourage stu-dents to take more than one mu-sic class, or at least to learn more than one type of music, saying that the musical skills they have don’t change, just the way they perform and view music. Students who have never played an instrument before are just as welcomed as those who have played ever since they were toddlers. Swope said, “It’s always great to have someone new. We some-times have students who’ve never sung, who’ve never played an in-strument.” Updegraff finds it a challenge teaching guitar because it re-quires a different kind of teach-ing style. He’s used to teaching classes like orchestra, where the group has to learn to play together as an ensemble. In guitar, the learning is more individualized. Despite the challenge, he’s persistent on teaching students who are willing to learn. He also wishes to teach the students to apply what they learn in guitar to their own developing skills so they can be creative on

their own. This way students can even-tually create their own tunes in-stead of just playing songs that already exist. After they learn to play several chords, students can learn to use them to write their own songs. Updegraff wants to leave each person with legitamate skills in music that they can use in the future. Freshman Javier Nunez is one of several students on campus who is currently taking more than one music class this year. He is enrolled in orchestra and plays the bass. He also knows how to play the cello and has been play-ing it for four years. Nunez’s second music class is guitar. He didn’t intentionally choose to be in guitar class, he was placed in it after the school year started. He had the option to switch out but instead chose to stay to get the feel of learning how to play another instrument. Updegraff and Swope always enjoy having new students in their classes, whether they’re in the incoming freshman class or other classes. Swope said, “We never know what kinds of students walk in our doors.”

Making music together

Band, choir instructors teach classes at various levels, working

with veterans and newcomers

photos by Dellanira alcauterMusic instructors Mark Swope and Joseph Updegraff combined their classes to cre-ate the Monster Concert, which took place last week.

NuviaCervantes

Textbooks are a necessity for almost any class-room. Textbooks are the platform for learning. However, students are discovering that some cours-es lack this basic tool. Some students recognize this outcome, and those who are in the Spanish 1-2 and all French levels know especially. Since several classes must share one set, no one can take the books home to complete assignments. The extent of homework is a worksheet, which can’t offer the support of a textbook. Advanced classes are suffering as well. The Ad-vanced Placement Language and Composition class must also share one set of class-issue textbooks. “I was excited at first when I found out we didn’t have to carry another heavy textbook to and from school,” Vincente Arburua, junior, said. “But now the class could be set back a little.” He said his class was lucky enough to have a teacher who gives good notes, so their under-standing of that class will turn out fine. Zariah Gonzales, junior, shares her English class with Arburua. She took the honors English class her sophomore year but since there isn’t one junior year, she wasn’t sure whether or not to take AP or regular when it came time to pick classes for the following year. Unlike the Internet, she said textbooks are a reli-able source. “I like English,” she said, “but the lack of books aren’t preparing us for next year.” Others also feel the effects. “It kind of limits us because we can’t learn from (books) or read the ma-terial,” junior Sofia Rodriguez said. Though there are several classes that must share textbooks, there isn’t one person or administration to blame. There are multiple reasons for a lack of books.The first occurs at the end of the previous year.

When students go to return books they checked out, some were stolen. Some were lost. Some were damaged beyond repair. Some weren’t turned in. “Though students may pay off their debt, the money goes into the school’s general fund,” Deb-orah Berg, French teacher, said. “So the money may not be used to buy a new book for that same course.” She said a lot of times the money may be spent on books for core classes, instead of the original. Another cause that pertains to the language courses is the books that are being used are from 2001 and 2002.

Since there weren’t new sets of lan-guage books bought, the amount of books depleted because they are being stolen or lost. “It’s interesting because we’re (teachers) trying to figure out ways to use textbooks that we don’t have,” Berg said. The absence of an honors Eng-lish class at the junior level leaves students with two options: AP or regular. Though the next step after honors is AP, some students may

be intimidated by the general reputation of it and this may lead to the sophomore English class split-ting as junior year starts. This year more students enrolled in the AP course, but since the school only had enough books for one class while there are two, the books had to be taken back from the students and kept as a class set. As much as it makes sense to buy new textbooks,” Assistant Principal Melissa Beattie said, “the budget is already pre accounted for.” Basically this means that money was already set for a certain subject or class. For example, the school legally can’t buy a Span-ish textbook with money from that was set for the math department.

DeviNWiCkstrom

It’s interesting because we’re trying to figure out ways to use textbooks that we don’t have.” Deborahberg

“

LanguageCourses

AdvancedPlacement

Students don’treturn their used books

If students pay off their debt, the mon-ey will go into the general fund

The money that is paid for a language textbook isn’t nec-essarily used to get a replacement of that exact copy

More students are in the course

Budget is already pre accounted for (only a certain amount of money can be spent in an area).

Outdated textbooks

Here are just a few of the reasons why classes are low on textbooks

More classes this year than the previous

Classrooms work around lack of

textbooks

No honors course

graphic by aDrianna owens anD Devin wickstrom

making Dowithless

How to not be ‘catfished’th

e StaggLine 11.8.13Features 5

Internet safety is a neccessity,

says district Senior Marrione Roe is searching for information about Hurricane Katrina for her AP Government research project. She finds that most of the websites she could be using for her project are blocked off by the district. “When I go to the Homework Center and try to search some-thing for a research project on the Internet, it won’t let me use all the websites I need and not everyone has Internet at home,” Roe said. Students like Roe get frustrated when they find that a website they need is blocked off by the district. “It’s frustrating because we use it for academic reasons and it still doesn’t always work,” she said. It may give students without web access at home a harder time — but there are many good reasons why those websites are blocked, district officials say. Websites that may have “anything that is obscene or harmful to students will be blocked,” said SUSD Chief Technology Officer Robert Torres. “Some types of a websites that will be blocked are e-mails, chat rooms, and other forms of electronic communica-tion,” he said. “As well as pornographic material and hacking.” Some students do agree with the blocked sites. Junior Aylin Murillo is one of the them. “I think it’s a good thing that they block the websites,” Murillo said. “It’s for our safety and it keeps us on task.” Students tend to think the blocked websites are specifically chosen by one person. The blocked internet sites are not picked by an individual, they go through a system that determines whether they are blocked or not. The Child Internet Protection App is the system used to filter the sites. CIPA are the regulations to be followed by the district because of the Erate program in which the Stockton Unified School District takes part in. Erate helps us fund our Internet, which enables students to have web access at school. “It’s really helpful to have Internet access at school since not all of us have it at home,” Murillo said. In order to get the Federal Com-munications Commission to provide the school internet connection, the district must follow CIPA regulations. “The FCC is the government agency that allows us to participate in Erate and Erate is the program that subsidizes our internet connec-tion,” Torres said. Even though the Internet has restrictions, teachers have access to an a e-mail where they can send a filter review request for a website that could be useful for students. After the request is sent in, “it will be reviewed in case there is any-thing inappropriate on the website,” Torres said. If nothing inappro-priate is found on the site, it will be unblocked and open for student usage. “It’s cool that if we find a blocked website we need we can tell a teacher about it and they can get it unblocked for us,” Murillo said. “It’s always better to have the websites pre-blocked and then un-blocked if needed rather than having them open the whole time.”

Armed forces proves attractive option for some As kids, some dream of becoming doctors, teachers, or even police officers. But then there are those kids who take up an interest of giv-ing back, traveling the world, and expanding their knowledge of the world and serving their country. “If I actually went to college, I probably wouldn’t do anything with my life and give up,” senior Maxine Contreras said. For a while Contreras actually wanted to be a vet, but the cost of college forced her to change her mind to becoming a sonar techni-cian, who usually spend their time in submarines or carriers, detecting animals and anything near. Although she has her mind set she continues applying to colleges. Joining the armed forces brings many benefits, including educa-tion, medical insurance, and housing. A person can earn a college tuition that is paid by the govern-ment, free medical care for a household, and if lived on base housing is fully paid for by the military, according to the Houston Chronicle. Having her mind set on being involved in air traffic con-trol, senior Pila Cha looks forward to gaining these ben-efits. “I chose to be involved because of the benefits, and because I really want to travel,” she said. The only thing that Cha sees as difficult is leaving her family behind. “I won’t see family for a long time, so I think that’ll be the hardest part for me.” But for senior Julian Hernandez, he doesn’t let that stop him from being in the Air Force. “It is what it is, and you can’t let it affect you,” Hernandez said. Influenced by a history teacher at his for-mer school, Weber Tech, Hernandez began to become interested in pursuing a career

in the Air Force. So far Hernandez has done a lot of swimming and running to help him prepare. Also taking up swimming and running, senior Eddie Velasquez trains on his own to prepare himself for the Navy. He searches to get his adrenaline rushing. “Nothing else interests me,” Velasquez said. “I don’t want to go into an office to work. I like doing things that make my adrenaline rush.” Although all four seniors have already done so much to pursue their dream, another student has already taken a further step, a step that shows their determination. But due to personal reasons, he asked to be anonymous. Determined to be in the Marine Corps, he has already been sworn

in. That is, he swears that he is committed to be a part of the armed forces.

“It feels good to be sworn in,” he said. “It’s that feeling that you’re a part of something bigger than yourself.” Ever since he was young he wanted to expe-rience sensations and see things he’s never seen before. He fell in love with history and under-standing the logic. “I’ve prepared my mind to deal with pain

and concentrate with what I’m doing and not complain; I’ve built my mental strength.”

According to this senior, many of his peers, and teachers, have misconcep-

tions of him being involved. They assume the branches of mili-

tary are just about killing, he says, but they fail to see

there’s other sorts of work; whether it’s cooking,

transporting supplies, or being a band mem-ber. “I want to write a book since I’ll be gone a long period of time,” he said. “I’ll be seeing stuff, I’ll be mak-ing history.”

RubiRico

alexusPlascencia

photo by Dellanira alcauter

“In a way it will be hard for family, not for me. It is what it is, and you can’t let it affect you.” JulianhernanDez

“

catfish n. - someone who pretends to be someone they’re not by using social media to create false identities

Encounterment You have to be careful on which website you meet the other person. Think about the other social websites they go on, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. They are more likely to be a catfisher if you were to meet them on, let’s say, Tumblr, rather than Facebook.

Visual You’ve got to at least see a selfie of them. Or even better, try Skyping, Facetiming, or any sort of webcamming app with them. Cameras are usually everywhere, so if they are avoiding taking pictures or webcamming, something’s up. Talking on the phone works, but it’s not as effective. But remember: they could post fake selfies.

Confirmation

Research This may seem like a loss of trust between the two of you, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Look up their first and last name through a search engine. Don’t feel like you’re spying if you search for their name. You’re just being vigilant and protecting yourself. If they haven’t given you their last name yet, and your friendship lies at a very high level of trust, doesn’t that seem kind of fishy? (No pun intended). Also, they might be hiding behind a false identity, so you’d better check.

Are they friends or have mutual follows with people they know in real life? Take advantage of the variety of websites they use. If you’re told one thing and then your friend contradicts themselves, don’t wait. Ask about it.

Confrontation If you ever plan on meeting this person in real life, you have got to be careful. Make sure to meet in a public place dur-ing the daytime, where people can see you and your friend. You’ll never know who this person truly is until you guys are face-to-face, and they might be dangerous.

Sometimes, it’s not about that other person trying to catfish, but they could be trying to protect their identity from other catfishers. So if you make friends online, don’t be too unconcealed or too reserved; just be cautious, no matter if they’re nearby or far away!

graphic by Marleene pheav

EntErtainmEnt the StaggLine11.8.136

Let’s say your father is a famous actor. He’s been nominated for 78 awards, two of which are Oscars, and has won 41 awards. Many love his movies. You were even in one of his mov-ies as a young child. He has played as a superhero, zombie apoca-lypse survivor, an NYPD detective that searches for aliens, and more. Most actors begin from the bottom and have to go through a great deal of change to find them-selves and become famous. But it’s different for Jaden Smith. He was born famous.

He is the son of Will Smith. Will Smith started his dream pursuing music. He made one performance before all the fame got to his head. He began spending too much money on nonessential items. As a result, he went bankrupt. Then, he got an opportunity to be in the “The French Prince of Bel-Air” series that lasted six years. After that, he starred in his first movie, “Six Degrees of Separation,” where he got noticed. Then he played in the movie “Bad Boys.” That’s when his career was set. Now that Jaden is 15, will he have to live up to the expectations that his fans and father have for him? So far Jaden Smith has won six awards, leaving him 35 more compared to his father. His first movie was “Pursuit of Happyness” where he played as the child Christopher who stayed with his father Chris Gardner (Will Smith) through their poor life. His solo movies are remakes of the 1951 science fiction classic “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and the 1984 “Karate Kid.” After this he was featured in Justin Bieber’s song “Never Say Never.” His recent movie is “After Earth.” Many would say that movie was terrible and not worth the time. Yes, the acting is terrible, but the storyline is great. A horrible crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth 1,000 years after the human race has died out. During the crash, Cypher is injured. As his in-juries worsen, he becomes more and more in need of medical attention. This leaves Kitai to go on a journey where new evolved animals rule the land. He finds the tail to retrieve the emergency bea-con so he can call home to save his father. On this mission, Kitai overcomes obstacles and shows his father that he is trustworthy and he is no longer a little kid. His ability to act doesn’t only show his father, it also shows the audience that he is becoming more mature as an actor. He’s no longer the child that follows his father or the little karate kid. He isn’t stuck in his father’s career path any-more. He’s found himself. He’s growing up. Like father, like son, right?

araceliValencia

Hollywood adores repetition. Sometimes remakes are meant to modernize a story so the audience can stay interested. Other times it’s to make some easy money. Whatever the case may be, Hollywood loves them. Today, remakes are mostly specified in the horror genre. With the technology we have today, this horror can be enhanced, bringing more shock to all. The main reason why remakes have the most recognition is based on the title. One hears something familiar, they are bound to see it. Even though remakes have the most recognition compared to original movies, many people would choose original films over the remakes. Original films have a true sense of imagination, creativity, and a great deal of curiosity. Remakes, on the other hand, just introduce new actors and fancy graphics, hitting a mark that ruins the flow of creativity. For example, the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is not a gory film (a strange thing, too, given the “massacre” part). Yet the audience is in fear

because it feels realistic, almost like a documentary. The fact that the movie is based on a real murderer, Ed Gein, creates a terrifying effect. The remake of “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” did not hit this mark. Even though the graphics rose the name of “massacre,” the movie had little effort to create a true horror film. There are times when remakes are made well, surpassing the original. “Carrie” is a good example. Even though the actress was seen as a “try hard” by some critics, the remake creates a modern atmosphere that keeps the audience in their seats. It is the same for the original. The surprising atmosphere can be felt with chills in the audiences’ bones with each passing minute. Directors like to remake foreign films, introducing an American audience to something different the mind can perceive. “Let Me In” is the story of a lonely and outcasted boy who discovers that a young girl has moved in next door. As the movie progresses, he figures out that this stranger is a creature of the night with a thirst

for blood. The original “Let The Right One In” is a Swedish film with the same essence as the remake. The suspense that builds up as each dead body is discovered can be balanced out with friendship the two children have in both the original and the remake. A remake that most people are familiar with is “One Missed Call.” Made from the Japanese film “Chakushin ari,” this thriller is known for the strange ringtone and the mysterious candy that escapes the victim’s mouth, which continues to give the audience a fright to remember. Although both remake and original have completely different plots, both are able to capture the true thriller film. Remakes can either be the worst thing created that dissapoints the audience with little effort and creativity, or they can surpass an original by simple yet careful analysis. Whatever the case may be, movies are a form of entertainment all can enjoy. Either laugh at a terrible movie, or take your mind to an adventure with a great film. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy.

JessicacerVantes

Overall: Terrible acting was distracting from what could have been a good movie.

1976

After Earth

Original Vs. RemakeGraphic by marcElla hawkins and alyssa rojas

2013

1974 2003

With each passing minute, Carrie’s power lures us in into a story of her life. Even though the remake is taken in a modern perspective, both movies keep the audience in their seats.

The original does not have gore,

but it’s frightning because it feels

real. The remake, on the other hand,

feels like another boring film with

crazy graphics and blood.

Carrie

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

Rule No. 1: Don’t mess with original

“My mama always said,‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’” — “Forrest Gump”

“I see dead people.” “The Sixth Sense” —

“I’m the king of the world!” — “Titanic”

“I’ll be back.” “The Terminator” —

“May the force be with you.” — “Star Wars”

“You go Glen Coco!” “Mean Girls”—

EverlastingMovie Quotes

Jaden Smith begins to break out of his father’s footsteps

SportS the StaggLine11.8.13 7

62AVERAGE

POINTS PER GAME47

TOUCHDOWNS

261RECEIVING YARDS PER GAME

21SACKS

22TAKEAWAYSINTERCEPTIONS FUMBLE RECOVERY+

STATS FOR VARSITY FOOTBALL

2013

2nd place no longer

A sea of brown and gold packed Sanguinetti Stadium at St. Mary’s High School last Friday night. The roaring crowd was filled with bun-dled up parents, students, faculty, and alumni — everyone there to witness the game of the year. The football team took the field with determination as former players lined the side for support. Anticipa-tion hung in the air. Would this be the year?Pregame Stagg’s overall record before kickoff was 7-1 with a TCAL record of 3-0. They were ranked 241 in the state and on a seven game winning streak. St. Mary’s carried an overall record of 6-2 and a TCAL record of 3-0. They were ranked 68 in the state and on a three game winning streak. Stagg had not beaten St. Mary’s since 1999 when the team went undefeated. And St. Mary’s has gone undefeated in TCAL since their loss to West in 2006.

JessicaMangili

graphic by Fe Valencia

(Top) Senior Jamarius Harris receives a hand off from Wayne Brooks and takes off down the field. (Bottom) Assistant coaches Larry Johnson and Sean Kilduff embrace on the field after Stagg beat St. Mary’s.

photoS by Michealla FouleS and dellanira alcauter

graphic by JeSSica Mangili

So imagine you’re on the volleyball team and this man comes off the bleachers after each set and talks to your team. But he is not your coach. Everyone seems comfortable around him so you get used to him coming and know he is going to be there. He cheers on your team and even bought the warm up shirts. “We call him Uncle Vic,” senior Tosha Monroe said. “I love him,” sophomore Brianna Alford said. “He is like our mascot.” He is at every league game and is always cheering, even if the team is down. But who is Uncle Vic? He is the uncle of varsity volleyball player Des-tiny Delgado, junior. She plays as libero, which is the player in the back that needs all the power to get the ball all the way back over the net. “He is very into my volleyball life,” Delgado said. She has been on the volleyball team since freshman year and her uncle, Victor Mercado, has been cheer-ing her on ever since. From freshman year to now, Mercado said he has stayed pretty much the same in the cheering aspect. “He pumps up the audience,” she said. Mercado said cheering is contagious. He has a son that is in baseball and truly believes in parent participation in sports. This became important Tuesday when Delgado’s toe got a cramp and he was stretching out her foot just before the game.

“They work hard. They don’t want to come into an empty gym.” Mercado was speaking about the volleyball team and how they don’t want to see the bleachers empty and no one cheering them on. Sarina Am, sophomore, said, “He cheers with us, like if a girl spikes it we say, ‘All ace!’ and he joins in.” Delgado said that Mercado wants her to get a scholarship for volleyball. Some athletes get shy or don’t focus as well when being cheered on by a fam-ily member but Delgado said, “I like it, it motivates us.” Because of Mercado, Delgado has made friends on the team and now says, “I feel loved.” Going a step further, some girls on the team believe that Mercado should be a coach for them. When asked if he would accept if he were offered the job, he said, “I would be honored to be their coach.” He believes that if the girls had a coach ear-lier that would be better. None the less, Mercado tries to get the girls to put forth their best effort. “He says, ‘Win this game and I’ll buy you pizza,’” Monroe said. “When we get down he cheers us up,” said Mon-roe. Eryn Lightsey, senior, said that sometimes when the team is losing she gets mad and Mercado will go and talk to her, attempting to calm her down. “Everyone likes (Mercado),” Delgado said. Now how would you athletes feel if Uncle Vic was cheering you on? Monroe said, “He supports us. He motivates us.”

angelgonzales

Devotion:

photo by araceli Valencia

Victor Mercado gives the team encouragement and tells them they can do better on the next set after they lose their first set to West. The team went on to lose in 3 sets.

Uncle supports volleyball team

Kings beat Rams for first time in 14 years

Water polo Volleyball

Tennis Girls golf

Boys soccer Football

Overall TCAL

Season Highlight Jasmine Williams placed first and Blancah Mendoza place sixth in the TCAL Tournament on Oct. 14.

4-8 4-6

Overall TCAL

Season Highlight: The boys beat West 3-2 on their senior night - their first league win and second win of the season.

2-12 1-9 Overall TCAL

Season Highlight: For the first time in 14 years, they beat St. Mary’s and broke their seven year TCAL winning streak.

8-1 5-0

Overall TCAL

Season Highlight 7-6 5-5

Overall TCAL

Season Highlight The girls team beat Franklin twice during the season. The first time was 13-3. The second time was 14-2.

2-8 2-8 Overall TCAL

Season Highlight The girls team won their only TCAL game against McNair with a comeback in five sets.

4-13 1-9

Cross countryOverall: TCAL:

Season Highlight: The boys team placed third in the TCAL meet and beat St. Mary’s.

2-8 2-8

Fall sports recap

As the season comes to a close, here is a look at what

each team has achieved.

*this is co-ed, girls, and boys combined

*this does not include the TCAL tournament

*this does not include invitationals and future meets *this is boys and girls combined

*doesn’t include this Friday’s game against West

Doubles senior Lynzie Vang and junior Claudette Caceres placed 2nd in TCAL after beating St. Mary’s.

First quarter - Stagg entered the game with high intensity, but St. Mary’s proved that they wouldn’t back down.Statement - Stagg made a statement on its opening drive. Senior quar-terback Wayne Brooks handed it off to senior halfback Daniel Ruffin who threw a long touchdown to senior Andru Jones, giving Stagg a 6-0 lead with 9:11 left. Scoring in the first three minutes sets the tone for the rest of the game. Fight - Patiently driving down the field, St. Mary’s proved it could fight back. The Rams responded with a TD run by sophomore Bryan Pascual tying the game at 6-6 with 3:46 left on the clock. Their PAT was no good.Big play - After a Brooks 18-yard run to the Rams’ one yard line, Ruf-fin hurdled over the line to make the big score near the end of the quarter. Stagg went for a two-point conversion, but came up short as Brooks was tackled with the ball just before the end zone. Stagg con-tinued to put points on the board, but the tackle of Brooks reminded the crowd of the skill level and intensity of the team. This was not going to be easy. Score at the end of the quarter, 12-6.Second quarter - Stagg continued to put points on the board while St. Mary’s played the slow and steady tortoise. Defensive block - A Delta King tackle prevented a game changing touchdown. With less than nine minutes left in the quarter, DaVon Thompson tackled a driving St. Mary’s player causing a fumble and blocking his clear path to the endzone. Long run - The second longest run of the game put life back into St. Mary’s. Rams’ senior Jaelin Ratliff scored a 55 yard TD, making the score 26-18. It took the patient and calm Rams almost the entire quarter to get more points on the board. Third quarter - Fumble and incomplete pass put ripples in the Kings’ so far smooth sailing. Turning point - A shocking fumble opened the door for the Rams. Lester Williams, after a long rush downfield tripped, fell and fumbled the ball. The Rams recovered on the 25 yard line. The fumble set fire to the Rams who later in the quarter caused two incomplete passes. Jones doubles up - A second TD for Jones created a comfortable lead. Jones scored with eight minutes left, making the score 40-18. Without this touchdown the Rams’ fourth quarter rally would have resulted in overtime and might have caused a different outcome for the game. Foreshadowing - An incomplete pass set the tone for next quarter. Ruf-fin dropped a pass from Brooks with 1:12 left in the quarter that resulted in a change of possession. This mistake foreshadowed Ruffin’s later fumble in the fourth quarter.Fourth quarter - Rams’ comeback effort put a scare into Kings, but the Kings pulled through. Comeback - A TD in the first minute gave Rams hope. St. Mary’s running back Marcell Spady put the Rams back on scoreboard and caused Kings fans to bite their nails in anticipation. After the TD, the Rams had a little extra pep in their step. From zero to hero - The second time around proved to be the charm. Ruffin fumbled a potential game-sealing TD toward the end of the quarter. But then with 15 seconds left on the clock, Ruffin picked off a potential tying touchdown and ran it downfield ensuring the Kings’ 40-32 win. Post gameThe crowd, already on its feet, jumped over the railing of the stands and rushed the field to celebrate with the team and coaches. As coach-es and player embraced each other, some tears of joy running down their face, the group erupted into shouting, “Stagg State! You know!” The team and the crowd left the field with their heads held high and yelling “Champions!” This was the year. * Stats are current to today

the StaggLineNews11.08.138

Grades — the reflection of all progress and work a student has made over a period of time. Students are living in a technological era where access to see their grades is available at all times. Before this year, students had to ask or turn in a grade check to find out what their grade was. Now there is StudentVue. StudentVue is a program directly linked to teach-ers’ grade books that can give students and parents access to see students’ schedules, attendance, and most importantly, grades. However, not all grades are available. Some teachers, for one reason or another, do not post grades on Synergy which makes students unable to see them on StudentVue. “I check my grades regularly to see what assignments I’m missing,” senior Derek Diep said. “Without it I don’t know if I’m doing bad or good.” The program has become a valuable resource to students. Since the grades are available online, students can check their grades anytime and parents no longer have to wait on a progress report. Also, they no longer have to wait for an assign-ment to be handed back to them as their scores will be posted as soon as teachers input them. The system works by linking the teachers’ grade input program Synergy with StudentVue to put all of a student’s class grades in one place. The fresh-ness of the grade is a reflection of the teacher and their tendency to input grades. Some teachers are very supportive of the pro-gram. “Knowing their grades makes students respond better and want to do better,” said Tara Hayes, so-cial studies teacher. By telling her students their grades she uses it for motivation. “Students will think they are getting a better grade than they are so it gives them a message that they better get moving.” The Math Department is having trouble with the system. “The program was designed to put in straight

forward grades,” said Math Department Chair An-drew Walter. “It doesn’t work because we grade on a weighted scale.” Math teachers have been able to get around this problem by using a different pro-gram to calculate scores and just putting in final grades when they are due. The trouble with the system is that students aren’t able to view their math grades on the pro-gram until they are turned in and progress reports are in the mail.

“It’s really important to know about your grades,” Christine Ro-driguez, sophomore, said. “You think you’re doing everything right then you actually see that you’re way behind.” The Math Department is working with the district and the developers of the Synergy program to come up with a way to accommodate their system of grading but results are long overdue as this is the third year that the school has used the pro-gram. “There was no chain of contact,” Walter said.

He and other math teachers only received one day of training at a workshop and it wasn’t until later that they found issues with putting in grades. According to Jason Dingle of Edupoint, the company that manufactured the Synergy and StudentVue program, it is possible for teachers to weight their grades. “We have several types of weighting available to teachers,” Dingle said in an email. The system, he added, is designed to account for “assignment weighting, category weighting, and term weighting.” There is a way to view one’s grades without the interference of technology. The old fashioned way, asking the teacher. However, some students may feel intimidated with this approach. “I’m afraid to ask my teachers,” Diep said. “I feel like I’m annoying them.” StudentVue has presented an option for the more timid students to find out their grades at the click of a button. “If it wasn’t for StudentVue I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my classes at all,” Diep said.

Career Center opens to achieve a mission

graphic by alyssa rojas

BrianWalker

How to check your grades on StudentVue

1. Type the StudentVue link into the address bar: http://sis.stockton.k12.ca.us/Login_Student_PXP.aspx 2. Type your student

ID number into the “username” box. Your password is your birth year, month, and day (ex:19990526).

3.Once logged in, you will be taken to the home screen.

4. From there, you will be able to access differ-ent aspects of the website. To check grades, you would click the “Grade Book” link.

** Your ID number is located towards the bottom of your Stagg ID (indicated in red box to the left).**

Program allows ‘vue’ of most grades

The Career Center has

a variety of college

pamphlets available

on the shelves in

the library. Senior Te-resa Zac-

arias takes a peak at

some of her options.

photo by DellaNira alcauter

graphic by bayliN MoraN

Step 1 Go to http://www.stockton.k12.ca.us/

Step 2Then hover over the tab labeled “Parents & Students.” After you hover over the tab, click on the option “Scholarship application.”

Step 3 It will then take you to a PDF in which you will fill it out with the information required.

Step 4 Once you’ve finished filling out the application you will need to take your mouse and hover it over the bottom right of the form and a little bar will pop up.

Step 5 Click the last option on the bar that came up to print out your application.

Step 6 Then turn in the completed packet to your counselor to be sent out.

Here’s an easy way to fill out one application and have it be sent by counselors to many places for possible scholarship opportunities.

Hey seniors!

As a follow-up of the college fair that was held at the end of October, S3 Grant Coordinator and Career Counselor Kevin Oki visited junior and senior classes to welcome them to the newly opened Career Center. With the help of the guid-ance counselors, Oki’s goal is to provide students with informa-tion and skills to help them pre-pare for college and getting them ready for a career of their choice. Currently, counselors are fo-cused on helping seniors with the process of applying for universi-ties, college entrance tests like the SAT’s, grants, and scholarships. Juniors are being prepared to use an online program called

Bridges where students build their personal portfolios that would help them determine their career interests and to be used as a resource for college and career research. In the future, Oki said that dif-ferent workshops will be held dur-ing lunch, like showing students how to apply for jobs and present-ing videos on how to prepare for job interviews. College represen-tatives are also being planned to host these workshops and to give presentations to students. “I’m hoping it (the Career Center) will help me meet my deadlines, and give good advice and tips on college,” senior Ra-jada Ealey said, “especially with fee waiver applications.”

In preparation to opening the Career Center, Oki’s “first step was to find a designated place” — the library— and to replace the old computer tables, then to make sure computers were avail-able and able to function. The Career Center will be open Tuesdays to Friday, dur-ing lunch, and after school from 1 to 3 p.m. Students who meet the a-g requirements will also be pulled out of their classes to meet with counselors until the end of the month. Otherwise, head counselor Chan Sam stresses that students who don’t meet the re-quirements but are applying to private or vocational colleges need to meet with their counsel-ors immediately.

Open at lunch and after school from 1-3.

MicheallaFoules

Knowing their grade makes the students re-spond better and want to do better.”

taraHayessocial studies teacher

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