The Writers’ Journal Page 1 Chula Vista Adult School Fall 2015

Editor’s Welcome

Welcome to the fourth edition of CVA’s

Writers’ Journal, showcasing student

writing, art and computer skills. This

edition consists of contributions from Ely

Freedman’s BCS class.

The general theme for this edition is

“Seeing the world from a different

perspective”. We hope you enjoy it.

If Alligators Could Fly…

Cynthia Velazquez BCS

If alligators could fly, I think all of us would wear

some kind of helmets, like the ones the football

players wear. That way, maybe they wouldn’t

bite our heads.

I think they would be like giant insects, so the

person who invented alligator insecticides

would become rich! Our houses would have

some metal peaks on the roofs. That way

alligators would not be able to be on our roofs.

Also, all our houses would be surrounded by

huge metal fences, so they would not be able to

come in.

On the other hand, if flying alligators could be

trained or domesticated, it would be amazing!

They could be used as a means of transport. It

would be like a kind of safe environment

transportation. Literally you would be going

green!

Letters from a Dog

Adrian Tapia BCS

Woof‘s Up Dawg,

Oh my God, I miss you so much but this world of

humans is fantastic! Since I was adopted, my life

changed completely, I became the king of the house.

I sleep wherever I want, wake up whenever I want,

and sometimes I take my humans for a walk and play

“throw the ball” with them. Basically they throw the

ball (which they love to do) and I just get it back to

them so they can throw it again. I’m such a good dog.

Maybe that’s why other dogs’ slaves approach me

and pet me. I don’t really support slavery, but dude,

it is awesome to have so many servants.

I hope you become a king soon.

Sincerely,

Taco

P.S.: I don’t know why they call me that; maybe it

means “Lord” in human…

The Writers’ Journal Page 2 Chula Vista Adult School

(Letters from a Dog) Insoon Ha BCS Hello Einstein!

Read this e-mail tomorrow morning when your

two roommates go out to work.

How have you been doing? You mentioned you

felt lonely because you were all alone most of the

time. Are they still busy preparing their wedding

ceremony? I hope the couple hangs around more

often with you.

I have some advice for you to get more attention

from them. I know you are a good boy and you

are mature enough to do these kinds of things. It

always works! Here is the action plan:

First you can bite their favorite shoes and clothes

when they are out. If they are wise, they should

recognize that you need more love. But some

stupid people will just react like crazy cows, yelling

and scolding you.

Next step: just pooh any place. If it still doesn’t

work... eat the pooh when they are with you. I

think that will work.

The last thing you can try is to stop eating. You

can hide some food and have it secretly. You must

be a good actor and pretend that you are not

eating at all. Look blue and sick.

Please let me have your feedback soon. I look

forward to hearing some good news.

Best regards,

Your counselor, Insoon

Samantha Zendejas BCS Hi, Dear Friend!

I hope you’re doing well. I just wanted to tell you a

few things about how my life goes right now. I

currently live with my human family, but they are

not like us at all, I mean, sometimes I think that

they don’t have feelings and that they don’t love

me anymore. Last week I was playing with a shoe

and suddenly I made a little hole in it, but it was

an accident and my human mom got angry and

left me alone outside and she told me ‘’I hate

you’’, but you know what my friend? I still love

her, and I wish they still loved me the same. I think

they should be trained with love like we are.

Have fun and I’ll wait for your letter.

Isabel Martinez BCS

Hi, Gus!

How are you today? I’d like to tell you about the

people that I see around every day. Throughout

my life I’ve seen people who love us, but some

people treat us badly, and I wonder why, if we love

them. Some people use dogs for profit and after

that when we get older, they abandon us. I think

that they could be trained so easily because they

are obedient when they get some benefits. Their

food is good but sometimes they eat food that

makes them sick, and I don’t know why.

The Writers’ Journal Page 3 Chula Vista Adult School

(Letters from a Dog)

Javier Saucedo BCS

Dear friend Milo,

I write this letter to tell you about some people

that I have met.

Some of them love dogs; they treat us like part of

their family -- even love us more than their own

family. But some people can be so cruel with us.

When we are beautiful puppies they love us, but

the worst starts when we grow up. They take us

out of the house or just leave us in the street.

Their food is very odd. Some food is healthy and

other food is not, but most people choose

unhealthy food. Weird, right?

(More About Flying Alligators)

Angelica Rosas BCS

If alligators could fly, we would be living a very

different life. Our life would be all about protecting

ourselves from the “flying alligators”.

Some disadvantages would be that they could be

landing in our backyards, streets or parks, so that

alone could be dangerous to everyone. Our cars would

be customized with a special body to protect them

from the weight of those little monsters.

Forget about having a convertible car, for the reason

that something “else” (you know what) could be

falling from the sky and smack you in your head.

Flying alligators could be grabbing people from the

streets and carrying them off in one second. Just

imagine people running away and hiding when they

see them coming.

I can’t think of any advantage, because they are very

unfriendly and alligators eat people. If we could

domesticate them, the story would be different. We

could have them at home as pets, picking up the

newspaper and playing with the kids in the yard. We

would probably use them as a transport, to avoid

heavy traffic once in a while. They could be very

helpful if we accustom them to our life.

If alligators could fly,

people would use trackers to identify them as we do

with sharks. Personally I don’t like the idea. They are

scary enough the way they are.

Good morning, My Friend Douglas.

This is your friend Damian from L.A. How have you

been? I just want to tell you something a little bit

about the people I see every day around me. I am

going to start with my owners. They love me so

much. They adopted me when I was little. They are

good people whom I can trust. They like French

poodles like me, but sometimes I am very sad

because I see many times how people treat

animals like us.

Some people don’t have a heart. They don’t care

about us and I ask myself why they are still with us

if they treat us so badly. We must do something,

my friend Douglas.

Jessica Martinez BCS

Damian García BCS

The Writers’ Journal Page 4 Chula Vista Adult School

Who Are These People?

(Students were given this photo and asked to interpret it.)

“The Pajama Walkers”

Adrian Tapia BCS

These people are called “The Pajama Walkers”. This is

an ancient group of people who walk from a small

community in the country of Chad (in Africa) to the

only Costco in the country which takes two days to

arrive. They are all white people and nobody really

knows how they arrived in Chad, but they have lived

there for centuries. The tradition consists in waking up

in the middle of the night and gathering in a park

where the trip will begin. Obviously they have to go in

their pajamas but they get to choose between wearing

Crocs or sandals with socks. Two days later, they arrive

at their destination and buy supplies for the whole

year. It’s a long walk but they save money at Costco

plus they get 2% back of their entire purchase.

“This is Our World”

Dania de Anda BCS

These people are walking against the violence in the

world.

Last Friday night, the only thing we heard on the news

was that innocent people were dying. The headlines

were:

“Scenes of Horror as a Paris Night Becomes a

Bloodbath”;

“France Strikes ISIS Targets in Syria in

Retaliation for Attacks”

Their cause should be everybody’s cause. These

people are walking in the rain because, when we are

talking about the dead, their souls have no limits to

try to help. They are trying to send a message; they

are trying to awake the souls of the humans they can

reach.

A lot of people on social media are taking positions--

France or Syria. What is so sad is that the ones who

give orders to attack the other country, the leaders,

are the only ones saved from these catastrophes.

The position that the people

in the picture want to spread

is the humanitarian one. Right

now it’s not about nations,

not about flags, it’s about life.

This is our world.

The Writers’ Journal Page 5 Chula Vista Adult School

If I Were a Woman… Javier Saucedo BCS I would be a feminist, because I believe in gender

equality and I would do everything that men told me I

couldn’t.

I would get along with guys more than girls, because

all women say that, and it always sounds like something

to make men feel comfortable.

Also I would never cry over a boy, because no boy is

worth crying over.

If I were a woman I would be so broke. I’d resent

having to buy many things like make up, hair

straighteners, lip gloss, get waxed, dye my hair; being a

woman just seems so expensive.

“Enroll Now!” Insoon Ha BCS “We will give you a new life, enroll our program right

away!”

They were sent to participate in a program called ‘a

new life’ by their families. It was a 4-week program

that was to be held in nice lodges in the middle of

beautiful National Forest. According to the ad in a

local newspaper, the program was for people addicted

to anything -- such as cigarettes, alcohol, or games --

and it sounded like a very well-established program.

They were not supposed to bring anything with them,

not even cars or phones; everything was supposed to

be prepared at the location. So they had to gather in

the small town the event holder designated. From

there, they were moved by pick-up van arranged by

the event holder.

They paid $2,000 for it and half of it was refundable if

the participants were not totally satisfied, so it seemed

a fair value for their money when they enrolled.

(Who Are These People?)

If I Were a Man… Beatriz Santillan BCS

If I were a man life would be easier. Most women work,

get home, and work again as a housekeeper. If I were a

man I would just work and after working do nothing

like most men do. I would not worry much about what I

would wear every day. I would not be the one that

would suffer for nine months until my baby is born.

Also, if I were a man I would have more money because

I would never have to buy makeup, jewelry, purses,

shoes, and all those expensive things that 99.9% of

women buy to look good.

If I Were a Woman… Adrian Tapia BCS If I were a woman I would be a fashion woman, I

would buy tons of weird clothes in order to have like

my own style. I would still love to be a photographer

(as I am as a man) but maybe also a high fashion top

model. I would lie about my age, shave my legs, put

make up on, gossip, try to take control over people, cry

a lot and be a bad driver; even if I didn’t want to.

That’s just how women are, so I can’t do anything

about it…

I’m just kidding, women are awesome, love you all!

The Writers’ Journal Page 6 Chula Vista Adult School

If I Were a Man…

Isabel Martinez BC

If I were a man, I would be kind and I would like to

pay more attention to the woman’s feelings. I’d be

a good helper with the chores at home.

I’d not be a machista man because I think that all

people deserve equal treatment.

Dania de Anda BCS

If I were a man, I would have my own children. I

would not need an expensive method for it. I would

love to have children with my sense of humor, with

my hair or my wife’s hair or smile. This topic is the

only one that, in a gay life, we will never have. First of

all straight people don’t have to pay 10 thousand

dollars to get pregnant. And when their children are

born, all the time the people around them are

guessing which parent they look like.

I could pee stand up, and everywhere. Sometimes

that’s a problem for us. All the time we need a

restroom.

If I were a man I would have the strength to help my

wife for heavy lifting. But I’m afraid if I were I man,

my wife would not like me, because she would still be

lesbian.

M. Celeste Olea BCS

If I were a man I would wear the same thing every

day even If I only had two pair of jeans and two t-

shirts. If I were a boy I wouldn’t spend my money on

beauty products. I would wear a beard because, as a

woman, I like beards, so if I were a man I probably

would leave it grow. I think that sometimes men are

more practical and logical than women, so I believe

that I would enjoy being like that and seeing the world

from another point of view.

Maybe I would understand some things about men like

why they never put the toilet seat down, and I would

not have any excuse for getting mad or upset. It would

be fun for a while to learn about them… but just for a

while!

Saraí Mondragon BCS

If I were a man, I would be kind with my wife. I could

help her with making food, or washing dishes. Or when

I get home, I would just listen and try to understand

her because housework never ends, and a woman’s

life is very hard.

The Writers’ Journal Page 7 Chula Vista Adult School

Letter from the Future Me

Javier Saucedo BCS

Dear Javier: I decided to write this letter to give

you some advice about the future.

First of all keep going with all your goals, do some

exercise, eat healthy, be more sociable, just follow

your dreams. Today I am living in The United

States, happily married.

Second advice: Please on October 30th, 2008 at

01:00 am, when are you going to drop off Mom at

the Airport in Tijuana. PLEASE, PLEASE do not

cross to The United States on that date. If you

want to cross, please carry all your documents

with you. If you not, YOU WILL REGRET IT.

Letter to My Younger Self

Ethel Dimarucut BCS You need to enjoy your teen age years as a 15 year

old girl. Don’t be so serious in life; enjoy your

teenage days. When I was at your age, I was

serious in life. Try to be a little independent and

mature in some ways. If you fail your goal, don’t

be sad. Try to excel next time.

When you graduate high school make sure you

know what you want in life. so that when you

enter college you know what course you really

want to enroll. When you find your love, treasure

that man, and when you really want to be

together, don’t be afraid. Marry young. Don’t

follow me.

Adrian Tapia BCS

Hello Adrian,

I know this is going to sound super crazy but this is a

letter you’ll write when you’re 19 years old. I know

you won’t believe me at first, but I’ll just say what I

have to.

Firstly I know you have a beautiful one year old sister.

You are a really good boy with her but just be

prepared because when she grows up, you and she

will bicker almost every day, but just keep in mind

she’s your sister and you have to protect her and

teach her lots of things.

In about 7 years from now, you will receive shocking

news that will change your life forever. I can’t tell you

what it is because that stage you’ll be living is going

to be something you have to live in order that you

get to be the person I am now. But what I can tell you

is that you never ever have to love one parent more

than the other one no matter what anybody tells

you. You have to love them both equitably at every

single moment because their problems with each

other have nothing to do with your relationship with

each of them. That stage of your life is going to be

really hard but don’t get scared because you’ll get

over it in a very good way and that will define your

personality and maturity. Eventually, pretty much all

your family issues will be solved and everything will

be fine, so don’t worry too much about the future

because you’ll always have someone’s support and

believe it or not, people will start following your

steps and you’ll be a very important person in their

lives. Your friends will always be there for you.

Just one more thing: Stop sleeping so much!

Sincerely,

The 19-year-old you.

The Writers’ Journal Page 8 Chula Vista Adult School

Dear Young Me Cynthia Velazquez BCS I could tell you that life isn’t easy but it’s beautiful, it’s

worth it! There will be tough times where you will not

know what to do, times were you will feel that the

world is falling apart, but let me tell you something,

that too shall pass.

Don’t always trust in people, sometimes they are not

what they seem. Don’t let anyone make you feel less or

inferior; you are an extraordinary human being.

You will be the owner of your silence and slave of your

words, so always think before speaking. Don’t speak

when you are angry. You could hurt someone’s

feelings.

Be humble and treat people as you want to be treated.

Forgive and ask for forgiveness.

Never let your heart keep hatred or rancor, just make

yourself hurt. Let it go, let go all those things,

circumstance and people that are not good in your life.

Do anything that makes you happy. Don’t always hear

what people say. People will always talk whether you

do the right things.

So, live your life! Be happy!

(Continued)

Love as if you have never been hurt. Laugh until your

stomach hurts. Never stay with the desire to do

something; later you will regret it.

Hope and faith are two things that you must never lose.

Faith can take you anywhere you want to go.

Study, work or do anything you love and you will be

happy. The person who does what he loves is blessedly

condemned to success.

Everything happens for a reason, so never blame

yourself. The way things are going to happen are the

way they must happen in order for you to grow and

learn a lesson.

People. People will arrive in your life and stay forever;

others will be in your life for a short period of time.

Their arrival to your life will not be any coincidence.

They appear to show you something or teach you a

lesson. After they teach you, they will leave, and you

must not be sad, you must be grateful for their

teachings. And last, your will to live always will outweigh

the ability to die.

Isabel Martinez BCS

Dear Isabel: Based on my experience, I would like to say

you that you need to be less extroverted, because you

spend a lot of time making friends and you aren’t

responsible about the important things that you have to

do. If your friends come to your house it is wasted time.

You should spend more time with your family, especially

with mom, because in a few years you are going to move

and you won’t be able to be with her.

Your friends aren’t always going to be with you. Today

you are 15 years old and you should learn many things

that are going to be necessary in your life for your

future.

The Writers’ Journal Page 9 Chula Vista Adult School

M. Celeste Olea BCS

Dear Celeste:

I know that now you are only 15 and maybe you don’t

care about what I have to say, but please read carefully.

It is the opportunity to do better things. So now you’re

going to start high school and you’re going to have

many teachers who really are very good. You would

learn a lot from them. Please go every day to English

class. In the future you are going to need help with

that. Now it is easier for you learn a second language;

now is your opportunity to do your best!

After high school you’re going to have problems with

what you want to do in your life. However you have to

follow you heart and what is the best for you. Be

patient and brave. Make your decisions with your head

and your heart. Worry less about your appearance and

small things. Enjoy your time! Now is the time of your

life. Follow your dreams. On the other hand, you and

your grandfather have a conversation to take; now is

the perfect moment to do it. Don’t lose time with him;

enjoy his company and take his advice and love him! He

really loves you. Maybe he just doesn’t know how to

express it. Good luck!

Dania de Anda BCS

Dear Little Diana.

Now you are less than 12 years old, I know you are a

very intelligent girl and you love to play and be

friendly with others. But If I can give you some

advice, please be less playful and take things more

seriously. Please take advantage of what your

parents are giving to you. Study English; take it more

seriously. I know you do not like English at this

moment of your life but trust me you will regret it

because you are wasting your time. You are going to

grow up without confidence in yourself about things

you have the capacity to do. So do it now! Because

when I was your age, I did not think that learning

another language would be so important. Now with

the passage of the years I have learned that If I had

studied English more seriously years ago, I could have

studied a third language. I know my career would be

more successful.

(Letters to Myself - continued)

Linda Alvarez BCS

Linda, Linda, listen Linda:

A very important letter to myself from the future.

Linda you are a spark; do not let anybody blow you

out. Since you were little, you have been told that

school was not for you. Do not listen to them. Listen

to me; listen to yourself; you can do it. You already

went a long way by yourself. Keep going; do not stop.

The Writers’ Journal Page 10 Chula Vista Adult School

(Letters to My Younger Self)

Melissa Jaqueline Adon BCS

Dear Jaqui:

I want to write you some things about life, your life. I

know that you are starting adolescence and maybe

you are thinking “life is simple and easy”, but I have

to say it isn’t.

You need to know some advice from me, because I

have already lived your life. First of all, always listen

to the advice of your parents; they know you even

better than you. Take your school very seriously

because it will be all your future. Work hard to get

the best grades. Start to learn new things, like how

to play the piano, how to dance professionally. Read

as much as you can. Make new friends. And trust

me, you have to learn English, how to write, how to

read and of course how to speak. It will be one of

your best learnings. Enjoy every little moment, your

family, your friends and everything. Try to spend

more time with the people who love you, because at

the end only memories survive. And always help the

people who need it. I love you, and I want the best

for you. Don’t waste more time; start enjoying your

life to the fullest!

Sincerely:

Your future you.

Silvia Garcia BCS

Dear Silvia;

You turned 18 today and I want to tell you

something that could help you make better

decisions; Do what your heart desires and don’t be

afraid of make it happen. You will do things that

you didn’t expect. For instance, you will travel a lot

and notice by yourself that there’s a whole thing of

experiences that the world has to offer you.

You also will study Architecture and once you are in

the university, you will go on an exchange and later,

once you finish the career, you will decide to study

Interior Design. But there’s something very

important that you have to know before you make

this decision; be patient and follow your dreams

because in the middle of the way, there will exist

many little rocks, but don’t worry about that, just

skip them out and also if you can, enjoy them

because that means that you are even a little close

to, every single day.

Keep looking to your goals and always remind

yourself that you are capable of doing whatever

you want to do.

A Poem Rudbelina Cazares BCS

Death was sitting waiting for a person,

When someone talked to her and asked for a favor,

That person was my grandma, who wanted to have a handsome man.

The Writers’ Journal Page 11 Chula Vista Adult School

What Really Happened to Eric?

(The class read the true story of a Norwegian man who

moved to the city, rented an apartment, went out for

lunch, and never found his apartment again. They re-

wrote the story, using their own imaginations)

Yan Li Rui BCS

Eric got a new job in a city. Then he found a nice

apartment. He just moved in his new apartment, so he

went out and bought some food. He did not write down

the new address of the apartment on his notebook.

When he wanted to go back to his apartment, he forgot

the new address and couldn’t remember the street.

He was very anxious to find it. He looked around on the

street for his apartment. He never found it. He called his

new boss and he explained to him what happened. His

boss suggested that he call the police. They didn’t really

help him. So his boss let him live in his apartment for a

short time until he could find his. After a month, he

didn’t find it. So he quit his job and went back to his

hometown.

Lost. Will work for

Directions.

Angelica Rosas BCS

From my perspective, Eric was a man accustomed to a

different way of life. He was used to living in the country

where he apparently had a relaxed, less tense but bored

life. Eric thought he needed a change in his life. This is

the reason he decided to move to the big city and

rented a luxurious apartment in the heart of downtown

for one month. Eric didn’t realize how hard his new life

was going to be until that first day when he went out to

have lunch.

As soon as he went out from the restaurant, Eric knew

he was in trouble; every building and street looked

exactly the same, grey and tall. He couldn’t find his. He

spent days looking around for the grey building that he

had in his memory, having him sleeping on the park

bench without a shower for days.

He got tired of the noisy, busy and turbulent life of the

city. Soon he realized that he didn’t belong there. Eric

gave up looking for the apartment. He didn’t care about

the money he had paid in advanced for his new

adventure. Eric started to feel desolated. He decided

that the best decision for him was going to be to go

back to the farmland where he felt like a “fish in water”

and everything is more open and less stressful.

Aidee Cruz BCS

Eric lost his apartment because it was the first time that

he visited Oslo and he had memory loss. For him it was

very difficult to remember exactly where he lived.

Probably, he came with some money but not enough to

pay a high rent in an expensive city. For while, he lived

in the streets asked for money to buy food.

He could have taken notes about street’s names,

directions and how many blocks he walked before he

left to go at lunch. When he saw that it was very hard to

start again to find a place to live, he decided to go back

to his farm.

The Writers’ Journal Page 12 Chula Vista Adult School

(What Really Happened to Eric)

“The Mexican Connection” Celeste Olea BCS

At the end of the day, Erik could not find his apartment.

He looked for it all day, but he couldn’t find it. So he

decided to go to a park and sleep there.

He had saved some money when he decided to come to

the city, but he had already spent all his money on his

apartment. Erik did not want to call his family for

money. He had just 40 dollars and he knew that if he did

not do something soon he wouldn’t have money.

He was from Mexico so he decided to invest his money.

He paid 20 dollars for English classes to communicate

with people. There he met someone who helped him.

Francisco was his name. Francisco gave Erik a place to

sleep for a few days. Erik invested the other 20 dollars

to buy food and make “tortas” and sell them. Erik sold

“tortas” at school, on the street, at the mall, at the park.

He worked day and night. He was an excellent cook and

soon he could save enough money to rent a new

apartment, but this time he knew the city and he saved

his address.

Linguistic Bullying Beatriz Santillan BCS Yes, I have an accent. People don’t always understand

me when I speak English because it isn’t my first

language. I would feel embarrassed if people from my

job or my neighborhood laughed and make fun of my

accent. At school I would not feel the same because

most people’s primary language isn’t English and

almost everyone has an accent.

I think it is a form of bulling because not everybody is

the same. Some people don’t care and others can feel

bad if someone laughs at them. I think that some of my

classmates would feel bad if we laugh at them. We

should not make fun of anyone because they have an

accent. I think that if we don’t understand someone

when they are speaking English we should ask them to

repeat what they said in a polite way.

Say No to Bullying

Isabel Martinez BCS

When I was in middle school I had a classmate that

our classmates always bullied because he had a big

head. My classmate made fun of it. Sometimes I saw

him crying, I felt so sad for him but I never could help

him because I think that I never had the courage or

education to face the bully. Bullying isn’t always

physical intimidation; it could be psychological too.

We must educate our children to not bully. We must

stand up against bullying. We must do more.

The Writers’ Journal Page 13 Chula Vista Adult School

How ‘Bout Those Chargers?

Beatriz Santillan BCS

In my opinion the San Diego Chargers can leave town

any time. I don’t think that the cities or our tax dollars

should pay for stadiums if the city already has a

stadium where its team can play.

San Diego already has the Qualcomm stadium where

the Chargers can play, and building other stadium will

be just a big waste of money.

Ethel Dimarucut BCS

I don’t think that cities should pay for sports stadiums.

It is just a big waste of money. Paying additional tax is

too much for the people. People cannot support

anymore the sports team. It burdens the people to pay

additional taxes. And I don’t think that stadiums can

generate significant local economic growth. These

stadium demands by the chargers cost much for the

government, to the people as well. I don’t want to pay

for an additional tax for a new stadium. I think this is

another burden to me. Everything you do here you

have to pay taxes, and I can imagine this new stadium

also a big factor to me; it is just another burden to pay

off.

The Chargers – Another Opinion

Diana Sierra BCS

Some people do not want a team in their city, but I

believe it is important for the economy to have a

popular team in our city. Why? Because it helps the

economy and the city to have more job opportunities

and more tourists. That means tourists will spend more

money in hotels, restaurants and shopping malls. That

is why I agree with having a better stadium.

In this country football has many super fans. During

Super Bowls the economy usually increases, and if San

Diego has a new and modern stadium we can have a

super bowl in the city and the city’s economy will be

better.

I am not a football fan but my husband is. So he will

feel very disappointed if the city lets the Chargers go.

Rudbelina Cazares BCS Sports are important for people. It doesn’t matter the

age to see or practice some of them. Some families

stay together on weekends and enjoy the Chargers

game on TV, or they go to the stadium.

I can’t share this passion for American football, but my

husband and his friends love it.

I’ve been listening to many points of view about this

controversial topic. Many people are worried because

they don’t want Chargers team to leave San Diego, and

they say that the Chargers always will be in their

hearts.

Personally, I believe that the city will lose a lot of

money and although tickets are very expensive, people

buy them, buy shirts, flags, souvenirs, caps and hats.

And for each thing they pay taxes. However I believe

that the government can use the money for more

important causes.

The Writers’ Journal Page 14 Chula Vista Adult School

The Photography of Adrian Tapia

“A photograph is shaped more by the person

behind the camera than by what’s in front of it.” -

- Canon

I found my passion: photography. It’s incredible

how much you can say without a single word if

you know how to do it and you have the talent.

Certainly anyone can shoot a photo, but not

everyone can capture feelings and tell a story by

arranging elements correctly. It doesn’t matter if

it’s a wedding, a war, a fashion shoot, etc. If you

have good eye, you’ll take great pictures.

If you look really closely at my photos you’ll see a

story behind each of them. Focus on the

expressions, the elements in the background; let

your imagination fly away!

Editor’s Note: In keeping with our

theme, “Seeing the world from a

different perspective”, this

semester’s Journal includes the

portrait photography of BCS

student Adrian Tapia.

The Writers’ Journal Page 15 Chula Vista Adult School

(1) The first photo took place in the streets of Mexico

City. She looks like an innocent girl who likes to ride

her bike, but she actually is very different on the

inside. Personal problems have turned her into a cold

hearted person…

(2) The second photo was shot when one of my best

friends came over to my house. I saw his face

illuminated by the light coming from the window and

I just couldn’t resist. I took out my camera and asked

him to pose for me. This photo shows my friend’s

strong personality.

(3) In the third picture I wanted to show a friend’s

personality as someone independent and strong. She

had a baby at an early age but she managed to keep

life going and she’s doing very well.

(4) My father and his girlfriend. In this last picture I

tried to show each one’s independence. They are

together and they love each other BUT they don’t

need each other to keep their lives going.

The Writers’ Journal Page 16 Chula Vista Adult School

Limits of Power

(Do you think the government should be able to take

someone’s house because it is in the path of a planned

freeway? Should they be able to take it just because it

is poor and a private company could replace it with a

large office building?)

Isabel Martinez BCS

I think the government should be able to take

someone’s house to plan a freeway. I think the

government has the right to obtain private land for

public purposes only, if the government provides fair

compensation to the property owner.

I think the government should not be able to take

someone’s house just because it is poor to give to a

rich company, because it is supposedly to be just for

public purposes. The government should only take

someone’s house because those houses are directly

affecting public interests, not private interests.

The American Dream

Javier Saucedo BCS

I came to the United States with one dream, to

improve my life, because this is the country where any

dream can come true. Here you can have many

possibilities and opportunities to achieve the

“American Dream”.

One way in which I have not achieved my American

Dream yet is the language and customs, but that is not

an obstacle to stop my dreams.

What I am doing to achieve my goal is attending

English classes in Chula Vista Adult School to improve

my English, to find a job, and then to offer a better life

to my lovely Honey and my family.

Superstitions Linda Alvarez BCS

In my family, in my town and all around the country

there is a custom to tell to small kids that the stork

brings babies from Paris, to avoid explanation. I am the

sixth daughter of my parents. When I was born, my

older sister got mad at the midwife, because it was a

poor family; she told her, “Don’t you see? We don’t

have enough food. Tell the stork to take this little girl

to a rich family.”

Melissa J. Adon BCS

The first thing I need to say is that I never thought that

someday I would come to US to live here. I had the

opportunity to visit it, but just as a tourist. I fell in love

with everything because everything here was different

and cleaner than my country.

The years passed, and I met my husband. We fell in

love and got married. He has been living here since he

was a child, so I came here to live with him. All my life

changed after that because here people speak a

different language and have a completely different

style of life. But I think everything here is better.

Because my life had changed, I needed to change all

my goals. Now my goals are to improve my English, to

have my own daycare, to have my own house, and to

give a better life to my future children.

What I’m doing to reach my goals is studying English.

I’m so happy because I’m getting a good head start,

and I think that everything in this life requires time and

patience. I consider myself on the right path. I have so

much work to do, but I know I can do it.

The Writers’ Journal Page 17 Chula Vista Adult School

Yolanda Peña BCS

I think if the alligators could fly, we would have to

make many changes about our way of life, because

the alligators could attack us easily. I think the

people would need be prepared with some kind of

weapon, because some alligator could lose his

control and want to eat them.

Our houses, schools, buildings etc. would be

protected with iron bars. One thing I`m sure of: we

would be better at running and escaping than now.

Also the alligators would have to go to the

bathroom… we could easily slip because of their dirt,

and I think the city would smell very bad.

I’m not sure, but I think the pollution would go down

because we would have fewer cars. This is the only

advantage that I could find.

(…More About Alligators)

Celeste Olea BCS

If alligators could fly, we would have a different life.

First of all our history would be different. We would

conquer those animals to keep going with our

evolution. I mean, I know that humans destroy

everything they touch, but looking for peace with

alligators would be so difficult.

We would have to train them like in Vikings stories,

where supposedly they live with dragons. If we didn’t,

we couldn’t have a normal life thinking all the time

that they would come and eat us. We couldn’t take a

walk with our friends or go to the beach. Maybe we

could not even travel to distant places! I feel scared

just thinking that my neighbor would have an alligator

as a pet or use it to go to the supermarket.

Although we could use them instead of a car, so we

could save money and stop polluting the environment,

can you imagine a life without all privileges that we

have now? I think it would be hard, but also I think that

humans have the ability to adapt to different

situations.

Saraí Mondragon BCS I am afraid of alligators, so in my case if alligators could

fly I would be scared to go outside. I would build my

house with nails or razor blades on the roof. If alligators

could fly my life would be boring because I could do

nothing outside. For example, I could not go fishing,

walking, or share time with my friends. I think my life

would be like the Jurassic era, but modern. We would

adapt to living with them. We would pet and ride them.

It sounds crazy, but why not? Probably our life would

be healthier without smog, and we would not be using

any transportation that hurts our environment.

My Hero

Belem “Nanny” Ruiz BCS

I admire Mahatma Gandhi. He was the primary

leader of India’s independence movement. He was a

spiritual and political leader to the world. He

encouraged people to non-violent movement

through pacific disobedience.

He studied law and advocated civil rights of Indians.

His main practices were non-violence, fasting,

meditation and vegetarianism; He was arrested for

encouraging people; He achieved the unified India

and tolerance between extremist Hindu and

Muslims.

Gandhi’s actions inspired future movements and

leaders around the world, such as Martin Luther

King and Nelson Mandela.

The Writers’ Journal Page 18 Chula Vista Adult School

Inventions for a Better World

Rosaura Vaughn BCS

If I could invent one thing to make the world a better

place, it would be a machine to cure cancer or

Alzheimer’s disease, because there are many people

who are suffering from these diseases now.

Yeniva García BCS

If I could invent one thing, it would be a machine to

generate lots of money. The money would remodel the

entire city, fix places in need of support, help people

who are homeless, give better education for street

children, and give psychological help and rehabilitation

for those who need it. I would do a lot of things with

that money to make the world a better place for us.

Also I would like to invent a machine to duplicate

endangered animals because I love animals and I would

not like us to hunt them anymore. I would transform

into animals people who like to mistreat them so they

would appreciate living beings.

Insoon Ha BCS

One thing I’d like to invent, if I could, is a medicine

and curing system to cure all the mental diseases

that are caused by any failures or hurts in the

relationships between people.

Human beings are sometimes too fragile and have

difficulties in making friends and keeping a good and

consistent relationship. Some severe hurts from

close friends and family could affect and change the

entire life of the person. For example, children who

went through disharmony or violence in any way

from their parents might have difficulties in making

their own happy family.

In the case of children and adolescents bullied by

their peers at school, some of them fail to manage

the circumstances and give up school or are driven

to suicide without asking for help from their

families.

A lot of violence and crime is caused by the anger,

deficiencies of understanding and conflicts with

other people. So, I’d like to invent the medicine that

could cure the wounded heart and mind to relieve

their furies and help them feel easy from the bad

experience they went through.

It would work this way: they need to visit a

professional counselor first, and then they would be

prescribed for their symptoms and the stage

analyzed and categorized by the researchers.

It’s a package program that provides a customized

cure system, which would include various physical

activities to follow-up. While they take the pills they

need to participate in the required programs as well,

it will help them to recover and rebuild the

damaged relationship and to build new relationships

as well.

The Writers’ Journal Page 19

Chula Vista Adult School

Isabel Martinez BCS

If I could invent one thing to make the world a better

place, I would make a machine that could purify

sewage and the water could be used again like

normal water. If I could invent some machine that

could purify sewage, we could take advantage of all

the water that is wasted at home: for example, when

some people take a shower and are waiting for hot

water, or when some people brush their teeth and

leave the faucet open while they are brushing. They

are wasting water. These are examples of waste in

which we may use this purification machine and take

advantage of the wasted water.

Angelica Rosas BCS

If I could invent something, my invention would be a

pill for everybody to make better decisions in their

lives. Taking that pill will allow you to think clearly

about important decisions you have to make in

your work, house, school , or outside in the

community. You would be a better boss, husband-

wife, student and driver. You would not be putting

other people’s lives at risk. You would think

thoroughly before any decision you take in a daily

basis. You would be using machines, tools and guns

in the proper way and not damaging animal and

human lives. With this pill you and the people

around you would have a better and peaceful life to

enjoy in the way it is supposed to be.

the world.

Celeste Olea BCS

Today we’re many people in the world and we are

destroying everything--overexploiting the sea and the

land, and polluting the air by adding chemical products

into the environment. Every action we do every day

has an impact on the planet. So if I could invent

something it would be a machine that could

regenerate ecosystems giving us a new opportunity to

take care of our home.

This machine could plant quickly and without pause,

clean the water and also clean the air, but this is only

one step to make the world a better place. We also

need to be conscious of our actions. I think that no

machine can give us the awareness that we need to be

better humans. We have to work on that on our own.

Melissa Adon BCS

If I could invent something, it would be a kind of

language microchip. It would contain all the

information, idioms and sounds about the language

that you want to manipulate. It would be implanted in

a simple operation inside of your ear. Then you could

speak, read and write anything you want. If you got it,

you would be able to get a better job, improve your

relationships and you would be able to communicate

everything you feel and everything you want.

.

The Writers’ Journal Page 20 Chula Vista Adult School

A marriage Choice…

The Writers’ Journal is created by the students of

Chula Vista Adult School under the editorial

supervision of Ely Freedman.

Please encourage your students to contribute!

The Journal is open to students of all classes and all

levels. Proud of your work in computer classes?

Want to share a successful recipe from Culinary Arts?

Please send it in!

E-mail your submissions to:

Elizabeth.Freedman@sweetwaterschools.org

Chula Vista Adult School Wes Braddock, Principal

I am Thankful Silvia Garcia BCS I am most thankful for having a family which supports

my decisions and also for having given me the

opportunity to have a career.

Every day I thank God for starting a new day with good

health for my family and me.

I always give thanks for everything, no matter the

circumstances, because you are lucky to live, enjoy and

to do things that you love to do each day of your life.

Be grateful for the people that are in your life. Pray for

those who are hateful because they need love in their

life and we need peace in this world.

…A Final Word About Alligators

Insoon Ha BCS

If alligators could fly, we would live quite differently in

many ways.

It might delay the civilization of people. Our ancestors

would struggle to survive these strong monsters.

People would research the alligators’ habits and

weakness not only to defend themselves but to trace

and catch alligators for food as well.

According to the circumstances, some people would

develop above-ground life styles and some people

would have underground styles. People are very

innovative, so different mixed cultures would occur.

I imagine that houses might have fierce metal needles

on the roofs and net traps might be installed around

the house with bait to lure them. A special hunting

weapon would be a necessity for all the people when

they are outside.

Walking outside would be very limited in most of the

areas except for some secured places with multi layers

of dome-styled roof building. People could only access

the places through underground tunnels.

On the other hand, some strong and smart people

would try to tame them for their utilization. They

would make a lot of money with alligator amusement

parks. People could enjoy alligator shows and could

touch them and fly on them. Human beings would

conquer alligators.