To the Point #4

Issue #4MAY 29, 2015 issuu.com/tothepointsfv

[email protected] THE POINTThe Student Newspaper of OFL - San Fernando Valley

Pathways to Blackbird Farm

Senior Signing DayCelebrating OFL Graduates’ College AcceptancesBy Ariana Muñoz

(LEFT) STUDENTS GATHER AROUND THE GARDEN SCARECROW

(TOP RIGHT) MEGAN STEIN NUZZLES A HORSE NAMED PEPPER,

(BOTTOM RIGHT) SIMRAN SINGH PETS GUAPO (A.K.A. RAMBO) THE RAM

Netflix PicksFind out what to watch! Reviews by the students of OFL

» entertainment, PG. 8

SENIOR SIGNING day is the day that seniors decide their final destination for college. OFL has a special celebration for this because the teachers and staff know the difficulty of getting into a four year university. Seniors get to bring their fami-lies, friends or anyone they would like to thank for helping them reach their goal. The graduating students give a 30 second speech (approximately) and talk about their rise from struggle to their now successful admission to college and give their thanks and shout outs to their supporters.

I was part of a small group of students who aren’t graduating yet, but are considered

Rising Stars. We, the Rising Stars, are the students who teachers see potential in and are on the 4-year college road. We were invited to have a small taste of what might be a future celebration for us and I can honestly say that I was extremely motivated to keep pushing myself the way that I’ve been doing for the past two years.

When it was time for the ceremony to begin, many of the big shots from OFL gave speeches, such as the principal, a few teachers, and even the mayor was there to share a few words of encouragement for the students! When it was time for the students to deliver their speeches, napkins and tissues

got soaked; students thanked their parents, their supportive teachers, and many even shared their personal struggle. All these students had one thing in common, and that was that after trouble and rejection presented itself in their lives, they kept pushing, and I personally took that as a lesson to learn and keep in mind when life gets rough for me.

I overall enjoyed my time and got a lot of great ideas for my speech for when I have my signing day! I also learned the value of study and the rewards that come to those who really try and push themselves.

» article inside, PG. 2

(TOP ROW, LEFT TO RIGHT) PRINCIPAL CARLA MUELLER AND STUDENT ADVISOR HELEN LEE, VIRIDIANA GONZALEZ WITH HER AUNT CHRISTINA, YUSRAH ISHTIAQ DECLARING HERSELF TO UCLA, (BOTTOM ROW) COLLEGE PENNANTS, AND ARLETA STUDENTS GUADALUPE OROZCO AND NANCI GERVACIO WITH THEIR TEACHERS AND FAMILIES

ST. AUGUSTINE once said, “The world is a book and those who don’t travel read only one page,” and he was right. Traveling is the best way to experience life, at least from my perspective. So when the applications for the Cuba trip came out, I immediately filled them out and turned them in to my teacher. My wanderlust had kicked in, and

» continued, PG. 4

Wanderlust: CubaStudents of the CaribbeanBy Megan Stein

Issue #4 TO THE POINT 2

OFL NEWSA Blackbird FarmilyStudents and sheep living in harmony on a Northern California farmBy Magalie Larios

ONE OF my favorite things to do outside of school and volunteering with the LGBT center in Hollywood is definitely going camp-ing or going out into the wilderness. When I got an application to go to Blackbird Farm in Philo, CA, I knew I would be somewhere in the wilderness and probably surrounded by animals. I’ve always loved animals, and I never knew what the life of a farmer was like.

On May 16th, many students from the Encino, Studio City, Northridge, Chatsworth, and Reseda centers—along with me, the only one from the Hollywood center—rode from Reseda to LAX, then got on an airplane to Santa Rosa, CA. When we touched down in Santa Rosa, we were greeted by Resident Adviosors (RAs). I immediately noticed one in particular, with really fun, curly hair, and a mason jar of kombucha in her hand, asking us how our flight went. Her name was Blair. She and another RA named Amanda, a short woman with bright blue eyes, drove us an hour and a half away from Santa Rosa to Anderson Valley, where the farm was hidden in a forest of Redwood trees, followed by many windy roads.

The very first day was really tiring, but I was really excited to get to the animals. I was especially curious about the garden. At first,

I got along with a couple of people really fast and easily, and I could say the same about some other girls too. The boys were very quiet at first, but it took a while for all of us to get along.

I’ve had experiences being a girl scout for a few years, so being around the wilderness was super easy for me. I loved the simple life; I found it very relaxing, and I learned a lot about gardening and organic farming. A lot of the other girls weren’t very much used to bugs, animal feces, or even dirt. It was very much a culture shock for them, but I’m sure they’ve grown accustomed to it and found what they liked and what they didn’t like.

My favorite part of every day during those 11 days, was our morning chores and our work projects. We broke up into separate groups: One went to the barn area to care after the horses, sheep, chickens, cows, and donkeys, while the other went to the garden to turn compost piles, plant vegetables, pull out weeds, harvest produce, and water plants. I really enjoyed taking care of the animals. I loved collecting eggs from the hens and was even down for shoveling horse poop into trucks where it would be taken to piles to turn into manure. It was really fun and relaxing, believe it or not!

Part of the Blackbird Farmily

What was significant about Blackbird Farm was the family you build during those 11 days you spend. Seriously, the RAs and other farm staff were so hospitable, and they made sure you were emotionally and mentally okay; if anything happened to you, they were the first to come up to you and take care of your needs as much as possible.

I think the entire point of doing a Pathways trip is to become adventurous. It doesn’t have to mean sky jumping or driving really fast down a highway late at night, it could just be going to a new city or a new county in a rural area and forming some sort of family there with people that are willing to love and accept you as you are, completely and wholeheartedly. That could just be any trip that you apply to: Rocky Mountain Ranch, Blackbird Farm, Cuba, College Tours, or even community services with Pathways; you form a family with fellow peers and teachers. I think that’s the most beautiful thing.

Blackbird Farm has taught me a lot that I could definitely apply to my life here in the bustling city of Los Angeles. I have a whole other outlook on life, and I totally miss my farmily. It’s an experience that you’ll only have once in a lifetime, and like they say at Blackbird: YOFO (You Only Farm Once)!

Angelo Alvarez and Magalie Larios handling chickens

Garrett Truglia and Damian Contreras hauling hay

Megan Stein and Ivan Avila planting a tree

THE CALIFORNIA College tour was an amazing experience for everyone that went. The college tour was composed of a number of different schools including UCLA, CSU Fullerton, UC Berkeley, McKenna College, and a community college. All these colleges that we went to had interesting campuses that were very scenic and serene.

UCLA had phenomenal everything; I was dumbfounded by everything. They truly are a nice school , offered most classes, had amazing buildings, and an extremely beautiful campus. UC Berkeley was nice and I liked it. Overall it had a nice campus with cool buildings. CSU Fullerton was one of my favorites. Fullerton had a nice campus with interesting architecture. They had an amazing program for engineering as did

most of the schools in the tour. McKenna was undoubtedly my favorite for a multitude of reasons: I really love all the different colleges in one huge campus, I love the tradition of throwing friends into specially designed fountains on their birthday, I like the guest speaker idea where a person that is highly educated in their field comes to lecture about their subject and answer all questions, and I like all the different food options, especially the tea time.

It was amazing that we got to do all these things for free (even if there was a price tag, I’m pretty sure a lot of people would still go just for the experience). And I didn’t even mention that the place where we stayed was nice and luxurious and gave us a place to rest between the dazzling college tours.

The Southern California College TourExploring opportunities across the Golden StateBy Austin Marquis

OFL students and a duck listen intently to a college tour guide

Inside the yurt, home during the trip

A moment of zen by a pond for Cydnei Earle, Ivan Avila, and Megan Stein

Part men, part moose, all cool: (back row) Garret Truglia, Jason the program director, Ivan Avila, (front row) Chris Carrillo, Rudy Coronel, and Leo Portugal

Nathan Du’s unbeatable bow

Nickolas Sanchez’s unbeatable s’more


Community Service at the Calicinto RanchOFL students give their time to children of incarcerated parentsBy Sevon Abdalian

LOCATED IN the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains is the Calicinto ranch, a place that makes a huge difference in young children across Southern California. Sadly, these children come from a life not so easy being victims of incarcerated parents. Each year Calicinto ranch is open to young chil-dren giving them a day full of activities and positive influ-ences by mentors. Since Calicinto is not funded they rely on the generous help of students to continue on the life changing experiences they provide. I had the opportunity to volunteer at the ranch and be a mentor to the young children.

When I first arrived the staff had a huge welcome sign filled with warm open arms along with a wonderful group of staff who really showed western hospitality. It felt like a vacation more than community service because everything was so uplifting and enjoyable. My visit to the ranch was broken into 2 days, first being the preparation of the children arriving and then the next day was the arrival. During the preparation

I encountered tasks I would have never faced in my daily life such as washing and grooming horses, cleaning saddles and taking care of lambs.

When the kids arrived, their faces were glowing with excitement. There were many activities for the children to do such as the

petting zoo, arts and crafts room, roping, pony rides and much more. I was assigned to the pony ride making sure the children were safe and having fun. All of the children were just the cutest things looking up to

us with many questions about the ranch. At the CaIicinto ranch one common gesture is “Yeehah” that definitely stuck throughout my stay.

Besides having fun with the children and helping around the ranch, I had the opportunity to meet new people from different centers and connect with them throughout my stay. The staff who work with Pathways are all amazing people and made the stay even better. It was overall an amazing trip and I would love to volunteer at Calicinto ranch again.

OFL NEWSCheering BobcatsThe captain of the cheer team tells you what OFL cheer is all aboutBy Angelina Alvarado

MANY PEOPLE that I talk to tell me that Cheerleading is not a sport, but since I’ve joined OFL-SFV Cheer I tell them otherwise. My name is Angelina Alvarado, and I have the amazing honor of being the Captain of OFL Reseda Cheer.

I joined cheer in December of 2014. Since I’ve joined the team, there have been many obstacles to overcome, but at the end of every obstacle, there has been a great amount of happiness. When I came to tryouts, it was hard for me to openly share ideas and my confidence was not the best, but cheer has helped me to conquer both of those obstacles. Based on my experience, I would have to say that our tryouts were the hardest part for me; a lot of new material is presented to you, and you have to be able to pick up on it quickly.

There are many qualities in cheer that I have had to develop overtime. Cheer is a sport that requires an open mind, amazing attitude, self confidence, and teamwork. Having an open mind towards cheer is a key factor. It comes in while learning new chants, cheers, and dances. Having an amazing attitude, especially on a “bad day” is essential. Sometimes you may head into practice or a game carrying with you a situation that has happened outside of cheer, but once you put on that uniform

OFL Sports: Fall 2015

Volleyball and basketball have concluded for the season, but there are still more sports to come! Join a Fall 2015 team:

Boys’ FootballGirls’ Softball

Cheer

Ask your teacher how you can become a Bobcat! The new

season starts in August!

or you walk through that door for practice, everything should slip right out of your mind. Maintaining self confidence and teamwork go hand in hand. A huge aspect of cheer that demands self confidence and teamwork is stunting. While stunting the bases, back spot, flyer, and ever spotters all come together as one, we work as one with confidence and positivity shining through. When we have confidence going into a stunt and great communication, everything runs smoothly, even when a stunt falls we all catch and we all work harder to accomplish the stunt.

The girls that are on OFL Reseda cheer are breathtaking and encouraging. They all put in so much work when it comes to every aspect of cheer, but we wouldn’t be a successful team without the glue that holds us together: Coach Allison. I can easily state that Coach Allison is the best coach I have had for any sport. She pushes us to do our best and exceed not only in cheer, but academically, and in everything we do.

My cheer experience has been amazing and I would never go back and change anything. I don’t consider these girls as my teammates, but as my family. Since I’ve been in cheer I have grown as a person; it has become a huge positive portion in my life and I absolutely love it.

Spirit of VolleyballA look at the volleyball seasonBy Demi Foster

WHEN I joined volleyball, I didn’t know what to expect. In the beginning of the volley-ball season, a lot of us didn’t have much expe-rience playing volleyball; we all had to learn to play, and the biggest obstacle was working as a team. Team member and volleyball cap-tain Sam Amirkhizi felt that “this volleyball season was a special one because it was the first time playing together. It was challenging and there were so many ups and downs, but in the end we became better friends, better teammates, and better volleyball players.” I personally saw so much growth in everyone from our first game to our last.

It’s crazy how in just a short time you can create such a strong bond with people you didn’t know a month before. My volleyball teammate Amber Galindo agrees, saying, “It’s so funny how a stranger can become a family member in only 2 1/2 months.” And

Bianka Pagan’s favorite part of being on the team was that she “made friendships that will last forever.”

Volleyball was such an amazing expe-rience for me and I am glad I was able to be a part of the team. I am thankful to our coaches for being so encouraging during the season.

And if you’re hesitant to join a sport, take my teammate Bridget Mota’s advice: “Anyone and everyone should join because you really do meet amazing people.”

Coach Gerardo, Demi Foster, Bianka Pagan, Sam Amirkhizi, Bridget Mota, Sarah Cole, and Amber Galindo

Demi Foster and Coach Javier on the sidelines

It felt like a vacation more than community service

because everything was so uplifting and enjoyable.

Grad Nite 2015A rainy night at Six Flags Magic MountainBy Aydin Aguilera

GRADUATING STUDENTS from Oppor-tunities For Learning celebrated all their hard work at Six Flags Magic Mountain on May 15th from 9pm to 5am (yes, 5am). The students went on many daring rides and revered for what some were their last moments of high school act ivity before graduation. Although I did not go to grad night, I pictured it to be bright and fun, since it was at Six Flags Magic Mountain, one of my favorite amusement parks. I interviewed Daisy Reyes from the Northridge Center who did attend the event. She spoke positively about it and felt it to be a great experience.

To the Point: How was Grad Night overall?Daisy Reyes: It was amazing, although

it was raining. I thought the rain made it more fun.

TP: What was your favorite ride?DR: Drop of Doom.TP: What was your favorite memory?DR: My favorite memory was when me and

my friends rode the carousel about 15 times.TP: Wow, that sounds awesome. Was it

hard staying up so late? From 9pm to 5am?DR: No, because Tatsu revived me with all

the adrenaline, and the funnel cake helped.TP: Would you call Grad Night a success?

Or would you call it lame?DR: In my opinion, it was a success.

They also gave us c o m p l i m e n t a r y tickets due to the rain. Being there with my friends, it was so much fun.

TP: What a deal!DR: Yeah, and a

Hurricane Harbor ticket!

TP: Thank you for the interview. It sounded like a good way to spend a Tuesday night.

According to Daisy, Grad night sounded

like a success, creating valuable memories and good times. To all the future Seniors of Opportunities For Learning, I recommend you go, it’s a significant event.

“Tatsu revived me with all the adrenaline, and the

funnel cake helped.”


mountains with trees hanging off of them every which way and caves that you could see from miles away that had been carved out by the rain over the centuries. My wanderlust had grown, and all I wanted to do was run off and go exploring and hiking and climb my way up those incredible mountains, but we didn’t. We moved on to a cave that had a gorgeous river flowing through it and very unique looking stalactites. Everywhere we went there were people trying to sell things they had made, including at the exit of the cave. Beautiful trinkets and paintings many of which were very brightly colored and I may say they were very cheap. Souvenirs that we bought were the only things allowed back with us to America, no beautiful shells or interesting rocks. The beach had so many of these but none which could have come home with us to become dresser ornaments or future jewelry pieces. A picture perfect beach I may add, white sandy beaches with crisp warm blue water, and palm trees every-where. Couldn’t have made it look more like a postcard if they had tried. Well maybe if they added in a sunset.

The rest of the trip would be spent in

even though the trip was months away and it wasn’t certain that I would be going, I couldn’t wait to leave.

After months of waiting, an interview, and finally a few meetings it was time to pack up and head to Cuba. We spent the first full day in Miami learning about Cuba and getting to know each other. When we finally boarded the plane headed for Cuba, everyone was excited and nervous including myself. It was a small airport so we got off the plane and walked across the tarmac, all I could smell was coffee and fuel.

The next few days were spent in a rural city called Viñales which was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to. The people we stayed with were very nice, but I don’t know a lick of Spanish so conversations weren’t too prevalent there. The food (oh the food!) was incredible. Everything we ate was delicious and looked, for the most part, very appetizing. There was never much of a selection but I never minded eating the same thing almost every day if it was yummy.

When we went walking through the mountainous parts, all I could do was wish we were hiking up them. Huge limestone

OFL NEWS

« CUBA, CONTINUED from PG. 1

Havana, the capitol of Cuba, a bustling city that in my mind looked way different than it did in reality. In my mind it would be filled with college students and tourists, and lots of intriguing stores for us kids to blow our money. Instead I was met with a city filled with Cubans wandering around with nothing to do, kids playing in the street covered in dirt, and old ladies with almost no teeth trying to sell you random things. At first it was a huge shock to me. I’d never been to a place like this before, but after a few days I became used to it. I’m still not too sure if that is a good thing or not, but I was happy I did. We saw monuments from the revolution, a beautiful college, incredible old fortresses, and again lots of good food.

The places we went in Cuba were filled with just as many tourists as citizens, which made me realize that Cuba is still a hot spot for traveling, just not from America. Growing up in school I was always told Cubans did not like Americans and boy were they wrong. If you tell them you’re from California they smile and ask what it’s like there, and tell you they love American music and clothes and pretty much anything else that is American.

I think America’s perception of Cuba is so different from how it really is. In school they should talk about how Cuba is a beautiful country that really needs an eco boost. The citizens who live there don’t make a lot of money nor will they ever; they live in great poverty with no one to stand up for them. The revolution came and went, we were told in school, but that’s not what they are saying in Cuba. The revolution has just started, the revolution for a better life, better govern-ment, better everything. The people who are educated in Havana are very set on bringing a revolution of sorts to make their and the lives of everyone in Cuba better. When we went from Viñales to Havana what we were learning changed—changed from learning about the land to learning about the people, which to me was more important.

And I hope you don’t find stories of Cuba frightening, I merely mean to push readers to go to Cuba so they can see for themselves what an amazing country it is—an amazing country that needs some help for its people.

Prom 2015Dancing, laughter, food and friends at the OdysseyBy Aydin Aguilera

ADULTS WHO went to prom cherish the photos, their youth, and the affair alto-gether. Most high schools have a formal prom, and Opportunities For Learning is no exception. Students went to The Odys-sey restaurant where our annual Prom was held. Amongst all the dancing and laughter and eating, students were able to appreci-ate a beautiful experience. I interviewed Edward Olguin from the Northridge Center and asked him a few questions about the event.

To the Point: What was your favorite

part from prom?Edward Olguin: My

favorite part was being able to dance with my boyfriend... Well, slow dance.

TP: How sweet! What did you like most about the Odyssey? How was the food?

EO: I loved the outside. The gazebo lights were so romantic. The food was amazing because they had a great selection of vegetarian options.

TP: Awesome. What was your most memorable moment?

EO: My most memorable moment was again dancing with my boyfriend because it was super cute and amazing!

TP: Would you say it was a success? Or was lame?

EO: It was definitely a success!

Edward, like all other students who attended the Opportunities For Learning prom in May, will have that memory that will last a lifetime.

(left to right) Jared Tio, Edward Olguin, Sandra Rivera, Anthony Walker, Daisy Reyes, Jessika Lloyd, Taylor Englehart, Joshua

Thomas, and Kavita Ramcharran


THIS INTERVIEW was conducted by Michael Gousarov and Raul Cherlin because both of them are going to community col-lege and had some questions for their teacher, Ms. Jessica about attending and the transfer process.

Jessica Yañez: I am an English SGI and I work at the Chatsworth and Studio City centers. Which you know, because you see me all the time.

I went to Santa Monica College [SMC] after high school because of several reasons: I didn’t have good grades, my SAT scores were low, and I didn’t really have an idea of what I wanted to do—what degree I wanted to pursue. And also, a bunch of my friends were going there after high school, so it was a comfortable transition. It wasn’t until my senior year [of high school] that I got my act together and was starting to mature, so it helped me to have that time between high school and university to really mature and get my act together.

Michael Gousarov: What are some of the main classes you take once you first get to community college?

JY: During my first year at SMC I took some core classes, like Math and English, but I also took Acting and Ceramics because I am creative minded. I was also still trying to decide what exactly my path was and what my focus was going to be when I transferred. You kind of take a mixture of electives and core classes, which I recommend if you’re still trying to figure out what your strengths are and what you’re interested in. I didn’t meet with a counselor right off the bat, but you really should before you sign up for classes.

When you typically meet with a college counselor, you can discuss your interests and your goals, and they can help you decide what

classes you should take. You kind of do more experimenting than you would in university, because once you’re there you start taking classes geared more towards what you’re studying. For me, once I was there for a little bit, I realized English was going to be my focus, so I took more English classes in addition to other core classes. At community college, students that are on the transfer track typically follow the IGETC, which I don’t remember what it stands for, but that’s something you can look up as investigative journalists.

[Editor’s Note: IGETC stands for Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum.]

IGETC classes are specific classes you need to take to transfer and earn your A.A. Degree (the Associate’s Degree). I followed the IGETC and eventually earned my A.A. in Liberal Arts. When I knew what school I wanted to go to, I had to follow another specific lists of classes that are transferable for those schools called an articulation agreement, which isn’t always accurate. That’s something to be very careful of. Make sure you’re meeting with an advisor who really knows what they’re talking about. It’s very common for transfer students to retake classes at the university level because either they didn’t meet with a counselor at all, or their advisor wasn’t as knowledgeable on the university they were transferring to. Then, they transfer to a university and they have retake, like, 10 classes and you’re stuck there longer than you anticipated.

MG: So, essentially, you should know what you want to do after community college?

JY: I would say have a general idea, because we all have a tendency to change our minds. For me, I developed as I was at community college. A piece of advice my dad gave me was, “This is your time to experiment because

community college is less expensive than going to a university. Now is the time to see what you like. Take classes that you’re interested in.” So I took Art History, Ceramics, and Acting, but through it all I realized I was really strong in English, so that led me to the English major.

MG: So it’s okay not to know right away.

JY: Absolutely! I think it’s beneficial for a lot of students who aren’t really sure what they want to do, or aren’t sure what their direction is, to take that route, because you’re still working towards the goal of a college degree. A lot of people have the misconception that community college isn’t technically college, but it really is. I really struggled with that myself, like I was feeling kind of down and worried about how going to a JC was going to reflect on me, but I had a support system that said, “ No you’re working towards the end goal, which is to get your Bachelor’s.” Although it took me a long time to finish college, I still achieved my goal. It also helped define the professional I am today.

MG: Is college simple?

JY: It’s not that simple. There can be several complications. If you’re going to a big JC like I did, you have several thousands of people going through similar classes and they don’t have enough room to accommodate everybody. When I came in as a freshman, I enrolled later than someone who was in their second or third year; they had had priority enrollment because they already been there for a while, so by the time I enrolled, the classes that were left were at like 7 or 8am, or I had to pick classes that I didn’t need. For example, sometimes english was was full or not offered during a specific semester, so I had to pick something else to do in the meantime.

MG:Do they get filled really quickly?

JY: Yes, they do. While at SMC, I was given an enrollment date and time. So if you’re assigned registration tomorrow at 4pm, you

The Road to Community College and BeyondA Q&A about attending a JCBy Michael Gousarov and Raul Cherlin

better be online and have you classes selected at 4pm.

Raul Cherlin: So what would you recommend if the classes you want to take get taken?

JY: If you’re at a JC and you can’t take a core class, or a class for a specific major isn’t offered or it’s full, I would say try to get on the waiting list, but in the meantime pick another class to take to cover that in case you don’t get into that class you’re waiting for. It depends on the person, but for me I would take a class like an elective something that is interesting to me because I’m at a JC, and I have the time to explore these other options. Some people might say “No, you need to take something that is in your content area. Take another type of english class like creative writing or journalism, while you wait for English 101 to be open.”

MG: And that is still based for two years?

JY: Yeah. If you’re planning on transferring, I really recommend being in contact with someone at the next level. If I would have known that I was trying to go to LMU in the very beginning, I should’ve contacted an advisor or someone from the English Department when I knew that I wanted to be an English teacher, because when I got to LMU, I was under the impression that I was going to do two years there and be done, but when I got there, I found out that the teaching credential program takes four years to complete, because you’re taking English and Education classes so that you don’t have to take the CSET exam. You have to student-teach, which is another semester. So in total, I spent four and a half years at LMU, just trying to finish my Bachelor’s, and I spent three years at SMC working on my A.A. and transferring. It took me a little too long I would say, but in hindsight it was fine. I still met my goal, but some people want to finish quickly, so just keep on track with everything and definitely contact someone who is at the college you’re trying to get into.

STUDENT VOICES

Autism SpeaksA profile of a younger brotherBy Berenice Tellez

HE JOYFULLY plays by himself, due to not caring too much for other people’s company. He’s on the Honor Roll, with almost all As on every report card, and last year he was on his school’s track team. He’s everybody’s best friend, and most people won’t know that he has autism until they try talking to him.

My little brother, Danny, was diagnosed with autism when he was about 2 years old. As a baby, the noise from being in a movie theater was too unbearable for him, being surrounded by too many people would annoy him, and he always threw tantrums. At first, my parents thought he was just dramatic. But as time went on, his behavior was so severe that they took him to a specialist, and that was where they got the news that autism was most likely the reason behind his behavior, which has been character-ized as difficulty with socially interacting and communicating, and repetitive actions.

Some kids with autism can live, for the most part, normal lives that can consist of keeping a job, finding love, and living on their own. Others need the help of a guardian to sustain them. The severity of each child’s diagnosis varies; however, special schools, caring loved ones, and helpful teachers can all aid a child in developing their skills and learning how to live a fulfilling life. Any child can grow and prosper with proper help, it just takes someone who cares enough to change their life.

What is Love?Answers may varyBy Layla Kamae

LOVE IS a universal feeling that is expressed through different views: science, literature, and religion. Love can be expressed to parents, partners, close friends, neighbors, God or worldly possessions through proper nurturing, intimacy, and devotion. There are different notions of the definition of love. Whether you’re speaking to a psychologist, a nun, or a novelist, the meaning of love varies.

Scientifically, love is neurological condition as powerful as hunger or thirst, just more permanent. There are several variations of the word according to psychotherapist, Philippa Perry, who says, “Love cannot be labeled under one word.” From Philia to Eros, sexual desire, intimacy, and closeness of relationships range as well. Some scientists say it takes 90 seconds to 4 minutes to tell if you like someone. Through the first conversation, 55% of this determination is

on body language, 38% on the tone and speed of the way a person talks, and 7% is actually about what they say (youramazingbrain.org). Love can be scientifically proven by hormones we release causing us to feel attachment or lust for another or belongings. We are the beakers in the chemical mystery we call love.

From science fiction to romance novels, love is a universal theme that drives most writers. Jojo Moyes, a romantic novelist uses the theme of love for her best stories. She says, “Love is blind and unconditional and as necessary as the air we breathe.” Love is non-discriminatory and an essential part of our lives. Kristen Cast, the co-author of one of my favorite novel series, House of Night, writes about a young female protagonist who experiences love in many intense ways with numerous characters. Her feelings throughout the novel about love confuses her, filling her with mixed emotions that leave her helpless. Feeling safe and secure, love can be almost unnoticeable, but when deprived from love, it can become a fixation, a painful obsession. Fancy handwritten letters, professing their undying love to their lover, or dancing the night away and being swept off of their feet—literature helps us view love in different eras and styles. The evolution of Shakespeare’s love sonnets to

modern day emoji hearts, have changed the ways of expressing love to another, but the feeling of love is universal and timeless.

Catherine Wybourne, a Benedictine nun, expresses her thoughts on love: “We love God above all things and our neighbors as ourselves for his sake.” She explains the theological virtue of love as God above all. She says, “The paradox of love is that it is supremely free yet attaches us with bonds stronger than death.” By stepping into other shoes we then learn generosity, kindness, and self-sacrifice. With religion, we’re taught to love ourselves and God before accepting another person into our lives and heart.

The meaning of love is elusive, varying in intimacy, pleasure, close relationships, and affection. Love isn’t only romantic love, but love for parenting, love for country, self, and family. Love can diminish but can also grow through proper nurturing, devotion, and intimacy. The ultimate question is what is keeping you from love? What are the obstacles that are in your way?


STUDENT VOICES: OPINIONS-EDITORIALS

Police: Friend or Foe?Op-EdBy Berenice Tellez

LATELY OUR men in blue have been taking over the media, but not under the best circumstances. When Michael Brown, an unarmed black teen was fatally shot in Ferguson, Missouri by white officer, Darren Wilson, it sparked what seemed to be an endless attack on the intentions of police officers everywhere. Now due to the shoot-ing of Walter Scott, an unarmed 50-year-old black man running away from Officer Michael Slager, fuel has been added to the fire of hatred towards the corrupt cops who’ve been doing a wonderful job at ruining their reputation amongst the public.

Less than a month ago, a video surfaced displaying the actions leading up to the murder of the unarmed victim, Walter Scott. In the video, Scott is seen slowly running away from Officer Michael Slager, then falling to the ground after being shot eight times by the officer. After Slager walked up to the dead victim and handcuffed him, he calmly went back to his police car and reported the incident. When another officer showed up

to the scene, Slager is clearly seen dropping a taser next to Scott’s motionless body, even though he reported that the reason why he shot Scott in the first place was because Scott had his taser.

Due to the harassment brought on from white cops onto black victims, people have been putting the officers at fault on public trials through the media, riots, verbal abuse, and other violent acts; however, the officers responsible haven’t been the only ones receiving heat for the murders. The judicial system has also been criticized for not properly prosecuting the officers and for seemingly letting them off with less than a slap on the wrist for crimes that any other citizen would receive dire consequences for committing.

These conflicts may be fueled by racism or power and other factors; however, many people feel that the police officers who are supposed to protect us are actually the ones who are out to harm those who aren’t white. Sadly, the recent acts of officers make their points a lot easier to prove.

FOUR DAYS before shooting and killing his parents at the age of fourteen, Greg Ousley told his mother “he was scared” and “all he ever thought about was murder and suicide.” Scott Anderson, a writer for The New York Times, wrote the article, “Greg Ousley Is Sorry for Killing His Parents. Is That Enough?” (2012) which tells Greg’s story, from killing his parents as a teen, to the decades he’s spent in jail afterwards.

Reading the article raises questions about the productivity of the prison system for juveniles such as Greg Ousley. The article reveals evidence of Greg’s sanity, challenging his sentencing and suggesting earlier release. Greg was fifteen years of age when “he accepted a plea agreement of guilty but mentally ill” and began “serving a 60-year sentence” in Indiana as one of the youngest adult inmates. I disagree with this verdict because children should not be viewed as mentally ill; the root of their actions should be used to evaluate the justice.

What is justice? How do we achieve justice currently and how does it benefit society? Justice is “conformity to truth, fact,

or reason.” Adam Kokesh, a former active participant in the Iraq Veterans Against the War, spent nearly four months in D.C. jail where he wrote his book Freedom! that helps fundamentally change the world by educating people about the true nature of government. He writes, “When someone seeks punishment, they are not seeking justice. Punishment is merely violence with a bad excuse” (Kokesh 30). Although some argue that punishment of young criminals is a righteous action for society, in reality humanity prospers through acts of kindness even to the most ruthless of criminals, especially to young ones because kindness creates a chance for them to be improved members of society, become a positive example to prevent future violence, and therefore heal the relationships of fellow human beings. Young criminals must be accepted and then taught truthful understanding of life so that these prospects are made possible.

What is deemed ethical in society is evaluated by the common ethical comprehension of the people in it, but ethics is not evident in our prison systems. Kokesh writes, “Justice is the application of ethics,” but the prison system is a terrible way of applying ethics (Kokesh 32). By applying acts of kindness that humanity will prosper from, victims that become victimizers should have the chance and ability to prove themselves to society after changing to enlightened people, unless, of course, they are truly a danger: “truly dangerous criminals should be forcibly isolated from society” (Kokesh 31). The ethics that people choose to follow must be raised to a higher standard because the problems that surround us, are a product of poor choices.

Trapped in thoughts, circumstances, and life events, people become criminals by the choices they make, but those choices are also mistakes that should be able to be

forgiven. The prison system is not the best way to help a person from the thoughts, circumstances, and life events that trap them and lead them to become criminals. Aiding someone and trying to show them they are wrong cannot be achieved by placing them into a cage.

While interviewing Greg, Anderson realized that his first two conversations “constituted about half of all [Greg’s] contact with the outside world since he turned 20,” revealing the dysfunction in the prison system’s ability to aid the prisoners it incarcerates. This does not allow a chance for a young criminal to become an improved member of society. Instead it radically eliminates nearly all chance for hope because it neglects the needs of a child and punishes this human being as a mentally corrupted and evil adult.

Acts of kindness to young criminals are important because these acts create a chance for young criminals to become positive examples to prevent future violence. Anderson interviewed Greg in a small conference room without guard supervision, where Greg told him he wants “to work with young people” and use his “life as an example of what can go wrong,” displaying that even through what Greg has endured, he thrives in a positive hope for himself.

I believe in all people, so when it comes to young criminals, I only see the powerful potential they are capable of once they overcome their traps. This is true of all people, but the one buried deeper can grow higher unless he remains under the layers of soil. The prison system does not help one flourish; however, an alternative method founded on compassion and hope would.

Despite living a life in a prison, Greg managed to “become a model inmate,” earn a high school equivalency diploma, and earn his Bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University, graduating magna cum

Punishing PunishmentOp-EdBy Michael Gousarov laude, “hoping for summa cum laude,”

proving his determination to achieve (Anderson 3). These achievements are astonishing, but they can be so much more. Using technology, Greg can have a louder voice. He can become a hero by inspiring people with his story. It might be too late due to his age, but criminals should not be held in a cage for as long as Greg has been kept in one. In order to become positive examples to prevent future violence, young criminals need to be granted a chance by applying acts of kindness.

Young criminals have the capacity to heal the relationships of fellow human beings. Someone such as Greg, with the vision to be different by creating a difference for someone in the same emotional state he experienced as a child, is a perfect illustration of this concept. His story alone has the might to make the healing of relationships between fellow human beings promising. It would be important to have a place where people can come together—perhaps a design similar to a church or even a kind of hospital that would provide a gathering place. People must learn from the mistakes of others, but the people who make those mistakes and understand that they are mistakes, should be the ones setting the examples.

Being alive is an experience we all face differently. Some face gruesome horrors directly while some live in utopias. When someone seeks punishment, they are not seeking justice. Ideas of punishment when evolved to ideas of forgiveness will change every aspect of the world, so to deny that kindness to young criminals is to prevent a loving earth. As a people, we will face the end of punishment when we create possibilities for young criminals to be productive members of society, be examples of prevention of violence for the future, and therefore heal the relationships between fellow human beings.

Greg Ousley in prison in 2012 (photo from The New York Times)

The Colour of the Future will be JadeOp-EdBy Julio Del Carmen

THROUGH THE rapid advancement of technology and society, mankind has become wondrously well versed in the language of efficiency and convenience. Over time, we’ve measured our progress by how much more efficient and how much more convenient things are, and as a domino effect of this, we’re only advancing more vigorously with every venture into the lazy arts. I believe that this very concept has unintentionally created the most relevant and pressing philosophical issue of the modern age: Jadedness.

Jadedness is the aloof, tired, bored and unenthusiastic feeling that comes as a result of having had too much of something. That detail is what makes it relevant, that detail is what makes it a pressing issue. Overwhelming indifference born out of excess, and we live in the age of excess.

For ages philosophy has fought against those things that keep us (as humans) from living happy and full lives, things such as love or lack thereof, accomplishment or lack thereof, and so on. Most which have existed for centuries, but in today’s modern age there exists a new issue that threatens to plague our ability to live fulfilled and take notice of the beauty and colour that life offers us, and that is jadedness.

Let me give you an example: There was once a time when a beautiful painting was a rarity, and to see a few of these (or any at all) people had to pay, they had to dress up, leave their houses, attend events or galleries to be lucky

enough to witness the one and only incarnation of each painting. They knew very well they were seeing the only glimpse of the spirit of art and creativity flowing through this artist onto this canvas, that existed. This entire process, this entire experience, lent to its beauty, lent to its ability to make us (as humans) feel, to make us marvel, to make us act. A single light shines its brightest when surrounded only by darkness.

Today that doesn’t exist anymore, not the way it used to. Today we don’t even have to stand up (granted unless our laptops are not at arm’s reach) to gain access to pages and bloody pages of art pieces just as glorious, just as beautiful, as the last 10 we saw on the same page.

Do you see the difference? This experience lends nothing to the art’s ability to make us marvel, to make us act. In fact it hinders it, and instills in us an inevitable feeling of indifference. Why? Because nothing in excess is powerful or profound, not to us.

This not only applies to art, but to everything. As it all becomes easier, more convenient, more efficient, it loses its ability to inspire us. This is why jadedness is important, this is why jadedness is relevant. If we don’t stand and take back our power to feel awe, to feel inspiration, to feel the beauty that has existed in our lovely world for so much longer than our indifference allows us to acknowledge, then perhaps we and future generations are doomed to live our lives in one colour; if we ignore this, the colour of the future will be jade.


CREATIVE ARTS Number 33A short storyBy A.V. Aguilera

ARSENIC WAS one of our country’s worst criminals. In his five year span of destroying and murdering and leading a terrorist group, he established quite a name for himself. He wore a black suite, black shoes, a black tie, and a black mask. I assumed it was made of some type of synthetic mesh that allowed him to breathe through; he kept it on at all times.

I am the man who ended Arsenic’s terror, stopped the man who almost ended our country as we knew it. We live in a government that maintains perfect balance and our citizens are happy. Everyone receives the same education, the same pay, no one is better than anyone else. John Robertson who was president at the time Arsenic was committing crimes, did well in office, for I knew him personally; he was like a second father to me.

Criminals like Arsenic had to be put down before they sparked a revolution for radical change: Democracy, Republics, and Capitalism are all substandard, bound to fail. That being said, when we caught Arsenic, he did not put up much of a fight, actually not even a fight at all. He was in a hotel, sitting on a floral couch, and watching a television show. We knocked down the door and he didn’t even try to escape as we infiltrated to room; he was just sitting there. The dark mask was still on his face, so I could not tell what his facial expression was, but I am sure it was priceless. The guys on my team were ordering him to take off the mask, but I told them to stop because I did not want him to speak or reveal himself yet.

I waited until he was restrained in the interrogation room to allow him to speak, and I allowed him to keep the mask on. The room was bright and had only one glass window where the other officers could watch. They could hear everything as well. The team and I decided that I should interrogate him straightforward, treating him the same and not as someone powerful. We figured it would work better on a malefactor like himself. When he did speak, his voice haunted me, as it sounded vaguely familiar. Maybe the voice belonging to a coworker or close friend turned traitor?

Me: So, why do you call yourself Arsenic?Arsenic: Arsenic is the name of a poisonous

chemical element. I want you to know that I am a threat to your society.

Me: Why show the people that you’re a

threat? You are bombing industries; you are a malicious terrorist. It does no justice to your cause.

Arsenic: Well, it’s not the people I am trying to influence; the people are too ignorant to overthrow a socialist government. How could they do that if they do not even know that they are freedomless? I get to people like you, smart government people, the ones on the inside. You should know how that is how organized crime works and prevails.

Me: You are contradicting yourself Arsenic. Why do you call it a crime if you believe yourself to be working towards a justice?

Arsenic: Well, anything I do against our socialist government is a crime because I am trying to destroy it, and build a free form of government, like a democracy. That’s the reason my people and I don’t obliterate government buildings. The government buildings hold the important people, the people that matter who could benefit my cause. The buildings we destroy are the ones the proletariat work in, they are the industry and the country’s economy. Once a country cannot supply enough for everyone and the economy fails, they will lose faith in you and want a change for the better. When the people on the inside, working for me see their riots began they will change to satisfy the people. To do what is right.

Me: It will never work.Arsenic: We have already destroyed

enough industry.Me: Why sacrifice so many good people. So

many good men and women are dead. What kind of man are you?

Arsenic: The ones we sacrifice are not humans. They are not people if they are not free; They are not people if they are brainwashed. You think I’m confessing to you my crimes and disclosing my plans, but I’m not. I’m trying to convince you and whoever else is listening to join my cause.

Me: Take off the mask.Arsenic: No.Me: What are you afraid of?I began to smile as he finally took off his

mask, and began to imagine how that face would cease to exist after his execution, but my smile instantly disappeared when I saw who he was. It was my son, who I hadn’t seen or talked to in twenty-two years.

Life LessonA short storyBy Raul Cherlin

THE WORLD is something so amazing that at times, I feel like I don’t even know it anymore. Everybody has different experiences throughout their lifetime and this is simply one of the many billions of lives that are on this planet. You are probably asking yourself, “What is the purpose of this story?” I simply want to see how people react to these experi-ences, and how it will affect them, or if it won’t even faze them and they can simply carry on with their lives. Now enough with the intro-duction, and let us begin with the story.

There was once a boy whose name will not be mentioned at this time; however, he prefers it if people were to call him Dante because he doesn’t like his real name. He has always hated it. He has never told anybody to call him by this name; it has always been his secret. Despite the fact that Dante’s father gave his name after himself, the two never really got along. There was never that “father-son” relationship like what you see in the movies and in the wonderful contraption called television. The father has always been there, but always at work providing for Dante and his family. Does he blame the father for this? No, but he never once took the time to teach Dante how to throw a ball or spend time getting to know what the boy likes. Then he always complains about why the boy can’t do anything right. Well, whose fault is that?

The boy grew up in a rundown apartment sheltered from the outside world. At the time, Dante was five years old and never went outside to play with friends. The boy was able to go outside and play; however, nobody was ever around, so with whom would he play? The boy then wanted to play with his older brother, but alas he also wasn’t around; the brother would be out playing soccer for he was in high school at the time. The boy then resorted to being alone in the living room crying, waiting for somebody to be with him. One day, however, something spectacular came into the boy’s life. He was finally old enough to have his little hands hold a little remote controller from a Super Nintendo. This was the boy’s outlet into something magical. From this point on, video games helped the boy in so many ways and relieved his loneliness.

The boy got so much satisfaction from playing video games, and he evolved with them. From Super Nintendo to PlayStation, to Nintendo 64. In a way, the boy evolved as the gaming systems evolved. He grew up with them, and started becoming his own person,

uninfluenced by his parents. Video games were his escape into the world he always wanted and now he finally had it. The boy was submerged into the worlds of these video games, from killing zombies in a mansion, to playing as a robot hunter trying to save the world. The boy played many of these games and was always submerged into them trying to find who he truly was. Once the older brother saw that the boy was fascinated with video games, he took it upon himself to teach him everything he knew: How to beat a level, where to find the secret door, or how to beat the last boss. Through this experience, the two brothers bonded and became best friends, and the boy was grateful for this; however, when the boy learned how to play fighting games, he decided to challenge the older brother and when this happened the twenty-year rivalry between them had begun.

As the boy got older, so did his skills in Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. The older brother would pick Ken and the boy would be Ryu; the older brother would pick Scorpion and the boy would pick Sub-Zero. The boy always picked the opposite in order to follow his own path and not be in the older brother’s shadow. The boy was determined to beat the older brother, but the older brother’s skills and experience over the years were much greater than Dante’s. No matter how much he practiced, no matter how many hours he spent coming up with a game plan, the older brother always found a way to beat it. The boy then started to get discouraged and wanted to give up for he saw no way to beat the older brother and decided to take a hiatus from fighting games. The boy then focused his attention toward shooting games and MMOs.

At this point in the boy’s life a younger brother came along, and so he wanted to pass on some of his skills to the younger brother. They went on to play together and were very good working together as a team. They would later go online against other people to test themselves. As luck would have it, they were on top of the leaderboards; however, as more fighting games came out the boy went out of retirement and was compelled to play again to continue the eternal struggle. Even to this day, the boy keeps going against the older brother to gain supremacy.

The moral of this story is to never give up no matter what the odds are. If you do not have people to support you, or have somebody that is your rival, never give up keep pressing on.

More Fish in the SeaA short storyBy Daisy Abigail Torres-Barrera

ANXIETY STRIKES him like a fish with-out water. The struggle to breathe. Maybe he was with her for too long or maybe it’s his asthma. He says he loves her but how she feels is the opposite. When he’s with her she feels trapped as well, but she loves him. She loves him more than she loves herself and the sad part is he never realized it or he did and took advantage.

He says he loves her, but when he’s around her he is mean to her, selfish even; maybe he got tired of her, of her past and how she used to treat him. She broke his stuff when they fought and would kick him out from the small apartment she called home. She loved him, but she didn’t know how to show it because she was always mistreated by others. She said she loved him, but honestly I don’t think she knew what love was. He felt anger, sadness, and stress but he never showed it. Sad boy mistreated by her but he loved her.

She loved him. She always had and deeply inside I knew she knew she loved him. She loved him more than she loved herself. She has gone through a lot in her life and arguing with him made things worse. He was her everything. He made her happy at times and bought her stuff but it always seemed to bug him. He moved out eventually and it broke her into pieces like a beautiful sculpture thrown by him.

But I guess she deserved it since she broke everything of his to release anger, but at the end of it all she felt bad and sad, but it was hard for her to change. She had PTSD. She had anxiety and depression, but sometimes it lead to anger.

But all she needed was for him to hold her as tight as he could, like gravity holds a star before the flare dies off. She wanted him to show her that even when things get very hard he will always love her. She felt

like anyone could take him away. She wanted to keep him safe but not locked away. She felt like he was more in love with his friends and he gave them up for her, as did she, but even though he didn’t ask that from her she only wanted him; she only needed him. He was easily influenced from his friends like an 8th grader going into high school. The kids that want to be cool. She didn’t want him to be influenced because when he is with them he is not who he is with her. He was her everything but to her she only felt temporary. She was preparing for him to leave her. She tried pushing him away, but even though he left her home he never left her.

They say space helps relationships. To her she felt lost without him. For him he went out with his friends and had fun with them. All she wanted was for him to be able to have fun with her like he does with them. She had pushed him so far away she felt so

alone because he was her best friend and her other half. She didn’t need anyone else.

Some say it’s normal to put your partner first, but his influence pushed her away. He had an idea of a “break.” Wasn’t it obvious? He didn’t want her anymore because he saw her as a broken vase waiting for her to re-piece itself back together for his needs, but he never fixed himself for her. The love was gone and they broke up.

She was devastated. It hurt her every day and she would not give up, but by the way she saw him was like he was happier without her. He didn’t miss her and he didn’t try anymore. They were over and over time she realized there is no going back; he made it clear that she lost the love of her life and her best friend.

They say there are more fish in the sea but to her, that was her fish and it was the best fish she ever caught.

STAFF WRITER - AYDIN AGUILERA - CHATSWORTHSTAFF WRITER - MICHAEL GOUSAROV - NORTHRIDGESTAFF WRITER - AUSTIN MARQUIS - CHATSWORTHSTAFF WRITER - DAISY TORRES-BARRERA - CHATSWORTH

TO THE POINT STAFFThis is the official newspaper of Opportunities for Learning charter schools in the San Fernando Valley. All words are written by OFL students.

Contact us: [email protected]

Find us online, in full color: issuu.com/tothepointsfv

ABOUT US

OFL SUPERVISORSLEO PORTUGALJESSICA YANEZ

CONTRIBUTORSSEVON ABDALIAN - NORTHRIDGE ANGELINA ALVARADO - RESEDARAUL CHERLIN - NORTHRIDGEJULIO DEL CARMEN - CHATSWORTHWALTER GUZMAN - NORTHRIDGE LAYLA KAMAE - CHATSWORTHMAGALIE LARIOS - HOLLYWOOD

BRIANA MENDOZA - NORTHRIDGEARIANA MUNOZ - NORTHRIDGEJAZMINE RODRIGUEZ - NORTHRIDGEMEGAN STEIN - NORTHRIDGEBERENICE TELLEZ - CHATSWORTHINET TINO - ENCINONELLY VENTURA - NORTHRIDGE


CREATIVE ARTS Death BedA poemBy Christopher Ramirez

A coma is like a holeand you never expect to fallbut when you doyour eyes are opened wide.

It all just took you by surpriseas you stood on the ashes of all that couldn’t survive.You yelled one last time just to feel alivebefore the darkness came to consume you from inside.You searched all around for just one last signbut all that was found were the cries of goodbyes.Counting heartbeats to fall asleepyou lay awake for the sunto rise once againhigh hopes to be lead out of the darkholding sand in the palms of your handsall slipping away like the minutes and hoursthat go by every day.

So long for all those that lay awakein a dreamfor those that remainstuck in the darkness ofthe hole.

Your ChinkA poemBy Michael Gousarov

As water fills the room in which I sit,Look up to the ceiling and know this is it.No longer do I thirst,I was in this room first,Desperate than ever,I’ll regret this forever.The last breath that I took escapes out of me,In this space I’ll be, no longer am I free.But I say.Don’t let the water get to your head,Hold your breath longer before you are dead.All the water will escape,Hold your breath for heaven’s sake,I see cracks inside the wall,Take a peak, the waterfall.

Life as a LilyA poemBy Jazmine Rodriguez

In a field full of lifea lily grows straight and tall—A purple lily that grabs your eye.

In a lonely field a weed came to a weeda weed that grows short and strong—A green weed that pulls you back.

With a day of sadness it might just turn blackA day of denaturing it might just turn darkA day without a touch of loveit might just die.With an evil bitter sweet touch from a weedit might never grow back.A weed just as innocent as a Lilythat tried to be as beautiful as a Lily.

Its intentions were goodno harm at all.It didn’t choose its wayit just started to spread.Poor Lily, it has been forgottenAll alone without hopeThe strength to be straight and tallwas no longer there.

ENTERTAINMENTConcert Review: Twenty One PilotsBy Inet Tino

TWENTY ONE Pilots is a two-piece band formed in the streets of Columbus, Ohio. They are one of the most unique bands in this new century as they com-

bine rap verses with pulsing beats and lyrics we can all relate to, creating a happy way to express ourselves. When I got the chance to see them at the iHeartRadio Theater in Burbank I was really excited and didn’t know what to expect.

Upon arriving to the venue shortly before doors opened, there was already a long queue of outstanding fans who refer themselves as the “skeleton clique.” Some people had even camped out the night before to witness duo team Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun perform. As everyone was going inside you could fully see the joy in their faces.

After an anxious half hour wait, the house lights went off and the crowd roared in cheers and screams. Josh came out and went straight to his drum set, while Tyler, wearing his iconic red beanie, went to his microphone which hung from the ceiling. They started off with a live debut of “Heavydirtysoul”, off their new record Blurryface. The crowd quickly caught up and sang every lyric. By the look on Tyler and Josh’s faces, they were surprised and overwhelmed as the crowd sang along since the record released just the day before.

They then went straight into playing their single, “Stressed Out”, which the crowd received positively with screams. “Wish we could turn back time to the good ol’ days, when our momma sang us to sleep but now we’re stressed out”, was one of the lyrics the crowd yelled back relentlessly.

The concert was full of emotion, energy, and memorable moments. During a song from their previous record, Tyler went back and forth the stage like a whirlwind interacting with the fans. At this point even Josh got off out of his drum set to go center stage and hug his friend. Both “Tear in My Heart” and an old emotional song, “Car Radio”, were played with such energy and contained beautiful moments where Tyler would stop singing and the crowd sang loudly in harmony.

But the coolest part of their set came when “Ride” was nearly finished. Twenty One pilots got two platforms and put it over the crowd so the fans could hold it up. Then they added a drumset on top of it! Josh and Tyler got on top of the platform and performed as the crowd held them aloft! It was the most distinctive and electrifying experience.

They closed up with an oldie named “Guns for Hands”, and the crowd sang and danced and sweated the night away. Josh and Tyler went center stage and took their final bows as Tyler took the mic and thanked the crowd by saying, “We’re Twenty One Pilots, and so are you.”

PICKS

Daredevil (TV Series)Review by Walter Guzman and Michael Gousarov

DAREDEVIL IS an amazing show full of action and twists at every turn. Daredevil had me blind with excitement.

Speaking of being blinded, the protagonist of Daredevil, Matt Murdock, is a man who was blinded as a kid and now fights crime to protect the city and he’s not afraid to get

beaten. He’s trying to fight bad guys in his day job as a lawyer and at night he’s a masked vigilante who protects the city from the people who are trying to ruin it, from Russian mobsters, to Japanese crime syndicates, to multi-million dollar corporations). Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil, is unlike any other superhero. His life is darker than most and although he doesn’t have a super power, he has heightened senses. With these powers he’s able to see without sight. This Is what

Adventure Time (TV Series)Review by Austin Marquis

ADVENTURE TIME was created by Car-toon Network and is about a hero named Finn and his dog Jake. Together the two go out and find trouble to get rid of it; their adventures will keep you entertained for hours.

Finn, the boy, and Jake, the dog, are the heroes of the world of Ooo. In Ooo, there are

tons of villains that always out and about looking for trouble. The land of Ooo is a post-apocalyptic civilization that was once like Earth. In this land there are places that are ridiculous and make you laugh. For example, the Candy Kingdom is made entirely out of candy.

Finn is the last human on Ooo, and his dog, Jake, is one of the last dogs. His dog isn’t like a normal dog either; dogs in the land of Ooo possess human-like traits. For example, they can stand on two legs and speak English, but unlike most English-speaking two-legged humans (Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic is one exception), Jake is magical and can stretch his body endlessly in any way he wants. In fact, in one episode where Jake is stretched to his limit (he stretches through a labyrinth in order to find a double-headed war elephant that shoots lasers out of its eyes and flies), his face stretches to be about five miles long.

What more do you want from a cool Cartoon Network cartoon? Watch it!

The Babadook (Film)Review by Briana Mendoza

THE BABADOOK is an Australian horror film written and directed by Jennifer Kent. It’s a film about an exhausted mother (Amelia) and her disturbed son (Samuel). Samuel has a great fear of monsters that has been affecting his and his mother’s life for quite some time now. Samuel has a very hard time going to

sleep every night, so his mother reads him stories every night to help him fall asleep. But one day Samuel pulls a book out his mother never read for him before titled Mister Babadook.

Slowly, the book starts to show increasingly disturbing images in a pop-up book fashion. She quickly puts the book away, but of course Samuel is completely traumatized by the book, which causes their situation to get worse and worse. Then, things start going bump in the night, even for Amelia.

The film has a very Jaws-like effect because you rarely see the Babadook, but you can sense his force in the film. In a way, you start to lose all sense of what’s real and what’s an illusion. I liked the characters and felt very connected with them, feeling their fear and frustration along the way.

The Babadook will keep you very tense and on your toes. TThe film isn’t very relaxing to watch. Usually there’s some closure in horror films, and this film was a very intense the entire time. I felt like I was going to have an anxiety attack. The film did its job! I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

sets him apart from all of the other superheroes.Some of the shows most powerful moments come as Daredevil

underlines the connection a father has with his son. These moments are part of a great characterization process, as the supervillain and the superhero become nearly perfect reflections of each other. The character of Murdock speaks to this point, giving a closing statement as a defense attorney, saying, “I’ve been preoccupied of late with questions of morality of right and wrong, good and evil. Sometimes the delineation between the two is a sharp line. Sometimes it’s a blur.” Murdock and the show’s villain (who will not be named) both envision themselves as saviors of their city. Fueled with rage, they both wish to get rid of all the things that plague the city.

Strong characters, complimented by well shot fight scenes and actors who play extremely well, deliver a powerful message.

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