On Jan. 28, students entered the gym to lis-ten to a group speak about the impact of CHOICES. Radical Reality, accompanied

by Stagg graduate and professional athlete Dallas Braden, ripped phone books, crushed bricks, and spoke about RESPECT and preparing for the fu-ture. This same message was the theme of Point Break, a series of assemblies on SELF-ESTEEM and peer respect presented to all freshmen. Stu-dents expressed intense feelings about their at-tempts to BREAK THROUGH their outer shell.

Teacher inspires student success

If 10 years ago you had asked English teacher Tom Orosco if he felt he had changed Dallas Braden in some way he

most likely would have laughed. “I don’t really think I did anything to help him,” Orosco said, referring to the graduate from the Class of 2001 who now is a starting pitcher with the Oakland Athlet-ics. “If I did, I didn’t know it at the time.” Orosco says that when Braden was in school he “acted up in class.” Orosco’s class was the last place students would go be-

fore getting kicked out of school. After being transferred into the class, Braden had an incident where he publicly cursed out a teacher. Even though he acted out, Orosco understood. “Most major pain in the rears have a reason that they act out.” Braden’s reason was a death in his family, and Orosco tried to reach him. Without realizing it, Orosco taught lessons that spoke to Braden and his current students. “I’m concerned about students getting into college or getting a job,” Orosco said. “But I’m also, mainly, blunt.” Orosco tells athletes that the odds of making it profes-sionally aren’t “with them” and “even if (they) do make it, (they) will need to fall back on job skills.” The last message hit Braden hard when he was a stu-dent – so hard that during the Radical Reality assembly he wanted to become a speaker himself. Looking back on the day of the assembly, he felt “kids enjoyed the show and listened to the message.” During his speech, Braden incorporated ideas that Don-nie Moore and Darwin Benjamin brought up in their lec-ture to students but he went beyond ideas of respecting yourself. He talked about taking ownership of education and one’s life. This message was the same one Braden had heard from Moore and Orosco when he was a student. “I’m from the same place you guys are from,” he said to the crowd. “I walked the same dirty ass halls.” But he wanted more than that. When Braden realized that he “had to get up to make it happen” he began to make changes to get himself where he wanted to go. “You can do it, just like I did,” he said. “I did it because I love me some me.” Sophomore Laura Ortiz agrees that Orosco has influ-enced her choices. “He’s the main reason I’ve even thought about college,” she said. “He’s changed me for the better.”

photos by Nicole

Lawrence

Intense assemblies trigger student emotions

Donnie Moore

(right), rips a telephone book in half

in order to show how respecting

yourself takes great

strength. Terry

Douglas (top right), destroys a

stack of bricks to get

students to pay atten-

tion to their message.

Gabriella Miller

Though the Radical Re-ality assembly was a

while ago, the visions of bricks smashing and tears streaming are still brewing fresh in the heads of some students. And since some freshmen had just gone to Point Break, the last week of January proved to be a very emotional time. Freshman Ryan McLaugh-lin quickly noted how the two events were connected in a subtle way, even if it wasn’t intentional. “The assembly really seemed to brighten up people’s day

after going to Point Break,” he said. He added that Point Break “really helped people get out (any issues) they needed to” and “helped them feel less afraid.” Though McLaughlin said that Point Break was a great deal more depressing than the assembly, he said he enjoyed them both and felt that it was just two different ways of sending the same message. Even students who didn’t go to Point Break were in-spired by the assembly. Sophomore David Stewart was particularly impressed.

“It made me think that there was more to life than drugs and alcohol,” he said. Stewart reflected on him-self and said that the assem-bly even made him think of how he sometimes takes his own life for granted. He said he now even realizes that playing video games every day is not a necessity. He ultimately discovered the importance of making a difference and being happy with the life that he created. Quite a few students left the gym with a feeling of joy. Whether the assembly inspired them to turn their own life around or to turn

another person’s life around, this assembly had some-thing for everyone. Students said that it was easy to connect to, and easy to relate to. One particular student, senior Elizabeth Davison felt a special connection at this assembly, and said that this was one assembly that she could actually en-

joy. She said that she could understand the struggles and difficulties that Darwin went through. Davison said that she is used to the idea of being strong to overcome the con-flicts in everyday life, and that she, as well as others, “could relate to… (Darwin Benjamin) having to over-come so many obstacles.”

Faith Harris

Darwin Benjamin, motivational speaker, reveals his most personal experiences to enlighten students on the perils of drug use.

photo by Nicole Lawrence

“ They made me think that there’s a lot more to life than drugs and alcohol.”David StewartSOPHOMORE

“ I could relate to (Darwin Benjamin) having to overcome so many obstacles.”

Elizabeth Davison

SENIOR

INSIDEA deeper look into the effects and consequences of bullying

See Opinion, page 3

Headline Graphic by Michelle Pheav

Braden returns, thanks Orosco

Dallas Braden reveals tattoo as he talks about the pride he has in his hometown.

Opinion2 03.04.11

the Stagg Line

EDITORIAL

Respect highlighted on campus

Art by Mia Torres

For those of us who were lucky enough to go to the Radical Reality assembly, we were told an obvious, yet rarely

listened to piece of advice: respect, for our-selves, is the most important thing. We have noticed that it is a less that has been floating around the school for months. It may be hard to find a connection be-tween various events that are happening in school. We see all that happens here as part of the chaos of life. Lately, though, things have seemed more connected than ever – the murals, SLC’s, and that radical assem-bly, each teaching its own lesson of respect. Respect in our school, respect in the choices we make for our education, and respect for ourselves. The murals may, to some, seem like nothing more than a bragging right for each club. My mural is better than yours. Ours is bigger. And while, yes, some clubs will probably use the mural as a way to show their importance in school, the mural expresses something else. They help us show pride in our school, a desire to leave the school better than it was when we arrived. While most students see a “dirty ass hall-way,” as Dallas Braden called it, others see

a canvas waiting to be colored and given a beautiful design. It is tagging with respect, respect for the home we are forced to live in for four years of our lives. But as some ex-press their respect with a paint brush, others voice it in the choices they make.

As easy as it could be to pick a small learning community and never think of it again, the choices that students made have changed the look of the school. Based on course selection and surveys, classes are being removed and whole SLC’s

are being changed. Picking an SLC may not seem like a conscious choice of respect, but it is. It is about respecting the choices we have made and the education we will receive. The SLC we have chosen will be the one that we are in high school, the SLC that will lead us throughout our four years within these halls, and it is not a decision to be taken lightly. It is about respecting ourselves and our education and not just choosing something to choose something. And with this, we circle back to respecting ourselves. The Radical Reality assembly had some powerful messages: Don’t do drugs, think before acting and more importantly, respect yourself. How many times have we heard in some of these assemblies, I wish I wouldn’t have done that. Whether it’s drugs or sex, when we al-low ourselves to be objects for someone else we lose respect for ourselves and others lose respect for us. Not to sound preachy, but high school ends, boyfriends leave, and friends come and go, but the way we look at ourselves stays forever. Maybe that’s something to think about.

the Stagg LineAmos Alonzo Stagg High School

1621 Brookside Rd.Stockton, CA 95207

(209) 933-7445 ext. 8487The Stagg Line newspaper is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

Awards and recognitions include the following: X 16 consecutive NSPA All-American rankings X NSPA Hall of Fame, 2005 X NSPA National Pacemaker six times X NSPA First-Place Best of Show five times X JEA Impact Award, 2002

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

including California Journalist of the Year, National Story of the Year, and

National Photo of the Year.

The Stagg Line newspaper is published monthly and distributed free of charge to students and faculty.

Our newspaper is a long-standing open forum for free student expression. Student editors and reporters make content and style decisions with

the adviser offering guidance. Editorials reflect the view of the entire editorial board and therefore are unsigned. Opinion columns reflect the view of the writer. Readers are welcomed to write letters to the editor. We will make every effort to print any

letter as long as it is not libelous. Letters longer than 250 words may be edited. Unsigned letters will be

printed only in unusual circumstances, and only when we know who the writer is. Letters may be

brought to the newspaper room, A-8, or emailed to dbott@stockton.k12.ca.us

Chelsea ColluraEditor-in-Chief

Lissette RodriguezEditor-in-Chief

Don BottAdviser

Claire SchefferNews Editor

Mikeala AxtonOpinion Editor

Missy Rae MagdaleraFeatures EditorAlisya Mora

Entertainment EditorTaylor Hurles

Sports EditorMichelle Pheav

Graphics EditorErica Trevino

Photo Editor Xe Xiong

Web/Multimedia EditorKristin Acevedo

Copy Editor Jeremy Dela Cruz

Blog Editor

Annamarie Cunningham

Harmony Evangelisti

Faith Harris

Damon Heine

Nicole Lawrence

Jera Machuca

Gabriella Miller

Tiffany Pech

Annamarie Rodriguez

Reanna Rodriguez

Seyma Tap

Mia Torres

photo by Erica Trevino

Tears fill the eyes of a young child. Mom comes to the rescue and solves the problem by putting a bandage on the sore or simply giving the child a hug. 

However, not all situations are like that. Clearisa Martinez, senior, has been diagnosed with a terminal ill-ness since she has been born called spina bifida. “When I was born, my spine was outside my body,” Martinez said. This is something that neither her mother nor any doctor can fix. Martinez has gone through over 26 major surgeries from the time she has been born. And her doctor was almost sure that she would not

live past the age of 3. However, when she did live past 3 the doctor then told her mother that she would be dead by the time she was 6. She is still alive. Having had many surgeries, she has especially remembered a few of them. When she was 3 years old she had a tube placed in her head to drain the fluid from her brain. At 12 years old she had a surgery on her bladder to make it bigger. And one surgery that she will never forget is when she had titanium rods placed into her spine. “I had an allergic reaction to one of the medicines and I flatlined on the table,” she said.  Because of this she is nervous every time she goes into surgery that

something like that will happen again. Despite all the odds, she insists this illness does not hold her back from accomplishing the things she sets her mind to; it may take her some time, but she is deter-mined to pursue her goals. For example, when she was younger she played baseball. She under-stands what she has, but just be-cause it’s incurable doesn’t mean that she has to put a hold on her whole life. “I can do pretty much what everyone else does, just in a differ-ent way,” Martinez said. Although Martinez faces many struggles, she still feels thankful for every day that she has lived. “I get frustrated, and it makes me want to give up but I have to think that I’m lucky to have lived through all that,” Martinez said. Through all the obstacles of going into surgery, recovering from surgery, and having doctor appointments, Martinez is striv-ing to graduate from high school.

That goal requires her to have a mindset of “If I keep working I will get what I want,” she said. “I want my diploma and I want to go to college.” She also said that if she can do it then anyone can. If Martinez has a goal in mind that she is aspiring to reach, then so can I. She is determined and is definitely an example of following through on what you want in life. Through all the challenges she remains optimistic and she feels that to be successful in life she has to get an education.  With reaching this goal she knows that she can accomplish anything. “This is just getting set for life and I want to live life,” Martinez said. I understand facing down challenges in life, though they aren’t on the same level as Martinez’s. I am currently pursuing a position as a substance abuse peer educator, because I want to make a difference in kids’ lives, as well as my own. I want to make change in myself by knowing that I helped others understand the dangers of drug use because I’ve seen the destruction they can cause in my own family. They’ve caused difficulties in my mother’s life, and she has become a role model in my life, similar to the way Martinez has. I look to Marti-nez as an example of pushing through obstacles to achieve my goals, a lesson that everyone can learn.

Annamarie Rodriguez

in memory ofour fellow

staff member

Jera MachucaJera made her mark at Stagg in many ways — as a strong student, athlete, and member of many extra-curricular activities. Mostly, she was a friend who showed her peers (and adults) what it is to be strong and what it is to believe.She lost her battle to cancer Monday night. She will long be remembered.

Clearisa Martinez works on coloring a still-life project with chalk pastel in her art classroom.

Lessons in perseverance to be learned from senior with terminal illness

She under-stands what she has, but just because it’s in-curable doesn’t mean that she has to put a hold on her whole life.”

“

Imagine being in a classroom full of only girls or only boys. I know as high school

students, we couldn’t even begin to imagine it. Superintendent Carl Toliver is aiming to make two of the dis-trict’s elementary schools single gender. He is hoping for Night-ingale Elementary to become an all male school and for Monroe Elementary to be an all female school. Why such a drastic change? According to an editorial on recordnet.com, the main goal of this change is to increase at-tendance, boost test scores, and reduce disruptions. I do see the pros in such a sys-tem. I actually think it’s true that girls learn differently from boys in a variety of ways. For example, boys might better understand if a math teacher were to teach percentages using the analogy of football. Of course, they could do things like calculat-ing the percentage of completions in one game while some girls would be completely lost. Like-wise, most girls would have no problem figuring out how many chaine’ turns a ballet dancer did per minute, but quite a few boys would scratch their heads in amazement. A website I went to said that girls will be more likely to take math, science, and technology classes without the influence of boys. It also said that boys will be more likely to take up an interest in art, music, or drama courses.In the real world, girls will be working with boys, and boys will

have to learn to perform with girls. Letting students focus on studies is important, but this change is just a little bit too drastic. There are no doctors’ offices that contain only female doctors, nor are there movies where only men will act in them. Why get these kids used to the idea of being segregated? Why protect them from something and then throw them right back into it? Instead of trying to fix the problem, they’re trying too hard to get rid of it entirely. By sepa-rating males and females, they believe that it will end most of the problems in a single blow. This is most definitely not true. Things take time, especially with younger kids. Nobody should ex-pect to solve such a huge problem in such a short amount of time. Rather than “jumping the gun” and immediately thinking of the most extreme solution, I think some time needs to be taken to figure out the best solution.

3

Faith Harris

Staying meat-free in hostile territories

Art by Kristin Acevedo

Workshops aim to prevent violence before crisis point

Mikeala Axton

There’s something not quite right about him. There’s something strange, a little off. Loner. Goth. Loser. So you reject him. You laugh at and bully him.

And then you beg him for mercy when he holds a gun to your face. It’s not as if every case of bullying takes this dramatic turn, but the fact that any do is far too many. Cases of extreme bullying were dis-cussed at the recent Point Break sessions, mandatory for all freshmen. Columbine. Just one word. It’s so often seen as less of a school than a symbol. Of violence, of tragedy. The place of learning is overshad-owed by what we learned from it: ridicule kills, and innocent people can go down in the crossfire. I’m not here to rehash the events of April 20, 1999. I’m not here to explore the endless possibilities for two teenagers to kill 13, injure 24, and mar countless others with not-so visible wounds. Despite the bot-tomless claims at what the shooters’ motives were, bullying certainly played a part. And while Columbine may be among the most notori-ous, lesser known schools have also suffered the heavy blow bullying delivers. Bullying – it’s a wide net cast over any number of things. It’s verbal. It’s physical. It can mean exclusion, isolation, intimidation. It leaves scars, sometimes visible, but sometimes it’s a wound that cuts deep into the mind. Sixteen year old Luke Woodham of Mississippi killed two and wounded at least eight more in 1997 after continual bully-ing by classmates and a break up with his girlfriend. When asked why, his answer was simple. “I killed because people like me are mistreated every day. I did this to show society: Push us and we will push back.” How many scars did he have to show? What could have been done to prevent it? A simple, appealing answer lies in events like the Point Break workshop. But as enticing as it is to say so, it’s not necessarily the end-all that we would like to think of it as. In the end, moving a room of freshmen to tears isn’t all that hard, nor is it a promise of lasting change. The emotional upheaval and inevitable promises of making a difference and reaching out usually last about as long as it takes to wipe their tears away. It’s a short-lived thing, and, at running the risk of sounding cynical, doesn’t appear to leave a mark as ever-lasting as the bullying it aims to prevent.

It’s unfortunate to say, but I don’t really know what it would take to ensure a change in perspective. But as a collective society, with victims and victim-izers pooling around our knees, we need something, desperately. A step towards transcendence is a constant reminder: We are all hu-man. The kid you just spit at and called a faggot? Do you think he isn’t made out of the same flesh and bones as you? Do you think he can’t hurt, just as everyone else? And can you really be surprised if he one day lashes

out in a hostile way? A Time magazine blared the stark headline beneath the portraits of Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, “THE MON-STERS NEXT DOOR” it screamed. Monsters? Isn’t this the kind of labeling that led to such violence? But, no, go ahead and call them monsters. Maybe they were. But, like trying to fit into a clique at school, they were only fitting them-selves to the mold that bullying made for them. I do not claim what they did was justified. Their actions were ap-palling, to say the least, and full responsibility falls on them for their decisions. I do not have sympathy for the damage they’ve done. But I do have sympathy for victims, and so many of the people we label “monsters” were victims long before they had their faces splashed across magazine spreads. Bullying and comfort can come in the same form – simple words. It’s a minimal effort, to spit an insult at someone and wound them, or to reach out and give a compliment. Neither takes much energy, about the same effort it would take to pull a trigger and end a life, or set down a gun and walk way. It’s a hard thing to do, hard to reach out and connect with someone else. But as Point Break and similar workshops try to remind us, we can’t keep letting our words end in body counts.

District considers separating genders

Art by Mikeala Axton

Voices ofOpinion03.04.11 the Stagg Line

Annamarie Cunningham

Oh ewww, it’s a vegetarian. You better stay away from it.

No, I have never been treated with that much disrespect. But some-

times, that’s how it feels. Om-nivores all over seem to have an immediate reaction to vegetar-ians, and usually it’s not positive. I remember times when I have made fun of vegetarians. But then I turned the tables and became one myself.

Often when someone finds out I don’t eat meat, they respond with an “Oh, that won’t last long” or an equally rude “Do you think this was a happy cow?” while waving some beef product in my face. These remarks are accompanied with scoffs of disapproval and roll-ing of eyes.

Not comprehending why people make life choices different than your own is understandable. Making fun of these choices isn’t.

Studies show that vegetarians and people with greatly reduced meat diets are generally healthier than meat eaters. Typically those two groups are more physically fit and have lower chances of becoming overweight. If you trace back our ances-

tors, you will find that many of them were herbivores. Human teeth and intestines were origi-nally accustomed to chewing and digesting plants and had to adapt to the tough substances of cows or birds. Diseases such as cancer and osteoporosis have also been linked with the consumption of meat products. Depending on how it is prepared, meat can develop carcinogenic compounds, which can be directly related to cancer. There is also the fact that vegetables and fruits are simply cleaner than meat, because they

can’t carry the viruses or diseases meat can. Another of the diets that excludes meat is the

stricter veganism diet. While vegetarians don’t eat meat, vegan diets exclude meat and any kind of dairy products. This can mean things like eggs, cheese, milk, and even honey. Beyond just vegetar-ians and vegans, there are countless other varia-tions of the non-meat diet, all which take extreme willpower.

Vegetarians fight long, hard battles over their food. Sometimes verbal battles with friends, some-times cultural battles with family, and sometimes internal battles against their own meat cravings.

Many vegetarians who make the switch later in life find that their diet plan doesn’t please the people who prepare their meals. In certain cultures, many traditional dishes are meat based, making it hard for vegetarians to find satisfactory food source. Especially if the cook refuses to prepare specifically non-meat foods. Vegetarianism is a test of willpower. If one has grown up around meat, to make the deci-sion in a split second can be hard and even bad for your health. In vegetarianism, one has to consider things like making up for the lost protein of meat, and to maintain a balanced diet may need to take a supplement. It is something that takes thought on every aspect of their diet, even if many are as simple as “Can I live without eating bacon?”

My own thoughts on vegetarianism are not particularly deep. People have asked why I made the switch. I just say it’s one of those things: if I don’t give a crap, who will? No, I don’t mean that in an arrogant way, just in the way that every single person makes a difference.

Producing and packaging meat isn’t usually envi-ronmentally friendly (or animal friendly), so one less person who buys meat is helping the environment (and the animals will thank you, too). I’m not say-ing that everyone should be vegetarian, but maybe just think about what you’re eating before you eat it. If you are what you eat, well then, at least I can say that I’m not a pig.

Vegetarians

Graphic by Harmony Evangelisti

In my culture we eat a lot of meat-based meals,

so it was really a challenge .”

Josequeen LeeSENIOR

“famous

VegetariansVincent Van Gogh

Anne Hathaway

Meatloaf

Clint Eastwood

Ozzy Osbourne

Ellen DeGeneres

I was just inspired by the idea of it, showing respect

for life.”Adnan

HashtamSENIOR

“

Cesar Chavez

Russell Brand

Lisa Simpson Source: soystache.com

4 03.04.11Featuresthe Stagg Line

503.04.11

Traditionally, there’s been three paths for a graduating senior to take after earning his diploma: college, workforce, and military. The three routes have had their share of popularity, but now our economy is at a slow start up, which makes going into the work-force and college more competi-tive, and the less favorable route has become more promising.

The military is a way for stu-dents to secure their education and be guaranteed a job, but the requirements in the field have el-evated. Students wanting to enlist are required to have a physical, a high school diploma, and a clean record.

“They want to know every-thing,” petty officer Lino Arcos, Stagg’s designated Navy recruiter, said. The military screens all given information to en-sure that incom-ing recruits are clean and healthy.

Senior Ryan Mendez, who is interested in the Marines, is healthy and very capable of doing the physical train-ing that’s required, but unfortunately for him, after one month of PT, he found out in December that he has scoliosis.

“It’s kind of heart breaking,” Mendez said. Despite having an illness, Mendez continues to be optimistic about his chances in the military. “If I can get past that, I can conquer any type of chal-lenge life throws at me,” he said. Being surrounded by a family that has served the military has greatly influenced his decision.

Senior Richard Estepp, on the other hand, is lacking support from some of the closest people in his life. Estepp and his twin broth-er don’t talk to each other as much anymore because of his decision. He’s “losing some people” because of his choice, but there’s also “a lot of people respecting (him) more.”

At times like these, Estepp has

“wanted to quit” but he “can’t let one person stop (him).”

In making their decisions, both Estepp and Mendez agree that education plays a major role for them. “I learn about different jobs,” Mendez said. “(This has) made me more aware of the types of careers I can have.”

Mendez and Estepp are not the only ones using the military as an educational opportunity. Seniors Berlin Hunziker and Annalisia Sarraraz are also hoping to pursue a career in the military. The se-niors all said that going enlisting doesn’t necessarily mean that they are losing the opportunity to have the “college experience.”

This is possible because of ben-efits such as the Post 9-11 Gov-ernment Issue Bill. According to www.military.com, the GI Bill will now pay for all public school

in-state tuition and fees starting August this year.

“It’s the same thing as being in college,” Arcos said. On the ship, while he was still on duty, he said there are classes offered where sol-diers can earn col-lege credits and receive their su-pervisors’ support.

If soldiers have class to attend, su-pervisors “give you that time off.”

Arcos said that he preferred go-ing into the military because he knows friends who have gotten their college degrees yet “they’ve only been to two states” while he has been all around the world.

This traveling aspect is what Hunziker and Sarraraz hope to get when they join the Air Force. Al-though the two have not taken the Armed Services Vocational Apti-tude Battery test or enlisted yet, they have been physically prepar-ing themselves.

Despite being a female, Sarra-raz said that joining the military and being in danger is “a risk (she’s) willing to take.” Hunziker agrees with Sarraraz on this point. She said, “I like the toughness, the challenge.”

Military offers students higher educationXe Xiong

A conscientious objector, a first-hand witness to war, and two for-mer members of the military, one drafted and one by choice. Four different lives and four unique perspectives. But what connects the four is their position in life as educators, role models to their stu-dents. So as the economy struggles and students weigh their options for the future, how do these educa-tors feel about the teens they teach considering a place in the military?

“I think (the military) is a wonderful choice,” health teacher John Hittle said. “It’s a choice that I made and it’s made me who I am today.” Hittle received train-ing from the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program while attending the University of San Francisco. He later served several different roles in the service, as a combat arms officer and a com-puter simulations officer.

After finishing active duty in 1998, he made a smooth transi-tion into teaching. “There’s a lot of similarities,” he said. “Soldiers are much like students. They need guidance, structure, objectives.”

Math teacher Tuan Ton would agree on this point. “Kids nowa-days lack discipline, we need to get that back.” Having lived in Vietnam, Ton quite literally “grew up with war.” During the Viet-nam War, having shells acciden-

tally dropped on his high school grounds was commonplace. Stu-dents were killed and it wasn’t given a second thought. “We just went about our business,” he said.

Growing up, Ton always har-bored the ambition of being an officer on the combat line. And while Ton never got his chance (“1975 and the war was over, and I was like – damn!” he laughs), he supports the idea of two years mandatory service for all Ameri-can teens after high school, for the lessons in responsibility and disci-pline he feels it would bring.

Ton acknowledges the possibil-ity of injury or death as a risk with this career choice. “Everybody has to die eventually,” Ton said. “You give your life to protect other peo-ple. You die a noble death.”

The military also played a sig-nificant role in the life of science teacher Tzippy Severson due to her country of birth. Service in the military is mandatory for men as well as women in Israel, with some exceptions, plus “we had to (have mandatory service) to survive,” because it is such a small country. Although Severson initially began as a translating coach for the mili-tary, she was among the first five women in 1982 to see the front line as she entered 40 days of com-bat. Her experience in the military “gave me a lot of appreciation for life,” Severson said. “It made me much stronger – a survivor.”

Severson also supports required service. “Make them give some-thing to their country instead of expecting to get from their coun-try,” she said.

History teacher Stewart Jacoby has a different view of the mili-tary. “The goal of education is to get people to question and take responsibility for their actions,” Jacoby said. “We want students to consider the moral implications of their actions.” He feels that the military contradicts this aim, teaching compliance over careful consideration.

Jacoby was a member of the Peace Corps working in Africa during the Vietnam War before he was forced to quit in order to return to the United States and fight the draft board over his con-scientious objector status. “I came to the decision as a young person that there is no justification for a Christian to be killing.”

And while he doesn’t see going into the military as a career “that leads to productive involvement in society,” he knows he “(has) to support the kids … Students get to pick their own lives and direc-tion. One can certainly go into the military and do good things.”

But there’s always the possibil-ity that when his pupils walk away from him with diploma in hand, they won’t ever come back. “I don’t want students I care about to kill or be killed,” he said.

Mikeala Axton

The radio was blaring with a commander yelling for the troops to take cover. Their third convoy had been hit, and now they were be-ing attacked by Afghan troops send-ing thousands of bullets their way. The mission that was supposed to be a “simple drive” to another area turned into a moment where many thought they would die.

While hiding in a prone posi-tion, former Stagg student Antony Ramos thought for sure he was dead. However, when he opened his eyes and made his way to the other trucks, he knew he wasn’t dead yet. Before he made it to the convoy he fell over his own feet, stumbling over nothing but dirt and sand. At that moment a “brother” from his troop yelled out, “Ramos has been hit, he’s been hit!” signaling for a medic to address the wound. Months later the scars remain.

Although his scars represent the battles of war, Ramos cherish-es every bittersweet aspect of the military. Having been shot twice, he wonders how many people can do what he has done. “How many people can jump out of airplanes with full combat equipment on or how many people can break down and spot everything wrong with any kind of gun?”

These experiences came because Ramos realized he was determined to prove people wrong. As a young boy Ramos never thought he’d go anywhere out of Stockton. “I was always told if you were born in Stockton you’re going to die in

Stockton as well,” Ramos said. After high school he knew it was time to get out and see the world, which was possible by joining the United States Army. He’s been able to travel to different states and countries such as Germany and Afghanistan. “It’s a whole different world. There are a lot of different things out here that the public eye doesn’t see.”

But the public eye has never seen the horror of war like Ramos has. “There was a rocket attack on the base and a couple people died,” Ramos said. He can’t get used to death, but he knows it’s a reality of war. Sometimes Ramos has to do things that he never wants to do, including “kill the enemy.”

Ramos has had to forget about everything that he doesn’t want to do because as a soldier, it is his job. “If you love your job that much you basically disregard everything negative with it because it’s not al-ways true that you’re going to go to war, get shot, or die.” But even the benefits of the military can’t restore what he has lost.

Traveling around the world and the government pay are like Band-Aids to heal the wounds of war. But unfortunately for him, not ev-erything can be healed. This is the second time that he has been de-ployed to Afghanistan. He has his “brothers” and “sisters” of combat there to keep him company, but it’s not the same as being with his actual siblings.

“I haven’t been home for two years straight.” His family hasn’t been able to see him other than through Internet sites and have only talked to him over the tele-phone. “My baby sister doesn’t even know me and when I come home she’s going to look at me like a stranger,” Ramos said. His younger brother only remembers him through the numerous phone calls and the stories that their old-er sister has been able to share.

Although he made the deci-sion to battle for America, he did exactly what he promised –prove people wrong. Ramos has served a term of four years earning a rank one below a cor-poral. As a specialist dealing with small arms and artillery, Ramos goes to extreme lengths repairing and taking apart weapons of all kinds. “I love being around guns even before I joined the military and I love doing it now,” he said. Though Ramos received a high score on the military assessment which opened up nearly every job in the Army, he stuck to what he knows best. Ramos has recently signed to serve another term in hopes of earning a higher rank.

Chelsea Collura

For some, joining the military is an attractive option. Some join for their education. Oth-ers join for their country. Still, people disagree and often criticize the military and its practices. But whether or not people oppose it, the military is an essential (and controver-sial) part of one’s nation. As jobs become scarce, society weighs the benefits and sac-rifices involved in enlisting. This decision faced by many changes their lives forever. infographic by Michelle Pheav

information provided by Chelsea Collura

Teen deals with absence of enlisted loved one

For some, the most important decision in life is to continue their education. At the age of 17 or 18, with diploma in hand, some students feel that they have all the life tools they will ever need, determined to establish their ideal future. However, when consider-ing joining the military, one must face leaving behind their loved ones for their country.

Paul Alejo, Stagg graduate, faced that reality.Paul left high school with a decent grade-point

average, which could have allowed him to attend a four-year university. Continuing his education was the least of his interests; leaving family behind was his biggest worry. Paul went into the Marines a few months after graduation, leaving his younger brother behind. “He used to take me to school my freshman year,” senior Julian Alejo said. Unfortunately, that came to an end when Julian had to look for someone else to depend on. “As soon as he went to boot camp, I had to get rides from my aunt.”

However, Julian wasn’t the only one depending on someone else. Paul decided to join the military based on the experiences of a friend. “He ended up going first,” Paul said. “He told me about what (the military) did for him. I wanted that.” Paul decided he wanted a change, and enlisted, accomplishing what he wanted. He now works at the Camp Pendleton in San Diego and plans to reenlist to become a recruiter.

But Paul faced the concerns of his family and was unsure how to tell his father.

“It took me a week to decide how to tell him.” Their father expected his children to be focused on getting an education, but when he got the news he didn’t discourage Paul’s decision. Neither of the sons understood why their own father chose to enlist in the Air Force after he turned 17.

Both Paul and his father found it boring to just stay in the same place. Leaving his family to be on his

own caused him to experience an emotional strain he was not familiar with. “At first (leaving) was hard,” Paul said. “You lose time with family, which most people take for granted: going to church, barbeques; I miss that.”

During boot camp, Paul started to see that the choice he made was becoming more of a job. “There is some stuff you have to put yourself through,” he said. “Some of these things you don’t want to do.” Though Paul has gone through rough experienc-es, Julian respects his brother’s decision, and at one point considered joining as well.

“I thought about it,” Julian said, “but then I got accepted to Fresno.” He has decided to take the route that no one in the family has, becoming a first gen-eration college student.

Senior Julian Alejo and his older brother Paul enjoy family time days before Paul leaves for duty again.

Health teacher John Hittle pos-es with going away presents he received from soldiers he commanded over the years.

photo by Tiffany Pech

Alisya Mora

The U.S. Army is the oldest and largest branch out of the five military branches. The Continental Army, which was formed before the signing of the Declaration of Indepen-dence, was the basis for the U.S. Army. They not only focus on land-based operations but work closely with the other branches on duties that involve Air Defense Artillery, Infan-try, Aviation, Signal Corps, Corps of Engineers, and Armor. They have seven core values known as loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage that all recruits must embody.

Military made up of five branches

(From top to bottom) Soldier Antony Ramos

tests one of the many guns he

repairs dur-ing his time in

Afghanistan. Ramos (far left)

is constantly under pressure to perform, fix

equipment and practice combat

runs while on deployment.

photos courtesy of

Antony Ramos

This branch of the military was originally founded by George Washington to help the United States gain independence from the British. After gaining independence, the branch was cut because it wasn’t thought to be important. When pirate invasions began to take place in 1794, the United States saw that the Navy was in fact needed. The Navy and the Marine Corps work together due to the fact that both take part in missions and operations that involve the sea.

The U.S. Air Force is the youngest military branch of the five. The Air Force started out as a subdivision of the U.S. Army, but after much success in World War II the govern-ment decided to make it a single branch. The Air Force focuses mostly on technology. As technology in the world gets stronger and more powerful, the Air Force grows as well. The United States is considered to have the largest Air Force branch in the world and the technology of the United States is more advanced than other nations.

The U.S. Marine Corps is the smallest of the five military branches. They only receive 6% of funding from the United States, yet they are usually the first ones on the scene in times of crisis. It’s reported that the Marines have had a role in almost all major conflicts in history. The Marines were first founded to act as security on naval vessels by taking part in both offensive and defensive combat. It was their job to protect the crew from mutiny.

While the U.S. Navy focuses more on international affairs, the U.S. Coast Guard is known for operating domestically. They have duties in national security, maritime law enforce-ment, search and rescue, marine environmental protection, and the maintenance of riv-er intra-coastal and offshore aids to navigation. The idea to establish this branch came from men in 1798 that were sent out to sea to collect taxes from a brand new nation of patriot smugglers. This fleet was told to control piracy and save any civilians who were in need of assistance.

Coast Guard

Air Force

Marines

Navy

ArmyEst.1775

art by Tiffany Pech

Est.1775

Est.1775

Est.1920

Est.1915

info compiled by Reanna Rodriguezsource: Todaysmilitary.com and others

photo courtesy of Julian Alejo

• You must be 17 years old with parent signatures to be able to enlist into any military branch.

• You must have a minimum score on the ASVAB (see below) in order to enlist in a military branch.

Army: 31 Navy: 35 Air Force: 36 Marines: 32 Coast Guard: 40

• You cannot join the military if you have a serious medical condition such as flat feet or scoliosis.

• Women cannot work in infantry or on the front lines of combat.

• Military enlistment requires a high school diploma; GED applicants have slimmer chances.

• Individuals with tattoos may be disqualified from enlisting under certain circumstances.

• In order to qualify, you must meet the demands of the physical exams.

When the original series was canceled in 1989, several people wanted the Doctor to be brought back to television. The only venture that made it to TV was a movie made in 1996 for American TV. Al-though it kept the mold of having a British actor playing the title role, it suffers incredibly from sub-par dialogue, and a script full of plot holes. Paul McGann, who plays the Doctor, is made for the role of the eccentric Time Lord. But his American supporting cast fails to support him with their mediocre performances. Eric Roberts is badly miscast as his arch-nemesis, the Master. In the original series the Master was portrayed as a sinister character, but Roberts hams it up, making him campy more than anything especially in the final battle of the film. McGann’s predecessor Sylvester McCoy is also given an improper sendoff. Other Doctors usually died saving the world, but McCoy’s Doctor is unceremoniously shot in a gang shootout. This would be McGann’s only appearance as the Doctor. The movie was meant to be a backdoor pilot to a new series, but due to disappointing ratings in the United States the series was dropped from production. McGann’s Doctor would never get a series of his, which I regard as the worst ef-fect of the TV movie.

Original ‘Office’ depicts dry humor

Good: Raw comedy leaves viewers gasp-ing for air.Bad: Carries a predict-able story line.Rating: 4/5

How far will a person go to keep up an image? The romantic comedy “Just Go with It” makes an effort to express, and exagger-ate, the answer to this question. Adam Sandler stars as a plastic surgeon who ditches the nerdy pushover role for the true wom-anizer, with a false wedding band as the source of his power. Night after night, his pitiful tales of a violent, pill popping wife back at home give him countless opportunities for “real loving.” But when he crosses paths with a young school teach-er, played by model turned actress Brooklyn Decker, whose career shift should only be temporary, he realizes he actually wants this woman’s heart. Somehow, he and his assistant, played by Jennifer Aniston, find themselves vacationing in Hawaii with her two children (Bailee

Madison and Griffin Gluck) and “fiancé” (Nick Swardson), but it’s hardly a vacation as they all hang themselves trying to keep up with each others’ lies. “Just Go With It” combines a diva druggie, a British child, and a New Zealand sheep salesman. It’s such an odd mesh of char-acters, but this aspect definitely makes it worth seeing. Every actor does the job; they have me holding my sides throughout the entire film – with a few ahhhhh moments, too. However, Decker’s character throws me a curve ball. Her char-acter is an utterly contradicting mesh of terrible that leaves me dissatisfied. She’s Sandler’s dream girl - honest, intelligent, independent, but most importantly, a total babe. But this intelligent young woman really couldn’t tell that two members of the “family” were speaking in phony foreign ac-

cents? This discrepancy made her character hard to believe. Even though she’s not the star, she is the key reason why everyone is in the mess, so writers shouldn’t have screwed up the character so bad – or is this a part of the comedy? The least the fashion model can do is bring in a little sex appeal, and she does this by strutting through the Hawaiian Islands in her toned body and tiny bikini. No doubt, Decker is great to look at, but her performance in “Just Go With It” makes me hope that I’ll only have to see her on the cover of Sports Illustrated as opposed to the big screen once more. But if anything, Swardson, who plays the Sandler’s wingman, pulls this movie out of the pits. As Sandler and Aniston bring in the romance, Swardson does this film good by adding quirky and

nerdy to the mess and is a major reason why this film works as a comedy. Overall, the film is trying to send a message: no need to lie. The plot turned out to be predict-able, but the humor keeps the film afloat. Mishap after hilarious mishap makes a viewer forget about all the questions; I found myself too busy gasping for air that I couldn’t comment until I walked out of the theater.

Kristin Acevedo

Entertainment6 03.04.11

the Stagg Line

The plot turned out to be predictable, but the humor keeps the film afloat.”

“Strung along to ‘just go with it’

New comedy’s humor distracts audience away from predictable plot

Damon Heine

Foreign television has recently paved its way into mainstream American pop cul-ture. Though some adaptations of British programs haven’t been as successful as the originals, others have been able to breach the broadcasting borders of the Atlantic.

No stranger to eccentric acting, plot

Carell’s staff brings effective comedy

The longest running Sci-Fi show in history has garnered a cult fol-lowing stateside. Centered on a 900 year old alien called the Doctor, “Doctor Who” showcases the adventures of the title character and his various companions as they travel through time and space battling multiple threats to the safety of the Universe. Portrayed by 11 actors, all of them British, over a span of 47 years, it has become a Brit-ish institution, while maintaining a small but loyal following in the United States. When an actor leaves the role of the main character, the Doctor has the ability to regenerate himself when fatally wounded and become a new man or actor in real life. The classic series lasted from 1963-1989, and was noted for its well written storylines that made up for its primitive special effects. When it came back in 2005, it retained its good storylines and developed modern effects to add to the viewer’s experience. The current Doctor Matt Smith, much different than his other incarnations, inherited the role from predecessor David Tennant in 2010. He can be sporadic, humorous, and serious all in the same time. Sometimes his eccentric behavior can be confusing, but there are redeeming qualities in his stories that fit his Doctor. At 47 years and counting, “Doctor Who” has no sign of stopping anytime soon.

Broadcast on NBC, “The Office,” revolves around the Dunder-Mif-flin Paper Company and its staff led by Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell. Perhaps the most successful adaption of a British TV show, “The Office” has won multiple awards and met much critical acclaim. First broadcast in 2005, it heralded the comedy department at NBC, which has become a staple in the prime time slot of the network, and produced such well acclaimed shows like “30 Rock” and “Parks and Recreation.” Running the show without a laugh track is another improvement that the British version might have needed with their obscure humor. Carell is another benefit as his character is the shows main attraction. Despite this, the show still has a well rounded cast of supporting characters. His staff also treats him with a sense of awk-wardness that was evident with Gervais character. With Carell leaving the role before the most recent season ends, it will definitely be a tough chore to replace him. Even with fellow comedian Will Ferrall taking over temporarily for the duration of the season, it will be difficult to find another Michael Scott.

The original “Office” aired in 2001 on BBC Two. Developed by comedian Ricky Gervais, this comedy revolves around the Wernham-Hogg Paper Company staff. Gervais has been in the spotlight recently for dissing celebrities at award shows and being a fairly well known British comedian in the States. But he was fairly unknown in the United States at the time of “The Office.” Gervais played the boss, David Brent, in its brief run. The show specialized in the dry humor department that Monty Python introduced to many Americans. Shows were shot as mockumentary (fake documentary) and played without a laugh track unlike many comedies up to that point. An unfortunate side effect of this is that the humor can fly over most Americans heads as it did mine. I found myself only chuckling once or twice at the mo-ments that were supposed to be funny. This humor mainly comes from Gervais, who is seen as a strange character even by his own staff. Per-haps it’s Gervais’s own sense of humor and heavy accent that appeals to British audiences but leaves Americans in the dust. The only benefit for America was provide us with a well known, hilarious comedy series.

art by Tiffany Pech, Michelle Pheav, and Seyma Tap

Doctor crashes in bad American movie

One of the most recent adaptations of a British TV show has also been one of the most talked about shows of the year. And not for good reasons. “Skins” was already known for being explicit and raunchy in the U. K. when broadcasted on the British channel E4. Its popularity enabled it to win a British Academy Film and Television Award and currently a movie is in the works. When an American adaption aired on the Music Television Network it outraged many parents despite the fact that it is rated TV-MA for mature audiences only. It also met back-lash from the fans of the British show who said that the stories were petty duplicates of the original. In fact, the British show is more edgy and complex than its American counterpart, and if it were broadcast in America I would definitely be one of its viewers. The problem with the American version is that it tries too hard to be controversial. The American series has potential if the characters are allowed to develop into their own personality. A safe bet is to stick with the original, because of its pure inventiveness. But don’t think that you will see anything tame on either version.

As a child watches from the stands, he sees his older sister as she runs and passes off the baton. He sees her arms pumping, her legs jolting, and he can almost hear the heaviness in every breath she takes. He had never thought about joining track and field before, but he always had a passion for running. As he continues to watch his sister run, it sparks an interest in track and field. Starting from middle school Treyvon Manning, junior, has been a part of track and field because of his sister’s influence. “She made track look like the best thing in the world,” he said. However, when it comes down to track meets, that’s when he has to prepare himself mentally with-out the helping hand of his sister. Even though his family is not helping him on the track they are still in the stands supporting him. “My family is supportive; they come to all my track meets,” Manning said. A sport such as track and field requires a person to have mental strength to get through the races and field events. “You have to have confidence,” he said. “If you doubt yourself you will lose.”  In order to become confident at any sport it takes practice. On a daily basis Manning’s practice starts in the weight room, followed by running on the track to warm up and progressing to running over hurdles. 

The height of a person contributes greatly to com-peting in a hurdles race. With being 6 feet tall and the hurdles being 36 inches high, Manning does well with running over the hurdles. But it takes much more than just being tall to succeed. “It’s all about form, it takes technique,” Manning said. “There is a difference between running a hurdle and jumping a hurdle.” Although he is good at running over hurdles his favorite event to do at the track meets are the relay races. “It’s a team sport but an individual sport,” Manning said. “It takes cooperation, you have to be on the same basis as your partner when you hand off the baton.” Manning is not only good at relay races and run-ning hurdles. He also excels in the 400s. His best time for this was 52 seconds flat. When he is running the 400s he thinks of nothing but getting to the fin-ish line. “My mind goes blank and I tell myself to go all out.”   He finds it interesting that people say this sport is difficult because it involves a lot of running, but he understands why they are saying this. “When most people think of track, they think of cross country,” Manning said. “The difference is it’s not continuous running.” Although their warm ups are the same, there is a difference between junior varsity and varsity teams. Junior varsity has 33 inch hurdles and varsity has 36 inch. “The smaller ones are easier to run, and the varsity is more difficult,” Manning said. Practices for varsity runners can also sometimes be more intense.  This sport does something for Manning that no other sport allows. This sport allows him to “feel free when (he) runs.” But most of all what he takes away from track and field is that it’s something that he can control. “You run your race.”

Sports 703.04.11

the Stagg Line

Junior joins track and field and succeeds in multiple events

The junior varsity softball team doesn’t need coffee or energy boosters to stay awake and active on the field; the motivation is al-ready stirring from within. “We have a lot of heart for the game,” freshman Samantha Brandt said. Most of the eagerness and enthusiasm began during try-outs. This year the number of fresh-men that tried out was more than sophomores, juniors, and seniors combined. “We all love softball,” Brandt said. “We’re all friends and enjoy being out there.” Some of the players knew that they were going to make the cut while others were not so confident.“I didn’t think I had a chance because I was a beginner,” freshman Shyann Vasquez said. “But when I went out there I fell in love with the game and kept go-ing.” Vasquez admits that when she

found out she made the cut she cried tears of joy. “I cried; I was so happy,” Vasquez said. “It made me want to try my best and play even harder.” The other teammates are feel-ing the same energy and it is af-fecting all of the players. Some of the players said that their goal this year is to improve on skills, to have fun, and to win some games. Stepping onto the new field gives the players a feel of pride and ex-citement as well. “The new field gives us energy and a new attitude,” sophomore Gabriela Gomez said. Some of the freshmen have never even played on a field, and that could be one of the reasons why they are so alive. There are only three sophomores on JV, the rest are freshmen. “Everyone is motivated and our coach pushes us all,” Gomez said. “I think we are going to keep this energy throughout the whole sea-son.”

JV softball team brings new attitude

Nicole Lawrence

photo by Harmony Evangelisti

Annamarie Rodriguez

Treyvon Manning, junior, prepares for the track season by practicing leg positions and forms while jumping hurdles (top). He starts training in the weight room doing leg strengthening exercises (left), and then moves on to sprints and relays (far left).

photos by Erica Trevino

Sophomore Jeanne Miller, goes through the pitching wind-up dur-ing practice out on the softball field.

Mastering form and technique

Freestyle involves scooping water, alternately, with the left and right arms while the legs kick horizontally up and down. This stroke is generally the easiest stroke.

Butterfly is a double arm motion out of the water, where arms reenter the water, making a keyhole pushing the water down while the legs go up and down. The technique of this stroke is the most difficult and is the most physically demanding.

Breaststroke is a double arm motion, where the arms come together and scoop out and back through the water. The legs move up, out, and together, like in a frog kick. The hardest technique in this stroke is coordinating the leg motions with the arms.

graphic by Mia Torres and Taylor Hurlesinformation compiled by Taylor Hurles

THE FOUR STROKES IN SWIMMING ARE MORE DIFFICULT THAN THEY APPEAR. THEY REQUIRE BODY RHYTHM, ENDURANCE, MUSCLE STRENGTH, AND DETERMINATION. IF PERFORMED CORRECTLY, THEY PROPEL THE SWIMMER FASTER THROUGH THE WATER.

Backstroke is the only stroke in which the arms move in a backwards motion, while the legs move up and down in the water . This stroke is very easy to do but people have a hard time learning to lay com-pletely on their backs while swimming.

Sophomore De Andre Isaac recently posted a semi-nude photo of himself on the social network-ing site MySpace and wasn’t surprised to see that he had a couple of comments from friends. To him, it is just a picture. In his freshman year, however, Isaac was shocked with the response he received when he first sent such a picture through a text to a girl. He even told the girl to forward the picture to her friends. Around school, he quickly became known for the inappropriate nickname based on the content of these pictures. Isaac says he finds nothing wrong with sexting or with anybody seeing these provoca-tive photos. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, the official defini-tion of sexting is when a person takes a nude or semi-nude photo of him or herself and sends it to others through their cell phone or other texting device. Sexting can also include the sending of suggestive text messages between two people. The problem is, sexting does not often stay between two people. A sophomore girl said that a nude picture of her was being circulated around school within the last month even though she said she did not send this picture to anybody. She said her friend found it on her phone and forwarded it to everybody in her contacts list. Some people told her that the picture being circulated did not change the perception they had of her, yet the sophomore girl had more worries than that. “The picture shouldn’t have been taken in the first place,” she said. “But it will probably make its way to other places. And that does matter.” A sophomore boy went through a similar situ-ation more than a year ago. He sent a semi-nude photo to his then girlfriend, thinking it would stay between the two of them. He was surpriesed when he found out others had the photo as well. “I fig-ured nobody would find out,” he said. “You feel like you have a secret that no one else does.” He later found out that the photo had ruined the relation-ship. Some older students say sexting is not as preva-lent as it was two to three years ago. Senior DeVan-té Harris says that sexting has lost some of its allure in the last year. “It was a fad,” he said. “A horrible one, but it’s not as new.” He says that many people who once sexted most likely have learned not to do it anymore, which is why he has seen a decrease in the amount of semi-nude and nude pictures being circulated around campus. “I wouldn’t put sexting in the top five things to care about,” he said. However, according to a National Campaign survey, one out of every five teenagers has been in-volved in sexting, particularly in sending photos. An estimated 11 percent of 13-16 year old girls have sent racy photos of themselves. And according to an MSNBC article, 14 percent of semi-nude or nude photos have been shared or forwarded with more than just the person intended. A sophomore boy says that sexting has not lost its importance, and technology won’t allow it to

go away. “Anything can pop up on the Internet and stay there. Anybody can save pictures on their phone. It will never go away. It can pop out of the nowhere.” This has been the case for some past stu-dents. For one former Stagg student, his senior year came to an early end. According to News10.net, just last year in early March, then 18 year old Aus-tin Butler was arrested when he sent a nude picture to his younger girlfriend. Someone other than his girlfriend saw the photo and the incident was re-ported to the police. He was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for exhibiting harmful mate-rial to a minor. Michelle Horn, a marriage and family therapy trainee in the Healthy Start office, says that sexting can sometimes lead to other issues. “There is a lot of room for misinterpretation among boys and girls,” she said.

While some people view sexting as just another form of flirtation, others can see it as a form of deg-radation, she said. A person’s view on sexting can also be an indication of their view on other aspects of dating. As a result people’s views can be skewed once that suggestive message or photo has reached the receiver. “The signal gets lost among the mes-sages,” she said. Some students are drawn to the thrill and in-creased attention they could recieve from sexting with another person. “Everybody wants to be loved, everybody wants to be attractive,” Horn said. “But with sexting, without your permission, things can go other ways.” Kenton Quilenderino, sophomore, admits he has received provocative pictures from girls, and sometimes has received pictures that have circulated from phone to phone on campus. But he does not find this attractive. “I think it’s sleazy and nasty.”

When one thinks of Stockton, brick buildings don’t usually come to mind. Neither do lush lawns, vibrant gardens, or pine trees. But in one quiet cor-ner of the Port City, one can find an educated en-clave that resides in such an environment. Rated the fifth most beautiful campus by the Penn Group, the University of the Pacific is a West Coast estab-lishment with an East Coast atmosphere, making it a popular choice among prospective college-bound students not only for its appearance but also for its eclectic courses. “They have my major, which is en-gineering management,” Ashley Omstead, senior, said. “And most universities don’t offer that.” Omstead is one of many local seniors who have applied to Pacific and who are now anxiously await-ing for admission decisions. Through its “Beyond Our Gates…Into Our Community” initiative, Pa-cific is striving to open its doors to more Stockton high school graduates. One of the many measures being backed by the university is “Pathway to Pa-cific,” the newest Small Learning Community to be formed in the 2011-2012 school year. “ P a c i f i c wants to have more of a con-nection with S t o c k t o n , ” AVID coordi-nator Kyle Dei Rossi said. The objective of Pathway to Pa-cific is simple: to prepare stu-dents for col-lege. “The idea is that they’ll have met A-G requirements and have com-pleted rigorous coursework.” Dei Rossi notes that all current and incoming AVID students will be in Pathway to Pacific. Along with Principal Bill Parks and SLC coor-dinator Elizabeth Lewis, Marcus Sherman, biol-ogy teacher, has been hard at work developing this SLC to emphasize the strengths of high performing students. “Anyone can be in (Pathway to Pacific),” Sherman said. “But it self-selects out.” Since stu-dents will be obligated to take demanding classes like AP Chemistry and Calculus in this SLC, low grades will oblige individuals to opt out of Pathway to Pacific. Sherman says that Pathway to Pacific is “going to be giving classes, skill sets, and tutoring” to stu-dents in preparation for college. After Freshman Academy, sophomores, juniors, and seniors will be able to select from the restructured selection of SLCs: Sports, Health, and Medicine, Multimedia, Arts, and Entertainment, Pathway to Pacific, and Career and Technical Education. From these SLCs, students will decide to be a part of several pathways like journalism, automotive, or pre-pharmacy and dental. The latter, which is a part of Pathway to Pa-cific, is an ongoing project pioneered by Sherman to be a series of clinics and job shadowing for stu-dents interested in these medical fields. The name “Pathway to Pacific,” however, can be misleading since Dei Rossi says that the university doesn’t want to limit students to their college alone. “Pacific isn’t trying to be exclusive,” Dei Rossi said. “They want all kids to just go to college, making sure they are prepared and able to go on the next level.” The SLC’s final name is therefore still being discussed. Recognizing that Pathway to Pacific has yet to be perfected, Parks is optimistic about its future. “We’re moving slow to be strategic and we’re mov-ing slow to get it right.”

News8 03.04.11

the Stagg Line

Lissette Rodriguez

SLC prepares students for

collegeJeremy Dela Cruz

Senior Patrick Woodbury climbs up a ladder one Wednesday evening to paint strokes of color on the walls of a hallway. He isn’t just splashing on random shades of paint; he’s coating the dull walls with life. The Société Honoraire de Français is painting a mu-ral of one of the most famous monuments in Paris, the Arc de Triomphe, over the doors of the east hall-way. “It brings some personality into our school in-stead of graffiti,” he said. Freshman Academy and AVID Club have paint-ed murals in the past, with AVID having a symbolic meaning about the importance of overcoming ob-stacles while the Freshman Academy mural brought attention to the new SLC. SHF also wanted to brighten the hallways but with French culture in-stead. Erica Dei Rossi, former AVID teacher, coor-dinated the mural for AVID club for the class of 2010. “(The students) wanted to leave a legacy be-hind and promote school spirit through art,” she said. Debbie Berg, French teacher, saw AVID’s mu-ral and thought “it was a cool idea. We wanted to make a gateway … French can be the gateway to the future.” Although the murals brighten up Stagg’s hall-

ways, most students who pass by these artistic cre-ations don’t know how involved the process of be-ing able to paint can be.

According to principal Bill Parks, not only does a club have to submit a design and have it ap-proved, but the painter’s union must also approve of the mural being painted. This can be frustrating since the process of getting approval can take about a month, which is how long SHF had to wait. Once the request was accepted, students from SHF stayed for a few hours after school and con-tributed to the painting process. The paint was generously provided by art teach-er Robert Aldrich. The process of painting was challenging, with SHF having to balance both the mural and their preparation for Mardi Gras, which involves recreating their own version of the “Hunchback of Notre Dame” musical. Josequeen Lee, senior, feels pleased about paint-ing the mural but is discouraged that students in SHF can’t have anything of their own on it, such as names. Parks is also excited about SHF’s contribution to the school. What he loves most about the idea of murals is how they are student driven. “When you walk down the hall and see murals, it makes it more culturally rich,” he said. Parks hopes to have the entire hallway covered in art by students in the future. The idea of hav-ing more clubs paint murals would “build school pride.”Parks said, “I expect someone to come to me with a crazy idea – we’re going to make it work.”

Michelle Pheav

They want all kids to just go to college, making sure they are pre-pared and able to go on to the next level.”

Kyle Dei RossiAVID

COORDINATOR

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Senior Patrick Woodbury paints the Arc de Triomphe as a mural for Société Honoraire de Français.

photo by Erica Trevino

Intent of texts lost in transmission among teens

Graphic by Tiffany Pech

Sending wrong messages

Headline Graphic by Seyma Tap and Harmony Evangelisti

photo courtesy of Sabrina Serrano

Congratulations to the varsity cheerleading

squad for taking fifth place at the

Las Vegas Nationals.