A WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL PUBLICATION

FACTS ABOUT YOUR BLOOD & STOP THE BULLYING PAGE 5

BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER PAGE 5

SUMMER FUN SECTION PAGE 6

CLASS OF 2010 & 2009 SECTIONS PAGE 7 & 8

CLASS OF 2008 & 2007 SECTIONS PAGE 9 & 10

ENTERTAINMENT SECTION PAGE 11

STUDENT LIFESTYLE SECTION PAGE 12 & 13

YEAREND REVIEWS PAGE 14 & 15

Check It Out!

HITCHING POST

November 26, 2006

Throughout this year, we’ve already heard about several of our Wilson faculty members going to Miami, New York, and Florida to survey schools in their Small Learning Communities (SLCs). On May 7-8, there was another trip to observe school im-provement and this time it was in Texas, Houston. Those that attended were Jill Papineau, George Ver-din, Larry Stone, Barry Shanley, Christine Tran, Roberto Martinez, Williams Bertrand, Ursula Rosin, Barry Allright, Mario Cantu, Teresa Olague, and Lupe Paramo (Local District 5 High School Director). Once again their goal was to observe and learn the ways other schools function as SLCs. The purpose of going to Houston, like the previous trips, was to learn how schools successfully transitioned their school into SLCs as well as blocking scheduling. The school that was observed in Houston was Lee High School.

Overall the trip was a success in broadening the minds of those that attended. This experience al-lowed them to gain new perspectives towards improv-ing Wilson. Many of the activities observed came from school improvement strategies that were helped

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13

TO HOUSTON AND BACK BY : ALMA AGUILAR

Volume 59, Issue 5 Wednesday, June 13, 2007

SENIOR ELIGIBILITY PAGE 3

STUDENTS SHOULD COME TO SCHOOL PAGE 3

HOW TO GET INTO HARVARD PAGE 3

CAREERS WITH CHILDREN PAGE 4

GRAD NITE & THE 411 ON SENIOR DUES PAGE 4

STEVE MARTINEZ VS . LAUSD PAGE 4

May 12th marked the coming of class of 2007’s Prom Night. Young men and women alike prepared for this occasion for months in advance, carefully choosing out their dress or tux. Others pre-ferred to scurry around in the last

week, or even a few days before, to go dress or tux shopping. Senior Amanda Corral says “I found the per-fect dress, the style was incredible, but the store didn’t carry it in burgundy. I was disappointed and I ended up buying the dress in black.” Others start preparing a few days before and still manage to look amazing for Prom, such as Senior Geraldine Figueroa. “I had a late start. I had my dress made two weeks ago and I’m still not ready. I had an idea about what I wanted but it just didn’t become my primary priority until a few days before Prom.” Sure enough this Geraldine made an

ACCREDITATION BY : BERTHA HERNANDEZ

The school year began and word quickly spread that the school was to undergo accreditation. Well, accreditation finally came and all the administrators and faculty feel that eve-rything ran smoothly. Mr. Martinez says, “Everything went well and they said Wilson made all of the necessary improve-ments.” Ms. Ultreras also feels strongly that the school did a good job, “Attendance throughout those three days was excep-tional.” Attendance wasn’t the only thing the WASC team noticed, one of the comments they made was that they felt stu-dents were friendly and that Wilson was a welcoming place. They also added that the school looked different, that was due to the flowers and grass in the front.

While visiting the school the WASC team was not only greeted by administrators they were also greeted by Wil-son’s Leadership class. “Everyone was a bit nervous about pre-senting for the WASC team” says Senior Carmina Gomez but Mr. Martinez says that although everyone was nervous Leader-ship did an outstanding job. Wilson’s Leadership class was in charge of presenting WASC with the importance of accredita-tion and the CAHSEE. Overall accreditation went well says Mr. Martinez and he would like to thank all the students for their outstanding performance during accreditation. He says that one of his main fears was that someone would get into a fight and the WASC team would be witness to this, but grate-fully nothing occurred and for this he as well as all the adminis-trators and faculty are thankful.

As the month of May neared Finally Mr. Martinez says “I wanted to find out what the results of the visit would be.” Mr. Martinez wasn’t the only one that wanted to find out ad-ministrators such as Ms. Ultreras and Mr. Cantu were also anx-ious to find out the result. On May 07, 2007 the wait was over for Mr. Martinez finally received a letter from WASC. The letter states that the school will not be revisited for another three years. That means that adminis-trators, faculty, and students can relax before the next visit which will come in 2010. As for now everyone is just happy about the good news, Wilson’s Mighty Mules come out on top once again and our diplomas are safe!

impressive appearance and not to mention a fashiona-bly late entrance.

A good Prom always has school spirit and excitement attached to it and Wilson’s “Casino Royale” was no exception. Everyone had their own expectations for this grand event. Senior Janelle Marquez said “I am very excited because I have never been to a school dance and I hope this event will be one of the most memorable at Wilson.”As Prom night came closer and closer more and more flyers could be seen around the school “Buy your ticket now for $90.” Senior Angelica Cano said, “It’s really expen-sive, but the pricing makes sense for a night that shall be remembered your whole life.” Yes, Prom was definitely on everyone’s mind and everyone was ex-cited for what was in store. As the Mighty Mules pre-pared their excitement and anxiety filled the air. The much anticipated night finally arrived and with it came unforgettable memories. Slowly people began to arrive at the Omni Hotel and slowly more and more shouts and surprised looks filled the atmosphere. Everyone was surprised at how others looked so clean cut and well dressed. Upon arriving people were greeted by Ms. Ultreras, who was won-derfully dressed for the occasion. After a courteous greeting everyone was given a $500 gambling chip and was thoroughly searched for any contraband. Senior Gloria Arco says “It was weird to be searched specially since everyone had really small purses and

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

‘007 CASINO ROYALE BY : PABLO OLVERA

Left to Right: Janelle Marquez, Est-fania Rivera, and Dulce Angel

Lee H.S. Wilson H.S.

• 2,179 students

• Study body consists of 74% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 17 % African American

• About 89% of the stu-dent body qualifies for free or reduced lunch

Source: TX Education Agency

• 3,106 students

• Study body consists of 92% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 2 % African American

• About 88% of the stu-dent body qualifies for free or reduced lunch

Source: CA Dept. of Education

QUICK SCHOOL FACTS (2005-2006)

Date Event

June 15, 2007 Finals/Minimum Day 12:22 PM

June 17, 2007 Father’s Day

June 18-19, 2007 Finals/Minimum Day 12:22 PM

June 20, 2007 Graduation Ceremony/Minimum Day 12:22 PM

June 22, 2007 Last Day of School/Minimum Day 12:22 PM

June 13, 2007 Senior Grand Nite

June 12, 2007 Senior Awards Night

June 19, 2007 Juneteenth

June 21, 2007 First Day of Summer/Last Day of School

JUNE IS…

NATIONAL SAFETY INTERNATIONAL PEOPLES SKILLS

DAIRY ROSE R IVERS

MONTH

ANNOUNCEMENTS ⇒ College Corner Want to go to college? Are you a graduating senior and need to figure out your college plan? Go to the College Corner for more in-formation!

⇒ Career Center What’s Available in the Career Center?

The following is a list of information/services that are available in the Career Center, which is located between the Library and the Sey-mour Zone. Mrs. Smith is the Career Advisor, and some of her responsibilities include:

• Assisting students with finding part-time employment.

• Issuing students work permits.

• Assisting students with volunteer pro-grams.

• Referring student to the East Los Angeles Skills Center and the East Los Angeles Occupational Center in order to earn credits, or take a vocational class.

WORD OF THE MONTH :

incandescent (adj.): • Emitting light as a result of being

heated Example: "An incandescent bulb lit

up the room with brilliance."

• characterized by ardent emotion or intensity or brilliance

Example: "The actor was cheered for his incandescent performance."

(From www.onelook.com)

WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL 4500 Multnomah Street

Los Angeles, California 90032

PHONE: (323) 223-1131

FAX:(323) 223-7936

CONTACT MS. TRAN, ADVISER:

cxt9993@lausd.net

www.mstran.com

SSSSTAFFTAFFTAFFTAFF M M M MEMBERSEMBERSEMBERSEMBERS Alma Aguilar

Maria Arias

Esperanza Arrizon

Edward Gonzalez

Angel Hernandez

Deisy Jara

Lauren Padron

Jennifer Martinez

Gregory Mijares

Chelsea Ricard

Rosemary Reveles

Lidia Rivas

Wendiss Rush

Kevin Vega

Elijah Villena

Cartoonist

Pablo Olvera

Editor-in-Chief

Bertha Hernandez

Adviser

Ms. Christine Tran

School Events

We’re on the Web! See us at:

www.wilsonmules.org

Policy & DisclaimerPolicy & DisclaimerPolicy & DisclaimerPolicy & Disclaimer The Hitching Post editors and staff

believe in responsible reporting.

Additionally, the Hitching Post is an

open forum of expression and does not

necessarily reflect the views of the stu-

dent body, school board, administration,

faculty, or advertisers of Los Angeles

Unified School District’s Woodrow Wil-son High School. All the bylined articles

and artwork reflect the opinions of the

writer and artist. Letters, opinions, arti-

cle, and creative submissions are wel-

come. All letters must be signed. The

editorial board reserves the right to edit

letters for poor taste, layout space, libel,

and grammar. Please send all correspon-

dences to the above provided contact

information.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

PAGE 2

POEM OF THE MONTH

IT ’S SUMMER ! !

THE SUN IS SHINING TEMPERATURE IS CLIMBING

I HAVE A DAYDREAM WITH COKE AND ICE-CREAM

I WATCH THE CHILDREN PLAYING FROM THE EARLY MORNING TILL THE EVENING

I SMELL SOME ROASTED MEAT THERE 'S A BARBECUE IN EVERY STREET

EVERYBODY IS HAVING FUN ENJOYING THE WARMTH OF THE SUN IT 'S SUMMER FROM DUSK TILL DAWN

PASS THIS PAGE ON , BEFORE THE SUMMER IS GONE

-- UNKNOWN

VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007

Retraction StatementRetraction StatementRetraction StatementRetraction Statement In our last publication (April 2007; Volume 59, Issue 4) we published an article entitled “Shanley Scholarship.” The Hitch-ing Post would like to give its sin-cerest apologies for titling the article “Shanley Scholarship.” The

title should have been “Los Angeles Dollars for Schol-ars Alumni Scholarship”. With our utmost regret we miss titled the article. Although Mr. Shanley has been a great contributor to the scholarship, we would like to apologize for not giving credit where credit was due, which in this case to the whole scholarship com-mittee: the alumni: Danny Pagen, Jade Medal, and Anthony Wong; faculty: Mr. Shanley, Mrs. Gutierrez, Mrs. Tong-Lee, Mr. Verdin, and Mr. Espinoza. It was a group effort between the alumni and faculty.

Be cool!

Use your Wilson

Planner!

iPod, iPod, iPod, iPod Nano, iPod, iPod, iPod Shuffle, iPod...No won-der I couldn’t fill these orders. I had to go to Target, and they even ran out! Why don’t they ever ask for something useful? They should ask for a WILSON PLANNER!

The summer before Christmas, Santa checks his backorder list.

Editorial PAGE 3

Many students wonder, "Why should I go to school? Is school really important?" Students of-ten feel that school is a waste of time, and that getting a job is not. Here's the reality: school is not a waste of time, school is a job! The only dif-ference is students receive their paychecks every time they get a report card. Students do not real-ize their report cards are paychecks. They are paid well if they do well on their job at school with the promotion of a high school diploma that can lead to college degrees.

To get an education and to have a successful life, students must go to school! Sophomore Felix

Reyes Jr. says, "I come to school to try and better my education and also to see my friends." This young man realizes that if he extends his education he will probably have a better chance at a well-paying job in the future. He is also one of many students who look forward to seeing their buddies at school. I know I do. In the real world, where people work full-time, you have to make time for your friends. In high school, lunch and nutrition are built in!

Another reason students come to school is to learn how to be gregarious with their peers. At school you can learn different types of subjects and be involved in programs that are beneficial to your life. Freshmen Maria Pizarro says, “Many people have many reasons why they come to school. For me there are three major reasons: One is to join and play sports…Two, to meet new friends and talk to my old friends…Three, to update my knowl-edge.” As for Pizarro, she enjoys the sports the school has to offer and of course the oppor-tunity to enhance her knowledge! Besides, having fun with friends, it’s clear that school provides an opportune schedule to fit both social and academic life.

Many students come to school to prepare for college. Sophomore Carina Aguilar says, “I come to school to study and because I want to be somebody in life. I do not want my children to suffer because of money like I’ve suffered.” Aguilar is more focused on her stud-ies than on friends or on sports. She wants to be the best in life and won't settle for less. She wants to have a well-paying career to support her family. Aguilar pretty much knows what she wants and is achieving it through her education.

All students should be enthusiastic to come to school. Students who go to school in the United States are given a free education. While most children in other countries, don’t have this opportunity. Millions of children around the world face poverty, racism, and sex-ism—preventing them from even attending school. Although students here face some of the same issues, our education is never denied.

So why come to school? Come to school because it’s a privilege. Come to school to get a better future. Come to school for yourself.

STUDENTS SHOULD COME TO SCHOOL!

BY : WENDISS RUSH

VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007

SENIOR ELIGIBILITY

BY : ROSEMARY REVELEZ & LAUREN PADRON

SOPHOMORE CARINA AGUILAR SAYS , “ I COME TO SCHOOL TO STUDY

AND BECAUSE I WANT TO BE SOMEBODY IN LIFE . I DO NOT WANT MY CHILDREN TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF

MONEY LIKE I’VE SUFFERED . ”

How many times have seniors heard administra-tors and teachers say prom and participating in the graduation ceremony are a privilege? Yet, what exactly is a privilege? A privilege is a right earned by a person. Here at Wil-son, seniors are only al-

lowed to miss eight excused absences in each semester. If seniors miss more than eight days their “privilege” to attend prom is taken away as well as their participation in the graduation ceremony. In order to attend these two major events, seniors must make up the hours they missed by completing community service.

Prom, the last formal dance of the year, is a must go to event for seniors. Yet many have been deprived of this privilege due to their excessive absences. Prom is a given privilege and participating in the graduation cere-mony are rights we as students have earned throughout our entire educational career. Prom is not a mandatory event any school must have for students. Taking away prom as a punishment due to a sufficient amount of absences is fair.

Yet the same cannot be said about participating in the graduation ceremony. As young children we are taught

to stay in school, graduate from high school and continue onto college to reach our career goal. We have set these goals for ourselves since the day we could imagine the possibilities of our future. As life goes on and students reach high school, peer pressure from friends or family issues influence whether which students will make it to the end of their graduation year or not. Although hard-ships and responsibilities may prevent students from graduating, the remaining senior class has worked hard to walk down Wilson bleachers and across the stage to re-ceive their diploma. Is it right for administrators to deny a senior their right to walk across the stage and receive their diploma they worked hard for? Ms. Ultreas states, “We don’t have to have a graduation ceremony, but it is a tradition. This is why we have it. Either way, you get your diploma.”

Seniors are the only students affected by this rule, but is it fair to punish only seniors and not the rest of the student body. “I feel as an underclassman I can be absent as many times as I’d like because there are no con-sequences,” states sophomore David Hernandez. Punish-ing seniors for their excessive absences gives underclass-men the incentive to be absent as many times as they can until they reach their senior year. “Being a junior I feel I do not have to worry about how many times I am absent, only that next year I do have to get my act together,” says

junior Lizette Gomez. If the administrators are attempt-ing to reduce the number of absences at Wilson, all stu-dents should have the same consequences for having a sufficient amount of absences.

For a few seniors, eight days is enough. Yet many seniors have responsibilities which do not allow them to miss only eight or fewer days. Many seniors hold jobs or have families who depend on them. These re-sponsibilities should not withhold a senior’s eligibility to attend their senior prom or participate in the graduation ceremony. “I think seniors should be allowed to be ab-sent 13 days, students especially seniors have many things to do such as, doctor’s appointments, family prob-lems and other things,” says senior Megan Hinojosa. Al-though some say having a job is a responsibility seniors chose to take on. Others have no choice in the matter of being employed due to their family income. “I had no choice in working, my family needed money and I had to get a job,” says senior Jose Licerio

To be equitable to students who face special circumstances, there should be special guidelines for senior eligibility. The allowable days missed should be increased and there should be some student input on the absences allowed. Graduation should be a memorable day that should be experienced by all seniors and not taken away because of a few absences.

HOW TO GET INTO HARVARD

BY : KEVIN MARTINEZ

To all underclassmen, first and fore-most, you do not have to be a genius to get into Harvard. I often struggled in school; rarely did things come to me naturally. However, in order to com-pensate for not being Albert Einstein, you have to be willing to work hard. Therefore in order to receive good grades you have to work hard, go to tutoring, and ask your friends or teach-ers for help. Don’t just give up! Make sure to take AP and honors classes. It is incredible to believe but AP classes prepare you for college.

Colleges love to see that you have taken several AP courses and have done well on AP exams. As for extracurricular activities, you don’t have to be in every club in school to get into the college of your dreams. I only joined clubs that inter-ested me, and that I knew would have fun in. If no clubs in school interest you, start a club! Colleges love initiative. This takes me to my final point, colleges love to see that you have accomplished something. Contribute to your school or your com-munity, do something positive that makes your community a better place. I per-sonally wrote in my statements about being a Hispanic president of the Pacific Asian Club, and what I felt that did for my school. I made myself stand out, and that’s ultimately what colleges want, someone who stands out. To all those apply-ing to private schools or universities next year good luck and remember to work hard and make yourself stand out!

ATTENTION TEACHERS , STUDENTS ,

ADMINISTRATORS , PARENTS , COMMUNITY MEMBERS !

WOULD LIKE TO PUBLISH NEWSARTICLES, ANNOUNCEMENTS, CREATIVE WRITING PIECES

(POETRY, SHORT STORIES, LYRICS, ETC.), ARTWORK, OPINION ARTICLES, OR ANYTHING OF INTEREST?

PLEASE CONTACT THE HITCHING POST

BY EMAILING MS. TRAN AT CXT9993@LAUSD.NET OR

VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WILSONMULES.ORG

PAGE 4 News & Features VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007

Grad Nite is nearing! On Wednesday, June 13 the last festiv-ity for seniors will take place at Disneyland. The cost of this event is $70 dollars and many seniors are expected to attend. Grad Nite will not only be an all night event, but it marks the last occasion for seniors to spend their last time together before graduation. With many seniors attending from all over the area, there are many rules and safety issues to be followed. In order to be allowed in the theme park, the follow-ing are prohibited:

These rules must be followed in order to be permitted in the theme park. Remember not to miss this great spectacular event which marks the final school event which could be spent with your close friends. All seniors attending must be at school by 8:00 pm. The bus will be leaving at 10 PM and returning around 7:30 AM. Unfortunately no one will be excused from school on Thursday, June 14 because it is against district policy. Students are required to come to school because teachers are going to be reviewing for finals. Addi-tionally, the school will lose money for every senior absent. Although seniors are going to be tired from having fun they must still attend school. Despite this, remember to be safe and have fun!

GRAD N ITE

BY : L IDIA R IVAS

CAREERS W ITH CHILDREN

BY : ALMA AGUILAR

“I like spending time with the preschoolers. Seeing their faces light up when they experience new things makes me feel proud because I’m the one teaching them,” says senior Yesenia Go-mez. Students like Gomez are one in a few who have the oppor-tunity to take Careers with Children (CWC). Also referred to Child Development Pathway, it’s a 2-year program held here at Wilson, it is a class in which students are pre-pared to pursue a career in child care, and development for young children. Ms. Tong Lee oversees

and manages the class, with help from Teacher Assistant Susan Quan. CWC takes place during Period 1 and Period 2. Before even 1st pe-riod even starts, the students, known as student-teachers, have to wait by the flag pole area for parents to drop off their toddlers. You have probably seen the student-teachers, wearing their creatively decorated blue aprons as they escort their little tikes into Wilson.

Prior to taking the class, it is required that you take child psy-chology and child development. Students in this class get to interact with young children and experience, first-hand, how to work with them. The individuals who choose this class must enjoy the company of children and would like to work with them in the future as a career, hence the name. Senior Xiomara Lara says, “It’s a great opportunity because you work one on one with the children and you get to experi-ence what a real teacher goes through.” As Xiomara’s senior year comes to an end she reflects, “The children have taught me that you need a lot of love and patience. It has been one of the best experiences in my life.” From the male perspective we’ve also received positive feedback. Andrew Macias, one out of the three males taking this course, says, “The class is a good experience…it taught me that chil-dren require a lot of care. While working with the kids, I’ve learned about the importance of fatherhood.” The program contributed to both his parental future as well as his professional goal. Macias plans to pursue a career in law enforcement. This course has given him the opportunity to work with both the children and their parents. By in-teracting with the community now, this will help him with his career later. CWC isn’t just any class, it’s a form of preparing high school students for the real world.

STEVE MARTINEZ VS. LAUSD

BY : CHELSEA R ICARD

In April 2007, Steve Martinez, a 13 year-old student attending Sati-coy Elementary (North Hollywood), suffered a seizure that led to cardiac arrest. On that same day a Marine was visiting that school and started Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on Martinez. The school nurse then followed to further CPR treatment. Steve had fallen on the playground on top of a metal utility plate which was heated by the sun. This left Martinez with second and third degree burns. The family sued over these injuries for hospitalization care. The jury awarded the Martinez family $361,237. After this incident the mother notified the school of two additional seizures that oc-curred at home that had required CPR. Since this occurrence, the

family requested for a one-on-one supervision by someone trained in CPR at school.

Although the mother’s request for supervision was made, California law does not require school nurses to be at a school site full time, so they frequently travel in between schools. In other words, what the mother had asked was not attainable at most schools. Since her son had special needs, options were presented to the family. To accommodate her son’s need, she was offer free transporta-tion to a school with a full-time nurse. She later testified that the school facility that was offered was too far away from their home and had too many students.

Although Saticoy Elementary had intend to protect Steve and who had also included staff members that had obtained CPR qualifications to be close at hand, Steve unfortunately faced another incident. Steve subsequently faced another fall. On April 18, 2005, Steve fell to the ground while playing on the basketball court. The medical response was stated to be delayed and poor. This was blamed on to lack of supervision and inadequate communication. Yet the school has stated that there was someone at this child’s side in seconds. The first adult that was present on the scene was not aware of Steve’s health issues and later said that she had attended an incomplete day of a first aid couse in the late 1960s and had some knowledge of CPR from watching cable TV. As a result of this incident, the CPR did not succeed. Steve was not so lucky this time around. He was diagnosed as being in a persis-tent vegetative state. Steve remains paralyzed and is unable to speak. He is incapable of breathing with-out assistance.

Senior Yesenia Gomez and Abel Grande

• no fluids of any type

• no weapons

• no school attire allowed

• no markers

• hats

• purses

• pens/pencils

• lasers

Flashback: Grad Nite in 1976; Courtesy of Disneyland

THE 411 ON SENIOR DUES

BY : MR . GEORGE VERDIN

With graduation upon us, many students’ thoughts turn to senior dues. Seniors are generally aware they must pay $110.00 for the privilege of taking part in the graduation ceremony, but some wonder exactly how their money is spent. Well, wonder no more, here is the official graduation expense report.

Senior dues pay for all expenses incurred in producing a grand and memorable commencement ceremony. Students are of course familiar with the personal and traditional graduation expenditures for their caps, gowns, tassels, senior videos, and senior class medallions, but they rarely think about the produc-tion expenses of the evening. We divide these expenses into three broad catego-ries: decorations, maintenance, and security.

Decorations are an important aesthetic element of the graduation ceremony. Senior dues pay for fresh flowers, silk flowers, silk trees, streamers, balloons, class signs, and safety posters. The most important and unique decorative expenditure is the dazzling fireworks display—Wilson High is the only school in Los Angeles legally authorized by the Fire Department to host a fireworks show and it has become a student favorite.

Maintenance costs include cleaning the stadium, both before and after the ceremony, painting, the rental of the stage and chairs for the graduates, installation of the public address system, stage lights, outdoor video screen, the cost of operating the stadium lights, and the salaries of the maintenance crew.

Security expenses are enormous—there will be over 7,000 guests in the stadium and over 2,000 automobiles on the premises on graduation night. Costs include the salaries for eight police offi-cers, five deans, six campus aides, four ticket takers, and one fire marshal. These expenditures are nec-essary to guarantee the safety of Wilson students and their guests, and they ensure an orderly cere-mony.

Other expenses include printing graduation tickets and programs, and food and drink for graduation guest speakers, dignitaries, and staff. Fortunately, we are able to keep costs to a minimum by asking faculty and staff members to volunteer their time without compensation. These volunteers include the principal, the assistant principals, counselors, band director, stage crew director, ASB advi-sor, senior class advisor, video crew advisor, and graphic arts advisor.

Black Student Union (BSU) Announcement The Black Student Union will hold its first Juneteenth Celebration. Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at lunchtime in Ms. Quiller’s Room (322). We will have food, song, po-etry, and reflections of the meaning of Juneteenth for young African-Americans.

Known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth, is celebrated on June 19 in commemora-tion of the abolition announcement of slavery in Texas.

PAGE 5 News & Features VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007 BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

BY : ALMA AGUILAR

Do you ever wonder who is questioning your looks or your personality? How many of you even care what peo-ple think? Since beauty is defined differently in every-

body’s mind, it is a difficult thing to identify. The thoughts, ideas, beliefs and personality of a person are the things that should count. Yet there are some that hold their exterior beauty higher than what is important: their true character. Some things that influence adolescent minds are media images as well as self-perception.

The media has a massive impact in destroying the self-esteem of innumerable teens. Girls strive for slim model-like bodies, while guys want to emulate the tough-guy look. With the media pervading youthful minds, it is clear that the modern teen is now more preoccupied with their looks. Young girls now want be like the women they see in magazines, television shows, billboards, com-mercials, and films. Sophomore Shaila Mendoza, states this about the media, “People use stars and actors as influ-ential role-models to be someone they’re not.” If one were to see a girl with makeup and revealing clothes, one

always have to look good for someone. For instance, one might want to look good for a boyfriend/girlfriend, crush, or even your boss. There is no reason to change who you are to impress anyone. It is better to be ac-cepted for who you really are, because it can give com-fort, self-assurance, confidence and true happiness. As the famous cliché goes “it is better to be loved for who you are then to be loved for who you’re not”.

Beauty is often found in the flaws, so I would recommend that you just have to count on the fact that someone is looking for someone just like you. It’s ridicu-lous for every guy or girl to look the same as those at-tractive people in the media. Everyone has something other than looks to offer. It can be a talent, intelligence, love, friendship, loyalty, a kind heart, compassion, hon-esty, or support that anybody can be looking for. Become a well rounded person that expresses who you are. Ac-cept who you are and be happy about it. “Inner and outer beauty are important but inner beauty is the most impor-tant because that’s how you know the true person,” rec-ommends Senior Moises Castro. It is also better to be around people who like you for who you are. Learn about the true meaning of beauty by accepting yourself.

would assume that that she must be older and more ma-ture. At many high schools, the more girls try to look like the magazine covers, end up becoming more insecure about their bodies and who they are. The media has trans-formed smart, naturally beautiful adolescents into shallow teens who feel pressured to fit in.

Not only are young females influenced by the media, but young men are as well. The media has pres-sured many guys to be “cool”. For example, advertise-ments sway males to consider a product, because of the proposed benefits. We have all seen “Spray more get more” right? Sex appeal is used to attract males to buy the product. In the Axe product series, young men are encour-aged to use body spray, shower gel, and deodorant to get the girl. With a simple mist from the stylish new travel-size Axe spray, a guy will turn into a chick-magnet.

Everyone goes through insecurities especially as a teen. It’s important to not let these insecurities take over you. So the questions that adults, doctors, teachers, and parents are asking now are: to what measures will teens let their insecurities take them, and why do teens care so much about the thoughts of others? For teenagers, they

As most people know the blood is the life-maintaining fluid that circulates in our bod-ies. The blood circulates the heart, arter-ies, veins, and capillaries in order to carry nourishment, electrolytes, hormones, vita-mins, antibodies, heat, and oxygen to the body. In the body, blood gets rid of waste matter and carbon dioxide. The most com-mon blood diseases are Anemia, Blood Cholesterol, Hemophilia, High Blood Pressure, Hemochromatosis, HIV/AIDS,

Leukemia, Polycythemia Vera, Sickle Cell Disease, Filariasis, Sepsis, Thalassemia, and Thrombosis.Well here are some interesting facts about the blood that we don’t usually hear about:

• Two million red blood cells die every second. • Laughter improves blood pressure • Seven percent of a human’s body weight is made up of blood. • In the early nineteenth century some advertisements claimed that riding the carousel

was good for the circulation of blood. • By donating just one pint of blood, four lives can be saved. • Blood is such a good stain that Native Americans used it for paint. • The kidneys filter over 400 gallons of blood each day. • The average life span of a single red blood cell is 120 days. • A woman has approximately 4.5 liters of blood in her body, while men have 5.6 li-

ters. • Half your body’s red blood cells are replaced every seven days. • If all the blood vessels in your body were laid end to end, they would reach about

60,000 miles. • If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck

and die. • The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as substitute for blood plasma. • The first known transfusion of blood was performed as early as 1667. Jean Batiste

transfused two pints of blood from a sheep to a young man

FACTS ABOUT YOUR BLOOD

BY : ESPERANZA ARRIZON

STOP THE BULLYING

BY : WENDISS RUSH Let's stop the bullying. Stop the vio-lence. Put away the humiliation. Toss out the hurt. Let’s gradually ease out of being demeaned. Stand up for what is right. Grab your dignity and run with it. No more walking around with your head down. For-get about crying, it's useless. Stop the bul-lying.

On April 25, 2007, Wilson coun-selors, students, and other members of the school community put together an Anti-Bullying campaign. Two significant con-tributors of the event were Mr. Zelaya and Ms. Boghosian. The point of the anti-

bullying is for students to take a pledge not to be bullies and to help other people who are being misused. To help with this message, Power 106 came out and gave away Starbucks gift cards with the message “Take stand lend a hand stop the bullying” writ-ten on the envelopes. On that day, some Wilson students realized that they were not alone. On that day, some Wilson students made up their mind to stop overlooking their peers’ pain. What will you do to stop the bullying?

“Choose your words wisely when talking about others,” says Mr. Ze-laya. Mentors like Mr. Zelaya and Ms. Boghosian care about the students at Wilson High. During the campaign, they created useful resources and put them in teacher's boxes. They informed teachers how to report bullying and where to direct students if they want to report anything. Spreading information is just the beginning of making a difference.

Senior Sebastian Ventura’s younger brother Alex Ventura was once a victim of being bullied, humiliated, and hurt. This changed when Sebastian helped him with words of encouragement. Even though Alex is not a fighter, his brother’s words helped him realized he had to stand up if he ever wanted to get his peers' respect. With this, he was able to say no more to being bullied. Believe it or not, Alex now does not get bullied anymore. “Don't judge a book by its cover,” says Ventura, “Get to know the person before you judge them because they could be just like you.”

When you see someone being bullied say this pledge to them:

“I PLEDGE TO THINK MORE ABOUT THE WORDS I USE , TO TRY TO SEE HOW GOSSIP HURTS PEOPLE , INCLUDING MYSELF , AND WORK TO ELIMINATE GOSSIP FROM MY

LIFE . I WILL TRY TO REPLACE WORDS THAT HURT WITH WORDS THAT ENCOURAGE , ENGAGE , AND ENRICH . I

WILL NOT BECOME DISCOURAGED WHEN I AM UNABLE TO CHOOSE WORDS PERFECTLY , BECAUSE MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE IS HARD WORK . AND I AM PLEDGING TO DO THAT , ONE WORD AT A TIME . ”

1. Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.

2. More than 38,000 blood donations are needed every day.

3. One out of every 10 people admitted in a hospital needs blood.

4. The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.

5. The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.

6. Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98% of whom are African American. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.

7. More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.

8. A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 units of blood.

MORE BLOOD FACTS FROM THE RED CROSS:

PAGE 6 Summer Fun VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007

SUMMER HOT SPOTS BY : MARIA ARIAS

Planning on going to the beach to get a tan? Are you stuck going to summer school to make up some classes? Or are you one of those who have no clue on where to go, when to go, and with whom you are going? Would you like to know where all of your friends are going during the

summer? Well you’re in luck, by going around the school and surveying freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors about where they want go during the summer the majority had many things to say.

There are many places you can go this summer just to hang out and have fun, but where you go is impor-tant. Outdoor activities include camping with friends for the weekend for a nice and memorable escape. Freshmen Amanda Castro says, “I’m planning on going camping for two days every month this summer.” Another place to keep in mind is the beach. Sophomore Mayra Reyes says, “For fun, I’m most likely going to be at the beach to play volleyball with my friends and family,” but beach volleyball isn’t the only thing you can do at the beach. If you just

want to get a tan, everyone knows the beach is the best place to go, but be careful you don’t want to get too much sun. Going camping, making some smores, playing beach volleyball, or just laying on a bath towel is a great way to spend your summer but hold on there is more!

There are other places that will entertain you. One place would be the mall. New clothes and new ac-cessories would be a great distraction, especially if you love to go shopping. “I think my favorite place is the mall because I love to go shopping,” says junior Lenzy Vidal, “I’m going to be there a lot this summer!” Another thing you might find at the mall, such as the Santa Anita mall, is a movie theatre. A trip to the movies will keep you enter-tained as well as nice and cool because of the air condi-tioning. The movies can also be a good place to go with your summer sweetheart. With so many movies this summer, there will be a lot to choose from! Whether it’s action, comedy, romantic, or horror—there is definitely a lot to choose from!

Sports are another activity that students will be doing. Sophomore Jonathon Rojas and Freshmen Cole Martinez say, “I’m definitely going to be at school playing football this summer.” Another sport which many will be practicing is Drill team. Junior Jennifer Cobarubias says, “Besides going to the beach, parties, and summer school

I’m going to be practicing drill with my teammates.”

One other popular place students will definitely be this summer is summer school. You’ll find it interest-ing to know that most students are going to summer school just to get ahead in credits or maybe to make up credits. Freshmen Amanda Castro says, “For this summer I’m planning to take a computer class to get ahead.” While other students will be going to summer school to make up some classes. Sophomore Mayra Reyes says, “I’m going to take English 9A and biology 9A to make up my credits.”

There you have it! The two most common hot spots for this summer are the beach and playing sports, but parties didn’t stay that far behind. Whether it is on the beach getting a tan, catching some waves or playing football on the field, students will definitely have fun this summer. As for the students who are going to summer school, don’t worry when school starts everyone will let you know what you missed! Have fun.

SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS

BY : GREGORY MIJARES

This summer is going to be one of the best…that is if you are a movie freak. If you thought last year was good with the re-leases of Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest, Superman II, Cars, and other great films. Compare this to what’s come this summer! So far audiences have had a taste of summer blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End, Spider Man 3, Shrek the Third, and Ocean’s 13…and these are just the beginning! Expect more big names to come out this summer. Many are saying that without a doubt this summer is going to be hot in and out-doors!

What big movies will come out this summer? A couple titles that moviemakers have been marketing are The Simpsons Movie (July 27) and Rush Hour 3 (August 10). Since their sequel to Rush Hour back in 2002, the third is finally hitting the big screen! This project was talked about as early as 2004, but things were de-layed since the two sides couldn’t come to a payroll agreement. Chris Tucker was the hardest to negotiate in a contract. Things were settled late 2006. It took a while, but it’s official—Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker are going to take you through another crazy and wild adventure in the streets of Paris. Other movies to look for this summer are Transformers (July 4), Live Free and Die Hard (June 29), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (July 13), and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (June 15).

Movies that made history this year are 300, which in the first two weeks of its opening, made the most money for any other movie released in March. Shrek 3 which was release on May 18 also made some history collecting over $120,000,000 in its opening weekend, making it the best for an animated film and third overall. Spider-Man 3 set a record $59.8 million on its opening day in the U.S. also setting records in 29 countries and being #1 in all 107 countries that opened. The end of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy also made big noise on its May 25 release. Although some theaters opened the film on May 24, it made an estimated $58 million world-wide and a new Memorial Day weekend record of $142,000,000—topping X-Men: The Last Stand. It has been an exciting ride with all sequels coming out! Let’s see how the rest of the summer runs as the screens lights up.

Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures

DIRECTIONS: Unscramble each of the clue words. Take the letters that appear in

boxes and unscramble them for the final message in the box on the right-hand side.

WORD SCRAMBLE

Y G I E W S H M P N

Z P S G N I T A O B

N E O P I C N I C W

F D L C S H T G L V

B A S E B A L L A I

Y N T V E Z O C F A

V O I R U Y A I E N

V M C E E T S R O T

N E E N I H S N U S

R L S O I G F O T U

B B N N G U K G D G

B S G S T O P K O U

Q H T W O R G A O A

P S I C M D A P R F

V E T K E K X V H K

E H I R I S M U E L

A A L Y O N N E A L

T V D C U P G I T M

R G C I E C S N M E

U E R R W W D K F I

R N M V I J A K R G

F U N M Z K M R O F

L J G J U L Y Y M B

A J F S U S A M L H

R E M D Q I I T D V

WORD SEARCH DIRECTIONS: Use the Word Scramble list to search for words.

PAGE 7 Class of 2010 VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007

GGGGETTINGETTINGETTINGETTING TOTOTOTO K K K KNOWNOWNOWNOW...M...M...M...MSSSS. TK & M. TK & M. TK & M. TK & MRRRR. S. S. S. SUNDUNDUNDUND

Ms.Thlick-Khatchadorian

teaches Health

• Education: UC San Diego, Bachelor of Arts in Science

• Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

• Hobbies: Hockey, Basketball, Reading

• Favorites: �Color: Dodger Blue �Music: New Orleans Blue � Film & TV: Apocalypto

• A message from Ms. TK to all students: “Do not be so open minded that your brain falls out .”

Mr. Sund teaches Biology and Forensics.

• Education: Schurr High School, UCLA, BS in Psychology Science, Master in Education

• Hometown: Vancouver, Canada

• Hobbies: Beating students at street fighter and taking care of exotic animals.

• Favorites: �Color: Blue �Music: Spanish Rock � Film & TV: Silence of the Lambs

• A message from Mr. Sund to all students: “Never take family, friends, and people who care for you for granted because when you die they will be the only ones who care for you .”

END OF THE YEAR

STUDENT THOUGHTS

NO LONGER FRESH MEAT!

BY : ANGEL HERNANDEZ

The beginning of high school, we’ve all have been there. Where’s BG-7? How about B-0, the 100 building, the 200 building? From learning where your classes are to where your middle school friends are, Freshmen year is very confusing. On top of the confusion, there was also fear of name calling and freshmen rituals. Am I going to be called a scrub? Please don’t call me fresh meat! It’s obvious that freshmen are not at the top of the high school system. Ah, the woes of a newbie!

These hardships even have schools planning a different structure for schools. “I feel that the first year of high should begin in the 10th grade. If 9th grade is offered in mid-dle school, they can use that as a transition towards being more mature in high school,” says Ms. Quiller. Many school planners have agreed with this theory, but so far 9th grade and high school are like peas and carrots.

Beyond all of the social drama, high school is about getting prepared for life. In middle school, you fool around and you get away with it. Yet in high school you can’t do that. In high school, you have to face new problems like more pressures of drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy, etc. High school is just a different world to a freshman. The truth is, the problem can get hard to manage but if we let the problem control our lives we’ll end up in a lot of trouble or even leaving school. In reality, what happens each year is that so many freshmen come to this school, then eventually only a fraction will graduate Wilson. This is a very sad reality—not everyone will graduate. Yet nonetheless, many freshmen are optimistic about their future and are ready for a challenge. Freshman Joanna Gomez says, “I expect sophomore year to be cool and more fun, but I know it will be harder.”

At one point or another, everyone at Wilson has been a freshman. This is a very important thing to remember. From seniors to even teachers, they have all been there. It is very important to listen and learn from those who have already gone through it. Remember this and don’t be afraid to ask an upper classmen and even teachers for help. They all possess first-hand knowledge of the “freshman experience”. From freshman Ana Hernandez’s experiences she hopes to improve. “I’m going to be a better student and will try harder next year,” says Hernandez.

So as the year is coming to and end for many freshmen, you will realize that you’ve probably lost friends. On the other hand, you have also met new people. You’ll also see that you’ve matured some (maybe). Nonetheless, remember that you are growing up and preparing for life as an adult. You may say, “Man I can’t wait to be a senior…or at least a sophomore!” What you might not realize is that everything takes time. Eventually you grow and mature with age. Don’t try to delay this by messing up. It’s easy to forget and be caught with the crowd. Many great things take time to develop. Look at the construction of a new skyscraper. Every beam is carefully placed and fastened. Eventually, you’ll see the form of a great building take place. So word to the wise, learn to be patient and you’ll grow just a little each day. With time, you’ll become a successful member of society.

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 9TH GRADER?

BY : ELIJAIH V ILLENA

English: Who is Juliet’s cousin that hates Romeo?

A. The Nurse B. Mercutio C. Tybalt D. Peter

What is Romeo’s last name?

A. Chow B. Capulet C. Sanchez D. Montague

ICS: What charge does a neutron have?

A. Positive charge B. Neutral charge C. Negative charge D. Strong charge

Bio: What makes plants green?

A. Chlorophyll B. Water C. Green dye D. Oxygen

How many different blood types exist in humans?

A. 98 B. 4 C. 8 D. 49

“I’m nervous, but I hope to feel special next year.”

—Freshmen Jasmine Garcia

“I look forward to being part of the UCLA EAOP program.”

—Freshmen Kimberly Vidal

“I hope the school has better food next year.”

—Freshmen Aaron Ramos

“Next year when I’m not a fresh-men anymore I hope to be farther in my classes than other people.”

—Freshmen Janet Garcia

“I hope I have good grades throughout the rest of my years here at Wilson and that I graduate.”

— Freshmen Bianca Escandon

“I think block schedule will be good if it does happen. I think we’ll learn more that way.”

—Freshmen Juan Lozano

“I want the basketball team to win all of their game next year!”

—Freshmen Alfred Valerio

Attention Freshman! MEET WITH YOUR COUNSELOR TO DISCUSS

YOUR COLLEGE PLANS . REVIEW YOUR SCHEDULE WITH HIM OR HER TO MAKE SURE YOU 'RE

ENROLLED IN CHALLENGING CLASSES THAT WILL HELP YOU PREPARE FOR COLLEGE . COLLEGES PREFER FOUR YEARS OF ENGLISH , HISTORY , MATH , SCIENCE , AND A FOREIGN LANGUAGE .

A tip for incoming sophomores from www.collegeboard.com

Visit the College Corner!

PAGE 8 Class of 2009 VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007 THE NEW UPPERCLASS BY : BERTHA HERNANDEZ & WENDISS RUSH

As every year passes on, every student takes another step towards success. This year Wilson’s sophomore class will be taking another step towards becoming seniors and finally graduating. People may say that becoming a junior is nothing big but in reality it is big. In actuality junior year may be seen as one of the hardest years in high school. Cynthia Carbajal says, “I’m worried about the classes I’m going to take next year, I don’t know how many AP classes I should take and I want to pass my AP tests.”

Although you may not know it colleges and universities take sophomore and junior year into consideration when it comes to acceptance. Therefore juniors must maintain a good GPA as well as taking challenging courses. Sophomore Yamila Perez says “I think junior year is going to be important when it comes to time man-agement.” If you’re playing sports, taking AP courses, doing extracurricular activities, and maybe working, be ready to take part in time management because it isn’t easy to balance time and school work. Just be aware you will have a lot on your plate and you want to make sure you are able to eat and enjoy all your food.

Even though you are taking the next step in becoming a junior remember to check and make sure you are up to date with all you’re A-G requirements. If you are not up to date and are missing classes that you need to graduate just go and talk to your coun-sel. That shows you are doing your job has a student. Always remember that counselors make mistakes and may not realize the mistake until it is time for you to graduate! So make sure you are taking care of your responsibilities and stop relying on your parents, counselor and friends. September will be here soon with a new school year. So make sure all you sophomores that are transforming over to a juniors is well prepared.

GGGGETTINGETTINGETTINGETTING TOTOTOTO K K K KNOWNOWNOWNOW...M...M...M...MSSSS. A. A. A. ALCANTARLCANTARLCANTARLCANTAR & M & M & M & MRRRR. C. C. C. CERVANTESERVANTESERVANTESERVANTES

Ms. Alcantar teaches Spanish

• Education: Cal State Los Angeles, BA in Latin America, currently attending Point Loma College

• Hometown: Aguas Calientes, Mexico

• Hobbies: Yoga and going to the gym.

• Favorites: �Color: Red �Music: Pop � Film & TV: Brave Heart

• A message from Ms.Alcantar to all stu-dents: “You are the future of this country, so you must take responsibility for your education.”

Mr. Cervantes teaches Mathematics.

• Education: Schurr High School, UCLA, BS in Mathematics

• Hometowns: East Los Angeles, CA

• Hobbies: Wood working and restoring old cars.

• Favorites: �Color: Blue �Music: Anything really � Film & TV: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

• A message from Mr. Cervantes to all stu-dents: “This school has the potential to be a model school. We have a lot of serious students but we need to make sure that everyone else is serious about school work .”

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 10TH GRADER?

BY : ELIJAIH V ILLENA Julius Caesar: What does the Soothsayer say to Caesar?

A. “Beware the Ides of March” B. “Never trust Cassius” C. “Pursue the kingship” D. “Your toupee is on backward”

Algebra 2: A restaurant manager bought 20 packages of bagels. Some packages contained 6 bagels each, and the rest contained 12 bagels each. There were 168 bagels in all. How many packages of 12 bagels did the manager buy?

A. 6 B.8 C. 9 D. 12

Chemistry: What is the pH level of pure water?

A.6 B. 7 C. 9 D. 100

World History: When the Portuguese sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and entered the Indian Ocean in the late fifteenth century, they found

A. numerous ports under the control of merchants from Genoa.

B. colonial domination of ports and sea lanes by the navy of the Ottoman Empire.

C. a region where sea trade had not yet developed.

D. a region defended and patrolled by fleets of the Chinese navy.

END OF THE YEAR

STUDENT THOUGHTS

“My Junior year will be harder because I have more AP classes. At the same time it’s going to be fun.”

—Sophomore Alexandria Trejo

“I want to pass all my AP test because its important for college.”

—Sophomore Bao Le

“I want to get more involved in school activities like clubs.”

—Sophomore Denise Villa

“I want to catch up on all my classes, get a good G.P.A. so I can go to a good university. I want to reach all my goals.”

—Sophomore Jeremy Gonzales

“There will be lots of work to do for my classes and responsibilities between sports, school, and family.”

— Sophomore Joey De Alba

“I hope the classes I take don't make me struggle as much as I did this year.”

—Sophomore Karla Acevedo

“I want to work harder in order to succeed and graduate.”

—Sophomore Mathew Cantu

FROM

S=How SMART you all are!

O=How OUTSTANDING you all are!

P=How you all think y’all are PERFECT!

H=How HONEST you all can be when you are in trouble!

O=We are OUTGOING!

M=Are we MATURING the way we should?

O=the many OPPORTUNITIES that you all are offered!

R=how RESPECTABLE you can be!

E= ENTHUSIASTIC is what you are!

TO

J=Start JUDGING your future!

U= UNITE yourself with positive influences!

N=Make this the most NOTABLE year in high school

I=Realize you are IMPERFECT.

O=Be OPTIMISIC when you feel the world is against you.

R=REALIZE how far you can go with determination.

—Wendiss Rush

Attention Sophomore! PREPARE FOR THE SAT. TOWARDS THE END

OF YOUR JUNIOR YEAR , YOU CAN TAKE EITHER THE SAT REASONING TEST OR UP TO THREE SAT SUBJECT TESTS ON ONE TEST DAY . PLAN YOUR TESTING SCHEDULE CAREFULLY IF YOU WANT TO TAKE BOTH TYPES OF SAT. SEE THE

SAT SCHEDULE OF TEST DATES .

A tip for incoming juniors from www.collegeboard.com

Visit the College Corner!

PAGE 9 Class of 2008 VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007 ‘08 IS NEXT IN LINE

BY : MARIA ARIAS

The school year is almost over! Students are getting close to completing another year, another grade, and entering into new classes with new teachers. Seniors are close to graduating (next week!) and the juniors are anxiously waiting to become seniors. Everyone knows that junior year is one of the hardest years in high school. Many have al-most finished their Advance Placement (AP) classes and are just grateful that AP Tests are over, until next year that is. Others have struggled to maintain their grades and are hanging in there. Regardless to how the year went by, it went by nonetheless. As for how fast it went by, junior Lenzy Vidal says, “This year went by really fast!” While Junior Reyna Aguilar disagrees and says, “I think this year went by pretty slow because I thought it was boring.” As the saying goes, time flies when you are having fun. Boring or not, both Aguilar and Vidal are facing their last year at Wilson.

Along with time passing, many students have created good memories about their junior year. “Junior Eve-ning and football season are this year’s highlights for me,” reflects Lenzy, “I got to be the water girl!” As juniors faced their ups and downs—many agree it was a good year nonetheless. Ultimately, there are many things that juniors learned this year and will be taken into consideration when senior year comes around. With this, there are a number of students who are really excited to enter their senior year. “I’m so happy to be a senior and have new classes with new teachers,” says Junior Dalma Diaz, “I am grateful to finally be almost done with my high school career.” While other students are not as excited to be back at school for another year, an anonymous junior says, “ugh…another year, great!” Some juniors are practically done with their requirements, and the only classes they will have to take next year are electives. On the other hand, there are many others who are just taking extra steps towards college and are taking AP classes. Junior Leisha Romero is one and says, “Next year, I’m probably taking at least 5 AP classes.” Many like Romero in mind are applying to college later this year. As most college applications are due this November, many are anxious to impress admission boards.

Overall, these anxious juniors are really excited to become seniors. Some are excited to have new classes and new challenges. Others are just waiting to complete their senior year and leave high school in pursuit of other goals, while some are just figuring out what their goals are. With great, embarrassing, sad, and angry moments of the year, the juniors are leaving with three years of high school to their name. Now all that’s left is to do their walk down their hallways one more time, for one last year. Look out, 2008 is next!

GGGGETTINGETTINGETTINGETTING TOTOTOTO K K K KNOWNOWNOWNOW...M...M...M...MRRRR. S. S. S. SHOCKHOCKHOCKHOCK & M & M & M & MSSSS. M. M. M. MANTELANTELANTELANTEL

Mr. Shock teaches Drama and Literature

• Education: John H. Glen H.S., Cal State Long Beach, Cornell University, BA in Theatre and Masters of Fine Arts

• Hometown: Born in Long Beach, lived in Den-ver, Memphis, Arkansas, Ithaca, N.Y.

• Hobbies: Coaching basketball, martial arts

• Favorites: �Color: Blue Green �Music: Blues � Film: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

• A message from Mr. Shock to all students: “The future is here, you are it… you are on your own.”

Ms. Mantel teaches Mathematics.

• Education: Tel-Avid in Israel, Cal State North-ridge, Cal State LA, M.A. in Math Education, and M.A. in Administration

• Hometowns: Born in Romania, then moved to Israel.

• Hobbies: Embroidering and reading.

• Favorites: �Color: Blue � Film: My Fair Lady

• A message from Ms. Mantel to all students: “Take care of your studies first prior to anything.”

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN AN 11TH GRADER?

BY : ELIJAIH V ILLENA Language: ____________ describes an object, animal, or idea as if it had human characteristics.

A. Metaphor B. Personification C. Simile D. Allusion

The Crucible: What was the play The Crucible an allegory of?

A. The Second Red Scare B. McCarthyism C. Both of the Above D. None of the Above

US History: When did the United States Civil War begin?

A. April 12, 1861 B. February 7, 1863 C. August 3, 1890 D. October 14, 1979

Which conclusion can be drawn from the occurrence of the Red Scare and the decision of the Supreme Court in Schenck v. United States?

A. Immigrants to the United States are consistently denied equal protection under the law.

B. A person’s best protection from persecution rests with the Supreme Court.

C. Civil rights are sometimes compromised by the public’s fear of radical political groups

D. Violent protests in the United States are usually met with a violent response from the government.

The Fourteen Points and the Atlantic Charter were both

A. agreements between nations to eliminate further development of weapons

B. plans of victorious nations to divide conquered territories

C. military strategies for defeating enemy nations

D. statements of post-war goals for establishing world peace

END OF THE YEAR

STUDENT THOUGHTS

“I want to make sure I get into all the schools I want to apply for.”

—Junior Paula Vargas

“I look forward to an exciting year full of friends and good time.”

—Junior Diana Amezcua

“I look forward to new friends and having fun.”

—Junior Jesse Ramirez

“I just want to graduate—with my classes.”

—Junior Kimberly Garcia

“For my senior year I look forward to all the senior activities, dances, and prom.”

— Junior Stephanie Morales

“I know it’s going to be work, work, and more work but I wan to do a little bit of work and hafe lots of fun.”

—Junior Tenesha Hickson

“I’m going to have a part-time job and I’m going to go to every event.”

—Senior Ricardo Ayala

Attention Junior! MAKE A MASTER CALENDAR AND NOTE :

• Test dates, fees, and deadlines • College application due dates • Required financial aid applications and their deadlines • Recommendations, transcripts, and other necessary

materials • Your high school's deadlines for application requests,

such as your transcript REMEMBER THAT YOU START APPLYING TO COL-

LEGES IN NOVEMBER (5 MONTHS) !

A tip for incoming seniors from www.collegeboard.com

Visit the College Corner!

PAGE 10 Class of ‘07 VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007

GGGGETTINGETTINGETTINGETTING TOTOTOTO K K K KNOWNOWNOWNOW...M...M...M...MSSSS. G & M. G & M. G & M. G & MRRRR. E. E. E. ESPINOZASPINOZASPINOZASPINOZA

Ms.Gutierrez-Aviles College Advisor

• Education: Wilson High School, Cal State L.A., Cal Lutheran

• Hometown: East Los Angeles (City Terrace), CA

• Hobbies: Favorites: Spending time with her children and having time to herself, reading

• �Color: Purple �Music: Soft Jazz � Film: The Godfather, Rain Man, Rudy

• A message from Ms. G to all students: “Dream big and go after your dreams. Every student has the potential of doing it.”

Mr. Espinoza teaches Film, Government & Economics.

• Education: Wilson High School, Cal State L.A., BA Social Science

• Hometowns: Los Angeles (El Sereno), CA

• Hobbies: Videography, camping, and road trips

• Favorites: �Color: Red �Music: The Police, U2� Film & TV: Heroes & Rebels Without a Cause

• A message from Mr. Espinoza to all students: “There is such thing as a stupid question and question authority.”

LIFE AFTER WILSON

BY : JENNIFER MARTINEZ

Imagine waking up tomorrow—no more first period, nutrition, or hanging out in the quad area, behind the three hundred building, or in the P.E area . If you really think about it, what are you going to do that morn-ing after graduation? You’re going to wake up and think, “What now? I don’t have school today what do I do?” Now that you have graduated from elementary, junior high, and finally high school, the only way to look is

ahead. There is no need to look back into the past because this is the beginning of something new. You’re basically on your own out there. There won’t be any deans to set you straight when you’re misbehaving, getting into fights and not going to class. There won’t be anyone telling you from right and wrong because you’re old enough to know that by now. You should be able to be your own boss because your mamma’s not going to be there following you around get-ting on your case about doing homework or waking up. You’re going to have to set your own priorities. You’ve waited your entire life to be independent and now you have it!

What are seniors planning to do after Wilson? Many people don’t know what they’re going to do. Seniors start the beginning of the year excited and looking forward to graduation, but as the end nears, they are starting to question, “Wait! I’m so excited to be leaving, but what am I going to do after?” Senior Geraldine Figuerora says “I want to get started on my career as soon as I can.” Some of our graduates are going to college, while others go straight to CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

SO I GRADUATED H IGH SCHOOL

BY : ESPERANZA ARRIZON

Have you ever thought about what is expected from a young adult who just graduated from high school? I guess most parents and teachers will say that after graduating high school, students should go to college. Not all stu-dents have college in mind and many students may not have a clear idea of what to do after graduation. Whatever your plans are, life after high school is just the beginning of the great adventure to come. Whether you are going to college, joining the military, working or you are just undecided, here are some suggestions on what to do after graduation:

1. Go to a biker’s convention

2. Tell your life story to a complete stranger

3. Find your soul mate

4. Take a cooking class

5. Get a tattoo (temporary)

6. Take the 10 Freeway east and hit Florida

7. Get a cartoon published in the New Yorker

8. Learn to ballroom dance

9. Share your philosophical ideas to an enemy

10. Paint a self-portrait

11. Pay your own bills

12. Plant a tree

END OF THE YEAR

STUDENT THOUGHTS

“ I want to work, go to college, and have fun. That’s the adult life.”

—Senior Takethia Smith

“Yeah, go Bruins!!! I’m looking for-ward to starting college.”

—Senior Mei Mak

“I just want to survive next year.”

—Senior Frank Valdovinos

“I’m going to CSUN and I want to major in music .”

—Senior Estefania Rivera

“I’m going to go to college and be-come a politician and eventually buy a big house.”

— Senior Bryan Medina

“I expect to overcome all obstacles I encounter.”

—Senior Cynthia Leyva

“I’m going to spend time with my wife and baby.”

—Senior Luis Reynoso

ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 12TH GRADER?

COMPILED BY : ELIJAIH V ILLENA Government: What is the job of the Judicial Branch of Government?

A. To interpret laws B. To enforce law C. To protect laws D. To punish people

How many branches of government are in there in the United States?

A. 9 B.4 C.5 D.3

Economics: Who is in charge of the production and distribution of money in America?

A. FDA B. FED C. FCC D. NBA

English: What is the name of the monster who Beowulf defeats?

A. Jafar B. Mufasa C. Cruella D. Grendel

Attention Senior!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU ! REMEMBER THAT SCHOOL DOESN ’T END HERE . WITH

DETERMINATION AND DEDICATION , ANYTHING CAN BE ACHIEVED . IF YOU DIDN ’T APPLY TO COLLEGE THIS YEAR , CONSIDER IT FOR LATER . MAKE EVERY MOMENT UNFORGETTABLE ! TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR EDUCATION AND MAKE

THE BEST OF LIFE !

Visit the College Corner & Career Center before you leave!

PAGE 11 Entertainment VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007 FACTS FROM THE ‘NET BY : EDWARD GONZALEZ

The Real Rocky

Sylvester Stallone grew up just as his movie character—tough, stubborn, and almost always in trouble. By age 15 Stallone was ex-pelled from 14 dif-ferent schools. Since he could not fall back

on academics he followed his father’s work in beauty school, but failed at that as well. He then enrolled in an American College in Switzerland which led him to pursue a career as an actor in Hollywood. He was not suc-cessful at first so he started working as a lion cage cleaner at the zoo. He also sold fish, demonstrated how to make pizza, and was a movie usher. Stallone also fought with Mo-hammed Ali who at that time was not well known. By the time the fight was over, he came up with the movie “Rocky”. It took 3 days to write. Many film companies were interested, but none would take to the idea of him starring in it. When he did find financial backing, the film was made in a month with a thin budget. As we all know, it made huge success in 1976. Reference: www.amusingfacts.com

Birth Control Goes Public

Margaret Sanger was one of the first to lead in abortion rights movement. She was born in 1879 in New York. Sanger became a leading advocate for women’s right to choose. In 1916, she and her sister (a nurse), opened the first birth control clinic in Amer-ica. She modeled the clinic from ones she had seen in Holland. After only 9 days the clinic was shut down and the sisters were arrested. Her clinic door was closed, but because of the controversy the birth control issue turned into a public issue. She ultimately helped open the door to birth control.

Reference: www.amusingfacts.com

In a Jiff

The word “jiffy” is used to describe a measurement of time. So how fast is a “jiffy”? The word was first used with the computer age as it defined the space it took the computer’s system clock to tick once. It’s not like a

watch marking in minutes, seconds, or hours. A “jiffy” in North America is equal to 1/60th of a second. It seems that with modern measurements, “jiffy” becomes quicker. Re-cently it’s been also measured as 1/100th of a second. Some people even think that it should be defined as a millisecond of regular time, but in the end became 1/1000th of a real second. Maybe that’s why you can make a “jiffy” snack with peanut butter.

Reference: www.amusingfacts.com

T.V. SHOW REVIEW: HEROES

BY : ELIJAH V ILLENA

Grade: A

“Save the cheerleader…Save the world.” Have you heard this before? It’s a quote made famous by the popular T.V. show Heroes during its first season. If you love to watch shows filled with action, suspense, and drama, then you should watch Heroes on NBC Monday nights at 9 p.m. Heroes is perfect for all sci-fi and comic book fans. The show focuses on a random group of individuals with supernatural powers. The show is well-written and embodies the essence of all great superhero comics. They do this by focusing on the development of the characters instead of their powers. For instance, Hiro Nakamura (Masi Oka) is

a Japanese business man that can stop and transport himself through time. In the show the character evolves from an awk-ward tourist to a strong resistance leader. The way each character’s story and background unfolds is what keeps fans waiting for the next episode.

Not only is Heroes a well-written show, but it is also critically acclaimed and one of the highest rated shows this sea-son. Every Tuesday, you can hear students talk about Monday night’s episode. As fans wait for the next episodes, many peo-ple are beginning to make predictions about what is yet to come. “I can’t wait for the next season of Heroes. Now that we know who the human bomb was, I just want to know what’s going to happen next,” says Senior Efren Jauregui. However, there are also teachers who watch Heroes and are just as interested in the show as their students. Mr. Espinoza, for example, is an avid watcher of the popular TV show. “I have a lot of predictions for next season. First of all, I don’t think the Petrelli brothers are dead. Somehow they’ll be alive for the next season. I don’t think Sylar is dead either. Every time he “dies” there are always cockroaches, and I believe they are going to play a role in the story next season. My last prediction is about Hiro. I think Kensei is Hiro’s father, who is going to reveal that he also can transport through time.”

The show is so unpredictable that predictions like Efren’s and Mr. Espinoza’s are possible. In addition, for those of you who have missed episodes you can watch full episodes at NBC.com. And if you have never even seen any of the episodes

Grade: C+

Minutes to Midnight is Linkin Park’s third studio album, the title being named after the Doomsday Clock. The album was released on May 15, 2007 with the first single What I’ve Done being released on April 4th and being ranked #1 on the U.S. Modern Rock chart. The album was delayed a number of times, it was first set to be released on Summer 2006, then it was pulled back to Fall 2006, and then early 2007. A reason why it kept being de-layed was because there were over a hundred songs to choose from and it was hard to see which songs were going to make the cut. The album is out now and it contains 12 songs including two great tracks Bleed It Out and No More Sorrow.

Linkin Park is a band from Agoura Hills, California. Their big success came in 2000 with their first album “Hybrid Theory” which has sold over 15 million copies and

took almost half a decade of hard work to make the album. They followed with their sophomore album in 2003 “Meteora” continuing from where they finished off with “Hybrid Theory” which also came with great success having sold over 800,000 copies in its first week. Their third album “Minutes to Midnight” was expected to sell over 600,000 copies in its debut week.

If you are expecting for “Minutes to Midnight” to be the same or close to the same to either one of the previous albums, it is not. This album has a much different vibe to it and it is not the same Linkin Park you were expecting as it has a handful of slow songs and not that much metal in it. It was a little disappointing because now I have to actually skip some tracks and that never happened with the previous albums. It was still a good CD but it didn’t reach its expectations and it could’ve been a bit better. One reason might be the addition of Rick Rubin who was named producer for the album making Mike Shinoda co-producer of Linkin Park for the first time.

MUSIC REVIEW: LINKIN PARK M INUTES TO M IDNIGHT BY : GREGORY M IJARES

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

Courtesy of NBC

V IDEOGAME OVERVIEW BY : GREGORY M IJARES Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars (Release Date: 7-31-07; PSP): Crazy Taxi is back after a four year absents in their last project (Crazy Taxi: Catch a Ride) which was released for the Game Boy Advance and it is back to the Playstaion since 2001, the first for the PSP. Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars is the sequel to the Crazy Taxi that was released for the Sega Dreamcast. It has also been informed that a multiplayer aspect was being added. Lair (Release Date: 7-31-07; PS3): Lair is a action, flight, and combat game in which players battle in both air and land. You will be a character named Rohn and is part of a society “The Burners” all of whom fly dragons. You get to fly the drag-ons using the six-axis PS3 controller. Lair has been one of the most talked about games for the PS3 and some say that this is one of the biggest games for the console. Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Release Date: 6-19-07; Wii): Resident Evil 4 will be different for the Wii as it include the Wii’s Remote compatibilities for a number of gameplay features like aiming, shhoting, reloading, etc. The Wii will have amateur and easy difficulty settings by default’ something different to the Playstation 2 and PC version. The game was released on May 31 in Japan for 5.040 yen (equals about $42 in the US). The games are listed at $29.99 in the US. Stranglehold (Release Date: 8-6-07; XBOX 360): The game will be out for the XBOX 360, PS3 and PC. The game is a third person shooter and it takes place in Hong Kong and Chicago. It has similar slow motion effects used as in Max Payne. Stranglehold won for best PC Action Game category in the Gamespot’s Best of E3 awards. Tequila, who is an inspector is played by actor Chow Yun Fat, may be best known as captain Sao Fenfg in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. Madden 08 (Release Date: 8-14-0; Most Platforms): The famous and best selling football game is back again and better than ever with new animation systems that will allow a dynamic gameplay for the first time. It also has a newly re energized hit stick where now gamers could choose with the analog stick whether they want to hit high or low. There will also be a new fatigue system where players if you have them running for so long. Chicago Bears kick returner Devin Hester will have an attribute speed of 100, making him the fastest player in the Madden franchise.

PAGE 12 Student Life VOLUME 59, ISSUE 5 WEDNESDAY , JUNE 13, 2007 EXPRESS YOURSELF BY : WENDISS RUSH

Express yourself! Be who you are. Students are so scared of what people might think of them they have problems expressing who they really are by showing their true colors. The time has come for students to come out of their dark shells and to shine like the sun. Here are just some ways to be proud and express who you are!

Drawing is a great way of expressing one's inner feelings about oneself. With some

creativity, anything can be transformed from the most commonplace into splendor and beauty. Someone can draw their life story in a picture. It's all about how the artist feels comfortable making herself or himself known. Understanding the artist is the answer everyone seeks. Art is the language that everyone wishes they could speak. To all the wonderful artists: do me a favor and create until cows fly!

The power of the pen is a good power to have. Sometimes people do not hear what someone else is trying to convey to them in conversation. Yet when you take your time and write something, you are heard in a way that is unspeakable. Whether it is in a poem or a letter, writing is a beautiful way of expressing oneself. So make yourself known through your own style of writing. To all the great writ-ers: write until your hands ache!

Many people get stuck up over their hair and what other people think of it. The truth is, it doesn’t matter what another person thinks about your hair-style. Are you content with your hair-do? That is what really counts! Stop getting caught up over what other people think about you. If you want to wear your hair straight then wear it straight. Maybe you would prefer to have your hair up! How about a weave? You might like how some braids fit your face. Whatever floats your boat go along with it. To all stylists: Find the hairstyle that fits you and please by all means proudly wear that do!

If expressing yourself is drawing, then draw. If expressing yourself is the written word, then write. If expressing yourself is changing your hairstyle, then by all means change your hair-do! Do not be afraid to show people who you really are. Judy Garland once said, “Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate-version of somebody else." Express yourself by any means necessary.

SERIOUSNESS OF H.S. RELATIONSHIPS

BY : JENNIFER MARTINEZ & LAUREN PADRON

High School Relationships are taken very seriously by teen-agers who are in relationships. If teenagers mention their relationship to their parents they would probably say to wait until after high school to be in a serious relationship. If parents don’t understand their child might actually be in love, they will say, “It’s just puppy love.”

Most parents just try to protect their daughters and sons from ever experiencing heartache, yet parents cannot protect their children their whole lives. Teenagers are bound to fall in love at least once in high school and experience heartache, tears, and sadness, and there is nothing parents can do to keep them from experiencing such overwhelming feelings. To avoid this, parents set no dating rules and curfews. They always want to know every little detail of where they will be and at what time they will be home. Yet parents have always encouraged their children to experience new things and learn from their own mis-takes. Yet when it comes to being in a relationship, that’s just one experience parents try to keep teenagers from. When teenagers do fall in love there is nothing their parents or anyone else can say to separate their child from being with the person they love. Which brings up an interesting topic, is it really love or just a crush? How serious should teens take them?

Being in a relationship can be a good experience teenagers go through. Being with another person in high school can help teenagers be successful in their future relationships, but maturity and responsibility are the main ingredients in any relationship. Without these two characteristics any relationship will eventually fail and fall to pieces. High school is a life changing experience for young adoles-cents. This is a time where teenagers try to fit in and find themselves. High school is a time to find out who you truly are, find out which career path you will choose, and experience new beginnings. It is a state of independence, which brings out a “stage” as some parents call it, in which teenagers go through. Identifying this is quite easy: teens are easily stressed out, go through constant mood swings, and experience the transformation from being a child to an adult.

Usually teenagers make the decision of being in a relationship because they feel obligated to have a social status. Teens are trying to identify themselves with other teens. In doing this, sometimes teens give into peer pressure or social demands from their fellow peers. Another reason students choose to be in a rela-tionship is to feel secure and self assured about themselves. The person they choose can simple be a person who listens and understands them, or shares the same interests and puts a smile upon their face. Whichever the reason, do students really believe they are in love? An anonymous senior says, “Sometimes I believe in

CONTINUED ON PAGE 13 high school sweethearts, but it depends on who you’re with and how well the rela-

Do you know what an abusive relationship is? It’s defined as an interpersonal relationship where one partner exercises threats of physical or psychologi-cal abuse. In general, people think the boyfriend abuses the girlfriend, but in reality it can go both ways. Sophomore Walter Aguilar, agrees and states, “Abuse in relationships is when one person delegates by hurting the other person in anyway, physically or emotionally.”

Then there is the physical abuse that a boyfriend can bring to his girlfriend. There is the obvious hitting, but before harming you physically, he can act violently toward ani-mals and take out his frustration on objects. An example of physical abuse is when he treats the girlfriend like a child, treating her as if she were inferior. He starts out taking up most of the girlfriends’ time and continuously asks the girlfriend for her everyday schedule, making it soon mandatory for the girl to always inform him of her whereabouts. Another example is the threats.

Girls abuse the boyfriend as well. Just, because the girl may not be physically stronger than the boyfriend doesn’t mean she can’t still hurt him. Jealousy is obviously an issue with girls, and they express their true jealousy to their boyfriend. In the way they do it is wrong. For instance, it can be abuse when the girlfriend tells the boyfriend that he can’t look at or talk to other girls, by screaming, yelling, making them feel inferior, and mouthing off at them. It affects the boys ju