The Spellbinder October 2010 Volume IV, Issue I Middle College High School, Santa Ana. CA

Interview with Mrs. Flint By Alejandra Marin The Spellbinder, Editor-in-Chief

Although Middle College

appears to drive away principals, Mrs. Flint, our third principal in four years, plans on permanently staying at MCHS and has already implemented several changes. She has also proven her audacity by publicly favoring Mr. Kaneko’s enemy, UCLA. As expected, our “early college” aspect was everything that appealed to Mrs. Flint; she loved the idea of students ma-turing with a background in higher education. She contained no preconceived notions of our supposed brilliance and maturity, and believed a small school pro-vides the personal and academic support necessary for success. Now, she describes MCHS as a “close-knit community that feels like family,” and recalls her best teaching experience at a small school, where, much like MCHS, students and teachers forged personal and supportive relation-ships. Although Middle College is the best school in the district, Mrs. Flint has learned that “every student has different levels of learning. Even students who struggle can do it with good sup-port and teachers.” She has not been disappointed with MCHS and the individual attention it provides. Mrs. Flint has already ad-ministered several of her goals. First, she has established a com-puter lab in B-11 for classroom purposes only. Also, in the future

perhaps the computer lab’s sys-tem will provide access to stu-dents before school, during lunch, and after school. In addi-tion, Mrs. Flint plans on gather-ing more resources to prevent this summer’s enrollment issues from occurring again. Because MCHS lacks significant financial funds, Mrs. Flint has been work-ing with SAC to provide solutions to ensure students’ enrollment in their college courses. These goals have remarkably been ac-complished within two months of the school year. Although it was Mrs. Pueblos’s request for daily recita-tions of the Pledge of Allegiance, Mrs. Flint has not continued this tradition because Mrs. Pueblos wanted it, but because she be-lieves that as a public school “we are no different in that sense. [The Pledge of Allegiance] is im-portant as far as I am con-cerned.” Also, Mrs. Flint intends on changing the CSU and UC mentality. Mrs. Flint hopes that in the future, more students are encouraged to ap-ply to four year univer-sities outside of Cali-fornia. There is more to college—like living on campus, moving away from home, and experiencing a new environment. Too many students stay close to home, reluc-tant to become truly independent. The

mentality of staying close to home after high school needs to change. Mrs. Flint will supervise the execution of her plans. Lastly, rumors of replac-ing Socratic seminars with Road Trip Nation are false. Because MCHS is one of the ten schools that received an AVID grant, the sophomore AVID curriculum must incorporate Road Trip Na-tion in addition to Socratic Semi-nars and tutorials. Tenth graders will not be deprived of Mrs. Burke’s infamous “hot seat.” Our new principal has al-ready accomplished several of her goals, and will continue to do so. Improvements are expected at MCHS. But as long as a bell is never installed, traditional addi-tions to the school are tolerable. We look forward to knowing Mrs. Flint, and experiencing a changed Middle College.

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Advisers: Mrs. Kathleen Peterson Mrs. Tamara Storms Editor in Chief: Alejandra Marin News Editor: Jazmin Hall Opinion Editor: M.A. Feature Editor: Elizabeth Benitez Staff Writers: Bennecia Salazar Cecilia Hurtado Clara Romeo Carolina Ramirez Destiny Valencia Erick Chavez Everardo Marin Jonathan Vallinas Jose Espinoza Miriam Bravo Maria Hernandez Nancy Marin Wendy Pantaleon

Letter from the Editor:

As Editor-in-Chief of The Spellbinder, I am in charge of organizing every issue of The Spellbinder and making sure that every Staff Writer completes his or her assignment. In addition, I have more of an opportunity to decide our newspaper’s approach to certain subjects. Because of this, this year I plan on establishing a different perspective regarding college life. In every issue of The Spellbinder, we will focus on a prestigious school outside of California.

Because Middle College primarily focuses on attending CSUs and UCs after high school, many students fail to consider an out-of-state college, miles away from home. As a consequence, few stu-dents venture into a new and exciting environment, and wind up losing significant experiences, like be-ing the only Californian panicking during a snowstorm. Also, exploring different cultures and traditions is beneficial to becoming broad-minded individuals. The only way to appreciate the world’s diversity is by leaving your environment. Santa Ana is only a tiny fraction of the world—why limit yourself?

The future should promise changes. The minority should become the majority, so hopefully in the future, the UC and CSU mentality will transform into all-encompassing enthusiasm for college. Per-haps in the future students will aspire for Brown University instead of Cal State Fullerton.

Mrs. Flint and I wholly agree that emphasis on attending out-of-state universities is crucial. Col-lege life is a defining period in every student’s life; those four years determine your future, and whether or not you become a contributing member of society is up to you. I have chosen a different approach than Middle College’s traditional advice because Mrs. Flint helped me realize that as Editor-in-Chief, I am able to at least begin the change.

Lastly, I want to recognize Mrs. Guerrero, Journalism’s former adviser. She dedicated herself to The Spellbinder, even while members neglected their responsibilities. Although she is now at Santa Ana High School, she was a great person and teacher, and was Journalism’s founder years ago. Because of this, The Spellbinder will honor her two requests. We will mail every new issue to her and never change our newspaper’s title. However, as we say goodbye to Mrs. G, we welcome our two new lovely advisers, Mrs. Storms and Mrs. Peterson, who are just as committed to our newspaper.

Alejandra Marin, The Spellbinder, Editor-in-Chief

Contact us at Thespellbindermchs@yahoo.com Hate us? Love us? We want to know! Do you have a short story, drawing, poem, or comic strip? Submit it and we may just publish it! If you need advice, insert a typed or handwritten letter in the colorful “Ask Debbi” box in the office.

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NEWS

Dance ‘till you die

By Jazmin Hall & Miriam Bravo The Spellbinder, Staff Writers Hey. . . . Have you heard? The first dance this year is going to be AWESOME! On October 29, Fri-day, if you want to get down on the dance floor and make horrific memories: throw on a costume, kidnap a friend, and arrive at the Mendez gym at 6pm. There’s going to be a DJ, games, food, candy, pictures, and more! If you went to last year’s Halloween Dance, you know what Middle College’s ASB is capable of as far as planning dances. If you didn’t go, this is your chance to come and kick it and see what MCHS’s dances are all about. I’m talking to you, freshmen! What bet-ter way to celebrate Halloween than to play, eat, and dance the night away with all your closest friends? Now, I know many of you are super-excited about this upcoming event, right? I know some of you are saying “Oh, my gosh! I want to

go so bad.” Well, all you have to do is scrape up $10, stop by the tables during lunch, and buy an ASB sticker. With a sticker, you get a lot of great deals, such as the first dance being FREE! That’s right. It’s that cheap and it’s that easy! Dance tickets are being sold now until the day of the dance, October 29. Don’t be afraid to rally up all your friends and bombard the ticket table with money! If you have any questions, you can ask our president, Samira Meza, or our Vice, Javier Zamorano. Join ASB and all your friends at the first dance and let’s see if we can start this year off pretty great, okay? See you there!

Safety tips By Elizabeth Benitez The Spellbinder, Feature Editor For those of you trick-or-treating this Halloween or taking your little brothers and sisters, here are some handy safety tips: • NEVER hesitate to take a flashlight!

• ALWAYS travel with someone else, or better,

in a group.

• DON’T go into a stranger’s house by yourself.

• DON’T break your curfew.

• BE extra careful when you are crossing the

street, especially if you are traveling in a

group with children.

• ALWAYS examine any candy before eating it.

HAVE A HAPPY and SAFE HALLOWEEN WIZ-

ARDS!

By Everardo Marin, The Spellbinder, Staff Writer

The zombie girl chased me one night;

She grabbed my hand and took a big bite. I screamed for help but no one responded,

Then her mouth and my intestines really bonded.

Zombie Girl

Buy the Yearbook! See Mr. V in B-26

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Editorials

The birth of “evil” By Nancy Marin, The Spellbinder, Staff Writer For years, we have celebrated Halloween for the fun of it. Has anyone ever wondered how Hallow-een originated? Why do we wear costumes or trick-or-treat on October 31st? Most holidays celebrate an event, but what event does Halloween celebrate? Is it a day for demon worshipping? Is it a harmless vestige of some ancient ritual where folks gathered for par-ties, dressed up in costumes, and bobbed for apples? Trick-or-treating did not originate from the Irish Celts, but from a European customs called “Souling”. On November 2, “All Souls Day,” poor vil-lagers begged door-to-door for food. The more food they received, the more prayers they promised to say on behalf of the donor’s dead relatives. Even prayers from strangers accelerated a soul’s passage to Heaven. The making of jack-o’-lanterns originated from a European custom called “Souling”, which com-memorated souls with candle lanterns carved from turnips. Another tale explaining the jack-o’-lantern practice comes from Irish folklore. A man named Jack manipulated Satan into climbing a tree. When Jack passed away he was denied access to Heaven because of his evil ways, but was also denied access to Hell because he tricked the devil. Later, the devil gave Jack a candle to light his way through the frigid dark-

ness of the unknown. Now we carve pumpkins and place a candle inside of them to ward off evil spirits. All Hallows’ Eve, known today as Halloween, is celebrated on October 31st. Its roots stemmed from the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holi-day, All Saints’ Day. The festival of Samhain cele-brates the ending of the “lighter half” of the year and the beginning of the “darker half” commonly known as the Celtic New Year. In earlier times, the Celts be-lieved that during Samhain the border between this world and the “otherworld” became thin, which al-lowed spirits, both harmless and hazardous, to pass through in search for a living body to posses. To pre-vent possession, people dressed up in a ghoulish man-ner and went around the neighborhood trying to ward off the evil spirits. They often disguised themselves in costumes in order to deceive the spirits into believing they were spirits as well. These disguises stopped any harmful incidents from occurring. Today, Halloween includes activities such as wearing costumes, going trick-or-treating, visiting haunted attractions, sharing ghost stories, watching horror films, and much more. Nowadays, Halloween has lost its “evil” practices and traditions. Today we dress up for fun, trick-or-treat because we like candy, and hold parties to socialize. Halloween is the second largest national holiday behind Christmas. Even after all these years, Halloween remains the most bewitch-ing night of the year.

By Wendy Pantaleon, The Spellbinder, Staff Writer

Watch out! Watch out! There's a new vampire on the loose. After the phenomena of the Twilight series, vampires have become the newest trend for movies and TV shows. Vam-pires today have undergone a big transformation since the original vampire, Dracula. Today the modern vampire is more hu-manized and there's no other way to describe this vampire,

other than to use Edward Cullen as an example. And here is the worst nightmare for those who you are darn sick of Twilight: To decide whether Dracula or Ed-ward is your favorite vampire. Their qualities are the ones that matter the most. Putting aside the attractiveness or what the girls call Edward: “hot,” this arti-cle will compare both vampires.

Dracula is known for his gruesomeness, and for his dark persona and his mysterious way of shape-shifting into the form of a bat or appearing as a mist. His desire for blood causes him to feel careless of whom his next victim might be. He draws an audience of boys because he represents aggressiveness and a monstrous appeal. He can be the

greatest monster on earth, but he has some (cont’d on pg. 5)

(Dracula vs. Edward, cont’d from

Dracula vs.

Edward

5

pg 4) disadvantages. Dracula can’t come inside a house unless invited, unlike Edward, who can enter anyone’s house without permission. Dracula also loses his powers during sunlight hours and is repelled by garlic and holy symbols.

On the other hand, Ed-ward is gentle and aims for a better life as a vampire. Edward is more human. He wants to be a better person even though he is a vampire. He knows that he can't change who he is, but he can find a way out to stop hurt-

ing people. That's why he follows a "vegetarian" diet, where he only drinks animal blood. He is more sensitive and even falls in love with a mortal. Edward wants more than just blood; he wants a normal life. He has great aspira-tions, but also possesses quali-ties that aren't that charming. At times he can be creep, like when he watches his girlfriend sleep without her knowing. He can be overprotective and controlling, which gets really annoying and makes him a total jerk. The fact that he is caught up in a love tri-

angle makes him more human than a vampire. But, resembling the perfect guy kills his vampire persona. So whether you are Team Dracula or Team Edward, at the end of the day they are two sen-sational vampires that have grabbed the attention of millions. Whether you like a vampire that can rip a head off with no con-sideration or a vampire that can fall in love with an ordinary girl, the choice is yours. So for this Halloween, will you be Dracula or Edward?

Halloween Haunt DanceHalloween Haunt DanceHalloween Haunt DanceHalloween Haunt Dance Oct. 29 Mendez Gym, 6-10pm Buy a $10 ASB stickerBuy a $10 ASB stickerBuy a $10 ASB stickerBuy a $10 ASB sticker and the dance is freeand the dance is freeand the dance is freeand the dance is free!!!!

Scary Good Books By Clara Romeo The Spellbinder, Staff Writer

A fantastic and horrifying novel, Jade Green by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, will get you into the Halloween spirit within the first few chapters. This exceptional work of literature follows a fifteen year old orphan who finds herself in an unusual house-hold, where the color green is forbidden, and unexplainable supernatural events oc-cur. Jade Green, a captivating read, is full of priceless suspense that keeps you turning the pages rapidly. Full of twists and shocking revelations, this intriguing novel is sure to grab any reader’s attention.

Horror-ble Reads

Dead Is So Last Year by Marlene Perez is the weak link in the Dead Is the

New Black trilogy, leaving the reader unsatisfied and disappointed. This book tells about an eighteen year old girl, Daisy, who solves crimes in her paranormal town, Nightshade. Not only is this book unbelievable, but it uses clichéd themes of vam-pires, werewolves, and other paranormals being. Also, I thought this book was definitely lacking the twists necessary for a great horror or mystery story. Overall, this entire book is definitely deprived of the basic elements of a riveting horror story.

Editorials

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Editorials

By M.A.

The Spellbinder, Feature Editor

Williams College, a small private Four-year Liberal Arts College, is currently the #1 col-lege in the nation. Established in 1793, Williams hosts a diverse social and economic student body. Williams College has 24 departments and offers 36 differ-ent majors. It specializes in the visual and performing arts, Biol-ogy, History, Economics, Mathe-matics, and Psychology. This prestigious school offers both Bachelors and Masters Degrees; the most popular degrees being in management, education, law, and health care. A rural 450-acre residential campus, Williams is located in Williamstown, Massa-chusetts. Generally, 87% of first year students are out-of-state, and 54% of the total population are women. Every year over 6,000 people apply but only 18% are admitted.

Students interested in applying to Williams College must remember that the Early Decision deadline is on October 31, and the Regular Decision deadline is on December 31. In order to apply, students must pay a s i x ty- f i ve do l l a r (nonrefundable) fee or receive a fee waiver from their guidance counselor if the student demon-strates economic need. Students applying must take both the SAT Reasoning test and the SAT sub-jects test, or the ACT plus the writing. In addition to standard-ized testing, the Common Appli-cation requires two letters of rec-ommendation. When admissions officers review applications, they do take class rank, extracurricu-lar activities, and unique per-sonal talents into account. Williams College prides itself in offering reasonable fi-nancial aid—the average finan-cial aid package is more than

$40,000 a year! It also meets all of the financial aid needs of every student it grants admis-sion to; thus, making it afford-able. The average in-state and out-of-state tuition for students living on campus is $41,434, along with their estimated ex-penses (including housing, books, personal expenses, etc.) adds up to an average of $54,921. But with financial aide, low-income students pay less than $5,000 a year! Interested in Williams College? Williams College may be right for you. You can go online to www.collegeboard.com to find more information, or go directly to the school’ss website at www.williams.edu and take a vir-tual tour. Remember that Early Decision is on October 31, and Regular Decision is on December 31; don’t let the application dates pass you by!

College Spotlight:

Williams College Williamstown, Massachusetts

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Features

Dear Debbie,

I have a boyfriend, but he hates going to the beach, even in the summer! He hates garlic bread

and sleeps way too much for his age. I think he’s a vampire, but I’m not sure. How can I tell if my boy-

friend is a vampire?

—Evalyn

Dear Evalyn, Here are the 4 WARNING signs that you have a vampire boyfriend: he sleeps in coffins, can’t stand holy water, sucks blood, and is from Romania. If I learned anything from Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Twilight, it is that vampires hate the sun. Your man might just have delicate skin, so if you want him to go out, rub some sun block on him and you’re ready to go. Your boyfriend’s garlic problem might be based on an allergy of some sort or maybe he is afraid of hav-ing bad breath. Hygiene is an important factor in a relationship, so take that into consideration. He may be a creature of the night, but half of teens are, what with all the homework and partying we do. His behavior is probably normal. But if worse comes to worse, what’s so bad about loving a vampire?

Dear Debbie,

My boyfriend confessed to me that he is a werewolf, and we are working on this conflict for our re-

lationship. But on every full moon he comes over! How can I control him in his hairy state?

—Anonymous

Dear anonymous, Wowzers! This is a hard one! So your boyfriend can’t stay away from you and you’re complaining about it? This is my first time hearing this. Okay, contact a local cage-maker and order a large silver cage. However, if you can’t afford it, round up any silver you can find and lock yourself in a secure room during every full moon. Don’t get me wrong, I know you love him, but your safety matters too and he probably wouldn’t even remember in the morning if he hurt you. As long as there’s love in this relationship, I prom-ise that things should work out.

Ask Debbie! Dear Debbie,

One stormy night, I literally found poor Frankenstein in pieces on my front step. I

want to nurse him back to health. I know he has his history, but I think I can help him

become a better person. So back to the original question, how do I nurse Frankenstein

back to health?

—Cindie

Dear Cindie, First things first, Frankenstein isn’t his name. Dr. Frankenstein—may he rest in peace—never gave him a name, so let’s call him Gary. If you know any mad scientists that live in your neighborhood, give them a call. If he or she is unable to help, ask your local coroner for spare body parts. Be sure that the surgeon has basic supplies like sur-gical holders, knives, scalpels, needles, and needle-holders. WARNING: this job is sup-per messy, so please wear old clothes and plastic gloves—trust me, you’ll need them. Remember that Gary has a wife, so track her down and tell her he’ll be just fine. I think it’s great that you’re trying to be a humanitarian, or trying to help whatever species Gary is. Good luck!

* Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie* Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie *

* Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie* Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie * Ask Debbie *

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Features

By Carolina Ramirez The Spellbinder, Staff Writer

Aries: Beware! This Hallow-een will not be fun. It will be filled with muddy traps and lots of evil spirits. Wear a white blanket over your head to avoid all danger.

Taurus: All Cinderellas will find their Prince Charming. A cat will help you find your prince. However, a black cat will lead you to the wrong path. Only cats with blue eyes are trustworthy.

Gemini: Death is around the corner. A monster is planning to eat you alive. The smell of garlic will help keep him away. Order some garlic fries from Carl’s Jr. Cancer: Butterflies will fill your stomach after seeing your neighbor. Is he or she hiding something? Today you will discover their se-cret. However, calling the police will only make things worse. Only you have the key to safety.

Leo: Do your toes hurt? The evil spirit called “Toe-zilla” has invaded your body. The cure is rubbing your toes with lizard blood.

Virgo: WARNING! Pack all of your belongings! Evil and powerful computers are about to invade your house. They want to use your house as an Apple store.

Libra: This Halloween you must wear pink undergarments. If any monsters want to at-tack, the pink under-garment will help you stay out of danger.

Learn Lady Gaga dance moves to kill the monster.

Scorpio: While your inner animal is eating its prey, do not get close to cats. You might get a craving for cats while unconscious. Sagittarius: Your social life might get a boost. Attend-ing a Halloween party will make your social connec-tions greater. All of your friends and enemies will be there. Be careful! Not eve-ryone is who they say they are.

Capricorn: Too much homework? Don’t stress! Dress up as Hannah Mon-tana and get no homework for an entire year. (This pass excludes weekends)

Aquarius: Dance ‘till you drop! Nothing will stop you from dancing the night away. Fires and evil mon-sters may be interfering with your friends, but not with you!

Pisces: You have a non hu-man visitor in your house. Only you can connect with this member. Drink Pepsi and all your psychic powers will come to your posses-sion.

By Jose Espinoza & Destiny Valencia

The Spellbinder, Staff Writers

Black Cats

Black cats were believed to be an evil supernatu-

ral omen since the witch hunts of the Middle

Ages. Since then, it is still considered bad luck if

a black cat crosses your path.

Broken Mirrors

Our ancestors believed that our reflection in the

mirror was our actual soul. A broken mirror rep-

resented a soul led astray from your body. To

break this unfortunate state, you must wait seven

hours (one for each year of bad luck) before

picking up the broken pieces and burying them

outside in the moonlight.

Ladders

In the days before the gallows, criminals were

hung from the top rung of a ladder. Their spirits

were believed to linger underneath. Common

folklore has it to be bad luck to walk beneath an

open ladder because you will pass through the

triangle of evil ghosts and spirits.

Owls

If an owl looks into your window, or if you see

one during the day, bad luck and death will be-

stow upon you.

Salt

Salt is a rare commodity and thought to have

magical powers. It was unfortunate to spill salt

because it would predict family disarray and

death. To ward off bad luck, throw a pinch over

your shoulder and all will be fine.

Sparrows

Sparrows are believed to carry the souls of the

dead, which is why it is bad luck to kill one.

Unlucky Number 13

The fear of the number 13 is still common today,

and avoided in many different ways. Some

buildings still do not have an official 13th floor,

and many people avoid driving or going any-

where on Friday the 13th.

Common

Superstitions

(Horror)scopes

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Features

By Everardo Marin, The Spellbinder, Staff Writer

If you want something to give you thrills and chills,

here are some scary movies that are somewhat

older but will give you the satisfaction of getting

scared.

Psycho (PG-13) Psycho revolves around murder and mystery in the Bates Motel. Marion Crane stays at the Bates Motel and strange things occur, such as murder and may-hem. Get caught up in mystery and intrigue with its iconic shower scene. Be involved in its mystery and murder. Scream and be terrified as you watch Psycho, one of the most classic and popu-

lar movies ever! Everyone should see this great movie. You have not seen terror until you have seen Psycho. This movie invokes terror among au-diences and viewers. Quoting Norman Bates’ fa-mous line, “We all go a little mad sometimes.”

Poltergeist (PG) Poltergeist is mainly about a family who is haunted by a host of ghosts. It was nominated for three Oscars, and has another four wins and nomi-nations. Since its release in 1982, it has frightened many audiences. Be enthralled in its spooky scenes, such as when the clown is seated on the chair or when the evil tree goes berserk. Polter-

geist, if watched, causes terror and joy to audi-ences. Terror because of its scary scenes, and joy because of the fun of being scared. As Carol Anne from Poltergeist says, “They’re here.”

By Erick Chavez The Spellbinder, Staff Writer

Apple Bites Ingredients: Apples Sliced almonds

Directions: 1. First, remove the apple’s core and cut it into four pieces. 2. Cut the remaining apple into thinner wedges. 3. Press almonds into each wedge so they form fangs. 4. Enjoy!

Tip: If you are not serving them right away, baste the ap-ples with orange juice to keep them from browning.

Cheese-Finger Food

Ingredients: String cheese Green bell pepper Cream cheese

Directions: 1. Wear plastic gloves or sand-wich bags over your hands to keep the cheese smudge-free. 2. Cut each cheese string in half. 3. Carve a shallow area just below the rounded end of each half. This is where the fingernails will go. 4. Create joints by carving out tiny horizontal wedges of cheese, as pictured. 5. For the fingernails, slice the green bell pepper into 3/8 inch strips. 6. Set the green bell pepper skin side down on your work surface and trim the pulp so that it’s about half as thick. 7. Cut the strips into ragged nail shapes and place them at the ends of the fingers with dabs of cheese.

Scary Snacks

Movie Reviews

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Features

By Bennecia Salazar The Spellbinder, Staff Writer

They eat your brains. They eat your hearts. They give you F's. They are your TEACHERS! What happened to the good old days when teachers deserved an apple every now and then? Now, in the twenty-first century we have over-crowed schools, low budgets, and, oh, did I forget to mention zombies for teachers?! By now, everyone knows that MCHS teach-ers are zombies. And by zombies, we don’t mean that they just drone on and on about the same thing over and over again; they are the real deal—as in flesh-eating reanimated corpses. These zombies are nothing like anyone has ever seen before. They act somewhat normal, but have ghastly pale skin and a craving for human flesh! Now what’s really shocking is the fact that some students have been relocated to new schools.

Maria Sanchez, the district superintendent, re-marks, "There is no need to worry about the stu-dents that have disappeared from school. Really, those students have just been 'specially' selected to move to a new school on short notice. There is no need to file a missing persons report because, most likely, those students are being digested . . . I mean . . . tested at a new school.'' So despite these "reassurances", there have been several circulating rumors. For example, one anonymous students stated, “It's the government's doing and the teachers were just used as guinea pigs." Some believe that teachers are like this be-cause a student may have found a "Dark Magic" book and decided to put a curse on them. However, others say, "The teachers have always been mon-sters . . . and now they've finally shown their true colors." Now the final question remains: are these zombie teachers our friends or foes?

Eat Your Brains Out

By Jonathan Vallinas The Spellbinder, Staff Writer

October 31. For many people, this day means Halloween, a day for candy and costumes. But to some, this day is the day of the dead, or in Spanish, el dia de los muertos. Over 500 years ago, when the Spanish Conquistadors landed in what is now known as Mexico, they encountered na-tives practicing a ritual that seemed to make fun of the dead. It was a ritual the people in Mex-ico had been practicing for about 3,000 years—the same ritual the Spaniards would unsuccessfully try to eradicate. Today we know this ritual as el Día de los Muer-tos, or the Day of the Dead. The skulls, used in the ritual, were used to honor the dead, whom the Aztecs and other Meso-American civilizations believed would come back from the dead during the month-long rit-ual.

Unlike the Spaniards, who viewed death as the end of life, the natives viewed it as the continuation of life. Instead of fearing death, they welcome it as an old friend. To them, life was a dream and only in death did they awake. However, the Spaniards considered this ritual to be sacri-legious. They thought the native people were barbaric and pagan. In the attempts to convert them to Catholicism, the Spaniards tried to eradicate the rit-ual. Unfortunately for the Span-iards, this ritual refused to die.

Previously this day fell on the ninth month of the Aztec Solar Calendar, near the beginning of Au-gust, and was celebrated for the entire month. This day is celebrated in several ways. Some people put food by a picture of their dead friend or family member and let the dead "eat" it when the dead

visit Earth. Families still build altars in their homes to honor the dead. They surround the al-tars with flowers, food and pic-tures of the deceased. They light candles and place them next to the altar. They play the de-ceased’s favorite songs. Others have different ways of celebrat-ing this day, but if we listed eve-rything that people do, we'd be here until the dinosaurs rule the Earth again. So, to make things simple, there are several ways to celebrate el Dia de los Mueros.

Dia de los Muertos