ESL Student Takes the Lead in Accelerated Reader

The South East High School Library holds an accelerated reading contest every year to see who the top reader is of the whole school. Prizes can range from winning a free book along with a free bag of chips to receiving a Best Buy gift card. To receive these prizes, students must read a book that has a label informing them of how many points the book is worth and what reading level it is. Once the student checks out and reads the book, they must go into the library to take an Accelerated Reader test, also known as A.R. If they score 100%, they get the full points that the certain book offers, and if they miss one or more then some points are taken off.

The tests aren’t very difficult if you read the entire material, but it can be challenging to be competing against other students to be the top reader of the entire school.

This year’s top A.R. student has broken a new record at SEHS. No one has ever obtained a huge amount of A.R. points like Rosalie Lopez, a sophomore at SEHS. The most amazing, jaw-dropping thing about that fact is that Lopez is also an ESL student.

“It’s a great thing for her as an ESL student in general. [She] is competing with regular English speaking students in this reading program, and she is winning by a great amount of points,” said Acevedo.

            “I have been reading since I was in the 4th grade, and I was 10 years old,” she said. Lopez has read books such as: I Sat Down and Wept by Lupillo Rivera, the Harry Potter Saga by J.K. Rowling, the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer, and Go Ask Alice by an anonymous author. Her favorite author is Paulo Coelho, who is known for writing the novels Brida, Eleven Minutes, and The Devil and Miss Prym.

             Lopez loves how reading books can take her to another world and teach her new things about different countries. She likes how she steps out of her own shoes for awhile to see a different world from someone else’s point of view.

Reading many novels has also been very beneficial to Lopez. “My vocabulary is improving and I’m learning more about the pronunciation of the words. I’m able to show myself that I can do anything just by reading books,” she stated.

How did Lopez get so far ahead in the game? “I read a book per week. I will read like an hour and a half a day. I’m used to it since it was something I always had to do for homework last semester,” she said. “I see her come in regularly,” said Mr. Acevedo, SEHS Librarian. “She’s always coming in to do schoolwork, but she has come in a lot for reading,” he said.

It may seem that Lopez has no trouble reading even if she is an ESL student. However, she stated that sometimes the vocabulary in books is hard for her to understand. “If there are certain accents or a lot of slang language being used, it’s hard. But I always like to check the dictionary,” she said.

Lopez feels really excited to the top reader at SEHS, especially since she is an ESL student. She feels that if she can do it anyone else can, too. Lopez said, “[For people that don’t like to read] they can find an interesting book to read, and can take themselves beyond the classroom. I have regular classmates that don’t know how to spell correctly, so it’s necessary to read to know how to spell. If [ESL students] follow the criteria, they can always succeed.”

SEHS Drama Students Fake It to Make It

It was 6 p.m on April 29, and the lights dimmed down to prepare the audience for the night of their lives. While Ms. Chavez’s 2nd, 3rd, and 4th block students and student volunteers prepared themselves backstage, the audience waited excitedly to see what talent these stars would exhibit. The talent in this show however, was all about having the skills to lip-synch and dance to a song at the same time. These student performers definitely impressed the audience, and marked the show as one of the most memorable nights in the SEHS auditorium.

Since all of Chavez’s students have to conduct a lip-synch performance as the culminating project, she decided to make it an actual show. “The students love doing it and we all have fun, so I thought why not?” she said.

Fake It to Make It started off with an Italian dance number performed by Ms. Chavez’ 4th block. It sparked interest and caught the audience’s attention because of their dance moves, “stunna shades”, and effort. Soon after, childhood memories were brought back to SEHS students, and possibly parents and staff members, with a short, yet entertaining performance of the Pokemon theme song by Isabella Buckman and Diana Zamora.

“It was really fun to watch. I loved how Pikachu came out on stage, even though he was pretty stuffed,” said Ivan Rodriguez, a junior at SEHS

Romeo Herrera and Jessica Gallegos, seniors at SEHS, soon went on stage to perform their heated dance number. Herrera showed to be a hero that cared and respected his women while other villains (four other students) tried to harass them. In conclusion, Herrera defeated them all and ended up with his only love in the red dress, Gallegos.

“I couldn’t believe that Jessica could dance like that in front of people! Romeo and Jessica were really brave to perform such a dance number. They were AWESOME!” said Karen Ponce, a junior at SEHS.

             Before intermission, Randy Cornejo, Juan Hernandez, Joseph Scott, David Cota, Juan Navarez, and Daniel Ramos worked together to produce a funny, memorable, and entertaining performance of “What is Love?” by Haddaway. Inspired by a scene in A Night at the Roxbury, Cornejo, Hernandez, and Scott cross-dressed as women and danced along with Navarez, Ramos, and Cota who dressed as themselves. “It was a lot of fun, but it was a pretty questionable performance because of the cross-dressing,” said Cornejo, a senior and performer at SEHS.

However, the last performance of the night had the audience on their feet – shouting, singing along, and clapping excitedly. Anthony Rivas, Joshua Perez, Andrew Buckman, Randy Cornejo, and Fernando Grajeda poured their hearts out while lip-synching to “I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys.

 “As soon as the song came on, I thought ‘Oh, wow!’ I had no idea they could pull it off! It was an awesome performance and made me become a Backstreet Boys fan again,” said Elizabeth Carrillo, a junior at SEHS.

“It was a lot of fun, and I loved it! The feeling I get before going onstage is just awesome,” said Buckman, a senior and performer of the Backstreet Boys performance.

Ms. Chavez and all of the students that performed put a huge amount of effort into making the show happen. Although they came across their challenges on meeting together for rehearsals and getting the dance moves right to make their performances successful, they went onstage and proved to be flawless to the audience.

Chavez said, “Bravo! Kudos to [every student that performed]! Performances were wonderful and thank you for beginning a tradition at SEHS.”

Future Business Leaders of America Begin a New Chapter

SEHS students can now get a hands-on experience in the business field by joining the Future Business Leaders of America.

There are many clubs that aim towards a certain career, and that is exactly what the Future Business Leaders of America do. The Future Business Leaders of America, also known as FBLA, is a club that is nationally recognized throughout high schools and colleges around the United States and was formed at SEHS in the summer of 2009.

FBLA helps its members prepare for business in the real world and also teaches them about being an asset to America’s bad economy by becoming an entrepreneur.

SEHS students could not have this opportunity if it weren’t for Ms. Biswas, Business and Finance lead teacher, science teacher, and FBLA advisor. “Once I became the lead teacher for the Business and Finance Academy, I was inspired and I thought of ways to get students involved in their academy or in business. I did a great amount of research and came to discovering FBLA. I put my heart and effort into making the club,” she said.

Ms. Barragan, U.S. History and Government teacher, has also worked with Ms. Biswas to make FBLA a successful club.

FBLA meets every Monday during lunch in D109 and currently holds seven students as official members. Although FBLA membership costs $3, it is beneficial to its members’ futures.

But besides being taught about entrepreneurship, members also learn about accounting and managing their financial budget. “It also ties into the ESLRs because the students become effective communicators,” shared Ms. Biswas.

            FBLA’s goal is to make students complete projects and compete in state competitions. They are tied with the BFUA team by handling business with entrepreneurship. FBLA members fundraise during early March by selling chips and sodas to gain skills as salesmen. 

According to Barragan, being a member also gives the student a higher opportunity at jobs and colleges because FBLA looks good on resumes and college applications. “In FBLA you build great resumes, scholarships, and college applications. You also gain a great amount of leadership skills,” she said.

Barragan says, “We want students to dedicate themselves and be leaders in the club because it will look really good on them. This club is for them and about them, no one else. We really hope to get it established and have a solid group. Students will learn about starting a business, and it’s something a student can participate in to identify themselves with the academy.”

            Being a member of FBLA is more than just having an impressive college application. Students get to discover a career, make new friends, earn great scholarships, gain business skills, become creative, and become effective communicators. Ms. Biswas expressed, “It is a great opportunity and experience for students, and I don’t see why a student would not want to join. They’re missing out.”

            FBLA will hold a small free-food event during lunch time on April 19^th to celebrate the beginning of a new club, and Barragan says, “Everyone is welcome!”

Teenage Father Fighting to Succeed

“I never thought it could happen to me… my life has changed dramatically. It’s not about me anymore.”

Rogelio Carrillo, a senior at South East High School, is one out of many teenagers whose life has changed permanently. On September 14, 2008 his son, Nathan R. Carrillo, was born. “Ever since Nathan was born, my life has changed dramatically. Even though I enjoy being a kid, I have been forced to grow up quickly. My future isn’t only about me anymore; it’s about him now. Anything I do can easily affect him,” said Carrillo.

Carrillo was only 16 when he found out he was going to be a young father. He did not have a job, good grades, or even an idea about what his next step should be. “I never thought it could happen to me. I just really didn’t know what to do, and I didn’t know what it was going to be like to be a parent. All I knew was that I had to step up, get a job, and improve my grades. I had no experience, but I knew that I had the support I needed from my family in order to learn how to be a parent,” he said.

According to Carrillo, it’s not easy juggling school in one hand and a baby in the other. “Sometimes I have to miss school because I have to be there for him when he’s sick or has his monthly check-ups. Nathan comes before everything and sometimes that affects my schoolwork because if there is anything that he needs me for, I am there in a heartbeat. However, I could be doing better in my classes. There’s just a lot on my mind – I think about my job, my son, and our future together. My first block, AP Calculus, is one class that I feel is a lot to handle when I’ve got so many other things going on at home and at work.”

Many teenage fathers don’t acknowledge their own child. According to the Teen Health website, 80% of teenage parents are only single mothers. However, Carrillo has been a part of Nathan’s life since the minute he was born. “I personally love being a father,” he said. “I didn’t even try to run away from it because it was something I did. I wanted to be around, and never once did I question it. I faced my mistake and took responsibility for it. I wanted to face the challenge.”

Carrillo was used to having a normal daily life schedule like going to school, taking care of his daily chores, and spending time at the park playing soccer, but all that changed when his son was born. “I have to go to school and then hurry off to either go to work or to watch him. His mother and I switch turns watching him so that both of us get to spend the same amount of time with him. My first and fourth block can really affect my whole schedule. They both take a great amount of commitment. My fourth block, Yearbook, always has deadlines and when those days come up, I have to stay after school for hours which can take time away from Nathan. Then, at the same time, I have a job two days out of the week. All of it adds up and requires a huge amount of my time.”

From Carrillo’s experience, having a baby is very expensive. Although he currently holds a job, his whole paycheck ends up paying for most of Nathan’s expenses like diapers, wipes, clothes, and other basic things. “I haven’t always had this job and the hardest thing to face as a father is the fact that I don’t get to support him completely financially. His mother doesn’t work, and I just started working not too long ago. He’s gotten the greatest amount of support from his grandparents, my parents and his mother’s parents, since the day he was born.”

According to pregnantteenhelp.org, more than 2/3 of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school. However, Carrillo will successfully graduate this year and he already has big plans. Carrillo said, “My son pushed me to succeed in order to give him and myself a better life and future. I’m set on going to college and am planning to become a pediatrician. I’m currently a participant of the Kaiser Permanente Youth Certificate Program to qualify for the full-time paid internship they are offering this summer.”

Carrillo plans on working and studying to keep his dreams alive. Although his journey as a teen parent is no walk in the park, he has proven that it is possible to achieve his goals and be a dedicated father all at the same time. “I feel amazed. Nathan is only a year and a half, and he can already talk like a 3 year old. I’m lucky to watch him grow every day. This experience has been the toughest and will always be, but it is nevertheless an amazing experience. I am proud of myself that I can come out of this and still accomplish anything I want. I don’t see my situation as a road block because it is in my heart that I won’t stop until I reach my goals,” he expressed.

Although Carrillo enjoys being a father, he wishes that SEHS students will wait and consider the consequences of being sexually active at such a young age. “Just because you may think you’re ready, just know that it does not mean it is the perfect time. Always be careful because it is definitely not easy being a young parent. Not only do you go through a lot physically, emotionally, and mentally, but so do your parents and everyone else close to you. Everything you do affects others around you. Always remember the consequences.” 

Top 3 Must Reads for Young Adults

By Annette Reyes

Features Editor

 

There are many great books out in the world, but which ones are good enough to read?

 

1.      The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Steven Chbosky

 Steven Chbosky’s first novel has won him many fans of his work.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower is from the voice of Charlie, known as the “wallflower” for his shy personality, who writes daily into his journal of his experience as a high school freshman.  Charlie’s journal is filled with his feelings and opinions of many things he has gone through in life such as the loss of his favorite aunt, his best friend’s suicidal death, and his closeness with his English teacher. Charlie is also surrounded and touched by the problems his few friends encounter like date rape, pregnancy, love, depression, homosexuality, and abuse. This book captures pieces of every major issue most teens encounter in high school to find themselves and to understand who they really are. Readers on Amazon.com have rated Chbosky’s touching, painful, and memorable novel five out of five stars.  The School Library Journal said, “This report on his life will engage teen readers for years to come.”

 

2. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

        If I Stay is one of the newest, most talked about books since The Lovely Bones.  Forman’s touching and tragic novel has inspired many to appreciate the life around them before it is suddenly gone.  Mia, the main character, is passionate about playing the cello and has a strong relationship with her family.  One day the family decides to drive to Mia’s grand-parents house when a sudden tragic car accident occurs.  Mia wakes up to discover her family dead, and sees herself in a coma.  If I Stay is about Mia’s decision to go on with her life or to mentally and physically let go to join her family up above.  It is very moving as she watches her loved ones and her boyfriend, Adam, use their strength to encourage her to live.  Publishers Weekly said, “[It is] intensely moving, the novel will force readers to take stock of their lives and the people and things that make them worth living.”

 

3. After by Amy Efaw

        Have you ever watched the news and see a news reporter reporting on a newborn baby that has been thrown in a dumpster, shoebox, or alley? Then you start to wonder how could a mother do that to her own child? It is a difficult subject and Efaw’s novel, After, focuses on Devon Davenport, the main character, and her decision to abandon her newborn baby in a dumpster after giving birth to the child in her apartment’s bathroom.  Devon is fifteen years old when she finds herself in a rehabilitation center charged with attempted murder. She used to be a college-bound student with straight A’s and was a talented soccer player.  After giving birth to the newborn, she seems to have forgotten how, when, and where she had her baby, but is reminded by the unbearable pain she feels physically and emotionally.  The School Library Journal said After “is a skillfully written, emotionally raw story detailing one girl’s difficult journey from denial of her circumstances to acceptance and redemption.”

"You can do anything..." - LL Cool J

By Annette Reyes and Mayra Lopez
Features Editor and Times Staff Writer
This year’s black history month, students exited the auditorium feeling inspired after a surprise visit by the famous LL Cool J.

The Black History month assembly, which took place during second and third block on February 26th, began with two beautiful melodies sang by Ms. Gragera’s Chamber Singers. Their songs “Go Down Moses” and “The Battle of Jericho” touched the battles that many African Americans experienced as slaves. They sang with enthusiasm and power to contribute to their salute of the freedom African Americans accomplished. “We sang about freedom and the struggle for freedom. And its something that doesn’t only reach to African Americans but also to other minorities as well,” says senior Oscar Tranquilino.
Soon followed Tiny Red, a talented poetic rapper, that recited two of his original poems about being black and achieving their dreams. After his inspiring poems and few words of wisdom, Randy Cornejo and Randy Hernandez shared their PowerPoint of the most influential and successful African Americans who accomplished their goals and dreams. The PowerPoint consisted of people like Michael Jackson, Will Smith, Langston Hughes, Oprah Winfrey, Kobe Bryant, and Barack Obama. People roared with excitement when a photo of their favorite black musician, writer, actor, or leader popped up on the PowerPoint.
Once the PowerPoint ended, Mr. Adams introduced the young talented singer, Krystal Gutierrez. With confidence, she sang “Respect” by Aretha Franklin with her amazing and powerful vocals. “I get really into the song. The more the crowd is into it the more I feel good,” Gutierrez expressed. Gutierrez was followed by Alejandra Zepeda with her inspiring choice of song about reaching your dreams. She poured her heart and soul into making a song memorable for the audience.
Cornejo and Juan Hernandez used their creative minds to produce a funny, unique, and memorable skit. The skit consisted of a few SEHS students that did a great job at role-playing famous African American celebrities. Cornejo was the announcer, Hernandez played Tiger Woods, Herrera acted as Kanye West, and a few other students played minor roles as Tiger Woods wife, and the good looking ladies and friends. Cornejo was giving Tiger Woods (Hernandez) an award when suddenly Kanye West (Herrera) interrupted his speech by claiming Kobe Bryant as the “best athlete that ever existed.” Kanye West and Tiger Woods battled it out with hilarious comebacks that was then interrupted by Tiger Wood’s wife, who was upset because of his affair with another woman. The audience enjoyed the skit and laughed to almost every minute of it.
Ms. Chavez then introduced her fourth block drama class to show off their moves to Michael Jackson’s “Dangerous.” The dance moves were quick and impressed the audience. Even though they did the routine last minute, they did a successful job of entertaining the audience with their talented dancing and acting skills.
Erika Lua, Ashley Bailon, and Jesse Lopez took their places on stage to prepare the audience for an acoustic tribute to Michael Jackson’s popular hits. While Lopez strummed on his guitar, Lua and Bailon sang pieces of “I’ll Be There,” “Man in the Mirror,” “ABC,” and a few other of Jackson’s songs. Gutierrez then took her place on stage again to sing “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys. Because of the song’s popularity, many people clapped, wowed, and sang along. When she ended the song she introduced the one and only LL Cool J. The audience went wild and a few hugged him. LL Cool J thanked everyone and said, “You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Dig deep inside and you can take your life to the next level. Dreams are close enough to reach them. You can do it.”
We all give special thanks to Mr. Adams, Ms. Chavez, Ms. Gragera, and everyone else that dedicated much of their time and effort to making this successful and memorable assembly possible.

The Pre-Health Club

by Annette Reyes and Juan Banda
Features Editor and Times Staff Writer
If you’re looking into having a career in the medical field, joining SEHS’s Pre-Health Club could be the next big step to reach your dreams.

South East High School is known for having a countless number of clubs or groups that touch many students’ interests. Now there is a new club that catches a different kind of interest; it is the Pre-Health Club. This club focuses on giving students a hands-on experience and exposure to the competitive medical world.

A student here at SEHS, Guadalupe Davila, who wants to be a nurse, decided to begin the Pre-Health Club to gather up all students that have the same dream of being a part of the community that saves people’s lives. With the help and support of Ms. Koenig and Ms. Olvera, they were able to successfully form a club that focuses on the medical field. The club meets Wednesdays during lunch in D207 with Olvera and Koenig as the advisors. Even though there are currently only six members, they have been providing a huge amount of support, time, and supervision for the club members. The club does not only consist of medical techniques, but also includes activities that are provided by Nurse Kalam, who dedicates her time to assist the Pre-Health Club.

Koenig says the students will be learning how to check blood pressure, vital signs, diseases and treatments, CPR, and first aid. They are also planning on having a health fair next year and hope to attend a Chicanos/Latinos for Community Medicine conference, which is associated with UCLA.

Many SEHS students have the dream of being a nurse, doctor, or pediatrician like Laura Briseno. Briseno is proud to be part of the Pre-Health club because she is given the opportunity to learn basic techniques like taking blood pressure and CPR. Sabrina Ponce, senior and a member of the club, says, “I hope to learn of all these opportunities and I feel the club is definitely benefitting everyone in it.”

Spending a bit of your time in this club can be very beneficial to your future. Olvera says, “I believe that the club can help students reach their goal in the medical field because they get early exposure to the activities that take place there.” Some challenges are not having enough money and materials to put the club to its best use for SEHS students. The one piece of advice that Olvera gives to SEHS students and to the club members is to, “focus on graduating with good grades because positions are competitive. Prepare to succeed.”

According to Koenig, anyone who would like to join the Pre-Health Club is more than welcomed to join.