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.