Leuzinger Strives To Become The Light of the South Bay

The Torch
Illuminating Minds One Issue At A Time
Leuzinger High School
Volume I, Issue I
Volume I, Issue I
4118 W. Rosecrans Ave, Lawndale, CA 90260
www.THETORCH.com
www.THETORCH.com
October 2010
Fall 2010
Leuzinger Strives To Become The Light of the South Bay
A NEW SPIRIT: Administrators,
Teachers, Students and Staff focus on
restoring a historic legacy
By Erika Fajrado and Albina Rae
Over the course of four years, the students
of Leuzinger High School, especially the seniors,
have watched a handful of principals and administrators walk in and out of our institution. And
although the changes in faculty were neither negative nor positive, the student body lacked a sense
of administrative stability.
This school year we see a few new faces in the
administration staff. One of those being our beloved principal, Dr. Smith, who came to us in the
middle of the last school year. His arrival marked
the beginning of an up rise from the unfavorable
position Leuzinger had been in before. His presence and positive ideas have the students excited
about what the new school year has to bring. His
overall goal for the year is to noticeably improve
test scores in effort to increase the schools current
API score of 611.
By now we all have heard and know about
the incentives that the school is offering students
who get motivated and increase their current test
scores and strive to do better on their standardized
tests. However the incentives are only a small part
of Dr. Smith’s plan to encourage students to put
more effort into school. Another one of Dr. Smith’s plans was to hire
a very strong teaching staff. He began his search
for new teachers that he believed would be effective in his plan to better Leuzinger High School.
In his journey to make this school rise to its highest potential, he looked for a specific set of qualities he believed would make a teacher eligible for
this position. The established criteria was based
on whether or not the new teachers would devote
themselves to the students entirely and not just for
that one hour a day. He looked for teachers that
were willing to stay after school to advise clubs
and tutor students. Dr. Smith made sure that the
staff he hired was a strong enough staff to get the
school to reach its full potential.
this school to achieve. He knew that it would not
happen in the blink of an eye and it would not be
easy. Dr. Smith is ready for the long journey that
he has ahead of him. According to Smith, his main
focus is always on the students. He wants to make
sure that the students are motivated inside and out
of the classrooms. Dr. Smith, who wants to ensure that all the students are involved somehow in
class activities or clubs, states “Any involvement
you have is a good thing.”
With all the improvement that our school has
shown Dr. Smith remarks, “I am happy with the
improvement, but not satisfied.” This just goes to
show that he is going to push all of the students in
this school in order to get us to a place that we can
all be satisfied with academically.
Dr. Smith is going to stay with us and bring
back up this school to its full potential. He will
not settle for any less in which he says, “regardless of the pats on the back and the criticism, my
main focus is the kids.”
Our principal came into this school with no support but a mind full of ideas as to what he wanted
Leu House Beautification
Begins and Ends With
Students
Campus Improvements Symbolize Progress
and New Attitude
equipped building is the fruit of the commitBy Jonathan Perez
By now, new and returning students have
noticed the construction workers as well as the
green fence that surrounds what were once the
“A Buildings” and the “9 Buildings”. Through
a time were many lost hope for a struggling
Leuzinger, a bond was passed among the School
Board and the Centinela Valley community that
approved an amount of approximately 98 million dollars to follow a path to construct a new
science building. As a part of the Centinela Valley district family, Leuzinger will use its share
of 27 million to establish a new 44 classroom, 8
science lab, air conditioned and heater, football
sized building, which will promote education
and a better future.
Throughout recent years in Leuzinger’s history, our school has been considered to be the
lowest performing high school in the South
Bay area in regards to the California Standardized Tests (CST’s). These standardized tests
determine the overall academic number from
a range of 200-1000, making 800 the goal to
be met by all California schools. However,
from a low API score in 2009 of 577, Leuzinger has been able to progress by jumping 34
points up the ladder, achieving a new score at
611 in 2010. Leuzinger has been steadily rising
overcoming many odds that are faced by our
students at school every day. From more focus
to the tests to higher student attendance, more
students are becoming a part of an academic
revolution that is taking place at this moment.
Glad to notice a shift from a closed mindset
on education to a more expanded one with endless horizons, Administration as well as teachers, are proud to be part of the family and this
new environment that is taking form. “…I had
opportunities that I believe everyone deserves,
from teachers to counselors to coaches. I believe
every student deserves these opportunities.”
Dr. Ryan Smith (Principal) believes as the students of Leuzinger share a new opportunity to
learn in a new science building. This new, fully
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ment by the school board and most importantly,
the Leuzinger community. It took almost three
years to try and get the bond to pass and enable a “two-thirds” majority vote in which the
Leuzinger Community surrounding the school,
agreed to pay higher taxes to promote change
at Leuzinger “It’s a slow process…”, Dr. Ryan
Smith says, explaining the difficulties in establishing a push towards a brighter future at this
point in time where all hope seemed to be lost.
The new science building project is expected to
be finished by October, 2010.
Apart from the new building in progress,
new changes have been made to an almost 70
year old campus that continues to move forward, in search of higher levels of academia.
From all students receiving new English text
books, to the removing of the prison like fences, Leuzinger High is also instituting a PSAT/
SAT course that will prepare the students for
the upcoming tests that is mandated by most
UC/CSU universities in California. This type
of shift in higher level thinking is a symbol of
the change throughout the school as well as the
population that inhabits it, to become a stronger academic and positive Leuzinger Family.
The changes that are taking shape at Leuzinger are of many yet to come. Not only are
these progressions a physical form of hope, but
they give the opportunity to many students who
are in need of a change in mentality. What now,
may cause a mind to grow? Is it the inspiration to aspire to something greater? Or is it the
opportunity to take what life has to offer and
mold it into your own? People at Leuzinger believe it is both. The students who go to a school
that many outside voices criticize for having
low academic performance or even worse social problems, know they face major adversity
coming to a place where many have claimed
“All Hope is Lost,” Yet, with all of the improvements made to our academic environment, the
future is bright for all Leuzinger High School
community members. Besides, if we are at the
bottom, there is no where to go but up.
By Jovanny Guevara
Sin Barreras:
A School “Without Barriers”
By Kevin Diaz
Over the summer, several changes began at Leuzinger High School. From a new school staff and administration, to breaking ground on a building that has yet
to be finished; perhaps nothing stands out more than
the removal of the outer fences surrounding the campus. The fences that once blocked the main entrances
of Leuzinger no longer stand and according to the new
school principal, Dr. Ryan Smith the removal of the
fences has a certain symbolic value to it. It is meant to
be more welcoming to students and the city of Lawndale in general. “Our goal was to make the school look
open and less like a prison,” stated Dr. Smith.
Consequently, some faculty members were concerned that the fence removal would invite vandals.
However, this issue does not seem to pose any threat
to the school for the time being. As a matter of fact,
because of the changes, the standards of the security
guards have been improved and security cameras have
been placed all over campus, visible and invisible.
“Big Brother” is stepping in to observe the places the
fences once secured.
Initially, the fences were meant to protect students. It was during the early and mid 90s that riots were a huge issue at schools. Gang crimes were
at their highest and this potentially threatened the
safety of Leuzinger High School students. Centinela
Valley Superintendent Jose Fernandez believes that
this violent scenario at schools is no more. Leuzinger itself does not have a very good reputation,
but as far as riots is concerned, the school is fine.
Ever since school started, one thing on
inquiring minds is, “What happened to the
art?” Many people began to speculate that
Leuzinger is losing its character because
all of the changes. In addition to old teachers leaving and new teachers coming, new
administration, and a new academic attitude, many felt that the various murals that
once helped to characterize Leuzinger High
would endure. Artists in the school felt that
the school was not endorsing art as they
were last year. Most were under the impression that it was the new principal, Dr. Ryan
Smith’s fault. But contrary to popular belief,
it is not the principal’s fault for the art taken
off the walls, but the ones to blame for this
indecency are the taggers in the school.
On the last day of school of last year, taggers decided to tag all over the school with
markers and spray paint. The vandalism included the LTV drawing and the drawings in
front of the auditorium entrance. The taggers
wrote all over these magnificent art works
and now the school has to suffer by the by
looking at drab white walls. The janitors attempted to remove all of the tagging off the
walls and murals but it was too much. The
tagging could not be removed, so the only
solution was to cover everything up.
Artist feel like the school is not endorsing
art, but that is not true. They fail to acknowledge the fact that the principal hired new art
teachers. Ms. Houk, for example, is the new
teacher for Digital Photography and Video
production. By hiring art teachers for all aspiring artist hear at Leuzinger is definitely
endorsing art in the school.
The students here want the art back but it
is difficult to say if we are going to have actual painted murals back on the walls. Perhaps the solution is to have artists display
work framed and put on the main halls in
the main buildings and in the library. These
are good alternatives for artist to share their
works with peers, and vandals will not be
able to affect the integrity of the art or the
school.
The principal suggested that we should
have a student art auction and an art gallery. The MCA is already working to have
an art gallery by the time we come back
from Christmas break; and as for the auction, that is in the works as well. As you
can see the principal does support art in
the school. Why don’t we as students try
to bring some of the art back to the school?
Just go see the principal, show him your art
work, and try to get your art piece framed
on the walls of Leuzinger. By the way, there
is a difference between tagging and graffiti.
Graffiti is now respected as contemporary
art, whereas, tagging is reserved for those
who lack artistic talent and class.
Features
Entertainment
Sports
* The American Melting Pot
* 2011 Horoscopes
* 2010 Football Season Recap
* Teacher/Student Spotlight
* Social Network Movie Review
* 2011 Boys Soccer Schedule
* The Mayan Calendar Unveiled
* Top Ten Songs of 2010
* Leuzinger Wins the Mayor’s Cup
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Fall 2010
Traditionally, “Homecoming” is an annual event that
marks the return of various
Leuzinger High Alumni back
to our campus, a place they
once called “Home”. It is also
a time for existing students to
foster school spirit and enjoy
various activities sponsored
by Associated Student Body
clubs and organizations.
Homecoming and Spirit
Week are both the events that
encourage students to contribute to the overall good spirit of
the school. This year, “Spirit
Week” was Monday, October
25 thru Friday, October 29.
Monday was pajama day.
Many students came dressed in
different types of night attire.
Some people were dressed in a
matching set of traditional pajamas, while others showed up
dressed in shorts or sweats and
a T-shirt; common attire for
night time slumber. We were
all thankful that no one had to
be escorted off campus for being dressed inappropriately or
not being dressed at all; some
people have only their skin as
pajamas.
Tuesday was crazy hair day;
students came with over exaggerated up-do and outrageous
wigs. The males were caught
wearing fake ponytails and
braids, while the girls came
with wacky hairstyles with excess amounts of hairspray. It
was just one of those bad hair
days.
Wednesday was black and
white day; many students arrived at school dressed in all
white or all black. Others
mixed it up with white and
black tops or bottom. The important part of the day, in the
immortal words of Michael
Jackson, “It didn’t matter if
you were black or white”.
Thursday was opposite sex
H
NEWS
HOMECOMING WEEK 2010
day. Many of the young men
came in stylish dresses, skirts,
and rompers that you would
normally catch the females
wearing. Some of the outfits
provided us with a preview of
Halloween costumes. Most of
the girls came with oversized
shirts and baggy pants with
dark facial hair drawn on their
faces. It was the one day you
did not have to be yourself.
Friday, officially called
class colors day, was very active for Leuzinger. The day
began with the Homecoming
parade. Administration graciously extended third period
so that the entire student body
was able to celebrate at the
Parade. In the spirit of homecoming, students were asked
to sport their class colors.
Some students were so full of
class spirit that they painted
their faces with the numbers
of their graduation years and
screamed their class years out
at the top of their lungs before
the parade commenced. This
spirit activity created much
enthusiasm among all the
graduating classes. The Olympian Stadium bleachers filled
quickly and the candidates
for the Homecoming Court,
dressed in creative costumes
and holding elaborate banners in hand, proudly marched
in procession. In front of the
whole school, the courageous
candidates danced choreographed routines to a variety
of music. The diversity of the
costumes and routines is a testimony to the rich culture that
permeates our school.
The parade was the perfect
precursor to the lunch time
extravaganza known as the
“Club Food Fair”. All of
the Associated Student Body
Senior Corner
ello Olympian seniors. I would like to present
to you some remarks from our distinguished
Leuzinger High, 2011 Class President, Veronica
Morales. “Hello, my name is Veronica Morales
and I am truly honored to serve as your 2011
class president. I am truly dedicated to making our senior year
a memorable and meaningful year. Although I have many ideas
for our senior year, it is our voices that I truly care about. However, these plans can not be done without effective communication from you seniors. It is very important for me to hear your
concerns so I can get ideas on what to do to make this year one
to remember. Therefore, feel free to say anything you want to
say because together we can gather ideas and make anything
possible.
It’s a priority to have senior activities that are affordable, especially during this economic crisis. Many are struggling to pay
for senior activities as well as other necessities. Fundraising is
the main key for all of us to enjoy our senior activities. With
that said, we officially have a senior club called BLUE11, an
outlet where seniors can receive information, share their ideas,
and be involved with fundraising events. The more people that
get involved the more we can fundraise and the more we can
get done! Together, WE CAN DO IT!
Besides senior activities, let us get more involved in school
spirit. Many can agree that yearbooks from the hippie 70’s to
moving 90’s show the intensity of the school spirit. During
their week, you can really see and feel the excitement within
their faces.
I know we can see and feel those moments of laughter, smile,
and fun…without hesitation. Let’s bring that intensity back!
We will make this year a year to remember forever. LET’S
DO IT! Let us hold on to our senior dream; the senior dream
of high spirit, satisfaction, and memories because in the end…
these memories will be our charm that we can hold on to for a
lifetime.
To all seniors, lets make this year a year to remember and
the best year ever.
Page 2
By The Torch Staff
Have You Had
Your Senioritis Shot?
I
t has been almost three months since we
started school and many seniors have already deccided to slack in their classes
and are in grave danger of failing some
of their core subjects required to graduate. So the “Torch” asks, to graduate or not to
graduate? That is the question.
According to the administration, many members of the senior class who are on the path to
graduate are receiving low grades do to lack of
work and a surplus of laziness. An anonymous
senior comments, “I feel we are getting lazy;
for some reason, some of us feel that we can
take our foot of the pedal because we have been
in school so long, but I think life is just getting
started.” Several seniors have forgotten about
the required classes they have to pass to graduate.”
Another question is why are we failing and
how do we improve it? There are various reasons that are causing seniors to fail. According
to one senior “some of us are just not taking
our classes seriously enough and many are not
even trying.” The fact is, seniors think they are
going to graduation by just relaxing this year
and hardly trying; but that is not a true representation of reality.
Some say their teachers are failing them, but
that is not the truth. You can only fail yourself.
A wise man once told me the only competition
is you and the question is, are you stronger?
Every person is their own teacher. Your experiences are what teachers your. Essentially, our
teachers are facilitators. They offer experiences
to have everyday; it is up to us to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from those
various experiences. If you don’t have experiences, expect not to learn anything. Seniors
just have to grow up and realize that we will
soon be in the real world where failure is less
of an option.
Nothing will help seniors if we cannot help
ourselves first. We are a family as seniors we
have to help each other. If one falls we all fall,
so we have to help and encourage each other.
In the end, when it all adds up, if we help ourselves and we have outside help, it will equal
success. Just remember, “Success begins with
us.
The Torch
Staff
Editors-In-Chief .................................... Robert Huerta, Erika Fajardo, & Ramon Loza
Associate Editors: ...................................................................................... Alma Ramos
News Editor ....................................................................................... Benjamin Reveles
Op/Editor ............................................................................................... Jonathan Lopez
Feature Editor .......................................................................................Albina Coronado
In-Depth ..................................................................................................Jonathan Lopez
Entertainment ..........................................................Patricia Jaramillo & Berlin Courter
Sports Editor ............................................................................................. Erika Fajardo
Photo Editors ...............................................................Nancy Gonzalez & Alma Ramos
Photographers .....................................Stoney Ponce, Edith Covarrubias, Julio Ferman,
Jovany Cuevana & Griselda Rubio
Copy Editors .............................................................Benjamin Reveles & Keren Lopez
Assignments ........................................ ..........................Maria Ramirez & Karen Lopez
Layout Editors ................................................................German Paredes & Kevin Diaz
Literary Corner ..............................................................................................Kevin Diaz
Distribution ....................................................................Diana Lopez & Griselda Rubio
Staff Writers ...............Omar Bucio, Noe Lupian, Christodia Forson, & Maria Ramirez
Advisor...........................................................................................................Mr. Holmes
The Torch is published by the journalism class at Leuzinger High School, 33434.
Lawndale, California, 33413. Advertising is ___________________________ if paid
in advance. For information call (310) 232-4242.
The Torch staff welcomes letters and commentary on all matters and reserves the
right to edit as needed. Unsigned letters and commentaries will not be printed. Letters
and commentaries may be placed in Mr. Holmes’ box in the Main Office or brought to
Room 6-5. The staff is also open to constructive criticism.
Signed commentaries and editorial cartoons represent the opionions of the writer or
cartoonists and in no way reflect the opinions of The Torch staff.
Mission Statement: The Torch staff will consider how their work might help better
inform readers and how it might help people make their own choices. The Torch intends to be a public forum for student expression and encourages all sides to voice their
opionion. Journalists will honor the journalistic profession by placing truth, accuracy
and objectivity first. To best serve our readers, staff members will strive for work of
the highest quality. They will explore new avenues of reporting and presentation, and
will search for new approaches to articles. In seeking to do their best, journalists will
not be afraid to take risks (consistent with our editorial policy and code of ethics) or to
face controversy. Freedom of the press is to be guarded a an inalienable right of people
in a free society. It carries with it the freedom and the responsibility to discuss, question,
and challenge actionws and utterances of our governemnt and our public and private
instituions.
Fall 2010
The Results Are In
Are You Informed?
NEWS
By Kevin Diaz
As Super Tuesday (the first Tuesday of November during an
election year) approached, most people didn’t realize the importance of voting for the upcoming mid-term elections. Not
many people registered to vote, and this choice ended up having
significant
repercussions to our nation. Others were uninformed
or misinformed about candidates and issues during mid-term
elections, choosing to only vote during a presidential election;
analogous to real baseball fans who watch almost every game in
contrast to the fan that only watches the World Series.
During the 2010 mid-term elections, two candidates ran for
governor of California; both proposing a different plan for the
state.
Meg Whitman, former Chief Executive Officer of E-Bay,
represented the Republicans. She did something no one had
ever done before by spending $200 million of her own money
for her campaign. The astronomical spending spree did, in fact,
break Guinness Records. The GOP candidate claimed to have
done this to prove her “independence” and commitment to the
state. Furthermore, her expenditure can be interpreted as an attempt to make the playing ground even, as Whitman lacked experience in politics. Whitman believed in tax cuts and opposed
the pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
On the other side of the gubernatorial battle was Attorney
General Jerry Brown who had been in office before and claimed
to be geared up to, once in office, speed up the budget process
and give further support to California Unions. During the campaign, Brown has been heavily criticized, for it is Unions that
have financed most of his campaign, hence some believe that
the now elected Governor will favor the unions over businesses.
In contrast to Meg Whitman, Brown does believe in a pathway
to citizenship for illegal aliens. Since California is a state with
increasing immigration and undocumented aliens, the results of
this mid term election favoring Brown are not surprising.
Many had taken an interest in the 2010 mid-term elections
because of the debate over the legalization of Marijuana, a byproduct of the Hemp Plant. Should Proposition 19 pass, anyone
twenty-one or older was entitled to cultivate limited amounts of
marijuana for personal use, and it would also allow government
officials to tax this drug. A NO vote on this proposition meant
that possession or cultivation of marijuana would remain illegal
under any circumstances, unless allowed under the state’s existing medical marijuana law. Proponents argued, the legalization
of marijuana could potentially bring more tax revenues and thus
improve the economy of the state of California. Caesar Ferman,
a senior from Leuzinger High School believes that this law
“should be passed because it would help the economy.” Opponents of the proposition insist that if Marijuana were legalized,
the amount of drug addiction in our state would increase and
crime would rise higher than it had ever been. Others however,
had an apathetic position towards the issue and didn’t really care
about whether it is approved or not. As of November 2nd 2010,
Marijuana is still considered an illegal drug as 56 percent of
voters said no.
Air pollution has also been a relevant issue in California. The
passage of proposition 23 would end the implementation of air
pollution control (“Assembly Bill 32”). That meant sources of
emission would no longer have to report and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions that cause global warming. This measure would
continue until the unemployment rate drops to 5.5 percent or less
for a full year. A NO on this proposition would enable the state
to implement the already authorized measures under Assembly
Bill 32 to address global warming. Supporters claimed, if this
law were passed, it would hurt the environment. Not passing
the law however, would mean that government would still have
to spend money on the implementation, meaning there would
be less room for employment. It seems like most Californians
are concerned with our environmental issues i.e. pollution and
therefore rejected Proposition 23.
As for the Senate race, there has been a major shift in power
in part due to a decrease in Democratic voter turn out. In the
2008 elections, many people voted for Democratic candidate
Obama, not for the party itself. This prospect has given way to a
Republican victory in the Senate which would greatly affect the
amount of laws that are passed, but it would ensure the passage
of more moderate laws as well. U.S. government teacher, Ms.
Gunter put it this way, “If they get to compromise that’s generally good.” Meaning both parties would have to find a middle
ground to which they both can agree upon, and based on the
circumstances, pass a reasonable law. It is up to the voters to decide the future of our state as this is what elections are all about,
making choices that would affect all Californians. Some think
that their one vote would have no impact and that’s the problem.
Several people have this mindset, and they do not realize that
their one vote could make a huge difference. It is because of this
reason eligible voters should hence register to vote.
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The Centinela Valley Union High School District is pleased to present a
Parent/Student Education Night on Cyber Bullying and Internet Safety. Our
guest speaker, Tony Newsom, has extensive experience in this area and is a
21 year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department.
We encourage all parents, students and community members to attend this
educational opportunity. We will gain an understanding from this dynamic
speaker on how we can work together to keep all of our students safe from
the dangers and issues on the Internet.
Please join us on Thursday December 2, 2010 for this “must attend”
seminar in Nyman Hall at Hawthorne High School (4859 El Segundo Blvd,
Hawthorne) from 6:00 -7:30 PM.
Page 3
The Legalization of Marijuana
Debate Continues
By Jonathan Lopez and Albina Rae
From the 1930’s leading up
to this new century, marijuana has been an issue that has
caused much social dispute as
to whether or not the legalization would benefit the economy at the expense of society.
The time for residents of California to vote presented itself
on Tuesday, November 2nd,
and California voters voted
against Proposition 19, which
if passed, would have made
marijuana cultivation and consumption legal for people that
are 21 and over.
From the early 2000 B.C.
Egyptian civilizations, to the
Greeks in 200B.C., and even
to the founding fathers of this
country, marijuana was not
only used for medicinal purposes but the Hemp plant, of
which marijuana is derived was
cultivated and used to produce
products such as rope, clothes,
textiles, fabrics, and oil. The
rise of this so called “billion
dollar crop” would eventually
assist Henry Ford in powering
his original of Model T automobile. The original Model T
originally ran on oil derived
from Hemp.
Even though Hemp was
used above and beyond smoking, the United States congress
passed an act in 1937 called,
“Marihuana Tax Act of 1937”,
which would eventually jeopardize the sale and distribution of marijuana in the States.
Due to the danger marijuana
imposed on big business such
as the oil industry, tobacco industry, as well as the adhesive
and paint industries, marijuana
soon fell under the watchful
eye of the law.
A major influence that helped
the passing of the “Marihuana
When it comes to the
question of morality on Prop
19, many people believe it
will have a negative impact
on society, while others believe there will be little or no
change. Will this be a gate
way drug to make many other
drugs legal? Or will this benefit most of California and
boost the economy which is in
desperate need of more money? This balance of positives
and negatives will make this
upcoming vote on Prop. 19 a
highly controversial time in
which marijuana may be legalized for those old enough
to consume and produce it, or
maintain its status as an illegal
Through the use of taxes on drug in state of California.
marijuana, proponents approximate revenue from the plant
tax will generate between 1.5 and 4 billion dollars for Cali-
Please make a note of the following academic and collegiate deadlines:
Collegiate Test Dates
Test Dates for SAT
-October 9, 2010
-November 6, 2010
-March 12, 2011
-May 7, 2011
-June 4, 2011
Cyber Bullying
Social Networking Sites
Text and Instant Messaging
Prevention Strategies for Parents
Open Forum/ Q&A
Now as the times are
changing, California has already voted for the legal use
of medical marijuana in 1996
which caused many medical
shops (aka “care givers”) to
sprout up in our surrounding
communities. There has been
much controversy due to the
“easy access” for people to get
a hold of marijuana. Although
many in society claim to believe the ill side effects marijuana may cause, others disagree and say the beliefs about
marijuana are nothing but
There continues to be increased debate about the effects, not only on the individual but also the society. Due
to the illegal state of cannabis,
the marijuana dealers as well
as consumers are targets in
the United States “Drug War”.
According to drugwarfacts.
org, in the year 2009, there
were 858,408 arrests relating
to marijuana in the year 2009.
It seems that this issue has become a serious problem since
many prisons across the state
of California have gotten overcrowded in the last couple of
years, limiting the room for
people convicted of marijuana
related cases. With the legalization of marijuana, the law
would be more lenient to people convicted of such crimes
and prisons would be less full.
fornia, which can then be used
to help recover from California’s debt. Many people like
Jefferson H. from Leuzinger
High, believe “…it will be stupid. It probably will help the
economy but more crime may
rise when people that have no
money start jacking the stores.”
Belief that the legalization of
cannabis will promote more
crime is widely thought to be
a negative factor challengin
the proposition. On the other
hand, legalization supporters
believe “…it’s good, we can
boost the economy through
taxes and it may lower crime
rates,” remarked Bryant M.,
another student at Leuzinger.
Regardless of whether or not
marijuana causes crime, others, such as sophomore Guadalupe G. believe, “…it’s
the same as alcohol in that it
should have a certain age limit
because not a lot of people can
handle it.”
This Means You!!!
-January 22, 2011
Topics Include:
Through the use of media propaganda, such as the
1930’s critically acclaimed
film, “Reefer Madness”, the
government was able to feed
the nation misconceptions on
the use of marijuana, secretly
knowing the commercial use
of hemp would compromise
many growing big industries
in America at that time. With
a vast history of business entanglements,
competition,
and false information, marijuana soon became illegal in
the United States, not simply
to revoke marijuana use, but
to protect the majority of big
businesses that would be hurt
from industrial hemp production.
inaccurate and exaggerated.
Many “myths” and “facts” are
often misinterpreted. One clear
example of a misinterpretation
is the myth that all users will
become highly addicted to this
drug. According to the United
States Department of Health
and Services, “Some people
who smoke marijuana heavily,
frequently stop without difficulty.” (Myths and Facts about
Marijuana par 3). It seems
much propaganda is used to
convince teenagers to not partake in the use of this drug.
Unfortunately, these messages
are often overlooked and many
youth succumb to peer pressure and the glorification of
this drug in movies and music;
created by the same media that
propagates against it.
Attention All College Bound Olympians
-December 4, 2010
Tony Newsom
21 year veteran of the LAPD
Tax Act of 1937”, was a powerful political businessman
named Andrew Mellon, that
supported the Du Pont family (synthetic fiber/nylon business) and rejected the idea of
marijuana in the United States
for commercial use. As a former Secretary of State, Mellon
was able to push his agenda for
economic wealth rather than
have cheaper and environmentally friendly hemp that would
create competition for any of
his vested enterprises.
Cal States Registrations
Registration Deadlines for SAT Starts: October 1, 2010
-October 8, 2010
-November 5, 2010
-December 4. 2010
-February 11, 2011
-April 8, 2011
-May 6, 2011
Deadline: November 30, 2010
Minimum GPA: 2.0
A-G Requirements
SAT 1 and/or SAT 2
UC Registrations
Starts: November 1, 2010
Deadline: November 30, 2010
Minimum GPA: 3.0
ACT Test Dates 2010-2011 Registration Deadlines for ACT A-G Requirements
-Sept 11, 2010
-August 6, 2010
SAT 1 and SAT 2 and /or ACT
-November 5, 2010
Private Universities
-March 4, 2011
Deadline: January 15
-Oct. 23, 2010
-September 17, 2010
-April 9, 2011
-January 7, 2011
-May 6, 2011
-Feb. 12, 2011
-May 6, 2011
Starts: November
(Deadlines vary)
Cal Grants
Registrations
Starts: January 1,
2011
Deadline: March 2,
2011
FAFSA
Registration
Starts: January 1,
2011
Deadline: March 2,
2011
*Remember to
see Mr. Perez for
any questions
regarding college
registrations and
teen employments
in room 104*
FEATURES
The MCA Family
The Rebirth of LTV
Legacy Lives On
Fall 2010
Page 4
By Benjamin Reveles
Leuzinger Television, also known as “LTV”, is
the product of the Multimedia Careers Academy’s
yearlong video production class, and is considered to be the “Entertainment Capital of Leuzinger High” because of its fun, educational, and,
comical content. Students are given opportunities
to create video projects, which get screened for on
LTV for the rest of the school to see.
For the past thirty years, the class was masterfully taught by Phil O’Connor. At the end of
the 2009 to 2010 school year, Mr. O’Connor decided for it to be his last. LTV Under the tutelage
of O’Connor, students produced videos that featured things like a spoof of the FOX show entitled
“TMZ”, but with a Leuzinger twist. Also featured,
were short films submitted by students among
other things.
Although LTV is generally popular, there was
the sense that some sort of structure was missing,
as every episode completely varied from the last.
Esmeralda Guerrero
Are You An Adult
Teenager?
By Maria Ramirez
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be your
own parent? Raising yourself could be tough; either
your parents are struggling with certain things or
they aren’t there most of the time. Many students
don’t have an option but to grow up and become independent. Many students endure hardships that are
meant to challenge us after our high school years;
students that become adults at a young age often
have a lot of responsibilities. These students have no
choice but to grow up quickly. They do not have the
luxury of enjoying their adolescent years. “When
I started to help out my mom I was 14 years old.
I was somewhat ready for the challenge, because
I had some experience.” said Esmeralda Guerrero,
who has had various small jobs, even working as a
cashier for a while.
When kids become young adults they end up giving up certain things that they would rather not, but
they do it to help out their family. When a teenager
sees that their parents are struggling, it should be
natural for them to want to help out. Esmeralda stated, “I became an adult student because I would see
how stressed out my mom would get and I wanted
to help out. I didn’t want to see her struggle with
things anymore.” Being a student, Esmeralda has
more responsibilities that she forces herself to keep
up with. “I help my mom pay some of the bills,
clean and take care of my three little sisters. Besides
that, after school, I hurry home get ready and go to
work. I come home later and I am tired but I still
make time to do my homework. On top of that I am
still able to manage having good grades.”
Taking care of responsibilities can be hard while
making the right choices. Esmeralda had to look
for a job, but luckily she found one. At the moment
she is working as a salesperson at a local business.
At first for Esmeralda it was somewhat difficult but
through out time it began to get easier, and she’s
very happy for that.
Growing up is a learning experience, as a young
teens, we go through a lot of things. Good or bad,
you never know what life could bring you. “I learned
that being an ‘adult student’ is hard because having
all these responsibilities is not easy, but in the long
run being an adult student has only prepared me to
be an adult” expresses Esmeralda. Being an adult
student could have rough patches but at then end it
also has its advantages.
Not that it was a problem, however, some individuals like Ms. Dexter, believe that LTV can be
an unlimited fountain of knowledge and suggested
more academic content to be featured. “I believe
that students are fascinated by what’s happening
in their world. I also believe that Leuzinger is full
of interesting people that we never get a chance to
hear from”. Dexter is one of the coordinators of
the Multimedia Careers Academy (MCA), and has
the ultimate goal of LTV being modeled after the
Home Box Office (HBO), in the fact that one can
watch a film, a news program, and even a sports
show during a segment.
Post Mr. O’Connor, Ms. Dexter’s visions is
slowly becoming a reality. While the actual content depends on the students, a good instructor is
required to help the students build a sturdy foundation on which they can build a solid film career.
Also, many felt that there was a void to be filled
after their beloved video production teacher left
them. The instruction now falls into the lap of Ms.
Gretchen Houk, a first year teacher whom Ms. Dexter
describes as “an extremely hard working teacher trying her best.” Ms. Houk has a more-than-impressive
resume, which accurately mirrors her ability to carry
out the task of breathing new life into LTV. She received a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts at Otis College, and worked on various art-related jobs before
returning to school and receiving her teaching credentials at Cal State Long Beach.
The LTV staff has already started producing videos, using the opportunity to spill out their ideas and
opinions respectively. The first segment aired on
October 26 and received good reviews, but the staff
feels that they are constantly improving. In order to
avoid imposing on any one class period, LTV will
rotate its broadcast schedule each week. LTV will
broadcast during the first twelve minutes of the respective period.
High School
Football Is More
Than A Game
By Robert Huerta
“Football is a metaphor for life, you get
knocked down, you get back up… anyone
with success has faced adversity”. Coach
Grant related the brutal sport to an overall
philosophical view after Leuzinger’s opening game. Even though the end result was an
upset with Leuzinger on the losing side, “It’s
all about rolling with the punches” stated the
Leuzinger football team’s assistant coach Erickson. The assistant coach Erickson made
an enlightening statement which explained a
fault of human kind and analyzed how people
in general tend to focus on the macro instead
of the micro basically stating the oversight
of minor details in a situation, which in turn
leads to crucial mistakes being made. “It’s all
a process”, states Coach Grant, that in time
could lead this group of hardworking individuals with their will focused into minimizing
the mistakes to prevail. All it takes is commitment, yet Mr. Grant put it into words more
eloquently than I ever could “There are the
ironmen, and there are the marshmallows.”
The real news that overshadowed the Leuzinger loss was the attendance of Cody Williams, a football player for last year’s Santa
Monica squad that was paralyzed in a game at
Leuzinger, during a play gone awry. Williams
attended the game on Friday to show support
for the team which dedicated that night’s game
to him and his wellbeing. According to Cody’s
mother, Stacy Williams, “the team loves him
and attending the games has really boosted
his progress”. He had apparently stood upright that past Tuesday for the first time since
the accident occurred and returned to school
the prior week. From conversing with some
of the Santa Monica crowd I gathered that
the whole incident has not affected his “great
spirit” and his role as an influential member of
the team’s state of mind. Cody’s mother stated
that through all of the heartbreak they are still
a family, they all stand together.
The Santa Monica bunch played with their
hearts on their sleeves as Cody’s incident had
its place in their mind and must have added
incentive throughout the night. Cody’s mother
later went on to say “It’s a personal thing”. As
I stood and related with Cody a bit about his
feelings toward the game his exuberant smile
and gently kind way of being was apparent the
whole while. I kept contemplating a crucial
saying in my mind that his mother had said to
me” What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.
Our principal Ryan Smith also attended the
Leuzinger football team’s opening game and
I asked him for his overall opinion on matters
surrounding our boys and the learning institution to which we belong. He talked about how
excited he was to finally witness these “courteous and polite boys” play for the first official game as he had been seeing Coach Grant
work them hard all summer. “There’s nothing
like the first game in the fall, the fresh air up
against one’s face…the best part about football is that it brings a lot of different types of
people together”. He later went on to elaborate
on his hopes and concerns for the teams’ upcoming season and praised the student body
for coming together and “playing their part to
make this school better”. We looked on as the
bodies clashed together in a storm of emotion
with a feeling of uncertainty on what the final
outcome of the game would be and then we
eventually parted ways.
By Nancy Gonzalez
The Multimedia Careers Academy, better known as MCA is an academy for young adults who
are interested in the field of media. A majority of great students have graduated with scholarships
to various institutions of higher learning, thanks to the MCA academy.
Jesus Gonzalez, a MCA graduate from the class of 2007, first heard about the academy his
sophomore year when he saw a poster in his U.S History class. “I wanted to be a game designer so
when I looked into the academy and saw they offered a course in 3D design; I immediately went
to my counselor and made sure she put me in the academy for the following year.” Jesus loved
everything the academy taught him. Jesus and his friend actually started a club within the MCA
with the help of Mr. Bivens. “Bivens’ involvement with the game club was almost accidental; me
[Ernesto] and a couple of friends were working on our game design projects talking about how
we could get a game club going on campus, and Bivens ended up over hearing us and decided to
become our advisor on his own accord.” The Game club actually kept running for two years after
both Jesus and Ernesto graduated from Leuzinger, but is still talked about to this day.
But of course the MCA isn’t just for people inspired to become game designers, that’s what
Jesus later on discovered when he went into his Jr year. “It wasn’t until I got into O‘Conners’
video production class that I realized what filmmaking was and what I wanted to be doing -- making movies.”
Mr. O’Conner was the one person who inspired Jesus to be the film major he has become. I
had firsthand experience watching this guy grow from a nerdy gamer to a great amateur director
because I happen to be his little sister, and I am carrying on our MCA legacy as I write. I still
remember how he would come home from school happy and excited, talking about his teachers
and the classes he was taking. He would talk about his teachers like they were gods and his classes
sounded like heaven. I would go to every open house with him and walk into his tech classes and
my jaw would drop by seeing all the art that was being created.
I was never the kind of kid that wanted to be a doctor or a teacher. I would always draw and
play around with my dad’s camera. Through my own experiences and being motivated by my
brother’s success, I discovered who I really wanted to be, a photographer. So I decided to join
the MCA as well. I met amazing teachers that cared about my friends and my futures, as well as
friends who are interested in the same thing I am.
High school is a time to experience all we can. I encourage anyone interested in a career in any
of the many fields of the Mass Media to join the Multimedia Careers Academy and become the
change you want to see. The MCA serves as a media vehicle and archive, for the Leuzinger High
School community. Become part of the legacy.
Mall Cops Threaten
Teen Sanctuary
By Erika Fajardo and Albina Coronado
For most of us, going to the mall is an escape from our parents and our daily home lives. As
we enter this wonderland of stores and kiosks where it seems like no one can tell us what to buy,
what to eat, or even tell us what to do, we absolve ourselves of all the ties we have to our “overwhelming” problems. We look at it as a sanctuary and at times almost feel like we can defect
to this place far from our real lives. It is home. And now in the blink of an eye it seems as if all
those freedoms and liberties that we had have now been snatched like a rug from right under us.
Not many of us know exactly when the malls began to come down hard on us with rules and
regulations, but I think most of us can remember being slapped on the hand with that little white
card that informed us of the new mall laws that we had to obey. With one little white card, every
experience we could possibly have at our “sanctuary” was limited.
The start of these seemingly unfair maxims’ marked the beginning of our war with the mall
security. These men whose responsibilities at first were to ensure our safety began to take the
role of the over exaggerating enforcers for mall regulations. They are the spies that follow us,
watch us, scold us, and according to popular belief, “harass” us. It seems now that we cannot
even be in our home away from home without being brought back to the level where we must
constantly be supervised and badgered.
Even though we choose to mark these authorities off as pest and believe that they have no
defense for their over exaggerated regulatory methods, they believe they’re entitled to their own
rebuttal. Many of the “Mall Cops” feel that although their job is pestering and annoying, it is
necessary to hold adolescents responsible and accountable for behavior that is appropriate for
this public zone of gathering. “We understand that there is a difference between mature kids and
immature kids, but we have to target them all, not just target on a hunch,” states mall Officer
Foster. Even if we are the innocent, standard mall goers who have a shopping agenda to push,
we are still sometimes subjected to the suspicions and conjectures mall security has formed
about “juveniles” who roam the mall floors.
Many of the new rules limit how and when we enter the mall. Many of us who enjoy walking in large packs have probably received the mall equivalent misdemeanor for walking in
groups of more than four people at a time. And many of us have probably even been berated
for standing in one area for to long without cause. But our least favorite regulation has to be the
limit on the time frame at which we can be in the mall. Mall rules states that anyone who is under 18 can no longer enter the mall between the hours of 7 am and 3 pm between Monday and
Friday without a parent. Mall securities will have the right to call your parents or even higher
authority should they catch you doing this, “As parents ourselves we know that the one place
you should not be during school hours is the mall; we like to think we’re doing you all a favor,”
claimed mall Officer Foster.
Whether we may find these regulations to be unfair and obtrusive, they are the rules we
must follow and abide by. Ultimately, the mall is a place that is meant for people to shop in, but
we have turned into a place we like to hang out. If you are a window shopper with no money to
spend and you’re walking through the mall with a group of friends and no one has bags, know
that you are going to be the first targeted by the Mall Cops. If you do not like it, we suggest you
find something else to do to occupy your time.
FEATURES
Fall 2010
The American Melting Pot:
Interracial Dating and Marriages on the Rise
By Karen Lopez and Cesar Ferman
America has become a melting pot of cultures. However, since the beginning
of American history, interracial relationships have been a taboo issue in our society. Most of the controversy is a product of racist views that have led to mental anguish, physical injuries, and in many cases death, for those who dared to
defy the written and unwritten political and family laws established within the
fabric of our country. At one point, marrying, or even being seen with someone
outside of your race was outlawed. In order to prevent being imprisoned, beaten
or, killed, people from different races that wanted to be together had to hide in
secret to show their love and affection for one another. Finally, in 1967, in the
civil rights case, Loving v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled
that the “Racial Integrity Act of 1924” was unconstitutional and
legal restrictions on interracial marriages ended.
However, Michelle is not the only young person encouraged by her family not
to have more than social interaction with others outside of her race. In several
households, it is an unwritten law. These laws were established by elders who
had intentions on maintaining their indigenous lineages. Unfortunately for the
Elders, evolution, assisted by the media has shattered the barriers. There continues to be modern day, racial Romeo & Juliet stories in our society.
Forty-five years later, interracial couples walk down the streets
of L.A., proudly holding hands. You can see a family, the father
one race, the mother another, and the children, a product of the
combining genes. According to CBS, “seven percent of marriages
in America are interracial.” Today in our society, younger generations are more likely to date outside their race, as is evident on our
own high school.
In various cases, students struggle to find their identity and
what category of “race” they belong to. Even applications that
require the applicant to check a box for “race” are getting more
confusing for mixed children. Then there are those children who
may be more accepted by one side of the family than the other
because of the racial prejudices and biases an opposite side may
have. This scenario often times creates an internal conflict for the
person caught in the middle of what they see as ignorance. But
most children that are mixed find comfort in identifying with more than one culture because it gives them an opportunity for more celebrations. It’s like having
the best of both worlds. Tiger Woods, in an attempt to identify with his Caucasian, Asian, and African-American roots, claimed himself to be “Cablanasian”.
Others find different ways to identify with the cultures they represent.
Christopher Garcia and Michelle Ziko have been dating for three years.
Christopher is Salvadorian and Michelle is a mixture of Pilipino, Romanian,
Salvadorian and Argentinean. When asked if dating someone from a different
race affected them and their family, Christopher responded, “dating other races
doesn’t affect me and my family.” But Michelle says the opposite. “It affects
me from my mom’s side because we are expected to marry within our culture
only.” Not only has her relationship affected her family, but just being a product of mixed races and cultures has impacted her social life as well. “I claim to
be mostly Pilipino because I look like it,” she says. “I sometimes feel left out
because of my race. Being half Hispanic and not being able to speak Spanish
fluently really affects me around my friends. Most of my friends are Hispanics and when they speak Spanish I don’t feel included in their conversations
because I can’t speak it.”
Teacher Spotlight
By AlmaRamos
While many students find it difficult to date outside their race, others such as
Samara Duncan have no problem with it. “I think it’s beautiful, I don’t think that
I should be forced into only dating black guys because I’m black,” says Duncan.
She adds, “I love everyone, Black, White, Hispanics, and Asians.
I don’t judge skin color or race, it’s about the individual.”
As each year passes, more and more children are being born as products of
interracial marriages and couples and their children are being brought up in a
society in which these types of unions are no longer taboo. As a matter of fact,
this phenomenon will have far reaching affects on the make-up of our society in
the near future. Just think, fifty years from now, there may only be two boxes for
race to check on forms and applications, Human and Other.
What Do You Really Know About
The Mayan Calendar?
By Makua Raye (Mayan Calendar Student, Teacher, and Torch Associate)
The Maya calendar in its final form dates back to
centuries before the birth of The Christ and originated within the Olmec civilization. It is extremely
accurate, and the calculations of Maya priests were
so precise that their calendar correction is 10,000th
of a day more exact than the standard calendar the
world uses today. How is it that we have lived in a
kind of veiled ignorance for millennia, our books
speaking of a history which is hardly ancient, but
rather a drop in the bucket of time, accepting simplistic stories of creation and evolution and isolated
from other life within the galaxy, barely learning
with crude ships how to cross our own seas some
few hundreds of years ago? And yet, here and there
we have been able to pick up the pieces of lost
civilizations whose people somehow seemed to be
more in touch than ourselves with origins and endings and with the cyclical nature of time. Such a
people were the Maya, whose astoundingly precise
calendrical achievements brought them to calculate
actual dates going as far back as 90 and 300 million
years and into the future soon to be our present!
The
Structure
of
the
Calendar
Of all the ancient calendar systems, the Maya and
other Mesoamerican systems are the most complex
and intricate. They used 20-day months, and had
two calendar years: the 260-day Sacred Round,
or Tzolkin, and the 365-day Vague Year, or Ahab.
These two calendars coincided every 52 years. The
52-year period of time was called a “bundle” and
meant the same to the Maya as our century does to us.
No one is certain how such an unusual calendar came into being. The 260-day cycle may
tie several celestial events together, including the
configuration of Mars, appearances of Venus, or
eclipse seasons. It may even represent the interval between conception and birth of a human baby.
The 260-day calendar was used to determine
important activities related to the gods and humans. It was used to name individuals, predict
the future, decide on auspicious dates for battles,
marriages, and so on. Each single day had its
omens and associations, and the inexorable march
of the 20 days was like a perpetual fortune-tell-
Page 5
ing machine, guiding the destinies of the Maya.
The linking of the Tzolkin and the Haab resulted
in a longer cycle of 18,890 days, or approximately
52 solar years. The end of this 52-year cycle was
particularly feared, because it was believed to be a
time when the world might come to an end and the
sky might fall, if the gods were not satisfied with
the way humanity had carried out its obligations.
One of the most important roles of the calendar
was not to fix dates accurately in time, however,
but to correlate the actions of Maya rulers to historic and mythological events. The acts of gods
performed in the days of myth were reenacted by
Maya rulers, often on the anniversary of the original event - a date which was carefully calculated
by Maya priests. The calendar was also used to
mark the time of past and future happenings. Some
Maya monuments, for example, record the dates of
events 90 million years ago, while others predict
events that will take place 3,000 years into the future.
The calendar also predicted the future, as our astrological zodiac does. For example, the Maya believed
that a person’s birthday or day-sign determined their
fate through life. The newborn child was thus connected with a particular god, and remained under that
god’s influence. Some gods were more auspicious than
others, and a child born under a well-wishing god was
considered lucky. A child born under a less kind deity
had to ensure throughout his or her life that the god
was propitiated - especially during vulnerable periods.
The ancient Maya cycle still survives in southern Mexico and the Maya highlands, under the
care of calendar priests who still keep the 260-day
count for divination and other shamanistic activities. These priests juggled cycles of time and calculated when several of these cycles would coincide.
The current Maya Great Age, the fifth, said to be a synthesis of the last four Great Ages and is symbolized by
the glyph Ollin, meaning movement or shift. This age is
believed to have been initiated by Quetzalcoatl in 3,113
B.C. and is due to complete its cycle, Dec. 21, 2012.s
In the Mayan Chronology, the date 3113 B.C.
date is written 13.0.0.0.0. On Dec. 21, 2012, the
date will again be written 13.0.0.0.0. The coefficient 13 in the date 13.0.0.0.0. refers to the completion of a cycle of 13 Baktuns (Mayan measurement
of time). Between the first cycle and the ending
cycle, 13 Baktun cycles of slightly less than 400
years each have passed. Therefore, the first Baktun
of the new cycle is Baktun zero again. Note that
13 in esoteric tradition represents the Christ. There
were 12 disciples, Jesus as the Christed One was 13.
The Maya-based Aztec calendar places Ollin in
the center of the calendar. Ollin represents a point of
synthesis. We are currently in the thirteenth cycle,
Baktun 12, the Baktun of the Transformation of Matter spanning the years 1618 to 2012. The last Katun
of this Age began 1992 and ends 2012. The glyph
for this Katun is Storm followed by Sun; a period of
darkness followed by one of light. This is where we
are today.
M
Master Ceramics Teacher
Mr. Yoshii
any teachers have come and
gone through the doors of
Leuzinger High School. Either the teachers are new to
the profession or veterans who have transferred
from another. Others prefer to stay at a school
in order to witness the growth, development
and maturation of the students they have participated in cultivating.
One of these teachers is Mr.Yoshii. Leuzinger’s master ceramics teacher has been a
teacher at the Leu for twenty-eight years. Some
of our teachers that are alumni remember Mr.
Yoshi from when they were students here. He
is well known and many students are fond of
him. He has been in the teaching profession for
over thirty-three years and proudly claims, “I
love my job”. He lives in Orange County and
drives over fifty miles every day with a positive
attitude ready for a good day “I love where I
live and I love my job; if I have to pay a small
price driving here every day, its ok all I need is
a good CD and that’s it”.
Through his career he is satisfied to say his
students now have a different out look on art
other than a drawing a simple vase or a pot.
He try’s to make his class a place where his
students can come and relax and take a brake
from their busy schedules. He is an inspiring
story to many of our students. He himself was
not a straight A student in high school. He has
been an inspiration to most of his students. He
tells us how he did not receive straight A’s. This
is a big inspiration on many students because it
shows them how you don’t need straight A to
become successful in life. “Mr.Yoshii inspired
me by showing me that even though he wasn’t
a great student in High School, he still managed to become a great teacher and a great role
model,” stated Nancy Gonzalez. She would listen to his stories during class when she realized
what she wanted to become in life. Thanks to
Mr.Yoshii’s story she decided to pursue photography. .We are very thankful of having an
amazing teacher like Mr.Yoshii. Its nice to
know that we have other teachers just as amazing.
Student Spotlight
By AlmaRamos
Maya Yanez
Unfortunately, many students do not really
take their education seriously, and they come
to school ready and prepared with makeup,
mirrors and skate boards instead of pencils and
notebooks. However, there are other students
who know the importance of a sound education. One of those students is Maya Yanez.
Maya is an exception to the average student.
Maya is a thirteen year old freshman who is
already on the road to something greater than
most students. She wakes up everyday with a
positive attitude ready to learn.
As freshmen, the proclaimed “brainiac”
takes the most challenging classes offered at
Leuzinger High School. For starters, all her
classes, with the exception of P.E. are either
Honors, AP, or she is in a class that is only for
Juniors and/or Seniors. Maya has Honors English with Dr. Holt, A.P. Human Geography with
Mr. James, Biology with Ms. Lee, Algebra II
with Ms. Klein, Environmental Science with
Ms. Schulze, and Spanish with Mr. Romo.
. One of her major goals is to graduate highschool by age sixteen by taking the California
Exit Exam. When she finishes her High School
studies, she plans to attend Harvard University
and study for four years in the forensic science
field. Maya reveals, “I would greatly enjoy attending Harvard University and Harvard Medical School so that I may go in to the Forensics
Science Field to become a Forensics Analogist
or a C.S.I (Crime Scene Investigator).”
Her first advanced placement was in the 5th
grade when she and a selected amount of students were chosen to learn algebra. She gladly
accepted and took full advantage of her educational opportunity. As a seventh grader she was
given the opportunity to take Algebra I. Now,
as a 9th graded she takes Algebra II.
Mr. James was so impressed by Maya’s intellect he volunteered her to be on the Leuzinger Debate team, although she had no experience debating. Even though she claimed to be
very nervous she embraced the challenge and
amazed everyone, as she received a certificate congratulating her great job as she placed
4th in congress. Maya has received countless
amounts academic awards and honors for consistently maintaining a high G.P.A. throughout
her school career. Despite her young age she is
exceeding the standards of a typical 9th grade
student and she is on the fast track to graduate
from High School and enter college years before she is scheduled.
Arts & Entertainment
Fall 2010
Rob Zombie Attraction
Featured at Universal
The Top Ten Songs of 2010
Did Your Song Make The Cut?
By Edith Covarrubias
The musician/film producer Rob
Zmbie has always been captivated by
macabre. Rob Zombie is the director
of House Of 1000 Corpses, The Devils Reject, and The last two Halloween
movies. He is also the front man of his
heavy metal band. “It’s always been in
my life, I think, because when I was a
little kid in the late 60’s there was a big
horror boom.”
For those of you who are fans of
Halloween and of Rob Zombie, Universal Studious Halloween Horror Nights
recently opened up the walk-through
maze conceptualized by Rob Zombie
called House of 1000 Corpses, which
happens to be filmed in 3D zombie vision. House of 1000 Corpses is one of
the largest attractions to the audience.
The maze is based on his 2003 film,
written and directed by Zombie. The
movie is based on two teenage couples
whom travel throughout the backwoods
of the big state (Texas) in quest of urban legends. The teens are captured by
a psychotic backcountry family of serial killers.
1. ‘California Gurls’ (Katy Perry)
As guests enter the maze they slip
on the 3D glasses for an up and close
personal encounter with the killers that
prey upon all their senses. The whole
attraction comes to life. Zombie himself
has also been known to pop out of the
haunted maze to scare people.
Featuring hip-hop star Snoop Dogg, the song includes Prince-sounding
‘80s guitar beats and summer-ready lyrics: “California girls / We’re unforgettable / Daisy dukes, bikinis on top / Sun kissed skin, so hot, will melt
your popsicle.” Is it the California version of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ ‘Empire State of Mind’? We’ll let the fans determine that.
Zombie’s next feature film is called
The Lords of Salem about a 300year
old group of witches that returns to terrorize Salem. In addition Rob Zombie
and Alice Cooper are also going to be
touring together at their Hootenanny
Tour as The Gruesome Twosome with
special guests, Murderdolls. They are
going to be playing at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk and
tickets range from $37.85 to $96.30.
Universal Studios and Live Nation are
teaming up to offer a $59 combo ticket
to the Halloween Hootenanny and Halloween Horror Nights. If you have no
plans for Halloween stop on by Universal studious Halloween Horror Nights
for Rob Zombies “House of 1000
Corpses.”
2. ‘Love the Way You Lie’ (Eminem)
The blockbuster album ‘Recovery’ has been breaking records on the Billboard charts, as well as its second single, ‘Love the Way You Lie.’ The
mid-tempo rap track, with melodic piano chords and a soaring chorus, has
R&B diva Rihanna joining Eminem to tell the story of an abusive couple
who can’t stay apart, despite bringing out the worst in each other. “It’s
something that, you know, [Eminem and I have] both experienced ... On
different sides, different ends of the table,” Rihanna, recently told Access
Hollywood.
3. ‘Nothin’ on You’ (B.O.B.)
‘Nothin’ on You’ is the very first single by B.o.B. Featuring Bruno Mars
(who sings the catchy chorus about all the beautiful women uncomparable
to “the one”), this best song of 2010 is also included on B.o.B.’s debut studio album, ‘The Adventures of Bobby Ray.’
“We don’t want Olympic Games,
We want Revolution!”
Rojo Amanecer, An Underground Classic
By Benjamin Reveles
Here is a little history lesson for the intrigued: the year is 1968, and nothing better
defines that year than these two words: social
change. Tales of assassinations, protests, and
riots fill the newsstands. Mexico is no different, as upset students who formed the National
Strike Council challenge the authoritarian regime of Gustavo Diaz Ordaz. Ultimately, tensions boiled over on October 2, 1968, when
a large collective several thousand students
peacefully gathered at the Plaza de las Tres Culturas (Plaza of Three Cultures) in the Tlatelolco
district of Mexico City. In order to preserve the
positive international attention that the country
was receiving (Mexico was to host the 1968
Olympics ten days later), the government sent
in federal troops to quench the protest.
Rojo Amanecer (Red Dawn), a Mexican
tragedy depicting the events of the Tlatelolco
Massacre which took place on the second of
October, in 1968. This historical-fiction film
tells the story of a general middle class family carrying out mundane tasks, but against the
backdrop of the student protests that were occurring at that time.
The film takes place over the span of one
day, and the exposition opens with the family
awakening one by one, as we are introduced
to the inhabitants, your standard nuclear family: Humberto, the politician-father, Alicia,
your basic housewife and mother, Don Roque,
Alicia’s veteran father, Carlos and Graciela,
the middle-schoolers, and finally, Sergio and
Jorge, the university students who are caught
up in the student movement. A notable moment
in the breakfast scene is the argument between
Humberto and the boys, over their participation
in the student protests, and how the government
is not something to be toyed with. The family
carries about their daily routine, as Humberto leaves for work, and all the kids leave for
school, while Alicia and her father stay home
Small Band, Big Sound
Leu House Band is a Hit
By Erika Fajardo
Music is a form of expression which cannot
be put into words. And although this belief is
popular among many of us, we do not all devote our time and hearts to making music apart
of who we are and the lifestyle we choose to
live.
We are all individuals who have an appetite to pursue dreams and careers that we are
utterly passionate about. And in our institution the passion to make music lies among the
individuals, who when in concert, are known
as the Leuzinger High School Band and Drum
Line. As individuals they are our dear friends
who we love and adore. However, as a group,
as a band, we have taken them for granted and
never given them the recognition that they truly deserve. Many of us have ignored the bands
efforts and hard work, and at times even criti-
cized their performance. Of course we say these
things because we do not realize the difficulty
of the tasks they are performing. This is a truth
only they know that none of us have had the
chance to experience, “We’re showing people
that we’re capable of doing because what we
do IS hard,” stated drum line captain Guadalupe Escobar.
As a band, their purpose has been to instill
school spirit and create enthusiasm among the
student body, but to them it has always been
much more than that, “The band is to give students a way to express themselves,” claims Mr.
Cassio, Director for the Leuzinger Band.
Despite the countless criticism and hurtful
remarks made towards them, the band members have shaken it off and continue to practice
Page 6
for the house-chores. It is about 3 p.m. when
the turning point of the film is revealed, as the
family notices thousands of students in the
aforementioned Plaza of Three Cultures, which
is just outside of their apartment building. The
family begins to notice the increased military
presence at the protest, and they panic as the
sound of machine gun fire rips through the air.
Overall, Rojo Amanecer is film that must
not be ignored, as the acting is very convincing, the storytelling is superb, and the suspense
is torturous. The ending nearly brought tears
to my eyes, and left me in a temporary state
of shock. The suspense is drawn from the fact
that the story is really told from the apartment’s
point of view, as it is the only setting throughout the whole film, giving off the idea that if
walls could talk, they would tell stories. We
must watch films like these so that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past.
4. ‘Break Your Heart’ (Taio Cruz)
This R&B song -- with auto-tune vocals and a synth back-beat -- is the first
single from Taio Cruz’s September-released album ‘Rokstarr.’ Originally
penned for UK singer Cheryl Cole, this No. 1 UK hit has been remixed in
2010 for the US version that features rap sequences by Ludacris.
5. ‘Need You Now (2010 Mix)’ (Lady Antebellum)
This top song is about the longing of late-night companionship. A beautiful ballad, the song reached No. 1 on the Hot Country charts in November,
eventually transitioning over to pop radio. The 2010 pop mix version has
electric guitar replacing the country guitar twang in the chorus and the
bridge. Subtle, but it does the trick.
6. ‘Your Love Is My Drug’ (Kesha)
The bubblegum ‘80s-sounding track -- off her January debut ‘Animal’ -opens with the delusional line: “Maybe I need some rehab / Or maybe just
need some sleep / I’ve got a sick obsession, I’m seeing it in my dreams.”
With a modern Cyndi Lauper-inspired chorus, the song has a playful take
on a teen love obsession, with auto-tuned vocals and casual chatty ad-libs.
7. ‘Airplanes’ (B.O.B.)
Atlanta’s newest MC and producer recruits Paramore’s tangerine bombshell Hayley Williams for this hip-hop track, featuring piano melodies and
prominent clapping backbeats as he says, “I could use a dream or a genie
or a wish / To go back to a place much simpler than this.” The 2010 song is
off B.o.B’s debut album ‘B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray,’
which topped the Billboard 200 in its first week.
8. ‘OMG’ (Usher)
and play because the true motivation has been
shown to lie within themselves and in their belief that they can always improve. “They love
what they’re doing,” proudly stated Mr. Cassio.
However, despite the negative energy being
pushed their way, the band says that a new positive support has come to them from the Leuzinger administration. For the first time in five
years the school band has been able to attend
away games along with the Leuzinger football
team. The band feels that this effort to help them
travel is a great honor and a sign of appreciation from the school staff. “It’s a great opportunity; we get to perform a lot more.” stated band
director Mr. Cassio. With full support and their
positive mental attitude, the Leuzinger Band
is unstoppable this year, “We’re going to kick
butt this year,” stated captain head Nelson Martinez. Not only will they continue to inculcate
enthusiasm and school spirit into our hearts,
but they will keep on with their passion that
means more to them than it could ever mean
to any of us, in the words of the bass drummer
Albina Coronado, “It’s not about making beats,
it’s about making music.”
Borrowing a commonly-used text acronym to describe Usher’s feelings for
a girl, this best song of 2010 features stadium cheering in the chorus and
Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am, singing auto-tune vocals backed by
his own hip-hop beats.
9. ‘Telephone’ (Lady Gaga)
Not to be confused with Beyonce’s remix of ‘Video Phone’ -- which also
includes Lady GaGa -- this top pop song is featured on GaGa’s ‘The Fame
Monster’ and was released as a single on Jan. 26. Although the song incorporates a harp, it’s definitely club-ready -- and features a surprising rap
sequence in the middle by Beyonce. Written by GaGa and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, the song was originally intended for Britney.
10. ‘Rude Boy’ (Rihanna)
‘Rude Boy’ is the third single (second international single) from her fourth
studio effort ‘Rated R.’ Driven by steel drums, the ska and dancehall track’s
title references Jamaican slang -- specifically males who are continually in
trouble. After all, who doesn’t love a bad boy?
Arts & Entertainment
Fall 2010
2011 Horoscopes
Were Skinheads Always Racist?
‘This Is England’ Explains
The Future is Fast Upon Us!
By Jonathan Lopez and Roberrt Huerta
Various individuals coming about throughout the
1960’s to 1990’s viewed the norms instated by society as something to be rejected. This state of negation caused the myriad of subgroups to give birth to
numerous styles of life, music, and art which better
captured and manifested a movement that they could
identify with.
During these times, England would become
the host to an infamous group known as the “Skinheads”, who would rise to become a subculture that
circled around the Ska, Soul and Reggae genres.
These non-political Skinheads adapted a lifestyle of
shaved heads, Doc Martin boots, and a will to follow
a “rude boy/mod” type of look and mentality.
Overtime, the subculture evolved into a group
who viewed the outside world with a more white
supremacist, political point of view. This transition
of what was once an underground love for music,
turned into a more serious and political group that is
depicted in the film called “This is England.” From
the early movement that grew within England in the
1980’s, the skinheads arose and became a part of a
12-year-old boy named Shaun’s being. This film depicts the struggle that a young boy endured, which
occurred after the passing of his father during the
Falklands War, which plagued the nation, and is
faced with a persistent harassment from the older
boys in different cliques.
Woody, the leader of a skinhead group, saw the
face of discontent on Shaun, and would soon begin
to impose the skinhead lifestyle that he followed.
As Shaun became a part of Woody’s group of skinheads, he felt as though he belonged to something
greater than himself which ultimately filled his
heart with utter content.
The movie continues, and racism began to
emerge and thrive within this particular group of
adolescents. The perpetuator was an experienced
skinhead named Combo who having been recently
released from prison, directed the collective with a
new sense of what it meant to be a true nationalist
and political skinhead. Fueled with anger at those
of the darker complexion, due to prior altercations
in prison, Combo began to influence Shaun to stray
away from Woody and his friends, and become a
part of a group of committed skinheads that despised every other race in England.
From pain to joy, hate and hope, this film expresses the view of a young child that grew up in
a time where it was an effortless task to lose one’s
self into the skinhead subculture, but difficult to
deal with the problems that came about soon after.
It is a story of life, and a reflection of a hurt young
man in the melting pot known as England.
The “Social Network”
Dominates Our Lives and
The Box Office
By Benjamin Reveles
The 21st century has seen many unusual
trends, with none being more unusual than
the phenomenon known as social networking.
People gather in front of their computer screens
and chat with “friends” that they either know or
don’t know in person. The Facebook seems to
be the most popular of the sites at this current
time, and is most likely gaining more attention due to the film The Social Network, which
premiered on October 1st. The Social Network
chronicles the story of Facebook’s creation.
I went to see this film for the hype surrounding it (and to write a review for the Torch), and
can say that I was satisfied with the end result.
It stars Jesse Eisenberg (Zombieland), Justin
Timberlake, and Andrew Garfield (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) as three collegeage kids who helped in one way or another to
create the Facebook. The film is based on the
book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a tale of Sex, Money, Genius,
and Betrayal by Ben Mezrich.
In Summary, the story reflects a college sophomore named Marc Zuckerberg who becomes
infamous at Harvard University after he causes
Harvard’s computer network to crash. Two college seniors, Cameron and Tyler Winkelvoss,
become aware of this and ask “Zuck” for help
in creating a website for them that involves college kids chatting online. “Zuck” then employs
the help of his friend Eduardo Saverin for monetary help. The story tells of how the website
was created from scratch, but every once-in-
while, flashes to scenes where Marc Zuckerberg
(Eisenberg), Eduardo Saverin (Garfield) and
the Winklevoss twins all speaking to lawyers,
attempting to settle the dispute over the ownership of Facebook. Either way, Zuckerberg is
the one who did all the manual labor and heavy
lifting, so one is left to decide for him/herself
who the real bad guy(s) are.
Several aspects of the film were enjoyable,
with the acting being one of them. Eisenberg
created an unforgettable character, that will,
on multiple occasions, make the viewer think,
“Wow, this guy’s a real jerk”, but at the same
time, “Wow, this guy’s a real badass”. The climactic scene where Garfield’s character has
a complete breakdown is probably the most
emotional and best-acted scene in the film. The
art direction is also to be marveled over. The
film does a great job of making mundane things
like blogging seem like an action movie. Also,
a scene depicting the glory of a rowing competition is shot in slow motion, and emphasizes
the rowers’ facial expressions. The same scene
was beautifully shot in a tilt-shift manner, making a British town seem like a scale model or a
miniature.
Overall, this film is generally good. I didn’t
find too much to hate about it. It is not biased in
the way it portrays three points of view for one
story without favoring a particular one. Also it
just tells the story of the creation of something
that so many people use, but so few actually
ponder over the legal aspects of its creation.
Page 7
One of the most ancient philosophies’ is Astrology. After studying the ancient African and Sumerian civilizations, the Greeks evolved the belief that
the position of the sun and the planets had an effect on a person’s life and future events. The actual word “astrology” is Greek and means “Science of
the stars”. Looking into our past it is known that people used the sun and moon positions in the sky and the appearance of certain constellations as time
clocks for planting crops and predicting weather. Nomadic tribes used to use the constellations of the skies for navigation which went on to be used
by many civilizations. A persons personal horoscope chart is related to their birth time, date and year. Because there are 12 parts to the year which
are each named after a constellation which is in the sky at the time. Every horoscope has both positive and negative aspects. Your horoscope depends
exactly where your birth day and time falls and under what sign.
Aquarius (Jan 20- Feb 18)
The Aquarian is known as a likable, friendly character that others admire. One of the traits that draws others to you for advice and companionship is
your honesty. You say it like it is but so it kindly. Plus, you’d never break a confidence just to dish on a secret. In the Aquarius 2011 yearly horoscope,
it’s obvious that your interests lie in unraveling the mysteries of life. There are many people in the world and your interest lies in finding the ones who
can talk out creative ideas. You don’t need other people the way they need you, which can cause conflict when it comes to personal relationships. The
year is slated to be smooth sailing for you, Aquarius, thanks to the interaction of the planets. Get ready for a peaceful year where the fruits of your
previous labors will start to come together.
Pisces (Feb 19- Mar 20)
2011 is a two-sided coin for Pisces! Looking ahead to the Pisces 2011 yearly horoscope, there will be major success when it comes to all matters not
related to interpersonal relationships. Career, money and the desire to learn and grow will shape the first half of the year. The latter part of the Pisces
2011 yearly horoscope will require the effort and energy that got you to this place to begin with, but that’s okay. Pisces has never been afraid of hard
work. When it comes to interpersonal relationships, Pisces 2011 will offer a bit more of a challenge. Many issues will require you to take the time to
understand issues and resolve them. The good news is that you are up to the challenge. Sensitive and known to struggle, Pisces will welcome the peace
brought on by 2011.
Aries (Mar 21- Apr 19)
2011 is shaping up to be a very exciting year for Aries. Things have been in a holding pattern for the past few years as Aries struggled on many levels.
Although the Aries continued to show forward movement, Aries 2011 yearly horoscope shows the opportunity for much of that effort to finally pay
off. A strong year for education and income, Aries 2011 will bring positive movement internally. Of course, ying and yang requires Aries to work a
little harder on some of the areas that have gone out of balance, but this will be a challenge the Aries 2011 yearly horoscope sees Aries facing down
without a problem
Taurus (Apr 20- May 20)
Stubborn but patient, Taurus is always willing to weather a storm. The Taurus 2011 yearly horoscope shows that this quality will help you during the
rockier parts of 2011. The first part of the year will bring struggle in career and money, while health issues will also cause confusion throughout the
year. The good news is that love and intimacy are at an all time high, allowing Taurus to have constant support. The challenges of this year will result
in personal growth and change, all working towards the positive.
Gemini (May 21- Jun 20)
A sign known for always changing its mind, Gemini will have little to debate about this year. The Gemini 2011 yearly horoscope shows that things are
pretty clear cut. There will be some attacks on your character but for the most part, you will not be affected. Your love life will be satisfying and will
not require any major decisions. Your health will need a bit of maintenance, so basic self-care is no longer optional. In other words, Gemini, you’re
looking at a year where the path is pretty obvious, so you can find yourself some peace.
Cancer (Jun 21- Jul 22)
This is an exciting time to be a Cancer! The Cancer 2011 yearly horoscope shows that life will seem full of mystery and intrigue for sweet and
sensitive Cancer. Although things may move a little too slow for your taste, Cancer 2011 will bring an interest in learning, new creativity and grabbing
everything life has to offer.
Leo (Jul 23- Aug 22)
There will be a lot to be proud of in 2011! The Leo 2011 yearly horoscope shows that you have worked hard and will see the fruition of that hard work
in your career. Doors will open, people will admire you for ingenuity and might even approach you regarding new business ventures. It seems like
everyone on the outside is a fan, except those closest to you. To maintain a harmonious Leo 2011 year, take the time to balance your life. It can’t be
all about you all the time... even though you will have a lot going for you.
Virgo (Aug 23- Sep 22)
Stability is always good for a Virgo. The Virgo 2011 yearly horoscope shows that the upcoming year will give you this in spades. Everything will be
easy, simple and exactly what you’re looking for, Virgo, but there won’t be much to write home about. That’s okay! Excitement is not always a good
thing. Take pleasure in the simplicity of 2011 and the joy it can bring. Concentrate on building your intelligence and your relationships for the long
term, but be sure to appreciate the basic pleasures that life will bring. The Virgo 2011 yearly horoscope shows that you will find joy in the mundane
this year.
Libra (Sep 23- Oct 22)
As a Libra, stability and balance is very important. The Libra 2011 yearly horoscope shows that 2011 will be a great year for Libras because it brings
much of the same. This will inspire Libra to branch out and try some new things! Be prepared for a slight bump in the road at the beginning of the year,
as there will be some challenges regarding education, but nothing that is impossible to overcome. There will certainly be a special someone vying for
your attention, but keep yourself under control Libra. You don’t want the promise of true love to get burned up in the fires of this romance.
Scorpio (Oct 23- Nov 21)
Scorpio, you are determined to have things go your way. If it doesn’t, you will smile on the outside and fume on the inside; until you resolve the issue.
The Scorpio 2011 yearly horoscope shows that in 2011, you will have little reason for finding anything but pleasure out of life. Things will tend to go
your way, especially in terms of relationships and your career. So smile for real and enjoy 2011.
Sagittarius (Nov 22- Dec 21)
The Sagittarius 2011 yearly horoscope shows the year is looking bright for Sagittarius! Even though there will be some ups and downs, the general
positive attitude of the Sag will keep everything looking bright. If things get difficult, do not be afraid to ask for help from those who have been there
and done that. Turning towards experience is the quickest way to learn. As you face down the troubles that enter into 2011, be ready to learn and grow.
Doing the same old, same old isn’t practical when you have the option of celebrating who you are through growth and change
Capricorn (Dec 22- Jan 19)
In the world of the Capricorn, indepence is the name of the game. You know what you want and have little patience waiting for others to give you
permission to go get it. This year will be a nice rest from struggle, as the Capricorn 2011 yearly horoscope shows that success you’ve earned will start
to take hold. You might feel some social pressures due to your desire to spend quality time with yourself, so be certain to stay balanced. Enjoy your
alone time but keep things positive by making time for others as you enjoy your prosperous year.
Horoscopes are courtesy of freehoroscopes.com and are for entertainment purposes only.
Fall 2010
Opinions/Editorials
What is the Difference Between Truth and Reality?
Facebook and Myspace Make It Hard To Tell
Sexual predators also use social networks to
lead victims to believe falsehoods about them.
It is easy for an older man to create an account
profile that makes him seem as if he is a peer.
In the past, NBC Dateline has produced specials that exposed men who where using the
networks to lure young ladies into precarious
situations. The host of the Dateline special
would entrap these troubled men by creating
their own fictitious profiles, pretending to be
young girls. “I got into so much trouble one
time when my mom found out I was carrying
on a long-distance online relationship with a
man that told me he was nineteen, but ended
up being thirty-five,” shares Isis, a Leuzinger
High Junior.
Online fantasy life can either make you or it
could break you depending on how you use it.
However we use it, the key is to be responsible
and respectful, especially of yourself. Fellas,
if you only play Frosh/Soph and your profile
says you are the star of the varsity team; it’s
o.k. to be honest. One day it will become a
reality. Ladies, if you love yourself, stop posting pictures that make you look like strumpets;
those pictures that you would never show your
grandmother. Just continue to ask yourself,
“How do we differentiate between truth and
reality?”
Knowledge Is The Key:
For Many, Doors Are Locked
By Patricia Jaramillo
We all know the average American today has
a Facebook, Myspace, Twitter or some type of
online, Avatar (online fantasy characters) representation to get escape from reality. While
online networking was originally meant for
business, the world is using social networking
for good, bad, and all in between.
Social networking can help entrepreneurs
to promote their businesses. Online social networking has assisted people with securing jobs.
Social sites such as Facebook and Myspace
help people with their businesses by adding
those who are friends to their layouts or profiles online. Many people use Facebook or Myspace to
catch up with old friends or with family. People communicate with friends that they haven’t
seen in a long period of time or family members that live a far distance away. A Leuzinger
High school Student exclaimed, “I use it to
connect with friends and to get a hold of people
you haven’t seen in forever.” He also disliked
networking because, “It can get addicting and
you will lose track of responsibilities.” Today
he only goes on Myspace once every week.
Unfortunately, just as these social networks
can assist us in our everyday lives, they have
also proven to be the source of danger and a
false sense of reality for many. Social networking can be a dangerous habit to have. In Femail
Magazine a young woman in Britain neglected
her family and also starved her two dogs to
death for a fantasy life online. She was invited
online by a Facebook friend to play a competitive game. Femail Magazine discusses the
young woman’s two decomposed dogs were
laying in her dinning room while her three
children fended for themselves. In comparison
a 24-year-old father in the U.S. played an online video game while his 10-month twin boys
drowned in the bathtub three rooms away.
Several of us take advantage of the fact
that we do not have to represent ourselves in
person while online. Constantly, people are
tricked into thinking that someone’s true self
is honestly represented by their profile and the
picture used as the avatar, only to find out that
a picture may be outdated and their profile describes who they wish they were. “Man, I met
this girl on-line and she had me going,” said
Air’Ron White when asked had he ever been
bamboozled online. White adds, “Lets just say
when I met her she was a little more robust then
her picture led me to believe, and a lot less talkative when she had to articulate her thoughts on
the spot.”
Page 8
By Lobo
Try Some Food
For Thought
By Ramon Loza
Teen obesity is a condition that is
increasing in this country at an alarming rate. Many teens suffer from depression caused by insecurity of their
looks. This affects people all over the
world from infants to adults. The epidemic is the cause of many preventable deaths in the past decade. An
obvious variable of the plague is the
health hazards that being over weight
causes, like heart disease, the number
one cause of death in America. Heart
disease affects more than 81,100,000
people in the United States. As one
person dies of heart disease another is
diagnosed with heart disease.
Teen obesity doesn’t allow some
teens to live a happy childhood due to
health restrictions that prevents them
from keeping up with other kids their
age. However, obesity can easily be
beaten with a healthy diet and mild
exercise. Obesity threatens our country. If this issue is not addressed by
the individuals inflicted, our country
will begin to weaken its defenses. So
people if you read this start drinking
water and eat fruits and vegetables;
and if you can, pop a few push ups
and sit ups for your own good. Although physical change will take time
to show results on the outside, you
will definitely begin to feel a change
in mentality, which in turn leads to
more dedication and self-love.
The organization walked in, as if he was an
owner of a huge corporation, there only to reap the
crop of his harvest. No care in the world as to who
was in the class, nor did he wonder why. Content to
see the profit of his organization grow, he began to
sell numerous items of food to the kids that attended
the court ordered class. I was mandated to be in the
class for committing to a minor misdemeanor. In addition, I was ordered to pay a small fee.
Talking to my mom as soon as I finished my
class, I began telling her of the greed and carelessness I witnessed in the man who was supposed to be
a productive member of a class that I thought to be
of no benefit. My discontent over the fact that this
man only used this class to get his wallet fatter really ate at me. I also reflected on how I simply let
myself be abused by the court as well as that man.
Quickly my mom shined the light on me and said,
“…maybe if you never got caught doing what you
were doing, you would have never had to give more
money to that man or the Justice System.” Sadly, the
immaturity deep within made it hard for me to hold
myself accountable for my actions and the consequences afterwards. I was so caught up in this man’s
actions, that I never came to think that I always had
the power to resist giving more money to these profit
fueled classes and police department.
By beginning to understand the way this
system runs, one can see how people are needed to
be minimum wage workers, delinquents, and simply
stay at the bottom. We are fed these lifestyles that we
idolize; infamy, money, gangs, and drugs, too blind
to see that we are being abused. According to several
respectable sources, from state to state, prisons and
county jails are over-populated with minorities stuck in
a vicious cycle of the urban lifestyle where education is
rejected and fast money is worshipped.
There are many unforeseen variables that cause
a person to resort to living “the fast life”. But perhaps
the media is our greatest adversary. If we continue to
follow the misleading media and emulate the images
that are created for us but not by us, we are fueling
the machine some would refer to as the “Matrix”. The
system feeds off people without a college degree and
people willing to break the laws set up by the government.
We must open our eyes and see the reality
of this world. Only through education can we be self
aware, and counter all of the existing stereotypes that
have been created to manipulate our minds. This is not
to disrespect the hardworking people out there trying
to make ends meet, but to encourage a sense of legacy
that we can leave behind as we establish a new and
productive life for generations to come.
What is to happen if people rise up and break
through the mentality implanted in us to reconstruct
a stronger population that rejects the lies and embraces education? By becoming informed and
stronger, we will be able to have more control over
our destinies. Knowledge is power; and as long as
we continue to exist with no desire to know, we
will forever be powerless. Knowledge is the only
thing no one can take from you.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey
Campus Quotes By Alma Ramos
What priceless advice do you have for incoming Freshmen?
Dr. Ryan Smith
Leuzinger H.S. Principal
“The main thing with fresh man is
to keep up with their work do not be
left behind get a good relationship
with your teacher and get involve
doesn’t matter how but to involve
with any clubs”
Strawn Holmes
Leuzinger English Teacher
“In order to succeed in school and
beyond, learn because you realize
what you learn will improve you as
a person. The grade will come. This
attitude will translate into academic
success because your passion to
become better will translate into
knowledge of self, the one ingredient
needed to excel at any subject.
Knowledge of self translates into
success in life no matter what you
decide to become.”
Henry Rodriguez
Leuzinger H.S. Senior
Brenda Sanchez
Leuzinger H.S. Junior
Abaner Obar
Leuzinger H. S. Sophmore
“Don’t mess up! It’s one of the most
important years of your life. I hear
many of my friends right now wishing
they would have taken their freshman
years a little more seriously. Now
they have to take all types of credit
recovery classes right now, wasting
valuable time they could be using to
have an incredible senior year.”
“All freshmen should be concerned
with keeping up with their work or
else they will fall really behind. Try to
master the art of time so that you can
manage it to your advantage. There
are 24 hours in a day. We are in school
for 8, we sleep for eight, leaving us
with eight hours to eat, STUDY and do
homework, and probably some time
for the things that should always be
your last priority like AIMing, texting,
facebooking, and video-gaming.”
“Basically just follow rules, do your
work, and don’t anything stupid.
Most freshman are still maturing
and have a hard time realizing and
accepting the fact that they are in
High School now. I suggest they step
their games up and realize where
they are at. This is the big leagues.
Immature behavior will definetely
affect academic achievement and it
will strain your relationships with
your teachers.”
Opinions/Editorials
Fall 2010
Page 9
Does The Mayan Prophecy Predict
The End or A New Beginning?
By Nancy Gonzalez
The Solstice on December 21, 2012 ~ precisely at 11:11 AM
Universal Time ~ marks the completion of the 5,125 year Great
Cycle of the Ancient Maya Long Count Calendar. Rather than
being a linear end-point, this cycle that is closing is naturally
followed by the start of a new cycle. What this
new cycle has in store for humanity is a mystery
that has yet to unfold...
destruction like everyone else makes it seem. We shouldn’t worry about it.” Father Gonzalez has a strong belief that we should
just forget about 2012, comparing it to the Y2K false alarm that
everyone seemed to live through. “The son never knows how
2012 is also considered the completion of the
26,000 year Precession of the Equinoxes cycle,
and some say it also signifies the end of a 104,000
year cycle.
Are we at fault for what might happen? Dominic
continues to weigh in, “it depends on what happens, really. It’s no lie, we as humans are destroying the planet. About forty years ago, we were
using about 7/10 of what the earth could regenerate; now it takes about a year and a half to regain
what we take in a year. Humans have destroyed
the planet. If a disaster happens that day it may be
our fault, but if a good thing, like a rally, or huge
party happens it’s our “fault” too. I kind of think
that whatever happens on Dec.21, 2012 humans
will be responsible for, unless its something we
cant control, like a climate shift…or some meteor
that comes out of nowhere, or aliens! Something
important will happen Dec. 21, 2012...I’m confident of that.” No one is ever sure what’s going
to happen that day in 2012. It is just one of those
mysteries you have to wait for the revelation.
The recent “2012” movie serves to alert a targeted 140 million people, in case they too haven’t
already heard the news. Unfortunately, however,
the movie does a dis-service because it distorts
the message of this ancient prophecy by associating it with fear and destruction, as depicted by the
movie’s global disaster scenario, rather than the
themes of transformation and renewal the prophecy is actually based in.
“Based on the predictions of 2012 part of me
thinks that it’s not going to happen, but I can’t
100% rule out the possibility that it is going to
happen.” Mr. Cara voices what is going on in the
majority of our minds. While most of us are confused about what the future holds, there are a few
who are confident of what is and what isn’t going
to take place near the end 2012.
A local priest, Mario Gonzalez states, “we shouldn’t stress
out about the situation.” Gonzalez chuckled and was curious
to know why I had even thought about these sorts of issues.
Ultimately, he blamed the media. Throughout our conversation
he explained how people just scare us into believing that we are
all going to die a brutal death. “I think 2012 is just going to be a
normal day, I don’t believe its going to be a day of burning and
but it could be anything. The calendar symbolized the end of the
cycle. It didn’t allude to the end of the world,” states Daniels.
He adds, “It can mean many things…from good to bad; an important event will take place, but I personally hope it’s good…
or maybe a moderate dose of good ol‘ chaos!”
Although Dominic knows and considers what the
Mayans have to say he does have his own view of
what can possibly happen in 2012.
the world is going to end; only the father knows.” Father Gonzalez’s wise closing remarks explain that as humans we don’t
know how the world is going to end.
Dominic Daniels explains his opinion of the Mayan Calendar prophecy does not allow him to exactly agree the world
will end, contrary to what many tend to believe. He agrees that
there is going to be an important event that will take place. “I
believe an important event will happen on December 21, 2012,
At the end of the day, we shouldn’t worry too
much about prophecies being fulfilled; we should just go on and
enjoy our lives while we still can. Whether it’s a change or the
end, we cannot run away from it; its going to happen one day or
another whether it is 2012 or tomorrow. So do you believe December 21st, 2012 will be a day of reckoning? And if so, what
will you do if and when the apocalypse occurs?
This column is “The Torch” tribute to the popular viral
series, created and made famous by Legendary Hip-Hop
Artist, Ed Lover. C’mon Son! adresses societies blatant
ignorance. Whenever you see someone acting blatantly
ignorant, look at them with a look that mirrors their
stupidity and say, “C’mon Son!. Dont forget to check out
episodes of C’mon Son! on line.
1. When you are at nutrition or lunch, you throw your trash right
next to the trashcan and then run from the seagulls when the bell
rings, we can’t help but to say to you, “C’mon Son!”. Why
would you run from the seagulls that you attracted with your
trash. There is almost a trash can for every five students on this
campus. Act like your moms raised you right andshow love to
your environment; unless you like it when the seagulls hover
over us like moving targets. “C’mon Son!”
2. If you have professional hoop hopes or football fantasies, but
you can’t play the sport you love in high-schoolbecause you are
ineligible, you get an emphatic “C’mon Son”. How are you going to get good enough to make it to the pro’s if you have never
played a game. Step your game up in the class room so you can
get a chance to step up on the court or the field. Don’t be the
best player in the school who never suited up. “C’mon Son”.
3. Really? And what if there is an evil conspiracy planned by the
“Illuminati” to take over the world and subject the commoners
to slavery or death? What are you going to do? “C’mon Son”.
You will spend all of your time talking about the conspiracy
instead of educating and strengthening yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually. Now that you think you know, what are
you going to do about it? “C’mon Son”.
If you would like to shed light on examples of blatant ignorance that you have witnessed, type it and submit it to the
torch staff in Room 6-5.
America Evolved Through Migration Embarrassed By A Parent?
So Why Is Immigration Such An Issue?
You Should Think Twice
By Omar T. Bucio
Despite the fact the America
that we know today was built
on the migration of an Italian
(Columbus) and a Spanish explorer (Cortez), it is sometimes
overlooked that both explorers
came here to take full ownership over this land regardless
of the means needed to get it.
Both of these characters who
some might call heroes, led
the indigenous people to their
demise, destroying all their
ancient beliefs, traditions,
and their just overall styles of
living. Unfortunately, these
immigrants conquest lead to
slavery, slaughter, disrespect,
rape, murder, and an overall
devaluing of Native people’s
existence. Sadly these problems still exist in the communities within our so called,
“modern day society”. For example, minority communities
have the highest crime rates,
murder rates, unemployment
rates, and the highest amounts
of incarceration (modern-day
slavery).
Immigration directly or
indirectly affects every single
person today. The laws today
on immigration in Arizona are
a contradiction to what America is. According to CNN
news in 2005, 300 immigration bills were introduced.
The next year, that number
nearly doubled, and on 2007,
more than 1500 bills were introduced, another 1,305 were
introduced in 2008, and about
another 1500 were considered in 2009. About 15% of
those enacted dealt with issues such as driver’s licenses,
healthcare, legalization, and
education. About 1000 bills
were brought up just this year.
Daily, new laws and ideas are
suggested to congress to address immigration.
This issue of immigration
legislation is very present in
the U.S. on a daily basis. Un-
countable families that may
be legal or illegal are fighting against injust immigration
legislation, which started with
men like Cortez and Columbus.
A Leuzinger student who
chooses to stay anonymous
shares her story. “I was four
when my family and I applied
at the Mexican consulate for
residency into the U.S.A. The
Mexican consulate ended up
rejecting our request so we
were upset, but we were not
done trying. My stepfather
was already a legal resident so
he really wanted to straighten
out my sister, moms, and my
paperwork so that we could
go live in America. Since we
had gotten rejected he did the
next thing that he could which
was to make us some fake
identification cards and ride
straight through the border in
a car. It was a huge risk because if we would have gotten
caught he was going to lose
his residency, but it was a risk
that he was willing to take for
the people he loved.”
After being here for three
years illegally, my stepfather
thought it was time for us to
straighten out our paperwork
regardless of the opposition.
This was a long one year process of paperwork, time, and
thousands of dollars in order
for us to even get considered
by the government for the
three cases of my sister, mom,
and myself. It was a bitter
sweet feeling because my parents were spending thousands
of dollars and time that we
could not afford to lose at the
time, but I was also aware that
this was a small fee in order to
receive full freedom.
We finally received a letter from the city of Juarez in
Mexico for all four of us had
to go down there and talk to
the council. We got there and
waited a whole day in order to
just get interrogated by the officials dealing with our case.
They asked such
Questions like: Do you know
that you committed a crime?
How long were you here? Why
did you come over? Etc……
Unfortunately my Mother and
my older sister had to stay in
Mexico for eight additional
months because of their age. I
was the only one that qualified
right away because the officials said that I did not have
a say in my parent’s actions.
Those eight months away from
my sister and mother were
torturous and very hurtful,
because I was only seven and
did not know if I was going
to ever see them again. I was
away from the most important
people of my short life. I was
nine now and living with my
grandparents I could not stop
the tears from falling from the
thoughts of never seeing my
family together again.”
Many fail to understand
that being an immigrant is
advantageous due to the fact
that most are bilingual, multicultural, and very open-minded to the struggles of others.
Honestly, if people took the
time to research the history
and the main purposes for migration in the first place, the
issue of immigration would
be fairly easier to deal with.
If everybody would just stop
listening to the hype of the
television there can be great
changes in society. In many
different points of view, the
chaos of gang violence, drug
lords, getting money at all
means necessary, and devaluing others for ones own success is the “American Way”
and has surpassed the issue of
immigration.
The future holds whatever
people make it. The willingness to accept others for their
differences and coping with
higher understanding is the
key to our promising futures.
As far as right now, this world
is too far into the “survival
of the fittest” mentality. So,
as long as we do not change
that we will keep on decreasing our prosperity as a whole,
decrease human success, and
increase our own worries.
By Noe Lupian
Everyone is embarrassed by something in their lives. It could
be their clothes, personality or something as simple as their hair
or eye color. Those are all understandable, but why in the world
should someone be embarrassed by their parents? I remember
when I was younger; my parents meant the world to me. I would
cry when my parents would leave me at daycare to go to work.
I wanted them to stay with me forever, go with me wherever
and never leave my side. I also saw other kids cry when their
parents would leave them alone. Like Berlin Courter, a senior
at Leuzinger, commented, “I cried because I was afraid that my
mom was going to leave me like my dad did.” What changes our
attitudes towards our parents?
As kids grow into teenagers and young adults, schoolmates,
friends, and even family put things in their mind unknowingly.
They show them to think that this style is not “cool” or that
person is not “tight”. We grow up judging others by what they
wear or what they say, making some people outcasts. Then, we
start viewing our parents through the eyes which we use to “see”
and judge a classmate or a friend, disrespecting them as we go
along. Your Parents gave you life; something that they didn’t
have to do. They gave you an opportunity to do things that you
may now take for granted. They took care of you at your most
vulnerable state, cleaned up all those disasters you made, and
have loved you just because. Parents are parents and you only
get one pair your whole life. I know that sometimes they might
dress weird or talk funny. But that still doesn’t give you the right
to be embarrassed by them. Are they embarrassed by you? You
could be the nastiest, ugliest, snottiest kid in the world and they
will still love you no matter what. I made this point to Berlin and
she stated, “But my dad’s embarrassing. We were at Hometown
Buffet as a family, when he and my stepmom were throwing
sugar at each other.”
Although I understand your pain, always understand that they
are your parents and they will always love you no matter what.
It’s like the Skittles commercial where the mom has a teenage
son who has a branch growing out of his body and she takes him
to see a specialist. His mom just says, “We’ve been given a gift
here, honey.” Just like that mom finds the best qualities in her
child; most parents do that with their children. Even if they have
to dig way deep down or wait a couple of years to find it.
You also have to think about the people that don’t have parents—people that wake up knowing that they won’t be able
to go to the mall or the beach with their parents. Also think
about the fact that you can do these types of things with your
own parents but don’t. How would a person going through that
feel? I know that I would go crazy if I lost one of my parents. I
wouldn’t know what to do.
You have to appreciate your parents while they are here because sooner or later they are not going to be here and you are
going to regret not doing so. In the same way, something that
is completely wrong has come to my attention. How is it that
you can go with your friends to the mall or to the movies, yet,
you can’t go to the mall or the movies with your family? That’s
not right, is it? A.T. (This student’s name is being withheld at
student’s request) was asked this same question by her mom.
She stated, “My mom just asks me ‘So you can go out with
your friends but not with me?’” You have to see that friends can
sometimes be more embarrassing than your parents. They can
dress weird or act like total loons and you still hang out with
them like nothing is wrong. Even if your parents baby you, its
way more embarrassing to be seen with some crazy person, than
with the people that gave you life.
Your parents will love you no matter what you do. You can
cuss them out, hit them, or even try to kill them (Don’t get any
ideas!) and they will still be there with you ready to forgive
you. The only reason is because they love you and care for you.
Don’t be ashamed to love them and care for them too. Real
friends won’t laugh at you because you’re with your parents. It’s
like Dr. Seuss said, “Do what you want and say what you feel.
Those who care don’t matter and those who matter don’t care.”
You have to understand that everyone is different. Your parents
grew up in a different world; with different values and different
rules. Of course they are going to act old school. At the end of
the day they are still your parents. And you shouldn’t take them
for granted. They wouldn’t ever be embarrassed by you. Don’t
you dare be embarrassed by them!
Fall 2010
SPORTS
Let The Record Show
From Our Season, We Did Grow
It’s All About The Journey, You Know!!!
By The Torch Staff
Goodbye for now to our football season! Since June our boys have
been working overtime in their attempt to dominate the field. Even if our
season was not what we expected it to be our players and coaches have not
lost faith in our ability to do better, “Our record doesn’t reflect the drive and
determination of the players” stated Coach Grant. Head coach, Coach Grant,
admits that although he is not satisfied with the record he is definitely satisfied with the progress. The progress is evident through the amount of discipline that the football players have exemplified on and off the field. The discipline is what will lead to our positive future. We are already OLYMPIAN
athletes. He says that he expects the progress will continue to grow and that
he hopes that their efforts will shine in the next season, “We’re reloading and
preparing to go to battle.”
“We Fly High, No Lie, You Know It, BALLIN!!!”
The Leu
Wins
2010
Mayor’s
Cup
The Olympians celebrate a victory over cross-town rivals, Hawthorne High in the Annual Mayor’s Cup
2010 FOOTBALL SEASON
HIGHLIGHTS
Page 10
2011 LEUZINGER
BOY’S SOCCER
SCHEDULE
November 30th, 2010
Leuzinger VS South Torrance @ STHS
December 2nd, 2010
Leuzinger VS Santa Monica @ LHS
December 7th, 2010
Leuzinger VS Long Beach Poly @ LHS
December 9th, 2010
Leuzinger VS Inglewood @IHS
December 14th, 2010
Leuzinger VS North Torrance @ LHS
December 16th, 2010
Leuzinger VS Hawthorne @HHS
January 4th, 2011
Leuzinger VS Lawndale @ LHS
January 7th, 2011 Leuzinger VS Lawndale @ LAHS
January 11th, 2011 Leuzinger VS Palos Verdes @ LHS
January 14th, 2011 Leuzinger VS Peninsula @PHS
January 18th, 2011
Leuzinger VS Mira Costa @MCHS
January 21st, 2011 Leuzinger VS West Torrance @WTHS
January 25th, 2011
Leuzinger VS Redondo @LHS
January 28th, 2011
Leuzinger VS Palos Verdes @PVHS
February 4th, 2011
Leuzinger VS Peninsula @PHS
February 8th, 2011
Leuzinger VS West Torrance @LHS
February 10th, 2011
Leuzinger VS Redondo @RHS
Home Games:
FreshSoph games will be @ 3pm
Junior Var. games will be @ 4:30pm
Varsity games will be @ 6pm
Away Games:
FreshSoph and Var. Games will be @ 3pm
Junior Var. Games will be @ 4:30pm
With the exception of the Hawthorne game, JV will play at
4:30pm and Var. will play at 6pm
PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR BOYS AND GIRLS SOCCER
TEAMS. SCHOOL SPIRIT BEGINS WITH YOU. SHOW
YOUR TEAMS SUPPORT AND YOUR OLYMPIAN PRIDE.S
ENLIGHTENMENT
Fall 2010
How Did The Rose Grow From The Concrete?
Tupac Shakur’s Reading List Has The Answers
This is a list of books read by Tupac
during his lifetime including while
he was at the Baltimore School
of Arts and in prison. They are
presented in no particular order.
The topics include black history, the
afterlife, religion (including Zen),
war, women's liberation, music,
and poetry. Reading these books,
it is clear how they molded 2Pac's
thinking and language. This is a
handy list of good reading material
if you ever find yourself locked up
mentally, spiritually, or physically.
1. Monster: The Autobiography of an
L.A. Gang Member
Written by: Sanyika Shakur
16. James Baldwin: The Legacy
36. The Diary of Anais Nin
Edited by: Quincy Troupe
Edited and with a Preface by: Gunther
Stuhlmann
17. Initiation
Written by: Elisabeth Haich
18. The Meaning of Masonry
Written by: W.L. Wilmshurst
37. The Souls of Black Folk
Written by:W.E. Burghardt DuBois
38. The Psychic Realm
19. Social Essays
Written by: Naomi A. Hintze and J.
Gaither Pratt, Ph.D.
Written by: LeRoi Jones
39. Tropic of Cancer
20. The Grapes of Wrath
Written by: Henry Miller
Written by: John Steinbeck
40. Nostradamus: The Millennium &
Beyond
21. I Shall Not Be Moved
Written by: Maya Angelou
22. And Still I Rise
Written by: Peter Lorie
41. The State of the World Atlas
55. Black Sister: Poetry by Black
American Women, 1746 to 1980
Edited by Earlene Stetson
56. The Harder We Run: Black
Workers Since the Civil War
Written by: William H. Harris
57. Makes Me Wanna Holler
Written by: Nathan McCall
58. Great White Lie: Slavery,
Emancipation and Changing Racial
Attitudes
Written by: Jack Gratus
59. Imitation of Christ
Written by: Thomas a Kempis
60. Teachings of the Buddha
Written by: Maya Angelou
Written by: Michael Kidron and
Ronald Segal
Written by: Assata Shakur
23. I Know Why The Caged Bird
Sings
42. Catcher in the Rye
61. No Man Is an Island
3. Ponder on This: A Compilation
Written by: Maya Angelou
Written by: J.D. Salinger
Written by: Thomas Merton
From the Writings of: Alice A Bailey
& the Tibetan Master, Djwhal Khul
24. Nature, Man and Woman
62. Mysticism
Written by: Alan W. Watts
43. Sisterhood is Powerful: Anthology
of Writings from the Women's
Liberation Movement
25. Linda Goodman's Sun Signs
Written by: Robin Morgan
63. Wisdom of Insecurity
Written by: Linda Goodman
44. In Search of Our Mother's Gardens
Written by: A.N. Watts
Written by: Gersham Scholem
26. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle
Maintenance
Written by: Alice Walker
64. Secret Splendor
6. Thoughts and Meditations
Written by: Charles Essert
Written by: Robert M. Pirsig
45. Savage Inequalities: Children in
America's Schools
Written by: Kahlil Gibran
27. A Raisin in the Sun
Written by: Jonathan Kozol
7. Telepathy
Written by: Lorraine Hansberry
46. At the Bottom of the River
Written by: Alice A Bailey
28. Native Son
Written by: Jamaica Kincaid
8. The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Written by: Richard Wright
As told to: Alex Haley
47. Music of Black Americans: A
History
9. Ah, This!
29. The Practical Encyclopedia Of
Natural Healing
Written by: Eileen Southern
Written by: Ruth Montgomery
Written by: Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh
Written by: Mark Bricklin
48. Moby Dick
The Prince
10. Roots
30. The Complete Illustrated Book of
the Psychic Sciences
Written by: Herman Melville
Written by: Niccolo Machiavelli
2. Assata: An Autobiography
4. The Phenomenon of Man
Written by: Teilhard de Chardin
5. Kabbalah
Written by: Alex Haley
11. The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Written by: W.Y. Evans-Wentz
31. 1984
50. Art of War
12. Black Like Me
Written by: George Orwell
Written by: Sun Tzu
Written by: John Howard Griffin
32. One Hundred Years of Solitude
13. Bhagavad-Gita As It Is
Written by: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
51. Interesting People: Black
American History Makers
Written by: A.C. Bhaktive-danta
Swami Prabhupada
33. The Destiny of the Nations
Written by: George L. Lee
Written by: Alice A. Bailey
52. Blues People
34. The Visionary Poetics of Allen
Ginsberg
Written by: Amiri Baraka
Written by: William Styron
15. The Psychedelic Experience- A
Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of
the Dead
Written by: Timothy Leary, Ph.D,
Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., Richard Alpert,
Ph.D.
Written by: Paul Portuges
35. The Dictionary of Cultural
Literacy
Written by: E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F.
Kett, James Trefil
Written by: Evelyn Underhill
65. Life as Carola
Written by: Joan Grant
66. Serving Humanity
From the writings of: Alice A. Bailey
67. Here and Hereafter
49. Life and Words of Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Written by: Walter B. Gibson and
Litzka R. Gibson
14. The Confessions of Nat Turner
Written by: Jack Kornfield
Written by: Ira Peck
53. All You Need to Know About the
Music Business
Written by: Donald Passman
54. All God's Children: The Boskett
Family and the American Tradition of
Violence
Written by: Fox Butterfield
“I am a Reflection of my
Community” - Tupac Shakur
Page 11
Food For
Thought
The Loss
of Self
By Robert Huerta
The entire collective of these words
is composed as a product of a nothing
state of mind. As we have choice (the
luxury that is choice implies a god like
state with an infinite, intangible power
enabling us to live a life that one can
claim) we can be, and concurrently
have it’s polar opposite, to not be (the
choice to not choose). In this current
state of being, which I claim, is it not
implied that I and we are being nothing simultaneously, proving that as we
are, to a most definite extent, we are
not, or could not be? The only applicable reason to this paradoxical existence is that of absurdity, which in
the randomness of it all diminishes
any sense of promiscuity for the entirety only consists of varying sorts
and kinds of everything making what
is utterly absurd, sane.
Look up … witness the wonder life
brings to you against your own will
within all the time that disintegrates
behind our eyes. Every single aspect
is to a certain degree unexplainable
for its actual inception is incalculable
by infinite measures. The only definite within this senselessness is one’s
self and all which one consists of, so
be it actions, feelings, thoughts (past
or present), which implies an already
found, defined, and cared for self .
As we are all that we are, are we,
in these moments, not being so many
things? I am a man, and in that exact
instance I am not, for I continually
either evolve regress or maintain as a
being which will never be constant as
I want what I cannot immediately
embrace, an emptiness which afflicted
man at the commencement of himself,
only to be renounced at the end of it
all. All is really based on perception
which constantly misleads and distracts the eye that cannot see, but only
knows, feels, from the path taken by
the gods that is not able to bear the life
and death of man.
Time as a continuum is the culprit
in this conundrum that swallows that
which is within, what rests upon us,
and what surrounds our form. If forgotten as a restriction and maliciously
manipulated and managed, we shall
have our self through the nothingness
that cannot be passed, surmised, nor
crept beneath.
A Look
Within
By Robert Huerta
What differentiates us against them?
If one removes him or herself from
the predicament that is this daily war
we’ve come to know as “life”, the omniscient observer will be enlightened
to a biased struggle, one which favors
the opposition. We are on the losing
end and it seems as though we don’t
realize all that it is we are happening
to be deprived of, something so precious that no one owns yet everyone
abuses. Time my people, imaginary
as it may be, we have come to accept
that existence occurs as the minutes
on the clock go by. Moreover, it is
not only our time that is being taken
from us, it is our inner resources that
they are so hungrily feeding on and
is so rapidly depleting as an effect to
their cause. That which keeps us going is bound to disappear for we are
only human, we have some limitations (and I say this loosely) and a
destiny that are innate. Knowing this
one might think to make use of this
information in one’s own advantage
yet I have noticed a tendency to have
epiphanies on past occurrences rather
than in the here and now; a sort of “I
should have” complex.
Picture a game of tug o’ war with
David on one side and the Goliath in
contrast to him. David has will that he
unknowingly possesses, which in its
grandness is much more extensively
powerful than all of Goliaths brute
strength. All it takes for David to win
this contest is for him to know himself, know what he is capable of, and
be enlightened to what he is allowing
(key word) to be done unto him. Now
I ask you this, would you, with your
ever so caring human heart let David
fall to Goliath’s great might, knowing all that you know? If not, why let
Goliath take hold of you?
The difference between us and
them is that we don’t know them, but
they know us, we can’t even perceive
them, but they are always watching with their magnifying glass and
amongst other things we have the
right to say no, unlike them who feed
on the needy to survive. Self sufficiency is the dagger straight through
the heart of the unknown. We are allowing ourselves to let the parasite
devour our being, be it physically,
psychologically and for those that
believe, spiritually. “How can we be
free if what we think, do, or say is
controlled by a foreign host?”
What is the difference between
us and them you might ask again? It
is that we love and so we overlook,
that which cannot feel is not alive
and so it is death that stalks us. Thus
they will never know how blissful
love is, but they have found out how
blissfully ignorant we are in times of
said happiness (: confusion, indiffer-
ence to certain truths). They know
of us yet can’t understand us, for
they are nothing like us. If they
actually were like they say they
are then we wouldn’t be alone in
the rut that we are in. There would
be a light at the end of the tunnel,
a hand reaching out of the darkness instead of a stop sign with
a caption reading “pay booth up
ahead”.
Know thyself, know thy world,
and conquer it.
Falll 2010
ENLIGHTENMENT
Page 12
Keep your body fit.
Keep your heart loving and flexible.
Keep your mind growing.
Keep some of the money you earn.
Keep with your industry and field of interest.
Keep your faith in the storm.
Keep your sanity in the midst of confusion.
Keep your sense of humor.
Keep the friends that enrich your life.
Keep your character and reputatation in good standing.
Keep your dreams and goals alive with determination, faith and action.
Keep Peace!!!
PEACE.
It does not mean to be in a place
where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.
It means to be in the midst of those things and still
Be calm in your heart.
Wise Men Have Something To Say; Fools Have To Say Something
Love is the strongest force the world possesses, yet it is also the most humbling.
The Great Tragedy of Life is not that men perish, but that they cease to love.
An Ounce of Love is worth a pound of knowledge.
To set a price on love is to devalue the priceless.
To Live is to think.
A man who does not think
for himself does not think at all.
Live and Let Live.