September 2006

ORANGE COAST COLLEGE MIDDLE COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
March 2006
Volume 2, Issue 1
Welcome Back Everyone!
August 15, 2006 was our first day
back from summer. It started with an
introduction of our school, OCMCHS, for
new and returning students.
We met the teachers, went
through the school handbook, and
learned about our expectations for the
year.
From there we enjoyed getting
to know each other while having snacks
that were generously brought by the
PTSA. After refreshments, we split into
two groups, A and B.
Group A toured and got to know
the OCC campus while Group B played
an exciting game of Four Corners. When
Group A returned and were ready to
play Four Corners, it was then time for
Group B to tour around the campus.
Finally, when we were back
together as one big group, we had the
opportunity to mingle and get to know
each other. For the last game, we had a
water balloon toss. We ended the day
with pizza.
August 16, 2006 was our second
day back to school. We started right
away with splitting into 5 groups for
House. In House, we talked a little about
ourselves, got to know each other more,
and recieved our class schedules. Afterwards, we went to each one our
classes that were on our schedule.
It was such a great day, everyone meeting new people, all the magnificent games, and getting to know all
the teachers. It will be a great year!
Rejine Torres
-Staff Writer
Word Bites From the Big Cheese
Dear Families,
Welcome back to an exciting
new year and congratulations on your
insightful decision to be a part of the Middle College! First off, I just have to echo
what several parents and students have
already been saying, “This is such a
great place!”
Thanks to:
* PTSA for feeding us at Opening Days
and our first Family Friendly Potluck/
Meeting of the year, passing the proposed budget, explaining our simple
fundraising program (each family donates $30-$50 without having to buy any
wrapping paper or candy), and other
business- all under 30 minutes!
* Parents who were able to attend
“Opening Days” in support of your child.
* Mr. diDonato, our Counseling Coordinator, who has worked diligently to update schedules, transcripts, and plans for
the success of all our students.
* Our staff who dedicated innumerable
hours over the summer to learn and prepare challenging and inspiring curriculums.
As we endeavor to have our
students actively involved in learning,
we ask for your active involvement. The
research is clear: Parent involvement in
education makes a measurable difference for students of all ages. The results
can include improved attendance, improved social growth and behavior, and
higher grades. You are invited- regardless of what you might hear- to EVERY
school event, including monthly Seminars, Family Potlucks, and Prom. Yes, we
want to see you at the Prom! Oh, the only
exception is no family on field trips, as
we don’t need chaperones. Please keep
in touch with us via phone and e-mails
(see addresses in the Family Handbook).
We have improved HOUSE this
year by involving the students more in
the direction and planning. HOUSE is a
program whereby a faculty member
and a small group of students have the
opportunity to interact on a scheduled
basis. The faculty member nurtures and
advocates for his/her group and student
reps plan and facilitate activities designed to develop a positive school culture, provide a supportive and stable
peer group, ensure individual recognition, acquire positive citizenship skills,
and offer academic guidance and support.
I will meet weekly with HOUSE
Reps during ASB class to debrief the
effectiveness of each session, plan topics, and develop leadership skills. We
are inspired by what HOUSE can do to
support our students.
So much to say- so little space.
Best wishes for a fulfilling year of involvement with our school family.
Sincerely,
Bob Nanney, Principal
Page 2
First Impressions!
When starting at a new school, first impressions are everything. To find out what the juniors thought of our four wonderful teachers, we surveyed a few and this is what they thought:
MRS. RILEY (Formerly
Known as Mejia)
MR. HARPER
"funny"
"Really nice."
"Talks a lot but it's fun to listen
to him""
"Respect her, she'll respect
you."
"She's really nice"
"Proud to live in America and
hates New York"
"Really nice"
"Friendly but serious"
MR. HOFF
"Classy, kind, and definetely
knows his literature"
"Intimidating in the best way
possible"
"I knew he was going to make
English suprisingly fun"
DR. ZAREMBA
"Likes science a lot"
"Very intelligent!"
"Unique and unlike any other"
"Very helpful if you don't understand something"
"Funny"
"Energetic"
CONGRATS TO OUR NEW ASB OFFICERS!
PRESIDENT– GINA KROTEE (1)
VICE PRESIDENT- CHELSEY HOLLAND (2)
SECRETARY- GILLIAN TAUGHER (3)
TREASURER- NATALIE DURNIAN (4)
1)
2)
3)
4)
Page 3
In each newsletter two seniors (one girl and one boy) will be chosen as Victims of the Month.
The people who know them will be questioned to find out facts about each victim. The victims won’t
know that they’ve been written about until the see themselves in the newsletter.
Raquel Perez is our first
victim this year. You all probably know who
she is because she’s hard to miss.
Gabe Thaler was chosen
as the second victim. Gabe has a girlfriend
named Alicia who goes to OCHSA and she
was a lot of help with information about
him. Before coming to the middle college,
he went to Estancia High School.
She may be small, but she has a
bigger personality than most people larger
than her. Before OCMC she went to Calvary
Chapel private school.
Gabe will be 17 on November 4th.
He has his permit and is working on getting his license. Gabe is the youngest of
his family, which consists of an older
brother and sister.
She has a brother and a sister and
is soon to be an aunt. She doesn’t want to
have kids when she’s older and she likes to
keep things neat and tidy.
She has a boyfriend named Blake
and she likes to do nice girlfriend-like
things for him. Raquel likes to joke and
she’s rather sarcastic. She’s best friends
with Brett Harmon, who is also a senior here
at the middle college.
Raquel Perez, flirting with the
flower!
Also, when he was younger he
was inseparable from a clown costume that
he wouldn’t go anywhere without. Another
thing about Gabe is when he was young he
used to pretend to be a dog. He has an
actual dog too though, his name is Kobe.
Raquel likes boba, sushi, and peanut butter sandwiches. She paints her nails a
lot because she doesn’t like when they’re
chipped.
She has multiple piercings on her
ears, including the lobe, her cartilage, and
her rook. If you don’t know what a rook is,
ask her, she’ll show you.
Gabe loves to straighten his hair
and will re-straighten it even when it’s
already straight as can be. Gabe doesn’t
tan well in the sun, he burns.
Raquel doesn’t have a job, but she
baby-sits for money. She hates Fall Out Boy
because they’re “too catchy” and she thinks
Adrian Brody is hot. Her favorite artist is
Billy Holiday.
Her biggest pet peeve is when
people say they’ll call but they don’t. She
loves the book Memoirs of a Geisha and has
a very educated explanation of what Geishas are.
She’s really friendly and extremely
outgoing, the type of person you want to be
friends with.
When Gabe and his brother were
younger, they would pretend to be men in
the mafia. Gabe’s mafia name was Igor
VonToot and his brother’s was Vinny Repoopulo.
Gabe Thaler flashing his
pearly whites!
VICTIMS OF THE
MONTH!
He went to Mexico over summer
vacation and came back with a nice souvenir, a big red sun burn. Gabe hates broccoli and is forced to eat mass amounts of it
at home.
He showers once in the morning
and once at night. Gabe likes to joke, but
will be there when you need him. If you
don’t know Gabe, you should.
Rachael Konves
-Staff Writer/Photographer
Page 4
Italy to Step Up to the Plate
The United Sates is making a
new U.N. resolution, which would be
made to help in the efforts of trying to
disable Hezbollah, who are located in
southern Lebanon.
This new resolution would help
enforce and aid the cease-fire agreement Resolution 1701, which was put
into effect as of August 14th. Resolution
1701 called for more ground forces;
going from 2,000 to 15,000 troops.
The U.N. has called for 3,500
new troops that are said to arrive by
September 2nd. Countries who have
talked of pledging troops are worried
about the rules of engagement, what
their soldiers will have to endure, and
the risk of loosing many soldiers due to
the troops dealing with Hezbollah, an
extreme terrorist group.
Troops have been pledged
from many Muslim countries; however,
no large pledges have been made from
any European countries. The U.S. wants
to make sure that the troops will be
balanced. To acquire more troop
pledges the European Union will meet
to decide what troop contributions will be
made from which countries.
At a recent news conference, U.S.
Ambassador, John Bolton said, "As we've
always contemplated, the disarming of Hezbollah, which was not specifically addressed in [Resolution] 1701, would have to
be addressed, and that should be coming
shortly."
Italy has said it would lead the U.N.
forces into Lebanon, but even after a truce
was formed between Israel and the Hezbollah guerrillas, very few countries feel they
have the military capability, causing many
countries to lack in troop pledges.
rules of engagement and deploy it as
quickly as possible to secure the
peace." Bush also told of a $230 million
package to aid Lebanon.
Almost 1,200 people in Lebanon and 157 Israelis have been killed
due to this conflict, which was originally
sparked due to Hezbollah guerrillas
capturing two Israeli soldiers in a crossborder raid on July 12.
Alexis Powers
-Grammar Editor
Italian Prime Minister Romano
Prodi stated to Kofi Annan that he would be
willing to lead the troop forces which Israel
said they would be very appreciative of.
Italy pledged 2,000 troops, which is the
most troops pledged from any country so
far.
President Bush said at a recent
news conference, "the international community must now designate the leadership
of this international force, give it robust
Extreme Summer Heat
America has gone through
many changes over these past years,
but one thing in particular has gone
through a big change, that being the
weather.
The weather has become much
more evident in the recent years. The
temperature has gotten significantly
hotter compared to earlier times. In
fact this year has been the hottest year
since 1895.
Heat does far more damage
than just burn your skin. With hotter
temperature there is also a rise in heat
stroke victims. Just during this last sum-
mer 225 people died during the heat wave,
most of them were in California.
Since heat also influences the size
of a storm and how large it can grow, it’s
no surprise what happened last year. Hurricane Katrina’s destruction of New Orleans is one obvious example of what can
come from these rising temperatures.
Another example of destruction
form weather is flooding. Flooding isn’t
only happening in the south. More recently, it has even occurred in Alaska,
there have been some extreme floods.
Floodwater has covered the main routes
between Alaska’s major cities, causing
many problems for Alaskans.
Could all these floods and
massive storms be linked to global
warming? Maybe that’s a possibility we
should be looking into.
However, one thing is for
sure, if the weather keeps at the intensity as it is now, we will all be in for a
very hot school year, and possibly
more examples of destructive weather
in other parts of the United States.
Craig Desbrow
-Staff Writer
Page 5
Terror in the Sky
As most travelers might know,
flight safety has again been raised to a
stricter level. This surely causes a bit of
discomfort for flyers. A new law has
been passed that no liquids, lotions, or
fluids, of any kind can be taken on any
airplane. Therefore if any of these solutions are needed they must be checked
in.
observed, and it was found that plotters of
this terrorist attack had use contact solution bottles as a part of their plan to use as
bombs.
It seemed as though everything was finally calming down with
airline security in the U.S., however,
their strategies are not exactly newfashioned; using liquids and gels as
weapons (as done previously by other
terrorists).
telligence official, and had planned to
blow up nine Trans-Atlantic Airplanes.
Something more interesting was that
these terrorists had all been under surveillance since last December. There
were about fifty people involved in this
plot.
in a suitcase, two firearms, and $19,000 in
Euros. The following carry-on items have
been banned: shampoo, toothpaste, contact
lens solution, perfume, and water bottles.
The only exception is baby food, in which
Friday August 11, 2006 British
and Middle-Eastern [Pakistani] authorities you must have a baby with you in order to
carry it on. This terrorism incident is frightcollaborated to stop a terrorist attack.
ening for Americans who travel,
Members of the Scotbut some loyal patrons will conland Yard's antitinue flying; while others will
This problem was triggered
terrorism unit raided
due to the long term planning and con- a number of locations
not. How this will impact U.S.
airlines we don’t know.
templation of a London airport terror
in London, Birmingplot created by a Terrorist group resid- ham, and High WyThe terrorist dilemma
ing in the United Kingdom, who
combe. This resulted
was on its way to being anplanned on using liquid explosives hid- in the arrest of twenty-four people.
swered. However, the outcome was also
den in containers that were smuggled
These suspected terrorists were the downgrading of Britain’s safety reputaonto planes hidden in carry-on lugsaid to have followed through with a test- tion. After the unpleasant news reached the
gage.
ears of occupants of Britain, including tourrun in a few days, according to a U.S. inists, Britain was immediately placed under
"critical" terror alert.
In spite of that Britain was put under the terror alert level of “severe” one
week later. The country was losing its security and popularity. With hope and prayers
(and crossing our fingers), the U.S. and the
Yousef, a figure that was
Although, until now, the pleasing U.K. will restore the appealing status they
greatly involved in the 1993 event of
information is what officials are presently used to hold to travelers and residents of
the World Trade Center, is an example focused on. Police officers discovered
both countries.
of the use of liquid/gel bombs. After
"martyrdom videos" in which some of the
Elizabeth Schmidt and Nicole Nosrat
Yousef was arrested, his computer was guilty party appears; a bomb making kit
-Staff Writers
Bus Crash in Egypt
In Cairo, Egypt a bus
crashed into the Sinai Peninsula
killing at least eight tourists and
more than 30 others were believed to be wounded.
Dr. Said Eissa, the Director of Emergency Services in
South Sinai, confirmed that eight
tourists were killed and 35 were
wounded.
The crash happened in the
town of Al-Saada. Al-Saada is about 240
miles southeast of
Cairo. This is also located between the
well-known resort cities
of Nuweiba and Taba.
Egypt has a record of
severe bus and car accidents on its roads and
highways. This is because the roads and highways in Egypt
are often badly maintained and because
they lack traffic regulations, causing
many horrible accidents.
Another police officer, who
spoke on condition of secrecy, because
he was not allowed to talk to the media,
said that Israeli Arabs were among the
victims. Sinai still remains a popular destination for Israeli tourists, despite a series of terror attacks that have occurred
there in recent years
Sandie Serrano
-Staff Writer
Page 6
Early College High School Comes To Town
New great opportunities are
coming to our school district. Orange
County’s Early College High School is
the first campus to open in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District in the
last five years. The ECHS program is
run by Newport-Mesa and Coastline
Community College. ECHS is located
on the Back Bay and Monte Vista alternative high school campus at the moment, and it has
been announced
Here
an image
of our school from
that
theyiswill
be
Google Earth
moving into portables sometime
next month.
Although it
is the first Early
College High School in Newport Mesa,
it is not the first one in California.
There are now 19 early college high
schools in the state of California.
"This is going to be a longterm commitment," said Mike Murphy,
Newport-Mesa's Director of Student
Services and one of the founders of the
Early College program. What is more
exciting is that a year ago the Early
College Program and Coastline Community
College won a five-year, $400,000 grant
from the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation to help
launch this Early College
High School.
Now don’t get it
confused with Middle College High School. Both programs are very
similar in a variety of ways, but both programs do not compete with one
another. “There are many similarities between both of the
programs but, enough differences to make both programs
unique and provide a variety of
learning settings to meet the
needs of the diverse students in
our school district,” states Mr. Nanney.
Some of the similarities are that they both
have different schedule structures from any
other district. They both have small
classes, and they both earn high school and
college credits simultaneously.
There are many similarities but
some of their differences are:
•
at 4:30 pm. Middle College starts
at 7:30 am and ends at 1:50 pm the
latest. Depending on their schedules.
•
Early college high school and Middle College High School have different target populations.
•
Middle College is located on the
Orange Coast College campus
which means that the students have
all privileges and all programs like
the OCC students.
•
Early College High School is a fiveyear commitment, and Middle College High School is a two-year
commitment.
The students who are attending the Early College High School were
selected based on recommendations,
and also on how well they did creating
a skit. Only great things are destined to
come from this outstanding new program.
Carmela Mendoza
-News Layout Editor
Early college starts at 9:00 am and end
WANT A TASTE OF ITALY? LOOK NO FURTHER...
Maggiano’s Little
Italy is not only famous for
it’s generous portions of
food, but also it’s service.
Maggiano’s is part of the
Brinker Company, who also
own Macaroni Grill, and
Chili’s.
The company has a
very family-friendly policy,
and over half the staff working at the Costa Mesa location, either
works with their brother, sister, or even
their moms! Family
style portions of food
are available for only
$25.00 per person, and
it’s an endless amount
of your choice of two
appetizers, two salads,
two entrees, and two
desserts.
The most
popular item on the
menu is the either the “Rigatoni D” or the
Famous Lasagna. If you’re craving some
Italian food but don’t really want to go
out, Maggiano’s offer a Carry-Out section
of the restaurant for takeout orders.
Everything you see on the menu
is available for take out except for the
family style dinning. If you are planning a
nice night out to dinner, I recommend
making reservations ahead of time, or
else the wait could be up to an hour!
Iko Kagasoff
-Staff Writer
Page 7
September 2006
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
Seminar
Student elections
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
15
16
HOUSE
PTSA Meeting
630PM
School Office
Mike Berghell’s
Birthday!!
Iko Kagasoff’s
Birthday!!
10
11
12
13
14
HOUSE
Staff professional
growth
Progress Reports
3-6 pm
Due
17
18
19
20
21
22
HOUSE
Chesalyn
ALL
SCHOOL
YARD SALE!
Melgar’s
Birthday!!
24
25
26
Amaryn Brierly’s
Birthday!!
27
Alexis Karr and
Madie Santoyo’s
Birthdays!!
28
29
HOUSE
23
30
Page 8
Staff Section
Editor in Chief-
Gina Krotee
Student Story Layout EditorStudent Story Editor-
Gillian Taugher
Amaryn Brierley
Entertainment Layout EditorEntertainment EditorNews Layout EditorNews Editor-
Cody Sauer
Carmela Mendoza
Alexis Powers
Grammar EditorPhotographer-
Gina Krotee
Anna Jordan
Rachael Knoves & Ferran Nicolls
Staff Writers- Amaryn Brierley, Laura Crosby, Craig Desbrow, Chelsey Holland, Jessica Jesudasen, Iko
Kagasoff, Rachael Knoves, Lauren Mariorenzi, Janelle Murata, Nghi Nguyen, Nicole Nostrat, Alexis Powers,
Bree Russel, Mailynn Santoyo, Elizabeth Schmidt, Sandie Serrano, Camille Smith, and Rejine Torres
SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS TO ABBY TODAY!
Dear Readers,
Dear Abby is written by an anonymous student at this school and was
founded by Modranect goddesses during the battle of Aegelsthrop. This
section of OCMCH's newsletter will become the most popular and
widely syndicated column in the world -known for its uncommon common sense and youthful perspective. I am
not egotistical, I just happen to know the answers to every single one
your abecedarian questions. You should really take advantage of the
kibitz I have to offer you. You can’t go wrong with Abby. Hope to hear
from all of you.
Catcha on the flipside, Chickies.
Sincerely,
Abby
Page 9
PTSA
This year is off to a great
start. I hope you were able to come to
one of our August events. I encourage
all of you to get involved with our
school. How do you get involved? First
become a member of the PTSA. Membership is $15.00 per person. We
would like to have each parent and
student join. The money will support
our school with Family Friendly Events,
scholarships, leadership for our students, and keeping parents informed.
Donations of any size are also very
much appreciated, PTSA does not do
fundraising at this school. We rely en-
tirely on your generosity. Please support our school. Another way to get involved is to come to our meetings. The
meetings are meant to be informative
and improve our support of OCMCHS.
Our next meeting is Tues., Oct. 3 at 6:30,
at the student center on the OCC campus. There is free parking in Lot B.
Please plan to attend. Mark your calendars for these upcoming important
events: Oct. 3 -PTSA meeting 6:30
Cultural Potluck 6:30
Oct. 26Nov. 10-
Reflections Deadline
Nov. 15College Night 7:00
Any questions or offers of help can be
sent to me at [email protected] or to
Karen Stevens at [email protected]. Please be sure to
include OCMCHS in the subject line or
your email could be deleted as spam.
You can also call me at 949-718-9218.
Thank you again for your help and support.
Jo Anne Russell
-PTSA President
Back to School Shopping
Whether you like Nordstrom’s
or Ross, everyone can find clothes that
fit their style. High school students especially girls, usually tend to spend a
lot of time in the morning worrying
about how they look.
The right outfit will determine
how your day will go. The question is
how many outfits do you have to try on
before you find the right one? One of
the worst mistakes many people make
is buying something they like when they
try it on at the store but when they put it
on at home they absolutely hate it.
What many high school students
do today is buy a bunch of clothes that
are on sale so in the end you will be buying more clothes rather than just two
shirts and a pair of jeans that are really
expensive.
The key to back to school shopping is to just hit the sales early so they
will have more of a chance of finding
clothes that fit their own style at reasonable prices. Before going back to school
shopping always go through your closet
so you have an idea of what you do and
don’t need for school. Overall you
should dress to please yourself and not
others.
Amaryn Brierley
-Student Section Editor
The Bronx “Self-Titled” Review
possible for their new album to live up to
either of their older ones. But they certainly did surprise me, especially with
their albums first single and video for
“History’s Stranglers.”
If you love rock, you’ll love the
Bronx. From being a fan of theirs for a
few years now, I didn’t know if it was
There is no real way to describe
how they sound, but it is as if someone
fused together classic heavy metal and
fast-paced punk. When compared to
their debut album, they definitely have
more of a variety in their sound. The first
track, “Senor Hombre de Tamale,” is
more of an intro than an actual song, but
as soon as their second track, “Small
Stone,” plays you’re hit with fast, loud
beats and gut-wrenching yells that hold
true to the Bronx’s sound.
Of course, there are a few slow,
almost ballad-like, songs on their album,
but they are the one’s that will be stuck in
your head because of their sheer addicting beats and lyrics. The song “Dirty
Leaves,” for example, is filled with a gentler strum of guitars and crooning from
their singer, Matt Caughthran.
So if you’re into anything from
Dead Kennedy’s to Black Sabbath, then
you should definitely check out the
Bronx. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Camille Smith
-Staff Writer
Page 10
A Word from OCMCHS’s Movie Master Madness
box-office flops and practically unheard
of, but there are exceptions to the rule.
There is no definite genre for cult
films so to try and categorize one is impractical. So all I can do is list some of my
favorite cult films and hope that you find
one that you can love just like the rest of
us fanatics.
•
I’m sure most have heard the
term cult film, but few actually know
what a cult film is. I would love to attempt it here, but to define a cult film, is
next to impossible and could be debated until the ends of time.
The most widely accepted definition of a cult film, however is a film in
which has a small and devoted group of
fans. Cult films are more often than not
Un Chien Andalou (1929) (Buñuel
and Dali’s brilliant collaborations)
•
Freaks (1932) (One of the most
marvelous films ever made)
•
The Bad Seed (1956) (What happens when your child’s evil?)
•
The Blob (1958) (A definite cult
classic)
•
Peeping Tom (1960) (Do you
know what the most FRIGHTENING thing in the world is ...?)
(AKA: Bree Russell)
•
What Ever Happened to Baby
Jane? (1962) (Bette Davis and
Joan Crawford. ‘nuf said)
•
King of Hearts (1966) (The crazies take over the town)
•
Harold and Maude (1971) (One
of my all-time favorite films)
•
The Wicker Man (1973)
(Amazing)
•
A Boy and His Dog (1975) (Best
post-apocalyptic film I’ve
seen)
•
Eraserhead (1977) (This film is
insane)
•
Pee Wee's Big Adventure (1985)
(Reminds me of my childhood.
And it’s Tim Burton)
•
Wet Hot American Summer
(2001) (One of the funniest
films.)
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Genre: Turn-based Japanese RPG
System: Playstation 2
Rating: T
Made by: Midway/Nautilus
Discs: 2
Price: May be difficult to find at a
store but generally in price range
of $30-40
Concept: Covenant is the second in a
series of three games. It takes part during a sort of alternate universe of World
War I. While you meet some important
figures they don’t exactly do what they
did in the history books.
Something it does that’s
unique is incorporating the use of a
“Judgment ring,” (which can be customized for everyone in your party)
which influences almost all actions in
the game from attacks during battles to
getting discounts at shops giving you
an extra layer of
difficulty and
speed.
My main complaint in this is
during the talking scenes the
English subtitles
and dub don’t
exactly match
although you get the same overall message, it sometimes gets annoying. Aside
from that the dialogue is usually really
funny, and the characters all incredibly
unique.
One who’s especially unique is
Joachin, who is a Superhero/Vampire/
Wrestler and uses random blunt objects
he deems suitable, Frozen Tuna for one.
The musical score, in the first disc is not
so exciting with the exception of a few
bosses, but on the second disc this improves significantly.
Overall: I give Shadow hearts: Covenant
a 9/10
Note: If you have any questions/complaints/suggestions for a game
you want me to review in the future email
[email protected]
Cody Sauer
-Entertainment Editor
Page 11
1st Quarter
2006-2007
Michael diDonato, Counseling Coordinator
Welcome to OCMCHS. I hope you all had a great summer! We are very excited about the upcoming year and all
the changes at OCMCHS. This bulletin is written specifically for the students of Middle College High School, by the MCHS
Counseling Coordinator. It contains invaluable information that will help you as you begin the process of choosing a college
or career path, applying for colleges and scholarships, and getting ready for the next steps in your education. You may use
this bulletin for information about opportunities, policies, and deadlines that will be important to you.
College applications, test registrations, and scholarship forms all have deadlines that you must meet in order to
reach your goals for college. Information about upcoming opportunities along with the related deadlines will be listed in
this bulletin, which will be distributed in your Social Studies class. Scholarship opportunities will also be listed each month
in this bulletin. Information on each scholarship is kept in the scholarship file in the counseling office. Make sure to check
the scholarship file on a regular basis.
UC applicants are encouraged to apply on-line. November is the month in which you will file. Do not E/mail your
application before November 1st. The UC system requires an essay; see “Hints on a Winning Essay” in this bulletin.
Applications will soon be available for the California State University system on line. Your application must be filed during
the month of November, but not before Nov. 1st.
Please remember, one of the requirements of an OCMCHS student is to take and pass at least one 3 credit
16wk. OCC class per semester. If you have not registered, please do so immediately.
Remember that OCC tickets students with no parking permit. Please make sure you purchase a parking permit, if you have
not already done so.
The PSAT will be offered on Wednesday, Oct. 18th for Juniors @ 7:35 AM, room MC104.
SAT Testing:
Registration Deadlines:
Test Dates:
9/12
10/14
9/29
11/04
11/01
12/02
12/20
01/27
02/02
03/10
03/29
05/05
04/27
06/02
Important phone numbers:
Fall schedule:
Staff Development
11/01/06
MCHS
(714) 432-5732
Veteran’s Day
11/10/06
OCC 24 hour info.
(714) 432-5072
Thanksgiving Recess
11/22 -11/24
OCC Assessment
(714) 432-5807
Winter Recess
01/16/07
12/25/06-
OCC Campus Safety
(714) 432-5017
Registration Asst.
(714) 432-5071
OCC Tutorial Center
(714) 432-5559
Page 12
Your education is your future……..
step boldly !
The essays that you submit along with your college applications are very important. The essay is your opportunity to take
charge of the information the college receives about you and provides information that does not appear in the grades, test
scores, and other application materials. It allows you to reveal your intelligence, talent, sense of humor, enthusiasm, maturity,
creativity, expressiveness, sincerity, and writing ability…traits that separate you from the other applicants and that count in the
admissions evaluation. ( NO PARENT ESSAYS ! ! )
Consider the following tips in writing your statement:
Do’s:
•
Read the instructions carefully.
•
Give yourself plenty of time to thoughtfully prepare your personal statement.
•
Follow the stated rules for format and remember to enclose your statement with your application.
•
Write about what is important to you, and your goals, what qualities you would bring to the college, describe any
unusual challenges or circumstances you have faced.
•
Personal characteristics that are important to convey include: creativity, intellectual curiosity and achievement,
ability to overcome hardship, initiative, motivation, leadership, persistence, service, experience with cultural diversity, and rare talent.
•
Describe one of your intellectual achievements and what you gained from it.
•
Have a friend or teacher give you feedback after you’ve
written the personal statement to see if it gives
insight into the quality of your character.
Don’ts:
•
Don’t simply list your accomplishments and honors; a list tells the university what you have done, not who you are (and
is boring).
•
Avoid giving information in a predictable manner. Be creative in your presentation.
•
Don’t be so over-concerned with style of writing that you omit the heart of the statement-a clear picture of who you are
and why you should be accepted as a student.
___________________________________
Bring these scholarships up on the indicated web site, or see the scholarship file. Deadlines for submission are in bold type.
Dates are approximate, check the scholarship file or your search engine.
FREE FINANCIAL AID Check out this web site for free financial aid. Search on the internet-www.fastweb.com.
The NMUSD College Night will be held this year at OC Fairgrounds, Dates will be announced as available.
Scholarships are like getting a job.
In order to get one…….You must apply.
Check the Scholarship Folder weekly!
SAE Engineering Scholarships- See search engine. 12/2006
Check the Scholarship File weekly
for updated applications!
To get a scholarship,
YOU must apply
Discover Card Scholarship- For Juniors. See search engine.
Gates Millennium Scholars- For students who would not normally be able to afford to further their education.
http://gmsp.org/main.cfm
Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship-Will attend New York University.
Page 13
So Cal Raves
paint, no balloons, and even no open
packs of cigarettes are allowed at these
events. Things are made as comfortable
as possible, water is abundant, and food
stands are located all around festival
grounds.
Raves are located at all types of
places, warehouses, private homes, and
event centers. The more “underground”
or illegal raves are usually held in the
middle of the desert so there is no risk of
it getting busted.
Even shade and air conditioned
areas are provided. These events generally run for a good 12 hours, and ticket
prices are generally $40+ dollars, plus
any accommodations you feel necessary
for your good time.
Of course drugs are always present at raves, most commonly ecstasy,
ketamine, and meth. Drugs are very
dangerous, especially when taken at
raves. It is very easy to have a heat
stroke, overdose, dehydrate and possibly die from these drugs combined with
the excitement that surrounds you.
The attractions shown at some
raves are elaborate as can be. What
other party can you attend that has flying
trapeze performances, stilt walkers, fire
performers and freak shows!? You can
view mind-blowing art, and giant format
sculptures that will put you in another
dimension.
Compile all the energy
from around the globe into one room,
and you will get a rave. There are many
stereotypes associated with raves, and
many of them are probably true. What
most don’t know is that positive vibes
and a high energy atmosphere are key
elements to a successful rave. Raves first
started in the 1980’s with the emergence
of European techno. The first raves to
come to the United States were held in
no greater cities than San Francisco and
Los Angeles.
Safety is an important factor at
these festivals, more commercial raves
ban things like; no pacifiers, no spray
Others have colossal black light
paint walls where you can express yourself and add your own personal touch to
the rave. Most promote their individuality by the elaborate attire that is present
at raves. Accessories like glow sticks,
multi-colored beads, pacifiers, candy
necklaces and layers are most common.
The music at these raves is by
far the most important, and maybe even
the best part. The foundation of the music selection is electronic, and that can
branch off to all sorts of music such as;
drum n’ bass, jungle, techno, trance,
ambient, trip-hop etc. This type of music
is the most upbeat and fun genre, which
makes it perfect for raves, and all manner of moods apply to this music.
Not all raves are made up of
drugs, loud music and danger. There are
“Christian raves” which are taken very
spiritually. The clubs are considered
churches, DJ’s are preachers, each song
is a sermon and every club-goer is a
worshipper of sorts. These people…
well, dance for Jesus.
In the end, raves orbit around
one solid idea, Peace, Love, Unity, and
Respect (referred to as PLUR). The belief
is that the music and the atmosphere of
each rave create a feeling of utter happiness that brings about the best in people. If this article has made you in anyway interested in attending a rave, go to
www.ravelinks.com to find a rave that
suits you. Just keep hydrated, don’t take
drinks from strangers, bring your I.D,
and have fun!
Madie Santoyo
-Staff Writer
PICTURE DAY IS OCT. 2ND
SO LOOK YOUR BEST!
2701 Fairview
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714-432-5732
Check us out on the web:
http://nmusd.us/schools/middle_college/
Buy Ad Space…PLEASE!!
Want to help support our school and promote
your company or special event? Why not purchase
some ad space in our newsletter or yearbook?
Contact Mrs. Riley : [email protected]
for details!