W ith the ending of this year’s first se-mester, the freshmen have learned the hard way that testing at this school

isn’t as easy as it first seemed. Sophomores and juniors, having completed

an entire school year or two here have even more experience with this concept. However, probably one of the most important tests these students have yet to take in their lives, is the Scholastic Ap-titude Test (SAT).

“Junior year is the year colleges look at most, and the SAT is among the most important scores for students to be ranked by,” said Sandra Mendez (11).

With the pressure the test brings, some stu-dents have even gone to desperate measures to as-sure themselves a good test score. A measly three months ago, six Long Island High School students paid a 19-year-old sophomore at Emory Universi-

ty to take the SAT for them. They were, however, caught and charged with acts of misdemeanor by their school district according to The New York Times.

“If they didn’t cheat and got a low score there wouldn’t be a problem; they would just need to retake it, but since they cheated they had to face the consequences,” said Brandy Chin (10).

How much they knew about this exam may be unclear, but how much this school’s students will know it will be soon enough. The junior class will be taking the SAT in March of 2012, and some students have already started to prepare.

“I receive daily SAT questions from college-board.com, so I use those to study for the exams. I also look at released SAT questions online,” said Mendez.

The College Board is actually the same organi-zation that administers the AP Exams juniors and

sophomores will take in May. Since the AP cur-riculum revolves around a college reading level, the students are sharpening their reading skills as well as their vocabulary.

“The AP tests already over qualify us for the SAT. ” said Mendez. “The SAT was written for students taking regular classes, and the AP classes are known to be on another level, therefore the AP tests are harder,” Mendez added.

With the intense academic rigor of this school and previous experience with College Board ex-ams, when the SAT testing time does arrive, the students hope to be ready.

“We will have some students who don’t do as well as others, but overall our school’s scores will be distributed in a bell curve shifted to the right. This means we will do better than mid-range. I have confidence in our students,” said Principal Michael Hall.

Let’s see how much you know about the SAT! True False

1. The test is not timed. 2. There are only three sections to the test.

3. The best way to prepare for this exam is to take the PSAT.

4. Anyone can afford to take the SAT.

1. F

alse

2. T

rue

3. T

rue

4. F

alse

Sucharita Yellapragadastaff member

Volume 3, Issue 3

volume 3, issue 3

Are you ready?Scholastic Aptitude TestPreparing for the

THE SPECIAL HOLIDAY EDITION! CHECK OUT THE WOLVES CHRONICLE IN FULL COLOR!

Editors: Sucharita Yellapragada Josephine Espinoza Desiree Alcocer

Graphics Editors: Jonathan Kwan Angelynn Jose

Photo Editor: Karen Alvarado-Contreras

Web Editor: Christopher Crawford

Business Advisor: Richard Huynh

Staff Members: Jorelyn Calam, Meziah Cristobal, Sirenio Gonzalez, Cindy Munoz, Aman Paneser, Sigrid Emmanuelle Panugao, Faviola Paz, Emily Wilburn

Adviser: Rachel West

The Wolves’ Chronicle newspaper is published quarterly and distributed free of charge. Our newspaper is an open forum for free student expression. Student editors and reporters make content and style decisions with the ad-viser offering guidance. Editorials reflect the view of the entire editorial board and therefore are unsigned. Opin-ion columns reflect the view of the writer. Readers are welcomed to write letters to the editor. We will make ev-ery effort to print any letters as long as it is not libelous. Letters longer than 250 words will be edited. Unsigned letters will be printed only in unusual circumstances, and only when we know who the writer is. Letters may be brought to the newspaper room, room 9, or emailed to wolveschronicles@gmail.com

Stockton Early College Academy (SECA) is in its third year as a dependent charter school in the Stockton Unified School District in Stockton, CA. We currently have freshman, sophomore, and junior classes, with a population of 364 students. We are located at 640 N. San Joaquin St., Stockton, CA 95202.

Our newspaper is published by Herburger Publica-tions in Galt, CA and distributed for free to all stu-dents.

Go Timberwolves!

Editorial POlicies About us

Money is a factor in almost everything. One of the very few important aspects of society is money being spent on education. Education runs on money, because without it, it would be history. However, we, as the advocates for justice and equality, have seen how money has interfered with the natural order of education.

We have read and seen how money has been used unjustly. It has been used to buy one’s way out of taking the test themselves. It has been used to cheat.

This was evident in the Long Island scandal in New York where students bought their way out of taking their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), which we will not stand for. Not everyone can afford to buy their way out of educa-tion, nor is it a right for anyone to do so. Assiduous students around the world are deprived of fairness when such in-justice is permitted. The use of money to purchase one’s way out of education is ludicrous.

To most, money is scarce in the economy we are in. Not all of us have the luxury to pay someone $1,500 or $2,500 to take a test for us and even if we did, why would we waste it to pay a random individual who we cannot guarantee will do well? We are in the education program to learn

through lectures, homework, and more work. Then we are given the op-portunity to prove our worth on tests. We are not in the program to have

someone pretend to be us to do our part. As student journalists, we are taught to

be ethical and fair in the stance we make. We were taught to present our topics in a justifiable way, even though we have measly voices. We speak how we choose to. It is understandable that to many, paying oth-ers to make school easy for them is needed because of the high expectations they may be under. However, this is never a reason to use wealth. It’s called education for a reason and tests are taken to see whether or not individuals are prepared for the road that lies ahead of them. Paying others to cheat does not teach anyone anything. It just comes to prove how high-class societ-ies are taking advantage of the wealth they possess.

We value education because this is where we started. This is where we will learn the necessities for adulthood. Money plays a factor in the process, but we truly do not

stand for misdemeanors. Advocating to cheat our way out through money is simply unjustifiable.

Congratulations Ashlee Cruz (11) for finding the word “lash” in the last issue (V3, I2)!

Buying one’s way out of education 12.09.11 3Editorial

Wolves’ Chronicle Staff

How to take part in the word hunt: Pick up the latest issue of the Wolves’ Chronicle and seek out the word of the issue. The word is in every single article! Highlight, underline, circle, etc. when you believe you have found the word. Submit it to Ms. West and claim your prize. Good luck, word hunters!

Cartoon by: Jorelyn Calam

Walking through the Depart-ment of Motor Vehicles (DMV) doors, students feel their tempera-ture rise and the pressure of pass-ing probably one of the most im-portant tests of their life.

It’s about time the words cars, students, and driving be-ing used in the same sentence. Now that some students are 16, or close to 16, they are beginning to take driver’s education (driver’s ed) and finally are getting their permit.

“I learned this year because I wanted to drive myself to places already so I wouldn’t have to bug people for rides,” said Rita Valdez (11).

Valdez like other students such as Stephanie Braith-waite, Priya Patel, and Jacob Crone had to go through a few steps before actually obtaining their permit. Eventu-ally after six months with a permit, the student gets to also obtain their provisional driver’s license. First, the student must take a class of driver’s ed, either online or in an actual class, and complete it successfully.

“I wanted to take [driver’s ed] online because it was more convenient for me and I could complete the lessons at my own pace, rather than the pace of a class,” said Braithwaite (11).

Next, they sign up for behind-the-wheel courses to have more practice driving. Finally, they take the certificate of completion to the DMV to take a written test.

“I was so nervous to take my test to get my license, like on the verge of tears nervous,” said Braithwaite (11).

Usually students would panic and think about the worst when it comes to taking the test, but what they need to remember is to be calm and think positively because after the test, the permit arrives.

“The worst that would happen is that I would have to

take it again the next week. Afterwards though, I was ex-cited because I was one of the first students at SECA to get their permit,” said Crone (11).

Along with obtaining a permit/license, there comes in-dependence and freedom to go to more places without the need of asking people for rides.

“One of the biggest benefits of driving is the chance to be independent. It’s nice not having to rely on my parents to drive me everywhere and I’m sure they appreciate that too,” said Braithwaite (11).

As there are some advantages to receiving a permit, there as well as disadvantages to driving around town.

“It sucks when I’m lazy [and] I don’t feel like driving!” said Valdez (11).

NEws12.09.112Watch out! Students on the road!Finally being able to go behind the wheel for the first time

How to get your permit . . .

1) Must be measly 15 1/2 but under 18 years of age to obtain a permit2) complete application form (on the DMV website)3) Social Security4) Full True Name5) Birth Date and proof of legal presence document6) Proof of Driver Education Com-pletion7) Pay Application Fee8) Study for Written Test9) After six months without hav-ing been in a car accident and after having your permit, you can get a provisional license

Karen Alvaradostaff member

PROVISIONAL UNTIL AGE 18 IN 2013

AGE 21 IN 2016

Stephanie Braithwaite

HAIR BLNDSEX F

HGT 5’2”EYES HAZELWGT 120W

EXP 04/14/2017

DOB 06/07/1995

LN BRAITHWAITEFN STEPHANIE

Phot

o Cr

edit

: Kar

en A

lvar

ado Graphic Credit: Sirenio Gonzalez

Phot

o Cr

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: Kar

en A

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Ang

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DOWN

1. Another method that could help you review for tests with your classmates.

2. Last minute studying is ____________.

3. Something you will love while studying for your finals.

4. Avoid any ______________, at all cost to prevent you from studying.

5. A study method that can help you remember terms.

6. That one person you can always count on for help.

7. To study better for your tests, review and revise your ____________.

ACROSS

8. Getting a measly hour of sleep.

9. Planning ahead will make studying easier and keep you organized.

10. A regular student should study from ____________.

“Don’t study the night before the fi-nal, try hard and study over the week. Cramming yourself with information would be too much in one night,” said Chanchharath Ros (11).

“Depending on what [the subject is] on, if a teacher assigned a material or work I would [complete the study guides], study the notes, and previous tests I have taken,” said Thuy Tran (10).

“I am preparing myself for the college finals by going over important con-cepts and reviewing my notes,” said Juan Ruiz (9).

12.09.114 Finals 12.09.11 5“I gave you guys the AP study guide and I recommended the study guide from the Princeton and Kaplan Review. Your notes should be set up so you don’t have to reread every chapter. You have your flashcards by the end of the semester and should be wandering around with them and asking each other ques-tions. ” said Mrs. Pamela Scott, AP World History teacher.

Tips for Studying!

“I would tell them to go back and review for previous assess-ments first to help them identify weak areas. Next, go to

the sections in the back [of the textbook] and study the concepts. Work on several odd number questions and

check answers in the back of the book. If they can still see they are having difficult, they need to

seek help from their peers or from me,” said Dr. Hebert-Swartzer, math teacher.

How Do YOU Prepare for Finals?

“They have their interactive notebooks, studyguides, they highlight [in their notebooks], and have study buddies. What you put into it, is what you get out of it. Ask for help, but not at the last moment,” said Mrs. Andrea Bear, World Hsitory teacher.

“Start reviewing two weeks ahead of time, set a schedule, and chunk the

material up. Go after the big ideas and the details. Don’t study the night before your final, it

will cause confusion, panic, and anxiety,” said Mr. Russell Lewis, AP US History teacher.

“Review everything we have done and go over Cornell notes. Make study cards and have a study buddy. [Lastly], ask questions on things you didn’t do well on,” said Ms. Kari Jones, English teacher.

“[For] Geometry, make notecards, go over all homework [assigments], try to memorize the theories, and practice constructions,” said Ms. Roselyn Wang, math teacher.

Finals

Do NOT procrastinate.

Review ALL material given by teachers.

Do NOT cram everything in your mind in one night, study many days before.

Give yourself a break in between and eat a snack.

Be Facebook-free!

Isolate yourself from all distrac- tions. Turn off all electronics.

Teachers’ Tips on Studying for Finals

Finals Fun Crossw

ord Puzzle

Graphic credit: Angelynn Jose, Photo credit: Jonathan Kwan, & Finals Package credit: Jonathan Kwan & Aman Paneser

Visit our website to view the answers: www.wolveschronicle.com

Word Bank:socialnetwork teachersleepdeprivationtimemanagement sleepstudygroups flashcardscornellnotesfourtosixprocrastination

The time of gift giving and cheers, of time spent with family and friends is what makes unforgettable moments, unforgettable moments created from the presence of loved ones, gifts, and laughter. Holidays are right around the corner and choosing a gift is one hard and tricky matter, you know what they like but don’t know what to get them. You’re a guy trying to discover what to get your girl and you have no idea what to get her. It’s not that you don’t listen, it’s that you get lost in their eyes.

You may be with them for just a few weeks, months or maybe a year or two, but still your mind is blank and you’re clueless on what to buy. Pay attention guys this may be useful to you and might make you look like an incredible option to be her potential groom. “The worst gift I’ve ever gotten was a necklace that he gave his ex-girlfriend, but she gave it back so he gave it to me,” said Alma Gloria Munoz (10). Come on guys we are better than that at least make sure that they don’t know your ex or something. No, but really the gift has to come with deep thought and from the heart. The thought and the gift both matter. “The thought matters, but the gift helps remember the thought,” said Monica Guzman (11). Gifts are special to girls no matter what it is, but there is a limit

guys remember don’t get the same gift over and over again and don’t get something inap-propriate of course. Girls will tell you they don’t want any-thing, but in reality they do. They don’t ask for anything up front, but they will say some-thing that will lead you to find out and know what they want. Like when they say, “aww look at that looks so pretty and cute,” they walk away from it but they’ll walk away wanting what they just saw and thinking that was so “cute and pretty.” Don’t just say “yeah, yeah” and go look at those awesome shirts on the other side of the store. So try to get that perfect find out what it is and become the best guy/boyfriend in the

world. Remember guys when buying a gift put deep thought into it and pay attention to your girl. Don’t take her words measly they can help you find and get the perfect gift. Making you the most “awesomest, bestest” guy/boyfriend in the world.

So your going shopping for that spe-cial Girl right? okay then in no way even think about getting her any of the following items: -a ring from a from a candy machine -coupons -video games -Make up (kind of insulting to their natural beauty) -Nasty candy -a hideous, leather, and fox-fur coat -Pajamas -a cheap or used gift card -Socks -teddy bear (unless its your first time) -Perfume(they might think that you think you smelll bad) -Bag of chips for last minute -Key Chain - Put more thought in to your gifts and think about what they like. (thanks to the people surveyed and asked what they wouldnt like to get)

12.09.116 712.09.11

So you started shopping for her and you thought of almost everything you can but you still no idea what to get her, it okay we got you how about getting her some of these: -a huge stuffed animal - bracelet with names and date -write a song/poem for her - chocolates (the good tasting kind) -Romantic dinner be her cook -a white and red rose twined togetherThese are some ideas use one if youd like no problem at all, but if you choose not to get her any of these gifts get her something you put a lot of thought into. Good luck.

1

2 3

While the holiday season has a unique meaning to each of us whether it be spiri-tual, a time for family and friends, or cel-ebrating no school. For many, it is a time of giving and receiving gifts. We all have our own take on this topic. So here’s mine! I would like to start with the giving side. I believe that it is the effort that is put out to pick a gift for someone that is im-portant. Sometimes, finding the right gift is easy, while other times it can take a great deal of thought, and in my case contempla-tion and conversations with myself. It seems the more you want to give something special the more contemplation is required. The conversations would go something like this. “What would [insert person name here] like most? Would a box of cereal work? No, maybe not they have that everyday. Then how about a pair of pliers I liked them when I got them as a gift?” And so on. There also the “aha” gifts that you might stumble upon months ahead and say this would be perfect. Now sometimes

the person you are choosing a gift for may make it a little easier. If someone was to get Eldwin Li (10) a gift they would have a head start since he stated that he would not want “I do not want a Justin Beiber doll, a Cab-bage Patch kid doll, anything to do with the Backyardagans, or socks.” Others may help you with the other side, what they want. It is particularly help-ful when unique gift requests are expressed, such as what Ejay Lopez (10) said “I would like some thing from Dragon Ball Z.” For me when selecting a gift this includes gifts that do not have to be pur-chased. These are things that you can do for others. For example giving something of your own that has been meaningful to you. You could also give something of yourself. For example, I gave my neighbor a certificate for a year of technical assistance. Moving on, while it is better to give than receive, it certainly is fun to get gifts. It also gives others the opportunity to give. While most of the gifts I dream about (and not likely to get any time soon) would be things with an Apple logo on them. I guess I am not alone in these thoughts since Jesus Lopez (9) said, “I would like a MacBook Pro of course.” This does not mean I do not ap-preciate all gifts, including even the smallest things, such as an ornament made by my brother that reflects our relationship. It is the thought and knowing someone took the time to think of me that is truly the gift. And a final thought about gift giving there are so many people who do not have the opportunity to give or receive gifts at this time of year. Don’t forget them. If you can donate a few cents or what you can to others, do so, even if the gift might seem measly.

Giving a Gift a Thought

Christopher Crawfordstaff member

Sirenio Gonzalezstaff member

The Ideas Behind a Gift

Dont Know What to Get Her Think About it Before You Buy it ...

The Time of giving and Recieving

vs. Why the thought is more im-portant: “The thought matters more be-cause it shows you that the per-son giving you the gift knows you [and] what you would like. It would suck to just get something generic that could apply to any-one beacause it shows they don’t care at all. Trust me, I’ve gotten thoughtless gifts. It’s not fun.” Holly DeHonestis (11).“It has a sentimental value.” Brandy Chin (10)

why the gift is more important:“the gift bring a sense of consid-eration for the person in a long way” Mikey Agui(11)

“The gift matters more because they took the time to get you a gift, they even thought about giving you a gift.” Becky Huang (10) “ It shows how the person feels about you.” Brandy Chin (10).

GiftThought

Aside from video gaming, students have also been engaging in other forms of gaming during school hours such as Yu-gi-oh battles. “It’s always been here,” Derrick Held (11) said, referring to the Yu-gi-oh frenzy. “It’s just more people started playing it at SECA.” Students can be seen playing during lunch, at Shima Gardens, and out-side classrooms. “It’s a good way to bring people together, to have fun and not think of any prob-lems or anything,” Chanchharath Ros (11) said. “It’s kind of distracting though because you don’t get your homework done. ”

Adapted from collegeandfinance.com’s “16 Most Popular Video Games on College Campuses.”

9. NCAA FootbAll

8. hAlo 2

7. Wii SportS

6. grANd theFt Auto

5. MArio KArt 64

4. dANCe dANCe reVolutioN

3. World oF WArCrAFt

2. guitAr hero

1. Super SMASh broS.

NAh bro, itS All About the..?

pS3 CCCCC

XboX 360 CCCC

Compiled by Sigrid Panugao. Survey taken from 30% of student body; 35 juniors, 35 sophomores, and 35 freshmen.

did You KNoW...N Call of Duty: Black Ops made over twice as much revenue as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 N Activision Blizzard established a non-profit organization called Call of Duty Endowment (CODE) to aid U.S. military veterans who are unemployed and organizations such as the Paralyzed Veterans of AmericaN MW3 is the first in the MW series to integrate facilitated gaming for color-blind playersN Before COD, the holder of largest revenue in the video game industry was Grand Theft Auto IV

“I end my turn and now I drink my Dr.

Pepper” – Daymian Villapuda

Black Ops, the seventh installment of

the Call of Duty series, has recently released its latest map pack, Rezurrec-

tion, making the final map count of the video game four-teen. Accompanied by four previous maps from World at War, a new map, Moon, was added where players could com-bat zombies with zero gravity. “The latest Black Ops map is really neat because it is small, so it’s easier to find the enemy,” Jorelyn Calam (11) said. “In addition, the zombie map is on the moon. Lack of gravitation!” For many gamers, the new map wasn’t a disappoint-ment as some presumed. It has been said to live up to the previous maps’ standards. “I’ve seen my cousins play it and it looks pretty dif-ficult, not going to lie,” Rita Valdez (11) said. Developed by Treyarch, this first-person shooter game set in the Cold War sold over 7 million copies world-wide within its first day release. Notably for the Xbox 360, Wii, and PlayStation 3 (PS3) consoles, Black Ops broke the record once held by Modern Warfare 2 (also a Call of Duty game but part of the Modern Warfare series) of having the largest revenue in video game history, making Black Ops the best-selling game of all time. “When I first got the PS3, [Black Ops] was the first game I got so I just always played the game online and bought all the zombie maps,” Cristian Romero (10) said. “So I’m always going to play online with my friends.” Other gamers, on the flip side, weren’t very fond of the violence and gore core to Black Ops or first-person shooter video games in general. “The whole violence component in video gaming isn’t something I’m drawn towards. Shooting everything I see isn’t something I like to do,” Nico Brondial (11) said. “I pre-fer more community oriented gaming.” Some, such as Brondial, find it distasteful to be a foot soldier, Alex Mason, handling black operations (hence the name). “Considering the fact that half the gaming commu-nity itself is underage for that type of game,” Brondial said, “the craze is due to a generally short attention span and trig-ger happy attitude encouraged by everyone who plays.” First-person shooter advocates, such as Calam agrees

with Brondial’s stance, but only to a certain extent. “I have to be blunt, it is a waste of time,” admitted Calam, “but it is entertaining. Though it depicts violence, it is a definite stress relief. It relieves my stress and anger.” In any sense, it is these first-person shooter games which typically make the most revenue in the video game industry. One of the most recent examples would be the ex-plosion of Modern Warfare 3 (MW3), the eighth installment of the Call of Duty series and the latest competitor to Black Ops. “It’s the game to get, man!” Valdez said, referring to MW3. “The previews look [very] tight! It’s going to be better than part 2.” Some gamers, like Calam, preordered the game two months before its release and then paid off the remaining balance and picked the game up the day of. Others, however, have to wait longer for the fad and are finding consolation in

Black Ops. “I’m going to get MW3 for Christmas so I’m going to be on that,” Valdez said, “but for now Black Ops.” Many believed the unveiling of MW3 would mean ruin to Black Ops’ dominance. “Black Ops was fun so it just showed how much bet-ter MW3 would be,” Romero said. “Usually the newer games are more fun.” Be that as it may, many gamers continue to have a soft spot for the previous trend. Withstanding MW3, Black Ops is perhaps even more successful than many previously believed. “I’ll be back and forth between both of them so I don’t get bored of MW3,” Romero said. “Plus people made a big deal out of Black Ops. It’s just going to be one of those games that will continue for a long time.”

Josephine Espinozastaff member

MW3VS.blACK opS

8 912.09.1112.09.11

MoSt populAr Video gAMeS oN College

CAMpuSeS

top 9 loAdiNg...Yu-gi-oh MANiA oN CAMpuS

Photo Credits: Josephine Espinoza

For more on video gaming, check out our website: wolveschronicle.com

52%

48%

video game craze

“I often went to the library and looked up

ideas in books. I also compared other writers’

styles to my own. But the place I used for

inspiration was my

family. I would write

quirky little stories

about my dad and his

football dance everytime

the 49ers scored a touchdown.

I liked to write about the simple things and

the everyday moments of life.”

Mrs. Kari Jones

“Clothing has [changed in] all sorts of

ways, maybe too many. Different styles &

materials, make it hard to choose outfits,

but my daughter has fun with that. Mu-

sic too is extremely more varied, combi-

nations of things & instrumental sounds

not so pure anymore. Technology keeps

becoming more & more sophisticated & of

course more complex for those of us born

more than 20 years ago.”

12.09.11

“I didn’t like high school very

much. My guidance counselor said

I wasn’t “college material” because I

was a girl so she stuck me in low

classes. I wanted to be challenged,

but instead I was bored silly in my

classes. I got in trouble once for

reading a book in my English class

because we were supposed to be

reading magazines.”

Ms. Shannon Kelly

Mrs. Andrea BearMs. Roselyn Wang

“My math teachers were my favorite. They

organized engineers, rocket scientists etc...

to speak to us on the importance of math-

that math teaches us to think. Also,

one of my math teachers was a

conductor. He double majored in

music and math; so did I.”

“The ‘information revolution’ al-

lowed meeting for a whole group.

Being able to talk without meeting

was great. Learning is easier and

harder because it’s easier to access

information, but there is access to so

much information.”

Mr. Russell Lewis

10

There were few AP classes

[at my high school] and little

academic rigor. [I would say to

myself:] Learn to study. Getting

into the habit will make it easier.

1971 1973

“I keep in touch with many

friends [from high school].

I cherish relationships I

have made with people and

I have random memories.”

1112.09.11

The prequel of life one could never forget

Technology advancing throughout the years. . .

Desiree Alcocerstaff member

• E-mailinventedbyRayTomlinson

• PocketcalculatorinventedbySharp

Corporation

• Ethernetin-ventedbyBobMet-calfeandDavidBoggs

• Personalcomputerin-ventedbyXeroxPARC

1983

• CamcorderinventedbySony

1990

• WorldWideWebinvent-edbyTimBerners-Lee

Mr. Obed Galang

“My biology and chemistry teacher was

my favorite teacher of all

time, because she put no pressure

on kids who just wanted to

be themselves. I learned not just

about science, but about life and

how the decisions you make in your

life really outline your path. She

really got me to love science.”

HigH ScHool

Four years that begin and change your life for the long journey aheadOh,howthetimeshave

changed.Highschoolhasalwaysbeenatimewhen

teenagersfeelmeaslyespeciallyastheygothroughallthedifficulttimesandhaveabunchofemotions.Onealsohastobeginplanningtheirfutureandlifewithouthisorherparents.Butthenthinkingaboutit,thelivesstudentslivetodayaretotallydifferentfromthewaytheteachershavegonethroughtheirhighschoolyears.

Staffmembershavegonethroughhighschoolwith-outthetechnologyofferedtoday.Itmakesonethink,“Howdidtheyevengettheirworkdone?”Butitalsoshowsthattheyhadtothinkmoreforthemselvesandcomeupwiththeirownideas.

“Iwouldratherhaveamoresimplisticlifethanlivewithtoday’stechnology,”saidJasmineFredericksen(11).

However,thebenefitsofrecenttechnologyformanystudentscanbetakenadvantageof.

“I’mmoreappreciativeofInternetaccess,andMicrosoftWord,butwithmoretechnology,thehigherthedifficultyandstandardsofassignmentswegetare,”saidDrewCarr(9).“Ithinkthatthecurriculumhasadvancedalotovertheyears.AbigchunkofhomeworkthatIhavemakesnosenseatalltomyparents.”

Everyonehasgonethroughtheirownhighschoolexperience,evenourteachers.

“Iwasbasedonafarmerranchraisingchickens.Iworkedonafarmandwenttoschool,”saidMr.Rus-sellLewis,SocialStudiesteacherandLawandSocietyteacher.

Highschoolisdifferentforeveryone.Teenagerstendtogothroughtoughtimesastheyarelearningaboutthe“realworld,”butsometimesyoustrivetobethebestyoucanbe.

“Ihadagreathighschoolexperience.Iwasprettyinvolved[inextra-curricularactivities].Itwasatra-ditionalschoolwithsports,activitiesandclubs,thatIparticipatedin,”saidRachelWest,APLanguageandCompositionteacherandJournalismadviser.

EventhoughWesthadagreathighschoolexperi-ence,otherteachershavebeenabletofindwhattheywouldhavewantedintheirhighschoolexperiencethatSECAprovidesforitscurrentstudents.

“IwishIhadanAVIDclass.Iwasn’ttotallyun-organized,butitsurewouldhavehelpedmebelesschaotic,”saidAndreaBear,HonorsWorldHistoryteacher.

Whenitcomesdowntoit,studentsaremoreprivi-legedthantheymaythinktheyare.Teachersareabletoseethestudentstheyhavecomecloseto,improveintheiracademics.Althoughitmaybehardtorealize,SECAprovidesanenvironmentwhereitsstudentsareabletoconnectmorewiththeirteachersandgetmoreofachancetoreceivehelp.

MeMorieS

Ms. Rachel West

Information collected from ideafinder.com

“[My friends and I] had a lot of fun

burning CD’s on Napster and playing

them at school. I typed my papers

on Microsoft Word. On Win-

dows Millenium computers I

would play computer games.”

Mr. Ansel Eayrs

Mrs. Pamela Scott

SCIENCE

memories

OpiniOnOpiniOn12 1312.09.11 12.09.11

1.Lake Tahoe There are various activities to do,

one of the most popular ski resorts is Northstar Resort. Events include

Tubing, Mountain Tours, Bungy Trampoline, and much more.

5 fun places to visit in California

5. San Diego’s Seaworld: Christmas Celebration is not to be

missed. Events include The Polar Express in 4D, Snoworld at Seaworld

and much more.

4.Anahiem’s Disneyland: It’s the place to be when it’s winter.

There are things to do like watching A Christmas Fantasy Parade at Disney-land and meet all you favorite disney

characters and more.

2. Old Sacramento: One of the oldest, and most visited

attractions of Sacramento has its own Gold Rush-age shops, museums, and

restaraunts.

3. Downtown Stockton:Although you may find yourself stay-

ing in town, you can still catch the upcoming ice hockey games at the

Stockton Arena, and the latest movies at the theater.

12

3

4

5

Take advantage of your break!Go have a fabulous adventure, you deserve it, you really do.

You’ve been on winter break for less than a week, and you’re already bored. Sure, you are excited for the holidays, but you have all that spare time during the month. You can sleep all day, but as soon as you wake up, you’ll have nothing to

do.Except for homework. With your family or friends, you can have loads of fun. You live in California, make the most of your surroundings.

“Me and my dad like to go to Kirk Wood, Sierra, Tahoe and Sugar Bowl to snowboard [during winter break].We’re adrenaline junkies,” said Danny Cueva (9).

During school, many students don’t have much time to spend with their families. Winter break can be the time to bond with them and try something new. When was the last time you and your mom baked cookies together? The last time you and your dad went fishing? You’re never too old to spend quality time with your family.

“My favorite is spending more time with my family, [because] it’s hard to find time to spend with them,” said Stephany Granja (10).

Even if you do not have the money and time to travel, you can still find exciting things to do this winter season. Stockton has annual events that are provided for little or no cost. The Haggin Museum is free every first Saturday of the month, and you can watch plays at the Stockton Civic Theatre and hockey games at the Stockton Arena. These are inexpensive and are fun ways to get out of the house.

“I wish I could travel more often, but I have to stay at home,” said Xe Her (11).

If you don’t take a break from school and homework now, the rest of the school year will seem to go by even slower. You know the old saying, “time flies when you’re having fun.” Just because we go to SECA doesn’t mean we don’t know how to have a good time!

“I go to Christmas parties [to] hang out with friends,” Grant Sebastian (9).

Now stop posting statuses about your measly vacation, and go enjoy yourself. Go forth and be merry.

Cindy Munozstaff member

Oh no! You need to get to your winter break destination, but you forgot the GPS at home! What are you going to do now? Head Home? Of course not! Solve this maze to get to the start of your awesome winter break! Fun Tip: Want to really challenge yourself? See how much time it takes you to solve this!

12.09.1114 OpiniOnSUSD Web Filter Blocks Important InformationCensorship protects students but also inhibits freedom of thought

Every year, I hear the same old traditional holiday carols and songs. They bring that warm feeling of the holiday spirit and family fun. Everyone knows “Jingle Bells” because it’s been sung so many

times and been passed down for so many generations. Everyone sings them. . . perhaps a bit too much. Despite the variety, or a lack thereof, many of them range from the well known songs neither religious nor traditional. This does not leave much room for humor, un-less your friends sing them in such a ridiculous manner you can’t help but to crack up. Sure, they can be fun, but where’s the creativity in that? There have been many remakes of the classics and they are pretty spiffed up versions, but still, there could be more creativity. I want to see a change in the holiday music, perhaps some slightly differ-ent tunes, like Frank Sinatra’s “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” Sinatra’s warm jazz style gives a cozy feeling, which simply can’t be matched during the holiday season. Surely, we all get tired after hear-ing the same songs belaboring and boring us to tears. The same thing happens with the holiday songs, because they are sung without end throughout the holiday season and all too often throughout the year. If people got creative and wrote new songs we could see

how our view of the holidays have changed over the years, because despite the fact that we celebrate the same holidays every year they’re not always the same. For example, you may celebrate Christmas one year and call it the worst Christmas of your life or in contrast to that you may have the most spectacular celebration ever. I enjoy the feel of newer holiday songs changing up the flow of things, sure they’re unconventional, but that is what makes them fun, like Adam Sandler’s Hannukah which gives a whole new feel of comedy during the holi-day season. A majority of new songs present a fresher feel and have a deeper tone than the relatively shallow tones of the traditional songs. The music industry needs to move away from using the holidays as an excuse to put out a “Christmas album” filled with simple covers of old traditional songs. Every year its, “buy this Christmas special with all the holiday favorites.” Why should artists waist their time re-inventing the wheel, not saying that they can’t make an old song spectacular, instead of moving forward in the style of music? Why should it be about the money they’ll get from their fans from a measly Christmas album? The holiday songs should reflect what we think about the holidays now, not what some guy hundreds of years ago thought about the holidays. We should write new songs, fun-nier songs, and all round better songs for the holiday season.Contact info: Readers may drop off questions or comments at Rm. 9 or email at werkxr96x@gmail.com

12. 09. 11 15OpiniOn

Music Corner: Holiday Edition

Album: Unknown

Artist: Steve Ouimette

Song: Hark Herald The

Angels Sing (Remix)

Album: Christmas the Cowboy WayArtist: The Riders In The Sky Song: A Christmas Yodel

Album: What the Hell

Happened to Me

Artist: Adam Sandler

Song: Hanukkah

Richard Huynh Staff member

• Speak –Laurie Halse Anderson• TheHungerGames–Suzanne Col-

lins• TheDiaryofAnneFrank –Anne

Frank• WaterForElephants–Sara Gruen• TheKoran –No Author

• TwentyBoySummer –Sarah Ockler• TheCatcherintheRye –J. D. Salin-

ger• Slaughterhouse-Five –Kurt Vonnegut• ThePerksofBeingaWallflower –

Stephen Chbosky• ttyl –Lauren Myracle

• Betrayed –P.C. & Kristen Cast• SnowFallingonCedars –David

Guterson• GreatSoul:MahatmaGhandiand

HisStruggleWithIndia –Joseph Lelveld

Want to Defy Censorship?

Here are just a few well-known books that have been banned or challenged by school districts and parents

all across America, for including content that

is “offensive.”Source: ALA Banned Books List

Is anyone else laughing at the irony of the SUSD internet filter blocking a web-site on censorship?

That’s right, “Cen-sorship In America”

is blocked for an un-specified reason. We

may have the right to speak freely, but in this school district (and in many others), we don’t necessarily have the right to listen to it.

It’s understandable why students aren’t permitted to access sites containing things such as pornography at school. It’s part of the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA), which keeps minors from being exposed to profane and obscene content online.

“Unfortunately,” explains the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) on its website, “these regulations have unexpected consequences-- for example, that the filters often inadvertently block innocent speech.”

Such as, say, a few measly websites ex-plaining censorship laws.

Hate speech is filtered too, and has its own category under SUSD’s block: Hate & Discrimination. And yet, it is legal, according to multiple Supreme Court decisions, as long as is doesn’t include a direct threat or a call to action. Yet SUSD says we should not be

exposed to any offensive content.“The district is required to filter inter-

net access by students,” said Robert Sahli, Director of Curriculum at SUSD. “I am not aware of a public school district in the state that does not filter.”

Sahli went on to explain that the filter is run by software that categorizes websites and blocks the ones that are deemed harm-ful to students.

The Federal Communications Commis-sion (FCC), on its website, said that CIPA is intended to “address concerns about access to offensive content over the Internet on school and library computers.”

The FCC website also outlined the crite-ria for determining what to block: images that depict obscenity, child pornography, or content “harmful to minors.” It doesn’t go into detail about what things are considered “harmful,” and it also doesn’t address the difference between elementary schoolers and teenagers. As SECA students, we are al-lowed many opportunities to act like mature

adults, yet we are not always treated as such.

“Speech codes are not the way to go on campuses,where all views are entitled to be heard, explored, supported or refuted,” the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) states on its website. “Besides, when hate is out in the open, people can see the problem.”

Rather than pretending distasteful argu-ments don’t exist and refusing to acknowl-edge opposing points of view, we should be responding critically. Rather than banning a few measly chapter books for too much profanity, we should be analyzing why the author chose offensive words. Rather than denying students access to hate speech, we should use it to understand problems in our world today, and begin working out how to solve them.

To me and to many others, hate speech is despicable, deplorable, and downright dumb. But it’s protected by our First Amend-ment, and if we take away the voices of oth-ers, how much easier will it be to take away our own?

Sheltering us from the points of view of others, no matter how distasteful, won’t solve anything.

As Angelynn Jose (11) said, “When we ac-tually get out there in the real world, we’re like, ‘Oh [CENSORED].’”

Emily Wilburnstaff member

“...when hate is out in the open, people can see the

problem.”

the second favorite holiday dish

(39% of votes*)

the most favorite holiday dish

(43% of votes*)

The endTail

1 potato, finely diced1 carrot, finely diced2 cloves of crushed garlic1 onion, finely chopped1 cup of frozen peas1 tablespoon vegetable oil2 tspn curry powder 100 ml of vegetable stock.Salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic, mix in the spices and fry until soft. Add the vegetables, seasoning and stir well until coated. Add the stock, cover and simmer for 30 minutes until cooked. Place these inside the dough and fry.

samosas

Add the pork, hominy, garlic, cumin, salt and stock or water to a large pot. Bring these to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. Remove the pot from heat. Take the pork from pot and set aside to cool. When the pork is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from its bones and shred it with your hands. Add the meat back to the pot and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve with little bowls of your choice of garnishes so each person can garnish his or her own serving.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds pork2 to 3 cups canned or fresh hominy3 to 5 cloves of garlic2 teaspoons ground cumin2 teaspoons salt6 cups of water or stock

*These values were based on a survey taken by 150students (50 freshmen, 50 sophomores and 50 juniors)

What you’re looking forward to

For more delicious recipes with measlyeffort, please check out the

Wolves’ Chronicle website athttp://www.wolveschronicle.org

chow mein

the fourthfavorite*

tamales

the thirdfavorite*

the fifthfavorite*

egg rolls

pozole

Photo credit: creativecommons.org

Photo by Meziah Cristobal

Photo credit: creativecommons.org

Photo by Meziah Cristobal

Photo credit: creativecommons.org