Growing Up...and Moving Out?

By Emma Smith

For the students of El Segundo High School, the 2008-09 school year has opened with a whirlwind of textbooks, homework and pens, all of which can be found literally flying around Freshman Hall. For the seniors, this year begins with the stress of filling out and sending applications for the colleges of their choice. Essays are written, recommendations are gathered and financial aid is mulled over. The thought of “going away” to college is enough to motivate any member of the senior class. This is in part due to the admitted fact that El Segundo is a rather small town. News spreads swiftly and oftentimes mercilessly. Many are eager to move out and enter the new world of college dorms and independent living. However, countless others choose to live at home, identifying with the allure of nearby colleges. Obviously, the selection of colleges to which a student is accepted has a great impact on whether he or she will remain at home or move out. The individual’s financial situation also comes into play. If these troubling conditions were removed, however, what decision would a senior of El Segundo High School come to?

Unlike residing in a dorm or other housing complex, living at home has the lovely perk of the ability to save tons of cash. Money that would normally be spent paying for dorm rooms or off campus living is now eliminated in the grand scheme of things. Although some parents or relatives may require rent, it is doubtful that such a financial plan would amount to the same price as an independent residence. Of course, this significant monetary difference is offset by the constant presence of family and subsequent lack of privacy. Not to mention that college students often keep strange hours, a fact that would make living at home rather difficult. Senior Dylan Goodreau comments on the dilemma: “Living at home is much easier…but with moving out you get to experience new [and vastly different situations].”

Taking up residence in a dorm or off campus housing is another possibility open to all those about to attend college. Such a move engenders a real sense of independence and a heightened sense of responsibility. Senior Devon Bargmann comments on this living situation, saying, “Moving out is more popular because you get to live the actual college life. You leave behind the way you’ve been living for seventeen or eighteen years. You meet new people and…are starting fresh.” The downsides generally considered are the chance of ending up with unbearable roommates and the student loans that would be necessary to support such a lifestyle. To be added to this list are the new experiences of doing one’s own laundry, shopping for oneself and being responsible for the cleanliness of an entire living space. At the end of a discouraging day, no familiar faces present themselves for comfort. For some, this leaving of friends and family behind is difficult; for others, it is merely another positive aspect of the situation. The outcome of such a choice depends on the individual: each person must decide for himself or herself what best suites their plans for their future.

Fashion

By Joey Alcala

In the words of Fashionista Quentin Crisp, "Fashion is what you adopt when you don't know who you are." A confident look is an outgoing look. Fashion is all about confidence; whether one dresses to impress, dresses for comfort, or does not care, it is important to at least be confident in what one wears. The most popular fashion that teenagers tend to wear these days is bright colorful clothing. Bright purple pants with a yellow or green shirt and other fun combinations seem to be what hit the streets. When asked how she felt about wearing colorful clothing, sophomore Jane Lee said, "It makes me feel happy." Senior Danielle Birresborn added, "I love to be colorful, it makes me more cheerful." Wearing an all black outfit is not necessarily bad, but brighter clothes tend to make someone more appealing. Fashion mogul Elsa Schiaparelli states, "In difficult times, fashion is always outrageous." Modern day style is very flashy, yet simple, where some would wear couture and others don't mind putting on jeans and a t-shirt. Fashion, again, is what one makes it. One just has to be confident in what one puts on in the morning and rock it to the max.

When someone says fashion, most people instantly think of women. However, fashion does not always have to be a feminine thing; it is unisex. A male can wear a colorful outfit, such as red pants with a blue shirt or green pants and a red shirt. Being colorful doesn't always mean being feminine; it simply implies that one is a happy person. If anything, wearing any color is a matter of self-expression and conformability. Color is color, it just matters how one works it. Walk the walk and talk the talk while wearing anything that can stand out.

Heads or Tails?

By Joey Alcala

Ever see an odd-looking kid with a tail walking in the hallway? What was your reaction? The tail is nothing more than a tool to make people smile and to attract attention. Yeah, I wear a tail, and wearing the tail makes a statement. A statement that pretty much says I’m a kid having fun with my teenage years. Personally, I wear the tail because it’s crazy and no one does it but, again, it’s an occupational tool. I work for a company called Motive Events as a promoter for their parties. Motive Events is a production company that owns a few electro-dance Clubs in Hollywood and they also produce rave parties. I got hired solely because I was wearing a tail and attracted people’s attention to myself by wearing this weird cat tail. I wouldn’t have my job without wearing the tail to one of their events. It’s an easy job that pays well and has the luxury of being able to enter most Electro-themed clubs and raves for free. Everyone always asks if the tail gets pulled, tripped over, or stepped on. Of course it does: it is a fake tail. This extra appendage has been worn every single day for over two months. The act of wearing it is not based on some strange obsession, but is simply a fun thing to do to attract random attention and create smiles. Both positive and negative reactions to the infamous tail are apparent: "Hey that kid’s got a tail!" "I wonder what would happen if you pulled on it?"  Other reactions from people in the halls include: "It's cute and one of a kind." Of course, it is abnormal for a human to be wearing a tail everyday. The fact that it is against the 'norm' is why it is worn. Many people tend to react differently, showing that the job of the tail has been completed. It is a very fun thing to wear and it makes people laug

Obviously, most people do not generally see anyone wearing a tail in public; many find it exceedingly strange. However, it is really something that is not to the held to the normal standards of society. When wearing a tail in public, there is no fear of being “judged” because some judgmental reaction is expected. The reaction could be negative or positive. Wearing a tail means a person is putting himself or herself out there to be called names and looked at strangely. This is the whole point. Some negative aspects to wearing a tail are that it gets stepped on occasionally or can get caught on the sliding door of a bus or market, causing the wearer to trip and fall. The embarrassment of falling on a person's own tail is evident, but the thrill of having something fun dragging behind is priceless.

Back to School; Back to Conformity

By Nikki O'Choa

Being back at school means seeing all of one's classmates again. This, in turn, means making fake chitchat, asking how their summer was, and acting as if it really mattered. We are reminded that most people are not pure. We begin to lose more and more of our purity as our birthday cake begins to gather more and more wax sticks atop its frosty goodness. As we learn better ways to fit in with the kids at school, we also start to learn to see the world in a way that is addressed as 'common sense.' This is the way that is accepted, and seen as mature and right. After countless instances of being called weird or dumb at a young age, we are trained to see the world in a particular way. This reaction stems from the desire to fit in, even with the most nonconformist clubs of society. The social layering that we learn is spread thickly onto the mind like butter onto toast. As a person grows up, we find that toast to become tastier each year. It is an easy trap to fall into. We begin to like ourselves more as more people like us. With time, we comprehend the patterns shown through society's kaleidoscope.
After spending awhile looking though a small cylinder glass focusing on the pretty colors and ever-changing shapes, we begin to realize that we've been squinting and adjusting our eyes in order to participate in a viewpoint that was conceived only by others to be the best. However the inclination to look through the kaleidoscope, despite this revelation, remains strong. This is only because everyone else is looking through it and swears there is something good about it. With eyelids pinched together and necks craned to the sky, we try to see the significance that everyone else appears to be finding. Some hold it up to many different magnitudes of light; others
just flip it around thinking that they must have been looking through the wrong end to behold the beauty.

Really though, the beauty only becomes visible when the we realize that we never had to look through the kaleidoscope of society to find that happiness of which we have been searching for. We will realize we were born with the arms to bear burdens and eyes to see visions; however, we grow and lose sight of life with social layering. This social layering deceives the individual, preventing us from being able to perceive this evident

Tech Talk

By Jeffery Liu

In the fast-paced world today, technology is constantly developing and improving our lives. At times it helps us, and at other times it hinders us. Presently, there are two major technological breakthroughs in progress: the new Large Hadron Collider (LHC), and A-Space.

As one of the major scientific advancements occurring this month, the LHC is a 27 kilometer tunnel that sends tiny particles speeding around deep beneath the border of France and Switzerland. The scientists hope that they will be able to mimic the conditions that occurred right after the theoretical "Big Bang" in order to better understand how the tiny sub-atomic particles eventually evolved into more complex living organisms. Funded at $9 billion, the particle accelerator has stirred up a great deal of controversy from many people. Some believe that the LHC will eventually create a black hole that will devour the enti re Earth, while others believe that it was an enormous waste of money for research that will not directly benefit humanity. Physicists counter this theory by saying that the black holes would be too small to absorb anything before they disappear. Although some scientists admit that they do not know what they will discover, most scientists firmly believe that there will be a result from the accelerator that will help mankind in some way. They also believe that the experiment can prove the existence of different dimensions as well as explain why everything has mass. Juniors Jonathan and Andrew express their own opinions on the matter as well. Jonathan says that "If it succeeds, it will be a breakthrough; if it malfunctions, there is a chance of the world ending" and Andrew questions "Why not? What's the point of not taking risks." Regardless of whether or not it will affect mankind, the LHC particle accelerator is a great achievement in the field of science.

In addition to the new steps made in physics, the world is also making progress in the realm of cyberspace. In this case, the CIA, the FBI, and the National Security Agency are using a new networking site called A-Space in order to gather and share information about important international issues. A-Space is just like a Facebook/Myspace for spies and intelligence officers, who send messages about matters such as Al Queda and other terrorist groups, in contrast to messages about the upcoming dance or the new fashions in the world that teens so often send. The materials on the network are highly classified in order to prevent double agents from selling out the secrets of America in the 21st century.

The LHC and A-Space will continue to assist the world by delving deeper into science and protecting the information that can be gained from all areas of the Earth.

Overdressing for School

By Jacqueline Ducoing

School was once considered solely a place of learning. Apparently, clothing and how one dresses seems to impact learning, or so one would say, judging by the fact that people seem to be treating school as a debutant party. Now, instead of having grades and work be a competition, school has evolved into a contest over who has the latest clothes or fashion trends. When did it become necessary to wake up at four in the morning to get ready for school? In total, classes last about six hours; the majority of these hours are spent sitting in a classroom. The clothing items a person is wearing should not be what matters. Rather, what is in their mind should be what is valued. Getting ready for school should consist of taking a shower, putting on a tee and jeans and making it to school on time.  Being comfortable is what should matter, not killing oneself over fitting into a dress. Senior Hunter Hale shares his daily schedule of getting ready for school in the morning: "Well personally, I don't believe I need to do much to come to school just shower, put on clothes, fix my hair (not that I have much to fix anymore), brush my teeth, put on deodorant and axe. However…some people…spend hours getting ready for school and I believe they can go as far as they want, it's all up to them. If it's how they want to represent their personality and they believe they need over two hours to do it, so be it." On the contrary, senior Joey Alcala says, “I always try to look good, because I think it matters, and I wake up at 5 o clock in the morning to do my hair.” For girls, the morning routine is different. They take a shower, blow dry their hair, put a little makeup on, and get to school. It is absurd how people nowadays have changed that, waking up two hours ahead of school time just to get ready.
Besides the fact that such time schedules seem ridiculous, they make others feel inferior. When people around the school dressed up it makes everyone else feel worse, mainly because they can not match up with society's fashion standards. Those who do not care about what they look like and come to school to learn, deserve the credit. They are the ones who will be more focused in schoolwork and learning, leaving all emotional feelings behind.
Twenty or thirty years from now, none of this will matter. No one will remember the person who wore the five hundred dollar jeans on the first day of school. Yes, they might earn a reputation of having the trendiest clothes and might be remembered that way. But, in the end, is it worth it?

Getting Stuff Done!

(What to Do When You Are Stressing About Homework)

By Jack Li

Many of you may deem this article irrelevant, or ignore it, simply because the title seems uninteresting. Really, who wants to read an article about homework? Enough of it is assigned at school, parents constantly nag to finish it, and you cannot hang out with your friends because it has to be done! Are you the kind of person that surfs on MySpace when you are supposed to be doing a research paper? Do you do homework at one in the morning, five in the morning before school, or right before class? Then hopefully the following tips will help you focus more on what you need to do, and perhaps even give a little boost to your grade. So, will you read on now?

Good study and homework habits start in class. Remember your planner/agenda/binder reminder! It is important! You should write down everything pertaining to the homework assignment in that little blue book. Senior Alexander Richardson says, "It's good to keep notes on everything you need to do”. If have not used it yet, it is advisable to start NOW if you want to get your act together. Most people cannot remember everything that the teachers assign in class, and unless you have a photographic memory, you probably cannot remember either.

It is also important is to manage your time in class; if the teacher gives free time, start on your homework. Would you rather talk to your friends for a short time in class, or get your homework done and be able to hang out with them later? Of course the latter is much more sensible, but it is also important not to do homework while the teacher is teaching. You do not want to miss vital information for a test that is much more important than the homework you are doing.

Once you arrive home, read the planner to know what you must do, and start on your work. Putting homework off until later is not the best idea. Getting work done earlier takes a great deal of stress of the shoulders. It takes the fun out of relaxing if you are preoccupied with thoughts about all that homework that is waiting for you to do. It is almost like a dark cloud hanging over the day. In addition, you are significantly more productive in the afternoon or evening than late at night. A short assignment begun early in the afternoon can probably be finished within a few hours, allowing for more time to relax, and adding more hours to sleep. As Junior Josh Footlik says, "Finishing homework effectively gives you more time to do the stuff you want”.
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GET RID OF DISTRACTIONS! This is extremely important! To repeat, GET RID OF DISTRACTIONS! Every minute that used to get a snack, or to text your friend, is a minute more time it takes to finish to assignment. If it took you two hours to finish an assignment, but you were only working for one and a half, it still feels like you just spent two hours doing it. Efficient workers do ONLY what they are concentrating on at the time. If you are typing a report, it would be wise to unplug the internet connection. If it has to do with internet research, force yourself not to stray from your goal. If your friend is texting you, turn off your phone. Distractions are a waste of time, and they can certainly mess up a good habit of studying.

Do not forget the location where you do your homework, too. You need to have a set homework place, like on your desk, or on your bed. The location needs to comfortable and well lit, as you do not want to have bad eyesight from doing homework for four years in the same dimly lit corner of your room. Of course, it needs to be free from things that will distract you. In front of the TV is not a good location for doing homework. Choose an appropriate place in your house that you can go to everyday and FOCUS until you finish.

So what do you do if you are overwhelmed by homework? Everyone encounters these days, and everyone dreads it. When your math teacher decides they should assign 40 more problems than usual, your science teacher gives you a lab due the next day, your English teacher gives you two essays to do, and as a bonus, 50 vocabulary words for Spanish, do not panic; organize your tasks. Make sure all of your homework is written down in the planner, and as soon as you get home, start working. Put the assignments in order of significance and due date, and finish it in a systematical order. DO NOT think of it as a massive amalgamation of homework that is seemingly impossible to finish. Rather, think of it as each individual assignment, one task to be filled at a time.

Hopefully you gained something out of the time you took to read this. Maybe you will start to get your homework organized. Maybe you will start your homework earlier rather than at night. These tips have been helpful to people before, and no doubt they will be helpful to you too.