The Cruelty of Dog Fighting

By Johanna Duiker

   Animals deserve to be treated with kindness and to be cared for; they should not be beaten or taught to fight. Animal fighting is rapidly becoming one of the most common illegal entertainments today. One of the most popular forms of animal fighting is dog fighting; pit bulls and terriers are generally used in these brutal showdowns. The contest or fight usually takes place in a small arena or pen, while betting occurs over which dog is most likely to win. The fights are, on average, one hour long, but every so often the fight times are extended to two hours. The fight will end when one dog is not physically able to continue fighting, either due to severe injury or death. Senior Keanu Garlitos says, "I would say that dog fighting is very bad and I feel bad for the dogs that are put into that situation." What kind of person would make their dog fight just to win a bet? In reality, dog fighting is a gamble; this may make it addicting, but that does not mean that the act is right. There has been an increase in organized fights in urban neighborhoods over the past few years. The injuries that these animals sustain frequently go untreated. Many die from blood loss, shock, dehydration, infectious diseases or exhaustion soon after a fight.
    The dogs are not the only ones who suffer because of these cruel acts. Animals such as cats, rabbits or small dogs also suffer. Oftentimes these animals are used as bait for the dogs during the conflicts. Fighting dogs have been bred for generations to be dangerous and aggressive toward other animals. The fact that these dogs are even in our communities increases the risk of attacks not only on other animals but also on people. Children are at an especially high risk because they are small, causing a fighting dog to think of a child as another animal. Junior Brianna Moore stated, "I think that dog fighting is wrong but if it was chicken fighting I would not mind." Dog fighting should continue to be illegal for many reasons, one of which is the issue of safety for children. A majority of people are of the opinion that having dogs fight to the death is morally wrong..
    So what are some of the charges if someone gets caught arranging a dog fight or even being involved? All that one would get for participating is a small misdemeanor charge! Dog fighting provides such a large profit for people who are involved that minor penalties are influential. Dog fighters just use these fines as part of the cost of doing business. Dog fighting should be punished by more than just a slap on the hand. Law enforcement should instead use punishments similar to a few years in jail. So if you have a pet, think about how wrong it would be if someone you knew threw your pet into a ring for money that could cost your pet’s life. What would you do?

 

HARD: Haunted Mansion

By Joey Alcala

Unlike most of the population of the city who spend their Halloween going door-to-door to get a piece of candy, 14,000 spent their Day of Hallows at the HARD: Haunted Mansion. Located at the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles, HARD: Haunted Mansion was a nighttime dance music event. The party featured Crystal Castles, Soulwax, Justice, DJ AM, Deadmau5, Steve Aoki, Crookers, and many more widely known DJ’s that attracted the thousands who attended, and were responsible for making sure this smashing Halloween was party sold out. When asked how they liked felt about the event after attending, Senior Alexis Feldner replied, “This was one of the most amazing events of my life, and it will be something I will never forge.” Alexis continued, “Because they had so many great DJ’s under one roof” proving that Halloween 2008 was a night to remember.
Fabulous music indicates a fabulous party, and a fabulous party means unforgettable memories. This epic event consisted of four dance rooms, all Halloween themed and overflowing with thousands of people dancing to an amazing beat. Music genres were mainly Techno, Electronica, House, etc. which made everyone who attended bob their head. Vampires, Ghosts, Cats, Witches and other science-fiction characters populated the eight-hour long party, which started at 8pm and ended at 4am. Scrumptious snacks such as nachos, popcorn, corn dogs were there to fill the stomachs of the attendees, and to keep everyone awake, energy drinks were sold. Although this event was sold out, and packed with 14,000 people, HARD (the company that produced the party) spaced out each stage so that it wasn’t neck to neck dancing. There was still room to move around but if you were at the main stages, you would have a hard time trying to get through. The people who attended were in costume, keeping the Halloween spirit alive.

Take the Lead

By Laura Lindsey

      Wouldn’t it be great to live like a character from a movie? Just imagine waking up knowing that every problem would be resolved and ending every day with a new happy ending. Some people say that most great stories and movies were written about experiences from the writer’s life or are symbolic of their real life situations. However, the majority of movies end with a happy ending, while in reality our lives do not have such picturesque conclusions. As senior Sarah Mulligan stated, “life doesn’t always work out the way you want just because you are the main character and unlike in movies life doesn’t always have a happy ending.”   
      Movies only show what we, the audience, want to see. In general, people won’t pay to see depressing movies about someone’s real life story, unless the individual is a famous or historical figure. When life seems ready to defeat a person, the only thing he or she has to hold onto is hope. Most times, this hope is found through others, through careful observations of their lives. Other times, it is possible to see the mistakes of others and learn from such violations. The thing about movies is that they do provide the public with a basis for hope. For example, when two people fall in love in the final moments of a film, those watching begin to want that love that the couple exudes. As humans, we search for the happiness others have found. When a character overcomes their low social standing and gains prosperity, those in the audience connect with their own power to be and do anything.
     However, this power can also be harmful. When people watch  movies, they are more inclined to act as that character in order to gain all that the character accomplished. Many individuals make the same mistakes that the characters made, but unlike those characters, they must deal with the real life consequences. All are affected by what they see, and no matter how short or small the encounter, each person is always changed by those with whom they come into contact. For this reason more positive movies have been made. However, many lose sight of reality because of the false hope. As Junior Marissa Sturges stated, “Movies are too cheesy. Life isn’t at all like that.”
      So what should be done about this situation? It would be pointless and ignorant to stop watching movies altogether, and as everyone is surely aware, such a goal would never be reached anyway. Then, can a compromise be reached? The benefits of movies are that they can provide some people with the extra little push they need to be inspired to do whatever it is they want. Films can create peace of mind in a child and provide hope for the future. In reality, we are bound to have at least one happy ending in our lives, even if it is not able to last forever. So, we should continue to watch movies granted that we understand the simple fact that they are, for the most part, fiction and there is truly nothing wrong with that.

Come Undone

By Nikki O'choa

In the precious stages of 'immaturity,' children are unpolluted by the pains of puberty and fitting in with the world. Hate, disappointment, failure and innumerable other negative aspects of life are blocked from childhood experiences; they put their entire heart and being into their carefree lives, unaware of the hurt that could come from entering the boiling vat that is maturity. When a child acts according to his or her nature the world simply criticizes them, remarking that they are "just being a kid" and that "they will learn in time." However, when an adult wears their heart on their sleeves in a similar manner, the world regards them as stupid. Events that do not go according to plan can make even the toughest men cringe and retract bitterly while putting their heart out vulnerably; children, on the other hand, aim for exactly what they desire and know of nothing else. Sadly, time passes and the world's rules settle restrictively around children; in order to be a respectable member of society, they are forced to give in.
The 'weirdos' and 'losers' are the individuals that should be envied. One could learn a lesson from these people and their cartoon obsessions, ridiculous random comments, and abnormal outlooks on life. It seems as if they have no barriers, for they do what they want and do not abide by the social rules which define being 'cool' or 'popular'. Unrestrained and free of the pressure around them, they have an entirely different perspective of happiness, which is similar to the joy felt during childhood. At one time everyone had this happiness, and it came easy and naturally.
Imagine that a person is naturally inclined to like the color yellow. Whenever the color appears, it inspires creativity and contentment. However, the color that is in style this season is pink. Everyone around them is talking of pink and gushing over what a glorious color it is. Surrounded with all this talk of pink's grandeur, one may start to think: "Oh yes, pink is a nice color. It is so bubbly and bright and everyone seems to be so pleased by it. Maybe I shall be pleased by its presence as well. I will give it a go and buy this pink accessory." Of course, this is a raw example, but the point being is that people did not mean to betray their self identity in any way; yellow was simply not the most popular color and pink seemed rather enjoyable, so the individual conformed. Yet, no amount of social pressure could inspire a natural inclination equal to that created by the color yellow. Unfortunately, after a while people lose sight of what truly made them happy. They may find that happiness again as social layering comes undone in the later years of life as they grow old and wise. They will rock back on a rocking chair as they finally sing the song they wanted to when they were young, but lacked the courage to openly do so.

By Cora Chong

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.