Immigration

....Like Lissette I was greatly impacted by the immigration session that took place more than a week ago at Phoenix. I was enraged at the fact that although this generation is supposed to lead to a advanced era, people in the discussion were so narrow minded. We all know the common phrase a person says when they are against immigration is, "They take away all the job opportunities."One girl at the session said just that. She claimed immigrants take jobs away and student immigrants would take away positions at competitive schools, so where would that leave us Americans? People say that illegal immigrants only contribute to the recession we are in now. Schools are going to be competitive regardless and if we make them citizens they would pay taxes helping our nation.

....If immigrants want to come here and become citizens wouldn't that make them Americans. What standards does an individual have to live up to become an American? I think if we find a beneficial way, like the DREAM Act, to make illegal immigrants citizens, they'll be contributing to the U.S. Through the DREAM Act students, who are illegal immigrants, can graduate and pay taxes. So how would that be taking away a job and not contributing? If anything it would lead to a more stable nation because instead of hiring teachers and engineers from other countries we would have people in the U.S would have the job.

....We also have to look at the humanity of the situation. People are trying to get away to a place where they are able to get more opportunity. I know my grandma had to leave my mother and her 3 siblings behind for 10 years in order to bring them over legally. Imagine all the families being separated by this issue. And the kids that are brought over illegally should not be held morally responsible.

....People have the perception that illegal immigrants have to only come from Mexico. What about the people that come from Asia or even Canada. The Canadian border has not reported to have half as much police as the Mexican border. Or people associate illegal immigrants with jumping a fence. What people don't know is individuals who overstay their visas qualify as an illegal immigrants.  It is because of the typical media coverage. we need to research for ourselves and not rely on hear say.

....Although I was born in America I can sympathize with what immigrants have to go through. If we shut immigrants out we are shutting out what made America so diverse.

4x4 up-date

.... Well you have heard a lot about the upcoming new 4x4 schedule that the district wants to take place. I wrote a story about the 4x4 schedule and the SLCs this last issue. I had stated that teachers were suppose to be voting the following week but they didn't vote. Now it seems that the teachers might be voting in their next school meeting then the results are taken to the board.
.....We as students don't know if it will benefit all of us or just some of us. Even though the administrator have the students education at heart it could just be bad judgement. Some surveys have been held to see what students were interested in.
....The 4x4 schedule is meant to give students eight classes in one year instead of six. They will be taking four classes the first semester and another four the second semester. This will help students earn their credits back if the flunked any classes before hand.
....There are some concerns that parents, students and teachers have. Some people believe that it will only help the students that are flunking by giving them chances of passing a class that they couldn't pass the first time around. Some of the students in honor or AP classes as well as their teachers say that it won't benefit them because they can't take an algebra 3-4 class first semester and then Pre-calculus second semester.

The Counselor

..... Yesterday, hundreds of Delta Kings and Queens swarmed K-11 to meet with counselors to plan out their classes for next year. As we were herded into separate lines (A-M and L-Z? That doesn't seem possible!), I already knew the counselor who I wanted to discuss my possible Stagg future with: Mr. Nguyen.

..... Some people think Mr. Nguyen is kind of weird or strange, but I like him. He's one of the only counselors who I believe actually care about their students. Plus, during second quarter, I had already discussed with him about transferring over to Chavez. That's why when I took a seat opposite him, he greeted me with "I thought you already left!"

..... Anyways, I thought it would be nice to plan my classes with him since I wanted to bring up my desire to transfer again. I considered it easier with him since he wouldn't be too judgmental like some adults on campus, cough the ladies in the office cough. At first, he tried to dissuade me from going to Chavez, by saying that it's up to the students to make a school what it is. "Sometimes Catholics are just Catholics and teachers are just teachers." Wise words from a good counselor. But he did, however, agree with me that there was a different learning atmosphere at Chavez. I guess the future will tell how things end up...

..... We did get around to discussing my Junior classes. I got all my picks from Junior Honors English to AP History. Noticing that I had checked a vocational/trade school option as my destination after high school, Mr. Nguyen asked me why I selected this. Then I revealed to him my other desire: to become a priest. As any adult would be, he was shocked. But then he mellowed out and said that his ambition when he was young was to also become a priest! Of course he ended up becoming a counselor, but it was great to finally talk to another person who knew how I felt.

..... Mr. Nguyen was excited about my vocation. He asked me how I developed this "major" (That's what he called it) and was I really going to go through with it. Well of course as anyone can tell you I am! Then we discussed where I was going to attend seminary school (St. Patrick's by the way :] ) and his own experience developing his faith. I kind of felt that he actually cared about my career choice. He didn't treat it as just some adolescent dream, but a possible future. Mr. Nguyen advised me to prepare myself for public speaking, crisis management, and other necessary skills. He also told me to carry myself in a manner befitting my calling.

..... I found out I had a lot in common with a school counselor. We both went to St. Luke's Catholic Church as teenagers, just like Ms. Duangsawat by the way. But the reason I'm blogging about this is because it's nice that someone is out there who understands my chosen profession. Some teachers have tried discouraging me from becoming a priest, even going as far as saying I'd be wasting my talents. I have found, however, that my friends and family have been quite supportive. You should never let anyone stop you from completing your dream. This reminds me of a Dominican friar who once told me: "Keep your eye on the prize." These words ring true. As long as you look ahead, the troubles in the present don't seem so difficult.

- Jeremy Dela Cruz, a religious guy

How Americans contradict themselves

I know this may be rather late, but a week ago at the JEA conference in Phoenix Arizona, I found myself waiting anxiously for my 10:00 a.m. session. The topic was about something that hit home pretty hard. It was about none other than immigration and border issues.
I may not be an immigrant myself, yet my richly accented last name yells that my family isn't from here (it is Rodriguez but when you pronounce it right it sounds like Rrrodrrriguezzz). Both my parents came to this country at a young age desiring nothing more than a better life, my mom was actually brought here against her will at 1 years old, similar to many immigrants. Yet both my parents achieved something that the rest of my family is finding difficult to achieve, their American citizenship. My dad walked out of the Sacramento court house that life changing day telling us, "I'm a fellow A-merican now!"
So as the session began, Jessica and I began to hear information that seriously only enraged us. Things such as the fact that most lawmakers that are against immigration have actually never even been to the border. Or the ignorant idea that most Americans have, that the border is but merely a line separating the two countries of America and Mexico. In reality most people don't realize that the border is much more than just a line on a map. It is a region, where Mexican children walk through the border to get to American school on the other side. Another wrong perception that most people have is that immigrants are the bad guys, that they are the people that bring all the problems that America has. While the border patrol is the super hero, who like a pest control worker, keeps all the bad bugs out of a big home. Yet most people don't realize that a while back a border control officer shot a immigrant right in his back, for no apparent reason, this border patrol hasn't been to jail yet.
As the speaker, who happened to be from none other than London England, continued to show us the difference between perception and reality, he taught us that as a journalist we must find the human story in an issue that is so drowned in policies and injustice.
The last thing that really got to me, was when they informed us that there are 6-12 year old children in detention centers, places where they await there deportation to their homeland. A center in Texas detains the children in shackles. They receive one hour of sunshine, and one more hour of education.
This information makes me want run to Texas, and show the people that children have no fault in these matters. Simply because their parents brought them here doesn't make them criminals. What gives these people the right to take away the warm sun from these children's faces, an education to boggle in their heads, and the right to merely stretch their bodies?
Since this seminar I have decided to help out however I can in the DREAMact. A act that would help illegal students to gain their citizenship after graduating from college or serving in the Army. Without this act, illegal students would otherwise have to take their degree to another country, since it is invalid here. http:// www.dreamact2009.com
As a country we worry about our current recession, yet we have had to bring people from China, Japan, India, etc. to get a degree and use it here. Yet we can't validate the degree of a immigrant who was most likely brought here at a young age?
As I came back to California on Sunday afternoon, I was thankful for coming back to a place where you aren't really seen for where you came from, but by what you can achieve. So many Americans are against immigration to the extreme, yet they don't realize that we ARE a country made up by immigrants. All of them escaping the misery of their home.Whether it be the English running away from a crazy king, or the Irish running away from a a deadly famine, or even now the Latin American running away from poverty and drug violence. Our country has been built by immigrants, and we will continue to evolve as an immigrant country. Even our culture is full of traditions from other places. I once heard that Christmas trees are actually a tradition from Germany. And everybody really just loves that quick super size burrito at the taco truck. I just hope that as a society we can stop looking at immigration so negatively, and in reality see what it can bring to us and help us grow.

How do you liven up a SUSD board meeting?

Believe it or not this is a simple question. All you have to do is ...

A. Tell corny jokes that only adults find funny.

B. Comment on how nice everyone looks even if they don't

and lastly 

C. Sit next to Mr. Goodwin while you wait. He may not have hair, but he sure if clever.

So, like this blog, my speech may not have been super sophisticated or even long, but it entertained my audience. And when you're sitting in a room full of teachers and parents who aren't exactly smiling, that's the least you can do!

Roar! Life on Staff, a Safari

..... It's pretty fun being a co-copy editor. Claire and I are like the vultures of the newspaper, feeding on the delectable detritus of grammatical errors. Who else would be the last defense against a rogue punctuation mark or an extra space? Who else would stand up for capitalization rules? No one, but the copy editors that's who! (Although page editors do just about the same thing :] ) As I look back on life on staff, I realize that a newspaper is just another expression of the Animal Kingdom.

..... At the top of the food chain, the lions of the Stagg Line reign over their jungle. Or should I say lionesses? Erin and Maly are after all of the gentle gender, proving that a once male-dominated field like journalism is becoming more open to women. As editors-in-chief, their title explains it all. They are above everyone, so as to better see our mistakes. Through their efforts they keep the staff in line, making sure no one commits a literary mutiny. Maybe I should've started with a pirate metaphor, but since I'm already halfway through this blog, I'll continue listing animal alternate identities.

..... Like a wolf protecting its cubs, page editors are a defensive breed. They defend their page, whether its Opinion or Sports. Page editors gather writers and create designs, a tough job for the inexperienced. Lucky for the Stagg Line, veteran staff members guide the new editors and keep them from making mistakes. Without the elder wolves, our wolf pack would die!

..... The Stagg Line is even home to spiders: Webmasters. I can't really think of a pun right now but you get the idea. World Wide Web, spider webs!? This is your cue to laugh at my brilliance hahaha. Webmasters maintain the newspaper's budding Web site. They make available all those articles you the readers love to read! In the future, we hope to add more multimedia features on our Web site, so keep on the lookout!

..... Reporters, of course, are observant earthworms. They keep on the lookout for stories and make sure to dig deep for good information. Reporters are usually first year staffers and so the earthworm comparison makes sense. We're scared of all the wolves and lions, of all the possible criticism we may encounter. Therefore, we are forever on the lookout for that ominous shoe trying to squash our spirits.

..... At the bottom of a newspaper food chain, is the elusive blogger. No one knows what these creatures exactly are since their environment [this Web site] has just been discovered. Will they prove to have eight arms like Webmasters? Or the fangs of a page editor? Only time will tell whether this new Journalism species will survive, but with the efforts of myself and other known bloggers, hopefully we can thrive.

..... Just like in the animal kingdom, life on a newspaper means adapting to situations. As the world modernizes, new positions will develop, while old ones will become more cherished with time. But one thing's for sure: The Stagg Line is here to stay!

- Jeremy Dela Cruz, a weird mixture of vulture/earthworm/elusive creature

Eggs aren't the only thing that goes missing on Easter...

So today, my mom woke me up extremely early. 7 o'clock. Too early for a Sunday, anyway. The family was up early because we were planning on reserving a spot at Micke Grove Park. Every year, we seem to always celebrate Easter at Micke Grove, it's almost like a tradition. Since it being Easter, the park would be packed with big families celebrating this egg-hunting festivity.
And so we leave early, about 9 o'clock. My dad has been there since about 7 however, saving a good place for us to settle down.
And so, with the chocolate goodies in the trunk, and a few of my little cousins too, we were on our way. We planned to meet up with a few friends and other family members there as well.
After we laid out our Asian mats and prepared the food, the day just seemed pretty relaxing and fun. I took my sisters and little cousins to the playground for a while, and afterwards we played catch, football, and even a little badminton.
Or maybe, just too much badminton. I became so caught up in playing the game with my cousins that I didn't notice my 4 year old sister was gone. My dad, however, assured us that she was at the playground. I became relaxed, but when a few more minutes passed by, my cousins and I seemed to get a little worried. We immediately stopped the game and rushed to the playground to look for her.
While searching through the mess of little rugrats running around and screaming on the slides, I yelled my sister's name. "Mariee! Mariee?!" After a few seconds of searching with frantic eyes, I became worried. My little sister wasn't there.
All sorts of thoughts flooded my mind, thoughts that I didn't want to think about and I tried not to think about. Even after discussing what happened to that 8 year old girl Sandra yesterday, I understood that that could've been anybody. Filled with worry, my pace quickened, and I kept on searching for a little girl in a white blouse with blue cut jeans.
Finally, I saw her. Extreme relief rushed inside me as I yelled, "MARIEE!" She came rushing so quickly towards me, with tears streaming down her cheeks, and the sound of her crying echoing in my ears. All I could make out from her was "I want mommy," as her sobbing was painfully loud. As she jumped into my arms, I tried to console her, but at the same time I was also trying to call my mom and tell her that everything was alright.
Then, I noticed a blond, tall woman standing next to her. This woman explained to me that she found Mariee about twenty minutes ago, looking for her family. It turns out my sister was walking in the wrong direction, and that she got lost. When my mom came, the sheriff did also, and the blond woman explained everything. With the look in my mom's eyes, I could tell she was extremely grateful for that woman, but also feeling deep regret as if she wasn't a good mother.
And so, after this horrible incident, I'm sure my mother vowed to never leave Mariee's sight again. I'm just glad that I found my sister, but I also learned that chocolate filled eggs aren't just the only thing that could go missing on Easter.