Author: adviser

  • sus game among us

    sus game among us

    Acrylic paint on canvas by sierra brott-hunter

     A long time ago… okay maybe not so long ago, like about 2 years ago… dun dun dun. In 2018  a  new game came out and barely any people knew about it, fast forward two  years to where we are now in 2020. There have been some crazy trends and shows because of quarantine,  but now everyone is obsessed with this  game called Among Us. Starting at the end of September, it became a huge  sensation even celebrities are playing the game. It is a really good and fun way to make online friends. My  friends and I play it weekly. To play, my friends and I group facetime, so it is easier to play the game, while one of us creates the room to play the rest of us wait to get the code.

         How we distribute the code is by saying the first letter of a word, for example if the code was ADVOQ, we would  be like Apple, dog, violin, octopus, queen, just because  people do not listen so we have to do it like that. In the game there are imposters and crewmates – there  has to be  4 or more people to play the game. There can be 1 or more imposters, it  can be whatever  you chose, the crew mates go around the ship to do tasks and try not to die while doing tasks to win. The imposters go around the ship to fake tasks and eliminate the crewmates to win. The imposters can sabotage, or vent to to not get caught. 

     

      I decided to draw and paint among us characters. During the process of me painting and drawing i am going to be honest, it took me a long time because I would stop and listen to music, brainstorm on how I wanted to lay it out, I would also play the game, but I finally figured  out who wanted to lay it out. This is how it turned out. My cousin helped me on it so it’s a little messy but it is okay if because it was a fun thing to paint.  

  • Students Struggle with Screen Time, Home Environments During Virtual Learning

    Long Beach Unified School District students have different opinions when talking about virtual learning. 

    Ever since the pandemic shut down all the schools on March 13, students have been learning through virtual classes. Learning at home through the computer was a new environment that not all were ready or prepared for, and not all had reliable resources that could help with their efficiency in class.

    Along with that, not many are comfortable with staring at a screen all day. 

    Devean Ruiz, a 10th grade CIC student at Poly High School, discussed his experience with the new way of learning for this semester. 

    “I’m in class for about six hours every weekday, having heaps of online homework which really strains my eyes,” he said. 

    Staring at a screen all day can damage your eyes if you don’t take enough breaks in between. Your sight can become blurry, and with time your vision won’t be what it used to be. 

    In addition, having large families with siblings who are also learning through virtual learning can intervene with being able to focus in class. Andrea Moreno Sanchez, a 10th grader at Woodrow Wilson Classical High School, and 10th grade Sasha Martin-Flores at Poly High School agree that their families have gotten in the way of their learning environment.

    “My family gets in the way, cause they always distract, and sometimes I can’t focus,” Moreno said.

    In a similar situation, Martin-Flores spoke about her problems with focusing in class. 

    “Background noise,” Martin-Flores said, “siblings needing help and needing to use the restroom but they won’t let us turn off the camera to do so.” 

    It isn’t always easy to focus on important work when things like your small siblings are crying or if your parents are cooking. This is one of the biggest problems that most students have when learning virtually.  

    When asked about how they would react to finding out if next semester was also virtual, about 60% of the interviewed students claimed that they would be very upset while the other students stated that they didn’t feel much for it. 

    One of the students who would be upset is Jessica Diaz, a 10th grader at Poly High School. She looks forward to school because she feels more focused at school rather than her own home. 

    However, one student who feels natural about having online classes next semester is Jenelle Macapaz, a 10th grader at Poly High School in the Justice Academy. 

    Macapaz said, “I would understand. I wish it was over because other people aren’t in a good environment.” 

    She agrees that we should stay safe and remain distant if we need to be but she also believes that it can have a bad effect because some kids aren’t in a healthy place.  

    According to the official City of Long Beach website, there are have been 13,511 Covid-19 cases in Long Beach. LBUSD is hoping to reopen schools on January 28th, at the beginning of the second semester, if there are no sudden spikes in Covid-19. 

     

  • Students, Teachers, Parents All Affected by Virtual Learning

    In California, the COVID-19 outbreak has racked up to over 946,000 cases in total, with Los Angeles County accounting for 311,000+ cases of it. Ever since late March, students, teachers, as well as parents from all over the world have been affected by the shutdown of schools. Some have adapted normally to the internet classes, while others have formed strong opinions about virtual learning, even calling for the reopening of schools.

     112 students out of 147 total have shown a particular dislike for online schooling by voting for in-person schooling on an Instagram poll that asked whether they preferred online or in-person schooling more. 

    Marina Ejercito, a sophomore PACE student at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, is one of the many affected students. Ejercito said, “Online working does have things praisable about it, such as being able to work at my own pace. But I believe that online school has more disadvantages than advantages.” 

    The question is, why do these students find online learning dislikeable? The answers are varied, but numerous students have reported that they have long school hours, plentiful workloads, and poor connectivity during their time in online schooling. 

    For some high school students in Long Beach, their classes usually start at around 7:50 and end at 2:40, which is in total a 6-hour school day. It is nothing different than the schedule they would have if they were still in an actual school, however, the major problem is the time spent staring at a digital screen. The website newsroom.osfhealthcare.org states that kids from ages 5-17 should only spend a maximum of two hours per day staring at the screen. From this, it is obvious that teens and young kids already spend at least 4 hours more than the daily recommendation, but it is not accounting the time spent on online homework or their phones once the classes are over.

    Andrew Navarrete, a tenth grader at Cabrillo High School shares his thoughts on the long school hours. “Some of us don’t have the patience to stare at a screen for more than six hours breaking our backs. It’s physically draining, making me more and more tired,” Navarrete said.

    Though there are guaranteed breaks in between their classes, like lunch and nutrition period, having more than six hours of screen time per day, every week, can lead up to health complications like eye-straining, headaches, and back pains (from poor posture). 

    Online school has shown that not only is it physically exhausting for students but also mentally. Alyssa Savath, a tenth grader JUSTICE student at Poly High School said, “My mental health sucks. I mean, it’s been like that for a while, but online classes made it worse.” Tenth grade CIC student Miles Salas shared that his virtual learning experience is “stressful” due to the number of assignments piling up.

    Students have been feeling not only stressed due to school but lonely from the lack of human interaction. According to the CDC, approximately 4.4 million children ages 3-17 have diagnosed anxiety while approximately 1.9 million (of the same age range) have diagnosed depression.

     Having a poor work environment that disrupts the students’ learning makes it even harder for them as not all of them have a quiet background or a stable connection during the call. This is probably one of the factors as to why some students do not like to have their cameras on for class. Felix Oukh, a Poly MEDS tenth grader said, “I don’t like having to stare at myself and being uncomfortable about backgrounds and then getting kicked out because I didn’t turn on my camera or leave it on, which is quite stupid.” 

    Although it can be an irritation for some students to keep their cameras on, some teachers find that seeing their students’ faces can be quite helpful when teaching the class. 

    Dr. Amy Stuht, a Poly English teacher said that although she is thankful that working from home keeps her and her husband safe from COVID-19, she understands that not all students are comfortable with showing their faces. However, she is worried that she might not be able to connect the voices and the names to the faces of the students in her class when school starts to reopen. Being able to see her students’ faces also gives her indications on whether or not her lesson is understandable to them. 

    The circumstances and experiences of of virtual learning differ not only between occupation, but also between age groups. Donna Jonas, a stay-at-home mother of four (ages 10, 9, 5, and 1), has three of her kids enrolled in online classes. She says that although they have adapted well to online learning, it put more on her plate as her schedule went from doing the basic chores to also helping her kids prepare for their classes. While she finds it great that her kids are with her at their home, she believes that students should be able to learn at school. 

    Because of the ongoing crisis of the pandemic, online learning has shown that it severely hinders many students’ ability to learn. Students such as Justine Erana, a senior at Bellflower High School, is one of the many who wishes to go back to in-person school. She likes how virtual learning is at her own pace, but she finds that opening school is more beneficial as it would help students retain information and the motivation to learn more efficiently. 

    “I wish that teachers could record their lectures and upload them to Google Classroom for students to view later if they didn’t understand the lesson,” Erana said in response to virtual classes. 

    Students, teachers, and parents alike have expressed the same concern about going back to in-person school. In response to this, the Long Beach Unified School District had put up a statement letting residents know that online schooling is only temporary. Despite the actual return date being uncertain, staff and students may eventually be able to go back to school at some point during this school year, but with strict regulations to follow that adheres to COVID-19 safety. 

  • Boredom Strikes: What to do when class is over?

    This school year has already been different from anything students have ever experienced. Most students start school at 7:50 am. We wake up to open our computer sometimes not even getting ready for the day. For the first time in its history, the Long Beach Unified School District is forced into homeschooling across the entire district.  For seniors this school year is new to them in many ways with the responsibility of applying to colleges, scholarships or finding a job. With school being online and ending a bit earlier for most seniors, the remainder of the day goes to homework. Even after doing homework and some studying there is still time in the day that can be filled by doing many activities. Have you been active? Have you been eating because you’re bored? Have you been sleeping your days away? Here are a few safe ways to fill your days during the pandemic:

     

    • After classes go on a walk or run

    A 30 minutes walk or run through your neighborhood or the closest park(with a mask) may be just enough activity you desire. 30 minutes of activity is just the start of creating healthy habits. If you wish to start working out there are many free personal trainer videos on YouTube and websites that can help you begin your journey at home and at your own pace.

     

    • Make breakfast/ learn how to cook your favorite meal?

    There are many YouTube videos as well as cooking shows that can be streamed to help you discover new meals to cook. You can also find blogs giving detailed steps on the food you are trying to create.

     

    • Bake desserts

    On Netflix there are a number of baking series available giving insight on different desserts and how to make them. If you don’t have access to cooking shows there are always YouTube videos you can watch as well. You can also be creative and create your own sweet treat using your favorite ingredients and prior skills.

     

    • Try different hairstyles

    Although many people will not get to see your hairstyle getting up and trying a different look builds confidence and may change your mood. YouTube and Pinterest have some of the best ideas for new hairstyles.

     

    • Paint or draw 

    Painting and drawing always helps me express myself. If you feel as if you’re not artistic whatsoever then this isn’t the activity for you. Painting and drawing can be time consuming and expensive if you are dedicated. Supplies can be found at a local drug store, 99 cent store and art and crafts stores such as Michaels. Getting your emotions down on paper can be a therapeutic experience called art therapy, different colors, styles and texture can inflict certain types of emotions and even relief. In art there are no mistakes, anything you make is beautiful. 

     

    • Discover different diets 

    There are many ways you can start healthy eating habits. Blogs and YouTube can be essential tools to your new journey. Here’s a helpful link to a blog I used when I began my Keto diet: 

    https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/essential-guide-to-healthy-eating/

     

    • Discover new movies or shows 

    There are many ways to watch movies or series either way it can be streamed through various apps. If you sign up for subscriptions for at least $9 a month each you can have access to Netflix, Hulu, HBO, STARZ and for a few dollars more you can subscribe to Disney Plus. All of these streaming apps include  original shows and  movies and a variety of popular movies and series from various networks. There are also movies that are and able to rent that can be streamed through YouTube. My personal favorite shows at the moment are Hannibal, One on One, Sister Sister, Moesha and Grand Army, which can be found on Netflix.

     

  • My Braces Experience

    My Braces Experience

    I feel at some point everyone wanted to have braces whether you needed them or not. Prior to me having braces, I would see people with them, and I never really realized that these people were having their teeth moved by it every single day. 

     

    Before I get into my experience with having them I wanna give a brief explanation of what braces are. Braces have different parts to it, so first brackets (this is what holds your wire) are glued to every tooth, then you start with a thin wire  placed to go through each bracket, your wire is what is moving your teeth. Braces wires come in different thicknesses, you usually start with a thin wire, and upgrade to a thicker one little by little then the wire us attached to the bracket by rubber bands, which are your choice of color. Then every month you MUST go in for a check up where they change your color bands (may switch to different colors) and the bands may be smaller making your braces tighter, which makes your teeth move a bit faster, and you may also get a new wire, but that depends on how much your teeth has moved since your last check up. Braces straighten your teeth, and also fixes your jaw, over bite, and under bite.

     

    Now I have had my braces for about 4 months now and let me tell you something… these braces have a lot more maintenance than I thought! 

     

    So first thing I had to do was go in for a consultation where they see if you can benefit from braces treatment. The next thing they do is fix anything with your teeth, for example, one of my teeth had a root canal so before I got my braces they had to get that removed and I also had a small hole in my tooth that they had to fill. After all that is done they sized my teeth to add molar bands (brackets on your molars but wrapped around the tooth instead of just in front). After that the next appointment is when you get your full set of braces. 

     

    Now I was really excited to get these braces – I been waiting forever to get my teeth straighten – but what I didn’t realize was the maintenance that came with braces. Literally ANYTHING you eat will get stuck in your braces and it’s not easy to get the food out. I always have to rinse out my mouth after I eat. And within the four months I’ve had braces, I’ve broken four brackets total off my teeth, which you have to go in and get redone. I have also had my wire come out on the ends many times, which you also have to go in and get placed back in, if your wire comes out at the ends your braces will NOT work. 

     

    And going in every month is a lot too, when you go in every month they tighten your braces, so you feel some pressure on your teeth for about two days and if you miss appointments your braces won’t work because you didn’t go get the adjustments you need. Also if you miss your monthly appointment that adds another month to your braces treatment. Braces has also changed what I eat, I try to stay away from hard foods because it’s better than breaking off your brackets and that’s hard for me because I like crunchy foods.  

     

    It has also affected my night routine. In order to keep my teeth clean and white, I brush my teeth for 10 minutes each night, which is a long time to be brushing your teeth, not saying 10 minutes is needed but you know I gotta keep these teeth nice and white and especially since you gotta get in between your braces. You’re also supposed to floss every night which is difficult to do cause you have to go in between your braces before even being about to floss, but I went ahead and purchased myself a water floss to make it easier, it’s like a water gun that constantly shoot out water to clean out the food from in between your braces and teeth. This replaces regular flossing completely and it’s way faster. 

    But the results in my teeth in just four months are amazing!  The before and after pictures of my teeth show you the results: p

     

     

  • Opinion: Canceled SAT

    This month, all of Long Beach Poly’s students were notified that the October 14 SAT was canceled. I believe this was the right move by the school, to place health before anything else, but I and a lot of my peers can’t help but feel that we are at a disadvantage. 

    As a senior, I have not taken the SAT and many of my peers have not taken it either. Even though many colleges and universities have made the SAT optional, the word optional makes it feel as if it is still something crucial. 

    Even before quarantine, the SAT was inaccessible and too time-consuming for students. While some students can splurge on tutors and prep books, other students only have access to YouTube and libraries that only contain books that are outdated and worn out.  Not only that, but the high price of the SAT was not designed for communities of lower socioeconomic status. Even with the fee waiver, it still does not account for the money needed for a tutor.

    When the best variable used to predict a high SAT score is high household income, there should be a red flag. Throughout my 17 years in America, the one thing I am most certain of is that institutions continue to marginalize and overlook poor communities. In addition, how do we know if the SAT is an effective way of measuring intelligence? It can’t possibly be that intelligence is constant because each student is unique and come from their own culture. Due to this rich diversity, each student is intelligent in their own ways, yet the SAT fails to take that into consideration.

    In the future, I can only hope that the SAT can change. That the SAT can become a test that doesn’t measure income but truly measures a child’s own individual intelligence and potential for success.

     

  • The Inn of Sin

    It was snowing heavily as the man in the brown coat entered the lone inn in the middle of nowhere. Little did he know that he had just entered the jaws of death.

    The innkeeper was a kind old lady who showed him to his room. It was a creaky, dim-lit building but that did not seem to bother him. ”The ferocity of this storm may last a few days, but no worries, I have a feeling that something interesting will happen soon. Hopefully, it will not be a total bore for you, dear,” the old lady said with a sly grin. As the man in brown sat on his bed, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. He could feel it. A set of eyes. Staring. Straight. At. Him. 

     

    It was half-past 12 when he heard it. A shriek, so loud, that it may as well have awakened the dead. He and three others rushed toward the noise. There, at the entrance of the inn, the old lady lay there in a pool of blood. The man in brown checked her pulse, then shook his head. “What in god’s name happened here?” asked a man in blue, trembling in fear. He was a small, skinny fellow, with a mustache that did not fit his face. “Well, my good sir, it seems as if the innkeeper was killed by something that struck the back of her head,” calmly replied a young man in dark spectacles. Then there was silence, everyone still in awe of what was in front of them. “Well, I’m not staying in this house of horrors,” the man in blue announced as he stormed to the door. But it wouldn’t budge. The man in blue tugged and kicked it. It was futile. The door would not open. They were stuck. And one of them, guilty.

     

    The four of them, all four suspects in the murder, then gathered in the main room. The man in blue, a duke, Nathaniel Poe. The man concealing his eyes with spectacles, Arthur Shelley, a chemist. The tall woman, Theda Lux the traveler. And the man in the brown coat, the writer Nox Ray. Nox smiled, finally something interesting. Now, the game has begun.

     

    The group decided to split up and look for any clues. A foolish move. As Nox went back to the scene of the crime, he noticed something odd. A small black button. Fascinating. He slipped it into his pocket and continued to look around. Nothing more out of place.

     

    As Nox returned to the main room, he noticed Arthur and Theda already there. How peculiar. It turned out they didn’t find anything out of the ordinary anywhere else. ”Find anything?” Theda asked. Just a button he responded. “One clue…how disappointing,” she stated as she went back to staring at the clock on the wall. Tick-Tock. Then he felt it, the piercing eyes. Nox felt a shiver down his spine as he asked, “Where’s Nathaniel?”

     

    They found his limp, lifeless corpse in a chair within one of the many rooms. Cause of death–slashed throat. As Nox examined the scene, he found another clue. A silver shilling. Without a single drop of blood. That struck down a motive. Greed. This meant the killer was smug, careless. He had the time to slip out unnoticed, throwing off the trail. Or so he thought. Though there was one fatal mistake.

     

    “It’s you,” Nox declared as he took a sip of the tea that lay on top of the dresser. He pointed at Arthur. Arthur raised his eyebrow, “And why would that be?” The piercing eyes seemed unphased. “Elementary, the button I found near the innkeeper matches the design of the button on your coat and the abandoned shilling represents that the person must not care much for the money. Additionally, the physical injuries the victims received must have been from someone slightly muscular. And plus, the throat wound was aimed to look centered, however, it is clear the wound is more to the left, implying that the guilty party is blind or injured in their right eye. Now, will you take off your spectacles, Arthur?” Arthur struggled and slightly grinned. “What’s the point? You’re already dead.” Nox’s vision started to blur. The tea. Poison. Who placed the tea there? There are two. Nox’s eyes then met the set of cold staring eyes that stalked him. “Well played, Theda.”

     

  • Comic: Bambatbear

  • Monthly Mythology: October

    Monthly Mythology: October

    Hecate: The Halloween Queen

    Have you ever heard of the Halloween queen? 

    In Greek mythology, there was a goddess named Hecate who is known as the Halloween queen for her “witch-like figure.” Hecate was the daughter of Perses, the titan of destruction, and her mother was Asteria, the titan goddess of fallen stars. Originally,  Hecate was depicted as a woman who held up two torches. Families viewed her as someone who would protect them from danger. Yet, Hecate protected everyone, even those who society shunned, like witches, prostitutes, and beggars, and because of that, she was known as the Halloween queen.

    Roman God Janus: The With Two Faces

    Crossroads, we have all been there. Does one go left or right, or perhaps the road down the middle?

    In Roman mythology, Janus is the god of doorways and transitions and is known for having two faces. One face points toward the past, the other points toward the future. Janus represents the middle ground of dualities, such as life and death. Janus holds a key in his right hand, symbolizing the protection of spatial boundaries. It was said that Janus was present at the beginning of the world and ruled over life events, where he is an initiator of the shifts between the stages of life. He is also responsible for the transitions of eras of history which is why the first month, January, is named after him.

  • An FAQ Focused on College Degrees

    With the end of every school year comes the idea of uncertainty of what’s next, and how you might get there, epically for the seniors of the 2020-21 school year. Steps can be taken to complete a college application or file for student aid or loans, but choosing what to do for the rest of your life is a strenuous decision that will have an impact on the rest of your life. Questions fly through the air and, sometimes it’s hard to find answers.

    Listed below are ten general questions that might help you choose which degree you might pursue to get the job you want:

     

    1. What are the levels of college degrees?

    College degrees have four major categories for degrees: Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral. The degrees on their own can take two to eight years to complete depending on the degree you chose, and the field you’re going to study. Associates Degrees usually take around two years to complete. Both Bachelors and Masters Degrees can take anywhere from two to a cap of six years to complete, and a Doctorate or Ph.D. takes at least four years to complete.

     

    2. Which college degree should I get for my field of study?

    The college degree you get is based entirely on what you want to do with it, and how far you think you’ll be able to go with it. Some are content with an Associates Degree, and the limited knowledge that might come with it. Many, however, would recommend a Bachelor’s Degree at least, to gain the basic knowledge of the field you’re studying. A Master’s degree is also a decent choice to achieve for any field of study, and would only require an extra year or two of study. A Doctorate of Ph.D., however, is usually reserved for medical degrees and those going into the intensive or extensive field of study, and would not be recommended by many to achieve.

     

    3. Is it good to get a Doctorate degree?

    Of course, you can get a doctorate degree, but whether you should is an entirely different matter. By getting the credentials you affirm that you know exactly what you’re talking about, but in most cases, while you’re working on getting your doctorate or Ph.D., your peers who only went for a bachelor’s or master’s degree may have already advanced and established your careers. All-in-all a doctorate or Ph.D. is not recommended. For many medical professions, however, and professions like researchers and college professors, a Ph.D. is mandatory.

     

    4. Can/Should I Double Major?

    Double majoring is a popular choice if both majors you want to obtain are close to are nearly the same profession, Like a Finance and Accounting double major, or the majors for Engineering and Mathematics. Having this extra knowledge for your field can help with gaining an internship or a job. 

    Many colleges have a chance of double majoring as well, as well as pre-made schedules for classes and possible internships to allow students to complete a double major within four/five years. Double majoring is a good idea if there’s a second major that you may need to make it further into your career.

     

    5. What is a Minor?/Should I Get a Minor?

    A minor is a second, smaller degree that you can achieve along with your major. If there is a second topic or set of classes that you may want to take that does not pertain to your chosen major enough to consider double majoring, a minor is a good choice. On its own, it’s possible to gain a minor in three years, but it is impossible to obtain a minor without simultaneously participating in a degree program of some sort. A minor cannot be obtained on its own. You can, however, obtain multiple minors as long as you’re actively working towards your major.

     

    6. What happens if I drop out of my degree?

    Dropping out of a degree program can have a very selfish or selfless reason, but regardless of why, not many hear about the aftermath unless they drop out themselves, or they hear it first or second hand. If you drop out of a degree program, you still have all the credits of any classes you finished and passed while getting your degree, but under no circumstance can you claim that you completed your program. It also might be a small scuff on your academic record, but if you dropped due to personal or familial reasons, it doesn’t matter why you needed to drop. However, getting back into school to finish your degree may be difficult, and transferring your degree to a different school may be even more difficult.

     

    7. Can I get a third Major?

    There is no limit on how many degrees any person can get, regardless of what they are or what they may be used for. The pursuit of education is a noble goal, and no college can bar you from getting as many degrees as your heart desires. However, after you fulfill graduation requirements for a bachelor’s degree, you will no longer be eligible for federal education grants.

     

    8. How would my degree be useful?

    The main goal of getting a degree would be proving to your employer and your peers that you understand what you’re talking about and that you can be trusted with the part of you job that pertains to your degree What you get your degree for, or the broad ways you can use your degree, can also be useful. If you get a degree that can be used for a wide variety of jobs, it gives you the option to choose which job you want to do. 

     

    9.  Can I continue to the next degree if I stop at an AA or Bachelors?

    If you stop at an AA or Bachelor and take a break from schooling, it’s possible to go back and advance your knowledge or the degree and your knowledge to a Bachelors or Masters. Each degree is a type of “stepping stone”, meant for the knowledge you earn to lead you to the next step. It’s always a recommendation to advance your degree to your own desire. Though the time you may take between getting one degree and taking the step to get the next degree may hinder the knowledge you remember and can affect how fast you may be able to obtain a Bachelors or Masters. It can also make it harder to go back to school because in the time off you might get a job, get married, or have kids, all of which makes it harder to go back to school!

    10. Do I Have to get a degree if I want to take college courses?

    Some colleges and universities may require you have the main goal of earning a degree to take classes at their school, but many community colleges have no requirement of getting a degree to expand your pool of knowledge, though not an ivy league school, any Community college or university is a good source of higher-grade classes for young adults wanting to take leisure classes, adults who want to expand their knowledge, or elders who want to get back into studying.

  • New Dog in Town

    New Dog in Town

    Kelly Rodriguez, center, with Zion, left, and King, right.

    This is Zion, my dog. The small dog is my sister’s dog, named King. We are going to talk about King first. We got King when he was two weeks old. My mom got him from my grampa for $50. We have had him for two years now. He´s really smart and we don´t have to put a leash on him. Also, we never trained King or Zion.

     

    Zion is a really good dog. We got him when he was two months old. Zion was my brother’s dog at first. My brother’s name is James. He paid $400 for Zion he was supposed to pay 800, but my tia’s girlfriend was friends with the girl who sold Zion to us. James and I agreed that I would take care of Zion when he’s at work.

    Zion when he was a puppy.

    So I took care of Zion and my brother would come home and not give him any attention because he was tired and Zion would make a lot of mess, so my brother decided he wants to sell him and my mom was okay with it because she doesn’t want him. After all, he’s going to grow big but I told both of them no I’ll keep him since I take care of him more than my brother since he’s always working. My mom said no I can´t keep him but I begged her to let me keep him and she said okay.

     

    Now Zion is seven months. He’s a husky mixed with a   german shepherd. Zion still makes a lot of mess. I walk him every day for like 30 minutes or less. I take him everywhere with me because my mom doesn´t want him in the house. Sometimes when I try to go somewhere I can´t because of him since my mom doesn´t want to babysit him, so I just stay home or try to figure out something.

    Zion is in the festive Halloween spirit.

    Zion is an indoor dog because I live in an apartment and my neighbor has other dogs outside and they don´t want Zion close to their dog because he’s big so I try to take him out when I go somewhere.

     

    Zion loves meeting new people and kids, he is so nice to them. One day we went to the dog beach and he lay down next to someone and tried to hug them – I got a little jealous.

     

    Zion is my whole world, the only one who makes me happy. Also, dogs are better than people.

     

    Kelly Rodriguez with Zion.

  • my new normal: sierra brott-hunter

     

    Online school 

    The 2021 school year has started online and at home because of Covid 19 so I am here to talk about why I like online school and why I don’t like online. My routine for online school is that I wake up like 20 minutes I get ready and I get some food. I feed my dogs and give them water. I wait for my classes to start and that’s all I do.

     

    My reasons why I like online school

    1. I  can work at my own pace. Working at my own pace does not stress me out. 
    2. It is faster to do some assignments. I basically self teach myself things and so the assignments are fast and I like typing more than writing.
    3. If I need a break I can just take a break from it. Like if I’m doing an assignment, I can just stop and work on it later.
    4. I can teach myself faster. I don’t have to wait to move on. I can just move and go. 
    5. I learn a bit faster than actual school in the classroom. In classroom learning is a bit slower than online school because when you are in class you have to learn with everyone else but when it’s online the assignments are already posted and I can just  look at it and read it and get it done and move on to the other assignments. 

    There are many more reasons why I like online school but it’s time to give my reasons why I do not like online school.

      So here we go:

    1. Classes are too long. I don’t like long classes because they are stressful and sometimes it gets boring just looking at a screen and sitting in the same spot  for that long.
    2.  Some of my teachers are giving too much work. They pile so many assignments on, I do not like the piling of the assignments because some teachers think that we only have  work for their class and pile on five assignments that are due the same day  and it gets really stressful because I have other work to do for other classes.
    3. I get a headache from staring at a screen  for 90 minutes. I don’t even stare at my phone that long. I wear glasses. I know wearing glasses helps  when you are working on a computer and everything because of the bluelight thing they have in a lesne, but I don’t like staring at a screen that long because it hurts my eyes and it gives me bad headaches. It is not healthy to be looking at a screen that long for 90 minutes straight and for 7 hours out of the day.
    4. Some of my teachers don’t know how to explain things and give examples. So in two of my clases my teacher will just give us the assignment and be like here you go, imma put you in breakout rooms and the teacher never gives us directions. Then my other teacher will be like here is the work due by the end of the week and barely  gives us an explanation on how to do it. 
    5. I start to get distracted. Staring at one thing for a long time. I lose interest in it because it will have to be explained more than three times and I start to lose interest. I will look at my phone or get up and walk around to stretch my legs.
    6. I have to help with my dogs while I’m in class. So my dogs love attention don’t get me wrong I love my dogs but they love to bother me when I’m in class. They will high pitched bark or scratch at the door or scratch me, they will walk  were my computer charger is and it will get unplugged.
    7. I don’t like turning my camera on. I hate  showing my face on camera in zoom classes because sometimes I’ll just wake up and roll outta bed and go on zoom so I will be looking crusty. It’s also kinda awkward just having your face on the screen and having other people look at you.
    8.  The teachers always calls me to read. I hate reading out loud. I am an independent reader. I like reading by myself. 
    9. Some of my teachers don’t know how to work canvas. The teacher will be like i posted an assignment  and tell us to go do it and it will be locked  till 1:06 and we will tell the teacher and the teacher will start arguing with us and  finally realize it’s locked.
    10.  Canvas assignments disappear and I sometimes have to restart them. It gets really annoying when that happens, then I just get frustrated. I can go on and on about why I don’t really like online school. There are so many more reasons but just to make it short, that is why I like and I don’t like online school.