Jamyson Tritch & Drew Willner
Anniversary Date: October 10, 2008; Together 3 years & 3 months

The Voice: How did you two meet?
JT: We actually met at the [Pres] freshman mixer in 2008 and then he friended me on Facebook. I had trouble with math during my freshman year and I knew he was smart. So I messaged him on Facebook, asking if he could tutor me and promised to save him a dance at the Bellarmine mixer.

The Voice: How did he ask you to be his girlfriend?
JT: At the next Bellarmine mixer, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said, “No,” because I didn’t really know him that well. Then he texted me a week later and asked me if I wanted to go see a movie. I said, “Yes,” and had such a good time. We kept on talking and he took me to a football game, which was on October 10, and he made me chili. We say that’s the date when we got together because he never really asked me again, since he was probably nervous and didn’t want me to say no again.

The Voice: Describe your first date.
JT: We went to the movies. After that, I remember sitting on a bench with him, waiting for my parents to come pick me up. I held hands with him and I wrote in my diary that night that he was the best hand holder I’ve ever held hands with.

The Voice: What do you like most about your relationship?
JT: It’s really nice because I’ve been able to see him grow as a person. We’ve really become good friends. He gives me a sense of security.

The Voice: When you two have disagreements on something, how do you guys try to solve the problem?
JT: We just talk. It’s really important that you actually say what you feel, instead of making up. In a long-term relationship, if you don’t talk about how you feel about something, it’ll just bottle up inside of you and that’s never really healthy. When you talk about it, you can work out that problem and not really have it be an issue anymore.

The Voice: What’s your typical date like?
JT: We just go to each other’s houses and hang out. But when we do actually go out, we like to have dinner and see a movie.

The Voice: How do you guys find time to hang out with one anotherwith your busy schedules?
JT: Drew and I find the time to hang out because we are a priority to one another. When someone is really important to you, you find the time to make it work. We try to hang out every Friday night. This planning sets up our dates in advance so that we both know that we are committed to hanging out. Also, when our schedules get really hectic we take the few moments we do have for each other. We do things together that you could do alone when we get really busy. For example, sometimes we study together or have dinner together.

The Voice: Who do you usually go to for advice about your relationship?
JT: I go to Drew. I know, it sounds counter-intuitive. However, when I have a problem in my relationship, I have learned that it is better to just talk to the person I have the problem with. By opening up, Drew and I can work out our own problems.

The Voice: What advice would you give other couples about dating?
JT: Be yourself! If the person youwant to date doesn’t like you for who you are/who you want to become, then it probably isn’t the person you want to be dating. If you paint a picture for your partner of who you are, they will expect you to be that person, which will only cause problems later down the line.
Also, don’t be superficial. There is a lot more to a person then their “hot bod” or “cute face.” Although being physically attracted to that person is important, don’t let it be the biggest part of choosing a boyfriend because a relationship should be about who they are and not what they look like.

The Voice: How do you see your relationship in the future?
JT: Unfortunately, I am not completely sure what the future holds for Drew and me. We are both off to college in the fall and we both do not want a long distance relationship. All we know for sure is that no matter what we will always be friends.

The Voice: Are you two doing anything special for Valentine’s Day?
JT: He said that he’s getting me a present and he’s really excited about it. But I didn’t know we were giving each other gifts this year, so I have to work that out.

Lilly Murphy & Cooper Leaone
Anniversary date: June 18, 2009; Together 2 years & 7 months

The Voice: Where and how did you two meet?
LM: Cooper joined my school in fifth grade. I knew his name, but he was really shy. Then he became best friends with one of my best guy friends, so I was able to get to know Cooper more. We eventually became best friends and had crushes on each other.

The Voice: Describe your first date.
LM: The first one-on-one date we had was probably when we watched Ice Age: The Meltdown. We had Pizza My Heart after that. He was very easy to talk to, since we were already best friends.

The Voice: What was your best date?
LM: So on our first year [of dating], we went to Petroglyph. He made me a steamboat with my name, S.S. Lilly, and I made him a purple dragon or dinosaur. Then we went out to dinner and walked around downtown Willow Glen. It was really fun and simple.

The Voice: What’s your typical date like?
LM: He lives five minutes from Pres, so I’ll usually go to his house. We love playing the Wii, since I’m really competitive. But we also went to a cooking camp over the summer, so we got all these recipes and now we cook all the time.

The Voice: What do you like most about your relationship?
LM: We get along so well and really like to hang out in a chill environment. I think we’re also really honest and funny, so it’s great to be around each other.

The Voice: How do you guys find time to hang out with one another since you have busy schedules?

LM: Usually see each other every Friday or during B Days. But I live in Morgan Hill, so sometimes it’s really hard to see each other more than once a week. We try and make it work out.

The Voice: When you two have arguments about something, how do you try and solve the problem?
LM: Well he’s really stubborn and quiet, while I’m the type of person to talk it out and share my feelings. But we don’t fight a lot. There’s probably just one big fight every six months, but it’s never gotten to the point where we’ve broken up or needed space. At the end of the day, we’re still best friends.

The Voice: What advice would you give other couples about dating?
LM: The advice I would give is to keep to the simplest of things, like enjoying each other’s company and being honest with yourself and everyone else. I like celebrating every one month anniversary because you’re only in high school once, so enjoy every second of it.

The Voice: How do you see your relationship in the future?
LM: We’ve talked about it with each other, but I don’t think we’re going to break up any time before senior year. But when people go to college, it’s an important time to find yourself and not to be tied down. You don’t need to make your decisions in real life based on someone else. If it’s meant to be, then it’s meant to be.

The Voice: Are you two planning on doing something special for Valentine’s Day?
LM: Well, I already asked him to be my Valentine. We don’t have anything planned, but we’ll probably go to a nice dinner or do something fancy.

Camille Borja & Marquis Onorato
Anniversary Date: August 21, 2010; Together 1 year & 5 months

The Voice: Where and how did you two meet?
CB: We met at Bellarmine summer school and our two close friends introduced us.

The Voice: Describe your first date.
CB: We went to the movies and watched Salt. It was a little awkward at first and he forgot to pay but by the third date, we were able to connect really well.

The Voice: What was your best date?
CB: It was when we went to Golfland because he asked me to be his girlfriend that day. That’s when he became my first boyfriend.

The Voice: What’s your typical date like?
CB: We’re usually at my house with my mom hanging out. We don’t go out that much unless we feel like it, because we run out of places to go.

The Voice: What do you like most about your relationship?
CB: I like that we’ve become best friends through being in a relationship. We can tell each other anything.

The Voice: How do you guys find time to hang out with one another with your busy schedules?
CB: Whenever we have free time, we always try and hang out. We sometimes see each other on B Days, but it just depends on whether or not we have a lot of homework.

The Voice: What advice would you give other couples about dating?
CB: You really need to have good communication, patience and trust to have a successful relationship.

The Voice: How do you see your relationship in the future?
CB: I think we’re going to all of high school, but college will be the deciding factor on whether we want to keep dating or not.

The Voice: Are you two planning on doing something special for Valentine’s Day?
CB: I think he’s planning on taking me to dinner and to see the movie, The Vow.

OUTS:—–INS:

Coffee—–Tea

Headbands—–Scarf

Vans—–Toms

Black Eyed Peas—–One Direction

Droid—–iPhone

Formspring—–Tumblr/Instagram

Straightening hair—–Wavy hair

Pop music—–Dubstep

Highlights (hair)—–Colored strips (hair)

Nail polish—–Patterned nail stickers

Scene clothes—–Hipster clothes

Car stereos—–Subwoofers

PCs—–Mac laptops

Contacts—–Glasses

David Guetta—–Aviccii

Ke$ha—–Kreayshawn

Plain nails—–Sparkly nails

Buns—–Braids

Plastic bottles—–Reusable bottles

Feathers (hair)—–Tinsel

Books—–Kindles/Nooks

Planking—–Kitty face

“Yum”—–“Nom nom nom”

Angry Birds—–Temple Run

“Literally”—–*Silence*

Thick crust pizza—–Thin crust pizza

“Hello”—–“Herro”

Friendship bracelets—–Beaded rave bracelets

Purses—–Satchels

Long nails—–Short nails

Sean Paul—–Nicki Minaj

“That’s so cool”—–“That’s so fetch”

But going to Hawaii is not always an option. Though fun, it can be expensive. So, here are some other ideas all in California that are just as entertaining and still allow you to experience a fantastic “senior trip.”

So-Cal Road Trip

Living in a place like California provides us the luxury of extremely fun spots to visit just a car drive away. Grab your friends and head down south. The beautiful scenery you can witness while driving on Highway 1 is like no other. Bordering the ocean, it provides you with the picturesque road trip seen in movies.

Some great stops to make are San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara. Both extremely fun with lots to do, they will be great via points on route to Southern California. Some of the best beaches to end up at are Newport, Huntington and Venice Beach. Some restaurants to try are Andrea at Pelican Hill, Tommy Bahama’s Island Grille and Picante Martin’s Mexican.

Remember when you are finding a hotel, you are splitting it with your friends; so if the prices are a little higher, you still will be paying only part of it.

Lake Tahoe

If you are interested in mountainous scenery, head north! Lake Tahoe is a great place to be surrounded with amazing scenery and fun things to do. Tahoe is packed with incredible hiking trails. A great place to look is Emerald Bay State Park.

The trails there are top rated and right in the middle of an amazing backdrop of a sea of trees and a blue sky that goes on for miles. Another great place to go hiking is Eagle Falls Trail. Overlooking lakes and an endless sea of trees, you could not ask for a more beautiful surrounding. Sand Harbor is another great place to head over to. Its beach is beautiful, and though the water may be too cold to get in, the landscape is amazing.

A fun activity to go with your group to is the Gondola at Heavenly. Pile into a glass cabin that will take you across two miles of breathtaking views of Lake Tahoe.

Pinecrest

Pinecrest is a great place for those who like to camp, and it is only a three hour drive from San Jose. If you prefer not to sleep on the ground and spend hours pitching a tent, there are many cabins you can rent. Though it is a small vacation spot, there is so much to do.

It gets pretty warm in the summer, so their large lake is perfect to swim in and cool off. There is a dock where you can bring your boat or you can rent boats, kayaks and paddleboats. There is a trail that runs along the edge of the lake that is very fun to walk and provides an amazing scene to take in. Once you work up an appetite, you can head over to their snack shop that serves great food including burgers, hot dogs and delicious soft serve ice cream. Right at the lake is an outdoor movie theater that shows current movies. After bundling up with friends and a thermos of hot cocoa for the movie, walk down to the edge of the beach to witness a gorgeous sky filled with countless stars brighter than any we can see here locally.

Catalina Island

If you still want to be on a island without having to fly all the way to Hawaii, Catalina Island is a great alternative. It is situated of the coast of Southern California and could easily be mistaken as another Hawaiian island. It is surrounded by beautiful beaches perfect to lay out on and fun towns to walk around in. It has similar activities as Hawaii like hiking, snorkeling, kayaking and surfing. Head over to the botanical gardens for a calm and peaceful activity. If you are looking to just relax, grab a meal at one of the many beachfront restaurants and walk around the many shops they have.

San Diego

San Diego is a great alternative for a senior trip. Either fly (since the rates are very reasonable) or make some CDs to sing along to and hit the road on south-bound 5. The beaches in San Diego are some of the most highly ranked with water much warmer than the freezing Santa Cruz water we are used to. Along with beautiful beaches, San Diego offers great hiking spots and fun towns to explore. Take your friends and go to the San Diego Zoo and the National Comedy Theater to watch an entertaining improv show. Also, a gorgeous spot is Coronado. Check out the Hotel del Coronado and the beach there. Both are beautiful and worth going to.

Rainbow
Ever had a problem deciding on what color eyeshadow to wear? Why not just wear all of them?

Stars and moon
When you are on a date and you want your date to see stars try this trick and they will! Literally.

Raven (black)
Want to convey a dramatic look that lets people know you are serious? Now you can with this Gaga/Bird inspired look!

Betta Fish
Want to be one with the fish at the aquarium? Try this fish design and just keep swimming.

The Eye
Want to take a nap in class but don’t want to get caught? Fool your teachers with “the eye” design and dream your class away.

Flower Power
Ever want to  be your inner flower child? Put flowers around your eyes and connect with the hippie in you!

Animal Inside (zebra, cheeta, peacock)
Want to get a little wild with your look? Try these colorful animal designs and get a little crazy!

Money
Going shopping or going to work, the money look will fit the scene! You spend some and you earn some but don’t forget to wear some.

Thunder
Are you feeling down and want your  make up to show it? Try the thunder cloud and put a cloud over your head.

Butterfly
Come out of your shell and and become a beautiful butterfly with the Pink Monarch wing design!

Living in dorms is an essential part of the college experience. There have always been pros and cons of rooming with your best friend from home rather than living with someone new. Perhaps you need to branch out. Maybe your best friend is a neat freak while you redefine the word “messy.” There are positives and negatives to both sides, but as students approach college and their future housing situations, choosing a new roommate seems like the better option.

Joan M. Schmidt, associate director of residence life at Central Michigan University, reminds us that “Knowing someone and living with someone are very different. College is not like high school, but rather an opportunity start a new life.”

Schmidt’s point is a good one. While your best friend may be awesome to go shopping with, you may not be compatible while sharing a closet. It can become stressful if problems occur, as your relationship with your best friend is the last relationship you want to ruin. If you dislike a new roommate, then you really don’t have much to lose. If you dislike your best friend as a roommate, that can be a bit more complicated.

As a freshman at Texas A&M, Ramey Parks (‘11) says, “It widens the arrangement of people to hang out with at school. It’s easier to live with them because you don’t have to be best friends, but you can. It might be difficult to spend 24 hours with someone you already know.”

As you embark on a new experience in college, the last thing you want to do is limit yourself to a single friend or acquaintance. Think of it this way: you and your best friend are in separate dorms. She becomes friends with her roommate, and you become friends with yours. Now you have a group of four! Four is more than two, right? Rooming with your best friend may cause you to close yourself off to other relationships on campus. You may have little incentive to go out and meet new people when you have a friend of your own in the room.

Nicole Bejar (‘11), a freshman at Gonzaga University, says, “Rooming with a new person is especially helpful with people who aren’t very outgoing. If you already know your roommate, you are less likely to go out and meet new people. There is plenty of time to see your friends outside of class and dorms as well.”

But isn’t branching out taking a big risk? What if you end up with a freak? If you are afraid of a snoring roommate, have no fear! Many universities offer computer matching systems, in which students enter information about their lifestyles (habits, likes, dislikes, etc.) and are paired with another incoming student. That way, if you are a habitually quiet student who has an aversion for partying, the university will not pair you up with a night owl.

Marina Iatomase (‘10), now a sophomore at Santa Clara University, highly praises the housing department. “Housing does a great job of pairing you up. They ask many questions so that you are compatible with your new roommate. Living with someone new is great because I would have never talked with my roommate outside of class unless we were paired together. It is a fantastic way to meet new people.”

New roommates also open you up to a variety of interests. Who knows! Maybe your roommate will be an international student from India. Perhaps she can introduce you to a new cuisine and you can give her a lesson in American lingo. Sticking with a high school friend may continue the growth of high school interests, while a new roommate will expose you to new ideas.

A new roommate also helps one gain important skills regarding communication, conflict management, and compromise. Students will learn to live with new people and be open about communication on all levels. As college is a stepping stone on the way to an independent lifestyle, it is important that students learn how to compromise early on.

Micaela Asercion (‘11), a freshman at Loyola Marymount University, has the experience of rooming with an acquaintance. “My roommate and I were not great friends, but more like acquaintances. We were on student council together so we worked well together and got along well. Coming into the dorms, we knew that we needed to get along and respect onE another. It was nice to transition into college with someone you know and feel comfortable with. However, I would advise students to room with acquaintances, as you may begin to notice all of your best friend’s quirks over time.”

As students venture off to college in the next few years, it is important to remember that college is about new experiences. To truly gain the college experience, one must surround themselves with new people, specifically roommates, so that they can start off college on the right foot.

Step 1: Prepare yourself for the worst.

Your friends might have boyfriends and tell you about their elaborate plans they have for the special day. But don’t let this faze you, you strong, single and independent woman. Love will come someday and you can look back and laugh on this lonely day.

Step 2: Get comfort fillers.

So what you don’t have someone to cuddle with?! You have chocolate, sappy movies and stuffed animals. Chocolate has never let a girl down. Buy a large box of Sees or Godiva chocolate truffles with no guilt because you deserve it. Movies are a great way to pass the time and can be a comfort in relating to what you are going through! Good movies are the chick flicks such as Clueless and 500 Days of Summer or funny ones to put your mind off being lonely such as Napoleon Dynamite and Zoolander. Lastly, stuffed animals are perfect because they can replace men and are better at cuddling, being fuzzy and don’t do stupid things like burp in your face.

Step 3: Don’t Go Out

Do not go out with your friends; you will only be reminded when you see other couples that you do not have somebody. The best is to stay inside, preferably in sweats or pajamas for optimum comfort. Living room couches are probably the best location for your evening so that you can be as relaxed as possible. Also, do not strain yourself. Bring all your desired comforts to one location, within arm’s reach, and stay there for the rest of the night. These items should include cookies, warm drinks such as hot chocolate, extra pillows, a favorite bag of chips, your chocolate box, several movies and candy to nibble on.

Step 4: Spend it with Family and Friends

Family is always going to support you whatever your relationship status is, so invite them over. Your cousins, mom, dad and siblings can be people to divert your attention from not having someone to love on Valentine’s Day to making you feel loved on Valentine’s Day. Your single friends are always someone to talk with and take comfort in because they can distract you from the truth of what is happening on this day and will always be there for you. Your family/friends and you can all watch a movie, play a board game or bake an “I hate Valentine’s Day” cake all together to make the night fun!

On January 19, Community Involvement hosted their second annual Poverty Simulation. This year, it was put on by Sacred Heart, and actual clients of Sacred Heart attended and helped.

For the first part of the event, students were given new identifications, families and situations in life. For example, one student was a 20-year-old mother and student who also had to work part-time. The simulation was broken into four fifteen-minute periods, representing a one month period. During this time, each family had to keep up with paying bills, food and childcare expenses, while also making sure children went to school and adults went to work.

Though students did not walk away knowing exactly what it is like to live in poverty, they were certainly exposed to many of the realities and daily stresses that come with a life on the fringes.

The second portion of the simulation was a reflection time in which the students were separated into groups to discuss what they had just experienced. A client from Sacred Heart was put into each group, providing their insight to the students’ real-life experiences with poverty.

CI moderator Ms. McCullough said “I found this time to be the most valuable for students since they were able to hear first-hand accounts about living in poverty.”

White For Rwanda

After learning about the conditions in Rwanda in her Social Justice class, junior Meryl Parks felt called to act. Amazingly, this one student organized and put on a mixer all by herself. Wanting to do something more than a bake sale, Parks decided a mixer would be a great fundraiser.

After planning since October of this past year, the mixer was held on December 26 at the Willow Glen Community Center. Though it may sound simple to host an event like this, all of the components that are required to put on a mixer make it sound nearly impossible for a teenager to put on.

However, Parks’ passion for her cause made her hard work all worthwhile. The attendees of the mixer proved the community’s support for Parks and her mission. The proceeds of her mixer went to St. Ignatius Secondary School in Rwanda. Parks was able to raise over $600 for the school.

Microfinance Fundraiser

One of the new clubs on campus this year, the Microfinance Club, recently held a fundraiser to put their club’s mission to work. An original event comprised entirely by the club members, this fundraiser was not your typical bake sale.

For two weeks, students were asked to bring in a dollar a day, either from their own funds or from donations from friends and family. Along with the intention of raising money, the Microfinance Club wanted to educate the Presentation community about the people they are helping.

The proceeds to their fundraiser are going towards funding scholarships for women in South Sudan. They were able to raise over $2,000 and will be able to provide five girls with school fees for a year. With the education they gain, these women are able to start their own businesses, continue their education and make money to support themselves to ultimately leave their life of poverty.

For this fundraiser, the Microfinance club is working with the organization Mercy Beyond Borders. This is the organization that will set up the scholarships for the women to go to school.

This event is very important because it is empowering women who are otherwise seen without worth. Though they are looking to make a few changes, Microfinance has plans to put this fundraiser on again next year.

At the start of the first quarter Presentation showed how determined they were to win, with points coming from four different players. Senior Aly Murakami hit a three, while Savae Harper racked up four points and Courtney Danna two. A free throw from junior Janelle Schneider put Pres up 10-9 at the end of the first quarter.

Presentation and St. Francis remained consistent with their shots through the second period. It was a challenge for Pres to keep their lead, but after a three-pointer from Danna they were able to fend off St. Francis and stay up 20-18 before the quarter ended.

The third quarter was Pres’ biggest, with 13 points spread among freshman Akilah Jennings, Murakami, Harper and Schneider, plus two frees from Danna, but St. Francis kept at their heels. Senior Elizabeth Stelling racked up more than half of St. Francis’ 12 points–five from free throws–bringing the third quarter to an end with Pres hanging on 33-30.

The tough fight was clearly getting to Pres, as the team began to falter. Despite three-pointers from Dung and Danna, a flurry of fouls against St. Francis gave them seven free throw opportunities, racking up 11 of their 19 points. With five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Presentation was still up 33-32, but it wasn’t enough to fend off a revived St. Francis, and Pres ultimately lost by eight points.

“Our game plan was to kick their butt and come out with a win, but unfortunately we got tired at the end and gave up our lead,” said Danna, who had a solid game with 11 points. “Although we lost that night, the loss gave us more determination to beat them next time and work harder in practice every day. So the next time Saint Francis plays Pres…they better watch out!”

San Jose Plastic Bag Ban:

The city of San Jose has placed a ban on plastic retail bags. Grocery stores, pharmacies and retailers will be affected by the law, but nonprofit organizations and restaurants will not. During the first two years of the ban, the charge for a paper bag made with 40 percent post-consumer recycled materials will be ten cents. After two years, the charge will be 25 cents. The law is an effort to help reduce pollution and our carbon footprint in San Jose.

Pros:

It was obvious that plastic bag litter was getting a bit out of control in our city. The law is an effort to help reduce pollution and our carbon footprint in San Jose. This law will encourage everyone in San Jose to use reusable bags. This easy alternative to a paper bag can save our environment from much pollution. Although it may seem inconvenient at first to bring reusable bags to the store, once the people in San Jose get into this habit, it will become much easier both on us and the environment.

Cons:

However, as noble as the intentions may be, this law may not be the best solution to the problem. Reusable bags, although they do help us to reduce our waste, will not last forever. Additionally, some argue that it should be the decision of the store, not the city, to help reduce waste. For example, Urban Outfitters uses reusable bags instead of paper at their store. If you do not want a bag, they will donate the ten cents they would have spent producing the bag to a local charity. This is a great example of a retail store making a difference for the environment and the community through their own decisions; not the decisions of the government.

LGBT Equality Laws:

Many laws were enacted this year that made great progress for LGBT equality in California. A notable addition is the California Gay History Law. This law requires that social studies text books in California public schools must include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender accomplishments. This July, the California Gay Bullying Law will also take effect. School districts will be required to have a uniform process for handling gay bullying complaints. Also, it will mandate that school faculty must intervene if they witness an incident of gay bullying.

Pros:

The California Gay History law not only educates about the LGBT community, but it also serves as a gateway for discussion on the topic in schools. The California Gay Bullying Law will hopefully make schools in California a safer place for gay students and bring an end, or at least a decrease, to gay bullying in California.

Cons:

Some Californians may believe that schools should not educate in public schools about LGBT history. Some religious groups object to the law because they believe homosexuality to be morally wrong. They do not want schools to be educating their children about this lifestyle and culture.

Tanning Bed Ban:

A new law in California bans the use of tanning beds for people under the age of 18. Before this law, the age restriction was 14 in California, but people between the ages of 14 and 18 could only use the beds with parental permission.

Pros:

Although being tan is glorified in society and the media, tanning beds are known to lead to cancer due to the intense levels of radiation exposure during tanning. This law attempts to protect minors from this harmful practice by restricting them from access and therefore protecting their health.

Cons:

Some believe that minors should have the right to use tanning beds if they choose. This law makes California the state with the highest restriction for using tanning beds.

California Handgun Open Carry Law:

As of January 1, California citizens may not openly carry a handgun. Before the law, anyone with a gun permit could carry an unconcealed handgun in California. This law, however, does not ban one from carrying a rifle or shotgun in California with a permit.

Pros:

Police officers support the new law because a situation can become potentially dangerous for a cop when an openly displayed handgun is involved. They cannot be certain if a handgun is loaded or empty. This law increases safety for not only police officers, but also all Californians.

Cons:

Although it is an effort to bring about greater safety in California, guns rights advocates condemn this new policy because they believe it infringes on their right to bear arms. As American citizens, they believe they should have the right to carry a handgun in public because of the second amendment.

The Dream Act:

The Dream Act will go into effect July 1, 2012. It allows undocumented students to apply for and receive financial aid at California public colleges and universities. Also, if the student meets the income requirements, they can apply for Cal Grants. However, these students may not receive aid from Cal Grants until all documented California residents have received the aid they are eligible for.

Pros:

This bill will allow undocumented students in California to receive an affordable college education. Undocumented students were brought to our country by their parents, so it is unfair to penalize them because of the actions of their parents. Many of them have been in America for as long as they can remember, and this country is their home. Through education, these students will be able to have a better life in the United States. Also, this law will not affect financial aid given to documented California students.

Cons:

Many tax dollars will be spent on this bill. Some citizens do not want tax dollars to be spent on undocumented persons and instead be spent on those citizens who do pay taxes in California. Those opposed to immigration worry that the Dream Act will encourage more immigration by providing inexpensive education to immigrant children. Parents may be more inclined to immigrate with their families to receive government aid for a good education.

The Presentation Fashion Show is an event that is well attended but even more well known for its substantial contributions to Presentation’s work scholarship fund. As tradition goes, it’s a night filled with glitz and glam, where Pres alumni and parents gather to support the school as select members of the senior class strut their stuff on the runway.

However, the fashion show is also notoriously known for causing chaos among the senior class. Because students have to wait four years before they have a chance to be a model for the fashion show, they are especially peeved when they don’t get picked for the job. Furthermore, because the selection process is said to decide models based on a student’s involvement in the school, Pres girls are angered when their extracurricular activities are deemed unworthy.

While it’s definitely understandable for Pres girls to be a little upset if they are not chosen to model in the show, downright outrage is not the way to go. Students shouldn’t base their outlook on their entire high school career on whether or not they modeled in their high school fashion show. The knowledge gained and friendships made at this school are by far more important than the fleeting memories we will have of one fashion show weekend. In a few years, no one will even remember which senior was chosen for this event. As Ms. Miller reminded the senior class, even she wasn’t selected to be a model her senior year, but yet, life went on.

Moreover, contrary to popular belief, the fashion show is not about the models or hostesses—it’s supposed to be centered on raising money for other students’ tuition. If one steps back to look at the bigger picture, it may seem odd that an event that was originally focused on philanthropy has somehow grown into a competition throughout the senior class. Maybe if students took the main idea of the fashion show into consideration, there wouldn’t be such widespread unrest among the student body.

Therefore, the selection process that ‘elects’ models to the Fashion Show is just fine the way it is. Half the students are chosen by merit while the other half are selected based on pure luck of the draw. Furthermore, according to event coordinator Ms. Spencer, the physical drawing of participants in the fashion show was publicized to the students, outruling the possibility for a ‘conspiracy.’ This process leaves the majority of Presentation’s most involved students satisfied that their hard work paid off and another group of students who perhaps weren’t as involved pleasantly surprised with an opportunity to represent their class.

One must remember that, in the real world, models are typically assessed solely on exterior qualities: beauty and height. Given the stigma of fashion shows and modeling in general, Presentation does a fine job of choosing their models based on worthy qualities such as involvement and school spirit.