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May 7, 2010
Simoneel Czar
Students should know about the level of difficulty that come with AP classes.
Many students take Advanced Placement (AP) classes and then AP tests at the end of the year. But are the AP classes really worth it? There is a fee in order to take the test and the AP class itself is more advanced than a regular class.
In the past I have taken AP classes, but I didn’t enjoy them at all. The class had a faster pace than a regular class and there was a lot more work. However, many people relish the challenge.
If you can handle the work and the tests then take AP classes to challenge yourself and get college credit for it. But if you think that taking AP classes might stress you out and you’re not planning to take the AP test then don’t take the class. Teachers say that taking more than two AP classes might stress out students, unless they are up for the challenge they will surely face.
“I don’t think I should have taken the AP class I took last year because I wasn’t interested in the subject,” senior Bhupinder Kaur said.. “I didn’t take the AP test either because I didn’t have a high grade in the class, so I knew I wouldn’t have passed the AP test.”
Kaur took the AP Psychology course last year.
AP tests are a huge part of the AP class, granting college credits to those who pass. This gives huge benefits to those who pass, but if you don’t pass, then it could also be a big disappointment. However, the class itself will still give you the prize of an extra GPA point if you pass with a C or higher.
Schools you aspire to go to will also give you reasons on whether or not you will want to take the AP test or not. Universities of California (UC) and California State Universities (CSU) will give college credit to those who receive a score of three or higher. However, depending on the private school, they will only give you credit for scores if you get a four or a five. Ivy League schools will also not give college credits if it pertains to your major.
Students don’t realize that the class may become harder for them because of the lack of interest they have in the subject, which will lead to a low grade or dropping the class. Spare yourself the trouble and think hard about AP classes before you end up drowning.
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January 27, 2010
Simrundeep Kaur
By the time applications have been filled out and sent to colleges, students and parents start searching for scholarships and financial aid packages. Often times the first applications to cross their minds are for the LAM Scholarship, Cal Grant, and FAFSA. However, there are a multitude of other scholarships being offered locally. Best Buy, Kaiser Permanente Asian Association, Washington Hospital Medical Staff and Heald College are only a few of the many being offered. PTSA and Boosters are also offering a scholarship for members. Career specialist Michelene Wittmer has set up a page on the school website dedicated to providing information on scholarships.
The list includes scholarships being offered, the criterion for each scholarship, the amount of money being given and the deadlines by which to apply. Wittmer also added links to relevant websites, which includes Fastweb, one of the largest databases for scholarships in the nation.
“Everything that crosses my desk, I’ve put up on the website,” Wittmer said.
The scholarships can be applied to a vast variety of interests. Some are being offered to those interested in a career in medicine, others to those of specific backgrounds and ethnicities and some for athletes, or those aspiring to be in a career involving athletics.
“I’ve heard of a scholarship for people that are either left-handed or right-handed,” senior Bhupinder Kaur said.
Many of the application forms can be found in the Career Center, while most applications can be found online.
Wittmer also mentioned that if money is still tight, contacting the actual college or university will help.
“Often times the schools are willing to help in covering some of the costs or setting up payment plans, especially if you are going to go there,” Wittmer said.
Economically, Wittmer has definitely seen a change in the number of scholarships being offered, but no significant difference in the amount of money being offered. One that has dropped significantly, however, is the LAM scholarship, which went from $10,000 to $4,000.
The information is accessible and extremely helpful to those that need it, and Wittmer encourages all seniors to apply for scholarships even if it is not a necessity. Some scholarships have earlier deadlines than others and require essays, or letters of recommendation, whereas others only require an application to be filled.
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January 6, 2010
Keerthika Ramakrishnan
The scariest event of the year started when 4-year-old Edgar Hernandez was diagnosed with the first case of the H1N1 swine flu in Mexico March 28. By April, two children from California were diagnosed with first cases of H1N1 in the country. By the end of April, the swine flu had caused over 20 deaths, and the fear of H1N1 spread throughout the world as a phase four pandemic. A phase four pandemic is defined as a human-to-human spreading virus. With the first death in the United States, the swine flu became a phase five pandemic, meaning that more than one country was affected by the disease. About 300 schools closed when the disease was declared contagious.
Parents were skeptical about sending kids to school and students started more precautions. Students started washing their hands more often, used Purell hand sanitizer whenever possible, and stopped sharing food and drinks.
“If anyone coughed or sneezed in class, I felt like moving away from them. I didn’t want to risk getting anything.” senior Bhupinder Kaur said.
Students even stopped sharing their food and drinks.
By June it had caused over 30,000 deaths all over the world. Students traveling around the world during summer came in contact with the flu in transit at the airport. With fall arriving and re-opening of school made our government produce vaccines. With many students, teachers, and administrators vaccinated, our school has done its part to contain the flu.
So far, 50 million people in the United States have been infected with the H1N1 along with 200,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths. The rate at which the H1N1 has spread has been great, but the rate of deaths has decreased. Analysis done by the directors of Centers of Disease Control and Protection say that H1N1 in the year to come will be like the common flu and be treated as a seasonal flu. MSNBC also says that this flu will be considered the lowest ranked pandemic because the spreading of flu has decreased, and estimated deaths are low. The upcoming year is bound to bring in more medical advancements and better health from the H1N1.
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December 17, 2009
Anterpreet Kaur
Link crew hosted its third academic follow-up, Dec. 9. Link Crew is a group of upperclassmen dedicated in guiding the freshmen class through their first year of high school. Link Crew leader senior Alfonso Bonilla coordinated the event after participating in the past.
“It was actually quite stressful trying to make sure everything turns out right. [However] the end result is always worth it,” Bonilla said. “Just like last spring, many freshmen, along with the teachers, enjoyed the games a lot. The link crew members also had a great time.”
This year the members improved the event by involving more classes so fewer freshmen were left out. In the Academic Follow-up, the freshmen class learned high school skills through games and lectures.
“I especially liked the beneficial advice that the senior link crew members gave to the class,” freshmen Shubreen Kaur said.
One game that freshmen played was human tic-tac-toe.
“It emphasizes competition and cooperation for them to succeed in high school,” said Bonilla.
The ultimate goal of the tic-tac-toe game was to teach important success skills for high school. Link Crew members also focused on some other common high school survival techniques, such as time management.
“All the stuff that it took upperclassmen a little while to learn, we want it to be available for them now,” Bonilla said.
