FHN Community Learns to Adjust to COVID-19 Situation

 March 13, 2020 was the last day before spring break, but due to COVID-19 it also turned out to be the last day of school for the entire FHSD district. Unfortunate, tragic and unfair along with other adjectives could be used to describe the unprecedented situation. In a time like this it’s certain to say society is learning how to adapt to the changes. In the FHN community, students and teachers have shared how this situation has put certain things in perspective for them.

 

“ At the time, I thought it wasn’t that dangerous yet in Missouri,” sophomore Jessica Chavez Alvarado said. “It seemed like the disease wasn’t affecting too many people. Now this is affecting everything in many ways,  we’re learning new ways to be patient. Right now I am grateful for the little things like being able to breathe and my health.”

 

Appreciating ordinary things like going to work and seeing friends has been something to think about during social distancing. Senior Alex Ortiz who works at Dierbergs is finding it ironic that he is now seen as an “essential worker” since the pandemic started because he was just an ordinary worker before. Hanging out with friends is an obstacle that he faces which has changed the way he values his time with friends.

“With work I didn’t think that I was important,” Ortiz said. “I thought it was just a job, now they’re calling us essential workers, and I’m like, am I really that important? Why am I getting this title now? I didn’t know that before spring break started, I was experiencing my last day of high school, and now I wish I could’ve seen into the future and I would’ve spent less time stressing and more time appreciating the moment. I thought I had the fourth quarter to just relax and wind down with friends and classmates. As a senior, I won’t be able to stand by the traffic light and wave goodbye to the buses.” 

 

Going to school is part of a daily routine that now has turned into opening up a laptop and starting the day at “school”. The atmosphere of in class learning is an aspect that makes education important as it makes students’ day more interactive with friends, teachers and clubs or sports. Junior Riya Contractor reminisces on what she misses most about school and how other plans of hers have been put on  hold.

 

“ I do a lot of stuff with NHS, FBLA, MAC Scholars and  student council,” Contractor said. “For NHS we’ve done zoom meetings once or twice a month just to check in and find ways for more students to earn their points even when at home. I miss seeing my friends and teachers, I just miss that social interaction a lot. I really appreciate teachers for putting in the effort to make learning interactive even though we’re separated. This affected a lot of summer programs I Wanted to go to or like the ACT and SAT all of that will be pushed back.It shouldn’t have come to this for us to realize what we were taking for granted.”

The adjustment to change hasn’t just been hard for students, but teachers as well. Marketing I and II teacher Loori Moore has been able to take all the sudden changes and tried her hardest to turn them into positive changes for her family, students and herself. 

 

“You are stronger than you think!” and “Be the reason someone smiles today!” are two phrases that keep me going,” Moore said. “This new life is hard, but has its perks, too. I love having extra family time and I love teaching my girls.Through email, I am still getting the chance to talk with my students, and some are more open and honest through email than in person. I also try to bring fun into every day for my family and those around me. There is nothing that we can do, so we might as well make some memories and make the best of it.”

 

 

 

Places I’ve Been

Story Map

ThingLink

Outfit

Opinion Writing

I came to the U.S. when I was only six years old. To my luck I came here legally and I have the right to education, for others though continuing education in the U.S. is becoming an obstacle.

Currently in the U.S. there are 12.5 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. today. As of 2010 there was an estimated 1.1 million undocumented minors residing in the U.S. of course all these children have go to go to school and get an education. Unfortunately due to not having legal status they can’t continue their education beyond high school. That’s around 1.1 million potentially graduates who are capable of obtaining a degree.

Not providing illegal children with the opportunity to an education is an enormous financial disadvantage to the U.S. because the U.S. would lose the investment of developing the nation’s future jobs according to The Atlantic. If you’re not willing to look at supporting public education for illegal immigrants, then at least look at the financial side of things. ICE spent an average of $10,854 per deportee(during the fiscal year that ended in September). That right there is money that could be used on scholarships.

Illegal immigrants who are really educated aren’t being able to obtain an education rather than legal born citizens who aren’t even furthering their studies beyond high school. Even more eye opening; illegal immigrants who have higher than a 3.0 are at a 86% rather than the national rate being 51.5%.

By not allowing illegal immigrants to further their education, there is a waste of job opportunities that can boost the economy. If there are are around 1.1 million potential graduates  who could get a degree, than that means that’s even more boost to the economy from small businesses to executive positions.

But isn’t providing an education to illegal immigrants taking away from our natural born citizens education?

Although that statement is true and can have evidence to back it up, it doesn’t make sense that the U.S. is spending more money deporting those potential graduates and their families who have earned and worked hard to get to where they are. So instead of focusing blame on illegal immigrants, how about  we all come together and make the future generations education better whether legal or illegal because let’s face it education shouldn’t have barriers based on status.

1 https://www.unidosus.org/about-us/president-and-ceo/articles/defend-daca-121716

 

2 https://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2017-06-21/all-children-deserve-to-learn-despite-immigration-status

 

3 https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/04/what-undocumented-students-bring-to-the-classroom/390333/

 

4 https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/01/why-us-colleges-should-welcome-undocumented-immigrants/385049/

 

Voice in Opinion

First opinion link

I specifically liked this piece because it had to do with a topic that I care about which is pro-gun control, I also chose it because it seemed intriguing  in the way that the author makes the claim about Nancy Pelosi not fighting enough for the restriction of guns. The writer, Ladd Everitt did a good job at convincing the reader that the Democrats were failing to progress with gun control. To make this piece better the writer could’ve given more in depth examples of how the Democrats have attempted and failed in previous years to restrict guns before all the mass shootings. The voice in this piece is very pessimistic because the author is saying Nancy Pelosi is doing a horrible job as a Democratic and he gives off a vibe as if gun control will never get solved. What makes  this piece unique compared to others is that the author is a pro-gun control activist and we can only assume he has Democratic views so he is bashing Nancy Pelosi for not fighting for this cause, this to me proves that he isn’t biased because he will speak his voice for what he believes in even if it means going against his own political party.

Second Opinion Link

I chose this piece because the topic on immigration is a very important topic to me and right now the U.S. is trying to figure out what to do with the caravan. To support their opinion The Editorial Board , USA TODAY has provided their claim saying that the anti-trafficking law helps fuel caravan and has also included the opposing view. To make their point better the writer could’ve extended on how the U.S. needs to solve this problem effectively without harming anyone. The voice in this piece is very critical because it’s a tense and very controversial situation. What I think makes this piece unique is that it includes an opposing view so that the reader can get both sides of the story and be more informed on  the caravan and how the Trump administration is deciding to handle it.

Girl’s Varsity Basketball

The girl’s varsity basketball team is preparing  at Francis Howell North for their upcoming season . Their coach Dawn Hahn has been preparing her team for a while now and is excited to start the new 2018-19 season with her newly recruited members.

Hahn oversaw tryouts for three days. During tryouts Hahn implemented various warm-ups to test the girl’s strengths such as starting preseason workouts by lifting weights, testing speed and agility and “the necessary evil” sprints and runs on the track.

“ I love my kids to play sports in season , it prevents injury,” Hahn Said. ”For me preparation never stops , as a player If I was ready x,y, z , as a coach I have to make sure they have the tools they need.”

This season the girl’s basketball team is looking to improve their performance,  Hahn points out the flaws from the previous seasons to work up from those mistakes.

“Four last seasons have been inconsistency from preparation , work ethic, everything is scattered,” Hahn said. “There needs to be a culture change , have a culture to buy into, so that it’s supportive.”

As the season gets closer Coach Hahn also admits to her struggles during the games and how she needs to be prepared as much as the girls do.

“The floor is different , the place of the game, as a coach I struggle with the speed of the game , you’re thinking about the end of the game because you have different girl’s it takes time,” Hahn said. “ Big decisions always come in game day , figuring out how to assemble your goals.”

Knowing how to take a loss is as important as knowing how to take a win and coach Hahn makes sure that her players are prepared for those moments.

“ I’ve spent a lot more time this year talking about life with two times a week conversations and how to handle disappointment, I ask a lot of questions , it’s like a player has as assessment and the game is a test,” Hahn said. “ The best and the worst part is that you get your grade back automatically.”

For the senior girls in the team Hahn hopes that they enjoy it and make the best of it because it will be their last one.

“Our seniors and our leaders feel like they can make a really special year , a completely different year and attitude,” Hahn said. Seven seniors are leaving the program and I hope they are better people because of it.”

 

News Elements

1. Timeliness: The shooting In Pittsburg Synagogue is the most recent news that is making headlines everywhere, it happened October 27th

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/27/us/jewish-hate-crimes-fbi/index.html

2.Proximity: All these events are happening this weekend 27-28th and are around the local St.Charles

https://fox2now.com/2018/09/21/weekends-on-the-web-saturday-sunday-september-23-24-2017/

3.Consequence:  

A woman from Salvador and her daughter escaped from their country to come to the U.S. but unfortunately when they came to the U.S. she got separated from her daughter. my-daughter-away/2018/10/24/c78ba96a-d66e-11e8-a10f-b51546b10756_story.html?utm_term=.c5c63a8f82ed

4.Prominence: Cindy Crawford and her family dress up for Halloween party. Millions of people go to Halloween parties, but since they’re celebrities it’s more fascinating.

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/kaia-gerber-joins-mom-cindy-crawford-and-family-for-hollywood-halloween-bash-dressed-as-famous-rockers

5.Conflict: This story is about Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that killed eleven and injured six, the conflict of violence is present because it’s the most horrific attack on Jews in the U.S.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/10/27/pittsburgh-police-responding-active-shooting-squirrel-hill-area/?utm_term=.2d075463f2aa

6.Emotions: The story is about single gay fathers raising their children and how it’s changed their lives completely.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/nyregion/single-gay-fathers-through-surrogacy.html?action=click&module=Editors%20Picks&pgtype=Homepage

7.Unusualness:In Gresham , Oregon police found a gun in man’s takeout order. The  firearm was surrounded by an order of onion rings.

https://www.kptv.com/news/gresham-police-gun-found-in-to-go-box-man-arrested/article_2037c16a-d792-11e8-98aa-2b2c36ce6c69.html

8.Human Interest: The story is based off of two interviews, from a Democrat woman and Republican man regarding the gender gap in today’s economy and the Trump administration. Both share how they are doing with the financial aspect of their lives and if the Trump administration is helping or not.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/27/business/economy/women-usa-economy.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Landmark Cases

Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier impacted the way student journalists publish their work without freedom of expression. The ruling of the court cases made it possible for the “Prior Review” to be passed which meant that students are forced at all times to show the school officials what they will publish and see if they approve of it. This has impacted us negatively and especially as students because in any case given no matter what is being published, if a publication staff around any school is asked to take censor a certain topic or to remove stories, then there’s no student voice in the school. In today’s world you see many news media outlets report news that isn’t even real news like tabloids that are full of rumors, but they don’t have a law saying the government must check their news or sources first. In schools it’s a different story because students have the risk of not publishing their stories because maybe the school might not like it for whatever reason, and the news their publishing is school news. Here at FHN the publication staff is allowed to publish freely without first having to show school officials their work or asking permission to cover a certain topic with the permission of the school. If this was the case, I know that our school wouldn’t be the same and definitely wouldn’t have the voice it has today. Here at FHN the publication staff has definitely covered controversial topics, but school officials haven’t stepped in due to not liking the paper. Overall this court case has definitely restricted students voice , and given more authority to school officials.

Spanish to English

Starting at a new school is always hard, especially when there is a language barrier. From Spanish to English, making new friends and trying to figure out a foreign school building, that becomes only the beginning of a new life in the U.S.

A week of long packing and saying final goodbyes to friends in Mexico leads up to Sept.18,2017, which is the day Jessica Chavez moved to St.Charles,Missouri for the first time in her life. Chavez was 14 years old when she moved here from Mexico where she lived with her grandparents, went to school and had many friends who she hasn’t in one year. Chavez’s aunt and uncle, whom she lives with, helped her adjust to her new life in the U.S, even though she has had much support and help, Chavez still misses her life in Mexico.

“ I have lived in Mexico 13 years, when I first came I had just turned 14 years old, I’ve been in the U.S. for one year, It’s been more difficult, the homework, the weather, the food and school,” Chavez said.

Going to school would be no easy task for Chavez , especially going in without knowing English, she knew it would be hard, but even so she still walked into the school with the best attitude and smile. Chavez was soon to realize that FHN was so much different then the school she went to in Mexico. From the outside and inside FHN was a whole new world to discover.

“Starting off with the building it has three floors. In Mexico, my school only had one floor,” Chavez said. “My first impression, I was thinking this doesn’t even have the shape of a school, the subjects are different over there, like there’s no Algebra or Physical Science, the subjects over there all build on each other.”

Being a new student is always hard especially for Chavez who didn’t know a word of English first coming in. Walking through the halls of FHN Chavez was seeing so many different people that she had never seen before, she thought it was very interesting to see a diverse group of students. In the end Chavez made friends fast, and quickly met people who were willing to help her.

“When I first came here people would help me get to my classes, they would translate for me,” Chavez said. “I didn’t know how to order lunch at all, so that was definitely helpful, and all that has helped me because now I order my own lunch and ask for permission to go places.”

Even though Chavez was trying her best she still needed help with her homework while being able to learn English. From writing, speaking, and reading in English was no easy task at all. Her friends, family and teachers helped her along the way, especially her uncle who was always willing to help her.

“My uncle has made my transition better. When I first came here he pushed me to learn English so I could order my food when we would go out to eat, but it has helped me because now I know how to order my own food in school and outside of school,” Chavez said. “My uncle also helps me with my homework when I need help, whenever I need help or have a problem he helps me with it and tells me not to worry too much.”

Along the way, various teachers at FHN have helped Chavez integrate to the school and help her feel comfortable. The two main teachers that have really helped her is a ESOL helper Mr.Brown and ESOL teacher Ms.Freeman. Sometimes Chavez doesn’t understand what’s going on in her classes but with the help of Brown and Freeman she is able to understand things better.

“Mr.Brown and I sometimes laugh because I don’t understand what he’s saying and neither does he , it’s a little funny, “ Chavez said. He’s like a second teacher in the class  and he’s always helping me.”

Over the course of one year Freeman has been with Chavez throughout her learning journey and has seen her grow in her ESOL class from having small conversations in English to giving presentations.Chavez has made much progress with her English.

“Jessica is always open to trying something new, she takes risks, she’s really good at decoding words, reading out loud and asking for help when she doesn’t understand something,”Freeman said. Jessica is friendly, she always has a positive attitude, a smile on her face and you can find her talking to her friends.”

Not having her family and friends close to her, Chavez sometimes finds herself feeling like she wants to go back to Mexico and get her old lifestyle back. She has made a lot of friends at FHN and she keeps in touch with her friends through social media, but nothing is the same as being with them and she definitely misses her old friends at times.

“ There are times when I miss my life back in Mexico and I just remember when me and my friends would get out of school early at 11:00 or 12:00 P.M. and we would walk around the plaza, it was just all fun and laughter,” Chavez said.

For now Chavez doesn’t plan on going back to Mexico because she has much yet to accomplish and she wants to keep on learning and growing. She knows that she has a big journey ahead of her and it’s just the beginning , but she also knows that her education is important , so she’s willing to put in all her hard work because at the end it will pay off.

“I know in my mind that I can do better and get to better,” Chavez said. My grandpa has the dream of me majoring in a career and that motivates me because I want to make him proud and my family. I want to prove to myself that I can do it.”

From Mexico to The U.S

It’s time to get the mail for Juana Gaona Sanchez, the anticipation and nerves get to her as this one package could change her life . She opens it to reveal the perfectly shiny green card that she now has in her hands, Sanchez now has her pass to America.

Months and months of waiting seemed like an eternity of years for Sanchez, with each day her uncertainty grew whether she would be getting her green card or not, all the while she had to keep patient. When Sanchez received her green card in the mail on June 2008 , all that waiting had finally paid off.

“In 2008 I went a total of two times to Juarez City, Chihuahua for the appointments and interviews that would take hours , I would have to wait in a long line behind a multitude of people just to get in. I would see people coming out of the appointments crying, probably meaning they got denied, so I was always nervous” , Sanchez said.

Sanchez couldn’t contempt her emotion that whole week, all her family found out as soon as she had it in her hands. She immediately called her husband who was living all the way across the border over in the U.S, the phone call was an awaiting one for both of them, no more long distance phone calls and visiting to Mexico, Sanchez would finally have her family together like she dreamed of.

“My parents had always given me support, my siblings, cousins, everyone in my whole entire family,” Sanchez said. “Most of them had already been through the process so the best piece of advice was to have faith and be patient. My husband was my biggest support system ever he kept me patient through the never ending process and pushed me when I wanted to give up.”

Aug. 6, 2008 Sanchez stepped her last footstep on Mexican soil as she got on the bus with her mom and six year old daughter, headed to America for the first time. The two day trip was full of nostalgia and nervousness , all Sanchez new of America was what she heard from her husband and siblings when they would visit Mexico. She had many questions, having no clue what American life would hold for her, Sanchez was ready as cold be.

“That day was full of emotions as I packed my bags and said goodbye to my family in Mexico , my mom was telling me what it would be like since she had been to the U.S several times, but me and my daughter would have to wait and see for ourselves, the two day trip seemed like forever and was definitely tiring since we traveled by bus” , Sanchez said.

Having lived all her life in Mexico , Sanchez finally arrived at America on the morning of Aug. 8 ,2008. Tired, exhausted and sleepy, but Sanchez had made it along with her mom and daughter. At the bus station , Sanchez’s husband was waiting for them, he hugged her and their daughter , they were finally a united family.

“The real reason behind me getting my green card wasn’t just so I could migrate to America , it was to have my husband with my daughter and I in one place, whether it be in China or India I just wanted all of us to be under the same roof,” Sanchez said. My life has changed a lot since I moved to the U.S , the lifestyle is so different here and learning English hasn’t been easy to this day but I try my best because trying is what life is all about”

 

Twins Take on Tennis

Twin sisters Daniela and Gabriella Negrete play around with one another while practicing tennis at the Francis Howell North high school on Dec 3rd.  This is the first year the Negrete sisters started playing tennis as sophomores. ” Our friends introduced us to tennis since most of them play it, and we have come to really love it”, says Gabriella.

Daniela and Gabriella, who are twin sisters, show off their sport in this photo on the tennis field at the Francis Howell North tennis court on Dec 3rd. Starting tennis as sophomores and making it on JV has really helped them out. The sisters enjoy playing tennis in school and outside of school.

Sophmores Daniela and Gabriella Negrete hang out at the Francis Howell North tennis court on Dec 3rd. The sisters play tennis for fun and competitively. This is their first year playing tennis and they have really come to love it. “We are going to try to make it on varsity next year, we really hope we do make it”, the Negrete sisters said.

Photo Ethics

1. For the Blufton photo scandal, I think that the photographer was doing something very wrong because he wasn’t being honest to himself and to his career because he was lying about his work. Nowadays Photoshop is very popular and it is used to better and to enhance things like lighting, texture, and adding more to the photo. Photoshop isn’t a bad thing it just depends on how the photographer is using Photoshop on the image and how much Photoshop is being used.

2) National Geographic’s pyramids photos is the photos I researched. What happened in this case was that a case of digital manipulation was used in the picture. The alteration that was used in this photo was that the horizontal image was altered to fit the vertical cover, shifting the two pyramids closer together. The photographer , Gordon Gahan, saw the cover and complained about it, he had not known about the altered image until the cover came out, so the editing was done without his consent. In my opinion I think it was very wrong for the editor, Wilbur E . Garrett to alter the images because it was not in his hands to do that.

3)Poverty, death, and criminals are all photos that should be appropriate for print because they are informational and spread new about what is currently going around the world. Graphic injuries, violence, and blood in my opinion are not photos that should be appropriate for print because they are too graphic and can be too much for the reader. Nudity is a sensitive topic so I think it just depends on the person and if they want the photo to be printed.