Letter to Mentor

May 10, 2011

Dear Mr. Shorts,

     From day to day you inspire students across the campus. You have the unique ability to control a room with your heart and connect directly with each individual, no matter how different we all may be. There is a sense of home that constantly engulfs you which spreads into the smiles plastered on everyone’s face around you. You never fail to make laughter fill a room and you always know just what to say to make all the bad feelings go away.

     And for all of this I am thankful to have had you as a teacher as well as a director. Our journey began when I was just a freshman; you casted me as the Sarcastic Bystander in Pygmalion, I guess you’re a really good judge of character too, but you really helped me see my true self for the first time as you took me under your wing and lead me into your Drama II class my sophomore year. My sophomore year is where you helped me grow the most, you were the only person who could make the tears stop and my heart calm, you made me stronger as you carried me into your third period my junior year. My junior year is where we had our laughs and sandwiches while discussing topics most wouldn’t understand but it was nice to know I had someone who would be there for me as I headed into my senior year. Now here we are, in my senior year and we still visit from time to time though I wish it were more, and I am constantly reminded of you every time I see a mini coke can or make a sandwich and I can’t help but be thankful for the four years I have had you in my life.

     Mr. Shorts, you have taught me more about life than anyone I know. You have impacted my life beyond the stage and you taught me how to live outside the spotlight. You have always encouraged me to pursue my dreams and I know that with everything you have taught me I will be able to push myself to get through college and go far in life. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Keana Marin

50 Facts About Keana

1. Jacci Bree Enriquez has been my best friend since three years old

2. My mom is my best friend

3. I’m currently in love with Fernando Ojeda

4. I have 4 tattoos that hold deep meaning to me

5. I am obsessed with owls

6. My older brother is a father figure to me

7. My favorite book is The Great Gatsby

8. My nephew Caleb James is the light of my life

9. Brand New is my favorite band because of Jesse Lacey’s lyrics

10. I want to be a writer

11. I have two jobs- PacSun & It’s A Grind

12. I got accepted to London University

13. My brother taught me how to surf

14. Feathers make me feel calm

15. I call Tori Hernandez my sister

16. I am a fanboy- Star Wars

17. The Buried Life inspired me to pursue my dreams

18. I call Jacci’s parents Mom & Dad

19. I idolize James Franco & Lady Gaga

20. I am planning to attend CSULA

21. I prefer to ride my bike to driving my car

22. Henry D. Thoreau speaks my heart

23. I use big words often- cantankerous is my favorite word

24. I am way to optimistic

25. My nickname is Baby Bird

26. I feel like Liz Lee is my twin separated at birth

27. I am infatuated with Drake and Rob Pattinson

28. I love when ‘Dad’ takes Jacci & me to In-N-Out

29. I don’t watch TV but when I do it is usually Glee, Criminal Minds, or History Channel

30. Some of my favorite movies are- Donnie Darko, Water for Elephants, Fight Club, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Cat Fish, & Away We Go

31. I go to Mexico & Lake Havasu often

32. I want to go to New York more

33. To me, Anthony Green is God

34. My 1st Valentine’s Day consisted of Sonic & Fight Club

35. I have family in Texas

36. I want to hike around Catalina

37. I love drawing/painting in my spare time

38. I’m really into fashion

39. I love playing acoustic guitar while drinking Chai tea

40. I am afraid of hair that isn’t attached to anything

41. I finished the Twilight Saga in less than a week

42. I drive a ’05 lime green Mustang named Einstein

43. I work with my best friend Alisha

44. I love wearing red lipstick

45. I cry anytime I hear “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” or “Tiny Bubbles”

46. I am OCD about time & planning but I love spontaneity

47. Finding Nemo will always remind me of someone I lost

48. “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John makes every situation better

49. The #1 thing on my Bucket List is to publish a novel  

50. My favorite saying is, “There’s no limit to what you can dream. You expect the unexpected, you believe in magic, in fairy tales, and in possibilities. Then you grow older and that innocence is shattered and somewhere along the way the reality of life gets in the way and you’re hit by the realization that you can’t be all you wanted to be, you just might have to settle for a little bit less.” — Rosie Dunne

Graduation

Life changes so fast. Sometimes you think you have a part of your life planned out with maybe an event or a person. But then you wake up the next day and something blocks that event or that person leaves your life. Throughout high school, everyone goes through trials and tribulations. Thats what being a kid is all about. Some of us make decisions we know we wont regret. But for the most of us, high school is filled with broken promises and regrets. But do we choose to stand tall or do we fold? Never give up. Don't use any excuse such as age, financial situation, or GPA. As long as you want something bad enough and are willing to fight for it, don't give in; whether it be about school or even love. As high school comes to a close, uncertainty now runs rampant. With less than 20 days left of my high school career, the nerves begin to rise. You will recognize your true friends as the ones who you stay in contact with as we all go our separate ways no matter the distance. Those are the ones who will be there forever. I thank everyone whos come into life. God put them there for a reason. In about 3 weeks my life is about to be flipped upside down in the blink of an eye. I vow to live my life from here on out with no regrets. I will never give up in anything and will forever try my hardest in all my endeavors. Im prepared for the biggest event of my life: graduation

Six Word Memoir (and explanation) By Katie Madden

Always felt an outcast in suburbia

 When Mrs. Elliott informed us what our six word memoir assignment would be, I instantly knew I wanted to write something about the impact my hometown has had on me. I know that today the idea of contempt towards a suburban lifestyle can been viewed and pretentious or a cliché, but to me, it is the idea that has shaped me more than any other force in my life.

 Growing up I was a very happy child, but as I grew older I noticed that I was sometimes different than my friends and found myself interested in music and movies that my friends thought was "weird". Throughout junior high I was a generally unoriginal blob of a person who spent her weekends having stereotypical sleepovers and hanging out at Victoria Gardens. The only thing that separated me from my friends was my poetry writing, which I mostly kept to myself. “Emo” was the grand label of eight grade and I was afraid my peers would scrutinize my poems as fitting under that category.

I’d say my ultimate turning point was the summer before sophomore year. I dyed my blonde hair to chocolate brown and suddenly I became a whole new person. During 10^th grade I began to realize more and more how my surroundings made me feel trapped and suffocated. The stench of fabricated happiness emitted from the boring track homes that I rode my bike past. Frankly, I began to absolutely detest Rancho with its lack of culture, art, music, things to do, and any traces of beauty. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to see Cucamonga peak early on a clear morning, but besides that, Rancho has little to offer in the way of splendor.

For risk of being called pretentious, I try not to let others know that I think of myself as different. I try to veer away from conventional ideas and hobbies and beliefs, which is often extremely hard to do here. A lover of nature and of meditating, it is not easy to find a near place to be at one with the earth or find someplace that is not noisy or puts me at risk of trespassing on private property. I also very much dislike that we have no music or art venues besides local coffee shop open mike nights. The Lewis Family Playhouse does put on some good shows, but as a music lover, I wish I didn’t always have to travel to L.A. to see my favorite artists.

Enough with my rant/banter, I hope this makes some kind of point. Hopefully some of you can identify with how I feel and know that feeling like an outsider in your own hometown is oh so natural for us young angsty teens.

-Katie M.

Bucket List

1. Graduate High School
2. Teepee a house
3. Decide on what college I'm gonna go to
4. Go to my high school reunion
5. Find Happiness
6. Earn a million dollars
7. Go on an African Safari
8. Get married and have no doubts
9. Have kids
10. Have a huge family
11. Go to a Laker game
12. Skydive
13. Wait till I find the girl I'm in love with to lose my virginity
14. Run a marathon
15. See the Grand Canyon
16. See the Pyramids
17. Learn to surf
18. Learn to snowboard
19. Go to college
20. Graduate college
21. Go to Times Square on New Years Eve
22. Ride a jet ski
23. See the Great Wall of China
24. See the Eiffel Tower
25. Laugh until I cry
26. Cry because of happiness and not sadness
27. Get my wifes name/initials tattooed on me
28. Get my kids names/initials tattooed on me
29. Go to Mardi Gras
30. Kiss the most beautiful girl in the world
31. Run with the Bulls
32. Invent something
33. Help a complete stranger find happiness
34. Break a world record
35. Ride a horse
36. Go to a rodeo
37. Go to Vegas and gamble
38. Roadtrip with friends
39. Try octopus
40. Own a mustang
41. Go to the catacombs
42. Go on a hike
43. Climb a mountain
44. Go white water rafting
45. Build a house with my wife
46. Throw a party
47. Become fully in touch with God
48. Go camping
49. Get a bulldog
50. Spend a night on the beach
51. Ride a mechanical Bull
52. Fly in a Jet
53. Buy a significant other flowers and chocolates for absolutely no reason
54. Learn to play piano
55. Get a six pack
56. Discover my calling in life
57. Solve a Rubix Cube
58. Go on a cruise
59. Fly first class
60. Meet a celebrity
61. Write and play a love song on guitar or piano while singing it to a significant other
62. Learn how to cook
63. Ride a camel
64. Learn to ride a motorcycle
65. Stay home and watch a movie marathon ALL day and nothing else
66. Ride in a helicopter
67. Start a blog
68. Travel to all 50 states
69. Shave my head
70. Dye my hair a crazy color
71. Go skinny dipping
72. Tutor someone
73. Slam dunk a ball
74. Join the mile high club with my wife
75. Learn to fish
76. Sing karaoke
77. Learn a dance
78. Ride in a hot air balloon
79. Go scuba diving
80. Visit the Colosseum
81. Visit the Taj Mahal
82. Walk up the Statue of Liberty
83. Visit all 7 continents
84. Learn a magic trick
85. Learn to draw
86. Learn to say "no" without feeling guilty that I didn't please them if its not what I want and believe
87. See the president in real life
88. Donate to a charity
89. Create a video
90. Build a tree house for my kids
91. Go to the SuperBowl
92. Go to the Olympics
93. Try Gumbo in New Orleans
94. Go sailing
95. Bike PCH
96. Ride a gondola in Venice
97. Learn to play golf
98. Fire a real gun
99. Visit the Vatican in Rome
100. Literally give a homeless man the shirt off my back

Life

As the days count down to the end of the school year, I look back on everything Ive done throughout my life and realize I have no regrets. Everything I did, I did because my heart willed me to and those moments made me happy. Ive avoided drama all of my life until recently and begin to remember why I always got away from it. But as I move on to college, and with my life, I begin to become nervous. What was once thought to be happy days in my life are now filtered with uncertainty. I just hope I choose the right college with the right location to help me become happy. I hope I can find what happiness is, and keep it tight forever. Everything happens for a reason. I know God is always with me and I pray that he leads me and anyone who shall cross paths with me, to a happy and joyful life.

Tangled Plants Furzan A.

Nathan Price had seeds which he planted on the flat ground, arrogant in his ways, he went against the housekeepers advice by planting them in mounds. When it rained all the seeds washed away and then he learned his lesson by planting the seeds in mounds although he would not admit it. After the seeds germinated and grew it became clear that plants could not bear fruit since they were not native to Africa. The plants situation mimics the Price's situation, they are not native to Africa and have not adapted to it either. They are twisted and crooked just like the stems and leaves on the plant because they  cannot fit into Africa with their Western habits.