COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO
SUMMER MAGAZINE
AUTOGRAPHS
COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM SUMMER 2014 Magazine Cover Design by Jennifer Olivera & Jorge Moreno. COLUMBIA COLLEGE CHICAGO UPWARD BOUND PROGRAM WWW.COLUM.EDU/ACADEMICS/UPWARD_BOUND 2014 SUMMER SESSION (June 16 – July 25) Class Teacher Tutoring Staff Period /Time Room (0) 8:10 -­‐ 9:00 S1409, S1408, S1406, S1302 (1) 9:05 -­‐ 10:00 French Speaking Countries (Jr) Voltaire S1408 Modern Literature (Soph) Yontz S1301 Intro to Algebra (Fr) Munive S1302 Essay Writing (Sr) Kirsch S608 (2) 10:05 -­‐ 11:00 Intermediate Comp (Jr) Hochman S608 Intro. to Literature (Fr) Yontz S1301 College Math Seminar (Sr) Wilkerson S1302 Intro to Chemistry (Soph) Dean S705 (3) 11:05 -­‐ 12:00 Global Issues (Sr) Hochman S608 Intro to Geometry (Soph) Munive S1302 Introduction to Genetics (Fr) Dean S705 Intro to Physics (Jr) Wilkerson S1408 (4) 12:05 -­‐ 12:45 Lunch – University Center 525 S. State (5) 1:05 -­‐ 3:00 Photography Lindvay ACC1103 Studio Art Scott-­‐Rudnick W804C Guitar Ensemble Anderson MC211 Video Production Walter ACC1309 (6) 3:10 -­‐ 4:00 Tutoring Staff 1302 Field Trips: THURS June 19: Visit to Beloit College; FRI. June 27: AM: Museum of Science & Industry, PM: Movies: “The Fault In Our Stars”, FRI. JULY 4: NO SCHOOL; THURS. JULY 10: Holocaust Museum & Beach, FRI. JULY 18: Visit Illinois State; FRI. JULY 25: Arts Festival. The Residential Week is week five (July 13 – JULY 18) at Illinois Wesleyan University. Students will live in a dormitory, attend their classes and participate in other organized activities. The 22ND Annual UB Summer Awards Banquet is Saturday JULY 26 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at a Maggiano’s Restaurant (516 N. Clark). The banquet features lunch and an awards ceremony. Stipends: $15/week. CTA Student Riding Cards are also provided. UB Office: 624 S. Michigan Avenue, Suite 1401 UB Office Phone: (312) 369-­‐8830. Columbia College Upward Bound Summer 2014 Staff Profiles
Alejandra Alvarez, Tutor. B.A. in Anthropology, DePaul University. Mark Anderson, Guitar Instructor. B.A. in Music & Theology from Elmhurst College. Master of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Rogelio Becerra-­‐Ramirez, Recruitment & Administrative Assistant. B.A. in French, University of Wisconsin-­‐Madison. Filiberto Chavez, Tutor. B.A., History and Chicano & Latino Studies, University of California, Berkeley. M.A., & Candidate for Ph.D in History, University of Chicago. Philip Courington, Tutor. Senior, Music Education, Illinois Wesleyan University. Kellie Dean, Science Instructor. Bachelor of Science Degree, Michigan State University. M.A. in Education, DePaul University. Amanda Donald, Tutor. Candidate for B.S. in Biology, Univ. of Illinois-­‐Urbana-­‐Champaign. Emily Hochman, English & Social Studies Instructor. B.A., English & Afro-­‐American Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison. M.Ed. Secondary English, Loyola U., Chicago. Craig Kirsch, Director (Also English Instructor). B.A., English, Grinnell College. M.A., Education, The University of Chicago. M.F.A., Film & Video, Columbia College Chicago. Lisa Lindvay, Photography Instructor. B.F.A. in Applied Media Arts, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. M.F.A. in Photography, Columbia College Chicago. Adrian Munive, Math Instructor. B.A., Instrumental Performance, University of South Florida, Tampa. Master of Music in Instrumental Performance, Roosevelt University. DeElegant Robinson, Tutor. B.S. in Molecular & Cellular Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-­‐Champaign. M.S. in Biology, Northeastern Illinois University. Michael Scott-­‐Rudnick, Art Instructor. B.A., Studio Art, Grinnell College. M. Ed, Teaching and Learning, DePaul University. Dr. Carolle Voltaire, Counselor (Also French Instructor). B.A., Foreign Languages, St. Xavier College. M.S. Ed., Education, Northern Illinois University. Ph.D. in Higher Education & Organizational Change from Benedictine University. Calum Walter, Film & Video Instructor. B.F.A. in Film Studies, University of Colorado, Boulder. M.F.A. in Film, Video, New Media & Animation, School of the Art Institute, Chicago. Amira Wilbourn, Tutor. Candidate for B.A. in English, Chicago State University. Theresa Wilkerson, Math & Physics Instructor. Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics, University of Illinois at Chicago. M.S. in Physics, University of Kansas. David Yontz, English Instructor. BA, English from The College of Wooster. Arturo Villalobos at The Museum of Science & Industry – Week #2
(Photo by Victoria Torres). Our theme this year is “Define Your Trajectory”.
FROM THE FRENCH SPEAKING COUNTRIES CLASS
Dialogue 1: Charlotte & Dominique (Jessica Ocampo & Jason Aguila)
C: Bonjour Dominique!
D: Salut Charlotte!
C: Comment vas-tu?
D: Très bien!
D: Et toi?
C: Ca va bien!
C: Quelle heure est- il?
D: Il est neuf heures cinq.
D: Ah! D’accord, merci!
C: Pas de quoi!
D: Quelle est ta date de naissance?
C: Mon annivarsaire est le trois mai.
C: Quelle est ta date de naissance?
D: Mon anniversaire est le vingt mars.
C: Oh d’accord!
D: Au revoir!
C: A la prochaine!
French Dialogue 2: Hélène et Daniel (Heidi Cerda & Denny Martinez)
Hélène: Bonjour Monsieur!
Daniel: Bonjour Mademoiselle!
Hélène: Comment t’appelles-tu?
Daniel: Je m’appelle Daniel.Et toi?
Hélène: Je m’appelle Hélène. Comment vas-tu?
Daniel: Très bien! Et toi?
Hélène: Bien.Quelle heure est-il?
Daniel: Il est neuf heures dix! Pourquoi?
Hélène: Oh là là! Je suis en retard! A bientôt!
Daniel: Au revoir!
DIALOGUE 3: Roland: Rolando Trujillo Christine: Jocelyn Vasquez Roland: Bonjour! Jocelyn: Allô! Roland : Ça va? Jocelyn: Ça va bien merci? Jocelyn: Ça va? Roland: Ça va mal. Jocelyn: Oui. Pourquoi? Roland: Je voulais aller au café, mais je n’ai pas d’argent. Jocelyn: Bon, je vais t’inviter Roland: Je n’ai pas d’argent moi. Jocelyn: D’accord, je paie. Jocelyn: Parfait, j’ai obtenu l’argent. Roland: Merci pour I’invitation Jocelyn: Au café, Roland et moi passons un bon moment à manger un sandwich et à boire un coca-­‐cola. Roland: Encore merci, mon amie. Jocelyn: Au revoir! Roland: Au revoir! Photo by Sandra Sandoval (Photography Class) Dialogue 4 :Isabelle Gonzalez & André Soto (Conversation: André et Isabelle) André: Bonjour ! Je m’appelle André. Comment t’appelles-tu?
Isabelle: Bonjour André! Je m’appelle Isabelle. Comment allez-vous?
André: Très bien. Ça va?
Isabelle: Ça va bien, merci. Quelle température fait-il?
André: Soixante-dix degrés. Quel jour est-ce?
Isabelle: C’est le vingt et un juillet. Quel temps fait-il aujourd’hui?
André: Il fait beau. Quelle heure est-il?
Isabelle: Il est huit heures quarante huit.
André: L’anniversaire de Claudia; c’est le onze juillet.
Isabelle: Chouette ! Joues-tu au tennis?
André: Non, je ne joue pas au tennis.
Isabelle: D’accord.
André: Enchanté, Isabelle.
Isabelle: Enchantée, André !
André: Au revoir. A bientôt !
Isabelle: A plus tard !
Dialogue 5 : Roger(Alex Moreno), Louis(Arthuro Garcia), Aimée(Guadalupe Gonzalez)
Roger : Bonjour !
Louis : Allô !
Aimée : Salut, comment t’appelles-tu ?
Roger : Roger, et toi ?
Aimée : Je m’appelle Aimée.
Louis : Je m’appelle Louis.
Roger : Ça va ?
Louis : Ça va bien.
Aimée : Ça va comme çi comme ça, et toi ?
Roger : Ça va bien. Enchanté !
Louis : C’est un plaisir.
Aimée : Quelle heure est-il ?
Roger : Il est midi.
Aimée : Merci.
Louis : Quel jour est-ce ?
Aimée : C’est le neuf juillet
Roger : Pourquoi ?
Louis : C’est mon anniversaire.
Aimée : Bon anniversaire.
Roger : Joyeux anniversaire !
Louis : Merci. Quel est ton anniversaire ?
Roger : Mon anniversaire est le douze septembre.
Aimée : Mon anniversaire est le huit juillet.
Louis : D’ accord. Quel temps fait-il ?
Roger : Il fait chaud.
Aimée : Il fait quatre-vingts degree.
Louis : Merci.
Aimée : J’ai soif.
Roger : Allons au café
Louis : Combien ?
Aimée : C’est dix francs.
Roger : Allons-y !
Visiting Beloit College – Week #1 FROM THE LITERATURE & COMPOSITION CLASSES ESSAY WRITING CLASS
Mireya Rosas – Journal Entry
When I was younger my mother liked to watch a lot of Animal Planet, and one
day they talked about Magpies. It’s a type of bird. I find them so interesting when
I first saw them. Magpies are noted to be highly intelligent birds and are often
able to sense approaching danger relatively quickly. Also, they are known to be
dominant and curious birds but are relatively secretive when they feel they are in
danger. Like Magpies, I’m really curious when it comes to stuff. If I don’t find out
what it is, I will just think about it and wonder what was it or what the curiosity is.
Magpies are also really loyal birds to their own species. Growing up I was raised
to be honest, loyal and don’t approach something that isn’t good for you. So, I
guess we have something in common.
Alan Quirarte – Theme Paper excerpt
I emigrated from Mexico when I was twelve years old. I left my country with most
of my relatives. When I first left I felt empty, heartbroken, like all of them had
died. It doesn’t feel good leaving the people with which you spent all your life. I
still remember everything about them: the way they look, the way they talk, how
they react to some jokes and their personality. All of them left a mark on me; they
were the ones that molded me into who I am today, and that is why they will
always be in me, in my mind and memories. I know I can’t replace them because
they already had an influence in my life. Today, I still miss them. It doesn’t hurt
that often because they’re still alive and maybe one day I will see them again, but
it has been almost five years since the last time I saw them and when it hurts, it
hurts a lot.
Arturo Villalobos – Theme Paper
E.B. White compares his experiences as a grown up to his past memory of his
father and him at the lake where his father used to take him every summer and looks back
at his childhood in his essay "Once More to the Lake”. He realizes that there are no two
moments in life that are the same not even going to the same place. He struggles most of
the trip realizing who he is because he sees through the eyes off his son and through the
eyes that appear to be his fathers realizing that time goes on without notice and that one
day you realize that time has gone flying by. "It was not an entirely new feeling, but in
this setting it grew much stronger. I seemed to be living a dual existence.” He compares
his past experience with his father to the one later with his son, and he does not know
which side he is, if he is still the young boy or the adult. He finally realizes that he is no
longer the young boy he was, that he has taken the place of his father in his own
memories of the lake. The feeling hits him when he no longer does the actives he did as a
child, that he no longer has the energy that he used too. He realizes that time has gone by,
even though he does not see much change in the lake that is almost untouched by the
claws of time, but on the other hand he has grown over the years.
I can relate to E.B. White even though I am very young and have not had much
experience with life. Going to work with my dad when I was in third grade helped me
mature. I saw life in a whole different way. I did not realize this right away, things
changed without much thought. Now looking back I was no longer the careless child
because my dad started taking me with him to his work so I could help out with anything
I could. I became more aware of my surroundings. I saw the struggle my dad faced to
keep our family economically stable. I have grown up because of this; I had no energy to
go play like other kids. My complexion has changed; it is no longer that light peach color
but a nice brown color. I can see myself in my little brother, the way he plays carelessly
with his toys, watching TV early in the morning and the only important things that matter
are the new episodes on cartoon network, what level you are on a game, or what your
friend was playing. I wonder how he sees me as an adult role model that helps, teaches,
and cares for him like a father. Maybe one day in the future I will look back when I am
teaching my son or daughter and see myself in them. Everyone can look back and realize
that time has passed but not many do, they only look to their future trajectory which at
such at a young age is important so when one does look back and see that time has not
bothered to take a break or stopped even once, that they did achieve goals and dreams.
No matter the situation the point is to realize that time is a never-ending wind that you
should catch with your sail so you can define your own trajectory.
Andres Villanueva – Theme Paper
“Dad” by Anne Lamott, is about a young girl who struggles to live her life
without her father who has been dead for 20 years. She had such a close relationship with
her father that she knew so much about him like the way he would act, walk and feel.
When he passed away he left a void in her life. She would use her relationships to escape
the loneliness in her life from the loss of her father. She says, “I understood to a certain
extent that these men of mine were innocent bystanders in my old family drama.” The
theme for this essay is you can’t always hold on to things; you just have to let go
sometimes and move on with life, don't let it bring you down.
Anne Lamott talks a lot about what her father taught her and the kind of guy he
was. After all the emptiness she has in her I feel like she’s coming to a conclusion of
having to let go of her father’s death and accept it. She says, “I handed over my hope and
belief that I did not have to have a dead father. Or that any of these men I’d taken hostage
would fit into the space my dad had left behind.”(p.7). This quote explains how she
finally felt some type of hope, and how she accepts that no man can replace her father,
and that no one could be how he was. Anne seeks hope and a “shot at love” (p.7). She
wants to use what her father gave her in life and use it as motivation because she says
“The thing about light is that it really isn't yours; it’s what you gather and shine back.
And it gets more power from reflectiveness you sit still and take it in, it fills your cup,
and then you can give it off yourself. (p. 8)” After 20 years she’s going to give it a shot
and let go and use her father’s lessons and memories as a way to make her life stronger.
This essay is about letting go, not for others, but for your own good, so that your
life will get better. I myself couldn’t let go of my little brother's death growing up. He
passed away the day he was born because he drank the waste of my mother while he was
in the womb. I was 4 when he died, yet I felt like I didn't know anything about death.
When my friends would ask about where my brother was I would say, “Oh he’s still in
the hospital, but he will be back very soon”. We were all so young so it made sense when
I would say that, but when I told my family members they would start crying, and I
would look at them calling them weird for crying for “no reason”. My parents had
something called a burial for my brother, but till this day I still don’t understand why I
couldn’t go to my own brothers burial. I guess I get angry just thinking that I couldn't be
there to at least help carry the box. My parents would tell me it was for my own good, but
they could’ve asked me. I remember when I was 6 my family finally decided to take me
to the cemetery to visit him. He was inside of this small rectangular stone box the size of
a kid shoebox. I wanted to take him out of there so I dug a little hole on the floor where
the grass was so my brother could escape and come live with me.
I grew up kind of lost not knowing what the whole concept of death was. I would
still go to the cemetery and talk to my brother. I lived life feeling lonely even though my
family would be there to make me feel better by buying me these dumb little toys to get
me distracted, but it didn't really work. I wanted answers that could be explained in a way
that I could understand and not be forced into believing. It was the beginning of my
sophomore year and my mom enrolled me in a confirmation class, something you have to
do if you want to get married in the future and if you’re Catholic. This is where my
perspective of life changed, and I had hope once again. Yes there were instructors there
who motivated, but my director Liz told me these stories about friends she knew that had
been dealing with what I have been going through. She took me to church and got me
more involved with my community, made me realize that life sucks and it’s full of
obstacles. But it’s up to us if we want to let it bring us down. She told me, “ God only
throws what he knows you can handle”, and I live by this day by day now. I feel like I
have to give back now from what Liz has taught me so I gave advice to those who felt
what I felt growing up. I focused more on my music and make my lyrics to have a
message and feel like they are heard and not ignored. Lately I've helped in the
community a lot like cleaning, helping in marches and helping in shelters.
“Dad”, a story that is about faith and learning how to let go and move on with life
without letting it bring you down. Anne and I have similarities in our life, but I never
found anyone to replace my brother, but I didn't accept it at all until a couple years ago. I
can't imagine 20 years of loneliness and confusion. No matter how long it takes or it’s
been there is always hope in everything.
Melissa Oritz – Theme Paper
In “Living Like Weasels” Annie Dillard describes her experience with a weasel. She says that she has been reading about weasels, even describes how menacing they can be. I always thought a weasel to be a very cute, small and somewhat weak animal. She changed my view on how powerful these animals can be. Once they penetrate the skin, it’s very difficult to convince them to let go. Weasels live by instinct; they did not think or even have a conscience. They live in the moment, making quick decisions. As Dillard writes, “The weasel lives in necessity and we live in choice, hating necessity and dying at the last ignobly in its talons.” Dillard tells us to live in the moment and not take anything for granted.
At five years old, I was very interested in butterflies. I would always try to catch them, most of the time failing miserably by hurting myself, occasionally scraping a knee or two. I only had eyes for the Monarch butterfly, until a white-­‐
winged one fluttered past me one day. I was in a local park enjoying the day with my younger brother and mother. I sat on an old creaky bench that was ready to break at any moment. My jaw dropped as my wide and intrigued eyes followed it, turning my head slowly and savoring the moment. If a random stranger were to see my reaction to seeing the “Angel” butterfly, they would have seen my pupils dilating and myself possibly defying gravity by floating right off the bench, ready to pounce at the opportunity of getting a new pet. I stalked closely behind the “Angel” butterfly and waited until it landed. It was like a cheetah preparing for a long run after a gazelle. Over the years, I learned that the best way for you to catch a butterfly is by waiting for it to land, flap its wings slowly, and at the moment its wings touch, you have to swiftly (but very gently) pinch the wings together. That way, you are able to pick it up and put it inside a jar. No need for a net at all. Point is I caught the beautiful “Angel” butterfly in my fingertips, carefully watching its feet flail around.
It was moving about in the limited space it had in the jar. With an arm suspended in the air and the jar in my hand, I looked closely at its wings. For some reason I had thought that someone painted it. Surely something this beautiful wasn’t natural. Shortly after capturing my new pet, I noticed my fingertips were red, and suddenly they were itchy. I later on found out that I got a rash from the dust that was on the Angel. I stared at my hand, thinking about how something so beautiful and elegant could give me the red skin that stood before me. It was starting to itch, and there was nothing else I could do but scratch. I guess I was allergic to something that was on Angel. I held the jar up to closely inspect him. I hesitated before bringing him up to my face, feeling stiff and afraid that he’d somehow go right through the glass and dust me once more. I visibly relaxed, my shoulders lowering and an exhale coming out in a hush. My eyes trailed down the pattern of the delicate wings on his fragile body. I was still in awe of him, despite the itchy rash on my fingertips. I didn’t want the butterfly in my house anymore, on the bookshelf next to my bed. What if it dusted me again? I thought about it for a moment, and concluded that it’d be best if I just let it go. I marveled over the fact that shortly before the incident I was infatuated with Angel, and at that moment I was hesitant, almost afraid. It was something that was held to enjoy the moment, but not meant to hold on to forever. I sat down on a wooden and faded chair outside my home and stared out into the street. I watched as Angel fluttered right past, soaring through the air as if he had never been caught. Despite the rash on my fingers that was too itchy to bear, I still wanted to play with butterflies. I liked that I lived in the moment and still appreciated my experience despite the consequence. Foucault’s Pendulum at The Museum of Science & Industry Raul Oliva –Theme Paper In the spoken word essay by Jeffrey Rudell entitled “Under The Influence” there
are a lot of strong emotions made clear to the reader early on. It is about a young man
who came out to his parents about being gay. His parents took it well, or so it seemed.
After he left his parents gathered everything that proved his existence in their family and
put it on the front lawn. His mother lit a cigarette and put the match to all his stuff and let
it burn. His family cut off all contact with him, wouldn’t answer his letters or his calls.
He tried so hard to win back his family’s love. After all the effort to bring his family back
together, he received a funeral wreath that read “In Memory of Our Son”. When he got to
that point in the essay there was a lot of emotion, and I felt bad for him. They had loved
him is entire life and preached nothing but love and in an instant that all changed. This
says a lot about reality and how strongly people tend to lean towards their own beliefs.
They are even willing to reject their own son when, really, rejecting anyone for this is
wrong.
The theme to this essay is there is a thing as too much hope. A quote that strikes
me the most is “How was it possible that they taught me love and loyalty in excess of that
which they themselves possessed?” This, in my opinion, is one of the most important
things said in this essay. That’s when he realizes that there is such a thing as too much
hope, and he asks a very important question. His family taught him only love, yet they
were so quick to reject their own son. Another thing that struck me was the way he
compared his problem to a stone that weighed him down, but over time he has healed and
the stone has withered away to only a pebble. He says, “love has guided me through my
misfortunes”. This tells of another theme. A simple “Love can guide you through any
misfortune.” Simple, but strong.
To return to my original theme of there is such a thing as too much hope, I remind
myself of my own life. As a young boy, I found myself living in the shadows of my
family. People referred to me as “so-and-so’s” brother and would even put the word
“little” in front of my brother’s name. But that wasn’t the real problem. The real overdose
on hope came after my parents divorce. After moving away with my mother I kept
visiting my father in hopes to mend our broken relationship after I chose my mother over
him. I still loved my father very deeply and after all the abuse of my mother and siblings
I continued to give him another chance. He continued to let me down, yell, and run me
out of his house. After a constant stream of disappointment I decided to give up. My hope
had turned into a distorted reality where people deserve second chances or thirty. This is
where the hope became a source of harm that blinded me from the truth and made me
cynical in the years that followed. I haven’t spoke to my father in years and to this day
there is still a bit of hope that someday I can be reunited with him and I could have a
father again. The hope I still hold for my father will stay in my heart because he is still
my father, but the lesson I have learned from this experience is that hope can be a scary
thing and too much of it can blind you from the harsh reality of life.
“Under the Influence” is a story of hope and the hardships of a man named Jeffrey
Rudell. He tells his story of the time where he had hope for regaining his family’s love
and even after the constant rejection of his family he continued to try because he had this
blinding hope leading him on, until it was broken in an instant by his mother pronouncing
him dead.
Photo (Ablove) by Jocelyn Vasquez (Photography Class)
Photo (Below) by Angel Calderon (Photography Class)
Jorge Moreno (Photography Class)
Roberto Hernandez – Personal Statement Excerpt
I was only seven years old when I found out I had a tumor in the back of
my head, which was growing over time. It was my dad who found out about my
tumor, and I was taken to the Children Memorial Hospital right away. I ended up
being in the hospital for a month so that the doctors could check if my tumor was
a malignant or benign. A malignant tumor is cancerous and quickly spreads
through the body. A benign tumor is non-cancerous and does not spread, but
one of the worst places the tumor could be is in your cranium, which was where
mine was. I had a PET scan to check how dangerous the tumor was and which
kind it was. During my time in the hospital I asked my mom, “When am I going
back to school?” And when I looked at her, she had a tear on her eye, her lips
were shaking, and she looked at me and said, “I hope soon.” One day after all
the shots were given to me and all the testing and the operation was over, they
finally told my mom that we could leave and come back in a week. The tumor in
my skull was rare, but it was a good thing I came in on time because the tumor
could have grown bigger and crushed my skull. During 8th grade I went back to
the hospital and they asked me if I wanted to remove the scar made by the
tumor. I thought about it a lot but I decided to keep my scar because I believe
that the experiences we have shape us and make us stronger.
In high school I joined this program called Columbia College Upward
Bound in Chicago, which gives minority students from disadvantaged economic
backgrounds the opportunities to succeed in life. It’s a college prep program that
provides tutoring, Saturday classes and a summer program that includes college
visits and even living on a college campus for one week. During the first year in
the program this question came up a lot, “what do you want be when you grow
up? Or what do you want to major in?”
I want to become a veterinarian when I grow up. I would love to help
animals and give them another chance in life like the doctors did with me. I want
to help them so that nobody who has a pet would ever feel the same pain I had
once my pet passed away. I would love to find a cure for parvovirus; I will push
myself to achieve this goal and will learn as much as I can. With the help of the
program Upward Bound and my teachers at school I will be capable of achieving
whatever I put my mind to. I have had problems in my life, like the tumor which I
could’ve died from if not treated immediately, the surgeries, and the people who
have tried to put me down by telling me I would never make it just like my
brothers. But I will prove them wrong, rise above all of that, and show them I can
make it.
Jorge Moreno – Personal Statement
It was a sunny day in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico. I had been playing with my
friends the whole day. I heard my grandma calling me, so I went to see what she needed.
It was then when I saw a taxi and luggage that I questioned, “What is going on”? My
grandma told me that my mother was leaving to the United States. My heart sunk; I
couldn’t believe it. The thought of living without my mother terrified me. Finally, I saw
my mother and gave her a worried look. Her eyes got watery, and then I realized that she
was really going to leave me and my sister. I didn’t know for how long she would be
gone, and that bothered me because I would not have my mother to share my daily
adventures with or receive guidance from. This made me really sad; I didn’t want my
mother to leave. I hugged her tightly; I didn’t want to let go because I felt as if I would
never see her again. That was the saddest goodbye in my life.
A year later, when my mother returned for my sister and I, I realized why she had
left us. She wanted us to have a good education, and for us to succeed. I was seven when
I arrived in Chicago. Everything was different. It was a big city, people spoke a different
language, and it was very diverse. This was a big change for me, but I quickly adjusted to
the city life, the language, and school.
In grade school, I enjoyed helping others. Helping, volunteering, and leading the
way for others has always been in my nature. My teachers would always tell me to keep
doing what I do and never give up on my dreams. My parents also told me to work hard
and follow my dreams. Every day that goes by, I push myself to work hard for the future
of our society. I am glad to be part of such a culturally diverse society, and I am aiming
for the highest education that I can get. In high school, I found an organization that was
right for me. The organization is called buildOn. BuildOn’s mission is to break the cycle
of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education. Every
Wednesday after school, buildOn held meetings to discuss service projects. Some
projects we did were to help build a community garden, clean up a vacant lot, clean up a
neighborhood park, and organize activities for kids. One of my favorite activities that
I’ve done with buildOn was going camping to Michigan near Port Huron. This was on the
week of the Fourth of July. On the first day, we cleaned up the cabins so that they could
be ready for the guests that would be arriving that weekend. After we were set, we had
fun activities around the camp, like scavenger hunt, mudslides, and campfires. This was a
great experience because it was all about teamwork. I made new friends and felt part of
something important, like a family. On most occasions, the meetings were held to show
videos of people from around the world and how they lived. I found this very important
because seeing people from other countries suffer didn’t feel right to me. The videos
inspired me to act and help improve people’s lives. This is why buildOn is a great
organization to be part of. It empowers me to be a leader and change the world one step
at a time.
I love being involved, whether it’s in sports, or other great programs of my
interest. Being involved in clubs and sports is a big factor that contributes to our growth
as intelligent, hard-working individuals. I am more than happy to have been part of
buildOn, because it helped me grow into a strong leader. Strong leadership qualities are
required in all fields of the workforce, and that’s why I am here to present the qualities
that would make me a strong, successful leader in our society.
During the middle of freshman year, I joined the Columbia College Chicago
UpwardBound program. It is a college prep program that provides tutoring, Saturday
classes and a 6-week summer program that includes college visits and even living on a
college campus for a week. My favorite part of the 6-week summer program is residential
week. During this week, we go away from home to a University that’s usually 2 hours
away from Chicago. We have morning tutoring, have classes, lunch, go to the gym, have
evening tutoring, and go to the pool at night. Residential week has always been the most
exciting part of the summer program. What I really like about Upward Bound is that it
really helps me prepare for college level work. Upward Bound also helps me go through
the college and scholarship application process.
I have many goals that I would like to accomplish, and I know that if I work hard
I will accomplish them. The biggest and main goal is to go to college for a higher
education. I will be the first one in my family to go to college, and that is very important
to me. Once I’m in college, I would be interested in focusing on health and kinesiology. I
have a great amount of interest in health and fitness, and that’s something that I would
enjoy studying in college. I want to motivate and inspire people around the world, and I
can do so through health and fitness education.
Giovanny Baez – Personal Statement As a little boy I always loved drawing; eventually my father noticed me drawing
all day every day. It was what I loved to do although I never thought I would pursue art
as a career until my junior year in high school. When I started high school I was a bad
kid. I never cared about anything but myself. I didn’t care about my grades, as long as I
passed my classes. I hung out with graffiti writers because I was always appreciative of
colors and art, and they introduced me to this lifestyle that I thought was amazing. My
friend showed me a Chicago crew called CMK; they make beautiful, colorful murals on
businesses and turn it into a whole production. One guy is drawing faces on the wall
while the other guy is doing graffiti, and everyone just plays their own part into the wall.
I wanted to be a part of that but obviously I wasn’t good enough at first. So I became
careless of everything except tagging and getting my “name up”. The more your name is
out there and known the more you “get your name up” and get respect.
There are two parts of graffiti art, “piecers” who are the mural painters and
“bombers” who are the illegal taggers. Taggers are artist too, but they are the more hated
ones. They are the ones that do a small tag on a window or something. I got arrested my
freshman year for graffiti. I went out tagging with a friend down Diversey late at night.
Someone called the cops, we got arrested, and a peer jury gave me community service
hours as punishment. After that I isolated myself from those “friends” and focused more
on the art side of graffiti.
My family has never really had money. In 1994, when my older brother was a
baby, my parents emigrated from Tampico, Tamaulipas Mexico to Chicago. My mother
works at a factory, and my father is a handyman. My parents have always struggled with
paying bills. In my sophomore year we lost our house to foreclosure. My mom gets up at
4 a.m. in the morning to get ready for work and gets home at 5 p.m. and starts cooking.
She is a big inspiration for me because no matter how tired she is she still does whatever
it takes to make sure my sister, brother, and I have everything we need. Thank god she
isn’t alone though. My father is a great inspiration to me too; he taught me never to give
up and to not let anyone tell me what I can’t do. He would take me along with him to his
job and made me help him out. He works as a handyman so I would get frustrated
because I just wanted to go home or go hangout with my friends. But then he would
always say the more I complain the more time I waste so that means we’ll be there for
longer than we have to be. I began to look at everything like that, get the job done and get
it done right.
I always used to take my parents for granted until I realized what they do for my
siblings and I. In the fall of my junior year one of my teachers recommended me to this
program at Columbia College called Upward Bound. It’s a college preparation program
that has been helping me a lot with school and finding the college that’s right for me.
Upward Bound provides tutoring twice a week, field trips, Saturday classes, and even a
six week summer program where on the fifth week they take students to live on a college
campus. I began focusing more on school and my art. I now understand that to get to the
college I want I have to put in a lot of work. I analyzed my grades with Upward Bound,
and what I had in my transcript wasn’t good at all. I wasted my time with those “friends”
by ditching school and getting in trouble. It was time for change, so I stopped ditching
school and went to tutoring and did all my homework to try to get better grades. When I
told my parents I wanted to go to college to get a degree in Graphic Design they were so
happy that I wanted to become someone. My older brother dropped out of high school
and he is glad that I’m doing something better than he did, and my little sister now looks
up to me. My little sister Jocelyn really loves watching videos on YouTube and says she
wants to go to college just like her older brother, but she wants to learn how to make
films. She is only 8 years old and is already thinking about college because of me, and it
makes me happy to know that I’m becoming her role model. I’ll be the first one to go to
college in my family.
Victoria Torres on the Beloit College Visit – Week #1
Victoria Torres – Personal Statement At a very young age, my mother always told me, “Tú serás alguien que yo nunca
tuve la oportunidad de hacer.” (You will become someone who I never had the chance to
be). My mother is from Mexico, and she came to America looking for a better life. My
dad is from Puerto Rico, and a veteran of the Vietnam war. Even though my parents are
no longer together, they have always wanted more for me. My mother, sisters and I went
through desperate measures to survive because my father would come in and out of our
lives, leaving my mother with all the responsibility but no money to pay the bills. My
mother would take any job that was available, working food service and cleaning jobs. As
a kid, I would wake up at seven in morning and walk every Saturday to the food pantry
with my mom to get food. I knew better than to complain to my mom about all the
blisters I got from walking so much. I was not embarrassed to go to the thrift store and
buy used clothes someone else had already worn. I picked clothes that I felt were “cool”
even though kids at school made fun of me. I was not ashamed because I knew my
mother was doing all she could to make ends meet. She made sure my sisters and I did
not go hungry.
Growing up as a twin, it took me a long time to find my own voice. I was always
considered the “bad” one. People assumed that if one twin was smart the other was not.
For example, one time at school I heard someone say I was probably the dumb one. For a
short period in my life, I believed them. One of my mother’s favorite things to do was to
dress my twin and I alike. She constantly compared us and wanted me to be more like my
twin. When I thought about it, who didn’t? She had everything I didn’t or so I thought. It
wasn’t until I was 12 that I realized I could be much more. There was an award ceremony
at my former elementary school for students that showed academic success. My twin got
several awards. While people applauded her, I stood on the sidelines and watched. I
remember myself crying because in my mind I really wanted a medal. I wanted that
feeling of being applauded for my success. I was motivated to work really hard from
there on until I got one on my own.
I wasn’t given the chance to express myself fully until I was accepted into a fouryear federally funded program called Columbia College Chicago Upward Bound. This
program prepares students for college to earn their Bachelor’s degree. It provides
tutoring, Saturday classes, and a summer program that includes college visits and even
living on a college campus for one week. As a result of this program, I became motivated
to challenge myself to take AP classes. My favorite part about the program would be the
English class I took the summer of my rising junior year. Ms. Hochman, the teacher, gave
me a chance to express my ideas through my writing. She allowed my voice to be heard
and showed me that I am much more than what people say I am. In addition, I became
more involved in school. I slowly rose to the top of my class with a G.P.A of 4.7. I am
the vice president of my graduating class of 2015. I am constantly putting myself out
there. I am a member of the Hispanic Honor Society. I love showing to people the great
leader I can be. For example, during my sophomore year, I became involved in a program
called the Peer Health Educators. As a member, I was trained by the American Red Cross
to teach students about sexual health. Every Tuesday, I would help out in the condom
availability program. Also, I would go into classrooms and teach students about sexual
awareness. In high school, I was no longer considered the “bad” one. People saw me as a
hard worker. The constant comparisons to my twin ceased, and I finally felt like I was
free to be who I am.
I am excited and determined to go to college to because my mother never had the
chance to go. My dream is to become an obstetrician and gynecologist, deliver babies,
and be able to help give life to the next generation. One of the reasons I’m interested in
becoming an OB/GYN is because my mother had complications when she went into
labor and as a result lost two babies. My sister and I would’ve been triplets, but one baby
died during birth; also my sister would’ve been a twin. I want to follow a Pre-Med
program and possibly earn a Bachelor’s degree in Biology before going to medical
school. I am doing all this for my mother. I want to be able to dedicate my success to her
because she has made me into a strong, determined, independent individual through her
struggles and by showing me I can do anything if I put my mind to it. I’m making sure
that the next time I wake up Saturday morning, I will not be going to the food pantry, I
will not be going to the thrift store, but I will be going to the library at your college.
Roxanna Torres – Personal Statement
Compared to other children, my childhood was very unique. While many are asleep by
ten p.m., I would stay up with my mother and my sisters to cook tamales so my mom
could sell the tamales at the factory she worked in that started at two a.m. My older sister,
Lorena, would instruct my twin sister, Victoria, and I how to prepare the tamales. I would
constantly burn my little hands as I shredded the hot chicken and pork. My eyes would
burn because I would rub them after I cut the Guajillo chiles. This routine repeated itself
every day for three years until my mother got laid off due to cutbacks from the factory.
My mother showed no weakness as she came up with a plan to generate income, a sock
business. Without any hesitation, she went and bought a couple boxes of socks. My
family and I would get up early and walk around the busy streets of Chicago selling
packs of socks. After the sock business, many more came along. As I grew up, I saw my
mom as a hero because she was able to financially support herself and her four daughters.
My mother wasn’t able to go to college because her family couldn’t afford it. She
came to the United States twenty years ago from Ciudad Hidalgo, Mexico leaving her
one-year-old daughter behind hoping to find a better opportunity for herself and her
daughter. She met my father about three years later and had me and my three other
sisters. During my childhood, my father was like a black hole in my life; he came and
went more times than I can recall. My father was born in San Dulce, Puerto Rico. He
dropped out of high school to get his GED in the army. He became a soldier and fought
during the Vietnam War. My father had another family before he met my mom and made
them his first priority; however, when I began high school he became more involved in
my life and the life of my sisters. My mom struggled to find jobs because she didn’t have
a post-high school education. I want to be the first in my family to receive a Bachelor’s
degree and hopefully Master’s degree. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in until my
junior year. After much thought, I realized that what I enjoyed most was working with
people and promoting a product. I knew that I had to be a business major. My interests
are accounting, business administration or marketing.
I wanted to be prepared for college so strongly that I joined the Columbia College
Upward Bound program. Upward Bound is a four-year, federally funded, college prep
program that focuses on low-income, first generation students. Upward Bound has helped
me discover my full potential as a student and my desire to succeed. The tutoring sessions
and Saturday classes the program offers have influenced me to become a more studious
student who seeks to do more. The most memorable UB experience I had was the first
time I went away for a week in the summer to live on a college campus. I remember how
timid I was when I got off the bus. As soon as I was in my dorm, I realized that one day I
would be in a dorm for more than just a week, away from home and my mother.
In addition to Upward Bound, I am able to be a leader in my school through the
different clubs I am a part of. For example, I am a member of the Hispanic Honor
Society, the president of the Peer Health Educators, and an Academic Decathlon
competitor. All the extracurricular activities I do are to prepare me for my career in the
business world. I envision myself in my own office working on important tasks the
company I work for gives me or in a conference room talking with other employees. The
values my mother taught me from a young age have helped me understand the meaning
of hard work and persistence, and I plan to take these values to college.
Alan Quirarte – Personal Statement
When I was eleven years old, my parents told me, “We will go to Chicago.” I
remember that at that time I did not really understand what moving away from your
family and going to another country meant. The day before we left we had a little
meeting with a small part of my family. When we were finally saying good-bye, I noticed
my parents were hugging everybody for a longer time than usual. I looked around and
saw most of them with tears running down their cheeks. Even my dad had tears; I had
never seen him like that. I still didn’t know what was going on. I knew we were going
away, but I didn’t want to cry. I was calm. After that, we headed to the bus station. My
godfather and my godmother took us there. We said a final good-bye, got into the bus and
started looking for our seats. A few minutes later the bus was moving.
It was there when everything happened. When I saw that I was going away from
the place where I was born, tears began to fall from my eyes. I now understood
everything. I was leaving my country, the people I had known my entire life, my whole
family, and I didn’t know how much time was going to pass for me to see them again. I
felt heartbroken, empty, like all of them had died. Time passed and I got calm. The trip
from Guadalajara to Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, the city at the border with the
United States, was a long, eleven-hour trip. At this point, my parents called a taxi so we
could go from the bus station to some hotel in Laredo, Texas. The taxi came and we were
on a huge bridge and right below us was the Rio Bravo. When we finally got to the
border, military looking men with huge guns terrified me. One of them walked slowly to
the taxi and asked for our passports. It made me feel like I was the prey and they were the
hunters. I had this feeling that maybe something could go wrong. It made me anxious and
wonder if I was going to die. My dad handed the passports to him. He looked at the
passports and then looked back at us for a while. After a moment he said we could go,
gave us back our passports, and finally I was in the United Stated. The next day it took us
twenty-two hours on another bus to get to Chicago. When we arrived, my aunt, from my
dad’s family, was waiting for us. She knew Spanish so communicating with her was not a
problem. She took us to her home because we didn’t have another place to stay nor
enough money to pay for an apartment.
The problem with English and coming to a new place came immediately. I didn’t
understand anything and I couldn’t talk to anybody. I felt lonely. I felt like I didn’t have a
voice to talk to others. I really missed Mexico and my family. I hated Chicago. These
feelings continued for three years. I repeatedly asked my parents to please let me go back
to Mexico. Eventually, I realized that I was not gaining anything from being depressed,
that it was not worth my time. I understood that I needed to keep my head up so I could
get good grades in school.
The summer after my freshman year in high school I joined a college prep
program called Upward Bound. In this program we have tutoring every Tuesday and
Thursday. We have classes every other Saturday to help us improve our skills. Also, there
is a summer program. This means that during the summer we spend 6 weeks taking
classes preparing us for college. In the fifth week of this summer program we go to a
university campus to live for a whole week to experience what it feels like to be a college
student. I also joined the Hispanic Honor Society. During my junior year we did a
fundraiser where we raised more than $1000 for the leukemia and lymphoma society. I
took the National Spanish Exam and I was a national winner. They gave me an award
with a monetary prize.
Math and Science have always been my favorite school subjects. I love Math because it makes you think; it’s not only about memorizing stuff. In Math you never know the answer to a question until you solve it. Math is a mystery, and I like mystery. Science is another subject that is full of surprises. All the different reactions between distinct materials and all the experiments in my Chemistry class interest me. I want to become either a dentist or a doctor so Chemistry being one of my favorite subjects will help a lot. I really look forward to going to college, an opportunity that I’m able to take an advantage of because my family made the decision to come to the United States. Lunch at Foster Beach after our trip to the Holocaust Museum – Week #4
Mireya Rosas – Personal Statement
When I was a born people told my parents that I would be different from the rest.
At first, my parents didn’t know what they meant; they just saw a normal, healthy, 10pound baby girl. I was raised in a community named Pilsen, located in the lower west
side of Chicago. I love my neighborhood, however it isn’t the safest neighborhood to live
in. I grew up with gangbangers around every corner, hearing gunshots everywhere and
surrounded by death. Parents would not let their children be outside at certain times
fearing that their kids might get hurt. There wasn’t a lot of freedom. Exposure to the
violence, death, and gang colors around the community was common. Living in Pilsen
essentially meant keeping your guard up for anything.
On March 18, 2014, right after school, I decided to go to my best friend’s house.
It was a beautiful day out, four o’clock, our usual time to walk around Harrison Park.
Close by the basketball court, we saw two groups of guys, who looked like they were
gang affiliated, arguing. We didn’t know whether to head back or continue walking. We
decided to speed walk it. I thought they wouldn’t do anything because it was too early.
We didn't see any guns with them, and there were too many people out. “They can’t risk
getting caught,” I thought. I continued to walk, and I passed by them. We were on 18th
and Wood passing by the store when suddenly I heard two shots. BOOM! BOOM! I felt a
huge hit on my back (right side) that almost knocked me down on the ground and took
my breath away. I looked down at my chest and saw blood coming out. A bullet had
struck me. I heard another gunshot. We saw a guy run past us holding a gun. My friend
suggested that we start running but then she realized that I had been shot. Even though I
had a bullet on the right side of my back, I began running. But I couldn’t run as fast. I
couldn’t breathe correctly. We ran to an abandoned house, my friend dialing 911 and me
covering my wound with my hand, trying to stop the bleeding. My hand was covered in
blood, and I was in complete shock. I will never forget my friend’s pale facial expression;
she was terrified, not knowing if I was going to make it. I was thinking, “Sorry, sorry for
making you go through this.” In the ambulance, I began to cry, fearing that my mom was
going to find out about all this. She was going to be so mad at me because I went to
Harrison, a park she considered dangerous. I didn’t listen to her. I only thought that bad
things happen at night. She was right, and she made me realize that I was wrong.
After the accident, everyone in the community knew what happened to me. I was
actually afraid to go back to Pilsen, not because I was scared to get injured again but
because all eyes were going to be on me. I was going to hear people say, “Are you okay?
Are you doing better? You’re so strong. You’re so brave.” I didn’t want to hear the same
things over and over again. I wasn’t ready for all of that. How was I supposed to answer
all of that when I wasn’t sure how to answer that myself? For weeks I was feeling lost,
dealing with my injury, school, friends and family. Too many things were going on for a
sixteen year old. I just didn’t want to deal with it. I didn’t want to show fear and have
people feel sorry for me. I wanted to show people that I was doing fine and that I didn’t
need help, that I had everything under control. But at one point I realized that I was
wrong. I realized when I saw myself getting behind in my schoolwork. I wasn’t paying
attention; I was in my own world. I wanted to be outside most of the time. I didn’t want
to stay home. I felt like those four walls from my room were closing in on me. I just
wanted to run away. Eventually, I took an action to get help. Sometimes in life there’s a
point that you need help and it’s okay to look for help. This doesn’t mean I was weak. I
was trying to help myself get better; that’s what I was doing.
This accident changed my life for the better and in a positive way. I wasn’t the
person that I was before. I wasn’t the shy person that was scared of the world. It wasn’t
easy for me to handle all this, but I didn’t want to give up so quickly. I joined a youth
group at my church where I truly found my voice. I became more responsible and
sociable. They taught me how to go up to people and start a conversation. They gave me
a lot of community service to do. They also offered me counseling once a week to help
me handle my situation. At first I wasn’t really cooperating, but I needed to do it for
myself. I didn’t want to be in denial and ignore it. My accident had become part of my
life, and I needed to find a positive way to embrace it. I didn’t see the world as an
impossible challenge. I shared my situation with so many people in my community, and I
proved that even when life gives you an obstacle, this doesn’t mean that your life is over.
Yeah, many things aren’t the same anymore, but there’s always a positive side to every
situation. I picked myself up before I drowned in my own sadness, and I became
someone positive.
My accident opened my eyes to what I want to do in life. I am improving in my
schoolwork and joining clubs and activities at school. I stay after school if I ever need
help on my schoolwork. Life is too short and we have to take chances, take risks and get
out of our comfort zone. I want to be a social worker, to help others like the people that
helped me. I want to share my experience with others. I have been given a second chance
and helping others is part of my life now.
Field Trip to The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
MODERN LITERATURE CLASS Nature
by Naomi Cox
To me, nature is a sign of freedom and new experiences. I love being
outdoors, because I have time to myself. I can actually think about things and let
my anger out without anyone bothering me.
When I am out here, I feel like air being released from a balloon. The trees
and the breeze feel amazing and relaxing. The sun is like a big guardian angel,
because since the sun is a big star, I picture my mom as a shining star that
shines over me. That's why I love being out here, because everything out here is
a symbol of my mom and me.
The trees are home. The birds are music to my ears. The breeze is kisses.
The sun hugs my skin. The grass is the growth that I have been led to. The rocks
are the rough times I've been through, and the dirt is nourishment and cleansing.
INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE CLASS Nature's Beauty
by Reynaldo Anguiano
I see the true meaning of nature: her beautiful green hue. The smell of soil
is strong, but the smell and taste of the air is fresher. Here is heaven, where we
can relax and see nature as it should be, not as we choose. Also, when I sit here,
I can feel all the stress and pressure leave me and the only emotion is
happiness. Also, by being here, I can see nature as a beautiful paradise, free of
the pollution and trash that is left by us.
Knowing that I'm going to leave this Paradise makes me feel sad. I will
cherish this place as a happy memory forever, by knowing that I can hear
nature's true voice. INTERMEDIATE COMPOSITION CLASS “Richard’s Trajectory”
Intermediate Composition Found Poem
Words by Richard Wright from Black Boy
Edited by the Junior Class
Be ready for adventure.
I had a new hunger.
Now it surged up again and I hungered for books, new ways of looking
and seeing.
Hunger stole upon me so slowly that at first I was not aware of what hunger really
meant.
I held my life in my mind, in my consciousness.
I had learned to live with hate.
Forget what you did yesterday,
Today is a new day.
Our attitudes were made, defined, set or corrected…
Our ideas were discovered, enlarged, torn apart, and accepted.
I’ll never leave this; what have we got to lose?
Maybe they’ll kill me.
What I had heard altered the look of the world, induced in me a temporary paralysis
of will and impulse.
I could not react as the world in which I lived in expected me to.
Too baffling, too uncertain.
This is your future…
Freedom was almost within my grasp.
Half expecting someone to tell me that it was all a dream.
I was building up in me a dream which the entire educational system had been
rigged to stifle.
Our plans and promises now meant nothing.
All my life had shaped me to live by my own feelings and thoughts.
You’ll addle your brains if you don’t watch out.
I hope you know your own mind.
Well it’s my life, I’ll see what I can do with it.
You’ll never be a writer. Who on earth put such ideas into your head?
I wanted to fly home, but as in a dream, I could not move.
I was doing more running away from, than running toward something.
The whole of my being felt violated, and I knew that my own fear had helped to
violate it.
I’ll die here.
I don’t want to.
When I left, I wasn’t afraid.
They’ll kill me.
My Life in Church by Rolando Trujillo
When I was younger I remember a lot of stuff that happened to me. Whether it was
happy, sad, or embarrassing. One thing that comes to my mind is the time when I was 13
or 14 years old. Wow, at that time I was weird, doing a lot of stuff that were mistakes for
me. Everything was normal to me because I was a teenager. This embarrassing thing that
happened to me will shock you. It was the morning when I was walking with my mom to
church. I felt angry like a dog. I just hated going to church. To be honest, I have never
been a fan of religion. Don’t get me wrong. I respect my family’s religion. Meanwhile, I
was there sitting down in the bench I was sleeping, and tired. I remember going to the
bathroom like three times. I just wanted the mass to end already. Then something
happened the last time I went to the bathroom, the bathroom smelled kind of good. The
reason was because a hot girl came out of there and smelled so good with the perfume. I
felt so happy. So then I went back to sit down at the bench. I took out a piece of gum and
started to chew it. I chewed the gum until almost the end of the mass. This was the part
that embarrassed me. The priest comes to me; he makes a long walk because I was sitting
at the back of the benches. The priest tells me how I dare to chew a gum in church. I felt
so embarrassed in church. To be true I never felt so embarrassed because there were only
four people who saw this: my mom, me, the priest, and, of course, God! My mom was so
angry I decided not to talk to her. Then I was there sitting in the bench thinking how the
hell he saw me chewing gum all the way in the back. The only thing I remember was
hoping to go back to the bathroom and smell the beautiful perfume of the cute girl and
remember her smile.
Alan Quirarte’s Artist Trading Card
Xiomara Peña’s Artist Trading Card
A Change in my Life by Guadalupe Gonzalez
One day I was coming out of school. I was happy because it was raining; I have always
loved the rain. The rain came even harder when I came out of school. I got happier. I
loved the smell of rain; it makes me feel calm. I walked home enjoying the rain. I saw an
ambulance truck going as fast as it could. I knew someone was dying, but I guess that’s
normal in the Back of the Yards. I saw many people running back. I got home very wet.
My mother was mad at first, but I told her she knew how much I loved rain . After all that
I changed into my Charlie Manson shirt. I sat down and watched Spongebob. My
grandma came home and told my mom that my best friend’s brother got killed. My
reaction was normal, I was only worried about him, my best friend, how was he feeling.
At that moment my uncle came behind my grandma and said that it was my best friend
who got killed and not his brother. In that moment my reaction changed. I told my mom
that I had to find out who died. I felt my heart coming out of my chest -- it was beating
real fast. My mom forced me to eat & said that we would find out later. I was eating and
crying at the same time. I almost choked with my food. I stopped crying for a while
hoping it wasn’t him. After 5 minutes my older brother called my mom. He said, “Mom,
isn’t Gamaliel friends with Lupe?” My mom instantly answered, “Yes! why?” “ It’s all
over Myspace. He died. He got shot multiple times.” I noticed my mom wasn't going to
tell me, but it was too late. I heard everything. I ran to my room and locked myself in. I
started crying again but this time harder, so I turned on the radio so they wouldn’t hear
me and think everything was alright. I remember this song coming out said, “I want to
live with you. Nothing really matters...Today is raining inside of me.” It was like the song
was describing my situation. The rain outside came harder too. My mom noticed that I
didn’t come out of that room. She got me out of there and told me she was sorry about
what happened to Gamma. A hug came along with that. I had that, “I don't want to live
anymore” feeling. I noticed my mom and my older brother Daniel didn't want to leave me
by myself; they knew I would cry. I decided to take a shower. It was the only way they
wouldn't follow me. When I went into the shower I started crying again. My tears got
mixed up with the water coming down of the shower. I lasted an hour there; they kept
knocking every 5 minutes. I got annoyed so I decided to come out. I stared at the mirror. I
looked ugly. My eyes were so closed that it looked like I got punched in both of my eyes.
I was still wondering, why him? He was so young and too nice to die. I finally got out of
the bathroom. It was like around 9:55 p.m. I told my mom I was going to sleep. At that
time I shared rooms with Daniel. I was laying down facing the wall; my brother came in
and asked if I was okay. I said nothing. I stood quiet acting like I was sleeping. I turned
and faced the cycling crying in silence. I didn’t want to make any noise. My mom called
me. She said, “Look Gamma is on T.V. He’s in the news.” I stood up as fast as I could; it
was official. It was MY best friend who died. He got shot 4 times. I remembered he was
planning on joining his older brothers soccer team. He had his life planned out already. It
was so sad that life didn’t give him a chance to complete everything he wanted. I figured
that on October 22, 2009 a big part of me was dead too. I didn’t want to see anybody,
speak to anybody, or eat anything. I just didn’t want to do anything. All I did after
Gamma’s death was go to school and come back to my house to lay down that was my
routine every day after he died. I only went to school so my mom wouldn’t say I had
depression or something wrong with me. Everyday meanwhile I was laying down I would
go back and wonder why him? Why couldn’t he live anymore? Five months after I was
still the same but one of those days, one of my closest friends came to me. I really didn’t
feel like talking to her. Jenny told me she had spoken with my brother. My brother told
her that I would rarely sleep. He also said that I would cry myself to sleep. I told her that
he was lying. She stared at me and said, “No he is not. I can see it in your eyes and I
knew something was wrong ‘cause you also stopped playing soccer and you don’t want
to speak to anybody anymore. What happen to you huh?” I just rolled my eyes and said,
“You and Daniel should start worrying about yourself and stop worrying about me. Live
your own life.” She hugged me tight; tears came out of my eyes. ”I’m sorry Gamma was
someone really special for me and it hurts that I’ll never see him again.” As time passed,
I started hanging out with my brother and Jenny. It helped me to get over my handsome,
loyal, best friend Gamaliel.
Reynaldo Anguiano & Jorge Carrasco Shooting Claymation Project (Studio Art) Almost Cut My Hair Alex Moreno
When I was a sophomore, I was in the Junior Reserved Officers Training Corps (JROTC). I never liked it. I never joined any ROTC clubs and I hated wearing the ROTC uniform, which I had to wear every Wednesday. But that’s just me, that’s how I feel about it, and if anyone reading this likes JROTC then that’s your opinion and I respect it. But I never liked the class. That’s my opinion on this subject so I only ask that you respect my opinion. I always made sure I would pass the class, the only thing that I had to do was just show up, do any class work that I got, and to wear the ROTC uniform every Wednesday and to drill practices. But the Sergeant in the class was a jerk. Of all the Sergeants in the school, he was a worst, and he barked at everyone for the smallest things. He would always tell me to cut my hair. So every time I had to put on the uniform I would put my hair in a ponytail, sometimes even in a bun. Although it was embarrassing it was still worth it. But on May of 2014, there was going to be a Memorial Day parade that all the JROTC classes in my school were going go to. Going to the Memorial’s Day parade was a requirement, and if I didn’t go then I would need to do a one hundred question test. So for the last two weeks he was telling my class the requirements of how our uniform needed to look and how short our hair had to be. Apparently our hair was not supposed to touch the collar of the jacket that we would wear. The week before the march my Sergeant kept demanding me to get a haircut. Those words, “You need a haircut.” to me is like the sound of someone scratching on a chalkboard. He just kept getting on my nerves and at the same time I feared for my grade in the class. I kept telling him that I would put my hair in a ponytail and that I would put it inside my beret, but he refused and just demanded that I cut hair. That bothered me a lot because throughout the whole year I would put my hair in a ponytail when I had to wear the uniform and he would not say anything. But then he tries to force me to cut my hair for some parade. I respect Memorial’s Day and I love my country, but there was no way that I was going to cut my hair for a one-­‐day event. Two days before the march I put on a ponytail in my ROTC class to show him what it would look like and I hoped that when he saw it he would let me go like that and then I wouldn’t need to cut my hair. But it did not work. Instead he just told me that if I came to the parking lot that day where the buses would pick me up with my hair still long then he would make me walk back home. That was like a slap on my face. I felt ticked off and upset at the same time. I actually thought that I would either cut my hair or would take the one hundred-­‐question test. But then I showed my ponytail to the rest of the Sergeants and they were okay with it; even the students that went to the clubs and had high ranks did not mind me having a ponytail for the parade. That made me madder because I realized that if I did have my hair in a ponytail and under my beret then that would not actually be breaking any rules. In fact it was optional. So I did not give a damn what my Sergeant said anymore. I was going to go to March at the parade whether he liked it or not because I had as much right to go as much as anyone else had. And once I had done the march he would have to give me credit no matter what. On Memorial’s day, early in the morning I had tied my hair in a bun and then I put it inside my beret. I even used some bobby pins to make sure that my hair would stay inside my beret. I went to my school’s parking lot where the buses would pick us up and on the way I had butterflies in my stomach. When I got there and it was time to line up and get in the buses my Sergeant did not say anything. He did look at me a couple of times, but he did not say a word. So when all the JROTC classes were driving to the parade, I knew that I was in the clear. While we were down town we all had to wait so a lot of us just stood there and were talking to one another and then my Sergeant came to me and my friends and he looked at me for like five seconds and he finally said, “I know you didn’t get no haircut” but before I thought about what I was going to say next he just walked away. So I did the march and got the credit for doing it, but the most rewarding thing of all that was that I still got to keep my hair. That day went well in so many ways that could not have imagined. But it was not all about me not wanting to cut my hair; it was more about pride because apparently my Sergeant thought that he could control me. But at the end I still got credit for the march and I kept my pride and my hair. My House by Heidi Cerda
Around May of 2006, my older cousin named Anibal came into my room to wake
me up. He came into my pink and themed Barbie room and told me to get up and run
outside. I was six years old and the first thing I asked was, “Did mom burn the frijoles
again?” He laughed and helped me get out of bed. I ran into the alley to find my mom and
dad behind the garage.
I didn’t know what was happening, but I honestly wasn’t scared at all. The
moment that I figured something really bad was happening was when my mom was
grabbing and pulling back her hair while tears came into her face. That’s when I looked
back at the house and saw sparks coming out of the top apartment of our house. I was
numb. I was just six years old and I thought that maybe our upstairs neighbor had
accidentally fired some fireworks. My cousins and aunts came running out of the
basement each one of them carrying a puppy my dog had given birth to a couple days
before…
Imagine this, the house was on fire and all I was worried about was something
you wouldn’t have expected. I turned to my mom and said, "Mom I want some shoes,
there's glass all over the floor." Anibal, my cousin that woke me up, went back to the
house that was still on fire, that still had sparkles coming out of the top apartment, the
house that the firemen were throwing what seemed tons of water to, and he happily came
out with two pairs of shoes that were for my cousin and I. I swear that he has always
been this reckless.
I wasn't able to go to school for two weeks because my book-bag had stayed in
the fire and also because at the moment we didn't have anywhere to stay. My mom's twin
brother called her and told her that we could all stay at his house until the insurance
helped us get a home. We lived with them for a month while my parents were driving my
cousins and I to school everyday.
My uncle's family wasn't so clean and we had problems with cockroaches at
night. It was difficult for me to go to sleep knowing that those cockroaches were there.
Not only that but the house smelled extremely weird, sort of like an acid smell that hurts
every time you smell it. My parents, aunts, cousins, and I couldn't wait to leave especially
because of all the things that had happened while we were there.
There was a park close to my uncle's home that had a lot of things to entertain us,
the kids. We went and there were these three little kids that kept telling us to leave or
they would ‘kick our a**.’ We left because we didn't want to cause any trouble. The
three kids literally followed us to my uncle's home and kept throwing little rocks. At the
end of the day we ended up staying home and enjoying our last days because the
insurance had finally found us a 'home'.
The insurance company had taken us to a hotel that was about an hour away from
Chicago. It wasn't something that we had expected, but we took it anyways because they
were paying for everything. The rooms were big and they had a kitchen and two beds.
They had given us three rooms each one for a different family. I remember being with my
cousins in my room and helping them remember the song that they had to sing for their
kindergarten graduation because I had sang the same song the year before when I had
graduated from kindergarten.
After living in that hotel for another month, my cousins and I were already out of
school and they had already given us a real house that was just 15 minutes away from my
original house. It was in a really ghetto neighborhood, but the house was brand new and
we were the first to actually use the house. The house was huge, or so I thought back in
those days, it had two levels and my cousins and I would run around the entire house like
maniacs. Not only that, but the yard was gigantic and we used to play with the puppies
around the yard following them and they would bite us. The only problem was that there
was no hot water in the house, so every night we used to take showers with freezing cold
water and after a while we got used to it.
During this period my parents started looking for a new house, I don't why, but
they decided to not live in the old house anymore and they sold it. I was pretty upset
because I had so many memories in that house; took my first steps, learned to use the big
toilet, learned to read, and I also learned how to ride a bike with only two wheels. I know
that moving was for the best but it was really hard for me to let it go. In 2005, my parents
purchased a home that was bigger than the old one and it was only a couple blocks away
from it. This is when my new life had started and I was happy, I guess that deep down I
knew that this was going to happen and that at the end of the day I was going to enjoy it
at the max. To this day, I still live in the house my parents have purchased and I love it
here. I grew up to love being home because I’ve created new memories in here too, and
these are the type of memories that I wouldn’t like to let go of. This new house, like the
old one, is part of who I am today and I hope this one doesn’t burn down.
Jocelyn Vasquez, Ms. Lindvay & Heidi Cerda at The Museum of Contemporary Photography Childhood Memory by Jesenia Sosa
I don’t remember exactly the day that I lost the only person that I trust, the only
person that I love with all my heart, the only one who was there for me in the bad and
good situations; I don’t remember exactly the day that I lost my best friend, Lizbeth.
We were six years old when we met each other in Sinaloa, Mexico. We met in
school, the place were she suffered and I couldn’t do anything to protect her because I
had to move to another place and leave her alone; she suffered bullying in school. We
met again later here in Chicago and we were still the same best friends as in Mexico.
I didn’t recognize her, she was different, not only was her physical appearance
different, her attitude, her actions the way she saw life. She told me that after I moved our
classmates were still calling her fat and she went to therapy, but she was putting more
attention on what people were saying about her.
She was eight years old when the doctors told her that she was suffering anorexia;
she did fine during three years, but she fell again and this time nobody noticed. One day,
her family called me to tell me that Lizbeth was in the hospital and I went to see her. My
heart broke when I saw her on that bed. She was really thin; her eyes were black. I told
her that I was going to help her. I wasn’t going to leave her alone again.
She was suffering anorexia again and she had to go to a special hospital. Four
months passed and then one morning I had a call and her family told me that Lizbeth was
dead. I felt guilty, I always feel guilty when I remember Lizbeth because I know that
when she needed me I wasn’t there; I shouldn’t have left her alone when she was
suffering bullying. Lizbeth was 15 years old when she died from anorexia. The only
things that I have from her are a clock with the time she died, a letter and her great
friendship forever.
Photo By Elizabeth Barrera (Photography Class)
The Day I Became A Cutter… By Chavell Gonzalez
RINNNNG!! I heard the school bell ring. “Finally, the last day of school!” I said
to myself. I got up from my seat and waited for my friends to get out of class. Tapping
my foot uncomfortably, humming inside my head. Finally, my friends walked out and we
said bye to our teacher along the way walking to the bus. We sat down in our usual seat
toward the middle of the bus; my enemies sat close by. I tensed up but kept talking with
my friends. One of my friends turned to me whispering, “Watch out, I heard when we get
off the bus they’re going to fight you.” I tensed up even more, shaking a little.
My friends walked with me off the bus, talking about summer plans and my
birthday party when I heard my name. “Hey Chavell, come here,” Brittney called. My
friend Maryla turned to me and said, “Dude, don’t go. Just walk away. It’s summer we’re
going to be freshmen. Let them be.” she said quietly. I replied to her, “This has been
going on for too long. I have to face them now.” As I said that, Maryla and the rest of my
friends went to talk to our favorite security guards, Linda and Carmen. As I walked
towards my enemies, I got frightened more and more each step I took. Once I got to the
group of about ten girls, they all laughed as their leader Brittney came towards to me. We
were face-to-face and right then as she was about to speak, Linda told them to go home.
Brittney and her friends talked about me while walking away. I ignored them, but the
words stuck to my mind. I was so happy my friends stayed around and told Linda and
Carmen about what they heard. I didn’t have to fight because of them being there for me.
I mean I was about to go into freshmen year, which was scary enough as it is.
My group of friends walked me home and then left. I walked straight into my
room, sliding down the back of the door once I closed it. I then cried, cried of all the pain
of being bullied since the sixth grade. The pain of being called a bitch, fat, pregnant is not
fun. It hurts so much on the inside. So many bad memories of all the pain my bullies
caused me for three years flooded through my mind like a storm. I cried, and cried. I was
so mad I ran to my book bag quickly grabbing my pencil sharpener. I broke off the blade
with my right hand, and stuck it to my left wrist. I slid lines down onto my wrist one by
one. The cuts eased my pain, watching the blood gush out the cuts like a cut orange. I
dried the blood from my arms and put a bunch of bracelets on my left wrist hiding my
cuts, hiding my pain.
From then on, I would cut myself every time I’m hurt on the inside, but smile on
the outside to hide the pain I go through. Keeping in my tears. Yet, I never told anyone
because I didn’t want sympathy or attention. All I wanted was to be alone and finish what
I have left in life. I could be alone or not alone, but still be alone in a way. I act like I’m
fine, and say it. But inside you have no clue. You judge me for my personality, gender,
sexuality, and even looks. It hurts, but you’re causing more pain to me than you think. I
could die because of you. But, all you care about is bringing me to my weakest point,
maybe even death. It’s all hidden behind my hazel brown eyes. Yeah, I want someone to
see it and care but the world, and this society is so prejudice and judgmental that most
just care about the beautiful, petite woman and girls and the cutest, “swagged out” boys.
But, guess what! Most of those people get so popular they’ll hurt you just like you did to
me. I won’t be here to catch you when you fall just like you weren’t there for me.
Karma’s a b---, isnt it? Well, better make sure she’s beautiful. Sincerely, A brokenhearted
girl.
Photo by Miguel Silva (Photography Class)
Rain
By Jorge Carrasco Rain is a powerful emotional system in my life. It brings great and depressing feelings. I remember this one time I was late to school, I had run through the rain in pajamas. I remember faintly how the rain drizzled softly, yet in huge numbers, making large clear streaks through the dark, grey sky reaching the ground. I remember how we traversed through the rain, reaching the sanctuary of the school; I was soaked. One week later, our front porch was covered in leaves. My mom and I wondered if we should clean it up, because there was a heavy storm approaching from the west side. We decided not to, and my sisters were off. It was 8:00 p.m. and my sisters were sleeping. The rain was shielding our sight from outside. When stepping outside, rain was smashing into mom and me and trying to blast us inside, away from the door. We only could see outside for the brief, constant flashes of judgment trying to punish all those foolish enough to be out in the storm. We saw that the water was rising a little and the leaves were gone! So I drifted off to sleep with a dream of being surrounded by water on a boat. Then I realized we had a drainer in the front porch and that it was open. Now there were leaves and boxes floating in the house. On June 30th, 2014, my mom and I cleansed the porch, and prepared for the storm to roar with all its might once again. We didn’t get much sleep but if we did, our dreams would have been being in an island surrounded by water. By Leslie Martinez It is easy for one to know right from wrong because it is in our nature. Richard the protagonist of Black Boy starts to realize that sometimes what others do is not always right. Throughout his life, Richard struggles to cope with the language that goes around his neighborhood because using this foul language causes him to question his moral judgment. The people around him influence him to think less of himself, just because he is “black” he must act and talk a certain way and he must acknowledge that he is inferior to whites. But, as others attempt to put Richard down he refuses to stop working toward his dream of leave his small town and becoming an author. My first time racing a car! by Jocelyn Vazquez
“In my young and more vulnerable years,” I remember my father screaming at me to
push the brake. I remember as if it was yesterday when my dad was washing the car in
the garage, and I was playing with the dirt making mud pies and cakes like any other five
year old does. A few minutes later my father asked me to turn on the car so that I can turn
on the radio. So like any other five year old I did as my father said. I can’t imagine why a
21 year-old man would allow his five year-old child to turn on the car. I mean I had
turned it on plenty of times but it had never run through my mind to drive it. Also it was
not my fault because just a day before I had barely finished watching Cars (from Disney),
so I decided that I was going to race. I was observing the different buttons and levers on
the car and I finally came across one that made sense to me it was an “R” which to me
meant race just like in the movie cars! I turned on the engine, the radio, gripped the
steering wheel, and changed the lever to the “R”. My father was in the back of the car
with the truck open which was a good thing because as he began to see the car move he
happened to jump in the car’s trunk with his amazing jumping skills. Anyway back to
me, I didn’t know a lot about cars so I let it do its thing not accelerating speed. The thing
is that we were in the steep path so the car went faster than it should. My dad swiftly
came to the front of the slow moving vehicle and turned off the engine. The damages I
caused were somehow locking the car that a mechanic had to come to fix, and the
damages that the car made were running over a couple of bikes, trash cans, and somehow
went into the back neighbors yard (she didn’t have a fence or garage). This is a childhood
mistake that to this day my family makes fun of me especially because I will be going to
driver’s ed. in the summer.
Studio Group #1 (Photography Class) GLOBAL ISSUES CLASS Banning Books by Roxanna Torres
Banning books is the craziest idea since the invention of Nutella. There may be
many absurd reasons why people would want to ban books, but I believe the reason
people would want to ban books is because of the influence technology has had on
people. Technology has taken over recreational activities and hobbies that many people
enjoyed. Growing up, I would see many children outside playing in their yards or going
to the park. However, everyday I see less and less kids on their lawn or children at the
park. This compares to the novel Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury because Montag’s
wife, Mildred, spends her days at home watching boring TV shows and it’s not only her
but everyone in Montag’s society. If you’re seen walking in the streets, the society thinks
you are weird because you are not at home watching television. Electronic devices like
television, phones and ipods are in many households nowadays. I have seen little kids
pick up an ipod before they pick up a book. If this continues, our society will be in
trouble. People should realize the importance of reading books because they will not
only help you be successful, but they are an ancient form of entertainment that many
people back then died for to have a book. Books provide knowledge and the ability to
think. When people read, they prove to the world and themselves that they will never let
someone take their knowledge away from them. Books are here to stay.
“Montag’s Trajectory” Senior Class Found Poem Words by Ray Bradbury from Fahrenheit 451 Edited by Upward Bound Senior Class We’re started and won. I just want someone to hear what I have to say. Why would I want to go and do a silly thing like that for? I need you to teach me. If you hide your ignorance no, one will hit you and you will never learn. When I was younger I shoved my ignorance in people faces. We all do what we do. All isn’t well in the world. Do your own bit of saving, and if you’re drawn, at least die knowing you were headed for shore. Are you happy? There’s some of it in all of us. Something’s missing. We all do what we do. Don’t judge a book by its cover. Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were headed for shore. Montag sat listening to the rain. Now let’s take up the minorities in our civilization, shall we? Bigger the population. But that’s the wonderful thing about man. He never gets so discouraged or disgusted that he gives up doing it all over again, because he knows very well it is important And worth doing. But I did not speak and thus became guilty myself… We’ll start over again, at the beginning. My Trajectory Song by Grabiela Martinez
A song that reminds me of my trajectory is, “The Best Day of My Life” by
American Authors. This song guides me to my trajectory because it reminds me that
everyday is the best one. It also makes me believe that looking back at my life should just
make me move forward, not back. I love the part when it says, “I howled at the moon
with friends and the sun came crashing in, but all the possibilities no limits just
epiphanies.” This is about the different things you can do that it is symbolic as a moment
of experience. There are no limits to your experience. You can live everyday, which
makes it the best day of your life.
Current Events Presentation on Censorship by Giovanny Baez
Tyler the creator always gets into trouble because of the content he releases. Tyler
loves to speak his mind; critics aren’t fond of that. Critics hate him because they always
try to censor him, but he never gives into them. The country of New Zealand named him
and his group, Odd Future, a “threat or risk to public order.” New Zealand denied his
entrance to their country. They were scared that he would start riots because his music is
too graphic and is a bad influence on people.
Tyler the Creator was interviewed by Larry King. In this interview, he talks about
his use of foul language. He does not use foul language to offend people; he believes that
people choose to get offended. This relates a lot to Fahrenheit 451 because people try to
control Tyler by making him change his music so he won’t offend anyone. In the book,
the government doesn’t want people to read because it offends people, but at the same
time, the books give knowledge that the government doesn’t want people to have. If they
censor Tyler people would miss out on the message that he sends.
The media seem to only show the bad parts of people. Not all of Tyler’s music is
offensive and violent; actually, most of his music sends an important message to today’s
youth. He loves to teach kids to be themselves, not worry about what others think and
rely on no one but yourself. He talks a lot about how he became successful even without
a father in his life. A few of his famous lines are “f**k age, live dreams and have fun,”
“statistics say n***as with no fathers aint gon be sh*t, well then I guess I had one ‘cause,
you smell that? That’s the odor of success.” Even though many often attempt to censor
Tyler’s music, it should not be. It plays a big part in today’s society for kids who get
bullied, are down because they have no father figure, or just any young people that are
having problems.
Photo by Jennifer Olivera (Photography Class) Photo by Andrea Lopez (Photography Class) Yajaira Moreno & Denny Martinez (Video Production Class) INTRODUCTION TO GENETICS & INTRODUCTION TO CHEMISTRY CLASSES STUDENT SCIENCE SURVEY
1. What do you like most about your science class at Upward Bound?
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I think it’s interesting, it’s fun and it’s educational. – Ariana Ezparza
The science class is a great class that is positive and we help each other out. – Jose Lira
I’m better in science than in my old school because the teacher and tutors help you when
you need it. – Reynaldo Anguiano
I like how this class shows you the basics and the most advanced things. – Raul Diaz
My science class at Upward Bound helps me receive a higher knowledge and a better
understanding of science. – Jennifer Olivero
It’s like those “AMC First Preview” for next year. – Isaiah Flores
It’s not boring, it’s always fun. – Edison Angamarca
2. Why is it important to have general scientific knowledge?
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It is important to have scientific knowledge because you never know when you need to
know it to save your life or even if a scientific question could win you a million dollars!
- Naomi Cox
Because it helps us understand what’s going on in our bodies and what’s happening in the
world. – Sandra Sandoval
Because it’s nice to know things. – Noel Guzman
Because science is life! – Isaiah Flores
It is important to learn about science because we ill understand how things work around
us. Esme Romero
Because it helps us to learn about the nature of earth, and also because we should know
everything the earth and outside of the earth has. – Julio Ortiz
Leslie Flores-Cruz & Xiomara Peña – Intro to Chemistry (Photo by Kellie Dean)
Introduction to Chemistry Class (Photo by Kellie Dean)
STUDENT SCIENCE SURVEY
3. How will this class help you in the future?
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It can help me in my science class through out the year. – Xiomara Pena
This class helps me in my future by knowing what I eat – I eat carbs, lipids and proteins.
– Candy Vazquez
Because there are many things to analyze using science. You will need to know about
science because you will have more opportunities in life. – Esme Romero
What I like is that it teaches you what you already are going to learn in the new school
year. – Andrea Lopez
This class will help me in my sophomore year just as much as my freshmen upward
bound class did. – Jennifer Olivera
It can prevent errors in high school and college. – Raul Diaz
4. Do you think all high school students should be required to take science classes? Why
or why not?
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Yes, because the science classes teach things that are important that you would need in
the future. – Leslie Flores
Yes, it helps you know about stuff you wouldn’t know about if you didn’t take it. –
Yolatli Esparza
I think they should because it’s interesting. There are a lot of things we don’t know about
in this world, which would be good to know. – Elizabeth Perez
Photo by Jennifer Gelacio (Photography Class)
Jason Aguila & Ms. Donald (Video Class)
FROM THE STUDIO ART CLASS
Roxanna Torres
Its pointy Mohawk hair sliced through the unknown forest. Thirst prevailed him as he
walked through the dry dirt. His long, mushy tongue became too big for his thin lips.
His circular nostrils were like little buttons and smelled anything that came his way. He
had eyes that glowed luminously and lighted his path. “Lizard Face” many women and
men yelled as they ran away. His two elf hooked feet never reached a citizen. During
angry times, his strong muscley body like John Cena would build up and tear anything in
his way. He would create fear in poor animals because he stretched over ten feet. His
pointy, bloody teeth resembled a white shark, and once they grabbed you, you were done.
Carnivorous food was the only food his body would digest. He ate a hundred pounds
each day. The forest would soon be lonely, and Lizard Face will soon arrive to the city
tearing everything and everyone in its way. Beware of Lizard Face.
Reynaldo Anguiano In the vast distance, a dim shadow seemed to grow bigger and darker. The only part that was
visible were his boulder-like eyes that were shining bright like a car’s headlights. As he drew
closer, his torso started to appear and his crane-like hands would swing at his sides knocking
down trees. The weirdest part of this humanoid monster were his legs that were as thick as tree
trunks, but when I looked closer I saw his legs were made of actual trees. The closer the monster
came to our campsite, the air started to feel cold like the coldest day in winter. But that’s not the
worst part – the worst was his smell. The closer he got, the forest air turns from fresh to heavy
fumes of rubber tires burning. When I smelled the air, my eyes started to water and my throat
began to close.
I watched in horror as my brother got grabbed up by the monster’s crane-like hands. He lifts Sam
to his metallic mouth and swallowed him. I screamed in horror because I knew the monster killed
my brother and is going to kill me. I ran, but no matter how fast I ran, the bug-eyed monster was
still behind me. I tripped over a log and fell, and Bug Eyes lifted his tree-like legs ready to squish
me. The next thing I know, I woke up and turned left, and there was my brother Sam. I realized
Bug Eyes never existed.
Francisco Salinas
They call him many names, but to many he is known as Grandfather Clock. He
can see anything he wants to see, he can go back in time or even into the future.
He’s always watching; once in a while people can hear his heart “Tick-tock, tick
tock…” No one knows if he is good or evil. The reason is unknown, but every
time he time travels the sand from his chest keeps decreasing. He can’t walk
and doesn’t have hands, but he does have many flowers by his base – meaning
people must have worshipped him. He has gone many places, traveled to many
times, and seen all types of suns and aliens (including humans). He travels the
galaxies looking for his kind, but his time is running out. Grandfather Clock
travels so much that he forgets what time he was from. He meets tons of people,
running and running “Tick-tock, tick tock…”
GUITAR ENSEMBLE CLASS BROUGHT TO YOU BY MR. ANDERSON & HIS BAND OF THE VOLUNTEER GUITAR DONORS Victoria Torres, Edison Angamarca, Isaiah Flores & Arturo Villalobos (From the Guitar Ensemble Class) Guitar Ensemble Class Music Guitar Ensemble Class Students Leslie Flores-­‐Cruz, Chavell Gonzalez & Arturo Garcia RESIDENTIAL WEEK! GUITAR ENSEMBLE CLASS IN THE ATRIUM AT ILLINOIS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHY CLASS OUTSIDE DOCUMENTARY FILM MAKING A Visit to Illinois State University Evening Dorm Study AND SHOPPING AT THE WALGREENS