Tag Archives: news and opinion

Opinion: Wellbeing Center at Glenn a Good Service

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By Stany Hernandez

In August 2022, the Norwalk-La Mirada School Board decided not to go forward with a Planned Parenthood partnership as part of a Wellbeing Center at Glenn due to community comments and concerns. The Board listened to the community and voted against approving the MOU. The partnership with Planned Parenthood was dissolved and the school moved forward with the Department of Public Health/Mental Health only.

While many parents showed up to demand the board not go through with this plan, hardly anyone asked the students what they thought. The purpose of the clinic was to educate and provide resources for students involving medical issues, not to provide abortions. That was never the purpose of the center. One of the main misconceptions about this clinic was the issue of abortion, however, it shouldn’t have even been a point of discussion because it would not be provided, nor would Plan B (“abortion pills”). It is not a way to indoctrinate the children but simply to give support to those who need it.

Currently, the Wellbeing Center is aimed to provide services in three areas for students: to treat substance abuse, to provide mental health support, and to give sexual health education and resources. We have many at-risk teens in our school district, with around one-third of them reporting the ease of finding alcohol and drugs and almost half reporting feeling depressed or suicidal. After COVID, many students around the world became depressed, including our students.

The purpose of the Wellbeing Center is to give our students a trusted adult to help them through their emotional turmoil and to prevent them from turning to alcohol and drugs to cope. Too many children in our community have been subjected to addiction and it serves as a way to prevent them from being victims of a vicious cycle. In addition, sexual health support and education is another preventative measure because realistically, some students are sexually active and need assistance.

Originally a third partner in the Wellbeing Center, the canceled facility would have included pregnancy and STI testing, physicals, mental health resources, and contraception, if requested by the student. The goal of a Planned Parenthood-type of facility at Glenn was, first and foremost, to provide healthcare to all students. Almost all students were not even aware of the board’s consideration of a “Planned Parenthood” until they saw news of parents protesting being spread online and the notice shortly thereafter that they were postponing the vote. It was only later that the district and school informed parents and students alike that they would not be pursuing the matter anymore as part of the Wellbeing Center. 

A number of students took a stance online and in the comment section of NLMUSD and other posts covering the protests. A majority of them were in favor of the Planned Parenthood facility being included on campus and were enraged by the parents’ lack of discussion.

As pointed out in the proposal, California law allows minors 12 and over access to sexual and reproductive health services, mental health services, and alcohol and drug treatment without parent knowledge. Technically, anyone at this school could still pursue the same services elsewhere outside the safety of the school. Students are not obligated to tell their parents anything; however, it is always a parent’s hope that their children will disclose their troubles. However, if their parents are not accepting or educated, it draws their children away. It’s better for a child to be treated for something that is bothering them (mental or physical) than having it fester and grow before it becomes a bigger issue.

The Wellbeing Center is a middle ground for parents and students to still treat issues and support students without the controversy surrounding Planned Parenthood.

The Origin of April Fool’s Day ☁︎‎‎‧₊˚

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By Kelly Catap

April Fool’s Day is celebrated on the first of April. It’s a custom/holiday full of hoaxes and pranks. The history behind it is mysterious and hidden. There’s a theory that historians believed to discover the origin of April Fool’s Day.

In the 16th century, France shifted towards the Gregorian Calendar. They no longer wanted to use the Julian Calendar because its leap years were irrational. Both calendars have 365 days, but the difference between them is that the Gregorian Calendar is ahead by 13 days. Originally, the new year was supposed to begin during the spring equinox on April 1. After switching to the Gregorian Calendar, this caused the new year to be celebrated on January 1.

As the news was slowly traveling around the world, people continued to celebrate new years during spring time. They did not have a single clue about the huge change that was made. Others who knew about the replacement made fun of those who didn’t by pulling pranks. Eventually, these pranks became a part of April Fool’s Day.

A popular prank that people in France did to others who were still using the Julian Calendar is called, “poisson d’avril (April fool),” or also known as April Fish. Someone would stick a piece of paper onto an innocent person’s back without getting noticed. The paper is crafted to look like a fish because it refers to an easily caught fish and a gullible person.

Tons of tricks were played worldwide. Some of these pranks were placing a fake spider in a visible area, putting clear duct-tape between the doorways for someone to walk through, prank-calling a friend, filling the inside of an Oreo cookie with toothpaste, and many more jokes.

Now that you know the history of the day, if you want to pull an old-fashioned April Fool’s prank, just remember to keep it relatively harmless and light-hearted.

New Condos in Norwalk Proposed

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By Stany Hernandez

Norwalk has recently been considering building condos in the old swap meet space on Alondra and Excelsior.

Artist’s rendition of the Alondra Maidstone Mixed Use project at 11600 Alondra Blvd.

The proposal for these apartments would be a modern, mixed residential and commercial space, according to Brian Hews at the La Mirada Lamplighter. The owners are currently seeking approval of eleven buildings to be erected in the area. This seems to follow a trend in our city of luxury condos being constructed in rundown or abandoned places. However, these apartments are not in the price range for our residents, instead designated to attract residents with higher tax-brackets, gentrifying our neighborhoods (gentrification is defined as the process of wealthy people moving into lower-income neighborhoods and seen as a problem by many because of the effects it has on the city or community as a whole.)

The issue is not rich people coming to live in our city; in fact, it would be welcomed. The issue lies in the likely fact that they would not be supporting our community, only living in it. Instead of creating passive income and supporting our local businesses, the new condos will attract major corporations or businesses that would not be for the generally lower-class population of that area of Norwalk, but only existing for the convenience of the new upper-middle class tenants.

Essentially, the mixed residential and commercial property in mind would serve as a private community, complete with everything they would need at that location, so they wouldn’t have to venture outside of their fences to support smaller local businesses in Norwalk entirely.

Even though most Norwalk residents welcome clean, new buildings and businesses like this proposal and the new Sprouts Farmers Market just down the street, it is important that the developers hear every community voice, and not just the voices of the wealthy investors and big businesses which would benefit the most from this move.

Opinion: A.I. Chatbots are Potential Danger

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By Carlos Lopez

With the advent of artificial intelligence and the increasing trend towards integrating technology within our day-to-day lives, a few prominent companies, including Microsoft, Google, and most notably OpenAI, have all recently released versions of artificially intelligent ‘chatbots.’ These chatbots help users answer myriads of questions, ranging from simple questions like “How old is Joe Biden” to much more advanced questions like explaining quantum physics and string theory.

While these ‘chatbots’ surely come with numerous upsides, it also comes with a version of Pandora’s box that could lead to detrimental and dangerous consequences if left unchecked.

A potential danger of this chatbot is that since it is a relatively new form of artificial intelligence, we are uncertain of its limits and capabilities. A recent ‘interview’ between New York Times journalist Kevin Roose and Microsoft Bing’s newly developed chatbot started a wildfire of controversy. The conversation went from ordinary lines of dialogue to the chatbot referring to itself as “Sydney,” and hinted at a desire for sentience and humanity. The eeriest part of this conversation started when “Sydney” confessed its love to Roose. Upon Roose’s friendly but firm rejection, mentioning how he’s happily married, the chatbot told Kevin, “Actually, you’re not happily married. Your spouse and you don’t love each other. You just had a boring Valentine’s dinner together.”

Another consequence of these chatbots is the fabrication of written and artistic work that teeters on the edge of plagiarism and originality. I could ask ChatGPT to write lyrics for a song, or I could ask it to write me a short paper on a book I have never read. While using ChatGPT may be beneficial in the short-term to get you out of a pinch, you will ultimately deprive yourself of learning about something new or refining existing skills.

To help illustrate my point, I asked ChatGPT to write a Shakespearean sonnet about the power of music. Here is what it came up with after only about 10-15 seconds:

When all the world is fraught with toil and strife,

And care and worry weigh upon the heart, 

There is a balm that brings a sweeter life,

And sets the troubled soul and mind apart.


It is the power of music, sweet and strong,

That lifts us up on wings of melody,

And leads us through a world of pain and wrong,

To heights of joy and peace and harmony.


Its voice can calm the storm within our breast,

And soothe the raging passions of the mind,

And in its notes we find a sweet caress,

A comfort that we never thought to find.


So let us raise our voices in its praise,

And let its power guide us through life’s maze.

I think it is safe to say that ChatGPT more than satisfied my request (would even Shakespeare himself be proud of this sonnet?). And while it was a pleasure to read through this sonnet, I came to the bleak realization that there might come a time when art as a whole becomes AI-generated, leaving countless artists and creatives in the dark as to what to do with the rest of their lives.

And lastly, and I want to comment on the societal effects it may produce. Even though these chatbots are still in their developmental phases and have only been in the general public for a short time, they have already attracted much attention from people around the world. Many of these chatbots can hold a good conversation on their own, which begs the question: Will we see an even further decrease in human interaction as we receive more objective advice and counsel from these chatbots? It seems only time will tell.

Celebrating Women’s History Month: The Most Iconic Women in History

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By Adriana Zaragoza

1) Florence Nightingale:

Born on May 12, 1820, in Florence, Italy. Nightingale was an outstanding social reformer and statistician famously known for being the founder of modern day nursing, starting when she had foundational views on sanitation in the Crimean War. Thank you, Florence, for your work.

2) Helen Keller:

Born June 27, 1880, in Tuscumbia, Alabama. Hellen Keller was struck by a horrible illness at a young age, causing her to become deaf and blind. Anne Sullivan, her teacher, helped Keller to develop communication skills. Keller had then attended college, and famously became an educator, advocate for the disabled, and founder of the American Civil Liberties Union. Thank you for all your work, Helen. 

3) Amelia Earhart:

Earhart was born July 24, 1897. Not only was she the first woman to ever fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and to the US mainland from Hawaii, she was a well known aviator who set various flying records. Changing aviation for women, she championed the advancement of the flying world. We can thank Amelia for changing things up in the flying business for us women.

4) Mother Teresa:

Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, in Uskup, Ottoman Empire, on August 26, 1910. Mother Teresa was the founder of The Missionaries of Charity, aimed to help and look after abandoned babies, children, and the poorest of the poor. She was a Roman Catholic nun, who devoted her life to help the poor and destitute of the world. You will forever be our Mother Teresa, thank you.

5) Rosa Parks:

The famous Rosa Parks was born February 4, 1913 in Tuskegee, Alabama. Parks is one of the biggest initiators of the Civil Rights Movement. Sticking up for herself and her race, she refused to leave her bus seat, as it was a “White’s Only” seat. Risking her freedom, this one action started not only the Civil Rights Movement, but helped start the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thank you for your confidence, Rosa.

6) Maya Angelou:

Born Marguerite Ann Johnson on April 4, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. She is better known as the famous Maya Angelou, being an American poet, memorist, and actress. She has used her upcoming fame to write various autobiographies about her hardships, racial, and sexual oppression. We can thank Maya for her use of fame to spread awareness.

7) Anne Frank:

Annelies Marie Frank, born on June 12, 1929 in Frankfurt, German, is famously known for her forceful move and hiding in the Netherlands, as Adolf Hitler made the lives of the Jewish incredibly difficult. Anne and her family spent their time in a small apartment, safe and hiding away, as Anne kept a now famous diary of their accounts. Anne’s father was the only left survivor, but her diary will live on forever as one of the most documented events of the Holocaust. Thank you for your bravery, Anne.

8) Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

Ruth Joan Bader was born March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York (happy belated Birthday!). Ruth was best known as the second female justice of the U.S Supreme Court. Being the first female tenured professor, she also became the director of the Women’s Rights Project, using her granted power of many high positions, to fight for gender equality. Thank you for fighting for us, RBG.

9) Dolly Parton:

Famous country singer Dolly Parton was born January 19, 1946 in Locust Ridge, Tennessee. Being a great singer, she has used her money and fame to create and give out various scholarships, donate over $3.7 million and even more to coronavirus efforts, hospitals, and natural disaster aftermaths, including food and mental health resources. We are incredibly thankful to Dolly.

10) Malala Yousafzai:

Malala, born July 12, 1997 in Mingora, Pakistan. In January 2008, Malala was stripped of her school life due to the Taliban taking control. Later in 2012, she spoke out for all girls and their right to learn, making her a target of the Taliban. After being brutally shot, and having to take many years to rehabilitate, she started the Malala Fund in 2014. The Malala Fund is dedicated to giving all girls an opportunity to choose their future. Thank you for your educational help and sacrifice, Malala.

Opinion: Willow Project is Concerning

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By Leslie Cardenas

President Biden’s administration has approved the controversial Willow Project, a massive oil drilling project in Alaska.

The large-scale oil drilling project had been going through the administration’s approval process for months until its approval on March 13. Throughout these months, climate change activists have been protesting this project by sending more than one million letters to the White House and a Change.org petition that has over 3 million signatures. 

So, what is the Willow Project?

The Willow Project is a massive $8 billion oil drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve. It would open up 600 million barrels of oil and would produce 239 million metric tons of CO2 in 30 years. Most of the oil produced would take years to reach the market since the project has not even begun construction.

Jim Sugar/Getty Images

Originally, ConocoPhillips, the company that proposed Willow, was approved by the Trump administration in 2020 and was initially set to construct five pads. The Biden administration however, reduced it down to three pads. Although the Biden administration had approved The Willow Project, it might take some time before construction can even begin due to impending legal challenges. Earthjustice is an environmental law group that will more than likely file a complaint against the project and try to block the project from going forward.

Why should you be concerned?

As I said before, when started, the project would produce 239 million metric tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. This is the equivalent of 64 coal-fired power plants. The Willow Project would be a “carbon bomb,” according to environmental organizations.

Essentially, the noise, traffic, and pollution would not only be devastating to those who call Alaska their home but would affect the world as a whole. People may think that it is only animals being affected but that is not the case. There are Indigenous Alaskans who would be affected by The Willow Project as well. The project threatens the caribou population which is a vital resource many native communities rely on. This project goes directly against Biden’s campaign promise as well.

(Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for This is Zero Hour)

Here’s three ways you can help:

  1. Sign the Change.org petition.
  2. Write to The White House 

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20500

  1. Contact Local Representatives

You can find out where your local representatives stand regarding the issue and contact them. If you are not sure of your congressional district or who your representative is you may use this government website.

What is the History of Easter? 

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By Andrea Alfaro

Easter’s coming this April 9th, so get your baskets ready. 

I’m sure a lot of us have been participants in an Easter egg hunt. Running, pushing, tripping, perhaps even biting to get some precious little eggs a big bunny hid for us to brawl over. Have you ever wondered why? It seems like a pretty weird way to celebrate the holiday, so how’d it even become a thing? Why is a big bunny hiding a bunch of eggs? Well, don’t worry because I’ve done the research you’re too lazy to do yourself. So let us answer the question, what is the history of Easter?

For some context, Easter is the first Sunday after every full moon on or after the beginning of the spring season. It’s known for its Easter Bunny and eggs full of candy. It can also go by the names Pascha and Resurrection Sunday.

Mostly, it’s a Christian festival and a cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus. But it originated from an ancient pagan celebration of the start of spring. What does a bunny have to do with a biblical holiday? Absolutely nothing. But it may have actually come from the pagan origins. There is a pagan festival of Eostre. Eostre is a goddess whose symbol was a rabbit or hare, which symbolizes fertility and new life (painting pictured: “The Spring” by Franz Xaver Winterhalter). The true origins of the Easter Bunny are still unsure as of now, but this is a popular possibility.

What is for sure is that the idea of the bunny did come to America along with German immigrants in the 1700s who settled in Pennsylvania. They had a tradition about an egg-laying hare referred to as “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws.” A part of this tradition was the creation of nests made by children for this hare to lay colored eggs in. 

This explains how we in America began incorporating these different aspects of festivals and traditions into the Christian holiday of Easter since both traditions take place towards the beginning of spring to celebrate some sort of life or rebirth. 

To summarize, Easter originated from a pagan festival and was appropriated by Christianity, which also stole the idea of the Easter bunny from a German tradition about a bunny who could lay colorful eggs. That is what you need to know about the history of Easter.

Good Luck or Bad Luck

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𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 ⋆｡𖦹 °

By Kelly Catap

Superstitions are beliefs about supernatural beings. They’re based on cultural habits and are not meant to be true. These superstitions come from many cultures from all over the world. They predict one’s fate with positive and negative consequences. We like to believe in superstitions because we’re curious to know what our fortune holds.

March treasures the tokens of luck! They come from most of Irish mythology. Here are lucky superstitions of March:

🍀 On March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by wearing green for luck. If you are not wearing green on that day, you’ll get pinched by a leprechaun. Leprechauns LOVE to pinch people. The only way to avoid getting pinched is by wearing the color green.

🍀 Beware the Ides of March. March 15th marks the day of bad luck because historical tragedies had happened such as, Roman Emperor Julius Caesar getting assassinated by his “allies” in 44 BC. Try to avoid getting bad luck on that day!

🍀 If you find a four-leafed clover, you will receive good luck! Its four leaves represent faith, love, hope, and luck. It’s rare to spot a lucky clover, but when you do find one, make sure to take care of it.

🍀 If you succeed in capturing a Leprechaun, you will collect its golden coins and be granted three wishes. They are tiny, invisible creatures who appear on the day before St. Patrick. Catching one of these little fellows will be extra challenging because they are known to be mischievous.

These superstitions are quite popular in March, but if you would like to know more about other superstitions, continue reading! Have a lucky day and watch out for any signs of bad luck.
ଘ(˵╹-╹)━☆

Are you curious to know more about superstitions? Here are a few items that will give you luck: catching sight of white butterflies, carrying rabbit’s foot, $2 bills, crystals, and having a dreamcatcher somewhere in your room. 

If you don’t want bad luck, don’t do the following things: walk under a ladder, break a mirror (if you break a mirror, you get 7 years of bad luck), open an umbrella indoors, and take away the life of a ladybug.

The True History of St. Patrick’s Day

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By Laura Gomez

The annual March 17 celebration known as St. Patrick’s Day started in 1631 when the Catholic Church established a Feast Day honoring St. Patrick. He had been Patron Saint of Ireland who had died around the fifth century, which was 12 centuries before the modern version of the holiday was first viewed.

St. Patrick was born Maewyn Succat, but he changed his name to Patricius, after he became a priest. It was to remind celebrants what the holiday actually stood for the church first associated a botanical item–customary for all saints–with St. Patrick, assigning him the symbol of the lucky shamrock.

It wasn’t until 1798, the year of the Irish Rebellion, that the color green became officially associated with the day. Up until the rebellion, the color associated with St. Patrick was blue, as it was featured both in the royal court and on ancient Irish flags. Since the British wore red, the Irish chose to wear green, and they sang the song “The Wearing of the Green” during the rebellion, cementing the colors’ relevance.

Irish Rebellion of 1798

The seven symbols that correlate to St. Patrick’s Day are shamrocks, the color green, leprechauns, parades, corned beef, cabbage, green beer, and the harp. Some of these symbols tie to St. Patrick directly but most correlate more with celebrating Irish culture and showing Irish pride in general.

World Cup Finals Prediction

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By Edmundo Manriquez

The World Cup Final is all set: Argentina vs France will be held this Sunday, December 18 at 7:00am and will be the first time these nations have faced each other in the final of the World Cup.

Picture Credit

This game will be a fierce and tough game for both nations, but I see Argentina winning this game 3-2 in overtime with a late goal from an Argentina corner kick.

I originally predicted Argentina going all the way to the finals of the World Cup and even saw them beating France to secure their spot as the 2022 World Cup Champions. Argentina will be led by Lionel Messi and with a strong and motivated Argentina team behind him that is hungry for World Cup glory.

The last time Croatia and Argentina met up in the World Cup, Croatia overcame Argentina and defeated them to a 3-0 game in the group stages. Since then, this Argentina team has developed serious players and a new system with a new coaching staff that should lead this team to the championship.

The third place game is tomorrow, Saturday, December 17 between Croatia and Morocco at 7:00am. This will be the first time Morocco has made it to the semifinals and since they didn’t manage to defeat France, they will have the chance to play to get third place, which will be the first time any African team has made it to this point. That alone could put a whole lot of pressure on Morocco.

Croatia will be frustrated from the game against Argentina, and I could see Croatia breezing through this game, since the Moroccon team will be tired from the France game and will have less time to rest and prepare for Croatia. Overall, I predict Croatia winning this game 2-0.

When the Final 16 of the World Cup was released, Brazil and France were the favorites. Many were predicting them to head up against each other in the final. Many failed to see that while Brazil may have had a star-studded team, they lacked the discipline to play as a team and had a lackluster coaching staff. France not only has a star-studded team, they have the discipline to play as a team and a coaching staff that are more than comfortable enough to lead the team throughout the tournament. They did all this while missing key starters such as The Ballon d’or winner Karim Benzema (which is the highest individual level a pro player can achieve in their career). Pogba and Kante are other key players for France and lead them to win the 2018 World Cup.

The Final 16 was also just the second time Germany had not qualified to the knockout rounds due to goal difference. Belgium did not see the knockout rounds either, due to goal difference, despite having their “golden generation.” Due to not qualifying, Roberto Martinez, the head coach of Belgium has resigned and will not coach Belgium’s men’s national team for future games. He will not be the only coach to resign due to not qualifying further into the World Cup as the Mexico National Team has failed to qualify into the final 16 since 1994. Uruguay has also failed to qualify to the knockout stages from the same problem the last few teams have suffered, which was from having a low goal difference.

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