Tag Archives: SEA

Top 10 College Commitments from John Glenn High School

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Eagles and Bulldogs Pick Their Colleges

By Genesis Garcia-Rizo

John Glenn High School Eagles

  • Diego Contreras (Valedictorian): MIT
  • Sammy Hamouda (Salutatorian): University of California, San Diego
  • Javier Reynoso (#3): Stanford University
  • Madison Luna  (#4): Cal State University Fullerton
  • Stany Hernandez (#5): University of California, Santa Barbara 
  • Gael Rojas (#6): Cerritos College
  • Hailey Stoner (#7): Cal State University Fullerton
  • Karen Lopez Calderon (#8): Cerritos College
  • Angelica Garcia (#9): Cal State University Long Beach
  • Gilberto Calderon (#10): Cal State University Long Beach
  • Michelle Gonzalez (#10): Cal State University Long Beach
  • Andrea Urena (#10): Cal State Poly Pomona

Southeast Academy High School Bulldogs

  • Maryann Park-Cunibertti (#1): University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
  • Naidy Cuadras (#2): University of California, Irvine
  • Jonathan Garcia (#3): University of California, Davis
  • Christianelle Lapid (#4): University of Hawaii
  • Evelyn Bejarano (#5): University of California, Riverside
  • Erick Estrada (#6): West Point Military Academy (New York)
  • Daisy Penaloza (#7): University of California, Irvine
  • Melody Castro (#8): Wayne State University (Detroit, MI)
  • Alexa Perez (#9): Cal State University Fullerton
  • Alexander Gonzalez (#10): Rio Hondo College

Other Notable College Commitments

  • Carlos Lopez: Cal State University Dominguez Hills
  • Adriana Zaragoza: Rio Hondo
  • Evelyn Magaña: Cerritos College 
  • Margarita Calderon: Cal State University Long Beach
  • Daniel Flores: Cal State University Long Beach
  • Joey Abugotal: Cal State University Long Beach

Student Voices: How Was the First Semester? 

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By Genesis Garcia-Rizo

The Shoemaker Bugle went around campus asking fellow John Glenn and Southeast students about how their first semester has been. Here are some responds we’ve gathered:

Jonathan Sanchez: I can’t say that the semester has been so great as I planned. It has been rough from the beginning since I missed a week and got behind a bit. 

Anonymous Senior: The semester has been pretty average for me, but that is because most of my classes aren’t that bad. If I had to say anything, Homecoming was fun, but I do feel like the semester has gone by fast. I have also felt a little bit of senioritis as well when it comes to some of my work. I haven’t been giving it my full effort, but not to the extent where my grades drop below an A.

Karen Lopez: The semester has been very hard when understanding some concepts in class. But it has been very fun, which makes it worth the struggle. 

Erick Estrada: First semester has been quite physically and mentally demanding. Whether it be from homework or events outside of school, getting 2-6 hours of sleep a day, or trying to apply to as many UCs and Cal States or scholarships as possible, it has been quite the challenge; but I know it’ll be well worth it when I’m finally done.

Angel Bautista: This semester has been difficult in some classes and easier in others, but I’ve been able to turn in almost all of my assignments. I didn’t put as much effort into this semester as others.

Katherine Magana: This semester my classes have been more difficult but I learned how to manage my time better. I struggled in the beginning but I learned how to manage school better with a positive mindset.

Every student has had a different experience of their first semester whether it managing their time, understanding different concepts in class or submitting their college applications. Even through all the struggles, we encourage each student to always keep trying.

Shoemaker Bugle is very thankful to the students who gave their input to make this article. We wish both John Glenn and Southeast students to keep striving for excellence in the second semester!

How Has Covid Affected Students On and Off Campus?

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By: Christian Bernal, Daniel Espinoza and Rigo Macias

The Corona Virus has affected people in many different ways. Many people have lost their jobs and are going through hardships as we speak, particularly students and teachers. It has affected us as students because there were a lot of difficulties learning how to cope online. Many students were not interested in learning anymore because they had all the distractions in front of them. For example when the students would log in online they would just log in and go back to sleep, or many people didn’t have the motivation to pay attention online. Not only did the students not have any motivation, many didn’t have the best environment for learning online while at home. 

Additionally, the Corona Virus has affected everyone during in-person learning because so many of our students have had to miss school because of testing positive. This has led to students feeling as though they are being left behind because they’re not in school and are missing assignments which leads to failing the class and struggling to raise failing grades back up. Looking around campus back in January, it felt like a ghost town. One third of our campus was out on quarantine and the classrooms were noticeably empty. Things have started to level out since then, but it was definitely a rough start coming back from Winter Break. We have to keep going and hope for the best.

Adopt-A-Family Event at SEA

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By Itzmali Vazquez

It’s that time of the year were children get excited to receive gifts from Santa Claus and parents go Christmas shopping for their children. However, there are some children that do not get to celebrate Christmas like others–they don’t get a Christmas tree or receive any gifts because their parent or guardian can not afford them.That’s the reason that Mrs. Garcia put in the effort to create the Adopt-a-Family Event through the Red Cross Club for cadets that have the opportunity to help others in need.

Cadets will make a group with other cadets to adopt a family or they also have the choice to adopt a family on their own. Each person or group gets a family that has kids and they can pick if they want a girl or boy. Then they receive a paper with the kids information like their name, age, and also their family’s information just in case we need to contact them for anything that we need. Sometimes we want to know their favorite foods, snacks, color, or cartoon character.

Once cadets have the information that they need, each cadet in the group will be assigned to buy something for the child and create a basket. If they are alone they will have to buy everything that they need. They are given a specific time to make some type of basket including their child’s favorite things like toys, snacks, clothes, or shoes. Children are then given a specific day where that family will come and meet the group or person that made the basket for them and the cadet will have a chance to meet the child that they made a basket for and open their gifts with them.

Every year the Red Cross Club hosts an Adopt-a-Family event. This is an event where you are assigned to a family in need. Once you are assigned that family you get the wants and needs of the family including the sizes of clothes, shoes, etc. You independently go out to a shop for the family and are able to get them gifts and wrap them. And when it’s time the ones who adopted a family are able to meet the families and they get to exchange words with the family.

Staff Spotlight for December: Mr. Johnny Brown

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By Naidy Cuadras

Many students and staff at the school have had several questions about new Southeast Academy teacher Mr. Brown. Mr. Johnny Brown is an African-American man who was born and raised in California. He is a teacher at Southeast Academy and he teaches Academic Enrichment. He enjoys being active, listening to music, watching sports, and enjoys the company of his friends and traveling.

In an interview, Mr. Brown said, “To me being a successful teacher involves putting students first, having a desire to grow and evolve and the rest will fall into place.” After working with children in an after-school program, he decided to pursue a career as a teacher. His desire to work with children began there, and he chose to pursue a career as a teacher. He’s always been curious about what it’s like to teach in our district. He was thrilled when the chance arose.

Evan Patino, a cadet who has Mr. Brown as a teacher said, “He is very funny and kind. He knows different subjects and is really helpful. He takes the time to help each and every one of us and even asks the other teachers at the school for clarification.” Friendly, funny, respectful, outgoing, and resilient were some of the adjectives Mr. Brown used to characterize himself. Furthermore, Southeast offers structure and discipline, which he appreciates.

Master Sergeant Allard stated, “He is very professional and looks out for the cadets’ best interests. He is also very approachable and constantly interacts with other teachers.” Because the school is smaller, Mr. Brown feels a strong feeling of community among the Southeast staff and students. He’s impressed by the students’ interactions with one another and how respectful they are to the teachers and campus staff. The teachers he has come into contact with have been really friendly, approachable, and passionate about what they teach. Mr. Brown is a very good teacher that will help cadets grow at this school.

Colors at Southeast Academy

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By Naidy Cuadras

When Master Sergeant Schafer and Master Sergeant Allard moved to a new campus in 2009, Southeast Academy Military and Law Enforcement High School was formed. Every morning, students at the school execute a “ceremony” called Colors, in which they march to the flag pole and raise an 8 by 12 ft United States Flag. Colors are performed twice a day, in the morning and evening. Two separate groups of cadets perform this ceremony on a daily basis. Junior cadets raise the flag at the front of the school where the pole is located. This is called Junior Colors. Senior colors are performed next to the field with the 50-foot pole.

The flag pole located at the front of the school has been there since the school was established. However, the flag pole located next to the field was placed there in 2010. It is 20 feet deep, which means that it can withstand hurricane winds so it is well designed to remain in place and not be a hazard during a storm. To make this new flagpole significant, before the pavement was in place, Master Sergeant Allard and Master Sergeant Schafer threw in two Master Sergeant ranks and a Southeast Academy coin. Additionally, the roses that surround the pole are in tribute to Master Sergeant Allard’s mother. She loved roses, especially white and red, which is why the flagpole’s border was designed this way.

The flagpole not only has a special meaning to both Master Sergeants, but to the cadets at the school who stand quietly at the position of attention when colors go off.  The afternoon ceremony is a reminder to the cadets that another day has passed. It is a quiet event which encourages unity among the cadets. The ceremony allows students to take the time to remember its meaning- that there are many people who have fought for and are fighting for our country. The Colors Ceremony is more than an everyday event: it is one of our most symbolic acts.

Christmas Traditions from Mexico

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By Betsy Carranza and Rigo Macias

During the Christmas season, the weather is warm and mild in Mexico. This is the time of year when the Mexican celebration of Christmas, called Las Posadas, takes place. Candle-lit processions, beautiful nativity scenes, Spanish Christmas carols, dancing, and fireworks are all part of the festivities. While Christmas trees and Santa Claus have made an appearance in Mexican celebrations, the holidays are deeply rooted in Spanish and indigenous cultures.  

Christmas is celebrated in Mexico from December 12th to January 6th. Children usually perform ‘Posada’ processions or Posadas from December 16th through Christmas Eve. Posada is a Spanish word that means “inn” or “lodging.”

There are a total of nine Posadas. They commemorate the time when Joseph and Mary were looking for a place to stay, according to the Christmas myth. The outsides of houses are decorated with evergreens, moss, and paper lanterns during the Posada celebration. A Posada party is held in a different residence each night.

On Christmas Eve, at the final Posada, a manger and shepherd figures are placed on the board of a Nativity scene. After finding the final Posada house, a figurine of baby Jesus is placed in the manger and families attend a midnight church service. Following the church service, there are usually fireworks to welcome the beginning of the Christmas season.

Opinions On Being Back In School 

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By Martin Gonzalez & Christian Bernal

Being back in school may be a difficult transition from distance learning, we wanted to know the opinions on how students feel about being back in school. A survey was given to students to see how they felt about the transition. They were asked if they had felt comfortable being back in school and the results were 57.6% of the students who took the survey said that they do feel comfortable to be back in school, 36.4% of the students say that they kinda feel comfortable to back in school and 6% of the students said that they do not feel comfortable at all.

We had felt that maybe students are having a tough transition being back in school, so we wanted to see if being back in school was more difficult than online learning. The majority of the students had said that being back in school is easier than online learning because they are able to receive better help through face to face assistance and not just through a computer. The rest of the students say that it is more difficult because since we go to a military school we have more responsibilities than a regular student would have, students say that it was easier and because it was not as stressful to be in online learning then in person learning.

Being in online learning did separate a lot of students from their friends because not being able to see each other. The students were asked how they felt about returning to school and seeing their friends. Majority of the students had said that they were excited to be reunited with their friends and to be able to talk face to face, 24.3% of the students said that they were on the fence about it, and 12.5% said that they weren’t excited at all to see their friends. Being on distance learning was very different from in person learning because the student didn’t have that face to face help that they can receive back in school. The students were asked which subject is the most difficult in person learning then from online learning. The majority of them responded that math was the hardest subject with the runner up being language arts. Students have a difficult time right now because they have to transition back into school and have to struggle with subjects that felt so different from online learning to in person learning.

Being back in school with masks, 55% of the students say that they don’t like wearing masks but they understand why they have to wear them. 32.5% of the students say that they like wearing masks in school. 12.6% of students say that they hate wearing masks in school. In addition to that, almost all of the students are saying that it’s easier being back to school than doing online learning because they don’t have to worry about wifi issues and sleeping, and about 82.4% say that they would rather be back in person compared to the 17.6% that they would rather be back in distance learning.

Freshman Perspectives at SEA

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by Itzmali Vasquez

The pandemic affected a lot of people’s daily lives. One of the groups most affected by the pandemic were students, especially the ones after quarantine ended and returned to in person learning at school. Incoming freshmen have never experienced a high school environment, in addition to not being on a campus in nearly a year and a half. 

We surveyed freshmen at Southeast Academy on why they wanted to attend and what their expectations were. Student responses varied from wanting more structure to improving themselves; some even expressed interest in military and /or law enforcement. We surveyed them on their thoughts and struggles coming into a high school environment and how COVID affected them. The responses that we received varied from grades dropping, not being with friends, or being with other family members. Surprisingly, 21.4% shared that COVID did not affect them at all. 

When asked how they felt about attending school in person, some said that it felt good being in class and hanging out with friends and better than having a screen in front of their faces. About 64% of students say that they feel more productive without the distraction of phones, and many enjoy hanging out with their friends again. Students’ negative responses were that they felt weird, anxious, and stressed. Some even had a feeling of hating school. 

This year is a unique one for our current freshmen. Having to come back to a school environment that is entirely new after being gone for more than a year is a challenge, but one they will surely overcome.

Opinion: Problems with P.T. Field at SEA

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By Rigo Macias and Daniel Espinoza

What does privilege mean to you? Southeast Academy has a lot of problems on the campus and it includes a lot of items that need to be remodeled and it doesn’t get the attention that it deserves. We have been given hand-me-downs while the district helps out other schools, allowing them to get new items every year. Where are the resources for SEA? Southeast Academy has not been remodeled, which it badly needs and students are also getting injured every year because of the numerous holes in the grass. John Glenn just got a new field and it made their campus look very impressive, while Southeast hasn’t gotten anything from the district. We need a new field because so many cadets have gotten injured and we don’t have a voice here because the district never listens and this needs to change. Student voices matter. The following are a few comments about this issue that were brave enough to speak up.

These are some of the questions asked of Cadets and their thoughts about our P.T. Field: 

  1.  Do you feel safe running on the grass at P.T.? 

Cadet Martin Gonzalez: “I don’t feel safe at all when I run on the field at P.T. and I’m constantly looking out for holes in the grass worried about rolling my ankle. This is not fair because John Glenn never has to worry about the issue.”

  1. Do you have any likes or dislikes about P.T.? 

Cadet Bernal: “I am very motivated to workout because the workouts are very intense and I learned through the challenging workouts how to push myself to my limit and not give up.”

  1. Have you or someone you know at Southeast Academy gotten injured while running on the field at P.T.? 

Cadet 2nd Class Bandera : “Yes. When we were running a mile for the PT test, Cadet Macia and I were running together. His ankle got stuck in a hole and he rolled it. Luckily everything was okay.”

  1. How challenging are the workouts at P.T.? 

Cadet Johnny Quezada: “PT has been really challenging but it is getting easy day by day for me and I want to get in shape.” 

  1. Do you have any solutions to fix the problems at Southeast? 

Anonymous: “Funding from the district so we can make our school look very appealing.” 

  1. Should we be required to work out in the P.T. field?    

Anonymous: “If safe, yes. I’m just a little frustrated that cadets at Southeast Academy keep on rolling their ankles constantly and I just want to stop worrying about it and hopefully the district comes up with a solution soon. “

We are not asking for a lot, just what we know that we deserve. Students shouldn’t have to worry about possible injuries they could sustain while exercising. Southeast students have enough on their plates as it is. We need this problem addressed. It’s the right thing to do.
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