Phoenix Flyer
March/April 2019
Future Plans: Interested in firefighting and construction. Plans to attend SRJC in the Fall.
Future Plans: Signing up for SRJC in the Fall.
Future Plans: Considering becoming an au pair abroad. Plans to register at SRJC in Spring 2020.
Future Plans: Go to the JC to learn embroidery and graphic design.
Favorite Memory: Lunch, because there's always something new.
Future Plans: I plan to go to the JC and then attend a private university in Oakland.
Favorite Memory: Getting pop-tarts from Ms. Mac.
San Antonio High School Writer's Workshop
Email: mmcgarry@petk12.org
Website: https://www.petalumacityschools.org/sanantonio
Location: 500 Vallejo Street, Petaluma, CA, USA
Phone: 707-778-4758
Steelhead Hatching in Science
On March 27th, Mrs. Morilla got a dozen steelhead eggs for her class to help teach about how cells grow and evolve. Being a student in one of her classes I have seen how it has brought a more ‘hands on’ experience to the class and how once easily distracted students are now more interested in learning about the fishes life cycle and how they grow.
Right now the recently hatched younglings are in their alevin stage which is when the yolk sack is attached to the outside of the fish and has not been absorbed. This also means that they cannot swim very well so they tend to sit in the pebbles most of the time. Their next stage would be the absorption of the yolk sack which would them make them fry. Once they become fry, they will be released at Warm Springs Hatchery and begin their journey to full maturity.
Poetry Corner
I Remember by Zachary Odetto
I Remember the subtle sound of wind blowing through the leaves above and
the smell of water and earth all around with decaying walnuts. The quiet chirp
Of birds that lay resting in the redwoods ever so peacefully as if they to felt the
Calming aura this place holds.
I Remember walking around my camp ground without a worry in the world, as if
walking in this place was a portal to another world entirely.
I Remember the warm summer nights while looking at the galaxy through my tent
Screen and whisking off into a truly blissful sleep while. The bats giving off high pitched
Super sonic waves as they float effortlessly through the night air. The sound of owls in
the night hunting for its prey, there wings making a whooshing sound as they fly over.
I Remember my the rope swing that was put up so that we can fly through the air into
The Russian River. The tourists screaming and shouting happily as they drink there last
Beers out of their coolers.
I Remember the place I feel truly at ease at
My campground.
I Remember by Mirta Mejia
Waking up feeling like it was just another day
My mom calling me downstairs for breakfast like every morning
My dad staying home because of the bad weather
While I had my breakfast my dad had a worried look
Looking at his phone as if he was waiting for someone to call
Had to rush out the door with my mom as usual
Said bye to my dad as I headed out the door
Still wondering what was going through his head
Got to school, said bye to my mom
Went to class like I would normally do
Second period had started but I wouldn’t do much, but be on my phone
Scrolling through Facebook
Something my sister posted caught my attention
A black rose and a black cross
Tears dripping down as I continued to read what she posted
Hoping to not see her name on the post
There it was
Inez Olguin Rodrigez
Dropped the phone
Tears running down my face
Never thought she would be gone so soon
I Remember by Kevin Funes
I remember waking up to the scent of eggs and bacon
And the strong smell of coffee in the room
And hearing the sizzling in the distance
And watching my mom dance to music as she cooked
I remember going to play basketball with my friends
And playing till we were real tired or till it got dark out
I remember going on long car rides with my dad
Going to San Francisco to eat at his favorite restaurant
And always going to the mall right after
And buying us anything I wanted
I remember riding my bike with my friends all over town
And going to every store that came to mind
I remember in the summer time going to the beach with all my family
And swimming in the salty ocean for hours
And staying to watch the sunset across the ocean line.
I Remember by Michelle Guzman
I remember an anxious mother with a round kicking belly
And an aunt rushing me into the car with a bag.
The long drive to the hospital filled with excited chatter.
I remember the stiff uncomfortable couch in the delivery room
And sitting on it impatiently hearing the tick of the clock as time slowed by.
The sound of nurses’ feet walking up and down the hallway
And walking in to make sure everything was okay
Giving reassuring little smiles.
I remember a hand tightly gripping mine.
Doctors, nurses, and family giving encouraging shouts.
Anxiety and excitement coursing through my body
Or maybe it was just the decent hospital coffee.
I remember a long awaited cry.
Those loud wailing screams
They would lead to many restless nights.
Finally a harmonious sigh of relief let out.
After waiting 9 months he was finally here.
I remember a warm tiny hand wrapped around my finger
Causing a smile that never left my face
And still hasn’t.
Waiting to carry him to my excited mom.
I remember that day as one of the best days of my life.
The joy outweighing the tiredness of the day.
Since then many tired nights
And a lot of tears shed and a lot of laughs shared.
First birthdays, first steps, first runs, a lot of firsts
And many more to come.
Architectural Drawing by Colby Torliatt and Angelo Valim
Mateo Guzman at San Antonio
by Mercy Renteria
Mateo Guzman was one of the special guests that came to San Antonio High School on Thursday March 14th, during career week. Mateo Guzman has been interested in music ever since he was 8 years old. That was when he made his first guitar out of a cardboard box. He taught himself how to play like that, although it was hard for him to pursue his career since his dad didn’t want him to be a musician. After Mateo was done with high school, he went to go study as a priest. That didn’t last long because he realized his passion truly was for music. Later on in his life, Mateo joined a trio. Years after, he decided to go solo because trios weren’t getting booked as much and they were a little too pricey. Mateo Guzman is currently a film director and solo musician. He performs live with his guitar, but has a set up with different musical instruments to give it a background. Mateo wouldn’t give up where his is now in life for anything else.
NAMI
The days of March 14th and 15th the students at San Antonio High School had what was called a Health and Wellness Fair and a sort of career fair. The first day they had speakers come and talk about not just mental health, but health in general. One of the organizations that came to speak was the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They discussed a lot of important information like that 1 in 5 teenagers have a mental health condition, that number later becomes 1 in 4 for adults. Another thing they did was discuss how to identify warning signs of a potential mental illness or condition, especially for depression and anxiety, which are the most common. Some of those warning signs are changes in mood and behavior. They then talked about treatments and positive coping strategies. Some treatments were to talk to a therapist and getting the necessary medication if any is needed; also to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night, exercising, and healthy eating. Positive coping strategies would be engaging with others, writing, listening to music, and to practice deep breathing. One thing they were adamant about was getting rid of the stigma surrounding mental illness. They reassured everyone that mental illnesses are treatable, no one’s fault, more common than people think, not limiting, they don’t reflect on your character or intelligence, and that most of all they’re nothing to be ashamed about. The last thing they did was encourage people that if they knew someone who had or could have a mental illness to just be there as a friend, listen to them, and let them know that you’re there for them. After the presentation the speaker talked about his personal experience with mental illness. He discussed how his mother and his brother both have mental illnesses, and how at first he didn’t know how to deal with it. He then talked to a counselor who helped him understand better and educated him about mental illnesses and how to help people with them. Overall it was an informative presentation with useful information and an effective way of delivering it. In Sonoma County they’re located on 182 Farmers Lane Suite #202, Santa Rosa, CA 95405. Their phone number s (707)527-6655, and their website is www.namisoco.org.
Petaluma Health Center
During the Health and Wellness Fair on March 14 and 15, Sean Upton, the nurse practitioner here on campus, talked to students about the Petaluma Health Center. She spoke about everything they need to know about the types of birth control and all different kinds of herpes there is. Everything students need such as birth control, pregnancy tests, STD screenings, urine drug screening and any sexual activity related needs. Students the age of 13 years old and up do not need a parent present and it is confidential in the state of California. Ms. Upton went over all the most reliable birth control there is and told us the statistics of pregnancy with each option. She talked about how to prevent STDs, STIs and any sexual transmted desieases. They are open for mental health services which are confidential as well. If you are a full time student your visits will be free depending on your income and as well as your family. Students can come in for primary care such as a check up, etc. Students don’t have to be attending here to be seen by the clinic. If they have paperwork that has parents signatures on file they can see students for anything. There is a student list that they go through and bring in a student when they are in need of a check up or to remind them of something coming up in the future.
Monday 8:30-4:45
Thursday 8:30-11:30
Friday 8:30-11:30
Alumni Profiles
Kelly Carmona graduated in 2017. She is currently in training at the Petaluma Health Center. She is in the call center at the moment which includes helping people book appointments. She is also studying to be a Nursing Assistant. Her family is supportive in what she wants to do. Her favorite memory from high school is getting to see all her wonderful teachers everyday. Some advice she would give is to not give up because at the end it would be worth it.
Lisette Garcia graduated in 2017. She is currently working at Henry Curtis Ford, when she first started she was a receptionist and has now moved up to sales. Her favorite memory from high school is that she would hang out with her teachers. She tells current, “Pay attention in class!”
Nancy Amador attended San Antonio in 2017. She had been working for a local car dealership, but is now home taking care of her baby. She misses hanging out with her teachers. Her advice to current students is, “Focus on school. Forget the drama. It’s not important. Get your diploma!”
Raina Barella graduated in 2017. She is currently taking care of baby, but planning to go back to school to be an aesthetician. She loved socializing at school. Her advice to current students is, “Pay attention and graduate!”
Editorials
The Right to Life
Can you imagine having your life ripped away from you out of nowhere when you still have a lot more to see in life. That wouldn't feel very good would it? The laughter of children is so beautiful and peaceful, these little humans are harmless they deserve a chance of being alive. They could end up finding the cure for cancer. It can change your life and make it more beautiful than it already is and even make the world a better place. An innocent life should not be ripped away like that. There's other options out there. I believe that abortion should be banned because once it has a heartbeat it's a living human being.
“It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” ~Blessed Mother Teresa. This quote sums up how crucial a human can be to go to the point of taking a life because they made a mistake in life and could have prevented it from happening. Many women try so hard to have a child and can't while some women are blessed with a child and don't want it. In my opinion abortions should not be legal, it should be a crime and people should get punished for it. No matter how small it may be it still has a heartbeat, it's alive and getting an abortion should be considered murder. If you believe you can't take care of the child just go ahead and have it either way there's many options out there one being adoption. Adoption is the best option because the child will get to live and have a family that is loving and will accept them. The baby has no fault in any of this, if it could've chosen it's parents it would have chosen some who would accept them and loved them give the child that chance in life if you don't love it. That child could have great potential in this world if you just gave it one more chance. The fetuses feel pain during the procedure. Nowadays birth control is so easy to access so why kill a living human being when you could have prevented conception of the child. If you aren't ready for a child use protection it's that simple and it isn't painful. Aborting a child is more painful that getting a shot every three months or getting an implant in your arm for 3 years it's all so simple. Every day around the world there are about 125,000 lives taken away due to abortions. It's sad to see that these little babies will not see the beauty of this world being so innocent and pure.
I would see why people would want to have abortions, but they still aren't right. Some people could be financially unstable and babies are expensive. Diapers, formula, car seats, strollers, etc aren't cheap. The child could have been conceived because of rape and the mother might not want to have to live with that child as a reminder of that event. The parents could also just not be prepared to care for a child, they might not be mature enough to provide love and care to a child.
An innocent life should not be taken away because of someone being irresponsible and unprepared. The babies that have had their lives taken due to abortion could have been very successful and this continues to happen every day all around the world. There are more options out there, birth control, condoms, and adoption are great alternatives that won't hurt anybody. Save a life by being smart and thinking before you act.
Women’s Right To Choose Their Life
Women should have the right to take control of their own reproductive rights. With the Trump-Pence Administration pushing for more Republican rules, the right for women to legally have an abortion is under attack constantly. This is seen in the new “Gag Rule” that Trump is trying to make official government policy. This new rule would prevent patients from seeking care at Planned Parenthood, and would also prohibit medical providers from referring their patients for safe, legal abortion. Once again, women must fight for the right to choose what to do with their bodies. I believe that women should have the right to a safe and legal abortion if they choose to get one. All the facts point to women having the right to an abortion. About one in four women will have an abortion by the age of 45, and therefore they should be allowed to have a safe and legal one. Not only that, but they have their reasons for wanting to get an abortion, some of those being: they’re not ready or don’t want to be a parent, they’re in an abusive relationship or were sexually assaulted, they want to finish school, focus on work, or achieve other goals, they want to focus on the children they already have, or maybe the pregnancy is bad for their health. Whatever their reason for wanting to terminate a pregnancy it is their reason. One other important reason is that some fetuses have extreme abnormalities that guarantee death before or shortly after birth. It would be cruel to carry these fetuses to full term because they’d experience excruciating pain. This means it’s their choice and someone who does not have to suffer the consequences of their choice should not feel the right to make that choice for them. Women should have the right to choose what’s best for themselves and their family. Women have had the right to an abortion since the Supreme Court decision in the case of Roe V Wade in 1973 that stated that the right to privacy extended to a woman’s decision to have an abortion. Since that decision many states have come up with laws limiting when a woman could have an abortion and access to abortions. According to Planned Parenthood 400 new state abortion restrictions have been passed by politicians that shame, pressure, and punish the women who decided to have an abortion. Despite these attacks, 72% of Americans oppose overturning Roe V Wade. It is instrumental that women keep the right to a safe and legal abortion, and that their rights aren’t used as a political agenda to gain votes. Men should not be making decisions about what a woman does with her body especially when it concerns a life she would have to bring into the world. One might object that allowing women the right to abortion would be wrong because it’d be allowing them to end the lives of many unborn babies. The babies didn’t choose to be conceived therefore why should they suffer the consequences of their parents’ actions. The argument is that they shouldn’t not only because of that, but also because it against the word of God. If a woman doesn’t want her baby she has other outlets instead of terminating it like giving it up for adoption. Another argument is that fetuses feel pain during the abortion process, and that it is inhumane to cause that baby pain. Another one is that it could cause psychological damage to the mother like causing them depression, especially if they’re young women. One other argument is that killing babies that have abnormalities while in the womb is discrimination. Although all of these arguments have a counterclaim. For instance abortion isn’t killing a baby because a fetus isn’t considered a person until it can live outside the womb. Also, most neuroscientists believe that the fetus doesn’t feel pain until the 26th week when the cortex becomes functional. 89% of abortions occur in the first trimester meaning in the first 13 weeks, and only 1.3% of abortions occur after 21 weeks. Not only that but denying a woman who wants an abortion the right to one will not only cause psychological damage to the mother, but to the baby as well. No child should be brought into the world unwanted or unloved. Also, some fetuses have severe abnormalities that guarantee death shortly before or after birth, and it would be cruel to force the mother to carry them to full term just for their baby to die. So however the Pro Life movements have good arguments, there are counterarguments to their claims. All in all women should have the right to choose what to do with their bodies and their lives because deciding when and whether or not to have a baby is a life altering decision. Choosing what to do with your body is a human right, and women should have that same right. Whatever their reasons and whatever your thoughts or beliefs are if a woman wants to get an abortion she should be able to. Either way criminalizing abortion will not stop it will just make it unsafe this is shown in the fact that countries that ban abortion still have an abortion rate of 37 in 1,000 which is three more than our 34 in 1,000. The right to a safe and legal abortion is fundamental, not only for women but for their families as well. No one should be told what they can and can’t do with their bodies. We must fight the anti abortion agenda of the Trump Pence Administration and protect the rights of women.