In October L.A. Youth asked readers about budget cuts at their schools and more than 1,850 teens responded. I could relate to the students who took the survey because I’ve seen similar bad conditions at my school. We don’t have working light bulbs in some overhead projectors and when the Internet stops working there’s no one in the school to fix it. And all but one of the restrooms have been closed because we don’t have enough custodians to clean them.

When my school opened two years ago students in Koreatown were happy to have a neighborhood school. But we didn’t have any AP classes because there weren’t enough teachers. I wanted to take AP biology and world history but couldn’t. This year there are only four APs. Also, we have only one science teacher for the entire high school. He has a credential for chemistry but he’s teaching my physics class. He shows physics videos and we teach ourselves from our textbook.

I used to blame the bad conditions for my bad grades, like failing history last year and a getting a D in journalism. I felt that the school wasn’t doing enough for us, so there was no point for me to do well in school. Now I realize that I can still learn even without properly trained teachers and the best resources. But not everyone has the motivation to do that so they stop coming to school. From sophomore year to junior year we’ve lost about 30 students out of 120. Some transferred but some dropped out.

Despite how they answered the survey, I was surprised that almost all of the students planned to go to college. That’s good, but unless schools fix these problems, students could lose hope.
—Felix Ruano, 16, Ambassador School of Global Leadership

Here are the answers from the teens who responded to our survey (thank you for helping us out). We randomly chose three people to win $100 for participating. Congratulations to: Matthew Alvarez from L.A. Leadership Academy HS, David Baltazar from Belvedere MS and Trevor Ryan Ramirez from Redondo Union HS. Note: Some percentages do not add up to 100 because respondents checked all the answers that applied.

Download a PDF of the survey results.

RESPONDENTS WERE:

Gender:
Female 56%
Male 44%

Ethnicity:
Latino 79%
Asian 9%
White 9%
Black 7%
Other 8%

ANSWERS:

Do overcrowded classrooms make you feel like your teachers don’t have enough time to teach?
Yes  67%
No  33%

Have you been unable to participate in a program or class because it’s no longer offered at your school?
No  71%
Yes  29%

If yes, please list all the programs/classes that apply to you (here are some of the responses):

If your school had to make cuts to save money, what should they cut first? (They are listed in order starting with what respondents would cut first.)

1. School newspaper or broadcast outlet
2. Summer school
3. Field trips
4. Security guards
5. Custodians
6. Libraries
7. Arts and music
8. Sports
9. Guidance counselors
10. Other
11. Administrators (like principals and assistant principals)
12. Teachers

Have you experienced any of the following in your classroom in the past two years?

What have you or your family had to pay for in the last two years at your school?

Has your school cut any of the following journalism programs in the past two years?

How many students are in your English class?
The highest number was 50 and the lowest was 14

How many students are in your math class?
The highest number was 50 and the lowest was 11

Do any of the following need repair at your school?

Have you left or thought about leaving public school because of the budget cuts?
No 78%
Yes 22%

Have budget cuts affected your ability to get the classes you need to graduate?
No 87%
Yes 13%

Are you planning to attend college?
Yes 97%
No 3%

If yes, where are you planning to apply?
(Respondents could check up to three choices.)

How do you expect to pay for college?

Download a PDF of the survey results.

In 2009, I decided that I was going to become a vegetarian. It seemed like the hip thing to do at my school. I have a lot of friends who are vegetarians, so I thought it would be easy to stop eating meat. Unfortunately there were a few problems. First, every morning I usually ate bacon with my waffle or egg. I love the smell of bacon sizzling on the skillet and I hated having to watch my family enjoy eating the little piggies. Second, every dinner I was tempted by the smell of pot roast or pork chops. I felt like a lion in a cage watching a pig taunt me. One day during the first week of the new year, they served pepperoni pizza at school and I mindlessly bit into a slice, enjoying the pepperoni. I even licked the grease off my fingers. I felt really bad when I realized I’d broken my resolution and I thought about spitting it out mid-chew but the pizza was too good. I accepted the fact that being a vegetarian wasn’t for me.

Determined to be a better student

In 2010, I tried something that didn’t require giving up food because I knew depriving myself of my favorite foods would be too hard. I promised to do my homework before Sunday night. As a freshman that year, I always waited to start my homework until Sunday evening or even Monday morning and often got incompletes on my homework. My parents were not too thrilled. So for my resolution I tried doing my homework during lunch the day it was assigned or as soon as I got home on Fridays.

But about two weeks after school started, I realized doing my homework at lunch wasn’t a great idea because I always got distracted by all the fun I thought I was missing. I ended up with my book open but talking to my friends. Then about a month into the new year, I started hanging out on Friday nights and not doing my homework. After that I tried getting up on a Saturday morning and hitting the books, but I ended up reading the same line over and over. I was bored and felt like I had something better to do. After I answered one question, I would check my phone or send a text. This made homework take much longer and I eventually got bored and stopped. After that I went back to doing my homework on Sunday nights.

For last year’s resolution I was a 16-year-old sophomore, which meant I should have no problem keeping a resolution because I was practically an adult (I thought). I vowed to give up Facebook … at least until Easter, which seemed like an eternity. At the time I was addicted to Facebook. I used it on my cell phone and it was the most viewed site on my computer. I almost failed my first semester finals because I was on Facebook when I was supposed to be studying. I was the annoying person who every night had to tell all my Facebook friends “Good night” on my status. 

So on Jan. 1, 2011, I temporarily deactivated my Facebook page. But I was still constantly picking up my phone hoping to see a notification, even though I couldn’t get any because I had deactivated my account. My mom said I looked like an addict having withdrawals! This lasted for almost three days. Around 9 p.m. on Jan. 3 my best friend called to tell me some gossip that I had no idea about because I hadn’t been on Facebook. I ran upstairs while we were still on the phone. I don’t think I could have reactivated my Facebook any quicker. I realize now how sad it was that I couldn’t stay away from Facebook for even three days.

Today, I look back at those massive failures and laugh. It is not as if doing my homework before Sunday was Mission: Impossible. I eventually figured out how to do my homework by turning off the TV and doing it the night it was assigned. And being a vegetarian is a nice thought because it seems healthy but I love meat. The Facebook goal wouldn’t be that challenging now. I have slowly become less attached to Facebook. I update my status only about once a week and I refuse to fail finals because of Facebook. I’ve learned that New Year’s resolutions aren’t meant to change your life, they’re just a nice tradition. It’s fun to challenge myself and find out how long I’ll last.

Although I’ve failed every resolution, I decided to try again this year by doing 25 push-ups every morning. So far I’m doing well but I’m not sure how long it will last.

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Other stories by this writer:

I wish I were thinner. Trying to lose weight the unhealthy way didn’t work for 16-year-old Merryck. (May – June 2011)

From left Brigitte Olguin, Abigael Perez-Rodriguez, Curtis Hess, Rosario Franco, Mayra Frias, Cindy Ávalos, Maycoll Arata.

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A new program called the Diploma Project is trying to reduce dropout rates at Los Angeles Unified School District schools. The Diploma Project, which is funded by the federal government, has dropout prevention counselors in six middle schools and six high schools. The high school counselors find students who have dropped out and work with them to get them back in school. They can either re-enroll at their high school or in a program where they can make up their credits, like adult school, continuation school or independent study. We talked to students from Fremont and Gardena, two high schools that are part of the Diploma Project, about why they dropped out and what helped them return. They were all thankful for the Diploma Project for helping them get back on track to graduate.

Editor Mike Fricano: Why did you drop out?

Maycoll Arata, 20, Gardena Adult School graduate: I was too busy partying, clubbing, going out and having fun instead of studying and doing homework.

Cindy Ávalos, 18, Alternative Education Work Center (AEWC), an independent study program on the Gardena High campus: When I was in ninth grade I didn’t know it was that important to graduate. I didn’t go to class, I didn’t pay attention at all. In 11th grade I realized it was important and I noticed I wasn’t going to be able to graduate.

Mayra Frias, 19, Gardena HS: For me it was a personal problem … Me and my mom would fight every day. That’s when I decided to drop out, which I did when I was in 11th grade for two months. I started looking for a job and I never found one. Then I decided to come back.

Rosario Franco, 18, Gardena AEWC: Since ninth grade I started ditching and I guess it becomes a habit … Every year I would be like, “I’m going to do better next year” but then the next year I’ll go some days but then I’ll miss school other days and I’ll be like “When I miss out, it’s better.” So I started falling back. My senior year I went for three weeks. I was like, “I’m behind credits, I know I’m not going to graduate. Why go and waste my time?”

Curtis Hess, 19, Gardena Adult School: I dropped out of school because I was kicking it with the wrong crowd, gang bangers.

Abigael Perez-Rodriguez, 18, Gardena AEWC: When I entered ninth grade I started hanging out with the wrong people. I was getting high, drunk. I started ditching more and more. We used to hop on Metro and go to downtown, Hollywood, do whatever we want, drink a couple 40s, have fun. I stopped going to school my senior year.

Brigitte Olguin, 16, Fremont HS: In ninth grade my dad was sick. He was almost dying so all that depression got to me and I missed school. I went with friends to try to feel better. It stopped at 11th [grade] because I got caught. They told me, “Why are you missing school? You have a future to go to.” I don’t want to be a low-life. I want to have a good car, a home. If I do good in school I’ll be the first one to graduate in my family. That motivates me to go to school.

Cynthia Garcia, 16, Fremont HS: I had family issues and then from there I started hanging out with the wrong crowd. I started ditching school. I was doing drugs. It started in eighth grade and it went until 11th.

Mike: How were you able to get away with this for so long? Where were your parents or teachers or truant officer?

Cynthia: Both my parents worked. So they thought I was in school when I really wasn’t.

Mike: But what about if you came home with a bad report card?

Cynthia: I would get the report card. They would ask, “When are the report cards due?” I was like, “I don’t know, probably they have the wrong address.” At that time my dad was an alcoholic so he never really paid attention. My mom was too busy trying to make money to put food on the table for us.

Cindy: I would get home first to get my report card, hide it, throw it away.

Abigael: In ninth grade my grades started being Fs. She [My mom] would be like “What’s going on?” But after a while she got tired.

Mike: Did you have parents who emphasized education?

Abigael: My parents came from a foreign country so they’re always telling me to look for a better opportunity that we have here in the United States but I didn’t listen to them.

Mike: When you were at your lowest point—ditching and done with school—what did you think your futures would be?

Cynthia: My older brother would tell me, “I don’t want to see you like me.” I’d listen but then I’d get a little image of me, like what if in the future I’m going to be a pothead? That would get me down and I would keep doing more drugs.

Brigitte: I would put in my head, “I’ll just go to adult school or continuation later on and I’ll make it through.” So I didn’t worry.

Abigael: I just got lazy.

Rosario: I have always worked with my cousin. She works in the swap meet. They pay you cash so I’ve always had money. I was like, “I could work more days.” I really didn’t focus on school. But now you think about it, you can’t do nothing without a high school diploma. The swap meet is hard, after a while you get tired of it. It’s a job that’s not going to take you nowhere. So I’m like, “I have to go back.”

Maycoll: I used to think life was easy. You just get a job anywhere and you live off that. But now that I’m in the real world and I have a kid to support, I have my wife to support, now that I have a family it’s so hard. You can’t even get the low-paying jobs without a high school diploma. That got me to go back to school.

Mike: What motivated you to make school a priority?

Cynthia: My brother was telling me, “Go back to school because it’s not easy without a high school diploma. I mean, look at me. I can’t even get a job and you’re going to struggle a lot so take life more seriously.” And then he’s like, “Look at our little sister and our little brother, they look up to us. You don’t want them to be like us.” So I said, “Yeah, I need to take this more seriously.”

Abigael: I turned 18 and basically you’ve gotta grow up. It took me a while but I managed to come back to school.

Rosario: I have a younger sister, we’re one year apart. She was doing everything I was doing. I would tell her, “You finish school, stop ditching.” She was like, “How can you motivate me if you dropped out?” I started thinking, “I can’t tell her to do something that I couldn’t even do myself.” My teachers also, Ms. Robinson [in attendance] and Ms. Carmi [a Gardena Diploma Project counselor], they would call me every day. [They’d say,] “You have to go back to school, what are you going to do with yourself?” And then my older sister, she graduated and she goes to UC Riverside. She was like, “It’s not that hard … You have the brains to do it.”

Mayra: I have always pictured myself being a nurse, working with kids with cancer. When I used to hear friends say, I’m a senior already, I’m going to be this, I’m going to graduate, that’s what persuaded me because I didn’t want to stay behind.

Cindy: I’m an only child so I would want my mom to be proud of me. I would want her to be out in the crowd and see me graduate.

Mike: How did you get hooked up with the Diploma Project?

Rosario: When you drop out, they see how many credits you have and if you’re not that far behind they tell you, you still have the opportunity to get [a diploma]. Ms. Robinson was the one who would tell me, “Go to adult school and get the diploma.” Then Ms. Robinson introduced me to Ms. Carmi and she enrolled me.

Judi Carmi, a Diploma Project counselor at Gardena High: These are six of probably 250 students that I’m working with to try to locate and enroll in a credit recovery program. Once I get them re-enrolled, I check in with them often to make sure they’re staying on track. I invite them in if they’re in the area and I call them a lot.

Curtis: Often, often. Just to make sure … I stay on that track.

Mike: What are some of the things about the Diploma Project program that are making you have more success?

Brigitte: Help from Mr. Jones [a Diploma Project counselor at Fremont High]. He was like, “You could go to a continuation school” and I didn’t know about that.

Rosario: The program is independent study so they give you the work and you turn it in every week. I don’t have to go to school and I’m still getting my credits. [School] seemed boring, just dealing with the teachers for a whole hour, listening to them. Not all teachers teach you something. So you’d be like, “Why be in his class if all he’s doing is letting his students go wild?”

Mike: Why do you think independent study has been a good fit for you?

Cindy: Ms. Carmi calls me often. When she calls me I want to give her good news. So I’ll do my work. Every time I have some good news to give her.

Maycoll: I graduated last month. Everybody’s getting their stuff done. I used to see people getting into fights in the middle of class. It’s a different environment because people are actually serious about their education.

Mike: What do you think could be done differently to have prevented you from dropping out?

Curtis: Nothing could have stopped me from doing what I was doing.

Rosario: In the first month I only went four times. How do you let a student miss out for so long and then when they come back you just admit them like nothing? If you don’t have an excused absence, try to talk to their parents. Students would take it more serious.

Maycoll: Phone calls, voicemails, mail, none of that cuts it. You should get to the point with them like the second time. Start sending people to that person’s house until they finally see the parent, not just the student. Sit down with them and tell them what’s going on.

Mike: What are your goals for the future?

Cynthia: If I graduate, I want to be a social worker. I hope I will be able to help students with staying in school.

Brigitte: My goal is to graduate and work in the morgue.

Curtis: My goal is to be a tattoo artist someday. I’m good at drawing so it’s something to keep me busy, keep me out of trouble.

Rosario: I plan to finish high school and get a job and I guess go to college after.

Mayra: I plan to be a nurse at St. Jude and after that I plan to go to Mexico and work in this program that helps kids who have disorders.

Cindy: I want to get my high school diploma and I want to be a pediatrician.

Maycoll: Get a stable job and finally get to college.

Mike: If you could talk to your former self, what would you have told that dropout?

Cynthia: I would tell them it’s not worth dropping out because in the future you won’t have a good life. Stop ditching and get your life straight.

Mayra: My advice is to stay in school and to not hang out with the wrong crowd. Now I don’t care if I’m by myself. Don’t be with people who you know are going to end up making you or influence you to do what they do.

Cynthia: Don’t let nobody bring you down. If somebody tells you, “You’re not going to make it in high school or in life,” that’s not true. You just gotta put it in your head and think positive, yes I’m going to be able to do this.

The Rose Parade is Pasadena’s pride and joy. The parade is broadcast worldwide on New Year’s Day, or Jan. 2 if New Year’s falls on a Sunday, like it did this year. Throughout the year there are signs about it, floats are designed and built, and in October the Rose Court is assembled. I even tried out for princess but didn’t make it past the first round.

In October I decided I wanted to sleep out on the parade route. So I made a Facebook group and invited some friends. In the end three people could come. My mom was annoyed that she had to chaperone because she doesn’t like being cold, but she had to because of curfew laws that say anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

We planned to get there at 7 p.m. At 2 p.m. my mom and I drove up and down Colorado Boulevard and realized we needed to get a spot right away because it was already really crowded. We went home and started packing. I packed a blanket, my jacket, a T-shirt, my sleeping bag and my camera. I later posted on Facebook where we were on the route.

It's a tradition to throw harmless things, like silly string, at cars the night before the parade. Photo by Edda Veelik, 17, Marshall Fundamental HS (Pasadena)

My friend Arnold arrived at our site at 5:30 p.m., and Abbey and Eleanor arrived at 7:30. We set up camp and decided to walk around to pass the time. We went to Walgreens and had fun throwing stuffed animals at each other. Later, we went back to the campsite and listened to music.

We went crazy with the silly string

We all bought cans of silly string from the vendors walking up and down the street. We silly stringed each other, we silly stringed cars and we silly stringed the people next to us. We made up a game and decided to give five points if you hit a car and 10 points if you got the silly string inside the car. It’s an old Pasadena tradition to throw harmless things at cars the night before the parade. Cars drove by caked in silly string, whipped cream and tortillas.

At midnight, Abbey went to sleep. The rest of us walked to the comic book store about three miles away but it was understandably closed. Then I went to bed, but Arnold and Eleanor weren’t sleepy. So they walked to Arnold’s house to get his guitars and came back around 3 a.m.

At 11 p.m. you’re allowed to move your stuff up to the blue line on the street, which is about six feet from the curb, so there’s more room for other people. It was cold and hard to fall asleep because there were two streetlights shining in our eyes and irritating kids blowing horns. At about 5 a.m. when I was half asleep, a pickup truck drove by really close to my head. I gave up trying to sleep. When we were all up, we went to the taco truck to get coffee and breakfast. I was sleepy but I was excited for the parade to start.

Photo by Edda Veelik, 17, Marshall Fundamental HS (Pasadena)

More people started arriving at 5 a.m. and by 8 it was packed. People were lining up behind people who had slept out, and more people lined up behind them. Silly string fights were breaking out in the street. The parade started at 8 and at around 8:45 it got to us. My favorite was the color guards—how graceful they are, especially when they toss their flags in the air. You get to see things you don’t see on TV, like the pooper scoopers who follow the equestrian teams and how all of the floats are different sizes. The Trader Joe’s float was so big we had to arch our necks to see the top of it. The people on the floats wave and say “Happy New Year” to you, so it’s a more personal experience.

Two hours later when it was over, we packed up and left. I was tired from the long night, but I was happy that I had seen it live.

1st place $50

Author’s name withheld

Illustration by Amy Fan, Temple City HS

When I was smaller I always told the truth, and my parents always liked that about me. They always told my sister that the more she lied, the more people won’t believe her, and it’s true. The more lies you tell, the more people won’t listen when you are actually telling the truth.

I have never lied to my parents because I feel that is wrong. But I have lied to some of my friends. I don’t consider it a humongous lie, but it’s pretty big. And this lie I tell is about my sexual orientation. I have lied to many people about being straight.

When people ask, “Who do you like?” I have to pick a random guy and pretend like I actually like him. Sometimes I have to agree on the “cuteness” of the guys my friends like, even though I don’t find guys attractive. There was one time I picked this guy I didn’t even know at all and I told my friends I had a big crush on him. They wouldn’t stop bothering me about me “liking” him. It didn’t feel right to lie, but it kept them from questioning my sexuality.

My parents have never questioned me about my sexuality and I don’t know if they will. They always give me speeches about having a boyfriend and being careful, and I have to listen even though I don’t agree with what they tell me. I pay attention and nod when I have to and, well, they have never asked me if I’ve had a boyfriend or anything. I thought they would’ve started to wonder about me because of my way of dressing. I own more button-down shirts than girly shirts, and I prefer to dress with a button-down shirt and fitted jeans. If my parents ever question me about my sexuality I’m going to have to tell them the truth because I have never lied to them and I don’t plan on starting to now.

I never thought I would lie to anybody about anything. And now I have this lie going on about me being straight. But I lie about this because some people wouldn’t accept me for being a lesbian and would hurt my feelings. I know that as I grow older I will gain more self-esteem but right now I prefer to have this lie going on. I know it’s bad to lie and that I should stop, but it protects my feelings.

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I wish they’d told me the truth

2nd place $30 (tie)

By Lilit Mkrtchian, Clark Magnet HS (La Crescenta)

Music has always played a large role in my life, whether I listened to it, made it or sang along with it. When I was little, I loved singing all of my favorite songs. I sang all day: while I was playing with my dolls, doing homework and in the shower as well. On the weekends or whenever I got bored, I would plug in a microphone, stand on a chair and perform for my family and guests. They loved my singing and told me I had the sweetest voice. I was a little too confident and even thought I was going to be a star on American Idol one day! 

In elementary school, I decided to join the choir to have some fun and show off my voice at the same time. During performances, I would always want to be the main voice and sing solos. My friends thought I was amazing, but what did they know? They were only in fifth grade. I always thought I was a good singer until one day, one of my family members told me the cold, hard truth.

During winter break of fifth grade, we were at a family gathering with many relatives, some of who I didn’t even recognize. As everyone sat down, I decided I should sing some of the holiday songs I had been taught in choir. I began to sing Winter Wonderland, when I noticed a lady looking at me with a weird expression, as if she had just eaten something sour. I remembered the lady as one of those family members nobody liked, but she wasn’t aware of it. She was the loudest person there, always stating her opinion and being rude. As I got into the chorus of the song, the lady interrupted me with her loud, arrogant voice: “Stop singing, your voice is giving me a huge headache!” From this moment on, I realized that with their lies, my family was keeping the truth about my singing away from me.

A good 10 seconds passed as I processed what had just happened, and my eyes began to well up with tears. I threw the microphone onto the ground and ran into an empty bedroom, crying my eyes out into a soft pillow, which seemed to be my only comfort at the time. As a 10-year-old, my dreams were crushed: I would never audition on American Idol, become a star or be a well-known singer. Thanks to my family’s little white lie, I had to be told the truth by someone I didn’t even know in a pretty rude way. I would rather have had my family tell me I was never good than support me by lying. 

Being young, you’re constantly lied to, but you never realize it until you are older. This sounds harsh but hey—do you still expect presents from Santa Claus on Christmas or a quarter under your pillow from the tooth fairy? Lying is like a safety blanket, shielding the not-so-important truth from the young and the not-so-nice opinions from teenagers and adults. In a way, adults preserve their children’s childhood with little white lies such as supporting them in something they like to do but may not be good at. In the end, it’s all about how the person feels. I would rather have the truth told straight to my face than to hear lies and later find out what someone was really thinking. Lying is never the right thing to do, because once you tell a lie it sets off a chain of events. If you lie just to spare someone’s feelings, you have to consider the consequences. You might make the person feel good for a while, but in the long run, when the truth comes out, things may not end up so well.

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I got out of trouble, but still feel guilty

2nd place $30 (tie)

By Pierre Simonian, Clark Magnet HS

Is it OK to lie? This is a common question everyone faces. One might say yes because lying helps you stay out of trouble. Others might say no because telling lies creates more problems. But if you asked me, I would say, “It depends.” Looking back at my life, lying put me in good and bad positions, it all depended on my situation.

When I was a third grader, I remember an event taking place on my school playground. It was some kind of magic show for us kids and teachers to watch. We were assigned seats and I sat next to the mentally impaired kid in our class who no one liked. As one of the crowd, I didn’t like him either because no one else did. Sitting in front of us was a tall kid who I hated because he told on me all the time. He was so tall that every time he would sit down no one behind him could see ahead. That day, that person was me. No matter how much I moved my head left to right to see the magician, all I saw was his head blocking everything and I wasn’t going to sit there and take it. So I took my hand and smacked his head from behind. He turned around in a rage wondering who it was. I just sat there looking up at the sky. He turned back around rubbing his head from the pain. At that moment I had so much adrenaline rushing through me that I could’ve hit his head another five times, but if I did he would know it was me. So I told the mentally impaired kid next to me to smack his head. He asked why and I yelled at him to just do it. He took his hand from his pocket and smacked his head twice as hard as I had. He quickly put his hand down but it was too late. The tall kid turned around, punched him in the face a good three times, grabbed the hand he smacked his head with and twisted it. As of now, the kid next to me was crying and everyone was looking in our direction. Two teachers pulled them out of their seats and rushed them to the office.

About two days later I was called to the office by the principal. She told me that the kid next to me was telling her that I told him to smack that tall guy’s head. She asked if this was true. I said no, and pretended that I had no idea what she was talking about. I denied everything else the principal told me, and the principal believed it.

Sure, lying saved me but I still feel guilty even to this day. Lying should be used for a good purpose. For example, your friend gets a new haircut and you think it looks bad and you, like anyone else, would say it looks fine. No harm was done to you or your friend. However for my situation, everyone got harmed. Yes, including me. By saying “no” to the principal, I did not tell the truth. I lied, and I felt guilty.

Lying is an extremely powerful tool in human nature. The fact that we all take advantage of it is normal, but one must know how to use it unlike the way I did.

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I lost respect because I lied

Honorable mention

By Devin Younanian, Clark Magnet HS

Lying is not OK. Like most people, I too have lied at some part in my life. Also, I have told lies that had a serious impact on a relationship, for it is part of human nature for human beings to lie.

One significant lie that I have told, that caused a huge issue, occurred not too long ago. During this past summer, I was planning on taking a summer art class for credits towards high school. I went to class and there the teacher (whom I lied about) was. We started a project to sketch a shoe onto a piece of construction paper. I knew before that I did not want to take an art class for I knew that I was horrible at art; however, I had no choice. After the class finished, I was in the car with my mother. I told my mother that I did not want to continue the class and that my teacher said that I was terrible at drawing. My mother got angry and believed me so she called the school’s counselor and told the counselor. Eventually, the teacher met with the counselor and told her that she did not say that, and that she didn’t want me to leave the class. My mother and I then went back to school and met up with the counselor and the teacher. There, the counselor asked me if the teacher had truly told me that I was bad at drawing. Under pressure, I eventually gave in and told the truth.

That one lie had a significant impact on me, the teacher I lied about, my mother and my counselor. One, I lost the respect of my parents, whose trust I worked hard to gain back. Second, I lost the respect of my counselor and my teacher, whose relationships with me have changed dramatically. Finally, I lost respect of myself. I don’t know how I could have possibly allowed myself to hurt other human beings. At the time I thought lying would get me out of the art class I did not want to take. Although lying did take me out of the art class, it also created a situation that was even worse than going to the art class. For about a week or two, I was not able to sleep, knowing that I had hurt innocent people’s feelings and that I did not deserve to be forgiven. It was a long nightmare, which I thought would never ever end.

Lying can be tempting and beneficial, but it is still not OK. Lying creates scenarios where people can get hurt or the liar can get hurt. Lying is a huge problem in society; however, it is impossible to stop, for it is in human nature to lie. Lying is not OK.

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I wish I hadn’t lied and disappointed my dad 

Honorable mention

By Nancy Vo, El Monte HS

Everyone has lied about something in their life at one point or another. I know I have. Lies can range in size, from big lies to little white ones. Now, I don’t know about you, but as a child, I was always encouraged to tell the truth; however, the truth can sometimes hurt. Lying is fine, when used to a certain extent.

My mom is the best person I know, she’s a hard-worker and a great parent, but it doesn’t mean she’s a saint. She’s lied about a whole lot of things from her age to her “made from scratch” meals. She’s even lied to her friends. Whenever my mom and her girlfriends go shopping, it’s like a lying festival. Everyone lies to each other about how good someone looks in a dress, but to me, it’s understandable. Sometimes a little white lie can save you from hurting someone you care about.

Little white lies are definitely different from big ones. I should know that. I experienced the wrath of my dad when I told him a big one. It was on a Saturday, some time in November, when I was invited to my best friend’s “Sweet Sixteen.” I knew my dad wasn’t going to let me go to my best friend’s birthday party because my area isn’t exactly the safest, for one, and two there were going to be boys there. So, in my time of need, I looked to a lie to help me get what I wanted. So I told my dad that I was going to the movie theater to catch a late showing of “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn” and that I wouldn’t be home until 11 or 12 at night. He believed me, or at least until he saw what one of my friends had texted me. The text read, “YESSS! I cant believe your gonna go to Melissas party! Ill see you there babe! Call me when you get here!!” I never called her. Instead I lost my credibility and got my phone taken away for a month. At that moment, all I remember was being frustrated with myself. I should’ve just stayed home that night instead of trying to pull a fast one on my dad. And I’ll never forget what my dad told me that night. He said, “I’m really disappointed in you. We’re family and family don’t lie to each other. How am I supposed to take your words seriously when all they are are lies.

Lying is perfectly fine when you’re trying to save someone from getting hurt; however, lying for your own intentions is definitely not acceptable. Lying can be a smart way of avoiding trouble, until you get caught. So even though lying seems like a bright idea, it’s really not. You’re worth nothing without your word. Be honest. Be credible. Don’t lie.

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I lie for love

Honorable mention

Author’s name withheld

Lies are told all over the place, but sometimes I think that no one has ever lied as bad as I’ve had. I don’t intend to lie but my parents are very special to me and I don’t want to hurt them so I end up lying. I have my own life away from them; I really wish sometimes that I could tell them but they think of me as their princess—so innocent, never told them a lie, “doesn’t break a plate” (a saying they say in El Salvador).

Yes, I’ve told my mum and dad so many lies. For example I’ve told them I’m doing schoolwork when in reality I’m nowhere near schoolwork. No, I don’t do drugs, I’m not in gangs, but I do have a boyfriend. A boyfriend I know they won’t approve of because they think I’m young and I don’t know what I’m doing.

My lies, so that I could spend time with my boyfriend, started off with small little white lies. There were those days I would tell my mum, “Hey mum, I’m going to stay after school today.” I would meet with him at a laundry near my school and we would just hang out and play video games at the laundry. Later on we got closer and wanted to hang out somewhere different. From that moment I started growing my lies. I would tell my parents I was going for some tutoring and since my parents believe everything I tell them, they had no problem with me going. Once my mum would drop me off I would walk over to the Rose Garden where I would meet up with my boyfriend from 4-6 p.m. We basically made our own life, we told each other everything, and we would go to the Science Center to eat and explore. Month went by, my lies continued, and my relationship grew more and more to the point that I would go over to his house. He became part of my life; just as lying was part of me also. Those little white lies I would tell are now big elephant lies that I continue to tell and can’t seem to stop.

I do think that my lies save me from hurting my parents’ feelings, but then again once they find out I will have lost all of the confidence they had in me completely. I truly don’t regret lying to them because all this time that I’ve lied to them, I made my life with someone very special, someone that constantly reminds me of his love for me by telling me, “Everything will be worth it in the end.” I know I shouldn’t have lied to my parents in the first place, but I want them to at least feel for a while more until I’m over age that I’m the daughter that never did them wrong. Sometimes I feel they will understand me and tell me everything’s going to be all right, but sadly my parents aren’t like that, they’re so last century. I love them but my lies will save me from losing their confidence and save them from getting hurt.

Think about your lies before telling them, they can ruin your social and personal life. I do not yet know my destiny with all these lies I’ve told, but I know for a fact that one writes their own destiny because the things you do make you who you are. Those little white lies we told as kids grow and now are massive lies that reflect on us.

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Next essay contest: Is it OK to lie?

On page 18, our writer shares how she admires her stepdad for being loving, patient and kind to her family. She appreciates those traits and doesn’t take him for granted because her father was abusive and didn’t treat her family that way. Like our writer looking up to her stepdad, we want you to tell us about someone in your life who you admire. Maybe it’s a parent who works hard to provide for your family or an older sibling who made it to college. Or maybe it’s a friend, classmate, teammate or co-worker. We want you to pick someone you know well, rather than a celebrity or athlete, so your essays are more personal. Pick one time they did something you admired and write about that, or write about why you admire this person overall.

Write an essay to L.A. Youth and tell us about it:

Essays should be a page or more. Include your name, school, age and phone number with your essay. The staff of L.A. Youth will read the entries and pick three winners.Your name will be withheld if you request it. The first-place winner will receive $50. The second-place winner will get $30 and the third-place winner will receive $20. Winning essays will be printed in our March-April issue and posted  on layouth.com.

Mail your essay to:
L.A. Youth
5967 W. 3rd St. Suite 301
Los Angeles CA 90036
or to essays@layouth.com

DEADLINE: Friday, Feb. 24, 2012

Reviewed by Tyler Bradshaw
16, Redondo Union HS

When I heard Coldplay was releasing its fifth album, Mylo Xyloto, I was excited. I didn’t like some of the songs that were more instrumental, but I’ve played the rest of the album so many times that I know the lyrics word for word.

Chris Martin’s gentle voice, the strum of the acoustic guitar and the sweet words make “Us Against the World” my favorite song on the album. “Through chaos as it swirls/ It’s us against the world.” When I listen to this song I imagine that I am sitting around a campfire with my closest friends.

The shorter song “U.F.O.” tells of a lost soul who is following the crowd and needs guidance. The song begins with Martin’s soft voice saying, “Lord, I don’t know which way I am going/ Which way the river gonna flow.” This song makes me not want to follow the crowd because the speaker sounds sad and distressed.

“Princess of China,” featuring Rihanna, adds a touch of pop to Coldplay’s slow rock. I was a fan of Rihanna before. I didn’t know she was on this song so when I heard her voice I thought, “This is going to be a great song,” and it was. The song tells of a princess who runs away and she regrets not being able to have a king. They use the words “Once upon a time,” which add a fairytale feel to it.

The acoustic guitar makes it easy to listen to the whole album. If you like slow songs, Mylo Xyloto will be a keeper.

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SHE & HIM
CD: Volume Two

Reviewed by Jazmine Mendoza
16, Chavez Learning Academies (San Fernando)

She and Him is a collaboration between the star of TV’s New Girl, Zooey Deschanel, and musician M. Ward. The combination of Ward’s acoustic guitar and Deschanel’s cute and simple lyrics creates a quirky duo that sounds like they’re from the 60s. After listening to their second album, Volume Two, I feel like they are my best friends who give great advice and tell interesting stories.

On “Lingering Still” I feel like I’m hanging out with Deschanel and we’re talking about boys. On “In the Sun” when Deschanel sings, “It’s OK (it’s OK) / We all get the slip sometimes every day/ I’ll just keep it to myself in the sun,” I feel like she’s not crying about her problems, just hoping for the best, and I can relate to that. I try to stay positive at all times, especially when things are bad.

In “Gonna Get Along Without You Now,” she sings about how she has lost her crush but she knows she’ll find new love. For someone like me, who always has a crush, it’s a reminder that they are just crushes and I’ll soon be over them. “Gonna find somebody that’s twice as cute/ ‘Cause I didn’t like you anyhow/ You told everybody that we were friends/ But this is where our friendship ends.” That’s advice that a lot of guys and girls (including me) need to tell ourselves every time a crush doesn’t work out.

This whole album is great! Listening to the songs on a bad day cheers me up and reminds me of what great friends are like.

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THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
CD: Loaded

Reviewed by Miguel Molina
17, Film & Theatre Arts Charter HS

I heard about The Velvet Underground when I read that The Strokes said their music was influenced by them. I listened to them on YouTube and eventually heard all their songs. My favorite album is Loaded, which was released in 1970.

One of my favorite songs is “Sweet Jane,” which has a repetitive guitar part I will never get tired of. Lou Reed sings that Jack is in his corset, clothing that makes a woman look thinner, and Jane is in her vest. He says, “And me I am in a rock n’ roll band” with an attitude that makes him seem fun compared to Jack and Jane.

Another song I really like is “Rock And Roll,” which describes the life of a girl named Jenny. There is nothing fun in her life, but one morning she turns on the radio and is surprised that it’s playing rock and roll music and she starts dancing. I really like the way Reed says “fine fine music” in a high-pitched voice he can’t hit. He is not much of a singer, but he puts a lot of emotion into his songs.

“Who Loves the Sun” is sung by guitarist Doug Yule. His voice is different from Reed’s raw, rough voice. He sounds sentimental and hits every note perfectly. There is a great “ba ba ba” in the background that goes well with Yule’s singing. I like the nature references in the song like, “Who loves the rain/ Who cares that it makes flowers/ Who cares that it makes showers/ Since you broke my heart.”

The Velvet Underground shows that you do not have to over-complicate music to create a masterpiece. Loaded is full of songs that will keep you singing.

The essay “Gang life sucked me in” caught my attention because it talked about a subject many people are ignoring. I see people like this around me every now and then, but they don’t seem happy. One of my friends once told me how his cousin was in a gang, but didn’t want to be in it anymore. He couldn’t leave though. The gang members threatened him. I realized that gangs were dangerous and that they didn’t care about you.
Jorge Callela, Hollywood HS

I thought the essay “Gang life sucked me in” was an inspirational story because it shows the true color of the writer’s “homies.” It shows that your homies are nice to you now but once you’re in trouble they will turn their backs on you.

I am in a gang and to initiate me I had to do petty crimes and get beat up. But [the other gang members] don’t care about me and how my family is doing. When I get an A in school my family praises me, but when the gang members see it they taunt me because I’m a nerd. They take care of me, but a few weeks ago when they had weed they put it in a new member’s jacket when the cops came. They blamed it all on him and said they didn’t know that he had it.
Name withheld

I think many people have the same struggles when it comes to gang life. The only thing I would like to add is another perspective about how and people join gangs. I am 15 years old and joined the gang I am in two years ago. Growing up was not hard for me. Everyone has struggles but we shouldn’t blame those struggles for what we do. At the end of the day we must accept that we chose to be in the gang and we must try hard to get out if we choose.

I grew up in the same neighborhood for most of my life. I would always see the same gangsters walking up and down my street. They looked cool to me walking about 20 deep every time they passed by. They looked like they had a lot of respect and no one wanted to mess with them. That caught my attention and influenced my decisions when I was a pre-teen and teen. When I joined everything was cool. The people we beefed with weren’t around that much so it was just mostly kicking it. But as soon as the beef started coming through everything started getting hectic. I started getting into fights with people I didn’t know but had to fight because of what gang they were in. I would get chased when I would walk alone. I wasn’t safe on my way home from school.

My mom couldn’t take anymore of the way I was acting. She began to get sick. So I decided to man up and stop all of it—the kicking it, fighting, looking for people to mess up badly—it all had to stop.

I’m glad that I chose to before I ended up behind bars regretting my decisions. I hope that people realize that it may seem difficult but if it is the right thing to do you won’t regret getting out in the long run.
Name withheld

I was very moved by the essay “Gang life sucked me in.” It hit my soft spot when he started talking about his father. I could relate to having a deadbeat father. I can see why he turned to a gang lifestyle. I was left curious when he told us about him going to jail. I want to know why he went to jail. [Editor's note: the writer didn't reveal that in his essay.] I don’t judge him for doing the stuff he did since no one was there to tell hi otherwise. It’s hard growing up with no one there to tell you what’s wrong or right. His story will hopefully convince others to leave the ganglife and not to follow his road. I hope he is let out early.
Xavier M., Hollywood HS

I admire how strong of a person you are for realizing that the gang life is not the best choice. Even though life is not the best at the moment, never lose faith. Life always gets better no matter what. The essay really moved me. For some reason it captured my heart and gave me a boost of motivation to keep striving for the best.
Kelly Martinez, Hollywood HS

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An undocumented student hopes college is in his future

I have friends who are illegal immigrants and they are the students who always try their best in everything. They give their everything to be able to go to college, but because they don’t have social security numbers they can’t. This made me realize that I have a social security number so I shouldn’t be lazy and not do my work. I’m really glad the governor passed the California Dream Act to give people who work hard a chance that they deserve.
Abel Luis, Hollywood HS

I believe the writer of “What now?” should be given a chance to go to college. You were brought here [by your parents], so why should you be punished for that? I support you all the way and if I could help in any way I would. If you take the time to learn you should be able to use the knowledge you’ve worked for. Just because you weren’t born here doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to go to college.
Damont Johnson, Taft HS (Woodland Hills)

I can relate to the article “What now?” Many people don’t understand what we have to go through. They think we are criminals but what they don’t know is that some, if not most, of us didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t talk back to my parents at the age of 3. I’m a hard-working student. It is my dream to become a book publisher, but I can’t because of my legal status.
Name withheld

I really have you to thank for making me realize that many other students may not have the same opportunities I do. I wish you the best in your life and your education. From what I read, I know you’ll make your dream of becoming a journalist come true.
Gaby Cordova, Hollywood HS

I have always believed that illegal immigrants eat up our valuable resources and are more trouble than they are worth. I am, however, empathetic to children and I believe the DREAM Act is a wonderful way of giving kids with a tough deal the break they deserve.
Trevor Hock, Taft HS

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A girl learned that success takes an education

It was depressing to read about how tough Precious’s life was. I’m not surprised she acted out so much. I probably would too if I were in her position. It must have been hard to always be moving from house to house. I think she is incredibly smart for realizing that doing better in school to become successful is much more realistic than dropping out and trying to become a rapper. I always knew education was important, but reading this article made me think about how much trying your best in school can dramatically change your life.
Annie Haig, Wilson MS (Glendale)

The article “Reality check” by Precious Sims really sunk into me. I’m not saying that I went through the same experience as Precious but I can relate to her. I thought it would be easy to make it big in life. I wanted to be this rich person with a big house and fancy car. But then somehow I realized that it was not possible if I kept up with what I was doing. I was slacking off in school. I didn’t do my homework and I would fail tests. If I wanted that dream to be a reality, I would have to start focusing on my work. I now have a plan to get to college and study to be an architect. And if I do this right, I can be whatever I want to be.
Nicholas Wofford, Hollywood HS

I really enjoyed reading the article “Reality check” by Precious Sims. The struggles she went through are heartbreaking but her achievements are extraordinary. It really goes to show how effort and perseverance can take you anywhere. It’s very inspiring and it motivates me to continue doing good in school.
Angie Quintanilla, Hollywood HS

One thing I learned from that article is that life is hard and you have to fight for it. You have to fight in order to reach your goals. If you don’t fight for what you want, you won’t reach it. And when I say fight, I don’t mean fight with punches, and hurting other people. I mean working hard for what you want.
Jimmy Vasquez, Hollywood HS

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Can guys and girls be just friends?

After reading “Friendship is enough” I clearly saw that it’s possible for a guy and a girl to be just friends. I think that everybody should stop staying behind invisible boundaries of boys versus girls. They should mingle more and then we can see a point of view other than our own.
Christian Leyva, Wilson MS

I prefer hanging out with guys because girls are too much drama and they make a big deal about everything. I also feel more comfortable hanging out with guys because what Tiffany said (“Around most girls I have to be more careful about their feelings”) is true. With guys everything is more fun and they are fun to joke around with.
Kim Cherisse Cruz, Hollywood HS

I have asked myself the same thing over and over again. “Why couldn’t a guy and a girl just be friends?” I also have more things in common with guys than girls for pretty much the same reasons. I can always be myself and laugh and be happy not worrying about my image. My guy friends are reliable and make me feel welcomed all the time.

Every time I am walking with one of my guy friends, someone immediately thinks we are dating. I always smile and say we are nothing but great friends. I think girls are not as strong when it comes to personal image. Guys on the other hand accept who they are. I think it is what I love the most about our friendship. Thank you for being someone I can relate to.
Vanessa Huerta, Hollywood HS

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Schools should keep their fine arts programs

I was able to connect with the article “Don’t cut what I care about” because I was also in a music program when I was in middle school. Being in orchestra taught me how to be responsible and dedicated. I would stay after school and practice and would also practice my violin at home. When I graduated eighth grade, I found out that my high school would no longer have a band because of budget cuts. This was unfortunate because I enjoyed playing with other people. I hope some day schools will stop cutting back on performing arts programs.
Jose Cruz, Hollywood HS

The article “Don’t cut what I care about” was really informative. It made me realize that budget cuts don’t just affect whether our science books are new and the number of textbooks we have in English. I don’t care about having to be extra careful with science equipment because it’s ages old or having to share history books because half of them are torn up. But the arts? Choir, music, drama? I care if my friends have their plays cancelled because budget cuts wouldn’t let them buy props and costumes. This article made me care.
Lauren Alparaz, Wilson MS

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Homework without distractions is hard

I liked the article “Too much temptation” because I also have a problem with homework sometimes. I listen to music while working, which can be a distraction. I loved the article so much that I am going to tell my family and friends about it. I was thinking about doing the same challenge. I think the whole idea is responsibility, knowing that even if your homework is boring, be responsible.
Dominique Robinson, Hollywood HS

When I get home I always get distracted by something. It will make me say “I’ll do homework later.” Luckily, despite getting distracted sometimes, I know how to balance homework and time to have fun. People might say balancing is hard, but in the end it is worth it.
Kevin Flores, Hollywood HS

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A girl walked to help find a cure for AIDS

It’s nice to see young generations make a change towards important and critical causes. I joined my school’s involvement in the AIDS walk this year as a freshman. Getting there and seeing thousands of people made me feel a part of something bigger. I carried our sign throughout the 6.2 miles and it was definitely rough after adding the heat into the equation. It was the most rewarding feeling seeing everyone come together and cross the finish line. I am anxious to participate in the next few walks and promote the cause to a wider audience.
Monica Martinez, Hollywood HS

I started taking ballet when I was 3 years old. Every year my ballet studio put on a performance of The Nutcracker during Christmas time. The choreography was so much fun because we were characters. When I was a soldier we marched with candy cane “guns.” After every performance my grandma would give me roses from her garden that filled our house with the smell of flowers.

Eighth grade was a good ballet year. Although classes were four times a week, they were only an hour long. That year I began going on pointe. Pointe is when you go all the way up on your toes wearing pointe shoes. It was strange standing  on my toes for the first time. We all had fun looking in the mirror and seeing how pretty being in the shoes made us look. It didn’t hurt that day because we did simple exercises like lifting up and down. Going on pointe made me feel like I had grown as a dancer. Dancing was now a bigger part of my life. I began to take it more seriously and I was able to do more moves, like turning on pointe.

In high school I had more homework and ballet classes got harder because we were on pointe for the whole class. But I never seriously thought about quitting ballet. How could I leave my friends? How would I get exercise? What would I do every day after school? 

So many times I wished I could skip class

In 10th grade classes were an hour and a half long. Monday and Wednesday pointe class started at 5:15 p.m. I came home from school around 3:30 p.m. and would get myself a snack. After that I would lie down, maybe watch TV, and just relax until I had to start getting ready. I’d lie on my couch and look at the time on my phone, thinking, “OK, I have four minutes left. If I get up in four minutes I’ll be good.” Sometimes I’d think, “Why am I still doing this? I wish I could just stay home.” When it’s hot I hate the thought of putting on tights. But when those minutes were up I dragged myself off the couch and slowly began the routine I knew so well. I was usually in a rush to get out the door, running around grabbing everything I needed, making sure my mom knew it was time for me to go. 

I’d get back home at 7 p.m. and have dinner right away. Then I started my homework and I went to sleep around midnight. I had history tests every week and would sometimes stay up until 1:30 a.m. studying for them. I would think, “Oh man if I didn’t go to ballet I could have started studying right when I got home and could have gone to bed by 11:30 p.m.” Sometimes if I had too much homework, I’d tell my mom and she would let me skip class. 

My friends think it’s cool that I do ballet and love to watch me perform. But it’s annoying when we have to schedule our plans around ballet. I have class Friday nights so I always say, “I can’t do Friday but Saturday is good.” It’s the worst when I’m not in charge of the plans so I have to miss out but there is nothing I can do. Once I had to miss the first two hours of my best friend’s birthday party because I had Nutcracker rehearsal.

However, any negative thoughts about ballet drift away when I get to class. A typical ballet class begins with about 30 minutes of warming up on the barre (the ballet term for the bar). Then we come to the center. We do combinations from the corner going across the room, from the back of the room coming forward, and in lines. We usually end with big leaps across the floor. 

Ballet soothes me. One time I was really mad at my mom before class and in a bad mood. I didn’t want to go to class but I forced myself to go because I knew I would feel guilty if I didn’t. My mom and I were arguing in the car the whole way over. After I slammed the car door shut I walked into class and found a spot at the barre. The second our pianist started playing slow classical music and we began pliets, an exercise where you bend your knees while keeping your back straight, I felt calm. No one in the class knew how upset I was. I thought, “I’m going to leave that all behind and have a good class.” Afterward I felt so much better and I wasn’t even mad at my mom anymore.

Performances are still amazing too. I love being backstage. The energy is so high and fast paced. As soon as I hear the music for my dance I know to get ready to run on. When I’m on stage with the lights shining on me, I become a whole new person. All of my hard work seems worth it when I’m up there dancing. I have to remember the choreography and watch the other girls so that we are all together with the music. When we are done with our part we run off stage and wait in the wings for the curtain call. 

This year I’m dancing five days a week. It’s intense but I don’t see myself stopping. When I get something right or do something I couldn’t do the day before it feels incredible. Ballet makes me feel refreshed and calm and like I can do anything. I need dance in my life.

Even though there are more than 100 band and choir students at my school, my district’s music coordinator told me that nearly every year music programs are threatened with budget cuts. In 2008, the district proposed to cut music programs from all schools. Because they can’t cut English or science classes, the school board considers cutting programs like band or choir. My band director told me that the band gets only $3,000 to $4,000 a year to spend on sheet music, supplies and instrument repairs. That money cannot be used for competition fees. We fundraise for those. I know that it’s tough for schools to find money because of the economy but the performing arts are important enough that they should be available for all students.

Going into freshman year I joined my high school’s color guard because I thought it would be fun learning to toss a flag and meet new people. At first it was easy, but a couple months later we were taught the single-and-a-half toss. That’s when you toss your flag so that it spins one-and-a-half times in the air and catch the pole straight up and down with the flag at the top. Sometimes I dropped it, other times rather than toss my flag straight up it went to one side. After an hour I was the only one who couldn’t do it.

Our instructor, Angie, singled me out to keep practicing while everyone else got to relax. I felt ashamed as my teammates watched me fail so many times I lost count. Eventually I got so tired of tossing that I didn’t care about doing it right.

“Are you giving up on me?” Angie asked.

“Yes, I am,” I snapped at her. She sent me inside the band room where I was allowed to cry out my frustrations. Then Angie came in and said, “You are a perfectionist.” She told me never to give up. She left me alone and I realized Angie was right—by giving up, I was also giving up on the team and myself. I kept practicing and by the next practice I had mastered the toss.

Heidi practices with the color guard for an upcoming competition. Photo by Amy Fan, 17, Temple City HS

I realized that color guard could teach me lessons about life. There were moments when I was going to fail, but the best thing I could do was learn from my mistakes.

I also learned to manage my time. From August to December during marching season, I practiced at least 18 hours a week and sometimes we had six-hour practices on Saturdays. I learned to do as much studying and homework as I could during breaks in the school day, because I knew that I wouldn’t have the energy to do it after a weeknight rehearsal.

I learned about teamwork

In band, we were taught that even though we each had our own job to do in the show, it would take all of us working together to make the show great. One time this freshman couldn’t get to his spot on time no matter how many times we practiced. The entire band and color guard had to hold a push-up position until he could. As my arms started to hurt while in push-up position, I remembered when I couldn’t toss a single and a half with my flag. Just like Angie was patient with me, I knew we had to be patient with this freshman because the marching band is a team. He got it 20 minutes later.

I couldn’t hate that freshman or the people who made us do push-ups, bearcrawls and laps for leaving their stuff on the field after practice because I loved the people in marching band. Band was the first group in school where I felt completely accepted. My band and color guard friends liked me even though I sang Broadway show tunes in the band room and I got way too excited about Harry Potter.

Some of my fellow music geeks practically live in the band room or the choir room because they don’t want to deal with problems at home. One girl in color guard said to me, “I’m not gonna lie, if it wasn’t for this I’d be hanging with the cholos and watching them gang bang.”

That’s why I’m worried that someday the school board could finally decide to cut music programs. I know that it’s not their fault that money is hard to come by. As unpopular as it sounds, I think that raising taxes could be a way to make sure that music wouldn’t get cut from schools.

As I look back on how important music has been for me, all I can think of is a school board meeting a couple years ago. An art student kept asking the school board to find another way to save money other than cutting fine arts programs. The packed room of students, teachers and parents clapped their approval. Music education changed my life and the lives of many people I know; I can’t imagine what our lives would be like without it.