A Latino boy felt unwelcome in America

The article “Do I belong here?” put a picture in my head of how bad racism still is today. I thought it was an inspiring story because Miguel was able to overcome the stereotypes. He didn’t care what others thought of a Latino’s future and started to gain confidence in himself. I’m happy he doesn’t care about stereotypes anymore and is happy to be himself.
Andrew Costley, Manhattan Beach MS

The article “Do I belong here?” really spoke to me. I know how it feels to be discriminated against and it sucks a lot. Just because I’m Asian, people think I should be extraordinarily smart, but other times because I’m Filipino, they call me the “beaner” of Asia. At first I dealt with it by firing back with more cruel words. Then I figured out that that wasn’t the best thing to do because you can’t stop war by starting war. I learned to just deal with it and not care. I figured out it was a lot easier to watch them get frustrated because they couldn’t get me angry.
Angel Ancheta, Wilson MS (Glendale)


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Sharing a bedroom with her messy sister annoyed one girl

I could really connect with “Sharing a room is messed up.” Like Zzzahkia and Zzzzah-Zzaz, I share a room with my sister. Unlike Zzzahkia, I am the messy sibling, and I tend to hide all of my junk in a pile under my bed. I try to keep my clothes neatly organized in my drawers, but that only lasts for about five days. I try to clean all of my stuff, but I always get lazy and leave everything the way it is. When I read this article, I felt sorry for my sister and I decided to try to be organized so my sister could have the clean room she longs for.
Esther Kim, Wilson MS

I could really connect to “Sharing a room is messed up.” My brother is two years younger than me and we share a room. He is also really messy and I clean up after him. I think that if you are organized, then you will be successful. My brother doesn’t care. It is always his items and clothes all over the room and under his bed. I hope that someday he will learn from me and keep our room clean and organized.
Robert Stepanyan, Wilson MS


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A girl was terrible at flirting

I really liked Jazmine’s story “How (not) to get the guy.” It shows how girls think. They always use body language or other hints that guys don’t get. Guys just say things out loud. That is why men are considered more hostile, since they aren’t subtle about communicating. If a girl wants another girl to stop a hostile behavior, she gives a stern look. On the other hand, a guy would yell out threats. Just a note to girls: talk. Body language and giggling doesn’t work.
Henry Dilanyan, Wilson MS

I once tried hard to get the guy. I agree with Jazmine that it doesn’t always have to be the guy making the first move. Yeah it may be awkward, but you never know what they’ll say. And sometimes if a girl asks a guy out it can mean that they have confidence in themselves. From reading this article, I learned that the guys don’t ALWAYS have to make the first move. Girls have the choice to make the first move too.
Nathalie Gonzalez, Wilson MS


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Giving up meat and animal products wasn’t too hard

I really liked the article “No meat, no problem.” Your article made me understand that trying something you’re not ready for does not always turn out bad. There could be a good side to it. I am not planning to become a vegan like the writer but maybe a vegetarian. If I had not read your article, I would have never considered changing anything. Thank you for inspiring me and many other students around L.A.!
Tigran Danielyan, Wilson MS


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You can find stylish bargains at thrift stores

I loved the article “Cheap and chic.” By shopping at thrift stores, you can save a ton of money. Before reading this article, I thought that shopping at thrift stores was embarrassing and that the clothes are old and ripped. After reading this article, I realized that I was being foolish and that thrift store shopping is a great way to afford nice clothes that are overpriced at other stores.
Camilia Rowshan, Manhattan Beach MS

I really connected with the article “Cheap and chic.” Growing up with rich friends hasn’t been easy. I’m used to seeing people wearing clothes from famous stores but there are also people who cannot afford them. But now I own fabulous clothes and jewelry and I get my clothes for 10 times less than wealthier people do. Sometimes we do end up wearing the same things but with different prices.
Anyana Avedian, Wilson MS


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Don’t use test scores to grade teachers

I found the article “Grading teachers” very smart. I think that students should be a part of a teacher’s evaluation because the work of the students reflects the work of the teachers. If some students fall asleep during class, it may be because the students are tired but other times they fall asleep because the things they are learning are not interesting, and I think this article definitely describes that.
Parnia Mazhar, Manhattan Beach MS