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Letters to the editor (March – April 2005)

A teenage boy remembers his father


The article "Remembering Dad," by Larry Zamel, is a sad story. I can relate to it because one of my family members also died. When I heard that my uncle got hit by a car, I froze. Questions just started popping inside my head. The whole world started spinning. I thought of things like, why didn’t I spend more time with him? And why didn’t anyone listen to him when he had an opinion? He was barely going to turn 18 when he died on Nov. 15, 2002. He was funny like Larry’s dad. He was also a good listener and would play with me when no one else would. I remember that I would go visit him every weekend to keep him company. When he died a light inside me burned out, but over the months I got over it.
–Jorge Hernandez, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy (Los Angeles)

Thanks for creating this newspaper, you guys make us learn from other teens’ experiences. When I read the article "Remembering Dad" by Larry Zamel I wondered what would happen to me if my mom or dad died. It would be horrible. Maybe I would go crazy. I can’t even tell how important they are to me. I also learned that when someone that we love dies, all we can do is accept it and keep on living our lives (always remembering that person of course). Larry has been a very brave guy because he has been able to write an article for a newspaper about such a painful event in his life. I’d like to congratulate him for sharing his story with all of us and I encourage him to keep on remembering his dad as the happy and cool guy he was.
–Melissa Vega, Banning HS (Los Angeles)



She took her dad to a Rancid concert


Karina must have been really brave to ask her dad to go see Rancid at the Wiltern. Now that’s cool. Karina wanted her dad to see that punk rock is not all crazy and evil. In fact it’s just music that every kid enjoys. I enjoy listening to oi, punk and ska and my dad doesn’t. As long as I go to school and get my education, he’s cool with it. One day I might ask him to go with me to go see my favorite band, Cheap Sex. I think he might enjoy it. Anyways, remember to have a positive attitude and enjoy life to the fullest.
–Your buddy, Angel Mateo, Los Angeles HS
See ya in the pit

I found this article very interesting. A lot of parents think that rock music is for crazy people and that it has a bad influence. My parents think that, too, but they actually don’t know what the songs really mean. They just think that all rock music talks about the devil. We just need to teach them the true meaning of rock. For me, rock music is something that inspires me. Each song tells a story or it tells you to never give up. For example, Sum 41 talks about many issues that are going on around the world and that we don’t do anything to change. Also, their songs tell how they went through a lot of difficult situations without giving up. So I think that Karina made a really good decision by taking her dad to the Rancid concert so he could learn that rock isn’t that bad. I think all parents should think that way.
–Sheila Lopez, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy



She turned her life around


I found most of the articles interesting, but the one that really caught my attention was "From attitude to gratitude," by A.C. This article reminded me of a time when my cousin had a big attitude.

This article talks about a young girl who had a big attitude, too. She is even disrespectful to her mother. This all started when her father left the house and wasn’t there for them anymore. A.C. did so many things that actually hurt her mother. This really affected her education.

My cousin used to be just like this or even worse. One thing she did was to leave her house at 1 or 2 in the morning, while her mom and sisters were sleeping and her dad was working. Once or twice she was caught. She did so many bad things when she was only 14 years old. She was also failing all her classes. She did most of the things the girl in the article did. After a year, I told her parents everything she had done, because I couldn’t keep it a secret anymore. Then they decided to send her away because they were so disappointed that they didn’t even want to see her. She was there for a year and by the end of the year she said that she has missed her mom and that she was willing to change. She also wanted to go back with her family.

After I read this story I decided to give her a call and tell her about it. She told me that the story brought her bad memories. But she also told me that it was good that A.C. shared her experiences, which is hard to do.
–Katelyn Castro, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy



Teens with unique fashions


I really liked the article and photos about "My own sense of style." I agree with the teenagers who dressed like they wanted. It was as if they didn’t care what others might think of them. I think style is very important, especially to teenagers. We are finding out who we want to be and we are at a point in our lives when big changes occur. We are trying to figure out what style fits our personalities most. There are the ones who dress like professionals, punks or rockers, the 80s or 90s styles and lots more.

I think most parents don’t get it, but teenagers, we understand each other pretty well. My advice to parents: "It’s a new generation! Back off a little and give your kids freedom! Just be there when they need you, not every second of their lives!" Lastly, I just want to mention that it might be a good idea to visit thrift stores to save money if you want the Bartolini twins’ style.
–Khristine Arrieta, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy



The legacy of Magic Johnson


I liked the article about Magic Johnson and how he was honored. He taught me to believe in myself and never to give up. He was poor and he raised himself to the top. Magic has done it all from five world championships to defeating his rival Larry Bird and even becoming Most Valuable Player and an all-star. Now Johnson is a successful businessman who’s making lots of money.
Even though Johnson has been living with HIV that hasn’t stopped him. He has helped many organizations to help try and stop the spread of the virus and to try and find a cure. I have learned that anyone who puts their mind to it has the capability to accomplish anything.
–Gensi Molina, Camino Nuevo Charter Academy