4 1

The Battle of the Bands

By Bridget Ashvil

Of all of the big and shiny

jewels in the world, musical
instruments are by far the
greatest; especially when one
can play them well, as the
LaGuardia Symphonic and Jazz
Bands demonstrated to many
friends and family on November
fourth. In the small, intimate
Little Flower Theater, you felt
fully immersed in the music that
our very own LaGuardia
instrumental majors had worked
on for a short two months of
school. The Symphonic Band,
conducted by Dr.Titone, began
the show with some very
rhythmically and melodically
challenging pieces. (continued
on next page)

composition with some

darker undertones that
highlighted different sections of
 Life at LaGuardia
(Continued from front page) They started with
“Chester Overture for Saxophone Ensemble and
Band”; a very powerful composition with some darker
undertones that highlighted different sections of the
band, as well featuring a complicated, almost sporadic
rhythm that was very well executed. The band overall
had great support, which led to a dramatic crescendo
at the end of this first song, creating a full and
compelling resonance. Throughout the next two
songs, the symphonic band had great support, control,
and a nice, unified sound. The last song that they
performed was very different dynamically and tonally,
as it was a very fast-paced song that instantly captured
your attention. “Slava!(Glory)” was a lighthearted
celebration of friendship, indulging in a triumphant
brass sound that suggested many a marching band has
played it in the past. From the small laughs and half
smiles from the band, I could tell that they enjoyed
playing this piece. Ending their performance by
shouting “Slava” put a smile on everyone's face, as the
band slowly left the stage for the next group.
The Jazz band filed on to the stage with lots of
energy and a very intimate dynamic. The director, Mr.
Blancq had selected very sophisticated pieces, and
taught his students very well because he did little else
on stage but start them off, as the band seemed to
know from the start to end what they were doing. I
was stunned at the ease at which the musicians played,
with wonderful energy throughout their entire
performance. The most special part of this band was
that they were very much a family, playing together as
if it were any other day. The soloists, and there were
many, were all very skilled, and were cheered on by
the audience of friends and family. The second to last
song, “Born to be Blue,” featured the vocalist,
Korinne Arenas. She was quite a vision in white and
her voice was very soft and sweet; however, I could
not hear her very well and was disgruntled that she
did not have a better microphone for her solo. After
this, the band played their last song, by far my favorite
of the selections, and did an amazing job. Entitled
“Discommotion,” it took after this idea with a loose
structure, quick tempo, and a lively energy. An almost
chaotic sound was created, utilizing the many staccato
and stressed notes in the phrases, as well as implying a
build, even when there were no markings in the music.
The soloists seemed to have the most fun with this
piece and engaged with the audience more. The Jazz
Band ended the night with energy and excitement,
proving once again the professionalism of LaGuardia's
arts programs.
The concert was a major success in my eyes
and I really enjoyed seeing another studio perform and
grow throughout their time at our school. Many
students may feel cheated of their arts programs, but
seeing a performance like this helps you realize that
making the best of our situation here and working our
hardest can lead to great things. If you weren't able to
see the Symphonic and Jazz Bands perform, the
annual musical this year is “Les Miserables,” which I
will also be reviewing. Come watch your friends do
amazing things and support our great school so that
future students may do the same.
Stay in or Walk
Out?
By Olivia Lake
On Tuesday, November 15th, there was a
city-wide “walkout” that students and workers in
New York City could participate in. Some schools
participated and some did not participate at all. A
small number of students from our school decided to
go to the walkout. It was an act of nonviolent civil
disobedience protesting the recent election of
President Elect Donald J. Trump. About 500 students
from all over the city left school to march and to
oppose the ideals of the newly elected
administration.
It began at the 59th street Trump Hotel and
ended at the West 4th Park. The protesters walked
down 5th avenue in the street, not the sidewalk.
Chants included, “Show me what democracy looks
like, this is what democracy looks like!”, “My body
my choice!” and “The students united will never be
divided!”.
A student from our school who participated in the
walkout says “[the protest] felt amazing to be a part
of. It was weirdly empowering, especially in the
rain.” Our generation has not lived through a lot of
unrest that directly affected us. Now we are all living
through an election that has divided all Americans
based on their views. For many kids, these protests
are the first that they have ever witnessed and they
are getting a taste of what it feels like to have a voice
in extremely big issues. It does not matter what you
believe in, what matters is what you do to stand by
those beliefs. Non-violent civil disobedience was a
hallmark of political activism in the 1960s. Then, and
now, New Yorkers raised their voices to protest the
denial and infringement of people’s civil
liberties. At this time of disquiet it is no surprise that
our students, mindful of the past, would take up the
fight for the future.
Freshmen Attitudes
Toward Recycling
By Curtis Kline
Looking back, 2016 has been a bad year for
many reasons. Many famous celebrities died; our
political system is more divided and tense; Vine has
shut down. However, these pressing issues take the
focus off of something a little more important: the
future of our planet. Archeological evidence shows that
since the dawn of civilization, there have been waste
products. Historically, getting rid of this waste always
seemed pretty simple: one would throw it into a hole
and forget about it. Today, however, we know that
landfills are not a permanent solution. We know that
burning trash is bad for our air. We know the “reduce,
reuse, recycle” jingle and how taking that advice can
prevent us from wasting. We could assume that
because of our knowledge our trash problem would be
solved by now, right? Wrong.
According to NBC News, on average, each of
the 50.4 million students in America generates between
45-80 pounds of trash a year just in disposable lunches.
That means every year a student throws out something
equivalent in mass to a dishwasher just in whatever is
left over after lunch. On top of that, about half of all the
waste Americans produce can be recycled. Shocked by
this, I decided to survey a number of freshmen at
LaGuardia (of which I am one), recording what their
thoughts were on how much waste we produce and
what we do with it.
1. General awareness of waste issues at
LaGuardia.
Most of those interviewed said they see the heaps of
trash sitting outside the school in the mornings. Of that
group, all said that we were producing too much.
Despite noticing this daily, about 40% of them said that
they would not describe themselves as
“environmentally friendly” during their school day. In
this context, “environmentally friendly” would mean
doing what one knows is right for the environment.
2. Thoughts on multiple bins for trash and
recycling.
Next, I asked if they thought the multiple bins for trash
(green, blue, orange, black) were useful in reminding
kids to recycle. Of those interviewed, 50% said yes and
50% said no. Many thought that the bins force students
to think before they act. Many also said that kids just
throw things in the wrong bins anyway so there is no
point in having them. One student admitted to throwing
a chewed up piece of gum in the paper waste basket;
another confessed to throwing a sandwich in the paper
waste basket.
 Our World
3. A LaGuardia success: reusable water
bottles.
According to a 2015 study by CreditDonkey, 1,500
bottles of water are consumed every second. This
makes plastic bottles one of the largest solid
pollutants. So as a final question, I asked the
surveyed students if they used reusable bottles. To
my surprise, 90% of those interviewed said they use
reusable water bottles.
One can conclude from this non-scientific survey that
schools can do more to make recycling a regular part
of the school experience and not something kids don't
care about. The fact that in our school a considerable
number of the students interviewed said they could be
doing more to help our planet shows that the system
we have needs to be changed. This may be easier said
than done, but there are some easy ways to get
started. For example, our school could start by raising
awareness of these problems and showing us how our
individual choices matter, as suggested by
LaGuardia’s Environmental Sustainability Club. In
addition, we could perhaps have incentives such as
prizes for small competitions to improve recycling
results. By raising awareness this way, recycling can
be made into a social normality. Clearly, there are
things we as a school can do to make our community
cleaner. It may not be the thing you want to think
about now, but at the rate we’re going, we will be
forced to deal with it soon.
The Results of the
Election
By Amalia Tempel
On November 8th around 5:01am eastern
time the republican candidate Donald Trump was
announced the winner of the presidential election
with 290 electoral votes over Hillary's 232 votes.
Many people are shocked by this outcome. Personally I
think this outcome shows a lot about our nation. It is so
appalling to see that America known as "the land of the
free" would vote for a racist, sexist, homophobic bigot,
who has been recorded on tape making crude remarks
about women claiming it's just "locker room talk", and
the fact that people are okay with that.
Donald Trump has especially made racist
remarks about illegal Mexican immigrants. Trump has
said: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not
sending their best. They're not sending you. They're
sending people who have a lot of problems, and they're
bringing those problems with us. They're bringing
drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists." These
are the harsh words used by Donald Trump in his
Presidential announcement speech, on June 16, 2015.
There is no evidence that immigrants commit more
crimes then native born Americans, so to blatantly say
these stereotypical racist comments is completely
unacceptable. The fact that Americans agree with this
shows how true our country is to this motto, even
though it is supposed to be known for accepting
everyone despite their religion, race, gender and etc..
Many Americans are terrified of what he will
do with this country. Protests have broke out in many
cities across America such as Miami, Atlanta,
Philadelphia, San Francesco, Portland, and our home
New York City. Many American, especially the
protesters, are outraged with the results of this election.
They have signs that say: "Not my President" and
"Build a wall around Trump", referring to the wall that
Donald Trump says he wants to build at the southern
American border (and make Mexico pay for it). Even
people in our school have come together and joined the
protestors at the Trump Towers.
 The Media’s
Infuence
By Maggie Feldman
This year’s presidential election has undergone
a transition unlike any other presidential race in
political history, that being the influence of media.
While past elections have raised the question of
whether or not to use the media as a campaign
strategy, the popularity of platforms such Twitter and
Facebook can surely be considered a major
determining factor in this year’s presidential race.
According to a survey of 3,760 U.S. adults by the Pew
Research Center, within one week, 91% of people
found their news from at least 1 of the 11 different
sources asked about; the top few being cable TV,
social media, local TV, and news websites. This
survey is just one of many justifications of how
influential these media sources are for everyday
citizens and voters.
Today, the question is not whether to use media
at all, but rather who can use it most strategically.
Though this may sound like a great way for millions of
Americans to get politically involved and to have
direct access to information within seconds, the
process is unfortunately not as simple as it may appear.
Because anyone can post on social media, extremely
unreliable information is constantly circulating
throughout the web, providing people with completely
false information. What is most unsettling about this
situation is it that the false facts have been
intentionally publicized by the candidates themselves
in efforts to win. If a candidate’s campaign is based off
of purposefully misinforming the American people,
can this be considered a true democracy? If millions of
people voted based on false facts, can that be
considered an accurate representation of America’s
beliefs? I say not, and this is the reason why the
presence of media has betrayed the American people
and this election.
In researching how a situation like this could
be possible, the first amendment says that,
“Congress shall make no law… abridging the
freedom of speech or of the press…” This made me
wonder --- if someone makes a factual statement
proven wrong by evidence-based research, should
their statement be protected under the first
amendment? Or if someone completely misquotes
another candidate to a crowd of thousands (therefore
lying to them), should that be protected as well? I am
sure our founding fathers did not intend this
amendment for powerful officials to intentionally lie
to millions of American people. In thinking about
this, a documentary I recently watched came to
mind. It was called, “Why the poorest county in
West Virginia has faith in Trump.” The people living
in this county have barely any food, very little
money, and little to no education at all. They come
from families of coal miners and that is how they
make what little money they have. The documentary
shows a pro-Trump ad that was aired in the county
with Clinton saying, “I’m going to put a lot of coal
mines and the coal miners out of business.” What the
ad failed to include was Clinton also saying that she
had a plan to replace those jobs with those of clean
energy sources, taking her words completely out of
context. Watching this was not as angering as it was
sad, because all these people heard was that Clinton
was going to take away their jobs and that Trump
was going to make America great again, so of course
they voted for Trump. The people of this county and
many others around the country were misinformed
on topics beyond just this. All Americans have the
right to know all of the facts before making their
opinions of who they think is best fit for the job of
President of the United States.
The question now is not how can we reverse
what has already been done, but rather how we can
move forward in an educated way? I believe that
knowing how to determine a reliable source from an
unreliable source is extremely important in
educating yourself reliably. Reliable sources are
often unbiased and include a lot of evidence like
statistics and data. With media only becoming more
and more present in our society, it’s up to us, the
rising generation, to educate ourselves reliably and
to exercise our right to the freedom of speech and
press in the way that it was intended.

School Funding
Frozen!
By Zoë Tremitiere
In 2006, New york state’s Court of Appeals
decided that the state was violating Act XI of the New
York State constitution by failing to provide public
schools with sufficient funding, the legislature was
ordered to make funding reforms, which included a $5
billion increase in operating aid to New York City
schools and an additional $4 billion to state schools.
The additional funding was meant to be phased in over
four years, beginning in 2007. In addition to funding
reforms, the foundation aid formula was created, to
distribute funding fairly with regards to the needs of
individual students, and to prioritize low-income, high
needs school districts.
During the first two years of the proposed four
year phase in period, funding was increased
significantly. During the last two years however,
funding was frozen, and the completion date for the
phase-in of funding was pushed back three years.
Between 2010 and 2011, funding was not only delayed
again, but also cut by approximately $740 million.
State schools are now still owed $3.9 billion in
foundation aid, which accounts for 70% of money
given to schools by the state most years, and despite
the foundation aid formula having been designed to
provide funding based on need, “funding owed per
pupil is 2.3 times greater in high need districts than in
wealthy districts.”(Billions Behind, 1)
In response to the funding gap, the small cities
case (Maisto v. State of New York) was brought to
court by parents of children in eight small city school
districts, all of which “have low property wealth,
higher than average local tax rates, significant family
poverty and high student need” (Maisto (“Small
Cities”) Overview). The Maisto districts aimed to
obtain a court order which stated that they the state
was violating their constitutionally mandated right to a
basic education, under article XI, section 1 of the New
York State constitution, they also hoped that state
would provide funding based on the Foundation Aid
formula of 2007, without the budget cuts implemented
in 2009-2010. The Maisto districts had 21 witnesses
who presented evidence of budget cuts resulting in
inadequate student performance, the state only had 14.
The court acknowledges that academic standards are
not being met in the Maisto districts, but rejects their
funding claim on account of Foundation Aid not being
the constitutional minimum, and so the state is not
required by the constitution to follow it. The court has
not proposed a solution to the problem––which they
conceded to–– of student performance in Maisto
districts being inadequate, yet rejects the solution
presented by the plaintiffs.
Maisto district parents filed a notice of appeal
on October 5 this year and continue to push for the
funding they need, but until the state complies,
improvements to schools can’t be made, and students’
educations continue to be put at risk. It’s upsetting that
the state doesn’t care enough about its students to offer
them more than the bare minimum––which they aren’t
actually providing some schools with,––especially to
students in schools districts that have been failing for
decades, where families can’t afford to provide their
children with outside instruction. It’s also not only the
eight Maisto districts that have been struggling since
budget cuts and freezes were enacted, schools across
the state have been struggling to provide basic tools for
their students, a basic education (as ruled by the ny
state court of appeals) requires that schools have
adequate number of teachers, up to date curricula,
extra services for struggling students, adequate
resources for English language learners and students
with disabilities, appropriate class sizes, up to date
supplies, a safe environment, and adequate and
accessible facilities.
The 2014 NYS Council for School
Superintendents’ survey shows that 61% of schools
have experienced increases in class sizes between the
years 2011-2014, 31% of school districts have
experienced reduction in extra help provided to
struggling students in the regular school year between
2011 and 2014, 40% of schools have had to postpone
or reduce purchase of instructional technology at least
once between 2011 and 2014, 21% have had to reduce
or postpone the purchase of textbooks at least once
between 2011 and 2014, and 23% have had to reduce
or postpone purchase of library materials at least once
between 2011 and 2014. Even Laguardia, which offers
much its students more than the majority of New York
State public schools, is owed nearly $6 million.
The market crash in 2008 did force funding
freezes and cuts, and it was in 2009 that the funding
for the financial aid formula was frozen, and cuts to
school budgets were made, however according to neil
Demause and Elizabeth Green of the village voice,
funding wasn’t being used the way it was intended to
be used, funding “trickled out through various
loopholes—$60 million for charter schools, $38
million for "experimental" programs—and into other
pots of money the school system was free to spend
however it wanted.” (The Village Voice), of the
additional $700 million promised, schools used $228
million to pay for improvements in teacher quality, the
length of school days, smaller class sizes, restructured
middle and high schools, full day pre-k and
kindergarten, and programs for non-native english
speaking students. Governor Eliot Spitzer, who was
governor from 2006 to 2008, had made it a mandate
for school districts to use the extra funding to improve
one of those six categories. Green and Demause also
wrote that there had been reports of the $228 million
left to be spent on one of the six previously mentioned
categories being used inappropriately, and there being
“insufficient oversight over how the money was
actually being spent”. Apparently principals were
required only to report how they intended to spend the
additional money, and not how it was actually being
spent. This may be why Chancellor Farina, elected in
January of 2014, intends to give more power to
superintendents and less to school principals.
While it’s good that the Chancellor is making
plans to improve the way schools are run,
organizational changes and new distributions of power
and authority can’t provide schools with adequate
resources and facilities. Schools are owed billions of
dollars, and the government officials who should be
supporting students and advocating for their
educations are disregarding them instead. Governor
Cuomo declined to meet with The Alliance for Quality
Education when they walked 150 miles from NYC to
Albany, and schools are being denied the extra funding
they need to function by the state because it’s not the
minimum required by the constitution. What the
constitution does require under Article I is for there not
to be discrimination in civil rights, yet according to a
2015 article in The Atlantic, 96 percent of black
students and 95 percent of latino students in New York
City attend majority low-income schools. And those
low-income schools haven’t been receiving the
funding they need to provide students with the same
quality of education that students in wealthier school
districts have been receiving. Funding cuts and freezes
have been hurting school districts with low-income tax
the most, but even Laguardia, which seems to be be
functioning fine, is owed nearly $6 million. The state’s
unwillingness to provide enough money to public
schools affects every public school student––even if
only slightly, however so very few know about the
lengths that have been taken in order to get public
schools––and public school students the money they’re
owed. The marches, and rallies and lawsuits have gone
unnoticed by too many public school students and
families. Either because somehow these efforts haven’t
been in the media enough or because the funding
freezes just haven’t been affecting individual students
at larger schools such as Laguardia for parents and
students to feel the need to know about the measures
being taken to get schools the funding they were
promised in 2007.
Body Image Today
By Anja Tempel
In today's society many people see a certain
standard of beauty for women. Which includes hair,
makeup, fashion...etc, however the biggest picture of
beauty is body image. Today so many women feel
pressured to fit into this "ideal body shape". So how
did this image come about? What has happened as a
result? How can we break this image?
Over the years with the increase in technology
and the popularity of celebrities, people today are
exposed to the trends, fashions, and actions of these
celebrities, which influence our day to day lives.
Since we value celebrities so much we aspire to look
like them and act like them, causing an uproar in
society. We see social media promoting all these
different things on how to lose weight or get the
 Health
"Kylie look" for example. This make us feel like we have
to be this way, when we truly don't. People think that if
you don't look a certain way, you're not good enough or
beautiful enough. However we shouldn't let the pressures
of modern society affect us. Technology is meant to
make our lives easier, it's not meant to tear us down.
It has been reported that by the age 6 girls start to
express concerns about their own weight, and 4o%-6o%
of elementary school girls are worried that they will
become "fat". Think about it one of those girls could be
you sister, cousin, or niece, and imagine a little girl
worried about her body, instead of playing outside, or
eating ice cream. Also the concerns of body image can
result to eating disorders, depression, and suicide. Would
you want to be one of these people in that state?
It’s very significant in the present day world that
people need to be educated on beauty, so they learn
everyone is beautiful just the way they are. Without
everyone's differences we wouldn't be the world we are
today. You don't need to change yourself based on what
other people think is "right". If we as people recognize
this we can improve the way our society thinks, because
what makes you different makes you beautiful.
The Fight Against
Lung Cancer
By Sonali Govind
Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York City,
recently announced the Cuban-developed lung cancer trial
at Buffalo Roswell Cancer Institute. This revolutionary
trial could be the start of a new form of lung cancer
treatment for many candidates in the United States.
Cuba, Havana has been working on a drug
called Cimavax at the Cuba center of Molecular
Immunology for 25 years. It is a cancer vaccine that
helps to prevent the growth of non-small-cell lung
carcinoma, which is currently in its third trial of the
drug. Cuba’s interest in the production of the drug
stems from its rising numbers in lung cancer. It is
now the second leading cause of disease in Cuba.
Over the past years, many cancer patients
have been traveling to Cuba to buy the drug which
is currently illegal to import in other countries. This
drug has not been tested anywhere besides Cuba
preventing doctors in the United States from
allowing it as a method of treatment. Most cancer
patients are deciding to try Cimavax as their last
option.
Zuby Malik, a 78-year-old mother of four
was diagnosed with stage non-small-cell lung
carcinoma. She was told by doctors that her
treatment options were running out. This is when
she decided to try the new vaccine in Cuba.
“At first, I was a little nervous,” said Ms.
Malik, sitting in her Northern California living
room flanked by an oxygen tank and a table of
medicines. “But American treatments were not
helping me, and I decided I should go to Cuba.
What other choice did I have?”
The Cimavax vaccine purpose is to produce
antibodies against the epidermal growth factor,
which causes cancer to spread. In many cases, the
vaccine will not prevent cancer or even cure it but
may stop it from spreading. Patients will only need
one shot per month on the shoulder.
According to Roswell Park Cancer institute,
the drug is not designed for younger children but
has a significant impact on adults over the age of
60. Survivors who had taken Cimavax had lived
almost 10 months longer than those who had not.
The drug is now being tested in many
countries including Japan and Europe, which will
test about 5000 patients. The trials are long and
 Our Voice
expensive but the actual cost of Cimavax will be
inexpensive.
"If you use it in prevention, you can impact
hundreds of thousands if not millions of people in North
America and hundreds of millions worldwide," said Dr.
Kelvin Lee of Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
"So I think if we can show that it can reduce your risk of
getting lung cancer, which would have an enormous
public health benefit."
Words From A Master
of ACT Procrasination
By David Lepelstat
As I entered Junior year I carried a
multitudinous amount of fears with me, hearing
horrible tales about the stresses that this time in high
school can bring. Among the highest of my fears were
the ACT/SAT exams that are used for college
acceptance. Now I knew standardized testing had
never been my cup of herbal tea, so I decided I would
get a head start with the studying. During the summer,
I took this quick little survey online to determine
which test matched a “student like me” (it was as
bootleg as they come) and I was steered toward the
ACT. Immediately I went online to find the cheapest
course I could take and found one that was perfectly in
my price range starting right as school began. At this
point I was feeling pretty high and mighty, thinking
that if I took a ten session course I could easily nail a
three and a half hour test, but this was so far from the
case.
In the first session we took a diagnostic exam,
and as I was introduced to this brand new curriculum, I
experienced a total mental shut down. I simply detested
the constant questions meant test your aptness for trick
questions and strategical thinking rather than actual
knowledge of the subject. I would look at these
questions, involving material I knew quite well, and
became so confused by the wording that I would panic
and guess. “This was just a diagnostic”, I told myself,
“I will learn all the tricks and get an amazing score!”,
but as the course continued, I wasn’t experiencing the
kind of improvement I expected. I did all of the
homework, learned all the new concepts, yet I still
couldn’t get used to the speed and style of these ACT
questions. I finished the course with a score I was not
proud of. This takes us to now, my mental state of
constant worrying and neglecting to study for my test
on December 10th.
I should have taken one of the ACT/SAT
combination exams that are offered for free to truly
determine whether you are an ACT or SAT student,
rather than one of those scammy online surveys. I also
should have done research on the exam before I walked
into the course I signed up for. The advice I would give
when it comes to college acceptance standardized
testing is start early but don’t rush. This means give
yourself a lot of time, but don’t rush the process. Take
the time to research and find which test you can tackle
with confidence and efficiency. It is still early for me
in this process but I feel as though I need to completely
start over before I have even taken the test. As soon as
I pick up my ACT book, I feel my fears of not getting
into a college of my liking take over my body, forcing
me to slam my book shut. I wish to get out of this
downward spiral of procrastination and begin to self
motivate. I have to keep reminding myself that this is
simply a test and I can conquer it when I fully put my
mind to it.
How I Handle Major
Assignments
By Jordan Meiland Reviews

Recently, I was given an assignment on Delta Math to

do about 600 or so problems by next Saturday. It sounds
like a lot of work, but I have a few ways of managing
major assignments so that they don't seem too menacing.
Here are a few things I do:

1. Don't ignore the work! Just because something

might not be due the next day doesn't mean you
don't have to do it! Doing a little bit of it now
will make a big difference in the future.

2. Spread it out! Which sounds more desirable:

Doing 50% of the work a day for two days or
doing 10% of the work a day for 10 days? By Alyssa Rodriguez
Obviously 10%. Distributing work evenly helps
First and foremost, Max Barry’s novel,
make the project feel more like a bunch of little
“Lexicon,” is already one of my favorites (but, to be
assignments.
fair, I love every book I have read or else I wouldn’t
have even finished it). It is the 5th novel to be written
3. Remind yourself! If you have a crowded
by Australian author Max Barry. The novel is told
schedule, remembering to do work on your
from the point of view of two characters. At first, the
project can be tough. Writing little reminders
two points of view are entirely separate and each tell
can help you remember to do a portion of the
their own side of the story, but as “Lexicon”
work.
progresses, the two characters lives intertwine.
4. Think positive! Keeping a open mind while
One of them is named Emily Ruff. She starts
working! Encouraging yourself is a good way to
off as a homeless girl who does card tricks in order to
keep a positive mind. Those are just some of the
make money. She is spotted by someone in the
things I do to manage major assignments. I
audience who notices her natural skill of persuasion.
hope that this will help you with future work
The man recruits her for a school for people who are
because it helped me a lot.
similar to her. She soon learns that this school isn’t
Good Luck.
an ordinary school. It teaches people to be poets. But
they aren’t the kind who write. Instead, they have the
skill of cajolery. They have their own language that
can oblige someone to do as they say, or
“compromise” them as they say in the book. At the
school, students learn about people’s minds and the
different types of personalities of people. Poets can
use different words on people based on their
personality, or “segment,” to compromise them.
The other point of view is told from a man
named Wil Parke. His part starts off by jumping into a
scene where Wil has a sort of needle in his eye and
two people are asking him questions and intimidating
him. They think he’s somehow involved in a natural
disaster in Broken Hill, Australia that killed every
person in the town (over 3,000 people). The thing is,
they say it wasn’t a “natural disaster,” that it was
caused by a word. And now they’re trying to find out
how it happened and why Will was the only one to
survive it. I was very confused by it, but I personally
think it was a great way to start the book. It started out
exciting and had me hooked from the first sentence. At
first, Wil has no idea what’s going on or how he’s
connected to the secret lives of poets, but throughout
the novel he starts to understand and remember how
he’s linked to the “poet society.”
First off, even though a lot of the character
types are pretty clichéd, they actually didn’t annoy
me and wormed their way into my heart. It takes
some pretty good writing to pull something like that
off, especially when the audience has seen these
characters recycled over and over and over.
However, the best part were the visual designs. Oh
man, I could go on FOREVER about how
inspirational the trolls and their secret underground
world were. I was absolutely blown away by the
Troll Market, the super vibrant culture, and the
designs for individual trolls (who were extremely
colorful and full of variation). As a visual artist who
relishes fresh, unique and out-of-this-world creature
designs, Trollhunters definitely takes the cake for
ME.
The Bottom Line: If you can just look past
the clichés, you will find yourself emerged in a
vibrant world with charming characters and many
tender moments.
All twenty-six episodes are now streaming on
Netflix.

This book is action-packed and will leave you

guessing for about three-fourths of it. I would highly
recommend “Lexicon” for anyone who likes to read
about science-fiction dystopias and doesn’t enjoy
sleeping.

Trollhunters
By Kaitlyn Quach

Guillermo Del Toro is the guy who’s famous

for making surreal fantasy/horror films with
beautifully vibrant monsters and magic infused within.
Now he’s created a family-friendly animated series
called Trollhunters. I watched the trailer and the
clichés sort of turned me off --- the white male lead
who is suddenly The Chosen One and now has to
juggle saving the world and maintaining a normal
teenage life, his short, chubby best friend who serves
mostly as comic relief, the Cool Girl who’s the love
interest of the Chosen One (and has no flaws
whatsoever). BUT WAIT --- when it released, I STILL
decided to give it a shot. And woah, it was actually
pretty darn good.
 Creative Writing
By Alyssa Rodriguez going home alone at night, as if being assaulted were
their fault. Because the government has the right to
10th grade choose what a woman does with her body, not her.
Feminism has helped me strive for success no
matter what. I won’t let anyone tell me what I’m
On a rainy Saturday morning, I was randomly “supposed” to be. I have learned that women may
scrolling through an online news website when I had choose to have any career they want. Whether they
stumbled upon an article with the word feminism in want to a housewife or CEO of a company, they
the title. should not be judged for it. I have learned to be more
“Mom! What does the word ‘feminism’ accepting of other people and myself. I am much
mean?” more confident than I was before, because of such an
“I’m not sure, just look it up!” accepting community. Before, I used to stray away
I didn’t really know what the word meant, but from math. I thought I wasn’t smart enough for it
eleven year old me had guessed it had something to do because I was afraid that I would get judged for
with women. So I spent the rest of my day looking up getting a wrong answer. But, I began to realize that I
the definition and reading about it. There were so was good at math and that I actually enjoyed solving
many articles on it, how it affected other people, why problems. I learned that shouldn’t isolate myself from
people needed it, what society did to young girls like leadership positions in math and science if I love
myself, and so much more! I felt as if I was finally those subjects. I am so happy for realizing why I
waking up from a long nap, I felt refreshed and as if I need feminism and I honestly cannot imagine my life
were a new, enlightened person. without it.
On Monday at school, I started telling people
what I had learned and discovered about feminism. I
was shocked to find out that no one really knew what
it meant, but to be fair we were all in the 6th grade. As
I was explaining it to the students in my class, and
eventually my family members, quite a few people
thought feminism wasn’t really needed right now
because “women and men were already equal”, most
of the people saying this to me were male. I was
astonished. I couldn’t believe what they were saying. I
felt like in their eyes I was less than them. I was really
angry because of this and had many arguments about
the significance of feminism. They argued that women
are still equal to men and that there’s no need for
feminism anymore. I asked them if they think women
are equal even though they get paid $0.24 less than a
man does, and even lower for women of color. I
continued arguing by saying that when women are
sexually assaulted, they are told that they shouldn’t
have been wearing that outfit, or drinking alcohol, or
Poems by Thais Lawson
Strange

Is everyone as strange as me?

If I could look into their heads,
What would I see?
What would I have said?
What if I could re-do everything I’ve
done,
And avoid all my mistakes?
Instead of losing I could’ve won,
And avoid all heartache.
Or know exactly what to say,
And control others as pawns.
What would I be willing to pay,
For all my problems to be gone?
If I could do all this,
Would I be content?
Would I be in a state of absolute
bliss,
Or in unending torment?
If I could do all these things,
Would I be lonely?
Would my gifts be attached to strings,
And my life become completely
phony?
What would I have to live for,
If I could do no wrong?
Getting out of bed would become a
chore,
And for my mistakes I would soon
long.
It’s better to be flawed,
Than not human at all.
It’s better to be odd,
Than separated from life by a perfect
wall.
Falling Angels
Angels knocking at my door,
And tapping on the window’s glass.
They light upon the forest floor,
And patter down upon the grass.
They wash away the dust of day,
And chase away the pain of night,
And while outside the sky is grey,
Inside my heart is warm and light.
I stretch my hand out as they land,
And all around me angels sing.
A pool of angels in my hand,
And all around me - angel’s wings.
My darling
I give my darling a golden cell,
And still she does not sing.
I give her water from the purest well,
And still she does not sing.
I give my darling a silver chain,
And still she does not sing.
I tell her that her silence brings me pain,
And still she will not sing.
I give my darling the best feed,
And still she does not sing.
I give her all she’d ever need,
Why won’t my darling sing?
The Key to Friendship
By Kaitlyn Quach

Thank you for reading The State of The Arts!

If you would like to write or suggest something,
please don’t hesitate to contact us at
lagnewspaper@gmail.com!
We’re always open to new additions.

Sincerely,
Alec Spector, Malach Campbell, and Kaitlyn Quach.