Society & US
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By: Jessica Flores
When looking at my childhood I always wanted to have a pet. My parents weren’t big fans of dogs until a dog came into our lives and changed everything. While we didn’t adopt her from a shelter or even had the honor of calling her our own, she opened doors for dogs to be welcomed into our home. With that being said as a kid I never really understood the economic component that came with owning a dog or even cat as a child. As I grew older and saw first hand of the process I became more aware of everything that came with owning a pet. With that, the very first component of getting an actual dog is the price. The price of adopting a dog from different shelter just depends on the dog’s age along with where it is you are rescuing from. One example of the many shelters here in the city of san jose is the Humane Society of Silicon Valley which is located on 901 Ames Ave, Milpitas, CA 95035. At this shelter it can cost anywhere from $200 for a older puppy and it can go upto anything over $350 for a very young puppy, due to the fact that they are a private no-kill shelter. While on the other hand at the San Jose animal shelter which is located on 2750 Monterey Rd, San Jose, CA 95111 their adoption fees can vary drastically. This is due to the fact that they do put animals down depending on their breed, how long they have been there and other reasons. Their adoption fees can vary from 10 to 135 depending on many factors. Some of those factors could be based on not only the season, also the capacity they are at vs what they can accept, and lastly the age of the dog. The season deeply affects the amount of pets in shelters because in the end animals just like humans want a safe place to sleep, eat, and play. San Jose Animal Shelter itself is a very special place to my family. While strolling through the shelter one day my sister came across a dog under the name of Maya. This dogs breed has always had a special place in my family's heart. Their bad reputation had always intrigued us because we personally had an excellent experience we had with one. Maya instantly got a hold of my sister’s heart. At just four months this dog's life had a clock on it. This clock was not placed by any health issues or any defect in the dog at all but because this young puppy was half Labrador and half Pitbull. Shortly after being adopted her arrival. To this dogs luck, my sister returned to the shelter the next morning but she didn’t see this dog. She knew that due to the fact that this dog was part pitbull and part labrador there was a chance she was gone and it broke my sister’s heart. While a big part of her knew that she was probably put down already she asked an employee anyways. Maya was pulled from the back just in time to be rescued from being put down. My sister said, “As soon as she saw me, she ran to me with high spirits and licked me as if saying thank you.” Maya while still at a very young age because of her breed and her having been there for so long her adoption fee was just $25. Years after Maya’s adoption and she it still happy and doing great. My sister herself admits that you have to be economically stable enough to be able to support the actual dog. You don’t only need to buy a bed, toys, and food, which doesn’t include all the medical costs, training and time that needs to be put into the care of a pet. Now with that being said if you feel like you are ready to get a dog I would suggest looking into adoption instead of purchasing from a breeder. I say that because depending on the breeder it can not always be 100% assured that the dog you are getting is in full health and already vaccinated. Yes having that guarantee is always amazing seeing all the money that goes into it but it also comes back to this idea that you see how greatful all of these dogs are to know that you saved them. Lastly adoption is also a great option because it helps the shelter you are adopting from make room for the big number of stray dogs on the streets that need to be rescued.
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By: Jennifer Montes
People can always benefit from a vacation, however, knowing that flying away to certain places can be so expensive, that makes them rethink their decision. People take into consideration the cost of flying, hotels, and any activities that may be done during the vacation making them worry if it really is worth it. All the money that is used for the vacation is easy to spend but hard to gain back. People think that going on vacation can be a waste of money but everyone should take some time and travel to a new place and relax. To help with that, here are 5 of the cheapest places to travel to. 1. Albufeira, Portugal Albufeira is located in the southern Algarve region of Portugal with many beaches and inexpensive apartment looking hotels. They have many restaurants and night activities that people can go to if they are looking to have a fun time. Restaurants are everywhere around the world but the prices at most of these restaurants are more affordable. It is an affordable sun-soaked vacation that is definitely worth your money. 2. Vancouver Vancouver is located in Canada, northwest of the U.S. making them our neighbors. “52% of its residents have a first language other than English. “ This makes Vancouver a very diverse city with people from different places and different backgrounds. Vancouver is big on nature and is set within a rainforest making it a pretty nice green scenery. It is a good place for people who enjoy nature to go. Not only is Vancouver a nice scenery but it also has an exchange rate of .80 cents to U.S. dollars. Who wouldn’t want to travel and see the U.S’s neighbors 3. Phuket, Thailand Phuket is known for the beautiful scenery, affordable hotels, good food, and the people that are so welcoming to tourists. Since the weather is different, it is recommended to go some time that is not the summer if you don’t want to see any rain. It is a very good place to do things at night and the hotels are affordable. These are only 3 of the many places you can travel to that is affordable in 2018. Having vacations is important to have so you can have some time where you just get to enjoy your life and visit new places. If you are considering going on a vacation, make sure you see what are some affordable options that you may like. ![]() By: Mindy Quach Tourist spots are not just for tourist anymore. These famous museums in the Bay Area are a huge eye catching feature for natives and tourist coming into the Bay to take the Instagramable pictures. One of the most recent and extremely popular museums is the Museum of Ice Cream. Famous through Instagram, everyone rushing in order to find tickets that sell out in minutes. The Museum of Ice Cream mission and purpose is to create those imaginations that are dreamed of when kids into real life experiences. Museum of Ice Cream has a numerous amount of rooms that you can go into. One of them, and my favorite room is the Sprinkle Pool. The place for Instagram boomerangs and pictures, the most loved room to take pictures at. Another recent museum that is in the Bay Area and recently reopened after being closed for a few months is the Color Factory. Originally the Color Factory was supposed to be a pop-up shop for only a few months but they did decided due to the high demand of tickets they extended the opening. Similar to what Museum of Ice Cream has, they have different rooms but instead of ice cream it is different types of colors. Recently, the very popular room is the yellow room, by Eric Jang. There are also lots of hands on activities that make your experience a 10 out of 10. Looking for something even more hands on interactive. The exploratorium in San Francisco is a great place for that. Located at Pier 15 on the Embarcadero, a popular place for both bay area natives and tourist. There are tons of hands on activities dealing with a huge range of activities that are for people of all ages. Technically this isn’t really a museum but it is. Monterey Bay Aquarium has always been there for the Bay Area Kids for field trips during elementary school. Monterey Bay is a popular place when wanting to be near water. It is in a bay, where you can have a relaxing day at the shore or go to some tidepools, or attend an aquarium and see shows like shark feedings, seal feedings, and many more. In the mood for a nature museum with both hands of activities and sea animal exhibits. One of my favorites that I have visited is the California Academy of Science. “I had lots of fun here when I came to take my prom pictures last year, we had a day of fun at the Academy of Science. I would recommend this for a day of fun and pretty pictures” my friend said when asking about her experience. It has a variety of things to do from gardens to land animals to sea animals. It is a great experience you can get from an aquarium and a zoo in one. Current exhibits that are available to visit are California Coast, Water Planet, Discovery Tide Pool, Color of Life, and Human Odyssey. These museums are places for kids and adults of all ages. A place for a cute date, a fun day with friends or to get your kids out to learn more. If you are a Bay Area native or visiting the Bay these places to top places to go on my list to have an adventurous day. ![]() By: Stephen Reos Friday is the 5th day of a seven day week, and was named after Frigg, the Norse god of love and wife of Odin. It is often associated with good feelings and relaxation because it is the end of the week, which is typically a time of hardship, thus the term ‘TGIF’. 13, written thirteen, is a number. It is the smallest emirp, meaning when its numbers are switched, it becomes a new prime number, 31. It is also the age of maturity in Judaism, usually the age of when Jewish boys have their Bar Mitzvah. Put the two together and you get one of the unluckiest days of the year, Friday the 13th. The fear of Friday the 13th, scientifically stated paraskevidekatriaphobia, stems from old and tired stories and beliefs. Christians don’t like 13 because there were 13 people present during the last supper and the 13th person to arrive was Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus Christ by revealing his location to Pontius Pilate. Jesus was also apparently crucified on Friday the 13th. It could also be possible that this fear has roots in early Christianity, as a theory suggests that when Norsemen changed the calendar and named Friday after their god, Frigg, the Christian church demonized that day because it challenged their ideas of male dominance and Christian religious dominance. There is also the story of the Knights Templar, who were arrested and burnt by the hundreds in France in 1307, on Friday the 13th in October. An estimated 17-21 million people believe in the superstition surrounding this day and are much more careful on this day, as well. There is an approximate $800-$900 million lost on this day as well as less chance of getting hurt, due to these people being more cautious. In Finland, a day is held called National Accident Day that intentionally lands on a Friday the 13th. In Spain, people are more fearing of Tuesday the 13th and in Italy, Friday the 17th is the most malevolent day. The facts clearly show little to no correlation between Friday the 13th and negative outcomes, but even then, correlation does not always equal causation, as the saying goes. Chances are, if you’re looking for bad luck, you’ll find it in some way, shape, or form. A specific day of the year could have multiple things associated with it, but just because it happened on that date doesn’t necessarily mean it is the cause. ![]() By: Angelina Twist It’s just about that time of the year where students are hitting the books hard and studying for standardized tests. The ACT stands for American College Testing Program. The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions in the U.S. The skills tested in the ACT are reading, writing, english, math, and science. Taking the ACT can be extremely stressful, but here are some ways that you can better prepare yourself. Study, although this seems like the most obvious, studying can actually help you feel more prepared for the ACT. Reviewing old classwork, or practicing simple skills can help you feel ready to take the ACT. Another useful tip you could use during the ACT is implementing test taking strategies that teachers taught you, or that you learned during the ACT prep. If its a multiple choice question start by eliminating answers that you know are wrong. Reread and annotate the question to make sure you get key points and fully understand the question. If time runs out and you still have empty bubbles, pick a letter and bubble in the rest of your answers that same letter. Adding onto what was said in the previous paragraph, the ACT does not deduct points for getting the wrong answer. It's important to answer all the questions on the test because you get points for answering correctly. If you feel you are running out of time your best choice is to guess rather than leave it blank because at least you have a chance of getting the question right when you guess. When guessing or filling in the bubble sheet its best to pick one letter and fill the rest of your bubble sheet that letter because your chances are higher of getting them right. Similar to studying, getting a good night's sleep is something we hear quite frequently for advice when test taking. The more obvious reason for this is so you feel more awake and ready to take the test. Having a good night's sleep can result in you not being distracted or tempted to put your head down and sleep during the test. A study showed that, “the grades of students who slept seven hours each night during the exam period were nearly 10 percent higher than those of students who got less sleep”(Jacqueline Howard). If you want to score higher on the test, the most reliable tip to use is getting a good amount of sleep the night before. When taking the math portion of the test make sure to show all your work. This strategy might eat up time, but it’s a reliable way of getting the right answer. Make sure to check your work and plug in answers when the problem calls for it. Emilio Delgadillo, a freshman at KSJC says, “I read the question multiple times and looked for words like additionally, or decreasing, that might tell me what operation to use.” The best advice anyone can give you for the math section is to show all your work. The ACT is just like any other tests you’ve taken. Using these strategies can help you feel more confident when taking the test and help you answer the questions. Always remember to try your best and never give up. Even if you get a low score the first time you can always take it again. ![]() By: Mindy Quach Prom: one of the most important events for a high school senior. The memories that are made, the fun that is had, it is an all in one event, but the fun does not stop there. The possibilities are endless from the beginning t of the day to the end. The preparation for prom takes weeks before hand to organize, to find that perfect dress, that perfect suit, the hair, nails, makeup, and photographer. People plan for prom months ahead of time in order to get their first choice of dresses and colors. There are tons of different places to find that perfect dress with the many different styles that are popular and many people that have their own unique styles. Once the first step with all the logistics is done, it's time to get to the fun. After all that stressful stuff is done, the first REAL step into prom is photos. There are countless of photographers in San Jose that have amazing skills that they are hoping to improve on. Some popular places to take pictures during prom season are Rose Garden and Japanese Friendship Garden. However since there are so many schools that have prom’s overlapping, these places could get very crowded and not capture the picture perfect moment with your dates and friends. Here are some hidden places in the Bay Area that don’t get so crowded and capture that perfect moment, Saratoga Springs and Gamble Garden. Want to take more unique pictures that have recently been trending lately, try Ikea or museums like SFMOMA or California Academy of Sciences. These places hold that aesthetic of new trends and is a fun pre-prom. After taking pics, depending on your prom you might want to get some food. Certain schools have food at their prom but some don’t provide food. Some great places to eat are Yard House, Maggiano’s Little Italy, or Kenzos if you like sushi. “One of my favorite places to eat for a date is Kenzo’s because we both love sushi and raw fish. You can go pretty much anywhere depending on what you and your date likes.” Christine Nguyen said. A popular option after prom is to eat at In-N-Out in order to get that basic fun in. “We had food at prom but because it was so hot and lots of fun we were hungry once we left so we went to get tacos and burritos at La Vics in Downtown. It’s a great way to calm down and have fun after a hectic night of prom” one of my friends said. Another popular thing to do after prom is bonding with your friends, some people go have bonfires at the beach to celebrate the night. Prom is a night of fun and bonding but afterwards it could be the life of the party. If feeling really spontaneous, a night/early morning at the beach with some friends could be one of the best ways to end the night of prom. It could be one of the best ways in to end off the night. If that is not an option, then staying back and having a little get together afterwards with some friends is a great way too. One of the most honest things to do after prom is sleep. After a hard and long night at prom, one of the first things that I would love to do is take off these heels and go to sleep. After a tiring day, you might not feel like doing anything and only have the thought of bed after finishing partying. Especially for girls, it is a long day from morning to night, where they have some mishaps that happen along the way. Prom is one of the those must nights in highschool that every underclassman looks up to at the end of their high school career. A night that is the start of new adventures and stories of going into the adult life. ![]() By: Kayla Wong This year, KSJC has required all students to complete at least fifteen hours of volunteer hours before the end of the school year. It is required by the school that at least five out of the fifteen hours required must be community service hours. Many are wondering where they can get their community service hours. The difference between regular volunteer hours and community service hours is that community service helps a group of people while volunteering means offer your services for free. One student said “I’ve been getting some volunteer hours from volunteering at my old school, but it’s hard to schedule with my old teacher because of the times.” Another said, “I wasn’t even aware that we were suppose to get volunteer hours this year. I should start working on this.” Clearly students need to find a quick way to book some volunteer spots. I recommend two places that are great places for students to find their next volunteer spot. The first place I would recommend students to go to volunteer is their local library.. As a normal volunteer at a library, you would shelve, organize, or display books, and help with special projects. Most of the San Jose libraries require volunteers to be at least fifteen, able to work independently, able to sort alphabetically, and follow directions. It will depend on the library you want to volunteer at, but from my own experience, the library can get booked up quickly, especially the volunteer spots on the weekends. As a teenager, you can also join teensReach, where they meet about once a month. The group takes part in library activities and contribute ideas for the libraries’ selections of books. The only requirement is that you have to be between the ages of 13 and 18. These are not the only opportunities students can get volunteer hours from the library. Other jobs include helping younger students with homework and teaching children coding. If students are interested in other options, then they should visit the San Jose library website for more information on those jobs. Another great way to gain community service hours is through a non-profit organization. Habitat for Humanity is one of the many non-profit organizations. Students can volunteer at their restore or help work at some of their building projects. Though to be eligible to volunteer, you must be sixteen or older to work in the restore or building sites. Students who are fifteen or younger will help with fundraising, making lunch for other volunteers, or handing out fliers. Students will not need to have an prior experience or take a part in any orientations. All training will be given by the staff on site. All you have to do is make an account and sign up for a time and date for your volunteer shift. The San Jose location restore has two shifts, morning and afternoon, each shift is four hours long. The restore sells gently used or new home goods and building material. There students will help sell and accept donations. If student aren’t the ones who want to stay in a store and want a more hands on experience can volunteer at some of their building projects. This can be from helping building something new or repairing an existing one. All supplies will be provided for you and no experience is required. The projects lasting to the end of the month are not in the San Jose area, but in Milpitas, Fremont, Berkeley, Martinez. Each session do last longer than the restore shifts, they can last for three and a half hours to seven and a half hours. I advise students to be aware of the start and end time of the work. The website advises that volunteers bring lunch, if it makes sense, and a refillable water bottle. ![]() By Tracy Nguyen The “MeToo” movement was made for the millions of people who were sexually harassed or assaulted, especially in a workplace setting. The term was created ten years ago by activist and founder Tarana Burke. She had created it for young women who weren’t able to share their story just yet. After blowing up on social media, it became a huge relief for women in the workplace setting to be able to share their story about sexual harassment and assault. Before it blew up on social media, it had started as a way to help young women of color recover from being sexually assaulted and harassed. Burke started this because of a young girl who tried to tell her what her mom’s boyfriend had done to the her body. About five minutes in, Burke cut her off, sending her to another person who would be able to help the young girl better. As she left, Burke wanted to whisper, “Me too,” but couldn’t. That’s what started the movement. She had written, “On one side, it's a bold declarative statement that 'I'm not ashamed' and 'I'm not alone.' On the other side, it's a statement from survivor to survivor that says 'I see you, I hear you, I understand you and I'm here for you or I get it,' ….When you experience trauma and meet other people that have a similar experience, and you show empathy for each other, it creates a bond.” It took a whole decade for people to really know what the MeToo Movement was about. And some people still don’t know what it is. Throughout the years, the MeToo Movement had gained some attention, but it still wasn’t as blown up as it is today. The massive blow-up is thanks to the actress Alyssa Milano, who was sexually harassed by Harvey Weinstein. She had tweeted out, “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” This was when it all blew up, and thousands of women went on to post a #MeToo story, and many have shared and showed empathy to those women who put themselves out there. This shows those women out there that they’re not alone, and they have others to lean against. This is what some people feel about the MeToo Movement. Mr. Monagle, a teacher at KIPP San Jose Collegiate, had said, “I think it’s long overdue, and it told me that even if I was a long ally to women’s rights, I still have a long way to go.” When asked how he feels about females gaining more power he had said that it was still long overdue, and the fact that many people still believe that women can’t have power is stupid. He had also said, “Now we have a way to hold people accountable socially, but not legally… It gives people a voice no matter what.” Another person, Vivan Ha, a freshman at KIPP San Jose Collegiate, also shared her thoughts on the MeToo Movement. “I feel proud about it because people are finally speaking up about their sexual harrassment and they’re not ashamed about it.” When asked how she feels about females gaining more power, she had said, “Once, again, I feel proud about it because sexism has been around for a long and we’re finally changing our views on feminism.” She had also said, “I think our generation is more advanced than past generations and we’re not as afraid to speak up about it.” The purpose of the MeToo Movement is to inspire young women to stand up for themselves. It is for those women who feel alone, like they can’t trust anyone. They know that there are thousands out there like them and ready to support them, because they went through the same thing. If you would like to support the #MeToo Movement, then you can go to the below website to donate, or just simply join to support it. (https://metoomvmt.org/) by Alyssa Becerra
by Jessica Flores
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