Tag: community

Food Share Frenzy

thehebrewhammerLeave a comment

This Wednesday the boys flag football and girls volleyball team all went to Food Share together in Oxnard to distribute food to those in need. While some students may dread it, I tend to find peace in it. I sort of like talking to and meeting new people, I don’t want to be friends with everyone, I just want to be nice to everyone. And the experiences I’ve got in Food Share have really opened my eyes.

A simple “Have a nice day!” Does so much for some of those strangers in their cars, it really cheers me up. It also does make me realized how spoiled I am and how grateful I should be.

Seeing those tiny kids helping their parents just makes me want to spend more time with mine. I think I’m a great kid but you know that feeling, you just feel like you have done so many wrong things and just want to be nice.

That’s how I want people to see me, as a nice kid.

All in all I do enjoy Food Share, it brings experience and joy like no other.

pc: Ojai Valley News

Mural

pinkcube18Leave a comment

Right now I am planning for a mural I will be painting on former OVS teacher, Ms. Pasqua’s house. She has inspired me to paint a scene of Ojai with the Topa Topa mountains lined with inspirational quotes. This mural is an outlet for me to express my passion in the fight for equity.

The Ojai Valley has given me so many opportunities to improve myself as an artist, and painting a mural visible to its residents is my way of giving back to the community. I have had practice with this form of art in middle school when we worked on large-scale projects. I helped to work on the Fourth of July parade floats as well as life-size paper mache projects. I painted giant decorations to add to our OVS float, and created letter-signs that spelled out the name of our school.

Growing up and seeing the beautiful murals in Ventura County, I have always wanted to add my own color to the town. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity to gain more experience with painting and share my art with the Ojai community.

The Ventura Mural that inspired me to paint on a larger scale.
Image Credit: Lu Ross Academy

Jack the Cat

enternity1030Leave a comment

I just finished my favorite story this year, which was about a cool little thing – oh no, the coolest little animal – Jack the Cat.

Before I did this story, Jack was just a friendly cat to me. Whenever I see him, he just meows to me as if he is telling me he is happy.

This time, I got chance to really get a closer look to this small thing. Finally it came to my conclusion that Jack IS the coolest cat ever!

Jack is a cool student.
As soon as school starts, Jack will come out and choose his class. He enters the classroom, lies on the ground and pays full attention. However, he is really hardworking because according to our math teacher Mr.Queen, Jack does not turn in his homework on time and he never takes any tests.

Jack also frequently comes to the library. He will get up on the tables, he will use somebody’s computer and he will sniff books. Does he really read or understand the contents? Who knows.

Jack is a cooler friend.
He shares his happiness with people by meowing to them. He is confident and even more comfortable of being a member of the community. He walks to people and request their attentions. Then he looks at you and you can feel his feelings pretty much. He is always there to cheer people up and inspire the community.

Jack is the coolest cat.
He wears his shiny golden fur and patrols around the campus.
Jack has embraced nearly all the qualities not only as an animal, but moreover, he builds up the special bond with humans and becomes an essential member of the school.


Jack is like a student at the school and he makes our community feel like home.
I’ll miss this special “classmate” a lot after I leave the school.

Banking on Failure

therightliberalLeave a comment

One of the many changes we are facing in our country currently is a change in our banking system.

While many people feel that banks are a fairly unimportant part of our lives, on a national level banks are key.

But many people are now feeling as though the banks cannot be trusted. Between the bailout, fragile economy, and some interesting business practices, many of the American people are feeling nervous about using large banks.

Obviously BoA is getting the brunt of this. Many people are switching over to using local banks, which is both a blessing and a curse.

The blessing is that the move supports local business, giving more people jobs in their communities and providing for a more stable community.

The curse is aimed at the national economy. By hurting the big national banks, we no longer have such a strong national banking program. The government can not go around and take micro-loans from local banks if the national banks tank.

Although I am a supporter of the 99% movement, I feel the move to go to smaller banks is a mistake. We have to stay strong as a nation and support the national economy. I know that local economies are important and part of the backbone of the country. But at the same time, we have to keep our government running.

To Help or Not to Help

therightliberalLeave a comment

With the recent GOP debates, there has been talk of the question of foreign aid and whether it should be given, and if it is, to whom?

I find it disturbing that so many people find that we as a country should completely cease giving foreign aid because of our financial woes. And here is why.

Sure, our economy is not doing as well as it used to. In fact, we have been experience serious financial problems that could spell the end of our reign as kings of the world.

But, the people of America are still far better off than those of most countries. Even the lower class of the US is making more than most. So although we are experiencing hard times, this is nothing compared to the daily lives of others throughout the world.

So why then are so many talking about cutting off foreign aid? They claim that we need to “take care of ourselves first”. But guess what, we are humans before anything else. And we do need to take care of ourselves, but that means our entire species.

Although we associate ourselves as Americans, we have to realize that we live in a world made up of billions of people just like us. And why should we have excess when they have nothing?

I know that the many will say life is not meant to be fair and I would agree with that. But is it not our moral obligation to help those with less if we can?

I feel that we are slacking as a country in our contributions to the world. We may contribute much as far as the world economy and infrastructure, but what are we contributing when we look at it person by person?

I think we need to go on a mission to make people smile. Take the money from the pointless wars we have been fighting as spend it on giving to those who need it. We can survive with less than we have and I have a sneaking suspicion that we will work harder as a nation to improve if we have less.

We are a hardworking nation but it is not that others are lazy, simply unfortunate. Whether you are a Christian or Muslim, Jew or atheist, these is no good reason to hoard our good fortunes and ignore the rest of the world.

We will not always be the super power that we are, and when we are in a position of needing help, do you want to look at another country that is rolling in luxury and realize they will give nothing of it away? I hope not.

Let us continue, and build, the foreign aid programs we currently have in place. Let us go and help those who need it and create a stronger and more unified world. Let us go out and get allies in new places and teach people that Americans are willing to give. Let us be just.

Frustrated.

yrreskrap2 Comments

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Goodness, is it too much to give up one lunch of your day so that someone, somewhere could have a meal? So that maybe some animal could be saved. So that cancer research can be funded?

I am frustrated. Frustrated with the current predicament that student council is facing. We have proposed the idea of replacing one lunch meal at school for soup, salad, and bread so that the proceeds would go towards a charity of the student body’s choice. The underclassmen agreed to the idea. But the upperclassmen…that’s a different story.

A few people are concerned about not having a good lunch. They complain that lunch is bad enough already that they would not want to downgrade to a simple meal of soup.

But what astounds me is their view of community service. Community service is about giving, not about luxury. So why then, is giving up a single meal, one out of the 21 meals that they have a day, so difficult? All of the money goes straight to the charity. So why? Only good can come out of this experience.

To be continued. Hopefully, progress will come.

RELAY FOR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D

yrreskrap3 Comments

As you can tell by my all caps, exclamation marked title, I am a very happy, excited girl!

Last Friday, I organized a meeting for those interested in Relay for Life. An amazing 25 people showed up, almost a quarter of our small school‘s population. Yesterday, I announced that our school’s team has been made a Relay for Life website. A goal had been set for $500 to be raised by May 15. However, an overwhelming wave of happiness blanketed me this morning when I checked on our team’s site.

In just a span of two days, we raised $520 and trumped our goal with only a few people who had donated! $520 in TWO DAYS. Crazy. Tomorrow, I will announce our new goal of $1,000.

Words can’t describe how proud I am of my friends. Giving to the community is one of the greatest, most rewarding feelings and to know that my small community on the hill is giving back to another is fantastic. I can’t wait till May 14th comes to see my friends walk around the track in the name of fighting cancer. Until that day comes, I will try my best to keep our school inspired.