Issue 2, 2000

dn aaIS.SIH
The Publications Class of the 1999-2000 schoolyear
1-
|
Table Of Contents
Disclaimer from your gracious This Side Up senior editors 4 4444 3
From A Pessimist For Pessimists 4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 4
Healthy tips for applying to college 4 4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 4
Dr. Michael Richards 444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 5
Human Rights in Guatemala 5
Is School Really that Bad for Us? ............................................... 6
Changing Places 4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 7
C,t 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 7
"The Compleat Wks ofWllm Shkspr": as seen by High School
Publications ............................................................................... 9
"The Compleat Wrks of Wi 11m Shkspr": a vrry technicl play 10
300 Kilometers for Charity 4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 10
A Golden Angel .......................................................................... 11
A Hellish Ride Home .................................................................. 12
Contemporary Music Review 4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 12
Elective Critique 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 14
Eli1 44444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 14
STRESS 444444444444444444444444444444444 16
Toys 16
P<ETR 44444444444444444444444444444444444 1
Letter to the Editor 4444444444444444444444444444444444444444444444 19
2

Disclaimer from your gracious This Side Up senior editors.
By Kurt "special K" Rupprecht, Magnus "the soundmaster"
Franklin and Jamie "magu de platano" Rudert
In this issue of This Side Up we have improved signifcantly, thanks to more experience with the program we use, as well
as more efcient use of time. However, we would still support our position that nothing written in this papr, except the
articles written by the editors themselves, represent the views or opinions of the editors. We endorse the feedom of spech,
and therefore we are reluctant to edit articles unless their content is directly ofensive. For your amusement, however, we
include Dan Rosenbaum's "Rules for Writerers." As you read each article, you can check with this list to see how accom
plished each author is. Of course, articles written by us editors need not be scrutinized . O course there still various
articles that are not very good, but rather than just saying that you think they "suck", write to us. We love getting
feedback, and frthermore we would also like to invite anyone who has a piece to submit, please do 5. Afer all we could
always use more good pieces to replace the various boring ones that we're forced to put in. Thank you again, for support
ing (err . . . hum ... putting up with) our amateur publication.
1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.
7. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
+. It is wrong to ever split an infnitive.
3. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specifc.
. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
V. Also to, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
1U. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
17. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
1+. One Should NVER generalize.
1. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
1. Don't use no double negatives.
17. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
1. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
1V. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
7U. The passive voice is to be ignored.
71. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
77. Never use a big word when substituting a diminutive one would sufce.
7J. Kill all exclamation points!! !
7+. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
7. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth-shaking ideas.
7. Use the apostrophe in it's proper place and omit it when its not needed.
27. Eliminate quottions. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
7. U you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyprole; not one in a million C use it
correctly.
7V. Puns are for chldren, not groan readers.
JU. Go around the bar at noon to avoid colloquialisms.
J1. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
J7. Who needs rhetorical questions?
33. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
J+. Avoid "buzz-words"; such integrated transitional scenarios complicate simplistic matters.
And fnally ...
J3. Proofread careflly to see if you any words out
Note: Word 7UU grammar check only marked numbers 1,1,7+ and 7 as being incorrect.
Thank you Mr. King for this contribution
3-
From A Pessimist For Pessimists
By Hugo Miller
I think that you, the pessimists, will never
stop being negative. You people are so dumb be
cause you should actually think higher of other
people and diferent situations instead of always
putting them down. Instead of thinking that a cup
is half empty, drink that half that is lef and make it
completely empty. Don't let other people convince
you to be happy and optimistic, even though you
should be. I know that you should really stop put
ting people down just because you think that you
are right. When you give your opinion on some
thing don't repeat yourself because you'll sound
unsure of what you are trying to say, yeah so re
member not to repeat yourself because you'll sound
unsure of what you are trying to say.
To all you pessimists out there I don't ex
pect much fom you but try to think better of oth
ers. You should feel good about yourselves (not
that there is much to feel good about). Try not to
hope for bad things to happen to others, just don't
hope for good things to happen to people. You
should avoid giving a negative outlook even when
it seems like you know more then whoever is ask
ing you for your opinion.
If you are pessimistic, well then don't act so
proud because there are a lot more pessimists then
you think. Pessimists don't mean to be negative,
we are just naturally like that so you should come
to expect it. To all you people out there, don't let a
pessimst tell you that you will never make it any
where in life just because the world is such a hard
place and it seems nearly impossible to fnd any
thing that you are really good at. Try and look to
the fture, even though you will probably be stuck
in the present for far longer then you think. Let me
just mention, that if you have made it this far into
the article, then you must be half bored (or for you
optimists, half interested).
Healthy tips for
applying to college.
by Magnus Franklin
Apply for early decision at your first choice
school. If you get in, you save yourself a
lot of trouble. And if you don't, you don't
lose anything (and you get a second chance
at the school you applied to in the regular
decision.
Fill in your applications early (be done in
the beginning of November). Everybody
loves you i you do that -The college coun
selor, teachers who have to write recom
mendations, the college (if you send them
early as well), and it just feels much better.
Write a good essay. Ths piece of writing
is what makes you diferent fom the bunch.
Take time in writing it, write an infnite
amount of drafs, and keep revising it until
you get comments that contradict each
other, like "It should be longer" and "It
should be shorter" or something like that.
Once you have that, you're on the right
track.
Once you send your application, don't
worry too much about it. Don't send them
10,000 emails asking, "Did you get this?
Did you get that?" They don't have time
to reply anyway.
Before you send your application, check it
one last time to see if everything is cor
rect.
Photocopy your application before you
send it.
Be nice and polite when you ask teachers
for recommendations.
Be honest. I you lie, they discover it sooner
or later.
Don't listen to people who say "Don't ap
ply there, you'll never get in." If you really
want to go there, you just might get lucky.
Don't apply to more than 6 colleges: 2 fa
vorites, 2 that you could live with and 1 or
2 that you know you'll get in to. If you
apply to more colleges than that, you just
waste money, 'cause you'll only be going
to one of them anyway.
Some of the things
I said may not apply
to you. Some of the
things I said may
ofend you. But no
matter what the col
lege counselor tells
you, you will get
into college.
Dr. Michael Richards
By Lucia Lopez
In November of1999, Dr. Michael Richards
took the time fom his surely busy life to come to
Colegio Maya and talk to our student body. s
speech followed up on Mrs. Coti's talk, who Nl5~
ited us only a couple of weeks before him. He ex
plained series of evnts that went on in Guaema
during the 34-year civil war. Dr. Richards hved In
Guatemala while this change to civil unrest went
on, and was able to give us a unique perspective on
everything he knew and saw during the civil war in
the 1980's.
Dr. Richards began his presentation with an
introduction to his life and what is that he does for
a living. Dr. Richards was previously an anthro
pologist; he tured to ph<tojouralism. This change
of careers allowed him to travel to Guatemala and
capture the lives of its inhabitants on flm.
The second part of his presentation con
sisted of photo slides taken when he traveled with
the Guatemalan military. He showed us the im
ages of his experiences of his journeys throughout
Guatemala. Pictures of the several types of people
and their ways of life in diferent parts of the coun
try were also included in his collection. At one
point during his speech, he presented to us some
slides that portrayed the terrible outcome of the
civil war. These included piles of skulls, and the
burial sites of countless bodies. It's sad to know
that so many souls belonging to innocent people
were just lef to rot as if they were inhuman. Dr.
Richards presentation concluded with a question
and answer segment. Jane Rchards thanked her
father for taking the time of fom his schedule to
visit Colegio Maya to help us lear more about the
rich history of Guatemala.
Huma Rights in Guatemala
By Lucia Lopez
In honor of Amnesty Interational month,
the STUCO arranged for a guest speaker to visit
our high school. Sra. Otilia Luz de Coti came to
Colegio Maya on October 28 to talk to our stu
dents about the human rights violations in Guate
mala. Sra. Coti currently works at USAID. She
has interviewed thousands of people about their real
life experiences and feelings on how the military
robbed them of their natural rights.
Sra. Coti talked about the Guatemalan civil
war that lasted 34 years and ten months. The main
conflict consisted of the desire to end the guerilla
operations in Guatemala, but at the same time the
guerillas were trying to banish the ethnic groups of
Guatemala. Both sides caused horrible atrocities
of rape, and the murdering of large groups of people
at a time.
One of the more intense segments of Sra.
Coti's speech was when she retold in her own
words, the story of one man's haunting experience
with the guerillas. This story involved a man's
mother and younger brother. She explained how
the base of a tree proved to the sight of the events
that unfolded. The military had taken every woman
who lived in the town, and ripped their shirts and
skirts of They proceeded to force them to dance
naked. Next they picked out the children over the
age of ten years from the crowd of the horrifed
onlookers. The lucky ones would only be forced
to work for the military, but the rest would be shot
or hanged. This story clearly evoked many emo
tions fom both Sra. Coti herself as well as the
Maya audience. It is disappointing to hear how the
military dealt with indigenous peoples.
Sra. Coti explained to the students that hu-
5-
man rights meant feedom of expression, speech,
and making ones own decisions. It is clear fom the
evidence she has gathered that the goverent has
robbed native Guatemalans of their essential right
to their feedom of life. It's sad to think of the fate
that these people were destined to, and in this case
death was the most common. This was the out
come of many native Guatemalans during the civil
war. Fortunately, the situation has improved to
day, and the ethnic groups of Guatemala have re
gained some of the dignity and the natural rights
that had been denied to them for so long.
Sra. Otilia Lux de Coti has been appointed "Minis
ter of Cultures" by the newly elected Portillo gov
ernment.
Is School Really that Bad for Us
By Jeremy Berke
Sure, right now, we all hate it. Waking up
real early in the moring, getting out of the shower
and into the cold air, eating a rushed breakfast, and
heading out to school. These are the 12 most re
dundant, yet most very crucial years of our lives.
But one day, we'll all wake up one morng, and
think back to our good old school days, the best
years of our lives, when we were careless and young,
without any responsibilities. Most of us will prob
ably realize how fortunate we were to attend a
school as good as Colegio Maya
Most of the students that come to school
her in Maya don't realize how good of a school it
is, or how fortunate they are to come here. In fact,
most of the students that go to any school all around
the world don't appreciate how good they've got
it. Of course, Maya has its ups and downs, but noth
ing is perfect.
Unlike some other schools around the world,
there's a good deal of enthusiasm towards great
ness here in Maya. In many schools, most students
may consider "doing good" or getting straight Ps
on a report card "un-cool" or "nerdy". All the
students on the honor roll or in the National Honor
Society would automatically be "nerds. "
6
Just going to school is a great privilege that
many of us don't appreciate. To flly grasp the
idea of the potential that we're gaining, take a trip
to a local village somewhere in the Guatemalan
countryside. Most of the towns are very underde
veloped, with few concrete buildings. If there are
concrete buildings, at least one of them is almost
always a school. Why a school and not a store of
some sort or a hospital.
Schools are the basis for our modem soci
ety. Without schools, people couldn't get careers,
thus, they wouldn't make any money to buy prod
ucts. People couldn't lear how to heal people, so
there would be no doctors in hospitals. In fact,
there would be no architects to build the concrete
buildings anyway. It would be like medieval times
once agam.
Another great thing about our school is that
its focus in on learng, as opposed to other less
important aspects of life. For example, there are
some schools where kids get up every day with
the motive of dressing up in the most expensive
clothes, and driving to school in the most expen
sive car, then hanging around with the richest
friends. Who doesn't enjoy showing ofwhat they
have? But we're lucky that in this school, we show
of with our grades, and not the things that can be
bought with our parents' money. Beyond the ad
vantages of attending such a good school, we're
all very fortunate to be going to school, instead of
working in fields or sweatshops. We don't realize
that the opportunities that most of us are creating
for ourselves some people only dream of School
is also like an introduction to the adult world. The
consequences of our mistakes aren't very severe,
compared to what we'd have to face if we fail to
meet responsibilities in the adult world.
The next time that you find yourself mak
ing fn of your school, stop, and think about what
you're saying for a second. On second thought,
go ahead and enjoy your youth, many kids aren't
as privileged as we are. When we are out though,
it's our job to make sure that everyone gets an
equal chance at getting an education.
6
Chaging Places
By Daniela Martinez
Have you ever had that nagging sensation
in your body and head, when you are faced with a
tough decision that threatens your happiness? You
don't know how you feel about it, or what to do.
These are everyday feelings, but they can
range fom ordinary everyday decisions, to fus
trating, life influencing choices. The latter is one
of the most prominent causes of stress: fghts be
tween family members. The results being the ini
tial screaming to the eventual complete isolation
of an individual.
As a young teenager, I have gone through
some of these decisions, and so has a majority of
the student body. The first experience was the hor
rible news that I would come to Guatemala. I had
been living in my homeland, the Dominican Repub
lic, for almost 8 years, and was happy with my life
there. That fatefl day that my dad announced our
move, a state of complete and utter shock came
over me. I seriously thought that he was joking.
However, the sincere look in his face told me oth
erwise. Afer I came to this reluctant realization I
just broke down and started to cry. Where would
we live? What school would I go to? What was
Guatemala like? What are the people like? All of
these thoughts raced through my head as I con
templated my fture situation. When I fnally
calmed down, it happened; I started to think about
the good things that would come with my meeting
a totally new culture. I would make new friends,
and I would never forget my true friends in
Dominicana. I would have to live in a house that
was not my own, and get used to a whole diferent
climate. Then again, I would meet a new culture,
and have new experiences . . . but I would have to
totally change my life. From then on, to the day of
our move, my feelings about the eminent change
shifed back and forth. I was worried that I would
make new friends and as a result lose contact with
my oid friends. Yet the day came when I got on
that airplane and said goodbye for the last time to
my former life. Here I dnow, having experienced
depressing times, and joyous times.
My message for all of you that have gone,
or have to go through a similar experience is to
take it with an open mind. Keep up your chin, stay
close to your family, and never lose touch with your
old fiends. Don't let yourself feel that your life is
going to change dramatically. While I cannot prom
ise that your life will not be slightly altered, at least
your willingness to change and adapt will help you
get used to these changes. You cannot let mixed
feelings about your new life overcome you, because
they will just make your life miserable. Tum to
fiends and family for support; they are the best
solution for treating such problems. Sometimes,
the solution to the problem is within. Don't let
your feelings build up inside, it is good every now
and then to let them out. Sometimes, all you need
is someone to listen.
Y2Care?
By Magnus Franklin
In relation to the new millennium I would like to
bring up a point. There's a discussion going on
about whether the new millennium starts on Jan 1,
2000 or on Jan 1, 2001. To answer this question,
we have to review some history. Our year count is
based on the birth of Jesus Christ. Thus, on New
Year's Eve, year 0, one year had passed in the new
way of measuring time. Following the same pat
ter, on New Year's Eve, 1999, 2000 years had
passed since the birth of Christ. Therefore, the new
millennium started on Jan 1, 2000. You could ar
gue that nothing starts with "0", but that's an ar
gument that's immature and very biased. If you
belong to the people that think the new millen
nium starts next year on Jan 1, you're wrong, be
cause by then 2001 years will have passed, which
is, in a sense, a year like any other. If you belong
to those people that believe in the millennium
prophecies, you should have been disappointed this
past New Year's Eve, because there won't be an
other millennium for another 1000 years.
8
"The Compleat Wks of Wllm
Shkspr": as seen by High School
Publications
by Jonathan Schwarz, Daniela
Martinez and Sven Holbik
As a fnal piece for the frst semester of Pub
lications class, the students wrote critiques of the
high school play "The Compleat Wks of Wllm
Shkspr (abridged). " We have written an abridged
critique with comments fom each student's paper.
Most of the Publications class agreed that
the play was a success.First of all, the acting was
very good. The actors were focused, delivered their
lines accurately, and pulled out a smooth transition
fom one character to another. Our critics pointed
out that overacting was what made the play a great
success. Ricardo Cortez, T. J. Callaway, Vanessa
Wiater, Eric Pearson and Santiago Cortez really
stood out as being into their parts. They were able
to project their own voices without the help of a
sound system and acted with confidence. Also, they
did a geat job covering up mistakes and unexpected
difculties. When Erik Pearson's sword fell apart,
he made it look as if it were meant to happen. Many
people enjoyed the unexpected audience participa
tion, because it provided a warm and familiar envi
ronment. It was fnny to see a teacher running on
stage while the frst three rows were waving their
hands and exclaiming "Maybe, Maybe not!" The
overall acting was very good, although not all ac
tors were loud enough to be heard in the back.
The background remained the same for each
scene, and although it didn't afect the acting, many
students feelt that it could have been better. Some
critics said the audience was rather crowded on one
night, and the play would have been a little more
comfortable in the gym, although the sound would
not have been as good. Still, this didn't afect per
formance. The actors wore black clothes during
each scene, but also wore special costumes for dif
ferent parts of the play. A Juliet, Erik Pearson wore
a dress and a wig, which was hilarious. The play
had some practical props such as swords. It was
fnny that actors would simply say "Houselights,
Bob" and the lights would come on. However, a
little more light was needed and some critics say
that switching fom a very dark environment to a
very bright one was a little annoying. The actors
did well without any sound system, and we want to
emphasize the great j obs of Magnus "The
Soundmaster" Franklin, Esteban Fanjul and Mario
Chicas.
The play was so good that it lef the audi
ence thinking about specifc scenes and lines. It is
quite impressive to think that the cast managed to
portray every single one of Shakespeare's plays.
Ms. Dunn selected a fnny script and did a great
job preparing the actors. By watching the play, some
people became acquainted with all of Shakespeare's
plays in just 2 hours. Also, due to its comedic con
tent, the play was able to lif the spirits of those in
a grumpy mood. What most surprised some people
was that most of the actors were feshmen (and
feshwomen). Now we know the feshpeople class
has some talented stars. Overall, we're sure it was
an unforgettable night for both cast and audience
members.
Words of advice fom the critics:
1. First of all, unless you enjoy being on stage,
stay away fom the frst row. The same goes
for those who don't like to be vomited on
by Egyptian queens.
2. If you are hesitant to participate during
some of the interactive segments en the
show, you will not be exempted fom hu
miliation.
3. Brush up your Shakespeare, because if you
do, you'll fnd yourself laughing constantly
throughout the show.
4. And if you didn't see the show, you will
still have one more chance: the cast mem
bers are performing " The Compleat Wks
ofWllm Shkspr" at EI Sitio, in Antigua, on
January 28t and 29t at 8:00 P. M.
The Compleat Wrks of Wi1lm
Shkspr: a vrry technicl play
By Magnus Franklin
No play is compleat without a great technical as
pect. Good acting helps, but is not necessary. Take
Titanic as an example: It was one of the most suc
cessfl movies ever, yet it had actors that hardly
deserve such fame (no ofense M. DiCrappio). If
we frther analyze this movie, we find that what
really made it hit the top was the technical stuf -
the efects, the sets, lighting and music. That's the
formula today to make a successfl movie. Movies
and plays are very similar in this sense: all you need
to make a good play is good backstage and techni
cal work. Afer seeing it 5 nights (including 2 dress
rehearsals), I came to the conclusion that "The
Compleat Wrks of Willm Shkspr" was no excep
tion. The excellent work performed by "Bob", al
though subtle, transformed the play fom a medio
cre one to an absolutely ghettofabulous perfor
mance! Now, all of you actors out there: This doesn't
mean that you did a bad job, just that . . . uH. . .
yeah, just don't take it personally! No, really, TJ
started the play with an excellent version of those
evangelical guys on the religious channels. Then, I
was thoroughly impressed by Juliet. Good acting
defnitely seems to be something genetic. Eric -that
role fit you like a glove Gust don't make it a way of
life, or you'll have problems). Ricardo: to be hon
est, I didn't want you to play Hamlet either, so you
had my fll support there. Emilene: I liked you as
the balcony, but you did an even better job back
stage. We're all going to miss you. Ana: I have never
heard that voice you used when you said "I'm poi
soned!" where did that come from? In short, all the
acting was good, no problem there. However, I must
reinforce the point I'm trying to make. The lights,
the intermission music, the set, it was all good. But
the intermission music, I believe, is the most impor
tant part of any play. It must be selected with great
care. It completely afects the mood and thoughts
of the audience. Some sound "Bobs" simply say:
"Oh yeah, I'll just bring some CD's to play during
intermission, no problem!" What these young ama
teurs don't realize, however, is that the choice of
.
usic is crucial. Again referring to movies, Imag-
10
ine if you were to play hard core death metal in
Cit of Angels, or Amy Grant in The Mod Squad.
It just ruins the whole mood. It's the same with
the intermission music. The lights could have been
better, but they were good enough. In shor, the
point I want to get across is that intermission mu
sic does it all, All Hail Magnus "The soundmaster"
Franklin!
3 00 Kilometers for Charity
by Jonatha Schwarz.
It's three in the morng. You're nice and warm in
your sleeping bag, and try to forget that you're at
school. You feel someone kicking you.
"What do you want?" You ask sleepily.
"Get up, you have to run!" your fiend re
plies. You slowly get up, put your pants and sweater
on, and walk outside to the field, where two of
your classmates have been running for the last half
hour. They tag you, and you and your partner be
gin to slowly jog around the soccer field. Afer the
first lap, your partner asks you to walk. You slow
down, and walk around the feld for half an hour,
then tag the next two people who have come out
to run. Tired and sore, you walk back to the room
where everone is asleep. You lay down inside your
sleeping bag, trying to ignore the aches that are
coming over your legs. As you drif of to sleep,
you think about the next running shif, three and a
half hours later. "It's worth it," you think to your
self and fall asleep.
All the students in the 9 A had to go through
this experience. It started when the class decided
that they wanted to participate in some activity that
would be challenging, but also teach them respon
sibility and how to work together. The class also
decided that they wanted to raise money for an
orphanage in doing this activity, and finally voted
on a 24-hour running relay. Two people ran laps
for half an hour, and then tagged two other people
who ran for half an hour. Everyone in the class ran
a half-hour shif with a partner, leaving three and a
half hours to rest between each run. The class spent
a lot of time organizing the event, getting permis
sion to do it, and planning activities to do while

others were running. The students also received

pledges fom people who paid an amount for every
kilometer they ran. Finally, the day of the 24-hour
running relay came. On November 12, 1999,
Jonathan Schwarz and Sebastian Gomez began the
run at 10:00 A. Soon everyone was involved.
Throughout the day, teachers and students came
by to support the runners. Those who weren't run
ning played basketball or football at first, but afer
their first two or three shifs, were too tired to con
tinue doing any other activity. The students just sat
down and chatted with fiends while they waited
for their next shif.
At night, everybody complained about how
cold it was, and waited for his or her tum to run in
the bitter coldness. The next day, the students par
ticipated in the fve-kilometer Fun Run, but most
of them walked the entire time. At the end, the stu
dents ran over 500 kilometers, a distance equal to
running from Guatemala City to Tikal. The students
are very proud of their strong accomplishment for
the small orphanage that they will help.
A Golden Agel
By Daniela Marinez
He was golden like.the sun's rays, and his radiant
smile shined like the stars. He was gracefl, pow
erfl and swif. Hi
s
curious eyes seemed to stare
beyond the world, :timidly brown. His happy tail
swiped everything in its path, yet we didn't mind.
It was a symbol that he was happy, even during
hard times. Somehow, his happiness was catchy,
even in my most depressing moments. He was my
shadow and companion in every way. He barked
when I laughed, sighed when I sighed, and whined
when I cried. I got home, and he was already wait
ing for me at the door. Down the stairs I went to
have lunch, and down the stairs he trotted to keep
me company. When it was sunny, he lay down in
his "spot" in the garden, where he warmed with
the sun.
At night, when we gathered in the family
room and watched TV, he lay down on the carpet
and chewed his bone. His presence gave a feeling
of comfort and safety, for he would bark at the
slightest noise. Then, Dad came home from work
and all of his attention was drawn to "his" Daddy.
He jumped all over him, and barked with joy. Then,
he settled down. Once my dad lay down on his sofa,
he would lay with him, and fall into a tender, peace
fl late nap. Once in a while, he wagged his tail,
probably dreaming of treats and bones and colored
balls. Then, at about 8:30 p.m., it was his time to
go to his "cucha" (kennel). In he went, and ate one
last treat until the morrow.
I the morng, barks ad whines announced
that his sleep was over, and his stomach gmbling.
He flew out of his "cucha" and grateflly licked
my hands. When I wasn't the one to open his ken
nel, he would trot to my room, and with three lov
ing licks he would wake me up.
And then . . . there was that day. He got sick
and couldn't pee right. We thought it was just tem
porary, but we took him to the vet to be safe. He
told us what we least expected: it was a tumor in
the bladder. He didn't know whether it was a re
movable tumor or not, so an operation was planned.
I prayed and prayed that God would save my dog's
life, because I loved him so much. He was more
than just a dog. His mere presence made me feel
cozy and safe. I had grown dependent to his faith
fl love and company. I knew the hardship that
would come if he died, yet I had so much hope he
would not. Still . . . I don't knOw. Maybe deep in
side me I really knew that his time had come. In
deed, God had another will.
On that gloomy September 21'\ 1999, our
loving Morgan lef with the rain and the chilly wind.
I think I cried more than it rained. I just defed the
fact that Morgan had lef us forever. I had a very
bitter, empty feeling in my heart and throat. Things
just wouldn't be the same without him. But . . .
I believe there is a place for animals. I be
lieve he's stealing God's slippers, and running about
in heaven. And, I believe he is happy. If God took
him, then I believe. He was just more than a dog.
He was an angel sent to us from God, because he
made my whole family better people. He taught us
responsibility, patience, and most important, love.
I still cry inside myself for him, every day. Yet,
time heals pain. And I believe the I will reach the
point where one day I will wake up and only re
member the good times we had together. I mean,
pain can't last forever, right?
11-
A Hellish Ride Home
By Kurt Rupprecht
Riding the bus to and from school hardly
carries the "loser" stigma that it carried at my oid
school in the States. It is very important to con
sider however, that nearly 90% of the high school
student body rely on the bus as their principle form
of transportation. Yet I cannot justifiably compare
our school here to my oid school in the States. I
must say that the idea of riding the bus even though
I'm a senior, really doesn't bother me all that much.
However, any self-respecting teenager with a license
in the States would rather die than ride the school
bus.
When considering my personal situation (I
don't have a car), the bus is definitely the best pos
sibility. Furthermore the mentality that I expressed
earlier as to my acceptance of the situation would
be true under normal circumstances. However, my
ride home on the bus hardly falls into the bracket of
normal.
While I would rather not disclose the identities of
the other individuals who ride my bus for disciplin
ary reason, I will say that it is a pretty wild ride. My
entire ride home consists of the constant dodging
of various fying projectiles. Everything from the
basic paper ball to "God only knows what," has
flown by my head at one point or another. Riding
the bus requires your constant concentration or else,
-BLAM!- half a tangerine right in your face. But
avoiding being hit by something is only part of the
story. The other part, the much longer part, involves
the time that I must spend on the bus.
As we all know the buses depart fom school
at around 3: 00. Now I understand that I won't nec
essarily be the frst one of, but the 2nd to last.
However, the fact that I am the 2nd to last one to
get of isn't the fact that bothers me, but rather the
fact that it takes one hour for a ride that should take
20 minutes. I can understand 35 minutes or even
50 minutes, but an hour? Give me a break!
Being that this is my third year on the bus,
you can understand my fustration at a bus ride that
has become increasingly longer every year. But I
must say that I have become adapt to my "Hellish
12
Ride Home." I mean, it toke me a while, but now
it just feels like second nature. While I know it is
not likely, I still feel that there exists a glimmer of
hope, that my bus-route might be changed. So
that for the first time, I might get home in time to
see the light of day.
Contemporary Music Review
By Jeremy Berke
What makes a good music abum? The fact
that the record had sold, say, a million albums, and
it's playing on the radio ever fve minutes? If you
are a slave to pop culture, and your recreational
activities consist solely of watching TR and at
tending Britney Spears concerts, then your answer
to the latter question is probably "Yes." Oh yes,
it's true, unless you are a young teenybopper girl
or mildly dea pop music has as much musical value
as a whoopee cushion. So unless your Limp Bizkit
CD is stuck in the player, try one of these:
Rage Against the Machine
The Batle of Los Angeles
Epic Records
Aer four years of silence, Rage Against
the Machine is back, with Te Battle of Los Ange
les. Rage Against the Machine, RAM for short,
has been around since 1991, when the band formed
in Orange County, Califora. The band consists
of Zack de la Rocha on vocals, Y Tim K. with the
bass, Brad Wilk on the drums, and Tom Morello
plays guitar. The music is a fsion of hard-core
rock, hip-hop, and white fnk. Their debut album,
which is self titled, sold platinum in at least one
third of all industrialized nations around the world.
It is very rock oriented, and most of the tracks are
fll of energy. RATM's second release, Evil Em
pire, didn't do as well worldwide, and didn't re
ceive as good reviews as their debut album. Ex
cept for the tracks "People of the Sun," Bulls on
Parade," and "Revolver," Evil Empire lacked the
enthusiasm or "Rage" that the frst album pos
sessed.
Te Battle of Los Angeles came as a long
awaited surprise to RAM fans that hadn't heard
any news of the band since their single "No Shel-

ter" for the Godilla soundtrack. The overall level

of energy or "Rage," still isn't quite as high as that
the first album, which is considered their best by
many. Athough not as energetic, the album lives
up to the RM standard. Unlike some other hard
core bands (cough, cough, Kor), the music is still
"rage" and they prove that they haven't "sold out"
yet.
To the true RAM fan, "They've done it
again." Well, not quite. The messages conveyed
through the music are about the same, "Take a stand
against injustice, revolt against the Yankee pig that
are in control of the goverment, revolt against the
fascists for freedom. " The main diference is their
deepness; the lyrics are a good attempt at poetry.
That is, if one likes their poetry with screeching
guitars and fat bass lines.
The most outstanding tracks are "Guerilla
Radio," "Calm like a Bomb" and "Ashes i the Fall."
"Guerilla Radio" is fast, energy packed call to pi
rate radio stations, comparable to "People of the
Sun" from Evil Empire, which also resembles to
the "Bomb Track" fom their debut album. "Ashes
in the Fall" is possibly the most original song made
in 1999. Tom Morello, RAM's guitarist, has al
ways been well known for his uncanny ability to
emulate a DJ's turtable mixer with his axe, but
the sounds that he creates for this "Ashes in the
Fall" are truly awe inspiring. When the fying sau
cer/alien phaser sounds are heard, it's hard to be
lieve they were all made by a guitar, and even harder
to believe that they could be used to concoct an
excellent song. "Calm like a Bomb" is also very
motivating, and its hip-hop oriented beats reveal a
completely new style of the band. Unfortunately
though, the slow moving, energy lacking style is
copied throughout the album, and at times, it seems
like one big, long song.
All and all, for all true, had core Rage fans
out there, Te Battle of Los Angeles is a must have.
But for someone seeking an inspiration to revolt
against the machine, their debut album is a better
choice.
Dr. Dre
The Chronic: 2001
Unilnterscope Records
Track four of Dr. Dre's newest compilation,
"Still D.R.E.," just about sums it up. Like any other
music genre, this album is probably the latest rev
elation to most hip-hop fans. But for people who
fail to see the inspirational spirit that rap music has
to ofer it al sounds the same. Sure, most of the
metal that came fom the 80's sounds the same,
which is to say, fom a 90's generation perspec
tive, "bad." Has anyone ever come up with the
idea that hip-hop is sort of like the hard rock of the
90's? Some day, rap will also be reduced to a two
CD set "Best of the 90's" compilation.
There is no need to mention the themes of
Dr. Dre's new album. They're all basically the same
as any other "G-fnk" record. There is a slight
diference though; this album has a major emphasis
on the retur of the producer/rapper Dr. Dre (Andre
Young) to the music industry. Tracks like "Still
D.R.E." and "The Watcher" is basically Dr. Dre
and fiends' telling the world that he's back and
better than ever.
The overall musical quality of the CD, which
has no relevance to lyrics, is actually pretty good in
this album. Like all other Dr. Dre albums, there's
plenty of work, by fellow contemporary rappers,
like Eminem, Xibet, Mary 1. Blige as well as other
notable artists. With all of these artists providing
just as much work as Dre himself the album is a
dream come true for "G-fnk" fans.
Other than people who can't stand gang
ster rap's redundant references to criminal and pro
fane activities, the only other people who may truly
oppose this harmless record are die-hard Stanley
Kubrick fans. Why? The album's name and cover
were obviously ripped of of Kubick's 2001: A
Space Odyssey. Oh yea, Dr. Dre used a Hal replica
to sample the harp sounds used i most of the tracks.
13-
Elective Critique
by Won Joon Kim
What are electives? Better, what comes to
your mind when you hear the word, "elective"?
Some people might think of the word "choice",
while others might think of the word "option". Stu
dents in Colegio Maya think that the electives class
is an obligatory class, just because the students are
not given enough choices to choose fom. For the
ninth grade there are five classes that we can choose:
Publications; Drama; Computers; Choir; and A.
Choir and A are always fll, then for Drama you
have to audition so in the end there are only 2 classes
lef which are Computers and Publications. Some
people are stuck in these two classes because the
rest of the electives are fll, making these students
obliged to take that class. I am not saying that Pub
lications ad Computers are bad electives, but some
people might not like to write, and others might not
like to type. I personally think those fve classes for
the whole high school is really bad. The students
want more varieties of electives meaning that they
want new and better elective classes such as more
languages (Swahili), or more teachers for the classes
that we already have. For example, we could have
another teacher for choir or another teacher for art
(the classes are just packed).
The possibilities are endless, but I just hope
that we get more electives for the sake of our school.
.
14
Elian
by Jaie Rudert
Miami is a city of cultural diversity. Driv
ing through its many neighborhoods one can find
groups of Cubans, Haitians, Dominicans, Nicara
guans, Colombians, Venezuelans and people fom
just about every Latin American country. It has
also been the center of fierce political debate over
the custody of a young boy named Elian Gonzalez.
Never before have I seen such an exaggerated
amount of media coverage over a family dispute.
-Who is Elian Gonzalez and why has he become
one of the most famous people of the year?
Elian Gonzalez, at the age of six, lef Cuba
with his mother and her boyfiend trying to find a
better life in the United States. The rickety raf
that this doomed family traveled on came apar in
the Atlantic Ocean, yet the mother was brave
enough to attach her son to an inner tube hoping
that someone would pick him up. She lost her life,
but saved Elian's and two days afer their depar
ture into the strait that separates the Florida Keys
fom Cuba, Elian was picked up by a group of fsh
ermen. Violating interational law, the fishermen
decided not to contact the U. S. Coast Guard and
alert them of the presence of the illegal immigrant,
and instead headed to port with the child. He was
delivered to his Miami relatives Thanksgiving Day
of last year and has been in Miami ever since.
When Elian arrived in the United States,
he instantly became a topic of discussion among
people with opinions about immigration. The Mi
ami Cuban community (opponents of the Castro
regime) seized on the opportunity and used Elian
as a "poster child" to express their dislike of a
"communist Cuba." He was allowed to recover at
his uncle's home in "Little Havana," Miami, and
was admired by many people around the world.
He was even taken to Disneyworld by the Mayor
of Orlando (a Cuban exile himself and was given
hundreds of toys for Christmas. As time wore on,
a battle for custody grew ensued. The Cuban ex
ile community would later on stage protests at
Flagler Street, the port of Miami, and at the

Miami Interational Airport. Like most of the non
Cuban community in Miami, I saw the disturbances
as a nuisance, due to the fact that I was recovering
fom ear surgery. As members of the exile com
munity were annoying the rest of Miami, Elian's
father, back in Cuba, began to speak out in def
ance of his relatives and the Cuban community in
Miami, and demanded the retur of his son. He
was interviewed by INS ofcials and found to be a
caring, loving father. The basis of the custody is
sue was whether to give custody to the uncle in
Miami, or to retur Elian to his father in Cuba.
Many people tured this into a political question:
Should Elian remain in America where there is free
dom and a chance for a happy life, or to retur him
to the oppressive dictatorship of Fidel Castro?
The Immigration Naturalization Service
(INS), afer carefl review of Eli an's case, came to
the conclusion that according to US. law, Elian
would have to go back to Cuba. Both President
Bill Clinton and Attorey General Janet Reno sup
ported the INS decision and still do today. When
asked about the Elian dispute Janet Reno re
sponded,
"If we got into a situation where American
children ended up abroad and American
parents wanted them retured, and a
foreign country made them citizens so
that they did not retur, I don't think
people in the United States would be very
happy about it."
The INS set a deadline for his retur to January 15.
In defiance to this decision, Elian's family in Miami
decided to appeal to a local court in Florida (the
INS is a federal organization) for custody of the
child. The judge at the
other hearing would be set for March 6. Elian's
Miami family saw this as a victory and the Cuban
exile community praised the decision and decided
to stop protests. A couple of days later, the INS
ruled that a local court could not overtur an its
decision. Yet, Janet Reno promised to delay the
deadline for his retur by a couple of days. Re
cently, Elian's two grandmothers were allowed to
come to the US. and will meet with him at a neu
tral site in Miami on Saturday the 28t. The Elian
Gonzalez case is a very delicate matter and has gone
as far as to spur debate between political parties
(mainly Republicans and Democrats). Senator
Connie Mack, a Republican fom Florida stated,
"This is a little boy whose life is going to
be afected by a decision. I want the deci
sion to be made on the basis of his best
interest, not some IS immigration law,
and it's that simple for me."
This leads us to where the fasco is now, at a stand
still. Neither side will give in and the INS won't
take action because of fear of ofending the public.
hearing, a Puerto Rican
woman whose cam-
What is your opinion on the custody battle for Elian Gonzalez?
. paign manager is the
same camprgn manager
for the leader of the Cu
ban exile community
(what a coincidence),
ruled that there was suf
fcient evidence to grant
temporary custody to
the uncle and that an-
o I believe that he should be allowed to stay in the US.
o I believe that he should be retured to Cuba
*Mark your answer and submit slip to MailBox 46, Victoria Gllespie.
Thanks!
The results of this poll will be printed in the next publication
15
---
STRSS
By Niki Wilkinson
Stress. What is stress? Stress is pressure
taken fom all angles and put together to make your
life a living nightmare. So, how do most people
cope with this thing called stress? Well, they tr to
calm down and analyze the situation. That never
works. Stress will always be around, and there re
ally isn't anything we can do to eliminate it.
It's not that people welcome stress with open
arms, its part of our lives. It's how we shape our
lives. Everyone in this world is stressed in one way
or another. For example, adults are stressed be
cause of work and teens are stressed because of
school. Even little kids think that they are "stressed"
by all those hard games they play at school.
So just how are we supposed to rid our
selves of stress? One thing that you can do is com
pletely shut yourself out fom the outside world.
The best way to do this is to stay at home and make
four new friends (the walls in your rooms). While
this method might eliminate stress, your mental sta
bility would be in jeopardy. In conclusion, you can
never win with stress. We just need to keep living
with it.
Toys
By Daniel Wad
Pokemon.
Pokemon is an evil that has gripped Aerica's fag
ile youth for almost two years now. Pokemon is a
horribly written, animated Japanese cartoon, that
isn't even popular in Japan. Pokemon in all its te
diousness is a perfect example of the power of
American advertising.
Star Wars
My parents bought my little brothers "light sabers"
for Christmas so they could re-enact Episode One
and pretend to be "Jedi Masters. " My brothers
. 16
slashed away and fought epic battles of good and
evil. . While they rested, I examined one of their
light sabers. I noticed that on the side there was a
warng label :
"DO NOT STRI PEOPLE OR OBJECTS."
Furby
Furby is considered to be one of the frst "interac
tive" toys. It speaks, listens, loves and reacts to
stimulation of sight, sound and touch. Furby really
acts and reacts to your child. Unlike the Gigapet,
Furby is a physical object (and terribly cute, I might
add). Furby also depends on the love of your child
to stay happy and healthy.
The other day while I was watching CNN I saw a
clip where a couple of child psychologists were
interviewed. They concluded that Furbies are ac
tually very harmfl toys for children. They said that
children tend to take the Fury for really beig alive,
and that the children fear that their Furby depends
on them.
I
Stand By Me
I ask nothing fom you.
I just want to have you by my side
Don't ask any questions,
Must understand
I carry tears in my laughter,
And my smiles are hollow
My nights are endless sorrow
So please,
Stad by me
And give me your love.
By Amaranta Villar
Into Your Self
Come with me to this jouey
Where time will not pass
It's a dark and mysterious place
Though fowers bloom and angels
Sing.
There are no worries and no
Fears
You need nobody;
You' ll be fee, you'll be happy
This place is not far
Just look deep enough
Into your self
By Amaranta Villar
Rainbow
If you see a rainbow,
You might be happy to see all those colors,
So fll of life and joy
But it might remind you
Of how it was before darkness took over
And stole all the love and wa feelings
people had.
Dakness will be there for ever,
A rainbow comes and disappeas.
By Amaranta Villar
Where is the fture?
Do you know where's the stop for the fture?
How do you fmd the tpike for the past?
Will we lea fom our mistakes, or will we
make them all over again?
Is the destiny written in stone, or is fate ous
to make?
Can one see what's ahead or are we all blind
to the fog of the upcoming?
You make te decision.
Can you predict it?
by Daniel Ward
Forever Changed
Bleeding head injury
sorrowl mous and prayer
Death came frst, life came last
Barbituates relieve the pain
Narcotics stem the mind
Acid enforcers encouraged
In defance to God
the child wakens
forever changed
By Jamie Rudert
1 -
Return of the Ha i ku
A lonesome sta shines
Above a world dark in pain
The light is shut out
Wind blowing through tees
Leaves rustle with happiness
Joy is in nature
A gentle snow falls
The land becomes very pale
Al life is now lef
Tall gass on a plain
Home to many anals
It stands tall and proud
The sun in the sky
Praising the earth with bright rays
But soon it is gone
Calm waves break on shore
The blue water is gentle
The tide starts on out
A forest with life
Green trees and plants all around
The heart of the earth
. 18
The buildings stand tall
Cities have taken over
What have humans done?
By Jonathan Schwarz

<:
{
Publication class
Oh what a wonderfl class
You wish you were here
The beautifl house
It is flled with excitement
I wish I was there
The birds are chirping
Look at those beautifl ones
The weather is getting cold
by Won Joon K

"
*
'
' r
.
A
*
'
=
# =

A
"
"
A
#
A
"

*
=

A
+
A
'
A
*

A
.
I
=
r

t
1
A
*
11130/99
Dear Editor,
I am writing in regards to the article entitled "Animal Rights Now!" by Lucia Lopez in Issue 1 of the
"Ths Side Up" publication. While I wholeheartedly agree that there is widespread abuse of anmals
throughout the world, as an avid outdoorsman I strongly disagree with the broad generalizations in
ferred towards hunters.
I come fom a long tradition of hunting in my family. In the last 15 years I have sought afer deer,
pig, duck, geese, turkey, dove, quail, pheasant. For me the sport of hunting is initiated primarily be
cause of my love for the outdoors and my enjoyment in marksmanship. There are thousands of others
like me who respect the outdoors and seek to maintain and improve it.
The idea that hunters "don't use their kill for food or clothing for their families" is a farce. At my
home in the States one could open my refrigerator at any time and find a healthy supply of fozen
meats, waiting to be thawed and cooked. By the time I am done skinning and field dressing a deer,
there is approximately 100 lbs. of venison sitting in my feezer that my family and I proceed to eat
throughout the course of the following year. While there are hunters out there who do abuse their
sport, much the same as there are others in the world who abuse their profession, nearly all of those I
have come into contact with are environmentally and conservationally minded.
You graciously acknowledge animals for their contributions in the area of our food. I ask you, what
is the diference between myself and the thousands of other hunters out there and PolIo Lindo? Hunt
ers seek food for their families in sporting, non-tortuous methods, similar to the way millions flock to
the supermarkets each and every day.
In closing I would also like to point out the eforts by hunters not only to use the environment, but
also to maintain it and see it fourish. As a member of Ducks Unlimited, a conservationist organiza
tion in the western United States, I know that my annual dues go to the creation and maintenance of
valuable wetlands. Biologists working for organizations such as this one spend their days construct
ing habitats, fighting devastating diseases, and making sure that man's impact on the lives of out na
tional treasures is greatly reduced.
Since the Stone Age man has enjoyed a rich tradition of hunting. It is our responsibility to see to it
that this tradition continues.
Sincerely,
M. King
Tha you, M. King, for your input. I i complete ageement that this article was
poorly supported, and contained more emotion than fact.
Sincerely Ku Rupprecht, Editor.
19-
g
`