Snapchat is an iPhone and Android app that has recently taken the teenager market by storm. It is a photo messaging application in which users can send a picture of themselves, often with doodles or text on it. To view the message, recipients must hold down the picture link, and after a set time limit, is deleted from both phones and the Snapchat database. Much of the appeal of Snapchat is that it allows users to take and send silly photos that they might otherwise avoid, because every picture is self-deleting. In theory, there is no fear of their pictures being saved on someone else’s phone.

    However, there is a flaw in the privacy features of the popular picture messaging app – recipients can take a screenshot with their phones to save any picture that is sent. To counteract this, Snapchat includes a feature that notifies the sender if their picture has been saved. Unfortunately, a method has been discovered that prevents senders from knowing that a screenshot has been taken. This opens up a new issue with Snapchat – what happens when you send something you might regret if it were saved?

  The supposed safety and privacy of Snapchat has recently brought up concerns that it could be used as a method for sexting without fear of consequences. Many experts say that the inclusion of a time limit on image viewing could encourage teens to send inappropriate (or even illegal) images to each other. With the new workaround on screenshots, these
images could be saved without their knowledge and distributed to other people. This creates a threat of very serious legal and social consequences. 
 
    Recently a scandal occurred at a New Jersey high school in which two female students took naked pictures of themselves and sent them to a boy they knew. He ended up screen-shotting the images and putting them on Instagram. The images ended up spreading throughout the high school, leading authorities to file charges of child pornography possession.  Needless to say, the girls at the center of the issue were none too pleased about what happened.

  This is not meant as a condemnation of the Snapchat phone application. In fact, I find that, when used appropriately, the app can be a very entertaining time-waster, and a great way of having fun with friends. However, users would be well advised to take some care when using the app. Before doing anything on the internet, people should always remember that nothing is really private. There will always be exploits and workarounds. It might be best to think twice before you act.

"Why take the class if you don't plan on taking the test?  That's all there is to it."  -- words from Dr. Howell, the AP US History teacher.  The teacher considers taking the AP test mandatory for his class and worth a grade.  With test prices being over $90, some students think that this ultimatum is a bit over-the-top.  

     Where do the high costs come from?  Similar to Mesa's school lunch system, families with lower incomes are offered a much lower rate so that they may still be able to take the tests.  While the tests themselves have a heavy cost to begin with, a portion of the price comes from offsetting the cost of those with a reduced fee.  When a student enrolls in multiple AP tests, costs can quickly add up.  

     Some students don't have the means to pay for multiple tests, but do not qualify for reduced prices either.  They feel that they are forced to take the test that has more priority or that they are more likely to pass.  For example, if a student could only afford one of two tests they would choose the one that they felt would be more beneficial to them or that would be more worth the money.  These students argue that taking the AP test should not be mandatory, and that mandatory tests could even be considered illegal as a teacher is "forcing" students to pay for something.  Although in order to combat this specific problem, CMHS has offered to help students with multiple full-price tests pay by setting aside some money and setting up a list.  This list worked on a highest-need basis and helped approximately 20 students pay for their tests.  

     Howell mentioned this and other measures as things that students were responsible for taking action in. He stated, "Students who say that the price is stopping them, did not take responsibility, and utilize all the means that Mesa has offered.” 

With only four months of school left, Ms. Yoshihara accepted a teaching position most people probably would have rejected. She teaches 10th and 8th grade college prep English and 8th grade honors English in place of English teacher Mrs. Hays. This was a big change for the new teacher, but she was willing to do anything to reach her dream and become an English teacher. 

            Ms. Yoshihara did not always plan to be a teacher. In high school she wanted to be a psychiatrist because she loved helping people. However, after her senior year in high school she knew all she wanted to do was teach. During her senior year of high school, Ms. Yoshihara had an amazing AP literature teacher who showed her the importance of literature. She said, “He made the students like reading and writing and thought it would be so nice to show every student how to explore life through literature.”  After realizing the beauty of teaching English, Ms. Yoshihara went to UCI and majored in English and then got her teaching credentials, which brought her to Costa Mesa High School. 

            This is not her first year at CMHS. She first came to CMHS because she was assigned here as a student teacher with the middle school teacher Mrs. Murgu. As a student teacher she created wonderful relationships with the students and because of that she decided she wanted to come back to CMHS as a substitute teacher, which gave her the position she has now. 

            Ms. Yoshihara stated, “ It was hard adjusting to this new position because there was not much time to establish close relationships with the students and it was hard to jump in where they left off.” Even with these difficulties, Ms. Yoshihara is just happy to reach her dream and give the students small occasional epiphanies where they finally realize “Wow that’s so cool, I would have never thought of that!” 

            Even though she started teaching very late into the school year, many students say that they love her and think she is an amazing teacher. Student, Neil Zagada said, “Ms, Yoshihara is a pretty [great] teacher. Plus, she’s super chill.” 

            Outside of being a teacher at CMHS, Ms. Yoshihara is in a drumming group and plays two Japanese instruments called the Taiko, a huge drum, and the Koto, a thirteen-stringed instrument. She started playing them because she is Japanese- American and thought it would be rewarding to do something related to her culture. She took Japanese for four years in high school and two years in college, but she still is not fully fluent in the difficult language. 

            With only 3 and a half months of school left in the year, Ms. Yoshihara hopes to do the best job possible in her teaching, by helping her students achieve the “ah-hah!” moments that she loves so much.

We walk through the halls of the school, pushing and shoving through walls and walls of freshmen. The word is often spoken with a hint of disgust from haughty upperclassmen. The title of "freshman" is now synonymous with uncontrolled, lazy, childish. 

But how many freshmen conduct research on the effects of neurotoxins on planarian regeneration in their garage? 

Most students don't even know what half of those words mean, yet 14 year old Alyah Kanemoto speaks them with utter ease as she sets down her copy of Watership Down, the required reading for the Freshman Honors English class. 

"I performed all of my stuff in my garage," Alyah says with a humble smile upon her face. 

Ever since she walked into her fourth grade science classroom at Paularino Elementary, Alyah has developed a passion for science that is unusual among the average student. 

"I was really intrigued by the animal cell and I was the only kid that got the answer right, and I got really excited," Alyah recounts with a smile on her face. "I was about 10 years old."

Supported by her parents, Alyah spends hours in her garage exposing tapeworms to neurotoxins, cutting off their heads, waiting for the heads to grow back, and testing their new eye receptors and their phototaxis responses, which indicates whether or not their eyes work correctly. 

"A neurotoxin is a chemical that affects the neurosystem, and a planarian is a flatworm. If you cut its head off, it'll regenerate, and I'm focusing on the eye receptors," Alyah explains.

Working with live animals is a far cry from the majority of science fair projects done by students, and Alyah's passion for science has rewarded her with two first place awards in middle school, and an award from the American Association of Clinical Chemistry in seventh grade. 

"Observation takes about 5 to 6 hours after school. It can even go to 2 or 3, even 4. Maybe 5 if they weren't cooperating. Working with live animals is not very easy, but you eventually get to it."

Alyah did the planarian experiment in eighth grade as well, but she didn't do as well as she hoped to.

"It was my first time in a new category, and so many things went on in my experiment, so many variables. Variables and trying to take observations in a certain period of time, because planarians have this certain period of time where they have this whole regeneration time, so if you don't get that time, it kind of screws it up and it's inconsistent."

Despite any shortcomings, her passion for science has always fueled Alyah to keep pushing ahead, and having a family who wholeheartedly supports her helps as well.

"My mom, she's into the science stuff too, so she's encouraging, and my dad helps me with my projects and putting them together, because he's into art," Alyah adds.  "I've always had that passion for [science], since I was about 6 years old I've always liked the whole science thing. It's just been something I've always grown up with because my family likes science."

The support continues as the freshman frantically prepares for the Orange County science fair, which is happening on March 18th at the OC Fairgrounds. This competition includes the best of the best science fair projects from across the county. It requires an oral presentation as well as a visual display.

"Mentally, you have to prepare for it because there are so many nerves going on and you don't want to mess up in front of the judges," Alyah responds. "If you say something wrong and it sounds weird, then they'll probably take off points."

When asked about her plans for the future, Alyah's eyes suddenly light up.

"I'm hoping that I will be able to go to medical school and be a pediatrician... I really want to specify in neurology, because that's what I'm doing right now, and stem cell research, which I really enjoy," she responds confidently. "I love kids, and it's biology. It all fits together. I'm hoping to go to UCLA and transfer to medical school."

In addition to science fair, Alyah sings for the Vocal Ensemble, and is a member of DELTA and MESA. She also began a Medical Club earlier this year.

"The beginning of this year, I started a Medical Club with Mrs. Kelly, and since I was new to high school and it was really weird, I was trying to adjust, it wasn't a full on club," Alyah says. "I'm hoping this semester to really put it out there and have people join."

It's a miracle this freshman has any free time at all, or finds time to do all of the things she does, but Alyah doesn't seem to mind at all.

"I have to manage my time, but sometimes I have to focus on a lot of stuff. I try to make it balance, but sometimes it doesn't always work out," Alyah responds with a slight smile.

"It's a lot, but I think I'll be able to do it!"

High school students are faced with one of the most critical decision of our lives: choosing which college(s) to apply and commit to. 

This process can obviously be quite stressful at times. At times, I refuse to even let myself think about college, because I am so stuck in this moment. It is an incredible milestone in our lives. We are forced to make “grown-up” decisions before we are realistically ready for that. 

A key factor that many seniors have found helpful in this college search is the campus visit. I have yet to hear of a campus that does not offer visiting days with professors and students, campus tours, or the chance to sit in on a lecture. My favorite opportunity is being able to stay in an actual college dorm. Not only would these college tours give you an idea of the academic aspect of a particular school, but they would also show you its social aspect. 

Whether you are staying local or going a little farther away, a campus visit is definitely something to consider. 

Seniors Jennifer Daley and Kristi Adams recently traveled to Long Island, New York to visit Hofstra University. Daley did not get all she was hoping for: “After visiting Manhattan and Hempstead (where Hofstra is), it made me realize that I almost wish I would have applied to New York University instead of Hofstra. The campus [of Hofstra] was great, but the area around it wasn’t exactly welcoming, plus the dorms weren’t that great,” stated Daley. Her visit ended up swaying her original opinion of the school. “I pictured the campus being in a nicer place; it’s kind of in the middle of nowhere, not my ideal location.” She couldn’t help but think, “Why would I travel all the way to the other side of the country to go to a school that isn’t close to what I absolutely want?” Daley has decided to put Hofstra on the side for now, to contemplate all her options.

I am, by no means, saying that all the seniors are going to have the ability and resources to travel to New York. But if you have a college in mind that isn’t exactly local, give it a shot. It may just change your whole perspective. 

That is exactly what happened with senior Jake Lux when he made the trip to Northern Arizona University. Most of us see colleges in pictures or brochures. Lux explained how much he favored seeing the campus and all the facilities in person. He was also able to engage in conversation and gather information from both students and the professors that he may someday work with.

The social aspect of a school is a much bigger deal than some might think. Lux previewed many of the different clubs and activities on campus. 

He “initially didn’t think [the school] was for him. It wasn’t intriguing, just seemed like another college.” After being aware of the opportunities the school offered, how the dorms looked, and the general area of the school, he decided he “could see [himself] living there for the next four years.”

Senior Molly Settles is committed to Johnson and Wales University in Denver, Colorado. She had the opportunity to travel to the school for a weekend and play with the volleyball team. She truly experienced how she could potentially be a student at that school.

“I absolutely fell in love with the school. Before going, I thought I would go there, and after going I knew I had to go there and no matter what because I loved everything about it and the city of Denver,” expressed Settles.

On the other hand, senior Chris Byers (like many others in the senior class) has decided to stay local and attend Orange Coast College. 

“My visit influenced my decision because [I was able] to see the campus and how difficult it is going to be to navigate my classes. Plus, who doesn’t want to go to a nice school? A nice campus makes me look forward to going to school because with a nice, neat atmosphere, it influences me to want to learn and achieve greater things,” Byers explained.

For those seniors who may be sure about a school, but have not visited, I would consider doing so. After all, this is where we could potentially spend the next four years of our lives.