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Community, OPCC by Miku

Ocean Park Community Center
OPCC is a fabulous homeless shelter for homeless people,
OPCC gives opportunities and inspiration for each and every homeless,
The homeless are able to get back on track
learn new things for the world out there.
Figure out their mistakes from the past
and most important of all,
happiness and love one another.
It's like starting a new diary,
a fresh, clean page to store all of your thoughts and feelings.
So many volunteers to help them put a smile on their beautiful faces.
Especially when I walked inside and heard
inspirational stories from real people.
Even though they lost and left everything they owned,
lived on the streets.
They never gave up HOPE.
OPCC is the organization that puts the pieces of life back together.
All it takes is some love and smiles.


By:Miku






"You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.“


Albert Schweitzer

Lookin Within... I wonder by Rebecca

I wonder…

Why the world is round.
What’s beyond the universe.
If there is an end.
Why god made a cruel world.
If there’s really heaven and hell.
Why we make war and not peace.
Why there is death.
There is suffering.
If there’s going to be a cure for cancer.
If life can be sweet.
Why there are heartbreakers.
Why people lie.
Why people cry.
What “true friends” mean.

By Rebecca

Lookin Within I am... by Nicole

I am full Persian, Jewish, and proud
I am unsure of who I am
I am known by my friends as Nicole, Nicki, Nita, or Nyquil
I am known by people at my school as freak, Pinocchio, idiot, loser, annoyance, flatsville, and ugly
I am sometimes rejected or hated by people at my school because it is the trend
I am modestly dressed and pretty welcoming and friendly to everyone
I am Apples dipping into honey and latkes frying
I am proud of not just letting myself go to be respected and keeping my basic morals
I am Nicole Eshter Daghighian a modest friendly young woman and proud 

(written in 7th grade-2007 during Rosie's Girls summer camp)

By Nicole

Click here for 2008 I am poem by Nicole

Good times!

Looking Within By Riley

I am Riley Byrne nature is my best friend
I am intriguing and curious
I am strong and proud
I am cautious of many things
I am Irish with a little Danish thrust in
I am fun, energetic, and always ready to help
I am someone who will put a smile on your face
I am dedicated to anything I set my mind to
I am a vegetarian that loves the outdoors
I am a Pisces; I love to be in the water
I am everything I want to be

Riley Byrne

Rosie's Girls: Experience by Maria Jose

Rosie's girls is a camp where girls get to express and do everything they thought they couldn't do like create chairs and clocks and more incredible and hard things. We also go to many trips and physical challenges in the summer camp. One of the challenges is like working like a fire fighter you go down ropes, carry hoses and also get people (dolls) out of a tunnel. You should try joining Rosie’s girls this summer if you want to challenge yourself.

By Maria

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ROSIE'S GIRLS AT THIS WEBSITE
http://www.smgov.net/hsd/crest/1rosiesgirls.htm

Woman in Media: Herstory by Ava

Mae Jemison

Have you ever heard this name? Probably not. Mae Jemison was the first woman of color to travel into space. She was also very intelligent and responsible. It seems weird that she isn’t known that well because she accomplished something really large. She helped women around the world be able to go into space.
Through out her life she was also a pediatrician. She got her medical degree from Cornell University in New York City and learned pediatrics at USC. Right now she is more of a doctor than an astronaut.
Are there any more jobs she could have had? The answer is yes. Currently, she is a professor at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. Plus, she started a camp called The Earth We Share that teaches kids about science. During her life, dancing and learning Swahili were big factors.
Mae Jemison was a very important person in the world. She should be appreciated and known to all. Now when someone asks, “ Do you know someone named Mae Jemison?” You can say yes.

By
Ava

Looking Within: Woman in the world by Elisa

What would the world be like if there were no women?


If you think about everything your mom does everyday for you, there would be many things. Know think about every mom and what they do for their children, and add every other woman including girls of all ages. In the world there are more women/girls than boys, so imagine about two thirds of the world’s population gone. How would the men ever survive by themselves? There are many great girls and women in the world that we look up to, one great example is our mom’s. Imagine a whole year without any mother’s, how would the world be impacted, well I think there would be disasters and no control of people. Imagine if Harriet Tubman didn’t help the slaves escape, would the world still be the same now? Think about Hilary Clinton, if she never ran for president would there ever be a brave woman to do so? What if Susan B. Anthony never spoke up for women would we ever have that right to vote? (Susan B. Anthony wrote the “Susan B. Anthony amendment”, and after she died, it became the 19th amendment, and it gave women the right to vote)
Think of all these women who did the right thing for the future, there are many more famous women that have done good for this world, and not all of them are famous. You never know you might be the next women to do something like these women have done for us. You probably haven’t noticed but I bet you have done something great already. Always follow what you want and never give up.

By Elisa

Community: Powerful Girl Next Door by Miku

Interview of Renee Manger (resident of Santa Monica)
Q. What is or was your job?
A. My job was a flight attendant but I retired, but now I just help my friends' businesses.

Q. What did you do as a flight attendant?
A. Basically i made sure everyone was alright on the plane.

Q. Are there any favorite memories you remember?
A. Definitely, I traveled different places, meet new people, and discovered how to make my own tea in many different ways.

Q. What do you mean you made your own tea?
A.I grew up in a house where coffee was really bad for us so we drank tea all the time. So when I was a flight attendant, my other workers showed me new styles of tea.

Q. Do you consider it to be an easy job or a hard job?
A. Well, nothing is really easy but I say it would be a hard job if you don't like it. For me waking up early is not the easiest part but when slip into my flight attendant clothes I change my energy.

Q. Is there a different job that you would have done?
A. Yes I would have been a writer/or a speaker because I do that daily at home.

Q. Why a writer or speaker?
A. I love expressing myself with words because to me it creates a vivid description. Also, I love speaking because I can tell someone things with emotions and people get it.

Q. Do you help people out everyday?
A. I try as much as possible. Right now I am helping my friends stores, and cleaning up a neighbors house.

Q. Do you know the program Rosies Girls?
A. Yes.

Q. What have you heard about it?
A. I've heard they could make different items using their creativeness. Also they are able to show teamwork, friendship, and self-confidence in them. Also it is to show girls have the same power as guys do.

Q. Would you do Rosie’s Girls?
A.I would love to.

Q Why would you want to join Rosie’s girls?
A. it sounds like an experience of a lifetime. You get to overcome so many challenges and change your "I can't do this" to "I can do this any day!"

Q. What is one problem you are concerned of right now in the world?
A. Well, probably global warming because I really want people to experience the world that they have created. Since I have been to different places I would like to see someone see the world too.

Q. What kind of ways do you help keep the Earth clean?
A.-bike, walk, reuse my lunch, reuse my water bottles, turn off the water while brushing my teeth, instead of watching TV. I try to watch the sunset everyday.

Looking Within: Why do girls change? by Rebecca

Why do girls change who they are?



Some girls’ stay who they are, but there are some that change and become someone you don’t recognize. Those girls don’t realize this but it happens. But others do, such as parents and friends. Parents think it might be just to fit in and be cool to blend in with the crowd. While others think its because there friends are bad influence and force them to be something their not. And some, as I might say is sad, think it’s because they’re taking drugs. In school you meet new friends and have old friends, but sometimes when you make new friends they might be different from you. So you might think in order to be friends forever or as we say it “ BFFL” you have to change your style and change you personality. Like having attitude or talking slang or “ghetto” to be part of the group. But the problem is while your trying to be cool and be friends with a new person you don’t realize your hurting your true friends and your family. Of course you don’t realize this and think your friends are just jealous because you have a new friend, but sometimes its not. It’s because your so focus of tying to act cool and belong you don’t realize how your acting towards your fiends. But, don’t get me wrong, some girls don’t change at all and if they do its not bad. But there are some that change completely and the people that are your true friends and family realize you’re different. But sometimes this happens because a girl is going through changes and getting older so your trying to figure out who you want to be. But some only change to be “cool” or be like everyone else. While your becoming someone different to be included you might hear people say “ oh my god! You’ve change so much!” in a good way. But then there’s the bad way were people don’t like that you change. You might be thinking in your head “ I haven’t change” But if you just take a second and look in the mirror and think of what people been saying, you will realize you have changed. But all I’m trying to say is, if your trying to change who you are to become someone friend or just be consider “ cool” their not your true friend because they don’t like you for who you are. The people that are your friends for you are your true friends. The reason why I know this is because I have experience this and all I’m saying is if your in elementary be prepared for middle school because its full of drama and emotion. Middle school is like a rollercoaster, sometimes your up and sometimes your down.

By Rebecca

Women in Media: Are the Simpson's Sexist by Nicole

Are The Simpsons Sexist?
 The longest running animated show The Simpsons is funny, sarcastic, and very yellow, but could it be sexist?

On almost the same week that I got this journal, I saw a Simpsons episode that was about Homers carpentry job. Homer, as usual, does not have the ability to hammer a nail into a piece of wood. Marge on the other hand, as usual, is truly gifted with carpentry skills. The only problem is, if anyone in Springfield finds out that a woman is doing carpentry, they would go ballistic. Because of this Marge would hide in the tool cart and homer would get all of the credit. Now the shady area about this is that The Simpsons make fun of things so they might just be mocking/making fun of sexist people. BUT WAIT! In The Simpsons Movie, when Springfield finds out that Homer’s selfishness causes the dome over Springfield, Lisa is furious and wants to explode but Marge stops her and says “Lisa you’re a woman, you have to hold your anger” Its not just the fact that she said that, but the fact that she seemed serious and nobody in the theater laughed. So are The Simpsons sexist?

Community by Gianna

Community


Girls have to have a place were they can hang out. Like an art museum, a shopping mall, a public pool, or even a library. There are many fun things a girl can do. But sometimes we don’t think, and we can’t really think of anywhere to go, or do, but hey Im here to show you all the different places a girl can explore in Santa Monica.

The public library is a great place to read a book or catch up on some schoolwork. They also have activities for kids such as kid adventure book clubs, computer classes, and also a creative kids club. When you need to study you can rent out a study room in the kids section down stairs, but remember to bring your library card if you have one. The public library is located at 601 Santa Monica blvd. Monday- Thursday is opened 10am-9pm. Friday & Saturday is opened 10am- 5pm. Sundays opened 1pm-5pm. For more info go to www.smpl.org.

A great place to hang out is the Santa Monica is the pier or the beach! The great thing about it is that if your spending a day at the beach you might want to spend some time at the pier for a while, because their right next door to each other. The pier is a fun, exiting amusement park. There are rides, cotton candy, popcorn, mini golf, games, and more! Every year they have the young actors from your favorite T.V shows come down to sign autographs representing the Santa Monica arts program. The beach is a great place to relax, get a sun tan, and to swim in the hot sun. You can also rent some bikes, roller skates, and also banana bikes there really fun to ride around.

Another great place to hang out is the promenade it’s a great to walk around with your friends and family and spend time together. There are stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and a big mall at the very end of the promenade. What also is cool is when you walk down, there are people performing such as break dancers, singers, musicians, and also some weird things such as smashing glass with your bare feet, standing on your head for 15min, and being wrapped in a chain and getting out of it in a quick amount of time. The promenade is located on 3rd street and Wilshire.

There are many places in Santa Monica as you can see, but I just can’t sit here telling you every single spot, on every single street. So here I named a list of places you can also check out.

• Santa Monica collage pool (public pool)
• The yellow balloon hair salon (kids hair salon)
• Bowling ally
• Pink berry ( located 17th & Montana)
• Santa Monica playhouse (acting classes)
• Lincoln park
• Ahhas (a store with games, toys, party supplies, and Halloween costumes.)
• YMCA (a workout place for kids & adults as well as classes. for more info visit www.ymca.net.)
• Yoga works (classes for kids & adults)

I hope this helped you see all the places in Santa Monica, well most of it. Santa Monica is a great, safe, fun, and peaceful environment and we have to use it. Go and search these places I suggested and you will enjoy yourself I guarantee it.






By: Gianna

Looking Within- Waverly

I am beauty in the Dark
I am an African Princess looking for a way out
I am black braids floating down my broad shoulders
I am a white Bengal tiger strutting the runway
I am the Mercury in a thermometer boiling hot
I am a snake slithering slowly through the savanna
I am fabulous and glamorous
I am a fox quick while quiet hiding mysteriously
I am a diamond in the rust needing to be buffed
I am strangely perfect
I am like Pluto undiscovered
I am like a waterfall never-ending wonders
I am black, black is beautiful
I am Christian
I am beauty in the dark

By Waverly

Women in Media: HerStory by Nicole

HerStory is Untold/Ignored Great Women In History


As great as Rosa parks, Anne Frank and Sacagawea are, there are some other women in history that are not too recognized for what they did.
* Name: Irena Sendler
* Year of birth: 1910
* When she started her work: 1942
* What she did: She helped rescue 2500 (and yes that’s 2500) Jewish children and babies escape the Nazi death camps and what is so great is the fact that she is not Jewish and has no really close relation to Jews. “I was taught that if a man is drowning, it is irrelevant what is his religion or nationality” Sendler states “One must help him. It is a need of the heart.” Although this quote is leaning to the male gender, it is extremely deep (and she probably would have meant women too).

By Nicole

Rosie's Girls by Anamika

During World War 2 the United States of America needed men to fight against Germany's Nazis'. All ages and types of the men were forced to fight for their country and be in the presence of war. Since at that time women did not have that many rights and usually were house wives, men obviously took control of paying jobs and ran the country. Entitled to World War 2's demand of America's men at war, there were no men to take control of the jobs and the country. In order to keep America running while their sons and husbands were gone, the women took over and learned how to do the impossible ever done in history. They learned how to be blacksmiths, carpenters, handy people, shoe makers, and etc.

After World War 2 men came back to their country and wanted to have their job's back, but the women liked their taste of independence and wanted to keep that. There was a strike held of gender equality such as "girls can do anything boys can do". Organizations were created for women who had a desire to take on jobs that were said that only guys were capable of doing, and Rosie the Riveter was created. Rosie the Riveter is a fictional character that symbolizes the historical beginning of women.

By Anamika

Riveting...

Lookin Within by the Street Team

I am Street Team
I am a strong leader
I am the writer of THE RIVETER
I am diverse
I am a book critic
I am a saw cutting through everything
I am a public speaker
I am a prism that can see different angles
I am pizza, chips, and dinner time
I am an excellent source of energy
I am a social worker caring about others
I am an Emmy winner from City TV
I am a publisher and graphic designer
I am on an unforgettable experience
I am meeting new people, a friend, a person
I am discovering myself and my writing talents
I am a person that always finds light in the dark
I am an interesting book that is unpublished
I am an untold story
I am carpenter
I am welder
I am a plumber
I am a great girl and I am not an object
I am a super shero in my world.

By The Street