Chatsworth High School The Clarion December 2008 2008: A Year Of Triumph And Tragedy College By Sam Bae and Wendy Chan time an African American has A Metrolink Costs Keep Staff Writers been elected president. After a train collided momentous race, he stood vic- with a freight Going Up Every year has its share of torious over McCain, becoming train in Chats- ups and downs, but 2008 was a the 44 th president. In his speech worth in Sep- By Erick Reyes and wild rollercoaster ride, and to an enormous crowd in Chi- tember, one of there are still a couple of weeks cago on election night, Obama Andy Situ the tragic events Staff Writers left to go. declared, “The road ahead will from 2008. The last 12 months brought be long. Our climb will be Photo from The financial crisis is mak- exhilaration in the form of a steep. We may not get there in Yahoo Images historic presidential election one year or even one term, but ing it more difficult to get a col- and thrilling Olympic games, America—I have never been lege education. Faced with but also a terrible train wreck a more hopeful than I am tonight afraid. ing to and from the train’s engi- shrinking budgets, California couple of miles from campus, that we will get there. I promise Metrolink crash in Chats- neer just seconds before the ac- universities are raising tuition devastating wildfires in the hills you—we as a people will get worth cident may have contributed. It and cutting the number of appli- and an economic collapse that there.” He will be sworn into A Metrolink train collided was the deadliest crash in cants they will accept. Plus, stu- made 2008 look an awful lot the White House on Jan. 20, with a freight train in Chats- Metrolink’s history. dent loans are getting more ex- like 1932. Here’s a look back at 2009. worth on the afternoon of Sept. The economy tanks pensive and difficult to find. some of the most significant According to a survey con- 12, killing 25 people and injur- Home prices plummeted, For those hoping for stu- events of the last year. ducted by the Los Angeles ing 135 others. Chatsworth gas prices hit $4.50 a gallon, dent loans, lenders are charging The exciting election Times, this is how people feel High School was used as a re- more than a million people lost higher rates and demanding a This day signifies the end about Obama’s win: 57 percent unification site for passengers their jobs and the stock market high credit score due to the bad of the longest presidential cam- are hopeful or optimistic, 14 and their families. The cause is cratered. To try and keep the economy. This comes at a bad paign season in the United percent are proud, 9 percent are still under investigation, but country’s economic ship from time because the average debt States’ history , and the first disappointed, and 9 percent are authorities believe text messag- Continued on page 7 for college increased from $18,976 to $20,098 since 2007. College tuition and fees in- ‘Big Three’ creased by 6.4 percent at public universities, while room and board went up 5.2 percent. Running Many factors are working to make college more expen- Out Of Gas sive, including the dropping stock market, declines in dona- By Andy Situ tions, layoffs, foreclosures and Staff Writer minimal investments. Consider- Henry Ford began the mod- ing the way things are looking ern assembly lines using mass right now, people expect col- production for the Model T in lege prices to continue to rise 1908, the same year that Gen- until the 2010-2011 school eral Motors was founded. One year. hundred years later, Ford, GM While universities will be and Chrysler are reporting that charging more, the number of they will fail within months students admitted will decrease. unless they receive billions in CSU and UC campuses may not federal assistance. enroll all of the student appli- So, why should you care? cants, even those that meet all Well, the Center for Automo- of the requirements. That’s be- tive Research recently released cause Gov. Arnold Schwar- a study estimating that should zenegger is planning to cut off the Detroit three’s U.S. opera- $65 million from the $3 billion tions cease in 2009, 3 million in state funding for the schools. jobs would be lost. It would There will also be a 9.4 percent also reduce U.S. personal in- rise in college tuition. come by about $150 billion in "We recognize that the cur- the first year and $400 billion in Clarion staff photo rent economic situation has cre- three years. Cold, wet and windy weather hit Chatsworth this week. High winds Wednesday morning snapped this ated real financial challenges Continued on page 5 limb from a tree near S84. for students and their families, who are increasingly concerned about how they can secure loans to help cover college Ed Tech Academy Gets Trouble Brewing For costs," said Secretary of Educa- tion Margaret Spellings in the LA Times. Grant For $280,000 L.A. Schools By Andy Situ anything related to Ed. Tech In This Issue and Erick Reyes students,” Aviv said. The By Christopher Alarcon million to keep up with the free Staff Writer and reduced-price lunch pro- What’s next for the U.S. with Staff Writers money will be used over a four- Obama in charge? See page 2. grams. year period to “help us make It’s a hectic year, to say the The United Teachers of The Engineering and De- sure our program grows and Shopping on a budget? Find least, for schools as the eco- Los Angeles may strike this sign Academy received a keeps growing.” tips of page 4. nomic crisis pushes the school winter over health benefits and $280,000 grant from the Cali- It will improve class budget over the line, teachers fornia Department of Educa- equipment and fund Project other budget cutbacks that af- Does your cell phone make you get ready for a possible strike, tion. Lead the Way, which offers fect contracts. The teacher’s itch? See page 5. and the Los Angeles Unified Mrs. Aviv, the lead teacher alternative courses with an en- union also announced a boycott of the academy, wants to use gineering and scientific tweak. School District’s superintendent of all after-school meetings be- See page 6 to find out if the the money to better the acad- It means more college classes, is shown the door. ginning Dec. 8 th . Also, on De- th movie “Twilight” measures up emy. When asked why the partnerships and internships, Budget cuts are going to be cember 10 the union had a to the book. academy received the grant, she events, and design carnivals for affecting all schools in LAUSD. demonstration against the responded, “We have really students. This year LAUSD has to cut budget cuts. College presidents are asking worked hard on involving local Although the grant is defi- $200 to $400 million; next year The school board decided whether the drinking age should businesses and educational in- nite, the 27 teachers have yet to it’s estimated to cut $400 mil- Superintendent David Brewer be lowered to 18. See page 7. stitutions in developing our decide how to spend the money. lion and the year after the cut III isn’t getting the job done, so academy.” “It’s cool that our academy may be up to $325 million. The they worked out a deal for him Winter means soccer, basket- The grant provides funds is the only one getting it,” said state superintendent is already to leave his position in the mid ball and wrestling. See page 8. for “programs, field trips, (and) junior Adam Santiago. asking for federal help of $31 Continued on page 6 Election The Clarion December 2008 Page 2 Students Praise Presidential Pick What Will By Wendy Chan, Obama’s success in cam- Obama Karen Leung and paigning and on Election Day Elizabeth Redondo has proven that our country does Do Now? Staff Writers understand change. “I believe that America finally accepted By Wendy Chan History was made when diversity (rather) than just talk- Staff Writer Barack Obama won the Democ- ing about it,” said junior Gatsby ratic presidential nomination Paredes. After eight years of national and when he became the first Some diehard McCain fans turmoil, Americans now have great expectations for Barack African American President- felt that diversity was not the Obama for the next four years. Elect of the United States. issue in this election, “I was up- In his campaign speeches, Senior Julian Leiro felt that set because McCain should have Obama often promised “change ethnicity should not have been a been elected,” Hall stated, for America,” and set out his factor in deciding whom to vote “McCain’s policies just made agenda for the nation. His grand for. “I thought that this race more sense.” plans may seem far-fetched to would be a lot different in terms Other McCain supporters – some, but to others, they provide of people would have to over- like junior Kevin Widjaja – said, a long-lost sense of hope and come the race of the candidate “People chose him as the presi- optimism. Here are some of the and vote on how they were go- dent, so now he’s my president, http://www.lusakatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/obama.jpg things Obama said he would do ing to run the country,” he said.