Lady Eagles Demolish Their First Game

The Metropolitan High School and their team known as the Lady Eagles won their first game of the season with a  13-3 victory score  against the school known as the “The Archimedes High School”. The first inning of the game started off with a great beginning, the first three outs of the first inning were rapidly made by Michelle Burgos(07), the second out Natalia Firpo(12), and the third out made by Jaritza Bautista(34).  

There was a lot of tension  during the first three inning of the game because of player #(10) known as Fanny Salazar and her commitment on stealing and taking the lead in the bases.

Albert Maria  said  “I think they’re a great team,  Ms. Castillo has a good team and this victory shows the support that they give to each other in their game, this team also have  a good chemistry, if they keep playing like this, they can  make it to the playoff especially with Kiaralyz(11) as a protector of second based and Fanny(10) always stealing the bases”.

They finished the first inning with a winning score of (4-0) and having Michelle and Jaritza making the first two points in first inning. The Lady Eagles also won their second inning with a victory score of (1-0),and  with a winning score of (4-1). The Lady Eagles also had won their fourth inning with  a score of (3-2)  and (1-0) in the fifth inning when Mariela caught two outs one after  the other.

The last point of the fifth inning was made by Mariela after Natalia Firpo(12)  hit a grounder(RBI) and Michelle Burgos(07) having a score of five girls strikeouts and one RBI. The team won by mercy with a winning score of (13-3).

The Coach Ms.Castillo(00) very proudly said “ I’m very proud of my  girls, we had a excellent game and I’m trying to keep up that effort on the girls,  so we make it to the playoff this year”.

Angie(0) said “ I’m very proud of you girls, we still need to work on batting, but we had a very supportive game”.

Karina Caban(30) Said “ Eventually I’m going to play on the team and I don’t get excluded from anything  what the players on the team do we also do like wars and helping outs”.

  Michelle Burgos(07)

I'm Alive

I'm alive 

I can't believe it

Is this real can I now sleep

No more dried tears

Mind screws with my fears

I lay in bed and I take a breathe 

Releasing all the negative tension I have left

Days I wanted to end it all

Now the only thing that saddens me is when the leaves fall

Scars fade and so did my fake smile 

I questioned if this will last long cause it's been a while

Long time since I've been so down 

Putting on my mask to hide my frown 

But I'm surrounded by positive vibes

I love the happiness I feel inside 

But I wouldn't it to end

I'm not alone and I've got it together with right amount if support with friends

I'll protect them and they will protect me

I'm setting goals of when I grow up what my answer will be

Here I am with this smile on my face

And butterflies inside

I'm alive

The Homecoming Dance

The Metropolitan High School's big festivity brought a lot of criticisms about the decision of the new Homecoming King and Queen's made by the students at the party. Most of the Students said that the party was " litt" because of the great time they had. Two of the candidates for queen  Michelle Burgos ('16) and Sheila Castro ('16) felt " Ok " about the new decision to give the crown to the new queen Joslaine Villavizar ('17).

The candidates for king were Pedro Portoreal ('16) and Derek Valle ('17) which felt " AWESOME" for having Derrick Mensah ('17) as the new king of the party.

However, Jessica Summers made one big mistake deciding which one of the candidates  Derrick or Derek was the king. She said " Derek Valle," who is known as "White Derek" among students, was the new homecoming king.

Valle said “I was so hype until she said it was a mistake”.

After choosing the queen and king a lot of students said “Derek Valle” instead of "White Derek" could have sounded better because it sounded very racist.

Derrick Mensah said “the party was great and picking me as King was a great idea, I liked to dance with the queen”.

Joslaine said “The party was great. It was successful and super fun I had a blast and I was thrilled knowing that I won it was my first time running for something like homecoming queen I did not think I would win but I was super happy”

The Seniors had a really good time in their last year of being involved in High School, a lot of the volunteers that the new decision of the New Homecoming king and Queen could it be better.

Daisy Balbuena ('16) and Fatou Tall ('16) shared the same idea, she both  said “it could it be better if the party would it be longer”

Haley Roman ('16) said “I would it have preferred to have Michelle As the Queen and Pedro as the King. but it was lit anyways”

Jeremmy Santos said” it was very fun, most of the people joined the party a lot and I did too”.   

                         

Confused

I haven't seen you in person for months

Said I was over you and had feeling for others

The other treated me like nothing but there will always be a part of me wishing we could have been better

I saw you today you look really good but so did I 

I know nothing has change 

because you didn't even look at me in the eyes and just like last time you did the same

When I left something told me "you miss him don't you?" 

I wanna say yes but what was there to miss 

All I miss is your looks because we barely spoke

Barely was a ocean for me to sail on in a boat

Barely was looks in the eyes so I know I know the truth

But you just lied and did me wrong

And I knew I had to stay strong

I have for myself

Even though I have to move on

I wonder yet if your with somebody else

Wonder if you even think of me in the middle of the night

But I bet you don't think of how hard you want to hold me tight

Because your just going to let me go

Like you did before on a broken hearted road

I looked at you today and thought damn my mind is insane and confuse 

Can't seem to make up my mind if I do or don't miss you?

Now I really want to know

If I miss you

Do you miss me too?

The Silent Bells

Since September administration adopted the no bell policy to create a warmer school environment. As a result students had mixed feelings towards the no bell policy due to the lack of awareness towards the bell schedules.

Since the administration has asked teachers not to give demerits for lateness, teachers have noticed a decline in students being on time to their classes.

The new Assistant Principal came this year to the school and has already adapted to this new no bell policy. Meetings are also held once weekly where the administration discuss the disciplinary code and transitions. Which the principal, A.P Ms.Riley, and Dean Mr. Morfe all discuss the needs in the school for more improvement.

"So there's a committee for the disciplinary system, they have weekly meetings where they talk about the transitions and disciplinary code." said the assistant principal Ms.Cordero.

"Two schools that I worked in didn't have a bell system and they had 1200 students, and another had 900 students." she also added.

“I think being on time should be about the merit and demerit system as it's been in the past I think the students know they don't get demerits for coming to class late therefore there are no repercussions for being late” a teacher who requested to remain anonymous said.

"As the year is continuing students are coming to class later...by getting rid of the demerits/ lateness policy students are starting to be aware and are staying later in the hallways." another anonymous teacher added.

Many students say they lose track of time during the time a lesson is being administered and always go overboard with the lesson. So they just move along to their next class with no rush or worry that they will be penalized for their lateness.

Many teacher are not sure when to actually start the lesson for class so they just wait and waste at least three to five minutes of their time to make sure the students are prepared to be situated in a class and to stay on task.

“ It was a definitive line of being late to class students take at least six minutes to transition and there is no order” Said a person who would like to remain anonymous.

The clock in every classroom is also minutes behind or minutes ahead of the normal time so many students are mainly wondering the halls in between periods because they are being either dismissed earlier or later than usual.

The students who attended Metro the previous few years are more upset with the changes the school has made rather than the new incoming freshman who has been attending Metro for only one year.

"I think the no bell policy is outrageous! There have been many times where the teacher accidentally kept students longer or let them out earlier." said, David Hawkins (16)

Another senior from our school had a different perspective on how the no bell schedule was placed. 

"We are graduating this year and next year in college there isn't going to be any bells, the professor teaching will not care if we leave a three hour class early or late so might as well be responsible now." Rosa (16).

Four students who are in the graduating class now has made a petition that has reached the principal who sat in a meeting with him to discuss the new transition in the bells. Lower classmates claimed that the no bell schedule has already adapted to the class procedures.

"At first I didn't like it but now I have gotten use to having no bell but, I wish it will come back. I just feel like I miss it because, it kept me more alert and now im late to class all the time because of the timing." said, Darinel Mendez (18)

The petition was signed throughout the Sophomores Juniors and Seniors who attended Metro. Within only one period over 150 students has signed for the bells to come back in session.

If I Could Fly

If I could fly 

If I could fly I'll never want to fall

I'll never want to fail when I want it all

If I could fly I would travel the world all on my own

See places with my own eyes in my own control

Own control flying is what I would have to balance as with my soul

If I could fly I would go to the tallest building and watch the sunset and sunrise

If I could fly I would never have the thought of wanting to die

What if one day I give up and fall

My wings break and I lose balance 

because I wanted it all

But instead of wings I have arms

Arms for strength and survival 

Arms protect you and keep you alive

Arms that have bones arms instead of wings to fly

If I could fly I wouldn't because I already did before 

Setting goals and loving life and myself Flying is me breathing another day 

And I wouldn't ask for anything more. 

"Jingle bells! Jingle bel- Oh wait..."

“Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”

That familiar ringing sound for the bells for those of us who have been in Metro for at least last year. Where has it gone? More importantly, why is it gone?

Ever since the beginning of this school year, the bell system was removed. The bell served as a signal to when to move to your next class and when you arrived late.

“ It was a definitive line of being late to class or when class was over.” said one anonymous source from Metro.

However, what happens when that bell is taken away? More and more I am observing that it takes away from structure with our class periods.

“Now it seems like it’s hard to tell when kids are being let out or being late. It takes about 6 minutes for transitions. There’s no urgency anymore.”  the anonymous source added.

Students are no longer penalized for lateness. Many of my classes have already gotten off track with lessons, and often times I find myself frequently thinking to myself “Woah, wait, am I late to class?” Time is a very sensitive thing, and an even more interesting concept. Our perception of time is given to us by this magnificent little gadget called a clock. Many of the clocks are not accurate or synced in every classroom. So if there is no discipline code for lateness, are we enabling students to come late to class?

“I think that being on time should be part of the merit and demerit system as it has been in the past. I think that students know that they’re not going to get demerits for being late, and therefore there are no repercussions for being late.” One anonymous source responded to the difficulty of keeping students on time to class.

“The two schools that I’ve worked in did not have a bell system and they were larger schools...I think that we can target the kids that are being late, consistently being late because they choose to be late from one class to another. We’re in the process of talking through how we are going to deal with late students.” Vice Principal Ms. Cordero stated about the new policy and how the administration is working make sure students are on time for class.
“I usually talk to students about it or call their parents to let the parents know” she added.
However, I would say there is a trickle down issue. If certain students are late, and are not shown that it's wrong, then all students will be late. Unfortunately, I fear it may be too late in order to place that reinforcement.
Being a senior, I felt as if the bells gave me a sense of structure for which I have learned to value for the past 4 years of my high school career. I feel that with no definitive bell, that very same structure disappears and it is left up to the teachers to decide how to make use of our time.

“I think that as teachers we all have to be flexible, it’s not a question of time management but rather a question of having all the classes dismissed at the same time which is an impossibility without a definitive bell.” commented another anonymous source here at Metro.

“I think it would be impossible to do so, unless we all call each other up and say 1, 2, 3 go!” the anonymous source further added when asked if it were possible to dismiss students unanimously. (Come to think of it, that would be a pretty hilarious scenario, but an extremely chaotic one as well.)

Not everyone is against the bell system that is currently non-existent.“I don’t like them. It makes my day more quiet. The reason I don’t like the bell system is because it has an institutionalized sound and it makes me feel like I’m in jail. It’s very annoying.” a student at metro commented.
If we do not either fix the bells or ensure all teachers and students have the ability to know the time, I fear chaos is upon us.