COMMUNITY COMMENTARY

Parents need to do just that: parent

In the business of parenting, your job is to teach morals to your

child and guide them through their childhood. In the business of music,

your job is to entertain audiences and sell albums. It seems that more

and more parents are neglecting their jobs and are letting music and TV

raise their children. When did being a parent become such a hassle?

Parents in today’s world hold jobs and spend little or no time with

their kids. So what their children end up learning is from their idols

and from their friends. More and more violent music has been hitting the

top of the charts in the last few years and it has been going up in sales

as the rate of violence increases. Is this a coincidence? I fear not. But

why are so many kids so angry? Or do they just not know any better?

Kids need their parents whether they admit it or not. Do you think

that if parents were a constant part of a child’s life they would need

violence to fill a gap? Without parental guidance you lose out on gaining

morals about violence and the golden rule. I think that in this day and

age, adults do not instill this enough in today’s population.

So, on a closing note, I would like to say to all the parents that

read this, pay more attention to your kids and don’t leave them out of

your life. You brought them here. Now love them and let them know they

are loved. Try to get involved and work toward a better relationship. If

more parents work on this, the need for violence in music and media will

decrease, thus creating a better place for them to grow up.

o7 Whitney L. Hendrickson is a Corona del Mar High School junior.f7

Show others respect and help prevent unnecessary violence

After Monday’s shooting at Santana High School in the suburbs of San

Diego, high school students nationwide are left wondering again “Do I

feel safe at my school?”

Personally, I feel safe, with the on-campus police and knowing that

the Newport Beach Police Department is nearby, I’m reassured that I’ll be

OK. As for other students, I’m not quite sure.

We seem to be going through the same scenario at least once every two

years. But what can we do to stop this unnecessary violence? We talk to

students about the issue, instead of feeling mournful, yet do nothing

about it.

Schools are supposed to be a sanctuary, a place you can feel safe and

secure and not have to worry about being in harm’s way.

You can always offer help to someone who looks distressed or upset.

You never know what kind of help you could possibly be giving.

o7 Valerie Holzmann is a Corona del Mar High School junior.f7

Mentor program helped provide a behind-the-scenes look

I was given the opportunity to have a mentor for a day at the Daily

Pilot last week. This was an amazing experience that I will forever

remember.

I got to take a tour of the entire office, the newsroom and even got

to work at the same desks as the real reporters.

I got to view the writing of articles, the composition of

advertisements, I even got a firsthand look at what was going to be

published in the next issue of the Daily Pilot. I was even privileged

enough to have the chance to see firsthand how a newspaper is put

together.

The day began with breakfast, which gave us the opportunity to meet

our mentor, Editor Tony Dodero, and get a feel for what we were going to

do for the rest of the day. Following that, we headed straight over to

the Daily Pilot offices and got started on our tour.

I viewed the ins and outs of publishing, and all of the ups and downs

of the newspaper industry. Soon after, I was given the chance to write

this article in the newsroom.

Right after that, I headed out and had lunch with my mentor, which was

the perfect ending to a perfect day.

Though I value everything I did at the paper, my favorite thing was

writing this. I got to write this article in the actual newsroom of the

Daily Pilot. The most amazing part is that they even published my article

as you can see here.

Every person that I met at the Daily Pilot made my Mentor for a Day

experience absolutely wonderful. I want to thank everyone for the great

tour of the newspaper industry, and especially for the great memories

that you left me with.

o7 Christina Reicher is a Corona del Mar High School junior.f7

Mentee reassured that magazine work would do him well

The Mentor For a Day program was one of the best experiences of my

high school career. I was very fortunate to have been able to participate

in this elite program for kids who are interested in getting a head start

into the work force of their selection.

The basis of this program starts with the student selecting a career

that he or she is interested in pursuing later in life. Since my mentor

was Tony Dodero, the editor of the Daily Pilot, I was brought into the

newsroom where I was introduced to a plethora of information regarding

the editing and production of a newspaper.

My overall experience was fantastic and very valuable to me because it

helped me zero in on what it is that I want to do with my life. This

being the first mentor for a day program, I highly recommend the

continuance of this concept in our school as well as other schools.

The Newport Harbor Chamber of Commerce, along with the Rotary Club,

did a great job finding everyone a mentor. The job fields ranged from

performing arts all the way to fashion design and automotive mechanics.

The reason I chose editing is because one of my primary job ideas is

to become an editor for a major automotive magazine. With my experience

today I have a better understanding of the education that I need to make

this happen.

I take this experience as a privilege that not many kids have the

chance to do and I would like to thank Corona del Mar High School, the

Newport Harbor Chamber of Commerce and everyone else involved with The

Mentor For a Day program.

o7 Michael Fabian is a Corona del Mar High School junior.f7