Joyce Lin, 10^th grade: “Least Cost Analysis for Connecting 3-5 points Using the First Fermat Point and Its Properties”.  Joyce placed FIRST in the Mathematics division and will represent Chiles High School at State Science Fair in April.  Joyce also received the following awards; Mu Alpha Theta Award, Naval Sciences Award, US Air Force Award.

Shuyao Zhang and Jonathan Ray, 12 grade: “Stevioside Ingestion on Insulin Release”.  Shuyao and Jonathan placed SECOND in the Team division and will represent Chiles High School at State Science Fair in April. Shuyao and Jonathan also received an award from the Department of Health.

Linda Wang, 11^th grade: “Stable Carbon and Oxygen Isotopic Signatures of Climate Change Found in Fossils from Inner Mongolia”.  Linda placed FIRST in the Environmental Science division and will represent Chiles High School at State Science Fair in April and International Science Fair held in San Jose, California in May. Linda also received the following awards; American Meteorological Society- “Certificate of Outstanding Achievement for Ability and Creativity in an Atmospheric Science Exhibit”; Association for Women Geoscientists- “Student Award for Geosciences Excellence”; NOAA- “Taking the Pulse of the Planet Award”.

The first thing for you to do is to think prom through, thoroughly. What does prom mean to you right now? For each person, it means something different. For some, prom is a very special day, one that is to be remembered forever. For others, it is just a day out and dressed up, no much unlike other dances. Before you make the decision about whether or not to go to prom, really think about what prom means to you. For many, there is a deep down wanting to go to it. Does prom appeal to you in any way?

The next step in making this decision is all about talking to others. Find a few people that you are close enough to and talk to them about prom. Start with your parents and find out if they went and if they regret their decision. Find out from aunts, even 20 year old family members. You won’t know what you will feel about not going to prom, but getting a perspective from those who may not have (and even those who did go) can help you to realize what you may feel later.

To get even another aspect on prom, talk to your friends about it. Find out from them what they feel about prom. Do they love it? Your friends can help you to explore your feelings, even if you never tell them what you are considering. Find out what prom means to them. As they talk about it, ask them questions. How does this make you feel? Sometimes, the excitement of others can help stir up feelings you may be suppressing otherwise. Be sure that you talk to your friends about why you do not want to go, too.

Should you go to prom? If you feel that it could matter to you at all, even well down the road go. If you feel that it would be a difficult time for you, or a time that you are unhappy, consider your feelings a bit more closely. Prom is not right for everyone. By taking the time to make this decision carefully, though, you can protect the way you will feel later, too.

Robby Tsin

You’ve probably heard the same choices to make sure you don’t drive while drunk, but have you really listened to all the choices?  Almost 75% of fatal crashes that happen from midnight and 3 in the morning deal with alcohol.  So if you’re going out late and you’ve been drinking, get a friend who hasn’t consumed alcohol drive you to where you want to go; or, if you don’t have a designated driver, call a cab to bring you to your destination.   You can even stay in the same place until you’ve sobered up the next day. 

One thing to make sure of is that your keys are nowhere near your person when you decide to drink alcohol. Most times you think it’s not a big deal; that you’re just going around the corner for a beer run, but you never know what might happen.  You could get in a crash, and kill either yourself or others around you.

If you’ve seen a documentary of drunk drivers who have survived a crash they caused, but have killed someone else, you might have noticed their lives have irrevocably changed.  They are consumed with guilt for the choice they made.  Most times they’ve faced jail time, and have contemplated the decision they made the night they decided to drive drunk.  You can tell that it haunts them every day; it’s a memory they can’t escape, no matter how much time passes.

Don’t make the same stupid mistake these people have.  If you decide to drink, be smart about it.  Don’t become a statistic.

Written by Hailee Morgante

One thing that should not be overlooked on the night of Prom is your mindset. If you spend masses of time and money on one night, than it should in turn, be worth it. Show up to Prom sober and make sure your friends are as well! You would definitely regret missing Prom because you got rejected at the door after enduring all of the preparation. No one wants to remember their Senior Prom by you and your drunkenness. 

Another helpful hint is to make sure you attend prom with someone or people that you enjoy being around the most. Before Prom, pick a restaurant that you, your date, and your friends agree on. While there, take as many pictures as possible; what better way is there to capture memories? While at Prom, become a social butterfly: interact with everyone and remember that this may be one of the last times that you all will be together. Remember, Prom, along with many other occasions in life, will be what you make it of it. So, plan well, be responsible, and most of all, have fun!

For guys, creativity is your new best friend when asking a girl to Prom. First of all, you need to know if she is available; ask around to see if your interest is in need of an escort. If so, proceed with enthusiasm; if not, you should probably conjure up a new plan. High school girls love attention! Banners seem to be a popular strategy at Chiles to relay a certain message. Ask some friends to help you make a presentable banner (the friends chosen should be artistic). Or maybe you’re more of a private kind of guy. If so, you can try the classic, flowers and a card routine. Find out what she likes and let that aid you in your quest to get a date. Either route you decide to take, guys you have to put in the effort. The more time spent thinking or planning, the better your chances. 

For girls, the key is to hint at your need of accompaniment. Converse with your desired date about his plans for the night, and mention the fact that you don’t have any at the moment. Slide in some ego-boosting compliments, and let the magic work! Girls, your best bet is not to ask directly; make him think that it was his great idea. Another option is to inform his buddies. Tell a couple of friends that you would really like for him to be your date; they will definitely deliver the message (especially if you tell them not to).

If you do not eventually woo your date, all is not lost. Prom is about you! Maybe a group of friends would better compliment your personality. Or maybe there is a certain someone that hasn’t crossed your mind yet. Regardless of if you are going with a date, ten people, or solo, make Prom special. Interact with your peers and make memories for the future.

First off, the big worry for the girls is to find the perfect dress. Big department stores will purposely raise their prices around prom season to anywhere from $100 to $500, these being out of many of our price ranges. Searching for your dress at other places, however, may do the trick. Try shopping at smaller shops that you wouldn’t expect to find a prom dress and if that doesn’t work there are always thrift shops and second hand boutiques. Though many people turn their noses up at the thought of a dress from a thrift shop, they can have past prom dresses and even bridesmaid dresses that were only worn once and are in excellent condition. As for hair, makeup and nails, try to have a girls day the morning of prom where you and all your friends can do each other nails and this also offers you some gossiping time about the night ahead. If you feel it’s necessary to get your hair and makeup professionally done, beauty schools, like Aveda, offer cheaper rates and department stores will usually have free makeovers just for prom.

Guys have a little less to worry about and many don’t even think to get their tuxes till the week before the big night. While many tuxes can be between $100 and $200, renting a tux can be as low as $40 and many tux shops offer prom specials. Buying a second hand tux is also a way to save money and many are in still good condition. And of course, you are only going to be wearing the tux for a couple hours so borrowing one from a friend or sibling is never a bad idea. Paying for your girl’s corsage may get pricey, so get in tune with your creative side and make her one yourself. It will be a lot cheaper and she’ll think its super cute that you put time into making it.

Rolling up to prom in your Camry isn’t exactly the coolest thing you can do. Many beg their parents to rent them a limo. Prices can be anywhere from $60 to $250 per hour and this is way too expensive for a long night of driving. A good cheap way to party on the way to prom is to rent a car instead. A rental car is about $80 for the whole night and that is a deal if you get enough people to pitch in. If you rent a big SUV you can still fit many people in one car and still look high class as you arrive at prom.

Though prom shopping may be stressful, there is no reason to not have the best night of your life. As long as you’re willing to shop on a budget, you will still have a great time and still have money to spare. 

Written by Danielle Guthrie

Written by Angela Breza-Pierce