by Jorge Adrian Lopez, Staffwriter
Devils’ Advocate

For many, the time of year has come to prove that you haven’t been just taking up space and have actually learned something in your AP classes. May is the month that causes much exasperation for many AP students because it is the culmination of what they have learned all year. No doubt, some AP tests seem so much harder than others, but they are all still challenging and require time outside of class to prepare. So, some tips to make the best of the AP trials is to plan ahead of time: find out when your test or tests are, and plan how much time each day or weekend you will spend studying for it. Decide which test is more important to you to pass, and which ones are the most challenging which will then require the most time. For example, if you are going to major in Engineering in the future, maybe Calculus is something you want to spend more time studying than you do for other classes. Also, study groups are fine, but keep it to a minimum of 3-4 people; any more than that and it will become distracting. Moreover, keep up with the AP review your AP teachers provide you. Your teachers want you to pass, so those extra essays you write in class or the extra statistics problems are only for your own good.

Despite the negative association that sometimes goes along with AP testing, keep in mind the benefits. Just getting at least a 3 can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars because that is one less class you are taking in college. However, if you know the type of universities you want to go to, for some like UC Berkeley or a private school like Stanford or Harvard, a “3” won’t do it. Check this link  to see universities and what scores they require for you to get credit for an AP class at their university. A 3 on AP Calculus will fly at SDSU, but not at Harvard. I tell you this not to discourage you, but to just warn and inform you to take your AP testing seriously; otherwise, even if you pass, you may have wasted a year taking an AP class that you may have passed the test for but still can’t receive any college credit. Now you know more… and the more you know, the better prepared you are for what’s to come. Good luck, Red Devils!

by Mireille Abigail Roman, Staffwriter
Devils’ Advocate

Recently, Highland Avenue has been home to a new Mexican food joint in the busy area of National City.  Taco Man opened their doors to the local residents on January 23 at 2708 Highland Avenue, and welcomed patrons to their version of Mexican cuisine, fast food style.

Conveniently, students at Sweetwater have always had different types of take out establishments that have served the community and come in handy when you need to a bite to eat at breakfast or a nice meal after a long day at school. Students have the option to pick the local gas station across the street, to walk over to Peter Piper if they’re craving pizza, or the corner taco shop that has been here since 1974. In reality, students need something quick, fresh and affordable.

If your approach of fast food is quick, clean, and a little bit homestyle, come on over to Taco Man. They’ve taken it upon themselves to embrace the demographics of their business. Taco Man has dubbed one of their dishes “Sweetwater Fries”, a nice mixture of fries, clean cut carne asada, creamy sour cream, with a touch of fresh salsa fresca. And, Red Devils seem to find that “Sweetwater Fries” are fun to order because it correlates the name of our school and the food they look forward to eating. Taco Man’s mission? Bring good food to good people.

The mind typically makes a decision in an average of ten seconds or less; the signals are usually made by personal appeal, previous knowledge, and problem solving. Now, before this turns into a lecture of the way our neurological system is wired, the point is, Taco Man has invested their money and time in a location that is well kept, with a staff that is always willing to help, and they have bid farewell to the iconic question of “How was your food today?” and the amiable “Have a great night.”

Taco Man has already sparked talk on social media sites like Twitter. Students are praising the service
and delectable meals they’ve had, saying that it’s awesome and filling; or as Sweetwater’s junior Jorge
Arellano put it, “Taco Man is the bomb.com.” Thanks to social media and talk around school, people
from all backgrounds are getting to know that Taco Man is the spot to be. To most athletes, this is their
crash site after a meet, a game, or even practice; and for others, it’s a nice place for a lowkey first date.

The price range at Taco Man is literally unbelievable. The affordability is so convenient. On average, their burritos are about $5 each and with a drink your total is always less than $8, versus the competitors whose burritos will take all eight dollars out of your pocket. A couple of dollars might not matter to many, but the minimum wage in San Diego County is nine dollars, so any leftover change for the consumer makes the difference in the long run. Taco Man came has come in with great food, great service, great prices, and a great heart for the area.

To say that Taco Man is different would be an understatement. This new establishment has already positively impacted staff, students, and residents of National City. Go on in and give it a try!

by Asha Pineda, Staffwriter
Devils’ Advocate

If you have not heard yet, the minimum wage will rise from $10 per hour to $15 per hour by the year 2022. On Monday, April 4, California’s governor, Jerry Brown, signed a bill that will increase the minimum wage by $5. As 2022 comes closer, wages will gradually increase over the next six years. Brown’s actions have erupted different opinions regarding the change of minimum wage all around the United States. Some say that they have been waiting for this change for a long time, while others believe it will negatively affect the economy.

Very well-known politicians such as, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders, are supporting Governor Brown’s decision. Even New York has decided to increase their wages to $15 per hour. Governor Brown stated, “This plan raises the minimum wage in a careful and responsible way and provides some flexibility if economic and budgetary conditions change.” This change is designed to help those hard working employees to get out of poverty, as stated by the Los Angeles mayor. This was a way to help those minimum wage full time workers who are supporting their families.

However, there are those who still believe that this wage hike will just increase the number of those below the poverty line. This is because if the wages go up, the demand for laborers will decrease due to budgetary reasons. So the unemployed workers who were working before the hike of minimum wage will then live in poverty after it. Some also have stated that the prices of goods and services will also rise, which will affect the consumers and their outgoing expenses. They will need to spend more with the same amount of income. Whatever situation you are in, please prepare yourself as 2022 comes near.

by Eduardo Razon, Staffwriter
Devils’ Advocate

Seniors! It’s your last semester at SUHi! By now, a lot of you are probably feeling the dreaded “senioritis” and feel like just not putting in all your effort and energy into school work and attendance. If you are feeling like this and are doing this – don’t! Seniors, do not begin to slack off! We know you can bear through these last few months of high school before graduating and heading out into the world! Additionally, there are consequences for all seniors who begin to slack off; and as a senior, I know I don’t want to deal with a lot of things, even less so when it comes to clearing absences with Saturday schools. So here are just a few things all of you seniors should do to avoid getting into trouble and being placed on the Non-privilege list.

Avoid being late or absent from school, Red Devils! All seniors are only allowed to have three absences each semester – this, however, and 6 tardies will result in a Saturday School. If any of you decide to skip these Saturday Schools, you will be issued an ARC, and if that is ignored too, your problems will only get worse from there. So, do yourselves a favor Red Devils–don’t be absent or late to school because it will only get you a whole lotta problems no one wants to deal with.

If you also look forward to the awesome senior events coming up, like Grad Night, prom and even purchasing a yearbook, being on the Non-privilege list will stop you from participating in these memorable events! So seniors, be the best Red Devil that you can be and your last few months at SUHi will be a breeze!

by Gabrielle Salud, Staffwriter
Devil’s Advocate

SUHi’s Red Devil seniors will soon be getting their college letters. College letters start rolling in around March 1st, and February has continued to increase the tension that the seniors are feeling.

But, some seniors have already been getting early acceptance letters from colleges! Although this doesn’t apply to everyone, congratulations to those who have already been accepted!

As for those waiting, try not to stress about it. You’ve done all that could to help the colleges gain the best perspective of you. All you can do now is be calm and wait, and focus on your last semester as a high schooler! Make sure to keep your grades up and make sure to savor every last moment.

Also, make sure to keep up with deadlines! Pay for yearbook soon! Pay for Grad Night BEFORE May 4th! Pay for Prom BEFORE May 18th! Pay whatever fees you owe at the library! Make sure you have the required number of community service hours and credits! Sign up for credit recovery if you have to. Last but not least, stay off the non-privilege list! SENIORS, it cannot be stressed enough that not completing things as simple as community service hours can keep you from participating in activities with your senior class! So… just get it done.

This semester will go by in a blink of an eye and it will soon be time when you’re walking in your cap and gown. Go B16 or Go Home, mighty Class of 2016!

As for underclassmen, keep up with your academics. Just keep striving to be the best you can be up until you graduate. Join a sport. Start a club. Run for class president. Be involved. Don’t miss out on the memories that can be! Strive on Red Devils!

by Rocio Lopez, Staffwriter
Devils’ Advocate

Attention Class of 2016! Graduation is slowly, but also very quickly, approaching and there is no time to waste when ordering your cap and gown. This year the school has transferred to a different vendor which means there will be different steps on how to order your cap and gown. The company where Sweetwater will be getting their caps and gowns for their students will be SD Grad Supply in El Cajon. This also gives SUHi students two options on receiving a cap and gown. Students may either borrow their cap and gown free of charge or purchase it for $22.75.

In order to pay for or borrow the cap and gown, Seniors received a form in their government class which students must fill out with their basic information, including their height and weight to determine the size of the cap and gown needed. If a student is in need of a form to order a cap and gown, many extras are available in the ASB. In order to complete the transaction, students will need to turn in their money and their form to the company when they attend SUHi during lunch. The company will come in during a total of four days. The next date they will be at Sweetwater will be on March 15th. It is recommended that Seniors pay for their caps and gowns that day because if they wait for the last day, lines will be long. And if they are not able to pay by that last day, their last resort will be to borrow the cap and gown or pay for it in the company’s office in El Cajon.

If students are only borrowing the cap and gown, there is no need to worry about the long lines: just simply stop by the ASB and turn in the completed form. If there are any questions, please stop by the ASB and ask. The next day SD Grad supply will come to Sweetwater is on Tuesday, March 15th and the last day will be Wednesday, April 13th. Seniors, make sure to order yours as soon as possible!

by Eduardo Razon, Staffwriter
Devils’ Advocate

Trying to find a group of people that share the same interests as you? Or trying to meet new people and make new friends? Well, an easy way to do that would be by joining a club on campus! There are plenty of clubs on campus that would love to introduce new members into their club. The best part is, one of these clubs is bound to share the same interests as you and gain your attention and ultimately your participation. Joining a club is also an easy way to participate in fun events that may provide you with a fun way of knocking out some community service hours by having fun with new people and friends!

Still worried that there isn’t a club out there for you? There are dozens of clubs on campus, ranging in a variety of different interests and goals. These interests and subjects range from academics and community service to forming new hobbies and playing games! Some clubs that may interest you could be the book club, photography club, AP club and speech and debate. All of those clubs are pretty self-explanatory, but you could always learn more about them by attending any of their meetings. If you’re looking for a club that focuses on the community and maybe possible future careers there are several like New Perspective, Key Club, and H.O.S.A. which focus on those kinds of things. The list goes on Red Devils!

So if you’re interested in something, join a club, because that is just one awesome part of the high school experience. And if there is no club for your interest, then make one! See the ASB for additional details and information.

by Julie Henry, Staff writer
Devils’ Advocate

On Sunday, January 29, Fox network premiered a spectacular televised live musical adaptation of the movie that gets everyone singing, Grease (1978). Grease: Live featured a vibrant cast that recreated both the movie and original musical in the midst of an El Niño sprinkle on a massive lot in Los Angeles. It was a night when lovers of the film sang along and relived the ballads of Rydell High.

However, the production of the classic didn’t stop at Fox network because our very own choir brought it to SUHi! The performance featured both the beginning choirs and advanced choir singing hit songs together for three nights straight! On February 9th, 10th, and 11th the show took place in the theater at 7 p.m.

In addition to group performances, there were also special solos from talented Red Devils such as Eddie Ontiveros, Cheyenne Martinez, Carla Mae de Vera, Brenton Warren, and others! Continue to support SUHi’s choir; they always manage to rock the house!

by Gabriel Lopez, Staffwriter
Devils’ Advocate 

Seniors! Our last semester is now here. However, we have yet to continue the rest of our applications. This includes the FAFSA, private school applications, and other scholarship applications. We all know we need assistance for these difficult applications, and that’s where the counselors come in handy. The Sweetwater University Prep consists of hard working, passionate students who receive a huge amount of specialized help for their applications. Since last semester, the applications have been the main goal. The counselors revised, reviewed, and sent out the students’ applications for the UCs, CSUs, and Early Decision Private Universities. We all know this last semester will be unforgettable; however, we need to be in even greater contact with our counselors to help prepare us for college and the next chapter of our lives.

This program is great! “U-Prep” has given more scholarship opportunities than you’d ever expect. It is important for seniors to check up on these applications to give the students the aid they need for college. If you are interested in joining University Prep, please come to the counseling office and ask about available scholarships, talk about it with your counselors, and take the time to get yourself involved and educated about the opportunities that exist for your benefit.

Lastly, the counselors work diligently to give helpful advice so we can gain a step forward into college while we’re still here at SUHi. This year, there have been so many opportunities to apply for rigorous classes, to gain scholarships, and to aid in our decisions on what road to take to give us the best plans for college. It is best for us seniors to forge on, to keep working hard so that we end our Red Devil careers really well. So, let’s do it seniors!

by Ashley Estrada, Staffwriter
Devils’ Advocate

The Health Academy prepares students during high school to go on to a health career in college. After a long year of training and preparation, all the seniors of the Health Academy finally got the opportunity to go to Sharp Hospital to be an intern in the area of the hospital they want to focus on. One of the academy’s students was Halil Mejia; he left to the hospital with the rest of the students at 9:40 a.m. He was placed in the EMR section, (the emergency room). He introduced himself to the nurses and doctors and told them that he could help with anything; he would do mostly cleaning and making the beds. Sometimes, if the patients needed help, he would help them as long as it was allowed by his mentor. Every time he had to interact with one of the patients, he asked the mentor or the nurse if he could. Halil said that this is a very interesting experience and that he can’t wait until the day he can work at the hospital, to succeed in his chosen career path which Sweetwater has begun to prepare him for.