Despite recent efforts to put Fremont in a much brighter and optimistic light, the sad

truth is that only time can help the less than satisfactory image.

Our school has always been identi-fied as being “subpar” and “ghetto.” It is all due to the fact that our standardized test scores are the lowest in the district and the majority of Fremont students come from a Latino background. People have heard about the so-called “gang affiliations” and the numerous school fights, so they automatically assume that Fremont is full of gang members who are simply incapable of doing anything other than fighting each other.

I come from a Mexican background and have done my best to defeat the stereotypes that are associated with my race. I may not be the greatest student academi-cally, but I have done my part to give Fremont a good name.

I try to present myself in a satisfactory manner. I have friends from other schools in the district and they all have a common perspective of our school. They all see us as a school of lower class. They hear the stories of fights and they seriously underesti-mate our sports teams. It’s part racial, part academic and part athletic. They look down on our racial demographics, our test scores and our sports teams.

Fremont is simply not the school that others see it as. We are a very di-verse community full of students with ambition and passion for success. Our school has done many things in order to show that we should not be overlooked because of a bad reputation. Our school is something to be proud of. Some may argue that it’s the most physically ap-

pealing campus in the district. Also, our students strive to be the best they can be and our hardworking staff help these students reach those goals.

Fremont is full of unique students that do their best to give the school a good name. Our ASB receives a lot of negative attention. People say that they are just a clique full of ovespirited and lazy students, who only care about their

personal images. The re-ality is that a great major-ity of our school’s activi-ties would not be possible without ASB. They are responsible for activities, such as the school dances and rallies. Without them, our school would be extremely boring.

Even with all of the programs at our school that enhance our image, other schools still think badly of us. Every time Fremont triumphs, it’s one step forward. Every time there’s a fight, it’s

two steps back. It seems that Fremont will always be seen in a bad light.

Perhaps we can change that in the future if we continue to perform at a higher level in sports, academics and avoid things that could jeopardize our reputation.

We can be considered a respectable part of the community, but it will take time. If we can teach the next generation of students to have pride in their school, they will do their best to make Fremont look its best.

Opinion 8 Nov. 6, 2012

By Steven Canalez

One step forward, twoback into the ghetto

Online classes: faulty option or total success?

Online classes are blasting through the

walls of schooling barriers to fit into the new technolo-gy-friendly decade.

Many students at Fre-mont aren’t aware that on-line schooling is a possible way to make up for failing grades, which is similar to the program known as night school.Before, during my freshmen year, I didn’t believe school was important, so I avoided completing any schoolwork assigned. Now it’s senior year and I’m paying for my past idiocy. College season is approaching and due to my unacceptable grades, I found that I won’t be able to attend any state university.

Since that was an issue, I decided to enroll into an online class to make up for the terrible grades. The benefit of online classes is that you can do it all on your own time. However, that also can be a problem. No one is constantly over your shoulder forcing you to do it, so you may not even complete the work.

Classes are on the Internet and I would start to do the work, but then get distracted by sites like Face-book, YouTube and Tumblr. Not only did I get behind in my class, but it also delayed my college planning.

What’s even worse is if you’re the type of person to lose things regularly. With online classes, you have to save your work. What hap-

Work hard, play hard, study harderBy Janet Lopez

pens when you lose your USB drive or the file doesn’t save correctly? You have to start the entire course all over again, wasting precious time that could have been devoted to other activities.

Classes also require a fee and it’s not free or paid for by the government or state. Depending on how many classes taken at a time and with which institution you take it, it could range from $200 and up. Materials required for the class surely pile up the cost. Retaking a test you didn’t do too well on could take more money out of your pocket.

Online schooling is tough, but is more helpful than difficult. There’s still a teacher to learn from and help expand your knowl-edge. Other students take the class as well, so if a teacher cannot respond to any questions you have right away, you can communicate with others through some of the programs and activities that the sites offer you.

Being online, the class is more accessible and ef-ficient for study. You can go back to review any lessons that you didn’t fully under-stand. It’s that much easier to study for each unit test that the class gives you and

By Katelyn Beck

There are only so many hours in the day. For some

of us those hours are just not enough to take on du-ties as a student, maintain a social life and all other aspects of the teenage life.

As if we don’t have enough to accomplish, some of us have part-time jobs. It sounds impossible to do, because it pretty much is. Whether you work at a fast food place, grocery store or department store, having a job takes up a lot of time and can definitely affect your grades. So, why do we take on this huge responsi-bility?

It all depends on what your goals are. We might be saving up for our first car, saving up for college, or perhaps helping out our parents with the bills. For whichever reason we choose to give up our extra time, being a part-time employee and a full-time student has positive and negative consequences. Nonetheless, maintaining a job is one of the first steps toward adult-hood that provides a good

feeling of independence.Cashing in that big

check every couple of weeks is what keeps us going, but becoming independent, being responsible and learn-ing the value of money are priceless life lessons that can’t be taught in a class-room. It is why our parents want us to get jobs in the first place. Opening your own bank account, paying your own phone bill and buying those new shoes you want with your hard earned money are also rewarding perks to having a job.

It sounds great, doesn’t it? Reality is that when you have a job you sacri-fice many other important things. The hours spent taking orders could be spent doing homework, reading your book or studying for that big test next week. You need extra help for math

class? You conclude that you can always come after school but then you remem-ber you have to work. You remember there are office hours in the morning, but since you worked pretty late last night, you were so tired you didn’t hear your alarm this morning. Guaranteed, you will feel the toll of tak-ing on so much and begin to feel overwhelmed.

Working is all about balancing time. Once you have a job, you will quickly realize how little time you have per day. Sometimes the days are just not long enough to go to school, go to work, do your homework and get a good night’s sleep. The best way is to create an organization system that works for you. Use your school agenda to keep track when your homework is due and plan out what assign-ments or big projects you can get a head start on. Second, take advantage of your resources, like School Loop, that will help you stay connected with your teachers and anything that is going on that you might have missed. Use your days off wisely to catch up with

your homework and if you have time try to do some future assignments just in case you have to work that night before it’s due.

Most importantly, it is essential for us who work to remember that as we get older, it is not just about

being responsible and working. It comes down to prioritizing our lives. The key to balance is to never put a minimum-wage job before our education. It is our responsibility to make sure we don’t sacrifice our good grades and high school

experience for some extra cash.

Essentially, never lose sight that our education comes first. Education is the key to success in today’s society. It is a pathway to a stable life with bigger pay-checks than we’ll get today.

for the final exam. The class can also be

obtained no matter where you are. Whether it be on a plane, at school, at a friend or relative’s house or anywhere else. All that is needed is an Internet con-nection. You wouldn’t have to worry about forgetting anything needed for the class since all of it is online.

These online courses can be used for any type of education needed to be earned, meaning you can either take high school or college classes. That way, it appeals to anyone who is in need of it.

If you’re the type of person that doesn’t like the school requirement of seeing other people and interacting with classmates, this is probably a program for you. Online school-ing relies on doing the schoolwork yourself while being in an atmosphere most fit for you. You don’t have to worry about relying on other group mates to do their part of a project, because it is all on you. You receive the grade that you deserve.

If you need to make up for a bad grade, and don’t have the time for night school, try online school-ing. But try it before you’re a senior year so you’re not ripping your hair out the entire year. If you do want to enroll into an online class or are considering it, talk to your guidance counselor to get their input on the matter and go from there.

Fremont is simply not the school that others see it as. We are a very diverse community full of students with ambition and passion for success.