By ITXASO GARAY CASA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL For most, the ability to hear is a basic function that is often taken for granted. Without this sense it would be impossible for many of us to perceive the world around us. Casa Grande High School freshman Maria Ochoa, born [...]
Teen Face: Amy Jin
By LORI A. CARTER THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Calling Amy Jin "driven" is an understatement. The 17-year-old senior at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma moved the TV out of her room — "it was too much of a distraction." Other than keeping in touch with a few distant [...]
Caleb Lundquist, 16
The Lundquist Brand I am a Lundquist. To most, that doesn’t mean anything. To teachers, it means I am related to one of the brilliant students they have had before. To me, being a Lundquist means attempting, usually in vain, to meet expectations set impossibly high by siblings and upheld [...]
Don’t blame movies, books; set rules as a parent
By LUCY SLAVIN CASA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL Recently, my mom told me of a conversation she had with a friend who told her how concerned she was about allowing her 9-year-olds see the film “The Hunger Games.” She explained to my mom that she was upset that the [...]
If I could sit and talk with my 7-year-old self
By ASHLEY SLACK CASA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL If I could say anything to my 7-year-old self, I would tell her to enjoy the time spent running around like a horse in the school play yard, and the amount of time mom tells her to sing that one Frank [...]
Trying to become the person my dog thinks I am
By SIMONE VAN OMMEREN-AKELMAN CASA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL I’m typically home from school at around 3:15, and I already know what to expect as soon as I unlock my door and walk through the entryway. No matter how my day went, I can always be assured that I [...]
Lessons learned in Paraguay
By SHAWNA BROWN and T.J. GRAYSON CASA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL Making a difference, having an impact and giving back: These were the goals that sent Casa Grande High School senior Nellie Graham 5,900 miles away to the grassy plains and woodland hills of Paraguay, sparking an interest in [...]
Teen moms: Never had doubts about having — and keeping — her baby
By KELSEY MATZEN and SIMONE VAN OMMEREN-AKELMAN CASA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL Teenage girls daydream about the day when they will have a baby, choose a name and dress it in adorable outfits. Little thought is given to the mess that babies create, the finances that they require [...]
Teen moms: Petaluma girl unaware she was pregnant for 6 months
By ITXASO GARAY and CAMILLE GASSER CASA GRANDE HIGH SCHOOL Danielle Packett, a student at Casa Grande for two years and now a junior at San Antonio High School, never noticed any changes for six months. She went about her daily life care free and unaware she [...]
Teen Face: Ian Runge
By KEVIN McCALLUM THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Ian Runge had never attended a school with more than 100 students before he stepped as an awkward freshman onto Casa Grade High School’s sprawling campus. He’d spent his elementary and middle school years cloistered in small private Christian schools. Being thrown [...]