en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 07:24:10 GMT 15 By Alex Perez Rojas (Assistant Page Editor)
War. It happens; like people say, as long as there are men, there will be wars. The war in Iraq has consumed many of the country’s men and women of the United States Armed Forces. As of now, the total amount of troops stationed in Iraq has grown to around 167,604; including 157,000 from the U.S.; and the total amount of U.S. casualties has grown to 3,959 ( About.com). Though the war is being fought hundreds of miles away, it has had a strong impact on the SLz community. Even though people think that the war has negative effects on soldiers coming back, other people see good change in their family members coming back from Iraq. Principal Theresa McEwen’s son has recently come home from service in Iraq. She is very happy that he is back. “I am very proud of him choosing to serve our country, and trying to make the world a better place. He is very true to his values,” said McEwen. As for Rebel students, the war has taken away most of their family and life. One example is Junior John Lyndon Vergara’s brother, John Vincent Vergara, who is part of the Air Force. “I really never felt homesick because my dad was there with me in the same unit and base,” said John Vincent. Life in Iraq for these soldiers was like an on and off switch. They remained in communication with their loved ones, and each one of them hoped for the best every day. “I e-mailed him [my son] almost every day, but he would e-mail me back once a week because sometimes he would have to leave on missions that would take the whole week,” McEwen said. Even though this war is not really affecting certain people in the SLz community, some students still think it’s pointless. “I think the war in Iraq is a bunch of bull****, the whole thing is a lie. The government should start thinking about getting our troops out of there, rather than sending more in,” said Senior Jose Perez. As for some SLz teachers, their stand on the war in Iraq is getting to the point to where they think the war is just being over speculated. “I think the war has done some good in a way, but it is getting to the point where people are now seeing it as pointless,” said Health teacher Kris Bernard. As for some students who don’t like the war, their opinion on it won’t change anymore. “There is no point in fighting anymore,” said Junior Annie Situ. “I used to support the war at my best, but now it’s just ridiculous.” Even though the war is still going on and many think it is chaos, some students are thinking about joining the military after they graduate. “Ever since I’ve heard about the Marines and what they do, I myself wanted to be part of them. I want to serve my country to the fullest, and make people proud,” Perez said. ]]> Thu, 10 Apr 2008 22:24:00 GMT