School – CATS Central

The stories behind these ink-tastic tattoos

By Naythan T. Did you know that many students and teachers around have tattoos? And that these tattoos have significant meanings behind them? Junior Harleen M. doesn’t only have tattoos – she is a tattoo artist herself. She really enjoys being able to tattoo others. She said, “I feel like it’s a blessing lowkey being able to tattoo people and have my artwork out on people’s bodies.” She said it’s like “leaving a message.” With the enjoyment of being able to tattoo people also comes with the struggle of some clients and their pain tolerance. Harleen

What does a ‘healthy’ relationship look like?

By Julian G. If you walk the hallways of CATS, you will notice that there are many couples in relationships. But what does a healthy relationship look like? Ms. Tynishia McGraw, Special Education Teacher, said a successful relationship means many things, from sharing common interests to being intentional about spending time together. “Just making sure that you put one another first. Not allowing outside people in to have opinions and/or dictate the things that go on inside your relationship,” she said. “Keep it private.” Mr. Benny Martinez, English teacher, said the keys to a successful relationship

Students and staff express fears about the current president’s policies

By Hailey R. and David G Editor’s note: Students who were quoted in the story will anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the story and to ensure their safety Many students and staff expressed fear of the new presidential administration because of immigration and the economy. On the topic of immigration, one student, who will be referred to as Student 1, said, “And when he came back again, I had nightmares about what happened the first time and now that he made ICE be more active and of border patrol.” Student 1 fears for their

School

Some students wish they could still use AirPods at school

By Antonio Z. and Emmanuel O. Some students believe listening to music can be beneficial in terms of doing work faster and more efficiently. However due to the new phone policy, students are not allowed to use their AirPods or wireless headphones, which, according to some students, has negatively impacted their academic performance, and focus during class. Junior Kiara O. is against the new policy. She said, “I actually hate that rule ‘cause this is our property.” She explained by saying, “school doesn’t provide that, we should be able to bring it.” In regards to AirPods,

Students walk out to protest anti-immigrant policies and support their families

By Moises F. Hundreds of students across the four schools on the Diego Rivera campus walked out of class on Friday, February 7 as part of mass protests in South Los Angeles and nearby in response to President Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant policies. Here are some of the reasons students walked out: Jimena R., 11th grader Q: What inspired you to do the walkout? “Me as a student, I really think we should speak up for our parents who can’t speak for themselves but we’re the next generation to rule the state you know, we have to

Why students are running their own clubs at CATS

By Hugo M. Diego Rivera offers a variety of extracurriculars for students to join, from lifting weights in the weight room to painting in the Arts and Crafts Room. However, more students are choosing to create and run their own clubs, inspiring creativity and leadership to other students. For instance, one of the newer clubs this school semester has been that of Crochet Club run by senior Itzmin C. In the club, students can learn how to crochet and knit a variety of clothing, from cozy scarfs to fashionable beanies. Students can then turn in their

New district policy bans use of phones, other electronics for all students

By Kimberly B. As of February 18, 2025, LAUSD students are required to lock their devices into Yondr pouches upon arrival and unlock them only when leaving campus at the end of the day. This new policy is to control distractions caused by smartphones. Some staff members are already seeing the benefits of the phone ban, even with its many challenges. According to Ethan Barragan, College & Career Staff at school, the policy was designed to help eliminate distractions, particularly for students who struggle to stay off their phones during class. He shared that “I think

What CATS, LAUSD are doing to protect immigrant students and ensure that schools are ‘a safe place’ amid ICE fears

By Christopher M. As some may know, Donald Trump was inaugurated as president with one of his biggest plans of mass deportation of undocumented individuals. As of January 20, 2025 Trump has allowed ICE to enter areas such as schools and hospitals, which are supposed to be safe areas. This has caused many families and students to be in fear of being arrested and deported, which has led to schools taking more measures to protect students and families. How is CATS preparing? Mr. Antonio Roque, assistant principal, addressed the fear felt by students and their families.

March 13, 2025

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Teachers react to the new phone policy

By Pascual M. Teachers have mixed feelings over the new phone policy. Ms. Liz Martinez, journalism and English teacher, said she is not in favor of the phone policy. She said, “I think students need to learn to understand how to use them properly. And by taking them away, I don’t think you end up teaching them that lesson.“ Another reason Ms. Martinez is not in favor of the policy is that “as a journalism teacher, I also use, phones in my class. I have students use their phones to be able to record interviews or

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Students react to the new phone policy

By Yessica S. Many students said they disliked the new phone ban implemented by LAUSD. For one student the reason he dislikes the phone ban is because of safety. Jimmy R., 11th grader, said, “Because I feel like we live in the hood you know?…school shootings, gun violence, is a big thing around here.” It also affects him personally. Jimmy added that without his phone, he feels “depressed.” However, he did say that the phone ban has had some positive effects. He said, “More people are doing their work, I’ll give it to you.” Ninth grader

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