The Spellbinder

Life is strange review: Every choice matters
April 24, 2025
Angela Garcia, Features Editor
Imagine if you had the power to reverse any choice you make in your life. The only drawback of this being that it will destroy the very town you live in. “Life is Strange” is a narrative driven choice based episodic graphic...
Educator Burnout: Navigating the Pressures of Teaching
April 24, 2025
Belinda Fuentes, Staff Writer
As the school year draws to an end, teachers at Middle College High School reflect on the stress and challenges they faced. From adapting to rapid technological advances to setting boundaries, these pressures take a toll...
Sake2Me Sushi Review
April 23, 2025
Kaekoa Corona, Melanie Bacilio, and Yaditzel Carreon
KAEKOA CORONA: Hi, everyone. This is Koa, we’ve just arrived to Sake2Me Sushi. We just ordered our drinks. So I got a Sprite. MELANIE BACILIO: Hi, I'm Melanie, and I also got a Sprite. YADITZEL CARREON: And I'm...
Beyond the budget: Fighting for the future of our schools
April 23, 2025
Emmanuel Rodriguez Mejia, Co-editor-in-chief
School by school, the losses pile up — 19 positions cut at Santa Ana High, 18 at Pio Pico Elementary, 16 at Valley High, just to name a few. From single cuts to dozens, every reduction leaves students with fewer teachers,...
KinderCaminata – What took place?
April 22, 2025
Citlali Zavala Tinoco, News Editor
School bus after school bus arrived, filling the parking lot. As the kindergarteners arrived on the campus and stepped off the school bus, they were greeted by cheerleaders, mascots and volunteers from the community. KinderCaminata...
Season of stress: Seniors reflect on application season
April 22, 2025
Alizae Godinez, Staff Writer
The time has arrived when childhood seems to be ending, major decisions are being made and everything seems to be a "last." Years of effort, community service and late night study habits have been put to use as college application...
Books and beyond: Would you read a book?
April 21, 2025
Suri Guevara-Aguilar, Staff Writer
Many read books for enjoyment and reap the benefits, such as increased technical knowledge, improved focus, and so on. However, there are also disadvantages significant enough to dissuade others from reading books, such as...
Street vendor Manuel Garcia shares his drive
April 21, 2025
Damian Mondragon, Staff Writer
On a hot and sunny day, you see the bright colors of an umbrella and flowers contrasting with the hum of passing cars. Many people buy from these vendors every day, but what is their motivation? What gives this person strength...
Profiles for ASB vice president candidates
April 17, 2025
The 2025-2026 ASB elections are here for Middle College High School! We have many great candidates running for different positions but among those are two MCHS juniors who are determined to become MCHS’ ASB vice president. Adilene...
Remembering the Sewol Ferry Tragedy
April 16, 2025
Itzel Gonzalez, Staff Writer
Today, 11 years ago, the Sewol Ferry Tragedy took place. On this ferry, there were a total of 476 passengers on board, and this incident resulted in 304 lives being lost, including crew members. Among the deceased, 250 were...

Exploring the pressures that come with being a teacher.

Educator Burnout: Navigating the Pressures of Teaching

Belinda Fuentes, Staff Writer • April 24, 2025

As the school year draws to an end, teachers at Middle College High School reflect on the stress and challenges they faced. From adapting to...

Join us as we dive into the delicious world of sushi at Sake2Me Sushi in Tustin! Over spring break, we sampled a wide variety of rolls and shared our tasty reviews. Tune in for a fun and flavorful food adventure!

Sake2Me Sushi Review

Kaekoa Corona, Melanie Bacilio, and Yaditzel Carreon • April 23, 2025

KAEKOA CORONA: Hi, everyone. This is Koa, we’ve just arrived to Sake2Me Sushi. We just ordered our drinks. So I got a Sprite. MELANIE...

Seniors Emily Parra-Diaz and Kimberly Tovar work with Brittany Burwick at NAC.

Season of stress: Seniors reflect on application season

Alizae Godinez, Staff Writer • April 22, 2025

The time has arrived when childhood seems to be ending, major decisions are being made and everything seems to be a "last." Years of effort,...

Opinion

Teachers at Middle College High School support colleagues through signs that signify the backlash against the teacher layoffs.

Opinion

Beyond the budget: Fighting for the future of our schools

Emmanuel Rodriguez Mejia, Co-editor-in-chief • April 23, 2025

School by school, the losses pile up — 19 positions cut at Santa Ana High, 18 at Pio Pico Elementary, 16 at Valley High, just to name a few. From single cuts to dozens, every reduction leaves students with fewer teachers,...

ChatGPT offers new forms of problem solving, but with it can come negative side effects.

Opinion

Rise of AI: The negative impacts AI has on students

Denise Pina, Staff Writer • April 15, 2025

Maybe the instructions were unclear; you might have needed a way to begin your essay or you just wanted help correcting grammar mistakes. AI assistants like ChatGPT are becoming increasingly common in schools, offering students...

Amidst discussions about the future of Gaza, its residents express fear and skepticism, grappling with uncertainty and seeking reassurance in a challenging time.

Opinion

Reimagining Gaza: AI and the ethical challenges of visual narratives

Isabella Murillo Martinez, Staff Writer • March 24, 2025

In a digital age where artificial intelligence is reshaping political discourse, a recent AI-generated video titled “Future of Gaza,” created by Israeli-American filmmakers Solo Avital and Ariel Vromen of Eyemix Immersive...

A&E

Life is Strange is a game filled with romance, life lessons, and coming of age subjects.

A&E

Life is strange review: Every choice matters

Angela Garcia, Features Editor • April 24, 2025

Imagine if you had the power to reverse any choice you make in your life. The only drawback of this being that it will destroy the very town you live in. “Life is Strange” is a narrative driven choice based episodic graphic...

Mark Grayson is a seemingly normal teenager whose father, Nolan, also called Omni-Man, is the most powerful superhero on the planet. However, his father is not as heroic as he initially believed and hides a dark past.

A&E

Review of Invincible season 3

Jahir Morales, Staff Writer • April 16, 2025

Since its premiere, Amazon Prime's “Invincible” has made a major splash within the superhero genre. In the first season alone, it garnered a huge, dedicated fan base due to its brutal action scenes and storytelling. The...

Winston Duke, Lupita Nyong'o, Evan Alex, and Shahadi Wright and their tethered versions in the 2019 movie Us.

A&E

Movie Review: Us

Itzel Gonzalez, Staff Writer • April 14, 2025

Imagine looking into a mirror and seeing a version of yourself staring back with a different expression. What would you do? What would it do? Jordan Peele’s "Us" is a horror film and dark comedy about a family who goes...

News

News

KinderCaminata – What took place?

Citlali Zavala Tinoco, News Editor • April 22, 2025

School bus after school bus arrived, filling the parking lot. As the kindergarteners arrived on the campus and stepped off the school bus, they...

ASB elections are here. Make sure to vote Friday, April 17!

News

Profiles for ASB vice president candidates

April 17, 2025

The 2025-2026 ASB elections are here for Middle College High School! We have many great candidates running for different positions but among...

Because yellow flowers were brought to the memorial, they now represent the Sewol Ferry incident.

News

Remembering the Sewol Ferry Tragedy

Itzel Gonzalez, Staff Writer • April 16, 2025

Today, 11 years ago, the Sewol Ferry Tragedy took place. On this ferry, there were a total of 476 passengers on board, and this incident resulted...

Podcast

SNO Distinguished Sites Badges

Excellence in Writing

Best of SNO: “Old MacDonald had a what?”; “Gender-affirming care for transgender youth saves lives”; “The story of no home”; “Muted atrocities”; “The takeover of Eurocentric beauty standards”