While TikTok has proven to be an entertaining social media platform, a recent trend that has taken over schools all across the U.S. demonstrates a dangerous turn of events. The “Devious Lick” challenge, also known as “Diabolical Licks,” made its way into TikTok as the latest trend, encouraging teens to steal or vandalize school property. From taking something as simple as a soap dispenser to smashing tile walls, some students have even gone as far as stealing urinals from their campus bathrooms. In response to school allegations and pressing incidents all over the country, TikTok has updated its guidelines and removed any content related to the trend. Though some viral trends manage to bring the good within the online community, others confirm the risks of complying with the ways of social media.
Sources:
https://people.com/human-interest/what-to-know-about-devious-lick-tiktok-challenge/
https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/18/health/devious-licks-tiktok-challenge-wellness/index.html
I decided to take a closer look at the recent Tiktok trend called “Devious Licks” that has inspired students across the country to vandalize their own schools by destroying and stealing things. I asked the principals of two local Fullerton schools: Mrs. Makely of Parks Jr. High and Mr. Whitten of Sunny Hills High School.
They both said that damage was mostly done in boys restrooms and during school hours, whether that be passing periods or breaks. Some consequences include detention, suspension, paying for the damage, or if appropriate, arrest. “The word is out that we have caught those students who have participated in this activity and they have received severe consequences, so I do not anticipate more vandalism,” Mr. Whitten said.
On the other hand, Mrs. Makely hopes parents at Parks “will have important conversations with their children at home,” but in the meantime the school will apply “meaningful and impactful consequences for those caught committing the vandalism.”
Throughout Fullerton, a handful of Little Free Libraries are scattered for lucky readers to find. Set up by owners who want to encourage literacy or who want to be generous to their neighborhood, some of these libraries are hand built and some are also bought. The main purpose of this project, however, is to make visitors feel lucky after their serendipitous discovery, to lighten somebody’s day. A Little Free Library contains books that one can borrow, keep, or exchange.

Tegan standing by the Little Free Library her family put up to share books with the community.
Personally, I think that Little Free Libraries should be more common in Fullerton. When I visit other libraries, I notice their unique features like signature signs, vibrant colors, and treats like crayons and activity books. As a proud owner of one, I feel ecstatic when I find our library’s door open and books borrowed. In ours, we put a collection of children adventure stories, adult fiction, Korean poetry, and magazines. It makes my day to see that someone who passes the trails in our neighborhood has an opportunity to choose a variety of books to read. To foster a love of reading and to spread joy through sharing is definitely a thoughtful contribution to make in Fullerton. For more information regarding registered libraries, please visit https://littlefreelibrary.org/ourmap/
Hispanic Heritage Month is an annual event in which we celebrate and appreciate Hispanic and Latinx people and culture. From September 15 to October 15, we acknowledge the culture and achievements of notable Hispanics and Latinx. They make up a huge portion of our community. As of 2020, 37.7% of the Fullerton population is Hispanic, according to California Demographics. This makes it the racial/ethnic group with the largest population in all of Fullerton by a fairly large margin, ahead of both the White (29.3%) and Asian (26.3%) groups.
Among the remarkable personalities worth celebrating are those who paved the way not just for Hispanics, but also for many others in the United States. Cesar Chavez (Arizona) was a MexicanAmerican civil rights activist who fought for the rights of many farmworkers throughout the United States from the ’50s to the late ’80s. He knew what it was like to be a migrant farmworker who faced the struggles of the Great Depression. After he died in 1993, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Next, Roberto Clemente was a Puerto Rican baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Not only was he a great player, having amassed exactly 3,000 total hits in his 18 seasons in the MLB, but he also was a great person off the field. He loved to help out others who lived in poor conditions during the offseason. This desire to help others ultimately led to his death. In 1972 the plane carrying his relief goods crashed near the Puerto Rican coast, killing him. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and got an award named after him, given each season to the player who contributed most to their community.
Finally, Ellen Ochoa (Los Angeles), a Hispanic astronaut and engineer, was the first Hispanic woman to travel into space, doing so on a nine-day mission. She was also the first Hispanic director of the Johnson Space Center, proud coinventor of three patents, author of multiple technical papers, and an awardee of the Distinguished Service Medal, NASA’s highest honor. She even has six different schools named after her. Together, these people along with many other Hispanic/Latinx people proved to be significant contributors to today’s world, and this month is the perfect time to celebrate them.
Some Hispanic Heritage events in Fullerton:
Cal State Fullerton 800 N. State College Blvd.
• Oct 5 – 11:30am: Titan Table Talk: Resiliency in Latinx. Pollak Library, Room 180.
• Oct 5 – 1:00pm: Ni de Aqui, Ni de Alla: Queer Latinx Experiences. Register HERE.
Fullerton College 321 E Chapman Ave.
• Oct 7 – 10am: What it’s like to be Latino/a/x in the North OC Community College. Register for the event HERE.
• Oct 11- 4pm: Indigenous People’s Day. Register for the event HERE.
Interested in adopting a sassy, sweet, sleek kitty? Maybe Miss Kitty is for you. This popular feline was adopted only a month after she was surrendered, but unfortunately the owner swiftly found out that she was allergic to cats. This beautiful cat was then welcomed into another home but did not get along with the residing cat. For the third time, she was the victim of circumstance again. For now, she is living at the OC Animal Shelter.
Miss Kitty absolutely adores people, just like the social butterfly she is. This gorgeous kitty loves treats and enjoys a good grooming session, which helps keep this elegant feline clean and radiant. Miss Kitty needs to be the only cat in the household, just like the queenly girlie she is. For more information please call (714) 935-6848 or go to www.ocpetinfo.com.
Endangered Animal Trivia:
Q: What’s the most critically endangered leopard in the world?
A: Amur leopards, who are hunted for their beautifully-spotted fur. Now there are only 60 to 80 leopards in the world. Another reason they are going extinct is because of habitat loss. These leopards are on the top of the food chain in their landscape, and if hypothetically they went extinct, some species would go crazy and forests and the landscape would change.

Amur leopard.
Categories: Local News
Really love all the stories by this dynamo group of young people. Shocking to learn about devious lick fad. Wow!