Author Archives

Francine Vudoti

Young Observers: Mid-October Edition

We are finally beginning to settle comfortably into the fall season, which in our area is quite a relief. Less heat, warm-colored leaves, and cooler air are all things that most people […]

Young Observers: Early October Edition

Fun and spirited. This was the overall vibe that kept over 300 student leaders from eight high schools across the Fullerton Joint Union High School District (FJUHSD) engaged throughout the symposium held […]

Young Observers: Mid-September Edition

As in the 1996 film William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, actor Leonardo DiCaprio — who played the role of Romeo — never seems to fulfill a romantic relationship with a happy ending. […]

Young Observers: Early September Edition

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is exquisite in all senses of the word—it constructs a world built on misogyny and household names and the glamor of the film industry. It forges […]

Young Observers: August Edition

As we wrap up our two-month summer break, a new bell schedule awaits us when we return to school this fall. Middle schools and high schools are to “begin no earlier than […]

Young Observers: July Edition

Young Observers is not just a group of student volunteers who write for the Fullerton Observer. Now in its 4th year, the club has expanded to include a separate group of volunteers […]

Young Observers: Mid-June Edition

One of the most important, patriotic, and glorious symbols of any nation is its flag. There are almost 200 separate countries globally who have their own unique flag. These flags can represent […]

Young Observer: Early June Edition

While most people celebrated the merry month of May (Cinco de Mayo and Mothers’ Day), many high school students, including me, were busy preparing and taking AP exams. AP stands for Advanced […]

Young Observer: Mid-May Edition

Daughter of the Moon Goddess is a vivid fantasy that follows Xingyin, the daughter of Chang’e (the Moon Goddess), and her quest to free her mother from exile and sentence on the […]

Young Observer: Early May Edition

Filipinos in Fullerton constitute only about 2% of the total population yet the sold-out cultural nights at Sunny Hills and Troy High Schools last month seem to suggest how this small group […]

Young Observer: Mid-April Edition

Our planet is slowly collapsing right under our noses. With climate change, pollution, and rising sea levels, parts of the environment are becoming unsuitable to support life. Believe it or not, we […]

Young Observer: Early April Edition

April is “Celebrate Diversity Month.” In my diverse high school, we recently celebrated an annual event called International Food Fair (IFF) that featured not just cuisines but also dance performances that spotlight […]

Young Observer: Mid-March Edition

Spring is a wonderful time to enjoy cut flowers and here is a simple hack to keep them alive and healthy. Make sure that the vase, as well as the water inside, […]

Young Observer: Early March Edition

I wrote in this column a few months ago how Young Observer has expanded to give voice not only to the youth of our community but also to the youth in underserved […]

Young Observer: Mid February Edition

I survived the Omicron surge last month despite getting notified by my school on a weekly basis that I had been exposed to someone with COVID.  I’m fully vaccinated, and the rate […]

Young Observer: Early February Edition

With the start of February comes a very important holiday in many parts of the world: Chinese New Year, which is now more commonly referred to as Lunar New Year. Originating in […]

Young Observer Turns 3

This youth section, also known as Young Observer, celebrated its third anniversary last month. Each contributor from our team of seven students wrote a reflection as part of the annual conference that […]

Young Observers: Mid-December Issue

Say hello to Rhett, a beautiful grey-nosed pitbull. He is sweet and lively at the same time, and he always adores long walks to let off some steam. His leash manners could […]

Young Observers: Early December Edition

As of last week, over 5 million people worldwide have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic started about 2 years ago. Many, including children, have suffered from the loss of loved ones […]

Young Observers: Mid-November Edition

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. The idea of being grateful differs for each person. Besides the usual food, family and friends, here are some of the fascinating reasons Fullerton teens are […]

Young Observers: Early November Edition

It is a major school event that seems to count among the great high school memories. But last year, my freshman self struggled to figure out how homecoming (HoCo) works. Due to […]

Young Observers: Mid October Issue

It’s Club Rush season. Have you picked your club? Our school principal recently announced a “record-setting Club Rush” with a combined new and existing 91 clubs participating in the week-long exhibit and […]

Young Observers: Early October Edition

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” […]

Young Observers: Mid September Edition

Limited to local traveling due to the Delta variant, Labor Day weekend, I made use of my ten dollars by visiting the Fullerton Museum Center (FMC), which reopened two months ago. As […]

Young Observers: Early September Edition

It has been two weeks since we returned to in-person classes. If you’re a parent, you might be wondering what it is like inside the school campus in this new normal. Here […]

Young Observers: August Edition

In two weeks, Fullerton schools will reopen to regular in-person classes despite the renewed threat from COVID-19 variants and the significant rise in daily new cases. I reached out to a small […]

Young Observers: July Edition

Have you received the COVID-19 vaccine yet? I received my first dose two weeks ago but not without feeling fear and anxiety. I knew, like any other vaccine or medicine, there could […]

Young Observers: Mid-June Edition

After over a year of being “grounded” at home, I joined millions of Americans who went on vacation during the Memorial Day weekend.   It seemed like the perfect time for a […]

Young Observers: Early June Edition

After only six years into the job he held since 2015, our high school district superintendent Dr. Scott Scambray is retiring this month.  One of the best decisions he made for our […]

Young Observers: Mid-May Edition

As soon as I learned the news last week on the imminent approval of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for youths 12 to 15 years old, I conducted a survey among a handful of […]

Young Observers: Early May Edition

Mother’s Day is a day of celebrating motherhood. Whether it means taking on chores you despise, making her breakfast in bed, or writing a simple poem that will warm her heart, many […]

Young Observers: Mid April Edition

I first joined a club in 4th grade. My interest in coding led me to join the robotics club in school and I competed through 6th grade. I acquired skills in building […]

Young Observers: Early April Edition

In my school, most of my classmates are Asians.  With the recent spate of anti-Asian hate crimes, I conducted a survey among my Asian friends in Fullerton on how this has affected […]

Young Observers: Mid March Edition

For students in junior high and high school, this month is the time to register for courses for summer and next school year. Opportunities are even better for high school students because […]