The artist behind the Love Letters exhibit, Maricela Avina, worked on her self-portrait and other paintings for 11 months before they could be displayed at the Stay Gallery on December 1st. “The love letter has kinda died where you’re physically writing a letter, now it's like a text or an email, so I think the love letter is very personal,” Avina said, “…and the whole back in the Victorian days were the wax seal was a very special way of sealing that letter; whoever broke it, that's who it was meant for.”

Amy Garcia

Senior, Francisco Aceves went to Jalisco, Mexico last summer to visit family; Aceves would love to travel to Paris next. “I want to travel the world because I want to get to know new people and new cultures,” Aceves said. “France is also filled with centuries of history found in dozens of museums like the Louvre.”

Sarah Espinoza

Showcasing one of his many abilities, senior Christopher Benitez is a self-taught musician; apart from guitar, he also learned how to play the piano. “It was a really hard experience learning it all on my own,” Benitez stated. “But after awhile of learning the guitar it felt amazing because I was able to add more to what I was learning.”

Gilberto Jijon

Wanting to find more information about various colleges, Emely Velasquez, 12, attended the DUSD College Fair on Oct. 23 at the Allen Layne Stadium. “The college representatives were there to answer any questions I had,” Velasquez said. “The representatives helped inform me about their colleges.”

Brianne Galindo

Samantha Osuna

Downey High School hosts its annual Fall Blood drive on September 27 where Kirsten Rodriguez, 12, has donated a pint of blood. “I feel that the blood drive is really important cause it helps those who need it,” Rodriguez said. “I’m hoping my blood goes to someone in need.”

Andrew Vega

Promoting her business, Elisa Kadoda (left), talks about what she thinks is unique and different about the Food and Music Festival on Downey Ave between 4th and 5th street on Sept. 15. “It helps people widen their variety of their food and taste palate,” Kadoda said. “They get to try different kinds of cuisine and food from around the world.”

Xenia Pena