April 13, 2017

Senior Ball policy gets tough

Page 2: Olympian suggests improvements

Volume 60, Issue 9

CVHS history teacher adored on campus

Page 5: Cassidy nominated for major award

April 13, 2017

Beauty and the Beast comes to life Page 6: Disney live-action film entertains

We are born to seek the truth! www.cvhsolympian.com

Days of Diversity showcase culture

Students spot lewd act, sex offender sought

By Anastasia Le Copy Editor

Gavin Halloran / Photo Editor

Junior Rhea Mitra enthusiastically performs a cultural Indian dance at an assembly.

Read more about Days of Diversity events on page 5.

Senior ball crackdown explained

By Mia Babasyan Feature Editor

About 175 seniors who want to take a date to the Senior Ball on May 13 will have to have another date first with their assistant principal. This is because of the renewed administration effort to restrict students who have violated certain policies or not met school expectations from going to Senior Ball.

“I think it came as a shock to a lot of seniors who have let ‘senioritis’ sink in,” said senior Gabbie Dionisio.

However, those who do not appear on the approved sales list are not completely out of hope. In fact, the majority of them will be guided to set a goal in order to qualify to buy tickets.

After speaking with their administrator, devising a plan, and signing a contract, students will most likely be able to attend, administrators have said.

According to Assistant Princi-

pal Jesse Hansen, this is a way to ensure students will behave responsibly and stay motivated in school.

“We want our students to excel academically... and Senior Ball is one area which we can use to guide students to this behaviour,” said Hansen.

Attendance is one of the main reasons why students are receiving these warnings. More than five tardies for the four weeks spanning March 13 to April 7 will result in a student facing obstacles to ticket purchases. Those with attendance concerns can still plan on going, but must be aware that it may affect their chance if they don't take the next steps to getting back on the list.

Other violations include book fines, a GPA of less than 1.5, and behavioral issues that lead to suspensions.

“I just hope as a class we collectively improve our behavior and attendance so everyone

can experience their last dance of high school,” said Dionisio.

This policy is not new, but the school plans to enforce it more consistently than it has in the past.

“An approved sales list has been a common practice in previous years, but has been inconsistent or nonexistent recently,” stated Assistant Principal Nicholas McMaster.

Senior Ball is certainly a privilege for which students will clean up their act in order to attend. This reinstated policy may scare some, however the school’s goal is not to make everyone miss the special night.

“Our number one priority is to ensure a great education for students with activities being a supplement to the experience.

If a student is jeopardizing their academics and/or possibility of graduating, we would much rather put that in perspective with events like Senior Ball,” said McMaster.

A man identified as a registered sex offender was reported performing a lewd act in the parking lot behind 600 hall on the morning of April 4 before period 1 as students arrived at school. Two CVHS students saw the man masturbating in a blue BMW and immediately informed Assistant Principal Jesse Hansen.

Once informed, Hansen took pictures of the car and its license plate. He then approached the car and knocked on the window to get the man’s attention.

The man immediately took off and drove away before police arrived.

“The police were here within ten minutes pulling video, taking photographs and collecting student statements,” said Hansen.

Sheriff’s officers identified the man as Jian Wei Xiong, 28,

Jian Wei Xiong

of San Francisco. Xiong was convicted of two sex-related crimes in 2015.

Authorities issued a $100,000 warrant for his arrest on charges of indecent exposure, performing a lewd act in public, and entering school grounds without permission as a registered sex offender.

“We wouldn’t have been able to get anything on this guy if

See CRIME: Page 8

Secret agents steal the dance floor

CVHS juniors (and seniors) have fun before the James Bond-themed Junior Prom on April 1.

2

Problems with the senior ball crackdown

Editorial: Around 175 seniors will not qualify to buy tickets for the Senior Ball on May 13 due to newly-enforced requirements.

However, they can still find a way to get on the approved sale list by talking to their administrators, arranging a plan, and signing a contract of action.

We at The Olympian understand the need to fix students’ behavior, but there are some problems with the way the administration is handling it.

At first, the administration gave unspecific warnings that scared students, failing to inform them as to why they might not be on the approved sales list.

Since much of the senior class is not on this list, the students will have to talk to their administrators, who are busy enough as it is at this time of

the year without half the senior class dropping in to talk. What are they actually going to do at these meetings?

At this point in the school

year, a lot of seniors have mentally checked out and should not have this one night of enjoyment taken away from them. A lack of students able to attend would

Learning to live on my own

By Jessica Mi Editor-in-Chief

“Adulting” is a term that has materialized in popular culture to describe doing tasks typical of a responsible, independent adult. Examples include paying bills, buying groceries, doing taxes, and many more exciting things that are part of an adult’s daily life. I am a 17-year-old senior in high school and I am quite proud of myself for succeeding at “adulting.”

A few months ago, I moved from a foster home into an independent living program called Real Alternatives for Adolescents (RAFA). Under this program, I live with a roommate in a two-bedroom apartment.

I receive monthly stipends for food and living needs, but aside from that I am completely responsible for myself.

I really enjoy the freedom and autonomy the program allows me. After all, isn’t every high schooler’s dream to have no parents, to be able to do whatever they want? I finally feel like my own person, free of the intense emotional stress that foster care put me under.

However, freedom comes with a few sacrifices, and a few new stressors to worry about.

First of all, I have spent more time cleaning things than I ever have before in my life. Dishes, laundry, floors, the kitchen, and the bathroom; sometimes it seems never-ending. I was pretty surprised when I realized that I had to buy cleaning products and even toilet paper with my own money, because it was something that had never been an expense for me before.

The feeling of being alone without a family or parents can be pretty tough sometimes too.

It can feel like there’s no one I can go to when I need support with important things, like making my college decision. There was no one to help me with my college applications, essays, or FAFSA. However, I appreciate

that I can make decisions without pressure or influence from parents who might want a different path for me than the one I want to take. I’m doing things independently, for myself, and not to please my parents.

Another difficult aspect of my new life is managing stress and my busy schedule. I’m a full time student, musician, and athlete. When I first moved into RAFA, I didn’t have my license yet, and it was nearly impossible to get myself everywhere I needed to be. I was constantly disappointed in my inability to fulfill my commitments. Now that I do have my license, I still can’t get to places on time because of every adult’s favorite thing to complain about: traffic.

In the end, I’m very thankful that I’ve been given the opportunity to be in the RAFA program.

Being able to be my own person, away from the moral degradation and emotional abuses of the foster care system, has really helped me in my personal growth. The independent living skills that I am learning are also better preparing me for life in college. I plan to stay in RAFA for the summer and will move to attend Stanford University in the fall.

Nisha Lal also take money away from the senior class due to reduced ticket sales.

This threat of reduced privileges may cause students to get

their act together for a bit, but afterwards, they’ll go back to their old ways.

Here at The Olympian we have some suggestions to help the administration reach its goals.

First, this attendance effort should have started sooner in the school year, and without the scare factor. A more effective way of punishing tardies would be to use more tardy sweeps, or have school start later. Teachers should be tougher on students regarding attendance and punctuality, so that students will be less likely to slack off.

This get-tough dance policy should focus on students with low grades, book fines, and suspensions.

The current approach is clearly imperfect, but we understand the administration’s need to address issues such as tardies and attendance in the senior class.

Is prom worth it?

By Molly Koch A&E Editor

Prom-the night that so many high schoolers look forward to all year long. The glamour, limos, pictures and memories that last forever. The idea is all so pretty and exciting, until the time actually comes and you have to break open your wallet. You start to question whether or not the hundreds of dollars are worth the four hours of the actual event, plus the all-day preparation. Is prom too commercialized?

First, the search for dresses begins, often months before the actual day of prom. Not only do girls worry about the stress of finding the perfect dress for them, but they also need to find them at the right price. I refuse to spend over $200 on a dress that I’ll most likely wear once, so finding a dress that

you like that is also in your budget can be a bit of a challenge.

CVHS, and I’m sure other schools as well, even has a Twitter and Instagram page where you can anonymously submit your dress, in order to try and avoid wearing the same dress as someone else, since that is almost considered a fashion sin.

Next, there is the pressure that society places on teens that they’re supposed to have a date. Although it may be nice to have a date to take pictures with and to coordinate your dress with their bow tie, a date really isn’t necessary. Sometimes, it may even be better to just spend the night with your friends, in order to have the best memories.

Perhaps one of the most fun, but also stressful, parts of prom is getting ready. Last year, I was done with my makeup and hair about ten minutes before I was supposed to be taking pictures with my group. Meanwhile, other girls were done with their makeup and hair nearly 6 hours before prom even started. I’m not even sure what the necessary standard time is for getting ready.

By that time, you’re already somewhat tired, and prom hasn’t even begun yet. Prom is definitely the most fun night of the year, but after standing around in heels for hours and hours on end, you really start to wonder if all of this time, energy, and money was worth all the results.

What do you think about PHOTOpinions restricted senior ball ticket sales?

By Will Stein/Staff Writer

“It’s kind of unfair because it’s senior prom and everyone wants to go...but I get it because you need to be on time.”

Hena Sherzad, freshman

“It should b e based on gene r a l b e h a v i o r, unless you’re late an excessive amount.”

Major Green, sophomore

“I think it’s a little extreme to apply it to tardies.

I think it should only apply to truancies.”

Reilly Berberian, junior

“It’s unfair to have it connected to first period because there are factors students can’t control.”

Victoria Quijano-Beck, senior

The Olympian April 13, 2017

3

Harry Potter enriched my childhood and keeps me spellbound

benevolent and wise protector, seen as a role model, yet he often abandons Harry, leaving him to put the pieces together himself.

There’s Severus Snape, seen as one of Harry’s adversaries throughout the first six novels, bullying him to no end. Yet in the

last novel, he gifts Harry memories, explaining his past and why he felt so at odds with Harry.

And then of course, there’s the well-known Harry Potter himself (insert applause track), who, surprisingly, is no one’s favorite character. Harry, while

saving the magical world over and over, is still just an angsty teenager, who has regular teenage problems like his best friend getting jealous, being too nervous to ask his crush to the school dance, and, the very relatable problem of procrastination.

Harry is portrayed as a very real character, someone whose perfection comes from his overwhelmingly good heart capable of stifling his flaws.

The unlikely romances crop up at the best of times too. It’s the middle of a war? Perfect time to hop into my crush’s arms and give him a big old slobbery smooch. My boyfriend just got murdered by the most powerful evil wizard in the country?

There’s never been a better time to sob like a baby, while kissing my new crush!

Not to mention I can’t be the only one who shipped Harry and Hermione for the first few books.

They just had such a healthy appreciation for each other, not to mention the witty banter that constantly flew between them.

Although the “Romione” ship didn’t have enough buildup in the movies, anyone who’s read the books can tell you that Ron and Hermione completed each other in a different way - more of a romantic love compared to Harry and Hermione’s best friends love.

Shoutout to J.K. Rowling for enriching my childhood!

pinned to my chest, I wondered whether I made the right decision in pursuing ballet.

It goes against every human instinct to stand in front of the critical panel of judges who appraise and dart quickly from body to body with their trained eyes. Pushed against the other sweaty, hopeful dancers, all I could do was tremble and cling to any last vestige of strength I could find.

Being at an audition is showing yourself at your most vulnerable, opening up your body, your soul, your heart to a group of complete strangers who have complicated and indiscernible agendas that may or may not align with your own. In so many ways, what I

have experienced from years of auditioning directly parallels the frustrating battle that high school seniors face in the college application process. The unpredictability of it all is difficult to manage, and even more difficult to convince yourself that it is not an indicator of your own value as an individual.

For about a month after the first auditions, my 13-year-old self experienced its very first existential crisis, faced with a harsh judgement on my own strength as an artist. It was a “no” that I did not understand how to take; all I could do was take it to heart.

But eventually, I learned to look forward, away from the shame of failure and rejection. To me,

there was a renewed hope in the promise of tomorrow, of more auditions and more hours in a humid dance studio.

Now as an 18-year-old, the promise of tomorrow is a scarier thing to reach for, less straightforward and direct in its path. In the days following college decisions, I find myself among many other high school seniors, lost in a maze of emails and packets, fliers and phone calls, all trying to push me one way or another.

The long list of auditions and applications in my life, both rejections and successes, give me a new sense of pride in the dignity I have maintained through strings of sometimes crushing failures. Ironically, I find that the

more times I stand invisible in front of the judges of the world, the more real and strong I am becoming, driven by a newfound desire to understand and value myself.

I know that in the days to come, we will all be faced with many more “auditions,” more stressful expectations to prove our intelligence and abilities. To ignore the changeable push and pull of outside forces and instead, draw inward–that is the ultimate goal. In the words of Mary Oliver, we must “let the soft animal of your body love what it loves,” finding motivation in the things we are passionate about, rather than disappointment in the paths we cannot follow.

By Sarah Nosseir Sports Editor

Prepare to feel old: it’s been a whopping 16 years since the first Harry Potter movie came out! Age means nothing when it comes to superiority, however.

Although quite young in comparison to other book/movie series, Harry Potter is by far the best in terms of just about everything: character development, unlikely romances, creation of a magical world, and so much more.

Every character in these novels was written so in-depth, I know most of them better than myself (I wish I was joking). There’s Albus Dumbledore, Harry’s

Da Di / Staff Writer

Successes and failures that come with auditions

By Halley Lin-Jones Editor-in-Chief

The first time I ever went to an audition, reduced to a fourdigit number on a piece of paper

Letters to the Editor Re: “Have a supercalifragilistic time at Mary Poppins” by Nisha Lal “Nisha Lal and I were the ASL interpreters for Mary Poppins and it was a lot of fun! The music, acting, and dancing was amazing. The flying scenes were my favorite! Everyone did a great job and their performances were perfect. I’m thankful to have been able to be a part of this wonderful production.”

Lindsey Becerra Re: “Trump’s policies for transgender bathrooms angers many” by Stella Ho “Isn’t there a better way to spend tax money, be it Measure G or other, than on constructing new bathrooms for the students at CVHS? It seems to me that, while it does look like a major problem, building new bathrooms has its own consequences. Cost, first of all. Possible harassment that can come from students who will take advantage of same-sex restrooms

to take pictures or other inappropriate actions, for another.

I think that the resources spent on bathrooms for a fraction of the students could be used for something else, for the majority of the students to benefit from, like better or cheaper meals, for example.”

Sam Pica Re: “Changes to drop policy prompt need for smart scheduling” “I believe this is a bad idea.

How do you know if you’re going to like or be well suited for a class without actually being in it? Also, some people can’t handle certain workloads in harder classes, and it shouldn’t have to be forced on them because they must stay.”

Aliya Patel Re: “Creative Writing welcomes innovative thinkers” by Anastasia Le “Creative writing is one of

my favorite subjects. I think it’s amazing that we have an opportunity to take a class dedicated to exploring ways of writing and see how creative you can be.”

Alyssa Elliott Re: “Outdoor School spreads an appreciation for nature amongst its counselors” by Nisha Lal “I went to outdoor school last year, and I believe it did change my life. Thanks to my amazing experience there, I decided to take AP Environmental Science this year and I now hope to pursue a career in environmental science. I also loved the aspect of being a counselor, since I like working with younger kids and contributing to their education, even though there were definitely some challenges being responsible for the group at all times. I was unable to go this year, unfortunately, but I’ll always carry the memories.”

Victoria Quijano

The Olympian is a publication of the journalism class at Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2017

Editors-in-Chief.......................................................................Jessica Mi Halley Lin-Jones Copy Editors......................................................................Anastasia Le Elizabeth Chan Fiona Richter News Editor..............................................................Jacob Schoenfeld Opinion Editor............................................................Stella Ho Feature Editor.....................................................Mia Babasyan Sports Editor................................................................Sarah Nosseir Arts and Entertainment Editor......................................Molly Koch Photo Editor........................................................Gavin Halloran Video Editors........................................................Desiree Broome Lauren Eisenman Video News Reporter..............................................Brittany Bracy Business Manager........................................Emily Salazar Staff Writers: Haley Booth, Da Di, Cristian Garcia, Pau Gutierrez, Hannah Johansson, Nisha Lal, Audrey Manzano, Jason Mays, Mara Moysen, Megan O’Brien, Ria Panjwani, Wailea Siler, Will Stein, Lina Stoyanovich, Beruk Tsegaye Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

Days of Diversity broadens horizons

Students participate in Days of Diversity assembly, representing their individual cultures with pride.

Gavin Halloran / Photo Editor

Arthur Weil shares his Urbanize club brings spirit and positivity

By Lina Stoyanovich inspiring journey Staff Writer

Days of Diversity presentations included an interactive activity led by the Urbanize Dance Club.

Students whose teachers signed their class up for the event gathered in the gym, where they met a few members of the Urbanize Club, and heard a short presentation about the universal culture and language of dance.

The presentation focused on the importance of expressing oneself through dance and the impact it can bring. After the presentation, the Urbanize dancers brought everyone onto the gym floor, and the students rotated “stations,” learning different

By Cristian Garcia Staff Writer

Many say that the only way to avoid reliving history is by teaching it, and that is why CVHS students were honored to hear from Arthur Weil, a survivor of the Holocaust.

After arriving in Chicago as one of the 1,400 children who escaped Nazi Germany in 1938 via the “Kindertransport,” Weil spent his formative years working to complete his bachelors and masters degrees. He later finished his coursework in history at UC Berkeley.

Weil is a smart man, not only because of his very respectable academic background, but because he lived the traumatic initial events of the Holocaust.

“I was very lucky to have escaped,” said Weil, during his visit at CVHS. Weil was able to reshape his life as an American, and had to work past the ongoing reminder that he had no clue as to where some of his nuclear family members were, as they had to stay in Europe.

Weil now writes and shares his ideology of life with others.

“As long as you are alive, it’s never too late to turn your life around,” he said.

Weil served as an inspirational speaker during his talk.

He set the perfect example of a person working beyond the scarring obstacles he faced.

Weil had a touching effect on the students he talked to.

Weil is now a poet and his most recently published book, Eat My Words One Bite at a Time, is available for pur-

Holocaust survivor Arthur Weil wrote the book Eat My Words One Bite at a Time. chase online. His poetry is directed mostly at teens, as he addresses very teen-specific topics in each of his poems.

“As long as you

are alive, it’s never too late to turn your life around.

Arthur Weil Holocaust survior

”

CVHS was very lucky to have a speaker like Weil during the Days of Diversity week.

Once more, the students had a chance to enhance their cultural awareness.

dances from an Urbanize Club member at each one.

At the end of the event, everyone gathered in a circle to showcase the dances they learned.

The Urbanize Dance Club had a really nice idea with this interactive event for Days of Diversity, which brought a new opportunity for students to learn new perspectives.

As club members encouraged all to dance, people watched the instructors and their classmates dance. Converstaions buzzed an laughs were loud as both club members and classmates showed off their moves. The music the Urbanize club danced to brought the spirits in the room high which really encouraged all to dance.

This presentation was quite interesting and eye opening to the impact of dance in different cultures. This interactive activity felt like a great opportunity to show others how to be yourself and really dance like no one is watching. It showed the audience the importance of letting your personality and passion shine through.

Urbanize brought great positivity to no only their audience, but continues to bring great diversity and positivity to our school. The group highlights the importantce of coming together through adversity with the power of dance, ryhthm and making friends.

wanted to eat, they had to bring their dishes to the grand stand and wait in outstandingly long lines.

A year after coming to the camp, the government built other relocation centers, one called the Tanforan Assembly Center, which Hirose stayed at. By this time, Hirose was a freshman in high school, and there were sports leagues between the different camps. This was a form of freedom for the intended people.

Hirose explained that his team was the worst and that they did badly in just about every sport, because all of the other kids were much taller and larger.

Hirose ended up graduating from Topaz High School, the high school that was run through the internment camp. After he graduated, he was assigned to work in the boiler room at a hospital, cleaning blood away after surgeries. His father worked in the pig farms just outside of the hospital.

Once the war ended, each

family was given $200 and told to go back to where they came from before the war. However, a majority of people’s homes were now occupied by other families.

Some were lucky enough to be able to reclaim their houses; some had friends to watch over their properties or businesses while they were gone.

When Hirose was 19, he was moved to a prisoners of war camp, which is where he received a draft notice to go fight in Germany. When World War II ended he moved to Berkeley, got a bachelor's degree, and taught for 23 years until he retired in 1993.

When Japanese Americans were told to relocate, there was no trial, they were simply forced to move out and when they returned, they had nothing.

Some left that place very angry and upset, but others were not.

One person Hirose discussed got an architecture degree and became the state architect of Wisconsin.

Norm Hirose recounts experiences in internment camp

By Jason Mays Staff Writer

Norm Hirose, now a 90-yearold man, was one of the many placed in Japanese internment camps during World War II; he came to CVHS to tell us his story.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, leading to great fear in the U.S. that there would be following tremors of terror. Because of such fears, President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided that some people of Japanese ethnicity would be relocated to internment camps.

Families all over were forced to pack up everything they could in suitcases and move to places specifically designated for them because of “safety precautions.”

Hirose and his family were specifically placed at what was formerly a horse racetrack. The horse stalls were used as housing for the Japanese families, which usually consisted of 5-6 people per family. These were awful conditions for anyone to be subjected to.When they

The Olympian April 13, 2017

Cassidy speaks about her passions

All-time popcorn record broken

By Beruk Tsegaye Staff Writer

Teacher Kathleen Cassidy shows off two favorite books.

By Cristian Garcia Staff Writer

A passionate U.S. history teacher and a loyal Red Sox fan, Kathleen Cassidy has had a great time not only teaching students, but also learning from them.

Cassidy was born and raised in Maine, and graduated with a history degree from Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire. She later went back and received her teaching credential and moved to the Bay Area to begin her teaching career.

Cassidy started her career as a teacher over 20 years ago. She taught a wide range of middle school subjects in private schools.

However, with the desire to become a teacher specifically of history, she made the move to

CVHS. “I really wanted to teach history, and moving to CVHS offered me the opportunity to do so,” said Cassidy.

Cassidy is also a huge sports fanatic. She played softball and basketball in college, and she even coached for a while. Unfortunately she found coaching to be too time-consuming, but she found a way to stay involved as a basketball official. Now, she referees college basketball.

As a New England fan, she is probably the most loyal fan the Patriots and Red Sox have.

“I am a sports fan,” she said simply. Her lifelong involvement in sports has nourished her enthusiasm for almost any sport.

Cassidy enjoys the presence of her students and the students

Cristian Garcia/ staff writer

love her. “Ms. Cassidy brings history to life during class,” said junior Anjali Bhat.

During her lessons, Cassidy is driven by her historic passion to interest her students as much as she possibly can, and she does it well.

Cassidy’s passion for history has supported her nomination for “Outstanding Teacher of American History.” award by the local Jose Maria Amador Chapter of the National Society of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Even though she has been teaching for a while, Cassidy has no desire to transition into another profession, meaning that we will be able to enjoy her company here at CVHS for many years to come.

Concerto musicians showcase abilities

By Ria Panjwani

Senior Robert Bruce has set the newest DECA record by selling 140 bags of popcorn bags, beating the old record of 125 bags.

CVHS DECA members sold popcorn in order to raise money for the state conference in Santa Clara. Bruce stepped in and made it his mission to beat the previous year’s record, with the goal to help a good cause.

“It honestly feels good knowing that I was not only able to help a cause but I was able to reach a goal that seemed to be impossible,” said Bruce.

The most interesting thing about Bruce is that he never goes to the conferences hosted

by DECA. However, he set out

Mia Babasyan/ Feature Editor

Berry Evans evaluates a student’s work.

By Mia Babasyan

CVHS’s most talented instrumentalists performed a concerto, a very high level solo instrumental piece played with an orchestra, on April 7 in the CFA. This year six performers, Gabriel Priem, Kaitlyn Li, Nicholas Chan, Lotan Yeung, Jessica Mi, and Jimmy Ouyang all performed quite complicated pieces. The pieces were by famous classical composers such as J.S Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart. Soloists played a variety of instruments including violin, piano, cello, and marimba.

Musicians auditioned to be a soloist last November, and have been preparing for almost six months.

“I feel really free and relieved in general...I think I did pretty well and I’m very proud of myself,” said Li, a pianist.

She is a very committed and accomplished musician, as this is her tenth year competing in the United States Open Music Competition and her 11th year in the National Piano Playing Audition.

CVHS is always welcoming new additions, whether they be students or teachers. Berry Evans, the new graphic design and yearbook teacher, started in the second semester and has been continuing Michelle Carmon’s past work, while implementing his own experience into the class.

Evans has taught at Castlemont High School and Emery High School as a yearbook advisor. His passion lies in graphic design.

“It gives me a chance to be creative and solve design problems,” he said. “The yearbook gives me an opportunity to be involved in different school activities where I get a chance to meet different people.”

Starting in the middle of the year is not an easy transition and Evans has been doing the best he can to make it work.

“Students are going to compare you to the old teacher. I can not do anything about that besides be myself,” he said.

Feature Editor

Concerto performers receive applause after their show.

“All of my hard work was on display, and just felt worth it,” said cellist Chan. He has been in many youth orchestras such as the Dominican Chamber Orchestra and participated in the Jenny Lin Summer Program.

“I am most excited for this concert for being able to see other people who’ve learned the solos and see how much our work has been put into it,” said senior Yeung, who plays the violin. He plans to major in music at University of the Pacific and currently plays in the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Gabriel Priem performed the marimba and has been playing percussion instruments for a year, but has also played piano for seven years.

Jessica Mi is a talented musician who has been playing piano for 12 years as well as the euphonium and trumpet in the CVHS wind ensemble and marching band.

Jimmy Ouyang, a junior, moved to the U.S from China three years ago and has been involved in programs such as the Luohu Youth String Orchestra and the Young People Symphony Orchestra.

to help everyone in the club in achieving their goals. Bruce uses his ability to connect with people; in ways, they have become comfortable with him, which has allowed him to sell so many popcorn bags.

“Selling all of these popcorns has allowed me to meet with people and really try to convince them this is the right investment, which at times it can become challenging. But you always have to remember why you’re doing this and what you’re going to get out of it in the end,” said Bruce.

“He is truly something. I mean, even the other member didn't have this much dedication but Robert is a blessing to this club and anyone he will come across,” said marketing teacher Mitchell Stephens.

Evans adjusting to CVHS life

Staff Writer

Ria Panjwani/ Staff Writer

5

His passion for graphic design has changed the way some classes are run, but students still seem to be content. Many new teachers come to CVHS and have to adapt to the new curriculum and lesson plans, and Evans is no exception. He has been making the most out of his situation and is open about his experience so far.

“ I work with

great students ...

I’m never worried.

Berry Evans Teacher

”

“Yearbook will never be easy.

I work with great students and as long as we are prepared and organized, I'm never worried. I hold the students accountable for their assignments and the students that are in the yearbook class want to be here,” said Evans.

Da Di / Staff Writer

Underwater video game amazes players

By Da Di

Staff Writer

A tale as old as time comes to life

By Elizabeth Chan Copy Editor

Flying feather dusters, singing pianos and barking ottomans filled the screen of Beauty and the Beast. The 1991 hit was recreated into a live- action version, starring Emma Watson, and the film hit theaters on March 17. The movie was awaited by many with a love for the fairytale including children, teens, and adults.

Beauty and the Beast tells the story of Belle, a bookworm with conviction and intelligence, who lives with her father in a small provincial French town.

When Belle’s father becomes a prisoner to the Beast, she selflessly takes his place. However when Belle becomes prisoner, she unknowingly finds herself the victim of a curse upon the castle and the Beast, that only she can break.

The film and original cartoon version were very similar in both plot, musical numbers, and even side characters with only a few differences and additions to the beloved story.

Despite these changes, they did not detract from the story and really added depth to the characters and filled holes from the original plot.

Everything about this movie was elegant and extravagant, from the decor, the dialogue,

and the costumes. The level of detail was also incredibly extreme; so much that you could see individual tufts of fur on the Beast and the flakes of rust on Lumiere and Cogsworth. These small details and additions to the movie really brought the original picture to life.

One of the most memorable scenes in the film was the “Be Our Guest” number, in which Lumiere serves Belle dinner to cheer her spirits. This sequence looked incredibly real with the bright and colorful spotlights on the dancing utensils and Lumiere’s animation. It was also quite memorable because of the catchy and memorable tune that many know from their childhood.

My favorite part was her dress, which was yellow and flecks of gold. It was just like the original, making audiences love it more.

The only negative detail from this movie, however, was the high amount of autotune from Emma Watson’s singing. The high- pitched tune did not match with Watson’s natural voice, which really only slightly distracted me, but was very noticeable.

Although many may not enjoy fairytales, Beauty and the Beast had a little something for everyone from action, humor, and romance. I think many would appreciate seeing the cartoon come to llife with actors that people know and liove from other movies. Overall, I would highly recommend this movie.

Abzu is an adventure game that takes place in the ocean.

There are some collection elements in the game, and you can earn rewards for collecting the objects. As a player of the game, my opinion is described in one single phrase: incredibly beautiful.

Abzu is an adventure game developed by Giant Squid Studios, published by 505 Games for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Window, that was released in August 2016.

The main character of the game is a diver who is a robot and has lost all of his memory. The players control him to explore the ocean and the thousands of kinds of different creatures in the ocean.

Some of the creatures you get to interact with are now extinct in modern day.

There are a total of eight chapters in the game, each taking place in different environments.

In the game, every time players pass a chapter, they automatically go into the next one. If you

pass the whole game, the next time you open it, you can choose any chapter you want to play again. The game has only one line, which means there is only one ending.

There are six actions players can do to control the character: accelerate, flip over, ride, dive, interact, and meditate. Players can ride creatures in the ocean, and make them turn, accelerate, and flip.

The interaction is between the character and the objects. For example, when players want to get into the next chapter, they need to pull the chain in order to open the gate. The meditation action can make the view of players follow any creature in the ocean, and observe how they live.

According to IGN’s Jose Otero, “Abzu creates one of the most relaxing, stress-free underwater experiences I’ve ever played. By emphasizing freedom of movement over survival, it gave me all the time I needed to soak in its gorgeous art direction, marvel at its fluid controls, and listen to its epic orchestral score.”

GameSpot’s Scott Butterworth shows his opinion in a similar words. “When I die, I hope whatever happens next is even half as beautiful as Abzu.”

This game isn’t a game that

many people would like, for this game is not action packed but is very visually apealing. Overall, players mainly swim, watch creatures, and collect objects.

However, I think there are three things that make this game so great. First, the view of the game is so beautiful and realistic.

The game uses Unreal Engine 4, which makes the players feel like they are actually in the ocean because there are so many details you can see while playing. For me, it is hard to explain how incredibly beautiful it is in words.

Second, the story: our main character knows nothing about himself at the beginning of the game, and while we are playing, we slowly come to understand the backstory about the diver, and how an impressive civilization failed and became part of history.

Third are the thoughts about the civilization’s influence on the environment. However, I don’t want to reveal too much about this because I think that is the most valuable part of the game.

This game isn’t a widely popular game, because I would more likely call this a documentary, an incredible, impressive documentary of the ocean and its creatures.

Badminton team defeats San Lorenzo Trojans shut out Monarchs

By Beruk Tsegaye

Staff Writer The CVHS badminton team dominated San Lorenzo with an easy win of 15 to 0 on March 23.

Although it was expected, since San Leandro is a brand new team, the CVHS team made sure that players were prepared for anything and everything they would face.

“I know they work hard, and I can see their dedication to the game. They also are very cooperative and listen to me and the other coaches,” said coach

Beruk Tsegaye / Staff Writer

Captain Mei Yi You prepares to hit the birdie.

Vinh Pham.

The players’ dedication shows through their endless practices after school and the time they take outside of school to prepare for their games. Before their

game begins, they prep with each other by practicing every move so they can perfect their skills.

“I think my teammates are very competitive, which makes it easier to share a common ground,” said junior Jessica Wong.

“Badminton is a great sport to play because you put in so much work and when you win it feels great to see your hard work pay off,” said junior Amy Ho. Each game has different levels of competition playing at one time, which can become complicated to keep track of but in each court, you can see the team’s dedication and love for the game. It’s clear to see how much work and effort our badminton players put into every serve and return.

Track athletes perform impressively

Athletes of the Month

Jacob Billy - Swimming

By Lauren Eisenman Video Editor

When he was five years old in Thailand, Jacob Billy learned how to swim. It wasn’t until he was eight years old, however, that he actually took classes at the Hayward Plunge, where he continued the lessons until he was 11.

“When I entered high school, my buddy Alex encouraged me to participate in swimming.

I’ve been swimming competitively since then,” said Billy.

During swim practices, the team swims for roughly 4,800-6,000 yards a day. Billy typically freestyles with the occasional butterfly. His usual

events are the 50 free and 100 free for individual events, and for the team events, he swims the 200 free relay and the 400 free relay.

“Rest is not a word the swim team is familiar with,” stated Billy.

The swim team is either constantly swimming with fast intervals, or endurance-based exercises. Although it seems very tiring, it provides a lot of drive to push past physical and mental capabilities.

“In addition, it requires your whole body to cooperate in order to swim effectively,” says Billy. “It is a consistent challenge which I enjoy.”

Jason Mays / Staff Writer

Brahim Diop hands the baton off to his teammate Vincent Friesen.

Senior Emily Davidson said, “I Giovannoni

By Jason Mays Staff Writer

The Trojans won three out of four team divisions on March 25 at the Castro Valley Invitational, claiming the top spots in girls varsity, girls frosh soph and boys frosh soph divisions. The boys varsity team placed sixth.

On the varsity girls team, Isabella Bzowski, Allanah Lee, Aleya Dolorfino, and Ashley Michalowski won the 4 x 100 meter hurdles relay, and Emily Davidson won the 1,600 meters.

Allanah Lee placed second in the triple jump. Raegen Bennett and Vivian Woo tied for third place for the high jump.

felt that I did really well and it was nice being able to run with all my teammates, but there is always more we can improve on, so the next couple of weeks we will be working hard until championships.”

A varsity boys highlight was a second place finish in the distance medley relay (with legs of 1,200, 400, 800 and 1,600 meters).

Christopher Lau took third in the pole vault, clearing 10 feet, 6 inches.

Both the boys and girls frosh soph teams stole the show.

For the boys, David Elliott tied for first in pole vaulting. Enrico

got first place and Albert Tran placed second in the discus. The boys won the distance medley relay. Shayan Alvarez won the 300 meter hurdles.

For the girls, Olivia GilmanChun placed first in the long jump. Nyah Paulding won the 100 meters.

The Trojans dominated the high jump, Kaycee Odior in first, Anna Luce in second, and Janorii Lambert in third. They won first in the sprint medley relay and the 4x800 meter relay, and took both first and second in the distance medley relay and the 4x400 meter relay.

Swimmers succeed against Arroyo

By Da Di

Staff Writer The CVHS swim team fought hard against Arroyo High School, and gained the victory, leading solidly throughout the whole meet on March 22. CVHS won first and second place in most of the JV and varsity events.

The team won all three relay

events, an incredible feat that highlighted the whole team’s strengths instead of only some individuals. In fact, the team got both first and second place for all three relays.

One of them is the 200 yard medley relay, a four-member event where each member in the team swims a different stroke.

Different from individual med-

ley, the sequence of the stroke of medley relay is backstroke, breastroke, butterfly, and then freestyle.

Both schools had two teams in this event. When the race started, both teams’ backstrokers did a really good job, but Trojans were by far faster; they were leading when they finished their first leg.

Then in the butterfly leg of the

Maiya Hutchinson - Track & Field

By Brittany Bracy Video Editor

Senior Maiya Hutchinson has an everlasting passion for track and field. Utilizing both speed and endurance, Hutchinson runs the 400 meters, 800 meters, and 4x400 meter relay. It’s no doubt that she loves the sport.

This season marks her sixth year competing. Hutchinson knows what it takes to see results and has proven to be one of the best middle distance runners on the team.

“My favorite event is the 800, it seems long but it goes by rerelay, the Trojans did not disappoint anyone. The team continuously built on their impressive lead, and finally, got both first and second place.

For individual events, of course, the 100 yard butterfly definitely stood out. There were only two swimmers in this event, one for each team. Competing for the Trojans was Matthew Kuan,

ally fast,” said Hutchinson.

At her most recent meets at San Leandro and the Dublin Distance Festival, Hutchinson proved to be a major competitor racing her way to first place in the 400 and 800 at both meets.

“I love competing at big track meets because I always pull out a personal best since the girls I compete against push me harder,” said Hutchinson.

Committed to the sport, her final season for CVHS has already proven to be the most competitive. Hutchinson plans to continue to run in the future. who is also one of the team captains. He is a really good butterflyer, but his opponent also did a great job. At the first 50, Kuan touched the wall first, but his opponent touched right after him.

On the second 50, Kuan started to build his speed up. Finally, Kuan gained his total victory and beat his opponent by two seconds.

The Olympian April 13, 2017

Teachers agree to two percent raise

By Emily Salazar Business Manager

General members of the Castro Valley Teachers Association (CVTA) voted on March 29 to send the Tentative Agreement (TA) between the CVTA and the Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) for approval to the School Board, for their finalizing ratification on April 13. Expecting it to pass, teachers and members of the CVTA are looking forward to its benefits, including a two percent raise this school year and an additional two percent raise the 2017-2018 year.

CVTA and CVUSD TA focused on improving salaries, hours of employment, and calendar organization for the certified teachers, counselors, and others that are represented by the union, as well as extending the school day for kindergarten classes. For many members, the salary raise was the focal point of the agreement.

“CVTA worked really hard to get competitive compensation for our members,” remarked Roger Kim, president of CVTA. “But even with a two percent raise this year and a two percent raise next year, we will still be some of the lowest compensated teachers in the area… Our district simply cannot compete with many in our area to retain and recruit the best teachers for our students.”

TA approval would mean

a two percent increase in salary schedule which would be retroactive to July 1, 2016, meaning teachers would receive retro checks within 90 days of approval. Another two percent increase would apply to the 2017-2018 school year and beyond.

CVHS, with its collaboration schedule, would be limited to two staff meetings a month, excluding the months prior to a Western Association of Schools and Colleges visit, in which a third meeting may be added.

By the agreement, CVUSD and CVTA will collaborate to draft calendars for the 20182019 and 2019-2020 by as early as Oct. 13, 2017. One of its goals is for the first semester finals to take place before winter break. As the salary schedule for 2017-2018 is closed because of the already agreed upon two percent raise, only other parts of the Salaries article may be negotiated for contract negotiations starting on May 15, 2017, with the timeline to open articles beginning by April 28.

However, there are still many aspects that the TA didn’t cover that the CTVA would like to improve for their members.

“Contract negotiations next year will focus on other issues, including health benefits,” addressed Jennifer Clyde, the bargaining chair for CVHS and vice president of the CVTA.

Sex offender intrudes, then escapes CRIME: from page 1

those students weren’t as observant as they were in their surroundings,” said Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Deitschman, who also praised Hansen’s quick actions.

“Whenever anything inappropriate is going on, tell the nearest adult immediately,” said Hansen. “Every adult on this campus that works for the school district is, by definition, a mandated reporter who has to immediately report to the police.”

In his three years working at CVHS, Hansen had not dealt with a situation of this magnitude, he said. Most cases of nonstudents on campus are parents who are unaware of school poli-

cies in regards to the policy for adults being on campus.

Principal Blaine Torpey sent out an email to CVHS parents the same day explaining how the school addressed the situation.

CVHS parent Tina SchraderRichter received the email and thought it was an appropriate and timely way to inform parents. Following this event, she does not have any concerns for her children’s safety at school.

“This sicko on the parking lot? Annoying. But honestly, too stupid to be really dangerous.

Broad daylight, school staff and parents around, seems like he wanted to get caught,” said the educator and mother of four CVUSD students.

8

UC essay changes are an improvement Seniors share application experiences

By Wailea Siler Staff Writer

As the end of the academic year inches closer, seniors eagerly await acceptance letters to colleges, many of which are from the University of California (UC) system. Just this year, the UC system traded an important component of its application, the personal statement, for eight more specific personal insight questions.

With admission statuses finally released, seniors are now able to assess whether or not the change to the application was more helpful or harmful to their admission chances.

Each personal insight question response is limited to 350 words, and applicants are required to respond to four of the eight offered prompts. Some seniors believe having to answer four separate questions took an overall greater effort than the old personal statement did.

Many UC campuses also received record numbers of applicants for the 2017-2018 school year. UC Los Angeles received over 102,000 applica-

tions, while UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, and UC Irvine all received over 85,000. Solid responses to the insight questions are typically an important part of allowing applicants to stand out.

“It took more work, but the new application shows more opportunities. It’s harder to actually complete, but it shows way more of what you do,” said senior Nathan Roura.

Although it was a more timeconsuming process, Roura believes it did a better job at showcasing applicants’ experiences and character. The extent to which he believes this change aided prospective students in their actual admissions does not entirely reflect the added benefits, however.

“I just disagree with the way they are admitting people. I feel like a lot of people that should have, didn’t get in,” said Roura.

With record numbers of applicants, the UC system is constantly becoming more competitive. The personal insight questions are just a single factor in whether or not a student is the right fit for one of the schools.

“I liked the format for a couple of reasons. The multiple questions helped give me a variety of experiences to share instead of staying limited to choosing the best thing to say

about myself. I also was glad to see that the character limit was very low,” said senior Victoria Quijano, who was accepted to UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis, and UC San Diego.

Another benefit of the removal of the UC personal statement is the clarity that comes along with a briefer word count.

While applicants found this to be a relief, they also appreciated the variety and opportunity to showcase themselves through the personal insight questions.

“This made the whole process seem much less overwhelming, because I could sit down for 15 minutes and just write down everything I wanted to say and end up with a rough draft well above the required word count,” said Quijano.

Despite the increase in amount of effort required by the new UC application some applicants saw with the replacement of the personal statement, many seniors believe this helped display their best qualities, without the overwhelmingly high word count of an essay. Although some think the overall difficulty in responding to the given prompts has increased, it seems as though the UC system has succeeded in giving applicants clearer guidance and more opportunity to express themselves.