Page 2: Olympian suggests additions
Volume 60, Issue 4
Page 5: Top cop talks with Olympian
December 21, 2016
Page 6: Yet another Disney movie amazes
We are born to seek the truth! www.cvhsolympian.com
Trump supporters rejoice at victory By Pau Gutierrez Staff Writer
Although most students at CVHS are disappointed with the recent election results, some are actually pleased, if still surprised, about the outcome of the presidential race. As Hillary Clinton said, echoing the wise words of Michelle Obama, “When they go low, we go high.” Based on this belief, instead of judging and letting our different political views divide us, The Olympian talked to students who supported President-elect Donald Trump, asking why they thought he was the best candidate. “There’s a lot of things I like about him. I like his immigration policies, how he wants to stop so many illegal immigrants from coming over,” said junior Crusificio Reid. “What I like about him is that he’s honest, even though he says some nonsense things and he might be racist and sexist sometimes. He’s honest, so I’d rather have somebody like him than someone who has lied in the past,” said senior Spencer Vanderpan. Concerning the recent antiTrump protests on campus, junior Zach Ghereben said, “It was kind of pointless. They took people out of class and interrupted others; I was taking a test and I couldn't concentrate because I had to worry about what people were going to say
Moana exceeds expectations
San Francisco police chief tells his tale
New grad requirements considered
Barking narc sniffs for drugs but comes up empty pawed By Jessica Mi Editor-in-Chief
A giant bouncing ball of yellow fur and energy: drug-sniffing golden retriever Sandy and her handler Debra DeShaun paid a visit to CVHS on Dec. 5. CVHS admin brings drugsniffing dogs onto campus about 3 times a year. The visits are always scheduled for random times and locations, with the goal of deterring students from bringing illegal substances to school. The dogs sniff lockers, backpacks, and cars, but not students. “They could show up any day, so don’t bring it,” warned Assistant Principal Marisol Arkin.
During their visit, Sandy and DeShaun visited the girls locker room, photography room, 200 hall bathrooms, and the parking lots. They did not find any substances. “Every time we’ve had the drug dogs we have not been able to find any drugs,” Arkin said. This is a remarkable statistic considering the effectiveness of the searches. “If there’s odor [from a substance] coming out, the dog is going to smell it 100 percent,” said DeShaun. Since the dogs haven’t been able to detect anything recently, this could mean that CVHS has been a substance-free campus. “I’m impressed that students are not bringing it to school,”
Jacob Schoenfeld / News Editor
Senior Paolo Pimentel celebrates Trump’s victory. to my brother because of what his beliefs are. So it affected me in a negative way. I understand people have to express [themselves] but it doesn't mean that you have to go and ruin other people’s education. We’re gonna have to accept the result right now even though your candidate didn’t win.” It is important to emphasize that every point of view is re-
spected and valued at CVHS, and for that reason we thank our classmates for sharing their thoughts with us. We would like to encourage you to accept other people's points of view and to “make America great again” by proving to people that the beauty of this country is in its diversity and how we support each other, no matter our differences.
Congressman applauds CVHS walkout By Brittany Bracy Video Editor
Congressman Eric Swalwell visited CVHS for a town hall meeting about the election results on Dec. 3. Below are his remarks from an Olympian interview. Q: In light of the election results, what do you think is important for everyone to keep in mind in regards to what Donald Trump can and cannot do? A: We are not powerless. This is the story of American progress. I’m a football fan and so I look at it like a football game. Right now we've gone a few yards back, we've got to get back on the field and defend what we care about and for me that means defending the Affordable Care Act, actions
Jessica Mi / Editor-in-Chief
Sandy the drug sniffing-dog enjoyed her visit to CVHS but found no drugs.
Mara Moysen/ Staff Writer
Senior Brittany Bracy interviews Congressman Eric Swalwell. on climate change, and the Wall Street reforms. Q: What are you going to do to protect the undocumented
immigrants who have been in the U.S. their entire lives? A: We’re a country of immi-
See INTERVIEW: page 8
The dogs and handlers are from a company called Interquest Detection Canines, and are trained to detect illegal drugs, gunpowder, and medication. Although police dogs are usually German shepherds, Deshaun said it takes about six weeks to train the dogs, and that any dog can be trained to sniff drugs as long as they are “ball crazy.” “It’s a game of hide and seek,” said DeShaun. “They’re looking for a toy that smells like the drug.”
said Arkin. “We just want to make sure for everybody that it’s clean and safe here.” Although the title of “drugsniffing dog” may sound intimidating, Sandy has the opposite effect on students. Her ecstatic energy brought a positive atmosphere to the campus. After all, who doesn’t love to see a happy dog wagging its tail? DeShaun has been training dogs for 21 years. “They just still absolutely amaze me,” she said.
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Make foreign language a graduation requirement Editorial: Possible changes in graduation requirements have sparked different feelings for CVHS students. The changes and their benefits are being discussed but no consensus has been reached yet. Although there are many possible outcomes, we at The Olympian support a foreign language requirement, are uncertain about adding more math or science classes, and oppose a community service requirement. Many students believe that change isn’t necessary at all, and our division in this issue was surprisingly noticeable. One requirement that we strongly believed should be added is foreign language, which is currently an elective. UCs, CSUs and fouryear schools require 20 credits of a world language. A foreign language requirement would encourage students to continue developing their skills, and would come with many benefits
that are useful even after school. Knowing another language can broaden horizons to new cultures, places, and people. It can also give better job opportunities. Adding an additional year for math or science was not as popular. The Olympian was divided on the pros and cons, and took other students’ views into consideration. Many people do not excel in math or science, so requiring an additional year could cause problems. More math or science could be beneficial to students going to a four-year college, and could encourage them to pursue careers in STEM. However, not everyone desires a university education, and some may consider it waste of time. An extra year of math or science would result in students being able to take fewer electives. If an additional year became a graduation requirement, many more math and science teachers would need to be found. This is currently very hard to achieve,
and the demand for these teachers would only increase. It is important to remember, however, that math and science are important for the future, just like foreign languages. Although community service would bring many positive things, we do not believe it should be a requirement. Community service is great for giving
Audrey Manzano
back and connecting the Castro Valley community, and also looks good on college applications. The cons, however seem to outweigh the pros. Transportation to service events, the need for teachers to supervise, and timing are only a small amount of issues that may arise. Many volunteer opportunities require volunteers
to be at least 16 years old, which numerous students aren’t until junior year. Completing a required course during your last year of high school seems somewhat unrealistic. The thought of all students volunteering in our community is a nice idea, but it would just be too hard to manage and may collide with students’ work or personal lives. Although The Olympian believes all courses are beneficial in some way and deserve the benefit of the doubt, we must always take into consideration other students’ circumstances and what a required extra year of a course would mean to them. To some it may seem exciting and beneficial, but to others it may be another hurdle before graduating high school and moving forward. Whatever revisions the administration may decide on, if any, we believe that with every change comes opportunity and the chance to make something great of it.
“Spewing hate in our society helps no one” Why I love airports
By Desiree Broome Video Editor
Having lived in the Bay Area my entire life and coming from a very liberal minority family, the election of Donald Trump came as more than a shock to me. I blamed the rest of America, not thinking that Californians could possibly have voted for the man who disrespected many groups of people, all of whom make our entire state diverse and amazing. This was all until I attended the town hall meeting held at CVHS by Congressman Eric Swalwell. Upon arrival I looked around the room and noticed quite a few people sporting “Make America Great Again” apparel. I was surprised that they would attend the meeting, considering that Swalwell is a Democrat, but I was interested in how they
would behave. I noticed a man in the front row who shook his head and booed anytime Swalwell mentioned the negative effects of President-elect Trump’s actions. I also saw a woman decked out in American flag apparel, who shouted and called the congressman names. I noticed a man who walked up to someone and yelled at him about his views being wrong. It was interesting that the people who had “won” felt so angry. I wondered why they were so hostile towards anyone who didn’t agree with them, and why they attacked those who were addressing their wrongdoings. I don’t agree with Trump’s ideas, so I would never attend an event in which he spoke, because that is not an environment that I relate to. If Trump supporters don’t agree with Democratic ideas, then why come to an event in which you know they will be spoken about? In a way, I felt like his angry supporters were immature. People are taught to walk away from situations that they don’t want to be in, but that day, the Trump supporters put themselves in it. It’s as though they went searching for an issue, and someone to argue with. I truly felt like they attended and argued just to
get someone to listen to them. If you “won” and your ideas are “right” then why must you go out of your way to prove them? I think deep down, those who support Trump’s racism and other terrible ideas are trying to prove to themselves that it’s okay, and if there is one thing I hope that they took from the meeting, it’s that it’s not. Trump’s rhetoric has been full of anger and hate from the time he announced his campaign, and I believe that that is what drove people to him. He is a justification for their anger, racism, sexism, Islamophobia and other hateful ideas that are now prevalent. In a country where your next president believes it is okay to judge, stereotype and offend entire groups of people repeatedly, why would its citizens feel the need to be tolerant or accepting? Trump set this tone for our country, and is not a good one. I am not hopeful about the upcoming presidency, but I do hope that the negative-minded people who attended the meeting, and those who agree with them, find a way to understand that America is a place where everyone is different, and that spewing hate in our society helps no one.
By Stella Ho
I love airports. The moment I enter through the airport doors I take in the sight of busy people rushing to and fro dragging along multiple suitcases and luggages, people embracing as they say farewell, or people catching a bite at the cafe near the terminal. I love the environment of the airport, which is akin to that of a large city (without the auto vehicles and pollution, of course). So many different people, languages, destinations, and stories. Airports fascinate me in that so much is unknown. I might see families hugging, lovers kissing, friends crying, or colleagues shaking hands and still have no idea about what’s going on in their lives. A person could be returning from a long summer vacation, or about to
PHOTOpinions By Will Stein/ Staff Writer
“I think they’re fine where they are, but I don’t think that they should always be pressuring us to go to a four-year college when some can’t afford it.” Joshua Deutsch, freshman
“I think it’s fairly good where it’s at.” Izabela Baker, sophomore
Opinion Editor
head out on a business trip across the country. Who knows? The novelty of airports derives from this aura of mystery. I head to the airport once a year to fly out of the country to visit relatives. My trips are always fun and exciting, and these ecstatic feelings have contributed to my fascination and love for airports, which I associate with traveling. I haven’t traveled as much of the world as I’d like to, but enough to give me a taste of all of the amazing and diverse array of cultures and people out there. The inner wanderer in me yearns to go to Amsterdam, Paris, London, and other parts of Europe. The inner wanderer in me wants to go to Mexico, and Singapore, and Australia. The inner wanderer in me wants to see the world in its entirety, learn numerous languages, and meet as many people as possible. To satisfy this hunger of mine, I read about all these different places from the eyes of first-hand tourists who write about their experiences in travel magazines. Though I know it may not be possible for me to travel to every place I want to in the near future, it’s nice to dream about it. And for now, I’m happy enough to read about the experiences of other travelers and contemplate about airports.
What do you think about graduation requirements? “I think it’s good, maybe another year of math could be beneficial.” Matt Betti, junior
“I think the g r a d u a t i o n requirements are pretty good, they make sense.” Julee Ancheta, senior
The Olympian Dec. 21, 2016
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behind on homework? “A good energy drink can be your savior”
By Emily Salazar Business Manager
Energy drinks: they keep you going at 3 a.m. when you haven’t finished those time-consuming assignments that are due in five hours. A lifeline and a gateway to untapped potential that comes from being awake much longer than recommended. However, energy drinks have carried with them a sort of stigma since the beginning of their classified existence. Do they even really work? Are they at all different from sports drinks and soda? Will they cause our imminent death? Do they contain
The Olympian encourages letters from our readers. Please note that letters must be signed and no longer than 200 words. They can be e-mailed to cvhsolympian@gmail. com, delivered to Mr. Johanson’s box in the office, or dropped off at our Olympian office in room 113.
Re: “Why we should legalize marijuana” by Jason Mays “I agree with your article 100 percent. I feel like it has the power to really help patients with health issues. Also I think it gets a bad reputation, but has the power to be a major part in helping dull the pain for people who are very sick. I enjoyed reading your article. It was very interesting.” Aaron Milosevic
bull sperm? Are they the work of the devil? Even as different arguments have been presented against the use of energy drinks, the consumer base (a large percentage of it being students) continues to grow every year, according to a Nutrition and Health Info-Sheet by UC Davis. As an occasional sipper of the 2 a.m. Red Bull, though I continue to have a health-cautious, sleepdeprived eye on what I decide to consume, I believe that energy drinks and those who drink them shouldn’t be so frequently chastised. They’re not mainly water, sugar, and flavoring, as soda is, nor are they mainly water, electrolytes, and sugar, as sports drinks are. Soft drinks are formulated to taste good and do nothing for your body, while sports drinks were made to replenish fluids lost during activity. Energy drinks were created to give people the extra burst of energy they need for the next couple of hours. They’re designed with specific ingredients to fulfill their purpose.
Aside from the main ingredients, sugar and caffeine, energy drinks contain other very targeted ingredients such as ephedrine, taurine, ginseng, and B-vitamins. Ephedrine is a stimulant that works on the central nervous system, and taurine is a natural amino acid produced by the body to help regulate heartbeat and muscle contractions. Ginseng is a root that is believed to have several medicinal properties, including reducing stress and boosting energy levels. B-vitamins are a group of vitamins that can convert sugar to energy and improve muscle tone. In the manufacturing of energy drinks, the selection of the ingredients isn’t made lightly or without care. The FDA has put regulations on energy drinks to restrict the amount of certain ingredients in them, so it’s not as if companies can go on putting obscene amounts of caffeine or sugar into them. People should have a little more trust in these drinks. A typical energy drink
Re: “Trump: stereotypes and immigrant bans” by Megan O’Brien “I totally agree with you! The fact that Trump is taking away the opportunity to live a safe life from violence is not fair for anyone that is trying to escape from that. I love the point you made about how Mexico is one of our allies and if we make them pay for the wall that it is not a smart move. Great article and keep up the great work!” Kyle Barrera
controversial as one about gun control. Primarily, your biggest claim seems to be that children (or minors- whichever term you prefer) shouldn’t be allowed with guns. And you’re right, they shouldn’t. But here’s the thing: they already aren’t. Without direct adult supervision, a minor is not allowed to handle a firearm. Secondly, you’re saying that we need background checks on people buying guns, as if we don’t already do that. In fact, when someone wants to buy a gun, the seller has the FBI check them, to make sure nothing is wrong or blocked. It’s not some shady job that’s only been half-done by the retailer, people are thorough. There are already
Staff Writer
At the age of nine I moved from Ethiopia to a completely new atmosphere known as the United States. Coming to a new country that you have never been to is one thing but not being able to speak the same language is a completely different story. So going to school in America was extremely hard mainly because I wasn’t able to understand my teachers or classmates. This made me feel afraid, not understood, and not accepted in a new world that spoke English. That is why I support Prop. 58. Prop. 58 was recently passed on Nov. 8, repealing Prop. 227, which was passed in 1998. Prop.
Emily Salazar stays up late by drinking a can of Red Bull. has about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. With that in mind, one should still be cautious of the effects of consuming too many energy drinks. As about everything in life, there needs to be moderation. It’s probably not the best idea to start out the day with
two BFC Monsters, have a 5 Hour Energy at mid-day, and then chug down some Red Bull when it’s 1 a.m. But if you need that pick-me-up before working on an essay you didn’t start until the night before it’s due, a good energy drink can be your savior.
loads of laws specifically for firearms, to limit them, to control them, etc. But criminals and people who wish to do harm with guns still get them. It’s what they do, this won’t stop it. If no one should be allowed to have guns except for law enforcement and the military, then what? At the risk of sounding ungrateful (which I’m not, we wouldn’t be where we are today without the military or our police forces), allowing the government to have so much control over us as that would give is reckless. It opens up the opportunity for more laws, more restriction. Which can lead to a dictatorship, to communism, to everything we scorn Hitler for. But I digress, enjoy whichever opinions you have, and I’ll enjoy mine.” Kaitlin Manning
Re: “Donald Trump can not be president of the United States” by Cristian Garcia “You are very correct that Trump had said that he would deport immigrants. However, whom he was really targeting were the undocumented immigrants. I think legalizing undocumented immigrants is not acceptable. By doing so, many legal immigrants, including my family, who did hard work and waited very long to enter the US would be irritated. I agree with you that his opinion on Mexican immigrants did hurt many Mexicans, but I don’t think deporting illegal immigrants is considered a ‘bigoted perspective.’ He is simply strengthening national security, which is what any president should be doing.” Jessica Lo
Letters to the Editor
Re: “Don’t shoot down Prop. 63” by William Lao “I have to say, I expected a bit more research to be done before writing an article as
Why I support bilingual ed programs
By Beruk Tsegaye
Emily Salazar/ Business Manager
58 allows schools to have bilingual education programs so students can take classes that have teachers who can speak both English and the students’ native languages. These programs give students a better understanding and communication with their teachers. The new law also no longer requires students to get parental waivers to take these English Learner programs. Prop. 58 does not require all schools to have these programs but parents and teachers can ask schools and districts to create them to further help educate their students. These programs should be available to every school district because they help English learners be more developed. It’s very helpful for them to have teachers who can relate to their situation, which makes the students feel at ease. As a student who speaks English as a second language, I always wished that I had a teacher who taught in English and spoke my native language. I want to become proficient in English, but I also want to be given the opportunity to take other foreign languages with teachers who can speak my
language and can work with me to better understand in a foreign language class. It was biased of voters schools to restrict certain students from taking these programs as Prop. 227 required, when other countries have multiple languages available with teachers who can also speak English and teach these foreign languages. “Everybody should speak more than one language. We need to build a broader community so if we only speak one language that means we can only connect to people that only speak our language. This is a world, it’s not a city, it’s not a bubble, so let’s burst it,” said health teacher Sue Anderson. We need to be more open to new and innovative ideas and not restrict our students to stick with one or two languages that have teachers who can only speak one language and teach our students both English and students’ native languages. The bilingual education programs offer English learners the chance to expand their knowledge of education while being able to work with teachers who know the students’ native languages.
The Olympian is a publication of the journalism class at Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2016
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, William Lao, Audrey Manzano, Jason Mays, Mara Moysen, Megan O’Brien, Ria Panjwani, Wailea Siler, Will Stein, Lina Stoyanovich, Beruk Tsegaye Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson
Humans of CV: Andre the giant musician By Nisha Lal Staff Writer
Dusty Paws lends a helping paw
Hannah Johansson / Staff Writer
By Hannah Johansson and Megan O’Brien
“Goldie was so shy, and the shelter was going to euthanize her because she wasn't coming around. We got her into a foster home, and the foster parents said she was the best dog he ever had. We found her a home,” said Dusty Paws Treasurer Paulette Murillo. Goldie is only one of hundreds of animals that owe their lives to Dusty Paws. Dusty Paws is not your typical pet rescue group. The Castro Valley-based organization takes dogs and cats from desperate situations all over California, and places them in foster homes until they find a permanent home at any cost. “We have a philosophy that once we take an animal into foster care, we do whatever it takes to get them better. We’ve spent $4,000 to $5,000 on surgery for some of our animals,” said Murillo. The non-profit rescues 75 to 100 animals every year, many of whom are rescued from terrible conditions. “Tonka had been in the shelter for almost a year, that’s very rare because it’s a high-kill shelter. I thought that was a sign that he must be a really good dog if they kept him. But when he came to us, I also learned that he wasn’t socialized at all,” said Murillo
about a rescued animal. Dusty Paws also does what is possible to save the pets emotionally. Kathy Clayworth took in a sixteen-year-old cat Macy who had been abandoned when her owner died of a stroke. The neighbor fed and changed Macy’s litter box until she came to Clayworth, depressed and dying of kidney failure. Slowly, her health was restored. Six months after the amazing recovery, she was adopted by an eager couple. Dusty Paws is dedicated to finding permanent, stable homes for all of their animals. “We do what we call a sleepover… We let you keep the animal for ten to 14 days, or longer if you need to, to make sure it works out in your home… so you know it’s going to be a permanent adoption,” said co-founder and Vice President Wayne Meranda. Meranda emphasized the importance of each animal both to the organization and to himself. “When you pull a dog from the shelter, you’re kind of that dog’s hero,” he said. Dusty Paws is filled with dedicated animal lovers, who do more than strive to make a difference in the general wellbeing of animals. They strive to transform the lives of every animal that is lucky enough to cross their path.
Andre Juntilla, a senior here at CVHS, is heavily involved with music. He is very invested in his talents and has been very successful so far. Juntilla plays several instruments, is a part of madrigals, and is a co-drum major in the marching band. Juntilla developed a very strong interest in music starting at a young age. He was always very outgoing and up to trying new things. “I didn’t want to be someone who was only good at one thing. I wanted to be mediocre at a lot of different things,” he said. Juntilla began his musical career when he learned to play guitar at the age of seven. Soon after, he learned to play the drums, saxophone and trombone. He uses his talent to create his own music under his stage name, Milky Dre. Juntilla has developed his musical talents through classes offered on campus, such as band and madrigals. “Being in band is helpful because it gives me ideas for different chords. One of my most popular songs was written using chords from a band song. Its called Dreamland. Also, choir has been helpful because it has helped me improve my vocals and blend my songs better when I make music,” he said. Juntilla is very passionate and works hard to be successful. He spends his free time producing his own albums. His most recent album, titled “No Name by Milky Dre,” was released on Nov. 28. It can be found on soundcloud.com. He creates all of his own beats and writes all of his own rap songs. The inspiration for his albums and EPs comes from events that take place in his life. “My music really reflects what is going on in my life. I’m motivated by what goes on in my life and I put that into my music.
Nisha Lal/ Staff Writer
Andre Juntilla models his clothing brand, “Milky by Milky Dre.” For me, it's an escape,” he said. Juntilla’s future goal is to become a role model for people who have similar dreams. He wants to show others that hard work really does pay off, and that passion is all you need. Juntilla has also found passion in clothing design. Over the summer of 2016, he designed his very own clothing line which he called “Milky by Milky Dre.” Juntilla’s clothing line is a trendy brand focused on casual streetwear. “I do everything myself. I ship out all the packages, places orders and design everything,” he said. “Milky by Milky Dre” apparel can be found on his clothing website, milkybymilkydre.
bigcartel.com. With both music and business on his mind, Juntilla plans to create a timeless brand that inspires others to follow their dreams. He wants to build his business into a popular brand and continue his music. He hopes to be signed as a recording artist one day. Juntilla wants to show everyone that following your dreams and becoming successful is possible if you work hard and go get it. “I want to be an influence to all the business-minded and musically-oriented people out there. I want to tell them that hard work will lead to success,” he said.
Time machine: beer mile, PE uniforms and smoking section By Da Di and Jason Mays Highlights from The Olympian archives show the way things were at CVHS. 2006: “Slow Times, Puke at Beer Mile. Tying their shoes, stretching and downing a Budweiser each, armed with a 30pack, seven ex-members of the Castro Valley High’s boys cross country team were fulfilling two young men’s vision of a mile, running under the influence of alcohol, ‘The Beer Mile.’” After sneaking onto the track late at night for their boozy run, the boys threw up and were later suspended. 2006: “Don’t take your license for granted. As I was cruising down the freeway going 80 mph in the fast lane, I lived
every driver’s nightmare. The infamous red and blue lights from hell appeared out of thin air and were locked right behind me. I cursed the cop for targeting me instead of the other speeders, but I prayed to my non-denominational god that it was not me that he was following. As I pulled over, the red and blue were still up on me, and an officer approached me and asked for my license and registration.” Some things never change. People do bad things, and hope they will be the ones who can escape, but they caught by the police all the time. 1996: “Class of 2000 gets P.E. uniform. In an attempt to create a more disciplined classroom environment, the Physical Education Department announced
last week that it will require all freshmen to wear uniforms while participating in P.E. class, beginning in the fall semester of the 1996-97 school year. The requirement will be expanded to include all students beginning in 1997-98 if the first year is deemed successful.” It is kind of fun to know that 20 years ago, there were no P.E. uniforms at CVHS. 1986: “I don't have to go. ‘You have to go to the Senior Ball: everyone’s going to be there!’ How many times do the teenagers of America have to hear this cry? It’s bad enough that young people are forced to dress up in expensive clothing and ritualistically take pictures with seven million of their closest friends. But on top of that, we are ex-
pected to dance and smile and have a good time!” You really don’t have to go. 1986: “Smoking section snuffed out. This year the Castro Valley School Board…voted
to outlaw the use of tobacco because of student health risks; complaints by teachers, students and parents; and the new state law.” Hard to imagine smoking was once permitted on campus.
The Olympian Dec. 21, 2016
Big city’s top cop meets the press By Ria Panjwani
Staff Writer Toney Chaplin, acting police chief of the San Francisco Police Department, gave The Olympian a special interview. Q: I want to talk to you about the impact of police within schools. Do you feel like this is an important role? What role do officers play in high schools essentially? A: SRO stands for school resource officers. They are supposed to help with students in crisis who have issues, facilitate the staff in taking kids engaged in bad activities or unlawful activities out of the classroom safely without disrupting the other students. I think it’s a great thing to have the officers there. You know as well as anybody with Columbine, Sandy Hook, and all the school shootings people want them there for safety reasons. Q: There is great concern over the schools to prison pipeline, about how more students in schools are being forced into the criminal justice system early as a result of having police officers in schools. I can see that the SFPD sees that as a problem and you are trying to divert students away from the criminal justice system, so how does that work? A: As a baby, you touch the hot stove: you know not to touch the hot stove anymore. For some, they know sometimes you can avoid it altogether and just know not to touch the hot stove but some folks have to get burned a little bit before they know. But once they know what happens, their whole hand shouldn’t be held in front of the fire. They should be diverted away and talked to and worked with to get them away from the criminal justice system, because it doesn't serve anyone’s purpose to lock someone up. We don’t think it does until you absolutely HAVE to. If they are a danger to society, then I think we absolutely have to remove them. But if they’re not, we can get them back into the flow, it helps every-
body because you know your tax dollars, you don’t want them going to someone we don’t need to house... And so the training for the SROs is more to turn a kid away from that (the criminal justice system). Or once they get into it, how to counsel them and get them out of that.
people just want to be involved in the process. The other issue I think law enforcement has in the 21st century is the public image issue. We did a lot when the federal Department of Justice came in to look our department. One
I mean even the red-line things that need to be done now, like the banning of one of our tactics called a carotid hole, where you apply pressure to the carotid arteries and you basically render the person unconscious if they're fighting you. They want to stop using that. So the immediate stuff is the Q: How is “A” priority. The the public im“B” stuff is the age of police data collection, officers? How so that we know, have movefor example, why ments such there are disparias Black Lives ties in our traffic Matter affected stops, or stops in officers? this group more than that group. A: Yo u The “C” priority know if you is minimal stuff had asked me that’s easier to probably about fix. So we broke six months ago them down and I’d have said, once we did that ‘Oh God things it gave us kind of are TERRIBLE a timeline. out there,’ but For the “A” they just did stuff we did a a Gallup poll. 30 day window Our popularity to fix up those has not been things, the “B” this high since stuff, a 60 to 90 1967. I mean, day window. In we’re soaring. the “C” stuff, 60 Ria Panjwani met San Fransisco Acting Police Chief to 180 days to fix And the realit. I think that's ity is, with San Toney Chaplin to speak about concerning topics. probably the easiFrancisco, 96 percent of the city loves them thing they realized is that the est way to deal with these and and embraces the police depart- department does a lot of stuff then develop teams and each ment. Four percent have an is- in the community, kind of like team; like if it had to do hiring, sue and that's part of B.L.M. (or the “Bicycles for Vets” today. it went to my Deputy Chief of Black Lives Matter) and some But the department doesn’t talk Administration. If it was about of the different coalitions for about it a lot, and I said true!... traffic stops, then it went to the some of the controversial officer We put it out there, but it's up Deputy Chief of Field Operashootings...It still is incumbent to channels to air it. Most of the tions Bureau, because he has all on me to reach out to them and time they don’t, because unfor- the patrol units that there would bring them into the center, work tunately we are now in an age with them. And so that's one of where it's about Keeping Up the goals. But our image with With the Kardashians. It's about the Housewives from wherever. You know it's about reality T.V. and four hours of news goes to, “if it bleeds it leads.” And if you really think about the news; the guy looks at you. He says, “Good evening!” and then tells you why it's not! “Good evening! Four people killed in this...car rolled over and a mother and daughter be doing those traffic stops. So drowned in the water.” I mean every group was broken down it's like you said good evening; like this and sent to a deputy where is the good evening part chief. going to come from? Toney Chaplin Q: With these new recomI'm just saying that the direction has gone a different way mendations that are coming in, SFPD and no one wants to hear, “Hey, how is policing different than you guys are giving bicycles for when you started? How much the public has been pretty high... veterans? That’s great!” It's just is the same? not news, unfortunately. A: It's completely different! One of the big things that we Q: How do you go about Our use of force policy was have to do is adjust our Use of Force Policy, which was a big implementing each of the rec- archaic...I think we all just kind win for the community because ommendations given from the of kept doing the same thing for the first time in history of our Department of Justice report, until time caught us and passed police department, we brought and how do you make sure that us up. Technology caught us and in the community: the American you have enough funding for passed us up. And now we're Civil Liberties Union, the Public each to make sure they're imple- running to try to catch up... Now with cell phone technology, Defender's Office, and different mented fully? you're actually seeing people groups from all over sat down A: The 272 recommendations videotaping breaches in use of to help us craft the policy. So bringing the public in has been a were broken down into A, B force policy. That's the bad news. The good news is, every time complete game changer because and C categories. Some of the they've taken part ownership recommendations needed to you see a police officer doing in this thing and a lot of times be implemented immediately. something, you see some peo-
“r i n g i n g t h e B public in has been a complete game changer. ”
ple’s cellphone, right? Tens and tens of thousands of hours of footage every month, but you see none of it. That’s because 99 percent of officers are doing it the right way and it goes in the trash bin in the phone, because there's nothing to show...And I'll be honest with you, people are real funny. They like videotaping but they do not like being videotaped. One of the big changes is body cameras for all my officers. I think in most agencies that put body cameras on officers, their complaints have fallen off a cliff, and I don't think that's because people are lying. I think it’s because the body cameras have the effect of making people on both sides of that lens behave better. And it's funny when people think, “Man somebody may see me acting like this.” They really stop themselves… Now, more than ever, police officers find ourselves in these situations where, in a blink of an eye, you have to make a decision and here’s the worst part. CNN, C-Span, everybody’s gonna run it... They’re gonna show that slow motion; you don’t have that time when these things happen, but the problem is, people look at the video for three, four weeks. But now imagine you're standing there and this guy's doing all this stuff and you're thinking about Dad, Mom, never seeing them again...They'll make it fit their narrative and that is the hardest part of this job, because sometimes you know what really happened. And they're reporting something completely different...but we can't talk about it. It's an ongoing investigation. It's just one of the toughest parts of the job, knowing what really happened as opposed to what's being reported... And a lot of times the first thing folks will do is, they'll sue you. And the statement will come out: “We can't comment on that; there's pending litigation.” That's the police side. Now the side suing? They can say anything they want. Whenever they want. And the press loves it.
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Comics Chatcave: a guide to Marvel’s Infinity Stones
By Harley Penn Secret Superhero
Infinity stones are singularities in the form of gems in the Marvel Universe which are older than the universe. They’ve popped up in Marvel movies since the beginning, encouraging many to keep a list of where the stones have ended up. If you haven’t been doing so, here you go! (Spoilers follow for all Marvel movies, including Dr. Strange.) The Space Stone appeared as the Tesseract in Captain America: The First Avenger. The small, blue box was stolen by Red Skull and later found by SHIELD. Loki then stole it in The Avengers and
used it to open a portal to let the Chitauri aliens invade Earth. It is now stored in Asgard. In The Avengers, the Mind Stone appeared in Loki’s staff, which was given to him by Thanos so Loki could lead the Chitauri army. He was stopped and the staff was given to SHIELD. HYDRA took control of SHIELD in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the staff was given to Baron von Strucker, who used it to give Scarlet Witch and Quick-
silver their powers. The stone was placed in Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The Reality Stone, or Aether, was discovered in Thor: The Dark World. The Dark Elves tried to use it to return the universe to eternal darkness. They were stopped and the stone went to the Collector. The Power Stone was in the orb found by Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy. After Ronan had it, it was locked up in Nova Corps. The Time Stone is in the Eye of Agamotto that Dr. Strange used to manipulate time. He eventu-
Haley Booth/ Staff Writer
ally placed it back in Kamar-Taj. The Soul Stone’s whereabouts have yet to be revealed. They will most likely be disclosed during the much anticipated Avengers: Infinity War. Theme Songs When you think about iconic movie theme songs, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, or even Superman come to mind. Even if you haven’t watched these movies, the theme songs are probably familiar. The same cannot be said about Marvel movies. Trying to remember the
theme song to Captain America or Thor is as pointless as trying to pick up Mjolnir. Perhaps the directors want the audience to be focused on the storyline rather than the music. However, wouldn’t Marvel like to gain a lot of money from making 15 different theme songs and selling them on iTunes? Once Marvel came up with music that not only had the audience moving in its seats during the movie, but long afterwards as well. While its songs weren’t written specifically for the movie, the playlist featured in Guardians of the Galaxy was a hit from the start. Marvel has the capability to pull off another musical triumph. Only time will tell if they try again, or give all their focus to the epic fight scenes. Fun facts The Joker was only meant to be a short lived character, but the writer brought him back after seeing his potential. He became the most renowned Batman villain ever. Curious about my secret identity? Well here’s a hint. My favorite color is the color of Dr. Manhattan.
SAVE THE DATES! CVSan’s Zero Waste Week 2017 Get involved and inspired during January 17 through January 21, 2017. Here’s an early event schedule:
Da Di / Staff Writer
Long-awaited Disney movie stuns audience By Jason Mays staff
Writer
Maui slices the beast's arm off with one clean slice, giving Moana the opportunity to put the stone in the heart of the mother island, Te Fiti. Moana is the soon-to-be chief of her island, when she is suddenly chosen by the ocean to deliver a stone to the heart of Te Fiti, and restore life to her island. Te Fiti is the mother island, which all life comes from, and Moana must save it. She requires aid from the brooding, tattoo-covered demigod, Maui. They have to defeat the coconut pirates, a giant crab, and a lava monster, in order to create economical balance on Earth. The new movie Moana is filled with action-packed, hilarious
scenes, and amazing musical performances. What really brought it together was how the film portrayed the Polynesian culture. Moana is Disney’s first Polynesian princess, and the movie had wonderful music and art that I thought symbolized the culture very well. The art and designs throughout the movie were incredible, and the full-body tattoos on Maui were extremely detailed. Moana is a fantastic film for people of any age, and is guaranteed to leave you feeling upbeat and happy. The wonderful storyline, extravagant artwork, and representation of Polynesian culture are all key reasons that you have to see this movie. Hopefully this is the first of many new, diverse Disney princesses to come in the future.
Visit www.cvsan.org/ZeroWaste for more information! CASTRO VALLEY SANITARY DISTRICT Effective Environmental Services since 1939 510-537-0757 | www.cvsan.org This ad was paid for by a Non-Residential Recycling Grant.
Trojans race to state meet By Haley Booth Staff Writer
Trojan cross country teams ran spectacular times at this year’s North Coast Section (NCS) Meet of Champions in Hayward on Nov. 19. The boys came in second in the three mile run, and the girls placed first. The teams were excited about about reaching the state cross country championships. “It was the best feeling all season,” said senior Kate Armstrong, who was injured last season but got back on the track this year. “Going to the state meet was our goal the entire season.” The team was in for a wet
surprise at NCS, as it had been raining before the competition. But that didn’t slow any of the teams down. “I am super proud of my time because of how wet it was there,” said junior Reilly Berberian. The rain wasn’t the only surprise the boys team got. In a race won by Dougherty Valley, Castro Valley, Berkeley and James Logan raced for second place and the state meet berth. The Trojans beat both rivals, led by Berberian, Vincent Friesen and Seth Miu. “It felt amazing because Berkeley and James Logan were expecting to place second, but then we beat them," said junior Skyler
Bowersmith, a new runner. “I was new so I was striding to keep up with them,” said Bowersmith. And keep up he did, with the fourth fastest time for the boys team. Top bragging rights went to the girls team for winning the NCS championship. Senior Danika Newlin led the way finishing third overall. Other top Trojans included Monica Paredes, Armstrong, Leikela Lunt, Kaitlin Manning and Hannah Meskienyar, all finishing in the top 15. The Trojans Both teams competed in the state meet on Nov. 26, each finishing in 23rd place.
Soccer girls win their first game By Ria Panjwani Staff Writer
She strikes, she scores! On Dec. 10, the girls varsity soccer team was victorious over the Antioch High School Panthers in the pouring rain, with a score of 2-0 on the home field. Juniors Izcalli Mariscal and Ashley Michalowski were the goal-scorers. The girls took about 20 shots on goal during the game, putting two of them in. The Trojans had lost their first two games to Monte Vista and Carondelet, and tied their third with Deer Valley High. This was their first win of the season. “I liked how we defended together as a team and worked together. And I also liked how we attacked and put pressure on them in the final third,” said coach Lauren Nadler after their win. “I think the team camaraderie was better than it has been in all of the games and we connected more passes than we usually do,”
Ria Panjwani / Staff Writer
Girls varsity soccer players get ready to play.
added team captain G’ana Losson, a senior. Conditions were awful as the rain continued throughout the entire game. This didn’t stop the team however; the ball was on the opponents’ side the majority of the game. In the entire second half, the CVHS goalie only touched the ball once. Regardless, the girls had a lot to say in how to improve as a team.
“I think we can improve on connecting our passes and then opening up some of the entry ways to the final third,” freshman starter Myla Ogle commented. However, a lot took place before the game, including a miscommunication on the schedule in the JV game and a delay in the varsity game, with girls only getting a 20 minute warm-up, compared to their usual one hour pre-game.
Athletes of the Month
Giana Wright, Basketball
By Audrey Manzano Staff Writer
Senior Giana Wright is a dedicated basketball player who is passionate about the game and deserves all praise given to her. Wright started playing basketball in kindergarten around the age of five. Her mom was her first coach and encouraged her to play the sport. Wright also used to watch basketball games with her mom, which added to her love for the game. Her favorite NBA team is the Warriors, and her favorite college team is the Stanford women’s team. “I found a love of the sport over the years, and it’s just something I really enjoy doing, and it’s just a passion of mine,” Wright said. Her coach Jim Lemmon describes Wright as a skilled player with a good work ethic, and a determination to be great every day. “The way she competes and
forces the people around her to compete, I would say is the biggest thing with her. She’s obviously a great player for us to have. She is also extremely deserving of everything she’s gotten, from the scholarship to the post-season awards she received last year,” said Lemmon. What Wright loves most about basketball is playing with a team. “My favorite part is how you have to work with the other people on the court. I think once you learn how to work with one another, it creates a really pretty flow to the game,” she said. Her least favorite part is the conditioning the players go through to improve their skills. Wright’s favorite memory plAying basketball was made last year during the Northern California finals at the Sacramento Kings’ arena. Wright plays the position of power forward. She received a full graduate scholarship to Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Wrestlers grapple with competition
Jacob Schoenfeld / News Editor
Alex Sousa ties up his with opponent in his semifinal. By Jacob Schoenfeld News Editor
The CVHS boys varsity wrestling team participated in the 54th annual Bay Area Wrestling Tournament, hosted at CVHS on Dec. 10. Over 30 schools were represented. The Trojans truly impressed, as some placed high in what is considered one of the more competitive tournaments of the season. CVHS placed fifth in the tournament overall. In the lighter brackets, freshman Leiland Thomas and
team captain Steven Decker both placed high among the pack. Thomas placed third in the 113-pound with a 3-1 record, two wins by pin. Senior Decker placed second in a tough match battle in the championship round, and finished with a 3-1 record, winning by pin in all three matches. In the middle-weight brackets, freshman Kristopher Darrin and junior Alex Sousa made their way to the front of the packs. Darrin placed fourth in the 132-pound bracket, with a record of 2-2. Cap-
tain Sousa placed second in the 160-pound bracket after a long series of tough matches, one including a clutch 12-11 win in the semifinals, which almost erupted into a fight after the match. Sousa ended the day with a 3-1 record, including one win by pin. In the upper-weight brackets, junior Charles Alejo placed third in the 170-pound bracket with a 3-1 record, with two wins by pin. As one can imagine, wrestling three to five matches in a day can be very tiring for the athletes, but that doesn’t stop the wrestlers from leaving everything on the mats. “It’s pretty tiring, but you don’t worry about how many matches you’ll wrestle,” said Decker. “You worry about the match that you’re wrestling, taking it one step at a time.” At a crowded and popular tournament such as this, the wrestlers do their best to stay focused, especially when trailing in score. “It’s important not to focus on the yelling or cheering when you’re at a tournament like this. You have to try to listen to your coaches and focus on your match,” explained Decker.
Collin Mazgaloff, Soccer
By Sarah Nosseir Sports Editor
Senior Collin Mazgaloff is a hard-working high school soccer player, not to mention a good team leader. He’s been playing competitive soccer for 5 years as a center/right defender, and he’s considering playing club soccer in college. Mazgaloff is a team captain, and his teammates look up to for encouragement and criticism. “Pretty much everyone is relying on you to raise the spirit of the team while simultaneously keeping them serious and focused,” he said. Soccer is such a dynamic sport - it’d be so easy to pick a favorite part. For Mazgaloff, he enjoys the, “physical, communicative, and teamwork
aspects. Reliance is also very important; knowing that your teammate can count on you and that you can count on them is really what allows you to move the ball up the field.” In terms of career highlights, Mazgaloff doesn’t have a specific highlight from a specific game. “They just happen from game to game, there are certain moments where you can really uplift the team emotionally and mentally. There are other times where you bring the spirit of the team up by scoring that last minute goal or making that risky pass.” Clearly, soccer is his passion, something he takes pride in. So go out and support the boys Varsity soccer team, maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of this amazing player!
The Olympian
Teachers demand salary increase
Swalwell responds to Trump’s election
INTERVIEW: from page 1
Ian Rodriquez rallies other teachers calling for a raise. According to school board By Lina Stoyanovich Staff Writer
Castro Valley Teachers Association and Castro Valley Unified School District are negotiating teacher salaries. The teachers union and district have reached agreement on benefits and other issues for a three-year contract. Now that these have been settled, the topic of salary is being debated. Teacher salaries currently start at $53,531 and go to up to $100,950, depending on what degrees the teachers have and how long they have been teaching in the district.
member Dot Theodore, salary is the last issue that needs to be resolved. CVTA and the district held a negotiating session on Nov. 28, with both sides sharing different proposals. The district’s November proposal included a two percent ongoing salary increase for 2016-2017 and two percent more in 2017-2018. The union, however, had its own proposal. Teacher Ian Rodriquez, a member of the CVTA bargaining team, says that the union “isn’t sure that’s the best they can do… so we countered
Hannah Johansson / Staff Writer
for a little bit more money, but we are pleased that the district has shown some willingness to move off the one percent they initially offered us.” The CVTA’s counterproposal asked for a three percent ongoing raise and a one percent bonus for the 2016-2017 school year, a 2.25 percent ongoing raise and a 1.5 percent bonus for 2017-2018. While the district has yet to respond to the union’s proposal, the two sides will meet again for their next bargaining meeting on Jan. 23.
Puente program pushes pupils By Cristian Garcia Staff Writer
Puente, Spanish for “bridge,” is a program that focuses on bridging the gap between firstgeneration minority students and higher education. Puente was founded in 1981 by Felix Galaviz and Patricia McGrath at Chabot College in Hayward when they noticed that first-generation, collegebound students were not receiving the preparation required to be successful in higher-level studies. The program strives to increase the amount of minority students in four-year colleges and universities. Puente has expanded to high schools over the years, preparing students to transition from high school to college. “Truly, many students can benefit from Puente,” said Cheri Garcia, the Puente counselor at CVHS. Puente strictly believes in the students’ dedication to their own education as a large component to their success. After completing an application and interview process, the students who are accepted are placed into english classes that according to the program webpage, “provide a stimulating environment for Puente
students.” Thus the program builds their confidence in reading, writing, and comprehension. Puente students are also assigned a counselor who will help them broaden their educational options, explore potential careers, and create an effective educational plan. “I firmly believe in the program, and I know the potential,” said Garcia. Puente’s results speak for themselves. The program has over 5,000 students enrolled at the community college level. Additionally, community colleges with an active Puente program transfer 44 percent more students of color to UCs than colleges without Puente. It has been obvious that Puente truly
Emily Salazar / Business Manager
motivates students, at both the high-school and community college level, to have a prestigious education plan. Although Puente is thought to be only for hispanic students, it’s not. The program is open to anyone submitting applications. The goal of Puente is to help first generation college students learn the skills they need. The program encourags diversity and accepts students of all cultures. Puente hopes to become a largely known organization in years to come, ensuring that students of color know that there is help and that college is an option.
grants. Almost every person that came to our country undocumented came here because they thought that America was a place where they could work hard, do right and support their families. We want to make sure that America is still that place. The overwhelming majority just want to support their families; I want to make sure that we try to bring them out of the shadows to be a part of America rather than to see them deported. Q: You’re what us young people would call “woke.” You’re live on social media. I know you've seen the protests and anger in the American people. What do you suggest people do to translate that anger into positive change? A: I was really excited to see that about 500 CVHS students walked out in protest because civil disobedience and using your freedom of speech are what this country is built upon. To take your concerns to the streets
Dec. 21, 2016
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and let people know that you are not just going to sit back and let this happen. I think for our generation part of being “woke” means going from thought to tweet to action. Taking action means going to the streets stating what you’re considered about, registering to vote, and showing up at the polls. I hope that anyone who was in the street in these recent protests, in 2018 that they take that action to the ballot box. Q: What do you fear when it comes to the presidency of Donald Trump? What do you feel like it has to do with the future of our country? A: I fear that he would so recklessly entangle us in another war because he’s just so unprepared to be president, but also so illtempered that he can't really control his emotions. I worry a lot about all those young people that he wants to deport and get rid of in our country; those are the people that are actually going to have to support all of the wars that he wants. I’m afraid that you could see a new normalcy for bigotry, but also you could see so many young Americans sent off to fight his wars. As much as I’m worried about those things, I know we’re better than that. We have stood up for all Americans in the past, and now we’re called again to do the same, and we will.
After-school tutoring benefits freshmen By Mara Moysen Staff Writer
CVHS offers a new freshman after-school tutoring program specializing in Biology and Integrated Math 1 this year. It was created by Assistant Principal Jesse Hansen and the administration faculty after analyzing statistics of classes that freshmen need the most help in. “The idea is that if we can help freshmen catch up in math and science now, they won’t fall behind later,” Hansen explained. Sophomore Katie Tam works for the after-school program as a tutor. Tam stated that she had
done tutoring before and that it seemed like fun. “I like being a tutor because it’s satisfying when you help people and they understand,” Tam said. The tutoring program is currently on an invitation-only because the administrators are still determining its effectiveness by looking at the work of students who have participated. Tutoring happens on Mondays and Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Students who are interested in attending can ask their teachers or counselors to participate.