March 7, 2017 by The Castro Valley High School Olympian

Humans of CV: skater Miranda Xie

Page 4: Senior amazes on the ice

Volume 60, Issue 7

Olympian visits Sacramento

Trojans slay Falcons, 51-40

Page 5: Politicians predict Trump trouble

March 7, 2017

Page 7: Girls team continues to dominate

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

Immigrants speak out: “We all came from somewhere” Pres. Trump’s travel ban hurts locals, families By Hannah Johansson and Ria Panjwani

Staff Writers President Trump’s executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority nations has created a climate of chaotic fear for many U.S. immigrants. Though currently blocked because of the recent Ninth Court of Appeals decision, the ban still has CVHS community members anxious about what could happen to them and their families. Senior Sara Abdulqawi and her family arrived in the United States from Yemen about four years ago. Abdulqawi wishes Trump would realize that not all Muslim immigrants are

Hannah Johansson/ Staff Writer

Sharafeldin Musa and Sara Abdulqawi express their American pride. threats to national security. “We all came from somewhere,” said Abdulqawi, pointing out the fact that Melania

Trump herself is an immigrant. Because of Trump’s attempted travel ban which he said will promote national secu-

rity, Abdulqawi and her family have been forced to alter their summer plans. Despite the fact that her entire family has green

cards, traveling is dangerous. They are afraid they might not be able to re-enter the United States. “We wanted to visit our family in Yemen for a month in the summer, but then my dad said no. He cancelled everything,” said Abdulqawi. “I feel sad, because I was planning to go there and see my friends, my family, everyone.” The trip would have been the first time the Abdulqawi family had been back to Yemen to visit family and friends since they left. Abdulqawi is not the only CVHS community member affected by the ban. Math teacher Sharafeldin Musa is an immigrant from Sudan. Musa holds dual citizenship in Sudan and the United States. “That was a shock for us all. It hit us, hard,” said Musa about Trump’s order. “My father-in-law and my sisterin-law had an interview to get a visa to come to U.S. just two

see BAN: page eight

Fire marshal puts Treasurer promotes women’s history heat on CVHS By Brittany Bracy Video Editor

By Lina Stoyanovich Staff Writer

CVHS hasn’t had any drastic fires in years, but in a routine inspection of the school, the Alameda County Fire Marshal found 147 safety code violations in need of quick fixing. After conducting a thorough inspection, the fire marshal produced an extensive 17-page report about the violations. The report details specific room numbers and how they need to be updated. It is full of small changes like “remove hanging objects from ceiling” and “discontinue use of power strip,” and more alarming ones like “remove all combustible materials from Tea area” and “smoke/fire alarm line is hanging low from the ceiling, remove.” In many cases, teachers will have to rearrange their entire classrooms to meet requirements for safety regarding posters, cords, outlets and power strips. “What’s really challenging for staff is that we’re really limited in where our resources are,” said

Principal Blaine Torpey, who added that he “can only imagine how frustrating it would be to have everything set up and then have to change it to comply with the code.” But he has faith in CVHS teachers to do what they need to do to make the campus safe. Most classrooms need some rearranging, and many teachers who will be heavily affected by this report are less than excited to do so. Honors Chemistry teacher Deborah Yager has posters lining her walls and 3D models of atoms hanging from her ceiling, all of which will have to come down. “I'm sad I have to let go of all of this stuff, but I know it's worth it; it makes sense,” Yager commented, jokingly adding that she was still in a mourning period for all of her atomic models that her students have built for her over the years. CVHS staff members understand that the changes are necessary to keep everyone safer, but nobody's jumping for joy at the loss of their classrooms’ color and individuality.

The Olympian had the honor of meeting Rosie Rios, former Castro Valley resident and 43rd Treasurer of the United States. In the interview, Rios spoke about her Bay Area roots, her efforts in putting Harriet Tubman onto U.S. currency, and her latest work, “Teachers Righting History.” As Rios dove deeper into her work with the Obama Administration, she discovered a passion for public service and an unstoppable drive. Q: How did growing up in the Bay Area influence who you became as a person? A: To grow up in an area that is diverse allowed me and my kids to have a different lens on how the world actually works. In California, it's not just diverse in ethnicity, it’s diverse in thought, orientation, religion, etc. We had our house in Palomares Hills in 1995 and it was very eclectic then. My kids went to Jensen Ranch, where

Desiree Broome / Video Editor

Rosie Rios meets the staff during her visit to CVHS. their experiences were mostly culturally Chinese. They loved it, they never thought twice about it. When we moved to D.C. and a lot of our neighbors and friends were Jewish, they’d never been exposed to that before, so they jumped right in and for them, it was a very natural transition because

for them, it’s going from one very rich cultural experience to another. Growing up in California, we have the benefit of that level of exposure. Q: How did you meet President Obama? A: I was officially nominated by the president in May of 2009

see RIOS: page eight

fire safety without sacrificing creativity

Editorial:

A fire marshal conducted a safety inspection at CVHS on Jan. 20 which led to several mandatory corrective measures being put into place. Upon review, a majority of classrooms were considered to be violating proper fire safety codes. Most of the violations were a result of classroom decor. Some mandatory changes that have been made include the removal of all art work and decorations from doors, the removal of all fabrics and flags, and a rule that only 50 percent of walls can be covered with paper or decoration. These rules, though they are practical and for our safety, raise some slight concern with The Olympian. Classrooms at CVHS have always been lively and of a welcoming nature. Entertaining and colorful environments have been proven to help students thrive. Seeing things like motivational quotes or student-written goals

on the walls has allowed for ongoing encouragement in the classroom setting on a daily basis. However, now that fire safety

has changed the way that classrooms are to look and feel, we at The Olympian feel that our school’s learning morale might decrease. The lack of color and

My experience at Saturday school

By Fiona Richter Copy Editor

A few weeks ago, I forever sealed my fate and became an outcast of our society, an abomination in the eyes of the law, or at least, that’s what my mom thinks. In reality, I received a letter condemning me to four hours of detention: Saturday school. When I arrived promptly at 8 a.m, another student was outside the building and couldn’t get in because he hadn’t brought anything to do. I gave him a book so he wouldn’t have to come back another time, and we joined the line of students

signing in. There were surprisingly many people, too many to follow the “one student per table” rule. I spent the next few hours doing my homework and reading. Just like in regular detention, you aren’t allowed to use your phone or other electronic devices, so it makes for a great, undisturbed environment to do work. I was pleasantly surprised by the break, which was half an hour long instead of the scheduled 15 minutes, during which we were allowed to use our phones, talk, go outside, and eat our own food, or the free sandwiches and oranges the school provided for us. Because most of us were behaving well, detention ended 20 minutes early, and the camaraderie of our very own “Breakfast Club” dissipated within seconds. Overall, Saturday school was a fairly painless experience. It was inconvenient, since I only work on Saturdays and I had to arrange for someone to cover my shift, and even more so because the administration reassigned me to a different date after I had already found someone. I wish there was an

option of serving your time in after-school detentions instead of going to Saturday school. There was also general confusion and anger among the attendants. The majority of the people I talked to didn’t know why they had a Saturday school. Many people had gotten it without any warning or prior disciplinary actions, and some, like me, received a Saturday school right after serving a detention. People talked about the attendance policy having changed, but no one knew exactly what was going on. A few girls said that they’d tried to talk to their APs about it, but were refused a meeting. I think that if the administration is forcing students to spend their Saturdays locked into the cafeteria, they should at least be transparent and consistent with why they’re doing so. Saturday school definitely fulfills its purpose of being a punishment because no one wants to spend their weekend being bored in the cafeteria. But personally, if it wasn’t while I’m supposed to work, maybe I’d find a way to go there for just a quiet space to do homework.

By Anastasia Le decor in the classes might make learning boring for students. Having little to no motivation on the walls around us might make

The downside of rain

By Audrey Manzano Staff Writer

Rain brings us water, an essential substance to sustain human life. While the positive side of rain is the preservation of life, there are also some negatives that should be pointed out. A terrible aspect of rain is that it makes everything soggy: your pants, your socks, your shoes and your jackets. One of the most distressing places to get wet is with your pants. The wet spots feel damp and moist due to the heat from your leg, but whenever you move, it immediately gets cold. One might say that this problem is trivial and that the rain is just water and will eventually dry. Although this is true, the time

PHOTOpinions

“I guess it’s for a good reason because it’s a fire hazard, but the students could be mad that it’s their work coming down.” Anayah Tolentino, freshman

By Audrey Manzano

“I understand it’s a fire hazard, but everyone’s effort can’t be displayed anymore.” Patrice Cheung, sophomore

it harder to enjoy school. We believe that a great way to stop this problem from occurring is by including student and teacher designed artwork on the walls. Instead of using paper or other flammable objects for classroom decor, The Olympian would like to propose the use of non-flammable paint or ink based mediums on the walls. Teachers could have an opportunity to design exactly what they prefer to see on their walls and have students create a beautiful piece of artwork for them. Painting a colorful quote or picture that creates the same welcoming aura in the room seems like a great substitute for boring white walls. The Olympian recognizes that fire safety is very important, especially in a school setting. Being safe in school will allow us to continue having fun. That is why we suggest the use of safe art mediums directly on the walls.

that it takes for it to dry is extremely uncomfortable. Another displeasing aspect of the rain is that it makes crowded rooms stuffy and hard to breathe in. With many people in a room when it is cold and raining outside, the room becomes humid and muggy. When walking in the rain, there is some solace in carrying an umbrella. This tool that shelters you and keeps you dry is amazing. I feel like I am mocking the rain when walking with an umbrella. I can stand under the rain but not get wet and see the rain fall on everything except me: this is the beauty of an umbrella. Although the umbrella is great, it also can also cause awkward situations. Once you decide to go inside after using an umbrella, your umbrella is wet and dripping all over the floor. It does not seem like a good idea to just let it drip, but there is nothing you can do about it other than just accept that you have wet the floor. Even though so many problems occur in the rain, it is still an important part of the world, and without it we would all die.

What do you think about the fire marshal’s required changes in classrooms? “I don’t really get why you have to take the papers off the wall, but it is what it is and there’s not much you can do.” Gregoriana Baylis, junior

“I think it’s dumb and all the teachers have to take down all the stuff on the wall. There is meaning behind the stuff.” Ye n n i e Wo n g , senior

The Olympian March 7, 2017

Bay Area immigrants spark “No Ban No Wall” movement

By Pau Gutierrez Staff Writer

Thousands of citizens from all over the Bay Area raised their voices at the peaceful,

non-violent rally at the San Francisco’s Civic Center Plaza on Feb. 4, against Donald Trump’s exclusionary executive order. People from diverse ethnicities and cultures participated. Walking around and hearing so many different languages being spoken, entire families with their little kids holding signs, desperate people trying to make their voices heard. Emotion invaded the place. These characteristics are what made this rally so great and successful. With the theme “No Ban No Wall,” the intention of this event was to create a space for the community to voice their beautiful stories and tribula-

tions. Guest speakers from various immigrant groups participated in the rally. “Asian-Americans and Japanese-Americans in particular have not forgotten the lesson,” said former U.S. Representative Mike Honda, referring to Japanese-American internment in World War II. “It’s an American lesson that’s a blotch on the history of this country; it should not happen again.” Even though each speaker had a different story and different concerns about Trump’s actions and how would they affect the country, they all had one common thread, which was the importance of speaking out. They emphasized the

fact that “standing up and speaking up” have never been more important than they are today. Every single speech arouse very strong feelings of sympathy among most people in the audience, including me. Getting to know so many people and hearing so many touching stories was an incredible experience. “This is not a march, but rather a demonstration to speak up against the horrendous executive orders that have been recently signed. This event is peaceful and inclusive and will not tolerate any violence or hate speech,” said Kayla Razavi, one of the organizers of the event.

The organization of the event was outstanding. An EMT station was available to the public in case of any health complications, free transportation was provided for families and community members needing to travel back from the rally and wheelchair accessible pathways ensured that everyone could participate. Looking at so many people gathering together for one common goal, to stand with their undocumented, refugees and immigrant sisters and brothers, was most certainly breathtaking. Because as we all know, it is immigrants who will “Make America Great Again.”

a misinformed and ignorant public. The sheer power of social networking sites in our society is widely recognized today. Media companies such as Facebook and Google initially denied responsibility for influencing the election, absolving themselves from any consequences fake news has. Now they have laboriously begun to restrict hate speech on their sites to prevent the spread of fake news and cases like “Pizzagate” or Anas Modamani. An obvious example of fake news’ impact on the public would be the conspiracy theory humorously coined “Pizzagate.” A man actually shot up a Washington pizza parlor because he had read online about Clinton’s supposed human trafficking ring, run in the basement of said parlor. This story provoked outrage over the internet’s power and how fake news truly is becoming

the prevalent issue that it is. An interviewer from Full Frontal with Samantha Bee sat down with a man whose profession involves writing and spreading fake news. Alan Montgomery, known as the godfather of the fake news industry, wrote angry lies, mainly about Clinton, despite voting for her. “My point from the beginning was to educate consumers of content on how to identify these fake vs. real news. It is the responsibility of the reader or consumer to know the difference,” Montgomery said. Facebook and Google have taken steps to clean up their sites, however. For one man, Anas Modamani, this was not enough. He is suing Facebook for hate speech after his picture has repeatedly appeared in fake news stories linking him to terrorism. Many other countries have

dealt with the effects of social media sites on their democratic processes, and are also taking action to prevent it. South African countries have banned use of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter before elections. Indonesia’s government has closed sites that promote fake news. On the other end of the spectrum, President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte's team used a fraudulent picture of a corpse to send a bold message that the Philippines is cracking down on illegal drug markets. The picture actually originated in Brazil, and had nothing to do with Philippines. With all the fake news circulating on the internet, and peoples’ biases and prejudice slipping into their writing, you are probably wondering how to discern between real and fake news. I’ll give you a few tips: Get the original news unfil-

tered. This means instead of reading articles interpreting a scientific study, find the actual facts and see for yourself. Follow journalists on social media. They are reporting completely and thoroughly, unlike other stories that are unpolished and simply a recall of events. Don’t follow major chaotic stories in real time, especially those pertaining to terrorist attacks. The media covers them constantly, often without updated facts, which can lead to assumptions and unnecessary fear. Don’t read articles or news sources whose author is anonymous. Google any authors, names, and people referenced in the story to see if they are real. It is always a good idea to check factcheck.org just for reference. Also check the URL. If it has “com.co” at end of website name, it is a red flag.

least 1,000 customers ask, “Why is the guacamole an extra charge?” or “Why is the guacamole so expensive?” All I can feel is a teardrop roll down the side of my face because I hand-make the guacamole with love. I show up to work on weekends at 8 a.m. I prepare my utensils and begin the lengthy guac-making process. Whoever is in charge of making the guacamole needs at least three hours from start to finish. Although the recipe is simple, the actual process of making the large batches of guacamole is what takes a large amount of time. Before the avocados are used, they must be destickered and blanched. Then they are cut, de-pitted, and the flesh is removed. The flesh is then ready to be salted and mixed with the vegetables. Don’t get me wrong, I love

my job and you might just say to me, “Shut up and do your job.” Unfortunately, some people seem to think that guacamole makes itself, but no!– Chipotle is not playing around when it says its guacamole is handmade. It’s even more surprising because it’s what people want. Consumers want fresh, consumers want organic and they want quality, but they don’t seem to want to pay. So next time you want to add guacamole for an extra $2.05, think about the people who made the guacamole. They too have feelings, and they are hurt when people ask why it's so expensive. If you really want guacamole and you are on a budget, I suggest getting your bowl/ burrito without any meat or sofritas. Get yourself the fajita vegetables instead and your guacamole will be free.

Check the facts, don’t read fake news

By Ria Panjwani Staff Writer

Pope Francis endorsed Donald Trump? Hillary Clinton sold weapons to ISIS? Fake news stories have garnered millions of readers during the last three months of the United States’ recent election. Fake news is a hot topic among politicians and journalists because it establishes

Holy guacamole: it’s worth the price

By Cristian Garcia Staff Writer

Many people question and constantly wonder why Chipotle’s guacamole is so expensive. I now understand, I know why “guacamole is an extra charge.” As a five-month employee at Chipotle, I have heard at

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

Sadoway shares path to teaching By Jason Mays Staff Writer

Laryssa Sadoway, the choir teacher at CVHS, has had quite the journey to get to where she is now. She started singing in third grade choir and continued into high school, where she was able to take an honors choir trip to New York. After high school, she began consistently performing with the San Francisco Cabaret Opera Company and the Berkeley Opera Company. However, after a period of performing, she decided that things were too serious, and that she wasn’t having as much fun as she used to, leading her to start teaching. “I started thinking what can I do? Then I thought, well I have this master’s degree so maybe I can go teach, but then I found out that you need a credential to teach. To get the credential you had to volunteer at a school first and then apply to the credential program. I figured I should just start the volunteer hours and see if this is something that I want to do. So I got signed up, got fingerprinted, and I went and volunteered at Floris Van

Middle School in San Francisco. After the first day it was like a big lightbulb going off for me. It was the most fun I’ve had in years! I loved it, I loved singing with the students; I loved how much they loved the music. I realized I had so much to say and so much to give in that capacity, and I loved that it was collaborative,” said Sadoway enthusiastically. After the initial spark of inspiration, Sadoway continued her education towards a teaching pathway in the Bay Area.

“After the first day it

was like a big lightbulb going off for me. It was the most fun I’ve had in years! Laryssa Sadoway Choir Teacher

”

“It was the volunteering that really kicked me into gear and it was good because although the credential program was stressful, the reward is that I’ll get to teach after. From there I went to [Cal State] East Bay, and I started stu-

dent teaching and was placed in Mount Eden in the beginning of the summer, and then at Canyon in the spring, so I had a taste of Hayward and Castro Valley,” she explained. After gaining some experience as a teacher, Sadoway was given an enormous opportunity. “After a year I got my credential, two years later Ms. Suesoff, after 32 years at CVHS, retired. So when I applying for the job, one of the things that was so cool was that I was applying [for a position] formerly occupied by a woman who built this huge program here, and no one knew who was going to take over...the students love her and there’s such a community. When I was interviewing, I was interviewing for a job where the freshmen and sophomores were my former seventh and eighth grade students from Canyon. So when I came and got hired, even though there was 200 people in the program, for those nervous freshman and sophomores on the first day of school, a lot of them already knew me. This is my fifth year here now and it’s home,” she said.

Humans of CV: Silver Star skater, Miranda Xie By Lauren Eisenman Video Editor

Choir teacher Laryssa Sadoway addresses her students.

Lauren Eisenman / Video Editor

Lunar New Year: Year of the rooster By Elizabeth Chan Copy Editor

Thousands of Asian Americans celebrated Chinese New Year with happiness and joy on Jan. 28. Chinese New Year, often called the Lunar New Year, represents the turn of the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar. Each lunar year has a zodiac symbol. The past year was a monkey, and now this year is the year of the rooster. This sacred holiday dates back thousands of years in China, when the traditional agrarian society could only rest and take a break during this time of year. Asian Americans reigned in the new year with actions that bring good luck and prosperity. From the food eaten and the

traditions practiced, all symbolize bringing in prosperity. For example, families celebrate over feasts of steamed fish for good luck, dumplings and spring rolls for wealth, and noodles for a long life. Red is the primary color exhibited throughout the holiday, on decorations and clothing, because it symbolizes a fresh and positive start. Family members pass around red envelopes to each other filled with money that symbolize best wishes, almost like the equivalent of Western greeting cards. “I celebrated by being with my family and enjoying their company over hot-pot, and passing out red envelopes, “ said senior Jennifer Ng. As there are many AsianAmericans here in the Bay

Area, many come together at parades and festivals to celebrate. Dragon dances often occur at these gatherings, in which gold and red fuzzy dragons dance and jump about the streets, handing out red envelopes and spreading joy. These energetic dancers prance to loud and rhythmic drumming which serves its purpose not only as music to dance to, but to scare away bad omens. “I mainly celebrated with my family over dinner, but I also enjoyed the festivities of lion dances and firecrackers in Oakland Chinatown,” senior Sarah Lau commented. The Lunar New Year brings a wave of new beginnings to Asian cultures, and we wish all a prosperous new year.

Senior Miranda Xie is completely dedicated to ice skating and her synchronized ice skating team in Dublin, the Silver Stars. She has been ice skating since she was six years old, and was given a chance to join Silver Stars for her ninth birthday present. Xie has been in love with synchronized skating and her team ever since. In September 2016, Xie’s long years of ice skating finally paid off when she passed her Senior Moves in the Field test. This is the highest achievement in testing, and she now has earned the title “U.S. Figure Skating gold medalist,” and will carry the title forever. “It took me eight years to complete it all and I finally made it. Still feels surreal,” she said. Xie has developed her skills over time by practicing every weekend at 5 a.m. at Dublin Iceland. She also teaches ice skating to toddlers every Tuesday evening. Not only did she pass this achievement, Xie and her 12member team also received the chance to go to North Dakota to compete in the 2017 Pacific Coast Synchronized Sectional Championships. “When we got there, we kind of scouted our competition. We didn’t judge them or anything, we just like to watch them out of curiosity so we can see how they are,” she said. Xie has been with Silver Stars since the age of nine. Synchronized ice skating requires a lot of team bonding and trust between

each other. Xie has practically grown up with her teammates, and they’ve adopted many quirky traditions with every competition. Before entering the ice, they prepare themselves in the locker by performing certain rituals. However, coaches do try to avoid the sentimental speeches. “The problem with my team is that we’re really notorious for crying. I don’t know why, but once someone starts crying, everyone starts crying,” she said. Since Xie’s parents didn’t come with her to the competition, they got the chance to see their daughter on livestream. However, most of the people watching were either competing or the judges. To Xie, that was definitely nerve-wracking. Even though Xie was nervous, she tried her best to keep a performance face on during the show. Her team managed to skate with no falls, which is called a “clean skate.” After finding out that their team won first place, each member received a gold medal. “It was one of the most surreal moments. We’re known for being there for each other and not really serious, so when we got the gold it was so unexpected. It was the highest score our team has received in history. No one believed that we could do it, and everyone was shocked that we got the highest score. So yes, we started crying,” she said Xie is interested in attending an East Coast college, so this fairytale moment and her memories with Silver Stars will always be in her heart.

The Olympian March 7, 2017

Attorney General Xavier Becerra

Senator Bob Wieckowski, D-East Bay

Senate President Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles

Assemblyman Chad Mayes, R-Yucca Valley

Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Los Angeles

Politicians predict Trump trouble

State leaders worry about new administration By Fiona Richter Copy Editor

California will struggle with President Donald Trump over multiple issues, top state politicians predicted in exclusive Olympian interviews on Feb. 15. A common concern among the lawmakers interviewed was that President Trump would take actions that could endanger the values of this state. “We are entering a phase where what have long been very obvious distinctions between California and the United States will become more clear and more glaring than ever before. It’s incumbent upon our state, our state leaders, our state citizens, and our state advocacy groups to make sure that they’re very vigilant, and that they’re protecting California values,” said Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Los Angeles. Specific issues that California lawmakers are worried about are health care, immigration, climate change, and our state’s economy. “He is a very clear and present danger to the economic prosperity, to the values, and to

the people of California. He’s threatened to undermine the Affordable Care Act, and as a result, you may have six to seven million people who have no health care. He’s threatened, and is already carrying out this threat, to separate mothers from their children with massive deportations of families,” said Senate President Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles. “We’ve been the leader in climate change, so we have a green economy. We produce jobs; we’re sort of the highlight of the world on how you

can grow your economy and reduce your greenhouse gases and live sustainably. He thinks [climate change] is a hoax from the Chinese,” added Senator Bob Wieckowski, D-East Bay. Assemblyman Bill Quirk, DEast Bay, called Trump’s election “a disaster” for California, in agreement with his Democratic colleagues. “The difficulty we have right now is a president who is just all over the place,” Quirk said, expressing particular concern about immigration. Our politicians are hoping to work together with the Trump

Lauren Eisenman / Video Editor

administration to keep protecting Californians, just as they have worked with other presidents, but are ready to put up a fight if President Trump won’t cooperate. “We get a lot of funding from the federal government, we depend on the federal government, so we would like to have a good working relationship with the Trump administration. But if things do not work out as well as we hope, then California is also prepared to fight and to defend the many rights and laws that we have passed here,” said Fiona

Ma, member of the State Board of Equalization. “We may be part of a lawsuit in the future to stop Trump from commandeering local resources, commandeering our police department, unwinding policies that make California a great state. He is a threat,” de León added. California Republicans have a more positive outlook on Trump’s presidency. Their focus is on doing their jobs and collaborating with the federal government. “He’s going to be the president for the next four years, which means for us here in California to make sure that we do the job in front of us, to have a good relationship with the folks back in D.C.,” stated Assemblyman Chad Mayes, R-Yucca Valley. The shared message between all politicians is that our legislators will do everything in their power to protect what California stands for. “What I intend to do is protect the laws that we have, that have helped us be so vibrant, and I will do anything to fight any attacks that would hurt California,” said Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat. With so many passionate and caring politicians, our state will surely stand strong against any federal actions jeopardizing our values. “People in the community expect us to continue to be a beacon of light, part of the resistance,” Wieckowski declared.

Sacramento visit inspires and informs

By Jessica Mi Editor-in-Chief

I had the exciting opportunity to attend the California Newspaper Publishers Association

Governmental Affairs Day with a group of my peers from The Olympian in Sacramento on Feb. 15. We participated in a press conference in the Sacramento Convention Center and heard from many notable speakers in the California Legislature including Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin de León and Attorney General Xavier Becerra. Our group was one of only two high school journalism classes in the room, and it was intimidating to be in a room with professional and college-level journalists. However, it was an incredible learning experience and we definitely took a lot of new insight home with us.

All the legislators addressed the recent election of President Donald Trump and his plans to implement policy changes. The first speaker we heard from was Republican Assemblyman Chad Mayes. He expressed that a good relationship with the federal government and acceptance of Trump’s presidency is crucial. de León stressed the importance of California’s economic prosperity and promised to work against Trump’s attempts to harm it. Becerra gave an emotional speech relating his journey as the son of immigrant parents, and clearly expressed his disagreement with Trump’s views

on immigration. He also highly praised the state of California, calling it “the most vibrant state of the nation,” and “the locomotion that keeps the American economy going.” His attitude toward Trump’s presidency was that “California should keep doing what it’s doing.” Aside from the press conference, we also got to interview Democratic Assemblyman Bill Quirk and Senator Bob Wieckowski in their offices. They had a lot to say about the future of California as well. Wieckowski described the situation as “Hurricane Donald,” because hurricanes are unpredictable and can cause lots of damage. Quirk voiced many concerns over

health care and immigration. Most of the people we spoke with had an attitude of grim determination concerning the Trump presidency, which was heartening and comforting to know. I fully trust that our state lawmakers will do everything in their power to preserve the rights of Californians. It was an honor to participate in such an incredible experience. I learned about the state perspective of moving forward amidst all the current political turmoil, and was inspired to continue my path into the field of law and politics in hopes that one day, I may be the lawmaker to grant an interview to CVHS students.

The Crown charms Netflix watchers Show gives a look into the royal family

By Molly Koch A&E Editor

By Beruk Tsegaye Staff Writer

Once you’ve started watching, there's no turning back. Until the season is over, you will be hooked and feel as if you're a part of Queen Elizabeth II’s life. The Crown is a Netflix original series that opens the doors to Britain's royal family and all that comes with the crown. The show gives the viewer a neverbefore-seen look into the royal family, specifically focusing on Elizabeth’s life and her journey to becoming the queen. Claire Foy stars as the queen, exploring her life and the power the infamous crown holds over Britain. The Crown shows Elizabeth’s struggles, the big and small

Split film excites thrill-seekers

Queen Elizabeth puts on her royal crown.

ones of upholding power and the monarchy, as well as her childhood and her father King George VI’s reign leading up to her succession. “The Crown spins a fantasy in which all that matters in ruling is personal strength, tactical skill and charisma,” said the New York Times. In one episode, the queen and her husband Prince Philip get into an argument on whether he should kneel before his queen, or keep his title as a man and husband.

Da Di / Staff Writer

“ Yo u ’ re m y w i f e o r m y queen?” said Prince Philip. “I am both, and a strong man will be able to kneel to both,” said the queen. The show will captivate you with the scandals and historical tales that unfold as the show goes on. It motivates women to be powerful, and gives viewers the simple pleasure of seeing royalty through the screen, and the Queen herself. I highly recommend watching this show if you like strong characters and historical backgrounds.

In America, nearly 200,000 people are diagnosed with Dissociative Indentity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder) every year. The disorder is characterized as an intense form of dissociation, or a lack of connection in memories, thoughts, feelings, actions, or knowing oneself. In addition, people with DID demonstrate two or more different identities; it is believed that it is a reaction to trauma experienced and acts as a coping mechanism. In the psychological thriller Split, directed by M. Night Shyamalan, the story follows three girls-Casey, Marcia, and Claire-who are kidnapped by a man, “Dennis,” who is one of the personalities of Kevin Wendell Crumb, who has been diagnosed with 23 different personalities due to the trauma of child abuse as a young boy.

In order for the girls to escape, they must try to please the identity that is currently present. Some of the identities the girls encounter are Dennis, Patricia, and Hedwig, who is a 9 year-old boy. Barry, who is considered to be the controlling body, goes to see his therapist Dr. Fletcher quite often, and reveals information about “The Beast,” the 24th personality that has not yet been brought forward due to the control of the other personalities. The biggest struggle to survive arises for the girls when “The Beast” overtakes the other personalities. In order to escape, they must use their wit, strength, and agility to overtake “The Beast,” who has qualities unlike any ordinary human. Thrillers are in no way my favorite movie genre, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. It remained at a steady pace with lots of action, and even some comedy. I give this movie a 4.5 out of five stars. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, I think it’s definitely worth your time to go see.

Letters: women’s march, tardies

Re: “Women’s March: ‘Let’s keep fighting’” by Ria Panjwani

“I admire how there were so many people who participated in the Women’s March worldwide, yet there was no violence at all. It’s a great way to get a message across and because they didn’t use violence, they earn more respect and support.” Kayla Yang Re: “The Lego Batman Movie humors audiences of all ages” by Harley Penn “The fact that Batman fears joining a family is shown too much. It blocks the flow of the story. When all the villains Batman faces are shown and mentioned it is implied he has fought them for years and fought them alone, and he tries to fight to hide his emotions of the lack of a family. His fearing being a part of a family is accurate to the comics and it is shown in some of the other animated films. The film may have been trying to exaggerate everything. It is making fun of the darkness and action in the other movies. You are able to show it to someone who watched the sixties Batman and he wouldn’t feel that much of a difference. Sixties Batman came after years of dark comics of Batman killing. It’s not making fun of the previous movies even though it seems like it and they make jokes about them. It’s more of a refresher on a commonly unseen side of Batman.” Nicholas Marques

Re: “Why we should keep conserving water as the drought ends” by Hannah Johansson “A while ago, I heard somewhere that California would need several months (or even years) of nonstop rain for the state to be completely drought free. While I’m not sure how accurate that is, I totally agree that Californians should continue to conserve water. If everyone is under the notion that wasteful water usage is okay, then we could send the state back into a situation of an even worse water shortage. Simple everyday water saving habits like shorter showers, watering lawns at night, and using leftover water to water plants are ways to conserve without significantly disturbing your lifestyle. Thanks for the awesome info!” Lindsey Guan Re: “Late to school, late to life: more tardies, more detentions” “I think it’s a good idea to have a consequence due to tardiness, but I think it should be taken into account that it’s not always the students’ fault. In relation to being on time in the morning, many kids are driven to school and have to deal with traffic, as well as waiting on whoever is driving them. So there should be consequences to being tardy, but maybe less of a punishment for those who are late to the very first class of the day rather than someone who is late to a class after lunch.” Afifa Abdulla

Trojans build NCS winning streak By Sarah Nosseir and Mara Moysen The girls varsity playoff basketball game on Feb. 20 had a rough start, but the Trojans were able to secure a win to move on to the championships. The Foothill Falcons had a strong start, leading by a few points in the first few minutes of the game. However, by the end of the first quarter, the Trojans pulled up their score. The first quarter ended at 12-8, with the Trojans leading. For the rest of the game, the Trojans kept their lead over the Falcons, and the game ended in a win for Castro Valley at 51-40. “I think we started off kinda rough, but we were able to pull it back together and just play as a team. I definitely think our defense won this game. We’re coming off of two really good games and the first half wasn’t as good as how we usually play, but we pulled it back together, so it’s a good way to go

Wailea Siler / Staff Writer

Senior and captain Sarah Nosseir drives aggressively to the basket. into our next NCS event,” said senior Giana Wright. Wright put away 13 points to aid in this win, assisted by Bailey Jones, who scored 11. Their Feb. 24 game against California High School decided their ranking in NCS, which determined whether or not they would make it to state.

Tensions were running high. The girls tried to focus on their coach’s pep talk in the unfamiliar locker room. Something in his speech must have done the job because the Trojans came out on fire. They quickly took the lead, and won by a margin of 12 points, 60-48.

Soccer season comes to a close

The Trojan girls varsity soccer team celebrates Senior Night. By Ria Panjwani

Staff Writer The girls varsity soccer senior night game against Bishop O'Dowd took place on Feb. 10 with the Trojans losing, 2-0. The match was exciting and well-fought, but unfortunately CVHS fell short. The game was an emotional one for the girls and their head coach Lauren Nadler, who commented after the game, “They’re a hard-working group. It was good to see them battle together and to play for their seniors tonight.” The soon-departing seniors were all announced one by one, with a brief description about their soccer lives and future goals. They were each given a

bouquet of flowers, and took pictures with their families. After an exciting first half with Castro Valley down with a score of 2-0, a halftime miscommunication with the CVHS Dance Squad led to a change in the entertainment plan. The Castro Valley Soccer Club little kids of U-8 and U-9 boys and girls congregated at the field and had a mini-penalty shootout instead. Later, emotions were running high when the final whistle blew. The Trojans, filled with emotion and sportsmanship, congratulated the Dragons. Players hugged their teammates, and for 30 minutes after the game, stayed and chatted amongst themselves, their par-

ents, and their friends. “I think I’m going to miss the team because we are just one big happy family,” said senior Claire Wong. “I’m going to miss all the people I’ve grown up playing with. They’ve all taught me so much,” said senior Molly Pryde. “I think I’m going to miss the girls and the program because it has allowed me to push myself and find new things I can do,” senior Esmeralda Alvarado. Overall, the girls went 7-8-5 through the season and during league earned a 4-4-3 record. This team qualified for NCS and played Monte Vista High School on Feb. 15.

Athletes of the Month

Vincent Friesen - Track and Field

By Will Stein Staff Writer

Participating in his fourth year of cross country as well as track and field, senior Vincent Friesen knows his way around the track at CVHS. Friesen started his running career all the way back in first grade, competing in distance running events. Looking back on his four years on the high school team, one of Friesen’s fondest memories of running is when both the CVHS girls and boys teams made the state cross country championships, where the best runners and teams from all of California compete. Friesen’s running heroics have not all gone unsung, as he received the Ray Thomas Award, which is given to Canyon Middle School student athletes. “I like middle distance running, like the 800 meter race,” said Friesen about his favorite

events. There are a lot of different components that are involved in running, and one of Friesen’s favorite parts is, “running with teammates. We definitely develop a bond,” he said. When asked what his favorite tournament is, Friesen responded, “The Castro Valley Invite. You get to run and host a meet with other teams.” While running remains a favorite pastime of Friesen’s and many others, it can be rather taxing, particularly with the aches and sores, which Friesen points to as one of the worst parts of running. Finally, when asked about a possibility of pursuing running after high school, Friesen responded with, “Pursue running after high school? I’d run in college for fun. And I’d like to be on a team in college, or just run for me. Something like that.”

G’ana Losson - Soccer

By Ria Panjwani Staff Writer

Senior G’ana Losson is a talented varsity soccer player who has been a varsity starter for four years and will be attending Lewis and Clark College in the fall to continue her soccer career. Losson has garnered many accolades over the years for sports and academics, including the North Coast Scholar Athlete, North Coast playoffs, Northern California Special Olympics Recognition, the Lewis and Clark Pioneer Award, Lewis and Clark Endowment Award, and honor roll. “I play soccer because of the high intensity, competition

level, and it’s my relaxation time. Every time I step onto the pitch I get a sensation of focus and happiness that I feel nowhere else. I also get to spend time with my best friends playing the sport we love,” Losson said. She currently plays for the CVHS varsity team and for the Pleasanton Rage soccer club. She has played soccer since she was six years old, and plays the center defense position. A favorite memory of hers is when she went with her parents to England and watched a professional match with her favorite club team, Arsenal. She also shares her obsession of the game with her father, who is passionate about the sport as well.

The Olympian March 7, 2017

Immigrants, they’re not that scary

BAN: from page one

Audrey Manzano / Staff Writer

CVHS teacher Sarah Burke participates in the recent teacher protest.

Teachers sit and march for higher pay By Haley Booth and Audrey Manzano

Staff Writers About 50 teachers from almost all of the schools in the Castro Valley Unified School District came to either Peet’s Coffee or the sitting area near Starbucks in Safeway on Feb. 22 for what they called a gradein, a twist on the civil rights era method called a sit-in. The teachers sat down at tables, bought coffee, then started grading papers just as they would on any other day after school. They wanted to show people what they do every day after school when they are no longer getting paid for that day’s work. Signs saying, “Ask me why I’m working without pay!” sat in front of the hard working teachers in order to start a conversation with those walking by. Teachers do a lot of work outside of school that doesn’t get much recognition, such as

grading papers, writing letters of recommendation for students applying for college, and purchasing hundreds of dollars in supplies with their own money. “Within the confines of a normal school day, there’s no way I can prepare the lessons I want to prepare… there’s all the work in getting labs set up and working,” said science teacher Sean Fottrell. Many of the teachers in Castro Valley say they are making just enough to scrape by in their own lives, let alone buying supplies for their classrooms. Castro Valley teachers get paid $1,300-$20,000 per year less than teachers in surrounding cities such as San Leandro and Fremont, they say. This leads to many new teachers going to the schools in these cities and leaving CV schools with a teacher shortage, as it did in the beginning of the school year at CVHS. CVUSD has agreed to raise teachers’ salaries by two percent, but teachers are fighting for three percent.

The grade-ins got the word out to the public, but the teachers didn’t stop there. Holding up their signs in a protest outside the District Office, teachers as well as their families asked for increased salaries on Feb. 23. Teachers struck up conversations with board members while waiting for the school board meeting to start. The teachers came prepared with papers to write speeches to say during the meeting. “This is a very small amount we’re asking for. We should be able to be paid the same as other districts. I worry since I’m retiring next year if they’ll be able to find someone good who can take my place,” explained Spanish teacher Clare Enseñat. The teachers are asking for the increase to be on par with the surrounding districts who make more than they do. This has been a year-long attempt to get what they want and the demands have still not been met.

and being able to work almost eight years in this administration was really a true honor, so just when you think there’s something you’d never do, do it. I feel like I’m a much better mother and I’m a much better person. Q: What part did you play on putting a woman on U.S. currency? A: It dawned on me when I was thumbing through some of the old archives at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and after a while it became apparent that every image of a woman was not a real woman; it was some type of allegorical lady liberty, but every image of a man was a real man. I thought to myself, if currency and coin is the way that we preserve the history of our country, why would we be missing half the population? At that time, as I did more research, I realized that there were 38 countries that had women on the modern day currency, and we’re not one of them. I took that by the horns and Secretary Geithner approved that in 2012, and we finally made the announcement last year. Q: How do you feel about Trump being president now? A: For better or for worse this is democracy; democracy is the ability for all of us to participate

in our governance process. This was an election and democracy still continues today, so however people want to exercise their voice, they should. This is how our country was founded, for better for worse. Q: What’s next on your agenda? A: After I left the administration I launched something very important to me, called Teachers Righting History, and it’s really taking the database that I’d created from this currency public engagement process where we solicited feedback from the American public on who should be considered on our currency, and I aggregated this database of almost 250 historic American women. For me, it was about the hundreds of women that have been omitted from or overlooked in our history. It’s why I continue to travel all over the country, is to integrate this database into the classroom, especially as we count up to the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote in 2020. We have three and a half years to show what we’ve done for the last 100, and it starts with our history. That is my goal and my passion: to integrate women into history.

Treasured treasurer treats us to interview RIOS: from page one

and confirmed by the Senate in July of 2009. The way I really started in the administration was I was part of the transition team right after the election of November 2008. My background was in real estate finance. I got a call asking if I were interested, should Obama win, to work on the transition team to implement what at that time was this legislation that Congress had passed called the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act. Right after the election, I was one of 23 people who came in to implement this legislation and of those 23 people, seven of us were recommended for a permanent appointment, I was one of the seven. It was during this time that I thought of the concept of putting a woman on currency for the first time in our nation’s history. I chose this position intentionally to work on that project. Q: What is something you will always take away from being treasurer of the United States? A: I really grew in ways that I never thought I would, being able to work for the federal government (I never thought in a milion years I would) but I’d do it all over again. There’s some really great value in public service

or three days before this travel ban was imposed on Sudan. They were very disappointed when they got an email from the embassy in Sudan cancelling the appointment for the time being.” Not just immigrants condemn the attempted ban. Even Republican leaders who generally submit to Trump’s political ideals, such as Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, have expressed their concerns. "We fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism,” said McCain. Wi d e s p re a d o p p o s i t i o n against the travel ban gives many immigrants, including Musa, hope for the future of United States immigrants. “This is the country of law,” he said. “No individual can wake up in the morning and try to come up with a law or rule breaking the Constitution. I am very optimistic that the rights of immigrants will be protected by the Constitution.” To ease some confusion and panic, Castro Valley Unified School District held a meeting on Feb. 8 to inform immigrants

of their rights. The meeting emphasized that all non-citizen immigrants need to be extremely wary of the Trump administration. “They will use everything they can to get rid of us,” said

“I am very opti-

mistic that the rights of immigrants will be protected. Sharafeldin Musa Math teacher

”

Ana Lilian Campa from the International Institute of the Bay Area, herself an immigrant. However, the meeting also stressed a strong sense of solidarity between Castro Valley’s immigrant residents and the school district. Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi told parents that CVUSD welcomes all students, regardless of their backgrounds. “As long as you live in Castro Valley, your children are our children,” said Ahmadi.