May 12, 2017 by The Castro Valley High School Olympian

CV community love(d) 2017 Pops concert

Page 4: Singers shine in annual performance

Volume 60, Issue 10

Annual Science Fair hosted at CVHS

Power Rangers return in new blockbuster

Page 5: Event promotes learning with fun

Page 6: New film reboots popular heroes

May 12, 2017

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

Student voters choose next year’s ASB, class officers Maddy Thompson wins top spot in election By Pau Gutierrez Staff Writer

CVHS students voted in April for those who will represent them next school year. The candidates displayed their Trojan spirit through their enthusiastic participation during the campaigning period and forum, in which they all had the opportunity to share their proposals and ideas to improve CVHS during their term. After a fair and transparent votation, the results are in. The CVHS ASB student body president for next year will be Maddy Thompson. “I will do my best to accurately represent and listen to the students of CVHS while also

From left to right, Maddy Thompson, Simone True, Samantha Tong, Kieran McCullough and Matt Betti won ASB offices. keeping what is realistic and best for our school in mind,” said Thompson. President-elect Thompson has three main goals: better food and service in the cafeteria, which translates to more vegan and vegetarian meals and the option to taste your plate before buying it; to return pretzels to the snack bar; and to continue bringing therapy dogs during finals, a tradition started by cur-

rent ASB President Ariana Faizi. Next year’s ASB vice president will be Simone True, secretary will be Samantha Tong, treasurer will be Kieran McCullough, and the school board representative will be Matt Betti. Next year ’s president for the class of 2018 will be Peter Maina. Senior vice president will be Madeline Albright, secretary will be Lindsey Becerra,

Andre Juntilla crowned Mr. CV

and treasurer will be Melissa Ah-Tye. Winners for the class of 2019 are Nicolette Paredes for junior class president, Chloe Dionisio for vice president, Katelyn Wong for secretary, and Katie Tam for treasurer. Finally, for the class of 2020, president will be Devin Green, vice president will be Darsh Grewal, secretary will be Kaleihiwaokalani Stambaugh, and

Legislation threatens cell phone privacy By Nisha Lal Staff Writer

Lauren Eisenman / Video Editor

Senior Andre Juntilla is crowned Mr. CV after performing one of his original songs at the annual competition. See story on page 4.

treasurer will be Tommy Ryken. All of them promised to make the most of their potential in order to make next year unforgettable: better organization for school events such as homecoming, winter ball, and prom; mailboxes where students can send their opinions; and better communication with the administrative staff are just a few of the things the new committee has planned.

A new bill regarding cell phone policies, proposed by Assemblyman Jim Cooper, may lead to the endangerment of student privacy. The legislation, which has yet to be passed, is set to allow school administrators to confiscate and look through a student’s phone, without a warrant, upon “reasonable suspicion.” “Right now, administrators handle cell phones with an honor system that respects what the student wants,” said Assistant Principal Nic McMaster. At CVHS specifically, the current cell phone policy follows an honor system in which administrators typically will ask a student for their phone directly. If the student refuses, their wish is respected and the administrator continues the investigation at hand without it. “I’m not going to wrestle a phone out of a student’s hand

if they refuse to give it to me. Usually, there is more than one source of evidence presented to me which helps me reach conclusions,” said McMaster. Cooper originally proposed the bill in the interest of student safety. The right to search through a student’s phone without going through a lengthy process may be helpful in stopping cases of cyberbullying which have become so prominent in our school systems. Although the reasoning behind the bill is strong, McMaster foresees its attempts to help as futile at CVHS specifically. “I predict that the passing of this bill won’t change the current practice on our campus,” he said. The proposed bill has also raised concern within the student body. Students fear that if the bill is passed, their privacy will be invaded. “I am against the bill because if someone’s phone is taken, then their whole personal life is on display to whoever has it,” said junior Chris Hernandez.

are you kidding us? Heck no to cell searches Editorial: A recent bill, AB 165, proposes that school officials have easier access to students’ personal cell phones and social media accounts in California schools. Assemblyman Jim Cooper, who represents California’s Ninth District, introduced the bill in order to grant school officials the ability to easily check student cell phone content whenever cyberbullying incidents are reported. The terms of the bill indicate that any person acting on behalf of a California school will be able to check a student’s cell phone without notice, upon “reasonable suspicion.” The bill does not limit what the officials can search for on the student’s cell phone. We at The Olympian support this bill for only one reason: cyberbullying. We believe that if used properly, the bill can be very helpful towards solving cyberbullying issues. The information gathered can be used as

evidence to build a proper case against cyberbullies. In contrast, we think that the bill could be a huge invasion of privacy. Cell phones have become very personal and many people carry personal infor-

By Audrey Manzano/Staff Writer mation like pictures, and even this from occurring, we think it information like bank account would be crucial to have officials data. Given that the bill does not file forms to notify students and indicate limitations to the use of parents of the searches. The form student data, the school officials should indicate why the phone may use the information in mali- will be searched and what specious ways. In order to prevent cific information will be noted.

We also believe that officials must need more than “reasonable suspicion” in order to gain access to a student’s device. The teacher should have solid proof against a student rather than a mere suspicion. Lastly, we feel that students should be notified of a search. Students would be more inclined to cooperate with officials if they are simply asked to share information rather than having it stripped away without consent. Since a student may easily deny the device’s access code to officials, a less aggressive approach to a cell phone search would reduce students’ inclination towards denial of providing data. Overall, we at The Olympian suggest that Cooper’s bill as it is written now will be an intrusion of privacy. Students have a right to deny their personal content to anybody. The bill should specify the information that may be obtained, and place a limitation on content sharing and collection.

Watching YouTube despite its problems Frederick Douglass and Donald Trump

By Mara Moysen Staff Writer

Fluctuating subscriber counts? Randomly unsubscribed from people you were subscribed to? Your favorite YouTuber’s videos not showing up in the subscription box? These are only a few of the many technical issues with YouTube. YouTube is a social media platform that was co-founded by Chad Hurley, Jawed Karim, and Steve Chen in 2005. It is a video sharing website where users can view, upload, and share videos.

YouTube is constantly making changes to its mobile platform. To be able to compete with other video streaming platforms, YouTube often changes its site, and users constantly have to get used to differences. Ongoing issues of the recent months included videos not showing the correct view count, YouTube automatically demonetizing videos, and viewers not receiving the notification that someone uploaded a video. As a frequent YouTube watcher, I am currently subscribed to 325 channels. On average, around 30 to 40 videos get uploaded and put in my subscription box every day. I don’t watch every single one, but I do watch around three to four hours worth of videos a day. Something that is especially annoying to me is when I find out that I’m no longer subscribed to someone. Another thing that gets quite irritating is when someone uploads but their video does not show up in my subscription box. Many

YouTubers have told their viewers to turn on notifications for them. The bell icon that can be found next to the subscribe button is the “new” subscribe button that ensure that you’ll see videos. I know many content creators are annoyed by the issue because for most, making and uploading YouTube videos is their only source of income. If their video is not reaching all their subscribers, it could hurt them financially. And if a video gets de-monetized, they can contact Google about it, but it can take up to a week or longer to resolve, and by that time the optimized viewing slot for a video has passed. I started watching YouTubers in 2012. Since then, many changes have occurred, but as YouTube has become a staple for so many of us, I doubt that the platform’s popularity will drop, even with so many issues. Despite it being annoying at times, YouTube is a great platform that won’t leave anytime soon.

By Lina Stoyanovich Staff Writer

When the president of the United States of America addresses you, it is clearly necessary to respond, especially when he gives you a compliment. You’d think this would be an obvious courtesy, but evidently no one made sure Frederick Douglass was aware of this social grace, because it has been months since President Trump complimented him, and still we hear nothing from him. Nothing! The audacity of this man is incredible. To ignore such a high honor, to be complimented by the President, even if he is a

PHOTOpinions “It’s okay to have school staff to go through our phones because they can see if messages or anything of that nature is being used to bully other people.” Jordan Gillespie, freshman

“I think so if there’s a good and valid reason for going through the student’s phone because it will help stop cyberbullying.” Briseyda Flores, sophomore

racist and misogynist, is clearly such a high honor. He should be happy that he, a man of color, got such a good mention from such a racist man! Frederick Douglass is known for being a great abolitionist, writer, and social reformer, and President Trump is clearly a fan. “Frederick Douglass is an example of someone who's done an amazing job getting recognized more and more, I notice,” said the president in a statement made on Feb. 1. It truly boggles the mind that Douglass still, two months later, has not responded to such high praise, and really makes you think about what kind of manners this man has. I guess nobody told Mr. Douglass that it is expected that you respond to the president when he compliments you, no matter where you are at the time. While some might argue that Mr. Douglass is a special case since he has been dead and buried since Feb. 20, 1895, I think they are being ridiculous. Mr. Douglass needs to get his stuff together and use some manners, climb up out of that grave, and thank our president.

Should schools have more authority to search students’ phones?

By Beruk Tsegaye/Staff Writer

“It’s a violation o f o u r p r i v a c y. Even though they have the ability to check our backpacks, checking our phone is going out of line.” Leila Neishi, junior

“It’s ridiculous. The only privacy we have really is our phone and I feel like our phone is our whole lives in a device.” James Keith Vega, senior

The Olympian May 12, 2017

passionately praising and preserving perfect pennies

By Will Stein Staff Writer

Pennies get a bad rep. So what if they’re heavy and useless? They are also more expensive to make than they are worth. I for one like that they virtually cannot facilitate

the exchange of goods and services. I think that it adds a sort of rustic charm to them. According to a CBS News report, it costs roughly 1.5 cents to produce one penny, but that’s not the point here, folks. The point is that I, like many other beautiful patriots, sleep easy at night knowing that there is a heavenly profile shot of our sixteenth president lying on the side of those breathtaking zinc discs. I don’t mean to sound dramatic here, but if penny production ends, I can confidently predict that there will be a swift end to Western Civilization. There will be a revolution like the world has not seen since 1776. Back to my main topic, pennies are vital to the American Lifestyle. I will admit, these concerns of

pennies do have some validity. How do our everyday heroes in government plan on solving it? Well, that’s a good question everyone, I’m glad you asked. In 2010, Congress told the National Mint (and I’m paraphrasing here), “Hey guys can you make these cost less? Thanks.” God. What Heroes. Anyway, the Mint got back to Congress a brisk four years later and told them “There are no alternative metal compositions that reduce the manufacturing unit cost of the penny below its face value.” Darn it all, have some courage you bureaucrat cowards! Think of something, anything else! Maybe try wood, or rocks or DVD copies of the “Friends” spinoff, “Joey.” Y’know, things that are actually worthless. But maybe pennies are

worthless. Maybe being an outdated, unusable piece of currency that is a net loss in cost from the start is grounds for that currency’s termination. Maybe the fact that Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and even the U.S. The fact that military have removed their one-cent pieces with no negative repercussions is evidence enough that it would not, in fact, be the end of the world if pennies stopped existing. But who am I kidding? That’s just crazy talk. Here’s a compelling argument: without pennies, how are we going to have penny drives? The answer is, you can’t. What’s that? A nickel drive? Don’t be ridiculous. I can barely get the phrase “nickel drive” out of my mouth, it is

just too clunky. “Penny drive” on the other hand rolls right off the tongue. I am telling you, nothing feels better than scrounging up one thousand of those Lincoln-marked bad boys and exchanging them for a whopping ten whole dollars. Who cares if a nickel drive of the same quantity would already be five times more lucrative? Without the extra grip from those ridges on the edge of the coin, I might as well be holding a greased pig. If you can take anything from my writing, I hope it is the ideals of standing up for those who are oppressed, giving a voice to the voiceless, fighting those who stand in the way of peace and justice, and most importantly, fighting to keep the penny.

there are relatively few liberal arts colleges to choose from, even fewer women’s colleges. It’s not even that I was dead-set on staying in-state, it’s simply that I had never heard much about them. Now, I am aware of not only the incredible benefits of going to an empowering, innovative, and creative school like Smith, but also of the unique way it builds a community of intelligent and empathetic women who will learn to view problems in a holistic way. Women’s colleges aren’t the best fit for every woman. A lot of women find it absurd or unattractive as an option, and there are a lot of stereotypes that go with them as well, such as the idea that only privileged snobs in nice clothes go to women’s colleges. Yet I think that many women would be surprised to find that Smith and any of the other seven “Sister Colleges” have a lot of opportunities to build up women in ways they

could not experience anywhere else. As a student, I’ve always been interested in wildly different things, from the history and traditions of classical ballet the origins of words, the paintings of Frida Kahlo, the mechanisms behind cancer cells, to the ran-

dom mushrooms I found growing in my backyard. At Smith, students are all interested in a variety of subjects, and no one runs into limitations on the kinds of questions they’re allowed to ask. If you’re a woman who is curious, creative, and ready

to change the way you view problems, women’s colleges are worth a second look. I have never been more excited than I am now to be a Smithie, where I will continue to ask questions, explore, and build a more confident and informed version of myself.

College-bound: the benefits of women’s universities

By Halley Lin-Jones Editor-in-Chief

After making my recent commitment to attend Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, the first most common question I’ve received is “where is that?” The second, after explaining to them that it is a women’s college, is simply “why?” To be perfectly honest, a year ago, I would have never imagined myself attending a women’s college. In California,

Letters to the Editor

Re: “Measure G will lead to much need but inconvenient renovations” by Ria Panjwani “An update of the school buildings is beneficial for the students in the long run. However, this means that there will be less available parking on campus. I feel that it will lead to many complications and anger the students in the beginning of the renovation process. Hopefully, by the end of the renovation, it will have a positive impact on the school.” JinHee Aloi Re: “Trump’s policies for transgender bathrooms angers many” by Stella Ho “I believe that people should use the side of the bathrooms that is most comfortable for them. But there are also people who might take advantage of this. Trump allowing states to make their own decision for transgender bathrooms is pretty much his own way of saying that it’s okay

to segregate/differ transgenders from everyone else. Some might say it’s just discrimination.” Austin Yu Re: “Fire marshall orders some changes to CVHS” by Lina Stoyanovich I think it’s kind of upsetting how hanging student work on the wall is being restricted; it’s what gives the classrooms personalities. I’ve always enjoyed how you get to see all the creative and interesting things that represent that class and I think taking them down is kind of sad. However I do understand that it's better to be safe than sorry and this could be a necessary sacrifice.” Noelle Yee Re: “CVHS uses art as a powerful response to politics” by Anastasia Le “I think the concept of expressing the problems around the world through art is very power-

ful. The phrase a picture speaks a thousand words come to my mind. Anyone can talk about the matters occurring daily in war torn countries, but few actually know what it is that they are talking about. I like Michaela’s stance in depicting the lives of many through expressive art. Her work at the AP Art Show was truly moving and made anyone who look at it feel a desire to save them.” Afifa Abdullah Re: "We all came from somewhere" by Hannah Johansson and Ria Panjwani “It’s great to see that immigrants are voicing their concerns about the new legislation, and seemingly being heard. It speaks to the freedoms of Americans to criticize their government without fear of intimidation. Hopefully, a more mutually beneficial solution will be devised before tensions rise too high.” Sam Pica

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

Audiences love(d) annual Pops Concert By Hannah Johansson Staff Writer

The Pops Concert, put on annually by CVHS singers, is a well-respected tradition chockfull of stripped-down pop music performed by talented and hard-working musicians. This year’ theme of “I love(d) you,” a medley of breakup and romance songs, followed in that same tradition. “We liked the idea of juxtaposing the very powerful ‘I hate you’ kind of songs, and the ‘I love you so much’ songs, and the ‘I miss you’ songs,” said senior Ruby Welsh-Ferreyra, co-head director along with senior James Lee. Originally, the theme was “British Invasion,” but as the choir students collected song suggestions, they noticed a trend: most were songs about love, lost love, or angry love. They decided to swap out their initial idea for this more relatable one. The show encompased songs from every shade of romantic emotion from NSYNC’s early 2000’s hit “Bye Bye Bye” performed by Madrigal’s men, to a powerful trio arrangement of Adele’s “When We Were Young.” Choir students were hard at work for months to prepare for all the acts in the show, and with little adult help. “Everything you saw was made by students,” said WelshFerreyra. Some numbers had music that was arranged by students. For instance, junior Luka Uchiyama rearranged the Adele song, “When We Were Young,” from a solo to a trio, a difficult undertaking for anyone, let

Grace Hancock, Amanda Yim, and other Madrigals powerfully perform “Wrecking Ball.” alone a student. However, with years of piano lessons under her belt, Uchiyama was up to the task. “I really wanted everyone to sing as much as possible for all the performances,” said Uchiyama. To include more students, the directors added more dancing than there has been in previous years. “No Scrubs”, “Run the World” and “Case of the Ex” were just three examples of the many lively dance numbers in

“Everything you

saw was made by students.

”

Ruby Welsh- Ferreyra Co-Head Director

the show. “‘Run the World’ is really fun, it’s upbeat and energetic,” said

sophomore Anna Dhont, this year’s assistant-choreographer. The dances were choreographed and taught by Dhont herself, along with senior and head-choreographer Song-Ah Baek. The students attempted to shift the show towards less “solo heavy,” and more “collaborative,” and this did nothing to disturb all the well-loved traditional aspects of Pops. For example, the bare-bones feel of the performances—character-

Sarah Nosseir/ sports editor

ized by the lack of extra props, costumes, and even instruments, in order to completely focus on the music—is still a defining aspect of the CVHS Pops Concert. The simplicity became a traditional aspect of the show during the early years of choir teacher Laryssa Sadoway’s time at CVHS. Pops has and always will be an event where not only choir students, but the audience, unite in a shared love for music.

Mr. CV fundraiser and talent show draws crowds Annual contest showcases Trojan talent By Desiree Broome Video Editor

“In the end, Chocolate always wins,” said senior NasirEshay Hunt about his group, “All types of chocolate,” and their performance during the Mr. CV fundraiser and talent show that was held Friday, April 14. Like every year, a large crowd gathered in the cafeteria for a night that promised to be entertaining. The contestants, who were all senior boys, were escorted by senior girls, most of whom were cheerleaders. The boys performed a wide

range of acts, from cooking segments, to skateboarding across the stage. This year’s theme was “Party like it’s 1999” in honor of this year’s senior class marking the last of the “90s babies.” The night began with a group dance performed by the boys, which garnered loud applause and whistles of excitement. This was followed by Ian Doporto’s rap, titled “Wander in the Valley,” and later on, Paolo Pimentel’s original song and harmonica solo, “Wot in Harmination.” The top five contestant acts this year were Wilson Xie, who performed a break-dancing routine, James Keith Vega, who lip synced a song about his “Fabulous” life, as well as other performances by Bodhi Young, Jonathan Austin, and Andre Juntilla. Vega won the “People’s

Choice Award” for his High School Musical number, and Austin won the new award of “Mr. Congeniality” and first runner-up after performing a song from “Phantom of the Opera.” Ariana Faizi, who was Doporto’s escort, also took home the award for “Miss Congeniality.” The big winner of the night was Andre Juntilla, who took home the title of Mr. CV after performing his original song “Come Thru,” with the background dancing performed by the trio, “All types of Chocolate,” whom Juntilla affectionately called his “Milk Duds.” Overall, the night was filled with talent, entertainment and free snacks. In the great fashion of Mr. CV, hopefully the future turn-out will be as great as this year and every year before.

Lauren Eisenman/ video editor

James Keith Vega won the People’s Choice Award presented by Jordan Keller.

The Olympian May 12, 2017

Science Fair fun for all The Castro Valley Science and Career Fair expanded this year to encourage more students with science interests

Mara Moysen/ staff writer

Alexandro Olvera and Olivia Gilman-Chun coordinate the “Goofy Goggles” booth.

Mara Moysen / Staff Writer

An elementary schooler stands and looks with

amazement in the middle of a giant bubble.

Mara Moysen/ staff writer

Chelsea Chan has fun at the ‘Mirror Mirror’ booth.

Things to consider about 13 Reasons Why By Gavin Halloran Photo Editor

Jason Mays/ Staff Writer

Power Rangers: cheesy and fun By Fiona Richter Copy Editor

“Me and four kids found a spaceship buried underground. I'm pretty sure I'm a superhero.” Power Rangers is the reboot of a popular franchise many of us grew up with. It follows a group of five teens who, as Trini (Becky Gomez) explains to her suspicious mother, find a spaceship and gems that give them superpowers. In order to defeat an ancient enemy threatening to destroy the planet, they have to morph into their Power Ranger forms and train to beat in combat. There were some truly funny moments throughout this movie, which made it enjoyable to watch. It also contained some darker scenes, either relating to the antagonist or the lives of the Power Rangers. I sometimes felt like the movie didn’t know whether it was a dark action film or a comedy, but the contrast between those genres made for a varied, though confusing, viewing experience.

Power Rangers was cheesy at times. It’s definitely not the best movie I’ve ever seen, but it was fun. Rita Repulsa, the comedic villain played by Elizabeth Banks, was the most entertaining character, and I also enjoyed storylines of Zack (Ludi Lin) and Billy (RJ Cyler). You can tell that the filmmakers tried to make the other Power Rangers interesting and different as well, but it fell a little flat. Considering that they’re all outcasts and three of them meet in detention, it was hard not to view them as the 21st century breakfast club. However, one aspect I really appreciated about this movie was the diversity. There is an Asian Power Ranger, one played by an Indian actress, one who is black and autistic, and one who is gay and portrayed by a Hispanic actress. A group like this is a lot more reflective of the world we live in than those in most other movies. Overall, Power Rangers was a fun movie. Some parts make you laugh out loud while others make you think, and the entire film does a great job of keeping the viewer interested. It’s not the best movie of the year, but it’s one I’d watch again.

The Netflix series 13 Reasons Why first came out on March 31. The show has become widely popular in both the young adult and adult communities. The show focuses on a student named Hannah Baker who commits suicide after a series of failures, tragic events, and cruel acts by her classmates. Following her death, her classmate and friend, Clay Jensen, receives a box of cassette tapes and is instructed through an anonymous letter to listen to them. These tapes were recorded by Hannah before she died, explaining the 13 reasons why she killed herself. As Clay begins to work through the tapes, their community’s misdeeds and secrets are uncovered. The show is shot in a past and present style with film techniques to help the viewer

traverse through Hannah’s days leading up to her death. The past is shot in a bright, vivid style signaling Hannah’s presence. In contrast the present is shot in cold, dark, and grim textures to show the absence of Hannah’s life. The dual narrative style of the show helps encompass Hannah’s story. The relationship between the two is developed over each episode, gradually introducing more characters who were involved in Hannah’s life. Clay struggles to handle the information in the tapes and comes into conflict with the individuals she mentions. With each tape, more people are dragged into the web of wrongdoings that led to Hannah’s death. Clay must choose how to face these individuals and whether to take action to avenge her death. The show has come under criticism for romanticizing suicide. The whole show has been called a revenge fantasy that is filled with imagery that could be considered dangerous to young adults or children who are dealing with suicidal thoughts. Sui-

cide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-24, and that number is increasing every year. This show could be extremely dangerous to those who most vunerable. The show was so alarming to suicide prevention centers and mental health experts that Suicide Awareness Voices of Education even published a list of 13 talking points for young adults, parents, and guardians to discuss while watching the show. Because of the way media is binge-watched, it is viewed as more dangerous than a published book. After watching the entirety of the series, 13 Reasons Why has clearly glamorized suicide and portrayed it in a false way. The show’s motif of placing direct blame on specific individuals as a result of suicide is wrong. Suicide is a serious issue within our society, therefore this show can affect everyone in different ways. It addresses graphic topics and themes that are sensitive to many. Please take caution if watching this show.

Marvel-ous diversity among characters By Harley Penn Secret Superhero

Marvel has had a reputation of having strong white males take the lead in most superhero comics such as Captain America, Thor, and Spiderman. However the company sees the error in this trend, as having a more diverse cast is becoming more important to today’s comic readers. So comic writers have remedied their mix of heroes by making Sam Wilson the new Captain America, making the new Ms. Marvel a PakistaniAmerican Muslim, and creating a new hero who is female, latina, and lesbian, America Chavez. However, Marvel is not seeing the skyrocket in sales that it was hoping for. The reason for this may be inside the company, because if the writers for Marvel have only ever had to write about strong white male characters, they have not had much practice in writing from more diverse roles. But no one ever wants to blame themselves, so when it comes time to place blame, where does it historically go? “We saw the sales of any character that was diverse, any character that was new, our female characters, anything that was not a core Marvel character, people were turning their nose up against,” said Marvel’s vice president of sales David Gabriel. Could it be true that comic readers only want white strong

New Marvel heroes show more diversity

men to save the day? Of course not! Who wouldn’t want to read about a spunky, lesbian, latina who can punch a hole through reality and travel to different multiverses? And in fact, The Mighty Thor with Jane Foster as the Goddess of Thunder is the second highest of Marvel’s selling superhero titles. So it is not the characters’ faults for the slight decrease in sales, it is the writers’. While Marvel has increased the number of diverse characters, the writers are all still mostly white males. This makes it difficult to really capture the character they are trying to make when all they are familiar with is how to be a white male. Many people are finding problems with how the diverse characters interact with others, such as when African Ameri-

Da Di / Staff Writer

can Sam Wilson apologizes to Steve Rogers for displaying any activism-fueled anger. A good way to fix this problem Marvel is facing is to not get rid of the new characters and go back to where we started, but to hire more diverse writers to be able to write the characters in a more accurate way that will reach the readers who can connect with the characters. That is how they connected with the readers during World War I by creating Captain America who was able to punch out Hitler. Marvel just needs to figure out how to reach its readers again. Fun Fact: Batman once fought a villain made entirely out of marijuana named Floronic Man.

Trojans shut out rival dragons By Hannah Johansson Staff Writer

The varsity baseball team took the the first of a two game series against CVHS’s rival, the Bishop O’Dowd Dragons, on Tuesday, April 11, with a final score of 6-0. The game not only ended, but began triumphantly as well. “We had seven runners on base the first two innings,” said Coach Glenn Sears. “That kind of jump-started us.” Also at the start of the game, with two outs and the bases loaded, right-fielder and senior London Penland took a diving catch, which cut off the Dragons’ chance of scoring and ended the first inning. Penland was not the only successful player on Tuesday. Neither team had scored yet, when senior Matt Mascio hit a home run at the bottom of the third inning. The hit allowed two others to score, and pulled the Trojans ahead by three runs. The team did not stop there, but went on to score three more runs before the end of the fourth. O’Dowd is typically a tough opponent for the CVHS varsity baseball team. However this year the team has been weakened by the graduation of many starting players, leaving a team

Matt Mascio - Baseball

By Jason Mays Staff Writer

Hannah Johansson / Staff Writer

Junior Manny Garcia swings and takes a hit of mostly juniors with only one or two starting seniors. The Trojans on the other hand are expected to win more games than lose this season, due to lots of senior continuation. Tuesday’s game seemed to be evidence of the predicted advantage of an experienced team. “It feels good to have games like these,” Mascio admitted. Besides hitting a home run,

Mascio also pitched the entire game. By the end, he had pitched a six-hit shutout, throwing only 94 pitches the entire game. “He’s pitched like this pretty much every game,” said junior Grant Thomas, pointing out Mascio’s consistency. The victory left the players, parents, coaches, and audience hopeful for the rest of the season. “It was a big win,” said Sears.

Volleyball team Almost squashes Hornets By Nisha Lal Staff Writer

The Trojan boys varsity volleyball team fought hard against the Alameda Hornets in an intense match on May 2. The match was filled with nail biting moments that kept the audience on the edge of their seats the whole evening. The game was also senior night, a time to acknowledge the players who will be leaving with the class of 2017. “I will always remember how good it felt when I stepped out there and saw all those people cheering in the crowd,”said senior Jordan Lenoff. The game began quickly with a Trojan lead and many exciting moments. The home team took the first of five sets very quickly with a score of 25-20. Many exciting moments filled the second set as the game heated up. The set started off with Alameda in the lead with a steady advantage. The CV boys brought their best to the court and won back several points in attempt to salvage the set. Senior Tommy Faustka, number 15, stole several points during the match with his powerful spikes. The boys stayed strong, even playing a five minute long rally to defend their point, but unfortunately the set went to Alameda with an ending score of 10-25.

Athletes of the Month

Nisha Lal / Staff Writer

Junior Preston Vanderpan throws up the ball, and readies his serve. However, one small loss didn’t hold the Trojans down. Coming back stronger in the third set of the game, CV kept a growing lead the whole match. It wasn’t long until the last point was scored in a quick execution by senior Jason Markette. The Alameda defense unexpectedly spiked the ball back over to the CV side and Markette was first to save the point and finish off the round. The fourth and fifth match were an uphill battle for the Trojans. They used very skillful maneuvers and earned

points with their impossibly fast saves, but ultimately, ended the fourth round 15-25 and the fifth 10-15. This outcome left the overall score 2-3, a win for Alameda. Though the Trojans may have lost this battle, they still have a stellar record from this season and will go on to play in NCS competition. The team is still very optimistic and cannot wait to see what comes next. “My favorite part of being on the team is that no matter what happens on that court, we pick each other up,” said Lenoff.

The CVHS baseball team made it to the NCS championship game last year, but just fell short of winning the whole thing. Although the team had a rough start this year, there’s one optimistic senior who believes that the team can go to, and win, the NCS game this year. That senior is pitcher Matt Mascio. Mascio is one of the best players on the team, and has the credentials to prove it. Mascio won the national championship on the number one team in the country at age 13! Last year, he was NCS junior player of the year in northern California, and this year, he has an ERA of 1.40, 11 wins, and 97 strikeouts! Mascio is also an impressive hitter, as he has a .213 batting average and 11 RBIs. Mascio is an all around good player and can thank his years of experience in the sport for the skills

he has obtained. Mascio got into baseball early on in life when he was about 5 years old, throwing and hitting baseballs with his dad. Mascio had lots of fun playing baseball growing up, and from very early on, he knew that he wanted to do it professionally. His aspirations became realistic at age 13, when he played on the number one team in the country. The team won the national championship, which boosted Mascio’s confidence. “Having fun with them and traveling all over the country was definitely something that’s going to stick with me forever,” said Mascio about playing in the national championship. Mascio will play baseball at UC Davis next year, and has a plan ahead of him. “I’ll probably finish and get my degree there, although it’s possible that I get drafted in my third year there at Davis, but we’ll see where it goes from here,” he said optimistically.

Krystyna Allman - Softball

By Emily Salazar

Business Manager Junior Krystyna Allman has had a craze for playing softball, loving the sport and training for it since the start of kindergarten. She now pitches and plays outfield for the CVHS varsity softball team. There is no doubt about her level of dedication. She decided early on that softball would be her sole focus in sports, and has proven to be a fun-loving and passionate asset to the team. “I’ve never really played any other sport seriously…

not past second grade,” said Allman. So far, Allman has pitched a total of 60.1 innings and struck out 48 batters, statistics that are well above average. “My favorite memory is last year at nationals when my travel team got to the final day of the tournament after beating two teams we had lost to earlier in the season,” said Allman. Allman has been playing for 12 years. She looks forward to NCS and next year’s season, as well as playing in college.

The Olympian May 12, 2017

Incentives for taking the SBAC test By Haley Booth Staff Writer

By Ria Panjwani Staff Writer

It’s that time of year! College acceptance letters have rolled in and seniors can now enjoy a period of relaxation before college starts, while underclassmen feel immense jealousy. As seniors hopefully experience satisfaction and happiness around their college acceptances, existential questions about college and career paths begin to hit the underclassmen harder. Stress concerning college plays a large role in high school, and many students have questions regarding the admission process, and want “insider tricks” to get admitted to the best colleges. Whether your goal is an Ivy League or community college, this column can offer you a bit of advice when it comes to the college admissions process. I have interviewed several seniors and teachers in attempt to provide information that you can ponder the next time you decide to take 6 AP classes your senior year, or procrastinate on college essays. The first major area of concern regarding college applications is extracurricular activities. The general consensus is to only participate in activities you feel passionate about. Most college counselors say just that: colleges will look much

more into how deeply committed you are to an activity, rather than valuing superficial involvement in several activities. You should choose activities that you are good at and enjoy. For example, if you are a good writer, consider joining journalism. You aren’t doing yourself any favors by trying to appear well-rounded when a particular activity means nothing to you. The next piece of advice is to consider community service. Colleges aren’t just looking for smart people; they are looking for people willing to help. Helping others shows your commitment to the improvement of your community. Also consider getting a job. Working also shows your ability to remain dedicated while maining academic achievement. It is important to remember to keep a healthy balance. “Find things that make you truly happy, because then you can really grind on the schoolwork and always know you have activities to refresh and refocus yourself,” said senior Kevin Tai, who will be attending UCLA next fall. Another thing to consider is choosing the appropriate classes. “I would say to only choose AP/honors classes in subject areas that you have an interest and ability in. No accelerated course is going to be fun ex-

Jessica Mi / Editor-In-Chief

actly, but there is something rewarding about working for a good grade in a subject that matters to you instead of suffering through a class just for the GPA boost,” said senior Victoria Quijano, who will be attending UC Davis next fall. Another major part of college is the application process, usually in the first semester of senior year. English teacher Clare Lepell hosts an annual college essay workshop where students get paired with a teacher to work on their essays. “There are two things to a really strong essay: a precise and important experience that’s detailed in a way the reader can understand it, and the way the writer reflects on that experience and sees it as making a difference in the next steps,” Lepell said. While college and the future in general can be stressful, it’s important to remember that you have to live in the present first. Challenging yourself may be rewarding in the long term, but you should not take it to the point where it’s detrimental to your health. On the other hand, the benefits of attending a good college are undeniable, so make sure to keep a healthy balance in your life, and reach out to teachers, counselors, and seniors with any more questions you have about college.

For the past few years, juniors have taken the SBAC test, and every year there is a large group of students who don’t take it seriously. This is a problem for CVHS because, depending on how students score on the test, the school receives a “grade” and is compared to other schools in the state. When students choose not to put in effort toward the test and instead fill in random bubbles on their scantrons, or just don’t fill any in at all, it reflects badly on the school. For this reason, the administration has been coming up with incentives in order to motivate students to represent their knowledge more accurately on the tests. The main incentive the school has come up with is Trojan Tickets. If a teacher observes that a student is really trying on the test, the student will receive a ticket. “The tickets will have [the student’s] name and ID number, and when they turn it into the finance office and it will be like a raffle ticket,” said Assistant Principal Patrinia Redd. What the prizes will be is still up in the air as the administration tries to receive more student input. However, ideas have been thrown around about students winning gift cards or a ticket to skip to the front of the cafeteria line. Considering how long the lines are on block days, that seems like a pretty big incentive. However the students aren’t as impressed with the idea as the administration may think. “There are so many people at this school that the chance of us winning is really low,” said junior Isabelle Bzowski. “If I take the test seriously and I don’t win, then what do I get?” said junior Chidera Abiakam. It is true that if one doesn’t win the raffle, he or she wouldn’t get anything substantial. But the test gives students something fairly

important if they intend to go to a university. The most important incentive to the SBAC test that many students don’t seem to realize, or care about, is that if one does well on the SBAC test, that exempts him or her from taking a placement test in English and/or math when getting into college. That is one less thing to stress about when applying for college. “We cannot express enough how big of an incentive we think that is,” said Assistant Principal Sharon Baltazar. While gift cards are nice, less stress about college is nicer, especially when the placement test takes place on the day of Senior Ball, as it does this year. This year, those entering a UC who are not exempt from the placement test because of their SBAC scores must take the UC Analytical Writing Placement Examination. And this year, it takes place on prom night. It is not likely to take the entire day, but who wants to stress about a test hours before senior ball? This timing may not happen next year, but there is always a possibility, which gives students a fairly big incentive to take this test seriously so there will be less stress and more fun in their last year of high school. Of course students are not required to take the test, and many take this opportunity. This happened a lot when the test was first given. While the amount of students who opt out has lessened slightly since the first test, there is still a good amount of students who opt out. At least this way if these students wouldn’t have taken the test seriously they won’t bring the school’s “grade” down, but this also lowers the amount of students who takes the test which raises the chance of the school’s score not reflecting well if too many students don’t take the test seriously. So if you are taking the test, try to make our school look as good as we know it is.

Urbanize show connects with kids and community Dance culture displayed by all ages By Lina Stoyanovich Staff Writer

The CVHS cafeteria buzzed with chatter and excitement on Friday, April 7, with a large audience highly anticipating the beginning of the Urbanize club’s first ever dance showcase. Family and friends all came to watch the dancers perform, filling every seat in the room. The event began with performances of all age groups from the Castro Valley Performing Arts Center (CVPA), smaller groups of two to three dancers,

and some solos. The first group to dance was made up of kids who wouldn't see CVHS’ halls for many years, but the elementary schoolers put on a surprisingly good show given their size. The middle schoolers followed with a slightly more acrobatic routine, and the high schoolers wrapped up the CVPA performances for the night with a large group of extremely talented, and evidently passionate, dancers. “Dance makes me feel like I can be myself,” said CVPA dancer and senior Jessica Ramirez. “I loved performing with everyone here. Tonight was really fun.” The Urbanize club’s first dance showcase was a huge success.

CVPA dancers perform in a lively and acrobatic dance number.

Lina Stoyanovich / Staff Writer