May 13, 2016 by The Castro Valley High School Olympian

Powderpuff girls play hard Page 4: Seniors, sophomores win game

Volume 59, Issue 10

Boys tennis team takes on WACC

Athletic funding falls short

Page 7: Players compete for championship

Page 8: Sports program needs support

May 13, 2016

We are born to seek the truth!

www.cvhsolympian.com

State audit appears to show the UC System’s

lower out-of-state admission standards By Anastasia Le Staff Writer

A state audit released on March 29 found that the University of California (UC) system has lowered its standards for out-of-state students. State auditor Elaine Howle claimed that the University of California has been admitting more students from out of state as in-state admissions dropped. This admissions trend has been going on for several years at UC campuses in San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Berkeley. According to the audit, UC San Diego increased its outof-state student admissions by 126 percent, cutting in-state freshman admissions by nearly 3,000 students. Instead, it added about 3,600 out-of-state students. UC President Janet Napolitano denies that the university system turned away California students while admitting outof-state students with lower qualifications. “If anything has constrained the enrollment of California

students, it has been reductions in state funding. Nonresidents pay the full cost of their education--and more,” she said. The audit recommends stricter entrance requirements for nonresident students, a cap on their enrollment, and a heavier focus on recruiting Californians — particularly African

Americans, Latinos and other underrepresented minorities. Howle argues that more out-of-state students, who pay about three times what resident students pay, should have meant funding for more Californians. The critical audit sparked an argument that asks: does

New graduation requirements considered By Emily Salazar Staff Writer

Future CVHS students may face additional graduation requirements. School and district officials are considering adding a third year of math, more science, world language, a community service project, and a college/career planning and technology requirement to the list of things students must complete to get diplomas. “At this point, things are just in the discussion phase,” said Kathleen Cassidy, social studies department chair. “We actually started this conversation with our Board of Trustees in May 2015 with a look at our math graduation requirements compared to that of other school districts,” said Mary Boyle, assistant superintendent. “We are now studying the broader question of overall graduation requirements more closely.”

State graduation requirements require students to complete certain amounts of study, such as four years of English, to get high school diplomas. Districts and schools can set their own requirements in addition to the state’s rules. For instance, CVHS requires Comparative Cultures and Geography (CCG) and a year of visual or performing art study. Boyle explained why there was such a need to review graduation requirements. “The demands of colleges and careers are rapidly changing and it’s important that we ensure our students are as ready as possible for life after high school. Technology has put everything on a very fast track,” she said. School and district officials continue to involve many people in their process as they contemplate these decisions. “There is a common concept in education: involve all stakeholders,” Assistant Principal

Jesse Hansen clarified. “Thus, students, parents, teachers, administration, and the Board of Trustees. The ultimate deci-

“It’s important that we ensure our students are as ready as possible.

”

Mary Boyle Assistant superintendent

sion would be up to the school board…who would hear recommendations from district personnel.”

See GRAD: Page 8

Anna Nguyen / Editor-In-Chief

the UC system only care about money? Following widespread backlash in response to the state audit, UC increased its admissions offers to in-state high school seniors by nearly 15 percent for this fall in a report published on April 4. About 66,123 admissions

offers were mailed out to California residents, a 14.7 percent increase over 2015. Initial numbers also indicate an increase in the UC system's admission of historically underrepresented groups, with Chicanos/Latinos making up 32 percent of the total admitted students for Fall 2016, up from 28.8 percent last year. UC agreed to admit 5,000 additional California students for the fall 2016 term in exchange for $25 million more in funding and a continued lid on tuition increases. “The good news is admissions are up for Californians, and admissions for underrepresented minority groups are up,” Napolitano stated in an interview with New American Media. “I think this will be our most diverse class ever, or certainly since Prop. 209 [which banned consideration of race as a factor in college admissions in California] by the time students enroll. And the academic qualifications of the students are excellent. It’s a very strong class.”

Lunch schedule won’t change next year By Elizabeth Chan Staff Writer

The CVHS lunch schedule will stay the same next school year, a decision that should make many students thankful. Most students strongly dislike the combined lunch option, though most teachers support it. “I think that this is a good decision because if it did happen, students wouldn’t have a place to sit or eat their lunch because of how crowded it would be if all grades had the same lunch period,” said junior Caitlin Wong. With nearly 3,000 students at CVHS, places to eat during lunch tend to get crowded and fill up quickly. Also, the wait for the cafeteria lunches during combined lunch tends to get long, while many students cut in line, angering other students. “I think we have to do more

research on what is possible because a lot of the issues around the lunch schedule has to do with the capacity of the cafeteria,” said Principal Blaine Torpey. “We found that overwhelmingly many students wanted to keep the split lunch because of space.” Despite the many reasons why students are happy about this decision, teachers are not. “I still feel really strongly that it’s in the best interest for students to have combined lunch every day. I think that it means teachers make themselves more available to students,” said social studies teacher Carmelina Frasca. “I think it means every student can participate in every club or activity without constantly having to have special schedules and it makes sense because students avoid all the noise in the hallways during lunch.”

Educational opportunities shouldn’t be based on money Editorial: Many Californian seniors are outraged and disappointed as they receive their rejections from various University of California campuses. These same students, who worked tirelessly to get into their dream schools, are even more furious after a recent audit of UC admissions showed that thousands of outof-state students were admitted to UCs despite having the same or lower scores than California residents. This rapid increase of outof-state students is due to the fact that there has been a 30 percent cut in UC state funding, leading to a need for an increased amount of money from the students. Rather than raise the in-state tuition, UCs seem to have accepted more out-of-state students due to the fact that they pay $25,000 more a year on average. In order to do this, UCs have relaxed their admission requirements for out-of-state students. This has lead to quite a controversy. We at The Olympian believe that educational opportunities should be about the students’

Neo Diesta/ Graphic Artist

effort and intellect rather than the amount of money that they can supply to the school. We

also feel that UCs were created for students of California and therefore Californians should

be the ones to have the advantage over out-of-state students, not vice versa. We understand

that UCs are going to need more money and that in our capitalist society, it has to come out of the pockets of the consumers (the students). We at The Olympian feel that UCs need to redirect the way that they are handling the cut in funding. We feel that they should slightly increase instate tuition, as well as heartily increase out-of-state tuition in order to reduce the amount of out-of-state students in California schools and still meet the financial requirements to keep the schools running. Californians would be fine with a slight increase in tuition in order to have a fair shot at schools that were created for them and that non-residents would be willing to pay a higher tuition in order to attend a UC. We also suggest that UCs limit the amount of out-of-state students to 15 percent to better ensure that this problem is fixed and doesn’t reoccur. Overall at The Olympian we want to see the UCs make major changes concerning this subject by next year’s round of admissions.

What do you think about PHOTOpinions the changes in UC admissions? By America Morales

“I don’t think it’s good for us because we don’t get in and the UCs get more money from out of state students.” freshman Sydney Burnama

“It’s bad that students that are more qualified than those out of state don’t get into UCs as easy as out of state students due to money.” sophomore Christian Slader

“I think that the UCs should give priority to California students because if they don’t, they will not have any other option than also going out of state.” junior Mehak Grewal

“I don’t think it’s fair for the students who are residents in CA because it makes it harder for them to get into a UC. It shouldn’t be about money, it should be about having good students.” senior Frank Barajas

Editors-in-Chief..................................................................Anna Nguyen Laniah Lewis Copy Editor......................................................................Sally Liang City Editor..............................................................Caitlin Forbes News Editor..............................................................Jacob Schoenfeld Opinion Editor............................................................Jessica Mi Feature Editor.....................................................Meiling Zhang Sports Editor................................................................Martin Baez Arts and Entertainment Editor............................America Morales Photo Editor........................................................Halley Lin-Jones Video Editor........................................................Desiree Broome Graphic Artist........................................................Neo Diesta Business Manager........................................Brittany Bracy Staff Writers: Mia Babasyan, Nina Bessolo, Elizabeth Chan, Zach Deigert, Lauren Eisenman, Gavin Halloran, Stella Ho, Molly Koch, Anastasia Le, Sarah Nosseir, Fiona Richter, Diego Rodriguez-Peccorini, Emily Salazar Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

By Desiree Broome Video Editor

On applications for numerous things like college, internships, and jobs, one of the first few questions after your name is asking you to list any social media that you have. Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook; everything has to be listed and can be

closely monitored to determine whether they feel you are fit for the offered position due to the content you post. Funny videos, pictures of food, anything that you post can be observed and examined. This leaves you with the question, is social media really just social media? Often when someone is called out for posting something insensitive, rude, offensive or anything of that nature their response will be, “It's just social media” or “Don't take it so seriously,” but you really should. The inappropriate tweet that you thought was funny could cost you a scholarship to an elite school. Posting of illegal activities could lead to lost opportunities or, even worse, consequences such as jail. It all goes beyond the fact that you may know the people that

follow you or that your account is “private.” Nothing on the Internet is private. Anything that you post can turn into the next viral sensation and that may not always be for the best reasons. Posting strong political views, social opinions, or even pictures of yourself and people around you that others may think of as too inappropriate. All should be considered carefully and thought through enough to see the potential consequences. Before saying it's just social media, think about what social media could do for you and also potentially take away. That is why it's much simpler to just think about what you post before you post it, it could save you a lot of trouble, unwanted attention, or lost opportunities later.

Inside CVHS special education department By Jessica Mi Opinion Editor

Nina Bessolo / Staff Writer

Connor Biondi, Sophia DeLucchi, Callan Marquart, Taylor Wade (left to right) rehearse for the annual spring play.

Chuckle at The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 By Nina Bessolo Staff Writer

Take a trip to the Center for the Arts to see the hilarious, mysterious, and murderous play The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. This play is directed by drama teacher Tiffany Daily. The setting takes place at a Westchester estate owned by a wealthy lady by the name of Elsa (played by Sophia DeLucci), along with her maid Helsa (Hannah Callen) and a team of writers: Roger Hopewell and Bernice Roth, which are doublecast roles (Ryan DeCarsky, John Hargrove, Sarah Dove, and

Shannon Randall). They bond with producer Marjorie Baverstock (Courtney Kirstein), the comedian Eddie McCuen (Callan Marquart), a dancer Nikki Crandall (Taylor Wade) and director Ken De La Maize another double-cast role (Alex Borja and Tommy Myers). The story is a murder mystery that leaves the characters in a dangerous situation. As the play progresses the characters and the audience try to figure out who the mysterious “Slasher” killer is. Stage manager Maya Macias, talks aboout her experience of helping organize the play: “I

CISCO class crushes competition By Gavin Halloran Staff Writer

The Trojans’ CISCO network engineering class placed first at a Contra Costa College competition on March 26. Seniors Lauren Kennedy, Spencer Shaw and James Egan won their team bracket and took home laptops as their prizes. A junior team consisting of JaVaughn Sanders, George McIntyre, Elias Messaoudi and a freshman team consisting of Nicholas Buchanan, Jacob Boyd and Brian Bui also took first place, winning other prizes. The competition consisted of reassembling a computer, producing a PowerPoint within the assembled computer about their process and method, and tackling a networking simulation via the packet tracer program. There was also a network security section in which students had to reconfigure computer settings to make them more secure. Nerves were high before the competition due to the challenges that lay ahead. “We were really nervous going into it. But we got in, had fun and by the end we were pretty proud,” said Shaw.

The upperclassmen Trojan teams ran into some difficulties throughout the competition. “For the construction of the computer we were getting cut from the sharp cases housing the components. They were defects from the company and two of our team members got cut, ” said Shaw. The junior team was plagued with sporadic freezes from their computer during the PowerPoint section. In addition, the senior team’s cyber security program slowed progress and added tension to the timed competition. “Our team ran into some trouble with the freezes. It was quite a challenge for us, It took a lot of time,” said junior George McIntyre. After the Trojan seniors moved passed their challenges, they were able to secure the lead. All three of the members of the senior team are planning on taking their skills to college. “It’s a fun course and we had a great time. It’s truly rewarding short and long term, however you put it,” said Shaw. “Each of our team members focused on a specific component and this teamwork really helped us,” said teacher Chris Burns.

think this play is coming along smoothly and it has been easy putting it together.” For Daily, a highlight of the play is “working with this incredible cast and figuring out all the crazy antics the characters find themselves in.” The cast and crew have been rehearsing and practicing since February. Come out and show your support for these talented actors! Tickets are $12 for students and seniors, and $14 for adults. The curtain lifts on May 6 at 7 p.m., May 7 at 7 p.m., May 13 at 7 p.m., May 14 at 7 p.m., and May 15 at 2 p.m.

Students in special education classes have uniquely different routines from general education high school students. The special education department at CVHS offers four levels of classes for students: one class for students with severe/moderate disabilities, two classes for moderate level students, three classes for mild level students, and resource classes for students who have learning disabilities and need extra help. Students in the severe/moderate classroom focus on learning routines centered around life skills. These includes leisure skills, cooking, monetary skills, community outings, and work with assistive technology. Special education teaching assisstant Jackson Bores explained how students work with assistive technology. “We’ll watch music videos on YouTube, and we have a button system that pauses the video. Students can interact with the system to pause and play the video as they’d like,” said Bores. Students in this class have low cognitive function and limited language skills, so teacher Jennifer Muranjan mostly focuses the class on leisure skills. “I spend a lot of time teaching students how to entertain

themselves, what things they like, how to say what they like, and how to have fun,” she said. It’s not a broad curriculum. Each student’s learning is individualized for their own goals and abilities, Bores added. Students in moderate level classrooms have higher levels of cognitive function and broader language skills. These students learn higher function life skills such as going to a bank, cooking, visiting a library, budgeting, monetary skills, and reading. They are also integrated into general education elective classes such as theater and guitar. “It’s important that all students get the opportunity to interact with their peers,” Muranjan said, “and it’s also important for the peers in the general ed classes to recognize that there are people there who have to deal with a lot of difficult things in their lives.” Students in mild level classrooms “work in between,” according to Muranjan. “They still have disabilities but as long as they have some help, they’re more capable of doing the stuff that you do in your classes,” she said. The students will work on life skills, but in a high school context. These students are also integrated into more general education classes and only spend a portion of their day in the special ed classroom.

Lively language lessons By Stella Ho Staff Writer

Culture Fair, Christmas caroling, and food parties are just some of the fun activities that the students of the World Language department get to do. CVHS offers Spanish, German, Japanese, French, and American Sign Language (ASL). Each language offers more than just vocabulary and grammar. Students learn about the culture and traditions of countries through many unique activities. “I try to get my students really involved in the lessons. Because when teaching a language, you can’t just lecture the whole period and expect them to understand. We create stories in class, play games, sing, and a lot more,” said Gigi MacLeod, the chair of the Spanish department. “I enjoy all the games we play in Spanish class. I feel like I learn a lot from them,” said sophomore Katherine Tai. Spanish students have participated in special lessons and activities for Day of the Dead (a Mexican holiday honoring the dead) and Cinco de Mayo (a holiday which commemorates Mexico’s victory over France). Some teachers also take their students out on field trips to local restaurants. Spanish 4 students have an annual field trip to San Francisco. German students have active lessons on topics such as

Kristallnacht and the Berlin Wall. They also learn about Germany’s culture. Every autumn, they have a lunch time activity called Oktoberfest (a 16-day traditional folk festival celebrated in Germany). In addition, a summer trip to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland is available every two years. The Japanese program is full of class activities and field trips as well. They host an annual rice ball party, where students of all levels get to make rice balls. There is an international potluck at the end of the year when students bring dishes from their cultures and explain it to the class. They also have a calligraphy class once a year. In addition, Japanese students attend a field trip to Japantown in San Francisco every year around March, but according to teacher Emi Crow, “Each level has a different cultural experience.” Japanese 1 students visit the Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, Japanese 2 students goes to the Asian Museum to listen to presentations about Japan and its culture, Japanese 3 students goes to a flower arrangement class, and AP Japanese students participate in a tea ceremony. French students do a variety of verbal work, role-playing, and storytelling. They watch a French film without subtitles and act out or retell the plot in their own words to the class. French teacher Teresa Marshment has a history unit in which she explains the French

Revolution, talks about French food and customs, and teaches her students the French national anthem, “La Marseillaise.” In the ASL program, students aren’t simply taught the basics of American Sign Language. They become immersed in the deaf culture through songs (where they learn to listen through rhythms and beats), games, and videos. Students are assigned to do “fieldwork” in which they go out into the community and put their knowledge of ASL to good use. Some help teach ASL to the middle-schoolers. The students also get to visit the California School of the Deaf (CSD), a school for deaf children, in Fremont every Veterans Day. “The students are communicating in ASL on a daily basis and are on track to be fluent signers,” said ASL teacher Mary Ruth Summers. She explained how they are prohibited to use any spoken English in the classroom, and how this has helped them understand and adopt the deaf culture. Although every language program is unique in its own way, the Spanish program has by the far the most students with 1,520. The other programs have about 660 each. In all, 2,165 CVHS students are currently taking a language elective. But no matter what language you take, there’s always going to be fun activities and lessons to learn and do!

The Olympian May 13, 2016

Seniors and sophomores take the win at Powderpuff game By Caitlin Forbes City Editor

As the sun set over the CVHS Trojan stadium, a line wrapped around the ticket booth as excited students and parents shuffled by the field to watch the Powderpuff football game. The annual game took place on April 29, and the weather was perfect for an exciting game. The food trucks helped encourage people to roam about the sidelines as the two teams warmed up for the game. The senior/sophomore team wore black jerseys while the freshmen/junior team wore white ones. As the ladies were warming up, the spirit boys decked out in green and gold shirts, flannels, and short shorts stretched and made their way towards the home game side to get the crowd excited. The first quarter was a close one, but the junior/freshman team pulled ahead with the first touchdown of the game scored by junior Giana Wright. Going into the second quarter, however, the senior/sophomore team was able

Gavin Halloran / Staff Writer

Powderpuff player Micaella Suarez protects the football during the game. to tie the score with a touchdown. The second quarter was far from over, and with many competitive maneuvers from the junior/freshman team, the final result going

into half-time was 12-14. Before the spirit boys started their routine, the first Spirit Stick award was given to the freshman and junior classes for being the

most spirited during the second semester school week. After the Spirit Stick award was given, however, the main attraction for half time began. The Spirit Boys ran

onto the field, and (after a minor technical difficulty) started their routine. The Spirit Boys danced their hearts out and left the crowd cheering and laughing. What they lacked in coordination, they made up with in heart. The boys showed their skills with a multitude of dancing techniques to very popular songs. The amazing show ended with an epic “promposal” where the boys had “Sr. Ball?” spelled out on their backs. It was an unforgettable show, and the crowd deeply enjoyed the entertainment. The third quarter of the game started, and the senior/sophomore team was able to pull ahead of the junior/freshman team with a touchdown. Things began to heat up in the fourth quarter. The senior/ sophomore team started to significantly pull ahead and was able to end the game with a 26-14 score. In the end, the victory went to the senior/sophomore team. Although the teams were divided, the school spirit was unanimous. The Powderpuff game this year was a wild success.

Home fire preparedness campaign extinguishes fears of home fires By Anna Nguyen Editor-In-Chief

Home fires claim an average of seven lives and injure over 36 people each day, more than any other natural disaster combined. Seven billion dollars in property damage is attributed to them each year, yet home fires are highly preventable, and the severity of damages can be reduced by taking several safety precautions. The American Red Cross Club has taken part in numerous initiatives over the past year that help promote home fire preparedness. While the Red Cross is traditionally known for blood drives, or CPR certification classes, growing efforts in the past few years have been made to raise awareness to fire preparedness. Members have helped lead this push and hope to make a difference in surrounding communities. “It’s important that people stay prepared because, although it seems like crises always happen to others, anyone can get caught

in a stressful or even dangerous emergency,” said junior Lindsey Guan. The club has focused on supporting three main projects throughout the year: The Home Fire Preparedness Campaign, The Pillowcase Project, and The 2 Steps 2 Minutes Campaign. The Home Fire Preparedness Campaign is a nationwide effort that promotes safety in high risk neighborhoods. On a specified day, teams of both adult and youth volunteers go out to areas that are prone to home fires or that have recently been affected by the disaster. Each group goes into homes and provide a free fire alarm installation to the residents, accompanied by a brief discussion with families about creating an escape plan and establishing emergency contacts. Members also took part in a Red Cross Youth Disaster Workshop in relation to this campaign. Sophomore Chizuru Tanaka was among those that attended, and learned about the fundamentals of fire response.

“It was both informative and entertaining to be relayed new information about fire safety that I didn’t know about before and having fun while doing it,” Tanaka said. Numerous club members have become certified to be instructors for the Pillowcase Project, a program that aims to teach elementary school aged children about fire safety. Instructors go into classrooms or after-school programs, and lead a course that teach students how to prepare for emergency situations. Children are then given a pillowcase for use as an emergency kit to be filled with disaster essentials “We learned about how to teach kids about the mechanisms for stress relief and coping in anxietyinducing situations like an emergency,” said Guan. “In case of such events, kids are unique because they require more emotional attention.” In addition to enabling club members to teach the course, the instructor training allowed them

The girls sustained two tough losses in the early part of the season against Pittsburgh and Bishop O’Dowd. Despite the losses, they recovered to defeat challenging teams, including Berkeley High, which knocked them out of the playoffs last year. “The players’ attitudes and personalities made it an incredibly enjoyable experience for the entire coaching staff,” Lemmon said. “The winning made things even better, but it was spending so much time with everyone for five months and building relationships and sharing the success of the group.” Lemmon has worked very hard, and has always kept a positive attitude towards his players, parents, staff, and supporters. A goal for the next season is to build on players’ individual skills. The girls will be working on becoming better ball handlers and shooters. Lemmon hopes that they will have

enough money to afford a shooting machine so that the the players can put shots up in rhythm. “From the coaching perspective I find myself still reflecting on what I could have done to allow us to have more success in the final game of the season,” Lemmon said. The team had a great season and they would not have gone so far without such a successful coach. “Coach Jim has believed in me since freshman year, and he’s been the best coach I have ever had. He works hard to make sure every team of his is the best that it can be,” said Jaime Massey, a captain on the varsity team. “He is a good coach and was able to push everyone and the team to the best of their abilities, and that is why we did so well in the season,” said sophomore Bailey Jones. Congratulations to Coach Jim Lemmon for all your success!

Sweet awards with Coach Lemmon By Nina Bessolo Staff Writer

Basketball team coach Jim Lemmon has received two Coach of the Year awards after leading the girls varsity team to a record of 33-3. Lemmon received the award from both the Alameda Newspaper Group (ANG) and Prep2Prep. “I was actually surprised both times I heard about the awards. I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by great players and coaches,” Lemmon said. The girls basketball team made CVHS history this year by winning the WACC and the North Coast Section (NCS) before reaching the state semi-finals. Lemmon explained the difference between this season and last season: “We had a great combination of kids who accepted the challenge of being pushed, pushed each other and had great respect and camaraderie with each other.”

to learn valuable skills that make themselves even more capable of handling an emergency situation.

“Being pre-

pared allows you to feel relaxed when everything is hectic. ” MICHELLE MORENO Student

“I didn’t know much coming into the training other than from fire drills, but by the end I felt relaxed and confident that I could help myself and others if a fire was to occur,” said sophomore Michelle Moreno. “Being prepared allows

you to feel relaxed when everything is hectic.” The club has also played a large role in launching a local youth 2 Steps 2 Minutes Campaign, which brings awareness on fire safety to community members. Members participated in the social media campaign that promoted the two basic steps of fire safety: checking fire alarms and creating an escape plan. The campaign teaches the premise that you have only two minutes to safely exit a burning building. “Many people don’t know what to do in the event of a home fire, but taking these few simple steps could potentially save entire families,” said senior Brandon Yap. “Taking the time to check your smoke alarm battery or plan out an escape route will be worth it when you actually are facing an emergency.” Home fires are a growing issue, and we all must take steps to keep ourselves safe. The American Red Cross Club will be there to help you put out the flames.

The Olympian

New ASB and class officers elected By Fiona Richter Staff Writer

Though most CVHS students aren’t old enough to vote in the upcoming presidential election, we all did have the right and responsibility to choose our ASB and class officers on April 19 and 20. After narrowing the pool of candidates vying for office in the primary elections, students attended the ASB forum during their social studies class on April 18. Held in the CFA, the meeting consisted of ASB hopefuls’ convincing speeches on why they should be elected. “The forum was informative, but I wish we’d had one for class officers as well. All I knew about the people running came from their posters, and there’s really no info on those,” said junior Katelyn Averill. Junior Ariana Faizi, who was elected the next ASB president, committed herself to bringing therapy dogs on campus to relieve students’ stress during finals week, a crowd-pleasing vow reminiscent of current ASB President Jessica Yin’s campaign promise to bring food trucks to our campus. Faizi edged rival Carly Becerra in the election’s top contest. The only sure winner in the ASB election was Samantha Tong, who ran unopposed for secretary and outlined her goals in a short and sweet speech. Vadozzi Yasi and Monav Aulakh, aspiring ASB vice presidents, both ran compelling campaigns, with Yasi winning in the end. Sophomores Thomas Tran and Luka Uchiyama gave each other a

Fiona Richter/ Staff Writer

Ariana Faizi wows students with her amazing speech. run for their money in the race for ASB treasurer, with Tran winning the position. Freshman Liva Langer and junior Sierra Berg gave persuasive speeches to compete for the

position of ASB student body representative, the much needed link between the school board and the students. Berg won the office, and Langer may try again for this position in the future.

ASB President Ariana Faizi Vice President Vadozzi Yasi Secretary Samantha Tong Treasurer Thomas Tran School Board Representative Sierra Berg Senior Class President Karen Tam Vice President Gabbie Dionisio Secretary Jennifer Ng Treasurer Angelica Duarte

Junior Class President Peter Maina Vice President Maddy Thompson Secretary Madeline Albright Treasurer Melissa Ah-Tye Sophomore Class President Jenny Pham Vice President Nicolette Paredes Secretary Chloe Dionisio Treasurer Alexandro Olvera

Meet your new officers!

By Stella Ho Staff Writer

Minimum wage in California, currently $10, will rise to $15 an hour by 2022. The state will increase the wage by 50 cents every two years, then in 2018, increase the wage by a dollar yearly until it reaches $15 at 2022. This bill passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown has generated lots of praise and also dissents. The raise will hopefully improve the living conditions of lowerincome workers. However, that may come with a few negative consequences. California is known for having a minimum wage much higher than the federally required figure of at least $7.25 per hour. But California is also the most populated and expensive state where prices for food, housing, and other necessities are the nation’s highest. For people who need to support a family, for students working part-time, or simply just for

people trying to get by in life, the new wages will help a lot. There will be a lower turnover rate if employees are becoming more satisfied with their minimum wage job, which results in fewer expenses for hiring new employees. However, a ripple effect may be created for other industries and in society because of the raise. If a company has a tight budget, there will likely be more layoffs because the employer now has to pay more for each employee. As mentioned before, if people are satisfied with their jobs and pay, there would be less people dropping or quitting, hence fewer hirings. Also, prices for food or living conditions could go up because employers are trying to compensate for paying their employees at a higher rate. “Of course, in urban areas, the raise will have more beneficial results because the cost of living is higher there and the extra money will help them. But things might be different in more rural areas; there will be an effect on jobs and small businesses because they can’t afford to pay so much for their workers, so it might lead to more layoffs,” said economics teacher Ross Williams. We’ll see by 2022 whether the final outcome will have more positive or negative results on all of society.

Teachers support bond for renovations By Stella Ho

California to raise minimum wage $15 hourly rate to take effect by 2022

May 13, 2016

Staff Writer Castro Valley teachers have unanimously agreed to support Measure G, the schools’ bond for renovations, repairs, and upgrades to the district’s 15 aging campuses, at their union meeting on April 20. “Measure G will allow Castro Valley Unified School District to better serve our students in safe and updated facilities,” said Alicia Gholami, a teacher at Chabot Elementary and president of Castro Valley Teachers Association (CVTA). “Our school facilities are aging,” said Jennifer Clyde, CVHS English teacher. “My own classroom sometimes leaks in the winter. I’m also in favor of adding air conditioning. Students have trouble learning when it’s hot inside the class.” A recently conducted facilities review on Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) campuses revealed that many buildings are more than 50 years old and in critical need of improvements. School board members voted to place the $123 million bond proposal on the June 7 ballot.

“The school district wants to spend the money wisely for our students,” said Gary Howard, the board’s vice president. He explained the bond would be broken into three increments of about $40 million to be sold every other year. According to the Facilities Master Plan, the district plans to add or improve science labs, install air conditioning and heaters for more classrooms, create new music rooms and upgrade playgrounds at elementary schools. The plan also calls for improved school safety and security, technology, and increased space for special education students. If voters approve by at least 55 percent, Castro Valley property owners would pay an additional $60 per $100,000 of assessed value per year for 25-30 years. “We must pass this bond so students can learn in the best facilities possible,” said Sarah Burke, CVHS social studies teacher. “There’s not enough money in the general fund. This bond will help keep our campuses up to date,” said Mark Mladinich, CVHS social studies teacher.

Newest boba tea shop will So Charm you

Emily Salazar / Graphic Artist

By Anna Nguyen Editor-In-Chief

It seems that every month, a new boba milk tea shop has opened near Castro Valley. From the convenient location of i-Tea to the large selection offered by T4, there is a teahouse to fit every need. Yet, with so many of these stores being franchise owned, it is difficult to find a charming mom-and-pop shop that offers both good boba and a friendly environment. So Charm, located at 22580 Foothill Boulevard in Hayward, offers just that. The store opened early this year, and serves a variety of different drinks, food, and desserts. While the storefront may not appear welcoming (it

Farewell to pop icon: Prince, 1958-2016 By Molly Koch Staff Writer

We lost the inspirational pop icon, Prince at the age of 57 on April 27. Known for hit songs Kiss and Purple Rain, he was a fighter for creative freedom. He was found in an elevator when the paramedics were called, but he was unresponsive. His death was called at 10:07 am, and it didn’t take long for the media to be alerted. Twitter as well as many other forms of social media blew up and honored Prince. “His fame was always infused with his talent. And that talent was his freedom, it was his constant reason,”

has yet to install a sign), walking into the shop, you’ll be greeted by a cozy cafe atmosphere and friendly workers. When it comes to tea, So Charm has all of the standard offerings, from classic milk teas, to fruit based drinks. You can customize your drink with different toppings, sizes, sweetness, and ice levels. Their speciality drinks include smoothies, milk foam, and warm teas. In comparison to other tea shops, So Charm’s drinks are extremely fresh, and have a more prominent tea flavor. So Charm has a relatively large food menu that is incomparable to similar stores. In addition to their extensive snack menu, noodle soup and rice place entrees are included. The batter used on the fried snacks is light and perfectly seasoned. A fried calamari or popcorn chicken craving could be easily sated with So Charm’s offerings. So Charm

also serves Taiwanese snow, a refreshing treat that many other boba places do not offer. Prices range from $3 to $7, providing a filling meal for a cheap price. Discounted drinks are currently being offered with a purchase from the food menu. With any food order, a medium drink is only $1.99, and a large drink is $2.50 (toppings not included). The shop also offers a stamp card; for every ten drinks purchased, you can get one for free. The only downside to the shop is the lack of nearby parking. Being located on the Hayward Loop, those not familiar with the area might face difficulty finding it. However, public parking is available next to the nearby movie theatre. So Charm has many unique qualities that make it a great after school spot. Whether you just want a quick bite, or a place to “study” with friends, So Charm can cater to your every need.

Fallout’s newest Additions

wrote musician John Mayer. Justin Timberlake tweeted, “Numb. Stunned. This can’t be real.” Even on Snapchat, a filter of purple rain commemorated Prince. Whether or not you listened to him, I think everyone knew who he was. When his name was mentioned, I think everyone thought of the performer with the iconic outfits and makeup. Many places commemorated his loss that night such as the Empire State Building and a bridge in Minneapolis, where he was from, by lighting it purple. We say rest in peace to yet another music icon we’ve recently lost. He will leave an impression that will last for years to come.

Mechanist (left) and Sentry-Bot (right) pose for a picture in the video game, Fallout 4.

By Diego RodriguezPeccorini Staff Writer

The two most recent pieces of dowloadable content (DLC) for Fallout 4 are awesome additions to an already great game. Automatron, which was released March 22, takes you on a unique journey around the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to help your companion avenge her fallen friends and stop the evil mastermind behind the robot attacks, the Mechanist. The DLC also included four new weapons, a new armor set, additional robot model figurines, three new pieces of tesla power

armor, and of course, the ability to create and customize your own robot companions with the new Robot Workbench. This new workbench station allows you to create combinations of Assaultron, Robobrain, Sentrybot, Protectron, and Mr. Handy robot models and mix their body parts to your liking. To add the finishing touches to your new creation, you can then change their armor plating, weapons, color, and the sound of their voice as well. To sum it all up, it’s a great quest line that gives you a reason to pick up the game again, and also gives you some new items along the way. Wasteland Workshop is also another great DLC add-on. Even though it doesn’t have a fun quest like Automatron, it’s still gives you some nice content to add to your settlements. It provides you with a new category of the workbench list called “Cages,” in which you can

build traps for creatures like Mirelurks, Yao Guais, and Deathclaws. What sucks about it though, is that you need two perks to build what’s called a “Beta Wave Emitter” to tame the thing that you’ve captured, otherwise it’ll just cause havoc and try to kill all of your settlers once you’ve let it out. So if you don’t have them, you’re out of luck. But hey, at least once you’ve taken care of them you can mount them on your walls right? No? You don’t like taxidermy? Alright. Well anyways, what I was trying to say was that this DLC allows you to collect components from fallen creatures and then create wall-mounted decorations of them to hang on your wall. Not just that, but it also gives you some new stuff in the workbench categories like new miscellaneous items, structure items, power items, etc. It is yet another great DLC that pulls you back into the game for a little more fun.

Landrum runs, jumps to success

Boys tennis season ends strong at WACC

By Sarah Nosseir Staff Writer

The sound of your heart pounding in your ears. The feeling of sweat running down your forehead. The smell of gravel being kicked up by your feet. The taste of blood in your mouth from dehydration. All of these are things that go hand in hand with playing a competitive sport, something that senior Tenia Landrum understands well. Landrum has been running track and field for about six years now, and working hard to improve each year. She’s broken school records for the 100 and 200 meter races, with times fast enough to put her in the running for North Coast Section, 12.16 and 25.31 seconds respectively. Landrum also competes in field events like high jump and long jump. She leads the girls varsity team in both long jump and high jump, coming very close to breaking school records, and placing in the top ten in NCS. “Tenia has been nothing short of an amazing talent,” said coach Dooney Jones. “Over the years, she has displayed the desire to be the best athlete possible.” Sprint coach Dash Oliver also sings her praises. “I've only been coaching here for a few months, and Tenia’s talent stood out immediately. At practice she competes with the boys (and beats them).” University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) also sees the deep passion within Landrum

By Meiling Zhang Feature Editor

Sarah Nosseir / Staff Writer

Tenia Landrum broke school records in the 100 and 200 meter races. to always be the best, the strive to work hard and give 110 percent, even on the rainy days. The Rebels recruited her and she’s decided to join them next year. “UNLV is getting a very versatile athlete, and we look forward to seeing her success on the track,” Oliver said. Her future plans at UNLV are to earn a bachelor’s degree in biology, and to keep competing and improving on the track.

When questioned about the reason she chose UNLV over other schools interested in her, Landrum said, “It was the best fit for me, for both academics and track with a little bit of fun on the side.” However, moving to Las Vegas will not be an easy thing. Landrum knows she will miss all of the close friends she has made over the years, as well as all of her coaches who have pushed to her limits.

With a final swing, the 2016 tennis season came to an end. On April 30, several members of the CVHS tennis team participated in the annual West Alameda County Conference (WACC) tournament. Three singles players participated in the tournament at the Harbor Bay Club in Alameda starting April 29. After two matches, the top four players moved on to play again on Saturday. “My overall experience with WACC was a good one,” said sophomore Ethan-James Stolmeijer. The tournament included teams from all over Alameda that played in two different leagues. CVHS is part of the Foothill Division, and the Trojans played against teams from Alameda, Berkeley, Bishop O’Dowd, and Piedmont. Joining Stolmeijer in the tournament was junior Terrance Tsang and senior Spencer Dong. All three players made it to the second round. Tsang, number nine on the CVHS team, ended the second set against his Alameda opponent with a tie, but he came out victorious after the third set with a score of 6-0. In the quarterfinals, however, Tsang lost to a Piedmont player. Stolmeijer, number four on the CVHS team, defeated his first opponent with set scores of 6-2 and 6-0. Unfortunately, he along with Tsang, was unable to move on to semi-finals of the tournament on Saturday. “I would say my own per-

Meiling Zhang/ Feature Editor

Spencer Dong hits the tennis ball fiercly during the WACC.

formance was good,” Stolmeijer said. Dong, playing as number one for CVHS, defeated his first O’Dowd opponent with set scores of 6-3 and 6-1. In the semi-finals, Dong started his set winning 2-0, but Berkeley’s Max Barshay eventually won. The final set score was 6-2 and 6-4, making it a close match for Dong. In the finals of the tournament, Dong placed third. His opponent was feeling sick and therefore gave the win to Dong. Wright from Berkeley was the ultimate champion of the Foothill Division Singles Championship. “Though it was not the way I envisioned my senior year of tennis to end, I was blessed to represent Castro Valley High School at the WACC for my team, family, friends, and coaches,” said Dong.

A m a z i n g l y adept at h lete s

Austin Sequeira

Austin Sequeira has been playing baseball for 11 years now and all those years of hard work are starting to pay off now that he made the freshman team. He loves the hard work that has to be put into the sport and the competition along with getting along with teammates. “My favorite memory of playing baseball is when I hit my first home run and that trot around the bases. That feeling will always stick with me,” said Sequeira. Sequeira is looking forward to the offseason so he can work hard in order to be prepared for his next year of high school baseball at the junior varsity level.

Madison Lippi Madison Lippi is a sophomore runner at CVHS who is in her first year of track, but is extremely motivated to get out and run to get in shape in order to participate in other sports. She knows running is hard but doesn’t give up easily. “It’s a really hard workout but in the end it pays off,” said Lippi. She enjoys going to practice every day and the coaches’ hospitality make it even better along with the motivation they provide for their runners. She runs the 1,600 meters. Her personal record is six minutes, 42 seconds.

Yazmine Romero Yazmine Romero is a current junior and a member of the CVHS varsity softball team. Romero has already committed to Youngstown State in Ohio due to her success in softball and dedication ever since she was five years old. “I go out there and play every day because I have worked so hard and sacrificed so much to be at the level I am at and I know playing softball is helping me pay for college,” said Romero. She hopes to finish the softball season strong with all her teammates who have become family to her and hopefully go on to win another North Coast Section (NCS) championship this year.

Martin Baez / Sports Editor

Brandon Chin Brandon Chin has been a dedicated swimmer ever since he started swimming in fifth grade. He later joined an all year round team his freshman year in which he also swam for the varsity team. Overall Chin has been on varsity all of his four years at the high school level and he keeps on working hard to make himself better. “The thing I love most about swimming is the constant drive for self-improvement,” said Chin. One of his best memories was competing in the 500 freestyle as a sophomore in NCS and he hopes to continue swimming for fitness and the sport will always stick with him.

The Olympian May 13, 2016

Athletes play on despite funding deficits By Nina Bessolo Staff Writer

When Trojan athletes sign up for sports teams, what can they expect? Some hope to receive new athletic attire and gear rather than wearing hand-me-downs or old equipment. Others hope for access to adequate facilities. Families expect their athletes will receive excellent coaching and officiating. In addition, students and parents expect safe and reliable transportation. But the CVHS sports program funding has fallen short for 20152016, forcing teams to cut most bus transportation because athletes’ families have given only about 47 percent of the donations the school requests to run the program. In the fall season, athletes’ families contributed only 55 percent of all money needed to pay for uniforms, gear, officiating, and transportation, according to school accountant Charity Hastings. Forty seven percent of all money needed for winter sports was received. Just 41 percent of all

New graduation requirements considered for future classes GRAD: from page 1

Some new requirements discussed could lead to changes to the schedule. “It's also very possible that we would need to look at a seven-period day,” Boyle said. Hansen focused on the more positive side of this decision. “There could be a greater degree of choice: students might be able to take more art courses or career tech courses, depending on their areas of interest, while remaining on track for graduation,” he said. This would result in “giving students more opportunities for courses rather than cutting back on opportunities to take a variety of courses.” CVHS currently has a modified seven-period day, but only students with zero periods have seven classes. New requirements and a new schedule could mean an earlier start for more students, or possibly shorter class periods. “If we added graduation requirements to any department, that department would potentially need to hire (more teachers),” Cassidy said. This brings up a current issue the school is already facing: “Facilities are also going to need to be addressed as we are already crunched with classrooms,” Cassidy explained. If the classroom crunch problem will be addressed by the possible school renovations, this could all be plausible considering the changes CVHS and the school district have been buzzing about for a while. Of course there's also the issue of money. “This is going to cost something and until the district determines the financial end of it and decides to put the money into it, all this is hypothetical,” Cassidy said. Nevertheless, CVHS has started to consider change and will continue to move on with its plan in some way. The only question is, will we be ready for it?

money needed for spring sports was contributed. In all, CVHS requested $255,050 from athletes’ families and received just $120,567 through participation donations. The entire athletic program costs around $350,000 per year. Principal Blaine Torpey points out that even though the donations have fallen short of the school’s request, families support the ath-

letic program in other ways, like contributing to the Boosters and to individual teams’ fundraisers. Still, the CVHS community has not raised enough money to pay all of the costs of sports. The athletic department can only request that families pay or fundraise for their shares, not require it. Last year 90 percent of the participating families contributed to the sports program. This year,

however, only 45 percent did so. Athletes are asked to donate money based on the expense of their sports. Cross country runners, tennis, and badminton players are asked to pay $225, and football players are expected to pay $350 per season. Thankfully, the district has been able to pay some of the teams’ basic costs. According to Hastings, the district pays the stipends

for coaches, which cost around $120,000 this year. But this spring, swim meets have been cancelled due to lack of funding for transportation. The team has over 100 participants and providing transportation for them has been difficult. “This causes more stress because it causes more fundraisers which takes time away from team dinners,” said swimmer Peter Althoff. In order for all needs to be met, everyone needs to be involved in raising the funds. “We don’t really know how much money is coming in year after year. The income is never steady,” said Torpey. Another part of the difficulty is the limited number of districtowned buses. When those are available, teams can use them for about $300, Torpey said. But private buses cost about $1,000 per day. When asked if he would cut certain teams to save money, Torpey said, “I don’t think that is an appropriate way to go, and I will advocate to not cut teams.”