Oct 14, 2016 by The Castro Valley High School Olympian

Clinton, Trump race for votes

Students explore the world

Page 3: Students weigh in on the election

Pages 4-5: International adventures abound

Volume 60, Issue 1

October 14, 2016

Pirates sink Trojans in big game

Page 7: Football team loses homecoming bout

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

Teachers take tenure Triumph By Anastasia Le Copy Editor

Halley Lin-Jones / Editor-In-Chief

Saxophone players rehearse for the upcoming competition.

First year of competition for band By Lauren Eisenman Video Editor

For the first time ever, the CVHS marching band will participate in competitions against other high schools throughout the Bay Area. This year, the band will be perform at two field show competitions: the Valley Christian Field Show and the Dublin High School Field Show. In addition to competing for the first time, the ensemble has also expanded to include a new color guard group, a section without any music involved. The color guard provides visual enhancement to the marching band performance, while also complementing the music.

The theme of this year’s show is Cirque Du Soleil, featuring music from the popular acrobatic show, with pieces such as “Distorted,” “Journey of Man,”, and “Incantation.” The students involved in the ensemble are hugely dedicated and attend practices on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after schools, as well as on Saturdays. Students were also required to attend a week-long band camp over the summer to get a head start on marching. The band is under the student leadership of drum majors Lindsey Guan and André Juntilla, as well as assistant drum majors Julee Ancheta and Griffin Bere-

sini. The band is also working together with professional drum, marching, and pit instructors. Although the practices can often be tedious, the hardworking band is excited to be introduced to the competitive environment. “I’m excited that we’re competing this year,” said Guan. “When I was a freshman, we’d look at James Logan High School. They have an amazing marching band program, and this giant bus!” The band has made tremendous progress since last year, and the students are feeling the pressure of competing for the first time.

The state Supreme Court of California declined to hear the highly contested Vergara v. California case that challenged state tenure laws, thus upholding job protection laws for teachers throughout the state. These laws grant the protections of tenure to teachers once they have worked for two years. Teacher tenure laws were originally devised as a means to prevent teachers from being fired for personal or political reasons, including the firing of experienced teachers to hire less expensive new teachers. “Without teacher tenure, more experienced teachers could be let go because of arbitrary reasons,” social studies teacher Mark Mladinich commented. “Overall, I definitely support [teacher tenure].” Vergara v. California was originally filed in May 2012 and alleged that several state statutes regarding teacher tenure violated the California Constitution by disparately impacting minority students in poorer school districts. “There’s a fear that teachers who can’t teach stay in the profession and don’t help students,” Mladinich stated. “The hope is that students are getting veteran teachers that can teach well.” “There are lots of pros and

cons,” Spanish teacher Antonio Acosta shared. “In my former district, I did see really terrible teachers that took advantage of tenure that didn't teach students at all.” The attorneys of the nine student plaintiffs claimed that “the challenged statutes result in grossly ineffective teachers obtaining and retaining permanent employment, and that these teachers are disproportionately situated in schools serving predominately low-income and minority students….the challenged statutes violate their fundamental rights to equality of education.” In June 2014, Judge Rolf Treu of the California Superior Court ruled that all of the statutes challenged by the student plaintiffs were unconstitutional because the state constitution guarantees free public education for all. But in April 2016, a three-judge panel on the Court of Appeal reversed the trial court’s decision and held that the challenged statutes did not violate the state constitution. In May, the students’ lawyers asked the state Supreme Court to reconsider the reversal and reinstate the trial court’s ruling. The State Supreme Court declined to review the case in August, settling the issue for now. “At the end of the day, I get to keep my job,” Acosta remarked.

Parking passes perplex and please pupils and parents By Elizabeth Chan Copy Editor

CVHS administration has instituted a brand new parking permit rule. With this rule, students purchasing a parking permit are assigned parking spots, rather than the past year’s practice of picking your own spot. When asked why these new rules were created, Assistant Principal Jesse Hansen said it was due to “the difficulty in enforcing parking rules.” In the past, multiple announcements on the loudspeaker warned that students’ cars would be towed if they parked in the wrong area. The school finally did tow “two to three cars,” said Hansen. On average, a tow costs the car’s owner between $125- $275.

When asked if the school would really tow cars that were parked in the wrong space, Hansen said “Yes.” Last year, parking was an issue because students who did not purchase a parking permit would steal the limited amounts of permit-holding students’ spots. It became an even bigger issue when students starting parking in teachers’ spots. “We want to be fair for the students who have paid for parking and see that they are guaranteed to get a parking space,” said Assistant Principal Patrinia Redd. However, many students are angry because of these new rules. Some students at CVHS decided to take a zero period this year, or come early to guarantee that they get a good parking spot.

“I am livid as a zero period student; I have to wake up early to fulfill my education so I think I deserve to get a good parking space because the early bird gets the worm,” said senior Olivia Chan. Even some students who don’t drive are angry as well. “As a student who doesn’t drive, this makes me a little angry because I feel it is unfair to students who came to school early to get the spot they want,” said senior Caitlin Wong. On the other side of the argument, however, senior Sabrina Ho said, “I think it's fair because they do random lottery and don't pick spots based on your last name or when you purchased the parking permit.”

Elizabeth Chan / Copy editor

Students park in their assigned parking spots.

Victory for tenured teachers, problems with tenure laws

Editorial:

Current teacher tenure laws were upheld by the California Supreme Court when it recently dismissed the controversial case, Vergara v. California. The case was brought to the courts by nine public high school students, and with the help of a nonprofit organization called Students Matter, they challenged the tenure laws and claimed that they violated students’ right to an equal education. In June 2014, the first trial court agreed with the students’ arguments and deemed tenure unconstitutional, but the Court of Appeal later reversed that decision. With the state Supreme Court’s declination to review the case, the Court of Appeal’s approval of tenure laws was kept intact. The Olympian agrees with this decision, however, we also

believe t h a t s o m e changes should be made to the current tenure policies. Tenure is given to teachers after a period of two years to provide them with protection from being fired without just cause. Some of the downsides of teacher tenure laws include a sense of complacency among teachers when they know how unwilling school districts are to go through

the long process of firing them, thus taking away any incentive for them to put more effort into their work. However, the benefits of tenure laws are greater than the slight drawbacks. The laws protect teachers from being fired for personal or political reasons. They provide protect i o n f o r

Anastasia Le / Copy Editor

Vote yes on Prop 64

Rapists deserve more punishment

By Haley Booth Staff Writer

When someone commits a crime as awful as rape, they should not get the privilege of being treated with sympathy. However, in Brock Turner ’s case, the judge gave only half of the maximum sentence for that crime to the Stanford swimmer. In addition, after only serving half of his shortened sentence, he got to go free. Convicted of sexual assault, Turner committed a violent crime that will scar the victim’s life forever. He should not be able to get off so easily. Towards the beginning of the year, Turner was found in the process of sexually assaulting an unconscious young woman on Stanford

grounds by two passersby, who proceeded to chase and tackle him to the ground after he tried to flee. He was sentenced to six months in jail and was then released after serving only three months of his sentence on Sept. 2. His father wrote that his son’s life shouldn’t be ruined “for 20 minutes of action.” What about the life he ruined when he attacked that young woman? Victims of rape do not just get over the experience. They were violated in one of the most heinous ways possible and they suffer psychological trauma that will stay with them for a very long time. Trauma also comes with people who say that the girls “asked for it” or “brought it on themselves.” Girls do not ask to get raped, sexually assaulted or violated physically any other type of way. The real crime is that a lot of girls who go to court for rape have to prove that they were actually raped and that they did not give consent to their attackers. The experience of rape is enough of a burden without the victims having to prove their innocence. The attackers should be on trial, not them. Knowing that the people who ruined their lives are locked away can be a form of

relief for victims. However, Turner’s victim does not even have that satisfaction. And while Turner is listed as a sex offender and on a three-year probation, his life will only be slightly more difficult, as he might not be able to find a job easily and will not be going back to Stanford. The part that makes this even worse is that Turner was arrested for sexual assault, not rape. California law’s definitions of rape and sexual assault are different, and the actions that Turner took fall under the sexual assault category. In my opinion, rape is rape, and I’m not the only one who thinks that. Many people want California to change its definition of rape to help cases like these become more clear. Something as awful as rape should be an open and shut case, not something to be debated. The victim has been traumatized enough and should be spared the painful process of having to prove that she was assaulted. Hopefully California will change its laws so cases like these won’t have to go through so many steps to get the assailant behind bars, and hopefully, they will stay there for longer than three months.

By Jason Mays Staff Writer

Election season is upon us, and so are the different propositions. One of the most debated ones is Prop. 64, which would legalize marijuana for adults. There’s a plethora of reasons it should be legalized that benefit everyone, the first and most obvious being that marijuana is far less harmful than alcohol or cigarettes. It has been proven to be a very successful medicine for many types of illnesses. Also, the cruel punishments for the use of the drug have led to the imprisonment of too many people, who are no worse than someone taking a prescription drug. Cigarettes are harmful to the people who smoke them, as well as anyone around them, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC). “Cigarette smoking is responsible for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States.” said the CDC.

PHOTOpinions By Stella Ho/opinion editor

“I’m pretty neutral about this. It really just depends on who the teacher is and how they treat the students.” Bryce Grissom, freshman

“I don’t exactly support teacher t e n u re b e c a u s e some teachers might take advantage of it. It seems like a bad idea.” Pete Maciel, sophomore

teachers statewide and give them greater job security, which helps attract more teachers to the field. The influx of more teachers helps end the recent teacher shortage in California and could also act as compensation for the low pay and stressful work. Because firing teachers on tenure is an extensive process, school districts are encouraged to take more time and consideration to choose qualified and effective people to teach. The laws help strengthen teacher unions, and overall, it’s a good system that gives the teachers their deserved rights. A suggestion that we at The Olympian have for improving the California tenure laws is to extend the probation period of teachers from two years to three, so that they can gain more experience and administrators can thoroughly evaluate their abilities before granting them tenure.

Two of America’s most beloved drugs, alcohol and nicotine, happen to be the most dangerous, yet are somehow thought to be completely different, even better, than marijuana. But in a study by Time Magazine, 1,037 New Zealanders who use marijuana were analyzed from ages 18-38. “The only bad effects pot seemed to have were on the teeth… Even more surprisingly, the researchers found that cannabis use over time was linked to a lower BMI, smaller waist circumference and better HDL cholesterol, suggesting that cannabis may be involved in metabolism,” siad the researchers of this study. There are actually benefits from taking this drug. According to prevention.com/health, marijuana can help with an array of pain symptoms from different diseases, ease anxiety, and can even slow or halt the growth of cancer cells! This seemingly harmless, mostly beneficial drug is still illegal in most states and federally and puts a lot of people in prison. “Marijuana arrests now account for over half of all drug arrests in the United States. Of the 8.2 million marijuana arrests between 2001 and 2010, 88 percent were for simply having marijuana,” said the American Civil Liberties Union. There is absolutely no reason for marijuana to be illegal, other than to fill prisons, ruin medical discoveries, or to stop a bunch people from eating too much junk food and having the giggles.

How do you feel about teacher tenure?

“I don’t really know what to think about it. But if they didn’t take their job seriously, that wouldn’t be fair to the students.” Katrina Poon, junior

“It depends on the type of teacher who’s tenured. I had a bad experience with a teacher who didn’t really care about teaching students. So, no, I don’t support it.” Emujin Unenbat, senior

The Olympian Oct. 14, 2016

Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump: who’s more qualified?

I’m with her

Say no to Trump

By Lina Stoyanovich

Emily Salazar/Business Manager

Staff Writer

These days, Hillary Clinton is known most widely amongst young people as a joke. She’s slammed for a face she makes onstage, she’s slammed for using the same private email server that every other secretary of state has used, she’s even slammed for getting sick. Catchphrases circulate social media such as “I will never be with her.” Because of this, Hillary is in danger of losing votes from a large group of young people who get their news from Twitter instead of CNN. Clinton is not the garbage she is frequently called on Twitter, just as Bernie Sanders is not the saint that social media makes him out to be. In fact, there are many issues in which Clinton’s policies match the Democratic Party’s much better than Sanders’.

Most 18-year-olds aren’t reading the news or doing research to decide whether they are going to vote Democratic or Republican. They’re scrolling through Instagram and Twitter, seeing posts from random teenagers blaming Hillary for Benghazi, or the popular tweet “How are you going to run a country if you can’t even keep your emails organized?” Their opinions are being built off of nothing but posts from other equally uneducated and underqualified teens. Although the negativity is most of what is circulating social media, it just so happens that Clinton is a good candidate. She is intelligent, experienced, and her policies match up with those of the Democratic Party which she will be representing in this election. Her biggest

problem in this election is that she’s a woman. Donald Trump, although much more problematic, gets nowhere near the amount of criticism that she gets. He is popular among Republicanleaning teens, despite his ridiculous promised policies and his nonstop slew of hate. Despite his facing allegations of rape of a 13-year-old girl, his offending just about every racial group in America except whites, and his continued misogynistic comments, newspapers still write critical articles about Clinton’s emails months after the fact. For people who don’t research candidates, he is an easy candidate to vote for. What could be safer than voting for an old white man? All criminal charges and speculated mental health conditions

aside, Trump does fit the classic presidential profile! So, for young people looking for an easy decision, here you go. Yes, Trump is a successful white businessman, but he is also an racist, misogynistic egomaniac, and, to top it all off, an alleged child rapist. Clinton, on the other hand, supports free and discounted college education, gun control, affordable health care… the list goes on, and it’s full of beliefs shared by young people. So yes, Clinton used the same private email server as many other government officials she worked with, and yes, she, like the rest of the population, is subject to pneumonia. She’s not perfect, but she’d make a much better president than Trump. I’m with her.

religion, know a lot of people that are Muslims and are phenomenal people, but I think that [rumor of conversion] comes along with people's fear of this protest, as well as Islamophobia in this country," said Kaepernick. Unfortunately these protests don’t happen without some repercussions. His game hasn’t been the best lately and he has been demoted to backup. He will only play if starter Blaine Gabbert is injured or ineffective. Kaepernick is the NFL’s most expensive backup receiving $13.9 million this year alone. Kaepernick has inspired many sports stars to protest in solidarity. Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall and 49ers teammate Eric Reid joined Kaepernick. Soccer star Megan Rapinoe kneeled during the anthem and will continue to do so whenever she gets the chance. During her team’s game against the Washington Spirits, the national anthem was played while the players were still in the locker room so Rapinoe couldn’t “hijack” the event for a “personal matter.” I believe it is always interesting when sports figures get involved in social issues. Many incidents in history have provoked this same amount of controversy. Tommie Smith and John Carlos stood on the medal stand at the 1968 Olympics with heads bowed and blackgloved fists raised in silent protest against racism. After the games, they remained unemployed for long periods of time and were

deemed untouchable, but those protests altered our way of life. Kaepernick is taking initiative and sparking conversation. Our way of life has come from, and thrives because of, individuals standing up for what they believe in and creating controversy. Some disagree on the particular method used fix the issue, but at the very least we can agree that avoiding the issue completely is no solution. Kaepernick’s actions

are legal, and he is exercising his right as an American to have an opinion and stand up for it. Figures in our history have worked very hard to ensure the right to protest, and I am supportive of Kaepernick’s efforts to change this country. “I have to stand up for people that are oppressed… If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right,” he said.

To stand or sit with Colin Kaepernick

By Ria Panjwani Staff Writer

I stand (or sit) with 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick on his sitting protest during the national anthem before football games to protest oppression of minorities. He is trying to draw attention and keep the conversation going about racial injustice, especially police brutality. I am happy to say it is working. The conversation his protests have ignited are well worth the criticism Kaepernick has received. His protests have captured every form of the public’s attention, gaining support from veterans and from President Obama himself. Much of the firestorm of controversy surrounds Kaepernick himself. I am not surprised that many people’s first reaction to the protest arose in the form of accusations that Kaepernick himself is Muslim. "I have great respect for the

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

By Megan O’Brien Staff Writer

Donald Trump’s proposed ban on immigrants from countries with any “terrorist leanings” doesn’t make sense. You can’t put these people into one category and assume that they all have this influence in them. Some may just be trying to escape all of it, and America needs to support them. Trump would take away a chance for these people to escape all the violence and take away a safe opportunity by putting them in this category. This is similar to what the U.S. did to the Japanese Americans during World War II after Pearl Harbor was bombed. We put them in these camps because we associated them with bombing, when they had nothing to do with it. Trump likes to target the Muslim population in particular with these proposed immigration bans. He specifically mentions them in his multiple speeches and associates most of them with ISIS, when many are just innocent people trying to escape the threat of violence to their families. Is he really going to deny them this safety because of the religion they practice? He is associating all Muslims with these few extremists when most are likely perfectly normal. My sister has a friend who is Muslim and is a really sweet girl. Is Trump going to put her in this category just because of her religion? Another thing Trump likes to talk about a lot is how he is going to build a wall along the southern border of the U.S. to stop immigrants and drugs from coming over from Mexico. He also mentions that Mexico will pay for this wall. Mexico is one of our allies and building this wall and making them pay for it is not a smart thing to do. “A nation without borders is not a nation,” Trump said. But Europe has worse problems, like government instability and attacks, and there are neighboring countries that are enemies and you don’t see Europeans building up walls everywhere. Mexico is our ally, do we really want to jeopardize that? Trump stereotypes people based on their religion and race. He doesn’t filter what he says or does. Is this really someone that we want as our next president?

Summers overseas: CVHS stu China: a home away from home By Stella Ho

Opinion Editor

Every year, I get the amazing opportunity of flying across the world to Guangzhou, China to visit some of my relatives that live there. I go there every summer for a duration of about three to four weeks, but the trip never gets old. Guangzhou is just as much my home as Castro Valley is, despite the short amount of time I stay there. My favorite things to do in Guangzhou are to go out and eat dim sum, walk around the busy streets, and go windowshopping at large malls. I find it exhilarating to live among so many people and loud noises, and every day is an fun experience, no matter how ordinary it may sound. I enjoy walking by the familiar local food shops, the hair salon across the street,

Stella Ho enjoyed visiting the beaut

Emily Salazar bravely parasails in Vallerta Bay.

Mexican memories: muy maravilloso By Emily Salazar Business Manager

Mexico is a country I love, full of happy and crazy memories. I spent a week in Nuevo Vallarta, a small portion of one of the largest bays in the world: the Banderas Bay Puerto Vallarta. I alternated between lounging by the pool and the beach, always sipping juice concoctions in the sun. At nights I watched dance performances, and then danced myself at the discoteca. The most memorable moment by far was when I went parasailing. I’ve always been too scared to try it, the idea of being so high in the sky that you’re only a speck in it, the people below like ants. Many of my family

members have parasailed, but I was never brave enough to do it myself. However, previously recovering for two years from an injury that left me immobile changed my whole perspective. Because I was limited by my body for so long, I now appreciate any opportunity I have to try new things. That morning, the happyface parasail was just laying on the beach, waiting. I knew that was my opportunity. Though I was scared out of my wits, and almost crash-landed, I did it. I got to see the entirety of one of the largest bays in the world, feel the wind in my hair and shout with glee. It was one of the most breathtaking experiences I’ve ever had.

The wonders of Southeast Asia: Thailand and Cambodia By Halley Lin-Jones Editor-in-Cheif

I had the incredible privilege of visiting Cambodia’s Angkor Wat, the largest religious complex in the world, and home of the some of the finest selections of art and architecture from the Khmer civilization. To travel across the globe is quite a commitment, but it was worth every uncomfortable flight to see the beauty contained in the walls of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and the other surrounding temples. No matter how you analyze the sights of the temples, they truly are marvels to witness. Behind every wall, in every or-

nate doorway, there are details worthy of closer inspection— even the intricate precision of the masonry is something of a miracle. The buildings we see nowadays are supported by additional structural material, but every stone in these temples is held in place by the magic of gravity. It is hard to imagine the temple sites as they were hundreds of years before. The steep, seventy-degree angle of the staircase leading to the apex of Angkor Wat is intimidating and otherworldly. As you ascend, it feels as if you are entering a sacred, meditative space—an inherent quality of the temple even now as we visit the site out of context,

ignorant of the nature of the civilization and its people. At the major temples it is now impossible to avoid crowds of tourists with selfie sticks, which is why it really was nice to visit lesstrafficked temples. Banteay Srei is a must-see, with its gorgeous, red sandstone carvings, so well-preserved that they appear new though they were built in the tenth century. You don’t have to be an art and history enthusiast to enjoy what Angkor has to offer. It is an unique example of human accomplishment on a grand scale, and unlike any other in the world.

Halley Lin-Jones visited the temples of Angkor Thom.

udents travel around the globe

utiful Pearl River in Guangzhou, China.

Stella Ho / Opinion Editor

the marketplace a few blocks away, the stationary shop I often go to to buy whatever cheap pens or pencils that aren’t available in the U.S., and of course, I enjoy spending quality time with family members that I only see once a year. I especially love walking by the Pearl River, an extensive river that runs through the heart of the city. I have a nice view of it from the balcony of my grandma’s apartment, and at night, I can see the beautiful bright lights of the boats going by on the river, coupled with the rich night air and flashing lights from the skyscrapers nearby. As I near the end of my trip, I look out at the lights and think to myself, see you next year.

Historical museums highlight Amsterdam visit By Fiona Richter City Editor

In early August, I took a morning train from Germany to Amsterdam, expecting tulip fields and arriving to a cloudy, rainy city without a single tulip. Disappointing plant variety aside, I had so many great experiences there that my ten hours in Amsterdam became my favorite part of the summer. I think the part of my day in Amsterdam that will stay with me forever was my visit to the Anne Frank Museum. Having read Anne's honest and beautiful diary, I knew her story. But walking through the annex she stayed in, you can feel her presence and truly understand what a tragedy her murder was. Ultimately, a picture of Anne's father, the sole survivor of the group, standing alone in the attic his family inhabited during the

occupation, was what brought me to tears. I ended up getting it as a postcard because his image would not leave my mind. In between museums, I went on a boat tour in the grachten, the webbed canals of the city. Exploring Amsterdam from the water was an interesting experience, and a fun way to learn about the city’s history and architecture, and its many tourist attractions. The van Gogh Museum was such a special place to go to. I learned things about van Gogh that gave me new perspectives of looking at his paintings. Unfortunately, I had to rush through the museum to see all of it, but I still managed to discover some paintings that have impacted me. My favorite is titled "Self-Portrait with Straw Hat," a portrait in which van Gogh's eyes look at you

A quaint Gracht canal. with an expression of suffering. I bought a myriad of souvenirs, and dashed to the train station. As my train pulled out of Amsterdam's main station, I realized that I was leaving with three new things: a collection of postcards, a love for the city, and a desire to come back.

School trips to Europe

Berlin, Germany and the Berlin Wall. We toured the streets of Berlin to find Video Editor inspired graffiti artworks, and In the beginning of the sum- walked along the wall to see mer, I visited Europe on a the infamous paintings. Our school trip. Even though I tour guide Cian broke down the history had a ton of the Berof unforlin Wall by gettable drawing moments with chalk around on the Europe, ground my favornear the ite part w a l l . was the W h i l e place that touring started it around, all: Berlin, we saw Germany. interestW e ing pieces were inof artwork troduced t h a t c a rto Berlin’s ried meanfast pubing and lic transh i s t o r y, portation and heard system. amazing The trains stories of w e r e crowded, The author enjoys a drink in Berlin. how they were creand the ated. doors did not stop for anyAround Berlin, we saw goldone. We quickly arrived at Alexanderplatz. The square en blocks on the ground that was huge; it was filled with people accidentally stepped stores, tourist shops, and small on. They were mini memorials eateries. Berlin’s city vibe did of victims of the Holocaust. We not hinder the traditional and also visited a museum dedibeautiful value of its archi- cated to the wall and its history, but my favorite part was trytecture. Next on our list of exploring Berlin’s most famous food ing Berlin was its artistic side item: the currywurst.

By Lauren Eisenman

Salzburg, Austria By Jacob Schoenfeld

News Editor On our school’s trip to Europe, we travelled to Salzburg, Austria, where I got the chance to see the birthplace and museum of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. We were only there for a few hours, but its beautiful buildings, scenery, and rich history made it one of the defining memories of my time in Europe. Our tour guide was an elderly woman dressed in traditional Austrian clothing. She took us through the city, pointing out the clashing architecture of the past and present, mostly in religious and cultural buildings. My favorite building was the Salzburg Cathedral, where

Mozart was baptized. When our tour ended, we went out to explore the city on our own. I used that time to learn more about Mozart at the museum. Being a music lover, I was a huge fan of this part of Salzburg and found it very educational. We ended our short time in Salzburg by taking a tour of the famous salt mines in the mountains of Salzburg. The tour was rather childish, with cheap animatronics explaining the history of the mine, and slides and carts taking us through the mountain, but it was still a lot of fun. Salzburg will always be my favorite part of our European tour, and I’m very thankful for the teachers and parents who made this trip possible.

The Flash brings comics to life By Beruk Tsegaye Staff Writer

Harry Potter and his son Albus take a journey through time.

Fiona Richter/ City Editor

Potter fans return to the wizarding world By Ria Panjwani Staff Writer

Father-son drama, lies, charms, and magic combine to form the theatrical eighth book of the ever-prominent Harry Potter series. This book, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts One and Two, by Jack Thorne, based on the original stories by J.K. Rowling, is captivating readers nine years after the seventh book was published. The first noticeable thing about this story is that it is written as a script, containing just stage directions and lines for each character to speak. This starkly contrasts with the

previous books, which were known for their intense detail and length. The entire story follows Harry’s son, Albus, and his friend Scorpius Malfoy (Draco Malfoy’s son), and their journey back through time to try to amend some of young Harry’s many mistakes. It's less about the world and magic and focuses more on relationships, conflicts (particularly between Harry and Albus), and the dialogue between characters. The relationship between the father and son is the overarching conflict throughout. This makes more sense in a play, where the story unravels through dialogue and not through an omniscient narrator. Regardless, there is plenty

of magical wonder to engage readers, new and old. It was interesting to experience the significant events in Harry’s life, and then to see how they affected his son, Albus. Past events and turbulent relationships clash, and both father and son learn that, “sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.” While this book is different from the others in the series both stylistically and contentwise, I quite enjoyed the change of pace. It introduced me to a new dimension of the series I fell in love with as a young girl. I really enjoyed the new characters and manipulation of the old story throughout. If it is true that a production of Cursed Child is headed our way, then Hamilton had better watch out!

Stranger Things takes the Netflix cake By Wailea Siler Staff Writer

After a few successful years of streaming on-demand TV shows and movies, Netflix has added its own originals to the array of colorful choices already displayed on their home page. Over the summer an immediate hit debuted: a show called Stranger Things. With a vivacious, all-star cast and an intriguing plot to mold its characters, this Netflix original deserves all the praise it can get. At a glance, Stranger Things is a seamless fusion of numerous 80s horror film tropes, decorated with clever plot twists

and a brave group of nerdy preteens. However, with three distinct subplots entwined into one larger, more encompassing mystery, the recent hit caters to a broad audience. Whether you’re into government conspiracy theories, coming-of-age stories, or dramatic teen thrillers, Stranger Things has been crafted perfectly to suit you. The show’s main conflict is centered around a missing boy, kidnapped by what is believed to be a monster. An ensemble cast featuring the boy’s family, his closest friends, and nearly everyone else in the rest of the small town, is dead set on finding him. And that’s just the very beginning of the series. Eight episodes long, Stranger Things magically closes every loophole while still leaving doors open for future plots. The series is truly a worth-

while watch: it’s short enough to binge watch in a single weekend, yet still long enough to establish a well-rounded story. The internet believes it to be a huge hit, too, generating a dedicated fan base head over heels in love with one of the main characters, Eleven, or “El” for short. Eleven, a young girl complete with a shaved head and special abilities, is just one of the many lovable characters in this show. If you’ve ever been curious about the possibility of alternate dimensions, or simply admire fluffy 80s hairstyles, you should add this show to your Netflix queue immediately. There are so many different reasons to watch Stranger Things, which is exactly why you should start planning your upcoming binge watch this second.

“My name is Barry Allen and I am the fastest man alive.” This quote has a lot of meaning and appreciation for the millions of viewers who watch the CW show, The Flash. Grant Gustin plays the role of Barry Allen, also known as The Flash, who many believe is the new upcoming star in the comic world. The show was named favorite new drama by the People’s Choice Awards in 2014. The show premiered in 2014, and is now in its third season. The show first came about as a spin-off of the show Arrow, which is based on the character Oliver Queen, who has been stranded on an island for over five years. During those years, he learns and grows, and discovers that his family legacy was all a lie. Once he returns home, he becomes a vigilante to protect the city. The creators of Arrow decided to bring Allen back to the small screen by giving the audience a sneak peek of how the character becomes The Flash. Of course, some viewers were a bit concerned when the show was first released to the public. Critics were worried that the new show would not meet the expectations of fans of the original story of The Flash, from iconic comic books to the cartoon movies.

The shows starts when Allen is struck by lightning during a particle accelerator explosion. He later discovers that he has remarkable powers as the fastest person alive. He’s even faster than the speed of sound. As the show goes on, we see him turn into an incredible superhero, and we see the development of his amazing abilities. The show has a lot of components that

“

The show is original but refers to its origins in the comics. ”

focus on other things, such as time-travel and people with special capabilities. When the show aired on the CW, it was an instant hit, beating all the other shows on the TV network. One of the reasons this show is so successful is that it does a crossover with different shows, such as Arrow and Supergirl. The show is original but refers to its origins in the comics, making viewers feel excited to see some of the characters from the comics come to life. When season two ended, it left viewers in shock and wanting more, but they had to

Spirited Trojans fall short during homecoming game By Jacob Schoenfeld and Jason Mays The CVHS varsity football team’s homecoming spirit was brought to a halt as the San Leandro Pirates beat them by a score of 41 to 0. The Trojans kept it a tight game the first half, keeping the score 13-0 Pirates through the start a the third quarter. However, halfway through the third, the Pirates started emphasizing a strong rush offense that was tough to beat. Five of the six Pirate touchdowns were scored off of rush plays, three from

Trojans line up to try and stop a Pirates’ offensive drive.

Jason Mays/ Staff Writer

senior veteran Omari Land. “They executed well, played physical, and kept a momentum throughout the

whole game,” said Trojan head coach Denny Molze. “There were plays we needed to capitalize on, and we need

to be more disciplined.” Despite having a strong defense in the first half of the game, it slowly fell due

girls on the team, the Trojans plowed through the 18 hole golf course with expertise and control. Throughout the game there were many encouragements from all teams to all players. “I actually like meeting new people and playing with everyone, it’s really fun,” said sophomore Tara Ng. The golf course was filled with trees and rough terrain such as small patches of sand, a creek, and small ditches along the sides of the course. This of course makes for a beautiful and peaceful set-

ting, but the main focus was on the game. While at hole three, junior Eman Nagi said, “I could be doing better, but so far so good.” Throughout the course, girls from all teams split up into small groups, going around the course. Each group keeps track and calculates their own score, and at the end the entire team’s score is tallied up. Although the game is slow-paced, it allows for a relaxing and entertaining game. Coach Darrell Lavin constantly encouraged the

girls and gave them pointers throughout the game, and it shows with the expertise the girls have on the sport. The CVHS girls golf team is currently 5-1 in league play. As of now, the team has won against Piedmont and San Leandro twice, with one win against Berkeley and one loss to Alameda. When the game was finally finished, sophomore Merced Vu said, “I feel like I could have worked on some stuff to get a lower stroke score, but overall I think I did very good.”

to the aggressive Pirates rush offense, who sought out to make quick work of the Trojans’ mistakes. “They capitalized on our mistakes, and we didn’t capitalize on theirs,” said senior Tyler Nunnery after the game. “We came out in the second half and just didn’t put the effort in that we could’ve,” said senior Nasir Hunt. “We just need to work on everything.” Though things may seem bleak for the Trojans now, they still have their big rivalry game against the O’Dowd Dragons on Oct. 14.

Girls golf team battles it out with Alameda Hornets By Elizabeth Chan Copy Editor

The CVHS girls golf team scored 246 strokes while Alameda scored 230, and Berkeley scored 315 strokes at Castro Valley’s Redwood Canyon on Sept. 22. The game was a tight match between Castro Valley and Alameda High, with 16 strokes between the two, although it was a nonleague match. The game started slowly, but as soon as the game started to pick up pace, the girls were on a roll. With 12

Elizabeth Chan / Copy Editor

Sophomore Merced Vu prepares for her first shot

Athletes of the Month

Sarah Nosseir / Sports Editor

Riley Powers, tennis Riley Powers is a CVHS junior with an amazing name and an amazing backswing! Powers is the captain of our varsity tennis team, for which she has been playing since freshman year. She has been playing tennis for six years, and her most cherished memory is being on the CVHS team and getting to know all her amazing teammates. Powers loves being on a team, and values the bond that she and all the girls on her team have formed over time. As a captain, she is now required to hold more of a leadership posi-

tion for the other girls, who look up to her as a role model. However, there are some drawbacks to being so great. “It’s hard to juggle tennis and school because we have practice every day, and on game days, we don’t get home until late. So it’s hard to still have energy to do homework and study for tests,” she said. Powers is not yet convinced of the merits of playing college tennis, but there is hope still. Her main goals for her tennis career are to improve every day and to be a good leader for her fellow teammates.

William Lao / Staff Writer

Reilly Berberian, cross country Aspiring cross country runner Reilly Berberian has raced to the top on the CVHS cross country team. Berberian is extremely dedicated and practices every week for several hours. Berberian has been in cross country since middle school. He enjoys the thrill of running, and the competive spirit that is shared among his teammates. Since middle school, Berberian has devoted countless hours to improving his stride, working his way up the ranks. As a junior on the Trojan cross country team, Berberian has made his mark as one of the fastest runners on the team, placing fifth in

last year’s WACC race. Aside from being an amazing runner, he is also the captain of the team. “No one works harder, no one’s more dedicated. I’m very happy to have him on the team, he leads by example,” said coach Dino Cardiasmenos. “I like that it’s both an individual sport and a team sport at the same time, so that you can depend on yourself, but you also get that feeling of teamwork,” said Berberian. “Running with the same people every day and being able to race with them is a really fun part of it.”

The Olympian Oct. 14, 2016

Olympian welcomes new staff members

Antonio Acosta, Spanish teacher

“I feel honored to serve CVHS where there is so much diversity among the students. The CVHS faculty has been nothing but kind and polite.”

Megan Catarata, special ed teacher

“Since the first day of school, the CVHS community has been very friendly and supportive. CVHS is such an amazing school, I am so proud to be a teacher here!”

Nicole Manley, PE teacher

“I got into education to help today’s students see and reach their potential. It’s feels great to be back at CVHS. As a graduate it’s as if I am at home. The staff is very welcoming and supportive.”

Cyndi Valone, counselor

“I became a counselor because I enjoy helping students reach their maximum potential. Last year I filled in as a counselor at CVHS and am excited to be back!”

Stephen Barlow, Project Lead the Way

“I think it’s an exciting environment to teach and for kids to learn. I did my student teaching at Canyon and was impressed with the district and the students as well.”

Elaine Dessus, counselor

“I always loved working with students and particularly enjoyed helping students overcome adversities. This year I had the opportunity to co-coordinate Link Crew and was impressed by our leaders and new students.”

Kelley O’Hern, math teacher

“I came to CVHS to work at the school my own kids go to, along with being able to work in the community that I live in and love.”

Andrew Wong, math teacher

“I enjoy working in a community filled with driven staff and students, and hope to make a positive impact at CVHS.”

Laurel Beck, English teacher

“As a member of the Castro Valley community, I was excited to join the staff at my local high school. The staff and students here clearly are passionate about being lifelong learners.”

Claire Heppner, special ed teacher

“Although I am new to CVHS, I feel like it is home already! I have been welcomed by a wonderful staff and friendly miles from many students I pass every morning. “

Patrinia Redd, assistant principal

" I began my career working with students because I wanted to help children accomplish their goals in life. My goal at CVHS is to create pathways of success for all students."

Patricia Binder, French teacher

“Je suis l’ancienne prof ancienne qui est revenue (I am the former, old teacher who has come back.) I am so happy to be here!”

Jessica Howard, registrar

“I came from a smaller high school where I coached and worked for 11 years. Everyone at CVHS has been extremely welcoming. I am excited to see what this year brings.”

Amy Ryken, ASL teacher " As a CVHS graduate, I am excited to have the opportunity to be back working with students and inspiring their learning for ASL."

Garren Blach, biology teacher "I am enjoying CVHS very much, students are great so far and my colleagues are very supportive."

Emily Ledford, biology teacher “I did my student teaching here last year and all of the staff and students were awesome. I’m excited for this school year to meet more awesome staff and students!”

Gisela Sandoval, counselor "I’m really excited to be a CVHS counselor and join a fabulous school community. I’ve enjoyed working with students achieving their academic goals and working towards a higher education."