The official publication of Irvington High School
in Fremont, California
THE V ice FEBURARY 22, 2018
VOLUME 27, ISSUE 5
ICE University pg.
Are fake ICE universities created to catch illegal student immigrantsmorally wrong or practically fair?
OPINIONS
Sink Upgrade
Day in the Life pg.
Get an inside look into what Irvington teachers and staff do in their day-today lives.
pg.
FEATURES
Drum roll please.... There’s hot water in the Irvington High School bathrooms. It’s a miracle!
HUMOR
@theihsvoice @ihs.voice @ihsvoice
ENTERTAINMENT
STUDENT LIFE
IHS FRENCH CLUB Ritmo Latino Captivates MARDI GRAS the Crowd By Alice Shu Staff Writer
Hosted by Madame Cayla’s French students on Feb. 5 in the cafeteria, the 15th annual Mardi Gras was a science fair-like celebration that brought centuries of French culture to Irvington students. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a celebration period before the fasting of Lent, famously celebrated in New Orleans. This year’s theme was “Centuries of France,” and each station featured a presentation on French culture during an era of French history, from the Middle Ages to the students’ predictions of the future. Each station also featured activities that varied from booth to booth. “I think Mardi Gras really celebrates French culture very well, given that it’s a very traditional and ongoing event,” said Joshua Kim (12), French club vice
president. This year, the voodoo and palm reading booths received a lot of attention. The French students extensively researched how to hold a seance, a ritual during which people attempt to make contact with the dead. The booth had an inviting but dark aesthetic to it, making the demonstrations seem authentic. The demonstrations by students were well-rehearsed, and I was convinced that black magic was present. The stations offered a variety of activities that encouraged interaction between students. At the Middle Ages station, there was pool-noodle sword fighting, and at the “France of the Future” station, there was a rocket bean bag toss, just two of the many activities present at Mardi Gras. Many Continued on Page 6
By Nikoo Alizadeh and Megan Dhingra Staff Writers
Ritmo Latino, a cultural Hispanic/Latinx show, took place at the Valhalla Theater on Feb. 1 and 2. The event spanned two hours and included participation from Mecha, ICED, and other dance groups from Irvington. There was a combination of class dances, voluntary dances, and singers throughout the span of the show. Ritmo Latino was overall an entertaining show, and this year, it did not only include Mexican-themed performances, but incorporated other dance styles as well. THROUGH COUNTLESS PRACTICES, IT WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE EVERYTHING COME TOGETHER IN THE END AND PERFORMING WITH FRIENDS MADE IT SO MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE. ARUSHI KUMAR
There was a guest performer, Brady Yung, who came from St. Francis High school. He danced to hip hop and trap music, a wel-
Emily Liu | Staff Writer Members of Mecha performed a traditional folkloric dance. comed deviation from the show’s other offerings. Among the performances was also Irvington Sitare, who danced to upbeat Bollywood songs. Although these dances did not go with the theme of Ritmo, they were very enjoyable to watch. On the contrary, Mr. Ballado’s and Mr. Gomez’s classes danced to modern Latino music. The class dances were wellrehearsed and the choreography was decent, considering how much time the choreographers
were given. Members of Mecha also performed a traditional folkloric dance, in which they swished their vibrant skirts around. This was very captivating, as their movements were both graceful and synchronized. ICED’s performances were also very pleasing to watch. Monica Pulido (11), one of the Ritmo coordinators, commented on their dances, “I liked their formations and how they utilized Continued on Page 13
SPORTS
Girls Soccer Ends Season Strong By Fiona Zhao
Student Life Editor Sanjhee Gupta From left to right: Amadine Vardhan, Madame Cayla, Neil Karkhanis, Nicole Huynh, Jessica Mason, and Jack Merrell pose at the Mardi Gras photo booth.
NEWS
WORK TO RULE ENDS ON CAMPUS By Justin Kim and Felicia Mo Staff Writers
On Wednesday, Feb. 13, Work To Rule officially came to an end. Teachers will resume their original schedules, which includes allowing students the opportunity to ask questions outside of work hours and hosting club meetings. According to FUDTA, the union ended Work To Rule because the protest had fulfilled its purpose of raising awareness
in the community. “The union decided it was time to move on to a different strategy,” said Irvington librarian Mrs. McAuley. “What we’re trying to do with [Work to Rule] was raise community awareness. [But] when you do anything for too long, people start to get used to it. [FUDTA] needed to change Continued on Page 2
Shengfeng Chien Irvington girls celebrating their victory at one of the last games of the season.
As the 2018-2019 Girls’ Soccer Season drew to a close, the team secured third in the league, following James Logan and Newark Memorial. Overall, the team ended the season with a winning record of 8-6-2: 8 wins, 6 losses, and 2 ties. Forward player, Darya Rasoli (12) ended the season with a total of 23 goals, placing her as the 3rd highest ranked offensive player in the league. Rasoli said that one of the main reasons for the team’s success was, “speed, as we have pretty fast players in both offense and defense.” Moreover, Rasoli commented on the teams drastic improvement and winning streak describing, “Compared to previous seasons, our team did way better. We placed third in the league overall and are going to NCS. We’ve also won a lot of more games and have scored the most goals out of the [previous] seasons I’ve played.” However, Rasoli commented that the Irvington Continued on Page 17
www.ihsvoice.com Inside: Student Life 6 | Opinions 7 | Features 10 | Entertainment 13 | Sports 16 | Humor 18
NEWS
Page 2
Ro Khanna City Hall Meeting: Strides Towards Better Education California Representative Ro Khanna hosts a city hall meeting to engage with Fremont residents about pressing community issues.
Staff Writer
www.ihsvoice.com
Editor in Chiefs Elaine Chan, Isha Sanghvi News Editor Isha Sanghvi, Kayla Xu
Opinions Editor Andrew Fu, Srinidhi Sankar Features Editor Elaine Chan, Pia Parekh Entertainment Editor Shradha Krishnamurthy Sports Editor Achintya Pinninti Humor Editor Emily Joe Photo and Web Editor Annika Yong Business Manager Sherin Lajevardi Rory Conlon| Staff Writer Congressman Ro Khanna addresses the crowd in Kennedy High School’s theater. Behind him sit the people he honored for their efforts in the community. People from cities such as San Jose, Milpitas, and Fremont, including Mayor Lily Mei, sat in attendance. you don’t incentivize people to be productive citizens by telling them that they are not American. Instead of becoming a part of the nation, they will live on the margins of the nation and become critics of the nation.” To emphasize his belief in diversity and honor Black History Month, Khanna brought in several people from communities around the Bay Area and spotlighted their work in education. Yvonne Maxwell, one of the honorees, expressed a need for
African-American community representation when advocating for reform. In response, Khanna assured her that he would fight for greater equity and diversity in schools through practical measures. “Public schools are important because they take everyone, in the best way, but they are often put at a disadvantage,” said Khanna. “That means they don’t have enough federal resources, and they need teachers and resources to treat every student with basic fairness.”
Work to Rule reaches end at Irvington (Cont.) methods so that the community would continue to notice what’s happening.” In other words, the current dilemma over teachers’ pay is far from over. With arbitrations ending in disagreement, FUDTA and FUSD are currently in the fact-finding process, wherein both sides collect facts from the district’s past records, including the district’s budget. The process is lengthy and must be completed before teachers are legally allowed to strike. “It will allow us to make suggestions of where cuts can be made for unnecessary or low priority things in an attempt to get our employees more of a living wage,” said World History teacher Mr. Todd Stilwell. “There’s still a lot of things to do and many of us have hope that we can reconcile this.” Depending on how long the factfinding process lasts, an Irvington teachers’ strike would most likely occur at beginning of the 2019-2020 school year, although teachers hope the situation will not come to that. “Many of my colleagues are incredibly selfless when it comes to the amount of time that they donate to what we do,” said Mr. Stilwell. “The point of work to
The Irvington Voice
Student Life Editor Fiona Zhao
By Rory Conlon On Feb. 1, Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) held an open city hall in the Kennedy High School theater to address the need for greater educational funding and express his plans to propose future legislation. Congressman Khanna named “disparity of opportunity” as the biggest challenge in education. In response, he discussed his goals to decrease class sizes and acquire funding for student textbooks and basic computers/technology for all schools. To obtain funds for these two initiatives, Khanna proposed a modification to Prop 30, a measure that increased income tax from the beginning of 2012 to the end of 2018 to make up for a six billion dollar cut to education. Instead, Khanna argues that the policy should focus on higher property taxes for wealthy businesses, alleviating the financial pressure put on the middle class while continuing to support students. In terms of legislation, Khanna aims to end special education encroachment, or the diversion of funding from special education programs to general education, generally as a result of discrimination against students with limited abilities. Khanna also seeks to expand the range of opportunities available to students from immigrant communities. When asked whether Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients should be allowed a path to citizenship, he emphatically agreed and explained his thoughts on the topic as an Indian immigrant. “[These kids are] as culturally American as anyone,” said Khanna. “Also,
Friday, February 22, 2019
Public Outreach Director Rebeca Delgado Advisor Matthew Phillips Staff Writers Akshita Nair Alice Shu Ashka Patel Emily Liu Felicia Mo Justin Kim Kritika Sachar Megan Dhingra Michael Zhu Nancy Zuo Nikoo Alizadeh Prahalad Chari Rachel Kavalakatt Rory Conlon Roxana Shahmohammadi Sanjana Gudivada Shivani Manivasagan Vidushee Mishra General Policy The Irvington Voice is a student-run newspaper with the sole purpose of providing an open forum for student expression. Anything printed represents the opinion of the writer, but not necessarily that of The Irvington Voice staff, the administration, faculty of Irvington High School, or any person affiliated with the Fremont Unified School District. The Irvington Voice does not discriminate against race, political orientation, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or disability. Although The Irvington Voice will never refuse to publish student guest submission based on the aforementioned factors, we reserve the right to edit or not publish them.
Annika Yong | Photos Editor Teachers hosted Walk-Ins before school from the week of Feb. 4 to the end of Work to Rule in order to demonstrate teacher unity in the fight for higher pay. rule was to demonstrate how much extra time teachers are giving beyond what they are paid for. And 99 times out of 100, we’re more than happy to. It’s part of our job,
part of our duty.” Students, especially juniors, are also aware of how a strike will affect them next year. The absence of teachers will in-
fluence college applications, QUEST, and students’ educational opportunities. “It’s going to affect me because I’m not gonna be able to get my [teacher] recs anymore,” said Abhimanyu Srivastava (11). “Next year, [FUSD] should allocate some of their funds to teachers and instead of spending it on things that didn’t even matter. We could’ve done without the new clocks.” With continued exchanges between FUDTA and FUSD, it is still uncertain what the final decision will be and, ultimately, how it will impact Irvington.
Friday, February 22, 2019
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Friday, February 22, 2019
Sadies dance postponed despite increased ASG efforts
Due to low ticket sales and numerous other reasons, ASG has decided to postpone Sadies and instead wants to organize a better dance later in the year.
Emily Liu | Staff Writer Neither Winterball nor Sadies reached the sales quota of 150 tickets, unlike theHomecoming dance, which sold more than 800 tickets.
By Srinidhi Sankar Opinions Editor
On Feb. 6, ASG announced that Sadies, or “The City That Never Sleeps,” will be postponed until further notice due to a multitude of unexpected factors, such as low ticket sales, miscommunication with the designated DJ, and Work to Rule. Despite publicizing for a month leading up to the event and catering to student survey responses, the quota of 150 tickets was not reached and ASG withheld from confirming the event with the DJ. “We think that the better decision was to ultimately move towards creating a more successful dance in the future rather than pushing towards this mediocre dance,” said ASG member and Sadies Planning Lead Arnav Kamra (11).
Kamra discovered that Work to Rule not only decreased ticket sales, but also interfered with the planning and execution of the event as teachers were needed as chaperones and advisors. The Viking Vendor was open only two times a week, limiting the ticket sales time frame. Although ASG Advisor Ryan Willer was allowed to help within school hours, he could not help organize on weekends as he had done previously. “We usually have a workday independent of school hours to create the decorations for the dance, but we couldn’t because Willer was not allowed to be there,” said Kamra. “He only has select hours because he has to pick between violating Work to Rule by helping ASG and standing behind the teachers to put up a united front.” This year, ASG has imple-
mented various expanded publicity efforts to ensure every event has optimal attendance. In fact, the student government releases regular newsletters and updates the ASG website to reflect upcoming school events. Every event requires outreach via a minimum of four major platforms: Schoolloop, announcements, social media, and oncampus publicity, such as posters and the Clubs Bulletin. “We’ve reached the amount of people we want to reach, but right now our issue isn’t with publicity—it’s about grabbing the attention of people at our school,” said Kamra. This inexplicable lack of correlation between increased ASG efforts and sub-par dance attendance has been the subject of ASG’s class discussion. As an effort to bridge this gap, ASG has continued hosting public forums and student reflection surveys on FiveStar and Schoolloop. In the past, student feedback as shown interest in more activities and better food at dances, so ASG marketed such aspects while publicizing Winter Wonderland as a winterfest and dance. However, neither Sadies nor Winter Wonderland has been met with as much success as Homecoming, which may have been influenced by the increased school spirit in the beginning of the year. Initially, Sadies was not publicized as a semi-formal dance, so most of the Irvington community only knew it as “The City That Never Sleeps.” The fliers were updated after two weeks to reflect the fact that the two dances were the same, but the confusion among the student body remained. By rebranding Sadies as a Spring Formal and postponing it to late May, ASG hopes to provide underclassmen a formal dance in lieu of prom. “Overall, we’re just looking towards finding that middle ground to figure out what the student body wants and what ASG can deliver,” said Kamra.
STUDENT LIFE
Friday, February 22, 2019
QUESTION MAN
By Michael Zhu Staff Writer
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Page 5
LEARNING RitMORE ABOUT RITMO LATINO By Roxana Shahmohammadi Staff Writer
Every student at Irvington has heard of Ritmo Latino, MEChA’s annual show celebrating Latin culture through music and dance. But no one knows the amount of work that goes into the production of the show; the months of planning and rehearsals and hours of stage preparation that go into making the perfect spectacle for students and parents alike.
CHOREOGRAPHY AND REHEARSALS. Alexis Gonsalves (9) Rattlesnake. It tasted gammy. What does that mean? I don’t know, it’s just what the guy that fed me the snake told me.
Luc Pham (10) Squirrel. It was actually really good.
Choreographers are chosen in October, but planning by the Coordinator (Monica Pulido (11) this year) starts in September. Choreographers are given a week to choose Latin dance music and ensure no repeats, and another week to prepare the first 30 seconds of their dance. Every Ohlone Spanish class (levels 3 and above), as well as 12 outside dances, are presented to students in a Ritmo Showcase. Any student can sign up for an outside dance and participate in the show. Practice begins in
November. Each dance is around 3 minutes long, so hours of practice are required to ensure that everyone in the group of around 30 people knows the whole dance and is well-synchronized. Students spend November, December, and January practicing, using time allocated in their Spanish class and extra time during lunch, Flex, or after school. Dress rehearsals and runthroughs are held in January in order to ensure every dancer (about 500 this year!) is ready to perform.
STAGE CUES, LIGHTS, AND SOUNDS.
Angela Xuan (11) Turtle meat. It tasted like fishy chicken.
Brian Wang (12) Rajma, an Indian dish. I didn’t really like it. Also, the guy that prepared the rajma didn’t wash his hands.
FBLA Bay Section 2019 By Emily Liu Staff Writer
Irvington Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competed in the regional competition Bay Section on Saturday, Feb. 9 at Westmoor High School in Daly City. After just three years of their inception, Irvington FBLA has established a legacy as not only as the largest clubs on campus but as one of the best chapters in California. Compared to its first year in 2015, Irvington’s Bay Section success rate has almost quintupled. This year’s Bay Section began with Irvington’s Jessie Cheng (12) speaking as the 2018-19 Bay Section president. Last year, Jessie Cheng campaigned and won the office of Bay Section president, proving Irvington FBLA’s involvement as a chapter in the region. It is also symbolic of how quickly Irvington’s FBLA team has grown, to over 150 members this year. Bay Section is the regional competition of 29 schools and around 1,100 total competitors. Students must place in certain events to continue competing at the state level in April. The first half of the Bay Section was the competition, which was split between three branches: tests, roleplays, and speaking events. The different events covered topics such as marketing, business law, and finance. Between events, competitors could visit campaigning booths for the
next year’s Bay Section leadership. Also featured in the event was keynote speaker Laurie Gardner, Harvard graduate, founder, and CEO of the nonprofit Shine Your Light, as well as coach to several Fortune 500 CEOs. Irvington’s Mr. Willer was also the host of a workshop on teamwork. The club enjoyed the most wins in its history at the 2019 Bay Section Leadership Conference, bringing home 27 finalists and fourteen direct state qualifiers. Overall, FBLA is a great opportunity for students to gain hands-on business knowledge and compete in business oriented tests, roleplays, speeches and projects within their age group up to the national level without taking a CTE class. Career/ Technical Education classes are careeroriented classes required for clubs such as DECA that prepare students for competition.. “FBLA is also a great way to meet people from across the Bay Area, California, and the entire nation, and it helps people appreciate how business brings us all together,” said co-president Brian Wang (12). Irvington FBLA’s vision of strengthening the next generation’s leadership skills to make the next world-changing innovations is without a doubt becoming a reality. To learn more about their future endeavors and competitions, visit irvingtonfbla. org.
There are many jobs that need to be completed on the performance nights in order to ensure a welcoming experience. From opening the doors for guests to handling the lights and sounds system, every job is extremely important. Jobs are distributed as early as September to all MEChA members. Some jobs can be done easily by most people, like selling tickets or food or checking tickets at the door, but some, like handling the lighting and sound, involve technical knowledge. One of the hardest things to coordinate are the stage cues. Each act needs to be ready to walk on stage while the one before is performing to ensure the show remains on schedule. Since there are over 20 dances, it would be very easy to get confused. Therefore, there are several
run-throughs in late January, and MEChA members are always present backstage and informing dancers of where they need to be at all times. Photographers are also present to record the performances. It was only through the combined efforts of many people involved that Ritmo could recreate its success this year. “I had a kid come up to me and say ‘last year when I was watching the show, I thought it was just dancing and people were doing it because they had extra time. But now that I’m in the show I get it,’” said Mr. Ballado, Spanish teacher and MEChA club advisor. “It’s a lot of work to commit to and people do it because they love it. Even students that aren’t in Spanish anymore do it because they enjoy it.”
As audience members, it is very easy to forget about all the hours of practice and planning that goes into Ritmo Latino. But the night is truly a product of the work of a welloiled machine, where a multitude of different things could go wrong. From the dancers to the photographers, everyone works together to create the perfect celebration of Latin culture for the audience.
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MARDI GRAS, CONT.
stations had quiz games that would reward listeners with bread or candy if they were able to recall the presentation. There were also many photo opportunities, such as a Mardi Gras photo booth with masks and props, and a non-functioning guillotine at the 18th-century station. Clearly, a lot of effort was put into the props and presentations, including cardboard castles and parody paintings of Renaissance masterpieces, which made them look extremely accurate
and polished. Overall, Mardi Gras was well organized and well executed, pun intended. At the event, students were actively engaged, whether it was listening to presentations, taking pictures, or socializing with students from other classes. With a social event to rival ASG dances, people were able to spend time with their friends during class, no matter who their teacher was. “The whole idea behind Mardi
Gras is really partying, because you never know if you’re gonna die tomorrow. So really that idea, the big party before Lent, is just having fun,” said French Club president Amandine Vardhan (11). Mardi Gras gave students time during school to relax and socialize with their friends, which made it a success for both French students and the other students that attended this year’s Mardi Gras.
Friday, February 22, 2019
girl scout cookies
PERSONALITY TEST
BY NIKOO ALIZADEH STAFF WRITER ILLUSTRATIONS BY AKSHITA NAIR STAFF WRITER
thin mints
Like the cookie, you’re really popular at school and generally everyone’s favorite with tons of friends. However, just like the cookie that gets stale if you don’t eat it within a few weeks, you’re actually really boring to hang out with; all you want to talk about are your favorite YouTubers.
samoas
You’re also really popular, well-liked among your class, and best friends with the person who eats thin mints. Even though you’re always stuck in second place, you’re basically the best friend with substance. You’re unique, sincere, and overall a great person to be friends with. Like the cookie, you have so many different layers, and people that are friends with you get a taste of everything.
tagalongs
You seem to be really sweet and kind as a person, but you’re actually really fake. You’re really good at keeping up your public image but, like the peanut butter center, you’re always really bitter and salty on the inside.
Vidushee Mishra and Rachel Maria | Staff Writers
Homework Help
Headin’ for Success!
Skills Review Test Preparation Tutoring ESL
Success! Learning Center a non-profit educational & tutoring center (408)
355 Dixon Road. Milpitas CA 95035 263-9754 successlearningcenter.org
savannah smiles
You seem to be very cheerful and happy all the time, but underneath that sugar coating you’re actually quite sour. You don’t have the biggest group of friends, but you’re really close with a small group of people. Like the cookie, this is going to be your last year in Irvington.
smores
You’re ambitious, hard working, and an adventurous person. You like going hiking, biking, and camping, and you’re probably on every sports team possible at school. People often misjudge you as shallow, but you’re actually quite intelligent, and you give really good advice.
Friday, February 22, 2019 Page 7
OPINIONS
DISAGREE WITH US?
Submit your Letter to the Editor to Room 84 or through email to ihsvoice@gmail.com for the chance to be featured the next issue!
Reddit: Commend it or Condemn it? Yes, Let’s Get it! By Nancy Zuo Staff Writer
Our society’s power stems from interacting with each other, yet this can be challenging when it comes to reaching out to individuals on Facebook or Instagram wherein the power of connectivity is restricted to added “friends” or “followers.” Reddit is different: it streamlines the help process found in Yahoo Answers and Quora threads with close-knit communities that are open for the user populace. One glance at the constantly changing Reddit front page at any point in the day reflects such cognitive simulation. Even without an account, users instantly have access to the latest news, trending memes, most provocative questions from r/AskReddit, and much more. While the limitless possibilities of the Reddit platform inevitably have byproducts called “toxic communities,” the benefits of Reddit outweigh the harms, and Reddit still serves as one of the best resources for information for students, educators, and experts. Reddit is the middle ground between a social media and a question-asking platform. Within communities, moderators, admins, subscribers, and other users monitor posts to make sure that they are relevant. The forms of command are like a democratic government, run by the people and for the people, so the vast array of subreddits makes it easy for everyone to find a place to fit in. From r/MakeupAddiction for makeup enthusiasts to r/BayArea for relatable Bay Area Shen Yun memes, everyone can easily find a community to belong to. Unlike Yahoo Answers or Quora, Reddit successfully categorizes topics into “subreddits,” and organizes the questions and content so that top posts from communities can be viewed easily. The subreddits on Reddit serve as great resources, making it the epitome
of online networking. Through its global reach, the audience of Reddit users, or “Redditors,” has grown to include a vast number of experts in various fields. Users can access r/ApplyingtoCollege for college application advice, r/SAT for SAT practice problems, r/Relationships for anonymous intimacy-related issues for any age, and more—all completely free. In the subreddit r/ApplyingtoCollege, users (prefixed with a “u/”) like u/WilliamtheReader, students at universities, and alumni offer application advice and essay editing services. Additionally, u/admissionsmom, a Moderator for r/ ApplyingtoCollege, frequently comments on posts, and comments hotlines for those who are seeking help after experiencing difficult events. In accordance with the Amendment 1, Reddit allows free speech, but with safety regulations such as censorship of age-inappropriate content. The multitude of interests among the user base include topics that are not suitable for every audience. Thus, NSFW (Not Suitable for Work) topics are censored, and users who wish to view these posts would have to further click on the post to view the content. As with other user-driven social media platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and YouTube, online conflicts are bound to happen when the user base is so large. The blame should not be driven to Reddit itself, rather, users should take precaution on the subreddits they follow and the content that others post. Though Reddit’s interface has raised exaggerated concerns because the media focuses on the negative extremes that pique the audience’s interest. Rarely do the New York Times report on the positive sides of Facebook and Instagram. Who would want to read an article titled “Facebook is a Great Form of Social Media”? Thus, I encourage users to give Reddit a try before forming an opinion based on one scandal among the millions of subreddits.
Ready to Get Rid of It. By Nikoo Alizadeh Guest Writer
When most people think of Reddit, they think of the memes, funny stories, advice, and comments on controversial ideas. This is often how Youtubers depict themselves as well. While there are good and bad sides to all social media platforms, Reddit seems to have tipped completely into a negative environment recently. Reddit is toxic because there is very little regulation of the content that is posted, which can be dangerous for people, and also put teens at risk by affecting their mental health. Many people complain that there is quite a lot of hateful content on Reddit, and that moderators are slow at deleting the comments that go against their guidelines. With platforms like Reddit, there comes a lot a people that are confident and feel more entitled while commenting under their username. There are many subreddits where people can freely share their opinions; however, many people choose to utilize these forums to scrutinize and bicker over their conflicting ideas rather than having a healthy debate. Some users also make very hateful, racist, or misogynist comments. A subreddit called “Fat People Hate” targeted and harassed overweight individuals. In other subreddits, some users have supported domestic violence and made comments about how women should not be given the right to vote because they are too emotional. Leaked information such as phone numbers, addresses, and nude photographs of celebrities have also been posted on Reddit. People with these intentions shouldn’t be allowed to be on Reddit, and even with the moderators regulating the website, many still come back with different usernames. Reddit can also be dangerous for
many different groups of people. Many pedophiles lurk on Reddit, and some other users post inappropriate sexual content. In a subreddit called “Jailbait,” users posted pictures of underage girls, and in the subreddit “CreepShots” sexual pictures of women were leaked. Is it really worth keeping this platform if it can put the lives of so many individuals at risk? Surprisingly enough, the group of individuals that can be affected the most are those who use the site the most. In 2016, Reddit revealed that 64 percent of its user base consisted of individuals from the age of 18 to 29, and it’s fair to assume that the majority of people within that category are actually under the age of 18, considering that you have to be 18 years old to be able to sign up. While it is not really smart to be interacting with strangers online, that kind of toxic environment where people are being hurtful, rude, and sometimes even aggressive can really have an impact on a teen’s mental health. A study published in “Computers in Human Behavior” says that teens who are on these types of social media platforms have a higher risk of developing depression. Some say that people have the right to free speech, and should be able to post whatever they want. Although this is true, social media platform regulators need to draw the line somewhere so that it’s content does not potentially put anyone in danger. Others, especially teens going into college, argue that Reddit can be useful because they can ask questions, and get advice from others. People can get help on a multitude of other sites that are actually made to help students. Sites like Quora are designed for students to get answers from experts about almost every subject. There are many more reputable and trustworthy websites that people can get their homework help or college tips on, and simultaneously prevent hate speech or pedophiles from sharing inappropriate information.
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Friday, February 22, 2019
ICE Universities, Don’t Fake it Till You Make it
Immigrants seeking H1-B visas and American employment unknowingly enrolled in a fake university set up by ICE agents, and were financially exploited by “recruiters.” By Rory Conlon Staff Writer
On January 23, 2019, 136 immigrants across eight states were arrested for their enrollment and participation in a fake university set up by ICE agents in Michigan. Students signed up with full knowledge that there would be “no teachers, classes or curriculum,” according to the Detroit Free Press, the publication that exposed the scandal on January 31, 2019. However, in the aftermath, eight Indian “recruiters” in connection with the scheme were arrested by ICE officials and criminally charged for visa fraud, recruiting immigrants to stay illegally, and then accepting their “tuition” money in what is being called a “pay-to-stay” scheme. In the end, though the University of Farmington students willingly enrolled in an institution encouraging immigration fraud, they were nonetheless lured in under a false pretext, tempted to stay in order to support their families and make use of existing degrees, and financially (and illegally) exploited by corrupt “recruiters” in the process. The University of Farmington incident isn’t an isolated one: in fact, back in 2016, the New York Times reported on the University of New Jersey, another ICE institution that fooled both the students involved and the outside public to a frightening degree. For example, “students” were offered a chance to meet with the president of the fake university in-person. They were then told—both by word-of-mouth and through letters—that going to work instead of attending class was allowed under the law. The University of New Jersey even created an official Twitter page; the New York Times unearthed a tweet that canceled nonexistent classes due to “bad weather”. Taking into account the circum-
Andrew Fu | Opinions Editor “Located in the heart of the automotive and advanced manufacturing center of Southeast Michigan, the University of Farmington provides students from throughout the world a unique educational experience,” the school’s website stated. stances in both Michigan and New Jersey, it is important to question whether a sting operation can be moral without gaining the approval of a majority of the tax-paying American public. On the website for the University of Farmington, ICE officials advertised the institution as a facility with “dynamic business administration and STEM curriculum and Curricular Practical Training.” Instead of using taxpayer money to establish a real university to truly cultivate education, ICE officials bought facilities in order to entrap immigrants in
a country that advertises diversity and inclusion. Furthermore, American taxpayer money was used by corrupt officials to gain more profit; though this does not reflect the intentions of the government, it is certainly indicative of negligent management on the part of law-abiding Homeland Security/ ICE officials. Also, it is important to frame the morality and usefulness of these fake universities in the context of the population it targeted. Many of the “students” who enrolled in the University of Farmington had
already finished attending college in America. This evidently left them deep in student loan debt, struggling to support their family (in the United States and in their home country) by obtaining a position at a wellpaying American company. Generally, to satisfy this purpose, international student graduates apply for H1-B, a temporary visa that allows employers to hire foreign workers for skilled positions and specialty occupations. Historically, these visas have been especially difficult to obtain, leaving many prospective and rejected applicants in dire straits. According to a 2016 report brought to light by the New York Times, “around 230,000 people apply annually for the 85,000 visas given out.” With the presidency of Donald Trump, it became even harder to gain acceptance for these visas: in 2017, the National Foundation for American Policy found that denials for these visas increased 41 percent. Though Donald Trump did, fortunately, tweet on January 19, 2019, that he would be “bring[ing] both simplicity and certainty” and a “path to citizenship” to H1-B visa holders and applicants in the future, it is a supportive declaration late in coming and one that may not ever come to fruition. As a result, instead of busting immigration fraud and enforcing policy, fake universities set up by ICE have only served to inflame anti-immigration rhetoric and possibly endanger the livelihoods of the “students” and their dependents. Only once the 136 immigrants are cleared of their crimes, a process that can take upwards of one year, will they be able to make use of their degrees or be accepted by other programs. But the damage has been done: the federal government must make reparations, as using taxpayer dollars for antiAmerican sentiments is unacceptable to any morally and financially wise citizen.
Conspiracy Theories: Protectors or Destroyers of Democracy? Although they are ridiculous, the increasing number of conspiracy theories that lack evidence are hazardous to society and insightful political discussions. By Annika Yong
Web and Photos Editor “Have you guys heard of chemtrails?” Our class looked at each other in confusion. The substitute found this a perfect opportunity to pass us his exceptional wisdom and spread awareness about what the chemtrail conspiracy is—basically, the government is poisoning us by spraying chemicals from airplanes trails to control the climate and how the poison creates health risks such as dementia. While it is easy to simply dismiss conspiracy theorists and make fun of outlandish theories, it is important to note that in recent times, conspiracy theories have become increasingly prevalent and harmful in politics in discussing critical social-issues faced by the US. With fake news and blatant lies
becoming increasingly prevalent in the media, more politicians have turned to use conspiracy theories as evidence to support their political agenda. Due to the polarizing political climate and gullible voters, politicians and supporters alike completely ignore facts and expert insight that hold evidence against their unyielding beliefs— in order to advance a political idea, truth is no longer important. Unlike some harmless conspiracy theories such as the “flat-earth theory” or “fake moon-landing theory”, conspiracy theories used to mobilize supporters or achieve a political goal not only detract meaning in political debates, but perpetuate a wide-scale of harm. Take the climate change conspiracy theory as an example—by theorizing that this hard-pressing issue is invented to unfairly stymie industrial and the economic growth, it takes away funding towards environmentally friendly organizations and bars regulations towards heavily polluting
Halftime Horrors A letdown Super Bowl game, followed by a letdown halftime show. By Prahalad Chari Staff Writer
The abnormally low-scoring Super Bowl LIII (53) was extraordinarily unspectacular and boring. Fans stayed in the stadium, eagerly waiting for the only glimmer of hope: the Super Bowl Halftime Show, but even that small spark of hope was snuffed by pure disappointment. This year’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was the worst one by far as it failed to deliver what was promised or cover many of the top songs of 2018 and 2019. The most lackluster aspect was that didn’t deliver the over-the-top extravaganza, like that of Beyonce and Katy Perry, that is characteristic of the Halftime Show. The largest disappointment was that fans were promised the Spongebob rendi-
tion of “Sweet Victory”, yet only the first two seconds were played. The decision to do this was a poor choice as it was one of the most anticipated songs. Missed songs aside, a majority of the songs by Maroon 5 such as “Sugar” and “Moves Like Jagger” were extremely old and outdated. What was even more atrocious was that they censored the “I got the moves like Jagger” part of the song, which is arguably the best part of it. None of those songs made the top charts in the past few years, and the only song that did was “Sicko Mode,” which was not only heavily censored, but missed the iconic start to the song by Drake. Butchered songs, however, weren’t the worst part. The stage and choreography of the whole show was rather choppy and lackluster. This year’s stage design was arguably one of the most plain ones in the past half decade. Instead of previous years’ stages which featured glowing floors, mul-
industries. Another example would be school shooting theories. Perpetuated by far-right conspiracist Alex Jones, this theory claims that shooting incidents were fake ploys by Democrats, played out by actors to oppress gun owners. Using these outlandish theories not only denies the existence of real, pressing issues, but makes debating for resolutions impossible since most of the theories are contorted so far from reality. It is normal for two sides of a debate to have different beliefs, but when different sides have different versions of reality, compromise can never be achieved. Other dangerous theories include the newly rising Anti-vaxx moment. Supporters often have their own realities and take in advice from pseudoscience websites and use essential oils rather than well-established research from medical experts. This is a quintessential example of why it is difficult to combat conspiracy theories.
Due to the nature of conspiracy theories, they can dismiss any opposing evidence or facts as government “brainwashing” or propaganda. As a relative minority, they gain a superiority complex that allows them to believe that their beliefs are exclusive to those of their intelligence or awareness, when it’s really just flawed reasoning. The more oppressed their ideology is, the more firm their stance. Not all conspiracy theories are not inherently bad—it is human nature to be inquisitive. It’s not wrong to be dubious towards the government or big institutions, as skepticism is essential to democracy and free-thinking. However, perpetuating theories such as “climate change is fake” vaccines are dangerous” ignores factual evidence and denies reality. These examples of extreme skepticism and contortion of reality undermines real effective discussions and direct attention towards meaningless arguments, deterring actual progress.
tiple layers, rotating platforms, and other unexpected twists, this year’s stage was in the shape of a simple “M” with the occasional flamethrower that was excessively used during ”Sicko Mode”. Previous stages would also work with every song, but this year, the stage platforms never really clicked with “Sugar” or “Moves Like Jagger” as they were more like a chill pop song, but the pyrotechnics just gave it a hard rock
vibe. The unnecessary stripping from Adam Levine didn’t help to set the mood either. While there were talented groups such as the Church Gospel Choir and other relatively unknown back up singers were given a lot of well-deserved popularity, the bad parts of the Super Bowl Halftime show outweigh the good. Even though some people enjoyed it, it was mostly bland and elicited negative reactions.
Friday, February 22, 2019 Page 9
And the Oscar Goes Parking Permits Preto. . . Black Pander! vent Pesky Problems In their desperation to win back audiences, the Oscars have started nominating movies based on what would draw the most viewers rather than quality, lowering the prestige and credibility of their award. This year’s Black Panther nomination is a blatant example of that.
IGN
By Roxana Shahmohammadi Staff Writer
Even with the hundreds of different awards shows happening around the same time, the Oscars have always been the most prestigious and anticipated of them all. However, interest in the show has been steadily dropping, with last year’s show receiving the lowest ratings in forty-four years (26.5 million viewers compared to 34 million in 2017). This has, understandably, sent the Academy into a frenzy to renew interest in the show. However, their massive disconnect with the audience has resulted in every endeavor to gain viewers to be nothing more than an abject failure. Their latest attempt to appeal to the general public by nominating popular crowd-pleasing movies like “Black Panther”, “Bohemian Rhapsody”, and “A Star is Born” for Best Picture drives down the credibility of the awards as these movies take the place of those that are much more deserving. This new strategy also makes the Academy’s motives of appealing to a large audience to make as much money as possible more obvious than it has ever been, particularly with their attitude towards Black Panther. For nearly a decade, the Best Picture nominees have been smaller independent or arthouse films (movies that aim for a more niche audience than a blockbuster) that most of the general public has never heard of. Of last year’s nine nominees, only two (Dunkirk and Get Out) could be considered blockbusters. The pattern is the same for most years in the 2000s and 2010s. However, three (Black Panther, Bohemian Rhapsody, and A Star is Born) out of eight nominees this year were in the top fifteen highest grossing movies of 2018 and loved by general audiences. And while popular movies do deserve praise, they earn that praise in the box office. The Oscars are meant to reward achievements in filmmaking and rarely are very popular movies also groundbreaking ones. Smaller independent movies are usually made with more freedom, resulting in more risks and a director’s untouched vision. This shift from smaller, more niche movies to bigger blockbusters is obvious and was actually predicted by industry experts as a deliberate and thinly veiled attempt by the Academy to draw in viewers and regain audience interest. This particular strategy actually started with last year’s show when Black Panther—which hadn’t even been released yet-was inexplicably included in the montage of 2017 movies and given a segment in the show. The movie was already widely anticipated by audiences due to its diverse representation of people of color, and the Academy shamelessly used it for mass appeal. They are now doing the same thing in a much bigger scale by nominating the movie for Best Picture. Interestingly, the Oscars were actually reluctant to give Black Panther the Best Picture nomination. In August of this year, they announced a new “Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film” category,
which was met with nothing but backlash. Everyone, from the public to industry experts, called the Academy out on what was a blatant out to give Black Panther an Oscar without having to nominate it for Best Picture. Even looking beyond Black Panther, the category was a terrible proposal. What does Achievement in Popular Film even mean? How is a movie’s popularity determined? Where is the cutoff line? Why should the Oscars, who are meant to reward exceptional film making, give out a most popular award when popular blockbusters are generally not very creative? And if a popular movie is good enough to be deserving of an Oscar, why not just nominate it for Best Picture? The new category would have only provided an excuse for the Academy, who already snubs all non liveaction, non serious drama movies to delegate movies deserving of Best Picture to this less prestigious category and cheapen the overall prestige of the award by giving awards to movies that are not deserving but are recognised by the public in an effort to get more viewers and make more money. Black Panther was praised by both audiences and critics alike and did unbelievably at the box office, crossing the 1 billion milestone. This isn’t surprising. As the first big superhero movie with a black lead and a majority black cast, Black Panther definitely represents an important milestone in Hollywood’s struggles with representation. However, an important movie is not necessarily a fantastic one, and as much as Black Panther was a cultural phenomenon, it included nothing new from a filmmaking perspective. The story follows the same formula as most MCU movies. T’Challa is not the most compelling lead, and the CGI was downright embarrassing at some points. As the very first superhero movie to ever be nominated for Best Picture, Black Panther leaves a lot to be desired. The Dark Knight, Logan, Iron Man, The Avengers, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse were all fantastic movies that revolutionized the superhero genre with compelling characters, sympathetic and well-rounded villains, and a unique plot. They were great movies, not just great superhero movies. In this light, the motives behind Black Panther’s nomination, especially by a group that always snubs action movies and was recently called out for their lack of diversity with the #oscarssowhite, becomes glaringly obvious. All the movies listed above were critical successes, but none could both draw in general audiences and save face for past mistakes. By choosing Black Panther and other bland and safe but crowd-pleasing movies, the Oscars are lowering the quality of their show. Five or six of the eight nominees could have easily been replaced by more deserving films, including movies like If Beale Street Could Talk which has a majority black cast and black director and could have helped with the Oscars issue with diversity. But instead, the Academy decided to sell out by nominating the movie they knew would draw the largest audience.
The importance of parking permits and why they are necessary on the Irvington campus.
By Sanjana Gudivada Staff Writer
Students often complain that the parking on campus is a nightmare due to required parking permits which allow students and staff to park in the Irvington parking lot with a small fee, but these permits serve as a source of funding behind maintaining the school parking lot and other school utilities They can also be very helpful when identifying trespassers on campus and provide funding for school activities. Parking permits are necessary because they ensure the safety of students and staff and makes parking at school easier. The safety of the students is the first priority of the school, and parking permits help enforce that. If a stranger enters the campus, parking permits allow the school to differentiate between a student’s car and a stranger’s car and makes alerting everyone at school faster. This is why everyone, including teachers, students, and staff are required to have a parking permit. The money made from the parking permits go to Irvington’s funds and are used by ASG for maintaining school’s condition and pay for repairs. It goes to a variety of sources, from paint on school walls to parking cones and traffic signage.
At the end of the day, the money goes back to the students, so there really is no reason to complain. Students still protest that the price of parking permits, which is fifteen dollars, and the fines for violations that follow with it are too high, but this money is used towards the school and benefits the students—their money is essentially coming back to them. As for fines from violations, students are given reasonable chances to fix their mistakes. The first violation of the rules is a warning, the second time is a fine of $15, the third violation is a fine of $30, and the fourth is $50. The fifth time a student parks their car on campus without a parking permit, the student loses their parking privileges and their car gets booted, which is when a large contraption is attached around the tire of a car so it can’t be moved. Despite the severity of the consequences, students have a responsibility to follow the rules of the school, rules which are established to keep them safe. If they are incapable of following these rules, they should not be driving in the first place. To sum it up, parking permits are not only there to keep students and staff from harm, but also provide funding for maintaining the school. For the sake of students and staff, please obey the traffic procedures—they’re there to keep you safe!
It’s Time to Cancel Cancel Culture
Today’s cancel culture is extremely harsh on celebrities and is often motivated by uncorroborated or obsolete evidence that severely damages celebrities’ careers. By Shradha Krishnamurthy Entertainment Editor
In the past year, the phrase “cancelled” has burrowed its way into popular culture and become a commonly used term that denotes when people decide to no longer support a celebrity or a venture of theirs financially, emotionally, or in any other capacity. Certain times, cancelling someone is warranted, like in the highly publicized case of R and B singer R. Kelly, who allegedly abused multiple women throughout the span of his long-lived career. In other cases, though, it’s downright ridiculous, such as when “Queer Eye” star Antoni Porowski served grapefruit alongside guacamole, prompting Twitter users to “cancel” him because they felt the combination was atrocious. While in Porowski’s case it was more in jest, cancel culture is extraordinarily toxic and dehumanizing. In cases like that of R. Kelly and comedian C.K Lewis, both abused their power and deserved to be cancelled. In certain cases however, it’s unnecessary. For example, James Gunn, the director of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, was fired by Disney when his controversial tweets from 2010 resurfaced. He was extremely apologetic and issued a series of heartfelt apologies but still lost his position as director of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, despite coworkers’ character statements and letters affirming a positive change from Gunn. Unfortunately, today’s society has treated like Gunn similarly to Kelly. Is tweeting about controversial topics some-
how as horrible as being an abusive, manipulative predator? It’s certainly received the same response. When people commit defamy based on evidence collected many years ago that may not connect with who the person is now, it creates an unrealistic view of the person that can also morph into a mob-like frenzy. Take the example of BamBam, a K-Pop idol who used a Korean phrase to address team mates that international fans misheard as a racial slur. The group’s fans and haters alike took over Twitter, “cancelling” him and demanding a lengthy apology. All they received was a tired response and clarification. The issue eventually resolved itself, but he had, albeit for a day, been cancelled over a misunderstanding. When a celebrity is cancelled, it’s almost as if the people doing the “cancelling” forget the celebrity is a person. Their popularity drops, their projects disappear overnight, and their brand value declines. Very rarely are celebrities are able to recover with the help of good public relations directors and a (maybe) sincere apology. But in most cases, the damage is already done. I’m not saying that people need to keep their mouths shut. If you see something suspicious and off about a celebrity or anyone, really, speaking out should be encouraged. However, calling people out by “cancelling” them based on uncorroborated evidence over social media is extremely damaging and can be considered character assassination. It’s 2019, and yet the court of public opinion just seems to be growing ever-more fickle.
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P.E. TEACHER Melissa Tebow
Amid the rush of students scrambling to change during the designated fiveminute limit, I walk into the P.E. office of the girl’s locker room. Ms. Tebow sits behind her desk, finishing up her last task before heading outside. “Welcome back!” she smiles. As a former student of Ms. Tebow, I have returned to shadow her as she teaches her fourth period freshman P.E. class. Even though they are currently in the badminton unit, today is the day for fitness testing. I follow the students out onto the blacktop, where freshmen, sophomores, and juniors wait patiently for Ms. Tebow to take attendance. As soon as Ms. Tebow arrives, she instructs the students to sit down as she marks attendance. “Line up for warm-ups!” Ms. Tebow exclaims, while the forty students get into lines. As the students group into lines, Ms. Tebow explains to me that P.E. was her favorite class growing up, and she has loved staying active ever since. “I wanted to allow students to find something they enjoyed about being active, and not just force something on them,” she says. “[Of course, that’s] coming from the perspective that not everyone’s going to enjoy everything, but, you know, doing the best they can with everything.” After finishing the routine set of warmups (which consists of jogging, strength exercises, and stretches), Ms. Tebow gathers up the class and directs them to go jog two laps around the blacktop. Although some of the students look disappointed, they comply anyways. Walking towards the side of the blacktop, Ms. Tebow observes the students. As soon as the students finish running, Ms. Tebow leads them into the fitness test room. Since fitness testing requires her to take the height and weight of each student, other physical activities have been put on hold for this particular day. Inside the room, ten students at a time, based on roll call number, go inside for the testing. On a typical day, Ms. Tebow prepares an activity for the students. “Depending on the lesson,” she says, as she measures her students, “sometimes I’ll do research, sometimes I’ll talk with other teachers about what they’re going to do.” By Nancy Zuo| Staff Witer
Friday, February 22, 2019
CAMPUS SUPERVISOR Michele Hartmangruber Michele Hartmangruber, one of the campus supervisors, began working at Irvington a few years after graduating. “Irvington High School is my home,” says Hartmangruber. “My father was a teacher here for thirty years. He started teaching here in 1962, which was a year after the school opened up. I went [to Irvington], and then after a few years, I’ve come back.” Originally, Mrs. Hartmangruber was a school
bus driver, but she was laid off during the 2008 recession. Then she got a custodial job, which eventually led her to her current position. Her job as a campus supervisor is about ensuring the safety of the students and staff at Irvington, along with various other tasks. Mrs. Hartmangruber’s day starts early in the morning with traffic patrol duty in the student parking lot. She and Mr. McCalley, the other campus supervisor, make sure that people are abiding by basic traffic laws. Then, they both circulate around the school to make sure that there are no intruders on campus. Sometimes, they catch people wandering on school grounds and direct them to the right areas. “We’ve had [strangers] come on campus saying they want to use the bathroom,” says Hartmangruber. “And I say, ‘Well that’s why there’s a park across the street.’ It’s not open for everyone for the safety of the students and faculty.” Mrs. Hartmangruber also plays a role during emergencies, such as fire drills. “I make sure people have evacuated the building safely, Then, I patrol around, make sure that we’ve got everyone out. We also direct the fire department where they need to go.” By Megan Dhingra | Staff Writer
A DAY IN
Read all full interviews at ihsvoice.com | Arranged by Elain
LIBRARY MEDIA TEACHER & LIBRARY ME Allyson McAuley and Martha Morales Every chilly morning, half an hour before school starts, Mrs. Morales, the library technician, arrives at school and begins her busy day. Before the first bell rings, she supervises hundreds of students coming in and out of the library, helping them to use the computers for their work, print for their classes, check out books, and finish their homework. At 8:00 sharp, Ms. McAuley joins Mrs. Morales and prepares for her first class appointment of the day. The librarians get virtually no breaks from that point onwards. Every period, there is a class that has reserved the library either to work on benchmark projects, Outside Reading Book (ORB) projects, or other research activities. “We have a lot of teachers who want the space,” says Ms. McAuley. “Sometimes I have to say no to teachers because somebody else has already taken that spot.” As a research expert, Ms. McAuley is often tasked with teaching specific workshops on how to find reliable information on the web and often provides tips and tricks that make research more quick and effective. This knowledge comes in handy when she is dealing with classes that have benchmark assignments (i.e. source checks). Ms. McAuley also helps with research assignments that don’t involve History or English classes. “We had a geometry class come in and research gerrymandering and calculate how the
Correction: Last issue we reported that rent for the area can exceed $1000. The figure should have read $2000.
[original] districts are unfair. We used a program to draw more fair districts,” says Ms. McAuley. “I have an art class coming later this week to research famous artists.” Four busy periods later, lunch time starts. Students pour into the library looking for places
Friday, February 22, 2019
SUPPLY CLERK Ben Thompson
To most Irvington High School students, Mr. Ben Thompson is the campus “book man,” dressed in his distinctive 18th century, hand-stitched clothing, and not to mention his iconic hat. But, spend a lunch with him in his highly-organized, pseudo-library of textbooks, paperbacks, and hardcovers, and you’ll realize his job as Irvington’s supply clerk and lead custodian encompasses much more than “the book man” ever will. “As a supply clerk, my three primary responsibilities are to make sure the custodial staff have all of the supplies they need to take care of the school. I’m also in charge of the all of the novels and textbooks to make sure students get their books in and out,” Mr. Thompson explains when confronted with the task of detailing his on-campus responsibilities. “I am also a lead custodian during the day, so I assist in custodial responsibilities like cleaning and fixing up things.” Normally, Mr. Thompson spends the beginning of his day patrolling campus to check for broken glass or stray garbage piles. Next, he moves onto the supply room to clear out the empty boxes left by his fellow custodial staff. But, today, an ordinary Wednesday, turns out to be delivery day. At 8:40, the delivery truck from the Fremont Unified Ware-
THE LIFE
ne Chan and Pia Parekh, Editor-in-Chief and Features Editor
EDIA TECHNICIAN to finish homework, relax, read books, and sometimes secretly eat their lunches. Unfortunately, due to the No-Food rule in libraries, the librarians themselves are also not allowed to eat. Instead, they spend their lunch time answering students’ questions, verifying students’ print jobs, and helping students find and check out books. Occasionally, the librarians have to remind students not to eat among the bookshelves. “It’s disheartening sometimes to find trash and food,” says Mrs. Morales. “We’ll find books with damage, liquid or food that students have been eating in the stacks when they’re not supposed to.” Mrs. Morales constantly sifts through the bookshelves to remove damaged books, replace old books with newer ones, and reshelve books that students have misplaced. Whenever new book orders arrive, Mrs. Morales processes, stamps, and sometimes covers them before they are made available for students to check out. At 2:40 or 2:59, depending on the day of the week, the bell rings to signal the end of school. While most students head home, others file into the library to do work or seek help. Ms. McAuley and Mrs. Morales tend to stay in the library until closing time at 4:00. “After school, we have a lot of students
coming in here to do tutoring and studying,” said Mrs. Morales. “A lot of them are on the computers and doing their homework up until four.” By Felicia Mo | Staff Writer
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house unloaded various requested supplies. Up until then, Mr. Thompson had been scanning through English novels, namely Macbeth, to find any signs of damage and the occasional amusing doodle from a student. “During the summer, I go through textbooks. Then, during the school year, I do novels in between class [appointments for checking out books] to make sure they aren’t damaged.” After the driver unloaded all of the items—miscellaneous cleaning chemicals, garbage bags, various equipment like mop buckets and dust mops—Mr. Thompson spent the next three hours playing tetris by fitting the supplies in the supply closet, smaller supply closet, and overflow room in 102. After lunch, Mr. Thompson plans to pick up litter around camps and go through any packages in the office, pulling out the packing slips and keeping a record of them to relay onto the school accountant. But, as he quickly interjects, this is merely the intended plan for the rest of the day. A big part of his job is the unexpectedness, the sudden walkie-talkie call asking for him or the day custodian, Arman. “We carry around this radio and whenever somebody needs something custodial related, they call me on the radio and I have to take care of it. If someone breaks glass, they call me. If someone is sick and throws up, they call me. Or other problems I don’t want to talk about, because it’s pretty bad.” After half an hour of talking to him, his effortless humor seems to almost be part of the job requirement. When asked what his favorite part of the day is, he responds “going home” with a grin. “No, really, I enjoy just seeing everybody and coming to work,” he corrects himself and gets into his history of how he became a lead custodian on campus. After going to school as an adult parole and probation officer—only for his home state of Utah to put a hiring freeze—and working for three years at a computer company as an inventory clerk, Mr. Thompson was able to get a job at Fremont Unified as a sub-custodian. He spent a quick three months as sub-custodian and was then promoted to permanent custodian at Washington. “Every school has its own mini culture. It’s like the students have their own personality as a group. Washington was pretty destructive. They were constantly making messes in the bathroom on purpose. And, that’s how I got into the position because the custodian walked in [to the bathroom] and quit right there. So, they added a new position for me,” he shares. “The students left me hateful messages on the wall, like ‘hey janitor, get a real job.’” After working at Washington for a year, he moved to Kennedy. But, being a morning person—as he reveals to me—he applied to Irvington when they opened a job position. “My mom was the supply clerk at Washington, so I helped her with her job and was always subbing in. I just took this over and did so well,” Mr. Thompson beams proudly. “I was number one on the test and the interview.” By Isha Sanghvi | Editor-in-Chief
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Friday, February 22, 2019
Friday, February 22, 2019
ENTERTAINMENT
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DIRECT FROM THE EDITOR
Irvington Conservatory Theater’s rendition of Oliver! debuts on March 29 and runs until April 9. Make sure to buy tickets at ihsdrama.com!
Ritmo Latino Captivates the Crowd, cont. By Megan Dhingra and Nikoo Alizadeh Staff Writers
formations and how they utilized the stage.” The audience seemed to truly the enjoy the show as well, cheering loudly after every performance and clapping along during the finale. The show was sold out the first night and very close to being sold out for the second night despite the heavy rain that evening. There was excitement in the air as many parents, students, and alumni waited for the show to begin on opening night. The enthusiasm and thrill of the crowd continued as students screamed and cheered for their friends onstage. The crowd was still buzzing after the show when parents and friends were taking pictures and giving flowers to the performers. The planning process for Ritmo, however, was very long and tedious. “We started planning in October and we ended when the show started, so that’s like 5 months,” said Pulido. “I think starting the process a little earlier than October would have been better, because a lot of dancers complained that they didn’t have time to practice and everything felt rushed.” Despite the short planning period, Pulido thought the show was a success and was very happy with the performers. “I just wanted to say thank you so much to all of them, because it wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for them. Especially during finals
week, people still pushed through, so I just want to say, thank you, it really means a lot.” The dancers were just as excited and energetic as the crowd. Their enthusiasm and stage presence were truly stunning. Backstage, dancers were running around, talking to their friends, and practicing before their group went on stage. While for some people it was their first time participating in Ritmo Latino and others had been in the show for many years, most performers agreed that it was a very memorable experience. Many students expressed their joy at being able to perform the dances that they had been practicing and perfecting for four months. “It was definitely very surreal during performances because of all the excitement,” says Arushi Kumar (10). “Through countless practices, it was really cool to see everything come together in the end and performing with friends made it so much more enjoyable.” Many of the dancers shared that they would like to continue participating in Ritmo in the following years as well. “I’d love to participate again!” says Nava Babaei (11). “Ritmo is where you make new friends, challenge yourself with hard choreography, and put yourself out there for your community to see. I wouldn’t miss out.” Overall, the show was a success, with both the audience and the performers enjoying the show. With such a fantastic mix of performances this year, it is exciting to think about what next year’s show will hold.
“thank u, next” is well-crafted and doesn’t care
By Fiona Zhao
Student Life Editor Since her debut as a Nickelodeon teen idol back in ‘08, singer-songwriter Ariana Grande has skyrocketed to greater and greater fame and critical acclaim, but life’s also thrown more than a few tragedies her way. From a terrorist attack at her 2017 concert in Manchester to her ex’s death by drug overdose, Grande is anything but “lucky.” But her hits are never any pity party: she’s always managed to transform the pain into self-love and positivity. Less than six months following her Grammy Best Pop Vocal Album Sweetener, Ari’s dropped thank u, next Feb. 8, cementing her status as a confident, versatile pillar of the pop industry. Many albums take years to create, but Ari (and her producers) recorded the 12-track thank u, next in two weeks in Oct. 2018. That said, although it’s clearly the result of a sudden burst of creativity, the fifth album doesn’t feel rushed at all, but actually stands as one of Ari’s most thematically and musically cohesive works to date. Opening track “imagine,” a yearning, dream-like pop ballad about the denial of unattainable love stands in stark and informing juxtaposition to the titular track “thank u, next.” Here, Grande flexes her impressive range and whistle register, especially as the song crashes back to earth and heartbreak in the first chorus: (“Why can’t you imagine a world like that?”). Acting as the bridge from Sweetener, “imagine” is an impressive start, but inherently different in tone and theme from the generally smoother, sassier tracks of the rest of the album. And Grande is on a roll, following up with minimalist heartfelt confessions in “needy” and “fake smile,” punny RATING:
tracks like “NASA” and “make up,” and catchy bops like hip-hop-infused “bloodline.” My favorite track, though, is probably the gorgeously rendered, “ghostin,” one of the album’s more emotional pieces. As she sings against heavenly background synths, slightly wavering in guilt, “You been so understanding/You been so good,” I could almost visualize her vulnerability, like the blinking back of tears. It’s not until the later parts of the album that we hear more familiar tracks, released as singles in the months prior to the album’s release. It’s supposed to work as a touch of familiarity, except “7 rings” is easily the blandest song on the entire album. “7 rings,” while not terrible to the ears, sticks out like a sore thumb. It’s not even the bleh lyrics about retail therapy, since Grande isn’t the best at enunciation anyway, but the trap-pop track really lacks soul. It’s okay though, because the titular “thank u, next” also stands out, but in the best way: the smooth R&B track is really catchy to KonMari to (you know, for all the girls who don’t have exes to thank). “thank u, next” was going to be the final track on the album, but Grande decided to add a “fun” closing track, “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored.” While the song title and lyrics depict a very toxic mindset, something that a pop star as popular as Grande would inevitably end up under fire for, the sassily-sung beat track totally embraces that with a thick dose of sarcasm and self-love. As I cleaned out my room over the weekend, thank u, next was a very fun and emotional listen to bop along to. I’m sure Arianators and R&B and pop avids will think so too. So, embarrassing tattoo missteps notwithstanding, thank you, Ari, for sparking joy in my life to blast off the year.
NBA 2K19 is a Slam Dunk
By Michael Zhu Staff Writer
Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the leading candidates in the MVP race, is this year’s NBA 2K19 cover. Some things in life are inevitable: death, taxes, and a yearly NBA 2K game by 2K Sports. 2K Sports, a division of the larger 2K Games Inc., are the leading experts in creating realistic basketball simulator games. This year’s edition, NBA 2K19, brings new gameplay improvements and game mode installations that address many of the issues of NBA 2K18. NBA 2K19 has definitely made improvements in the overall gameplay compared to 2K18. Right away, players are able to see the difference in the defense, which desperately needed to be strengthened in 2K18. No longer are players able to exploit dribble moves and blow by defenders off the dribble easily. In addition, like in 2K18, contested outside shots in 2K19 are still unforgiving. Players need to take wide open shots or get a perfect release to consistently make three pointers. Because of the defense improvement, offense can feel difficult and frustrating at first, but by learning dribble moves and advanced controls players are able to improve and learn how to score despite the tough defense. Nonetheless, 2K19 RATING:
has the largest learning curve and skill gap in recent years, rewarding skill over novice play. NBA 2K19 has also brought in new and improved installations to its multitude of game modes. The MyCareer mode, in which players experience their own journey in the NBA, has a new story. “The Way Back” is a lot more interesting than last year’s storyline of a DJ-turned NBA player. In “The Way Back,” players work their way into the NBA by playing in China as well as the G-League first. The story line feels a bit more realistic this way. Furthermore, 2K19 introduced a Role-Playing Game (RPG) aspect to MyCareer, with the player able to make decisions that can (somewhat) impact their overall story and ending. Other game modes added include “Triple Threat,” a new 3-on-3 addition to MyTeam, as well as minor additions to MyPark and The Neighborhood 2.0. Despite these additions, MyGM and MyLeague remain the best game modes because of their depth and freedom allowed to players in building their own team. Finally, 2K19 has improved overall presentation and aesthetics of the game. The graphics, as well as the in-game animations, look a lot more realistic and smooth. Furthermore, each year, 2K introduces new intricacies in game modes. Most noticeably this year, The Neighborhood and MyPark have been revamped visually in 2K19. NBA 2K19 does have some minor issues, however. NBA 2K18’s main complaint from players was that the game was too heavy with microtransactions, forcing players to use real money to upgrade and accessorize their players in MyCareer, MyTeam, and other game modes. While 2K19 has made their virtual currency (VC) a bit more accessible, the game is still too heavy with microtransactions, and players still need to grind for countless hours to be competitive in certain game modes. In conclusion, this year’s NBA 2K game is able to bounce back from last year’s disappointment with improved gameplay and advanced game modes.
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Halal Guys Opens Fremont Outpost By Rachel Kavalakatt and Shivani Manivasagan Staff Writers
A chain that serves Middle Eastern cuisine with a cult following and several successful branches in the east coast, Halal Guys has started to try its luck in the Bay Area, with great promise. It has been established in other cities in the Bay Area for a few years, and opened its Fremont branch in Pacific Commons on Feb. 8. At affordable prices averaging at around $10 a meal, Halal Guys is bringing a new, diverse addition to popular fast food in America. After arriving at the brightly lit restaurant with a yellow and red themed aesthetic, we were a little off-put by the line which stretched around the store and along the parking lot! The venue itself was too small for its large crowd. We spent a solid 20-30 minutes waiting in line, and a few more minutes after getting our food to wait for a table to empty. We sampled all the main platters the restaurant offered: falafel, chicken, beef, and combo (chicken and beef) platters, along with a decadent traditional dessert called baklava. The platters were all served with a side of pita bread, rice, tomatoes, lettuce, and other toppings as requested, along with your choice of falafel or meat. In this sense, it was almost a “Mediterranean Chipotle.” What sets Halal Guys apart, however, is their commitment to using premium high quality halal meats, sourced and prepared following strict Islamic dietary guidelines for Halal. The meat, seasoned and cooked with a unique and flavorful blend of spices, was served in large portions on a bed of soft cooked rice. While the restaurant is catered more towards nonvegetarians, the falafel was a more than satisfactory vegetarian alternative. Though the food seemed simple, even the “small” sized platters were very filling. The long-time favorite, Baklava,
is a warm, golden, sweetly spiced phyllo dough (layered, buttery, and flaky pastry), brushed with butter, sprinkled with generous amounts of luscious filling, and baked to perfection, definitely not disappointing as one of Halal Guys’ well-known desserts. While Halal Guys is largely similar to other eateries serving Middle-Eastern fare, the highlight of its platters is undoubtedly the spectacular red and white sauces, which can be added to compliment any of their dishes. The red sauce is extremely spicy—you should taste-test with drops of it, and adding more than that presents a challenge even to those with a love for heat. The favorite, top secret recipe white sauce is meant to complement the zesty heat of the red sauce, mellowing the spice out with a bit of fatty deliciousness. The combination of the is what makes Halal Guys’ food unique from other Middle-Eastern restaurants, and they’ve developed a following that parallels the most popular stars. Halal Guys brings a refreshing taste to popular fast food in the Bay Area, and continues to add to their menu and cater to a variety of palettes. We’d definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for variety and a fairly affordable meal. RATING:
Staff Writer
The 2019 Oscars are set to air on Feb. 24, and the nominations for “Best Picture” established new precedents in the terms of recognizing racial diversity throughout many genres of film. However, while movies like Black Panther and BlacKkKlansman paved the way for films driven by black main characters and black filmmakers, there are still minority populations desperately in need of recognition and quality representation. Black Panther, though it received criticism for its effects, notably the appearance of blood and other small details during its battle scenes, nonetheless broke records in the box office as a superhero film with a predominantly black cast. Notably, the film placed racially-diverse characters at the helm without seeking to fulfill the requirements of a certain plotline. While it is important to address the implications of imperialism, slavery, and racism in a modern-day context, Black Panther successfully imagines an optimistic future with a strong black superhero at the forefront. The concept of a technologically-advanced, self-sufficient group of Africans, completely capable of saving themselves without white intervention, is one that transcends harmful tropes and stereotypes of the past. Thus, while many balked at the prospect of a Marvel film receiving this level of critical acclaim, Black Panther brought a huge fanbase together and, significantly, cut out a niche for supporting black directors, actors, screenwriters, and audiences in a quest for better representation. However, disappointingly, Crazy Rich Asians missed the cut for any Oscar nominations this year. Though it reasonably didn’t qualify for “Best Picture” due to A- reviews and lower on some movie critic sites (including Rotten Tomatoes), the film still showcased an Oscar-worthy performance from Michelle Yeoh and beautiful costume design (especially during the wedding scene in the movie). The mainstream film industry is still desperately in need of more movies with Asian-American leads, casts, and filmmakers; moviegoers need
Alita: Battle Angel Tanks at the Box Office By Akshita Nair
Staff Writer Robert Rodriguez’s newest film, Alita: Battle Angel, was released on Feb. 15, and while having a budget of $170 million, it underperformed at the box office with only about $44.3 million in sales. While the CGI is very impressive and awe-inspiring to look at, the plot itself was a confusing and, at times, boring sequence of events which only left the audience in perpetual perplexity. Based off of the original manga, the movie is set in 2563, about three hundred years after the Fall, a war that involved an attack from the planet of Mars. All of the huge space-station-like cities floating above Earth came crashing back down, except for one, Zalem. This remaining city rules Earth from above and drops its electronic garbage down to Iron City, a cosmopolis of shored-up ruins. A scientist/ engineer of Iron City, Dyson Ido (Christoph Waltz), finds a cyborg head while scavenging for parts, brings it back to his lab, and builds it a high-functioning robotic body. As the story goes along, the robot, Alita (Rosa Salazar), sets off on a journey to find out who she was in her past life and her purpose in her current one. The movie’s plot was not so bad in itself, and was pretty interesting if you really got into it. However, the romance in the story really took away from the plot since it overtook the story at the end. The whole mystery surrounding the main character’s RATING:
true identity was soon less important than her wanting to be with Hugo (Keean Johnson), the love interest. The romance was also devoid of feeling and chemistry, and just made the audience want the scene to be over. Not to mention, Keean Johnson’s acting skills were very painful to watch and only added to the discomfort of those scenes. There is also controversy about Alita’s physical appearance, most notably her eyes. Alita’s eyes are huge and a little uncomfortable for viewers to understand as to why. One source claims it makes her look like a “sexified child wearing too much makeup.” But the real reason behind her oversized eyes is the producer’s effort to emulate and stay true to Alita: Battle Angel’s source material of Japanese manga. However, this wasn’t satisfying to fans who could clearly view the whitewashed cast and the lack effort to incorporate any Japanese actors. To them, it was another instance of Ghost in the Shell, another Japanese manga turned into an American whitewashed movie. Even with impressive CGI and world-building, the attempt to carry out the plot effectively fell through, disappointing me in the end. Even viewers interested in the movie’s futuristic aesthetic and sci-fi plot should prepare themselves for a letdown. In the end, Alita: Battle Angel, with its overly-romantic plot and lack of effort to incorporate cultural elements, really failed to live up to my expectations.
Miss Bala Takes a Bullet By Alice Shu Staff Writer Rachel Kavalakatt | Staff Writer
The Oscars and Diversity By Rory Conlon
Friday, February 22, 2019
more options to choose from. Hopefully, the planned sequel to To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and the new Marvel movie (with Shang-Chi as the superhero and a Chinese director at the helm) will succeed in quality representation and receive critical acclaim from voting committees in 2020. Ultimately, the Oscars nominations are a reflection of the current culture abuzz in Hollywood. Though diversity is finally making an appearance and receiving recognition, it needs more help—and requires more consideration.
“Miss Bala”, which roughly translates to “Miss Bullet”, was released on Feb. 1st. It’s a typical action movie that has more screen time dedicated to explosions instead of meaningful character development and plot. The movie stars Gina Rodriguez from CW’s popular dramedy series “Jane the Virgin” as Gloria. In the movie, Gloria has to expose the drug cartel that kidnaps her. With a flimsy plot and unrealistic characters, the movie fails to provide the heartstopping, high-thrills experience associated with action movies. The movie takes place in Tijuana, Mexico, where a drug cartel led by Lino (Ismael Cruz Córdova) kidnaps Gloria and forces her to do illegal activities for them. In an accurate representation of human trafficking, Lino threatens Gloria’s loved ones if she disobeys. There was barely any character development throughout the movie. The motives of the characters were unclear because they were so underdeveloped. It seemed that some characters and plot segments were there to fill up time, as they appeared mid-act and then disappeared without explanation. The movie lacked a straightforward plot and character development, making it difficult for the RATING:
audience to be immersed in the story. The accuracy of the film was also questionable, with action sequences that could only be made possible with heavy-handed movie magic. Even though “Miss Bala” is short of important movie components, it doesn’t lack good acting. Gina Rodriguez portrayed Gloria very well, and although Gloria’s personality doesn’t change much throughout the movie, we do see that she becomes more confident as the movie progresses, and in the end, Rodriguez’s performance is good enough that we want to root for her character. Ismael Cruz Córdova’s portrayal of Lino, the cartel leader, was also done well, as we can see him become more sympathetic as the movie progresses. As an example of the “good yet bad guy”, his character seemed too predictable. The main problem is that these are two very competent actors whose talents were wasted on a movie that didn’t allow them to reach their full potential. “Miss Bala” is one of those “accident” movies which leave the audience wondering why so many things could be missing. There were more holes in the plot’s armor in the story than bullets fired by “Miss Bullet”, leading me to conclude that it was an unrealistic movie without any real purpose.
Friday, February 22, 2019 Page 15 Friday, December 21, 2018
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SPORTS
Friday, February 22, 2019
ON THE RECORD
“This season was unforgettable... It’s awesome to see that our achievements have paid off” — Boys’ Varsity Basketball player Bhagavat Maheta (12)
Congratulations to
Boys’ Wrestling: Hezzy Crawford, Alex Duong, and Abtin Olaee
Girls’ Soccer Shengfeng Chien
Andrew Fu | Opinions Editor
Girls’ Wrestling: Corina Chang, Sonya Chang, Jasmine Ruiz, Alana Valino, Yogita Senthil, Amy Chan, Reiya Bhullor, Lanalei Cabanit
Boys’ Basketball Andrew Fu | Opinions Editor
Provided by Braxton Carlson (12)
For making NCS Playoffs! Irvington Cheerleading Heads off to Nationals after Annual Showcase By Elaine Chan Editor-in-Chief
With Cheerleading Nationals approaching in less than a week, Irvington Cheerleading hosted the annual Cheerleading showcase, a practice round of sorts for the Nationals, in the main gym on Friday, Feb. 15 from 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM. The performance kicked off with Irvington’s Group Stunt team followed by American, Logan, and Washington’s Show Cheer teams before capping off with Irvington’s Show Cheer team. All of the teams performed twice with a ten-minute intermission separating the repeats. The showcase serves as an opportunity for friends and family members unable to make the trip to Anaheim for Nationals to have an opportunity to witness the teams’ programs, and the rainy weather did not discourage quite a showing from all over Fremont at the showcase. Among the proud parents, supportive friends, eager siblings, and attentive coaches was Irvington’s very own football team, who offered to help clean up and roll up the mats after the event. Irvington Cheer is the only team in the Fremont Unified School District that competes in two cheerleading events, Group Stunt and Show Cheer. Show Cheer involves a mixture of tumbling, stunts, jumps, cheers, and choreography, while Group Stunt is a more difficult, athletic division, with routines consisting of purely highly-advanced stunts. Group Stunt Cheer made its first appearance at Irvington last year. Irvington’s Head Coach, Coach Megan Ellefson previously cheered at Washington High School as a teenager with fellow cheerleading coach Ms. Mattingly. After her own positive experiences competing as a cheerleader in high school, Ellefson
supported Irvington Cheerleading aspirations to start a competitive team over a decade ago. Unlike most other sports at Irvington, the Cheerleading season is yearround, starting from tryouts in April all the way to nationals, typically in late April or early March. After rigorous Cheer Camp training in the summer, the team cheers for football season in the fall, basketball season in the winter, and competition season in the spring. With such a long season comes with a variety of ups and downs. This year, unfortunately, the team had to host tryouts three times due to a smaller percentage of veteran cheerleaders and some members leaving the team partway through the season. Additionally, cheerleading became an official sport in California, which required them to have tryouts for the competition team. Luckily, the team did not suffer any injuries this year, and despite some initial setbacks, the team was able to place top in the top two spots at all three of their regional competitions, including a prestigious invitational tournament for which they also won. Coach Ellefson attributes the team’s continued success to their impeccable work ethic. “As a team, the Irvington cheerleaders are very disciplined, have a lot of self-control and drive, and take their sport very, very seriously,” said Ellefson. “They certainly do not take things for granted and are very professional.” After two rounds of performances, Irvington Cheer celebrated cheer member Ashka Patel’s birthday before ending the showcase. This week, after practice on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the team will have a potluck and movie night before flying down to Anaheim on Thursday after-
Elaine Chan | Editor -in-Chief Irvington’s cheerleading team hopes to continue their stellar performance at Nationals.
noon and competing on Friday and Saturday. This will be cheer co-captain Adeline Arbis’s last nationals with the team. “Every year there’s a new routine, a new group of people, and a whole new energy to the team,” said Arbis. “Even though this will be my fourth time competing at nation-
als, I am both nervous and excited, but I have faith that my team will pull through.” Last year, Irvington Cheer broke an Irvington record by making it to finals at Cheer nationals for the third year in a row. This year, the team hopes to break a FUSD record by making it to finals for the fourth year in a row.
Friday, February 22, 2019 Page 17
Irvington Girls Soccer Ends the Season Strong (Cont.)
By Sherin Lajevardi Business Manager
Shengfeng Chien
The girls’ varsity soccer team made the NCS playoffs two years in a row.
team had trouble competing against stronger teams, stating, “Logan and Newark have always been a challenge for us throughout the years. There’s not much we could do, as they have more skilled and experienced players than us, but we worked hard and tried our best when playing against them.” In addition, center midfielder Gabriella Funk (12) stated that the coach had several objectives in mind for the season, some being, “Our coach wanted to focus on
team defending and opening up for players when we had the ball in attack.” Due to differing skill levels on the varsity team, coach Palomarez focused on differentiating training based on skill. Rasoli added, “Throughout the season, we focused a lot on passing and the basics. Since with high school sports, the players are not at similar levels, it’s important to focus on basics and that’s what our coach did.” Overall, reflecting back on the sea-
By Andrew Fu
habits and hone up on their skills better from last year.” Returning members also tried new moves during each match. “I did something called a barbwire,” said Amay Gupta (11), a second-year wrestler. “It’s where you reach across the face and crack their arm onto the floor, get them on their back and then you spin around them and winding their arms together to pin them down.” Despite several wrestlers suffering injuries throughout the season, they continued to support the team at matches. The overwhelming support for each member of the team was a major driving force in the team’s success this season. Irvington Wrestling did extraordinarily well at MVALs. The girls’ team placed third in the first ever girls league championship that was hosted for wrestling and qualified for NCS. The Boys Varsity team placed 6th and JV placed 5th in MVALs. Alexander Duong (10), Hezekiah
son, the entire team had a sense of nostalgic pride, happy with the results of their hard work, and content with the improvements made as a team. Rasoli reflected on the impact Irvington soccer made on her by stating, “High school soccer is always a nice break from the highly competitive club soccer. So I think it helps that we have a couple months with this less competitive soccer so that we can have a mental break from the pressure of club soccer.” Lastly, Gabriella Funk stated, “I’ve learned that not everything can be done by one or two players, and it takes a whole team.”
Scores Boys’ Soccer
IRVINGTON WRESTLING FLIPS EXPECTATIONS Opinions Editor
The Irvington Wrestling Team ended with a rewarding season, and wrestlers, many of which were first-year participants, experienced a lot of growth. Despite the team’s relative inexperience, they performed extremely well at MVALs, and several wrestlers were able to place in NCS. “When we started off, ninety percent of the team didn’t know how to wrestle,” said Team Captain Abbas Nurie (11). “At the end our people were winning matches, so we improved a lot.” The team was also assisted by new coaches, Coach Li, Coach Nishiyama, and Coach Tillman, who worked with wrestlers on establishing the basics of the sport. “Our goal was getting everyone up to the same skill level,” Head Coach Kevin Flannery said. “I think that helped the new wrestlers stay on target, and it also helped the return wrestlers to correct some bad
Crawford (10), and Abtin Olaee (11) from Boys Varsity qualified for NCS. “[Wrestling’s] very active and there’s a lot to learn from it,” said Olaee, a first-year wrestler. “There’s a lot of people who are better than me, and if I want to compete with them, I have to train harder.” Next year, the team hopes to win more matches and have a more complete team with wrestlers in each weight class, which was something that was lacking this season. “I felt this season was a great growing season for us and establishing a core group of wrestlers that understand the sport and the basics,” said Coach Flannery. “My expectations for next year are to build on that and get the returning wrestlers to be able to handle more expert level skills and be more proficient so they can compete at a higher level. I would also like to see a good group of new wrestlers to build on that group so we can create a better team.”
Irvington Boys’ Basketball Ends an Exceptional Season By Shivani Manivasagan Staff Writer
Irvington’s varsity boys’ basketball team wrapped up a successful season, earning a 16-11 overall record, 6-8 in the Mission Valley Athletic League, and qualifying for NCS playoffs. This year’s team has had an especially strong season, and were ranked 298 in the state. They have a remarkable overall record. They started preseason strong, winning a tournament at Paul Spades and placing second at San Diego, and ended strong, preparing for playoffs. They are the first Irvington boys’ basketball team to qualify for playoffs in about twenty- five years—an impressive accomplishment. During playoffs, the top teams in Northern California (NorCal) compete until one emerges victorious; as long as a team keeps winning, it remains in playoffs, but is out after the first game it loses. A number of factors determine if a team makes playoffs. In the case of Irvington boys’ basketball, their good preseason and overall record caused them to be one of the top teams in NorCal, coming in 16th for Division 1. Their first playoffs game was against De La Salle, 1st seed in Division 1, which they lost. Senior Bhagvat Maheta (12) reflects, “This season was unforgettable. I really improved over the past four years, and I’m able to see that in myself and also my
teammates. It’s awesome to see that our achievements have paid off and we’re in the playoffs. It feels great.” Captain Braxton Carlson (12) describes his experience. “I’ve been on varsity for 3 years now, and it’s kind of surreal to think that my regular season is over, but I don’t regret anything; I’m glad that I powered through all that and all the hard work I put in to become a varsity player.” The team’s future looks bright, and it seems that similarly eventful seasons and qualifying for playoffs will soon be-
Girls’ Soccer
Boys’ Basketball
come a norm for Irvington. “Each one of the seniors is talented, and the chemistry between the juniors and seniors this year made a very good combination,” says Musa Quddus (11). “Next year, I am just as confident that we’ll make playoffs. We had four seniors this year, and next year we’ll have around six or seven seniors that all have experience from varsity as a junior.” After finishing off a strong season, Irvington’s varsity boys’ basketball team’s future looks promising.
Girls’ Basketball
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HUMOR
The Russian Empire Strikes Back on Irvington Students By Srinidhi Sankar Opinions Editor
After discovering that the newly installed clocks have microphones, some shocked Irvington teachers proceeded to disconnect their clocks. However, the Voice’s recent investigation has revealed that the clocks are not simply for having school-wide intercoms; in fact, “Advanced Network Devices” is a paper company of Russian secret intelligence. Since the 2016 election, Russia has been covertly observing American society to slowly ease in Russian customs into citizens’ daily lives, eventually making the U.S. a puppet government. In order to plan for the future, the Russian government has chosen to focus on teenagers rather than the elderly because adolescents will be of age by the time the Russian vision for domination is enacted. To track the growth of American teens, it has observed Irvington students’ study habits and curriculum. Irvington administration was unaware of this and is facing legal complaints from students and their parents. “I am truly appalled by [the clock] incident. This has left administration asking, why Irvington?” questioned Vice Principal Antone Nacho. Yet according to Senior Conspiracy Analyst Dane Shawson, Irvington is an easy target for such frauds, as FUSD is desperate for funding, even if it came in the form of a suspicious, unannounced “technology grant.” Mission San Jose has received a new pool, and Washington enjoys the benefits of TAK Fudenna daily, leaving Irvington unsatisfied with its facilities. Therefore, the Irvington was funneled millions of dollars by Russian agents if the money was silently accepted with no questions asked. “Irvington is like the impoverished, yet brilliant girl in a soap opera: it’s
By Vidushee Mishra
filled with talented students who can compete with other students across the Bay Area, but it looks like a dilapidated prison with leaky roofs,” said Shawson. After deconstructing the clocks which rarely tell time, technicians noted that there are three dots on the clocks for a microphone, a camera, and a speaker in case a Russian observer needs to speak to us. However, the endeavor has not been as successful as expected, and some of Russian Prime Minister Cole Ujun’s closest officials are against the covert operation. “We wanted to learn more about how Irvington students study habits and curricula, but they realized that kids end up hiding phones beneath their desks instead of reading Hamlet,” said an anonymous Russian White House Senior Advisor.
Friday, February 22, 2019
Scouting for Cookies
By Alice Shu Staff Writer
As now is the only time when people care about Girl Scouts (or scouts of any kind), Girl Scout cookie sales have arrived once again. This time, it’s conveniently after finals so we can lie to ourselves, saying that there is still hope for the new semester while we indulge in box after box of cookies. Why buy academic prep books when you can douse yourself in lies about your academic potential for $500? Here is a definitive rating of all the offered girl scout cookies, so you can decide what to spend your hard-earned, or stolen dollars on. Thin Mints: Quite small and prone to melting. There is so little flavor that you’ll get more minty-ness from accidentally swallowing toothpaste. They’re almost like chocolate crackers that were endorsed by Crest. The only reason we buy more is because we crave the mintiness that one box will not provide, so save up more money for thin mints than college tuition. Samoas: There’s more caramel than cookie, meaning it’ll make you feel that you just gave yourself diabetes for the low, low price of $5. Therefore, it’s the best cookie investment on this list because it’s not even a cookie. Its unnaturally bright colors will catch the eye of any greedy classmate seeking to mooch cookies off of you, meaning that you’ll spend more time buying samoas, than actually eating them. S’mores: It’s the newest addition to the Girl Scout cookie clan with depictions of unrealistic camp activities on each cookie. It’s somewhat pricey at $6 a box, which is ironic because I can make a dozen stove-top s’mores without the hassle
of swiping money from someone. Unfortunately, you can’t really taste the individual parts of the s’more because they blend together like a Starbucks s’mores frappuccino. The cookies are lovingly presented in a plastic container instead of cardboard to draw attention to your fourth-period cravings. Tagalongs: It looks like a cookie, but tastes like peanut butter! The peanut butter is more sweet than salty, which continues the questionable Girl Scout cookie tradition of making ingredients more sugary than they have to be. A healthier, cheaper alternative would be to eat an entire jar of JIF peanut butter. Do-Si-Dos: Its texture is similar to that of a goldfish cracker, it’s peanut quantity is equal to that of a single peanut, and it’s eating experience is comparable to that of Super Bowl LIII. Recommended for fake fans of peanut butter. Savannah Smiles: This simple cookie tastes like shortbread, lemon, and regret. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s least favorite cookie because, after consuming three single cookies, your hands look like they’ve been dusted in a delicate layer of benzoylmethylecgonine. The Savannah Smile’s lemon powder will deliver the sought-after euphoria for a lower price. Inhale an empty bag for a similar effect. Trefoils: Quite dry and bland. In the Girl Scout’s attempt to make the ultimate healthy cookie, they still had to insert some sugar into this cookie. The healthiest girl scout cookie is less enjoyable than the others, however, its design is minimalistic and spectacular. But why does it only features white girl scouts? Are they implying that brown girl scouts don’t taste good?
Srinidhi Sankar | Opinions Editor Further investigation has shown that the Russians placed trackers in Irvington IDs to track after school activity, but found that the students primarily 1) end up going home to sleep, 2) drive to boba places in San Jose, 3) the library, or 4) the occasional rave.
Horoscopes: Second Semester
Staff Writer
Aries (March 21-April 19): 58% survival rate. Second semester isn’t easy, and your impulsiveness isn’t going to help with that. Whether it’s your spontaneous decisions to stay home and watch Netflix instead of coming to school, or deciding that you’re over the broken school system and thinking “who needs school anyway?” you really need to step up your game if you want to pass. Taurus (April 20-May 20): 41% survival rate. Homework isn’t really one of your strong suits. Neither are tests. And if we’re being real, school in general isn’t very high up on your list of strengths. The only way that you’re going to be able to survive second semester is if you stop procrastinating on literally everything—yes, that means that you have to do more than just write your name on a paper and call it a day—and start taking the advice of your teachers instead of being stubborn and trying to “carve your own path” because we all know that won’t work here. Gemini (May 21-June 20): 27% survival rate. To do math homework or not to do math homework, that is the real question. Oh, and what about English? Also, don’t forget about science! Although you are a hard worker and adaptable to your surroundings, you aren’t able to become an exemplary student because of your lack of decision making and direction. As soon
as you stop debating the pros and cons of literally every single academic decision in your life, you’ll be good to go.
Cancer (June 21-July 22): 73% survival rate. Take a deep breath because things are going to be relatively okay for you. Despite, all your negative thinking and the times you’ve failed miserably, your creativity and knowledge about how to convince teachers to round your 87% to a 90% will allow you to achieve most of your goals for this semester. The other thing that you should keep in mind is to never lose your focus because of your heightened emotional state; after all, crying about the death of your imaginary friend isn’t going to help you clutch that A-. Leo (July 23-Aug 22): 88% survival rate. All you need to do to succeed this semester is to continue charming everyone around you with your brilliant smile. Absolutely everyone - from teachers to your peer-graders to that annoying TA that never gives you partial credit. Make them automatically fall in love with your positive aura, and it will be sweet sailing from there. Just remember to NEVER open your mouth, or all the angel music surrounding you will be drowned out by your endless recounting of all of your achievements, which to be honest, no one really cares about. Virgo (Aug 23-Sept 22): 90% survival rate. Although this is going to be an amazing few months for you academically, you really need to tone down that RBF. Sure,
you may be the next Einstein and probably already found a cure for cancer, but your personality is probably the reason why studies found that Asian Americans score lower on personality tests when they’re applying for college. As long as you learn how to keep all your judgey comments about everything and everyone inside your head, you’re going to be the one that everyone wants to be like.
Libra (Sept 23-Oct 22): 12% survival rate. The future is looking pretty bleak for you right now, but there’s one easy fix: STOP. WATCHING. ROMCOMS. We get it, life is hard and it’s nice to imagine that high school is like High School Musical, but that’s not a reason for you to forgo all your homework and hope that Zac Efron will come and whisk you away from your tragic life. Scorpio (Oct 23-Nov 21): 99% survival rate. You’ll pass second semester with flying colors! Focused, ambitious, and manipulative—you’re the snakiest of them all. You’re headstrong, and that is what will carry you through this final push. You may run on Girl Scout Cookies, but you push the sugar rush into the right things. Sagittarius (Nov 22-Dec 21): 18% survival rate--- if anything. You’re still living in the fantasy world of middle school, you’re a dreamer. But you need to understand that dreaming is NOT achieving. Your overconfidence will make it difficult for you to grind in those final months.
But it’s okay, I believe in you!! Capricorn (Dec 22-Jan 19): 54% survival rate. Capricorns, typically ambitious and logical, might find it difficult to get through the semester. Your sanity is what makes you lack empathy, which are the qualities you’ll need to convince your teacher to round your grade at the end of the semester. Even if you make it through, you’re bound to get beat up along the way. So it’s time to take those AirPods out of your ears and listen to the advice of others. Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 18): 95% survival rate. The beginning of the semester may be a little rough, but eventually you will pull through, as you always do. As long as you focus on your happiness and allow your friendly personality to light up the room, everything will fall into place. This semester will be particularly bipolar for you, but if you feel trapped, take some risks! YOLO will pay off. Pisces (Feb 19-March 20): 82% survival rate. Alright, we’ll give you this one as long as you stop blasting Travis Scott in your room at midnight and actually start doing your history notes. Although this semester may be an emotional rollercoaster, your intuitive and blatant dedication will carry you until the end of the year. YOU GOT THIS, just go with your gut!
Friday, February 22, 2019
Page 19
Top-Tier Colleges Send Applications to Students
By Michael Zhu
to call it, the UC System. The UC System denounces against the evils of prestigious universities, claiming that they have unrealistic and unhealthy expectations of admission profiles, pushing students into misery with insurmountable amounts of stress. They also protest against the unbelievable high tuition of these prestigious, private schools. Many members of the UC System are opting to go to commu-
nity and state colleges instead, saying that they can get a better quality of education at a far cheaper price. One UC System member attending community college says, “In my college, they really care about me and my academic needs, unlike those snobby Ivy League schools.” Other UC members simply decide not to attend college, and stay at home to teach themselves instead. “Why would I go to college? I was way smarter than all my teachers in high school,” says one UC member. Another says, “Mark Zuckerberg dropped out of college. I’m going to be the next Mark Zuckerberg.” As a result of their lack of students and funding, top-tier colleges are now forced to send applications to students in an attempt to win them back. Students all across the world are receiving hundreds of applications from colleges and universities. “I was considering accepting some of the colleges I got applications from,” one high school student says, “But I ended up rejecting all of them because of their lack of extracurricular activities.” With the application deadline coming up next week, stress levels are high amongst colleges and universities.
shooting out from the fountains like sults in low motivation for the rest of the year, which leads to failing the shotguns. “Cold water is dangerous for class as a whole. After kissing their GPAs goodbye, students,” says an these students fall anonymous sciinto deep depresentist who claims sion. Now whentheir credentials ever they use the are irrelevant berestroom, they cause the topic is end up not washso obvious. “As ing their hands for proven by science, fear of the cold wacold water leads ter. They get sick to frozen hands, from the germs which inhibits and bacteria that students’ ability are widespread in to perform well on Irvington’s baththe pop quizzes rooms, which is certain teachers what some stulike to hand out on Felicia Mo | Staff Writer dents believe is a regular basis.” Might as well take a nice, hot bath now the case with the Failing that Irvington has hot water. increased amount these quizzes re-
of absences lately. However, Irvington’s bathrooms after the Hot Water Revolution have been changed entirely. More students are willing to use the sinks in anticipation for the hot water that soothes the cold joints of their fingers and now gets students hyped for whatever class they’re currently escaping from. “I have high, high hopes for second semester,” one student says after drying their warmed hands on a paper towel. “With the power of heat that hot water has bestowed upon my finger tips, I can write faster and pass my next pop quiz. It’s all thanks to the Hot Water Revolution.” With this change in place, Irvington now has a formidable weapon to combat the cold air surrounding the school.
Staff Writer
Last night at 11:59 PM, the International Colleges & Universities Partnership (ICUP), an organization overseeing the well-being of top-tier colleges, officially declared bankruptcy. All across the world, and, particularly in the United States, top-tier universities have been facing severe cuts in funding. Why? It’s because of a term coined by researchers and scientists known as “Prestigiophobia.” Defined by expert Stu Pid, prestigiophobia is the fear of highlevel achievements, and specifically in this case, the fear of prestigious universities. According to Dr. Pid, prestigiophobia has become a worldwide epidemic, with top colleges such as Bornell, Barvard, and Boxford University receiving at least 69% fewer applicants than previous years. The first symptoms of prestigiophobia were observed just a few months ago, when high school students in Fremont, California decided to rebel against their over-controlling parents and reject admissions into Ivy League universities and other top-tier colleges. The news blew up and miraculously spread rapidly across the nation, and proceeded
Michael Zhu | Staff Writer UC member Joe King, like many high school students, favor community colleges over private, prestigious universities. to spread around the world. High school students all across the globe were inspired by the bravery of Fremont students, and decided to create a movement to raise awareness of this intense phobia. Many have taken part in this movement and some seniors even chose pretigiophobia as their QUEST topic. In order to unite students across the globe and protest against the prestigious nature of top-tier universities, they created the Union of Classmates, or as they like
BREAKING NEWS: Hot Water in Bathrooms
By Felicia Mo Staff Writer
Attention, attention! Something totally, utterly, unbelievably unbelievable has recently happened in Irvington. Something so mindblowing that no one would ever have predicted it. That thing is — drum roll please —HOT WATER. This upgrade has improved Irvington’s bathrooms tenfold, especially since California is currently in the Ice Age. Irvington’s bathrooms before the Hot Water Revolution were cold, bleak places to be. Students who actually use the bathroom when making bathroom excuses to avoid class have described the stalls as dirty, wet wastelands. Worse, students who have attempted to be sanitary were punished by a whiplash of cold water
PH OT AN O NIK S & L A A YO YOU T
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