February 2023 Cycle

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The Roar

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Expression OPINION

Athletes cope with injuries from playing school sports

By James Kepner

With injuries hindering their ability to play, many SCHS athletes find themselves on the bench while only being able to cheer on their teammates. From a tweaked muscle to cardiac arrest, many high school athletes across the nation have to deal with injuries.

After returning from COVID two years ago Athletic Trainer Pakka Paradi noticed a substantial amount of injuries, especially dealing with ankles and hamstrings. However, she has seen a decrease in the number of injuries this year.

“Luckily, this year, we haven’t had a lot of injuries. I think that they had a really good pre-season conditioning program,” Paradi said.

Athletic trainer Pakka Paradi treats freshman Sora Pham, who faced injuries in the 2022-2023 winter soccer season due to misaligned hips and a strained hamstring.

Many students combat a cycle of procrastination

By Rhea Gosain

A student comes home from school, planning to take a brief, five-minute break before starting their homework. Before long, five TV episodes have been played, and – confident their work will not take long –the student decides to play with their dog. Toward the end of the night, the student starts a project, which is due the next day but was assigned several weeks ago.

Many students find themselves falling into the loophole of procrastination, preventing them from finishing their tasks in any timely manner. Freshman Varun Dangeti shared his experiences with procrastinating on assignments, and explained that such habits often result in his assignments not meeting their highest potential.

“Procrastination, in my experience, is pushing work to the end and saying that I can do it the next day, but it results in a lower quality of work,” Dangeti said.

Junior Megan Anderson’s definition of procrastination is similar to Dangeti’s, but she explained that for her, the experi-

ence tends to occur from exhaustion or burnout.

“I would define it (procrastination) as putting stuff off because you don’t have the energy to do it, or putting it off because you just don’t want to think about it,” Anderson said.

Dangeti found that he procrastinates on a daily basis and believes that it is due to his mentality.

“If I have two days to work on it (an assignment), I feel like I can finish it on the second day even if I have the first day to work on it,” Dangeti said. “In my mind, I’ll just say, ‘I don’t have it in me to work on it on the first day, so I’ll do it on the second day.’”

Dangeti recognized that he procrastinates more on assignments where he is given more time to complete them.

“If I have less time, then I have to do it because I still care about my grade,” Dangeti said. “When I have more time, I’ll definitely prioritize other things first.”

According to sophomore Manasa Satish, the impact of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted her relationship with timeliness.

Although Paradi treats injuries, she also looks to prevent them from occurring through pre-

season conditioning plans which help athletes become stronger and more capable, limiting risk.

“While I kind of tap into athletic training, injury prevention, I will look into the common injuries of that specific sport,” Paradi said. “There’s a lot of data online, on the research of common injuries and we tailor the program to those.”

When reflecting on the causes of injury, Paradi believes that lack of preparation is the main cause.

“I would say just the lack of conditioning before they get into their sport and such is the biggest reason,” Paradi said. “Then obviously, it’s what we are told in school and what we see all the time that a previous injury could increase the likelihood of the range by like, three or four fold.”

SCHS alumni reflect on post-graduate life

classes you need for your major, not everything was set for me so I had to be more proactive with how I went about my quarter and school year,” Ranoy said.

Class of 2022 graduate Claire Han is a math major and an aspiring teacher. For Han, math teacher Ji Bae was her inspiration to become a teacher

SCHSclassof2022alumniBlakeLevinsisafirst-year studentstudyingatUniversityofSouthernCalifornia.

By Khadeejah Khan

With many SCHS students planning on attending college after high school, some may experience feelings of fear or worry. Yet according to SCHS alumni currently attending college, these feelings should not overtake the excitement and wonder that comes with the college experience.

Class of 2021 graduate Jema Mae Ranoy is currently a sophomore at University of California, Riverside, double majoring in psychology and neuroscience. Ranoy’s interest in psychology arose in her

senior year of highschool when she began taking AP Psychology at SCHS. The idea of college and growing up was initially nerve wracking for her.

“I was afraid,” Ranoy said. “When I was a senior in high school, I was like ‘oh my gosh I am getting old.’ It was a lot to take in.”

Now in college, Ranoy has adjusted to the freedom of creating her class schedule. She notes that the biggest advantage is having more focused classes that are relevant to her major.

“Because you have to choose timings, knowing exactly what

“In high school, I didn’t worry as much about my future, because my main goal was to graduate as I thought a lot about the present,” Han said. “Now that I am in college, I need to pursue certain goals to achieve my dream, which is becoming a teacher. I am more conscious of what goals I have.”

Class of 2022 graduate Blake Levins is currently a freshman at University of Southern California, majoring in international relations and global business. For him, AP classes and extracurricular activities prepared him for some aspects of college, yet for the most of it, he had to adapt on his own.

James Kepner/Roar Staff

Courtesy of Blake Levins

SCHS community reflects on the cleanliness of the school’s facilities

over 140 staff members, ensuring the complete sanitation of the school can be difficult.

Sophomore Alicia Lin believes

“If everyone is responsible for their own individual, like they would be at home, this campus would be much cleaner.”

- Sharon Ratliff, lead campus security

that having a cleaner campus will allow for a better environment for the Bruin community. She urges students to clean up after themselves and encourage their peers to do the same.

campus’s cleanliness. However, she believes in a possible solution to address food waste.

“I think we need more trash cans and generally recycling and trash cans,” Pandravada said. “A lot of the stuff we do eat can be recycled, but we don’t have recycling bins in the cafeteria.”

The cafeteria is one of the more crowded areas on campus, and many students tend to populate around it throughout the day, leaving the space littered with hot lunch plates, napkins, wrappers and more. Junior Alonzo Bradford noted that the amount of trash produced in the area has become a norm for many students.

their own individual – like they would be at home – this campus would be much cleaner,” Ratliff said.

Lead night custodian Nicholas Green has a set routine that can vary with time depending on the cleanliness of the bathrooms and classrooms. He also noted that some areas on campus are less sanitary than others, which makes it difficult for students to use.

“I would say specifically the bathrooms ‘cause there are times I come across them and they are just not usable,” Green said.

Nishita Viswajith/Roar Staff

Populatedareasoncampusoftenresultinanunsanitaryenvironment.

By Aisha Shafik

For many students and faculty members, the cleanliness of SCHS’s campus plays an important role in their school or work day.

THE ROAR 2022-2023

editors-in-chief

Amelia Howell

Khadeejah Khan

campus | KennedyRose Stiver

sports | James Kepner

focus | Soojin Spencer

opinion | Elias Panou

a&e | Rebecca LaBarge

spotlight | Khadeejah Khan

visuals | Amelia Tai online | Mylinh Duong

staff writers

Andrew Littlefield • Joshua Cedro

Nathaniel Hekster

Nishi Vijayvargiya

Theodore Nguyen • Aminah Hedges

Catalina Lopez

Aisha Shafik •Nicholas Iriberri

Sonia Mankame • Jaclyn Duran

Clemente Beltran-Castro

Jazzy Ramirez • Ellen Vu

Taejun Spencer • Aaryan Dubale

Amanda Troll

Rhea Gosain • Nishita Viswajith

Asia Celestine

advisor

Bob Ansaldo

Mission Statement

The Roar works to inform students, showcase their accomplishments, and explore issues relevant to them as individuals and as a generation. We value journalistic ethics and professional behavior toward both our sources and our readers. We will investigate and inform students about happenings on- and offcampus, and provide information comprehensively. As a studentrun newspaper, The Roar strives to establish itself as a reliable news source for Santa Clara High School.

Letters and Opinion columns submitted to The Roar must be signed, although names can be withheld. Submissions should be limited to 200 words and may be edited for content, libel, or grammar. Opinion submissions can be emailed to Mr. Ansaldo at ransaldo@scusd.net or submitted to the form on our website: scroar.net.

DISCLAIMER

The opinions on pages 8 and 9 reflect the views of the individual writer, not those of Santa Clara High School.

The Roar Newspaper Santa Clara High School

3000 Benton St. Santa Clara, CA 95051 (408) 423-2720

With a clean and well-kept campus, many Bruins are able to enjoy lunchtimes, various school activities and more, but with SCHS’s student population of 1,840 and

“(Students should) stay in charge of themselves, and if they see someone else, like their friend, do something, they can advise them,” Lin said.

Freshman Laasya Pandravada agrees and recognized the negative impact students often have on the

Share out or shut up?

By Asia Celestine

Before presenting their project, a student glances around the classroom, feeling their peers’ eyes on them. They inhale and begin to speak. The student’s voice trembles, and their hands shake.

For many classes on campus, presentations are mandatory in order for students to earn full participation points. SCHS students explain that this requirement is often nervewracking and full of judgment.

Sophomore Martyna Kaminska feels that her peers watching while speaking is frightening.

“There’s always moments, I feel, ‘Oh my god, everyone is looking at me and judging, everyone’s listening to what I say,’” Kaminska said.

Despite preparing beforehand, freshman Rachael Stuckey noted that for some students, the fear of presenting in front of a classroom setting stems from the difficulty to speak cohesively.

“I have to be fluent, and I have to be relaxed, confident and excited about the subject,” Stuckey said.

Activities such as class discussions often contribute to a major part of student participation, leading teachers to encourage students to share their opinions confidently in class. English teacher Paige Cruz believes doing group projects prepares students to pursue a certain work field.

“There’s very few jobs where… you aren’t working with other people and aren’t interacting and having to navigate, voice your opinion, build off of other ideas, concepts, question other people,” Cruz said. “It’s really just preparing you to be a good human, good employee and just a good person for yourself.”

For Spanish teacher Justin William’s class, collaborating and presenting is essential as students work in groups before being asked to share with the class.

“It allows them to stretch out whatever language that we’re trying to understand,” Williams said.

“If you’re part of a role-play exercise where one person is a doctor and one person is a patient, then you’ve created an instance where you practice a specific vocabulary set that can be almost necessary if not overwhelmingly useful at some time in the future.”

For some students, working in groups and listening to presentations allows them to develop a sense of responsibility along with the ability to rely on their peers for support rather than the teacher alone.

“If I don’t know exactly what we’re doing in class, I can always ask,” Kaminska said. “You get more detailed explanations, and you can see other people’s points of view instead of just your own.”

Additionally, Williams prepares students ahead of time before asking them for their responses to questions.

“I definitely try to prompt a student, give a student enough confidence in a pre-questioning situation for when I do call on them,” Williams said.

Despite the difficulty of verbal communication in the classroom, Cruz emphasized the impact many students will benefit from while expressing themselves aloud.

“Taking advantage of the supports that your teacher gives you. Whether it’s preparing ahead of time, using note taking or bouncing ideas off of people, it’s really a great opportunity to grow and let your voice be heard too, despite the scariness of it,” Cruz said.

“It’s like people have learned to ignore that it (trash) is there,” Bradford said. “Most people are used to it now.”

Additionally, lead campus security Sharon Ratliff described her involvement with the sanitation on campus, as she tries to encourage students to be mindful of themselves and their surroundings.

“If everyone is responsible for

Procrastination

Continued from page 1

“I would just do them (assignments) at the last moment and then turn it in without thinking twice because I knew I would get a 100,” Satish said.

Freshman Ishaan Rout shared a similar experience. He found that during distance learning, all assignments were due at night instead of at the end of a class period, which was common prior to distance learning.

“In quarantine, everything was due at midnight, so during the class, I procrastinated more,” Rout said.

“I get my harder things done in the mornings so that the rest of my day goes smoothly.”

- Christy Gutierrez, English teacher

English teacher Christy Gutierrez believes that students who tend to procrastinate must find ways to combat procrastination, such as setting deadlines for themselves.

Many students, such as Anderson, agree, and have found ways to limit distractions that may encourage procrastination while studying or being productive.

“I’ll put my phone in another room or just turn off the sound,” Anderson said. “If it’s an assignment that I know I really have to finish, I’ll try to stay as focused as I can.”

For Dangeti, being around others who are also working often allows him to focus on assignments.

“If I really don’t want to

Ratliff discussed the importance of student care and initiative, noting that they should want a clean school environment for themselves and their peers. She emphasized that if each student does their own part, it will make a big difference overall.

“I would really appreciate if the kids would work on it because this is your guys’ campus, and that’s what I try to tell you guys when I see you throwing food,” Ratliff said. “‘This is your guys’ campus. Don’t you want it to look good?’”

procrastinate, I’ll sit downstairs and do my homework,” Dangeti said. “That way my parents can keep me on track.”

Gutierrez shared that getting up earlier and completing her more difficult tasks before work

“If it’s an assignment that I know I really have to finish, I’ll try to stay as focused as I can.”

- Megan Anderson, junior helps her avoid procrastination during the day.

“I get my harder things done in the mornings so that the rest of my day goes smoothly,” Gutierrez said.

Dangeti has discovered that the best time to complete his tasks is at night due to the quiet environment at home that helps him focus.

“I can’t put it off any longer, and it’s (the environment is) more peaceful to me,” Dangeti said. “In the day, I could be spending my time doing better things, so it causes procrastination, but in the night, if I finish it (the assignment), I can go to sleep.”

Gutierrez acknowledged that procrastination is something many students struggle with and shared a piece of advice in hopes of helping students tackle procrastination and strengthen their time management.

“Find a certain time of day where you work best and try to chip away at any task in front of you piece by piece instead of seeing it as this huge thing that you can’t do,” Gutierrez said. “Tackle it step by step instead of putting it off as this momentous thing that you don’t even want to start.”

Bruins discuss student participation in class

Many students repress various personal interests and hobbies, hopeful of fitting in and fearful of judgment from their peers

By Nishita Viswajith

For many teenagers, the constant fears of peer pressure and judgment are always on their minds. Throughout high school, students are expected to fit in, whether it be through sports, academics or personal interests. For many, the pres sure that comes from students judging each other brings an unwanted culture to the SCHS campus.

Freshman Satvik Vale realized that the constant pressures of fitting in leads students to feel insecure about expressing their own personali ties.

“I feel like people, they (stu dents) just want to be whatever everyone else is. They don't truly want to be themselves be cause they're afraid of being made fun of,” Vale said.

Additionally, sophomore

“It’s just something that you like to do, and when people keep on bringing (up) their own accomplishments, then it gets really disheartening.”

- Anvee Sharma, freshman

Soham Kulkarni noticed that some forms of judgment between peers comes from students expecting others to remain the younger versions of themselves, stay involved in the same activities and maintain the same interests, with many students hesitant to accept change in those around them.

“I feel like there's a certain stereotype where you're forced to do something,” Kulkarni said. “Let's say you did it in middle school. You are expected to be good at it, or to continue doing that activity.”

For some students, hobbies and special interests are one way to express themselves, but

Alumni

Continued from page 1

“You just keep on going, keeping that momentum flowing,” Levins said.

In his senior year of high school, Levins took periods one through five, allowing him to start and leave early some days of the week.

Levins chose to continue this schedule in college, opting for morning classes, an unpopular choice for many of his peers.

when they feel the pressure of peers around them, it can be difficult for them to appreciate themselves and feel passionate about their hobbies. Although this might be the case for some students, others have had positive experiences with peers encouraging them.

Freshman Anvee Sharma enjoys spending her free time playing the guitar and singing.

After one of her first performances, SCHS’s Night of Acoustics, a school event for students to showcase their musical talents, Sharma was met with encouraging words and support from her family and friends.

“I'd say after the performance, it definitely gave me a boost of confidence,” Sharma said. “When my friends and my parents came up to me and they told me how I did good, that made me feel better about myself.”

Sharma enjoys sharing her interests with others. However, she does not like when the conversations steer toward being competitive, or when students brag about their achievements.

“For some activities, it's just not like that. It's not a race. It's not a game,” Sharma said. “It's just something that you like to do, and when people keep on bringing (up) their own accomplishments, then it gets really disheartening.”

Freshman Daniela Rosales dis -

“Some days, I’m done with my classes before my roommates wake up,” Levins said.

“It is that serious.”

Ranoy wants students to know that things happen slowly and many aspects of one’s life changes between high school and college. She advises students to live in the moment and not look too far ahead.

“Take it one step at a time,” Ranoy said. “You have to keep in mind that in order to reach these goals, you have to set smaller ones like stepping stones.”

covered anime and K-pop over the pandemic, which allowed her to find people who share her enthusiasm. She appreciates the people she has met through common interests since she has been able to express herself and her passion around them.

“I can find people with the same interest as me, and we get

“Just starting up a conversation on it to show your interest regardless of whether you share this hobby or not (is helpful) because it makes people feel more positive.”

- Ruhi Batchu, junior

to bond over shows,” Rosales said. “Now, I get to find my people that I share common in -

Class of 2022 graduate Kaitlyn Butcher agrees. According to her, college can be new and confusing, but it is a great opportunity for students to learn more about the world.

“You don’t always need to know your next move. Life can throw a lot of curveballs, and that is okay,” Butcher said. “Allow yourself to breathe.”

Butcher currently attends University of California, San Diego. The transition was relatively smooth for her as

terests with, and I think that's really cool.”

Rosales feels that her friends

mental culture on campus.

“I think students can show more respect for one another and respect other people's decisions in what they do in life and not give comments about it," Vale said. "Just let them do them and you do you.”

and the people around her allow her to express her affection for her hobbies.

“If I had friends who didn't like any of that stuff, I feel like I couldn't really express or be excited over something because they don't get what's happening in the show, or they don't really understand why I like it so much,” Rosales said.

Junior Ruhi Batchu found that when students are more open-minded and supportive of each other, it allows those around them to have a voice and enjoy their lives by doing what makes them the most happy.

“Just starting up a conversation on it to show your interest regardless of whether you share this hobby or not (is helpful) because it makes people feel more positive,” Batchu said.

Vale advised that others should respect their peers’ hobbies, interests and passions in hopes of changing the judg -

she spent the summer at San Diego for a transition program.

“I highly recommend going out of your hometown as you gain a worldly perspective,” Butcher said.

Between moving out and adjusting to a new campus, Ranoy noted how the change in her peers can be shocking for many.

“It is more than just your education. It is your environment, the people you surround yourself with and your day-to-day style is complete -

Kulkarni believes that some judgment can come from peers connecting students to who they were in the past and how their interests, hobbies and characteristics are now.

“I feel like everyone should recognize that they shouldn't put any expectations on anyone, no matter how they've been in the past because people change and people's situations change,” Kulkarni said.

For Vale, however, he feels the opinions of other peers do not affect his actions or the amount of time he spends doing activities he enjoys.

“I know in my heart that I'm passionate about it (hobbies), so I don't really care what other people think because it's something that I enjoy, and I don't need other people to know that I enjoy it,” Vale said.

Missed the Night of Acoustics?

ly different than how it used to be,” Ranoy said. “Having the right people around you is so important.”

Halfway through her second year of college, Ranoy looks forward to what the future holds, excited for the journey of growth that is to come.

“I am getting into the feel of what I want to do now and in my future,” Ranoy said. “Before, I saw it as an obligation, but now, I see it as an opportunity to grow in college.”

“Just let them do them and you do you.”

- Satvik Vale, freshman

Rebecca LaBarge/Roar Staff

Athletes appreciate their support systems

By KennedyRose Stiver

For many high school athletes, their teammates, coaches and parents often influence their relationship with their sport, whether on or off the field. Various Bruins feel pressure to perform at a certain athletic level or achieve certain titles, often diminishing the student’s enthusiasm for participating, and feel that such external pressure has impacted their connection with their team and sport.

Varsity wrestler senior Jade Bracamone reflected on her experience with parental support and their reassurance from the sidelines during a wrestling match, and noted that such support positively impacts her mental state and athletic performance.

“My parents just make sure that I’m okay and that I have positive encouragement towards me because it’s a mental game when you’re wrestling,” Bracamonte said. “My dad just gives me this look that tells me, ‘You’re gonna do fine. You’re gonna do good. You’re fine,’ right before I’m about to wrestle.”

Bracamonte found that her attention is best spent focusing on her match rather than the nerves that come from an audience watching. She advised that other athletes should share a similar mindset regardless of the sport they play.

“Ignore it and get your nerves out of the way because your nerves can play a huge part in how you perform in your sport, game or match,” Bracamonte said. “You definitely have to ignore the nerves aspect and kind of just let your brain do what it’s doing and just go through the match as you normally would.”

Track and field and cross country member sophomore Dominic McMahon considered his experiences in the past as a gymnast and

Injuries

Continued from page 1

Although most injuries are preventable, boys and girls tennis coach Will Kennedy finds it hard to always catch them before they happen because of the wear and tear that happens slowly.

“It’s more of a long term kind of wearing down of somebody,” Kennedy said. “Maybe shoulder, you know, where it’s just repetitive use.”

Wearing down of the body does not only occur in tennis.

Soccer player freshman Sora Pham injured her psoas, has a misaligned hip and strained her hamstring from wear and tear over time. Although she does not enjoy being injured, she appreciates the support from her teammates as well as her coach.

“He’s very supportive and he cares a lot about each player, so he cares about when we’re injured,” Pham said. “It matters that we heal.”

As an athlete involved in Winterguard, sophomore Maya Villa-

suggested others should prioritize their well-being and true passion over external pressure.

“I felt pressure, so I stopped liking it. I felt that I had to keep doing it,” McMahon said. “You don’t have to feel pressured to continue doing something you don’t want to.”

Many athletes tend to suffer from long-term effects within their sport, including the unrealistic standards and comparisons that accompany their athletic performance. Varsity soft ball player and dancer junior Sadie Rios explained why pressure for most athletes stems from the duration they have played the sport and the expec tation from others to continue regard less of whether or not their passion re mains.

“It’s college, it’s your future and your whole life has revolved around this one sport,” Rios said. “Pressure can be huge – negative and beneficial pressure – because it’s, ‘Wow, these people have these high expectations for me. What if I don’t meet those? Do I let everyone down? That person is coming to my game today. What if I mess up? Are they going to think I’m any different?’”

In addition to athletes feeling the pressures of their season, JV girls soccer coach Khanh Pham has witnessed accounts of discouragement from the sidelines and bleachers throughout games but emphasized the value in private post-game reflections with the team.

“The parents don’t understand

real has been injured multiple times while practicing and performing, including obtaining cuts, bruises and concussions. She dislikes having to sit out but uses the time to heal herself physically and mentally through ointments and relaxation.

“I definitely use ice or heat,” Villarreal said. “Either rocking it or massage and stuff. I find different creams like numbing creams are really helpful, but just using the time to heal my body, making sure I am well again.”

Villarreal also uses her recovery time to reflect and improve on her skills, allowing her to improve when she is not with the team.

“Definitely looking back and seeing what I did wrong,” Villarreal said. “Like things that I could fix so it won’t happen again.”

As an athletic trainer, Paradi sees various types of injuries, each needing a different treatment. However, she cannot always have oneon-one treatments with athletes. Therefore, she often gives players specific exercises to complete each night in order to heal quickly and properly.

“I think at this age, it’s really important to learn how to be re-

the pressure of being on the field, so they might blurt something out that really doesn’t make sense. I know that it affects the girls, so I always have to have a closing meeting with the girls,” Pham said. “Part of that closing is, ‘You got to disregard the pressures of the spectators and just enjoy the game. Play the game.’”

Similar to Pham, Rios found motivation to continue practicing daily from the support of both her dance and softball teammates.

“My friends will also say, ‘You got this,’ and if I didn’t have that ‘You got this,’ I would not have motivation to go out to the field every day or go to the dance room every day,” Rios said.

Senior Will Sidford, a member of the varsity boys water polo and swim teams, recommended those who encourage student-athletes to show their support by making a presence at events while not putting too much stress on the athlete.

“(Fans should) attend the sport and go to all the practices and go to all the games or the meets but (should) not (apply) too much pressure necessarily to be super good or the best,” Sidford said.

Despite the various advantages of athletes’ support systems, some prefer to establish a more independent relationship with their sport. Track and field and cross country runner junior Addison Deboe expressed that relying on herself rather than the support of others often

sponsible for your body,” Paradi said. “So I always tell them consistency is key.”

Over the course of her three years at SCHS, Paradi has not seen many extreme accidents, but she has been a part of a few. Although these accidents can be scary, Paradi said, she and the other athletic trainer stayed calm and handled the situation in a professional manner.

“This year, it was an away game,” Paradi said. “It was a full ankle dislocation that we had to call EMT for. It was handled perfectly.”

Kennedy also mentioned that all coaches are given training for medical emergencies, but he is lucky that nothing extreme has ever happened.

“I know all the coaches receive training and CPR and first aid and for heat stroke, or things like that,” Kennedy said. “Things could happen, but fortunately haven’t yet.”

While playing water polo for San José State University, Paradi was introduced to an athletic trainer after getting injured, and she found her passion for helping others with injuries.

“I realized they kind of made sense to me, the idea being an athlete, knowing your body, knowing

motivates her to establish her own improvement and success.

“It makes you want to get better on your own,” Deboe said. “It’s good to have support, but I think also having someone with a stricter support system kind of draws you away from it (one’s sport) because you’re forced to get better,” Deboe said.

Pham reflected on his responsibility for his athletes’ mental health and athletic passion. He stressed the importance for those on the sidelines and in the stands to channel more support and positivity for the sake of creating a safe environment for athletes to express their emotions and perform well.

“I think that the coach has to be very approachable. Whether it be from parents or from the players, they have to be able to discuss what it is because they (athletes) are young kids,” Pham said. “They (athletes) should be able to express how they’re feeling or what they’re feeling and what their needs are.”

Rios expressed the value of independently uplifting one’s own self throughout the season and beyond.

“You’re the only one that can motivate yourself. You’re the only one that can push you,” Rios said. “Set your own goals for yourself. I feel like that’d be more beneficial than getting thousands of words from a bunch of different people who aren’t yourself and who don’t really benefit off your scholarship or your academic performance.”

Rios said athletes need to prioritize their relationship with their sport over external influences, challenges or remarks.

“Don’t think about it (negative remarks) too much. It’s your life. It’s not your dad’s life. It’s not your mom’s life. It’s not your friend’s life. It’s not your coach’s life. It’s your life,” Rios said.

your muscles and kind of having that experience,” Paradi said. “She soon became my mentor, and then I kind of just led one thing to another and actually, my physical therapist was the one who hired me.”

Over the years, Paradi has gained experience with high school students, allowing her to adjust the way she treats athletes.

“I think I’ve changed a bunch in how I approach an evaluation,” Paradi said. “I’ve worked at the university level for a long while –for a pretty long time, too – so it’s a little different. They were more mature and stuff, so I try not to dumb it down but maybe simplify my approach.”

Although Paradi deals with a lot of injured athletes, she strives to create a positive environment in her training room. She mentioned that injuries can be frustrating, but most of her patients are motivated to get better quickly.

“Well, whoever comes in here… they know that they want to take care of their bodies,” Paradi said. “So they already have that kind of mental mindset that they want to get better.”

p.m.

3/10 @ Lynbrook 4:00 p.m.

SCHS athletes share the importance of their superstitions

By Jazzy Ramirez

Both former MLB players Wade Boggs, who ate chicken before games, and Richie Ashburn, who slept with his bats the night prior to games, share a special practice with many SCHS athletes: pregame superstitions. Numerous Bruin athletes are serious about their superstitions and have found their own ways to increase their chances of winning with the help of their pregame rituals.

Volleyball player senior Cydney Ventura mentioned that her superstition involves fun hairstyles.

“I put my hair a certain way. If I played badly with (that) certain hair type, I never tend to use that again,” Ventura said. “Most of the time for games, I do pigtails or any sort of way to part my hair in two because I just see it as good luck.”

Ventura has been playing volleyball since third grade, but her hairstyle superstition began in the beginning of middle school. Ventura additionally feels superstitious toward the type of athletic wear and gear she sports, such as tape.

“I usually tend to go more towards only wearing long sleeves or having sleeves in general. I think that just having that, it’s kind of like a safety blanket, something that I can rely on so that I don’t get hurt,” Ventura said. “I also tend to put tape on my hands. It’s usually wrapped around my thumb because I use it for stability, and I also think it’s good luck.”

Varsity tennis player and wres-

tler junior Nicklaus Chui has various superstitions for each sport. Chui likes to wear his lucky hat and sunglasses during tennis matches.

“For the sunglasses, it’s a fashion statement because they’re Aviators and they’re more delicate sunglasses, so generally you wouldn’t want to wear them,” Chui said. “But I decided that I liked them more so they became my lucky pair of glasses, and I started using them for athletics all the time.”

Additionally, Chui mentioned his hat symbolizes good luck channeled from Roger Federer, a professional tennis player with a five-time record of Association of Tennis Professionals’s year-end No. 1.

“It was a Roger Federer hat.

He was a tennis champion multiple times,” Chui said. “I work to try to get some of his luck.”

According to Chui, following through with his superstitions overall puts him in a better state of mind during practices, games and meets.

“I feel more comfortable. I just have less doubt,” Chui said. “It’s my lucky charm. I’m going to trust my lucky charm that worked out for me so far.”

When Chui does not follow through with his superstitions, he feels anxious, ultimately affecting his performance.

“I feel less confident in my abilities, so I make more mistakes, and if I have less faith in my abilities, then I do worse,” Chui said.

Similarly, JV basketball player sophomore Lara Holzhaus also

feels unsettled and anxious at the chance of misfortune when she does not perform her lucky handshake with a teammate before games.

“It affects me mentally because sometimes we forget and then we have to do it in halftime, and it just throws me off for the whole game.”

-Lara Holzhaus, sophomore

“It affects me mentally because sometimes we forget and then we have to do it in halftime, and it just throws me off for the whole game,” Holzhaus said.

Varsity soccer player freshman Alexandria Schneider has set a strict superstitious ritual before games.

“If I have a good game, for the next game I’ll do everything the exact same. So if I put my right shoe on first for that game, then the next game I’ll put my right shoe first then my left,” Schneider said. “If I have a bad game and I put on my right shoe first, the next game I’ll put my left shoe on first.” Schneider mentioned it gives her an edge to her game when she follows through with such rituals. As a defender, she feels her superstitions give her the confidence to perform better in terms of her de-

fense. On the other hand, when she does not follow through with her superstitions, both her physical and mental performance are impacted and she feels she does not reach her full potential.

“I just automatically feel like I’m going to have a bad game, and I feel like when I do that, I’m just bringing myself down because it gets inside my head that I didn’t do it (the superstitious ritual),” Schneider said. “Then I start playing badly and not being able to play like I know I’m able to.”

Color guard and winter guard performer sophomore Katie Hall mentioned her team’s one-sided superstition.

“Whenever we get to a campus right before our performance – when we’re walking to rehearse or to go to our performance – we’ll always make sure that if there’s a tree or a pole anywhere on the campus, we all have to walk on the same side of it or else it’s bad luck for the performance.” Hall said.

Hall and her teammates have had their superstition since joining the team, and many are especially serious about it. Hall enjoys the tradition because it evokes a sense of unity and community participating in a superstition alongside her teammates.

“We’re in an activity lots of people have never even heard of, so it’s just another one of our fun little inside jokes,” Hall said. “I don’t believe it’ll actually bring bad luck, but it’s fun when everyone participates.”

SCHS athletic program works to hire talented coaches devoted to the success and improvement of their team and each individual athlete

By Joshua Cedro

Oftentimes, finding a good coach can be a big factor in making or breaking a successful high school athletic program. The process of finding an excellent coach, however, can prove to be challenging.

Members involved in the SCHS athletic program broke down their experiences in the coaching selection process and how the procedure is organized.

According to Athletic Director Nelson Gifford, the athletic program starts with the coach and their ability to build a team around their leadership.

“It is everything. When you hire a strong – you could call them a head coach, but you could call them the executive of any program when you hire somebody who is really good at their job,” Gifford said. “They change everything. Everything becomes easier.”

While selecting and hiring coaches, Gifford aims to find coaches who are devoted to becoming deeply involved with the SCHS community.

“What we are really striving for are people that philosophically match what we are trying to achieve as an athletic department and as a school,” Gifford said.

“We want coaches that are good people, that like kids, that love being there for them, encouraging them and seeing them grow and develop.”

Physical education teacher and boys water polo coach Gene Kendall shares Gifford’s beliefs and matches the goals Gifford wants to reach at SCHS.

“I do not want it (water polo) to be just another sport on cam pus,” Kendall said. “I hope we are good. I would like to win and be successful and all that, but part of winning re quires a good commu nity, not just talent.”

Boys JV soccer coach Derrick Ezslinger has a goal in mind when coaching: to make his players the best version of themselves they can be.

“For the team as a whole, just help them grow,” Ezslinger said. “I want them to learn. I want them to just take little things away from what I teach them and add it to their game, so they can mold into better players.”

Kendall has a similar coaching purpose as he aims to prepare his players to continue participating at a collegiate level.

“My saying is, ‘We are gonna work hard, but we’re gonna have fun while we’re doing it.’ That’s how I approach life as well, and I hope that that translates to my program and the kids feel that as well,” Kendall said. “Because we only get a chance at this cruit coaches for SCHS sports, and he believes the wages and economics explain why.

“So if I am a club soccer coach, I might make tens of thousands of dollars coaching club soccer, versus in that same

timeframe, maybe I will make $3,000 during high school,” Gifford said. “So do I take a 50% pay cut to coach in high school, or do I just stay with my club organization?”

However, Gifford believes that finding a good coach makes the recruiting and hiring challenges worth it.

“There are real challenges about the availability of those coaches, and there is a lot of competition for high-quality coaches,” Gifford said. “They can do a lot to transform a program, so they are in demand, and the ability to attract them is really our job.”

Because of these restrictions, Gifford can only look for coaches within a limited radius of the Bay Area and SCHS’s campus.

“We have three different pools of people that we tap into,” Gifford said. “One are current staff, so within district employees, and the next thing we will do is we will post that job on what is called Edjoin, which is basically just a job database for all high schools in California.”

Gifford often has to use networking to recruit coaches.

“The third place are the social connections, so that’s calling people that we know,” Gifford said. “So if we need a badmin-

ton coach, I’ll call up some other ADs in the area, talk to their badminton coaches, reach out to them, that sort of thing.”

Ezslinger’s career began as a volunteer goalkeeping coach for the boys soccer team prior to entering his JV coaching position.

“I do goalkeeper training – that is how we first got in touch – so I asked to be a volunteer goalkeeper coach and did about a year of just goalkeeping coaching,” Ezslinger said. “Then the year after, I was the assistant coach on JV, and then when the head JV position got vacated is when I became the head JV coach.”

When recruiting, Gifford seeks coaches with a passion for vigorous involvement in their athletic program and motivation to improve both the individual players and the team as a whole.

“The one thing that we are striving for as a department is to grow all of our coaches together, to break them out of their shells in terms of their own sport and see themselves as a part of a greater community,” Gifford said. “We have seen just within this year, a lot of cross-sport support.”

AtelaiteVehikite(left)andLaraHolzhaus(right)needtoperform theirpregamesuperstitioninordertoplaytheirbestonthecourt.

Rhea Gosain/Roar Staff

LIVING IN A POST-ROE AMERICA

SCHS reflects on the ramifications of Roe v. Wade’s overturning and how the lack of abortion access in certain states has fundamentally changed American politics

By Theodore Nguyen

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court made a landmark ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson, overturning decades of court precedent given by Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey granting abortion rights prior. In the case, the court argued that abortion was not a right outlined in the U.S. Constitution, nor was it considered a right that was deeply rooted in the nation’s history. SCOTUS returned the case back to the states, allowing them to determine and regulate abortion within their own borders.

As a result, abortion was thrust back into the spotlight once more, drawing ire from both the Democratic and Republican parties. It effectively continued a game of political football, ranging from vows by then-Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell to ban abortions federally to Texas imposing the Texas Heartbeat Act, banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Abortion clinics or doctors found to have violated the act could be privately sued by any

“When people think of the conservative and Republican party, they think very anti-abortion, and they are nowadays They have a big demographic that is religious...”

- Zachary Mechlin, senior

individual, which could lead to cash settlements.

The bill generated a lingering threat over abortion-related health clinics, causing some to close their branches out of fear. This law generated much anger from Democratic-controlled states, with California voting to legalize Assembly Bill 1594 to spite the political right. Bill 1594 copies the same enforcement system Texas uses. However, it is directed against gun manufacturers.

Sophomore Vedanth Viajay believes that Dobbs contributed to more problems within America’s political landscape.

“I think it really exacerbated the left-right divide that America’s really kind of going through right now,” Viajay said. “It’s (abortion) obviously been a very controversial topic, right?

Like, it’s kind of one of the big drawing lines between, are you on the political left in America or are you on the political right?”

Since former President Trump’s large influence taking hold of the Republican Party, the left and right have been more divided compared to past years, such as during the Obama or Bush administrations. Dobbs v. Jackson caused an

uproar of political fallout on both ends, expanding the political gap and causing new audiences to take a stance on the issue.

With SCOTUS’ ruling making abortion a states’ rights matter, abortion laws have become dependent on the region. Kansas, for example, voted to reject a bill that would criminalize abortion, while Louisiana engaged its “trigger law” on banning abortion after Roe was overturned.

“I agree with the power going to the state,” Viajay said. “The state can now have that decision for itself. I feel like if it’s on that more local scale, it’s a bit easier to moderate, a bit easier to

On the one hand, the anti-abortion movement has argued for decades that every man, woman and child has the right to life, regardless of the circumstances provided. Those who are against abortion believe it is immoral, arguing that the mother is wrongfully denying life to their child. The more conservative and religious side of America is often aligned with this movement, being responsible for the generation of anti-abortion legislation. The original law spurring the Dobbs v. Jackson case was based on a model made by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal group.

They also argue that regardless of abortion’s legality, people will still find a way to commit the action, which could result in deadly consequences. Since Roe’s appeal, many women have crossed state lines to get an abortion and to find doctors willing to perform abortions illegally under state law, putting themselves at risk of imprisonment.

SCHS Wellness Center Clinical Associate Laura Macey believes that illegalizing abortion negatively impacts women, minorities and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.

“I think it’s extremely classist and sexist that somebody would appeal that (Roe),” Macey said. “It’s a way to control women’s bodies. And I understand, you know, there’s a small human, possibly involved, but also do you really want this child to come into the world in a family that they’re

“It’s a way to control women’s bodies. And I understand, you know, there’s a small human, possibly involved, but also do you really want this child to come into the world in a family that they’re not wanted...”

- Laura Macey, Wellness Center

not wanted, that can’t take care of them, that, you know, and then end up in jail?”

There is a general consensus among many that the government is not doing enough to subside the growing demands from the public to take action. Several solutions have been proposed to subside these demands, such as more public awareness and knowledge about sex education, safe sex procedures and contraceptives.

By Jaclyn Duran

Following the wave of youth activism prompted by recent events, including the overturn of Roe V. Wade, climate change and police brutality, SCHS students engage in advocacy to shine a light on social issues.

Social science teacher Daniel Skapinsky noted the necessity for younger voices, especially since they will be the ones leading the world.

“It’s important for them to be involved because the problems of today will affect their future,” Skapinsky said.

In light of recent events, senior Joshua Anthony agrees that teenagers should use their voice to speak out about social issues.

“Being able to voice your opinions and learn more about stuff that’s happening in the world is important for anyone to do, and it’s good to develop that at a young age,” Anthony said.

Social science teacher Carol Schmale shared

her perspective regarding students in the context of politics.

“I think they have enough experience to have an opinion,” Schmale said.

Agreeing with Schamle, Anthony believes that in view of the past incidents, protests and increased discussions surrounding politics during the last few years, students have been able to gain wisdom and experience. As a result, people should value their opinions.

“I think today, in today’s world with the events of the last few years, that kids have had to grow up and be mature and have a stake in solutions, today’s problems, society’s problems,” Anthony said.

According to research by Tisch College of Civic life and Action for the Climate Emergency, youth are more likely to use social media or sign petitions rather than physically and publicly speak up about various issues.

Additionally, Schamle has noticed some believe students have not been exposed to world issues and

incidents, holding the belief that students do not have enough knowledge in politics and current matters to form valuable opinions. This can cause students to be reluctant to show interest in social activism as well as enforce a lack of confidence.

“There are also people who maybe don’t value their opinion as much because they are younger, and they feel like (they) dismiss their knowledge and experiences,” Schmale said.

Anthony also recognizes how some adults refuse to acknowledge the opinions of students as many adults do not understand students’ maturity level.

“There are times when peo ple kind of brush off students because they’re just seen as too young or immature and

don’t have enough experience in the real world to actually have a stance on these issues,” Anthony said. Youth activism is continuing to rise in popularity as students and the younger generations realize how crucial their outlook is in creating a better future.

“Students have their own unique perspec-

Retail pharmacies dispense abortion pills under new FDA ruling

By Sonia Mankame

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, abortion access has decreased, leaving people to carry out unwanted pregnancies to term, or travel to visit abortion clinics. However, due to a recent decision made by the FDA, abortion will become more accessible to people all over America.

On Jan. 3, 2023, eight months after Roe v. Wade was overturned, the FDA made the decision to allow retail pharmacies to sell abortion pills with the option to order pills by mail. Previously, abortion pills could only be obtained through one’s doctor.

Freshman Kaitlynn Ng believes that this decision will benefit American women, increasing access to abortion pills.

therighttoabortion,givingthestatesthepowertoregulateabortionaccess.

manage in the legislative sense and to supervise how this is going to work.”

Aside from congressional politics, the Dobbs v. Jackson case divided constituents into three groups – the anti-abortion, for abortion rights and the undetermined – consisting of many who are stuck attempting to navigate the arguments and the shuffling of facts and misinformation.

Sophomore Ruby Goodwin, among many others, has had difficulty trying to understand the topic and form their own opinions.

“I think it’s a hard topic for me,” Goodwin said. “I’ve never needed an abortion. It’s never something I’ve had to consider and it’s never something I’ve had to experience, and so I’m hesitant to give opinions on it, knowing that I don’t fully understand it.”

Senior Zachary Mechlin believes the case is definitive of Republican views.

“It’s very old-fashioned Republican, which is like nowadays,” Mechlin said. “When people think of the conservative and Republican party, they think very anti-abortion, and they are nowadays. They have a big demographic that is religious, so it’s just not something they believe in or something they even want to touch on.”

On the other hand, the abortion rights movement argues for the concept of bodily freedom and the right to choose and has campaigned for abortion to become a constitutional right in the United States. Oftentimes, the movement claims that abortion is necessary and that banning it would endanger a woman, noting circumstances such as sexual assaults.

“I don’t think we do a great job in this country with sex education. We don’t do a great job of giving kids access to birth control,” Macey said. “I think there are a lot of babies that are born that maybe people would’ve waited for if they had more information and more access… but also, I don’t think we educate our young men well enough, and I don’t think we educate our young women well enough how to take care of each other.”

If there is a way to calm the political argument, Goodwin believes there must be reforms made to the system, addressing poor sex education to the lack of resources.

“I do believe that in general, it (abortion) should be legal until we can fix many of the issues that cause people to want abortions in the first place,” Goodwin said. “As long as those things are happening and are possible, then it’s not fair to force women to carry babies to term.”

“I view it (the FDA’s decision) as a positive thing because women can easily access abortion pills instead of getting surgery which is more stressful and more costly.” Ng said. Physical education teacher Julie Kawamoto hopes this development will lead to more positive outlooks on abortion rights.

“I really hope that whenever a situation (concerning abortion) comes again, a woman can make her choice,” Kawamoto said. “Hopefully, it (the decision to introduce abortion pills) would open people’s minds to knowing that everyone has those rights.”

Ng believes that the FDA’s decision on abortion pills will have a positive impact on the future and with time, those who are anti-abortion may have a change of heart concerning their beliefs on abortion.

“It will have a positive impact on future abortion laws because it’s allowing women to easily access abortion pills,” Ng said. “Also, as time progresses, it’s quite possible that people (those against abortion) will change since they or the people they know (will) have used abor-

PlanB,approvedbytheFDAin1991,wasthefirstoralemergencycontraceptive. Mifepristone,anabortionpillwillbedispensedinlegalstatesthroughpharmacies.

tion pills. They will probably feel more comfortable to advocate for abortion rights because they have seen how it can impact someone.”

Others, like freshman Marina Franco, believe that despite increased access to abortion pills, women’s rights in America will continue to be a struggle.

“I think that that could eventually lead to other laws against women’s rights because since they (the government) don’t let us decide what we’re going to do with our own body, I believe that they could also make a law to control

us into not doing something else that we have the right to do,” Franco said.

Some, like junior Dafne Azana, are worried that the wide availability of abortion pills may lead to them being misused.

“Many women may be using them as a substitute for birth control because of everything that has been going on and especially if abortion pills are easily accessible to them.” Azana said.

Azana believes that the recent decision may cause upset within the anti-abortion community.

“Many (who are anti-abortion) would be

really upset about bringing in abortion pills since they are against it and they may go against the people who believe in it,” Azana said. “It can possibly cause a lot of chaos and many disagreements between them which could possibly go on for a good amount of time.”

Sophomore Isabella Jimenez is worried that with fast-acting abortion pills, many people may not take the time to consider all of their

“Some women sometimes don’t know if they want to have a child or not, and when they find out, they’re just very nervous and stressed out and stuff.”

- Isabella Jimenez, Sophomore

decisions before having an abortion. “Some women sometimes don’t know if they want to have a child or not, and when they find out, they’re just very nervous and stressed out and stuff,” Jimenez said. “Because those women could have been raped, or they could be minors or something, they might just take those abortion pills without really thinking about it.”

Despite the introduction of abortion pills, Jimenez believes that the government could be doing more and their lack of action reflects the way they treat women.

“I think that the government is doing something really wrong because all the stuff against abortion just proves that they don’t really care about us or our rights.” Jimenez said.

A short historical timeline of Roe v. Wade, pivotal abortion-related cases and U.S. Supreme Court rulings over the decades

America before Roe v. Wade

By

Mylinh Duong

In an ever-changing landscape, Roe v. Wade was a landmark decision by the U nited States Supreme Court that has defined vital moments in history for women’s rights to privacy and legal abortion. Roe v. Wade opened the door for reproductive freedom and established precedent for future court cases. The impact of the court case reflects changing times and opinions through history, building up to the unknown future of a post-Roe America.

Jan. 22, 1973: The making of Roe v. Wade

On Jan. 22, 1973, pseudonymous plaintiff Jane Roe challenged the constitutionality of Texas’ laws that banned abortions, with the exception being medical advice for the purpose of saving the mother’s life. Roe claimed that Texas’ laws were unconstitutional, vague and breached her privacy rights. SCOTUS issued a 7-2 decision in favor of Roe, upholding that women have a right to abortion under the 14th Amendment. The court decision also established a trimester-framework. During the first trimester of pregnancy, the pregnant woman and her physician would make the decision to abort. In the second trimester, the state could regulate the decision to abort under the interests of maternal health. In the final trimester, when the fetus reaches a point of viability, a state could regulate or prohibit abortions in the interest of a potential life, with exceptions when abortion was necessary for the health of the mother.

June 29, 1993: Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey

On June 29, 1993, the Supreme Court ruled on the case of Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey in a 5-4 decision. With Roe v. Wade as precedent, the case amended Pennsylvania’s Abortion Control Act, adding five new provisions: required consent of the woman, 24-hour waiting period before the procedure to provide women information, parental consent for minors and notifying a woman’s husband of a planned abortion. Most notably, this decision established a new standard for determining the validity of laws restricting abortion. The criteria was that a regulation on abortion had to have the purpose or effect of placing a substantial obstacle in the path of a woman seeking an abortion before the fetus obtains viability. Under this standard, many abortion restrictions have been upheld, the only provision to fail being informing a woman’s husband of a planned abortion. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey reaffirmed the core value of the right to abortion, while giving states more leeway in passing laws restricting abortion care and access.

Dec. 1, 2021: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

On Dec. 1, 2021, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was overseen by SCOTUS. The case dealt with a Mississippi law called the Gestational Age Act, which banned abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy; upholding the ban meant overturning Roe v. Wade. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was the last remaining licensed abortion clinic in the state of Mississippi. In a divided opinion, on June 24, 2022, the conservative majority upheld the Mississippi law, overturning its decisions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey. The decision was expected to lead to abortion bans for half of the nation.

2023: America after the overturning of Roe v. Wade

The debate over reproductive autonomy for women is still ongoing. Limitations on abortion have been left up to the states to decide. So far at least 13 states have banned the majority of abortions, and numerous states have gestational limits. According to Guttmacher Institute, a research organization focused on reproductive health and rights, states including California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Oregon committed over $250 million to abortion care funding in 2022. Similarly, 14 states adopted protections to shield abortion care providers and patients who travel across state lines to access abortions. With the state legislatures, courts and voters decisions on abortion bans, the turmoil fostered by the overturning of Roe v. Wade will continue throughout 2023.

In the wake of political turmoil following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the youth advocates for change through social media

TheSupremeCourtheldinDobbsv.Jacksonthattheconstitutiondidnotpermit

Amelia Tai/Roar Staff

Rebecca LaBarge/Roar Staff

Bay Area Reflection: Transgender history

By Aminah Hedges and Taejun Spencer

The word

“transgender” was

first coined in 1965 by psychiatrist John F. Oliven. A whole host of words have been used to describe those who today might be referred to as trans: transexual, transvestite, and crossdresser among them. Varying language is a snag of queer history, but different language reveals something deeper: a different understanding of gender.

It is impossible to say how a person from the past would identify today because percep -

Ohlone and Miwok tribes are two such groups. Many Indigenous tribes recognized gender identities other than the strict male and female or contained people assigned one gender at birth who lived as another.

At least 150 pre-colonial tribes recognized third-gender roles. The exact language and roles of these individuals are hard to pin down, as they were erased during colonization, and the records available are from white settlers who provide a biased outsider perspective. While the specifics are uncer -

of freedom and escape, including fortune seekers, prostitutes and cowboys. Predominantly men rushed to California during the gold rush, creating a world isolated from women and traditional heterosexual relationships. Filling the gap was prostitution, close companionship between men and sexual ambiguity.

Jason Chamberlain and John Chaffee were one such example of male companionship. The two miners lived together as “wedded bachelors” for over fifty years, with their relationship only coming to a close when Chaffee died in Oakland, and Chamberlain, hearing the news through the mail, took his own life. While it is impossible to know the identities of these settlers for certain, diaries and news articles from the time reveal a system separated from the cultural and gender norms of the rest of America.

For people assigned female at birth, dressing as men offered practicality and safety in a landscape dominated by men. Others, like the outlaw Harry Allen, who fled West dressed in men’s clothing, proudly professed their masculine identity to the papers. Those who were discovered were at risk of legal repercussions, like Alice Baker, who was forced to flee throughout the American West as she was discovered to be assigned male at birth. A majority of these historical figures lived as men, fitting into the West’s predominantly male culture, but Baker was an exception.

Other times, the people’s true sex assigned at birth was only discovered upon their death.

The stagecoach driver Charley Parkhurst was one such individual. Parkhurst, who was assigned female at birth, ran away from an orphanage as a child dressed in men’s clothing. Arriving in San Francisco, Parkhurst began a career as a stagecoach driver, building up a reputation as one of the safest drivers in the area. Parkhurst was only discovered to be biologically female when they died in 1879. The West offered a place for people like Parkhurst to be accepted and begin a new life.

integrated with the rest of the United States. San Francisco remained relatively accepting of sexual openness and by extension the queering of gender roles through its position as a port and military hub during World War II.

San Francisco’s history meant it played host to many early expansions of trans rights, including the case of Barbra Ann Richards, one of the first people to legally transition in America.

In 1941, Richards filed to legally change the name on her birth certificate, describing a sudden physical and mental metamorphosis into womanhood. When the court and reporters became interested in the details of Richards’s case, they revealed that she had intentionally medically transitioned.

The revelation placed Richards in murky legal waters because of California’s anticrossdressing laws. Despite the challenges, Richards was able to legally change her name, though it is unclear if she was able to change her legal sex. The sensationalization of Richards’s case rings true for many trans people of her time and mirrors the raging debates over trans people today. For many, access to legal transition is still difficult, revealing that trans history is not a linear progression from less accepting to more.

In the 1960s, an influx of queer people made San Francisco’s Castro District a gay hub. As middle-class families moved to the suburbs, young people moved into San Francisco. The city’s history and involvement in the Beat Scene made it a more accepting area, drawing in people from across California. Migration into San Francisco contributed to a boom of gay organizations between the 1960s and 1970s. Despite the growth, the Castro remained largely white and gay. The Tenderloin District acted as a counter to the Castro and became known as a hotbed of “homosexuals and transvestites,” according to one

fearmongering TV report.

Trans residents of San Francisco were open to frequent police harassment, including being arrested for supposed crimes like sitting on the sidewalk and female impersonation. In 1966, tensions between the police and trans residents erupted when trans women threw coffee in the faces of police officers at the Compton Cafeteria, a popular gathering place for Tenderloin locals.

The ensuing riot is one of the first examples of queer people fighting back against police harassment, occurring three years before the famous Stonewall Uprising. However, the riot has become forgotten in the public eye and the building once occupied by the Compton Cafeteria is now barely recognizable. The largely forgotten nature of the Compton Cafeteria Riot is indicative of the larger public unwillingness to grapple with trans history.

People often conflate trans people not being visible with trans people not existing. Trans history has always been a thing, and ignoring historical gender variance harms today’s trans people. Understanding the history of the queer community is essential to modern activism. Without awareness of the past, the eerie similarities between today’s transphobic legislation and the anti-gay legislation of the past are not evident.

Proposed bills across the U.S. criminalize healthcare for trans youth, restrict access to sports and bathrooms, and stop legal transition. Many of these bills target schools, placing restrictions on even mentioning gender identity. These bills mirror past criminalization of cross-dressing, such as California’s Proposition 6 in 1978, which would have banned gay teachers, and Proposition 8 in 2008, which would have legally defined marriage as between one man and one woman. If America is not aware of the past, it is doomed to repeat it.

tions of gender are fluid. Assigning queerness after the fact is not the end goal of queer history, and if it were, the field would have an authenticity issue. What can be done today is study historic gender variance and the queering of gender roles, building an understanding of the history of gender as a whole.

Our current binary division of gender is a largely Western one whereas different cultures have defined gender and gender roles differently. The local

tain, Native oral traditions reveal a more fluid understanding of gender and sexuality than presently exists in America. Today, many Native people identify with the label Two Spirit, coined in 1990 by gay and lesbian Indigenous people in Canada to create a more culturally accurate word.

Even within American culture, challenges to a binary view of gender have always existed. Starting in the 1800s, the American West drew in outsiders through its promise

The fluidity of the American West breaks down the hyper-masculine, heterosexual ideal of the cowboy that appears in modern media. The true Wild West challenges the belief that gender and gender roles are unchanging. The erasure of queer cowboys and the erasure of the Native people who occupied the land before go hand in hand in the idealized patriotic West, selling a polished cisgender, white, heteronormative past that does not exist.

California continued to offer a more accepting place for queer individuals into the 1900s. The sexuality of the West became transformed through increased settlement as California became

ThebusyandvibrantstreetsofSanFrancisco’sCastro Districtrevealtheimportanceoftheareatotransgenderfolk.

Aminah Hedges/Roar Staff

Aminah Hedges/Roar Staff

Love the art, but hate the market

By Nicholas Iriberri

Art changes. Throughout history, art has evolved alongside the struggles and successes of every generation. Many factors have influenced the evolution of art; however, the prime motivation for creating art has changed in the modern world.

Art has begun to become an asset to invest in, rather than be appreciated. This dangerously cheapens the value of art as a cultural value in society, and this needs to change.

During the period of the Classical Greeks, art often represented mythical and religious iconography and was treated with the same reverence as the deities they represented. Over time, art became a tasteful acquisition that was a sign of wealth and culture, its close ties to social standing encouraging high spending and investment in the art community.

This relationship has changed between the artist and buyer as art becomes an asset to invest in. While still cherished by many in more traditional fashions, art being used as investment has seen an upward trend as of late. Influential magazines such as Forbes have recommended contemporary art as a new, stable form of investment.

Art is often considered a good investment due to its stability and potential to appreciate in value over time compared to other fungible investments. This new form of investment, aided in part with online selling, has grown alongside art sales overall, according to the 2021 Hiscox Online Trade Report.

The recent attitude changes toward art has begun to impact what influences and motivates its creation. According to economist Allison Shrager of Quartz Magazine, the art market has become increasingly manipulated with the intent to develop art that is more

appealing to investment rather than appealing to aesthetic or emotion. This manipulation and encouragement of targeted art has impacted many different subgenres, but none more than contemporary creations. Contemporary art has always served as a point of contention in the art world due to its subjective and ever evolving nature. The addition of investments as an incentive has further increased the polarizing views of the genre. Artists such as Damien Hirst have garnered controversy for their art, often viewed as cash grabs and appealing to the investor market rather than the traditional art market.

Hirst’s art has been criticized in

the art community for its flat and unprovocative nature. Furthermore, Business Insider reported Hirst has only painted 25 out of the 1365 that bear his name. Although his art has declined in popularity and value in recent years, he remains a prominent example in how the art economy encourages an investor market.

As modeled by Hirst, contemporary art has influenced the rest of the market, making it increasingly difficult to finance projects that don’t conform to ideals preferred by the investment community. The market is saturated with derivatives and copies, but the money coming in from investors creates an increased demand for more manufactured art. This negatively impacts both the artist and enjoyers as art becomes a generic and formulaic commodity rather than, well, art.

As the art world evolves to its newest evolution, the practice of utilizing art as merely a form of investment continues to hurt those who make it by prioritizing investability over creativity. The art world, particularly the contemporary art sphere, must change and adapt to remain creative and avoid becoming homogenized and banal.

Beauty and magic? The hyperreal is far from real

tropes, such as romance. This repeated imitation is even what causes them to become tropes in the first place by changing how we view them, so the TV we watch and books we read are more real than actual reality, or hyperreal.

Ever since the popularization of television as a means of spending time in the United States, it has been used as a tool of mass communication and has become a large part of some people’s lives. So seeing idealized versions of human relationships and friendships leads to consequences. Particularly in the saturation of expectations, tied into what is commonly seen in traditional media.

Self-image neutrality or positivity?

Many agree that at times, it feels impossible to love one’s physical appearance and maintain a solely positive body image. The body positivity movement states that one should always positively perceive their body, despite any aspects that society dictates as flawed. This movement, especially amidst an abundance of oppressive beauty standards, is unrealistic. Practicing body neutrality is a healthier, more realistic alternative to truly appreciate oneself.

Body neutrality is a movement of pure self-acceptance that strays away from using body positivity. In a The Conversation article, author Viren Swami explained that “the aim (of body neutrality) is to exist within your body without judgement or holding strong opinions about how you look.” Holding no extreme opinion about the bodies of oneself and others evokes acceptance of the current state of all bodies, with no pressure to hate, love or change one’s appearance.

Body neutrality also promotes cherishing a body’s purpose and performance. Although appreciating physical parts of one’s body can be uplifting – for example, telling oneself their legs are slim and attractive – determining selfworth based upon physical value can become toxic. Practicing body neutrality offers a healthier avenue of admiration, in which one would instead show gratitude for their legs’ ability to help them do the things they love.

Cameraselecttoonlyshowhighlyromanticizedversionsofrelationships,ratherthanthereality.

By Nathaniel Hekster

When something in a film, TV show or book is popular, it will probably be seen in a plethora of following material. Because it is so appealing, people tend to replicate it, and the replications also then become popular. French sociologist Jean Baudrillard called this blurring of reality and art hyperreality. Baudrillard believed that eventually, most media would be an inspiration of a replication of an inspiration, to an uncountable magnitude.

This idea stems from postmodernism, an era where media is produced to the level that it crosses the boundary between fantasy

and reality. At what point is media defined by culture, or culture defined by media? According to Statista, 500 hours of content is uploaded to YouTube every minute. This trough of content fed to us must have a considerable effect on our modern culture.

Baudrillard was a pioneer of postmodernism, where the very perception of reality is based on media, which in turn is based on reality. What is first thought of when a princess is mentioned?

A pretty girl in a pink dress, or an average woman of a medieval royal family. Our grasp on what is real is nearly identical to the emulation of reality.

One part, seen in “The Lord

of the Rings,” is the brotherhood between the main characters. Strong bonds among friends or relationships are appealing and survive mediatic evolution, seen continuously throughout the film industry. “The Lord of the Rings” series is not the first piece of entertainment to contain such a brotherly relationship.

Many movie franchises display idealized versions of brotherhood.

In “The Lord of the Rings,” all of the characters from The Shire show a great relationship, and despite some bumps, they end the series with a strong bond. The brotherhood is a tried and true trope in story writing, that one writer copies from another. Such copying is apparent in other

Our conception of love, for example, is skewed. Love is not as beautiful as Hallmark movies and Michael Bublé shows make it out to be. Lovestricken construction workers do not actually hurdle security boundaries at airports to profess their undying admiration to the real estate developer they just met. True relationships are not found in the idealized twinkle and sparkle of winter’s starlights as they are often painted to be.

Our notion of the relationships and friendships of what makes humans human, has been taken advantage of for the purpose of storytelling and money making. People have to take a step back and enjoy what is really around them, not what they think should be there.

Practicing body neutrality also means avoiding comments that point out one’s physical body. Complimenting someone’s “skinny” figure, for example, may be intended as an uplifting compliment; however, for someone struggling with disordered eating or maintaining a healthy and positive perception of themself, this comment can be harmful and regressive. Body neutrality “encourages us to step back from conversations about our bodies and appearance, which in turn frees us to do the things we enjoy,” Swami explains

A body-positive mindset may mean telling oneself, “I love my legs, despite their cellulite.” A body-neutral mindset means telling oneself, “I simply accept the appearance of my legs and appreciate them for their ability to help me win my soccer game,” which does not recognize any supposed flawed parts of one’s appearance and puts focal positivity on valuing how one’s body helps them experience a happy life.

Theslowdeteriorationofartasinvestmenterasesitsculturalvalue.

Amelia Tai/Roar Staff

Nicholas Iriberri and Amelia Tai/Roar Staff

Students and teachers discuss the ethics behind AI-generated artwork

By Catalina Lopez

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, has swept the world with its new technology and many features. From creating avatars, editing photos and creating an art piece with a click of a button, the possibilities for AI are constantly growing. While AI -generated art may seem harmless, it can negatively affect artists. Students and staff at SCHS each give their own perspectives and opinions on AI-generated art and how it can impact the art community.

Many people believe that AI has the potential to be life changing, some wonder whether this change will be for the better or worse. Art teacher Neil Woodman believes that people are not educated enough to know the influence AI has.

“Nobody can imagine all of the different ways that our lives are going to change with AI,” Woodman said. “It’s going to be civilizationchanging is how I would probably put it.”

“We do art based on how we feel, or how we see things, our perspectives on things, that’s how we create art in this world.”

- Bryan Hernandez, senior

AI art has been criticized for its convenience, and some worry that its rise in popularity will lessen the importance of art created by human artists. Junior Alyssa McCuin thinks that as the use of AI rises, humanmade art may become less treasured.

NightCafeStudio,anAIprogram,cancreateartwithinseconds.

“If AI art becomes too popular and companies profit a lot off of it, I feel like human made art could become overlooked and won’t have as much value,” McCuin said.

Having artists’ work disregarded can offend artists and make them think less of their work. Art and digital media teacher Ara Tanajian considers AI art to be not as creative as human-made art.

“Nothing original has been in AI art. It’s always kind of rehashing stuff that’s been done by people already,” Tanajian said.

Like Tanajian, McCuin believes human-made art has more passion behind it than AI art. He believes that artists work harder for their products and that no machine could

compare to human creativity.

“Human-made art has hours of planning, work, emotion and effort put into it. That’s what makes it so unique and unable to be recreawwted by any AI, no matter how advanced the technology seems,” McCuin said. “Human-made art is far more creative and personal compared to AI art.”

Senior Bryan Hernandez also believes AI-generated art lacks a sense of passion and purpose. He believes that the way we create art is through stories and personal experiences.

“We do art based on how we feel, or how we see things, our perspectives on things,” Hernandez said. “That’s how we create

Panou’s Paper Panel

art in this world.”

There are many reasons why people make art, such as a hobby or professionally. For Hernandez, art is a way of winding down and practicing creativity.

“It gets me thinking outside of the box, creativity wise,” Hernandez said. “It’s time to relieve stress, relax and take care of myself.”

Another reason people make art is for enjoyment and the way it makes them feel. Relating to Hernandez, Tanajian enjoys making art because it makes him happy.

“‘Happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue,’ which simply means that for me to do something that I’m good at, that is what I’m meant to do. It’s going to make me happy,” Tanajian said.

Even with the negative factors of AI, Woodman trusts that the AI system will improve and become a big part of our lives. He suggests giving AI a chance while it continues its manufacturing.

“They’re developing how to think about how to make AI be a thoughtful machine, a thoughtful program, and it’s gonna get better,” Woodman said. “It’s still in its youngest years, so I wouldn’t expect anything to be exactly the way you want to.”

With new AI technology taking over the world by storm, many still think it cannot compare to the creativity present in human-made art. Many see art as a way of expressing one’s true self, and perception of the world, which is what makes human made-art special.

“Imagery, creativity and then just expressing emotions and all of those things are what really makes a human art unique,” Hernandez said.

Should mature media be reserved for mature audiences?

By Amanda Troll

When scrolling through streaming platforms, there are countless shows and movies to watch at the press of a button. As the amount and variety of entertainment has grown, some can not help but wonder if the media that is being released is impacting soci ety in the right way. Franchises such as “Scream,” “American Horror Story” and “Fifty Shades of Grey” explore explicit topics that many be lieve are not appropriate for younger audiences.

With the access that many young people have to the internet, it is often easy for teenagers to watch mature media. The SCHS community ex plores whether these types of media impact teenagers in a harmful way.

According to sophomore Ysabella Vicconde, mature media can be edu cational. They believe that many do not pay much attention to the sever ity of topics such as drug use when they are taught in schools, so TV can bring awareness to these topics in a way that appeals to a younger generation.

“With DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education), I didn’t really pay attention to that stuff, but since it’s on TV, we can really see another perspective,” Vicconde said.

Similarly, freshman Kenny Gray has observed that many are unaware

of the consequences of certain actions, such as fighting and unprotected sex, but mature media provides a platform for them to be taught through entertainment. He believes that being

of what they see on TV. He believes that many understand that their actions should not be based on what is shown in the media.

“I don’t think we should base what

“There’s definitely people who like to idolize TV shows a lot, and then be like, ‘This person did this, so I should do it too,’” Vicconde said.

Social science teacher Emily Haven pointed out that consuming such media can make viewers numb to the severity of these topics.

“There is this thing in the psyche world called the violence viewing effect,” Haven said. “Basically, what we’ve seen from the violence viewing effect is that we become desensitized to things we experience on a regular basis. So if you view a lot of violence, you are desensitized to violence.”

There are mixed opinions on whether these genres of mature media are addictive or repulsive, and whether or not teenagers should be watching them. Many believe that young audiences should find what they can and cannot handle and consider how what they are watching will affect them before turning on a mature show.

By Elias Panou

S.N.U.F.F: Special Newsreel Universal Future Film. Short clips of entertainment posed and dismissed as news are the focus of Victor Pelevin’s underground classic, aptly titled “S.N.U.F.F.”

Pelevin grew up in Soviet Russia, first published in 1989, before the USSR’s collapse. Pelevin became well-known among Russian youths, as he explored the rift in Russian society left by the Soviet world’s collapse and conjoining with the West. This genre is known as Post-Soviet, characterized by the lack of objectivity, a feeling of void and the absurdity of styles.

I won’t lie, I hadn’t heard of Pelevin before I had put any thought into it. Yet when I read “S.N.U.F.F” and enjoyed his wicked satire and ridiculous plot lines, I felt like I had always known who he was.

In “S.N.U.F.F,” the main character is Damilola Karpov, living in a world where the two imperial powers, Urkaine and Big Byz, have taken control of everything. The staunch fascists of Big Byz look down on the Urks of Urkaine as shabby and uncouth. Coincidentally, the narrative starts just in time for the annual war between Urkaine and Big Byz.

That’s where Damilola comes in. Damilola works for CINEWS, a media corporation responsible for fueling the annual great war. Karpov is a combat camera pilot, in a world where screens and film are weaponized into flying machines of war, designed to create little clips and snippets of S.N.U.F.Fs that incite complete and total warfare.

Obviously, this book is a satire of the saturation of modern media. Pelevin digs deep into Russian society, but the American applications are worrying.

One of the most brilliant comparisons that Pelevin employs is in one of Damilola’s soliloquies: all the clips he has to record must include the logo of the Urkainian army’s fashion designers – a corporation with ties in CINEWS’s stock holdings. I feel that says more than enough about the book.

then as you grow without it, you’re gonna feel a stronger attraction to it because you’re curious about it,” Gray said. “And it can lead you to maybe trying those things yourself rather than just knowing about them by seeing them in the media.”

Gray also believes that many people will not be strongly influenced to partake in dangerous actions because

that there are some people who do follow what the media shows them. They think that many shows depict the scary side of mature topics, such as drug use and violence, but some turn a blind eye and only see the fun aspects. They treat certain material they consume from the media as factual and realistic when it’s possible that the truth is stretched.

“I think that it just depends on the person and whether they want to or not, and how they can handle that,” Gray said. “You should be doing this just for yourself. What you can watch, what you can handle and what you can’t.”

I still can’t express my feelings on this novel. In many areas, Pelevin simply talks in circles to me, while there were places with genuinely interesting plot points and events. Yet at the same time, I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone without patience and time on their hands.

At the bottom line, this book is Pelevin’s warning to all: be weary not of a camera but the photographer behind it.

Rebecca LaBarge/Roar Staff

The Roar’s recipe review: Valentine’s cookies, cakes and chocolates

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries Red Velvet Snickerdoodle Cookies Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

By Joshua Cedro

The classic treat: chocolate-covered strawberries are a staple on Valentine’s Day. This is partially because of how simple and quick they are to make, taking about ten to fifteen minutes, and they are relatively inexpensive. The only ingredients are strawberries, chocolate chips and toppings such as sprinkles and chocolate drizzle. The most challenging part of making chocolate-covered strawberries is melting the chocolate to dip the strawberries in. Many will choose to microwave the chocolate chips as it is more convenient, yet one may risk burning the chocolate. As an alternative, many websites recommend melting them over a stovetop. While the stovetop method takes longer, it creates better results. The key is to constantly stir the chocolate while it is melting, otherwise, it will not evenly spread over the berries.

Once the chocolate is entirely melted, simply dip the strawberries into the chocolate, add the desired toppings and put the strawberries in the fridge so the chocolate can harden quickly. Overall, the recipe was easy to make and tasted good. It is one I recommend everyone try to make.

While snickerdoodle cookies are not usually associated with Valentine’s Day, this colorful spin on the classic cookie is perfect for Valentine’s season. This recipe uses a variety of ingredients, making it more expensive to make. However, it was not especially time-consuming. The process only took about 25 minutes to make the dough before baking the cookies. The most difficult part of baking these snickerdoodle cookies was spacing out the dough properly as they expand very quickly and can merge with other cookies. An alternative to this method is to cut the cookies with cookie cutters. Cutting the dough gives it a consistent shape that helps with spacing and baking the cookies. Once the cookie dough is shaped, the cookies bake quickly, taking around eight to ten minutes. These red velvet snickerdoodles are a simple Valentine’s day recipe that does not take long, makes a lot of cookies and comes out delicious. I recommend this recipe to those looking for a sweet treat on a sweet day.

The last Valentine’s day recipe is a chocolate chip cookie cake. This recipe was the most complicated one to make, as it took a large number of ingredients and was more time-consuming than the snickerdoodles and chocolate-covered strawberries. It took about an hour to make the dough and bake it. However, since the cake is made with a mold pan, there is no need to worry about spacing out the dough or keeping it in a consistent shape. One can simply throw the dough in the mold and let it bake. Some parts of the recipe can be altered. For example, the dough can be put into several mini molds sheets to make cookie bites, and the amount of chocolate chips can also be changed. The most important part of this recipe is baking the cookie. The dough is thick, so it can be difficult to determine when it is ready to come out of the oven. A good way to check if the cake is done baking is to do the toothpick test, which consists of inserting a toothpick into the cake and seeing if it comes out clean or not. If the toothpick is clean, the cake is finished baking. Overall, while this cake was more time-consuming and required more ingredients, the finished product was delicious.

Time4 4 4 Effort Price Key:

From gift giving to quality time: what love languages do students at SCHS speak?

hugs from Ruiz.

“I think it [hugs] makes him happy because a lot of the time he’s doing the same back,” Ruiz said. “He’s still a baby but he’s starting to understand more, and he’s been grabbing onto me more than usual.”

One of Chapman’s other books, “The 5 Love Languages of Children,” mentions how physical touch is a method to communicate love towards a child. Though physical affection is typically shown from a parent, an infant can recognize their close family members’ touch. Infants, who cannot verbally communicate, can understand emotional attachment, especially through touch.

By Ellen Vu

As flowers and chocolates appear in stores, the time of year to show love is around the corner. Valentine’s Day offers numerous affectionate opportunities. From hugging friends to sending a gift or letter to their partners, people have different forms of love languages.

Love languages are the ways people prefer to express and receive their appreciation. These styles of affection are not reserved to significant others but for any relationship.

Gary Chapman, a marriage counselor, realized understanding love languages helped couples form deeper connections. He explained this theory in his book “The Five Love Languag -

es: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate.”

Chapman found that couples that did not understand the best ways to show affection for each other did not have happy marriages. Without understanding the type of love language their partner preferred, couples would not be able to understand each other. The five general acts of love are words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, gift giving and physical touch.

Freshman Elexis Ruiz explained that physical affection is her preferred way of expressing love for her significant other, while favoring words of affirmation and giving gifts for her friends and family. Her baby brother, however, is an exception as he often receives

Ruiz explained that physical touch is a way to support a loved one in distress, especially for crying children. Several students, including sophomore Robert Ray, agree that physical touch is their favorite way to express their love.

“It [hugs] just makes me feel comforted. It makes me feel better, I guess, and it’s just easier for me to give and receive,” Ray said.

Along with physical touch, Ray also enjoys spending quality time with people he cares about. Another love language, the definition of quality time varies from person to person. It could be shopping, eating or simply being together. According to Ray, paying attention to his loved ones and spending time with them is an easy way to

connect, as friends or as family.

“With family, if we’re all together and we’re having dinner together, we talk about our days and like to ask each other things,” Ray said. “Then we might watch a movie or something and spend time together.”

According to Chapman, togetherness is an important aspect of quality time, requiring focused attention. Being in the same room with one another does not have the same effect unless both people feel cherished with the other’s presence. People can achieve this by talking, listening to each other or simply being together.

Similar to Ray, junior Crystal Aguilar also enjoys spending quality time with her friends. She feels happy knowing her friends enjoy her presence, along with knowing her personality.

“My friend, Lana, we go out a lot to Target, but she always knows for some reason. Even when I don’t tell her she’s like, ‘Do you want to go out?’” Aguilar said. “She just knows who I am.”

Quality time is important in many of Aguilar’s relationships. Creating memories makes her happy as this way of showing affection gives her a chance to be around her loved ones.

“It’s just those moments that make the memories really special,” Aguilar said.

Senior Andrew Gabriel Herrera Gutierrez agrees that quality time with family and friends allows him to create strong bonds.

“Spending time with people is an easier way to get to know them,” Gutierrez said. “The more time you spend with someone, I feel like the more attached you’ll get to them.”

Gutierrez’s family members often express their affection verbally, which reassures and encourages him daily, motivating him to succeed.

“My mom (shows affection) by words of affirmation,” Gutierrez said. “She always tells me she believes in me whenever I need that push, especially in senior year.”

Love languages bring happiness to both those who are receiving and giving affection. Gutierrez recalls a time when he gave a gift to his friend, which brought her joy.

“I gave my friend a box of Pocky sticks that she really liked, and I remember seeing the smile on her face,” Gutierrez said.

Love is shown throughout the year but is highlighted as Valentine’s Day approaches. Gary Chapman’s theory of the five love languages advises that knowing how what makes loved ones happy is crucial in any relationship.

“Once you get to know their love language, you know how to comfort them, you know what to do when they’re feeling sad or they’re nervous or having anxiety,” Aguilar said. “You know what makes them feel comfortable and feel loved.”

Joshua Cedro/Roar Staff

Joshua Cedro/Roar Staff

Joshua Cedro/Roar Staff

Studentsuselovelanguagestoexpressaffectionforeachother.

Ellen Vu/Roar Staff

The Oscars

SCHS discusses the history and disparities of the Oscars awards show throughout the years

By Aaryan Dubale and Nishi Vijayvargiya

The Oscars have a long history in America. Beginning in 1929, the awards show annually recognizes actors for their skills and movies for their perfection. The art and technical caliber of each movie and actor are addressed through these awards.

The first time SCHS drama teacher Angelo Reyes learned of the Oscars, he was piqued.

“It was exciting to see the best people getting awarded. If you don’t watch the movie… you can’t have an opinion,” Reyes said.

Senior Julia Chavez shared that she decides whether or not a movie should be nominated for an Oscar after she watches it. Chavez watched “Babylon” and believed that the significant effect it had on her made it worthy of an Academy Award.

“I walked out of the theater being like, ‘This is getting an Oscar.’ It made me cry, the ending 15 minutes,” Chavez said. “I felt like I lived an entire lifetime and not many movies are doing that now.”

Within the last decade, Reyes has progressively become less invested in the Oscars.

“I haven’t followed in the last few years. I have not been following the way I did in high school,” Reyes said. “Maybe 10 years ago I would follow it a little more.”

Chavez stated that in the past 10 years, the Oscars have begun to distribute awards based on how famous the actors in the movies are instead of an actor or movie’s true talent.

“Compared to a decade ago, the talent is drying out for the Oscars now. I just feel like it’s people in the industry who you want to be famous being nominated to push their career,” Chavez said. “You don’t see it (the famous nominees’ work) and go, ‘They should get an

award for this.’”

Junior Andrew Chandra, on the other hand, expressed that the Oscars are headed in a positive direction since adding more entertainment factors to their show, helping to bring in a larger audience and keep them engaged.

“It’s definitely improved over the years. Back in the day, I think it was just more basic of ‘Here’s your actors who won,’ but now they’re adding musical numbers and monologues and humor, having different hosts,” Chandra said. “I think it’s definite ly great that we’re adding more talent and creativ ity into these Oscars, and hopefully down the road, we’ll have more.”

Senior Grayson Da vis also noticed the recent efforts to increase entertain ment within the ceremony but be lieves such elements are being prioritized over celebrating and recognizing deserving works of film.

“I feel like there’s this sort of recent tilt away from how much film making is a craft that in volves lots and lots and lots of people, and it’s kind of all just about actors and publicity stunts now,” Davis said. ”It’s drifting more that way, and it’s kind of depressing.”

Junior Sireesha Dan damudi believes that there should be more recogni tion for interna tional films. In Damdamudi’s opinion, the Bollywood movie “RRR” should have been nominat ed for an Os

car. However, because there is only one section for international films, it did not have much of a chance.

“It’s (“RRR”) literally the reason I’ve been following the Oscars because I really liked their performances,” Dandamudi said. “Even though they didn’t get nominated, which is unfortunate because there were a lot of really good contenders.”

In addition to international films only having one Oscars category, thus one chance to be recognized, Davis believes it is senseless that animated films can also only win in one section despite the often wide variety of animated films produced. Davis thinks there should be more subsections for animated movies and feels it is unrealistic to label one animated movie as better than another if they are of

“One thing about the Oscars that really bothers me is the animation category. It’s just one category when animation isn’t a genre, it’s a medium,”

Another problem

Dandamudi has with the Oscars is that there are many backend issues and complications regarding the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s judging

“One of the facts is that,

they don’t have a person of color on their board, which doesn’t lead to true diversity being shown on screen,” Dandamudi said. “Then, there was a whole thing with Brendan Fraser. He said that he was assaulted by one of the board members and that’s why he wouldn’t be attending the Golden Globes.”

According to Chandra, a negative moment in the Oscars was during the 2017 Oscars when “La La Land” was mistakenly recognized for an award intended for “Moonlight.”

“I think the most memorable controversy (was) between ‘La La Land’ and (‘Moonlight’). They said ‘La La land’ won, but then they overturned it to another one (‘Moonlight’) because the award was supposed to go to ‘Moonlight.’ I think that was a really embarrassing moment for ‘La La Land’ because personally, it was a really good movie. It’s about LA. I love LA. I felt sort of bad,” Chandra said.

To Reyes, winning an Oscar does not hold as much meaning or significance as it did 10 years ago due to the various issues surrounding the Oscars.

“I like Kristen Bell and I liked Daniel Day Lewis and I like Sharp. I like these actors, and it doesn’t matter to me if they win or not,” Reyes said. “To be honest, I don’t think it matters as much any more to the more seasoned actor.”

Many have found the Oscars experience is not nearly the same as it was a decade ago. Dandamudi commented on how the interest in the Oscars has declined and does not have enough diversity in it. She believes that along with the experience, the image of the Oscars has also changed.

“Honestly, (the image of the Oscars to me is) prestige and honor, but in recent years, probably corruption,” Dandamudi said.

Visuals by Amelia Howell