Baron Banner Volume XXXIV Issue 3 February 2018

3 FEATURE

7 FEATURE

New dance class. By Vivian Le

Mindfulness. By Cecilia Nguyen

4-5 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

8 SPORTS

Marrisa Lynch. By Eden La Clair

Valentine’s Lookbook

Jam out to Baron Banner’s LOVELY playlist for the month of Febuary!

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Volume XXXIV // Issue I11

february 2018

fountain valley high school

baronnews.com

@baronnews

HBUHSD provides option to add plus/ minus system to student transcripts

By CELINE HOANG, EDITOR-INCHIEF & LAURA LE, BUSINESS MANAGER On Jan. 26, teachers at Fountain Valley High School were notified by the school’s registrar of an option to implement a plus/minus grading system onto student transcripts.

Previously, pluses and minuses were not indicated on these transcripts. Now, the pluses and minuses can be added to every letter grade besides ‘F’. However, this will not affect the grade point of the grade. For example, both A+ and A- grades will count as four-grade points.

One reason for this option is to allow students to qualify for the Golden State Seal Diploma through the California Department of Education. To receive the seal on a student’s high school diploma and transcript, they must have a B+ average or numerical equivalent in ninth, 10th or 11th grade English, math and science classes. Additionally, the student must meet the required standard in the high school Smarter Balanced

Summative Assessment. In history and two other classes chosen by the student, they must have a B average.

“The reason we are doing this is because we have the ability to do it. Everything we do is for an advantage for the students,” said Nancy Peterson, Assistant Principal of Guidance.

However, this new grading system will not be mandatory. “At this point, it is a new policy for the district. Just to clarify, we have this option available. If a teacher feels like they just want to mark plus grades and not minuses, there is no mandate to use the pluses or minuses at all,” said Peterson.

If a teacher decides to utilize this option, there are many advantages and disadvantages to this new alternative. More students would be able to qualify for the Golden State Seal Diploma, but students could also be hurt in college admissions with a minus letter grade.

English teacher David Theriault is deciding to implement the new policy to help more students qualify for the

Illustration by Jasmine Pham.

seal.

“I think it helps our students but just a reminder to everybody that even though we put pluses in, it won’t affect your GPA. It’s just for the state to see it on your transcript but it won’t help you get into college,” said Theriault.

For Spanish teacher Gerardo Gonzalez, adding minuses will ultimately be a disadvantage to students. He will only be adding the pluses for the B+ grades so that students can receive the Golden State Seal on their diplomas.

“Unless it was a statewide mandate saying that all districts have to put

pluses or minuses, I feel that the minuses would hurt our students in the long run. More students receive minus grades than plus grades because they realize they can’t attain the higher grade so they kind of shut down a little bit and play the percentage game with their classes,” said Gonzalez.

Second club rush gives clubs FV students participate in Women’s March another chance to shine

By JOHN LE, ELISE TRAN, & AMINAH KHAN, STAFF WRITERS Last Thursday and Friday, a second Club Rush dubbed “Club Rush 2.0” debuted at FVHS. Senior ASB Club Commissioners Crystal Banh and Nick Lee planned the event as a way to increase student involvement and showcase the variety of clubs on campus. Additional clubs were approved after the first Club Rush. This event would provide small clubs an opportunity to market themselves for the first time.

Halfway through the year, club sizes often dwindle due to lack of committed members. Hosting another Club Rush provided old and new clubs an opportunity to recruit new faces and revive club activity.

“We just thought it was a good idea to have another Club Rush and also some clubs start dying after, because you know members just stop coming and stuff so it gives a chance to recruit new membership,” said Banh.

The 49 participating clubs were split between two days.

This gave students an opportunity to learn more about clubs without becoming overwhelmed by the amount of clubs present.

“Because the first Club Rush had 80 clubs all in the bowl, students can’t have a chance to go

Mock Trial poses for a photo during the second club rush, as they recruited students.

all around because it’s so crowded and there are so many clubs.

But now, there are only half the clubs going on each day, so each club will get a bigger chance,” said Banh.

However, not every club participated in the second Club Rush due to conflicts with scheduling and activities.

“Our club, KIWIN’S, did not participate in Club Rush 2.0 due to the amount of work we were doing at the time. We were focused on submitting work to the district so we couldn’t give our full attention to Club Rush 2.0. We hope to participate next year,” said sophomore Sarah Nguyen, KIWIN’S Historian.

There was a variety of responses from both club board members and potential club members.

Photo by Lindsey Nguyen.

“I think it’s a good idea just to remind students the clubs that are available at FV. This way people can plan ahead and see what they want to do next year, or even join some clubs now,” said sophomore Siomara Ponce.

Club Rush 2.0 also received negative reactions concerning the lack of publicity.

“I have board positions for four clubs, two of which I am president of and for the most part, Club Rush 2.0 proved for little success in gaining new members in my clubs. The number of member sign-ups for my clubs were significantly lower than at [the] Club Rush at the beginning of the school year,” said junior Kelly Nguyen. “I also didn’t like how it was only one day; the original three day Club Rush is a lot more effective.”

By JASMINE PHAM, STAFF DESIGNER From Jan. 20-21, women from all around the world demonstrated in Women’s March events. The marches in Santa Ana and Los Angeles allowed students from Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) to attend.

Yasmeen Hassan and Maithy Nguyen were two seniors that participated in this year’s Women’s March.

“It was a great experience because I got to see and interact with people of different religions, races and beliefs, fighting for something in common,” said Hassan.

Following the unexpected turnout of

last year’s protest, people of all different genders, sexual orientations, racial backgrounds and religious creeds returned to the streets to voice their political opinions.

“I felt so happy, and I’m still so happy.

This was the most intellectually diverse, as well as the most beautiful thing I’ve ever been apart of. My friend, Jamie, and I were talking about how years from now, we’re going to be able to talk to our kids about how we were a part of such a cultural phenomenon,” said Nguyen.

This year’s demonstration brought...

Women’s March | Page 2

Child abuse case emphasizes lack of homeschooling regulation

By BETHANY PHAM, STAFF WRITER

David Allen and Louise Anna Turpin, a couple living in Perris, Calif., are faced with nine counts of torture and child endangerment after authorities found their 13 children shackled and malnourished in their Riverside County home.

Six of the Turpins’ 13 children were homeschooled under the Turpins’ private Sandcastle Day School. Authorities investigated the home when the Turpins’ 17-year-old daughter broke a window to escape the house, leading the police to discover her 12 other siblings chained to their beds.

Social services were unable to reach these children sooner since records showed that they were under the care of their parents and provided with sufficient education. While the California Department of Education’s (CDE) oversight of homeschools include annual affidavit submissions detailing the number of students, staff members and information about administrators, they require next to nothing on the condition of the students.

The CDE had no legal obligations to review student curriculum, academic performance or wellbeing.The local

CHILD ABUSE CASE | Page 2

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NEWS

February 2018

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HBUHSD students receive a voice in education

By ELISE TRAN & KAITLYN NGO, STAFF WRITERS This year the Huntington Union Council Parent Teacher Association (HUCPTA) introduced a student advocacy program to engage high school students in K-12 education policies.

The goal of this program is to expose students to issues concerning education and provide them with an opportunity to speak about problems they face in order to improve communication between the students and their schools.

“The Student Advocacy Program is an important opportunity for students to advocate on both local and state issues. Students have the most authentic perspective of school-related topics and should have a voice when it comes to policies and practices that impact them,” said Principal Morgan Smith.

A maximum of eight sophomores, juniors or seniors from each high school within HBUHSD were chosen to participate. To apply, students had to explain their main focus on improving education, questions they had for policy makers and why they are a strong candidate for the program. After the application process, students were selected by staff or the Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

EDITORs-IN-CHIEF Aozora Ito Celine Hoang

DESIGNER-IN-CHIEF Cayla Nguyen

MANAGING EDITOR Kyle Nguyen

BUSINESS MANAGER Laura Le

PHOTO MANAGER Illustration by Khang Do.

panel.

The selected students will attend four meetings at high school campuses from February to March.

These meetings will cover issues such as financial situations, Common Core and school curriculum.

Student wellness such as anxiety and sleep deprivation will also be discussed.

The students have the opportunity to discuss their concerns with

HBUHSD, Huntington Beach City School District (HBCSD), Fountain Valley School District (FVSD) personnel, local and state lawmakers and school board members.

“Through PTSA and the HBUHSD School Board, your voice can be heard and we are listening. Whether it’s topics of homework, bell schedule, or course curriculum, policymakers are listening,” said Smith.

Women’s March From Page 1

...to the potential change that voting could foster. The organization made sure to prioritize gathering the democratic support of swing states, so the main demonstration took place in Las Vegas.

The students found the Women’s March event to be as unforgettable as it was empowering.

“The event was important to me because I felt like I had a voice. I got to speak out for something I believe in and had the opportunity to march for the people who couldn’t do it themselves,” said Hassan.

Women’s March, a nonviolent organization, was created by Tamika D. Mallory and Bob Bland.

Last year, the day-long demonstration focused on protesting against the many attacks Donald Trump aimed towards minority groups during the 45th presidential election. Soon after his inauguration, the Women’s March organization was born. It garnered participation

Child Abuse Case From Page 1

...state or fire marshal is supposed to inspect home schools annually, but the Associated Press reported that “representatives for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Riverside County Fire Department and the Perris Fire Department did not immediately say whether the Turpins’ home was ever inspected.”

Under California law, private school employees must submit to fingerprinting and background checks, but there is no such demand placed on parents teaching their own children.

This story is not unique: there have been a great deal of instances of child torture across the US that occurred under the veil of homeschooling.

According to the Los Angeles Times, “adults who grow up in these situations are virtually helpless,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education

Baron Banner Staff

Women’s March demonstrators gather in Downtown Santa Ana with posters.

from all seven continents, setting historical records and gathered together approximately five million marchers.

According to the organization’s mission statement, “Women’s March is committed to dismantling systems of oppression through nonviolent resistance and build(CRHE). “They may not have driver’s licenses or any form of identification. They may not have any educational records, much less a high school diploma or transcript.

They may not have a single friend outside the family to take them in.”

Neighbors of the Turpins noted how socially isolated the children were and they appeared scared when neighbors approached them.

“I thought the kids were homeschooled. You know something is off, but you don’t want to think bad of people,” said Kimberly Milligan, a neighbor of the Turpins.

Some, like CRHE supporters, are rallying for new legislation that tighten regulations and increase oversight in homeschools, saying that California and other states with similarly loose homeschooling policies should “force contact with mandatory reporters. States could require annual assessments by a certified teacher and annual doctor’s visits, creating at least two opportunities for a trained professional to recognize abuse.”

In response to the Turpin

Photo by Jasmine Pham.

ing inclusive structures guided by self-determination, dignity and respect.”

This year participants marched to shed light on a host of problems like the lack of media representation for women, homophobia, xenophobia, immigrant rights, racism and sexism. There were also

Along with the meetings, the students will meet with a teacher, an administrator or counselor at their own school in order to review issues that directly affect their school. At the end of this program, students will write a report on their experience of the meetings and present it at a PTA meeting in the spring.

Yasir Khaleq

NEWS Cecilia Nguyen

SPORTS Olivia Krueger

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Vivian Le

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER ties to the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns.

“Ever since last year, I saw posts [of the march] all over social media, and I was heartbroken that I couldn’t experience it. I made sure that I would go this year. It was empowering to see all these women, men, and children of all colors, shapes, sizes and sexual orientations come together to support whatever is important to them,” said Nguyen.

Millions across the globe united to challenge the injustices that exist in our society. With our country’s posterity in mind, these activists have set examples for young people. The Women’s March proved to be both an inspiring event and an invigorating start to the new year.

“With everything that’s going on in our world right now, this brought all of us together. Whether it was all an enigma of posters and marching, the experience of it all was everything I wanted and more,” said Nguyen.

Ivy Duong

ADVISER Sean Ziebarth

WRITERS Aminah Khan Benjamin Minch Bethany Pham Dzuy Nguyen Ella Scott-Wallace Isabella Purdy Jennifer Nguyen Jennifer Trend Kaitlyn Ngo Karen Phan Lauren Nguyen Suzane Jlelati Theodore Vuong Vivian Yenson

PHOTOGRAPHERS Cisco Nguyen Eden La Clair Lindsey Nguyen Madelyn Moua Precious Oweiss Vinh Nguyen

DESIGNERS Elise Tran Jasmine Pham John Le

CARTOONISTS Khang Do Mimi Tran Homeschooling makes for an easy opportunity to hide child abuse.

case, Assemblyman Jose Medina (D-Riverside) released a statement saying he was “looking into” proposing new policies to California’s homeschooling law.

Opposition to imposing more laws comes from those like supporters of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), a national advocacy group that works to ensure that states don’t increase regulations.

Scott Woodruff, the HSLDA’s

Illustration by Mimi Tran.

senior counsel, said that although California lawmakers may call for more “red tape burdens” in the wake of the Turpin case, he is confident such attempts would fail.

“When people of goodwill have time to look at the data, they realize the home-school laws are not the problem. We have not seen a clamping down in response to a very vivid case of tragic abuse,” said Woodruff.

SOCIAL MEDIA @ BaronNews @ BaronNews @ BaronNews

February 2018

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FEATURE

3

Teachers bring a breather into their classrooms with mindfulness

By CECILIA NGUYEN, NEWS EDITOR For the past semester, a handful of teachers at Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) have implemented mindfulness in their classrooms as a way to relieve stress in students.

By taking just a few minutes to have students focus on their five senses and their breathing, teachers hope to emphasize stress management and create an atmosphere of calmness in the classroom.

“We want to help students… As teachers, we know that the stress levels of students are insane. At the beginning of the year we had the opportunity to take mindfulness, and a lot of us took it, learned about it and really saw a positive effect,” said visual arts teacher and Peer Assistance & Leadership (PAL) advisor JoAnna Jones.

Studies show that stress negatively impacts a student’s academic performance by hindering their ability to focus, learn and regulate emotions. Practicing certain techniques like deep breathing and concentrating on love and kindness allows students to gain control of their surroundings and improve their mental health.

“We can reduce the feelings of anxiety, which can lead to depression, by learning how to bring awareness to our thoughts,” said biology teacher Erika Williams.

Junior David Cortez settles down for a session of mindfulness.

Although most teachers have started using mindfulness at the suggestion from their peers, Williams, along with biology teacher Emily Barro, is part of the Orange County Department of Education’s

(OCDE) Resilient Mindful Learner Project.

After applying and getting accepted, Williams had to commit to implementing mindfulness in the

Photo by Vinh Nguyen.

classroom and being observed by another educator and psychologist.

“Learning tools that allow you to turn your attention towards an investigative mindset will bring more

confidence and happiness to your life. I think that if we all try to practice that, we will all be kinder to one another and happier,” said Williams.

Letter From the Editors Dear Fountain Valley High School staff, students and parents, We would like to welcome you to our 3rd issue of the 34th volume of the Baron Banner.

Science Olympiad team won four top-five finishes at the Poly Invitational.

Photo courtesy of Katrina Brighton.

Science Olympiad scores top finishes at Poly Invitational

By BENJAMIN MINCH, STAFF WRITER

On Jan. 27, the Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) Science Olympiad team competed at the Poly High School Invitational in Pasadena earning top-five finishes in the Ecology, Optics, Chemistry Lab and Remote sensing events.

The competition consisted of 24 science-related events ranging from Herpetology, the study of reptiles, to Chemistry Lab and Mousetrap Vehicle. This competition is part of a larger organization called Science Olympiad, which host tournaments where students compete by taking tests, performing experiments and building vehicles

against other schools.

Students competed in a variety events that required them to take tests, create and perform experiments or submit contraptions they had built in advance.

The events lasted for 50 minutes each, resulting in a six hour competition, along with an awards ceremony. Although FVHS didn’t win any medals, which were awarded to top three places, they came very close—within a single point in the Ecology event. Overall, eight students from the FVHS team scored in the top five in their event out of 24 teams.

“I am super proud of our team and being able to get top five finishes

despite there being lots of private schools here,” said Harshin Pathak, co-president of the team.

The Science Olympiad team is made up of 15 students from the Science Olympiad club, including four seniors: Harshin Pathak, Jane Liu, Benjamin Minch and Daniel Garcia. Every Thursday at lunch, the team meets to practice and learn new material.

The Science Olympiad is looking forward to their next competition at University of California, Irvine.

“We hope to win a medal because they give them out to the top eight instead of only top three,” said Pathak.

From stories on the Women’s March to a Fountain Valley soccer player who fought through a rare heart condition and a concussion, this issue is the compilation of our hardworking staff writers, photographers, designers and editors who put in countless hours to make this possible.

This weekend, our team will be traveling to Fullerton College for our annual OCJEA Journalism Competition. With categories ranging from feature stories to sports to news, our team has been training during the whole month of January and the first half of February. We hope to showcase our journalism skills that have improved tremendously over the six months since August.

Since many student print publications suffer with the lack of funding to print issues, we are incredibly thankful for this opportunity. As the year is quickly approaching the end, Baron Banner will keep building the history of the Fountain Valley High School community. We hope you enjoy reading this issue.

Sincerely, Aozora Ito & Celine Hoang 2017-2018 Baron Banner Editors-in-Chief

4

ARTS & ENTERTAIMENT

February 2018

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Love Grams Phillip,

Our schedules will impact us, we will soon take on different tasks in life, even now it’s getting harder.

But always remember that you have me to pour your heart and feelings to, remember that I am here not only as your girlfriend but also your best friend.

Jessica, For my one and only

kitty cat who is pawsitively purfect. Thank you for always being there for me and putting up with my quirks. I love you.

- Jessica

ACADEC Babes!!

Hello, all. Thank you for joining Academic Decathlon, and I hope ya’ll had fun at comps! I love all of you guys!! And if you (whoever’s reading this) are not in Academic Decathlon, go on and join!! <3

- Shanoonie

BE MINE

Photos by Ivy Duong & Madee Moua

Kelly Nguyen, junior, styles a pink dress with a white blouse underneath.

- Phillip

Caitlyn,

XOXO

Thanks for being a cool CAT <3 You’ll forever be my cun sun bun bun i love you!

I’m so happy to call you one of my best friends. Thanks for everything <3

Be Mine

- Natania

Jasmine,

I love you so much! Keep doing you boo. <3

- Jasmine

LOVE

Bethany,

Thank you for being my best friend and being a constant for me, as we both struggle through junior year, begging for mercy on all fours. I love you and your existence, humor, intelligence, and all-around greatness with all I have. I wouldn’t be here without you. Squeak* <3

- Lillian

Valentine’s D

Sean Le, junior, styles a relaxed-fit shirt with a pair of blue jeans, topping it off with white sneakers and a beige blazer.

Senior Tricia Tran revive dapper fashion w

February 2018

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

5

Fall in love with these Valentine’s Day books

By JENNIFER TREND & ISABELLA PURDY, STAFF WRITERS

able to fix what she broke, or will she create more destruction?

This book was an interesting read… if you don’t mind second hand anger and embarrassment.

Things took an unexpected turn during parts, and I was left in shock at what Molly’s responses to certain situations were. It was a good read, but the ending felt like it was cut short.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, what better way to get into the loving spirit than to read some romance books? From cheesy pick up lines to heartwarming gestures, these five reads will be sure to inspire you to show your love for your special someone.

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen Louna Barrett has seen every wedding imaginable as Natalie Barrett, her mother, is a respected wedding planner. The business beautifully sells the idea that true love can be achieved through a wonderful ceremony, but in reality, Natalie and her partner, William, don’t believe in true love. They only sell the idea of it—a belief that Louna holds to her heart. And with her heart still slightly broken over Ethan, it’s no surprise she rejects all attempts to be set up with unknown dates. But when Ambrose Little, the handsome, ignorant, annoying, and yet somehow charming boy she ends up working with walks into her life, perhaps her beliefs may change.

Dessen is not new to the writing industry, and Once and for All definitely shows this. The writing and story takes you away into a new world, and seamlessly introduces the reader to a world of weddings.

The way Louna handles the tasks given to her felt all too realistic, and gave it a human feel that is not as common as one might think. It was

Photo by Francisco Nguyen

a calming and refreshing read—a great way to destress and simultaneously find the true meaning of love.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon A girl has bubble baby syndrome and the unexpected happens to her.

She finds love through her kind neighbor who wants to show her the world. But will her mom let her? And will she get sick or die along the way? You’ll find out in

this incredible story.

A sweet love story with a depressing aspect is rewritten through this wonderful book. The couple in the book is unforgettable and their love story is one that will leave you thinking about it for days. Not to mention, a heartbreaking and infuriating plot twist at the end makes this an incredible read. I’d highly recommend this for the sweet relationship of the couple in the book and the unexpected plot twists and turns along the way.

99 Days by Katie Cotugno Returning to her small hometown after finishing senior year at a boarding school, Molly Barrows finds a town which hates her. A year ago, Molly completely destroyed her relationship with Patrick by cheating on him with his brother Gabe. Her heart leans towards both, having shared a past history, and an unknowing love triangle emerges. There’s only 99 more days left of summer before she can leave for college, but will Molly be

Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West Abby Turner’s summer is not off to the best start when two of her friends leave for vacation, leaving Abby with her best friend who also happens to be her crush. To make matters worse, Abby gets denied from an art show, and her chance to apply for a college art program is crushed. She gets told her art has no heart, and creates ‘The Heart List’, a list of ten things to do within the next few weeks that would give her the experiences needed to express her heart into art. But Abby realizes that getting through the list isn’t as straightforward as she thinks it is, and she will have to change if she wants her art to change.

It was a good read. Even though parts passed off as unlikely events, it was still interesting to see how things unfolded. This book also introduced a mother with anxiety, and a father away at war, and I think West tackled the two well, never sugarcoating it and showing what effects it had on Abby.

Day Lookbook

with her floral dress and classic bold lip.

Tom Hoang, sophomore, styles a plain white t-shirt with a red fannel to match his Rolling Stones dad hat.

Jasmine Pham, junior, pairs her off the shoulder satin top with a pair of classic blue jeans and black Puma Suedes.

6

FEATURE

February 2018

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A board member prepares their robot moments before it starts moving.

Photo by Vinh Nguyen.

By THEO VUONG & VIVIAN YENSON, STAFF WRITERS A computer screen with a jumble of numbers and letters may seem like gibberish to the majority of students on campus, but for the students of the Academic Computer Science Club (ACSC), it is their second language.

Armed with a militia of computers and their own functioning robots, they seek to bring the study of computer science out to the students of Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) and win some competitions along the way.

Founders of the club, senior co-presidents Loulya Alcharbaji and Sandra Celis, took it upon themselves to provide an opportunity for more students to become experienced in the computer science field.

“We only have two computer science classes and we wanted to bring that out into a club where students can actually interact if they hadn’t had the opportunity [in class]. It’s more flexible for [the members] since we’re a club and not a class,” said Alcharbaji.

Despite its focus on a rigorous academic subject, the club is easy to join and participation is highly encouraged.

“You just have to attend the meetings. It’s entirely up to you about how involved you want to be. You do not need experience to join,” said Celis.

As a newer club on campus, the ACSC faced the same challenges that shut down other clubs in the past.

“Since this is our first year, we’re trying to get opportunities for students to work during the

meetings during the 30 minutes we have. We are in need of donations and contributions to get computers just for this club,” said Alcharbaji.

While those new to computer science can find something to enjoy, more experienced members can compete in several competitions against other schools.

“Competitions are not mandatory, but beneficial. It’s a different learning experience and it really allows you to build on your existing knowledge,” said Alcharbaji.

“In competitions, you really get to learn and experience what it’s like to work and you are preparing yourself for a future in the field,” said Celis.

This year, the ACSC is competing in several competitions, including the FIRST Robotics, Esports League of Legends and Cyberpatriot. Currently, the club is preparing for their FIRST Robotics competition, which will take place at University of California, Irvine in late March. To prepare for the competition, the club has been creating and designing a robot for the past three weeks.

After the building session is over, the robot will be tested for its abilities, such as climbing a rope or elevating itself.

“For anyone wanting to join, my tip is to not be afraid going out there and experimenting with something new. Previous knowledge isn’t needed and I believe we all start somewhere so, sooner the better,”, said Alcharbaji.

If you are interested in joining, the Academic Computer Science Club meets on Tuesday in room 117.

Coding a brighter future with PE Department adds dance class Academic Computer Science Club Photo Illustration by Vivian Le.

By VIVIAN LE, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Beginning next year, the Physical Education (PE) Department will offer a two semester curricular instructional dance class that will give students a full year of PE credits.

To qualify, students must complete a full year of PE 1 and request a teacher recommendation prior to applying. Those who have already completed both years of PE may still take the class for elective credits.

Tara Bearden, PE teacher and Pep Squad Director, will be teaching the new class. She has been dancing for

30 years.

“I think dance is awesome, not only as a way to stay healthy and fit, [but] it’s what I did all my life. It’s a great way of expression. It makes everybody happy,” said Bearden.

Students will be taught how to perform aerobics, yoga, pilates, zumba, jazz, lyrical and hip hop.

However, they will only be evaluated in jazz, lyrical and hip hop dance.

“It’s different. I think students who maybe don’t necessarily fully enjoy sports or something like that [should have a] different option for them, something more like a performing art than maybe team sports,” said Bearden.

Similarly to PE, students must participate and dress out everyday.

Unlike standard PE though, they will be given points based on performance evaluations and vocabulary tests. Students will perform individual and group dances in front of their peers. Students will also have two opportunities throughout the year to choreograph their own dances.

“I’m super excited for this class and it’s something so new and different for Fountain Valley. I think we’re going in the right direction by adding more PE classes. If a kid doesn’t make dance team or cheer, they can take this dance class. I think it’s awesome,” said Bearden.

Senior Loulya Alcharbaji, president of Academic Science Club, hosts her club meetig.

Photo by Vinh Nguyen.

February 2018

Are American schools creating robots?

By BENJAMIN MINCH, STAFF WRITER Is modern schooling, especially primary and secondary education, doing something wrong? Schools didn’t always segregate students by age and subject matter, but now we’re driven by bells into classrooms covering discrete subjects.

Students are expected to progress at a standardized pace with little regard for their differences in strengths and interests.

Despite living in a country that was built on freedom of speech and individualism, schools barely let your thoughts deviate from the textbook, turning our citizens into near-robots.

When was the last time, in a class other than history, you had an honest debate over conflicting ideologies or theories? Most teachers don’t invest time in this because it is not what you need to know

to pass the test, a task that seems to be the end goal in most classes.

Advanced Placement (AP) classes are solely designed around passing a test. Why would teachers bother including debates in their curriculum if it won’t appear on the test?

In the sciences, most teachers will teach Darwinian evolution as fact, when in reality, it is one of the most hotly contested topics in all of science. This conflict is summarized in short by Dr. Chen, Professor of Paleontology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“In China we can criticize Darwin, but not the government; in America, you can criticize the government, but not Darwin,” said Chen.

Chen and many other international scientists agree that Darwinism doesn’t have all the answers to life and is very flawed. At a Royal Society meeting last year, many promi-

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OPINION

7

Illustration by Khang Do.

nent evolutionary biologists admitted that Neo-Darwinism needed to be reworked all together through a consensus that random mutations don’t have enough creative capacity to make new life. Schools, however, gloss over this information and continue to teach that this form of evolution by random mutations is how all life on earth was made.

English classes also fall under this trap of constricting our thinking. Making us read books followed by extensive packets filled with questions along with exams that test us on highly specific parts of

the book is an example of this constriction. They are trying to make us into “professional book analysts” when in reality, it ends up being busy work and memorization.

Robots can already analyze books for logos, ethos and pathos.

A simple Google search will produce these results. Instead, what English classes should be teaching us is how to develop our own thoughts about the books we read and create our own ideas and connections, rather than expecting a textbook answer.

Unfortunately, many university

students are subjected to a similar tyranny. In the book Excellent Sheep by William Deresiewicz, he states that “professors don’t care because they have no reason to care [and] just want to do their research, and teach you their research.”

Most, if not all, of the most esteemed scientists, mathematicians and activists in the past have challenged old ideas and status quo.

Rather than simply teach us about them, I believe that our school system should teach us how to become like them.

Sophomore Advice: Valentine’s Day for singles

By JOHN LE, AMINAH KHAN, ELISE TRAN & LINDSEY NGUYEN, STAFF WRITERS

Students are pressured to get their work in before the dreaded deadline, but not the same goes for teachers.

Photo by Elise Tran.

Deadlines, a One-Way Road

By YASIR KHALEQ, PHOTO MANAGER

High school is all about punctuality and time management.

Students work at strenuous rates on large amounts of concurrent work assigned by their teachers. We have to get all of our work done on time, for every class, with very few exceptions. The punishment for tardiness on assignments is steadily dropping grades.

Don’t get me wrong, punctuality is a key skill that students need to learn. However, I do have a problem with punctuality being a one way road.

Throughout the semester, it is not uncommon for teachers to take lengthy amounts of time to grade assignments.

I understand that teachers have more than one class.

Most have 4-5 classes. But I have more than one class too; I have 6. And I have to keep up with all of them. Students also have more than one class, some have up to 7, and most of us stay on top of our work.

The ones that don’t see their grades suffer.

But teachers aren’t punished for their tardiness. I’ve

personally never seen any indication from admin or anyone else that teachers have to stay on top of grading. What would happen to a teacher if they didn’t turn their grades in on time? No one’s going to cut their wages. They’re not going to get suspended. Or at least I’ve never heard of that happening. If grades are to be shoehorned into our learning environment, the least we deserve is to see these grades updated frequently.

What’s even more important is frequent feedback on our work. Feedback is essential to the learning process. If we don’t know how well we did on an assignment, we won’t have any reference point the next time we have to do a similar assignment.

For example, I had a large assignment in one of my classes recently. The teacher promised that the assignment would be graded in time to allow us to see our mistakes and improve for the next unit, which required us to do the exact same work. Unfortunately, we didn’t receive feedback until a few days before the next assign-

ment was due. Because it was a large assignment, most students were almost done with it and it was too late to make any changes. I ended up receiving the exact same grade on both because there wasn’t time to improve on my previous mistakes.

This is simply unacceptable.

If I have to turn in my work on time, then teachers need to ensure I receive the necessary feedback on my work. This is especially important when teachers are very particular about the quality and punctuality of a student’s work.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable for teachers to get grading done in a timely manner—the same timely manner they expect students to turn in their work. Students deserve to get their grades, and more importantly, feedback, frequently so they know how they’re doing in their classes, and they can stress less. Hanging grades cause great anxiety, which can pile on top of all the other worries of a hormonal high school student. We deserve to learn from our mistakes.

Sophomores: the 16-year olds who think they’ve got their whole life figured out because they watched Mean Girls, Clueless and 16 Wishes. In reality, we don’t actually know what’s going on most of the time. We live by the quote “fake it till you make it”.

Here, we give you advice that will probably be invalid, yet hilarious for upperclassmen. But for freshmen, it’s the holy grail.

Cherish it. Here’s some tips and tricks to get past the 2017-18 school year through our various topics. Stay updated with the SAT team!

Dear SAT, Valentine’s Day is coming up and I’m single. What am I supposed to do on this wretched day?

Single Suzy Able Aminah: The sight of affectionate couples everywhere can be very annoying. However, to overcome this day, try focusing on other great things in life. Do activities that are not even remotely romantic such as watching an action movie or a horror film.

Most of all, stay away from your friends who have significant others! Chances are, you will be hearing a lot about how in love they are so I would suggest you steer clear of them. The one great thing about Valentine’s Day is the post-Valentine’s Day sales! Go stock up on some cherry blossom perfume or buy the whole candy aisle at Walgreens because the prices are so darn cheap! Just remember, you KHAN make it through this terrible day!

Effective Elise: You could have a bomb Valentine’s Day whether you’re single or not. Valentine’s Day does fall on a meowcoles (Wednesday) this year which is a bit odd. If you’re not doing homework of some sort, just do what you do every Wednesday. Act as if it’s just another day in the year, because it is!

You may also use the excuse that holidays are just a human construct. Hey, you do you. Another technique is reading stories about the struggles of couple life and maybe you’ll feel relieved that you’re single

(and not ready to mingle)! Extra tip: try avoiding romantic comedies or something related to Nicolas Cage—wait—I meant Nicholas Sparks. Eh, you can avoid both.

As for the Valentine’s Day season, honestly it’s great! Even if you are single, a ton of heart-shaped chocolates go on sale and who doesn’t love that? Get yourself some chocolate. Take advantage of those chocolates while you can. Plus, the best thing about now is the February Baron Banner newspaper! Thanks for reading!

Laidback Lindsey: Four words: You do you boo. Valentine’s Day is the day of love and that shouldn’t mean just for couples. It could be a love yourself kind of day. Read a book, take a bath, binge-watch some Netflix shows!

Maybe you should get all your homework out of the way so you can stuff half-priced Valentine’s Day candy tomorrow with no interruptions. You could listen to a really depressed spotify playlist and cry in the corner until dinner’s ready (or listen to a chirpy Valetine’s Day playlist and groan at how it isn’t true at all). If you’re feeling lonely this Valentine’s Day, just remember that not a lot of people have a significant other. There’s so many people who are just with themselves today. It’s normal.

Valentine’s Day is just a lame social excuse to need a significant other when you only really need yourself.

Judgy John: Love is overrated. I’m single and proud of it. So what do you do when you’re all lonely on Valentine’s day and have no significant other to hug, cuddle, and eat with?

Cry. Cry your heart and soul out. Crying is okay on this day, because you’ve already accepted the fact you’re most likely lonely and will always be. Rack up on the ice cream and brownies, it helps relieve the sadness just a little. Second, don’t even worry about the others, what significance do you have to a couple nearby? Take some time out of the day doing some lovely homework, study for future tests, or start up those study guides for June finals.

Or, you can invest in a bag of kazoos and distribute them to your friends! You don’t have to spend your day as a hopeless romantic, but spend it as an excellent student (or as a great kazoo player)!

February 2018

Baron Banner

SPORTS

8

Marissa Lynch: Obstacle? Just dribble past it.

By EDEN LA CLAIR, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Despite the many ups and downs throughout her soccer journey, Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) senior Marissa Lynch continues to work hard and fight through roadblocks. Her success is a result of her strong will to overcome numerous health conditions including a rare heart condition, severe concussion and a sinus infection.

Lynch is one of three captains for the varsity soccer team for the ‘17’18 season. She plays every game and is one of the top goal scorers on the team. Many colleges have considered her to play, but she ultimately chose to attend University of California San Diego to continue her soccer career. She has also retained her high grades and finished her first semester of senior year with a 4.13 cumulative GPA. At 13 years old, she was called up to the U-14 U.S. national team, a prestigious team that consisted of 36 girls chosen from the entire country. During this time, she trained with the team for a year and played in three games, while also being scouted by the coaches for the U-17 U.S. national team.

Lynch’s first obstacle arose during her time on the U.S. national team when she discovered she had Wolff Parkinson White, a rare heart condition. Though her condition was

not serious, Lynch was unable to play for the U-17 national team because of a heart monitor she had to wear constantly.

After being cleared to play again, Lynch returned to her club team and strived to get back on top. She made the FVHS varsity soccer team her freshman year and was ready to prove herself to her coaches and teammates.

However, early in her freshman year on her club soccer team, she suffered a serious concussion during a game that caused her to miss over 50 days of school.

After her long absence, she could only take two classes during her first semester because of her inability to maintain focus without getting headaches. During her second semester, she had to make up work from the first semester while simultaneously completing her current classes. Despite this difficult time, Lynch studied hard and maintained a 3.7 GPA her freshman year.

Lynch decided to dedicate her sophomore year into getting back on track with her academics. Even after her concussion and a critical sinus infection that required surgery, she continued to work extremely hard in the classroom and achieved a 4.2 GPA. After two years of recovery from soccer, Lynch finally returned to

Senior Marissa Lynch plays in one of the first preseason games of her senior season against Estancia High School.

play for the varsity team. During this season, she trained hard to get back into playing full games like she could before the concussion.

“Junior year was a recovery year getting back from my concussion.

For me, it was a personal thing.

I wanted to prove that I could get back into soccer shape and be the player I was supposed to be before the concussion,” said Lynch.

Though Lynch’s journey has been difficult, she has remained strong and determined to get to where she

Photo by Eden LaClair.

is today.

“I am proud of myself for figuring out my life and being able to handle everything. I wasn’t sure everything was going to work out, but I’m super happy it did and that all my hard work paid off,” said Lynch.

Coach D’Cean Bryant shoots for a strong first season

By VIVIAN YENSON, STAFF WRITER

Varsity boys’ basketball welcomed Coach D’Cean Bryant as their new head coach this ‘17-’18 season.

Bryant’s goal was to improve the team’s performance as a whole and to make sure that they were well-prepared for their season and years to come by bringing his unique coaching experience to campus.

“When coming to Fountain Valley High School, I saw it as an opportunity to lead a program; I had never been head coach before.

I’ve dealt with so many players: Kawhi Leonard, who plays for the [San Antonio] Spurs, Tony Snell, who plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, and Compton Magic. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to step Coach Bryant helps basketball players develop Photo by Bethany Pham. into a great position to be their strategies. the head coach of Fountain Valley basketball,” said Bryant. that help these young men [He] has focused more on inBefore coming to FVHS, Bry- grow, then basketball in itself dividual technique and athletant was an assistant coach at will automatically grow. For icism. I think he’s doing a great Orange Lutheran High School me, [I focused on] how I can job pushing us further than we for six years and helped the change the culture to make ever imagined.”

Overall, boys’ basketball finteam win two back-to-back sure these guys believe in CIF titles. There, he was pri- themselves first and then they ished 5th place in the Sunset marily involved in player de- can believe in each other,” said League and improved from 1-9 last season to 3-7 and beat velopment—creating practice Bryant.

The team has responded well Edison for the first time in four plans, planning defensive schemes and improving player to this change, showing im- years. provement in game plays and “This season was everything relationships.

Bryant hopes to improve overall performance. “[The I thought it would be.It didn’t the team’s performance by transition to a new coach] was end the way we wanted to, but helping them build a stronger difficult at first, since I’ve al- to see them push through it work ethic, increase player ready spent three years with and make it through and play communication during games Schultz, but I knew I just had with each other, well dang we and most importantly, work to move on”, said senior var- did it. For me that was the fun sity captain Paul Vu. “I know part, the exciting part,” said together as a team.

“I believe if you change the D’Cean is a great coach and Bryant. culture and do certain things expects nothing less from us.

Jacson Oulette looks across the Fountain Valley turf from his position of defense.

Photo by Yasir Khaleq.

Jackson Ouellette keeps a cool head on and off the field

By YASIR KHALEQ, PHOTO MANAGER

It’s not all just about soccer for junior Jackson Ouellette and that’s why he’s one of three captains of the varsity soccer team.

“It’s family first. Then school. Then soccer,” said Ouellette.

That’s the philosophy that has driven Ouellette on and off the field for the past three years at FVHS. Many student-athletes suffer from a lack of self-awareness and get too sucked into their sports. However, Ouellette keeps his focus away from any unnecessary distractions due to a strong mindset and a clear head.

“My dad helped me set my priorities.

Without school, I wouldn’t be able to play sports. And I would never be able to do anything without the support of my family” said Ouellette.

It’s with that mentality that also helps Ouellette succeed as a captain of the varsity soccer team that overflows with seniors.

Not many juniors would be able to handle it, but Ouellette has a firm grasp of his leadership role.

“I’m not strict on my teammates, but I’m straightforward. I’ve developed a good relationship with my teammates and a lot of trust,” said Ouellette.

Ouellette is able to think about more than just himself as well. He truly understands the team aspect of sports in a way that is sometimes difficult for gifted athletes. He

understands that the position of captain means nothing if he can’t lead the team to success.

Jackson’s love for soccer goes a long way in helping him thoroughly understand the game. His soccer career began early at the Boys & Girls Club as a toddler and then continued through eighth grade when he began training with a club team and has since grown steadily as a player, developing his own unique style. Watching Jackson on the field is truly an awe-inspiring sight. The way he drives the ball forward is akin to a bull in a china shop, crushing all before him.

“Growing up, I was never one of the skinnier kids. I was always big, so I used my body as an advantage. Naturally, I got stronger and I became more aggressive,” said Ouellette.

Ouellette has certainly given a lot to soccer over the years, and soccer has given a lot back to him. He’s lost weight, he’s made friendships and he’s gained a competitive edge. But most importantly, he’s become the leader he deserves to be.

“I realize I have to play every game like it’s my last. As the captain and the leader of the team, I have to keep the mindset that this team is ours… [that] we’re going to win this game. I have to motivate my teammates to succeed. It doesn’t come from one person, it comes from the whole team.”