BEAR WITNESS SPECIAL SENIOR ISSUE The adventure of a lifetime isn't about where you're going to school, or what's immediately after Branham. Though your potential was limitless at first, every choice you take narrows down the options you'll have. In the end, the adventure is in your journey. Class of 2021, choose your path wisely.
NOW E X BRAN ITING HAM Class
of 20
21
COLLEGE
JOB
AWAITS OWN
INTO THE _____________________________
KATELYN LOWPENSKY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
BEAR WITNESS STAFF ILLUSTRATION
SENIOR ROAD TRIP Where our seniors are headed, from college, to work, to taking a gap year. Pg. 2
UNK N
The journeys ahead of us
A
s the needle of the COVID-19 vaccine pierced my skin, I wasn’t thinking about the sting of the shot or the side effects I’d feel the next day. My mind was on the adventures ahead of me. I’m an explorer at heart. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel around the world and explore new places like Italy, England, and Germany. I’ve also gone on memorable local adventures with my friends to Santa Cruz and Monterey. However, my passion was put on hold at the onset of the pandemic. I put all my thoughts about touring pyramids in Egypt and ordering paella in Spain aside to focus on doing my part to stay safe. When the vaccine was announced, my fear for the future turned to hope. This development meant that a year of pain and loss was coming to an end, and a new era of change and progress could come to the surface.
FREQUENT TRAVELERS Recognizing student achievement, and department award winners. Pg. 3
PEAKS AND VALLEYS We take you through each year of high school as if it were a video game level Pg. 4
TRAVEL RATINGS What's your road to success? Figure it out (sorta)with our career planner. Pg. 5-6
Now that the play button has been pressed on the world, talk of adventure is beginning to fill social media feeds and travel destinations fill Google search bars. Branham seniors are moving on to the next chapter of their lives, and they are now looking to their bucket lists to choose their new adventures. SEE FUTURE • PAGE 6
SENIOR SURVEY Seniors share their thoughts on everything from online learning to their favorite pets. Pg. 8
SENIOR DESTINATIONS
SPECIAL SENIOR ISSUE PAGE 2 Did you know: The Golden State leads the country in the number of post-secondary options with 264 fouryear colleges and university and 481 community colleges and trade schools.
TWO-YEAR COLLEGE Cabrillo College Olivia Rae Schroeder Canada College Kiana Marilyn Lord De Anza College Abdul Rasol Mohammad Alofi Kai Shimada Anderson Christina D. Arzate Launa Atkins Mila Cheree Avvenire Ja Quan Malik Dalani Barnes Justin Bollini Jonathan David Brink Zachery H. Byrd Gabriel Castillo Devyn A Chubon Eric D Cortinas Britney Doan Duru Ergun Kenneth Salvador Esquivias Melissa Flores Bravo Julia Veras Gibson Oscar Gomez Alysia Marie Greenwood Daniela Guevara Gregorio Guillermo Haley Lynn Harris Lucero Herrera Hae Yoon Annette Kwon Alexia G Landeros Richard S Lee Lila Catherine Lundgren Angelo D Maldonado Dominic Martinez Stephanie Belen Martinez Anthony E Medina Alvarado Cooper D Milrad Jorge Daniel Mora Chavez Itzel Moreno Alexander Fontes Musurlian Maria Nader Roxana Paola Najera Herrera Christopher Nguyen Sofia Nonga Ngue Eilon Presman Lisa R Robertson Bennett Brian Rothman Shawnauz Shabnam Sadeghian David Michael Sandel Pierce Kamel Shaheen Hailey Sham Quinten Chase Sinclair Elina Nikolayevna Vakunova Cassandra C Vargas Esmeralda Vanessa Villatoro Cindy Marie Widl Hayley M Young Anton Zhuk
Nicholas Hames Alejandro Hernandez Ibrahim Ahmed Hersi Samantha A Hunceker Aidan John Isaacs Orion R Jandu Bronson James Jenkins Ian Khajehnouri Daisy Marie Kreider Jin Gyo Lee Dov Tyler Levenberg Sarah N Lopez Juan Carlos Lopez Sudar Aidan Bradley Martin Eduardo Antonio Martinez Spencer R Mattias Brandon David Mayekawa Jennifer Shiri McGuire Taylor Ashlee McMahon Kyleigh Rose Mecchella Benjamin William Meister Jacqueline Monroy-Castillo Paul H Narkiewicz Erica Marie Northup Brandon Alexander Pak Samantha M Pauritsch Kevin Carson Peake Diego Perez-Jimenez Aidan Richard Petroff Florencia Veronica Porras Stephen Rascov Abigail B. Reed Mark Isaiah Castro Respicio Caden Roberts Caden Roberts Solana Azul Salinas Joslyn Maria Sampognaro Skyler Simone Sinclair Olivia Aleksandra Sipila Liam J Stephens Elise Ainsley Stimson Thomas David Thompson Emily Rose Trampenau Lorelei Veronika Van Fossen Kyle Paul Wagner Halina Rane Walters Kyle Jeffrey Williams Taiga Robert Yamaguchi McCawley Annastacia Yarbrough Four year Art Center College of Design Sydney Price Azusa Pacific University Michael Joseph Yamashita
Diablo Valley College Elliot Christianson-Stafford
Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo Nicholas J Bandanza Rafael Maximo Castillo Katelyn C. Lowpensky Kelsey Mikaela Migliore Zachary Stewart Tzou
Evergreen Valley College Christina Habtam Birhan Micah Aila Ramos
California Baptist University Taylor Ann Sheridan-Brown
Foothill College Lynette Leonor Cornejo Yamila J Navarrete Eliza Kaitlyn Saroeun
Chapman University Kendall Grace Pangburn
Irvine Valley College Elmin Lozic Mission College Nikka Valerie Meguerditchian Trae Singh Thompkins San Diego College Ramiz Isaam Qumsiyeh San Joaquin Delta College Julianne Noel Martin San Jose City College Angela Marie Granados Benjamin Nguyen Amanda Danielle Palermo Jason H Tsukimura Santa Barbara City College Yazmin Kate Harper Aidan Jones Sydney A Loeffler Solano Community College Afrouz Khosraviani West Valley College Tasneem Ababneh Flower Sunshine Aguilar Dylan Michael Armato Salma Isabela Avila Emilee Elisabeth Bateman Wetzel Rafa Abdulraheman Belamesh Joshua David Brandalise Ethan JiHoon Cho Natalie R Christenson Marcus Clizbe William R Crick James Michael DeLeon Andrei Dominguez Olivia Bronwyn Downey Dylan Adhisa Drake Tyler A. Edwards Christopher Jon Fletscher Ryan J Flink Mia Satomi Fujitani Benyamin Hwaminh Ha
CSU-Chico Lily Elizabeth Mudarri-Spencer Robert A Oryall Jacob G Buckman Makena A Ford CSU-East Bay Merlyn Alexandra Munguia Galeas Nikola Paunovic CSU-Fullerton Hannah J McElroy CSU-Humboldt Emma Camile Mudarri-Spencer CSU-Long Beach Kate L Feller CSU-Los Angeles Melvin Alejandro Celestino Valdovinos CSU-Sacramento Cassandra Elizabeth Moshy CSU-San Diego Mitchell James Brandalise Takuhiro Katchi Ryan K Kumar Colby J Lau Michael Andrew Long Emily Murphy Dominican University of California Melissa Amy Garcia
San Jose State University Trent Xavier Algea Alyssa Bui Jonathan Daniel Ciprian James William Demertzis Emre Levent Eroglu Bryant Tayt Houston Bo-Han Clark Hwang Samuel Edward Ingraffia Emma Irvine Jason Villasin Karas Ryoto Zachary Kato Alexander Nicolaos Kekchidis Denise Yenchi Le Eileen Tru Le Landry Andre Le Van Satvik Magganmane Emina Maslic Susan Montoya-Villagran Matthew Thomas Guerzon Moore Megan Nicole Nakagawa Elvis Anh Nguyen Jordan Trong-Hy Nguyen Vinh Nguyen Hanh Thi Hong Nguyen Nathan Daniel Platko Shawdie Sadeghian Kevin L Shim Keigo Tajima Quynh Thach Esmeralda J Toro-Jimenez
UC Berkeley Grace Yuri Cho Alexander Samuel Goldberg Geetanjali Jain Jada J Klein Preethi Harini Kumar Karen C Nguyen UC Davis Dorothy Jo Giang Balkon Noah W Burrows Vivek Simha Handebagh Sharon Iype Danielle Lauren Jacobs Hanson Huu Nguyen UC Irvine Tianyu Cao Junwen Gan Patsy Grace Fonkwo UC Merced Sol Pauline Jauregui
47%
Percentage of students enrolling in a four-year college or university in the fall.
Arizona State University Evan Patrick Carey Arizona State University-Tempe Matthew Sean Cordova Ariana Sobhan Grand Canyon UniversityTraditional Campus Noah Jake Diaz de la Cuesta
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. Northern Arizona University Anna Kathryn Ashe University of Arizona Anjali Lily Bellaire Katelyn Denny Emily Isabelle Rocha Colorado School of Mines Tyler Jack Sidlow
UC Santa Cruz Avichai Ethan Cooper Arunima Dhar Hannah Nicole Gallagher Nitu D Gupta Maria Movsesyan Vivian Tuyet Mai UCLA Mai Vy Hoang Dang Sela Ammar Jasim Chantal Wang Brian Zhao University of Redlands Joseph Freitas Alyssa Marie Saucedo University of Southern California Tiffany Elim La Myilan Muruganujan Chloe Yeh University of the Pacific Jessica Kaitlin Lacap Shanna Tran Nguyen Mia Ashley Janosik Isabella Mendonca Thiara Katia M. Yarkov
University of San Francisco Olivia Jayden Flores
Pepperdine University Josiah C Dumo William E Ortler
University of Southern California Aaron Ryan Ahmed University of the Pacific Edward Jun Kim
above sea level. Loyola University Chicago Marisa Lilly Panella School of the Art Institute of Chicago Yesenia Vallejo Sanchez University of Illinois-Chicago Quinn Andrea Ruiz
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
78%
Percentage of graduates who will be attending school in California.
Nevada
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
87%
Percentage of students on track to graduate by credit completion.
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
Rochester Institute of Technology Lena Cordelia Pang Elena Cassandra Desai
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
Iowa
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Stacia Lenae Brooks
Syracuse University Michael Steven Presunka Tompkins Courtland Jonathen William Tougas
Oklahoma
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Samantha Rae McBride
elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
Maryland
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. Johns Hopkins University Mingyuan Song
University of Hartford Genevieve Sophia Medina Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. Georgia Institute of Technology Shize Sheng Savannah College of Art and Design Olivia B Merriam University of Hawaii-Hilo Emma Esther Labrada University of Hawaii-Manoa Austin R Cho Ethan J Rocheville Conrad Minh Stetter Boise State University Emily Anne Holland
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. University of MassachusettsAmherst Kimberly Irene Coke Massachusetts Institute of Technology Tarang Lunawat
Michigan
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
Reed College Callum Wooster University of Oregon Evelyn Maria Allen Ellanore Rachelle Carr William Anthony Irish Alexander W Kallinsky University of Rhode Island Maya Carolee Wolter
Brigham Young University-Idaho Cameron Walter Coy Caleb Anthony Haight
Illinois
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet)
Virginia
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Kobe Amaru Okasako Saketh K Rajesh
Washington
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. University of Puget Sound Gabriel Cortat de Oliveira
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. University of British Columbia Grace Harms
Armed forces
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. Military Air Force Carlos Antonio Gutierrez Army Tristan R Vanitegem
Tennessee
Camden Post Secondary School Gianna Marie Caron Malia Renee Flores Edwyn Mata Alexander Rondan Polanco
University of Tennessee-Knoxville Natalia Anais Buzo
Employment Dylan James Quon Robert Alexander Royer Joshua Elisha Escobedo Joseph JT Myers Matthew S. Sharrard Nykolai Alexandra Matey
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Charles J Pappalardo
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
University of Utah Carson D Ledesma Adam James Murphy
Vancouver, British Columbia
Oregon State University Christopher B. Fredrick Kristen Taylor Hounshell Lily Hope Middleton
Georgia
Brigham Young University-Provo Eliza Ford
University of Washington-Seattle Rafael Cortat de Oliveira Sean Anderson Lim Sela Corinn Pagano Charles Peter Olsen
Cornell College Luke Dobbs Wancewicz Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
University of Texas-Austin Jasmine An Tong Koh
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.
Wheaton College Inori Angela Nakao
Indiana
Station Mason Blaine Shuhart
University of Nevada-Reno Andrew Khoa Nguyen Riley Faith Rosenberg
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Kiran Koch-Mathews
Connecticut
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official
University of Montana Joelle Hope Gipson Rhiannon Marie Morgan
University of Illinois-UrbanaChampaign Anwesha Mishra
Purdue University Lawrence Folsom Smith
University of California, San Diego Macy Mishi Fu Atharva Prasanna Kulkarni Anderson Tue Lenguyen W. Aaron Deans University of Redlands Morgan Leann Irwin
Percentage of students enrolling in a two-year community college program.
University of Colorado — Boulder Alison Niamh Keane Amaya R Lancaster
UC San Diego Carolyn Evans UC Santa Barbara Jonathan G. Chow Noam Gonen Karolina Low Lilia Rose Martino Andelina Araujo Miller Yuji Sakaguchi
35%
Illustrations by Tae Yun (Erica) Kang
UC Riverside Jenaya Liana Mei Lum Choy Ryan Dae Youn Kimm Kemuel Husai Garcia Perez Robert Sargsyan
Northeastern University Kai Ross Webber
San Francisco State University Brennan Nuque Withers Cheng-Chieh Yang
A numbers game
Santa Clara University Kenneth Soo Yong Park Zoe Ella Gardner Sonoma State University Bridget Elise Laugesen
BEAR WITNESS JUNE 2021
Trade school Luis Jesse Ramirez Elias Jonathan Sevy Reema Rabi Karen Monserrat Cortes Garcia Kacie Daniele Pippin Nykolai Alexandra Matey Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. Montana State University Alexander James Von Barloewen Kendall Jean Fowler Michael Matthew Maloney
Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level. Collin College Alexys M Jaime Texas A&M University-College
Year off Kyle O'Deegan Anna Marguerite Seitz Connor Odom Wright
DEPARTMENT AWARDS
BEAR WITNESS JUNE 2021 Art CHANTAL WANG
Drama NATALIA BUZO
"She was remarkable, stable and organized throughout the most tumultuous two years." Eileen Bertron, art
“Her ability to work diligently and enthusiastically on productions is remarkable." Jennifer Sorkin, drama Drama IAN KHAJENOURI
Dance DENISE LE
"The level of professionalism and dedication (Ian) has for this craft is truly unmatched.” Jennifer Sorkin, drama
"She creates and teach choreography and shows up afterschool rehearsals with a smile on her face." Eileen Bertron, dance
English ARUNIMA DHAR
Instrumental WILL IRISH "He has been a strong musical leader in the instrumental music department." Chris Nalls, band
“Arunima's essay's, poetry, and prose displayed her passion, intelligence, wit, and critical thinking.” Melanie Vega, English
Yearbook ELIZA SAROUEN
P.E. DYLAN DRAKE
Social Science CHARLIE PAPPALARDO
“I have seen (Dylan) for the past four years be one of the hardest-working athletes on campus.” Chris Jensen, P.E.
"She is passioante about a high-quality representation of the year." Kirsten McKay, yearbook Leadership ANWESHA MISHRA
SENIOR SPECIAL ISSUE PAGE 3
Biological Science SELA JASIM
"She is responsible for the implementation of what our Winter Wishes program for the last two years." Christina Hillman, activities direcotr
French LENA PANG “(Lena) has been consistently interested in improving her knowledge of French." Laurel Garceau,
“(Sela's) work ethic, communication skills, and time management skills are remarkable." Juan Fernandez, science Physical Science TARANG LUNAWAT
Math KOBE OKASAKO
“He is passioante about making a difference in our society, and will be successful.” Jennifer Ozdinski, social science
“Kobe went above and beyond in his conceptual skills and also mastering content.” Neeraja Nambula, math
Mandarin MELVIN YANG
“Tarang is an exemplary student who takes responsibility for her own learning.” Juan Fernandez, science
“Melvin Yang has contributed to his learning environment through active academic engagement."
Spanish TOMMY SONG “He has shown curiosity and regard to the Spanish language and its communities." Maria Meunier, Spanish Vocal MIA JANOSIK "She has been both a section leader and an assistant student conductor for both choirs.” Barbara West, choir Journalism KATELYN LOWPENSKY “She has an empathetic style, and it puts her peers at ease.” Fitz Vo, journalism
MIA ESTRADA LARA | SENIOR OF THE YEAR
"Under (Mia's) leadership last year, we grow exponentially... Keeping a club afloat during the pandemic is no small feat, yet she did so with perserverance and integrity." — Mike Espinoza, Latinx Student Union adviser
__________________________________
CARA MCCLURE NEWS EDITOR
A note to my freshman self i freshman Cara, I can’t believe you did H it. Graduation is so close. While this year did not turn out the way you imagined,
Lena Feucht/Bear Witness Senior Mia Estrada Lara receives the Senior of the Year plaque from advisers Mike Espinoza and Lily Salinas Johnson at the Senior of the Year ceremony.
LSU president grew program during pandemic MARTA WICK AND LENA FEUCHT Staff Writers
or her leadership in growing the Latinx F Student Union, teachers voted senior Mia Estrada Lara as the school’s Senior of the Year
at Senior Night on May 21. In presenting her the award, LSU advisers Mike Espinoza and Lily Salinas Johnson described Lara’s journey from shy student to empowered leader of one of the most active clubs on campus, including 2020’s successful
Heritage Festival, held a week before school shut down. “Mia stepped up as president of LSU, leading the club to even greater heights,” said Espinoza. During the shutdown, the club hosted bi-weekly meetings, and held in-person events such as the creation of an ofrenda, or altar, during the Dia de los Muertos festival. Lara said she had wanted to work on an in-person celebration to honor those who had passed away, especially in memory of her
grandfather, Donato Lara. “I don't have him here with me right now to show him my accomplishments is kind of sad," she said, "but I'm happy that he can still see me from like from up there.” Lara was among several dozen students who were awarded at the Senior Night, the first in-person awards ceremony in two years. Unlike previous years, only local scholarship winners and department award recipients were invited to keep the numbers compliant with school COVID protocols.
HIGHLIGHTS OF AWARD RECIPIENTS AT SENIOR AWARDS NIGHT Valedictorian Tarang Lunawat Salutatorian Sela Jasim Senior athletes of the year Melissa Garcia Nick Bandanza
Scholar athletes Emily Trampenau Charlie Olsen Music Boosters Senior Scholarships Anna Ashe Mia Estrada Lara Zoe Gardner Mia Janosik
Michael Yamashita Robbie Deauville Bruin Pride Kendall Fowler Charles Pappalardo Bruin Backers Sports Boosters Athletic Scholarship Nick Bandanza
Avichai Cooper Melissa Garcia PTSA scholarship Shanna Nguyen Mingyuan Song Anwesha Mishra
you made the most out of it and have new and exciting adventures ahead. To help you out, here’s a list of tips and insight about your high school experience. • Enjoy the small moments and don’t take anything for granted. You know those fun car karaoke sessions before school with your best friends that you videotaped scream singing to The 1975, Bob Marley, One Direction (childhood classic) etc.? Cherish that and take advantage of the many other fun times because you’ll eventually find yourself rewatching said videos during the lockdowns in 2020. You would have never guessed that a global pandemic would have taken a year and a half of your high school experience (almost your whole time as an upperclassman). If you make sure you text and video chat your friends often during lockdown, even when it gets busy, you’ll be fine. • You will take advantage of any cool opportunity that you come across, and you’ll be thankful for it. You will get involved in sports, clubs, and have a rewarding curve ball coming by joining the newspaper because one of your best friends said it would be fun. All of these things will take a lot of time, responsibility, and give you opportunities to meet some really cool new people and try new things you wouldn’t have imagined committing to. Saying yes to anything that seems even remotely interesting to you will enrich your life; and, without knowing, these experiences will enforce your inherent sense of self and an understanding of your passions. You’ll also have a really great time. Go you! • Your time management skills will get you through the stressful parts. Not everything will come easily to you and you’ll spend countless late nights studying and getting very little sleep during the week. Somehow, you’ll be able to handle a lot of rewarding extracurriculars due to your habit of overcommitting yourself to things, but please remember it’s okay to say no(this tip will save your mental health)! You’ll also make sure to plan fun things with friends, and have time (not a lot) for self care in between your to do list, which will definitely keep you going. • You will surprise yourself. You will get close to good life long friends, meet new people, get involved, realize that teachers actually care about you and make some cool connections, learn a lot, and have a bunch of fun which is really all you can ask for. Also, remember that big, busy, California college you thought that you would go to? Well, you choose the complete opposite and it’s perfect . Enjoy figuring out the specifics of your experiences and always keep an open mind and heart! Sincerely, Future Cara
SPECIAL SENIOR ISSUE PAGE 4
SENIOR SURVEY SEEING WHAT DEVELOPS | On-campus and off, Lily Middleton sought to cover every major Branham event.
____________________________
BEAR WITNESS JUNE 2021 IDEAL FUTURE? 64.3% are attending the school/ pursuing the career they expected. According to a study done by Ohio State, more than half of college students will change their major at least once before graduating.
EVER CRIED IN SCHOOL?
LILY MIDDLETON MANAGING EDITOR
A fluke class set the course for my future
W
hen I got my junior class schedule, I noticed I was placed in a class I didn’t sign up for. I was pretty confused when I saw “Journalism” when I hadn’t even considered the class to be an option. After months of constant complaining and wanting to transfer out, I can confidently say that being a part of the Bear Witness has been one of the most rewarding parts of my time at Branham. My adventure within the class began fairly early when I quickly signed up to cover most of the photography opportunities. I also became the Student Life editor within the first six weeks of the school year because I really wanted to feel like I was doing more for the paper. Covering sports games instantly became one of the highlights of my week as well as the introduction of my love for photography. The beginning was a little rocky. The first sport I covered was football, and it was pretty intimidating to be on the football field in front of everyone with a camera that I didn’t even know how to use. If I’m being completely honest, I never formally learned how to use it either. The beginning was pretty humbling. All of my photos were out of focus and either over-exposed or under-exposed. After a couple of weeks of trial and error, I finally figured out what worked best for me. After learning more about the sport as well as getting closer with whichever team I was covering, my pictures got better and better. I am now able to create my portfolio filled with photos ranging from profiles, to sports, to rallies, to more journalistic-style photos. Among the 10 sports I’ve covered, football was my favorite. Being on the sidelines of such a high-energy sport and capturing their raw emotion was an amazing experience. Emotions hit me hard covering the last game during this shortened season, when I realized that I’ll never be able to take pictures of the team again. It was such a great feeling when the athletes would come over after the game to thank me for taking pictures and being there for the whole season. Branham’s varsity football team this spring year would probably be my favorite team to take photos for. Being a section editor early on and working with a small team of editors helped me become a more confident and outgoing journalist, student, and person. The need to check on their progress, plan a page and communicate with others are responsibilities not easily common in many other classes and helped prepare me to be one of this year's managing editors. The independence the journalism class provided was an adventure in itself as we learned on the job, from writing in AP style (with the help of my amazing EICs and Mr. Vo’s handy booklet), taking photos and properly interviewing students and teachers. The Bear Witness sent me on more literal adventures. For the third annual Women’s March in 2020, I spent the day with the Feminist Club. On crunch days for journalism, I spent up to 15 hours on campus to help put together the pages. The highlight of my experience was when the class flew to Washington D.C. for our last in-person journalism conference and wandered around the city. We sprinted along the reflection pool, just to take a picture at the Lincoln Memorial. Without the adventures of the Bear Witness, I wouldn’t be the person or student I am today.
Lily Middleton/Bear Witness August 2019: Students volunteers play musical chairs at the first rally of the year, and one of managing editor Lily Middleton's first events she covered.
For 61.4% of Branham seniors the answer is YES. A March 2021 Harvard study showed that crying is good for you. It releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids, known as endorphins. These are feel-good chemicals that help both physical and emotional pain.
EVER SLEPT DURING ZOOM CLASS? 70% of seniors caught their z's while on Zoom. The National Education Association states that of the 30 million people on the app, many experience "Zoom fatigue."
ENJOYED DISTANCE LEARNING? For 41.4% of seniors, distance learning was the option for them.
Lily Middleton/Bear Witness October 2019: Quarterback Nick Bandanza scrambles against Piedmont Hills. Middleton developed a strong rapport with the team.
SMOKED POT?
EASIEST GRADE?
Lily Middleton/Bear Witness May 2020: Seniors say thank you to teachers during a drive-through celebration, the first in-person event since the school shut down in March.
CAFFEINE ADDICTION?
33.8% of seniors have used weed. Pubmed.gov found that teens are most likely to use marijuana as a coping mechanism to combat anger, feeling excluded, or to escape reality.
In this case, the first was not the worst. 41.9% said that freshman year was their easiest grade
25.7% admit that a good jolty beverage gets them through the day. Medical news today found that 83.2% drink caffeinated beverages on a regular basis.
ATTENDED A VIRTUAL BRANHAM EVENT? Only 7.1% of seniors say they chose to participate in events like "Among Us" Night and online Hoco events.
Lily Middleton/Bear Witness June 2020: Protesters march in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Downtown San Jose, after school ended.
DO YOU STAY UP LATE WATCHING TIK TOK? 62.9% of seniors definitely know who Charli D’Amelio is.
VACCINATED FOR COVID?
Lily Middleton/Bear Witness May 21, 2021: Social science teacher Jen Ozdinski fist bumps senior Charles Pappalardo during the first in-person Senior Awards Night in two years.
Moderna, Pfizer, or J&J? Regardless, 76.9% of seniors say they have been vaccinated.
Illustrations by Stella Wong
SENIOR SURVEY
BEAR WITNESS JUNE 2021 FAVORITE YEAR?
WHICH TEST IS WORSE: AP, finals or the SAT?
SENIOR SPECIAL ISSUE PAGE 5 DID YOU ENJOY HIGH SCHOOL?
54.9% of seniors agreed that all forms of testing are equally horrible. On May 15, 2021, the Univerity of California system announced that standardized tests will no longer part of the admissions process. We think the fact that their senior year was spent in a pandemic took a toll on these results. 47.6% said that junior year was their favorite.
Although it wasn’t like the musical, 74.5% of seniors enjoyed their high school experience.
ARE YOU SEXUALLY ACTIVE? INTROVERT OR EXTROVERT? 37.3% of Branham seniors have done the deed.
42% of seniors are a mix of both. An article by BBC claims that ambiverts are better leaders due to their tendencies to both take charge and listen to others.
MOST DIFFICULT SUBJECT?
WHAT IS YOUR POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION? Thankfully Google Forms calculated this percentage for us because 52.9% of seniors said their hardest subject was math.
JOINED CLUBS AND EXTRACURRICULARS? 66% of seniors didn't go to club rush just for the food. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the most popular types of extracurricular among students are sports, performing arts, and academic clubs.
BEEN IN A RELATIONSHIP FOR 2+ MONTHS?
HAVE YOU EVER CHEATED ON A TEST?
FAVORITE PET?
Watch out for 62.3% of Branham's seniors on the road! Wired.com found that 71% of high schoolers have their license.
LGBTQ+?
EVER BEEN CHEATED ON? 21.3% of Branham seniors are LGBTQ+. In a recent Gallup survey, more than 70% of Americans now say they support nonheterosexual marriage, compared to 27% in 1996.
For 21.4% of seniors, it's sadly a yes.
HAVE YOU EVER VAPED IN CLASS? 13.7% admit to taking that chance. A study by the FDA found that 3.05 million high schoolers in the U.S. had used an e-cigarette at least once in a 30 day period in 2018.
HAVE YOU PROCRASTINATED?
97.6% of seniors are probably behind on their work. A study from Studymode revealed that when procrastinating, 62% of students chose to watch TV.
71.4% of seniors couldn't keep their eyes on their own papers. Punishments for cheating on a College Board exam include reporting the incident to colleges and prohibiting students from taking other related tests.
Woof woof! 67% of seniors are dog people. The CDC found that owning a dog is linked to lower blood pressure and decreased feelings of loneliness.
Love is in the air for the seniors! 55.4% have been in a long-term relationship (relatively speaking).
DO YOU HAVE YOUR LICENSE?
47.6% of seniors are feeling blue. The Pew Research Center found that 24 million members of Gen Z reached voting age in time for the 2020 election.
PULLED AN ALL-NIGHTER Desperate times call for desperate measures. 49.1% of seniors have pulled an all-nighter studying.
BEST PART ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL? As the Spice Girls once said, “friendship never ends.” 73.6% said that their friends made their high school experience.
CRUSHED ON A TEACHER 21.4% of seniors probably paid attention in class for the wrong reasons.
HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON YOUR PHONE? EVER BEEN DRUNK? 43.4% of seniors are reaching for the Gatorade and Taco Bell. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that alcohol consumption is a signifant cause of death of those under 21.
The senior class has major selfcontrol. 47.6% spend 2-4 hours on their phones each day.
PRE-REGISTERED TO VOTE? LIED TO A TEACHER?
Time to get political! 38.7% of seniors are signed up to take part in future elections.
HUNG OUT WITH FRIENDS DURING SHELTER IN PLACE? 78.8% of seniors did not social distance the whole time. PBS reported that teens felt isolated and unmotivated during the shelter in place.
PHONE OF CHOICE? Honesty is not the policy for the class of 2021. 67.5% of seniors said that they might have been a little academically dishonest.
Steve Jobs got 88.1% of seniors on his side. According to Apple, there are over one billion iPhones in use around the world.
Illustrations by Stella Wong
COVER STORY
SPECIAL SENIOR ISSUE PAGE 6
BEAR WITNESS JUNE 2021
Future | Seniors look to step out of comfort zones From Page 1 For Kristen Hounshell, pursuing kinesiology at Oregon State University is her next adventure. She wants to combine her love for sports and helping people because she feels a “natural gravitation to people when they’re hurt.” But after repeat quarantine viewings of “Mamma Mia,” the popular musical filmed in Greece, she now dreams of visiting the Mediterranean islands. “(I want) to know what other people experience in their day-to-day life versus what I experience,'' she said. “Just to see the world for what it is. I think that would be amazing and hopefully, it's something I can accomplish.” Like Hounshell, Zoe Gardner hopes to someday travel the world. Her ultimate goal is to immerse herself in European history. She’ll study history at Santa Clara University, and has a deep passion for learning about other countries around the world. So far, Italy, Germany, and Greece are on her bucket list. “My whole thing with history has always been that it makes everybody who we are,” she said. “If we didn't have the American Revolution, our lives would be so different if you really put it in the grand scheme of things.” For now, Gardner wants to explore the Bay Area and has already started to plan day trips to Santa Cruz and Monterey throughout the summer. “I'm going to be spending the next four years here in California,” she said. “I might as well really know where I'm from and really know the state that I live in.” Kevin Shim’s goals are also closer to home but will check an item off his bucket list. Before starting at San Jose State as a business marketing major, he hopes to take a trip with his friends to Los Angeles. Shim noticed that some of his friends have had a particularly difficult time with stress throughout the pandemic, and he hopes to organize this trip to give them the opportunity to recollect before the next chapter of their lives. “I think it'd be just beneficial in general just to have, especially for some of my friends, a place where you can be outside of your normal environment and be around fun stuff,” he said. The pandemic made Hounshell want to explore even more than usual, so she is making it her goal
Courtesy of Kristen Hounshell Kristen Hounshell snaps a selfie with her cousin in Oahu in 2019.
Courtesy of Katelyn Lowpensky Katelyn Lowpensky and her mother Dannyelle visit Buckingham Palace in England in 2018.
“I want to challenge myself and see things in a different way (rather) than be comfortable. I want to experience a new lifestyle.” — Kristen Hounshell, who is going to attend Oregon State University in the fall. She dreams of visiting Greece one day. to get out and explore during her college years. “I go to school, go to work, go back home, and that's my day. I rinse and repeat,” she said. “I would love to go to another state or just go somewhere other than my own household.” Shim also felt as though he was stuck in a loop after being confined to his neighborhood throughout the pandemic. His L.A. trip will break this cycle. “You just feel like you need to get out of the same thing because it feels like you're so closed off and so on your own, like stuck in the same routine and you just need to break it,” he said. Gardner is excited about her summer trips because they will satisfy her need to travel that has built up over the past year. “Being confined for so long, it's almost like an itch,” she said. Gardner described herself as a planner who enjoys being able to control her future. But now, she has embraced how the future is an open book.
“I'm just excited for the next steps because I can't plan anything out right now,” she said. “Everything will come and go as it comes and goes and I'll make my decisions as they come and go.” Like Gardner, Hounshell sees endless possibilities for her future and is open to any changes that come her way. She originally planned to attend a community college but decided that she was ready for a change of scenery. With her goal of becoming a trainer for a major league sports team, she knew that only by going out of her comfort zone would she be able to meet her goals. “I want to challenge myself and see things in a different way (rather) than be comfortable. I want to experience a new lifestyle,” she said. She is excited for her future in Oregon but is grateful for all that Branham gave her. She loved making connections with her peers and staff, which helped make her high school experience memorable. “Yes, obviously education is important, but the relationships I've built over the past four years, it's been
Courtesy of Kevin Shim Kevin Shim explores a beach in South Korea in 2019.
amazing,” she said. Now that Shim is graduating, he is able to look back on high school and how much he has changed as a person. For example, he gained the confidence to start a YouTube channel and attend conventions. He is also surprised that his junior and senior years happened during a pandemic. “I've realized that life is fun when it's unpredictable.” “I'm just excited to change things up
and experience as much as I can,” he continued. ••• I’m grateful for everything I’ve experienced in high school. Branham has shaped my identity, and that’s something I’ll take with me as I go on my next adventure where I’ll major in journalism at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. My time at Branham has prepared me for the adventures that await, and I can’t wait to explore it all.
PEAKS AND VALLEYS
BEAR WITNESS JUNE 2021
SENIOR SPECIAL ISSUE PAGE 7
THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF HIGH SCHOOL
PEAK | Weight and see When I had lost 45 pounds and life seemed back on track. Trevor Gonzalez
Seniors, some anonymously, share their good times, bad times, and everything in-between
Wrong target Accidentally chasing after and shooting my target's aunt in the back with a water gun for Senior Assassins. Anonymous
PEAK | Pizza and friends Playing spikeball after school in the quad after we just finished finals for the first semester of junior year. We played for like three or four hours and got some pizza. Rafael Castillo
Courtesy Mia Estrada Laura
Note: Senior Assassins onvolves shooting other seniors with a water gun in an attempt to be the last one standing.
PEAK | Class of 2021 Ms. Davis telling me I'm graduating. Anonymous
Mia Estrada Lara with her grandfather Donato. VALLEY | Play through The power went out at our 2019 Winter Concert at Venture Christian Church because an owl flew into a transformer. Orion Jandu
PEAK | Cereal parties One time, our whole calculus class brought cereal to eat during class, and we had a cereal party instead of doing work that day. Anonymous
BEYOND HORIZON, AWKWARD MOMENTS
PEAK | Rock stars Playing a 90s rock hit during Branham's Got Talent in February 2020. Afterwards, the band went and got a whole chicken and some Cokes at Lunardi's. Apparently, we were the crowd's favorite number. William Crick
VALLEY | A loss Winter break Sophomore year, I was in Mexico and I was not in San Jose when my grandfather passed away. January and February were very rough for me. Mia Estrada Lara
VALLEY | Branham blues My worst moment was probably having to go to school during a breakup, it was just difficult to be in class. Yeah, it was rough. Anonymous
VALLEY | A difficult year I had a issues my sophomore year and I wasn't stable enough. I was hurt and depressed. I ended up doing some things I regretted. Those moments are what made the person I am today. People only know my name but never my story. Kenneth Esquivias
PEAK | Read it and weep I once spent like three hours proofreading a friends' essay (which was absolutely horrible I might add), and he ended up getting a score of 95% on it. Super rewarding to see that and happy for him. Anonymous
VALLEY | We didn't come back The worst moments would be not being able to go back to school after we were told we would only be home for a little bit. Jordan Nguyen
A good cry I was laughing in a bathroom stall and someone slipped me a note telling me to stop crying and feel better. Anonymous Embarrassed Someone paying Fiverr Jesus to expose some guy's crush to the whole school was definitely the funniest thing to happen. Anonymous
HANNAH McELROY STAFF WRITER
Love, support through life's sour notes
Asking my girlfriend out. Nicholas Labosky
Bus stop follies I remember when my old engineering teacher was supposed to take us on a field trip. But instead of waiting in front of the school, she had us wait in front of an actual bus stop. I had to point out where the SCHOOL buses were and she then realized her mistake. Aidan Petroff
____________________________
More like twice a day When the fire alarm would go off like every two days. Anonymous
y freshmen year I took band M class despite not being interested anymore, but my family wanted me to
keep playing the flute because I'd been doing it for five years. I did enjoy playing the flute, but I disliked being in a band because of the competitive nature and performances. I had made some great friends in band during middle school, and hoped I would get to make new friends in band at high school. I’ve had anxiety for most of life but it got especially worse in high school. I’m willing to be so open about it, because it’s my life. I have to deal with it daily. For me, it’s just part of who I am. My anxiety controls a lot of my life. Currently, I have the resources and support to counteract the most negative effects. However, the response to my anxiety in band made me feel like it wasn’t important. This made my experience very difficult and isolating. As the year went on, band became more and more of a chore, and I had to mentally prepare myself for it. It was beyond a nightmare for me. The amount of stress and pressure I was under to perform well led to multiple panic attacks during class. The attacks occurred when my teacher tested us individually during class. Playing with a group was already a struggle for me, so playing individually was impossible with my anxiety. We usually performed scales in front of the whole class, which on their own were not too difficult, but I mentally could not handle the stress of playing in front of people. Even though I physically knew the piece, my anxiety would send me straight into a panic attack.The teacher never made sure I was ok or ever checked in. The teacher never talked to me or contacted my parents about the attacks. I wish she had because I desperately needed help at the time and was under a lot of stress.The teacher's reaction made me feel broken and humiliated. During freshman year, band was certainly not the only stressor, but it was a big one. I did make one friend from that class though and I'm very grateful to know her as we have shared many classes since then. We connected because we sat next to each other in class. She’s very friendly and I was happy to make a friend. We ended up sharing multiple classes since then, and kept in contact. It’s so nice to have her in my classes because it makes them more enjoyable. I always looked forward to seeing her. My friends have always been part of my peaks. My friends at school were always there for me while I was struggling. They’re the reason I got through high school. I was able to be honest with them about my struggles and they cared for me through some of my worst days. I'm so grateful for them for being there for me and caring about me even though I was working through a lot with my mental health. High school has absolutely not been “the best years of my life” and I hope now that college will be better since I now have a stronger support system. Without my friends and family, I wouldn’t be where I am now. Thanks to my friends and family I was able to start to heal and begin to thrive instead of just survive. I learned my lessons the hard way, but now I have healthier coping mechanisms. Putting less pressure and lowering my expectations of myself as well as reminding myself to take time for myself. School and homework are important, but so is letting yourself enjoy life. Being outside and taking a moment to breathe and ground yourself is incredibly helpful for me.
THE CLASS OF 2021
BEAR WITNESS JUNE 2021
“Most, if not all, of us have been yearning for a return to this thing we call ‘normal.’ Yet I urge you, class of 2021, to think critically about this. Do you really want to return to the world that existed before the pandemic? — Mike Espinoza, District Teacher of the Year
SENIOR SPECIAL ISSUE PAGE 8
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ANDELINA MILLER MANAGING EDITOR
Jazzy Nguyen/Bear Witness English teacher Mike Espinoza delivers his address accompanied by Principal Cheryl Lawton.
In graduation speech, a challenge to do better
Zoe Gardner gives a thumbs up after receiving her diploma June 4 at Branham's first in-person graduation in two years. JAZZY NGUYEN AND NOLAN ZILS Co-Editors-in-Chief
n an abnormal year, I CUHSD Teacher of the Year Mike Espinoza's speech
was also far from normal, eschewing what he described as "old normal platitudes" typically reserved for graduations. While praising the Class of 2021, he also challenged the class that had gone through distance learning for more than a year that though things may be coming back to normal, they should work beyond that. “Normality would mean we would have accepted the world as it had been presented to us: cold, heartless, unforgiving,” he said, citing the tumultuous summer following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, and the conversations about race and injustice afterward. Espinoza, who has contributed to the new ethnic studies curriculum, started his speech honoring the Mukewma Ohlone tribe, whose land Branham and much of the Bay Area are built upon. He asked students to work toward empathy and truly address the needs of their community, warning that the opportunity is there to "truly embrace difference." "We still police women's bodies, we still erase trans folk from our narratives, we still have poverty, we still lock up children in cages, we still see
Asian elders being attacked in plain sight, we still see Black and Brown people torwn apart by the state," he said, listing recent and persistent issues that these groups have faced. His speech was met with a standing ovation from Branham’s class of 2021, where more than 480 seniors walked across the stage on the football in their last moments as a Bruin. The graduation capped a difficult and whirlwind year for the seniors, who began the year with no certainty when they would safely return. A flurry of activities in May, from Homecoming to a senior prom on the football fields helped alleviate their anxieties about their end-of-year celebrations. Espinoza acknowledged the enormous challenges the class faced, but said that the students have the power to make the changes for a better society. “I want to believe that your generation will be the one to break the cycle of conformity in this nation. You certainly have the power to do so,” he said. “But know that it will be hard, and many people will not support you. Don’t let this discourage you. Keep pushing, keep bucking the trend, keep resisting going back to normal.” To read the rest of Espinoza's speech, please visit bhsbearwitness.com
Nolan Zils/Bear Witness
Nolan Zils/Bear Witness Sofia Nonga walks down the field at the start of the graduation ceremony. She received the Laurance J. Hill award, named for the district's founding principal and superintendent.
Kendall Fowler and Charlie Pappalardo accept the Principal's Cup award during the graduation.
Jazzy Nguyen/Bear Witness
Special moments, big and small s I sit here in my childhood room A trying to find the perfect prom dress online, I think about all the things
that were. Competitive games at lunch, constant complaints about wanting to be at home, awkward music in the quad, and carefree conversations during class. It is all the little things that make being in school interesting and exciting. One of my most distinct high school memories was on the first day of school junior year when my friends and I took part in an ASB event for back to school week where we had to pass a wet sponge over our heads as quickly as possible. We laughed as we were sprayed with ice-cold water. Although it was a smaller event, it is still one of my most memorable high school moments. Missing out on all the big events makes me more focused on how moments like that made my high school experience. While unconventional, these memories are what I choose to remember about my unique four years of high school. Freshman year is easily the grade I remember the least from. One memory that stood out is that in every math class. the people at my table and I would play drawing games. We would draw lines on paper and pass the paper around so we eventually made it into a weird animal that we then named. These moments of connection brought me a little bit of joy. Without them, high school would’ve been much blander. As I pay tribute to all the memories that made my high school experience so positive I must also pay tribute to one amazing teacher who got me through it. As students, all we really want are our voices to be heard Ramani by teachers and to know Visvanathan that we are both working Mr. V helped together towards the same make it easier goal. for us to navOne teacher who was igate through this for me was Mr. Visvasenior year. nathan. I had him for IM 2 freshman year and for AP Calculus BC junior year. Every day Mr.V enthusiastically says “Hi, folks!” to the class. He pays attention and makes sure to ask students questions when they don’t have the courage to ask them yourself. The best quality of Mr. V is that he genuinely cares about making sure all students are doing well in his classes. He holds study tutorials at 6:30 a.m. and even gives up his time on weekends to help students who are struggling. As a freshman, I didn’t pay much attention in class. I knew whenever I didn’t understand how to do a problem, Mr. V would drop everything he was doing to explain to me how to do it. Thanks to him I will be going into college with a strong math foundation. One day during online class, Mr. V put us into breakout rooms and visited the one I was in and said, “Do you guys remember each other? Freshman year you sat in a group together.” Mr.V remembering our table groups from four years earlier and purposely putting us in a breakout room to make us happy shows just how much of a dedicated and kind teacher he is. Going through distance learning senior year was definitely an emotional challenge, but teachers like Mr.V made it much easier. Instead of thinking about all that could’ve been I prefer to think about what is. Personally I like to focus on the people and moments that got me through my last year of high school and what I learned from them. Mostly what I’ve learned from these four long years is to appreciate the little, overlooked moments of connection that make us human.
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BEAR
WITNESS BRANHAM HIGH SCHOOL
JUNE 2021
BHSBEARWITNESS.COM
CORONAVIRUS ABROAD
DISTANCE LEARNING
United States
India
cumulative confirmed cases
cumulative confirmed cases
30.06 million
District plans for virtual academy
26.03 million
9,052
3,866
confirmed cases over two week period at its peak in January 2021.
confirmed cases over two week period at its peak in May 2021.
Families in U.S. worry over loved ones in India
ANANYA JANDHYALA Staff Writer
A
Staff Writer
INSIDE
News..............................................2
ALAN SCHAEFFER
M
Staff writer
ost students are looking forward to returning to school in person next year, but for those who aren’t, the district’s Virtual Academy is an option. The program is an alternative to being in-person for the next school year. According to preliminary plans, students would work both asynchronously and with a live instructor, and would likely have someInside one to ocFreshmen casionally check in on prepare for their progtheir first ress. in-person According to Assistant finals. SuperintenPage 6 dent German Cerda, who is in charge of organizing the Virtual Academy, the district has received a little more than 100 applications from students wanting to participate in the program. As of late May, Del Mar makes up most of the total, with 26 applications, just more than Branham’s 23. There are nearly 8,000 students in the district. Previous district polls show that around 130 to 140 students were interested in being a part of the program next school year.
TEACHER OF THE YEAR
English teacher wins prize Espinoza cited for equity work
Neeraja Nambula and junior Anjana Hariprasad, likely know someone who’s been affected. Just a day before she contracted COVID-19 in late August 2020, Padma Saldi, the mother-in-law of math teacher Nambula, celebrated the Indian festival of Ganesh Chaturthi with friends, and had gone to give her friends’ son some pickles and sweets she had made. Saldi was admitted to the hospital on August 31 after a 12 hour ambulance ride to Hyderabad, since the local hospital wasn’t taking coronavirus patients at the time. For the next six months, she stayed there undergoing treatment, while Satyanarayana Rao, Nambula’s father-in-law, stayed in a hotel next to the hospital where she was. Nambula and her husband were unable to visit. “For us, living so far away, and knowing that you cannot travel to see if something happens was one of the most devastating moments,” Nambula SEE INDIA • PAGE 3
ANANYA JANDHYALA
Branham has 23 signed up
SEE ACADEMY • PAGE 2
t nearly 27 million coronavirus infections, India is second only to the United States in reported infections, and with 300,000 deaths, it is second only to the United States, which experts say may be vastly underreported. With so many in India affected, most Indian American students and staff, like math teacher
World event hits home for reporter
@bhsbearwitness
Math teacher Neeraja Nambula's mother-in-law, Padma Saldi, the day before she was diagnosed with COVID-19 in India. Saldi spent six months in rehabilitation after a stay at the hospital near Bhimavaram city in the south India state Andra Pradesh. Courtesy of Neeraja Nambula
REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
t’s a strange thing to be so removed from a crisis I that hits close to home. I suppose that’s the case in any calamity, where the larger picture feels both all-too-close and too-far-removed. Removed, that is until you feel the effects directly. For me, the COVID-19 crisis in India had been something that I had trouble conceptualizing. Being so far away from it had created a sort of buffer between my full understanding of the situation and the horrifying reality of it. I think, in part, that removal also came from me distancing myself from the news. If I were to constantly think about how close and immediate the danger had the potential to be to my Opinion..........................................3
family, I don’t think I would’ve been able to think about anything else. And, though it feels cowardly to admit it, ignoring that kind of bad news makes it easier to pretend it isn’t real. It also felt somewhat surreal, being able to talk with family who had a perspective in the midst of it. Most of the family in India that I regularly keep in touch with are seniors, and some are retired, so they’re a little more removed from venues of contact with people. But all the same, there’s something in hearing about devastation in the country, and then calling my grandparents and hearing that they’re doing fine and that they’re being as safe as they can. It felt like just
Editorial..........................................3
AAPI In-Depth.............................4-5
Science and Health.........................7
KATELYN LOWPENSKY Editor-in-chief
hether it’s teaching his W classes about critical thinking, building connections with AVID students, or advising the Latinx Student Union, English teacher Mike Espinoza loves to be involved in the Mike Branham com- Espinoza English munity. In honor of his teacher is a hard work, Bra- co-adviser of nham teachers the Latinx Stuvoted him as the dent Union. school’s Teacher of the Year. “The fact that I’ve been working hard to be the best teacher I can be, and that my peers recognize that work, makes me proud of myself and my journey,” he said. The award was announced in early May to the entire Branham staff, leaving Espinoza feeling surprised and proud.\ SEE AWARD • PAGE 2
Climate Watch.................................7
2
BEAR WITNESS
NEWS
| JUNE 2021 |
BHSBEARWITNESS.COM
“I’m hoping that it will help me be able to achieve my career goals as quickly as possible." — Senior Tyler Aruta on taking West Valley Dual Enrollment classes at school
Award | Teachers praise advocacy work “With everything I’ve been through in my life, including during my K-12 education, I would never have expected to be honored as teacher of the year,” he said. A teacher in their nominating letter praised Espinoza for his humility and his willingness to grow.
“He is not only an amazing role model and motivational spirit to all students who feel seen and heard by him,” the message read, “but he is also an inspiration to all of us teachers and shares opportunities for us to continue to grow as well.” Another teacher noted Espinoza’s involvement
in creating the new Ethnic Literature course “to make our campus more equitable.” They said Espinoza’s emphasis on equality is as present outside the classroom as well as inside. “You can get Mike to talk about social and racial justice when he has the occasional break from
doing the work,” he said. Espinoza said that his goals as a teacher are to continue to learn, grow, and educate his students on important issues in society. He said that he plans to honor the opinions of all students for the rest of his teaching career and to continue to make connections with all students and staff. “I’m down to support anyone with anything, and usually at any time,” he said.
Pillars of Branham teaching since reopening are retiring
Freschi and Smare share memories and say they will miss being with students the most
Bear Witness archives English teacher Nancy Freschi and P.E. teacher Ron Smare have been through seven changes in principals. In recent years Freschi has served as a teacher mentor to new teachers. Smare has coached girls soccer since the start, and says he might return to coach again. KATELYN LOWPENSKY
A
Editor-in-chief
s soon as English teacher Nancy Freschi finished her interview to work at Branham, she knew it was her place. After over 20 years at Branham, Freschi and P.E. teacher Ron Smare will be retiring at the end of the year. Freschi began her career when Branham reopened in 1999 after leaving her job as a layer and going back to school to get her teaching credential. Even though Branham had already hired their staff for the year, she was called in for an interview because they needed an additional freshman English teacher. Not even done with her credential program, she was interviewed on a Wednesday and started teaching the next Monday. “It was the perfect place,” she said. “I got there and I was like, ‘I love teaching, and I love Branham.’ It was a completely happy coincidence.” Smare also began his Branham career in 1999 after coaching at a middle school. He had always wanted
to be a high school coach, so he jumped at the opportunity to teach at Branham. What drew him to Branham was the positive environment the school fostered, and in his opinion, has continued to do throughout his career. “I just really like young people. They're just fun. They're great people, and the students at Branum are generally great kids,” he said. Freschi’s retirement plans include road tripping across the U.S., traveling to Italy, and volunteering in her community. She never wants to stop learning and expressed that she wants to further pursue her interests in public health and leadership. “I have a bunch of different ideas,” she said. “I want to go back and take classes or go to school (to pursue public health).” Smare is excited to spend more time with his wife, and eventually, he might go back into coaching. He wants to continue to be an active member of the community because he loves building connections
with kids. “For me, the most valuable lesson is the most effective thing you can do as a teacher is to make personal connections with students. And that is more important than whatever curriculum you're really trying to teach.” Throughout her time at Branham, the most valuable lesson Freschi learned is putting her students first and caring about their mental health in order to promote a healthy learning environment. “The most important thing is to have students know that you care about them and respect them, she said. “I tell kids that you know nothing matters if they're not okay.” Smare is proud of the bonds he’s created over his 40 years as a teacher, but most of all, he will miss being around his students. “It’s sad because I will miss Branham a lot,” he said. “I love the students a lot, and so I will definitely miss them.”
Virtual | Few at school pick online learning From Page 1 Choir teacher Barbara West, who represents the elective teachers during the Virtual Academy’s weekly meetings, said there are several reasons why students may choose to continue distance learning, ranging from family necessities to travel logistics. “There are students on campus who really struggle with getting to school on time because of transportation issues,” West said. “People who have little sisters or brothers at home and they need help with childcare. There’s all kinds of issues that students have that hopefully an online platform could make easier for them.” The aim of the Virtual Academy is to improve on the current distanced learning environment by combining live instruction with asynchronous work. Students would also use Odysseyware, an online course that would help aid the learning process. The Virtual Academy would be self-paced, with participating students completing assignments in their own schedule. But Branham’s resources aren’t off-limits either. “The student is still part of our school,” said assistant principal Loan Ly-Hong, who has attended some of the planning meetings. Anyone who chooses to participate in the course would still be enrolled with Branham and would have access to Branham’s resources. Though freshman Cindy Kim won’t be attending the Virtual Academy, but as an introvert, she understands why some might choose to. “They say it’s more efficient, it’s less time consuming,”
Kim said. “It’s less tiring, and it gives them more flexibility of schedule. Sometimes it’s just not so appealing to go to school every day.” There are some issues and a lot of unknowns regarding the plan, however. A primary concern discussed at meetings is whether students will fully commit to a whole year online as required, and how many teachers and administrators they need to hire in order to get the academy to work. “This requires a certain type of student who is motivated and has loved distanced learning and understands the parameters before committing to really succeed for the whole year,” Hong said. It is a year-long commitment, and administrators are counting on students to be prepared for that so that they and the program can succeed. The organizers also need to make sure that students will have enough opportunity for social interaction. Students would be allowed to come onto campus during lunch and after school to be a part of extracurricular activities and clubs or participate in sports. However, West said more questions, such as whether they will be able to attend dances, are still being considered. Regardless of the difficulty of assembling an entire school in a small time frame, administrators and district officials are still convinced in the mission of the academy, to provide students with a learning environment more suitable to their needs. “Every student has a place in education, and maybe that traditional pathway just hasn’t worked for you, and you’ve seen success this year,” Hong said. “I want those students to continue with that momentum by taking advantage of this opportunity.
TEACHERS PAY TRIBUTE TO FRESCHI AND SMARE RON SMARE "Ron and I were in the "Grease" musical (among many others) together, and he said something I'll never forget as we were discussing how much we loved being a part of it. He said, 'Life doesn't just hand you these rich experiences, you have to seek them out.' I have thought of that moment and his sweet face many times in the years since then as I have consciously sought out experiences for maximum joy and fulfillment. When I have felt a bit lazy or unmotivated, I remember his words and remind myself to get moving and seek out the best in life since it won't be handed to me. I imagine so many of his students have done the same in their own lives that were made richer by his involvement." Sharon Freeman Prospect High School Activities Director and former drama teacher "The kids always raved about 'Disco Mondays' in Ron's class. I always wished I could be cool enough to pull off disco in my classroom. My favorite memory, though, is from the teacher performance of 'Grease.' I played the school principal, and he played one of the T-Birds. We got really into the performance, and at one point, when I was "scolding" him to get to class, I grabbed his ear and pulled him across stage. He was a great sport about it.." Maria Clinton former Branham English teacher "His contributions to the rebuilding of Branham will always be remembered by all the lives he helped during his career here." Leticia Molina Spanish teacher NANCY FRESCHI "Nancy has been a dear friend to me over the years, and she continues to remain so long after I switched schools and even moved to another city. Fourteen years of friendship and a deep and true familial love- Branham gave me many gifts, but she remains one of the most cherished." Angela Cunningham Boynton High School English teacher and former Branham teacher "She is the consummate Mama Bear and 'Yoda' for so many of us on campus and her wisdom, love and support impacted me for life. " Tania Eaton Social science "What stands out to me the most, were the other conversations. We talked about race relations, the trials and tribulations of women in the U.S., about our pasts, and so much more. Being able to connect with you on those topics is more valuable than anything in regards to education." Mike Espinoza English
Megan Morrison/Bear Witness Freshman Sienna Rembulat completes a Spanish assignment on her first day of in-person learning in April.
"Nancy welcomed me into the Branham English department with open arms. I'm so grateful to have had her to check in with, whenever I felt overwhelmed or unsure about anything. She has always been so kind and open-minded and thoughtful." Barbara Arduini English
BEAR WITNESS
| JUNE 2021 |
Video game developers now sell full-priced, unfinished games ‘ to players, and then patch it over months or years.
Editorial The opinion of the Bear Witness editors
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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM
OPINION VIRTUAL ACADEMY
Pressing the reset button for online learning
he end is near for online learning, for most T students. However, a small percentage of them will continue to learn virtually next school year. The district is planning a Virtual Academy for students who would rather stick to online learning next year. So far, a little over 100 students out of 8,000 students in the district have applied. With the abundant issues present with online learning over the last year, from cheating to student engagement, the Virtual Academy is an opportunity for students and staff to hit the reset button and to establish new expectations. With that in mind, here are some ways we think the Virtual Academy can improve the online learning experience. Cheating: There’s no real way to see whether students are using outside sources
or not. Even if they are forced to share their computer screens, they can just as easily look up the information discreetly on their phone. With the current amount of homework, it’s common for students to feel that cheating on their tests is more convenient, because it will save them the trouble of staying up too late to study. Having open note quizzes and tests might be a good way to avoid cheating because then students will be more motivated to pay attention in class in order to take good notes. Student engagement: In an online setting, the only way students can communicate and interact with their classmates and teachers is by talking to a panel of squares on Zoom. Mandating that students have their cameras on will mitigate that. That is, if the district can ensure that families have access to
consistent high-speed internet and Chromebooks. It’s worked at Stanford University’s Online High School program. Seeing what classmates look like will encourage them to participate in class. Students with late work and missing assignments will have to email their teachers or set up a tutorial meeting, especially if the assignment is locked on Canvas. Mental health: The new online school schedule this year had students staring at their computers for at least 5 hours each day. The routine of getting up and getting on a Zoom call while isolated in your room may not seem bad at first. But doing this for months and months can cause burnout, and cause students to lose motivation. In response to students saying that they are over-
whelmed with the amount of schoolwork, the district has released a revised homework policy, which goes into effect this summer. It plans to limit classwork to 60 minutes per class, and 3 hours per week. Long breaks like summer and winter break will also be free of “mandatory school work.” *** With a small group planning online schooling continuing into next year, it’s important for there to be changes for the sake of the students’ mental health, and the homework plan is a good start for both them and in person students. The Virtual Academy is an opportunity to address the problems of our current online learning situation, and a way to move toward a more equitable learning environment for students.
BEYOND GEORGE FLOYD
Time to rethink police funding Actions disproprotionately affect people of color
I
AMAYA MARTINEZ Staff writer
n the year following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, protests against police brutality around the world have brought attention to the idea of defunding the police. For supporters, defunding the police does not mean getting rid of law enforcement. It means reallocating funds to the community in a way that best fits their needs - from mental health support to finding ways to improving support for victims. With countless cases of police unjustly killing black people, it is evident that a great change is needed, and it starts with funds. There is far too much money spent on law enforcement that can be separated into helping various communities and organizations for the betterment of society. San Jose spends more than $400 million on its police force, which funds salaries, benefits, and overtime of officers. According to the American Civil Liberties Union,state and local governments spend upward of $100 billion on law enforcement every year, as well as the billions more in federal grants and resources. A mass amount of this money directly funds police officers themselves, rather than citizens’ health and safety. More money is given to law enforcement than necessary, neglecting other organizations and harms communities. The ACLU found that out of the 10.3 million arrests made per year, only 5% are for the serious offenses that are harmful to citizens, such as murder, rape, and aggravated assault. The other 95% of arrests are traffic violations, marijuana possession, unlawful assembly, and even removing a shopping cart from store premises. The mass criminalization mainly targets black communities. Police have often focused resources on minor crimes that don’t threaten people in everyday life, instead of putting more attention into serious crimes. Providing an overflow of money contributes to the problems within the system. The civil rights group also found that 1 in
1,000 black men can expect to be killed by police. Due to these issues, various cities have decided to cut funds from their law enforcement, and put money into organizations and communities who need it to flourish. A few of these cities with the most drastic changes are Austin, Texas and New York City. Austin has cut $20 million from the Austin police department, and $80 million from the agency, while New York cut $1 billion from its 2021 budget. A Guardian newspaper investigation found that Austin police funds have been reallocated to various social programs, such as substance abuse programs, food access, workforce development, abortion services, and victim support. New York also reallocated $354 million to mental health, homelessness and education services. In past years the amount dedicated for policing was equal to more than that of the Department of Health, Homeless Services, Housing Preservation and Development, and Youth and Community development combined. These programs help better the quality of life for citizens, and it’s vital that money is supplied to benefit the people, rather than funding an organization that is already over supplied. Due to these funds, homelessness has been reduced, providing access to food, help for drug usage, and a place to stay. Not only does this benefit the less fortunate, but it keeps people off of the streets, preventing them from adding to the crime rates. As shown in the NYPD records, rape cases, robberies, burglaries, and grand larceny dropped drastically from the months of June and July 2020, before the reallocation. Since the murder of George Floyd, various other black people have been killed at the hands of police, leaving families heartbroken and people outraged with police brutality being so prevelant in this day and age. Although there’s still a lot of work to be done to reach true equality, defunding the police is a big step in the right direction. It gives more power and support to citizens, which protects black communities.
By the numbers
181
Black people who have been killed by a police officer since George Floyd's death in May 2020. This represents 18.7% of all police shooting deaths.
1.4% of the 1,127 police killings recorded in 2020, 16 cases have resulted in a charge
against the officer.
3x Between 2013 and 2020, Black people were three times as likely to be killed by police than white people, despite being 1.3 times more likely to be unarmed. Source: Mapping Police Violence, Census Bureau Illustration by Tae Yun (Erica) Kang
When school reopened, I chose to stay home. Here's why JOCELYN SHEPHERD Staff writer
hen Branham reopened for in-person W learning, I chose to stay home. Summer was just around the corner, and it is not worth
it to go back to in person learning. Five weeks to relearn old routines, to try to stay safe in a new environment, were not worth the adjustment. As a freshman, I have never been on campus. Many say that going back in person would be a great opportunity to learn about Branham, the layout of the school and to get to know my peers. However, I am not comfortable with going back in person and potentially risking my health and my family's health. The trade off wasn’t worth it, which is why I chose to stay virtual.
Although precautions have been taken against COVID-19 at the school such as shields, masks, and social distancing, there are still unknown safety hazards, especially for those with high-risk family members. The CDC warns if there is someone who is at increased risk for severe illness due to covid or another disease, then everyone in the household should act as if they are at increased risk too. Even with vaccines available to all high school students and safety precautions being taken, there is always a chance that someone may contract covid from school — an unessential risk — putting themselves and their family at risk. As someone who lives with both an aging family member and a family member with a rare disease, I know that going to school increases the risk of exposure, and that increases the possibility that I transmit the virus to them
which would be deadly. Instead of risking that, I decided to stay home to keep my family safe. Children who have been exposed to covid are at risk for health problems and can spread the virus to others. Health Affairs, an organization that publishes a journal of health policy, thought, and research states that children from ages six to their teens are less likely than adults to become severely ill or transmit infection, although exposure to an infected child can place vulnerable adults at risk. Most people want to return to in-person learning to see their friends, or get more hands-on learning help from teachers. These are both valid reasons to return to school, but people need to remember that we are in a pandemic. Just because there are vaccines doesn't mean the pandemic is over and COVID-19 is gone for good. It was only
this week that all teenagers received the go-ahead for vaccinations. However, not all people have access to one. This can become a problem when weighing your options of going back to school because many people, myself included, would feel safer with that extra layer of safety. There is uncertainty about whether or not kids could be superspreaders due to developing research. This means that scientists are unsure if kids could spread covid at rapid paces like they spread the flu, and could impact the reach and spread of the virus. A lot has happened since Branham first shut down, and the rate of progress in terms of virus distribution has increased dramatically, at least here. Staying safe and following scientific guidelines will help us all return to school, as we had done before.
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BEAR WITNESS
| JUNE 2021 |
BHSBEARWITNESS.COM
AAPI IN-DEPTH HATE CRIMES
In their eyes AAPI staff, students share their stories
Chinese immigrants first came to the u.s. in the 1850s. They were mostly working class men who were either recruited for cheap labor or perhaps they hoped to strike it rich in the California Gold Rush
Catherine Tran Junior "I’ve had girls comment on my TikTok videos telling me I eat dogs and bats, telling me that my ancestors and I caused the virus, and calling me racist things in general.
Kevin Nguyen School social worker "It's scary to me, particularly for my parents. I worry about their safety. I am baffled by the lack of empathy some people have expressed regarding recent incidents. Though I am not surprised, given the way it is presented in the media."
MINORITY myth
Some people don’t believe that Asian Americans experience racism. And on the surface, through the lense of media and pop culture, it may seem that way. In reality, Asian Americans have faced racism as long as they have been in the United States.
The chinese took away our jobs!
When the economy crashed in 1873, the Chinese were blamed even though they only represented 0.02% of the labor workforce in the United States .
Rachel Lee Sophomore
This pandemic has certainly had many global repercussions and we're all affected by it. It's unfair to blame the coronavirus on just the Asian community."
MODEL
written and illustrated by Mei Lin Lee-Stahr
I’ve gotten two death threats over the past three months because people say that since I’m Asian, I caused the virus."
"It makes me feel angry, frustrated, sad and disturbed. I read many articles and watched many violent videos about people who are attacked simply because they are Asian.
The invention of the
No chinese!
n 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed that banned all new Chinese Immigrants.
Southeast asian South asian East ASian
Why are there so many of you?
but I’m japanese.
After the Chinese were banned, other Asians such as Sikhs, Filipino, and korean groups grew, but predominantly Japanese took their place in society. i thought we took out all asians. i’m f
With every new group of Asian immigrants, Congress kept passing laws banning them until Congress thought the whole continent had been covered. But...
ilipin
o
at the end of the 1930s, asian communities had grown. Asian immigrants now had american-born asian americans. Anita Su Art and photography "My female Asian friends and I have had many encounters of fetishization of our race. It disgusts me to know there are people who see Asian women as objects or trophies. This very reason causes so much harm to our community. I am disappointed and pained by that fact that many people seem to be sweeping these instances under the rug." — Reporting and art by Tae Yun Erica Kang
... They forgot the filipinos. In 1924, filipinos were the only asians who were legally allwed to immigrate to the u.s. In a short amount of time, small riots broke out against the filipino community, including a deadly bombing in stockton, CAlif.
BEAR WITNESS
| DECEMBER 20, 2019 |
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in 1942, president franklin roosevelt issued an executive order that sent 100,000 japanese americans to 26 prison camps across the west coast in response to hostilities from japan during world war ii. due to the asian immigrant ban, however, American-born japanese americans were primarily the ones rounded up.
after the war, american news media pushed the notion of the japanese american successful comeback. in reality, it took a long time for japanese americans to start over.
Look at how well this family has done since being released from prison camp!
THE MODEL Minority myth was born
You’re in now.
In 1952, a new immigration law reversed many of the previous discrminiatory policies. Resulting in a new wave of asian immigration to the u.S.
in the span of the cold war and subsequent wars fought in asia, from the korean war, vietnam war and the secret war, a new wave of asian immigrants arrived to the u.s.
In the 1950s, chinese americans pushed the idea of their well-behaved kids, unlike the “delinquent” baby boomer teenagers.
In exchange for economic mobility during the civil rights movement, asian americans were given extra opportunities in education and home ownership that were not extended to other minority groups. The model minority myth now was policy..
these immigrants from laos, vietnam and cambodia fled wartorn countries and/or communist rule.
Asian immigration since the 1990s has stabilized, with much of the new group coming for work on h-1b visas. (Out of all employed computer programmers in the u.s., 74% are asian). This further perpetuates the model minority myth
34% poverty rate among cambodian and laotian populations in california.
The success of a sizable group of asian americans has made it okay for american society to ignore the myriad struggles that we face every day, from high mental illness rates to high poverty rates. the model minority myth has made it harder for asian americans to not be seen as a compliant monolithic group. our struggles seem less worthy of attention than others, and therefore not as important.
the myth erases the struggles that asians face on the other side of the socioeconomic spectrum.
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BEAR WITNESS
| JUNE 2021 |
BHSBEARWITNESS.COM
NEWS CORONAVIRUS ABROAD
“When there are pictures of cremations, just being posted online as if it was nothing — that's not at all nothing. That's deeply personal. ... It's not like you take pictures of random people's funerals and post them online.” — Anjana Hariprasad, junior, on the disregard she sees of people posting photos of the coronavirus-related deaths in India
India | Online, a lack of respect From Page 1 said, referring to the travel ban the U.S. government implemented in early May to slow the spread of the coronavirus from India. Her mother-in-law was able to come home in mid-February, and while she is doing better, she’s still rehabilitating, with the current COVID restrictions in India preventing her from getting enough help. Nambula’s in-laws live in Mumbai, one of the cities hit hardest by India’s most recent and deadliest wave of the coronavirus. Though cases are declining as of late May, the country is averaging more than 217,000 cases a day, lower than the peak of 391,000 earlier this month. Though the rates of infection and deaths from coronavirus-related complications are lower than those in South America, the raw numbers are staggering. India recorded the highest number of cases in a day, 414,188, the highest in the world, and also the highest number of deaths in 24 hours — 4,529. Family in India suffering in lockdown The second wave of COVID-19 in India began around late March and spread rapidly. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center attributes the massive surge in cases to the early releasing of lockdown restrictions at a point when the case counts in India were at a low, as well as super spreader events like Khumbh Mela. There are also reports of mutations of the virus contributing to the spread. One of these strains was identified to have come from the UK, and another was first identified in India. The presence of these variants of the virus are also possible factors of the spread. Nambula said that a childhood family friend of hers recently passed away due to the virus, within 48 hours of showing symptoms. “My mom is super-scared right now to get out of the house,” she said. “And every time I talk to her,
she talks about all the scary stuff. They did not expect that it would go so bad. So I would say a lot of people took it really emotionally and the media kind of blew it out of proportion. You turn on every channel, and that's what the scariest part is - you don't know what is safe out there.” That fear is present, both among families here and in India. And while some families are able to stay safe, it takes an emotional toll on them. For Nambula’s in-laws, whom she describes as very social, the lockdown has been taxing. “They like to invite people over, they like to travel, they like to go to weddings, that's a big part of their life,” she said. “That's how they kind of function, and now you take away the happiness of the whole getting-together-with-family and all this stuff. When I talk to them I can feel they are emotionally struggling.” Junior Anjana Hariprasad knows her immediate family is relatively safe. Her maternal grandparents have been tested negative from COVID-19. However, her paternal grandparents did end up contracting the virus, though they’ve since recovered. “I have a lot of other relatives, too, but more distant ones,” Hariprasad said. “And I'm generally in the loop, and for the most part they're alive, which sounds a little morbid, but they're there. They're not doing the greatest.” On social media, disrespecting the dead She takes some measure of comfort in her relatives’ health, allowing herself to stay out of the news loop about the situation for now. Like Nambula, Hariprasad gets most of her news on the situation from family. “Especially as long as I know that the people I care about are safe, It's something I don't feel too bad about leaving aside just for now,” she said. “But I do know generally what's happening, seeing as there's been a spam of (Instagram) stories online.”
She is referring to Instagram Stories from her peers and coverage from news outlets that oversimplify the tragedy in India. Those who have shared images of mass cremations in India do not give proper respect to those who have died, she said. “When there are pictures of cremations, just being posted online as if it was nothing - that's not at all nothing,” she said. “That's deeply personal. And regardless of whether or not you have a connection to the culture, you'd think that a cremation is personal. I mean it's not like you take pictures of random people's funerals and post them online.” Nambula encourages those who share stories of the situation in India to take action beyond putting “a bunch of words on the Internet.” Rebuilding and healing In terms of vaccinations, India was one of the world’s largest producers of vaccines, supplying it to other countries prior to being hit by the second wave. But the government hadn’t bought sufficient vaccines for its own population, with many still waiting for their second dose by the time the second wave hit. As of now, vaccinations are open to all adults. After much pressure, the Biden Administration agreed to export protective gear, ventilators, and other necessary supplies to India, as well as raw materials for the vaccine as the country currently faces dangerous shortages of these essential materials. With the number of daily infections on the decline, Nambula is cautiously optimistic that India’s worst days are behind it. “Sometimes it's heartbreaking to see some of the videos, or the news.” she said. “And sometimes I feel like there is hope, and then hopefully in the next couple of months, they might come back to some kind of normal.”
Notebook | A personal angle
From Page 1 another continuity of the past year, and that nothing out of the pandemic-ordinary was happening. It was and is so difficult to understand such a large, sweeping calamity in a personal context. It was very much of a this-is-happening-tothe-country situation that I couldn’t quite reconcile in a this-is-happening-to-my-family context, which led to an odd way of viewing the crisis. I was seeing it through both devastating news reports and mundane family reports. Thinking on it, it’s an interesting look at how we just persevere through crises the best we can. But that difficulty in connecting a larger crisis to a more personal level figured into my ease in writing this story, because writing about this situation required formality and an amount of personal removal from the writing. I was also writing about others’ families and experiences when I had so much to say from a personal standpoint. Putting the situation in context definitely became easier after I considered what had happened to my maternal grandfather in September of 2020. He got the coronavirus, and none of us here knew until after he had recovered. I remember being absolutely
stunned, I remember face-timing him after finding out, the both of us in tears. It was the first time I can ever recall seeing my grandfather cry like that. There was this horrible sense of what-could’ve-been that followed me around for the rest of the day, alongside the breathless relief that he was okay, that he was here. And I think, taking the fear and possibility of loss that I had come so close to and understanding that those feelings and more were being felt by so many made it easier to understand the pain of the situation in both a personal and larger context. That, and talking to Ms. Nambula and Anjana, who were able to share stories of their families and how they felt, helped expand my closerto-home contextualization of the situation, thereby making it easier to understand the situation in a larger general context. The coronavirus crisis definitely hit a lot closer when two of my closer extended family members contracted it. My father’s aunt and cousin were quarantined at home, and we soon got the news that my father’s cousin was in the hospital. Knowing the scale of the situation made the information that much scarier, and it felt like all of a sudden we were pulled into the “news version” of the
crisis, so removed from the everyday pandemic-normal that we’d gotten used to. Thankfully, he recovered and is safe at home now, but that brush with the “news version” of the coronavirus crisis felt like a more definitive moment for me in feeling the effects of the crisis. And with a better sense of how the “news version” of the crisis can encroach on the “home version,” I can say that seeing the numbers is heartbreaking and painful and horrifying. And I feel scared, angry, and helpless. Writing this story definitely felt like I was doing something, for which I am grateful - but it still doesn’t completely remove that feeling of helplessness. Even though we’re doing what we can, in the end, it doesn’t change the overarching reality of it and that’s immensely frustrating. This situation means I can’t see my family in person, and it means my loved ones might not be able to get help if they need it. It’s painful to hear about, and I so desperately want things to get better. And here, even as we move into the old normal from the pandemic-normal, I feel a little wary despite my own covid-fatigue. But all I can do right now is stay safe, and hope that others can do the same.
Courtesy of Zoe Gardner Zoe Gardner shows off her Santa Clara University hoodie. With SATs and ACTs out of the equation at many colleges, a record number of students applied.
College acceptances drop as more apply MEGAN MORRISON Staff Writer
his year, admission rates plumT meted at numerous selective colleges, with the significant rise in
applicants to selective schools and the cancellation of SAT and ACT tests countrywide. EdSource, a nonprofit that focuses on California’s education challenges, reported that applications to UC-Berkeley went up 27% and UCLA jumped by 28%. The UCs are also reporting historically low admission rates. Though colleges continue to prioritize the importance of grades and rigor of curriculum but are also increasingly looking at extracurriculars students are involved in. After a lawsuit was filed against the UC schools, the UC board of regents unanimously voted to go test blind and not consider standardized test scores starting in the fall 2023. Branham College and Career Counselor Patricia Perez said that getting into selective colleges has been particularly difficult this year for seniors. The applicant pool is getting more competitive, and students are taking on more extracurriculars to gain an advantage. She also says that getting into college might depend on the luck of the draw, depending on who reads the application and other factors. “Every year is different,” Patricia Perez said. “In my first full year, I had students who I thought, without a doubt, would get into some of the schools like their top choices and they ended up not getting into those schools... The following year, I had students who maybe didn't match what those previous students did who got into those same schools.” To hedge one’s bets about being accepted into college, senior Allison Keane, who will be attending University of Colorado Boulder to study general engineering, recommends that students should apply to as many schools as they can afford to. “I think it's a really cool opportunity to see where you end up and where you like,” she said. Khan Academy, which along with its video tutorials provides college advice, suggests that students should start a list of colleges to apply to in their junior year and have a final list by the beginning of senior year. UC schools have an application fee of $70 dollars and are due November 30. Most college acceptance notifications are sent in March or April each year.
Attending Santa Clara University next fall, senior Zoë Gardner said it was “relieving” to get those acceptance letters. “I found once I got the first acceptance, there was this wave of relief because there was nothing to worry about anymore because I was going to college,” she said, “There was nothing that was gonna stop that I was going.” Many highly ranked universities experienced an increase in freshman applicants, leading to lower admission rates. For example, prestigious Harvard University early acceptance admissions saw 57% increase in early action applicants, and its acceptance rate dropped from 13.9% in 2020 to 7.4%. With the rise in the number of universities that did not require the SAT, a large number of students tried to get into more selective colleges. The Common App, the application portal for many colleges, reported that more than 1,600 four-year colleges went test-optional this year, meaning they didn’t require applicants to submit SAT or ACT scores. Many centers were also closed during the pandemic, making it difficult for seniors to take the SAT or ACT, leading to a 11% surge in applications with a rise of 11%, according to the Common App. Because she wasn’t able to take the SATs after her tests were cancelled three times, Gardner said that it was “almost pointless” to apply without a high GPA over 4.0. For that reason, she looked to private schools, as she said they looked at a student holistically, and not just based on her GPA. “Looking back on it, if some of those tests didn't get canceled, I wonder where I would be now,” Gardner said. Though the loss of the standardized tests led to a great plumate of acceptance rates in top ranked schools, shown in data from the Common App, traditionally underrepresented racial/ethnic minority subgroups, including Black, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, applications were up by 24% to the large, more selective colleges and universities. Perez views the loss of SAT testing this year as a positive for many students at Branham. “There are barriers that have always been in place for certain people,” she said. “By not having the test scores, I think it has made it a little bit more equitable, so that more students do have access and are able to apply.”
| JUNE 2021 |
BEAR WITNESS
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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM
SCIENCE & HEALTH CLIMATE WATCH
How to Relieve Finals Stress:
1. Balance
Tips for Surviving the Heatwave: Summer is arriving fast inwith an average temperature of 80°F in early June. Even though two digit temperatures sound okay, precautions should be known. During the night, the temperature inside the house can be 15-20 degrees higher than outside. So, sitting outside after sunset can help cool the body temperature. During the day, find a place with air conditioning like a public library if there is no air conditioning available at your residence. Become familiar with heat illnesses, emergency treatments, contacts, and preventions like remembering water, rest, and shade. Drinking water is essential to keep the body hydrated, especially under heat, in which room temperature water is absorbed better by the body than cool or hot water.
Spreading out work, studying, and rest is important for managing stress.
2. Digging
California Announce Emergency Drought On May 10, Governor Newsom added Klamath River, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Tulare Lake Watershed counties to the State of Emergency Proclamation, now with a total of 41 counties under the drought emergency. Some observed effects of the drought are abnormally warm temperatures in April and May, less extreme atmospheric rivers, and accelerated snowmelt.
As sea levels rise, land is sinking worldwide One of the reasons the sea levels have been rising is because of the adjusting and sinking of the current land since the last Ice Age after the ice sheets retired. Due to the land sinking, New Jersey has had the greatest sea level rise among cities on the east coast in the past 2000 years. The other most influenced cities from sinking land are Jakarta, Shanghai, and New Orleans. Carbon emissions set new records After the short decline of carbon dioxide emission worldwide after the start of the pandemic, the energy-related CO2 emissions are projected to increase by 1.5 billion tons this year according to the International Energy Agency. CO2 emissions are expected to rise about 5% this year overall. — Compiled by Jiyoon Choi
Plan and schedule beforehand and create your stable system that does’t need reinvention.
4. Talk it Out
Talk to counselor/social worker/teachers/ trusted adult/friends about the problem
YOUR BRAIN ON STRESS Three main parts of your brain help regulated how you deal with stress, including AMYGDALA Site of fear processing. Those with depression or anxiety can an enlarged amygdalas, disrupting sleep.
COVID Pollution Worsen Garbage Patch With 129 billion face masks and 65 billion gloves used every month, only an average of 10% of the plastic is recycled in the western world. Other trash piles in landfills or end up in the ocean. Eight million metric tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every year. Climate change blamed for spread of diseases Lyme disease cases, a bacterial illness transmitted especially by infected deer ticks, report cases to be nearly twice as high as in 1991. The warming climate is expanding the range of habitats for ticks, including the areas where ticks did not survive before. The change in the host population of deers by human exposure also affects the tick population.
3. Stay Organized
Asking questions and finding as much as possible about the test logistically help ease the stress
JIYOON CHOI Staff Writer
aking finals or tests online is not usual and T stressful. For freshmen, their first finals were online, and now, for some students, finals are
in-person, creating more stress. Over half of 10,000 students surveyed by NBC News and Challenge Success in February 2021 reported that they were more stressed compared to the school in 2020. Moreover, 84% of distance learning only students reported exhaustion, headaches, insomnia or other stress-related ailments along with 82% of hybrid students and 78% of fully in-person students. Especially for freshmen who have not been on campus before and had to take their first high school finals online, the situation is more nervous and overwhelming. Freshman Jennifer Hanneman explains how the online finals have affected her last semester. “I didn’t really like how we had to do finals online,” she said. “That kind of sucked because I didn’t learn too much in the first semester because it was all online.” The major difference between in-person and online classes is the physical presence of the teacher and the school environment. These differences result in lack of attention and participation. “I was not able to pay attention that well during [online] class,” Hanneman said. “But now [being] in-person, I’m able to focus a bit more because the teacher is right there speaking in front of me and I get to literally ask for help anytime. Even though I was able to ask for help anytime online [too], it was harder because [when being] online, there are other busier things to do [like personal problems].”
STRESS HORMONES Adrenaline Known as the fight or flight hormone after sensing stressful situations.
PREFRONTAL CORTEX Regulates behavior, thought and emotion, helps develop goal-directed behaviors.
Norepinephrine: Similar to adrenaline, helps focus. Shifts blood flow to crucial areas of body, such as muscles (to flee the classroom after a test!).
HIPPOCAMPUS Coordinates the release of hormones that drive a person’s motor responses to perceived threats.
Cortisol: Stress hormonActs slower, but released gradually to help stabilize fluids and blood flow. Too much for long periods can suppress immune system.
The school’s social worker, Kevin Nguyen, has set up appointments and check-ins with students throughout the year both online and in-person. He adds on the common worries of the students that reached out for help which is similar to Hanneman’s. “That feeds into the stress that I was hearing: ‘I’m not ready for the final’ or ‘We didn’t learn enough’ or ‘stress resulting from too much work’,” he said. “I’m trying to find that balance of classwork versus homework that teachers are also trying to navigate.” However, after returning to school in-person since April 12, many factors have changed. For Hanneman, returning for four days per week definitely helped her educationally and socially. “Personally, I wasn’t really able to hang out with too many people before, and it got depressing at that point because I’m like, ‘Oh, am I stuck in this house all the time,’” she said. “So the fact I get to go back to school all four days now is better for not only my grades, education wise, but also for my social life as well.” With in-person learning stabilizing, English 1 Honors and AP Literature teacher Chelsea Follett recalls the overwhelming email inboxes teachers faced during the first semester. “The beginning of the year was very, very difficult because students were doing distance learning and Canvas for the first time,” she said. “So the amount of emails that I was getting in August, September, and October made me want to cry because every time I refresh my email, I’d have like three or four or five more students that ask how Canvas works or how do you submit this.” Another stress teachers face during finals is the grading. Follett, as an English teacher, reads about
150 essays total at the end of every semester. “The students are stressed out because they’re taking five or six finals, but then the teachers are stressed out because they have to grade all of those finals.” Although the general tone of students are tired and worried, there are certain types of students that stress more and stress less. “I tend to notice that the students that have turned in all of their assignments and really participated in class tend to be a little bit less stressed out around finals week because their grade is not in jeopardy of anything,” Follett said. “But I definitely noticed that the students that have missed assignments throughout the semester, start panicking around the finals because they know their grades are really in jeopardy depending on how they do on that final.” Like Follett said, some students panic and try to crunch everything in a short period of time. During those “crunch times”, at least some breaks should be added in for some flexibility. “I always [see students do] last hour cramming like crunch time, but I would say try and space it out, give yourself cushion time, building that in,” Nguyen said. “Just because you never know what’s going to happen with your day-to-day schedule or life that might interrupt what you intend to do.” What students are stressed about the most during tests is ultimately the grade. Students might continue the mood even after the finals if they receive a “bad grade.” “My big advice to my students is that it’s not the end of the day if you get a B,” Follett said. “Of course you want to get an A. But if you get a B, you can still have a very, very nice life.”
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