Cypress High September 2016

September 2016

Volume 17 Issue 1 9801 Valley View St., Cypress, CA 90630

Cypress Campus to Get Makeover

by Davin Nguyen Staff Writer Next summer, Cypress High will go through a highly anticipated 14 million dollar renovation. The design will be built on the foundation of the school’s initial design from 1973. Students will see changes in the quad, parking lot, pool and especially in the learning atmosphere. The renovation’s funding consists of a multimillion dollar bond, to give substantial upgrades to the parking lot and the quad.

With the support of over 30,000 voters, Measure H was passed in 2014 allowing schools in the Anaheim Union High School District to go through one of the greatest structural transitions yet. Among 21 schools in the district, Cypress High was able to be the second school to get a major design overhaul.

With a great amount of effort, Dr. Jodie Wales worked to collaborate with Measure H in order to achieve a well-developed positive workspace for the past year and a half. She expects to see “enrichment in student’s learning” and to move “closer to the twenty-first century.”

Wales is proud of the efforts she has made to add more school spirit into the design.

Starting off with the quad, students will be accommodated with more seating areas. According to CTV, the quad area and parking lot “will receive substantial upgrades” to satisfy our school’s need. Valerie Soto, a sophomore at Cypress, noted that the school “is going to take away [her] hang out location.”

Change can definitely be hard for students to take, but in this case, it’s for the better.

The announcement shocked a lot of students. To continue our long standing reputation, Dr. Wales had set her goal to “focus on building strong school pride” so that every time

somebody thinks about Cypress, they are going to “think of an amazing school.”

Dr. Wales commented that the project was a “blend of architect’s ideas plus ideas from our own students.” Last year, Mrs. Teresa Shimogawa initiated the CAP project and her students were able to submit a proposal on solar panels to be built into the school’s parking lot.

To Dr. Wales, it truly is a “great student innovation”. In effect, we support the environmental movement towards the conservation of nature. Unfortunately, the reason this project was postponed until 2017 was due to the need for the city council approval for the new stop lights. Dr. Wales explained that the process was very “lengthy, but not difficult.” Cypress High School may be the first school in the district to have this sort of innovative parking lot.

The quad is going to be reconfigured by inclusion of outdoor learning spaces for students to interact with classmates and the environment. The performance stage will be taken down and replaced with new audience seating for water sports supporters. These changes will allow students to be more interactive with others inside and outside of the classroom.

One of the exciting changes lies in front of the pool where there is vast expanse of dirt. Grass used to stand in place until students started taking the route as a shortcut. Along with these monumental changes, Acia Sinclair claims that “every time I walk across the quad, the dirt always get over my face. I am happy to hear that they are finally going to fix that mess.”

The class of 2020 will be the ones to enjoy this enrichment for the next three years. Lauren Benavente, a freshman who gave the school five stars on Yelp, loves these new designs and mentions that they “actually describe [her] personality.”

Dr. Wales shows off the plans

Photo by Davin Nguyen

Photos courtesy of RuhnauClarke Architect Planners

Just in case any Centurions were expecting a 600 building as an expansion after the 500 building, Dr. Wales proposed that we could possibly see the 600 building on top of the field.

Due to limited space for structure, the

possibility is very unlikely. Together with the great design, students, teachers, innovation, education, and principal, we definitely would keep our standards of being “the best school in America.”

Fawley Running for School Board in Fullerton

by Alexandra Moreno Assistant Editor On September 1st, at Roscoe’s Famous Deli, Cypress High School’s AP Government teacher, Ms. Joanne Fawley, celebrated her kick-off party as a candidate for Fullerton Joint Union High School District School Board.

There, Fawley’s friends, colleagues, and family gathered to show their support.

Anaheim Secondary Teachers Association (ASTA) president, Dean Elder said, “She has a lot of experience and skills that most people wouldn’t have, and she understands the things that go on in a classroom.”

In a speech delivered to the supporters in attendance, her main focus was that it is “time for change,” referring to the long-lasting tenure

of the pointed teachers because

current board members. She out the logic of listening to and those in the classroom “they know the students best.”

Fawley also acknowledged the importance of “21st century learning” and “preparing students for college and career.”

She hopes that with her help, “students will be successful beyond high school and college.”

One area of concern for Fawley is declining test scores district wide in FJUHSD because “the district is heading the wrong direction.”

On November 8, 2016, voters will go to the polls, and those in Area 2 can cast their vote for Joanne Fawley.

Photo courtesy of Ms. Fawley

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STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Senior Sunrise Dawns at CHS

by Nicki Roberson Staff Writer\ Last month, ASB kicked off the year with the first senior event, Senior Sunrise. In the second year since it was created, Eleni Karapoulios, the culinary teacher and ASB’s senior advisor, says that she, ASB, Alison Cook & Sarah Binford, ASB’s activity directors, and Rose Chen, ASB’s accounting technician, “wanted to kick off the year with something fun.”

The event took place from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. on August 23rd in the quad, which was sectioned off from the entrance to the quad near the 300 building to the girls’ bathroom near the lunch lines. Seniors piled in and had their I.D. cards scanned, then hurried off to join their friends and chat at the tables. To start off, senior and public relations officer, Tim Nguyen, and senior class president, Agnes Manu, cheerfully greeted the crowd of students and announced the special activity they had planned. On paper, distributed

by ASB, students were to write about what they hope to accomplish before graduation.

For the special occasion, the seniors were served breakfast burritos, salsa, fruit, orange juice, coffee, and hot chocolate from Karapoulios, staff members Fred Markle, Jeanine Elliot, Carrie Vaughn, Kathleen Binford, Mary Binford, Sharlene Cook, and several members of ASB. Although Karapoulios’ Advanced Culinary class caters many

events, this year’s Senior Sunrise was actually catered by Jolly Burger, a restaurant in Bell Gardens, California.

Karapoulios has been the senior class advisor at CHS for two years.

Personally, she wanted to put on “a good, first senior event.” Complimenting her hard work that she’s contributed to the senior events in past years, Chen says that Mrs. K also “likes to do a good job picking good food for our kids.” Karapoulios and Chen have been working closely together for many years. “Mrs. K’s very easy to work with and flexible with choosing food and keeping track of the number of people that are coming to events,” says Chen.

The event continued throughout the hour with a relaxing and joyful vibe as kids enjoyed assorted choices of breakfast and fun music that played from the audio speakers.

Compared to this year’s Senior Sunrise, Chen says that, when the event was first put on, “people didn’t know what to expect or what to do but they eventually warmed up to the concept. This year, more people came and made connections with each other.” Chen also statesthat, the whole purpose of the event is to “give senior kids a chance to socialize exclusively with each other; we want to create a good memory of their last year.”

Senior and event planner Shelbi Purtell, who attended Senior Sunrise considers “communication” to be one

21st Century Furniture

by Tala Essayli Photo Editor Some Cypress High School students were welcomed on August 10 with new, modernized classrooms.

The desks in numerous classrooms now have a contemporary look to them and may even have no gum stuck to the bottom of them...well for now.

The fresh furniture being used in some classrooms, is a beginning step on the Measure H front. Up to this point, about 50% of Cypress High School teachers are testing out the furniture and are to be giving the district feedback and input. This will in turn create a district standard for the furniture.

Cypress High School students are certainly beginning to see the improvements in the school’s facilities. Last year, the school invested in a redesigned water fountain, throwing out the old one and introducing new filtered water. In addition, new furniture has been brought into the picture. According to the district’s Superintendent Mike Matsuda, “More student engagement will lead to better student performance and “buy in” to the system we call school. If we can get more kids engaged with their education, we will have less absenteeism, fewer discipline issues, and generally more happy young people where education once again works for them and not the other way around.”

The desks were constructed in order to encourage collaborative group work. This will help students in classrooms to further discuss thoughts and ideas amongst each other and in turn be more successful.

Teachers should be incorporating Common Core instruction by infusing the

four C’s into their teaching habits. Those are communication, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity. Due to the renovations, the four C’s can finally be applied correctly in student’s everyday routines. Group-able made desks will help bring together communication and collaboration among classmates.

Superintendent Matsuda also mentioned that “if we create more inviting spaces in classrooms that over time it will affect student (and teacher) interactions...Over time, I think students will become better communicators which will help them in the adult world.” Not to mention, a classroom full of color in it’s furniture will help to encourage creativity in young minds here at Cypress High School.

Learning environments from here on out will forever be transformed.

The ability to work in an artistic environment will help to bring new useful concepts and creations for the future.

This ability is a major factor because the future is held in these students’ hands.

Seniors were all smiles at Senior Sunrise. of the most important tools of successfully planning events. Since Senior Sunrise was established last year, she says that one of the most memorable things that have occurred in it was “watching people have fun and feel good.”

Photo by by Nicki Roberson An enormous amount of the success for senior sunrise is credited to Manu, who was elected senior class president back in March of last year. In charge of apparel and organizing dates for events, Manu’s major concern, especially for the

Parents Welcomed at Back to School Night

by Avylon Kemna-Berg Equipment Manager Back to School Night at Cypress High School was on Wednesday, August 24, from 5:15-8:00 p.m.

Parents had the opportunity to meet their child’s teachers and view the campus and classrooms. A Cypress parent said, “I personally like it so I know the teachers and what to expect for the school year.”

“I want parents to see their student’s daily life here and feel the excitement about what a great, positive place Cypress is,” stated principal, Dr. Wales.

Many students came to Back To School Night to see their friends and teachers. “It’s just nice coming here with my friends and family, it’s fun,” stated freshman, Victoria Santana.

The evening included performances from students in cheer and band. Several of Mrs. Fenton’s dance classes performed for on looking parents, students, and family members.

Of course, the night would not have been complete without a visit from the In-and-Out truck.

Parents, students, and teachers enjoyed hamburgers, chips, and sodas.

Some new tables act Photo by Tala Essayli as white boards.

Photos by Avylon Kemna-Berg

FEATURES

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Back to School Fashion

by Miranda Santos & Gabriella Doran Illustrator/Features Page Editor & Photo Editor

Juniors, Alyssa Pedro and Tristan Bangle, both enjoy thrifting and secondhand online shopping. Bangle describes his style as, “binge and going to Paris Fashion Week.” He also really likes the “90’s skater” look. Pedro, on the other hand, gets her fashion inspiration from people she sees on Instagram and states, “If I like it, I’ll wear it.” They both agree that “whatever you wear, you should be comfortable in,” and their styles could vary “from bum to vogue.”

Senior, Christopher Lee, uses his “unique music taste” to inspire his everyday looks, such as his favorite band, Tomorrow’s Tulips. He does most of his shopping at thrift stores and claims to have more of a “care-free” style. “My go-to’s would for sure be my sunglasses ‘cause they’re cool. I wear them pretty much every day,” says Lee.

Photos by Gabriella Doran

Junior, Hannah Espinoza, gets her fashion ideas from pictures from the 60’s and 70’s. “I try not to look the same every day, and I like to mix things up,” Espinoza says. Her favorite place to shop is called Melrose Vintage. “I always add jewelry to my outfits to spice them up.

I wear three of my favorite rings (one because it won’t come off my finger) and earrings pretty much all the time,” she adds.

Senior, Cali Thorton, typically finds her outfits at Savers, Precious Life Thrift & Gift, or Nordstrom. She describes her style as, “colorful, exotic, and mismatched.” Thorton, having a tendency to dress either “girly or even a little boyish,” is also inspired by artists Rihanna and Drake. “Do you. If you want to show skin, show skin. If you don’t, don’t. Just be comfortable and wear whatever you think you look good in,” she advises.

Senior, Damian Conlon, describes his style as “random and colorful.” Though he typically gets his jeans from Pacsun, Conlon enjoys shopping at any local thrift store to complete his outfits.

“Go to the thrift, you can find the best things and they’re super cheap,” Conlon suggests. As for shoes, he tries to find a pair that he can wear with a variety of outfits.

“Honestly, just wear what you want, be original, and have your own style,” he adds.

Senior, Gabriel Ocampo, describes his style as being “simple and sick.” “I don’t really shop anywhere specific, I just buy whatever I think is cool,” he explains. Ocampo takes inspiration from artist, Tyler the Creator. He states, “I really enjoy fashion because it’s a way to visually express people’s personalities.”

New Cheer Coach

by Niko Sanchez Copy Editor Taylor Eliot is the new cheer coach here at Cypress High School.

She “loves being around the girls” and has been coaching cheer for about ten years. Before Eliot started coaching, she cheered for 15 years. She says, “I love the people I grew up cheering with and the relationships we made with each other.”

Eliot started co-coaching at Cypress about a year ago with one of her best friends, DJ. Since DJ left towards the end of last year, Eliot decided to stay.

Before coming to Cypress High, Eliot was a cheer coach at Rosary High School. Eliot is currently coaching at a private gym, as well. She says her favorite thing about cheer is, “the bonds you make with the people around you. These are things the girls will never forget: being on the field and making lifelong friends.” Eliot loves how “all the students and administration at Cypress are so school spirited. Everyone is so into Cypress and when you come you never want to leave,” Eliot says with a smile on her face, “I hope we put on a

Ms.Eliot

Photo Courtesy of Ms.Eliot

good show for everyone to see and I hope to do great at competition this year.”

Varsity cheerleader, Emily Vasquez, says “I love Coach Taylor! She has really helped our team improve from last year. I’m happy she has guided us in the right direction.”

NEW TEACHERS

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Mr. Gragnano Mr.Fournier

by Taira Ramdhani Sports Editor Mr. Gragnano, a U.S. History and Government teacher, joined Cypress High School’s family this year after working at Anaheim High School for nine years where he taught World and U.S. History. Gragnano adds, “I look forward to making Cypress High my new home…

I love how respectful the students are here, the school pride, and clean campus.”

After majoring in history, Gragnano later felt that he wanted to become a history teacher. “I really enjoy learning about past cultures and how people lived in the past…. I mostly enjoy studying the history of people’s lives.”

Gragnano has a strong passion for teaching and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“I love teaching for its unpredictability, youthfulness, and the ability to have an impact on my students,” he said.

Outside of learning about people’s lives, Gragnano spends his own time cross-fit training, coaching, camping with his kids, and traveling around the world. One of his favorite memories from traveling is when he climbed the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, all the way to 19,341 feet above sea level.

When Gragnano is not on the field coaching, he loves making time for his friends and family. He enjoys attending his kids’ games and coaching sports like basketball, soccer, and baseball as well. “The most rewarding thing about coaching is when the team executes what we had practiced all week. You could see the sense of accomplishment on their

Mr. Gragnano

Photo by Taira Ramdhani

face and in their swagger.” If he had to do anything outside of teaching, it would be a coach or “some kind of a fitness trainer.”

Gragnano hopes to further his teaching career by going back to school himself to receive his Master’s in Education.

Gragnano hopes that whether he is on the field, in a classroom, or at home he can continue to teach kids to be “good people and productive citizens.” This can be seen in his own classroom where he hangs many inspirational quotes from famous people in history. Gragnano’s personal favorite is, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal- It is the courage to continue that counts,” by Winston Churchill. While teaching the stories of historic legends, Gragnano will continue to leave his own legacy by always encouraging and inspiring his children, athletes, and students.

Mrs.Chang

by Amy Nguyen Layout Editor Sunyee Chang is the new business tech/graphic design teacher who can be found shuffling around from Mr. King’s room, to Mr. Borad’s, to Mr. Delgado’s.

“Shoutout to them for allowing me to decorate their classes and put air fresheners everywhere,” she laughed. A transfer rom South Junior High, Mrs. Chang already has a great impression of Cypress High School. “The students here are super fun and interesting,” she said about our Centurions, “They’re independent, have great personalities, and are not afraid to speak to adults!” As for the staff, she said they are “fantastic to work with.”

Chang grew up in Lake Forest and went to Trabuco Hills High School.

Her favorite memory from her childhood was going to Camp Fox in 7th grade. “I got to go to Catalina on a boat,” she said, “but that’s how I found out I get seasick!” Today, Chang is married and has two kids: sevenyear-old Clara, and three-year-old Kaylin.

“I met my husband in UCLA, but blew him off the first year,” she laughed. She recently bought a new house, and enjoys taking her daughters to their elementary school.

The tech-savvy teacher started her teaching career in UCLA. When she began to get phone calls from private schools, she turned them all down. After she graduated, she went back to Orange County to work at a law firm, but did not enjoy it. “I didn’t feel like I was making much of a difference in my life, or in my community,” she explained. As she worked her law firm job,

by Gina Le Copy Editor A new teacher has arrived at Cypress High School. Mr. Fournier is the brand new physics teacher. Fournier decided to transfer to Cypress thanks to Mr. Dwyer. He had previously worked with Dwyer while he was training to become a teacher. He explains, “Being given the opportunity to work with him again was something I couldn’t pass up.”

Fournier’s ride towards becoming a teacher may surprise many. Prior to his degree in physics, he obtained a theater degree. He was pitching a TV show based on Einstein’s theory of relativity where he would be in front of a blackboard, and no one would be able to leave until they understood the concept. His friend told him, I think you’re going about this the wrong way,” thus, he decided to pursue teaching.

As a child, Fournier was always fascinated by physics. “Physics is an extremely useful skill. It helps not just in physics, science, math, but also in

Mr. Fournier

Photo by Gina Le

critical thinking. You can apply it in the real world.” He loves being able to talk to students and share with them ideas of physics. His favorite thing about teaching is being able to interact with the students.

For his future students or anyone interested in taking physics, Fournier leaves a message, “Take physics!

Please take physics! It’s a fun class, it’s a rewarding class and you’ll have a blast.”

Ms.Harvey

by Arianna Rodriguez Distribution Chief Ms. Harvey the new Choir teacher, is looking forward to teaching this year at Cypress High School. Harvey attended Long Beach City College then transferred to Cal State Fullerton, where she received her degree in teaching. With three complete years of teaching choir, Harvey has also taught drama at her former school in LA. Before she wanted to become a teacher, Harvey briefly thought about going into the medical or musical fields.

Harvey decided on being a choir teacher because that’s something she always thought about since she was a little girl.

In her free time, aside from singing for the Professional Long Beach Choir, Harvey also enjoys baking and loves doing anything thats involves art.

Harvey describes how teaching at Cypress is her dream job because it’s closer to her family and where she grew up in Long Beach. She already loves Cypress because,

Ms. Harvey

Photo by Arianna Rodriquez

“Everyone here is like a family and always willing to help”. Another reason why Harvey loves Cypress is because the staff here is very welcoming. She is, “super excited for this year,” as she hopes to bring back the excitement and enthusiasm for choir.

Mrs. Artis Ms.Chang

Photo by Amy Ngyuen

her friends, who were teachers, told her about how awesome teaching was, and that every day was different and never boring.

After hearing this, Chang went into Cal State Fullerton’s teaching program, and started teaching part time to test what it was like. Soon enough, she fell in love with teaching and made it her full time job. Her first teaching job was at a school in Norco. However, she moved back to Orange County after one year, saying, “As much fun as it is seeing kids ride horses to school, I wanted to come home.” From there, Chang left Norco and went to teach at South Junior High for the next 13 years, and eventually came to Cypress.

At Cypress, she hopes to connect with the students and show them them how tech can make their lives better. “Technology is here to help you, not hurt you!”

by Maya Gutierrez Entertainment Editor Cypress High School’s English Department just got a new addition.

Kimberly Artis used to work all over the Anaheim High School District and is now beginning to teach at Cypress this 20162017 school year. Her past schools include Anaheim, Western, and Walker, but she has now chosen to settle down at Cypress High.

Artis obtained her Master’s in English at Cal State University, Long Beach. In her free time, she loves writing.

She is currently writing a teen novel set in a dystopian future because this theme intrigues her. She also spends her time at University of Phoenix teaching.

Artis says she is “grateful” for the staff at Cypress because everyone has been very friendly and eager to help.

Artis explains that she loves teaching high school because of the “students’ high critical thinking level and ability

Mrs. Artis

Photo by Staff

to have great discussions.” When asked how Cypress is treating her, Artis replied, “The atmosphere and culture is very encouraging.” It was evident Artis will be having a great year when she exclaimed how much she can “feel the Centurion pride.”

OPINION

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Trump vs. Clinton: 2016’s Big Political Race Trump and his Strengths: Trump is an outspoken political outsider who is not afraid to say what he believe is correct. He is a career businessman who has established a billion dollar brand name. He advertises a strong leadership and presidency that will get things done even though Congress isn’t as efficient.

photo from insider.com

photo from insider.com

by Andrew Kim and Stephen Liem Staff Writer and Editorial Editor Donald Trump appeals to the disgruntled people who are tired of politicians who actually play politics, they see Trump as an outsider who speaks his mind and is honest. Sure he may appeal to racist and xenophobic sensibilities but he uses that to capitalize on his popularity and “build his brand”. Other Republicans may want to vote for Trump for a number of reasons. For example, conservative Republicans usually want a weaker federal government and more emphasis on local government and usually detest a strong executive branch. Electing Trump to be President can in the long run weaken the Executive Branch of government, especially when politicians on both sides of the aisle do not support him. With a deadlocked Congress and a president with

bark and no bite, the Federal government would be unable to pass a lot of legislation leaving the states to mostly administer for themselves. Another reason is because they don’t like Clinton as a career politician and all the shadiness associated with her.

On the other hand, Hillary Clinton’s main strategy to win this election is to characterize Trump as a nationalistic racist crazy, who will possibly ruin our foreign policy, and at the same time possibly ruin the nation. Clinton is seen as a more experienced and rational character, but at the same time, is seen as corrupt, and very non-charismatic. Clinton also is a known Washington Insider, and many people have been sick of such people for years.

The masses see that many professional politicians often accomplish nothing, and at the same time, receive generous benefits from large corporate businesses.

Rationale for Support: The people who support him demand for change in the political system. They believe that his radical views may help bring around change to the Washington Elite, and while most of his election base seem radical, they believe that his cabinet that will support and carry his presidency to greater heights

While Clinton’s ascension to office may mean positive foreign relations, it also will mean growing discontent within the United States. Many people only stand with Clinton to prevent Trump from reaching office, but once Hillary is elected, it is possible that she may become one of the most disliked presidents in Office. While many legislative Democrats may enjoy an establishment Democrat in office, many Republicans despise her for her many foreign affair mishaps, such as the Benghazi incident. Ultimately, Clinton’s election base includes a coalition of people who

Clinton and her Strengths: Clinton is a politician who has experience going back to when she was a college student. She has been experience as the First Lady, Secretary of State, and Senator of New York. She is what you would consider the solid and dependable choice who isn’t going to throw words at random.

Rationale for Support: The people who are with her believe that Clinton is a trusted candidate who will not make irrational decisions and will ensure that America will not go down into flames.

do not wish for Trump to be elected, but at the same time dislike Hillary. This may spell an extremely unpopular presidency if she is elected. With the election rapidly approaching, and with many of our seniors ready to vote, it is important to remain conscious about the two candidates on deck. On one hand, we have the nationalistic Trump, who is ready to put his country ahead by any means necessary, and on the other, we have Clinton, who, speaking mildly, will probably lead us into a third “Obama Term.”

Cypress Students Torn Over Ripped Jeans

The CHS dress code forbids ripped jeans.

photo by Ashlyn Salao

by Ashlyn Salao Editor-in-Chief A dress code, though different at every school, exists in every dis-

cipline policy. At Cypress High School, much of the policy includes ancient rules such as no tank tops or bottoms shorter than mid-thigh. However, unlike other schools, students are not allowed to wear ripped jeans. This has been a frustration for many students who get pulled out of class or stopped in the hallways for a seemingly harmless tear in their clothing.

Cypress High School’s Discipline Policy states, “Current educational thought suggests students are much like adults in the business world. Both should dress for success. How a person dresses affects how they perceive themselves and how they are perceived by others.” However, do ripped jeans really define an individual’s success?

Nimet Erenler, senior, says, “It’s humiliating for the student, and it takes away from time that they should be spending in a classroom. It’s 2016, and times have

changed. Ripped jeans are not provocative at all, and they should be allowed.” Erenler is a volunteer at University of Irvine, an associate for Youth Leadership America, and an AP student, and yet, according to the dress code, wearing ripped jeans would paint her as someone who is not striving for success.

Erenler even suggests a compromise. She continues, “Since dress code allows midthigh shorts/skirts, any rips or tears that are below mid-thigh should be allowed.”

Dr. Wales states, “The dress code at Cypress is designed to allow for minimal distractions in classrooms.” However, some students would argue that ripped jeans are not a distraction at all. In fact, University High School in Irvine, a school that doesn’t ban ripped jeans, is ranked 49th in the U.S. News Report of the Best High Schools in California, while CHS, the “Best School in America”, is ranked 236th.

Though part of high school is learning how to be successful, it’s also about having fun and expressing oneself, and ripped jeans are an innocent way for students to do just that. Gabriella Doran, senior, adds, “I feel like instead of worrying about more important things about students or the school, they choose to focus too much on what we choose to wear.”

On the other hand, other students agree with the dress code policy and see it as a way of practicing professional dress. Kyla Salas, senior, says, “Considering the fact that Cypress is a reputable school among parents’ opinions…, we have to uphold the civility that we would use at work in the future, right now as teens.”

Although the administration understands the need for fashionable expression, Dr. Wales suggests that “this can be done after school and on the weekends.”

Calling for an End to the Unfair Pink Tax

by Kyla Marisse Salas Business Manager If you’ve ever walked down the personal care aisle at your local store you may have found that one side of the aisle was always more expensive. Razors on the left cost more than razors on the right. The only difference? Gender based marketing. Lawmakers Ling Ling Chang and Christina Garcia are changing that with the introduction of California Assembly Bill 1561.

The rise of the modern gender equality movement has garnered calls for the end of the so called Pink Tax. Assemblywoman Chang and Garcia recently proposed the bill to Governor Jerry Brown. Brown recently vetoed the bill on Tuesday, September 13.

Championing the campaign with Garcia and Chang, are proud Cypress High Alumnae, and current UCLA students; Rachel and Helen Lee. Trademarked as The Indie Activists and known as the twinventors, their petition on Change. org has been signed by more than 24,900 people. With the release of their campaign video, the Lees has been featured on a Now

This video, viewed 710,000 times. The Lees were invited to speak at news conference in April at the Capitol, and recently on September 13 Tuesday, delivered their speech in front of Governor Brown’s office.

On a press release on asmdc. org, Assemblywoman Chang stresses that women in California are estimated to have been paying $20.2 billion annually on sales tax for sanitary pads and tampons. “Our government is imposing a charge exclusively on women by forcing them to pay extra for the ‘privilege’ of a health necessity,” said Chang.

Bipartisan support has been a large factor for the unanimous votes at the State Assembly on Tuesday Aug 23, 2016. Assemblywoman Garcia mentions that “[The bill] is not insignificant to women, especially poor women on a tight budget who struggle to pay for basic necessities like a box of tampons or pads every month for their adult life,” In a report by the Am. Association of Uni. Women, on the dollar that a man makes, a woman earns 79 cents. Along with this fact, the tampon tax would likely affect lower class families that cannot afford

the rising price tags of menstrual items.

The state will have to rely on another industry to tax the remaining $20 billion that the state has lost in funding if the bill would ever be set in place. This presented a great hurdle for

the Governor’s choice on the signing of the bill. Although, in the hopes of following the states of Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Minnesota, the fight for gender equality still brews within the women of California.

money.usnews.com

ENTERTAINMENT

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Summer Movie Blockbusters of 2016

by Kevin Silveira and Amy Nguyen Staff Writer and Layout Editor

photo from slashfilm.com

photo from www.forbes.com

Suicide Squad The latest entry to the DC Extended Universe left some DC fans hating the critics for bashing the movie.

The movie is about a group of supervillains united to do some good. This is the third consecutive DC movie that is “rotten” in Rotten Tomatoes. DC fans are so outraged by these bad reviews, that some of the fans created a petition to shut down Rotten Tomatoes completely. “With all the bad reviews, the movie actually exceeded my expectations, people need to stop being antiDC,” commented senior Mikayla Lueders.

Star Trek Beyond The newest entry to the Star Trek franchise is about Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew lost in a desert after an attack from Krall (Idris Elba). The crew needs to find a way back to their ship and battle a deadly alien race led by Krall. Before the release, one of their main actors, Anton Yelchin passed away three days before the release. The main cast paid tribute to the actor and the movie ended up being a critic success, having a 4.3 out of 5 in Fandango. Unfortunately, the movie needed 350 million dollars to break even with all the production and marketing. However, Star Trek Beyond made less than 250 million dollars.

photo from www.comingsoon.net

photo from pixar.wikia.com.jpg

Independence Day: Resurgence The most-awaited sequel from the first movie Independence Day, Independence Day: Resurgence, was seen as a letdown for fans and critics. The sequel is set 20 years after the first movie and involves aliens coming back to Earth. It received generally bad opinions from the audience, who wanted something new, instead of the same old thing. Critic’s reviews were not on the movie’s side either; it recieved a 32% rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics on the movie website called the film “a dull, brainless, and a disaster of a sequel.” Producers were expecting the movie to be a big box office hit, hoping for it to get more than half a billion dollars; instead, the sequel got less than four hundred million dollars.

Finding Dory The Disney movie young adults remember from their childhoods, Finding Nemo, now has its sequel, Finding Dory.

The movie is set one year after the first movie. Dory goes on an adventure to find her parents. This is a movie every parent and young adult wants to watch, because Finding Nemo made such an impact in people’s childhood. “Finding Dory is the kind of movie people want watch again and again. It’s something you would expect from a Disney sequel,” commented student Justin Washa who watched the movie four times. This movie destroyed the box office raising almost a billion dollars for Disney, and gathering fair reviews from the audience.

marvelcinematicuniverse.wikia.com

photo from www.traileraddict.com

Captain America: Civil War Marvel took the crown this summer with superhero blockbuster Captain America: Civil War. The third installment to the Captain America films and the continuing story in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) smashed the box office yet again as fans took their side in the film’s hero vs. hero marketing, cashing in $347.39m, according to Yahoo.com.

James Lu was one of the many students who enjoyed the “hero war,” saying, “Just because people have different point of views, doesn’t make them any less of a hero.”

Central Intelligence Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Kevin Hart made their tag team debut in the movie Central Intelligence on June 17. The movie is about two friends who team up to save the country from a terrorist plan to sell satellite codes. The amazing chemistry between Johnson and Hart gained attention from the fans and the movie, not only was a box office success, but the reviews were pretty good as well. Central Intelligence currently has a 69% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with reviews calling their chemistry “a Classic Comedic duo” and a “terrific team.”

photo from www.impawards.com

Ghostbusters Moviegoers had mixed reviews over the remake of “Ghostbusters,” which has an all female cast replacing the original Ghostbusters team. It caused much controversy, but in the end, the film was mainly loved by the new generation, receiving 73 percent “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes. Alone, it had a great chemistry among the cast, humor, and amazing effects. Standing next to the original Ghostbusters, both films had the goofyhorror that new and old fans appreciated.

photo from birthmoviesdeath.com

The Purge: Election Year Just in time for the actual elections that are fast approaching, The Purge: Election Year, the third sequel to “The Purge,” was released, much to the disinterest of the general audience, who found the movie to be repetitive and cheesy.

The concept is the same: There is a Purge once a year in America where all crimes are legal. This time, however, the protagonist, Roan, runs for president and tries to end the gruesome holiday. The horror film received a 54 percent rotten on Rotten Tomatoes.

Though the concept of the film is interesting enough for people to come watch, the use of cheap and creepy effects to cover up the bad script writing and bland plot isn’t enough to protect it from movie critics.

ENTERTAINMENT

page 7

Popular New Netflix Shows Gain Viewers

netflix.com

by Alexandra Moreno Assistant Editor If you’re looking for a new show to binge watch, you may want to look into Netflix’s most talked about series released this past summer, Stranger Things and The Get Down.

Stranger Things is an eight episode supernatural series. It was released on July 15, 2016 and within two months, it has already created a huge fan base of people drooling over the science fiction show.

The show revolves around the strange disappearance of Joyce Byers’ (Winona Ryder) 12-year old son, Will. As the local authorities, Will’s best friends, and his family search for him, they all run into strange things. The storyline takes unexpected turns when the government, supernatural forces, and a peculiar girl get involved. Senior, Alexis Garcia claims, “Stranger Things is so intense that I am always at the edge of my bed screaming at the T.V.” Fortunately for fans, Stranger Things has recently announced the show will come back with a second season.

If science fiction isn’t really your thing and you are looking for a show filled with soul music and an old school vibe, The Get Down should definitely be at the top of your must-watch list. The new drama was released August 12, 2016, and consists of only six episodes. The cast is stacked with stars such as Jaden Smith, Shameik Moore,

Ultimate Mixtape

Herizen Guardiola, and many new faces too. The show takes place in 1977 and paints a vivid glimpse of the harsh conditions of living in The Bronx. The creative aspect of the show captivates innovative minds with music, poetry, and art. By the end of the first episode, you will be begging to hear more about The Fantastic Four

plus One and Mylene Cruz. Senior, Kenta Kodama says, “The series emphasizes how younger generations have the potential to be leaders in their communities, and it’s shown through artful expression.”

Luckily, this is not the last of The Get Down cast. Although it seems like a long wait, the second half of the series will debut in 2017.

photo from netflix.com

Pokemon GO Catch ‘em All

photo from forbes.com

photo from coloring-book.com

by Maya Gutierrez Entertainment Editor A lot of new albums released these past couple of months have caused quite the commotion.

While many albums were released over the course of summer, one stood out; and that is Blonde, by Frank Ocean. Not only is it brilliant, but the almost fiveyear gap made for a lot of anticipation, which was proven worthwhile. Ocean incorporated political and social messages, most obviously in the tracks “Nikes” and “Be Yourself.” Favorites on the album include “Self Control” and “Ivy” where listeners can hear Ocean’s angelic voice and sounds of the electric guitar.

With hype and anticipation for Radioheads’ new album called A Moon Shaped Pool, which was released this year after an 18-year gap, fans showed they were not disappointed over social media. “You see a fresh and new electric sound to this album which I really dig,” said senior Christine Perez.

photo from rollingstone.com

photo from pitchfork.com The popular alternative rock band, The Strokes, released a mini EP Future Present Past. Fans were excited when they released this EP because this meant that there is probably going to be a tour sometime soon. The song “Drag Queen” in this mini EP stuck with a lot of their old albums sounds and vibes.

Flume, the big EDM and pop artist, released a new album titled Skin which made Twitter and Instagram blow up. Senior Matt Alhafez’s favorite song off the album is “Never Be Like You” because it “made him and his friends feel infinite on their night drives during summer.”

Another big album that made its statement was Coloring Book, by Chance the Rapper on May 12. Sereen Saba says the song “No Problem” was the song “that made her and her friends wanna get up and dance.” Chance the Rapper not only has an upcoming tour, but will make his appearance at the Annual Camp Floggnaw Carnival in Los Angeles performing his new album.

photo from consequenceofsound.com

by Jason Nguyen Distribution Chief The gaming revolution known as Pokémon GO was released in several places around the world, changing the rules of gaming forever. Since the release in July 2016, many people tried to become the very best. People enjoy the game because they can catch their favorite Pokémon virtually, drive around with their friends, and plus it’s free!

Even people who have never played Pokémon before enjoy the new gaming sensation. “Even though I don’t play Pokémon, this game was interesting,” said Freshman Rehman Tailor.

Pokémon GO is filled with new gameplay with a whole lot of new opportunities waiting to be discovered, such as the many new places you can visit, a competitive gym system, and much more! However, Pokémon GO’s popularity is decreasing rapidly.

One month after its release, several problems arose. Tragedies started occurring because of the game such as players falling off a cliff, getting mugged, and even getting stabbed due to Pokémon GO. When playing, the game buffered constantly to the point of crashing.

Having trouble signing in the first place made it difficult to play. Although Niantic, the creator of Pokémon GO, is frantically trying its best to fix the several glitches in the game along with several updates to satisfy the players, it doesn’t seem to sustain long enough as more problems arise. “Pokémon GO almost killed me,” said Sophomore Rocco Celentano recalling the time he almost got bitten by a black widow.

Another problem of Niantic’s is that many people are complaining about the constant traffic and disturbance at homes near the city due to Pokémon GO users. According to Forbes, after a new recent update that included trading,

over 10 million players were dropping out of the game every day. Around the same time, hackers started finding a way to cheat the game, along with hacking the GPS and players’ other personal information. Worst of all, many users claimed the game just got boring with Niantic focusing on the hackers, that there was barely any time to update Pokémon GO or its gameplay. In the end, it just got repetitive. “It got boring. Every time I play, it’s just the same Pokémon over again,” agrees Sophomore Esteban Flores. The hype seems to have almost fully diminished in the course of months.

Today, Pokémon GO has surprisingly improved. Although the Pokémon GO hype is almost over, there are still millions of players everywhere willing to play Pokemon GO. Niantic has solved its issue with the hackers and plans to release new Pokemon, including popular “Legendary Pokémon.”

“So what if 10 million people quit the game, millions more can be installing the game as time progresses,” says History Teacher and Pokémon GO player Scott Eastridge, “Pokémon GO is a game that requires you to walk around and promotes good health. The team system can be social and we get to bond with other people and that makes it different and unique compared to any other game.”

Pokémon GO can actually be great, despite the glitches and the servers constantly malfunctioning.

The game can be fun and there is are new Pokémon already out to explore, such as the Pokémon “Jinx” along with many new systems in the game such as the buddy system. Just look beyond your nostalgia of “a real life Pokémon game” and you can see that Niantic has accomplished a lot. Though not perfect yet, Pokémon GO is truly the perfect blend between digital and real worlds.

SPORTS

page 8

Boy’s Water Polo Makes First Splash of the Year

by Jenny Tong Business Manager/Front Page Editor The boy’s water polo teams are back in season, and they are fresher than ever.

The varsity began their season with a victory against Buena Park in an exciting 14-12 overtime win.

This year, the boys have been putting in work and practicing new techniques at 5:30 every morning. They hope to win Empire League this year, and co-captain, Ben Navarro, says that he’s “definitely looking forward to getting a revenge match against Kennedy.”

He continues, “We lost to them in double overtime last year by one point.”

Last season, the boys went to CIF, until they were eliminated by Ocean View with a score of 7-10. Coach Sandvig says, “we called it a growing year last year because we had a lot of young people on the team, so we were still developing their strategy and I think we did really well.” The team entered the season with positive and

confident attitudes. Navarro says, “we’re placing bigger emphasis on fast breaks and driving, because we don’t have the same dominant set players like we did last year, so now we have to utilize the whole team instead of funneling through one player.”

Sandvig describes this as a “moving offense;” a position where a “set” player(the traditionally dominant scorer) is moved into a perimeter and create more movement. This causes more players to go through the scoring section (the middle part of the pool) and putting everyone in the role of forcing the defending team to constantly adjust. “We’re hoping to have that moving offense become more successful at opening chances to score,” Coach Sandvig states.

Besides the boys’ water polo’s winning streak, Sandvig makes sure to remind his athletes, “to appreciate what athletics do for them as a person.

I want to make people better people Boy’s Varsity Water Polo has been working hard to perfect their skills. and I use sports to teach them that.”

photo by Jenny Tong

Cross Country Races Into New Season Girl’s Tennis Ready for New Season

by Ashlyn Salao Editor-in-Chief Cross country season has begun once again which means early mornings, long races, and new teammates for all of the runners at Cypress High School.

On Saturday, September 3rd, the team competed in their first race of the season.

Some runners recorded personal bests.

photo courtesy of Natalie Lesage

While they finished 14th out of 17 schools, many of the runners got medals and personal records, including co-captain, Natalie LeSage. LeSage ended her first two mile race with a medal and personal record of 15:02. She said, “I feel very confident in our team. After seeing all of the work everyone has put in for the past four months and training during summer, I can see how the countless miles we’ve ran have paid off.”

Other runners who achieved personal records were Jason Aguirre, junior, Charlene Miranda, senior, Travis Ramsdell, senior, and Niccolo Raymundo, senior.

Coach Lind says that one of the best parts about coaching is when runners achieve personal goals. While she mentions that the team’s biggest weakness is their lack of experience compared to past teams, she says, “We have a team that is very supportive of one another, so they could get through the harder practices and races. They have a good support system that gets them back on their feet.”

This is only the beginning for the cross country team, and Centurions can look forward to hearing about their future races.

by Daniel Park Staff Writer The girl’s tennis team has one goal in mind, to win CIF. The team had a winning record last season, finishing 15-6 for the season and 8-2 in league. Their short term goal is to improve from last year because, ”there is always room for improvement.” To reach their goal, they want to play their best, play as a team, and improve on consistency. Many of them

Ashley Garcia gets ready to return the ball.

photo by Daniel Park

Girl’s Golf Crushes Opponents

Football Wins First Home Game

by Hannah Shuff and Marissa Zaidi Copy Editors On Friday, September 2, the Cypress Centurions defeated the Santa Monica Vikings with a final score of 40-20.

The Vikings took the lead in the beginning of the first quarter. Making a quick comeback for the Centurions, Jeremiah Thompson ran it in, but CHS missed the PAT kick which made the score 7-6, Santa Monica.

With 2:57 left in the first quarter, Santa Monica came back with yet another TD ending the first quarter with a Viking lead of 13-6. Anthony Cardoza set the tone for the second quarter with a successful punt landing right about the Vikings tenyard line. With 8:57 remaining in the second quarter, Thomson sacked the Santa Monica QB, forcing the Vikings to punt.

With the student section cheering, the Centurions scored with 5:50 remaining in the first half. Centurion QB and captain, Alex Ashcraft, made a complete TD pass to tight end and captain, Noah Zuzuarregui, ending the half with a score of 13-12, Santa Monica and another missed PAT kick for Cypress. Zuzuarregui stated, “I like to stay on the job and make sure my team stays focused throughout the game and doesn’t get too overwhelmed.”

Firing up the student section in the beginning of the third quarter, Damian

Varsity football getting ready for the next play.

photo by Marissa Zaidi

Conlon, senior, led The Legion, aka the Cypress student section, in the roller coaster.

Also hyping up the students, Haelee Strong, Agnes Manu, and Eric Chun started cheers to remind the team of their support.

In the beginning of the third quarter, Thomson scored yet another TD for Cypress, putting the Centurions in the lead with a score of 19-13. Coming back with a quick TD, the Santa Monica Vikings then lead with a 20-19 score. Cypress ended the quarter with a 26-20 lead.

With 4:24 left in the fourth quarter, Thomson ran it through the end zone for the third time of the night giving Cypress a 3320 lead. After a Vikings turnover on downs, the Cypress offense got back on the field, and Kaleb Craig scored a touchdown soon after. The final score was 40-20, Centurions.

have put in extra hard work by practicing during the summer, taking private lessons, and committing to their practices.

The team has received the full support of their coach Mr. Paul. He has been coaching for ten years and his goal for the team is to win the League Championship and play well in the postseason. This year there has been a new coach added to the staff, Adrian Garza. These two coaches are dedicated to helping the team reach their full potential.

Co-Captains of the team, Naomi Lee and Ashley Garcia have set CIF as the goal and they will play their best to get there. As captains, their contribution to the team is to encourage everyone to do their best and motivate them when they are not playing well.

Valencia poses the biggest threat to Cypress in Empire League so come out and support Cypress on October 6th and 25th to help cheer them on to victory!

Co-captain Christine Perez has been loyal to golf since a young age.

photo courtesy of Coach Doug Mitchell

by Athela Fadul Student Activities Editor On September 7, Girl’s Golf defeated Edison by 16 strokes. Senior, Christine Perez recorded an even-par round of 36 and medaled the fourth time in four matches. Perez has been in varsity girl’s golf since Freshman year and now is co-captain with Tatum Gee. Perez has been playing golf for ten years ever since her parents took her to a mini golf course when she was seven. She said, “I love golf and it’s pretty much my life.” Perez has plans to continue playing golf throughout college and turning it into a career as a pro golfer. As this season’s co-captains, Perez and Gee encourage the team to always do

their best and always have enthusiasm.

Perez thinks that the girls need to have more consistent routines when competing.

Perez believes that her team, by the end of this season, will improve by 2 to 4 strokes by taking their time reading putts and creating a consistent pre-shot routine.

Perez describes golf as an individual sport, and says, “in order for the team to play well you have to focus on your own game.”

Perez talks about how Coach Doug Mitchell is awesome and is always there to have the girls’ backs. Mitchell volunteered to help the former golf coach and he said, “ I just kind of fell into it.”

Mitchell has been working at Cypress for 10 years as the head coach for girl’s golf. Mitchell likes coaching at Cypress High School because of the good students, administration, academics, and the support of the parents for their children.

Mitchell feels successful when he sees the girls improve and achieve their goals. He and the girls are working hard this year in an effort to win the league championship. Mitchell believes that one way the team can improve is simply by having more “confidence.”

“Too often they focus on their opponent rather than the golf course and disregard their strengths,”he said. Mitchell believes that as the team has achieved early success (4 wins & 1 loss), the girls have increased their work effort and have a little bit more confidence in themselves.