June 2, 2017

New bill proposes later school start

Page 2: But Olympian opposes later releases

Vo l u m e 6 0 , I s s u e 1 1

Mosaics bring color to campus

Harley Penn reveals secret identity

Page 5: Ceramics classes decorate staircases

June 2, 2017

Page 6: Comics expert reviews Guardians

We a r e b o r n t o s e e k t h e t r u t h ! w w w . c v h s o l y m p i a n . c o m

School would start and finish later under new state proposal CVHS students will get to sleep later, and will have to stay at school later, if a bill in the state Senate becomes law.

Senate Bill 328, a bill with the aim of pushing secondary school start times back to 8:30 a.m. or later, has already passed two committee votes.

The bill was initiated by Democratic State Senator Anthony Portantino from the Los Angeles area in an attempt to improve California teens’ health. Portantino introduced the bill in response to survey results from the students of La Cañada High School (in Portantino’s district) which show that on average, the school’s students sleep less than the recommended nine to nine and half hours each night.

Portantino realized this is not true only for the students of La Cañada High School, but for many high schoolers. According to the National Children’s Hospital, teens get an average of seven to seven and a quarter hours of sleep every night, about two hours less than recommended average.

“Studies have shown that by moving the school start time back, academic performance increases, while depression, car accidents, sport injuries, and a host of other issues decreases,” said Portantino. “So to me, we should follow the data and the

research and do what’s in the best interest for our kids.”

However, some question if the later start times would actually improve students’ sleep.

“I don’t think it matters one way or another. I think that if students can come into school later, they will go to bed late,” said Assistant Principal Patrina Redd. “I know, for example, I have one late day, where I come in at nine o’clock, and I stay up late doing work. So I think that I don’t change anything, and I can’t see students changing either.”

Other concerns include later dismissal times, as well as the fact that the bill will not affect zero period, so many students will still get up early anyway.

Despite the bill’s potential pitfalls, some students are still in favor of later start times.

ASB School Board Representative-elect Matt Betti thinks a later dismissal time will not be a “huge adjustment.”

“It will be worth it to get a little more time for sleep,” said Betti.

If passed, the bill could be implemented as soon as the 2017-2018 school year, but no later than the 2020-2021 school year.

“I think it’s important to follow research and the data that’s available that shows high school students will perform better when they’re healthier, and having more sleep creates healthier students,” said Portantino.

scheduled for 12 p.m. but did not begin until 2:30 p.m. Some students walked out and had to take the test on the makeup day.

Many students wished that the AP Art History test had been proctored in a different room.

“I feel deeply disrespected as both an individual and a member of the Art History class,” said junior Reilly Berberian.

“The AP Spanish exam was clearly not able to run within the allotted time frame….it should be given its own day or be proctored in the afternoon so as to not interfere with other exams.”

Senior Logan Gorkov took the final test of the day, AP Physics. ¨I feel cheated out of my time since I reported to the testing center at 11:30 a.m. and didn't leave until 5:30 p.m.,¨ said Gorkov. ¨Now I have to take the test again and my original test was worth nothing.¨ Many students felt that these issues were rooted in an overall lack of resources.

“If CVHS dedicated more resources to managing the AP tests, there should never be a problem with a test starting any later than 8 a.m.,” said Gorkov.

By Hannah Johansson Staff Writer

Actress Lilan Bowden (left) shares a laugh with senior Brittany Bracy.

Star of screen returns to her roots

By Brittany Bracy Video Editor

Lilan Bowden, star of Disney Channel’s show Andi Mack, returned to her roots lately. The actress and comedian graduated from CVHS in 2002. In a special Olympian interview, Bowden spoke about her high school experiences, her Hollywood journey, and her new Disney show.

Q: How does it feel to be back in high school?

A: It’s very strange and cool being back because as I look around there’s so much that has changed. A lot of it feels eerily the same. As I was walking over here I saw a girl open her locker

and there was a Wild 94.9 bumper sticker in it and I thought I was looking into my own locker.

Q: What are your favorite memories from CVHS? A: I was really involved in the Improv Club and Comedy Club in high school. A lot of my favorite memories are about those shows. I joined my sophomore year. By my senior year it became a huge thing. And The Olympian was so much fun, I got to be photo editor.

Q: How has your Bay Area upbringing influenced your Hollywood journey?

A: In the Bay Area there’s a lot of diversity. I feel fortunate that I was able to have a diverse group of friends. When I went to Hol-

lywood I was able to take that collection of experiences with me and that has influenced my comedy and what I bring to the screen.

Q: Your show Andi Mack is about a non traditional family.

Why is it important to portray those kinds of families on television?

A: Andi Mack is a really important show because it’s a real family and it’s a diverse family.

Disney Channel is trying to show that families come in different forms and every family is important. Also because it’s an Asian American family, it’s really cool to see different types

see BOWDEN: page 8

Complications with AP testing result in many complaints

By Anastasia Le Copy Editor

This year ’s AP testing was riddled with complications ranging from poor audio to late testing. The AP students who paid and prepared for these tests were upset about the problems.

“The hour window that every AP test gives you to begin the test should be more than enough,” said senior AP Physics student Logan Gorkov. “If students are going to be held accountable for showing up to tests and paying for them on

time, then the school should be accountable for our time spent.”

AP Art History and Physics scores were cancelled due to failing to begin testing in the allotted time period. These students had to retake their tests at a later date with the option of a refund.

All three tests were proctored by the same administrators.

The problems originally began when the AP Spanish test ran ẗwo hours overtime and delayed the tests that followed: AP Art History and AP Physics.

Junior Rachel Dong took both the AP Spanish and Art History

tests.

“Ten hours of test taking and sitting in the gym...all in all a bad experience,” said Dong.

The AP Spanish test includes an audio portion that is played over the speakers in the main gym. The proctors were unable to find the correct CD for two hours, and once located, the audio was incomprehensible due to the acoustics in the gym.

“If we had some personal listening devices that would work so much better,” said senior Kaiya Brown.

The AP Art History test was

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Later school start not worth tradeoffs

Editorial: Democratic State Senator Anthony Portantino from the Los Angeles area has proposed Senate Bill 328 in a valiant effort to improve California teens’ health by moving the start times of middle and high schools in the state to 8:30 a.m. or later.

The bill has been formally opposed by the California Teachers Association and California School Boards Association. However it has passed two Senate committee votes so far.

SB 328 is based on re c o m m e n d a t i o n s o f t h e American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control in research for the optimal time to start school to hopefully improve the public health of California teen students.

It was made in response to the survey results that show high school students sleep less than the clinically recommended nine to nine and a half hours every night.

We at The Olympian recognize some of the benefits of the bill.

We agree with the research that

shows high school students get less than the recommended sleep time and that something must change in the system for students to get such necessary sleep.

We also agree with the studies pointed out by Portantino showing that more sleep would mean fewer accidents, injuries,

less depression, and better grades. We think that moving the starting time for school would mean more daylight during winter hours in the mornings, a concern voiced by both students and parents.

However, The Olympian believes that there are too

Nisha Lal / Staff Writer

many drawbacks on this bill that outweigh the benefits. The moving of the starting hour doesn’t necessarily mean more sleep. If the workload stays the same, and students get home later, then they will most likely go to sleep later. And the later start time would prompt students to

stay up later for other forms of activity.

The implementation of the bill would also interfere with after-school events. Sporting events and practices would be interfered with because of less sunlight available and if not all schools implement the new time then competitions and collaborative practices wouldn’t match up.

It would also make the hours for students to work less available and teachers and administration more discouraged to take part of after school clubs and student activities needing supervision.

Parents who drop off and pick up their children would also be affected, possibly needing to change their schedules even more to accommodate the new times or finding someone else to care for the transportation of their children.

We at The Olympian suggest schools try later start times on their own, at least on certain days of the week. California could also encourage schools across the state to start later rather than requiring it.

Marvel vs DC: the franchises fight to reign supreme

By Jason Mays

Staff Writer Which comic book series is better, Marvel or DC? The argument has been around since the creation of each and has lasted as long as about 78 years. Each comic has its ups and downs; some more up, or more down. But recently, one comic series has rose above the other tremendously, leaving the other to try to army crawl through all of the terrible mistakes it has made over the past ten years.

Most people in today’s culture prefer Marvel comics over DC, regardless of their knowledge on

the history or of any characters.

In my journalism class, 84 percent chose Marvel over DC, which is quite lopsided. The reason that this is the case is because Marvel does a better job of promoting its brand through movies, TV shows, and clothing brands.

Heroes like Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Daredevil, Deadpool, Black Panther, AntMan, and Doctor Strange are the most recognized amongst society today. Children have Spider-Man themed birthday parties, Iron Man lunchboxes, and CaptainAmerica backpacks.

I myself rock a Deadpool lanyard for my car keys. It’s hard not to when it looks so cool and the merchandise is everywhere.

Marvel has a large variety of well known characters, but let’s not forget about DC’s long list of most recognized characters such as Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and Aquaman. Even with all of these great names, Marvel still prevails because it promotes its brand better. Everyone

knows what the Marvel logo looks like—it’s Marvel in white letters with a red background.

However, if you were to ask the person next to you what the DC comics logo looks like, they might know nothing about it except that it says DC. The most significant way the Marvel promotes itself is through movies and television.

PHOTOpinions “I guess that’s better so we can sleep more and we can have more energy for school.”

Isabel Ladesma, freshman

Jason Mays/ Staff Writer

Over the past nine years, Marvel has created two to three movies for each of the Avengers characters. Each of the characters have established well-known personalities that the audience can easily follow.

Marvel has already planned six more movies to come after the most recent release in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (which was

amazing by the way). Also don’t forget about the hit Netflix tv shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage. All of these series are fantastic, and I highly recommend them.

DC comics has shot itself in the foot in its movies. The company had a good resource in the “Dark Knight” movie series, but ruined it by replacing Christian Bale with Ben Affleck, a huge and unnecessary mistake. Now it’s got the new Justice League movie coming out and by having to introduce all of these new characters, the whole thing seems so rushed.

Suicide Squad was good, but also felt rushed because DC had to squeeze all of this important information about these characters in one movie, whereas Marvel did it over nine years. There wasn’t enough worth and attachment to the characters like there is in the Marvel cinematic universe.

Ultimately, you have to agree that Marvel is the far better franchise, at least until we get the chance to see how these upcoming DC movies turn out.

What do you think of school starting and finishing later?

By Audrey Manzano/Staff Writer

“School drags on a lot during the end of the school year so I would prefer if school started earlier and ended earlier too.”

Jorel Diesta, sophomore

“I’m not excited for that, but I’m sure there’s good reason.”

Erin Quineri, junior

“Yes! I feel like sleeping in is better than being able to go to bed earlier because no one actually goes to bed earlier.”

Jenna Lowe, senior

The Olympian June 2, 2017

I don’t like today’s teen “dancing”

By Gavin Halloran

Photo Editor Throughout generations, dancing styles have evolved in tandem with popular music. When looking at current high school dance styles, adults and parents are dismayed by what's happening on the dance floor. Boys and girls dressed in formal attire engage in rather lewd physical contact in today’s dances. Many describe the controversial dance as “twerking.”

High schools everywhere now prohibit twerking at dances.

The twerking craze first appeared in the mid 1990s, due to pop music videos. The dance has carried over to present times, and developed into simple and crude grinding of two people against one another. Unfortunately, this is in no way actual dancing, but a mere form of intense physical contact to a beat under the cover of a dark ball room and a large crowd.

In previous eras, dancing was more skilled and required a more advanced ability of rhythm and coordination. A couple would lock hands and move to a beat. This style had been used centuries up to the disco era.

This more “wholesome” type of dance changed when more vigorous rock and pop music arrived on the scene. Instead of close and intimate moves of high skill and technique from both dancers, moves changed into more physical and raw actions to the heavy beat.

Dancers of recent generations have begun to pull away from a

demanding routine towards a more simple one. Moves have become less advanced while couples look for easier ways to create tension from the rhythm of a song.

But despite what you might think, controversial dancing did not begin with the twerking of today. From the 20s to 40s, swing dancing to then-controversial jazz music was considered appalling. Jazz styles such as the Charleston, Lindy-hop, and Jitterbug all involved quick steps by both partners to the heavy, swinging beat of the band.

However, these styles of dancing heavily contrast what is seen on today’s dance floors. These styles of dance were very physical, and involved flips, spins, and slides by both partners. The moves required more skill.

Even though dances in other eras were controversial, freak dancing or “twerking” is especially concerning because dances today are much more sexual and unskilled compared to those of the past.

American. Don’t ever say the N word. Don’t embrace someone’s culture only to disrespect it behind closed doors. The fact that we must gather a list of dos and don’ts shows just how saturated today’s society is in the glorification of oppression. Express yourself, but refrain from doing so in a way that could potentially hurt or offend someone else’s culture.

This doesn’t mean that one cannot wear braids if she isn’t black, nor does it mean one cannot eat enchiladas if he isn’t Mexican. It simply means that to disrespect someone’s culture is wrong. The controversial new show on Netflix titled Dear White People does a great job of exploring and shedding light upon these common themes that are rarely discussed and often overlooked in today’s society.

American society tends to revolve around trends. One minute everyone is wearing Thrasher, the next every girl at school has Adidas All Stars. Why is it that the girl who wears sneakers

with three stripes is socially acceptable, but the girl who wears chanclas gets made fun of? I’m not going to pretend like I’ve never worn Henna or eaten Pho, but I’m also not going to pretend like I’m Jewish just because I saw the HYFR music video.

Let’s keep in mind the most judgemental tend to be the same people who listen to rap music, eat burritos, and have statues of the Buddha in their home. Are you as confused as I am? The last time I checked, until a Caucasian posted it on social media, all those things were an underappreciated part of a minority culture. Sorry to burst your bubble my brothas and sistas, but Kylie Kardashian did not invent cornrows. American popular culture revolves around the objectification of minorites’ cultures.

You can have your backyard barbecue because quinceañeras and bar mitzvahs is where it’s at. It’s okay to embrace other cultures; just be sure to respect everyone’s heritage.

Culture appropriation vs appreciation

By Brittany Bracy Video Editor

There’s a fine line between love and hate. Everybody wants to listen to rap and hip hop music, but nobody wants to be racially profiled or shot by the police. We live in a world where the Kardashians represent “perfection,” but where do we draw the line between culture appropriation and culture appreciation?

The boundaries are simple: don’t wear a Native American headdress if you are not Native

Dear future high school students...

By Pau Gutierrez Staff Writer

Stress is taking over our lives.

A few days ago I read something that a girl wrote online, and I couldn’t relate more. She saw a tweet that said: “Why do people have to ACT this way?” This is the impact school has on us students.

It has influenced every part of our

lives, even social media.

SBAC, AP testing, ACT, SAT, and finals. The hardest exams during our high school career, all happening within the same month. Not to mention that many of us also have jobs, homework, and other responsibilities.

An average student’s schedule may go like this: school till 3:30 p.m., at least two hours of homework, another two to five hours of extracuriculars and/or a job; also, because we are teenagers and our social lives are crucial, we invest at least an hour on social media.

After all this, we still have to eat, shower, spend time with our family, etc.

Exams require a lot of study hours, more than we can afford.

It feels like our days don’t have enough hours. After generations of students, no one has ever found a solution to this problem, except for one: less sleep. Some might debate about whether this is actu-

ally a solution, since it may give you some extra hours to study but generates a whole new problem: fatigue.

Being a student might seem easy if we compare it to adulthood, but we must keep in mind how challenges increase their difficulty level as we grow older.

We shouldn’t minimize our problems just because there might be someone going through something worse. Each one of us has different things to deal with, but school is something we go through together.

Personally, I enjoy coming to school and sometimes even enjoy waking up for zero period, or staying up all night studying for a math test. However, it’s really not worth it to waste our teenage years drowning in homework and stress.

High school is a once in a lifetime experience. We should enjoy and make the most of it.

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Secret formula to getting into Stanford

By Jessica Mi Editor-in-Chief

“I got into Stanford.”

Four words that will turn heads. These words may intimidate, shock, awe, and even boast. I’ve found that these four words can earn me a tremendous amount of respect in a quick instant. But why?

Why is it that a piece of paper that says “Congratulations!” from Stanford University immediately changes how people may see me? I don’t want respect to come from the name of some big-shot university. I’d much rather earn it.

Ever since college acceptances started rolling in, I’ve had underclassmen ask me how I got into all these schools, like they’re looking for some sort of secret formula. Sorry to break it to you guys, but there is none.

Here’s my bit of advice to underclassmen for getting into college: 1. Be confident in yourself!

Instead of thinking about being good enough for a certain school, consider which school is good enough for you. Value yourself and be confident in your academic and extracurricular efforts and endeavors.

2. Remember that school isn’t everything, and it doesn’t define who you are. Colleges want to hear who YOU are outside of the academic sphere, what you care about or how you’re working to improve the world around you. In my college essays I emphasized my resilience and motivation to succeed, despite

the difficult things I faced. I also wrote about the passion I have for the activities I’m involved in, such as music, swimming, and journalism. Never choose to do something if it’s just to “look good on your application.” When your heart isn’t in something, it becomes a waste of time.

3. Aim high and don’t be afraid of failure. I was accepted to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and USC to name a few, but I was also rejected by Yale, Columbia, and waitlisted at Princeton. Every school looks for something different, and some schools just might not be for you.

4. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. You don’t have to be perfect or push yourself to the point of breaking. Just be yourself and see what happens.

We’re all so young, let’s not try to take ourselves too seriously.

High school really isn’t that big of a deal. How many AP classes you take isn’t a competition.

Getting a B on your report card won’t be the end of the world, and losing a whole night’s sleep over homework really isn’t worth it. Use this time to do what you like. Take all the opportunities you can. Let go of the pettiness and forgive the little things. It may be bittersweet when these four years are over, but hopefully you’ve taken everything you could from this experience.

When I was applying for colleges in the fall, I got a variety of responses when I told people that I wanted to go to Stanford.

Some people laughed at me, others told me to be more realistic. I’m not the smartest smartypants in my grade. I don’t have the highest SAT score, I haven’t taken the most AP classes, and I haven’t done 500 hours of community service. However, as cliche as this may sound, the one thing I did do was believe in myself. I’ll always appreciate the people who also believed in me and provided genuine support and optimism.

The Olympian is a publication of the journalism class at Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2017

Editors-in-Chief.......................................................................Jessica Mi Halley Lin-Jones Copy Editors ......................................................................Anastasia Le Fiona Richter Elizabeth Chan News Editor..............................................................Jacob Schoenfeld Opinion Editor............................................................Stella Ho Feature Editor.....................................................Mia Babasyan Sports Editor................................................................Sarah Nosseir Arts and Entertainment Editor......................................Molly Koch Photo Editor........................................................Gavin Halloran Video Editors........................................................Desiree Broome Brittany Bracy Business Manager........................................Emily Salazar Staff Writers: Haley Booth, Da Di, Cristian Garcia, Pau Gutierrez, Hannah Johansson, Nisha Lal, Audrey Manzano, Jason Mays, Mara Moysen, Megan O’Brien, Ria Panjwani, Wailea Siler, Will Stein, Lina Stoyanovich, Beruk Tsegaye Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

Retiring staff members bid CVHS farewell

Karen Sakamoto

Kathy Clarke

Lynne Tierney

Ross Williams

Karen Sakamoto has been at CVHS since the 1980s. Prior to working with students in the library she taught special education at CVHS. “The best experiences I’ve had have come from working with the students,” said Sakamoto.

Throughout her years at CVHS she’s had plenty of good memories to look back on.

She’s learned a lot from working with CVHS staff members but her best experiences have stemmed from working with the students and helping them find what they need.

“What I will miss the most about CVHS is the students,” said Sakamoto.

Kathy Clarke has been a librarian for CVHS for the past four years, following her 30-year teaching career. Clarke is well known for going above and beyond to support students.

Although hectic at times, she’s grateful to have been able to use her career to impact the lives of students.

“Being able to work with the students, help them, and to hopefully give them a safe place that they feel like they can come anytime has been the best part,” said Clarke.

Working at CVHS has been a highlight of her career. “I feel like I’m going out on a very high and positive note because I’m inspired by my students and the colleagues here,” said Clarke.

As the school year ends, Lynne Tierney will say goodbye to her fulfilling career as a science teacher and begin her new adventure. Tierney has stayed committed to her students for 36 years at CVHS, and made sure each student had the best education possible.

Asked about her favorite career memories, Tierney listed several, including “seeing the school change from having homecoming in the gym to all the changes as we grew, teaching in every hallway except the portables, hearing from students after they graduate (seeing them get married, having kids, come back and teach at CVHS, etc.) sometimes 20 years later.”

Ross Williams has taught economics and history, and created many memories and friendships during his more than 30 years at CVHS. He says his most memorable times teaching at CVHS were all the senior pranks he has witnessed over the years. Appropriate or not, he says he will keep and treasure those memories forever.

“I want to tell students of CVHS to chase their dreams and that we all have down times, but it is up us to get back up and stay strong,” said Williams.

Spring Concert shows choir talent

By Desiree Broome Video Editor

As senior Andre Juntilla charismatically conducted the Vocal Ensemble, the audience knew that the night was going to be an enjoyable one.

CVHS choirs held an end-ofyear Spring Concert on Friday, May 12 in the CFA. The Spring Concert always features all of the ensembles and takes place at the end of the year to show off the great choir and bid farewell to the seniors.

The concert began with some selections performed by Vocal Ensemble, the beginning choir.

Vocal Ensemble performed a mix of upbeat and slow songs, conducted by choir teacher Laryssa Sadoway. However, two of the selections were conducted by seniors Grace Hancock and Andre Juntilla, whom are part of Madrigals, the most advanced choir.

Sadoway began the show by introducing the choir and speaking a little about their previous shows including the extremely popular Pops which happened just a few weeks before.

After the Vocal Ensemble performance, the intermediate girls of Les Chants performed. They were also conducted by Sadoway and performed a mixture of songs as well.

After Les Chants came the A Capella choir, which is the larger, more advanced choir made up of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. The choir split into two parts. One made up of sopranos and altos (females), and the other tenors and basses (males), each performing a few selections.

The show closed with some selections from the highest choir, Madrigals. Madrigals is made up of a few selected students who go through a rigorous audition process. The ensemble performed their last songs as a part of the CVHS choir and the audience bid them farewell with huge applause.

Senior Candace Ko, a member of Madrigals, recounted her memories and how she feels about ending her time in the choir.“Choir is amazing. It's a community that no other program on campus can replicate.

I'm so privileged to have been a part of Madrigals this year. No matter what mood I walked into rehearsal with, I always came out happy. For someone who's been in choir for all four years of high school, it's hard to think about how I won't have this in college.

I encourage everyone to audition for any choir. What you'll experience throughout the year is something you won't get from any other class.”

Acapella and Madrigals choirs win big at Golden State

By Ria Panjwani Staff Writer

Acapella and Madrigals choirs competed in their annual Golden State competition on Tuesday May 16. Madrigals placed second and Acapella placed fourth, the best either choir has ever placed in their competition history.

Acapella consists of 107 choral students, and Madrigals is an even more select group of 35 singers who also sing in Acapella.

The Golden State Choral Competition took place at Pacific Union College in Northern Napa Valley; CVHS choral students arrived at school at 7:15 a.m. to get to the Napa college by 11 a.m.

Students had the chance to listen to nine other large and small choirs perform throughout the day, from schools all around the bay from Napa Valley to Mt. Eden High School.

“It is the most prestigious of its kind in the state, so there is nothing with higher standard for choral music that we could enter. To be even invited is an honor. To be in the top five in the state is a huge, huge deal,” said choir teacher Laryssa Sadoway.

Each choir sang three songs, two pieces chosen by the choirs, and one that every choir sang.

Acapella performed the required piece “De Mit Tranen Zaen,” along with pieces “Water Night” by Eric Whitacre and “Balleilakka”

by Ethan Sperry. Madrigals performed required piece “Blue Bird,” and pieces “Se Per Havervi, Oime”

by Morten Lauridsen and “Only In Sleep” by Eriks Esenvalds.

“It was a day full of beautiful music and beautiful people. I’ve never felt more blessed to be part of this choir, and I’m so incredibly proud of the work we’ve done this year,” said sophomore Britney Eng. In a competition day hiccup, CVHS choirs forgot their drums for the piece “Balleilakka.”

“Thankfully, we were in a music school and someone was able to get us drums. But it was stressful thinking that we had done all this work to be docked points because of the drums,” said Eng. Acapella and Madrigals choirs work tirelessly throughout the year to learn these pieces and perform them to perfection. While Madrigals is its own class period, Acapella meets together as a full choir only once a month.

“I’m really, really proud. There are a few times that I’ve felt truly a ton of pride in my life, in myself, and the choir that I work with. This was definitely one of them,” said senior Grace Hancock.

“What we do is very special.

It’s unlike anything else you’re going to do in high school. There’s nothing quite like that feeling you get when you synthesize a performance,” said Sadoway.

“Dude, be nice!” week winds to a close

By Sarah Nosseir

Sports Editor Kindness is an underrated trait, something people work on in theory, but don’t often practice. Dude Be Nice! Week starting May 1 was the CVHS way of giving students an incentive to express extra kindness in the hopes that it’ll stick with them for the rest of their lives.

Dude Be Nice! Week is pretty self explanatory: it’s a week when the students of CVHS are encouraged to be extra nice, to go out of their way to make someone smile, and to notice the people on campus who spread positivity.

Leadership students put their heads together and came up with six nominees from each grade, who would be voted on by the student body on the Friday of Dude Be Nice! Week This year, all the nominees were strong, or should we say, nice, but the winners from each grade consisted of Alex Salinas (freshman), Hunter Bowersmith (sophomore), Chris Kusumonegoro (Junior), and Ian Doporto (senior). These winners received a t-shirt for their efforts and a pat on the back, not to mention a lifetime of bragging rights.

As junior Matt Betti said, “Something very simple can make a big impact on someone’s day, so it’s nice to recognize the people that are making the effort to be kind.”

T h ro u g h o u t t h e w e e k , leadership also created hashtags, one for each day, that students could share their stories and pictures to such as: #muchlovemonday, # t h o u g h t f u l t u e s d a y, # w a r m h u g w e d n e s d a y, #thankfulthursday, and #friendshipfriday.

“Using social media to promote Dude be nice! week has been successful, and has encouraged more people to get involved,” said Betti.

Promoting positivity is never a negative thing, and everyone on campus was likely affected in some way or another by someone’s kindness, and that is what makes it all worth it.

The Olympian June 2, 2017

Ceramics classes capture creativity on CVHS staircases

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Ceramics classes, period 6 (top left), period 1 (bottom left), and period 7 (right), pose with the staircases they decorated by the track, outside of 700 hall and behind 500 hall.

Students seek special summer plans

By Lina Stoyanovich Staff Writer

Many CVHS students are in for a busy summer this year, one packed with travel, hard work, and plenty of fun.

Sophomore Anusheh Abdullah will be all over the world this summer, first traveling with Spanish teacher Claire Enseñat and a group of students on a trip to Spain. For the 13 days that they are there, the students will sightsee, attend a language school, and learn about the Spanish culture. After Spain, Abdullah is off to London to visit family and friends, followed by sightseeing stops in Greece and Paris, spending almost two months in Europe in total.

Noah Iles is going on a different kind of adventure this summer. He’ll be spending some time camping in the Santa Cruz mountains. “I’ve been going there for years, and I look forward to it all year. It’s my favorite part of summer,” said Iles. He’ll also be doing his share

of work with a paid internship in San Leandro with tech company OSIsoft, and when he’s not camping or working, he’ll be working towards his driver’s licence.

While some Trojans will be spending their summer travelling and exploring, Emma Moreno will be working hard, dedicating her summer to her travel softball team. “We’ll play on local fields like in Hayward and Fremont, but we’ll also be travelling to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Reno for games,” she said. “It’ll be fun to be with the team, but the travel gets tiring.”

Matt Anthony will be traveling too with a fourth of July trip to the MGM grand in Las Vegas, followed by a week long trip to Hawaii in August to finish up the summer.

These CVHS students and many others like them are more than ready for their exciting summer plans. Even though they may only have a few short months, they are set to make the best of them.

Outlast 2: bring out your deepest fear

By Da Di

Staff Writer “Children, you lovers of God and registration defenders of His paradise, all our years of suffering come together now on this glorious day of peace…...

Peace!...Ready your knives, for the good earth thirsts for blood, and we, like the angels must show no mercy. God loves you.”

So players of Outlast 2 are told.

Outlast 2 is a first person survival horror video game, developed and published by Red Barrels for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The story of the game starts with a journalist named Black Langermann, who is also the cameraman of his wife, Lynn Langermann. They go to a desert in Arizona to investigate the murder of a pregnant woman named Jane Doe. However, their helicopter crashes and they get separated. Langermann has to go to a village to find his wife.

Meanwhile, the dark secret of the village starts to come upon Langermann.

Similar to predecessors Outlast and Outlast: Whistleblower, Outlast 2 is a single-player game set place in Sonoran Desert of northern Arizona. The only char-

acter who can be controlled by players is Black Langermann. In the game, players can’t fight with the enemies, but only hide, run, jump, or climb to escape from the villagers.

Langermann has limited power, so his speed keeps decreasing until he stops and takes a break from running. The only thing Black has is a night vision camera. When players use the night vision, the power of the camera will decrease a lot faster, so play-

Guardians Vol. 2: even funnier than first

By Haley Booth

Staff Writer The team stands ready to fight as an interdimensional octopus monster falls through a portal in the sky and lands in front of them. They attack the creature with all the force they can possibly muster! All Baby Groot can think to do is plug in a speaker, and listen to some sweet tunes while the rest of the Guardians take down the monster.

Little comedic scenes such as this are found throughout Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy. The sequel is dubbed “Vol. 2” because Starlord’s second mix-tape, which he recieved from his mom at the end of the first movie, is set as the

soundtrack. While the second movie is more comedic than the first, the producers should have focused a bit more on the plot development, instead of just packing in comedic scenes where Drax takes everything too literally.

At the end of the first movie, we learn that Starlord is not fully human. He has something very ancient inside of him.

This something must be from his father, since he does not know who his father is, and his mother is human. In Vol. 2, we learn his father is a planet.

His father is a celestial being, similar to a god, named Ego. Ego created a planet (which he named after himself), as well as a human form to embody, so he could travel the universe with in search of other life. This was just the beginning of a series of confusing subplots which were not connected together until the very end, during another huge fight scene.

Not only are there too many plots, but they were all cliché.

For example: “I’m a strong girl who’s falling for the class clown, but I can’t show it because I have to be tough,” and “I’m the rough and tumble guy who’s scared to let anyone in so instead I push everyone away until I learn that I’m not alone,”

See GUARDIANS: Page 8

ers have to collect the battery in the village to keep the camera working.

According to Metacritic, the scores of the players is mostly around 7.5/10. IGN gives the rating of 8.3/10 to Outlast 2.

“Outlast 2 is a terrifying successor to the 2013 original that keeps the scares coming at a relentless pace,” according to Lucy O’Brien.

When you play this game, I strongly recommend that you

watch a horror movie first, and play it in the darkness before you go to sleep. Then, you can have the full experience. After all, it is a horror game.

P.S.: If you are prone to heart attacks or similar illnesses, please do not play this game; I do not recommend people under age of 16 years old play this game; if you feel any discomfort while playing this game, please stop immediately.

Higher pay sought for Trojans’ athletic coaches

By Jacob Schoenfeld News Editor

During the swim season of 2014, both the Trojans’ boys and girls varsity teams came in first in their conference. The championships were a few of many won under the nine-year head coach Brian Berry. Following these victories, Berry stepped down as head coach.

“Some of the important variables for athletes in having the same coaches include having knowledge of coach expectations, growing a program through the years with goals on improving an athletic program, and building a rapport with athlete, parents, other coaches, schools and the community. I stuck around for as long as I did mostly because of these commitments,” said Berry, a CVHS alum and former swimmer.

In the following years, the Trojan swim teams have seen two other head coaches, as well as three different assistant coaches.

The championship streak ended.

The truth is, they are among many teams to have experienced rapid “coach turnover.”

In the past five years, eight CVHS sports teams have had three or more coaches. One of the possible explanations for this is low pay, and the district’s decision to differentiate between on and off-campus coaches in determining pay.

When teachers coach, they are paid much more than nonteachers who do the same work, despite the fact that 90 percent of

hired coaches are not teachers.

“The fundamental difference between our district and other districts is that in other districts, for sports stipends, they don’t distinguish between an on or off-campus coach, or as they call it, a certificated or uncertificated coach,” said Assistant Principal and former football coach Nic McMaster.

This is significant considering that nearly all of CVHS coaches are not teachers, and are therefore only paid around $700-$1,200 per season. By comparison, certificated coaches are paid around 6-8 percent of a starting credentialed teacher’s salary, which comes out to $3,321-$4,428.

Compared to other local districts, CVHS coaches are paid

sometimes less than half the amount they would be paid at other schools with similar listed stipends, due to the district’s policy of paying differently based on whether or not the coaches are certificated staff members.

As McMaster explained, the objective behind this is to encourage the hiring of on-campus coaches.

“Athletics here at this school hook about 600 students and that’s about 20 percent of our enrollment. Athletes, on average, make more school days than if they weren’t playing sports,” said McMaster. “We know that having a teacher coach here on campus is really crucial for keeping them engaged even beyond the season, so as a goal, we’re

Halley Lin-Jones / Editor-in-Chief

trying to do is create more oncampus coaches.”

While there are several other possible factors that could determine whether coaches stay or not, less pay than other schools is still an unignorable fact for non-teaching coaches who devote long hours to helping their athletes.

“I, to this point, have not had a coach say ‘I’m leaving here because another school pays me more money.’ That’s not to say that’s not happening because I only go off what people tell me,” said McMaster.

While the salary rates for coaches who are also teachers increase with each salary increase, the rates for off-campus coaches change separately.

“It’s been something like 20 years since the pay schedule’s been changed,” said Athletic Director Marie Gray, who also coached softball for 26 years.

“We’re living in different times, and in the economy we’re in now it just isn’t enough.” Gray has asked the district to consider raising coaches’ pay.

Coaches and student athletes find that if teams are run by the same coaches for many years in a row, it is beneficial to their program, both for the environment and the performance of the team.

“If they’re a good coach, having them for a long time will improve how the group performs, because then you have consistency in your workouts, and they get to know you better as an athlete. That way they can coach you to specifically what you need to work on, to your specific styles,” explained senior John Anthony, a four-year competitor in track and cross country and this year’s only Herculean Award winner.

Teachers and coaches are hopeful that some changes can be made that will benefit both coaches and student athletes.

“Having a humongous gap between full-time teacher coach’s pay and non-teacher coach’s pay makes a difference. I worked out my hourly rate just for a laugh and found that I made roughly $4 an hour for the time spent. I'm not joking here. All in all, I loved the position but I was essentially breaking even after my costs,” said Berry.

Athletes of the Month

Bzowski travels to Australia for track and field

Markette to continue volleyball career in Sacramento

By Mia Babasyan

By Audrey Manzano

Junior Isabella Bzowski started running track and field during her freshman year, and by the end of the season had already made the varsity team.

She has been dedicated ever since, and is traveling to Australia this summer to compete.

“I’m very excited to be running this summer in Australia.

I feel very honored that I will be able to represent,” said Bzowski.

Bzowski runs the 100 meter hurdles, 300 meter hurdles, and recently the 4x400 meter relay.

“One thing I love about track is that it is an individual sport and you don’t have to rely on anyone. So when you win your race, you know that it was just you,” she said.

This season, Bzowski achieved 17.4 seconds in the 100 meter hurdles and 48.7 seconds in the 300 meter hurdles.

She also reached her fastest

Senior Jason Markette has had a passion for volleyball since he was a child. Markette started playing volleyball with his family at a young age and started playing on teams in the eighth grade. Since then, Markette has played all volleyball positions, but currently he plays as an outside hitter.

Aside from the volleyball team here at CVHS, he has also played in the practice team for Pacific Rim club team, and club volleyball for three years during the fall in East Bay Volleyball Academy.

He plans to attend Sacramento State University next year and will continue playing volleyball there as well.

Markette has previously been awarded second team in all league as well as an award for being a scholar athlete twice and being with a scholar team once.

Markette’s favorite memory of playing volleyball was playing against De La Salle playoffs.

“That was my first time being in

Feature Editor

Staff Writer

Isabella Bzowski

“When you win

your race, you know that it was just you.”

Isabella Bzowski Junior

split time in the 4x400 meter with 61 seconds.

Her passion for running has continued to grow and she is one of the top short distance runners on the team.

Jason Markette

a big playoff and it was a good way to be with the team and it was just a great experience all

around,” Markette explained.

Markette enjoys watching beach volleyball in the Olympics and players Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings.

He looks forward to practices and never gets tired of playing volleyball. “ My favorite part of the sport is the enjoyment I get out of playing and I never get tired of going to practice,” Makette said.

Markette feels a real connection with volleyball and prefers it over other sports. “I play because I feel like it's my passion and there is no other sport I’d rather be playing.”

The Olympian June 2, 2017

8

District bans food and drink appliances Actress speaks on

By Stella Ho importance of diversity Opinion Editor

BOWDEN: from page 1 of representation on television.

Q: In an interview that you said "You can be diverse, female and the show can be about you.”

What qualities does it take to break the mold?

A: A strong work ethic is more important than being naturally talented. To be able to face that challenge and keep going is the most important quality to have to carve out a career.

Q: How important is it to maintain a connection with fans on social media?

A: While I don’t have time to respond to every single person individually, I like to comment back. I’m touched that a person out there is moved by the thing that I’m doing. I want to let

them know I care about them as people.

Q: What other projects do you have coming up?

A: I just finished shooting a YouTube series called Lifeline.

It’s a sci-fi series. I’m in the current season of Love for an episode. Other stuff that I have going is in LA. I perform live sketch comedy and improv on a regular basis.

Q: Any advice for aspiring stars of CVHS? A: Enjoy your time here. Cherish your teachers and your classes. Indulge in the programs here. If you’re an aspiring star with a dream, do not give up. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. You will face rejection but do not let that stop you.

Admission tickets required at 2017 graduation

By Jessica Mi Editor-in-Chief

CVHS administration has made the decision to require tickets for admission to the class of 2017 graduation ceremony on June 8. This policy was implemented because of overcrowding in the stadium in the past few years. Ticketing graduation has happened in the past before, but just not in recent years. Principal Blaine Torpey said that the goal of the tickets will be to “ensure space and seats for family.”

Each senior student will receive five tickets for their family members to attend. Additional tickets may be requested through a google form sent out by the school, which was set to close on June 2 but may be closing sooner, according to Torpey.

“We’re in a pretty good place to fit everyone who requests extra tickets,” Torpey said.

“If you’re in the five to ten range, you’re probably going to be okay.” The tickets will be distributed to students on the morning of June 8 after graduation practice.

GUARDIANS: from page 6 are just some of the cheesy subplots scattered throughout the movie.

Some good news is Marvel, as usual, listened to fans by adding in characters from the comic books, such as Mantis (an alien who has the ability to feel others emotions through touch) and Yondu (who isn’t a new addition to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, but is given the chance to join the team like he did in the comics). They even throw in a cameo of Adam Warlock, an artificial superhuman who fought alongside Starlord, Rocket, and the others in the comics. While Warlock does not show his face, it’s a nice taste for Guardians fans who are hoping to catch a glimpse of Warlock in

The tickets are necessary for public safety, but many are upset because of the late notice given for this policy. Many seniors and their families may have already arranged travel plans, and the possibility of not being able to get into graduation is a concern for many.

“It’s a good idea, but they should’ve told us sooner,” said senior Maya Moore.

Economics teacher David Roth-Rossi commented on the safety concern for the event, saying, “I think they’re doing the right thing. They have to do it because the amount of people goes beyond [fire] code. It’s unsafe. If there were some type of emergency, no one would be able to get anywhere.”

Not only teachers, but students as well see this minor annoyance as a small price to pay in exchange for public safety.

“I think it’s a good thing because everybody should be able to have some of their family there. There’s a limited space because of how large our class is. You can’t be bringing a party to graduation,” said senior Alanna Stull.

Infinity Wars next May, when the Guardians will return along with the Avengers, Dr. Strange, and many other Marvel characters.

Overall, if you want to see a hilarious space-action film with characters you loved in the first movie, go see Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. It will have you laughing out loud and dancing in your seat along to a soundtrack that will not disappoint.

Fun Fact: Harley Penn, the writer of the Comic Chatcave articles, is me, Haley Booth! I’m sure that is not a huge shock to many people, but because this is my last year here at CVHS, I figured I might as well come out of hiding. Keep smiling, my comic lovers!

CVUSD has recently announced a decision to prohibit all staff-owned microwaves, refrigerators, and other food or beverage appliances such as coffee machines. Teachers were outraged and sent out numerous emails in response to the one that Assistant Superintendent Candi Clark issued announcing the new change on April 27.

Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi followed up on Clark’s announcement in an email on May 3 responding to the teachers’ complaints. “I recognize some of you may have concerns and questions about the removal of appliances from classrooms.

I can assure you that staff will take as much time as needed to discuss the impact of any change in practice to ensure you are provided all necessities to continue your great work,” she wrote.

In Clark’s initial announcement, the district has also offered a set of guidelines for the 2017-18 school year. Besides the prohibition on appliances, the memo called for reducing the amount of wall decorations, clearing access to fire exits, and using only approved circuit breaker protected outlet strips.

These instructions came about after the county fire marshall

visited and raised concerns about fire safety at CVHS. “California Fire Code (CFC) 603.7 prevents the use of defective or discontinued ovens or heat producing devices...By removing these items, our efforts will be to focus on district purchased devices so that we can ensure that the items comply with the fire code,” wrote Clark

“In

a way, it feels disrespectful to the teachers.

Clare LePell English teacher

”

in an email on May 12.

Clark cited other benefits of the removal of appliances as helping with pest management, improving the overall cleanliness of classrooms, and the reduction of energy usage, which would create more savings for schools.

Many teachers have expressed disapproval.

“I understand the safety concerns, but I have been teaching here at CVHS for 31 years

and there has never been any problems with using food or drink appliances. I’m not sure how removing them will solve anything. In a way, it feels disrespectful to the teachers. Our jobs are difficult enough without taking away our small enjoyments of a warm lunch during our long work days,” said English teacher Clare LePell.

Other teachers objected to having to walk all the way to the cafeteria or the teacher lounge to heat up their food, which would take time away from their lunch and would be inconvenient for those who have to spend their lunch advising clubs or helping students out. Some argue that with the low pay they receive as teachers, these appliances are a way to improve their daily work lives and lessen the stress that comes with their jobs.

“We are trained professionals.

Treat us as such,” wrote one teacher.

However, Clark has stated that the district will allow some exceptions to the removal of appliances. For example, refrigerators in the nurse’s office will remain to store medicine.

“Each principal will be able to determine what campus special needs might require the use of personal appliances. We will work with the principal to accommodate requests and needs,” wrote Clark.