March 15, 2024

Election concludes Intruders with gun reported on campus

By Kaitlyn Tchang

With the close of the ASB elections on March 5, juniors

Ian Hsu, Kiana Ayllon, Nahum Biruk, and Fatema Saeed as well as sophomore Maggie Lei-Chong came out on top. The officerelects have high hopes and goals for the 2024-2025 school year.

“I will work to promote a more spirited, inclusive, and exciting school environment where all of our students feel welcomed and represented,” pledged Hsu, who won ASB president. He plans to create a week-long spirit week called “Mural Mania” where each class competes by painting new murals.

A common goal among the winners is to amplify and listen to student voices.

“I will work to create positive student engagement.I am dedicated to hearing what your needs are and working together to help better our community,”

said VP-elect Ayllon. “I want to listen to the students’ voices more and really work to make their ideas actually happen and maybe surprise them with new ones.”

“I would like to start gaining more student participation in the student body and creating a sense of community,” agreed Lei-Chong, who will serve as ASB secretary next year. “I will listen to your ideas, advocate for your needs, and make sure your voices get heard.”

In order to win, the candidates promoted their strong experience and various leadership skills.

“I have lots of experience working with money and finances through work,” explained treasurer-elect Biruk. “I also have a good grasp of how the position works, being able to see first hand what the position has in store.”

“I’ve been in leadership previous years, holding multiple other positions and growing in

insight with the work I have done for each one,” said Saeed, who won the office of ASB school board representative. She plans to improve community togetherness and equity at CVHS.

“I have strong communication skills and have worked with a wide variety of people in order to get the best outcome on bettering our school community and ensuring that everyone feels involved and connected on our campus.”

Next year’s seniors chose Sofia Tom as president, Halina Nguyen as vice president, Hailey Smith as secretary, and Ebenezer Mahteme as treasurer.

Next year’s juniors chose Ryan Kwan as president, Rylan Quach as vice president, Allen Chin as secretary, and Rilen Ramirez as treasurer.

Next year’s sophomores chose Scarlett Everson as president, Tristan Ayllon as vice president, Natalia Jamal as secretary, and Kai Rasmussen as treasurer.

By Maxim Boychuk

Two intruders wearing ski masks and carrying a firearm drove onto the CVHS campus and approached the courtyard beside Gate 6 on Jan. 31, according to an Alameda County Sheriff Office (ACSO) report. They left quickly, no shots were fired and no one was hurt.

A CVHS security camera caught view of the two driving a grey Ford SUV, approaching Gate 6 with what appeared to be a gun, and then running back to the Ford and driving away. The footage also showed two CVHS students going after the SUV and later returning to the campus.

Principal Christopher Fortenberry issued a statement via mail on Jan. 31 at 2:43 p.m. stating that “we received reports of a potential threat,” that the sheriff’s office responded and found that “there is no immediate threat.” The statement did not mention anything about a possible firearm being involved in the situation.

Chris Humphrey, a concerned father of a CVHS student, obtained the ACSO report and shared it with The Olympian. When asked if the school handled the situation appropriately, he answered, “Initially yes… you don’t want to create a panic. But I don’t think that the same dynamic is there a week later and there wasn’t any follow up... I think this is the kind of thing parents should be aware of. And I think the students should be aware of.”

According to the school’s ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) procedure, “a threat or report of potential school violence” would call for a hard lockdown, but CVHS did not do that. During the event, teachers

closed doors and windows and held students in classrooms in the 500 hall. Staff members directed students outside classrooms into the library.

In an interview, when asked which lockdown should have been implemented according to ALICE, Fortenberry simply said, “I’m calling it none of that.”

According to the sheriff’s report, secretary Debbie Rose received a report from a CVHS teacher of a grey Ford SUV with armed suspects inside at 1:20 p.m. Rose called the ACSO, which sent two deputies to assist with the investigation.

Fortenberry met both deputies to start the investigation, beginning with a student who witnessed the situation. The witness reportedly heard an abrupt noise and clatter near Gate 6: “He heard drinks being spilled and saw a group of students gathering at the gate.” The report also stated that the witness saw “two subjects wearing ski masks and one of the subjects was holding a black handgun with a laser on it.” After that moment, the intruders in ski masks returned to the Ford SUV and drove off.

When asked about a possible gun in an Olympian interview on Feb. 16, Fortenberry declined to comment on what the CVHS security team witnessed.

Fortenberry and Assistant Principal Steve Hendee gave the two investigating deputies access to security camera footage. The camera tape caught most of the act to piece together the story.

Deputies then questioned two CVHS students. The first reportedly stated that he did not know who the two intruders were and why they wanted to enter the campus. He did not think that he was in danger

ASB President: Ian Hsu ASB VP : Kiana Ayllon ASB Sec.: Maggie Lei-Chong

ASB Treas.: Nahum Biruk

ASB Rep.: Fatema Saeed

Winter Ball proves successful

By Grace Lopez

With Winter Ball only having about 500 attendees last year, CVHS leadership students and staff strived to match the excitement that Homecoming gave us, with 650 students attending this year.

In the past, CVHS students have shown greater passion for Homecoming than for Winter Ball. Leadership

and was not afraid. He also stated that he stays away from “politics” and his only focus is playing sports. “He never saw the firearm,” the deputy reported.

worked to greater the turnout for winter ball. Students were shown with big smiles on their faces as they took over the dance floor.

“To me the dance floor was always filled with kids,” said activities director Thomas Maloney. “I believe it went very well.”

“Usually I don’t go to winter ball, but I did this year and I am glad I did,” said sophomore attendee Joanna

GUN: from page 1 The second stated that “while he was eating lunch, an unidentified student told him there were guys trying to fight him.” He walked towards Gate 6 to confront them and reported seeing a firearm. The deputy described both

Escobedo.

The common student complaints ranged from Winter Ball not having enough food, to the lack of attendance making the event seem unappealing overall. Addressing these concerns, the leadership team brought extra donuts and water with students constantly coming back for more.

“When there’s a line for things, that’s good; that

students as “uncooperative” and advised them to avoid all contact with the suspects.

Another source told the deputies that he believed that there was a “dispute over a girl” and identified the suspects. With that information, the

means it went well,” said Maloney.

Additionally, to make the event more accessible, ticket prices were significantly reduced. This year, prices were $15 with ASB and $20 without, whereas previously tickets sold for $30 with ASB and $35 without. Leadership believes this made one of the biggest positive changes to Winter ball.

“We had 100 more students

deputies on the scene drove by the last known address of the suspects, but they were unable to find any evidence such as the grey Ford.

The Olympian asked the sheriff’s office about the status of the case and whether any

buy tickets which is always a good sign,” said Maloney. “I don’t see a reason to raise the ticket prices again as it made the dance more accessible to students.”

Finally, the location for Prom was announced to be at the San Francisco Design Center Galleria and will take place on April 27 from 7-11 p.m., with a special guest appearance from Bay Area legend DMAC.

suspects have been arrested, and has not yet received a reply.

“The incident itself is not the fault of the school but the lack of honesty and transparency afterwards falls squarely on the school administration,” said Humphrey.

CVHS introduces a new dance class

By Cat Baldwin

Finding a class that really relates to you or is something you really enjoy can be difficult. However, that problem for a lot of kids, new and experienced, has been solved. Social Studies teacher Britney Brown plans on bringing a dance class for all students to CVHS next year.

For Brown, dancing has been a big part of her life.

“After I graduated, I worked as a freelance professional dancer with dance companies in L.A., San Francisco, and Berlin, and then I decided to become a teacher.”

However, when she became a teacher, dancing became difficult to keep up because all her time went to teaching. This class has helped Brown reconnect with that part of herself that had been in the background for a while.

She got the idea of having a dance class five years ago

when she was substituting for other high schools in the Bay Area. Other high schools, including the one Brown went to, had dance classes. This idea of having a dance class was brought to a counselor and grew from there.

Flyers have been posted around the school with a QR code and a Google Form to fill out. Students who are curious about joining will upload a video of them dancing for Brown to see. This will help her determine their skill level and separate the class into a beginners dance class and an intermediate advanced class.

“I really want to give students the opportunity to explore their own choreography, making the dances, which at this [high school] age, I didn’t get that much of,” said Brown.

Brown said that this class was really important for her

and that she really wants people to see dancing as a form of art and be able to express themselves through dancing. She hopes kids will be able to find their own style of dancing and learn a lot throughout the class.

“I want them to be able to explore another way to express themselves through movement,” she added.

Brown also hopes to have at least one showcase next year for the dance class and give students a chance to perform for a crowd or two. The class will take place in the mat room and renovations for that will start in the summer. The dance class will also meet the A-G performing arts credit.

The google form can be found on Brown’s website and if you’re looking for something new or exciting, this new class is definitely for you.

Renata GutieRRez

The Deco Club decorated the cafeteria and gym for Winter Ball 2024.

Three strikes, you’re a sell out!

By Samuel Jarvis

When I think of my hometown team, I think of it as somewhat sacred. In the city of Oakland, two other professional sports teams, the Warriors and the Raiders have called Oakland home. However the Warriors were seen as a Bay Area sports team and the Raiders had moved around a lot in decades prior. The A’s were different. They have previously moved from Kansas City and Philadelphia, but since 1968 they have been the Oakland Athletics.

The team has led the city to three consecutive World Series wins, and provided fans with great storylines for the last 60 years. It will be a sad day for A’s and Giants fans alike to see the great San Francisco vs. Oakland rivalry end with a move from the A’s.

The A’s have still had a pretty good time during my life. Great players have started their careers here like Matt Olson, Marcus Semien, and

Matt Chapman, and while all three are no longer on the team they are current superstar players on other teams. The A’s have always relied on the idea of acquiring young talent and developing them into star players and then trading for more prospects. This means almost all teams have a great player they got from the A’s. Great players such as Rickey Henderson and Reggie Jackson traded to the Yankees or Mark McGwire traded to the Cardinals are examples of trades that, while they cost the A’s short term success, lead them into the future with young cheap talent. The true uniqueness of the A’s comes from how it was done without the spectacle and budget of the other California teams, getting four World Series wins compared to the Giants’ three in their Bay Area years. It’s the reason why I and almost everyone else loved the A’s. The A’s remain relatively liked compared to their company of the most

successful MLB teams in terms of World Series wins.

Maybe the A’s just hold an allure because they’re in my backyard or maybe because people like to root for the

underdog, but as long as the A’s stay with their ways I can’t be too mad. The team has provided me with countless hours of entertainment through sports cards, TV, and watching games

in person. Even if they move to Las Vegas I can hope that a kid like me in Las Vegas will watch future superstars play, become an invested fan and appreciate the team the way that I do.

End of an era: Hollywood’s version

By Ethan Dinh

Welcome to 2024! A time when companies seem to become more and more dystopian than their years prior, making bland and boring movies to meet self-made quotas. Making intolerable nonsense at its worst. Every day a new movie comes out or is announced: whether it’s Disney, Warner Brothers, 20th Century, or Columbia it’s difficult to resist the urge to roll my eyes. It’s gotten to the point where kids like my brother or cousins view Disney and its merchandise as trashy or for old people. With Hollywood losing its audience, it’s hard not to wonder why when just a few years ago people were lining up for theaters to see their favorite cinema.

The problem originated in Marvel’s “Avengers,” the franchise being so incredibly successful and popular that

every company wanted to create their own cinematic universe. From Mattel’s “Barbie” to Godzilla’s monsterverse, what has remained true in every action is that executives have always pushed for this without letting producers follow their own vision.

What let “Avengers” take off was the choice in giving time and trusting producers, while not announcing every movie years ahead of time. This idea seems smart in order to drum up anticipation, but it doesn’t take into account production errors and if the audience actually wants these films.

Isn’t the whole point of the movie industry to make cinema that people want to see? Wouldn’t it be almost dystopian if movies that should be catered to us are used as a way to attack the audience and if the audience didn’t like it, in what world would it be okay to shame your audience

for not watching? Except this dystopian landscape is the one we have right now, with brands like Disney attacking their audiences, labeling them into anti-woke mobs or trolls.

Although some people certainly attack Disney for fun, many of the people pushed into these groups simply have valid criticisms and are being attacked by both the media and Disney’s social media, alienating audiences.

Companies have also been treating their employees poorly, during the writer’s strike executives were more than willing to make the writers “bleed out” and allow them to lose their homes. Or how about the constant tales of VFX artists being overworked and underpaid. Superhero movies especially force them to make unrealistic deadlines at the cost of their physical and mental health. Disney’s recent firing of Gina Carano also calls into question whether companies even remotely care about their actors. While Corano did share a post that was anti-semetic and inappropriate, there was no situation that called for Disney to attack her character online.

As for the movie quality itself, it has gone down the drain which can be seen in the most prominent example: “Wish,” The movie, which was marketed

as the centennial anniversary of Disney, claimed it would be a movie that would remind you of everything you loved in the 2d era of animation, except it’s not 2d animated. Instead of having any kind of memorable character, or good songs, they try to resemble previous movies

while fitting an agenda.

Agendas are a part of every company, at its core it’s a business. However when a company focuses on pushing a political agenda over making a story for people to enjoy, it’s the people’s wallets that decide the power these organizations hold.

Castro Valley High School’s journalism class publishes The Olympian, an award-winning newspaper and media empire, from our world headquarters at 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, California 94546. © 2024

Editor-in-Chief Melissa Boussaroque

Editor-in-Chief Kaitlyn Tchang Online Editor...................................................Renata Gutierrez

Multimedia Editor...............................................Wyatt Franklin

Multimedia Editor............................................... Ethan Dinh

News Editor................................... Matthew Wong

Opinion Editor Gavin Peters

Sports Editor.................................................... Haku Kremer

Arts and Entertainment Editor ............Mason Jordan

Feature Editor........................................ Shannan Chan

Photo Editor....................................... .Luis Ochea

Copy Editor........................................ Victor Bahng

Copy Editor........................................ Hailey Young

Staff Writers : Cat Baldwin, Maxim Boychuk, Lillian Cooke, Brenda Huynh, Samuel Jarvis, Mario Joseph, Michael Lac, Zoe Lawrence, Grace Lopez, Richard Paseman, Zoe Schwartzle, Kalaya Williams

Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

Samuel JarviS

Democrats grow concerned about 2024 election

By Luis Ochea

With the 2024 presidential election looming, many concerns exist about what happens through either candidate’s election, particularly Donald Trump. Several members of the California government in Sacramento within the Democratic Party express their concerns about the effects of Trump gaining a second term, noting Trump’s potential ability to shut down the voices of his opposition, as well as reversing several policies under President Joe Biden’s administration.

“[Trump’s] now threatening to undo the judicial system, which is an essential threat to democracy. We all hold our rights to express our freedom of speech, and our ability to express our political views without retaliation. To imagine we would have a president that would put at risk those fundamental views to all of us… that should put a chill on

everyone,” said state Senator Nancy Skinner. Members of California’s government worry about

Trump’s election taking not only their voice within the government away but also much of the work they’ve done under

the Biden administration.

Izzy Gardon, representative of Gavin Newsom, concurs, as he believes that the progress made under the Biden administration would be undone should Trump be elected to office. “We saw what happened when Trump came into office, whether you’re an immigrant family or someone who’s just trying to get ahead… especially when it comes to immigration, there were a lot of policies that were rolled back.”

Gardon notes the DACA program as an example, as he explains that “folks whose only country they’ve ever known is America and some of these kids only speak English, and the Trump Administration wanted to roll back [the DACA program] that’s given them temporary status and opportunity and essentially throw them back into the shadows.”

The Olympian also reached out to Republican Assembly Member Juan Alanis, however,

he declined to comment on the election.

Assemblymember Liz Ortega summarized the stakes of this election, stating that with Trump’s dangerous policies on guns and immigration, she wants to make sure the younger generations stay engaged and use their voice. As her daughter told her, don’t sell out.

Though the stakes of this election are high for the younger generations, Judith Gutierrez, Communications director of Assemblymember Wendy Carrillo reminds everyone that it is just as important that the younger people do as much as they can to make an impact within their own communities.

“I want to remind the younger community that there is so much to do at the local and state levels as well. You can canvas, phone bank for local members, and really have your voice heard so you can impact those older communities who can vote in this election,” said Gutierrez.

California’s Prop. 1: hope for the homeless?

By Matthew Wong

Prop. 1 would allocate funds to build housing and treatment centers for the homeless.

California considered the measure on the March 5 ballot, and based on early returns, it leans toward passage. Prop. 1 would not raise taxes, and instead authorize the state to sell $6.4 billion in bonds and reallocate existing funds from the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA).

“California has a serious problem with unhoused folks,” said Senator Nancy Skinner.

“Everyone that we see on the streets, I mean our homeless population is much larger than that.”

The state sells bonds to investors in order to pay for projects. Bonds are an expensive way of financing projects because the state has to pay back its investors with added interest. The state is currently repaying $70 billion in bonds with another $20 billion in bonds waiting to be sold. Prop. 1 alone would add an additional $310 million to the annual debt repayment for the next 30 years.

“Prop. 1 enables us to have more housing that has those types of support services and also beef up our mental health services to address that portion of our unhoused people that also have those very serious mental health needs,” stated Skinner.

Passed in 2003, MHSA raises around $2 to $3.5 billion annually through a 1 percent income tax on incomes over $1 million in order to pay for mental health services. Prop. 1 would raise the state’s portion of the MHSA money from 5 percent to 10 percent and decrease the counties’ portion accordingly.

“I feel we already do those services that are mentioned in Prop. 1 so why are we wanting to pay into programs that we already do pay into?” remarked Assemblyman Juan Alanis. “We are in a deficit so it’s going to be kind of hard to fund a lot of these programs.”

The state would be required to

spend this money on improving mental health services. Counties would also now be required to spend a portion of the MHSA money on housing and services like education, and treatment for addiction would be included under MHSA guidelines.

“In some of the housing that we have now been providing to our unhoused people: without those mental health services they are not thriving… that is why there is a larger proportion in Prop. 1 for that type of service,” said Skinner.

Of the $6.4 billion raised, Prop. 1 would allocate $2 billion to building housing and $4.4 billion to building treatment. Housing would

include constructing new housing and converting existing structures such as motels and hotels to housing for the homeless. In total, Prop. 1 would build 4,350 housing units with 2,350 designated for homeless veterans, and would increase mental health treatment capacity by 6,800 people, all for California’s homeless population of over 170,000.

“Providing them with just houses and letting them sleep in it has been proven wrong. They’ve torn up houses, they’ve ripped up houses… it’s a waste of time that didn’t go anywhere...

So depending on where the money is going to and to

what programs would help me better decide on those kinds of decisions,” stated Alanis.

“Everyone that we see on the streets is not necessarily a person that needs the type of services that Prop. 1 offers, but there are a good number who do, and so just trying to provide housing alone to the folks that have these mental health issues and who need these kinds of support services is not going to be adequate,” added Skinner.

“I think it will be a big change and it’s going to have an impact, what we’ve been doing has not worked. We need more beds, more hospitals, and more workers,” said Assemblymember Liz Ortega.

Renata GutieRRez

Sen. Nancy Skinner expresses doubts about the election.

California’s gun laws come under fire

By Mason Jordan

The scourge of gun violence wipes across our nation, and many Americans fear for their safety as they continue dayto-day life. The danger level of going to school, going to a concert, and just simply leaving the house has skyrocketed with the commercialization of assault weapons. Many laws are threatened or struck down, leaving the public feeling defenseless from the senseless violence that guns can bring. The Olympian took these thoughts to the California state Capitol, bravely asking the question “What are the plans to stop this?”

Recently, the Supreme Court struck down gun laws. One of these laws, which let the state of California ban guns in most public places, was recently taken down. Protected and important laws like this being threatened in the first place terrifies Californians and California-based politicians.

Sacramento politicians who met The Olympian are proud of their stance on gun violence, and the prospect of having such grounding laws stripped away goes against many of their wishes. At the Capitol, Assemblymember Liz Ortega showed deep-seated concern for her daughter and the California youth as the horror of school shootings continues to plague

America.

“California is a model state for gun laws, and we need to make a change on a national level,” said Ortega.

Ortega reflected the belief of many of the politicians that California’s gun laws were a pillar for other states to learn from. However, Assemblyman Juan Alanis, former police officer and Republican, provided a different view. He expressed worry about some of our laws in place, including the “Gun Free Zones.”

“We have to also worry about these gun safety zones,” commented Alanis, “knowing that there are no guns to stop them, people think they can

commit whatever crime they want.”

Alanis makes an interesting point, wondering if laws meant for protection can lead to more violence. The law he references is penal code 626.9 PC, which outlaws the carrying of guns within 1000 feet of a public school. Many Californians don’t oppose this law, as it helps them feel a little more protected from school shootings. The biggest opposition comes from gun rights supporters who value their right to bear arms. In a modern context, with the weaponry readily available, one is left to wonder what exactly is needed to protect themselves.

State Senator Nancy Skinner

is passionate about keeping gun violence away from California and its citizens.

“The Supreme Court has the power to jeopardize our laws,” Skinner emphasized, “and that is a tragedy.”

Skinner is a leading voice in the fight against gun violence, and she continues to preserve what we hold dear as valiantly as she can.

The Olympian truly learned at the state Capitol that while our laws may be under fire, there is hope for the future. Many of our brightest minds are working towards protecting the citizens, and listening to their concerns and cries for help. A recently passed law, SB 2, raised the

“ ”

California is a model state for gun laws, and we need to make a change on a national level.

permit age from 18 to 21, being just one of many combative steps being taken against guns. California will continue to be a leading state against guns and will fight to uphold the laws that some wish to take down. Although the threat of mass shootings and gun-related violence never truly goes away, it can be comforting to know that the people in charge are looking out for California. The battle continues and only the future will tell where California, and the United States, will take it.

We should take action to save the ocean

By Renata Gutierrez

With a surge in overfishing in the last five years, research done by a Canadian university shows that if we keep on fishing and polluting the ocean at the rate we are now, we will run out of seafood for consumption by 2048. This would not only massively affect the economy but also drastically change the natural world as we know it.

Given that fisheries are a big contributor to the U.S gross domestic products, eliminating them as a whole to preserve our oceans is out of the picture. With that, the question still remains: how can we help our ocean thrive with more sustainable fishing practices, while preserving the fishing industry as a whole?

Research by the Aquatic Life Institute shows that if oceans were managed sustainably, they could provide six times more food than what we are getting out of them today. Running our oceans sustainably would mean 12 million more people could be employed.

In reality, the biggest problem the ocean is facing isn’t the alarming amount of pollution mostly made up of all the poorly discarded fishing nets

and lines but also plastic and other kinds of trash that are constantly being dumped into the ocean, but the overfishing and collateral damage it creates,

known as bycatch. In the fishing industry, bycatch is the unwanted fish or marine animals caught while fishing for a specific animal or

water injured

or

many cases dead.

“If we don’t hold people accountable for those kinds of things [littering], to help our environment specially, then we are failing right now,” said Assemblyman Juan Alanis.

During a visit to the state capitol in Sacramento, I brought this up with a state senator, assembly member and other officials. Though the ocean is critical to the survival of our planet, most sources showed little awareness of the subject of sustainable fishing. We must not only hold people accountable for the physical actions they are taking against our oceans, but also hold them accountable for educating themselves on such an important issue.

If we want to save our oceans we must take rapid action, hope is high with the next U.N. ocean conference happening in 2025.

Renata GutieRRez

size. These marine animals are thrown back into the ocean, most hitting the

with little chance of survival

in

Renata GutieRRez

Mason JoRdan

Ocean Beach in San Francisco offers a beautiful view.

Liz Ortega Assemblymember

SciOly strives for national tournament

By Richard Paseman

The CVHS Science Olympiad (SciOly) program made it to nationals last year, and the group is on track to make it this year again. At the most recent regionals, CVHS teams Onion and Garlic placed first and second, respectively, out of 51 high school teams, while teams Scallion and Shallot placed twelfth and thirteenth.

The top four schools at regionals get to go to the state competition, where if they win, they proceed to the national competition. Team Onion will advance to the NorCal State Final in Turlock on April 20.

“While this is the end of the season for three of our teams, we’ve had a great season and everybody has worked really hard,” said senior Tomi Chen, Team Onion member and SciOly officer.

Altogether, the teams won 50 medals in 23 events at regionals, totaling their count

Members of Team Onion celebrate their achievements.

to 138 medals this season.

“We want to make the national competition again this year,” said senior Vilius Staraitis, another member of Team Onion and SciOly leader.

Team Onion is kicking into higher gear to prepare for the state and national competitions. Invitationals are local SciOly events that allow schools to practice. At these

events our teams have been able to spot their weaknesses and improve upon them.

“My coaches and I are planning to revamp the entire thing,” Staraitis said about

their Scrambler vehicle.

Scrambler is a build event where teams make a mechanical device, which uses the energy from a falling mass to transport an egg along a track as quickly as possible and stop as close to the center of a wall without breaking the egg. As margins get tighter, the team is looking to improve weight and other design factors in their vehicle.

Other team members compete in study events, in which teams are tested on their knowledge in a particular topic.

“It’s different than school [exams] in that you don’t really know what’s on the test,” Chen explained. Chen said his top study resource for this neverending battle of knowledge expansion is Wikipedia.

Team Onion is looking to take their hard work from this year and experience from last year to propel them to nationals. With their success so far, team members think that prospects seem great.

Students show off at All-State Choir

By Mario Joseph

In a harmonious blend of talent and innovation, four exceptional choir students from CVHS – Fleur Joseph, Stanton Anderson, Cassidy Berg, and Mairen McNeill – stole the spotlight at the California All-State Music Education Conference (CASMEC) in Sacramento with a premiere performance that left audiences in awe.

Months of anticipation led to this moment for the group,

who were carefully selected to represent their high school at CASMEC, a gathering of musical prodigies from across California. The Junior High School SSAA Choir, featuring the talents of Joseph and Berg, delivered a stellar performance that showcased not only their vocal prowess but also marked the debut of a piece titled “River Flows with You.”

The journey to CASMEC began with an announcement of the students’ selection,

and what followed was an intensive preparation process that brought these young musicians together for the first time. Guided by conductors, the kids immersed themselves in a musical boot camp, dedicating long hours from dawn till dusk to perfect their repertoire.

“River Flows with You,” was composed for CASMEC Junior SSAA. The performance was met with thunderous applause, signaling the birth of a new masterpiece and leaving

an indelible mark on the parents and other conference attendees.

As the group returns to CVHS, their achievements at CASMEC resonate not just as musical triumphs but as a testament to the resilience and passion that define the power of music to unify and inspire.

The group’s journey, from the initial selection, the long hours of work everyday to learn the music by themselves, and then to the world premiere, stands as a shining example of the transformative impact that music education and collaborative efforts can have on young talents.

Mario Joseph

Students sing proudly at CASMEC.

CVHS students explore Washington D.C.

Trojans had a blast at Washington D.C different memorials and monuments.

By Kalaya Williams

Saturday, Feb. 11

We started the day much earlier than usual, arriving at the San Francisco airport at 5:30 a.m. The plane landed at 12 p.m. PT, but after our phones adjusted, the time changed to 3:00 p.m. ET, giving us all a bit of whiplash due to the time difference. Once everyone made it to the hotel, we spent the evening on a night tour, visiting the Capitol, FDR Memorial, MLK Memorial, and Lincoln Memorial. Washington, D.C. looked very beautiful at night, and this was especially highlighted by the numerous bodies of water providing gorgeous reflections of the monuments.

Sunday, Feb. 12

We went to the Smithsonian Museum of African American Culture and History. One exhibition that stood out to me was “The Paradox of Liberty.” The museum was powerful and hard to endure at times, but it was definitely one of my favorite things I experienced during my time in Washington. The Air and Space Museum was our next visit and it was much more lighthearted. We had dinner with the other schools. That night, we met the people who would be in our workshops. There were about 130 students from around the country. We did small activities and engaged in political conversations. The last event that day was Trivia Night on Washington and pop culture.

Monday, Feb. 13

We began the third day with a visit to the National Mall, the stretch of grass between the Washington Monument and the Capitol, which contains all the Smithsonian museums. We visited the Jefferson, FDR, and MLK memorials, and conducted study visits, asking and answering questions about

our rights and how the views of historical figures are reflected in our democracy today. Back at the hotel, we had dinner and then broke off into three large groups to discuss current issues in public policy. The issues discussed were homelessness, college affordability, and food insecurity. Afterwards, I hung out in the student lounge with my friends.

Tuesday, Feb. 14

We went to the World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War Memorials. We studied the memorials and what they represented, analyzing how they immortalized those who served and sacrificed themselves. Afterwards, we had lunch at the Reagan Building and International Trade Center. It’s a very important building and I met a CIA agent there. Next, we were given a few hours to tour the National Mall. My friend and I visited the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of American History, both of which were really fun. Back at the hotel, we held a mock Congress about minimum wage. It was an educational experience and helped prepare us to speak with actual lawmakers.

Wednesday, Feb. 15

We were with Ms. Frasca again. The highlight was visiting the Capitol Building and getting a tour. Eric Swalwell, our district’s congressman, met us and featured us on his Instagram. He also took us through a restricted area where no tours were allowed. At first, I didn’t think much of it, but Ms. Frasca said that in all her time of doing Close-Up, she’s never been back there. That day, we also went to the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress, both incredibly historic and beautiful buildings. Later that night, CloseUp took us to a play called “Shear Madness.” Since it was the end of the day and I was exhausted,

I had very low expectations, but it was genuinely very funny and engaging.

Thursday, Feb. 16

On our last day with CloseUp, we went to the outside of the White House. It was really cool being able to see it, but it was much smaller than any of us expected. President Biden was also home at the time. For lunch, my workshop went to Chinatown, although due to gentrification, it wasn’t nearly as authentic as it used to be. After that, we took a tour of Arlington National Cemetery. We saw JFK’s gravesite and the changing of the guard. We also visited the Marine and Air Force memorials. That night, we had

our final dinner together and celebrated with a dance.

Friday, Feb. 17

We had a self guided tour of the White House. On our way in, we met Biden’s Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who was kind enough to take pictures with us. We then went to Ford’s Theatre, where President Lincoln was shot. After souvenir shopping, we had a quick visit to the National Archives, where the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are kept. We were then given more time to explore museums. My roommates and I went to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. One of the pieces that most resonated with me was

a two-story room filled with photographs dating back to the 1800s. Later that night, we all went ice skating. It was really fun skating besides my friends, and we were all impressed with Ms. Frasca’s ice skating skills.

Saturday, Feb. 18

On our last day in Washington, we spent the afternoon at the National Mall. My friends and I visited the American History Museum. On the way back, my roommate and I got fries and boba from a food truck. We took shuttle buses to the Reagan airport for our flight back to California. When we arrived at the airport, our parents were there to pick us up, ending our Washington, D.C. trip.

VOLUNTEER FOR EARTH DAY

CVSan is Helping Community Projects on April 27th

Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) is helping organizations and site coordinators with clean-up, gardening, litter pick-up, and beautification projects for Earth Day Clean-Up on Saturday, April 27th. We donate gardening gloves, paper yard debris bags, mulch, compost, plants, and other supplies. We also help recruit volunteers for the following sites: Adobe Park, Castro Valley Creek, Center Street Overpass, Downtown Castro Valley, Dragonfly Park, and Lake Chabot. Please volunteer or find out more at cvsan.org/ED.

“Percy Jackson” show makes a splash

By Melissa Boussaroque

Have you ever wondered what the Ancient Greek gods would do if they were real? For 12-year-old Percy Jackson, they live in New York City on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building, and one of them just so happens to be his father.

Season one of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” based on Rick Riordan’s award-winning book series of the same title, depicts the events occurring in book one, “The Lightning Thief.” After two terribly adapted yet somewhat loveable movie adaptations in 2010 and 2013, this TV show finally brings us a more accurate book-toscreen adaptation of the widely cherished book series.

When a class field trip to the Met goes wrong, the troubled Percy Jackson finds himself expelled from yet another school. Percy’s mother, Sally, reveals to him on a weekend trip that the Greek gods are real—and one of them is father. A knock on the door reveals

Percy’s best friend Grover Underwood, except something is off: Grover is in his true satyr form, complete with a pair of furry goat legs and horns. Percy ends up at Camp Half-Blood, a sanctuary for fellow demigod children, and learns that his father is Poseidon, god of the sea. Unfortunately, trouble is stirring in the godly world: someone has stolen Zeus’s master bolt, and Zeus is furious. In order to avert war, Percy, with the help of Grover and Annabeth

Chase, daughter of Athena, embarks on a challenging quest to the Underworld to find and return the bolt to Zeus before the summer solstice.

While the show had several changes, it still retained most of the overall plot and spirit of the original book. The biggest contributor to this was the casting of the show. Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson) perfectly captured the goofy, loveable personality of Percy as he was written in the books.

Additionally, Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood) and Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) excellently depicted the nature of their respective characters, and their characters’ relationships to Percy. Despite an incredible onslaught of backlash against Jefferies being casted, with many people objecting to a Black actress playing Annabeth, Jefferies’ portrayal flawlessly conveyed her stubborn, determined nature.

One of the few downfalls of the show was that it was slightly censored. This may have been partially due to the show being aired by Disney+, which has to maintain a certain level of appropriateness. For example, the books described Percy’s stepfather Gabe as being literally abusive, while the show just made him seem annoying. There were also certain fight sequences which I found slightly underwhelming. Additionally, some episodes seemed to be very short with some being only around 30 minutes, which was disappointing because it made them feel rushed.

Despite a few tweaks, the show as a whole was incredibly well done. As a longtime fan of the book series, I was extremely pleased with how the show came together. Even for those who have not read the books, it is definitely worth watching. All eight episodes are now available to stream on Disney+, and the show has just been renewed for a second season depicting the events of the second book, the “Sea of Monsters.”