March 24, 2016

Proposed bond for renovation Page 2: Why the students need it

Volume 59, Issue 8

New tea shops in town

CVHS students see nature Page 5: Students’ outdoor school trip

March 24, 2016

Page 6: Reviews on both iTea and T4

We are born to seek the truth! www.cvhsolympian.com

They are the champions!

Bond could raise $123 million for school renovations

By Laniah Lewis editor-in-CHief

Gavin Halloran/ Staff Writer

Varsity girls basketball players celebrate after winning their first NCS championship. See page 7.

Deviation showcases student talents

By Halley Lin-Jones pHoto editor With damage left from the recent traumatic deaths of student Terri Byrd and beloved teachers, Nicholas “Dubb” Whitaker and Ovida de Julia, there has been a resilient and passionate response from CVHS students who want to continue to celebrate the lives of these special people.

Teens Reaching Out (TRO) is

one of the many popular CVHS clubs that has dedicated community events to continuing the generous legacy of Dubb, who was one of the inspirations for this year’s annual Deviation benefit show.

The show displayed a diverse range of CVHS talents, from acapella singing, to traditional Croatian folk dancing. Some performers came from as far as Sacramento and San Jose to be a part of this fundraising show.

In total, TRO raised over $500 for St.Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital from ticket sales, which is a vast improvement from previous years.

The show opened with the charismatic acapella group, “NightLyfe,” which performed the upbeat song, “In the Still of the Night.” Other popular acts

by CVHS students were a tap dance solo performed by Callista Fratto, an emotional song sung

See TRO: Page eight

Halley lin-Jones/ Photo editor

Nightlyfe performs “In the Still of the Night” with Patrick Protacio singing a solo.

Big changes may be coming to Castro Valley Unified School District. Residents, students, teachers, and school district board members joined together to discuss the recent bond proposal to complete the Facilities Master Plan on Feb. 25.

This $123 million dollar bond would be dispersed throughout the entire school district for various repairs, renovations, and upgrades to school campuses.

Voters will decide on June 7 whether to put this bond into action or deny it.

This bond would affect CVHS and all other schools in the district: Alma Preschool, Castro Valley Elementary School, Chabot Elementary School, Independent Elementary School, Proctor Elementary School, Stanton Elementary School , Vannoy Elementary School, Canyon Middle School, Creekside Middle School, Redwood High School, Castro Valley Adult School,

and all sites that CVUSD may obtain in the future.

A facilities test was recently conducted and the district found that most facilities are over 50 years old and need repairs and upgrades, such as fixing roofs or upgrading ventilation systems.

They also found that the schools’ technological areas and tools need to be upgraded to keep up with students who want to pursue a tech career later in life.

Since California will not fund these improvements, school board members decided to ask Castro Valley taxpayers pay them back over a time period of 25 to 30 years.

They would break the total of the bonds ($123 million dollars) into three increments of $41 million to be sold every other year.

If approved, this bond would be supported by property taxes at the rate of $60 per $100,000 of assessed value (not market value). This means that if you’re a homeowner

See BOND: Page eight

Students intern for justice academy

By Jessica Mi opinion editor

Every summer the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office invites talented high school student leaders to intern at their offices as part of a program called the District Attorney’s Justice Academy (DAJA). Students can intern with a local government agency, non-profit organization, office of an elected official, or private law office over the summer.

However, the students’ work starts before summer even begins. Starting in January, these students attend justice seminars twice a month which are led by legal experts in the field.

Of the 500 applicants from all over Alameda county this year, only 28 were selected, four of these students hailing from CVHS. Junior Sarah Nossier is one of these interns and said, “I feel honored to have been selected for the program. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Besides gaining experience in

the legal field, the program pays the interns for their work, “which is a definite perk,” Nossier added.

The goal of the program is to prepare students for a possible career in the fields of law, social justice, or the courts.

“It teaches the fundamentals and basics of law and gives you the introduction you need for a law career,” said program participant Mahdi Fugfugosh.

At the conclusion of the program at the end of the summer, students are required to give a persuasive oral presentation arguing a point they have learned about during their seminars and internships.

Fugfugosh said that he’s enjoyed the program so far because, “We get to meet new people and discuss different topics each time we meet.”

According to DAJA’s website, “This Academy teaches teens about the many facets of the justice system while encouraging critical thought and civic engagement.”

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Support the bond proposal to improve educational facilities Editorial: Imagine a CVHS campus with increased spending towards STEM curriculum, more science labs, an expansion to both the band and choir rooms, a new student activity center within the multipurpose room, a new Health and Wellness Center, new special education facilities, eight new classrooms added around the campus, and an expansion to the gymnasium to add more bleacher space and basketball courts.

These wishes could all come true if Castro Valley voters support a $123 million bond on June 7.

If the bond is passed, funding will go to all the previously mentioned projects, and also towards improving bathrooms, broken roofs, and addressing all kinds of safety concerns.

The cost is estimated to be no more than $60 per $100,000 of assessed property value annually. For example, a Castro Valley homeowner who bought a $400,000 home would pay about $240 annually.

emily Salazar / Staff Writer

We at The Olympian unanimously recommend that voters pass the bond because the students, staff, and administration

Smartphone apps are a double-edged sword

By Lauren Eisenman Staff Writer Since most phone applications are free, a majority of the people who own a smartphone download apps to their hearts’ content.

Some apps provide a lot of helpful tools and information, while others provide entertainment. For students, some helpful apps would be the Remind app (a teacher-to-student app to provide homework info and communication) or the Grades app (where students can access their Aeries portal in a more simple approach). However, students will also download apps for entertainment, like Snapchat or Instagram.

How do apps help us thrive in school? There are many apps like Grades and Remind that are extremely helpful to students. If we are ever pressed for time and need to edit a Google document on the go, the Google Drive app provide an on-the-go edit system for students. The app Photomath can also help students with their math homework.

Even though these apps help us with our homework, we also procrastinate way too often as a result of our phones. Social media and other entertainment apps take a large percentage of our time when we’re doing homework. Often, knowing what people did today is way more important and exciting than figuring out how to draw a sine graph. These entertainment apps keep us distracted and awake in the middle of the night.

Overall, the whole idea of smartphone applications is a double-edged sword. It can either help students’ efficiency or impede it.

of CVHS work hard daily, and deserve conditions at the school worthy of their efforts.

At times it can be hard to

whether our school is in need of renovations and repairs. Nearly every student would agree; something has to be improved in some way.

For the Castro Valley families that don’t have a CVHS student under their roof, think about what it was like to be a student.

Think how hard it would be, continuing to focus on a history lecture as the the breeze caught from the outside through a window stops, and there is no air conditioning to maintain a low temperature.

We understand that a bond such as this may be better dealt with in smaller expansions slowly occurring one at a time, but this is the best option we have as of now.

When it comes to be time to vote on June 7, remember that the students, athletes, staff, and administration at CVHS deserve the full opportunity from their school facilities to be able to partake in the educational experience without preventable distraction.

people thought of me. Now I know what I feel comfortable in, what looks good on me, and that it doesn’t really matter what other people think. I have also grown a sense of style which reects who I am and what I want to convey to the world.

Now, I’m not saying that I wear meticulously picked outfits everyday that are perfect and stylish; I do have days where I have no idea what I’m wearing.

Nor am I saying that you have to look pristine and trendy every day or that you have to find

yourself, because I haven’t even completely found myself.

Picking out a personal style is not following or copying or mimicking, it is finding what you find is personally pleasing to your eye and what feels comfortable. If there is one thing I have learned is that fashion is not about trying to be or seem a certain way. Simply wear what you like, whether it be a blazer, a skirt, a dress, or even the occasional sweatpants, and show no shame.

Fashion should be about comfort

By Elizabeth Chan

Staff Writer When most think of fashion, they might think of models on the runway in some insane contraption or unconventional styles of clothes. However, I think that these fashion designers are just expressing themselves and are trying to convey a message through the art of clothes.

Whether you wear jeans or meticulously choose a perfect outfit every day, you are conveying a message of your art and personality.

I remember being in middle school and not only feeling awkward, but looking awkward.

During this phase, I had no idea what to wear because I was so self-conscious, and looking back on pictures from those middle school years, you can clearly see that.

Looking back, I am somewhat glad for those years, because they helped me re ect and grow as not only a person, but with my personal style as well. I realized that I felt so self- conscious about what I wore because I cared way too much about what

PHOTOPiniOns

By Zach Deigert

“I think this is a good idea, and will benefit the school very much, all I can hope for is for it to pass.”

Vincent Thai, freshman

focus for students, with rooms that have no air conditioning on hot summer days, or leaky roofs on a rainy day. The students deserve classrooms with conditions better than these to be able to completely focus on the educational experience.

Our teams also deserve the benefit of having clean gyms and locker rooms that won’t leak during a rainy day and risk injury during a game.

Most of all, every student deserves to be able to use clean bathrooms, free of racial graffiti, and especially stalls that actually do their job and lock.

We acknowledge that this is a large sum of money to ask for Castro Valley families, perhaps even without students as a part of the household. However, we need some sort of funding to improve our worn facilities, and Donald Trump doesn’t seem to be planning any generous donations to any California East Bay schools.

We ask that families that have students who go to CVHS in their household ask them

“I agree that a lot of the buildings at our school need to be updated, like the classrooms in 100, 200, and 600 hall that do not have air conditioning.”

Anna Fang, sophomore

What do you think about the district bond proposal?

“I think the school board has come up with a really good plan, and I personally would be glad to support it.”

Emily Hoang, junior

“I believe the changes that are being proposed have been well thought out by the administration and that this plan is truly exciting for future Trojans.”

Jeffrey Lee, senior

The Olympian March 24, 2016

3

Olympian goes “Inside Out” of Pixar Studios

By Caitlin Forbes City editor When I first heard that I and a few other lucky Olympian staff members had the opportunity to go to Pixar Animation Studios, a plethora of emotions swirled inside of me. I was excited, anxious, curious, and most importantly, childish. Not childish as in immature, but the feeling of awe

and wonder that is bestowed onto all of us as children. That feeling came back, and I felt like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa to come.

Of course the days couldn’t go by quickly enough as I counted down to the trip. And finally the day came. We all piled into two cars at the end of lunch and soon enough found ourselves in Emeryville. The lawn was neatly manicured, and the first thing you saw after walking down the tree-lined path is the iconic Luxo ball and the Pixar lamp that is shown before each film.

I immediately felt like I was a kid again, and memories of all of the wonderful films popped into my head. Looking around at the group, it was obvious that the feeling was contagious.

Inside one of the main studio

buildings, there was a huge model of two cars from the movie Cars, the Incredibles family (in their iconic poses), and huge Lego sculptures of Woody and Buzz guarding the front desk.

To the right there was a case full of awards that the various films have won and it was very impressive. However, the most impressive item was an old Woody doll that sat in the corner of the case next to the awards. Jonas Rivera, a CVHS graduate and our guide for the day, explained its backstory. A boy had carried the Woody doll with him everywhere he went until his parents had bought him a new doll at Disneyland. Not wanting his treasured toy to go to waste, the boy wanted to give the old doll back to the store saying that Woody should “spend infinty and beyond” with Buzz

Lightyear. Disney turned it over to Pixar, and it has been in their awards case ever since. Rivera explained that the doll is the best and most treasured thing in there, and that the joy and happiness that the movie had produced is the best award Pixar could ask for.

Rivera has been at Pixar for many years and produced films like Up and Inside Out, which just won an Academy Award for best animated picture. Our afternoon with him made it obvious that Pixar truly works to make films for everyone to enjoy and connect with on a deep level. Each film is meticulously made with tons of concept art, teams of animators, a writing staff, actors, computer scientists, artists, and countless others. Most importantly, they always have a vision. What I

learned that afternoon was that every detail was important, and every single aspect of a film is significant. I loved the Pixar movies, and am ecstatic for the releases of films like Finding Dory and Incredibles 2, but my love for Pixar delved to a new level.

I appreciate the hardworking people that work hard and endlessly with the sole purpose of giving the world something entertaining and touching. Pixar is all about giving, and very much follows the expression: “It’s not what you get, it’s what you give.”

The Pixar trip was amazing, and the information that I learned and the wonderful things that I saw will stick with me for the rest of my life. Rivera is an inspirational man from Castro Valley who gives back to the world with his wonderful films for all ages.

Wanderlust dreams of visiting New York City

By Anastasia Le Staff Writer

Wanderlust is the innate desire to roam or travel. In a few weeks, it will soon be spring break, and everyone is talking about where and how they will be spending it. I have no planned international destinations, but times like these remind me that I have not experienced the world in all its greatness, and wanderlust hits me like a train.

I was recently at a friend's house, wrapped in copious amounts of quilted blankets and enjoying the company. We were having a conversation about the different boroughs of New York City when it dawned upon me that I was the only person in the room who hadn't been to New York.

I felt a urry of envy and awe.

This moment was tinged with nothing less than wanderlust. I listened to the stories of uneven pavement and ceaseless noise. I imagined the busy streets and bright lights. The illusion of this great city pulled me in and has

fiona riChter / Staff Writer

not let go since.

Earlier that day, an 80s German song began playing that caught everyone’s attention.

It was the kind of song that’s meant for toe-tapping and bringing people together. I was unaware of its meaning, but the music bridged the language barrier and I hummed along. The only audible English

words were “New York” and “taxi.” I went home that night knowing that the name of the song was “Ich war noch niemals in New York.” I searched for the song on YouTube and was amused by the results. The name of the song means “I’ve never been to NY.” This memory has never left me. How ironic and ignorant

getting easier. Based on statistics from the Educational Testing Service, it’s not only the kid struggling in school who cheats. High achievers are just as likely to do the same thing. To get or maintain that A, they’ll resort to anything.

Maybe they have a heavy workload. Maybe they’re just lazy.

It’s also worth noting that many cheaters are not punished as severely as they should be. Seeing their classmates cheat may inspire others to do the same.

In all of my years in school, I will admit that I’ve copied homework answers from the Internet or my friends occasionally. But I regret it every time. Copying has never given me greater insight into the learning material or made me a better student.

I’ve also had my fair share of observing cheaters, and they’re everywhere. Just a few days ago, I was in class during a test.

The girl sitting in front of me appeared to be struggling on a portion of the test. I watched in shock as she swiftly pulled out

her phone. It was apparent that she was googling the question, or in other words, cheating. Our teacher didn’t notice. If anyone else did, no one spoke up. I, for one, didn’t. The idea of “snitching” was too rooted in our brains.

But it shocked me that someone would have the audacity to actually use their phone during a test.

I couldn’t believe it.

In a way, cheating is a good indicator of how desperate a student is to do well in school. They’re afraid to fail, which shows that they care. That’s better than not doing any homework or skipping class. However, cheating can become a habit. The more you cheat, the more you start to think that it’s okay, and you’ll just keep on doing it. It becomes part of your behavior. That behavior will follow you throughout the rest of high school, college, or even your work life.

In the end, it’s your decision.

To cheat or not to cheat. To learn or get a good grade dishonestly.

Which do you prefer?

You’re only cheating yourself

By Stella Ho Staff Writer Cheating: just the word itself can evoke a sense of shame or immorality. It used to have a negative connotation, but sadly, cheating is becoming more and more of a norm for students nowadays.

The act of cheating includes deeds that may be as simple as copying homework from someone or somewhere, presenting someone else’s work as your own, or something as severe as cheating on a test.

With so many new technological sources available, cheating is

of me to have said those exact words and not be aware of it. I now play the song constantly.

It brings along with it an intangible feeling of unwasted youth. Looking back, I was truly happy in that moment.

And maybe it was because that song spoke to the parts of me that envied the well-travelled.

I connected to the singer ’s convictions so closely that I

still question how much of a coincidence it really was.

“Ich war noch niemals in New York” is a song about a man who dreams of getting away from the monotony of his everyday life. He imagines what it would be like to drop everything and leave. He has never been to New York, Hawaii, or San Francisco, and fears that he’ll spend the rest of his life never doing the things he’s always wanted to do. This song is about wanderlust.

The illusion of NYC is an anchor in my mind. I walk through the hallways of our school, afraid that I’ll be here forever. When I feel like this, I remind myself that I will live to ride in a yellow taxi and buy food from an authentic street vendor. Wanderlust dares me to see beyond a definite horizon.

There is so much more beyond the edges of the Valley, past the sun reflecting off of the Bay. There are new sights to see, different cultures to appreciate. There is an entire world to fall in love with. There is New York.

The Olympian is a publication of the journalism class at Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2016

Editors-in-Chief.................................................................Anna Nguyen Laniah Lewis Copy Editor......................................................................Sally Liang City Editor..............................................................Caitlin Forbes News Editor..............................................................Jacob Schoenfeld Opinion Editor............................................................Jessica Mi Feature Editor.....................................................Meiling Zhang Sports Editor................................................................Martin Baez Arts and Entertainment Editor............................America Morales Photo Editor........................................................Halley Lin-Jones Video Editor........................................................Desiree Broome Graphic Artist........................................................Neo Diesta Business Manager........................................Brittany Bracy Staff Writers: Mia Babasyan, Nina Bessolo, Elizabeth Chan, Zach Deigert, Lauren Eisenman, Gavin Halloran, Stella Ho, Molly Koch, Anastasia Le, Sarah Nosseir, Fiona Richter, Diego Rodriguez-Peccorini, Emily Salazar Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

Molly KoCh / Staff Writer

English language learners smile in front of their new school.

WILLIAMS RACES TO THE TOP

By Caitlin Forbes City editor The cars are coming down the track, it’s too close to call as they reach the final bend. The colors of cars blur by, silencing the previously rowdy crowd. All eyes are on the finish line. One by one the cars zoom by, crossing the threshold that would decide their placement, and it looks like once again, Emily Williams takes first.

Williams is a senior at CVHS with a passion for racing. Since the age of nine, Williams has been racing, starting with outlaw gocarts in her first four divisions, then gradually working up the divisions in oval dirt track racing. At the end of freshman year, Williams started racing Micro Sprints, which is the highest division car and competition level, and continues to race in those divisions today.

Before Williams started racing, her dad had raced before her, and this is one of the reasons that she started racing in the first place.

“My dad grew up racing, ever since he was five years old,” Williams said.

Williams loves the race but is no stranger to the dangers that come with the fast-paced sport.

In a race, Williams can go up to 70 miles per hour in her car. Williams goes into each race fully prepared to do her best, but is still aware of the many things that could go wrong during a race.

“There are many dangers that go along with racing. Racing wheel to wheel at such high speeds as well as pushing your car too hard can definitely be unforgiving,” she said.

Williams has also had a personal experience with the dangerous side of racing, “There was one a time a few years ago when I got pushed up into the wall by another driver he basically wrecked me. My car did a cartwheel and landed hard on all fours. Then I got hit multiple times by other drivers that were behind me and had nowhere to go to avoid hitting me,” she said.

“One of the cars actually ran over the front of my car and broke it, running over my leg. I ended up

with a bruised calf muscle and whiplash in my back from the hard impact from the ground.”

During her racing career, Williams has achieved many awards and accomplishments. She has placed onto the podium in a total eight different championship races, and has won in the West Coast Nationals, a very prestigious race.

Williams describes her favorite aspect of racing, saying, “I love the competitiveness that goes with it. I’m the underdog because I’m a girl, and I like proving to the guys that I can do anything they can do.”

Williams is truly inspiring for both her many accomplishments in racing, and her quest to prove that gender doesn’t matter on the track or anywhere else.

Williams predicts that she will be racing for a long time and when describing her future.

She comments, “I plan on racing however long I can: throughout college and adulthood.”

After her racing career, Williams plans on continuing the family tradition saying that she wants to “pass down my love for it to my future children.”

Being a racing champion doesn’t happen overnight though. Williams is very dedicated to her sport. Williams estimates that on an average week she will spend about six to seven hours preparing for the next race and working on her car. In addition to the extensive time that Williams put in to prepare, she also will have to miss some school to attend competitions.

Commitment and hard work is what made Williams into an amazing racer. Williams will surely have many more racing accomplishments in the future, and leaves some words of advice to anyone that is afraid to break the mold, or try something new.

“Just believe in yourself. Don’t let what other people think drag you down,” she said.

Williams will hopefully inspire people to try things out of their comfort zone, and prove that even if people don’t think that you can overcome any obstacle, that you can.

English learners leave homes for CVHS

By Molly Koch Staff Writer Sometimes, making a transition from one school to another can be difficult and stressful. ou have to deal with unfamiliar territory, find where you fit in, and learn your way around in hopefully a short amount of time. However, for a small group of students, their transition is even harder.

About 130 CVHS students have recently arrived from foreign countries are learning English as a second language even as they deal with all of high school’s other challenges.

They came to a new country, very far from where they’re from, and left everything they once knew behind to start over again.

“The goal of the English Learner program is to prepare students with the academic content and language they need in order to be

successful,” said teacher Amanda Staab.

Hong Wei Li and Richard Liu both came from China about three years ago. They say that schooling back in China was very strict, and they had to take around eight classes, compared to our six classes on average. Liu also added that in China, when students misbehaved, they were often punished physically. Overall, the transition from China to America has had a positive outcome for them, and one of the biggest benefits they said was that the air here is much cleaner.

Three years ago, Mena Saad and Madonna Barsoum moved to America from Egypt. They both agreed that school was much harder there, and school now seems too easy for them.

“I was happy to leave Egypt because it was complete anarchy and it was not a clean place,” stated Saad when asked if he found the

transition from Egypt to America difficult.

One thing Finn Pham, who is from Vietnam, and ong Park from South orea, miss in particular is the food.

Park stated, “I miss orean barbeque the most. There isn’t much of it around here.”

From Afghanistan and India, Elaha Mohmand and urveer aur had similar thoughts about the adjustment they made when they moved.

“For me, the adjustment was not stressful at all, I love the people here. They’re very kind and helpful,” said Mohmand. aur compared the amount of time spent in school and thinks the most enjoyable thing is that we get so many more days off of school here than they do in India.

Fortunately, all their lives seem to have been changed for the better since moving to America.

Morris continues his ancestors’ legacy

By Brittany Bracy BuSineSS Manager Have you ever wondered what it’s like being related to an important historical figure One who’s had a prominent role in the future of the American people A figure whose name appears on buildings and who has inspired monuments Well enneth Morris is shockingly related to two historical figures: Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington. He is the great great great grandson of Douglass and the great great grandson of Washington.

Morris came to CVHS and spoke to hundreds of students about his great ancestors on March 14. In his free time Morris tours around the U.S., giving words of wisdom and enlightening young people about his own relatives, Douglass and Washington.

“I hope to inspire you with the legacy of my ancestors,” Morris told the students. He went on to tell students about the early struggles that affected his ancestors on the road to freedom. Morris mentioned multiple anecdotes including one about Washington’s 500-mile walk to a school house in order to get an education and another about the creation of Tuskegee University.

Brittany BraCy / BuSineSS Manager

Kenneth Morris speaks to eager CVHS students.

Morris didn’t always embrace his ancestral background, “Everywhere I turned, I was in the long, vast shadows of my ancestors,” said Morris. In fact, when Morris was young most people did not even believe that he was related to both historical figures. This fear of judgement led him to disregard his family ties.

Morris turned a seemingly impossible situation into an incredible inspiration when he did his research and composed presentations on his incredible ancestral background. Morris continues

to strive to empower the youth through his presentations and work with students, encouraging them to stay in school and become empower them to use communication tools to affect change in their communities.

“Fight for those who can’t fight for themselves and speak for those who can’t speak for themselves,” Morris encouraged the students.

After listening to him speak, there was a powerful message and remarkable feeling lingering in the room. “ nowledge is power and is your key to success,” said Morris.

5 Students take the classroom to the wilderness The Olympian March 24, 2016

By Fiona Richter & Mia Babasyan

in a circle sharing what we were grateful for. Many of the kids said their families, others their education and the opportunity to go to outdoor school. Afterwards was a goodbye ceremony and the counselors got cards and a loud thank you.

We then loaded up the van with bags and ate grilled cheese sandwiches. Everyone said goodbye and hopped on the bus back to Castro Valley. Parents were waiting and everyone scrambled to grab their bags and head home. I thought back on the week about how amazing the experience was. I learned so much about the environment, but also how to be responsible and patient.

When I asked my group what they thought of outdoor school, one said it was one of the best weeks of his life. I couldn’t have agreed more.

Staff Writer

Every year, sophomores, juniors, and seniors at CVHS have the opportunity to become counselors at Exploring New Horizons outdoor school, a five-day trip with students and teachers from our local middle schools. During the week, counselors take care of a group of sixth-graders, being their primary caretaker while modeling and encouraging good behavior and working around the clock to make outdoor school a successful experience.

Mia Babasyan had a co-counselor and a group of eight boys, while Fiona Richter took care of seven girls. These two cabins formed a trail group and spent their days together for a week.

The counselors descibe their experiences below.

Monday: arrivals, introductions and a campfire

By Mia Babasyan Bags packed and buses leaving, students were both nervous and excited to spend a week away from home. Upon our arrival, everyone went to an opening ceremony and was assigned their cabin groups. My friend and I were co-councelors assigned to a boys’ cabin. We all settled into our cabins and played some games to remember each other’s names.

After an intro hike and counselor tour of the camp, we went to a well-needed dinner. Camp Loma Mar is known for its food, and everyone was looking forward to their first meal of the week. I was pleasantly surprised with every breakfast and dinner the cooks provided. The naturalists were very straightforward about cutting back on our food waste. It was a challenge for over 100 people to have no leftovers.

After dinner, we attended our night time activity, a town hall meeting. The kids were assigned a role and discussed an issue that was affecting the community. They then collaborated and shared their opinions on the issue based on their assigned roles.

We ended the first day with a campfire, listening to stories and learning new songs to sing for the rest of the week.

Tuesday: hiking, stargazing and Dr. Seuss

By Fiona Richter On Tuesday morning, my girls were much more excited about breakfast than hiking in the oaks.

Before marching off into the wilderness, we went to the camp garden where we planted seeds and picked organic vegetables to make a delicious salad. We also fed and petted chickens. Mia and I then played a game with the kids until it was time for them to go on a solo hike.

On the solo hike, there are little cards placed along the trail with tasks for the hikers to do, such as putting ash from a burnt tree on your face, visualizing your own roots, stem, and branches, or lying down on the ground to see the world from a leaf’s perspective.

Most of the kids followed the instructions. It was interesting to see throughout the week how their behavior was affected by our own. Lunch was delicious, which consisted of pita bread with a

fiona richter / Staff Writer

“ My group Mia BaBaSyan / Staff Writer

variety of different toppings, as was the dinner after recreation and cabin time and our counselor meeting.

The night hike was our evening activity on Tuesday, one of my favorite adventures of the week.

There was a lot of mumbling and grumbling from the kids when they were told to turn off their flashlights, but we made sure to explain to them that they wouldn’t be able to see the amazing constellations or the nearly-full moon rise if they kept them on. We were overtaken with serenity as we intently listened to a deer chewing grass far away from us, and nocturnal birds calling out to their mates, both breaking the deep silence of a night in the lonely woods. It was a very different atmosphere from a normal night in Castro Valley, and as the kids acknowledged the constellations and heard our naturalist reading Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, a lot of them felt more at peace with nature than they ever had before.

“

We were overtaken with serenity.

Fiona Richter Staff Writer

”

Wednesday: face painting, wildlife and a barnyard boogie

By Mia Babasyan Bright and early, the kids and counselors were all feeling a little tired and missing home. Our daytime activity was hiking in the redwoods. It was my favorite hike because the weather was perfect and the trees were fascinating. We painted our faces with mud from the rocks and skipped stones on the creek. Our naturalist, Ginger, showed us the birds we were hearing and taught us about lizards hiding underneath rocks.

That night was the famous barnyard boogie. Kids and counselors dressed up in crazy outfits, or at least wore their sweatshirts backwards. While everyone

was taught new dance moves, I learned that singing a banana slug song and dancing with 11-year-olds can actually be really fun. Like every other night, we ended with the campfire with smiles and slightly sore feet. Tomorrow was going to be our last full day, and we all realized how fast a week ies by.

Thursday: Pescadero, Pebble Beach and skit night

By Fiona Richter Though some of us were aching from having slept on the thin mattresses, not a single negative word left the mouths of our kids as we rode a yellow school bus to the Pescadero State Beach.

The kids had fun exploring the estuary and tracking animals and humans on the beach. We even held a tiny snake they spotted on the trail. Though tidepooling was not possible that day because of high tides, we all got to climb over rocks and find our way to Pebble Beach, where the kids showered each other with tiny rocks.

The real highlight of Thursday, however, was skit night, where our cabins got to perform the

skits they’d been working on all week. My girls wrote their skit all by themselves, and they did well on stage, as did all the other groups. For us counselors, it was really a night of pride for our kids, whom we’d come to love during that short week. We got to express our gratitude and appreciation in a short speech after the performances, and I almost cried when one of my campers shouted “We love you, Molder!”

(Molder was my nature name) after I’d finished talking.

That night’s campfire was a ceremony of mixed emotions, as all were happy to go home, yet sad to be leaving. What a strange a iction it is to have become fond of one life and yet yearn for another.

Friday: mixed emotions, thank yous and farewells

By Mia Babasyan Everyone finished packing in the morning and made sure their cabin was clean before leaving for breakfast. My group of boys had mixed emotions about leaving, but all re ected on the adventurous week they had. We went on a second trip to the garden and sat

had mixed emotions about leaving.

Mia Babasyan Staff Writer

”

Conclusions

By Fiona Richter Outdoor school was an overwhelmingly amazing experience for the both of us, and we’re glad we got to go this year. Not only did we forge bonds with our sixth graders, but we also became close with all the other counselors who shared in this crazy and fun adventure.

With the forests as our classrooms and the children as our teachers, there was so much to learn, be it nature facts, leadership skills, or simply how to enjoy the world around us.

Counselors are paid nothing, as one kid said, “not because they are worthless but because they are priceless,” and what we could never put a price tag on are the memories we made, irreplaceable and forever cherished.

Olympian Man takes on prom neo DieSta / Graphic artiSt

Prepare for the attack to come

By Martin Baez SportS editor Have you ever thought of what would happen if our whole planet was under a chemical attack by unknown beings? 10 Cloverfield Lane, directed By Dan Trachtenberg, is excitingly suspenseful, making

you hold your breath throughout the whole film in anticipation for a good scare.

In an apocalyptic setting, there are three survivors in a bunker, one of them being the bunk owner. Michelle, the protagonist, starts to suspect that Howard, the bunk owner, is lying about the chemical attack. She attempts to escape the bunk, finding clues about Howard’s past along the way.

Expecting to stay a year to two years, Michelle starts to get comfortable with Emmett, a

worker that helped Howard build the bunk.

10 Cloverfield Lane is the perfect movie to get your heart racing. It makes you feel as if you are inside the movie, experiencing all of the characters’ struggles with them. In typical thrillers, you can always tell what’s going to happen next, but 10 Cloverfield Lane leaves you clueless as you bite your nails throughout the whole movie, never knowing where the story will take you. You’re in for a whirlwind of surprises.

Hit up the newest release of Hitman

Meiling Zhang / Feature editor

iTea is the perfect destination for CVHS students to hang out and get a snack after school.

iTea guaranTEAs a great experience

By Meiling Zhang Feature editor Since the start of 2016, Castro Valley has gained not one, but two new boba shops. One of them, iTea, happens to be a 15-minute walk from CVHS, making it a perfect place for students to hang out or get a snack after school. iTea can also be found in Oakland and San Francisco, but the one in Castro Valley is definitely the best in terms of location. It comes with parking, indoor seating, and a clean environment. The store can be found in the very back corner of the Wells Fargo parking lot.

Initially, the prices for all the drinks may seem a bit steep, at around $4, but they come in larger sized cups, and many also include one or more toppings. Compared to other boba shops that would charge extra for the size upgrade and the addition of toppings, iTea drinks are about the same price.

Besides the large selection of drinks, iTea also has over a dozen snacks available. All snacks are delicious and come in generous portions. Most of them range between $5 and $8 but there is a snack for $14 and another for only $1.25. During happy hour, however, all but three snacks are only $3.50 and

almost all drinks are $2.50.

It’s not too hard to stop by during happy hour, because it happens at a pretty reasonable time. If anyone did want to buy a drink with the happy hour deals, however, they would have to be willing to endure the possibly out-the-door lines, but even then the wait isn’t too long. Ever since the grand opening, wait time and worker efficiency has improved quite a bit.

What makes iTea stand out isn’t the large amounts of toppings or millions of drink options on its menu: it’s the availability of food. It’s very common to find snacks such as popcorn chicken and takoyaki at a boba shop, but iTea also offers ramen.

As of Feb. 18, there are three different types of ramen available, so anyone can have a full on meal along with their desserts and drinks.

My personal favorite drink to order is F2 which is their Roasted Oolong Kreama. It’s usually a bit too sweet so I order it with 80 percent sweetness. The option to be able to customize the amount of ice and sugar added to the drink makes it possible for anyone and everyone to find a combination they will like. iTea has definitely become my go-to stop for an after school snack, because it not only has a large variety of choices, but everything it sells also tastes amazing. The fact that it’s walking distance from the high school makes it even more appealing.

By Diego RodriguezPeccorini StaFF Writer The newest release of the Hitman franchise is a great new game with a very interesting twist to its structure. Similar to the previous games, this

game focuses on tactically maneuvering and manipulating your surroundings to create a beautifully unique method of assassinating your target.

The outcome of their elimination is completely in control of the player’s actions, which gives an excellent variety of choice as they progress through the storyline. With that said however, this game has a much different plot structure than its predecessor, Hitman: Absolution, according to GamesRadar.

“Paris is episode one of seven… with new locations available separately [at monthly intervals] for $9.99” stated GamesRadar. In other words, the game developers will unfortunately split Hitman up into episodic segments rather than release it all at once.

So although the game itself is wonderfully crafted, the decision to divide it in a way that causes players to wait so that they may continue the story is greatly upsetting.

New openings at the market

neo dieSta / Graphic artist

Lake Chabot Public Market opened its new food stalls additions, one of which includes T4, a new boba shop in Castro Valley.

By Neo Diesta graphic artiSt Driving by Chabot Elementary, you may drive past a group of new businesses in an old building. At 18911 Lake Chabot Rd., the new Lake Chabot Public Market has been renovated and held a series of soft-openings.

Going inside, you enter a massive building with a ton of central space with surrounding food stalls. The new openings include T4, Shumi Ramen, Milk & Cookie Bar, Mama Cho BB , and C H

Meat.

The building is very close to the housing around Lake Chabot, making it very convenient for many Castro Valley residents.

Many go for food, some family time, a study hall, and hanging out with friends. The space is friendly and open. However, despite all the open room, there is limited seating.

C H Meat was the first to be open, selling meat produce.

T4 is a new popular boba place that many people from kids to students to adults enjoy. The convenience of another local boba place has attracted many people to visit the market. You are able to customize your drink with the vast amount of teas, toppings, and different amounts of sweetness.

Shumi Ramen is a new place where people in Castro Valley can now get different types of ramen noodle soup.

Milk & Cookie Bar is a small stall the serves different types of ice cream. The staff is very nice, allowing for some free samples before getting a nice ice cream treat.

Mama Cho’s BB is the most recent addition to the market, serving fusion Korean food. This means a combination of American, Mexican, and Korean foods on the menu.

All together, the market is a good place to spend time enjoying what the market has to offer. Parking is weird with a weird sloped road in front of the building. Seating is limited but do still go to try the variety of food and drinks.

Basketball team makes history in tremendous season

By Desiree Broome & Gavin Halloran For the first time in school history, the girls varsity basketball team has brought home a NCS championship trophy. The Trojans battled with the Heritage High School Patriots and crushed the team in a superb match at Saint Mary’s College on March 5.

Many fans from different schools sat inside the gym awaiting the intense game. Castro Valley was the number one seed with a record of 31-2 and Heritage was the second seed. Once the game began it seemed as though it would be an intense one.

Bailey Jones started off the game with a quick six points that created a lead of 10-8 in the first quarter.

At the end of the first quarter, the Trojans were leading by one point.

Throughout the game the Trojans used a refined, superior offense and defense to bring the Patriots to their knees. The Patriots’ downfall was their inability to find a rhythm

halley liN-JoNeS/ Staff Writer

Ziyah Starks dribbles the ball during the NCS tournament, keeping it away from the defense. and combat the Trojan onslaught.

The Patriots had eventually re-

sorted to boxing up Trojan heavy hitter, Nina Bessolo from scoring.

The Trojan team would counter this determent with vigorous ball movement and creative teamwork to free up Bessolo. The Trojans remarkably were still able to feed Bessolo ammunition to score regularly despite the Patriot boxing.

“She had to really grind to get those scores, they played really good defense on her. We had to space the floor and involve everybody. But could still give her the ball,” said coach Jim Lemmon.

By halftime Castro Valley was up by nine with a score of 28-19.

As the third quarter approached the girls went on an 16-0 run and expanded the lead to 44-19 with Jones being the leading scorer.

Due to the Patriots’ inability to match the rapid ball movement and regular scoring by the Trojans, they would come to lose by a 30 point gap. Jones, using her speed and excellent distance shots, helped keep the Trojans ahead. Both Jones and Bessolo would drive the Trojan offense with a cumulative 37 of the 61 points scored.

“We really started to move the ball more and we lost all of our nerves. We eventually realised that we had this, we’ve seen what they play like and I really think it helped us play harder,” said Jones.

The Trojans began to play even more confidently while Heritage’s energy seemed to decrease.

By the fourth quarter the Trojans were clearly the victors and finished the game with a score of 61-36.

Excitement filled the air as soon as the buzzer went off. Teammates hugged, laughed, and smiled while cameras were flashing left and right to document the special moment.

Junior Ziyah Starks was ecstatic, “I think that it’s one of the coolest things to get to win a championship and even cooler to be the first to do it here at our school!” Starks said. “I love winning, especially with this team! We’re all so close and It feels so good to win with people you love.”

Trojans run, throw and jump their way to early victories

By Mia Babasyan Staff Writer

Castro Valley track and field athletes are starting the season off well with one of the first meets of the season on March 17. Hosted at CVHS, the Castro Valley team competed against Hayward, San Lorenzo, and Tennyson. Sprinters, jumpers, and long distance runners all competed strong at the meet and placed high, bringing CVHS great results.

Junior Jamar Jasper sprinted his way to first place for the boys varsity 100 and 200 meters. Jasper ran 11.65 seconds for the 100 me-

ters and kept his speed on the 200 meters with 23.85 seconds.

Senior Tenia Landrum also won for the girls varsity 100 and 200 meters. Landrum came in strong with 12.74 seconds on the 100 meters and 26.25 seconds on the 200 meters. Landrum later on competed in the long jump and did excellent, placing first with a three-foot lead.

Long distance runners also competed strong at the meet. Junior Vincent Friesen placed first on the varsity 800 meters with 2 minutes and 4 seconds, followed by senior Peter Normann in second place with 2:12. Normann

later came in first with a 4:53 in the 1,600 meters.

Sophomore Allanah Lee competed strongly at the meet, placing first for both the varsity 100 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles.

Lee also triumphed in the varsity triple jump with a leap of 36 feet 9 inches, beating the runner up by five feet.

“That was major what she did at the meet,” said Coach Dooney Jones about Lee’s performance.

Although not everyone’s personal records were beaten, CVHS maintained its place on top. CVHS athletes will only improve.

GaviN halloraN / Staff Writer

Ashley Michalowski jumps hurdles while competing.

S up re m e l y St rate g i c Sp o r ts St a rs

By Sarah NoSSeir / Staff Writer

Monica Gong Monica Gong is a freshman swimmer on the varsity team for CVHS. She has now been swimming for eight years on her club team. Talk about a long-time commitment!

Her favorite parts of swimming are the friends she’s made and the environment. Gong loves swimming for many reasons, including health and love for the sport.

One highlight of her swimming career swimming her best race, the 200 backstroke. She also swims sprint freestyle and 200 IM (individual medley). The energy and the people around her made it so much fun.

Vivian Woo Vivian Woo has been playing basketball for five years. She is a beast on the court, relentlessly pursuing every loose ball.

Her most memorable moments of her long career of basketball are taking buzzer beaters.

“It’s not only fun, but it hypes the team up and gets the crowd excited,” she says.

Woo often has double-doubles in her AAU league, an out-of-school competitive league. She enjoys spending time with her varsity teammates, who, according to her, are now family.

“We get along so well on and off the court. They’re basically my sisters now,” she said of her teammates.

Ethan Kwong Ethan Kwong has been playing tennis for three years. According to Kwong, his whole tennis journey began when the Flying Spaghetti Monster came to him in a dream. “ This amazing experience occurred in the deepest part of my mind which happened to be lined with tennis balls, and it really compelled me to pursue my deepest desire,” Kwong explained.

His most memorable moment during his time on the team was a match where he hit the ball almost straight up and his opponent turned around, thinking the ball was out of bounds, but the ball barely clipped the net and rolled over, giving the victory to Kwong.

Stephen Bray Stephen Bray is a senior at CVHS on the varsity track and field team.

This is only his second year running track. His two main events are the triple jump and hurdles.

Bray’s most memorable moment comes from a time during league finals last year when he tripped on a hurdle and cut a task on the back of his leg.

Bray is in track for the people, claiming, “I’ve never been in a sport where everyone is so willing to meet and talk to you. Everyone is really supportive of you and makes sure you succeed.”

He says winning medals is pretty fun too.

The Olympian March 24, 2016

8

Show honors Dubb, de Julia, and Terri TRO: From page one

AMERICA MORALES / A&E EDITOR

Nic McMaster and Christopher Bing enjoy pie at the pi celebration.

Nothing irrational about pi day

By America Morales A&E EDITOR Pi Day: what an exciting day March 14 was for both the students and teachers at CVHS. What can possibly be better than celebrating the famous, irrational number we all know and love, Pi (π), all while enjoying a delicious slice of pie?

Pi is mostly known by its approximation, 3.14 (hence the reason it is celebrated on 3/14).

“This very special number is a

District requests bond for school renovations BOND: From page one in Castro Valley, you would owe $60 dollars for every $100,000 of a home’s purchase price per year.

CVUSD has been working on the Facilities Master Plan and the idea of selling bonds to make it possible for two years now and board members happily passed the motion 5-0 without any hesitation.

Jo Loss, president of the CVUSD Board of Education, referred to the Facilities Master Plan as a “gigantic step for Castro Valley.”

Now the bond proposal will appear the June 7 ballot and Castro Valley citizens will decide whether to approve the plan. Based on a survey, board members believes that voters will approve the bond, which needs 55 percent support to pass.

naturally occurring phenomena found by taking any circle of any size and dividing it by its denominator,” explained Assistant Principal Nic McMaster, who was formerly a math teacher.

How cool is that? No matter what, you’ll always end up with an approximation of 3.14!

“It’s a fun celebration of a really cool mathematical concept and I get to tell nerdy jokes,” said science teacher Christopher Bing, who was proudly wearing his pi shirt.

In charge of the big Pi Day celebration, science teacher Melissa Kindelspire also organized a “pi walk” in which she and many other teachers participated in a walk around Castro Valley. The teachers also enjoyed playing “Pie Face” in which is a convenient machine launches pie at a person’s face.

Overall, Pi Day was a success for the teachers at CVHS who, for the most part, agreed that eating the variety of savory pies was the highlight of the event.

Under the Facilities Master Plan, CVHS would receive $34,216,774. That money would be spent on the following projects: $1,492,260 for Project Lead the Way, a national program that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) curriculum. This would be used to renovate certain classes (the current woodshop room, room 407, the current book room, room 408, and room 409) to meet STEM standards. $2,610,545 for 700 wing science lab renovations. Rooms 752, 753, 755, 756, 757, and 758 would be converted into four new science labs that will meet Next Generation Science Standards. $10,450,308 for Multipurpose building modifications. The cafeteria and kitchen would

expand and construction would create a student activities area, brand new choir and band rooms equipped with practice rooms and areas for storage, and an information kiosk on the courtyard outside the multipurpose room. $2,638,944 for a brand new Health and Wellness Center between 400 hall and 500 hall. $4,093,056 for special education modifications. $5,744,640 for new classrooms: four in 900 wing and four between 400 and 500 halls. $291,159 for administration building modifications. A new conference room, another counselor’s office, and a fully accessible staff restroom are planned. $6,895,812 for gymnasium additions. A third basketball court, additional bleachers the and a new mat room will be built.

OPINION EDITOR Twenty-two CVHS varsity cheerleaders competed in the JAMZ national cheer competition in Las Vegas on Feb. 27-29.

This was the first time in history that CVHS cheerleaders have qualified and been able to go to Vegas for a national competition.

The team performed in the “coed show cheer non-tumbling” category and placed fourth, earning a score of 82.77 percent.

Other dance groups, such as “Old Crew,” were comprised of Chabot College students, some of whom graduated from CVHS in previous years.

The show has become a characteristic event for TRO, a club that has over a hundred enrolled members. Along with this show, they participate in other community service events around Castro Valley.

“It was challenging to organize, for sure. The communication was great but time was difficult to coordinate with the teachers and performers, making sure everyone showed up,” said Janetta Redzic, TRO president.

Overall, though Redzic was impressed with the performers and how it turned out overall, despite last minute changes to the program.

“It was a pretty good success considering what I was thinking it was going to be,” said Redzic with a laugh.

Midnight in Morocco, a magical Junior Prom

What’s in it for us?

CVHS spending plan

Cheerleaders take on JAMZ in Vegas

By Jessica Mi

by Anjali Asha, an original song created and performed by Andre Juntilla, and a hip-hop dance performed by the CVHS dance club, Urbanize.

“I always look forward to the singing acts especially,” said Victoria Pham, TRO vice president.

“We have some really great singers, like the boys’ acapella group.”

TRO has held an annual show for eight years now, but this year, the special dedication to those who have recently passed in the Castro Valley community shaped it into a very different show. The show’s second act opened with a reading of an original poem written in honor of Terri Byrd.

There was also a distinctly cultural flavor to the performance, with the inclusion of traditional folk dance styles from Croatia and Mexico. Two of the Croatian dancers were CVHS students, but the rest were part of an independent, San Jose based dance group.

This competition marked the end of a long, arduous season for the cheerleaders. Under the direction of coach Ty Young and captain Courtney Newton, they trained hard all season, practicing three times a week, even on weekends. However, this particular weekend was not only filled with hard work. The team got to relax at the MGM Grand Hotel and watch a show together as well.

“There was lots of team bonding,” said junior Leah Valencia.

The cheerleaders definitely made a lot of good memories on the trip, and all their hard work paid off.

Valencia recalled an unforgettable moment, right before the team performed. “There was all the adrenaline before we got on stage, and we were all encouraging each other,” she said.

“I’m so proud of all my teammates and all our hard work this season. It was such a great experience. We made history!” said junior Alysia Maestas.

ZACH DEIGERT/ STAFF WRITER

Miranda Xie and Emily Hoang enjoyed the prom by the bay.