Page 2: Suppport teachers who may not work at graduation VOLUME 61, ISSUE 10
MAY 11, 2018
Page 6: Tennis player Edward Wang plays above and beyond
Page 5: Adios a la Senora Clare Ensenat
WE ARE BORN TO SEEK THE TRUTH!
WWW.CVHSOLYMPIAN.COM
Students create change: protests, vigils and more By Derek Neyer Staff Writer
Recent shootings and threats have left students anxious and uncomfortable at school, though some students are trying to change that. During the week of April 16 to 20, students from the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and Girls Learn International (GLI) organized a series of events including a candlelight vigil putting attention on mental health problems and school violence. In the aftermath of the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students have staged walkouts and protests as well as conciliatory events like those at CVHS. CVHS students staged a walkout on March 14, protesting what was perceived as a lack of governmental response to the attack in Parkland. Many students vented their frustrations with those in power and their resistance to gun control.
Derek Neyer / Staff Writer
Students come together at the candlelight vigil to sing and mourn the victims of gun shootings. While in many places across the nation another walkout was staged on the anniversary of the shooting at Columbine, April 20, frustrations at CVHS
were dealt with through activities encouraging empathy and communication. On April 16, students were invited to make friendship
ALICE changes lockdown ways By Olga Buzueva Staff Writer
A new lockdown procedure was put into place at CVHS on Thursday, April 12. This procedure is called “ALICE,” which is an acronym for “Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate.” The steps the students follow will depend on the situation at hand and what measures would yield the best results. Students will now have to make some independent decisions in order to defend themselves. “I like it. It feels like we’re actually doing something,” said sophomore Patrick O’Farrell. The new procedure was set into place as school gun violence across the nation creates growing concern. ALICE gives a bigger variety of response than the previous lockdown procedure. In the
event of a shooter entering the campus, the situation will be in flux, not set in stone. The greater amount of instruction included in ALICE allows staff and students to be more prepared for a multitude of scenarios that can occur during a school shooting. ALICE gives directions on how to react in specific situations. One of the most crucial things is to stay alert and informed by paying attention and listening to any intercom announcements. If necessary, students are to lock and barricade the doors to keep the potential threat out. If possible, an evacuation of certain classrooms might be ordered as long as they are a safe distance from the intruder. And if an intruder were to find a way into the classroom, the students are supposed to try and distract the shooter with noise and movement,
thereby limiting the accuracy of the intruder’s aim. “I think that it’s very helpful to be informed and able to make wise decisions,” said teacher Ashley Smith. Before this new procedure was put in place, in the event of a lockdown, students were simply supposed to lock themselves in a classroom and hide. While this could conceal their location for the time being, they had no instructions on what to do if the shooter were to discover them. “I prefer ALICE because it’s more realistic and because it gives power to the people,” said sophomore Patrick Lyons. While the uncertain chance of a school shooting looms over the heads of students and staff, the new ALICE procedure can hopefully give the school body a greater chance of survival in the case of a crisis.
bracelets in the gym, and on April 18 organizers led a therapy circle to discuss people’s thoughts and feelings. A candlelight vigil was held
for victims of school violence on April 20, which included singing and pictures of the deceased. Grace Boyd, public relations officer for GLI, expressed why she didn’t want CVHS to put on another walkout. “Not everyone at our school supports gun control. That’s why we wanted to focus on events that were more mental health related and made CVHS more of a community,” she said. Some students who attended the activities were relieved to see a respectful dialogue about school violence. “It makes me hopeful we can have more discussions in the future and take action to ensure our safety at school,” said sophomore Marya Gilbert. The promotion of free conversation was a large part of the activities hosted by GLI and MSA, who invited administrators and student resource officers to participate. Many students felt that the activities were a good way to vent feelings and promote mental health at the school.
Freshmen and juniors claim Powderpuff win
Bilal Messaoudi/ Staff Writer
Senior Maddie Lippi advances the ball with juniors and freshmen hot on her trail.