May 24, 2024

Touchdown! Girls football coming in fall

CVHS reforms retakes

By Matthew Wong

CVHS is piloting a “Retake, Redo, Reassessment” policy in the 2024-2025 school year. Principal Christopher Fortenberry required departments to agree on a retake policy that follows guidelines which “support accuracy and motivation, while also eliminating unintentional bias.”

Every department will offer test retakes during school hours, but policies vary and may not be uniform between subjects.

The social studies, PE, and special education departments already have upcoming policies. For social studies, all teachers will offer at least one retake after students prepare.

“Retakes don’t promote learning, they make grades less stressful,” said junior Laughlin Chen. “Ms. Brown’s policy in USH is retaking up to a B for any test... this limit is good at preventing people from relying on retakes.”

The PE and special education departments will allow retakes for test scores below 70%.

Some departments such as math and science will have different policies for different levels. AP Chemistry tests are currently divided into standards which can each be retaken once to replace the lowest of two grades, while AP Biology tests are divided into scientific practices such as reasoning and can each be retaken once.

“If we had a bad day or were busy, we still have the opportunity to study and fix our grade. However, it also encourages laziness and not being ready by the original test date, so grades are inflated,” said junior Mark Zaydman, a student in AP Biology.

“For my class, you can retake a test as many times as you want… This promotes learning because of how I’m able to learn from my mistakes and solve the problem,” said freshman Jonathan Bahng, a student in Integrated Math 1.

The CTE department has a pending policy where students will have at least one retake opportunity for each test they score lower than a B. The limit for a reassessed grade will be at the

teacher’s discretion, but retake scores will replace the test score even if a student scores lower.

“Retakes are for students who are saying that their original grade is wrong,” said math teacher Alan Kraut. “If they’re worried about their new grade being lower, that’s an indication that maybe they shouldn’t be doing retakes at that point. They should be getting to the point where they are ready to do a retake first and then they should be confident that their retake grade will be higher.”

Other departments like the VAPA and language department have a “work in progress” plan that hasn’t been released.

“Instead of cramming for a test and essentially barfing it onto the test, test retakes allows you to learn from your mistakes and better understand the concepts,” said senior Justine Fong. “It’s smart to make students complete a review before retaking because not only does it urge students to figure out the material, it also teaches students discipline and time management.”

By Wyatt Franklin

Girls flag football is coming to CVHS as a pilot season next year to judge if the sport garners enough attention to support a full team by 2025.

The new sport is to “provide an opportunity” for students at CVHS as the “fastest growing sport today,” asserted Athletic Director Kathleen Stacy.

Girls flag football was officially sanctioned as a sport by California last year. Next year, WACC will have ten schools competing, with Castro Valley having a JV and varsity team.

At a CVUSD board meeting, Stacy presented the sport for approval which received unanimous support from all board members. “This is a really great opportunity for our girls,” said Trustee Sara Raymond.

Each team will have 15-18 players with seven playing on the field at a time. Fields will be 80 yards long with two 20-minute halves.

Stacy is in contact with NFL teams such as the 49ers to run training camps for CVHS students. Coaches sponsored by the NFL would help coach the teams at CVHS. Stacy is very excited about the prospect of high-level coaching at CVHS.

Many students are excited to play on the new team next year, with the prospect of having two full rosters of girls to play.

“I am very excited to play next year,” said junior Kiana Allyon.

Girls flag football will be an exciting opportunity for many. Hopefully, Castro Valley can win the girls flag football championship next year.

Every 15 Minutes event scares students straight

Last year’s girls flag football players brought an exciting game to the crowd. Renata GutieRRez

Luis Ochea

OPINION

Test retakes need limits and balance

Editorial:

In life, how often does a person get second chances? The Olympian wonders how this question applies to CVHS, as each education department is being pressured into making a uniform test retake policy with the basic condition that there has to be a retake of some kind. The new policies are interesting, allowing more freedom for teachers to decide the requirements for their retakes. Many factors go into this decision, and we here at The Olympian support it… with conditions.

The proposition is this: retakes will be required in each department, but the requirements are very flexible. The goal is to have teachers work together to make a plan and have them in place by the next school year. The new pending policies vary across departments, from Social Studies which will offer a minimum of

one retake per semester after “evidence of further review efforts by the students,” to the CTE policy which will give at least one retake on any test grade lower than a B.vv These policies range and arev by no means similar, providing a different education experience in each department.

Brenda HuynH

A big concern for this new development is the possible (and likely) decrease in initial motivation in students who know they are promised a retake no matter what. This can stress teachers and increase their workload for students who neglected to properly study for their initial test. On the other hand, there is no coordination between teachers on test days. A student could have three tests in one day and feel the need to prioritize the class they have the

PHOTOpinions What

I’m concerned that people aren’t going to try hard enough in their classes. I do think it would be beneficial for improving one’s grade.

Chiori Kondo Freshman

good idea... In Int 3A you can only retake one test a semester which is very annoying.

Trojan Talk

Re: Threat sent to CVHS deemed not credible

“I think the threat was some kind of prank, which obviously, is not funny but rather serious. I felt relieved when the message did not mention which specific school would be attacked, but I also felt worried because the bomb could be set off at any school they threatened. I wish there would be more security on campus and non-violent protests when making these “political appeals.”

- Louis Fukuda

Re: Sustainability Fair spreads environmental awareness

“It’s cool to see that this was student-run. It must have been a lot of work to get companies and organizations to come to an event like this and I think it went pretty well.

I went into the fair and was able to look around and talk to the different people at the booths and gain a lot of information about each organization’s role.”

- Mario Joseph

Re: House passes ban on TikTok

“I don’t use TikTok and this wouldn’t affect me that much, but it shouldn’t be banned as it infringes on the first amendment and would give Google and Meta a chokehold on the social media landscape.”

- Scott Baldwin

Re: CVHS redoes retakes

“I like the idea that people should be able to retake with limits. My class doesn’t offer retakes but if we do all of our homework on time then we get to replace our lowest test score.”

- Precious Bandiola

lowest grade in. The solution to both of these issues is to offer the required retakes, and have specific requirements for students to qualify for them. For example, the Science department will require that students show completed notes before retaking a test.

To answer the initial question, people don’t often get second chances. However, it should be rewarded to people who work hard for it and show their commitment to improvement. We firmly believe that retakes are fair and important to offer, but it is also crucial that they are limited and managed in order to decrease the workload for teachers while also increasing the motivation of students. These new policies will be implemented by next year if everything goes as planned, and we look forward to the improvements in students’ mindsets and their grades that can come from it.

do you think about more test retakes?

Re: “Civil War” comments on political issues

“This is a very interesting sounding movie. Thanks for the fantastic review! I find it funny to think that Texas and California would ever join forces for anything, but who knows what the future holds.”

- Nico Nappi

Re: CVHS Skunks strike campus

“I have math in F4 during the sixth period. The skunk stench is terrible even at the end of the day. It straight up hits you when you walk inside. I definitely would be against something like poisoned bait, but I wish they would set up a cage with some food or something to trap it. I’ve also noticed holes that lead to underneath the portable. Closing those up might be a good idea.”

- Cori Cocianova

Re: Why I now want to be a math teacher

“I’m happy that you are feeling inspired to become a teacher. I agree that people undervalue teachers and I am grateful that there are people that genuinely want to make a difference and become a good influence for the next generation.”

- Chet Babel

Re: Take Action to save the ocean

“I agree that if we don’t do something about the bycatch or pollution that’s happening in our oceans then a lot of people are going to regret not taking action while we had the chance. I think more people should try and do something to help out and save our oceans.”

- Easten May-Fanene

Re: Why I now want to be a math teacher

“Teachers are so undervalued and deserve a higher salary.

They provide children the fundamentals needed to succeed.”

- Alyssa Chen

Re: CVHS Skunks strike campus

I’m very happy to not have any classes in the F wing this year, but I remember being up there before and I saw a skunk once. I agree with Mr. Schoenberger that maybe an investment in Febreeze would be beneficial to the learning experience.

- Lanikai Lependorf

Jasper Omori Senior

Test retakes will overall benefit students and their ability to get good grades as some students may be better at test taking than others.

Sterling McClellan Sophomore

More test retakes are generally a

Arthur Wahner Staff

The math department has allowed many retakes in many courses for the past few years ... Our goal is to teach students, not grade students.

West needs to do more to save Ukraine

By Maxim Boychuk

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has lasted for over two years with no end in sight, but a Ukrainian victory is possible if the West steps up its aid and the Ukrainian government enforces tighter conscription laws.

Throughout 2024, both Russia and Ukraine have been in a constant stalemate and Ukraine’s

resources have been diminishing, holding up even with major manpower shortages.

All together, around six million people fled Ukraine because of the war, 750,000 of those being men from ages 16-60 according to the EU statistics agency, Eurostat.

This is one of the largest issues that Ukraine is facing as many who would be able to be conscripted for military service are fleeing the country.

Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, had to lower their conscription age last year from twenty seven to twenty five. It was only put into effect when President Zelensky signed it last month, but I believe that this is not enough of an action.

Ukraine is at around 35 percent normal capacity in manpower

and is in crucial need for anyone that is able to fight. Mass mobilization from cities, villages, and even prisons if possible need to be executed across the nation to have a chance against Russian forces. With that, I believe that the Ukrainian border needs to be more strictly controlled by Ukrainian authorities to keep it closed down so that men can be conscripted to increase Ukraine’s chances of pushing back Russia.

Russia has around three and a half times more people, their potential army is larger than Ukraine's, so Ukraine needs long range supplies like missiles and aircrafts to preserve soldiers and repel invading forces.

Drone technology isn’t enough now to repel the Russians on the frontlines. The West needs to give

far distance weapons and aircrafts such as F-16s so that Ukraine can attack troops on a larger scale, bases, and even facilities that are aiding the Russian effort inside Russia’s borders.

President Joe Biden has recently sent a large package with ATACMS long range missiles secretly to Ukraine, which attacked Crimean bases, but Ukraine needs even more to fully push Russia out of the eastern territories.

Both the United States and Europe need to be on board with fully funding Ukraine in this conflict to prevent Russia from getting a buffer zone, similar to the Eastern Bloc the Soviet Union had after the second world war.

Russia has been slowly making gains in the East on May 10, breaking through small vil-

lages. If support slows down for Ukraine, it has little chance of survival.

Overall, the basis of my solution for a Ukrainian victory is to close Ukrainian borders to men that are in legal conscription age. Second of all, the west needs to provide more resources.

Yes, most European countries and the U.S. have by now sent billions of dollars of supplies to Ukraine, but this war is the first war with modern technologies in use. Supplies diminished faster means that constant aid is crucial.

I believe that we need to pressure western powers more to send the needed aid so Ukraine can come out victorious. And if we don’t, Ukraine’s sovereignty will be lost and we will be sucked into a modern cold war.

What to do about climate change and why?

By Brenda Huynh

I loathe our ocean.

From my doorstep, where you could once gaze and admire the ocean’s crystal blue, something has changed: it is now a poignant display of our ocean’s anguish.

Our ocean, now reduced to a pitiful acid-green, levels rising as if to protest mistreatment, serves as an undeniable testament to climate change’s devastating effects on our home, earth.

NASA estimates that, since 1971, our ocean has absorbed over 90% of earth’s warming, much of which is due to human activities. The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas leads to excessive emissions of greenhouse gasses. Besides the ocean and atmosphere, global temperatures, weather patterns, and ecosystems suffer relentlessly due to climate change.

To combat changes, supporting candidates who rally behind international collaboration is crucial.

Leaders should rationally pioneer diplomacy as the earth is a system where components influence one another; a single country’s excess greenhouse gasses will affect another. Global challenges mandate global procedures.

International collaboration engages in sharing technologies, data, and resources, as well as upholding a nation’s responsi -

We need to pressure intiative and responsibility from our elected officials.

bility to address climate change. It’s been indicated as effective as it has enabled parties to foster

Editor reflects on journalism

By Melissa Boussaroque

In my sophomore year I decided to take journalism, the class behind The Olympian. As a current senior, I have now spent three years in the class, serving as a staff writer, arts and entertainment Editor, and now editor-in-chief. In my three years, I have learned valuable lessons that will stick with me throughout my life.

Most evidently, my writing skills have improved drastically. While I have always been a fairly strong writer, this class allowed

me to focus more on writing as well as fine-tune any little issues I had. I have also been able to work on writing different styles, as I have had to write different types of stories, ranging from entertainment reviews to sports stories, and, of course, news.

However, writing isn’t the biggest thing I’ve improved on in journalism. In my two years as an editor, and especially now as editor-in-chief, I have been able to focus on my leadership abilities in several ways.

As a somewhat nonconfrontational person, I have had to get used to talking to others in the class about certain things they need to fix, whether it be issues with a story, a problem with a page layout, or a deadline that needs to be met.

Being able to address others if I have any concerns about the work has allowed me to realize that it’s okay to confront someone if something they have done is wrong.

I have also noticed that I’ve

become more confident speaking in front of a group. This year especially, I’ve had to do a lot of this, such as leading an editorial discussion or going through the monthly story budget. I have become much more confident in this ability, which is definitely going to be useful throughout my life.

Additionally, I have improved my ability to talk to people I don’t know very well. I’ve often had to talk to complete strangers in order to get good sources for certain stories. While this used to be incredibly awkward, it has slowly become easier.

The three years I spent in journalism have been one of the best parts of high school. Despite coming every morning at 7 a.m. for zero period and having to occasionally give up lunch, Trojan Time, and time after school, I do not regret it. This class has taught me skills to take with me into the rest of my life and I am incredibly grateful for it.

mutual support, modernize, and confront climate change jointly.

For instance, the Paris Agreement (2015), the third international legal agreement that addresses climate change, has united 195 parties, with goals of achieving carbon neutrality and net zero targets.

Countries continue to pledge reinforcement of climate commitments, impeding carbon emissions, and supporting one another.

While political barriers may hinder international collaboration, significant advances in history have demonstrated otherwise.

Despite political differences between allied countries around the world, cooperation is prioritized within the UN to defeat

common enemies. Similarly, nations must unify to fight climate change despite political disparities.

To implement change, we need to pressure initiative and responsibility from our elected officials and back candidates who campaign for international collaboration.

“We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it,” said former President Barack Obama.

Climate change is devastating us, both physically and mentally. A profound sense of anxiety creeps at me each day as climate change, insidious in nature, progresses. Our ocean’s transformation is already transparent, as is our failure to initiate change.

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

Staff Writers : Maxim Boychuk, Lillian Cooke, Brenda Huynh, Samuel Jarvis, Mario Joseph, Michael Lac, Zoe Lawrence, Grace Lo

Richard Paseman, Zoe Schwartzle, Kalaya Williams

Johanson

Every 15 Minutes Shocks CVHS

By Renata Gutierrez

April 25, 2024.

Today I died. All I wanted to do was have fun with my friends, but one careless mistake would not only take my life but also take the life of Maggie Wilmott.

I laid dead on the hood of the car, my blood seeping deeper into my clothes as all the different sirens echoed through Castro Valley. Aliyah Tillotson screamed in agony as she saw my lifeless body, begging for me to wake up. Tillotson drunkenly screamed at an even more intoxicated Lew.

“What did you do? What did you do Braden!” she repeated as the first responders arrived at the scene. Shortly after Lew would be handcuffed and put in the back of the cop car for failing the sobriety test he had undergone. He would end up serving 15 years in prison and pay $40,000 for the lives taken and damage done.

Cassidy Cu saw the life of her dreams, all her goals and achievements crumble while the firefighter tied a Torniquete at the top of her left knee, this would go on to save her life, but not her leg. Later on, she would lose her scholarship to University of Oregon for acrobatic tumbling.

April 25, 2024: Reality.

While walking into the CFA I was greeted by lots of warm smiles and big hugs. My friends and I joked about what we were about to do as I got into the makeup chair. The room stared in disbelief as they saw me covered in bloody cuts and bruises. Months of preparation had finally come together, today was the day I would die.

We walked up to the stadium in almost complete silence, it was cold and gloomy. With 10 minutes to prepare we had to move quickly, everyone got into their cars, and fake blood was poured all over and around us. With only a few minutes remaining the walking dead held the tarps up around us, the people in my car practiced their lines, and I laid as still as possible.

We heard the students settle into their seats when all of a sudden the car crash sounds played. The tarps were lifted, cold, and disoriented, all I could do was lay still as Tillotson let out some gutwrenchingly disturbing screams begging for me to wake up.

Once I had been pronounced dead a tarp was put over me, finally, I was able to open my eyes after what felt like an eternity. Not being able to move would quickly get to me, I was forced to either close my eyes again or stare at my arm dripping in blood as “glass” stuck out of the very real-looking cut. I felt like I was in some sort of sleep paralysis, the different sirens, screaming, crying, and the other car being ripped apart all made me want to jump up and remind myself it was fake. As I was driven home in the back of the coroner’s car, I imagined all the people who laid in my same spot but didn’t get the privilege to walk out.

The retreat was at San Damiano, the rest of the afternoon we spent with each other. Not having a phone wouldn’t be too difficult, the real challenge would be not being able to tell what time it was.

Officer Jen and Muscle Man talked for a while, telling us personal and on the job stories. After dinner, we would be shown the tests police give someone suspected to be driving intoxicated while wearing drunk and high goggles to simulate what our brain sees when you are intoxicated. At the end of the night, we were asked to write a letter to a loved one.

That night I laid in bed unable to sleep after such an emotional and adrenaline-filled day. Although I was grateful for the experience, I could not wait to be alive again.

Cassidy Cu is wheeled into an ambulance.

Aliyah Tillotson cries in dismay.

Emergency responders carry Renata Gutierrez off the field.

Braden Lew is arrested and escorted into a police car.

Aliyah Tillotson reacts to the crash.

An officer suspects drunk driving.

TROJANS IN MOTION 5

SPORTS

Kalaya Williams

Grace lopez

Marissa Meza (left) and Carrie Lee (right) start the 100 meters.

Dylan Hummer completes his jump.

samuel Jarvis

richard paseman

Alicya Robertson prepares to hit.

Owen Seidel tags an opposing runner.

Joshua Wong sends the birde back.

Matthew Jewell swims to first place.

Brenda huynh

Brenda huynh

Girls track team races to a championship

Sophomore Idara

Essien

wins three events

By Brenda Huynh

CVHS girls varsity track and field breezed straight to first place at the WACC League Championship Meet with a grand team score of 132 to runner-up Bishop O’Dowd with 126 team points, on May 1 and May 3. Trojans ran accordingly to their designated roles, whether it had been committing to short hard sprints or a long mean run. Field events varied in nature and held great diversity, ranging from the discus throw, high jump, shot put, pole vault, long jump, or triple jump.

While many athletes performed exceptionally,

contributing to a team victory for the Trojans, sophomore varsity sprinter Idara Essien performed outstandingly, placing third in the long jump, and winning not only the 100-meter run but the 200-meter run, even contributing to her team’s victory in the 4x100-meter relay.

Despite the numerous victories brought home by Essien, she stated, “I only PRed [set a personal record] in the 200-meter run.”

Essien is a stupendous athlete, as not only is her performance on both the track and field exemplary as she won every track event she competed in, but she remains humble to her feats.

“It just happens you know, I mean, practice is five days a week and I try to put the most into practice,” said Essien. Essien does not do additional practice outside of track and

start the 4x800 meter run.

credits her amazing coaches and attendance to practice for superb results.

Freshman athlete Iliana Nierengarten also did notably, placing first in the 800-meter run with a time of 2.19.48, placing second in the 1600-meter run, and third in the 3200-meter run.

Contributing to even more team points, the Trojans brought home a victory in the 4x400-meter relay run too.

The WACC League Champion Meet was lively for Trojans as the meet was held at CVHS. This made it a lot more convenient for friends and family to attend and cheer them on within the

bleachers as the meet played out.

A fun atmosphere was maintained throughout the meet as Trojans in attendance found the track meet a very entertaining one to watch. Furthermore, the victory fueled the Trojans afterward for days on end.

Zoe Lawrence

Brenda HuynH

Hailey Smith starts the anchor leg in the 4x100 meter relay.

Runners

7 FEATURE

Retiring teachers make an impact

Miriam Dominguez Emi Crow

Emi Crow, also known as Crow Sensei, is the Japanese teacher here at CVHS. Though it is her last year teaching and she plans to retire, she reflects on her time teaching.

“Most of my students want to take Japanese. The students were motivated and their goals were excellent. And being the only teacher, I was able to have them back every year so we became a family. I still am in contact with a lot of them.”

Both on an educational and cultural level, she loves seeing the creativity and interest that many students bring to her class. Some of her favorite memories include a crane mural made out of 6,600 cranes, koi fish with wishes written on them, and all of the field trips to Japan every other year.

During her retirement Crow Sensei plans to travel the world and become a student again, eager to learn more. Crow is also quite fond of cooking and baking. “I love to cook and bake so I would like to find a group to enjoy different recipes,” said Crow.

As she parts from the CVHS staff lineup she shared these words to the students at CVHS: “No matter what language you take, it broadens your knowledge of different cultures. Take a language you like and make it a lifelong experience. Don’t take it just for credits.”

Miriam Dominguez, also known as Señora Dominguez, has worked in Castro Valley for many years and is now on the road to retirement. As she closes out her year she reflected on her fondest memories with CVHS.

“The best part of being an educator at CVHS is feeling the joy of working in the classroom with talented and caring students. I also appreciate having always worked with dedicated and hardworking professionals.”

Dominguez’s other favorite experiences on campus include schoolwide activities that empower the student body. “Some of my favorite memories have been seeing my students’ amazing skills outside of the classroom. I have really liked the activities organized by the leadership class such as Homecoming week and dress up days. As well as seeing the many performances from poetry, drama, choir to sports competitions. I can’t forget the amazing support shown in sending off our students to the Special Olympics.”

After her final year teaching at CVHS Dominguez plans to explore the world in many senses: “I have a multitude of activities on my wish list for after I retire from CVHS. Some of them will be time spent enjoying the wonders of nature.... kayaking, paddle boarding and hiking come to mind. I will strive to learn about other cultures. I plan to visit relatives and friends around the world. I definitely look forward to doing volunteer work.”

Dominguez bids a warm adios to CVHS with one more piece of advice stating “Cultivate a positive attitude and resilience for handling challenges in life. Remember: si se puede!”

Deborah Groody

Deborah Groody, who teaches APEL, HAMLIT, and Lit and Film, is concluding her final year at CVHS, looking to retire to open a new chapter of her life. Over her time here at CVHS Groody reviewed the best parts of her career, “The best parts were what we do every day: working with students and colleagues, discussing literature, improving writing skills. Every day has also brought reminders of the kindness, compassion, and brilliance of CVHS students. You give me hope for the future.”

Groody exclaimed that with exuberant amounts of memories it’s quite hard to pick a favorite moment, but said, ”Overall it’s been an incredibly rewarding experience and a lot of fun.”

Once retired Groody plans to explore, but life isn’t always perfectly laid out. Groody has a few activities she wants to do, “Read, travel, cook,” but otherwise is going to go with the flow of life, “and perhaps relocate to Europe. You never know.”

Altogether Groody has had an all encompassing experience with CVHS and wants to leave her students and all students of CVHS with this note: “To all my students and colleagues: thank you. It was a privilege to be here with you. Please look after yourselves, and look after others around you. Even the smallest act of kindness can make the world a better place.”

AP Art Show expresses emotion and meaning

By Zoe Schwartzle

The CVHS AP art program held an art show on Thursday, May 2 to show the work the students were most proud of. Many artists contributed to this show, and friends and family showed up to support them. “This is the biggest art show we’ve ever had,” said AP art teacher Alexis Knudsen.

Junior Catalina Preciado uses her art to explore feelings of

loneliness and how they can be overcome with the help of family.

“ I wanted to portray the feeling of loneliness and how those lonesome feelings can vanish with the help of my family,” said Preciado.

Her paintings are centered on family with pieces like “Un brindis por mi familia,” “Orange you glad,” and “I think our outfits are pretty gorge.” Her main materials are gouache and acrylic.

Senior Kalaya Williams was an-

other student featured in the show. Her work explores the theme of death and asks what happens when we decompose. “I created pieces that represent these darker aspects alongside pieces that offer an opposing lighter aesthetic to form a juxtaposition between the grotesque parts of nature and the beauty of returning our bodies to the earth,” said Williams. Pieces like “Mold” explore this theme using colored pencils and watercolor.

Junior Nataani Hernandez, another featured artist, was inspired by her bicultural childhood to make pieces that reflected the impact that coming from two cultures had on her life. “These pieces show how this divide has shaped my childhood to how I have begun to thrive in my journey to self-development,” said Hernandez. Her favorite piece “La Hija Mayor” shows a self-portrait type painting that encapsulates

Zoe SchwartZle

Skunks strike CVHS campus, again

Incredibly stinky pests pose no threat

By Kalaya Williams

If you have any classes in the portables or have just been to Fwing in general, you may have noticed a lingering stench in the area. This is because of skunks.

For years, CVHS has experienced skunks on campus, especially because of the surrounding nature in Castro Valley.

“Castro Valley is unique to have wildlife mixing with an urban setting,” said Vince Sly, the head custodian. Furthermore, he commented that March to April is their mating season. “It’s more of an issue now because the females spray unwanted males. Skunks don’t just spray to spray. There’s always something behind it.”

It’s mostly theorized that the skunks burrow underneath the portables and in the small tree area behind 900 hall. Because of this, a few of the 900 hall classes

experience the smell.

“I have experienced the skunk smell for the 12 years that I have been working at CVHS. It’s inconsistent but like an old stinky friend that sticks around,” said teacher Candice Tigerman, who is in room 904. She commented on the scent’s inconsistency,

I have experienced the skunk smell for the 12 years that I have been working at CVHS. “ ”

Candice

Tigerman Teacher

which aligns with the annual mating season.

Sly said that if the problem was a year-round occurrence they would try to take preventative ac-

Night-time friends love to come around and disrupt precious classtime.

tions against it. However, under California law, there are penal codes that prevent the removal of non-dangerous animals, especially on school grounds where having poisoned bait is against the law.

Despite skunks not posing a huge issue, teacher Brad Schoenberger faced serious disruptions to his class. “The scent was so bad I had to take my first period

to the cafeteria,” he said.

The scent is only really bad in the morning, but it still lingers throughout the day. This is because skunks are nocturnal and sleep during school hours.

Fortunately, no student has faced off with a skunk because of this. However, Sly recalls an encounter with one when he used to work as a night custodian. “I surprised him, and he surprised

me,” he said. He backed off slowly and luckily avoided getting sprayed.

Because the skunks aren’t much of a threat to the people at school, there’s nothing the school can do about the issue other than safe solutions such as air fresheners, as suggested by Schoenberger.

“They smell,” remarked Principal Christopher Fortenberry.

GO ZERO WASTE WHEN SHOPPING FOR COLLEGE

Going to college is exciting for seniors! Here are tips to save money and reduce waste.

Tip #1: Minimize First

If you are moving into the dorms next year, you’ll have less room than you think. Consider giving away or selling clothes and items you won’t need.

Tip #2: Buy Used

Need to buy a few things before going back to school? Find great value and selection with gently used items. For local businesses that sell used, or to shop for resale items online, visit cvsan.org/Reuse

Tip #3: Ditch Single Use

Packing reusable drinkware is easy and stylish with so many fun options to pick from. Bring reusable serveware with you, such as bamboo cutlery and chopsticks, a reusable straw, and a reusable container for meals.

Tip #4: Reuse Books

New textbooks are expensive, especially when you only use them for a few months. Research your school’s buyback program or textbook exchange Facebook groups to find used copies instead.

Kalaya Williams