Oct. 21, 2022

Senior spies

supreme

Having won Homecoming last year as juniors in Neverland, the senior spies have completed their mission once again to be crowned first. Dressed in trenchcoats, blazers, and leather-on their list of tasks: soaking up the sunrise, sneaking onto campus, storming the quad, and securing one final win.

School threat shakes students and staff

By Olive Dooley

There was a threat of violence made to CVHS on September 21. Sheriffs and administrators took the threat seriously, investigating it as soon as they heard the news, but didn’t inform students, staf, or families until the next day, when some students and staf were already at school. The CVHS administration sent out an email the following day confrming that the threat was a rumor.

CVHS has four diferent levels of shelter-in-place, depending on whether there is a potential threat or an active threat. They also have protocols for a soft lockdown, which is used if there is a threat nearby, but not on campus. And an “ACTION: GO HOME” protocol which requires superintendent approval. This threat luckily did not utilize any of the more serious protocols and most resembled a soft lockdown or Level 1 shelter-in-place. No action was called, but students and staff did try their best to remain in place and limit motion around campus. This threat caused anxiety to the students, staf and parents of students at CVHS who were not made aware of the progress of the investigation of the threat.

“I didn’t feel safe. I am always …overthink]ing] a lot. I was very aware of my surroundings. That day [there was] twice as much pressure on me while I was at school and I was very scared,” said Maggie Rodas.

For many on campus, the only information that most people were given came from other people, many of whom got it from other second handed sources. Little was provided from the school about what was happening and the progress of the investigation.

At the staf meeting regarding the threat, staf commented that rumors, which circulated on campus and on social media, caused confusion.

Seniors win second Homecoming in a row

“There were actually several diferent threats, but only one of them had to do with our campus. But they got tangled up, because as people told them, they heard something diferent, it was like a game of telephone,” said AVID coordinator and science teacher Laura O’Brien.

The administration has said that they shared all of the information that they could.

“The email was sent when we had confirmed information. We didn’t want to send out false information. We responded with the appropriate information for the situation,” said CVHS Principal Christopher Fortenberry.

Administrators had their hands tied with what they could and could not tell concerned students, staf, and family meant that they could not dispel rumors and clarify what was happening. The onslaught of social media posts that were sent around caused more anxiety and unreliable information to spread rapidly.

O’Brien thought that it would be good for administration, in the event that this happened again, to have a designated person to handle communication.

“But if you have somebody reading those and seeing that there’s common concerns or questions coming out, that person’s job could be to put out frequently asked questions, investigation is underway. Here’s, you know, here’s what we can share so far, here’s what we’re doing in school to keep your students safe,” she said.

The administration does have a Public Information Ofcer (PIO) that is deemed as the contact for news sources and staff members in cases of emergency. Their job is to contact parents, staff, and anyone who may be involved with an emergency and help with rumor control by correcting staf and clarifying what they are authorized to do. On the CVHS Comprehensive School Safety Plan it is said that they are one

of the assistant principals.

Improving the connection between administrators and families in times of emergency can dispel lots of anxiety and assure them that their student is being well taken care of and that safety is remaining of the utmost priority.

While threats of school violence have become normalized within our society currently, it is still important to note the trauma and fear that it can cause in the people who live through these events.

“I feel like it was really weird for everyone to just be like, ‘Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just another thing.’ Like it’s not just another fre alarm going of, [it’s] something that can afect a lot of us,” said Rodas.

Recognizing that there are resources that can and will help people get through their anxieties and trauma, O’Brien thinks, is something that the administration should promote more. The Wellness Center includes many diferent hotlines for students, staf, and parents who may be feeling stress or anxiety over the events on September 21. They are also open every day during school hours should any student feel they need support.

CVUSD strongly emphasizes that for the safety of all students and staf that should you hear of any threat or suspicious activity that you report it to the tip line: (510) 340-9763. They also request that you include as much information as you have .

By Melissa Boussaroque

Homecoming 2022 was a cinematic experience flled with sneaky school spirit, adventurous outfts and fantastical fun, not to mention wild festivities. After the long week, the senior spirit reigned supreme.

After their win last year, the senior spies managed to snatch frst place yet again. Their mission was completed by placing frst in dance and skit, and tying with the freshmen for second place in foat.

Nicholas Pronske and Kaelyn Gee were the winners of senior court. The winners of homecoming royalty were Maya Wong and Sara Cordiano.

Reagan.

Olive DOOley

The sophomores saddled up and rode into second place. They placed second in dance, and fourth in foat and skit. The sophomore court winners were Matthew Minero and Sydnee Yee.

“I am happy that we won second because it typically goes in grade order,” said sophomore Ava Ng.

After a devastating loss last year, the juniors of the jungle began to make a comeback and climbed into third place. They placed frst in skit, third in foat, and fourth in dance. Justine Fong and Josh Mitchell were the junior court winners

Junior Ava Cristobal is disappointed but optimistic and said that: “We’ll get them next year.”

The freshmen gave a valiant effort but were unable to win and few straight into fourth. They got second place for skit (tying with seniors) and float and finished third in dance. The freshmen court winners were Leah Poon and Rilen Ramirez.

“The seniors winning homecoming felt really great. I know that myself and all of my friends participated all week in dressing up. We were all super excited about the themes. It felt important to win this year since it was our last chance and it was really fun to see everyone be part of that,” said senior Emerald

“I feel a little disappointed that more people didn’t participate, leading us to lose. I hope people who didn’t participate saw how much fun it was and will decide to engage next year,” said freshman Alexa Barron.

Every single grade managed to show their spirit and beat the Encinal High School Jets off with Trojan pride at the Homecoming football game, where the Trojans claimed a homecoming win.

“The house was shaking:”

Hurricane Ian

Emerald Reagan senior

It felt important to win this year since it was our last chance...

“

Hurricane Ian impacts Florida communities

By Drew Paxman

Up to 100 miles per hour winds shattered glass and toppled trees on Sep. 28, 2022 as the much-anticipated, nearcategory fve storm Hurricane Ian made its home in southwest Florida.

“We had over 100 miles per hour sustained winds for over fve hours,” recalled Douglas Paxman, uncle to Olympian editor Drew Paxman. “I had a tree branch hitting my house. And the winds were howling. And the house was shaking. I thought my roof was going to be fying of at any time.”

This was the frst hurricane that Paxman, who lives in North Port, and his family have experienced since moving out east in 2019. When it was safe, Paxman and his family were able to relocate from North Port to Miami. They plan on venturing back to their home in a few days time, when the electricity in North Port turns back on.

“I consider myself lucky that

we survived,” he explained. “A lot of homes were actually destroyed, damaged and flooded, and people had to be rescued by boat from their homes.”

In addition to leaving southwest Florida homes destroyed and communities in ruin, the storm has claimed over 100 lives.

“It’s likely to rank among the worst [hurricanes] in the nation’s history,” remarked President Joe Biden in a press conference on September 30. “It’s going to take months, years to rebuild.”

AP Environmental Science teacher Melissa Kindelspire has family that live in Florida, although they were not in the direct path of the hurricane.

“They did have to empty their pool before the storm and then watched as it flled back up again with rain water overnight. If they hadn’t drained the pool to make room, their yard could have fooded which may have gotten into the ground foor of the house,” she said.

When asked how climate change could relate to the severity of the hurricane, Kindelslpire explained, “The increased air temperatures increases evaporation as well as the water temperature of the oceans.” She added, “We do know that warmer temperatures usually cause stronger winds and more rainfall. Climate change also causes sea level rise. This makes storm surge a much bigger problem and increases

the amount of fooding.”

But despite the devastation, the lives lost, and the looming reminders of climate change, some Floridians are coming away from these trying times with a new outlook.

Florida Governor Ron Desantis visited Pelican Alley in Nokomis on October 6, the day the waterfront restaurant reopened to the public for the frst time since the category four storm passed by.

He rhetorically asked, “How many other places in this country would that happen?”

Paxman, on the other hand, is simply relieved that he and his family are alive, and that the damage to their home is “minimal” compared to that of others. In addition, Paxman noted that the hurricane had one unexpected positive outcome: “If anything, the storm brought the neighborhood together,” he concluded.

District rainbow murals spark protests

“Bay Area Against Mandates” saw this and set up a protest, claiming that school should be about math, English, and science. Another group of people, mostly consisting of people within Castro Valley Unifed, went to the district ofce to counter the protest.

The school board meeting itself didn’t have the pride murals anywhere on the agenda, as it was already approved by the school board in February 2022. However, when it came time for public comments, all 35 comments were related to the mural project.

Chu addresses the opposition her project had gotten during the meeting.

“It’s maybe ignorance and just a fear of things we don’t understand which I totally get. I know there’s a ton of things that I don’t understand, and I would view them as strange and unfamiliar. I’m just saddened by the fact there are so many people who still hold these kinds of beliefs,” said Chu.

By Luis Ochea

What was supposed to be a normal school board meeting turned into something much more. On Sep. 14, protesters gathered outside the district office to protest the murals being painted around CVUSD campuses.

CVHS seniors, Karissa Chu and Rebecca Ireland, an editor

for the Olympian, have been working to implement murals of the pride fag in schools all over CVUSD, which has garnered opposition from other groups of people.

The murals feature a progress pride fag, meant to represent the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. A group known as

“I think home with parents who love their children unconditionally would be the best place to start. Public systems don’t make things better people do. So whatever hardship that you’re facing, whether it’s represented in the progress or not, because there’s a lot of other people with other hardships. In life, you just stick with the people who love you

unconditionally,” says Danielle Perreria. She was protesting against the murals, feeling that it would force the ideas of the LGBTQ+ community to other people.

“My rights and other parents rights have been violated by Vannoy Elementary School openly painting a flag that is a symbol of sex. The fag subjugates students to ofcial promotion and inclusion of only one lifestyle that violates students freedom of religion.” says Heather. She is a parent of a child at Vannoy, and had to tell him that he was too young to understand.

“My personal view I’m happy to see the support of the community, especially the students at the high school, who are out here and supporting the members of our LGBTQ plus community. It’s absolutely incredible to see that support, a real good representation of what our community believes in,” said junior and ASB school board representative Quentin Hansen.

Despite the protests, CVUSD has gone ahead with the project, adding the murals to many schools around the district. CVHS has a pride fag mural next to the weight room at the auxiliary gym and another located at the entrance of the school.

“We know we all believe that everyone has a right to free

speech [and] they can share their opinions. We just hope that everyone has an open mind and understands what this is all about,” said Superintendent Parvin Ahmadi.

Toppled trees and fooded streets demonstrate the destruction of Hurricane Ian near Doug Paxman’s home in North Port, Florida.

Rebecca IReland

PHOTO Opinions

Try Guys try infidelity

By Maya Wong

The

I

I began to watch content by the Try Guys in third grade, when the YouTube sensations made their frst appearance together in a 2014 Buzzfeed video. I followed their journey as both friends and collaborators religiously since then, binging on series ranging from Try Guys Try [blank] and Without a Recipe, to Keith’s Eat the Menu and Eugene’s Rank King. Some of my fondest quarantine memories involve giggling uncontrollably over a Try Guys segment alongside my sister. With the recent controversy that turned the friends from a group of four to three, I feel that much of what I’ve known about the Try Guys is false. On Sep. 27, 2022, the Try Guys expelled member Ned Fulmer for

cheating on his wife, Ariel Fulmer, and having an ongoing affair with an employee, Alexandria Herring. What started out as rumors on a Reddit thread were confrmed as true by Fulmer in a social media statement.

Honestly, this was the last thing that I expected Ned to ever do. Yale-educated and married with two children, Ned’s life seemed perfect. In fact, Ned had painted his entire personality and brand to be centered around being a family man who was committed to his wife and children. He and Ariel wrote a cookbook together and briefly

had their own family channel. “My wife!” he’d often say. Many fans idolized the Fulmers’ relationship, deeming them the paragon of what a loving marriage should be.

It is clear that Ned’s branding was all a ruse. His recent actions make all of his past words hypocritical. This brings into question: What was the point of how he acted? Was he truly dedicated to Ariel, or was he trying to hide something all along? The announcement of the affair affected not only Ned’s personal life—his public image has also been destroyed.

Now, I question the truthfulness of the videos I’ve faithfully watched for so long. I always viewed Ned as the nice guy who has a lovely wife and makes poor, spontaneous decisions for the beneft of viewers. But, this poor, spontaneous decision came to the detriment of all. Throughout my adolescence, I greatly admired Ned and Ariel’s bond and yearned for a future marriage just like theirs. I refect on this content, racking my mind for clues of distrust or infdelity. The funny moments where Ned joked about how much he loved Ariel and his sons once warmed my heart; now they disgust me.

Will the Try Guys recruit somebody to take Ned’s place? How long will they continue making content? Considering the fact that Ariel was very involved in the business and partook in the Try Wives series, what will the relationship be like between the company and Ariel moving forward? Will Ned and Ariel work things out and stay together? The dynamic within the Try Guys will never be the same.

Schools should improve responses to potential threats

Editorial:

A threat of violence was reported to CVHS administration on Sept. 21. We at The Olympian have a lot to say about how this event was handled.

Personally

Here’s what we know: there was a threat reported the evening of Sept. 20; the school sent out an email the morning of Sept. 21, eight minutes after zero period began. All day, screenshots and rumors were spreading and anxiety spread.

Students who didn’t come to school for fear of their safety were not able to participate in afterschool activities. We also know that student leadership was instructed to not spread information about the threat, in accordance to the Emergency Communications Policy, to avoid spreading rumors.

Not only did this impact students staying home, by causing confusion about receiving cuts, it affected students that stayed at school, because they were seemingly forced to choose between their education and their safety.

The Olympian meets during zero period, and after fnding out about the threat we were in a bind. We were planning to work on distributing our frst newspaper but the threat overtook our day. We locked the doors and windows and didn’t know what our protocol was. We also postponed our freshman

Typically

Jena Garcia science teacher

The Olympian encourages letters from our readers. Please note that letters must be signed and no longer than 200 words. E-mail them to cvhsolympian@gmail.

outreach that day to ensure peace of mind.

Staff didn’t know any more information about the purported “threat” than the students. Students look to their teachers for safety and comfort, but when threats occur and no one knows anything further about what is going on than the initial message, it makes it hard to trust the systems in place.

The social norms are that teachers are to give up their safety for their students, that is not in the job description and it shouldn’t be. We want to be able to know there are people we can trust to converse with or turn to when these events occur. We also believe teachers should be able to choose to come to school in these circumstances, and not be pressured into working when there is a potentially unsafe situation. Teachers were notifed a minute after the second bell of zero period, not resulting in effective communication of the message.

To reassure students and families on the front of what was occurring with the threat, we believe that students should have been updated the same day when the threat was resolved instead of informing them the next day about the outcomes of the threat. Not everything needs to be shared in real time as that would cause more

panic, but updates are important to get out to the students and staff in a timely manner to prevent more rumors and uncertainties from spreading all day. Furthermore, we believe keeping the threat a secret was a heavy burden to place on leadership students.

The Olympian acknowledges that this is a very diffcult situation to be administrating through. However, being that threats and materializations of threats are a relatively common occurrence in recent times, we believe that there is much room for improvement in reassuring students, staff, and families and prioritizing all aspects of safety.

Here is a QR code directed to the CVUSD tip line should any student, staff, or family member hear of a threat that may impact any CVUSD campus. We at The Olympian hope that everyone will take threats seriously and report them to the necessary offcials.

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. © 2021

Editor-in-Chief.............................................................Olive Dooley

Online Editor................................................... Maya Wong

Media Editor............................................... Drew Paxman

News and Artists’ Abode Editor...................................Zoe Dorado

Opinion Editor Rebecca Ireland

Sports Editor.................................................... Sam Scott

Arts and Entertainment Editor ............Melissa Boussaroque

Staff Writers: Victor Bahng, Shannan Chan, Ethan Dinh, Wyatt Franklin, Evan Griffth, Renata Gutierrez, Samantha Jew, Mason Jordan, Haku Kremer, Frances Lee, Maddie Newman, Luis Ochea, Gavin Peters, Erika Sun, Kaitlyn Tchang, Matthew Wong, Nicole Wu, Anjali Yadavalli

Advisor .........Lisa Carmack

Gabriella Manina sophomore

do think the seniors should have won. I think that the seniors did absolutely marvelous.

Did the seniors deserve to win?

Brayton Lewis-Murphy freshman

seniors nor the freshman should have won. I think the juniors should have won.

Olivia Hsu senior

Gianna Gee junior

seniors have the most spirit because its their last year. So it’s a good thing they won because they had the most spirit!

Maddie NewMaN

Clothing: a wonderful way to express yourself

By Maddie Newman

As a child, I never thought about the clothes I wore, and I never understood the concept of fashion, or even preferring certain clothes over others.

Digital materials make learning better

By Frances Lee

During the pandemic, all of my teachers started assigning classwork and homework online and continued to do so even after returning to in-person. I’ve found it much easier to manage my assignments online because of the pandemic.

I realized this was a signifcant development because it makes managing assignments easier for teachers and students. It

schools use 32 billion sheets of paper annually

also makes the lessons more accessible for students who have a lot of work or have difculties organizing their work.

Assigning classwork and homework digitally also saves a lot of paper and money that could be spent on more practical uses. According to RecordNations, an organization that documents records online, schools use 32 billion sheets of

paper annually. A single piece of paper costs fve cents. This means schools spend over two and a half billion dollars per year alone on paper. By taking advantage of the internet, we can decrease deforestation along with staying organized. There are other benefits to online assignments, such as being able to access new, alternative resources and keeping track of when projects are due. I fnd it less stressful knowing that I don’t have to keep track of all my work because I simply check my Google Classroom for the due dates of assignments and projects.

“I think for English, doing most of the work online is easier. However, for some subjects, like math, it would be more difcult,” said English teacher Tina Johansson.

Along with online assignments, e-textbooks are also benefcial. I rejoice at the fact that I don’t have to drag heavy textbooks to my next classes because I can access online textbooks. Not only can I access online textbooks, but I can also view worksheets I may have missed without any trouble. Another benefit of moving all assignments online is that students can work from home whenever they are absent. Having most of my classwork and homework online has made it easier for me to complete and organize my assignments. Teachers who haven’t started posting classwork online should consider moving to digital assignments.

Recently, I have started to realize the appeal of clothing. For me, certain clothes or styles of clothing can make me happy through gender euphoria. This made me interested in what goes into CVHS students’ choices of clothing, and how they might express themselves through what they wear. CVHS dress code was seen as very fair from the people I talked to, with nobody describing it as strict. Compared to my middle school experience, I haven’t seen anybody get accused of a dress code violation in my three years attending the school. This makes it possible for students to not be limited in their choice of clothing!

Some students said they also liked some clothing for the way it made them feel in relation to their gender, maturity, or attractiveness. As they were cisgender, it may not have been clear what I meant when I asked about clothing afrming their gender or relation to womanhood,

but one female student had a somewhat similar experience to me. She liked wearing feminine things (dresses, skirts, certain makeup) because she felt pretty.

“I guess I can recognize things that I do may be stereotypically girly, but I don’t think about, like, how gendered I am?... [I] don’t feel particularly happy or unhappy when I do things that are more or less feminine,” she refected.

I thought it was interesting to hear about other peoples’ relationship to gender, and that most people did not even think about it. It’s always funny to fnd out that your experience is not universal.

One student brought up that their clothing style is infuenced by their geographical cultural environment and the company that they keep, which I had not considered. They said that their friends’ fashions are similar to their own.

I internally compared this to how one’s language and

vocabulary is highly infuenced by the people they talk to. I have noticed this often with my texting style, as I’ll naturally incorporate abbreviations and slang used by my friends who I communicate most often with.

My friend said she expresses her interests through her clothing. “Every single one of my socks are silly socks of cute animals or fun objects or from places I’ve been to,” she explained. “And my t-shirts are all from shows I like, or also places I’ve been to or things I’ve done.”

I could relate to this, as I have a lot of turtle-related clothing to show my love for them!

Another friend said that he hardly thinks about his clothing, though he does prioritize comfort in them. I learned a lot from other CVHS students’ experiences in clothing, and how some of theirs difered from mine. Overall, I feel as if I have gained a better understanding of our community.

Let minors have the right to vote

This topic has been the center of many debates. Many people argue that minors may be too ‘rebellious’ or too ‘liberal’ to participate in voting elections. While others say that minors should learn from an early age to be engaged in the political scene. While this conversation has been opened for a while, there is still no conclusion/ action that has been made.

By Nicole Wu

With the new age of social media, people are now being exposed to much more information at a much younger age. Minors are now taking charge of their future in many ways other than voting. They are able to form their own opinions on issues that afect them. So the question is: Should minors be allowed to vote?

“Their reasons for not voting are not based on a lack of political motivation and political ability. Their quality of vote choice is no lower than among older voter cohorts”, stated by NCBI.

The NYRA states, “ In 2011, people under 18 paid over $730 million in income tax alone and had no representation on how that money was spent”. VOX magazine agreed and stated that kids may be more afected by elections than adults are, “... kids shoulder the consequences of the decisions our politicians make. They’re the population most afected by food insecurity and by air pollution”.

“It’s time to give them a voice in our democracy by permitting them to be heard at the ballot box. 16- and 17-yearolds are legally permitted to work and drive. They also pay federal income taxes,” said

(D).

In the beginning of 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, kids were sharing their own opinions on how the government was handling the situation on social media.

Technology has changed the way we see the world in many ways that we never thought to be possible, and as the world continues to change, so must society.

Even though the conversation of voting for minors has been a hot topic for a long time, it wasn’t until recently we see kids become more and more involved with the environment around them. Everyday, we see minors taking to the streets to protest what they are passionate about and taking charge of their future. If you exclude minors, you are excluding a third of the population of the U.S. their right to vote.

So as Congresswoman Grace Meng says, “Let’s let them be heard and make their voices count.”

Congresswoman Grace Meng

Juniors swing into third

Juniors had swinging spirit and wild outfits. Unfortunately, their rope was not quite long enough to carry them into first place. They will seek revenge next year, their final year.

Sophomores saddle up to second!

Decked out in their cowboy hats and boots, sophomores were able to pull themselves up from fourth place last year to second place.Their western spirit was certainly one of the best(ern).

you wondering

By Gavin Peters

“If you knew the world was going to end, but you had the power to stop it, would you?”

This is the dilemma that 15-year-old high school student Henry Denton must fnd his own answer to. The book “We Are the Ants’’ by Shaun David Hutchinson follows the life of Henry, a boy abducted by aliens (whom he calls sluggers). He is given a 144-day limit on his decision.

Henry faces an ultimatum: should he save the human race from imminent doom? The book is a heart-wrenching, scif, drama story that covers many controversial topics related to younger generations, and the pains that infuence their lives.

“We Are the Ants” follows the love, loss, guilt, mental health, and hope of Henry. He was a target of his school for years where “popularity is teenage heroin,”

which he lacks. He is brutally harassed for his sexuality, making Henry wish the world would end sooner. He is also bullied for his galactic truth of alien life, which no one seems to believe except for the love of his life, Jesse Franklin who had unexpectedly committed suicide, adding to the difculty of his decision: Is humanity worthwhile?

At home, things are not much better. Henry lives with his trainwreck of an older brother, Charlie, his divorced mother who has exhausted herself out of her dreams, and Nana who has Alzheimer’s. But then comes a new hope that helps Henry learn to love again, accept the past, and think of what the future could hold.

This story hit powerfully close to home for me, and probably will for other young adult readers who could empathize with Henry’s pain

and feelings of being diferent. The characters are well written; their in-depth ideas and motives are based around the main idea of knowing the world is ending, not believing it, or living life to the fullest in their time left. The fear and hopelessness that the characters feel are especially relatable during the pandemic, where life seems to have stopped yet sped up all at once, changing yet standing still. Feeling alone—yet all being a part of the same life-changing events of reality.

“We Are the Ants” is worth the read, it pulls you in as a reader and leaves you wondering what will sway Henry’s decision next, and what his fnal answer will be.

“We may not get to choose how we die, but we can choose how we live. The universe may forget us, but it doesn’t matter. Because we are the ants, and we’ll keep marching on.” We can’t always see the light at the end of our tunnel, but we can try to comprehend the feelings that await us. Will Henry save everyone, or leave them all to perish? That’s for you to fnd out.

An exploration of “Harry’s House” and “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers”

By Evan Griffth

The musical spectrum has shifted and evolved ever since cavemen could hit rocks together. The music of 2022 is a product of centuries of creative infuence: constantly changing and constantly refning to something new. Today’s range of sounds, rhythm, and lyricism is more diverse than ever before. To assess the musical climate of today, we can analyze and compare two of this year’s albums on opposite ends of the spectrum, “Harry’s House” by Harry Styles, and “Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers” by Kendrick Lamar.

“Harry’s House” is a pop-influenced 42-minute album that combines aspects of synth, funk, and pop rock to create a new age amalgam. The album deals with infatuation, love, and how maturing in life complicates these subjects. These topics, although focused, don’t follow any storyline. They’re more so a series of one-of stories relating to one another through common themes. This format can create a scattered feel that sounds more like a collection of singles than a thought-out

project. From the start of the album, the beats and lyrics are funky, energizing, and often involved in young love. Styles’ sentiments can be summed up in the second track “Late Night Talking”: he sings, “I’ve never been a fan of change, but I’d follow you to any place,” as well as pop’s most repeated phrase, “can’t get you of my mind.” As the album progresses and matures, so do the topics. “Little Freak,” the sixth track, has some of the most beautiful lyrics in the album, including “starry haze, crystal ball, somehow, you’ve become some paranoia, a wet dream just dangling, but your gift is wasted on me.”

It is a great disappointment that this narration is accompanied by boring vocals, mundane build-ups, and the basic structure of every radio-pop song from 2015. Ultimately, this album has some unequivocally catchy songs and some much-needed depth later in the album, but it lacks the intersection of the two. The catchy radio hits lack depth while the more complex songs lack enjoyability.

“Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers” is a 78-minute album comprised of 19 songs. This new-age rap project

experiments with piano, violin, and other classical instruments incorporated into beats, challenging the norm of hip-hop today. The belting of a church choir and rhythmic clicking of tap dancers are often highlighted in the intro of songs, with the voice of a therapist sometimes speaking to Lamar.

This project is highly confessional and nothing if not honest—while speaking of racism, toxic masculinity, homophobia, family, and personal growth. In the ffth track, “Father Time”, Lamar speaks of the hard relationship he had with his father and what he was taught a man should be: “looking for ‘I love

you,’ rarely empathizing for my relief.” Lamar uses his poetic prowess to describe the state that his childhood left him in: “your heart is made of stone, and your mind is made of gold, and your tongue is made of sword, but it may weaken your soul.” Lamar’s lyricism throughout the album is punchy and meaningful in everything he discusses.

These two albums have completely different tones and overall sounds but relate to each other in terms of theme and structure. They also encapsulate two major genres of the musical spectrum today, and were well received by their intended audiences. The music of

2022 is diverse and exciting especially due to the fact that experimentalism, primarily in hip-hop, is beginning to be praised in the mainstream.

“Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers” Rating: 4/5

This album has complexity and nuance. It is recommended for anyone who doesn’t mind some productive swearing.

“Harry’s House” Rating: 3/5

Although it contains some hits, the project as a whole felt played out and imprecise.

I wouldn’t recommend listening to this album all the way through, but I would recommend adding “Music for a Sushi Restaurant”, “Late Night Talking”, and “As It Was” to your pop playlist.

“We Are The Ants” leaves

“Arcane”: one of the best animated series created

By Frances Lee

“Arcane,” a recent steampunk action-themed show on Netfix, explores the rivalry between the people of Piltover, a powerful dystopian city thriving with progress, culture, and corruption, and the two sisters between their perspectives of magic, technology, and politics. From the beginning of the frst episode, where monstrous fres engulf the bridge connecting the wealthier and poverty-stricken side of Piltover to the actionpacked battles between the impoverished civilians and law enforcers of Piltover.

The wealthier side of Piltover flourished with innovators, technology, and politicians often conficted with the poorer side of the city, known as the Undercity. The Undercity is infested with crime, violence, and reckless criminals. The diferences in the city’s two sides paint a dystopian world where

the two fght over power and control over resources. Amid this fght, the two sisters try to fnd their way back to each other.

“Arcane” gained fame even as the series was made due to its relations with a videogame developer, “Riot Games.” Fans of the games have waited eagerly for two years as the series was meticulously created.

“Arcane”’s popularity grew exponentially when it premiered on Nov. 6, 2021, due to its incredible and distinct art style. The combination of 3D characters with 2D, tediously hand-painted backgrounds and effects made this show come to life. The characters of “Arcane” are stunningly crafted, from one of the main characters, Jinx’s childish yet chaotic style to the evil and mysterious villain Silco. The characters can be portrayed this way because of the animators’ attention to detail and skills in

their animation. The characters’ designs also revolve around the steampunk aesthetic inspired heavily by technology and industrial machinery, which ties back to Piltover.

The diferences, similarities, conflicts, and diverse pasts in each character and their development over the show contributed to the rise to fame of “Arcane.” Many of the show’s characters are appealing and realistic because they are forced to make difcult decisions.

For example, Heimerdinger, one of the politicians in Piltover, faces predicaments that contradict his beliefs. After witnessing the demise of a former city, Heimerdinger pledges to prevent Piltover from sufering that same fate by illegalizing magic. However, as inventors developed more ways to input magic into daily lives, Heimerdinger is torn between allowing this to be implemented into the citizens’

lives or continuing the current ban on magic. However, the television series was challenging to follow due to the number of characters with intricate backstories. The audience has to follow both the politicians of Piltover and their conficts along with two sisters as they attempt to resolve misunderstandings with family and their political perspectives in Piltover. In addition, multiple main characters and short

episodes contribute to viewer confusion.

Overall, I would rate this series four out of fve stars. The popularity of “Arcane” was unavoidably predictable because of its spectacular cast of directors and dazzling art. However, the series is not perfect because of the large number of complex characters in a short time. However, this is defnitely among the best action-packed TV series yet.

By Ethan Dinh

For many people, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has a special place in their hearts. Many people have their own favorite characters from the MCU’s massive roster; however, She-Hulk is highly unlikely to be one of them.

“She-Hulk, Attorney at Law” is a Marvel television show in the process of being uploaded onto Disney-Plus. In this show, Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk) is a thirty year old single attorney who specializes in superhuman-oriented legal cases (although this has rarely been shown so far). Receiving her superpowers after entering a car crash with Bruce Banner (The Hulk), She-Hulk attempts to learn her abilities to use them for good.

She-Hulk, however, seems to be an immature and unliked character by her audience. In one scene, Banner and Walters begin comparing their own pasts in ways they used to deal with their anger and trauma. She-Hulk claims that she was used to bottling

up her anger due to how society treated women (although it was clear she was not containing her anger). Yet, at the same time, she was comparing her own experiences with Bruce’s, the only recorded MCU character to attempt suicide.

Banner received a different circumstance than Walters, as his powers forced him to morph into a six foot tall, muscle bulging, green skinned, and range fueled monster. At the beginning of Bruce’s arc, he feared his power and inability to control it. Bruce even attempted suicide only for “the other guy to spit it (the bullet) out,” referring to how he used an unmanned frearm in an attempt to take his own life, only for him to transform into the hulk and spit out the bullet.

Although Walter’s position is understandable, their plights are almost incomparable and feels more like a mocking competition than an actual conversation about how to control rage, which does an injustice to both characters.

Walters also acts vain

and is an extremely one-sided character who could be coined as a “Mary Sue,” a female character who has been given ridiculously powerful abilities at the cost of doing little to nothing compared to others. A “Mary Sue” feels cheap due to the fact there is no character growth, leading the story to feel as if nothing has changed about the character and to make it difcult to like or cherish them. “Mary Sues” are often thrown in to show female representation, but they overall cheapen a story by being able to gain powers to bulldoze through the plot while leaving behind major continuity errors.

For example, She-Hulk could merely clap and the sound waves reverterbrating from her hands at a constant pace could knock down The Hulk, despite resisting that power in his original movie, “The Incredible Hulk.” She-Hulk is incredibly over-confdent, both as a regular attorney and as the She-Hulk despite the original comic material showing that she was often shy and lacking selfconfdence. Before becoming the She-Hulk, the actress of SheHulk claimed that, “Jennifer needs to be pulled out of her shell” by her best friend, Niki Rammos, who is also in the feld of law.

Overall, it feels like what the writers for the series have done is make a half-hearted script about girl power that feels unearned, unwarranted, and disappointing to its audience. Overall, given the use of “woke” infuence alone rather than a good plot and likable characters to power a show, the only rating that can ft this show is one out of fve stars.

“She-Hulk” is a hulk of dissappointment

“Ripple Effect:” a story told through photos 10

Marching band’s 2022-2023 show

These photos come from a collection of events that marching band has performed

By Olive Dooley and Rebecca Ireland

at: including their Friends and Family Show, the homecoming game, and their frst competition.

Coming soon: “Radium Girls”

By Samantha Jew read, where they read lines from the script without rehearsing beforehand. The fnal cast list was posted on September 15.

The CVHS theater department recently announced the new fall play: “Radium Girls.” It tells the true story of factory workers during World War I, who worked with deadly radium. The story follows Grace Fryer and her journey to court for justice.

It’s the 1920s, and radium is the new big thing. Discovered by Marie Curie, its radioactive component allowed it to shrink tumors and “cure” cancer. Every day, the Radium Girls would paint watch dials with radium infused paint. To give the brush a fner tip, they were instructed to lick the tips of the brushes. This long term exposure to radium caused many of them to contract a deadly illness. At frst the reason was unknown— doctors claimed it was syphilis or bad hygiene—any cause but radium. After all, how could the same element that could cure cancer cause radiation disease?

Grace Fryer is one of the infamous Radium Girls. She started working for the U.S. Radium Company at 15 and loved her job there, until a few years later, her friend and former colleague, Irene, fell sick. Soon after, more girls, including Grace, fall ill to a similar disease. After numerous visits to various doctors, she fnally discovers that she has contracted radiation poisoning from working in the factory. Grace along with four other women went to court with the U.S. Radium Company, in hopes of receiving compensation for the rest of their numbered days. Auditions for the play were held on September 12 and 13. Students were asked to prepare a monologue from the show, and then performed a cold

Many students had mixed feelings about the audition. Even students who had previously been in plays or musicals before still felt the pressure of doing well.

“I felt pretty good, nervous of course, but confdent, ‘’ said sophomore Mina Chen.

Tiffany Daily, the drama teacher at CVHS oversaw these auditions. According to Playbill’s “10 Most-Produced High School Plays and Musicals of 2021-2022,” Radium Girls was one of the top ten list of shows that were being performed at high schools.

“I was interested because other students were fnding it to be a popular and successful show at their schools, so I wanted to read about it and find out more,” said Daily, explaining why she chose this play.

When looking at auditions, Daily tends to look for something that really stands out in a student’s performance, something that’s “a little bit above and beyond the norm.”

“In the theater and film industry, people will sometimes call it the ‘X-factor,’ but there’s usually just some interesting quality that an actor will bring to their role that kind of just screams ‘Yes, I’m the right person for this character!’” she said.

Once fnal casting fnished, rehearsals started immediately. The show is an eight week process with two hour rehearsals everyday after school. The frst showing of “Radium Girls” will open November 4 at the Center for the Arts.

CVHS teacher hikes the Pacifc Crest Trail

By Erika Sun

For 24 years, Matt Johanson has been a teacher at CVHS, taking on the role of journalism teacher for 22. His latest pursuit: The Pacifc Crest Trail.

Starting July 5th, for 77 days, Johanson hiked over 1300 miles of the Pacifc Crest Trail, beginning from Lassen National Park and heading north towards the Canadian border.

This trip was not his very frst; in fact, it was one of many, fulflling his goal of completing

the entirety of the intense trail. Unfortunately, due to fires during his most recent trip, Johanson was forced to evade certain parts of Washington. But he hopes to complete this section and reach his final destination in the southern part of the trail in the near future.

Regarding life on the trail, Johanson often hiked more than 20 miles a day, sometimes waking up at 5 in the morning to beat the heat.

His typical breakfast consisted of oatmeal and dried fruit, his lunch, trail mix and protein

bars, and his dinner, rice or pasta. Weather conditions and water sources were always information he needed to know.

On the trail, Johanson was referred to as “Detour” by the other trailers to maintain a sense of anonymity. While his name was unknown, he often faunted being a teacher to catch rides as a hitchhiker into town for laundry and showers. In these towns, he would frequently treat himself to hamburgers, beer, and even a hearty salad since fresh vegetables were rare in the wild.

Burfield blows his baritone, breaking world records

Throughout his time on the trail, Johanson documented his experiences through a series of photos and videos on social media. While away from the classroom, he still brought the spirit of journalism along with him, sharing images of Crater Lake or clips of him building his tent.

Now back, he regards one of his his biggest takeaways to be to pack light when backpacking, but most importantly that: “it defnitely makes you appreciate

the things that you miss and the people that you miss,” says Johanson.

While Johanson decided to take a one-year break from his teaching career, he hopes to be back in the classroom for the next school year. But before then, he intends to return to the Pacifc Crest Trail to progress in completing his long-awaiting goal.

Will his beard be extra-long when we see him next? Only time will tell.

By Zoe Dorado

Senior Bronson Burfield, marching band extraordinaire, lived a nomadic lifestyle. Across Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, Burfield marched and played a 6-pound brass instrument called the baritone, winning the title of Drum Corps International (DCI) Open Class World Champions and breaking world records with his group, the Santa Clara Vanguard Cadets (SCVC).

“We took home and won all the caption awards,” Burfeld said. “Each sector of the band –the percussion, the color guard, the brass, the visuals–we won all of it compared to our competitors. Which means we got what’s called the clean sweep. Which means we won everything that could be won.”

One hundred and forty members strong, the group started in April, meeting on weekends regularly for seven hours and having multiple-daylong camps where members would sleep over.

“We spent those days just working 100 percent on the music and the marching,” Burfeld said.

Then summer began, with temperatures reaching up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. On July 14, the Cadets embarked on their journey, often sleeping in high school gymnasiums as they traveled across the country performing their show “Somewhere New.”

“We moved in which meant we said goodbye to our families for about two-something months. Fully committed every day. Hours living on the road where we played, practiced, competed, and repeated.”

As a member of the Cadets, Burfield has grown not just as a musician, but as a person.

“In the beginning, it was kind of worrying. I didn’t know many people but as it went on, I started learning everyone’s names. I started meeting everyone. And seeing everyone every day was just super. It was amazing. I have a say again, I’ve made lifelong friends.”

Burfeld is also a member of the CVHS Marching Band and Guard, where he learned about the Cadets through band director Keita Hasegawa and CVHS graduate Edmund Bascon.

As a leading member of the group, Burfeld is bringing what he’s learned from the Cadets to his fellow band members. Besides technical and physical aspects of marching band such as musical warm-ups, Burfeld emphasizes the importance of tackling mental challenges such as “outlook and expectations,” because, as he expressed, “marching band is mostly mental challenges.”

But the challenges are worth it in the end. While the time of the Vanguard Cadets’ next season has yet to be announced, Burfield encourages others to experience playing in a professional marching band group.

“To my band students, if you’re interested in DCI, you should do it. It was an amazing experience,” he said. “I recommend it fully.”

DO YOUR PART TO PREVENT SEWER BLOCKAGES

Maintaining reliable wastewater pipelines and facilities is everyone’s responsibility. There are simple actions we can all take to make sure that our wastewater system works.

Only Flush the 3Ps!

Only flush the 3P’s: Pee, Poop, and Toilet Paper. Those are the only materials that should be flushed down the toilet. Items like “Flushable” wipes, disposable diapers, and personal hygiene products do not belong in the sewer system.

Never Flush Wipes!

Used flushable wipes belong in the garbage. When flushed, flushable wipes can damage expensive equipment at pump stations and the wastewater treatment plant and only increase the chances of a sanitary sewer overflow.

Put FOG Where It Belongs!

Do not pour Fats, Oils, and Grease, aka FOG, down the drain! Grease collects and hardens inside the pipes and forms a solid plug that can lead to sewer problems. Dispose of grease and fats in the green organics cart instead.

Johanson pauses to take a quick selfe to post to his Facebook and Instagram account (@sierrasplendor) to update followers on the progress of his trip.

freshman fantasies:

frolic to fourth

Freshman fantasies few to near success, scoring high in the skit, dance and foat categories. They will look into the magic mirror next year to see if they are destined to be the fairest in the land.