Oct 9, 2015

Volume 59, Issue 1 O c t o b e r 9 , 2 0 1 5 We are born to seek the truth! www.cvhsolympian.com

Fond Farewells to Trojan Teachers

Celebrating the life of Nicholas “Dubb” Whitaker

Signs of love for Ovida de Julia

By Esther Smith

By Sally Liang

Staff Writer

Nicholas Whitaker, the man who always wore his mohawk in colors all over the rainbow spectrum and whose influence made him the heart of CVHS, passed away on Sept. 27 at the age of 36 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

“He was always putting people first. He was always making people feel like they were the most important thing,” said teacher Michael Kentris at the Celebration of Life Ceremony held in honor of Whitaker.

Often known as Dubb, Whitaker is remembered for dynamically impacting the lives of students while teaching them a unique combination of integrity with humility. For the past eight years, Dubb has broken the glass ceiling of what was considered normal, and through it, taught the students to love who they are and embrace their originality.

Dubb, as a former Leadership activities director, selflessly dedicated an inundating

Copy Editor

Nick Whitaker (left) and Ovida de Julia served CVHS until their final days. amount of extra hours to show his support. He worked diligently to make CVHS a place for everyone regardless of race, gender, or beliefs.

“He had a way of making you feel like you were so important and that he cared so much,” said former ASB President Jenna Sparks. “That’s because he did.

Dubb worked tirelessly to make

sure that our high school was a safe and loving place.”

The impact Dubb left on the community of CVHS was as heart-warming as the man himself.

“Dubb had the biggest heart and the brightest smile. If anyone knew him just the slightest bit, they would know that he gave hugs that could solve any prob-

lem and repair any broken heart,” commented senior Janetta Redzic.

Many students of CVHS are forever marked with the legacy Dubb has created for this community. As senior Taylor Wade put it, “Dubb was a ray of light.

He lived his life with optimism and a glowing smile. He taught me that a hug can solve almost any problem.”

Love legalized: Supreme victory for LGBT community

By Alexander McIntosh Business Manager

Just 11 days after school got out for the 2014-2015 school year, the Supreme Court announced that same sex marriage was now legal in all 50 states. Now gay couples nationwide are finally getting married after waiting years for their time.

“The Obergefell v. Hodges case was a historical decision that marked a profound change in the way our country would treat same-sex couples going forward.

Just like the Loving v. Virginia case did in 1967, it put an end to the legalized discrimination against certain couples,” said Billy Bradford, a Castro Valley parent and activist.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion in the case decided by a 5-4 vote.

“In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than they once were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death,” Kennedy wrote.

“I believe love is love and you can’t deny anyone of that. I think people are afraid of things they don’t understand or are new to them,” agreed CVHS junior Ariana Faizi.

Chief Justice John Roberts

voted against the decision, which “creates serious questions about religious liberty,” he wrote. “Many good and decent people oppose same-sex marriage as a tenet of faith, and their freedom to exercise religion is — unlike the right imagined by the majority — actually spelled out in the Constitution.”

Yet not all religious people oppose the court’s ruling.

“I wholeheartedly support marriage rights for the LGBT+ community,” said junior James Keith Vega. “As a Catholic I feel like God

wouldn't want me to be a hater.”

Despite the court’s ruling, the struggle for LGBT civil rights is not over. For example, a Kentucky county clerk named Kim Davis refused to give marriage licenses to same sex couples because she said it’s against her religious beliefs.

When she disobeyed a judge’s order to issue the licenses, he sent her to jail for five days.

“It should have been the end of the story for anti-gay discrimination, but sadly that will continue for many years to come,” Bradford

Maia Samboy/ News Editor

said. “You can see it playing out right now in Kentucky, where a three-times-divorced county clerk is being hailed as a hero by some for denying equal access to gay couples. She claims religious persecution. It’s shameful.”

Bradford supports employment protection and other legislation to protect the rights of LGBT people.

“We need to add the words ‘sexual orientation’ and ‘gender identity’ into the Civil Rights Act so that everyone is protected,” Bradford said.

Ovida de Julia, who earned a reputation for teaching American Sign Language as an integral part of communication at CVHS for 25 years, died in July at age 51 after a long struggle with cancer.

As de Julia put it, ASL “allows people who can’t express their emotions in words easily to still give voice to their feelings.”

During her years at CVHS, de Julia’s classes were filled with diverse learners who strived to explore the possibility of learning sign language to enhance speech development, and participate in the annual ASL show.

“She knew the language well and constantly exemplifed its beauty through ASL shows,” said senior Selena Lieu. “That was her contribution. We were able to learn and thrive in positive peer interactions. Students came to her classes for the purity of her method, and de Julia taught us with her heart.”

When news first broke of de Julia’s death, the school campus was hit with an overwhelming sense of tragedy.

On social media, the newsfeeds flowed with condolences from students and teachers expressing their sympathy to de Julia and her family.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to her family and the many students who were blessed with her amazing spirit, “ remarked by Meredith Heyniger Judkins, a parent of a former student.

“She was a true positive influence in my son’s life. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity to know her.”

Students hoped to reflect de Julia’s compassion, fondly recounting their memories of her. Stories reminiscing her sense of humor, graceful gestures, and humility were brought with a sense of dismay.

Although many mourned over the loss, those close to de Julia will forever remember the good times they had with her. de Julia is remembered for her dedication, bravery, and strength.

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LGBTQ+ is a part of the new age civil rights movement Editorial: The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of nationwide gay marriage in the historic Obergefell v. Hodges case on June 25. The justices agreed that the protections of the Fourteenth Amendment extend to the marriage of two people of the same gender, guaranteeing that their unions would be valid in all 50 states.

We at The Olympian give our full and complete support to this ruling. The struggle faced by gay individuals has lasted too long, and while the case may not end their troubles, their right to marriage is now rightfully fulfilled.

The notion that homosexuals are unequal in our society is outdated; in a nation that claims to be so progressive, it was about time that we began to acknowledge the equal rights of every American. Prior to the June ruling, over 20 other countries had legalized same sex marriage; the United States was long overdue in joining those ranks.

We find it surprising that there was so much debate surrounding the issue. The right to love

Neo Diesta / Graphic Artist

should be guaranteed to all, so it is only fair that marriage, which solidifies this union, be made available to anyone who pursues it.

This landmark decision isn’t the end of the road. There is still a long way to truly reach equal status for the LBGTQ+ community, and we should be

continuing to make monumental steps to be more inclusive of them, both legally and socially.

While gender fluidity and non traditional sexual orientations are becoming more common, being heterosexual is still considered the norm, and deviations from it are not always positively received.

when you can pay $7,000 per year to a college such as Cal State East Bay that teaches the same subjects just as well?

That is spending over $90,000 for three years on what you can learn at another college for $21,000. The tuition price doesn’t change what the students are learning, they are learning the same material.

Why do we put these colleges on a pedestal? Maybe the answer isn’t the students, but the parents. Parents push their children to do well in school so that they can make a life for themselves as adults. There is lots of pride in parents when they see that their children are fully grown and independent. Now imagine that pride combined with a degree from an Ivy League college and a well-paying job; the bragging rights are enormous.

Why someone would spend a high school career striving to be the perfect candidate for Harvard University has always confused, yet enticed me. I still and will probably always be envious of someone who has gone or will go to an Ivy League college.

As for me, I see the experience

of high school as something to enjoy. The friends you’re around, the teachers you meet, and what you learn are what really make high school enjoyable.

When students strive to be the perfect candidates for UCLA or UC San Diego, it can be backbreaking. Teenagers need sleep and nobody can stress that enough to adolescents. But when students are stressing and tiring themselves over AP courses, SAT scores, and homework, how can students sleep or enjoy their high school experiences?

When seeing the mentally and physically taxing classes and stress students experience, it makes me sure that it does not matter where you go to college.

It matters whether or not people are happy with the people they’re around, the subjects they are studying, and the amount of sleep they get.

Finally, college is a new chapter in life. It is a place to learn and get a degree, while meeting new people and experiencing new things. The college we go to should be sculpted around these ideas, not because of what somebody says about one college or another.

Which college? Does it matter?

By Elizabeth Chan

Staff Writer Junior year of high school brings a copious amount of stress with it. With worry over SAT scores, AP courses, extracurricular activities and your GPA, the stress can be overwhelming.

But where do all of these time consuming, effort inducing, and stressful activities lead to?

The answer is so we can go to a college we deem good. Except the truth to it all is, it doesn’t matter what college we go to.

As freshmen in college, all students have to take a basic set of curriculum. Some students don’t actually know or study their major until their third year of college. Why pay $30,000 per year to a college like Harvard,

PHOTOpinions

By Laniah Lewis

“I agree with the decision because things are fair for everyone now.”

Courtney Craig, freshman

“It doesn’t affect me but I feel like most countries should be more accepting of that community.”

Kobe Cannon, sophomore

The Supreme Court’s ruling has been met with outrage from gay marriage opposition.

The most common concern is question of religious freedom: Is it fair for us to expect people to defy their personal beliefs to uphold the law?

While the moral implications may differ from person

to person, we believe that it is the righteous thing to do in supporting these individuals.

While someone may not personally agree with the notion of homosexuality, they have no right to discriminate against the LBGTQ+ community.

The act of denying service to a gay individual relies on the same fundamental principle as gender or racial discrimination, that there is a “superior” type of person that deserves preferential treatment. Our society has been pushing for women and minority rights for decades, it is only right to include LBGTQ+ to the the new age civil rights movement.

At the end of the day, we are all humans and share the same feeling of love. Whether it be between a man and a woman, two men, or two women, the commonality of our ability to care for others supersedes all of our differences. We should be extending our hands to support one another, rather than pushing each other back into states of oppression.

Not Islamophobia, just hate

By Ishaank Zalpuri Staff Writer

Much of the country is outraged at a Texas school and police department for the arrest of Ahmed Mohamed, a 14-year-old boy, who was arrested on suspicion of bringing a bomb to school. In reality, he had made a clock, and brought it to school to impress his teachers.

When Mohamed showed his English teacher his clock, she said it looked like a bomb. The principal called police, who handcuffed and arrested him. Though he was released and not charged, his school suspended him for three days.

It is blatantly clear that this is not Islamophobia, as some say, but plain racism and hate.

One of his teachers hinted that it would not be a good idea to show any other teachers his clock.

Experiences like this are often what cause people to become depressed, psychotic, or maniacal. Mohamed may never recover from this, and may completely stop his work, and become depressed. Or, he may be angered and want revenge, and only prove the racist people right in their unfair ideals.

Many people including President Barack Obama and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg showed their support by inviting him to the White House and the Facebook headquarters. Many other people openly stated on social media that the school and police department owed Mohamed a public apology.

While some people are positively supporting Mohamed, others however, are doing just the opposite. For example, some people say that the clock was a fake and it was actually a commercial clock with the casing changed, while it is obvious to me that all Mohammed may have taken were a few parts such as the screen.

In the end while some people support Mohamed, including me, due to his ingenuity, it still remains that some also still believe he made the clock with the intention of making a bomb, or attempted to use it as a hoax.

What do you think about the Supreme Court marriage decision?

“I think that people should be with the person they love, but I personally believe marriage is reserved for a man and woman.”

Grace Hancock, junior

“It’s about time.

The fact that it took so long is ridiculous.”

Jacob Serrao, senior

The Olympian

Dealing with death on campus

By Anna Nguyen

Editor-In-Chief First period has come to develop a somewhat somber atmosphere over these last few months. Much too often, the typical Monday morning blues have been accompanied by a mixture of tears and silence, as students and faculty listened as administrators “regret to inform” them of the news of the latest passing.

Up until this past May, I had never truly experienced death before. I’ve been blessed enough to live with two healthy parents, active relatives, and resilient friends. Whenever I was told of a death in the family, they had been too distant of a relative to have had a real effect on my own life.

When the loss of a classmate came, it was like the world had come to a stop around me. Despite never talking to the late Terri Byrd, there was a noticeable change in the way things were following her death, that

affected not just her closest friends, but the entire campus.

An unfamiliar tension came over the school that day. The people I sat in class with everyday buried their faces in tissues, some rushing out the door to escape the reality of their friend being gone. Teachers who were typically so upbeat broke down in tears, trying to avoid looking at that newly vacant seat.

It’s hard to say when the sorrow stopped, but in that brief moment of peace, we all knew that life had to go on, despite having to leave behind those whom we have lost.

But then it happened all over again. Twice.

They say that you’re only given as much as you can handle, but it seems that our school’s threshold for adversity has being pushed too far.

The loss of long time ASL teacher Ovida de Julia to cancer was met with an immediate response. Despite the prospect of the upcoming warm summer months, the school community came together in their time apart, putting together tributes together both in person, and over social media.

The impeding school year was brought to a halt within months of the loss of deJulia.

Following a three year battle with cancer, former activities director Nicholas “Dubb” Whitaker had passed away. At this point, the death of a member of the school community had gained its own routine: a memo-

rial poster was set up on the courtyard stage, students gathered before school to mourn together, and pictures of the deceased were placed around campus.

While it may be comforting to know what to expect in the case of a death, it doesn't make coping with it any easier. If anything, the loss of Dubb was felt the most. Saying goodbye to the heart and spirit of CVHS was hard on everyone. He had impacted us all in some way, and as a result, all of us were touched by his death.

The sight of mourning provokes an emotional response from even the least empathetic of us. The tears of those around us flood the campus, sweeping us all away in sorrow and despair. It will never be easy to learn how to deal with death, but it shouldn’t be easy.

Tr a g e d y n e v e r c o m e s smoothly, but when it’s so close to home it's nearly unbearable.

Life is more delicate then we would like to think, but if anything came out of our school’s recent losses, we have gained a new sense of community that will always remain unmatched. In “Trojan Togetherness,” our campus has truly come together to overcome everything.

Life is short, but I’m glad to have gotten to spend four years of mine here at CVHS, through both the good and bad times.

Protect your ears from earphones

Oct. 9, 2015

Test a test out!

By Sally Liang

Copy Editor When I sat in a stuffy testing room at California State University East Bay, it was difficult to miss the tension-filled atmosphere. At one point, my mind fantasized about joining hundreds of students nationwide to boycott exams.

I recall the writing prompt on the ACT standardized test states, “Placing fast-food outlets in schools encourages students to eat food that is high in salt, fat, and empty calories. Should fastfood franchises be allowed in high schools?” I shook my head in dismay, clearly showing an aversion to the countless hours of prep work I had in store.

Students – and many parents – have many reasons to hate testing, whether it's a classroom quiz about photosynthesis, or a standardized exam. After all, exams can spark academic dishonesty, waste valuable instructional time, and aggravate those who attempt to balance a rigorous course load, strenuous extracurriculars, and satisfactory health.

In recent years, research demonstrates that tests can boost student outcomes, according to the Wall Street Journal. In fact, testbased approaches to learning appear to be specifically crucial for individuals from low-income backgrounds.

Women, minorities, low-income, and first-generation students generally benefit more from these approaches than those from more wealthy, educated families, according to my economics teacher at Chabot

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College. On the other hand, assessments often improve teaching and learning, which support high quality testing practices and programs that align to the new standards.

But there are certainly issues with tests. For years, schools have relied on weak assessments (like the new SBAC test) that do not accurately gauge the ability level of each student. They are often established based on the assumption that every student receives the same quality of educational experience. While some schools contain higher intellectual vitality than others, the quality of education at each institution is not effectively evaluated by one single test.

The nation is doing a better job grasping the role of tests though.

In the recent enhanced ACT writing, students are required to take a position, evaluate all three perspectives listed in the box, and discuss the relationship between the perspectives. This more open-ended assignment "will allow students to more fully demonstrate their analytical writing ability." It is intended to stay relevant to the modern educational system and convey complex ideas, concepts as well as information precisely through the effective analysis of content.

In reality, this redesigned test efficiently reflects the disparities between students’ ability to apply knowledge on a broad topic. While their test scores in other subject areas may be lower, they are allowed to apply materials they came to learn in the classroom to form a feasible opinion. Additionally, the writing portion succeeds to include an enriched curriculum with lessons that require students to utilize fundamental concepts.

We should not alter our education to conform to a test. But do not forget our original intention to join a public institution.

Tests help create a classroom vitality that focuses on creating norms that support rigorous educational practices, and hold students accountable for their learning.

By Mia Babasyan Staff Writer

When walking through the hallway or sitting in class, something you will always see is earphones. Everyone has them and we all use them, but are they negatively affecting our future?

Think about how much earphones and headphones are involved in our everyday lives.

We use them to do our homework, block out noise, work out, or just enjoy our favorite songs.

They help us isolate ourselves and go into a world where it’s the song and our thoughts. What is so dangerous about doing that?

Overly-loud earphones are more hazardous than you think, and once the damage happens, there is no way to reverse it.

I never even considered earphones or headphones to be dangerous, since our lives are already filled with loud noises, alarms, and sirens. But turning your volume up full blast and putting those mini speakers in

Mia Babasyan/ Staff Writer

your ears is doing so much damage that in fact, one in five teens has some form of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

About 1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss because of unsafe listening habits, reported The World Health Organization (WHO).

Noise-induced hearing loss happens in your inner ear when hair cells are damaged. These hair cells send sound messages to your brain. Once they are impaired, hair cells will not grow back. The damage is irreversible, though it takes a long amount of time to occur, so being cautious now is important. “[People] should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back,” said Dr. Etienne Krug, director at WHO. “Taking simple preven-

tive actions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk.”

Some of the actions you can take are easy and worth it to protect yourself. The first thing you can do is be aware of how loud your volume is. Follow something called the “60/60 rule.”

Keep your volume levels at or under 60 percent for 60 minutes a day. The higher your volume, the shorter amount of time you should listen. Another thing you can do is buy a better pair of earphones that are comfortable and fit your ears.

At our age, our hearing should never be a worry in our minds, but understanding the possible damage and taking action is never a bad idea. Protecting will ensure our health for the future.

The Olympian is a publication of the journalism class at Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2015

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

Seniors impart wisdom on their freshman siblings

By Caitlin Forbes

City Editor When the bell rings on the first day of school, timid freshmen look for their classes, while seniors pull on their nicest sweatpants and mosey to class.

But what happens when seniors have freshmen siblings?

As the iconic Lion King song said “It’s the circle of life.”

Three pairs of senior/freshman siblings gave us a glimpse of what it’s like to go through this class metamorphosis. All three pairs of siblings were asked the same questions, but the answers were radically different.

Quilleran (senior) and Grayson (freshman) Cronwall can be seen having intellectual conversations, and love to laugh together. When asked if his older brother gave him high school advice before school, Grayson answered a simple, “No,” but when asked about things he would do similarly to his brother, Grayson stated, “The language trips sound fun,” and after further consideration, “he’s made raps, and that sounds pretty fun.”

The two brothers bond together over marching band and music. With final advice to his younger brother Quilleran remarked, “Don’t do drugs, and

Caitlin Forbes/ City Editor

CVHS siblings play around and hang out with each other during combined lunch days. make lots of friends.”

Sisters Suhayla (senior) and Kameela (freshman) Hassan, love to tease each other with a witty and loving dialogue that only siblings can have. When asked if her older sister has prepared her for high school Kameela said, “No,” but is very excited to start her high school career.

She’s excited about “more

classes, and meeting more people, and learning a language” in addition to, “only two more years of physical education (PE).”

The two sisters hang out together on block days at lunch, and sometimes at break. Kameela does not believe that she will follow her sister’s footsteps stating, “Everything is different, we have a lot of different

CVUSD welcomes new leader

By Jessica Mi Opinion Editor

Following the retirement of Jim Negri, Castro Valley Unified School District has hired Parvin Ahmadi as the new superintendent for the 2015-2016 school year and beyond.

Ahmadi has 27 years of experience in education and began her career in East San Jose where she taught kindergarten, first grade, and sixth grade. “It was a unique experience,” she said. “I loved teaching.”

Ahmadi taught for ten years before her first school administrative position in Fremont. She continued to excel in administration, and has been superintendent of the Pleasanton Unified School District for the past five years.

Now, Ahmadi will be serving the schools of Castro Valley, and she is very excited to be doing so. “I truly believe Castro Valley is an amazing school district and great community,” she said.

President John Barbieri of the CVUSD board of education commented during a press release, "We found a new superintendent who meets and surpasses...qualifications."

Ahmadi brings a standard of excellence with her and she has many plans to improve the teaching and learning programs in Castro Valley. She emphasized the importance of constantly modifying and improving teaching methods to keep up with the changing technological world. “[We need to] take a step back

interests.”

Suhayla gave her sister some last advice, “It’s different than middle school, you have to change a lot.”

The last pair of siblings is Keanu (senior) and Caillou (freshman) Dasalla. Both brothers have a loving banter, as Caillou is eager and ready to start high school.

When asked if Keanu has

Students are avid for the AVID program

By Brittany Bracy Business Manager

Halley Lin-Jones / Photo Editor

CVUSD Superintendant Parvin Ahmadi gives an interview to The Olympian staff. and think about how students learn today,” Ahmadi stated.

“We’ve got to have environments where [the students] learn to be flexible thinkers.”

She also called to attention the multiple facility needs on all the campuses in Castro Valley. “We don’t have air conditioning in many of our rooms,” Ahmadi noticed.

She is already working diligently for the district to be able to receive a bond and make facility renovations.

Ahmadi places great value on the opinions and voices of students. “We need to ask the kids: What do you think classrooms should look like? What kind of learning environment do you need?” she said, “I’m really interested in finding what students are passionate about.”

Passion is what Ahmadi has,

especially to help students learn and achieve. Supporting students not only academically, is so important for her. “Mental health is critical [for students],” she exclaimed. “I truly want to listen.”

Ahmadi also commented on the state’s new common core standards and SBAC tests. “It’s a move in the right direction,” she said, “[but I] do not believe a summative assessment should be the only measure we use.”

Ahmadi dislikes the fact that one single test is used to measure students' abilities.

If there's one thing you need to know about our new superintendent, it's that she is truly passionate about advocating for students and teachers.

"Our teachers have the most important job because they create all the other professions," she said.

given him advice Caillou said, “Yeah he’s given me advice: Get a smaller backpack, and learn how to manage locker space.”

In terms of if he would do things differently or the same as his brother Caillou simply said, “I don’t know,” but Keanu knew of some differences right off the bat, “I stay after school to do homework, but he needs to go home to do his.”

With one last piece of advice Keanu told his brother, “Do not procrastinate, that’s the golden rule.”

One thing that is apparent is that nothing can come between sibling love. Having an older brother or sister can be helpful to learn from their mistakes, to possibly have a better understanding of what high school is really about, and most of all having someone at a new school that you know will always have your back.

But each class is different, and each person is different.

The freshmen will have a completely different experience from their older siblings, but will remember the advice that they were given during their high school careers.

For these older siblings, the class of 2016 will always be tied to the class of 2019.

Students around campus may be hearing about the return of the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program to CVHS. The moment many students have been waiting for has finally arrived, and the much awaited rumored return of the program is true.

Some students have previously taken part in the AVID program during middle school, and maybe even elementary school. AVID is a college preparatory elective that thousands of students all over the country are a part of.

“We stopped having the AVID program here about eight years ago for many reasons, a main one being that the coordinator at the time took a job at another school,” said teacher Laura O’Brien.

It isn’t easy getting into the program, considering the rigorous interview process.

“The program recruits students who have high academic potential who maybe need a little more support and works with students who have typically been underserved or come from underserved populations and have been historically underrepresented at colleges and

universities,” said Assistant Principal Sharon Baltazar.

Focal points of the AVID program include writing, inquiry, collaboration, reading, and organization.

AVID encourages students to excel in all areas of learning, by giving students many tools such as college and upperclassmen tutors for clarification, and homework help in areas of their academic classes during the two tutorial days.

“My favorite thing about AVID is the tutorial days when the tutors help us in whatever we aren’t doing so well in,” said freshman student David Jones.

Yvonna Shaw teaches the AVID elective class, along with O’Brien who is the AVID coordinator. Other AVID content teachers include Jean Emrich, Basudha Mukherjee, Asmeet Sahni, Gigi MacLeod, Lisa Heffelfinger, and Candice Tigerman.

Some highlights of the AVID program include guest speakers, as well as multiple field trips.

Although the AVID program requires students to enroll in honors and advanced courses, the payoff is big, for it helps guide students to a four year college or university.

The Olympian Oct. 9, 2015

No longer united by the Student Union

By Halley Lin-Jones Photo Editor

The upcoming school year welcomes a lot of new changes on school campus, including major renovations to the cafeteria and the annex. Strangers walking into the annex and cafeteria might be impressed by its fresh, newly-painted walls and menus brightly displayed on LCD television screens. But for many of the students and staff members, these resources are undermined by the loss of several signature features of the facility.

Underneath the layers of fresh, white paint on the walls are the elaborate, student-crafted murals that were previously a prominent feature of this space.

Art teacher Jo Sutton taught and worked with many of the students who created these mural projects. “Every mural of my students that they paint over is a heartbreak and a story that is being covered up,” said Sutton.

Many of the changes to the cafeteria area are designed around the opening of several new food locations, such as the Castro Valley Bistro that sells food just outside of the annex.

The idea is that with more places for students to buy food, there will be less traffic and the lines will be more efficient.

However, this does not explain the motivation for the new paint on the walls.

Nor does it account for the surprising removal of the games and ping-pong table in the annex. This change, however, is a temporary one, as more updates to the space are expected soon.

“All of the furniture and accoutrement of the annex were removed. None of it has been placed anywhere yet, as plans for the new student union are not finalized,” said Assistant Principal Jesse Hansen.

The annex, also commonly referred to as the Student Union, was originally designed as a comfortable space for students to spend their lunch period. With these ambiguous and incomplete modifications, the whole vision of the space is being put into question again.

Currently, one of the murals still remains on the walls of the Student Union. This work was created by CVHS graduate Ryan Kelder, showcasing his artwork framing the famous poem by Tupac Shakur, “The Rose That Grew From Concrete.”

Sutton spoke highly of this particular work, as well as a piece of graffiti-style art by Kelder that was recently covered up by the fresh paint.

“This brings up the whole question of the purpose of the Student Union. Shouldn’t it be for the students?” said Sutton.

The answer to her question will have to wait until the design of the annex is completed.

New website in sight for CVHS students

By Jessica Mi Opinion Editor

Over the past few months, CVHS has been transitioning from the old castrovalleyhigh. org website to a new one linked with the district at cv.k12.ca.us/ cvhs. This change was made to accommodate an exciting new mobile app the district plans to deploy later this year.

“This app will provide staff, parents, and students with easy access to their school's calendar and news feed,” said John Perry, the district director of information technology.

In 2012, Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) developed a website platform for all schools, and allowed them to voluntarily participate. For years CVHS used the castrovalleyhigh.org website instead of the district’s cv.k12.ca.us domain, however the implementation of the mobile app will require all schools to be on the district platform.

The website change was for financial reasons as well. The old website required a maintenance fee of $4,200 per year, while using the district website will be cost-free for CVHS. “Those funds can now be used for other campus needs,” said Perry.

As great as these changes will be, many students and teachers are encountering problems resulting from the website change.

Teachers’ cvhs.me websites were linked to the old school webpage, and as a result, no longer work.

The cvhs.me site is a URL shortener created by CVHS graduate Stephen Ou, who wanted to make teacher websites easier to access. The problem can be fixed if Ou takes on the project of re-linking teacher websites to the new school website. Meanwhile, many teachers have opted to switch to a google site or use google classroom instead.

The new site has caused much difficulty for students as well.

“It’s really confusing to navigate the website,” said junior Shefali Bhatia.

Students have called to attention the fact that many links on the new website do not actually exist, but still link back to the old webpage.

Many complaints have also been made about the format and look of the new website. “It just doesn’t look as nice,” junior Ethan Kwong added.

However, one must keep in mind that the new website is a work in progress, and the process of transferring vast amounts of data from one webpage to another is no easy feat.

For those with sentimental ties toward the old school website, fear not, because castrovalleyhigh.org will exist until the end of 2015, at which point it will be time to say goodbye for good.

5

Meiling Zhang/ Feature Editor

Michael Kentris is hard at work and can do it better than Bob the Builder can!

Kentris takes lead of leadership

By Meiling Zhang Feature Editor

Most teachers spend their days teaching five periods, with lunch and a prep period in between.

Michael Kentris, however, traded his normal work day to become activities director with a 12 to 13 hour work day for CVHS. He has officially taken over for Nicholas Whitaker as the head of the leadership class to help plan all school activities. Kentris is extremely honored to take over for a man that has done so much for the school and left behind an amazing legacy.

Over the past year, Kentris has been given the chance to shadow the leadership class, and learn the ropes of how everything works.

He attended all major events in the 2014-2015 school year, and is confident that he will be able to keep up the greatness of the class.

Despite the different settings, he was able to have a smooth transition.

“I think I was also prepared because the kids in leadership are

just great kids, and we learn from each other and help each other become successful,” said Kentris.

Kentris has been teaching history at CVHS for many years, so he is already well-acquainted with both the student body and the typical activities. Besides his regular classes, Kentris has also been involved with student activities as a football coach.

“When I decided to take over [leadership] this year, I had to give up being the head JV football coach because of the conflicting time commitments, and that was really hard,” he explained.

This year, Kentris’ class load was reduced to only two periods, but his remaining time is now occupied by countless meetings. He exchanged teaching traditional lessons to students in classrooms for behind-the-scenes work in the form of meetings that help plan every fun event the student body has.

“The meetings make [the job] a little different, but otherwise it’s not that different,” said Kentris.

“There are times when you can feel like it’s just a different type of

job, but when you’re dealing with the students, then it’s great,” he continued. “Then it’s just teaching and being there for the kids. We’re basically running everything that happens on this campus through leadership.”

From senior picnic to homecoming to all the lunchtime activities, there will never be a dull moment for Kentris during the rest of this year. He will be able to enjoy the results of his hard work during each fun and exciting event.

Some teachers like David RothRossi were more than surprised to find out about Kentris’ new position. He jested, “When I found out that Kentris was going to be the new activities director I was like, omg, no they didn’t. That guy can’t even spell the word activity let along be in charge of activities.”

Of course, all new jobs come with their difficulties.

“I guess I would say the hardest part is dealing with Mr. RothRossi,” Kentris joked.

Bells ring for new lunch menus

By Neo Diesta Graphic Artist

The lunch bell rings and students start heading all over the campus, to their cars, lockers, friends, and the cafeteria.

Recently, CVHS has changed its lunch system: from the way food is sold, to the newly renovated cafeteria and annex, and the new additions made in the lunch menu.

These changes were made to be better for the students and the staff at CVHS. One change this year that has been popular on campus is the new Jamba Juice. This recent addition was meant to try and keep students on campus during lunchtime. Encouraging more students to stay on campus will result in fewer tardies after lunch, safety for students, and happier students and staff with the better food.

The CVHS lunch staff has always been thinking about how lunch can be better for students.

Last year, CVHS offered 26 entrees for lunch. Along with all of these choices, the staff tried having a system with three or four PayPads.

But only one PayPad was cash only. So the head of the lunch staff, Ana Aguilar, thought of a better way to improve lunch purchases.

This year, the number of lunch entrees was cut to 18 or 19. This cut was made because of the new Jamba Juice. In addition, Subway will be available to students on campus later this year. Aguilar really does encourage that students stay on campus for lunch because she believes CVHS offers many healthy choices.

In addition to providing Subway at lunch, Aguilar plans on renovating the cafeteria even more, to really encourage students to stay on campus. She wants to have better furniture and is thinking about adding a WiFi hotspot, along with charging tables for students’ electronics in the cafeteria.

“This is not a place where we cook and sell fast food. We cook and sell quality food to students,” Aguilar said.

Now quality food does not mean that restaurant quality food will be sold, but the staff has been working hard to cook the best food they can for the hundreds of students

that come to buy lunch on campus.

With no cafeteria jobs lost, Aguilar decided to change how the staff would work during lunch.

Before, there was one PayPad that accepted cash only, but not many people lined up for that PayPad, so there was no point in putting a staff member to work there. So, she made that staff member come inside the kitchen to help cook the food for the students.

Now, only two staff members work at the PayPads. This means that there will be only two lines to pay for lunch. But this two line idea was made to be a faster and more efficient way of selling lunch, because the two PayPads would accept both account money and cash.

Also, the Jamba Juice and Subway will always stay the same price, and will be sold to students for $3.

Another idea Aguilar had that would be faster, easier, and more efficient was moving the pizza cart outside to the school courtyard.

This way, students could get the most popular lunch item easier and faster.

Cut to the Chase, Read Cut Both Ways

By Fiona Richter Staff Writer

What would falling in love with your best friend of the same gender feel like? How do people come to identify as bisexual, and explain their sexuality to others? These are the questions Carrie Mesrobian wants to answer in her young adult novel Cut Both Ways.

The protagonist, Will Caynes, is seventeen years old and has never been kissed— until he drunkenly hooks up with his male best friend Angus, and then starts a relationship with a girl, Brandy. He doesn’t know which one to choose, and he isn’t sure that he’s straight anymore.

He’s caught between two worlds, in every aspect of his life. As a child of divorce, he

lives in the homes of both his parents, who dislike each other, and doesn’t feel like he belongs anywhere. Will doesn’t know which parent, house, or partner to choose without hurting someone’s feelings.

That’s what I felt the book was truly about, making decisions. Will makes some terrible choices and some good ones, which makes the story very realistic. Although he realizes this, Will doesn’t change his behavior, which is equally frustrating and interesting. He is morally ambiguous, but I still really sympathized with him. He is also completely honest about his feelings and thoughts; so this story really doesn’t hold anything back.

Cut Both Ways has an open ending, which I don’t like at all.

It does, however, fit the character-driven story. The only other thing I didn’t like about this book was its portrayal of bisexuality, a term which is never even mentioned in the story. Will portrays a classic stereotype: all bisexuals are non-monogamous, cheating

sex-addicts who just can’t choose.

Although people like that certainly exist, they aren’t all bisexual, and not all bisexuals behave that way. I hoped for a character who wasn’t a stereotype when I first opened this book, and I was disappointed.

I felt that Mesrobian wrote a good book, but maybe not the one she intended to write. Of the two questions that started this story, I feel that only one is answered.

Overall, though, I enjoyed this novel. I like most of the characters, especially the parental figures who support Will when his dysfunctional parents didn’t. This story made me smile and groan at its characters’ decisions, and its brutal honesty.

If you want to read about characters exploring their sexuality and dealing with complicated circumstances, and aren’t disturbed by sexually explicit content, Cut Both Ways should be on your toread list.

Diego Rodriguez-Peccorini /Staff Writer

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain has gamers entertained with new features.

Phantom Pain: fun and entertaining

By Diego RodriguezPeccorini Staff Writer

The hottest game on the market at the moment, made by no-other than Hideo Kojima, is a new single player open-world expansion in the Metal Gear Solid franchise.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain follows the story of a restless and battered former Special Forces agent known as Snake. After the ruthless attack on his former base of operations, Snake is placed into a coma for nine years until he finally awakens in 1984 to take revenge against the power-hungry private military corporation, Cypher.

Of course if you are not interested in following the plot of the franchise, there are many other reasons you might want to play this game.

Metal Gear Solid uses a unique game mechanic that enables the player to decide the outcome of a situation. For example, if you were to approach an enemy outpost, the player could decide to use stealth and eliminate all enemy combatants without causing their Command Post to send reinforcements, or the player could just keep killing as many guys with your rifle until they stop coming. You still reach the same goal eventually.

There’s also customization in the game. New features include customizing weapons, characters, companions, your vehicles, your helicopter, and even your new base of operations, Mother Base.

The game altogether is a fun and long-lasting experience that will keep almost all gamers entertained for days.

Jacob Schoenfeld / Staff Writer

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 rivals Apple’s iPhone 6.

Samsung’s Galaxy S6 triumphs over iPhone 6

By Jacob Schoenfeld Staff Writer

With the release of both Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Apple’s iPhone 6 this year, many are hoping to upgrade to one of the two highly anticipated phones as fast as possible, but the question is which is the better phone? Because of its superiority in many aspects over the other, the Galaxy S6 would be the better choice.

With its sleek new design, including a glass back and newly chromed edges, it is visually a big step up from its predecessor, the S5, with its less beautiful plastic case. But aside from just improving in looks to match the new iPhones, the phone was also built with a higher pixel resolution, enhanced camera, much faster processor, and the capability to charge wirelessly through the back of the phone.

The Galaxy S5, released in April of 2014, had received many complaints because of its plastic back that was not as comfortable to hold as the iPhones were at the time with their sleek glass-covered backs. The new S6 advanced to the people's demands with a phone design very similar to that of the

newer iPhones.

Along with looking great aside from the screen, the Galaxy S6 has a pixel resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels, compared to the iPhone 6’s 1080 x 1920 pixels.

Another highly anticipated feature of the new phone is the advancements in the camera. With its new image stabilization and low light picture taking capabilities, the new camera takes much better shots than the S5 or even the iPhone 6 in almost every setting.

One issue with the camera is that the lense sticks out almost a quarter of a centimeter, which may not seem like much, but if the phone were to fall on its back the camera could be ruined instantly.

However, a good phone case can be an easy fix to that.

Another problem with the S6 is that it is slightly more expensive than the iPhone 6. From Verizon, the S6 is $768.00 with 64 GB, while the iPhone 6 is $650.00 with 64 GB. One of the most important features when comparing the S6 to the iPhone 6 is that the S6 has a much stronger processor for faster use.

The S6 has a system memory three times that of the iPhone, which is three times the faster apps loaded and smoother quality.

One of the most innovative abilities of the S6 is its capability to charge wirelessly with a wireless charging pad. However, it comes at the price of not having a removable battery or SD card within the phone that buyers seem to love.

Colts stampede Trojans in difficult football defeat

James Logan deals team its fourth loss in five games

By Martin Baez Sports Editor

September 25 was a warm and sunny day for our varsity football team. The Trojans were ready to take on their opponent, the James Logan High Colts, but things started to get cold and chilly after the game got started.

The starting quarterback for the Trojans was Brian Tognolini, one of the four senior captains of the team. They were trying to get

Martin Baez/Sports editor

The Trojans take the field with heads held high during the intense game.

CVHS a second win of the season with an overall record of 1-3 and tied for fifth place in league.

Right off the bat, the Colts started things off hot in the first quarter with a 60-yard run that eventually led to the first touchdown of the

game. Next, with a series of short runs and good passes by Tognolini, CVHS had 15 yards to go to score a touchdown but failed to score, trailing 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter rolled

around and it was silent, but halfway through, James Logan scored another touchdown but failed on the extra point. The Colts went on to score one more touchdown, but then they got too greedy and failed at the chance of getting two

extra points leaving the score at 19-0 with the Colts leading at the end of the second quarter.

The Trojans came in fresh and charging after the halftime with senior captain Connor Piper running the ball all the way to the six yard line. After that Tognolini capitalized on a pass to the end zone caught by Raekwon Criss to take away the shut out, making it 19-7 after Jack Prettyman got the extra point with a clean kick in.

But then the Colts came charging again. Right after the Trojans’ first touchdown, James Logan replied with a 70-yard touchdown run while avoiding three tackles from the CVHS defense, and later getting the pass in for the extra two points to make it 27-7.

The Trojans weren’t ready to give up just yet as D.J. Taylor responded with a 50-yard run to the ten yard line as he juked and avoided tackles from the defense.

Next, Tognolini found Piper open in the end zone to complete a touchdown pass to make it 27-13.

Next was the final quarter, but the Colts weren’t done yet.

They went on to score two more touchdowns, but the Trojans kept the pace, adding two more with the efforts of Taylor and Malik Henderson. Ultimately the time

“Treat every

play like it’s the last one.”

D.J. Taylor

decided the game just as CVHS was getting its momentum leading to a loss and making the record 1-4 for our Trojans, with a final score of 40-28.

If there was one thing that was lacking that night for the Trojans, it would be the defense; there were a lot of missed tackles.

“We need to be more physical and aggressive on the field. Our defense needs to wrap up and tackle from behind,” said player Dante Sewell.

Our Trojans realize they need to improve their game for next time, and will do anything possible to bring home a win.

“Treat every play like it's the last play and go all out, be more physical and aggressive,” said Taylor.

The Olympian

8 The Olympian welcomes new staff members Oct. 9, 2015

Marisol Arkin, assistant principal

“I got into education because nothing is more exciting to me then helping, inspiring and guiding people to find their dreams.”

Tagreed Badwai, math teacher

Miriam Dominguez, Spanish teacher

“I am proud to be a teacher and I am happy to have the opportunity to work in the great community that is Castro Valley.”

Liz Draper, science teacher

Samantha Hovan, social studies teacher

“I hope that I can inspire my students to find their passion.

CVHS has been a most welcoming and friendly school.”

Sophi Buetens, Spanish teacher

Mary Ruth Summers, ASL teacher “CVHS has so far defined why I am in education in such a big way. I enjoy collaborating with ASL students who are like sponges.”

Kathleen Stacy, English teacher

Jamie Wilson, counselor

"I am very grateful to be a staff member here at CVHS. I am excited to be part of the counseling team, and feel incredibly fortunate to get to do a job that I love."

Kara Wilkinson, social studies teacher

“Education is my own little take on the saying ‘be the change you want to see in the world.’ Most of the time that is really tough. In education it's actually possible.”

“It's all about the students for me. I did my student teaching here and met the most awesome teachers.”

“I work very hard for my students and in return I want my students to work hard for themselves so that they can learn as much as they can in my class!”

“Teaching is my passion, and I am excited to be teaching English here at Castro Valley High School. I have felt welcomed and supported since day one. “

“I loved learning history here at CVHS and I'm super excited to have the opportunity to be back here teaching it.”

Christopher Bing, science teacher

Chris Fortenberry, math teacher

Shari Neifeld, special education teacher

Nicholas Tapia, science teacher

Alex Petropulakis, English teacher

“I feel like CVHS is a place that fosters hard work, effort and results. The students here are amazingly helpful to us new teachers and I feel sincerely welcomed.”

Christine Blackman, math teacher

"I chose to be a teacher because I love helping high school students. Castro Valley High School is my alma mater and I am so happy to be back."

“I'm very excited to be here!

Go Trojans!”

Lena Frazee, English teacher

“I'm very excited to be here at CVHS, helping students attain their dreams while living mine.”

“CVHS is awesome, we have the best students, a great staff and we are in California's Bay Area, who can ask for anything more?”

Tommy Nguyen, math teacher

“I got into education to help students find their path.”

"I find teaching very rewarding. There's nothing quite like the moment in a student's eyes when they finally comprehend a difficult science concept."

Art Wahner, math teacher

"I came to Castro Valley High School because I wanted to work in a large school with a lot of amazing things going on."

"I want to instill in my students the love for and the beauty of literature, as well as prepare them to communicate professionally and properly."

Anissa Gerdts, math teacher

“I chose to be a teacher because, when I am old, I want to be able to look back on my life and be able to say, ‘I made a difference.’”