DGG December 2021

DGG Dry Gulch Gazette Arroyo High School | Volume 61 Issue 1 | Dec. 16, 2021

Examining the Causes and Effects of The Teacher Shortage in SLZUSD Page 12

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 8

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3 - Arroyo Reviews 4 - Senior Events 5 - Events 6 - Cell phones 8 - COVID plans 11 - Online Learning 12 - Teacher Shotage

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OPINION

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14 - Editorial

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COMMUNITY

15 - Student Workers 16 - Drought 17 - Senior Future Plans

SPORTS

18 - Fall Sports Highlights 20 - Football Players 21 - COVID Athlete Effects

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ARTS & CULTURE

22 - Winter Travel 23 - Marvel 24 - What are you...?

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Cover Photo Illustration | Wynne Bendell, Claire Terzich, and GabrieElla Quiliza-Renteria

CONTENTS

Arroyo iTea [3.4 miles] 177 Pelton Center Way, San Leandro, CA 94577

“iTea has good customer service and they are very quick at making your order. I love the idea of being able to call ahead and order online so you can just get it when you’re there. I recommend going there to get drinks and food. If you have trouble deciding what to buy, I reccomend the oolong milk tea with boba and no ice!”

- Freshman Jenny Huynh

Minami Sushi [0.8 miles] 699 Lewelling Blvd # 142 # 142, San Leandro, CA 94579

“Minami Sushi offers a welcoming environment and warm atmosphere, fostering a sense of community among its patrons. It’s located in Greenhouse next to McDonalds, which is kind of funny, since you’re putting the best food next to the worst food. I’ve been going there since I was a kid and as my taste changed growing up, I’ve been able to try different stuff on the menu, so I think I’ve had everything. I really like the chicken katsu and dragon roll. Parking can also be difficult to find, though.”

- Junior Andrew Le

Reviews Taqueria El Mezcal [1.8 miles] 18502 Hesperian Blvd, San Lorenzo, CA 94580

“I would reccomend this restaurant to anyone because of the great customer service and the amazing food. I especially reccomend the steak fries, as they have a lot of flavor and get you full. The restaurant is also very clean and it is fairly easy to find a parking space.”

- Sophomore Esmeralda Moreno

Surf City Squeeze [13.3 miles] 2465 Stoneridge Mall Rd Suite 207, Pleasanton, CA 94588

“Customer service is 100% great and the workers are very efficient. The food is pretty decent, especially when I make it. Don’t order the strawberry banana, though, I’m sick of making it.”

- Senior Jerry Yan

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Keep an Eye Out, Seniors!

ASB Officers discuss possible senior events in Spring.

By Thinh Huynh

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enior events are a way to build final bits and pieces of memory to end off high school. Senior Nicole Gonzalez really hopes that, even with COVID protocols, we will have a senior picnic.

“Seniors should be provided with a senior-only event because I think this being our only last year, a lot of seniors would like to have a long-lasting memory for them to remember as they leave their high school year.” Gonzalez said. “I think for seniors we should have a senior picnic. A lot of people don’t go to events because they are crowded so they don’t have a lot of stuff to do. I think senior picnic would be a perfect opportunity because it’s mostly you and people that you know so it gives you an opportunity to chill and vibe with them.”

Senior cruise, senior picnic, and prom are events that happen only once in your high school experience. Due to COVID and the pandemic, we quarantined and discontinued events for the past two generations of seniors. However, this year we are back in person which provides a chance for the reemergence of these events.

These senior events are critical for the students last year. ASB officer Queena Huang gives insight into what events are being planned for next semester.

“We’re trying to get some dances right now but the district is really cautious because of COVID so everything has to go through the district first.” Huang said.

Dances are one of the few events that Rodrigues and the ASB officers are working hard to get. Activities Director Jennifer Rodrigues elaborates more on what she has for events so far.

“At this point in time, we have stuff on the books but not the full approval from the district.

That’s part of the reason why I push some of the events, like senior picnic and things of that nature, to the spring rather than doing it at the beginning because I didn’t know what the procedures and protocols were going to be.”

Rodrigues said.

Events are getting planned and processed through the district as we are speaking. However, senior events are not the focus of next semester, as AHS believes welcoming students back is the main priority.

“I wouldn’t say focus but it’s a priority because we did lose a lot with quarantine and [Rodrigues] is trying to make everyone feel welcomed, not just the seniors.” Huang said.

Huang says that senior events are not the

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only priorities of this year. Rodrigues confirms this by explaining what she hopes to accomplish this school year, specifically. Her main goal is to rekindle the normalcy of high school during this school year and build the missing high school experience.

“My main priority is to have [events] and be able to have some fun and bring back some type of normalcy for the students. That high school experience.” Rodrigues said.

Senior Mia Celzo finds senior events as a way to build stronger connections with classmates that you might not see again.

“I think we do need those senior-specific events just because it is our last year of high school.” Celzo said. “You want to make the most memories as possible so when you have all of these only senior events you get to do it with all your classmates who you eventually may not see after high school.”

Senior events allow for students to create experiences that they may never have made before. Gonzalez hopes to make up for her past negligence of school events this year, which may be true for most seniors.

“I want to accomplish getting involved in events. I wasn’t really involved in school events, but this being my last year, my ‘senior year,’ I wish to be more socially active in events.”

Gonzalez said.

Senior Events are critical in building the senior experience but some may argue that it is not the only way. Clubs and other extracurriculars are a great way to build memories with your peers as well.

“Committee is a really fun thing to be in and there’s a lot of things you can do. You can get to know new people, you get to bond with other people, and you get to do a lot of stuff which is pretty fun.” Gonzalez said.

Though club activities are a great way to create the “senior experience,” senior events are a once-in-a-lifetime deal. These events allow people to experience an activity that they may never do again.

“I’m really hoping we can just resume the big events like prom.” Huang said. “Personally, I saved all my dances for senior year and I’m really trying to go.”

Rodrigues agrees as prom is a once in a lifetime opportunity and class of 2022’s one and only chance to attend.

“If I could only do one senior event, I would do prom.” Rodrigues said. “I think [prom was] one that everybody missed out on. Last year’s senior didn’t get it junior or senior year. Seniors didn’t get it junior year.”

Which senior year event are you most looking forward to?

Senior Darren Wen “Keep Prom! It’s the biggest event and everyone is looking forward to it.”

Senior Destiny Weatherford “ I would [keep] prom. It’s the most senior thing to do in high school and everybody needs to experience it.”

Photographs by Thinh Huynh

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New Protocols For Events

SLZUSD creates new process for hosting events

By Ashton Menge

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n the past, events at AHS have been fairly easily planned and created, but this year has been different than any other.

A new event planning protocol sent out by Director of Secondary Education Rene Lama states that. Any activity that gathers more than one class at the same time and/or involves an outside person (not previously approved at the District Level) needs approval. This process must be used to deem someone an essential visitor and/or to get approval for the activity to take place. A proposal needs to be drafted including a detailed description, rationale, date, time, location, all safety protocols, necessary setup/ breakdown, description of student and staff participation, etc. These proposals need to be shared via Google Docs with Union Leadership for those employees that will be participating in the activity. Karen Rosa, San Lorenzo Education Association (SLEA); Julie Glenn Juuko, California School Employees Association (CSEA); and Steve Larsen, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) are the three union presidents that oversee these proposals. The proposal will also need to be shared with Doug Marr at MOT (Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation) if the proposed event is on District property. After revision based on input from Union Leaders and MOT, you need to send an email to the appropriate Director requesting a final determination. Proposals will be reviewed by Education Services and Cabinet, if necessary, to determine if approval will be granted. Proposals should be submitted with at least 4 weeks lead time.

Activities director Jennifer Rodrigues acknowledged that the new policies create some more work for her and other staff planning events, but said she is happy to take on the work if it means we can have more activities on our campus.

“It definitely is a lot more work, but for me I am willing to do that extra work to make this year, for everyone, a memorable one after this last year and a half that we had. I don’t mind staying up late doing these proposals, trying to get these things approved so we can have somewhat of a year and you guys can have some fun. I feel like that’s what we’ve missed,” Rodrigues said.

How have you had to alter the way you normally host events and gatherings?

Activities Director Jennifer Rodrigues

“I am actually okay with it... reinvent, like sometimes when you keep things the same every single time everybody gets bored, so looking for new ways to invent and do things... Are some things going to stay the same? Yes. But let’s use homecoming for example, we couldn’t have a dance so I chose to have a carnival to still kind of have some fun. We didn’t do homecoming royalty this year, it felt a little different so that’s why I chose not to do royalty.”

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Rodrigues

“It was weird because of COVID-19 going on and having to social distance so we really couldn’t do a dance, but a carnival. so it was pretty much okay but different from [our regular] homecoming.”

Senior Erica Xie Photographer Ashton Menge

Englis Teacher and Future Acadamy Co-Lead Teacher Kay Zimmerman

“We normally have 4 town halls a year which are like assemblies for the whole academy but the one that we are still going to try to do is our Universal Declaration of Human Rights Performance, which is normally a performance on the stage for the whole academy in December and we are changing that...like one or two pieces at a time so we can follow COVID protocols… but more in like one classroom at a time and one or two or three pieces at a time instead of the whole performance in the cafeteria.”

Photographer Ashton Menge

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Students and staff discuss evolving cell phone policies

By Claire Terzich

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cience teacher Jeff Jorgensen has been trying to be more lenient about cell phones with students, after the year

online.

“I haven’t been as strict about it this year as I have been in the past because I’m trying to work with kids who are more anxious or feel like they have to have their phone really close all the time,” Jorgensen said.

Phone usage has always been a varying opinion topic here at AHS. During the pandemic, students had access to their phones often due to the school year online. With technology becoming a bigger part of everyone’s lives, phone regulations have evolved over time in classrooms.

Jorgensen has been working at AHS for 32 years. He has seen how phone use has affected students and has learned its benefits and downsides. Jorgensen has tried to alter his phone policies so they are more accommodating to students who have trouble keeping off of their phones. He has discussed phone usage with teachers who share similar opinions.

“I mean it’s tougher now coming back after distance learning from COVID because everybody got so used to having 24/7 access to their phones.” Jorgensen said. “I have talked about that with some other teachers and it seems like they are feeling the same way. At the same time, we are working to get more kids less dependent on their phones, but we are not trying to do it all at once.”

Social Studies teacher Jodi Soares’ Phone

policies encourage students to assess, on their own, whether or not their phone is being a distraction to their learning.

“So my students, many of them use their phones to do work on [google] classroom and so forth. So I allow students to do that, I encourage my students to be self-aware enough to not use the phone as a distraction, but I don’t take the phone away from them unless I’ve had a conversation with the parents about that.”

Soares said.

Sophomore Aaron Arellano believes as long as it’s not a distraction for students, then phones should be able to be used in class.

“Some of my teachers are pretty strict when it comes to phone use but I think it should be acceptable to use it after you finish your work and you’re not distracting anyone. It’s also good because you can use it for educational purposes, you don’t just have to mess around, you can progress with your learning.” Arellano said.

Science teacher Brian Glaze’s phone policies have always been about whether or not they are a distraction for students.

“I always started out with a hard no phones ever and you spend way too much time being a phone monitor throughout the day you barely get to do any of your actual teaching. Mine usually has always been if it’s not a distraction to you or others and you are doing your work, I don’t care.” Glaze said.

On the contrary, Senior Benjamin Teasley believes increased phone regulations would be beneficial for students.

“I feel like phones should be regulated more in classes just in general because I feel like

students will just participate more and learn a lot more and get a better grade overall. In multiple communities and different schools, it would boost grade averages because students will learn, produce more, and be able to pay attention in classes.” Teasley said.

Jorgensen referred to a 2015 study at UC San Diego with 520 UC San Diego undergraduate students, by cognitive psychologist Adrian Ward and three colleagues to determine how much the proximity of one’s phone impacts their brainpower. This study was mentioned by the Wall Street Journal, in the article “How Smartphones Hijack Our Minds”.

“Research shows that people that have their phones in their desk and in their pockets do worse than people who have it in another room during an assessment or task. They are a constant distraction. One of the challenges of it is that you’re not even aware of it. They tested this on students, mostly in colleges...they [researchers] asked if your [the students] phone distract you and they said no it didn’t. It did distract them and they didn’t realize it.” Jorgensen said.

Soares believes future phone policies should rely on the type of student and give students the ability to think for themselves.

“I think it depends on the grade level of the student and the maturity level. In a perfect world, students would be aware enough to put their phone away when it’s being a distraction.”

Soares said. “If you just make a blanket policy that phones should not be in class, you’re not teaching students to be responsible.”

How do you think teachers should handle phone policies in class?

Senior Michelle Adutwum “Students shouldn’t have their phones taken away because there’s emergencies that can happen. “ Photographer by Claire Terzich

Junior Erica Baeza

Junior Lisa Kamau

“I think teachers shoule be more linenent of students with phones. I think a good rule is allowing them [phones] unless its a repaeated offense and becomes a big distraction. “

“I think teachers should limit the amount of time that students spend on their phones . I also think if it’s used as a learning tool they [students] should be able to go on it. “

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Photographer: Scott Glueckert CAMPUS

Students and Staff Respond to the Omicron Variant.

By Scott Glueckert

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he last thing that someone wants during the winter months is to give COVID19 to their relatives at a holiday party.

Especially with the new omicron variant spreading, COVID-19 has the potential to become even more dangerous over the winter months. According to the NY Times, on January 12, 2021, there were 229,977 new COVID cases.

As we approach the time of year when sickness is prevalent, some people are thinking about what could happen if COVID case numbers begin to rise.

As with almost any sickness, there is a possibility that COVID will get worse during the winter, especially if protocols are not followed.

What will we see the District do if cases begin to increase during the winter?

In response to the possible dangers of an outbreak at school during the winter, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Tracie Noriega thinks that it could be confusing because COVID and the flu have many similar symptoms.

“I don’t know if it’s I think what’s going to be

confusing, and I’m not a medical doctor right, but I think what might be hard and what might be a challenge for us is that so many cold and flu symptoms are also COVID-19 symptoms. ” Noreiga said.

Noriega does think that there will be some confusion about COVID and she also seems to think that if we continue to monitor ourselves, we should be relatively safe.

“But I do hope that you know because we’re all masked up because we have to do a daily self assessment and continue to monitor ourselves that we are more cognizant and conscious of ok well how do we feel and and at least that way we’re not just going out into the world.” Noriega said.

Noriega thinks that if we monitor ourselves, we should be safe. English and Creative Writing teacher Justin Melville is not concerned about COVID as long as the death rates do not increase.

“The rate of transmission has increased with the Delta variant and now with Omicron, but, again, as long as the percentage of death doesn’t increase, I’m not worried.” Melville said.

Melville seems rather calm about the new variant. Senior Dahlia Khanthavong is a bit

more on edge.

“I don’t know much about this new variant, but from what I hear it sounds pretty bad and I’m hoping it stays under control, especially since it’s the holidays and people are traveling and stuff.” Khanthavong said.

Students appear to be slightly more concerned about the new variant than the teachers are. Noriega has made some hopeful observations regarding case numbers in our particular District.

“And for us that’s not the case as a school district if you take into account all of the zip codes that make up our school district, we actually are on the lower end.” Noriega said It is clear that there is concern over COVID in general, especially surrounding the potential death toll. However, Noriega has a flexible idea of how the District will respond and they plan to follow the guidelines of the local Health Department.

“I think we continue to keep our protocols so if the you know, the Alameda Public Health Department decides to place more you know restrictions, then you know or then that is something obviously we would you know we would definitely have to adopt.” Noreiga said.

Administration discusses evolving COVID protocols.

By Lilianna Agatupu

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here are 1,636 students in AHS and only the cafeteria is open for students to eat due to COVID protocols. As we approach winter, some are wondering what are we going to do when rain or other inclement weather comes?

This is one of many questions AHS and SLZUSD administrators are figuring out as we move further into this school year and deeper into the pandemic. All SLZUSD schools returned to in-person learning with added safety protocols for COVID. As the weather changes and more students get vaccinated, the school and district are beginning to look at changes and adjustments to these protocols.

According to Assistant Principal Samuel McClymont, AHS takes our directions from the Alameda County health office when it comes to new protocols for winter time. They decide what is safe for us.

“Windows and doors open when feasible in order to support proper ventilation. We take all our directions from the Alameda County health office. They’re the ones who tell us basically what we have to do. It’s not a decision that’s made at Arroyo. It’s also not a decision that’s made at the San Lorenzo school district.” McClymont said.

A policy that has been altered is the cafeteria is now open for students to eat in everyday.

“That decision was made by our Maintenance Operations Department, with oversight from the Alameda County Health Office.” McClymont said.

Many are worried that they’ll get sick or be at risk of covid when weather changes. Students don’t want to put their family at risk from just going to school.

“If I were in charge, I’d make sure students were able to be inside on rainy days. Not all of us will be able to fit in the cafeteria, so we need to have at least some classrooms open during lunch. I don’t want to be outside shivering the whole time” Junior Alexis Dulan said.

Students’ main concern is not wanting to be cold. They’re concerned about the winter plans, not knowing what’s next at AHS. Junior Gieselle Castillo expresses her concern about COVID. “I think the most scary part is not knowing what’ll happen. I know COVID is still here, but I don’t want to have to be outside the whole time during my lunch. Coming back to school was scary enough, imagine how it’ll be in the winter at school” Castillo said.

Although students miss eating in classrooms during lunch, we must make sure we’re safe.

Students can be safe by getting the vaccine, which is controversial to everyone.

A press released by the California governor Gavin Newsom on October 1 states, “California becomes the first state to announce plans to require student vaccinations – adding the

COVID-19 vaccine to list of vaccinations required for school.”

McClymont understands that students may feel inconvenienced by the policies, but his main priority is students not catching COVID. He wants students at AHS to be as safe as possible.

“As somebody who really truly cares about the kids on the campus, I’m always going to put safety first. It only takes a small serge, it seems like everytime we start to kind of slack off and start taking our mask off or being a little bit you know whatever, that’s when things start picking up. I’ve had COVID. I’m fully vaccinated and I had a break through case and it just really scares me. I can only imagine what the experience is for someone who’s not vaccinated, either chooses not to be or can’t be. As much as I don’t want students to be inconvenienced and not be able to eat inside classrooms, I care about their safety.”

McClymont said.

Assistant Superintendent Tracie Noriega said the district understands these months will be challenging, and stressed that it is new for everyone.

“It depends on if the rain is coming in through the windows or if it’s getting really cold. I think we’ll have to see how our system handles it. This is the first time we’re in school this time of the year so a lot of it will depend on what the needs might be.” Noriega said.

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ORDER YOUR 2022 YEARBOOK TODAY! BOOKS ON SALE FOR JUST $65 UNTIL FRIDAY 12/17 PRICE INCREASES AFTER FRIDAY How to Order 1) Go to yearbookordercenter.com 2) Enter code 7681 to go to the AHS Yearbook Page 3) Select “Order a Yearbook.

Online Learning in 2021 DICE Program Full Online alternaive at capacity.

By Haylie Blair

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n November 16,2021 AHS Principal Angela Webster sent an email instructing staff to no longer refer students to the District Independent Contract Education (DICE) program. Webster was citing an email from the district that said the program was full and in fact had a waitlist of more than 30 students.

According to the SLZUSD website DICE is a “Virtual Learning Program and is part of the San Lorenzo District Independent Contract Education (DICE) Program. DICE is considered an Independent Studies program for students in grades TK-12. To meet the needs of families… ,SLZ will offer an In Person and a Virtual option via DICE.” AHS counselor Shannon Bode explains the major difference between taking classes through DICE and enrolling in person at AHS. She believes that COVID has led to the increase in DICE enrollment.

“DICE is limited to what they can offer as far as classes go you couldn’t take any AP classes.

DICE is a good alternative. So many families wanted to take advantage of DICE because of

covid. DICE currently has a waiting list because of how full it is. We don’t have any resources to add more people. Right now we don’t have the option to recommend DICE.” Bode said Bode explains what types of people decided to enroll in DICE. But she still thinks that inperson school is a better option for kids.

“Kids are doing DICE because of COVID and don’t want to put their family in danger of COVID. DICE is a limited program and you

wouldn’t be able to take AP classes. DICE is perfect for people that aren’t able to be in school for a good reason. But comparing DICE to in-person school, in-person school is definitely better.”

Bode said Bode went into detail about how the future of DICE will look different from this year to the next. She hopes that the program will get a little bigger to accommodate the needs of students.

“I think it will be less impacted. I think less families will choose to attend because COVID won’t be such a threat. I think DICE will be more organized and streamlined because they will have had more time to develop their

More students recovering credits

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here are an estimated 375 students taking at least one class through the APEX learning virtual school this year. This is a significant Increase from previous years where there were an estimated 140 students in APEX classes,according to photography teacher Jeffery Baughman who oversees the program.

APEX is an online program that is designed and made to help high school students with their credit recovery. Students who use APEX are talked to by counselors and their teachers help students work independently,reading and answering questions then complete tests and quizzes in/person to earn the credits they need to earn. Students enrolled in APEX courses are usually retaking a course from a previous year to improve their grade.

According to 11th grade counselor Alexis

Senior Antony Diaz-De-Leon “I like Online scholing better because I paid attention more and it help me keep track of my work.”

program.” Bode said

Rise in APEX

By Robby Romero

Which do you like better online or in person? Why?

Horn there are more students taking classes in APEX this year because of the pandemic. She said that this may be because students were struggling to pass classes and earn credits in distance learning during the 2020-2021 school year.

“There are many more this year for sure, since so many struggled earning credits during distance learning.” Horn said.

Horn added that for the time being, enrolling students in APEX classes seems to be an effective way to help them recover those credits. ”APEX is by far a very effective online program because it has saved and continues to save students that failed classes” Horn said. “I have never researched alternative programs so I have no idea if it’s the best option out there, students need to have a way to make up their credits and this seems to work for many.”

Senior Christian Flores “I like in-person school because waking up in the morning I have more of a purpose.”

Senior Beza Engeda “I like in-person school better because it gives better opportunities to have a better understandng in school.”

Photographer: Haylie Blair

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Cause: How Did We End Up With A Teacher Shortage?

By Wynne Bendell

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ophomore Jabob Pardilla is frustrated.

He started this school year with no math teacher and has dealt with numerous different substitutes, none of which were qualified to be teaching math.

“It’s been difficult because I’ve had one class where I’ve been trying my hardest in, and over the past couple of months that school has started it’s been a wavering experience. It’s really upsetting for me and a lot of other students that I know.” Pardilla said The absence of teachers in classrooms, and few substitutes to fill in for them, has been an issue for many years in SLZUSD, however, this year the problem seems to be drawing more attention than in previous years. Thousands of teaching positions are open country-wide, with twelve open in our district as of November 9, 2021. This number is just a fraction of what was happening at the beginning of the year.

According to Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Jessica Saavedra, at the start of the 2021-2022 school year, SLZUSD had seventy-eight unfilled teaching positions, with 21 uncovered class sections at AHS. One reason is that last year alone twenty-six teachers retired in the district. Not only is there a lack of fulltime teachers, but a shortage of substitutes.

Current teachers at AHS are now forced to relinquish their prep periods to substitute for other classes.

Saavedra helps make decisions about staff in the district, such as training and hiring new teachers. She believes the reason that SLZUSD is struggling during this crisis is that we simply can’t keep up with other districts in the fight for

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new staff.

“The reality is that the teacher shortage is real, one of the biggest challenges is that we are competing with neighboring districts that pay more or have other kinds of benefits that we are not able to compete with,” Saavedra said AHS principal Angela Webster acknowledges that teachers’ low salaries come into play when discussing the staff shortage. Webster believes that one of the challenges that come with hiring and retaining teachers is the high cost of living in the Bay Area.

“I think it has to do with money, living in the Bay Area is expensive, a lot of people are moving because it’s more affordable or are looking for districts who pay more,” said Webster.

However, she feels the issue at this time that is largely to blame is COVID and how scary it can be to work during these unprecedented times.

“I think people are in fear of working in schools and working in the classroom. I think the pandemic has a lot to do with it, a lot of people retired, but I think it has a lot to do with fear.” Webster said Former AHS math teacher Jessie Fischer stopped teaching in 2019 and has not returned to the classroom. Fischer has endured the frustration of being underpaid and overworked similar to many other teachers, however, she has an especially difficult experience working in SLZUSD, where the faculty is paid even less than the surrounding districts.

“Before I was a teacher I came from a pretty low-paying hourly job and so this was my first real-life job. I thought the pay was pretty great because I didn’t really know anything else besides what I was getting” said Mrs. Fischer.

“So when I started I was really thankful for

having the pay I was getting, but as I started to research and hear about other districts and how they made significantly more dollars than me for the same job just right next door, like San Leandro. I could have moved to San Leandro and made ten thousand more dollars a year, just by switching over. So that was really upsetting and kind of like a mood killer.”

For Fischer it wasn’t just about the money or COVID, there was one more factor controlled by the school that contributed to her leave.

It was the lack of support from the previous administration that made the job that she loved so dearly, not as enjoyable as it should have been.

“Teaching was already really tough before COVID. For me there was COVID and I could deal with that, I could deal with doing it online, it was risky before the vaccine but now I feel a little more safe but really for me, it’s the workload. I cannot handle the workload and be a mom. The last year I taught was the hardest year I ever taught. I just really did not feel supported by the admin.” Fischer said.

There are many reasons for the staff shortage at AHS, but what is most important is that the district is trying its hardest to fix the problem.

Saavedra discloses that the district is taking action and starting a process that usually takes place later in the year, now, so we will hopefully not see this same issue next year.

“We are being more proactive. Usually, the process begins towards January and February where we try to identify areas we can anticipate a need [for new staff]. We have already started that process.”

Effect: How Have Staff and Students Been Impacted?

By GabrieElla Quiliza-Renteria

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n the two decades that AP Kristian Hinz has been working in education, he has never gone through a similar situation to AHS. At the beginning of the school year, 78 positions were open due to teachers who either resigned or retired.

“I’ve never been in a situation like this in 24 years of working in public education, in terms of staff shortage.” Hinz said.

SLZUSD is currently going through a staff shortage after not being at physical school for a little over a year. Everyday, approximately 5 teachers are asked to give up their prep period.

At the beginning of the year, AHS had 32 uncovered sections, but now only 2 sessions are uncovered while 5 sections are being covered with a long term sub.

“I think given the circumstances, they’re [teachers] handling it remarkably, honestly.

It’s a lot of sacrifice on the part of teachers and other people, like there are many people who are doing many jobs at once, but everyone is really coming together and showing up everyday to make sure that schools are open and running for kids.” Hinz said.

To combat the staff shortage, AHS is actively trying to hire new staff, hire new substitutes, and is even using current teachers as substitutes.

However, the school’s main priority is focused more on the students, rather than staff.

“We have backup mechanisms, I mean, we have substitute teachers that we try to bring in, there’s long term subs, we’re trying to hire and fill positions, also admin subs. And teachers are in a sub pool so contractually they can sub up to 2 times per week. The main priority is to make sure students are safe and are able to access everything they need.” Hinz said.

While AHS is on the hunt for new staff, current teachers gave up their prep period to take over the uncovered classes. Health teacher Courtney Peterson sacrificed her prep period to take over one section of Psychology/Sociology for social studies teacher Kaedan Peters who is on family leave until January.

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open teaching positions in SLZUSD at the start of the 2021-2022 school year

“They eventually increased the pay, to get some of these positions filled, and that is a reason why I took on an extra course. So I’m now

teaching a course that I was subbing for during my prep period. So this district has helped with current staff by incentivizing us taking on the course as the teacher of record. And therefore I dont have a break all day, which is fine, but there was an incentive, financially, for me to do that.”

Peterson said.

The students, however, are the ones facing the consequences. Without a real teacher, they’re not getting the education they deserve.

“The lack of time for me to really lay out and prep what I want to do and be authentic with what Peters wanted to have done.” Peterson said.

Senior Jessica Peixoto finds it frustrating that she goes to class everyday to see a new substitute in the teacher’s seat. While she could be learning new material, she’s stuck sitting on her phone for an hour.

“I signed up for classes and most of the time, I’m not doing anything. In class, I’ll just sit there on my phone. I’m not learning anything, which makes class feel like a waste of my time.”

While the next steps may not be clear, Peterson hopes that students aren’t the ones to be affected in the long run.

“I’m hoping that the district and the administration and the teachers, we all work together to recognize that we are in a unique situation and to not somehow hold it against the students.” Peterson said.

Photographer GabrieElla Quiliza-Renteria

CAMPUS

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DGG

D

uring distance learning, students dramatically decrease our phone usage had unrestricted access to during class. This is just not realistic. their phones; their social and Unless teachers start taking every student’s educational needs were fulfilled through phone at the beginning of the class period, technology. Students are now being asked asking students to put them away is not to decrease their screen time after not effective. Instead, teachers should find being monitored throughout the 2019- creative ways to have students use their 2020 school year. The transition from phones and other technology during the online to in-person schooling should lesson. Students will find a way to use come with lenient policies in classrooms their phones in class, it is inevitable, so it regarding cell phone usage. is in teachers’ best interest to have students Strict phone policies in the classroom use them in efficient ways that promote limit students’ ability to take responsibility learning. for their own devices. If phones are too Expecting students to stay completely strictly monitored, students are unable to phone free throughout class is decide and think for themselves. School counterproductive and unrealistic, should teach students to manage their own especially after coming out of quarantine. time and deal with With all consequences if they the current STAFF EDITORIAL choose to let phones technological be a distraction to advancements, OPINION OF THE DRY GULCH their work. When the ‘no cell phones GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD entering a job setting in the classroom’ and some college policy is outdated environments, in the and in need of future, there will not be phone regulations a change. While a change in policy is but individuals are expected to know when not something teachers want to hear, it’s it’s appropriate to use their cell phones. inevitable and, arguably, necessary. It’s During high school, we should learn the understandable that teachers feel the need effects of using it at an inappropriate time on to prohibit phone usage in the classroom our own and therefore hold responsibility to increase the engagement of students, but for our actions. Responsibility should be there are better alternatives that achieve taught not simply expected in teenagers. the same solution. Rather than completely Teachers should take phone usage in banning phones in the classroom, students classrooms as an opportunity to teach should be allowed to use their phones students when and how it is appropriate to freely when the teacher isn’t actively use phones in a professional environment. teaching, such as work times. Once the Due to the pandemic, students have boundaries around when it’s appropriate participated in over a full school year of to use phones in class are established, it’s online distance learning. From at least up to teachers to put their trust into their three hours of being on zoom a day to students to be responsible. submitting every assignment from our Teachers should let students use their phones, school became synonymous with cell phones during work time and when technology, specifically our phones. The they aren’t actively teaching. Technology majority of notifications on our phones has become a big part of students’ lives; came from apps like classroom and expecting students to not use them during canvas. But now we are expected to forget class is an ineffective way to run the the last year of our online education and classroom.

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OPINION

Dry Gulch Gazette

Dry Gulch Gazette is an open forum for students and does not necessarily represent the views of Arroyo High School or of the San Lorenzo Unified School District. We want to provide our readers with entertaining, informational, and relevant stories that will be worth their time. We intend to produce accurate and unbiased reporting, and we will therefore work to correct any significant mistakes. You should contact us at AHSGazette@gmail.com if you can find such a mistake in this publication. You may also email us to submit a letter to the editor, but we reserve the right to edit letters for length or accuracy. Letters will be rejected or published at the discretion of journalism staff.

Managing Editors: Wynne Bendell Claire Terzich GabrieElla Quiliza Renteria Staff Writers: Liliana Agatupu Haylie Blair Eden Buell Clarence Capunitan Scott Glueckert Thinh Huynh Jose Leon Ashton Menge Kevin Padilla Makani Reith Fifita Robert Romero Nicole Watson Yuki Wen Staff Adviser: Samved Sangameswara

Is the paycheck worth it?

Students struggle to balance work and school

By Nicole Watson

S

enior Jacqueline Lacquesta was working at Popeyes in August of 2021. Towards the end of her shift, a man came to the register and threatened to pull a knife on her.

“I was scared for my life, I thought I was going to die.” Lacquesta said.

Lacquesta was already growing frustrated with the challenges of maintaining a job as well as school. This incident ended up being the final straw, as she quit the following day.

In the 2020-2021 school year, many AHS students had synchronous class only until 12:30 p.m. which allowed more time in the day for other pursuits, like part-time work. However, with the return to in-person learning this school year students with jobs are finding it challenging to balance thier schoolwork and their jobs.

Senior Jacob Deleon had his job at Carl’s Jr. in Alameda since the beginning of quarantine and worked an average of 36 hours a week without being informed that minors are legally only allowed to work 20 hours per week. He mentioned that during the short period of

Illustration by Thinh Huynh & Nicole Watson time while he was working during school days he didn’t have enough time to finish any of his assignments and would often turn them in late.

“It was very stressful and overbearing trying to juggle my work life and my school life, as I was working a lot of hours already and I had no time at night, which is when I do my homework and when I came back from work I would be too tired to even do things so I always had a rough time to do anything for school.” Deleon said.

Senior Shane Dass moved to Sacramento over quarantine, but decided to move to Dublin to be closer to AHS, as it is his last year at this school. He not only lives far from school, but his work is in the comple opposite direction of his house. He tries to finish all of his work at school so that he doesn’t have to worry about it later.

Senior counselor Shannon Bode believes students should work in high school, as it builds character and responsibility. She points out the pros of working, like making money to save for their own personal use or helping their families.

For cons, she mentions that it takes time away from homework and extracurricular activities, like sports. She noticed that many students last year worked more during remote learning due to the free time they had and some families had financial restraints in which students helped to support their families.

“Sometimes works takes presidents over academics” Bode said.

As this year goes by, Dass is unsure whether or not he wants to stay at his job, due to the time commitment. The owner is also not doing anything to help with this but let the time slide. ”Sometimes I feel unsure because of how late we stay for some night, some of our customers don’t leave until 30 minutes after we closed, so we have to wait that extra time for them, and I always ask my manager if we are legally allowed to tell them, “hey our store is closing in like 10 minutes”, to give them a hint because im trying to go home to do my assignments” Dass said.

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Staff and Students discuss effects of the worst drought in nearly half a century.

Illustration By Nicole Watson

By Eden Buell

A

ssistant Principal Nicole Sandoval has lived in California her entire life, but she’s never seen wildfires like the kind she has experienced in the past few years. She said seeing what has happened makes her worried for the coming years. “i think It’s scary, I didn’t have things like fire season when I was growing up.” Sandoval said.

In the past few years California has experienced several major wildfires including the Campfire in 2018 that burned 153,336 acres, destroyed 18,804 buildings, and killed 85 people.

Part of the cause of these fires is the drought California has been experiencing. This drought is said to be the worst in nearly half a century. We spoke with several AHS teachers and students to hear their concerns and opinions regarding the ongoing drought situation in California.

Living Earth and AP Biology Teacher Samantha Johnson states that droughts are mostly caused by climate change. There are also a few issues tied to droughts, such as, the lack of knowledge of droughts and how they work.

“I think droughts are caused by climate change. The problem we keep running into with droughts is that people your age have been in a drought for so long which makes it feel like normal. “ Johnson said.

Johnson also believes there’s an issue with groundwater, water used for wells.

“I have a friend who lives with well water, and she has gotten to the point where she can’t use her well water because there is no ground water anymore.” Johnson said.

Living Earth Teacher Brian Fredin also states that droughts are due to climate change, he knows people that aren’t able to even get water.

He believes that the way we eat is a big factor in why we experience climate change.

“Here in California we are experiencing droughts due to climate change. I know people in the central valley that might not even have water sometimes. One big reason why we

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COMMUNITY

experience climate change is because of the way we eat here in this country. Once food is thrown away, We bury the food and it rots and it turns into methane which is a greenhouse gas.” Fredin said.

Junior Iseya Estella is worried about the drought as well, he believes that people should cut back on their water usage. She thinks that using too much water is the reason why we are in a drought today.

“I think the major reason why we have droughts is using too much water or using more than we need.” Estella said.

Johnson thinks that the main reason why droughts continue is because of the lack of knowledge people have about droughts, “People who don’t really know much about droughts and they think the drought is over once we get a day or two where we get a lot of rain, But that’s not how that works.” Johnson said.

While on the other hand, Fredin thinks that food waste is the larger problem to this country’s drought, “We experience climate change because of the way we eat here in this country. Once food is thrown away, We bury the food and it rots and it turns into methane which is a greenhouse gas.”. Fredin said.w To prevent the drought from affecting AHS, Johnson believes we should take the action of removing some of the grass we have here. She also suggested that AHS could put in special irrigation systems, an artificial application of water to the soil through various systems of tubes, pumps, and sprays. She made a last suggestion of the district to do something about low flow toilets.

“So we have a lot of grass, we should have less grass. There are a lot of drought tolerant plants that we can have instead of lawn, like rocks, or succulents. There are also special irrigation systems that could be put in called drip irrigation, so instead of sprinklers coming

on and spraying water everywhere there would be special irrigation systems. They [ the school district ] can be putting in low flow toilets, the problem is a lot of that costs money.” Johnson said.

Fredin proposed that we as individuals can use less water, and change the way we eat. He also recommended that the school district can change meal plans for students, like Ms. Johnson, He too urged the school district to try and put in low flow toilets.

“The easier things you can do is take shorter showers, use less water, and change the way we eat. We should compose our food and eat more fruits and vegetables. The school district can place a more plant friendly diet or meal plan, they are also responsible for all the toilets and how water is conserved, so they could fix that.”

Fredin said.

The school district has already put in many measures to combat the drought. Sandoval reached out to Head of Maintenance in the School district, Alex Navasca. Who stated that, “The District is currently changing landscaping, using drip irrigation, and using native plants in mostly elementary schools.

We are also using more redwood trees to help vegetation stay cool, and maintaining a well water system. We’ve also installed 650 automatic flushing toilets. ‘’ Navasca said.

Johnson, Iseya, Fredin, and Sandoval all collectively agree that people being knowledgeable of the severity of this and many other droughts, is a step forward to preventing such extreme droughts such as the one we are in now. Students, teachers, staff, and the district can all do their part in educating others about the drought that is affecting our community greatly.

“I think knowledge is power, That’s very important to me. Keeping up to date with the science and making sure everyone around me also knows about the science.” Fredin said.

What’s next Seniors?

Three students go three different paths in the future.

By Yuki Wen

M

ost seniors decide to go to a four-year college and the other majority choose to go to community college.

Senior Winna Deng is choosing to go to community college after graduating. Deng wants to be a Pharmacist in the future and will study biochemistry.

Deng decides to attend community college for several reasons, but one of the main reasons she chose community is because of the expenses.

“I chose community college because it’s cheap, it’s affordable.” Deng said.

Deng feels as if college is not worth its cost.

“College is necessary but not really.” Deng said.

Deng will continue to pursue her education

T

he most popular option of where a student would choose to go after high school would be a four-year college.

Senior Megan Lee is choosing to go to a fouryear college after senior year. She plans on being a lawyer and is going into the business major.

Lee is choosing a four-year college because she will learn a sneak about her major and skill. College will give her a sneak peek into her future career.

“I chose a four-year college because those four years I will be able to learn more about my interests and my skills and broaden my knowledge.” Lee said, “Those four years will be helpful for me to gain insight before I go to get a job in the workforce.”

Lee thinks that college is necessary for her and will improve her knowledge for her career choice.

“Yes, college is necessary.” Lee said, “I think

M

ost Seniors choose to continue pursuing their education after high school, but there are few that choose to join the

military.

Senior Raymond Imperial is choosing to join the military. He plans on joining the United States Navy because he has a liking for it.

Imperial chose to join the military so that he could become independent and get benefits for himself and his family. Many other families join the military for these benefits also.

“I want to be independent and help my mom.”

Imperial said, “I can get free education and other benefits.”

Imperial first heard the military programs through his family, though none of his family are part of the military. He plans to stay in the military

Photographs by Yuki Wen after community college. She is determined to transfer into a four-year college after two years of community college, but after transferring she sees herself in a position where she will be in need of assistance.

“Yes, I plan on moving to a four-year college after community.” Deng said, “I see my college life being really fast-paced and busy and really stressing because I need financial support.”

After college Deng doesn’t plan to stay in the area. She plans to travel to Asia and look for opportunities there.

“No, I don’t plan on staying in San Lorenzo after college.” Deng said, “I plan on going to China.”

Senior Winna Deng

college is necessary for me but for other people, of course, it’s different, you can do whatever you like.”

Lee has a preference for the environment and vibe when it comes to colleges.

“I’m really trying to get into a college that’s urban so there’s a lot of bakeries and eating places around so that I could always get easy access for food.” Lee said, “I would like college because you get to choose the time of your classes.”

Lee feels good about college but has a few concerns. Although she is worried about her financial status during college, she is still very excited to graduate this year.

“I’m scared of being not financially stable, college is expensive.” Lee said, “But yes I am very excited to graduate.”

Senior Megan Lee

for quite a while.

“Actually my mom asked me to join the military.”

Imperial said, “I plan on serving for eight years.”

Imperial does have an interest in his future career. He plans on going into the career choice of cyber security after he is done serving in the military.

“I plan on doing cyber security analyst.”

Imperial said, “Based on what I get on my degree and then get the job in cyber security.”

Imperial is positive about his life after the military. He sees himself in a state where he is financially independent and is able to support his family.

“I can see myself living in a house with my family.”

Imperial said, “Then support them financially.”

Senior Raymond Imperial

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SPRINT

Senior Nathan Sanchez is running on the field during a game against American High School. In the fall 2021 season, the football team’s record was 2-8.

Photos Courtesy of Studio One Photography

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SPORTS

SERVE

Junior Eleanor Fifita serves the ball during a game against Livermore High School. In the fall 2021 season, Varsity’s record was 12-11, placing them second in the WACC Shoreline division. In addition, the JV girl’s volleyball team went undefeated with a 15-0 record.

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Declining Participation in High School

Football numbers shrinking at AHS, across country.

Why do you think students at Arroyo don’t play football?

By Jose Leon

I

n the 2014 season, the AHS football program had 105 total players with 58 students on the varsity team and another 47 on the junior varsity team. In the 2021 season, AHS only fielded a varsity team with just 39 players.

The decline in high school football participation is not only happening at AHS, it is a trend nationwide. According to a Forbes magazine titled “High School Football Participation is on a Decade Long Decline” published on August 29, 2019, participation in high school football has declined across the country. According to the article, in 2018-2019 high school boys football participation dropped 30,829 or 3%.

In the fall of 2020, the California Interscholastic Federation published a survey that showed high school football participation in California had been declining for 5 years.

Head football coach Mikel Dace believes football participation is declining due to the loss of interest and the teamwork involved.

“Students choose a different sport and put their time and effort into it, also football is a 11 man sport where it can’t just be one person pulling the weight which is where I think students don’t play the sport. Also over the years students have found other sports more interesting to them.” Dace said.

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Head football Coach Mikel Dace

Senior Tony Estes III

“There are a lot of kids that don’t the physicality of football nor like the game where its hit or be hit.”

“Some students judge the game before trying to understand the meaning of football, Brotherhood”

Sophomore Andrew Nguyen

Senior Lino Gaona

“I know people that are super athletic but they don’t play because they don’t wanna get hurt.”

“Some people don’t have the guts to go against an opponent that is bigger and stronger then them.”

Junior Josiah Johnson

Junior Ron Nguyen

“Because some people don’t have the drive to play the sport like we do but we will always welcome anyone to the Don family.”

“Most kids I’ve talked to say they don’t have the passion or skill to play football, but never try to see how they like it.”

Photo courtesy of AHS Football

SPORTS

Athletes At Work

Athletes talk about keeping up with sports after hiatus

By Kevin Padilla

I

n March of 2020, all AHS students and staff were pulled from school and forced to move on to distance learning. With this, all sport activities were forced to shut down after the transition into distance learning. AHS would not resume sports for another year until March 2021.

We spoke to 6 different athletes and asked them questions regarding how they managed to maintain interest, improve, or participate in their respective sport(s) while school sports were forced to shut down.

One of the biggest challenges of returning back to school for school athletes was maintaining the level of play they were at prior to the shutdowns. This was due to some athletes not having the resources to keep practicing their respective sport.

When asked whether a year and a half of not participating in school sports affected their muscle memory.

“Being away from high school sports for over a year made it difficult for my body to get back into the routine but it was almost like I never stopped playing.” Senior Tati Rodriguez said.

Freshman Orlando Batz is a baseball player who says he got into sports at a young age thanks to his siblings and dad. When asked what effect the time off had on him, this is what he had to say.

“Ever since we had that long break my ‘game’ doesn’t feel the same, making me feel like it ruined my rhythm.” Batz said.

Some athletes who weren’t given the option to play sports for their school were able to play the game they loved through clubs.

We asked seniors whether they had become involved in a club sport while not playing for their school and what those clubs asked from them.

“Yes, my coaches asked me to work on my plate vision for baseball.” Senior Angel Belloso said.

Senior Tati Rodriguez also added that coaches are focused on making sure the teams work well together.

“I do participate in sports outside of school and my coaches are currently focused on team chemistry as that communication is very important when trying to make a team work,” Rodriguez said.

How did you maintain or grow interest in the current sport you’re playing?

Senior Angel Belloso

Sophomore Amaris Zaldana

“By continuing to play and watch videos of the game I grew to enjoy the sport a lot more.”

“I’ve always loved playing soccer so I didn’t want my years of playing to be for nothing.”

Senior Tati Rodriguez

Sophomore Leila Rosa

“I watched highlights on Youtube and on tv and that kept me interested.”

“Soccer was one of the fisrt sports I connected with and it also helps me for college.”

Senior Erica Xie

Freshman Orlando Batz

“I always had a love for cross country and the community within, so coming back to that type of energy made me maintain interest.”

“Watching MLB games and being put in a league made me fall in love with baseball.”

Photographers Ashton Menge and Kevin Padilla

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Exploring the World

Returning to the travel experience we missed out on.

By Clarence Capunitan

I

22

n December,Junior Kellia Rivera will be travelling by plane to Maryland. This is the first time she is traveling since the pandemic began. She said she was excited to travel again, but also very nervous about traveling.It has been a long time since we were all able to travel.Rivera said she is partially excited to travel because we are still in a pandemic .

“I am excited to travel again because we haven’t traveled much since the pandemic started but there is this part of me that is not so excited because I feel like we are not fully prepared to stay safe from the virus and have fun at the same time.” Rivera said .

Rivera is one of the many Americans who is returning to travel after avoiding it during the earlier phases of the pandemic.A New York Times article from March 2021 stated the global passenger traffic fell by 65.9 percent from 2019 to 2020. Rivera is joining many other AHS community members who are using the winter break to travel outside the Bay Area after avoiding leaving during 2020.

Junior Deloris Allen Vaughn will be going skiing for winter break. Allen Vaughn is not sure where they are going but she has confirmed

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that they are going skiing. Allen Vaughn also feels quite nervous about traveling again.

“I feel excited but also nervous. I have not traveled much since the beginning of the pandemic because I feel like there is something that I am forgetting. I feel like we are partially prepared to travel again because my family might not have everything we need to travel and also stay safe from the pandemic.” Allen Vaughn said.

Junior Henry Xu on the other hand has traveled many times during the pandemic and has managed to stay safe and have fun.He feels prepared to travel again during the pandemic.

Xu is not quite sure where he is going for the break.

“Me and my family traveled many times during the pandemic and I feel like that we are able to travel during the covid situation again.I feel like we are ready to travel during the pandemic once more.” Xu said An article from the New York Times published on November 2, the Biden Administration had approved traveling for vaccinated foreign travelers.Vaccinated foreigners have been allowed to travel as of

November 8.People got so overjoyed to learn that the Biden Administration had allowed traveling once again .

“Skyscanner, a travel booking site,saw an 800 percent spike in bookings the day after the announcement.In the week after the administration confirmed the date the travelers could arrive,Expedia,the online booking site,saw a 28 percent increase in searches for U.S. hotels from Britain and a 24 percent increase from France.”the article states .

Xu, Rivera and Allen Vaughn said that they are all ready to travel again and ready to face the challenges of traveling by any type of transportation during the pandemic.They all feel prepared to travel again and have fun.Allen Vaughn gave a bold statement about facing the challenges of traveling again with the pandemic still going around .

“I think that my family is prepared to travel and we have all done what we could to prepare and stay safe from the pandemic while we are on vacation and we are all ready to face the challenge of traveling during a pandemic head on.” Allen Vaughn said .

Excelsior, Arroyo Assemble Tales of Arroyo’s Campus Marvelites Mike Budge

PE Teacher & Atheltic Director

Alexander Magallon

Junior

By Makani Reith Fifita

M

arvel is a comfort for a lot of people spanning from the comics, movies, tv shows, and even a few video games or any form in pop-culture. It is no doubt that Marvel has an impressive track record with connecting many people together through the characters and writing.

Sports Athletic Director and PE Teacher Mike Budge, who has been a long time fan since childhood, from watching cartoons to watching the movies. They can have a lot of stories to tell for anybody getting into the franchise.

“I think it’s just that no matter how old you are you can still relate to a lot of the issues that Marvel does a good job either through the movies or the shows which makes them relatable. And the idea of a hero, I think, will always be around because there are many people that maybe have super powers and they do their own thing whether they know it or not.” Budge said.

With the Marvel Cinematic Universe being a juggernaut when producing movies and tv shows, it’s fun and entertaining writing paired with its eye catching effect is what makes Marvel a mainstay in American culture. Spider Man: No Way Home, coming out on December 17th, 2021, It is already attracting a lot of attention.

This movie brings back Toby McGuire and Andrew Garfield from the The Amazing Spiderman franchise, produced by Sony.

Marvel is a big franchise that is a part of a lot of people’s childhoods and it helps them connect through the multitude of different characters and their unique powers and abilities.Budge relates to the super soldier and shield throwing avenger “Captain America. I like that he sticks up for the little guy. Even before he had superpowers, he wasn’t physically as tough as he was after the

Joven Foncier Sophomore

Photo Illustration by Makani Reith Fifita super soldier serum; he’d still stood up for what was right.” Budge said.

Junior Alexander Magallon relates to the web slinging red and blue suited arachnid.

“The character I relate to the most is SpiderMan because even though he is this glamorous superhero, he’s this dorky nerd, that nobody really pays attention to and I think that has a lot of relatability to it.” Magallon said.

Sophomore Joven Foncier also relates to this web slinger.

“Spider-Man. Peter Parker in specific because behind all the superpowers he’s just this nerdy kid who likes science and he really can’t catch a break and I kind of feel like that sometimes. Also he dabbles in photography and I dabble in it as well.” Foncier said.

People enjoy the films because while they can be a family and they do share issues and problems, but they always find a way around it.

“I really do enjoy the fact that a lot of the heroes are like a family, kind of like a sports team too. They do step up for the greater good, maybe what’s not best for them and they do what’s right for everybody, and so I like that.”

Budge said.

The movies are also a way for kids to internalize that fantasy of a superhero and powers of one, either younger or older.

“When you’re a little kid, one of the most appealing things to you is thinking about superheroes, and stuff, because everyone wants to think about the idea of having powers and doing whatever you want to. So with the Marvel movies it felt like an advent to get that out to the mainstream public because it was always there in the comics and the TV Shows, then the movies began to come out which became a widespread phenomenon.” Magallon said.

People love the movies, some don’t, but aren’t

well versed in them too. As they don’t venture deep into the franchise.

“I don’t really connect through them a lot.”

Foncier said.

With Spider-Man: No Way Home coming out soon, it’s going to be one of the biggest movies of the year. With returning heroes and villains it’ll sure be a blockbuster at the box office opening day. A lot of people are already gonna put this on top of their lists for their most favorite movies with just the previews of the trailers, posters, and photos. This is gonna be the movie of the year that everyone would be looking forward to watching and experiencing.

“I can not wait! I am excited! I am excited for Green Goblin and Doc Oct, and I’m interested in the two other spider-mans (Tobey McGuire & Andrew Garfield) and see how that dynamic between all 3 of them are going to work out.

And I hope we see that meme from the SpiderMan 70’s Cartoon where all the spidermen are pointing at each other recreated. Marvel’s very good at recreating that.” Budge said.

A lot of enthusiasts were hesitant on the writing for the film, but once more trailers dropped they could see the things they wanted to be there.

“When the newest No Home Way trailer dropped I was on the fence before seeing all of these characters coming back because I thought it wouldn’t have the weight and the consequences that were missing in the past movies, but I’m glad to see it and it’s looking a lot better.” Magallon said.

From seeing the trailers and posters it can already become a top movie for people.

“It is my favorite movie and it’s not even out.

I know there will be a few opinions on it but it’ll still be good.” Foncier said.

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What Are You...

Listening to?

Junior Jenny Tran: “1 Step Forward, 3 Steps back” by Olivia Rodrigo

Junior Laelani Garde: “Self Control”

by Frank Ocean

Sophomore Jacob Pardilla: Jackets and lots of sweaters

Sophomore Derrick Peterson: “I like to wear my chains”

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Senior Jason Go: “King of Queens”

Junior Desiree Ramirez: Dive Club

Wearing?

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Watching?

Eating?

Senior Tati Rodriguez: Pho and Sushi

Sophomore Ruijia Gu: Chipotle Bowls