Dry Gulch Gazette Volume 57 Issue 3

Dry Gulch

Gazette

PG.

6

Back Cover

March 30, 2018

Arroyo High School

3/14 WALKOUT

CAMPUS and COMMUNITY COVERAGE

3/23 LOCKDOWN TIMELINE and REACTIONS

Volume LVIII Issue III

Looking forward to...

By Andrea Lomeli and Nanda Bean

An Arising “Rock On” Performance by the Choir May 10 - 11, 2018 Choir teacher, Pat Schultz Q: We heard that you and your choir students are performing in May, what do you plan to do perform?

A: “It is a musical revue. A musical revue is a collection are songs around the theme and it doesn’t tell a story, but it goes around an idea” Q: How long will it take for your student to perform?

A: “They [the choir] have started to learn a few new song already, but they have a whole lot more to go. They will start learning the music and then we’ll start learning the dances. They will have to learn the songs first before they can move their feet and learn the choreography “

Photo | Pat Schultz

Multi-Cultural Week

Q: What do you plan to do?

Info of AP Tests May 3 - 17, 2018

April 16 - 20, 2018

898 - students in AP classes Photo | Nanda Bean

Senoir, Grant Brown

A: “For MultiCultural Week, we [Black Student Union] plan to step, and hopefully have an African Drum performance [...],” said Brown. The African Drum Circle and stepping are bigger parts of African-American culture, That’s one of our arts besides many other things, we can do”

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CAMPUS

Photo | Nanda Bean

Geology Teacher, Toshimi Fujikawa

A: “I plan to share the culture that I grew up in” … “I’ll bring in artifacts of things that I will have at home, I’ll tell stories about my family and the traditions that we have” “It will open them up to new experiences and to traditions and customs that are different than what they grew up with”

860 - students

taking AP tests

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover by Winnie Lai

CAMPUS

4 - Wellness Center 5 - Community Garden 6 - Arroyo Walkout

COMMUNITY

7 - Community Walkouts 9 - SLZ Grizzlies 10 - Budget Cuts

A CLOSER LOOK

11 - Arroyo in Bloom 12 - Debut/Coming Out 13 - Bar Mitzvah

OPINION

14 - Sustained Activism 15 - Wellness for AHS 16 - Schedule Changes 17 - The Baile

CULTURE

18 - Night Rally 20 - In the Heights

5 18 22

SPORTS

21 - Sharing the Pool 22 - Commitments 23 - New Coaches 24 - Lockdown CORRECTION: TECH-LINKS WAS THE FIRST SMALL LEARNING COMMUNITY

CONTENTS

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Photo | Cristian Quintanilla

Counseling intern Alexis Horn, social worker Laura Mitchell-Morton, assistant principal Kristian Hinz, and student Jae’Len Santa Lucia meet to talk about plans for the center. AHS will be opening a wellness center to help students with emotional and mental problems.

Wellness Center Coming Soon

New space will provide mental and emotional support to students

By Symone Stokes and Britney Torres

F

4

rom storage room to a safe place for students, C-8 is being completely transformed.

The Wellness Center will be a place where students can receive help with their social and emotional needs. Students who need emotional support will be welcomed to come in and talk with the staff. Students who need a safe place to cool off and be alone will be welcomed to come in to calm down. The Wellness Center will also provide as place for conflict resolution amongst students with unresolved issues .The center will be available to students after spring break in C-8.

Assistant principal Kristian Hinz is one of the team members working on the Wellness Center. Hinz originally brought up the idea last year to other staff members.

Hinz believes public health affects all of us. and that having stronger kids will lead to a stronger community.

“Our counselors that we have here, they have all kinds of academic demands they have to do right? So the Wellness Center is really trying to provide the necessary socioemotional support for students,” Hinz said.

Counseling intern Alexis Horn is another team member working on this project.

CAMPUS

“This will benefit Arroyo by providing support in a way that does not exist,” Horn said.

Another team member is AHS social worker Laura Mitchell-Morton. MitchellMorton believes that it is important for students to have good mental health in order for them to perform well in their classes.

“If there is something on a student’s mind, or things outside of school impacting their ability to focus in class or do work, it can be hard for them to do well academically,” Mitchell-Morton said.

Together, Horn and Mitchell-Morton visited Hillside Elementary and a school in the San Francisco Unified School District where wellness centers are already in place

Students will be able to access the center after spring break in C-8.

and gathered information.

The team behind this project also wanted to focus on the students needs and made it their priority to have student input. Junior Jae’Len Santa Lucia also played a role in developing the Wellness Center.

“I wanted to start a place where students can go and get some type of help for mental problems because there is more to students than just school”, Santa Lucia said.

While having a conversation with Hinz, Santa Lucia told Hinz his idea to create a safe space for students to go. Hinz then informed Santa Lucia about the Wellness Center and invited him to be apart of the project. Santa Lucia created a survey that he encourages students to take.

The overall goal of the Wellness Center is to create a safe space for students and to provide them with the tools they need to have good mental health. The team behind this project hopes that by providing students with social and emotional support, students are able to get through life in a successful way.

“We’re trying to give students the support they need so they can be successful as possible once they leave.”•

A HORIZONTAL PHOTO/ILLUSTRATION WILL GO HERE

PhotographerFirstname PhotographerLastname Photo | Cuauhtemoc Ramirez

Photography teacher Geoffrey Baughman is harvesting vegetables in his garden.

Arroyo’s Garden Blossoms Bonds Electronics has separated us, but nature has brought us back together

By Samantha Wang

“I

have seen the garden many times whenever I pass there, but in the summer, everything is dead,” Sophomore Angelo-Phillip DeCastro, a member of the DECA Club, said.

Beginning in December of 2017, Arroyo High School photography teacher Geoffrey Baughman and his students planned and built a garden between D and S Hall to study the growth of plants and build a community at AHS. To the best of Baughman’s knowledge, the garden was first constructed by another teacher 15 years ago. This time, they rebuilt the garden for a photography project to give students a chance to go outside, garden, and learn where food comes from.

Senior Christine Pham, a member of the crew, designed and dug up room for the garden with Baughman. Additionally, she helped plant vegetables and other harvests. “[I]t shows people how to work together”, said Pham.

Additionally, Pham thinks the garden will

have a lasting impact on both AHS and its studen. When students work together in the garden, it allows students to bond with each other, realizing it is not hard to grow a garden when they are doing it together.

“I guess it’s pretty important to me because my classmates and I worked together to make it happen.

“[W]e are being able to hang out with each other while doing something besides being on our phones all the time”

Senior Christine Pham said

Baughman also agrees that the garden is impactful for both the school and our community. Students can learn how to develop relationships with each other and with the Earth.

“It gives an example of where food comes from, like growing right here, in front of them, and they can watch it, you know. Not scientifically; just seeing it grow over the year, and then the class will pick it, and they get a chance to harvest, have that connection with the Earth producing something good and wonderful,” Baughman said.

The gardening team plans to continue this project for the upcoming few years. Both DeCastro and Pham look forward to the new additions to the garden next year. They both hope the garden will make our school more green. Baughman has already developed several ideas for their garden.

“We [are] gonna have the summer garden once the winter garden is done with the tomatoes, squash, pumpkins. As soon as it gets approved, we will have milk cows, comfort rabbits, chickens, and eggs,” Baughman said.

CAMPUS

5

Walk Out Talk Out

Arroyo (left) and other local schools (right) join nationwide walkout in protest of gun violence

By Maha Sanad

O

w

n March 14 at 10 a.m., hundreds of students walked out of their 3rd period classes, joining thousands of other students across the country. This walkout was in support of the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting on February 14.

The 17 minute long walkout was held to honor the 17 lives that were lost in the Parkland shooting and to call for stricter gun control. At 9:55 a.m., students met in the quad, armed with their signs and voices, all ready to march. Then at 10 a.m., the students began marching starting from the loop, out onto Grant Avenue, to the front of the library. After meeting at the front of the school where a table was set up for student speeches, the students who walked out gathered to hear a variety of speeches from a variety of students.

The walkout was entirely planned by students. Junior Faeven Mussie, one of the students who took initiative in organizing this walkout, spoke on her motivation to organize the walkout. Mussie shared her concerns gun violence coming to our school community.

“Generally I do feel safe but at the same time I can’t be so sure about that because of what happened in Florida” Mussie said, “This could’ve been us, that really could’ve happened at our school, that could’ve been me,” Senior Julian Batz, who gave a speech at the walkout, expressed his fear when a fire alarm was pulled causing a false alarm on March 9. In the Parkland shooting, a fire alarm was pulled prior to the shooting.

“As the weeks passed by, I kind of just got into to that state of mind that I think a lot of people get into, like ‘What am I gonna do’, ‘What is me participating in the walkout gonna do?’”

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WALK OUT TALK OUT

Batz said, “Then the [the fire alarm on March 9] happened, and then I realized, ‘Wow, I’m terrified for my life.’”

Despite the tension that some students, such as Batz, had built up while waiting for the walkout, come March 14, hundreds of AHS students and thousands across the nation participated in the walkout.

English teacher Kay Zimmerman shared her thoughts on the walkout which she saw as a successful one.

“I really do think that a lot of the kids that were participating were engaged in the process and cared about the issues, and that was inspiring” Zimmerman said.

Despite many like Zimmerman who felt the walkout was successful, some have expressed differing opinions on the issue of walkouts and gun control in general. A teacher who chose to remain anonymous shared their opinions on the effectiveness of walkouts.

“They’re too vague, let’s be specific, what are you demanding?

What do you hope to achieve. Not everyone who went out there was on the same page. Some people want an outright confiscation and ban of weapons, and some people want extending the age to 21. You might actually disagree with someone you’re standing next to” the teacher said.

Even though they were some people who disagreed with the walkout, Mussie overall saw it as a success.

“This shows that we do understand what’s going on around us” Mussie said.

Mussie believes the March 14 walkout will lead to more activism from the AHS community.

“I think that everybody saw how we can really come together and we can really start making a change in our community.”•

Photo | Winnie Lai

By Janice Lee and Angela Peña

D

ue to the recent Parkland school shooting on February 14 of this year, schools across the nation have taken their outrage and turned it into acts of activism. On Wednesday March 14, many students participated in the #Enough school walkout to protest the gun violence that has been a great concern for America’s schools. Karla Rico, a junior in San Leandro’s Social Justice Academy, is planning a walkout with her fellow peers in her community.

“We’re planning to do the March 14 walkout in solidarity with other schools because it is a serious topic. But what’s sad is that it had to take multiple shootings in order for this to happen.

Like seventeen shootings this year,” Rico said, “But it’s good that we’re finally taking action. We’re going to have people speak… about enforcing gun laws.”

Furthermore, Rico thinks that the walkouts are just the start of students beginning to use their voice to speak out and take action for what they believe.

“It’s just the power of students. Walkouts are just the beginning, that’s the easy part. After the walkout, it’s like ‘what are we doing now? Are we going to go to school board meetings?

What are we planning to do?’” Rico said, “It’s easy to go walkout and miss class. Anyone could skip class... so you can't really determine who’s really there for the cause because anyone could just walk out. You’ll see who’s really trying to take action when they're trying to plan outside of the walkout.”

Ultimately, Rico believes that while this shooting occurred in Florida, the shooting still affects students all over the nation.

“People’s lives were killed and you don’t know who’s next.

That could be your friend, someone’s daughter, or son. That could be your mom if your mom is a teacher. That could be anyone.”

Rico said, “We don't want just an apology from these politicians, we want them to actually act. Enforce the gun laws. You don’t want to be giving guns to anybody.”

Joseph Kleineidam, a senior in San Leandro High School’s Social Justice Academy, believes that the students are even more readily adept in making change within our government than their older counterparts.

“I feel like the youth are probably the most effective in terms of trying to make change. When it comes to adults, they’re too worried about ‘is this going to affect me or my family? Is this going to affect my career? I don’t know if I could get involved in this’,” Kleineidam said, “But with the youth, school is basically what we do and if we feel some type of way about something, we have the power to spread that message.”

Junior John Jacobo from James Logan High School, believes that teachers’ support are essential if students want to reduce the threat of gun violence in schools.

“Students can possibly help make changes in gun control with the help of teachers who may or may not have more experience with these kinds of things,” Jacobo said.

Overall, student activists want as much participation as possible because anyone can be affected by the proposed changes. Kleineidam believes that it does not matter if someone is indifferent to the topic at hand, there is always a possibility that one’s participation will come back to their benefit.

“If it doesn’t affect them, they don’t care, but there’s going to be a time when it does come to affect [them] in one way or another... Then you’re going to be [thinking] who’s going to stand up for me,” Kleineidam said. •

WALK OUT TALK OUT

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Threats at SLHS

San Leandro High School goes on lockdown

By Janice Lee and Angela Peña

Show your support by making your own sign here. Cut this out and submit it to A9 for a chance to appear in the next issue.

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WALK OUT TALK OUT

O

n Wednesday March 14, students at San Leandro High School were placed under lockdown for around three hours due to a school shooting threat found on a restroom mirror. The threat said “I’m shooting the school tomorrow at 1. I’m sick of this s---. Better not come. F--- this place.”.

Students were eventually released early and school was cancelled the following day for precaution. However, the lockdown did not stop the students from protesting against gun violence. During the lockdown, students held up posters in solidarity with all the students who walked out of their schools.

Some students, primarily from the Social Justice Academy, still participated in the walkout after the lockdown was lifted. Students gathered outside the main entrance, making their voices heard with their gun control signs and discussing how gun threats are affecting their school and community. After experiencing the horrors of gun threats, students at San Leandro High want to prevent situations like these where students’ freedom from fear is violated.

New SLZHS Mascot is the Grizzly Previous mascot, the Rebels, is replaced after controversy

Grizzly Phoenix Mavericks Legends Raptors

Grizzly

Others Infographic | Bethelehem Engeda

By Bethelehem Engeda and Yennhi Le

A

fter a yearlong debate, San Lorenzo High School changed their mascot, the Rebel, to what is now the Grizzly.

Due to the previous mascot resembling a Confederate soldier, issues concerning racism arose. Along with a fresh start and new image, SLZHS will begin representing the Grizzly with pride.

SLZHS ASB President and Student Board Member for the district James Aguilar emphasizes that students had been very involved in the process of choosing a new mascot.

“There were over 100 results from surveys; and three surveys narrowed down the mascot choices to the top choices,” Aguilar said.

Originally, SLZHS Assistant Principal Eugene Santillan said, “The votes were really close between the Phoenix and the Grizzly, and the committee felt like the Phoenix was more unique than the Grizzly.”

Although the Phoenix seemed to be the top contender for the mascot, the idea was shot down during a board meeting. It was brought to the attention of a board member that the

Phoenix represented an Aryan Renaissance gang, so therefore, the Grizzly was chosen.

Aguilar believed that the new change would be beneficial to the high school.

Likewise, Santillan believed that the

“Our identity crisis has now been lifted.”

SLZHS Senior James Aguilar said

Grizzly was the best choice of mascot for SLZ. SLZHS Senior Bella Lee stated that there were several potential ideas for the mascot that were narrowed down to the top five, including the Raptors, Mavericks, Phoenixes, and Legends. Similar to Aguilar, Lee did not have an attachment to the previous mascot, the Rebel.

However, SLZHS sophomore Ruben Isais disagrees with the need for a mascot change.

“I honestly thought that the Rebel was a better mascot,” Isais said.

Isais never perceived the previous mascot as racist or having a negative connotation and was disappointed by how the process of

choosing the new mascot went.

“At first it seemed like we were playing a huge role, but in the end I felt like we were just given a mascot,” Isais said. “At first I thought we were gonna vote for what we wanted, but [...] we couldn’t.”

Isais wished that students at SLZ had gotten more input in the decision of the mascot, but still accepts the decision. He states that the actual appearance of the mascot, however, has not been decided on, and that students are encouraged to think of suggestions.

Shortly after the decision, SLZ began acknowledging the Grizzly in their campus announcements, SLZ Vision. Before the school year ends, students are being asked to submit a visual for the Grizzly.

“We’re working right now with the graphics department to come up with mascot ideas like what it will look like, and then we want to let the students vote on which idea they like the best.”•

COMMUNITY

9

$5.2 Million Cuts Arrive at San Lorenzo Unified School District Some cuts will lead to larger class sizes and a decrease in electives

By Leslie Güereca As of June, 2017, the Board of Education has been working on solving the structural deficit in the San Lorenzo Unified School District caused by factors such as the declining of student enrollment (a loss of more than 750 students over the past three years), increased required expenditures in serving students with special needs, and increased required expenditures for employee retirement benefits Since the fall of 2017 and for the past three months, the Budget Reduction Task Force Committee has undertaken the process of collecting and revising budget reduction proposal surveys from the community to determine what proposals could possibly stand a chance of being made. From there, prioritizing the items, making a list, and presenting it to the Board who then make the final decisions. In the aftermath the Budget Reduction Task Force was able to identify $4,490,000 in proposed reductions. The Superintendent’s cabinet falso identified $6,000,000 in proposed reductions formed from the list.

Thus, the Board came to approve $5.2million in total reduction.

Among these cuts the Board will cut three middle school and four high school teachers which will lead to an increase class sizes, as the allocation of teachers in classrooms will change. A cut that San Lorenzo Association President and AHS counselor Donna Pinkney, disagrees with as she believes it will have an impact in the classroom.

“Well that’s a really bad cut, I am really shocked the District would do that cause its gonna really impact middle and high school students.”

Though the impact may not be that obvious because as Pinkney explains,“In the big picture I mean maybe one or two more kids in your classes maybe does not impact

you that much, but I think across your day and across your whole educational career teachers just having less time to connect with you personally cause there are more kids in your classes it’s going to have an impact overall.”

Though according to Director of Secondary Education, Janette Hernandez, this cut will have limited impact.

Hernandez states, “No, they won’t have much of an impact on students. I mean we cut four high school teachers, but we cut four again around 300,000 students.”

To place this into context Hernandez describes, “If you think about your classes, in some classes you may have thirty-four kids, but in some class you probably have twenty [...] and the class size average is thirty -four” However, English teaher Robert Guarino mentions that there is a possibility of the cut not even running any long term chance of impact, and that it is in the hands of the principals. The principals’ may choose to use their budget to keep the staffing number at the current levels they are at in the high schools and middles schools that will undergo this cut.

As Guarino explains, “[U]se your principal budget, I am not exactly sure of the technical name,your general principal budget to keep staffing at the current levels at Arroyo, what are going have to cut.”

Furthermore, this cut will not only increase class sizes, but it will decrease the amount of electives.

Though as Hernandez discusses, this will not have an impact on the students because as she mentions, “But right now you have [for example] about twenty-five choices for electives, you might have twenty-three choices [after budget reductions], it’s not like you don’t have any choices.”

25:1

23:1

A

Class Sizes Student : Teacher Ratio Bohannon Middle School Data 2015-16

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OPINION

Arroyo School Data from 2014-15

SELECTED ITEMS ON APPROVED BUDGET REDUCTION LIST

Yet, in the shoes of a counselor like Pinkney, she notes, “So that is going to be really unfortunate because there are going to be students that will sign up for classes and we are going to have to say sorry we can’t offer that because only, you know, twenty five students signed up and we need at least to have thirty -four.”

Despite their difference in opinions regarding the approved budget reductions, Pinkney and Hernandez agree that the Board of Education did the best they could with the budget reductions.

As Pinkney mentions, “It’s hard, the board had to make hard decisions.” •

Washington Manor Middle School Data from 2016-17

23:1

CLOSER LOOK

11

And Making Their Big Debut...

Two Filipinas open up about their upcoming debuts

By Trinity Mai

“P

eople usually do it like, big parties.

They would throw big parties and the birthday celebrant would wear gowns and dresses.

They would dance with like, 18 roses. Each friend would like, give a rose to them. It’s like a big event when it comes to Filipino culture,” Junior Andrea Rodriguez said. Each culture has their unique way of celebrating their coming of age.

The Filipino tradition of

celebrating the 18th birthday with a debut party is a momentous occasion for young Filipinas. Much like a Sweet Sixteen or a quinceñera, the debutante usually hosts a grand party with her friends and family. As this is an 18th birthday celebration, many aspects of the party is associated with the number 18. The popular 18 Roses Dance, where 18 males of the celebrant’s choice present a rose and dance with the celebrant, is a significant part of the ceremony.

While many debuts are extravagant, there are others that are more simple. Rodriguez plans to host her debut this coming October.

She believes that the focus of a debut celebration is to welcome exciting adventures and face new challenges in her life.

“I’m not really that type of person to throw big parties. I just really want a simple gathering where I’m with my friends and family. Just eat outside in a restaurant or an all-you-can-eat place or something like that.

Go out on the beach or something,” Rodriguez said.

Sprouting Out

Regardless of the relatively modest celebrations, Rodriguez’s debut will still maintain her relevance. It signifies the end of her childhood and her first steps into adulthood. The term “adulthood” can have various definitions to different people.

Sophomore Joyce Ann Nicole Arcibal-Garcia, who also plans to host a debut, looks forward to making her own decisions.

“Girls are finally turning into a lady and then they can have their independence,” Arcibal-Garcia said.

Rodriguez admits that while becoming an adult can be exciting, it can also be burdensome. Her debut not only signifies a change in her age, but also a change in her maturity and responsibilities.

“Growing up is when you learn how to take care of yourself and not rely on people to do stuff for you. Being an adult? Well, it’s just you’re being mature about stuff; about the way you approach stuff. You know how like in high school, kids approach things in a sensitive way sometimes, like emotionally?”

Rodriguez said. “But when you’re an adult, then you can like, have decisions about this stuff that you’re facing.” •

Pansexual Junior talks about his battles as a transgender male By: Jeanette Hernandez

Y

our teenage years are often said to be some of the best times of your life, from your first taste of freedom to falling in love for the first time. Around the world adolescents are always discovering their identities and what kind of people they want to be.

“Trans-male and pansexual” A Junior at Arroyo High School, who would like to remain anonymous, identifies as a transgender male and pansexual. Pansexuality is the sexual, romantic or emotional attraction towards people regardless of their sex or gender identity.

“When I was little I didn’t have a concept of gender to begin with. I thought boys and girls are the same through and through.”

According to social studies teacher Carrie Kelder, teens tend to explore their sexual identities when they first hit puberty.

“It seems to me that it’s part of

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CLOSER LOOK

human development. Usually people have an idea of their sexual preference by early adolescence.”

The LGBTQ+ community has made big steps, with the legalization of same sex marriage or gender neutral bathrooms but there have also been lots of prejudiceness.

“Most of the discrimination that I face, not because of my sexuality because I feel like with sexualiy, people are a lot more open.

More like my gender expression and the way I look, because obviously I’m not shaped like a guy, I have these curvaceous curves.”

He describes how he has struggled with his appearance in his early adolescence.

“I binded with four sports bras everyday, and then if I wasn’t happy with it, I just kept adding on to where I had twelve of them on.

You know how constricting one of them is on, imagine twelve on from eight to three.”

The Junior came out to his mom at the beginning of the school year, and was uncertain on how she would feel.

“I told her and then she was like okay, she didn’t get it, she didn’t care and so I thought that because she didn’t care, she hated me.”

He has still not come out to his dad but he is aware of how he will feel, and what he will say after past experiences.

“My dad obviously won’t be accepting, he flipped his s--when I cut my hair, he was like ‘you’re a girl, you have to wear skirts.’”

By the end of the interview, the Junior states how he wants to be seen on campus or on community.

“I want people to see me as a guy. I don’t want them to see me as my birth name or that it’s a trans guy.”•

An Ancient Coming of Age

Arroyo junior recounts first steps into adulthood

By Noah Bendell

A

rabbis, they treat you with so much kindness.”

Math teacher Andrew Waranoff illustrated this idea with a story about his own experience in the Jewish community.

“The rabbi who performed my Bar Mitzvah also performed my wedding, despite being retired,” said Waranoff, “We brought him a picture from my Bar Mitzvah at one of our pre-wedding meetings, and he was really

s one of the very few Jewish kids on campus, Sophomore Maxwell Johnson may be the only Arroyo student to have gone through a century of rite of passage: the Bar Mitzvah.

For Johnson and millions of Jewish teenagers like him, the transition to adulthood has for centuries been recognized with a celebration called a Bar Mitzvah, or a Bat Mitzvah for a girl. First practiced in 13th century France, the Bar Mitzvah has evolved over time from a simple ceremony into a major rite of passage with events including a reading from the Torah to show that the teenager is now officially old enough to lead prayer.

“It’s your entrance into the congregation at your temple, and signifying that, yes, you may still be this age, but you have the ability to do the same A young Andrew Waranoff with his rabbi things as adults that have been doing it nice by that.” for years,” Said Johnson.

Johnson says that going through the Bar For many kids like Johnson, family and the Jewish community plays a large role in Mitzvah process has taught him a number of important life lessons he might not have helping prepare for the transition.

“Family is a huge thing in the Jewish learned otherwise.

“It taught me a lot of responsibility with community,” said Johnson, “Even if it’s not good related… Whether you might look handling everything and not trying to push different, act different, come from a different it to the last minute and procrastinate with part of the country, everyone is made very learning the prayers and writing the sermon,” welcome and taken very good care of. The said Johnson, “I now knew not what it was

like to be an adult, but what was expected of me.”

A lot can change for a Jewish person after their Bar Mitzvah. Asked what adulthood meant to the Jewish community, Johnson has this to say.

“It was a lot more of ‘this is the faith, and this is why this happens,’ not just ‘this is what’s supposed to be crammed down your throat.’”•

Johnson being lifted during the Hora

CLOSER LOOK

13

Dry Gulch

Gazette The 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.

Campus Editors: Mimi Nozawa, Kendra Rocco

Community Editors: Cassandra Yuan, Winnie Lai

Sports Editor: Cuauhtemoc Ramirez

Arts and Culture Editors: Xitlali Chipres, Yennhi Le

Opinion Editors: Janice Lee, Noah Bendell

Special Feature Editor: Maha Sanad

Gazette Staff Writers: Steven Avalos, Nanda Bean, Calif Chen, Bethelehem Engeda, Juan Carlos Fregoso Jr., Leslie Güereca, Jeanette Hernandez, Joyce Kae Janayan, Rizelle Jugarap, Vivian Liu, Trinity Mai, Zai Medina, Caroline Nguyen, Angela Peña, Cristian Quintanilla, Lisset Romero, Britney Torres, Samantha Wang Staff Advisor: Samved Sangameswara

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OPINION

The Fight Is Still Going On Sustained Activism Within Students

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disregarded and unread. Instead, the most hree weeks ago, there was a walkout. important effective form of communication Hundreds of students walked out is through phone calls. If a disproportionate on March 14 to voice their opinions amount of callers express similar opinions on the need for gun reform in America. about a specific topic, then legislative issues One week ago, there was a lockdown. Fear usually move to the top priorities of the proliferated across the campus in parents, legislator’s list. It is recommended to make students, and staff when the realization phone calls as personal as possible. For that a student possessing a firearm was AHS students who were in considerable in a classroom. Gun reform, among many fear during the lockdown last Friday, their controversial topics, are topics that student personal experiences can be presented inevitably have an opinion and voice in, through phone. Or, students may recount the and the walkout last Wednesday had an apprehension felt when there were two fire exceptional turnout. While our walkout was drills in the past two week, as these concerns a vital first step toward showing solidarity, it stemmed from the shootings in Parkland, is undeniable that change on a government Florida. In essence, the more moving the level is not happening today, tomorrow, or story is, the bigger the impact. even the day after tomorrow.

3) Engaging with future forms of civil So the question remains, “what do we do resistance next? How do we ensure that we are actively Civil resistance, like the walkout AHS using our voices to impose change in the students partook in, has historically proven world around us?” success rates that could be dated back to the 1) Register or pre-registerto vote and 1900s. One of the most familiar cases is the become vocal in the 2018 election: Civil Rights Movement Students between 1954 and between 16 and 18 STAFF EDITORIAL 1968. Characterized by years olds can prenonviolent protestsregister to vote.

-more specifically, Pre-registering OPINION OF THE DRY GULCH the the March on or registering and GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD Washington--impact voting is a direct was soon made on a way to make an federal, state, and local level. In the Bay Area, impact in issues around you. According to there are marches that occur throughout the civicyouth.org, in the 2016 election, 50% year regarding topics such as science funding, of citizens aged 18-29 actually voted; these women’s rights, improved healthcare, and numbers could increase if all students made more. sure to pre-registered, registered, and voted.

Age should never be the reason why The people we vote for have the most power you do not take action. Now is the time for to direct change in our communities and sustained activism, and we must be the nations, and by voting, you are essentially change to improve the lives of others. Fear paving the way for your future. should not be felt in classrooms, a place that 2) Contact local representatives: is meant for education. The need for action One of the most effective ways you can extends to causes beyond gun voice your opinions is by speaking reform, and directly to your district representative. change While contacting her through social begins media platforms, such as Twitter with your and Facebook, may have a slight voice impact, it is usually ineffective being as representatives are heard. • contacted in mass amounts. Emily Ellsworth, a liaison for Utah Representatives, worked in Congress for six years, and stated that comments on Facebook are widely

Photo | Winnie Lai

Treating Lockdowns With Solemnity Students should take campus safety issues more seriously

By Janice Lee and Kendra Rocco

O

n March 23 Arroyo High School was on lockdown for an hour because a student brought a loaded gun onto campus. This was only a month and a half after Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, had a mass school shooting that resulted in the death of 17 people. Because the events occurred so close together, it caused intense levels of anxiety and emotional distress at AHS for some students.

On Feb 14, a shooter at MSDHS pulled the fire alarm in order to draw people out of class.

Since the mass shooting in Parkland, there have been many prank fire alarms pulled and threatening graffiti written at schools across the nation. The threat of school shootings has become an epidemic.

If our national government won’t do anything to reduce the risk, then we must take actions in our schools. We can start by treating threats of school shootings seriously.

During the lockdown on Friday March 23, there was a concerning lack of seriousness during the situation. There have been conversations regarding students making light of the lockdown. Several teachers have

expressed that there is a lack of procedural instructions during these types of situations, leading to flustered teachers who are unaware of the gravity of the situation and therefore confused classrooms. Because of this, students may think that lockdowns are not as serious as they actually are.

Lockdowns are not a joke and need to be treated with the highest concern and

STAFF EDITORIAL

OPINION OF THE DRY GULCH GAZETTE EDITORIAL BOARD alertness, because if you act immaturely you can be affecting other students emotional well being. We need to be serious in these situations because a student experiencing emotional distress might become further distraught if the rest of the classroom is responding insensivitely.

Different people react differently in high-stakes situations. It can be hoped that no person acted with the specific intent

of causing emotional distress. For some, joking is their way of coping and that is an understandable response. Even if you do not feel as though your own life is being threatened, do not be insensitive to others who may be more emotionally affected.

With all this being said, this is not to discredit the majority who took the appropriate actions during the lockdown to ensure the maximum security of their classroom, despite the lack of clarity around lockdown protocol.

Although the lockdown was successful in safely removing the gun from campus without anyone getting hurt, we as a school can make changes to improve our preparedness for similar situations. Students must recognize the gravity of the situation and be aware of how they are conducting themselves. Teachers need to be in tune with their students’ mental state and establish class protocols so that students have an idea of what to do as soon as lockdowns are announced. Ultimately, the administration should constitute a school-wide protocol to prevent confusion, reduce anxiety, and create a sense of safety at school. •

Do It for the Culture More cultural events at Arroyo

By Louise Hernandez

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n March 9th, the Latinos Unidos club put on a baile at Arroyo. A baile is a Latino cultural dance where people dance to Spanish music. For the past two years, the Latinos Unidos club put on the dance.

At the baile, they had tacos, a DJ, and a Banda. Baile highlighted our diversity and as a result shows that Arrroyo needs to do more to promote cultural events on campus.

Cultural events are good things because people who have parties with bandas, come to Arroyo’s baile because it is a normal thing for them to go to parties.

People will go to a dance that matches with their culture, like the baile, because the school caters to their taste.

Exposing people to new cultures makes a better community. Cultural events are a good

way for people from different cultures to experience other cultures. About half of our school is not Latino but people of different

to a cultural event, like a dance, is giving them a taste of the culture.

Overall, people like cultural events if it is their cultural being celebrated or not. The cultural events are still fun because you learn about the culture. Cultural events from the Black Student Union and the American Sign language club would be fun for many. The success of the past two bailes should influence the leaders of other clubs other cultural events on campus. •

Photo | Cuauhtemoc Ramirez

ethnicities still go. People of other ethnicities are interested in other cultural events and is sometimes out of their comfort zone. Going

Opinion

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Don’t Suffer in Silence

Arroyo has recently recognized the often understimated importance of mental health

By Vivian Liu

H

igh school life as a student can be one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. On top of keeping a balance between academics, extracurriculars, and social life, students are expected to start thinking about college and their future beyond that. Combined with occasional domestic issues, emotional problems, or other occurrences that may deter one from doing well, it is no wonder many high school students begin to neglect their health, both mentally and physically. Students might turn to counselors for support, but counselors tend to focus more on academics than on mental health. To take steps to address the issue of student health, Arroyo has decided to implement a wellness center in C hall this year. The wellness center will primarily focus on mental health, and is expected to grow into a bigger health center like the clinic in SLZHS. Stress often accumulates with the demanding experiences students go through, but since Arroyo doesn’t offer mental health services, students may find themselves unable to find relief. When stress builds up to a certain point without being let out, many

may crack under the pressure, often leading to conflicts. As such, a hostile environment may form in place of a stressful one. However, with the new wellness center, students have a place to vent out their frustrations instead of resorting to unhealthy conflicts. Not everyone will take the opportunity to seek the wellness center, but for students who need a place like that and who will take a chance, the wellness center is open to them.

In addition to letting students have a place to let out their stress, the wellness center may serve as a place for tired students to rest. Suppose a student had a bad day, a relationship problem, or anything that makes them weary. In the past, such students didn’t have anywhere to go. They would either be sent to the AP office, to the library, or if it’s bad enough, home. Having a wellness center changes that because students have a specific place to go if they want time to themselves instead of being sent somewhere. A wellness center is able to offer students privacy that was previously lacking.

At times, the best solution for troubled people is having someone to talk to or listen to their problems. By engaging in a heartfelt

conversation, one can find relief in knowing that someone else is there for them, and together, a solution can be found for the problem. Or perhaps, by having someone who’s willing to listen, students may be comforted by the fact they finally put their struggles in words instead of it remaining an unknown and troubling mess in their head. Instead of taking all the burden on themselves, students can split that burden with others and get support for their problems.

A wellness center can certainly bring a lot of benefits, especially on the environment at school, but some students may decide to keep their struggles to themselves. However, if a student is truly suffering by themselves and needs a place to vent out frustrations, rest, or to talk or be listened to, then the wellness center is the place to go. While it’s understandable that some people would want to keep their burdens to themselves, know that a wellness center was made to help students; know that you are not alone.

Reach out to others if you need help, and remember to take care of yourself. •

Crowd Sourced: Walkout

By Zai Medina In response to the shooting that took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School back on February 14 and numerous gun-related incidents before that, schools across the nation organized their own protests to emphasize the need for gun control in the United States. Hundreds of students joined other schools on March 14 in their walkout. Days after the walkout, students and staff have given their input on what took place during the march.

Photos | Zai Medina

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OPINION

Freshman Nathalie Bombase The march wasn’t only empowering for students at Arroyo High but also for students all over the U.S who needed a reminder that teenagers have the ability to make change that our government won’t do for us.

Junior Alexis Perez It’s great that the school allowed its students to express themselves about an issue they were so obviously passionate about and it’s a great step in the right direction. I appreciate and respect the choice even being given to us. This really helped build a stronger community at our school and allowed us to connect with each other. I really do hope the school sees this experience for how beautiful it turned out to be and that they allow for these things to happen again.

Changes for the Better?

The San Lorenzo Unified District makes critical changes regarding middle school and high school environments

By Cristian Quintanilla

T

he San Lorenzo Unified School district has recently made a crucial decision regarding the budget to be in effect this year and into the future. The reality is that many people (including some teachers and students) are still not capable of fully understanding what is being presented in the Approved Budget Reductions chart, an informational document created by the school board where it indicates all the cuts to be made in the budget. It is true that cuts need to be made, but there are some reductions (and eliminations) in certain areas that affect the students on a bigger scale. One of the most important decisions was the reduction of four high school teachers and three middle school teachers, meaning that some teachers are in danger of losing their job.

An equally important change is the fact that middle school students have to suffer a change in their schedule, from having seven regular classes to now have six classes. These changes are not normal or irrelevant, since that would mean fewer opportunities for high school and middle school students to learn more about their passions and fewer

opportunities for teachers to get to know their students in their respective classes.

From previous years, the smaller class size is, the more is it capable of making a friendly environment. In smaller classes, the students and teachers can develop a closer relationship and in many cases become mentors, personal advisors, or, more importantly, friends. Teachers have the ability to influence a lot in the students’ point of view about life and other subjects, so it does not seem very strange to see students going after school or during lunch time to ask for advice and other opinions. But, now with the reduction of the budget, Students and teachers will have to deal with a more crowded environment.

A wide array of offered classes is one of the qualities that distiguishes Arroyo as such a great school. That our school is able to offer classes like Women’s Studies, Biotechnology, Philosophy, or Photography to a community that might not otherwise have the exposure to these subjects is one of our school’s greatest assets, and anything thing that might put that in danger ought to be regarded with

Junior Gian Calpo

Senior Isabella de Leon

It’s kind of pointless. A lot of these kids are somewhat misinformed. Even if we were to ban guns, nothing would change. In the time that we put this together, we could have got our kids more ready in the sense of learning how to do first-aid and how firearms work.

We need more information so we don’t have an ignorant response from kids. What our administration should have done to act is: a security evaluation of the school, talked to the district, hired more security guards, and look into mental health.

It was great to see Arroyo collectively all come together for the first time to bring awareness to this situation; and it wasn’t just the teachers coming up with solutions, it was the students as a whole.

suspicion. If our district is seriously planning to cut the funding for electives, it is extremely important that they fully understand the harm they will be doing to their student body.

Hundreds of future students may never be exposed to those subjects that might inspire them most.

The district had a tough decision figuring what to cut and where to keep, but there are some things that are more valuable than others.

At the end it all comes down to what we learn, to what opportunities we are willing to take in order to learn something new in life. We are part of the relationships with make with the people that we get to meet.

But there is a big problem setting its wall in front of the teenagers in our district, with the shortening of classes and reduction in staff, we are causing the students to have fewer opportunities to get to know themselves better, and making their class environments much less likeable places. Yet everything could be different. •

Teacher Jeff Jorgensen If the students wanted to participate, they were welcome to go; probably about two thirds of them did. I left it totally up to the students. The students’ concerns are legitimate and worth being heard, but I am always reluctant to have interferences with class time.

OPINION

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Left to right: Christopher nguyen (freshman), Christie feng (sophomore), Angela manalo (junior), dillon starr (senior)

Photos | Winnie Lai and Noah Bendell

Night Rally Experience two seniors devote themselves to entertaining their classmates

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by Xitlali Chipres CULTURE

Senior

Is being the ASB Vice Presidnet stressful? What do you take from it?

“

what we know of high school is this whole, spirit, yelling for your class and that’s all captured in night rally... after all that stress you see how happy everyone is at the night rally and you think ‘oh it’s worth it’

”

Stephanie garma

senior Is it stressful to be a part of the night rally committee?

“ freddy franco

It is kind of stressful… I love performing and being involved, for me the stress doesn’t really matter cause once everything is all put together the result is amazing

CULTURE

”

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IN THE

BARRIO What In the Heights means for the AHS community.

By Mimi Nozawa

T

he barrio breaks the scene at Arroyo High School with the Drama Club’s production of musical In the Heights. Set in Washington Heights in New York City, In the Heights communicates the struggle that many Latinos face in discovering what home means to them. Does home refer to the barrio that they’re in, or the country that they’re from?

“In the Heights is about family. It’s about making family out of your community. [...]

The [characters] all happen to live on the same block in Washington Heights, and I think that it’s very honest and true to what it’s like to live in a ghetto of people who are all similar either in economic status or ethnicity. They’re all living together, and come to contact with each other on a day to day basis and influence each other’s lives, so much so that they are family,” Drama teacher and Director of the play Jill Jacobs said.

Just as the AHS campus consists of a large demographic of Latinos, In the Heights brings about a portrayal of their culture that is not often seen in the entertainment industry.

“When you have a musical that’s about someone like you, especially when there is not a lot of representation for Latinos in the spotlight, [...] it’s going to be great to see a musical about Latinos. Especially where they are not just gangsters and thugs, and they’re actually living life as they do in [reality]. It spreads more than just to Latino culture. The story can apply to anybody,” Senior Julian Batz who plays Usnavi de la Vega said.

Just as Little Shop and The Crucible did, the cast anticipates In the Heights to unite the community even closer in this time of

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concern.

“Hopefully it’ll make AHS a more tight knit community, and we can all realize that we are part of a diverse [group] that should celebrate one another,” Junior Victoria Gonzalez playing Nina Rosario said.

Similarly to the barrio, music composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda adds a Latino twist to the music and dancing of the musical; further amplifying the unique cultural aspect of the show.

CAMPUS

Photo | Cuauhtemoc Ramirez

In the Heights cast rehearse a dance routine in the studio.

“There’s a lot of salsa dancing in it. We speak and sing a lot of spanish, and there’s a lot of Latino slang involved. It’s very much like living in a Latino household, with the [same] music and [way of] talking to family members. There’s so much Latino culture infused in it that you can’t miss a [moment] without seeing or hearing it,” Batz said.

Extending beyond Latino culture, Miranda includes an array of genres of music to In the Heights, representing a broader audience throughout the nation.

“There is also a reach for other cultures as well. There’s a large hip hop influence in the music which is awesome; and [...] there are parts for people of every different background and ethnicity which is beautiful,” Jacobs said.

In the Heights has received the highest audition rate for the Drama Club, and now more than ever its program is steadily growing in size and popularity within the community.

“It was the hardest show to cast because we had so many people come out. It’s amazing to have seen the program grow so quickly at our school, and to have been blessed with a situation of [not knowing] who to cast for a role blows me away. I have multiple people I can cast in multiple roles.

I am always forced with having to make a decision when it comes to casting, which is such a blessing and a curse because it’s hard. But [...] many of the cast is returning from previous shows and many of them are in their senior year, even some of them doing their first show,” Jacobs said.

Whether there are old or new faces to see, the amount of people to audition and the numerous rehearsals that fill the schedules of the cast undeniably reflects the commitment inputted to perfect the show. “[We have] diversity in not just the color and gender, but I find that there’s a lot of talent hidden within the ages. I think that there’s a lot of possibility and potential. [...]

Drama can provide a lot to a person, [and really] builds you and your character. Not only that, it’s just an amazing thing to do and makes you feel good,” Senior Spierce Salazar of the ensemble said.

With the show approaching ever closer, AHS anxiously awaits for the next curtain shortly to come after spring break.

“I hope it pays off. [The] cast has worked so hard, and they’ve been so dedicated and passionate about this whole musical.

I just hope that it gets the appreciation and recognition it deserves,” Salazar said. •

Sharing the Pool

San Lorenzo High School athletes combine with AHS Swim team

by Cuauhtemoc Ramirez

C

ombining teams has been common practice for close schools in allowing opportunity for all students to participate in sports their school does not offer, and one such team on the AHS campus is the swim team. Coached by Jennifer Rodrigues, the swim teach has been in combination with San Lorenzo High School for the last four to five years. SLZHS sophomore Ruben Isais is brand new to the sport as well as the combination of teams.

“It feels very different,” Isais claimed,“I wouldn’t have thought that this was something we had to do.”

Ruben is the only male athlete for the SLZ swim team and according to him, that comes with some pressure.

“There’s a lot more pressure because I’m the only guy repping SLZ.” Combining teams comes with some concerns however, one being the tensions between the two rival schools.

“It’s a challenge but it’s fun,”Rodrigues said , “you would think two rival schools would have a lot of differences, but they get along so well and cheer each other on and so I really love it.”

One concern that Rodriguez accounts for is allowing for equal one-on-one time with her.

“I make sure I give them the same amount of quality time that I give my arroyo students.”

A major part of high school sports is commitment. With schoolwork and other extracurricular activities, high school athletes must balance it all to stay committed to their sports.The athletes who go to other schools such as those on the SLZHS swim team have the added responsibility of getting from their own school to AHS on time for practice.

“It is a little bit tougher for them.” said Rodrigues “Getting out of school, we all know, is crazy. A lot of their parents work so they’re either taking the bus coming here, or they’re relying on their rides to get here.”

However the SLZHS swimmers have only grown in numbers and Coach Jennifer Rodrigues is hopeful that the team will progress and grow during the present season.

“We started out with one swimmer the last two years and now we have seven. I just hope it continues to grow on both ends.”•

Photo | Cuauhtemoc Ramirez

San Lorenzo High School sophomore Ruben Isais during session one of swim practice

SPORTS

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Dons Commit to College

Arroyo athletes, Vanessa Jones and Katelyn Sturm pursue playing sports beyond high school fields

By Joyce Kae Janayan

V

anessa Jones, a soccer player for fourteen years, has officially committed to Eastern Washington University to advance her soccer career. Following her dream to become a member of the United States Women’s National Soccer Team, Jones seeks for her hard work and talent to develop in her new school. Katelyn Sturm, an aspiring softball player for Team Germany’s Olympic team, has accepted her scholarship and admission to San Francisco State University.

Photo | Cuauhtemoc Ramirez

Sturm: Definitely my mom, and my dad too. They What has kept you motivated work really hard to get me whatever I need. I love to play over the course of the going out on the field everyday & I have great years? teammates. I play for a great organization [NorCal Firecrackers in Sacramento] and you know just having the dream to play in college is basically what kept me playing.

Jones: My parents and my sister are always at practices and games. Whenever I am down and don’t feel like training, they pick me up and remind me what the overall goal is. I think the road I was on was based on how I can achieve my next goal.

How can I prove people wrong? How can I show myself that I can do anything that I put my mind to?

Sturm: I was a late recruit. So basically, people normally commit their freshman or sophomore year and I committed into my senior year. I went to a camp and showed them what I have and they offered me admission and so I took it. I got lucky because they recruited me even though it was pretty late.

Jones: For girls’ soccer, the recruiting process actually starts a lot earlier so I verbally committed my sophomore year. They came out to watch me play and they were really interested so they offered me a scholarship and I went up there for a visit to just check out the campus in person and I really liked it. Even though it was early, I really felt like it was a good place for me

Sturm: The one thing the sport has taken away from me is time. When school’s out for summer, everybody is out during the weekends, and I’m traveling and practicing. So I never really have much free time.

Is there anything that you regret from playing this sport?

How were you committed to your chosen college? Were you scouted?

Sturm: No, I have always wanted to play for maybe a big east coast school like at Alabama or Florida.

But it is a blessing to even get to play in college because I was recruited very late. I love that school regardless. SFSU is a good school.

Was this your dream school?

Have you always wanted to go to this college to play this sport?

Sturm: I feel like it means a lot. The Arroyo softball team from 10 years ago was such an amazing team.

We were even considered as an NCS qualifying team. We were great and I feel like my getting committed to college softball brings back that culture of amazing softball.

What do you think this means for Arroyo?

Sturm: Softball is a great sport. It teaches you a lot of skills that you will be needing for life. Without softball, I do not think I would be as socially aware and smart. You should at least try to play it and even though you might think you’re underrated like I was, you should just keep working hard and it will come.

Do you have anything to say to future underclassmen to entice them to play this sport?

Jones: Regret? I mean I wouldn’t say that I regret missing out on stuff, but I do miss out on a lot of high school events such as dances or spirit week.

But I would say that everything I have done is for a purpose.

Jones: When I was younger I wanted to go to Stanford. But when I got into high school, I realized that I can’t be under that stress and pressure. So I really didn’t have a dream school I kind of just wanted to play division 1. Eastern came to me and I thought, “I could check it out” and I just fell in love.

Jones: Never give up. If you have a path to success, then you just have to keep following it. Don’t let people, peer pressure, parents or anyone take you off your path because once you get off, you will always have that voice in the back of your head saying ‘what if I stayed on that path?’ “I regret it.”

Jones: I don’t want to sound cocky because that is not me, but I just think it is such a cool way to represent my school and I also think it is good for the school to show people that just because we are from a small city, it doesn’t mean that we do not have any potential.

SPORTS

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New Season with New Leadership

Three varsity sports teams enter new season with new coaches

By Kendra Rocco

Jon Jong

Matt Rose

Photos | Kendra Rocco

Ajay Bromstead

Head Badminton Coach

Head Varsity Softball Coach

Head Varsity Baseball Coach

What inspires you while coaching?

How do you motivate players when they are struggling?

Can you describe your connection with the team?

“Watching the kids improve in the sport. At the beginning when none of them could hit a birdie and now they can actually hit a birdie across the net. It just makes my day,”

“If somebody is struggling it's a matter of trying to pick them up and saying it's okay to fail. I believe in the mantra that the acronym for fail is first attempt in learning, so we stick with that and through hardwork and perseverance people get better and their confidence grows,”

“I think its a solid connection. We have built a relationship over the years and built a rapport. I think it's a good strong connection. They believe in me. I believe in them. I think thats the main goal, as long as we believe in each other, we can accomplish anything,”

Arroyo High School Drama Club presents:

Thursday, April 12th 7:00 Friday, April 13th 7:00 Saturday, April 14th 2:00 & 7:00 **All performances will be in the Cafeteria

Tickets: 5$ in the Finance OfÞce 10$ at the door

LOCKDOWN: Friday, March 23

By: Winnie Lai, Yennhi Le, Kendra Rocco, and Maha Sanad

On Friday, March 23 during 6th period, AHS was placed on lockdown due to a student possessing a firearm on campus. The firearm was located and removed by law enforcement officials and the lockdown was lifted without any injuries.

Below are reactions of teachers and students who were in various rooms on campus, including the room where the firearm was located. Additionally, we included a timeline of the events that occurred before and during the lockdown.

KRYSTAL PARK

TRENTON SMITH

Science Teacher

Art Teacher

“Five minutes after they called the lockdown, the door opened, which I thought was strange because I locked it, and I knew it was probably an administrator or somebody, and I was pretty shocked to see the SWAT team coming in, and they had their guns drawn and they yelled at everyone to put their hands on their head.”

“I still had flashes of ‘oh something could happen’, like what if someone just decided to shoot through the window?”

GUSTAVO ALCARAZ Freshman

“When the [SWAT team] came in, I was nervous because they had their guns pointed at us and I wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but once they started to take us outside, I started to calm down since the situation was under control.”

STEVEN TOSCANO Freshman

“I was feeling okay, I wasn’t worried that much because I know these teachers have our back and they would protect us, and we were in a safe environment.”

CARRIE KELDER

Social Studies Teacher

KAY ZIMMERMAN

“I wasn’t here that day [...]

I was scared because it was currently going on when I got the text because it was hard to not know what was happening.”

English Teacher

“At first, I wasn’t worried because I thought it was a false alarm. Once we got information on social media, I was surprised and I was nervous and I felt protective of my students.”

TAZRIAN ISLAM Senior

BRITNEY ALONZO

“It was calm. Some people were panicking but they weren’t showing it as much.”

Junior

“I felt terrified, and I was really scared. It still feels unreal. And when I went and saw my mom after school, I started bawling, and I just couldn’t wait to see my sister.”

Email sent instructing staff to keep all students in classrooms.

Announcement made that lockdown is lifted.

2:36

3:43

2:30

Information reported about a possible weapon located on campus.

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Reactions

CAMPUS

3:13 Alameda County Sheriff’s Office tweets “firearm has been located. Situation is safe.”

Timeline