Appropriation or Appreciation
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PHOENIX
Vol. 4 Issue No. 5 march 1, 2016
Resignation jeopardizes swim season by Chau Nguyen Editor-In-Chief
N
o one knows only one coach, is the what’s going to ability for the coach to sufhappen next. ficiently meet the needs of Resignation of Head all swimmers with varying Coach Ashlee Candalaria on athletic abilities, organize Feb. 23 after the unexpected swim meets, give swimmers resignation of Head Coach their desired swimming events Rob Scilingo has left Fremont and communicate effectively. High School’s swim team with “One coach can’t really an unpredictable future, poslook over a big swim team,” Eli sibly resulting in the cancellation Tsodikov, sophomore, said. of the entire According 2015-2016 swim to Ella Pinco, season. a senior varsity “If we don’t swimmer, one If we don’t have a have a serious disof the major conserious discussion with a cussion with a poscerns for the team possible Head coach by the sible Head Coach by is the efficiency the end of March 4, and ability for end of March 4, the swim the swim season will varsity swimmers to season will be cancelled. be cancelled,” Anne compete in Central Butterworth, Dean of Coast Sections. Last Students, said. year, according to Anne butterworth Cancellation of this Pinco, the team broke year’s swim season has numerous records and adverse ramifications for sent many people to college recruitment and CCS qualifications. CCS. She fears if the coaching situation is The date was set as the deadline for findnot resolved soon, varsity swimmers may ing a possible Head Coach due to logistics with not be given the same opportunities of organizing league competitions and swimming advancing to CCS. meets. “It won’t be efficient,” Pinco said. According to Athletic Director Steven Pucci“Varsity will have to start taking care of JV nelli, both the girls’ and boys’ varsity and JV swim because [Coach Chris] can’t do it by himself. teams are as of now on hold. From Feb. 15 to Feb. He’s a great coach, but he’s only one person. 19, practice was cancelled. If the season resumes, We broke so many records. Top three in CCS. Chris Barnum will resume his position as the AsThese are all club swimmers. We’re going to sistant Swim Coach. lose the school legacy.” The Phoenix reached out to Candalaria, but she “It’s difficult for one coach to be able to comdeclined to comment. municate with the whole team,” Panthea FarAccording to Puccinelli, there were only three aphoomand, senior varsity swimmer, said. ”Without plicants for coaching positions prior to the beginning of communication, we wouldn’t have a strong base for the season. All three were hired but with the resigour JV team.” nation of Scilingo less than a week before the start Some of the varsity swimmers also of the season, and the resignation of Candalaria feel this unequal attention paid to them after she was Head Coach from Feb. 1 to Feb. 23, compared to the JV swim team may not be there are concerns for the swim team’s ability to worth the cost of going to practice. perform competitively and sustain a successful “If he’s concentrating on trying to help and enjoyable season for swimmers. the JV, he’s not looking at us,” AlexanAs of Feb. 26, these concerns are dra Tan, a senior varsity still up in the air.
According to Butterworth, recruiting high school coaches is difficult due to the varying athleticism of athletes, and the lower pay and greater amount of work needed compared to coaching for athletic clubs. However, Butterworth states Puccinelli and her have been reaching out to the community, nearby athletic swim clubs and on-site teachers. According to Puccinelli, only two teachers have offered assistance in helping the swim team. With the small pool of applicants in the beginning of the season, finding a coach able to communicate effectively and willing to coach at the high school level is still a work in progress, wobbling on a minute-by-minute basis. “Our JV team is not a very serious team,” Carmen Steinmeier, captain of the varsity team, said. “Some people just come out and they’ve never swam before. So our JV team in particular needs a lot of attention. It’s going to be really hard for the coach because the coach always needs to be with JV. Varsity probably won’t get a lot of attention.” Other concerns for the future of the 2015-2016 swim season, given there is
Graphic courtesy of rebecca guna-tilanka from Pinterest
swimmer, said. “The time that he could spend with us to look at our technique, to look how we’re swimming and improving on that is taken away. Who’s going to coach us?” According to Moris Clark, former varsity girls swim coach, “the biggest implication is just there’s a trust issue in terms of the coach, the players and the parents.” “That’s the biggest thing with coaching,” Clark said. “There has to be a trust between coaches and athletes, and in this environment, parents as well. That their athletes and their kids are being cared for.” Although Clark is volunteering, he views the assistance to not be as effective as a full-time coach. However, he sees this conflict as a potential problem which can unify the Fremont community in order to resolve this problem. When asked if swim season would resume, Butterworth stated “If you asked me yesterday, I would have been less hopeful,” Butterworth said. “Today, I’m more hopeful. But, I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Photo courtesy of Chau Nguyen
News
March 1, 2016
2
Is the English Learning Department Effective? by Nadia Anees and Dana Nissan
Staff Writers
In a report published on Oct. 20, 2015 by the Stanford Graduate School of Education, it was found English Language Development Programs in California public schools are holding back students academically. According to the author of this report, Edmund L. Andrews, once a student enters the ELD program, it is hard to leave because the program lacks flexibility to meet the needs of all the students. However, at Fremont High School, the ELD program is reported to be satisfactory according to staff members, students and administrators. Fremont has 95 English learners in ELD in the Fremont Union High School District. The ELD program focuses on improving and enhancing students’ understanding of English so they can move on to standard classes. The FHS ELD program also helps students learn and use proper language to support them throughout their lives and meet the A to G standards so students can still get on
track for college. “I am improving and I feel really comfortable in my classes” Sebastian Garces, ELD 2 student and sophomore, said. “The teachers are really nice and are really into getting the students ready to go to college.” Dean of Students and a former sheltered class teacher Jay Lin, thinks the teachers that teach the courses are compassionate and they really understand the population. They also understand and develop skills the students need to succeed in the future. The graduation rate of ELD students in 2015 was 87 percent at FHS. “I can see why people could say ELD is trapping students but if it’s done right it’s an intervention class,” Lin said. “To me, intervention means that you don’t stay in a class. You aren’t trapped, you are supported and guided and given the skills you need so you can fly on your own.” The FHS ELD program is taught by three ELD teachers, one of which is Aisha Lomando. Lomando teaches ELD 3 and ninth grade literature. ELD 3 students are able to speak English and have conversa-
tions but need more help with academic reading and writing because they have a limited vocabulary. “We really try to do a lot for our English Learner students and we try to offer a lot of support for them not just academically but socially,” Lomando said. Aside from teaching and helping students with learning English, reading, writing and more, FHS has several activities and events for students to socialize and learn about different cultures. In Lomando’s class there are Wednesday morning meetings in which students can have conversations with each other, learn about American traditions and learn about different cultures. There is also international club and the EL Awards at the end of the school year to address the students’ successes and reassure them that they are an important part of the school. Lomando says she always sees a lot of improvement in her students as well as those in ELD 2 classes because she sees their work before they enter her class. “Most of them really
Current Events: What’s going on around you?
by Ambika Vaidya Staff Writer
A New Kind of Virus: - According to CNN, the World Health Organization has labeled the spread of the incurable Zika virus as “a public health emergency of international concern.” -This disease has been known to cause birth defects resulting in babies having microcephaly—a type of condition where the child is born with an abnormally small head. -Zika is also linked to a neurological condition called Guillain-Barré Syndrome, which can cause paralysis over time. -Experts also fear mental illness in the future of Zika-infected infants. -These conditions due to the zika virus have been reported the most in El Salvador, Brazil, and French Polynesia. -Zika has spread across Mexico, Central America, most of South America, Cape Verde, and the Caribbean Islands.
U.S. Presidential Candidate Polls: -CNN shows that Hillary Clinton won Feb. 20 caucus in Nevada. -Donald Trump won the Nevada Caucus and is leading in a Republican poll. -Tight race between Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
Syrian Civil War: - CNN reports that artist Sara Shamma paints horrific portraits of Syrian war victims. - Russia and Syria fight for Syrian town of Aleppo. - U.S. and Russia have agreed on a temporary two week ceasefire between the Syrian government and its opposers except for ISIL, according to Al Jazeera.
According to the Stanford report, roughly 90 percent of children of Chinese origin in English learning programs are reclassified as proficient in English by 5th grade, compared with 65 percent of Hispanic children, because schools are not flexible enough to meet the needs of all students.
want to be in the mainstream classes, that’s the goal of ELD, it’s like you want to be out of ELD so most of them are very motivated on improving their English,” Lomando said. Sharon Russell, an ELD 2 and world literature teacher, says the teachers’ jobs in ELD are to facilitate the learning and try to create environments where students can have casual and academic conversations. “The ELD program really helps with English for the people who came from outside of the country. I really like ELD, I think the people here in the class
are really friendly and the teachers help out with everything,” Samichha Mali, junior, said. Welton Kwong, the English Learner Administrator, thinks the school supports the EL students to do well in all their classes. As well as academic needs, the school tries to think about what students need socially. “ ‘Who are my friends?’,” Kwong said. “ ‘How do you make friends?’ High school students in general ask these questions, but I think if you are not used to this particular culture, you are going to have other issues as well that you
have to come to terms with. So in addition to academic needs, we try to think about what students need socially.” Aside from all the positive aspects of ELD, Kwong still sees room for improvement for the ELD programs. According to Kwong, students need to be given the chance to construct language by speaking, writing and creating new ideas. “I am not sure we are doing that as well as we can in classes,” Kwong said. “So a lot of times, students are still sitting back and receiving information when I think it’s better for students to use language and produce their own understanding.” According to Kwong, the language the students come with could be applied to the way they are taught to increase their learning. “The students and the language they come with is an asset and we need to maximize that in their learning,” Kwong said. “We could better serve students by looking at what they already know as an asset rather than a defect.”
News
March 1, 2016
3
Assistant Principal Jackson leaves How was by Essam Rao Sports Editor
Since former Assistant Principal Maria Jackson returned to Lynbrook High School to be the new principal, the Fremont High School administration team has undergone many changes. Jackson left her position at FHS and started her new position on Feb. 22 after John Dwyer, the previous LHS principal, left for a new position at the district office as the Principal on Special Assignment/Stakeholder Engagement. When she was the assistant principal at FHS, Jackson’s main responsibility was creating master schedules for students in the upcoming year. According to FHS principal Bryan Emmert, Jackson was also very involved with the school administration. “She worked closely with our guidance counselors, college and career center, feeder schools, transitioning kids coming
from eighth grade into high school, working with the department chairs to build the schedule,” Emmert said. As a result of her departure, Jackson’s work has been divided among the administration team. Former FHS assistant principal Lori Riehl, who currently works for the district office, will be returning to work part time at FHS. Dividing her work between the district office and FHS, her main focus at FHS will be with the guidance team on course requests and building the master schedule for next year. She will also focus on organizing night-time presentations. “It is going to be additional work for her [Riehl], but she’s really good at what she does and she’s committed to help make sure it goes well,” Emmert said. In addition to Riehl, FHS is hiring some retired district administrators, including Ray Ramsey. The district administrators will be supporting the deans with their discipline
work, allowing them to also take up some of Jackson’s responsibilities. Assistant Principal Jeff Rosado is taking over some of the guidance responsibilities Jackson was in charge of. Jay Lin, dean for the alpha group M-Z, will be taking over any students in the P-Z alpha group that would have gone to Jackson for support. Lin will also be picking up the coordination of AP testing, another responsibility Jackson was in charge of. Despite all these changes happening in the middle of the year, Emmert is confident that the team will be able to keep up. “It’s not the way I would have drawn it up,” Emmert said. “I would have loved to have the team we had in August to stay all the way through. But change is a part of life and we do our best to sort it out and do the best we can.” These changes, however, are not permanent for next year. According to Emmert, other changes
are taking place across the district, leaving any of the high schools in our district susceptible for change. Final decisions will be made at the end of the year after principals and the district administration have evaluated how things are. Despite barring any further changes, FHS will hire at least one assistant principal for next year. Emmert states that although it is unfortunate to lose staff, the new teachers and staff FHS receives each year all bring new ideas and positive energy to our campus. “It would be nice to have consistency for a little bit,” Emmert said. “But as I said to the staff, we have really good administrators in this campus, and one of the challenges is that there will opportunities for those administrators to do other things. It’s not like people are leaving and just saying ‘I don’t wanna do this anymore’. They are just continuing to do different things in their career.”
Career Day? by Michael Wang Staff Writer
From Staff
“I felt like it went pretty smoothly considering there’s a lot of moving parts, people cancelling the night before, one not showing up, so you really have to have a lot of organization in order to make it go as smoothly as possible,” Noe Ochoa, Assistant Principal and career day organizer, said. Student Q&A Q: Did you feel that career day was helpful or useful? A: Not really because although they did inform me of about what the job was, they didn’t inform us about how to actually get that job,” Calvin Luong, junior, said. A: “I got software engineering and I want to be one so that helped to see it from a perspective of someone who has been through the career,” Nima Lama, senior, said. Q: Did career day teach you something new about a profession or change your mind about one? A:“I thought software engineering was mostly coding but after career day, I realized that there was a lot more to being a software engineer, so I gained a new perspective,” Shashank Sridhar, freshman, said. Q: What do you want to see for career day next year? A: “I would like to see more variety. I looked at a lot of people’s plans, and lot of them were the same thing-software engineer or computer engineer. I just wanted to see more variety,” Luong said.
Math Club sweeps
Students rated from one to five how much they learned from each career day presentation.
by Ambika Vaidya, Caroline He and Michael Wang Collaboration
Corrections: Oct. 20, 2015 An article named “Experienced coach leads girls to victory,” printed on page 10, Issue 2 of The Phoenix wrote Mark Shields was the official coach of Oklahoma State University, when in reality he was the official assistant coach at the university. There was also a misquote. The part of a quote in paragraph 11 that reads “I respect all who have made the commitment, but fear none of them during competition” should be “I tell the kids to respect all who have made the commitment but fear none of them during competition.” The Phoenix apologizes for these errors.
the
PHOENIX
Fremont High School 1279 Sunnyvale Saratoga Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (408)-522-2200 | fremonthighphoenix@gmail.com Advisor | Stacey Stebbins Mission Statement:
The Phoenix, protected under the California Education code, is a public forum for the students of Fremont High School. The Phoenix staff will publish features, editorials, news and sports in an unbiased and professional manner. The Phoenix is the official student newspaper and is distributed free of cost to the students. The Phoenix publishes eight issues throughout the school year.
The Math Club of Fremont High School won first place at the Math League Competition, on Feb. 6 at Valley Christian High School in San Jose. For this particular event, the FHS Math Club competed along with 16 other teams from 16 different schools. Freshman Stan Zhang ranked first place for freshmen, sophomore Rajiv Nelakanti ranked first place for sophomores and junior Rahul Prabhakaran won first place for juniors. Sophomore Bhanu Garg won second place for sophomores, while senior John Lin earned a fifth place for seniors. Lin claimed that the level of the competition was standard—not too hard, not too easy. The members of the club prepared for this event by studying several competition problems from past Math League Competitions during every club meeting. When taking the written test, the competitors felt well prepared. Meanwhile, in previous competitions, the Math Club has earned a fourth place in the state competitions and an honorable third place in the regionals. In the months of Feb. and March combined, the Math Club will be participating in ten competitions, and in April, they will be heading off to compete for the state competitions. According to Math Club President John Lin, the club started out in the 2012-2013 school year. “Really, Math Club started out as a place for our friends to just enjoy math,” Lin said. “The people who started the club were freshmen, [they did it] because there wasn’t any math club at Fremont. So what we really wanted to do was just have a math community. And we were totally clueless about these math competitions and high school and what it was all about. So, the first two years was just about [the Math Club] finding a place in high school. But it was in my junior and senior year that we really started to competing in different competitions and being active.”
Editor in Chief
Chau Nguyen
Staff Writers
Managing Editors
Jasmine Salik Sarah Arkoh
Michael Alva Nadia Anees Manavi Chandra Mira Dhingra Caroline He Sami Jin Jessica Lara Momina Nadeem Jenny Nguyen Dana Nissan Susannah Schulze Sam Tumkur Ambika Vaidya Michael Wang Allyson Wilbur
News
Kelly Zhong
Opinion
Julie Wi
Entertainment
Emily Wright
Sports
Essam Rao Maggie Bernauer
Copy Editor
Nicole Stibbard
Online Editor
Hannah Butay
Students rated from one to five how they thought of the presenter for each profession.
Students rated from one to five how they thought about the overall presentation.
Data collected from a sample of 234 student’s career day slips containing all grade levels. Sampling method approved by Rex Hardy.
Editorial Policy Editorials are the official opinion of The Phoenix. Opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Phoenix. All content decisions are made by the student editors and do not reflect the official policy of Fremont High School, nor the opinions of the administration, faculty, or adviser. Advertise with The Phoenix Contact us for more details at fremonthighphoenix@gmail. com or call at (408)-522-2200. Want to be part of The Phoenix? Letters to the editor and questions for Ask Esteban may be submitted online through our website, room 145, Ms. Stebbins’ mailbox, or emailed to us. Identities of those who submit questions will remain anonymous. The staff reserves the right to edit letters to conform to styles and policy.
Opinion
March 1, 2016
4
Truths and misconceptions about the lottery
by Sami Jin Staff Writer
D
o people really think they can win the lottery? According to Gallup Poll, more than 57 percent of American adults have bought a lottery ticket in the past 12 months, despite the odds of winning being pretty bad. The chances are 1 in 232 million. It’s certainly questionable why so many people still stand in line at gas stations to buy the tickets. So how does lottery work? Lottery is a system where millions of people’s hopes and dreams are on sale for some lucky individuals to enjoy spending other people’s money. Many
perceptions and propaganda that the lottery companies have created are concealing poor mathematical odds from consumers, leaving reason and logic to be ignored. Since so many are blinded to this reality, it has become important to uncover the dark side of the lottery. Despite the consequences of the lottery, many Fremont High School seniors over the age of 18 are starting to buy the tickets, saying it is for fun and their friends are buying them too. Some may argue that state lotteries support their states’ Department of Education and Department of Environmental Protection. However, his perception is not entirely true. Experts say the revenue from the lottery winners targeted to help schools has little to no effect. This is because the government controls the cash flow. When the lottery revenue goes to the intended place, instead of adding to the funds for those programs, legislators distribute
less government money to the program budgets. “Research in California, Florida and Michigan shows that lottery funds have merely substituted for normal levels of appropriations, despite the fact that lotteries had been promoted as boosting spending for education,” the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research report concluded. This report was publicized to the former lottery supporters in Florida Education Association and stirred up anger among a union of employees. Dave Clark, a member of the association, stepped up to claim the situation is unacceptable and needs a change. “We hoped the Florida lottery would be something that would help our schools,” Clark said in an interview with Oliver Libaw. “Instead, the politicians used it for other things.” Another incident changed many views of lottery. In 2007, Abraham Shakespeare won $30 million in the lottery. Two years later, he was found dead,
according to ABC News. During those two years, his friends, family and even strangers threatened him for money; they often stopped by his house and waited with their hands held up to his face, all ready for Shakespeare’s “donations.” His situation got worse as more people tried to manipulate him. Eventually, he was gunned down by a woman who confessed her motive was to steal his money.
Iowa has caused major complications. The jackpot topped the one billion mark, although the state has a set limit to show the lottery amounts only in the millions on the billboards and advertisement. This is because Illinois is facing a major budgetary problem due to the high lottery
From this tragic story, we can take away the message that winning the lottery can bring temporary happiness but can also destroy your relationships and make you a target for thefts and possibly murder. Lottery provokes crimes and also creates many financial problems for the state. For example, the Powerball jackpot in
prize. Just a couple of months ago, the Illinois lottery claimed they would not pay the lottery winners until the government passes a budget. Enraged lottery winners took the government and the association to court as a protest and ordered to stop selling more tickets until they pay them. Just because your friends and family are buying the tickets does not mean you should buy them too. Remember, buying the lottery tickets means you’re not only gambling your money but approving the philosophy and deceitful actions of the state lottery associations. Being someone to step up to what you believe is right makes you just as or even more respectful and powerful than a monetary winner. Dana Nissan | The Phoenix
Tech and Social Media:
The negative effects on a new generation
Manavi Chandra Staff Writer Timeline
I call my friend and
edge on how the world operates and hanging out. say I want to hang out. She But is it like that now? agrees and decides to meet Back to reality. My at my house, and I see she friend continues to text arrives with her phone in her other friends. By now, I hand. The moment she would be thinking, why did walks in, she starts telling I invite her here? She’s not me about people she’s hanging out with me or dochatted with on her phone ing anything interesting. and continues to message If she felt the need to her other friends. check her phone every five Not again. seconds, then why didn’t Technology plays a she just stay home and do large role in our lives. As it? the world becomes more Every single day when and more like science I eat lunch and go to the fiction, we are unable to cafeteria, my friends and I imagine life without tech- talk to each other and it’s nology. fun, whereas some continue Nothing can function virtual conversations on without it. social media platforms like Yet we don’t underSnapchat and receive the stand the consequences same amount of pleasure as that come with technology talking to a person in real overload. life. Back in the early 20th As years progress, century, people used to more social interaction spend time outside talking is done with technology to people, gaining knowlrather than actual people.
Graphic courtesy of Freepik from www.flaticon.com
About
Events
This leads to people staying inside watching videos instead of going out and exploring what the world has to offer. Exploration is one of the most important things we need in life because it’s the key to success; by exploring different possibilities of every situation, we become well-knowledgeable people. How about when people feel the need to post everything they do throughout the day on Instagram and Snapchat, like the frequency of photos illustrating what we ate for breakfast? Again, it’s true that everyone wants a little publicity, so snapping a picture at your birthday or at a concert is cool. But how about living in the moment and creating more of those memories instead of documenting one of them through photos and
Photos
videos? Technology overload is robbing us of having a life. Life is a gift, and we should appreciate that gift to the fullest. It’s full of wonders we consistently seek, so saying no to those opportunities means we lose something life wants to give us. More people going on social media leads to more obsessive thoughts on how they look online. This can lead to social insecurities in reality, which further leads to gradual changes in psychological behavior. According to BBC News, in general, self-esteem is decreasing because of the pressure to look visually appealing. Cosmetic surgery rates went up by 20 percent since 2008 in the United Kingdom. Not only teens, but adults were selfconscious about the way they looked. According to BBC, Dr.
More Phillippa Diedrichs, senior researcher at the University of West of England’s Centre for Appearance Research said that “there is a tendency to seek out negative social interactions in these [social media] forums; to ask people to comment on how you look can lead to body image anxieties.” Due to many worrying about their self-image online, this clearly causes insecurities in real life as well as increased levels of attention-seeking and popularity-seeking behaviors. “Ask[ing] people to comment on how you look” is the foundation of posting a picture or video on social media. Even when people may say, “Oh, you look so pretty in this picture,” sometimes we think the opposite which can “lead to body image anxieties.” Even though it’s flattering when one says
this, we sometimes feel anxious in real life. Even when we document memories, it gives us a chance to reminisce. However, social media isn’t letting us look at the world in reality because we are looking at it through a screen. Furthermore, our eyes become more likely to be covered with a blindfold because we’re not seeing the world in its original state. Is this how the future is going to be like? If this is the only thing we are seeing, we are looking at a filtered world.
Opinion
March 1, 2016
5
Barbies now available in new shapes and colors
by Mira Dhingra Staff Writer
“P
ick out the Barbie doll that is just like you.” With its catchy new line, Mattel, manufacturer of Barbie, recently debuted the 2016 Barbie Fashionista Dolls. Introducing three new body types and seven new skin tones, Mattel has redesigned Barbie to reflect a more “diverse view of beauty.” In 1959, Barbie made her first appearance. In the eyes of impressionable young girls, her exaggerated and unattainable physique was ideal. A traditional Barbie doll’s waist is smaller than her head—if she were a real person, she’d only be able to embody a tiny fraction of her intestines and half a liver! Stressing the importance of a tiny waist, Barbie even came with accessories such as books titled, “How to Lose Weight: Don’t Eat.” Intentionally or unintentionally, Mattel’s best-selling doll influenced young girls’ ideas of what they should look like and promoted unhealthy body images for decades.
by Sam Tumkur
Staff Writer
W
ith the release of Coldplay’s new single, “Hymn for the Weekend”, social media buzzed with accusation calling the music video a form of cultural appropriation. The music video featured a theme set in a poverty-riddled town in India, celebrating the Festival of Colors, Holi. Chris Martin, the lead singer entered a movie theater where Beyoncé was playing the part of a Bollywood actress dressed in traditional attire and henna on her hands. What exactly is the problem here for most people? Is it the stereotypical way their country is portrayed? Or the fact that
As America has become more diverse since Barbie was invented, the definition of beauty has evolved; celebrities like Beyoncé have embraced un-Barbie-like figures while promoting body acceptance. Girls have never come in one shape, and 57 years later, Barbie finally won’t either. The 2016 Barbie Fashionista Dolls come in original, petite, tall and curvy. “I think today, frankly more so than any other time, Barbie is truly representing what girls see,” said Richard Dickson, Mattel’s president, to The New York Times. Despite efforts to create a selection of sizes, the petite and tall Barbies only differ centimeters from the original Barbie. However, the curvy Barbie is where progress is most apparent. The curvy Barbie has wider hips, noticeable calves and a waist that can finally hold vital internal organs. While further changes could have been made, a more “normal” Barbie will make many children and parents happy.
Beyoncé was wearing clothing from culture that is not her own? The reaction to the portrayal of Indian culture in “Hymn for the Weekend” was varied. Some people thought Beyoncé was appropriating Indian culture by wearing traditional clothing, and others believed the exotic, mystical way the country and culture was portrayed in the video itself was offensive. Cultural appropriation, as defined by Wikipedia is “the adoption or use of elements of one culture by members of a different culture”. People are more worried about cultural misappropriation, when people who aren’t part of the culture will wear traditional culture by members of a different culture. Although, what people are more worried about is clothing and jewelry or keep religious deities in their homes because they think it’s “cool”, with no respect for the culture itself—on the case of the music industry, adopting other cultures to receive more revenue.
The new skin tones are a huge step forward for the brand, creating selection for buyers. Mattel has also redesigned Barbie dolls with 24 hairstyles, varying in hair color and texture instead of the stereotypical straight
blonde hair. Mattel took a huge risk by diversifying Barbie and making her more realistic since she has not changed much in all 57 years of manufacturing. But while progress is clearly evident, our diversity today is still not being fully represented. In the new seven skin tones that Mattel claims to reflect young girls today, the dolls
Sam Tumkur | The Phoenix
Many people were upset that the music video depicted India as a poor place with less technology. This is partially true, for there are parts of India that don’t have access to electricity. The rural setting of the video captured the diversity of the culture from the scenic forest shots to the traditional Indian classical dancers towards the end of the video without degrading or misrepresenting it. In addition to the setting, some people were angry about the fact that Beyoncé was dressed as an Indian actress, saying someone else should have lip synced her vocals. Beyoncé’s clothing looked authentic and it was palpable that whoever organized the video took the time to understand the culture. However, there was also the handful of people who were impressed with how beautifully the country was featured in the music video. The most ironic part of the whole outrage was that most of the people who were offended weren’t even Indian.
average at about two dark skin tones and one medium tone, still leaving the majority of the Barbies fairskinned. Especially since Mattel emphasized the introduction of new skin tones, I hoped there would have been a better variety of dark to medium-toned dolls instead of the majority still being fair-skinned. In addition, with the line “pick out the Barbie doll that is just like you,” Mattel wants girls to feel resembled through Barbies. However, along with the limited darker skin tones, the diversity within race is still lacking. When scrolling through Mattel’s website, it’s easy to tell that all skin tones have the same white facial features, instead of incorporating different features that match each doll. Currently. there are no Asian Barbies; Mattel’s website has Barbies with dark hair and slightly different shaped eyes, but that’s about it. Barbie has come in a variety of ethnicities before, but only in special sets where cultures felt more like a costume than an appreciation.
Barbie came with a kimono in an “Asian Princess” set and cultural dresses in “Barbie in India.” Mattel doesn’t manufacture Asian Barbies in everyday clothing, only portraying them as “foreign.” Mattel has begun to broaden the spectrum of the beauty of Barbie, but has not reached its full potential. As our world is diversifying, the faces of beauty are changing, but right now, Barbie’s image is still a disproportionate, blonde-haired, girl-nextdoor. Scanning Mattel’s lineup of choices, there is more diversity in the dolls, but I don’t see myself or the majority of faces at Fremont High School being represented. Mattel has taken a step in the right direction, but as of right now, it overpromises. Hopefully, Mattel will keep progressing to the point where an implausible body is no longer representing the brand and every girl will finally be able to pick out a Barbie doll that is just like them.
Photo courtesy of Coldplay
This is not the first time the music industry has tried to incorporate other cultures into their music videos, trying to “appreciate” or pay homage to the culture. Last year, Major Lazer, DJ Snake (feat. MØ) released their single, “Lean On” and before that, Iggy Azalea’s “Bounce”. Although these music videos were shot in India, they resulted in a futile attempt to appreciate the culture. For example, in “Lean On”, the culture was simply
used as a background setting for the video instead of highlighting various features of it. So how do you appreciate a culture without misrepresenting or misappropriating it? The key to successfully appreciating a culture is to fully understand it and take the time to learn the different aspects of the culture. In the case of “Lean On” and “Bounce”, it looked like whoever produced the video took a handful of
stereotypes and made it into a video. However in “Hymn for the Weekend”, the Indian culture was accurately represented and was correctly appreciated. The media and music industry have plenty of influence over the general population which makes it important to represent cultures and countries accurately represented so people don’t continue to base their opinions over the misrepresentation.
Special Feature
March 1, 2016
6
Diversity and the Fremont Living as Latino
by Jessica Lara Staff Writer
In writing this article, I surveyed a small pool of Latino students. Many refused to participate and those who did answered superficially. When asked about the struggles they faced with being Latino at school, three different students answered “none.” The reality of the situation though, is that Latino students really do have struggles. While the pride embedded in our culture may tell us to keep our heads high and deny the feelings of hopelessness or the need for help, that doesn’t mean those problems don’t exist. Being as honest as possible, here is a summary of my experience as a Latino student. Q: What does being Latino mean to you? A: Being Latino is being prideful. The culture has taught me to be a helpful human being and to be friendly to those around me. Specifically for me, being Mexican is being able to take the bad in life and still see the good. My race has taught me to persevere during tough times because it always gets better. Q: How has being Latino affected your life academically? A: As I started taking AP courses and making friends with the people in my classes, I started to feel pressured. In some classes I’m the only Latina in the room, and I feel a subconscious pressure to excel in order to disprove stereotypes. Q: What are some of the struggles you have faced as a Latino student at FHS or during your educational school career? A: I specifically remember taking a quiz in 8th grade science. The quiz was a bit challenging and most of my classmates hadn’t done well. As I was helping pass back papers, I was asked how I had done. “9/10,” I said proudly. My classmate scoffed and said he didn’t believe me. I walked over to my desk and picked up my quiz. He said sorry and that was the end of it. I remember weeks later, I gathered the courage to ask him why he hadn’t believed me. As an 8th grader without a filter would, he responded, “I’m sorry, you just don’t look that smart. But good job.” I wondered for a long time who else had thought this. Q: In what way does your skin color affect the way others view you? A: As I grew older, my complexion lightened quite a bit. I take after my father who was half Hispanic and half Italian. This has brought to the surface the ever-so awkward, “You’re Mexican?” conversation quite a few times. I’ve been a good student most of my educational career, and sadly, this along with my white complexion triggers people to assume that I must be white. So while I can’t say I’ve been judged negatively for my skin color, I can say that my race is assumed incorrectly and I’m treated better for it. Q: What stereotypes have you heard about Latinos and to what extent do you think they’re true? A: I hear all the time that Latinos are lazy. They’re stereotyped as people who want to work as little as possible or live off Food Stamps. Seeing as how my family is full of hard workers who take any job they can find to be able to pay off their debt and provide for their families, I don’t believe this is true at all. Some of my family members have received EBT Food Stamps in the past and have worked their way to better paying jobs so that they would no longer need government assistance.
Ster·e·o·type
Commun
noun a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. definitions from Oxford Dictionary
High expectations by Chau Nguyen Editor-In-Chief
Within the Asian culture, there seems to be an expectation to succeed. No matter what. Sweat, blood, tears and maybe even urine. In our area especially, the highlycompetitive Bay Area, reaching success has never been this legitimately difficult, or this stressful for high school students. There’s no denying regardless of what grade you are, no matter how you view yourself, no matter how you define your intelligence, society holds Asian Americans in high esteem. But while this seems like a benefit because of how Asians seem to have the least negative stereotypes, and more positive ones, like all stereotypes, these don’t accurately capture our culture. Positive stereotypes not only disillusions young Asian Americans into believing they are superior, but it staggers and upholds a stupid belief that Asian Americans will always be the “best-educated.” My point is this: regardless of your ethnicity, regardless of society’s comparison of one’s prospects based on ethnicity, regardless of your own perception on your capabilities, your dreams should never interfere with your identity. Why should your accomplishments be based on your identity, but not who you are holistically? Contextually, I want to be an English teacher. You don’t see many male teachers, especially Asian ones. But it’s what I love, what I want, and honestly, why should I care? I’ve been in places before where I’ve felt insecure because I worried about people’s perception of me, from my hairstyle to the color of my shoelaces. Living with anxiety and constant self-criticism is a place I’ve been in before, and it’s not a happy one. My parents aren’t the “traditional” Asian parents. Within my whole family, I feel I’ve had the most liberty in what I did, and even though I was encouraged to join extracurricular activities like playing piano or swimming, I was never forced to. Even though my parents aren’t strict on grades or bent on me studying a certain profession, I still feel that lurking pressure. Suffocating my aspirations, that choking stress is immense. And it’s even from my parents--but from my community. It stems from the community I’m in, the people I’m surrounded by and the classes I’m taking. This really illustrates the gravity that this stereotype is double-edged sword. While it does protect Asians from derogatory comments made by society, it also imposes an impossible standard on our capabilities and aspirations, forcing us to follow certain paths. Positive stereotypes also create their own burden, with sometimes tremendous stress on us to earn A’s. It can be hard on Asian-American who aren’t strong in math or science, but instead, are strong in music or athletics. Asian-Americans who don’t live up to society’s academic expectations endure greater social stigma to achieve an impossible standard. This myth that every Asian-American is smart prevents us from realizing the nuances and individuality of people within the Asian community.
Q: What privileges do you think come with being Latino? A: I personally love my culture. Being Latino you are taught to be polite, to respect your elders and to always put family first. This has given me an extremely loving family, a family whom I can talk to about almost anything and who supports me through all my endeavors. The biggest privilege is the sense of camaraderie felt when with your family and family friends. Every race, culture, ethnicity will face certain struggles. As teens, our generation has self-taught themselves to be more accepting of others than any other generation. The only way we can defeat prejudice is by admitting it happens all around us and making a conscious effort to enforce equality.
Illustrations by Julie Wi
Special Feature
March 1, 2016
7
t High School
nity Part 2
With an incredibly diverse student body, Fremont High School students have many stories to tell. Below are a few more experiences in part 2 of the diversity centerspread.
Di·ver·si·ty noun
a range of different things; variety
Defining white privilege & all that it entails by Maggie Bernauer Sports Editor
It is true that history has set up future generations of certain ethnic groups to have greater success and those of European descent have been the predominant group to oppress minorities. In today’s society, it is evident that a large number of students of European descendant have an advantage in the classroom, economically and socially. Our ancestors created this “white privilege.” According to Critical Race Theory by Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic, “white privilege refers to the myriad of social advantages, benefits and courtesies that come with being a member of the dominant race.” White privilege gets amplified to having a perfect life. A common misconception people have as-
sumed due to my skin color is that I get straight A’s and people always ask me for help with school work. When it comes to math though, it is a struggle for me. Peers are shocked when they hear I got a C both semesters in Algebra 2/Trig. It was a hard class for me. Just because I am white does not grant perfection. However, many people associate white privilege with the fact that everything is handed to them and life’s a breeze. Every human being suffers from hardship in some way. It depends on the person’s life, but many times the full story is unknown and making assumptions turns into speculation. If you strip away white privilege and history, at their core, Caucasians are also humans. The question that arises for me when I hear
politically incorrect comments directed towards whites is what makes these derogatory comments more acceptable? These comments aren’t any different than a derogatory comment towards a person in a minority group. An example that made me pause was when I was in Spanish class this year. A white classmate was asked by the teacher whether or not she would have a job this summer. She responded, “No.” Another non-white student decided to make the comment, “It’s because she is white.” The class reacted with laughter. No one was offended or said that the comment was racist. If a white person made a derogatory comment like that, people would be appalled. The use of derogatory comments isn’t a two way street like it should be. To be fair and to be equal,
the same rules must apply to all people. “If a student is born into a higher class, it doesn’t matter what skin color that student has. That student is going to have a better life,” United States history teacher, Brian Irvine said. “Poor white people have the exactly the same problems as poor Blacks, Latinos and Asian people. Dr. King preached that it doesn’t matter what skin color you are. If you are poor you have a lot more in common with another poor person of a different race than you do with someone of your same race who is rich. Racism really does separate us, in a way that the wealthy people of this country keep power because we keep fighting each other over our races.” Acknowledging both the pros and cons of white privilege is necessary. Yes
there are benefits: more opportunities are present in school, in jobs and in overall life. There are also cons when it comes to the assumptions people make. In the past, white people have done horrific things to people. History’s mistakes affect people today. Some believe it would be fair to be derogatory towards whites because they “deserve it.” Remember that terms like racism, equality, Civil Rights and derogatory apply to all people. All humans deserve equality. The point of learning history is to not repeat the same mistakes. Equality for everyone is the next step our society needs to take.
Arts & Entertainment
MARCH 1, 2016
8
The team that saved O.J. Simpson, what a dream
Johnnie Cochrane (Courtney B. Vance)
by Maggie Bernauer Sports Editor
Twenty-two years ago marks the start of the popular cultural phenomenon The People of the State of Calif. v. Orthenal James Simpson. Now the countless hours the trial was broadcasted can been re-lived in the new television series The People vs. O.J. Simpson on FX, where they created a ten episode series to present the case to a new generation of viewers. The show airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. On June 12, 1994, the double homicide of Nicole Brown and Ronald Lyle Goldman became the “trial
Marcia Clark (Sarah Paulson)
Kato Kaelin (Billy Magnussen)
Robert Shapiro (John Travolta)
Robert Kardashian (David Schwimmer)
O.J. Simpson (Cuba Gooding Jr.)
of the century.” According to Time, over 150 million viewers tuned in to watch the trial and overall verdict of the case. It was the first case to be fully broadcasted on television where everything was reported on. O.J. Simpson was put on trial for murder and America watched a national hero fall. Simpson was a professional football player who played eleven seasons between the Buffalo Bills and the San Francisco 49ers. He played at University of Southern California and in 1968 he won the Heisman Trophy. He was also inducted into the Hall of
Fame in 1985. Cuba Gooding Jr. plays O.J. Simpson in this series. FX casted every person who was a part of the case, no matter how much impact that person had. There are scenes with the young Kardashian kids as well as Kris Jenner, who is played by Selma Blair, which draws attention from our generation due to their fame today. The show manages to capture every detail. Even though some characters have no impact on the outcome of the trial, their roles show how personal and real the show plays out to be. The actors do a phenomenal job stick-
ing to the story line. David Schwimmer plays Robert Kardashian, and the criticisms he is too tall to play Kardashian just shows how many hours people have invested into the case. The case lasted from June 1994 until Oct. 2 1995 when Simpson was set free. Every moment in the trial, whether it was the white bronco car chase or the actual courtroom where the “dream team” of lawyers made up of Robert Shapiro, Johnnie Cochran, Robert Kardashian, F. Lee Bailey, Alan Dershowitz and Carl E. Douglas prove Simpson’s innocence. They called themselves
the “dream team” because they did everything in their power to help Simpson get away with murder by disputing evidence. The series The People vs. O.J. Simpson opens a door for our generation and allows us to experience what our parents experienced, bringing generations together, the show is still accurate and addicting. It is fascinating to watch with my mother because she adds in her memories from watching it for the first time and by watching the show it helps me understand the magnitude of the situation and its significance.
It is hard to see a reputation of a well known athlete or even a hero, to some degree, go down the drain. This case was personal to many people and being the first publicized case contributed to the popularity, but it was so popular mainly because many people felt connected or related to Simpson and the case.
Photos courtesy of FX
FHS staff milestones YouTuber book review by Kelly Zhong
by Nicole Stibbard
News Editor
Copy Editor
Manuel Navarro is the groundskeeper at Fremont High School. He loves when he can appreciate all his hard work that shows up in his beautiful gardening throughout the front of campus. This is his tenth year at FHS and apart from his job, he enjoys exercise such as walking and jogging, and is also passionate about soccer.
Manuel Navarro
10 years
Tina Braga is a custodian at FHS. This is her tenth year here. She likes the aesthetics and atmoshpere of the campus and also loves working with the students. Outside of work, she enjoys camping and loves any type of vacation, especially cruises.
Tina Braga
10 years Photos by Chau Nguyen and Nicole Stibbard
The FHS Performing Arts Department presents
The Addams Family
March 10, 11 and 12 in the Shannon Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Seats are $10 each.
Check out our review on March 11 at www.fhsphoenix.com Photo courtesy of Sarah Kacmarsky
YouTuber Josh Sundquist’s novel, We Should Hang Out Sometime, is a perfect blend of humor, emotion and thoughtful self-reflection. The novel chronicles Sundquist’s quest to find out why his past romantic relationships have failed, or more specifically, never started. Starting from his middle school romance, Sundquist, now an adult, contacts six women: Sarah Stevens, Liza Taylor Smith, Francesca Marcelo, Evelyn Williamson, Lilly Moore and Sasha Wright, to investigate why each relationship failed to start. The novel itself has seven sections, one for each of the six women and an epilogue. In addition, each section is dedicated to a woman and has three sub-sections: how they met, his hypothesis as to why the relationship never started and the results from his investigation. Right from the beginning, readers find out that Sundquist’s left leg was amputated from the hip down because of cancer. As a result, Sundquist also struggles with balancing his desire to appear normal and accepting his disability throughout the novel. In his early teen years, he goes to great lengths to hide his disability from his peers because he does not want to seem different from them. That being said, Sundquist’s story isn’t overly emotional. In fact, it’s humorous and straightforward with just the right amount of emotional vulnerability to make his story believable. He isn’t looking for pity, but
Photo courtesy of Amazon
he isn’t in denial of his disability either. Though not all readers have a disability, his novel will especially resonate with younger audiences because of the realistic way he portrays his internal conflict. There are also funny moments and awkward encounters scattered throughout Sundquist’s journey, creating a perfect balance between seriousness and humor. His first teen-like, almost naive theories on how to attract girls elicit laughs and amusement, which also generate awkward scenarios when Sundquist puts those theories to the test. In addition, the writing itself reads similarly to how a teenager would think and speak, making it accessible and enjoyable to read. Each girl’s background is an entertaining story in itself; he spares no detail when he describes every awkward moment he’s ever had with a girl, such as when his prosthetic foot ends up backwards on a date. Along
with “mathematical” handdrawn graphs depicting different situations, the novel’s humorous tone lightens up what could have been a bitter, angry rant about his failed love. Sundquist’s frankness also matches his YouTube persona. From songs about the benefits of being an amputee to talks about awkward questions and situations he has encountered, Sundquist’s YouTube posts match the humor of his novel and show that he truly is comfortable in his own skin. There isn’t a dull moment with Sundquist, whether it’s on his YouTube channel or in his book. Readers who follow along on his quest for love in We Should Hang Out Sometime will be captivated to the very last word, and perhaps might even gain some insight into their own lives.
Arts & Entertainment On social media platforms 9
MARCH 1, 2016
by Jenny Nguyen Staff Writer
As of Dec. 2015, Facebook had 1.04 billion daily active users and 1.59 billion monthly active users. It stands as the most popular social media platform. Facebook lets people connect with their schools and workplaces, allowing them to be updated with important events through posts and group chats. It is a great place to promote businesses, share information and find friends or relatives to connect with. Twitter is another popular platform. According to Twitter, it has 320 million monthly users. The site offers a maximum character limit of 140 characters. Similar to Facebook, the site allows users to link some game accounts with their Twitter accounts. Twitter enables users to be straightforward due to the character limit. The site is good for marketing businesses and sharing thoughts.
Instagram is used predominantly for sharing photos and videos. The app’s community has been rapidly growing and is now at a grand total of 400 million monthly active users, according to the official Instagram site. People specifically use the app to share pictures that have been taken with filters and have various aesthetics.
With 200 million monthly active users, Snapchat is another popular form of social media. Over 50 percent of active users are ages 13 to 24. The app allows users to send temporary photos and videos to friends and family. Snapchat has features like geo-filters that place an overlay onto a picture or video in certain locations of the world. Other features include “Lenses” which allow users to send hilarious “Snaps” to their friends.
Tumblr is the website and app for all things human nature can offer. From fandom wars to social justice, Tumblr is the place for the opinionated. It is customizable and is a platform that allows users to use their imagination and creativity to their full potential. The site lets users create blogs to share their thoughts and ideas about topics they are passionate about.
According to the official Vine site, this app has 40 million users. Vine allows people to entertain others from the comfort of their own homes. The mobile platform gives quick and easy access to film and edit 6.5 second videos. Some people have even made Vine into a career. Many people have become famous on Vine due to their singing abilities and have launched singing careers from getting famous on Vine. Photos courtesy of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr and Vine.
Deadpool review by Allyson Wilbur Staff Writer
Actor Ryan Reynolds tried for ten years to get Deadpool on the big screen, and now it’s finally happened in the form of a brilliantly crude and violent film about the character’s origin: Deadpool. Wade Wilson, played by Ryan Reynolds, is a former Special Forces Operative who now works as a low level mercenary. When he’s diagnosed with terminal cancer, he decides to participate in experiments to help cure him, undergoing a process orchestrated by the villain Ajax, referred to in the movie as Francis. This treatment leaves him disfigured and with accelerated healing powers that make him practically invincible. After finding out about his new abilities, Wade, along with the help from two X-Men named Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Colossus, tries to find Ajax so the effects can be reversed. The film begins by bouncing back and forth between Wade’s present and past, with the character repeatedly breaking the fourth wall to make comments to the audience,
adding to the humor in the film. With crude humor and more violence than audiences
may be used to seeing in superhero movies, the film earns an R rating. Deadpool starts cracking jokes from the introduction credits and doesn’t stop until the end credit scene, giving it an unique and entertaining angle that superhero movies haven’t taken on yet. Even with the crude jokes, swearing, and violence, Reynolds manages to give the character emotion and depth with his performance, mainly shown in how he treats his girlfriend, Vanessa, which adds to his likeability. Other characters, such as Vanessa, Deadpool’s friend Weasel and even the cab driver are also extremely likeable. They add to Deadpool’s character or are influenced by him. The villains themselves are standard: Ajax and his somewhat hotheaded sidekick Angel are nothing special in terms of originality. However, Deadpool more than makes up for it with his sassy attitude. With its clever dialogue, witty characters and mature themes, Deadpool stands out from other superhero movies.
Photo courtesy of 2oth Century Fox and Marvel
Celebrities On Snapchat
Michael Alva
Staff Writer | 1,337 Snapchat, a social media platform, is used predominantly by people to talk to or share moments with their friends. However, celebrities are now using Snapchat to advertise products they use, products they make and businesses they are sponsored by. When your favorite celebrity is on Snapchat, you want to follow them to see what they do during their everyday life. But when you really pay attention to what they do, they do not tell you about everything that goes on during their day. They will show you bits and pieces of their day but the next Snapchat they post is an advertisement so they can sell the product they are advertising. An example is the well-known DJ Khaled, who uses Snapchat to advertise his online company, We The Best. According to Billboard, DJ Khaled has made $8 million in three months off of Snapchat. Other examples include Kevin Hart and Kylie Jenner, who use Snapchat just to show people what they do in their daily lives. However, according to POPSUGAR, the money Kylie Jenner and Kevin Hart make from Snapchat is given to charity. Celebrities on Snapchat now can earn money from just being themselves. The next time you open a Snapchat from your favorite celebrity think about what their true intentions are, whether it be for money or for fame. Photo courtesy of Snapchat
Arts & Entertainment
10
Diversity’s appearance in multiple forms
march 1, 2016
by Momina Nadeem Staff Writer
Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You The Sun is a great coming-of-age novel following the story of twins Noah and Jude, as their lives are torn apart after they experience difficult situations such as parental divorce, death and rape. They also deal with their own internal struggles, like being comfortable with who they are and being able to open up, which can be seen when Noah struggles of coming out as gay.
The Mortal Instruments is a thrilling paranormal fantasy series featuring Clary Fray, who learns that she’s a Shadowhunter, who are humans with angelic qualities. It has pretty much anything you can think of when it comes to fantasy; faeries, warlocks, demons, and vampires, just to name a few. Diversity is found in the character Magnus Bane, a quirky warlock who is both biracial and bisexual.
Fresh off the Boat is a show on ABC featuring the lives of a Taiwanese family living in America, particularly in a neighborhood without many other Asian people. While the kids want to fit in with American culture, their parents, mother specifically, doesn’t want them to lose touch with their roots. This show is very realistic in how it portrays a family with immigrant parents.
Welcome to Night Vale is a podcast set in the style of a fictional news show set in the desert town of Night Vale, where strange occurrences are commonplace and conspiracy theories are considered true. Each episode features strange occurrences, and there’s a wide variety of characters, including Carlos the Scientist, who is the narrator Cecil’s love interest and is Latino. The podcast uses deadpan humor as the narrator delivers line after ridiculous line without skipping a beat.
Steven Universe is the story of Steven, who lives with the three “Crystal Gems” Amethyst, Garnet, and Pearl. Being half gem himself, together they save the world and go on adventures. The Gems have the ability to fuse, allowing them to merge bodies with one another to combine powers. Fusions are mutual relationships between two gems, and while all the gems are considered genderless, they have a female persona, introducing queer themes to younger audiences.
One funny show on ABC with diversity is Black-Ish, and it’s easy to tell by the title what the story is focused on: a black family. Similar to Fresh off the Boat, this story is about a non-white family, and is part of the Wednesday night comedy lineup alongside shows that are mostly, if not all, white—Modern Family, The Middle, and The Goldbergs.
Photos courtesy of ABC, Rob Wilson, KaBOOM, Dial Books and Walker.
The User’s Guide to Yelp 3/1/16
Sarah Arkoh
Managing Editor
Photos courtesy of Yelp
Finding new places around town to eat, shop and hang out is incredibly easy through use of the website Yelp. Yelp also has a mobile application available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Founded in 2004, the San Francisco based company offers a website that doubles as a business review platform and a social media outlet. The website is easy to use. Any business can upload information, such as business hours, menu items and their location. Yelpers, or people who use Yelp, take care of the rest. Users upload reviews, rating the business on a scale of one to five stars and write about their experiences. Photos can also be uploaded to the profile of each business. In recent years much controversy has surrounded Yelp. A number of small businesses have accused Yelp of removing higher rated reviews. The businesses have claimed that Yelp took down higher reviews and tried to bully businesses into paying Yelp for the reviews to be restored. There have also been accusations that Yelp takes bribes from businesses and allows them to alter their reviews. Yelp denies both claims. Even with the controversy, Yelp remains one of the best resources for finding new places to go. The app features several categories to choose from, including food, arts and entertainment, automotive, shopping and nightlife. Users can search for places near them in any category. A handy bookmark feature also makes it easy to remember where good places are located.
“I use Yelp because I’m in a family of foodies,” Sarah Cayabyab, junior, said. “We always use Yelp to find new places to eat. If I hear of a good place, I look it up on Yelp to see what other people think of it.” Using Yelp is also great for travelling. For people who have never been in a new place, Yelp makes it easy to find good places around town. Along with business information, travellers can find a price per plate at certain restaurants, highlights of different businesses and what places to avoid. Another aspect of Yelp users enjoy is that of Yelp Elite. “In order to become a Yelp Elite, you have to write a lot of reviews,” Cayabyab said. “You have to read other people’s reviews, find them ‘useful, funny or cool’, upload a picture of yourself and be at least 18.” Yelpers who are elite also have to be considered role models to other Yelpers. Their reviews are some of the first to pop up under a business and tend to be more trusted. For those who are selected by the Yelp administration to be elite, they benefit from exclusive Yelp parties, free giveaways and a chance to network with others. Overall, Yelp proves to be a great resource. It is versatile and can be easily accessed by both young people and older generations.
sports
11
March 1, 2016
Fremont welcomes new softball coach
Finding the balance to go too far. Coaches will tell him what competitions he goes to and sends him the info. Other than pommel horse, Burriss also competes in floor, rings, vault, parallel bars and the horizontal bar. He
by Emily Wright
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Like many athletes at Fremont, sophomore Kyle Burriss loves to compete. Unlike others, however, Burriss is a nationally ranked gymnast. Burriss started doing gymnastics eight years ago when his mother put him in a class. “My mom put me in gymnastics because I climbed everywhere,” Burriss said. “I definitely didn’t want to do it in the beginning.” However, the sport soon started to grow on him and roughly seven years ago he first started to compete. Burriss says he likes competitions because of the rankings and gymnastics in general because of the flips. “[Gymnastics is] one of the most important [parts of my life],” Burriss said. Burriss competes around the nation at various tournaments. He recently won the title of third in the nation on pommel horse at the Florida Nationals. Pommel horse is an event where male contestants do various maneuvers on saddle-like piece of equipment called a pommel horse. Burriss says he competes pretty much everywhere, although mostly in California because he does not want
says he first started truly enjoying gymnastics when he began competing. Burriss has also competed in the
While competing, he says his mind is on his routine. “I usually try to be really focused so I don’t mess up,” he said. Burriss says focusing is something he has gotten better at because of these competitions. Unfortunately, Burriss’ competitions can also get in the way of
school. “Three weeks ago, I had to leave on Thursday or Friday to go to New York [for a competition],” Burriss said. “ [But] depending on the competition, yeah [it’s worth it to miss school to go to these events].” However, for Burriss, his future plans are still up in the air. Right now, he says that while gymnastics is important, he views academics as even more important. Burriss says that he’s not yet sure if he wants to pursue gymnastics in college, as it is really difficult to get in. In the meantime, though, Burriss continues to compete for one very simple reason: the fun of it.
Junior
Olympics. “It was cool watching all the other really good gymnasts there,” Burriss said. To prepare for competitions, Burriss goes to practice, five times a week.
Photo courtesy of Tracy Burriss
by Dana Nissan Staff Writer
As a new softball season starts, the team takes on a new coach, Tony Phillips. Phillips has coached softball since 1989 and is still driven by the game. As well as coaching softball, Phillips coached JV basketball in 1985-90. Phillip coached in various places like Cupertino Middle, Sunnyvale Girls Softball and Sunnyvale Metro. Since he was little, Phillips had an interest in the game and it is history. He started at the Tee-Ball level (introductory level to develop ball game skills) and that way he learned a lot and worked his way up. His expectations for the team are winning leagues and get a seat at CCS. Phillips sees the potential out there with the girls and wants to help them rise to the occasion to play their best against the competition they are going to come across in the season. He thinks the team contains the right girls to be competitive at this level. “If we are playing the game hard, to have fun and to be competitive it gives us that burst of energy to do all those other things we need to do. You gotta love what you are doing and as long as you are loving what
you are doing that rode after whether you do in life keeps you going,” Phillips said. He hopes when the team walks away from every game and the season overall they will feel like have put everything out, that they achieved all their goals and that they feel proud of themselves for having gone through the season.
If we are playing the game hard, to have fun and to be competitive it gives us that burst of energy to do all those other things we need to do. You gotta love what you are doing Tony philips The players are expected to achieve either set goals, and when they achieve those goals the joy on their face is what makes Phillips feel good. According to Phillips, he wants the team to play a positive game and build
relationships. It is not going to be about what championships they won or how many games they won and lost as long as in the end they meet someone they could build a friendship with. “My goals for my players is to have fun. Fun is being apart of the team. Running. Hitting. Throwing. Playing hard. Enjoying your teammates. Playing like a champions. I look forward to seeing them grow as a player and as a team as well as making a positive impact in the sport of softball,” Phillips said. The girls on the team have the attitude, camaraderie and competitiveness. As a coach, Phillips is going to acknowledge all of them everyday.
Chau Nguyen | The Phoenix
sports 12
March 1, 2016
Highlighting CCS-bound winter sports by Hannah Butay
Girls Basketball
Online Editor
The girls’ basketball team finished the season with a record of 9-15. After a few tough losses, the team came back with even more determination to break their losing streak. This determination led to a win against Milpitas High School and a 3 game winning streak. Their .500 record from preseason qualified the team for CCS for the first time in 5 years. To qualify, a team has to win at least half their games in either the league season or preseason. “I was really excited to go to CCS because we worked really hard to get here,” senior Amber Clermont said. “We set goals for ourselves, so it was rewarding to see all our hard work pay off.” The first round CCS game for the girls was held at Carlmont High School on Feb. 23. “As a team we improved as a whole, we actually encouraged each other. We actually competed, junior Genessa Banzon said. “We set the team up for a high standard next year. It’s going to be way better next year.”
Photo courtesy of Tom Thompson
Girls Soccer
Entering this girls’ soccer season, two vital players were already unable to play due to both having anterior cruciate ligament surgery over the summer. As the season went on, starter Kendall Moulton tore her ACL and others were also injured causing them to miss several games. “While it’s always hard to replace any player, especially a starter, having girls step in has really helped fill the void,” Coach Payam Hajjarian said. Even with injuries, the team has completed a first round CCS victory. They finished the regular season with a record of 11 wins, two losses and three ties, making them league champions. This year is the first year in FHS history that the girls’ soccer team is league champions. The team earned a banner to hang in the gym joining other successful Fremont sports teams. On Feb. 24, the girls won 6-0 against Oakgrove. “The girls play for one another,” Hajjarian said. “I think that if you have dedication like that, talent and good leadership, then you’ll go a long way.”
Chau Nguyen | The Phoenix
Boys Basketball The boys’ basketball season has been met with injuries this year. Key player, Jake Burriss, a three-time varsity starter, suffered a concussion after he jumped for a ball, got undercut by a player and fell to the ground hard during a game against Palo Alto. Since then, Burriss has not played in any games. “To not have him is a big hit in terms of leadership, defense and offense,” Coach Jason Townsend said. “This season, we’ve had more injuries and sickness than I can remember.” Yet, Townsend still feels that the team has grown very much from the start of the season. “The individual development each of the boys has shown is great,” Townsend said. “I think that everyone’s gotten better from where we started to where we are now in February.” As of Feb. 25, the team is ranked in the sixth seed of Division 1. The season was finished with a record of 10-14.
*Both boys basketball and girls soccer won their first round CCS game. The second round games for both teams are on Saturday. This was updated as of Feb. 26. Susannah Schulze | The Phoenix
The mindset of by Susannah Schulze Staff Writer
“5,6,7,8 …” The countdown before the captain of the Featherettes, Marine Cossoul, takes the stage. Cossoul started dancing when she was 4 years old. According to Cossoul, she first signed up for lessons after watching other girls dance while attending a day care next door to the studio. Up until last year she danced at the Harmony Dance Center, dabbling in a wide array of dances including tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballet, lyrical and contemporary. Cossoul’s dedication to dancing stems from the passion she has for the art. “The feeling of not having to think anymore and just being able to move my body so freely and feel that emotion,” Cossoul said. “I think that might be my favorite part.” As she performs, Cossoul tries not to think
too much about each specific movement, but rather focuses on the routine as a whole. “When you’re dancing you want to let go and feel the emotion of that specific routine, before you go on you kind of get yourself in the mindset.” Cossoul said. Part of entering into the mindset is letting go of stress and nerves. Cossoul says she usually does not get nervous until about an hour before she performs. As soon as she is out there dancing, however, the stress and nerves melt away as she becomes absorbed on what she is doing. Cossoul’s passion for dancing has carried her to be a part of the Featherettes. As a sophomore last year she was a lieutenant and this year took on even more leadership as captain of the team. “I spend a lot of time outside of practice planning the things that we’re going to do inside of practice with my co-captain and lieutenant,” Cossoul said. “We come up with things
a competitive dancer to do for team bonding and if there are conflicts within the team we deal with that.” A responsibility of an officer is “cleaning” routines. Cossoul and her fellow officers perfect the movements so their team looks fluid when dancing together, as well as giving pointers to teammates in terms of the choreography. One major setback for Cossoul was breaking her foot earlier this year, limiting her to watching from the sidelines as she continued to help clean routines. Being unable to dance for three months is an obstacle that Cossoul is still overcoming. “I had to start building up the muscle and the confidence to be able to dance again, so that was definitely a huge challenge,” Cossoul said. “I’m still kind of dealing
with physical therapy and building myself back up.” While this injury removed Cossoul from a few football games and rallies, she is grateful that she was able to recover in time for the competition season. At the Sacramento regionals, Cossoul took seventh place with her solo, barely missing the mark to compete as a finalist. While they are assigned rankings based on their performances, Cossoul measures her own success on her
the finals but it was really exciting to have scored that well at the competition.” While Cossoul is uncertain exactly where she would like to dance after high school, dancing will definitely remain a prevalent part of her life. “It’s possible that I join a college dance team, I’m not completely sure.” Cossoul said. “I also might be interested in joining a professional ballet company.”
The feeling of not having to think anymore and just being able to move my body so freely and feel that emotion, I think that might be my favorite part. Marine Cossoul improvement. “I don’t base how good I am off of a score I get at a competition, more on how well I do and the improvement I see in myself,” Cossoul said. “To be so close it’s kind of frustrating to feel like I could have made it to Photo courtesy of Gwen Cossoul