The Phoenix Volume 7 Issue 6

Big name brands see special feature pages 6 & 7

growing up adopted see page 10

bay area spring break see page 4

Fremont High School

the

PHOENIX

Vol. 7 Issue No. 6 April 5, 2019

Deans address the FHS Prom policy

by Nadia Anees

Editor-in-Chief

In February, the Fremont High School deans, George Bechara and Chris Moore released information via Schoolloop email regarding the conditions for purchasing tickets for both senior and junior prom this year, some of which have raised concerns among the FHS student body.

Senior prom will be held on May 11, 2019, and junior prom is on the 12th of April. According to the guidelines listed in the email, in order to be able to attend prom, students must clear any delinquencies they have and return books that they have borrowed from the school.

In addition, they may not attend prom if they are tardy four or more times in a single week, or ten times in total between the weeks of February 25th through May 3rd. They must also be present at school on the day of prom, as well as have made up any missed or late detentions.

Students who are considered “chronically absent” and have received the third letter from the deans will not be allowed to attend prom. In an email sent out on March 25th by the deans, students with delinquencies will have received tickets

that must get signed and cleared in order for them to be eligible to buy prom tickets.

According to a survey produced by staff writers at The Phoenix, several students are familiar with the conditions and 62% have an issue with them. About 19.7% of the survey takers felt they would not likely be able to attend prom due to the issues caused by the conditions. 69.6% of survey takers said they will be fine in handling the conditions and the rest of the survey takers replied saying they were uncertain.

Many students have advocated for a change in the tardy rule due to reasons such as the traffic in the morning, students who have part time jobs, the distances that students live from school and other external factors which are not in the students’ control.

“The tardies [rule] is pretty unreasonable,” senior Lucas Morales said.

“Sure, an argument can be made that we can leave the house earlier or whatever, but sometimes it’s not up to us. For example, I drive my brother to school and he has no pressure to be on time. So then there’s conflict because I’m worried about prom and he doesn’t think it’s a big deal. Essentially,

the tardies rule is stressful and it even extends into my family.”

Some students think the tardy rule should be applied only for periods after their first class, as a result of this. Multiple students also replied saying that the deans should extend the number of tardies that exempt students from attending prom, as only ten in total or four in a week is too little.

“Traffic around FHS is extremely hard to navigate in the mornings and many students are late for class as a result,” an anonymous survey-taker and FHS student said. “A better option would be to penalize students who are late to any classes after their first class, because they are far more likely to have been fooling around than simply oversleeping.”

Another anonymous survey taker proposes a different idea to change the current prom conditions.

“I think that the tardy rule could be amended to only include truancy, i.e. tardies of at least 15 minutes, since it’s absolutely possible to incidentally be late due to passing period ten times over three months, but that shouldn’t be punished,” the unnamed survey taker says.

According to FHS Dean

of Students, George Bechara, a large reason that prom privileges regarding tardies are being enforced this year is due to the disruption in classrooms that is caused by late students.

“Most teachers are not happy when students are coming late to their classrooms because it disrupts the class and there’s a lot of disruption that’s happening when students are constantly late to class,” Bechara said. “And believe me, we have teachers that are frustrated, so one way to address this is: look, we have people who want to go to privileges like dances or the prom and if I’m going to continue to get teacher complaints about tardies then there’s one way to address it.“ Regarding the effect that tardies have on teachers, English teacher, Onette Zabinski can understand the policy to an extent.

“I think it matters more if it’s an overall class trend than if it’s a sparing case,” Zabinski says. “I think that when the majority of a class or a portion of your class is late then you would be in support of this policy.”

The deans also encourage students who are struggling with attendance to have conversations with them regarding potential

solutions to their tardiness.

“We highly recommend students coming in to speak with us if they [sic] think their tardies are a little excessive, but if you’re late everyday then you need to come talk to us about what’s going on,” Bechara said. “If attendance is a problem we need students to talk to us.

This is also an opportunity to build a connection with the student or maybe refer them to certain resources that they might not know about.”

Zabinski also agrees that having conversations regarding why students are late is also important so that students can find solutions and avoid getting their privileges taken away.

“I wonder if it is more important to talk to students about why they’re coming late because we can’t really make assumptions about why people are arriving at the time they’re arriving,” Zabinski says. “There’s a lot of students that have frankly, just reached their breaking point in terms of all the different things that they’re juggling and they just need to take a breather when it’s quiet in the hall rather than when they’re on their way to class with hundreds of students.”

When asked how strict-

ly in place these conditions are, Bechara says it’s difficult to give a firm answer.

“It’s a relative case by case, it’s hard to give you guidelines because it really depends on the student,” he says. “If I have a student who is trying to do their best, they’re passing their classes, they have a few tardies here and there, we’ll be forgiving with that but if we have a student who is maybe cutting some classes, then that conversation is going to be a little different because we want to make sure every student is coming on time, everyday to all of their classes.“ Additionally, the deans want students to know that the conditions are not new and are not intended to punish students.

“We want all students to be able to go to these events and that’s hopefully the message people are getting, it’s not supposed to be like a punishment or anything like that but we are also trying to model what real life looks like,” Bechara says. “Like if you have a speeding ticket, and you don’t do anything about it, you sit on it and next thing you know your license gets suspended, so we’re trying to model these real life things for students.”

The Phoenix | Thomas Poplawski

What to look for when choosing a university

by Vivien Su

A&E Editor

Now that it’s April, most Fremont seniors are finished with their application process, and now comes the tough decision of choosing the perfect university.

When choosing a college, there are multiple factors that come into play like the types of courses offered, location, size and cost. With so many variables on the table, it can be especially challenging to select the best school.

“For me, the first priority was major,” said senior Nikhil Mekkattuparamban.

“Then, it was location. And then I looked at the opportunities. So I used those three criteria to narrow the list, and then from there, I looked at cost and people I know going there.”

For senior Varun Srivastava, the factors that mattered the most to him were “Price, location, prestige, quality of my major (department) [and] school culture.”

Students have to be able to imagine themselves in that school. After all,

students are going to be spending at least four years at the school.

“It’s important to visit the colleges you are considering and really try to imagine yourself living there,” said senior Dhanya Paul.

Oftentimes, the cost of traveling out-of-state or even within a few hundred miles of California can cause a huge financial burden.

Thankfully, many universities offer easily accessible virtual tours on their school websites. Although the experience is not as impactful as visiting the school in

person, the virtual tour still sheds plenty of insight on what the campus is actually like. But no matter what, it is important to realize that visting the college in person can be extremely insightful experiences.

“Summer is coming up,” said Lupita Yanez, Fremont’s College and Career center advisor. “I would highly encourage students to take advantage of that because there’s nothing like being able to experience the college or university on your own.”

Aside from actual and

virtual tours, students can also engage with universities when representatives visit.

“When we have our fall college visits, [students should] make sure to also go to those,” said Yanez.

“It is a great opportunity especially for students that might not be able to travel to those particular colleges or universities. I just think it makes a world of difference.”

Yanez also emphasizes the significance of the students being able to envision themselves on the college campus.

“Do a backpack test,”

said Yanez. “What I mean by that is if and when you visit a college, try to envision yourself walking around campus with your backpack on. Think about the following, ‘Do I really see myself here? Is this a place I could call home for the next four years?’”

The reputation of the school plays a significant factor, no doubt. It is very easy for students to gravitate towards the top 5% schools

See College Selection on page 2

News

April 5, 2019

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College Selection continued from page 1 in the nation because prestige is often associated with meriting the most success in the future. However, it is extremely important to look beyond the name of the school.

Students must take into account the academic courses offered by the school and determine if the school’s offerings suits their needs.

“I think [focusing on the brand] is probably not the best way or route to take [...] because there are other great schools around and outside of our area that just offer so much and have so many different opportunities,” said Yanez. “Other schools offer that [great opportunities] as well. It doesn’t just come down to the branding of the college.”

“It’s easy to be misled into to what is ‘popular’ [...] but it’s not always about that,” said Yanez. “Students can branch out in so many different areas and have amazing opportunities that you typically may not necessarily hear about, but that’s because they’re kind of hidden gems. Branch out and extend your horizons.”

Picking courses that suit a student’s major is crucial to future success. That is why for many students, the academic courses are usually highly prioritized.

Typically, students that prefer bigger schools gravitate towards the UC’s. The UC’s are some of the largest schools in the nation, with each holding around nearly 25,000 to 30,000 students. Additionally, students that enjoy being in metropolitan areas as well as the big cities usually will choose UC’s. Big schools, however, are infamous for their overwhelming class sizes and faculty to student ratios. For students that enjoy interacting closely with their professors, a UC may not be the best option.

Liberal arts and several private universities tend to be in more rural parts of the nations and host smaller class sizes. Smaller, however, normally does mean less research facilities, meaning students may have to search for outside opportunities to advance their particular fields of study.

Besides academic courses, location and college size, students also cannot forget the overwhelming issue of cost.

The high tuition of universities makes scholarships and financial aid necessary for many students. Besides cost, there is also religious affiliation and gender preferences to consider and spending the time to research these opportunities is especially crucial.

Essentially, it all comes down to what a student values the most. Every school has their benefits and downfalls. A student cannot have everything, but a student can choose the place that will give them the most bang for their buck.

How to prepare for the AP exams

by Ambika Vaidya Opinion Editor

With Advanced Placement testing just around the corner, sophomores and juniors taking AP exams for the first time may be experiencing nervous stomach churns and heart palpitations. Many seniors on the other hand are also anxious to get these last remaining standardized tests out of their way before finally graduating high school.

Studying for AP tests varies in many ways. Some students seek out a tutor to aid them in studying for the exam, while others self study by reviewing class material or purchasing a Barron’s or Princeton Review practice book.

“I’m going to study from the practice books that I bought from Amazon,” said Fremont senior Rahul Mannikar. “Then, I [plan to] take the practice exams during the weekends.”

Likewise, AP teachers also have different methods of preparing their students for the exam.

FHS AP Statistics teacher Derek Koning reviews the cumulative material for the exam from after spring break until the AP test. Additionally each AP Statistics unit test includes a multiple-choice section and a Free Response Question portion (FRQ),

similar to the format of the AP test. Every week, Koning has his AP Statistics students complete a couple of FRQ problems that have appeared on previous AP exams.

FHS AP Literature teacher, Monica Schuet, has a different tactic of helping students gain skills to get through the timed essays they will have to do during the AP exam.

“In terms of essays, a majority [of the essays] are in-class essays where students learn how to manage their time and their emotions [under the pressure of writing a timed essay],” said Schuet.

However, according to many teachers at Fremont, studying in class for the AP exam is not enough to do well on the exam itself.

“We do in-class work on multiple choice and some test-taking strategies,” said Schuet. “However, it is certainly not enough to really make sure that you can be successful [on the multiple choice part of the exam]

unless students take time to study on their own outside of class.”

As Schuet notes, despite all the in-class preparation for the AP exam, taking time to study outside of class is highly recommended, and in some cases essential. However, a potential barrier seniors may face this year is the fact that senior prom falls right in the middle of the two AP-testing weeks.

For some, the fourhour prom may be a welldeserved study break and may not affect their study schedule at all. However, for those who like to take their prom celebrations up a notch and continue the party all weekend long with friends, the prom event may interrupt their studying for the exams.

Aside from taking time to study for the AP tests, another problem students face is paying for them.

This is especially difficult if students plan on taking three or more AP tests, with total costs adding up to hundreds of dollars without a fee waiver.

Many students at Fremont who are finacially unable to pay the over $100 fee per AP test are eligible to receive the reduced $10 fee to take a regular AP test— meaning AP tests other than art or world languages.

Unfortunately, this does not include the students that are unable to afford several hundred dollars to take their AP exams due to temporary financial struggles and are ineligible to receive the fee waiver.

“I would encourage those students to come and talk with me because we really want every student to be able to take all the AP tests that he or she is able to take,” said AP coordinator Sydney Fernandez.

“We don’t want [financial struggles] to be a barrier to taking the tests.”

Between AP test timing, the high costs of the AP exams with no refunds and the amount of studying required to do well on the AP exams, AP students, particularly seniors, are in for a rather hectic two months.

So, on that note, good luck studying for AP exams, Firebirds!

Graphic courtesy of The Bamboo

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News

April 5, 2019

Chromebooks at Fremont High

by Abigail Mingus Staff Writer

Technology, whether in entertainment, employment or social life, has become a vital part of society.

Fremont High School (FHS) and many other schools across the nation do a lot of classwork and homework using technology.

At FHS, technology is most accessible in the forms of Apple desktop computers and Chromebooks, so each student has daily access to a computer.

As much as it may seem convenient to have one Chromebook per student or even laptops available for students to take home, it is not necessary for FHS. According to the 2018-2019 FHS Student Technology Access Survey, which 80% of FHS students responded to, 36.74% of students could not bring a laptop or a tablet to school daily if they wanted. Due to the fact that many students already have access to technology, the school saves money.

Chromebooks are not cheap as the average price for one runs a little above $300. To provide one for every student is a hefty price for a school to pay. For FHS in particular, the Chromebooks are not donated, but are provided by the school directly.

“We have a tech budget given by the district office,” the network support specialist at Fremont High School, Paulo Sazon said.

“We’re paying one-third of

the cost and the district is paying two-thirds of the cost.”

As reported by Sazon, there is significant financial reasoning behind having Chromebooks be the main technology at FHS. “Macbooks or any other PC laptops, it’s too expensive,” Sazon said. “It’s also the software we will be using. A Mac or PC, you have to buy the license for Microsoft Office if you want to use it locally.”

The price of desktops can be much more than a small $300 laptop, especially with a limiting budget that also includes projectors, office equipment and any other tech needed.

“A Chromebook, it eliminates all of that because once you connect to the wireless access … it’s like you’re using Google Chrome and all their applications like Google docs, Google sheets,” Sazon said.

It makes sense as to why Google computers are cheaper than companies like Apple. It has become apparent that Google is in the business of data collection.

Ultimately, Google is interested in tracking users on many different platforms.

While privacy is a concern, their convenience in classrooms is undeniable.

However with Chromebooks, everything is already available like the Google applications and doesn’t require additional software downloading. Chromebooks are also simple to use since the minute they are connected to WiFi, all the

programs work.

As the laptops run on a wireless connection, Chromebook theft can be avoided due to Google management.

“Whoever last used that Chromebook, we can track them,” Sazon said.

“We would know when it was last connected in our wireless access. The district has the capability of erasing all the data and locking it down.”

This can deter students from stealing Chromebooks and allows for easy lock down and retrieval if one does get stolen.

Even with all the technology available, there are bound to be problems, including damage and malfunctions that may occur.

Students and teachers share the responsibility of damage to computers.

When carts of Chromebooks are placed in each classroom, teachers have to attend a session with FHS librarian, Dana Kuhlmann.

This includes a safety lesson on how students should handle the computers, such as by holding the computers with two hands and plugging them in when done.

“Teachers will set rules and regulations,” Sazon said. “So whenever you see the Chromebook that was damaged, you have to report it right away or else you will be the one responsible because you are the last one to use it. In regards to us and the teachers, we would talk to the teacher and say okay you need to manage Chromebooks a little bet-

ter because we’re getting so much damage. So that would put accountability on the teacher that is using the Chromebooks in their class” According to Sazon, the school will do as much as they can to make sure that it does not end with the student being fined unless it is a recurring issue with one specific student.

In reality, it is the teachers that will be held accountable if something should happen to the Chromebooks on their watch.

“Teachers need to monitor more of their students,” network support specialist Hugo Cervantes said. “You know, create a list of who’s using what and checking those Chromebooks in the beginning of school or each class so they can know if it’s damaged.”

This has become an ongoing issue. The school’s initial intentions were to have each teacher do this, but as noticed by many, there is still a large portion of the teachers who do not even have a number system in place.

In the long run, technology at FHS and the Fremont Union High School District as a whole may change as there are frequent district tech meetings, but there is still much more that can be done on campus that can ensure good experiences when using technology. This must be done by everyone, students and staff included.

Volunteer opportunities at FHS

by Jay Ghate Staff Writer

Getting into college requires a plethora of achievements, including a good GPA, as well as participation in extracurriculars and community service. Although there is no specific number of hours required, colleges encourage to get somewhere around 50 to 200 hours, according to Prep Scholar.

An example of some ways that students can volunteer include volunteering at local destinations, such as pet shelters or the city library. For high school students, there is a special group in the Sunnyvale Library called the “Teen Volunteer Library Advisory Board,” through which teens can play a vital role in their community and build leadership skills.

Some of their daily activities include, giving input on the teen book collection, teen programming and ways for the library to connect with the teen community. This group meets monthly and assists with the children’s program, planning teen-run programs and other assorted library tasks.

To get more information, go

to the city’s website, click Teens under the People and Program tab and click the link for volunteer opportunities. It gives a complete list of volunteer opportunities on a consistent basis and what is to be expected.

If someone cannot volunteer consistently, there are still other opportunities. One annual event for students to give back is every December with Breakfast With Santa. Breakfast with Santa is hosted at the Sunnyvale community center. Volunteers are tasked with giving out food, doing face painting, cleaning and setting up the tables.

Volunteers can receive up to five hours of community service with breakfast or brunch being provided.

Even though this event has already passed, people who wish to volunteer more can keep a lookout for it next year.

A benefit to volunteering is that students can receive scholarships doing community services since volunteering can show colleges the student is wellrounded and they can put effort into things that matter to them. The number of hours needed depends on

the university students will be applying to.

“I also recommend to do research on the college or university they can potentially be attending just because you know their requirements, their philosophies may differ,” said Lupita Yanez, College and Career Center Advisor.

It is important to track the hours volunteered, especially for seniors. If seniors complete at least 80 hours of community service, in their senior year, they will receive a medal to wear at graduation. Seniors must submit their volunteer service forms by May 1 to be qualified for the medal.

Those who meet the requirements are also invited to Senior Awards Night.

There are two ways to track community service hours. Students can either keep track of their volunteer hours by themselves or add their hours and activities to their Naviance account.

To add hours to Naviance, students can access their digital resume by clicking the “About Me” section then “My Stuff “and finally the “Resume” section.

Volunteering also helps students prepare for their

future careers by helping them gain experience and social skills.

“Getting volunteer hours are important because students can gain valuable information, skills and knowledge that can be transferable to a job,” Yanez said.

Yanez also encourages students to do their own research on volunteer opportunities because she may not always know what is happening in the community.

“A really great resource to look for volunteer hours outside of school is a website called HandsOnBayArea and it gives a list of all the different and potential community service opportunities all over Bay Area,” Yanez said.

Another way to get community service hours at Fremont is to become a Student Tutor for a teacher during an open block. Not only does it count as an extracurricular, but community service hours can be earned as well.

Yanez reminds students that, “It’s not always about the quantity, but the quality.”

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PHOENIX Editor-in-Chief Nadia Anees | Caroline He News Leann Bast | Samhitha Tumkur Arts & Entertainment Trixie Rodriguez | Vivien Su Sports Suryan Bhatia | Patrick Ramos

Opinion Michelle Cortez | Ambika Vaidya Center Spread Sophia Pulido | Sydney Sharp Online Fiona O’Bannon | Diana Piper | Michael Wang Staff Writers Shira Agmon Enrique Alfaro Clarissa Bunker Nevaeh Campos Kiana Thelma Devera Madellyn Garcia Jay Ghate Anastasiia Klymenko Vikash Kumar Abigail Mingus Nicole Morris Maximillian Palli

Atharv Panditrao Lauren Panzer Thomas Poplawski Anahi Ruvalcaba Quinten Seghers Asaf Shchory Sophia Suon Sampreetha Tumkur Sonia Wadher Aoibhe Walczak Emily Wilson Natalie Wolff

Fremont High School 1279 Sunnyvale Saratoga Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (408)-522-2400 | fremonthighphoenix@gmail.com Advisor | Emer Martin 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.

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.

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Arts & Entertainment Jordan Peele’s horror movie Us astounds

April 5, 2019

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by Samhitha Tumkur News Editor

Released on March 22, 2019, the horror movie Us astounds. Directed by Jordan Peele, famously known for directing the 2017 film Get Out, Us proves once again Peele’s knack for creating unique and chilling horror movies.

Like his other movies, Peele uses multiple metaphors throughout the film to formulate a viewpoint on the state of the country. In Us, Peele attempts to use the “Hands Across America” movement from the 1980s, white bunnies, underground tunnels and of course, as seen from the trailers, clones of the main family to explore themes of humanity and possession.

The movie starts off with a creepy scene of the main character, Adelaide (known as Addy), waking into a hall of mirrors on Santa Cruz beach and being confronted by a girl that looks just like her. Then, the movie flashes forward to a grown-up Adelaide Wilson, played by Lupita Nyong’o, with two children and her husband Gabe (Winston

Duke) arriving at the same Santa Cruz beach for a vacation. When they arrive home, they are confronted with clones of themselves wearing red jumpsuits and carrying gold scissors, ready to kill the original family.

The scenes where the clones attempt to kill the Wilsons are especially nailbiting because it is hard to predict how the characters will get out of the tough situation. Although there are not a lot of jump scares like the Conjuring movies or Annabelle, Peele banks on the horror factor of having his audience anticipate what will happen next.

These scenes are also paired perfectly with a daunting music score.

Peele’s history as a comedian also shines through the film, as it did with Get Out, by perfectly placing little quips to lighten the mood throughout the movie without taking away from the seriousness of the film.

Duke’s character as a

dorky dad and his interactions with the rest of the family is almost refreshing when there is a particularly anxiety-filled scene. Even during the scenes where the family kills the clones, there is some levity in what would normally be a chilling and horrifying thing to witness.

The impeccable, strong characters of the family itself is something that has not been done very often in horror films—it seemed as if everyone in the family,

including the two children, took action and could potentially hold their own ground if needed.

However, what stood out the most, was Nyong’o’s acting as Adelaide and the clone, who goes by “Red.” Nyong’o’s range and skills help differentiate the two, making it apparent how different the intentions and personality of the two really are. This can be seen especially during the last fight scene between the clones

and Adelaide, leading to an unexpected plot twist and ending that had most of the theater in shock and had its audience thinking about it for the next few hours.

Despite being an excellent film at face value, Us, has some flaws, especially in the clarity of the metaphors and the political references throughout the movie.

The movie runs longer than Peele’s previous film with a duration of around two hours. Even though the pacing of the movie was perfect and did not feel slow, Peele seems to add elements that do not become clear to the average viewer even after some thinking, making parts of the film confusing and hard to understand.

Even after conducting some research, it is still not apparent what significance the creepy white bunnies present throughout the film, especially in the last few scenes.

For example, the abandoned underground tunnels in America play a somewhat large role in the film, being the places where the clones of everyone residing in the country lived. According to The New York Times, these tunnels

symbolize the Underground Railroad, which was a network of safe spaces for runaway slaves to move throughout. Despite the cleverness of the metaphor, it can be unclear to many viewers what it symbolizes.

But most importantly, the existence of the doppelgangers themselves seem to represent the most overarching theme of the movie—humanity. Peele utilizes the clones to make a statement about how even though the clones live in a vastly different situation than the original people, they could still have the potential to live a self-actualized and productive life, if given the chance.

As he made it implicitly clear throughout the film, the clones could be symbolic to the way that America treats its minorities, especially given America’s past failings of giving minorities the opportunity to live such a life.

Although some may consider Get Out to be better than Us, it is hard to deny that Us is a truly unique horror movie that is well worth watching in the theaters.

Photo courtesy of Past Magazine

How Bay Area teens can spend their spring break

by Shira Agmon Staff Writer

With spring break right around the corner, many students are looking for things to do in the Bay Area.

Whether you are interested in an outdoor activity or a relaxing day in, here are a few places you can go in the area to make your spring break more enjoyable.

With countless activities and interesting sites to visit, it can be hard deciding where to go in a limited amount of time. Hopefully, with my suggestions, the choice will be easier for you.

Being one of the most trendy and well-known cities in California, San Francisco has something to offer for everyone. Even though it is usually cold in the city, during the springtime, the weather is actually very nice.

This time of the year is the perfect occasion for kids to go outside and hang out with friends. Be sure to still bring a jacket since it can get chilly at times.

One of my favorite places in San Francisco to visit is the Golden Gate Park, which has tons of attractions, so you are sure to find something you like. If you are an art lover, the De Young Museum is for you.

Aside from their permanent display of beautiful photos, paintings and sculptures, there are always special exhibitions with exciting new displays.

Another one of my favorite places in the park is the Japanese Tea Garden. It is the perfect place to spend time away from reality and responsibilities. Here, you can take in the beautiful, Japanese-inspired landscapes while snacking on fortune cookies and tea; it doesn’t get better than that.

If you love chocolate or anything sweet, Ghirardelli Square is the place for you.

The beloved chocolate company has a beautiful store right on the waterfront where

tourists can try different kinds of chocolate and enjoy lively music. You can also go down to the beach and enjoy some warm weather and delicious sweets.

It wouldn’t be a trip to San Francisco without going to the Golden Gate Bridge, the most iconic place in the city. When I went to the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time, I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t actually golden, but that didn’t stop me from having a lot of fun there.

If the weather is nice, you can take a walk across the bridge or even ride a bike to Sausalito, which is close by. If you don’t own a bike, there are many bike rentals in the area.

Inside Sausalito,

there are many attractions for visitors as well. This small city, which arguably resembles the south of France, offers a different type of entertainment from the big city and has more of a village feeling to it.

Part of the charm of Sausalito is its historic downtown, which offers amazing views of pictureperfect old Victorian buildings. A stroll in the town’s wooden boardwalks is another great way to take in the scenery. The Southern Boardwalk is near Sausalito’s old town and the Northern Boardwalk stretches along the yacht harbor. The main attraction

there is Bridgeway, which has many waterfront restaurants, cafes, candy shops, ice-cream parlors, art galleries and touristy boutiques.

It is probably one of my favorite cities in California, and I highly recommend you check it out.

If you don’t want to drive all the way to San Francisco, there are a lot of things you can do nearby.

For example, San Jose offers a lot of fun activities to pass some time, like the Winchester Mystery House.

This odd mansion has staircases and doors leading nowhere to confuse ghosts.

Apparently, it’s a true story!

Personally, I am too scared to ever get near the house, but if you and your friends are feeling brave, you should check it out.

There are also a lot

of museums in San Jose such as the Tech Museum of Innovation and the San Jose Museum of Art. There is always Santana Row, of course, if you are in the mood for shopping, and if you don’t want to think about your day too much, you can always catch a movie at a nearby theater.

These days, all my friends are staying in or shopping, which can be fun, but the Bay Area has so much more to offer.

If you have some free time, use it wisely. Go out with your friends and explore the area, and I promise you’ll find something fun to do and make good memories.

Photos courtesy of Pinterest and Facebook

Arts & Entertainment Rise of the E-Girl: internet’s latest trend 5

April 5, 2019

by Maddy Garcia Staff Writer

The 2000’s had scene girls, and now we have E-girls? The TikTok app (formerly known as Musical. ly) has hundreds of young girls recreating their own version of the popular E-girl trend. The E-girl is nothing more than a new style of dressing.

If you have not been on the new version of Musical.ly, this E-girl concept will not make sense to you.

But for all those Musers out there, this sounds very familiar. TikTok is mostly filled with young teens to mid 20-year-olds expressing themselves through lip-syncing. Somehow, in the pool of creators compet-

ing for views and likes, the E-girl was born.

An E-girl’s makeup is the most iconic part of the look: a thick black winged liner and cute little hearts drawn with the same liner under each eye. Across the cheeks is a bright sweep of blush, and the most blinding highlight is placed on the tip of the nose and is usually on top of a septum piercing. Lips usually have a clear glitter gloss, and the go-to hair style is a half pigtail situation with snap clips or pigtails.

The most overrated and parodied look is the oversized band tee over a long sleeve striped shirt, and on the bottom of this look, mom jeans and a big thrifted belt to match.

Many TikTok users noticed this popular E-girl trend and jumped on the bandwagon and started making their own videos mocking and embodying the trend.

Some male users joined in on the fun starting a new trend: The E-boy! E-boys are a little less complicated than E-girls when it comes to what they wear. E-boys wear baggy sweaters, beanies and

sometimes face piercings.

E-boys usually have longer curly hair and sometimes incorporate some type of trendy dance into their TikTok feed.

These two interesting styles can be compared to gamer girls or soft boys (not as harsh emo boys), and usually, both groups have some kind of anime interest.

However, similar gamer girls and soft boys should not be confused between E-Girls/Boys. Gamer girls and Soft boys are a mixture between soft emo and gamer style.

With its quick viral hashtag, #egirl and #eboy, everyone did not know how long this trend would last.

Surprisingly, unlike most trends, being an E-girl and E-boy looks like it is a trend that is staying for good. This trend has been going on for over 6 months and has shown no sign of stopping.

Countless videos are posted every day with the trend’s special hashtag. Some TikTok videos have even found themselves on Instagram explore pages for even more people to become a fan of this trendy style.

But what do the targeted audience, young high school students, think of this viral trend?

“I heard that an E-girl was once a connotation towards people who exposed themselves online but is now a new word for style,” freshman Olivia Johnston said. “I would totally become one because the outfits look super rad.”

Another student, Freshman Arlene Abella, agreed that she would try this style but feels it is overrated.

“I think this trend is great because it makes people happy and helps give TikTok users a way to express their style,” freshman Abella said. “I personally would not become one because that’s not my sense of style.”

Freshman Bryan Vasquez even had his own thoughts about this new trend.

“It’s [E-boy style] kind of weird to me but everyone is different and I wouldn’t try this trend” freshman Vasquez said.

We even asked the Fremont staff what they thought about the E-girl

image.

“This outfit [a mini black skirt, striped oversized shirt, and drawn on hearts under the eyes] reminds me of a scary Halloween costume, if I had a daughter I would let her wear this for Halloween but not as an everyday outfit,” said Physical Education teacher Jessica Trumpp.

“This outfit is not surprising to me because I feel like I’ve seen a couple of students wear outfits like this,” said Librarian Ruben Zamora.

“This skirt seems short but this reminds me of a cheer outfit so I don’t see a problem with students wearing this outfit to school,” Algebra and Pre Calculus teacher Tara Wojick said.

There were mixed reactions across the board, but most were positive on E-girl fashion between both students and staff members.

But by the looks of the Egirl viral timeline, it is clear that E-girl fashion is here to stay.

Grpahics courtesty of Etsy

Fremont’s Love’s Labor’s Lost play review

by Samphreetha Tumkur Staff Writer

The Fremont High School Drama Department recently performed their latest play, Love Labor’s Lost on March 14 to March 16 at the Shannon Theater. Love’s Labor’s Lost was written

by William Shakespeare, and was directed by Tanya Misfeldt.

The play is about the king of Navarre and his friends who swear not to love anyone until they finish school. In an effort to keep their oath they decide not to allow women in the school.

As a result, when The Princess of France arrives with her ladies at Navarre Academy, they are not allowed to enter the school.

After being refused entry, The Princess and her friends decide to camp out in front of the castle. However things become complicated when the opposing groups fall in love with each other. Comedy ensues as the men are torn between love and honor.

This production took a more modern spin on Shakespeare’s play by setting it at Navarre Academy.

Setting the play at at a high school made the drama more accessible to its audience.

The actors were clothed in classic school uniforms.

This meant most of the characters were identical so it was hard to figure out the status of many characters.

Many of the male characters wore black blazors with red pants. Most of the female characters wore white button-down shirts with plaid blue skirts. The unifroms made the show hard to follow at times becuase I could not tell the characters apart.

The entire show took place on the lawn of Navarre Academy. There was only one set but it was very impressive. There was a painted back drop that said “Navarre Academy” and a couple of brick walls that actors sat on. Later in the play, a tent was moved to on the stage, and I had a hard time figuring out what it was until characters went inside.

The ending scene was by far the best. Although some characters were using cards, the use of staging made up for it. It was interesting when the messenger from France ran on the stage through the aisles of the theater. The acting was genuine and believable.

When the messenger ran in and delivered the bad news, the sadness of the scene was clear.

Although, the acting was compelling,

there were times when it was hard to hear what the actors were saying.

Personally, I liked the Princess of France’s character because she was very funny and clever. She was the one who concocted the plan to mess with the king and his friends, which

ended being one of the most rewarding plots in the show.

Overall this play was fairly good, although it was hard to hear at times. I would recommend this play to Shakespeare fans who have a good grasp on the language.

Photos courtesy of Fremont

and the state of online streaming

by Trixie Rodriguez A&E Editor

Cable is dying. At least that is what people say, and with new streaming services being released at rapid-fire rates, it might just be true.

Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime are among the biggest streaming sites but there is a new one on the rise.

Disney has plans to release its own streaming service, Disney+. Disney will be terminating their deal with Netflix once Disney+ is released. The streaming service is also expected to cost less than

other sites considering its limited content.

There are a lot of reasons to get excited about Disney+. The service will feature a mix of Disney classics and new original content, including television series set in the everexpanding worlds of Star Wars and Marvel.

The Mandalorian is a new series set in the Star Wars universe. Jon Favreau, who has directed Disney’s recent remakes of The Lion King and The Jungle Book, will run the show. In an Instagram post, Jon Favreau said the show would follow the “travails of a lone gun-

fighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic”.

Disney also confirmed a second live action Star Wars tv show starring Diego Luna as he reprises his role of Cassian Andor, from Rogue One. There are also three confirmed Marvel series for Disney+. Loki will be getting his own show while

Scarlet Witch and the Vision will team up. The Winter Soldier and the Falcon will also be starring alongside one another.

There are many other projects that are expected to be on Disney+ such as, a High School Musical series, Monsters Inc. tv show, a Walt Disney documentary, and a live action Lady and the Tramp remake.

However, it’s going to

be a while before anyone will actually get to enjoy all the exciting new content.

Disney has confirmed that the streaming service will drop in fall of 2019 but has not yet released an exact date. But knowing Disney it will be worth wait.

Some people are concerned about the growing amount of monthly subscriptions they are signing up for. However, this seems to be the direction the world of entertainment viewing is moving towards. Disney recognizes this and has chosen to embrace it. Maybe the rest of the world needs to join in.

Graphics courtesy of Pinterest

Special Feature

April 5, 2019

6

PROBLEMATIC CLOTHING COMPANIES

By Aoibhe Walczak

Fashion is a big part in the lives of many students at Fremont High School.

However, many aren’t aware of the negative sides to the major companies students shop at. Even popular brands like Urban Outfitters and Forever 21 seem to have a lot more controversy then many of us may realize.

Brandy Melville is an Italian clothing brand and a large majority of Fremont students can be seen wearing their clothing on campus. Brandy Melville is aimed toward teenage girls, yet there seems to be one issue with the store: they make the majority of their clothing in only one size.

The ‘one size’ Brandy Melville sells fits usually an extra small to sometimes a medium. Even most of their pants are sold in this ‘one size’ sizing, with the waist measurements of certain pants at 23 inches. A 23 inch waist is the equivalent of a double-zero in US sizing, and the size of the average US women is a 14.

By having this exclusive sizing in place, thousands of Americans are turned away from Brandy Melville.

For teenagers, being denied the option to shop at stores that are extremely popular

amongst their peers can be especially damaging. Stores with selective sizing, like Brandy Melville can lead to developing body insecurities in young girls.

Another popular store amongst Fremont High School students is Urban Outfitters. Urban Outfitters sells popular brands, vintage style clothing, and much more. However this hipster store has been called out by the public for poor company practices.

Urban Outfitters has ripped-off the necklace designs of a small independent artist named Stevie Koerner and sold them even using the same name that the original artist used.

After the outrage from the public, they stopped selling the collection.

But pulling collections is not always a good thing.

In 2008, Urban Outfitters pulled a shirt from online and in-store which featured the words “I Support Same Sex Marriage”. Urban Outfitters said they stopped selling this graphic tee because according to a buyer it got “too much bad press”.

Richard Hayne, the president and CEO of Urban Outfitters gave $13,150 to Rick Santorum, a man who

ran an openly anti-same sex couple campaign. Rick Santorum compared same sex marriage to ‘“man on child, man on dog”.

By shopping at Urban Outfitters you are supporting a company that supports homophobes and steals designs from independent artists.

Forever 21 is another fashion retailer that is especially popular amongst teenagers for its on-trend items for very affordable prices. But even though the consumers love the low prices, the way Forever 21 goes about manufacturing these products is very unethical.

The 2018 Ethical Fashion Report aims to ‘measure of the efforts undertaken by each company to mitigate the risks of forced labor, child labor and worker exploitation in their supply chains.’ In this report, Forever 21 earned a D for its overall poor ethical standards and an F in ‘auditing and supplier relationships.’

This means that Forever 21 failed to make sure that the suppliers they buy their clothing material from are not using ‘sweat-shop’ like practices.

According to Business

Insider, “The International Labor Rights Forum called out Forever 21 for not joining retailers like Gap Inc., Levi Strauss, American Eagle Outfitters and other companies in making a commitment not to buy cotton from Uzbekistan factories, where alleged forced child labor takes place.”

So even though Forever 21 might sell cute and cheap clothing, the way they are made in unconscionable working conditions.

All in all, the major clothing brands that people love to shop at have many downsides. Consumers should reevaluate their morals and make sure that the stores and companies they give their money to, actually deserve their hardearned cash.

better than you as to what constitutes a marriage. And I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity to redefine what marriage is all about.”

Cathy’s public beliefs steam directly from religion.

This is also the reason Chick-fil-A is not open on Sunday’s, so that their customers can attend church.

Many general consumers complain about these beliefs and have in turn boycotted eating there in general.

According to VOX, Chick-fil-A donated $1.8 million to three companies with histories of anti-LGBT discrimination. There have been many instances in the past where the Cathy family has donated to groups like Exodus International, a group that promotes conversion therapy. After the Civil Rights Agenda claimed Chick-fil-A declared that they would no longer donate to groups support-

ing actions against LGBT in 2012, the company declined to confirm that claim. A Chick-fil-A spokesperson spoke to Buzzfeed on the matter.

“We have no agenda, policy, or position against anyone. We have a 65-year history of providing hospitality for all people and, as a dedicated family business, serving and valuing everyone regardless of their beliefs or opinions.”

Nowhere in that statement did it specify whether or not they would continue to donate to anti-LGBT groups.

A recent issue surrounding the opening of a new location has arisen at the San Antonio Airport in Texas. The San Antonio City Council voted against opening a Chick-fil-A in the airport, partially because of their history of supporting Anti-LGBT groups. According to ABC15 Arizona, the council voted 6-4 on not allowing for the addition of Chick-fil-A.

BIG NAME BRANDS BIG NAME BRANDS BIG NAME BRANDS SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES

By Patrick Ramos

Needle to the Groove

Located near Japantown in San Jose, Needle to the Groove is a small local vinyl shop. With the recent resurgence of vinyl, the Needle has a wide selection of classic hits and new releases for rock, R&B and hip-hop heads.

From MF Doom, Funkadelic, to the Gorillaz, the Needle has a quality selection to choose from despite its limited space. The Needle also serves as a record label to some Bay Area artists like DJ Platurn who has also worked with Grammy nominated artists like Janelle Monae, De La Soul and many others. So if you ever want to take a break from streaming or if you just want to expand your music taste, stop by Needle to the Groove.

Address: 424 E Santa Clara St. San Jose, CA 95113

On the corner of Sunnyvale’s historic Murphy Street, Coffee & More is great place to grab a beverage or a sandwich. It’s a great place to do some work with its cozy and spacious design. It’s a family owned business that’s been around since 1988. It has great customer service and quality food, with each of their products being well cared for. If you are ever in downtown Sunnyvale or just want a new place to work at, head over to Coffee & More.

Recommendations: White Mocha, Latte Address: 100 S Murphy Ave. Sunnyvale, CA 94086

By Abby Mingus

From waffle fries to chicken sandwiches to their iconic sauce, Chick-fil-A has made a name for themselves and become a beyond popular location that people of all ages enjoy.

A company based in Atlanta, with over 2,200 restaurants, according to Business Insider, the Cathy family which owns Chickfil-A has a growing collective fortune of $11 Billion, making them America’s 15thrichest family ”dynasty”.

The Cathy family has been running the business since 1946 with S. Truett Cathy, the father of present CEO Dan Cathy.

In the past decade, there has been much controversy surrounding Dan Cathy’s public beliefs.

Including a statement made by him on the grounds of same-sex marriage, written about in the Washington Post in 2012. ”We’re inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know

April 5, 2019

Coffee & More

CHICK-FIL-A CONTROVERSY Many people were not thrilled by this decision, including United States senator Ted Cruz. He went to twitter to voice his opinions.

“San Antonio City Council voted to ban @ ChickfilA from the airport bc the company gave to... the Fellowship of Christian Athletes & the Salvation Army?!? That’s ridiculous.

And not Texas.”

As many people have different opinions about the decision to open the new Chick-fil-A in the San Antonio airport, and the beliefs of the Cathy family, this billion dollar family is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Whether people want to continue to eat at this establishment is up to the individual and their beliefs, but everyone should be aware of the issues that many face with Chick-fil-A, and the people behind this family corporation.

Special Feature

Merit Vegan Cuisine

Close to the intersection of the 101 and Lawrence Expressway, Merit Vegan Cuisine is a great vegan restaurant. Its wide selection of Chinese, Thai and Indian food, makes a well rounded menu for vegans and nonvegans. Pricing is also pretty cheap with most options ranging near ten dollars. For many non-vegans, it’s always great to have a break from a heavy meat diet once in a while and sample fresh vegan cuisine.

Recommendations: Crispy Noodles Address: 548 Lawrence Expy. Sunnyvale. CA 94085

Graphics courtesy of DeviantArt, American Vinyl Co., Texas Coffee School, Save the Children, Green Mom and Design Content

7

WHAT’S REALLY IN YOUR HAPPY MEAL?

By Natalie wolff

Whether you are simply ordering a happy meal with four piece chicken McNuggets or a Big Mac and a large fries, it is safe to say that most of us have gone to McDonald’s countless times in our life. There is almost always something that you could find yourself eating there. As most people here at Fremont take a bite of their delicious fast food, many do not think about what is actually inside of it and how harmful their food can really be.

In January of 2015, two customers found bits of plastic in their chicken McNuggets within days of each other in Japan. According to CNN Money, Japan was forced to remove over 900,000 chicken nuggets prior to these events. Plastic was not the only thing found in McDonald’s meals.

There have been numerous complaints from people finding plastic, teeth and more in their food.

Although it is not common for you to find this stuff in your food,

McDonald’s has plenty of unhealthy and processed food even without the plastic. According to Business Insider, there is very little actual meat inside the chicken nuggets and other meat products.

Samples of the chicken nuggets contained mostly fat, bones and connective tissue. The nuggets are also frozen, so lots of preservatives end up being poured onto them, causing vision impairment in humans.

According to Business Insider, fast food hamburgers at McDonald’s contained an unappetizing pink slimy mixture called ammonium hydroxide which was said to be a combination of animal

parts, water and ammonia. Although McDonald’s promised to remove this substance from their burgers a few years ago, it was never made clear if they did or not.

Besides weird substances found in the meat at McDonald’s, harmful chemicals were also found in the milkshakes. According to Business Insider, McDonald’s milkshakes also contain butyric acids, which can be found in rancid butter and vomit.

Along with that, isobutyl anthranilate was also found, and when heated, emits toxins and is possibly combustible.

Even if one is going to McDonald’s for a healthier option, such as the salad, they would still want to rethink that option.

Propylene glycol has been found in the lettuce inside

the salads, which is another substance that refreezes their foods to make them “fresh”. Some of these salads have reportedly been shown to have even more fat and sodium than the Big Mac. Even without all of the toxic substances found in McDonald’s foods, it is not recommended to eat there because of simply how unhealthy it is. According to a 2004 study in The Lancet, eating McDonald’s or fast food in general causes a lot of quick weight gain, higher chances of developing type two diabetes and endothelial dysfunction.

McDonald’s has been around for several decades and has been an incredibly popular food chain for students at Fremont High and people in general. Although going to McDonald’s with your friends or family once in a while is okay, it is encouraged to try eating at restaurants with healthier and safer options.

THE TRUTH BEHIND TOMS

By Kiana Devera

Many students are familiar with the Santa Monica-based company, TOMS Shoes. They are the corporation known for being massively successful for their well-known business motto, “One for One.” The slogan that inspired a trend for other companies to do the same and has been gaining popularity ever since.

The truth is, the motto that the TOMS company pioneered and built itself on is misleading and unhelpful to the communities they aid.

Since the creation of TOMS in 2006, we are told that when you, the consumer, buy a pair of TOMS, a person that is in need of shoes will receive a pair as well for free. However, what you don’t know is that the prices for the shoes you’re buying for yourself and the other person in need is completely unreasonable.

If you’ve ever bought a pair of TOMS, you would know that their retail prices range from $10 to $140. Yet, the cost of producing these shoes is relatively inexpensive.

“The website Alibaba. com, which publishes data to help manufacturers and

buyers find suppliers in foreign countries, shows that a pair of slip-on canvas shoes actually costs between $3.50 and $5 to make,” said the LA Weekly in one of their articles, “Is Blake Mycoskie of TOMS an Evangelical?”.

Meaning, when people purchase an expensive TOMS shoe, they believe that the less fortunate people all over the world are also receiving high-quality, expensive shoes. In reality, you and the person in need are getting cheap shoes with the remaining money being left for the company to profit.

On the other hand, the company is still handing out free shoes to the needy and that’s a good thing, right?

Startling enough, in some ways it isn’t and leads to unintended negative ramifications.

In a study by The Economic Journal, it was found that used-clothing donations to Africa reduced Africa’s apparel production by roughly 40 percent and a decline in employment in the garment industry by 50 percent between 1981 to 2000. So when some business charities such as

TOMS donate to rural communities, it hurts their local businesses and economy by taking away the agency of the community to be selfsufficient.

So why do consumers give in to these false causes?

How come we are inclined to buy these shoes for people who are already selfreliant? It’s all simply due to an advertisement method called pathos.

Essentially, companies try to find the most extreme situations and make it seem like the most common situation. In TOMS shoe’s situation, they are exploiting the poverty of very small and isolated populations in a technique dubbed “poverty porn”. In reality, there are many other problems in the world than just shoes.

We all want to do a

little good in this world, and we can’t blame ourselves for thinking donations through TOMS is one way to do that.

But we should always take the time to step back and consider what really happens behind the curtains of all of our virtuous donations.

Make no mistake, in the recent years, TOMS has been genuinely helping people around the globe that are lacking water, ophthalmologists, safe birthing facilities, and anti-bullying programs. TOMS does do good doings in the world by selling their non-clothing products. They do in a way live up to their slogan, “One for One”, but in the case of their well-known apparel, they do not follow the footprints of the motto.

Opinion

April 5, 2019

8

The cruelty behind animal experimentation

by Sophia Suon Staff Writer

Imagine living your life as a prisoner in a locked room, being taken in and out of at any time to be put through dangerous experiments. Every year, millions of animals are tortured and killed in American laboratories. However, it does not seem like this issue receives the attention it deserves, with hundreds of people remaining ignorant of the cruelty behind animal testing.

Animals including dogs, birds, pigs, monkeys and bunnies suffer from torment, frustration and loneliness every year. Many animals are put through cosmetic tests, chemical tests, drug tests and more.

There are many reasons why people test on animals; some tests are even said to be beneficial. But to what extent are they beneficial? It is disgusting how people think it is okay to look at innocent animals as toys to play with. People ask questions along the lines of, “what will happen if deathly diseases to humans were injected into animals?” or “how would animals respond to hard drugs like heroin or crack cocaine?”.

Even after asking these cruel questions, scientists still decide to run the tests anyway.

One of the most common reasons for animal testing is because humans need test subjects to try new drugs and medicines on. They believe taking a risk on animals is safer and easier than testing it on humans. Scientists inject diseases in animals and vaccinate them with potential treatments. The result of the torture animals are put through is said to find cures for the diseases humans suffer from. However, testing on animals is shown to be ineffective. According to Cruelty Free International, the statistics that are collected from the tests of whether or not certain drugs are safe for humans is shown to be counterproductive and almost pointless. CFI also says that the percentage of accuracy determining the safety of drugs in humans is only at 43 percent.

Additionally, there is proof animals were being put into military practices and training exercises.

As stated by the people that run People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, our own United States Military purchased dozens of dogs as fire targets. The U.S. Military also used goats as subjects to practice stabbing and slaughter on.

Most commonly, animals are used for cosmetic testing.

There are a number of companies that test on animals. In fact, cosmetic animal testing remains legal in 80 percent of the world. A large number of people remain oblivious the fact that many of our home products, makeup products

by Clarissa Bunker Staff Writer

As platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat become extremely popular, it is very common for young adults to dropout of high school to become a social media influencer. A social media influencer is a user on social media who has established credibility in a specific industry. A majority of social media influencers are still young and a majority of them are still in high school. However, some social media influencers dropout of high school to focus on making their social media life more prominent.

When weighing out the two options, it seems like there are a lot more negatives than positives, especially because they are at such a young age.

Klein, Head & Shoulders and Gucci.

The practice of animal testing is horrifying. Humans test if their products are working effectively by measuring the amount of skin inflammation, irritation and swelling animals get from products to determine whether or not it is safe for humans to use.

Eye irritancy is also tested on animals. These trials include injecting harsh chemicals into an animal’s eye, body, and internal organs.

A commonly used species used for cosmetic testing are rabbits. They are specifically used for eye irritancy tests. According to the American Anti-Vivisection Society, rabbits have a higher tear-tolerance than humans, which gives them the advantage of tolerating eye irritation, making it easier for humans to test on them.

As a reminder, the number of animals continuously being slaughtered, burned, and left to die after being used as test subjects is increas-

ing every year and we are not taking enough action to oppose it. We need to be the voice that brings justice to animals. Ask yourself, how would you feel if the opportunity of growing up and starting a family was taken away from you so easily?

If this is an issue you would like to help contribute to, the Rescue Freedom Project is a non-profit charity that raises money to rescue animals that are at the risk of being put into laboratories for testing and experiments, along with saving them from any other harm as well. They also offer adoption and foster opportunities to help find homes for the animals they rescue.

The Rescue Freedom Project recently introduced their Beagle Freedom Project.

This project targets rescuing dogs, especially beagles, to save them from being put into shelters and further sold as subjects to test on.

You can donate at rescuefreedomproject.org/donate/ or call 818-382-6500 if you have any further questions.

Call 818-382-6500 Photo courtesy of Psychology Today and Great Non Profits

High school dropouts Many of the influencers that have already dropped out do not seem to be as successful as other influencers that have graduated high school. One unsuccessful influencer in particular is 16year old Antonio Garza who owned a successful YouTube channel. Garza is a young influencer in the beauty community who went viral from her video collaboration with another famous YouTuber, James Charles.

Garza gained an extreme amount of publicity and later decided to drop out of high school to focus on her YouTube channel. Since that decision, Garza has not been growing very fast as a YouTuber. She is now choosing to go back and do online school after realizing that dropping out was not a good decision.

and cleaning products are animal tested.

A few well-known makeup companies whose products are animal tested are MAC, Benefit, Maybelline and L’Oréal. More companies whose products are not cruelty-free are Johnson & Johnson, Calvin

However, 19-year-old YouTuber James Charles, also a part of the beauty community, has experienced outstanding success.

Charles currently has a net worth of 12 million dollars with over 15 million subscribers on YouTube according to Social Blade.

He is popularly recognized for being a competent businessman as well. He has also gotten the chance to work with several famous celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian, David Dobrik, Demi Lovato and more. James Charles has proven his worth at a very young age and it is partially due to the education he received in high school.

Charles’ education has assisted him when working with numbers for brand deals and real life business

social media stars scenarios.

All these social media influencers have to take a big risk when deciding whether or not to drop out because in the future things might not go as planned.

One of the many things these high school dropouts fear is not being able to have a high school degree which may challenge them later in life when trying to find a good paying job outside of social media especially in our society today.

Another route many of these influencers take is online school. Online school is a very convenient alternative than actually going to school, but it may not be as effective as regular high school. It is another way for students to get an education and a high school degree without having to fulfill

all the commitment young teens dread when having to go to high school.

Another really big scare when dropping out to pursue this career is not knowing whether you will stay relevant or fall off. When a person “falls off” it usually means they are not relevant or popular anymore. This results in not making as much money as they originally expected to. Many influencers rely on their likes and views as a way of income. An alternate way of income for many influencers is to use their platform to promote brands.

Brands will pay influencers to promote their product and get their brand name popular usually by giving their influencer’s audience a “promo-code” to use when buying a product.

If their promo-code is used, the influencer often receives a percentage of the money the brand makes from their product.

Personally, I see many stronger reasons as to why a student should stay in high school instead of dropping out to pursue this career of being a social media influencer. There are many more benefits for the young adults such as gaining more publicity and popularity. Staying in school can also open up many opportunities, especially in the long run.

What young adults need to realize is, social media may not be around forever, but the real world will be.

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Online Harvest, The New York Times, The Telegraph, and Wikipedia

Opinion 9

April 5, 2019

Double standards; cheating in a relationship

by Anahi Ruvalcaba Staff Writer

Growing up, I was always surrounded by strong women. I say strong because they were independent women who proved to me they didn’t need a man to live their lives.

My mom’s side is a long line of women who have never conformed to the societal standards of catering to men, which may explain why no one in my family is married or with the father of their children. My dad’s side, however, is the complete opposite, always striving to portray the picture perfect suburban home.

My mom is my rock, and she always raised me to be a woman with my own

freedom but there were times I wished I wasn’t boxed up to accept tragedies such as divorces as normalities. I was always told that all men, or men of my culture, were unfaithful.

Once, at a family gathering, my aunt was asked why her husband wasn’t with her anymore, to which my mother replied, “Pues lo que he pasado a todos” which translates to “well, the same thing that happened to all of us.” Instantly, my family and I knew she was referring to the unfaithfulness every woman in my family was so familiar with.

Everyone awkwardly laughed because they knew it was true, but nevertheless, the conversation kept going and everyone appeared fine.

Hearing about the Jordyn Woods and Tristan Thompson cheating scandal didn’t really surprise me.

What surprised me was Woods’ betrayal towards the family by cheating on her friend’s boyfriend instead of Thompson’s cheating itself.

Then I was hit with

endless memes of the scandal and negative comments about Thompson, especially one from Khloe Kardashian, who tweeted on how Woods had ruined her family but later made a separate tweet apologizing and claiming that it was actually Thompson’s fault for their broken relationship.

I came to the realization that the media fully blamed Woods because it was her who betrayed the family and not on Thompson who had broken his vow to be faithful to Kardashian.

Similarly, in reality where it’s always my families’ “ luck” or just that the women on my mom’s side ask for simply too much.

But never is it surprising that a man cheated because in a society that is so normal and praised.

The problem is that we continue raising the younger generation to accept the double standard against men and women especially when it comes to cheating.

We use slurs such as slut, hoe, and whore to describe women involved in scan-

dals. We think how dare a single woman interfere with a married man?

We as women, when cheated on, make the mistake of blaming the girl for everything when in reality it takes two to tango, and we must accept that instead of turning against each other as females.

Cheating is a horrible thing, the doubt and unfaithfulness of the one you love is a hard thing, but anger and love cannot stand in the way of facing the conflict itself. If you forgive, you forget, but you can’t and should never pick the victim of your anger.

Photo courtesy of People.com and Clipartlook

My ongoing struggle with perfectionism

by Diana Piper Online Editor

I have always been bothered by people listing “perfectionism” as a false weakness in their job interviews to humbly brag about the quality of their work.

It is palpable that they do not understand the gravity of the condition and the destruction it causes.

I believe that I was born with perfectionism.

My mother used to describe how I always wanted to be the best at everything as a child, and how I was completely destroyed as my romantization of my capabilities wore down.

That disillusionment has leeched off my selfesteem ever since then.

I have an innate desire for perfection; I would like it to be felt inwardly and projected outwardly. To help “achieve” these desires, I have an extremely vicious self-critic.

This part of my mind constantly tells me that I am not good enough, and that I need to do more to reach my impossibly high standards.

These continuous criticisms propel me to pursue and achieve great things, as I flimsily convince myself that those accomplishments will finally silence my self-

hatred.

My perfectionism is very evident in my academic life. I strive to do well in school; I always keep up with my homework and study very thoroughly for tests. When I see my actual score, though, I am never quite satisfied.

Even if I only miss one question, I will berate myself for getting it wrong.

I can get 100 percent on an assignment, and my mind will actively find a way to make me unhappy. I would see the perfect score as my peak, and think that I will never be able to replicate it. I worry about being crushed under my own legacy.

Perfectionists are inherently pessimists as well.

As we always seek perfection, flaws are extremely blatant. If there is anything that goes wrong in a situation, my mind will focus on it and dissect it, finding a way to blame myself for it.

This is clear in social situations, as I always convince myself that people dislike me because of the smallest mistakes I make in our interactions.

Although I am very self-aware, proven by my list of the dispiriting disadvantages of perfectionism, I cannot seem to let go of it. I feel that it is necessary to be burdened by this condition. I believe that if I do not have a constant urge to become better, or more perfect, the quality

of my work will dramatically decrease. Even if it makes me unhappy, it is impossible for me to simply dismiss it.

Logically, I know it does not make any sense, but I cannot stop it.

The perfectionism that I experience is not the only type either. According to a study by Thomas Curran and Andrew P. Hill published by the American Psychological Association, there are three main constituents.

The first is my type: self-oriented perfection-

ism, which occurs when one imposes impossibly high standards upon oneself. The second is socially prescribed perfectionism, which occurs when one believes that their peers are highly judgmental, and that they must display perfection to be accepted.

The third and most inconspicuous is otheroriented perfectionism, where one judges their peers very critically and expects perfection from others.

The adverse effects of perfectionism described previously impact all of

the different types. These can accumulate into more devastating mental consequences.

The study reveals that young self-oriented perfectionists experience higher rates of clinical depression, anorexia nervosa, and early death, due to high stress caused by failures.

Curran also mentions that socially prescribed perfectionists experience the worst mental effects.

They also face clinical depression and suicide ideation, but on a much higher level than self-oriented perfectionists.

Other-oriented perfectionists are less focused on in studies, as Curran details, but some have found that they have higher rates of hostility and vindictiveness and lower rates of altruism and trust.

Curran also mentions how all of these mental complications are becoming more common in young people, as more teenagers are depressed, anxious, and suicidal than ever before. He links it to a rise in all types of perfectionism, as discovered in his study.

One reason for this significant increase in perfectionism is the higher expectations of young

people. My doctor, who went to Stanford, has told me that he never took an AP in high school and almost got expelled for skipping school senior year.

Seeing the pressure I am under now, he relates to me every check-up how much more adults expect from young people, especially in the Bay Area. He emphasizes that I must try not to stress out by trying to be the perfect student, because it is simply impossible.

This information is extremely important, as it demonstrates the magnitude of perfectionism.

Instead of dismissing it as an abstract idea that should be used to boost one’s job application, people ought to take it seriously.

It is important to let go of the controlling desire for perfection, because it leads to perpetual unhappiness.

My struggle to overcome the temptation of perfectionism has been a meandering path, and it is not unique or unusual, which is extremely dangerous. One must be happy with oneself, otherwise perfectionism will ruin one’s life.

Photo courtesy of Unstuck.com

Opinion 10

Growing up adopted: accepting myself

by Fiona O’Bannon Online Editor

“What are you?” and “Where are you from?” are probably two of the most common questions that a person of color will be asked in their life.

For some, it’s a simple and straightforward answer.

For others, it’s a bit more complicated. For most of my life, I have never felt like I fit into a category of race, cultural background, or identity. I am a Chineseborn baby who was adopted at age one, with one of the most Irish names you’ll ever hear. I speak no Mandarin and am most often accompanied by a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, single mother.

While my life has been nothing but a simple result of coincidences and fate, these circumstances have prevented me from feeling comfortable with myself for a long time.

I had a normal and happy childhood, but I always felt that something was missing. I grew up on school hot lunches and a blissful naïveté. I have a

clear memory of asking my mother why I didn’t have blonde hair and blue eyes like her when I was small.

She replied, “Fiona, you’re adopted,” and I simply understood that. Being adopted was never something that I believed was that important or especially meaningful.

However, as I grew older, I started to feel very isolated whenever I heard stories of American-bornChinese struggles between balancing traditional culture and American identity.

I started to get an uneasy, queasy, sinking feeling whenever back-to-school night rolled around or when the season of family tree projects would begin. I could never relate to hearing Mandarin at home, or seeing those big Asian families on TV. For my entire life, it has always just been my mom and me against the world.

Growing up, I wanted nothing more than to fit into a label, to find a group that I could be a part of and accepted in. Especially growing up in an area where diversity and cultural heritage were celebrated, I felt like I was missing out.

Though my family has an Irish last name, we have been authentically American for decades. Every year we celebrate the 4th of July with a BBQ with family friends who live in Florida.

From fireworks on the beach to flip flop tans and

sandcastles, summers were always filled with laughter, fun, and sand that stayed with you days after you left.

Every Thanksgiving we feast on a turkey dinner set prepared from Marie Callender’s and gather a small knit of local friends to celebrate.

One of the most important traditions we celebrate is the decorating of the tree every Christmas. On this day, every year, my mother and I would dress our tree in an array of colored lights, memories and history.

We have ornaments that match our personalities, reflect our interests, and celebrate milestones.

One of my mom’s favorite ornaments is a crudely made wooden star from second grade that’s been decorated with glitter beyond repair. It hosts no elegance, but the enthusiasm by which the glitter was applied gives it a homey charm.

My favorite ornament was a glittery, green and blue airplane. It was a cheap ornament that, similar to my handmade wooden star, was oversaturated with glitter. It was also frankly a joke for a plane. There was no cockpit for a pilot to sit in, and no propellers or engine to be seen, but I loved it nonetheless. When the lights of the Christmas tree glinted off those green glitter wings, I was captivated.

For a long time, I treasured this ornament because it reminded that

things didn’t have to always have to be perfect to be beautiful. It was a stark contrast to this warped idea that I had formed in my head that although my family had traditions that were authentically American, my identity as a child born in China made me feel cultureless.

Perhaps this idea developed from my insecurities over how I wanted to be viewed by others. I wanted to fit in, but no matter how many friends I made I felt like a part of me was still an outsider. I felt inferior. I’ve been called names that range from “chink” to “white-washed.” I was insulted for appearing too Chinese, but also for not being Chinese enough. I’ve been excluded from having a say in issues that surround culture and heritage, but also accused of being out of touch with my ethnic heritage.

All the insults I’ve ever heard were stated in a manner of joking, never really meaning to insult, but also managing to do just that.

What made them so hurtful was the fact that they so precisely identified my insecurities. That, in the disconnect between what people assumed of me, and who I actually was, I was very lost.

No matter how hard I tried to change myself, the person I “became” never felt right.

I felt like an imposter in my own skin, but I couldn’t even figure out what exactly

I was looking for.

However, I eventually learned to accept myself a little more as I grew, matured, and had time to figure out my own feelings.

I’ve always known I was adopted, and that fact alone never made me believe I was any less than my peers.

Rather, it was the result of being adopted into a family that was not of the same ethnicity as my own that set me apart from even the other adopted kids I met.

I’ve often been asked about my feelings towards my birth parents. I’ve spent countless hours speculating about the reason I was put up for adoption, why my birth parents either could not, or did not want to keep me. Maybe it as simply due to the fact that I was born a girl. At the time China had a one-child policy, and perhaps I would have been wanted if I was born a boy.

Those kind of theories always led me further down a rabbit hole of questions.

However, no matter how much I debated over “what if’s” and “whys”, it would not change the fact that my life ended up the way it did.

In the face of all possible things, I only know that the reality that I have lived is one of the best I could ask for.

I have a mother. Her name is Laura O’Bannon. At the most basic description, she is a Caucasian woman who adopted a baby born in China.

April 5, 2019

In my eyes however, she is so much more than my “adopted mom”. To me, she is the kindest, warmest, most compassionate and understanding mother I could ever hope for. She is the reason for who I am now and the biggest contributor to who I want to become.

When I was lost and doubting myself, she was the one who made me believe that I was allowed to love myself just the way I am. She is the only mother I’ve ever known, my biggest supporter and my favorite smile in a crowd.

While I still don’t feel like I fit into a label or group, I’m more okay with that now than I used to be.

When I think about who I am, I have a clear answer.

My name is Fiona MeiLyn O’Bannon. I was born in China, but am an American citizen. My favorite Disney princess growing up was Pocahontas, not Mulan. I don’t speak Mandarin, but I took French for the first two years in high school. I have a deep interest in Japan and want to travel the world.

I have the best mother I could ever hope for, period.

I’m a mishmash of tradition, experience, and authenticity all rolled into one, but I’m content with that. I can’t say I find it any easier to answer the question “what are you”, but I do know that I am happiest when I am laughing.

It takes two to tango: teen relationships

by Sonia Wadher Staff Writer

Relationships are hard.

Most people in high school fantasize about being in love, finding that person who they want to “spend the rest of their lives with,” when in reality, it’s not that easy.

Most high school relationships consist of sexual activity, toxicity and pressure, and whether you choose to believe it or not, that’s the truth.

High schoolers tend to idolize the idea of having the perfect, textbook fairytale relationship even when they know that they aren’t going to find the perfect partner that ticks off all the boxes.

As a high schooler, I have been told that high school relationships will never last as we aren’t mature enough to build

a strong foundation with someone. Or my personal favorite: don’t put all your eggs in one basket because you’re too young. People seem to think that because we are high schoolers we don’t know what love is, or how to even deal with it. Parents are constantly telling us that high school relationships are somehow invalid because we don’t know the basics of maintaining a stable relationship.

As I said before, relationships are hard, they require so much just to maintain them. Commit-

ment, trust, honesty, equality and compromise are just a few ideals that all couples need in order to maintain a stable, healthy relationship.

Although all those ideals are important, compromise is something that couples tend to find the hardest.

Compromise is different from sacrifice and it sometimes feels like when you are compromising, you are giving up something.

You shouldn’t feel like you are constantly sacrificing your decisions for the sake of someone else, but

Photo courtesy of KissPNG

you also shouldn’t feel like you are controlling your whole relationship.

In order for a relationship to stay compatible, compromising is a benefiting factor. Not only does it make things “easier” for couples, but it builds character and trust in them.

Compromising with your partner makes sure that you understand the other person better as well

as providing a balance in your relationship. It allows you to avoid conflict with your partner while also allowing you to portray your side of the argument. It also gives an advantage to one person as it allows the other partner to see that you care about what they are trying to show you, while also giving you the personal feeling of satisfaction when you compromise for someone.

Although compromising in a relationship may not be the most ideal thing for you, a relationship is healthier when you communicate and have that trust instilled on both sides. In the end you are two different people who have managed to build a relationship together.

sports

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april 5, 2019

The Total Fitness comeback

by Asaf Shchory Staff Writer

The entire Fremont Union High School District requires freshmen to take Physical Education in order to graduate. After ninth grade, PE has more classes that specify in one of the previously covered units.

Such options include PE Dance, PE Weight Training, PE Basketball and PE 10-12.

Now, FUHSD has a more informational PE option, called Total Fitness, which covers more real-life situations or health problems that students might run into. In Total Fitness, students will learn what could happen if someone unknowingly injures themselves in a gym. Jessica Trumpp, a PE teacher at Fremont High School, thinks Total Fitness is a really good class for students who want to attend a gym on a regular basis.

“I think Total Fitness is a perfect class for someone who is looking to stay fit and go to gyms after high school,” Trumpp said. “It is also a very good class to take to fully understand how the body works including fitness activities different way of viewing a typical PE class

and is also a more individualized program.”

Students here at FHS think Total Fitness is a good idea and can benefit many students. Freshman Yash Athma said that Total Fitness is a good class that could save people time and money.

“Total Fitness is a good class because it gives students the opportunity to work out and stay in good physical shape without having to go to the gym and pay for a membership,” Athma said. “Although many sophomores, juniors, and seniors do not take a PE class, Total Fitness is a good class based on what the student wants to focus on whether it is their physical appearance or their

basketball or dance skills.

Total Fitness would save me a lot of money and time since if I did take the class it would mean I would not be attending a gym at the same time.”

Total Fitness would save me a lot of money and time yash athma

Senior Yuval Bejerano said Total Fitness “IS SICK” and that it will be really beneficial to students in the future. He added that he believes it will keep students in good physical shape and will help them stay in shape even after taking the class.

“I think that this class is very important as it can have a huge impact on the daily lives of Fremont’s students by teaching them skills that they could apply later in life in order to improve their health,” Bejerano said. “Since this class focuses on preparing students for the future in physical activity and teaches them how to manage their fitness I think

that it is superior to any of the other PE classes so I would definitely take this class if I could. I think that if I were to take this class I would have definitely been more in shape and would be more confident to work out consistently without being scared of hurting myself.”

Total Fitness is a really good class that is definitely recommended by many if you want to learn how to stay in shape after high school without unknowingly hurting yourself. It is also a very beneficial class that is different from other PE classes that only focus on one topic, but varies in interesting topics.

“Total Fitness is going to do a lot for people who want to know how they get fit in the best way,” Trumpp said. “How do gain or lose weight? What proteins fats and carbohydrates do you need? Do physical activities that help you stay fit when there is no running involved?”

Recipe spotlight: Granola Bar

This recipe makes eighteen 3x1.5 in bars Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Grease a 9x9 in baking pan lined with foil.

Combine in a medium sized bowl: - 1.5 cups of packed dried fruits (apricots, pitted dates, raisins, figs, cherries, and/or cranberries), - 1 cup of rolled oats - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour - 1 cup packed dark brown sugar - 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds - 1/4 teaspoon salt - 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Add and stir until well blended: - 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, melted - 1.5 teaspoons vanilla Press the mixture into the pan. Bake until the top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cool in the pan on a rack.

Recipe courtesy of Joy of Cooking

Photo courtesy of Sclance

FHS softball funding Types of sports fields

by Emily Wilson

by Enrique Alfaro

Staff Writer

The Fremont High School softball field is in the very back corner of its campus. A fitting location for a sport with minimal recognition. The FHS softball team receives little to no equipment from the school and has to pay for most things out of their own pocket.

“BowNets, balls, buckets, and rolling buckets are all paid for out of pocket, [which are] basic and necessary essentials required for an effective practice or game,” varsity softball captain, Kianna Lum, said.

An example of an item required for multiple sports are helmets. “[FHS Athletic] boosters provide the outdated, ill-fitting helmets [that] no one uses which is a poor excuse for an even distribution of funding,” Lum says.

“Pictures from 2007 show players wearing the helmets that sit untouched in the back of our shed.”

While other sports such as football receive new helmets at regular intervals, among other equipment, softball’s have not been replaced in over 12 years.

However, Jason Townsend, Fremont’s athletic director, says that this is not accurate. According to him, helmets, regardless of the sport, are replaced whenever the condition of the helmet goes beyond usable. This is the reason why football might receive helmets more frequently than softball; football players tend to hit their helmets against other helmets more often.

Another reason why this might be so is because softball is seemingly not as popular as football.

Staff Writer

However, Title IX is a bill passed in 1972 that states all sports, regardless of gender, should have the same resources.

Title IX was passed to try to correct the funding of male versus female sports. Male sports typically had more funding. Nearly 50 years later, sports at FHS are still not equal.

One thing actually provided by the school are softball jerseys, according to varsity captain, Emma Caires. In addition, they needed to pay $30 for two pairs of socks. According to Townsend, this is because they get to keep the socks.

However, there are multiple softball uniform materials required for play, including but not limited to pants and cleats. These uniform items are specific to softball; so items one uses elsewhere are not allowed.

“I think that if it something that is apart of our uniform, something that we are required to wear by the league, then it should be provided to us,” Samantha Densing, JV captain, says. “Especially to the girls who come onto the team with none of this stuff.”

Townsend says the standard for pants and the coach as opposed to the league sets cleats. The league does not require a specific type of pants.

Additionally, Townsend wishes softball got more recognition, not because of their complaints about funding, but because of their talent and winning record.

Photo courtesy of Baseball Express

For athletes, playing on a good sports field is crucial. It can impact how a game is played and how the athletes play. If the field is rough, the athletes could have a bad game. A bad field also increases the chance of injury, harming not only the athlete but the whole team.

There are many reasons to have a good sports field.

“Safety, skill level, those things are important for the kids in terms of having a good field,” Athletic Director, Jason Townsend, said.

There are two different types of fields: a turf field and a grass field. Turf is made of artificial grass with crumb rubber. Grass fields, as the name implies, consists of real grass and dirt.

The climate of a region plays a huge part in deciding which field to use. Grass fields are good to play on during a hot and sunny day, as the field is not wet.

However, rain can create puddles and muddy areas in grass fields. Especially with unkempt grass fields, these puddles are more likely to cause injuries to players.

Potholes are also more likely to occur which, if a player did not see them, could cause twisted ankles.

Safety, skill level, those things are important for the kids in terms of having a good field Jason Townsend

Turf fields, on the other hand, function much better in colder and rainy climate.

The use of crumb rubber is less likely to cause major slipping injuries when wet as opposed to the dirt in a grass field. However, when

the weather is hot enough, it could almost be impossible to play on. If you were to slip on the turf, the crumb rubber would make it easier to allow some burns. If the turf is extremely hot these burns could become extremely harmful to the player.

Each field has their own pros and cons, which mainly vary due to its reaction to the weather. All of Fremont High School’s fields are turf fields.

“I would say we have fantastic fields here for the kids to play on,” Townsend said. “It makes the ball move quicker it’s better you don’t worry about slips you don’t worry about any of that stuff. “ Other schools do not have grass fields like us, which could impact how well the teams at FHS play.

“We are in a good situation we don’t lack for anything in terms of what we are able to provide for the teams,” Townsend said.

Photo courtesy of Photo HDX and Gilman News

sports Teacher at Fremont in Karate Hall of Fame

April 5, 2019

12

by Michael Wang Online Editor

The USA Karate Federation, which is the national governing body for the US Olympic Committee, recently inducted its 2019 Hall of Fame Class on March 9th of this year. The Hall of Fame’s purpose is to honor those who work towards raising the standards of karate competition to Olympic quality.

This goal has been achieved, as karate will be part of the 2020 Summer Olympic Games. Of the many prestigious members added to this group, one of them was from Fremont High School. Mary Crawford, the Sports Medicine teacher at our school, was inducted into the Hall of Fame for her dedication as an athlete, coach and referee.

“I have been training in Shotokan karate for over 34 years,” Crawford said. “I’ve been teaching karate in Cupertino for over 30 years.”

Crawford has been fully committed to both being a student and a teacher of karate. In fact, she has been training in Shotokan karate and teaching it in Cupertino for over three decades. She owns a school for karate in the shopping center, The Marketplace, located on Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino.

In addition to her contributions to the local community, Crawford also makes a major impact on the karate world on a global level. Crawford has obtained a “AA” USA, Pan American and World level license, which is the highest one can obtain in the world.

She is in charge of officiating the athletes who are currently preparing for the Summer Olympics to be held in July of 2020. They will be competing against

the world’s greatest athletes in Tokyo, Japan.

Furthermore, Crawford is one of the four referee committee members for USAKF, meaning she and three others are responsible

I have been training in Shotokan karate for over 34 years. I’ve been teaching karate in Cupertino for over 30 years. mary Crawford

for all the officials in the U.S. This year was an important one for the USAKF. Along with the induction of the 2019 Hall of Fame Class, the USAKF also honored its former President, the late George E. Anderson. Anderson, who is credited as having started the Olympic Karate Movement, was posthu-

mously given a 10th dan in karate, which is the highest level one can achieve.

With 50 years of experience in martial arts, Anderson was involved in multiple other organizations. In addition to being the founder and president of the USAKF, he was president of the Pan American Union of Karatedo Organization, the AAU Karate and USA Karate programs. He was also senior vice-president and chief referee of the World Union of Karate-do Organizations.

Even though he passed away in 2009, his dream lives on as the objective of the Olympic Karate Movement, which is soon to come true. Due to this, the USAKF has presented special Pioneer Awards for those who have helped in this journey.

“For many years the best karate athletes in the United States were part of the USA Karate Federation.

This is where the Olympic Karate movement started, and today the coaches, administrators, and athletes of the USA can thank the pioneers of the USAKF for making their Olympic dreams come true,” Patrick

Hickey, current president of the USAKF, said. “We are thrilled to induct another outstanding group of individuals into our Hall of Fame. This event is truly a special night to honor their accomplishments and recognize the foundation they have laid for the karate

athletes of today.”

If you see Crawford around campus, be sure to congratulate her on her achievements!

Photos courtesy of Blitz and Mary Crawford

Thanking trainer, Mary Rhatigan for athletic trainers and University, California is the only be certified but considconsider it to be an allied second to last in the rating ered and valued to the same health care profession there- for high school sports safety. degree that other healthcare Mary Rhatigan has fore giving it much more A huge controlling factor professions are. been the backbone for many respect.” is that California does not Though March only athletic members here on Athletic trainers require athletic trainers to lasts 31 days, the impact campus. Rhatigan is the help heal injured athletes have the proper certificaMary Rhatigan has on us is athletic trainer at Fremont through various forms such tion and training since it is forever. Thank you so much High School and contributes as taping their injury or not apart of the healthcare Mary. her aid and nurturing to the putting a temporary cast. branch.

From, the Phoenix many sport teams. As she However, they also are apart The National Athletic approaches her sixth year of the recovery process and Training Month slogan this as a Firebird staff member, help rehabilitate the injury year is “ATs are Health Care” MARY Rhatigan (left) helping injured Fremont High School studentthe Phoenix would like to of the athlete.

- AT meaning athletic trainathlete off the field during a football match with coach (right). acknowledge her for all of her According to research ers - which brings awareness dedication and time she has lead by Dr. Eric Post, a to the current crisis that Photo courtesy of Mary Rhatigan put into the school. For those professor at San Diego State athletic trainers should not who don’t know, the month of March is National Athletic Training Month, and it is Fremont High School Alumni Association time to spread some awareness and appreciation.

PO Box 2709 Rhatigan has made various bonds with Fremont’s Sunnyvale, CA 94087 athletes throughout the time she has been working here and it is her favorite part of fhsaa@aol.com her job. “I love the personal relationships I get to develop For nearly 100 years our Fremont High School has with the student athletes and stood tall. In all that time there have been many see them grow throughout each season and year,” Rhatistudents like you that have walked the halls of gan said. “When you really Fremont High with pride and dreams just like you have. It is these many alumni that give back to get to know someone it makes our Fremont High in the form of scholarship funds that our Fremont High School Alumni it that much more exciting to see them back in action after Association in turn awards to senior students each year as you dream for your future. overcoming a injury.”

When we asked Rhatigan what she thought about National Athletic Training Month she enlightened us with some information we could not find through the Internet.

“At the moment, CaliOur FHSAA Historian writes many stories about alumni and where they are now as well as fornia is the only state in the interviewing current FHS students to get a perspective of life on campus today and your dreams U.S. that does not consider for the future. These stories are shared with alumni and Friends of Fremont and you too may athletic training a health care profession,” Rhatigan said. receive them just for the asking. We hope you will see our page in the yearbook (every year) that “Every other state requires tells you how you can keep in touch with Fremont High School for a lifetime. licensure or registration

by Michelle Cortez Opinion Editor

Please see Lupita Yanez in the FHS Career Center for information on how you can apply for one of our many scholarships. We appreciate and acknowledge your spirit as you look to your future.

We are here to keep the spirit alive!