Fashion at Fremont
Hugh Hefner undeserving of praise
Happy Death Day Review
See pages 6 & 7
See page 8
Kaepernick’s Protest See page 11
See page 4
Fremont High School
the
PHOENIX
Vol. 6 Issue No. 2 Nov. 3, 2017
Fires’ impact on Northern California by Nadia Anees & Michael Wang Collaboration
On the night of October 8, several fires developed in different parts of Northern California. The number of devastating fires throughout California poses the question: how did these fires begin and what effects do they have? Several factors led to the expansion of the fires. One of the main factors was the strong winds that came after a very dry season in California, which blew the fire further. “There were perfect conditions for the fire,” Virginia McCabe, AP Environmental Science teacher, said. “We had been in a five year drought in California and then last season we had an incredibly unusual wet rainy season, so that means a lot of plants can grow. Now we have all this extra vegetation. It’s really dry, and [those conditions are] the perfect fuel for fires.” Even in the Bay Area, the effects of the fires throughout California have been felt all around. Smoke from the fires spread throughout the Bay Area, creating poor air quality and problems for people with asthma. “[The air] particles can get into the lungs and bypass the normal filtering system and make their way into the bloodstream;
they stay there for [a great] length of time,” McCabe said. “They can cause breathing issues, make people’s chest uncomfortable on a daily basis and cause sore throat and watery eyes.” As a result of the dangerous conditions caused by the fires, all sports activities were cancelled in the Central Coast Section, including football games, the Tournaments of Bands, Cross Country races and all sports practices.
Especially in a fire, where everything you have that really symbolizes your old life or anything you possess is gone, it’s really nice to have a semblance of normalcy and that’s what we hope to create. Leanne Loo Some Fremont High School students and staff were also affected by the fires around Northern California. FHS English teacher, Daniel Perez, owns a property in Napa county. Luckily, his house was not damaged by the fires.
FIERY, orange and red sunsets caused by the fire
“Other than making the house smell like smoke, nothing really happened so we really lucked out,” Perez said. “Our landscaper’s dad lives on the same street we do and he noticed that embers [from the fire] across an island called Rattlesnake Island and from fires a mile down the street were falling onto our roof and trees. He took hoses around the perimeter of our house, long one hundred-foot water hoses and attached them to the roof and carport and turned them on, and I really think that helped a lot.” McCabe’s daughter, a student at Sonoma State University, was also personally affected by the fire. According to McCabe, her daughter is finding it difficult to integrate back into her school work routine. She is currently dealing with survivor’s guilt and posttraumatic stress disorder as she was woken out of a dead sleep and told to evacuate at the time of the fire. As a result of the unfortunate effects being caused by the fire, community and school members showed their unity in helping each other stay protected, including the FHS Red Cross Club. “Coming in November, we are going to fundraise money mainly through milk tea fundraisers and we’re hoping to use that money to buy toys at dollar stores, Target and other
stores to give the children [the] Christmas that they wouldn’t be able to have without the gifts,” Leanne Loo, FHS Red Cross Club President, said. “Especially in a fire, where everything you have that really symbolizes your old life or anything you possess is gone, it’s really nice to have a semblance of normalcy and that’s what we hope to create by giving the kids gifts they usually associate with Christmas and to give them a winter that is more normal.” In addition, hotels have been providing discounted prices for stays and grocery stores have fundraised money and collected items to aid victims of the fire. For example, Safeway and companies owned by the Albertson Companies Foundation has raised $500,000 for the fire victims. Hotels like Westin St. Francis, San Francisco Marriott Marquis, King George Hotel or HI USA Marin Headlands Hostel, Sausalito have provided discounted stays for the fire evacuees. There have been countless disasters in the past months, and by banding together, the community has provided relief to those in need. The widespread support following these fires continues to show humanity’s capacity for benevolence in times of hardship.
Photo courtesy of SFGate
by Mira Dhingra
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of The New Yorker
CAR on fire in Sonoma County during the wildfires. Before going to sleep on October 8, residents from cities including Santa Rosa, Napa and Sonoma had no knowledge about the fire to come. During the night, the residents did not receive alarms or alerts about the fire. Instead, most residents were notified by phone calls from loved ones or friends in neighboring cities who urged them to evacuate. Due to the unknown cause of the fire, residents were not able to receive an approximate time that the fire would arrive at their homes. Therefore, residents hurried to get out, scrambling to carry a few necessities before driving away from their home—and the life they had built in their neighborhood. Santa Rosa residents Janet and Flint Pulskamp had just gotten back from vacation on the night of October 8. Tired from their long flight, they had gone to bed. At 1 a.m., they received notification of a mandatory evacuation. The Pulskamps put on their shoes, grabbed a couple of belongings, and drove in their car to Sunnyvale. Though they arrived safely at a relative’s house, they had to leave almost all their possessions behind. “[Our] home was burnt to the ground 30 minutes after we evacuated,” Janet Pulskamp said. “When we evacuated, I thought we would be back in a day or two; I never thought there would be nothing left. All [our] photo albums, Christmas ornaments collected from our trips, and artwork from around the world are all gone.” As a result of the Northern California fires, at least 40 people have died and more than 100 people have been injured or gone missing. One of the fire victims was 14-year-old Kai Shepherd. According to The Mercury News, the Shepherd family tried to escape the Redwood Valley fire in Mendocino County. While fleeing in their two cars, the Shepherd family was badly burned. Kai was immediately killed—his parents are currently getting their burns treated and his 17-year-old sister, Kressa, had both legs amputated below the knee. As residents are still being treated in hospitals and burn centers, the community continues to send its support through GoFundMe campaigns, donation drives and words of encouragement.
News
Nov. 3, 2017
2
Fremont’s Kinesthesiology class adds opportunity by Sean Abellera Staff Writer
Fremont High School is home to over 130 courses, each different in their own ways. Included in this list is one like no other: Kinesthesiology. This course is essential for students who want to become a part of the medical field. At Fremont, the Kinesthesiology course is more commonly known as Sports Medicine. Sports Medicine is considered a Career Technical Education (CTE) course, which trains students in areas that would be more prominent in specific career paths. By definition, Kinesthesiology is the study of human movement. Sports Medicine tackles topics such as the structures of bones, muscles, ligaments,
tendons, as well as how the body works, what happens when a body part is injured and how to make it better. Sports Medicine spends its first semester focused on learning medical terms that relate to different body parts. As the year goes on, the students begin to work on specific body parts, including the shoulders, hips, elbows and hands. Students may also experience hands-on activities such as learning how to tape an injury using athletic bandage or tape. In addition, students become first aid and CPR certified in this class. The course recently introduced new curriculum known as Kinesthesiology B and Kinesthesiology C. These additions are unique and are a great opportunity to learn more, according
to Mary Crawford, Sports Medicine teacher at FHS. “A professor from Foothill College is hired to come here and teach Block 4 for one semester in the fall year regarding first aid,” Crawford said, “And in the spring, they’re going to be teaching Kinesthesiology C, which is a college credit class offered at Foothill that you can be taught here. And that’s injuries on the field and assessing them.” Being a CTE course, Sports Medicine preps those who want to obtain a Kinesthesiology degree, previously known as a Physical Education (PE) degree. This degree potentially gives students the ability to chase careers in the medical field. “Somebody after this class could go to college and already have units in the Kinesthesiology degree,”
Crawford said, “ But also, they would have a step up on anybody else when they want to become an EMT [Emergency Medical Technician], a nurse, a doctor, a physical therapist, a chiropractor— pretty much any job in the medical field will require this base level of knowledge.” However, Crawford points out that her class is not only limited to aspiring medical students. Sports Medicine could be a starting point for those who are unsure of where they want their future to go. “I have a significant number of athletes, since they want to know what their injuries are when they get injured during a sporting activity,” Crawford said. “I have actually had kids who took this class who have gone on to the medical
Fremont apparel of the print shop by Kaleb Cordova Staff Writer
Do you wear a club shirt, school jersey or even this year’s class shirts? If so, these shirts were made using the print shop on campus. Daniel McCune, wrestling coach and resource teacher, runs the Fremont High School print shop known as “Phoenix Apparel.” The idea for the print shop started in 2013, but it only became a reality recently “Last year was a reboot [of the program],” McCune said. “In 2013 they [the school] bought a press and an exposure unit in an attempt to create a silkscreen shop here on campus as a workability program and they didn’t follow through with it.” Last year McCune was offered training to start a transitions course, which then became Phoenix Apparel. Since the school
already had the materials, it was the perfect opportunity to bring the print shop back. As a matter of fact, Phoenix Apparel has made shirts for ASB, Octagon club, International Club and the jerseys for some sport teams. They were also the ones that printed DACA shirts, which were made as a fundraiser and also to spread awareness about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The funding for the print shop depends on the revenue made by the shirts, with all revenue made from the shirts going towards funding for more print shops supplies. The print shop was created with the goal of giving eligible students the opportunity to participate in job training. FHS was one of the only schools without a job-training program until the print shop was started. “This is a tangible way for students to get hands
on skills in small business entrepreneurialism.” McCune said. “Screen printing is the largest growing entrepreneurial business in the country so if you want to quit your job and start a business, screen printing is a viable business you could start. This just adds [Job] opportunities for students so there’s no reason not to start it.” The print shop is the most realistic job-like experience eligible students can have on campus. Students are given roles similar to real jobs with real-life business experience The print shop is also a wonderful community. When asking a class member about the print shop, she stated that the people of the print shop are open to all and are incredibly talented in their job. “The people are great,” senior Brianna Sloan, Customer Support and Manager of the print shop,
said. “Some of the students do great designs on these t-shirts and it’s just these students that make everything work. The print shop is also very welcoming to students and as long as you change your mindset a little then it will be easy. I wouldn’t say anything is really hard. I guess the hardest part would be just saying to yourself ‘this is a job’ and treat it like a job rather than a class.” The print shop is a great opportunity for eligible FHS students to get hands-on experience working at a job.
careers. Just by taking this class, it inspired them to go into the medical field, when they weren’t sure what they wanted to do.” Although the course of Sports Medicine is essentially a college prep class, some students use what they learn in the class outside of it. “I also had people [2 students] save a life, where somebody went down in a restaurant, and they had to perform CPR before the paramedics arrived, all because they took this class,” said Crawford. One of Crawford’s students, Gabriel Madrigal, explained why he joined Sports Medicine. “I have an older brother who took this class and he loved it so much,” the sophomore said. “He is a soccer player in Saint Martin’s College in Washington.
And he’s planning to pursue a career in the medical field— and so am I.” Madrigal says Sports Medicine is a crucial course for him, but he also expresses his approval of the class. “Actually, during the first day, I didn’t exactly know what was about it, but I just loved it,” Madrigal said. “I came in and I instantly fell in love with the course.” Even though the Sports Medicine course is meant for students planning to join the medical field, the course is open to anyone who is willing to learn. Those wanting to understand human movement, or are simply looking for a course to take, should consider Sports Medicine.
Current Events: What’s going on around you? by Cres Hohmann Staff Writer
World News -According to Express, Donald Trump let loose a barrage of tweets against North Korea and Kim Jong Un, threatening the “total destruction” of North Korea. In his series of tweets, he said that “only one thing will work”, leading many to bash Trump for his brash remarks.
U.S. News
-The most deadly mass shooting in modern American history happened on October 3, when gunman Stephan Paddock opened fire on a Los Angeles music festival. The gunman killed 58 people and wounded another 500 over the course of 10 minutes, until he killed himself, according to CNN.
California News -California is now the first state to make the first year of community college free, according to CBS. On October 13, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to create the “California College Promise” program. Eligible students will receive a full year community college, government paid. It is estimated to cost about 31 million annually. -California now recognizes non-binary as a gender option, according to CNN. Now, those who are gender non-binary can choose to identify their gender as nonbinary on state identification papers like driver’s licences and birth certificates. It also makes it easier for people to change their name and gender on legal documents.
Fremont High School News -Rajiv Nelakanti has qualified as a semi finalist for the Siemans Foundation. Nelakanti’s project was chosen out of 1860 in the Math, Science and Technology division. Congratulations!
Miranda Kushner-Pérez | The Phoenix
-Congratulations to the students who were selected as Commended Students in the 2018 National Merit Program. This year Fremont had 23 students whose scores qualified them to achieve this status. Their scores on last year’s PSAT put them in the top 3% of the 1.6 million students who took the test.
News 3
Nov. 3, 2017
CalState Apply has glitches by Emily Wright Editor-in-Chief
The California State University application is getting a make-over. The CalState Apply website replaced the former CSU Mentor application on June 1, 2017. The new website allows students to apply to multiple CSU campuses under one application, according to the CSU website. Additionally, the new website includes the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) application, aimed at students who have historically not been well represented at the CSU. This was previously a separate application. “It encourages more kids,” Lorena Villagomez, College and Career Advisor said. “Let’s say if their income that they inputted throughout the application process flags them as an eligible student it will say, ‘Hey are you sure you don’t want to apply?’ So that’s nice. We don’t always get the chance to reach out to all of them and drill in what the opportunities are.” However, the new application website has had some bugs and glitches students should watch out for. For example, according
to Villagomez, some web browsers have been unreliable and saved information has occasionally been deleted.
If kids are applying to UCs and CSUs, normally I would say fill out the CSU app and just submit it. Right now, I’m saying just make sure you know where you’re applying and hold off for a couple of weeks. Lorena Villagomez The application also does not distinguish between freshmen and transfer applicants, which has caused problems to freshman applicants who have taken a course at a community college. Previously, according to Villagomez, the application would tailor their messages accordingly if you were a transfer student. However, a silver lining is that CalState Apply has been very responsive to re-
ports of bugs and glitches. “That’s a nice thing” Villagomez said. “They’re at least actively working on it.” Dealing with the transition between the old application and new one also involves counselors trying to figure out how to help students applying. “We knew all the tips and tricks before. For seniors, realistically, it’s all new. It’s stressful because it’s new for us and we’ve been doing it for a while . . . We’re not able to respond immediately. We have to look into it. Luckily we’re figuring most of it out now, instead of in November.” For students who need help with the CSU application, Villagomez recommends they attend a CSU application workshop on November 8. “If kids are applying to UCs and CSUs, normally I would say fill out the CSU app and just submit it,” Villagomez said. “Right now, I’m saying just make sure you know where you’re applying and hold off for a couple of weeks, so maybe some of the glitches will get fixed.” Ultimately, the problems that have come up have been the result of the
new system, but Villagomez hopes that by next year the process will be smoother. For right now, seniors applying to CSUs should be careful when filling out the application. “Make sure to read all the instructions properly,” Villagomez said. “When in doubt, don’t submit and just hold off until they check in with us or come to one of the workshops. Realistically, it’s more about paying attention to the application, making sure to fill out all the right things . . . When in doubt, come in. Myself and the guidance counselors would be happy to go over their applications with them, make sure they’re not missing anything.”
PHOENIX Editor-in-Chief Emily Wright
Managing Editor
Nadia Anees | Michael Wang
News
Caroline He | Samhitha Tumkur
Arts & Entertainment
Manavi Chandra | Vivien Su
Sports
Suryan Bhatia
Opinion
Dana Nissan | Hannah Butay
Center Spread Lexi Kleinberg
Photo Editor
Miranda Kushner-Pérez
Online
Momina Nadeem
Staff Writers
Welcoming new teachers to FHS by Dana Nissan Opinion Editor
Tara Wojcik is not only a new teacher, but also new to the Bay Area. Wojcik just moved to California in January with her family. “This is really out of my element,” Wojcik said. “This is all brand new to me.” Wojcik teaches math, specifically Algebra 1, and she loves math and interacting with people in general. She enjoys getting to know everyone’s stories and getting them excited about math, even though it’s difficult to do but rewarding once done.
For new teacher Jenna Morgan, Fremont is very supportive and welcoming environment. Its diversity is what made her want to teach at FHS. In the 2017 Hall of Fame rally, Morgan visited Fremont to choose where she would work and fell in love with the spirit and community of the school. “Getting to know 150 people all at once is really difficult but rewarding,” Morgan said. Morgan’s relationship with her teachers made it so she could thrive in school. She states that if she didn’t have adults that cared about her in school then she wouldn’t have done well. She knew that if she could be that adult for even one out of 150 kids then it would be worth it.
Jessica Wu is the replacement Dean of Students for Dan Amezquita this semester. Wu is going to grad school in San Jose State University right now and she almost has her credential. She knew that she wanted to be a guidance counselor when she began advising a high school student that was walking down her street to return to school. Wu was looking for jobs and landed at Fremont High School. “I chose Fremont and they chose me,” Wu said, To Wu, Fremont seems like a great community and place to be. Wu likes working with the students and getting to know the program at FHS.
Photo courtesy of Facebook
the
Dana Nissan | The Phoenix
Sean Abellera Leann Bast Veeryan Bhatia Vincent Cabigao Kaleb Cordova Michelle Cortez Katherine Davis Eva Devanathan Mira Dhingra Cres Hohmann Magali Julien Sydney Keller Lisa Lopez
Genavieve Marquez Priscilla Martinez Luisito Marucot Sophia Pulido Patrick Ramos Guy Reuven Trixie Rodriguez Amira Salama Anoushka Samant Sydney Sharp Guppy Uppal Ambika Vaidya
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. Advertise with The Phoenix Contact us for more details at fremonthighphoenix@gmail.com or call at (408)-522-2200. Want to be part of The Phoenix? Letters to the editor and questions for Ask Esteban may be submitted online through our website, room 87, Ms. Martin’s mailbox, or emailed to us. Identities of those who submit questions will remain anonymous. The staff reserves the right to edit letters to conform to styles and policy.
Opinion Child Protective Services fails minors
Nov. 3, 2017
4
This is why the court system needs to be changed
by Michelle Cortez Staff Writer
Since birth, children are exposed to the idea that adults are a symbol of protection, whether it’s your teacher comforting you at the playground when you’ve fallen or your parents checking under your bed to make sure there are no monsters at night. A topic that needs more awareness is when a child has no one. Who protects them? Whenever there is a serious issue within a family, Child Protective Services (CPS) and social workers become involved, which can be beneficial. However, this can also become a toll on the family, especially on minors. From foster care, to court systems and social workers, there have been
too many cases in which CPS has failed to protect the minor(s) involved. Family Court is a system where the main goal is to reconnect a family instead of separating them. However in some cases, staying in an unstable household can harm a child and lead to unpredictable situations. As a minor, you have the right to live in a safe and comfortable home by law. Never the less, in many cases, protecting the minor and their right to a safe environment is greatly ignored. I personally went through the family court system and have had CPS involved for the vast majority of my life. I am aware that everyone’s experiences with CPS and social workers are different. For me unfortunately, the system has failed me and my family more times than not. September of last year, I was sexually abused by a trusted adult. Topics such as abuse whether it be physical, sexual or emotional are ignored so much throughout society.
Sadly, the more people I share my story with, the more people I discover who are dealing with or have dealt with similar situations. As minors, as high schoolers, facing abuse can demolish our childhood in a matter of seconds. I personally didn’t know whom to turn to or how to process what had happened when it occurred. It took me a month to finally tell someone what had happened and when I did I felt that no one was by my side. Alone and isolated, I found it impossible to connect with other teenagers, let alone concentrate on my schoolwork. My abuse was not the first in my family; the same person also sexually abused another family member of mine. Authorities, as well as CPS did not reach out and help the victim at all. Instead, everyone called her a liar. When her incident was reported, all CPS did was remove my abuser from the house for six months. When they returned, everything was swept under the rug, the social workers closed the case and there was no justice for the victim.
I knew that reporting my case would get me nowhere. Still to this day, my relative and I are fighting for the justice we deserve, not only for ourselves but to prevent anyone else from becoming a victim. Both family court and CPS were involved in my case. Did they protect my right to a safe environment? Yes. I was removed from the household and custody of my mother and now live with my father who provides a safe environment for me. On the other hand, the system has failed not only my family member but also left other minors under the same roof as my abuser. My relative is no longer a minor, so things for her have sadly become complicated when trying to seek justice. As mentioned earlier, when dealing with family court, the main goal is to reconnect the family. I understand having to grow up with a missing parent is difficult and can also cause heartache, though if by separating the abuser from other minors will protect them in the long run, I do
not understand why the court and CPS have not taken the steps to guarantee the safety of my siblings who are minors. For my case, I feel as if I am the one being punished. I say that because I was the one who had to leave my home, my school and my family. Overall, I believe that the systems and involvement of CPS need to prioritize the safety of minors more effectively. Every child has the right to be and feel safe in the household and environment they are in. I also believe that awareness of abuse needs to be taken more seriously. I constantly hear jokes about abuse and rape coming from teenagers and I do take it personally. The topic of sexual abuse, rape and predators is completely ignored. Recently there was a response to the Harvey Weinstein case, where a powerful Hollywood producer had for years got away with sexually harassing women. On social media women who had been victims of sexual violence posted with the
hashtag #metoo. Suddenly, the enormity of this problem and the pervasiveness of abuse became apparent. Sharing your story with others takes courage, but unless we share our stories and educate others about sexual assault, the world will continue to be obtuse about the issue. The number of victims who report their assault is high, but the number of untold stories is shocking. How far does the number need to grow in order for people to listen? How many cases need to be open until court systems start giving justice to victims and cells to abusers? As Elie Wiesel said, “Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” If you are having personal or family issues, Jesus Ramirez, Family & Community Liason; Deirdre Louie, Student Advocate; and Leila Lurie, Student Advocate, are available on campus for help.
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner was a huge misogynist
by Sophia Pulido & Sydney Sharp Collaboration
No Hef, you can’t make a profit from publishing nude photos of women, even minors. That’s called pedophilia. On September 27, Hugh Hefner, founder of the Playboy pin-up magazine, was found dead in his mansion. The mansion was filled with memories of a glamorous lifestyle that will be forever treasured by the Bunnies, Hefner’s private harem of young women. Memories of as a strictly controlled diet, early curfew and a towering metal gate which served as a reminder that leaving wasn’t an option for these young women will be remembered fondly by the Bunnies, right? As the sexist Playboy industry began to make a name for itself, similar misogynistic themes became more apparent in Hollywood’s society, with the arrival of new and unachievable beauty standards for women. From the very beginning, Hefner’s magazine was extremely controversial because it promoted the ob-
jectification of women, such as in the case of Marilyn Monroe. Actress Monroe was famously featured on the cover of Playboy Magazine’s first issue, without her permission. According to author Sady Doyle, Monroe posed for nude photos for $50 in a time of desperation, years before her big break. She was under the impression that her photos would remain confidential, however, as her popularity grew, Hefner saw an opportunity to exploit and profit off of Monroe’s fame. He dug up the old photographs of Monroe and published them without her consent, carelessly putting her career in jeopardy. Monroe was less than pleased to find herself nude on the front cover of the Playboy Magazine. She wrote in her novel, Marilyn: Her Life in Her Own Words, “I never even received a thank-you from all those who made millions off a nude Marilyn photograph. I even had to buy a copy of the magazine to see myself in it.” Hefner’s behavior was unacceptable. He only thought of himself and his brand. Never once did he consider how his actions would both threaten Marilyn’s career and publicly embarrass her. This clearly shows that he did not feel that he had to treat women with respect, believing he was entitled to
manipulate them however he saw fit. Monroe was only one of many women who fell victim to Hefner’s chauvinism. While some may argue that his sexism only affected celebrities, Hefner negatively affected every woman. The way he envi-
actual human beings. When we glorify him, we tell the men around us that they are allowed to act just as sexist as Hefner did. He received a lot of attention from the public as organizations published documentaries, articles and other types of publica-
Photo courtesy of Playboy
sioned women applied to how he thought of all of us, not just Monroe. Hefner may not have personally spoken about us, but he believed that all women should be objectified, seeing them as only a means of sex rather than
tions that gave praise to him. Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel was a documentary based on his living environment after Playboy became a success. The documentary focuses on Hefner’s liberal beliefs
such as racial equality and gay rights although it would be expected that they feature his iconic bunnies to describe their lives that are filled with nothing but glam in order to help promote the Playboy industry. After the documentary was released, an article featuring quotes taken from the documentary were used to ask Hefner questions. Journalist John Heilpern confronted Hefner about feminism by stating that feminist will oppose him. “But feminists still oppose you for treating women as objects.” ‘They are objects!” Hefner allegedly said. Ironically, when he died, many people claimed he had liberated women. However, skinny blonde bunnies serving men is not empowering. We’ve seen a lot of men in power contradict themselves but Hefner stands out, a man whose insecurities lay in the depths of his wrinkles that feels the need to keep women around him. For a man who doesn’t value women it’s quite funny how he loves to have constant sex and to ensure that their life is completely revolved around him. As women, it is painful
to see obstacles that could be easily avoided affect us so much. For instance, we should be able to wear a revealing water polo suit without hearing sexual commentary, especially during a game on a school campus. We believe that if Hugh Hefner respected women as much as they were flaunted on his magazine that the way people view women would be a bit different in society then and now. Our bodies aren’t meant for exploitation, our bodies are meant for ourselves. Women should be taught that they should love themselves without depending on whether they’re a size 0 and still manage to have curves or whether or not they wear makeup. After his death, Hefner has received praise as if he was an influential public figure. A day after his death, multiple tweets were posted telling women to wear a set of bunny ears along with a tail for Halloween in remembrance of Hefner. This tweet reads as “‘Hey, we should continue to objectify women the way Hefner did.” And the thing that disappoints us the most is that women are encouraging this. As women who wanted to be treated with respect, we should be able to recognize these sexist influences and protest against them.
opinion
Nov. 3, 2017
America, why can’t you get it together?
by Lexi Kleinberg & Sydney Keller Collaboration
To our dearest America, In the past two months of 2017, we have experienced tragedy after tragedy. Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Hurricane Irma in Florida and Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. On August 11, three people died during a violent protest in Charlottesville, Virginia. Also, nearly 60 were murdered and 300 wounded when one man rained bullets over a country music concert in Las Vegas. America, our question to you is, why can’t you get it together? It is very easy to feel powerless in times like these, especially as young adults. Turning on the news is just plain depressing and watching something as devastating as the Las Vegas shooting or the Charlottesville protest creates feelings of helplessness and anger. We have written this letter on gun control and confederate statues, two controversial topics which have been at the center of political debate for a long time. However, it is hard to discuss politics without suc-
cumbing to personal bias, trustworthy sources and the vast political extremes this country seems to be divided by. However, one thing is clear, opinions should always be based upon fact rather than falsehoods or conjecture. The use of facts can prevent broad generalizations which serves to invalidate an argument. The foundation of journalism relies on integrity, honesty and the truth. There is no way around it, no loophole and most certainly no alternative fact. The debate on gun control has persisted for far too long. Everyone can remember the devastating events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary school in 2012, where 26 students and teachers were murdered after a gunman rained bullets throughout the school. What we don’t understand is how the gun control debate didn’t end there. Were the lives of those twenty six-year-old children not enough for Congress to look around and say, “You know, I think the casual accessibility to high powered assault rifles in this country may not be the smartest idea”? The most frequent counter argument to gun control is the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights which states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Gun ownership has
been a long time tradition of the United States, and that right should be respected, just as free speech and freedom of the press is respected. There are, however, several fallacies to this amendment. Using the Second Amendment would be a valid argument if the firearms in 1789 were similar to the guns being bought in modern day America. In 1803, guns only one roundper-minute. Stephen Paddock, the shooter identified as responsible for the deaths of 50 innocent people in Las Vegas had twenty three rifles and one hand gun in his hotel room. The guns found in Stephen Paddock’s hotel room ranged from semi-automatic rifles with a rate of fire of 45 roundsper-minute, to an AR-10 battle rifle which fires 700 rounds-per-minute. On top of possessing some of the most dangerous firearms in America, Paddock also used a bump stock, a device which turns a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic weapon and can increase the rate of fire to 800 rounds-per-minute. Why are we still insisting that the Second Amendment applies to modern day America? Can we still use the justification that because of the Second Amendment, which was written before the time of AK-47s, an eighteen year old kid is entitled to buy an assault rifle? We are seventeen years old but turn eighteen in the
upcoming year. We are not allowed to drink a Mojito but we guess a couple of rifles is compensating. When you Google “Charlottesville Virginia” the current results page features a myriad of headlines about white nationalists and protests regarding confederate statues across our nation. Whether articles address the initial Charlottesville protest in August or the recurring protests, without sufficient background knowledge on the history of white nationalists and the confederacy, the headlines and content can be confusing at best. To begin, the Confederacy was formed in 1861 as an alliance between eleven Southern states. These states each gave their reasons for seceding from the United States in the form of declarations of secession which officially removed them from the Union and established that the reasoning was white supremacy rooted in desire to continue enslaving African Americans. Mississippi’s declaration featured the lines “Our position is thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery—the greatest material interest of the world. Its labor supplies the product which constitutes by far the largest and most important portions of commerce of the earth”. The people of Mississippi are therefore blatantly glorifying the act of enslavement in their declaration.
Additionally, the Confederacy was supported heavily by organizations such as the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). The daughters are and were women who supported Confederate ideals and often had close ties to powerful politicians and men throughout the South. These women are largely responsible for erecting “living monuments” that memorialize leaders of the Confederacy and paint them as “war heroes”. Among those “living monuments” is Alexander Hamilton Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy who stated that slavery is “the natural condition of blacks and the foundation of the Confederacy.” The “natural condition” Stephens refers to encompasses the whippings, the disgusting living conditions, the forced labor in unbearable conditions and all other atrocities faced by enslaved African Americans, of which there are many. These atrocities are not “natural” and there is no moral justification for those behaviors and events. So our question for America is, how can anyone whose actions were for personal profit rather than the protection of African Americans’ human rights be a “hero” and worthy of display as a statue? While one could argue that the statues are simply a reminder of our country’s dark history and a means to prevent repetition of
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that history, the question remains: Why was the history of the Confederacy not just accurately preserved and taught in textbooks or museums? The answer is that the UDC influenced education throughout the South to their own agenda and erected statues to further enforce that agenda. They attempted to instill the ideology of white supremacy associated with the Confederacy in the minds of Southern children by idolizing those who fought for it. Consequently, the outright refusal by Southerners to allow slaves even basic freedoms is enshrined through the Confederate statues. So America, do not tell me the statues are not harmful and do not assume that every citizen will feel the same way about them. The statues do not need to be destroyed, nor their history ignored. Out of respect for those affected and those who could be affected, the statues should instead be moved to museums so we can contextualize the fear and anger they inspire in the supremacy they impose. In this letter we have provided well supported facts pertaining to gun control, mass shootings and the Confederate statues. Now we urge the students at Fremont to ask with us: America, why can’t you get it together? Sincerely, Lexi and Sydney
B-ware of fire hazards in the B-building
by Caroline He News Editor
Disclaimer: The percentages cited in this opinion story are not based on any scientific evidence. It takes ten minutes to escape from the B-building during a five minute passing period and that’s a problem. For a lot of people: the group of students that have to bump their way out of the B-building and then leave campus to get to their next class in the science building. Everyone that has to walk all the way around Fremont High School’s circumference because construction has blocked off the one entrance with no traffic and the traffic congestion everywhere. This is going to focus on survival in the second story of the B-building during a fire. The start of the fire
doesn’t matter: from construction, an electrical mess up, a grand arsonist going through a quarter-life crisis and deciding to ‘save’ the next generation by lighting up that wood thingy on the second story. Point is there’s a fire. Here’s how that can play out and how you can get out alive. Scenario 1: No one panics and, in a perfectly orderly line, we all exit peacefully and with absolutely no chaos. Everyone knows what is going on, which designated area to regroup at, who to keep track of. Chance of this happening: 0% -42% I mean, theoretically, it’s possible. But it’s the type of possible that’s like getting stabbed forty seven times by a toddler and then being struck by lightning, twice. Even with fire drills, there is no dimension in the multiverse where this is likely. Scenario 2: The one opening to the B-building gets clogged up and the hallway is a slowly moving, panicked, chaotic flow of people. There are at least three people crying, five people snapchatting it, and one idiot who does not give
a damn shoving people around. Chance of happening: 97% In this case, you have two options: go with the flow and risk dying in a fire trapped by other bodies, or jump out of a window. The windows for the B-building open at the top, so your best bet is to throw a textbook at the glass so it shatters. Then, as a mob, decide on the first person to jump out and use their shattered body as a cushion for everyone else. You’re about to die! All human decency goes out the window, literally. In another sub-scenario, the window does not shatter because it is made from plastic, in which case you trample everyone in front of you, or accept your impending death and go out like a boss. You’re probably going to end up trying to trample on people, only to get pushed over and die anyway. Scenario 3: Some genius realizes that the second entrance to the B-building isn’t actually locked and uses it to escape. Seeing one person do it, everyone else realizes how dumb they’ve been and go that way too. You get the same feeling as
you do when you see people waiting outside of a classroom so you wait too, only for someone else to come five minutes later and open the classroom door and you realize it was open the whole time. Chance of happening: 90% You’d better wish on your firstborn that this is what happens. The two openings to the B-building will still end up clogged, but you are much more likely to shove your way out and not
be trampled. Now you and half of everyone from the B-building, are cluttering up the highly dangerous construction site with cranes, metal columns, and welding lights that can damage eyes if stared at for a long time. At least one person goes blind because of that. A few others move away from the dangerous machinery. A lot of other people stay in the construction site to ask each other if this is really happening.
You are really just done at this point so you leave campus and go to Cafe Stop to buy some ice coffee. It’s a chill day. Aside from the trauma from experiencing a close shave with death. You should probably suppress those emotions. Conclusion of the story: you are one arsonist away from death. Have fun in History and Lit(erature).
Samhitha Tumkur | The Phoenix
Special Feature
nov. 3, 2017
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Q&A
With Shelly Michael by Priscilla Martinez Staff Writer
The Phoenix: What inspires your wardrobe? Michael: “I think that my mom inspires my wardrobe the most. She’s very judgmental but other than that, I think a lot of styles are coming back definitely from the 90’s and my mom had a lot of very cool looks in the 90’s. She was a model for a bit so she had a lot of cool looks and I think I would love to recreate some of her outfits.” The Phoenix: What are your top 3 stores to go shopping? Michael: “I’m not going to lie I love Amazon because it’s super colorful. I love thrifting as well! I really like Savers and Goodwill because they have good finds
sometimes. It’s very typical, but I really like Brandy Melville for their outerwear.” The Phoenix: How do your clothes define who you are? Michael: ” I think a lot of things that I wear are of who I am for example the type of shirts that show girl power are one of my favorite things to wear because it shows that I value feminism and that’s very important. At the same time, clothes don’t have to make some sort of political statement… I wore this basic red tee shirt because my favorite color is red, there’s nothing really deep about that but I like it.” The Phoenix: How long does it take for you to choose an outfit Michael: “It’s either like two minutes—I know I love this shirt, I know I love these
Fashion at pants. Put them together: magic—or I am in front of my closet for thirty minutes. I don’t know what I’m wearing; I’m going to be late to school, but I have to pick the perfect outfit.” The Phoenix: Is there a specific type of clothing that you like to wear? Michael: “I love mom jeans right now, they are super comfortable. I also think they look really good. I like the style of long-sleeve crop tops and that’s a trend I’m into right now. I also have a pair of light jeans that I really like, but definitely high waisted jeans, long-sleeve crop tops. I’ll feel like it’s really in style.” The Phoenix: What do your clothes mean to you? Michael: ” I think that it feels good about what you look like on the outside, feeling good on the inside, but I think that having a
From runway to retail by Amira Salama Staff Writer
An example of this phenomenon is seen on the Prada Fall Winter 2017 runway. A navy blue medium length and corduroy coat, which features a plush faux Sherpa lining inside, was displayed on model Kris Grikaite. In the Gucci Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear Runway, the same type of coat but this time in a beige color, with a plush faux Sherpa lining was also spotted. A few weeks ago, in the men’s department at Urban Outfitters, the BDG Sherpa Denim jacket was released featuring the same plush faux Sherpa that was seen at the Prada show and the Gucci show. The similarities don’t stop there, as Faux Sherpa has become a trend at Brandy Melville, Pacsun and Forever 21.
sense of style, having something that you are comfortable with definitely pushes you to have a better day. [You] talk to more people when you feel comfortable with yourself, so I think that’s one thing. I get all excited with what clothing means to me: being able to be who I truly am on the inside with assistance from the outside.” The Phoenix: How has your style evolved over the years? Michael: ”When I moved here in the 5th grade I had no style In 6th grade, I was really down with tracksuits, like colorful Justice tracksuits. It was a very serious phase that lasted throughout 7th grade. And in 8th grade, I was just trying to find something different than tracksuits. In 9th grade, I was really just trying to be trendy. Like, ‘Oh my gosh! These American
Apparel side skirts. It was about feeling trendy, and I think over the years its kind of more feeling like myself, a very funky personality. So to fit into that, I have clothing that is very eccentric, like the piece I described that has a weird funky pattern all over it buttoned into mom jeans, it’s not something very typical; you wouldn’t see it around. I think that’s why I love thrifting so much, you’re not going to find a lot of people wearing the same thing, but it’s also ‘Oh, she’s a funky person to look at.’ ”
Lexi Kleinberg | The Phoenix
The trends we are following right now are all inspired by something. However, what people often forget is that birthplaces of these items descend from high-class fashion. Fashion shows such as the Gucci and Prada Fall Winter runways are where new types of clothes are displayed, and people then see similar styles brought into trendy stores today such as Urban Outfitters, Brandy Melville or Pacsun. The trends that are first seen on the runway trickle down into large corporations and the next thing you know, people are buying a sweater that resembles the one from the Balenciaga show.
On the same Gucci runway, a buttoned black mesh shirt with floral prints accompanied by a large black felt bow was found on model, Kasia Oskard. Mesh shirts have been a big trend recently and have been displayed in many staple stores such as Brandy Melville, Pacsun, Forever 21 and Hollister. The Sheer Mesh Metallic Crop Top sold in Forever21 looks exactly like the one shown in the Gucci Runway, except for the fact that it is cropped and has no floral prints.
In the Vetements Fall 2017 Ready-to-Wear Runway, a black-cropped knit sweater was revealed. Knit sweaters have an enormous success in many stores especially Brandy Melville. The “Lance Sweater” sold in Brandy Melville looks exactly like the sweater in the Vetements Runway. Without these designers producing more and more clothing each day and creating new ideas for future runways, “trendy clothing” would not exist today. Without these new trends being created none of the clothes we are wearing would be diverse.
Special Feature
nov. 3, 2017
Fremont by Guy Reuven Staff Writer
Celebrities are some of the biggest influences that determine how teenagers are styling themselves these days, and some of the most desired items in fashion today are collaborations between luxury and streetwear brands. With expensive prices and a limited supply, the clothing and shoes that make up the hype movement, which combines hip hop and rap culture, are hard to get a hold of. In 2015, the retail value of the Jordan 1’s Shattered Backboard shoes was $160; however, high value resellers caused the price to skyrocket and now they range from $500-$600 because of the high demand and limited supply. According to KicksWorth, the steady value of $160 will soon rise in price, as the hype trend continues, to a retail of around $380$440. Rappers and basket-
ball players like Michael Jordan have been wearing these shoes in some games and commonly wearing various Jordan 1’s, causing the supply to increase and soon it is likely that more people will be buying these Jordans. Supreme has been a brand for 18 years; however, it only recently became mainstream. Starting from the bottom as a regular low-profile brand, Supreme used to be a regular skate brand like Thrasher, Santa Cruz and Primitive, but as celebrities began wearing the brand, the popularity of the brand started to grow. Tyler The Creator, a famous rapper, and his group of “Odd Future” all showed up in Supreme to a MTV Video Music Awards. Now, big cities everywhere hailed Supreme, with British GQ Style magazine calling it “the coolest streetwear
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Hype trends brand in the world right now.” Now celebrities like Ricegum, a YouTuber with about 8 million subscribers who is always keeping up with the latest hype trends, is helping people obtain the most coveted clothes. An example of this was on Sept. 27, 2016, where Ricegum bought several Supreme hoodies each for $1000 dollars and gave away gift cards to fans. Days later, the Supreme trend had continued to gain popularity. Our school follows many hype brands, including Bape, Supreme, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Stussy. While Supreme is one of the biggest hype brands today, it is rarely seen at school because of how expensive it is. However, as more and more celebrities wear these brands, this trend will continue to grow around school.
At Fremont High School, collaboration items are very popular such as Vans x Thrasher, Supreme x The North Face and many more. Now, a popular brand and commonly worn shoe brand seen around campus are joining to make the NMD x Louis Vuitton Collaboration shoes. Louis Vuitton is expensive, but it is also very attractive, fashionable and seen around campus a lot, mostly on belts and wallets. NMD’s are not as expensive, running from $100 to $200. Although the collaboration between the two brands will probably be very expensive, people at school are already wearing NMDs or Louis Vuitton belts. When this collaboration releases next month, there may not be many of these shoes around campus, but there could be in the future once the prices drop.
Due to the demand for these items, many reselling sites are filled with these popular brands and sales have made it easier to obtain these clothes, including Jordan 1 Shattered Backboards on foot and a private GUCCI sale at Bloomingdale’s with many bags, shoes, wallets, hats and shirts. Our school’s favorite GUCCI shoes, the Leather high-top sneaker is also dropping from $630 to a whopping $177. They will run out of stock quickly, so get them while they last. All in all, the school is going to be flooding with trendy, new shoes and brands by the end of the year. NMDs, Supreme, The North Face and Bape are already seen almost everywhere, but when these brands collaborate or improve to make better items, hype outfits will be even more popular at school.
by Guppy Uppal Staff Writer
The 90’s are here! Lately at Fremont High School, a lot of new trends are coming back from the 90’s like the classic checkered vans, chokers, oversized tees and boyfriend jeans around school, the classic black and white checkered Vans or Birkenstock sandals can be seen. The combination of past trend and current trends brings unique styles to Fremont. How did this 90’s craze go from outdated to today’s trend? Lately, thrifting has become a popular way to find vintage clothes which appeals to 90’s style. Thrifting is an affordable way to find clothes that have usually been used by others. While it may not have been popular or “trendy” a couple years ago, going to second hand stores today has become a great way to find everything ranging from funny graphic tee shirts to that one pair of Levi’s that fit perfectly. For finding these clothes The Phoenix recommends thrift stores including Savers, Black and Brown, and Crossroads Trading. These stores are all in the Bay Area, specifically in San Jose. Savers is a second hand thrift store that is similar to Burlington Coat Factory. They have a large variety of clothing throughout the store from old dad shirts with floral patterns or stripes having coffee stains to ripped boyfriend jeans. Savers is great place to buy basic tee shirts and jeans in order to channel one’s inner fashion designer and create a stylish new look for oneself by making products their own. One can transform tee shirts into crop tops, turn a pair of oversized jeans into shorts or add decorative patches onto pants to make them more colorful and interesting. Another great aspect of Savers is the price of their clothing. If one is worried about spending a lot of money or is on a budget, Savers is a great option because of the low prices they offer. Tee shirts can be found
Photos courtesy of SanJose.com, KicksOnFire, Gucci, Lorestrome, WHATDROPSNOW, Vogue, Urban Outfitters, Brandy Melville, and Yelp.
at a price of $2 and jeans for $5. Thrifting is all about finding that one special piece that stands out and Savers is a great place to start. Black and Brown is another second hand thrift store resembling Urban Outfitters. At first glance, Black and Brown (B&B) almost resembles a 90’s music video set. The store’s western chic aesthetic emits a cozy and comfortable vibe. Black and Brown has an amazing denim collection; from Levi’s to Wrangler, boyfriend jeans to ripped high waisted mom jeans, all denim dreams are at B&B. The color-coordinated racks of dresses and shirts make it easy to gravitate toward one’s own personal style, as it pertains to youth. A lot of thrift stores are basic second hand stores with no preference over the donated clothes they receive, but Black and Brown hand-picks the clothes that come in and decides which items will sell and which pieces won’t fit the overall aesthetic of the store. This makes the collection at Black and Brown satisfying every time one visits. The store has a perfect mix between popular brand names such as Brandy Melville to older vintage brands. A section in a small corner of the store features Michael Kors, Prada, Alexander Wang, and Vetements,which is unusual to be at a thrift store. Crossroads Trading resembles the well-known store Ross, but with a vintage touch to it. The store has a diverse collection of sweaters and blouses which includes sweaters with fuzzy textures in the inside, reminding wearers of the feeling of a teddy bear, and blouses with patterns such as polka dots or mesh with rose patches on them. Thrifting is a new and fabulous way to shop for in trend clothing at an affordable price. At Fremont, thrifting is becoming a trend. In the Bay Area, there are many thrift stores, so be sure to visit one and see if their products vibe with your style.
Arts & Entertainment
nov. 3, 2017
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completely shift the movie into the comedy genre. This inconsistency put the film at an awkward crossroad between two different genres to the point where a person could not fully understand the point of the film, coming across as messy and chaotic.
D
escribed by the New York Times as Scream meets Groundhog Day, Happy Death Day follows protagonist Tree Gelbman, played by Jessica Rothe, whose acting credentials range from Academy Award winning La La Land to movies so irrelevant they don’t even have a Wikipedia page. As she relives her birthday over and over again, she is brutally murdered by someone wearing a baby mask and she must figure out who her killer is before she dies again. Overall, the movie exceeded my expectations, but those expectations weren’t particularly high either. Rothe’s performance was perhaps the most laudable part of the film. She played the selfish and rude college student Tree Gelbman well, effectively portraying Tree’s transition from a vain, condescending party girl to someone more aware of herself and others. Her talent was most noticeable during the more intense scenes in the movie, where she believably conveyed
Siblings may argue day and night, but there is an even bigger debate that all cinematic and comic fans know too well—Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Arguably, they are the largest and most influential comic book and graphic novel publishers. Both of them feature well-established characters such as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman in DC, and SpiderMan, Captain America and Iron Man in Marvel. The debate about which publisher has better character and plot development has been going on for decades. As stated by M. Keith Booker, in his book Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas, DC Comics started under the name National Allied Publications in 1934. In June of 1938, National Allied Publications debuted Superman in Action Comics #1, creating the superhero genre. Batman debuted in Detective Comics #27. National Allied Publications went through numerous name changes, eventually setting on DC Comics in 1977.
by Hannah Butay Opinion Editor how afraid, yet determined her character was. However, Rothe’s good performance was brought down by her co-stars’ less-than-stellar acting. For example, Israel Broussard, who plays Tree’s classmate Carter Davis, comes across as an unpleasant, slightly creepy suitor rather than the cute love interest he is supposed to be. His interactions with Tree are less awkward than his character is, but there is still a subtle feeling of unease when he appears on screen. Happy Death Day also didn’t take itself too seriously. Despite advertisements depicting the film as a full horror movie, there were a nice amount of humorous scenes and one-liners, though not enough to
Marvel’s humble beginnings were in 1939 as Timely Publications, but later changed to Atlas Comics in the early 1950’s. What started as a vision from Martin Goodman elevated to a legendary, well-renowned franchise. Soon after, The Golden Age of comics marked the period where some of the best comics were introduced. With the recent World War, this period was integral to providing some relief to the common people. Marvel contributed greatly to this period by introducing the well-loved Captain America. DC, on the other hand, didn’t start making headlines until The Silver Age. The Silver Age of comics started around the mid 1950’s and ended around the 1970’s. Riding off of their previous success with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, new characters like Green Lantern, Hawkeye and the Justice League hit the stage. It was during this time when Atlas Comics became Marvel. One overarching similarity between the two
At the same time, however, the genre blur was able to add an odd charm to the movie. It allowed for the audience to see the characters through two different lenses, a serious one and a humorous one, and this overall contributed to the characters coming off as likeable and true to life. It makes the movie entertaining, but an entertaining movie isn’t necessarily a good movie. If the film was aiming to be more horrific than funny, then the movie did an inadequate job of accomplishing that. There is a definite scary feeling to the film and, coupled with the ever-pressing question of who Tree’s killer is, the audience can feel a rush of adrenaline each time Tree is murdered. And yet, the baby mask
Photos courtesy of TMC, Bleeding Cool and Universal Pictures
the murderer dons takes away from the overall horror aspect. Instead, the pigbaby mask feels like a silly prop rather than a symbol of death similar to Jason’s iconic hockey mask. In terms of special effects, the movie strayed away from the excess gore typical of most slasher films and the amount of blood shown was minimal. The biggest usage of special effects came during the car
by Suryan Bhatia and Vivien Su Collaboration
franchises is their realistic characters, which successfully attracts all ages. DC Comics creating the superhero genre initially sparked the reason for this debate. Many fans criticize Marvel Comics for having a lot of humor in their stories. DC Comics, on the other hand, has darker stories that are grounded in reality and deal with serious topics through superheros like Watchmen, mental health via the Joker and abuse by Harley Quinn. It presents the two extremes of superheroes: Superman, a god-like hero with defined morals and Batman, a human with no superpowers along with ambiguous morals. However, most of DC Comic’s heroes are unrelatable. Characters are born with or receive their powers with no trial or hard work. Their god-like attributes also make them seem unrealistic and unrelatable.
Marvel successfully established themselves as a top-notch franchise with their ingenious interpretations of the old comics. Anytime their name is mentioned, fans innately expect greatness. And it doesn’t seem like Marvel’s backing down anytime soon. Their highest grossing film, The Avengers (2012), garnered a worldwide total of $1,518,812,988, making it the 5th highest grossing film of all time. The Avengers focused on a coalition between Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hawkeye and the Incredible Hulk. Related series, like Captain America, Iron Man and Thor, were released before, with each racking up around over half a billion dollars. In recent times, however, Marvel’s movies are beginning to seem quite similar. The movies focus more on comedic elements, resulting in
explosion, which looked like something straight out of a James Bond movie. Furthermore, the movie utilizes jump scares too often and too successively, to the point where they lose their effectiveness. By the end of the movie, nobody was leaping out of their seat whenever the killer would suddenly appear behind Tree. The overarching mystery behind who Tree’s murder is incredibly wellwritten, in part because there are so many suspects.
predictable plots. SpiderMan: Homecoming, Marvel’s recent movie, felt like a breath of fresh air. While it had comedic moments, it focused more on Peter’s struggle as both a superhero and teenager. With the film centering on a younger Peter Parker, audiences of all ages were thoroughly entertained. Spider-Man: Homecoming grossed over 800 million dollars. In the movie business, DC has not been doing too well. Although Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy was successful, there have been recent failures, such as Batman v. Superman and Suicide Squad. These movies failed due to a multitude of reasons. Batman v. Superman trying to do too many things in a two hour timespan led to a movie that was bland with no clear direction. Suicide Squad was just boring. The villain’s plan did not make sense, the heroes were unrelatable and the whole movie felt empty with no purpose. In contrast, DC’s most recent movie, Wonder Woman, did great at box
Due to Tree being a rather unpleasant person at the start of the film, countless people want to kill her, ranging from her aforementioned creepy love interest Carter, to the professor she is having an affair with to a recently-escaped serial killer. The final reveal is definitely a huge shock and the murderer is someone one could never possibly anticipate, yet it makes sense. Generally, Happy Death Day was not a complete flop. It definitely had its high points, but the more negative aspects of the film definitely brought its overall rating down. The film was just remarkably average.
office, grossing over 820 million dollars and scoring a 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. This film’s success altered the common perception of a lackluster DC and put their name back on the map. Justice League, DC’s upcoming film, shows promise. The movie’s recent trailer received over 300 thousand likes on YouTube and is directed by Josh Whedon who also directed Avengers and Fire Fly. It’s safe to say that each franchise has experienced its fair share of hits and misses. In the past, Marvel was thought to have the greater success, but DC’s recent works may have shifted the odds in their favor. Holistically, both franchises have left an impressionable footprint on the media and successfully, for the most part, revived the love of old comics. They’ve revolutionized the cinematic landscape in a number of imaginable ways. Without Marvel and DC, the world of entertainment wouldn’t be as striking as it is today. Photos courtesy of Timothyartoons, Emaze, With an Accent, IMDb, and Sell My Comic Books
Arts & Entertainment 9
Nov. 3, 2017
Although hip hop and R&B are two of the most popular genres of music among young people in America, the popular artists of this sort of music do not represent all listeners. However, with successful female rappers such as Cardi B and Princess Nokia on the rise, as well as Logic’s outspokenness about mental health, more and more teens can now see themselves in the music they listen to. One such underrepresented group is that of LGBTQ+ people, with plenty of talented queer artists slipping under the radar. Take for example, Ian Simpson, who performs under the name of Kevin Abstract. Abstract is a rapper and singer-songwriter native to
Sexy or sexist? by Katherine Davis Staff Writer
Everyone has had that friend who jokingly told us to google “sexy french fries” or “sexy Finding Nemo” costumes. It’s not that hard to find ridiculous images online by adding “sexy” in front of the first thing to come to mind. However, one can only laugh at it for so long without wondering how this came to be. To answer that, a finger can be pointed towards society, culture, and the current spirit of Halloween. The festival of Halloween is an old one with roots in ancient Celtic harvest festivals. One example is Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season. Recently, between the 1940’s and 1950’s, companies began to realize the potential profit from selling Halloween costumes and candy. According to Huffington
Post, another change in how Halloween was viewed came around the 1970’s, as the generation that grew up with this new Halloween culture became adults. Since then Halloween companies began marketing towards adults. Beginning at a young age, Halloween costumes have been heavily stereotyped. A 2006 study by Adie Nelson mentions profession based costumes and the options the children are given. Boys are given choices such as firemen or police officers. Girls, on the other hand, are given the choice to be cowgirls or nurses, usually with a mini skirt design. Children who have grown up surrounded by these stereotypes continue this trend into adulthood. Men continue to wear the costumes from childhood, while women’s costumes continue to evolve as trends age. Their choices are nar-
Texas. As a solo artist, he has released two albums: MTV1987 (2014) and American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story (2016). In his second album, he sings about the struggles of growing up as gay and black in a suburban community. The tracks on this LP range from the upbeat acoustic Yellow and the angrier, heavily autotuned, Flintridge, telling an emotionally charged story that any LGBTQ+ teen can find relatable. Another LGBTQ+ musician is Frank Ocean, an R&B artist from New Orleans, whose albums Channel Orange and Blonde have received substantial critical acclaim. Ocean came out as bisexual in 2012, revealing that his songs about unrequited love were based off his teenage feelings towards another boy. Although there are many out and proud musicians in other genres, Ocean has been one of the first hip hop or R&B artists to come out so publicly. While a coming out story of this sort may not be so ground breaking in another genre of music,
like indie, genres like R&B and hip hop have long run rampant with homophobia and sexism. Thus, having Ocean’s coming out has been hailed as a milestone for LGBTQ+ artists. Many fans of the genre may wonder, however, why it even matters that artists feel comfortable speaking out openly about their sexualities. Kevin Abstract addresses this perfectly in one of his recent songs. Besides being a talented solo artist, he is also the founding member of boy band BROCKHAMPTON, an LA based rap collective. In one verse, off the song JUNKY from their newest album, SATURATION II, Abstract raps, “why you always rap about being gay?/ ‘cause not enough n*ggas rap and be gay,” which perfectly emcompasses why that representation is so important. He sees himself as filling a gap in a genre devoid of stories about coming out and sexuality to provide young queer listeners with songs and lyrics that they can relate to. Lesbian rapper, Young
M.A. has a different approach to being so outspoken in her music. She explains that her music did not feel “real” until she came out and accepted herself, and that she refuses to be defined as a talented female or lesbian rapper, but rather as a talented rapper full stop. No matter an artist’s reason for coming out in their music, they are moving the industry forward. Although progress remains to be made, if a teen can see Young M.A. opening a show for Beyoncé, or Frank Ocean topping the charts for weeks in a row, the industry must be doing something right, by giving a platform for a marginalized group to share their stories through one of the most popular styles of music today.
Photos courtesy of Billboard, Vulture and Rolling Stone
rowed down to revealing and provocative costumes. By the time the 2000’s rolled around, provocative and revealing costumes for women, dubbed “Sexy Halloween Costumes,” had become extremely popular. According to the New York Times, one costume company had to divide their “sexy costume” section into three subsections because 90-95% of their female sales were in this category. These sexy Halloween costumes eventually became something that is socially unacceptable. It creates the stigma that this is what women can wear on Halloween and only Halloween. Everyone should be able to dictate their own choices; placing negative connotations with how people dress and limiting them to societal expectations is harmful. What someone wears on Halloween should not be pigeonholed into stereotypical categories. Change starts small, so let it start with Halloween. Samhitha Tumkur | The Phoenix
Arts & Entertainment Meet the FHS Model United Nations Club
Nov. 3, 2017
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by Ambika Vaidya Staff Writer
“An established club on campus that everyone respects.” That is what junior Karthik Balakrishnan said when asked about his hopes for Fremont High School’s Model United Nations Club. Balakrishnan, who is president of MUN, started the club at the beginning of the last school year. “Last year, the summer [after] my freshman year, I went to a Model UN camp,” said Balakrishnan. “When I went to the camp, I really enjoyed the style and debate…so I called a few friends and I started [the MUN club].” Model UN is a club where participants debate over and learn about world issues, international relations and diplomacy. A few times each year, participants from different schools join together at conferences, either held at other high schools or colleges. Prior to these conferences, participants individually prepare a position paper for the topic and country they are assigned to, including their own resolutions for their world issue. The actual conference bears similarity to a performance, where the delegates debate over resolutions and form alliances with whoever they agree with. Though highly de-
Photos courtesy of FHS Model United Nations
manding, the work can be rewarding, because a delegate’s performance at conferences and the quality of their position papers can enable them to win awards. MUN is a widely established club, being available at many middle schools, high schools and colleges worldwide. However, at FHS, MUN is now a blooming club, slowly but gradually gaining popularity. Though last year, the club was not very well known, it is gradually gaining more members as this year progresses. As Balakrishnan says, “It’s been a rough ride… it was definitely a rough start but I’ve learned a lot.” The club not only teaches teammates how to debate, but collaboration and communication skills
as well. As Balakrishnan puts it, “[it teaches one] to make one cohesive team… [and] how to get people to improve on what they’re already good at.” As a member of the club myself, I can say that I have learned a lot from Model UN. I joined last year, second semester. At my first conference at UC Davis last May, I was able to improve my social skills and be more assertive and confident. The conference also gave me the opportunity to meet delegates from other schools across California. Since the Davis conference, the MUN club has been to a conference at Mills High School in Millbrae. FHS’s MUN team gained a tremendous victory. Of the four MUN team members who attended the confer-
ence, three of them won awards: junior Zoya Syrova won a research award for her outstanding position paper, junior Jeffrey Kwon won an outstanding delegate award and Balakrishnan himself won a best delegate award, the highest and most honorable award MUN bestows. Of course, winning an award is no easy feat. One has to prepare tirelessly in the weeks and days leading up to the conference. The bigger the conference is, the more one will want to play their best game during the conference. Preparing takes plenty of research, which extends beyond the position paper. At many conferences, it is highly recommended that delegates have a MUN binder filled with their posi-
tion paper, other research and information papers and lots of sticky notes—to pass notes with resolutions around to other delegates in order to get a head start on forming alliances. Additionally, delegates need to learn the art of improv, as they will sometimes be called upon to talk and present their views during a timed moderated caucus— a debate where delegates can stand up and present their views in front of all the other delegates, then debate based on how other delegates react. Like I said before, the work is worth the effort. Besides looking great on a college application and opening up a whole new field of career choices, Model UN is, at its most fundamental level, a club where one can
debate, socialize and put their knowledge of world issues to the test. There comes the added privilege of traveling to other areas, states and maybe even countries and meeting other students. Obviously, MUN is much more than just a club. It’s a gateway to unique career choices like an ambassador, diplomat or a participant of the actual United Nations. Additionally, for students who want to become civil rights lawyers or human rights activists, Model UN is a great opportunity for them to gain a broader perspective on the world and expand their oral skills. Balakrishnan hopes that FHS MUN becomes more popular among students. Already this year, MUN has many more participants than last year. However, Balakrishnan wants more than an increased amount of members. “I want it to be like a Speech and Debate or Robotics type club where after I leave it doesn’t just die down but someone else is willing to take it up,” he said. For such a new club, MUN is doing relatively well. Perhaps, in the near future, Balakrishnan’s hopes for the club will be fulfilled. Until then, Balakrishnan will take the lead and drive his club to victory.
Halal Restaurants to try in the Bay Area by Momina Nadeem Online Editor
Being a Muslim in a country where the majority of people are not Muslim poses many challenges for people like myself. Many of these hurdles include social issues, but an obstacle most people do not realize Muslims face is food. While most people can pull up to their local McDonald’s for a quick bite to eat, Muslims are faced with the challenge of finding food that is halal. The term “halal” refers to anything that is permissible in Islam. In terms of food, halal meat is meat that is killed in accordance with religious guidelines. Pork is considered haram, or forbidden and seafood is always halal; any other meat is halal as long as it is hand slaughtered after a prayer has been recited. This can be compared to the Jewish method of slaughtering meat to make it kosher. While some may think that this is nothing but an inconvenience for Muslims when it comes to dining, I believe that the contrary is true. In the hunt for good quality halal food, Muslims, like myself, often come across hidden gems which are not only tasty, but culturally rich as well.
House of Falafel House of Falafel is a Mediterranean restaurant in Cupertino, specializing in a variety of wraps and platters. I ordered their Combo Shawerma Wrap to go, which is a chicken and lamb wrap served with hot chili sauce and some tahini sauce. The interior of the restaurant is very casual and the neat thing about the restaurant is that there is a station where customers can make their own Arabic tea. The only major drawback is the price of the food; it cost 10 dollars to order a foot long shawerma which wasn’t spicy enough for my tastes, which is why I felt the restaurant to be a bit overpriced.
Photos courtesy of Daily Mail and Momina Nadeem | The Phoenix
Garlic Mediterranean Grill Santa Clara Garlic Mediterranean Grill is a small halal Mediterranean restaurant in Santa Clara. I tried the Chicken Doner Plate, the Combo Doner Wrap and the Lahmacun, which is a Turkish specialty pizza. The chicken which came with the doner plate was slightly overcooked, though the rest of the things were cooked just right. The lahmacun was especially delicious. The portion sizes were very filling and the meal came with complimentary naan. While the restaurant looks underwhelming from the outside, the inside is very welcoming. Customers order at the counter, and the food is brought to them at their tables.
Biriyani & Kababs Biriyani & Kababs is an Indian restaurant in Sunnyvale. I ordered a Chicken Dum Biriyani, a Chicken Seekh Kebab Wrap and a Chicken Tikka Stuffed Naan—which was the daily special—all to go. I had high expectations of the food offered at Biriyani & Kababs since biriyani is my favorite food, but I was left disappointed. Although tender, the chicken had none of the flavor I associate with chicken in biriyani and the rice was too spicy. The chicken seekh kebab wrap tasted strongly of turmeric, which overpowered the taste of the kebab. The interior of the restaurant is the least welcoming out of all the restaurants I have tried.
Mirchi Cafe Mirchi Cafe in Fremont may look small and uninteresting from the outside, but the restaurant has much to offer. Meaning “spice” in Urdu, Mirchi delivers just that to its customers. The restaurant serves halal Pakistani and American fast food, but the unique thing about the American fast food the restaurant offers is the fact that Pakistani spices are used in the recipes. I ordered the Crispy Chicken Breast burger, which came with complimentary fries and salad. The portion size was very large and the chicken was crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, seasoned with Mirchi’s signature spice mix. The interior is very welcoming, with vibrant pictures emulating the heart of Pakistani life adorning the walls.
Despite it being a challenge to find food sometimes, Muslims in the Bay Area are fortunate to have a wide variety of halal restaurants catering to diverse tastes and cultures. If you like halal meat or want to try something new, consider checking these restaurants out.
sports Kneeling spreads across sports in the US
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NOV. 3, 2017
by Veeryan Bhatia Staff Writer
As of 2016 there have been multiple incidents where African Americans have been discriminated against and even shot by police officers. According to New York Post, nearly 900 additional blacks were killed in 2016 compared to 2015. Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback for the San Francisco 49’ers and a long time Black Lives Matter protester, wanted to protest against racism and police discrimination. As a result, he refused to stand during the national anthem during a National Football League pre-game ceremony. His reason for doing so was because the national anthem includes the phrase “the land of free” yet didn’t promise freedom to all, especially to African Americans. At first Kaepernick’s intention was not clear. As a result, it was considered extremely controversial. Many were against Kaepernick’s protest, claiming that his protest was insulting the national anthem and was disrespectful towards the people who risked their lives fighting for the U.S. Due to all the controversy, Kaepernick made a statement regarding his motives.”I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” he said
in a post-game National Football League interview. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way… There are bodies in the street and people getting paid to leave and getting away with murder. This is not something that I am going to run by anybody. I am not looking for approval. I have to stand up for people that are oppressed. … If they take football away, my endorsements from me, I know that I stood up for what is right.” Kaepernick’s fans and supporters of his protest tweeted using #ISupportKaepernick. Some of the tweets included, “the outrage over his action, while citizens are being killed in the streets, proves our priorities are a mess” and “real patriotism is caring enough to call out your country on its problems instead of mindlessly humming a song”. As a result of all the controversial arguments, Kaepernick changed his protest from sitting down to taking a knee. This was considered much more formal and less disrespectful. By mid-season 2016, 11 players, including other 49’ers such as Marquise Goodwin, Eli Harold and Eric Reid, joined Kaepernick by taking a knee during the national anthem. Gradually this form of protest grew. By pre-season 2017, this form of protest has become
more common. According to Sports Illustrated, players from over 12 professional football teams are protesting during the national anthem in support of Kaepernick’s movement. Not all teams chose to take a knee during the anthem, however their intentions were the same as Kaepernick. The Green Bay Packers, for example, linked arms as a form of protest, during the national anthem. On Sept. 22, 2017, President Trump addressed the protest referring to Kaepernick and other protesters as “son of a b*tch.” Teresa Kaepernick, Colin Kaepernick’s mother, responded to President Trump’s comments, stating “Guess that makes me a proud b*tch” on Twitter. Presidents Trump’s comments enraged many, leading to many more teams and athletes to protest the anthem. Kaepernick and other football athletes’ protests, however have had a significant impact on the U.S. Now, it is not just football players, but athletes from all over the country are protesting during the national anthem. According to Thinkprogress, professional basketball teams, such as the Lakers, Kings, Celtics, Knicks, Wizards and Rockets locked arms in solidarity during the national anthem. Likewise, athletes, coaches and staff members from Minneapolis South High
School and Garfield High School took a knee during the national anthem in a pre-game ceremony. As we dive into 2017 NFL midseason, Colin Kaepernick and other athletes have not stopped fighting racism. Their protests will continue to influence Americans to join alongside athletes in order to make a difference.
KAEPERNICK and Reid kneel during the national anthem of 49ers vs Panthers game
SEATTLE Seahawks players and coaches link arms during the national anthem
GREEN Bay Packers link arms during the national anthem Photos courtesy of Sports Illustrated, New York Times and USA Today
Outside athletes: sports beyond Fremont by Leann Bast Staff Writer
Senior Alexander Javorski is an aspiring professional fencer, who has been competing for five years. He started fencing when his mom signed him up during seventh grade. Javorski has won many awards including national championships, being a medalist in the Junior Olympics, and at one point in time being on the national cadet team. Javorski says that he really enjoys the training and exercises more than of having to go through a whole session of fencing,
Sophomore Natalia Etter plays ice hockey. She has been playing for fourteen years. Over her years of playing, she has won many tournaments. During the week of Oct. 1 2017 to Oct. 7 2017, she and her team went undefeated in a tournament in Chicago. She explains that she really enjoys the different play styles and strategies in hockey—that the game is very variant in that way. Her
since he gets to work on his fitness while hanging around with his friends. Javorski believes that it’s not impossible to be a good fencer even when one begins later in their life. Javorski’s dream is to compete in the Olympic Games as a fencer and he is pushing himself to achieve that dream. He would love for FHS to offer fencing because he thinks that fencing is a sport that anyone can learn and fencing teaches skills necessary during and after high school.
motivation is her older brother Noah Etter, who plays hockey as well. She also looks up to Chicago Blackhawks player Patrick Kane. Etter would want hockey to be offered at Fremont High School, since she has a lot of friends on her team that have ice hockey as a school sport and it would be fun. If hockey were offered, she would get to practice and would be able to compete in more games.
Sophomore Advay Anand plays cricket, a sport that is widely popular around the world. As of 2017, he has been playing for four years. Over his years of playing he has won the Promising Player Award and has been to three national tournaments. He even won a tournament in Chicago. He
states that he loves that cricket is a fun and competitive team-based sport. Anand’s motivation is the Indian Cricket team. He said that he would definitely want the sport to be offered at Fremont High School since cricket is a fun sport and would give an opportunity to many more people to play it.
Sophomore Bess Newton plays ice hockey in the Junior Sharks League. She has been playing in the league for four years now, this year being her fifth. Over course of playing, she has been the assistant captain of her team for two years. She says that she loves how players can be so close to the National Hockey League players, because they get to practice and play where the professional hockey players practice, resulting in a hands on experience for her and her teammates. Newton started hockey when
her parent received a flyer about a program called “Girls Give Hockey a Try”. In the program, girls under the age of 13 get to learn and play hockey. At first, Newton disliked the program. After a while, she completely fell in love with the sport and has been playing it ever since. Newton explained that she would want it to be offered at FHS as a lot of her friends play ice hockey for their high school teams and competing against them would be fun. Leann Bast| The Phoenix
sports Looking back on an excellent fall season 12
Nov. 3, 2017
by Eva Devanathan & Genavieve Marquez Collaboration
Girls Water Polo The varsity girls water polo team has had a great season this year. They had an overall score of ten wins and three losses and are hoping to win the tournament game at the end of the season for the El Camino League. Moris Clark, coach of girls’ varsity water polo and Geoff Wen, his assistant, both supervise and are really proud of the team. Although this year’s season has been great, the team still has to face many challenges next year. The team has 14 seniors and only two underclassmen Varsity players. Coach Clark and Coach Wen know the challenges of bringing a new team together, but they want to make sure the environment of the team stays the same. Overall, this year’s season was great and the team is looking forward to next year.
Girls Volleyball This years season for the varsity girls volleyball team turned out great. They had an overall score of five wins and five losses. Annika Janson, coach of girls’ varsity volleyball believes that they are the underdogs so having this many wins is certainly a success. The team’s main goal this year and future years are to win as many games as they can, as well as work on general skills like passing and defense. Even though this is the last volleyball season the seniors are playing, Coach Janson believes the team will still be able to be have a good season next year because of the great influences the seniors gave the lower classmen. All in all, the team has had many successes and are looking forward to next season.
Girls Tennis An intense season was exactly what the varsity girls tennis team had. The team has had an overall score of two wins and eight losses. John Musser, head coach of the girls varsity tennis team believes that one of the biggest challenges of playing tennis, especially for high school students is the ability to stay present, to stay focused and to keep cool. He believes that it is easy to win a match and feel happy about yourself, but it is tough to lose a match and still feel good about yourself. The main focus of the team is to have a positive attitude and to give 100 percent dedication and effort. Part of the reason the team didn’t have a very strong winning season this year is due to losing seven or eight senior girls last year when they graduated last year. They formed the heart of the varsity team, so there are a lot of younger players who were playing junior varsity last year that moved into varsity position this year. It is a learning process and it’s about gaining experience, primarily because varsity is a big step up from junior varsity. In the long run, the season was a challenge, but the team show a lot of dedication.
Football This years season for the boys varsity football team was very challenging and all the players were giving it their best shot. The team has won three games and lost four. The players have been competing hard, trying their best and with every game, they are growing and becoming stronger says Nelson Gifford, coach of varsity football. Throughout the season, all the players displayed excellent communication and dedication which contributed to the team’s victories. Throughout the season went well, Coach Gifford states that the team has to work harder on fundamental skills such as tackling, communication and defense. Coach Gifford says that these skills are never mastered, just improved, so he works hard with the players to refine their skills. After all the hard work the team has invested, the season’s outcome showed a lot of dedication.
Cross Country This years season for the cross country team has been great and the team was very motivated to make sure that was the outcome. The runners commit to their training plan by running daily and always putting in the effort needed. Coach of the cross country team, Luke Sigmon, believes that the runners are doing great. Coach Sigmon is proud of the team’s dedication and the hard work they put in. On October 31, the team competed in the De Anza division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League. This meet took place at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Belmont and determined their ranking in the league. Even though the season has come to an end, Coach Sigmon wants the runners to run daily, increasing their speed. Throughout the season, the cross country team has made major improvements and has had a great season.
Boys Varsity Water Polo The boys varsity water polo team has had a great and challenging season this year. Coach Mike Fleming, coach of varsity boys’ water polo, said the team was very committed to trying their best when playing. The score of the season was eleven wins, five losses and one tie. Their goal for this season was to come in first place in their league. They will play a series of tournament games that will determine their place in the league. Coach Mike says they have a chance at winning if they compete well and try their best. Throughout the season, the team has really bonded. On Thursday, October 26, the boys varsity team beat Wilcox High School 13-10, advancing them to the championship game for the first time since Coach Mike has been coaching. The players have all done a great job contributing and even though a lot seniors are leaving, the team will come back next year playing hard and having fun. Photos courtesy of Moris Clark, Annika Janson, Tennis Team, Roman Stein, Luke Sigmon and Eyal Schory
Previewing the FHS winter sports season by Trixie Rodriguez & Anoushka Samant Collaboration
Boys Basketball Boys varsity basketball is expecting to have a great season this year. Practice started on October 30 and the first game will be held on November 25 against Design Tech High School. The season ends on February 16th in Milpitas. A tournament will be held at Fremont High School from December 15 through December 18, where the Fremont boys’ varsity team will be competing against schools such as Wilcox High School, Independence High School, Willow Glen High School and Homestead High School, which is a highly anticipated part of the season. The team has done well in previous seasons, though they struggled a bit last season due to some injuries such as concussions and a broken foot. This year, Coach Dan Bergeron and the basketball team hope to have a great season so that they can make it to CCS playoffs in February. Girls Soccer Girls varsity soccer started conditioning on October 23 and their official practice began on October 30. Two of the most anticipated games of the season includes the game against Gunn High School and the annual game at Salinas High. The last game of the season will be on February 16. The team was able to make it to the Central Coast Section (CCS) during the 2014 season. Last year, however, the team struggled since they were moved to the much more competitive De Anza division. Girls varsity soccer Coach Payam Hajjarian believes that if the team works hard, they will be able to perform much better this season and make it to championships!
Boys Soccer Varsity boys soccer tryouts started on October 30, signifying the beginning of the season for them. The season could end in February or March depending on playoff results. Coach Demba Diallo, coach of varsity boys’ soccer, is especially excited to compete against Homestead High School. Last season, the players were organized and hardworking on and off the field, which led the team to a Lovato Cup Championship, along with the league title. As Coach Diallo begins his 12th year as a high school soccer coach, he hopes to continue with the consistency of discipline, dedication and determination, leading to the team success. Wrestling Fremont High School has had a very successful wrestling program in the past. This season Coach Erik Duus has high hopes for the team. The season started on October 30 and ends in March. In past years, the team has produced national champions, state champions and Olympians. This year they plan to defend their spot as league champions in the De Anza division. They also hope to place top three in the CCS and have several wrestlers make it to the state championships. Girls Basketball Varsity girls basketball started practice on Monday, October 30 in the large gym. The season ends on February 13, finishing with the team’s last game of the season. The varsity girls’ basketball team will be playing Homestead High School twice throughout the season and the team looks forward to playing and defeating HHS. In previous years, the basketball teams have represented Fremont High School with integrity and pride. This year, Coach Miguel Castillo hopes to continue to build the basketball team with student athletes that are dedicated to represent FHS.