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.