The Phoenix Volume 7, Issue 2

AffIrmative Action See Page 4

Music and Moods see page 6 & 7

Celebrities: where are they now? see page 10

Fremont High School

the

PHOENIX

Vol. 7 Issue No. 2 Nov. 16, 2018

The importance of applying out-of-state Vivien Su

A&E Editor

“When you’re in California, it’s really hard to leave California,” Dan Amezquita, one of Fremont High School’s guidance counselor, said.

Often hailed as one of greatest states in America, it is not hard to see why so many students are reluctant to leave the Golden State. For many, the idea of leaving their home state is terrifying. With the college application season already arriving for prospective graduates, many students are facing the difficult decision of choosing whether to stay or leave California.

In recent years, the number of California students applying out-of-state has increased exponentially.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 22,000 students in California applied out-of-state in 2006. Ten years later, that number nearly doubled: in 2016, around 40,000 left California.

The report also indicated one of the most popular schools that California residents are applying to is the University of Arizona, which drew in an astounding 1,246 applicants from California in 2016. Trailing close behind was the University of Oregon, which had 1,205 applicants in 2016.

Among California students, a majority of them are going to Arizona. In fact, “Four-year Arizona colleges enrolled more than 5,300 first-time freshmen from California in 2016,” reported The Sacramento Bee. With the great opportunities that Arizona universities provide, the statistic comes

as no surprise.

“Arizona State University [for example] will guarantee that students get every single class every semester,” said Amezquita.

“Here in California, schools are so impacted, and by that I mean there are more students than there is space in programs. Arizona State was clear in saying that if students need a class, it will hire more teachers to get students those classes.”

The benefits don’t stop there, however.

Arizona State has one of the highest graduation rates across the nation. “[Arizona State] looks at how many students they graduate within a four to six year period,” said Amezquita. Amezquita also noted that the university has a four-year plan just like Fremont.

Another popular state amongst the California students was New York, which succeeded in attracting almost 3,500 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Besides the curriculum options, there is another point of concern that many students weigh heavily: tuition.

California schools are infamous for their expensive tuition.

“Schools in California are obviously expensive just for residence, but going out of state is often the same, if not, less, when we consider the cost of housing and living,” said Amezquita.

It is important for students to look at tuition in the context of a four or six-year period. Even if some universities have an annual tuition rate that is higher than other universities,

students may complete their studies in a shorter amount of time, so the tuition at that specific university is cheaper overall, even if it may not appear that way at first glance.

To further address the issue of tuition, students should highly consider looking into Western Undergraduate (WUE) schools.

According to WUE’s official website, under the WUE system, students applying out of state pay no more than 150% of the in-state tuition rates. This is a great bargain compared to the regular out-of-state tuition rates, which can reach up to 300% of in-state tuition rates.

Many schools fall under the WUE system such as Arizona State University, University of New Mexico, University of Idaho, University of Utah, South Dakota State University, Washington State University and many more.

For many students, applying out-of-state means opportunity and adventure.

And for others, it is a way to leave home and gain a new sense of independence.

However, there are plenty of opportunities that are often overlooked by many applicants. According to senior Cheryl Ngo, by applying out-of-state, students can be “exposed to so much culture”.

Besides, out-of-state schools, like Brown University, provide many class selection options that many California schools do not.

“Brown has an open curriculum. You can build your own curriculum,” said Ngo. “There “are no required classes. I like that freedom.”

This is a big difference from many of the California schools that have a set of required classes for their students to take.

Flexible curriculums are just the tip of the iceberg. Out-of-state schools offer a great number of opportunities that California schools do not.

“If you’re thinking about the medical field, UCLA has one hospital on campus, [but] the University of Alabama, Burlingham, has five,” said Amezquita.

“A lot of students can get the same type of engineering degree at a place less competitive and where the opportunity is greater.”

On paper, UCLA may be the more attractive option, but that may not necessarily be the case for every student. Sometimes forgetting the reputation of the school is crucial for acquiring different opportunities that could prove to be very beneficial in the future. Amezquita proposes to compare the collegesearching process to the

car-buying process. According to Amezquita, it is best to ignore the college name for just a second and weigh all the options on the table before committing impulsive decisions.

“Many of the schools in California either don’t have a business school or don’t consider finance to be an undergrad major” said senior Isha Goel. “Also for me, I would not get as many internship opportunities for finance in California.”

Because Goel is applying as a finance major, the lack of business schools and available internships in her field in California poses as a serious challenge. Luckily, out-of-state schools serve as the perfect solution.

Besides academic and financial benefits, branching out is something that every student should attempt to pursue.

“You are exposed to so much culture,” Ngo said.

“The college experience that most students would get outside of California is different from what they

would receive within California,” said senior Ankita Janakiraman. “Each location has a special culture, and students may want to experience the different traditions as well as opportunities. I think that when the opportunity presents itself to live somewhere new, I would take it on the basis of having new experiences and building myself through gaining a more refined, worldly perspective.”

Trying new foods, exploring new sites, expanding social circles and shifting lifestyles is a meaningful experience, to say the least.

“I wanna make sure I take chances with out-ofstate schools,” said Goel.

“It is important that students, like myself, broaden their search regions because there is no guarantee of an acceptance to a school in California,” said Janakiraman.

Out-of-state schools offer many benefits in the eyes of a California student, and students are applying more as a result.

Photos courtesy of WNST

Opportunities to apply for scholarships

by Fiona O’Bannon Staff Writer

November has arrived, which means that college application season is officially in full swing.

Students are calculating not only their chances of being accepted into their dream school, but also the financial cost of college.

But college isn’t cheap, as a 2018 CNBC news report states that “Today, 70 percent of college students graduate with a significant amount of loans. Over 44 million Americans collectively hold nearly $1.5 trillion in student debt.”

Fortunately, there are

many opportunities for students to obtain money to offset the cost of attending college. One of the most accessible applications for financial aid is scholarships.

Scholarships, which fall under “gift aid”, are essentially money that is granted to students for free.

Scholarship money does not have to be paid back like loans and, unlike financial aid granted to students from colleges, often times do not require additional financial information for individuals to qualify.

Scholarships can be awarded by the federal and

local government, as well as from colleges, private and nonprofit organizations.

The most common type of scholarship is merit-based, where students earn money for a variety of qualifications —academic and athletic achievements, volunteer work, or simply meeting specific requirements, can help reduce the cost of college for students.

Students can find resources for applying for scholarships on the Fremont High School website under “Guidance.” The guidance team has provided links to organizations such as

Scholarships.com and Fastweb, which are thirdparty organizations that compile scholarships for students based on data they are given.

Students can also find college-specific scholarships when filling out their college applications and through Naviance.

Some scholarships focus on specific qualifications that applicants match, such as ethnicity, merit, or community service hours.

Scholarships such as the Ronald McDonald Scholarship, Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, The Moose

Lodge Foundation, Ron Brown Scholarship and The Hispanic Scholarship Fund offer opportunities for a variety of students.

For example, the Ron Brown Scholarship is specifically dedicated to students in minority groups, and The Ronald McDonald Scholarship is designed to help students who are faced with limited career and educational opportunities.

Other programs such as The Moose Lodge Foundation aim to reward students who actively participate in community service and engage their community.

Specific deadlines and requirements for each scholarship may vary from program to program, but all of them are chances for students to reduce their college debt.

“I would really encourage seniors to have everything completed and hopefully submitted even, before the end of this year, [when] we go into the new year,”College and Career Counselor Lupita Yanez said. “That would be really helpful in taking stress away

See Scholarships on page 2

News

Nov. 16, 2018

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Scholarships continued from page 1 and making sure that you’re being proactive and not leaving everything until the end.”

New opportunities are also opening up for Fremont students this year. Starting November 2, Fremont High School’s National Honor Society will be giving senior members an opportunity to win scholarship money. The NHS Scholarship Program is a merit-based program open to all senior NHS members in good standings under NHS guidelines. The award distribution ranges from $3,200 for 575 national semi-finalists, $5,625 for 24 national finalists, to a grand prize of $25,000 for a national winner.

“Your income, your race, none of that is factored in, it’s really on how you present yourself through your essay,” senior Shreya Kasetty, president of NHS said.

Students who apply for the NHS scholarship will need to submit an essay answering a designated prompt, a teacher recommendation, and a solid academic record.

“We figured since seniors are writing applications and getting teacher recommendations anyways, they might as well apply for the scholarship” Kasetty said.

Kasetty also advises interested students to check the NHS Scholarship website for tips and advice on how to make their applications stand out, as well as find more detailed information.

High schoolers have hectic schedules and rigorous workloads. Some students find that having to put in extra work and manage deadlines for scholarships becomes too much of a hassle to deal with. Especially seniors, who are already dealing with the extra workload of college applications. As a result, many eligible seniors dismiss the opportunity to earn free college money.

“Last year, we knew kids needed money, and we knew kids who qualified, but they just didn’t put in the time to write an essay, which they probably already had” Fremont guidance counselor, Dan Amezquita said. “If you want the money you have to apply for it”.

Computer Science at FHS

by Vikash Kumar Staff Writer

In Silicon Valley, computer science is one of the most competitive fields and career choices in the area partly because Silicon Valley is home to the biggest tech companies such as Apple, Samsung, and Google.

As a result, more students are planning on studying computer science.

More colleges and schools are also adding computer science programs and techrelated subjects to their curriculum to help prepare these students.

“I took Mr. Dobervich’s Introduction to Java class and I chose this class because I wanted to know more about what programming was and how useful programming is,” senior Abhinav Mamidipaka said. “I wanted to positively impact the society with something I liked to do, which was programming. Even though it’s not always hands-on, almost every aspect of society—from family-owned

businesses needing digital protection to homeless shelters needing a way to streamline their volunteer base—relies on the innovations spurred by computer science.”

At Fremont High School, CS electives are in higher demand than any other elective. Courses including Java, AP Computer Science, digital design, and computer principles are a few programs that are in high demand as they are the foundation for more technical computer science electives.

Although it will be quite some time before Fremont adds more CS electives, one thing Fremont and Silicon Valley is doing is encouraging more students to pursue CS. According to the New York Times, Hewlett-Packard (HP) is donating laptops to schools to get students interested with tech in the Silicon Valley. So far, HP has donated $30,000 to laptops and hopes to reach $21 billion worth of

laptops provided to schools by 2020.

The teacher of the Intro to Java and AP Computer Sciences courses, David Dobervich, would like to see at the addition of more computer science related courses.

“A few programs that would be a good choice is web design, how to get skills for a good job because having a narrow focus is a mistake,” Dobervich said.

Although having extra CS electives would be a good idea, it’s unlikely that Fremont High School will add all of these electives at once.

Another reason Dobervich believes that CS is so competitive is due to its high paying reputation.

“I’m not sure exactly why it is so popular but one probable reason can be that it is a high paying job,” Dobervich said. “When I went to school in the early 2000’s, there was this thing called the ‘dot-com boom’ where people who didn’t know

much about the internet were discovering that these CS jobs that are high paying and that can be one of the reasons why.”

One main reason why CS is in high demand is that it needs people with well-educated backgrounds in tech, mathematics, and English.

However, there are still jobs in demand that don’t require as much educational background as other CS jobs require. Jobs such as data analyzing, growth hacking, and software quality tester offer a good salary as they are very crucial in CS. These jobs don’t require little to any technical skills and can be completed with basic mathematics and English skills.

Along with the tech boom in the Silicon Valley Bay Area, schools like Fremont High School are encouraging development of CS electives for those that wish to study CS in the future.

Teacher wages in Fremont High School

by Jay Ghate Staff Writer

Teachers play a large part in a student’s life. Some may think teachers have an easy job as they have weekends and summer vacations off, but according to the New York Times, 16 percent of teachers have a second job just to make ends meet.

The average teacher salary in California is $67,871. Fremont High School teachers, in comparison, earn a starting salary of around $70,000 year according to Future Educators Association president and biology teacher at Fremont

High School, John Magee.

The Future Educations Association president is an elected teacher who negotiates for the teachers’ salary.

Every year, Magee attends two meetings with the district to renegotiate their contract to ensure Fremont teachers are paid fairly.

Generally, districts in wealthier areas pay their teachers more. For example, in the Los Gatos-Saratoga School District, teachers make approximately $99,108 on average per year.

However, according to the San Jose Mercury News, the cost of living in Silicon

Valley requires a salary of approximately $200,000 a year.

Imagine living with a salary half that and renting a $2,364 per month 175 square foot apartment in the Bay Area. Don’t forget they have to be paying for daily necessities, healthcare, insurance, and other things.

“Many teachers can’t afford to buy a house in this area,” said Magee. “In teaching, you do not get paid [based on] how good you are, you get paid for how long you’ve been teaching.”

This means that the newest and youngest teach-

ers typically receive the lowest salary in the school they work in. According to Time Magazine, college graduates, who get the same major in Music, History, Biology, Mathematics and English, earn 18.7 percent more than the average teacher.

Teachers also face many new issues at work.

Some teachers have to share a room with multiple teachers, which can be tedious, according to Geoff Wen. “It can be hard as you have to move your stuff from classroom to classroom like Mr. Beckstrom,” Wen said.

Teaching can take a psychological toll, according to Magee, because the demands and expectations set for teachers are much higher now than ten or twenty years ago and cause much more stress.

But not all teachers face this kind of problem.

Fremont seems to be a pleasant place to work for many teachers. World History teacher, Sarah Michelet, said that teaching at Fremont has been an exceptional experience ever since she started teaching, six years ago.

“The district makes

a good amount of money and the office is in charge of supplying the classrooms.

I probably spend less than 100 bucks a year,” said Michelet. “We are really fortunate because whatever we buy we get reimbursed by the district.”

Whereas, other schools require teachers to spend their paycheck money on supplies.

While teachers are paid more than the average in the FUHSD, this is not the case nationwide.

Thievery in Fremont PE locker rooms

by Leann Bast and Atharv Panditrao

Collaboration

Theft in the PE locker rooms is not something that is new to this school. It has been occurring for years.

Over $40 has been stolen just this year from the girls’ locker room alone despite it being only three months since school started.

According to the Fremont High School Locker Room policy, “Any student caught stealing in the locker rooms will be turned into administration and prosecuted to full extent of the law.”

However, this policy doesn’t seem to have stopped the thievery from happening. In addition, the policy states that, “FHS PE staff and administration and FUHSD are not responsible for lost/stolen items.”

Even though students

are encouraged to not to bring valuables such as money or electronics, this has not stopped people from bringing money and other items into the locker rooms.

For privacy reasons, there are no cameras in the locker rooms. Even though teachers can sometimes keep watch over locker rooms, theft is still a problem as they can not always keep track of everyone since they all have their own classes to attend to.

Many times backpacks do not fit into lockers, in which case, students are forced to leave their backpacks outside of their lockers, exposing their items out in the open for anyone to go through.

Not much can be done about the sizing of lockers, though. “Students can try to put their stuff in the locker, but it’s an inconvenience

since they are so small and it takes so long,” sophomore Miguel Varona said.

The sizing of lockers is a problem that has to be tolerated, although PE teachers in the girls’ locker rooms have offered to let students keep backpacks that don’t fit in the locker inside the PE teacher’s office, so that their belongings remain safe.

Another option would be to keep backpacks in a personal locker, if there is access to one and there’s enough space inside.

However, many people don’t want to walk such a long distance. If this is the case, it is possible to put valuables inside the normal PE locker.

“I felt pretty pissed off but I know that it was partly my fault for having my stuff out in the open,” sophomore Alexa Garcia said.

When asked what she

thought the school should do to prevent these events from happening, Garcia said, “They should check the lockers right after everyone leaves and make sure no one is left in the locker room.”

This idea would ensure that there are no people staying in the locker rooms and the chance of things being stolen goes down.

“They should have at least one teacher in the locker room supervising or make sure someone is there while everyone is leaving,” said Varona.

This idea seems to be popular among students, but according to Lauren Irwin, a PE, dance and AVID teacher here at Fremont, the PE staff members already are trying to make sure that there are no students left in the locker rooms when classes start.

“We clear the locker room out, making sure no students are left inside,” Irwin said.

Although locker theft is still a big issue, there are several solutions that can be used to help prevent this. Students can choose not to bring valuables at

Natalie Wolff | The Phoenix

all, and can also keep their backpacks in the personal locker. It’s also a good idea for teachers to supervise the locker rooms at all times to make sure nobody is left behind.

News

Nov. 16, 2018

Service hours for Fremont

by Aoibhe Walczak & Emily Wilson

Collaboration

As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, many students are looking for ways to give back to their communities and earn some community service hours along the way.

A great way to do this is by volunteering.

Even though many Fremont High School students are still minors, there many places that welcome volunteers who are teens. From helping out with animals to joining a volunteering oriented club here on campus, there are countless ways to help out in the community.

One way to become involved in community service through school is by joining community service clubs like Key Club and Interact Club.

Key Club is a popular service club at Fremont. Key Club’s main goal is to raise money for the Pediatric Trauma Program, which is a program dedicated to decrease the number of children who experience trauma, so the children can lead happy, safe lives.

Students can join Key Club at any time throughout the year.

Some reasons people like service oriented clubs like Key Club is because they get to meet different people through their service events while doing work for the community.

Quenytta Fakava, the president of Key Club at Fremont, enjoys Key Club especially because she can meet people from all over their division. “[Meeting people] is very fun, in my opinion, but I genuinely enjoy the service events we take part in because they’re always so fun,” said Fakava.

Key Club also notifies its members of various different volunteer opportunities that the members can participate in throughout the year. One such place to volunteer is the Sunnyvale Public Library. Junior Lyka Ilano often volunteers at the Sunnyvale Public Library and helps out with their book sales. In addition to helping benefit the community, volunteering can also help the individual.

“Volunteering for me serves as a break from all

the school work and drawing that I do,” Ilano said.

“It’s a good stress reliever for me.”

Students can join Key Club by attending their meetings on Tuesdays at lunch in room B-204.

Another way to volunteer through Fremont is Interact Club. Interact Club is a subset of the Rotary International, which is an international service organization dedicated to providing humanitarian service and advancing world peace. By joining Interact Club, students can help fundraise for international and community causes and participate in service events.

To join, attend meetings on Wednesdays at lunch in Room B-208.

For students who are not interested in joining a service oriented club but still would like to volunteer, there are plenty of other opportunities like volunteering at the Animal Assisted Happiness organization at Baylands Park.

There is a variety of ways to help out at AAH. They rely solely on volunteers, who can help to socialize animals, interact

with children, and much more. To volunteer at AAH, and “experience the smiles only animals can bring,”(AAH’s motto), go to their website, animalassistedhappiness.org and fill out a release form to start volunteering.

Another way for students and their families to give back to the community is by volunteering at the Second Harvest Food Bank in San Jose. Volunteers can help to package boxes of food, distribute food, and much more. To sign up for a volunteer shift, students would have to fill out an application through their website, www.shfb.org, and book the dates of which day they would like to volunteer.

Opportunities for volunteering can be found anywhere, from school service clubs to outside opportunities. Along with several organizations looking for volunteers, FHS has a variety of clubs centered around volunteering, which are both accessible and easy to join. This holiday season, volunteering could be a great way to give back to the community.

McComb recognized by TI

by Suryan Bhatia Sports Editor

Recently, math teacher I-Heng McComb, was a recipient of the 2018 Texas Instruments Innovations in STEM Teaching Award.

According to the Texas Instruments website, this award is meant to honor teachers who demonstrate quality instruction and build student achievement in math and science. Santa Clara County receives three to five of these awards every year, and McComb is delighted to be a recipient.

“It was really fun to be recognized and fun to meet teachers from the county,” McComb said. “Really what [TI is] trying to do is highlight what all teachers are doing.”

In Santa Clara County, the award is a subset of Santa Clara County’s 2018

Teachers of the Year. A teacher from each district in Santa Clara County wins the Teacher of the Year Award.

As stated by Santa Clara County Office of Education, five teachers win the Texas Instruments Award.

Along with the award, recipients receive a $1000 cash award and an opportunity to attend a professional development course offered by the Santa Clara County Office of Education. According to McComb, TI gives out this award as a way to give back to the community.

“TI is doing it as part of their corporate citizenship, they want to give back to the community, and they make a lot from education,” McComb said. “I think they are trying to give back to teachers and the STEM field.”

According to the Texas Instruments website, sci-

Current Events: What’s going on around you?

by Quinten Seghers

Staff Writer

ence, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, is the second fastest growing occupational category in the United States. The website added that Texas Instruments has invested more than $150 million in STEM education.

Overall, McComb wants to support this award’s goal.

“There are so many amazing teachers that have done amazing things,” McComb said. “Really, they want to celebrate teachers as a whole.”

I-HENG McComb posing for a photo Suryan Bhatia | The Phoenix

U.S. News

-According to the Anti-Defamation League, the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that took place on October 28, 2018, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, is believed to be the deadliest attack on Jewish people in American history. Killing 11 people and injuring six others, this attack comes in a time of more and more frequent hate crimes against Jewish people.

-According to the Public Broadcasting Service, the U.S has, in recent decades, consistently held an extremely low voter turnout compared to other developed and democratic nations. Ranking 31st out of 35 countries for voter turnout based on the voting age populace. However, this year seems to be different, with voter turnout already massively outperforming voter turnout in 2016.

-According to the New York Times, on November 1, 2018, at 11:10 a.m. local time, roughly 20,000 Google employees took place in a walkout that affected Google offices in 50 cities. The walkout started because of reports that Google paid Android co-founder Andy Rubin 90 million dollars after it learned of a sexual misconduct allegation against him. Walkout organizers are now demanding that Google meet a list of demands, outlining steps to take to ensure that such an event never reoccurs.

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Fremont High School 1279 Sunnyvale Saratoga Rd, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (408)-522-2400 | fremonthighphoenix@gmail.com Advisor | Emer Martin Mission Statement: The Phoenix, protected under the California Education code, is a public forum for the students of Fremont High School. The Phoenix staff will publish features, editorials, news and sports in an unbiased and professional manner. The Phoenix is the official student newspaper and is distributed free of cost to the students. The Phoenix publishes eight issues throughout the school year.

Editorial Policy Editorials are the official opinion of The Phoenix.

Opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Phoenix. All content decisions are made by the student editors and do not reflect the official policy of Fremont High School, nor the opinions of the administration, faculty, or adviser.

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Opinion

Nov 16, 2018

4

The vital importance of Affirmative Action

by Nadia Anees Editor-in-Chief

For a long time throughout American history, people of color could not legally be educated.

Eventually, they gained the right to go to school, but were segregated from white people. Then came Brown vs. Board of Education, which outlawed the segregation of African Americans and white Americans students in schools.

Thanks to our progressive past, we no longer experience a world of legal segregation. But the effects of discrimination are ever-present in universities, the workplace and beyond.

Recently, national conversation regarding affirmative action—a policy that select universities and colleges use to promote diversity by favoring minorities in admissions—has sparked.

On June 15, 2018, an organization known as the Students for Fair Admissions ordered a lawsuit against Harvard for discriminating against Asian Americans and preferring Latinos and black students for admissions. If this lawsuit turns in favor of the SFA, minorities will be greatly impacted when it comes to admissions decisions. In an already unequal society, it would be a great injustice to see affirmative action removed from the admissions process of universities, as it would make it even more difficult for

underrepresented students to gain academic success.

Some who are in opposition of Affirmative Action make the argument that only a student’s academic background and grade point average should determine their eligibility to receive admission into colleges.

I understand this argument—it makes sense that the students with the best academic record should get into the best schools.

However, it automatically assumes that a student with the best record worked the hardest, which is an inherently flawed assumption.

There are students who have shed blood, sweat and tears to achieve a strong academic record, but still lack the time and resources they need to pursue their dreams. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, not only is it more likely for African Americans and Latinos to attend high-poverty area schools than Asian-Amer-

icans and Caucasians, but also “high-achieving African American students may be exposed to less rigorous curriculums, attend schools with fewer resources, and have teachers who expect less of them academically than they expect of similarly situated Caucasian students.”

If we take a broader look at a student’s success, what gives a student the opportunity to do better in school and out? Money.

Did they get to take an SAT preparatory course before taking the SAT? Did they have a college counselor to help them write their college admissions essays? Did they have a safe home and a healthy lifestyle throughout their academic career?

These questions all revolve around how much money a person and their family has, because their financial status dictates where they live and how much they can afford. The wealth of their surrounding

community is the determinant of their school’s resources and ability to provide their students with the best.

If we think about modern day society, we typically have minorities such as African American, Native American and Hispanic students who end up at the bottom of the economic spectrum. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 2017 median household income based on race was $81,331 for AsianAmerican families, $68,145 for white families, $50,486 for Hispanic families and $40,258 for black families.

If that’s not enough evidence of a wealth gap among races, then consider how much women of different races receive for every dollar earned by a male. According to the New York Times, for every dollar earned by a male, a white woman makes 77 cents, a black woman makes 69 cents and a Latina woman

makes 57 cents.

The likelihood of a student receiving admission to a university is partially dependent on the financial status of the student applying, not because of the affordability of the school but rather because of the resources needed to maintain a strong academic record. For example, if a student comes from a lowincome family, they likely do not receive above average education due to the limited resources provided for students in schools in a low-income community.

The truth is that there is unequal access to education throughout the United States and, unfortunately, minorities are left to suffer from this.

Students who belong to lower income communities can undoubtedly strive to receive acceptances in top universities, and can achieve this even with little resources, but a majority of these students are still far

too underrepresented and underserved to be able to attain the motivation, help, and resources needed to succeed. This is the purpose of Affirmative Action, to provide underrepresented students with the ability to succeed in universities and beyond.

I understand that some feel they are being discriminated against in the admissions process, but people need to widen their perspective and realize the deeper meaning behind using affirmative actions in admissions decisions. It is to add diversity and give underprivileged students a chance at breaking the economic and racial barriers by achieving a high-level education.

I believe it is more beneficial for universities and college campuses to accept more underrepresented peoples to boost diversity, which enhances campus communities and allows a wider range of students to achieve success. Diversity in careers and colleges allows for people to learn from one another, gain a sense of understanding for others and become a world citizen—someone who can interact and communicate and understand others from different backgrounds.

The U.S. has had a past full of discrimination and instances of it still appear all over the country today.

To further our progress and allow everyone to attain an opportunity to escape their struggles against racial discrimination and pursue their dreams, Affirmative Action must be continued.

Photo courtesy of The Aragon Outlook

When you’re in doubt, just let the girls out

by Maddy Garcia Staff Writer

Most women around the world think that a bra is a necessity, rather than a choice. But is it really?

Although there is nothing wrong with choosing whether or not to wear a bra, there are many considerations in making that decision.

The purpose of wearing a bra is to relieve your midback and shoulders from the weight of your breasts.

When a bra is properly fitted, 80 percent of the bosom weight is supported by the band and the rest of the

weight is distributed evenly against the usually uncomfortable straps. This could lead to back and shoulder pain, headaches and neck issues.

Some women even wear bras to bed, which might seem harmless, but the truth is wearing a bra to bed can cause a number of health problems.

Women and girls wear bras for a variety of reasons; to hide their nipples, display cleavage and to prevent discomfort when exercising or delay sagging.

As an “early bloomer” who was raised around bra-wearing women, I never really saw not wearing a bra as an option. I have bought a lot of bras over the years, and understood the importance of support, but I have never felt totally comfortable in them.

Yet, I would still find myself spending hundreds of dollars at mainstream feminine lingerie stores

every few months to find a bra that was “perfect” for me. Shopping for bras, or even trying them on, was more like a chore, and I would much prefer to let my breasts be free.

Alas, that could only happen after in the privacy of my home after a long day.

This concept of having to wait all day to feel free did not occur as ridiculous to me until recently.

If you are like me and find bras intolerable, you will understand how uncomfortable bra cups really are. When you take it off, your boobs are truly free to breathe. It is so relaxing to feel the soft texture of your favorite oversized t-shirt brush up against your boobs instead of the underwire of a bra.

A lot of people don’t understand why women go braless: they find it distracting, inappropriate, or simply wrong. However, I personally do not see an issue with

going braless. In order to gain more insight into why many people oppose going braless, I decided to interview some students and staff to see what Fremont High School thinks of going braless.

“Girls should be able to have the choice of wearing a bra to school, freshman Nathan Studdar said. “I don’t really find not wearing a bra distracting or inappropriate at all.”

This is good to hear, especially from a guy, since some adults claim that the main reason girls should wear bras is to prevent us from “distracting” boys.

“We want girls to be comfortable but not distracting,” ASB advisor Johanna Moyoli said.

“I don’t think girls should get a punishment but they should cover up well enough so she’s not being distracting,” math teacher Tara Wojcik said.

A majority of adults

I interviewed agree that not wearing a bra to school should not be a punishable act but still be modest enough to not be distracting to boys or other classmates at school.

I feel that young girls

and even older women should have the choice whether to wear a bra and should be openly accepted by society regardless of whichever option they choose.

Photo courtesy of Pngtree, Pd4Pic Clipart, loinhacviet.info

Opinion Young love is not the same as puppy love 5

Nov 16, 2018

by Anahi Ruvalcaba Staff Writer

For the last two years I have been head over heels in love, giving all my affection to a charismatic boy. I’d like to mention we shared our first ‘I love you’ when I was a freshman, and shortly after we went on our first date.

Yes, in that order exactly. Therefore, I understand the constant misconception many have of our and many other teenage romantic relationships: that they are incapable of having a long lasting, loving relationship.

Many believe the affection we share should be disregarded because we are “too young” and “too immature” to be serious.

However this is disrespectful towards teenage relationships. At the store and other public places, walking down the halls and even inside my own home, there is no longer a safe zone when it comes to my relationship.

We can blame this on

the idea that no matter the maturity you may amount to, the public sees your teenage “love” as teenage “like”.

Doubtful phrases from our parents and other grownups such as “love is a strong word”, “you don’t know what love is”, “you have not experienced enough” or my personal favorite “you’re too young to be in love”, suggests that it is okay to dismiss the feelings of teens for no rightful reason other than their age, which has little correlation to maturity and capability.

The irony among these phrases is that parents will still believe the “I love you” they get from their children, yet they wipe out any possibility that their children know how to love someone else.

Have they forgotten what they considered their first love? Even when teenagers breakup we are told that there are other fish in the sea, without acknowledging maybe we don’t want just any fish right now because we just lost the one fish we thought we were going to keep.

Now, let’s not blame this all on the adults. The students of Fremont High School are no saints—although I am 99 percent sure the environment when it comes to high school

romance is similar on every school campus.

Just like at every other opportunity for teenagers to criticize, you get the stares, the whispers, and everything you have seen in a rom-com movie scene when the hot new couple emerges from behind the classroom door.

Everyone wants to know every aspect of your relationship.

I cannot stress enough how disrespectful this unwanted attention is; one should be able to keep their relationship personal.

The strange thing is adults and students are essentially the same.

Students, like adults will predict your breakup without any hard evidence, and will base their prediction on the same misconception of the relationship being based on simple

puppy love and once the “honeymoon” phase ends, the stress of maintaining a happy and healthy relationship is too hard.

Our society theorizes too much that soulmates don’t exist and high school romance never lasts.

What sets youth and adults apart is the nature of their gossip. While most adults keep rumors they hear to themselves, teens become so heavily interested with your relationship, they slowly start turning it into a real life soapopera.

Setting aside the dirty looks and mean comments, the worst type of disrespect is the one where they will deliberately take the time to poke their nose into the relationship.

There are countless times where I’ve heard rumors that have been passed about how my boyfriend cheated on me or didn’t care about me with no evidence whatsoever.

It’s almost remarkable to see what grand imagination our generation has when it comes to creating drama.

I will not deny that I too at times get sucked into the rumors of others and find it of interest myself.

However, I am never dismissive of teenage relationships.

From having experience in early relationships, I now understand that teenagers are perfectly capable of having hope, excitement and passion in a relationships, just like any other couple can.

Anahi Ruvalcaba | The Phoenix

My two homes, four parents, one family

by Natalie Wolff Staff Writer

Almost every one of us can relate to oversleeping and then rushing out the door, desperately trying to be on time for school.

The whole experience is unpleasant.

But what many may not have experienced is waking up and realizing that they left their backpack or another important belonging in their other house.

They have then found themselves or their parents with them, driving over to their other house, quickly grabbing their backpack and finally arriving to school ten minutes late… what a morning!

One probably hopes that they will never have to deal with this, but this scenario happens every once in a while when you are a child living with divorced or separated parents.

One afternoon when I wasn’t even ten years

old, I received news that would impact my entire life: my parents were getting divorced.

I was not entirely sure how much this would affect me, but strangely, I was excited: excited to start something new and to get to brag about having two houses.

There are many pros and cons that come with being a child of divorce. Something that can get extremely annoying is misplacing possessions.

For example, there are countless times when I would have an early soccer game and I would need my equipment right away.

Then, when I would go find it, I would realize that half of my uniform was at my other house, so my parent and I would have to leave the house very early to get it. There was just no possibility of keeping all of my equipment at one house.

An advantage of being a child of divorce is getting to meet a lot of new people who grow to care a lot for you.

It can be scary at first to be introduced to so many new people in your life, especially new parents, but in my case, all of the stereotypes for step-parents proved to be false.

Most step-parents are

just as nervous as we are, knowing that they have to live up to the standards of our actual parents and worrying over the fact that they will never be our true parents.

The misconception that they are evil people who want to ruin your life is an unfounded cliché.

Another perk of being a child of divorced adults would be having two different houses to explore.

When you first move into a new house with one of your parents, it can be pretty exciting to look around and see all the new rooms that are now yours.

It is also really nice that you have two completely different families in each house. Being able to experience two different situations can be more comforting.

However, another inconvenience of being a child of divorcées, at least for me, is the inconsistency in my schedule.

I never know where I am going to be for the night until I speak to my mom after school. Even then, my schedule is still prone to changes sometimes.

Most of the time, I find it normal and accept the fact that I have divorced parents. Everyone eventually gets comfortable living in two separate houses and

having more than one of each parent.

I can hardly even remember what it felt like before my parents got divorced and that’s okay. You learn to move on.

A few years after my parents got divorced, I started to realize that I missed living in one house and my parents being together.

Sometimes, it does hurt realizing that things are never going to be the

way they were before, but you need to remember that whatever happens, it will end up being for the best.

Your parents still care about you and still want the best for you. It can be hard at first to adjust to your new life, but you will eventually get used to it.

Eventually, a divorce tends to make everyone a lot happier. You never again have to worry about

your parents arguing with each other, because now their arguments have been resolved.

It is okay to be upset at times, but being a child of divorce is not as bad as it may seem.

Natalie Wolff | The Phoenix

Special Feature

Nov. 16, 2018

6

Changing Changing Music Music Tastes Tastes

By Caroline He Music: we all listen to it. Pop, rap, rock or another one of those million other genres with fan bases large enough to fill up Madison Square or niche enough to never leave Soundcloud.

Many of us listen to music for a significant part of the day.

“I’d say every minute that I’m at home, I probably have music playing,” senior Aayush Patkar said. “I run up the Spotify playing minutes super high. I even sleep to music now, so music is a huge part of my life.”

Senior Chris Gough agrees. “Everything’s better with background music.”

We all listen to music, but rarely do we listen to the same music over a long period of time. In fact, most seniors at Fremont High School will tell you that their music tastes have changed dramatically throughout their time here.

Senior Miranda Kushner, for example, has seen her taste in music expand from “dad rock” and “emo music” to a diverse set of genres including pop, hiphop and rap.

“In part, I changed,” Kushner said, when asked why her tastes have changed so much. “I didn’t need to rely on the music I listened to, to be my entire personality anymore. I didn’t need to rely on it as a crutch to get through adjusting to a new school.”

Music tastes also change based on the type of music people’s friends listen to.

Senior Chris Gough, for example, saw his music preferences move from alternative rock to hip-hop and rap. Originally, Gough felt apprehensive about this change since it felt like

stepping out of his comfort zone. However, he became acclimated to the newer genres with time. “[The reason my taste in music changed], a lot of it was my friends,” Gough said. “Some of it was walking around the school, you hear hip hop blasting-sometimes 90’s hip hop, or like really sh*tty hip hop.”

Others, like senior Cerys Edwards, do not experience a dramatic shift in the style of music they listen to. However, they do change the way they consume music.

“Freshman year, I was listening to music all the time,” Edwards said. “Like, if a band I liked was releasing an album, I’d stay up until like midnight listening to it.

Really bad. Now, if a band I like releases an album, I probably won’t listen to it.

I’ll listen to it eventually, but it’ll probably be like a couple of months.”

Music tastes also change depending on what people use music for.

As high school progresses, many students face an increase in stress as they move onto more rigorous coursework, invest more time in extracurriculars and prepare for college. Upperclassmen generally find themselves in more stressful situations as they prepare to take the SAT, ACT and AP tests or as they begin applying to colleges. Some students find that they turn to music for therapeutic purposes, or emotional support.

“Around last year, when stress started settling in, I started listening to calm music,”Aayush Patkar said.

“Now, I don’t know why, I’ve become more appreciative of small things in music,

maybe a guitar pluck in the background. I listen to instrumentals now, when I work, so I don’t get distracted.”

A 2013 study conducted by the Journal of Consumer Research concluded with something many avid music listeners know well: different types of music, depending on their rhythm and base, can have dramatic effects on mood.

This is one reason why songs can be classified into ‘sad’, ‘happy’, ‘hype’ or ‘chill’ playlists.

Practically, that means many students change their music preferences to direct their mood.

“Instead of ‘I’m in this mood, I’ll listen to this music’, it’s ‘I’ll listen to music to get into this mood’,” Gough said.

“So, let’s say I’m studying, I’ll put on background music to calm me down because it’ll help me focus. Or if I want to work out, I’ll get myself really pumped up so that I get an adrenaline rush going.”

But the value of music doesn’t only lie in its ability to influence mood. Separate from the actual music itself is a community. There are many communities, both in real life and on the internet, that are centered around specific genres or even specific bands. On a smaller scale, many find that they connect with strangers through a commonality in music.

“There are people I’ve been acquaintances with, and I’ll post a song on my Snapchat story, or they’ll see me listening to it, and they’ll be like ‘Oh my God I love that band, or I love that song’,” Kushner said. “And we can connect on a different level on something we didn’t know we had in common. It’s pretty wild that you can meet someone at a show because you have one thing in common and then realize you have so much in common.”

Loving Loving Rex Rex is is Easy Easy Recently, many young indie artists have been making their presence known from Cuco, to Steve Lacy to Omar Apollo, each of whom have their own unique styles. One of my favorites from the bunch is Alex O’Connor, better known by his stage name, Rex Orange County.

Rex was raised in Grayshott, a small village in Britain. Growing up, Rex learned to play various instruments, including the drums, piano and most notably, the guitar.

He put all his talents together to release his first LP, Bcos U Will Never B Free, to Soundcloud. It was met with mixed reviews from critics; however, it helped create a large enough fan base to gain attention.

It includes fan favorites like Corduroy Dreams and A Song About Being Sad. Both songs showcase his talents

with the guitar.

Rex was immediately compared to Frank Ocean for his singing and rapping abilities like; reclusive themes about love and social issues. The LP came to the attention of Tyler, the Creator who was in the middle of producing his own album Flower Boy. Flower Boy featured many other artists like Kali Uchis, Estelle, A$AP Rocky, Steve Lacy and perhaps most notably Frank Ocean.

Tyler and Frank’s relationship from Odd Future was enough to get Rex onto feature two songs, Foreward, the intro track and Boredom, another fan favorite along the respective fan bases of both artists. The album was nominated for a Grammy and while it lost to Kendrick Lamar’s DAMN it was still regarded as one of the best Hip-Hop/Rap albums of 2017.

Moods Moods an an Sleepy

Classics

1) Uptown Joel 2) Mr. Blue Light Orche 3) Bohemia Queen 4) Let’s Go 5) Africa - T

1) 2:00 AM - Kenzie Smith Piano 2) You Might Be Sleeping - Jacob Ogawa, Clairo 3) warm blood - flor 4) Lately - Nuages 5) Bedford Falls - ford.

Do you constantly have your head in the clouds? Do you enjoy slipping away into your own world of imagination? While listening to these relaxing songs, you can dream as much as you like.

Focus

Hype

1) Indigo Puff - Sundara Karma 2) Shuggie - Foxygen 3) Midnight Sky - Petit Biscuit 4) Car Rides - VVE 5) Breathe - Yuuca

1) Icon - Ja 2) DNA. - K Lamar 3) 4th Dim See Ghosts 4) Lemon 5) Take it

Do you need to set your mind on one task? These wonderful songs will help you concentrate.

Happy

These couple of lutely perfect fo whether old sch

Big game comi encouragemen great for makin dent about acti

Sad

1) Talk Too Much - COIN 2) Let Me Be - The Cultbusters 3) Hands Down - The Greeting Committee 4) Birds Don’t Sing - TV Girl 5) Prune, You Talk Funny - Gus Dapperton

1) At Seve Ian 2) Space S House 3) Pale Blu Velvet Und 4) Better F the Whale 5) Lua - Br

Happiness is a great part of anyones life, these wonderful songs will help brighten up your thoughts.

Let you emotio melanchoy tun won’t judge you you’re crying.

By Patrick Ramos

While flying out to Los Angeles to help work on Flower Boy, Rex was also working on his own album, Apricot Princess. The album was met with praise from fans and critics. Its wide range of moods, instruments and themes of love only emphasized his comparison to Frank Ocean.

Rex worked to perfect his craft while also receiving inspiration from Tyler, The Creator with the use of violin, trumpets and different bass pianos to create a jazzy yet grand vibe. One of the best songs off the album, Untitled, is a another fan favorite. With only the guitar as the instrumental, it slows down the album and allows Rex to express himself showcase a beautiful whistling solo that carries just as much emotion as the singing does.

Some of Rex’s best work are not from his album

releases but his singles.

From Uno, to Best Friend, to Sunflower, to Loving Is Easy all these singles are fan favorites and are some of Rex’s most popular work as Loving Is Easy has over 64 million plays on Spotify.

Rex recently came out with a cover of You’ve Got a Friend in Me, which is a Spotify exclusive. It features the original composer of the song, Randy Newman who wrote the song for the Pixar movie, Toy Story. Rex was also featured on Forever Always, which features the likes of other independent artists like Peter Cottontale, Chance the Rapper and Daniel Caesar.

Rex’s music videos also are remarkably well produced. The music video for Sunflower was made

by Illegal Civilization who has created music videos for artists like Tyler, the Creator, Omar Apollo and

Rich the Kid. The music video reflects the song lyrics as Rex fears that his relationship is going into shambles. Only until he is assured by his lover that it is just all in his head. The music video for Loving Is Easy which features Benny Sings, is a stop motion

video this is just as cute and vivid as the song itself.

Rex’s great marketing abilities and the quality of his music have helped him gain a widespread popularity among listeners in Europe and America—enough for both his merchandise and concerts to start selling

Special Feature 7

Nov. 16, 2018

nd nd Music Music

s

Chill

Girl - Billy

1) Kokopelli - Mild High Club 2) Salad Days - Mac Demarco 3) Redbone - Childish Gambino 4) Black Mambo - Glass Animals 5) Big Sis - SALES

Sky - Electric estra an Rhapsody -

Crazy - Prince Toto

f songs are absoor any type of party, hool or modern.

aden Smith Kendrick

mension - Kids s - N.E.R.D. Back - Logic

ng up? Need some nt? This playlist is ng you feel confiivities and yourself.

enteen - Janis

Song - Beach

ue Eyes - The derground For You - Said e right Eyes

ons loose with these nes. These songs u for the reason that

Sometimes people just need to calm down because they feel like it. These calming songs will help untangle your thoughts.

Angry

1) Elephant - Tame Impala 2) Brianstorm - Arctic Monkeys 3) Afraid - The Neighbourhood 4) Love is Blindness Jack White 5) Cherry Lips - Archie Bronson Outlet

Local Local Artist Artist Spotlight: Spotlight: The The Cultbusters Cultbusters

By Sydney Sharp

Meet The Cultbusters, a Bay Area high school band comprised of vocalist Leo Alcala, drummer Riley Towle and bassist Jesus Vasquez. With a unique sound akin to California beach rock, the Cultbusters are the perfect band to listen to on a drive down the coastline.

Hailing from San Jose, The Cultbusters have become increasingly prevalent in the Bay Area band scene, with their track Blue Beach recently reaching over 11,000 plays on Spotify. While influenced by the likes of psychedelic rock artist Mac Demarco, the band offers their own unique take on indie rock.

Yet, with all of this success, one begins to wonder how it all started.

When asked about how the band came to be, Leo Alcala says, “[My friend] Cory introduced me to the music scene, [...] but then he started joining a band

called Bed House which was super big in the scene at the time and I was pretty sad because he left me.” He continues, “So I started making my own music.”

It was soon after Leo first began to pursue music that Riley joined the band, which now comprised of a bassist, guitarist and drummer. While they had a somewhat rocky start, attempting to accommodate the personal genres of each member, the band soon found their own unique sound as they released their first single Catch the WaVe in January of 2017; which set the upbeat tone for their EP Wizards Are Real.

Now with a complete band, The Cultbusters began by playing intimate house shows, yet have quickly progressed to playing at bigger venues such as The Catalyst and Brick & Mortar Music Hall within the past year. They show plenty of promise with the

release of their first album Stop Being So Dumb at the beginning of 2018, featuring a wide range of both upbeat rock tracks like Let Me Be and relaxed jazz such as Lil’ Crab Feet.

While the band has certainly come a long way, they still find areas to grow in with each coming day.

“I occasionally get stage fright.” Leo admits, “I used to get it a lot more when we were kind of a new band, I can feel like I don’t move around enough on stage, so I’m working on that.” Yet despite these small details, the band has an energetic and engaging stage presence compared to that of other young musicians.

The Cultbusters in all are a great indie rock band with plenty of potential, it’s exciting to see what they’ll accomplish in the near future.

Do you ever just have those days?

Do you ever just hate life? This playlist provides a healthy way to cope with that anger.

Inspired 1) Empire State of Mind - Alicia Keys 2) STAR BROCKHMAMPTON 3) King Kunta Kendrick Lamar 4) Lip Gloss - Lil’ Mama 5)No Scrubs - TLC You look good today, embrace it! This playlist will help you feel fresh while you’re looking fly.

Soundtrack Soundtrack of of My My Life Life I’ve always been someone who is drawn to stories. That’s why prior to 8th grade, my Spotify playlists were comprised solely of show tunes. As a drama kid, show tunes were the only music I felt I could really connect with. Most Broadway musicals tell a clear story. They have a plot and developed characters. Listening to these soundtracks was like experiencing a novel set to music.

It took me a long time to realize that music outside of show tunes could also tell a story. It took me even longer to realize that every song tells a story. There are two artists who I credit this realization to.

As previously stated, for most of my life I listened to musicals religiously.

Before Lin Manuel Miranda came along, there was one name in the Broadway that

echoed louder than any other: Stephen Sondheim. For me, Sondheim and God were practically synonymous.

Sondheim is a Broadway composer and lyricist. Some of his shows include Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, Company, Follies, and A Little Nights Music. With eight Tony Awards, eight Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize there is no denying that there’s something special about Sondheim. I believe that Sondheim’s magic lies within the lyrics. As one of Broadway’s all-time greatest lyricists, Sondheim’s wit is prevalent in every song he crafts. Whether it’s a light-hearted, comedy song like Try a Little Priest or an 11 o’clock number like Send in the Clowns his music is always clever and often moving.

The other artist who had a huge impact on

By Trixie Rodriguez

my life was Billy Joel.

Billy Joel’s music is very theatrical which made it an easy transition from show tunes. He was the first artist I truly loved that wasn’t connected to Broadway. Joel’s music told stories without being part of a huge intricate plot. Some of Joel’s music tells an obvious story with established characters like Scenes from an Italian Restaurant but his most powerful songs left more to the imagination. Vienna was the song that made realize a song can stand alone without the context of an entire Broadway show and still be powerful. For this, I am forever grateful.

Over the years my music taste has evolved.

I’ve grown to love practically every type of music (besides EDM). Some of my favorite artists as of Photos Courtesy of: The Cultbusters, Sydney Sharp, stickPNG, Golden Oldies, In the Studio with Redbeard

Arts & Entertainment Four Realms fails to reach four stars

Nov. 16, 2018

8

by Diana Piper Staff Writer

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a new Walt Disney film based on the 1892 classic ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Major stars, such as Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman and Keira Knightley appear in the movie. Lesser-known celebrities like young Mackenzie Foy and talented ballerina Misty Copeland are brought into the public’s eye.

The film chronicles the adventures of the young girl Clara, played by Mackenzie Foy, who needs a magical key to unlock a Faberge egg. She is led to the key by a golden thread, but it is stolen by a mouse in a mysterious parallel universe.

She meets a soldier named Phillip, a group of mice and the regents who direct the three realms of the universe.

Clara and Phillip must enter a fourth realm to find the key and restore peace to their precarious society.

With the expansion of the story’s visuals beyond a ballet setting, the fictional universe of the movie is enticing and fascinating.

Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas describes his desire for the film’s setting.

“It was vitally important to try my hardest to fulfill everybody’s vision of what this world would be like if they really saw it outside of a ballet stage setting,” Dyas told EW. The level of detail in all of the settings in the film was astounding. The realms truly look like a fantasy, from the costumes, the settings, and the makeup. The computer generated imagery (CGI) seems real and well-incoporaed. The visuals are unequivocally the greatest aspect of the movie.

Unfortunately, the visuals do not compensate for the lack of emotion in the film. The characters do not feel like real people, rather they are contrived stereotypes. Clara has no true character arc and strikes one as a cliche main character who can do whatever she puts her mind to.

None of the characters’ emotions seem authentic, due mostly to a combination of poor acting or dialogue.

None of the jokes in the film landed, which added to the dissociation from the fantasy world one could easily feel.

Generally, the plot is mediocre. One could easily anticipate the ending and most characters do not change at all. The plot twist in the film is predictable, yet satisfying. One common issue with “chosen one” stories is that it takes away most of the uncertainty and the suspense. This story is a perfect example of this

issue. However, it could still be enjoyed, even with itspredictability.

Producer Mark Gordon describes the film as an alternative to the ballet in an Entertainment Weekly (EW) article by Maureen Lenker.

“It’s such a beloved holiday classic as far as the ballet is concerned,” Gordon

said to EW, “And yet how many people have an opportunity to see the ballet?”

Ironically, another issue with this story is its origin. The nutcracker story

by E.T.A. Hoffman gained success when it was transformed into ballet, the plot was told through the art of dance. With the expansion

of the story’s mediums, the message and the emotions are lost. The dialogue, visuals, and characters lose their meaning because of a lack of focus on the actual story.

Overall, this movie is best for very young audiences, as they can still be blown away simply by the visuals and not the content.

If one indubitably wants to experience E.T.A. Hoffman’s story in all of its glory, one ought to stick to the classic ballet.

Photo courtesy of Disney

Mother Nature’s best: eco friendly brands

by Shira Agmon Staff Writer

Now that climate change is being discussed more than ever, it’s important to recognize that we need to put in the effort to save the environment. Even though overcoming climate change is easier said than done, there are companies around the world who are doing their part in saving the planet.

One of the more popular companies that is very big on going green is Patagonia. Patagonia is a designer of outdoor clothing and gear for sports such as climbing, surfing, fly fishing, snowboarding and more.

It commits 1% of their sales to Grassroots activists, and in 2016, it donated $10 million of their Black Friday sales to them. Patagonia has also built repair centers around the world to increase the durability of their products and lower their carbon footprint. Even though it always tries to be environmentally and socially responsible for their actions, the company admits that they may never fully rely on renewable sources of energy. The com-

pany depends on fossil fuels to produce shells for coats.

However, it is still committed to protecting the wilderness in other ways.

Another company that is known for their commitment to saving the planet is Lush Cosmetics. Lush is an all-natural bath and body brand that produces shampoos, massage bars, fragrances, bath bombs and more. The company is dedicated to making eco-friendly products and encourages its customers to contribute as well.

To reduce waste, Lush offers free products to the customers that bring empty containers. In addition, 35% of their products are packaging-free. Their success and dedication to saving the environment encourage other companies to follow in their footsteps and do the same.

Nature-based companies are not the only ones committed to saving the environment. Apple, one of the largest technology companies in the world, is also becoming more environmentally friendly. In 2015, it signed a $1 million deal with

First Solar, the biggest developer of solar farms in the U.S., and now all of their California stores, offices and headquarters are powered by solar energy. The Apple

Renew program encourages the recycling of old products, and 99% of the

paper in their packaging is recycled. According to the Apple Environment website, the company goes the extra mile to reduce their carbon footprint and greenhouse gasses. Despite the company’s great efforts, it says on the company’s environment website that they are far from finished.

Last but not least, TOMS. This popular shoe company is known to be a for-profit that donates a pair of shoes to families in need whenever a pair is sold.

Unlike other companies, TOMS has a very interesting backstory. It started when world traveler Blake Mycoskie visited Argentina back in 2006. He saw that many kids were growing up without shoes and how difficult it was for them and their families. That’s when he had the idea to start a for-profit company. Almost 12 years later, the company has donated over 60 million pairs of shoes to children around the world. To further expand their efforts and services, it started providing clean drinking water, eye services, and birthing kits in 2017. Even though TOMS cares a lot for the

health and living conditions of families in need, they care for the planet as well.

All of their shoes and shoe boxes are made of vegan and recyclable materials. By featuring pictures of children wearing their shoes and being properly taken care of, the company is able to develop an emotional connection with its customers.

Just because these companies are working for the environment, doesn’t mean that you can’t. You can purchase stylish and trendy products from companies that you love while knowing that the money will go

Photo courtesy of Pintrest

Arts & Entertainment A review of mental health and self care apps 9

nov. 16, 2018

by Samhitha Tumkar News Editor

Regardless of your current mental health, Aloe Bud provides a stress-free, self-care application for all sorts of users. Introduced to the Apple app store in the spring of 2018, Aloe Bud markets itself as a friendly self-care companion that sends users encouraging reminders.

I started using

Aloe Bud this summer after trying many different apps to combat my stress. Many of the apps I had tested out had excessive ads, a complicated user interface or hidden features that could only be unlocked by paying a monthly fee, which I found frustrating and unhelpful. Just as I was about to give up looking, I found Aloe Bud. Presenting itself with a simple and easyto-use interface, the app welcomes its users with a home screen consisting of icons that users can customize with labels like “Breathe,” “Fuel,” “Stimulate,” “Hydrate” and “Break.” Users can move

around the icons and add more icons to the home screen.

Upon tapping on the icons, depending on how they are customized, users can choose to check in about certain activities or journal their thoughts.

Some activities that I use frequently are “Break,” which I use to write down my troubling thoughts whenever I feel stressed, and “Hydrate,” which I use to track how often I drink water.

One of the biggest features of Aloe Bud is its friendly, customizable reminder system. Users can choose the type of reminder they want at certain times

of the day. In addition to a simple reminder, Aloe Bud has a preprogrammed motivation message along with the reminder, unlike other self-care applications.

Although not every user would be using all of the 33 different icons available, Aloe Bud caters itself to everyone and their needs.

Through Aloe Bud, users can log the simple things in life like eating, drinking water and journaling to the more broader, emotional aspects of their life like writing what they are thankful for and what they are stressed about.

Aloe Bud is also mindful of the way they portray each icon. All the icons use

non-triggering words like “fuel” instead of eating and “hydrate” instead of drinking water as recommended by a mental health researcher. They even carefully selected language in the app so it wouldn’t be triggering.

For example, the reminders to eat aren’t referenced as “food,” which people have hang-ups about (or possibly even eating disorders).”

According to Techcrunch, “[Amber] Discko (the creator) worked with a mental health researcher to help craft the app, and referenced other research in the space, as well.”

Even the way the icon’s cute retro pixel style is eyecatching and calming to

look at.

Unlike other self care apps, there are no advertisements and its features are completely free. However, frequent users can buy the $4.99 package to customize the push notifications that are sent to them.

Although Aloe Bud is not a replacement for therapy or support from family and friends, it can be a good place to write down lingering thoughts, motivate yourself and manage daily routines. I would highly recommend Aloe Bud to people who have a difficult time managing their stress or emotions.

Photo courtesy of Aloe Bud

Instances where men have stolen women’s ideas

by Ambika Vaidya Opinion Editor

It comes as no shock that we live in a male-dominated world. Most of the top influential figures in history have been men. The stark difference in power between men and women has been long established by society.

Although both women and men are trying to change women’s position in society in many places of the world today, many know that our world will remain male-dominated unless some drastic change occurs.

However, what a number of people may not know is the astonishing number of times in history where men have taken credit for a woman’s ideas or work.

Perhaps the most popular example of this is of artist Margaret Keane and her husband Walter Keane.

Thanks to Tim Burton’s 2014 biopic Big Eyes, a larger audience has been made aware of the famous 1986 trial between the painter of the children with the large, round eyes and her husband.

After they got married in the late 1950s, Walter Keane quickly started selling his wife’s unique portraits without her knowledge.

When she found out, he allegedly threatened to harm or even kill her to force her to stay quiet.

For over a decade, Margaret painted and worked tirelessly on the paintings her husband sold under his own name. Then in 1970, Keane stated on a radio broadcast that she was the true creator of the beloved paintings. Though a paintoff was arranged between the couple at San Francisco’s Union Square after this announcement, Walter Keane failed to show up and the event was canceled.

In the ensuing 1986 trial, the judge commenced an in-court painting competition between the couple which Walter declined to but his ex-wife accepted. In the aftermath of the trial, Margaret won the lawsuit

and was awarded four million dollars.

Another example of men taking credit for a woman’s work also took place within the entertainment industry. The game Monopoly has been an extremely popular and beloved board game throughout several generations.

Many credit a man named Charles Darrow for coming up with the game, but according to the New York Times, Monopoly was the brainchild of progressivist Elizabeth Magie.

Magie was a secretary, a stenographer, a poet, an author of short stories as well as a stand-up comedian. She created Monopoly as a way of criticizing famous monopolists. Magie made a legal claim for the game—called The Landlord’s Game—in 1903, long before the Parkers Brother company made Monopoly an official board game.

However, Magie only earned a few hundred dollars for her invention, and her name lost popularity throughout history. Darrow’s reinvention of the game, on the other hand, earned him more than a lifetime’s worth of fame, millions of dollars and thousands of fans.

The science industry is also notorious for men claiming credit for women’s work. According to Huffington Post, Rosalind Franklin was the pioneering women on DNA study. In 1951, she discovered that DNA had two forms—an A form and a B form.

When she died of cancer at the age of 37, her colleague used her discovery to supply chemists James Watson and Francis Crick with the information they needed to make a model on DNA molecular structure just seven years after Franklin’s death. This model earned them a Nobel Prize in 1962. Although in the decades after Franklin’s death her name became increasingly well known, Franklin received little recognition

for her work on DNA structure during her lifetime.

Only after Watson and Crick gained fame for their discovery did Franklin’s name start to shine. Hence, this is yet another example of how men have gained famed and overshadowed women by taking women’s ideas.

However, the fact that surprises me the most is how society has allowed these men to get away with claiming the credit. Taking work from a person without that person’s acknowledgment is a form of plagiarism and stealing. There was no punishment for Walter

“THE First Grail” was Margaret Keane’s most famous work. Her trademark was painting children with big eyes.

Photo courtesy of SF Weekly

Keane, no reprimand for the Nobel Prize Committee for giving Watson and Crick the prestigious award but ignoring Franklin. Society has essentially ignored the wrongdoings of these men and instead of bringing to light those lost names of women from history, we

continue to credit these men with something that they did not fully accomplish by themselves. Only when we stop doing this and give credit where it is actually due will we be one step closer to living in a more gender-equal world.

IN 1951, Rosalind Franklin found two forms of DNA. Chemists James Watson and Francis Crick used her findings to make a model of DNA. Photo courtesy of Britannica

ELIZABETH Magie was the creator of The Landlord’s Game. Not too long afterwards, the Parkers Brothers took the idea and made Monopoly.

Photo courtesy of 99% Invisible

Arts & Entertainment We’re soarin’, flyin’ away from childhood

Nov. 16, 2018

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by Kiana Devera Staff Writer

HUG ME, BROTHA! It’s safe to say that our childhood was wonderfully entertained by platforms such as Nickelodeon or Disney. A time before reaction channels, slime videos and Jake Paul, we enjoyed the quirky likes of Devon Werkheiser as Ned Bigby giving us tips on how to survive school, Amanda Bynes hosting the kid version of SNL, and Miranda Cosgrove kickstarting the vlogging trend.

But one question always pops in everyone’s heads whenever we find our-

Photos courtesy of Nickelodeon, SortedNoise and 3D Warehouse

selves reminiscing of those times: What happened to them? What happened to London from The Suite Life?

Or Beck from Victorious?

Well, I’m here to tell you that after many hours of research, I finally know the answers. I’ll talk about the two childhood shows and movies that were the staples of our childhood: High School Musical and iCarly.

Starting the trip back memory lane, let’s talk about one of the many lady charmers of the early 2000s.

Now that we’re in high school, it’s safe to say that it is nothing like what Disney made us believe as little kids. Disney’s High School Musical is always fun to think of when we think of our

childhood. It’s hard to believe that Zac Efron, or Troy Bolton, is now 31 years old.

After his massive success in the High School Musical franchise, Efron took up roles in smaller films such as Me and Orson Welles, Charlie St. Cloud, and New Year’s Eve which was met with positive reviews, but moderate success in the box office. In 2012, he even lent his voice in the animated movie The Lorax. It wasn’t until later in 2014 when Efron was rewarded with major commercial success in the adult comedy, Neighbors.

His High School Musical co-star, Vanessa Hudgens, however, took a slightly different path. She also starred in smaller silver screen movies such as Bandslam, Springbreakers and Beastly, which were all met with much criticism and little praise. Hudgens even returned to her musical roots for a time for productions such as Rent, Gigi and Grease: Live. In 2012, she joined the cast of Journey 2: The Mysterious Island playing the love interest of Josh Hutcherson and receiving mixed reviews. For a year, Hudgens starred in the DC

Dark origin of holidays

by Magali Julien Staff Writer

The original story of the first Thanksgiving has been contested by historians. Some believe that it was a three-day feast hosted by the pilgrims to give thanks to God for their harvest and to share their food with Native Americans who helped them survive and taught them how to plant. There are also many accounts of large massacres of local natives that were celebrated by thanking god for the plentiful land and slaves He had provided them.

No matter what story you’ve heard, it is textbook fact that the arrival of the first Europeans decimated the native population.

Only very recently have states (only about half) stopped observing Columbus Day as a national holiday. The list of atrocities committed against Native Americans included murder, enslavement, theft, mutilation and genocide.

Similarly, many states are also reluctant to stop observing Thanksgiving, even though it too has a contoversial past.

The reason I believe we are so reluctant to depart from Thanksgiving boils down to two things: the name, Thanksgiving, is not particularly indicative of its racist and genocidal origins, and because of its connection to tradition, family

and food. When we think of Thanksgiving, mouthwatering images of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce, along with family and prayer, come to mind.

Those who really live for the festivities wouldn’t miss the pumpkin carving contests or the fashion opportunities that come with sweater weather for the world.

The reason you should reconsider celebrating the holiday, and why many people are considering redefining it, is because the context of the holiday in American history is not dissimilar to that of Columbus day. Considering the bloody and traumatic history between white settlers and indigenous peoples, there is an irony to the idea that we are celebrating a friendship between the two groups.

Since the first colonists, every treaty ever made by white European immigrants with indigenous peoples have been broken. There is not a single promise that has been kept or a section of US land that is not marked with betrayal.

Without the help of Native Americans across America, white migrants would have never survived on the unfamiliar terrain.

In return for the generosity, the Native Americans lost their lives and land, most notably from the Trail of Tears.

For those who found ways to survive over the centuries, they found no comfort in their communities, culture or history. Millions of indigenous children and youth were forced into camps where they were told to abandon their indigenous identities and forget their culture. It is because of the efforts of white settlers that thriving, loving communities have lost almost all connection to the cultures of their ancestors.

Native Americans weren’t offered reservations as a place of refuge and collective healing. They were herded onto pieces of land that no one wanted to be hidden from view so that they can’t crack the shell of the myth of the peaceful settlers.

Fast forward to today and the holidays are much different. It is a time for people to enjoy festivities and visit family and friends.

America’s history should not take away any of the joy people experience celebrating today’s holidays, but that does not mean we should forget how they came to be in the first place.

We cannot erase the atrocities committed in the past, but we can move forward, learning from our mistakes.

Let this be a lesson to all of us: always be kind and treat people with respect.

With that, happy holidays, everyone!

Comics sitcom, Powerless, and this year, she starred in the movie, Dog Days. For now, Hudgens is waiting for that solid production that will land her a breakout as big as her High School Musical one.

Switching channels, one of Nickelodeon’s most popular shows ended up with a cast that’s not so popular anymore. Starring Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy and Nathan Kress, iCarly is beloved by many for its clever humor and relatable characters who are just trying to survive high school. After the show’s finale, however, the stars of the ever so cherished TV show slid into much quieter careers.

Starting off with the lead of the show, Miranda Cosgrove, after her big success on iCarly, lent her voice to the Despicable Me franchise and to another animated film known as A Mouse Tale. Cosgrove also starred in the horror film The Intruders. Cosgrove was also cast in the NBC comedy, Crowded but the show was canceled after one season. After her time in Hollywood, she then attended the University of Southern California to study film but switched to psychology a few years later.

Her partner in crime, Jennette McCurdy, costarred in a spinoff show with Ariana Grande called, Sam & Cat. After its cancellation after one season, she starred in a show she wrote, produced and edited called, What’s Next For Sarah? She then starred in the Netflix show, Between and the movies, Pet and Little B*tches. In 2011, she also began writing articles for companies such as the Wall Street Journal, Seventeen and The Huffington Post.

Finally, we end with the dorky cameraman, Freddie Benson, or Nathan Kress.

After iCarly, he costarred in the films Into the Storm and Tell Me How I Die. In 2015, he had his director debut on Henry Danger.

The same year, Kress also became engaged to his Into The Storm castmate, London Elise Moore, and their first child, Rosie Carolyn

Kress, was born just last year.

Years ago, we would religiously watch these celebrities on our TV screens, anxiously waiting for what would happen next in the upcoming episodes. It’s really crazy to think about the people who made up our childhood and where they are now. While some may still have that firm grip on celebrity success, others have faded into the background and will only be remembered in throwback Instagram posts and our memories. They’re real people, and they have lives. They move on and so should we.

sports Toxic masculinity and its effects on athletes

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Nov. 16, 2018

by Lauren Panzer Staff Writer

American football is considered to be the holy grail of sports culture. Young men across the country aspire to play the game, crossing their fingers and hoping that they will one day find fame and glory on the field.

However, football is considered to be one of the most dangerous sports. Torn ligaments, concussions and other injuries are very common in this hard-hitting sport. It is no surprise that this maledominated sport is infamous for its stereotypical outlook and the consequences that follow it.

A recent example of this perspective in football is the untimely death of freshman Jordan McNair, offensive lineman for the University of Maryland. On May 29, 2018, McNair collapsed after rigorous training drills when he suffered an untreated heatstroke.

According to Sports Illustrated, McNair’s attorney revealed to the jury that the coach and those in charge waited an hour after McNair had a severe seizure before calling for an ambulance.

He was admitted to a hospital with a body temperature of 106 degrees. On June 13,

McNair died.

Months later, after an in-depth investigation, ESPN published a report that alleged a “toxic culture” inside University of Maryland’s football team, which played a prominent role in McNair’s death.

Most of these allegations were aimed at coach D.J. Durkin and conditioning coach, Rick Court, who were accused of using fear, intimidation, verbal abuse and condoning unhealthy eating habits to make the players larger and stronger.

As a result of the investigation by ESPN, these instances were reported to illustrate the demanding and hostile environment that these players trained in.

Extreme verbal abuse was prevalent. A player’s masculinity was also routinely mocked to drive them to train harder. Some players were verbally abused continually after passing out during a drill. Those collapsing from exhaustion were subject to the common practice of being dragged across the field by the coaches and medical staff.

This mentality carries over into other sports as well, as in the case of Kevin Love. Love is an National Basketball Association All

Star who played alongside LeBron James in four NBA finals. Love was diagnosed with anxiety after suffering a panic-attack during a basketball game. In an article

by The Players’ Tribune, Love addresses the lack of sympathy within sports, and his experiences with mental health. He talks about his reluctance to get the help he needed because of how the

world might view him. Love expresses his hate towards the stigma against emotional expression in basketball.

“I didn’t want people to perceive me as somehow less reliable as a teammate, and it all went back to the playbook I’d learned growing up,” Love says.

This “playbook” that Love mentions refers to the mental set of rules that

he has drilled into himself since he was a child. “Be strong. Don’t talk about your feelings. Get through it on your own.”

These examples of toxicity are on the extreme side in terms of impact that is put on the player on the likes of verbal abuse to motivate players. This ignorance proves dangerous, as in the case of McNair the

consequences can be major when it comes to sports and the stereotypes that plague it. McNair lost his life due to them, Love could have suffered more panic attacks due to anxiety if he did not get any help quicker and the lives of hundreds of players’ could be at stake if we do not work on improving the social environment of sports.

MCNAIR (left) and Love (right) pictured above. McNair died from heat stroke after being denied medical assistance from the University of Maryland during practice. Love has spoken out about toxic masculinity and how it affected his decision to come out about his mental illness.

Photo courtesy of Vox News and Sport Illustrated

sports Fremont’s victory rings across the field 12

by Michael Wang and Thomas Poplawski Collaboration

After seven years, Fremont High School finally won the Battle of the Bell and brought the bell back.

Every year, the Battle of the Bell is one of the most highly anticipated football games. It represents the ongoing rivalry between FHS and Homestead High School. Though HHS has won most of the Battles of the Bell, Adam Herald, coach of the varsity football team, is still happy to bring the bell back to Fremont.

Before the game, Herald and most of the team trusted in their ability to overcome HHS. “I was confident in our

team,” Herald said, “They had a good week of preparation and they were hungry for a win.”

Similarly, senior Jonathan Gutierrez had been planning on winning for a long time.

“I’ve been saying since my junior year, we’re going to beat Homestead,” said Jonathan Gutierrez.

Among the players, there was a strong sense of confidence in their ability to win this game. However, when the game actually started, the conviction of some players wavered a little.

“I was [...] nervous because everyone was there,” said Jonathan Gutierrez. “I talked [a lot of trash] and if we didn’t win I was going to

FREMONT preparing before the game

be embarrassed.”

Senior Isaac Gutierrez said he helped the team persevere by giving them a motivational speech, reminding them of their chance to do something that hadn’t been done in years.

Due to efforts like these, the team was able to push through and secure their victory.

According to Isaac Gutierrez, one of the main reasons FHS was able to secure a victory over HHS was due to their teamwork.

“The main difference was our team chemistry and us all coming together for a game that actually mattered,” said Isaac Gutierrez.

Another aspect that helped FHS win according to senior T-Bone Alvarado

THE football team before the start of a play

was their new head coach.

“We had a new head coach,” said Alvarado. “I don’t know why [former coach Nelson Gifford] couldn’t do it, but [Herald] did it, you know.”

In terms of which specific players made a difference in the game, Alvarado said Isaac Gutierrez excelled during the game.

“I knew we were going to win because my boy Isaac was making plays,” said Alvarado.

Coach Herald also commended Isaac Gutierrez’ ability during the game and praised junior Bryand Arcia and senior Cohle Feliciano for their performance in the game.

“Isaac Gutierrez and Cohle Feliciano were hard to

Nov. 16, 2018

Photos courtesy of Jonathan Gutierrez

stop on defense. Bryand Arcia managed the game well as [quarterback] and our offensive line allowed our running backs to gain first downs when we needed,” After the game was won, the entire team was jubilant; some were on the brink of crying. Herald was happy to see the players work together as a team to bring back the highly coveted bell. The players were equally thrilled by their success.

“I don’t really know how to describe it,” said Jonathan Gutierrez. “I mean, I stole the bell and took it to In-N-Out.” Isaac Gutierrez was proud of his fellow seniors for their achievement because many of the previous

varsity teams were not able to do what they did.

In the end, FHS brought the bell back after the most important and anticipated football game of the year. The great chemistry of the team, along with the help of their new coach and key players, allowed the team to take the victory against HHS after seven years.

“Honestly I thought I was going to cry after the game,” Alvarado said. “I was too happy. I felt good.”