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THE IRVINGTON VOICE

VOL. 25 No. 4

TUESDAY, January 17, 2017

PTSA, IHS Girls in STEM, and Code for Fun screen “The Computers”

ASB’s holds the second Public Forum at Irvington

By ISHA SANGHVI

By ANNIKA YONG STAFF WRITER On Dec. 9, the Parent Teacher Student Association, Code for Fun, and IHS Girls in STEM Club held a free movie screening of the documentary “The Computers” in the cafeteria from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The movie was about the Eniac programmers, six women programmers who coded the world’s earliest general purpose computer.

“The Computers” was about how these women never received credit for their breakthrough or honor for their hard work because they were women until sixty years later.

The documentary screening was followed by a Q&A section with four panel speakers, Britanny Bir, COO of the school 42 USA; Monica Bajaj, Senior Engineering manager at NetApp; Mitali Dhar, a MIT and Harvard Graduate, and Praniti Lakhwara, VP of IT at Nimble Storage, all of whom are

influential women in STEM fields.

The four speakers provided insight into STEM careers to the audience by talking about their experiences and important things that lead to their respective paths to success.

“Do not ever stay in your comfort zone, you’ve gotta step out and put yourself in an uncomfortable situation in order to succeed,” said speaker Monica Bajaj.

“Whether you are a student, or you’re working, if you are the only [person of different gender] or when you’re in minority, do not think in that way, everybody has the right to express, do not hesitate, do not feel shy, you definitely need to make sure you [voice out your words].”

The club members and the audience were inspired by the speakers’ experiences, projects, and noted their helpful advices.

“I think their stories, especially when they talked about their most exciting projects are inspiring and showed their passion,”

said senior Charusheela Garapathy. “I also learned about some of the stories behind the Eniac from the documentary and that the women programmers were seen as machines instead of people and should be given credit.”

“The Computers” movie screening event ran smoothly, with many club members taking home a deeper insight of computer science and technological careers.

“I think the movie screening event can be very inspirational for girls because the women portrayed in the documentaries are extremely passionate about, and the energy they displayed shows us that STEM, especially computer science, can be very exciting and rewarding despite the challenges.” said Mary Xu, the president of the IHS Girls in STEM Club. “The panel after the movie is a great way for students to connect with women in the field and ask questions or receive words of advice.”

ANNIKA YONG Panel speakers Britanny Bir, Monica Bajaj, Mitali Dhar, and Praniti Lakhwara answer questions from audiences.

STAFF WRITER

ISHA SANGHVI Sophomore class officer, Jasmine Tong-Seely, responds to students’ questions about the importance of school spirit.

Associated Student Body held its second Public Forum on Dec. 7 during advisory, reforming the event to accommodate the plethora of criticism it had received after the earlier forum.

Previously, Irvington students described the event as lacking student participation due to inadequate publicity. In efforts to reverse that, ASB visited advisories the day before advertising the event and its purpose in addition to giving out tutorial passes to interested students so it would be more convenient to attend. As a result, more than 80 students attended, significantly more than the first Public Forum.

In addition to increasing publicity, ASB also switched up the event to become more interactive. ASB’s initial method of giving updates on school events and then allowing students to come up and propose ideas did not account

for the students who felt uncomfortable speaking in front of large audiences.

“We decided to change it into round table discussions so we can have actual personalized conversations with students. We felt that allowing attendees to talk directly with a few ASB members was better than making attendees talk to all of ASB,” said ASB Secretary, Krishna Vachhani (12).

Opinions on the new format were split among students with some appreciating the more personalized level of interaction, while others missing the ability to talk to the entirety of ASB. Sophomore Aaron Lin recounted, “I like the old one more.

The recent public forum made me feel less important. I ended up arguing against other people who don’t matter in terms of actual policy making when in the previous one I could ask the entire ASB Continue on Page 3

Possibly toxic discoloration found in classrooms

By Atira Nair STAFF WRITER Recently, there has been an emergence of a dark pattern discoloration in two classrooms at Irvington. Currently, the district

CITY

Open Fire at Indian Cuisine Restaurant causes damages

On Jan. 5, an unattended cooking fire caused nearly 5,000 dollars in damages. The fire had been started from a chicken left in the oven. No injuries were reported as firefighters were able to quickly get to the scene.

Fremont City Council plans for fifth seat selection

Fremont city council is planning to choose a replacement for Mayor Lily Mei’s former position on Jan. 10. 10 candidates will vie for the spot through a series of general and specific interviews.

is testing whether or not the discoloration is mold and how toxic it is. There is a possibility that the possible mold in the air can lead to allergic reactions or cold-like symptoms if inhaled. Due to this safety hazard, Mrs. Gavin and Mr. Reznick have been relocated to

different classrooms.

The district believes that the reason for this dark pattern discoloration might be due to leaks in the ceiling. Currently, the school is diligently working hard to remove the discoloration and ensure the safety of students.

According to Mrs. Smoot, the district has hired a contractor to take care of the situation and clean the classrooms by replacing the ceiling tiles. With this method, the discoloration will be effectively eradicated so it does not spread and Mr. Reznick’s and Mrs. Gavin

can continue normal schedules.

“We’re going to work with the district to make sure that it’s not an ongoing problem, identify any areas that we think need inspection, and take all the measures that we need to make sure that it’s remediated,” said Principal Smoot.

Upcoming movie planned in Fremont

Sears closes many stores due to economic losses

on an arrival flight and pulled out a gun from his checked luggage in the baggage claim area before openly shooting directly and the crowd waiting for their baggages.

Five are currently dead and eight more are wounded.tensions between members of

INTERNATIONAL

TThe Eastern Nebraska Film Office film office is planning to set their film, “ 12 Days of Giving”, in Fremont. The film is currently waiting for Fremont City Coucil’s apporval.

STATE

“Atmospheric river” pours heavy rains down on California

Heavy rains throughout a California, at the start of 2017, was the most California has had in the last 10 to 25 years. The rainfall has drenched much northern California, especially the mountain ranges, and has caused many mudslides and overflowing .

150 Sears Kmarts are scheduled to close in Riverside. Local UC Riverside students express the huge inconvenience that this change will cause them.

Bodies found from Helicopter accident

On Jan 5., a helicopter reported taking pictures of a cruise ship crashed into the ocean at around 10:15 AM. Two bodies have been found from the wreckage in San Pedro.

NATIONAL

Shooting in Fort Lauderdale airport

On Jan. 6, National Guard Veteran, Esteban Santiago (26), arrived at Fort Lauderdale airport

Michelle Obama gives final speech during school counselor of the year celebration On Jan. 5, First Lady Michelle Obama highlighted the importance of hope and determination in reaching goals in her final address in the East Room. Her emotional speech depicted her and her husband’s journey in staying strong and brave and empowering others to do the same.

Large iceberg will soon break off of Antarctica

A 22 kilometer piece of ice as big as Delaware is on the verge of breaking off from Antarctica, and will dramatically change the landscape of the continent. This iceberg shelf Larsen C, is partially caused by sea levels rising, which had earlier caused another nearby ice shelf, Larsen B, to break off.

Taiwan President Tsai heads to America

Taiwan president Tsai is scheduled to pay a visit to United States in Houston and San Francisco to show Taiwan’s support for its fellow ally, despite Chinese disapproval.

2 THE IRVINGTON VOICE NEWS TUESDAY JANUARY 17, 2017

Results of 2016 election cause debate over electoral college

By Sabrina Sun ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR The 2016 presidential election of the United States of America ended with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton winning the popular vote by 2.8 million votes and Republican candidate Donald Trump winning the electoral college by 74 votes. Trump was then declared president-elect.

Even after the result of the election was practically determined, discussions and interest in the election did not die down.

On the contrary, protests and riots rejecting Trump as president-elect erupted across the country. In addition, a vocal effort to convince electors to defect and vote for Clinton gained support among protesters, who saw the electoral college as their last chance to oppose Trump.

In order to win, a candidate needs 270 out of 538 electoral votes and in order to earn an electoral vote, candidates must win the popular vote. Each state receives the same number of votes as representatives in the congress. When the average citizen casts a ballot for a certain party’s candidate, they are actually voting for the party’s chosen board of electors, which is often composed of loyal and active party members. While laws dealing in the specifics vary from state to state, the majority of the states operate on a winnertakes-all system.

Despite a lack of constitutional and federal restrictions, electors may be bound by state laws or pledges and ties to their party, practically always voting for their party’s candidate. Penalties for defecting electors also differ from state to state. Some states require fines while others cancel the vote and replace the elector. Even will all these precautions, defecting electors are primarily independent and fail to change the outcome of the election.

The 2016 lobbying movement fell short; according to Politico, while a record number of seven electors defected, only two electors officially defected from Trump as opposed to five electors against Clinton. The final vote, 304 against 227, cemented the results of the election, but incited another movement questioning the electoral college. The more radical protesters denouncing Trump are going beyond lobbying attempts, questioning the fundamental role of the electoral college, and demanding a revamping of America’s election system.

Contemporary critics of this system claimed that it was not representative of the people’s will, citing Alexander Hamilton’s essay within the “Federalist Papers” which defines the purpose of the electoral college as a safeguard against Continue on Page 3

Fremont Police Department Faces String of Robberies Amidst Difficulties

By WILLIAM YOO & FIONA ZHAO STAFF WRITER In the last two weeks of 2016, the Mission Peak Area in Fremont experienced a string of seven car robberies and several residential robberies, breaking the regular trend of reduced robberies throughout Fremont. The Fremont Police Department (FPD) reported an average of 2-4 armed robberies per year.

However, Fremont saw robberies concentrated twice in the Mission District on Dec. 9 and Dec. 28. At approximately 2:10 PM, two armed suspects robbed a home on Durham Road, where they were chased, but not apprehended, by police responders.

These incidents are an anomaly in general trends against crime; the FPD reports that the overall city residential burglary rate is down 40 percent since May 2014, and that the criminal apprehension

rate is up 30 percent in areas with video-surveillance.

CrimeReports, an online crime database the FPD utilizes for crime data, backs this information, but still reports 376 residential robberies over the year.

Armed robberies are rarer, and the department thinks that the incidents were unrelated, claiming that both the suspect’s descriptions as well as the modus operandi (pattern of crime) were different for both incidents.

However, the fact that suspects for this incident, as well as the other car robberies, have continued to elude capture has caused concern for many residents.

The FPD has worked to alleviate residential concerns by using its social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter, as well as through community meetings. On Dec. 19, the FPD held a meeting at the Warm

FREMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT Fremont Police Department sees a decline in their staffing numbers.

Springs Community Center where they answered questions about robbery concerns, passed out safety pamphlets on anti-crime measures, and reassured residents regarding redoubled efforts. New policies include a surveillance sys-

tem in the Mission Area, increased patrol activity, and new street lights. However, the FPD claims one of their biggest problems is manpower, which was cut to 176 from 200 officers after the Recession, and has now climbed to 192, still under

pre-Recession levels. The FPD’s Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) program, which now contains around 80 volunteers, also helps with patrols, but the suspects themselves remain especially difficult to prosContinue on Page 3

Innovation Minds holds technology competition at Irvington

By Manbir Ghuman PHOTO & WEB EDITOR On Wednesday, December 21, Innovation Minds, a Silicon Valley company with a goal to inspire innovative thinking through workshops and lectures, held a technology competition at Irvington High School while showcasing several pieces of emerging technology such as drones, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality headsets. The competition allowed for students to present their own ideas for future technology.

In order to promote interactive thinking, Innovation Minds’ competition gave students the opportunity to apply what they learned at the showcase to pitch ideas and solve problems that affect society today. These ideas targeted various issues and aimed to make everyday tasks more convenient and lessen the severity of environmental issues.

The second-place winning pitch, by seniors Medha Acharya and Ahir Datta, looked to improve bras. Their design focused on creating a low cost smart

bra that could be adjustable to fully meet the needs of the wearer.

“I think I personally gained a lot from this experience. I really enjoyed some of the technologies, especially because some of them were new to me,” said senior Medha Acharya The event provided new opportunities for students to experience rare technology, sparking creative thinking, which was recognized by the entire faculty.

“It was a wonderful event for Irvington Students to explore emerging technologies and to work together and come up with ideas and an overall great way for students to venture into the world of innovation, research, and design,” said Principal Sarah Smoot.

The judge’s panel, which included Principal Sarah Smoot, Adobe Senior Director Richard Lee, Bu/tech/L&D Dean Lesley Buehler, and technology executive Michael Davis, looked at several pitches and chose the winner, Group 3, which con-

MANBIR GHUMAN Students and faculty were given chances to try on the newest and oldest models of virtual reality headsets.

sisted of Seniors Mary Xu, Bill Zhang, Ashvin Goyal, Neemias Hung and Danyal Mohammad.

Group 3 members’ project was aimed to make the difficult task of buying clothes online easier. They thought of a way to to use 3-D modeling systems and virtual reality headsets to try on augmented clothing at home.

“Innovation Minds introduced nice technology that was otherwise hard to get and gave us first hand experience of the future of tech. This reminded me of Maker Faire, another competition and showcase that allows students to make their ideas a reality,” said senior Bill Zhang.

MCMASTER UNIVERSITY A brief breakdown of what to do during a lockdown.

Recent lockdowns lead to questions on procedure

By Radhika Munshani NEWS EDITOR Recent lockdowns have brought about questions regarding the different types of stages and procedures used. Anytime a lockdown is called, school administrators set a School Safety Plan into motion to ensure the safety of students.To clear up any confusion, The Voice has composed a brief breakdown of all the types of lockdowns and what they call for.

There are two ac-

tions that are often grouped together as a lockdown, shelter-in-place and lockdowns.

Shelter-in-place warnings are enacted when there is concerning activity in the Irvington or Newark area, but not any action close enough that it presents an impending threat.

When a shelter-in-place is called, proper procedure actually doesn’t concern students very much. The exterior gates to the school

are secured, but classes are not affected. The only slight inconvenience to students is that an adult escort is required to go to the bathroom, and it may be difficult to leave school for any appointment or to go home.

Shelter-in-place warnings can soon shift to lockdowns if there is any police activity within the Irvington area or anytime the police department deems appropriate. During

lockdowns, teachers and staff are immediately notified and have to act quickly. Doors must be locked, lights must be turned off, and students must be quiet and inside the classrooms.

In the rare event that administrators are unable to reach or notify staff or students, it’s important to act appropriately given these instructions and be able to adapt to the situation. Especially if a student is alone

at the time of a lockdown, it’s up to his or her own volition to act accordingly to best ensure his or her own safety.

During lockdowns, students cannot leave their classrooms no matter what.

This includes trips to the bathroom or leaving for appointments. However, each classroom is well-prepared with emergency equipment and supplies, so this measure should not grow

3 THE IRVINGTON VOICE NEWS TUESDAY JANUARY 17, 2017

Public Forum Continued from Page 1 leadership.”

On the other hand, Roshni Srivastava (10) stated, “I enjoyed the format of the smaller groups because I felt like ASB was actually listening to each and every one of our comments and suggestions. In the end, I felt more represented and it was more efficient.”

Irvington Debate Club hosts first Vikings Invitational

By SARVESH MAYILVAHANAN

Regardless of the split opinions, ASB’s public forum was still able to achieve its foremost goal of increasing communication about prevalent school issues whether or not it was between ASB and the students or among the student body themselves.

SPORTS EDITOR

Elections Continued from Page 2 populist candidates, a label the critics pinned on president elect Trump.

The debate regarding the American electoral system became even more controversial following the FBI’s identification of Russian cyber terrorism as a desire to influence the election in Trump’s favor. A major talking point throughout the election, the oft-mentioned “secret Clinton servers and emails scandal” was the work of two Russian hacker groups who infiltrated servers belonging to both the DNC (Democratic National Convention) and the RNC (Republican National Convention), leaking major DNC

files on the illicit publication platform Wikileaks on July 22. Protesters claim that such foreign influence skewed the election and served as an example of the current system’s glaring inadequacy.

The end result of this divisive election may already be established; Trump is the United State’s forty-fifth president. However, nation-wide sentiment hints only at further conflict and a deepening of the partisan divide. While the president may have been chosen, the controversy regarding the role and abilities of the electoral college and electoral system as a whole to represent the citizens of America is unlikely to die down.

Lockdowns

MARSHALL GOLDBERG The Irvington Debate Club rejoices with their trophies after the invitational On Dec. 17, Irvington’s debate team held the first ever Vikings Invitational tournament. It took place over the entire day and hosted over 60 teams and 15 schools from around the Bay Area.

Over the past several years, the Irvington debate program has risen to the top of the national rankings, at an all time high of fifth place. The tournament was organized by seniors Rishabh Meswani and Tanisha Singh as a way to give back to the Parliamentary Debate Community, which had given the club many opportunities to grow and compete.

The Viking Invitational was the first major Parliamentary Debate

tournament to implement a unique paperless ballot system in which the judges’ decisions were sent digitally for tabulating final results. In addition to this ballot system, the team decided to include Snapchat filters, custom wristbands, and gavels for the individuals that won the speaker awards.

Additionally,the Viking Invitational was recognized by Point of Information, the main board for Parliamentary Debate, as a part of the Tournament of Champions (TOC) qualifications process. Because the tournament met all the requirements, varsity teams with a winning record received points towards qualification for the TOC. A

By MICHELLE HUANG

excessively inconvenient.

Lockdowns are usually not for very long anyway, with a few exceptions in recent years, but even so, teachers, staff, and parents are always kept well-informed through School Loop emails.

A short while ago, on Wednesday, Nov. 30, Irvington was placed under lockdown and shelter-inplace alerts in quick successions. Since the situation was changing rapidly, and it’s relation to Irvington was consequently not stable, many were confused at the sudden notification of Lockdown or Shelterin-Place. Hopefully, these descriptions make it easier

to differentiate between the two, and help you to be more informed should a similar situation arise in the near future.

It’s important to remember that lockdowns are always carried out with local law enforcement. The Fremont Police Department and Irvington administrators are in contact before, during, and after a lockdown to ensure the situation and area is safe enough to resume normal school life.

Lockdowns are rare occurrences, but it’s important to be well-informed on procedures and types to be able to act appropriately should the the situation where they’re needed arise.

Ever since losing the popular vote in a sweeping landslide, president-elect Donald J. Trump has been busy assembling a cabinet of Washington insiders and millionaires. Given his political inexperience, his inner circle is likely to play a large role in determining the fate of Obama’s legacy, and the future of Trump’s policies. Should they pass ethics inspections and be confirmed by Congress, the following cabinet picks are set to shape the incoming Trump administration.

Secretary of State: Rex Tillerson: A former CEO of ExxonMobil, Tillerson is known for his close ties to the Kremlin. ExxonMobil and Russia currently have a billion-dollar partnership working on offshore drilling projects off the Russian coast, and are collaborating to develop oil and natural gas reserves in the Arctic.

As Secretary of State, Tillerson could have unprecedented leverage over Russia by threatening to hold energy projects hostage through sanctions, or he could adopt a significantly softer posture—as Trump is expected to do. Due to his lack of foreign policy experience, the position Tillerson will

play as Secretary of State is still largely unknown, but he could lead the State Department on a complete paradigm shift regarding America’s policy commitments around the world.

Defense Secretary: James N. Mattis Marine Corps General James N. Mattis hasn’t even been confirmed for office yet, and has already clashed with the Trump transition team over appointments to Pentagon positions. The tension between Mattis and the president-elect could set the stage as the new president faces the difficulty of tackling ISIS. While serving as a general in Iraq, Mattis was known for his aggressive strategies, hawkish positions, and intense opposition to Iran. Now, however, some analysts predict that he may act as a voice of caution to check Trump’s warlike impulses. Mattis’s leadership and relationship with the president going into the next four years will be a defining aspect of Trump’s foreign policy legacy.

Energy Secretary: Rick Perry One of the greater ironies of this cabinet is

“The Vikings invitational was an amazing experience, where we were able to spend the day on our own campus,” junior Rachit Pareek said. “We debated, relaxed with friends during the breaks, and I’m proud to say that on its first try, Irvington debate has hosted one of the best invitational tournaments of the year.”

The team looks to continue their national success this year and to expand the tournament for following years.

“Because our officers are now fully equipped with the knowledge of how to run a full scale event, I can’t wait to see how this tournament grows,” said club President Rishabh Meswani.

Fremont Police

Trump’s Cabinet HUMOR EDITOR

Continued from Page 2

winning record was awarded to competitors winning three or more of the five rounds in the tournament.

In order to qualify for the TOC, teams needed to earn 27 points in total over the course of multiple tournaments before the end of the calendar year. The Vikings Invitational allowed teams to gain another opportunity to qualify for TOC and was one of the main reasons that the club decided to hold the tournament in December rather than any other month.

The tournament implemented various changes to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone, including music, extra break times, and a relaxed environment.

Continued from Page 3 ecute.

ficers remains almost prohibitively expensive: 2015 saw three new officers hired at a cost of $480,000. More funding it seems, is not enough to solve the department’s trouble with robberies in the area.

The new surge in armed, auto, and residential robberies in the Mission Area at the end of 2016 seems to be an anomaly, but the slower response in finding and catching the suspects hints at deeper difficulties than mere understaffing. The lack of evidence for the DA makes it difficult to convict repeat criminals and prohibitive costs make further programs difficult to fund with limited operational budgets.

failed presidential candidate, Rick Perry, who is now in charge of the department whose name he once forgot. The Department of Energy has purview over the nation’s energy production, as well as its substantial nuclear arsenal. As Energy Secretary, Perry may repeat the steps he took as the governor of Texas.

Back then, according to a New York Times investiga-

tion, he gave out $19 billion in government grants and incentives, annually, to attract energy companies to the state. In addition, given Trump’s recent tweets hinting at expanding the United States’ nuclear capabilities, Perry may oversee a resumption of nuclear testing--even though he graduated with a degree in animal science and knows absolutely nothing about nuclear physics.

“The arrest rate is challenging, because we often know a suspect or group of suspects are responsible for multiple burglaries, but we don’t always have enough evidence for the District Attorney (DA) to charge every case,” the FPD reported.

However, a look in the City of Fremont’s Budget Report may reveal more problems than simply understaffing. The FPD’s budget has increased from 56 to 71 million dollars in the last three years, but a small fraction, only around 3 million, is spent on operational costs, a number that has not changed significantly.

Increased salary costs have dominated much of the new budget, and hiring more of-

4

Student Life

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

What is your biggest pet peeve in a student?

By William Yoo STAFF WRITER

Alex Lee

Anne Chung

When I’m expecting students to do work and students think it’s optional.

When four students ask the same question right after another in a minute.

Scott Lewis

Ariela Koehler

Grade-grubbing.

When they could benefit from help, but they’ll assume that I can’t help them so they won’t ask.

A tee-riffic new look at golf

By Subaita Rahman STAFF WRITER Normally when hanging out with a group of friends, people tend to go shopping, catch a movie, or go out to eat. A new club at Irvington wants to add another activity to that list: squad golf, or “Squolf”.

With over thirty members, Squolf puts a new twist on golf and turns it into a fun new group activity.

“Over this last summer we got into golfing and we wanted to use our means and resources to bring it to people at Irvington who normally wouldn’t want to play golf,” Co-President junior Wesley Warren said.

Getting started with such a unique idea was no easy feat. Since none of them had experience running a club before, the main logistics of the club were difficult.

“We didn’t really have any real instruction on how to get it going,” CoPresident senior Jacob Parsons said, “and it was hard

to get everyone together and figure out times that worked.”

Still, the club is very proud of the turnout of their two meetings at the driving range so far, with over fifteen people showing the first time. As a tradition, the group ends their meet with eating at La Vic’s.

Nonmembers of the club or people who have had no previous experience golfing are still highly encouraged to join.

“We want to popularize the game of golf and get people out of their comfort zones to get them to do something they normally wouldn’t have done before,” Parsons said, “since golf isn’t normally a popular sport. Of course, we want to better ourselves and our skills.”

On the side the club is also selling brand stickers for $2 designed by senior Jihun Kang. For now they

SARAH DAVID

Squolf Club met recently at Mission Hills on Dec. 22, and schedules range meets once a monthtion caption caption.

Vikings bundle up for winter week

By Breanna de Vera STAFF WRITER Monday: Pajama Day Monday felt like never leaving one’s bed, because in addition to wearing warm fuzzy pajamas all day, there were also a cereal bar and cartoons in the cafeteria in the morning. ASB set up a holiday photo booth in the cafeteria for the week, featuring a winter wonderland, complete with snow and a gingerbread house.

Tuesday: Holiday Hats Santa and many reindeer were at Irvington on Tuesday, because it was holiday hat day. Unfortunately, the sponsor for hot cocoa bar cancelled last minute, so there was no hot cocoa bar.

Wednesday: Ugly Sweaters Wednesday was the day to wear ugly (or holidaythemed) sweaters, and the hallways were full of Christmas-themed pugs and fair isle patterns. During lunch, the holiday lip-sync battle was cancelled due to a lack of sign ups.

For freshmen, a two day LINK scavenger hunt started on Wednesday. Sophomore Nick Wilson dressed up as Santa Claus and the LINK leaders and freshmen would earn a point for each photo with him. The winning team, led by Link Leaders Catherine Cheng and Rishik Lad, received a gift card.

Thursday: Holiday Fuzzies Besides the fuzzy themed dress up day, there was also a cookie decorating contest in the cafeteria during lunch. Three teams gathered

around the table with various ingredients—frosting, sprinkles, marshmallows—in competition to produce the prettiest cookie. Senior Mary Wang judged the cookies, but ultimately decided that all were delicious.

For LINKmas on Thursday, the scavenger hunt involved locating sophomore Katie Lee, who was dressed as the “Holiday Fuzz Monster.”

“A lot of times, people get this idea that they are ‘too cool’ for spirit days and this activity was to break that idea to get the freshmen to leave their comfort zones,” Lee said.

Friday: Unity On the last day of winter week during lunch, ASB featured a slideshow in the cafeteria displaying photos from winter week, of people participating in events and dress up days.

For LINKmas, link Leaders and their freshmen met in cafeteria to decorate their cookies.

“I bonded with my kids as well as some other stray kids as well,” senior Justin Pi said. “We had a great time making crazy cookies.”

Although scheduling was odd this year, Irvington still had a successful Winter Week from Dec. 12 to Dec. 16. Because Christmas fell on a Sunday this year, FUSD had to adjust school schedules accordingly to ensure the right number of hours. There was no school on Dec. 23, the week after, and because both days before were block days, IHS was unable to have a Winter Rally.

BREANNA DE VERA /STAFF WRITER

Sophomores Roshni Srivastava and Rissa Chandy frosted a giant cookie on holiday fuzzy day.

Creative Writing Club published first literary magazine

By Fiona Zhu

STAFF WRITER On Dec. 10, Creative we’re currently unsure Writing Club published the about publicity.”

Though the first isfirst online issue of its literary magazine, The Pen- sue comprised of submischant. PDFs of the monthly sions from members only, issues are currently pub- Creative Writing Club enlished on the Facebook courages public submispage “The Penchant Liter- sions for future editions ary Magazine” though CWC and hopes to expand its is working on a website outreach within the Irvingwhere future issues will be ton community.

“While The Voice rereleased.

Designed by soph- ports on the news and feaomore Lily Yang, club tures of Irvington and the president, the first issue surrounding community,” of The Penchant is a selec- Wang said, “ we hope to tive compilation of tell- provide a creative outlet for ing poems, lipograms, and students interested in writnarratives. Although The ing fiction.”

From “A Shout Into Penchant does not have a specific theme, a develop- The Void,” junior Sowmya ment the club members Balakrishnan’s take on an psychologihope to incorporate into fu- adolescent’s ture issues, the overarching cal reactions to the war to morbid tone of the compi- sophomore Jaime Wang’s lation’s works speak mea- “Fly Free”, a reflection of a sures of humanity’s internal young girl dying from disand external struggles while ease, the first issue of The Penchant proves a stunnavigating the world.

“Since we’re not a ningly solemn yet thoughtmoney-based club, we’re ful selection of works. Howworking to change to a ever, Creative Writing Club money-based club in the fu- promises that future issues ture so we can print physi- will take a more lightheartcal copies, hold fundrais- ed turn.

Want to be part ers, and possibly distribute some issues,” CWC web- of CWC’s next issue of The master sophomore Jaime Penchant? Send in your Wang said, “but we’re still submissions to penchantlitdeveloping this idea and mag@gmail.com.

LILY YANG

Published by Creative Writing Club, the first issue of The Penchant was designed by sophomore Lily Yang, club president

5 THE IRVINGTON VOICE STUDENT LIFE, TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

SABRINA SUN

Bringing change to Irvington one club at a time

By Zarah Zhao STAFF WRITER Let’s End the Stigma and Bring Change to Mind (LET’S BC2M), the high school division of the larger non-profit organization Bring Change to Mind, is fighting to end the stigma against mental illness.

Through raising awareness and creating a platform for inspirational speakers and open conversations, the club increases high schoolers’ awareness about the

issue as well as stress and anxiety, and it provides a safe space for everyone.

“To me, ‘bring change 2 mind’ means changing mindsets,” President junior Rachel Guo said. “Open-mindedness is an important asset teenagers should foster during their young adult years, and I hope we all leave high school with an open mind toward everything— whether it be mental health, race, or class.”

LET’S BC2M raises awareness in unique ways, giving surveys about mental illnesses and ways to help those battling such illnesses to members. Berkeley’s BC2M branch provides the surveys and uses the data collected to conduct further research about the perception of mental illnesses.

The club is collaborating with Film Club to enter the Directing Change Program and Film Contest, where students create a one

Yule Ball unable to attract a large crowd

minute video about suicide prevention and mental health that are used to support awareness, education, and advocacy efforts on these topics.

“We want to eventually introduce events around the school that show support for those with mental illnesses and overall make [school] a safer environment,” Vice President junior Iris Wen said, “especially because Irvington has a lot of students who are

stressed and just try and ignore their problems.”

Previously, the club hosted a guest speaker, Tony Park from San Francisco’s Mental Health Board, who spoke about her personal battle with depression. Her depression combined with poverty resulted in a downwards spiral that culminated in homelessness. However, a non-profit shelter helped her back on her feet and she now works for the

same non-profit, helping those in her situation. “[LET’S BC2M] has made me more aware of the little things that people say and do that have negative connotations to people with mental illnesses,” Multimedia Director junior Emily Pi said. “The stigma against mental illness is really big. A lot of people hear stereotypes and may assume things that may not be necessarily true people don’t speak up.”

Interact clubs around Fremont come together to host a fundraiser

By Isha Sanghvi Irvington’s annual Winter Ball was held on Dec. 17 ending the last spirit week of the year. The Harry Potter themed dance, “Yule Ball,” featured lively music, fake snow and other Wizarding World-themed decorations, but lacked a substantial student body attendance.

With a mere 200 students attending compared to the 700 who came to Homecoming, the lack of student participation resulted in an overall negative feedback from students who did attend the dance.

“The main rea-

STAFF WRITER son that attendance was relatively low was because ticket sales for Winter Ball began two weeks after Homecoming,” ASB Publicity manager junior Kenneth Nguyen said. “Within ASB we only struggled with communication when planning the dance itself.”

“The overall atmosphere was pretty despondent mostly because people who went expected more of a turnout,” sophomore Kimberly Sanchez said. “The event as a whole was empty and there was a lot more open space than Homecoming.”

Contrary to popular belief, ASB met their target goal regarding the number of ticket sales. Instead, the real issue is the common trend of a decreased amount of student participation in general for Winter Ball. The event as a whole is perceived by the student body to be a couples’ dance.

“While ASB publicized a lot, people don’t go because Winter Ball is seen as a couple’s dance,” Sanchez said. “Thus, singles didn’t go and since their friends weren’t going, couples didn’t go either.”

ADITYA KANCHARLA

Co-Board Director (in the middle) Trinity Nguyen (10) and Irvington Interact President (far right) Satyak Handa (11) pose with other members in Interact.

By Sydney Welch STAFF WRITER

ISHA SANGHVI /STAFF WRITER

Sophomore Rachel Wang dances to the event’s lively music.

On Dec. 17, Area 5 of Interact hosted a fundraiser called the “All In This Together Benefit Game Show” from 6-9 p.m. in the Valhalla. Ticket prices went from $10-12 and students had the option to preorder their tickets as well.

Four other interact chapters — Kennedy, Washington, Mission, Alsion, and Ohlone — took part in the fundraiser. The show hosted games such as Jeopardy, Family Feud, Couple Goals, and “Are you smarter than area 5?” and performances involving singing and dancing too.

Planning of this night began early Novem-

ber and tasks to help set up were split up by committees such as stage, decoration, and food/merch.

“Each committee had its own separate job for example stage picked all the acts,” Irvington Interact’s President junior Satyak Handa said, “and helped onstage during the performance.

Handa was grateful that all school were cooperative and did their jobs well, since each committee had people from all five schools from the area. In addition, WHS worked extra by making photo frames to give away.

Handa said that the main goal of the Benefit Show was for the Interact Clubs to raise money to support their international

project, “Me the Human.”

“Me the Human” helps provide Syrian Refugees with care packages and other amenities,” Handa said.

Although the crowd was not that large, it was observed that most of the excitement came from Washington that night and Irvington did try to top that off.

“Area 5 cares about quality, not quantity,” Handa said, “and the quality of the acts were amazing which helped make the show a success. Large scale events like this don’t usually have fundraiser goals, but the the goal usually is to make a profit, and the bigger the better since every cent helps out to the International Project.”

6 THE IRVINGTON VOICE TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

7

Opinions

MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2017

A Legacy Forgotten

SCHOOL SHOULDN’T START LATER

By Fiona Zhao Staff Writer

There is a common belief that a vast majority of adolescents lack the scientifically recommended 9-10 hours of nightly sleep. In an effort to combat and prevent the harmful biological effects of sleep deprivation, which range from difficulty handling stress to potential obesity, various debates and suggestions have emerged. Through promoting later school start times, experts essentially aim to improve student productivity. However, postponing school hours is simply not the viable solution to increasing students’ sleep, as it merely promotes what its supporters have intended to prevent – through pushing back sleep times, a student’s quality of sleep, productivity, and overall well-being drastically declines.

Should school hours be pushed back, all students’ schedules would shift along with the change. The common argument is that later hours suit the average adolescent’s inner circadian rhythms, which deem adolescents best functioning starting around 9 or 10 a.m.

Yet arguably far more important is the quantity of sleep students receive. Along with later school hours, extracurricular activities, afterschool sports, completion of homework, and the available hours of sleep – the root cause of the change – are inevitably pushed back.

At best, students are allowed the same hours of sleep as before, and damage is still done; the quality of sleep is ultimately diminished. As the old adage goes, “one hour’s sleep before midnight is worth two after.”

“The time of night when you sleep makes a significant difference in terms of the structure and quality of sleep,” said Dr. Matt Walker, head of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab at UC Berkeley. In effect, students that sleep later display more severe symptoms of sleep deprivation.

Along with the decrease in both quantity and quality of sleep that results from postponing school hours comes the decrease in student productivity. Aside from the many alarming long-term detriments to health, including a weakened immune system and potential obesity, sleep deprivation results in cognitive decline. Students would simply enter a cycle that further lessens sleep times.

Postponing school hours disrupts the delicate century-old and institutionalized foundation of society. Along with students, the schedules of teachers, staff workers, bus drivers, and parents are shifted to accommodate the change in school hours. The familiar schedule of parents sending their children to school before driving to their own workplace would be disrupted, resulting in less work hours, decreased work productivity, and a detriment to the economy. Rearranging bus pick-ups times, sports practice times, among other inevitable interruptions, proves both costly and inconvenient.

Ultimately, postponing school is a well-intentioned but illogical suggestion to increasing students’ sleep times and productivity. Waking up early in the morning might be painful, but it is the least we can do to promote healthier versions of ourselves.

NEW YORK MAGAZINE

By William Yoo Staff Writer

I was just eight years old when Obama ran his campaign promising change and hope to an America tired of war, unemployment, and terrorism. Now, eight years after he was first elected, President Obama has achieved what few had imagined possible a decade ago: ending the Iraq War, creating recovery from recession, and of course, the Affordable Care Act, which has brought healthcare to as many as 25 million Americans.

But despite his significant domestic accomplishments, Obama still leaves a mixed legacy on foreign policy and increased polarization over issues like race, which still mar his administration. His chosen successor, Hillary Clinton, lost the presidential election to Donald Trump in a surprise upset that threatens to undo many of his policies. In this tar of ambivalence, Obama’s legacy at present seems uncertain, but I believe, given historical hindsight, certain aspects of his presidency — his perseverance, class, and policy — will shine as

some of the best in American history.

Despite constant conservative backlash, Obama’s constant strength in the face of determined opposition will shine brightly in history.

The Republican Party’s overzealous and frankly unpatriotic leadership however, will not. The evidence is clear. When Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader, declared that the Republicans would do their best to make Obama a oneterm president, when Ted Cruz’s Tea Party obstructed budgets until the government shutdown in 2013, or when the Republicans rejected to even consider Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, they revealed their true character as obstructionists without reason or bipartisanship.

Obama was made out to be the virtual antichrist in conservative far-right circles. He was slandered as a socialist dictator who would take away guns and rights in a Texan minute. Many times, the criticism was contradictory, but Obama was usually consistent in

his promises. Politifact, the nonpartisan factchecker, found he had only broken a quarter.

Obama also remained steadfast on principles. When he was first elected, with a supermajority in Congress, he still

“His perseverance, class, and policy will shine as some of the best in American history. remained restrained and committed to bipartisanship. The Brady Center on Gun Violence even criticized him for his weaker stance towards gun control in 2010.

On foreign policy, Obama made his mark as an internationally popular president who gained the respect of many, cumulating in his Nobel Peace Prize in 2010. He ordered the killing of Osama Bin Laden, and organized the retreat from Iraq as well. Yet, he could have been better in some areas; he was weak on Russia, indecisive on Syria and Libya, and too constrained in the Arab Spring, but he managed

to forge new relationships in Asia and Europe.

Finally, his signature domestic policy, Obamacare, will represent the first step towards universal healthcare for Americans. The US remains the only developed country in the world with private healthcare, and Obamacare remains a vital first step towards the future. Although unpopular- only about half of Americans support itthe majority would like to keep it for the future.

Obama’s mixed racial legacy was a byproduct of the times. As a minority leader in a majority-white country, he could neither actively support African-American causes nor ignore them completely, and played a delicate line — for example both supporting and condemning movements like Black Lives Matter.

However, despite his limited progress, Obama’s legacy remains one for history — convincing millions worldwide that every person, even minorities, has a chance at America’s highest office.

THE IRVINGTON VOICE Chief Policy Statement

EDITORS

STAFF WRITERS

CAITLIN CHEN, Editor-in-Chief

Annika Yong

Subaita Rahman

sion. Anything printed represents the opinion of the writer, but not necessarily that of The Irvington Voice staff, the administration,

RISHEEK PRIYADARSHI, Editor-in-Chief

faculty of Irvington High School, or any person affiliated with the Fremont Unified School District.

Fiona Zhao

Vivian Hoang

RADHIKA MUNSHANI, News Editor

Elaine Chan

Breanna de Vera

Isha Sanghvi

Sydney Welch

William Yoo

Atira Nair

Zarah Zhao

Rahul Sudharsan

The Irvington Voice is a student-run newspaper with the sole purpose of providing an open forum for student expres-

The Irvington Voice does not discriminate against race, political orientation, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orienta-

TANISHA SINGH, News Editor

tion, or disability. Although The Irvington Voice will never refuse to publish student guest submission based on the aforementioned

AYUSH PATEL, Student Life Editor

factors, we reserve the right to edit or not publish them.

SARVESH MAYVILHANAN, Sports Editor

Write to us

SABRINA SUN, Entertainment Editor

Disagree with the writers? Bring your letters to the editor to room 94 or e-mail them at staff@ihsvoice.com. Letters may be considered for publication. The Irvington Voice reserves the right to edit for clarity, length, and accuracy. We welcome all comments.

MICHELLE HUANG, Humor Editor

ADVISOR

MANBIR GHUMAN, Photo Editor

Matthew Phillips

8 THE IRVINGTON VOICE OPINIONS MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2017

Win the War, Not the Battle

By Subaita Rahman STAFF WRITER

After four years of airstrikes, suicide bombings, tear gas, executions, and over 400,000 deaths, the struggles of Aleppo finally came to a close on Dec. 22, as the weeklong evacuation of rebels and citizens was completed. The whole city was under the Syrian government’s rule for the first time since 2012. While the United Nations and other countries were quick to rejoice and congratulate themselves, the war is actually far from over in the remainder of Syria.

The assassination of the Russian ambassador to Turkey and searing comments from the United States’ ambassador to the U.N. are just a few of the repercussions that have so far led to a lot of talk and minimal action. The fact remains: after five years of Syria and its citizens being obliterated with little progress made, why did it take so long to get anything done?

The Syrian Civil War started in March 2011 when pro-democracy protests erupted in Deraa after the prosecution and torture of a few students who were caught painting pro-democracy slogans on a school wall. When government security forces opened fire at their funerals, more took the streets, calling for President Assad’s resignation due to the brutality. By July, hundreds of thousands were protesting across the

country, which soon escalated and launched a civil war, reaching major cities Damascus and Aleppo by 2012. This complex free-for-all, involved

the U.N. attempted over 17 different peace initiatives with minimal success. Ceasefires and previous mass evacuations almost always failed, the

REALITYNEWS INTERNATIONAL

Iranian and Russian-supported forces, ISIS and other terrorist groups, Assad’s forces, and many other groups loosely put under the umbrella of “rebels.”

Over the past five years,

most recent one in September broken by an attack on a U.N. aid convoy with Russian and Syrian missiles. Before the complete overturn of Aleppo, representatives from Russia, Iran, and Turkey met to dis-

cuss a course of action without involving any other U.N. country. More people now agree that major action should have been taken sooner - including the previously suggested solution of splitting up Syria.

John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, previously mentioned that a possible and legitimate plan B would be the partition of Syria if all the peace initiatives continued to fail, saying “this can get a lot uglier and Russia has to be sitting there evaluating that too.

It may be too late to keep it as a whole Syria if it is much longer.” Although the evacuation did work, it left hundreds of thousands of citizens still in danger and discomfort and the conflicting parties still at war, and partition may have worked better. Many have followed in Secretary Kerry’s lead and suggested dividing Syria into different zones of influence, with borders between different religious groups, even if it’s only until a more permanent, manageable solution is found. A section could remain under the Assad regime, possibly holding the Alawites and other religious and ethnic minorities, while another section could be designated for the Sunni majority, requiring external forces to defeat ISIS and other terrorist groups, and other proposals bring up subsections to help organize each conflicting party differently.

Many disagree with this

idea, calling it a childish way to solve a conflict that sets a dangerous precedent for future wars. However, so long as everyone is still grouped together, tensions will undoubtedly rise again and the country will be in constant risk of warfare.

“It is hard to see those who have lost family members to Mr. Assad’s barrel bombs acquiescing to his continued rule over a small slice of Syria,” said Ray Tayekh from the Council of Foreign Relations.

“And ISIS, on its mission to recreate a lost caliphate, will always endure in some form, while the Alawite minority, fearing extinction, will see little reason to give up the fight.”

How the Syrian civil war is being managed is quick to draw criticism from everywhere, but the truth is it’s best to split up the troubled country into smaller, more manageable pieces rather than tackling every problem at once.

Until then, Russia and the U.S. will continue to lock horns on several issues, local antagonists Iran and Saudi Arabia will remain in their cold war, and ISIS and other terrorist groups will continue to gain power. Everyone here is playing to win, yet picking one winner from the brawl is impossible. The people of Syria are facing horrifying realities as we speak, and it shouldn’t be uncalled for to look at some unconventional measures before it’s too late.

Not Throwing Away My Shot to See Hamilton

By Isha Sanghvi STAFF WRITER

For fans of the revolutionary Broadway musical “Hamilton,” Christmas came early this year. With a bootleg of the play uploaded onto YouTube early in December, fans across the world rejoiced in their ability to finally watch the scenes accompanying the soundtrack that they had listened to for months. But as all good things come to an end, the filmed version was taken down in a matter of days. Entertainment enthusiasts often find themselves in the same situation. It’s commonplace for music, television shows, plays, and movies to be taken down from YouTube to abide by copyright infringement laws. While these laws are understandable for music and television shows, copyright laws are illogical and infuriating for Broadway plays. The mass public is prevented from their one shot at seeing the expensive play, while the multibillion dollar Broadway industry is barely touched by online piracy.

Due to stringent copyright laws, plays and musicals stay as a stagnant form of the rich man’s form of entertainment. Broadway League re-

KPBS

ported that the average Broadway ticket costs $103.88. In comparison, the New York Times reported that the cheapest tickets for “Hamilton” start at $179, while the more widely available premium tickets can reach as high as $849. In comparison. But even those ticket prices are lucky as external vendors buy tickets in large volumes, selling them for as high as $2000 to rake in profits, according to The Guardian.

The exorbitant cost doesn’t even account for housing and travel to New York or Chicago.

As a result, middle- and low-

income individuals cannot afford to watch performances.

Broadway continues to sit on a throne of wealth at the expense of less fortunate fans.

In response to a fan’s request for a bootleg of the musical, writer Lin-Manuel Miranda argued through Tumblr, “I spent 6 years writing this and when you hear it, I want you to hear what I intended. I’m sorry theater only exists in one place at a time but that is also its magic. A bootleg cannot capture it. I’m grateful and glad you want to hear it, and I want you to hear it RIGHT.”

In June, Miranda tweeted, “We’re filming the original cast before I go. WE GOT YOU.” But no plans of a release have reached the general public yet, except for the crystal-clear bootlegged version.

Additionally, claims that online piracy will hurt the show’s sales are untrue. While piracy is understood to have detrimental effects for developing artists and filmmakers, the nature of Broadway is vastly different from that of a movie or song. An average individual can afford to see a movie or buy a song on iTunes. However, it’s nearly impossible to acquire tickets for hit blockbuster theater performances

— let alone affordable tickets.

Furthermore, individuals who watch the bootleg are those who would not have witnessed the event live in the first place.

Those who buy Broadway tickets buy it for the experience and will still watch it simply because they can afford it.

Bootlegging may not be ethically accepted, but when the average person is denied the opportunity to partake in an experience reserved for the rich and lucky, bootlegging for Broadway musicals and plays should be an acceptable way of witnessing true art. After all, Hamilton is a gift to humanity.

So let it be shared by all of humanity.

9 THE IRVINGTON VOICE OPINIONS MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 2017

Safety for All

By Vivian Hoang STAFF WRITER

Martin Esquivel-Hernandez is from Jalapa, a slum in Mexico City. In 2011, Esquivel-Hernandez joined the Mexican Army and fought on the front lines of Mexico’s war against drugs. He and his family were threatened and targeted by cartel members. His wife and their two daughters fled across the border illegally and eventually moved to Pittsburgh, where Esquivel-Hernandez’s undocumented mother had been living. Esquivel-Hernandez’s attempts to reunite with his family repeatedly failed. On his fifth attempt, he finally entered the U.S. undetected and traveled to Pittsburgh, where he remained undetected, working in construction, until May of 2016 when customs officers took him from his home. The arrest came a day after Esquivel-Hernandez and his family marched in an immigrants’ rights rally.

According to 2014 Census Bureau data, there were an estimated 11.1 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. Many of those people find safety from deportation in sanctuary cities. The topic of sanctuary cities recently surfaced with the recent election. Donald Trump offered a range of anecdotes about crimes committed by illegal immigrants during his campaign speeches about his deportation policies. Although there is no official legal definition, sanctuary cities are cities that do not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency that enforces immigration law. Larger jurisdictions

such as counties can also take measures to avoid cooperation with ICE. President-elect Donald Trump and the far right point to the crime rates of illegal immigrants to explain their plan to defund of sanctuary cities, which may be at risk of losing billions in funding.

Sanctuary cities stand to lose millions or even billions in federal funds, but their mayors stand firm despite Trump’s threats. New York City could lose close to $10.4 billion, and Santa Fe, New Mexico stands to lose about $6 million in federal funding, about 2 percent of its annual budget, but Mayor Javier Gonzales has pledged to stand by his city’s sanctuary status.

“The loss of federal funds would be certainly devastating, but we’re not going to compromise our values,” he said in an interview with CNNMoney.

“We’ll have to find our way through it and we will.”

Contrary to conservative opinions, sanctuary cities are not designed to protect criminal immigrants. Many believe that cities that protect undocumented criminals from deportation have increased rates of crime. However, this is not true; according to a 2013 Pew Research Center graph, illegal immigrants have lower rates of crime than native-born citizens do.

The Washington Post concluded that since undocumented immigrants are a significant portion of the immigrant population, it was statistically impossible that the overall immigrant crime rate could be so much lower if the undocumented immigrant crime rate was significantly higher.

Some claim that sanctuary cities are unconstitutional, citing a consti-

tutional clause that states that federal power supersedes states’ power. They argue that cities are openly breaking the law by defying federal immigration law and refusing to cooperate with ICE and should be denied funding for failing to follow federal law. However, because there are currently no federal laws pertaining to sanctuary cities besides the proposed Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act, the police are allowed to ignore federal proceedings.

The ICE is separate from local law enforcement and does not have the authority to make demands. The ICE can ask the police to detain undocumented immigrants, but such demands are often seen as unconstitutional and do not have to be obeyed. If Congress chooses to pass the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act, then sanctuary cities will need to find a replacement for federal funding. Trump’s proposal to cut federal funding affects all residents, regardless of immigration status. The federal government needs to respect the distinction between federal and local law enforcement and allow sanctuary cities to protect illegal citizens.

Furthermore, though undocumented immigrants are not citizens of the United States, many contribute to society without receiving the benefits granted to citizens and legal immigrants. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, unauthorized immigrants compose 5 percent of the civilian workforce and are overrepresented in farming occupations (26 percent) and construction occupations (15 percent). Based on estimates compiled by the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, the Immigration Policy

Center reported that in 2010, illegal immigrants paid $11.2 billion in taxes, including $8.4 billion in sales taxes, $1.6 billion in property taxes and $1.2 billion in state personal income taxes.

The tax-paying undocumented immigrants were not eligible for benefits like social security or disability checks despite their contributions.

Not all sanctuary cities are reeking with crime, despite what some conservatives believe. The cities are meant to protect immigrants escaping from terror and oppression. Many immigrants are looking for a better life and integrate into society, by paying taxes and being socially responsible members of society. The federal government needs to respect the distinction between federal and local law enforcement and allow sanctuary cities to protect illegal citizens.

There are laws, such as the California Trust Act, which states that immigrants must be convicted of serious offenses to be eligible for a 48-hour hold and transfer to U.S. immigration authorities for possible deportation, that sanctuary cities can follow to appease ICE without compromising their beliefs. If the federal government chooses to pass the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act in Congress, then sanctuary cities will need to find a replacement for federal funding. In San Francisco alone, the cuts will affect numerous departments such as the Department of Public Health which provides HIV and AIDS services. Trump’s proposal to cut federal funding affects all residents equally, regardless of immigration status.

THE CONTROVERSY OF ABORTION

By Tanisha Singh NEWS EDITOR

Since colonial times, women have attempted to follow colonial medical recipes to induce abortions with garden herbs. As the 18th century commercialization of such products began to make waves, the first laws regulating abortion emerged and the abortion business gained attention nationwide. According to “When Abortion Was a Crime” by Leslie J. Reagan, in the late 19th century, Americans had an average of two million abortions performed annually, a number eight times as high as today’s.

Now, over two centuries later,

the constant tug-of-war between states and individual rights on the issue of abortion continues today.

With the landmark 1973 case of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court held abortion to be a fundamental right. For the first three months of pregnancy, women could not be denied the right to an abortion. Following this, abortion cases were held on the basis of strict scrutiny. Strict scrutiny, a standard of judicial review, evaluates cases based on whether a constitutional right outweighs of government interest or not. Although many upcoming laws don’t fall under the standard of strict scrutiny, restrictions on abortion are

making their way to American homes this year.

Just this year, an Oklahoma lawmaker proposed legislation requiring all its public restrooms to carry anti-abortion signs. The signs would read along the lines of, “If you need help raising your child, we can help you” followed by instructions of who to contact for assistance. However, the legislation was quickly abandoned after businesses argued the unnecessary amounts of funding this project would take.

Additionally, Texas has approved new rules requiring health care facilities to bury fetal remains after performing abortions, rather than dispos-

ing of them. Indiana and Louisiana have also established similar burial guidelines for aborted fetuses. Abortion rights activists argue that these laws only cause unnecessary intrusion into a woman’s privacy.

Some grassroots movements have gone as far as to collect signatures in efforts to adopt a measure to ban abortion altogether. Abolish Abortion Idaho is hoping to pass a measure banning abortion and penalizing it with firstdegree murder. This would apply to women that undergo rape, incest, or even find the pregnancy to be a danger to their health. Regardless of the group’s efforts, federal law on

abortion rights and precedent set by Roe v Wade would supercede this and other state laws. Although this is not unconstitutional based on our nation’s foundation of federalism, these decisions infringe upon the individual rights of citizens who believe abortion should not be allowed due to religious beliefs.

However, limitations on abortion remain prevalent nationwide. Today, even though abortion has been legalized, more than 80 percent of US counties don’t have abortion providers, while some states only have one or two. Furthermore, lack of education on abortion serves to prevent the necessary medical attention women need. In fact, only 12 percent of medical schools teach first trimesters abortion in the United States.

Even after Roe v Wade and women’s protests, abortion is still difficult to obtain even though it is a right.

Rather than completely banning the practice, states are trying, and even succeeding, at limiting this right. Differing opinions on abortion and the controversy between state and individual rights will continue as the year progress and new laws and limitations are addressed.

10

Features

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

Measure E pays for new Wi-Fi system at Irvington

By Vivian Hoang | Staff Writer In 2014, Fremont residents voted to fund education upgrades with Bond Measure E. Administration recently confirmed that a portion of the $650 million bond funds will be used to upgrade the Wi-Fi system at Irvington. As most have already observed, the 2016 school year started with a single wifi server, compared to the three servers that were available just a year ago. The downgrade to a single server was due to aging technology and the inability to replace the servers. Currently, Wi-Fi service is unpredictable. After the upgrade, every single classroom will have an access point. Currently, 84 access point scattered across the school. The highdensity access points and will be able to handle more students and provide faster processing speed.

According to Principle Barrious, construction is currently underway and

will continue until April 2017. Fremont School District has contracted with Vanir Construction Management, Inc. to complete this project using Fast Track Construction. The construction crew will be running fiber-optic wire across campus, replacing all the wireless access points, and converting a room into a new server room. All the construction will be done after school. There should be no lag on internet during construction, as the current server will still be online. After the upgrade, FUSD will maintain the wifi system.

Technology upgrades have been an issue for several years, and Bond Measure E finally provides the necessary funding to make them a reality. The total project cost for Irvington’s technology infrastructure project is $3,542,332 including other upgrades such as HV ACs for server rooms. Irvington has had

wireless internet for the past five years, but could not efficiently communicate with the upgraded FUSD office. The update will resolve this issue. Irvington and many other schools in the district are trying to prepare students for 21stcentury learning, and life beyond high school.

Food for thought: Food waste at Irvington

Irving facil

By Zarah Zhao | Staff Writer According to the National Resources Defense Council, Americans waste 40 percent of food produced along the food supply chain, from growth and production to retailing and consumerism. In a year, the wasted food could feed 25 million hungry people, save a family of four $2,000 a year, and conserve

25 percent of freshwater use in the U.S. annually.

On a smaller scale, the same problem is evident at Irvington. The kitchen staff strategically budgets their food orders from the food vendors and throw away only three to six entrees each day, according to Intern Manager Cheryl Terbeek. However, the food waste exponentiates after the food is served to students, as much of the food purchased is thrown away.

According to Robert Pascual, the FUSD Director of Accounting, Irvington spent $334,437 on food for the cafeteria and vending machines in 2015-16, an increase from the $298,000 spent in 2014-

15. The amount of food scraps all around campus collected

by Allied Waste is 4.88 tons per month, or approximately 2 pounds per student.

One of the simplest, immediately implementable solutions to food waste is creating a “share table” in the cafeteria, where unopened food can be placed and eaten by others instead of wasted. Other methods for reducing food waste include having bulk dispensers for condiments instead of individually packaged products and offering the items on the menu separately instead of packaged together, allowing students to exchange their food and reducing the amount of waste.

The Voice take cost of runni

Photo Credit

Sinking in ink: Irvington’s paper consumption

By Breanna de Vera | Staff Writer From checking out books to doing research to printing assignments, Irvington’s library is a valuable resource for students. Student printing at the library increased a few years ago, but has leveled out in recent years. However, we still use plenty of paper and ink.

During the 2015-16 school year, students printed 79,689 pages in the library and career center. This is equal to 159 reams of paper, 10 of which are in a case that costs $35. According to Ms. McAuley, ink is $35 per cartridge, and the library uses 3 to 4 cartridges a year.

Students pay $0.05 per page, which raised about $4,000 last year.

The library is equipped with PaperCut, a program used to save paper and ink. Misprints or accidental print

jobs can be stopped from a librarian’s computer. This is why students must provide their ID number every time they print, to ensure that their print jobs are correct and that they are printing the correct number of pages. By minimizing mistakes, Irvington has saved a significant amount of paper and ink.

From the beginning of this school year, since Aug. 31, the library and career center has printed 26,879 pages. Thanks to PaperCut, librarians Ms. McAuley and Ms. Morales stopped 2,926 pages from being wasted. This software also gives the number of pages in relation to other finite resources, so the number is reflected in a more meaningful way. 2,926 pages is equal to 12.5 kilograms of CO2 that would go into our environment. It

is also equal to 789.1 hours of light bulb hours saved, and 3.46 percent of a tree.

Irvington is the only high school in the Fremont Unified School District that uses PaperCut.

11 THE IRVINGTON VOICE FEATURES TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

Photos: Piktochart and Green Caltrain

Trash and recycling at Irvington

By Fiona Zhao | Staff Writer According to Republic Service Recycle Representative Maria Mendoza, Allied Waste picks up 16.58 tons of trash, 10.40 tons of recycling, and 4.88 tons of compost from Irvington monthly.

However, most students’ knowledge of Irvington’s outlook in terms of waste hails largely from their science classes. While studying ocean plastic pollution, Ms. Anand’s AP Environmental Science classes participated in Ocean Conservancy’s yearly October Coastal Cleanup, an hour-long campus clean-up.

Hauling in about 60 pounds, 91.6 percent of the trash was identified as non-biodegradable plastic, while a predominant 54.6 percent were carelessly thrown food wrappers left on campus grounds.

“And it basically congregates: both bits and bits of plastic all around Irvington. If you look

gton’s lities

es a look at the ing a school

in the storm drains, you can see that it’s very disgusting inside,” AP Environmental Science and Biology teacher Ms. Anand said. “Since Fremont borders a creek, the plastic that fly into the storm drains go directly there, directly affecting the surrounding ecosystem.”

In the 2009 nationwide contest sponsored by IC Bus Company, Irvington was recognized as “America’s Greenest School” for diverting over 100,000 pounds of e-waste from landfills, installing solar panels, hosting a community green fair, among other efforts.

Since then, ASB has established the position of “Go-Green Commissioner”, who is responsible for campus beautification and ensuring that the school is kept green. This year’s commissioner, junior Maya Lu, works alongside Mr. Canavero in the Green Advi-

sory, which holds daily meetings in Room 61 during Advisory. While the Green Advisory works to install and maintain water fountains across the campus, little is done to regulate recycling but the occasional district meeting.

Though 32.6 percent of waste picked up from Irvington is considered recycling, little is known of how much of that waste actually belong in the correct bin.

“I’ve been noticing non-recyclables contaminating the recycling bins,” Anand said.

To combat excessive waste in the school, according to senior Sabrina Liu, students in Anand’s AP Environmental Science classes are not allowed to bring disposable plastic bottles to class. Through collectively implemented small efforts, Irvington may hope to return to its former glory.

The cost of sanitation

By Elaine Chan | Staff Writer

With supplies ranging from basic antiseptic sprays to gum removers, Irvington’s custodial staff must carefully allocate district funds to keep on top of Irvington’s sanitation status.

Given that Irvington is home to more than 150 classrooms and has a student body of over than 2,200, it’s no wonder that thousands of dollars must be spent on sanitizing and maintaining classrooms each week. In fact, Irvington spends around $3,300 on janitorial supplies each week under normal circumstances, according to the latest janitorial supplies record.

Much of the janito-

rial maintenance is done in the backdrops. At the very minimum, classrooms, bathrooms, water fountains, and especially the kitchen in the cafeteria must be swept and mopped every day. In the winter, more dusting must be done due to the usage of heating. In addition, supply kits are used in cleaning up spills containing bodily fluids.

Some bigger jobs such as waxing or stripping floors must be done during weekends or breaks.

As head janitor Herman Stewart says, “We try to keep up on what we have here. It costs the district a lot of money to replace broken fixtures. We’ll submit work

orders to the district, and they decide if the fixture needs to be replaced.”

Similarly, in more serious sanitation issues such as the recent appearance of black mold in room 25, the janitorials main job is to relocate the class as the district will hire a contractor to resolve the issue.

Irvington was built back in 1961. However as Stewart explains, “Granted this building has been here long time, but if you have a routine, it’s not that hard to keep up on an older fixture.

If you know how to clean it, how to disinfect it, it will look brand new.”

t: Piktochart

Measure E pays for the new building

By Annika Yong | Staff Writer Irvingtono High School’s new building cost $11,822,500, according to a representative at the Fremont Unified School District Office. It was built under Measure E, a school improvement plan that Fremont voters passed in 2014. After two and a half years of construction, the building is finally in use this year.

The Irvington High School new building is a 22,000 square foot facility featuring eight math classrooms and four science classrooms. It is also equipped with fume hoods, prep rooms, student breakout spaces, and a 12-foot interior learning corridor.

The building was part of the series A of the Measure E bond projects. Series A is the first series of projects among five, and was carried from 2015 to 2016. The

district sold 140 million bonds to finance the series A project and the Measure E funds. Measure E is a ten-year plan consisting of school improvement projects from 2015 to 2025 for school facilities and resources in the Fremont Unified School District. The total projects of Measure E cost a total of $650 million, and addressed critical facilities needs throughout the Fremont Unified District, including modernization of certain facilities and new construction projects to address current school overcrowding and future growth caused by constructions of new apartment complexes.

The modern-looking building stands out compared to the old building complex because of its brand new and efficient facilities. With each classroom fea-

turing abundant natural light, superior acoustics and enhanced thermal comfort, the new building creates a 21st century environment designed to enhance the learning experience.

12

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

Entertainment

Light Club holds its first Benefit Show

By Tanisha Singh NEWS EDITOR Light Club, Irvington’s newly established Christian Club, held its first benefit show on Dec. 21 at 7 pm in Valhalla. The benefit show raised around fifty dollars towards Help For Children (HFC), a charity that uses funds to mitigate child abuse. The club had a commendable turnout of 34 people. The concert had a theme of Christian hymns and ballads, accompanied by piano solos, singing acts, and dance performance from members of the Light Club.

The show began with a performance by Light Club’s own Praise Team, a band that got everyone excited for the start of the show.The group include two guitarists, one pianist, one drummer and two vocalists. As the band proceeded with its performance, performers interacted with the audience and asked for attendees to stand up and clap along with the music. The praise team per-

NICK VU

Sua Choi (10) dances to the song “Rise” at Light Club’s Benefit Show. formance was followed by a calming duet called “None but Jesus”.

“I enjoyed performing not just for myself but for the lord,” said member of the Praise Team junior Hyun Ban. “The energy on stage and from the crowd made this a very enjoyable night.”

In between perfor-

mances, the Light Club held trivia quizzes and raffles, continuing the interactive atmosphere of the show.

The trivia quizzes consisted of questions related to the Bible and Jesus, while the raffle was based on tickets bought by attendees at the door and allowed participants to win gift cards from Bath and Body Works and

Nordstrom.

The show also utilized Valhalla’s lighting and smoke effects, further enhancing the audience’s experience. The lighting matched the mood of the songs and kept attendees engaged in the performances. The show ended with a worship song led by junior Olivia Morkved, a guest performer from Washington High School.

“Most of the Light Club members participated to perform for the show,” said Vice President of Light Club sophomore Sua Choi.

“All the participants took time out of their lunches to practice for the show in the band room and Valhalla.”

Light Club plans to host more community service and volunteer events for the remainder of the school year.

“Our club’s purpose is to do what we can to serve the lord,” said Choi. “A way to do this is by spreading the Gospel and spreading our love to non-Christians. Anyone is welcome to our meetings regardless of religion.”

Artist Spotlight: Courtney Wong

By Ayush Patel STUDENT LIFE EDITOR A senior who is passionate about the design and development of video games and animated media, Courtney Wong has been a talented artist, specializing in watercolor and ink for nearly 12 years now. She chooses to work with these materials because they are convenient, quick, simple to work with, and easy to clean up after.

Wong is currently attending the Ichen Art Academy, has completed AP Studio Art in her junior year, and is enrolled in regular Studio Art this school year. In addition, Wong participates in multiple art contests –such as the PTSA Reflections and Scholastic Art Fair– annually.

“I’ve been doing art ever since I was little but I didn’t really have a passion until one to two years

COURTNEY WONG

Wong created a lively, pop-art-esque self-portrait during her junior year for her AP Art class. ago,” Wong said.

Wong gets her ideas from the hard work concept artists put towards developing entertainment for the general populace.

These artists specialize in conveying their ideas through films, video games,

animated clips, or any other form of graphic entertainment.

“Hayao Miyazaki is one of my inspirations,” Wong said. “The designs of his characters are amazing and I love his weird-looking creatures. I also really en-

joy video games and animated movies like ‘Wall-E,’ ‘Up,’ ‘Spirited Away,’ and ‘Castle in the Sky.’ I thought it would be really fun if I could design my own movie or game.”

Wong’s dream school is the Art Center in Pasadena, CA, where she wants to major in Entertainment Design.

“It’s a pretty hard major to get into as Entertainment Design is an extremely competitive program,” Wong said, “Not to mention Art Center is a pretty popular school.”

In the future, Wong wants to work at the video game company, Blizzard Entertainment.

“I really liked Blizzard’s video games especially ‘Hearthstone’ and ‘Overwatch,’” Wong said. “I love Blizzard’s character style because it sort of screams at my style the most, and the company’s animated short films are gorgeous.”

It’s a Cole new world: “4 Your Eyez Only” Album Review

COMPLEX

Within its first week, “4 Your Eyez Only” had the third largest debut of 2016, and was the fourth No. 1 album on Billboard 200.

By Subaita Rahman STAFF WRITER On Fri., Dec. 9, one topic consistently consumed my Twitter feed: popular hip-hop artist J.Cole’s newest solo album. I normally would’ve scrolled past the tweets, but a few words stuck out at me: “groundbreaking,” “profound,” and “poetry.” I found myself opening Spotify and searching up the album’s title “4 Your Eyez Only,” planning to use it as background music while I did my homework. That night, the only progress I made on my homework was writing my name, and I ended up listening to all ten tracks twice.

The first time I went through the songs, I mainly focused on the soothing chords, whimsical trumpet riffs, and tropical beats that embellished the album. I had a few questions: What daughter does he keep talking about? Is this actually J.Cole’s life story? What is the real message behind this album?

As it turns out, “4 Your Eyez Only” brilliantly weaves a tale about a hard life on the streets that ends all too soon in tragedy, a strong parallel to J.Cole’s own past. After realizing the album’s theme, the order and subjects of the songs all made sense, and I was able to comprehend the album in a new light when I listened to it again.

Picking a favorite from this album was extremely difficult. However, I think “Ville Mentality” stuck out to me the most.

The song achieves a unique, chilling effect with a background of suave jazz and a relaxing chorus that is interrupted by a little girl talking about life after her father’s death. She narrates in a matter-of-fact tone “My dad, he died, he got shot cause his friend set him up.

And I didn’t go to his funeral.”

“Neighbors” also stands out from the album, as it alludes to a real-life, haunting SWAT team raid on J.Cole’s house and has a more autobiographical tone. Accompanied by heavy bass, J.Cole sings “Welcome to the shelter, this is pure, We’ll help you if you’ve felt too insecure, to be the star you always knew you were - wait, I think police is at the door.”

J.Cole then shows his softer side as he laments about love and fatherhood continuously in “She’s Mine,” which is divided into two parts, and “Deja Vu.” I thought this track was an interesting contrast to his previous, mildly degrading hit song, “No Role Modelz.”

I really did try to look for weak points, which was even more difficult than picking a favorite.

But I do think that “Folding Clothes,” which is about choosing to stay in with his wife and enjoy Netflix, almond butter, and folding her laundry, while catchy, is maybe a bit pointless and at most a filler song.

If you normally stay away from rap, I understand. But this album is a lot different from what you normally expect from a rapper; the lyrics and meanings behind “4 Your Eyez Only” are so thought-provoking that they overpower the small amount of typical rapper behavior, such as rapping about women and money (to put it politely).

I can honestly recommend this album to anyone who appreciates good lyrics and a smooth beat-or maybe just music that is plain good. I left many things unsaid here and could rave about this album for much longer, but the only thing that could do this album justice is for you to go listen to it yourself.

Rating: 4.5/5

13 THE IRVINGTON VOICE ENTERTAINMENT TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

“Hymns for Haiti” supports Hurricane Matthew relief effort

“It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” is innovative yet classic

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” forces itself to the top

BRENT BOWEN PHOTOGRAPHY

The cast and staff of the 2016 fall production “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” pose on set.

By Sabrina Sun ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR MANBIR GHUMAN/PHOTO AND WEB EDITOR

Ben Ye (12) plays the recorder as part of the Smashmouth cover arrangement “Hotline Ben.”

By Rahul Sudharsan the trio with piano, perSTAFF WRITER The Visual Arts and Music for Society Club (VAMS) collaborated with the Resonance Club to host the annual VAMS X Resonance Benefit Concert in Valhalla Theatre on Dec. 22, with this year’s theme being “Hymns for Haiti.”

The concert drew a large turnout and featured acts from Mission San Jose and Kennedy High School, raising approximately $1000, which was donated through UNICEF towards the Hurricane Matthew relief effort.

The concert was hosted by seniors Sanjay Gupta and Abigail Limary, who kept the audience engaged with punny introductions and bits. Each student and volunteer performed act brought a unique talent to the stage, creating an exciting atmosphere.

The event kicked off with Perfect Noise, a Mission San Jose a capella group, performing “Too Close” by Alex Care. This was followed by an impressive performance of the piano piece, “The Serpent’s Kiss,” by Irvington senior Justine Du, who showed off her rhythmic and versatile presentation skills. Duet performances of classics like “Christmas Tonight” and “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” both sung in pairs by Mission San Jose students Vincent Chiang with Rui-Jie Yew and Irvington sophomores Mary Tang with Allison Chang, respectively, spread holiday cheer.

The audience also was able to experience some original music from junior Naveen Thota who rapped the song and played an electronic drum machine; junior Brandon Babu, who provided vocals; and Olivia Mendoza who completed

forming “p e a c h t e a.”

The audience then sang along to Irvington sophomore Tanya Gupta’s performance of Sia’s “Cheap Thrills.” The concert explored the diversity of the musical genre with performances such as Kennedy juniors Jakelyn Matthews, Roopa Ravishankar, and Zachary Shmit’s cover performing “This Is Gospel”

by Panic! At the Disco. Senior Eddie Yi proceeded to entertain viewers by dancing while singing to Avicii’s “Waiting For Love.”

This year was also the first concert with dance performances from Irvington’s Kulture Club and the L.A.F. Dance Group. The Ivivo Quartet, a group of Irvington string instrumentalists, performed a unique classical rendition of The Chainsmoker’s “Roses” and Maroon 5’s “Sugar.”

The concert finished with a Smashmouth cover titled “Hotline Ben,” arranged

by Sanjay Gupta, and an unforgettable recorder solo from senior Ben Ye. The performers then gathered on stage, where the total amount raised was announced.

Due to the wide variety of music showcased within the concert, performers felt inspired and closer to the local music community. The “Hymns for Haiti” showed just how important music is within the FUSD community and allowed a local audience to appreciate the independent and distinctive approaches of each performer.

“I think there is something to the uncertainty and nervousness that comes during a performance. It brings out a lot of creativity,” Brandon Babu said. “There are so many people from different backgrounds who are able to bond over a love for music.”

For the annual fall play, the Irvington Conservatory Theatre presented “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” a production, adapted from the classical Christmas movie

by Joe Landry, that follows the staff of a 1940s radio station performing a reading of the script. The show ran from Dec. 2 to 10 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. The production stayed faithful to the original story; frustrated businessman George Bailey, played by senior Alexander Montgomery, learns that his seemingly limited life has in fact made an irreplaceable, positive impact.

Although certain casting choices were awkward, the unique premise, realistic set, quirky audience interaction, and enthusiasm of the cast made this a heartwarming and enjoyable play.

While the subtitle “A Live Radio Play” may raise some doubts, the concept of imitating a radio station provides plenty of creative opportunities for story-telling that the cast and staff took full advantage of. The radio announcer served as a narrator, directly addressing the audience. Flashing signs broadcasting the messages “APPLAUSE” and “RECORDING” encouraged the audience to participate.

The show was punctuated by commercial breaks complete with delightfully cheesy jingles courtesy of the radio station’s “chorus girls.” Moments like these helped expand the show beyond the stage, engaging the audience and gleefully breaking the fourth wall.

This focus on bridging the gap between reality and show extended to the set, a warmly lit radio station, with polished, old-fashioned microphones fanning out along the edge of the stage. The actors were not equipped with any noticeable working micro-

phones and faced the audience, projecting naturally, allowing them to convey unfiltered enthusiasm. The show also relied on onstage props for sound effects, imitating the mechanics of an actual retro radio station.

The format of the show and the limited number of microphones frequently required actors to wait in chairs onstage for their turn to perform. However, even then the performers did not break character. Actors pulled out period-appropriate magazines and embroidery hoops to pass the time.

If anything, the lack of technology and special effects made the production more believable and innovative.

Unfortunately, certain aforementioned aspects of the play worked against it. Not all the actors were able to project clearly and their attempts to speak loudly resulted in an unpleasant, strained quality.

While typecasting has its merits, certain actors were restricted to a single role while others were required to redundantly portray several roles. The voices of the lead roles, the hard-working George Bailey and his devoted wife Mary, played

by Jessica Haskin, were solid but sometimes difficult to hear clearly. On the other hand, the voices of the bubbly Violet, played by junior Gianna D. Darrigo, and the antagonistically bitter Mr. Henry F. Potter, played by sophomore Roman Severtson, stood out in particular and should have been used more.

“It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” does not deviate from its source material in terms of narrative but manages to be stunningly unique in format and direction. Even with slightly generic casting choices, the heart and passion of the whole team radiates from this production, making it a truly entertaining show to watch.

Rating: 4.5/5

DISNEY

With a budget of $200 million, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” boasts spectacular visual effects and a plotline that fills in gaps within the original trilogy.

By Manbir Ghuman PHOTO and WEB EDITOR One of the most anticipated movies of 2016, accumulated over $800 million since its release on December 16, 2016. A completely original story, the movie follows Jyn Erso, played by Felicity Jones, and Cassian Andor, played

by Diego Luna, as they fight the Empire. The movie, directed by Gareth Edwards, famous for “Godzilla” and “End Day,” is the second Star Wars film to be released by Disney. “Rogue One” fits on the Star Wars timeline between the first movie and the “Revenge of the Sith,” tying up loose ends and explaining how the rebel alliance obtained the plans to the Death Star.

While the movie was not as thrilling at first, Rogue One gained momentum throughout the film and finished with one of the best action scenes I have ever seen, making this movie a must watch.

Rogue One manages to be a thrilling, nostalgic, and important addition to the Star Wars timeline by including new characters and their contributions to the Rebel Alliance but also by having scenes that reference the original films and reflect on how far the legacy has come. The stories of the original trilogy

and “The Force Awakens” revolved around the physical destruction of a DeathStar-like weapon, making them, to an extent, predictable and unoriginal. While this film did have a focus on the Death Star, it was still exciting and intriguing as it highlighted the story of finding the plans and the struggles and sacrifices of the rebels who retrieved them.

Because it focused on building a backstory for these newly introduced characters, the movie was reasonably slow for the first 45 minutes. But all that was compensated for by the action packed ending, which left me in awe for a straight hour. The actions of the rebels near the end of the movie truly felt heroic and heart-rending. The movie takes you on an emotional roller coaster, filling you with hope just to crush it over and over again making it, in my opinion, a very intriguing ride.

Having watched and loved all the previous movies my favorite parts were the ones that included Darth Vader. While glad that the movie was not overshadowed by him, I also wish I could have seen more of Vader because the scenes he was in were possibly the most exciting as they include a wide array of visual and riveting effects.

The visual aspects of the movie were absolutely incredible. I watched the movie in Cinemark XD, making the experience unforgettable. In one scene where fighter jets were engaging in combat, the sound and feel of the blasters made me flinch.

I recommend this movie to any Star Wars fan or anyone seeking immersive action alongside an emotional plotline. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is a movie that should be watched in Cinemark XD or IMAX in order to experience a feeling like no other.

Rating: 4.5/5

14

TUESDAY, JANUART 17, 2017

Sports

Senior Noellah Ramos gets signed to Cal-Poly softball team

By Sydney Welch STAFF WRITER On Nov.7, Noellah Ramos held a signing to celebrate her acceptance to Cal-Polytechnic on a full ride scholarship for softball. She first got into the sport at the age of five, playing tee-ball. At the age of seven, she got her first experience in softball playing for Fremont’s Girls Softball League and played there until she was nine years old. At the age of 11, Ramos started to realize how much of a hassle it was to balance both school and being an athlete so she took a short break from softball to catch up on school work. She started playing on a traveling team in sixth grade. The first official softball team she played for was based in Fremont and was called the Nor-Cal Strike Zone. Here, she learned the fundamental skills of the sport and gained confidence. A year later, in junior high, she began to become interested in a team in San Jose called Sting.

Ramos was told

by Sting’s coach that she had so much potential and believed in her enough to place her on the 18 Gold Team, a team consisting

SYDNEY WELCH/STAFF WRITER

Noellah Ramos with her parents by her side as she signs her way to Cal-Poly Slo. of seniors in high school.

It was very intimidating for Ramos because at the time she was only 14 and was playing against people 4 years older than her who had already been accepted to schools such as Oregon State, USC, Stanford and UCLA. The recruiting process for softball starts

in junior high, specifically seventh grade. Ramos was aiming to go to schools such as UCLA and Stanford, but with the help of her parents, she came back to reality and realized she had to keep an open mind. While Ramos was still in seventh grade, she attended a softball camp where Chelsey Barclaw, a scout for Cal-Poly’s

softball team, told her to attend Cal Poly’s annual softball camp. “After leaving the camp, my heart was left there and I fell in love with the scenery, location, atmosphere, hospitality and most of all the school itself,” said Ramos.

During the summer of transition from freshman to sophomore year, Ramos

was still playing on the San Jose Sting team, and Cal Poly’s assistant coach was very impressed with her skills. She even told the Sting coach to make sure she went back to attend Cal Poly’s softball camp again that August. When Ramos went to the camp, they told her to come back in October, and little did she know

that they were going to offer her a scholarship and give her until August of 2016 to decide if she was ready to commit to the school. Other schools such as University of Buffalo were interested in her but she knew that Cal Poly was the school for her.

A few years after junior high, now a sophmore in highschool, Ramos got transferred to a team named Salinas Storms based in Monterey. “This team was my favorite because the teammates were like my siblings, coaches like parents and the vibe was all positive,” said Ramos.

Ramos admits that she doesn’t spend 40+ hours at the gym a week or “grind every second she has” but she does realize she has to always work hard on and off the field and thanks her hardworking mother and father for getting her where she is today.“My biggest support was my mom, but biggest motivation was my dad,” she said.

Ramos acknowledges how honest her dad was with her when it came time for her to make a decision. In the end Ramos only cared about what motivated her and pleasing the people who dedicated their time and effort for her.

Girls’ Basketball faces off against Moreau

By Atira Nair STAFF WRITER Girls’ Varsity and Junior Varsity basketball faced off against the Moreau Mariners on Tuesday, Jan. 3. The Junior Varsity Vikings lost 19-49 to the Mariners, while the Varsity team won in a 43-33 victory. While the JV team lost, both teams played hard and put forward their best effort.

The Junior Varsity game started slow for the Vikings, with a rocky 1-15

score for the first quarter.

The second quarter resulted in a 3-24 ratio, with both of the points as free throw shots for the Vikings.

There was a lot of support from the audience for both sides. The first half had a lot of pauses due to numerous fouls and free throws for both sides, drawing out the game.

However, by the third quarter, the game sped up as the Vikings scored 11 points and Mariners scored 42 points. Despite the good effort from the Vikings, the game ended with a 19-49

score favoring Moreau.

This lopsided score was due to the tight defense from the Mariners, which didn’t allow the Irvington team many opportunities to make baskets.

In reaction to the game, the Junior Varsity coach Ken Vez said, “One of our strong points is how our team gets along and helps each other out throughout the game. However, we need more consistent scoring.” The team plans to work on their ability to score and also hopes to have a more energetic atti-

tude in the future.

Varsity basketball fared better, in a 10 point victory over the Mariners.

The Varsity team scored the first point and ended the first quarter with a 3 point lead, of 12-9 favoring the Vikings. Throughout the first quarter, parents and JV team members on the benches cheered on the team.

In the second quarter, the Mariners played better and ended the quarter 18-16, favoring the Vikings. During the quarter, there were several clashes

between team members of both sides running into each other due to the high energy on the court. The second quarter was tense, as the two teams exchanged points, gaining and losing the lead.

However, in the third quarter, the Vikings maintained a sizeable six point lead.

During this quarter, Irvington’s team managed to keep a solid defense. The fourth quarter resulted in a 43-33 victory for the Vikings. Throughout the last quarter, the Vikings were

playing their hardest and managed to break through the Mariner’s defenses more easily.

The audience was relatively tense and quiet in the beginning of the game.

However, towards the end, parents and friends of both teams were proudly shouting encouragement and advice to the players.

“We made mistakes, but we’re a young team and we have fire,” said junior Hannah Lee, captain of the girls’ Varsity basketball team.

Irvington Wrestling loses in hard-fought meet

By Rahul Sudharsan STAFF WRITER

ATIRA NAIR / STAFF WRITER

Sophomore Alexis Early runs alongside a Moreau basketball player to try and intercept the ball.

The Irvington wrestling team lost the meet in a grueling 90-56 score at Mission San Jose High School on Dec. 21. The Mission San Jose meet was the first meet of the season, showing off progress the Vikings made over the off-season. Irvington Wrestling alumni were in attendance to support the team from the stands.

Coach Mike Damaso was able to have all competing wrestlers make it within their weight class and get ready for their match. Irvington entered the meet with several wrestlers injured, but the team was able to win two matches overall.

Junior Kaitlyn Koo won her match in the 115 pound division. Austin Walker (12) also won 10-5 in the last match of the night in the 170 pound category.

Mission San Jose had many high level wrestlers, providing tough competition for the Vikings.

Wrestlers Jonathan Nunes (12) and Carissa Nunotani (12) lost their fights but showed their improvements from last season.

Junior Joseph Flannery lost to Mission’s state level contender, Lance Renteria, in the second round of an exciting fight in the 150 pound category. Many

Mission Wrestlers defeated Irvington in first round but were also called for locked hands, a technical violation.

Despite this hard loss, Irvington wrestlers did show promise for future meets and NCS tournament.

“The girls performed well this match and have a good chance of doing well at NCS. [Playing Mission] showed that we have a lot of work to do for this season,” Walker said.

With this loss, Irvington wrestling started the season 0-1 and has Washington High School next on their schedule on Jan 11.

15 THE IRVINGTON VOICE TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

16

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

Humor

Breaking: College acceptance rates have reached an all-time low

By Caitlin Chen EDITOR-IN-CHIEF As the number of Ivy Leagues have remained the same and American couples have continued forgetting to use birth control, acceptance rates have sunk steadily downwards to compensate for the massive applicant pool. Accordingly, experts announced Wednesday that, based on the recent downward trends of admission rates, not one Class of ’17 student would get into college.

“Honestly, nobody from Irvington High is going to get in anywhere, not even Northwestern Polytechnic University. Not one student at Irvington High School discovered the cure for cancer,” explained a Harvard admissions officer, who asked to remain anonymous for fear that rejected candidates would come for his life. “Plenty of other students around the Bay have done far greater things. I believe one student at Amador Valley actually built a time machine.”

Acceptance rates around the world have reached an all-time low, with only one

student admitted into Stanford this year, although the number of applicants reached a record high of 6 million domestic applicants and 17 million international applicants.

An Stanford admissions officer who asked to remain anonymous cited heavy outreach and advertising efforts as the reasons behind the school’s enviable acceptance rate of almost-0 percent.

“We’ve been campaigning pretty freaking hard everywhere,” the officer said. “We have actually individually spoken to each and every student in America and encouraged them all to apply, even the, well, less high-achieving students with mere 4.0 unweighted GPAs. In Russia and the Baltics, we slipped each student a $100 bill and just submitted blank applications for them.”

With this widereaching undertaking, Stanford has become the most desirable and selective college in the nation.

In a press release, Stanford announced that it was attempting to work its acceptance rate down to zero.

“We actually could have had a 0 percent ac-

ceptance rate this year, but unfortunately we had to let this one kid in,” the officer said. “Her parents donate $20 million each year, and her nephew actually founded Stanford. We needed the money because we’re planning to cut down all of our old trees and plant brand new ones imported from Kyrgyzstan.”

With each wave of rejection letters, morale for seniors is sinking further and further, with many wondering what the point of it all is.

“I mean, I’m the president of 18 clubs, and four of them are actually legit,” senior Rishmeak Prmeeayashi said, rocking back and forth in a corner.

“I’m also really busy at my job as an orthopedic clinical specialist for special-needs trout in Ethiopia. I perform surgery twice an hour, all while maintaining a perfect 6.9 GPA. I’ve published two books on asparagus and I’ve won four Olympic gold medals for curling. I really think that it was the damn SAT score that got me. I scored a 2500. I can hardly look at myself in the mirror.”

Several Top 20 schools also announced

The Voice has obtained sad evidence of a senior unable to accept her fate.

Thursday that they were planning to hire Pulitzer Prize winners to write rejection letters, feeling as though students retained too much confidence and self-esteem after reading their rejection letters.

“Yes, University of Pennsylvania kikked me a while back to see if I could help them with the Class of 2022,” said Lin-Manuel Miranda, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2016 for the Broadway musical “Hamilton.”

“They said that compared to the other Ivies, their rejection letters weren’t nearly mean enough. Students were crying an average of two gallons less when they received their rejection letters, and I’m planning to fix that.”

Miranda then dissolved into an incomprehensible stream of freestyle rapping, repeating the words “love,” “immigrant,” and “loser” several times.

Columbia University scientists announced that their research, which involved tracking 420,666 students over 50 years, suggested that by the year 2020, universities will have negative acceptance rates, actually kicking alreadyadmitted students out.

CAITLIN CHEN/EdITOR-IN-CHIEf

Mold: The only “fun-gi” at school

By Radhika Munshani NEWS EDITOR When life gives you mold, make penicillin — or alternative medicine.

With mold being found in assorted classrooms, Irvington is once again at the forefront of medical advancements, though this is far from the first time has emerged a pioneer in the field. Just a couple years ago, students were (unintentionally) exposed to asbestos, a carcinogenic mineral used in insulation, until “Big Government” and “Big Pharma” started spout-

ing “research” and “facts” about the link between asbestos and cancer.

Given the rise in alternative medicine in recent years, teachers are expecting to make a killing off of this newfound mold.

Student attitudes to the mold have yet to match the excitement of their teachers, and rather focusing on why mold was present in the first place. The general attitude is, “we’re not surprised, just disappointed.”

Hopefully the money made from mold will be enough to settle the various impending lawsuits concerning how the toxic

fumes from mold may have affected students. Many are taking the opportunity to blame lackluster grades upon the mold and resulting inhalation — they truly are prime scapegoats. Others are seeing the mold as golden CHANGE project opportunity.

“Why do they keep sending us to Quarry Lakes when the fish are in a safer environment than we are?” said one freshman.

A sophomore continued, “All I’m saying is, if Irvington was a country, you’d have the easiest WIP project, there are so many problems.”

“This is why I’m failing AP Chemistry,” said another student. “How can I get into college under these conditions?”

A senior further elaborated, “It’s too late for all of us. We only found out about the mold just now. It would have made for the perfect college essay: ‘My School is Literally Killing Me.’ I think some QUEST projects could focus on making Irvington classrooms better places.”

Morale is certainly at a high going into the new year (not including the high the mold may give some students).

EMIL LENdOf/THE dAILY BEAST

Our Supreme Leader busts some groovy rhymes.

donald Trump drops new platinum album: The deportation of Pablo

By Atira Nair STAFF WRITER On Thur., dec 15, donald J. Trump, or as he prefers to be called, d.J. Trumpp, released a surprise album, shocking the nation. Some criticize d.J. Trumpp on his decision to neglect presidential responsibility and work on an album, while others say that if this is going to be the end of the U.S. democracy, at least we’ll go down with some groovy tunes. In an interview conducted solely over Twitter, Trumpp stated that the inspiration for this album came from his role model, Richie Nix’s album Watergate. All critics agree, Trumpp’s songs are a work of genius.

The entire tracklist includes: Call Me Maybe cover (ft. President of Taiwan), I Want to Get in Your Pence, My Huuuge Hands Bring all the Political Leaders to the Yard, Started from a Million dollar Loan (Now We’re Here), Straight Outta Queens, One Percent Represent, All I do is Win (With Putin’s Help), and Trumppalicious. His vocals are so perfect that you transcend reality and enter a separate heavenly realm while you lounge on a hammock and listen to his melodious voice.

Besides vocals, d.J. Trumpp is also an amazing rapper, reaching the hard-to-achieve level of those such as Kanye West, Jay-Z, and drake. He raps out political masterpieces with lyrics like: Palms sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy / It’s probably because his dad killed JfK

and I got 99 problems, but illegal Mexican immigrants ain’t one take his racist, scandalous twitter posts and turns them into racist, scandalous song lyrics in a “creative” and “artistic” way.

His album also includes bonus Christmas songs exclusively for U.S. citizens, to get the country in the Christmas spirit (and also probably to divert their attention from his trashy cabinet choices).

Christmas hits like “All I Want for Christmas is Obama to Reveal his True Birth Certificate”, “Donald the Red-Nosed Supreme Leader”, and “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” help bring the warm, merry, slightly racist, narcissistic, fascist, misogynistic, xenophobic, and cheerful Christmas mood into our homes.

Trump also features many famous artists, political leaders, and public icons in his songs, many of which were written by his publicity directors. Putin features in this album alarmingly often.

Along with the President of Russia and also possibly our future co-dictator, Kanye West, Ben Carson, 2 Chainz,Vanilla Ice, and even Tupac, some of the most glorious rappers of our time, also rap in his album.

Now we can go into the new year and the new presidency with a great, new soundtrack as the United States (and democracy) as we know it slowly falls apart.

KATIE CAMPBELL/EARTHfIx

Teachers are in the process of removing the mold while retaining its chemical integrity for use in alternative medicine

17 THE IRVINGTON VOICE TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017

19 THE IRVINGTON VOICE TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2017