DEADLINE Volume 7 | Issue Nine
IN THIS ISSUE: Senior Spotlight: pg. 1 Netflix Nook: pg. 3 Cooking w/ Dragons: p. 5 Album Review: p. 9 Inflation: What is it?: pg. 13
TIME IS NOW
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT | DANIELLE TUAZON
GURMEHAR BAJWA
Hey Dragons! For the newest piece of Senior Spotlight, I had the opportunity to interview Gurmehar Bajwa.
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urmehar Bajwa is a 17-year-old who has many hobbies and passions. He likes to drive when he gets the chance to, write for his automotive blog for DriveTribe, play video games with friends, watch Formula 1, and has a love for racing in general. He also likes to draw and loves photography. As for dislikes, he can’t stand onions and pineapple pizza. His passions include motor racing (mainly F1 and Endurance Racing), design, space/space exploration, physics, and automobiles. During quarantine, he picked up some new hobbies, such as sim-racing, drawing/sketching, and learning more about rocket science. “Quarantine has made me appreciate things in life that I didn’t look at before, and of course, has allowed me to find new hobbies and such.” Gurmehar’s plans after graduation are focusing on fields in automotive engineering and aerospace. Before that, his priority right now is to see which university he will attend. However, he hoped to work in either automotive engineering or space engineering (NASA, SpaceX, etc..) The reason why he chose those fields is because he finds them to be the most interesting and fascinating areas. Physics and rockets are things that he loves, so he is considering going the aerospace route. However, the automobile industry is a strong contender. “I want to go into a career that involves things that I am passionate about because then it doesn’t feel like a job; you’d love doing what you do, and the bonus part is that you get paid while doing it.” He wishes to accomplish many things this year. Gurmehar continues to maintain his grades, GPA, etc... He also sets a goal to make sure he takes some rest to avoid burnout. He hopes to get into his dream university, drive more, and spend more quality time with his family. For his senior year, he didn’t have many expectations because of the pandemic. He didn’t get the chance to go to school dances and never thought of going until prom last year. He hoped that we’d be able to attend on-campus during the spring semester but, due to the current circumstances, it ended up not happening. This year, he was hoping to hang out with his friends more, drive to and from school, and many other things. Staying optimistic, he hopes to have a graduation and that things turn for the better this upcoming summer.
“In the end, what’s most important is that we’re all safe and alive, but ending the senior year with more social highlights would’ve been a nice touch.” Gurmehar’s experience at MCHS was life-changing for him. During his freshman year, he had the class of 2018 to thank for that. He adapted and learned how to become more positive and achieve his ambitions. Sophomore year was good for the most part, besides the workload. He was content and happy with his first two years at MCHS. The first half of Junior year was where he faced challenges academically and mentally. The spring semester encouraged him to push through those challenges and recollect himself to finish the year strong. Senior year was strange and a new environment for him with the lockdown and online classes. He appreciates the teachers for helping students and guiding us through these difficult times. He says he gained a lot of knowledge, grew a lot taller, and learned how to make the right choices for the most part. MCHS helped him find his paths easier because he had the chance to take college classes to find what best suits him. “I think MCHS has definitely helped me become a significantly responsible student, or rather, a person in general just because of all the skills and habits you need to pick up from day one.” His advice to the underclassmen is to go into everything with an open mind and try to look at things in a positive light. Just because you had a bad test score, forgot to turn in that assignment, or didn’t get the grade you wanted, doesn’t mean that you’re a failure. Keep trying and don’t give up because you will eventually accomplish your goals. Next, give yourself a break to relax from your studies, and it will pay off in the long run. Also, be responsible with your time and every choice you make. Lastly, don’t look back at your high school years with regret, such as not hanging out with your friends more or going to school events. High school is a short part of your life, so have fun while you're at it. “Your time here on this Earth is short, and your time here in high school is even shorter, so make the most of it, but responsibly.” Thank you, Gurmehar, for letting us learn more about you. We hope that you will accomplish all your ambitions and dreams in the future.
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Netflix Nook Arlene Hickman
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When I decided to watch Amend: The Fight for America, I had no intention of writing about the series. However, after watching the entirety of the first episode, I learned so much more about something I originally thought I was decently educated on. This made me feel almost obligated to share. This non-fiction limited series has a complex and diverse cast. Will Smith narrates and walks through the history of the 14th Amendment. Some other familiar names include Yara Shahidi (actress/activist), Laverne Cox (actress/producer), Samuel L. Jackson (actor/producer), Larry Wilmore (comedian), and Mahershala Ali (actor/rapper). The first episode focuses on the creation of the 14th Amendment. Will Smith along with other historians, professors, etc. first explain equal protection—your right as a citizen to the same rights, and legal protection as everyone else which cannot be taken away from you. Although this might seem like common sense now, up until 1866, the only people who were allowed these rights were white men. Through the passing of the 14th amendment, people born in the United States are granted citizenship and the rights and protections that come with it. The fourth episode is about same-sex marriages and the rights that come with being married. Prior to watching this, I was unaware of most rights that married couples are allowed. In the case of Windsor v. United States, Edie Windsor had not been recognized as her late partner’s spouse on her death certificate and therefore was taxed on the money inheritance left to her. With the current laws at the time, Windsor was going to lose $300,000. According to the law though, a spouse who dies can leave her assets, including the family home, to the other spouse without incurring estate taxes. Windsor fought for her rights and in the end, the courts concluded that it was unconstitutional to discriminate against married gay and lesbian couples and deny them federal rights and protections. The 14th amendment has allowed for many things to take place in our country. If it wasn’t for the 14th, same-sex and interracial marriage wouldn’t be legal. Hadn’t been for this amendment, many second-generation immigrants would not be citizens under the law. I am very grateful for this amendment and I am sure most people in America are. I encourage you to watch this show and learn about your rights and privileges as a
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BANG BANG SHRIMP By: Nora Taing
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Hello Dragons! For this issue, I will be showing you guys how to make “Bang Bang Shrimp.” This dish is similar to the restaurant Bonefish Grill’s famous appetizer. I actually saw this recipe on TikTok and I quickly tried making it. It was sooooo good. The sauce makes the crispy shrimp sweet with a little kick to it. I paired this dish with some cucumbers as a palette cleanser before stuffing myself with some more shrimp. I highly recommend trying to make this easy dish if you love shrimp.
Directions: 1. First, let’s make the sauce. Measure and combine all your ingredients into a bowl. Mix the sauce and set aside. 2. Next, combine your wet batter ingredients in a separate bowl. I didn’t have buttermilk, but I found a substitute. Add 1 tsp of vinegar to your 1 cup of regular whole milk. Make sure to mix the batter thoroughly to avoid clumps. 3. Then, on a plate, add your panko or breadcrumbs. You can also add the extra seasonings for the breading. If you do, mix your seasonings with the panko. 4. Dip your shrimp into the wet batter and then place it on the plate with the panko. Cover the shrimp with panko and set aside. Repeat for all your shrimp. 5. Time for the frying. Get a frying pan and pour some oil. Make sure the oil covers the bottom of the pan, and turn up the heat. You want the stove to be medium-high heat. To check if your oil is hot enough, stick a wooden chopstick in the oil and check if it bubbles. If it does, start adding your shrimp. Fry the shrimp until it becomes golden and flip it over. Shrimp cooks fast so each side will take only a minute or two. Once it’s done cooking, place the shrimp over a plate with paper towels to blot the oil.
Bang Bang Sauce: ¼ cup mayo 2 tbsp sweet chili sauce 1 tbsp honey 1-2 tbsp sriracha 1 tsp rice vinegar Wet Batter: ¾ cup all-purpose flour ½ cornstarch 1 cup buttermilk* 2 eggs Salt and pepper Dry Batter: 2 cups panko/bread crumbs 1 tsp onion powder (optional) 1 tsp garlic powder (optional) 1 tsp dried oregano (optional)
6. You can coat all the shrimp in the sauce or dip it in the sauce. Plate and serve with fresh cucumber slices or lettuce. Enjoy!
If you want to see the video version, check it out here: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMeSVEYay/
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By: Elizabeth Rocilli
Dining with Dragons
Shomi is a Japanese restaurant that is located in Lincoln Center in Stockton. This restaurant is open on Mondays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner, and on Sundays from 12 p.m. through 7 p.m. They are open for take-out and outdoor dining.
Agedashi tofu is deep fried tofu that comes with a tempura sauce. The tofu dipped in the sauce has an amazing flavor. The sauce was sort of salty, but it wasn’t like it was too salty. I liked that the tofu was really crispy on the outside. I think that the Agedashi tofu was my favorite thing that I ordered.
I thought that the food here was delicious. There are a lot of items on the menu, including sushi, sashimi, hand rolls, curry, udon, seafood, and teriyaki (beef or chicken). There are so many great options to order. My family really likes sushi, but my dad and I don’t really like fish, so we both ordered the beef teriyaki, while my mom and sister both ordered sushi. I thought that the meal was delicious. The teriyaki sauce on the meat and vegetables had amazing flavor because it was sweet. I also thought that the vegetables tasted really good.
The prices weren’t too bad, but there are a few things that can be a little expensive, especially for us being highschool students. The prices for most of the rolls aren’t too bad, like the Ebi roll (which was 7.55), the Hungry roll (which was 12.45), and the California roll (which was 5.75), but if you order a meal like the beef teriyaki box (16.45), it might be a little expensive, but still totally worth it. I would give Shomi a 5 out of 5 stars because the food was amazing. Everything has delicious flavors, and they also looked amazing. I would definitely eat here again. If you like Japanese food, then you should definitely try Shomi!
I asked my sister what she thought of her sushi and she told me that it was amazing. She loved it. I didn’t try the sushi because personally, I don’t really like to eat sushi, but I thought that it still looked very appetizing. One of the rolls that they ordered was called the “Hungry Roll.” The Hungry Roll has spicy tuna inside of it. The sauces placed on top of the rolls adds to the dish’s great presentation. They made it look really pretty. I also ordered the appetizer, Agedashi Tofu. 7
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Mr. Perfectly Fine
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Us2
X
memory
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heatseeker
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heat waves
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heartbreak anniversary
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Taylor Swift
YULTRON, Jay Park
Hojean
dreamers, grandson
glass animals
giveon
Pink Sweat$
Feel free to send us your favorite songs: tinyurl.com/mchsmixtape 8
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Lil Nas X Album Review by Mekhi Randle
With the release of Lil Nas X’s controversial new single “(MONTERO) Call Me By Your Name,” I wanted to dive back into the artist’s first 2019 extended project titled “7.” The kickstart of Montero Hill’s career catapulted from his record-breaking, chart-topping, cultural shifting song “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus. From there, he released this EP, and it’s not just what you’d expect: country. It’s actually alternative and features elements of rap, country, rock, pop, and R&B. 1. Old Town Road (feat. Billy Ray Cyrus) - Old Town Road—the country-rap song that almost everyone knows. This song had a fair run in my opinion. Listening to this song now I would have to say that it’s not as good as I remembered. The song features Billy Ray Cyrus who, in my opinion, holds down the song. The song reminds me of a very specific time in 2019 but also reminds me of children listening to this song: who ultimately helped Lil Nas X rise to the top. Not something I’d listen to again. 2. Panini - Panini, his second most successful song, following Old Town Road, and personally this is at the top of my favorite songs on this project. The song embarks on a journey of Lil Nas X’s come up, how a fan who once was a huge fan isn’t anymore. I like the song because it has a replay factor that many songs don’t have. The music video for this song is also super cool. 3. F9mily (You & Me) [feat. Travis Barker] - F9mily (You & Me) is one of my favorite songs on this extended project. Surprisingly, this is the first rock-esque song I ever listened to, and it reminds me of Disney movies or a theme song. This would fit in a scene where the main character would be getting ready for 9
when they head off to school. This song was one of the most pleasant to revisit, because I forgot how good this song was. I would consider this song not only the most diverse on the album but one of the best songs of 2019.
4. Kick it - Kick It is a song that is something you might listen to if you wanted to relive a dramatic moment that you remember; the beat reminds me of a dramatic television scene. It’s a skip for me now, but I did like this song when this project came out. It just doesn’t hold the replayability like I stated earlier other songs did, like Panini.
5. Rodeo (feat. Cardi B) - Rodeo is the other country song on this album, which follows suit with Old Town Road. I believe that country is fun for Montero to dabble in, but he thrives more with other genres like pop or rock. Cardi B’s verse was kind of lazy, but it still sounds good on the song, just doesn’t give bars, which is expected by “rappers.” Rodeo was later remixed, featuring Nas, and it was great. I prefer neither though—the song can be left in 2019.
6. Bring U Down - Bring U Down is top tier—a great underrated song by Lil Nas X. I like this song for the message; the internet can be very toxic sometimes. After listening to this now, where Lil Nas X is a superstar and not just a “meme rapper,” the lyrics hit harder because it probably still rings true for him. This song was up there as one of my favorite songs to revisit.
7. C7osure (You Like) - C7osure (You Like) is the closing song on the extended project, which alludes to Montero’s sexuality. When originally listening to this song, only a few knew that he was gay. On the last day of pride month (June 31st, 2019) he finally publicly came out, and let everyone know what the true meaning of this song meant. I had no clue earlier, during the initial release the true meaning of this song, but now I love it. Especially in today’s divided society, it’s a refresher for LGBT people, regardless of age, all around to feel like it’s okay to like what they like, not what others like. C7osure is the best song, in my opinion, to listen to when revisiting.
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Why You Should Care About the Violence Against Women Act By: Chau-Anh Nguyen violence-related murders rise by 450 percent. “With people sheltered in place they are literally trapped with their abusers,” Bernadine Dickens, representative of the Women’s Center Youth & Family Services, expressed. And in an interview, Jenny Davidson, CEO of Stand Up Placer (an organization dedicated to tackling this issue), emphasized, “As I interact with law enforcement, that’s all they are seeing [ . . . ] domestic violence after domestic violence . . .” In wake of this problem, the House renewed and passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) on March 17, 2021, a bill that protects and provides resources for victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, and stalking. The law was first passed in 1994, but its recent renewal requires the law to “include misdemeanor convictions of domestic abuse or stalking,” a provision that was absent until now. The expansion also closes the “boyfriend loophole,” a gap in American gun legislation that allows dating partners previously convicted of domestic abuse and/or stalking to purchase and own firearms simply because they weren’t married to the victim.
With over 30 million Americans infected by COVID-19 and 555,000 dead, it is undoubtedly important to stay in quarantine, even as the vaccine starts to roll out, in order to prevent the spread of the virus and keep the vulnerable safe. However, while well-tended, the lockdown has brought about a slew of new issues: physical health risks, psychological stresses, economic and financial vulnerability, isolation and loneliness, and technological accessibility needed to accommodate the new social distancing shift from everyday normal life. Through all of this, domestic abuse victims are particularly struggling, having had their usual method of escape revoked as they are forced to stay inside the same residence as their violent partner for an indefinite amount of time.
These aren’t the only components that the provision includes. The renewed Violence Against Women Act expanded protections for transgender women, granting them federal protection that prevents women’s shelters from denying them accessibility. Furthermore, it will also implement measures that protect indigenous women. (This is especially important because native tribes currently do not have jurisdiction to prosecute certain acts of violence against their women by non-tribal members. However, this bill will grant them that power.) There are numerous other measures added, such as funds for housing vouchers (so survivors can relocate quickly if they need to) and unemployment insurance for those having to leave a job because they feel unsafe, but the protections and measures listed above are some of the main points.
Pandemic repercussions relating to domestic abuse were realized last year, when states began their March lockdown. According to the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, U.S. police departments everywhere experienced an increase in domestic abuse calls. New York City, New York, saw a 10 percent increase. San Antonio, Texas, saw an 18 percent increase. Portland, Oregon saw a 22 percent increase. Jefferson County, Alabama, saw a 27 percent increase. This issue is obviously prevalent locally as well. Stockton was already well above other cities in San Joaquin county in terms of domestic violence incidents, making up 76 percent of domestic abuse cases handled by the County District Attorney’s Office alone, but this problem has skyrocketed during quarantine. In addi tion to increased calls, the Stockton PD saw domestic
Despite the expansion’s revolutionary laws, obstacles nonetheless remain in the Senate. Many oppose the bill due to its gun measure. “Certainly we ran into 11
hiccups with some of the gun issues, and that’s a big one for a number of us. Stripping away people’s constitutional rights is not something that we should be doing,” Republican Senator Joni Ernst said in the Washington Post. Other opposing senators have released similar statements. Republican Senator Bob Good added, “This legislation makes it clear that Democrats consider gun ownership a second-class right.”
lobbyists countered by saying that Speaker Pelosi and anti-gun lawmakers included these measures to “pit pro-gun lawmakers against it so that they can falsely and maliciously claim these lawmakers don’t care about women.” In response to the NRA’s claims and opposing Senators’ statements, radio host and former attorney Dean Obeidallah writes in a scathing opinion editorial, “[Republicans choose] to protect a man’s right to buy a gun over protecting the life of a woman . . . If a man who has been convicted of stalking his girlfriend suddenly wants to purchase his first firearm, should that be allowed? . . . According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the presence of a gun in domestic violence situations can increase the risk of homicide for women as much as 500 percent. In addition, abusers with firearms are five times more likely to kill their victims given the easy access to a deadly weapon. In fact, a 2019 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found women killed by intimate partners are more likely to be murdered with a firearm than by all other means combined.”
Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene backed opposing statements, stating, “If you want to protect women, make sure women are gun owners and know how to defend themselves. That’s the greatest defense for women.” Others against the bill have also cited the transgender protection as their reason. In reference to the requirement that women’s shelters assist transgender women, Republican Representative Debbie Lesko expressed, “The most egregious provisions of this bill push leftist gender ideology at the expense of important protections for women’s privacy and security.” Supporters of the Act countered publicly. Jennifer Becker, deputy legal director of Legal Momentum, the oldest legal advocacy group for women in the country, argued in the NPR, “Everything that we advocate for in VAWA is based on the reality of what we know victims are being subjected to, and what we know survivors need to seek safety, accountability, healing . . . These provisions are central to ensuring that people stay alive.”
Amidst this conflict, President Biden released a public statement, urging the Senate to pass the bill. “Strengthening and renewing VAWA is long past due. Delay is not an option, especially when the pandemic and economic crisis have only further increased the risks of abuse and the barriers to safety for women in the United States. This should not be a Democratic or Republican issue – it’s a matter of justice and compassion.” Because of the 50-50 party split in the Senate, however, at least 10 Republican votes are needed to pass the bill, and with the divisive arguments surrounding the provisions, prospects aren’t looking too high.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “accused Republicans of supporting protecting women unless they ‘happen to be Native American or an LGBTQ woman or an immigrant woman.’ ” National Rifle Association (NRA) 12
Inflation: Where is it? With all of the recent talk around the implementation around the new stimulus bill, it is important to think about the possible implications that come with the money. As many politicians have brought up, inflation is a real and true issue for the economy. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with inflation, it is essentially the process by which money loses its value. This happens when more money is introduced into the money supply thus causing existing money to lose its value. We have seen large amounts of money being introduced previously during the last two stimulus rounds and most recently during the passing of the 1.9 trillion dollar stimulus bill. While Joe Biden and his team are happy to continue pushing forward, it is important to look at all sides of the argument. The former secretary of the Treasury under Bill Clinton, Larry Summers, has stated how he feels the administration might be pushing the economy too fast, according to the Washington Post. This also comes at a time of “looser” targets and a lot less disciplined approach to monetary policy. The Federal Reserve under Jerome Powell, nominated by President Trump, has said that they are willing to go slightly over the two percent strict inflation target if needed. To go along with the new stimulus, the Federal Reserve has also slashed interest rates to nearly zero. This means that banks can get money for far cheaper and ultimately pass it on to us, the common consumer, in the form of low-interest rate loans. This new stimulus can also cause risks abroad. China recently came forward about the major risks the new stimulus bills can bring to countries abroad. For some context, the United States dollar is one of the most important currencies worldwide It is the most used currency in the world and thus is the world’s reserve currency. This means other nations keep trillions of dollar bills in their treasuries to support or “peg” their currency to give it value in the form of the dollar. China being the world’s second-largest economy after the United States is also the largest holder of United States Dollars in their treasury. This recent spending and subsequent loss in value of the dollar affects all dollars and that includes those in the Chinese treasury. 13
Former minister of finance Lou Jiwei has stated, “The large-scale issuance of U.S. Treasurys, and the rapid expansion of the Federal Reserve (balance sheet), have increased the spillover effect of U.S. macro policies…” according to CNBC. This comes at a time where China, which was the epicenter of the pandemic, is just barely starting to recover from the pandemic. The central bank has stated they would like to continue their 6 percent growth target, but they have other things to worry about, such as China’s rising housing bubble thanks to cheap credit, which could have the same impact as the recession of 2008.
As of writing this article, millions of Americans are getting vaccinated and it was recently announced in the state of California that minors 16 and up can begin to get the vaccine on April 15th. This means that by Summer 2021, it is possible that we will have a semi-normal time in the sun, but not without safety precautions of course. This increase in immunity means that people can begin to go out and spend their money and start to open up and defrost the economy. The Department of Labor has recently reported that consumer prices have gone up 0.3 percent from December of last year. The effect of this we will have to wait and see. Overall, it is important we wait and see how everything plays out. Joe Biden is saying to stay optimistic, but forgive me for not believing our politicians. Just like everyone, I will be getting the vaccine as soon as it is my turn as trying to get outside to open up the economy. I guess it is a waiting game now to see if inflation will ever catch up to us at a large scale in this case.
By: Jaskaran Bajwa 14
APRIL 2021
Thank you for reading this issue from MCHS Deadline!
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If you have any questions, comments or concerns please DM us on our Instagram page: @mchsdeadline. We would love to hear feedback from you. While you are reading our digital copy, we have a website available for you to check out. We will continue to accept your song recommendations for MCHS mixtape all year round along with applications to take part in Freshman Interviews! So you may be apart of the next issue! The links for both of those forums can be fond in the linktree on our instagram page. The Deadline team will continue to work hard and come up with new ideas! We hope you will come along with us on this journey! Until the next issue, stay fiery Dragons!
Senior Editor: Chau-Anh Nguyen Senior Editor/Social Media: Hieu Ho Graphic Designer: Charlene Nguyen Graphic Designer: Aashna Singh Webmaster/Writer: Nora Taing Senior Writer: Arlene Hickman Senior Writer: Danielle Tuazon Senior Writer: Jaskaran Bajwa Junior Writer: Mekhi Randle Junior Writer: Elizabeth Rocili