January Newspaper 2021

THE TH UNDER BOLT T HE THU NDERB OLT TH The Thunderbolt January 29, 2020

Volume 61. Issue 5

IN LOVING MEMORY OF FATHER, HUSBAND, AND AMAZING MEMBER OF THE MILLS COMMUNITY, Dharmendra

Kumar

IF YOU CAN, PLEASE DONATE AT https://gofund.me/24739679 . NO AMOUNT IS TOO SMALL

“Once in a life time you come across such a person who never stops smiling or making you smile.”

Dealing With Loss & Grief During the Pandemic

BY ANJULI NIYOGI, EDITOR IN CHIEF

I

t’s been over a year since the first COVID-19 case struck the United States, and through it all, almost everyone in the world has experienced loss. It might be those simple things that you’ve lost, like a concert to look forward to, a sports game, or a hobby you can no longer do safely. It may be a lost job, a sense of normalcy, or a way or life. Or it may even be that you’ve lost a loved one, and with that, the inability to hold those normal rituals - funerals and community gatherings - that allow families and friends to grieve together.

Sure enough, for many Mills students and high schoolers across the country, we’ve lost those traditional events that so many of us look forward to: graduation, prom, canceled sports, postponed vacations, seeing extended family.

No matter how small or large your loss may seem, know that it matters, and you have every right to be feeling what you’re going through.

As a matter of fact, the pandemic further complicates the grieving process. If you’ve lost a loved one since March of 2020, grieving may have been different than past times you’ve lost someone. Covid has taken away the lives of so many, unexpectedly, and all at once. The normal events that aid with the process of grief, like seeing other family members or friends to talk to, are sometimes made impossible and unsafe. If you weren’t seeing this loved during the pandemic, it may even feel as if the person is just as emotionally present as they were before, even as they are now physically absent.

If you’re experiencing loss in any shape or form, know that it’s both a universal experience and something that everyone deals with in their own unique way. Dealing with one loss in your life may be completely different than how you deal with another. Some may find it difficult to sleep, to concentrate, to eat. Processing what happens comes in all different forms and in all different paces. But being with your grief and allowing yourself to feel it is necessary. It’ll be uncomfortable and messy but by connecting with the grief and embracing it, you open yourself up to healing from this loss.

And over time, grief will resolve this loss, in different ways, little by little, every day. You may not notice it happening but over time, you will begin to heal and shift to a new way of life.

Grief can also be an opening to a new sense of identity without this person or loss. It can be a chance to foster a new sense of self and even higher-awareness of your life, knowing that you’ve experienced what it’s like to lose some part of it.

Tending to grief is also a lifelong journey. Grief comes in waves; at first, you might be struggling to stay above water, but it’ll become easier and almost feel like you’re floating. And maybe all at once, a wave will hit you expectedly and force you underwater for a few seconds. When that happens, embrace the grief and let it flow over you. By this, you integrate the loss into your life, identifying with the emotion and allowing yourself to go through your daily routine with the feelings that come with it, rather than letting them overwhelm and take over your life.

A grieving person also needs the ability to talk to others about their loss. Sharing grief brings people together, and it’s with collective mourning that people are able to find a breath of fresh air during their process. It’s a natural and normal one, meaning it doesn’t require therapy or medication to get through, but the ability to express your emotions. If you don’t want to talk to someone you can still journal about it, type in your notes app, talk to your voice memos, or even bring yourself back to a hobby you love doing.

And after all this, if you find yourself incredibly wrapped up in your loss years after it began, it may be time to reach out for extra help. This may be the case if your loved one was stripped away unexpectedly and without any preparation beforehand. If you are looking for someone to talk to about your grief or loss, reach out to one of the following.

SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations.

Callers can also order free publications and other information.

Visit www.griefshare.org to find a support group near you. Majority of the meetings in the bay area are being held online and on a weekly basis.

San Mateo County Health Grief Support: Visit www. smchealth.org/post/kara-grief-support or call 650-3215272 for more information on grief support near you.

The Thunderbolt

4

Mills High School Publication www.millsthunderbolt.com

News Editor: Justin Condevillamar ‘21 Features Editor: Angela Dimaano ‘21 Center Spread Editor: Bianca Reyes ‘21 Opinions Editor: Madison Wong ‘21 Sports Editor: Misael Gomez ‘21 Entertainment Editor: Leanna Yu ‘21 Media Coordinators: Leanna Yu ‘21 Karine Chan ‘21 Staff Writers: Raquel Catpo ‘24 Katelyn Chang ‘23 Joshua Choe ‘24 Jordan Hasty ‘21 Magdalene Ko ‘23 Katelyn Lam ‘23 Rita Li ‘22 Nagham Masarweh ‘24 Flora Oliva ‘21 Maxwell Zaninovich ‘24

By Raquel Catpo, Staff Writer

O

n June 29, smuhsd.awareness uploaded their first post, working towards their goal to bring justice and to amplify student voices. With over 1,800 followers and 155 posts on Instagram, this account brings light to serious situations that involve homophobia, racism, bullying, harassment, sexism, xenophobia, etc. Any San Mateo Union High School students can submit their experiences through the form linked in smuhsd.awareness’ bio. In the google form, one can input their story, school, and name, if they wish. For example, on January 21st, smuhsd.awareness posted a story involving homophobia. A student shared, “Last year, during a football game, I was up in the bleachers with some friends. Our team was kicking a field goal but they missed. In the middle of all the opposing cheers, some guys right behind us said ‘what a raging f*ggot he should k*ll himself already.’ I looked back at them but it didn’t seem like they understood the gravity of their words. As a gay orphan, I am really upset by how normally they treated such awful words.” (Aragon High School) Similar to smuhsd.awareness, mills.awareness also intends to allow students and staff to share anonymous stories about various issues. Three anonymous students at Mills run this account, and they feel utilizing social media apps is an effective way to share stories that would otherwise be left unnoticed and ignored. When asked why they started the account, they stated, ¨to create a platform for Mills students to be heard and to inspire a sense of unity on our campus.” Their posts consist of three slides, with the cover slide naming the topic in which the post is about. The next slide is the story submitted, and the last is their handles and how to share a story.

If used by the right people with good intentions, instagram accounts like Mills Awareness are great ways to draw attention to issues in our community, and help us improve and resolve these problems.

Raquel Catpo The Thunderbolt

AWARENESS: Students can share their experiences.

Updates on Millbrae Trail and Rec. Center

Instagram: @millsthunderbolt Twitter: @thunderboltmhs Youtube: MillsThunderbolt

By Raquel Catpo, Staff Writer

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News: Teacher Opinions on Distance Learning (Pg 7)

The Thunderbolt

@mills.awareness Instagram Page

Editors-in-Chief: Karine Chan ‘21 Anjuli Niyogi ‘21 Leanna Yu ‘21 Faculty Advisor: Kelly Hensley

News

Raquel Catpo The Thunderbolt

RECREATION CENTER: Grand opening is June of 2022.

Features: Misa: an Up and Coming Rapper (Pg 8) Mental Health Advancement Initiative (Pg 9)

Center Spread: Defining Moments of the 2000’s (Pg 10)

Opinions: How Distance Learning will Affect the Future of Education (Pg 12)

Sports: Spotlight on Football Player David Fifita & His Programs on Other Schools (Pg 16 ) Raquel Catpo The Thunderbolt

TRAIL IMPROVMENTS: A cement pavement was added.

he 2020 construction plans to rebuild the Millbrae Recreation Center have begun recently. The city of Millbrae aims to “provide vibrant community life through lifelong learning, cultural events, and a broad array of recreational activities” with the reconstruction of the center’s facilities after being burned down in 2015. It will consist of an entry/ lobby, community lounge, senior lounge, 2 classrooms, 2 preschool classrooms, a community room, a commercial kitchen, a fitness studio, a game room, a consultation room, an art classroom, 2 conference rooms, vending/refreshments, and staff/support. You can access the schedule for these upcoming months, the construction site live, and other information at the Millbrae Recreation Center website (millbraerecreationcenter.com). As of January 2021, the foundation is being built. In February of 2021, utilities will be installed in the Millbrae Recreation Center. The grand opening will happen in June 2022, following the building completion in March of 2022.

Along with the construction of the Recreation Center, new improvements have also been made to the Millbrae trail that goes from Taylor Middle School to Hillcrest Boulevard, through Magnolia Avenue, Millbrae Avenue, and Murchison Drive, to Mills High School. A cement pavement next to Josephine Waugh Soroptimist Park has been built to accommodate the many pedestrians that take this trail. The pedestrian crosswalk is a safety addition for community members who regularly take the trail across Hillcrest from ongoing traffic.

With these two updated structures featured in Millbrae, they will sure be useful to people of all ages and provide a safe path for students to come to Mills when in-person learning resumes!

The Thunderbolt

The

Media’s

News Responce to

By Katelyn Lam and Magdaline Ko, Staff Writers

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n January 6th, 2021, a group of Trump supporters, many with far-right-wing ties, stormed the Capitol building in an effort to halt the certification of the 2020 election. The last time the United States Capitol was breached was in 1814 by the British Royal Navy. This time, congressmen were attacked by fellow Americans who were outraged by lies about election fraud that were spreading over social media, fueled in part by President Trump. As a result, he has been banned from most social media platforms, along with many of his supporters.

Social media played a vital role in inciting the attack. Far-right groups used apps like Parler and Gab to communicate the best routes to take to avoid police, as well as tools needed to break into the capitol. Through those apps, they were able to spread the word and encourage more people to join. This attack on the Capitol showed just how easy it is for social media to spread information, whether it be true or false. The apps allowed them to organize and communicate with each other without police interference. Unlike Twitter or Facebook, Gab had fewer restrictions in place, making it appealing to many people, especially after Parler was shut down. Now, more than ever, it’s important to be wary of content on social media and to double check all facts. To some, what happened on January 6th was more than just a protest or a riot, it was a crime against the nation. The majority of the country, primarily being non-extremists, believe that no one, much less the President of the United States, should be condoning the behavior of violent protesters.

As a result of the Capitol riots, different platforms have become upstanders, taking action against radical violent political groups, as they saw no one else in control. Some such measures included discontinuing any sale of President Trump’s campaign merchandise. Shopify, an e-commerce platform, stated that they “have terminated stores affiliated with President Trump” because they do “not tolerate actions that incite violence” [Axios]. They felt Trump’s actions violated their Acceptable Use Policy, “which prohibits promotion or support of organizations, platforms, or people that threaten or condone violence to further a cause”. Much like Shopify, Stripe, who handles monetary transactions for websites and apps, announced that they will no longer process any payments for the president’s campaign.

Pinterest and TikTok took the measure of banning certain hashtags. On TikTok, where videos of any sort can easily go viral, hashtags such as #stormthecapitol and #patriotparty would be redirected to community guidelines. The photo platform Pinterest has taken a similar approach, limiting hashtags like #stopthesteal. They will be “continuing to monitor and removing harmful content, including misinformation and conspiracy theories that may incite violence” [Axios].

Several other social media outlets took even stronger action, completely banning groups of extremists. A common platform for shar-

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the

ing ideas, Reddit banned the subreddit group r/ DonaldTrump. Their explanation was that they “prohibit content that promotes hate, or encourages, glorifies, incites, or calls for violence against groups of people or individuals” [Axios]. Discord enacted similar measures to Reddit, banning the server TheDonald. Although there is no evidence the server was used to incite riots, the group was banned from the communication app because of its connection to other networks that did. YouTube has also decided to enforce stronger rules, saying that any video containing false claims related to the election’s validity would be given a strike. For YouTube, a strike restricts uploading or live streaming new videos. If a channel has three strikes in 90 days, it will be permanently removed from YouTube.

Parler, a social media communication platform similar to Twitter that was used to stir up the rioters, has also been hit with consequences after the attack on the 6th. Google, Apple, and Amazon are just a few of the companies suspending Parler. According to Apple, “Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to people’s safety” [Axios]. Both Google and Apple discontinued the app-Google removing it from the Google Play Store and Apple from the App Store. By doing so, users can no longer download the app, although it is still accessible by website. In a similar move, Amazon Web Services, which provides cloud storage, discontinued their service for Parler. Okta, a company that authenticates identities, and Twilio, a communication platform, have both followed suit and either limited or suspended Parler access. Okta took Parler off their free trial while Twilio has indefinitely suspended it.

When President Trump’s tweets about the Capitol violence went against Twitter’s Glorification of Violence policy, he was banned immediately and permanently. They felt keeping his account running would possibly incite further violence in the future. Trump has by far been the most active president on social media, tweeting often and passionately about a multitude of subjects. However, despite numerous reminders and warnings, Trump’s tweets throughout his presidency have spread misinformation his audience doesn’t often double-check. His influence through his tweets was considered by many as a form of media manipulation. After the attack on the capitol, many realized just how much Trump influenced the people. It was a reminder that his words do not just gain the support of his followers but can be turned into actions as well.

On Twitch, much like Twitter, they disabled his account to “prevent Twitch from being used to incite further violence”. With the consequences of his actions apparent, Twitch “believe[s] this is a necessary step to protect [their] community”, a feeling many people use the service for [Axios].

As with Twitch, Facebook and Instagram also followed in banning the president. They believed “the risks of allowing the President to continue to use [their] service during this period are simply too great” [Mark Zuckerberg]. They felt the risks outweigh the benefits of having the presi-

DREW ANGERER Getty Images

Guns drawn in House Chamber.

Capitol

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Riots

dent have access to an account, as it acknowledges that any violence or support of it is wrong.

As news of the president being banned started spreading, some grew worried about the power these social media platforms have. The actions of Facebook and Twitter could easily be seen as a limitation of free speech. It felt like an act of tyrannical control against the freedom of speech valued so highly in America. Talk show host Dave Rubin weighed in, saying “There is a war on reality. We are in an information war” [Fox]. Others were worried about the amount of power being controlled by only several people. Decisions as big as these would most certainly go directly to the CEOs, who would then weigh the pros and cons with a board to decide whether or not to take action. Concern grew that these huge companies could have unrestrained power to remove such important voices, especially when these decisions are so often politically driven. People began questioning whether social media will become a political tool as well, rather than a place for sharing ideas and news. Several Republican politicians began making their opinions known, like Republican Representative Ashley Hinson from Iowa, who tweeted “This isn’t right”.

To many other citizens, his ban provided a sense of relief. They viewed this as an end to the lies of a president who encouraged an attack on his own capitol. Many people spoke out publicly about the matter, House Speaker Pelosi going as far as petitioning for the 25 amendment to be put into action. If successful, it would mean replacing Trump and indicting Vice President Pence as president. Pence was “heartbroken and astounded that this narcissistic and dangerous president would put lives in danger and encourage violent sedition against our government”. Many others felt similarly ashamed and disappointed that the President of the United States would encourage such acts of defamation. Pink also tweeted about what happened; she was “ashamed of what is happening in Washington. Hypocrisy, shame, Embarrassment. Unpatriotic hypocritical sheep drinking poison Kool aid. This is a sad day for America.”

News of the incident and its effects have now spread to beyond America; on Facebook, Russian Senator Kosachev wrote ““America no longer defines the course, and therefore has lost all right to set it. And even more so to impose it on others”. To many citizens, our nation, which once stood as a symbol for others to follow, has turned into nothing but a farce amidst the constant chaos. Not much has been heard from Trump directly on the whole ordeal, and without Twitter he seems to have gone silent for the time being.

Now that Trump’s been banned, many tech companies looked toward the inauguration on January 20th, hoping that no other riots would start.

Big companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google were all on high alert for any sign of upcoming violence. However, the preventative measures didn’t only stop with tech giants, as travel groups also put policies in place to prevent possible outbreaks of violence. Almost all platforms have taken action against Trump, leaving everyone wondering about the future use and power of social media.

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WIN MCNAMEE Getty Images

Some protesters looted the Capitol.

6

News

Free COVID Testing at Mills and Attendance Marking

A

By Rita Li, Staff Writer

s we transition to a new spring semester, Mills administration and staff are putting their best effort to make sure the facilities and students are safe and healthy and have access to covid testing.

Mills have scheduled all of their staff members, which include the facilities, security and office staff, administrators, Instructional Assistants, and teachers that work on campus regularly, to test for the coronavirus on January 19th. The school plans to offer testing to students that plan to stay on campus often in the upcoming weeks. People who are qualified will be notified to sign up online for an appointment, and they will be assigned a time to take the self administered Curative test at the Mills faculty lounge.

Test takers should not eat or drink twenty to thirty minutes prior to testing. During testing, the test taker will have to cough three to five times with his or her mask on into the elbow, facing away from others. Then, the person will swab his or her mouth (cheeks, gums, under tongue, roof of mouth) and put it in a test tube. The tests will be sent to Curative and within a week, the results should be back.

Along with ensuring the safety of Mills staff, much work has been put into ensuring students are attending their virtual classes. Attending all classes everyday is essential for academic achievement and is required by law. Staff across SMUHSD have emphasized to parents how important attendance is during these times and how to communicate with their teens to ensure they have been staying on top of their academic progress. If necessary, parents have been advised to encourage students to review assignments in canvas, log in to all classes daily, and check in with their teachers during office hours. Parents should make sure students are not succumbing to peer pressure, as it can lead to them skipping class. It is important to contact Mills administrators if the child is behaving differently. Parents have a two day time range to communicate and excuse student absences. Absences not excused within two days will receive a Q-code, which means a distance learning student absence and continued absences will result in truancy attendance letters being sent home. There may be disciplinary consequences such as counseling, Behavior Contracts, and mandatory truancy meetings if students do not attend school. .

Students will be marked present with an F code on Aeries if they log in to Zoom with their stu.smuhsd.org account and respond to their teacher and peers throughout the class period. On asynchronous days, students submit work by the end of the day to be marked present and engaged. Aside from F codes on Aeries, there is also a J code, which means a student logged in to class, but is not engaged. After multiple J codes, the Mills attendance clerk, counselors, and dean will contact student families to find out the cause of the student disengagement. If a student continues to be non engaged, the Non Engagement During Distance Learning Letters will be sent home to alert parents to the problems the student is facing. The J codes will not appear on the student’s transcript, but serve the purpose of letting schools make sure students are able to participate and access their classes.

As Mills Vikings, we will be on our best behavior to attend class on time and to maintain our safety. Hopefully, we may return back to the red tier and finally be qualified to resume learning back on campus.

Rita Li The Thunderbolt

COVID TESTING: All staff members are being tested.

The Thunderbolt

California Schools Plan Febuary Reopening

By Misael Gomez, Sports Editor

A

fter almost a year since California schools have shut down, Governor Gavin Newsom has stated that he is ready to slowly reopen schools starting with Kindergarten. Because the Corona virus hasn’t declined and most likely will keep affecting the state for the next few months, California will make sure each school maintains safety protocols so as to not put kids and their families at risk. Newsom states they will allocate around $2 billion in funds to make sure every school has the correct safety protocols. The effects of online learning, however, could change how students feel about going back to in-person classes.

However, COVID cases remain a significant issue in the state . According to Politico, “California is in the midst of a record level of infections and hospitalizations”, leaving many hospitals almost out of space (some San francisco hospitals are almost over 90% bed capacity while around 200 patients needing to go to the hospital a week in the San Mateo County due to COVID, according to The Californian). At the same time, though, many families have increasingly begun complaining about distance learning, saying their children feel unmotivated by school, while teacher unions have collectively agreed a classroom is still an unsafe place for students. It is clear that the situation is torn between two sides that are normally on the same page. For this reason, Governor Newsom is working with the teachers union to make sure by February, both teachers and students can safely work in a classroom environment with a minimal risk of getting COVID. Online learning has been more complicated for many people than imagined. Every student has had a different experience with it, whether it be positive or negative. Because of this, returning back to in person school will leave each student with a different experience.

Isabella Vaka (12), for example, wants California schools to prioritize the health of the students rather than the reopening of schools. “I’m only concerned about safety. As long as we follow state or county recommendations/ guidelines, then returning in february sounds great. If not, I’m uninterested.” On the other end, students like Johnathan Fausto (12), the new vaccine gives optimism about the reopening, saying he feels great “considering the fact that the COVID vaccines are out”. Along with that, he feels he’s been in the house long enough and is “eager to go back” for his last year. It’s clear both students feel that health and safety is the deciding factor when it comes to returning back to in person school.

With the vaccine slowly being administered across the state’s population, the state is becoming more optimistic that they will be able to reopen schools, despite the high number of reported cases. Governor Newsom’s plan is to reopen schools with the option to continue working from home. However, with the right safety protocols and the vaccination being provided to everyone, many schools might be able to resume classes almost a year after they first shut down a year ago.

New Reopening Plans From District Board Meeting

By Misael Gomez, Sports Editor

A

fter he San Mateo Union High School District held a meeting on January 21st to outline their plans on a theoretical reopening of schools in February. It has been almost a year since the CoronaVirus affected the world, and although things don’t seem to be slowing down, the district feels that it is time to let the students get a traditional educational experience.

The district will be following the “California Safe Schools for All” plan. It is made to provide support and accountability to make sure there are as little possible COVID transmissions when in person attendance is taking place. Sara DeVaney, a member of the school board, spoke about a specific “COVID checklist,” which requires each school in the State of California to complete in order to reopen schools. DeVaney assured that “This really aligns well with what the current county health department has with only one or two differences, so we’re well on our way to identifying and completing these items.” To ensure that transmissions stay at the lowest optimal level, on campus visitation will be highly discouraged unless absolutely necessary. Along with that, Dr. Kirk Black mentioned campuses will have signs that are “similar to what you would see at supermarkets.” Signs like “one way” and tape in lines to stay 6 feet apart are going to be all around the schools.

On a regular COVID on campus school day, students and teachers are required to wear masks, and pass a check in before entering the building. The process starts before students even get to school, where each student and teacher needs to answer a series of questions on the LiveSafe app that determine whether or not they are qualified to enter the school campus. Once they get the green checkmark on the survey, they arrive at school and get a temperature check. If you pass that, you are required to wash your hands or take hand sanitizer, go straight to your classroom, and have all school supplies ready as if it were a regular school day. Students will have a permanently assigned seat for the whole semester. Despite being in school, students will still be participating in zoom classes. To ensure each student and staff member stays comfortable on campus there will be face shields, protective suits for custodial and health staff, latex gloves, and signs around campus giving tips on hygiene. This is just some of the few things planned by the District to make sure on-campus school is a safe experience.

Our district is doing everything they feel is necessary to make sure on-campus learning can become a reality. Although there is still work to do, it appears that the school board is more than ready to apply each of these practices into every school.

This could be a real step forward in coming back to how things were, but both students and staff need to work together to make this work. The Mills Thunderbolt is excited to see how this develops, and wishes everyone the best for this semester.

The Thunderbolt

Teacher D

Opinions

By Justin Condevillamar, News Editor

News on

istance learning has brought many changes to how teachers handle their classes, from teaching methods to class curriculum. Teachers last semester have developed a range of opinions on distance teaching based on their personal experiences and understanding of what is happening within the Mills community. In a teacher questionnaire conducted by The Thunderbolt, teachers answered a series of questions about their distance teaching experience, and their opinions on the successes and failures of distance learning last semester. A series of teacher polls were also held where they voted on the difficulty and success of distance teaching, as well as if they prefer to continue distance learning next semester or transition into a hybrid model.

When asked about their experience with transitioning from in-person to distance learning classes, teachers had a mixed response on the difficulty of transitioning and the effects of changes made to their classes. Some teachers described the changes as “difficult,” “rough,” and “better than nothing” while others said that it was “great,” “smooth,” and “not too bad.”

Steven Wang, a Biology teacher, described the teacher reeducation process, stating “Teachers had to redesign their curriculum, learn new tech skills, and completely rethink how they engaged students in an online learning environment. Even for veteran teachers, this felt like our first year teaching again.” Wayne Phillips, a history teacher, touched on the social aspect of the distance learning transition, stating “The fact is that human beings are social mammals and the lack of social contact has been hard for all. The transition to distance learning has affected people in different ways. It is especially hard on small children and teens, devastating for some, as we have witnessed with student attendance and assignments not completed.”

Teachers were also asked about changes they made to their classes to accommodate the distance learning environment, as well as their experiences with teaching at home or in an empty classroom on campus. The single largest change described by the teachers was the removal of certain parts of their class curriculum to account for class time reductions. Distance learning reduced instructional time from around 240 minutes per week to around 180 minutes, which forced teachers to focus on major concepts and eliminate certain units. Advanced Placement (AP) class teachers in particular had to remove portions of their curriculum to focus on concepts tested on the AP Exam. Another major change described is the “reversal” of the class environment from loud to quiet. Teachers who had to endure disruptive behavior during in-person classes reported not having that in their distance learning classes; however, teachers have reported significant problems with student engagement in their classes, from limited communication to increased absences. Kiana Reyes, a chemistry teacher, describes her troubles with student engagement, stating, “I feel that I have to put more effort into scaffolding their group interactions and helping them talk to each other in a casual, get-toknow-you way because they’re not making the connections with each other the way they would if they could actually see each other and interact in-person.” A majority of teachers have decided to teach their classes from home last semester, but a significant portion taught classes on campus. Jane Spencer-Mills, a geometry teacher, describes teaching at home as “Not ideal because I don’t really have a teaching space. Physically hard because I need to stand but without walking around to interact with students, I find it really uncomfortable.” However, she also adds that “the time I would normally commute can now be used to call students and work with them one on one over the phone. I can talk with students for more than an hour a day because I am not in the car driving up and down the peninsula.” Wayne Phillips, who taught classes mainly on campus, stated that “It provided me with the sense that I was doing a job and actually seeing people in the front office who I thoroughly enjoy to be around.”

A poll was conducted on whether teachers believed that distance learning was successful last semester, which was supported by a one through ten rating poll, with ten being highest and one being the lowest score. Around 45% of teachers polled believed that distance learning was fully successful, 50% believed that distance learning was partially successful, and 5% believed that distance learning was not successful. This correlates with the ratings poll which produced an average rating of 6.9, well above the neutral average of 5.5. Around 60% of teachers rated distance learning either a six, seven, or eight, indicating that the majority of teachers viewed distance learning as a moderate success. When asked why they believed that distance learning was a success or failure, teachers have often cited being able to adjust their classes well for distance learning, while facing problems with technology and student engagement. Angela Reinhrdt-Mullins explains some of the benefits related to distance learning, stating, “There is a little more flexibility and independence. You don’t have to be at a specific location, as long as you are attending the class.

For some socially it is better and will thrive.” Jane Spencer-Mills describes instability with distance problems, stating: “Too many of us are dealing with things that were not part of the deal… IF you have even one hiccup in this, then that seventh class becomes a horror show.”

Teachers had the opportunity to share their issues with distance learning last semester, whether it was personal, school related, or both. Generally teachers have described various technological problems within their household and during classes, usually bandwidth problems or having to adjust to new software to use to operate distance learning classes. Justin Cottrell, a health teacher, describes his problems with household bandwidth, stating, “My wife is online as an instructional aide at Hillsdale, my daughter is online for her school, so we have our spaces in the house people map out and use during the school day.” Teachers have also had problems with creating a new work-life balance as a significant portion of their teaching and non-teaching time goes into computer related activities. Mary Rustia, a biotechnology teacher, describes her problems with the increased screen time during distance learning, with her saying that “I went from using my laptop for attendance and email adding up to maybe 2 hours a day. Now I stare at the screen for 8 hours or more.

My old eyes have had it and I had to get glasses with blue light and a new prescription.”

Certain teachers have also had problems with the amount of time they stay indoors, and have often made an effort to spend more time outdoors away from the virtual classroom.

Teachers were asked if they believed that distance learning has made their jobs easier or harder, and the overall response was mixed, with many teachers finding some aspects easier and others harder. Teachers have generally enjoyed the convenience of working from home and having an increased amount of time to work on course material for their classes. Many teachers stated that the technological issues mentioned earlier have made their

Distance

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Learning

jobs harder. A lack of student engagement in their distance learning classes has also been attributed to increased work difficulty. According to Janice Tuttle, a culinary arts teacher, “It [distance learning] has made it [teaching] harder without the interaction of the students learning from each other; it is much more difficult to teach a hands-on course of learning by doing.” For many interactive classes (laboratory sciences, many electives, etc.), replacing or adjusting curriculum that involved student interaction has also been described as a significant issue. Mary Rustia states that teaching this semester was “harder by a mile. I had to reinvent everything! I’m a hands on laboratory teacher. I had to find all these virtual lab websites from No Carolina Biotech valley.” Some teachers have also faced difficulty with catching cheaters last semester, which became easier due to a lack of student monitoring.

Although not directly asked for in the questionnaire, some teachers have pointed out how distance learning has exaggerated the underlying social inequalities that affect some students’ performance in the virtual classroom. The most common and “visible” inequality between students is the access to higher quality computers and better internet by more affluent students. Many teachers have faced tech related problems during their classes, a significant portion of which comes from students having a poor internet connection. Serena Arge, an art of video teacher, has faced issues with software needed for her classes, stating that “Students that can’t personally afford nice computers have access to Adobe software, which we use in the classroom. Students that chromebooks or older computers with less storage need to use sub par tools that don’t work well. I teach 4 different software at a time, so that means I need to create 4 times the amount of screen casts to get through our class content.”

Another major inequality can be seen in the home learning environment. In the student questionnaire, some students have described having to work in the same areas as their families, and sometimes do household activities while in class.

This reduces the capacity for some students to engage in their classes, which can lead to negative academic effects.

Students who come from a lower-income background more often have to do more for their families than their upper-income counterparts, which contributes to the differential success of students last semester. Justin Cotrell describes this problem as a “huge task of self-efficacy (making sure other family members are cared for, finding a quiet place for studying, finding general stability in their home lives, working part or full-time to cover the income gaps from their folks losing their jobs).” The effects of these inequalities have been very problematic for Mills and the greater SMUHSD. DF failure and student disengagement rates have all increased last semester, with underprivileged students disproportionately failing their classes. Around 20% of Hispanics, 17% of African Americans, and 16% of Pacific Islanders are reported to have a D or F grade in their classes compared to around 9% of Whites and 6% of Asians. Teachers have made significant efforts and accommodations to limit these inequalities in their distance learning classes, but some students are still at a disadvantage.

The concluding poll in the teacher questionnaire asked teachers whether they preferred to continue distance learning next semester or if they wanted to return to the classroom under a hybrid model. Out of those surveyed, an overwhelming majority of 94% of teachers want to continue distance learning. When asked why they held this stance, many cited increased cases, a lack of safety for both students and teachers, and hassles in having to transition once again.

Serena Arge touched upon safety concerns with increasing cases: “As much as I don’t like online learning, we need to make sure that we are staying safe. Infections are on the rise and we need more data, testing and access to vaccines, etc.”

Currently San Mateo County has over 33,000 COVID cases and 340 deaths. Although the teachers may want to return to school because of the difficulties of distance learning, there is no guarantee of safety for anyone on campus. Steven Wang added to the lack of safety concerns, citing a difficulty in transitioning back to school for students: “Also, many students struggle with adapting to change, and I feel that we’ve established good rhythms that are working for most students.” Our school district has been in distance learning for more than half of the school year now and changing the routine for both students and teachers can be detrimental to learning success, in the majority opinion of teachers.

94%

of All Teachers Favor Distance Learning over Hybrid Model

Feat

MISA, An Up and Coming Rapper O

ne of the great things about high school is that everyone is able to figure out who they are, what their interests are, and what they believe in. Mills, being relatively diverse, has students with many different interests, from robotics to advocating for social justice. One of those interests includes music. Recently, senior Misael Gomez has started writing and releasing rap music on streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and SoundCloud.

Gomez has always enjoyed music of all genres and even considered making music before, so he did just that. The pandemic has given many people lots of freetime, and Gomez used this time to pursue his passion for music starting in June of 2020. He explains that he only told his close friends about his first few projects because he was not ready for the criticism. To him, music is more than a pastime hobby to do when bored.

Even though he did not allow many people to listen to his music and he was not fully satisfied with what he was putting out, he still continued to release music because he wanted to see how much he could grow as an artist over time.

Starting in late September, he began releasing multiple singles, the first one being “Hated on It” featuring another rapper named Coy!.

He wanted to try something a little different with this song than he had previously; he explains he “almost tried yelling into the microphone when recording,” and it ended up being one of his projects at the time. The song is directed towards the people who never believed in him and told him to simply stick with the traditional route of school rather than try to pursue music on the side. Gomez, in the song, explains that he is going to live his life the way he wants without worrying about people’s opinions and that he knows what is best for him. When showing the songs to others, he received a lot of positive feedback, prompting him to take music more seriously. He even recorded his first music video with this song. In late November, he released another song called “To the Test” with producer Lethal Needle. Rather than being about one specific topic, he took pieces of lyrics he had already written and put them together, and in some parts, he freestyled. He explained that it was written and recorded in less than thirty minutes. Rapper, singer, and songwriter KYLE discovered this song and showed it to one of his videographers, Miles, who reacted to it on a livestream on streaming platform Twitch, giving Gomez a more public platform. Although it was a big accomplishment to be noticed by a famous rapper, he did not see this as a turning point—instead, saw it as a good learning opportunity by taking the advice Miles gave to him.

He soon began to realize that people liked his music, so he became more confident with his music and stopped caring about other people’s opinions. Eventually, Gomez made his music more publicly known by using his personal Instagram account to promote it. He enjoys picking beats, writing lyrics, and overall simply growing as an artist. His newest project is called Guidelines, which was released on January 29th and is available on SoundCloud. The album is fourteen songs and less than thirty minutes long.

He says, “It is a very personal project and I am not afraid to be myself on it. I want everyone to give it a chance, because there is something on the album for everyone.”

He is not exactly sure what the future holds for him and music, but he knows that if there is an opportunity for him to make music his career, he will take it. When asked about tips for any other aspiring artists, he explained that it’s still very early to be giving any advice, but if he could say one thing, it would be, “If you really want to try something, no matter what it is, never give up even if you’ve tried and failed 100 times. You never know if that 101th try is the one.”

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By: Madison Wong, Opinions Editor

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The Thun

tures

nderbolt

Spotlight W

A

on

the

Mental

Health

Advancement

Initiative

(MHAI)

By: Katelyn Chang, Staff Writer

are invited to discuss a relevant topic related to mental health ith student-led group named the Mental or psychology for students to deepen their understanding of the start Health Advancement Initiative, or more well the fields. Previous topics that have been discussed include to a new seknown as MHAI, is an advisory committee, psychology research, psychological disorders, and culture’s mester, several and one of many groups that has had to relationships to psychology. clubs have begun transition to going virtual during the All groups also have mentors who are pursuing their meeting for the first pandemic. These include moving doctorates in psychology. Small group meetings led by the time after planning club their traditional in-person meetindividual mentors, focus on student wellbeing as well as activities last semester. ings and projects, along with check-ins on ongoing projects. Apart from that, individual Clubs had to adapt to a fully mentorship experience fully meetings are also held between students’ prospective mentors online meeting space and cononline. MHAI focuses on and themselves to discuss their mental health and wellbeing. tinue to find ways to keep club community wellbeing These meetings are also held monthly and give students the members connected with each othand mental health, adability to be able to talk to a professional about personal iser. The Thunderbolt interviewed four dressed through sosues occurring in their lives. of Mills’ newly active clubs: Environcial activism, fosMHAI has also embarked on many mental health activmental Action Team (EAT), PC Club, and tering positive ism projects that have had a strong impact on the Mills comEsports Club. experiences, munity. Previous projects include freshman mental health Formed by former Youth Climate Ambasand giving presentations, helping out with leadership’s mental health sadors of San Mateo County, EAT strives to be a students assemblies, and a teacher mental health presentation. Future force for positive environmental change committed a plataspirations for the group include a conference between Mills to spreading awareness and providing students with students, parents, alumni, as well as those from the Millbrae opportunities to minimize their ecological footprint. community to learn more about intergenerational communiEAT is headed by co-presidents Maram Ahmed (11), Jancation. ice Yung (11), Kylie Chan (11), Secretary Alyssa Niwa (11), On the individual level, MHAI members are now workTreasurer Isabel Shinoki (11), and Marketing Director David K C Mills High School ing on a research project that is new to the curriculum. Students Lock (11). Speaking upon motivations to form the club, Ahmed HELTH: MHAI strives to educate on Mental Health. are to choose a topic of their choice in the field of psychology stated, “we were compelled to extend our passion to the school comform to use their voice. As stated by Marketing team that interests them. The only basic requirements are: using 3 munity to make a collective impact”. Currently, EAT is working on lead, Leanna Yu (12), “MHAI is a student organiza- peer reviewed research articles as sources, having a personal hosting a school wide environmental movie screening along with reachtion that collaborates with the Chinese Health Ini- significance statement, and presenting it in a format of their ing out to local elementary schools to present about sustainable water practiative of San Mateo and other professionals to choice. For the presentation, MHAI emphasizes creativity with tices and the significance behind conserving water supply. As young adults in learn more about mental health and psychol- many different mediums as an option. These include a Powan ever-worsening climate crisis, it is important for the students at Mills to be erpoint presentation/TED Talk, Research Paper, a program, or ogy.” both empowered and informed to drive the change necessary for a more sustainLed by Mills students, Leanna Yu artwork of any kind (Song, Play, Pamphlet, Brochure, Movie, able future. EAT gives opportunities for the youth to engage in necessary sustainable (12), Anjuli Niyogi (12), and Daphne Visuals, Story, etc). Jessica Sy (10), currently working on her practices and meet like-minded, passionate people. Without in person meetings, EAT Situ (12), the group consists of 15 research project for the topic, ‘parental pressure’, describes had to find ways in order to make sure all their members were up to date with all their students that are split into three dif- her experience with the process as “I’m really happy that I get activities by creating a Remind group chat and an Instagram page for updates. “Although ferent teams: Marketing, Com- to learn more about the topics that I’m interested in while reCOVID has put limitations on what we can do as a club, we are adapting by transitioning into munications, and Logistics. ceiving help from my mentor with this project. It’s a real taste virtual events, which has allowed for the events to reach a wider range of people”, expressess These teams have individual of what it’s like to research different topics in the psychology Ahmed. EAT invites all students to join one of their Zoom meetings and see what they’re all about. monthly group meetings, field.”

Additionally, make sure to follow mhs_eat on Instagram for their latest updates!

For those who are interested in potentially joining MHAI, as well an additionThe PC club is an academic club that strives to experience all aspects of learning the art of comal monthly meeting Niyogi describes the perfect fit as, “Anyone committed to menputer building while discussing projects surrounding gaming and new breakthroughs in computational with all members. tal health and psychology who holds any sort of interest and science. The PC club is headed by a group of students Presidents Nathan Choi (11) and Colman Yeung (11), During cohort wants to learn more, as well as someone wanting to help others, Secretary Curtis Lou (10), Treasurer Ryan Lin (11) and Public Relations Leads Paul Wong (11) and Chris Woo m e e t i n g s , spread awareness, or be involved in school.” The recruitment (11). Talking upon why the club was formed, Choi expressed, “many students wanted to build their own gaming g u e s t process for MHAI is scheduled to begin and open sometime in computer, but didn’t know where to start. We thought it would be a great idea to help students build their computer, speakers the spring. grow their passion, and share their knowledge with other students that have the same interests.” In their meetings, they review the latest tech news and learn new skills about computer building. Currently, they are hosting their annual set up competition where students can earn prizes by submitting their desk setup with information can be found on their Instagram and their website. The PC Club is also in the process of building an all-powered online application that can help anyone easily find and choose parts for their own computer build. In order to keep up with the demand for their activities, the club started a coding team to teach members how to build websites from scratch. Choi continued on the importance of the PC club, “As computers evolve and become more impactful in our lives, we want as many students as possible to understand how they work and to experience the behind-the-scenes-perspective-First hand.” Related to virtual meetings, Covid has prevented them from administering hands-on activities (as they had done in our previous year); However it has given them the opportunity to focus on virtual/online projects. For example they wouldn’t have been able to hold coding lessons every week nor host a fully virtual setup competition. Make sure to drop in on one of their meetings on Fridays from 2:45-3:15, follow them on Instagram at millspc.club, and visit their website at pccclub.now.sh/ for more information!

Mills Esports, also known as electronic sports is a club that participates in online competitive games. The Esports Club is headed by Presidents Sherina Chan (11) and Ryan Huie(11), Secretary Justin Jiang(11), Public Relations Kayli Lee (11) and Chris Woo (11), Reporter Ryan Kwok(11), Historian Adam Wang(11), and the Board member Tommy Liu (12). The purpose of the Esports club is to provide a safe recreational and competitive environment for students who enjoy competitive gaming. Ultimately, their goal is to encourage club members to explore careers in entertainment and technology. Coming up on February 5th and 6th, the club is holding a local Osu! Tournament and in the future, will have a Rocket League and League of Legends tournament. Make sure to check out their Instagram for links to sign up for upcoming tournaments! Anyone can sign up regardless of skill level.

The Mills Esports club offers members opportunities to participate in competitive activities and make friends over these recreational activities. President Sherina Chan hopes the club will, “represent Mills throughout the many competitions they partake in. As our club grows in both reputation and size so will our positive influence on Mills.” For the most part Covid hasn’t had a negative or positive impact on their club as their competitions are set in the virtual world. Come play a couple games with the Esports club and visit their Instagram at mills__esports for the Zoom link!

Despite physical and technological limitations that these clubs may face, they have all been able to adapt and overcome these issues. Whether through social media or Zoom, these clubs have been able to coordinate activities to benefit the wider Mills community. It should be noted that these three clubs are not the only new clubs coming to Mills and there are many more to explore. If you wish to join these clubs or any other clubs at Mills, check out their social media pages or websites listed on the Mills website. It’s never too late to get involved with any of these clubs, so sign up today! atelyn

hang

Spotlighting Mills’ New Second Semester Clubs By: Nagham Masarweh, Staff Writer

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Center

THE 2 EVENTS THAT DEFINED THE 2000’s NAME & PERIOD: Angela Dimaano, Features Editor, 2°

F

lip phones, denim jeans, and Spongebob Squarepants. The 2000s were defined by its profound technological advancements, political triumphs, and tragedy in many forms.

As we look back to two decades ago, we remember how our world has gotten to the point where we are now.

Much like any decade, the 2000s had its fair share of events with adverse negative effects. In the United States, the attacks on September 11th, 2001 (often referred to by using just the phrase “9/11”) is a day many will never forget. Four coordinated terrorist attacks were performed by Islamist terrorist organization Al Qaeda in New York (Twin Towers), Washington D.C (Pentagon), and a failed attempt in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, with its speculated target to be the Capitol or the White House. Following these horrific acts, President George W. Bush’s Congress was able to pass the Patriot Act, which sought to strengthen U.S national security through any means necessary. Another direct response of the United States after the 9/11 attacks is the continuing War on Terror, a multi campaign strategy aimed at putting an end to international terrorists. Along with its NATO allies, the U.S has most prominently been a part of the War in Afghanistan and Iraq war to battle terrorist organizations.

The 2000s also experienced some of their own pandemics and virus outbreaks. The 2002-2004 SARS outbreak, which began in China’s Guangdong province, resulted in over 700 people dying. The major portion of the outbreak lasted 8 months, infecting 8,000 people from 29 different countries. Years later, the Swine Flu pandemic began in 2009.

This was the second pandemic involving the H1N1 influenza virus, after the Spanish Flu in 1918. Infecting an estimated 700 million to 1.4 billion and killing an estimated 284,000, the Swine Flu was found to have originated from a pig farm in central Mexico. Financially, the 2000s offered two main economic crises: the Dot-com bubble and the Great

Recession. The Dot-com bubble was a stock market bubble created by the speculation of Internet related companies in 2001. Many individuals invested in quickly growing internet related companies and caused the corresponding stock prices to skyrocket. At the end of 2001, the stock market downturned after a year of company losses. The aftermath of the bubble was the change in mentality by investors; a company should be invested in based on how fast they spend their capital.

The second major economic event is the Great Recession, as started by the bursting of the United States housing bubble. The Great Recession was a period of time from 20072009 where vulnerabilities in the financial system, specifically related to housing, were uncovered. Specifically, in the United States GDP fell 650 million dollars and household net worth fell 11.5 trillion dollars.

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami occurred on December 26th, with the earthquake being the third largest ever recorded at a 9.1 to 9.3 magnitude. The earthquake occurred off the west coast of Indonesia, causing a tsunami with waves up to 30 meters high. Casualties are recorded at more than 200,000 people from 14 different countries, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters to occur in history. Another major natural disaster was Hurricane Katrina, a category 5 hurricane that set down in the southern United States in August 2005 with winds recorded up to 175 mph. Katrina originated on August 23 as a tropical depression and made landfall on August 25th in Florida.

Over 1,800 deaths were recorded and $125 billion in damages, tying the for the most costly Hurricane, caused by flooding and torrential winds.

Despite all of the negative events that occurred in the 2000s, there were plenty positive events as well. Scientifically, human genome sequencing was further explored through the Human Genome Project. [READ MORE ON MILLSTHUNDERBOLT.COM]

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20 000’s THE 2000’S TECH BUBBLE NAME & PERIOD:

T

Joshua Choe, Staff Writer, 2°

echnology is the fundamental base upon which society and civilization is built on, giving us leeway access to work more efficiently or have a source of entertainment. From the simple “technology” of a sharpened rock used as a knife in the prehistoric ages to the first computer in 1943, it’s undeniable that tech has had a big boom. In the modern ages, we see virtual tech booming, but the biggest changes took place in the 2000’s, nearly two decades ago.

Android, one the world’s most successful mobile device and OS (meaning “operating system”) company was launched in 2003 by founders, Andy Rubin, Rich Miner, Nick Sears, and Chris White. Android didn’t have a great start, almost going bankrupt when they began. With Google’s acquisition of Android, though, Android was eventually able to turn things around and develop new plans for a smartphone. With iPhone’s launch in 2007, Android was stumped again, as their phone did not include a touchscreen. However with a new design for a touchscreen smartphone being created and released in 2008, Android was able to have a successful launch that runs well to this day. Samsung bases their phones off of this OS and they are the current lead in overall phone sales. Like the iPhone created later on, Android phones still remain relevant to this day.

Facebook, one of most significant & successful social networking applications and websites, was launched in 2004 by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. With Facebook, the way that messaging online was revolutionized, along with how people were able to share parts of their daily lives, similar to how YouTube did. Expanding into the modern day, Facebook now owns WhatsApp and Instagram. Both apps remain very popular in their respective markets with WhatsApp dominating the messaging market and Instagram being the third most popular social media platform.

YouTube, arguably the biggest and most successful social networking application and

website, was launched in 2005 by the three founders: Jawed Karim, Chad Hurley, and Steve Chen. As the world’s first free video sharing platform, YouTube brought millions of users onto it’s website and application, enabling the sharing of millions and millions of hours of content. Moments that were previously personal to a video camera could now be uploaded online. Evolving over time, YouTube is now what it is now—millions of content creators working to deliver entertaining content as well as educational and informative content for everyone. From creators for the most broad audience to the most niche of audiences, there is a place for everyone on YouTube. YouTube continues to expand today, with 2 billion users worldwide.

Amongst all these more practical and work based gadgets and technologies coming into place, the Wii also came along in 2007.

Found in many households around the U.S. even now, this little gaming system defined the movement based games that PlayStation and Xbox later adapted into their own consoles with the older-generation systems.

Popular among young and old people and inclusive to all genders, the Wii kicked off a new age of entertainment for everyone. Some memorable Wii game titles are Wii Sports, Super Mario Galaxy, Wii Fit, Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, and Just Dance. Eventually surpassed in sales by the newer Xbox and PlayStation consoles, the Wii is still found in households around the US in a broken or unused state.

The iPhone was first introduced by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, on June 29, 2007. This fateful day introduced a new era of technology that brought everything work based or entertainment based together, breaking barriers between tech. The iPhone was able to bring the Internet onto its touch screen, introducing a whole new set of possibilities for work or entertainment around. [READ MORE ON MILLSTHUNDERBOLT.COM]

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Opinions

The Thunderbolt

Personal COVID-19 Narrative

Leanna Yu Editor-In-Chief

O

ver the past 10 months of isolation, I have transformed my lifestyle, interests, and goals by focusing on improving myself. The positive change I experienced throughout this unprecedented time stems from my ability and choice to stay at home in order to protect others from COVID-19.

I’m thankful that I am fortunate enough to learn and work remotely, while using this time as an opportunity to enhance my overall well-being.

When my future-self reminisces about 2020, the first thing that would come to mind about 17-year-old me are books. As a child, I used to love reading short novels about magic and mystery, with some of my favorites being The Rainbow Fairies and Magic Tree House series. Overtime, my filled bookshelf collection got neglected and untouched for over 5 years. It wasn’t until last June that I decided to read my first leisure book during high school: Twilight. What made me want to pick up a book after all those years of disinterest? For starters, it’s Twilight, a “classic” that almost every teenage girl LOVES to hate. As an avid fan of The Twilight Saga (yes, I am proud to admit this), I decided to actually read the original book after binge watching the entire series, because I wanted to relive the story for the first time again. After finishing the book, my reading obsession soared as I downloaded Goodreads, an app to generate library catalogs and reading lists. In the span of six months, I read a total of 21 books and made a podcast of my 2021 book recommendations. Reading has become part of my daily routine to help me feel less stressed and more cognizant and empowered to learn.

The second thing that would come to mind is self-care. I had a realization during quarantine: I want to feel and be the best version of myself on the inside and out. This ideal goal motivated me to participate in Chloe Ting’s viral workout programs beginning in March. Ting’s 2 Weeks Shred Challenge and Summer Shred programs were popular among social media for the first few months of quarantine, which only lasted me about 2 months before I quit.

Exercising felt like a chore instead of a privilege. However, I shifted my mindset by the end of 2020 with these randomTikTok quotes that now stick with me: 1. Day one or one day? You get to decide your choice.

2. Most people will be in the same exact place next year as they are today. Don’t be most people.

3. Reminder to just enjoy life. We are all people, in the end.

Now, I workout every morning before class starts because I am grateful that I am physically able to and it sets me in a good mood for the rest of the day. I like to remind myself that everything is a choice and I choose to nourish and love myself, whether it comes in the form of reading, exercising, cooking, or anything else! Set goals for yourself, find the motivation to achieve those goals, and enjoy the process.

Despite using this alone time to work on my well-being, I do still feel the gloomy senior year disconnect that is draining the class of 2021. The social interaction with my peers, the community feel of my classmates around me, and school spirit events have been stripped from all of us, especially those who will never experience a fully normal senior year. Because there is not much in our control to return to school, besides doing our part in staying at home, I am now remaining hopeful for the next chapter of my journey. Although disappointed in my senior year aspirations, I have gained something even more special— a new me. By dedicating this year to accomplishing perPin on Monochrome from Pinterest sonal goals and future aspirations, I have turned a negative situation into something a little more positive for myself.

How Distance learning will affect the future of education R

Olivia Lau Staff Writer

ecently, education has been havoc. The transition to home learning in early 2020, once COVID-19 got its grubby little hands on America, took a great number of students and teachers by surprise. This led to a rushed online learning system that left graduating seniors and transitioning middle school students feeling like their school life cut off too abruptly. This school year, A through F grades have returned, and now some classes are seeing failing grades in 20% or more of their students. Teachers are still grappling with how they can best support their students’ learning while many are struggling to keep their heads on their shoulders.

We briefly interviewed high school students at Mills and a few in other areas using a form survey. When asked about motivation, most replied that their motivation to do assignments and their work ethic had taken a nosedive. One eighth grader admitted to beginning to cheat on assignments; another response submitted shortly after complained about the excessive cheating they were seeing.

“The level to which some of my peers are cheating at is stupid… many feel stuck in cheating as they are ‘too far behind to learn the content,’” the latter response wrote. It’s important to note that the latter response is in response to people cheating in Edgenuity courses, which aren’t very rigorous; the response writes that only a few Khan Academy videos would catch them up to speed immediately. If cheating is so prevalent in these easy, hardly-even courses, then this raises the question of how cheating is looking in synchronous classes, which have a completely different take on online learning and seems more rigorous. There’s a large chance that more students in Mills have picked up the habit of cheating during this year’s online classes; students have reported not feeling the energy to do their work, I asked if participants thought that other students in other grades were feeling the same as them, and 66% of them answered “Yes.” That 66% was right. Almost all of the students were worse off than before. A depressed student and another with ADHD were in a markedly lower position than when they started. Another wrote that their depression and the current situation were stacking so much that it was the “most unmotivated that [they’d] ever been,” and showed no hope for getting better.

Some seemed like they were hoping to revitalize themselves as soon as in-person school kicked back up. Some seemed like they couldn’t bring themselves to do so or care about it in a state of bitter apathy. “Imagine paying attention during class,” one junior commented snarkily, “everyone has Minecraft open in a second tab.” Students who already may have trouble paying attention might definitely pick up bad habits like this; when using laptops, they may find it easier to sneak games into class. Or, conversely, they may procrastinate on classwork or listening to lectures to do work for other classes; two students reported that being an upside of online school. These two new distractions aren’t the only issues. Particularly hungry also may start bringing in snacks more often-- which is fine at home, but at school, they run the risk of attracting ants. The school may have to spend money to get rid of any infestations.

And the school may have to lose a lot more money than that. After the crisis is over, we’ll definitely see cuts to education budgets.

Lower-middle income countries sliced their education funding in 2008, one of the most recent global finance crises besides the one we’re suffering through right now, and even rich countries found themselves spending less on education than they did before the recession. Considering this, we could predict that the same would happen following this pandemic. A second hit to school funding might end up shutting down music and art electives and limiting physical education classes, which are all already struggling to stay afloat and have fully-functioning materials. Mills’ band class, ceramics class, media arts class, or other classes might see a drop in quality and materials.

Read the full article at millsthunderbolt.com.

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Opinions

The Thunderbolt

COVID-19’s Affect on Social Interactions

Karine Chan

“N

ice, a two week break from school,” we all exclaimed happily during a random day in March of 2020. Editor-In-Chief Little did we know our minuscule “break” would turn into numerous lockdowns and self isolation for nearly a year.

As an extremely extroverted person, going weeks—even days—without face to face interaction has quickly taken its toll on my well-being and overall social skills. In March of last year, when COVID-19 first started impacting daily life, I went a good few months without seeing anybody but my immediate family.

Due to the drastic change from a busy life occupied with school, work, and seeing friends on the daily to being alone twenty-four hours a day, I have completely lost my spirit. I found myself quickly becoming a hermit—I slowly stopped answering texts, picking up calls, and even interacting with mutuals on social media.

Now this is not because I don’t love my friends, but simply because I forgot how to communicate. It’s such a different experience. Never in a million years would I have thought we’d live through such an event, yet we are, and it continues to linger. Having conversations over texts is beyond difficult. While undoubtedly convenient, it is also hard to fully understand the other person as you cannot hear their tone nor see facial expressions.

Not to mention, messaging back and forth can be a much more draining task for many people, myself included.

When the time came for me to make safe plans to see friends, that became a whole new struggle in itself. Because I had gotten so equipped to the abundance of alone time, I found myself to be awkward and out of touch with my once sociable personality.

Speaking of awkwardness, don’t even get me started on group work through Zoom. Back when we attended in person school, group projects were undoubtedly my favorite aspect. Now, teachers throw a few kids in each breakout room with instructions listed on a Google Doc. I know, sounds boring and uncomfortable, and I’m here to confirm that it 100% is.

We all went so long without talking to he events that unfolded at the capitol on January 6th had not occured in 213 years. And uneach other that it feels bizarre having like in 1812, the attackers came from within our country rather than a foreign nation. Years of a to communicate. As we’ve all become coil being wound by an egotistical, fascist leader was released in a breach of the United States more awkward and reserved, the ten- Capitol building. On the days leading up to January 6th, thousands of Trump loyalists gathered sion of breakout rooms is like attempt- in Washington D.C. to display their devotion to the Former President. Many right wing media ing to weld metal with your bare hands. personalities spoke to the crowd in the days leading up to the raid, such as YouTube show host If merely talking to a select few and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. On the day of the attack, Donald Trump Jr. and President over Zoom is hard, I can only begin to Donald Trump instructed the mob to march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol building. imagine the terrors of starting college There was very little police presence there, as the Chief of Capitol Police, Steven Sund, elected in a few months. Being a senior, it is to decline the help of the National Guard and even turned down the aid of the FBI. The mob honestly terrifying thinking about hav- breached the halls of the Capitol building by breaking windows and doors, with images surfacing ing to start a new, scary chapter of my of people bringing zip tie handcuffs looking for hostages. In the end, 5 people died, including life directly after this time of uncharted Ashli Babbitt an air force veteran and Qanon supporter and Capitol Police Officer, Brian Sicknick. territory. The class of 2021 can expect Former President Donald Trump and other republican lawmakers, as well as conservative meto go to college in person as most have dia, are fully responsible for this domestic terrorist attack. When Trump lost the election, he threw announced this. I am shaken to my core a temper tantrum and insisted that there was widespread voter fraud, disregarding the fact that there about the idea of talking to larger groups was no evidence found. Even after the case was brought to the majority conservative Supreme Court, of people in person. Knowing full well with 3 Trump appointed judges, there was a unanimous vote against Trump and his delusion that the that I have lost some key communication election was “stolen” from him. And after all of this, on the day of the typically ceremonious and celskills, conversing has become a much ebratory counting of the electoral college votes, many republican senators and house members still more daunting task than ever expected. chose to oppose the count, including Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX.) and Josh Hawley (R-MO.). Even With the prospect of life returning after the interruption of the vote counting, more than 100 republican house members voted against back to somewhat normalcy, one can the certification of Joe Biden’s victory. It is hard to know if all of these congressmen actually believe only hope that society can make a smooth there was voter fraud or if they simply do not want to lose the support of Trump voters in the way transition together. The phrase “angsty Mike Pence did, who was one of the prime targets of the attack on January 6th. It was incredibly teens” has quite literally described frustrating to see these same people go on TV while rummaging through offices and talking about the lump sum of us in one foul swing. how they could not believe that such events could happen when they were the ones responsible.

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This summer, the way that police treated the Black Lives Matter protesters was disgusting.

There were videos of police beating, tear gassing, and pepper spraying protestors at almost every major protest. And I am not going to say that some of the Black Lives Matter rallies didn’t turn violent, but most of the time, police were the ones escalating the situation. In fact, peaceful protestors were forced out of the way with tear gas and other violent measures so that Former President Trump could take a picture at a church holding an upside down bible. A CNN reporter was pepper sprayed live on air, forced to the ground, and handcuffed after repeatedly saying that he was press.

The mayor of Portland was even tear gassed by police at a protest. So when you compare all of that to the police doing very little to stop the Pro-Trump mob from getting into Congress to try to interrupt a democratic process, the difference is quite appaling. In fact, there were videos circulating the internet of police opening barriers for protestors and taking selfies with them inside the Capitol building. And when people were leaving the Capitol, police were holding rioters’ hands as they walked down the stairs. This is obviously a result of white privilege. When black people took to the streets largely peacefully, they were beaten and brutalized by police, but when white people violently attempted to interrupt a democratic process, they were just short of giving the keys to the building. The worst part is that most of these people will not suffer the consequences in the least bit. These terrorists had their phones strapped to their stomachs and were recording the whole ideal to later post to the internet, no doubt. Read the full article at millsthunderbolt.com.

BLM Protests vs.

Capitol Seige

Maxwell Zaninovich Staff Writer

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EntErta LEANNA’S RECOMMENDATION

ROMANCE

“This book seeped into my heart, then broke my heart, then gave me a little piece of it back.” - Leanna This heart-wrenching story is an unforgettable table of love that comes at the ultimate price. The following summary comes from It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover: Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, and maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily, but Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan – her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

ANJULI’S RECOMMENDATION

ROMANCE

The following summary comes from Normal People by Sally Rooney: At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers - one they are determined to conceal.

A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.

Sally Rooney brings her brilliant psychological acuity and perfectly spare prose to a story that explores the subtleties of class, the electricity of first love, and the complex entanglements of family and friendship.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Literary Fiction, Adult Fiction

LEANNA’S RECOMMENDATION

MYSTERY

“It truly is like The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars. I couldn’t put the book down.” - Leanna The following summary comes from One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus: One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

PODCAST: THUNDERBOLT RECORDS The Mills Thunderbolt staff take you through everything you need to know - from book recommendations to what’s going on in the Mills community - and much more!

EPISODE 1: LET’S BOOK IT. Scan the QR code on the next page or enter the tinyurl below to listen to Let’s Book It with two of the 2021 Editor-in-Chiefs!

tinyurl.com/thunderboltep1

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ainmEnt

S

enior best friends and Editors-in-Chief of the Mills Thunderbolt, Leanna Yu and Anjuli Niyogi, catch you up on their New Year’s book recommendations in this first episode of Thunderbolt Records. Whether you’re an avid book lover or are just getting into the habit of reading more this year, here’s a chance to find some books you might be interested.

ANJULI’S RECOMMENDATION

FICTION

The following summary comes from The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom: Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him as he tries to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination. It’s a place where your life is explained to you by five people, some of whom you knew, others who may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie’s five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his “meaningless” life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: “Why was I here?”

Get additional book recommendations by listening to the podcast, including more fantasy and adventure novels.

CONNECT WITH US on GOODREADS! @princessleanna @anjuliii

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Sports

The ThunderbolT

spotlight on football player davi d fi fita & h is programs with oth er schools

De s p i t e t h e p a n d e m i c , Vi ta F ifita hasn’t quit proving to himse lf and those a ro u n d h i m h o w g re a t o f a F ootball player he is.

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Jordan Hasty Staff Writer

mbarking on his senior year in high school, vita fifita’s remarkable performance on the football field as running back has left an indelible mark on mills athletics, accompanied by greater opportunities for the senior himself. Despite the multitude of hardships fifita was forced to endure early on in his childhood, his love for the sport has always managed to shine through. Prior to being on the mills high school football team for all four years, he started to fall in love with the sport. He began by playing for small teams in the fifth grade at age 12. After playing for just one year, things began to fall into place. As he described, “it was in 6th grade when I knew I found my dream sport” — his avidity for the activity was clear. Since being a small child, fifita found himself looking up to marshawn lynch.

“We had similar childhoods” he explained. No matter the upbringing, no matter how bad the situation, “you can always find the courage to make it out.”

Similarly, lynch grew up raised by his mother, picking up football at a young age. The parallels between their lives brought comfort to vita, knowing that he was not the only one dreaming big, yet simultaneously experiencing great hardships. Viewing lynch’s accomplishments was often on fifita’s agenda in his youth, striving to do great] things. The motivation that vita fostered and accumulated over time is what he believes led him to where he is today.

In terms of recruiting evaluations, many individuals have always wondered: “how exactly does a high school football player stand out from the millions of other players and get recruited?”

Players are heavily evaluated.

While searching for prospects, evaluators primarily search for connections, speed, athleticism, strength, technique, and potential.

With all being

considered, it is necessary for the player to assess his own strengths, consider his weaknesses, and improve his skills further. But what makes a player special? Confident in his ability, the player does not believe he inhabits any weaknesses, as he is felicitous to any position he is placed in on the field. This strong mentality stems from the first major obstacle that he encountered in 7th grade, when vita broke his knee during a game. “I thought that was it for me” he explained, “but i didn’t give up there— it made me work harder.” If not for his inspiration, the likelihood of fifita giving up then would have been far greater. In undergoing this process, vita has found his mantra — “to be the best, you must be able to handle the worst.” The affirmation serves to remind him that even during the most dim moments, when he is ultimately feeling defeated, he has the undeniable grit to continue forward, which is what makes him special. Currently, vita plays for the west coast islanders, a youth football organization whose primary goal is to provide an enjoyable and structured environment for all youth to lead an active lifestyle through sport participation. While being drastically different from playing on a high school team, fifita enjoys being part of a large team, collectively committed to the sport.

Beyond high school, fifita’s next step in his football career is vital. For him, this means applying to college to qualify for the nfl draft. When deciding where to apply, the player must examine their football teams and their educational resources, taking into account what would be the most proper fit. This can also take place in the form of college coaches, who contact the athlete’s residence for recruiting. Most often, recruiters study footage of players on the field, where they will t h e n

evaluate the individual to determine whether he is unfit or suitable to join their team. Aside from the players skill set, a player must comply with the set education requirements established by the national collegiate athletic association (ncaa). Choosing a college with a team best suitable for the player is not an easy process to undergo, requiring intentional thinking about what institution will inhabit a strong, motivated team alongside a good quality academic program. Currently, the university of oregon inhabits those qualities. They strive to create a supportive, family-like environment, recruiting student-athletes who are academically prepared and providing facilities to enhance physical fitness and wellness to all. The high standards of sportsmanship, leadership, and respect for diversity makes the oregon ducks the optimal football team for him. With a mere 5.8% High school seniors making it to the nfl after college, vita fifita is determined to become part of that statistic.

From facing a disheartening knee injury to battling personal interferences, vita fifita has persevered through each endeavor, leaving a stronger and more determined player. While no one enjoys obstacles, challenges can be rewarding in more ways than what meets the eye. Crises test your mettle. They strip away facades to reveal what you can and can’t do amidst high-pressure situations. They present the opportunity to reach inside and find new reserves, and ways to succeed lie within them.

Each individual has the potential to do outstanding things and create brilliant futures for themselves. Delve deeper, what may be holding you back can actually be what will spring you forward and make you stronger.