Volume 62 Issue 2 || oct 2021 ||
||
Create.
Narrate.
Resonate.
||
www.millsthunderbolt.com
Using Alternate Outdoor Spaces on Campus Katelyn Lam Features editor
D
Katelyn lam
PIED: Mr. Christian was pied at the rally.
Katelyn lam
COLORS: Everyone wore red & gold.
Katelyn lam
SEATING:: Students sit on stone to eat.
ue to the restrictions caused by COVID-19 schools have had to find alternative solutions for events and other activities that can no longer be held indoors. Although everyone wears a mask to school there are still rules to gathering indoors, like the one of no eating inside. Since masking and social distancing still seems to be the most important deterrent to COVID-19, all typical events have been reinvented for the outdoors. One of the most popular spaces in Mills is the center court, a wide open space with artificial turf, seats, and tables, making it a popular gathering spot for lunch. With the rule of no eating or drinking inside, many students have had to find alternative places to eat, and center court is the place many have chosen, making it even more crowded during lunch. Walking by on a regular day, one can see all the students that have made it their lunch area. The artificial turf makes the interior a great place to sit down without having to worry about dirt or other problems that come with real grass. There are also limited tables at school, and Center Court provides both tables and seats with the stone benches. Other students have crowded around tables or gone outside the doors. The front, back, and basketball courts are also all common spaces for students to go to during brunch and lunch. Since the pandemic, Center Court’s uses have grown, such as becoming the stage for Athena’s Island, the first theatrical performance of the year. Prior to this year, all the drama performances had been in the auditoriums, but with the new restrictions and airing on the side of caution, it was moved outside. The entire cast worked hard to find new ways to adapt to the unusual setting and in the end the final performance reflected their determination to make things
magdalene Ko
CAST:
Athena’s
Island’s
cast
gets
Features Sleep Deprivation Why are students so sleep deprived, and how should it be fixed?
ready
for
a
night
of
singing.
editorial
work even with the unusual stage. They were able to take advantage of the outdoor setting, hanging pictures of female scientists around center court for everyone to see. It brought a sense of immersion into the story and it gave a peek at the type of story they were going to tell. The pictures were a fun way to admire both the art of Mills students and learn about important female scientists. The outside atmosphere was a unique experience for those who attended. It was quite different to enjoy music outside, watching the sun set and enjoying the fresh air, but entertaining nonetheless. Many people brought blankets as well, giving the entire occasion a lively camping bonfire feel. Others took full advantage of the set up and chose to get more comfortable on the floor instead of sitting on the benches. Although the sound system might not have been as good compared to the auditorium, the new seating arrangements certainly made up for it. As the night went on, everyone joined in and turned their phone flashlights on in support of the drama team. The night filled with friends, food, and biotech, and is sure to be one people remember. Center Court was also used for homecoming on October 16th. Homecoming is normally in the gym, and although many were wary of the new location, it was a night like no other. There was food, dancing and a photobooth for students. Many spent all night dancing away in the mosh pit right in front of the auditorium. Like at the musical, students added an extra element to the last songs by turning on their phone flashlights and singing along. Despite the changes to homecoming, plenty of students enjoyed their night out with their friends. During the day before homecoming, students enjoyed an extended lunch for the food fair. It featured performances from Mills’ band and cheerleading teams, but the highlight was all the clubs’ food. The food fair always occurs in Center Court, but because the typical homecoming rally was cancelled, students had extra time to walk around and examine all the choices they had. The rally, normally held in the gym, was also reinvented, but rather than go to Center Court it was moved to the football field, a vast difference from the inside. Seniors were on the bleachers, while everyone else stood on the track and grass. Because of the lack of bleachers for other grades, the visibility of activities were limited
Center spread
Phoebe Zhang
CLONES: Junior Class meets in Center Court to document their outfits.
Katelyn lam
MUSICAL: Students show their support by turning on their phone flashlights.
for those in the back, especially if tall people were standing in the front row. The standing and heat, with the added backpacks and books everyone carried, made the day more tiring than a standard rally. Rather than try to play indoor games outside, leadership completely rethought the normal games and performances. Some traditional elements, like the pieing of a teacher getting pied and a sneak peak of Mr. Huddleson’s musical were kept. Of course, there was plenty of the usual chanting, clapping, and cheering from everyone in support of their class. Juniors took advantage of the extra space by sitting on each others’ shoulders to build spirit, while seniors wisely used bleachers and stomped along to their chant! Other parts of the rally, like the relay race and tug of war, were completely new. Despite the inconveniences, the rally was a testament to all the hard work leadership and Ms. Dove put in to give us a sense of community and school spirit. COVID might still be raging, but Mills has assured students they will do everything in their power so a normal school life can be resumed. Last year, everyone was deprived of all the fun that comes with the otherwise mundane school life. This year, the social aspects are looking good as the administration gets creative with all the normal activities.
opinions
Katelyn lam
GAMES: Students race for their class.
chloe ho
HOCO: The setting was different but nice.
entertainment
acaDemic ServiceS from ScHool
timeline for UnDer-
pHySicS reqUirement
itzy loco albUm review
claSSmen
The Thunderbolt staff’s recount of racist incidents at school from students and teachers alike, our stance on the passive culture in our school and our call to action to prevent further incidents from happening again
Learn about the necessary milestones on the path to college
Our thoughts on the extra science requirements only Mills has
An in depth analysis of every song in the newest Itzy album
Halloween activitieS The best things to do to get into the true Halloween Spirit.
sports croSS coUntry to ccS The dedication and hard work of our cross country team
2
news
The Thunderbolt
Latinx vs. Latino vs. Hispanic Heritage Month Michaela Gonzalez staFF Writer
Mills High School Publication 400 Murchison Dr. Millbrae, CA 94030 editors@millsthunderbolt.org www.millsthunderbolt.org
Thunderbolt Staff
¡F
eliz mes de la herencia hispana! From September 15th-October 16th, us Americans celebrate the beautiful histories, cultures, and art forms of Mexico, Spain, South America, and the Caribbean. It kicks off with the day Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua declared independence from Spain on September 15th. Then it continues throughout the appropriate month with the independence day of Mexico (September 16th, 1810 from Spanish), Chile (September 18, 1810 from Spanish), and Belize (September 21, 1921 from Britain). It was first signed into law only as a week in 1968
history and lifestyle. To quote Paul Ortiz, author of An African American and Latinx History of the United States has claimed, “It wasn’t a natural fit for anyone that I knew. I didn’t know anyone growing up who said, ‘Oh, hey, I’m Hispanic.’ It was always either, I’m Mexican, Mexican-American, Chicano or Chicana.” Chileans are different from Paraguayans, Argentinians are different from Columians, Guatemalans are different from Mexicans, and so on. Although all of these regions assign Spanish as their official language, besides Brazil, they also have indegnious languages that are being erased due to Spanish colonization. For instance, 4.8 million people speak Guarani in Paraguay. But having the everyday knowledge when we refer to a Hispanic person, we instantly think of them to speak
mIchaela gonZaleZ
HERITAGE: Hispanic Heritage Month might not actually be inclusive.
appropriating the known stereotype that all Latinxs are Mexican. Unfortunately, this label has been used as an identity for about 50 years, so there is no possible way to erase it soon. But, with the rising popularity of overdue gender inclusivity, the term “latinx” has become a more favored alternative from “latino” or “latina” (when addressing a woman). This is because in Spanish there are only masculine (-o) and feminine (-a) subjects, no neutral. With no neutral term, we can cannot respectively include many members of the LGBTQAI+ community, such as gender non-conforming people. Regardless of how we address this specific community, we need to honor them, as this is the purpose of the month after all. As the current president of 1968 stated, “The people of Hispanic descent are the heirs of missionaries, captains, soldiers, and farmers who were motivated by a young spirit of adventure, and a desire to settle freely in a free land.”Also living in California, we need to
Faculty Advisor Kelly hensley
Editor-in-Chief Katelyn chang ‘23
News Editor magdalene Ko ‘23
Features Editor Katelyn lam ‘23 mIchaela gonZaleZ
CONFUSION: Many are wonder about the difference between cultural names.
Center Spread Editor nagham masarweh ‘24
Opinions Editor Joshua choe ‘24
Sports Editor maxwell ZanInoVIch ‘24
Entertainment Editor Katelyn chang ‘23
Staff Writers elIZabeth chen ‘25 samantha chen ‘25 mIchaela gonZaleZ ‘24 hanson han ‘23 chloe ho ‘24 mIa Khan ‘24 ZhIyuan ma ‘25 JaKe meyers ‘25 Vanessa nguyen ‘25 brendan PhImsoutham ‘23 Phoebe PIserchIo ‘25 cIara whIPPle ‘22 KalIya wIllIams ‘22 JulIa xIa ‘25 tIffany xu ‘25
by Lyndon B. Johnson, then about 20 years later on September 14th 1989, George H.W Bush extended the week to a month/ 30 days. Ever since, each sitting president makes National Hispanic Heritage Month proclamations annually. Now, who exactly are “hispanics?” It directly translates from the Spanish word “hispano” which means a person who culturally originates from Spain. With this, it discredits centuries of accomplishments and foundations latinx ancestors built pre-Spanish colonization of the Americas. It also categorizes 62 million people from culturally distinct countries into an umbrella term which, in essence, is referring to them as descendents of Spanish
their colonized language, essentially because it is quite literally in the name. The term “hispanic” is rooted from the U.S census, and figuring out how to properly identify Latin Americans, but ended with the grouping of several uncommon cultures; their only similarity being they were colonized by Spain. In fact, before 1970, when they added “Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, and other Spanish” as options, Latin Americans were assigned as “Mexican” by the U.S Census Bureau. This led to a gigantic misrepresentation of the correct Latinx population in America, and igntiting much confusion to whites and non-whites, further
mIchaela gonZaleZ
PIED:
Mr.
Christian
was
Big Brother’s Watching Closer This Year Ciara Whipple staFF Writer e are all aware, based on the technology agreement, that Mills and SMUHSD can monitor all online activities of students. What you may not be aware of is how closely and thoroughly this is being done. With the implementation of Bark by the SMUHSD, every essay, website, resource, and homework assignment you submit is scanned for profanity, pornography, threats, and cyberbulling. That’s right, EVERY one. Scary? Not really. Consumer’s Advocate states ``Bark uses artificial intelligence to flag keywords and also identify the context those words are used in and to learn the nuances of oft-changing slang used by kids, tweens and teens’’. The purpose is not to discipline the students but
rather to ensure our safety. If you submit an essay with profanity, what will happen? Likely nothing. However, if a student were to make a threat against another student, the school, or themselves, this would be flagged and investigated further. According to Adriana, the Administrative Assistant to the Directive of Student Services at SMUHSD, many incidents are flagged each week (throughout the entire district). Although, only about 5-10 are actually considered a legitimate threat that requires escalation. The escalation process includes forwarding to school administrators and wellness where the school will talk to the student and their parents. The program has helped prevent suicide attempts and overdoses as well as people dealing with abuse. Now that you know this, how should you change your behavior
BARK:
the
W
and what you write about? Honestly, you shouldn’t. All students should continue to use their resources and websites wisely, write your essays without censoring your content and submit your assignments as you are instructed. However, it is nice to know that if someone in the school were to show signs of needing help, this could be caught and addressed before any unfortunate issue arises. We should never have assumed we weren’t being monitored, but we should now be aware that things will not be caught by chance but by deliberate measures set in place by SMUHSD. Oftentimes it is a little eerie to know someone is watching everything you do online. However, in this day and age it is not only necessary but could save someone’s life. The surveillance is a necessary tool in ensuring the safety of all students, faculty and staff.
Instagram: @millsthunderbolt
Spotify: @thunerbolt records The Mills Thunderbolt
google Play
Although
controversial,
bark
system
is
a
appreciate and preserve how our cities deeply revolve around Latinx culture. The culture is ingrained within us, seen most clearly within the names of our cities. California was part of Spanish territory along with Mexico until 1821, and San Francisco itself was founded by a priest and first named, “San Francisco de Asis”. Other cities all around this state were founded Spanish priests and are in Spanish such as San Jose (Saint Jose), San Bruno (Saint Bruno), Palo Alto (tall stick), Alameda (A tree lined street), San Diego (Saint Diego), Los Angeles (the angels), and Sacramento (sacrement). Although the European colonizers claimed and named these lands, it was the Latinx community that kept these cities prosperous for so many years. In the past, California has treated the Latinx very poorly. Mexican workers were consistently paid less than white workers. Lynchings were experienced during the Gold Rush. Migrant families struggled to survive during the Dust
safety
measure
for
all
students.
pied
at
the
rally.
Bowl. Latinx families separated and detained at the Mexican-American border for no apparent reason besides American ignorance. With some of these issues presently still happening, the least we can do is
mIchaela gonZaleZ
PRONOUNS: Language will change.
inform ourselves about these problems and question why they happen instead of continuing to overlook them. All in all, when looking beyond the argument over how to address this celebrated and strong group of people, we see how the Latin American community and their ancestors have changed, fought, and revolutionized America. We see their uniqueness and pride in their own culture, as well as their love for America. They are the uncelebrated heroes of American culture, invisible except to those who look for them, but it is time for change. We can’t just write them off as a group and acknowledge them once, then forget until the next year. They aren’t just a holiday or advertising point, they are a diverse people who stayed dedicated to our country. It is time we honor them.
news
The Thunderbolt
3
Homecoming During COVID-19 Effect of Vaccine Laws Vanessa Nguyen staFF Writer
Brendan Phimsoutham staFF Writer
T
O
n October 16th, from 7pm to 10pm, our students attended their first event since we were isolated from the world over a year ago. Homecoming is a big night, the first dance of the year. All the students of Mills High School got ready for the big night of music and fun. Food was served and games were set for Vikings to play, while movies were streamed for a long night of fun. Tickets were on sale for $10 and increased as time went on. The eve of the big night, Vikings went head on against El Camino and Mill’s JV team won 28-12. The theme for this year’s dance is Star Wars. Admittedly, this was not a popular choice amongst the students at Mills, but everyone made the best out of the situation. Dress code has always been pretty loose and our students can wear whatever they’d like. Everyone was excited to see what others wore for their first dance in over a year, and for many, their first high school dance ever.
alex sIn
TOGETHER: Again, students show their support by turning on phone flaslights.
line the entire night. The DJ was in front of the auditorium, and in front of the English and history hall was the food. There was plenty of junk food, like Oreos, chips, and soda. Games like The Stormtrooper Knockout and Lightsaber Battle were available for play. Fortunately, it was warm, so there was no need to wear coats the entire time. The night ended with the hit song ‘we are
twere allowed to attend his year’s homecoming dance. Typically students from other schools could come, after getting permission from administration. As much as Mills loves welcoming students from other schools, the safety of our students and staff must be ensured and holding off from gathering more than our school was just to keep us safe. With Covid already raging, Mills couldn’t
he struggle of local businesses in Millbrae has been a persisting problem since the beginning of the pandemic. With newer rules in place, businesses are put in tough spots as the government constantly updates their laws and rules for COVID. The changing environment has cast businesses into a struggle for survival. Some who couldn’t keep up were forced to close. Stores like the cobbler shop Broadway Cobbler, took the opportunity to accelerate retirement plans and close during COVID rather than stay open any more. However, there are still businesses large and small that constantly adapt to the newer and harsher environment. Fortunately, local restaurants in Millbrae have managed to push through the dreadful situation by using the strategy of selling takeout or deliveries. Cheung Hing, a Chinese restaurant on El Camino, used the takeout method throughout most of the pandemic. Even when the tiers weren’t as strict, they consistently only sold takeout, and finally opened up for dine-in several months ago. Most businesses have been able to reopen for the public thanks to the vaccines. They also have retained their outdoor dining options for those who feel uncomfortable eating indoors. All restaurants by law follow the guidelines placed by the state
government, including mask requirements and social distancing. However, not all restaurants have opened up despite the release of the vaccine. “Even though the vaccine has been distributed, the presence of covid still means that we can’t really dine in. We can only do catering events which harm our business,” Hanson Han, a mover from Lava Lounge in San Francisco says as he describes his scenario for vaccines in the bay area. The restaurant he works at does not allow indoor dining, resulting in lower income of money and customers. Not all businesses have a mandate however, as online businesses thrived and continue to do so while COVID-19 is present. Walking around Millbrae, many restaurants and grocery stores offer delivery. Sun’s market offers location based delivery services as well as same day pickup. Boba shops, like T4U and YiFang, offer multiple delivery companies. Grubhub, Doordash, and Ubereats are the most common options. Delivery services were both beneficial and harmful. With the rise of online shopping, the need for going out to shop has begun to dwindle for the residents of Millbrae. Many started to wonder if the deliveries would cause citizens to stop walking around downtown. As vaccinations increased, more people left their house to enjoy strolling Broadway, resuming a semblance of Millbrae life before COVID-19. Hope for all businesses prevailed.
Vaccination Charts tIffany ouyang
MUSIC:
Students
gather
in
Everyone had fun getting ready and putting together their best outfits for this exciting night. Everyday leading up to Homecoming was a spirit day. Monday was Mandalorian Monday, Tuesday was Tatooine Tuesday, Wednesday was Clone Wars Wednesday, Thursday was Lightsaber Thursday and Friday, each grade would wear their class colors:
front
of
the
Auditorium
young’ by Janelle Monáe and everyone joined the fun by turning on their phone flashlights. Students all had fun dancing together in front of the auditorium doors. In previous years, the first dance of the year went smoothly. When the virus struck, our world changed. We used to be able to invite our friends from neighboring schools or dance
samuel lam
DANCING:
The
fun
begins
when
freshmen were green, sophomores were red, juniors were blue, and seniors were purple. Lastly, the staff dressed in black. Along with the spirit days, Vikings awaited fun activities at lunchtime like relay races and musical chairs, as well as performances from the band and cheerleading squad. On Friday afternoon, they were also treated to an extended lunch. With these spirit days and activities, Mills’ students created more hype and excitement for the grand event. That night, there were very long lines to get in. The photo booth, unfortunately, also had a very long
everyone
joins
in
the
dance.
freely through our school with music blasting in our ears, but this year, our school changed up the rules. Covid hit all of us without anyone seeing it coming, and because of that, the administration ensured this year’s homecoming won’t cause a new surge of Covid cases. A mask mandate was enforced throughout the dance; masks were required through the whole event besides the eating and drinking portions of the night. The movie was in the faculty lounge and masks were required in there as well. Unfortunately, along with the mask mandate, only Mills students
to
listen
to
the
DJ.
afford for it to spread amongst its students, or even worse, to students from other schools as well. Mills students had to be content with only their own classmates. Either way, the dance turned out to be a blast despite all the alterations made for this year. It’s true that we didn’t know what to expect this year. We still want to have fun as students, but we need to make sure that our safety is our first priority. Homecoming finally brought us some sense of normalcy to this weird year. We were able to dress up, have fun, hang out, and even dance, all to a Star Wars theme. Homecoming week allowed us to cheer and fight for our own classes, getting us into the true Viking spirit. We enjoyed planning our outfits and were amazed by the unity of the Junior class on Clone Day. Even though we have more rules this year that don’t go along with our previous plans, we know that we are protected from the harm that came through our lives. Thank you to the Mills administration and leadership team for working so hard to bring us so many events so we could enjoy ourselves at!
smuhsd
CASES:
Despite
in
person
school,
there
are
no
outbreaks.
smuhsd
TESTING: New testing locations have opened up at different schools.
smuhsd yuan carcIa
PIT:
The
mosh
pit
was
filled.
TRACKING: SMUHSD ensures a sound contact tracing system is in place.
features
4
The Thunderbolt
Academic Services At Mills Zhiyuan Ma staff writer
F
rom sports to performances to clubs, high school offers an array of interesting extracurricular activities to students. However, one thing looms above all else: grades. Given that the semester is already halfway over, many of our readers might wonder how to turn that B into an A before it is too late. O n e well known resource that the school provides is after-school tutoring. F r o m Monday to Thursday at 4pm to 5pm, there will be teachers in the Mills library that can provide homework help to any student. Ms. Kovacs is available to tutor math on Monday LIBRARY: Students and Tuesday. Ms. Spencer-Mills offers tutoring in math and Japanese on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Mr. Olson can tutor science on Thursday. Student tutors are also available for most subjects. Student success coordinator Ms. Peng and science teacher Mr. Olson both pointed out that compared to previous years, not as many students end up coming to the sessions. Ms. Peng noticed and highlighted the fact that after-school tutoring has become more of a place to hangout and that only some of the students that come actually need tu-
toring. Mr. Olson hypothesized that the decrease in attendance is due to the bell schedule. Before distance learning, Mills had its own schedule, with staff collaboration meetings on Wednesday from 8 to 9:10 and school starting at 9:20. Now, every school in the district has similar schedules. Staff collaboration meetings are from 3:05 to 3:45 on Tuesday and Thursday now, and since a teacher has to be there to supervise, after-school tutoring can’t start right
to reach more students as opposed to after school tutoring.” Tutor.com is a tutoring service that the school district bought. According to its website, “Every tutor is vetted through a rigorous screening process with subject exams, mock tutoring sessions, mentor review and third-party background check.” The service can be accessed through Canvas, and after completing a form, you will be connected to one of the tutors available and communicate using chat or chat and voice. Ms. Peng said that so far, very few people have used tutor. com so she is trying to get more people to test the service out. In order to see if the tutor. com is effective, more student data is needed. However, she said that “of the students who are using the program, ninety percent say that it has helped them.” Math teacher Ms. Kovacs said that “as people discover how helpful it can be, I think there will be a lot more students using it.” Freshman Zackary Yui is one of the students who has used tutor.com. “I think it is pretty good,” he said, K l “They don’t just give you working at the tables in Mills library corner. the answers. They kind of help you.” He said that he after school. Most students would doesn’t know anyone else who uses rather go home right after school the service. instead of staying for an extra hour. “I think the old model of stuMs. Peng also said that the dents going to class is carrying their budget for this service wasn’t a lot. textbooks and carrying their noteThe tutors have to be paid for stay- books, taking notes. And I think ing after school. In order to receive that’s really different now of how more money, the school has to prove teachers teach,” Ms. Peng said, “Evthe program’s effectiveness to the erything is kind of electronic and so school district. Ms. Peng said that that’s why I think that having a ser“When I think of the budget for vice like tutor.com maybe would be after school [tutoring], maybe that better for students and maybe that’s can be used in a different program, why students don’t come to after like tutor.com… from what I can tell school tutoring anymore.” Hopefulfrom tutor.com, it seems to be able ly, students will use their resources. atelyn
Katelyn lam
LIBRARY: To the left Mills library front desk and to the right computer lab.
Katelyn lam
LIBRARY:
Computer
lab
in
Mills
library
next
to
the
bookshelves.
am
Katelyn lam
LIBRARY: Students working at tables in Mills library corner in front of the windows.
Are Kids Still Sleep Deprived? Elizabeth Chen staff writer
S
Katelyn lam
TIRED:
Students
sleep
during
school
days
instead
of
at
night.
leep deprivation is a general term used to describe a state caused by inadequate quantity or quality of sleep, found most prominently in teenagers. Many sleep late and wake up early, sometimes not sleeping at all. This brings up an important question: Why are teens sleep deprived and what can be done to change it? The recommended time for teenagers to go to bed is between 9 and 10 PM. The National Sleep Foundation also suggests that teenagers wake up no earlier than 7 AM to realistically get a recommended 8-10 hours of sleep, although some might only need 7 hours and others need 11 hours of sleep. When students were asked about the time they went to bed, their answers varied from 11:30 PM to 2 AM. Other students averaged 5 to 7 hours of sleep, meaning they sleep at around 12-2 AM. Half of the teenagers fifteen and older sleep less than seven hours a night, while 85% of teens fifteen and over sleep less than the recommended 8-10 hours a night. However, ages 14-15 seem to have the greatest drop in hours of sleep per night. Most teenagers are still doing homework or finishing extracurricular activities at 9 PM, making the
recommended bedtime unrealistic. Homework, unsurprisingly, is the main factor for the lack of sleep. With the heavy workload and straining assignments it causes more than a lack of sleep. Another factor is simply a messed-up sleep schedule and although a ruined Circadian Rhythm can be fixed, it causes a lot of sleep deprivation. Other things, such as overall stress and restlessness, cause insomnia for many. All these make falling asleep a difficult feat. Ultimately, this causes them to have difficulties staying awake and concentrating in class. There is also the culture of competing with others seeing who stayed up later. In the morning you can hear students talking to their friends saying things like “I stayed up until 2 AM last night” and the friend responding with surprise or adding what time they went to sleep. This can be very damaging and make students stay up later just to say they did. Although a lot of students stay up doing homework, they also stay up going through their phones, taking away hours of potential sleep. Sleep deprivation causes kids to fall asleep in class the next day. This leads students to miss information and forces them to catch up at a later time. A cycle is eventually created: staying up late, falling asleep in class, missing information, and then catching up by staying up late, adding to the sleep deficit. If students
just maintain a healthy sleep schedule, it’s much easier to maintain than trying to fix a ruined one. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent sleep deprivation. For example, large meals, exercising two hours before bed, along with caffeine four to six hours prior is not recommended. Also, taking a nap after 3 PM can increase your energy later in the day, making it harder to fall asleep. Looking at any electronics is also not recommended, because the blue light from electronics affects melatonin, the sleep hormone. Keeping a consistent sleepwake schedule can be a long-term solution to decrease sleep deprivation. Slowly sleeping and waking up earlier is an easy way to change an unhealthy schedule. Rather than biting off more than you can chew in the very beginning, sleeping fifteen minutes earlier for a week can start better sleep patterns. Since the starting time for school is later compared to normal years, some students get more sleep than previous years, but many simply take advantage of it and stay up later. They spend more time procrastinating on work, pushing back their normal homework routines. In fact, their sleep schedules might even have worsened. Remember that our brains can’t function properly without sleep, so make sure to get the recommended sleep hours!
5
features
The Thunderbolt
Spotlight on Michael Athenas Island Interview and Review Nagham Masarweh Center spread editor
T
here are a lot of staff members here at Mills highschool but one, in particular, is extraordinary at what he does and truly affects the school in many ways. This staff member’s name is Michael Duer. Michaels official job title at Mills is Campus safety specialist, a change from his old job title was student service campus aid. He started working at Mills in 2014 and he helps to ensure a safe and secure environment for the students. Helping people around the area, finding missing objects, finding teachers and professors, answering any questions you have, Michael is the one to ask. Just walk around and you’ll find him eventually. He averages 13 miles just by walking around campus everyday as his job. Before coming to America Michael lived in Munich, Germany
If you would have asked him 10 years ago if he ever would have come back to high school again he would have never thought he would have been back in this type of environment once again. When he was a high school student he had a bit of a rough start and didn’t really like the high school environment until he met a teacher that opened up to him and made high school a safer and more comfortable environment. Everyday when he comes to work he aims to be a staff member that can help students feel safe and comfortable around the school. He has had many memorable moments working around campus, from students losing their phones to leading students to their assigned classes. He loves being around children and helping them and aims to make students happy when he’s working. There is much appreciation spread around to the staff and Mi-
Mia Kahn staff writer
T
his year’s first drama performance was the Athena’s Island play, written by Joseph Huddleson, the drama teacher. In the interview, Joseph Huddleson, Mills’ drama teacher and author of Athena’s island, reflects on the musical performance. Mr. Gregoric, the band director, Mr. Cotrell, the Mills health teacher and guitarist for the musical, and Madison Schoening, the lead actress, answer questions and discuss their thoughts about the play.
Katelyn lam
ATHENA’S
ISLAND:
Cast
preforming
another one.
Q &A: Q: What are your thoughts on how the whole performance went?
Q: What were the themes running through the whole performance?
A: Huddleson: I thought it was fun and a real community building thing. The process was challenging, just putting the pieces together, but I had a lot of help. I couldn’t have done it without Mr. G, Mr. Cotrell, the cast, everybody involved. Mr. G and Cotrell really brought out the composer in me.
A: Huddleson: There were quite a few, but mainly it’s the idea that anyone of us can produce something that’s great. For Jennifer Doudna, she was just a small town girl who just loved nature and is fascinated, and she’s going to be known as one of the most important scientists in history, even if it hasn’t happened yet. I feel like the theme is ‘I didn’t think I could write a musical’. Well, Jennifer Doudna can change DNA, so why can’t I write a musical? So it’s been really inspiring for me, and it’s never too late. I’m gonna write another musical, and I’m gonna write another play. There’s a line in there, ‘why not me? Why not now?’ and I think that applies to everyday life.
Q: Who are some performers you’d like to spotlight? A: Huddleson: Madison Schoening did a fantastic job playing Jennifer Doudna “You can’t play a strong female character without a strong female actress”. Our drama club newcomers had a breakthrough with this performance A: Gregoric: I’d like to spotlight our drama department veterans, Madison Schoening, Erik Headley, and Shree Singh. They did an outstanding job and held the performance together.
Q: How much time/commitment was spent practicing? A: Huddleson: Overall, we spent 3040 hours putting the whole musical together
nagham masarweh
MICHAEL:
Michael
Duer
standing
where he was born and raised. His father was an American so he was curious and decided to move to the United States when he was 25 years old. Before he came to work at Mills he worked a variety of jobs including makeup and hairdressing, directing and film, scuba diving instructor, flight instructor, first aid instructor, soccer and tennis coach here at Mills, and many other jobs.
in
front
of
lockers.
chael is an important key staff member that dedicates his time to Mills. He has become an important part of the Mills community and is always a welcome sight to see during students’ daily routes to their classes. Michael helps many students and staff alike, so if you see him around, give him a thankyou or a simple hi, and how are you. It is always appreciated and welcomed! magdalene Ko
ATHENA’S ISLAND: Students watching the preformance in center court.
Q: Were there any struggles or breakthrough successes creating the play? A: Huddleson: There were both. The struggles were really with the format. It’s a rock musical, so in many ways, it’s very organic and hard to arrange. When we were putting it together sometimes we had struggles with key changes and where is it gonna go. Being a drummer made it easier, but when I’m playing guitar, it’s very free flowing and sometimes doesn’t adhere to a strict meter, so I had to go back and think about the music measure by measure. I’m a musician, but Mr. Cortell and Mr. G speak the language better than I do, so it was about asking for their help and being more methodical and detail-oriented in my composition. Katelyn lam
SINGING:
Cast
of
Athenas
Island
singing
outside
with
leis.
A: Gregoric: It was hard managing edits, and going from one groove to
Review: One might have doubts about how good a self-produced school musical is. However, watching Athena’s Island quelled all doubts. It was amazing to see the VAPA department overcome their challenges to deliver an intricate story about determination mixed with science. The storyline for Athena’s Island was made better simply because it’s a true story, rather than a made up one. The cherry on top is knowing that Jennifer Doudna is in the Bay Area, making groundbreaking discoveries almost right next to us. Her story of resilience inspires us to keep doing the impossible and keep trying, because with that mindset anything can be possible. We might see our challenges as hard to overcome, but as proved by Doudna, and in essence, there is always a way to overcome them. But Jennifer
in
Center
Court
at
night.
Doudna was not successful only because of her own resilience. Without sounding preachy, Mr. Huddleson reminds his audience that we are shaped by our friends, family, and those around us. They are the ones who support us and keep us going when we feel like we can’t do it by ourselves. And that’s the beauty of Athena’s Island: Jennifer Doudna’s achievements stemmed both from herself and from the unconditional love and support from her parents. The music was certainly fun to listen to. Rather than sticking to one genre, it was a mix of many different ones. With powerful songs contrasted by sweet lullabies, the discography kept everyone interested. Catchy tunes and soulful melodies came together to paint a picture of the turmoil and success the Doudna encountered. The storyline was clearly displayed both in the lyrics and through the emotion of the performers. Rather than a boring monologue about DNA and double helixes, the audience was immersed into Doudna’s discoveries through song. The words stayed colloquial, ensuring that all audiences could still enjoy the show even with no understanding of science. Although it was sometimes hard to hear through the crackling of the outside speakers, the feelings of the cast showed through anyway. The mix of science and art was also a new and pleasant surprise. Normally, these two tend not to mix, but Athena’s Island tied the toffee beautifully. The musical wasn’t only about science. However, it did have plenty of facts for students to learn. It taught science in a new, fun way, instead of reading off a textbook. Putting a beat and melody to gene editing makes one see both science and music in different ways. It might seem that one would ruin the other. Athena’s island proved that wrong when they weaved education and music. (Of course, what else would you expect from a teacher?) The paintings, also, further supported the connections between the two. Now, truthfully, how did the audience enjoy it? In the beginning, some students were confused about the sciencey plot, or were too busy with their friends and phones to notice the show. As the night wore on, students began to pay more attention to the musical. They started to appreciate and enjoy it. After the intermission, especially, the audience got more involved in the songs, clapping along and even occasionally singing along. The audience for more and more into the musical, paying attention and reacting to everything. Ultimately, the night needed with a standing ovation from students, parents, and teachers alike. Overall, Athens’s Island was a success. It connected the entire school, and gave us entertainment along the way. We were taught morals and science all at once. The music was catchy and singing was strong. Thank you so much to Mr. Huddleson, Mr. G, Mr. Cotrell, the drama team, and everyone else who made this special musical possible, and good luck on the next one!
6 A fter multiple accounts of racism and microaggressions against students on Mills’ campus, The Thunderbolt staff has constructed our collective opinion in this editorial on the need for change and a call to foster a more positive student culture. We believe that although the efforts to combat racism and promote inclusivity have been a welcome sight, there is still much action to be taken from both students and administrators. As a group, we believe that students must be equipped and able to hold each other accountable for any behavior that doesn’t constitute a safe environment. Situations involving racism in our district are much more common than one may think. In fact, during a basketball game in 2018, Mills went to BHS to face their longtime rival, a small group of Mills students were in attendance to show their support. They eventually started the widely recognized, “We can’t hear you!” chant, in retaliation Burlingame Students chanted back, “We can’t see you!”. This incident ended up being a catalyst for the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report on “Hate @ Schools-Opportunities Lost”, which acknowledged racism within our district as well as the need for schools to improve culture on SMUHSD campuses. With the report being released more than one year ago, one would think racism on our campus would be moving towards a downward trend. Unfortunately, this just isn’t the case. Most prominently and recently, the target of many unwarranted racist jabs and transgressions at Mills have been Muslim and Arab communities. They’ve faced many comments around being seen as “terrorists” or “barbaric.” There have been many incidents on campus where Muslim and Arab students have been subjected to these unwarranted remarks, and have had stereotypes forced upon them by their peers from pure ignorance. Whether it be the misuse of the terms Arab and Muslim as synonyms, or assuming that they do not speak English because of their hijabs,
Editorial situations like these foster an unwelcoming and non inclusive environment for all students when this behavior is left unchecked. Even so, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Simply walking through the halls and hearing racist and homobhoic remarks being thrown out so casually can be alarming. Behaviors such as these must change in order for our community and school to truly be considered inclusive. This issue extends to the Mills staff as well, students have expressed feelings of discomfort from comments made by their educators. Namely, just seven days into the new school year, one Mills teacher made several insensitive comments about an Asian student. The teacher approached the student, and unprompted, declared their inability to differentiate between Asians from different countries. The teacher even went as far as to make a comment on the smallness of the student’s eyes, stating, “I could tell that you are [of a specific asian race] because your eyes are smaller than the other Asians.” These comments contain inherently racist connotations and are outright offensive. There are numerous ways to differentiate between students besides their ethnicity and the size of their eyes. From a teacher’s perspective, the ethnic background of students is irrelevant and unquestionably should not be the attribute that teachers turn to in order to differentiate or learn students’ names. The teacher in question has also frequently been known to make other various remarks that can be interpreted as racist. Hispanic groups have also been misidentified, with one student being wrongly ethnicized as Mexican because of their appearance. Comments like these are completely insensitive and uncalled for, especially coming from an authority figure taking the role of an educator. However, it’s important to elaborate that we, as students, do not believe that this teacher’s intentions were malicious or that they are racist. The main differentiation is that the comments they made exhibited racist connota-
The Thunderbolt tions, leading to feelings of uncomfort amongst students. The aforementioned examples of racism were strictly included to display that racism at Mills is still an issue. While we need to acknowledge that racism exists at our school, our intention is not to punish or ‘cancel’ those who are culpable of these offenses. Rather, we want to foster conversation about how to create positive change so these actions that contribute to our students’ negative experiences don’t occur again. As a staff, we aspire to highlight the importance of recognizing intent and how it plays a massive role in our perception of the change we believe needs to occur. Intent has everything to do with whether actions stem from maliciousness or just plain ignorance. Should somebody have malicious intentions behind their racism, then that is obviously a much more serious problem than someone making a joke or saying something they didn’t know was racist. In regards to SMUHSD and the Mills administration, some students have noticed the new modern pride flag being flown on our track flagpole. However it’s prominence, although positive, leads into a much needed conversation about our district and its problematic history of virtue signalling. Albeit, deciding to fly the modern pride flag is a good decision as part of our administration to express their dedication to inclusivity, some wonder why the request from the Mills BSU to fly the BLM flag during Black History Month was denied. Even though our district sent out many messages continually expressing support of the BLM movement and our black students, they refused to fly the symbol of support. And while the benefit of the doubt can be applied to whether or not this was a decision based on political or external factors, it still remains a reflection of their intent and action. Our district is still not as progressive as many students would believe, and the performative nature of their words compared to actions makes this clear. In May of 2020, the SMUHSD
EDITORIAL Written By: Katelyn Chang; Editor-inChief Magdalene Ko; News Editor Maxwell Zaninovich; Sports Editor Joshua Choe; Opinions Editor
*representing opinions of Thunderbolt Staff
Editorial
The Thunderbolt
7
“The ultimate tradgedy is not the oppression and cruelty of the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Changing Student Culture Begins with Us Reflections on Racism and a Call for Student Accountability board unanimously approved a proclamation supporting LGBTQ+ communities, but remained in a deadlock over flying the pride flag during pride month. One board member even went so far as to argue that “We run the danger of our flagpole becoming a billboard for special interest groups… I don’t want to dilute the flagpole’’. This alarming comment reflects the disconnect between many of those who hold leadership positions at our district, and the needs and wants of the students they serve. Because, as students, we believe that our district should be clear on the message they send when they pass declarations for face value, but refuse to take action and instead, fall back on ignorant comments. Despite their confusing messages, it’s important to acknowledge that there’s only so much the administration can do to prevent further racist incidents. Encouraging usage of the anonymous alert system and making inclusivity part of the vision of an anti-racist campus has certainly helped bring awareness to students. It has been both helpful and comforting to know the administration, teachers, and staff are actively seeking out ways to make Mills a more inclusive community to everyone. For the part of administrators, we believe that we, as students, should be equipped with the knowledge of what behaviors we should be calling out, as well as being able to be in an environment where productive conversations are fostered, and not shunned. We ask that the Mills administration continues to support their students and continue to cultivate safe spaces for students to feel comfortable to share their voice in difficult situations. Nevertheless, administration is not solely responsible for the culture of the student population. In fact, the culture of the student population is mainly in the hands of the students themselves. Students at Mills are often subjected to microaggressions, snide comments, or even outright racism. We’ve come to a plateau where it’s now acceptable
to sit on the sidelines and allow these comments to go unchallenged. But what we as a student body need to come to terms with is that we each hold accountability for our school culture and environment. As students, it is absolutely necessary for us to take responsibility for our own actions and hold each other accountable. Whilst administration and the district can proclamate rules and policies that aim to make our school more inviting and welcoming, there is a limit for the amount of impact they can have. As students we are responsible for shaping our school and how we want to be perceived. When we allow our classmates to make snide comments that humiliate marginalized groups at the expense of a joke, we take some of the responsibility for the issues that end up hurting our peers, regardless of intent. And this is as good of a time as ever to acknowledge that intention has everything to do with action that needs to be taken. While the rise of cancel culture may place a sour taste in our mouths around calling each other out—especially amongst friends—it is necessary to bring forward the progressive change in which we seek. High school students—at the end of the day— are high school students. We’re all collectively maturing and learning what is socially acceptable and what is not. However, this is not an excuse to forgo trying to teach those what is or isn’t racist or homophobic. If we as students are to stand up and demand for change to be made, we must create and be the change ourselves. No matter how difficult it may seem to hold our peers and friends alike accountable for their actions, we have to recognize that it is necessary to foster a safer and welcoming environment for us all. Without it, we remain guilty as bystanders while consciously knowing that racist, homophobic, and ignorant behavior is occuring on our campus and we are doing nothing to combat it. Ultimately, it’s our decision on whether we want to strive to bet-
ter our community or stand idly by and do nothing.
It is obvious that racism still exists within Mills High School and the district as a whole, and in spite of the fact that our district could be more actionable, it is up to us students to put an end to the glaring issues that we already know exist. To quote Dr. King, “The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people, but the silence over that by the good people .’’ It is essential that the mindset of we, as the student body, evolves from ‘not racist’ to ‘anti-racist’. If we conscientiously put effort into ending to racism within our community collectively, progerssive change will follow.
8
CEntEr SprEad
The Thunderbolt
College: A Student’s Perspective Stress as a Senior Kaliya Williams Staff WritEr
Maxwell Zaninovich SportS Editor
T
he U.S. college admissions process is universally unpopular, and it is not hard to see why. Students across the world are scrutinized the moment that they step foot onto a high school campus, or for myself, the moment I launched “Zoom” from my bedroom. It is widely accepted that college admissions are essentially a crapshoot, particularly when it comes to elite universities. So if you are anything short of an olympic medalist who won a Nobel prize and founded a million-dollar company, you are forced to play the shameless college admissions game. The difference between acceptance and denial is so minuscule, and many qualified applicants are rejected simply because there are only so many spots. As hard as you may work, or as qualified as you may be, ultimately college admissions boils down to circumstances outside of your control. A college admissions officer may have been in a bad mood while reading your application. Or merely overworked and exhausted, they skimmed your application and overlooked an important aspect. As a student with the hopes of getting accepted into an elite university, I feel this more than most. Although college admissions are so largely reliant on luck, there are certain thresholds that you have to achieve to simply get your application a second look. There are 5 main aspects to a college application, extracurricular activities, transcript/gpa, standardized test scores (kind of), letters of recommendation, and essays. Once you send your application to a college an admissions officer will read over your application and decide if they thought that you were a good fit for the school. If they believe that you are, they will present your application to the larger admissions committee who will then collectively decide whether or not to accept or deny your admissions. Since there are people physically judging your application, college admissions are subject to human error. With human error comes bias. Thus, college admissions officers can be biased and although they try their best to screen for people without biases, every single person in this world has implicit biases. Whether that bias is something as harmless as disliking an applicant’s favorite book, or something as impactful as disliking someone because of their ethnicity, it is an underlying issue. But moving on from bias, the issue with having a human reading your application is that your application may or may not resonate with a certain admissions officer. For example, if I write my essay about my passion for basketball, and the admissions officer reading my application doesn’t like
F
basketball then my essay isn’t nearly as impactful. Continuing with that hypothetical, if I write my essay on my passion for painting, and my admissions officer just so happens to love painting as well, I’m in luck. It is not difficult to see why and how this is problematic. This is also why students applying to college nowadays apply to so many different colleges, they want as many chances of a college admissions officer resonating with their essays as possible. This ties into another large issue that I have with the college admissions process. In order for your essays to even get due consideration, your GPA and standardized test scores (if submitted) have to be above a certain threshold. For myself I have always been more interested in history and english than I have been in science and math. But because I want my GPA to be high enough to be considered at a top school I am planning on taking 5 math or science AP classes simply to boost my GPA. I have no interest in AP Biology, but I’ll suck it up and take it for my GPA alone. Mills offers many more STEM AP classes than humanities AP which leaves me with little to no choice. Furthermore, as a direct result of Mills being a highly competitive academic school, not taking as many AP classes as many students here would only highlight the fact that I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to take them. However, taking classes that I don’t like is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to doing things that I’m not necessarily interested in to boost my resume. Whenever I am looking to spend my time, I am constantly thinking about productive extracurriculars that I can use to better my profile, rather than just doing the things that I enjoy doing. The stigma around going to prestigious, elite colleges doesn’t necessarily make all that much sense.
all is one of the best times of theyear, it closes out summer and brings us into Halloween, Thanksgiving and many uplifting days, however for seniors it brings college applications. While I have always enjoyed the months of October and November this year, these months remind me of essays, deadlines, and stress. The seniors applying to colleges this year are under immense amounts of pressure to complete applications, apply for FAFSA, and to finish up essays. This year especially, after returning to school post-pandemic, can make managing schoolwork, mental health, and college applications hard to balance. The large majority of students are struggling from either lack of knowledge surrounding the application process and/or trying to figure out the right fit and probability of acceptance. Following the pandemic, there are a variety of differences this year when colleges determine applicants. Most schools no longer consider SAT/ ACT for admission leaving a lot of uncertainty for a student’s chance at their dream school. Covid also held back a lot of students from having an opportunity to pursue extracurriculars over the past two years. The application struggle ranges from student to student. According to Ciara Whipple (12), College Applications happened so fast. Whipple’s main stress for applications was inputting grades to her application.As for FAFSA, she completed the form early in October which
relieveated some pressure. Some students who are applying internationally have a completely different process of applying to research. Whipple explains the international schools she is applying to don’t have general education requirements which means you start studying your major immediately. The main questions that come up for students can be simply answered by counselors or teachers. Our school counselors are valuable resources to help students with their application process. Ms. Murtagh is our college, career, and financial aid counselor, she gives students advice for the upcoming months of application, she encourages students to just take a deep breath. Everything will work out the way it is supposed to. Making a timeline can be a convenient way to manage everything going in the upcoming months and aleviate some stress by making a a manageable schedule. Although the stress and anxiety of college comes fast it is exciting to look forward to the upcoming year. It will be worth the extra work of applying and writing essays when students receive their letter of acceptance. Just remember all questions can be answered by counselors and the career center coordinators.
Timeline for College Magdalene Ko nEWS Editor
W
hen we first enter high school, four years feels like a lifetime. It’s a new era of our lives, with more freedom, more classmates, and… the added stress of college on our shoulders. College can creep up on us, but as students, we must start preparing as soon as freshman year. One of the main things to do is just evaluate yourself and your interests. If you’re unsure of your major, dream school it’s helpful to start to look into possible career paths as you go through high school. Paying attention to your interests and the things you enjoy doing as a Freshman is super insightful. Extracurriculars, especially clubs and electives, are a really helpful way to sort out your rank of interests. There are a multitude of clubs offered at Mills, and they’re super helpful for honing and developing your hobbies. On top of simply doing something you enjoy, staying with a club for a long time, especially if you join club leadership, is a great way to show colleges you’re consistent. It’s also a great activity to add to your personal essays, and you can add a quick note that you’ve been a member for a long time. However, clubs aren’t all important, so don’t
invest all of your time into clubs. Electives are another great way to discover possible majors. Mills requires one VAPA and one CTE class, as well as one elective, which would be any class you take after you’ve fulfilled the minimum credit requirements. There’s no official requirement for when to take your electives, so you can take them when you think your workload is manageable. Everyone has their own elective path options, such as taking them as underclassmen so the next two years have less of a workload. It also provides an opportunity to double a subject later. I’ve found it helpful to take one elective each year as an underclassmen so my next two years are more free to take harder classes or double a subject. Some others lighten their freshman and sophomore years to make room for extracurriculars, but if all depends on the student. Other than electives, there’s several different class paths you can take on your way to college applications. One such path is to deviate and take classes such as statistics or computer science. Depending on your strengths and interests, you might want to take a class like geometry between Freshman and Sophomore year to be on an accelerated path. The science track doesn’t have as many alternatives as math, but still has quite a few. One such change is taking AP Environmental Science (APES). Many students take this sophomore year so they can have one AP before the hard slew of junior year classes. Of course, the SAT is a huge part of college applications. For now, UCs are test blind, but other colleges are either test-optional or still need an SAT score. If you want to take it, it’s helpful to start preparing the... Article Continued at TheThunderbolt.com
CEntEr SprEad
The Thunderbolt
The
Evolution
Julia Xia Staff WritEr
E
veryone loves Halloween. You get to stay up past your bedtime, trick or treating in fun costumes while celebrating the classics of Halloween traditions like carving pumpkins, hanging up terrifyingly spooky decorations, and spreading creativity with haunting spooking ghost stories. But have you ever wondered why we celebrate Halloween? What is the reason behind putting on costumes and going door to door asking for candy. The celebration of this spooky holiday dates back to a Celtic festival called Samhain. During Samhain, people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. This happened on the first of November. Over time, the day before All Saints Day, October 31, came to be called Hallows Eve, and eventually, Halloween. When Halloween spread to America, the different Halloween traditions the Europeans had come along with them. Many of these traditions clashed with Native American traditions which created a distinctly American Halloween.
Fun
Halloween
Phoebe Piserchio Staff WritEr
W
Although during the middle of the 19th century, Halloween still wasn’t celebrated everywhere. However, over time, people began to familiarize themselves with the holiday and soon enough Halloween was one of the most celebrated holidays along with Christmas and Thanksgiving in America. When you think of a Halloween costume, your mind usually goes to a witch or your favorite movie or TV show character. But have you ever wondered what people wore 2,000 years ago when there weren’t any movie characters to dress up as? And what was the reason behind the tradition in the first place? The reason why people dressed up on Halloween was that they believed that during Halloween ghosts would pass over to the living world. They wanted to ensure that they would be safe. The Celtics would wear masks and costumes to trick a ghost into thinking they were the same. As time went on, and Halloween was publicized, people began to dress up as their favorite movie or TV show characters, scary or not. Back in the 1920s, parents were against the idea of a scary holiday and pushed the idea that instead of dressing up as a scary ghost or vampire their kids
ith Halloween around the corner, many people are ready to embrace their Halloween spirit. And as we all know, it is serious business. From making sure you have the best costume to getting the most candy, this spooky season brings out the best in everyone. However, in addition to these conventional activities, there are a handful of other activities that you can also do to ensure you have an unforgettable Halloween experience this year and for many years to come. If there’s one thing Halloween has taught us, it’s to get creative. The moment October rolls around, decorations are sprung on houses everywhere. And there is always room for more. You can turn your home into a haunted house by stringing up
lights, hanging wreaths made of candy, putting up fake spiderwebs, and needless to say, adding a display of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes. Don’t forget to decorate them by carving them, painting them, and adding candles to make them jack-o-lanterns! Next to these jacko-lanterns, make sure to add tombstones, smoke machines, and fake spiders to take it to the next level. As we all know, Halloween is not Halloween without its iconic foods such as pumpkin pie, candy corn, and pumpkin bread. But it doesn’t stop there. There are endless variations of tasty recipes to cook up in the kitchen. You can start with making Halloween-themed donuts, that can be decorated like many things, including pumpkins, bats, ghosts, and witches. These can also be made in the form of cupcakes and cookies. For drinks, you can serve red fruit punch with (fake) eyeballs in it, as well as other color
of
Halloween
9
Costumes
could dress up as their favorite nonscary movie character.People began to dress up as their idols or as their favorite animals. Many companies tried to lease famous cartoon characters to create costumes that looked like them. One man, in particular, Ben Cooper, leased characters before they became famous, and soon became the King of Halloween. Nowadays, Halloween has become a holiday where you can express yourself by wearing clothes you wish you could all the time, or just a day when you can look like your favorite characters. It is the day when kids can roam free and have fun with their friends and get lots of candy. Remembering how our Halloween traditions came to be is fascinating, but at the end of the day, it can’t compete with the fun of the actual day itself. So enjoy Halloween. Enjoy the time with your friends and family that only comes once a year.
Activities Candy ful, fun juices to spook your guests. in it, as well as other colorful, fun juices to spook your guests. And of course, you have to make candied apples decorated with multi-colored sprinkles and covered in caramel. Last but certainly not least, playing games with your friends and family is a must on Halloween night. You can play bean-bag toss with carved-out pumpkins or ring toss with pumpkins, too. You can also do a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt, hiding different decorations around the house. Naturally, you and your friends can also visit the nearest Instagram-worthy pumpkin patch to take pictures and have fun. To top your night off, you can have a Halloween movie marathon with caramel corn, or simply share scary stories to frighten each other. Either of these activities and more can guarantee a fun Halloween night, so make sure to enjoy this holiday with your loved ones.
Tier
List
10
OpiniOnS
The
Physics
The Thunderbolt
Requirement
at
Chloe Ho Staff Writer
M
ills’ AP science class requirements, upon a bit of investigation, are oddly more demanding than other high schools in the district. The other high schools in the district that offer AP science courses have three different variants of science class requirements, which can be found on the science pages of all of their school websites. The first variant qualifies for Hillsdale High, Aragon, and Burlingame, where only biology and chemistry are needed for the APs, with an exception for AP Physics where you need to have biology and either chemistry or physics. The second, which is true for San Mateo, has the option of either biology or chemistry, with AP Physics only needing some mathematical qualifications. Capuchino falls in a bit of a grey area, that being the third variant, with biology and/or chemistry being needed. Some of Capuchino’s APs require chemistry, in which students need to have already done biology. And, of course, their AP Physics requires physics. But none of them require that biology, chemistry, and physics be completed in order to move onto higher courses, which follow SMUHSD’s graduation requirements in science which state that only a year of biological and physical science are needed. So, why isn’t that the case with Mills? An argument can be made that while Mills’ science requirements may be more intense than others, it better sets up students’ science foundation for the future. An AP class is designed to be challenging and rigorous, and having that extra prep may better prepare the student for the class rather than doing the minimum that the district requires. In addition, the majority of the world has students learn all three of those science subjects. It could be considered a disadvantage to not have any experience with physics until college. Mr. Wang, a biology teacher at Mills, is an active supporter of this decision. He explained in an interview that a student who is planning on taking an AP science class is assumed to be interested in going into science. “If the science pathway is something you want to pursue, we want you to have a better chance of succeeding, and the best way to
Chloe Ho, The Thunderbolt
PHYSICS REQUIREMENT: Is it a base foundation or simply a barrier for some? do that is to have a solid foundation in science before you graduate.” He elaborated a bit more on this before expressing so, explaining that “the reality is… when you go to college -- and it doesn’t matter what you’re majoring in -- they require that you take a full year of biology… chemistry… and physics… they’re designed to be challenging… and a ton of students end up just not making it…” He explained a lot of strong, well-thought out reasons for this requirement as well. But something that also stuck out was a reason regarding students who try and skip ahead in the science curriculum: “I’ve talked to… teachers at Aragon, and we have students who take chemistry over the summer but don’t learn anything, or they try to take physics over the summer or skip it… they end up having really big gaps in their scientific knowledge and aren’t well-positioned to do well in college… Physics is another way to slow down [students from entering AP too soon] … you have to learn problem-solving, be really good at data analysis, and you’re building a lot of skills you’ll need at AP level. So if you try to skip that and enter an AP lab… you’ll be totally lost on what to do.”
In addition, according to CSUN, there are an incredible number of reasons to take physics in high school. Some significant reasons that may jump out more than others include college admission value -- “College recruiters tend to be favorably impressed by transcripts containing challenging classes like physics… Success in high school physics is considered a sign of academic maturity and ability with. Some technically-oriented programs deny entrance to students who have not taken high school physics.” Another would be general success in college, especially if pursuing a STEM-related major: “Studies indicate that high school physics helps significantly to reduce the failure rate in college-level physics. These studies suggest that students taking a high school physics course score, on average, about one letter grade higher in college physics than students with no high school physics background.” It may even benefit students still enrolled in high school! “Physics classes provide practice in algebra and geometry, the math topics most likely to occur on SAT tests… [but] to understand the concepts of physics students must use analogies. To work phys-
ics problems, students must read and comprehend paragraphs packed with both useful and superfluous information. Physics, therefore, develops both math and verbal skills.” This, however, can be seen as unfair to Mills students. It’s imposing more work onto them in comparison to other schools, and it restricts students from taking other classes that they would find more enjoyable or would be more motivated to work hard for. Mills promotes a message of equity, but this extra physics requirement could be going against that. Vice principal Mr. Gomez provides excellent reasons why, who’s discussed this matter on numerous occasions with staff. “I understand their rationale for that… but at the same time, it’s not inclusive of all students, in my opinion,” he began. He also started the conversation by explaining a work-around with the physics requirement: “It’s not a binding policy, where it’s all or nothing, and we are an open-enrollment district… [the requirement] should not prevent you from taking the course you want. There are waivers that exist that you can sign to get out of that.” He also made it clear that this had been an issue that he had been pressing the science department on for a while now. “It’s something
Mills that myself and the counseling department… have dialogue with Mr. Wang about… it’s not aligned with other sites, and that’s one of the bigger concerns I have because if we have students coming from other schools, it puts them at a disadvantage.” And as addressed before, the policy can place an extra layer of stress on students, who he says might already know what they want and see the physics requirement as a barrier to achieving that. “It’s the whole conversation of the race to AP’s… and we see that playing out within our student body a lot… [and stress] is something we are constantly mindful of, and that’s the underlying consequence of being a high-ranking school. Mental health is a serious and real thing that must be addressed at all levels, even at the curriculum level… we have to look at the whole child, not just the academics.” Upon being asked for their side on the matter, students were generally evenly split between support and protest. Alexa Anzora, a sophomore, stated, “As long as the curriculum is useful and worth learning, I’m not against it. They probably have a good reason for having it.” But a sophomore student in Hillsdale’s AP Physics class disagrees: “Keeping students from taking a more challenging but optional course doesn’t seem fair for anyone! Students with denied opportunities will either feel more behind then their counterparts from other schools, become unmotivated [or] bored, or just seek out a community college course instead. I think students should all get the support they need to learn the content, but this doesn’t necessarily mean holding everyone back.” Some, however, were neutral about the topic, like student Justin Garcia: “I think that it’s smart for the school to give many branches of scientific education… but the downside is that it puts a delay to the students’ branch of science they’d like to focus on.” The physics requirement has its good and bad parts, and can be shed in different lights. Ultimately, it’s up to the student to decide what to do -- it’s their responsibility to decide what’s best for them and their future.
Mills: The Introduction of a New Camera System Samantha Chen Staff Writer
D
id you know that you are being watched everywhere on campus? During quarantine, cameras were installed around campus, which can track where you go. Administration did have these cameras before COVID for security purposes and recently installed more cameras during COVID and distance learning to have a broader coverage of the campus. Some things that are helpful with the cameras is that the campus is more secure, if something is stolen they are able to track who took it and get back whatever was taken. For example, when someone stole something from the bathroom as a part of the devious lick trend, they were able to track down who did it using the cameras. In case you don’t
know what the devious lick trend is, it is a trend on Tik-Tok where students show off whatever they stole from their school. Some common items were soap dispensers, sinks, urinals and many other items. Also, if something goes wrong on campus, they can track down the source of the problem and fix it. Other things that the cameras are good for is keeping track of who comes in and goes out of the school to track any suspicious activity. Though there may be many good things with the camera system, it feels like an invasion of privacy. Now, everything we do is being watched though it doesn’t violate any laws. Some students may feel that they are doing something wrong that the administration is trying to watch them when in fact they are not. This also doesn’t solve some problems as students who want to mess around and partake in suspicious activity may just try to find
someplace where the cameras don’t catch them and do whatever activity they may do in places that are unmonitored. Also, it may start to feel like school is no longer a safe place since some may feel that since they installed the cameras there is something wrong or unsafe about the environment of school. On the other hand, school may feel safer for other students because there are cameras constantly watching them and making sure nothing bad happens. They may feel a sense of security as in, “if someone does something bad to me, I have some proof on tape that they did it and it isn’t just their word against mine. Overall, the establishment and introduction of the camera systems have brought some pros and cons. The new upgrade in the cameras helps make some students feel more comfortable and protected, and make some students feel like as though they are not trusted. Though some students may not find it helpful, it has helped solve some problems around campus.
Samantha Chen The Thunderbolt
CAMERA SYSTEM: Mills implents new cameras in spots aroud campus
11
SportS
Mills
Cross
The Thunderbolt
Country
Overview
Hansen Han Staff Writer
Quotes from Mills Student Athletes
C
ross country is a sport that anyone could participate in. As far as sports go, it is the most straightforward that it gets: Run as fast and as long as you can. This simple sport is one of the most popular high school sports and has attracted many Mills students. This year specifically, Mills’ cross country team is one of the best that the school has seen in quite some time. In a sense, cross country’s practice is just like any other sport. In a typical practice, we start warming up at 3:00 PM, perform our workout for the day, and end at 5:00 PM. Although it may seem like practice is repetitive and dull, there is a surprising variety of workouts that we do. When we practice long distance running, we could run anywhere from 3 to 6 miles, all around the surrounding area, at varying paces. When we practice sprinting, we sprint different distances, at different speeds, with different rest times, and even with different elevations (sprinting on the track or sprinting up a hill). The combination of the four variations could make for many different and unique sprinting workouts, each one being just as grueling, but fun, as the other. These sprint workouts could range anywhere from 1 mile to 3 miles, but as the name suggests we sprint these miles. Lastly, there is everybody’s favorite workout, the time trial. We run a certain distance as fast as we can, with all of us striving to beat our previous times and each other. Because of all this practice, the Mills cross country team has been performing better than ever. An interview with the Mills cross country coach, Coach Larry, shows the proof of how good this year’s team is. At
“
We had a really great volleyball season and I had so much fun playing this year. I can’t wait for next year’s season!
”
- Jessica Sy (11), Girls Volleyball Defensive Specialist
“
Football was honestly a life-changing experience that I know I’ll be counting the days until I can play again next season. I will always rep number 63.
- Josh Choe (10), JV Football Lineman
Hansen Han The Thunderbolt
Mills High School Cross Country Varsity Team: Left to Right: Remi Palomo (11), Coach Larry, Kyle Chan (11), Sam Lam (11), Mark Menz (12), Aaron Chin (12), Lokesh Kumar (12), Jason Habash (12)
a local level, the Mills cross country team is the best out of all the schools in the San Mateo Union High School District. In our league of 17 teams, we placed second. In our division of 25 teams, we placed in the top 5. Because of such success, the Mills cross country team has a really good chance of making it to CCS (Central Coast Section). CCS is a competi-
tion between the best schools in the region. There is also a 50/50 chance that the Mills cross country team will make it to state, which is a competition between the finest schools in California. All in all, the Mills cross country team has made a breakthrough this school year, going further than anyone would have ever predicted.
”
“
Im glad to be able to see some familiarity and normalcy in cross country when it comes to the meets and races and being able to run and reconnect with people from across the state
Out of all the sports that Mills High School has to offer, the cross country team has to have been the most successful (except for badminton of course). In the meantime, every runner on the cross country team will continue to run as hard as they can, in order for us to make Mills histo- - Sam Lam, Varsity Boys ry. Lets cheer on our fellow Viking Cross Country Captain cross country runners!
”
Return to Normalcy for Mills Sports + Winter Sports Preview Katelyn Chang editor in Chief
T
his year, Mills sports returned to its normal fervor with the reintroduction of normal practices, games, and team activities. After an entire year and a half of COVID-19 impacting sports and questions hung up in the air of how athletes were going to be able to continue in their respective sports, Mills athletes have begun the return to normalcy this fall semester. With the renewal of in-person games and familiar experiences for upperclassmen, underclassmen were also able to experience playing games in front of home crowds and their loved ones. Fall sports including Water Polo, Cross Country, Football, Water Polo, Girls Tennis, Girls Golf, and Girls Volleyball kicked off the year of athletics. However, with the end of fall semester nearing closer and closer, many students are also eagerly awaiting the introduction of winter sports. This includes the arrival of wrestling, soccer, basketball, and spirit squad. These sports allow for more student-athletes to represent Mills with their sport of choice, and experience their sport to the fullest extent once again. With most winter sports holding tryouts during the opening week of November, the season is just around
the corner. Plenty of student-athletes are ecstatic about impending tryouts, practices, and of course, games. Max Zaninovich (10) voices his excitement stating, “Last year, due to COVID-19 we had a shortened, somewhat unfulfilling season. This year we actually get to play a full season in front of a full crowd. I am ecstatic for the opportunity to be able to have the Mills community behind my back and cheering me on”. Zaninovich echoes the sentiments and feelings of many Mills athletes on how the in-person audiences provide a much welcomed adrenaline boost during games. He continues expressing that, “Last year when spectator attendance was capped at two per player, it didn’t quite feel right and I can’t wait for the season to start”. When I play my games and I can hear my teammates and audience cheering on from the stands it pushes me to play even better. I think a lot of my team also feels the same way because we normally perform better together when our spirits are high”. Senior Annalese Leung (12) adds on, “‘I’m excited for this year. It’ll definitely be different because of COVID-19,
but I have high hopes that we can get through without much struggle”. Fall sports participants were already able to experience a somewhat normal season in terms of being able to play their games, have their practices, and play in front of a normal crowd.” If all goes well, students-athletes participating in winter and spring sports should get to experience the same. However, it’s important to acknowledge that because of the pandemic still playing a large role in safety, and especially for athletes, precautionary tactics must still be in place. This plays an increasingly essential role regarding the fact that many sports occurring during the winter season are high contact, such as basketball and wrestling, COVID-19 restrictions will still be in place to keep students safe. Such mandates include mask wearing during practices and games, as well as a vaccine or negative COVID test within 48 hours or competition to prevent any additional outbreaks of the virus ensuring that sports can still operate normally. Here’s to hoping for a bigger and brighter season full of success for our Viking athletes!
Jake Myers The Thunderbolt
Mills Varsity Football Team standing for the national anthem
@millscheerteam on instgram
Mills Varsity Cheer Team performing at a football game
12
entertainment
Album Tiffany Xu Staff Writer
I
f you’re a K-pop fan like me, you might have seen the latest comeback of Itzy, a fourth generation girl group. Consisting of five members, Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna, and debuting in February 2019, they have gathered many fans and have become very popular both in Korea and internationally. They are known for their outstanding and unique concepts that have not been seen before. Itzy released their fifth comeback, and second full album on September 24, titled “Crazy in Love”, and containing 9 songs, 6 instrumentals of all their comebacks including their debut song, and an English version of their title track, “LOCO.” For their first studio album, they have not one, but two music videos for two of their songs in this album: lead single, “LOCO'' and album track “SWIPE.” Itzy has 7 b-sides called, “Sooo LUCKY,” “B[OO]M-BOXX,” “#Twenty,” “Gas Me Up,” “LOVE is,” “Chillin’ Chillin’,” and “Mirror.” They also have the instrumentals for debut song “DALLA DALLA,” and comeback title tracks, “ICY,” “WANNABE,” “Not Shy,” “In the morning,” and their newest, “LOCO.” From my personal perspective, I think this might just be their best album in Itzy’s discography so far. All of the songs in this album are amazing. “ICY” used to be my favorite title track, but after listening to “LOCO,” it has since changed.
Review: Parts that stand out most to me in the music video is Yeji’s kitty tree house scene. Her voice fits extremeley well with the segment in and with generally the whole song, resulting in her having the most amount of lines. Lia’s vocals were also on point, and her dancing has improved greatly, evident from their performences of their songs. Ryujin’s rap was amazing as always and charisma blew everyone away. Chaeryeong got lots of lines in this album and her dancing was unbelievable. Yuna’s visuals were astonishing, and her rap was main rapper material. Everyone was amazing but who I think “owned” this era might just be Yeji. Her new hairstyle of a strip of pink hair on one side and her visuals were stunning. Yeji’s vocals and raps were good and had a really charismatic stage presence. With all the unique songs in this album, I’d say this would be really worth listening to. For ranking songs, many people will have different opinions, so this is just my own. I think every song is really good and I would listen to all of them on repeat, everyday. Starting from the bottom of the list to the top, I’d say “Mirror” and “Gas Me Up” would be placed at number 7. Both of these songs are amazing, but it doesn’t draw me into the song as well as the others. In “Mirror,” I don’t lean towards slower songs as much as other tempos. The melody sounded angelic, but my first reaction was that it wasn’t exactly my favorite in the album even though this song is good. For “Gas Me Up” the pre chorus and chorus was a little surprising for me at first, but the verses are smooth.
Itzy’s
The Thunderbolt
Crazy
in
Love
title track, “LOCO.” The harmony in this song was outstanding and all of the edits and details put into the music video were put together perfectly. The album “Crazy in Love” was wonderful overall. All the vocals and raps were executed nicely. The choreography in the songs seem complicated, making it even more professional. Every single song was good and there was not a single one that needed changes. I play this album over and over for hours non stop. With Itzy being a fourth generation group and debuting only two years ago, they are already very successful and talented. All members did very well in this comeback, and hopefully they do amazing again in the next comeback also.
tiffany
X u,
JYP Entertainment
ITZY’S MEMBERS: (From left to right) Chaeryoung, Ryujin, Lia, Yeji, and Yuna
At number 6, I put “Swipe” and “B[OO]M-BOXX.” “Swipe” was pretty good, but the chorus was lacking a little bit to me. Rapping had good flow in this song, but the song didn’t come to me as easily. There was also a music video for “Swipe” which was edited nicely. I really liked the chorus in “B[OO] M-BOXX” because of the beat. It sounded unique and something I haven’t heard before. Right in front of these two songs is “LOVE is.” This song has a very sweet melody and the high notes in the song are hit perfectly. At number 4 is “Chillin’ Chillin’” with it’s rich vocals and Ryujin’s rap that ties in the song. En
tering the top 3 is “#Twenty.” I was surprised with Yuna’s fast rap which was followed by Ryujin’s smooth flow of rap. Yuna really shined in this song and her rap was my favorite part which really brought this song to third place in this album. Ryujin’s deep voice also made this song very enjoyable to listen to. In second place is “Sooo LUCKY.” This song gives me nostalgia for no reason which makes me connect to the song. The chorus is also quite catchy making it even better. It may even be one of my favorite songs because of the wave of nostalgia I get every time I listen to this song. At the top of this list is, of course, the title
Newly Released: Mills Thunderbolt Podcast: A Conversation on College Admissions with a Former Stanford Admissions Reader
Listen here!
@Thunderbolt Records In the latest edition of the Thunderbolt Records podcast, sports editor, Max Zaninovich sits down with a former Stanford Admissions reader and find the answers to pressing questions about college admissions from Mills students. Listen to this podcast on Spotify by searching up ‘Thunderbolt Records”, or by scanning the QR code above. Find a sneak peak below: Max: Our first question is, “What do colleges look for?” Karen: Well, let me first begin by saying that I only worked in undergraduate admissions at Stanford, so my perspective may be skewed based on that experience. I have coached many kids over the past few years and all of the college admissions blogs, so I’ll try to give my best perspective that relates to a lot of different colleges. I would say overall, top colleges are looking for great students that professors want to teach. They want to fill their classrooms with students who are interested in the subject matter, take risks, and actively participate in the classroom and to campus life.