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Volume 63 Issue 7 || may 2023 ||

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Taylor Middle School Teacher Arrested for Lascivious Conduct Emotional Effect on Millbrae Students

Amelia Naughten, Michaela Gonzalez, Katelyn Chang Staff Writer, OpiniOnS editOr, editOr-in-Chief

sharon Zhabg / Mills High School

GARRETT: Yearbook picture, TMS

n April 20, 2023, the San Mateo County Sheriff Department arrested 54 year-old Mathew Garrett in his home in San Francisco for 10 counts of sexual assault. His bail was set at $5 million. Two months earlier on February 24, 2023 at 5:00 PM, the Millbrae Police Bureau division of the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office arrived at Taylor Middle School to respond to a sexual assault allegation concerning the sixth grade social science teacher and a female student, in which Garrett had been accused of inappropriately touching the student over her clothes at Taylor. The staff present informed the police that the assault had taken place from November 2021 to March 2022. His arraignment before the court on the charges of 22 counts of “lascivious conduct” took place on May 11, 2023. During the aforementioned time frame, Garrett had been on leave for two months since the allegations were first brought forth in February. After this first report, several more students and alumni, from past years ranging from 1997 to 2022, came forward with their own experiences in which Garrett had made them feel uncomfortable. On the days following his arrest, Taylor Middle School principals Erin Zlatunich and Rob Slauson held an assembly of over 200 attendees to update the community on the recent revelation. Two weeks later, Taylor Middle School sent an email to the student and parent bodies regarding the incident. In the email, they stated their sympathies to the victims and others affected by the arrest. The Mills Thunderbolt contacted the principals at Taylor for further information concerning their response to ensure the safety of students but received no reply--

Features

Honoring Mr. Phillips - his class, his kindness, and his love for the Mills community

dress code is really strict.” With this unfortunate incident occurring within the Millbrae community, it has, in turn, caused a ripple effect on many Mills students. Given that a majority of the students at Mills used to attend Taylor Middle School, there were more than a handful of students who were taught by Garrett. Natalie Lo (9) shared her views on the matter, stating, “I had him for Greek Mythology and I actually thought he was a good teacher, it was wild to hear about his crimes… I mostly feel bad for his family.” Sharon Zhang (9) also recalled their time at Taylor Middle School, saying, “I didn’t notice anything at the time, but then again, I was in sixth grade so I don’t remember much. There was a general con-

Laura Hahn also sent out an email offering a safe place for students to process the events with a mental health therapist. As many within the Mills community have been heavily impacted, Mills principal Mrs. Duszynski extended a statement concerning this matter: “Even though this is a really unfortunate event and affects our community, it’s important that we stay strong in the face of adversity. I know this is upsetting, but the more we stay connected as a community, and the more we talk and use our resources, the more empowered we are to prevent instances like these in the future,” going on to add that “the more scared or isolated we become by not talking about what happened, then the more we struggle as a com-

excellent wellness counselors and four excellent school counselors. Providing those safe spaces and those highly trained people if you’re not comfortable talking to a teacher,” she expressed. Dusynski then went on to talk about Mills’ anonymous alert system. “Should a student feel uncomfortable, they can report it anonymously. Every anonymous alert is dealt with and followed up on,” she reassured. Although our administration and wellness counselors have been open to commenting on the impact of Garrett’s arrest on the Mills community, many teachers have been reluctant to do the same. In fact, when the Mills Thunderbolt staff sought out comments from Mills teachersfor this article, they were either evasive

or did not want to discuss the issue. However, while teachers themselves have the ability to choose whether or not to comment, not commenting on a situation so relevant to our community can have unintended consequences, including breeding a culture of silence. When teachers and staff members choose to stay silent, especially when confronted with a situation their students are deeply impacted by, the message sent to students is that silence is the appropriate course of action. With sensitive cases and topics, students should be able to hear from their teachers that they can reach support. As stated by Principal Duszynski, “Ultimately, we are not the judges in this situation. That’s why we have our courts and our justice system to bring justice to the victims in this case. That is not our role as teachers/educators to judge or say what did or didn’t happen. As a school community, we have to learn how to be empathetic listeners and have real deep connections with our students. If we are not there yet, we have work to do.” Essentially, teachers and staff members alike should be comfortable in a role of being “empathetic listeners” to their students, ensuring that their emotional needs are met and secured, whether that means talking to students themselves or encouraging them to seek a wellness counselor. On the flip side, continuing to stay silent ensures that, inevitably, the next time a student comes forward with accusations or wishes to speak out, they’ll be ingrained with the idea that members of school staff would rather stay silent than support their students. School trainings, such as those previously mentioned by Principal Duszynski, can serve to bolster education for teachers on how to approach situations related to sexual assault or sexual predation, whether related to students or teachers. Together, the only way to heal from the tragedy of this situation is as a community, supporting everyone who has been affected by either providing resources or encouraging conversation. By speaking up, not only as school administrators, but as students, we ensure that we set a precedent towards appropriate responses for future generations of students. And, as students and staff alike, we all have a responsibility to uplift, listen, and support each other, no matter the situation. Ultimately, the choice is ours– if we choose to take the first steps forward, healing will follow.

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OpiniOns

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Mills’ girls track team and boys golf team undefeated. Read all about it in each article.

Our thoughts about this year’s Met Gala. From the theme to the outfits, we cover it all.

unsuprising as the Millbrae school district has beencautious to comment on the situation out of concern of privacy rights and fear of potentially “jeopardizing the ongoing investigation.” While the staff at Taylor Middle School were unwilling to provide any comments, current students at TMS who had been taught by Garrett were open to discussion. Danielle Song, a current eighth grader at Taylor Middle School, had Garrett as a teacher for the sixth grade elective wheel course that he ran titled, Greek Mythology. At the time, Song remembers that he was a kind teacher, stating, “I didn’t believe it at first; I thought it was a rumor.” She elaborated that ever since this took place, conduct between students and teachers at Taylor has become more rigid, as “now we can’t hug teachers or really make any contact, and the

sensus that he was off, though. It’s surprising, I thought he was one of the good ones.” The situation has shed light on an otherwise unthinkable matter, bringing many to an array of confusion and shock. The wellness counselors at Mills illuminated the trauma that may follow a student surrounding this event from a behavioral health perspective, specifically for students who had previously been taught by Mr. Garrett. Explaining that the event may induce the aforementioned feelings of confusion and anxiety, the counselors went on to explain that “this can lead to a loss of respect and confidence in the teacher, as well as feelings of shame, guilt, and self-doubt in the student.” As a result, these stressors may negatively affect a student’s “academic performance, mental health, and overall well being.” Counselor

munity to be able to face these challenges in the future.” That being said, Mills’ first priority is to ensure that students are safe and comfortable in a school environment. Dusynski affirmed that Mills hosts mandated training for staff at the beginning of the school year in August; the training helps staff identify and prevent incidents like these in the future. She revealed that “It’s a very poignant training,” going on to say that it is specific in how to identify signs of a potential sexual predator. “No matter if you’ve taught at Mills for thirty years, you participate in that training every year. There’s no getting out of it, and you have to certify that you’ve been trained every year.” When further asked about how Mills ensures that students are safe, Dusysnki reminded us of our wellness team. “Having access to three

sharon Zhabg / Mills High School

TMS

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Mills’ Sixth Annual Film Festival Jessica Poon staff wrIter Mills High School Publication 400 Murchison Dr. Millbrae, CA 94030 editors@millsthunderbolt.org www.millsthunderbolt.org

Thunderbolt Staff

ills students’ works of film were displayed in the auditorium at Mills High School for their annual film festival, rewarding several of the films for their work afterward. On Friday, May 5th, 2023, Mills held their 6th film festival which was open to all. The festival included several films which were all made by students. The films shown were student-made advertisements, music videos, stop-motion films, and advanced films, respectively. The Mills Film Festival is a fes-

Faculty Advisor

and display her student’s hard work. “What I think I really love about the show and what I think is really important about the show is that students that aren’t always visible are seen and are celebrated,” she states. The film festival gives students the opportunity to be appreciated and be given a platform. The show began with student-made advertisements. The advertisements included ones for Ohuhu Markers, SmartWater, Sony Headphones, and Vaseline. All of the advertisements were exceptionally impressive, even so where two of the following advertisements received awards; with

by Sahaar Masarweh and Camilla Moran, the film was able to win two awards, Upcoming Filmmaker and Best Lighting. Additionally, the creativity of the directors and producers of the music video for “Heart Attack”- Jeremy Garcia showed through with the addition of filming through reflections, an immersive storyline, and more, winning Best Music Video. As well as those two films, the music video for “Help Herself”- bbno$, directed by Mark Chan, Aiden Tat, and Hunter Liu, won the Best Editing award, for accurately syncing clips and dance moves to the beat of the music. Following the Music Videos was the Stop-Motion Animation

Kelly hensley

Editor-in-Chief Katelyn Chang ‘23 magdalene Ko ‘23 Katelyn lam ‘23

News Editor max ZanInoVICh ‘24

Features Editor Joshua Choe ‘24

Center Spread Editor Chloe ho ‘24 JessICa Poon / Mills Thunderbolt

Opinons Editor mIChaela gonZaleZ ‘24

Sports Editor hanson han ‘23

Entertainment Editor Phoebe PIserChIo ‘25

Staff Writers noor abdullah ‘24 rIley alCantara ‘23 abIgaIl ChaI ‘25 elaIne Chan‘25 Kyle Chan ‘23 raChel Cheng‘23 eduardo galIndo ‘25 danIel gao ‘23 mIChael lIn ‘23 erIKa KIta‘23 samuel lam ‘23 nICole lee ‘23 alysha louIs ‘23 amelIa naughten‘26 bruCe nIe ‘23 brendan PhImsoutham ‘23 JessICa Poon ‘25 JamIe wong ‘23 JulIa xIa ‘25

AWARDS:

Winners

the

Film

tival that is arranged by Mrs. Arge, the teacher for the classes Art of Video and Media Arts. Films are first submitted or selected and then approved to be placed in a video that is ultimately a compilation of the best films made throughout the year. Then, judges per each category will watch the films again to decide the award winners. The majority of the submissions are from students within her classes, however, submitting the film without being a student isn’t impossible, either, it just has to be exceptionally well-made. The Mills Film Festival began during Mrs. Arge’s second year of teaching, as she wanted to celebrate

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the Sony Headphones advertisement winning Best Advertisement and the Vaseline advertisement winning Best Sound Design. Directly after the advertisement section, followed music videos. The songs that were featured in their films were This Is, 4ever, Help Herself, Don’t Run Away, Epic III Hades, Pride, Y.O.U., and Heart Attack, by Ella Mai, Clairo, bbno$, Tyler James Williams, Reeve Carney, Kendrick Lamar, Luh Kel, and Jeremy Garcia, respectively. Most videos were filmed on campus, and had many instances of exceptional lighting, such as the music video for “Pride”- Kendrick Lamar. Directed

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section, done by the 1st year Media Arts students. The stop-motion films included the use of LEGO models, 2D animation, art materials such as pipe cleaners and colored paper, and more. A total of three stop-motion videos were able to win an award. “Escape into Reality,” directed by Nicholas Chan and Jovian Chueng, was able to win Best Animation, “Cheese and Mac,” directed by Klai Adeva, Burtei Battulga, and Crystal Chen, won Upcoming Filmmakers along with the music video “Pride,”, and “Desire,” directed by Matthew Barrientos, Ziao Lian, Collin Chen, Audrey Jang, NIka Eskandarian, and Benjamin Ahnn, won Best Comedy.

New Course for 2023-24: Green Technology Samuel Lam staff wrIter

ills Highschool is a school with a wide variety and range of curriculum. It is one with numerous classes that its students can take to fill their schedule. Among these are electives, classes that aren’t usually offered in a typical curriculum and are the “out of the norm” classes. Mill’s electives are put into two cat-

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Festival

Finally, after the Stop-Motion Animation section, was the Advanced section, which was done by both Advanced Media Arts and Advanced Video Production students. All films in this particular section could reveal the effort placed into said films. The students manipulated lighting and angles to properly convey the project they had in mind. For example, “Her Fantasy Proneness,” directed by Kelly Kuang. Running about eight minutes long, the film covered a girl who was always lost in her fantasies and creations. The film was the longest film within the festival by far and won both Best Cinematography and Best Film of the Show. Another example of the students utilizing their abilities was the film “Carousel”, directed by Serina Chin. The film centers a girl who takes a train to a faraway beach on a rainy day. The film has several unique clips, such as filming through a window with moving water and filming through a reflection. The film won Best Lighting, alongside the music video “Pride”. Although not all films within the film festival were justly covered, all the films featured in the festival can be found on the QR code below. Not only were amazing films placed in the film festival, but not all of the films made it into the final cut. It is important to note that other than the students that were featured in the film festival, there are also several amazing videos from the Art and Video and Media Arts classes, which can be found via www.tinyurl.com/ mediaartsvideo. To summarize, the film festival was an hour-long film collection of students all over the Media Arts and Art of Video classes. Both enjoyable and time-worthy, the annual festivals will not be something that attendees will regret going to from now to the far future. Congratulations to everyone for their hard work!

WATER: Evaluate home water use and ways to conserve.

egories, Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) and Career Technical Education (CTE). The main focus of this article is Mill’s CTEs, among them being Woodworking, Engineering Tech, Biotechnology, and Architecture & Design. With this coming year, however, Mills looks to add another CTE to its already large repertoire of classes – Green Technology. Green technology will be a CTE that has two levels offered: Innovations in Green Technology for the first year, and Energy and Environmental Design for the second year. The first-year class, Innovations in Green Technology, is a class in which students are introduced to various opportunities in sustainable STEM fields through a series of projects. These projects include wind turbine design, making biodiesel, creating solar cars, and energy auditing. It is a bright and promising opportunity that is available to all students at Mills, from grades 9 - 12, and satisfies the D - level education requirement of a Lab Science as well as a CTE Course. Not only that, but it is also a Dual Enrollment aligned class, so you may receive

college credits for taking this elective. According to the SMUHSD course of study published for this future class, this curriculum will be supplemented by various field trips as well as shadowing various professionals in the field of environmental science and engineering. On top of all these amazing opportunities, the class is not evaluated in the typical fashion. The class has a more heavy emphasis on projects, labs, and presentations over tests, quizzes, and evaluations. It is a class that allows hands-on learners and students to thrive and to better adapt themselves to the school system. The second-year class is called Energy and Environmental Design. This is the sequel of a class to Innovations in Green Technology and is more advanced compared to this previous one. In this class, students will engage in various projects that dabble in experiential projects related to sustainable design, engineering, energy efficiency, and renewable energy careers. They will also take part in sustainability units. These units are designed to stimulate interest in STEM in students

entering into a wide variety of disciplines from mathematics, engineering, social studies, and leadership. These sustainability units range from two weeks to a semester-long class time, depending on the teacher of choice. Energy and Environmental Design will also satisfy a University of California A - G requirement of a G-Elective/CTE Course. Overall, this new class is one that adds to the wide variety and range of opportunities offered within Mills’ repertoire of CTE and STEM classes. If you are looking for a CTE in which you can broaden your horizons, this would be a great class to do it in, especially considering the current climate crisis.

AQUAPHONICS: Design a system sustainable for raising fish.

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The Final Rally - One Last Win for the Seniors Erika Kita staff wrIter

he blockbluster rally at Mills High School was a blast for those included in the games to those cheering competitively for their own class. The very last rally for the seniors at Mills was hosted by the Rally Commissioners Aiden Adeva and Remi Palomo. All of the freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors were ecstatic to root for their teams and end the last rally on a good note for the end of the school year. As this is the second rally indoors since the COVID-19 pandemic, the excitement is overwhelming and the old traditions that were celebrated like the student made video and other indoor games. The first thing presented to the audience was the video produced and directed by Tazu Luisi. The Star Wars themed video began with the iconic introduction of the Star Wars

opening crawl that presented what was to come throughout the film. The film included acting from many of the leadership students where the main conflict was the argument of who was the “better class”. Since the junior class won the last rally it was a fight between the juniors and seniors to see who would win the final rally of the year. Director of the film, Tazu Luisi, had multiple ideas for this film from making montages of freshman year to the infamous COVID years to junior year music video ideas. In the end since he only had from the monday of the week of the rally to the rally day to make the video, he decided on a simpler yet comedic approach to the film. There were many comedic battles where each class would trash talk about other classes and it made the skit very entertaining for the audience. Luisi wrote the skit and directed the actors as well and he was very impressed with the class president of the junior class, Ellie Lau, who was

very natural with acting in front of the camera. “Ellies acting was really good and she had a lot of hard lines to execute. She acted it so well that it was a little scary since it sounded so real.” says Luisi. He also expressed the stressfulness of managing the entire video since some parts were filmed on the day of the rally during the setup process. “I would have to film during the day and then come back to edit the video with the editing software Davinci Resolve” he explained. Overall he thought the entire process of video making was an amazing experience since he was able to meet a lot of new people to work with and film. He was even able to experiment with the film club’s new Gimbal device which was used to stabilize the camera to shoot a lot of cool shots with. Games and performances also filled the agenda. Both dance teams brought a sense of vitality to the rally, absolutely making the crowd go crazy cheering for them. The games also brought on a lot of cheering, as

Phoebe Zhang / Mills High School

CELEBRATE: The Senior Class puts their whole being into cheering loud and hard win their last rally!

magdalene Ko / Mills Thunderbolt

FILM: Tazu Luisi uses Star Wars format for his rally starting film.

students yelled encouragement for their student representatives. Relays and food games were exciting, with fun prizes like pieing the teachers. Although the contestants might not have felt so, watching fellow students speed eat cupcakes without hands was very fun. The current asb vs new asb was also a very unique touch, and brought fun interaction between this year’s legacy and next year’s future. The rally was very exciting for most audience members but most memorable for the rally commissioners themselves since it was their last time hosting a rally. “It was really cool to be able to see the next year’s rally commissioners as well since they introduced themselves in front of the crowd.” says Remi Palomo. Palomo expressed how much he enjoyed the last rally and loved the loud cheers from the crowd. He found the rallies throughout the year really eventful but always thought it was stressful and chaotic for the preparations and setups. “However,

everything pays off in the end when you watch everyone having fun and seeing all the different people participate and perform.” Palomo’s inspiration to become a rally commissioner was from the past rally commissioner from last year Henry Garrett. He was inspired by his positive energy that he spread throughout the school and how his engagement with the crowd. Overall both Aiden Adeva and Remi Palomo responded to the crowd and really made the rallies enjoyable during this school year. They really knew how to make the crowd match their energy and make the rallies exciting for everyone. Throughout this year’s rallies many students expressed that the final rally was the best overall and really made up for the lack of indoor rallies. Senior Magdalene Ko said that “All the dances were really cool and the games felt more exciting this year.” All four classes really gave it their all for this year’s final rally and represented themselves with their own unique takes.

Mills Campus Construction over the Summer Kyle Chan staff wrIter

s summer approaches, many of us will be enjoying this period of content. While students may be relaxed, the campus of Mills remains busy. Mills High School and many other schools within the San Mateo Union High School District will be shut down due to development schemes proposed by the district. After the recent completion of the sports complex, Mills is starting another construction project called the Mills High School Transite Encapsulation Project. It begins on May 30, 2023, and will be turned over to the site on August 14, 2023. The closeout of the project is also aiming for between December 2023 to the beginning of January 2024. During the summer, with the exception of the East and West gyms, the track, the old baseball field, and the new and improved sports complex, the rest of the campus will be shut down. That means there will be a denied entry for administration and students on the site. The project will focus on “encapsulating” the existing transite panels at the school buildings to prevent potential exposure of the public and school students and workers to asbestos fibers in the transite. This would include overlaying existing cement panels with insulation and a synthetic plaster finish, and some

new windows and doors. The reason why the panels are being covered instead of removed is that replacing them would lead to having to rebuild the whole school and is not permitted by the state. When Mills High School was originally built in 1959, the favored material to build the campus consisted of asbestos fibers. Later on, studies have shown that having a presence near asbestos fibers can be toxic and harmful to human health. It can

cause the risk of several diseases, including asbestosis, mesothelioma, and lung cancer. The reasoning behind the plan to entomb asbestos is to prevent any of it from spreading if there is a natural disaster, such as an earthquake. Although the project is slated for the Summer of 2023, there are parts that have been completed. This includes the courtyard, ceramics, dance room, weight room, and exterior of the back of the school. The School Board pushed it

NEW

prospective

as an important project, but its expensive cost delayed the start of the project. Eventually on December 17, 2020, with the voters’ approval, the district extended their support of Measure L – a $385 million general obligation bond to make improvements to facilities within the schools in the San Mateo High School District. Another part of the construction project is the “curb appeal”. The curb appeal is a proposition to

Kyle Chan / Mills Thunderbolt

MODEL:

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re-imagine the front of the school. “Ever since school came back from the pandemic, there have been more and more students sitting in front of the school, whether it is to eat lunch or to hang out with friends,” says Principal Duszynsky. The picture of the new and improved front of the school incorporates much more shaded areas, sitting rocks, a new structure, and eye-catching room numbers. Logo graphics and signage will be added to welcome students. The site plan also calls for organic pathways and sailshaped shade structures on the Murchison Drive entry. The exterior and interior of the school will now look more colorful and eye-catching to represent the Viking ship and its sails. In order to make this project successful, Principal Duszynski formed a community committee that involved teachers, architects, and parents to help plan out and design the front of the school. Members include Carmel Turek, Micheal Duer, Akeyla Harper, and Giuseppe Bregoli. This team consists of many architectures, and graphic designers that developed the plan for the front of the school. They are working hard to ensure the plans are perfect for the Viking community. Overall, many big changes are happening to Mills this summer and the whole administration and community are looking forward to the completion of the project. Many are anticipating the new and improved style of the school in the new year. May the students use it well and enjoy the renovations.

Mr.

Phillips: Magdalene Ko Katelyn Lam editor-in-ChieFs

his year is the end of an era for Mills, marking the re-retirement of Mr. Phillips. Mr. Phillips has been a crucial staple of the Mills faculty since 1980 and during his time here, he has influenced the community beyond belief. His current International Relations class is one of the most in-depth, rewarding courses at Mills, where he teaches students about the ins and outs of foreign policy. Now, as he leaves after over 40 years, we wish him all the best. Created in 2004, International Relations has been an exciting elective here at Mills, made special only by Mr. Phillips. He has fostered a passion for international affairs in his students through his thorough, expansive class. Each year is a new curriculum, tailored to change withthe world, as he uses news articles

Legacy

brought in seven speakers for the class, bringing a new perspective and first hand experience for his students to learn from. From Diplomats to the Coast Guard, the speakers have provided the students with a new outlook on life. The class is definitely challenging but incredibly rewarding. According to Ms. Louie, many of his past students have “credited him for their current career pathways and for inspiring them to engage in civic participation”, and sitting in his class, it’s easy to see why. Not only does Mr. Phillips teach his students about the world, but he prepares them for college as well. He offers advice on schools and a packet of information from his previous students on things they wish they knew before entering college. Mr. Phillips has also served at the head of some clubs at Mills, namely Model UN and the Dragon Team. “I was very pleased with that role. I will never forget the feeling of being on Market Street

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Yuan Garcia

MR. PHILLIPS: Mr. Phillips takes a photo with the International Relations class after an event in San Francisco.

happen.” Mr. Burdette had the same memory, stating “I remember my first year of teaching, over thirty

high praises about Mr. Phillips. Yuan Garcia (12) said “He really cares about us, he puts everything into his students.” One such example is when Tazu Luisi (12) was sick for several days, but Mr. Phillips went above and beyond to try to help Luisi. For those that aren’t aware, Mr. Phillips would take his class to San Francisco to the World Affairs Council or Asia Society to listen to

over well. He talked fondly of going to the computer with a blank screen and thinking about what the goal of each assignment was, what was the aim. He only taught one class, and that really allowed him to put all of his focus and passion into it. “When assignments go over well it is very uplifting” he said. When asked about former students, he said “I do keep up with former students and I

Katelyn Lam

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: International Relations class takes a photo with Philippine Consul General.

to bring the most updated news to his students. Every student is encouraged to ask questions, to pursue knowledge and think outside the box. The material he teaches in International Relations is more intricate and in-depth than one could learn from simply browsing online. There are no textbooks, instead, he uses what he feels is most relevant for students to learn. This year, he

waiting for the parade, and one doesn’t forget those things at all.” Throughout his time here at Mills, Mr. Phillips has had a remarkable impact on all the faculty. For example, Mr. Phillips is known for wearing a suit in school every day. However, Mr. Hensley mentioned that Mr. Phillips once came to school in jeans. According to him, “it was like Halley’s Comet, it just doesn’t

Ms. Dusynski

MR. PHILLIPS: Mr. Phillips holds the spirit stick with a viking helmet and cape.

years ago, when the Mills Teachers had a baseball game against each other as part of some staff celebration. Mr. Phillips wore a white t-shirt and jeans. It was the only time I’ve ever seen him not wearing a suit. It may be the last time anyone has ever seen him not wearing a suit.” And that may be true. He certainly hasn’t been spotted without on school campus. In another story about his outfit, Ms. Peel mentioned that once, a Mills secretary had actually cut his tie in half! She also stated that “Mr. Phillips IS Mr. Mills High School. His overall specialness is what makes him so amazing, a true personification of Mills”. Ms. Dusynski has shared some of her greatest memories with Mr. Phillips as well. “One of my fondest was the year we were on distance, a small group of teachers and staff came to work every day and he was one of them. We decided to record a video for the students and Mr. Phillips was in the starring role. The spirit stick was missing and I was trying to find it and it ended with us seeing Mr. Phillips in Center Court with the stick. It was perfect because he is a person that really protects and watches over the Viking Spirit. He is a really outstanding individual.” Yet he is also beloved by the students. Mr. Phillips will respond to every greeting with a genuine smile and question about how we’re doing, taking his time to talk to his students, checking in and passing on his wisdom about life, school, or practically any topic. He was even a finalist for NBC Sports Bay Area All-Star teacher many years ago. The best description of Mr. Phillips comes from Sabrina Guo (11) who stated that he is the “classiest teacher with the best class.” Students from his class all sing

Vivian Jiang

SELFIE: Vivian Jiang (12) takes a selfie with Mr. Phillips in San Francisco.

speakers, then treat them to dinner afterward. Luisi explained “I was sick and really sad I couldn’t make it to the SF event, especially because I couldn’t even come into school. But Mr. Phillips called me and said he’d do anything for his students and offered to drive the permission form to me.” Mr. Phillips is known for going the extra mile, for reaching out when students are struggling, for always being encouraging. He would go over an assignment with a low grade, revising and giving suggestions until the student achieved the desired grade. Ultimately, in the words of Jack Dijamco (12), Mr. Phillips “cares about everyone equally and sees the best in you.” When asked about what he would miss most, he talked about the World Affairs Council and Asia Society events, stating “I will miss terribly taking students to Asia Society, World Affairs and to dinner. I will continue to go but I won’t have students and that won’t be emotionally good for me.” Taking students out to these events in the city is something that made Mr. Phillips unique. He aims to teach students about real world issues and no teacher will ever go as far as he has to provide his students with an education beyond the classroom. He will miss working in the classroom, especially when assignments and activities are going

will be keeping up with students this year so that will be enjoyable. In that sense I just have a lot of positive memories with former students.” Mr. Phillips often invites his former students back to the classroom to talk with his current students, just like Bryan Chan, a graduate from the class of 2019. “Bryan and I go to dinner twice a year when he comes back from the East Coast, and he will be graduating next week and I’m asking him to send me a picture in his grad uniform.” He often takes his former students out to dinner and keeps in touch years into the future. “Teaching is always about your students. If something doesn’t work, change it.” And that is a philosophy that has served him well over the past 51 years. “I’m going to miss the students terribly”, Mr. Phillips said. “I’m never going to get over that. 51 years.” When asked what he will do with all the free time he has now, he mentioned that there are some classics he’d like to read, like the Odyssey, and“I’ll keep up with the world and I know I’ll be sitting down and reading something and go oh that would be good for class.” Student interests have shifted over time at Mills, and just like how International Relations was created 18 years ago, new classes will come and go, but Mr. Phillips’ Mills legacy will never be forgotten.

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The Thunderbolt

First Year of High School Summer Abigail Chai staFF Writer

ith the 2022-2023 school year coming to a close, students are beginning to reflect on both the good and bad of the past year. While every academic year is somewhat scary for every single grade, it’s arguably most frightening for the freshmen class. The jump from middle school to high school was undoubtedly terrifying for a majority of freshmen, as middle school is often perceived to greatly differentiate from high school. However, as the year passes many learn that high school is not as intimidating as they may have originally thought. Freshmen Acacia Yu and Ziao Liang, who both went to Taylor Middle School, mutually agreed that their first year in high school exceeded their expectations. Both students voiced their initial fears coming into high school, as they expected it to be more “chaotic and scary”. However, they have grown fond of Mills throughout the past 9 months, even expressing their favor for Mills over Taylor. One major factor to this belief was the

fact that Mills had a multitude of activities and clubs that students could partake in, making school a lot more exciting and enjoyable. When asked how Mills compared to Taylor Middle School, Ziao mentioned, “There’s way more things you can do at Mills, from electives to clubs, which is also really nice.” They also appreciated the greater sense of freedom they gained in high school, which they previously didn’t entirely have while attending Taylor. This was largely because of the proteus options offered in terms of classes, sports, and work, allowing the students to make their own independent choices. Acacia voiced the fact that she had to learn to be more independent this year and how she had to make choices that would benefit her in the future, which was both tough yet rewarding, as she acquired a newfound skill of self-sufficiency. And while the year was better than originally expected, it of course still had its difficulties, as every school year has. As assumed, the academic aspect of highschool was a bit demanding to adjust to, specifically, finals and midterms. Ziao pointed out that he had most difficulty when studying for said tests, as it was his first time having to

prepare for a multitude of demanding exams. Besides the universal pains and stress concerning exams, there was also a noted difficulty in being a student athlete and having to balance school and sports. Acacia, who swims for both club and high school, brought up the struggle to attend swim practice while simultaneously trying to not fall behind her studies. “It was challenging for me to balance out all my after school activities and still show up to practice everyday.” She stated. However both students have maintained a positive attitude on life at Mills, despite the stress that comes with being a high school student. After looking back at the past several months, both freshmen have grown comfortable and confident in the school. Their early fears have seemingly disappeared and they’re more than ready for the next three years of highschool. Both Acacia and Ziao are excited to be a sophomore, especially considering that they’ve developed a stronger feeling of familiarity within the school. While they still hold a few fears of the coming year, they acknowledge that in the long run it’s nothing to stress about, as in Ziao’s words, “(fears) come with every year”.

Feature on Mills Yearbook Tazu Luisi staFF Writer

utting together a yearbook is no easy feat, especially when the team behind it is faced with multiple obstacles. Felix Mapa, the editor of this year’s yearbook, and his team have been working tirelessly to create a beautiful and memorable book for their fellow students. The theme for this year’s yearbook is “Navigating Asgard.” As Ms. Zink, the yearbook teacher explains, “We wanted to create a theme that was unique and relevant to our school’s culture. We looked back at older things and made sure we weren’t repeating anything, and we related it back to the Vikings.” After brainstorming various ideas, the class voted on the final theme. However, the team faced various challenges while putting together the yearbook. Ms. Zink, explains, “No people returning, learning how to take photos, learn-

ing the software, navigating older equipment, all of these obstacles make the process difficult.” Despite these difficulties, the team remained determined to produce a high-quality yearbook. They had to learn how to take photos and navigate old equipment, and also learn new software to create a cohesive and visually stunning yearbook. As Ms. Zink notes, “People are paying $100, and we really need to make sure people get their money’s worth.” The team understands the importance of creating a product that is both visually stunning and historically significant. “Is there still value in yearbooks? I think the answer is yes, as a history,” says Ms. Zink. The team’s hard work has certainly paid off, however this comes with an eyewatering pricetag of $40,000-$50,000 on the yearbooks as a whole. “I’m super proud of our work as it was our inaugural yearbook, and I’m excited for the future,” says Ms. Zink. The team’s dedication and persever-

ance have been truly inspiring, and their efforts will be appreciated by generations of students to come. As the yearbook is supposed to be a student-made product, the team is hoping that their fellow students will appreciate their hard work and dedication. It is a significant investment of time, energy, and resources, but the team behind the yearbook is confident that the end result will be worth it. “It’s been really difficult this year, balancing a lot of stuff, since this is supposed to be a student-made product, hoping the student,” says Ms. Zink. Creating a yearbook is no easy task, and the team behind it faces many challenges. However, with hard work and dedication, they have created a visually stunning and historically significant book that will be hopefully be appreciated by students for generations to come. The team behind this year’s yearbook has demonstrated their commitment to producing a high-quality product, and their efforts should be applauded.

Eduardo Galindo staFF Writer

he school year is finally coming to a close and with the last few days of school being the finals for the year, students are relieved that they will be able to leave studying and testing aside and relax for a change after this last push for the finals. Once the finals are over and summer comes around, students are free to choose how they want to spend their time during summer break. Many students are planning vacations to see relatives or to places they have never been before, others might be planning on going to the beach for some fun at the ocean. Some people however are working over the summer to earn some money and save up. Martin Hernandez (11) a junior soon to be senior will be working in a food truck over the summer. His job is to clean around the food truck and to be the waiter. “I will be cleaning around the truck and also serving people food.” He also mentioned that he will be visiting his cousins multiple times during the weekends in the summer. “It’s a two hour drive from here to where they live.” There are also other students who are visiting their relatives around the world this summer. One student commented, “I’m going to India to see my grandparents for the summer.” The student also stated that he will be visiting other relatives as well and that he is excited for the trip. Classes are coming to an end for the year and with that students are gaining a lot of time in their schedules to spend time however they wish. With that free time it might be useful to spend that time learning new skills or gaining hobbies. Here is a list of things that you might want to try over the summer. 1) Photography. Photography is a great way to capture moments that are special to you and that you want to remember. Not only that but it can also bring creativity from you with how you want the photo taken. Photography also allows you to see the world in a different light than before, noticing details you wouldn’t have seen before and

Activities appreciating the world around you. 2) Learning a new instrument. Learning how to play a new instrument can give you a sense of accomplishment and confidence in playing that instrument. Playing an instrument can also relieve stress and calms you down when playing. It makes you more patient and it also helps with memory. Music is a form of self expression and can help with expressing your creativity through playing music. 3) Cooking/baking. Learning how to cook is an essential skill that is used throughout your life, so might as well start learning now. Taking the time to cook your own meals makes them healthier and better tasting. Learning how to cook also makes you a more responsible person by learning how to manage time and your health. 4) Reading. When you read, it can increase your vocabulary and can help you communicate effectively. Reading can also help reduce stress and when you read before you sleep it improves your sleep. 5) Art. Any form of art whether it be sketching or painting is great for expressing yourself visually. Art is also a very calming experience when you’re focused on the art. Art can also improve skills like analysis, and critical judgment. 6) Journaling. When journaling you have a better understanding of your thoughts and emotions. It can improve your mental health as well as bring a sense of clarity to what’s happening around you. Journaling also improves your memory and can help achieve goals that you set. 7) Meditation. Meditating can bring a sense of peace and focus on the present. It can improve your overall well being and helps with controlling anxiety and coping with stress. 8) Going outside. Leaving the house once in a while for your general mood and health. Breathing in the fresh air can make you feel more relaxed and can make you feel more energized for the day.

Advice to the Class of ‘24: Sincerly, ‘23 Jamie Wong staFF Writer

efore the senior class of 2023 graduates on May 26 and says goodbye to Mills, we wanted to share some of the advice they had to offer the class of 2024 juniors. Following a long school year of hard work and stress over grades during junior year, rising seniors may be tempted to take the summer off. After all, senior year is supposed to be for relaxing and senioritis, right? The class of 2023 disagrees; yes, you can enjoy your senior year, but there is still work to do. Many seniors, including Magdalene Ko and Hanson Han, strongly recommend starting (or even completing) your college applications during the summer. It’s easy to adopt the mindset that November 30, the day UC and CSU applications are due, is a long way away, so there is no need to start working over the summer. However, many forget that during the school year, they will have to balance homework and extracurriculars on top of their college applications. By at least starting your applications over the summer, seniors

can reduce their stress levels during the school year and have a more enjoyable final year in high school. As for advice regarding the actual school year, much of it centers around senioritis. “When you plan your classes, plan for senioritis,” Magdalene Ko stresses. By this, Ko means that seniors should not overload themselves with APs. “Take the classes you want to take, don’t just take a bunch of APs,” Tazu Luisi adds. A common misconception is that by loading up your schedule during senior year with AP classes, you can improve your chances to get into top colleges. While many colleges consider senior year course rigor in their admissions decisions, an ultra rigorous schedule most likely won’t make or break your application. To put it simply, it generally isn’t worth the stress of overloading on AP courses in a last ditch effort to impress colleges. On senioritis, Hanson Han simply states, “Don’t get major senioritis,” meaning don’t fail your classes – there is a real possibility of having your acceptance rescinded as a result of low grades (Ds or Fs). Senior year is also a time of greater responsibility. Samuel Lam

says, “Pay attention to deadlines, especially in the first semester.” Different colleges will have different deadlines for submitting applications, applying for financial aid, and other important tasks. It is crucial to plan for these dates so you don’t miss any. These can also include deadlines imposed by your teachers, or deadlines set by Mills that could impact your graduation. Arianna Molinare suggests that seniors get a job and start saving money during their senior year, whether they want some spending money or they want to start saving for college.“Use your brain,” Molinare adds. In other words, continue making responsible decisions. Aside from academics, seniors emphasize making the most of your senior year. Senior Jadon Lo says, “Always look for new opportunities. It might be a bit late, but you can still join clubs and meet new people.” Similarly, Justin Li advises the class of 2024 to take advantage of all the opportunities on campus, such as school plays and concerts, since this will be your last chance to experience them. In general, a consistent theme surrounding senior’s advice to current juniors is to simply enjoy your senior year. Senior year is a time of

Eduardo Galindo

HOBBIES: Eight things to try over the summer. including Photography and Meditation.

both highs and lows. Although it can be made stressful at times by college decisions and a looming sense of adulthood, seniors widely agree that you shouldn’t be consumed by stress, and should take the time to have fun during your final year of high school. Spend time with your friends and don’t stress too much!

Center Spread

6 May 19, 2023

The Thunderbolt

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Ernest Cheng James Rea

Cal Poly Pomona

Hanson Han (US Marines) Vincent La

Orange Coast College

California State University, Fullerton Alessandra Basco Rodolfo Lopes Carvalho Nathaniel Ching Julian Reyes Sophia Solidum

Elizabeth Cortez

Otis College of Art and Design Kimberly Li

Pasadena City College Carissa Martinez

California State University, Long Beach Cheryper Angel Corpuz

Sacramento State University

California State University, San Marcos

Remi Palomo

Nathan Agustin

Cañada College

Andy Garcia Gutierrez Walter Herrera Eisig Liang Abdelsalam Qirresh

Chapman University Stephanie Kwan

City College of San Francisco Michelle Lam

College of San Mateo

Rami Ayesh Kyle Bitner Andrew Cervantez Alexandra Dedes Matheus Delunardo Zoe Encarnacion Kassidy Grayjuul Riley Ho Julian Ikemoto Jason Johnson Anna Juul Michael Kinnaman Erika Kita Kaylin Kong Ava Lanehart Tristan Lee Vincent Lew Cindy Li Christy Liang Landry Lige Caden Lin Lexie Liu Nicholas Lobo Donovan Lofton Nikolas Loke Tazu Luisi Alexzander Malagon Caitlyn Manahan Jemela Manalo Anthony Garibay Maravilla Mikayla McDonald Dylan McGuinn Giovanni Mendoza Matthew Barrientos-Mendoza Elodie Naimi Kenny Ng Nathaniel Ng Tselmeg Shine Od Mia Osgood Carlos Paniagua Jacqueline Pacheco Ruvalcaba Rovie Justine Sese Lorenzo Sinel Noah Subroto Cyrus Tan Chiara Torres Myrka Castillo Villegas Riley Wong Tiffany Ou Yang

Dominican University Simon Baltazar Selena Ji

Fresno State University Jordan Maske

Harvey Mudd College Yuan Garcia

Loyola Marymount University Kelly Kuang

Merced Community College Ezequiel Santiago

Mira Costa College Meena Najian

Northridge State University Ezequiel Santiago

Saint Mary’s College of California Antonio Sacco

San Diego State University Derrik Lam Katie Wong

San Francisco State University Yessenia Espinal Carranza Jadelynn Chen Gabriel Chi Miguel Gandingco Kayla Lee Darren Lin Sam Maina Arianna Molinare Andrew Muna Sofia Yentar

San Jose State University Rami Aburahma Abigail Amayun JR Baria Michael Betossib Caden Chew Carolina Esquivel Ethan Gao Joshua Gensler Kaden Hary Jonathan Lim Michael Lin Nathan Lo Brendan Phimsoutham Ariadna Sanchez Anselme Sorin

Skyline College

Kelly Campbell Kevin Cardona-Borja Connor Forman Josiah Guerry Johann Gerardo Hernandez Keanu Isip Arianna McPike Tiana Pitts Angelina Rossovich Alexandra Yelistratov

Sonoma State University Dylan Shu

Stanford University Aayushma Sapkota

University of California, Berkeley Hue Ahnn Carly Chan Rachel Cheng An Dang Monique Hui Katie Ip Jeremy Pan Kenny Xie

University of California, Davis Stella Baltasar Nikole Gin Chester Ho Lauren Jen Jalen Lau Mikaela Lee Nicole Lee Justin Li Curtis Lou Anjali Marwah John Mkrtichyan Chloe Poon Shree Singh Matthew Tan Corey Wong Jamie Wong

University of California, Irvine Mina Law Tristan Li Troy Mosqueda Christie Tjandra

University of Washington

Edward Turner

University of California, Riverside Nicolas Andalon Kyle Chan Elliot Cheng Matthew Chew Sophia Ho Justin Lam Kassidy Lam Jeffrey Lee Jeidon Lubiano Aaron Ngo Jonah Piserchio James Robson Alex Sin Andrew Zhang

University of California, Los Angeles Jeffrey Ding Samuel Lam Justin Lee Kalea Sheung

University of California, Merced Riley Alcantara Jadon Lo Bruce Nie

University of California, Santa Barbara Kaitlyn Hue

University of California, Santa Cruz Emiri Fujita Magdalene Ko Ryan Situ Edmund Siu Yufan Weng

University of California San Diego Llewelyn Jang Katelyn Lam

Jessica Liu

University of La Verne Patrick Kelly

University of the Pacific Alyson Lo Natalie Manuel

University of San Diego Nya Thompson

University of San Francisco Zoe Ghislain Katie Khuu Phoebe Ng Ho Yan Yeung

University of Southern California Stephanie Lai David Mark

GAP YEAR

Owen Bohan Serina Chin Leila McGraw Adrian Pinto

University of Nevada, Las Vegas Rylan Stonebarger

WORKFORCE Nathan Lualhati

US MARINES Hanson Han

Center Spread

The Thunderbolt

May 19, 2023

lass of 2023 Gonzaga University Ansen Cheng

New York University

St. Olaf College Emerson Xia

Northeastern University

Eiden Limesquivel

Ohio State University Daniel Gao

Timothy Butler

Cornell University Katelyn Chang Tiffany Huang

Brown University John Huang

George Washington University Vivian Jiang

Purdue University Philip Butler

University of Arizona Juliana Alvarado Andrew Umbertus

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Zoe Siu

editor’s note:

All responses were provided through a Google Form in which the students of Class of 2023 submitted. All are listed according to submission, unless corrected through an email to The Thunderbolt. Student responses are subject to change.

INTERNATIONAL Japan Sophia University Kohsei Sato

*All highlighted names are members of The Thunderbolt. designed by: elaine chan, center spread editor

8 Opinions The Thunderbolt The 2022-2023 School Year Is Ending; Are Summer Classes Worth It?

Julia Xia Copy Editor

of San Mateo. “I think it’s smart to do Mills be hesitant to take a class college courses that fulfill the general over the summer? When one burntrequirements, so when you get into out Junior was asked whether they college you can take courses that are would consider taking a summer more specific to what you want to do. course, they answered, “Definiteummer– three months out of the You also have an opportunity to famil- ly not, I can’t stand being at school. year when students of all ages get to iarize yourself with college and the The only thing that gets me through wind down and relax after nine months course load.” -Amelia Naughten (9) the school year is knowing summer of waking up early, endless piles of Taking a college course during break is coming, I’m not wasting it.” homework, and test after test after Many students at Mills would the summer is an even bigger comtest. However, even though for many agree. They don’t want to take mitment than taking one of the disstudents, summer is a time to have fun trict classes. The material is harder, classes over the summer because with friends and family without the and the pace is much faster than what they just want a break from the schedules and obligations of school, Mills students are used to. At the same school year. After spending almost not everyone spends these months retime, the expectations in a college all their months at school doing laxing; many students instead use this course are very different from what homework, stressing over tests, and time to continue with their education. students here are used to. And yet, for more; many students just want to be To keep their minds active during those who are up to the challenge, it is able to wind down and spend some the break, many students chose to take a great way to either build up credits time doing whatever they want. classes over the summer. Whether it’s Personally, I find that the benebefore you’ve even started college, or a college class, advanced math class, fits of taking a class over the summer to get a taste of what school is going or summer school; students take these outweigh the cons. Especially if you to be like for you in just a few years. courses over the summer in order to When it comes to taking class- are interested in a subject that Mills expand their interest or get ahead in es over the summer to get ahead, doesn’t provide. When it comes to a their classes. Summer school also the most common choice is math. class that would help a student get provides the opportunity for students Many students choose to take a math ahead, I think it should be taken into who failed a class during the year class over the summer so when they consideration, especially if it’s not a to retake it and change their grade. come back to school they’re put in subject you naturally excel in. StuHere in our district, there are an advanced class. “I think in theo- dents would benefit more from takmany summer courses for students ry it’s a good idea! But the timeline ing a class over the summer rather to choose from. There’s math, histoof a summer course is too short of a than doing nothing the whole break. ry, science, and P.E. Even though the Overall the choice to take a sumtime. Content is going to need to be courses are intense–you are basically cut out in order to fit the timeline and mer course is yours. It’s understanddoing a year’s worth of work over the you won’t fully understand the year able that not everyone is going to have course of just a few months, many long course.” Mills math teacher Ms. the time and energy to devote a lot of students find that the opportunity to Do-le explains. She goes into detail their time to class during a break, but jump ahead in math, make up a failed about how many students who take the knowledge you would gain from grade, or explore a subject that they math classes over the summer end trying it out would be advantageous. are interested in, is well worth the If you are willing to sacrifice up suffering in the next school year time and effort they have to spend gosome of your precious summer to because the content had to be shorting to class every day. ened and they’re missing vital prior school and believe that it will help At the same time, some students Mariana Lopez knowledge for the advanced class. you in the future, then by all means, choose to use the break to take college Why would some students at go for it and have a great summer. COLLEGE OF SAN MATEO: Mills student enrolled in CSM summer classes. classes at one of the UC’s or College

Should High Schoolers Be Mandated to Take Financial Literacy Classes? Daniel Gao Staff Writer

Currently, the closest thing to tutorials to learn about tax forms. I’m personal finance at Mills are the pretty sure plenty of students face required economics classes which the same difficulties as they sit there are only available to seniors. Those pondering how they will fill it out. inancial literacy is a life skill classes cover only the macro side of Inevitably, after high school, every that can help students achieve eco- economics, which teaches students student will go into the workforce nomic well-being and stability over how the central bank regulates our one way or another, with the need to their lifetime. However, many high economy’s money supply. Which is understand their financial situation. school students need more knowl- information impractical to apply to Many students have expressed edge and experience to manage our personal lives. As a senior hold- their concerns about the lack of fitheir money effectively, and make ing a part-time job, I had no prior nancial literacy for themselves and wise financial decisions. Accord- knowledge of filling out W-2 tax their peers. They feel that they are not ing to a survey conducted by the forms and the concept of withhold- prepared to handle the complex and National Endowment for Financial ing. Without the school teaching the often confusing world of money manEducation, only 24% of millennials basics of personal finance, I had to agement that awaits them after gradudemonstrate basic financial literacy. go on my own and watch Youtube ation. For example, an anonymous se-

nior stated that, “While I know of the able with a personal finance class. concept of borrowing money, such as As of now, according to Next Gen in student loans and credit card debt, Personal Finance, 17 states require I don’t understand why you’ll need students to take a personal finance to pay it back when you can theoret- course before graduating from high ically take another loan to pay back school. The result was that the graduthe first loan.” This misconception ates had a higher average credit score could lead to a vicious cycle of debt rating than those who did not take accumulation and interest payments a personal finance course. As high that could ruin their financial future. school graduates face inevitable finanAnother reason why students cial decisions, from taking out student should be taught about financial lit- loans to finding off-campus housing eracy is because of their lack of un- in college, money management coursderstanding the importance of credit es prepare them to succeed, not only scores. From renting an apartment in graduating college with the least to getting a tech job people rely on amount of debt but also in money savtheir credit score to make payments ings. Currently, the California Board on time. A low credit score could of Education does not mandate such limit their options and opportuni- requirements for high school graduaties in life, as well as increase their tion. Michael Lin(12) wishes “Mills costs of borrowing. With seniors would offer a finance course intenow entering the gates of adult- grated within the original economics hood without anyone to teach them class or even a standalone personal smart banking, it’s the sad reality finance elective. This would be highDaniel Gao that most will make financial mis- ly beneficial to the development of MR. HEADLEY’S ECONOMICS CLASS: Economics and AP Econ are currently the only financial literacy classes at Mills. takes that would have been prevent- life skills of future Mills alumni”.

Opinions 9 Prom 2023; Was This Year’s Prom Really A Night To Remember? The Thunderbolt

Michael Lin Staff Writer

ber of quarantine and home “study- Shirley Temples, there was also boba ringing afterwards.” Prom is a unique nancially possible so it would not ing,” everyone cherished the opportu- milk tea. However, there were many occasion that encourages attendants be challenging for students who nity to finally get together. And alas, negatives. Not only was the music ob- to dress as stunningly as their heart’s might have financial burdens. We’d we all did, and we all got COVID to- scure, but also the sound system was content. In addition to extravagant also like to have the right amount s soon as the last snow thaws gether. I guess what happens at prom substandard. The bass was way too attire comes fancy food and drinks. of amenities to accommodate our comes the warm breeze of spring. doesn’t stay at prom. What I mean to loud and thumping, but not in a good However, the latter was unfor- needs. And a place that is accessiSpring – the joyous awakening of life say is that last year’s prom was fun. way. It was so loud that it distorted tunately a major disappointnent. ble for students both financially and that offers a new hope and renewal. First of all, it had the novelty of being the music. Whoever equalized the Not all found prom to be a mun- also physically (location easy to get However, for us mere high school on a boat, a floating castle. The San soundsystem did not do a good job, or dane moment. “To me, prom was this to, facilities that students can acstudents, spring signals finals; with Francisco Belle, the largest dining maybe the sound system was just bad. momentous occasion to enjoy the cess), for me pricing is the biggest that, comes the cumbersome tasks that vessel in the West Coast, with wrap- Also, it was very, very crowded. While closing of our high school journey. concern, I would hope the price is crush our dreams. For Juniors, it is around decks, and plenty of space to there were four floors on the ship, It was our time to chill or go crazy manageable for students to go.” The time to shape up and prepare for the enjoy the panorama of San Francisco there were only two floors at the Fox with people, new and old, who’ve savage blow of inflation is a depremonumental responsibilities ahead in in style. Also, the music was better, Theater. On the ship, there was also a stuck with you from beginning to end. cating factor that burdens many. In the following year. For Seniors, it is the DJ played recognizable songs that lounge on the top floor, where students At the moment. You could feel that addition to budget management, the awaiting the results of their college ap- everyone could sing along and dance. could take a breather in the cooling the worries and stresses of the world convenience for transportation must plications through cheers or tears. And Everyone enjoyed their dinner with breeze. We could not exit the theater couldn’t touch you: all you had to do also be considered for student safety. then comes prom– a brief moment in the diverse options of sides. There unless we were ready to leave for the was lay back and cherish the experiRegardless of the success of high school that is cherished and talk- were more options for desserts as well. night. Frankly, I preferred the Winter ences with those close to you.” Justin the proms, it heralds the end of a ed about for years to come amongst Fast forward to this year’s prom. Formal at Devil’s Canyon to this party. Li (12) provides an optimistic per- school year while ushering a brand family and friends. It is– as students It was a month earlier than last year, While asking around the opin- spective. Perhaps what makes prom new chapter for upcoming seniors. call it– a night to remember. Unfortu- and there was no reason ever given for ions of students regarding this party, special isn’t simply just some colossal As for the graduating seniors, this nately, due to unforeseeable circum- this. Most people didn’t even know it I heard the following from an anony- dance floor with glaring lights, but a simple time may very well be the stances, the location of prom may not was prom until it was prom. The be- mous junior: “I enjoyed prom because moment to celebrate our education- last shred of our memories where be as memorable for some students ginning was promising as the entrance there was free food and drinks, and al journey with new and old friends. we are not burdened with adult reand may turn this party into little to the Fox Theater was good: grandi- I could hang out with friends. It also It is important to consider the sponsibilities. In this small moment more than an average social gathering. ose and elegant. The lighting on the provided me opportunities to dress up hardship that the Mills leadership go congregates pieces from the past and Last year’s prom was memorable dance floor actually looked like a par- nicely. However, I think the bass in through in selecting a location to host makes prom both a social gathering for sure. Coming from the long slum- ty. There were fancier drinks such as the music was too much; my ears were prom. “We try to make the event fi- and hopefully, a night to remember.

Prom ‘23 How

A Night to Remember

4/15/2023

Are Seniors Feeling About Their Upcoming Graduation?

Rachel Cheng Staff Writer

With the conclusion of the 20222023 school year, seniors around the world are taking the next big steps in their careers. After years of hard work and relentless efforts, there are many emotions in the air amongst every senior. Whether it be going to college, taking a gap year, getting a job, etc., this step is a big decision to make for many. How are seniors feeling about their upcoming graduation and all that comes afetr it? As seniors branch off from their high school lives and childhoods and make their way into adulthood, there are many stressors that pose a challenge to students. Many graduating

seniors must leave their homes and begin to deal with housing, the issue families, learn to care for themselves, of finding roommates also arises. make new friends, deal with financ- While some use the app ZeeMee to es, and more. Students are faced communicate, others choose to subwith the struggles of moving away mit biographies and photos to their from their hometown and getting college Instagram account. Furtheraccustomed to a new environment. more, students who previously relied In addition, many must leave on their parents or guardians for astheir high school friends and acquain- sistance must now learn to become tances behind and make new friends an “adult” and live independently. amongst their future peers. As seniors This process has proven to be

Rachel Cheng

MILLS’ CLASS OF 2023:

First Rally of Senior Year.

whether it be making new friends, developing new habits, or learning new things. As the graduating class of 2023 says its last goodbyes, a new chapter is opened in their lives. No matter what the following years may bring, each and every student is about to embark on a new jourRachel Cheng ney, entering a new stage in life. FINAL FAREWELLS: Seniors smile in front of rally sign. As a graduating student of the very nerve-wracking for many, how- adjusting to a new routine and work- class of 2023, I have experienced ever, it can also be exciting. Moving load may be stressful, however, I am both worry and anticipation for the to a new environment and meeting also eager to take a step into adult- upcoming steps of my career. With new people gives students the oppor- hood and independence. I’m looking the stress of learning to live indetunity to experience change, become forward to these next few years.” pendently, I believe it is justified for independent people, and make deciWhile some students may feel seniors to feel anxious and dreadful sions for themselves without paren- either anxious or eager to shift away about the future years. However, tal supervision or influence. Jamie from their high school lives, gener- despite the anxiety, I think students Wong (12), a senior at Mills shares ally, many seniors are experiencing should remain committed to their Rachel Cheng that she has mixed feelings about the both emotions. This new step grants goals, be willing to adapt to the many MILLS’ CLASS OF 2023: Seniors celebrate winning their final high school rally. upcoming changes, stating, “I feel like students a chance for a fresh start, changes, and feel hopeful overall.

Sports

The Thunderbolt

Boys Golf Drives Home the Title of League Champion Max Zaninovich News Editor

he Mills High School Boys Varsity Golf team has been quietly flying under the radar of many students and participants in the Mills community. It is no secret that many Mills sports have struggled in their respective seasons, most notably, the Boys Varsity Basketball team going winless in league play. However, this Spring, many of Mills’ sports teams have flipped that record upside down. Mills swimming, boys volleyball, and track teams all saw success in their spring season. However, Boys Varsity Golf has quietly had arguably the most impressive season of all and it’s time they take the spotlight. This season, the Vikings Boys Golf team was unable to be beaten, finishing with a record of 100-1 and winning their league with a league record of 8-0-1. Each and every league victory was decidedly won by 20 or more strokes. In high school golf, six golfers each play nine holes, and the best five scores

out of those five are counted. For example, if of the six golfers, three shot 45s, 2 shot 48s, and one shot a 53, the final score for that match would be 231. The lowest score between both teams is the winner. Mills teed off their season against El Camino in a match where they won by nearly 50 strokes. Led by junior Nathan Tan, who shot a match low 48, Mills went on to beat El Camino 334-288. After that opening decisive victory, the boys never glanced into the rearview mirrors of their golf carts and crushed their competition for the rest of the year. They handled every team thrown at them with ease, with some highlight wins over Cappuccino (253-320) and Half Moon Bay (232-253). Riley Ho (12), Dru Yonemura (11), and Nathan Tan (11) consistently shot scores in the low 40s, leading the team to victory. The team had a fantastic year, winning their league and going undefeated. The Boys Varsity Golf Team has many of its top players returning next year and look to go back into the new season as league champions!

Riley Alcantara Staff Writer

Viking News / Mills Athletics Site

BOYS GOLF TEAM: Mills boys varsity golf team poses for a photo as accomplished league champions of the season.

Angela Zink

PREPARING TO PUTT: Mills golfer prepares to putt against opposing school.

CCS Swim Overview Riley Alcantara Staff Writer

s the school year comes to a close, our viking swimmers finish their season strong by qualifying for PALs. Proudly making CCS, our swim team can easily say they have achieved great feats in representing our school this year. The boys team reached the top three in PALs, although the girls were unfortunately unable to reach the same level. Regardless, both teams have illustrated hard work and major improvement. Many of our athletes state that one of the key factors that have impacted their success this season included staying fit during the off season. Their regimen included weight training, cardiovascular endurance, and of course, swimming. Although all of our swimmers take their season very seriously, enjoying and sharing memories as athletes and a family has always been a top priority as well. This year’s swim season has invited new faces to come out and represent their school pride. These actions have strengthened the bonds between friends and the overall team chemistry. Tiffany Huang, a graduating

senior, states that “the swim team is constantly improving and having fun thanks to the club practice year round.” Through constant and consistent hard work, our swim team is able to thrive while enjoying their last few moments as high school athletes. While some swimmers see room for improvement in which the team can utilize their time more wisely, collectively they still take pride in the time and effort put into the season. “I hope to end my last sports season with lots of fun and teamwork,” Huang commented as she enjoyed her last few moments as a viking swimmer. For some lucky swimmers like Aaron Ngo (12), their wish to play a part in the finals of CCS became a reality this year. This year’s swim team was able to compete in the CCS Swim Championships, where they finished with a CCS finalist William Walz (11) in the 500 freestyle. All swimmers were able to say that they enjoyed their once in a lifetime experience with swimming and CCS. Mentioned hopes for next season would be to continue to dedicate time to off-season work in order to show improvement. Make sure to congratulate your fellow viking swimmers!

Angela Zink

GOLFERS AT PRACTICE: From left to right: Mitchell Ng (9), Nathan Tan (11), and Kory Wong (9) practicing their swings.

Rallying for Resilience in Cheer Alysha Louis Staff Writer

he Mills cheer team has wrapped up a successful season with the last rally of the spring semester. Throughout the year, the team composed of approximately thirty members were hard at work practicing and creating invaluable memories along the way. However, the recent turn out from cheer tryouts for the

batches of students, fluctuating levels of interested participants are predicted, but this unusually low turnout has left Mills’ cheer perplexed. One of the three varsity cheer captains this year, Alysha Louis (12) speculates that this phenomenon is a result of an inefficiency in advertising and outreach to students outside of the SMUHSD district. Because incoming freshmen are unable to see announcements and posters within the Mills community and commu-

Alysha Louis / The Thunderbolt

VARSITY CHEER: Seniors pose for a photo after the season’s last basketball game.

Vikings Swim / Instagram

CCS SWIM: Andrew Lim (10), Ben Nopper (10), William Walz (11), Aaron Ngo (12).

upcoming school year is leaving Mills cheer in a perilous position. All but one varsity member will be leaving the varsity cheer team, nine out of ten members of the varsity team being seniors, and almost half of the Mills junior varsity cheerleaders are also exiting the floor. The cheer tryouts took place from April 18 through April 23 and were led by varsity captains. Since the previous year resulted in around a dozen participants, the Mills cheer squad was expectant of similar results, if not more. Unfortunately, over the span of five days, only two incoming freshmen joined them. Traditionally over years of varying

nication between the SMUHSD and Millbrae school district is limited, spreading the word of cheer tryouts can be difficult. For incoming students who are new to the high school experience, especially those who are still deciding between schools, a hesitancy to become involved in the unknown can only be assumed. As a result of the low number of people who tried out, the Mills cheer team is possibly planning to conduct another tryout taking place later this year. One of the varsity captains, Chiara Torres (12) who joined Mills cheer in her freshman year, hopes to recruit more members for the next

season, encouraging, “Being on the cheer team throughout all four years of high school was one of the best decisions I could ever make. I have learned so much while being on this team. I’ve made bonds with my teammates that could never be broken.’’ For Torres, the experience of being on the Mills cheer team transcended that of just technical skills, especially as cheer is unique in its season-long continuity. Another one of the Mill’s varsity cheer captains, Alex Basco (12) was also on the cheer team all four years of highschool and reflected, “One of my favorite parts about cheer was just being able to spend time and bond with my teammates…I hope that incoming Mills cheerleaders also get to experience the excitement of performing every Friday night and make as many unforgettable memories as I did.” Alysha Louis elaborated on the prior two captain’s sentiments, adding, “I hope the future teams build as strong of a bond as the one from this year. It felt like being with family and I hope returners can help to be strong leaders to show new people the pathway to success while still having fun.” Collectively, as a whole, all the seniors on the cheer team are sad to be leaving and will surely miss it, but are leaving with many amazing laughs and memories. Louis summarized their hopes for the following years, commenting, “I wish the team all the best in the future and I’m so proud to say I was a part of it.”

If you are interested in joining the Mills cheer team, you can reach out to the coach directly on the Mills cheer Instagram page @millscheerteam.

Sports

The Thunderbolt

Chasing Greatness: Track Team’s Phenomenal Season Hanson Han Sports Editor

he Mills Girls Track Team has had a phenomenal season, being able to outperform against every single school in our league. They are led by team captain Alyssa Draheim (11), who has been an avid runner for Mills’ Cross Country and Track program her entire high school career. The Varsity and JV Girls, as well as the JV Boys each have a 7-0 record. The only shortcoming of the entire track team falls on Varsity Boys, having a record of 5-2. This totals out to a combined 26-2, with the girls side remaining completely undefeated. Draheim states that “the reason our girls team has been so successful this year is because of the influx of underclassmen showing up and performing really well.” In the 100m, 200m, and 800m, Katie Yee (10) is currently the fastest, running 13.59s, 27.42s, and 2:25 respectively. Team captain Draheim currently holds the fastest 400m with a time of 61.00s. In terms of distance running, Jacqueline Pan dominates the entire field, running 5:21 in the 1600m and 11:58 in the 3200m. These three runners make up the core of the running team, covering sprints, mid-distance, and long distance, and scoring multiple points in every event to help the girls team get the edge and win all of their meets. Draheim states that given all of these runners will be returning for next season, the running core will only get stronger. All three runners will be sharpening their skills and improving their times, throughout Mills’ summer conditioning, the Cross Country season, as well as the offseason weeks in December and January. Besides running, the Mills girls team has also been dominant in the other field aspects of the sport. Alexis Ivankov (9) has the furthest long jump with a distance of 15’8”. Reece Roach (10) has the farthest triple

jump with a distance of 32’2”. Team captain Draheim continues to show her excellent skillset with a high jump of 4’10”. Jessica Poon (10) has cleared an astonishing 7’0” in the pole vault. In terms of throwing, the return of legendary track coach Pat Lewis has definitely helped to advance the throwing team. Coach Lewis has coached for Mills in the past, as well as numerous other schools, establishing himself as one of the best throwing coaches in the entire CCS. His status is known throughout the region, with his return making other schools in their league shiver in their boots. He has helped many of the boys throwers improve their distances by quite a margin. In shot put, Matthew Tan (12) and Ethan Vuong (11) lead the team, throwing 46’6” and 45’1” respectively. In discus, Tan, Tyler Vuong (11), and Hanson Han (12), lead the team, throwing 114’0”, 108’11”, and 108’10”, respectively. Tan, Han, and the Vuong twins have all made it to the PAL Finals, fighting their way for a spot in CCS. Another thrower that Coach Lewis has helped improve dramatically is Serena Mezzetta (12). Mezzetta started throwing in the middle of the season, seemingly having not enough time to learn the fundamentals and place well in meets. However, under the guidance of Coach Lewis, Mezzetta leads the girls throwing team, just like she led the Girls Varsity Basketball team to a CCS Championship earlier this school year. Mezzetta throws 30’7” in shot put and 87’8” in discus. She placed well enough in PAL Finals in order to advance to CCS, which will be held in Gilroy. Mezzetta placed 5th in the PAL Finals, just making the cut off as only the top 5 get to advance to CCS. Last but not least, arguably one of the most difficult events there are in terms of fundamental skills, is the hurdles. Sophie Hohmann (10) leads the team in the 100m and 300m hurdles, running 17.7s and

Kelly Hensley / The Thunderbolt

100 METER SPRINT: Alexis Ivankov (9) fights for a lead at a home meet on April 7.

Kelly Hensley / The Thunderbolt

800 METERS: Kaden Ren leading with Ethan Cabrera and Kevin Ren in close follow.

51.91s. A close runner up is Sedef Kuralay (10), running 20.42s in the 100m hurdles and 57.62 in the 300m hurdles. Hohmann and Kuralay, both being sophomores, still have a lot of time to improve and fine tune their skills. We can expect the both of them to compete against each other, attempting to dominate the league in hurdles. With their being only one best athlete in each event, there are many athletes who still excel in the sport without proper recognition. This year, these athletes comprise of the new wave of freshmen who came in and took the JV league by storm. These include sprinters Chloe Cho (9) and Sarah Wong (9), as well as distance runner Chloe Amayun (9). Cho and Wong run a 13.83s and 14.26s in the 100m, respectively. In the 1600m and 3200m, Amayun runs a 5:36 and 12:39. Team captain Draheim states that these freshmen will be the core of next year’s track team, having so many years to develop and get better at their event. While on the topic of freshmen standouts, the boys side also features incredibly talented track athletes. The Ren twins (9), Kaden and Kevin, are taking the distance events by storm. In the 1600m and 3200m, Kaden runs a 4:48 and 10:56. Kevin is right behind his twin, running 4:55 and 11:24. They are closing in on Mills’ top distance runner, Remi Palomo (12). Remi runs a 4:51 in the 1600m and 10:29 in the 3200m. Another shocking coincidence would be the younger brother of Remi. Leo Palomo (9) has also performed exceptionally on the field, but in a different event compared to his brother. Leo has thrown 32’4” in shot put and 103’6” in discus. All in all, the Mills track team has had a phenomenal season, with the girls side being undefeated in one the few times in this school’s history. We hope to repeat this level of success in the coming years, as all the key players on our team will be returning faster and stronger than ever.

Kelly Hensley / The Thunderbolt

LADY VIKING TRACK RUNNERS: Star lady viking track runners persevere at meets on April fifth and seventh. From left to right: Chloe Amayun (9), Katie Yee (10), Alyssa Draheim (11), Sophie Hohmann(10)

Girls Flag Football Soon to be Introduced at Mills Joshua Choe Features Editor

he introduction of girls flag football to Mills is a significant step forward in promoting gender equality in sports. Traditionally, football has been a male-dominated sport, and the introduction of flag football for girls provides an opportunity for them to participate in a sport that was previously not as accessible. This will undoubtedly encourage more girls to participate in Mills Sports and provide them with the opportunity to stay active and develop important technical and life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and leadership. This also provides an alternative to learn these skills outside a sport that is more commonly cho-

sen for this kind of environment like basketball. Other sports that may contain some of these themes had previously included track and field, cross country, swim, and basketball. Though none, other than basketball is able to provide these aforementioned skills as well as football can. Girls flag football is set to be a new sport at Mills for this 20232024 school year. As a rising sport with growing popularity nationally, its influence has only just reached the SMUHSD district previously this year on February 3, 2023. Other states, including Alabama and Nevada, had already made this decision, with New York looking to make the same. The California Interscholastic Federation, the governing body for highschool sports in California,

unanimously passed this motion for establishing girls flag football as an official high school sport, with interests of promoting gender equality within sports. What this means for Mills, however, is obviously the introduction of the new sport. Though there is not much in-depth information available as of now concerning the process of the sport being introduced to Mills, Mr. Keller, athletic director for Mills, provided insight on coaches that have already been chosen to coach the sport. “Mr. Anderson and Ms. Ito will coach the team,” he explained. As passionate coaches, they will be responsible for organizing practices, developing game strategies, and ensuring that the team members have the resources and support they need to succeed.

The introduction of girls flag football to Mills also provides an opportunity to display Mills’ promotion of gender equality ideals and to encourage more interaction from girls in athletics. Different students around Mills are excited about this opportunity. Noelle Young (9), says, “I think it’s about time. First of all, women aren’t allowed to do football so at least now we have something to do like flag football. I would totally do that: I’m so excited!” Other female students who are not interested in playing, however, still express their enthusiasm. “It’s rare for girls to play any form of football, so it’s cool that there’s a chance now,” Yashvi Patel (10) commented when hearing of the new opportunity. Valerie Or (9) remarked, “This new team is a great

opportunity for girls at Mills to play a sport that has traditionally been reserved for boys.”. Mills athletics looks forward to gathering a team for a debut season and is excited to be able to provide an opportunity for girls to play football. Overall, this is a highly positive development for the athletics department and furthering gender equality in facilities at Mills.

EntErtainmEnt The Thunderbolt 12 The 2023 Met Gala: The Fashion, Celebrities, and Controversy Nicole Lee Staff Writer

ay 1st was a day many have been waiting for: the Met Gala. Many designers and celebrities came together from all over the world to attend the infamous event held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The Met Gala is a charity benefit held by Vogue’s editor and chief, Anna Wintour, and has been going on since 1948 by founder, Eleanor Lampert. This year’s theme was in honor of the late designer, Karl Lagerfeld, who was known for his role as creative director of Chanel and reinventing some of fashion’s most famous houses. Vogue unveiled the theme back in September of 2022 which sparked an uproar. Though Lagerfeld revolutionized the fashion industry, merging hip-hop culture and high fashion and transformed runway shows into theatrical displays, the designer was known for making a number of disparaging statements. Many noticed a handful of celebrities were absent from the event unlike previous years. Blake Lively, Bella Hadid and Lady Gaga, are to name a few, were rumored to have opted out due to this year’s theme. Karl Lagerfeld worshiped skinny models while criticizing “fat”, plus sized models.

During his time, Lagerfeld also publicly spoke against same sex marriage, immigrants and #MeToo survivors so it is understandable how many did not want to honor him at the annual event of the year. Despite this year’s controversy, the Met Gala is still a way for designers all over the world to showcase their work by inviting A-list celebrities to wear their designs. Naomi Campbell, Dua Lipa, Nicole Kidman, and Kristen Stewart wore Chanel to honor the theme while other designer’s paid homage to Lagerfeld by reinterpreting his own personal style and his older runway designs. Brands such as Schiaparelli, Fendi, Marc Jacobs, Jacquemus, Haider Ackermann and Valentino took to the carpet, decorating it with their beautiful gowns and suits. Thom Browne made a name for himself and the brand at this year’s Met Gala as he dressed nine well known celebrities and nailed the theme with a black and white aesthetic. Many critics applauded Browne for his incredible accuracy to the theme but with the designer’s own signature flair, especially since a concern with this year’s theme was that brands would be unable to display their own talent due to having to be in the lines of Lagerfeld who had his own signature styles. Doja Cat, Jared Leto and Lil Nas X were the talk of the event as they

Anne Hathaway Instagram

MET: Anne Hathaway wearing Versace.

GUCCI:

all took a more creative route and wore feline outfits in honor of Lagerfeld’s beloved cat, Choupette, instead of basing their outfits around his clothing. Although the three had the same inspiration, they definitely had different looks. Jared Leto wore a full cat costume that made it almost impossible to decipher who it was while Lil Nas X wore a catlike mask with whiskers and was bedaz-

zled from head to toe in rhinestones. Lagerfeld’s infamous bridal dresses were another style inspiration for the night. Many wore reinvented wedding gowns and some even dressed as grooms to complete the wedding look. The late designer was known for his “Chanel brides” that he would close out each season’s Chanel Couture show with. Rihanna even ended the carpet with an

Halle

Bailey

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extravagant floral, white gown similarly to Lagerfeld’s Chanel bride. Although many of the usual attendees were absent at this year’s gala and controversy was high, many enjoyed reviewing the fashion from this year’s Met Gala. The fashion industry has truly evolved throughout the years and many are hoping for a new icon to shape the industry just like how Lagerfeld once did.

Disney+’s Prom Pact: Does It Really Live Up to Its Hype? Brendan Phimsoutham Staff Writer

n March 31st, 2023, DisnePlus released what is said to be the newest hit high school movie: Prom Pact. Despite Disney’s immense reputation as the giant of the entertainment industry, much of its older audience has noticed somewhat of a “drop-off” in quality of content over the years. At the same time, newer fans are embracing this sudden change and disagree that the corporation is failing to create quality content. Prom Pact is the most recent controversy of this matter and is said to have both problems and fulfillments.

In summary, the movie focuses on Mandy Yang (played by Peyton Elizabeth Lee), a graduating senior at North Seattle High who is hoping to get into Harvard. However, she gets waitlisted, and now believes the only way to get in is by tutoring and going to prom with the “godchild” of her school, Graham Lansing (played by Blake Draper), whose father is a powerful Harvard Alumni and could potentially write a game changing letter of recommendation for her. The plot seems rather generic, but that’s what is expected for a slice-of-life highschool movie targeted towards teenagers. However, unlike previous highschool themed movies, Prom Pact has been deemed as Disney’s first TV-14 movie, as there are apparently two different versions being displayed on screen. On the Disney Channel, the movie is seen as fairly appropriate, while on Disney Plus parents are outraged at some themes, as they’re not meant for their 11 and 12 year olds. Aside from reading angry reviews from parents, I went to see the movie myself on Disney Plus to find the exact content they deemed as inappropriate. They couldn’t have been more right. Despite the new norm of the younger generation losing their innocence faster to social media and the internet, this movie had an absurd amount of jokes and themes not meant to be seen by anyone younger than the age of at least 13. A few examples both cited by angry parents and taken from the movie by myself are seen at just the beginning of the movie such

as “have you ever hooked up with someone?” or “I’m talking about putting a P in a V,” which most definitely cannot be shown to younger audiences. However, some can argue that disney has placed a TV-14 rating onto the movie and that parents need to be more careful when looking into these things. That is where one of the many issues comes in. The problem was never the age rating, it was the idea of trying to make a clean version of the movie for younger audiences, and that just doesn’t work. It’s like trying to drop a 50 pound dumbbell on a cinderblock, and then trying to drop that same dumbbell on a thin sheet of glass hoping it would have the same integrity as the cinderblock. In other words, when you release a clean version of a movie on a separate platform and a young child sees that movie, the same kid will tell his or her friends about it, and those kids will tell their parents about the movie or if granted their own unrestricted access to the internet, will find it themselves. This is a big dilemma,especially for a content giant like Disney. T h e h o l d t h e y have on c h i l d r e n ’s media is enormous, and for them to slip-up in that section of entertainment

I’d say should definitely be a major problem. Even with a wall of protection from parents who will actually do their research and figure out that the movie is not meant for younger audiences, the deception of making a clean version creates loose ends and leaks that end up reaching them. It really isn’t surprising that this happens more often than not since kids use their parents’ Disney plus accounts all the time or parents just don’t have time to nitpick a movie because they have work or other things to tend to. That being said, Disney now can’t just cover it up and say they made a mistake, the damage is done. The uproar of parents whose children have been exposed will stay mad and unsatisfied, deeming Disney’s change in this matter, a bad one. Though, since I’m way above the age requirement of this movie, and not a parent yet, I could say that this issue doesn’t really apply to me. For a highschooler the more relevant topic of the matter is getting into college.

NEW PODCAST

EPISODE In this week’s epsiode of ThunderBolt Records, we sit down and talk about mental health and the importance of bringing awareness towards the topic.