Volume 66, Issue 2, October 31, 2025

Magazine Edition

the

2

Issue

October Issue Volume 66 2025

The Boba Bots Brew Up a Season of Success Mills robotics succeeds at CalGames

Concert Culture at Mills What concerts have Mills students been attending recently?

The Life of a Showgirl Review Read into Taylor Swift’s latest record-breaking album

Create.

Narrate.

Resonate.

CONT the October Issue

Features

Center Spread

Boba Bots Shine at CalGames

Leadership and girls volleyball raise awareness for those with breast cancer.

The Thunderbolt Staff reflects on how the media has normalized gun violence and how the public reacts.

Boba Bots win the Imagery Award at CalGames!

Concert Life of Mills Students

Malfunctioning of School

Students share what they love most about concert experiences.

News

Mills Music Kicks Off the Year with Groove-a-Thon How are performers of Groove-aThon feeling?

Constant frustration of slow Wi-Fi among students and teachers.

Every Story Matters: Mills Honors Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A Glimpse at: Much Ado About Nothing A preview of Mills Drama’s upcoming production.

EDITORIAL: The Media Has Desensitized and Normalized Gun Violence

The Thunderbolt

TENTS Opinions

Sports

Are Self-Driving Cars Safe?

Money Around Sports: How Mills Sports are Funded

Autonomous cars have become a common sight in Millbrae.

What to Do About Bathroom Passes?

Some teachers have started to limit bathroom passes.

The Rise of E-Bikes at Mills High School How beneficial are e-bikes for students?

Entertainment

Demon Slayer Infinity Castle: A Visual Masterpiece

Have you ever wondered how Mills sports are funded?

The long awaited Demon Slayer movie has finally been released!

Unitedly Game Changer Recognizes Two Mills Student Athletes

The Controversy of Bad Bunny Performing at the Superbowl

Two Mills student athletes featured in a nonprofit basketball program.

The criticism and backlash of a Latino artist performing at an American event.

Mills Girls Golf Dominating the Green The dominant season for Mills girls golf.

The Life of a Showgirl: Album Review Taylor Swift’s newest album; was it a hit or miss?

New Cle ar Ba g

Po

otball Ga o F t a me y s lic

Ellie Kang Staff Writer Photo courtesy of Ellie Kang

are facing some of things so far. I feel like it’s On October 3, the Mills fac- ministration challenges while trying to going to take more time to

ulty enforced a new bag inspection policy. Teachers will inspect students’ bags before entering the football field.

Although there weren’t any specific incidents that lead up to this decision, the bag check aims to enhance students’ safety during football games.

Athletic Director Timothy Keller says, “Well, it’s just mostly we are able to have a better understanding of what people are bringing into the stadium.”

By having a bag check, they can see what people are bringing during the games to ensure students’ safety.

However, the Mills ad-

1 | News

implement these rules. One difficulty they are having is notifying other schools. Although admin tells the other schools, sometimes information doesn’t get around right away.

“Yes, we inform the other schools, but how do they give out the knowledge to all of their fan base? I can’t control that, so there may truly be fans from other schools that never got the memo,” states Keller.

Mills student Zain Qatami (9) shared her opinion, saying, “I think that it’s a little bit unnecessary since we haven’t had an issue with these sorts

go inside the football field instead.”

Qatami believes that the bag check may be unnecessary, since there hasn’t been any specific reasoning to this new rule and could slow down entry into the stadium.

Lastly, Keller finished off by saying, “It’s brand new for us, you know that, so we have to go through our growing pains. Some people are going to have to learn the hard way.

They’re going to have to return and leave stuff in their car and then come back, which is pain and suffering for the first time.”

o S ftee Mi ster

Truck Banned from Mills Campus During School Hours Before the rein- supposed to do.”

Three weeks into forced In addition, Princiban, Mister

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Mabel Kaufman, Staff Writer

the 2025-2026 school year, many students noticed that the popular Mister Softee ice cream truck was no longer present during school lunches. Many students were disappointed to be informed that the Mister Softee truck would no longer be returning during lunches on Thursdays. Principal Pamela Duszynski recently enforced a ban preventing the truck from being available during lunchtime due to student safety concerns and nutrition guidelines the school is required to follow.

Softee would park the truck in the student parking lot on Sequoia Avenue during lunch.

Large crowds would often accumulate around the truck, and many students reported spending their whole lunch break waiting in line to get ice cream.

Mills High School has a closed campus policy, meaning students who leave the parking lot would be violating this policy.

Principal Duszynski described the issue: “By parking the ice cream truck across the street from our school during lunch, this encouraged students to leave campus, which they’re not

pal Duszynski spoke about the school’s nutritional guidelines.

She explained, “Part of that also is students not leaving campus and not having access to foods that aren’t provided by our own Student Nutrition Services.”

While Mister Softee may not be around during lunch, students will still have access to the truck after school.

“Nobody wants to shut down something fun and exciting for students, like an ice cream truck. But there are certain precautions we have to take to make sure that you’re safe,” Principal Duszynski finished.

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MILLS MUSIC KICKS OFF THE YEAR WITH GROOVE-A-THON 3 | News

ills Music recently sang, played, and rocked their hearts out at their seventh annual Groove-a-Thon on Friday, Oct. 7. The event featured 60 performances, with acts varying from vocal solos to jazz bands to flute ensembles.

The Groove-a-Thon differs from typical Mills Music concerts in that it consists of several small student-led groups, as opposed to one large ensemble. Mills’ beloved music teacher, David Gregoric, explains the purpose of the Groove-a-Thon. “[It’s] fundamentally a fundraiser, but it’s also a showcase for small groups and individual talent.” Hence, the event supports the music department while also giving students the opportunity to display their talents and have fun performing.

Prior to the concert, music students prepared tirelessly for their performances, with some students in as many as 10 acts or more. The music room is continuously occupied by groups of students rehearsing for their productions or testing out equipment.

Percussionist Jovian Cheung (12) describes the performers’ feelings leading up to the show.

“Groove-a-Thon is always a stressful time of year for sure, but I think it’ll be really fun.”

Their hard work paid off on performance night, where they donned various concert attire and took the stage, filling the Mills Center Court with music. The festivities ran late into the night, finally coming to a close at around 9:30 p.m.

Playing at Groove-aThon is both exciting and

Iris Lee Chou Staff Writer nerve-wracking. Freshman and jazz pianist Alessio Bettuchi says, “It’s very scary, but when you go onstage, the nerves go away and you’re having fun.”

Cellist Kayli Tsang (12) talks about the impact performing has for her. “It’s really inspiring and motivational to play for the entire school,” she says.

Gregoric describes the proud moments he had watching students perform and expresses, “I enjoy the triumphs that some of the kids get, you know, conquering fear and getting to understand that they can really do things that they thought they could never do.”

Beyond performance like the Groove-a-Thon, the music community plays an important role in the lives of many Mills musicians, both as a place to gain support and constructive criticism, but also as a group of friends.

“The music community is just so inviting and really fun to be a part of,” Tsang says. She adds, “Before Mills, I was not in a big group, so it was really solo cello, but [being in the Mills orchestra] allowed me to see the big community and the importance of that community, which is just someone having your back, someone always being there for you.”

Cheung explains, “We’re all different instruments, so we have different personalities, and it’s really nice to mix and become friends with everybody.

It’s like a big family.”

Photos courtesy of Iris Lee Chou & Neola Lo

News | 4

B ba Bots B ts Shine at CalGame

N S

Photos courtesy of Olive Aguilar | News 5 5| News

Natalie Tam Staff Writer

es

Imagery Award. “Our team On October 3rd to 5th, the Boba the has historically been pretty good

Bots had their first competition of the school year at Woodside High School called CalGames. They ranked 23rd out of 39 teams with a 7-7 record and played until the semifinals. The team also took home the Imagery Award for their astounding branding. Despite many challenges coming their way, they were able to overcome adversity and deliver success.

The Imagery Award recognizes not only the team’s design, presentation, and branding, but also their positivity in group work. They faced many challenges and spent late hours working together as a team. With the team’s positive attitude and support, they were able to get to the semifinals.

To analyze matches and performances, Drive Coach and Construction Lead Karthik Joshi (11) meets with other members of their team who discuss their match using scouter data (which comes from members in the bleachers who take note of other teams’ performances). These discussions allow the team to strategize and improve for every match.

“The most challenging part of robotics was during my freshman year when the robot would keep breaking down,” Joshi said.

“It really taught me a good lesson that nothing comes easy and you always have to work hard for everything, even if you have a really good robot or a really bad robot.”

In order to analyze and plan out the game, Ziao Liang (12) the Strategy and Scouting Lead shares how the team worked towards winning

at winning the Imagery and Spirit Awards. We put lots of focus into imagery as well, which other teams seem to neglect.”

Olive Aguilar (12), the Media and Outreach Lead, is in charge of the camera equipment, including making sure they get photos and videos taken at various outreach events and competitions. During competition, she answers questions from the judges about what they do inside the team, particularly their media side and social media. Aguilar played a key role in securing the team’s Imagery Award through these conversations.

She answered, “I feel very supported by my team members, as well as the people in the leadership alongside me. They know exactly what to say and do in order to make sure everybody’s experience is very positive.”

Ayushi Swami (12), one of the team’s Electronics Leads, scouted and worked in the pit at CalGames, where she helped to repair the robot between matches. She explains how special the team is to her, saying, “This team is so special because of how much time we put into it by staying until 7 p.m., working including the weekend.

Seeing that dedication from everybody else is just so special.”

The Boba Bots’ hard work and dedication continue to lead them to success. Despite many challenges, the team supported one another and demonstrated the collaboration that earned them the Imagery Award.

News | 6

PAPER DARTS

g s n i l a i e

oom c ssr

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its c l a

Photo courtesy of Meagan So

Olivia Ma Staff Writer

dh

t w r e e n n

TAKE FLI

A new Tiktok trend has tak-

en off at Mills, where students participate in a social media trend in which they shoot paper darts into ceilings. Inspired by TikTok tutorial videos that showed how to fold sticky notes into darts and launch them, some students decided to try it out at school.

One student, who wished to stay anonymous, spoke about why he participated in throwing paper darts.

“Sometimes in class I get bored, and there’s nothing else to do, and it’s fun,” Anonymous states. “So I just decided to play a little fun game.”

Math teacher Jonathan Lee expresses his thoughts on students participating in this activity.

“I think it’s a trend or a fidget,” Lee explains. “I think it’s something that’s novel.

I’m gonna equate it to bottle flipping a few years ago. So it’s a new kind of almost a cool thing we can do, like fidgeting when we’re sitting around here. So I think that’s where the paper dart thing kind of showed up.”

Paper dart launching has been happening all around the school. Different teachers have different policies on their tolerance and consequences for students participating in the trend. Nyah Manansala-Smith, a social science teacher, allows students to throw the darts in a small area of the classroom as long as they finish their assignments.

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“It’s a general distraction, but it doesn’t hinder my ability to teach,” Manansala reflects. “And the students who do the paper darts are still getting their work done.”

Manansala continues, “I’ve directed students who prefer to do the paper dart stuff into just one square in the back of the classroom in the last five minutes of class, when we’re not really doing much. So it’s more of a controlled chaos, rather than just free balling. ” Lee speaks about his views on students in his class folding and throwing paper darts.

“Once they start going into my ceiling, and they don’t clean it up, it becomes a distraction and more of an issue,” Lee says. “But if a kid was doing origami and they’re doing their work, I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

Elise Jang (9) shares her opinions on how the dart throwing affected students’ learning time after witnessing some of her peers try it during class.

“I think that if people see other people doing it, it will distract them,” Jang says. “And it will encourage more people to start doing it and the teacher will spend less time teaching and more time dealing with those guys.”

As teachers are experiencing these situations and implementing more rules to prevent further distractions in class, students have thrown less paper darts into school ceilings. Lee advises students: “If you watch it, that’s one thing. It’s another thing to then send them up to my ceiling because you think it’s funny. So be responsible, children.”

News | 8

Malfunctioning

of School Wifi Muunee ShineOd Staff Writer

Recently, there have been frequent Wi-Fi out-

ages on school grounds, leaving students unable to open assignments or tests during class.

Schools have come to deeply embrace using technology over computers for classwork with researching, assignments, and homework submission. With Chromebooks now being essential for everyday classes, the Wi-Fi issues and slow loading makes it difficult for students to complete assignments on Canvas.

From the start of the year to present day, the Wi-Fi has remained unstable due to issues with the San Mateo Union High School District’s main server getting through to specific locations. Mills students have reported that the Wi-Fi seems to perform worse in specific locations like the math hall, leaving students in those areas dissatisfied.

Madeline Batshoun (9) says, “I noticed that it’s [the Wi-Fi] kind of worse in the math hall, and it barely works there.”

Gabe Glynn, Mills Tech Support Specialist, clarified, “Every room has its own Wi-Fi access point. Wifi access points can host between 60 to 100 devices for access points.” Glynn debunks the rumors, explaining Wi-Fi access points are in each classroom.

Though, not just students were affected as teachers also share their mutual annoyance with the Wi-Fi. Math and social studies teacher, Nils Headley explains, “I am extremely frustrated because it happens most frequently during

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testing, a very stressful time, and students look to me as the person to solve it. When I can’t, we’re all feeling like, ‘why are we even here?’”

The constant malfunctioning of the Wi-Fi leaves both students and teachers in frustration from how slow it takes to load assignments on Canvas and how teachers may need to plan lessons to accommodate these situations. The slow Wi-Fi makes it harder for students to load assignments or tests on school Chromebooks.

Batshoun says,

“It takes forever to load.”

Students continue to show their frustration of the slow loading of signing into Chromebooks and waiting for it to load with several complaints that can be overheard in class. Headley explains, “They [students] have said things like, “The wifi in your classroom is cheeks.” when trying to take online tests or log into chromebooks.

Glynn assures students that, “it’s been fixed now,” referring to the Wi-Fi issues.

Modern-day schools continue to grow reliant on needing technology for schoolwork, especially seen in Mills High School when using school chromebooks are a daily necessity. Despite setbacks from the constant Wi-Fi issues, students and teachers continue to stay connected even when the network isn’t.

artwork created by Fiona Li

News | 10

The Mills girls varsity volleyball team members warm up in ‘Dig Pink‘ shirts for the Breast Cancer Awareness Month game.

Photo taken by: Davin Dela Rosa (12)

11 | Features

Every Story Matters:

MILLS HONORS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH Sofia Madrigal, Staff Writer

This October, the Mills com- October 16th, where 70% of

This month, the girls volproceeds supported breast munity came together to raise cancer research, to leyball teams awareness for Breast Cancer continued LeadAwareness Month, honoring the tradition of honand remembering those imoring breast cancer awarepacted by the disease. In ness and those affected by it.

2024, an estimated 310,720 On October 16, the team hostwomen and 2,790 men ed a “Dig Pink” event, wearing were diagnosed with bright pink shirts before the breast cancer in the game and tying pink strings U.S. This disease in their hair. The program not only affects has been participating in individuals with their annual “Pink Out” for breast cancer, but numerous seasons. Many the families as well. The spectators stopped by the very first Breast Cancer tables and showed support, Awareness month began buying shirts and bandanin October 1985, proas, with 70% of the proceeds moting early detection going to breast cancer reand research. search. When asked about Since then, commuher thoughts on the event Pari nities have been comXiao (10), a player on the girls ing together to honor varsity volleyball team shared, and raise awareness for the disease. This month, ership’s spirit week dedicat- “I don’t want Breast Cancer the Mills community host- ed to the cause, students and Awareness to just be thought ed many events. From the staff showed their support in of in one game, and I think it should be thought of the whole “Dig Pink” volleyball event on meaningful ways.

Features | 12

month.” The program hosted such an amazing event filled with strong school support.

It’s amazing to see the Mills community come together to advocate for such an important cause. Xiao continued saying, “It was really fun seeing everything decorated in pink and having us be able to play and host an event for such an important cause was an honor.”

Furthermore, Mills Leadership hosted a spirit week

Leadership had going on, from tattoos to personal cards for patients. When asked about possibly having Leadership create a fundraiser to add to the spirit week next year Moran suggested, “ I think that they should do that because then money goes to the correct funding and it will help bring more student support.”

Together, these events hosted by the many different programs here at Mills showcased the compassion

G P INK I D K

NK D a n d u n i ty within the Vikings community, reminding everyone of the importance of continued awareness and support.

With the closing of October, Mills stands proud in its commitment to continue honoring those affected by and raising awareness for breast cancer.

G K DI PI NK D IN

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[about] what was going on.”

Each lunch, many students dropped by center court to participate in each event

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from October 6 to October 10, in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Each spirit day was followed by an activity done in center court. The week started with having the Mills community wear pajamas and making pink potions at lunch. Towards the

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end of the week, Leadership had students write meaningful cards to patients with breast cancer in center court. When asked her thoughts on the spirit week hosted in support of breast cancer, Camilla Moran (12) replied, “It was pretty cool wearing pink. I just wish there was m o r e information

From waiting in long lines

are far more valuable than and worth the high prices of tickets.

Speaking of sacrifices, Austin Academia (11) believes that concerts are worth the long wait for a good view at one of these events. He stated, “The longest I waited in line was probably for the Giveon concert. I waited in line for six hours because we wanted a spot in the front.” He explained, “It was worth it because we were really close to his face.”

Senior Kaylin Lam, who attended Mac DeMarco, shared how concerts bring joy and sadness when they’re happening and once they’re over. “I feel so happy to be there, living in the moment and enjoying the presence of the artist,” she said. “And after[wards], I get kind of sad cause of post- concert depression. [It’s] so, so horrible.”

Overall, even if it means waiting in line for hours, spending hard-earned money, or dealing with sad post-concert emotions, students agree that they are worth it. For Mills music lovers, concerts aren’t just about the performance – they’re about the moments, friendships, and emotions that make live music truly unforgettable.

Danica Vazquez Staff Writer

Photos taken by: Samantha Ma (10)

to losing their voices singing along, concerts have become some of the most unforgettable experiences for many Mills students. Whether it’s an arena packed with fans or a small venue show, students agree there’s something special about the atmosphere of live music. These moments form long lasting memories filled with strong emotions and meaningful connections.

For sophomore Samantha Ma, these shows and performances are all about the feeling of being fully present.

“During [a concert], I [love] just living in the moment,” she expressed. Ma, who attended Conan Gray recently continued, “It’s something where I’m with my closest friends and we’re all just listening to music, [which are] my two favorite things.” She added, “Then after, I’m super tired, but it’s super fun, especially looking back on videos.”

Ma also shared her perspective on spending money on tickets. “I think that the money comes back [and] I tell myself that the memories don’t.”

Many students agree that the memories made from concerts

Features | 14

Among Mills lies many secrets as well as hidden tal-

ents. From competitive skills to ones that are done in leisure time, students take pride in what they do, reminiscing memorable moments and finding joy in their crafts.

Our story begins with Emily Ormiston, a senior who took up figure skating after initially playing hockey earlier in her life. “I grew up in a hockey family, so I started out playing hockey, and then I switched to figure skating when I was about five or four years old,” Ormiston recalls. She eventually turned her figure skating hobby into a more competitive pursuit. Ormiston traveled to out-of-town competitions and surprised her teachers with her dedication and silent talent.

“One of my teachers was really interested in bringing her daughter out to watch my competition,” she continues. For Ormiston, not only does figure skating provide confidence and tranquility, it also gives her a strong sense of balance – literally. She explains, “For amusement parks, I never get motion sick at all because I’m so used to the dizziness and fast motion.” Though figure skating may seem like a unique skill, Ormiston’s story re-

HUMANS OF MILLS Rufella Roldan, Staff Writer

flects a larger truth about Mills students, with many having distinctive talents that often go unnoticed.

Mills senior, Ari Kurita, discovered his hidden talent pretty early on in his life as well – the colorful challenge of a Rubik’s Cube. “I first came across the Rubik’s Cube when I was around seven on a trip to New York at an Airbnb,” Kurita shares. “There was just a Rubik’s Cube sitting there, so the whole trip I spent trying to solve it. I ended up getting addicted to it to the point where I learned all the algorithms and didn’t stop playing until it was solved.”

Kurita’s casual interest soon became something extensive. “I used to practice it a lot when I was in elementary school, since I did it competitively for a bit. I would probably just practice it for an hour each day, learning new techniques and becoming more efficient,” he explains. “Nowadays, I just do it for fun every few weeks.” Even though Kurita doesn’t compete anymore, his skill continues to catch many off guard. “It always surprises

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people because not a lot of people know how to solve it, especially at the speed I do it,” he states. “It’s kind of funny when people ask, ‘Oh, do you know how to solve it?’ and I just ignore them and solve it right in front of them. Then they’re completely wowed. It’s a fun conversation starter.” At the top of his game, Kurita could solve a Rubik’s Cube in around 18 seconds — an impressive achievement, considering he was only eight years old at the time. “I could probably be faster if I practiced [more],” he admits. “But I’m too lazy.”

From skating across ice to solving puzzles in just a few seconds, students such as Ormiston and Kurita remind us that hidden talents come in many forms. Some can be graceful, logical, dormant, or even inventive. However, all forms of talent are fueled by passion, and these small but extremely impressive skills show that even your most unexpected hobbies can shape a lasting part of who you are and leave a long-lasting impression on others.

Alumni Adventures

Danica Vazquez, Staff Writer

The road from teenage years to adulthood

can feel like an unpredictable adventure.

For Mills alum Jennifer Peñas, Class of 1995, that adventure led her to one simple truth: happiness starts with being true to yourself. Now a blogger and stay-at-home mom, she looks back on her journey as one full of growth, self-discovery, and learning to trust that things will work out in their own time.

“It was a rocky road for a while after high school,” she admitted. Peñas shared about her career and how it came to be. “I [did this by] finding who I was, what [made] me happy, and identifying what and who are really important to me,” she explained. That reflection brought her a deep sense of peace and pride. “I knew that I reached my goal when I felt content and proud of who I was and where I was in my life.”

Peñas shared, “The world is always changing and so are we along with it,” she said. “When this change happens, we might need to reevaluate our goals and adjust them to reflect where we are in life.”

When asked what lessons have stuck with her since her time at Mills, Peñas emphasized, “Be true to yourself and don’t let other people influence you.”

Looking back, she hopes her story reminds current students to focus less on perfection and more on progress. As a message to current students, she advised, “Don’t stress so much about the future or all the little things. It will all work out the way it’s supposed to [and] everything is going to be okay.” Peñas’ journey shows that success doesn’t always follow a straight line – sometimes it’s about slowing down, trusting yourself, and finding joy in who you become along the way.

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A Glimpse At:

MUCH ADO ABOUT N

H

Mills students take the stage in a play about

high school. This November 6-8, our school is doing a modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, a romantic comedy about two contrasting romances where people fall in love and chaos takes control because it’s Shakespeare, so nothing is ever normal.. This play mirrors the experiences we face more head-on than the original, as it’s inspired by our day-to-day life.

Like high school, this play contains constant conflict. Sophomore Julia Smith describes, “There’s a lot of drama that could have been prevented and is unnecessary.”

When the cast is working together on a play or musical, they become a big group that is full of like-minded people. Senior Newt Wolter (Benny) states, “Everyone is unafraid to be expressive, which is what makes the theater such a special place; everyone is voluntarily open to vulnerability, and it’s a beautiful thing.” He also states, “I love performing and it’s such a thrill to be on stage with a group of people with the same passion that I do, and watching the events of the show unfold. Live theater makes every rehearsal and show unpredictable, which is endlessly exciting.” When you work with a large group, such as the cast of Much Ado About Nothing, you build a connection

17 | Features

Photo taken by: Emily Chi (11)

NOTHING

Hayden Bunce, Staff Writer

with the people you spend time rehearsing with. However, it’s not just all hanging out with like-minded individuals.

In order to put on a well-rounded show that is up to par, it is important for these stars to rehearse. Smith says, “We have rehearsal four days a week for an hour and a half after school, but that’ll probably get bumped to two hours the closer to the show. We’re also memorizing our lines. There’s a lot of working and set building.” I know from my own theater experience that being on campus an hour after school ends and possibly even two hours is an absolute nightmare. However, when you’re a lead, you are faced with a harder challenge: remembering your lines.

For a show to go on, the actors, especially leads, have got to remember their lines, which leads to more pressure. Wolter, who plays one of the main characters, says, “[The responsibility] can come with its stressors, as I have a lot of lines to memorize with less room for mistakes. I do want to feel as if I’ve earned the role and have put a lot of effort into getting my lines down and figuring out the choices to do justice to my character.”

When doing a production, it’s important to memorize your lines to be able to perform the best you can and do yourself and your co-

stars justice.

The Mills Theater department has been working hard to perform a top-tier show for the Mills community. The show dates are November 6 to 8, so make sure you come and support your community.

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The

MEDIA Has And

DESENSITIZED Normalized

GUN VIOLENCE

BY: The Thunderbolt staff Center Spread | 20

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n America, the topic of gun violence is no ordinary discussion. According to the Gun Violence Archive, an independent non-profit organization that provides near-real-time information on gun violence incidents in America, there have been over 349 mass shootings since the start of this year. Although countless incidents go unreported, the ones that do make headlines appear so frequently they’ve almost become routine. With the climb in the dependence

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Graphic by: Joon Russo (1 Thunderbolt Cre Committee

on public media to attain breaking news, the frequency of reported gun violence acts began raising a question: has this caused us to become desensitized to gun violence?

For years, America has been at a constant war with conflicting ideals and political opinions. One of the most controversial topics has been the handling of firearms and whether stronger rules must be implemented in order to keep Americans safe.

On September 10th, 2025, American right-wing political de-

12) eative

bater Charlie Kirk was assassinated with a singular gun shot at an event with thousands in the audience witnessing this brutal occurrence. Hours after the announcement of Kirk’s death, public figures of all political backgrounds across the nation came onto social media to express their strong disapproval towards political violence. At the same time, viewers also began expressing both disappointment and gratitude for the use of a firearm for Kirk’s death. Outraged with the cause of his death, many with similar political views of Kirk voiced their anger towards the opposing party and vice versa, blaming each other for the cause of his death.

On the same day Kirk was shot, a school shooting happened in Colorado at Evergreen High School. Two students were shot and critically injured while the gunman died from self-inflicted wounds. Newsfeeds were covered with Kirk’s assasination with many viewers not knowing of this event. What should have been on the national news was overpowered from the assassination of a notable figure, proving how these shootings are treated as “common” to the point where the media would rather focus on other events.

The constant attention surrounding the shooting of public figures should not be the approach to condemning gun violence. Deciding when to feel

bad will not change the way others think of gun brutality.

It is clear that the use of firearms will never be the answer to any issues. While these acts are never justified, a deeper concern arises: why do people express outrage over gun violence when it involves a public figure’s death, but not when hundreds of other gun related catastrophes occur? With the everlasting coverage of prominent figures, the discussion of the real issue becomes a matter of selective empathy.

School shootings have been nothing but a tragedy in America. Within the media, the coverage of school shootings has often focused on the perpetrator rather than the actual victims. The angle of reporting influences the reactions of the public, with people discussing “unassociated topics,” such as dissecting the shooter’s path and creating conspiracy theories. While these instances aren’t necessarily always a broadcasted conversation, they are still discussed and spread quickly across social platforms.

These reactions aren’t only evident in cases of school shootings, though.

On December 4th, 2024, Luigi Mangione, a 26 year-old American man, shot UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson claiming the health insurance industry had been corrupted by greed and this was his way of bring-

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ing attention to the matter. The murder triggered a variety of mixed reactions from the public, with some expressing disapproval of Mangione’s actions while others glorified and even celebrated him for what he did. At the same time, some responded in different ways, completely ignoring the crime or downplaying it as a joke. A majority of these reactions occurred on social media platforms, w i t h people

commenting on posts of Mangione in court, gushing about his appearance, praising his photogenicity, and turning his facial expressions into memes and stickers rather than taking the situation seriously.

The media’s reactions show how the frequency of these situations, regardless of the victim’s identity, has created a sense of normalcy, causing people to see things at a different, and oftentimes inappropriate, angle. Other than the occasional message sending empty condolences, most ignore the effects these situations have on victims and focus more towards new intriguing or eye-catching information, which in Mangione’s case were his looks and in Kirk’s case were his political

views. Now, the public is only surprised when something “interesting” happens because the gun violence aspect is no longer seen as significant, and the media completely disregards the fact that these are life-altering, and possibly ending, traumatic events.

During the fourth week of October, The Thunderbolt surveyed a total of 130 Mills students on their thoughts about the topic of gun violence. In 2024, over 300 shootings occurred at schools around the country, with 83 of them resulting in injuries or death. The data collected included more than half of the participants hypothesizing that there were under 100 school shootings in America in 2024, proving how overlooked gun violence is. Considering how impactful and life altering these events can be, it is surprising to see how often school shootings are brushed over or minimized.

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53

think that Mills is in the middle ground on whether or not students and staff are well-prepared in case of a school shooting

1 = not prepared at all 5 = very prepared

130 rESPONSES

25 | Center Spread

. i.

57.7% remained neutral or agreed with the idea that gun violence is a normal part of daily life in the U.S.

.i .

40

agree that gun violence has been normalized and/or glorified by the media

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| Center Spread Spread 27 1 | Center

Graphic by: Joon Russo (12) Thunderbolt Creative Committee

Unequivocally, school shootings have always been a large concern for students in America from all the happenings reported from the news. The frequency of shootings has led to similar reports every time, which have slowly begun to minimize. The discussion of gun violence has gradually become normalized, with people debating over it. Due to the overall conversation online, the algorithm fed to students has created the idea the issue isn’t to be as concerned about. This culture of normalization, although a seemingly harmless means of “coping,” physically manifests itself in dangerous habits with real-life repercussions.

When an emergency happens at school, students are required to follow the safety protocols followed by evacuations practiced from drills. 40% of surveyees stood in the middle ground on whether or not Mills is well-prepared in case of school shootings with the drills.

However, the sense of urgency that typically surrounds these evacuations has completely died down due to the constant setting off of fire alarms at Mills, whether it is triggered by mal-

functions, accidents, or vapes.

It has become a standard for students to react calmly when an alarm is triggered, with some even celebrating not having to be in class. With smoke detectors having the intended purpose of detecting fires in buildings, the unconcerned reactions from students pose a threat to real safety concerns.

One known tactic for school shooters is to pull a fire alarm or have a fire alarm triggered from gunshots. The lack of concern with fire alarms potentially exposes students to immense amounts of danger.

Media coverage of gun violence has created a constant and repetitive exposure to the news which has led to the normalization of the topic, creating an emotionally numbing response. The influence from the media endangers the concern and worry of adolescents as we are common targets to firearm usage.

The media needs to prioritize producing less glorifying depictions of gun violence, as it makes people less emotionally-responsive in real life and less empathetic towards others.

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Kids dressed in a variety of common Halloween costumes

Silar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Simplification of Halloween Costumes Amelia Percy-Wong, Staff Writer

Halloween is one of the most popular hol-

idays in the United States. It is a night where you typically eat candy, hang out with friends and most importantly, dress up in costumes.

When we were younger Halloween might’ve just been an excuse to eat lots of candy, but for many, especially as we get older, it’s a freeing night that allows us to be bold, creative and unbound by restraints keeping you from being what or who you want to be. However, sometimes choosing a costume can feel like a chore more than anything else. In this article, you’ll learn a couple tips for finding costumes, the line between a costume being classic or boring, and why enjoying Halloween is so important.

When it comes to coming up with costume ideas, the best inspiration is going to be yourself. Do not feel pressured to do what’s popular.

Dress as something you’re interested in. You can take the concept of what you’re interested 29 | Opinions

in and scour social media platforms for ideas, and even if you can’t think of anything you’re interested in, social media is still a great way to find inspiration (considering the options are endless). You can also go to friends for inspiration, and possibly do group costumes. This is a great way to make the experience of choosing a costume more exciting if you feel underwhelmed by the prospect. It’s understandable as you grow older to think that you’re “too cool” to still dress up, but frankly you can never be “too cool” or “too old” to not take up the chance at expressing yourself. So out of endless ideas, how do you choose?

I personally love the classic Halloween costumes; they remind me of childhood and endless possibilities. Though it may not seem significant or relevant, there is a stark comparison between costumes that are classic and those that are just straight up boring. Classic Halloween costumes are the ones that you recognize easily, the ones that we’ve all dressed up as once. Classic costumes include things like

Nicole Pruett Guest Writer

Image Courtesy of Wayground

A variety of Halloween masks for sale

Lyd0286, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

vampires, ghosts, witches, princes/princesses as well as pirates or clowns. All these costume ideas are classic for a reason: not only are they easy to replicate and understand, but it’s easy for them to be somewhat unique considering the large coverage and variations of these types of creatures or characters in media.

Boring or basic costumes are costumes that lack thought or any type of effort. A costume can still be considered boring even if you put thought and money into it. Money does not equal effort, and it most definitely does not equal creativity. You can make costumes from your own closet or thrift something cheap and make it into a costume you’re proud of. However, do not expect to get any candy calling yourself a robber just because you’re wearing a striped shirt; are you proud of that costume?

Nobody is. In a way, you’re robbing yourself of dignity.

Halloween is the one time of year when you can dress cute like a bunny, scary like Pennywise, or funny like a class clown or something actually funny. The point is, Halloween can really be anything you want it to be whether it’s hanging out with friends, trick or treating for candy, watching a scary movie or just wanting to feel like a kid again. In conclusion, take advantage of the freedom to be anything — that could be who you’d want to be, your alter ego, or just who you really are. Be bold, have fun, and be creative. Happy Halloween!

K

ahoot has an evil twin brother. Its name is Wayground. Wayground (formally Quizzizz) is an online educational website used for games and quizzes, and it needs to be eradicated immediately. Compared to other websites created to perform the same tasks, it’s very poorly designed, and it doesn’t even work well. I’ve used it a few times in my classes, and never has every kid in the class been able to log onto the site without issues. Some kids could not log in, or their screens would freeze, or they’d be redirected to a completely different page as everyone else.

It took a very long time to even get a quiz started, not to mention it’s not even a good quiz taking app! It doesn’t have a lot of the features good quiz sites have. It is visually distracting, and has no way of going back once you answer a question. In addition, it times each question instead of the entire test.

Instead of encouraging students to take their time with the test questions and show understanding of the subject, it forces them to rush through the test in order to beat a timer. In addition, it doesn’t allow you to go back on questions, or even go back after you’ve picked an answer. As soon as you press a button, you’ve locked in your answer, meaning that a misclick can ruin your test score.

It’s awful. Wayground is a poor quiz site set up for failure, and can’t even work properly.

All teachers need to delete it from their computers, Kahoot and Google Forms work one hundred times better and are one hundred percent easier to use! Use them instead of that disgusting excuse for an educational website called Wayground!

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ARE SELF-DRIVING CARS SAFE? CommanderOzEvolved, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A driverless Waymo taxi

Elijah Cabatic/ Thunderbolt

Neola Lo, Staff Writer

The sight of self-driving cars has become around me more and more of what that is, common throughout the Bay Area, even found roaming the streets of Millbrae. Google’s autonomous cars, Waymos, have been the pioneers of this movement since their launch in 2024.

However, safety has always been an overarching concern for these vehicles, as they aren’t fully developed and are still finding ways to improve technology. When conducting a search for drunken drivers in San Bruno, police officers spotted a Waymo making an illegal U-turn in front of them. This raises the question: are driverless cars really safe?

After seeing this, the officers pulled the car over, but there was no driver to cite, so no ticket was issued. When asked about the danger of self-driving cars, English teacher Kelly Alberta states, “I think they’re probably safer to drive around than most human drivers.” From a statistical standpoint, the vast majority of car accidents are due to human error, while autonomous vehicle accidents vary in data. Even with a higher crash rate, reports show that driverless cars have a lower rate of serious injuries.

Nonetheless, people believe that driverless cars are dystopian, threatening to replace humans. Alberta comments that it does concern her that driverless vehicles could be taking an individual’s job, like Uber or Lyft.

She remembered, “When I first saw them, I thought it was so outlandish, and now I see 31 | Opinions

and that’s where we’re headed,” highlighting the new age of technology that is approaching faster than we think. “It’s a lot like dystopic novels, things that we thought could never be possible are happening right in front of us,” Alberta adds.

Many are questioning the reliability of this new technology, declaring that self-driving cars will take over. Driverless vehicles may seem eerie, but others may argue that they are convenient for transportation. This poses the debate of whether or not we are losing humanity, or if society isn’t ready to move on from tradition just yet.

The discussion of the safety of autonomous cars is and will continue to be an ongoing topic in our modern day agenda. I think they are very useful for transportation, but shouldn’t be on the road if not fully developed. However, artificial intelligence isn’t perfect and still has a lot of room for improvement. As driverless cars become more and more common, the public’s opinions keep growing. While people might not want to believe it, these vehicles are a major step in future technology. And they are not the only ones causing accidents, as human drivers are not any better. I feel that we need to understand that humans are a part of the problem as well. So, what do you think: are self-driving cars really safe?

Logos courtesy of College Board

Joon Russo/ Thunderbolt Creative Committee

The AP Overload: Is the Stress Worth the Credit?

Samantha Liew, Staff Writer

As we are mid-way through fall, AP test reg-

istration is soon to arrive. For many students, this means deciding on what AP test to really prepare for and what AP test not to take. This year it seems that it is normal for students to take AP classes earlier. Some students take it so far by starting their sophomore year to get ahead in their studies, though even when there aren’t many AP classes at Mills “designate” for sophomores like AP Modern World. If they are able to take an AP, they definitely will. Is there a reason to challenge themselves? Or is it only to get ahead of the game?

You may ask yourself, ‘AP classes, what is the point in taking them early?’ For some students, like junior Kyle Venook, it’s about pushing himself in order to grow as a student. He has taken nine AP classes in the span of three years.

When asked if he only takes AP classes to get ahead, he said, “Personally, it’s not really about getting ahead. I really enjoy the challenge of classes, and I really like to feel challenged by

my classes, and I would like to be able to grow in every class.” This isn’t the only case of this, as it seems that when students enter their junior year, they start taking three to four APs without having taken them in previous years.

As a current junior currently taking four AP classes, for me it definitely can be a struggle. It is my first year taking AP classes and I can really feel the change. There is much more work and there have definitely been sleepless nights and tearful days. Senior Katie Chun has taken eight AP classes total. She talks about how she deals with stress. First, she says that the biggest challenge is how quickly the material moves.

Her way to success you may ask? You have to stay focused, keep up with the pace, and most importantly, don’t procrastinate. These strategies can help you stay on the path of success and more importantly help you succeed.

However, while AP classes can help many get ahead in school, they also weigh a person down mentally. With the constant rush of turning things in, a heavy workload, and the pressure to perform just as your peers, it can Opinions | 32

easily burn you out. Though you are able to get college credit and boost your GPA up in order to look better for colleges, the stress can outweigh the benefits of really taking an AP class.

If one is not careful enough, you might just lose it completely.

So whether you are a student who likes to challenge themselves to the fullest, or someone who is working to the best of their abilities, you should do what is right for you. Be able to find that work life balance, enjoy hanging

out with your friends and doing silly things. In the end, it’s not really about all these classes, though they take up a lot of time and the work is a lot more rigorous. It matters where your life is in the future. For me, as much as it is great to take APs to challenge yourself, make sure you know how to balance the stress. I would take Kyle’s advice: “I’m not here to get a grade. I’m here to learn subjects and prepare myself as a person for adulthood and for college.”

Above: The enrollment of AP exams across the US, 21 of which Mills offers Left: The average scores of Mills Students during AP exams in 2024. Students must achieve at least a 3 to get college credit.

Courtesy of Mills High School

33 | Opinions

What To Do About Bathroom Passes?

Isabella Morales, Staff Writer

The limited bathroom pass-

es policy has been an issue for students lately, with some teachers starting to designate a certain number of bathroom passes per semester; some teachers only give us three passes per semester, others six and a few have no policy at all.

I asked two teachers about this policy: Tara Donohoe, who is a teacher who doesn’t use this bathroom policy, and Valerie Bolante, who is very strict with this policy.

First I asked Bolante what her bathroom policy was. She explained, “My bathroom policy is giving my students three bathroom passes per semester.” When I asked how she decided on this policy, she replied, “I decided on this policy because students were taking advantage of bathroom passes, going to the ‘bathroom’ for 20 to and even 30 minutes, losing class time and not taking notes.” In the case that a student used all their bathroom passes but had an emergency, Bolante shared that she would make an exception for them. She believes that this strict bathroom policy ultimately benefits students by letting them learn more, as opposed to skipping class. Then, I asked Donohoe,

Mills Bathrooms with a classroom bathroom pass

who doesn’t have this policy and is less strict on the bathroom policy. She responded, “My bathroom policy is only that if you want to go to the bathroom then ask, sign your name out, take the pass, and go.” Upon asking her how she decided on this policy, she explained, “If I need to go to the bathroom, then I go to the bathroom, so if you need to go to the bathroom then go to the bathroom.” I also asked her how the bathroom policy benefits her students, and she remarked, “I think for most students it works … There are some students that take advantage of it, and I deal with that individually.”

Lastly, I decided to ask Anne Silveira (11), a Mills High School student, for her feedback about teachers who have the bathroom pass policy, and

Elijah Cabatic / The Thunderbolt

she said, “I think it is ridiculous because you shouldn’t punish everyone because a few kids are messing around, and I feel that if a few kids are messing around and losing class time, then that’s on them — not on everyone else who actually need to go to the bathroom.” I also asked her if she agrees or disagrees with this policy, and she responded, “I strongly disagree, because it’s not fair …

If you need to go to the bathroom, you need to go to the bathroom.” When suggesting a ban of these policies, Silveira agreed, adding, “Yes, it should be banned because it is harmful for students, because those bathroom passes are worth points. If you don’t use the bathroom, you gain points, so some students just hold it and don’t go to the bathroom just to get some extra credit.”

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Michael Pacheco, Staff Writer

In the last few years, e-bikes have become a

popular way for middle and high school students to get around. What started as a trend for adults has turned into a common sight at schools and around town. E-bikes are fast, efficient, and better for the environment than cars. They give teens more freedom to get to school, hang out with friends, or run errands without needing a license or a ride from their parents. As more students start using them, e-bikes are quickly changing how they get around every day.

As they have become more popular, safety concerns have started to rise among both drivers and bikers. Recently, there was a teen

The bike racks in front of Mills filled with students’ bikes and scooters

Elijah Cabatic / Thunderbolt

35 | Opinions

in Menlo who was hospitalized from an accident involving a car and an e-bike; injuries were relatively minor but it’s still a very serious and concerning manner. With such an unfortunate event happening, it makes you wonder how e-bike riders can protect themselves more to be able to prevent themselves from being hurt or in an accident. Taking extra precautions and being aware of your surroundings can be key to a rider’s safety and preventing any accidents.

Enzo De Paula (10) is a student at Mills who rides an e-bike, and when asked how he thinks riders and drivers can work together to make roads safer for everyone, he said, “I think drivers need to be more patient and bikers also have to be more aware of their surroundings.”

De Paula also mentioned how wearing the right gear and equipment is very important to riders’ safety. When asked if he knew about the accident of a teen in Menlo, he said he was not aware but was nonetheless concerned and wondered if he did take all the safety precautions to avoid it himself.

All things considered, safety is the number one priority for everyone on the road. Without a doubt, there are many risks to riding bikes, especially e-bikes. Roads are usually meant for sharing, but that means everyone has to play a part in sharing the road and being safe; for the most part, we can all agree we don’t want to see anyone hurt. The e-bike community seems to continue to grow, so being able to accept that as pedestrians and drivers is very important. As our fellow students ride to school or around everyday, we hope for the best for them and their safety.

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Kylie Huynh / Girls Tennis

Girls Varsity Tennis Wins Freedom High Tournament Madison Sneed Staff Writer

The Mills Girls’ Tennis team

played a tournament on September 27th, at Freedom High School. They split up the high schools into two divisions, each division having a total of four high schools. Mills went up against Miramonte, O’Dowd, and finally Liberty High School. They won all of four games, defeating all three high schools; they came home victorious after not winning the tournament last year.

I was able to talk to players on the team. Sophomore Maya Heath-Dolmage (10) has been on the team since her freshman year and has now been on the tennis team for two years. I was also able

37 | Sports

to speak with senior Kylie Huynh (12), who has been on the team since her freshman year. She is now in her fourth year and serves as the captain of the tennis team. Throughout the tournament, they remained positive and encouraged each other throughout the match. They will offer each other team cheers.

Unfortunately, Huynh was struggling with shin splints during the tournament, but she didn’t let that stop her.

During the tournament, her legs were killing her, but Huynh persevered through the pain and helped the team secure the win. “But honestly, what kept me going was that we had the tournament last year, but then we didn’t win,”

Huynh shared.

After coming up short in the Freedom High School tournament last year, I asked Heath-Dolmage about losing last year, She explained, “We only lost one of our matches, and that’s why we lost it. If we won that, then we would have won that tournament.”

But losing last year didn’t stop them. Instead, it encouraged them to do better.

Continue reading on millsthunderbolt.org

Money Around Sports: How Mills Sports are Funded Adrian Lopez Staff Writer

Sports funding is how schools pay for costs of their sports teams. Some of the money comes from the school district, but teams also raise extra money on their own to cover additional costs. Not every sport gets the same amount of money.

“My budget comes from the district, and then they have their own team fundraising. So those are the two main sources.” Athletic Director Timothy Keller explained.

There are two main ways sports teams get money, the district’s budget and the money the teams raise themselves.

The district gives a set amount of money to each sport to cover things like paying officials and basic equipment. But that money isn’t always enough, so the teams also do fundraising to pay for things like uniforms, travel, and special equipment.

Joon Russo / Thunderbolt Creative Committee While the district covers basic costs for all the teams, fundraising is important because it helps pay for extra stuff that the district’s budget can’t cover. For example, football teams need expensive equipment like helmets and pads, while a sport like cross country doesn’t need as much. This means that sports teams need to raise money on their own to make sure they have everything they need.

“I bus the five largest teams: football, cross country, track, swimming, and badminton. My transportation budget is not strong enough for me to bus everybody everywhere they want to go.” said Keller.

Transportation costs are another big part of sports funding, but not every team gets a bus. The biggest teams, with more athletes and more games, get priority for bus rides. This means some

smaller teams may not have the same travel support and might have to find other ways to get to their competitions, which can make things a little unfair when it comes to the resources different teams get.

Sports funding in schools is a mix of money from the district and money raised by the teams themselves. The district covers basic things like officials and equipment, but the amount of money a team needs can vary. Bigger teams may get more support, especially when it comes to things like transportation, while smaller teams have to find other ways to get by. The goal is to make sure all athletes have what they need to succeed, even if the way the money is split isn’t always the same.

Sports |

38

Unitedly Game Changers Recognizes Tw

JACELYN LAM / Game Changers

ATHLETES IN MOTION: Brandon Chu (10) and Jacelyn Lam (12) at produly pose at the Game Changers event

Madyson Tang Entertainment Editor

Many students at Mills are

not only sports rounded, but also carry leadership skills wherever they go. Unitedly is a nonprofit organization located in San Mateo County that stands by promoting leadership and confidence on and off the court.

Founded in 2023, the founder Alyson Suzuki created Unitedly to represent and give a voice to the Asian basketball community in San Mateo County. Having kids of her own who actively play basketball, they gave her the inspiration for the creation of Unitedly. The board of Unitedly also includes a variety of voices to

39 | Sports

ensure everyone apart of the nonprofit is heard.

An extension of Unitedly that incorporates two very own basketball players fromMills is Game Changers. Game Changers is the newly founded extension created to extend the mission of Unitedly to Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) student-athletes.

Being a part of Game Changers allows student-athletes to share their voice, teamwork, leadership, and skills to create meaningful change.

One of the two students who is actively a part of Game Changers is Brandon Chu (10).

Chu is a sophomore who is on the Mills basketball team and

also plays AAU club basketball as well. Chu was recognized from Unitedly as not only a student-athlete, but for his dedicated leadership skills.

When being asked about his accomplishment, Chu mentioned “I was one of the few people selected out of about the fifty people who applied. I also got to meet a lot of more well known Asian athletes.” He commented more about the application process stating that it was determined on a Google Form where students all across San Mateo County had the opportunity to apply for the recognition. It was then later posted to the Unitedly Instagram account.

“I was surprised because

wo Mills Student Athletes All Star Athlete Olivia Ma Staff Writer

Varsity water polo goalie Kat-

JACELYN LAM / Game Changers

there were a lot of applicants and they chose me,” he added when talking about his initial reaction. Even though his accomplishment was only posted onto the Unitedly Instagram page, Chu getting featured not only shows that Mills’ students thrive in leadership skills, but are also amazing students and athletes.

The second student that was also recognized under the same accomplishment is Jacelyn Lam (12). Lam is a senior at Mills who is also an active player on the court. “I applied to be a part of Unitedly’s Game Changers program where a selected number of high school athletes get to gain leadership skills and experiences through basketball.

Basketball workouts and training are provided, as well as leadership workshops to help give back to the Asian community,” Lam commented.

When asked if she felt accomplished she added, “Yes, I am honored to represent the program as part of the first cohort. Out of many applicants from high schools around the county, I was one of the ten student athletes selected, as well as one out of two female student athletes to represent this cohort.”

Continue reading on millsthunderbolt.org

erina Tilis (11) was recognized by the San Mateo Daily Journal for her phenomenal performance in their game against San Mateo on Oct. 14. She made a career-high 27 saves in the goal, and through effective teamwork, Mills brought home the victory.

With a passion for swimming, Tilis decided to join the water polo team as a goalie.

“I just felt like I’d be good at it, and I just ended up being good at it,” Tilis says. “I’m very long and I have good reaction times.”

After three years of hard work and diligent practices with the varsity team, she has been improving her game and gaining valuable life skills.

“I’m a goalie, so I can see everything that’s going on in the water,” Tilis reflects. “It really helped me understand how the game works, and it really helped me with leadership because I’m usually the one telling them what to do, who to pass to, and that just really helped me become a better leader.”

When asked about advice that she would give aspiring athletes, Tilis said: “Never stop training, because all of that pays off. And just never lose hope, and you’ll get there eventually.”

Sports | 40

KAYLI TSANG / Girls’ Golf

Mills Girls Golf Dominating the Green Erick Pena Staff Writer

Mills has plenty of sports

like football, soccer, basketball and track, but a sport that people might not know is golf.

The Mills girls’ golf team is ending the season with a great record of 9-1 which advances them to PALs (Peninsula Athletic League) and CCS (Central Coast Section).

In a recent game against Aragon, the team broke 200, meaning that the total score added from the whole game

41 | Sports

was under 200 points. The team got a score of 197, which is pretty good in golf terms.

The team was ecstatic after they accomplished this.

Mills girls’ golf player Samantha Liew (11) said, “When we broke 200 by playing 197, it was really memorable because we had always joked about breaking 200, but never really experienced it.”

When it comes to practices it’s what you might think. “A typical school practice is held at Poplar Creek. We putt first, then we hit balls on the range.”

The girls golf team had

amazing performances from players, such as freshman Irene Hur (9), who was featured in the San Mateo Daily Journal Athlete of the Week.

When asked how she felt, Hur expressed, “I was really surprised because I didn’t know there was a thing like that and I was only a freshman.

I didn’t think I would get that much recognition. Either way I was really grateful.”

The team’s supportive atmosphere and teamwork really pushed the team to thrive and be successful throughout the season.

ANGELINA CHEN/ Girls Golf ANGELINA CHEN / Girls Golf

CHRISTINA CHEN / Girls Golf

Sports | 42

Demon Slayer

Infinity Castle: A Visual Masterpiece Tiffany Pham, Staff Writer

The wait is finally over. The

final battle for humanity’s survival has just begun, as Tanjiro and the Hashira prepare to face their most powerful demons inside the endless halls of the Infinity Castle.

On September 12th, the new movie, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle, began

Image courtesy of IMDb

| Section 43 |1Entertainment

airing in theaters. With this film being long-awaited, it picks up immediately where season 4 of the anime left off – with no recap or pause in action.

The movie continues directly from the series, starting right in the middle of the final arc.

Combining emotional character backstories with intense life-

or-death battles, it leads up to the final fight against Muzan Kibutsuji.

It follows Tanjiro and the Demon Slayer Corps as they enter Muzan’s Infinity Castle, a mysterious, changing dimension where the final battles begin. The movie dives deeper into the characters’ backstories and emotions while showing intense I m a g e and beautifully animated fighting scenes.

Personally, while watching the movie, I was fully engaged the whole time; it was intense, exciting, and emotional throughout many scenes.

The fighting was interesting, including gorgeous visuals. I liked how it continued from the series naturally, as if nothing about it felt slow or boring. My only complaint is that it ends on a cliffhanger. Now we have to wait for the next movie to see how everything unfolds.

While interviewing freshman Veronica Ung, she shared, “Overall, the movie felt really sad … it changed my understanding of how or why the characters did certain things.” Veronica also praised the visuals, mentioning, “When you look at that specific art style, you would think — oh!

Demon Slayer.” She described the movie in one word: “heartbreaking.”

Many viewers praised the movie for its breathtaking

Thunderboxd Hayden Bunce Staff Writer

Trends are a general direction in which something FIONA LI / Thunderbolt Creative Commitee

animation, emotional voice acting, and powerful soundtrack, especially during the fight scenes. For fans who have already watched the Demon Slayer’s series, Infinity Castle felt like a strong and satisfying continuation, rather than just a separate movie of its own.

Even though many loved the movie, some audiences found it difficult to follow due to them not seeing the previous seasons. Since the movie starts in the middle of the story with no recap, new viewers might have felt lost, which can lessen the emotional impact of major scenes and character moments.

In the end, I strongly recommend this movie, but only if you’ve watched the anime first. It’s a beautiful, intense, and emotional experience that leaves you excited and impatient for what comes next.

is changing and growing. Calico Critters are the new niche collectible of people’s desire, but at what cost?

These cute little critters used to be around 5 dollars, and now with their popularity, the prices have skyrocketed being resold for around 100 dollars a set.

Trends die out, so eventually, there will be another collectible that takes the cash of the majority.

How can we go back to being friends? New singer, Sombr has come up in a bit of drama after a 25-yearold posted about her negative experience at one of his concerts. This caused Sombr to go on TikTok and make a response that might land him in a media training class. He went on to call her old, telling her she was bodyshaming him, and saying he was just making jokes to his tween audience. Videos of those jokes began to circulate on TikTok, including a video of Sombr making fans bark for him. It seems now people would avoid him in a room full of people instead of looking for him.

Have you ever bought something from Depop?

If so, were you blessed with stickers or even beef jerky? In order to get more sales in the future, someone might be more inclined if the person they bought from gave them a nice little thank you along with adorable clothes. Unfortunately, some mishaps can happen when you run out of stickers, and you might end up with the first thing you see…a bag of teriyaki beef jerky. This resulted in the person who sold this order to start panicking because she got a 4-star rating over a freebie that, I’d argue, is better than stickers. Whether it’s cute stickers or a bag of beef jerky, freebies should regularly be sent with every order as a mini thank you.

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Anne Silveira, Staff Writer

On August 12, 2025, American singer-

Image courtesy of Model by Mia, TayLor Swift Object Detection, CC BY 4.0

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songwriter Taylor Swift announced her new album “The Life of a Showgirl” through a cryptic countdown on her website. The announcement was further confirmed by a video shown the next day during an episode of Travis and Jason Kelce’s New Heights podcast. This twelfth studio album was officially released earlier this month, on October 3, 2025, through Republic Records. The album was recorded in Sweden with the producers Max Martin and Shellback, during the Eras Tour.

Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” sold an astonishing 4 million copies in the U.S. during its first week, helping it become the first album ever to hit No. 1 without individual song sales.

It topped both the Top Album Sales and Top Streaming Albums charts. Out of those sales, 3.48 million were full album purchases — marking the biggest single week sales for any album in over 30 years.

Swift promoted the release of her album with TV appearances, a music video, and a movie release. She came out with her movie, “Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl” on the same day as her album. The movie has since been a hot topic, marking number one at the box office opening

weekend. The movie concluded with the debut of her music video for the album’s lead single, “The Fate of Ophelia,” along with behind-the-scenes footage, lyric videos for all 12 tracks, and personal commentary from Swift on the album’s creation. The first music video of the album, “The Fate of Ophelia,” was later released on October 5.

The Life of a Showgirl was also promoted on the Jimmy Fallon show, on October 6, 2025, where Swift discussed her album, The Life of a Showgirl, describing it as a blend of performance and “truth colliding.”

Furthermore, she also featured in “Late Night with Seth Meyers” a few days later, on October 8, 2025. On this show, she called the album “the most joyful album release I’ve ever had.” This gave fans a bigger insight into the new album and Taylor’s involvement in it.

The Life of a Showgirls’s cover art draws inspiration from John Everett Millais’s 1850s painting “Ophelia.” It depicts the dire character from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, just before she drowns. The album’s art features a “self-portrait” style with a theatrical aesthetic. Key visual themes include sparkly, revealing costumes. The overall album was inspired by the tour and her romantic relationship with the football player Travis Kelce.

Although this album was commercially successful, Swift faced considerable criticism from fans who felt disappointed by its lyrical content. Many listeners argued that the lyrics in this album were weaker compared to her previous work. A sentiment echoed by Pelin Ozgu (11), who agrees: “This album doesn’t compare to her previous albums, I wouldn’t recommend it.” One lyric in particular has drawn the most backlash on TikTok, from her song “CANCELLED!” : “Did you girlboss too close to the sun?”

Fans were quick to label it “cringy” and “disappointing.” Fans also criticized the soundtrack, and accused Taylor Swift of copying smaller artist’s songs.

Despite the backlash, Swift addressed the criticism head-on, telling fans: “If it’s the first week of my album release and you are saying either my name or my album title, you’re helping. It’s like everybody is allowed to feel exactly how they want. And what our goal is as entertainers is to be a mirror.” Swift mentions that she stands by her work, welcomes all kinds of reactions (positive or negative), and sees the album as a reflection of where she is in life right now. In the end, The Life of a Showgirl proves that Swift continues to grow as an artist, sparking both praise and criticism along the way.

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Pop Star Academy: The Rise of KATSEYE

Image courtesy of HYBE LABELS/KATSEYE-TOUCH MUSIC VIDEO

Angie Jacome Staff Writer

K

ATSEYE has recently become overly popular in 2025. With shows being sold out, their collabing with popular artists like Ice Spice, Young Miko (who performed Gabriela while opening for Billie Eilish) and YEONJUN, they have been the new IT group.

In 2024, KATSEYE blew up on TikTok with their song “Touch”.

Many people made videos doing the choreo from Touch. This past summer they became even more popular from their songs “Gnarly” and “Gabriela” both being from their recent EP “Beautiful Chaos”.

But nobody talks about how the global girl group was formed.

The group “KATSEYE” was

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formed through a survival show called “Pop Star Academy” on Netflix. The show includes 20 participants, but in the first episode there were 10 contestants. The first 10 contestants were Adéla, Daniela, Hinari, Megan, Ua, Emily, Ezrela, Marquise, Yoonchae and Mei. In the second episode we are introduced to Manon who is from Switzerland. Later on into the show we were introduced to Sophia & Lara who are currently a part of KATSEYE. When going into the show, none of the contestants knew it was a survival show and some of their friends would go home. During the show was when contestants found out the truth that Popstar Academy was a survival show where eliminations would take place.

This show ended up taking a

toll on some of the girls’ mental health.

During the show, girls were getting yelled at constantly by their coaches and it ended up taking even more of a toll on their mental state besides the fact that they are pretty much fighting for a spot in the global girl group. One contestant named Lexie ended up leaving the show because she believed it was messed up that her friends were being sent home. In the show, contestants also had to do what they called “Missions”. Missions are where they would have the girls compete in teams and learn a dance to a specific song. They would then perform the song and sing live while dancing.

Continue reading on millsthunderbolt.org

The Controversy of

Bad Bunny performing At the Super Bowl Senai Rivas Staff Writer

Many people are familiar with the name of Bad Bunny.

Whether it’s from a social media post or a name on the radio, Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican singer who in recent years has gained his recognition for combining Imag e

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reggaeton with trap, Latin pop, with elements of rock and electronic music. On Sunday, September 28, 2025, Bad Bunny was announced as the opening act for the Super Bowl of 2026, sparking various reactions from people worldwide.

Although there has been mixed emotions about him being the opener, questions have been arising. Viewers wonder if his performance will correlate to the politics that have been surrounding Latinos during this time period. With the idea that he will be performing in the Bay Area which contains a widely Latino and Hispanic populated area, people wonder if he will only perform Spanish speaking songs as he is a Latino artist.

The Latin community has depicted it as a proud moment for Latin culture.

Overall in times of crisis with

everything going on with ICE and anti-immigration laws coming, Nyla’Ri Torres (11) commented on the situation stating, “Latinos are a very big part of America as much as Americans. White Americans don’t like that. Latinos are the biggest. They’re essentially the backbone of America.”

His performance could be a message for everything going on or could be representing a future saying this is a country for everyone not just white Americans.

While Bad Bunny is notorious for his singing, he is also a social justice activist that centers around issues affecting Puerto Rico as well as political inequality helping voice his economic concerns. The idea of him performing in the Super Bowl halftime show has left people advocating and thinking of the future possibilities of other Latino artists being able to perform in mainstream events. Latinos all over the world can finally see themselves as being a part of a staple in American culture after seeing the inspiration of Bad Bunny.

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Photo courtesy of Neola Lo