Pony Express | December 2017 by Pioneer Pony Express

Dampiér’s math expertise in their manual

page 3

Skating into the New Hockey Season

›› New hockey team sparks interest in students wanting to represent the Mustangs

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Performing in Harmony

Photo by Annika Dahlberg

›› Future Path Prep includes Jeneé

Photo by Sharona Bet-Yadegar

Photo by Melody Beam

Math Teacher Contributes to the SAT Prep

›› The performing arts department

put on a winter showcase, bringing Choir, Orchestra and Band together on the stage

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THE PONY EXPRESS Volume 58, Issue 3

Literally Lauryn

Pioneer High School's Student Newspaper

Substitute Shortage Slams School District

Low pay leads to unfilled positions forcing teachers to cover for each other

By Annika Dahlberg and Katie Nguyen Editors

As many of you know, Cash Johnson, 12, and our Opinion Editor Isabella Osborne, 11, both had differing opinions on the issue regarding the moment of silence held for Hugh Hefner during one of the weekly broadcast videos. Many students talked poorly about Osborne’s column, but she showed more bravery by speaking her mind in a public forum with her name and photo attached than anyone does when complaining on social media. If all of us had the courage to put our faces on our opinions, we would create an environment where students are respected for their ideas rather than discouraged. I also commend Johnson for expressing his discontent with Osborne’s article by researching and developing well thought-out arguments instead of bashing her on social media. We have a letters section specifically for those types of statements and for our community to express their opinions. We invite you all to utilize. Good, bad, positive, critical, whatever it is, have the conversation with us publicly and openly. Commend us, criticize us, talk with us, but do it in the open, do it with accountability, and do it calmly, and civilly. Submit 150-200 word letters to ponyexpresseditors@gmail.com by Jan. 19 to be in our January 2018 issue. We cannot and will not accept anonymous letters, just as our writers are not allowed to write articles or opinion columns anonymously.

According to the National Education Association, substitute educators perform a vital function in maintaining and continuing daily education. Substitutes are called early in the morning, take over lessons on short notice, and ensure that quality education is maintained in our classrooms. The current substitute teacher shortage has left schools scrambling. On a regular basis, Pioneer teachers are asked to give up their prep periods, for pay, to cover classes when substitutes are not available. Departments such as the English department are forced to carefully schedule gradings and collaborations to make sure the district is not depleted of substitutes on a given day. “This has been a crisis districtwide, countywide, statewide with teacher shortages and sub shortages. The way we’ve handled it at Pioneer has been a collective effort,” Principal Herb Espiritu said. “It starts with Mrs. Goss. It starts with our teachers that we have on staff that are willing to sub.” Part of the issue may be the number of schools and school districts in San Jose, and difference in pay between them. “It is always a challenge for school districts to find enough substitutes to fill short- and long-term absences. Substitutes – like teachers – are in high demand everywhere,” Human Resources Director Jacqueline Murphy said. “This is

Photo by Annika Dahlberg

Lauryn Luescher

Editor-in-Chief

December 18, 2017

On Dec. 11, track coach and substitute teacher Cassandra Valenzuela fills in for her co-coach Kristen Miksch during her sixth period PE class. especially true for a district of our size with 41 schools and more than 1,700 classroom teachers.” Substitutes are required to submit a resume, valid current California credential or substitute permit, verification of basic skills requirement, and a Tuberculosis screening result. They are paid at a rate starting at $135 per day, according to EdJoin, compared to nearby districts like East Side Union High School District and Union Elementary School District who pay $145 per day for short term substituting. Substitute teacher Elliot Scozzola who also worked at East Side Union District believes that an easy solution to the shortage of substitutes would be a raise in

pay. “If I work full time (in East Side) I have basically the amount of money equal to two car payments extra a month,” Scozzola said. “It’s about $700 difference a month between (SJUSD and East Side), so a pretty big difference in the pay gap.” The district and Pioneer’s administration work together to make sure all classrooms are filled. Secretary Sarah Goss is responsible for working with substitutes and recruiting teachers on their preps to fill the gaps. “If a job is open or unfilled by the district, then we ask the teaching staff who is available and willing to take a period of that day on their prep period,” Goss said.

Cracking Down on Increased E-Cigarette Abuse

Photo by Natalie Sarsfield

Teachers are reducing bathroom privileges in order to cut down on students’ illegal substance use

An example of a JUUL that teachers are looking out for in their classrooms and on campus.

By Everett Bang Chief Copy Editor On Dec. 6, the administration team emailed teachers informing them of increased e-cigarette abuse by students

and urged teachers to be more cautious by restricting bathroom privileges during class and FLEX. Possessing any device that may contain nicotine, THC, or marijuana is illegal and against school policy, which will result in

suspension. Assistant Principal of Discipline Tim Gavello has caught students with help from security cameras and students, but is considering installing smoke detectors if funding comes through. “We catch a lot of students by word-ofmouth,” Gavello said. “A lot of students coming into the office and say, ‘This is what I’m noticing in the bathrooms’ and we can check the cameras and see who has entered those bathrooms.” E-cigarettes are harder to detect than traditional cigarettes because they don’t have to emit an odor, making it harder for teachers like Spanish teacher Nicole Pivato to apprehend students. “Smell is the main indicator and without that, it’s harder to notice other things like behavior changes,” Pivato said. “Nicotine is harder to notice in terms of being drunk or using marijuana.” Many students use JUULs, a type of e-cigarette, to get away with smoking because of their tiny design and accessibility. Isaac Kleiner works for Houdini Smoke Shop in downtown San Jose, which is one of the many certified distributors of JUUL and understands the

danger that e-cigarettes poses over regular cigarettes. “With vaping, you can’t control it. You keep on going all day and you keep increasing your nicotine level,” Isaac Kleiner said. “Now when you’re out of it, you have to put that same amount to be satisfied with your nicotine high.” Uplift Family Services counselor Ray Cedeno has been educating students of the dangers of narcotics for 10 years and wants students to break their addictions before it severely affects their future. He also made parallels between the current e-cigarette and marijuana industries, saying how they promoted the healthy benefits of using their product just like the tobacco companies of the 1950s. “The weed industry is no different than the tobacco industry,” Cedeno said. “You put an outside chemical into the brain, it’s going to slow down the process, maybe even to a point where the brain stops functioning at that particular level.” Uplift counselors are available in the office on Thursdays if students have questions or wish to come in for counseling.

Pony Express - Volume 58, Issue 3

News

Working to Correct Common Culture on Campus As sexual harassment accusations sweep the nation, students are no exception to these actions By Raya Carrillo Staff Writer With an overwhelming number of individuals coming forward with sexual harassment stories in workplaces and the media, sexual harassment and assault has become a relevant issue, giving it exposure and awareness. SJUSD has a zero tolerance policy for discrimination, harassment, intimidation or bullying on the basis of sex, sexual orientation or gender. It is up to students to report their violators. Until an offender is reported, the school or district cannot discipline anyone. Tatiana Feghali, 10, is among many who have experienced students slapping and groping each other, leaving victims uncomfortable. “I just kind of brush it off when I see (it happen to others). They get so uncomfortable,” Feghali said. “I just don’t know what to do when it happens, so I kind of just look and walk away. I don’t really do anything about it.” Sexual harassment has become such a

common part of our environment that even friends find it acceptable. “One of my old friends, every time I see him, he grabs my butt,” Nathalie Medina, 11, said. The severity of assault ranges from grabbing from behind to cases such as Penelope Kirby’s, 10, in which she was grabbed inappropriately by a male student by her throat and private parts without consent last year. Others have voiced concern about frequent sexual harassment on campus with a common theme of students not wanting to attend school in fear of encountering these violations. “It personally makes me feel very unsafe when I walk down the hall, when I get catcalled, when I get grabbed at football games. It makes me feel very unsafe on campus and I don’t feel okay when I’m here,” Kirby said. When Kirby reported the incidents to the office, she says the perpetrator was given a two-day suspension, but she believes that this was not harsh enough. “With sexual abuse that takes it to the point of choking me almost, he should’ve

been expelled,” Kirby said. “Slut-shaming,” is a form of sexual harassment in which words such as “slut,” “whore,” “hoe,” and “thot,” are frequently used seriously and jokingly to shame individuals. Harassment and assault affects students academically, mentally, and emotionally as it distracts them from their lives. Math teacher Jeneé Dampiér, understands these effects in students. “It makes it harder to focus on actual academics when they’re too busy thinking about what other people think about them,” Dampiér said. Teachers are cracking down on inappropriate actions in their classrooms and the administration team is developing solutions to prevent sexual harassment and assault in school. Principal Herb Espiritu wants to prevent sexual harassment, but knowing that he is not an expert on the issue, he actively sought people who are. He brought in Breaking Down The Walls to educate and raise awareness for students to realize the affects their words and actions have on others. He also developed the Mustang

Way awards to promote kindness and inclusiveness on campus. Teachers on campus witness students being put in uncomfortable situations regularly. History teacher Peter Glasser recalled a situation where he saw a male student stare inappropriately at another student during class. “I was just watching the body language and I could see her kind of stiffen up,” Glasser said. Physics teacher Michelle Steever, who experienced sexual harassment as a materials engineer, does her best to put an end to incidents as soon as they occur. “Groping is inappropriate and it’s important to say (something). It’s really important to speak up,” Steever said. “It’s okay to be assertive and say ‘no.’ It’s always okay to say no. Let’s make that the culture.” In a case of sexual harassment or assault, contact Assistant Principal of Discipline Tim Gavello at 408.535.6310 or tgavello@sjusd. org or call the sexual harassment and assault hotline at 800.656.4673.

Stanford Blood Drive Limited to One Day Only Despite the huge need for blood across the nation, there were fewer donors than previous years By Emily Nguyen Staff Writer

Photo by Emily Nguyen

Over 100 students created a bloodbath in the mini gym and no one called the police. Thankfully the blood was not lost in vein. According to the Stanford Blood Center, 20 percent of blood in the nation comes from high schools. On Dec. 4, nurses, Service Learning students, and 156 donors participated in the blood drive, giving 93 pints of blood. After the recent shooting in Las Vegas, the northern California fires and the more recent Los Angeles fires, blood banks need more donors. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. About 39 percent of the population is eligible to donate blood, but only 2 to 3 percent actually donate, according to the American Red Cross. “Blood donation is one of the most important things just because there is no substitute for human blood,” Service Learning Teacher Mike Burrell said. “People require it for emergencies, transfusions, and things like that so the only way to get it is by donors.” Service Learning took eight weeks to plan the drive, organizing the event so that students could donate blood. “Stanford Blood Center is in charge of facilitating everything that has to do with the needles and actually getting the blood

On Monday Dec. 4, the Stanford staff and Service Learning class organize equipment in the mini gym during the Blood Drive. out of the donors,” Service Learning student Daniel Woo, 12, said. “The students organize the event, they do publicity and they’re also in direct contact with Stanford.” Compared to previous years, the number of donors have dropped, causing Stanford to only come once this winter. Burrell said that sign-ups this year were low because not enough permission slips required for students donating blood under

the age of 18 were turned in, although they still met minimum number of donors to hold the event. Stanford’s Field Recruitment Account Manager Elisa Manzanares feels that donor numbers are low because not enough people are eligible to donate for medical reasons or do not have time to give blood. “There is still only one way to ensure we have blood available when we need it and

that is from blood donors,” Manzanares said. “I have always felt that is much easier to give blood than it would be to have to receive it. I often think of all of the people that are counting on blood donors each day.” If students missed the chance to donate this semester, Service Learning is planning on hosting another blood drive next semester.

Republican Tax Bill Affects Teachers on Campus The House and Senate versions of the bill passed and some provisions will bring change to teachers’ lives By Lauryn Luescher Editor-in-Chief

The House and Senate tax bills were both passed by Dec. 2 and created large policy differences, leaving many teachers uncertain of their future at SJUSD. There is still no compromise between the bills, but there are many provisions that teachers and administrators are concerned about. Owning a home is already difficult for teachers living in the Bay Area and under the new tax bill, it could become nearly impossible. On top of the mortgage interest deduction the House bill takes away teachers’ deductions for school supplies, graduate student tuition

waivers and student loan interest deductions while the Senate bill expands or retains all. Currently, teachers are able to deduct $250 toward their personal classroom expenses, but this could be removed entirely or raised to a $500 deduction under the Senate bill. Under the House bill, mortgage interest deduction is capped at $500,000 while the Senate bill retains the deduction. History teacher and current homeowner Peter Glasser is concerned that the mortgage interest deduction will raise his taxes and effect society in a negative way. “These tax deduction make homeownership possible for people. It’s troubling that the government is not prioritizing and rewarding

Pony Express - Volume 58, Issue 3

homeownership,” Glasser said. “It is sort of the quintessential thing to aspire to own a home and clearly this bill has different priorities in terms of people that are being rewarded. It’s not middle class people and it is not the philosophical benefits behind homeownership that is being prioritized.” Last year ,Pioneer lost teachers Matthew Lane, Chelsea Jones and Todd Scudder due to the expenses of living in the Bay Area. History teacher Lillian Luu said that she already had to move in with her dad in order to live and teach in the Bay Area. She also predicts that many Pioneer teachers will have to leave the Bay Area if more of their paychecks are going to higher taxes and deductions are

removed. “We already lose a lot of teachers because the job itself can be really tiring and if there’s more financial pressure, then we are going to lose even more teachers,” Luu said. “We can’t lose more teachers.” Principal Herb Espiritu said that even if the Republican tax bill puts teachers under more financial pressure, the union and district need to support its employees. “We need to have competitive salaries,” Espiritu said. “We need to have programs where we can entice, especially former Pioneer students, or the best of the best out of college to come back here and help educate our students.”

Features

Counting on Counselors for Support

Photo by Jesse Soto

Two new counselors are leaving an impact on students’ lives on campus

On Thursday Dec. 7, Counselor Maria Medvedev prepares for her counseling sessions during her prep time.

By Jesse Soto Staff Writer Depression and anxiety are mental illnesses that impact an extensive population of students today and the administration team has acquired two new counselors from Almaden Valley Counseling to relieve some of the pressures that students face. According to Maria Medvedev, one of

the counselors, one in five high school students on campus suffer from depression, anxiety, or both and do not know how to get help. Almaden Valley Counseling is located in the library counseling center and are open for students to come in during the school day. Counselor Cassie Richards specializes in helping students suffering from depression or anxiety. According to Richards, about 20 percent of students on campus

experience these conditions. She wants to help and support these individuals because she knows that every battle shouldn’t be fought alone. “We don’t expect people to know how to always fix things going on because you don’t know and people don’t know how all the time,” Richards said. “If you really are suffering, then we really want to help.” Medvedev knows that many kids in high school are struggling with depression. She sees about 100 students a month, including both drop-ins and regular visitors. Although each case comes with different necessities, she feels that any case can be treatable. She wants to teach students how to overcome these feelings and heal from past experiences. “It’s common and it shouldn’t be looked down upon,” Medvedev said. “There’s certain things you can learn through counseling. Certain skills, certain knowledge that can help improve the quality of a person’s life.” Richards is available in the library Monday, Wednesday, and Friday while Medvedev is available on Tuesday and Thursday. Both are available in the counseling office next to the computer lab from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and accept students who come with a signed parent permission slip, or just want to talk.

Accomodating for an Expensive City

Teachers work part-time jobs besides educating to maintain the Bay Area lifestyle By Matthew Andrejka Features Editor While teachers work full time in the Bay Area, some teachers need to find other means of income to make ends meet in this expensive economy. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a family of four will have to make $79,261 to “live comfortably” in the San Jose area. This leaves some teachers working two or sometimes three jobs to support themselves and their families. English teacher Laura Cozzella works two jobs in addition to teaching. She works as an SAT instructor at Future Path Prep and at Core Power yoga studio. “It’s hard, but as a younger teacher, I have rent and all these different things that I need to make sure that I am paying every month,” Cozella said.

“I’ve found that with everything that I want to have in my life, maintaining my lifestyle, I can’t afford that if I’m just doing my regular job.” Cozzella is planning on becoming a yoga instructor this spring, so she can make more income, opposed to just the free gym membership she gets from the studio. English teacher Andrew Barlam works for the SAT and ACT prep company Compass, as well as driving for DoorDash due to their flexible schedules. “I’m very busy because I teach six periods, so I don’t have a prep period,” Barlam said. “I wouldn’t take on an extra job if it was something that wasn’t flexible as far as allowing me to get the stuff I really need to get done.” Even if it’s not to meet ends meet, other teachers are also balancing two or more careers and paths. English teacher Catrina Galloway

balances her time between school and her position in the Army Reserves, serving for her fourth year as a psychological operations specialist. “I have a lot less time to do things which is sometimes the most difficult. I just don’t have weekends to grade papers and tests, so I have to use my time a lot more wisely, grade during prep, spend a lot more time at home doing things,” Galloway said. Galloway is able to utilize skills she learned working as a psychological operations specialist into her classroom by understanding how students react to what she says. “I teach kids from all over the world,” Galloway said. “(I need to ensure) that I am not saying something that could be misconstrued in their own language and culture, especially in the English Language Development class.”

Math Teacher Contributes to the SAT Future Path Prep includes Jeneé Dampiér’s math expertise in their manual By Melody Beam Entertainment Editor The SAT manuals that have been given to juniors for free have been updated with input from one of Pioneer’s very own. Math teacher Jeneé Dampiér has included her own skills in the revision of the Future Path SAT prep manual for this year’s juniors to practice from. Applying her own practice problems and knowing the skills in each allows students to get straightforward practice and learn the applied skills. It was important for primary author and founder of the book, Brett Johanson, to recruit candidates that met his standards when revising this new edition. “I believe that any curriculum is constantly evolving,” Johanson said. “Three editions in two years is an unusually fast update schedule, but the goal was to adapt and adjust quickly so we could make the course as effective as possible.” Johanson scouted Dampiér after observing the SAT prep classes she taught outside of Pioneer. He was impressed with her suggestions on how to fine-tune the course and therefore added her revisions to the manual. ¨I thought it was important to put actual practice problems on there for the kids that just wanted to practice the problems straightforward,¨ Dampiér said.

To Be Honest... Matthew Andrejka Features Editor The romance of Christmas is dead. What used to be small get-togethers with family and friends, snuggling by the fire and kissing a special someone under the mistletoe is long gone. Over the years, the commercialization of Christmas has grown into something that now is too late to turn back. Rather than buying one higher-end gift for loved ones, people are settling for lower end gifts that are “GREAT DEALS!” Within friend groups, the intimacy is lost with gift exchanges, where everyone buys a silly, stupid gift that no one will ever use, and people fight over gifts. What happened to Secret Santa, catering a gift to one person you know well and getting them a gift they will enjoy and use. Teens are choosing to hang out with friends instead of spending their precious holiday time with family, people who they don’t have the opportunity to spend quality time with every day. People are also scarcely helping out those in need. Every holiday season, there are people without families, people with no one to go home to. Donate your money or time and help people who need it. Let’s make America’s Christmas intimate again. Have a good time with your friends, but don’t forget about the people who watched you grow up. Buy special gifts that people will use and enjoy. Make the most of this holiday season because who knows where we will end up in 2018.

WE HELP FUND THE PONY EXPRESS! We are the Pioneer High School Education Foundation and we raise funds for: • • • •

Student Service Learning NHS Banquet/ Scholarships Classroom technology Academic programs

ATTENTION PARENTS: We meet every 2nd Tuesday of the month in the Media Center and we’d love to have you join us as we support PHS students in their academic endeavors. We are searching for parents to help raise funds in support of technology and educational needs of the school.

On Thursday Oct. 26, Jeneé Dampiér teaches her SAT prep class with her own practice problems. Photo by Siya Bedi. Taking some time out of her summer, Dampiér identified important concepts that needed to be included while also reorganizing the sequence of the math section so that it would flow in a logical order, according to Johanson. “I went through and looked at all the skills that are important for the SAT and broke them up, just like I do in my classroom,” Dampiér said. Ever since Dampiér started teaching SAT prep classes every Wednesday during FLEX, her students claim they can easily identify her teaching style when practicing those problems she wrote.

“I can see where she puts her own problems in because I learn well with her teaching style,” Trevor Paez, 11, said. “I’ve been successful in this course and it’s been helping, so now I can see why because it was her methods.” Dampiér and her students believe that her revisions will also benefit other students using this prep book. Future Path SAT prep books reach 800 to 1,000 students a year, and with Dampiér’s aid in SAT prep courses, students are confident that they will do well.

Visit us online and make your donation today using your credit card. It’s fast and easy. Go to www.pioneerhigh.org and select the Education Foundation link. Questions? Email us today at educationfoundationphs@gmail. com PHSEF is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization

Pony Express - Volume 58, Issue 3

Features

Students Taking on the Water Crisis Worldwide

Juniors Rhodas Melesse and Sydney Solis create new fundraising club, Thirst Project, on campus

The Thirst Project is a worldwide nonprofit agency devoted to ending thirst by digging wells for countries in need. Junior club presidents Rhodas Melesse and Sydney Solis formed a club with the Thirst Project to raise awareness, educate, and fundraise about the water crisis. The Thirst Project builds wells in countries in need to provide clean water and better sanitation systems which will be beneficial for about 40 years. “There’s over 663 million people without water and that affects their health and education because they have to go out and get this water,” Melesse said. “Mainly children are affected by this.” As part of the Thirst Project’s research, they discovered that children in third-world countries miss out on their education due to the time they devote to hauling water. English teacher Laura Cozzella grew

up in Brazil and experienced poor water conditions first hand which has now shifted her perspective on water usage. In Brazil, it is unsafe to drink from water fountains as the unclean water may carry diseases. Many children in this situation end up spending more time having to get water than going to school. “Now that I visit, my body has lost its ability to process the water. My family and I have to drink bottled water because we get sick from even the filtered tap water,” Cozzella said. “I find myself feeling fortunate that I have that access to water.” Fundraising Executive Evan Wesley works with students to help plan events, activities and fundraisers on their campuses. “We are trying to end the global water crisis by building a movement of young people who are educated on the issue to help us fundraise to build water projects,” Wesley said. The club currently has a fundraising

Photo by Natalie Sarsfield

By Natalie Sarsfield Staff Writer

On Wednesday Dec. 6, Sydney Solis, 11, and fellow club member wrap gifts for their shoebox drive after school in Catrina Galloway’s room. goal of $5,000. Solis and Melesse plan to raise this money through various events on campus and in the community. They have an upcoming Chipotle fundraiser in January and are selling bracelets on Earth Day. As of late October, they raised over

Three New Additions to Guided Studies The Resource Program welcomes three new teachers to their department By Emily Dao and Siya Bedi InDesign Editors Three new teachers have joined the Resource Program this year, bringing in past experiences and new insights. This year, Patricia Wood and David Yannone are taking over the program because former Department Chair Jenny Kim wanted to focus more on her students, classes and family. “I think it is nice to move up a little bit,” Wood said. “When you’re a teacher, you’re a teacher, but then getting to add something else like department head on top of it is a nice little step forward.” Resource teacher Jaclyn Ryan previously worked with eighth graders at Ida Price

Middle School. This year, she teaches mostly freshmen and loves the inclusiveness, energy and student engagement on campus. “The most rewarding experience I’ve had so far is the connections I’ve made with some of my students,” Ryan said. “I mean, it is like family. I have had kids that call me Mom and I am a school mom. That’s how I put it.” She decided to become a resource teacher because she understood how high school can be a struggle for some students. She felt like she could connect well with the students because of her past experiences as a student herself. Resource teacher Dietrich Nurnberg teaches kinesiology at San Jose City College and Evergreen Valley College at night. During the day, he teaches guided studies to mostly sophomores and thinks that the

words “special education” have a negative connotation in today’s society. “I think a big misconception is that special education students are stupid,” Nurnberg said. “That’s something I definitely want to put out there that it’s just kids that learn differently.” Special Day Class and Resource Specialist Program teacher Teena Farrell is also a new addition to this department. Wood believes this year’s program is blossoming into a great program with the support that these new teachers are bringing into the program and she appreciates them. “They’re all really great and they all bring different strengths,” Wood said. “Being able to pick everybody’s brains, to see what they know and what they did at old schools that we can bring in to make our program better is always really nice.”

$200 through a bake sale. “Bringing awareness to projects when it comes to basic human needs,” Cozzella said. “Any project that brings light to that, I will always stand right behind. I love that we have those voices on campus now.”

Jefferson Award for Public Service Have you done outstanding service that impacts your community? If you think so, you can qualify for the Jefferson Award for Public Service! How to apply: Submit a slip of paper with your name on it to Mr. Burrell in room P4 and you will be contacted.

Trailblazers: A Pony Express Comic by Joy Liu

Pony Express - Volume 58, Issue 3

Sports

Scoring a Spot in a Higher League

Photo by Sarah Durbin

The girls soccer team is entering a new division with their heads held high

On Wednesday Dec. 6, Cassandra Boyle, 12, defends her side of the field against Milpitas High School in a heated pre-season game.

By Natsumi Hirano Staff Writer The girls varsity soccer team is back in the Mt. Hamilton Division, the top of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, after three years and is preparing to have a challenging season playing at a higher level. The team went undefeated in the Santa Teresa Division, the “B League,” during the 2016 season, earning them a spot in the higher division. With a small team of 17 players, they are working with a tight roster and can not risk minor injuries during the season.

Head Coach Randy Worthington has been coaching at Pioneer for 12 years and is currently training the girls harder to accommodate for the lack of players. “It is going to challenge them every game where we’ll be the underdog in every game,” Worthington said. “There’s just no getting around that. I think they will play with a little chip on their shoulder.” Captain Melanie Hardell, 12, is looking forward to ending her high school career with a greater challenge as she leads the team in the new division. “I want to have a fun senior year, but

last year we were undefeated,” Hardell said. “I know that that is not feasible this year because we just moved up and the teams are better, but I just want to win some games and have fun with my team.” For Madeline Smith, 10, this is her first year on varsity and is unfamiliar with the speed of the top division, having played only with her club and school team. “I’ve only been practicing with my team so when I first play with other teams, I’ll have to mentally switch and realize that things are going to be harder and faster.” Smith said. With the team being so small, all of the players are going to be relied on to play during the fast paced games. “They also realize that with the numbers lower, everyone is going to see the field,” Worthington said. “You will have your injuries. You will have people out with sickness. I think everyone wants to play.” With the team taking a big step up from Santa Teresa to Mt. Hamilton, Hardell is looking forward to seeing how the team deals with the new challenge. “I think the teams are just really good, the coaching is really good, but we’ll see how we can compare,” Hardell said. The girls are looking forward to joining the top division and moving forward as a team. They will play their first league game at Branham High School on Jan. 3 at 5 p.m.

Sideline Report Andrea Winters

Sports Editor New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning played 210 games straight in his 14 seasons in the NFL. He ranks ninth for the most consecutive games played and now he has to start all over from one. Former Head Coach Ben McAdoo overstepped by starting backup quarterback Geno Smith over Manning. I know he was the coach, but he was a bad one so he shouldn’t mess with Manning’s record. Manning has played all 14 seasons for the Giants, so a second year head coach doesn’t take precedent. Manning was five games away from tying for sixth place and McAdoo decided to cut his run short. McAdoo had to see if Smith was better, but he is the backup for a reason: he’s not better. If McAdoo questioned that, he could have thrown Smith in a practice, not a real game. I know the original plan was to let Manning start and sub Smith in later, but Manning knew that was pointless. The Giants have been out of playoff contention for a while now, so it never mattered who played, even if they won. I might feel better about McAdoo’s choice if Smith played great, but he fumbled twice off of sacks lost to the Raiders’ 24-17. It was pathetic to see Manning signaling plays on the sideline. That’s Geno Smith’s job. He sucks and should stick with that job. As for McAdoo, he is out of a job and won’t be finding another one anytime soon.

Skating into the First Hockey Season Athlete of New hockey team sparks interest in students wanting to represent Mustangs the Month The football and basketball teams were founded along with the school back in 1960, but it has taken 57 years for an ice hockey team to form. Pioneer is the seventh team in the Sharks High School Hockey League and one of only two public schools. They play games at Solar4America Ice in downtown San Jose against schools such as Valley Christian and Archbishop Mitty High School and Bellarmine College Preparatory. Coach Steve Neverve approached Principal Herb Espiritu about establishing a team after his two sons showed interest in playing for their school. Also the roller hockey coach at Pioneer, Neverve coached ice hockey previously, so he was a shoe-in for the job. Neverve, along with the other two coaches Jeff Shiverdaker and Alain Mowad, scraped together 17 players with experience in other leagues, including noncompetitive, skill-based teams and competitive Junior Sharks teams. The mix not only allows for more competition, but also encourages a learning environment for players to hone their skills. “There’s an opportunity to do things to get it started for future years. That’s really neat. It’s about building the sport and giving kids opportunities that might not have it,” Neverve said. They have improved measurably since the start of the season. They lost in a 14 point shutout against Los Gatos High School, but in a later

Photo by Jacob Klarke

By Andrea Winters Sports Editor

On Tuesday Dec. 12, Sean Deauville, 12, looks for a chance to score as he races his opponent to the net. Photo by Sharona Bet-Yadegar.

By Sara Sangari Staff Writer

rematch, they tied 4-4. The three coaches run dryland practices in the mini gym since the Pioneer Athletic Boosters Club will not fund the expenses to rent rink space every week. Sean Deauville, 12, has played hockey for 12 years, but took a break during the 2016 season, and is now a defenseman for the team. “It’s more than just a sport. It’s a lifestyle almost,” Deauville said. “I’ve put so much time and effort into it that it’s just there for me and it means so much.” Kathryn Rowe, 9, is one of three girls on the team. With most high school sports being gender-

From tennis to basketball, Monika Mizota, 12, has worked hard to prove her dedication to Pioneer athletics, which is paying off out on the basketball court. Mizota began her 10 years of basketball by playing for Community Youth Service Group in second grade. Since then, she has grown as a player on the court and a leader on and off the court. As a junior, Mizota was given the title of varsity captain and accumulated leadership skills from her experience. “I felt a lot of responsibility as captain last year, but it was a good challenge,” Mizota said. “I didn’t see it as overwhelming, but more of a learning experience because it taught me to be more friendly and patient towards others.” There are only three seniors on the team this year and Coach Kevin White notices a change in Monika’s role in leading the team. “Without leadership, you’re dead in a sport like basketball. Her becoming more vocal this year has made a big difference for her and for the team,” White said. “Monika directs the team offensively and defensively and overall has become much better as a leader and a player compared to last year.” The varsity girls team will have their first official season game at home on Jan. 11 against Del Mar High School.

distinguished, having a coed team is unusual, but has not created problems so far. “The boys don’t point out that (I’m) a girl or make (me) feel different. (It helps) because I’m not the only girl there,” Rowe said. Coach Neverve and the rest of the coaching staff hope to expand the team over the next few years, but are excited about how they started off in their inaugural year. “I hope that the team will grow to where we would have a varsity and a junior varsity team at minimum and that ice hockey could eventually become a recognized sport in San José Unified,” Neverve said.

Photo by Dani Chang

Sports Updates on Glenn Ventura

On Thursday Nov. 30, Eesha Krishnamagaru, 10, breaks past the enemy team’s defense with her dribbling skills.

By Dani Chang Staff Writer The girls varsity basketball team hosted the Glenn Ventura Classic for the 33rd year in a row from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. The Mustangs played against Notre Dame High School (35-54), Santa Teresa High School (50-53) and Monta Vista High School, (3538), finishing in eighth place. The team used this experience to

measure their current standings before the season began. Despite the hardships and challenges the team faced the experience to play against different schools in the tournament helped them understand their strengths and weaknesses that will guide them in the season. Before they begin with league play, they want to put an emphasis on communication to help them improve. By working on one-on-one drills, they hope to strengthen the team’s overall atmosphere.

Pony Express - Volume 58, Issue 3

Entertainment Melody’s Mind Melody Beam

Entertainment Editor My brother and I have been playing video games ever since we were young, from “BanjoKazooie” on the Nintendo 64 to “Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft” on the Playstation 2. We were brought up on video games. But something has changed overtime. When walking past my day-to-day gamer brother, I noticed that gaming wasn’t as I remembered. Video games have changed for the worst and it’s easy to say that gaming companies are to blame. As kids, my brother and I never had to pay for add-ons in order to play a complete game, we never had to download a game onto a console. What was once simply a full game on a disc became a small fragment of a game sold for full price while asking for more money to make the game fuller. Ever since the Xbox One came out, downloadable content and expansion packs were on the rise when it came to consoles. People’s pockets are being emptied with these packs that should have been a base game while also barely including any content. The amazing thing is that regular games have become just a base, but they still ask for full price. It’s never a full game anymore. I say this especially towards Electronic Arts. The recent controversy over EA’s new game, “Star Wars Battlefront 2”, has opened up people’s eyes to the way EA has been stealing money through “microtransactions.” Because of the negative reaction from fans, “Battlefront” is expected to sell 2.5 million copies fewer than originally thought, according to a statement by Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Stealing people’s money by offering small content for a price when it should have been in the “base game,” is not the way gaming should be. Going forward, I hope they start to go back to their roots because gamers are starting to lose interest and dropping sales are proof.

Pixar Finds a Home in Paradise Pier

Disney recently announced a new attraction to replace an iconic Disney classic By Emily Guerra Staff Writer Disney recently announced that California Adventure’s Paradise Pier will be remodelled into Pixar Pier. Popular rides like California Screamin’ and Mickey’s Fun Wheel will be reimagined into the Incredicoaster and a Pixar-themed ferris wheel. The new pier will have a collection of “neighborhoods” featuring fans’ favorites like “The Incredibles,” “Inside Out,” and “Toy Story”. Jessica Street, 11, is excited for the change and asks those who disagree to trust the Imagineers who create new ideas and attractions like Pixar Pier. “I know what Disney’s capable of. I know anything they decide to do will turn out good,” Street said. “Everything always

ends up exceeding everyone’s expectations when it comes out.” While Disney has not confirmed whether their ticket price will be affected, avid Disney visitor Leo Michels, 11, predicts a rise in admission costs. “They’re already expensive. They’ll go up because it’s something new”, Michels said. “If people want to go see it, they’re going to raise the prices to get more money out of it.” When asked about Disney’s goal of attracting more visitors, Robert Collins, 12, who attends Disneyland every year with the orchestra, was unsure. “It has the potential. That being said I feel like it’ll also alienate a large part of people,” Collins said. On the contrary, Street argues that kids need a place where they can relate to more

recent movies from their childhood. An “Inside Out” neighborhood would be the first step in the right direction according to Street. “Kids that are growing up now, are growing up with Pixar movies. For them, they’re going to be able to relate with that,” Street said. Disney advertised that the Paint the Night parade will be moved from Disneyland to Pixar Pier, which Collins feels will cause it to become disruptive to visitors. “The addition of a new parade might make things more crowded. It restricts your movement so you can’t go places,” Collins said. Pixar Pier will bring in curious visitors with its new look in Summer 2018 during Pixar Fest, beginning April 13, 2018 at the Disneyland resort.

New Pokémon Eclipses the Original The latest installments in the franchise were anticipated by many students By Will Majors Staff Writer The popularity of the original “Pokémon Sun and Moon” led to the anticipation of “Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon” for the Nintendo 3DS. These two games are the latest additions to the Pokémon franchise, serving as upgraded versions of their predecessors released one year earlier. The game is packed with new features and modifications that the original versions lacked such as the return of legendary Pokémon and an upgraded story. The return of all the legendary Pokémon from past generations has become one of

Performing in Harmony

the main additions in the game. English teacher Jason Goldman-Hall, long time Pokémon fan, loves the challenging process of catching legendary Pokémon. “I’m really excited for is all the different legendaries because I love the challenging battles with them,” Goldman-Hall said. “It’s fun to have to develop strategies and there are so many in this one that it will be fun.” The upgraded story was also added to the new game in which a powerful Pokémon known as Necrozma takes the center stage as main antagonist. Its main goal is to steal Alola’s light from the sun while also summoning a powerful alien species known as Ultra Beasts. However, it also has a secondary goal of possessing either Solgaleo

or Lunala and fusing into a powerful amalgamation known as either Dusk Mane Necrozma or Dawn Wings Necrozma. Jacqui Stellar, 11, is anxious to see what the new story features in the game entails. “I’m excited because a new story is being told and it’s just the original but with extras,” Stellar said. Many Pokémon fans are excited to witness these new features first hand including Calvin Booke, 10. Booke is excited for what the game has to offer and the accessibility that the game has to bring in lots of new fans. “I think the a bit more accessibility with more people with other people who have the game,” Booke said.

A Concert Full of Color Drama performs a musical vivid in song and humor

Photo by Jacob Klarke

Winter show brings Choir and Orchestra together on the stage By Isabel Epstein Staff Writer Students worked for weeks to perfect their notes before their biggest performance of the year when Band, Orchestra, and Choir performed together. The performing arts department has been working since the beginning of the year to prepare for the annual Winter Concert on Dec. 14. With a complete turn over in the department, many changes have been made to the way the groups perform. For the first time choir, under the lead of new choir teacher Corey Miller, performed a song called, “White Winter Hymnal,” an acapella number. “It requires a lot of hand movements and perfect timing,” Elizabeth Kicklighter, 11, said. “While it is hard to do, it is really fun when you know what you’re doing.” Choir sang four pieces on their own and the Chamber Orchestra played three pieces on their own. They came together at the end of the night to perform “Sleigh Ride” composed by Leroy Anderson. “It’s going to sound really cool especially since there’s different mediums coming together to make beautiful music,” Isabella Vasquez, 10, said. The orchestra students were excited about getting the opportunity to work with other musicians, but were slightly nervous since it was their first time performing with a choir.

On Thursday Dec. 14, Choir (top) and Orchestra (bottom) practice for their annual winter concert. Photos by Isabel Epstein.

On Tuesday Nov. 28, the cast sings their final scene during dress rehearsal in the PAC.

“The tone that you have to play with is different because you’re playing with voices and you have to match pitches,” Ben Shiverdaker, 10, said. “It’s sometimes hard to play to the volume of them.” Although the concert took place in December, there were a few pieces that are not holiday themed. The Chamber Orchestra played a piece called “Urban Concerto Grosso” composed by Brian Balmages. “It’s a piece with electric instruments and it sounds like heavy metal orchestra,” Alexis Gaton, 10, said. With the chaos of only practicing a day before the show, Orchestra teacher Scott Krijnen was confident in the effort all the students have put into preparing for the concert. “I think (the audience) will be surprised at the size and scope of the program,” Krijnen said. “In just a few short months, the program is transforming from kids playing notes on a page to musicians.”

From an array of colors to an array of songs, the Drama department’s production brought the biblical story of Joseph to life with a fresh perspective on themes like redemption and other family values as Joseph experiences changes in his luck and fortunes. Advanced Drama performed the musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat In-Concert,” directed by Steve Dini and produced by Drama teacher Ashley Coleman on Dec. 1 and 2. The tale of Joseph, the favorite child out of 11 brothers, begins in Egypt when Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, but he rises above his obstacles. Performed all in song, the narrator takes the audience through a classic story from long ago. Jack Johnson, 12, portrays the main character, Joseph, and describes forgiveness and personal growth from his character’s point of view. “Joseph has a good character arc, he starts

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By Brianna Hamilton Staff Writer

off really arrogant and smug and the most privileged, by the end he (becomes) someone respectful,” Johnson said. Coleman and Dini assembled a cast that had the crowd laughing with quirky humor in several scenes. Despite lacking major props and costumes and experiencing technical difficulties with the microphones, the musical was playful and most of the cast had lots of energy, with nearly every song charming and humorous. Coleman also produced the musical while directing the Glue Factory Production, “The Drowsy Chaperone,” but explained the added stress did not affect either show because each performance had different times to rehearse. “It’s all like a big working clock a lot of different parts and mechanics that all need to come together,” Coleman said. The Drama program showcased three successful shows for the fall semester: “Aladdin,” “Rumors,” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” for their gap performance. The next musical is “Guys and Dolls” for spring semester, auditions are Dec. 18 and 19.

Opinion

Students’ Facilities Are Not the Highest Priority

Staff Writer Soap dispensers are always empty, half the sinks don’t work, stalls are disgusting. Those are just the problems in the girl’s bathroom. Why aren’t these things fixed yet? Lately, money has been invested into the canopy, security cameras, and air conditioners, but these additions don’t dramatically affect students’ everyday needs and only seem to be there to boost the appeal of our campus. Don’t get me wrong, the improvements are nice to have, but student facilities should be the top priority. Measure H helped fund our construction projects with $275,000 of the tax bond,

Photo by Andrea Winters

Emily Nguyen

however we are not putting this money in the right place. The reason behind this problem is that students do not voice their opinions when it comes to making big decisions on campus, one being renovation. We need to improve the communication between students and campus adults so that our representatives are able to specifically cater to the needs of our students, since there is no well known place where questions can be answered. I find it odd that these structures have priority over the facilities students use everyday. Our representatives have prioritized the wrong improvements, even if the additions are nice to have. The bathrooms and locker rooms are disgusting, but at least we have a non-existent canopy in the quad that is taking over two months to build. Drab, dreary classrooms and desks are mediocre at best, but at least they’re freezing cold all the time. The basic facilities of bathrooms and classrooms are definitely costly, however they are the most important parts of a student’s everyday life, as they are essential to the comfort of students, which is what schools should be striving for.

The tiles in the girls’ locker room shower are deteriorating and have yet to be replaced. Even with the addition of the weekly news show, students seem to continuously miss important information when the administration is seeking student input. Although they sent a survey to the student body asking what we would want, almost nobody received it.

This needs to change so we can aim to appease the student’s needs not flaunt unnecessary extensions. Students are the most important part of our school and we deserve the right to decent bathrooms, suitable locker rooms, clean walls, and creative work environments.

The War on Net Neutrality Continues to Fight on Darius Parakh

Guest Columnist Net Neutrality was the shield that protected citizens from internet service providers (ISPs). It allowed us to access the open internet freely, with infinite information at our fingertips. Unfortunately, ISPs want to make us pay

to access this knowledge. On Dec.14, the FCC repealed Net Neutrality, and returned ISPs to their Title I classification of information providers, which correlates to less regulation and government oversight. The effects of this decision will be catastrophic for the public, with the end result being horrendous hikes in monthly payments just to access basic internet services. But overpriced services are not the least of our problems. By removing FCC regulations, ISPs can theoretically create “packages” of services, essentially locking websites behind paywalls. This goes against the very fundamental principle of the internet, which is to propagate information across the globe freely. By requiring

customers to pay to access sites, Internet Service Providers are literally censoring information. This goes against everything that we, as US citizens, stand behind. The FCC and ISPs seem believe that this form of censorship is acceptable collateral damage for the increased competition within a deregulated internet market. This is wrong. Censorship will only further create a gap between those who can pay for the services, and those who cannot. Deregulation will allow ISPs to take advantage of customers. ISPs appear to be striving to force excess premiums on customers, businesses and websites. Low income customers will suffer in this challenging new market. ISPs hope to start charging small business

insanely high prices as a way to “inspire competition,” forcing some to abandon their only source of income as they will be unable to match the high prices. This also hurts consumers, who will have less diversity in the options of websites they can choose from. ISPs are limiting valuable information by directing the flow of traffic towards high usage sites, which generate more money than small businesses. The repealing of Net Neutrality will have effects that will resonate far into the future, affecting the internet as long as ISPs remain as Title I information providers. If we are to make a difference, we need to make our voices heard, and strive to protect our basic rights to free, open information.

Upcoming Events December 18-19 Spring Musical Auditions @PAC 7-10 p.m. December 20-22 Finals 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. December 25- January 8 New Year Recess No School January 9 Ice Hockey @ SAP Center 4:15 p.m. January 15 MLK, Jr. Day No School January 16 Ice Hockey @Solar4America Ice 7 p.m.

Pony Express - Volume 58, Issue 3

Opinion

Reclaiming the Right to Your Privacy on Campus The Pony Express Editorial Board Sexual harassment has become a daily aspect of our high school environment, from parties to classrooms and even on social media. Every day nude photos are passed around and students are compared based on their appearance. These images spread like wildfire, burning through boys’ phones. The photos are meant for one person, but the sender has no control over their picture once they send it and no amount of trust can guarantee their privacy. These photos invite advances in person, even though photos do not sanction contact. It is so easy to find people who have experienced unwanted sexual advances, yet the administration team has minimal evidence of these numbers. People are willing to talk about it with friends, but are scared to bring it to the administrators. Students have the chance to report harassment. Assistant Principal of

Discipline Tim Gavello has his office open for anyone needing to discuss violations of the school’s strict harassment policy, but he can not tell students to talk to him if they

to grope girls just to get the approval of their male counterparts. Because this has become so common, many girls brush it off as normal and do not realize that these

do not initiate the conversation. Sexual harassment is not reported because it has become an accepted part of our society and culture on campus. It is now considered impressive for guys

people have overstepped their boundaries. We have the luxury of being in an environment where there are options to report and stop these behaviors, but unfortunately this is not always the case

Sexual harassment (noun): harassment in a professional, work or social situation involving the unwanted making of sexual advances or obscene remarks.

The Obnoxious Christmas Season

Isabella Osborne

Opinion Editor Despite all of the debate on “Happy Holidays” over “Merry Christmas” Christmas is celebrated by almost everyone. Mostly due to the classic American obnoxiousness that’s been incorporated into this holiday once meant for the holy champion of the downtrodden. ‘Tis the season for declined credit cards and cheat days. Let’s go outside and make some dirt angels on the dead lawn. Don’t you just love those seizure inducing Christmas lights? Or the mistletoe encouraging unnecessary PDA or the

out of tune carolers screaming on your porch almost every other night? Great news, your brother didn’t break anything except maybe his ego while hanging up the lights! He managed to position Santa properly and Rudolph’s nose isn’t flashing like an ambulance. Last year was embarrassing. Time to bring in all 30 boxes of Christmas decorations! Carrying them will burn off calories from Thanksgiving. It looks like there won’t be enough space for your second Christmas tree because apparently you still need a dinner table. But there’s no need to worry, Grandma has bought a mini tree for each grandkid. Grandpa has never been good at hiding gifts. Did he really think that hiding a new camera on the top shelf of his pantry behind the chips was a good idea? At least now we know who his favorite grandkid is. My mom and Santa have so much in common. Can you believe they use the same wrapping paper? Their handwriting looks almost identical, too. Maybe they’re related? I don’t know

how my dad feels about another man being in the house at night. Your parents finally agree on a shirt your dad can wear for the Christmas card photo, the no shirts idea is off the table. Everything finally matches and there’s a little less tension between mom and dad. Good thing they already decided on gold over silver for the text color because red really wouldn’t work. Mom bought some pine scented candles so no one will even notice that the tree is fake. It doesn’t work too well with the cinnamon air freshener, especially for my allergies. If it can’t look like Christmas, at least it smells like Christmas. Watching “Elf” and “White Christmas” with a nice mug of steaming peppermint hot cocoa only gets better when it burns your tongue. Realizing that the famous Tim Allen movie, “The Santa Clause,” has been spelling it wrong… and you have been too. But hey, at least you get an entire 24 hours to do all of your Christmas shopping right after dying of exhaustion from your finals!

Letter to the Editor Cash Johnson Senior I am very disappointed and frankly disgusted that a fellow journalist of Pioneer’s news, even to go as far as say a fellow friend, would belittle me and my other anchors in an attempt to defend individualism, reputation, and, interestingly, sexual freedom. On November 13th, Volume 58, Issue 2 of The Pony Express was released to our student body. Right behind the front page was a colleague in activism underneath a gleaming opinionated article titled Honoring A Pornographic Publisher. As I read into the section, I found myself more and more offended, but also confused. Not only was I being indirectly slandered, but my character was being judged on Pioneer’s longest running news source. The first slap across the face was the accusation of being “three white boys”. I am a person who is proud of my life long interest of my own tribe and people, the Lenni-Lenape, and a close relative to many of our tribe’s elders. I find it funny that in this article, that is bent on attacking me and my two co-hosts, the writer could not take the proper time to research and review her topic and interview those who she decided

to target. The next blow wasn’t dealt to me, but straight to our crew. The author states, “there was no female representation to intervene or give input in these videos until Nov. 7th”, when in fact Pioneer Announcements was produced and organized by our very own Mrs. Hernandez and Ms. Mayhew, with help casting from Mrs. Coleman. I’m sure the adults were not what the journalist was referencing with “lack of representation”, though. However, if just the smallest bit of research had been conducted, it would have been easily discovered that our own Head Editor, Cassie Boyle, spends countless hours conducting her own research, editing the videos, directing, filming, and many other tasks that are imperative to keeping Pioneer Announcements the number one most reliable news source on campus. The final strike was to Pioneer’s female community as a whole. Hugh Hefner wasn’t a saint. The accusations made after him are deplorable, and no person deserves to be the victim to what he is accused of. With that said, Hugh Hefner opened the door for women to explore their sexuality and promiscuity without the fear of judgement by both men AND women. To say these women were objectified in a profession

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based fully on the decisions they made for themselves is in direct opposition of her main point - equality. Assuming a woman was forced and materialised for their individual choice is directly impeding the right they have to express themselves as they please without judgement. In 2017, we are now living in a society where people feel they can freely express themselves, and it’s disappointing that as soon as the author found these choices unfitting to her own standards, she resorted to describing these women’s free choices as degrading and malicious. I must admit, I felt misrepresented as a student, I am more than sure the majority of the student body can agree with me. This is unacceptable and we should take more action to unify our school. You would think the growth of Pioneer is the main goal for all who represent such. Anyone who chooses to pick up and read a copy of The Pony Express would easily walk away inferring that our school is full of spite, contempt, and laziness as a result of this article, instead of the true core values instilled through our amazing resources and staff we are lucky to have here on campus. Conceitedness should not be mistaken for confidence. One has evidence to back it up. One doesn’t.

in the real world. Women are harassed in every aspect of their lives from work to daily life, but sometimes procedures are not in place for women to report encounters. We are lucky to be in a district that takes care of us. Our district has set procedures in place to foster young men and women so that they are able to treat others with respect outside of our high school bubble. We need to start reporting sexual harassment, because the more we hold our students accountable, the less it will happen. We are in charge of our own social norms, and if we can change them, hopefully one day we can live in society that does not tolerate this mistreatment of our peers. We have the right to an environment where everyone feels safe to express themselves without fear of being objectified for it. Students have the opportunity to share ideas and contribute to rebuilding our school’s culture and that begins with eliminating this inappropriate behavior.

The Pony Express wants to hear from you. Send us your thoughts, comments, criticism or praise, and we’ll potentially print it here. Letters should be exclusive to the Pioneer Pony Express and preferably 150-200 words. Contact the Pioneer Pony Express at ponyexpresseditors@gmail. com. Anonymous letters will not be considered for print.