The Royal Banner October 2020

protests of change vol. 61, no. 1 // oct 2020

late knight playlist

a collaborative playlist for jamming only PAGE 8

how students made a difference this summer PAGE 4

dafna’s i love you

the fairview alum just released her second album PAGE 10

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contents

CLASS protests OF 2020

of change

Graduating seniors’ plans for next year how students made a difference

P A G E 6P A G E 4

this summer

coral sunscreen

this new product is a step toward staying eco-friendly PAGE 6

late knight playlist

a collaborative playlist for jamming only PAGE 8

dafna’s i love you

the fairview alum just released her second album PAGE 10

mulan review

what went wrong with disney’s latest remake?

PAGE 12

where there is smoke... there is fire.

PAGE 14

spot the difference

can you find the ten differences in these photos?

PAGE 16 COVER PHOTO BY MORGAN HUNT TABLE OF CONTENTS PHOTO BY MEGHAN BARNES

want more?

Go to fhsroyalbanner.com for articles, videos and so much more!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

the ghost in the room: Halloween is just around the corner, and many would say that we’ve never lived in a spookier time. In the past month, we’ve had countless moons stained red from the smoke. The political world is starting to feel like a nightmare. And everywhere you look, there are ghosts of what this year might have been; indeed, it is easy to start feeling like a ghost yourself.

Nevertheless, we’re learning how to get through this.

We’re learning how to band together to make our voices heard.

We’re learning how to make quarantine productive.

We’re learning how to turn internet connection into human connection.

In this issue of The Royal Banner — our first of the 2020/2021 school year — you’ll find stories of members of our community doing just that, alongside some diversions, because we could all use a break.

We hope you can find some joy here as you haunt these pages.

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he tragic death of George Floyd caused a ripple effect across America this summer.

Protests broke out in every city, and crowds showed up everywhere to fight for Black rights. On June 6th, half a million people turned out in over 550 places across the U.S. One of those places was right near us, in Denver.

A few Fairview students showed up to the protests in order to speak out against police brutality.

“I chose to attend the protests [...] because I feel very passionate about the subject and I felt that it was something I should be a part of,” said junior Maya Lobel.

Lobel attended protests in both Boulder and Denver. The protests lasted all day, from about 7 am to midnight.

“I had feelings of empowerment and amazement. I felt like I was doing my part in social justice and change, something that should have changed hundreds of years ago,” said Lobel.

Two more juniors, Olivia Savidge and Alana Hein, also attended protests this summer.

“I just wanted to show up and show my support.

There’s power in numbers, and I wanted to strengthen the cause,” said Savidge.

Hein had simi-

“I had feelings of empowerment and amazement. I felt like I was doing my part in social justice and change, something that should have changed hundreds of years ago.”

lar thoughts.

“I wanted to be there to be an ally and help the movement to change the legislature and to promote the idea of defunding the police. I also wanted to use my privilege to help lift those voices that keep being pushed back,” said Hein.

Both girls attended youth protests.

They agreed that some of their favorite moments from the protests were small, yet powerful.

“At around 5pm, I started noticing a ton of business people who had just got off work, still in their work clothes, signs in hand, joining us.

Some even came out of the capitol building. I thought that was really cool to see,” said Savidge.

Savidge, Hein, and Lobel came out of the protests with fresh perspectives, and an even stronger spirit than before.

“I was proud to be a part of such a big organization that demands change and justice for African Americans,” said Lobel.

This trio also remembered why

protests of change how students made a difference this summer julia frank // co-student news section editor

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STUDENT NEWS

PHOTO BY ZANE SMITH

they came to the protests in the first place. Change.

“We need to keep protesting, spreading awareness, broadcast the news, and conversing about the horrific events we see on TV so that our community can be educated on the corruption that is taking place.

Additionally, we need more African American history/culture courses from elementary school through to university; this will further educate our community,” said Lobel.

The Black Lives Matter Movement may be the largest movement in U.S. history, creating significant change in several areas. Minnesota lawyers passed a police reform bill, New York City pledged to move funding from

the police department towards youth and social services, and chokeholds have been banned in states such as California, Nevada and Texas.

Savidge said, “I think one of the biggest things that we can do as students is to push for change in the education system. Whether that’s trying to make a more inclusive and accurate history curriculum, implementing diversity and inclusivity training for staff and students, or making bias screenings a part of the staff hiring process, there’s a lot we need to do.”

PHOTO BY ZANE SMITH PHOTO BY ZANE SMITH

PHOTO BY ALAN HEIN

PHOTO BY ALANA HEIN FHSROYALBANNER.COM

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coral sunscreen this new product is a step toward staying eco-friendly aria wozniak // managing editor

S

enior and entrepreneur Emma Kraft recently launched her sunscreen brand Coral Sunscreen. This SPF 30 product is not only water-resistant but also contains sustainable ocean-friendly ingredients.

Bored in quarantine, Kraft became curious about threats to ocean life and was shocked to discover the amount of coral bleaching damaging the reefs.

According to the Australian Marine Conservation Society, coral bleaching is the loss of the coral’s normally vibrant color. The bleaching is caused by stressors such as temperature, solar radiance, sedimentation, nutrients and more.

“I think I googled the top ten ocean issues and I came across sunscreen and coral bleaching,” she said.

This sparked her idea to create an ocean-friendly sunscreen. While many products have reef safe labels, the FDA has not put regulations on some chemicals that are detrimental to the coral

reefs such as oxybenzone.

Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the planet but they house 25% of marine life. The oceans have become 30% more acidic in the last 150 years according to globalchange.gov. Coral sunscreen does not use oxybenzone, which contributes to the acidity in reefs, preventing them from growing and staying healthy. The company replaced oxybenzone with magnesium carbonate, calcium carbonate, and non-nano zinc oxide. These ingredients are pH increasing minerals which are beneficial for skin health and coral health. “[For] people in Boulder, it doesn’t directly impact the oceans but you are educating yourself and raising awareness of this issue,” said Kraft.

Though the sunscreen does not directly impact the ocean from Boulder where most consumers are located, all of the proceeds go to ocean specific organizations or CO2 reducing initiatives.

Kraft plans to create a freshwater sunscreen in the future.

The Coral Sunscreen packaging is also environmentally friendly and recyclable according to Kraft. Her newly formed company is working with Ocean Waste Plastic (OWP) located in Denmark to reuse bottles made from ocean plastic.

Coral Sunscreen is currently work-

“you are educating yourself and raising awareness of this issue ”

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STUDENT NEWS

ing on getting the product tested in bigger labs for sun regulations and sun safety.

The next step for Kraft’s company is to become verified by a third-party verification and manufacture the product in bigger batches to distribute in more states and stores.

The sunscreen has been created and produced by Kraft in her house this summer. She tried various homemade sunscreen recipes. In the process of making the formula, she learned about how sunscreen mixes with zinc oxide to create full coverage.

The best consistency for the product in her experiments was made of a lotion base. Depending on the size of the batch it takes an hour and a half to two hours to create. Though Kraft is making the product at home right now, she has a co-packer and manufacturer when she is ready to expand.

“people are definitely more skeptical of you and they don’t necessarily believe that you can create something”

something,” Kraft said.

She has faced these obstacles of not being taken seriously by holding herself in a mature way, making everything professional, and communicating professionally.

As Coral Sunscreen continues to develop, new entrepreneur and CEO Kraft expects to graduate in 2021 and take a gap year to expand her company.

“It’s everything that I’ve really ever wanted to do,” Kraft said.

To purchase and learn more about Coral Sunscreen’s product, visit https://www.coral-sunscreen.com.

Coral Sunscreen CEO Emma Kraft IMAGE DONATED BY EMMA KRAFT

“I’m creating something new that could hopefully spark creative ideas on how to help our environment,” Kraft said.

The 18 dollar sunscreen had over 100 pre-orders in the first week, and Kraft’s main goal is to get past pre-orders. She is hoping the product will be available on Amazon and in Target in the next few months.

Coral Sunscreen is working to expand its advertising and reach a larger group of consumers. The company plans to partner with ocean conservancies. Some influencers have expressed their interest in helping promote the product although the brand cannot disclose their identities. However, the company did hint that one influencer on board is a female from Hawaii who

is a diver, shark lover, and scientist. Kraft says other influencers willing to promote the product are big surfers.

“I have it in writing that they’re ready and excited!

More to come on that, but right now I cannot give direct exa m p l e s,” she said.

T h e biggest challenge for 16-year-old Kraft, as a young CEO and businesswoman, has been the skepticism due to her age.

“Being 16, people are definitely more skeptical of you and they don’t necessarily believe that you can create

“It’s everything that I’ve really ever wanted to do”

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late knight playlist a collaborative list for jamming only lauren hirschhorn // co- student news section editor aria wozniak // managing editor

T

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he car windows are rolled down and the fresh breeze hits your face. You begin to smell the rain on the pavement. As your headlights illuminate

ENTERTAINMENT

the dusty back road, you feel the urge to blast music. What music? Your peers have recommended countless songs. Listen in order to transition from deep feels to upbeat tunes.

over

hear the whole playlist

40

students responded

want to hear

more?

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Beginnings. Dafna is now an experienced songwriter and has gained years of experience since she started. “...I had been writing a lot of poetry in elementary school. Just stupid stuff from the poetry unit, but I really enjoyed it.� Adding music to her poetry has launched her an artistic career that we are seeing blossom with I LOVE YOU.

E Y V O O L U

I

DAFNA

Meet Dafna (doffna), the young Boulder musician and Fairview alum who just released her 2nd album zane smith // photography manager

10 E N T E R T A I N M E N T

maia penuel // audio editor

Photo by Jivan West

D

afna’s new album, I LOVE YOU, was just released on September 25th. Dafna Margalit, as she’s known offstage, was a graduate of Fairview’s 2019 class.

I LOVE YOU is an incredible ode to all the lovers and to all those who weren’t. “I wanted to use all the stupid love songs. Or not really love songs, but that kind of topic,” says Dafna of the album’s diverse content. It ranges from assured waltzes of unreciprocated feelings, to danceable tunes of fresh independence, to synth jazz break up songs with more poison than you realize. All of it’s woven together with the songwriter’s airy vocals, one of the most prominent elements a listener first takes away.

Dafna recognizes that the musical content of I LOVE YOU is different and is the product of her evolution. “It’s definitely a lot more upbeat than past music I’ve released. But I’ve definitely played a lot more with jazzier elements in this one,” Dafna says of her album. Overall, she classifies this record as “indie jazz.” The jazz elements can be heard throughout the album, but especially on “yours someday” and “u and me.”

To make the album cohesive, Dafna kept within the theme of love for all the songs, but also used the title as an acronym, as seen in the tracklist. The first letter of each song spells out I. L.O.V.E. Y.O.U. This aspect is actually Dafna’s favorite part of the album.

Dafna finds inspiration in many different places. “I get inspired by something that [has] happened to me personally, or I read a book... or watch a movie,” Dafna says. For musical inspirations, she cites “...Vulfpeck and Billie Eilish,” the main influences of this album.

I LOVE YOU was created in the midst of chaos. Just as Dafna had started to really get into working on the album, COVID-19 hit, plunging everyone into uncertainty and concern. But for her, it was a bit different. “It actually kind of helped me,” Dafna says in reference to how the pandemic affected her album. “I was at home, with all of my equipment, so I was able to work on it a lot more and make it better.”

Dafna is still making music and is planning to release a song with her brother, Guy Margalit, this month. “[I]t’s coming out November 6th.”

“I always like to either tie in different melodies from old songs or previous songs, or have the lyrics mention something I’ve said before.”

8-bit LOVE

In addition to visual art and music, I LOVE YOU also extents to the world of video games. Yes, you heard that right. Video games. “I am working on developing a mobile video game that’s based on the themes of the album,” says Dafna of the soon to be released game. “It’s an 8-bit side-scroller where the character is me and all the enemies are the guys I’ve come across. There’s the e-boys, simps, the chads.” The game stays central to the theme of the album, and within the game, there will even be “8-bit versions of each of the songs.”

Artwork by Dafna Margalit and Jivan West

pink pink pink

Dafna’s I LOVE YOU is more than just a bunch of great songs. The album cover, above, was a collaboration with Jivan West, another Fairview grad and a visual artist.

The pair wanted the cover art to match the themes of the album.

“The first color I think of when I think of the idea of love is pink,” says Dafna. It was these themes that inspired West when taking and editing the photo. West says, “I went back an listened to some of the songs that were out and [they] had such an airy and atmospheric tone.”

Location. When figuring out a location for the album cover shoot in January, Dafna and Jivan West brainstormed a lot of ideas. Eventually, Dafna said, “How about the racquet ball courts?”

This idea first came from Noga Margalit, Dafna’s younger sister. Photo

by Jivan West

Animation donated by Dafna Margalit

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the newest live original what happened with disney’s latest remake? kristen sheng // co-arts and entertainment section editor

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n September 4th, the live remake of Mulan was released to Disney+, instead of into theatres, because of COVID. Due to this setback, the movie costs an extra $29.99 on top of the $6.99 Disney+ monthly subscription. Buying the movie almost seems useless considering Mulan will be free for all Disney+ subscribers on December 4, 2020.

Before starting the movie, I hoped for an authentic movie telling the story of a brave Asian female warrior. I had high expectations considering Liu Yifei, who plays Mulan, was a martial artist in real life.

With original Disney movies being animated and live remakes not, it is not surprising if there are minor changes to remakes in order to fit the story better, which is consequently the case in Mulan. The biggest revision that I was disappointed by was that Mushu, who is the small red dragon in the original, was taken out of the remake. The director of Mulan stated that Mushu was removed so that Mulan could strengthen her relationships with her fellow soldiers. However, Mushu could have also been taken out since many found the character to be culturally insensitive in the original. Instead, a phoenix took his place. The pheonix did not talk at all and would only appear and fly around when Mulan needed guidance. In addition, Mulan’s love interest was changed from the general of the battalion to a fellow soldier. There was also no singing in this film, which seemed abnormal for a Disney movie.

Furthermore, there were many additional minor modifications that diverted from the original, including Mulan’s family surname changing and the addition of a female villain. In the 1998 Mulan, the Huns, being led by Shan Yu, invaded

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ENTERTAINMENT

China; in the 2020 version, Bori Khan leads the Rouran army alongside Xian Lang, who is a witch and shapeshifter.

Mulan’s character also varies between the original and remake. In the original, Mulan is presented as weak and incapable when she first joins the army, while in the new movie, she is the strongest soldier, but she just suppresses her chi and hides her true strength. On top of that, in the remake, Mulan chooses to reveal her identity as a woman, whereas in the original, her identity was revealed due to an injury.

Throughout the movie, there were intense fight scenes and martial art sequences that amazed me with the choreography and costumes. Liu Yifei did almost all of her stunts throughout the movie and Jet Li, a trained martial artist who played the general, did all of his own stunts.

I enjoyed seeing an all-Asian cast in this movie. Being Asian in the U.S. and seeing a movie where I am well represented has been rare, and I appreciate this movie for taking a step towards more diversity in the movie industry.

Throughout the film, I could easily feel Liu Yifei’s portrayal of Mulan’s struggles with finding herself. Mulan is all about being true to yourself and fighting for what’s right, which she did by fighting for her country, her family, and all women during her time.

Although Mulan is a film many looked forward to, it has faced much backlash from critics and the public. Disney+ subscribers, including myself, weren’t exactly pleased with the extra $29.99 we had to spend in order to watch the movie.

Liu Yifei caused controversy when she posted on a Chinese social media site, Weibo, that she supported Hong Kong police for going against pro-democracy protests. Mulan is also facing criticism for filming in Xinjiang, which is where mass internment camps reside for detained Uygher Muslims. These internment camps are said to be the worst abuse of human rights in China in decades. On

top of that, at the end of the movie, the credits offer “special thanks” to eight political entities, including propaganda departments.

All of this has caused a stir among the public and has resulted in “#BoycottMulan” trending all over social media.

Overall, I would recommend this movie as it is filmed brilliantly. However, please be aware of and do not dismiss the morality of what is happening behind the scenes.

All of this has caused a stir among the public and has resulted in “#BoycottMulan” trending all over social me-

what went wrong?

I appreciate this movie for taking a step towards more diversity in the movie industry.

How did the newest live remake of a Disney original, Mulan, result in disappointed critics and the public boycotting the movie? Before Mulan was even released, potential viewers were quick to point out the unnecessary price tag that came with it.

But, what’s wrong with the actual movie? First, Mulan seems like a different person. Obviously, she is still a young woman who goes to war in her father’s place. Yet her personality is unlike what I remember from the original. I remember Mulan being a comedic character who learns to become a brave and respectable warrior.

In the remake, however, she doesn’t learn how to persevere to become the best soldier she could be;

she was already a great fighter, and all she did was learn to not hide what she was capable of. Also, I recall the significant supporting characters and their personalities, including Mulan’s grandmother and her three close friends in the battalion. After watching the remake, other than the villains, the other characters almost seemed insignificant. The overall plot of the original 1998 Mulan kept me engaged, laughing, and singing throughout the whole movie. Although the remake is cool in terms of costumes and choreography, I definitely wasn’t as invested.

And finally, what happened behind the scenes? Liu Yifei, who portrays Mulan, openly endorsed police brutality against pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong. I agree when it is said that Liu Yifei doesn’t fulfill everything Mulan stands for: bravery, perseverance, and respect. Also, out of all the numerous beautiful places in China, Disney apparently felt the need to film in Xinjiang, where Muslims are allegedly being held in concentration camps against their will. There have been numerous alleged reports of Chinese authorities torturing and suppressing the Uyghur Muslims. Lastly, the credits give “special thanks” to numerous problematic political and propaganda organizations. One of them, the Turpan Public Security Bureau, is allegedly running the Xinjiang concentration camps. With the moral issues weighing on the movie, is watching and supporting Mulan worth it?

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where there is smoke... there is fire.

morgan hunt // co-editor in chief tessa moskoff // co-editor in chief Fires across the state have shut down public lands, such as Rocky Mountain National Park, and forced many Coloradians to evacuate their homes.

The closest fires to Fairview at the time of writing this are the Calwood Fire and the Lefthand Canyon Fire, both of which have caused mandatory evacuations for residents nearby.

Above: A smoke plume rising over East Boulder on October 18th, the day the Calwood Fire started.

Right: A picture of the Calwood Fire taken from a hill in Gunbarrel on October 20th.

Page 14: A sign found in Gold Hill on September 6th.

Read the full story on The Royal Banner’s website: fhsroyalbanner.com.

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PHOTO BY JUSTIN HEIN

PHOTO BY JUSTIN HEIN

Royal Banner 2020-21 Editors-in-Chief Morgan Hunt Tessa Moskoff Section Editors Arts and Entertainment: Julia Frank and Anna Wenzel Opinion and Politics: Noah Edleman Sports: Cam Hunt Student News: Lauren Hirschhorn and Kristen Sheng Acossiate Editors Audio Editor: Maia Penuel Community Liasion: Max Eaton Design Editor: Elizabeth Woo Managing Editor: Aria Wozniak Socail Media Editor: Sa Stienbarth Social Media Student News: Nini Kaur Contributors

PHOTO BY ZANE SMITH

Meghan Barnes, Julia Frank, Lauren Hirschhorn, Justin Hein, John Kowalski, Maia Penuel, Kristen Sheng, Zane Smith, Elizabeth Woo, Aria Wozniak Buisness Buisness Manager: Rose Jou For Subscriptions: Send $25 to Royal Banner, Fairview High School, Room 339, 1515 Greenbriar Blvd, Boulder, CO 80305, or contact us at fhsroyalbanner.com/contact *Disclaimer: Under Colorado law, no expression made by students in the exercise of free speech or freedom of the press shall be deemed to be an expression of school policy. No school district, employee, legal guardian or official of such a district shall be held liable in any criminal action for any expression made or published by a student. The Royal Banner sells advertisements for publicity and to pay for printing costs. We reserve the right to refuse to run any advertisement deemed inappropriate to the Fairview community.

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d i f f e spot the r e n c e