The Royal Banner February 2023

The

Royal RoyalBanner Banner

February 2023

Issue 3

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2 The 2022 World cup for soccer Story by Farah Ahmodova and Wesley Schlatler p. 7

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A prediction for the upcoming oscars

Story by Addison Washburn and Elliot Pease p. 12-13

How A local library was impacted by drugs Story by Lily Nobel p. 14-15

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Can you find all 7 differences?

Spot the Difference 2

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The Royal Banner Nostalgia in food Me vs. myself 2022 world cup

by eliana knode

by julia perian

by farah ahmodova and wesley schlater

Google Classroom vs Schoology The idaho four Tiktok ban

by John Kowalski

by holly auerbach

by siena Scornavacco and mia nicholson

95th oscar award predictions

by addison washburn and elliott pease

library lockdown

by lily nobel

the art of cellphone photography

by john kowalski

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08- 09 10 11

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a i g l a t s o

d o in f o

Some of the ways food connects us and can bring back memories.

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eople typically eat in order to survive. You need energy to complete your obligations if you have a busy day planned. Individuals frequently eat to satisfy their appetites or to ease their cravings. But, in addition to this, some people feel deeper emotions when they eat their favorite sandwich or a warm cookie.

Food can occasionally bring up past memories. Certain things bring back memories of our homes, while others bring back memories of events that occurred at a certain time. It’s strange, but occasionally eating can bring back some memories. Whether you’re a foodie or not everyone has some sort of connection to food. You may only eat because you have to, count calories and restrict the types of foods you eat, live a vegan lifestyle, cook all your own food, or only eat organically. No matter what your opinions on food might be everyone eats.

Food is one of the most universal connections people have to different cultures. Food can be passed down from one generation to the next and family recipes are essential in some households, connecting the

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story and design by eliana knode

food someone is eating to their great maybe even great-great-grandparents.

There are countless different cooking traditions families choose to spend holidays making together from cookies to dumplings. Nothing warms the heart more than sitting down to a homemade bowl of soup or freshly baked cookies. Food can hold so many memories one might not even consider until they smell their grandma’s lasagna or any other homemade food.

Although food can hold so much nostalgia and remind people of their childhood it is also a large part of diet culture. Counting calories and meticulously keeping track of how much sugar someone eats in a day is a common trend that can lead to a lot of different health disorders and mental health issues. This is a topic that ties into memories of food, not all of them are going to be great.

Someone who has struggled with an eating disorder might not view food entirely different from someone who has never experienced a toxic relationship with it. That is something important to consider when analyzing the different types of relationships february

people have with food. Not all people that have negative relationships with food don’t have good memories tied to it.

In Boulder, the number of vegetarians and vegans is constantly increasing. This is caused by a lot of different factors but is mostly selfpreference. Common reasons include environmental factors, animal cruelty and treatment, health reasons, or pure moral reasons. This is aside from religious reasons, seeing as there are so many religions and ethnicities that have diets excludinganimal products for a multitude of reasons. Some people also choose to be more concious with the amount of animal products they eat to either help with keeping a healthy diet or moral reasons. This can limit the types of food people love compared to other people with different diets, but that doesn’t mean common ground cant be found.

Food nostalgia floods us with suh vivid, emotional memories of people and places in our past. This warm, fuzzy feeling fills people with positive emotions, which is the go-to place for any emotional eater. There’s a

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What’s Your Favorite Food?

“Firehouse subs sandwiches are my favorite food because it reminds me of my grandparents. it reminds me of Georgia, and that’s where they grew up.

They don’t even like them but it reminds me of them.”

- Randi Price (12)

“Spaghetti and meatballs, you’ve gotta have the meatballs not meat sauce. It just hits the spot, it’s nostalgic for me.”

-Vance Conner (10) comfort in having access to favorite childhood snacks and homemade cooking. Oftentimes people yearn for the taste of their grandma’s chicken noodle soup or a nice container of ice cream, whatever your go to comfort food is most of the nostalgia that food brings is through association. The smell of someones favorite food might bring back feelings of happiness and love, that in turn makes people crave returning to those feelings. Even when people didn’t grow up having a specifc food all the time the thought of something they might have had once is strong enough to cause this overwhelming sense of bliss and joy.

The flavor of food is only one aspect of the nostalgic experience.

It’s more about specific experiences that occurred when we consumed that particular dish at that exact time.

It’s also important to keep in mind our interpersonal relationships. It brings back the people we were with when we were enjoying that particular dinner. Whichever kind of memory it is, eating can aid in recalling details about people, places, and events. It also causes us to experience various emotions that we won’t soon forget.

“Rice...you can put it with anything. White rice, brown rice, black rice, it’s all good. Mexican rice also goes hard.”

- Mason McKay (11) “My Uncle makes these on the grill sweet pork ribs, I don’t know what they’re called.

They’re sweet and tender, and as far as the reason he would make them everytime we had a family reunion.”

- Gunnar Neufeld (12) “Ramen, it tastes good and is easy to cook.

Maruchan Chicken ramen is my favorite, no toppings, I just like it as is.”

- Max Vilean (11) “Mac and cheese. I just love the creamy delectable orange goop that’s slathered all over it.”

- Owen mcCarty (10)

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ME VS. MYSELF

BOOGIE CONCERT POSTPONED DUE TO RIOTS

A Boogie Performing in Toronto in 2017 Photo courtesy of Curtis Huynh for the Come Up Show via Creative Commons License.

Rapper A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie’s Opening Night in Denver turns to Chaos. story and design by julia perian

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n February 7, 2023, rapper and musical sensation A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie was scheduled to perform in the Mission Ballroom, located in Denver, for the opening night of his Me Vs. Myself tour. The venue, Mission Ballroom, has a 3,950 person capacity.

Although Boogie was scheduled to perform at 8:00 P.M., he then pushed back the show’s start time to 9:00 P.M, in order to attend the Denver Nuggets game.

However, violence both inside the venue from those already admitted and outside the venue from those in the line led to the show’s eventual cancellation and the arrival of Denver police riot teams. “People were getting thrown around, they broke the glass, people were being very rude, everyone was very intoxicated on many substances,” says Camille Nelson (10), who attended the concert.

Mission Ballroom posted on their Twitter, saying “The decision was made

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to postpone last night’s show in the interest of audience and public safety.”

Outbreaks of riots and violence at concerts have been on the rise, notably with the deaths at fellow rapper Travis Scott’s Astroworld, over which Scott faced heavy controversy regarding his handling of the situation.

However, many concert attendees believe A Boogie handled this situation well. “It was very responsible of him to speak out and tell everyone to stop the fighting. Even though he wasn’t responsible for it, he tried his best to help,” said Abby Mateyko (10).

“I feel like Boogie handled this situation very well.. because people were being disrespectful to him and people were being disrespectful to the other fans,” added Nelson.

Although attendees did appreciate his responsibility, feelings of frustration were shared. “All his fans were left freezing in the cold for hours, which was really frustrating,” said Mateyko.

“I was really upset because I looked february

for it all day and for a few months and for it to just get shut down right when I got there really sucked,” added Luka Teadoru (10).

Some fans feel a specific Colorado substance cultureplayed a role in the events. “A lot of people in Colorado, especially in the Denver/Boulder area, can be a little crazy sometimes and party culture can get out of hand,” said Kaya Hickory (10).

“There’s a limit between partying with your friends and endangering others from being under the influence,” added Mateyko.

More recent updates have been shared by Boogie and his team, and he will return to Denver April 27 with an additional second show on April 28. Fans who purchased tickets to his previous concert will have the option to attend the new show dates free of charge or get a refund.

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2022 WORLD CUP

The World Cup was one to remember, as it broke many records and highlighted the world’s love of soccer. story by farah ahmodova & wesley schlachter design by hannah derounian

THE CONTROVERSIES BEHIND THIS YEAR’S WORLD CUP

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he 2022 World Cup took place in Qatar and was one of the most memorable world cups to date.

In 2010, it was announced that Qatar would become the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup since the founding of the tournament in 1930. Construction began in November 2015 leading to seven years of work to build eight stadiums, some large enough to fit more than 80,000 people.

In 2020 issues arose surrounding the 6,500 migrant workers from Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka that died building the stadiums. These are the only reported deaths. It has been inferred that more employed migrants had died, considering how deaths from countries such as the Philippines and Kenya and deaths that happened at the end of 2020 are not counted in this 6,500 deaths. Hazardous working conditions were the leading cause of these death, as workers falling from high heights and traffic accidents. Workers are died due to high temperatures in Qatar, which regularly reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately five months each year. These incidents have led many people to think about how smart hosting the World Cup in Qatar was, “I think that they should have treated the workers nicely and should not have held it in Qatar,” said Sam Woods (9).

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n 2022, millions of soccer fans flocked to Qatar as billions more watched from home. Many experts referred to this as one of the greatest world cups of all time.

But what causes such excitement for a sporting event? “It doesn’t matter what background you come from, it is truly a sport that brings everyone together, no matter what your socioeconomic status is, what country you’re from, whether you play with a ball made of plastic bags or an actual soccer ball it is the only sport that truly unifies people,” said Spanish teacher Rikki Kaiser.

To start off, World Cup champions Argentina had a rough start to the tournament as they lost their first game to Saudi Arabia, ending a 36 day winning streak. This caused Saudi Arabia to declare that game a national holiday.

However, Argentina progressed to beat Mexico and Poland in the group stage, and Australia for the round of 16. They beat the Netherlands in penalties for the quarterfinals, and went on to beat Croatia by three in the Semifinals. At the quarterfinals, the four teams left were Morocco, Argentina, France, and Croatia.

Whatever outcome was to come from the final would have made history. If Morroco won, it would be the first African team to win the World Cup, France would have won it twice in a row, and it would have been Croatia’s first time winning the World Cup. There were several other exciting story lines in the tournament. The United States qualified after missing in 2018. In fact they played relatively well.

They drawed against England and made it to the Round of 16. They would lose there against the Netherlands but it should still be considered a step forward for a young USMNT. Qatar qualified for their first ever World Cup and it was the first time a host had qualified for the first time since royal banner

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Italy in 1934. They would ultimately lose all 3 games and have the second worst goal differential at -6. Speaking of Italy, they would miss out on qualification for the second straight world cup. They were the reigning European champions and the highest ranked team to miss out. In Group F, Belgium was picked by many as the favorite to advance out of the group. They were ranked second in the world at the time, however they would be eliminated as Morocco and Croatia would advance.

In the Round of 16, it was the first time a team from all 5 continents had qualified.

In the Round of 8, Portugal would be eliminated by Morocco. This would mark Cristiano Ronaldos last ever world cup game. Ronaldo has scored the most goals by any male in the world, ever. Despite this record he would fall short of the ultimate goal, a World Cup trophy.

Argentina’s ultimate victory against France during penalties was monumental as it was Lionel Messi’s final World Cup. Many Americans were rooting for Argentina for reason, “I was rooting for Argentia and was really happy when they won,” said Ryan Reid (10). After a career filled with hundreds of impressive achievements, winning the World Cup was the crowning one for Messi.

It m a r k e d a perfect ending for a remarkable career.

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Google Classroom

Teachers opinions on the ever pressing debate. story and design by john kowalski

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oogle Classroom and Schoology are the two primary virtual learning platforms used by teachers at Fairview.

Teachers post assignments and class resources on these platforms, allowing students to then access them. Both of these services are utilized by teachers across the school in varying capacities.

Notably though, there has been some debate amongst the staff of Fairview as to which of the two is the better platform overall. A poll conducted by Fairview Publications asked one simple question: Which platform [Schoology or Google Classroom] do you use?

The results were rather damning, with 75% of 32 polled teachers preferring to teach through Google Classroom as compared to Schoology.

But why do teachers prefer Google Classroom to Schoology?

Christine Kuster noted Google Classroom’s interface, and its ease of use for students. “I personally like the minimalist interface that Google Classroom offers both me and my

A graph using the data of academic subjects taught using Schoology.

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students. It’s easy to find things and arrange them in a meaningful order.”

Jennifer Kraemer mentioned GC’s simplicity. “I find Google Classroom to be easier and more intuitive than Schoology.”

Teachers generally regard Google Classroom as an easier platform than Schoology to teach students on. TJ Strasser mentioned how Google’s influence in the world of technology helps Google Classroom get the leg up on Schoology. “I think in the Google world we live in, Google Classroom has the more intuitive experience for teachers and students.” Strasser also further mentioned Google Classroom’s layout system. “It also prohibits me from accidentally making my layout too complex. The programming makes it so that there are only a few ways to create a class layout, and I think there is some comfort in that familiarity.”

The majority of teachers found that they favored Google Classroom to Schoology. This being said, 25% of the 33 teachers who responded to the survey said that they actually preferred Schoology to Google Classroom. These instructors had varied reasons for this preference.

Micheal Hollenbach has found that Schoology has a far easier system for inputting grades into Infinite Campus.

“The main reason I use Schoology is it’s actually cross formatted with Infinite Campus, and for the most part, if I do it correctly, my grades migrate over to IC seamlessly so I don’t have to put

grades in twice.” Hollenbach wasn’t the only teacher to note this, with Adam

“I like that it connects with IC and inputs grades.”

Chilton also noting that Schoology “natively integrates with IC.” Diana Rapp feels that Schoology works better when teaching math. “I like the layout better than the “newsfeed” layout in GC, Schoology offers more for math teachers (in my experience).” Rapp also similarly notes Infinite Campus as a factor in using Schoology “I like that it connects with IC and inputs grades.”

During the Covid-19 pandemic, teachers were forced to go online with their teaching, with many utilizing Schoology as their platform for remote learning. Sarah Halstead was one of these teachers. “Schoology was the platform I used during Covid and with much of the core structure of my classes already pre-set and transferable from semester to semester it made

A graph using the data of academic subjects taught using Google Classroom.

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schoo sch oollogy the most sense to continue to use Schoology to not have to change to a new platform and reload all of the

“Schoology was the platform I used during Covid and with much of the core structure of my classes already pre-set and transferable from semester to semester it made the most sense to continue to use Schoology.” information.” Other teachers have also mentioned Covid-19 as a factor for sticking with Schoology. “During Covid the district asked us to, and I have just kept up with it since.” said Karen Nieb.

Overall, teachers at Fairview seem to fancy Google Classroom moreso than Schoology. This isn’t to say that Google Classroom is flawless. Thomas Oviatt feels that Google Classroom still has room for development. “The single biggest way google classroom could be improved would be to seamlessly integrate with Infinite Campus, so that grades could simply import into

A graph using data of 33 teachers polled on whether they use Google Classroom or Schoology.

IC from Google Classroom, instead of having to be manually transferred.”

Sarah Zerwin mentioned Google Classroom’s sometimes frustrating mechanics. “One thing that is super annoying is if you have, say, three sections of the same class, you can initially make an assignment and have it go to all three. But then if you make a change, you have to change it in all three.”

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this, and the debate amongst teachers regarding Schoology and Google Classroom exemplifies the importance technology holds in the classroom. In any case, there will always be a new competitor trying to overthrow these two platforms. With AI tech becoming a bigger factor in the tech world, it’s simply a matter of time before it reaches the educational sector, redefining the world of education as we know it. In the meantime though, the debate between Schoology and Google Classroom will rage on.

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The Idaho Four A violent tragedy at a small town school shocks the world story and design by holly auerbach

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hat was once thought of as a safe small town community is now changed forever. Kaylee Goncalves, Maddie Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin were the four victims of a case that swarmed the media instantly, sparking curiosity in people all over the world.

Early morning of November 13, 2022, the four University of Idaho students were slain in their offcampus residence. Two of the six roommates survived the attack and made a 911 call later that morning. Dylan Mortensen, one of the surviving roommates, saw the suspect. She claims she saw a “figure clad in black clothing” and a mask that covered the person’s mouth and nose walking towards her.

Police found a knife sheath in the house with an unknown male’s DNA. Through DNA technology they were able to link the DNA back to Bryan Kohberger, a PhD criminology student at the university.

On December 30th, Kohberger was arrested from his parent’s home in Pennsylvania. Currently, Kohberger is in custody in Moscow, Idaho, awaiting his preliminary hearing, scheduled for June 26th, 2023.

The cases are worldwide knowledge and it’s not being reported exclusively in news outlets, but also in social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, and Reddit.

“I found out about the case actually through TikTok a few days

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after it happened,” said Summer Gould (12).

These platforms are also full of social media “sleuths” trying to conspire and solve the case themselves. While it can be hard to avoid talking about it and asking questions, it is crucial to stay quiet on social media and not spread misleading information.

Spreading misinformation online is harmful to the victims and their families finding justice.

The 911 call and the fact that two roommates survived also sparked controversy in the media. Bethany Funke and Dylan Mortensen (the surviving roommates) are recieving hate from for how they handled the situation. Moscow Police cleared the two girls within a few days of the investigation, but people suspected them regardless.

The gruesome manner in which this crime was committed has sparked fear in teenagers all over the country. Some students from The University of Idaho fled the campus shortly after the news was released and have decided to continue the rest of the year online. However, some kids are february

not as affected by the case.

“I think there are risks like this everywhere in life, this case doesn’t affect my feelings about going to college or living offcampus in college,” said Gould.

A major source of this fear is coming from the unknown motive for the crime. Not knowing a motive has scared many people around the world, worrying that they could be the next victim of a completely random crime.

“I think that motive is tricky with this case,” said Gould. “The fact that we don’t know is scary. It makes it more real that this could really happen to anybody.”

The Best of True Crime Podcasts

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TikTok Ban U.S government bans TikTok on state devices, what’s next? story by siena scornavacco design by siena scornavacco & mia nicholson

What is the TikTok Ban? The US government has recently issued a ban on the very popular social media app TikTok. On December 30th, 2022, President Biden signed a bill that would ban TikTok from being downloaded on government devices.

This ban was passed by congress and was a part of the spending bill, which was over 4,000 pages long.

This spending package costs 1.7 trillion dollars, and the ban of TikTok was only a small part of it. But still a crucial one.

The app has recently been under the spotlight, as it has been uncovered that TikTok tracks its users. Launched in 2016 and owned by the Chinese government, TikTok has gained over 1.53 billion active users. Used for creating short videos and scrolling through others’ content, the app took off and in 2021 generated over 4.6 billion dollars. However, this famous app has been good at covering up what’s going on beneath the surface of the fun, entertaining videos.

How TikTok tracks users The major reason that the US gowvernment made the decision to ban the app is due to TikTok tracking users as well as collecting their information.

TikTok and its government ties can take information such as the user’s phone number, address, location, and email address from the device the app is installed on. This increases the risk for scams and hackers. It also raises your digital footprint, which experts argue in a world full of invasive technology can be dangerous now and in the future. This collection of information as well as TikTok’s ownership lying with the Chinese government created concern among

the US Government. FBI director Christopher Wray testified and said that he is “extremely concerned” regarding Chinese political influence on TikTok. The reason this ban can be a controversial subject is because of the generational addiction to TikTok. Many teens believe they couldn’t live without TikTok.

Addiction to the app Almost 25% of Fairview High students spend 2-4 hours a day on TikTok. The social media app is more addicting than other apps like Snapchat and Instagram. “I spend around 1-2 hours a day on TikTok,” said Mandy Gu (10).

This app has taken over the lives of teenagers, with hours and hours spent on it every day. High school students can already have crazy busy schedules, and spending that much time on a social media app can damage people’s mental health and cause issues like sleep deprivation. “Yeah I’m addicted but I also know way worse” said Ella Pierce (10).

So why not just delete the app?

There’s a simple answer to this. People love TikTok. The algorithm is an important part of our brain’s natural addiction to apps such as TikTok. Scrolling on TikTok is addicting, and the app perfectly calculates a “for you page” which is literally a page created for you, with your interests and videos similar to ones that you’ve liked before.

It’s impossible to delete an app like TikTok when it becomes a big part of everyday life within our society.

What comes next?

TikTok is an app that’s constantly between the sides of whether it’s positive or negative towards us and our royal banner

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society. The real answer is, it can be both. Pierce says “you can learn a lot from TikTok but I think people abuse it.”

While the government signed off on this bill mainly for safety purposes, everyday users may not feel the same sense of urgency to ban the app.

So what happens next? After the government decided to ban TikTok off of state devices, the question arose of what the future may be for the famous social media app. Many politicians have been wanting the app to be removed from all American devices for a while.

Colorado Senator Michael Bennet even sent a letter to Apple, urging the app to get banned from their app store. As the government ban is only in effect for all devices owned by the government, it could serve as a stepping stone for the upcoming prospect of TikTok being removed for the entirety of the US. Our teenage generation has become especially addicted to this social media app. Both of these factors together raises the question of whether or not a ban on such an influential app could be positive or negative. What will happen next with TikTok, a platform that will continue to be under the spotlight?

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95th Oscar Award Predictions Speculation on the results of the 95th Academy Awards story by addison washburn design by elliott pease

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he 95th Academy Awards will take place on March 12, presenting awards to films released over the past year. In this article, we will try to predict the films that will take home the prestigious awards. I wasn’t able to fit every award in this article (sort of like the Oscars last year apparently), but here are some of the main categories.

year, with Brendan Gleeson and Barry Keoghan both nominated for Banshees of Inisherin, but I think Quan is the most likely winner here due to his story.

Best Supporting Actress - Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) While this may not be the best performance from the nominations, it was still quite a powerful one, and feels the most likely to receive the award.

The Academy could also potentially award Jamie Lee Curtis as an unofficial lifetime award to honor her historic acting career, but I think Bassett is more likely considering the content of the film and its cultural relevance.

Best Actor - Colin Farrell (Banshees of Inisherin) This is a fairly tight race, but I think Farrell is long overdue for an Oscar and this year will finally be his. Banshees of Inisherin was a tour-de-force of acting, and Farrell is absolutely no exception.

Best Actress - Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once) This one is kind of a toss-up: Yeoh and Cate Blanchett both delivered Oscar-worthy performances this year, but Yeoh seems destined to finally get the Oscar she has long deserved.

Blanchett having already won twice would most likely factor into the Academy’s decision this year as well (as unfair as that is).

International Feature - All Quiet Best Supporting Actor - Ke Huy

Quan (Everything Everywhere All At Once) In one of the greatest acting comeback stories of all time, the guy who played Data in The Goonies is back from an acting hiatus, and his first role is a potential Oscar winner.

This category is absolutely stacked this

on the Western Front Nominated for 9 Oscars, this film is definitely the favorite for this category: a solid anti-war film that is beautifully shot. The other contenders here are strong, with great films like Argentina, 1985 and EO also receiving nominations, but All Quiet on the Western Front is the strongest candidate for this award.

Extras

(we ran out of room)

Editing - Everything Everywhere All At Once Production Design - Avatar: The Way of Water Adapted Screenplay - Women Talking

b o o k Yo u r Senior Photos

Original Screenplay - Everything Everywhere All At Once

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also won the Golden Globe back in January, so there’s definitely some hype for the song.

Best Visual Effects - Avatar: The Way of Water I mean, this is a given. The visuals may not be the most tight 100% of the time (varying frame rates at times), but they are pretty darn solid overall, and rank among the best of the year. Avatar may not win the Best Picture award that it was nominated for, but this feels like a safe bet.

Animated Feature - Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio This one has to go to Pinocchio.

It’s beautifully animated with claymation, and has a great cast and story.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On is also fantastic and could potentially win, but Pinocchio seems to be the favorite here.

Best Director - Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans) I mean, is there any other choice?

It’s Steven Spielberg making a movie about the magic of movies. Even if the movie was bad, which it definitely isn’t, he would still be a front-runner for the award.

Best Score - The Fabelmans (John Williams) Personally, I believe this category didn’t get that many great choices nominated, but John Williams is easily the greatest composer of all time, and this feels like a perfect choice for the award.

Original Song - Naatu Naatu (RRR)

RRR is one of the most exciting blockbuster films of the year, and this song is energetic and perfect. The song

Cinematography - All Quiet on the Western Front It was unexpected when Top Gun: Maverick didn’t get nominated for this, but that notable absence will likely clear the way for All Quiet on the Western Front to take home the award. The movie is distinctly shot; it’s exactly the type of thing that the Oscars would usually go for.

Best Picture - Everything Everywhere All At Once This is, as per usual, the tightest race of the Oscars. Everything Everywhere was hugely successful by indie film standards, becoming the most talked about film of the year. I think this one has the edge here, but I could also see The Fabelmans and maybe Banshees of Inisherin taking the award here as well.

I doubt all of these predictions will come true, so it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. Overall, it’s been a pretty solid year for movies, with a wide range of blockbusters and indie films receiving acclaim.

The Academy Awards will officially mark the end of 2022 cinema, paving way for yet another great year… hopefully.

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library lockdown Drug-Related Library Shutdown Sparks Community Debate story and design by lily nobel

Boulder’s Main Branch library closed for environmental testing on December 20th after two employees described symptoms in line with meth exposure. While the library reopened on January 9th, debate continued. The intersection of the library as a public gathering space and addiction as a visible issue has become a central point of community discourse.

According to Annie Elliott, the library’s communication specialist, the library had already taken substantial measures to mitigate drug use on the library premises prior to the closure.

“Over the years we have worked diligently to “activate” areas where we know bad behavior takes place,” said Elliot, here referring to drug use as ‘bad behavior.’

Still, drug use in the library is a

persistent concern. Before the closure, housed library patrons sometimes had encounters with unhoused library patrons they described as “uncomfortable” and “distressing.”

“They’re humans and need some help,” said one current library user, “But the current climate is creating distress.”

According to a 2020 government survey, approximately 680 individuals are experiencing homelessness in Boulder County. There are several services in place to assist unhoused people in Boulder, including Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, Mother House (which caters to pregnant women and mothers), and TGTHR (which serves youths), but Fairview students are split on the city government’s response and support.

Caiden Gilbert (12), volunteered

at Harvest of Hope food pantry for years and believes Boulder does have sufficient resources to support unhoused populations. “I think there’s a lot of lower income housing, plus some easy options for food and shelter. When I volunteered, the shelves were constantly stocked.”

“I don’t think they should be so welcome in public spaces as they are now.”

Lucas Geerts (12) said he believed that the Boulder government was putting too many resources into aiding the homeless population.

“I don’t think they should be so welcome in public spaces as they are now,” Geerts said.

community member comments on a neighborhood forum

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Gilbert, Kevin Zhang (12), and two anonymous juniors agreed that most of their interactions with homeless people around Boulder have been innocuous and uneventful, “chill” and “nice.”

Students also tended to agree that barring homeless people from the library, as proposed by some adult community members, would be a harmful solution to the issue.

Zhang called the idea “mean and inconsiderate.”

One anonymous student brought up the idea of supervised drug use sites where users can be taken care of in case of an overdose and receive support as far as addiction and housing concerns (part of a strategy known as harm reduction) to mitigate the effects of drug use in other public places.

Currently, Boulder’s harm reduction program, known as the Works Program, works to “enable people who use drugs to reduce their risk of disease and overdose death, and increase access to referrals and linkage to supportive services [...].”

One librarian agreed that while drug use in and around the library can be a barrier to community use, they believe that blocking people out of the building and preventing them from using services is not a viable solution.

“As librarians, our main concern is keeping books accessible to anyone who wants to read.”

photo courtesy of boulder city government

“As librarians, our main concern is keeping books accessible to anyone who wants to read,” said one librarian who works at Boulder Main Branch.

Though tensions in the community remain high, many Fairview students agree that treating unhoused people with empathy, kindness, and respect is key.

“It bothers me that some people in our city think they’re doing harm simply by existing.”

“Almost always the homeless people I see are completely minding their own business,” said an anonymous sophomore. “It bothers me that some people in our city think they’re doing harm simply by existing.”

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Gilbert shared a story from his time at the food bank he believes adds meaning to a debate that can often dehumanize those it most impacts.

“I remember one time [while volunteering at the food bank] I was having a bad day-- maybe it showed on my face or maybe he was just really grateful-- but this man took my hands into his,” said Gilbert, “And looked straight into my eyes and said ‘God bless your soul.’ That moment has stuck with me all of this time.”

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The Art of Cellphone Photography Student photographers showcase their photography skills and opinions. writing and design by john kowalski

O

n a rare occasion, the Boulder Flatirons across from Fairview will be covered with long tendrils of spectacular clouds. This phenomenon is always a beautiful sight to see, and in classrooms around the school, students will take photos of it.

Dan McCarthy, a social studies teacher, has noticed this occurrence in his classroom: “I teach up at the end of the 600 hall and sometimes the clouds are sitting over the Flatirons. I’ll notice students quickly pull out a phone and get a shot of it or some fresh snow.”

With the advent of cellphone technology, more and more students are utilizing the camera within their pockets to their advantage and taking “I took this photo of my labrador puppy Layla when we first got her.” photo courtesy of jenny zhang (11)

photo courtesy of drew novak (11)

photographs.

“I do think it’s very useful to be able to take photos at any time” said Max Nedbalski (11). “Getting a new phone, my camera quality definitely went up…

I used to have a really old phone and I got a new one recently.”

Phone cameras have improved over the years, and many students are finding now that their cell phones are adequate for spur-of-the-moment photography.

“They’re making [phone] cameras better… I think it’s cool that it’s easier to capture the moment” Eloise Wilson (9) a student photographer said. “I mean you don’t carry an expensive camera around, or a film camera, or a Polaroid very often so sometimes I’ll be in a situation that I wasn’t expecting and I think it’s cool that you can just whip out your cell phone and capture it.”

Elliot Marks (11), the leader of the student photography club, has some experience regardingW “I’ve been into photography since middle school. I started taking a lot more photos, especially over quarantine. When I joined Fairview I joined the photography club, thought it was really fun…the previous leader was

I think it’s all about your personal reasons for photography.“” a senior last year, graduated, so I just kind of took over.”

I interviewed Marks and asked him about his thoughts on cellphone photography. “I think it’s all about your personal reasons for photography. I mean, if you’re trying to sell things,

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make a business out of it, I wouldn’t recommend it, but it’s a great place to start.”

The preference of the photographer is really the main factor in choosing a camera type.

“It’s all about the results you can get. So if you think that you can take better photos with a real camera, that’s great.” said Marks. “If you think you can take better photos with a phone, that’s great. It doesn’t really matter what you’re using as long as the end result looks fine.”

Cell phones do have certain advantages over traditional cameras.

“In a lot of nightshots you can use computational photography stuff. You tend to get better results because you don’t need a tripod and all that stuff.” said Elliot.

Phone cameras also have accessibility as a plus. “It’s nice if I’m hiking or doing something where I don’t want to carry my big camera around. It’s great for quick shots that aren’t meant to be artistic-- that are just meant to capture a moment” said Elliot.

Cell phones are convenient photography devices. Gone are the days of struggling with bulky film cameras, waiting for the perfect shot, and having only 24 photos per roll of film. Nowadays, any person with a good enough phone and some decent photography know-how can take decent photos without having to ever buy film or a DSLR. For some though, this ease of access misses the point of photography.

“I feel like it’s less rewarding than film or using an actual camera because y’know, you can just take it and it’s there” said Wilson. “I don’t think photography means as much when you

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photo cou

photo courtest of sydney ligon (11)

can just take 100 photos in 30 seconds.”

The field of photography has reached a new horizon. For many students who can’t afford a camera, or don’t own one, phone cameras offer a way to document the world around them. Students now

“I took this photo after biking to the top of Winter Park (12,000ft) and I climbed up to the top of the Eagle Wind Lift.” photo courtesy of zach young (12)

“I don’t think photography means as much when you can just take 100 photos in 30 seconds.” have access to cameras which are easier and simpler to use than ever. At this point, nearly everybody has a camera in their pocket.

This points to one question though; where does this leave traditional photography?

Dan McCarthy feels that cell phones are a useful photographic tool.“It’s nice to for you to have [a phone] at all times.”

At the same time though, he knows that traditional cameras are still important.

“I can understand the need for more advanced photography techniques as well.”

Photography, whether a hobby or a profession, can offer new and diverse perspectives on our world. Cellphone cameras are some of the most accessible photographic devices students have, and are an incredible tool available to us. Time can only tell how cellphone technology will improve, and where it will ultimately take us.

“Swim practice, cold, lots of steam.” photo courtesy of luka kazanjian (12)

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t i ye o

‘ s r a ? n

w e n u l o re s

Holly Auerbach I want to try something new every week. With 2023 being the year I go to college, I want to try more things and meet as many people as I can. Trying new activities and adventuring out of your comfort zone is a big part of college and I thought why not make it a goal for the whole year. In 2022 I did a variety of different things but not nearly as much as I hope to participate in this year. These new activities can be as simple as attending a dance class or going on a hike I’ve never been on before.

John Kowalski I want less of a human perspective on life, and rather a natural one. Many years ago my goal for the year was to make a friend. Having made wonderful relations that forever changed my perspective on the world, I now want to focus elsewhere in my new year’s resolution for 2023. This time I hope to go hiking more often. I have a rather simple new year’s resolution, do three ultra-marathon length hikes during the summer, think 30+ miles, in one year. This resolution should allow me to truly immerse myself in nature and disconnect from the outside world.

Sophia Zhang My new years resolution is to spend more time with my dog.

I often get too caught up in my schedule and I don’t make time to spend with her which ends up being really sad because I want her to know that I still care about her. Also, spending time with her just lifts my mood and makes me feel less stressed anyway, so its not like theres a downside for me if I spend a lot of time with her. I think if I spend a lot of time with her in the new year it will be a great bonding opportunity and it will make me happier in a lot of ways!

Laron Van Allen-Gilbert Buy a planner. It’s important to keep track of your work and schedule. Otherwise the work you haven’t completed will continue to pile up and it will feel like you’ll never finish, you’ll get stuck in a slump. It took a while but I’ve finally realized the importance.

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Addison Washburn My new years resolution was to stop making new years resolutions, because they don’t work. I would prefer to spend my time effecting short term goals that work up to a larger factor in order to truly grow as an individual. However, I have just now made a new years resolution technically, so maybe I’m bad at that resolution as well. From a certain point of view however, failure does allow people to grow, so one could make the assessment that I have rather lost my rocker. In a way, my new years resolution has allowed me to see this, so in that regard these resolutions are rather beneficial. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

Lucia van Maarth My new years resolution is to meet new people. I want to make as many new friends as I can.

Bella Pope To not waste my time on people and things that are clearly not good for me. I think that it is really important to not waste time or energy on things that clearly drain you. Surround yourself with people and things that will fill your battery rather than drain it. for example, I thrive in an atmosphere where people have the same music taste as me, people who enjoy the same movies as me, and are overall kind people. february

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Editors-in-chief

Eliana Knode

L i l y nobel

staff contributors

Eliana is a senior, and this is her third year with The Royal Banner. She is proud to be an Editor-in-Chief, and also to encourage student activism within the Fairview and larger Boulder community. Eliana loves spending time with her friends and her three amazing dogs.

Julia Perian

Siena Scornavacco

Wesley Schlater

Mia Nicholson

John Kowalski

Addison Washburn

Holly Auerbach

Elliot Pease

p. 6

p. 7

Lily is a senior, and this is their third year with The Royal Banner. They’re excited to explore the Banner’s possibilities this year and to foster a spirit of excitement and curiosity within the paper. Lily enjoys writing and hiking in our beautiful city.

p. 8-9 & 16-17

p. 10

p. 11

p. 12-13

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Not Pictured - Farah Ahmodova page 7

About the Cover

This issue’s cover showcases student and staff photography. Photo 1: Takenby Scott Schulte and is of Trier Cathedral. Photo 2: Taken by Drew Novak (11). Photo 3: Taken by Maura Rhodes and is of a sunset looking at the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

Business

Business Manager: Claire-Maria Broaddus 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

Website Feature

The Best Way to Make a Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Comprehensive Guide)

About Us

The Royal Banner is a 20-page news magazine.

The Banner is written primarily for the over 2000 students attending Fairview High School and is distributed free of charge to all members of the school community. Accurate reporting of fact is the goal of the staff. Commentaries, opinion columns and letters to the editor are the expressed opinion of the author and not of the Royal Banner and its Editorial Board or adviser. *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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