Vol. 95, Issue 4

February The Pepperbox

BOX BRIEFS

February 14: Valentine’s Day

February 20-24: No School for President’s Break

Want to advertise or buy a mail subscription to the Pepperbox? Email Business Managers Astreya and Jasmine McKnight at pepperbox@nohum.k12. ca.us!

EDITORIAL STAFF

Madelyn Conley: Editor-in-Chief

Dylan Berman: Editor-in-Chief

Zoe Macknicki: Managing Editor

Seneca Turechek: Feature Editor

Finn Clark: Feature Editor

Ilana Maclay: News Editor

Julian Wan: Online Editor

Ell Franklin: Opinion Editor

Morgan Ford: Sports Editor

Sagen Sarchett: Sports Editor

Emma Kaber: A&E Editor

Astreya McKnight: Business Manager

Jasmine McKnight: Business Manager

Anthony Vasek: Photo Editor

Ossian Briar-Bonpane: Photo Editor, Social Media Manager

Ella Newman: Guest Writer

Alex Phelan: Art Director

Toni Diaz: Copy Editor

REPORTERS

Sadie Cronin

Urijah Horne

Laura Laux

Lucia Hernandez

Jaimeanne O’Donnell

Raymi Sharp

Alauna Thompson

Dominic Previde

Mariah Weekly

Questions regarding editorial content of the Pepperbox should be directed toward its editors. Opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of Arcata High School.

The Pepperbox would like to thank Western Web, based in Samoa, for printing atcost. Western Web supports student journalism throughout Humboldt County and has made publications like the Pepperbox possible for decades. We appreciate their dedication to keeping print media alive.

Editors’ Box

Dylan Berman and Madelyn Conley Co-Editors-in-Chief

Welcome to our fourth issue! This issue is a special one, as it highlights the love we have for our school community. Personally, the Valentine’s issue is one of our favorites. Our staff has changed a little bit this semester, but we’ve adapted and have produced another issue we’re proud of. This issue covers different views of relationships and love in general. We made sure to also feature the controversies around campus including sexual harassment, the attendance policy, and budget concerns. Since it’s close to Valentine’s Day we focused a lot on the holiday. Our reporters give their relationship advice, dating red flags, advice about being single on Valentine’s Day, and best places to go on dates. We’re very proud of our staff and admire the passion they put into their articles. Some spent a lot of time investigating and interviewing, trying to get the most accurate information for our readers. Others took the time to go to places around Humboldt and come into class even during prom weekend.

We want to thank our staff and showcase their improvement as the year goes on. We hope you laugh and smile but also become informed on important issues on campus while reading. With love, Madelyn and Dylan <3

Interested in writing for The Pepperbox? Contact pepperbox@nohum.k12. ca.us Follow us on Instagram!

Behind the Scenes

Quotable.

-Alex Kantner said referring to Junior Prom where he was stationed in the bathroom

-Shannon Kresge said when asked if she likes Ms. Frizzle

-Athina Lazaridis referring to her class being disruptive

- Adam Pinkerton said when asked to demonstrate dips in front of the class

-

-Zephyr Levy asked when discussing women’s reproductive system

“Of course I’m reading in the bathroom, I read everywhere, that’s all I do.”

“Ms. Frizzle is the homie g.”

“You guys are the reason teachers drink so much.”

“Feats of strength are my specialty.”

“Is your period based on the time of the month you were born?”

“You’re an artist, you can just make a fake ID.”

Tim Clewell said to a student in ceramics

The fight against sexual harrassment

Emma Kaber A&E Editor

It’s no secret that sexual harassment exists. It’s in our world, it’s in our nation, and it’s in our community. It’s in our school.

According to the American Association of University Women(AAUW), nearly half of all 7-12th graders experience sexual harassment. Only 20% of victims report it to their school.

So, why aren’t students reporting it?

The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) defines sexual harassment as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.”

This definition obviously includes rape, but also covers unwanted kissing, cuddling, and other intimate actions.

RAINN makes it clear that sexual harassment includes: sending unwanted texts, cat calling, telling jokes about sex, talking about sex or fantasies in school or work, sharing sexual images or even making repeated requests even after being declined multiple times.

Sexual harassment also includes being harassed about your sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity. 90% of LGBTQ+ students report experiencing sexual harassment at school.

Most classrooms on campus have a poster that says, “Incident Reporting Form” with a QR code to a Google Form.

The poster encourages students to report all forms of “harassment, discrimination, racism and microaggressions.” Students can include their name on the form, but it can also be submitted anonymously.

That form is only one of many ways to report sexual harassment.

Talking to a trusted adult, like a teacher or Crisis Counselor Eileen Klima will also get you connected to support.

“We really wanna give people various avenues to get support,” Principal Ron Perry said. What happens after you report it, anyway?

nessed another student use a slur in one of their classes, and told the teacher about it. However, this teacher appeared to make no effort to correct the situation.

said she was gonna talk to him[the perpetrator] but I don’t think she did,” the student said. “I don’t think teachers really care.” of action.

cookie-cutter,” Perry said, “so there is no one-size-fits-all solution.”

can talk to Ms. Klima about the in cident, they can have a restorative conversation with the perpetrator, something else, or nothing at all. It’s up to the victim to decide what they need.

to the needs of the victim,” Perry said.

ifornia Education Code, any stu dent who sexually harasses anoth er student can be suspended.

trator may receive are detention, Saturday school, or a parent con ference depending on the severity of the harassment.

physical sexual actions, is grounds for expulsion.

riously,” Perry said.

Thursday in Room 301 to “create consent culture on campus.”

Part of the problem identified on campus is the misleading nature of the incident reporting form.

“It’s optional to put your name, but the form makes it seem like you’re supposed to,” Check-It Club representative and sophomore Alex Phelan said.

keep the discussion around consent going by organizing events such as Trees for Change, and a self-defense class that will be hosted on February 11 from 12-5 in the wrestling room.

Lunch will be provided, and it’s a great opportunity to be able to

Not so planned parenthood

Jaimeanne O’Donnell Reporter

We’ve all had to sit through that uncomfortable unit of Health Class; the Sex Ed unit.

For years, Planned Parenthood came into all Health classes and taught Sex Ed, but when Laurie Griffith started teaching Health at the start of last school year, she did not have Planned Parenthood come in.

Arcata High’s other Health teacher, Mark Sahlberg, still has Planned Parenthood come in and teach.

Griffith was supposed to have Planned Parenthood come in and teach Sex Ed last year (2021-22), but,unfortunately, she called too

late and they were booked, so she created her own curriculum. She decided to do the same thing again this year.

In Griffith’s class, freshmen are taught about consent, abstinence, body image, reproduction, and puberty.

They learn about both female anatomy and male anatomy,sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including the different types of infections, how to get and avoid them, and what the symptoms are.

Griffith’s curriculum also consists of talking about all of the different ways to have safe sex, the risks and disadvantages to each one, how they work, and the effectiveness of them.

Abstinence being 100% effective, of course.

“I learned about consent and STDs and how to avoid getting STDs, and also toxic relationships,” freshman Sierra Roberts said.

“We also talked about birth control, and the different like types of protection, like condoms. You can get stuff in your arm, you can take pills, and there’s also like female condoms and male condoms. I really liked [learning about] the STD part, I think that was pretty cool.”

Now that we know what freshmen learn in Griffith’s class, let’s take a look at what they learn in Sahlberg’s class from Planned Parenthood.

Freshman in his class learn about topics like communication skills, decision making, how to prevent STIs, healthy relationships, consent, body image, anatomy,

and puberty.

They also learn about subjects like birth control, abstinence, and sexual orientation.

“I think it’s very universal, the information they give out,” Sahlberg said.

Griffith will be observing Sahlberg’s class when Planned Parenthood comes in to teach Sex Ed, and decide whether she will be having them teach next year or not.

Both of their curricula are very informative and cover topics that freshmen need to learn about in Health Class.

As you can see, both curricula cover a wide variety of subjects. So, it doesn’t matter which Health teacher you get.

You will still have the same awkward Sex Ed.

New exchange student from Colombia

Laura Laux Reporter

Camilo Colorado Alvarez is 16 years old and arrived at Arcata High from Colombia for the new semester. He is going to stay to finish his junior year for the rest of the second semester.

“My parents told me about the idea [of going abroad] and convinced me to go,” he said, explaining why he is studying abroad.

Alvarez enjoys classic American fast food.

“The best thing [about the US] I think is the food,” he said. Something he doesn’t like about the US are the current temperatures in Humboldt.

“It’s too cold for me,” he said. That was surprising for me since in my hometown in Germany it is snowing right now, so I feel like the winter weather in Humboldt is pretty warm.

Alvarez is used to warmer weather in his home country Colombia. His best experience so far was his first day at Arcata High.

The school system is the biggest difference he noticed so far.

“My school in Colombia has only 250 students, ”Alvarez explained.

He is planning on joining the baseball team and “look(s) forward to improving (his) English.”

“It’s my first time playing baseball,” he added.

His favorite class is PE, which he also takes in Colombia. In his free time he likes “to play soccer, play violin and listen to music.” Alvarez misses the people in Colombia the most.

“In Colombia, they are happier,” he explains. Let’s all welcome Camilo in our little community and try our best to show him our happiness!

Happy Black History Month!

Madelyn Conley Co- Editor-in-Chief

February is not only the month of love, it’s also more importantly Black History Month.

Black History Month serves as both a celebration and reminder that Black history, people, and stories are important and matter in this country.

It gives those a voice to tell their stories, describe their experiences, and educate others.

The 2023 theme for this month is Black Resilience so a lot of focus will be put on the hardships and oppression Black people have had to face and overcome to achieve success.

It’s during February because it coincides with Abraham Lincolns’

and Frederick Douglass’ birthdays because they both symbolize freedom.

Black History Month is also a celebration of culture and knowledge.

Some ways to show support as an ally are to support black owned businesses, learn about important black people and their contributions, donate to charities that support anti-racism equity and equality, and educate yourself.

Here at Arcata High, Black Student Union has plans to celebrate this month.

“We’re planning to do weekly quotes and videos in the bulletin and we’re hoping to do an assembly at the end of Black History Month,” active member and freshman Aliyah Aaron said.

Having quotes and informational videos in the bulletin help educate students.

In the club, president and senior Elisha Green plans on bringing in guest speakers as well. He wants to help members of BSU learn more about topics they’re interested in and find support in the club.

“Personally I just like to see that black people in history have a voice and are noticed, and not just the white European males getting attention,” Green said.

Black History Month is important to amplify voices and celebrate Black culture.

“I think it’s an important month to shine light on black figures in the past and in the present who have helped us be where we are today. It’s also a good opportunity to

shine light on Black struggle, Black excellence, and things we need to improve in this country. But at the same time we should be doing all this every month of the year,” vice president and sophomore Lela Broughton said.

* Correction from Issue 2 page 22 *

The First BSU president was Lavender Weburg and the first vice president was Nishyra Aaron.

Tigers go to Vegas!

Madelyn Conley and Zoe Macknicki

Co-Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor

The highly anticipated winter prom was on January 28th.

Prom was put on by the junior class and the theme was One Night in Vegas.

We went together with some of our friends and had a great time together.

The decorations and lights were really nice.

The music was slow at times, but with student input, the vibes got better and more people began dancing.

Students have been looking forward to this night for a while and have had high expectations.

“I’m very hyped up about it. I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” senior Bryce Rowley said.

The theme shined throughout the night.

There were tables set up with card games and colors like red, gold, and pink were everywhere.

Students put a lot of effort into creating a fun environment.

The junior class officers specifically worked very hard on winter prom.

“It was challenging because we had to overcome barriers of working together. It’s been a little bit of a mess but it’s definitely going to be worth it once it’s done,” junior class treasurer Ally Morris said before prom.

At prom there are always the people who get really into it.

They create the dances and mosh pits, get in the middle of them, and dress according to the theme.

This prom, we’d like to feature those who really stood out.

Rowley was in the middle of multiple mosh pits and even started some dance battles.

He also brought in confetti cannons which got everyone excited. He was definitely one of the best dancers at prom.

Mason Blair won prom royalty for the sophomore class. When his name got announced everyone got super hyped and excited for him.

Some couples shined at prom with their matching outifts. Senior Ty Ghisetti and sophomore Toni Diaz looked super cute with their coordinated outfits.

The sparkly red and black fit the Vegas theme, and the cowboy hat was an added twist that made it their own.

Seniors Taylor Appy and Kyla Berman came together dressed according to the theme wearing black and red dresses.

They were definitely one of the cutest couples who made an appearance at prom.

So many friend groups came together and had a great time. We think everyone took the theme and made it into their own style.

Sophomores Myla Conley, Jenna Renteria, Paige Burlison, Sasha Dronkers, and Alisha Borglund all looked super cute and stood out to us.

To be honest, prom kind of slayed. We had a much better time than we did during Homecoming and we think the atmosphere was much better.

The theme turned out to be super fun and the earlier time frame made it easier to do things afterwards and not go so late to the dance. In our opinion, prom was a success.

Madelyn Conley/PEPPERBOX

Madelyn Conley/PEPPERBOX

Madelyn Conley/PEPPERBOX

Madelyn Conley/PEPPERBOX

Lily Cunningham/PEPPERBOX

Madelyn Conley/PEPPERBOX

Natalie Dreyer/PEPPERBOX

Mystery of the missing minutes

Dylan Berman

Co-Editor-in-Chief

“I personally think that literally anything that they do won’t matter that much because teenagers are kind of relentless. The kids that want to skip are going to skip anyways,” Arcata High School junior Kleo Gaiera said. These are her thoughts on the schools minutes policy, implemented at the start of the school year in an attempt to raise attendance.

After a semester of the minute policy, and following a dance that students on the ‘No Go’ list weren’t allowed to attend, students and administrators are reflecting on the impact and fairness of the policy, and whether or not it will carry forward in school years to come.

1st/4th Period Tardies

Anthony Vasek is an AHS junior with over 240 minutes.

“Almost all of my tardies are for 1st and 4th period. I live in Scotia, so I have an hour-long drive to get to school every morning. That’s if we get lucky with traffic and road work,” he said. “Unless I start waking up ridiculously early then I’m realistically not gonna be able to arrive on the dot every morning.”

Vasek explained that he’s usually only one to five minutes late. Hplans his morning timing around how long it should take to get to Arcata High, but is often held up by construction or something happening on the roads.

“It feels like total bullsh*t how you’ll get a full ten minutes on your record just ‘cause you had to stop for construction or whatever,” he said..

Junior Aliviana Bacca-Lastra has a similar problem.

“If I walk into class twenty seconds late it adds ten minutes,” she said. “I live in Kneeland, so I’m late every single day. It totals up really

quick.”

Jessie Burns, the Arcata High School Dean of Students, explained that the ten minute decision was made by a district team in order to “impress upon students that it is very important to be in class on time.”

Burns shared that the administration is understanding and wants to work with students who are chronically tardy or absent for reasons outside of their control.

“We are trying very hard as a staff to identify students in that situation,” Burns said, “We absolutely work with families in this situation.”

Dance Attendance

Junior class president Melanie Luh was heavily involved in making Junior Prom happen. She had to check that students were on the Go List before selling them tickets to the dance.

“I’ve turned away not a ton of people, but the few people that have been turned away are surprised that they weren’t on the Go List,” she said.

Luh was frustrated that Junior Prom, which is organized by and raises money for the Junior class, is the first dance where the No Go List consequences were enforced.

“It makes me sad that the one time they’re enforcing the Go List is on our event and not Homecoming,” she explained. She said that based on the list she was given there are around 700 students on the Go List.

“That already narrows it down a lot for how many people have the capability to attend,” she said. Luh also described a “Golden Ticket” list. This list was of students who had over 240 minutes, but worked out a plan with Burns to be able to attend the dance. The Junior class made around 9,800 dollars from the dance this year. This is actually

more money than was made with last year’s Junior Prom, which brought in around 9,600 dollars.

The school’s overall student population is larger this year, so it is hard to estimate the potential impact of the minutes policy.

“Toward the end we had to turn a lot of people away,” said Melanie Luh. “I definitely think it cost us both money and attendance, especially since this is the first time they’ve tried to enforce the rule.”

Resources

Students can clear their minutes by attending lunch detention or Saturday school. Once a semester they can meet with Burns to clear 60 minutes, or have a parent conference which clears 240 minutes.

Bacca-Lastra feels that the system is unorganized.

“I met with the dean to get my minutes removed, and they didn’t get removed, and Prom is in two weeks,” she said.

Burns gave more insight into how the system operates.

“It is difficult to keep track of students’ minutes,” she said. “Our student information system, Synergy, has to be tracked and updated by hand.”

She explained that the district level tech department helps handle this process, but Synergy itself takes three days to update new information. Students can track their own minutes within Synergy/Studentview.

“We also run the list weekly on Wednesdays and post both the Go List and the No Go List Thursdays,” Burns said.

The enforcement of the list has had a “soft start” according to Burns.

“I am now reaching out to all coaches and teachers with extra curricular non academic field trips,” said Burns. She verified that Junior Prom was the first dance

that students on the No Go List were blocked from attending.

“I think it’s a very ineffective use of our school’s already dwindling resources,” Vasek said. He questioned whether the no go consequences are something chronically absent students would really care about.

Students like Vasek and Gaiera don’t view the system as effective.

“The kids with the extremely high minutes are gonna be the stoners and the class skippers who don’t care about going to any lame school function,” Vasek said.

Despite the attitude of indifference towards the system amongst some students, others are feeling the effects of their minutes.

“I think it’s a good system because it definitely motivates you to be on time,” said Bacca-Lastra. Overall, she sees the system as effective.

“It’s definitely preventing cuts. My friends since it’s been implemented have gotten better at showing up on time. It is working,” she said. “People do care about the consequences.”

Burns agreed.

“The idea behind the policy is to reinforce the “‘responsible”’ in our Tiger norms and to teach students accountability and self-advocacy,” she said. “At this time, the district is planning to continue the attendance policy with continued adjustments as we move forward. I feel that it has increased attendance as well as accountability.”

AHS is currently compiling data from the first semester to track the effectiveness of the policy. The Pepperbox requested access to this data but it was not shared before our publishing deadline.

Protection and prevention

Ella Newman Guest Writer

Sex is a topic that might make students laugh, feel uncomfortable, serious, or not serious. Whether it’s something you feel familiar with or not, it is important to make sure we all have access to the education regarding safe sex, especially as high school students.

Most importantly, consent needs to be how any sexual interaction begins. Consent means to verbalize a clear, sober, and unpressured “yes” to the person(s) you’re going to have sex with, and to get the same back from them. It needs to be clear that all parties want to participate.

On an Instagram poll posted by The Pepperbox, 47 out of 78 participating students felt like they didn’t get a good sex education in high school. Additionally, 36 students out of 69 felt like they don’t

have good resources provided to them, inside or outside of school.

Planned Parenthood nurse practitioner Lara Celli explained that as a minor, you are nearly always covered financially by Family PACT. Family PACT stands for planning, access, care, and treating, and it is a program that provides low-income women, men, and teens with access to health information, counseling, and services to help with reproductive health and unplanned pregnancies. This means that services such as STD testing, pregnancy tests, birth control, and contraceptives from Planned Parenthood are covered. You can sign up for Family PACT online or with the help of Planned Parenthood. “For teens/ young people who are covered by their parent’s insurance who want their tests and birth control and whatever they want private, we can sign them up for Family PACT

and other services so that they can keep their sexual and/or reproductive healthcare private from their parents or caregivers”, Celli explained.

Anyone can have an STD, and it is important to take your sexual health seriously. If you have concerns and feel you need to get tested for an STD, you can go to your doctor, a local health clinic such as Open Door, or Planned Parenthood.

To prevent STD’s, besides abstinence, condoms are the most common answer. Another great preventative is dental dams. These can be used for everyone having oral sex, providing protection between mouth and genitals. You can get condoms and dental dams from drug stores like CVS, and you don’t need to be a certain age to buy them.

Condoms, when used correctly, prevent giving and receiving

STD’s, as well as pregnancy.

Birth control is another method of preventing pregnancy. It can have other benefits like a lighter to no period at all, reduced acne, lessen PMS, and many other effects that you can read more about online at Planned Parenthood. One method might interfere with your everyday life too much, and another might worsen weight gain or acne. Overall all birth control methods have different pros and cons and it could take some time to find what works best for you.

To find the right birth control for you, talk to your doctor or make an appointment at Planned Parenthood. Also, there are options for birth control to be delivered to your home from websites such as NurX, which is completely free with insurance.

Planned Parenthood is a great resource that you can use regardless of your gender, sexual orientation, and life situation.

Where does all the money go?

Alex Phelan Reporter

The Northern Humboldt Union High School District’s total projected revenue this school year was $25,849,071.

That’s a lot of money, yet many students feel that specific programs, teams, and departments are underfunded. Oftentimes students feel powerless with things like the school budget, and I wanted to know if administration listens to students’ voices on this issue.

The amount of funds the district gets each year is determined by the State of California and not the schools themselves.

“The majority of our revenue is driven by attendance. When students do not attend school, we do

not get funding for that student on that day,” said Cindy Vickers, Director of Fiscal Services for the district.

“The district allocates two funding sources to Arcata High School. One source is restricted, and it is $54,067. The restricted funds must be used for instructional materials, such as textbooks, software, etc. The other source is unrestricted and is $189,560. The unrestricted funds can be used for various costs,” Vickers said.

Principal Ron Perry controls the unrestricted funds, though he consults the department chairs to meet the needs of each department to the best of his ability. As well, the school gathers feedback annually through the LCAP process to make funding decisions.

Now that we’ve gotten down to the specifics, the amount of money AHS has seems less glamorous.

Recently, there have been multiple in-classroom Student Feedback Sessions where students were able to express their opinions on how the school has been functioning.

“It was good. They had three questions that they asked us… one of them was about what was working well with the campus, and the second question was what wasn’t working,” Sophomore Amira Wanden said about the Feedback Session.

“Some of the things that were mentioned…was the fact that there’s nowhere to sit during lunch…[because] we don’t have a cafeteria or anything,” Wanden added.

Many students criticized current spending.

“I think that they should put more money into art programs and music and stuff and less into the football team,” said sophomore Jolie Gibbs.

As well, one of the biggest criticisms that AHS students have is the need for proper funding for basic upgrades on campus.

For example, new desks, clean water fountains, and basic repairs such as leaks in classrooms.

While the custodial staff does their job with most things, the lack of funds for upgrades makes it difficult for them to be able to make the changes students feel are necessary.

Is romance dead?

Jasmine

Manager

Dating and relationships today arguably look a lot different then they did in the past. Generally modern dating, with the advancement of technology, seems to consist of meeting online, dating or talking to multiple people at once, and using social media as a means to communicate. In the past, dating was more traditional.

“Dating now is more on social media. Less traditional, some peo ple would say,” junior Oscar Carl son said.

With the increased use of the internet and social media plat forms, especially for the purpose of relationships, changes are bound to occur.

“I think that the internet and social media have changed dating, but I’m not positive if that’s true. It seems like pressure to get further in the relationship is faster now,” Kay Wozniak said.

Some students complain that our technologically advanced world takes away from the romance of dating and relationships.

“Romance is dead,” sophomore Dinah Sullivan said.

Despite these issues, there are also some pros to modern dating and relationships.

“I think modern dating has prob ably made it easier to have health ier relationships because there is a lot more ability to communicate even if you are not in person. Like being able to send a text instead of writing a letter and sending it off by pigeon,” junior Calix Folk mann-Herr said.

Dating in the past was very dif ferent from now. Formality, ro mance, and manners were key as pects in traditional dating. Simple chivalrous gestures such as open ing the door for someone, walking on the outside of the sidewalk,

sending flowers, writing notes, asking someone to dance, and making sure your date gets home safely are no longer basic characteristics of dating.

“I think dating in the past was less on social media and more in person type stuff. It was more your stereotypical gentleman type stuff,” Carlson said.

and relatationships and dating and relationships of the past appear to have their pros and cons. But which is better?

“It depends on what your goal is. If your goal is just to go out on a date, then online or modern dating can be fantastic. If your goal is to find someone to be with for a long time, then I prefer the older method,” Jennifer Rosebrook said.

“I think a mix of modern and traditional is good. I think it is good to be able to talk to someone on your phone, but also have the skills to be with them in person,” junior Dominic Previde said.

Ollie Ebert suggests “if you have a crush just ask them out and go for it.”

And if you need some modern dating and relationship help, do or don’t take some inspiration from Oscar Carlson, who apparently has been told he “spit[s] like a llama because llamas spit and [he] spit[s] too.”

and more about the

McKnight Business

Oscar Carlson wears a hat featuring the logo of popular dating site Bumble

Jasmine McKnight/PEPPERBOX

Lenin Jacobsen

5’9 - green eyes - dirty blonde hair - cancer

Best feature?

My a**. Something interesting about you? I literally do Kung Fu fighting. What can you offer?

Someone to care for your mental disorders. Hidden talent?

I’m impervious to the cold. What song always gets you dancing?

“Moonage Daydream” by David Bowie.

Dream date?

Shopping together at farmer’s market, then I make you dinner.

Pet peeves in a partner?

Not taking care of yourself at all.

Most Eligible of Arcata

and Co-Photo

Dakota Sanders

dirt brown eyesdarker dirt brown hair

Best feature?

Double leg takedown. What can you offer?

State trophies. What is the last thing you googled? Wait, Coolio died?

Love language? Getting slammed [like wrestling.]

Kleo Gaiera

5’2 - green/blue eyespuce Jim Morrison hair

Best feature? My drip.

Something interesting about you?

I’m very physically flexible.

What is your type?

Dream date?

Tournament fight to the death. Pet peeves in a partner?

Liking asparagus. What are you looking for?

Sanity.

People who look like they just crawled out of the woods.

What’s the last thing you googled? “Puce.” Just “puce.”

Dream date?

Swing dancing in a tea pot.

Pet peeves in a partner?

Not sharing their thoughts and feelings.

Trying to track down the most eligible singles ficult process. Everyone at school seemed to that or our single population was just feeling spotlight. So, after a very extensive search, we students right here on your very own campus. for love and romance. As The Pepperbox, it is singles are rewarded for their bravery by finding

Why not ask one of them out this February

Anthony Vasek

Eligible Singles High School

and Ossian Briar-Bonpane

Co-Photo Editors

Arthur Yang

black hair - capricorn

What is your best feature?

I’m Asian.

What is your hidden talent?

I can play Beethoven.

Sionna Khattab

probably taller than you - sh*t brown eyes - leo

What is your best feature?

Junk in the trunk, iyk what I mean. What can you offer?

Sugar mommy.

Hobby?

Humbling men.

What’s your type?

Taller than me.

Turn ons/offs?

Ons: Plays varsity basketball.

Offs: Plays JV basketball.

Favorite pick-up line?

Kiss me if I’m wrong, but dinosaurs still exist, right?

What is the last thing you googled?

“Goats.”

What song always gets you dancing?

Mercury by Steve Lacy.

Favorite movie?

The new Puss in Boots movie.

Pet peeves in a partner?

When they don’t know how to use chopsticks.

Stella Pepper

6’3 - brown hair - capricorn

What kind of lover are you?

Cold and distant.

Interesting fact?

I used to be able to put my foot behind my head, What can you offer?

singles at Arcata High proved to be an incredibly difalready be in a committed relationship... Either feeling way too shy and totally unwilling to be put in the we found the bravest, most extraordinarily single campus. That’s right! Actual simgles in your area looking our responsibility to ensure that each of these finding each of them their perfect Valentine match. 14th?

Homework answers.

Turn ons/offs?

Ons: Girls

Offs: Mullets

Love language?

Stand outside my window with a boombox.

Pet peeves in a partner?

Someone who only texts on Snapchat.

Dream date?

Bounce-a-palooza.

Lo(athe)ve at first sight

Finn Clark Co-Feature Editor

With Valentine’s Day looming around the corner many of us are concerned with the question “Will I ever find love?” or with the evermore persistent question, “Does love at first sight exist?”

Who knows if we will ever find an answer to that or the more important question, can you hate someone at first sight?

A lot of people may say that you can love someone at first sight, but has anyone ever truly thought about hating someone at first sight?

“I mean people can wear things that display their ideals that I don’t like, some people you just see them and you’re like hmmm no, it’s just

like you seem off I don’t know about you,” senior Nadia Weise stated.

Several students at Arcata High said that they believed in hate at first sight but not love at first sight.

“It’s easier to hate somebody than to love somebody,” junior Masion Gibbs said.

The conclusion that you can loathe at first sight but not love at first sight makes the most sense to many here at Arcata High School.

“I feel like you can’t love someone if you don’t know them, I think that you can find someone attractive, and you can think that you’re gonna like them but they might suck,” Weise said.

There are many reasons you might love someone but there are even more reasons why you could hate someone. One Arcata High

student even chalked it up to their own personality.

“I’m a very hateful person,” senior Ty Ghisetti stated. There also may be reasons for why you wouldn’t be able to loathe someone at first sight.

“You don’t really know anything about them so what do you really have to hate them,” sophomore Autumn Hudgens said. Love and hate are inherent ly very different

which may contribute to Arcata High’s population’s varying opinions about if they exist at first sight.

“Love is a more developed emotion, it’s a more complex emotion than hate,” Weise said.

Who knows if anyone will find true love, and Arcata High seems to think you have absolutely no shot loving someone the first time you see them but one thing is for certain, you can

The exciting evolution of Valentine’s Day

Ell Franklin Opinion Editor

Like many other holidays, Valentine’s Day has become grossly over-commercialized in the past few centuries. Although that is not how the holiday originated.

The origin goes back to third-century Rome, with a pagan festival called Lupercalia honoring the roman goddess of marriage Juno, and the Capitoline, the wolf who fed the abandoned twins Romulus and Remus when they were infants.

The festivities included sacrificing a goat and a dog, then covering women in their hides which they believed increased fertility.

The women’s names were then placed into an urn for men to pick from.

The name picked was to be their match for the rest of the festival.

Frequently, the couples would marry.

The festival was outlawed eventually around 499 CE. February 14 was declared “the feast of Saint Valentine’s Day” by Pope Gelantius, to honor Saint Valentine, though many historians speculate it was to cover up Lupercalia.

Valentinus, more commonly known as Saint Valentine, was an Italian bishop who was arrested and put into custody for his beliefs.

He bargained with the man guarding him, that if he could cure his daughter of blindness the man would set him free. Valentinus (allegedly) succeeded, causing the family to convert to Christianity. Eventually, the emperor found out and they were all executed.

More than 1000 years later the holiday’s alliance with love and romance appeared. A medieval poet

named Geoffrey Chaucer declared the mating of birds to be related to the feast of Saint Valentine in his poem “Parliament of Fowls.” During bird mating season European nobility would send love notes to each other.

Shakespeare referenced the holiday in Hamlet when Ophelia called herself “Hamlet’s Valentine.” His romanticism of the holiday spread its popularity throughout Europe, and in the 17th century, it was popular in Great Britain for friends and lovers to exchange handwritten notes, as well as small gifts.

Eventually, the tradition came to America. In the wake of the industrial revolution during the 19th century, companies started mass-producing factory-made Valentine’s cards, subsequently bringing about the commercialization of Valentine’s Day.

The popularity of sending Valentine’s cards increased as postage became cheaper. Esther Howland would be the first person to mass-produce cards made with lace and ribbon.

Richard Cadbury in an attempt to increase sales started packing chocolate into fancy boxes and in 1861 he created the heart-shaped box.

Flowers naturally became a gift for Valentine’s Day, for centuries they symbolized fertility, love, and romance. Caravaggio’s depiction of cupid (1601) was printed on Valentine’s Day cards in the early 19th century, cupid became synonymous with the holiday ever since.

When asked if she thought Valentine’s Day was over-commercialized, junior Madera Brandon said, “Oh ya, of course.”

Finn Clark/PEPPERBOX

Ilana Maclay hating on Julian Wan

TRANS-ition to loneliness

Anthony Vasek Co-Photo Editor

As teenagers, entering the scene of love can be one of the most anticipated milestones in our lives.

It’s built up as another essential part of the high school experience; backpacks stuffed with notes, football games, swirlies in the bathroom stalls, and, of course, finding your highschool sweetheart.

But even with the dating pool entirely open, it can be surprisingly hard to land a decent partner. Especially one who shares feelings in the same way.

When gender-queerness is factored into the equation, the predicament only becomes more complex.

“It’s really hard to navigate relationships because you never know if someone’s gonna be cool with it,” said trans senior Josh*.

Transphobia, harassment, and violence are very real possibilities in the world of trans dating.

But even apart from the more extreme situations, being rejected for something uncontrollable can be demotivating, particularly for young people who are struggling to find their place in the world as is.

Trans sophomore Ethan* said, “I think as teenagers–trans or not–we really just crave acceptance from our peers.”

Jade*, a genderfluid senior, recalled suppressing their feelings for three years over the course of a turbulent heterosexual relationship.

“Being in that relationship made me not even consider exploring [gender and sexuality] for a really, really long time,” they said.

“I wanted to dress more masculine, but I couldn’t because I was with a man who was straight.”

Ethan initially came out as trans in seventh grade, while still in a relationship with a girl.

“She never really saw me as a guy and continued treating me like her girlfriend,” he recalled.

“She kept calling herself a lesbian and she crossed boundaries regarding my body that I was clearly uncomfortable with.”

It can feel hopeless, if not borderline impossible, to pursue romance when you’re so held up over being perceived in the wrong way.

“Most queer people who are cis just have to worry about the person they like being queer, too. I have to worry about whether or not a potential partner understands trans issues and whether I’d actually feel comfortable dating them,” Josh, who hasn’t been in a relationship since prior to coming out, said.

“[...] as well as whether or not they actually see me as a man,” Ethan said.

For that exact reason, some students opt to live without disclosing their transgender identity to those around them.

An anonymous student first transitioned when she was relatively young.

“I’ve been living stealth* for a while, [so] no one really notices anymore just by looking at me.”

She said, “I’m scared someone might accuse me of leading them on or something when they find out. Or they might tell everyone about it.”

As a result, many transgender teens find themselves searching for romance within the gay and bisexual communities in hopes of finding someone who shares common ground.

However, as Ethan mentioned earlier, cisgender queer people can often be found to share similar views with their heterosexual

counterparts.

“The dating pool is already lessened enough when you’re gay,” said Ethan. “Then, you have to factor into account that cis gays may turn you away based solely on your body parts, not what comprises you as a human.”

He then brought up the positive effects his current relationship with another trans person has had on his life.

“Our likeness in identities makes me feel more comfortable. I don’t stress over how I present myself in front of him because I know he’ll always see me as I am.”

He added, “It’s also nice when your partner is going through similar struggles because a deeper connection can be formed around those struggles.”

But then a 2018 study by Karen L. Blair showed that, “across a

sample of both heterosexual and lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and trans individuals, 87.5% indicated they would not consider dating a trans person.”

And, of course, when it comes to a relationship, it is essential that the comfort goes both ways.

“It’s obviously not anyone’s fault if they don’t want to date me,” the anonymous student said.

“No one has to and I obviously get why they might not want to.”

She closed by saying, “But it still just feels bad when I know [the guys] checking me out would be looking at me like a mismatched Frankenstein if they knew.”

But even then, we should not be denying progress. Compare now to a decade ago and it’s apparent; things are changing, however slowly, for the better.

*Only first names used for privacy*

How to be your own Valentine

Ilana Maclay

News Editor

What exactly do Arcata High’s singles do on the holiday that revolves around romance? I’m talking about Valentine’s Day, of course.

When we think of February 14th, hearts, the colors red and pink, and happy couples come to mind. But what’s going on with the people who don’t have a significant other giving them chocolates, and how do they feel about it?

“It’s just a regular day,” sopho-

more Caitlin Brown said, regarding Valentine’s Day.

“I think it’s cool, I like it. It’s pink.”

A majority of single people just don’t care or aren’t invested, and hope for some sweet treats. Freshman Kai Johnson said he couldn’t care less about Valentine’s.

“I get some free candy,” he said.

“I hope I get some chocolate, then I eat the chocolate, and then lay in bed.”

Sequoia Nejedly, also a freshman, explained that her agenda for Valentine’s includes sitting alone in her room, playing instruments,

and watching TV. She doesn’t have a significant other and feels that’s okay.

“Life is better,” Nejedly said. “You’re free.”

Nyrie Broderick is less than enthusiastic about Valentine’s.

“I don’t care,” she said.

“It probably would change if I had a partner.”

Broderick, Nejedly, and Brown said that they would probably “hang out” with their significant other, if they had one, on Valentine’s Day. A few of those students also believe there are positive

perks of single life.

“You don’t have to deal with trying to worry about someone else in your life on a constant basis [when you’re single]. It’s much less stressful and you don’t have to worry about if they like you or not every single day,” Johnson said.

Focusing on yourself rather than finding a partner might sound cliche, but students feel the benefits.

“I get to eat the chocolate myself and don’t have to share,” Jaimeanne O’Donnell said. “It’s called self love, that’s what really matters.”

Quarantine is over, isolation isn’t

Urijah Horne Reporter

Only 18% of people between the ages of 13-17 are in a relationship according to a 2015 Pew Research study.

There are 43,012,450 people between the ages of 10-19 in the United States alone and 1055 people at our school and only 18% of those people are in a relationship! That’s only 189.9 students.

Naturally, I bet most of us are pretty curious as to why that is, and instead of just assuming that it’s a problem with highschoolers not being able to talk to people or bad hygiene, I interviewed three Arcata High students on why high school students can’t get into relationships.

First I spoke to freshman Bailey Turner.

She said 18% isn’t surprising and “ the reason why [18% is] so low is because of the lack of social skills kids have in real life because of the way they are always online, not to mention the standards now are higher than ever.”

She believes that high school-

ers aren’t ready for relationships because “their brains aren’t fully developed.”

Next up, freshman Rowan Carter.

He said how little of the student body is in a relationship isn’t surprising and the amount is so low because “of how people view each other .

Everyone has their own standards and most people don’t live up to each others.” Carter believes their maturity level decides if they are ready for a relationship or not.

Our final interviewee is sophomore Darrian Crow.

He also thinks the statistic isn’t surprising because “a lot of people just want to get over with high school, others are just scared to confess, and some people just don’t want to be in a relationship. They feel happy not in one.” He says highschoolers are ready but can’t commit.

There are many reasons only 18% of us get into relationships, but it seems the biggest reason is high standards and expectations that high schoolers just can’t meet. Though we don’t have great social

skills and part of the problem is probably people not asking someone out. The worst they can say

is no, so for this Valentines day, why don’t you ask someone to be your valentine?

How to spend Presidents’ week

Sadie Cronin Reporter

Are you excited to have another break? Well, I know I am. We have four significant holidays and a few days off throughout the school year. Don’t you want to use this time of no school to the fullest? I have some fun activities you can do during this coming break. Before we do that, I want to talk about why we have president’s week off.

We have this week off to commemorate all the presidents of the United States. Specifically, February 22nd is Presidents Day. President’s day is a day to honor the United States’ first president. Now that we got that out of the way, here are some fun things to do this president’s week.

1) Go Snowboarding! We have been blessed with great snow this year, predicted to last throughout President’s week. Mount Shasta, Tahoe, Mount Ashland, and Mount Bachelor are all

Campus couples

Jasmine McKnight Business Manager

we were acting like it and then we decided that we should actually start dating.

What do you like the most about your partner?

Ava: She is very sweet and funny.

Alina: She’s really nice.

What do you dislike the most about your partner?

Ava: I can’t think of anything.

Alina: Nothing.

What is your favorite memory together?

Alina Smith & Ava Tempelaere

How did you and your partner meet?

Ava: At school.

Alina: We sat next to each other in tech class last year.

How long have you been together?

Ava: Six months and two weeks.

Alina: Six months.

Who made the first move?

Ava: I don’t really know because we pretty much acted like we were dating before we actually started dating.

Alina: I don’t know. I don’t think either of us made the first move, we just kinda started dating because

Ava: We went to the forest and found a really lovely spot.

Alina: We go walk in Sequoia Park a lot.

What’s your favorite thing to do together?

Ava: We do a lot of things. We walk, and we listen to music. We’ll cook sometimes, and watch bad movies, which is sometimes more fun than good movies.

Alina: Listen to music.

What’s your stance on PDA?

Ava: I think that to a degree it’s fine. And I think personally, my degree is pretty small. But like the people who are making out in the hallways should not do that.

Alina: Don’t make out in the hallways, it’s yucky.

great places this president’s week.

2) Do some cooking; get creative. Online you can find so many of the different president’s favorite foods.

George Washington’s favorite food was said to be “hoecakes’’ and tea.

Making these meals is a fun way to commemorate our past presidents.

3) Have a barbeque with friends. Around Humboldt, we are blessed with beautiful beaches and scenery.

Take advantage of these things during your breaks, and have a fun get-together with friends.

4) Go mushroom hunting. Over the past few years, mushroom hunting has become more and more popular. It’s a fun way to forage your food and find some fungi.

You can even make a delightful meal with them afterward. Make sure to research our local edible mushrooms before you go. Have a great break!

Ella Newman & Caleb Constancio

How did you and your partner meet?

Ella: We met at Jacoby Creek.

Caleb: We met in Mr. Dedini’s sixth grade science class.

Who made the first move?

Ella: I think that I made the first move. I was like, “I like you.” I just straight up said it.

Caleb: She made the first move and it was pretty strong. She said she liked me and I knew I did too. But I didn’t know if I wanted to be in a relationship, so I kinda prolonged it a little bit. But, I came around. How long have you been together?

Ella: We’ll be two years in February.

Caleb: Almost two years.

What do you like the most about your partner?

Ella: My favorite thing about Caleb is that he’s very kind hearted, which I think is really hard to find in pretty much anybody else.

Caleb: I like the way that she is straight up about everything. She doesn’t sugar coat stuff. What do you dislike the most about your partner?

Ella: I wish that he could drive and that he had been saving more money for when we move out and had a job that was more consistent.

Caleb: Ella’s temper I guess. She’s reactive and not very patient at times. What’s your favorite thing to do together?

Ella: We’ve been going to the movies a lot lately and I really like doing that. And honestly just getting food. Caleb: Eating food and playing video games.

What’s your stance on PDA?

Ella: I used to be uncomfortable with it, but now I just don’t really care. It’s kind of about not being embarrassed of who I’m with. Like I kinda like to show Caleb off in public.

Caleb: I used to not like PDA as much but now I feel like I’ve gotten more comfortable with it.

Romance movies

Astreya McKnight Business Manager

With Valentine’s Day rapidly ap proaching, you might be looking for a movie to get you into the holiday spirit. From rom-coms to classic romance movies, your classmates have given you many great recommendations to keep you easily entertained.

Marcus Bishop: Heartstopper “Because I’m gay.”

Natalie Lehman: Valentine’s Day “Duh! It’s Taylor Swift, McSteamy, and McDreamy! Could you name a better trio!”

Luke Moxon: Titanic

“It’s a classic.”

Brandon Bento-Jackson: The Notebook “It made me cry.”

Jasmine McKnight: “Anything Nicholas Sparks” “Rom coms: I would choose John Tucker Must Die because duh. And, of course, She’s the Man because Channing Tatum. Romance: Anything Nicholas Sparks. The Longest Ride, The Lucky One, The Last Song, The Best of Me.

It’s probably like Cole is so fire.”

Jace Comfort: Shrek

“I like the donkey; he’s kind of cute. I think Shrek and Donkey secretly love each other.”

Valid Valentine’s Day gifts

Valentine’s Day has a different meaning for everyone.

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner whether you’re single or taken.

Here are some of the opinions of our very own students on Valentine’s Day. The most popular gifts are teddy bears and flowers. Chocolates are usually people’s least favorite out of all gifts.

Although, some people prefer chocolate, like junior Evan Azinger.

“I’m staying loyal to the bulk this winter. I’m tryna get bulked up you know, so prolly some chocolates,” Azinger said.

“It’s time for men and teenager boys to spit rizz to females,” junior Max Neighbors said.

Neighbors also said that he prefers meaningful gifts over expensive ones. However, like Azinger he would want chocolate instead of flowers.

“Flowers because they are more meaningful,” freshman Gabby Cavinta said when asked if she prefers flowers or chocolates as a gift.

Some people prefer other things that aren’t traditionally what you would think of as Valentine’s Day gifts.

“One Valentine’s Day I was giv-

en a coffee in the morning and an Office sweatshirt, and that was a pretty valid Valentines Day gift,” senior Saneya Khattab said.

This holiday can be bittersweet for some.

“I think it’s cute but also it can be really sad if you’re not dating anyone or if nobody gets you a gift,” sophomore Solana Mendle said.

When asked what she wanted as a gift from her significant other, senior Morgan Ford said, “Flowers, or a plant.” Cavinta also said she wanted flowers.

Some people really love Valentine’s Day and the meaning behind it.

“It’s my favorite holiday,” sophomore Evelyn Mccovey said.

Personally, I think Valentine’s Day is pretty valid and a chance for people to show their love for friends and significant others.

Some people think it can be sad if you don’t have a significant other on Valentine’s Day, but I think it is just a chance to shoot your shot or show a close friend you love them.

Dominic Previde Reporter

Rosebrook’s prom revealed

Raymi Sharp Reporter

With the turn of the new year, one thing that starts to come to light for every student at Arcata High as we quickly approach February is prom.

Sometimes the idea of prom can be overwhelming. At first one might think that prom is just another school dance, but for most students prom is way more than that.

It’s weeks of planning everything from the spot you’re taking pictures, and the place you’re eating dinner, to the color of your dress and what type of nails will match it.

Everything, all the planning put into one special night.

To help put some nerves of the night at ease, I turned to one of Arcata High’s most iconic and beloved teachers, Jennifer Rosebrook. I sat down and went in depth with Rosebrook about her prom experience featuring both

the good and the bad.

Back when Rosebrook roamed the halls of Arcata High as a student, promposals were not a big thing. There was no grand gesture with big posters and balloons. In her day it was much more lowkey.

Following the trend, Rosebrook’s boyfriend did not ask her to prom in an extensive fiasco of a way, but instead, as she explained, “It was assumed that we would just go together. Even if we had broken up.”

Nevertheless, Rosebrook and her boyfriend rolled into prom that night in her mom’s Ford Taurus and brought some real style.

Rosebrook remembered, “My grandma worked at a dress shop in Ukiah, and she had sent me a dress that I didn’t pick out and had never tried on but it ended up working really good.”

It was an all red straight dress with elegant bows on the front and back and her boyfriend wore an all white suit with red accents to match.

She did a spot on job at embody-

ing, “Madonna’s material girl style except it was red,” as she puts it, only I think Rosebrook might have done it better.

Shortly into the night Rosebrook and her boyfriend got into a huge fight that ended with her going back to her apartment and her boyfriend going home., “I had made prom up in my head to be a much more important event than it really turned out to

“Tune” in your hearts

Julian Wan Online Editor

Want to spread love around or just embarrass your friends?

The ArMack Orchestra and Choir will be serenading friends and family you love around Humboldt County with their annual “Valentunes” fundraiser.

Dylan Berman, a senior, described how his friends played “Happy Birthday” for him and his twin sister Kyla as part of their “Valentunes” in the past years.

“I know some people feel pretty embarrassed, but I enjoyed it. It’s

really funny to see when someone buys one for their friends just to embarrass them in class,” Berman said.

Behind the scenes, Paul VandenBranden, a sophomore, recalls his experience of delivering “Valentunes” last year.

“It was fun, normally in orchestra we’re playing classical music, which I really enjoy, but it’s also fun to get to explore other genres every year with “Valentunes,” VandenBranden said.

Paolo Bosques-Paulet, a senior, describes some of the challenges that come with preparing and delivering “Valentunes.”

“It’s very time intensive especially because the more experienced groups have to carry the other groups but I think it’s a great fundraising opportunity. I think most orchestra students have a love-hate relationship with ‘Valentunes.’ It’s nice knowing the music but after playing and hearing the same bits over and over again it starts to get boring,” Bosques-Paulet said.

“Valentune” song selections this year include “Home” (arranged by Riley Ellyson), “I’m Yours” (arranged by Melanie Luh), “Cheek to Cheek” (arranged by Aurora Pitts), and “Ain’t No Mountain High

be and I was so disappointed. It was kinda just like what the hell,” she stated.

Aside from the drama that arose that night, Rosebrook does look back on the parts she spent dancing with her friends and having a good time.

She stated, “I remember dancing with my girlfriends and being excited about being young and having so many things to look forward to.”

Enough”

Some groups will be performing songs that are not on this list so be sure to check out the form!

“Valetunes” will be delivered February 12th - 14th. Get your orders in by Friday the 10th.

Rosebrook in her highschool yearbook.

Rosebrook and her boyfriend at prom.

How to be coquette for dummies

Seneca Turechek and Alauna Thompson

Co-Feature Editor and Reporter

Have you non coquette normies ever sat alone in your loser room and wondered what it would be like to be hot, sexy, angelic, and the bane of modern society but in a cool way?

Well look no further. Pop that popcorn, grab that diet coke and take a seat because this is it folks. The guide you’ve needed your entire life.

A guide on how to be coquette, aka embracing your divine and dainty feminine energy because secretly, we are all coquette girls.

There are three main categories of standards people must abide by in order to be deemed coquette. First is fashion, second is listening to the right music, and lastly participating in the right activities.

Fashion

Your appearance as a coquette is very important. A lot of pride is taken on the daintiness of your clothing.

Lots of light colors like white, baby pink, and cream, lacy or satin fabrics, and cute mini dresses and flowy tops are staples.

Coquette fashion also takes a lot of

inspiration from vintage summer styles especially when it comes to dresses.

Wear little floral sun dresses, white cotton slip dresses, or anything with cherries, which you can find pretty cheap on Depop.

Accessorize with lots of bows in your hair. Hair bows cannot be petite, they have to be big enough to cover your peripheral vision to protect your eyes from all the potential sugar daddies, and if they are petite, they must be tying the ends of two braids in your hair. We don’t make the rules.

Hearts are also a big part of the coquette aesthetic. In the words of Lana Del Rey: “he loves my heart shaped sunglasses, he loves the heart shape my a** is.” This is the ultimate coquette line of a song and what all of us, as secret coquette girlies, strive to be.

This is why many coquettes wear clothing and accessories with hearts, some examples are gold jewelry with hearts and heart shaped sunglasses, bonus points if they’re red. Lastly, is shoes.

Every coquette must own a pair of ballet flats of some sort, but not just plain and boring black flats. They could have a heel, a bow, or lots of buckles.

They should be black or a dark red color, nothing else. They need to be versatile, but not boring. Some examples could be the Maison Margiela tabi ballerinas in black or the Repetto Paris camille ballerinas in opera red.

These are of course designer, but for the coquettes on a budget you can find dupes on amazon.

Music

All coquettes love Lana Del

Rey. She speaks to their soul, is the soundtrack of their life, gets them through the highs and lows of the never ending spiral into manic depression and self medicating which is romanticized with lace and pink bows.

In order to truly achieve the most coquette version of oneself, you must know the words to all the Lana Del Rey songs.

What album to start with? That’s your choice and frankly irrelevant since her unreleased music is astronomically more coquette.

However, Born to Die, Norman F*cking Rockwell, and Ultraviolence are good places to start. As for her unreleased, “Every Man Gets his Wish’’ is the most exquisite, ethereal, impeccable, delicious song and perfectly embodies the coquette aesthetic.

And if you’re looking for a song to pregame a coquette rager, her unreleased song “St. Tropez (Party Girl)” is the perfect option. Since coquettes are so difficult to understand (and seriously lack diversity), Lana Del Rey is the only musician you will ever be allowed to listen to.

Activities

The most top tier coquette activity is crying in your room while chain

smoking pink cigarettes, drinking Diet Coke, and listening to “Sad Girl” by Lana Del Rey.

As for movies, “The Love Witch” is on repeat for the coquettes. Some other good ones are “Daisies,” “Jennifer’s Body,” “Black Swan,” “I Tonya,” “Marie Antoinette,” and basically any other movie that depicts repressed feminine rage and envy in an obnoxious but strangely aesthetic way.

Coquettes love extremely depressing books that make you question your existence after you read them, books that are so disturbing they make you physically ill, or novels by classic authors that many people would find boring, but since they are on a mission to make themselves better than everyone, they read them anyway.

Some examples would be “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” by Ottesa Moshfegh, “Animal” by Lisa Taddeo, “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov, or anything by Sylvia Plath or Jane Austen.

In other words, girls just wanna have fun unless you’re coquette. As for dating, coquettes love rockstars.

The staples would be any lead singers of a garage rock or a hair metal band.

Yes, they are polar opposites, but they work. The garbage hot look or the more feminine style with lots of attention to fashion catches the attention of any coquette.

If you’re still questioning how to morph into the most obnoxiously coquette version of yourself, just look at any videos on

How to get a Valentine in 10 days

Toni Diaz Copy Editor

February 14th… the day most teens in our time absolutely dread.

A day dedicated to love, which most can’t even find. For some, it’s filled with chocolate hearts, red roses, jewelry, and fancy dinner dates.

While for the more unfortunate, this day consists of hopeless romance movies, tubs of ice creams, and maybe even a box or two of tissues.

Now you may be thinking, “yep that’s me” and wondering how to fix that.

I want to help, so here’s 10 tips on how you can get a Valentine in 10 days!

(please note: The Pepperbox is

not reliable for your heartbreak in the case you still end up valentine-less.)

1. Keep your eyes on one specific interest.

There’s no “weighing your options” in this situation. Chances are if you do “weigh your options,” you’ll end up with more Valentines than your pocket can afford.

2. Step up your game. If this is going to work, you’re gonna need to “spit that rizz,” according to Junior Maxwell Neighbors.

3. Compliments! Be sly. This does not mean a facial expression over snap, but an actual in person compliment, even if it’s something little like “Your outfit is good!” Sophomore Lily Cunnigham said.

4. “Take initiative and be confident” Senior Leila Barker said,

which is indeed true. Confidence is key and will take you far. However, don’t be a cocky confident, the kind where you think you can get whoever you want.

5. Gifts! This can range from food and drinks to flowers. Little things that show your thinking of the specific person will put you in their mind.

6. On the topic of getting them to think about you, another sly way to get in their head is to send them songs that remind you of them. For example, if someone sent me “Beautiful Crazy” by Luke Combs… They’d have my heart forever

7. Figure out things that interest the person your trying to catch, and use that to strike a conversation with them. Then, keep the conversation going.

8. Most importantly DON’T BE DRY!! That’s key to letting them get away, so always stay on your A game in responding.

9. Another way (mostly if you’re trying to get a girl) is to send them sunset pictures!

It’s cute and simple, maybe even throw in a “not as pretty as you” compliment as well.

10. Last but not least, TAKE THEM TO LUNCH. We have the privilege to go off campus, so why not go on a little lunch date and big bonus points if you drive, pay, or walk on the road side of the sidewalk!

That’s all the tips I have for you, and I really hope it works out. Just remember, be confident and kind, and go after what you want!

Talking stage? More like eternal doom...

Sagen Sarchett Co-Sports Editor

Let’s take a deep dive into the depths of the talking stage… dun dun dunnn.

For some, it’s a black hole that one can never get out of, and it comes out of nowhere and they don’t want to be in it.

Having a flirty personality and getting accidentally involved with somebody is a problem that a lot of people find themselves dealing with.

Oftentimes it is unclear whether you’re in the talking stage or not, like when do we decide if this “talking stage” is over and has failed, or if you’re actually dating and it’s exclusive.

That’s an awkward conversation nobody wants to have…

We like to call this a little bit of a sticky situation.

Personally, I think the talking

stage is absolute B.S.

I want nothing to do with it, because if it fails it’s almost worse than a breakup to be honest.

Seeing said person in public is almost enough humiliation to kill a small horse.

From a lot of personal experience, there are a whole bunch of issues about this so-called talking stage.

The number one problem is monogamy. It’s very hard to decide if it’s exclusive or not because most of the time communication is not very prevalent, and I think we should also establish that communication is key to a healthy relationship.

Another big problem, I would have to say, is the awkwardness of not quite knowing somebody and getting slightly icked out when they flirt super hard.

ALSO when they tell you they’re “falling.” Like be for real, please .

We’ve never met, not amused.

I’d say the other problem that is probably the biggest red flag is when they say that you’re the only one they’re talking to.

It’s different if you hang out.

However, if you’re just SnapChatting, then there’s basically no point in pursuing anything there.

Pretty much if you’ve learned anything today I hope you learn that the talking stage is completely unnecessary and something we want to steer clear of.

Don’t know if you’re in the talking stage or not?

Here are some clear as day signs that you may want to reconsider your situation, or situationship if you will.

First you need to ask yourself, “Do we even hangout in person?” If the answer is no, you’re probably in the dreaded talking stage.

Another thing to consider is how they treat you around their

friends.

For example, if he makes his best friend sit in the back so you can sit in the front, it’s probably a little more serious than you realize.

Lastly, a big one.

If you don’t ever have genuine conversations, and your interactions are limited to awkward small talk, I think you should think about what you’re doing before you continue doing it.

Overall, the talking stage sucks. Avoid it if you can, and if you do end up stuck in this eternal doom...

Good luck.

Relationship issues? let Cupid help

Morgan Ford Co-Sports Editor

Relationships, love, and feelings. Three things that are extremely confusing, especially for the teenage brain. These also happen to be three of the most difficult things to talk about, ask for help on, or disclose to another person.

With Valentines Day just around the corner, some may say that we are in “cuffing season.” This can be a very confusing time, and many people have no idea what to do when they run into an issue.

I asked people on Instagram to send in questions or issues they had, and I did my best to help them.

Q: “Why doesn’t anyone want me?”

A: First of all, I think (I’m hoping) that this is a bit dramatic, and you just haven’t found the person who really wants you yet. However, if that’s not the case, there are a few things you may be doing wrong.

For example, you may want to make sure that you treat people with basic decency and respect. And while you’re working on yourself, maybe check your personal hygiene. That could definitely be the reason no one wants to be around you.

Q: “How to get a gf”

A: Honestly, just be yourself. I know that sounds naive, but I promise it works. Build a friendship, let her get to know you, and then build from there. “You have to be your genuine self, and if no

one wants that, change your genuine self. In other words, do better,” teacher Jeff Mielke said.

For more advice, see “How to get a Valentine in 10 days” on page 21.

Q: “What do I do when my best friend gets with my ex?”

A: First of all, that’s unfortunate. That’s a terrible situation to be in, and honestly there isn’t one right way to approach this. My gut says “drop them both,” but I know that’s easier said than done.

I would start by initiating a conversation with one or both of them, but it’s probably going to boil down to you having to pick a side, which is never fun. I think the best thing you can do is to try to move on, surround yourself with better people, and leave them both in your past.

According to junior Jafet Herrera-Angon, this can be avoided by “Staying single. Live that ho life or no life.”

Q: “What’s the whole point of the “leaving each other on read” game? How do you even win?”

A: If you are texting people who partake in this “game,” my only advice to you is to stop texting them. They clearly don’t really want to talk to you, or they wouldn’t be constantly leaving you on read.

I don’t think there is such thing as a win in this situation, because you either get left on open, stop texting them at all, or look like a fool for trying to text them so much.

How to send your date running

Lucia Hernandez Reporter

With Valentine’s Day comes an increase of people going on dates, but that doesn’t mean they are all good ones.

There are many things that would make a particularly bad date, and here are what some people think those are.

There were quite a few mannerisms that many people described as a “red flag” on a date.

The prompt I gave to most people was “what would someone have to do to make you turn around and walk out on a date?”

A lot of people shared similar opinions, such as “disrespects me,” “won’t stop talking,” or “is just generally awkward.”

One that really got me was from Freshman Gabby Cavinta, whose biggest red flag is “when their

name is Samuel Calhoon Tucker.”

On a date specifically, junior Shelby Keasey said she would walk out on a date if “they aren’t paying any attention to me, or if they were on their phone the whole time.”

Jocelyn Hague agreed, adding that “they better offer to pay, or at least not expect me to pay.”

Junior Anthony Zinselmeir said that if he were on a date with someone and she “kept talking about her ex, or answers the phone when a boy calls/texts,” he would definitely walk away.

A lot of people said that if they couldn’t drive (if they were older than 16), they wouldn’t want to go on a date with them at all. Senior Lila Wolf said that “if his mom dropped him off or had to pick us up, it would be a little bit of a red flag.”

Another “red flag” shared by a lot of people I talked to was problems with their ego. “If they show

up super cocky and acting like they’re better than me, that is just gross,” Junior Aria Soberanis said. Similarly, freshman Emily McLaughlin said that “if they disrespect people or talk bad about my friends, I wouldn’t want to go out with them once, let alone a second date.”

A lot of people have strong opin-

ions on what would make them walk on a date, but many of these “red flags” were pretty common.

Personally, I would walk out on someone if they didn’t seem to want to be there, or talked about themselves the entire time.

Really, if they weren’t just chill and fun to be around, I’d want to dip.

Lucia Hernandez/PEPPERBOX

Gabby Cavinta hiding from her biggest red flag.

Where to take your shawty

Morgan Ford Co-Sports Editor

Many things go into taking someone on the perfect date. An ideal date may include plenty of conversation and laughter, an experience that both people can enjoy, and most importantly, getting to know each other more.

A bad date may look like going to the movies because well, think about it. It’s dark and you can’t see each other, you can’t talk without getting shushed by the old people in the back, and it takes upwards of three hours out of your life every time you go.

I got tired of the same ol’ date spots in Humboldt, so I set out to find some of the most enjoyable places to go with someone, even a platonic relationship.

Luckily for me, I found someone perfectly willing to tag along to these places and give me their, sometimes brutally, honest opinion.

The first place we ventured to was the Family Fun Center at Bear River Casino in Loleta.

Although it was a bit of a drive, it was worth every second I spent behind slow people on the highway.

Of course, as any Humboldt kid driving through Eureka does, we stopped at Dutch Bros for a pick me up on the way.

When we got there, I could hear how loud it was from the parking lot, which was a clear indicator that people were having a great time.

We went inside, where I saw a number of people so large that I usually would have immediately had a panic attack. However, we walked in anyway and I prepared myself for a good time.

We started in the Arcade, which

was small but mighty

There weren’t too many games, but there were enough to have fun and get competitive (which we most definitely did).

I absolutely dominated the arcade games, going a perfect 3-0, which was a great start to my night.

About twenty minutes later, our lane for bowling was ready

The bowling lanes have an assortment of games you can choose from to make it more fun, especially if you “suck at bowling” like I do, according to my date.

This time it was my turn to get destroyed (84-68 and 104-60), but that’s okay because who’s good at bowling anyway?

By the time we had finished bowling, it was about closing time, so we decided to call it a night

We ended the night with some french fries from Toni’s on the way home, which were “100% necessary after the intensity of the competition.”

Overall, I give the Family Fun Center a 7/10 for a date, and my date agreed, saying“but the company made it an easy 10.”

A few nights later we decided to go on a classic Humboldt “date”: watching the sunset.

We drove up to Trinidad, specifically the lookout near Camel Rock.

We got there around 4:30, which was the perfect time to get the full experience.

A key to this experience is the music choice, which varies depending on who you are with.

Whoever is on aux HAS to match the vibe.

Personally, in this setting there were a few VERY crucial songs that really made it a good date.

We started off strong with “Somebody’s Problem” and “More Surprised Than Me” by Morgan Wallen.

Then, the heart melting song

“More Hearts Than Mine” by Ingrid Andress came on, which had me feelin’ some typa way.

Then, of course, we had to switch it up to some Taylor Swift, including “Begin Again,” “Lover,” and “All Too Well (10 Min Version).”

When the sun had set all the way, we decided it was time to go home.

Overall, this is a classic Humboldt teenager experience that always earns at least a solid 9/10 from me.

However, sometimes the night can be tainted by the quality of the sunset, but that aside not much can go wrong.

Although there is not much to do in Humboldt, there are a few spots that guarantee a good date.

Some other places I would recommend that I didn’t include in this article are Heart Bead, Plaza Grill, Mazzottis, and Sushi Spot, which are all on the plaza. Outside of Arcata, maybe try Bayfront Restaurant, Harbor Lanes Bowling, or a stroll through old town.

Keep in mind that the spot doesn’t necessarily make the date.

You should prioritize making the date a fun and comfortable experience and environment.

In addition to being fun, it should also be an opportunity to get to know each other, and if it is an advanced relationship, getting

to know each other on a deep level.

Also, a date does not need to be getting dressed up, going out, or spending money. Spending the night at home, binge watching your favorite shows or movies, is a perfectly good way to spend time with someone.

Some of my personal favorites to rewatch and binge are “New Girl,” “Mamma Mia,” all of the “Pitch Perfect” movies, and basically any Adam Sandler movie.

While you’re at home, you could cook up a meal or dessert together. Being in the kitchen, listening to music, and maybe even a dance party, is another guaranteed good time.

For a more chill night with LOTS of getting to know each other, try the game “We’re Not Really Strangers.” This is a card game filled with hard to ask questions that force you to get to know your partner on a deeper level.

There are multiple versions of this game, including a Couple’s Edition. I have played both the normal and the couple’s version of the game, and I can honestly say that I reccomend every friendship or relationship utilize this game.

Overall, the most important part of a date is definitely not where you go, it’s what you make of where you are and who you’re with.