2021-2022: The Standard - Issue 2

Standard SIERRA CANYON SCHOOL

November 5, 2021

Chatsworth, CA

Volume 14 / Issue 2

GROUND BREAKING! UPDATES ON SOLAR AND THE NEW STADIUM

PAGES 7 & 12

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO, TRAILBLAZERS? PAGES 5

FALL MUSICAL: NEWSIES PAGE 10

Illustration by Nikhil McGowan

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THE STANDARD

In this issue...

Standard SIERRA CANYON SCHOOL

November 5, 2021

Astronomy Class Tours JPL. . . . . . 3 Ninth Grade Breakout. . . . . . . . . . 4 Teacher Recs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chatsworth, CA

Volume 14 / Issue 2

Staff EDITORS

Robin (Sung Jun) Park . . . . Editor-in-Chief Mya Petryshyn. . . . . . . . . . . Editor-in-Chief Bodhi Silberling . . . Assoc. Editor-in-Chief Kyle Arem. . . . . . . . . . . . . Managing Editor

WRITERS

What are you Listening to? . . . . . . 5 The Scoreboard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Liv Madkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Writer Nikhil McGowan. . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Writer Mallika Vairavan. . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Writer Mia Enbody. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Writer Gavin George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Writer Sienna Miller. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Writer Lucas Hori . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff Writer FACULTY

New SC Stadium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Newsies: The Musical . . . . . . . . . 10 The New School Year . . . . . . . . . 11 Solar Panels at SC . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Maddy Buss. . . . . . . . . . . . . Faculty Advisor Chris Botello. . . . . . . . . . . . Faculty Advisor Noah Salamon. . . . . . . Department Advisor Julien Evjen. . . . . . . . . Technology Advisor Murphy O’Connor. . . . . . . . Web Advisor Dan Gvozden . . . . . . Photography Advisor

DIGITAL PAPER

The Standard staff is excited to announce our brand-new digital newspaper! The Sierra Canyon community has access to this feature through the Portal using your school credentials.

The website can be found at www. scsstandard.org. Any questions or concerns may be sent to our co-advisor, Maddy Buss, at mbuss@sierracanyonschool.org.

Comics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 EDITORIAL POLICY

Meet Ms. Jenkins. . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Faye Kenuze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

WHAT’S WORKING @ SC...

AND WHAT’S NOT

Props and Flops. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

The Standard is a public forum for student expression and supports multifaceted perspectives.

Unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the newspaper editorial board. Signed editorials reflect solely the opinion of the writer.

The Standard is not reviewed by any school administrators prior to publication. It is reviewed only by its student editors, who are solely responsible for the newspaper’s content.

The Standard encourages student letters and opinions.

The Standard ensures anonymity for all student submissions (with the exception of any that violate school rules). Send correspondence to newspaper@ sierracanyonschool.org.

The Standard is the student newspaper of Sierra Canyon School.

VOL 14 / ISSUE 2

COMMUNITY

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Dr. E’s Astronomy Class Soars to JPL... Online JPL Virtual Tour

After realizing how different countries work hand-in-hand towards pushing the limits with space exploration, Zander understood how the future of space exploration will be “really extraordinary.” It was also eye-opening to him the number of people who have the chance to participate in space travel.

Both Zander and Rachel highly recommend taking the Astronomy Class and the virtual tour.

Rachel feels as though the Astronomy Class studies “so much more than space.” Zander especially enjoyed the virtual tour and recommends that if people have the opportunity to take it in person, to do so.

Both students wished they could have taken the tour in person, but they understand due to current circumstances it is not possible. Zander explained, “I would have totally had an in-person tour because you can interact with a lot more things and you get to see them in scale. You really get to spend more time seeing things rather than the virtual tour. But as of right now, a virtual tour is what we can get, and that’s what we had to settle for.” Rachel agreed, stating, “I understand because of the circumstances right now… I would have rather taken it in person because then we could have been able to see the labs first-hand and would have been able to see everything.”

This picture was taken from the clean room viewing gallery where you can see the Spacecraft Assembly Facility testing their robotic spacecraft.

by Mallika Vairavan Dr. Espanol’s astronomy class of 16 students went on a virtual tour of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on Wednesday, September 15. Due to current circumstances, this tour had to be taken virtually, though JPL has an interactive virtual tour exploring key areas of the lab such as Mission Control, the Visitors’ Center, the Spacecraft Assembly Center, and many more. The tour was led by Brian White and Nikkie Wyrick Through the JPL Public Service Office. The students were able to ask complex questions about JPL’s development process and new studies and findings of the laboratory.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center managed by the California Institute of Technology for NASA in Pasadena, California. JPL dates back to the 1930s and started building spacecraft before NASA’s inception in 1958. It is best known for planetary exploration, among other research areas.

The tour begins at Mission Control and leads the viewers to the Multi-Mission Support Area

where staff conduct operations during some of the most critical phases of missions. It then continues through the von Kármán Auditorium and Visitor Center. Throughout the tour, the guides show many important projects the laboratory has worked on, such as Juno, the Voyager, the Cassini, and SWAT. The clearing room gallery is then followed by the gowning room, the airlock, and the clean room.

Overall, the tour had a very positive impact on the students, as they were able to learn as much as they could virtually. However, an in-person tour would’ve elevated the experience to another level. Hopefully, in the future, the students of Dr. E’s Astronomy Class will get an opportunity to experience the JPL Laboratory in person.

Zander Clift (‘23), a student on the tour, stated, “My favorite exhibit in the tour had to be the robotics section of the tour… I also enjoyed BRUIE which is being developed for deepwater exploration in 2023 to explore Europa (a moon orbiting Jupiter)… and create a space station in the process.”

Rachel Rubenstein (‘23) enjoyed examining where the rockets are developed and the Space Control Center Room. Rachel describes, “It gave me a different perspective on space travel and exploration because I was able to see how we build rockets and how we choose the astronauts.”

JPL Virtual Tour

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COMMUNITY

Sierra Canyon School

Ninth Graders Participate in the Annual Breakout

THE STANDARD

music • movies • good reads

from Mr. Cousineau, by Mia Enbody Name shows/movies you think every high school student must see.

I love to watch movies and shows that give me a look into families/cultures/worlds that I haven’t experienced, shows that can help me develop understanding and empathy with people different from me, or movies/shows that just make me think.

Movies/shows that address race, class, gender, and sexuality are particularly appealing for me. Of course, there are shows I would recommend to seniors that I wouldn’t recommend to middle schoolers, but I think “Little Fires Everywhere” was a compelling short series, “This Is Us” is a wonderful exploration of individual and family growth, and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” has some incredibly moving moments in between all of the humor and glitter.

What books would you recommend to the high schoolers of Sierra Canyon?

Students enjoy their breakout in the shade during activities on the fields.

by Sienna Miller On Wednesday, September 22, Sierra Canyon held the annual ninth-grade breakout. The event was created to help ninth-grade students bond with their new classmates and feel more comfortable as they transition to the Upper Campus. Throughout the day, all freshmen completed bonding activities in their advisory groups, a group students are using to get to know their classmates better. Ms. Koss explained that “the Ninth Grade Breakout was a day to bring the entire ninth grade together to build community and foster relationships.”

The day started at 8:30 a.m. in the Upper School gymnasium. The students had a meeting and a game of “extreme rock paper scissors” before making their way to the football field where other games were set up for students to participate in activities and competitions. When the students returned to campus, they had lunch catered from a food truck named “Heavy Handed,” run by a Sierra graduate!

After lunch, students participated in an activity on self-identity led by other alumni. The freshmen ended their day by writing letters to their future selves. According to Ms. Koss, “It was wonderful to see the class of 2025 come together to enjoy this full day of events. We look forward to building on this momentum in our weekly advisory meetings for the remainder of the school years.” After speaking with

a few students who participated, it was clear most students enjoyed the day minus the hot weather.

Becky Luo (’25) says that “it was a good day, but also a hot one.” A couple of favorite activities were writing letters to students’ future selves, activities on the field, and the lunch break. Noor Van Den Hende (’25) says, “It was really fun. My favorite activity was definitely writing letters to our future selves and I liked getting to know people.”

As a ninth-grade student myself, I felt as if I didn’t know anyone before the breakout. Now, not only do I know names, but I’ve gotten to know people’s interests and goals as well. I feel more comfortable with my classmates and with the school, which has made me feel better about being a new student. The breakout was not only a great opportunity to get to know people, but also a great break from class!

Ninth grade students participating in break out activities under the pergola.

Read ANYTHING that appeals to you! That’s my main message. I enjoy books that can be a “mirror,” showing me a person/perspective I relate to and affirms me or because it is a “window,” showing me a different perspective/experience. Because everyone is different, I won’t recommend a specific book, but if you are not a fiction reader (the above “Little Fires Everywhere” is a book, too, but I never read it), I’d recommend reading biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. I spent one summer devouring those. I particularly enjoyed Trevor Noah’s “Born a Crime.”

The audio book was great, to hear him speak with all his dialects and accents.

What are some genres that interest you?

Again, I love anything that makes me think and expands my world. I love reading non-fiction, often about social justice, education, politics, or history.

If it’s not an exploration of a specific topic, it’s a biography, autobiography, or memoir.

I love movies and shows I learn from: I love historical fiction or other movies that make me think about social issues such as class, race, gender, and/ or sexuality.

My guilty pleasure is reality competition: Amazing Race, Top Chef, So You Think You Can Dance … all of those! When it’s time to shut off your brain intentionally and meet interesting people, those are always good options for us at home.

TRENDS

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What song are you listening to? New York.” by Ty Cullen on YouTube.

VOL 14 / ISSUE 2

The “What are you listening to?’ trend is back and better than ever.

“What are you Listening to?” Old Trend Jumps Back into the Spotlight on TikTok

by Liv Madkins An old trend that dominated early 2010 YouTube has now resurfaced on TikTok with a flair.

In 2011, YouTuber Ty Cullen uploaded a video to his channel that garnered over six million views, titled, “Hey you! What song are you listening to? New York.” In this viral video, he traveled around New York City, stopping locals to ask them what song they had playing on their iPods. The genres of music each passerby indulged were extremely diverse, ranging from disco with the Bee Gees to nu metal from the group Korn. The ages, races, and genders of those sampled varied just as much as the music genres they listened to did.

Viewers simply loved this video. There are layers as to why so many people found the idea of being asked what song they were listening to by a stranger so fascinating; firstly, for many, the music reflects a sizable part of their personality and can represent who they are. It may seem frivolous to some, but commentators on this original video expressed that being asked to share the kind of music they enjoyed made them feel like they could share a glimpse into their lives with someone. They felt that they knew some of the people sampled better after

hearing what they liked to listen to. Secondly, which is especially helpful to busy people, the WAYLT videos provide people a quick and accessible way to discover new music that they may not have ever heard of if they hadn’t tuned in to the video. Many other YouTube videos with the same premises taking place in other cities, like Toronto and Los Angeles, were published in the same decade.

This trend has become increasingly popular on TikTok, an app made for sharing 30 second-to threeminute videos, emphasizing its variability tenfold by playing to the strengths of what made WAYLT so popular. Many TikTokers, like Shan Rizwan (@shan_rizwan), have dedicated their accounts to asking people around different cities, and in Rizwan’s case, a variety of college campuses, what they’re listening to. In one of Rizwan’s most popular videos, he travels across Harvard University’s campus and surveys students there. Viewers were once again fascinated with the variety of songs that these students were listening to, but this particular location of sampling, one of the most prestigious and applied to universities in the world, added another level of excitement to the video. The video garnered

over 4.7 million views and 767,000 likes. This trend is hot, and it doesn’t seem like it will be going anywhere any time soon. Many more passersby will be asked what they are listening to... Who knows, maybe one of them will be you!

Have you ever wondered what your fellow Trailblazers are listening to? Do you have an album on repeat right now that you think everyone should know about? Now, you have the chance to share it with our community. Be on the lookout for a link in the Daily B for a form in which you can submit any number of songs that you’re enjoying. We will feature our findings in our next issue. Happy listening!

Screenshot from Shan Rizwan’s video at Harvard University from September 2021.

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SPORTS

H O C O 2 K2 1

Snapshots from our Homecoming game and half-time events for alumni!

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THE STANDARD

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C A N Y O N

THE SCOREBOARD B Y G AV I N G E O R G E

VARSITY FOOTBALL

SC v. SAGUARO 7-24 ARIZONA OCT. 15, 2021

“It was so wonderful to reconnect with some amazing athletes who won CIF titles between 20092011. I was recognized for my 6 CIF titles between 2009-2012 and my 10-year-standing record in the 100 yard breaststroke.” -Lilly Parks ‘12 (far left)

SC v. WESTLAKE 35-0 HOMECOMING GAME OCT. 8, 2021

VARSITY - G VOLLEYBALL

SC v. SAN CLEMENTE 3-2 FIRST ROUND CIF-SS PLAYOFFS OCT. 21, 2021

SC v. PARACLETE 3-0

The football seniors taking their final Homecoming photo

OCT. 13, 2021

VARSITY - G TENNIS

SC v. CAMPBELL HALL 4-14 OCT. 14, 2021

Carmel Crunk (#27) after winning Sophomore Homecoming Court

SC v. CROSSROADS 16-2

Alonzo Contreras (#5) running with the ball for a touchdown

OCT. 12, 2021

VARSITY E-SPORTS

ROCKET LEAGUE OVERWATCH VALORANT

D’Shawn Jones Jr. (#23) celebrating after scoring a touchdown

Dominic Arango (#4) catching the ball during practice earlier in the day

SC v. RICH (V) 13-4 OCT. 1, 2021

FEATURE

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Sierra Canyon Business Office

VOL 14 / ISSUE 2

New Stadium Development Plan, complete with a 1,600 seat bleacher expansion

Sierra Canyon Fires Up its New Stadium Engine

by Robin Park

Beginning this year, various Sierra Canyon athletics teams including football, soccer, and lacrosse will start playing their home games at the newly developed stadium. The sleek and modern 1,600 seat facility will be the hub of a larger development that includes a complete renovation and expansion of the existing field restrooms and locker rooms.

According to Mr. Shapiro, the Chief Financial Officer, construction of the new stadium is a difficult project, as the installation of the new bleachers requires the workers to dig deep into the hillside to anchor the entire structure. The addition of a brandnew stadium will not only bring Sierra Canyon athletics further into the media spotlight, but will also serve as the renaissance of school spirit that Sierra Canyon has long been waiting for; an updated home field will help set in motion a new culture of high school sports in the Los Angeles region, specifically for our football team.

Since the inception of Sierra Canyon, the Sierra Canyon football team has been unable to play a football game at their home field and was forced to use local stadiums and college campuses, such as Pierce College and Granada Hills Charter High School. Despite the school-wide excitement

surrounding the football team, the impact of the go to more football games if we have home games football fans can be less evident when they are on our own field. That would honestly be amazing” required to travel far to attend football games. said Wesley Ishida (‘23).

Although the Athletic Department has implemented The new stadium will reinvigorate school various measures to encourage more SC students to spirit on campus, and specifically, excitement for attend away games, such as renting a bus to transport the football, lacrosse, and soccer teams who use students to and from the fields, there is no denying the field. This enthusiasm will bring both increased the fact that more student competition and funding from ticket presence is warranted at sales. These funds help contribute games. to endeavors far from the athletic High school football This is expansion is honestly fields, including many of Sierra thrives on vibrant and campus improvement so amazing! I can’t wait to go Canyon’s upbeat atmospheres on projects, extracurricular activities, to home games at the new and academic programs. gamedays, but the time and dedication that is The school has made the stadium! required to travel to away right decision in developing its Cameron Leary (‘22) football games have home field to improve student and deterred many Sierra athlete experiences; the investment Canyon students and will immediately be seen on the families from attending field, along with an improved Sierra Canyon football games in the past. “Traveling relationship between students and the Sierra Canyon all that time to go to a football game that can take athletic teams; the new stadium will greatly benefit place hours away from school is simply too much the Sierra Canyon community, but its success will to ask from busy high school students who are be seen most in how it benefits students and athletes overwhelmed with both school, work, and other moving forward. activities,” said Ethan Cho (‘22). “I will definitely

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VOL 12 / ISSUE 4

New Stadium Development Plan, complete with a 1,600 seat bleacher expansion

Side angle of the new stadium seating development for the football, lacrosse, and soccer field.

FEATURE

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10

THE ARTS

THE STANDARD

The Walt Disney Company

The Theater Department Presents Newsies: The Musical

The Sierra Canyon Theater Department’s newest Musical: The Newsies

by Robin Park There is no denying the fact that the pandemic has disrupted all our lives greatly over the past year. Many of us here at Sierra Canyon experienced firsthand how COVID-19 prevented us from doing various things, including going to school, meeting our friends, and taking AP tests in person. However, out of all of us, those who were part of the Theater program were arguably the most unfortunate— the pandemic hit mere days before their next scheduled theater performance and put a stop to all the hard work they had been putting into their production.

Thankfully, as Sierra Canyon and the rest of California take a giant step towards a post-pandemic world and embrace a “new normal,” Sierra Canyon’s prized Theater program is preparing to launch its most ambitious production to date-- Newsies the Musical. This year’s first production will take place in early November, and for the first time in Sierra Canyon history, will be performed at the Madrid Theater. The theater production will also feature a live musical ensemble led by Mr. Davis.

Newsies the Musical is based on the 1992 musical film Newsies and inspired by the 1899 New York City newsboys strike. The play is based off of the book written by Harvey Fierstein and contains music and lyrics produced by Alan Menken and Jake Feldman. The musical had its world premiere in 2011 at the Paper Mill Playhouse before moving to Broadway in 2012, where it played for over 1,000 performances before touring.

The main character, Jack Kelly, is a mash-up of several historical figures from the 1899 Newsboys’ Strike; most notably, Kid Blink (who appears in the

film but not in the musical), a captivating speaker the Newsboys Union held a large rally at the New and leader of the younger boys. Other real strikers Irving Theatre, a vaudeville venue on the Bowery featured in the show include Racetrack Higgins, (reimagined in the musical as Medda Larkin’s theatre). The rally was extensively covered by the Mush Meyers, and Spot Conlon.

Katherine Plumber, despite being a fictional New York Sun (the fictional employer of Katherine character, is named after Joseph Pulitzer’s daughter Plumber) and included comments from union Katherine Ethel, who died of illness at the age of officials. During the strike, Kid Blink is said to have two in 1884. Many newsgirls joined the strike, secretly begun working for Pulitzer and William which is frequently overlooked in both the film Hearst, resulting in a violent clash of strikers versus and the musical. In the script that is now available scabbers, similar to Jack’s near-betrayal after Pulitzer gives him a full ride to for licensing, new stage Santa Fe. adaptations are said to have We invite you to join the more female roles, as well Sierra Canyon theater program as many characters who are as they take us through the gender-neutral. tumultuous streets of early In the musical’s plot, 20th century Manhattan, newspapers raised their Theodore Roosevelt’s Big prices in response to the Apple, and the Gilded Age pressure to sell more papers drama of labor unions, strikes, following the Spanish child labor, yellow journalism, American War. However, and greed. The Sierra Canyon in actuality, the price of Theater Department cordially publications was raised from 50 cents to 60 cents The cast of Newsies performs for Lower Campus invites you to join them at the Madrid Theater on November during the Spanish-American students on October 27th.

5th, 6th, and 7th.

War, not afterward. The Tickets are available now. Student tickets are strike was triggered by the fact that the newspaper publishers refused to lower the exorbitant price after $5.00 and GA tickets are $10.00. The theater requires the conflict ended. The newsboys revolted because proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test within they believed it would be more difficult to sell 48-hours before attending the performance. newspapers without the exciting war news, as well as the additional pressures of price changes.

On July 24, 1899, at the height of the strike,

VOL 14 / ISSUE 2

COMMUNITY

Mya Petryshyn

Sierra Canyon Braces for the New Year

Students enjoy the new pergola which not only provides shade, but a socially distanced space to eat.

by Mya Petryshyn While a large portion of last year remained online, many of our policies like schedules and timing had changed with it. As we reunite on campus with students present, many of our policies have been altered or completely removed. As we return to our fifty-minute classes, the incorporation of Lab into the schedule, and other miscellaneous changes, the new rules and changes can get a little confusing. To gain some clarity, I talked with some of our administration to get the best information of what this year entails.

Mr. Perry was happy to inform us of the school’s new policies, classes, and schedules.

In reference to our added classes, he says, “We added History of Sports in the U.S., which is in the History Department. Also,we’ve had Creative Writing on the books and are running it during the fall, but it hasn’t been offered in quite a while.”

While at Sierra Canyon, students found enjoyment in our annual club fairs, where students and teachers could present their club in the gym. Due to COVID, we opted for a safer, more convenient way by having students and teachers record a video representing their own club that we watched during Advisory. We are gratified that the club fair went smoothly and are excited to see what each club has in store.

While the schedule was modified to fit with online learning last year, we are back to our normal schedules with some minor adjustments this year.

For example, Mr. Perry says, “We committed to starting at 8:30 a.m. each day instead of 8:00 a.m.

We tried this the year we left for COVID and

weren’t sure if we would stick with it. Studies show, though, that starting a little later is better and more productive for students. We returned to an 8-period rotation over 8 days. During COVID we had nine, which helped bring class sizes down for social distancing.”

In reference to COVID, the school has been working to create a safe environment for all, as well as adding some improved health installments. Mr. Perry says, “One of the most important but least visible is the installation of the highly regarded MERV-13 air filters in every room on campus. The new pergola and surrounding picnic tables, which seem to be a hit with students, were created to provide more outdoor spaces for students, since it’s harder to catch COVID outside.”

In terms of the wristbands that we wore the first four days of school, I talked with Mr. Shapiro, the Chief Financial Officer, who was overseeing this initiative. Concerning the question of weekly COVID tests, Shapiro said, “We will not have weekly tests at this time; however, we will continue to comply with and enforce all T1, Appendix A, and Public Health Exposure requirements from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for K-12 schools. We will adjust protocols as required while the situation and conditions continue to change.”

With Avonley Kliewer ‘22 as our new President and Samantha Hariz ‘22 as Vice President, ASB has a long list of exciting plans for spirit weeks and for pep rallies. I was fortunate to speak with Kliewer about some of the new plans for

11 this year. She says, “We’ve already had our Senior Sunrise, which was a success. We are planning the Homecoming Spirit Week, pep rally, game, and dance coming up. After that, we will host our annual holiday party talent show. Next semester, we are going to have a Junior/Senior sleepover movie night, bonfire, bowling night, Senior Sunset, and Grad Night. We will also host two more pep rallies and spirit weeks.”

While I was able to receive information from Mr. Perry and others, Ms. Koss was also kind enough to inform me of some of the events and trips taking place for several different grades. For the seventh graders, she says, “We have reserved with NatureBridge the week of February 13 th -18 th to visit the Olympic Park Institute in Washington State. Normally, students visit OPI in the spring of their sixth grade year at SC, but the class of 2027 was unable to go last year due to COVID. We are excited for this ‘do-over’ trip.”

In addition, seventh grade also had a bit of a different orientation this year than most.

Koss explains, “Students participated in a scavenger hunt to work as teams in Advisory to solve riddles. They also got a jump start on navigating the Upper Campus, as the clues took them to all of the most locations like where they will have class, including the Publications Room and the Engineering Lab. Returning students also received a refresher course and an introduction for new students on how to use the Portal, so they are ready to go for the first day of school.”

Ms. Koss also talked about eighth grade and some adjustments to the requirements for the grade level. Koss says, “For the first time, the Middle School has deepened our commitment to making these elective courses an integral component of the students’ program by expanding the elective courses from one semester to a full year of study.”

Ms. Koss mentioned a new Wellness curriculum for the eighth grade. She explains, “In addition to core classes and electives, eighth grade students will experience our newly-expanded Wellness curriculum. The Physical Education class provides students with an opportunity to complement their academic program focusing on kinesthetic learning.

With an emphasis on fitness for life, the Physical Education teachers will guide the students to introduce movement into their daily routine.”

In addition, eighth grade Human Development will be expanded to a year-long course with the help of Ms. Hernandez, the Middle School Dean, who as Ms. Koss says, “will bring her background in mindfulness and her 20+ years of experience working with adolescents to this revamped Human Development class.”

One question that has been circling around, especially with the caution of COVID, is the subject of Peak Weak. For the new students, Peak Week is a week out of the school year where students can go on fun, academic activities or trips with a teacher or administrator. Some are local and some are even out of the country.

Ms. Koss let me know that they “are planning for Peak Week to take place the week of January 31 st -February 4th with an option for students to travel to Washington, D.C.”

12

FEATURE

THE STANDARD

Forbes Magazine

Solar Energy: a Giant Step Towards a Sustainable School Community up in the air.

The economic benefits of incorporating solar energy also apply to our school community, as according to Mr. Shapiro, the Chief Financial Officer, Sierra Canyon is seeing an average saving of over $8,000 every month following the introduction of the panels. As the school financed the solar panels through a grant every dollar the solar panels save translates to profit for the school since there is no cost required to “pay off” the panels in the first place. The initial cost of installing solar panels is the primary deterrent for many who seek to introduce solar energy into their lives. The surplus funds that are made available would allow Sierra Canyon to dedicate more funds to other aspects of the overall school community, such as athletic events, Prom, the Homecoming dance, pep rallies, and various other school events.

Although there is no denying the fact that introducing solar panels to the school campus comes with countless benefits, no new development would be a good one until its implementation is agreed upon by the wider school community. With this in mind, The Standard went around campus collecting the voices of the student body. Not surprisingly, there was an overwhelming voice of approval for the school’s efforts to go green: “With all the contradicting arguments being made both in favor Workers laying down solar panels in California and against climate change and global warming, I am glad to know through these new solar panels that

by Robin Park Sierra Canyon stands firm in its belief that we as a Following the 2015 Paris Agreement, countries do not require natural lands to be destroyed. Solar community should do our part in creating a more around the world were pressured to gradually panels can simply be erected anywhere there is environmentally conscious world for all our sakes,” decrease their carbon footprint. Although President sunlight, such as on top of buildings, on the roof of said Ethan Cho (‘22). “Whoever came up with this Trump left said agreement, President Biden vowed houses, on top of cars, and even in space. Although idea of taking steps towards an environmentally to rejoin the deal following his inauguration in 2020. the construction and destruction of solar panels do conscious school community really deserves credit.

President Biden also pledged to cut greenhouse take their toll on the environment around them, I mean, the fact that people actually went out of their gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and accomplish a the process of generating electricity from solar way to secure grants to make this a reality is just so carbon-free power system by 2035. In step with this energy itself has next to no harmful effects on the heartwarming,” said Cameron Leary (‘22). “I think global trend of turning to a more environmentally environment. the school needs to promote their efforts of going Turning to Solar Energy can also save lives, as green more often so we can all take part in it as a responsible way of life, Sierra Canyon has partnered with an anonymous organization to place additional it is widely recognized as school-wide community,” said one of the safest ways to solar panels on its campus.

Gary Wu (‘22).

The sun emits enough power onto Earth each produce energy available It was obvious from the second to satisfy the entire human energy demand to mankind at this point responses that our students for over two hours; there is no denying the fact in time. Unlike nuclear applaud the school’s efforts that the sun is an attractive, inexhaustible source of energy, another universally to develop the Sierra Canyon energy. The concept that light can be converted into acknowledged renewable community into a more electrical energy was first discovered by the French energy source, solar’s environmentally-sustainable physicist Edmond Becquerel in 1839. Solar energy history is not marred by organization. It must be did not garner much attention up until the early 20th unfortunate events like the understood, however, that no one century, however, when Albert Einstein published a Chernobyl disaster in 1986 process of energy production Gary Wu (‘22) paper on the Photoelectric Effect, the discovery that and the recent Fukushima is a “one size fits all” type of Daiichi disaster in 2011. enabled him to win the Nobel prize. solution. We as a school must Solar panels are much more environmentally Safety is one of the most significant upsides of solar weigh the costs and benefits of each energy source to friendly than the widely used thermal power plants energy, as it outperforms other renewable energy find the solution that best meets our specific needs. that currently generate an overwhelming majority sources such as hydropower and wind power— there of the world’s electricity (around 80%). Unlike are no dams to collapse or overflow to wipe entire conventional power plants, solar panels do not cities from existence, nor are there wind turbines require large parcels of land to be built on and thus that can kill workers by falling from hundreds of feet

I think the solar panels are a small step for the school but a giant leap for the world towards a more sustainable future.

VOL 14 / ISSUE 2

HUMOR

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HUMOR - COMMUNITY

THE STANDARD

Checking in with:

Nate Anderson

by Lucas Hori

N a t e Anderson (’18) is a recentlygraduated alumnus from Sierra Canyon and is currently a senior at H o w a r d University in Washington, D.C. Nate Anderson (‘18) As a student at Sierra Canyon, he played on the basketball team and made his own music. At Howard University, he is working on a degree in Communication.

When he has free time, Nate still pursues his interest in music by writing and producing songs.

He specifically enjoys singing and rapping and has his own group called “375” that he performs with.

He says he also enjoys playing games with his friends outside of school. Specifically, he says they play a lot of card games.

Nate mentioned that the thing he most enjoys about college is “the environment and being around a bunch of people all the time because you get to see a lot of new faces. Unlike high school, you don’t really get used to them because there are a lot of people to meet.” Something he dislikes about college, however, is the fact that the administration is “really slow. Sometimes it can be harder to get some things done in college; you have to contact three or four people when you should really just have to contact one.”

Anderson said that Sierra Canyon prepared him for life in college because he had a lot of freedom to make his own decisions when it came to classes and interests, something the school prides itself on. He brought up that in college, you have to be able to problem-solve and be independent.

Nate said the thing he misses the most about Sierra Canyon is the fact that since we are a small school, the environment is like a family to him.

When he had to apply for colleges, he said his college application process was not too difficult since he only applied to Howard University as both of his parents went there.

The advice he gave to Sierra students who are going through the college application process is to be unique and write something personal about yourself, not just something generic. We, at Sierra Canyon, wish Nate luck in his studies, and music, and look forward to his continued support of our community.

VOL 14 / ISSUE 2

COMMUNITY

15

Introducing New Staff Member: Bianca Jenkins

by Lucas Hori

Bianca Jenkins is a new staff member here at Sierra Canyon. She works in administration as the assistant to the Upper School Director, Mr. Tom Perry. Ms. Jenkins grew up in Santa Clarita, California where she attended Valencia High School. After graduating, she went to California State University, Northridge, and then Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Business.

Ms. Jenkins has an interest in music, having participated in choir for all of four years of high school. Once she graduated from college, Jenkins went to a school called Musicians Institute where she studied vocal production.

Prior to joining us at SC, she worked at her alma mater, Grand Canyon University, for 12 years in the Career Counseling Department and student employment.

She came to Sierra Canyon because she loves learning; “I love school, in general, so being surrounded by students is really fulfilling for me. I think for this school, in particular, the curriculum is stellar and the type of students that go here is inspiring to me.” Jenkins said she is looking forward to learning all about Sierra Canyon and getting to know all the students and faculty. She enjoys her job so far, as she gets to interact with students all the time and she works with amazing people.

Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her husband, watching Netflix, hiking, and singing at karaoke clubs. Welcome to the Sierra Canyon family, Ms. Jenkins!

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1) Artist who sings “Truth Hurts” 2) Spiderman, Iron Man, & Captain America 3) What you’re wearing today 4) Marvel actress, famously dating co-star 6) Styles 8) “I understood the ______” 9) Boots 11) The clock app 13) Abbreviation for gaming console, 5th edition

Across

5) First-person video 7) America runs on it 8) SHE’S All That 10) Timmy 12) Curated just for you 14) Mario Kart & Animal Crossing 15) Something we hope to never use again...

16) Original content creator platform

Bianca Jenkins

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THE BACK PAGE

THE STANDARD

Messenger Pigeons to Replace Phones on Campus After a rise in phone confiscations, Mr. Graff, Head of Historic Communications, has proposed an alternative to the issue. In an attempt to rid the school of phones altogether, Sierra Canyon will now offer messenger pigeons to serve as a low-tech alternative.

This policy will be mandatory for all students, faculty, and staff. In order to effectively mandate this new policy, any phones will be destroyed on sight. The destruction of phones is the only way to guarantee their removal from the school.

In the case of an emergency, a morse code telegraph will be issued to each room, allowing for quick, easy, and rapid communications with the authorities.

Mr. Graff states, “It really is a shame that such a unique way of communication has become outdated … but I feel that it is my job as Head of Historic Communications to reestablish morse code for current students.”

WHAT’S WORKING @ SC...

PROPS to the snack MESSENGER PIGEONS

BY FAYE KENUZE (’24)

The policy will go into effect in the second semester giving faculty and staff plenty of time to learn morse code and for the students to effectively train their pigeons. Professional bird trainers will be hired to help the students, while a WWII veteran will help with the morse code.

In order to support local businesses, Sierra Canyon will be purchasing the pigeons from Porter Ranch Pigeons Incorporated. This small store has the best range and pricing of pigeons from all around the world. If any student receives a pigeon that doesn’t hold up to their standards, Sierra Canyon encourages them to contact customer service on the P.R.P. Inc. website.

Any person with a bird allergy or phobia should contact Mr. Graff in order to get a replacement for the pigeons.

As of now, the replacements include a flashlight for light morse code, a portable smoke signal, or the classic way of communicating-- screaming at the top of your lungs until someone hears you.

By the end of the year, a survey will be sent out to gather everybody’s opinions about the policy. This survey will be sent out by email and will be available on surveypigeon. com. As always, any and all questions should be directed towards the Math Team.

shack always being stocked and ready to provide us with yummy treats! (Double chocolate muffins make our day.)

FLOPS to the lack of

senior lockers. Some of us don’t have a place to put our books!

Faye is a new sophomore from Washington, D.C. Email any good gossip to newspaper@sierracanyonschool.org

fair this year which was presented during our advisory and at the plaza.

It was a practical and good substitute to our usual club fair in the gym.

PROPS to the 186

Student Ambassadors.

This is more than there has ever been before!

for administrating Covid tests before school started and for getting FLOPS to the AC being everything ready broken in the pub room. to make the school We are roasting in here! function normally.

PROPS to the 40

PROPS to the unique

minute lunch this year.

clubs on campus. There’s something for everyone’s interests!

PROPS to the school

PROPS to the two period

for being able to reopen and stay open this year.

FLOPS to the lack of

--.

PROPS to Sierra’s club

PROPS to the school

Key for Morse Code

Perry: .--. . .-. .-. -.-Dress code: -.. .-. . ... ... -.-. --- -.. .

Lunch: .-.. ..- -. -.-. ....

No Phones: -. --- / .--. .... --- -. . ...

Bad Parking: -... .- -.. / .--. .- .-. -.- .. -.

Too Loud: - --- --- / .-.. --- ..- -..

No Running: -. --- / .-. ..- -. -. .. -. --.

AND WHAT’S NOT

tables at lunchtime.

They’re either all taken or in the scorching sun!

rotation which reduces the workload on the students.