December 2019 Issue

n i u r b

V

In this

ISSUE OK Boomer

o

As tension builds between Baby Boomers and Gen Z, the latter has created a new retort to their ancestors.

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Dear Santa

Students write letters to Santa requesting various Christmas gifts, including V-bucks and happiness.

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Hole-in-One! o

Freshman Brenna Preap leads the girls golf team, going undefeated in the SJAA league.

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Student who almost got in car that crashed reflects on experience Bailey Kirkeby Co-Editor-in-Chief

After the devastating car crash that took the lives of one Bear Creek student and one Delta Sierra Middle School student and injured others, many students were mourning their deaths while simultaneously being grateful that they were not involved. Junior Persafany Lana, however, almost got in the car that eventually crashed.

Lana says that her friends invited her to hang out at the park, but the plans changed.

“Instead of staying at the park just to hang out, they were gonna go pick up more people and go to the docks,” Lana said.

Although she initially agreed to go, Lana backed out last minute.

“I didn’t really know everybody so I didn’t want to be involved and my boyfriend wouldn’t let me go,” Lana said.

When she heard about the accident, Lana was glad she chose not to be in the car. Now, her perspective on life has changed after being so close to being part of the tragic incident.

“I feel like every little decision counts now,” Lana said. “One little decision now is a life or death situation.”

Initial reports stated that the driver of the vehicle didn’t have a driver’s license, which Lana didn’t know. Students also expressed concern when videos of the driver smoking and making TikToks in the hospital surfaced.

“It makes me angry because it feels like she doesn’t care that she killed those two people or that she damaged people’s lives forever,” Lana said.

The driver, who is 17, could be tried as an adult for manslaughter.

“I know she’s just sitting at home doing nothing and not caring that she killed people,” Lana said. “Not caring that she injured people.

Not caring that she gave people PTSD for that.”

“

I feel like every little decision counts now. One little decision is now a life or death situation.

- junior Persefany Lana

twitter @bruinvoicenews instagram @bruinvoicenews website www.bruinvoice.net

OICE

Dec. 13, 2019 | Vol. 29, Issue 3 | Bear Creek High School | Stockton, CA

Two LUSD students die in car crash

Van carrying 12 overturns in slough

Lilly Lim

Co-Editor-in-Chief

F

or a Bear Creek senior, it was a typical Friday afternoon as she looked forward to driving around and having fun with friends.

Two hours later, two of her friends would be dead.

Reports say the van she was driving was headed westbound towards King Island Road on Eight Mile Road on Nov. 22. Due to an unknown cause, the van veered to the left off the roadway and overturned, landing on its roof in White Slough.

Freshman Richard Wilson died at the scene and Delta Sierra student Sariah Sayasit was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Initial reports say alcohol did not appear to play a factor in the crash.

However, videos later surfaced on a student’s private Instagram story and spread through text messages of the students smoking what appears to be marijuana in the van.

The driver, who allegedly did not have a license, was reportedly carrying 12 passengers; seven went to the hospital with minor injuries — some suffering from hypothermia after being in the water according to the “Sacramento Bee.” The others were uninjured.

Wilson, who would have turned 15 yesterday, was honored with a balloon release on the stage in the quad that took place after school

on Nov. 25 to commemorate his death. Wilson’s funeral service and viewing was held on Dec. 6.

Sophomore Lexie Smith, who became friends with Wilson this year, says he was like “the sun.”

“He was always happy whenever we talked and always uplifting someone,” Smith said.

“There was never a dull moment with him.”

“I was more surprised that the school didn’t have a moment of silence,” Bautista said.

“Regardless of what they were doing, students of Bear Creek died — as in killed, passed on, gone.

Their lives should be respected. You can’t brush the situation off because they were overpacked in a car and were high.”

An informal poll

PHOTO BY LILLY LIM

Remembering Richard: Bear Creek students commemorate freshman Richard Wilson with a balloon release at the stage in the quad on Nov. 25.

Smith was shocked when she first heard about the accident.

“I thought, ‘he can’t be gone, there’s no way, this is just one big sick prank,’” Smith said. “I cried for a few days. I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

Senior Reynante Bautista was angered by the lack of tribute shown at school.

conducted by “The Bruin Voice” revealed many students didn’t know that the accident even happened.

Through the outpouring of support has also been voices of condemnation, especially for the driver of the vehicle. A week following the accident, a video of the driver vaping in the hospital spread among

students through text messages. The driver later posted her thoughts on the situation on her Snapchat story.

“For those going out [of] their way to post and sub me talking about how I should’ve died instead of them, maybe you were right,” the driver said.

The driver then went on to explain the accident.

“As soon as I came out [of] the water, I was crying,” the driver wrote. “I couldn’t find my little sisters, I was out of breath and was in the middle of my anxiety attack. I went back and punched the window until it broke, and I was able to get my sister out.”

The driver says that the students tried giving Wilson mouth-to-mouth but were unsuccessful, and Sayasit was unable to unbuckle her seatbelt in the van. The driver also wrote of a man who came to the scene of the accident but did nothing to help.

“The guy who was at the scene and called the cops did NOT want to give us his knife so we [could] cut the seatbelt,” The driver said. “I got bruised ribs and a hand full of cuts.”

Smith plans to honor Wilson by coordinating a balloon release for family and friends that do not attend Bear Creek.

“I have friends who were cousins… who never got to say goodbye,” Smith said.

The accident remains under investigation by the Stockton CHP.

Commentary Distractions and inexperienced driver lead to perfect storm for car crash Adan Banks Sports Editor

Many issues can lead to a car accident. Distractions, including phone use and eating while driving, are leading causes for car accidents. However, when an inexperienced driver, social media distractions and illegal substance use are all at play, they create a perfect storm that puts everyone at risk.

“

The carelessness of the passengers is shown by the videos they posted. If they were more mature, the crash could’ve been avoided.

- senior Mason Price

These were the factors that allegedly contributed to the car crash on Nov. 22, which resulted in the deaths of Richard Wilson, 14, and Sariah Sayasit, 12. The driver was allegedly unlicensed.

According to CHP, some of the 12 passengers in the eight-seat vehicle were not wearing seatbelts.

Other problems that allegedly led to the crash were revealed in a private Instagram story by one of the passengers before the crash occurred. The video allegedly shows the crowded conditions in the Toyota Siena van, with multiple spots seating two people. The

video also allegedly reveals drug use by the passengers, who were rolling and passing around marijuana blunts and posting on social media.

“The carelessness of the passengers is shown by the videos they posted,” senior Mason Price said. “If they were acting more mature, the crash could’ve been avoided.”

With 12 people in a car, there is a lot of potential for distractions to the driver. As the leading cause for car accidents, these distractions proved fatal. The driver could also face criminal charges if she is found at fault for the accident.

“The charges she could face include involuntary manslaughter and the worst charge she could face is probably vehicular manslaughter, and she could possibly be tried as an adult,” a former sheriff who asked to remain anonymous said. “The conditions in the car could entail gross criminal negligence, which really elevates the charges.

“This case won’t be looked at the same way as if an adult who was under the influence crashed the car. Because she was only 17, the charges will probably be less severe. She isn’t looking at a long prison sentence.”

Because the driver and victims were all minors, the case records may be sealed. The case is likely to focus on liability, and the parents or the owners of the vehicle could also possibly face charges.

Should parents be held legally liable for their child’s decisions?

P

Audra Chea, junior

arents should be liable for their child’s actions until the child is 18. When the child turns 18, they’re considered an adult and should... be responsible for their own choices.

A

Elias Johl, freshman

t the end of the day, they’re their own person with their own mind, and parents can only do so much.

T

Russell Sunio, junior

hey’re still children and developing... There should be a parent providing guidance and helping them if they make the wrong decisions.

INFOGRAPHIC BY DEVYN INONG INFORMATION FROM HUFFPOST

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News Pets help students cope with mental illnesses and trauma the Bruin

Olivia Espitia

Staff Writer

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early 70% of families across the United States, or 85 million families, have pets that they consider family members. In addition to being considered the cutest member of the family, studies have shown that pets help children handle stress and other mental health issues that arise during adolescence.

Pets help people form social connections, preventing isolation that can be damaging to one’s health. The Human Animal Bonding Research Institute (HABRI) estimates that around 40 percent of pet owners have established bonds with people they met because of their pet.

Pets can also be considered great companions to their owners.

“I have several pets,” junior Mavyn Bolton-Bloom said. “They make me happy by always being able to cheer me up… I always have someone to listen to me.”

Pets may help relieve stress by simply being near their owners.

According to HABRI, the presence of a pet buffers the normal psychological responses to a stressor.

“I have two dogs, Bailey and Frankie,” junior Analisa Jerue said. “They seem to just instant-

ly melt my stress away when I’m with them. It seems like they can tell when I’m stressed out.”

Pets can also help alleviate symptoms of depression and improve emotional balance. Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) brings animals into a controlled therapy environment to enhance the effectiveness of traditional therapy. Animals, aside from relieving stress and balancing emotions, can help raise self-worth, improve communication and

help with self-control in stressful situations.

Therapy dogs have also been used to assist students who were victims of school shootings. At Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where a shooting occurred on February 14, 2018, therapy dogs were brought in when students returned to school two weeks after the incident. According to the “Sun Sentinel,” their local newspaper, as many as 40 therapy

December 13, 2019

Voice

dogs assisted students after the shooting. Fourteen dogs became permanent therapy pets, returning to school with their owners after summer break.

These dogs sit beside students as they work, lay their heads on students’ feet and follow them to their next class.

They’re considered such an important part of the school that they were featured on their own page in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas yearbook.

PHOTOS BY ALEX BUSSEY AND AMARA DEL PRATO

Precious Pups: Therapy dogs were brought to Bear Creek on November 26 to help students who were grieving the loss of Richard Wilson, the Bear Creek student who passed away in a car accident on Friday, Nov. 22.

Therapy dogs were brought onto Bear Creek’s campus following the accident that led to the death of freshman Richard Wilson. Aaron and Rueben, therapy dogs from First Lutheran Church, were brought on campus to comfort students.

Even when untrained as therapy dogs, pets can provide emotional support to their owners.

“Sometimes, at the end of the day when I feel useless or anxious, [my dog and cat] both come to me and shower me with affection and make me feel at ease,” junior Sophia Rosas said.

When pets pass away, their owners must learn how to deal with their loss. As much as it hurts to think about, learning to cope with losing loved ones is a tragic life lesson that teaches students about moving on after an appropriate time of grieving.

“We have a pool, and [my dog] just kind of fell in while we weren’t home,” junior Trinity Uriarte-Jones said. “We just found him floating. I didn’t sleep in [the room we shared] for a month.”

However painful losing a pet may be, the mental and emotional benefits of owning a pet far outweigh the end result. Pets can provide emotional support, stress relief and comfort to their owners before they pass away.

Foreign exchange students adjust to American lifestyle and culture

PHOTOS BY LILLY LIM

Eduardo Guerrero Monclova, Mexico Deepika Sahota Staff Writer

Earlier this year, Mexico native Eduardo Guerrero first set foot in Dallas, Texas. Guerrero grew up in Monclova, Mexico, and describes his life there as very different from the United States.

Guerrero says that he made the decision to study abroad because he felt that he would gain valuable experience in the U.S. that could potentially benefit him when he goes back to Mexico.

He describes the English-learning process as difficult, as he struggled immensely in his first month in the U.S., but he eventually learned the language with help from his host family.

“In Mexico, if you speak English, you can get a better income in jobs,” Guerrero said. “I never spoke English, and my dad told me I needed to learn. We learned some English in schools in Mexico, but it is not the same, so I chose to come here for one year to learn English, and I learned it in four months.”

Guerrero says that he immediately experienced the racism he feared when he first landed in Dallas, Texas. He says that due to some confusion that arose because he was traveling alone for the first time, he decided to ask a man for help.

When the man found out Guerrero was Mexican, he refused to help him.

Nevertheless, he says he has been surprised by how welcoming and diverse individuals at Bear Creek are.

“I like Bear Creek; it is a good high school,” Guerrero said. “I love the diversity here and how you can talk to people from different countries.”

Another major culture shock for Guerrero has been the food in the U.S. “I really miss the traditional food in Mexico such as mole,” Guerrero said. “However, I really enjoy wings, ribs and chili dogs because I had never had these in Mexico. I was also surprised by the Mexican food because I thought the U.S. only had Taco Bell. Surprisingly, I liked Taco Bell a lot and I also enjoy the taco trucks here because they remind me of Mexico.”

Although Guerrero says that he has adjusted quite well to the U.S., he admits that speaking English can still be a struggle.

“The most difficult part here is school because I always have to ask teachers and students to repeat what they said,” Guerrero said. “I can barely read ‘Hamlet’ in English class because it is hard for me to understand.”

Benjamin Jolis Liége, Belgium Belgian foreign exchange student Benjamin Jolis came to the U.S. to experience life outside of his home city of Liége. In Belgium, Jolis says he had a very normal childhood, as he grew up with his parents and brother.

Jolis says he misses hanging out with his friends at pubs in Liége, but gaining a new experience in the U.S. is important to him.

“I became a foreign exchange student because I wanted to enjoy my young life,” Jolis said.

Jolis says that school is much easier in the U.S. than in Belgium, and adjusting has proved to be quite effortless.

“It was not hard to adjust,” Jolis said. “I obviously have a new family

and here I am free to do whatever I want. There’s also a lot of food here [that I enjoy] — like InN-Out.” Jolis says his biggest struggle is communicating with others in school.

“It’s upsetting because people don’t always understand everything I say and I don’t understand everything people say,” Jolis said. “So I [often] have to ask people to repeat what they’re saying.”

Regardless of this difficulty, Jolis says he enjoys being a student at Bear Creek because he was not used to switching classes six times a day.

“Because of the different class rotation system here, I’ve been able to meet a lot of people and socialize,” Jolis said.

ILLUSTRATION BY AMARA DEL PRATO

Giorgia Pistorio Sicily, Italy When senior Giorgia Pistorio stepped foot in Washington, D.C., earlier this year, she was immediately astonished by the array of individuals of different ethnicities, cultures and backgrounds. A man of Asian descent working alongside a woman of African descent was something she had never seen before.

Pistorio’s initial shock captures the uncertainty and vast exposure to new cultures that many foreign exchange students face when first arriving in the United States.

Pistorio, an Italian native, says she grew up in a small city in Sicily and lives with her small, immediate family.

“I live in a small reality — a small family, a small city, a small school, a small group of friends,” Pistorio said. “I came to a part of my life where I realized I was too big for a small place, so I started to look for something bigger than my life.”

In Italy, Pistorio says she enjoys spending time with her friends at pubs in her city’s center. In Italy, there is an emphasis on schooling over work for teens, so few students work and many find an escape from the stress of school through sports.

Throughout her life, Pistorio has participated in basketball, volleyball, swimming, boxing and dancing.

“It’s totally different where I live — teens are different and the culture is different,” Pistorio said.

Adjusting to the U.S. proved to be difficult for Pistorio as her homesickness set in. Food also became a big problem for her because she had become accustomed to the fresh and healthy lifestyle she had in Italy, which included fresh produce and no trips to fast food restaurants. When arriving in the U.S., Pistorio says she soon realized that avoiding fast food was going to be a bigger obstacle than she had anticipated.

Along with Pistorio struggling to adjust to American food, being completely alone in a new place proved to be of great difficulty and frustration.

“When you come [to the U.S.] and you’re completely alone, you don’t have your friends, your family or your place,” Pistorio said. “You have to build something starting from zero.”

Prior to arriving in Stockton, Pistorio admits that she had a preconceived image of what she thought high school was going to be like — movies like “Mean Girls” and “High School Musical” made her think that popular cliques with football players and cheerleaders dominated schools in the U.S. She was pleased to find out that these depictions were not accurate.

December 13, 2019

Feature

the Bruin

3

Voice

Generational Warfare: choose your fiGhter

Traditionalists

Baby Boomers

• • • •

• • •

1900-1945

Hard-working Duty > Pleasure Respect authority Tech-challenged

1946-1964

Strong work ethic Self-assured Spend now, worry later

Generation X

Millennials

1965-1976

• • •

Generation Z

1977-1995

Independent Flexible Suspicious of Boomer values

• • •

1996-TBD

Confident High expectations of employers Tech-savvy

• • • •

Tech native Entrepreneurial Socially conscious Overly sensitive INFOGRAPHIC BY LILLY LIM

Snowflake? Lazy? Sensitive? ... ‘OK Boomer’ Ethen Smith — Staff Writer Michael Thomas — Managing Editor

A

cliché often preached to children and adolescents alike is to respect their elders, for they have lived longer. However, if some members of the newest generations feel these same elders have doomed the ones they preach to, do they still deserve their respect?

Tension between Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1965, and Generation Z, those born between 1996 and 2010, has been growing. Gen Z feels growing anxieties about issues such as student debt, climate change and an antiquated societal structure, while Baby Boomers often dismiss these complaints as whining or uninformed.

The clash between Gen Z and Baby Boomers may stem from surmountable differences in cultures. To those born in the 1950s and ‘60s, the world is unrecognizable in many facets — economically, socially and politically. Gen Z tends to be much more liberal in its ideology and believes Boomers to be far too old fashioned, while Boomers believe Gen Z to be naive and impressionable.

After witnessing what they believe to be whining, unnecessary political actions, narcissism and a sense of unearned self-importance, Baby Boomers began labeling Gen Z-ers as “snowflakes,” “lazy” and “sensi-

Gen Z ‘sadfishes’ for attention Deepika Sahota Staff Writer

Generation Z, known for its entitled mentality, has been accused of contributing to a trend that causes people to “fish” for things such as compliments and approval.

Although posting pleas for help is nothing new, Generation Z appears to take this “fishing” to a whole new level: highlighting their vulnerability through publicizing their emotional state to generate sympathy — otherwise known as “sadfishing.”

This phenomenon comes in many different forms, whether it’s Kendall Jenner posting about her acne as a marketing ploy or classmates attempting to gain sympathy by posting that they have no friends in the hope that people will like and comment.

“I think that there are some things you can share with the world and some things you can’t,” junior Camille Pizarro said. “Whether or not a person sadfishes reflects how that person is when it comes to being alone with their thoughts. It is easy for people to blur the line between being real and looking for attention.”

Many people believe that sadfishing has become normalized at the hands of celebrities and influencers who progressively post about their emotional distress and anxieties to show fans that they endure just as many hardships as any ordinary person. It is not uncommon to see a “canceled” influencer posting an apology video on YouTube containing footage of them crying and descriptions of their mental state at that moment. Influencers have been criticized for participating in sadfishing in an effort to capitalize on their following. According to a study by Captiv8, “influencers can see up to 10 times the engagement when posting about mental health issues.”

Regardless of how influencers use sadfishing for their agendas, sadfishing is also prevalent in today’s youth, as it has become one of this generation’s favorite coping mechanisms. This trend has led many young people to open up and become vulnerable on their personal social media accounts, further pushing their mental health issues into the hands of their subjective following.

Although experts agree that young people often attempt to form their identity by turning to social media as a means of gauging opinions from their following, others worry that letting oneself become vulnerable for the sake of a publicized post may cause unwanted feedback.

Instead, experts say it is important to have productive and helpful coping mechanisms, such as writing in a journal, spending time with family or friends and reflecting on the context of feelings.

“I think posting on social media can be a good way for people to get their stress out,” junior Sidney Banks said. “This is especially if they post it on a private account. However, I think a lot of people exaggerate their problems to get attention.”

Despite its newly-coined name, sadfishing is just another word for attention-seeking behavior. Although it is often difficult to differentiate a plea for attention from a cry for help, it is important that individuals recognize their own intentions and know of other, more productive ways to gain support.

tive.” In protest to what they saw as ignorant disregard, Gen Z created a retort equivalent to an eyeroll: “OK Boomer.”

“It’s just a reaction to when [Baby Boomers] call Gen Z snowflakes,” Gen Z-er Isaac Barney, a junior, said.

The simple phrase is a sign of tiredness and exhaustion. “OK Boomer” carries the mentality that if older generations are going to laugh in the face of the problems they have created, their comments mean nothing.

“They’re the ones leaving this messed up climate to us,” Barney said. “They don’t have a right to talk about what we should or shouldn’t do. The people who will be left with the world for the next 50, 60 or 70 years should be the ones making decisions about it.”

The saying has become an insult to almost anyone over the age of 30, as Zoomers believe it to be a perfect backlash, refusing to validate Baby Boomer comments with a response deeper than “OK Boomer.”

While some Baby Boom-

Generation Warfare

ers have taken great offense to the term, citing it as ageism, others think the phrase is a well-deserved response to the older generation’s outdated beliefs.

“The thing I like about ‘OK Boomer’ is that it gives people a chance to put you on blast if you deserve to be put on blast, and that’s totally legit; I’m okay with that,” Baby Boomer Grace Morledge, an English teacher, said.

ILLUSTRATION BY KYLA YADAO

Today’s Gen Z squares off against Boomers

Ready for your generation Wrapped?

Boomer Anthems

Zoomer Jams People - The 1975

The Times They Are a-Changin’ - Bob Dylan

Alright - Kendrick Lamar

What’s Going On - Marvin Gaye Imagine - John Lennon Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival

This Is America - Childish Gambino FDT - TG (ft. Nipsey Hussel)

“The Times They Are a-Changin” — Bob Dylan

INFOGRAPHIC BY DEVYN INONG

“Alright” — Kendrick Lamar

Your sons and your daughters Are beyond your command Your old road is Rapidly agin’.

We been hurt, been down before, nigga When our pride was low Lookin’ at the world like, “Where do we go, nigga?”

And we hate po-po Wanna kill us dead in the street for sure, nigga

“The Times They Are a-Changin’” stands out above Dylan’s protest songs by becoming the Civil Rights anthem of the 1960s. Dylan expresses that society is rapidly changing, becoming more accepting of people of color and the old hateful generation cannot stop it.

“Alright” overnight became the anthem of Black Lives Matter protesters around the U.S., and the words “we gon’ be alright” were chanted at anti-Trump rallies.

His words capture the fear and injustice people of color feel when around police while simultaneously emphasizing the growing racial tension in the U.S.

Feature

4

December 13, 2019

Holiday

Students reflect on holidays with divorced parents Alisa Aistrup Feature Editor

W

ith Christmas rapidly approaching and Thanksgiving passed, teens and children with divorced parents could potentially suffer from having to choose which parent they are celebrating these “family” holidays with.

BELLE COMBS sophomore

M y brother spends the holidays

at my dad’s house.

The dynamic feels off because my mom misses her son so much.

This stress is not an uncommon occurrence, and many separated couples discuss this issue before they file for divorce.

Normally, most of these couples compromise, agreeing that the best decision — in order to carry on with family traditions while split — is for their children to spend Thanksgiving with one and Christmas with the other. Other times, both agree to have what parenting expert Dr. Karen Finn refers to as “Double Holidays “Think about it from your kids’ point of view too,” Finn wrote in her holiday tips for divorced parents. “Most kids love the holidays and having double the holidays — one with Mom and one with Dad — might be something the kids think is great!”

Although these arrangements appear to be the fairest, for many families this arrangement could lead to a disconnected feeling as the holidays spent together after the divorce will never feel the same.

“My family alternates having an on and off a day for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so one year my dad has us for

Thanksgiving and the next year he has us the day after,” senior Lauren Oaks said. “If there is tension on one side of the family, though, it usually results in a change of plans, like last year we went to this Italian restaurant in Elk Grove as our Christmas dinner and on Thanksgiving, I don’t get to spend time with my favorite cousins anymore.”

LAUREN OAKS senior

ast year we went L to this Italian restaurant in Elk Grove for our Christmas dinner, and I don’t get to spend time with my cousins anymore.

Other times, students choose which parent they want to spend a specific holiday with, which not only affects the relationships between the parent and the child but could also put stress on the parent who doesn’t get to spend the holidays with their children.

“There’s a couple of times where my stepdad took me under his wing during the holidays, but mom was upset that I spent Christmas and Thanksgiving with him,” senior Lundynn Hodge said. “[My mom] was like hella mad, though that was when I was eight or nine. My dad never does anything for her during thanksgiving, either.”

The division between families creates rifts in family dynamics.

“Holidays are pretty normal, I just don’t see my dad a lot,” sophomore Belle Combs said.

“My brother, though, still visits my dad a ton and spends the holidays at my dad’s house, so when we spend Thanksgiving or Christmas with my mom, she gets both stressed out and saddened because my brother is missing.

The whole dynamic just feels off because she’s missing her son so

LUNDYNN HODGE senior

M y stepdad took me under his wing

during the holidays, but my mom was upset that I spent Christmas and Thanksgiving with him.

much.”

Developing a clear plan ahead of time, preparing children for what the holidays will look like, maintaining patience and going easy on the questions when they return home are critical to helping your children adjust to changing holiday traditions.

Commentary

A festive discomfort: being Jewish around Christmas Bailey Kirkeby

Co-Editor-In-Chief

As soon as Thanksgiving ends — and often earlier — Santa hats, reindeer figurines and inflatable snowmen fill the shelves of various stores, and companies begin marketing their Christmas sales.

According to a 2017 study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 90% of Americans celebrate Christmas in some form.

Although there are currently no definitive statistics on the percent of Americans who celebrate similar holidays, such as Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, the number of people who participate in these holidays in the United States is undoubtedly smaller than those who celebrate Christmas.

Due to the prevalence of-

“

The prominence of Christmas in America means that American Jews often attempt to ride the Christmas coattails, to get into the ‘holiday spirit.’

- journalist Ben Shapiro

Christmas in the United States, it’s understandable that companies profit off of the holiday.

However, other holidays that occur near Christmas are seemingly completely forgotten about, causing those who celebrate other holidays to succumb to the Christmas craze to feel the holiday spirit that

their own holiday lacks.

As Ben Shapiro wrote in a 2018 article for “Jewish Journal,” “The prominence of Christmas in America means that American Jews often attempt to ride the Christmas coattails, to get into the ‘holiday spirit.’”

Unfortunately, Jewish Americans have had to adapt to the Christmas craze for over a century. According to “My Jewish Learning,” in the early 1900s, Jewish immigrants often exchanged gifts at Christmastime to show that they had shed their European ways and have adapted to the American way of life.

The Christmas craze remains a difficult obstacle that Americans who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other religious holidays must overcome.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALANDA NGUYEN

Commentary

The ‘Christ’ in Christmas has become obsolete Ryan Flores Staff Writer

It’s your birthday, and everyone else is giving each other gifts instead of celebrating you. This is how Jesus feels about Christmas.

Christmas is a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of God’s son, Jesus Christ, but over time, the Christmas tradition has evolved to be the centerpiece of the holiday season for people of many beliefs — or no beliefs.

There is a debate about what the true meaning of Christmas is and why it should be celebrated.

“I believe the true meaning of Christmas is about Christ’s birth,” junior Purity Ocegueda said. “Him being born to be our savior is the greatest gift of all. By that, it brings the world together in a different way that no other holiday does and causes us to give to humanity on a whole other level. There’s unity and peace that comes with the spirit of Christmas that you can feel in the air.”

A common Christmas tradition is to give gifts to family and friends in honor of the Three Magi who brought newborn Jesus the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The popularization of Christmas can be credited to big businesses using the traditional gift-giving during Christmas to promote their products and sales.

Every store from Lowe’s to Macy’s can be seen filled with Christmas decorations, in some stores as early as August in an attempt to capitalize on the holiday season for as long as possible.

At first, companies promoted Christmas products to give as gifts to other people. Now, companies use the season to market their items, but they are removing the “Christ” from Christmas. The Christian side argues that society must return to a more traditional Christmas season that is centered around Jesus and family relationships. The non-Christian side argues that the holiday has strayed so far from religion that it is now everyone’s

holiday, and that it is wrong to force religion upon those who do not want it.

“In my opinion, religion shouldn’t have to be a part of Christmas,” senior Jan Andrew Payoyo said. “I know how Christmas is technically about celebrating Christ, but these days, I think Christmas should be celebrated religiously by those who want to celebrate it religiously. People shouldn’t be forced to celebrate Christmas religiously because that’s just forcing people to follow the practices of a religion they may not believe in.”

Starbucks is known to have special edition holiday cups, usually with Christmas patterns and scenes.

In previous years, Starbucks has had Christmas trees, ornaments, reindeer and other winter scenes. Then, in 2015, Joshua Feuerstein, an evangelical internet personality, criticized Starbucks’s plain red cups in a rant on Facebook, saying, “Do you realize that Starbucks wanted to take Christ and Christmas off of their brandnew cups? That’s why they’re just plain red!”

In response to Feuerstein’s comments, Starbucks claimed that they want “to create a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity.”

In 2017, Starbucks decided to shift back to their more garish style of holiday cups by offering a

white cup embellished with many holiday illustrations. One of the illustrations is theorized to be a same-sex couple, which — while not explicitly stated on the cup — was suggested by the commercial for the cup that showed two women holding hands on a coffee date.

Starbucks has neither denied nor confirmed the theory, but the images have upset some people who believe Starbucks is forcing a “gay agenda” on its customers.

This year, Starbucks decided to dive even further into removing the religious meaning of the holidays and write “Merry Coffee” on its cups rather than the classic “Merry Christmas.”

“Sadly, I think we are starting to lose the meaning of Christmas,” Ocegueda said. “It seems to be overly commercialized and all about consuming rather than giving and sacrifice. The controversy of being ‘politically correct’ by saying ‘happy holidays’ to not offend anyone, instead of Merry Christmas dissapoints me.”

Many people now have forgotten the importance of Christmas and aren’t teaching newer generations about the origins of the holiday. A survey carried out by Young Poll found that more than a quarter of children did not know that Christmas was intended to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

“Christmas was originally for valuing family time and celebrating the birth of Jesus, but now I feel people are extremely greedy and only worry about what presents they will be receiving,” senior Denver Dingle, Vice President of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, said.

Over the years, Christmas has slowly lost its meaning, and Christians are now left with a holiday that is used by every culture and every religion without a thought given to what it truly means and what Christians are really celebrating.

ILLUSTRATION BY AHMAD ANNOUS GRAPHIC FROM HICLIPART PRESENTS FROM ONLYGFX.COM

Feature

December 13, 2019

5

Holiday

Dear Santa, This Christmas I'd like to be here. I mean, I am going to be here - I'll be here, at home, sipping warm hot chocolate and curling up by the fireplace. I'll be here, laughing with my mom about my grandma's latest butt-dial and forcing my dog into fluffy red sweaters. I'll be here, but I won't really be here. I want to sing Christmas carols by the warmth of the fire without the sweet winter songs fading to a muffled buzz beneath my eardrums. I want to drink in the vibrancy of the Christmas reds and greens without feeling like the cold was chilling them to a dull gray. I want to open my presents and feel the wrapping paper tear underneath my fingers without floating out of my body and looking down at myself through a cloudy mist.

Santa, I'm not sure why I feel such a depressing disconnection. Could it be the gloomy weather?

California's astoundingly frigid seventy degree afternoons and occasional rainy days? Not likely. Could I be getting older, and in turn, feeling less receptive to holiday cheer? In any case, Santa, all I ask of you this year is one more night of pure Christmas joy.

From, Amara Del Prato Dear Santa, In first grade, you gave me a diary. A couple of years ago, I gave it away to someone less fortunate. Usually, I'm appreciative of the things I already have in life and don't ask anything from you, but now I do have something and I need it as soon as possible. I need to understand economics.

I'm enrolled in AP Macroeconomics this semester, and I simply cannot grasp any concepts.

Things make sense, but then they don't at the same time. It feels like I'm learning a new language, but even Spanish was easier than this. I've come to a point of utter desperation.

I'm planning on majoring in business administration, and as much as I'm praying, I think I'm still going to have to know economics or at least have some basic knowledge on economics. But I'm telling you, Santa, I'm trying my best and nothing works. I really want to be able to understand the information, but I just can't. People have limits to how much they can do something, and I know I've met mine.

Like I said, I'm going into business, so I'm not just asking to retain the information for this one semester. I need to understand economics. So if you could give me some magic book or something, I'd really appreciate it. Help me learn the laws of supply and demand. Help me learn the influences of fiscal and monetary policies. Help me learn how we live in an economy.

Thanks, Lilly Lim P.S. Not to rush you or anything but I'm going to need that gift before Christmas if I'm going to bring my grade up in the class...unless you can just change my grade.

Dear Santa, I am sorry to bother you, King, but I would like to ask you to do me a favor this holiday season. I am trying to become the greatest Fortnite player of all time, but in order for that to happen, I need the best Fortnite skins. The skins will make me the drippiest Fortnite player alive, and boost my already god-like skill to the very best.

Skins may not seem like they add to someone's ability. In fact, some of the best players in the world couldn't care less about their skins. I believe, however, that a beautiful skin makes a player feel great, and if they feel great, they will play great. In short, I am asking you to bestow upon me the gift of Fortnite's in-game currency, V-Bucks, and a lot of them at that.

While we're on the topic of helping me become the greatest Fortnite player of all time, I will also play better if I can stream my countless Victory Royales on the largest streaming platform, Twitch. Again, I will need your help to do this, as my current PC is not powerful enough to stream at the highest quality for my tens of thousands of viewers. If you could hook me up with a Big O Origin gaming PC and a full set of Razer gaming peripherals and streaming equipment, your generosity would be infinitely appreciated. I would then be able to seamlessly transition from platform to platform with my Elgato capture card. If you could also maybe somehow perhaps pull some strings at Twitch headquarters to get a partnership with Twitch, that would be greatly beneficial, as I will then be able to make millions off of my Fortnite career.

Just so you don't forget, I would like enough V-Bucks to buy every skin in existence and every future skin to be released, a $10,000 Big O Origin gaming PC, a full set of Razer gaming and streaming equipment, and a partnership with Twitch. Thank you so much Mr. Claus, I will never forget you when I make it big.

Sincerely, Joseph Manivong

Dear Santa, Heyo Santa, do you like politics? Of course you do, everyone does! Well, you know where a great place to learn about relevant political topics is? The politics column on the feature page of the Bruin Voice! Oh wait, that doesn't exist.

The issue this letter is being printed on marks the third issue of the Bruin Voice for the 2019-2020 school year. It also marks the third issue in a row my politics column has been cut. As you can see, Adan

Banks and Bailey Kirkeby have their nice little columns on the sports and entertainment pages, respectively. I, however, do not have one of those. For the past two issues I have painstakingly followed the US political scene and written fulllength columns regarding politics, only for our feature editor to say "Sorry, I'm not going to be able to fit your column on my page." Enough is enough.

The one thing I ask for this Christmas is to have my political views represented in my school newspaper. Actually, you know what? I don't even need you to give me that for Christmas, because I'm about to give it to myself. Watch this.

Dear Santa, This holiday season I am faced with an ongoing dilemma: How the hell do I come out to my Nana? I've had a girlfriend for a year and a half now, and my Nana doesn't even know. My Nana, who constantly asks me about boys, and when I'm going to get a boyfriend and tells me about some hypothetical,t heterosexual wedding looming in my distant future.

I know that if I tell her, she'll support me. I just don't want to look her in the eyes and have to tell her that I'm gay. I don't want to deal with the awkward

Dear Santa, Hey there, Santa. It's my absolute favorite time of year - rain is falling, hot chocolate is brewing, and students are dying. Yes, you read that right. Students are dying. The overwhelming stress of college applications is a tiresome task for everybody that has to do them, especially me. Not only do I have to fill out pages upon pages of boring forms, but I also have to delve into years of past trauma for the stupid supplemental questions that so many Ivy League colleges have fallen in love with. Stupid questions and requests like: "Tell us about a place or community you call home. How has it shaped your perspective?" or "How did you discover your intellectual and academic interests, and how will you explore them at the University of Pennsylvania?" or " What is it about Yale that has led you to apply?" and sometimes even "What is your favorite snack?" If I can't choose between ordering popcorn chicken or fried cheese sticks at T4, how do they expect me to express why I need to get into a good school to be successful?!

Anyways, I'll stop ranting and cut to the chase. All I want for Christmas is to not do these applications. Don't get me wrong, I still want to apply to colleges, I just don't want to do anymore draining supplemental essays. If you could get every single university on the face of the earth to excuse my extra essays, that would be a godsend.

Here, I'll even compromise with you. If you waive all my writing, I'll fill out the bland forms myself! You don't have to worry about that, big guy. So, what do you say? I'll gladly be awaiting your response. Also, could you write me a letter of rec?

The current state of healthcare in America is in desperate need of reform. With private insurance companies driving up medical costs for many Americans, major democratic candidates such as Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are moving towards a complete deprivatization of healthcare. This plan, however, would undercut millions of Americans who are content with their current private healthcare plans, leading them to see a decline in the quality of their medical aide under universal national healthcare. An optimal reform would allow Americans to choose between private insurance or federally funded universal healthcare.

Sincerely, Nathan To

questions of how I know, or how long I've known, or if I'm sure. I want her to just know. I just want her to magically understand that I'm never going to get a boyfriend, that I don't want a boyfriend, that I have a girlfriend and I'm happy.

I'm happy. In my heart, I know that that's all that matters. My family has always been supportive of each other. My Nana regularly mentions her support of the gays. She'll still love me, right? Right, Santa?

Santa, just tell her for me, Alex Bussey

Dear Santa, So it's that time of year again, the time of the year where all the little ones cry and shout what they want for this unabashed celebration of capitalism masked as time for good cheer. I don't like Christmas, if you haven't noticed. But enough of me complaining - it's time for me to announce my the gift of my heart's desire. For Christmas, I would like a bag of peanut M&M's. They don't have to be a huge bag, just a normal sized bag will do just fine. They've been my favorite candy for as long as I can remember - no other treat compared to me. Every time I would go to the store with my dad, when I was a boy, I always remember him grabbing peanut M&M's for himself and a Hershey's almond chocolate bar for my mother. Later that night, sharing the couch together, he'd click on the TV, rip open the yellow package and give me a handful of peanut M&M's. We'd sit there all night, just watching TV, laughing and eating M&M's. That's all I could ever ask for.

So, a bag of peanut M&M's would be just fine for me, maybe a comfy cou ch and TV too.

Oh, and actually, I think that bag should be a sharing size.

From, Ethen SMith

Stressfully yours, Devyn Inong

ILLUSTRATION BY DEVYN INONG, BORDERS BY ALANDA NGUYEN, INFORMATION FROM TELEGRAPH.CO.UK

6

the Bruin

The Sarcastic Spiel

Review

Voice

Entertainment

December 13, 2019

Unconventional casting in ‘Twilight’ confuses audience Alex Bussey

Opinion Editor

“T

BAILEY KIRKEBY

K-pop industry pushes its stars too far On Nov. 24, K-pop star Goo Hara was found dead in her home due to suspected suicide.

Her death came six weeks after her friend and fellow K-pop star Sulli took her own life. This dark pattern of death reveals a dark truth about the horrors of the K-pop industry.

Unfortunately, despite its international popularity, the industry has a dark side that pushes stars like Hara and Sulli to end their lives.

According to the “New York Times,” many aspiring K-pop stars start training in their early teens, perfecting their singing and dancing skills to impress prospective management companies.

However, these training regimes often take over the star’s life, preventing them from building a normal life that doesn’t revolve around K-pop.

Even if an aspiring star is picked up by an agency, it’s not guaranteed that they will hold their status for very long due to the hypercompetitive nature of the K-pop industry, which causes stars to be constantly replaced.

wilight: Los Angeles, 1992” is a series of monologues focusing on the beating of Rodney King and subsequent Los Angeles Race Riots in 1992.

Bear Creek Theater director Cassie Champeau adapted this production, originally a onewoman show performed by Anna Deveare Smith, to fit her cast of 17 students. With 36 characters in the play, all actors portray at least two characters, with some actors even taking on PHOTOS BY LAUREN OAKS AND ISAAC BARNEY / ILLUSTRATION BY AMARA DEL PRATO four different roles.

Standout Monologues: Junior Shawntell Livingston (left) depicts the lively “Maria” — a juDue to the unconventional casting, this play was confusing. ror on the civil trial of Rodney King. Senior Lauren Oaks (right) sits solemnly as a tortured At multiple points in the play, anonymous juror. Senior Alisa Aistrup (below) sips her drink as philosopher Cornel West. audience members found an African-American community leader. His Oaks, who portrayed an anonymous juror themselves at a loss. Which character is this? What’s happening? When costume featured a teal polo shirt and paper from Rodney King’s trial. Oaks’ emotional hat that was exchanged four times during one monologue captured the juror’s feelings of exactly was this monologue supposed to take scene. regret and fear he faced following the fallout place? Nobody but the cast and crew Although the name of the of the trial, which included death threats and seemed to have these answers. character was announced — even more horrifying — letters of support One aspect of the play before each monologue, from the KKK. that made it particularly the reliance on these Junior Shawntell Livingston, who played confusing to watch was the announcements were a Maria, another juror in the trial, delivered a lack of continuity: 15 of the clunky interruption. similarly redeeming performance. Livingston roles were played by more While overall recounted her character’s frustrations toward than one actor, so one actor difficult to follow, the the other jurors with comical impersonations performed one monologue play had a few redemptive that brought the jury’s general apathy to life. for one character, and the performances that Overall, “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992” next time that character spoke, highlighted the production’s was a strong production with impressive it was a different actor in the intentions: to capture the performances and a powerful message about same costume. In some instances, emotions and responses of the racial injustice, but parts of the story were lost the actors even switched roles on stage while someone else was monologuing.Such community surrounding racial violence. One in the complicated casting and unconventional was the case for the character Paul Parker, such performance came from senior Lauren format of the show.

Commentary

Disney Plus should not censor their past controversial content Amara Del Prato Entertainment Editor

stars Aasspiring young as 10

endure intense training for “dancing, singing, modelling and working out to ‘achieve the perfect look.’”

Arguably the most gruesome aspect of the K-pop industry is how commonly management companies overwork their stars and control nearly every aspect of their lives. As reported

by U.K. news company “The Sun,” the three top K-pop labels — SM, JYP and YG — run boot camps in which aspiring stars as young as 10 endure intense training for “dancing, singing, modelling and working out to ‘achieve the perfect look.’” In addition, stars are often put on extreme diets to be stick-thin, some even starving themselves to achieve a label’s desired look.

Despite the vast number of videos circulating online of K-pop stars passing out on stage due to exhaustion, mass media disregards the seemingly common issue of K-pop stars being overworked. A similar issue, however — the oppressive model industry that often forces models to endure multiple workout sessions a day and eat little to no food to achieve a stick-thin figure — is covered extensively.

Largely due to the mass coverage and societal awareness of the modeling industry, fashion and lingerie brands have started hiring models of varying sizes and ethical backgrounds.

To stop the unfortunate suicides and mental health issues of K-pop stars, popular media outlets need to discuss the disturbing realities of the industry in order to spread awareness and demand change within the industry.

INFOGRAPHIC BY DEVYN INONG

Nearly a century after its foundation, the Walt Disney Company has grown to unprecedented heights in the entertainment industry, absorbing Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Fox and many more into its massive corporation amalgamation. However, this iconic company’s long history is littered with the skeletons of blatant racism and outdated beliefs.

Movies such as “Peter Pan” have come under fire for their use of racist stereotypes; in the film, a Native American-like Neverland tribe sings “What Makes the Red Man Red,” which — besides the problematic title — mocks Native American

languages by including comical, gibberish words to represent the tribe’s language.

Similarly, in “Dumbo,” Dumbo meets a black crow named “Jim Crow” whose exaggerated speech can be compared to that of white actors in minstrel shows.

Even so, it must be recognized that Dumbo came out in 1941 — in the midst of World War II. During this time, black and white troops were segregated from one another in the military, and black soldiers were mostly limited to combat support roles.

Segregation wouldn’t end for another 23 years. The decades between then and now are filled with great societal progress, but the atmosphere of the past cannot be ignored.

With the release of Disney Plus, Disney has been forced to face this dark past and put disclaimers on their less tasteful work. Now, their 10 million subscribers are simply warned that the movie they are watching “may contain outdated cultural depictions” while Disney still profits from having the movie on the app.

However, this does not mean that Disney should take down these controversial movies — the entertainment industry’s racist past should not be erased from history. This generation of binge-watchers should not forget about the mistakes and hardships of their ancestors; they must understand what has happened to prevent it from happening again.

Kanye West tells fans his music will be ‘only gospel’ from now on Isaiah Leard

Staff Writer

Whether it be music, clothing, design or even politics, artist Kanye West has proven his undeniable influence over American culture since the release of his first album “College Dropout” in 2004. In the music industry, he’s spoken of with legendary regard, and not without reason: all nine of his albums have hit number one, and seven of those albums are certified platinum.

To accompany his influence, West has become one of the most controversial figures in today’s pop culture; his public outbursts and radical ideas have contributed to highly polarized opinions regarding the artist.

Since January, West, accompanied by his assembled choir, began live gospel music performances in Calabasas, California.

In August, West announced that he had a gospel album in the works, and not much later, in a tweet posted by Andrew Barber — the owner of the Chicago music blog Fake Shore Drive — it was announced that West was “no longer making secular music. Only Gospel from here on out.”

This announcement sent shockwaves through the media and elicited responses from

both the religious and secular communities.

“As I watched these Sunday Services, I also wondered who was being glorified,” Tobi Oredein said in an article published by the magazine Premier Christianity titled “God Used Kanye West to Save Me. But the Rapper’s ‘Sunday Service’ Project is Deeply Flawed.” “He’s employing a choir of people who are not only singing his songs, but are all dressed in his apparel. Is Christ really at the centre of this gathering?”

Among all the negative feedback, there has also been positive feedback. A rapper known for his outspoken Christianity, Lecrae, expressed his views on the matter of West and the Sunday Service assemble.

PHOTO FROM GOOGLE / EDITED BY AMARA DEL PRATO

“Often people can’t imagine people from the hip-hop community finding Christ,” Lecrae said. “We see this very Americanized Western Jesus and not a Middle Eastern man who can relate to the struggles that usually affect us. So, this could be an opportunity for more people to see we love Jesus and 808s, fashion, and contribute to culture.

I’m in support of that.”

Long-time Kanye fan senior Donavan McDaniel supports West’s change.

“I’ve been a Kanye fan since I was 12,” McDaniel said. “I think that if he really found God and it’s not a publicity stunt, then more power to him. If it’s fake, then that’s disrespectful [to those] who deeply care about religion.”

Senior Jeremiah Isanan believes West is telling the truth.

“I do believe his new-found faith has changed him,” Isanan said. “Honestly, I support him for being original and himself as an artist.

Although Kanye has claimed himself as a Christian countless times before, I think that by him making music about his faith, it has really opened up a new view of how people see him.”

Only time will tell whether Kanye’s claims to have changed and found Christ will hold up. Now the fans and observers can watch and see the test of time on the passion and devotion of a celebrity.

December 13, 2019

The Dive

Sports 7 Athletes fight to overcome career-ending injuries the Bruin

Jason Aquino Staff Writer

ADAN BANKS

Gamers shut out of competition Last year, the Bear Creek gaming community was overjoyed when Athletic Director Jason Johnson announced E-Sports would be offered as a seasonal sport like football or tennis. Halfway through the year, E-Sports schedules and try-outs are still yet to be announced to students, and no one is talking about it.

It appears that once again, the gamers are being silenced.

Why doesn’t Bear Creek have an E-Sports team? Multiple issues were revealed last year by the E-Sports after school club at Bear Creek. Primarily, downloading games was blocked on school computers so students would have to bring their own applications and consoles to compete in video games. Popular competitive video games such as “League of Legends” and “Overwatch” couldn’t even be downloaded through a flash drive because multiplayer games are not supported at school.

Additional funding proved another problem for the formation of an E-Sports team — gaming equipment would need to be purchased for the team to allow play. A coach would also need to be hired for there to be a team.

he lack of imTportance placed on the E-Sports team is disappointing

I

njuries are always a risk in every sport and physical activity. Players risk their health when they step onto the court or field — a tibia can be fractured from intense contact, and ankles are frequently torn in a myriad of sports. Bear Creek athletes have suffered serious injuries on the court that have taken them out of the game.

In a club soccer tournament in 2015, Samuel Yi, now a senior, was tackled as he shot the ball.

He went down, and the fall tore his meniscus and left him crippled. He couldn’t play soccer again until his junior year. “[The injuries] were very debilitating and discouraging,” Yi said. “Constantly sitting on the sidelines and never being able to hop in during games and practices while not losing hope for my future in the sport was an emotional battle itself.”

In a water polo match against Lodi High school during the fall 2017 season, senior Michael Valdez dislocated his shoulder while getting up for a shot. He was rushed to the emergency room

Voice

and was later told that he would never play water polo again.

However, he made a slow recovery and was back in the water for the 2019 senior season, where his shoulder was dislocated again in another game against Lodi.

“After my shoulder popped

of the season, but I had to be careful the whole time. I doubt I’ll play in college.”

During the premiere game of the 2019-2020 Bear Creek varsity football season, junior Rex Hermano dislocated his right shoulder, sidelining him in a sling for

PHOTO BY LILLY LIM

Dislocation: Senior Michael Valdez dislocated his shoulder in a 2017 water polo game. After recovering, he dislocated it again in a 2019 game. Valdez does not expect to play water polo again in the future. out for the second time, I didn’t need a doctor to tell me not to play again,” Valdez said. “I played at senior night at the end

three weeks. During this period, Hermano missed two of the biggest, most anticipated games of the year: the Homecoming game

Four athletes sign college letters of intent Charumati Rogers Staff Writer

Heather Tarabini

Four Bear Creek senior athletes signed their National Letter of Intent, a document that cements a student athlete’s commitment to participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) program. Gabriel Kahler, Zoe Montano, Heather Tarabini and Makenna Russell have all received partial scholarships for their specific college.

Gabriel Kahler

Forward: Senior Heather Tarabino dribbles the ball through the defense in a competitive soccer game.

Between the ages of five and six, Kahler played baseball for Sunrise Little League in Citrus Heights, California. He also played YMCA baseball and teeball before moving on to higher levels.

Kahler says his inspiration and motivation to play baseball stems from his dad.

“My dad has always just been a role model for me to play,” Kahler said. “He’s helped train with me since I was little since I was playing tee-ball.”

When senior Heather Tarabini signed her letter of intent to Sacramento State, she said she felt relieved that her scholarship would cover 75% of her college tuition.

“It was one of my main goals to work hard and get a scholarship to help pay for college, so I was glad it worked out,” Tarabini said.

Tarabini says she enjoys a cheering audience.

“I play forward, so when you get a goal, you can just hear everyone cheering, and it’s like everyone is happy, and it’s very exciting,” Tarabini said.

Although Tarabini will play soccer at Sacramento State, she says there is a lot of work left being both a soccer player and a student at Bear Creek.

“Being an athlete is difficult, especially when you’re balancing school and sports,” Tarabini said.

“I practice in Livermore, so I’m not home that often, so I have to finish my homework at school.”

Zoe Montano

Makenna Russell

PHOTO COURTESY OF GABRIEL KAHLER

Batter up!: Senior Gabriel Kahler swings at the ball in a spring season baseball game.

Freshman golfer finishes undefeated in league Nathan To News Editor

PHOTO COURTESY OF HEATHER TARABINI

However, there was another problem that wasn’t addressed by the E-Sports club: admin didn’t work to fix the issues before the season started. These issues were uncovered last year, giving more than enough time to create a dedicated multiplayer server for the E-Sports team and to allocate funds for team spending.

Our Bear Creek administration did not prioritize alleviating the problems that the gamers faced.

It wasn’t a district-wide or SJAA issue either, as other schools have already participated in a “League of Legends” competitive season this fall. Nine schools including McNair and Lincoln put together five-player rosters to compete in an organized schedule complete with playoffs and a championship.

Bear Creek wasn’t prepared, and didn’t join the E-Sports league.

These schools that participated not only gave their students an opportunity to pursue their passion, but the opportunity to extend that passion into their future. E-Sports is a growing industry, with competitive tournaments reaching million dollar prize pools. The school competitions give students a chance to showcase their gaming skills to coaches and scouters of professional and collegiate level programs. The gamers at our school never got this opportunity.

The lack of importance placed on the E-Sports team and the gaming community is disappointing. Bear Creek never even got the opportunity to showcase the online talent it holds in popular video game titles that dominate the competitive world.

This is a missed opportunity for gamers to show their skills to scouters, with E-Sports becoming a popular sport in college, and it’s all because admin simply didn’t care enough to implement the sport in our school.

against East Union and the opening home game against Lincoln.

“I was so disappointed and vulnerable,” Hermano said. “I felt hopeless because there was nothing I could do to help me get better but wait.”

Injuries such as these are not rare in the world of high school sports. Since high school athletes are still developing, injuries are commonplace. Football tops the list of frequencies of serious injuries — injuries that lead to hospitalization — with four injures per 1,000 athletes according to a University of Colorado Denver study. Concussions are among the most concerning injuries because of the frequency at which they occur: according to a University of Pittsburgh study, approximately two in ten athletes of contact sports suffer concussions every year.

Athletes everywhere can lose their sports career from an accident during a game that leads to hospitalization or even permanent damage, and many athletes’ futures have been ruined from these complications. Injuries continue to haunt high school athletes on the court with each new season of play.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ZOE MONTANO

PHOTO COURTESY OF MAKENNA RUSSELL

Uneven Bars: Senior Zoe Montano performs a gymnastics routine on the bars.

Slugger: Senior Makenna Russell slams the ball in a high school softball game.

Senior Zoe Montano has participated in gymnastics since the age of five. She is a level nine gymnast at Champion Gymnastics. Montano’s skills earned her a scholarship to Hawaii Pacific University.

When Montano signed her National Letter of Intent she was extremely excited, saying she didn’t think she was going to do athletics in college but thought it was a great opportunity for her.

“It was an exciting opportunity for me because I couldn’t believe I was actually going to do athletics in college,” Montano said.

Montano takes inspiration from her mother, who was also a gymnast in her youth.

Montano practices gymnastics for four hours a day, five days a week.

Senior Makenna Russell has been playing softball since the age of seven. Starting out with leagues like Port City League, Russell then advanced to travel ball, a step up from recreational softball. She will be playing for Fresno State University.

Russell’s sister, a softball player, has been her inspiration since she started playing softball.

“She was the one I always looked up to, and that’s why I kept playing softball,” Russell said.

Russell has no interest in becoming a pro softball player after college. She believes it’s not a serious professional sport.

The athletes are all excited to continue their careers at the collegiate level with hard work and dedication.

This fall sports season, freshman Brenna Preap led the girl’s golf team with a 10-0 record, advancing to the state level where she competed at the Northern California finals.

Preap has been playing golf for five years and participated in several tournaments, but this year was the first time she had ever been on an official golf team.

In her first-ever high school season, Preap went undefeated in league, scoring a 71 on her best game, exactly on par for the course. After winning league, she continued on to section finals, divisionals, masters, and finally Northern California finals.

Preap’s success didn’t come without hard work. Along with regularly scheduled team practices, she practices golf on her own time at the Spanos Golf Course.

her first-ever In high school season, Preap went undefeated in league.

“I did extra practices after high school practices and I tried to come out as much as I could with the time I had,” Preap said.

Coming into high school golf, Preap said she wasn’t sure what to expect from the competition and was a bit intimidated by the wide range of competitors she would face. She remained confident in her abilities, and with motivation from her teammates and coach, finished first on the team. “[My teammates] told me that it wasn’t going to be as difficult as I thought it would be,” Preap said. “Really, it was a lot like I was picturing it. I played against a lot of good players.”

Preap plans to continue playing golf through high school, hoping that next season she can advance to state championships.

In addition, the opportunity to earn a college scholarship for her athletic talent motivates her to practice and improve.

8

Opinion Voices Time for Friday Night Lights to go dark Naughty or Nice? the Bruin

December 13, 2019

Voice

Editorial Staff’s Annual

Joseph Manivong

Staff Writer

Naughty • •

• • • • • • • •

• • •

Admin for cancelling Winterfest Rally.

Parents who thought they could cheat, lie and pay for their children’s college admission (enjoy that prison sentence Aunt Becky).

Gimkit: a student’s worst nightmare.

White e-boys on Tiktok who say the n-word.

The Ruin Voice for leaving us hanging on a second issue.

Teachers who force their students to take Cornell Notes Students who vape in the bathroom.

Bear Creek trash cans: imprisoned for crimes against authority.

People who steal packages off of other people’s porches.

Mrs. Duffel for being so mean to her editors who are very stressed out because of her class and all their other classes and are trying their best.

Steve Harvey for messing up the announcement of Miss Universe (again).

School shootings for continuing to exist.

North Korea’s “Surprise gift” for the U.S. (please don’t nuke us).

“S

hooting scare prompts panic at Stockton football game.” What a surprise.

This headline, dated November 9, is the latest in a long line of ruined football games because some hooligans decided to cause trouble; this time, an Edison v. Lincoln playoff game. In fact, some school administrators and district officials are considering cancelling all future football games in response to such events. It wouldn’t be a bad idea.

On the surface, high school football games serve as a medium for students to come together and rally behind their fellow students on the field. Allowing students of the home and visiting schools to watch the game has been a tradition across the United States since the early nineteenth century. Additionally, many schools require ticket purchase in order to attend football games, acting as a source of income for the school. Publicly hosting football games definitely has its

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Pro-democracy protestors in Hong-Kong who march for freedom despite police brutality.

U.S. Women’s Soccer team for winning the World Cup and using their platform to advocate for equal pay.

Quizlet: a student’s best friend.

Teachers who round grades.

Students and staff who participated in the Blood Drive.

Baby Yoda: the wholesome creature we all need right now.

Personalized Spotify Wrapped playlists for those walks down memory lane.

Bear Creek custodial staff for cleaning up after us all the time.

Teachers who don’t assign homework over break.

Ms. Dedini for constantly managing all of our technology and helping us when things crash.

Juice WRLD for making good music.

Punishment does little to deter filming Nathan To

At Bear Creek, the student body is expected to understand the diverse backgrounds students come from — the “U” in the BRUIN Way stands for understanding diversity. This understanding includes being mindful and respectful to those who have debilitating physical and mental conditions.

school students Hareighmature enough to

understand that some students have special needs and to realize that these students shouldn’t be ostracized for their behavior.

Recently, a student with special needs had an emotional episode during late lunch, causing him to dance in the middle of the quad. This student’s actions may have been outside of his control, but many students in the vicinity didn’t seem to care, creating a crowd, laughing and filming the student.

The actions of those who filmed the

special needs student are inexcusable.

High school students are mature enough to understand that some students have special needs and to realize that these students shouldn’t be ostracized for their behavior.

Furthermore, the students who filmed and harassed the special needs student knowingly broke school policy, which states that students are not allowed to film others at any time without their permission.

Administrators give some students who record others punishments — such as in-school suspensions or calls home — but these consequences seem to have little effect, as students can be seen filming almost every altercation that occurs on campus.

While the disturbing lack of empathy displayed by students who filmed the special needs student emphasizes the need to push back against bullying culture, change won’t come unless administrators begin strict enforcement of school rules and guidelines. Whether it be recording fights or recording students in emotional distress, admin rarely gives severe punishments, and many students remain unpunished. Students need to understand that their actions have consequences, and if actual change is going to be made, it has to start at the administrative level.

Bruin Voice

News Editors................Bailey Kirkeby Nathan To Feature Editors.............Lilly Lim Alisa Aistrup Devyn Inong Entertainment Editor....Amara Del Prato Opinion Editor.............Alex Bussey Sports Editor................Adan Banks Artistic Editor..............Alisa Aistrup Photography Editor.....Lilly Lim Infographics Editor.....Devyn Inong Online Editor................Alisa Aistrup Managing Editor...........Michael Thomas Adviser...........................Kathi Duffel The Bruin Voice is a public forum for student expression. Content is decided by student editors. Views expressed in opinion material do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper, its editors, adviser, Bear Creek High School, or Lodi Unified School District. All letters to the editor must have a valid signature, but names may be withheld upon request. We reserve the right to edit material for publication.

COMIC BY ISAAC BARNEY

Is it okay for students to film other students without consent?

I

Briana Vallejos, freshman

f the student is crying or going through something personal, then it’s not okay to film them, but if someone is just in the background of a Snapchat, that’s okay.

T

Pheobe Phomsavan, junior

here’s a time and a place, and school isn’t it. Many students aren’t comfortable being recorded, especially in a school setting, and other students should respect that.

Alexa: your ‘friendly’ Amazon spy Sean Driscoll Staff Writer

“The Voice shall not be silenced!”

Bear Creek High School, 10555 Thornton Road Stockton, CA 95209 (209) 953-8369 Editors-in-Chief Bailey Kirkeby Lilly Lim

football games in the first place is arguably a better financial route. Football is the most well-attended and supported sport, but the majority of this income is spent on running the games. Choosing to not run the games in the first place would save schools money and resources.

Preserving the tradition of high school football is something that gives schools a sense of history by allowing students to participate in something that their parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents did. Many kids grow up on football and play the sport for fun; when these kids get to high school, they want to play well for their parents and make them proud. But when people’s lives are on the line, there’s really no argument. Football games need to be closed to the public indefinitely.

The District and school administrators need to look at the bigger picture regarding these football games and the increasingly frequent incidents. If they can do that, then perhaps they would see that although money and tradition would be lost, closing future football games is the best option to keep people safe.

COOL DOG

News Editor

Nice

benefits.

But look past the benefits, and the problems are numerous and apparent.

Gathering hundreds of students in one place spells disaster in the case of an emergency. In the aforementioned football game, mere rumors of an active shooter caused panic in the bleachers; people trampled one another in an attempt to exit the stadium. Luckily, no shots were fired during the football game, but if an armed individual did decide to enter an event with the intent to kill, casualties would undoubtedly occur.

Sometimes, incidents may occur without any outside threat present. A brawl broke out between attendees at a Bear Creek football game in September, showing that sometimes the competition between students at a single school is enough to incite conflict. Even the police had to get involved in order to control the situation.

At this point, the only reasons for keeping football games open to the public are money and the loose idea of tradition.

Although profits from the games are a source of income for schools, not hosting

If someone were to say that they put an always-active microphone in their house that records voices in exchange for a search engine that doesn’t need their hands, they would be called an absolute lunatic, right? Well, call my dad a lunatic.

A few months ago, my dad bought an “Amazon Echo Show” so that our family could video chat with our grandparents.

Although it seemed like an innocent idea, the whole concept of Alexa has always made me uneasy. But I wasn’t paying for the device, so I had no say.

Alexa was easy to set up and simple to use, and my dad figured it out with no problem. We gave it a try for the first time and successfully connected to our grandparents’ Echo Show.

At first, I wasn’t too concerned by Alexa; she was creepy but not unbearably so. My sister was enjoying it; she would give Alexa commands and ask her to do things. My dad wanted to find fun little quirks, references or hidden features. But I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being listened to and spied on day in and day out by someone other than my family.

Portable artificial intelligence boxes change how you think: they make you think about what you say when you’re alone. Alexa is always listening. Every hour of every day, without fail, she listens for commands and hears everything we say.

ILLUSTRATION BY AMARA DEL PRATO

Alexa is always waiting. She sits there on a shelf or table and she waits in the dark, patiently listening for the sounds of human voices. My Alexa sits on the kitchen counter, silently observing like the spy she is.

Having a portable artificial intelligence sounds extremely helpful until you realize that you really just have a small listening box from Amazon that does nothing more than answer questions and play Jeopardy.

But it was fine. Having an Amazon listening device record my family’s every word was fine. Until suddenly one day it wasn’t.

When I play videogames with my friends, I can talk to them over voice chat, and Alexa can hear me. One day, believing myself to be alone in my own house, there was a voice coming from the living room. I was understandably terrified.

After five minutes of a small panic, I figured out that the source of the mysterious voice I heard was Alexa “not hearing me” and asking me to talk louder — as if already listening to me wasn’t enough.

After the first event of Alexa “accidentally” listening to my conversations, I was more prepared when it inevitably happened countless times in the following months. I have become accustomed to the creepy cylinder that sits in my kitchen and hangs on to my family’s every word. I have become accustomed to sacrificing privacy and peace of mind for the sake of convenience.