entertainment
feature
Cupid’s arrow:
Loud and proud: San
Students try their
Joaquin Pride Center helps
luck on Tinder
students feel confident
- page 6
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Volume 28, Issue 3
voice
the bruin
sports
She scores: Senior Deyliana Lewis first BC basketball player to break 1,000 points - page 7 February 15, 2019
Winterfest Rally parking lot sting nets numerous off-campus pass violators By BAILEY KIRKEBY NEWS EDITOR
Over 60 Bear Creek students found themselves caught in a lunchtime sting on January 25 after administrators checked the student parking lot at lunch for students without an off-campus pass. Although some students were leaving to get lunch, many were grabbing needed materials from their cars or going home to change outfits before the school’s Winterfest rally, which was scheduled for later in the day. Vice Principal Sera Baysinger says that on the day of the rally, the school did not have their standard four campus security officers. Consequently, she and Principal Hillary Harrell went to the student parking lot themselves to verify each student’s offcampus pass. Each student’s name was recorded, and administration issued punishments depending on a variety of factors, such as whether or not the student had applied for an off-campus pass. “We tried to take every case individually and tried to come up with consequences that made sense for the situations,” Baysinger said. Some students who were punished for
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The expectation was that any student who left campus had an off-campus pass that had been sanctioned by the office and that they had gotten permission from their parents.”
- Student Government teacher Jessica Anderson leaving the campus were involved in the Winterfest rally. “I had a very valid reason to have left the gates [to the parking lot] because I had my basketball bag in my car, and since I am in the rally for basketball, I needed my equipment,” junior Zachary Standridge said. “I got my bag and went immediately
back to campus only to be stopped by the principals checking for second quarter offcampus passes.” Parent Oscar Fry, whose son Luke was chosen as a sophomore representative for the Winterfest court this year, says that his son was provided an early release pass to get out of school to prepare for the rally. “He just got his license, so he would drive home, change and head back for the rally preparations,” Fry said. “I asked him why he wouldn’t take [his tuxedo] to school to change, but he reminded me of his two bad experiences in the restrooms and felt it was safer [and] cleaner to change at home.” Fry noted that the rental cost for the tuxedo was $120. Consequently, as Luke returned to campus sporting his tuxedo and Winterfest sash, administrators recorded his name and eventually gave him Behavioral Intervention (BI) as a punishment. “I understand that the administration has rules to keep their student population safe and out of dangerous situations, but Luke clearly had no direction about how he was to get changed into his [tuxedo],” Fry said. Administrators reversed their punishment for Luke and excused him
from BI after meeting with his parents. Baysinger says that administration did not punish students who were permitted to leave campus by Student Government teacher Jessica Anderson — even if they did not have the appropriate pass. “The expectation was that any student who left campus had an off-campus pass that had been sanctioned by the office and that they had gotten permission from their parents,” Anderson said. “If a student is not following school rules, my checking their pass wasn’t going to make a difference.” Standridge was not given permission to go off campus by Anderson and received one day of BI. However, he says he does not feel that his actions should have been punished. “Just going to the parking lot shouldn’t be a big deal if you don’t leave it, especially since I was going back to campus right after,” Standridge said. Although Anderson permitted students to leave campus without the proper passes, she says that this offcampus pass debacle sparked conversation about an important topic. “[This situation] was the jumping off point for talking about kids leaving class without passes or with the wrong passes,” Anderson said.
Special education lunchtime basketball game fills stands ‘It was heartwarming to see the smiles on the players’ faces’ By JASON AQUINO STAFF WRITER
For most special education students, dreams of playing at competitions in high school sports teams remains just that — a dream. But for 10 Bear Creek special education students, that dream came true as they matched their athletic prowess against other district special education teams in lively, well attended games on Jan. 17 and 24. For the majority of the game, each team had three Special Ed students playing with two captains (Bear Creek varsity basketball players) who led the team. “For the selection process, [Head Varsity Coach for Women’s Basketball and Softball] Kirk came into student government and just pointed me out and asked if I wanted to participate,” junior Mark Metrovich said. Seniors Sarah Ruiz
PHOTO COURTESY OF LILLY LIM
Slam dunk: (Clockwise from left) Bear Creek students enthusiastically shoot the ball while Tokay special education students defend their basket. Bear Creek players score a point, assisted by captain Mark Metrovich. Members of both teams, along with their coaches and team captains, shake hands in a show of good sportsmanship after the game on January 24. and Deyliana Lewis were elected to be referees along with two more varsity basketball players, Quincy Glasper and Hailey Jade. Students played two 10-minute halves in the large gym during early lunch. The game was free
to attend and took place on two consecutive Thursdays. It reeled in not only students from early lunch, but also students that were allowed to leave class to watch and parents of the players. “I left [Link Crew] to support the game, but
mostly because [it was] actually fun,” junior Jacob Ha said. The Bruins were 2-1, losing to Lodi but defeating Tokay and McNair. “I had no idea that [Bear Creek was] going to play against other schools,” senior Chris Carr said. “I
was expecting them to play against themselves in a less competitive environment.” The audience rooted for both teams and were very vocal. With every basket and every coast-tocoast drive, a roar from the crowd soon followed.
Senior Ethan George added commentary from the score box to the standing room only crowd as students flocked to the gym to support their team. “I feel like there [were] more people [at the Special Olympics basketball game] than at the home games I’ve been to,” freshman Sean Santos said. “I was genuinely having more fun there, and I think it goes the same for the students watching.” All varsity players that helped the Special Ed team had one thing in common: a sense of warmth in their heart for seeing the kids enjoy the sport they love. “It was heartwarming to see the smiles on the players’ faces when they were getting cheered on by the stands full of students,” Ruiz said. “It made me realize what this game really meant, showing the players that they’re just like everyone else regardless of their disability.”
Inconsistent grade rounding policies leave students feeling cheated By BAILEY KIRKEBY NEWS EDITOR
In the final days of last semester, some students expressed frustration with teachers for their refusal to round grades that are .5 percent or less away from the next letter, resulting in lower letter grades. According to Bear Creek Principal Hillary Harrell, Bear Creek does not have a schoolwide policy regarding grade rounding. “When I got to this district, I looked at board policy for grading, and there’s not a whole lot of direction,” Harrell said. “It’s really the purview of the teacher.” Harrell says that she rounded grades at .5 and higher when she was an English teacher. However, there are varying reasons why teachers decide whether or not to round grades. “My personal system when I was a teacher was very assessment focused, and I did not have a ton of points in my
grade book,” Harrell said. “For me, rounding up was a fairness issue as far as I was concerned.” Other teachers say that students should get the grade that they earned. “My gradebook is weighted… it’s not like quizzes are 90 percent of [a student’s] grade,” AP and CP Chemistry teacher Han Nguyen said. “If they’re at an 89.9 after I put in extra credit and their grade still doesn’t add up to 90, why should I raise the grade?” Some students personally experienced the reality of having a high grade left unrounded and admit they felt cheated. “I got boonked by Mr. Nguyen since he gave me an 89.99 and didn’t round my grade up,” junior Joseph Manivong said. “It feels especially bad since all of my other teachers would have rounded my grade without a second thought.” Part of the problem might stem from Manivong’s interpretation of grades;
teachers don’t give them, students earn them. “A lot of kids — typically AP kids — feel entitled to a good grade just because they’re taking an AP class,” Nguyen said. “I don’t like participation trophies, and giving people a good grade even though they didn’t earn it is like handing them a participation trophy.” Other students agree with supporting an individual teacher’s policy on grade rounding. “My final grade [in AP Economics] was an 89.4, and [AP Government and Economics teacher Jonathan] Clemons would have rounded it if it was an 89.5,” senior Gabriella Backus said. “I was kind of frustrated, but ultimately, I understand that there’s no point in begging because if he changes [the policy] for me, he has to change it for everyone.” Harrell says that a schoolwide grading system might not be able to address the
fairness issues regarding grade rounding due to the differing reasons that teachers give certain grades. Instead, she emphasizes the need for teachers to use a consistent grading systems in their own classrooms. “I just hope that teachers employ a fair system that is clear and transparent, and if there is a question from the student or the parent, I redirect them to the teacher,” Harrell said. “Hopefully, they can articulate why they gave [the student] the grade that they did.”
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I don’t like participation trophies, and giving people a good grade even though they didn’t earn it is like handing them a participation trophy.” - CP and AP Chemistry Teacher Han Nguyen