March 2019 Issue

feature

Priced Out: Students

entertainment The Office vs. Parks and Recreation: Which “mockumentary” reigns supreme?

- page 6

unable to participate in extra-curricular

activities due to costs - page 4

voice

the bruin

Volume 28, Issue 4

sports

Seniority and Favoritism: How coaches decide who to cut from tryouts - page 7

March 29, 2019

Rise in bathroom vandalism, lack of security leaves students fearful of using facilities - if they can find one

By GABRIELLA BACKUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Every Bear Creek student has noticed the hordes of students wasting time, smoking and gambling in the bathrooms, offset only by seemingly fruitless attempts at intervention or apprehension by administration and security. The bathrooms themselves are often trashed and vandalized with broken bits astray and litter abundant.

Many students believe the bathrooms are unusable for their actual job.

In Dec. 2018, the Q girl’s bathrooms were shut down due to painting and vandalism. The Q bathrooms were closed again in Jan. 2019 for the same reason. So far in the 2018-2019 school year, bathroom-related incidents have led to one expulsion and around 10 suspensions, as well as countless citations and in-school consequences. As a result, campus supervisors and administrators have become “bathroom babysitters,” forced to guard the bathrooms against interlopers, and the use of yellow restroom passes has been more strictly enforced.

Recently, only one bathroom has been kept open during school hours due to a lack of security or administration available to supervise all three student bathrooms simultaneously, leading students to complain about the spontaneous changes in availability. Legally, at least one bathroom must be available for student use, and there are no legal requirements for cleanliness or a student-to-bathroom ratio.

“It’s a very nasty situation,” senior Lucas Bingham said. “People gather in there in the tens. It’s a cesspool of filth in there, physically and metaphorically.”

Students’ criticism of the bathroom disrepair is formally referred to as “broken window” crime theory — signs of crime and civil disobedience, such as breaking parts in

PHOTO BY BAILEY KIRKEBY

Bathroom Babysitting: Vice Principal Sera Baysinger guards the Q-building bathrooms after school due to a shortage of campus supervisors. the bathroom and vaping, left unmanaged encourages further disobedience.

Principal Hillary Harrell says that keeping the bathrooms in order has always been an uphill battle, and the administration has been fighting against rampant crime — such as vaping, smoking, vandalism and gambling — for years. This year, however, Harrell notes a connection

between an increase in punishment and an uptick in vandalism this school year.

“I’m noticing a trend: when students are held responsible for their behavior for fights and drugs, we have an increase in bathroom vandalism,” Harrell said. “My question is, is this connected? Are students’ friends taking out their angst about their friends being punished out on the bathrooms?”

Many students have criticized campus supervisors for their seemingly ingenuous attempts to prevent vandalism and crime, with some students saying the guards slack off and willingly ignore troubling problems in the bathrooms.

“Thanks to the limited amount of security on campus, the bathrooms consistently have problems with the defacement of school bathrooms, nicotine abuse and even illegal gambling,” senior Alex Luchetta said. “I believe it is time for the district to revamp Bear Creek’s security to combat these problems.”

Vice Principal Sera Baysinger says that the campus supervisors are not slacking off — in fact, they are only required to intervene when they hear a disruption.

“When [campus supervisors] are standing outside, they are ensuring students have permission to be there,” Baysinger said. “If they hear anything happening that doesn’t sound like typical restroom use noises, then they will assert themselves into the situation as needed.”

Harrell says that the supervisors’ job description does not require them to act as security guards.

“They’re not law enforcement or what some district have, like safety officers,” Harrell said. “They’re technically campus supervisors. Their job is to prevent [negative] behavior and intervene if they deem it safe.”

Harrell says that because Bear Creek is the largest campus in Lodi Unified School District (LUSD), covering a large campus with a large and highly diverse student population proves to be challenging.

Harrell encourages parents and students to attend meetings and speak about their concerns regarding the bathrooms.

She believes an open dialogue will facilitate success.

Lack of honors classes leaves students with two options: CP or AP, seen as ‘too hard’ or ‘too easy’

By SYDNEY JASPER STAFF WRITER

Before the College Board began to exert its influence in 1952, most high schools offered two options for courses: College Prep or Honors. The distinction between the courses was difficult to define, and schools sometimes faced accusations that the system “tracked” minority students into lower classes.

The availability of honors classes at the high school level has declined considerably in recent years, edged out

by AP courses that offer the promise of college course credits upon successful completion of an exam. It is rare to find honors-level courses offered at the high school level, primarily because — as the College Board contends — Advanced Placement is the equivalent to an honors-level course at the high school level. Still, students find the gap between the two curriculums too wide.

“CP classes are too easy, but the work level in AP is too challenging,” junior Teya Amen said.

Today, all high schools in the United States are required to offer four AP courses in the following subjects: English, math, science and social studies. The curriculum — originally designed by the Ford Foundation and

the College Board in hopes of making the transition from high school to college easier — was intended to help impoverished students flourish.

With this increase in AP courses, many teachers lose the opportunity to direct their class in a creative way and must instead focus on preparing students for the AP exam.

“

CP classes are too easy, but the work level in AP is too challenging.

- junior Teya Amen

“When I taught honors psychology, I was able to do more projects,” AP Psychology teacher Lana Gentry said.

“Now I am in a time crunch to get students prepared for their AP test.”

Students say they often feel forced into taking AP classes for college résumés and end up overloading their

schedules. Students are faced with two extremes: doing college-level work or being stuck in a class with kids who read several levels below grade level.

“I feel pressured into taking CP classes because of the intense amount of work present in AP classes,” junior Maiah Walker said.

Some students want to avoid CP classes for the behavior problems present in the classes, but they don’t have the skills necessary to be successful at the AP level.

Honors isn’t intended to be a substitute for poorly-behaved students.

“CP classes are not as challenging for me, and students are at different levels, making it harder for instruction,” junior Makenna Russell said.

Rather than counting for college credit, honors classes are rigorous courses that provide a GPA bump. AP courses, on the other hand, offer the opportunity for college credit. If students desire more honors courses, they should communicate with a teacher teaching that subject or go to Administration.

“The students drive the program,” counselor Ren Pham-Peck said. “Students should talk to administration or teachers before the [Honors] curriculum can be approved by the district.”

Camps offer leadership and career opportunities

By JASMINE CASTILLO STAFF WRITER

Although some students are able to gain leadership experience by being elected to an official position in a club or being chosen as the captain of their sports team, the truth is that leadership opportunities are few and far between for teens.

To address this issue, different organizations sponsor leadership camps where students can gain leadership skills. Two of the most popular camps offered to high school students are RYLA and Boys and Girls State.

Bear Creek counselor Ren Pham-Peck is one of the main organizers of the committee who sends out names of students who are believed to be the best fit for these camps.

“These camps email me or call me asking for students with good citizenships and good leadership,” Pham-Peck said. “I

“

“It has to be a student that is relatively active in the community, has good citizenship and good grades,” Pham-Peck said.

It has to be a student that is relatively active in the community, has good citizenship and good grades.

- Bear Creek counselor Ren Pham-Peck

email all the teachers and counselors, and they give me back recommendations of students who they feel are the best fit. From there, I categorize [the students] based off of how many recommendations I received.”

Pham-Peck also shared what qualities are most desirable for students.

While spending seven days at RYLA’s Camp Oakhurst, junior Devyn Inong participated in exercises to strengthen leadership skills.

“They really stressed becoming leaders at our own schools and leading students towards success,” Inong said of the experi-

ence.

Additionally, RYLA offers programs for students that expose them to career options they may want to pursue in the future.

“There were many programs like yearbook, camp council, cabin companion, newspaper and entertainment,” Inong said.

“As a cabin, we all got to choose what program we wanted.”

Other leadership camps, such as Boys/Girls State, also share the importance of leadership at the high school level.

Boys/Girls State’s main goal is to teach the importance of politics to a younger audience in the hopes that individuals will become more politically educated before adulthood.

Senior Gabriella Backus attended Girls State last

PHOTO BY GABRIELLA BACKUS

Welcome to Camp: Senior Gabriella Backus is welcomed to Girls State camp with a whiteboard informing delegates what to do while they wait for their camp leaders. year and spent the summer developing leadership skills and gaining political knowledge. “[Girls State] is an interactive government model designed to teach young girls about government and

politics and get them involved,” Backus said.

Due to the exclusivity of these leadership camps, being chosen to attend is an honor that students should take advantage of if they are given the opportunity.

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MAY 3, 2019

THE BRUIN VOICE

news

College admissions scandal jolts higher education institutions

By DEVYN INONG FEATURE EDITOR

Actress Felicity Huffman of “Desperate Housewives” said she was “in full acceptance” of her guilt. On April 8, Huffman pled guilty in federal court in Boston to paying $15,000 to rig her daughter’s SAT exams to ensure acceptance into the University of Southern California (USC).

While Huffman paid $15,000 to have a proctor change her daughter’s SAT scores, “Full House” actress Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded not guilty to allegedly paying over $500,000 to get their two daughters accepted into USC as rowing recruits. Although neither daughters participate in crew, the couple allegedly created false athletic profiles and had the girls pose for pictures on rowing machines. Both Loughlin and Giannulli were released on a one million dollar bond each but may face up to four years of prison time, according to reports.

The bribery scandal, known as “Varsity Blues” by the U.S. Department of Justice, was run by William Singer, a Sacramento-based education counselor, who allegedly took bribes as “donations” to the Worldwide

Key Foundation — a charity that was created as a front for the scandal itself.

Most students will do anything to get accepted into their dream college. Getting high scores on SATs, achieving GPAs over 4.0 and going out of their way to perform outstanding extracurricular activities are a few of the ways students up their games in the highly competitive world of college admissions.

ILLUSTRATION BY ALISA AISTRUP

But paying over half a million dollars to ensure a college acceptance is way out of most Bear Creek parents’ budgets — and

illegal. Senior Kristy Gong was accepted into the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), one of the nine schools involved in the scandal.

“There are many loopholes and ways to lie on your application to get an advantage,” Gong said. “If nobody lied or exploited the system, I think the process would be — for the most part — fair, but the perfect system is impossible.”

Senior Jasmin Prasad, who applied to USC, says the admissions process has many flaws that allow for scandals like the recent bribery to occur undetected.

“The admissions process places too much emphasis on variables that open up the propensity to cheat, [such as] test scores,” Prasad said. “Having someone take the exam for you is likely the easiest way to cheat the [system].”

However, both Prasad and Gong say that students should not be discouraged from applying to prestigious colleges over fear of not getting accepted due to high competition.

“Just because some individuals have the ability to utilize unfair advantages doesn’t mean that others still can’t work hard and get in on their own merits,” Prasad said.

INFOGRAPHIC BY DEVYN INONG

Faculty fails to approve raising GPA requirements for TAs

By SYDNEY JASPER STAFF WRITER

Bear Creek’s Teacher Assistant (TA) and tutor policies ― which are the most lenient of all four comprehensive high schools in the district ― will remain the same for the 2019-20 school year after a school-wide faculty vote failed to garner the 75 percent participation among staff needed to override the current policy.

Led by Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) teacher Shan Swoverland, who teaches art and sculpture, the department sought to change the current policy due to concerns that the lower requirements lead students to take TA or tutor classes to avoid taking more rigorous academic electives.

Swoverland places some of the blame for the vote failure on the length of time it took for teachers to be able to vote on the policy change.

“I was disappointed that it took over a week and a half to get the vote out,” Swoverland said, saying the delay caused the issue to lose momentum.

Another problem was that some teachers did not know how to access the voting site on Google. WASC Coordinator Justin Ehrenberg noted that several teachers asked him for assistance in locating the voting form.

The current policy allows students with a minimum

PHOTO BY DEVYN INONG

Teacher Assistant Tasks: Emmanuel Bernabe grades Spanish homework for Spanish II teacher Stephanie Calixto.

2.0 GPA to apply for TA positions; tutors and lab assistants are required to have a 3.0 GPA. The other district high schools ― Lodi, Tokay and McNair ― require a 3.0 GPA for both TA and tutor positions. Teachers are allowed some

combination of up to three TAs, tutors and lab assistants.

Some students agree the TA requirements are too low.

“The GPA should be raised,” TA Jonathen Vang, a senior, said. “ TA periods are more relaxing than academic electives, and [students] should have to work for it.”

Spanish TA Matthew Hancock, a junior, disagrees with raising the requirements. Hancock says part of his duties include grading homework. However, he doesn’t believe a 3.0 GPA is necessary to perform his tasks.

“It’s not that hard of a job to do,” Hancock said, adding that he is provided answer keys to the homework, so he does not need a strong background in the subject matter to fulfill his tasks.

While students seek TA and tutor positions for a number of reasons, some merely prefer a course that will help lighten their academic load.

Senior Jordan Latimore dropped his AP Chemistry class to become a TA the second semester, but he says a higher GPA should be required.

“In order to become a TA you should be required to prove yourself with at least a GPA of 2.5,” Latimore said.

Swoverland said he is “disappointed” in the vote and the staff’s low participation rate. He hopes more students continue to take rigorous academic electives to make the most of their high school education.

Nutria ― giant Adviser and students swamp rats ― on in ASB seek mediation the rise in Stockton to resolve conflicts

By LEILANY PEREZ FEATURE EDITOR

With its shaggy, yellow-brown fur, webbed feet and orange buck teeth, the nutria could be mistaken for a muskrat.

San Joaquin County is being invaded by nutria, also known as copyu ― but these rodents, despite their spooky appearance, are no laughing matter.

These “giant swamp rats” are two and a half feet long on average and typically weigh between 15 to 20 pounds. Since nutria are semi-aquatic rodents, they tend to live on wetlands.

While people may think that having nutria present in California isn’t a problem since many other rodents ― such as beavers and otters ― are present in the state, nutria present a danger to the San Joaquin Delta. Nutria often burrow into the canals and levees of rivers, including the Delta. These burrows can cause floods, as they tend to weaken and damage the foundations of these man-made waterways. Nutria also tend to serve as hosts of parasites and pathogens, such tuberculosis and tapeworms, leading to the possible contamination of the drinking water that is obtained from the Delta and other places.

Recently, nutria were found living along the San Joaquin Delta River. Ac-

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARYLAND DNR

“

Nutrias tend to serve as hosts of parasites and pathogens... leading to possible contamination of drinking water obtained from the Delta.

cording to the “Lodi-News Sentinel,” the California Department of Fish and Wildlife have found 65 nutria in San Joaquin County as of March 7. Throughout California, a total of 410 nutria have been found.

Currently, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Food and Agriculture to create a plan to eradicate all of the nutria in California using detection dogs or trail cameras to locate areas where nutria thrive and capture them. The department is also developing the Judas Nutria Project to help with the eradication of nutria. This project allows for the capture and sterilization of nutria, after which they are released back into wild, using them to lead scientists to nutria populations that haven’t been found.

So far, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has allotted over three million dollars for its plan to eradicate nutria.

By LILLY LIM SPORTS EDITOR

Bear Creek’s Associated Student Body (ASB) organizes about 90 percent of school events, including dances, rallies and spirit weeks.

The Student Government class is known for being a tight-knit group.

This year, however, students in ASB describe the program as a series of mishaps and impediments.

Some students accused the new advisor, CP English teacher Jessica Anderson, of micromanaging the class when it was not necessary. Simultaneously, students that were involved in Student Government prior to this year questioned Anderson’s authority since they had more Student Government experience than she.

“At the beginning of the year, it was pretty disorganized and hectic because we had a new adviser and a lot of new incoming people who haven’t had experience in Student Government,” ASB Secretary Annabella Nguyen, a junior,

said. “It was definitely a challenge to get everyone working together and develop a better environment.”

However, the class still faced turmoil, and the class environment became so tumultuous that they went to Conflict Mediation to resolve

“

put themselves on.”

As for the future of ASB, Anderson has high hopes for next year; one change she hopes for is the structure of the class.

“We want to change the makeup of the class,” Anderson said.

“We really are focusing on

Going to Conflict Mediation brought people back down from the pedestals that they had put themselves on.

- ASB Treasurer Amanda Paulino

their issues. Most students who participated said the class was able to resolve their issues and work together after the intervention.

“There was a huge disconnect,” ASB Treasurer Amanda Paulino said. “People weren’t seeing eye-to-eye, and they weren’t willing to do so. Going into Conflict Mediation brought people back down from the pedestals that they had

lower and mid-grades because to have the class loaded with seniors is really a nice thing on one end, but it’s also a thing where we have to start over and there’s not a huge legacy that follows.”

Despite the hardships that the Student Government class faced this year, Anderson is confident that ASB will be able to move forward productively next year.

feature

MARCH 29, 2019

THE BRUIN VOICE

3

Bruin entrepreneurs merge passion with creativity

BY LEILANY PEREZ FEATURE EDITOR

Adia Nelson

Scotty Lariosa

PHOTO BY LEILANY PEREZ

Senior Adia Nelson began selling her surrealistic art for $10 dollars. She always wanted to be an artist and successfully maintain some type of income at the same time.

“Selling my art has always been kind of like a go-to thing,” Nelson said.

Nelson’s best-selling pieces are surrealistic oil paintings featuring Disney characters or princesses. The reason she created this art genre was to show a different take on Disney characters.

“After spending a year practicing realism, I went way into realism and explored using the mediums I already know with more different experimental ideas,” Nelson said. “I feel like I just loved the morbid but colorful take on Disney characters we all love.”

Her interest in producing and selling art led her to realize what kind of art she wants to do: tattoos.

“I liked the idea of being an actual artist, but now I’m kind of looking into tattoo art,” Nelson said.

Adia’s pieces of art can be found on her Instagram profile @its_just_adias_art.

Gabi Backus

Senior Gabriella Backus, whose main specialties are portraits and still life, sells both traditional and digital art. Her love for art is one of her motives in selling her artwork.

“I’ve always been naturally inclined to enjoy art and all creative things since I was young, and I’ve been drawing as long as I can remember,” Backus said.

The process of selling her art is simple; clients tell Backus what they want her to create and she does it.

Backus’s art prices vary ─ pieces have sold for as low as $5 and as high as $120.

Although Backus is not planning to pursue a career in art, she plans to continue to make art for others upon request.

“I don’t plan to pursue any professional artistic endeavors, but I will never let [my] creativity slip away from me because it brings me joy and calmness,” Backus said. “However, I’m sure people will continue to ask me to create pieces for them because word of mouth is the best advertisement, and I love talking about my art!”

Backus’ art can be found on her Instagram pages: @goobisgunk and @jinical.

Senior Scotty Lariosa runs a business that sells stickers and clothes emblazoned with a personalized logo featuring his signature beanie and locks.

Lariosa started the business when he was 11. Besides sketching and drawing for fun, Lariosa found a passion for stickers; seeing people smile when they received a sticker brought a smile to his face.

“You know when you give somebody a sticker they kind of have that smile,” Lariosa said. “It just kind of stuck with me, and I always liked it.”

When Lariosa was 11, his uncle gave him an enormous Ziploc bag of stickers to trade with artists from around the world, and he was amazed by the different stickers. One day, Lariosa’s uncle told him that he could help Lariosa create his own sticker if he wanted to, to which he replied “OK, cool.”

Once his handmade stickers were finished, Lariosa realized what he wanted to do.

“He gave it back to me and I was like, ‘This is tight. I want to get into this,’” Lariosa said. “So I would hand draw stickers and then look at all of the stuff where he was posting them.”

About two or three years later, Lariosa’s dad purchased something similar to a vinyl platter and told Lariosa that he could make stickers of his drawings.

The stickers production was a success; Lariosa no longer needed to draw and since they came out exactly the same every time. One day, Lariosa handed out a few of his stickers to people and received positive feedback.

“I gave a few out, and people said, ‘I’d actually buy these if you were selling them,’” Lariosa said.

Lariosa’s sticker designs revolve around one drawing: a beanie with two springs falling down each end of the beanie to represent his long,

curly hair. His stickers sell for a dollar each.

During his sophomore year at Bear Creek, Lariosa began selling 10 stickers every couple of days. Because of the stickers’ popularity, he started screen-printing them to keep up with high demand.

In the future, Lariosa hopes to open up an online store with a theme where he can consistently put out more items and designs. Currently, his products can be found on his Instagram @im_scottman.

ILLUSTRATION BY GABI BACKUS

“

I gave a few out, and people said, ‘I’d actually buy these if you were selling them.’

- senior Scotty Lariosa

Dress to NOT impress: does wearing comfy clothes affect school performance and attitude?

BY JACQUELINE GUILLENA STAFF WRITER

From pajamas and sweats, sweatshirts and jeans, or even something as formal as a dress or suit, students differ wildly in what they deem appropriate for school. Someone’s mood may contribute to what they wear for the day.

“Being uncomfortable affects everything you do — your mental processing time, your memory and your level of patience with the students,” Roxanna Elden said in a BAM! radio show interview for Education Week Teacher.

Teachers and students often dress according to their lesson plans and what corresponds to the class subject. For example, a Consumer Foods teacher might dress in jeans and an easily-washable

shirt in case of grease splatters or flour spills. Other teachers — like those who teach English, math or history — may feel comfortable dressing more formally.

The teachers’ dress code follows the same regulations as the students.

“Seeing other teachers wear more nice clothing projects and shows that the teacher takes their job seriously,” Consumer Foods teacher Kelly Smith said.

“Teaching is our job and we’re at work, and it’s more professional dressing in nice clothes rather than sweats and pajamas.”

Some students dress depending on how they feel when they wake up in the morning, as many don’t feel pressured to impress anybody at school with their clothing choices.

“I dress in sweats to be comfort-

able in class when doing my work, but it doesn’t affect my mood,” junior Leilani Demayo said.

Students may prefer comfort over professionalism because they put their education above personal interactions or relationships.

“I dress how I dress, and I’m not here to impress anybody,” junior Jamya Brice said. “If I dress down, it’s to be comfortable. If I dress more classy, I’m still comfortable. At the end of the day, I’m here to get an education rather than fish for compliments.”

Other students say they usually prefer dressing professionally rather than comfortably. However, rather than dressing to impress others, they dress up for themselves.

“I dress in a suit three times out of the

week to look nice,” junior Matthew Zahos said. “I don’t care what others think about the way I dress. I do it for myself,” The “Journal of Experimental Social Psychology” notes a research study on the relationship between clothing and work performance.

“Subjects made half as many mistakes on an attention-demanding task when wearing a lab coat,” Matthew Hutson said in an article for “Scientific American.” “On another attention task, those told their lab coat was a doctor’s coat performed better than either those who were told it was a painter’s smock or those who merely saw a doctor’s coat on display.”

So the old adage “fake it ‘til you make it” might begin by dressing the part.

Accuracy of DNA ancestry sites questionable

BY ALISA AISTRUP FEATURE EDITOR

According to Genome Network, the leading source of news about genomics research worldwide, any two human beings share about 99 percent of the same genetic makeup — it is only the remaining percent that makes each person unique. In spite of those odds, consumers are driven to determine why exactly Uncle Fred is the only one in the family with blue eyes or why cousin Sally has a genetic risk for cancer.

DNA kits such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA have been around for a long time — AncestryDNA was founded in 1997 — but have become increasingly popular over the past couple of years. While both companies extract customer’s DNA to determine their genetic makeup, the two provide different information. While 23andMe provides reports on a person’s genetic risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other certain diseases, Ancestry concentrates less on health information and more on tracing the migration patterns of ancestors and the connections in one’s family tree.

Costs also vary between the two products. 23andMe offers two tests: a $199 version which comes with health and ancestry components and a $99 version with only an ancestry test. Ancestry only offers a $99 test that determines information about family ancestry and how that lineage connects the customer to potential ancestors.

Despite the fact that my family has 5 [percent], and it could be as high as 35 always told me I was half Danish and half [percent].”

Mexican, my results came back to show that In 2018, CBC’s “Marketplace” host I am actually 40 percent German, which de- Charlsie Agro and her twin sister, Carly, bunks all that my father and grandparents bought five kits — AncestryDNA, MyHerihave told me about our great lineage from tage, 23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA and Living Denmark. Although we only had one rel- DNA — and mailed samples of their DNA ative from England who married into the to each company for analysis. The results family tree, my sister’s results showed that were nothing less than shocking; although she is 60 percent English. most of the companies sent back the same According to Jake Byrnes, Ancestry’s information for both women, 23andMe’s senior manager of results showed that population genomCharlsie had nearics, the explanation ly 10 percent less behind otherwise “broadly European” broad, questionancestry than Carly. able results is the Charlie also had 2.6 work-in-progress percent French and procedure of comGerman ancestry paring the genes of that her sister didn’t genetically similar share. individuals to that According of the consumer. to a CBC article “Your DNA

by Charlsie Agro, doesn’t change, but when 23andMe our estimation prowas asked why the cedures are kind of twins didn’t rea learning expericeive the same reence,” Byrnes said sults, 23andMe told in an interview in “Marketplace” in an the “Chicago Triemail that “even mibune.” “While we nor variations can think you’re, say, lead its algorithm 20 percent Irish, it to assign slightly could be as low as ancestry ILLUSTRATION BY GABI BACKUS different

estimates.”

“My results seemed very accurate, and I really didn’t learn anything that I didn’t already know,” English teacher Laura La Rue said. “You have to question the validity, though, because they make you spit in a vial to get their results. The room for human error is huge.”

Some students who have taken DNA kits don’t question the accuracy of the their results, however. Sophomore Steven Gyman took a DNA kit in 2018 and was not surprised when he received his results.

“I didn’t learn anything new,” Gyman said. “I’m Ukrainian, Russian and English, which was stuff I already knew before, but it was interesting to see the actual amount of each I was.”

Although 23andMe said that it works to report the most accurate data through the continuous development of its algorithm, 23andMe admits in an article on “MIT Technology Review” that most results are statistical estimates. However, as 23andMe increases the size of its DNA database and gathers more population data, the chance of attaining more precise results also increases.

“The results will be more and more refined to country-specific levels versus broader assignments,” 23andMe spokesman Andy Kill said in an interview with “The Chicago Tribune.” “In cases where we can’t be country-specific but are confident in the region, we’ll make a broader region-level assignment.”

4

MARCH 29, 2019

THE BRUIN VOICE

feature

looking for a job, but he’s trying not to stay for too long [for] fear of being a burden.”

Most homeless families find themselves resorting to sleeping on the streets due to the lack of room in shelters. Families commonly set up tents along the perimeter of these shelters and wait for an open space. This wait time leads to many giving up entirely on finding decent housing. An official count of homeless that live in any place not meant for human habitation in San Joaquin County — in fields or parks, on sidewalks or beneath freeways — was 567 people. Of that number, 55 percent lived in Stockton.

“I see a lot of homeless people near my house behind Walmart, and I’ve been approached by many

of them on my way home from school,” sophomore Leslie Troutman said.

“There are a lot more living in different areas that I visit, like by the levee or near the overpass.”

Finding a solution to Stockton’s homeless problem is not completely a lost cause. In an agreement made in August 2018, Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs proposed that some Stockton citizens experiencing homelessness will have the chance to pick up litter on Caltrans property (effective October) for minimum wage. The employer, Ready To Work San Joaquin, said that those employed by this beautification project will be also be provided housing.

Stockton distributed $185,000 towards the project, which is set to run for three years.

Stockton’s homeless challenge city resources

By ALISA AISTRUP FEATURE EDITOR

In 2017, officials estimated that the homeless population in San Joaquin County consisted of approximately 1,500 people — a faulty statistic, considering that the information was gathered within a single week and limited to the county’s four largest cities: Stockton, Lodi, Tracy, and Manteca.

A large number of the homeless population — approximately a thousand people — living in the San Joaquin County reside in emergency shelters or halfway houses. However, this number is difficult to track and verify — as collecting information on how many sheltered citizens reside in the country changes daily, considering that many move from one shelter to

the next after only a couple of days.

A 2016 census, the most recent the Stockton Shelter for the Homeless has available, stated that the shelter served 2,063 people, serving around 343 people per day. The shelter estimates around 30 percent of the population they serve are disabled, not surprising considering that nearly one-third of Stockton’s homeless population suffers from a mental health condition. Another 16 percent reported a problem with alcohol, drug addiction or both.

Some families are willing to offer their homes as temporary shelter to those in need.

“My aunt and uncle brought in a veteran homeless man five or six months ago,” junior Dillion Castillo said. “He has been

PHOTO BY ALISA AISTRUP

Living Rough: Homeless have set up an encampment located near Stockton DMV office.

“

I see a lot of homeless people near my house, and I’ve been approached by many of them on my way home from school.

-Sophomore Leslie Troutman

Costs for clubs, sports leave some Stockton pilots monthly $500 UBI students left out

By GABRIELLA BACKUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIELLA BACKUS

By DYLAN EGUILUZ STAFF WRITER

A new revolutionary concept of welfare known as Universal Basic Income is gaining popularity within the western world. UBI is a model for providing citizens with a safety net to prevent them from falling into poverty. Beginning February 2019, Stockton has become one of the first major cities in the U.S. conducting a trial run for Universal Basic Income.

The Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (SEED), is documenting the economic effect of giving 100 Stockton households $500 a month for 18 months. The families must live in neighborhoods where the median income is $46,033 or less in order to participate in the experiment. Unlike most welfare programs, which limit the recipient to food stamps or basic household supplies, the residents participating in the experiment are free to use the money they receive however they please.

According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, Stockton’s median household income is $49,271 — lower than the national average of $57,617 — which makes Stockton a perfect testing ground for the program. While most trial runs are funded through tax dollars, SEED will be privately funded, primarily through prominent Sil-

“

This is a pilot program, meaning we do not fully know how it will combat poverty in Stockton.

-Stockton City Councilman Jesus Andrade

icon Valley pioneers such as Facebook co-founders Chris Hughes and Andrew McCollum.

“This is a pilot program, meaning we do not fully know how it will combat poverty in Stockton,” Stockton city councilmember Jesus Andrade said in an email interview.

“It is a hope of the program that it does [succeed].”

However, some are doubtful about the program’s future.

“It could do some good to some families, but you can’t be sure where the money is gonna go.” senior Aryah Coiltan said. “[UBI is] going to be a mixed bag.”

While some on the right argue that basic income is just another step towards socialism, proponents of UBI see it as adapting to a post-capitalist economy.

Progressive candidates have also been proposing expansion of UBI programs throughout the nation, including Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who has made UBI one of his three core campaign issues.

Yang proposes $1,000 a month for every citizen over the age of 18 regardless of income or employment status.

Pilot programs for UBI are increasingly common across first world countries, such as Italy, the Netherlands and Finland.

Finland concluded its pilot in 2018, the Finnish government has released the data for the year of 2016, but the second half of the data will not be available until 2020. Until then, no major conclusions can be drawn on the effects of the experiment.

“UBI is an interesting solution to problems we’re having, especially trying to address how our economy is starting to shift away from production and into automation,” AP Government and Economics teacher Jonathan Clemons said. “It’s still up in the air if [UBI] is economically viable.”

Bear Creek takes pride in its diverse range of clubs, sports and other after-school activities that are available to all of its student population. What’s even better is that all activities are free to join — at least they appear to be.

Most clubs have an “entry fee,” a small cost required to join the club that is used as a means of funding club activities. While these fees may can seem minor, they are usually not the only cost of participating in a club. Club T-shirts or International Carnival outfits range from $10 to $30 and are often highly recommended or even required purchases.

“

I worked the election in June and tutored my neighbor so that I could pay for my warmups.

- Junior cheerleader Maya Peyton

Senior Adonis Budhai recounts his experiences making ends meet to pay for after-school activities despite his parents’ lack of financial support.

“My parents don’t support me on these type of things and it makes me sad,” Budhai said. “It always… caused me to drop out of clubs. This year, I am trying to get help from others, but it is really hard to do so.”

This week, [BC Latinos] sent us a message saying we have to pay for a $30 shirt. They also need the money by Friday… some of us can’t really afford it.”

Although some club costs may seem gargantuan or unfair, they can pale in comparison to the expenses of some sports. For the 2018-2019 school year, the Lodi Unified School District (LUSD) gave the athletic department $32,500 for transportation costs, such as busses to competitions, and $24,000 for safety measures and repairs. However, these figures do not fully cover the roughly $135,000 it takes to fund athletics.

To cover costs, Athletic Director Jason Johnson says the athletic department uses Bear Creek Athletics merchandise purchases, game snack bar purchases and ticket money — roughly 55 percent of which comes from football game gates — to support athletic ventures.

However, coaches, kids and parents are still forced to scrounge for money — Johnson says he

has often personally cleaned the bleachers to avoid paying for custodial overtime and asks family and friends to volunteer at games.

Many after-school activities also fundraise to lower costs for participants. One of the more costly sports is cheerleading. Junior Maya Peyton recalls $489 paying for her uniform, and another $30 for hair bows — the costs continued with $160 warmups, a $90 sublimated bag and $90 cheer camp; to offset expenses, the team held a cookie dough fundraiser, but she still ran short of money.

“I worked the election in June and tutored my neighbor so that I could pay for my warmups,” Peyton said. “I want to spend my money on other things like spending time with my friends, but I couldn’t because I was trying to save [for cheer expenses] instead of spend.”

Johnson says LUSD should support all extracurriculars as many local school districts do, such as Elk Grove School District, which pays in full for all after-school activities.

At Bear Creek, in the case that a student can’t pay for a uniform, the student or coach must scramble to cover the costs with no set guidelines of what to do.

“A rule of our school is that we try to make athletics a truly no cost venture, which means that no child is going to be denied the opportunity to participate because of lack of resources,” Johnson said.

First Person

On being white, poor and misjudged

By ANONYMOUS GUEST WRITER

I remember the day I stood in the middle of my school courtyard, hot tears streaming down my face as I divulged my family’s money struggles and adverse home life to two of my close friends. I was telling them about how my dad was unemployed and distant, and we were struggling to make ends meet.

I was in the middle of a sentence when a black girl, whom I had never seen before, interrupted my story with a laugh. “Shut up. You don’t know about money struggles or daddy issues,” she said with an imperious tone in her voice, “You’re just another privileged white bitch that lives in Spanos with her mom’s credit card in her pocket.”

I was taken aback. She took one look at me and figured I was incapable of being subject to the same hardships as other people, simply because of the stereotypes about my race. Little did she know that I can no longer see my dad because he has been on drugs and cheating on my stepmom.

Little did she know that my stepmom is hardly ever home because she is out working to be the sole financial supporter for my family. Little did she know that I have to carry pepper spray with me when I walk my dog because I live in a dangerous neighborhood.

But, I’m white. Therefore, I don’t have any right to talk about my struggles.

“Reverse racism” is not a real thing. It is just racism. Racism by

definition is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race, based solely on race.” Nowhere in this definition does it specify that racism is white people being discriminatory or prejudiced toward minorities.

Now, there is a big difference between racism and systemic racism.

These terms are not interchangeable.

“

You’re just another privileged white bitch that lives in Spanos with her mom’s credit card in her pocket.

Racism can be experienced by any person regardless of color; systemic racism, on the other hand, is something that no white American experiences. It is statistically impossible, hence the term “white privilege.”

According to the Cambridge dictionary, the concept of white privilege explains why white people have greater access to society’s legal and political institutions. But just because our government is biased doesn’t mean that whites can’t be offended by derogatory terms, struggle financially, or have deep-rooted family issues.

On a daily basis, many whites do face more negligible forms of racism. The racist slights tend to be in the form of microaggressions, use of over-generalized stereotypes, and derogatory terms. Despite that whites are constantly belittled and patronized for being white, or “acting too white,” most schools and workplaces refuse to take action due to some unspoken rule that whites can’t be targets of racially driven prejudice.

When it comes to whites in America, there are a lot of assumptions; caucasians are wealthy, live in a nice neighborhood, and probably support Trump. Of course, for a lot of white Americans, this is not true. I have seen fellow white students have their hardships discredited by black peers, merely because they are white.

The double-standard when it comes to hate speech is what baffles me the most. I’ve been called almost every offensive white slur under the sun, but that isn’t racism. But if I, as a white girl, called a person of color some derogatory slur, I would be immediately labelled as racist. As a country, and as a species, we need to accept our differences and move forward. But we should not forget our differences, because our diversity is what makes us interesting.

The issue of systemic racism will only be resolved when our political leaders change their ways and create equal opportunities for all people. Only then can we heal our emotional wounds and come together as one, after hundreds of years of indifference.

feature

THE BRUIN VOICE

MARCH 29, 2019

5

Long commutes Teachers juggling young children at home make for longer know the value of time management teaching days

By BAILEY KIRKEBY

By JAAN JAIME STAFF WRITER

Unlike many students, teachers that do not reside in Stockton may find themselves facing a strenuous, gas-guzzling commute when commuting to and from Bear Creek every weekday.

CP English teacher and Link Crew coordinator Ryan Miller commutes to work from Sacramento everyday.

The nearly 50-mile drive takes approximately 48 minutes, forcing Miller to wake up at 5 a.m. and to leave home around 6:20 a.m. However, Miller views the early start to his day as a positive.

“I find that the earlier I start my day, I find myself to be more productive throughout the day,” Miller said. Miller says that he doesn’t mind the long drive because teaching at the Creek gives him the privilege of working with the best kids he could ever ask for.

“

It’s one of the few times of the day where [I can think], ‘Was I at peace today?’

- CP English teacher Ryan Miller Contrary to being annoyed by the long commute, he uses the time to reflect on events of the day.

“It’s one of the few times of the day where [I can think], ‘Was I at peace today? Was there anything I could have done differently in the classroom?’”

Miller said.

AP US History and 12th grade AVID teacher Heather Blount also navigates a prolonged commute from her home in Modesto — roughly 31 minutes away.

Despite living far from her job, Blount says she is motivated to come to work every day.

“I get to work with some of the brightest and [most] awesome kids I have ever seen,” Blount said. “Sometimes students come to me with facts regarding WWII or new innovative ideas that surprise me every single day.”

But not all teachers are willing to spend so much time behind the wheel each day.

English teacher Grace Morledge — who lives in Pine Grove, approximately 10 miles East from Jackson — has had various carpool partners over the years for her commute to Bear Creek.

Instead of making daily round trips, Morledge rents a room from former administrator Betty Liske who lives off of the Miracle Mile, transforming the hour and fifteen minute commute into a quick 15 minute drive. On Tuesday and Thursday evenings, Morledge drives back to Pine Grove.

However, Morledge says she loves the job regardless of its distance from home, from “the kids to the conversations to the range of points of views.”

Devyn Inong contributed to this article.

NEWS EDITOR

As any parent can attest, their job is hard enough. With the burden of dealing with moody teenagers transitioning into adulthood, the amount of time spent working outside of their paid work hours and their often low wages, being a teacher while simultaneously raising a child can be tumultuous.

“I definitely enjoy being a dad,” AP and CP Chemistry teacher Han Nguyen said. “It keeps me up at night, but it’s not that big of a deal to me. I mean, [my daughter is] cute as hell, I can’t get mad at her for [keeping me up].”

To accommodate their hectic schedules, teachers with children put in extra time and effort to ensure that they fulfill their work duties while simultaneously setting aside time for their family.

“I try very hard to get most of my work done at school, even if it means coming early or coming late, which happens quite often,” CP Government and Economics teacher and cross-country coach Jason Johnson said. “That way, when I go home, my family knows that it’s family time.”

Although most teachers say that the joys of being a parent outweigh the long nights and extra work, some have seen that their productivity has decreased after having a child.

“I feel like I’ve been less efficient with my work because I’m just more fa-

tigued, so I feel like I don’t grade at the same rate that I used to,” Nguyen said.

“Sometimes I’ll finish grading something and I’ll look back twice and I notice that I made a grading mistake that I normally wouldn’t have made.”

Bear Creek Principal Hillary Harrell says that Bear Creek does not offer specific accommodations for teachers that are new parents.

“If parents are taking advantage of what’s called the Family Medical Leave Act, they may get paid leave, but it really depends on what disability insurance they have,” Harrell said. “I always recommend that all new teachers — regardless of gender — sign up for disability insurance. A lot of teachers, particularly men, don’t sign up for it, and you just never know when you’re gonna have to miss work [for your child].”

For some teachers, having a child has changed the way they run their classes.

“I’m definitely gonna be much stricter on grading this semester, if I wasn’t already strict before,” Nguyen said.

“Anyone who attempts to waste my time with their grade as opposed to me spending time with my daughter is definitely not gonna put me in a very good mood.”

Johnson says that although it’s often difficult to balance work and family, proper time management is important.

ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIELLA BACKUS “In the world we live “We try to support each other as a in today, a single-income family can be family, but we don’t necessarily have any- very tough,” Johnson said. “Time manthing in writing or any kind of structure agement is key. [My daughter] Avery [to support teachers with young children.] is really interested in basketball, and I just always hope that people reach out that requires long afternoons and early to their friends and family here and let us mornings, but that’s the sacrifice you know if they need any support.” make for your children. I hope we can However, Harrell says that teachers provide opportunities for our children are able to receive paid leave to care for that we didn’t have and move forward their child if they sign up for disability in- to provide a well-balanced life for our surance. family. ”

Teacher’s lessons extend far beyond math

‘Our goal is to get stronger’ — Goodwin

By JASMIN PRASAD STAFF WRITER

Math teacher Dave Goodwin has been a critical factor in ensuring that students are able to reach their highest potential in math — specifically in his Integrated 2+ and Integrated 3+ classes.

Goodwin has been teaching for 33 years. He continues to maintain a positive attitude about teaching which has directly affected a lot of his students.

One of the most notable things Goodwin stresses to all his classes is the vigorous drive one should have to improve every aspect of life. His motto — “Our goal is to get stronger.” — is not only written at the top corner of the classroom blackboard, but is also constantly emphasized throughout the school year.

“I don’t know how any life motto comes to fruition,” Goodwin said. “It just evolves.”

He recalled that the motto was made to help others through difficult life experiences where it might be easy to lose hope and give up.

Goodwin says that simple motivational sayings can become a big factor in pushing others to persist through tough situations.

“You figure out what people need to hear and try to consolidate it in a few words in order to make [someone] feel better,” Goodwin said.

PHOTO BY LILLY LIM

Getting Stronger: Teacher Dave Goodwin gives a lecture about triangles on the unit circle.

Goodwin also stays after school to help many of his students learn the difficult curriculum that he teaches.

“I really care,” Goodwin said.

A lot of the integrated 2+ and 3+ students rely on these afterschool tutoring sessions.

“I’ll definitely go [to tutoring],” Integrated 3+ student Kylan Le said. “I’ll get it in my head so then I have a clear understand-

ing of what we’re learning.”

Goodwin says his proudest teaching achievement was getting all of his students to pass the AP Calculus exam after his first year of teaching calculus.

“I want to see kids do well,” Goodwin said. “I’ll never get hair if they don’t get smart.”

Devyn Inong contributed to this article.

three friends from her triathlon group, CP En- trial against the man that allegedly ran her and glish 9 and Student Government teacher Jessica her friends over. He was found not guilty.

Anderson and her friends were hit by a Chevy Although the accident was unquestionably Avalon. hard for Anderson, she says that it allowed her to “I was hit first, and I tore my lip and severe- gain a deeper appreciation for life.

“The accident ly cut the inside of my caused me to rethink bottom lip along with my life and the people puncture wounds,” Anderson said. “I was who mean the most to me and put my energy followed by my friend into those I care about who was completely the most,” Anderson run over by the truck said. “It influenced me and then my last friend, to live my best life evwho only had minor ery single day, knowinjuries.” ing that every second Anderson says mattered.” that this occurrence Integrated Math eventually broke up 1 and 2+ teacher Dave her triathlon group, as Goodwin, whose wife everyone was afraid to was diagnosed with ride on the road. breast cancer, says that “There’s somesharing personal strugthing about thinking gles often depends on that someone would - CP English 9 and 12 Government the class. leave us lying there teacher Jessica Anderson “No matter what bleeding in the street job you’re in, your without pulling over and at least seeing if we were okay or helping,” personal issues need to not impact your perforAnderson said. “It made us feel like we were mance,” Goodwin said. “Some classes you’ll share information with. Some classes it doesn’t worth nothing.”

On March 7, 2019, Anderson testified in a feel like they have the maturity to deal with.”

CP English 11 and 12 teacher Sam Chan says that the past five years of his life have been difficult due to an illness in the family. However, he feels comfortable sharing his situation with his students. “[Your students] will pick up on things,” Chan said. “They see you every day, so if your attitude changes, they’ll ask what’s going on.

Students have been supportive, and if a student is in the same situation, I try to relate to them, try to comfort them.”

Chan says that having connections with students forges a tighter bond between him and his students.

“If you’re too uptight and too professional about things, sometimes kids are not that receptive to you… It’s those little connections that help you get through to students,” Chan said.

Regardless of the numerous challenges that teachers face outside of school, most agree that their students motivate them to come back to work and continue providing the best possible education.

“At the end of the day, I get home and I’m tired, but I come right back the next day,” Dutra said. “The kids keep me going.”

“All teachers try their best,” Chan said.

“When they wake up, when they come to work, they wanna make a difference.”

Teachers deal with daily struggles outside classroom walls

By BAILEY KIRKEBY FEATURE EDITOR

In addition to the stress and anxiety of keeping up with schoolwork, many students also deal with personal struggles outside of the classroom, such as health issues and family losses. However, the many struggles that teachers face are often overlooked.

Near the end of last summer, as the new school year was about to begin, CP English 9 and 12 teacher Debbie Dutra had to juggle classroom preparations while simultaneously going through a divorce.

“In August, I was trying to move and trying to get into another place to live, trying to separate all of our belongings, trying to do all of the things that teachers do to start the new year,” Dutra said.

Dutra says that teachers often have to hide their personal struggles so they can focus on teaching their students as effectively as possible.

“Oftentimes as teachers, when we walk through the classroom door… we have to try to pretend like all of these emotional things that we’re going through aren’t happening,” Dutra said. “We have to be professional for our students and give our students 110 percent.”

Some teachers endure physical trauma that affect them emotionally. On the first day of fall break in 2017, while on a training bike ride with

“

The accident caused me to rethink my life and the people who mean the most to me and put my energy into those I care about the most.

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MARCH 29, 2019

THE BRUIN VOICE

Global spread of ‘Hallyu’ — all things Korean

By LEILANY PEREZ FEATURE EDITOR

BAILEY KIRKEBY

Misplaced anger at white ‘Bachelor’ contestants Up until this very column, my highbrow, news-obsessed facade has hidden my love for such a trashy television show. I must come clean as one of the nauseating fans of ABC’s “The Bachelor.” Every Monday, I hustle through my homework so I am able to lie down in bed, remote in hand, and watch the likelyscripted-but-still-interesting drama unfold on my screen.

Although my credibility is now crushed after admitting this shameful guilty pleasure, it is my civic duty to point out the obvious.

If you took one look at the cast of any “Bachelor” season, the stereotypical woman the producers cast is immediately clear: white, blonde and skinny.

A predominantly white cast has been a standard for “The Bachelor” franchise since the series began in 2002.

The one noticeable aberration from this trend was the 13th season of “The Bachelorette” in 2017, which featured the first black lead — a charming lawyer named Rachel Lindsay — in the history of “The Bachelor” franchise.

“

The stereotypical woman the producers cast is immediately clear: white, blonde and skinny.

Understandably, viewers and entertainment columnists for popular newspapers have been crying out their desires for a more diverse cast for years — and I agree! Not only is there a clear lack of diversity in “The Bachelor” casting, but when the show does cast minorities, they are often sent home early. According to the “Los Angeles Times,” a recent investigation found that, as of 2016, 59 percent of black contestants are eliminated from the show within the first two weeks.

While it’s undeniable that “The Bachelor” must take strides towards improving its casting choices, viewers often attack the white, blonde contestants themselves for being on the show and excelling. Similarly, news headlines often point out the show’s indiscernible white contestants, such as a “Newsweek” article titled “Meet the 2018 Near-Identical ‘Bachelor’ Cast: Which Blonde-Haired Woman is Which?”

Undoubtedly, work needs to be done to improve the inclusivity of “The Bachelor” casting. However, categorizing women as nearly identical merely because they share the same hair color and skin tone is dehumanizing.

Viewers are allowed to be upset about the lack of diversity on “The Bachelor.”

But instead of attacking the white contestants for their mere existence, we should question the casting directors that put a disproportionate number of them on the show.

Leave the white people alone.

entertainment

Americans, both young and old, are rapidly becoming obsessed with Korean culture. “Hallyu,” or the Korean wave, refers to the growing global popularity of South Korean culture. Hallyu’s increase in popularity can be seen through the expansion of K-pop, K-dramas, and K-beauty.

K-pop was first popularized in America in 2012 with the song “Gangnam Style” by South Korean pop artist PSY. Although the genre died down for about five years, K-pop has recently experienced a surge in popularity — not only in the U.S., but worldwide. A prime example of Hallyu in American markets is the largely popular South Korean boy band BTS. BTS stands for Bangtan Sonyeondan — which translates to Bulletproof Boy Scouts. The seven-member group has become one of the most successful K-pop groups in music history; during the 2017 BBMAs, BTS won the Top Social Artist award, beating Justin Bieber, who has been a consecutive recipient of the award ever since its inception. BTS has continued to win many awards — such as Best Boy Band and Best Fan Army at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards — and was nominated in the Best Recording Package category at the Grammys. They were even featured on the cover of TIME magazine.

BTS is not the only K-pop group who has gained attention in the U.S. Other groups like NCT 127 and BLACKPINK have received international recognition as well; NCT 127 performed at the AMAs in 2018 and BLACKPINK has an upcoming performance at Coachella in April 2019 and was featured on Billboard in the past month.

Many American artists have also collaborated with K-pop artists. Some recent collaborations include “Play It Cool” by MONSTA X (prod. Steve Aoki), “Different Game” by Jackson Wang of GOT7 featuring Gucci Mane and “Written in the Stars” by Wendy of Red Velvet and John Legend.

The Korean wave has hit Bear Creek as well. This school year, Bear Creek started its

by many around the world. Streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu have taken this interest into account to offer various K-dramas. Netflix even produced its own K-drama called “Romance Is a Bonus Book” that aired new episodes every Saturday and Sunday.

Sophomore Shawntell Livingston prefers watching K-dramas over American shows.

“K-dramas, from what I’ve seen, always seem to have interesting plots and they can go all out there,” Livingston said. “Most American shows have kind of gotten really cliché and I feel like the same thing keeps happening.”

South Korea is also known for its beauty products, so it’s not surprising that K-beauty products are hitting the shelves of Ulta and Sephora. With its fun packaging and use of natural exotic ingredients, Korean beauty products are often more appealing abroad compared to their American counterparts.

Junior Devyn Inong, who uses the Korean Elizavecca Hell-Pore Clean Up Mask, says that she prefers K-beauty products over American beauty products.

“A lot of the American face masks that I would use really irritated my skin so when I bought ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIELLA BACKUS [the Korean face mask] I was like first K-pop club under the leadership of senior ‘I’m not too sure.’ Inong said. “Then I tried Joseph Cremona. Cremona says he started it and it works so well; my skin is always so the club because he wanted to give K-pop smooth and soft after I use it and I’m like ‘I’m fans the opportunity to enjoy K-pop with each never going back.’” other.

Even though South Korea is a small “I know a lot of people at this school listen country, its influence continues to spread to K-pop and not a lot of them have a place to and gain international traction in the form of come, dance and listen to [K-pop] because it’s music, shows and beauty products. so much more than just the music,” Cremona “I think [the spread of Korean culture] is said. “I thought I could create a club for a really cool thing because [while] it’s really everyone to come and do that.” big in Korea, it’s kind of expanding over to The spread of Hallyu can be seen in the United States,” Cremona said. “I think other forms of entertainment besides music. it’s just a really cool immersive culture that K-dramas have also become well loved everybody’s able to experience.”

Parks and Recreation vs. The Office

By AMARA DEL PRATO ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

“The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” are both timeless mockumentaries overflowing with countless comedic and heartwarming moments — but there’s no denying which show is superior: “The Office.”

Although “The Office” aired its final episode nearly six years ago, today it holds the title of the most-watched television show on Netflix, even trumping the classic ’90s sitcom “Friends.”

As most watchers of “Riverdale” know, a show’s popularity doesn’t always speak to its overall quality — but “The Office” deserves the attention it gets.

The show centers around the antics and adventures of Michael Scott, the regional manager for a small paper company in Scranton, Penn.

His egotistic and dim-witted (yet surprisingly lovable) personality gets him into all kinds of trouble at his branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

The other characters are just as comical, and their differing personalities make for some interesting dynamics. Dwight Schrute is an annoying and gullible salesman (and volunteer sheriff’s deputy, as he mentions multiple times) who time and time again falls for his coworker Jim Halpert’s creative pranks, which Jim pulls off to impress the receptionist, Pam Beesly.

To be fair, “Parks and Recreation” also has an abundance of likable characters and entertaining dynamics. Leslie Knope, the deputy director of the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Ind., is fiercely ambitious, but she has almost childish expectations for her social and work life. Like Michael, she can be mildly

delusional when it comes to her ego, but her passion for her work makes up for it.

However, “Parks and Recreation” is a show centered mainly around feel-good moments. There is no shortage of comedy, but the repetition of the same moral dilemmas and the same happy endings can become boring and slightly cheesy. “The Office” is able to sprinkle in these moments while still staying true to its focus on comedy.

The type of comedy present in these shows is also different. The mockumentary style that the two shows are both structured upon is unique and clever; it causes viewers to feel as though they are watching a real documentary featuring real people, making the experience more relatable and immersive.

However, “Parks and Recreation” slowly deviated from this style over time.

The characters became seemingly less and less aware of the camera each season, and by INFOGRAPHIC BY GABRIELLA BACKUS season five, the only resemblance “Parks and Recreation” had to a mockumentary was the cutaway interviews that appeared every few minutes.

“The Office” consistently maintains this feeling of immersion throughout the series, often using the characters’ awareness of the camera to make jokes. Jim likes to look directly at the camera after any of his coworkers say anything particularly unintelligent (which happens frequently), and this pointed look has become a trademark of the series.

“The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” are both beloved and entertaining shows with unique styles of comedy that make them worth the watch. However, “The Office” is a classic, unique show that is able to draw a new generation of viewers in while still keeping old viewers hitting replay.

Disney remakes: uninspired imitation or creative sequel?

By DEVYN INONG FEATURE EDITOR

Ask anyone at Bear Creek what their favorite movie was as a child, and most will say it was a Disney movie. But now, the childhood classics that everyone knows and loves are getting ready to grow up too.

Disney has recently debuted a variety of sequels such as “Mary Poppins Returns,” “Finding Dory” and “Incredibles 2.”

However, these follow-up films have earned mixed reviews on their quality, plotline and enjoyability.

“I feel like the cartoon [sequels] are too childish,” sophomore Sidney Banks said.

“I feel like it just gets boring.

‘Incredibles 2’ was more for the people that watched the first [‘Incredibles’] that are older now, so it wasn’t as enjoyable for younger kids to watch.”

On the other hand, some believe that producing sequels for original movies preserves the

magic of the film, enabling future generations to enjoy the same story in enhanced quality. Take the recent sequel “Mary Poppins Returns” as an example. “[Disney] did a wonderful job reworking the music and creating new songs and new experiences,” junior Eyan Atad said.

“Whoever got to experience [the original film] when they were little gets to show [the sequel] to their kids or even their grandkids.”

Besides the sequels, Disney has also released live action remakes of classic

animated films, such as “Cinderella” (2015) and “Beauty and the Beast” (2017).

Some disapprove of Disney’s choice to make these live action remakes because they take away from the nostalgic elements of the original movies. In the live action remake of “The Jungle Book,” the character Shanti — Mowgli’s love interest — is not included. In the upcoming “Aladdin” remake, the Genie — originally voiced by Robin Williams — is played by Will Smith. “‘Aladdin’ seems kind of sucky,” junior Mikaila Aban said.

“The Genie is not the Genie. [Will Smith] is not the original, so it’s just not the same.”

Because of the large profit margins that remakes bring, it’s likely to assume that Disney will continue to make more live-action remakes of animated classics and sequels to past familyfavorites — despite the variety of mixed opinions the PHOTOS FROM GOOGLE IMAGES movies receive.

sports

THE BRUIN VOICE

JUMPSHOT

MARCH 29, 2019

7

Girls make BCHS basketball history Lady Bruins qualify for State Regional Finals, losing after the fourth round

By LILLY LIM SPORTS EDITOR

JORDAN LATIMORE

NFL turns blind eye to domestic abuse

“

The fact that multiple teams were considering [Hunt]... suggests that the standard for dealing with domestic violence is declining.”

In February of 2019, the Cleveland Browns signed ProBowl running back Kareem Hunt to a one-year deal. Hunt was let go by the Kansas City Chiefs in December of 2018 after TMZ released a video showing him pushing and kicking an unidentified woman and is currently on the commissioner’s exempt list and is awaiting a decision that will likely result in an indefinite suspension from the NFL. This signing has stirred controversy not only because of Hunt’s disturbing actions, but also because of how soon the Browns decided to pursue a contract with him.

Facing suspension in a league that has a history of handing out harsh punishment in these types of incidents — the Greg Hardy and Ray Rice situations being some of the most notable — the idea of signing Hunt right now is premature, given that whichever team does pick him up wouldn’t know if he would even see the field this upcoming season.

This begs the question: why did the Browns act so quick to sign someone with this much baggage?

They weren’t the only team interested. The Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles were reportedly also thinking about signing Hunt, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The fact that multiple teams were considering adding someone of such notoriety to their roster suggests that the standard for teams when it comes to dealing with domestic violence is declining.

The Hunt situation isn’t the only example of this change. Just five days prior to Hunt getting released by the Chiefs, former 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was released by San Francisco after news came out he was involved in a domestic incident with his girlfriend.

Foster was immediately placed on the commissioner’s exempt list and was awaiting a decision from the NFL on his suspension when, just four days later, he was claimed off waivers by the Washington Redskins.

These transactions reveal a disturbing pattern in the NFL: teams are excusing skilled players with past and current conflicts in order to acquire talent on cheap contracts.

NFL teams don’t care about what makes people feel uncomfortable or whose feelings they hurt, they simply just want to win football games — which is what the business of sports is all about.

When players of Foster’s and Hunt’s caliber are put in a position where they are willing to play on cap-friendly deals just to prove themselves to be trustworthy again, teams will seize that opportunity to make these additions to their roster — no matter how many mistakes these players make off the field, or how many people they hurt in the process.

Bear Creek’s Girls Basketball team has achieved many historical milestones in an unforgettable season. From three players scoring a total of 1,000 points to going to State Regional Finals, the future of the Girls Basketball program is encouraging.

The team started attracting attention when senior Deyliana Lewis was the first student in Bear Creek history to score a total of 1,000 points throughout her career.

“My teammates and I worked hard to make history, and 1,000 points is just icing on the cake,” Lewis said.

A couple of weeks later, senior Sarah Ruiz and sophomore Mya Blake followed Lewis’ footsteps, each scoring over 1,000 points. The three athletes’ accomplishments became a precursor to the team’s momentous season.

“I felt content knowing that I was one of the few [students] that hit my 1,000-point milestone at Bear Creek,” Ruiz said.

“I wanted to make it for my dad, who passed away.” “[Scoring 1,000 points] was a big accomplishment,” Blake said. “I was proud of myself, and

Defense and offense: (top) Sophomore Mya Blake, senior Sarah Ruiz, freshman Junae Mahan and senior Deyliana Lewis spread across the court to defend the ball. (right) Senior Cassidy Byrne jumps up for her shot while the Antelopes defend. if it wasn’t for my teammates, that wouldn’t have happened.”

The Girls Basketball team went undefeated in league, leading them to compete for the San Joaquin Section title against St. Mary’s High School at the Golden 1 Center. Unfortunately, the team lost 66-52 but returned to Bear Creek with their heads held high. Soon after, Bear Creek hosted the Division One Girls Basketball Northern California Semi-Final game against Antelope High School.

PHOTOS BY LILLY LIM

The team ended the season at the State Regional Finals against Bishop O’Dowd High School.

“Our basketball season was a roller coaster,” Lewis said.

“There were plenty of ups and downs, but all-in-all, we fought until the final buzzer of every game no matter who we were playing, and that’s what got us to the Nor Cal Championship.”

With so many milestones achieved, the class of 2019 leaves with a memorable Girls

Basketball season.

“Regardless of how [the season] ended, we made history — not only for our school but for Stockton,” Ruiz said. “We accomplished what three years ago would have been unrealistic for our program. There’s not another group of girls I would have rather done this with; they’re the reason this season was so special. We all knew we had to play for one another and buy into what was best for the team if we wanted to be successful.”

Coach favoritism can factor in picking roster

By JASMINE CASTILLO STAFF WRITER

While participating in sport tryouts, most athletes give it their all, believing that their hard work and skill will be rewarded with a spot on the team — but to some coaches, favoritism and seniority, rather than skill, may be the reason an athlete makes the roster.

Whether it stems from a past relationship with a coach or past performance on the team, coaches tend to gravitate to players they feel will complement the team. Still, according to Bear Creek’s water polo coach Michael Heberle, favoritism within a team does exist.

“As a coach, to say that it doesn’t play a factor at all is probably a little bit naive,” Heberle said. “If you had a player last year who performed really phenomenal, but then for some reason didn’t do well in tryouts, I could see how that could affect a coach’s decision. I think [favoritism] plays a role, but I try to do my diligence to make it not play a role [in my coaching] because I believe that everyone should have a fair shot.”

Many athletes hold the same opinion as Heberle, saying favoritism and seniority do

factor into a coach’s roster.

“Honestly, some past players didn’t even go to all of the tryouts for soccer and they still made the team,” junior varsity soccer player Alexia Garcia, a sophomore, said.

“Newcomers that tried their hardest with time and effort didn’t make it, while past players that barely tried still made it, which obviously shows favoritism from our coach.”

Freshman junior varsity soccer player Diego Ramirez also shared a similar experience.

“There were two players who came back rusty and our coach let them on the team even though they didn’t try out,” Ramirez said.

“In every sport there is favoritism,” football player John Shinn, a sophomore, said.

“They act by skill set and also relationships with coaches. So, yeah, favoritism in sports is always an occurrence.”

Other athletes disagree, saying favoritism and seniority are not influential factors in

ART BY GABRIELLA BACKUS

choosing a roster.

“Coaches pick who they believe are the best assets to the team skill wise,” junior varsity volleyball player Janaina Oliveira, a sophmore, said. “It is as simple as that.”

“It’s based on skill rather than personality,” junior varsity water polo player Jonni Fenton, a sophmore, said. “There is no favoritism in water polo. It is either you are good and make the team or not as skillful as others and don’t make the team.”

Individuals who do get cut

from a sport may place blame on factors such as seniority instead of addressing areas of weakness to improve upon.

Others wonder if factors such as health concerns play a role in a coach’s decision.

“The coach didn’t want me to be on the volleyball team because I’m a diabetic, even though it is totally safe for me to play on a sports team,” sophomore Inderpreet Kaur said. “I think that shows favoritism towards those who don’t have my condition.”

Boys volleyball added for spring sports SJAA hopes to encourage more Southeast Asian players

By ADAN BANKS GUEST WRITER

This spring season, Bear Creek is fielding its first ever men’s volleyball team, a move that some are hoping will result in more Southeast Asian student participants.

The Athletics Directors of the San Joaquin Athletics Association (SJAA) have agreed to implement men’s volleyball into the selection of sports available to Bear Creek students. The primary reason for this introduction of a new sport was to appeal to the Southeast Asians in the league. The Southeast Asian population at Bear Creek accounts for 31 percent of the student body according to data provided to the government.

“We’re looking to cast a wide net for all boys… but [men’s volleyball] does seem to be particularly popular in the Southeast Asian community,” Athletic Director Jason Johnson said. “We serve a great number of Southeast Asian students and I would like to see increased numbers in their participation in sports.”

Bear Creek’s student body has already expressed interest in this sport, and many students are excited to try out this spring season.

While Bear Creek has not applied for a junior varsity or freshman program for men’s volleyball, it may be necessary for such an anticipated sport.

“I’m looking forward to playing men’s

volleyball, and it seems a lot more exciting than sports like swimming that I usually do in the spring season,” junior Brandon Mak said. “Ever since P.E. class started offering it in middle school I’ve been excited to play again.”

Some factors, however, must be accounted for prior to the implementation of this sport. Other sports, such as badminton and tennis, that appeal mainly to the Asian population are also spring sports and will experience more competition when men’s volleyball is introduced.

“I played tennis last year, but now that I know men’s volleyball is going to be offered, I think I might try out for that,” sophomore Bobby Nguyen said. “I don’t know if I’ll like it more than tennis, but it seems really fun.”

Not only does men’s volleyball appeal to the same group of students as other sports offered at Bear Creek, it also conflicts with the schedule of one in particular. Jimmy Nguyen, chemistry teacher and the women’s badminton head coach, is concerned about the scheduling conflicts that may be facilitated by the introduction of men’s volleyball.

“When men’s volleyball is offered here as a sport, incoming Southeastern Asian freshmen might join it instead of badminton,” Nguyen said. “Both badminton and volleyball use the same facilities and adding another sport into the time frame would just create

PHOTO BY LILLY LIM

Eye on the ball: Freshman Angelo Catapang keeps his focus on the volleyball as he serves it to Franklin High School. more conflict with scheduling.”

These problems will need to be solved with the introduction of men’s volleyball for it to be a sport that thrives in not just attracting the Southeast Asian community to try out a sport, but a sport that gives all students an opportunity to participate in a sport.

8

MARCH 29, 2019

voices

An open letter to the Bear Creek Administration:

Let’s cut to the chase here, people. Every student and staff member on the Bear Creek campus knows about the severity of the bathroom situation. Just imagine: you’ve been working hard in class, but all of a sudden, you’ve got to pee. You walk (with your government-mandated, obnoxiously saturated yellow bathroom pass, of course) to the restroom, and you’re first greeted by a putrid stench, a combination of Juul juice and shit/piss miasma. A group of freshmen skipping P.E. is vaping against the far wall.

Security is nowhere to be found.

You take one of two remaining seat covers from the wall and look for an open stall. You try one stall, only to stare face-to-face with an unflushed turd. You try another stall, but the door doesn’t lock. When you finally sit down on a third battered and beaten toilet, you do your best to avoid touching any rancid looking object — from the stained toilet handle to the roll of toilet paper that barely offers enough paper to wipe.

You do your business and head to the sink to wash your hands, but there’s neither soap nor towels. Wait, no — you know where the towels are: someone dispelled the roll into the trash for no particular reason other than to make your day worse than it already is.

The worst thing is, this is totally normal. Your normal student life just happens to include barely tolerable bathrooms.

ILLUSTRATION BY NARKARY NEANG

To us students, it seems like all you’re doing is going through the motions to fix a basic human necessity.

I’ve been to McNair. I’ve been to Tokay. Despite the administration’s propensity to cast blame on the district, I know it’s not a core fault of Lodi Unified School District (LUSD) because the rest of the high schools put some care into the well-being of their students — it’s just your lack of giving a shit (literally) that puts all 2,000 of your students in a miserable situation.

No worries, though. I’ve thought of a solution that will solve all of our problems. I propose that all administrators, for a week — nay! Just a day! — use the F, K and Q bathrooms alongside every other student on campus. No teacher bathrooms — just you all wading right in with the muck of the peasantry — oh, sorry, I mean the student population. If you’re really content with the bathroom services you provide your students, surely you’d be comfortable using them daily.

Sometimes, you have to experience a problem firsthand to truly comprehend the severity and urgency of it.

Soon, you’ll understand that guaranteeing each entry with a little yellow band-aid of a pass isn’t going to fix anything.

Can you imagine Principal Harrell trying to use our school bathrooms during lunch? She’d be hightailing it to the district office demanding repair funding faster than you can say “board meeting.”

Better yet, let’s just bring the LUSD administrators and school board members down here, too. At the district office, their bathrooms are kept pristine, and I bet they couldn’t bear to use the barebones facilities you provide your own students. If we’re expected to withstand subhuman conditions and still work hard to provide you with good grades, good scores and a good reputation, you should try living like us. See how you like it.

If you want us to act maturely, treat us professionally. Work a little harder to guarantee students one of their most basic rights, and maybe we’ll feel less like kids in time-out and a little more like we want to proudly represent the Bruin Way.

The Bruin Voice

“The Voice shall not be silenced!”

Bear Creek High School, 10555 Thornton Road Stockton, CA 95209 (209) 953-8369 Editor-in-Chief Gabriella Backus Managing Editors.................Bailey Kirkeby Lilly Lim News Editor..........................Bailey Kirkeby Feature Editors.....................Devyn Inong Alisa Aistrup Leilany Perez Entertainment Editor............Amara Del Prato Sports Editor.........................Lilly Lim Opinion Editor......................Bailey Kirkeby Artistic Editor........................Alisa Aistrup Photography Editor...............Lilly Lim Infographics Editor...............Devyn Inong Online Editor-in-Chief..........Alisa Aistrup 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.

THE BRUIN VOICE

opinion

Old vs. new: split in Democratic Party leaves voters polarized

By DYLAN EGUILUZ STAFF WRITER

The change of the House ruling party in the 2018 midterm elections marked a new direction for the Democratic party; younger and more diverse representatives are shifting the party to push a more progressive agenda. The most prominent newcomers are proving themselves to be of greater influence and change than current party leadership.

The election of Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY 14th district), Ilhan Omar (D-MN 5th district) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI 13th district) have put Democratic leadership between a rock and a hard place.

Environmentalism, gun control, immigration and other social issues are forcing the Democratic Party to take a more definitive and left wing stance on issues that can no longer be paraded in the center.

AOC, as Ocasio-Cortez has come to be known, has been the source of much buzz lately, as she has garnered more than a million followers on both Instagram and Twitter. Most of her popularity stems from her progressive ideas which closely align themselves with presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed Democratic-Socialist.

One of AOC’s notable blunders was her handling of her proposed Medicare for all and her free college proposal. When asked how she would pay for these proposals, she

suggested a 70 percent income tax on those earning more than $10 million a year. An interesting solution, but politically she came off as ignorant and uninformed when presenting her idea to talk show host Trevor Noah.

Her solution also caught the attention of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, who — without mentioning her name — deemed her plan too radical and

quite vocal in their criticisms of Israel violating human rights and its growing expansion into the West Bank, contradicting their party’s pro-Israel leadership stance, further deepening inter-party conflict on foreign policy.

Omar recently drew attention for her statements on Twitter. In response to journalist Glenn Greenwald, Omar claimed that Americans’ defense of Israel was “all about the Benjamins, baby.” When asked who was funding politicians in support of Israel, Omar responded with “AIPAC!”— a reference to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Omar’s claims were quickly condemned by both Democrats and Republicans for playing into anti-Semitic tropes on Jews holding political power and influence.

While these three women are testing the waters for ideological change, their popularity stems from addressing and appealing to issues that primarily affect youth, such as crippling college debt, pollution, and low wages — issues that some argue the Republican party refuses to address.

The growing divide within the party may seem like a perINFOGRAPHIC BY GABRIELLA BACKUS fect opportunity for Republi“missing the point.” cans to attack the Democrats “socialTlaib has also embraced the ist” platform, but despite the many progressive positions of universal stumbles the new Democrats face, healthcare and free college. Tlaib progressives are popular. The largest goes as far as to critique Obamacare issue conservatives face is not socialas “drafted by insurance companies,” ism, but an inability to adapt to youth breaking away from what the previ- appeal. Not only will 2020 prove to ous administration viewed as one of be contentious within the Democratic its greatest achievements.

Party, but along the entire American Omar and Tlaib have also been political spectrum.

Final exams should be required, regardless of grade

By JASMIN PRASAD STAFF WRITER

Finals week is perhaps the most stressful time for high schoolers; many are plagued with stress and anxiety over an exam that has the potential to drastically change their grade in the class. However, the concept of secured grades — having an A or B in a class no matter what grade is earned on the final — has left students questioning whether or not students with secured grades should be required to take finals.

Although secured grades would not be affected by their respective finals, it is important to take note of what a final is actually a measure of.

More often than not, a final consists of cumulative lessons taught in a class throughout the semester

and thus adequately tests students on their knowledge for the course as a whole.

Albeit, there are some finals that differ from the standard format: they instead focus on the last

“

prehension of the course material, the understanding of general curriculum and the effectiveness of their lessons.

For students, the final is informative of their level of understanding in

Finals represent ideas and concepts that should be takeaways from the class. lessons or chapters taught in the class prior to taking the final. In both cases, the final is necessary both for the teacher and the student.

Accessing students’ grades on finals allow teachers to be informed of their students’ success rates with regards to com-

a specific class. Finals represent ideas and concepts that should be the takeaways from the class; without finals, there would be no weighing mechanism to determine whether or not a student actually learned the material.

Additionally, secured

A’s, B’s and letter grades in general aren’t exactly indicative of what a student has absorbed from a class — at least to the extent that a final is. Some teachers assign projects which often don’t require much knowledge on the taught material.

The same is true for extra credit opportunities, where the extra credit may not even relate to class curriculum.

In cases where homework comprises a large percentage of a grade, finals are even more necessary; more often than not, students copy homework merely for completion and not for understanding.

While the grade they receive on their final may not affect their grade, students with secured grades should nevertheless be required to take finals.

Four-day school week could improve discipline and save money

By MICHAEL THOMAS STAFF WRITER

A four-day week may sound like an unattainable dream for the average exhausted high school student, but some school districts have found that a four-day week is beneficial to staff, students and the district budget, meaning removing Monday from the work week is practical and maybe even necessary.

One of the most notable benefits to a four-day week is its positive effects on discipline. After transitioning to a four-day week, Chattanooga County School District (CCSD) in Tennessee reported a 73 percent decrease in referrals and significantly fewer distracted children in class.

There is great potential to combat absenteeism among both students and staff because, for both groups, Monday is by far the most commonly missed day — Bear Creek is no exception. According to attendance clerk Kathy Shelton, the school experiences the most absences on Mondays.

CCSD reported having higher student attendance rates and even fewer sick days taken by staff. Clear-

ly, the four-day week allows students and staff to get the proper rest they require over the weekend.

After a two-year transition period, Peach County School District in Georgia reported that test scores significantly improved and graduation

get. A district as large as Lodi Unified could potentially save millions.

A common argument against an alternative schedule is that it could take away from vacation days or summer, but there is a simple solution. By adding an hour and a half

rates increased each year among their high school students.

A four-day week works similar magic on a district’s budget, cutting the day-to-day school expenses by 20 percent. Removing Monday from the school week cuts the cost of transportation, food production, electricity and other daily expenses.

A district in Colorado with only 1,100 students reported saving over $200,000 from its $5.5 million bud-

to the remaining four days, the school could remove Monday without altering vacation days or summer.

Any issues that accompany a four-day school week are greatly surpassed by the plentiful beneficial effects on student and staff attendance, graduation rates, student discipline and cost savings. A district as problematic as Lodi Unified only has money to save and issues to solve by switching to a shorter week.

ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIELLA BACKUS