May 2019 Issue

feature

Rated R: senior

who makes living in

adult entertainment field profiled - page 4

entertainment Review: BC theatre

department’s showing of “Oliver” wins hearts

- page 6

voice

the bruin

Volume 28, Issue 5

sports

Baseball coach leaves for more prestigious league but team rallies behind new coach

- page 7

May 3, 2019

Officers vote to impeach ASB President

By LILLY LIM SPORTS EDITOR

After experiencing conflicts with the new adviser and new members, Bear Creek’s Associated Student Body (ASB) — which organizes the majority of school events — is ending the year with something historical: impeachment.

According to ASB’s Constitution, the president’s responsibilities consist of attending school meetings, organizing Bear Creek’s International Carnival and overseeing other members’ events.

Former ASB President Jafari Binder initially attended the board meetings.

However, since he did not drive, Binder’s parents were responsible for transporting him to each meeting.

In November, Binder’s parents told him that they would no longer transport him to the bimonthly board meetings, which led Binder to voluntarily resign.

“I felt like I wasn’t fulfilling the role of ASB

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY LILLY LIM

Friends forever?: (left to right) Student Government leaders Cade Campigli, Jafari Binder, Leilani Smith, Annabella Nguyen, Taylor Pittman, Emilio Gonzales, Amanda Paulino, Amanda Perez and Savannah Shadrick sit atop the bleachers in their rally spirit gear.

President because I wasn’t going to be able to go to any more board meetings,” Binder said.

Anderson and the rest of the ASB council members convinced Binder to stay in his position, arguing that it was the roles of ASB Ssecretary Annabella Nguyen, a junior, and ASB Vice President Taylor Pittman, a senior, to assist Binder when needed.

However, in early April, Binder was confronted by the other ASB members to resign from his position.

“That day [I was asked to resign], I was going to resign,” Binder said. “But then I had a talk with my friend and the principal, and it just made me realize how much I didn’t want to give [the position] up so easily.

I told Taylor, ‘I recant my

verbal resignation, and if you guys think it’s necessary, then go for it with the process of impeachment.’”

On Friday, April 12, Binder was formally impeached from the ASB President position. Since then, some students have questioned the reason behind impeachment at the very end of the year.

“The ASB President has nothing left to do ex-

cept graduation, so I don’t understand the point of impeaching me now when I gave them a chance for me to resign before my responsibilities actually started,” Binder said.

“We believed he was elected for a reason, so we wanted to give him a second chance to prove himself,” ASB Treasurer Amanda Paulino said.

“Now that the year is over,

we realized that he wasn’t able to fulfill our expectations. We didn’t think it was fair for him to be able to — as a singular student — be recognized as the ASB President when not everything was met to standard expectations.”

“He wasn’t serving as a figurehead,” Senior Class Assembly member Ryan Duff said. “He wasn’t serving as somebody who you could look to for direction.”

Many students have questioned how impeachment will affect graduation.

However, the Senior Class President, Senior Speaker and valedictorian are traditionally the three students who have speeches.

“There has not — until last year, as far as I know — been a speaking role for the ASB President,” Bear Creek Principal Hillary Harrell said. “That was something that we created last year because we felt it would suit the graduation.”

Binder remains in the sixth period Student Government class and helps out when needed.

Track coach pleads Personal hygiene dispensers guilty to sex crimes installed in girls restrooms

By JASMINE CASTILLO OPINION EDITOR

The difficulties girls encounter while menstruating have finally come to the attention of the Lodi Unified School District (LUSD) officials. This past month, all schools in LUSD — including elementary schools — have installed pad and tampon dispensers in female restrooms. For many girls, the new dispensers are a welcome sight when they find themselves unprepared.

According to Capital Public Radio, a law sponsored by Assembly-woman Cristina Garcia and passed in early 2018 in Los Angeles, now requires California public schools where 40 percent of students fall below the poverty line to provide free pads and tampons in female bathrooms. This law serves students in grades six through twelve (elementary through high school).

According to U.S. News Best High Schools, Bear Creek met this threshold, with 59 percent of its students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Although student reactions to the dispensers have been mainly positive, the constant vandalism in the restrooms leaves some students questioning how long it will be before the dispensers are damaged or destroyed.

“Whenever the girls see that there are pads or tampons available, they try to take all the products,” sophomore Makayla Silva said. “I think these dispensers are a good cause for people who actually need it; I just think that some of the students are wasting it.”

“Once in a while, I do

PHOTO BY LILLY LIM

Wasting products: tampons from a pad and tampon dispenser lay unused on the ground. see a tampon on the floor,” sophomore Leslie Lozano said. “There are some people who do need them and need access to them, but there are also people who take advantage of it.”

Some believe an alternative method should be in place, rather than just supplying products that could easily be misused.

“They should have come out with a better plan, such as giving someone a card which can be scanned with a certain limit of use a month,” Manlio Silva elementary school parent Jennifer Ramirez said.

Some parents question why children in elementary should be exposed to these products at such a young age. With the average age of menstruation occurring at the age of 12, meaning fifth or sixth grade for some girls —and some even younger at 10 — the products are necessary for elementary aged students.

“Every little girl matures differently, so just because she is in fifth grade she still may need them,” Ramirez said. “You want to make sure that all these products are accessible to students who need it.”

er age gap. He probably had the closest bond with his athletes.”

In fact, it is that very bond that might Bear Creek have led Dobbins to allegedly cross the line track and field with students. Bates said the coaches had jump coach Khari not heard of any incidents before the arrest, Dobbins, 26, but he regrets not noticing warning signs. pleaded guilty on “In retrospect, he was really close with April 22 to two his female athletes,” Bates said. “[Athletes] counts of sexual value that [bond], but when I think about it intercourse with a later, most of his athletes were female.” minor. According The background screening process DOBBINS to the official San for paid coaches includes a fingerprint Joaquin County District Attorney Face- clearance through the district office, conbook page, he will return to court June 3 firmation of a tuberculosis (TB) test and for his sentencing and is expected to re- First Aid and American Sport Education ceive a one year jail sentence, five years Program (ASEP) training. Despite conof formal probation and be forbidden to troversy surrounding Dobbin’s arrest, engage in coaching youth sports. there are no current plans to update the On March 10, the Stockton Police policy.

Department posted on its Facebook “The people in charge need to pay page that Dobbins was arrested for hav- closer attention to their staff and be more ing sexual relations with a 16-year-old involved and present,” an anonymous parBear Creek student. The sudden news ent of a Bear Creek track and field athlete left the community in a state of pain and said. “There is such a shortage of teachconfusion. ers and coaches these days, districts may The Bear Creek Athletic Foundation be quick to just put someone in a posiFacebook tion without page issued thorough rea statement view.” from Princi“Everypal Hillary one [could] Harrell saying see that many that a mental female stuhealth expert dents had a would be at crush on him Bear Creek and would on Friday, always hovMarch 15 for er around,” the track and track athlete field athletes.

Niya Gaines, Athletic a senior, said.

- head track and field coach Adam Bates “I felt that Director Jason Johnson he’d indulge said he is chiefly concerned with students’ in that and entertain that instead of holding recovery. out a stiff arm.”

“My primary concern is for the safety of Despite the controversy, track athlete our students, which is paramount to all else,” Shayan Zaman, a senior, remembers DobJohnson said. “Right now our focus should bins as a loving mentor. be on healing and [hoping] that those who…

“The track team looked up to him as bring justice to any victim would prevail.” an older brother, and he would treat evDobbins was employed by the Bear eryone like siblings,” Zaman said. “EvCreek Athletic Department for the 2018- eryone who did jumps looked forward 2019 school year as the sole track and field to working with him [and] was in shock jump coach prior to his arrest; he also vol- about the whole thing.” unteered as an unpaid coach in years prior.

Dobbins must now register as a sex Co-head track and field coach and offender for the rest of his life.

English Language (EL) Support teacher Dobbin’s old position has been filled Adam Bates said Dobbins was popular by Eloise Mallory. among athletes.

Co-head track and field coach Stan“[Dobbins was the] most well-liked ley Wells was contacted but declined to coach, [and] he ran our Twitter page,” comment for this article.

Bates said. “He just seemed to get along with the kids, maybe because of a smallEyan Atad contributed to this article.

By GABRIELLA BACKUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“

In retrospect, he was really close with his female athletes. [Athletes] value that bond, but when I think about it later, most of his athletes were female.

2

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 OPINION 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

“

Nutria 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

THE BRUIN VOICE

MAY 3, 2019

3

Weeklong diversity celebration ends with International Rally

By JACQUELINE GUILLENA STAFF WRITER

Bear Creek, known as the most diverse campus in the district, hosts an annual week-long celebration consisting of multiple spirit days, culminating in an International Rally where students showcase their culture through traditional dances and authentic attire.

“What makes Bear Creek’s International Rally so special is that so many cultures are able to participate and even if someone doesn’t necessarily come from that culture they can still participate and no one judges,” senior Ashley Ramirez said.

All schools in LUSD are ethnically and culturally diverse. However, the percentages of students from different ethnic races at Bear Creek is higher than other schools in the district: Bear Creek’s diversity score is 74 percent, and McNair is next at 66 percent. McNair High School opened in 2005, but just last year, it held its first International Rally.

“McNair has different culture clubs just like Bear Creek and we have an International Rally, but only during school hours,” senior Jeanneth Rubio, a student at McNair, said. “Our school doesn’t really hype up the rally having spirit days how Bear Creek does.”

According to students from other local schools, such as Edison High School in Stockton Unified, who also shares a diverse student population of 57 percent, their school doesn’t celebrate culture as

PHOTO BY LILLY LIM

Celebrating diversity: (left to right) BC Latinos club partners Wilbur Berrios and Karina Fardmanesh, Jasmine Asfour and Emilio Gonzales, and Christine Jaramillo and Junior Ramirez dance to Latin music during International Rally. intensely and proudly as Bear Creek and their clubs aren’t as well attended.

“Edison pretty much has the same rally and clubs as Bear Creek’s, but Bear Creek’s rally is bigger and more diverse,” senior Devin Jordan, a student at Edison, said.

When Bear Creek first began International Rally performances in 2008, a smaller number of clubs participated. Since then, club participation has increased every year with 18 clubs participating this year. This year, Bear Creek’s International Rally was so spirited that “Good Morning Sacramento,” a local news program, chose to feature the performance on its show.

“International Rally is when I get to

show off my culture as well as other cultures in this school,” senior Kyla Bautista, a member of Kababayan, Polynesian, K-Pop and JCKC club, said. “It is one of the events that I get most excited for because my club and the people who are in it learn more about the Filipino culture and the traditional dances.”

Every year, students representing different cultures at Bear Creek normally start practicing the second quarter of school, often once or twice a week, spend hours choreographing a performance that incorporates the rhythms and steps for the dance which allows Bear Creek’s International Rally to thrive.

“Culture flourishes at Bear Creek because our campus allows students to show the individuality of each club by teaching and performing,” senior Taylor Pittman said.

Students take International Rally very seriously, so much so that there are two night rallies for parents and the community to enjoy.

“It’s taken so seriously because the students have a platform to showcase their skills and express their culture through song and dance,” Pittman said. “They take what they do very seriously and work very hard on their performance and they can’t wait to perform.”

Other local schools don’t have the opportunity to have all the clubs that Bear Creek has to perform for a broad audience.

“Stagg has a few clubs like Fusion Christian Club, Black Student Union, Key Club, Hmong Club and SAT Prep Club and each of them does different activities on campus open for everyone to join,” senior Mariah Brown, a student at Stagg High School, said. “We don’t have an International Rally for the clubs to perform in.”

Most Bear Creek students understand how important it is for schools to portray the pride they feel in their school’s diversity.

“What I learn from watching and being a part of the rally is seeing how diverse Bear Creek is and seeing 15 plus clubs performing with a lot of people amazes me,” Ramirez said.

Jaylin Dunham contributed to this article.

Students choose to self-study for AP exams

By LEILANY PEREZ OPINION EDITOR

After taking the AP exam in the spring, some students say a little prayer of thanks to their teacher ― acknowledging that they wouldn’t have been prepared or passed the exam without the instruction and guidance of their teacher. Others aren’t so sure.

In fact, some choose to selfstudy for the AP exam and not even take the class, sure that they can study independently and pass.

Students may want to selfstudy for an AP exam for many reasons ― gaining more AP credits, lack of room in their schedule, or wishing to be more academically challenged.

Sophomore Denyce Nisihura, who is self-studying for the

AP Spanish exam, says that she decided to study for the exam without taking the class due to her future class schedules.

“I’m taking the exam because I don’t have much time in my schedule for junior and senior year to take classes I would want to take electives,” Nisihura said.

“I decided to take the AP Spanish test without taking the class so I won’t have to take it next year and it won’t take up space in my schedule.”

Self-study processes vary amongst students. Some students might create an outline for the main sections of the course and study for a certain period of time daily, while others may enlist a tutor to help them prepare for the exam.

“I first had talked to my Spanish teacher, Ms. Robledo, about if she thinks it’s a good

ILLUSTRATION BY ALISA AISTRUP

idea to take the test,” Nisihura said. “She talked to Señor Gil, the previous AP Spanish teacher, and I started off tutoring with him on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Now I study with both Señor Gil and Ms. Hackman.”

AP Spanish teacher Jennifer Hackman says the time commitment to independently tutor a student varies. ¨It depends on the student and how often they’re willing to come to tutoring,” AP Spanish teacher Hackman said. “For the teacher commitment it [ranges from] an hour or two a week. For the student commitment, it’s definitely much more than that.”

Some AP exams have a higher chance of passing through selfstudy than others. According to PrepScholar, the five best AP exams to self-study for are AP Environmental Science, AP Human Geography, AP Psychology, AP US Government and Politics and AP Comparative Government and Politics. If a student is fluent in a language, such as Spanish, then an AP language exam is also probably passable. According to PrepScholar, it is best to not selfstudy for the following exams: AP Calculus AB and BC, AP Chemistry and AP Physics. The College Board also offers homeschoolers the opportunities to take AP and other school exams as well.

Some students take the AP

exams of the classes they took the following year. Senior Kaleb Taylor, who is taking both the the AP Language and Composition test and the AP Literature and Composition test, decided to take the AP Language exam this year not only because he regretted not taking it last year, but to also get ahead in credits for the college he’s planning to attend.

“I didn’t take the AP English test last year because I didn’t think that I was going to pass it and I wasn’t going to spend $90 on something that I wasn’t going to pass,” Taylor said. “Then a bit later I was like ‘I think I could’ but it was too late.”

After applying to Brigham Young University (BYU) his senior year, Taylor discovered that the AP Language and Composition class offers main course credits if a student passes the exam while the current English class that he takes offers elective credits. Taylor decided to take both to get ahead in college.

To prepare for both English tests, Taylor is learning content in his current English class and hopes to remember the content of his previous English class.

“This class is already preparing me naturally because we’re doing essays and writing and taking practice AP tests,” Taylor said. “But for the past year one, I’m just going to kind of hope that I remember enough.

“

I wasn’t going to spend $90 on something I wasn’t going to pass... then a bit later, I was like ‘I think I could’ but it was too late.

-senior Kaleb Taylor

Taking an AP exam without taking its course may be difficult since it may add another stress factor to a student. However, if the student is confident about passing the exam, then their self-studying is worth the $90 test fee.

“I think they should definitely check with the AP teacher if they have any tips or tricks,” Hackman said. ¨Use all the resources they can find online, work through a test prep booklet and prepare themselves as much as possible. Don’t go into it blind but really know about the exam, the content and how it’s going to be tested.”

Promposal extravagance raises the stakes for prom-goers

By ALISA AISTRUP FEATURE EDITOR

It’s finally prom season.

For some students, that means planning an original, overthe-top way to prompose to their significant other.

With a rise in romanticized promposals, especially Instagram profiles dedicated solely to posting promposals throughout the span of the school year, pressure rises to do something more than hold a poster filled with mediocre puns. Compared to how many teens were asked to prom in the ’ 80s and ’90s, a large number of promposals today appear grandiose in comparison.

Many students find them-

“

selves scraping the bottom of the idea box for unique ways to prompose, but the bar appears to rise each year. Because the idea pool is oversaturated, it is common to see students taking what would otherwise be a small, intimate gesture between two individuals and turning it into a production worthy of Warner Bros.

Promposals, which used to be an awkward phone call or hallway conversation, have become a high stakes, elaborate ceremony.

“As promposals have become more elaborate and public, so too does the potential for increased humiliation and social pressure,” said Jarrod Chin, director of training and curriculum of Northeastern University Sport

[Asking people to prom has] become more of a competition on how big they can make the gesture instead of focusing on the individuals themselves.

-junior Lauren Oaks

in Society — a nationwide youth mentoring program that focuses on violence prevention and healthy relationships — in an interview with CNN. “As promposal clips go viral, more and more young people think that you need to create these elaborate schemes to ask someone to prom and the reality is that it should be just a fun event for young people to dance and celebrate.”

Although promposals oftentimes deemed as “cute,” they could be potentially embarrassing if the one being ‘prom’posed to doesn’t know what’s coming.

Being approached in the hallways with flowers, a poster, and food with dozens of peers holding cameras in her face to immortalize her shocked expression isn’t an uncommon event.

“It’s cute seeing people’s reactions to it and seeing the happiness in their eyes,” junior Maria Gonzalez said. “But other times, it’s like the girl is being jumped, but with love. I feel like social media and people online have influenced how many boys feel about promposals. The ‘oh my god, relationship goals’ posts have made guys think ‘wait, should I go out to the dollar store and buy a poster really quick?’”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMAYA ROYAL

She said yes!: Junior Dorian Gaines (right) promposes to junior Samaya Royal with 600 yellow roses on April 17, 10 days before prom.

Even furthering the stakes, it has become a “necessity” to capture the event and post it on social media. In the case that the boy is turned down, the video captures what could have been a good moment gone wrong. And, in some cases, girls will say yes in the moment and turn down the guy later in private to spare public embarrassment.

“When people feel the need to make a poster, it gets rid of the sentiment of [the proposal],” junior Lauren Oaks said. “It’s be-

come more of a competition on how big they can make the gesture instead of focusing on the individual themself.”

The social pressure for a girl to say “yes” has increased and many girls fear of being frowned upon by their peers or labeled as a bitch if they say “no” after all the effort and work the boy put into asking her. Boys, too, face the pressure of having to come up with something creative and unique — anything to get the girl to say yes.

4 LGBTQ sexual education falls short of meeting students’ needs

feature

MAY 3, 2019

‘Denying them that right is borderline neglectful’ — senior Ryan Duff

By GABRIELLA BACKUS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It’s no surprise to anyone that many students are highly uneducated about sexual health, as the sexual education curriculum in high schools have been broadly criticized; however, one might not expect LGBT students in particular to suffer from a drastic lack in sexual education.

LGBT students in California are relatively lucky; thanks to the passing of the 2015 California Healthy Youth Act — which requires school districts to provide students with sexual health education and at least once in high school and once in middle school — California is one of nine states that requires health education be inclusive of sexual orientation. Students in grades seven to 12 also receive HIV prevention education.

While it is true that California sexual education seems fairly expansive, the legislation allots jurisdiction to each locally-elected school board regarding which curriculum is provided to students and what instructional resources students receive — undoubtedly, a factor that may lead to teaching bias, as not every school board chooses the same material and may opt to minimize the importance of queer sex ed due to social pressures.

The California Healthy Youth Act was updated with the addition of the 2019 Health Education Curriculum Framework for California Public Schools, which emphasizes the importance of LGBT subjects in sex education and set to take effect in May 2019.

The framework states that its main goal in expanding information on LGBT topics is to “provide guidance to teachers in using inclusive classroom language to make all students feel comfortable at school” and to “help teachers provide safe and healthy learning environments free from bullying and harassment.”

The framework cites a 2015 GLSEN study, which claims students who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are twice as likely to be bullied and three times more likely to consider suicide compared to their heterosexual peers, as motivation to include inclusive information in the updated curriculum.

While it is important to include

information about LGBT identities and to make students feel inclusive, some queer students are concerned that they will still suffer under a lack of information about queer sex itself. For example, the curriculum does not often does not include information about unconventional sexual activities such as anal sex, which is more commonly performed by gay men and has an increased risk for sexual diseases such as HIV.

ing students desperate for often incorrect information found on the internet or answered by peers. Many parents in the study confirmed that they have little knowledge on queer sexual education and thus would be unable to assist an inquisitive youth.

While LGBT identities are often socially taboo and have only recently been introduced in sex education, gay and lesbian porn is all the rage.

Lesbian porn consistently ranks in the top four searches in Pornhub, according to studies conducted by Pornhub in 2017 and 2018; however, many argue lesbian porn is poor representation of how queer women have sex and the idea that young queer people get their primary sexual education from anatomically incorrect porn is worrying.

“Porn gets the lesbian experience wrong,” junior Ashlyn Lomeli, who identifies as bisexual, said. “It’s mostly focused on fulfilling straight men’s sexual desires rather than [the desires of] fellow lesbians. I had to learn how to have lesbian sex by making Google searches, and it left me confused because there was so much conflicting and inaccurate information, and most of the information was based off porn rather INFOGRAPHIC BY GABRIELLA BACKUS than real life sex.”

Senior Ryan Duff says that, Duff argues that misconcepbecause of the lack of queer sexual tions lead the mainstream to believe education he recieved in school, he that proper queer representation will turned elsewhere to learn about the influence a higher percentage of bees and the bees.

LGBT-identifying individuals and, “There’s no other resource than consequently, avoid the topic entireporn,” Duff said. “The information ly in hopes of keeping people from was there for the most part on how to healthy experimentation. practice safe sex, but queer sex was “[Representation] doesn’t make never confronted or addressed.” people gay; it just helps them to disResearch conducted by Planned cover that aspect of themselves,” Parenthood Federation of America Duff said. “Exposing them to that

“

[Lesbian porn] is mostly focused on fulfilling straight men’s sexual desires. I had to learn how to have lesbian sex by making Google searches.

- junior Ashlyn Lomeli (PPFA) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation found that LGBT youth often have few adults they can ask about queer sexual activities in lieu of sexual education at school, leav-

at a younger age aids the process of self discovery that youth is all about and can help avoid our youth loathing themselves. Denying them that information is borderline neglectful.”

Review

Profile

Risky business: starting a career in the adult entertainment industry NEWS EDITOR

Perspective

hub yet because members have to hit a certain view count before receiving compensation. However, she provides insight into how members are paid.

“You can choose how you get paid,” Fink said. “It usually goes by view count, or you can sell your videos if [users] want to download them. There is also a tip option on [member’s] profiles.

Pornhub sends money to your PayPal.” On April 10, Fink had her first audition at a strip club in San Francisco, another path in the adult entertainment career that she hopes to pursue.

“When I auditioned at a strip club, I made $80 in what felt like five or six minutes,” Fink said.

Although Fink makes a livable income through her adult entertainment career, as well as her second job as a dish washer, she admits the industry is not always glamorous; workers are constantly at risk of being taken advantage of due to their occupation.

“People assume that just because you’re in the industry, you would do sexual things with anyone, and that isn’t true,” Fink said. “Adult entertainment is a job just like any other job. There’s always that risk of getting kidnapped or possibly not even knowing what to do after your career is over and trying to find work after that.”

In fact, Fink says she has had people threaten her if she did not do something they wanted, such as send them provocative photographs.

Fink says that people often view pornography as a taboo topic that should be pushed under the rug, leading people to make assumptions about her and other adult entertainers.

“I’m a lovey-dovey, old school romantic, and people just assume things about me,” Fink said.

“They don’t really know me or take the time to know me. I’m extremely nice. I won’t even say anything if people cut in front of me in line.”

Fink also says that failure to openly talk about pornography — especially between parents and children — gives children and teens an unrealistic expectation of sex.

After the mass shooting at a gay bar in Orlando, Florida in 2016, outrage grew among LGBTQ advocates because gay and bisexual men who desperately wished to support the victims by donating blood received a 12-month deferral for being men who have sex with men (MSM) — known as “high risk” donors. However, recent protocol changes in other countries and improved HIV/AIDS testing methods have called into question the validity of such a lengthy deferral.

When the AIDS epidemic first began in the 1980s, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a lifetime ban of all MSM on a national list of non-donors.

This policy continued until it was replaced in 2015 with a yearlong deferral which, according to the FDA, assures that the virus will undoubtedly be detectable in a blood sample.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), gay and bisexual men are disproportionately affected

by HIV and AIDS, comprising 67 percent of infected individuals in the U.S. — yet there is significant evidence that the ban is based primarily on stereotypes, or even homophobia, and is not a necessity.

All blood donated through the Red Cross is tested for HIV, but according to the CDC and the Red Cross, there is a slim chance that the disease will be undetectable in the very early stage of infection, which lasts around a month after

“When kids watch porn, they think that’s how you have sex,” Fink said, referring to unrealistic and sometimes outlandish activities depicted in pornography. “That’s not how it works!”

Fink’s main goal is to start modeling, which has always been her dream. She plans to move to Los Angeles — where her agency is based — and eventually head to Florida, where her friends live. In the meantime, Fink stays busy while establishing her career.

“I travel to San Francisco a lot, and I don’t have to pay anything because someone pays for the expenses, which I’m grateful for,” Fink said. “I’ve been trying new things, going out of my comfort zone and meeting new people.”

By KATHI DUFFEL JOURNALISM ADVISER

STAFF WRITER

“Unplanned” a film based on Abby Johnson’s memoir by the same name, follows Johnson throughout her eight-year career at Planned Parenthood and the evolution toward her pro-life stance.

The controversial film defied many expectations in its portrayal of prochoice opposition, providing a moderate Christian approach to abortion.

The first 10 minutes of the film depict the abortion Johnson witnessed that made her doubt the morality of her job at Planned Parenthood. Johnson is called in to aid a doctor with a suction abortion; Johnson watches the fetus on the ultrasound machine during the procedure. The fetus is sucked out through the tubing, and at the end of the procedure Johnson rushes to the bathroom horrified, setting up the premise for the film.

Initially the opening scene comes off as too dramatic, not giving the audience enough time to develop a context to understand or cre-

ate a personal connection with the characters, but throughout the film it becomes apparent that the opening scene establishes the barbarity of the procedure. Any mention of abortion is hard to separate from the imagery depicted in the opening scene.

The film then goes back to the beginning of Johnson’s career and works its way through her years at Planned Parenthood. Throughout the film many of the pro-choice characters are fairly depicted and are not painted as villains — but as misguided people who want to help women with unplanned pregnancies. The women who receive abortions are never portrayed as baby murderers; instead, the film is forgiving attitude hands some degree of pity toward the women.

“Unplanned” even pokes at some of its own audience by depicting a Christian verbally harassing a woman as she enters an abortion clinic.

“Unplanned’s” strong messaging, however, is diminished by the supporting characters — Doug played by Brooks Ryan and Cheryl played by Robia Scott — whose

shortcomings are mostly due to their horribly cringy and unrealistic lines.

Ashley Bratcher’s portrayal of Johnson is consistent and her acting is outstanding for a film produced by the Christian film company Pure Flix; arguably Bratcher carries the film herself. All other actors are hit or miss, and there are a handful of scenes where the on-screen relationship between Doug and Johnson does not seem genuine.

The musical score — consisting of uplifting anthems and Christian rock — heavily attempts to drive the emotions of every scene — something many would expect from a Pure Flix film. Many of the songs are dull and instead of adding to the drama of the film, the music burdens scenes with it.

“Unplanned” is not spectacular and relies on its lead actor and messaging to support the mediocre script and stale supporting characters.

While many won’t be swayed in their beliefs, the film is worth watching as it brings a new perspective to the abortion argument, hopefully adding humanity to a divisive topic.

ART BY GABRIELLA BACKUS

being infected. However, the FDA still mandates that MSM abstain 12 times the month-long time period to avoid the risk of the virus being undetectable.

Other nations have implemented far less discriminatory systems that have proven to have little-to-no effect on the spread of HIV. In July of 2017, the UK reduced its year-long deferral to a three month ban on MSM; HIV rates from transfusions didn’t rise.

In 2001, while the U.S. still had a lifetime ban of MSM, Italy put an end to its ban by switching to a rigorous questionnaire about sexual history, the sexual history of people’s partners and an interview with a trained physician to confirm that participants weren’t engaging in “high risk behavior.” This survey applied to all people, regardless of gender or sexual orientation — again, HIV rates did not rise.

In the the U.S., outrage among the LGBTQ community has led many to lie in order to donate blood, believing those in HIV-free monogamous relationships or who have been recently tested have absolutely no reason to be denied donating blood.

Alongside Italy and England, other nations such as Mexico and Argentina are making strides towards a less discriminatory blood donation system while keeping their blood supply pure. However, the U.S.’s one-year deferral persists despite growing frustration.

“We can detect HIV within days of infection now, but people come up with these fantasy scenarios like, ‘What if somebody gets infected today and gives blood tomorrow?,’” LGBTQ Advocate Mark King said in an interveiw with NBC in 2017. “People hide their fear behind these scenarios that are unlikely, if not impossible.”

PHOTOS BY LILLY LIM

Bruin Voice adviser warns students: know your rights!

‘Unplanned’ defies expectations, adds perspective to abortion debate

By DYLAN EGUILUZ

By MICHAEL THOMAS STAFF WRITER

By BAILEY KIRKEBY

Throughout their high school years, students are often told to follow their dreams and pursue what they love. Despite encountering obstacles — such as a difficult freshman year and leaving her house — Caitlin Fink, an 18-year-old senior at Bear Creek who recently started a career in adult entertainment, is doing just that.

Fink had a rough start to high school, admitting that she had a low GPA and associated with students who were poor influences on her.

“I didn’t start high school the way I wanted to,” Fink said. “I didn’t take the right classes I needed to take to get in the university I wanted to, I hung around the wrong people, [my GPA was around] 2.6 or 2.8 and I wasn’t really trying that much.”

Unfortunately, Fink’s struggles did not end in her freshman year. On New Year’s Eve 2018, Fink left her house and is now living with her friend’s family and paying them approximately $300 a month for her food, utilities and rent.

“The only hard thing so far is making sure I have enough money,” Fink said. “Other than that, I’ve honestly been doing really good with myself.”

Fink’s career in the adult entertainment industry started when she began selling erotic photographs of herself on the instant messaging application Kik. She then expanded to selling photographs on Tinder and other applications used for communication.

“When I first started selling, it was just for money,” Fink said. “But then I liked the attention I got, [such as] being called beautiful. I enjoyed it because it made me feel good about myself.”

Fink says she generated a substantial amount of money doing this, once making $475 in three hours.

However, Fink also admits that she has made plenty of mistakes throughout her career that have helped her grow, such as dealing with scammers and not understanding how Paypal — an online money transfer service — works.

“I used to sell my content first before receiving any sort of payment, and when I asked for the payment, [buyers would] save my content and block me,” Fink said. “I’ve also had to put my name on pictures sometimes because people would try and sell them, claiming them as theirs.”

More recently, Fink became a verified member of Pornhub, a pornographic website in which members can post erotic videos for others to view. After becoming a member, she signed a contract with an agency so she is able to partake in professional pornographic scenes.

Fink says the industry has policies in place — such as mandatory two-week sexually-transmitted disease (STD) tests typically paid for by agencies — to prevent workers with STDs from performing in scenes while infected.

“I still have the scars on my arm [from getting blood tested],” Fink said. “[The phlebotomist] poked me four times in one arm, and she couldn’t get any blood out of it, so she poked my wrist for the blood.

Four [phlebotomists] tried to get blood from me, and they were like ‘I don’t know what’s wrong; it’s not working. I swear I had it!’”

Fink was scheduled to shoot her first professional pornography scene in March, but the scene was canceled at the last minute when the company that booked her saw her body acne. “[The company] has 4K camera quality that is crisp and clear, so they wanted me to get my body acne cleared before they shot a scene with me,” Fink said. “[My agent] told me the scenes I was going to be doing, too. I was so excited.”

Fink says she has not made money from Porn-

5 Gay, bisexual men question blood donation rules THE BRUIN VOICE

At around 2 p.m. on Thursday, April 11, I was just wrapping up my lesson with my students when Principal Hillary Harrell and Vice Principal Sera Baysinger entered my classroom. I could tell by the looks on their faces that something had happened. My first thought is always my family: did something happen to my husband? One of my daughters?

Then I noticed the envelope in Harrell’s hand. In her typical style, Harrell made jokes as Baysinger and I laughed the obligatory laugh. What’s in the envelope, I thought.

Harrell suggested we go outside. Baysinger stood guard over my class. As I opened the letter and read, the same old paralysis set in. I’ve felt it before – many times, in fact. But this time the Superintendent didn’t just stop at threats of discipline. It read: “Accordingly, should you fail to provide a copy of the article as directed, you may be subject to discipline, up to and including dismissal.”

I cried. Harrell cried. We laughed too. And then we cried some more.

And then I realized I was in the fight of my life: my entire 33-year career with the Lodi USD was in jeopardy. But I also knew one thing: I would never allow prior review of a story by an over-reaching Superintendent and School Board who are not only ignorant of their own Board policy, but ignorant of what the First Amendment really means.

The fact that you are reading the story about Caitlin in our newspaper today means we won.

What did we win? We won the right to free speech. It’s the most precious right we have in this country. The Bruin Voice fights hard every day so that your voice is never silenced, and the best way to show your appreciation is to educate yourself about the law, about Ed Code 48907, and about your First Amendment rights.

Armed with that knowledge, your voice shall never be silenced.

ILLUSTRATION BY GABRIELLA BACKUS

Vaccine to prevent HPV still widely underused

By GABRIELLA BACKUS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Surely, it may seem discriminatory to ask gay or bisexual men their sexual preference before donating blood, but people may be justified in their concern — men who have sex with men do have a statistically higher risk of developing certain diseases. This fear is due to a variety of factors, some of which include unprotected anal or oral sex, anal sex being 18 times more likely to spread human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than vaginal sex, unknowingly spreading a disease to a partners and a higher average of sexual partners than heterosexual men.

The human papillomavirus virus (HPV) is the most common STI in the U.S., effecting 79 million Americans, but most cases are benign. If left undetected and untreated, however, HPV can cause genital warts, or eventually penile cancer in men and vaginal cancer in women, as well as prostate cancer and oropharyngeal cancer in both men and

women — HPV is believed to cause 70 percent of oropharyngeal cancer. The disease is most easily spread through skin-to-skin anal, oral, or vaginal sex; condoms and dental dams are not entirely effective at preventing contact with infected areas.

Although the HPV vaccine is firstly recommended for minors, gay or bisexual men and those with medically weak immune systems are eligible to receive the vaccine up until 26 years of age. While either gender is susceptible to HPV-related illnesses, men who perform anal or oral sex are most likely to contract HPV and consequently anal and oral cancer. Sexually active gay or bisexual men are also suggested to get tested regularly for STDs as well as keep updated on vaccinations.

All information is from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

Michael Thomas contributed to this article.

6

MAY 3, 2019

THE BRUIN VOICE

Production of ‘Oliver!’ thrills audience SPORTS EDITOR

Cardi B must be held accountable for her past

In 2016, actor Johnny Depp was accused of allegedly abusing his former wife Amber Heard. Despite the lack of tangible evidence of this crime, mass media was quick to “cancel” Depp and side with Heard — even though Heard later dropped her charges and confessed under oath to committing a series of violent attacks on Depp herself.

From Depp’s story, as well as countless other examples of men who are wrongfully accused or have their stories of experiencing abuse pushed aside, it is clear that society has an unequal desire to punish and “cancel” men more often than women. This point is further showcased with Cardi B’s recently resurfaced three-year-old Instagram Live video in which she admits that she drugged and raped men while she worked as a stripper to get where she is today; and, oh boy, there are a lot of problems with this single 30-second video.

“

It is clear that society has an unequal desire to punish and ‘cancel’ men more often than women.

Most obviously, mass media is paying much less attention to this story than abuse and assault cases in which a man is the perpetrator. Unlike Heard’s evidence-deficient accusations against Depp, Cardi B admitted to assaulting men.

In fact, Cardi even used this crime to brag about how hard she worked to become a successful rapper. In defense of the resurfaced video, Cardi wrote on Twitter that she “talked about things [she] had to do in [her] past right or wrong that [she] felt [she] needed to do to make a living.”

However, there is a concerning absence of media backlash against Cardi. In an article by Candice Benbow for Essence Magazine titled “Accountability Can’t Start With Cardi B,” she writes that “Cardi… was wrong. But is she more wrong than the scores of Black male rappers and Hip-Hop artists who have made careers discussing their criminal pasts and its necessity for their survival?”

The answer is yes!

While other rappers that commit crimes to advance their careers are undoubtedly in the wrong as well, Cardi cannot be pardoned and escape consequences merely because others do the same things for the same reasons.

It is disgusting to boast one’s wrongdoings — especially those that harm other people, such as Cardi’s admitted druggings and rapes — and it is equally as disgusting that she is not facing any consequences for her abhorrent actions.

her poignant performance.

While most of the characters were serious, a couple of comical characters like Fagin helped provide levity to the story.

Fagin, performed by senior Amanda Paulino, was the leader of the pickpockets who guided Oliver to the world of pickpocketing. During a solo scene, Fagin personifies his collection of extravagant items like a ruby, tiara and

performances reflected the long days of rigor and energy spent into the production.

There was also one significant comment The Bear Creek Drama Department’s on society conveyed in a scene between Mr. opening night of its production of “Oliver!”

Brownlow, Mr. Bumble and Mrs. Bumble. started off with a boom on Friday, April 5 As Mr. and Mrs. Bumble try to reclaim Oliver with most of the theatre filled with family and from Mr. Brownlow after hearing of the boy’s friends of the cast members. The department inheritance, Mr. Bumble first tries to throw took on a steampunk interpretation of the his wife under the bus for selling Oliver for original story and incorporated aesthetic three pounds — to which Brownlow designs inspired by nineteenth-century comments that the wife’s actions fall industrial steam-powered machinery. under the husband’s responsibility Opening night would not have been such according to the law. Bumble resists a hit without the amazing performances getting forced out of the house while of sophomore Teagan Riberal, junior commenting that the law is an “ass.”

Beatrice Soledad and theatre director The subtle message sent from Bumble Cassie Champeau. and Brownlow reflected upon the Lionel Bart’s musical “Oliver!” nineteenth century unequal society. was based on the book “Oliver Twist” The only quibble this critic has is

by Charles Dickens. The story follows with the scenes where people in the an 11-year-old boy named Oliver who background exchanged dialogue while lives in an orphanage. After being sold the main characters performed. Some and then subsequently escaping his of the actors in the background walked buyers, he finds himself working with a around and formed their own side stories group of pickpockets. Mr. Brownlow, a without dialogue. While that plot point man that Oliver attempts to pickpocket, was entertaining, the upstaging became takes Oliver under his wing after the a little too distracting from the main PHOTOS BY ALISA AISTRUP boy falls ill. However, Oliver is soon plot, causing audience members to thrust back into the streets when he is Steampunk Spectacular: (Clockwise from left): miss what was said between the main kidnapped by the violent pickpocket Nancy (Alisa Aistrup), Fagin (Amanda Paulino) and characters.

Bill Sikes. Mr. Brownlow goes back his young pickpockets strike a pose at the end of Most of the characters were to look for him, dealing with the “Fine Life.” Nancy (Beatrice Soledad) sings her double cast, providing a new cast newfound realization that Oliver might solo “As Long As He Needs Me.” Mrs. Bedwin (Tifensemble at each showing. Regarding be his grandson; meanwhile, the leaders fani Ante) whispers to Mr. Brownlow (Kaleb Taylor) stage production, the programming of of the pickpockets fear that Oliver will while Mr. Bumble (Isaac Barney) and Mrs. Bumble lights was well executed by director report them to the police so they begin (Jasmine Shinn) wait by the door.

Cassie Champeau. With assistance hunting for him at the same time. After an necklace. When pulling out the items from from musical director Katherine Nash intense scene of chasing and a culmination of the box, some of the necklaces laced together, and choreographer Nicole Champeau, the death, Oliver ends up safe in the arms of his creating tangles of jewelry, but Paulino’s production’s performance was elevated to grandfather. ability to improvise left the audience another level of intricacy.

Between many scenes, a song performed chuckling.

Overall, the drama department’s by one lone actor empowered character For some students, “Oliver!” was their production of “Oliver!” did its job: it was development and furthered the plot. One of first production. Sophomore Isaac Barney, enjoyable and entertaining.

The next the most memorable songs was Nancy’s “It’s who performed as Mr. Bumble opening night, performance slated is the advanced theatre a Fine Life,” performed by junior Beatrice convinced the audience that “Oliver!” was show “Twelve Angry Jurors,” which will run Soledad on opening night. Soledad’s robust not his first show, expressing the highest level from May 2 to May 4. There will also be the voice filled the theatre with emotion during of professionalism. The students’ overall children’s theatre one acts from May 10-11.

By LILLY LIM

BAILEY KIRKEBY

entertainment

Meet the Marvelous Ms. — Captain — Marvel

By AMARA DEL PRATO ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

On March 8, the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) introduced a powerful superhero who plays an essential role in the highly anticipated “Avengers: Endgame.” However, only hours after “Captain Marvel” was released, a slew of Marvel fans rushed to express their dissatisfaction with the movie on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes — simply because it featured the MCU’s first ever female lead.

Many disgruntled fans were confused as to why Captain Marvel was female in the film; the name “Captain Marvel” is associated with the original Captain Marvel, who was male and introduced in 1967. However, the movie “Captain Marvel” is the origin for Marvel superhero Carol Danvers, an Air Force fighter pilot who became entangled in an alien war.

Originally, Danvers was named “Ms. Marvel” and was the female spin-off of the male Captain Marvel, (also known as Mar-Vell). In 2012, she took the name “Captain Marvel” to honor the late Mar-Vell, who died a few issues earlier.

Making Captain Marvel female in the film wasn’t just a lazy gender swap — it was Marvel’s way of ending their history of making female superheroes simply afterthoughts or sidekicks by focusing on a pre-existing female superhero rather than her male counterpart. “Captain Marvel” co-director Anna Boden says that it was important to not only make the lead female, but to also make her realistic.

“We are so excited to be telling this story about somebody who’s not just powerful, but also really complicated and really interesting

and really human,” Boden said in an interview with movie review website “Get Your Comic On.” “It’s not just a feminist movie, it’s also a humanist movie.”

Mere hours after the film was released in theaters, it received a 33 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and more reviews than Marvel’s other largely popular film “Avengers: Infinity War” received during the entire time it was in theaters. Later in the afternoon, Rotten Tomatoes experienced a glitch that made the number of reviews drop from 58,000 to 7,000; the site explained that the crash was caused by a large number of “audience members” submitting reviews for the movie prior to the film’s release. Due to the resulting turmoil, Rotten Tomatoes edited its policies and now does not allow any movie reviews on its forums before a movie’s release date.

Critical Marvel fans found other ways to criticize the movie before it came out: PHOTO FROM YOUTUBE USER VIRALCURRENT for example, some ridiculed Brie Larson (the actor playing Captain Marvel) for not smiling enough in the movie’s promotional posters — some even going as far as to Photoshop smiles onto her face. Larson responded by Photoshopping smiles onto the faces of male superheroes like Captain America, Iron Man and Doctor Strange to show how bizarre a smile made them look.

Nonetheless, Captain Marvel has thus far earned $760 million worldwide and the number is expected to rise. Despite criticism, many Marvel fans — especially female fans — recognized the subtle parallels drawn between the historical fight for women’s rights and the epic fight scenes sprinkled throughout the movie.

“I really enjoyed Captain Marvel,” sophomore Emma Mangrum said. “It was great to see such a strong female lead in a movie, but it was also just a good movie that was a lot of fun to watch.”

Boba Shops: Who’s ‘Bruin’ the best tea?

By DEVYN INONG FEATURE EDITOR

The popular drink chain Happy Lemon recently opened a new location on Pacific Avenue in Stockton. The theme of cafe itself has a very bright, upbeat vibe. Happy Lemon also has a cute mascot to represent its brand — a small cartoon character with a large lemon for a head. However, the only good drinks on the limited menu are the drinks under the Salted Cheese category. I ordered a Large Taro Milk Tea with Boba and Creamed Purple Yam. Not only did the employees give me an incorrect order — they forgot to put in any boba — but the drink itself tasted unblended and chunky. As Taro Milk Tea is usually smooth, I was not happy with the chunks of unblended taro sitting at the bottom of my drink.

Many Bear Creek students should be familiar with the Quickly boba chain, as Key Club often sells milk teas from Quickly during International Carnival. Quickly cafes usually display a largely varied menu of milk teas,

like, is priced steeply for a fairly unexciting invention. I mean, c’mon — it’s just a regular boba drink in a ziplock bag. The best (albeit useless) part is being able to turn your drink upside-down without spilling it. Tea Daze does not have food and their menu is limited, although the quality of their boba is topnotch, rivaling T4’s flavor and consistency.

Located right behind San Joaquin Delta College, T4 is a popular location among students from both Bear Creek and Middle College. T4 offers a range of teas and smoothies as well as food like popcorn chicken and french fries. T4’s drinks are priced somewhat higher than other locations, but the price is worth it due to the high-quality of ingredients and teas used in the beverages. I ordered a taro milk tea with boba and spring rolls, and was pleasantly surprised by the taro’s rich flavor— compared to Quickly’s taro milk tea, T4 reigns supreme — and the rolls’ perfect balance of crunch and filling. T4 is also very popular for its Basil Popcorn Chicken.

Whenever I go, I like to order either the Okinawa ILLUSTRATION BY DEVYN INONG Milk Tea or the Matcha Latte.

slushes, snows, juices, and coffees. Quickly stores also sell small snack options which can vary from location to location; however, a popular item is the popcorn chicken.

Quickly’s drinks themselves are good for the price range. While drinks are good, they are kept from being perfectly refined due to the large range of orders and large number of customers the store encounters in one day. I like to order fruit-flavored slushes because of their refreshing quality. I also stay away from classic-flavored teas because they usually use flavoring from a powder packet instead of using actual tea.

Tea Daze opened in Stockton in late 2018 beside the Weberstown Mall; teens flocked to the cafe to test out their new twist on boba drinks. Boba in a bag, which is exactly what it sounds

sports

THE BRUIN VOICE

JUMPSHOT

STAFF WRITER

‘One-anddone’ rule bad for all players

It’s funny how the things we want can sometimes turn out to be the things we never hoped for.

In 2006, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and its Players Association decided to cut back on the number of high school recruits entering the league. What would later be known as the “one-and-done rule,” the NBA decided to implement a policy that forced prospects to be least 19 years old before being draft eligible, ensuring that maximum number of draftees play at least one year of college basketball before going pro — hence the name the “oneand-done” rule.

At the time, the rule change was viewed as a huge win for the leagues that it involved.

The NBA would gain more refined and mature prospects, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) would be guaranteed high-caliber talent to showcase and profit from.

But for most fans — myself included — the one-and-done rule has taken the fun out of college basketball. What makes collegiate sports so entertaining and appealing is being able to watch a group of teens develop into young men and even better hoopers.

The one-and-done rule simply offsets that appeal by forcing top ranked, NBA-bound players to make a quick pit-stop at college before going pro, leaving coaches with unsure competitive futures and the NCAA with no long-term marketing strategy.

Before the rule, coaches built teams that maintained continuity for long stretches of time. Now, rosters alternate every year with talented upperclassmen becoming the dinosaurs of the NCAA. For the NBA, the one-donerule has backfired in almost every way. The young and bright prospects that have the means to carry the league into the future have to waste their talents and risk injury for one year before being eligible to go pro.

Joel Embiid is a prime example of this. While playing for the University of Kansas, Embiid sustained a foot injury that eventually sidelined him for the first two years of his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Even NBA commissioner Adam Silver favors the reform of draft eligibility standards. “ M y personal view is that we’re ready to make that change,” Silver said in an interview with reporters at the Las Vegas summer meetings.

What’s standing in the way of a basic reform to NBA rules isn’t the NBA league office: it’s the Players Association (NBAPA). The majority of the members in the Players Association are older and aren’t on lengthy contracts. These players know that if they vote in favor of revoking the one-and-done, their careers will be done, as the young prospects who enter the draft at 18 will most likely take their spots.

The Players Association is supposed to serve as representatives to the league’s players, both present and future. If the NBAPA truly cares about the league they serve, they would remove policies such as the one-and-done rule, which is detrimental to a faction of the group they are supposed to be representing.

7

Baseball varsity team regroups after losing head coach to TCAL league

By ERIC EVANS

JORDAN LATIMORE

MAY 3, 2019

Bear Creek varsity baseball is coming off an impressive year — last year they won their league and lost to the eventual section champions, Del Campo High School.

Heading into the offseason, the team had high expectations and a goal of becoming section champions. However, plans changed when news spread that head varsity coach Peter Pijl would be leaving Bear Creek to coach at Lincoln High School in order to play in T-CAL, a more competitive league than Bear Creek’s current league, the SJAA. “This definitely shocked our entire team and was hard to believe at first because this decision came out of nowhere,” varsity baseball player Gabe Kahler, a junior, said.

Pijl’s departure left the players with many questions regarding their upcoming season. About a month after Pijl left, Athletic Director Jason Johnson hired former St. Mary’s JV coach, Kevin Standart, to take over as the new varsity head coach.

Players say Standart has brought a

new culture to the baseball team, as evidenced by the team’s strong start this season.

Led by seniors Robert Blachly and Wilbur Berrios, Bear Creek is currently 17-2 with key wins over Tracy and Manteca high schools.

The Bruins are undefeated in league and have suffered two losses: one from Lodi High in a 9-8 game that went into extra innings, and a 6-3 loss to Manteca.

Blachly is currently batting over 400, averaging at least one hit a game, while junior Zolin Duron leads the team in extra base hits. On the defensive side, Berrios has been pitching well, topping out at 89 mph with opponents averaging under two runs per game on him. Senior pitcher Casey Williams leads the team in wins with five.

“We expect to win league every year, and our goal is to become the section champions this year,” varsity baseball player and first baseman Josh Manzo, a junior, said.

Bear Creek has four league champions total — three earned in the last three years — but has never won a section championship.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ERIC EVANS

Time out: New varsity head coach Kevin Standart resets the team’s mentality to strategize for the game during an inning.

“We’re all focused on winning the section title,” Berrios said. “My goal since playing on varsity has been to win sections, and I feel with the team and coaching we have right now, this is going to be our year.”

Bear Creek’s last regular season game is scheduled on May 8 at Enochs High School in Modesto. Section playoffs

will begin mid May, where Bear Creek hopes to seal the section championship.

“It’s been exciting watching this team compete every day, and I’m truly grateful for the opportunity I have to coach these young men,” Standart said.

“This team is more than just a group of baseball players — it’s a family.”

Four-sport athlete earns scholarship offers

By LILLY LIM SPORTS EDITOR

Senior Chester Amkhamavong has proven his athletic abilities throughout his high school career. In each year of high school, Amkhamavong has played at least three sports — sometimes double-sporting in a single season.

During his freshman year, Amkhamavong played football, soccer, swim and competitive soccer. Coming into the school year with high intensity, he found his rhythm to get things done. “[Success] all came down to time management,” Amkhamavong said.

“There’s basically no free time — just go, go, go.”

Amkhamavong considers sophomore year his most difficult. While transitioning to playing at the varsity level on the football and soccer teams, he also had to get used to the intensity of AP classes. However, Amkhamavong says he was able to adjust quickly to the rigor.

“Sophomore year, the classes got harder, but I got used to it so it was

PHOTO BY LILLY LIM

Chester Amkhamavong

easy like freshman year,” Amkhamavong said.

However, at the beginning of his junior year, Amkhamavong found the pressure of managing classes and sports untenable, and he wanted to quit all of his sports and give up. Thanks to his parents and friends, he remained motivated and strove to do even better, continuing to play the same sports his junior year.

“I was overwhelmed, but my parents and friends told me that you just keep going [and] it’s just a step in the road,” Amkhamavong said. “You are your only limit.”

Now in his senior year, Amkhamavong has played football, soccer and is closing the year on the track and tennis teams with a 4.0 weighted GPA. He dropped competitive soccer to focus on his passion for kicking in college football. Amkhamavong has been offered partial scholarships to California Polytechnic State University and California State University, Sacramento, to be a kicker on their football teams. Although undecided on his college choice, he hopes to major in biomedical engineering.

Wrestling coach goes to the mat for the final time

to travel as a family and have experiences together.”

Bachich not only coached his three children — Brice, McKenzie, and Jenna — but also led them to state tournament appearances.

“To coach my kids to state is something hard to describe,” Bacich said. “Words like ‘honor’ and ‘privilege’ are not enough, to be able to stand in the arena and watch your athlete prepare for the moment they have worked so hard for is awesome.”

Jenna Bacich — Bacich’s daughter — credits how significant a role her father has played in her wrestling career.

“I don’t think I’d be the wrestler I am if it wasn’t for my dad.” she said. “We wake up early to train, stay late to train. I get treated like everyone else. He just expects more out of me.”

Bacich notes the same reason that he felt lucky to have his job in the first place is the same reason he decided to leave — being there for his family and assisting the wrestlers of the next generation.

“I want to watch my two daughters compete in college [and] I think I’ve lost the ability to inspire and motivate the wrestlers how I used to; I don’t want to be that old coach that no one listens to,” Bacich said.

Despite the lack of competition, coaches still try to keep their athletes challenged.

“It is hard to get other schools at our level to play us during league because they have their own league games,” women’s water polo coach Mike Heberle said. “This is why our mid-season and end of season tournaments are vital.”

However, not all sports have the opportunity for outside competition.

“We have a lot of competitive players and we lost skill trying not to kill lower competition as much,” senior varsity soccer player Elizabeth Gonzales said. “Practices weren’t high level as well.”

By switching to a more competitive league, athletes argue they would have more competition to improve their skills. Teams may not dominate league-wise, but a new league would benefit athletes by exposing

them to stronger competition.

“We are appropriately placed (as a part of the SJAA) in sports like football, boys basketball, track and field, boys soccer, and some others,” Athletic Director Jason Johnson said.

“In other sports like girls basketball, baseball and aquatics one could make convincing arguments that it would better for both our students and the competitors for BC to be in another league. It is important, however, to note, that high school teams’ success comes in ebbs and flows and that just because we are king of the hill today, does not mean we will stay atop the mountain indefinitely.”

Not all athletes however, say a new league is needed.

“For men’s volleyball, we need at least another couple years, since we are a brand new program,” volleyball and basketball player Mark Metrovich, a junior, said.

By JORDAN LATIMORE STAFF WRITER

After 13 years, head wrestling coach Harold Bacich is rolling up the mat for the last time. Capturing seven boys and girls league championships, 15 CIF state qualifiers, and eight CIF state placements, it’s safe to say that Bacich has left a legacy.

Bacich was named SJAA Coach of the Year two times and an All-Star Dual Head Coach five times.

Bacich began coaching in 1997 where he served as an assistant at St. Mary’s High School. In 2005, Bacich left St. Mary’s to become an assistant coach at Bear Creek under Mike Sandler. Two season later, Sandler left Bear Creek, allowing Bacich to take on the reins as the next head coach.

Over his 13-year career, Bacich had the opportunity to involve all three of his children in the Bear Creek program — something he feels very fortunate to have done.

“I have been lucky to have had my kids in my team,” Bacich said. “We were able

PHOTO COURTESTY OF JENNA BACICH

A father’s pride: Harold Bacich gives daughter Jenna Bacich words of confidence before her match.

Sports teams struggle to find quality competitors in SJAA League — some teams hope to switch

By HEIDI WRIGHT and SYDNEY JASPER STAFF WRITERS

Currently all Bear Creek athletes compete in the SJAA league. For some teams, being in SJAA minimizes their competition.

Some athletes say having no competition hurts their skills and team as a whole by not getting enough competitive practice in games. Because of not having proper competition teams are left at a disadvantage when facing tougher teams.

“It makes me mad that I have no competition because I feel if there was I’d be more driven to do better,” track and field athlete Jacob Ha, a junior, said. “We go to invites [to compete] against schools not around here to practice our skills against real competition.”

8

MAY 3, 2019

voices

The voice shall not be silenced!

Once again, the Bruin Voice has proven its slogan “The Voice shall not be silenced!” to be true. In 2013, 2010, and, even back as far as 1992, the Lodi Unified School District attempted to censor various articles, and every time, the fearless Bruin Voice adviser, Kathi Duffel, alongside her old friend, the First Amendment, proved the District wrong. Duffel, backed by hundreds of adoring students and 33 years of teaching for the district, has never lost a battle with LUSD, and she isn’t going to end her winning streak any time soon.

For the April 2019 issue of the Bruin Voice, news editor Bailey Kirkeby pitched a unique story — she wanted to profile Caitlin Fink, an 18-year-old Bear Creek senior who had gained local infamy for starting a career in the adult entertainment industry. Kirkeby insisted the story was not merely sensational in nature: Fink, who had been a victim of bullying for some time due to her career choice, deserved a voice just like anyone else. To deny Fink an outlet to express her complex tale of grief, endurance, and joy would be borderline neglectful on the newspaper’s behalf.

After all, part of our job as newswriters is to find the hot topics students are clamoring about (be it joyous, saddening or petrifying) and report said news in an unbiased, impartial manner to better inform our audience: the students. By reporting on Fink, Kirkeby was doing just that — her job.

Judging by their response, the district didn’t think that. A staff member caught wind of the pitch and told Fink’s parents, from whom she is estranged, about the story — a violation of Caitlin’s privacy rights. She had no obligation to tell her parents about the story. Fink is 18, so her work is legally sound.

Washer contacted Duffel on April 11 and demanded that Duffel “refrain from publishing the article prior to the District’s review and approval” until she “provide[s] a copy of the article to me [Cathy Washer].” Should Duffel — a beloved, revered and devoted BCHS English and Journalism teacher for 28 years — refuse, Washer wrote that she “may be subject to discipline, up to and including dismissal.”

The District contended that the story did not follow Education Code section 48907, an Ed. Code provision that protects students’ free speech except in very specific cases, such as defamation or obscenity.

Duffel extended an olive branch to the district by agreeing to have a third party legal review of the article, with Duffel saying to Washer that “we will … agree to not publish the story until an independent attorney designated by the [Student Law Press Center] has previewed the article for your stated concerns.”

Have you noticed the problem with this situation? LUSD never read the article, so how could they know whether or not the story violated any part of Ed. Code 48907? That’s right – the District’s argument was based on mere speculation and assumption! They have no legal backing, a fact that was evident enough to the third party attorney who reviewed the article and issued his used final approval to the district on Tuesday.

Moreso, the story itself is not obscene. It is not morally indecent, and it does not seek to describe sexual activity in vivid, graphic detail, as the District (somehow) characterizes. Kirkeby aims only to highlight the trials, obstacles and risks Caitlyn has endured and her strength in overcoming each. The story discusses her career in the adult industry, but to say even the informational mention of the sex industry is obscene is a gross mischaracterization of the story’s well-meaning, inspirational core message, written to speak intimately to Bear Creek students who may find themselves in similar situations as Caitlin did.

Around this time, LUSD got desperate, wobbling around without a leg to stand on, and everyone involved knew. They resorted to backhand measures, attempting to coax Duffel to read a “confidential” letter sent to the district from Caitlin’s parents that, upon reading, would force Duffel into silence under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a law designed to protect a student’s information. Again, the sharing of this confidential letter raises privacy right violations on the district’s part. Unsurprisingly, Duffel didn’t take the bait. When all is said and done, the Bruin Voice will issue a FOIA request to see just how much money — your money — the district spent on attorney fees to fight this baseless claim.

Duffel was also approached by Bear Creek’s School Resource Officer and bombarded with questions about the story, which now included — falsely — sex trafficking and distributing porn to minors; when she asked the reason behind the inquiries, Officer Camarena admitted he was sent by his superior officer who wanted a copy of the article. We later learned that Lt. Augustine Telly had contacted Principal Harrell the week prior to inquire about the story. The District’s intimidation tactics appear to us as hopeless ploys to bully or trick Duffel into giving up the story — but the 2015 recipient of the James Madison Freedom of Information Award would never waver.

Student journalists, of course, enjoy writing about the hottest movies and the basketball team’s winning streak. There is, however, another side to our job: we act as the “watchdogs” of the district, bringing LUSD’s errs into the light to facilitate change or improvement, and this legal fray couldn’t be a better civics lesson or a more astute example of the District’s inability to understand the law and follow the Board’s own procedures.

So, to hold a mirror up to the District, Duffel sought out her contacts at local news stations. The news reporters came swarming to Bear Creek and our fight against censorship now has been broadcasted to thousands by accomplished news institutions such as The Washington Post, The Chronicle and The Sacramento Bee, and readers all across California and the nation have rallied in support of those under the impenetrable protection of the First Amendment.

The editors of The Bruin Voice implore you: stand with the students who merely sought to give a silenced student a voice and found themselves consequently silenced. Stand on the side of the Constitution, which gives us the legal right to tell Caitlin’s story. Stand with the loyal Bear Creek teacher with more intellect in her fingertips that any lackluster LUSD Board member. Stand with The Bruin Voice, because the Voice shall not be silenced!

THE BRUIN VOICE

opinion

Rude cellphone users: I’M TALKIN’ TO YOU! It happened again this weekend.

A darkened theater. The hush right before the curtain rises.

The growing anticipation of what’s to The

By JESSICA ANDERSON come.

GUEST WRITER blinking glow of Androids and iPhones like pock marks dotting the audience. My blood pressure rising…

Wait, what?

If there is one thing that makes me boil, it’s rude cell users. I’m not talking about dangerous cell users, i.e. drivers and pedestrians more interested in their electronic masters than the lives of others. We can all agree that putting others in danger because of a cell phone is no bueno and universally frowned upon.

I’m talking about the people who, regardless of where they are, think it’s all about them and routinely ruin other people’s peace and/or experiences as a result of their addiction to their phones.

No place is sacred or safe from the intrusion of an avid texter or loud phone talker. Restaurants, theaters, schools, weddings, funerals, graduations, parties, campgrounds, public parks, etc. are now potential battlegrounds as cell addicts take over public spaces with their rude behavior. I’m over it. I have been for a LONG time.

I’m not sure what the breaking point was for me. Maybe it was the time my extended family together spent $1600 dollars for eight

seats to a live production of Aladdin which was ruined by the latecomers next to us who proceeded to take pictures, illegally video the production, talk loudly and scroll Facebook throughout the first act. Or maybe it was the time, after spending $40 on movie tickets and concessions that three girls next to me and my daughter, in a darkened theater, took a selfie WITH FLASH while the movie was running.

Or the time I was in the hospital after a serious accident and the husband of the woman next to me was screaming into his phone at 11 p.m. to people in unknown places, way past visiting hours thus ensuring I could not rest.

Or maybe it has been the weddings, funerals, and graduations I’ve attended where getting a video of the activities was more important to the abuser than allowing other people to enjoy the experience. How about the time my view to my niece’s graduation was obscured by someone’s butt in the row in front of us while they reached over people in the rows ahead of them to get the “perfect” shot.

I won’t even go into some of the crazy conversations I’ve overheard from loud cell phone talkers in restaurants where I spent good money for a ruined experience. I have a request. How about a little cell-awareness, folks? How about realizing that it’s really not “all about you” when in public and that other people don’t want to be the victims of “cellfish” people?

How about putting down the electronic devices, enjoying experiences without the cameras and videos and really paying attention to the people you are with? You never know.

You might just enjoy it!

Club council members shouldn’t be subject to age

BY LILLY LIM SPORTS EDITOR

Each year, with the constantly expanding array of clubs, students are given more opportunities to become council members — leadership positions within the club, such as president or secretary. As senior council members leave, incoming seniors typically take over their roles. However, club council positions should not be restricted to upperclassmen and should be open to underclassmen as well.

To say that one or two years make a difference in the authority or respect you command from your peers is simply too individualistic to be true. The idea of subtle age gaps making a difference in maturity is immature in itself. The difference between a five-year-old child and a fifteen-year-old is vast, but the difference between a fifteen-year-old and a seventeen-year-old is often minimal. Many underclassmen may seem more mature than many upperclassmen.

Many students want club council positions to pad their college applications.

Even though seniors are closest to entering college, time should not factor into who can and cannot

become a club council member.

Underclassmen that run for positions often apply because they are passionate about the club or genuinely want to make a difference. On the other hand, upperclassmen — especially seniors — only want council positions for the title and may not contribute to the club due to senioritis or a job, leaning on remaining council members to manage club complications.

Having underclassmen in positions exposes them

“

loads. Taking a club council position as a junior or senior can be very difficult and strenuous because one must learn how to balance complications qand conflicts at a high speed while under intense scrutiny. However, if a freshman or sophomore were to become a council member, the student can learn in advance how to manage time and responsibilities.

Although clubs are taken seriously at Bear Creek, being involved is also about having fun and challenging oneself to come out of their personal bubble.

Being a club council member can be fun and challenging, such priceless opportunities should not be restricted to upperclassmen.

It is understandable why some students may want only upperclassmen to have council positions, but they do not provide enough sound reason to restrict council positions to them. Age differences between one and three years do not dictate maturity.

And, upperclassmen often look down upon underclassmen. All students should be encouraged to run for council positions, as it would diversify councils and provide different perspectives to each situation.

The idea of age making a difference in maturity is immature in itself. to the ins and outs of club management.

Typically, students with such positions will remain in council for the following years until graduation. Therefore, if a sophomore or even a junior held a position, he or she could ensure to run the club smoothly for the next school year from having at least one year of experience rather than jumping into a position blindly.

As time passes in high school, students have more opportunities to expand their academic rigor and work-

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.......................Alisa Aistrup Devyn Inong Online Editor-in-Chief............Alisa Aistrup Sports Editor...........................Lilly Lim

Opinion Editors...............Leilany Perez Jasmine Castillo Artistic Editor...................Alisa Aistrup Photography Editor...........Lilly Lim Infographics Editor...........Devyn Inong Entertainment Editor........Amara Del Prato 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.