March 9, 2020 Issue

The Grizzly Growler

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Thegrizzlygrowler.org March 9, 2020

volume 11 issue 3

Photo illustration by Laura Solsona A student looks at possible Spring Valley trip options, which are currently suspended due to the worldwide Coronavirus outbreak. On March 5, the district cancelled all out-of-state trips indefinitely.

Amid fears of COVID-19, CCSD reacts District cancels all out-of-state, international school trips until further notice

COVID-19 updates:

Laura Solsona News Editor With the spread of COVID-19 into Southern Nevada, the Clark County School District is taking new measures to protect students and faculty. All CCSD out-of-state and international trips were canceled indefinitely on March 5, and all schools underwent a “deep cleaning” on Monday, March 9, an already scheduled day off for students. Spring Valley High School, in line with the district, is encouraging students to stay home if they are sick and to regularly wash their hands.

Many scheduled school trips, including Grad Night, a student’s summer trip to Italy and Greece, and a faculty conference in Chicago have all been canceled by the district, leaving students disappointed and teachers scrambling for refunds.

The district sent an email to all parents and guardians of CCSD students on March 5, explaining the decision to cancel all trips: “Safety is our number one priority. Due to the recent developments on the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution, the Clark County School District is canceling all out-of-state and international student travel effective immediately and until further notice.

District leadership will work with individual schools to determine potential options for rescheduling.”

For continuous coverage on the Coronavirus and how it’s impacting Spring Valley High School, follow us on: Twitter: @SVGrizzlyGrowlr IG: @The_Grizzly_Growler www.thegrizzlygrowler.org

Staff Spring Valley custodian Brandon Scherrer wipes down tables with antibacterial cleaner during the district’s deep cleaning on Monday March 9. The day was already scheduled as a day off for students and staff.

Despite the growing epidemic, students and their families have expressed mixed feelings about the cancelation.

“I’m disappointed because I haven’t been to Disneyland since eighth grade, but I guess that’s the selfish way of thinking about it,” senior Nicole Rojas said. “Many people in my family have autoimmune diseases and wouldn’t be able to fight the virus, so I should be glad for any

precautions taken since it could potentially save their life.”

Her grandmother, Marie Roccia, however, said she thinks the district’s decision is a smart one.

“I would have been scared to death if my granddaughter went to California at this point,” Roccia said. “It’s really scary, the

See COVID -19 Page 5

For tips on how to stay healthy amid the Coronavirus scare visit, Page 5.

For the staff’s opinion on how not to act, visit Page 7.

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NEWS

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

MARCH 9, 2020

Teens reflect on parental influences Hana Helfand Co-Editor-in-Chief Rachel Lester claims that she became mean as a defense mechanism. She credits her upbringing for her detachment from others and says that she has never been interested in relationships with other people –– not because she doesn’t trust them, but because she doesn’t know if their kindness is real or a facade. The junior claims she is familiar with facades, as her family has been living behind one for her whole life.

Lester’s father is a pastor at an Apostilic church, and her mother works for an organization that helps women, infants and children. Religion plays a large role in her parents’ rulings; she’s not allowed to wear pants, makeup or nail polish, and she can’t leave her house without one of her younger brothers escorting her, the junior said.

Lester is one of many teenagers whose homelives dictate more than where they’ll be sleeping each night. For some, this distinction can make or break their formative years.

“I’ve kind of wasted this first 16 years of my life … because of everything that has happened,” Lester said. “I kind of look back to when I was younger, and I don’t feel like I had a childhood.”

Lester didn’t question her parents much as a child, but she said that the realization of her situation made her separate from them. She has confided in her parents in the past, but she said that they punish her more whenever she tries.

According to Lester, when people find out about her home situation, they’re either “overly sympathetic,” or they brush it off.

When she finds out about others’ situations, she typically has a similar reaction.

“When I’m not with [my parents], I try to keep that part of my life completely separate,” Lester said. “I feel that if I do see people acting [in] ways that I have been because of those situations, I kind of ignore it. ... I know that I wouldn’t want somebody to confront me about it, and ...

I don’t want to put myself in a situation where I’m going to be involved in another ... relationship like that.”

However, Lester is adamant about acknowledging struggles felt at home.

Though she noticed her unrest as a child, she denied the possibility that her family life wasn’t “normal.” She said that negative home lives can be more impactful for teenagers, who now understand the repercussions of their parents’ actions.

“I wish [my parents] could hear that you can’t control people,” Lester said. “You have to let them be who they are. You can’t … disable them or prevent them from being who they want to be because of your own history or your own biases.”

To senior Zoe McCracken, her anxieties about parental approval were evident at a young age. She grew up with her grandparents and mom, only meeting her dad and his then-girlfriend when she was three. She spoke with numerous counselors and therapists to help her sort through her stressors.

“I had a lot of anxiety, especially like a lot to do with ... my relationship with my dad and my stepmom and … understanding how they were involved in my life,” McCracken said. “From a young age, I wanted my parents to be proud of me. I think it fostered a lot of anxiety, if I did something wrong, or I felt that [my dad] wasn’t going to be proud of me.”

For McCracken, her family’s issues weren’t always apparent to her. In her

Cody Johnson

sophomore year, she called her stepmother to ask for an explanation about her childhood. According to McCracken, the conversation brought them closer, giving her a support system to rely on when her father was unable.

“I talk to my dad, yes, but I don’t go to him for things,” McCracken said. “I’ll go have dinner with him, but it’s not –– I don’t look at him as the one who raised me.”

McCracken connects everything to the act of choice. Though she’s reached an understanding with her parents and come to appreciate their presence in her life, she’s aware that their choices have impacted her, and she urges teenagers going through similar situations to make critical choices too.

“I think family has a huge effect on the direction you choose to take your life,” McCracken said. “As a young child, negative home experiences can impact the way that you see yourself and the way that you see other people … but I think it’s important to … begin to make your own choices … or [choose] to learn from those experiences. … Everything is temporary.”

McCracken said that it’s easier to talk to her parents now that she’s closer to

adulthood, and she’s grateful for the teachers and authority figures who’ve helped her along the way. Though she said her father would be in denial if he heard the way she feels, she explained that they’re all doing their best.

However, despite some parents’ efforts to make amends, others have trouble overcoming a cultural barrier.

“With my parents, I didn’t really have a successful upbringing,” freshman Andy Hang said. “I guess I sort of raised myself in a way. My parents were somewhat supportive, but at the same time, it was more me than them.”

Hang’s parents were raised in Vietnam.

His grandparents were often away at work, and according to Hang, they knew how to take care of the household pets more than their children. When they came to America, the culture still lingered.

“I do wish my parents could know the struggles of life here in America,” Hang said.

“They just go to work and come home; they don’t understand the struggle of having to make relationships, having to go through school, having social issues, just issues in general [that are different from Vietnam].”

Culture is one of the main reasons behind miscommunication between parents and children, according to Janene French, Spring Valley’s social worker. She said that some parents aren’t as willing to discuss home issues with their children.

“That’s where we struggle with the kids,” French said. “We’re trying to explain to the parents [that] they’re crying out for help, and it happens way more often than you think.”

According to French, talking to someone is the best way to deal with problems because nothing is solved “on the inside.”

For Hang, who doesn’t mind talking to people about his home life, positivity is key.

“Just be hopeful and optimistic,” Hang said. “You know, I suffer, and I think I still somewhat suffer, but I’m more self-aware that I know something good is coming.”

As for Lester, who said she’s become more independent and accepting of herself, reflection is also beneficial.

“When I see my parents, I’m like, ‘I’ll never be like them,’ so it makes me want to be educated, to succeed in life, to do good things and help people,” Lester said. “I hope I end up okay.”

MARCH 9, 2020

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

NEWS

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Peers lead anti-vaping campaign Sage Koebcke Assistant News Editor Spring Valley administration and peer mediators have teamed up to create a plan to help teens give up vaping.

The current Spring Valley rules and regulations on smoking all encompass vaping as well, with its popularity in mind “What we are seeing more of is THC vapes, and so the policy is anybody caught vaping or with any type of vaping apprentice at all, including just a battery if it’s THC ,that’s a ten-day suspension and referral to substance abuse programs … also a required parent conference,” assistant principal Dr. Benjamin Feinstein said. “If it is a tobacco vape, then it depends on the offense. … The first time is [a] required parent conference and confiscation, and the second time is a suspension.”

Those who are caught a second time will face five days of suspension and five days of STARon. Along with the well-known effects of smoking, vaping comes with various other health concerns.

“They found that all vapes –– not just THC, but tobacco vapes too –– contain several harmful chemicals, one of which is formaldehyde,” Feinstein said. “That’s basically embalming fluid they put in dead bodies, and what that does is goes around and destroys active chemicals in the body.”

Junior Gabriel Beach is also aware of some of these negative effects.

“People love the head-high from nicotine for some reason,” Beach said. “I necessarily didn’t like the head-high. I kind of hated it

Scott Farance Twenty-seven cases of students with controlled substances have been recorded since the start of the school year. Michael Oliver collects confiscated vape pens in his desk, as shown above.

because it gave me a headache.”

Beach is aware of most of the policies within Spring Valley, but he believes that these policies are ineffective, and nothing will be able to fix them.

The peer mediation group hopes to spread awareness through an anti-vaping campaign to allow these policies to be more effective on campus. At the group’s last meeting, they talked about the logistics of

this campaign.

The main thing that the peer mediation group would like to focus on is treating the addiction rather than punishing it.

“We want to create an area in the dean’s office where students can drop off their vaping device without having fear of punishment; it’s an addiction, and maybe, if they are not strong enough to get rid of it themselves having the support of giving

it here will bring more kids forward to get help,” senior Angelina Estrada said.

The peer mediators acknowledge that vaping is an addiction that can not be diminished by simple punishment.

“Peer mediation is open ... and accepting requests for those who are dealing with conflicts and need some help in developing a solution,” Estrada said. “We want to create a better Spring Valley.”

New CTE-driven IB program available to freshmen Isabel Hillers Co-Editor-in-Chief Current freshman are now able to join the International Baccalaureate Career Program when they become juniors, a new option for IB students. The program is meant to focus more on career-specific learning, and it combines a three-year CTE course with three IB core classes.

The requirements for completing the program include passing at least two IB core classes and the “Personal and Professional Skills” CP class. A reflective project and service learning are also part of the program, making it similar to the diploma program. As per IB standards, students must also take a language class of their choosing.

“The career program is designed to offer an IB education –– all the rigor, the International mindedness aspect of it, the service aspect of the IB –– to combine all of that with a career and technical education strand,” IB coordinator Anthony Gebbia said.

According to ibo.org, the official site for IB, CP is “A framework of international education that incorporates the values of the IB into a unique programme addressing the needs of students engaged in career-related education.”

The fields of study offered will include all CTE programs, including theatre tech, automotive engineering, video productions, teaching and training, computer science, business management, photography and ROTC. The goal of the CP is to get students

on a “pathway to employment” that will push them further into their careers as adults, according to Gebbia. Initial reactions from students are that this course will be easier than the DP, which is rooted more in college readiness.

“It’s funny because it looks like an easier path than the DP, but it actually has more

requirements,” Gebbia said. “There’s just not as many exams.”

Personal and Professional Skills is a class exclusive to the CP, which seeks to show students how to develop skills that will help them succeed in pursuing higher education, a job and a role in society. This class will also feature the “Reflective Project,” where

students write an essay about an issue concerning ethics in a field they choose to study. It is similar to the DP Extended Essay.

“So what we’re trying to do is create another pathway for students who choose to come here, whether they’re zoned or not, as part of our IB magnet program,” principal Tam Larnerd said. “But what we found is that not every student is ready or wants to matriculate from the middle years program to the diploma program because of the rigor and the time commitment. And so we’re trying to create this other pathway where they can still [focus on their career choice and be in IB].”

Service learning, another requirement of the CP, urges students to find a community-wide issue and use what they have learned in class to work toward a solution.

One concern for some MYP students about the DP is having almost all of their classes chosen for them. CP may also remedy this issue.

“I like how I get to keep doing my electives and still get to do some IB classes and get college credit for it,” MYP sophomore Rosibel Baez said.

While the DP and CP may be the same level of difficulty in terms of requirement, a student who maintains a busy schedule may benefit from the CP’s flexibility, Gebbia said.

“It’ll help the student who’s like, ‘man I love orchestra, and I’ve been in it since I was little,and I love video production. I don’t want to give up either,’” Gebbia said.

The CP will be introduced to current freshmen in May of 2020, with the program set to begin in the 2021-2022 school year.

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THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

NEWS

march 9, 2020

Born out of love, students become caregivers Isabel Hillers Co-Editor-in-Chief The responsibility of caring for loved ones is not lost on many students.

For emerging adults, it may be more common to have to watch over sick family members. But what happens when that family member is not sick, but living with a condition impacting their lives every day? Understanding that experience requires a glimpse into the lives of the high schoolers whose care is constant, and the compassion they display on a daily basis.

Junior Pamela Alba cares for her younger brother, Isaiah, who was diagnosed with autism when they were both young. For most of her life, Pam has helped her mother and family look after him. “[Isaiah] does have a hard time with communicating, so he does this thing called scripting a lot, where he takes lines from these TV shows, and he will recite those in order to communicate his emotions,” Pam said. “So if he feels a certain way, and he sees that a character in a movie or a show is expressing what he’s feeling … he’ll say what [they said] to us, as a way to kind of communicate that.”

One of Isaiah’s most commonly used phrases is, “you’re grounded for 5,679,525 years!” which he got from a cartoon; he uses it to express anger.

Pam’s family said they noticed that her brother was not developing speech patterns at a normal pace after they compared him to their younger sister, who was talking before Isaiah was.

Scripting has helped him open up more to his family.

Isaiah’s autism has given Pam responsibilities at home, all of which are done out of love for her little brother.

Her family is often concerned for Isaiah’s physical safety.

“We’re close,” Pam said. “I’m very protective of [Isaiah], especially because of his disability. … He went to a middle school and was physically harmed by a teacher. He came home with scratches and handprints on him. … This had been a thing that ... had been going on progressively. Like, they didn’t know how to treat him or how to approach his struggles or his needs.”

But Pam is not alone when it comes to looking after a family member with a disability.

Many students, especially in high school, have developed roles as caretakers, something that often impacts every part of their lives.

Isabel Hillers

Senior Carsen Schaff often finds himself taking care of his younger brother, Kyler, and younger sister Gwen.

Kyler, a 16-year-old junior at Spring Valley, was diagnosed with autism when he was 11. Gwen, an 18-year-old senior at Spring Valley, was born with cerebral palsy; the condition has left her unable to walk since birth.

“Autism is where you lack … connection … emotionally and how you’re supposed to act,” Carsen said. “It’s something they can’t help. … [Gwen] doesn’t have the muscles necessary to actually move her legs. Her tendons are tightened, and so they can’t fully extend how a … normal person’s legs would.”

Carsen has been taking care of his siblings since he was young, and he said that he was often put in uncomfortable situations because of it.

“In middle school and elementary school, there’s the special needs bus, that people with special needs end up riding to school,” Carsen said. “Throughout all of elementary school and middle school, I had to ride that bus with both my brother and sister in order to make sure they got to school safely. So that affected me because, when people

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thought I was special needs … people would usually call me names.”

Pamela’s brother followed her onto the school bus, where students constantly argued with her.

“He started to ride the bus with me, and students would make fun of him, and [it was] not very fun for me because I would get very angry,” Pam said.

“There were times where my brother would not have a very good day, and he would come on the bus crying or not wanting to sit down.”

Junior Shane Breton also serves as a caretaker in his home. His brother was diagnosed with spina bifida, his mother with bipolar depression and his grandmother with mental retardation.

According to Shane, he and three other family members look after the others.

“My brother has Spina Bifida,” Shane said. “Specifically, that means that … when he was born, his back was open.

So the spine was kind of just hanging out. … When your spine is open like that [the brain] doesn’t develop quite properly, which means that he doesn’t have feeling from … basically his middle thigh down.”

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guesswork with Shane’s mother, who he says is sometimes difficult to reason with.

“One day, you know, in even one minute, she can be very happy, and the next one, I have to try to play a game of ‘what mood are you in,’ and then try to figure out my mother because her mood changes quite frequently,” Breton said. “Day by day, I basically have to play by ear … so I know what person I’m dealing with because it also affects her personality.”

Shane’s grandmother’s mental retardation requires the most amount of patience, according to him. His belief is that she has the mental capacity of someone about 10 years old, which has grown more evident as she’s grown older in age.

“Some nights I literally just can’t do homework because I’m taking care of people,” Shane said. “But in a way … it isn’t an inconvenience because it’s my family, and so I love them.”

Shane’s mother has also attempted to take her life, something that he and his family make sure to watch for to

See Caregivers Page 5 Pro/Con Editor

Eden Andom

Head Cartoonist

Jocelynn Estrada Español Editor

Laura Solsona Copy Editor

Jessica Bui

Photo Editor

Emilia Mason Advisor

Ms. Tara Verderosa

march 9, 2020

CAREGIVERS continued from page 4

prevent.

“That comes with a lot of distrust because, right before she did it, she was like ‘I love you,’ … but we don’t just say ‘I love you’ randomly,” Shane said. “How do you say that and then go and do one of the most … selfish acts you can do?”

Financial concerns are at the forefront of the students whose family members require hospital care or equipment.

“Wheelchairs are not the cheapest things, and I know my parents worry about that,” Carsen said. “There’s one year that her wheelchair just stopped working. We had to replace the battery,

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER and that was expensive … so, my parents and I worry about that.”

Shane shares the same financial concern for his brother’s wheelchair, but he also has the commitment of caring directly for his brother and grandmother.

“A lot of my responsibilities are ‘go get somebody water’ because they can’t make the walk … or lift my brother on the couch ... or change his diaper … because he literally can’t feel, you know, the control down there,” Shane said.

These responsibilities come from love, but they often rely on cooperation from the entire household. They may also increase depending on the severity of the situation and the number of family members who have a disability.

“A lot of people get frustrated … and

COVID-19

continued from page 1

Coronavirus, and I really think we need to get a handle on it before we take any trips. So I’m glad that we’ve decided to do this, and hopefully the kids can go to Disneyland another time.”

Europe trip organizer Tara Verderosa said that, although she is disappointed with the cancelations, she agrees with the district’s decision.

“Student safety is, and always should be, our number one priority,” Verderosa said.

“While I know we are all disappointed that our trip is being moved, we will never put students in a situation where their health or safety is compromised.”

The 10-day Europe trip, which included 40 students and was originally scheduled for June of 2020, has been moved to the summer of 2021, according to Verderosa.

Italy and Greece have announced more than 4,500 collective infections since December.

Even though most students agree that the situation is severe, there is still a predominant feeling of disappointment with the trips canceled.

“It’s really upsetting that COVID-19 caused our graduation trip to be canceled,” senior Jayden Pene said. “A lot of us were looking forward [to] traveling with our friends, but instead we have to wash our hands even more. If anything, I’m glad that they are doing whatever means necessary to contain the spread of this virus.”

COVID-19, which has been spreading since December of 2019, has reached 104 countries,and has infected close to 110,000 people as of today. Although almost 61,000 have recovered worldwide, nearly 4,000 deaths have been reported.

In the United States, the death toll has reached 22, with more than 550 cases reported.

“I appreciate the [district’s] precautions,” senior Justice Thompson said. “However, even 20 minutes of research would give a pretty accurate look into how little the effect of the coronavirus is having on the mass populations in the US (2% death rate worldwide, and primarily individuals with weak immune systems).The school district [should] definitely rethink their decision of canceling a trip students have spent months paying and getting excited for. Just overall seems like a dramatic take on a scientifically proven small situation.”

The feeling is also shared with some teachers who feel the district’s response was rushed.

“I think that the district jumped the gun,” Spanish teacher Amy Murray said. “I think that we should have waited a little bit more to see if, in the next month or so,

Emilia Mason In addition to administrators, many students are encouraging others to take precautions when it comes to staying sanitized and healthy. This

we can get this under control. Although I don’t lose sleep over this at night, my biggest fear is this kind of behavior.

Canceling these things is going to have a very bad impact on our economy. The travel industry will go down first, with that the city of Las Vegas, jobs will be lost and it will just start spinning from there.”

Even so, precautions for a possible outbreak in the county are important.

According to a flyer sent out by CCSD, symptoms of the virus include “fever, coughing, difficulty breathing and severe illness.” Symptoms can start appearing from two to 14 days after being exposed to the virus.

According to assistant principal Dr. Benjamin Feinstein, Spring Valley’s plan regarding COVID-19 prevention is to follow district protocol. Spring Valley High School participated in the March 9 deep cleaning in an effort to prevent the spread of germs.

CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara sent out an email to all parents and CCSD staff March 7 with an explanation.

“At this time, there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus within CCSD,” Jara said. “However, we are taking additional precautions to ensure our schools are clean and disinfected regularly in order for our buildings to remain conducive to learning.”

On March 5, the Southern Nevada Health District announced the first presumptive case of COVID-19 in Nevada, a male in his 50s from Clark County who is being hospitalized. A similar case was reported that evening in Reno, both allegedly caused by travels outside of the United States. Nevada now has two confirmed cases, and two more “presumptive positive” cases, pending confirmation by the CDC. According to the Centers for Disease Control, people can prevent catching the virus by washing hands with soap and hot water, avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth, and avoiding contact with others who are sick. More information on the COVID-19 can be found in the SNHD’s website, www.snhd.info/coronavirus.

it goes back and forth, but they don’t really have the ability to step back and think, ‘I need to realize what’s going on … is out of my control, and getting upset isn’t going to fix it,’” Carsen said. “You can’t even tell them what they have to do. You just have to do it yourself and wait for things to diffuse.”

While many can agree that patience is a virtue with any family member, students who live with someone diagnosed with a mental or physical disability know that this trait can be especially useful.

Pam, Carsen and Shane enjoy spending time with their siblings, and they play with them like they would any other person.

“One of the things that he’s become really transfixed with lately is bowling,”

NEWS

5

Pam said. “He really likes to bowl a lot. … That’s really fun. I like to do that because he gets really excited when he gets strikes and spares.”

To Shane, his brother is “one of the boys,” with some minor adjustments.

“He’s very strong, so we’ll play wrestle,” Shane said. “I’ll basically just sit on the floor and wrestle him because he can’t feel his legs, so I’ll act like I can’t use mine.”

Carsen makes time for his siblings by doing activities that they enjoy.

“My sister happens to go on hours and hours about her dreams that she has because in her dream, she’s free to do whatever she wants,” he said.” And so she spends a lot of time fantasizing about that.”

Español

March 9, 2020

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Soy immigrante, pero no me conoces Laura Solsona News & Español Editor Salir de tu casa en el medio de la noche y para salir de la vista del gobierno y poder escapar su régimen opresivo es la única historia común lo cual está disponible sobre quién es un inmigrante.

Mientras que algunos suponen que todos los inmigrantes son iguales, las experiencias varían de persona a persona.

Agruparlos les quita su humanidad, y lo sabría yo. Soy una de ellos.

Cuando le digo a alguien que soy inmigrante, las ruedas que giran en su cabeza son transparentes. Puedo verlos imaginando quién creen que soy y por lo que creen que he pasado.

Si continúas contando tu historia, muchas veces las palabras se quedan cortas. Es difícil explicarle a alguien que nació en una nación libre lo que se siente al ser vigilado tanto que se vuelve normal. Es difícil explicar cómo se siente decir adiós a las personas con las que creciste, sin saber cuándo o si alguna vez volverás a verlos.

A partir de 2017, 44.5 millones de inmigrantes de todo el mundo residen en Estados Unidos. Intentar agrupar su experiencia en un molde es eliminar su humanidad.

No puedo decirte por lo que ha pasado ninguno de ellos. Nadie puede siquiera comenzar a explicar todas las cosas que hacen esos 44.5 millones de personas, pero puedo tratar de aclarar algunas cosas sobre cómo ha sido mi experiencia como una inmigrante en los Estados Unidos.

Venir a los Estados Unidos no fue tan difícil para mí como lo ha sido para muchas personas, al menos por los cuentos que escuchó. Mis padres pasaron años tratando de mudarme de Cuba a los Estados Unidos, pero fueron solo meses para mí. Los padres protegiendo a sus hijos de todo lo que pueden no es una costumbre cubana o estadounidense, sino una que todos los padres comparten pero que puede borrarse al contar una historia de inmigración.

El escudo que mis padres pusieron sobre mí comenzó a desmoronarse hasta que desapareció por completo cuando llegué a

Laura Solsona & Jessica Bui

mi segundo año de secundaria. A medida que crece el alcance de las redes sociales, también lo hacen las opiniones sobre inmigrantes que escucho. Era difícil entender por qué tantas personas en la tierra de aceptación parecen odiar la idea de los inmigrantes, y todavía no puedo decir que entiendo.

Tenía 9 años cuando me mudé, y el cambio de escena cambió por completo la persona que se suponía que sería. La niña nacida en La Habana se quedó en Cuba y, a veces, cuando estoy rodeada de mis nuevos amigos estadounidenses, mi nueva familia, pienso en cómo podría haber sido tan diferentes las cosas. No habría sido perezosa como sugiere el estereotipo latino, pero tampoco habría sido valiente, como dicen algunos de mis amigos que soy. A veces se hace difícil aceptar cumplidos porque o eres flojo y no te importa, o eres valiente y un héroe, pero ser una personal normal nunca es una opción.

La persona que soy se basa en gran medida en la parte de mí que perdí, pero cuando a veces salen las piezas de quién podría haber sido se vuelve aterrador cuando noto las grandes diferencias entre mis amigos y yo.

Obviamente, hay cosas que nunca van a experienciar de la misma manera que yo, especialmente en mi último año de escuela.

La universidad es un misterio para todos los estudiantes de secundaria, inmigrantes o no, pero mi madre no me puede enseñarme muchas de las cosas que debería saber.

Ella nació y creció en Cuba, la niña cubana que nació en ella no se fue como la mía, y aunque no hay una brecha lingüística entre nosotros, la brecha entre la cultura con la que creció y la que yo estoy creciendo habes es demasiada grande para ignorar.

Ella y yo tenemos una relación cercana, muy diferente con lo que he visto de otras madres e hijas, y aún así hay una brecha imposible de sellar.

Una brecha, que no solo está presente entre nosotras, sino también entre mis amigos y yo. Muchas de las experiencias que esperan de mí a menudo están fuera de mi alcance, y su gravedad puede variar drásticamente. La diferencia más reciente que encontré entre nosotros fue casi graciosa. Mi falta de experiencia con frutas. Las exportaciones Cuba no existen, por lo tanto las únicas frutas que he comido durante casi toda mi vida son tropicales. Y aunque esto puede parecer insignificante para

algunos, es una sensación extraña cuando alguien te mira como si hubieras hecho algo mal cuando les dices que nunca has comido algo tan común como un arándano.

La gravedad de la situación varía, pero muchas veces son las cosas más pequeñas las que me hacen darme cuenta de lo diferente que sigo siendo. Muchos de mis amigos se están preparando para votar, y aunque siempre supe que no podría votar por un tiempo, me di cuenta solo recientemente de que no tengo alternativa sobre lo que sucede en mi hogar.

Las conversaciones sobre la votación trajeron la ciudadanía, y me llevó 8 años en Estados Unidos para darme cuenta de que los estadounidenses no saben casi nada sobre inmigración legal. Las dos opciones comunes en la mente de los estadounidenses son ciudadanos o inmigrantes ilegales.

Esto ignora lo que muchas otras personas son. Muchas de las personas que no son ciudadanos pero que no están ilegalmente en Estados Unidos tienen lo que se llama una tarjeta de residencia, que es después de una tarjeta verde. Se necesita una tarjeta verde para estar legalmente en Estados Unidos y una tarjeta de residencia para solicitar la ciudadanía.

La falta de educación sobre lo que es un inmigrante es parte del problema en Estados Unidos, parte de por qué hay tanta tensión entre inmigrantes y no inmigrantes, y es importante tener la capacidad de dejar atrás las ideas negativas y tratar de avanzar como una mejor nación Quiero ser sincera al decir que si alguna vez me dieran la opción de no venir a Estados Unidos y quedarme en Cuba, no haría nada diferente. Escucho la forma que mis amigos se quejan mucho de Estados Unidos y me uno a ellos más veces que no, pero dada la opción, elegiría con orgullo dónde estoy.

Ser un extranjero es difícil, aterrador y solitario, pero ignorar las oportunidades que tengo sería interpretar el papel del inmigrante desagradecido, que yo no soy.

Como periodista, tuve la oportunidad de decir lo que pienso y no ser perseguida por hacerlo, y no hay un día atrás en el que no esté agradecida.

La nueva diversidad de Netflix abre puertas para minorias Jessica Bui Traducida por Laura Solsona Desde actores en pantalla hasta puestos de trabajo recién creados, Netflix ha comenzado el camino para convertirse en culturalmente diverso, y se está convirtiendo en un nuevo estándar para la industria del cine que está sentando un precedente para el resto de la industria del cine / streaming.

La diversidad ha sido una prioridad para el personal de Netflix de EE. UU., Ya que Netflix se compromete a “hacer espacio” en su plataforma. Verlo como representación es poderoso, y tener una variedad de culturas y antecedentes ayuda a impulsar la industria del cine en todos sus aspectos, lo que rompe la norma de los estudios de cine tradicionales.

Junto con su incorporación a los géneros, también traen personajes que tienen una amplia gama de edad, habili-

dad, género, raza, religión y sexualidad.

Netflix también presentó nuevas películas extranjeras. Han agregado lo suficiente para tener una subcategoría de “K-dramas,” que son novelas coreano. Han comenzado a aumentar su inversión en Asia, especialmente con 17 originales nuevos, como Shimmers, Trese y Mowgli.

Los programas populares que tienen una gran diversidad incluyen, On My Block, Dear White People y Brooklyn Nine-Nine con roles y actores no estereotipados que se retratan en el programa. Dentro de los espectáculos, los actores no desempeñan el papel de estereotipos o una versión encalada hecha para mezclarse. Sacan a la luz las raíces de un personaje, siguiendo sus antecedentes y su cultura.

On My Block se enfoca en la mayoría de edad de los adolescentes negros, mexicanos y afrolatinos con ideas universales, pero no está repleto de ideas básicas. La historia de cuatro adolescentes que viven

en el barrio no se basa en el crimen o las ideas utilizadas en exceso. Destaca los problemas existentes en estas comunidades y tampoco sigue los roles de género.

Incluso en Brooklyn Nine-Nine, en lugar de nombrar episodios que se tratan de ideas como el racismo, la homofobia y el sexismo, creó un ambiente diverso, progresivo y globalmente inclusivo.

En particular, Jane the Virgin, donde también habla brevemente sobre cómo las personas, específicamente lantinx, son discriminadas, cómo afecta a los demás y hace que los personajes principales formen parte de LGBT + y saca a la luz temas importantes pero malentendidos sobre ellos.

Verse representado en la pantalla es un gran sentimiento. Cuando alguien se ve representado, uno relacionarse con personajes fuera de su historia y personalidad, relacionarse con sus antecedentes y tener mejorar su comprensión. Pero la representación fuera de la pantalla también

es importante.

En 2019, el personal de Netflix en los EE. UU. estaba compuesto por 47% blancos, 24% asiáticos, 10% no identificados, 7% hispanos, 7% negros, 5% Otros / Múltiples en su empresa. Mientras que el blanco era la mayoría en el personal, el asiático también está subiendo y convirtiéndose en la corriente principal. En 2018, Netflix creó una nueva posición ejecutiva para aumentar la diversidad y crear inclusión para Vernā Myers, que tiene un rol minoritario y aboga por eliminar la barrera de raza, origen étnico, género, orientación sexual y otras diferencias.

Saber que Netflix está tratando de agregar diversidad detrás de escena también garantiza que el material no se basa en un punto de vista, sino en las perspectivas de muchos para que sea relevante para todos.

Desde fuera de pantalla hasta en pantalla, se puede encontrar diversidad en Netflix en su personal y actores.

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THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

March 9, 2020

Looking beyond:

More than race and gender matter in politics

GRIZZLIES OF SPRING VALLEY What are your feelings about the Coronavirus?

“It makes me worried, not for my safety but just more for the health of everybody else, because I don’t think other people are aware of what the Coronavirus is except for that it’s a sickness.”

— Junior Sanaa Lloyd

Cody Johnson

Sta f f edi tor i al “The coronavirus is serious and people aren’t taking it seriously because of rumors.”

— Junior Edith Torres

Xenophobia It won’t keep you healthy, but it does make you racist In light of the recent COVID-19 outbreak, commonly refered to as the cornavirus, racial discrimination against those who are Asian-American, though more specifically Chinese-American, is at an all-time high.

Spring Valley High School has one of the highest Asian-American populations in the Clark County School District. (15.75%), and is only four miles from Chinatown.

In recent weeks, students have been observed immediately applying hand sanitizer after contact with Asian students, some even moving seats to stay away.

These students deserve the same amount of respect as anyone else. While taking caution is encouraged and understandable, students should take action toward hygenic behaviors and not xenophobic ones.

Discriminating against a certain race out of fear of contracting a disease allows blatant xenophobia to pass any moral lines that can be drawn for “safety.”

Before any news of the virus spread to other countries, people on social media took to creating racially-charged memes. Influencers on sites from Twitter to TikTok are not missing their chance to get their “five minutes of fame.” Their memes

take jabs at Chinese culture and tie irrelevant pieces to the coronavirus.

Any remarks calling out the xenophobia of these comments are almost always met with responses about the commenters being “snowflakes” or “ taking it too seriously.”

Despite the fear mongering that the media is presenting with the coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control has only recently reported one case of coronavirus in Nevada so far. If students do not practice standard hygienic behavior to avoid sickness, avoiding Chinatown will not keep them any healthier.

The issue goes beyond coronavirus itself. If internetgoers can allow the mockery of one minority group over an illness, what happens in the future if another minority group is at the center of something more serious?

Minorities faced similar xenophobia over SARS, the severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2002, and MERS, the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2012. The trend is certainly still alive.

It’s worth noting that both of these pandemics were also strains of the coronavirus that were

3,000+

people have died from the COVID-19 Coronavirus since the outbreak began in December 2019.

100,000+

have been infected with the Coronavirus worldwide.

100+

countries have reported cases of the coronavirus.

4

people in the state of Nevada have been confirmed as positive for the virus as of March 9.

“I think that there’s a lot of hysteria about it, but in my opinion it’s not really that bad. It doesn’t have a much worse mortality than others and has flu-like symptoms. We obviously need to find a cure, but everybody’s exaggering the problem.”

— Junior Anton Lopez De Guerena

22

people in the United States have died from the virus. both eventually contained by the government.

Students need to stop stereotyping their Asian-American peers and need to educate themselves about the actual issue: the virus and how it actually spreads.

Moving seats and sanitizing after contact with Asian-American students is degrading. If you want to protect yourself from the coronavirus, stop putting those around you in danger with your xenophobia.

“It’s scary and there’s a possibility that it could ruin our education if schools get closed down. It also sucks that it’s hard to travel and go out with school trips and family.”

— Senior Dylan Braun

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Opinion

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

March 9, 2020

Jocelynn Estrada

I'm an immigrant, but you don't know me Laura Solsona News Editor There is only one story widely available about who an immigrant is: a frightened person leaving their house in the middle of the night and hiding from view in order to escape an oppressive regime.

While some assume that all immigrants come alike, the experiences vary from person to person. To group them takes away from their humanity, and I would know. I am one.

When I tell someone that I’m an immigrant, the wheels turning in their head are transparent. I can see them picturing in their mind who they think I am and what they think I have been through.

If you go on to try and tell your story, many times words come up short. It’s difficult to explain to someone who was born in a free nation what it feels like to be monitored so often that it becomes normal. It’s difficult to explain what it feels like to say goodbye to the people who you grew up with, not knowing when, or if, you’re going to see them again.

As of 2017, 44.5 million immigrants from all over the world reside in America. To try to group their experience into one mold is to take away from the experiences that make them human.

I cannot tell you what any of the refugess you hear about in the news have been through. No one can even begin to explain all the things that make those 44.5 million people human. But I can try to shed some light on what my experience as a non-citizen immigrant in the United

States has been like.

Coming to the United States was not as difficult for me as it was for many people, at least from what I’ve heard from others.

My parents spent years trying to move from Cuba to the states, but it was mere months for me. Parents protecting their children from the horrors of the world isn’t a Cuban custom or an American one, but rather one that all parents share, and that can be erased when telling an immigration story.

The shield that my parents placed over me began to crumble more and more until it was completely gone by the time I reached my sophomore year of high school. As the reach of social media grows, so do the opinions about immigrants. It was hard to understand why so many people in the land of acceptance seemed to hate the idea of immigrants, and I still can’t say I understand.

I was nine years old when I moved here, and the scene shift completely changed who I was supposed to be. The Havana-born girl stayed back in Cuba, and sometimes, I sit surrounded by my new American friends, my new family, and think of what she could have been like. She wouldn't have been lazy like the Latino stereotype suggests, but she also wouldn’t have been brave, like what some of my friends like to tell me I am.

Sometimes it becomes difficult to accept compliments because you’re either lazy and apathetic, or you’re brave and a hero, but never just a person.

The person I am is largely based on the part of myself I lost, yet, at times, the pieces of who I could have been come out,

and it gets frightening when I see the large differences between my friends and me.

There are things that they will obviously never get to experience the same way I currently am, especially as a senior.

College is a mystery to every high school senior, immigrant or not, but many of the things that I should know can’t be taught to me by my mother. My mother grew up in Cuba, the Cuban born girl in her didn’t leave like mine, and even though there is no language gap between us, the gap between the culture that she grew up with and the one I’m growing up with is too much to bare. She and I are close, much closer than what I’ve seen of other mother and daughters, yet there is still a gap impossible to seal.

A gap that is not only present between us, but between my friends and me. Many of the experiences that they expect of me are often out of my reach. The most recent difference that I found between us was almost amusing: my lack of experience with fruits.

Cuban exportations are non-existent, so the only fruits that I have eaten for almost all of my life are tropical. And while this may seem insignificant to some, it is an odd feeling when someone looks at you like you've done something wrong when you tell them you’ve never eaten something as common as a blueberry.

Although the severity of the situation varies, many times it is the smallest things that make me realize how different I still am. Many of my friends are getting ready to vote, and although I always knew that I would be unable to vote for a while, the realization that I have no

choice over what goes on in my home is not one I enjoyed.

Talks about voting brought up citizenship, and it took me eight years in America to realize that Americans know close to nothing about legal immigration. The two common options in the minds of Americans are citizens or illegal immigrants.

This takes away from what so many other people are. Many of the people who aren’t citizens but are not illegally in America have what is called a residency card, which is after a green card. One needs a green card to be in America legally and a residency card to apply to become a citizen.

The lack of education about what an immigrant is, is part of the problem in America, part of why there is so much tension between immigrants and nonimmigrants, and it is important to have the ability to place negative ideas behind us and try to move forward as a better nation.

I want to be straightforward in saying that if I were ever given the choice of not coming to America and staying in Cuba, I would not do anything differently. I hear my friends complaining a lot about America, and I join them more than not, but I would always proudly pick to stay where I am.

Being an outsider is difficult, scary and lonely, but to ignore the opportunities that I get would be playing the role of the ungrateful immigrant, which I am not. I have been given an opportunity as a journalist to speak my mind and not be persecuted for doing so, and a day doesn't pass that I am not thankful for it.

March 9, 2020

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

opinion

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Support not pressure: I'll pick my own career Jessica Cabrera Web Editor My life seemed to be set right from the start. Most of my family have careers in the medical field as nurses, and they wanted me to have one as well. Ever since second grade, my mom wanted me to apply and be accepted to Southwest Career and Technical Academy to major in Nursing. It seemed straightforward what I needed to do. I wanted to please my parents, so I followed what they wanted me to do.

I applied for two majors at Southwest: Nursing and Web Design. I had weekly arguments with my mom about what I should do with my future because of my second major choice. I knew that my brother – who had little to do with deciding his future – disliked his job. This was enough to rebel. Eventually, she gave up and allowed me to apply for it. I also applied for the International Baccalaureate programme at Spring Valley High School.

I based my middle school years around their idea of success. Every time my grades dropped, my family would say that Southwest wouldn’t accept that. I was afraid of letting people down. I got waitlisted. I cried the whole day, lamenting over the fact that all of my dreams were crushed despite the fact I was accepted to Spring Valley.

Surprisingly, my mom was not upset at me, and she apologized for making my sole aspiration to go to Southwest. At the time, I felt like a failure, a person without a future because I didn’t become what my parents wanted me to be.

While the nursing debacle has ended, I still have to hear my relatives tell me that I would do well as a lawyer. I remind them that I have a different dream than freshman year, and they seem disappointed that I want to have a nine-to-five job. I still feel like I let down my family when I refuse to be a lawyer. They tell me that they support my career choice, but they make me feel like they don’t whenever they ask if I’m certain about my choice.

My experience was centered around high school. It’s an important part of

education, but not as influential as college.

Some teenagers face this problem when they have to apply for college – where the stakes are notably higher. Most of the time, arguments about college and careers are worse. I had a friend who was kicked out of their home and nearly disowned for refusing to follow her parents’ orders to follow a specific path in the medical field.

There are a few that are only pursuing their parents’ desires because they don’t have any other ideas of what they want their future to be.

It’s no secret that high school students are generally pressured to do things.

Controlling parents pressure their children to engage in things that they are uninterested in. This can be because they want their children to have a better future, follow the footsteps of other successful families, or carry on a legacy. Most of the time, it’s highly esteemed professions such as being a doctor, lawyer, business management, engineering, etc.

All of these markets are oversaturated and highly competitive. While these jobs do carry prestige, they are not as glamorous as they are made out to be. Occupations requiring years of higher education force students into debt that they struggle to pay – even if they have a high-paying job.

Their personal lives become non-existent due to the demands of their career. Most parents are not aware of this reality. They want their children to do what seems to be the most beneficial, but it does not mean that they are right.

People are compared to the success of their family members and are expected to meet or exceed it in a particular field.

Social comparison may be able to raise performance and make people more competitive in a healthy way, it can also become problematic. Teens can lash out or inflict harm on others, or they can become self-destructive and cope with these feelings through self-harm or addiction.

“Success” is a subjective term, and an individual’s idea of success can be different from their parents. Trying to fit the standard that their family deems as success trans-

forms family life into a competition about who can be more successful than the other.

Instead of a loving environment that fosters growth, it breeds envy and jealousy.

Pressuring teenagers to pursue a specific career path is damaging to their future. While they may be able to make a substantial amount of money by joining one of these fields, the lack of job satisfaction can destroy a person’s wellbeing if they never wanted to commit to their career.

The job growth for some of the careers I mentioned have slowed down, but there are a number of rapidly growing fields that have become the focus of ambitious parents. Regardless of the career, teens forced into certain jobs are less engaged in their career and life. Parents need to understand that success is not guaranteed if their child has a specific career, and there are plenty of happy and successful people in other jobs.

LE T T E R TO T H E EDI TOR

Dear Students: Here's what teachers want you to know Amy Devaul Special to The Grizzly Growler Dear Students, here’s what we want you to know about us: We understand that you have eight classes. You need to understand we have 220 students.

That is 220 names to learn, 220 personalities to get along with, and 220 needs to meet. It is also a lot of work to grade. We know you are concerned about your work, but do the math: 220 students who average three assignments a week equals more than 650 papers to read, grade, and recordweekly. Add to that an average of 40 kids absent a week and getting the makeup work graded- you can see how overwhelming the workload can be. Cut us some slack.

We have lives outside of work.

Like you, Spring Valley is not the only

thing in our lives. We have kids to raise, elderly parents to care for, and spouses or significant others with whom we want to spend time. We have interests or hobbies that help us relieve stress as well as obligations within our communities/churches etc. Some of us even have second jobs or are in graduate school. If we don’t respond to an email you sent us over the weekend, it is because we are busy with the other parts of our lives.

that should be appreciated.

Engagement in class is a two-way street.

Ultimately, you are responsible for your own education. We create an environment conducive to learning, but what you do with that is up to you. Of course, we try to make things interesting, but the bottom line is that we are not entertainers- we are teachers.

Your education is determined by your attitude and your work ethic.

When you are talking during a lesson it’s more than not paying attention.

We spend a lot of time and energy (and sometimes our own money) in planning our lessons. When you are talking during that lesson you are telling us that our time and effort is not important. You are not showing respect for the work that goes into being a teacher. You are also distracting the other students around you. The same goes for scrolling through Instagram during class, or trying to text your friend. We work hard and

Most of the rules are a direct reaction to your actions.

We simply react to your choices whether they be good or bad. If you come to school late, we will have tardy lockouts to encourage you to learn to be punctual. If more students came to school on time, the tardy lockouts would end. Students have a hard time staying off their phones in class so we use paper bags to curtail the behavior.

If students put their phones away (and kept them put away) in class the paper bags

Sharing both sides

● This article is in response to the December 6, 2019 editorial: “Dear Teachers, here's what we want you to know about us.” ● The Grizzly Growler publishes letters to the editor. To give your input, email your letter to verdetm@nv.ccsd.net.

would disappear. Action and reaction. See? We did not go into teaching to have summers off.

We love working with kids. We love teaching and are continually working to improve our craft. We care about you as a whole person and not just a student.

Sometimes this means being tough on you so you learn a much-needed lesson, but it never means we don’t want you to succeed.

We come to work every day (for 30 years) in order to prepare you for your future, “…so while some of these things may seem small, added up, they make a big difference.”

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Opinion

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

March 9, 2020

Inaccessible healthcare Teenagers left coughing in the dust by failed insurance policies Hana Helfand Co-Editor-in-Chief Sometime around seventh grade, I read an article about how nearsighted people can see far away objects by making an itty bitty hole with their fingers to peer through. After two years of asking teachers to move my seat to the front of the class, and numerous notes sent home from the nurse, my parents finally relented and bought me my first pair of red glasses. Alas, I set them down in school one day, and I never saw those glasses again.

I didn’t see much for three months after, and even though I sat at the front of my science class, I spent two months in seventh grade taking notes through a hole in my fingers.

I eventually got new glasses, but it wasn’t long before I was forced to resume my old habit of squinting to see. When I was younger, my glasses issue was a matter of time and inconvenience, but after a few job and housing changes, it became about healthcare and having the money to afford such simple luxuries as sight.

Teenagers are often at the mercy of their parents’ health insurance. While this has its benefits, such as not paying for your own optometrist or doctor visits, it can also have its downsides if your parents don’t have decent insurance. If your parents aren’t filled with wealth, it might be hard to take care of your health.

So, in tenth grade, I begged my mom for a year for a new pair of glasses because my current pair had been giving me migraines and eye strains. Prescriptions change quickly, and I was long overdue for an optometrist check-up, but the eye doctor my mom picked wasn’t covered by my dad’s insurance, and she wouldn’t let me see anyone but the best (ironic, considering I couldn’t see anyone at all). Their quarrels eventually landed me a new pair of glasses, but I had to pay half the cost because the frames were too expensive for the insurance plan.

They like to make me pay for a lot, actually. When I asked for therapy to help

Hana Helfand

myself deal with my growing anxiety and unhealthy compulsions, my mom told me that I would have to pay for it. I started asking for therapy three years ago, and in those three years, I’ve experienced shutdowns, breakdowns, meltdowns, being down –– you name it, I felt it. But

I couldn’t get the help I needed because therapy isn’t covered by their health insurance.

When coverage isn’t available, the only option is to pay out of pocket, but not every parent can sustain that. However, if a parent can’t pay, why should the

teenagers be expected to? If they’re under the age of 16, it’s not like they can legally work a job or earn money. Even if kids do make a living, most jobs for teenagers don’t come with health plans.

So if a minor is struggling, and they can’t seek help, what are they supposed to do? Deal with it? Get everyone else sick?

Drop dead?

For example, I get seasonal coughs.

They started when I was in middle school, and they got so bad that I saw five different doctors, had to take seven different medications and even receive a shot that ultimately did nothing. The reason for the cough: allergies. But my medical mishaps were when we had a decent insurance plan; had I been suffering a three-month cough today, I’d probably keep coughing until my lungs shriveled and my diaphragm exploded.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 45% of adolescents have at least one chronic health condition, with 23% of adolescents suffering from asthma. Additionally, 32% of adolescents reported suffering depression, and 13% experienced Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder; these affect students’ personal and school lives and can best be treated by care that’s out of their reach.

Sexual activity, something that 40% of teens reported taking part in, can lead to sexually transmitted diseases or teen pregnancy, all of which can also be especially detrimental without health care.

When the elderly develop a cough, they’re cared for. When teenagers wheeze and hack, they’re told to manage and wait it out. On the off chance parents can’t care for their children, the government should at least make a better effort to cultivate a healthy future. Instituting adolescent-specific health plans or hospitals could alleviate stress for the whole family. Teenagers can’t focus on school or becoming productive members of society if they’re constantly struggling to breathe, or they can’t read the board.

If the youth of today can’t afford the healthcare to make it to tomorrow, that’s not the kind of world I want to pay to see.

Wrong candidates, wrong reasons Ilana Rockwell Entertainment Editor With the 2020 presidential election approaching, it’s crucial to ensure that voters are properly educated. Particularly with the United States in its state of turmoil, it is critical that citizens pledge their support to candidates for their political stances and vision for the future of the country, rather than for the representation they could offer.

When Hillary Clinton ran for president in the 2016 race, she received an abundance of support and endorsements from celebrities. Coincidentally or not, most of these endorsements were from women.

Having been the only female candidate during the campaign and the first primary

candidate for a major political party, many women across the country felt connected to Clinton.

Feminists believed it was finally time for a woman to take a place in office and launched their unflinching support for her, regardless of her actual political viewpoints.

According to a study published by the Pew Research Center, 45% of white women voted for Clinton, and 82% of women of color voted for her as well.

Supporting a candidate solely based on their race, gender, religion or any other personal factor is entirely backward, and it leads politics back around to full-fledged bias and inequality. Although the current government system is dominated by white males, they got there because of traditional

values that favored their gender and race, as opposed to what they stood for. Using the same tactic by promoting everyone beside white males will only take it to the very opposite extreme. Supporting politicians for their political views –– and their political views alone –– is the only way to ensure complete fairness and the best chance for national success.

Continuing this type of biased support also encourages candidates to abuse their minority backgrounds. After finding out that being a minority will earn them votes from other minorities, they will begin to focus on that more than their political beliefs.

The practice of using a minority group’s oppression or lack of representation as a

marketing strategy to help them advance, and only embracing that aspect when it is convenient to them, is extremely disrespectful. This only adds to the notion that campaign races are becoming more and more like reality TV shows and advertising ploys than attempts to inform the public about one of the most important decisions they will make regarding the fate of the country.

In order to attempt to bring politics back to how they will shape our country and less about what somebody will look like in office, it is extremely important that voters, or soon-to-be voters, stay educated on what a potential candidate wants to do, instead of blindly placing their faith in whoever seems like they could’ve been the most oppressed.

March 9, 2020

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

entertainment

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P.S. I’ll never love you like I did before Krystka Mariano Assistant Opinion Editor The-coming-of age teenage rom-com, “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,” is back with the sequel, “To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You,” to suit the affection of love this Valentine’s season. However, with major changes from the original cast and lineup of events within the book, fans find themselves falling out of love with the film.

Lara Jean’s (Lana Condor) teenage love story with high school heart-throb Peter Kavinski (Noah Centineo) continues like something out of a fairytale, as she finally ends up in a “happily ever after” with the boy of her dreams. But when yet another love letter gets to one of her former crushes, John Ambrose McClaren (Jordan Fisher), Lara Jean finds herself in the middle of a love dilemma, facing challenges in her relationship with Kavinsky and the past romance between McClaren.

Following the events of Jenny Han’s young adult novel, “P.S I Still Love You” is the second book in the hit franchise.

While the film keeps the same aesthetic and theme from the previous movie, the character choices and development of conflicts lack the relatability that many teens were fond of from the first film.

For the most part, the film follows through with the components of the book quite accurately. Many characters were brought to life with justice, staying true to their actions and personalities. It goes without saying, however, that some scenes were more fitting in the book than in the movie. Lara Jean’s relationship with Peter, for example, seemed

Netflix Following the high viewership of the first and second installments, the third movie, “To All the Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean,” is set to be released on Netflix in 2020.

to flow naturally and romantically when written, but their so-called “cute” moments in the film came across as rather unrealistic. Dialogue between the couple seemed overly forced, creating cringey moments instead of the typical “cute” ones intended for the ordinary teen romance genre.

The character development in their relationship took noticeable turns throughout

the story, but it was primarily driven by their choices. With negative traits being reflected within their romance, the ending left a somewhat unpleasant feeling in the minds of viewers. With new characters, such as Fisher’s soft romantic lover boy John Ambrose, the light-hearted portrayal of his character raised the question of who wouldn’t fall for him. However, in typical teen romance fashion, the

awkward, quirky Lara Jean falls for the bad-boy socialite, Peter, once again.

The 2020 film offers insight to further grow the relationship between the two lovebirds, showcasing the standard ups and downs of an angsty teen relationship.

With other variables thrown in the mix, such as a new love rival, it adds more variety to a cliche, yet engaging, young story.

Netflix opens new doors for minorities Jessica Bui Copy Editor From on-screen actors to newly created job positions, Netflix has started along the path to becoming culturally diverse, and it’s setting a precedent for the rest of the film/streaming industry.

Diversity has been a priority for U.S. Netflix’s staff as Netflix pledges to “Make Room” in its platform. Representation is powerful, and having a range of cultures and backgrounds aids in furthering the film industry in all of its aspects, which breaks the norm of traditional film studios.

In addition to genres, they bring characters who are a wide range in scope of age, ability, gender, race, religion and sexuality.

Netflix also unveiled new foriegn films too, such as more dramas and movies.

They’ve added enough to have a subcategory of “K-dramas.” They’ve started increasing their investment in Asia, especially with 17 new originals, such as “Shimmers,” “Trese” and “Mowgli.”

Popular shows that have wide diversity include “On My Block” and “Dear White People” with actors portraying non-stereotypical roles in them. Within shows, actors don’t play whitewashed versions made to blend in. They bring out the roots of a character, following their backgrounds and their cultures.

Netflix Forty-seven African American actors and creators gathered for a photo celebrating the increased diversity in Netflix’s company and productions.

“On My Block” focuses on the coming of age within black, Mexican and Afro-Latino communities with universal ideas, but it isn’t washed down with basic notions. The story of four adolescents living in the “hood” doesn’t rely on crime or overused ideas. The show brings out issues prevalent in these communities,

and it doesn’t follow gendered roles either.

“Dear White People” does a phenomenal job at shining light on racial issues on U.S. school grounds. It shows dynamics that are often overlooked from a perspective that others might misunderstand. The show also points out that higher levels of

education don’t eliminate racism.

“Jane the Virgin” also briefly talks about how people, specifically Lantinos, are discriminated against and how it affects others. It made major characters part of the LGBT+ community and brought light to important, yet misconstrued, topics about them.

Seeing yourself being represented on the screen is a great feeling. When you’re represented, you can relate to a character outside of their story and personality. You relate to their background and have a better understanding too. But off-screen representation matters just as much.

In 2019, Netflix’s U.S. staff was composed of 47% white, 24% Asian, 10% Unidentified, 7% Hispanic, 7% black and 5% other/multiple in their company. While majority of the staff is white, Asians hold a considerable position. Back in 2018, Netflix created a new executive position to increase diversity and create inclusion for Vernā Myers, who is a minority and advocate for erasing the barrier of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and other differences.

Knowing that Netflix is trying to add diversity behind the scenes also gives the assurance that material isn’t based off of one view, but also by the perspectives of others to make it relevant to everyone.

From off-screen to on-screen, diversity can be found in Netflix.

12

March 9, 2020

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

Entertainment

Cosplay: Not a game of pretend Jessica Cabrera Web Editor Colorful eyes blink in the mirror, the contacts casting a hazy hue over the world around them. Gloved hands situate synthetic hair, every strand perfectly in place. A smile stretches across a made-up face, testing the limits of the intricately crafted facade. A student prepares to attend a convention after a taxing day of school, her favorite refuge from the tiring mundanities of her regular life.

Cosplaying, short for costume play, is an activity in which participants dress up as specific characters from anime, video games, movies and TV shows. A number of people of all ages cosplay, recreationally or professionally.

Spring Valley senior Mary Kenstler initially discovered cosplay from San Diego Comic Con photos. She started cosplaying in 2013 and has since been deeply committed to numerous cosplays.

“I felt really cool; I was wearing my favorite character’s outfit, and I was going to be able to find other people who would love my costume the way I did,” Kenstler said. “I felt like a completely different person. ... [I was] not myself, but at the same time, [I was].”

Spring Valley junior Zoey Cornelius discovered cosplay through her older sister. “[Emma is] probably my biggest role model for everything,” Cornelius said.

“She’s my biggest inspiration.”

Cornelius and Kenstler became friends through cosplay — both of them frequently attend conventions together to meet other high schoolers across the valley. The cosplay world is strongly community-based and is not limited to locals. Cosplayers make connections through social media and attend out-of-state conventions.

Cosplaying is not only about the aesthetics of a costume, but also about the cosplayers themselves. Fans of certain games, movies or shows can gather people with common interests and create more personal interactions.

Conventions are the primary place to find and interact with cosplayers. A source of great excitement for Kenstler and Cornelius was the Lvl Up Expo — arguably the biggest anime, video game and comic book convention in Las Vegas. It is difficult to formulate a convention line-up. Kenstler is ambitious when it comes to convention weekends — she puts into consideration which characters have similar make-up, her ability to carry a second costume and if she can change in convention bathrooms. Kenstler cosplayed two characters for the second day of the convention.

Cornelius had to consider the practicality of her outfits for a crowded exhibit hall.

In addition to their mounting concerns, Kenstler and Cornelius had to adapt to unexpected circumstances –– such as the rain on the second day of Lvl Up –– which can be frustrating.

“I had most of my plans for Lvl Up made in August or September,” Kenstler said. “I plan extremely ahead in case my plans change, in case things go wrong or in case I’m actually buying a costume. I usually buy from AliExpress, which means it’s going to take two weeks to make, and it’s going to take another three weeks to ship, and then there’s customs that you might have to deal with.”

Panels are organized by cosplay groups, who spend a few months planning

Nicole Zapanta Mary Kenstler cosplays as Kaede Akamatsu from “Danganronpa,” a popular Japanese video game franchise.

“

If your cosplay isn’t perfect, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be confident and comfortable in your cosplay. This is something that should be fun.

—Zoey Cornelius activities between attendees and the cosplayers. In these panels, cosplayers engage in role-playing activities, acting as the character they represent in the panel.

“I like to be able to express my love and my passion for [a] series [that] changed my life with characters that I have a deep love for or that I really relate to [by] dressing up as them,” Kenstler said.

Cosplayers don’t always stay in character, though. Spending eight hours on a convention floor is exhausting, according to both Cornelius and Kenstler, and the amount of energy that is required for acting is not sustainable for that length of time. It is easy to find many cosplayers around the convention floor who are not in character but are willing to strike their character’s signature poses if asked for a picture.

In Kenstler’s eyes, one of the most rewarding aspects of being a cosplayer is bringing joy to people around her. This occurs when people approach the cosplayer, but its importance is often overlooked.

Fans from every age group can appreciate the efforts of a cosplayer and make a connection between different fans of all

”

backgrounds.

“I had a lot of little kids come up to me and that was a magical moment,” Kenstler said. “It’s so sweet.”

Cornelius finds the most satisfaction in seeing the empowerment people gain from cosplaying. Cosplaying is a transformative process, not just on a surface level, but on an emotional and social level. Cosplayers thrive on the fact that their self-expression can be manifested at physically and they can gain well-deserved recognition for their hard work.

“If your cosplay isn’t perfect, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be confident and comfortable in your cosplay,” Cornelius said. “This is something that should be fun.”

Cosplaying is not only a hobby, but also a potential career choice. Professional cosplayers are often invited to renowned conventions, such as Anime Expo and San Diego Comic Con, as guests. They are paid through commissions, Patreon supporters and merchandise. Kenstler expressed interest in pursuing a career in costume design, but Cornelius would rather keep it as a hobby. Kenstler’s Instagram, @sunnydaycosplays, and Cornelius’ Instagram, @strawberri. cosplays, have followers ranging from the hundreds to the thousands.

All cosplayers must be jacks of all trades –– they spend money on wigs, make-up, costumes, props and more –– and the costs are substantial. Costumes bought online typically range from 30 to hundreds of dollars depending on the complexity and quality of the costumes.

Kenstler’s first costume was a Hatsune Miku costume. costing about $150 for the outfit alone. Cornelius’ most expensive costume cost upwards of $200. There are ways to make this hobby less costly, such as thrifting or even designing your own costume. Creating and designing a costume is difficult, but it can add greatly to customization and character interpretation. Kenstler started designing her own cosplays recently.

“It is hard to be a professional cosplayer,” Cornelius said. “There’s not a lot of people who make a ton of money off of cosplay. … Even if someone is making money off of cosplay, they’re probably spending more on actual cosplay than what they’re making.”

While it seems paradoxical, cosplay is not solely about pretending to be someone else - it’s a fundamental part of acceptance and self-expression. Cosplayers don’t want to solely be recognized as single character, but for their skill set and who they are outside of cosplay.

“Cosplay isn’t about looking like the character,” Kenstler emphasized. “It’s about bringing them to life in your own way to make others feel happy as well as yourself…”

Emma Cornelius

March 9, 2020

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

entertainment

13

“HSM: The Musical: The Series:” The Review Laura Solsona News Editor The first season of the Disney+ original series, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” finished Jan. 10, 2020, and over the spam of three months, it accumulated 2.8 million viewers. The series takes place in a fictional version of Salt Lake City’s East High School, where the “High School Musical” franchise was filmed. The series follows Ricky Bowen (Joshua Bassett), who plays Troy and Nini Salazar-Roberts (Olivia Rodrigo), who plays Gabriella, as the new drama teacher, Miss Jenn (Kate Reinders) introduces the first production of “High School Musical” to East High. The show manages to portray the common struggles teenagers face, such as divorce, anxiety and the difficulty of coming out in a realistic way.

The series showcases the main characters singing many songs that were featured in the original Disney “High School Musical” series, but it also features many original songs. The original soundtrack has already amassed over 60 million streams, and one of the most prominent songs, “All I Want,” has landed in the top 40 on iTunes. The song, written

by Olivia Rodrigo and performed by her respective character, Nini, even gained popularity on the popular social media outlet, TikTok. Many speculated that the series was simply a reboot to profit off of the success of the original film series. However, it was quickly realized that the series was a brand new show that cleverly utilized the films’ nostalgia factor to inspire viewers to watch the show. “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is unsurprisingly

Disney Plus Left to right: Joshua Basset, Olivia Rodrigo, Matt Cornett, Sofia Wylie on set of the Disney+ original series that recieved a 76% on Rotten Tomatoes.

cliche and embraces all the best elements of cheesiness and pep talks, yet it seems to be one of the most realistic representations of high school to date.

It portrays the joys and innocence that comes with adolescence and emphasizes how young these characters really are, while still tackling real-life issues that teenagers everywhere have to face. It finally seems to have found the balance

between showing how juvenile and naive teenagers can really be without disregarding their issues because of their age.

With teenagers finally being played by teenagers, their young faces strike a chord of familiarity and relatability within all audiences. Rodrigo’s delicate charm and soft vocals bring her character to life and are perfectly balanced by her heartfelt and sensitive love interest, Ricky,

played by Joshua Bassett.

The show certainly set high expectations for itself with the intimidating reputation of the iconic movies in its title, but it appears that it was able to live up to them completely. Audiences are desperately waiting for another season, and it seems as though this may be an entirely new, profound experience for this generation.

“Rare” fails to meet rising expectations Ilana Rockwell Entertainment Editor After much anticipation, Selena Gomez released her third studio album, “Rare,” on January 10. It features 13 songs and was produced through Interscope Records.

This is her first official album since her struggles with lupus, a kidney transplant and a series of public relationship dramas.

The album topped the Billboard 200 chart, becoming Gomez’s third consecutive number-one album in the United States.

Gomez’s previous albums were more or less mellow, “easy listening,” whereas “Rare” appears to be a heavily produced pop album. Being her first studio album since 2015, it is clear that she wanted to completely reinvent her sound. Whether that be for better or for worse, her music is certainly different.

Although the production value creates catchy and upbeat songs meant for dancing, many of the songs tend to sound overly produced. Gomez frequently received criticism from countless listeners and critics for her lack of vocal talent, and the heavy effects on the songs might just be an easy cover up. It also appears to make up for the lack of thought-provoking lyrics and seemingly simple writing.

Gomez tries to integrate themes of empowerment, feminism and confidence,

Interscope Records The music video for “Lose You to Love Me” was viewed 248 million times on YouTube.

with songs such as “Look at Her Now” and “Cut you Off.” Although the ideas are certainly admirable, much of the impact is lost on the audience through the lack of intimacy. It sometimes feels as though Gomez is making the music from far away, and she adds in sprinkles of relevant issues for an attempt to connect to her audience, causing a sense of disconnect.

However, when the album gets more personal, it is clear that Gomez truly resonates with her work. The pre-released single “Lose You to Love Me” is a heartfelt ballad, with touching piano and raw vocals.

Although there is nothing wrong with an upbeat song, Gomez only truly shines as an artist when she’s undeniably herself.

The album also consists of two collabo-

rations, “Crowded Room,” which features 6lack, and “A Sweeter Place,” featuring Kid Cudi. Gomez shines just as brightly in these joint efforts, and her feminine, breathy voice blends beautifully with her collaborators.

Despite the album having some unquestionably entertaining music, many songs tend to play to the same strand and can even sound repetitive. It almost gives off the impression of Gomez adding “filler” songs that lack substance in between her best tracks. Regardless of whether this is true or not, “Rare” certainly does not portray the potential versatility of Gomez as an artist.

The previously mentioned single “Lose You to Love Me” received a lot of recognition from audiences, and it topped the Billboard Hot 100, being Gomez’s first single to do so. The slow and emotionally impactful single was released on Oct. 23, 2019, a few months before the release of the studio album. After being teased with vulnerability, the high-energy album was certainly unexpected to listeners.

Although it is unfair to judge the quality of the album itself by its genre, it simply does not seem as though it was the most effective way to get Gomez’s crucial themes across to audiences. However, the album has received critical acclaim, and it is undeniable that Gomez has outdone herself and her previous albums.

14

sports

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

March 9, 2020

Grizzlies fall to Centennial in state semi-finals Derek Raridon Sports Editor The Lady Grizzlies’ season came to an end with the semifinals of the 4A state tournament on February 27 after losing to Centennial High School, which is ranked number one in the state of Nevada. This is the Grizzlies’ first state run since winning the tournament in 2015, and it comes after winning 22-5 in the regular season and 26-7 after the postseason, with tournament wins in both the La Jolla Country Day Classic and the ninth annual Winter Gator Classic.

“That game was very important to us,” sophomore guard Aliyah Gayles said. “I feel like we didn’t give up because we weren’t scared. We just wanted to beat them, but it’s always nice to be there [competing for the state championship].”

Similar to their state quarterfinal game against Bishop Manogue the day prior, the team got off to a slow start on their offense in the first quarter. The women struggled to make a shot in the first, with only one layup during the first few minutes of the game. This led to a 14-2 run for the Bulldogs, a hole that would stay with the Grizzlies for the entire first half, despite the team regaining their footing in the second quarter.

“In the first half, it just seemed like we were very stagnant, like we weren’t moving” junior guard Garrisen Freeman said. “Everything was one-onone, and if me, Aliyah [Gayles] or Chelsea [Camara] wasn’t producing offensively, then we weren’t going to get a bucket.”

Even though the Lady Grizzlies were down by 12 to start the game, the team’s defense was credible. When they weren’t trying to chase the Bulldogs down the court on a fast break, the women played well in their man-to-man defense.

Regardless, the offensive transitions seemed to plague the defense, as the Lady Grizzlies went down by 14 points to end the second half.

“Our defense [was] actually pretty tough,” junior guard Riri Davis said. “We all played team defense. Everyone was helping; everyone was communicating. We played good team defense.”

During the second half, the team

Courtesy of Bianca Camara Varsity basketball coach Billy Hemberger huddles with his players during halftime of their state-semi finals run against Centennial High School.

had an offensive explosion with a 9-0 run to start the half. However, the Bulldogs fought back, putting up a 12-0 after the Grizzlies’ run. Afterward, the second half was a mirror of the first in all aspects.

“I feel like we came out really strong [in the second half] because coach [Hemberger] had a really good talk with us in the locker room,” Freeman said. “[He said to] leave it on the court, play free. Don’t play like you’re handcuffed. So, we started kind of playing free and just [thinking] what do we have to lose at this point, so we might as well play as hard as we can.”

Despite the loss, the team regards the season as a successful one.

“Overall, our season was pretty good,” Davis said. “In the beginning, we did

have some patches [to fill]. But we came together during the season and started to play team basketball. I’m pretty impressed with [the team].”

According to players on the team, the biggest event of the season was the Winter Gator Classic held at Green Valley High School on January 1-4. Beside the fact that the women won four out of their five games by more than 10 points, and they took home the title for a third year in a row, multiple players said the turning point of the season was when they found their identity and glued together into one unit.

“It think it set a precedent for the rest of the city to see how we perform and the standards that we hold ourselves to,” junior center Kenna Scott said. “It definitely

Hanging banners

made a statement for everyone to see who the Grizzlies are.”

With the season over, the program now looks toward next season. Three players, guards Missy May Grimarez Valdez, Chelsea Camara and Kylah Collins, will be graduating next year, leaving head coach Billy Hemberger with nine returners, including sophomore Aliyah Gayles and junior Garrisen Freeman, and three spots to fill before next November.

“With the three seniors we graduate, we lose the following: heart, hustle, defense, an offensive post-player and reliability,” Hemberger said. “Filling those three spots will be hard, but they set an amazing example of our standards. Returning players set the tone for success. The 5A division is going to be a gauntlet and one that I welcome.”

Winter sports programs add four new banners to collection in gym

THE GRIZZLY GROWLER

March 9, 2020

sports

15

Womens’ bowling wins first state title

BY THE NUMBERS

Derek Raridon Sports Editor

2,356

The women’s bowling team beat the Arbor View Aggies on February 14 with a score of 9-0 (726-721,822-730, 808, 677) in the state tournament final.

This is the women’s first state title in the program’s history.

“It feels amazing,” lead-off bowler Carmen Guba said. “We all fought so hard and had our ups and downs, but everyone’s been so supportive, and nothing would be possible without them.”

The team started slow in the first game; the women converted most of their spares, but they couldn’t seem to string any strikes together in the first half of the game. In the second half, Guba strung four strikes together to end the game with a 229. With a gutterball in the tenth frame by Arbor View freshman Sage Tudman and a shaky finish by senior Maria Staubs, the women were able to pick up the first game win.

“It was a little hard,” senior bowler Kaeylie Timbal said. “I thought we were gonna go downhill, honestly, but we picked each other up. We told each other [that] we could do better [and] we know we can do this. So, going into the second game, I had a lot more confidence after that talk.”

The second and third games were a different story. The women were firing from all cylinders for the majority of the games. Guba was the main highlight for these games as well, shooting 236 and 246 while the rest of the team didn’t shoot below 160 in the second and third games. This led to the women beating Arbor View by 92

is Spring Valley’s total series in their state match against Arbor View. The series is the number of pins knocked down.

+228

is the number of pins Spring Valley defeated Arbor View with for the title.

97-11

is the womens’ record of how many points they won vs. lost.

9

is the number of times the team swept their opponent this season.

3

Courtesy of Caitlin Farr The womens’ bowling team poses with their first state championship trophy after they defeated Arbor View High School at the Orleans Bowling Center on February 14.

and 131 pins respectively.

“I’m so proud of every teammate of mine,” sophomore bowler Caitlin Farr said. “We’ve come such a far and long way, I can’t be anything but proud.”

This is the first time the women’s program has won the state title, though they had a bid for the title for the past three years. In 2017 and 2018, the women went to the state championship match but lost to Liberty High School in 2017 and Basic High School in 2018. Last year, the women made it to the regional semifinals, but lost to Clark 7-2.

“Oh my god, it’s absolutely amazing,” Timbal said. “Just the fact that I tried so hard my freshman and sophomore

year, and we lost so quickly, but we came [out] this year, [and] were determined. We had so much energy; we came out banging. It feels amazing.”

With the three games that she posted, Guba broke the school record for high women’s series for a match.

She had broken the record previously during the regular season with a 675 series versus Bishop Gorman on January 8. With her 229,238, and 246, Guba broke her own record with a 711.

“It feels cool to have the records,” Guba said. “But I’m striving to beat my brother’s 812. His talent pushed me to hit high, and now I want to do better.”

According to coach Kyle Martin,

is the number of times in the past four years that the team has gone to state.

1

student (Kaeylie Timbal) will graduate this year, with the remainder of the team returning.

the team has the opportunity to go to Cincinnati, Ohio, to participate in the High School Bowling National Championship if they so desire. The consensus gathered so far indicates that the women will be heading to Cincinnati.

“I think this team would fare very well in the national tournament,” Martin said. “They’re a great group.

There’s no one in this town that’s better than them. They will be a very successful team if they carry [the numbers] they’ve been putting up on the national level.”

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March 9, 2020

16

Flying to top

Flyers on the cheer team reach new heights with difficult stunts

Krystka Mariano Assistant Opinion Editor The feeling of weightlessness from being tossed several feet in the air is followed by cheers and spectacles from the crowd. Spirit and dignity is suspended over bases when the thought of danger is hidden by a facade of smiles. The nature of flying in cheerleading is not only supported by strength, but by a human structure of trust.

“You have to trust these people with your life,” senior and varsity flyer Samantha Martin said. “I just have to remind myself to fully commit to everything I do.”

Through her four years on the varsity cheerleading team, Martin has not only grown stronger within the sport, but she has also built a foundation of leadership through the trials and experiences in the world of competitive cheer.

“I’ve seen her grow a lot in the last couple years,” cheer coach Tiffany Hemberger said. “She used to be really quiet and rather sensitive, and now I feel like she’s strong and motivating, not only for herself, but for others.”

Though she won two back-to-back national titles during her cheer career, Martin’s success is due to her fair share of physical and mental challenges, the same type of challenges that other athletes within the sport experience.

In cheerleading, the role of a flyer is to top a stunt, held underneath by bases. While on top, flyers may pull a variety of flexible body positions or sometimes be thrown up, reaching as high as 10 feet above the bases’ hands. In any stunt, flyers must maintain a secure sense of body control and core strength in order to execute a good performance, not only for themselves, but for the team. Bases account for the same strength and sacrifice; as they hold the flyer up, they keep caution for the moment she might fall. The secret within the success of a stunt, however, is the foundation of trust, according to Hemberger.

“Trying a new stunt is always scary, but you just have to go into it with a clear mind and body awareness, so no one gets hurt,” Martin said. “I would say trusting your bases is the hardest thing. If you don’t trust your bases, nothing is going to work.”

Although stunts require the strength of teamwork, it goes without saying that injury is bound to happen.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, cheerleading carries the highest rate of catastrophic injuries for female athletes.

“I’ve definitely experienced a couple concussions from flying, which were scary and serious moments,” senior Kaityln Lucas said.

Lucas, who understands and fulfills the role of both a flyer and base, was recently put in as a flyer in the varsity competition routine, despite basing for the majority of the season. Although the techniques of each role are entirely different, Lucas believes flyers face more pressure, having to learn and adjust to a new stunt sequence within a short period of time.

“At the time, I felt scared, and I didnt want to fly anymore because of what happened, but I got over it for the team,” Lucas states.

With concussions and sprains being the most common physical injuries, cheerleading tackles mental challenges for athletes through the pressure to conceal pain.

“If you’re sore from practice, or if you’re hurt, you have to pretend like it’s okay,” said sophomore flyer Amanda Staron, who recalled an incident when she landed on her neck, falling from a stunt. “It makes you realise how dangerous cheer actually is because you never know when you can get a life-long injury from it, but you have to pretend like that’s not there.”

The rise of risks and dangers from cheerleading can be traced to the competitive nature of the sport. Stunts and routines in competitions become increasingly difficult, leading to a higher chance of injury.

“The overall goal for this season is to put out the best routine on the mat that we can,” Hemberger said.

Along with the longevity of the cheer season -- lasting nearly eleven months from April to February -- Hemberger also mentioned that maintaining a healthy body during the course of the season is a common challenge athletes face.

“I don’t think people realise how much a cheerleader has to do,” Hemberger said. “We also kind of forget that outside of the competitive cheer, we also support our football team and basketball team, and go to almost every single event that’s asked of us.”

It’s a goal, in every performance, to hide weaknesses and troubles. According to Lucas, attitude is key within a strong performance, as it resonates among everyone.

“Sometimes something might not hit [properly when executing the stunt] or go the way you want it to, and then you’ll get mad, and then, with that, it can affect the whole team,” she stated.

A common struggle that typically goes unnoticed within the competitive aspect of cheerleading is the mental blocks athletes constantly face. Even for Martin, whose techniques for flying have developed at an advanced level over four years, she still carries a sense of uncertainty.

“I always deal with fear and self doubt, but no matter what the outcome is, I know I did everything I could possibly do,” Martin said. “That’s all I can ask of myself.”

With the National Competition at Anaheim, California, quickly approaching, the cheerleading program aims to get the best out of the remaining season. Now with both junior varsity and varsity teams competing, the program intends to set forth a worthy experience. “[The goal is] not always about winning -- that’s almost like a bonus -- but to compete with no regrets and know that everything that we put into our practices came out on the mat,” Hemberger said.