Official Publication of Alameda High School Spring 2024
OnHumanitiesMajors
2024AHSPageantWinnersChosen
HundredsGathertoWatchStudentPoetsPerform
2024DanceShowcaseLeaveAudienceEntranced
CelebratingEarthDayasYouthToday
MovieReview:TheBeekeeper
AcalanesHighSwimmersUnabletoCompeteatNCSDueto Coach’sMistake
TeacherHighlight:ErinGalloway
WhatDidYouDoOverSpringBreak?
Trivia
OurStaff
When you scroll on the decision page of the AHS Classof2024,younoticea trendinthemajorsstudents choose: with many pursuing Engineering, sciences like Biology, pre-professionalfields,and social sciences like Economics. Yet,humanitiesmajorsare almostabsentfromthelist. Howso?AtAHS,situated in the BayArea, it makes sensethatstudentsaremore exposed to and likely to pursue the technology sector.However,thelackof a humanities major comparedtosocialsciences is not explained by that reason.
This trend continues nationwide at colleges. From 2012 to 2020, the number of English majors atArizonaStateUniversity decreasedfrom953to578 (TheNewYorker).
Oneofthemainreasonsfor thedeclineofHumanitiesis aperceptionthat humanitiesmajorsdonot leadtojobswithoutfurther graduateorprofessional schoollikeLaw.
Higher education now represents a seeming necessitytobeabletofind employment and, most importantly, a significant financial investment that shouldoffersolidreturns.
As the cost of education continues to rise,, with schools like USC costing over $95000 per year to attend, compared to just over$50000in2014-2015. Thecostisamajorhurdle for any family not belonging to the highest incomebracket.
It causes many students to want a direct pipeline to jobsthatcanpaybackthe cost.
They want the job security STEM majors can afford them, and if not STEM, then social sciences or pre-professional tracks like pre-med, pre-law, pre-business... Many see humanities majors as a luxurypursuitofinterest ratherthananecessity.
The prevalence of technology makes the discussion of literary classics seem obsolete. Although the skill of literate reading and critical thinking is more important than ever in the age of social media misinformation and AI, the investment in humanities from the education system has declined.
Fromuniversitiescutting budgetsonlanguageand humanities sector to the focus on STEM education from local K-12
school administrations to the federal government itself, humanities seems to havefallenbythewayside.
Publicuniversitiesinstates likeFlorida,WestVirginia, and even New York have stopped or reduced fundings for humanities majors (including English, politicalscience,theater,...) due to the lack of enrollments and shifting focus on technology and sciences.
Demographic changes in higher education can also account for the shift. An increasing number of first-generation and low-income students can enter universities, with 20.5% of the incoming Harvard freshman being first-generation. There is pressure for low-income studentstopursueSTEMor pre-professional tracks, which offer solid returns and a golden ticket for upward socioeconomic mobility.
represented in applied collegemajorscomparedto their continuing-generation peers—majors that have clearer and more explicit linkstospecificjobsinthe labormarket”
“The End of English Major” by The New Yorker, a Harvard student said, “My parents, who were low-income and immigrants,instilledinme the very great importance of finding a concentration [major]thatwouldgetmea job...”
She continues, “You have tobeaffluenttobeableto takethatonandstate,‘Oh, IcanpursuethisbecauseI have the money to do whateverIwant.”
Once again, humanity is perceived to be a luxury ratherthananecessity.
Humanitiesmajorsequip students with the ability to evaluate sources, analyze arguments, and discern truth from misinformation in a sea of data and opinions. In the global market, humanities majors can help develop cultural awarenessandtheability to communicate with diverseaudiences
Higher up, we need humanists to be the leaders in the increasingly technologicalworld.
According to research in 2021, “First-generation college students will be morehighly
Critical thinking skills are more vital than ever in an era characterized by rapid technological advancements and informationoverload.
Whether it's AI technology or social media, the push for technology and algorithms has consequences for personal privacy and polarizedpublicopinion. We are now more connected and isolated thaneverbefore.Maybe leaders can learn from CrimeandPunishment,a famous Russian novel thatdebatesmorality,can understand the perils of isolating opinions and overemphasizing utilitarianprofits.
The concern about employability is valid.Yet humanities graduates had andhavegoneontopursue a myriad of different jobs andcareers.Industriesseek employees who are problem solvers who can collaborate and communicate.
Contrary to popular belief, an analysis found that humanities majors under the age of 35 are actually less likely to be unemployed than social science and life science majors.
While it is less clear than othermajors,humanities
majorswouldbeabletoget jobs as long as they use opportunities for internshipsandnetworking, just like social sciences or STEMmajors.
Humanitiesmajorsarenow changing. In 2022, enrollments to UC Berkeley's Art and Humanities Division increasedby121percent.
Many universities are expanding on interdisciplinary majors within Humanities such as Culture,Technology,
OnFridayMay3,thethis year’s edition of the AHS pageant (formerly Mr. AHS)tookplace,featuring manywackyandwonderful acts from 15 contestants ranging from sophomores to seniors all vying to become the next pageant champion.
Puttogetherbyleadership
and spirit committees, contestants were first introducedandthenstrutted their stuff in a swimsuit fashionshow.
Onebyonetheymadetheir wayacrossthestagetothe tune of “Kokomo” byThe Beach Boys, stunning outfits ranging from snorkelstoflamingopool
and Environment at ASU.Alongsidecreative majors like Film and Media, Creative Writing...
Enrollment in those majors has been increasing since the Pandemic. Humanities departmentsarefeelinga push to modernize to fit with changing students’ needsandpreferences.
Ultimately, the question should not be whether the humanities have a roleineducationbuthow they can be invested in and changed alongside ourdevelopingsociety.
floaties on display. A talent show then followed, with many singers and other talents on display. Highlights included Carmen Baskette burping her ABCsandMiloHartlaub performing a light-speed rendition of “Yakko’s World” from the Animaniacs.After
beholding the amazing talent on display, the audiencethengottoknow eachcontestmoreindepth viaaformalsegment,with Pageant emcee and the night’shostElizabethScott evaluating the contestant’s formal outfits and asking themhard-hittingquestions suchas“Whatisyourbest feature?” and “What fruit would you be in a fruit salad?”
Some questions, however left the contestants at a loss- quite literally, as emcee Scott asked for variousarticlesofclothing from the contestants, assembling an entire outfit for themselves, consisting of hats, sunglasses, accessories, and all other formsofclothing.
To reclaim their articles, contestants scrambled acrossthestagehuntingfor their items, with the spectacle serving as the penultimatesegmentofthe pageant. To wrap up the pageant, a trivia competitionwasheld,with schoolrelatedquestions
often stumping the contestants, and serving as fun brain teasers for the audienceaswell.
Atthispointanewaspect to the pageant was revealed, where the three judgesofthepageantwere revealed. Ms. Goldberg, Ms.Boseh,andMs.Hoeft were introduced and soon retiredtodotheirscoring.
In this time the audiences received more comedy japesfromemceeScott,as the trivia competition continued until the judges were ready. At that moment, all contestants weretoldtostandasthetop three contestants were announced,thirdplacewas awarded to Senior Zyon Mak, with Senior Jack Yeun taking second, and Senior Carmen Baskette becoming crowned as the nextAHS pageant winner.
“I was totally shocked” stated Baskette, “I wasn’t planning on taking part until the day before and I hadnofaiththatI’dwinby burpingmyABCsbuthere we are!”. A similar view wassharedbysecondplace winnerYeun,
“I was honestly just doing it for fun so actually getting something from it was nice”.Thirdplacewinner Mak felt similarly, stating, “Being in the pageant was such a fun experience…I wasn’t focusedonwinning but havingagoodtimewith friends on stage”. This sense of fun was shared by the audience whom, after seeing the winners crowned, gave them a standing ovation. Celebration then ensued, withajoyfulatmosphere in the air, and a wonderful night being hadbyall.
Baskettewinningfirstplace. (photo:MarcellPeto)
On May 21, dozens of studentssharedtheirpoetry on stage in the Little Theater in front of hundreds of their peers during fifth period. So many people were in the audience that most poets stayed sitting onstage throughtheshow.
The poetry performances focused on a wide variety of topics spanning from childhood memories to current struggles to their lifereflections.
Theeventwasinitiatedby AHSEnglishteachersLisa Piazza and SadaAshkenes in replacement of the annualYouthSpeakspoetry competition.“Weoriginally decided to organize a poetry slam/showcase at AHS because our Poetry Team found out that the YouthSpeaksUnifiedSlam wouldn't be happening the samewaythisyear,andwe wantedtogivethepoetson theteamachanceto
perform their pieces,” said Piazza.“Then,itturnedout that Youth Speaks was organizing aUnifiedevent afterall--butinadifferent form, now called "Verses and Vibes." Our team auditioned and made the list of schools invited to perform on May 24 at the Brava Theater in San Francisco. So, the 2024 AHSPoetryteamhasbeen lucky in that they could perform at two events this month!”
Thepoetryeventservedas a method of spreading poetry to more students at AlamedaHigh.
“AlamedaHighhasbeen working with Youth Speaks for the last 7 yearsandhassentpoets to participate in the Unified District Slam Competition. We are hopingtogrowourown poetryclubhereandget more students involved in writing and reading their work, so having a poetry showcase on site seemedlikeagoodway to get students excited aboutpoetry,”saidSada Ashkenes.
While some poets decidedtoperformasolo poem, others performed inlargergroupsorpairs, such as juniors Ritisha BatchuandSunnyXu.
“Our poem was about mental health and coming together as a community,”saidRitisha Batchu.
Batchu appreciated the opportunitytousepoetry asamediumfor
teamwork and speaking out:“Ithinkitwasagreat opportunity to raise awareness on the stress that’s put on students, and how it’s important to rely on others and take help to achieveone’sgoals.”
[Excerpt from Ritisha Batchu and Sunny Xu’s poem]
Lostinthought,whereworriescreep, Themindamaze,thatcannevercease, Eachtwistandturn,asilentplea, Beneaththeweightofanxiety.
Our goals may be different, but our challenges tiein
Soletusstand,handinhand, Togetherfacingwhatmaystand, Forinourunity,wefindrelease, Andinourstrength,wefindourpeace. Eachminddiffersandstaysinchange, Butwithourhopewestayablaze
Senior Isabella Pham has been performing on the AHS Poetry Team for the pastthreeyears.
cried a bit in the process because it was a lot to reflect on, since my mom told me I will be just like hersomeday,andIalways just brushed that thought off.Shedoesn’tevenknow this poem exists because I’mnotreadyforhertosee itorhearityet,”saidPham.
[ExcerptfromIsabellaPham’spoem]
Godtoldher, eachbodyistheflowerofallflesh.
Soshelooksatmewithdrearyeyes totellme, Iamherseed,herwish,herwonder, alifeshewantstolivethrough.
Sophomore Ariana Robinson, who is new to readingpoetryinfrontofa crowd, said that “performing was scary becauseIdidn’tknowhow otherswouldtakeitin.”
Thisyear,shededicatedher poem “Garden” to her mother.“Iwrotethispoem increativewritingand
[Excerpt from Ariana Robinson’s and TiffanyVi’spoem]
Tiffany-istrugglewithacceptingmyself
Ariana-istrugglewithmyselfpride
Together - our struggles are different yet wesufferthesame
Tiffany-i’mnot“foreign”
Ariana-i’mnotghetto
Together-wereallyaren’twhatyouthink
Piazza teaches the CreativeWritingclassat AHS where they focus the second semester of each year on poetry reading, analysis, and writing:“Iloveteaching poetry. I love guiding students to books by living poets each year and I love the way they turnaroundandteachthe classapoemthatspeaks tothem. Wereadpoetry, talked about poetic elements, wrote poetry together,andthenafew brave poets read their worktotheclass.”
However, she added that “writingmypoemfeltvery freeing and like a weight wasliftedoffmy shoulders” and that she would“recommendmore people do it to express themselves.”
She also incorporates poetry into her other English classes: “I feel veryhonoredtobeinthe roomwherethishappens -it'simportantforyoung people(allpeople,really) to be able to play with languageandspeak
their truth at the same time.”
Several groups on stage discussed what poetry meanttothem,referencing freedom, expression, and identity.
ThisiswhatPiazzahadto say about poetry: “poetry brings people together. It builds an immediate community because students have to be open witheachother–there'sa rawness that requires both vulnerability and acceptance. Like theatre, when people laugh together, cry together, and gasp together, amazing things can happen. We definitely want to provide moreopportunitiesforthis inthefuture.”
Ashkenes added: “I think poetryisimportantbecause itgivesstudentsvoiceand an opportunity to be unapologetically themselves and share their opinions about the world withanaudience.Poetryis alsoabeautifulandlyrical formatthatallowsothersto haveawindowintoother
people's experiences. Poetry inspires us to empathize and sometimes tocreatechange.”
Studentsgettingreadyfortheshow
The 25th ofApril sparked thefirstnightofthisyear's Spring dance showcase. Students from all 3 dance levels came together, merging styles such as contemporary,jazz,hip-hop andeverythinginbetween, with dances only to be described as full of life. With songs ranging from alternative to rap, pop to musical tracks, the crowd was able to interact and singalongtothedances.
Choreographed by dance teacher Rachel McCrayDenton,aswellasstudents fromDance3anddance2, thepieceskepttheaudience ontheedgeof
their seats, awaiting the next dance. One of the biggest highlights of the night was senior Angelica Zhu’sperformancethatshe choreographed and starred in, alongside the Dance 3 class,mergedcontemporary andballetinaninterpretive story which left the audienceentranced.
Thisshowsparkedthelast show for multiple seniors across all dance classes, some who have been with Ms. Rachel, as students refertoMcCray-Dentonher wholetimeatAHS.
But this year simultaneously was also thefirstyearformultiple students, including freshman Kylee MacLeod. “It was really good, and better than I expected. Everyone was so incredibly welcoming andaccommodating,and Ms.Rachel is just so amazing and such an excellent choreographer. She's such a loving and genuinepersonandcares aboutallherstudentsso much,”MacLeodsaid.
When asked about any advice she has for incoming freshmen this fallwhoareinterestedin
dance,MacLeodsaid,“Just do your best, actually try andparticipatecauseit'sso fun,andjustenjoydance”.
In the Dance 2 piece, the audience even received a reference to this year's springmusical,theAddams Family.
One of the most notable traits of this year was the theatrical elements of the dances. Using body languagespokevolumesin allowing for the crowd to be immersed into these performances.
Thespringdanceshowcase hasbecomesuchapinnacle momentintheschoolyear, leaving the audience in awe,andwonderingwhatis instorefornextyear.
Over fifty years ago, the first Earth day was celebrated in the United States. It was built on the growing environmentalist movements during that period of time, as well as themomentoussoundfrom student voices all over the U.S.
Theideawasfirstrootedin the intention of creating a cleaner and healthier environment after having seen the massive amounts of emitted pollutants from the industrial revolution. However, the movement was not sparked until the aftermath of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara Californiain1979. Itwasduringthistimethat the founder of Earth Day, Senator Gaylord Nelson, decidedtodedicateadayto increasing environmental awareness in the United States. Inspired by the studentanti-war
movements that over 900 campuses had been taking part in, Senator Nelson, along with other young activistsaimedtofocuson the voices of the youth to advocate this important message. In fact, they specifically organized protests and marches between spring break and finals to maximize student participationandsupport.
Thanks to the massive amount of support from student bodies, the first EarthDayin1970quickly gainedtractionandbecame what was, and still is, the largestsecularprotestinthe world.
This day has become such an important sensation for all those aroundtheworld,serving asaconstantreminderto protectouroneandonly home.
Why is Earth Day Important?
As climate change continues to evolve and harm our planet, Earth Day serves as an encouragement to participate in clean, green events to reduce globalwarming.
MITClimate states that, “it could take centuries for[temperatures]tofall to the levels humans enjoyed before we started burning fossil fuels.”However,thereis still hope. It is so important,especially
Over time, Earth Day has become a massive international event with over one billion growing participants each year. It has passed a plethora of lawssuchasTheCleanAir Act and The Clean Water Act, in addition to the formation of organizations thatincludethe Environmental Protection Agency that continue to positively impactoursocietytoday.
now, to rally together the voices of the youth to advocate against these pressingissues.
When looking back, the youthwerejustascredible as Senator Nelson was to thefoundationofEarthDay inoursociety,astheinitial protestswerehighlybacked up by students all across America.Therefore,nowis the time to stand up and come together to elevate our diverse and powerful voicesagainstthesematters thatgrowcloserandcloser byday.
Waystocontribute:
● Turn off ElectronicsHelping the earth can be as easy as turning off the lights when they aren’t in use or remembering to turn off any electronicssuchas phones, ipads, computers,etc.
● contribute and help theearthisbypicking uptrash.Itcanbeas easyastakingawalk and looking for any trash or volunteering forabeachcleanup.
● ReduceYour Carbon Footprint- Another wayyoucanhelpthe earth is by driving less. For example, instead of getting driven to school you can walk or ride a bike.
● Switch to reusable bags- Instead of buying plastic bags when you are shopping you can reducewastebyusing reusablebags.
● Donate- Lastly instead of throwing awayoldplastictoys, clothing, cans, etc. youcanreducewaste bydonating.
● TrashPickup-One oftheeasiestways thatyoucan
If you are looking for a high-actionmoviewiththe protagonistforcedbackinto action to take revenge on thosewhocommitevil, The Beekeeper directed by David Ayer is a 2024 American action thriller filmstarringJasonStatham.
In the movie a beekeeper namedAdamClay(played by Statham) is driven to take revenge when a close friend of his commits suicide after being scammedonlineandlosing allofhermoney.
In his revenge, he firebombs the call center that scammed his friend and kills the manager to send a message to the technologyexecutiveDerek Danforth,whorunsaglobal online extortion scheme. Derek then contacts a former C.I.A. director named Wallace Westwyld to ask the current director tokillClay.He
thensendsa“Beekeeper”,a highly specialized killer agent, to kill Clay only to be neutralized at a gas station.
The F.B.I. learn that Clay usedtobeaBeekeeperand asksforsubstantialsupport to combat him. Clay later infiltrates Derek’s main officeanddefeatsboththe F.B.I SWAT team and ex-specialforcespersonnel.
Derek then decides to staywithhismother,the United States President Jessica Danforth, at her beachsidemansionunder SecretServiceprotection withWallace'sadvice.
Clay however successfully sneaks in, neutralizing all the guards including the Secret Service. He then killsDerek,savingthe
president’s life as she was at Derek’s gunpoint. The F.B.I. catch up to try to captureorkillClaybuthe victoriously escapes by goingintotheoceanusing scubagear.
In my opinion, I really enjoyed the high octane action that is actually realistic.Whatintriguesme mostishowonemanwith training, skills, knowledge, and the right mindset can outsmart and even defeat professional law enforcement as well elite forces.
Thiswouldbeanincredibly hardfeattopulloff,given that the protagonist Clay used to be and is a Beekeeper who still keeps hisexpertisesharp.Another aspect of the movie that fascinates me is the intertwining connection between the illegitimate business of Derek Danforth, the C.I.A., and the highest member of the UnitedStates
government, President JessicaDanforth.
What is interesting is that DerekDanforthusedC.I.A. software for his online extortionbusinessandused the money to help get his mother elected to presidency.
Wallace Westwyld helped protect Derek and the president, meaning even though he was not the current Director of the C.I.A.hestillhadsomesort ofinfluence/control.
Even though Jessica got elected, later towards the end of the movie she decides to tell the public about her son’s extortion business.
She still had some morals and this was the possible reasonwhyClaysavedher life because he fought this whole way in to bring his idea of justice. The movie subtly brings the issue of onlinefraudandhowit
could affect people who fallforit,aswellashow corruption could plague our trusted federal institutions.
North Coast Sectionals (NCS)isoneofthebiggest competitions for high school swimmers in NorthernCalifornia.It'sthe culminating meet of the seasonwhereallschoolsin Northern California come together and race. This is the last chance for swimmers to get a CIF Statequalifyingcutandall those who will be competingatStatehaveto race at NCS in order to qualify.
Theduedateforsubmitting NCS times and relays was set at April 28. However, the entire Acalanes swim team in Lafayette was unable to compete at NCS because of a time entry errormadebyheadcoach, BrettUsinger,accordingto an article on ABC News. So, understandably, many seniors at Acalanes High Schoolareupsettheycan’t compete. NCS cannot go backontheirfinaldeadline
because it would conflict with their past strictness withdeadlines.
The coach claimed that because the website was faulty and did not confirm if he had submitted the times,hewasunabletobe sure and ended up not completingit.
Thecoachandteamturned to the press after the error was made, making a Youtubevideoandposting an article on their school website. The swimmers were not angry with their coachbutinsteadputthe
blame on NCS for their difficult-to-use time enteringsystem.
They were rightfully upset,butCoachUsinger made a mistake and all coaches must accept the consequences of their actions. Many other coaches empathize with the swimmers’ struggle but ultimately it is the coach’sfault.
“Cryingtothepressis ridiculous. In the past Alameda has had some swimmersnotbeableto competeduetodeadline issuesandweaccepted
the consequences of our actions,” said Nellie Cazares, head coach of Alameda High School’s women's swim team. “It's devastating for the swimmers but what's done isdone.”
Inthissituationtheblameis completely on the coach. Since NCS is such an importantmeetacoachhas toensuretheygetthetimes in on time and don’t wait until the last minute. He could have reached out for help or had one of his assistant coaches enter the timesforhim.
Amistake like this can be detrimental to an athlete's career, but NCS can’t go back on their deadlines. Swimmers who have been told they are going would nowhavetheirplacestaken byAcalanesswimmers.It's unfairtogetstudents’hopes upjusttotakeawayallthey worked for. For example Alameda High School swimmer Annabelle Catic has worked very hard the entire season and reached her goal of making NCS, but her seedings would completely change if Acalanes were allowed to compete.
“If they change it now all of our times and seedings willbemixedup,andthose who thought they were going to NCS and weren’t with Acalanes times, will be devastated,” Catic, a freshman,said.
It'sadifficultsituation,but NCSshouldnothurtthose whohavealreadyqualified.
Deadlines are taken very seriouslyinswimmingand noexceptionscanbemade for those who don’t meet them. So many schools in thepasthavenotbeenable to compete due to entry errors, so letting Acalanes competewouldbeaslapin the face to all those past teams.
Coaches are used to getting away with whatever they want. Theycontroltheirteams and are often the organizers of meets. It's good to be flexible sometimesbutaregional meet is not the time.
Deadlinesshouldalways berespected.
It's unfortunate many seniors must miss their final NCS, but it's only fair to all of the other swimmers competing at themeet.
Why did you want to become a teacher/what inspiredyou?
Itookaneducationclasson awhimincollegebecause itcoveredabunchofG.E. credits,andIactuallyreally liked it; I found it really interesting.
I started doing research with that professor, and I kept on taking more Ed classesandmoreEdclasses and more Ed classes and ended up minoring in education when I was studyingPhysics,andIjust sorta slowly fell in love withit.Itwasthatadvisor thattoldmemaybeI’dlike teaching, and turns out I do! Whyphysics?
‘Cause it’s the coolest science! It was always gonna be some type of science.Ifitwasn’tgonna be physics, it would’ve been astronomy. If it wasn’tastronomy,probably meteorology.
How did you end up workingatAHS?
When I was applying for jobs,therewere3-4physics openingsintheBayAreaIwaslookingtoliveinthe Bay Area - and Alameda wasoneofthem.Igotthe job here, and the other placesIgotjobsat,Iwasn’t asinterestedin.Therewas something aboutAHS that waslike,“Ilikethisplace!”
What’s your favorite thingaboutteaching?
I like getting students excited about science and math and getting them to realizethatthey’reactually capable scientists and mathematicians; that’s just reallyrewarding.
What was your best day asateacher?
I don’t know if I have a best day ever; I definitely have really, really good dayswherethelessonwent
super well, I had super interesting conversations with students, we had a fun time, fun, silly sciencejokesweresaid. Whatwasyourworst?
Same vein - I probably can’t pick just one day. Ooh, I take that back! COVID teaching. The day that we found out from District that we weredoingthat,andwe had no prep, and it felt like I was a first-year teacher again but even worse, because I had absolutelynoideawhatI wasgoingtodo.Andthat was really scary, and it wasreallydepressing.
That first day I did a lesson and had no idea how it went because it feltlikeIwasjusttalking to the void. I had an office-hours and no one came to office hours on Zoom.Sittingaloneina Zoomroomforanhour!
How has teaching changedsinceyoustarted, ifatall?
The accessibility of technologyhasimproveda lot.When I first started at AlamedaHigh,wehadtwo computer labs and like… four chrome-carts for the wholeschool.
Youhadtorequestatleasta month in advance sometimes to get the computer lab or the chrome-carts, so it was really difficult to do computer-based labs and simulations;that’schanged alot,obviously,becausewe havechromebooksnow.
We’reinanewbuilding;I used to be in Ms. Ashkenes’s room, and becauseImovedinandthe teacher before me had retired,Imovedinandall ofhisstuff,hisbelongings, werestillinthere.Wekeep on using a lot of his stuff for labs and such. But it didn’tfeellike my room.
SowhenwemovedintoD building,thisroomhere,is like mine. This is mine, every little piece of it is where I haveputit,andthat feelsreallygreat!
What do you like to do outside of teaching (hobbies,etc.)?
I like doing sports; I like playing on the softball team,playingsoccer.Ilike to go on walks and hikes with my dog. My artsy hobby, my art outlet, is sewing. It’s a really nice stress-reliefforme.
Whatdoyousew?
like they could do hard things, and they could applythemselves,anddo things that on paper sound scary but once they approach it it’s actuallynotthatbadand canbequitefun.
Anyfinalremarks?
‘Sup,hi!’
Iliketosewclothing!I’m not great at it yet, but it feels good to make something.
What do you hope your students remember about youwhentheygraduate?
That they felt like they were capable, in my classroom.Thattheyfelt
PhotoCredit:ErinGallowayIwenttoNewYorkCitywiththesymphonicband.
-JackieZou,Senior
IwonthegoldfirstontheNewYorkbandtrip.
-LoganThomas,Junior
Ihostedadinnerparty,spentadayattheAlamedabeachwithfriends,spentadayat thebeachinHalfMoonBay(alsowithfriends),wentrockclimbing,wenttoapunk show,anddidtheMs.Roenischpoetrypacket.
-TéaLoren,Senior
IwenttotheLaufeyconcert.
-JuniperVintson,Senior IwenttoPalmSpringsandCoachella.
-ElizabethBennet,Freshman
Ijuststayedhome.
-FredericOverholser,Freshman
1. Inthemovie Top Gun,whoisPete“Maverick”Mitchell’sbestfriendforthe firsthalfofthemovie?
2. Whatcountryhasthemosthighspeedrail(highspeedrailareeithernew railroadlinesbuilttohandlespeedsabove250km/h(155mph)orupgraded linesinexcessof200km/h(124mph))?
3. Whatisthefavoritelineofthe35thUSPresidentJohnF.Kennedy?
4. Whatisthedifferencebetweenanimalandplantcells?
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