Spring 2024

The Oak Leaf

Official Publication of Alameda High School

Spring 2024

CONTENTS 3

On Humanities Majors

5

2024 AHS Pageant Winners Chosen

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Hundreds Gather to Watch Student Poets Perform

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2024 Dance Showcase Leave Audience Entranced

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Celebrating Earth Day as Youth Today

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Movie Review: The Beekeeper

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Acalanes High Swimmers Unable to Compete at NCS Due to Coach’s Mistake

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Teacher Highlight: Erin Galloway

20 What Did You Do Over Spring Break?

21

Trivia

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Our Staff

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Cover Photo Credit: Angelica Zhu

On Humanities Majors Written by Chau Apple Nguyen When you scroll on the decision page of the AHS Class of 2024, you notice a trend in the majors students choose: with many pursuing Engineering, sciences like Biology, pre-professional fields, and social sciences like Economics.

The Decline Humanities Majors

Yet, humanities majors are almost absent from the list.

How so? At AHS, situated in the Bay Area, it makes sense that students are more exposed to and likely to pursue the technology sector. However, the lack of a humanities major compared to social sciences is not explained by that reason.

Higher education now represents a seeming necessity to be able to find employment and, most importantly, a significant financial investment that should offer solid returns.

This trend continues nationwide at colleges.

From 2012 to 2020, the number of English majors at Arizona State University decreased from 953 to 578 (The New Yorker).

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One of the main reasons for the decline of Humanities is a perception that humanities majors do not lead to jobs without further graduate or professional school like Law.

As the cost of education continues to rise,, with schools like USC costing over $95000 per year to attend, compared to just over $50000 in 2014-2015.

The cost is a major hurdle for any family not belonging to the highest income bracket.

It causes many students to want a direct pipeline to jobs that can pay back the cost.

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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 luxury pursuit of interest rather than a necessity.

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.

From universities cutting budgets on language and humanities sector to the focus on STEM education from local K-12

school administrations to the federal government itself, humanities seems to have fallen by the wayside.

Public universities in states like Florida, West Virginia, and even New York have stopped or reduced fundings for humanities majors (including English, political science, 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 students to pursue STEM or pre-professional tracks, which offer solid returns and a golden ticket for upward socioeconomic mobility.

According to research in 2021, “First-generation college students will be more highly

represented in applied college majors compared to their continuing-generation peers—majors that have clearer and more explicit links to specific jobs in the labor market” In “The End of English Major” by The New Yorker, a Harvard student said, “My parents, who were low-income and immigrants, instilled in me the very great importance of finding a concentration [major] that would get me a job...”

She continues, “You have to be affluent to be able to take that on and state, ‘Oh, I can pursue this because I have the money to do whatever I want.”

Once again, humanity is perceived to be a luxury rather than a necessity.

The Case For Humanities Critical thinking skills are more vital than ever in an era characterized by rapid technological advancements and information overload.

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Humanities majors equip 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 awareness and the ability to communicate with diverse audiences Higher up, we need humanists to be the leaders in the increasingly technological world.

Whether it's AI technology or social media, the push for technology and algorithms has consequences for personal privacy and polarized public opinion.

We are now more connected and isolated than ever before. Maybe leaders can learn from Crime and Punishment, a famous Russian novel that debates morality, can understand the perils of isolating opinions and overemphasizing utilitarian profits.

The concern about employability is valid. Yet humanities graduates had and have gone on to pursue a myriad of different jobs and careers. Industries seek 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 other majors, humanities

majors would be able to get jobs as long as they use opportunities for internships and networking, just like social sciences or STEM majors.

The Rise?

Humanities majors are now changing.

In 2022, enrollments to UC Berkeley's Art and Humanities Division increased by 121 percent.

Many universities are expanding on interdisciplinary majors within Humanities such as Culture, Technology,

and Environment at ASU. Alongside creative majors like Film and Media, Creative Writing...

Enrollment in those majors has been increasing since the Pandemic. Humanities departments are feeling a push to modernize to fit with changing students’ needs and preferences.

Ultimately, the question should not be whether the humanities have a role in education but how they can be invested in and changed alongside our developing society. .

2024 AHS Pageant Winners Chosen Written by Marcell Peto On Friday May 3, the this year’s edition of the AHS pageant (formerly Mr. AHS) took place, featuring many wacky and wonderful acts from 15 contestants ranging from sophomores to seniors all vying to become the next pageant champion.

Put together by leadership

and spirit committees, contestants were first introduced and then strutted their stuff in a swimsuit fashion show.

One by one they made their way across the stage to the tune of “Kokomo” by The Beach Boys, stunning outfits ranging from snorkels to flamingo pool 5

floaties on display. A talent show then followed, with many singers and other talents on display. Highlights included Carmen Baskette burping her ABCs and Milo Hartlaub performing a light-speed rendition of “Yakko’s World” from the Animaniacs. After

beholding the amazing talent on display, the audience then got to know each contest more in depth via a formal segment, with Pageant emcee and the night’s host Elizabeth Scott evaluating the contestant’s formal outfits and asking them hard-hitting questions such as “What is your best 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 various articles of clothing from the contestants, assembling an entire outfit for themselves, consisting of hats, sunglasses, accessories, and all other forms of clothing.

To reclaim their articles, contestants scrambled across the stage hunting for their items, with the spectacle serving as the penultimate segment of the pageant. To wrap up the pageant, a trivia competition was held, with school related questions

often stumping the contestants, and serving as fun brain teasers for the audience as well.

At this point a new aspect to the pageant was revealed, where the three judges of the pageant were revealed. Ms. Goldberg, Ms. Boseh, and Ms. Hoeft were introduced and soon retired to do their scoring.

In this time the audiences received more comedy japes from emcee Scott, as the trivia competition continued until the judges were ready. At that moment, all contestants were told to stand as the top three contestants were announced, third place was awarded to Senior Zyon Mak, with Senior Jack Yeun taking second, and Senior Carmen Baskette becoming crowned as the next AHS pageant winner.

“I was totally shocked” stated Baskette, “I wasn’t planning on taking part until the day before and I had no faith that I’d win by burping my ABCs but here we are!”. A similar view was shared by second place winner Yeun, 6

“I was honestly just doing it for fun so actually getting something from it was nice”. Third place winner Mak felt similarly, stating, “Being in the pageant was such a fun experience…I wasn’t focused on winning but having a good time with 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, with a joyful atmosphere in the air, and a wonderful night being had by all.

Baskette winning first place. (photo: Marcell Peto)

Hundreds Gather to Watch Student Poets Perform Written by Angelica Zhu On May 21, dozens of students shared their poetry 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 through the show.

The poetry performances focused on a wide variety of topics spanning from childhood memories to current struggles to their life reflections.

The event was initiated by AHS English teachers Lisa Piazza and Sada Ashkenes in replacement of the annual Youth Speaks poetry competition. “We originally decided to organize a poetry slam/showcase at AHS because our Poetry Team found out that the Youth Speaks Unified Slam wouldn't be happening the same way this year, and we wanted to give the poets on the team a chance to

perform their pieces,” said Piazza. “Then, it turned out that Youth Speaks was organizing a Unified event after all - - but in a different 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 AHS Poetry team has been lucky in that they could perform at two events this month!”

The poetry event served as a method of spreading poetry to more students at Alameda High.

“Alameda High has been working with Youth Speaks for the last 7 years and has sent poets to participate in the Unified District Slam Competition.

We are hoping to grow our own poetry club here and get more students involved in writing and reading their work, so having a poetry showcase on site seemed like a good way to get students excited about poetry,” said Sada Ashkenes.

While some poets decided to perform a solo poem, others performed in larger groups or pairs, such as juniors Ritisha Batchu and Sunny Xu. “Our poem was about mental health and coming together as a community,” said Ritisha Batchu.

Ritisha Batchu and Sunny Xu

Batchu appreciated the opportunity to use poetry as a medium for

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teamwork and speaking out: “I think it was a great 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 achieve one’s goals.”

[Excerpt from Ritisha Batchu and Sunny Xu’s poem]

cried a bit in the process because it was a lot to reflect on, since my mom told me I will be just like her someday, and I always just brushed that thought off. She doesn’t even know this poem exists because I’m not ready for her to see it or hear it yet,” said Pham.

Lost in thought, where worries creep, The mind a maze, that can never cease, Each twist and turn, a silent plea, Beneath the weight of anxiety. …

Our goals may be different, but our challenges tie in So let us stand, hand in hand, Together facing what may stand, For in our unity, we find release, And in our strength, we find our peace.

Each mind differs and stays in change, But with our hope we stay ablaze

Senior Isabella Pham has been performing on the AHS Poetry Team for the past three years.

Isabella Pham

This year, she dedicated her poem “Garden” to her mother. “I wrote this poem in creative writing and

Ariana Robinson and Tiffany Vi [Excerpt from Isabella Pham’s poem] God told her, each body is the flower of all flesh.

So she looks at me with dreary eyes to tell me, I am her seed, her wish, her wonder, a life she wants to live through.

Sophomore Ariana Robinson, who is new to reading poetry in front of a crowd, said that “performing was scary because I didn’t know how others would take it in.”

However, she added that “writing my poem felt very freeing and like a weight was lifted off my

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shoulders” and that she would “recommend more people do it to express themselves.”

[Excerpt from Ariana Robinson’s and Tiffany Vi’s poem] Tiffany - i struggle with accepting myself Ariana - i struggle with my self pride Together - our struggles are different yet we suffer the same Tiffany - i’m not “foreign” Ariana - i’m not ghetto Together - we really aren’t what you think

Piazza teaches the Creative Writing class at AHS where they focus the second semester of each year on poetry reading, analysis, and writing: “I love teaching poetry. I love guiding students to books by living poets each year and I love the way they turn around and teach the class a poem that speaks to them. We read poetry, talked about poetic elements, wrote poetry together, and then a few brave poets read their work to the class.”

She also incorporates poetry into her other English classes: “I feel very honored to be in the room where this happens - it's important for young people (all people, really) to be able to play with language and speak

their truth at the same time.”

Several groups on stage discussed what poetry meant to them, referencing freedom, expression, and identity.

This is what Piazza had to say about poetry: “poetry brings people together. It builds an immediate community because students have to be open with each other – there's a 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 more opportunities for this in the future.”

people's experiences.

Poetry inspires us to empathize and sometimes to create change.”

Students getting ready for the show

Ashkenes added: “I think poetry is important because it gives students voice and an opportunity to be unapologetically themselves and share their opinions about the world with an audience. Poetry is also a beautiful and lyrical format that allows others to have a window into other

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2024 Dance Showcase Leaves Audience Entranced Written by Ilan Alcasas Photos by Brian Lam The 25th of April sparked the first night of this year's Spring dance showcase.

Students from all 3 dance levels came together, merging styles such as contemporary, jazz, hip-hop and everything in between, 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 sing along to the dances.

Dance 3 students in the opening number, Moulin Rouge

Choreographed by dance teacher Rachel McCrayDenton, as well as students from Dance 3 and dance 2, the pieces kept the audience on the edge of

their seats, awaiting the next dance. One of the biggest highlights of the night was senior Angelica Zhu’s performance that she choreographed and starred in, alongside the Dance 3 class, merged contemporary and ballet in an interpretive story which left the audience entranced.

But this year simultaneously was also the first year for multiple students, including freshman Kylee MacLeod. “It was really good, and better than I expected. Everyone was so incredibly welcoming and accommodating, and Ms.Rachel is just so amazing and such an excellent choreographer.

She's such a loving and genuine person and cares about all her students so much,” MacLeod said.

Sophia Barajas

This show sparked the last show for multiple seniors across all dance classes, some who have been with Ms. Rachel, as students refer to McCray-Denton her whole time at AHS.

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When asked about any advice she has for incoming freshmen this fall who are interested in

dance, MacLeod said, “Just do your best, actually try and participate cause it's so fun, and just enjoy dance”.

In the Dance 2 piece, the audience even received a reference to this year's spring musical, the Addams Family.

One of the most notable traits of this year was the theatrical elements of the dances.

Using body language spoke volumes in allowing for the crowd to be immersed into these performances.

The spring dance showcase has become such a pinnacle moment in the school year, leaving the audience in awe, and wondering what is in store for next year.

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Celebrating Earth Day as Youth Today Written by Ella Randecker, Olivia Vu, and Genevieve Yuen

What is Earth Day? 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 the momentous sound from student voices all over the U.S. The idea was first rooted in 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 California in 1979.

It was during this time that the founder of Earth Day, Senator Gaylord Nelson, decided to dedicate a day to increasing environmental awareness in the United States. Inspired by the student anti- war

movements that over 900 campuses had been taking part in, Senator Nelson, along with other young activists aimed to focus on 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 participation and support.

Thanks to the massive amount of support from student bodies, the first Earth Day in 1970 quickly gained traction and became what was, and still is, the largest secular protest in the world.

Over time, Earth Day has become a massive international event with over one billion growing participants each year. It has passed a plethora of laws such as The Clean Air Act and The Clean Water Act, in addition to the formation of organizations that include the

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Environmental Protection Agency that continue to positively impact our society today.

This day has become such an important sensation for all those around the world, serving as a constant reminder to protect our one and only home.

Why is Earth Important?

Day

As climate change continues to evolve and harm our planet, Earth Day serves as an encouragement to participate in clean, green events to reduce global warming.

MIT Climate states that, “it could take centuries for [temperatures] to fall to the levels humans enjoyed before we started burning fossil fuels.” However, there is still hope. It is so important, especially

now, to rally together the voices of the youth to advocate against these pressing issues.

When looking back, the youth were just as credible as Senator Nelson was to the foundation of Earth Day in our society, as the initial protests were highly backed up by students all across America. Therefore, now is the time to stand up and come together to elevate our diverse and powerful voices against these matters that grow closer and closer by day.

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contribute and help the earth is by picking up trash. It can be as easy as taking a walk and looking for any trash or volunteering for a beach cleanup.

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Reduce Your Carbon FootprintAnother way you can help the earth is by driving less. For example, instead of getting driven to school you can walk or ride a bike.

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Switch to reusable bagsInstead of buying plastic bags when you are shopping you can reduce waste by using reusable bags.

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DonateLastly instead of throwing away old plastic toys, clothing, cans, etc. you can reduce waste by donating.

Ways to contribute: ●

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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 electronics such as phones, ipads, computers, etc.

Trash Pickup- One of the easiest ways that you can

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Opinion Movie Review: The Beekeeper Written by Luc Trinh If you are looking for a high-action movie with the protagonist forced back into action to take revenge on those who commit evil, The Beekeeper directed by David Ayer is a 2024 American action thriller film starring Jason Statham.

In the movie a beekeeper named Adam Clay (played

by Statham) is driven to take revenge when a close friend of his commits suicide after being scammed online and losing all of her money.

In his revenge, he firebombs the call center that scammed his friend and kills the manager to send a message to the technology executive Derek Danforth, who runs a global online extortion scheme.

Derek then contacts a former C.I.A. director named Wallace Westwyld to ask the current director to kill Clay. He

then sends a “Beekeeper”, a highly specialized killer agent, to kill Clay only to be neutralized at a gas station.

The F.B.I. learn that Clay used to be a Beekeeper and asks for substantial support to combat him. Clay later infiltrates Derek’s main office and defeats both the F.B.I SWAT team and ex-special forces personnel.

Derek then decides to stay with his mother, the United States President Jessica Danforth, at her beachside mansion under Secret Service protection with Wallace's advice.

Clay however successfully sneaks in, neutralizing all the guards including the Secret Service. He then kills Derek, saving the

Photo Credit: Free use image from Printerval

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president’s life as she was at Derek’s gunpoint. The F.B.I. catch up to try to capture or kill Clay but he victoriously escapes by going into the ocean using scuba gear.

In my opinion, I really enjoyed the high octane action that is actually realistic. What intrigues me most is how one man with training, skills, knowledge, and the right mindset can outsmart and even defeat professional law enforcement as well elite forces.

This would be an incredibly hard feat to pull off, given that the protagonist Clay used to be and is a Beekeeper who still keeps his expertise sharp. 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 United States

government, President Jessica Danforth.

What is interesting is that Derek Danforth used C.I.A. software for his online extortion business and used 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. he still had some sort of influence/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 reason why Clay saved her life because he fought this whole way in to bring his idea of justice. The movie subtly brings the issue of online fraud and how it

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could affect people who fall for it, as well as how corruption could plague our trusted federal institutions.

Opinion Acalanes High Swimmers Unable to Compete at NCS Due to Coach’s Mistake Written by Kylie Zorn North Coast Sectionals (NCS) is one of the biggest competitions for high school swimmers in Northern California. It's the culminating meet of the season where all schools in Northern California come together and race. This is the last chance for swimmers to get a CIF State qualifying cut and all those who will be competing at State have to race at NCS in order to qualify.

The due date for submitting 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 error made by head coach, Brett Usinger, according to an article on ABC News.

So, understandably, many seniors at Acalanes High School are upset they can’t compete. NCS cannot go back on their final deadline

Acalanes students publish a Youtube video

because it would conflict with their past strictness with deadlines.

The coach claimed that because the website was faulty and did not confirm if he had submitted the times, he was unable to be sure and ended up not completing it.

The coach and team turned to the press after the error was made, making a Youtube video and posting an article on their school website. The swimmers were not angry with their coach but instead put the

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blame on NCS for their difficult-to-use time entering system.

They were rightfully upset, but Coach Usinger 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’s fault.

“Crying to the press is ridiculous. In the past Alameda has had some swimmers not be able to compete due to deadline issues and we accepted

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 is done.”

“If they change it now all of our times and seedings will be mixed up, and those who thought they were going to NCS and weren’t with Acalanes times, will be devastated,” Catic, a freshman, said.

In this situation the blame is completely on the coach.

Since NCS is such an important meet a coach has to ensure they get the times 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 times for him.

It's a difficult situation, but NCS should not hurt those who have already qualified.

A mistake 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 now have their places taken

by Acalanes swimmers. It's unfair to get students’ hopes up just to take away all they 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.

Deadlines are taken very seriously in swimming and no exceptions can be made for those who don’t meet them. So many schools in the past have not been able to compete due to entry errors, so letting Acalanes compete would be a slap in the face to all those past teams.

Coaches are used to getting away with whatever they want.

They control their teams and are often the organizers of meets. It's good to be flexible sometimes but a regional meet is not the time.

Deadlines should always be respected.

It's unfortunate many seniors must miss their final NCS, but it's only fair to all of the other swimmers competing at the meet.

Photo Credit: Acalanes High School Website

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Teacher Highlight: Erin Galloway Written by Rowan Diener Why did you want to become a teacher/what inspired you?

I took an education class on a whim in college because it covered a bunch of G.E. credits, and I actually really liked it; I found it really interesting.

I started doing research with that professor, and I kept on taking more Ed classes and more Ed classes and more Ed classes and ended up minoring in education when I was studying Physics, and I just sorta slowly fell in love with it. It was that advisor that told me maybe I’d like teaching, and turns out I do!

How did you end up working at AHS? When I was applying for jobs, there were 3-4 physics openings in the Bay Area I was looking to live in the Bay Area - and Alameda was one of them. I got the job here, and the other places I got jobs at, I wasn’t as interested in. There was something about AHS that was like, “I like this place!”

What’s your favorite thing about teaching?

I like getting students excited about science and math and getting them to realize that they’re actually capable scientists and mathematicians; that’s just really rewarding.

Why physics?

‘Cause it’s the coolest science! It was always gonna be some type of science. If it wasn’t gonna be physics, it would’ve been astronomy. If it wasn’t astronomy, probably meteorology.

What was your best day as a teacher?

I don’t know if I have a best day ever; I definitely have really, really good days where the lesson went

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super well, I had super interesting conversations with students, we had a fun time, fun, silly science jokes were said.

What was your worst?

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 were doing that, and we had no prep, and it felt like I was a first-year teacher again but even worse, because I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do. And that was really scary, and it was really depressing.

That first day I did a lesson and had no idea how it went because it felt like I was just talking to the void. I had an office-hours and no one came to office hours on Zoom. Sitting alone in a Zoom room for an hour!

How has teaching changed since you started, if at all?

The accessibility of technology has improved a lot. When I first started at Alameda High, we had two computer labs and like… four chrome-carts for the whole school.

You had to request at least a 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’s changed a lot, obviously, because we have chromebooks now.

We’re in a new building; I used to be in Ms. Ashkenes’s room, and because I moved in and the teacher before me had retired, I moved in and all of his stuff, his belongings, were still in there. We keep on using a lot of his stuff for labs and such. But it didn’t feel like my room.

So when we moved into D building, this room here, is like mine. This is mine, every little piece of it is where I have put it, and that feels really great!

What do you like to do outside of teaching (hobbies, etc.)?

like they could do hard things, and they could apply themselves, and do things that on paper sound scary but once they approach it it’s actually not that bad and can be quite fun.

Any final remarks?

‘Sup, hi!’

I like doing sports; I like playing on the softball team, playing soccer. I like to go on walks and hikes with my dog. My artsy hobby, my art outlet, is sewing. It’s a really nice stress-relief for me.

What do you sew?

I like to sew clothing! I’m not great at it yet, but it feels good to make something.

What do you hope your students remember about you when they graduate?

That they felt like they were capable, in my classroom. That they felt

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Photo Credit: Erin Galloway

What Did You Do Over Spring Break?

Student Submissions

I went to New York City with the symphonic band.

- Jackie Zou, Senior

I won the gold first on the New York band trip.

- Logan Thomas, Junior

I hosted a dinner party, spent a day at the Alameda beach with friends, spent a day at the beach in Half Moon Bay (also with friends), went rock climbing, went to a punk show, and did the Ms. Roenisch poetry packet.

- Téa Loren, Senior

I went to the Laufey concert.

- Juniper Vintson, Senior

I went to Palm Springs and Coachella.

- Elizabeth Bennet, Freshman

I just stayed home.

-Frederic Overholser, Freshman

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Trivia Organized by Luc Trinh In the movie Top Gun, who is Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’s best friend for the first half of the movie? _____________________________________________

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What country has the most high speed rail (high speed rail are either new railroad lines built to handle speeds above 250 km/h (155 mph) or upgraded lines in excess of 200 km/h (124 mph))? ________________________________________________ What is the favorite line of the 35th US President John F. Kennedy? _______________________________________________ What is the difference between animal and plant cells? _______________________________________________

4.

Nick "Goose" Bradshaw China “Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

Plant cells have a cell wall in addition to a cell membrane, whereas animal cells have only a cell membrane.

3.

Our Staff Editor-in-Chief Angelica Zhu Head Designer Leslie Ramos Head of Finance Chau Apple Nguyen Head Photographer Emily Ye

Writers Ilan Alcasas Rowan Diener Chau Apple Nguyen Marcell Peto Ella Randecker Luc Trinh Olivia Vu Genevieve Yuen Angelica Zhu

Editors Rowan Diener Marcell Peto Designers Ilan Alcasas Anna Park Emma Park Advisors Ms. Gregor Ms. Piazza

Kylie Zorn

Special Thanks to our donors on our GoFundMe, and the AHS PTSA for supporting our print editions 21

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