Desirae Carns, Louise Gaguet, Jade Gramajo, Silas Hinkle, Megan Ramirez
Copy Editors
Daryna Hriaznova, Isabella Tolosa
The Pearl Post is an open forum for student expression as allowed by California Education Codes 48907 and 48950, committed to excellence in reporting, writing and photography.
The magazine strives to inform and educate students and faculty on events affecting the school.
Thoughts and opinions published in these pages are the work of journalism students and do not represent the position of DPMHS, its administrators or the Los Angeles Unified School District.
An unsigned editorial is the opinion of the Editorial Board, which is comprised of the Editor-in-Chief and the editors. Signed opinions in The Pearl Post reflect the views of the authors. A signed cartoon reflects the view of the cartoonist.
This bimonthly magazine is the official campus newsmagazine of Daniel Pearl Magnet High School. The magazine is also posted online at https://www.thepearlpost.com.
To prevent plagiarism and the spread of misinformation, the DPMHS Student Media staff will not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to generate any content such as images and writing or as a research tool. AI is allowed to be used ethically as a tool such as brainstorming ideas, proofreading articles and recording and transcribing interviews through AI tools such as Murrow AI, Otter and Grammarly.
Content
COVER - Design by Louise Gaguet
NEWS - Table of contents / District-wide phone ban after one year
NEWS - All Valley Walkout
SPECIAL REPORTS - The resurgence of physical media
OPINION - Opinion: The affects of AI on artists / Pearl Voice: AI art
OPINION - Editorial: Student journalists reflect on phone ban
11 FEATURE - Influential Black change-makers
SPORTS - New track and field athletes
14-15
ENTERTAINMENT - Artist of the Month: Vivienne Eastwood / Oscars 2026 predictions
BACK COVER - Scholastic Journalism Week word search by Jenny Marquez
Letter from the editor
For our second print issue of the school year, we wanted to spotlight our community by reporting on events such as the All Valley Walkout, new track and field athletes and how artists are affected by AI. We also wanted to focus on the effects of the district-wide phone ban after a year. Besides our own school community, we wanted to talk about prominent black activists to honor during Black History Month and share our predictions for this year’s
Academy Awards. Additionally, we also wanted to talk about the recent resurgence of physical media.
Also, to celebrate Scholastic Journalism Week, we made a word search game on the back.
Overall, we wanted to spotlight recent, timely events as it’s our priority as student journalists to inform our community.
Jenny Marquez Editor-in-Chief
pouch
Effects of district-wide phone ban after first year enforcement
By Silas Hinkle
Ayear ago, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) banned phones across its schools, under the belief that phones were hurting students’ mental health. Psychiatric School Worker Joanne Tuell thinks that they were right.
“I hope that it stays because we all, staff included, need more personal connections,” Tuell said.
The policy was instituted across LAUSD on Feb. 18, 2025. It was part of a statewide effort to improve mental health and fight phone addiction. Daniel Pearl Magnet High School (DPMHS)’s Local School Site Council made the decision to enforce it through students putting their phones
in Yondr pouches.
When this was implemented, students were immediately unhappy with the policy. Junior Jayden Orozco has mixed feelings toward the phone ban.
“I still find it annoying we have to put in the pouch every morning and it has to be checked,” Orozco said.
Some educators on campus, such as Librarian Alain Cruz, approve of the phone ban. Cruz believes the ban brought improvements.
“As a librarian, I see more kids interacting socially, conversations happening, playing board games, checking out books, picking up word searches,” Cruz said. “From the teaching perspective, it’s
much less of a distraction than in the past 2-3 years.”
LAUSD has continued the policy, believing it to be beneficial for students because it fosters more interactions between students. School Climate Advocate Ruiz, who checks students for Yondr pouches at the front of school every morning, similarly says it is positive.
“I would say it’s a little bit inconvenient,” School Climate Advocate Magaly Ruiz said. “I think it’s annoying for (students) to have to carry the pouch and make sure you don’t lose the pouch and it takes time to lock it in the morning and unlock it at the end of the day, but I feel like the pros outweigh the cons.”
Last year, the school staff did not enforce the phone ban as strongly, according to Ruiz. Magnet Coordinator James Morrison, Counselor Virginia Morales and Ruiz watch at the front to ensure students have their phones in their pouches.
“Phones are really important in schools and especially with education, where you can do a lot with phones and how you can educate people using them,” Rosenthal said. “I also think that, in situations like how we had a gun on campus and a student bringing a knife, students need to be able to communicate with their parents and let them know that their safety at school is being harmed.”
JENNY MARQUEZ | THE PEARL POST
Senior Serena Elkins inserts her phone into the school-issued Yondr
at the school’s entrance with other students before the start of the school day on Feb. 7.
4 The Pearl Post | February 2026
Students from across the valley
By Desirae Carns and Alex Salcedo, @itzdesxoxo and @alexx.sal14
Several hundred students from across the San Fernando Valley (SFV), including elementary schools, middle schools and high schools, participated in the All Valley Walkout on Feb. 6 to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations and raids across the country. Students gathered at Van Nuys City Hall, holding anti-ICE signs while shouting chants against ICE.
Disclaimer: Profane language is present in the images captured from the All Valley Walkout. The Pearl Post Editorial board chose to include the images without censorship to properly convey, represent and effectively communicate students’ messages.
DESIRAE CARNS | THE PEARL POST
Students hold up signs in front of the Van Nuys City Hall during the All Valley School Walkout on Feb. 6. The organized walkout consisted of students throughout the SFV such as Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, who walked several miles to walk to Van Nuys City Hall to protest against ICE raids and deportations.
ALEX SALCEDO | THE PEARL POST
A student shows freshman Skyler Saji protest signs at the intersection of Victory and Balboa Boulevards during the All Valley Walkout on Feb. 6.
DESIRAE CARNS | THE PEARL POST
SFV students hold up American and Mexican friendship flags along with protest signs along Balboa Boulevard during the All Valley Walkout on Feb. 6.
walk out to protest ICE actions
A Birmingham Community Charter High School student makes an anti-ICE poster at the poster-making stations set up at Van Nuys
DESIRAE CARNS | THE PEARL POST
Senior Mose Judge-Glasscock holds up a sign that reads ‘No one is illegal on stolen land’ during the All Valley Walkout on Balboa Boulevard on Feb. 6.
ALEX SALCEDO | THE PEARL POST
Senior Delilah Trujillo holds up a Salvadorian flag with other SFV students during the All Valley Walkout at Van Nuys City Hall on Feb. 6.
DESIRAE CARNS | THE PEARL POST
City Hall on Feb. 6.
DESIRAE CARNS | THE PEARL POST
Grover Cleveland Charter High School junior Tess Gaita holds up an anti-ICE sign during the All Valley Walkout on Feb. 6. “I feel like people are making a change,” Gaita said. “Young people are doing the right thing and we’re making an impact.”
Physical media vs. streaming
The growing trend of pre-2000s technology.
By Jenny Marquez @jennymarquezzz
Sophomore Jett Cabrinha, who collects vinyl records, is among those who favor physical media instead of digital.
“Almost weekly, I go to the record store and get new records,” Cabrinha said. “I’ll be flipping through records and discovering new artists. I have a lot of old psych stuff from the ‘60s and hard rock.”
From digital cameras to compact discs (CDs), many have reverted to using physical media instead of modern technology. Across social media, the increase of physical media has even pushed the idea of 2026 being the year of “Analog Living.” In the first half of 2024, CDs outsold digital downloads by almost three times, according to a 2024
report by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Since 2024, the resurgence of physical media has increased with many opting to use more nostalgic media such as vinyl records over Spotify or Apple Music, physical books over Kindle e-books and digital cameras over phone cameras.
media as an alternative.
“I’m upset about it because it was kind of like a sense of escape in class and not so I can just zone off but to calm myself and now it’s gone,” freshman Frances Burd said.
“
I don’t think (physical media) is going to replace (digital media). I think there’s always going to be people who want easier options.”
-Freshman Nicolette Donovan
Recently, the Los Angeles Unified School District banned the access of Spotify, limiting students and educators to use modern technology to listen to music but also encouraging them to explore physical
“I feel like that was an outlet for a lot of other kids too. It’s like the district is trying to limit us and restrict us so much that we’re losing our resources. I tried YouTube, but it didn’t work. I’ve been trying to distract myself in other ways by reading and drawing, but music helped the best for me.”
While many are frustrated by the loss of Spotify at school, some are using physical means to listen to their music. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was a 39% increase in the price of video discs and other media from 2020 to 2026. English teacher Francesca Gunther explains her recent purchase experience of buying a video cassette recorder (VCR).
“I love VCRs,” Gunther said. “They’re so much fun. I have a Disney Princess VCR player that I got on Facebook Marketplace that I got for $100. At the time, I thought that it was very expensive but now, they’re going for $400 because of the resurgence of VCRs.”
Financial pressures with
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALEX SALCEDO AND LINUS BOSSARDT | THE PEARL POST
While cellphones provide many of the media sources people use from day to day through streaming services, physical devices are making their return to the media scene.
subscriptions have also affected the increase in physical media, which has left many users have at least considered cancelling their subscriptions. According to the Computer Network, 61% of adults are rethinking paid subscriptions, 24% are considering canceling a subscription and 26% have already canceled a subscription.
62%
are tired of an ecosystem where they don’t own their data that they are consuming and creating anymore.”
“I want something that’s actually mine and physical instead of something that I buy online that can just be taken away or have issues with subscription,” Cabrinha said.
The issue of security has also led to uncertainty toward modern technology. According to the Pew Research Center, the percentage of individuals in the United States who are worried about how the government uses people’s data increased from 64% in 2019 to 71% in 2023. With concerns of data collection, privacy violations and data breaches, Electric Frontier Foundation Senior Staff Technologist Will Greenberg believes that cybersecurity could contribute to the resurgence of physical media.
25%
Social media plays a part in the growth of physical media with influencers and creators showing off their collections of digital versatile discs, also known as DVDs, books and film and digital cameras. However, according to a report by the RIAA in 2023, the increasing trend of vinyl records has been popular for nearly 17 years, proving that the trend of physical media has always been present.
“I think (physical media) will last, but it will probably change, like the way it’s always changed,” Gunther said. “I think it’s getting this resurgence right now like the way vinyl had a resurgence when I was in high school. I think it will continue, but it might just be a different thing or piece of media that is brought back.”
consumers.
“I don’t think (physical media) is going to replace (digital media),” freshman Nicolette Donovan said. “I think there’s always going to be people who want easier options.”
Online Editor-in-Chief Tania Lopez contributed to the reporting of this article.
“I am guilty of doing that,” Greenberg said in a phone interview. “I cancelled my Spotify account to buy an $80 MP3 player. I think a lot of people
Although the resurgence of physical media is increasing, the use of modern technology is continuing to grow and increase. In 2024, the RIAA compared music revenues in the United States between streaming services and physical media, which showed 84% of total revenue comes from streaming services while only 11% comes from overall physical media. Despite the growth of physical media, digital media will continue to be used among
25% of students use physical media for entertainment instead of streaming services.
62% of students believe that people should go back to physical media.
LINUS BOSSARDT | THE PEARL POST
Sixteen students responded to an survey posted on Instagram on February 13. Four responders said that they used physical media instead of streaming and 10 suggested people should go back to physical media as opposed to digital forms.
AI art diminishes our artists
By Louise Gaguet, @toxiin.n
It’s truly a nagging sight to see an AI-generated shark with two fins or legs, or no soul at all, as I walk through campus or scroll through the school’s official Instagram. The lines, too perfect, the intent, nonexistent. Our school (Daniel Pearl Magnet High School) mascot is a representation of who we are as students and when I look at that shark, I think this isn’t what I want to be. This doesn’t represent me. AI kills creativity.
As a self-taught artist, the
sight of generated artwork and imagery really frustrates me. A human could easily create that themselves with the use of editing or art. Making it does take effort, but that process is part of what makes an art piece truly meaningful. Seeing these AI-generated sharks doesn’t represent that at all. When I look at these AI-generated pictures, I see laziness, lack of personality and enforced perfection knowing developed lines of code created it instead of a human
being. This isn’t what I want the students of our school to represent.
It’s also important to consider that the constant use of AI further helps it develop. This is a big problem, especially since with these advancements, many creative careers are in danger, including those that students may want to pursue and are very passionate about. It kills what can be created by passionate future generations if AI continues to be used and
cultivated.
The more we use generative AI, the more we normalize and rely on replacing effort with shortcuts, the easy way out, instead of focusing on effort and growth. This isn’t just a personal concern; it’s already being reflected in how AI is influencing other schools and classrooms.
Some students will grow up wanting to pursue a creative career in the arts, but with the growth of
ILLUSTRATION BY LOUISE GAGUET| THE PEARL POST On DPMHS’s Instagram page, multiple AI generated images have been used. However, self-taught artist Louise Gaguet thinks the AI images show “enforced perfection.”
AI, what could be a youngadult’s dream career could be replaced with advanced AI. There’s always the concern of AI mimicking an artist’s style and recreating it to the extent that potential art commissioners decide to steer themselves toward AI for its convenience and free/low price, taking away the opportunity from real, hardworking artists. I’ve been drawing since I was 5 years old and have been practicing and improving up till now, hoping not only to share my art in the future but also to monetize it. This is a big obstacle for not only me but aspiring artists all around the world.
In 2024, The Society of Authors policy team surveyed its members about generative AI, results showing that 26% of their illustrators have lost work due to AI and 37% of illustrators say their income decreased in value because of AI. Eight out of 10 respondents said that they’re concerned that the use of generated AI devalues human-made work and
26%
are afraid of their style and likeness being mimicked or reproduced through AI. By now, with generative AI still existing and advancing, it will continue to be a huge threat to the art community.
Considering how timely some media is or how busy the individual may be, it’s true that in most cases, generative AI is an easier and faster process compared to creating an artwork or image. People may not feel very confident in their work, but it’s important to embrace your creations and dedicate your time to the task, remembering that everyone has a different journey.
What we create matters because students should be viewing something that was made with effort and passion. Students should feel like they represent and embrace growth and creativity. If we put in our work instead of turning to AI, we could prevent what could be lost in the future and preserve our creative passion.
According to a survey done by The Society of Authors policy, 26% of their illustrators have lost work due to AI.
Pearl Voice:
What are your concerns about AI affecting media and digital arts ?
Freshman Frances Burd
“I’m worried it would unemploy digital artists or people who followed their passion and are creative, it will kind of overshadow those creators ”
Junior Mateo Zazueta
“We’ve already seen mass produced content in the media, which is disappointing in its popularity because of its negligence of the arts and the real people who make real art.”
Within the same survey, they also found that 37% of illustrators incomes have decreased in value because of AI.
37%
Senior Serena Elkins
“It could become its own individualized aspect as we’re seeing now. I do believe that AI has no place in film, because film is its own art form.”
Interviews and photos by Jasmine Thompson
Journalism beyond the ban Editorial
As one year has passed since the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) district-wide phone ban, we’ve been fortunate to continue reporting, despite the limitations on our phone use in producing accurate and timely content.
Last year, the districtwide phone went into effect on Feb. 18 with the purpose of combating phone addiction and improving mental health across the district. The ban requires students to store any phones, earbuds and smartwatches away for the entire school day. The district allowed each school’s Local School Site Council (LSSC), the primary decision-maker for all schools, to decide how they would store their phones. The decision was for students to store their phones in Yondr pouches, which are magnetic phone pouches.
When we heard that the district wouldn’t offer exceptions for student journalists, we became concerned about how this would affect our workflow when reporting. As student journalists, we significantly rely on accessible technology during our reporting process. Having access to technology to record interviews for our articles and podcast episodes and to com-
PAST
Print Editor-in-Chief Jenny Marquez and Online Editor-In-Chief
22 podcast on Jan. 28. The podcast episode covered trends following the return of 2016 in the
municate with staff members throughout the day is vital to our publication’s success.
Last year, our school’s LSSC voted to permit student journalists on campus to use our phones during the reporting process. In addition, our adviser was given a magnet for us to unlock our phones in her classroom. We were beyond grateful for this exception, as it meant our work wasn’t as impacted as we initially thought.
However, as the year progressed, we still faced difficulty accessing our cellphones for reporting purposes. Last December, our Yondr magnet was stolen from our adviser’s classroom, which resulted in
Before the cellphone ban, we recorded our podcast using recording tools on our phones.
us not being able to unlock our phones for reporting. Despite this incident, it led us to seek other methods and resources to utilize while reporting.
Throughout this past year, especially during this year’s Scholastic Journalism Week, whose theme is “Press Under Pressure,” we’ve learned to appreciate our resources more throughout the production process. Whether it be our increased usage of our computers or our attempt to return to pen and paper while conducting interviews, we’re dedicated to continuing to report despite the phone ban.
Additionally, we plan to use other resources to im-
PRESENT
Now, we use the recording tool on our school-issued Chromebooks, which has a lower quality compared to our phones.
prove our reporting. For our student-led podcast, Room 22, we want to begin utilizing microphones to enhance our sound quality without having to use our cellphones.
Despite the limited access to our phones, which has caused challenges during reporting as student journalists, we still utilize any resources available to us. Even under the pressure of the districtwide phone ban, it is our priority to continue reporting to inform our community with timely, accurate information, whether it be by using technology such as our phones or more traditional methods such as pen and paper.
FUTURE
In the future, we plan to use a Tascam four track digital audio recorder for higher quality recording.
DESIRAE CARNS| THE PEARL POST
Tania Lopez interview Librarian Alain Cruz for the Room
new year of 2026.
Influential Black changemakers to honor this Black History Month
By Nadia Buer, @f0rceee_
In honor of Black History Month, here is a list of impactful and prominent Black changemakers.
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Minnesota’s 5th congressional district since 2019. Omar is the youngest of seven children, born in Moddishu, Somalia, on Oct. 4, 1982. At the age of 8, Omar and her family were forced to flee from the Somali Civil War to a refugee camp in Kenya, before moving to the United States in 1995. When Omar was sworn into the House of Representatives, she worked on a repeal of a 181-year-old ban on head coverings on the House floor, which allowed her to wear her hijab. Recently, there have been calls for her deportation by Republican politicians and she faced a recent attack in her town hall in January.
Don Lemon is an American journalist and is known for his coverage as a CNN anchor. Born in 1966 and raised in Louisiana, Lemon built a career in local news before joining CNN in 2006. After several years of working as a weekend news anchor and investigative journalist at local stations, his biggest opportunity appeared in the early 2000s when he was hired by NBC News in New York. Eventually, Lemon began anchoring “CNN Tonight” in 2014, setting a new precedent for the network by being one of the first black and openly gay men to anchor on national television. On
Jan. 30, Lemon and another journalist were arrested and received federal civil rights charges over their coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest at a Minnesota church. He continues his pursuit of journalism and defends against any charges of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
Faith Ringgold was an American author and artist born Oct. 8, 1930, in New York. After developing an interest in art in high school, she went on to receive a degree in fine arts and education in New York public schools. She began a series of paintings in 1963 known as the “American People,” portraying the civil rights
movement from a female perspective. Later, Ringgold pursued the racial integration of the art world in New York. Later, Ringgold became one of the founders of the advocacy group, Women Students and Artists for Black Art Liberation. In the 1980s, she began to shift to “story quilts,” where she combines paint with quilted fabric and powerful storytelling, which were curated in a children’s book called “Tar Beach” in 1992. In 2022, the New Museum, New York City, held an exhibition of her work titled “Faith Ringgold: American People.” She died on April 13, 2024.
Stacey Abrams, born on Dec. 9, 1973, in Madison, Wisconsin, was raised in Mississippi and later on moved to Atlanta with her family. Her political career began in 2002 when she was appointed deputy city attorney of Atlanta. Abrams was then elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2007 and became Georgia House Minority Leader in 2011. After a failed, yet close, campaign for Georgia Governor, which she believed was caused by voter suppression, she founded the Fair Fight 2020 organization that sought to ensure civic engagement for Black communities. During the 2020 election, many political analysts credited her work for a Democratic win in Georgia by registering Black communities. Currently, Abrams is continuing her activism for civic engagement and voting rights.
ANDREW PULIDO | THE PEARL POST
Ilhan Omar’s (upper left) official portrait as a United States Representative, Stacey Abrams (upper right) at a national speaking tour at Mesa, Arizona, Don Lemon (bottom left) at the 2018 Pullitzer Prizes and Faith Ringgold (bottom right) at the “We Wanted a Revolution” symposium. Photos provided by Kristie Boyd, Gage Skidmore, Fuzheado and the Brooklyn Museum.
New track and field recruits jump
By Jade Gramajo, @love_jade07
Photos by Desirae Carns, Louise Gaguet and Alex Salcedo
The beginning of the spring semester marks the start of new events, goals and things to look forward to for the school year. Many sports continue or start their athletic practices and focus on the journey ahead.
For the Birmingham Community Charter High School track and field team, they look forward to further improving their skills for the season. Track and field consists of different categories athletes can participate in, which include the long jump, slingshot, shotput and distance running.
From the vigorous practices to time management in schoolwork and recovery, these athletes manage life with the sport in different ways. In this Q&A, we recognize five student-athletes on campus who’ve recently joined the track and field team to learn about their experience in the sport so far.
Check out the Birmingham track and field team at these competition events!
• 22 Annual Culver City InvitationalFeb. 28
• Arcadia Distance Challenge - Mar. 7
• Birmingham at Granada Charter High School: WVL Meet - Mar. 19
• Taft Charter High School at Birmingham: WVL Meet - Mar. 26
• Simi Valley Invitational - Mar. 27 and 28
• Cleveland High School at Birmingham: WVL Meet - Apr. 9
• El Camino High School at Birmingham: WVL Meet - Apr. 16
• Birmingham at Chatsworth High School - Apr. 20
• 2026 West Valley League Championships: Prelims - May 1
• 2026 West Valley League Championships: Finals - May 8
Q: What inspired you to join the track team?
A: If I’m being honest, it was my friend (sophomore Nathan Coello-Rodriguez) who told me to join the track team.
Q: How have you adjusted your own schedule to participate in track?
A: I haven’t really needed to adjust or fix anything to be on the team.
Q: What is something that you did during training that you didn’t expect to do?
A: Honestly, nothing surprises me. I expected everything we’re currently doing like lifting and running once or twice on the track.
Q: How has track benefited you in terms of physical and mental health?
A: The energy I give to the sport has helped out my sleep and has also definitely improved a lot of myself as a whole.
Q: What inspired you to join the track team?
A: It’s something that I was interested in for a while now. I knew it’d be hard but not impossible.
Q: How have you adjusted your own schedule to participate in track?
A: I’ve been having to go to bed on time and show up to practices on time. I’ve also had to find more time to manage my school work and other activities.
Q: What is something that you did during training that you didn’t expect to do?
A: I definitely did not expect hurdles. I’ve never seen myself as a hurdler but I’ve seen myself doing the long or high jump.
Q: How has track benefited you in terms of physical and mental health?
A: I am now eating much better and I’m doing better mentally as well. I’ve focused on things like taking ice baths and making time to recover.
Sophomore Adrian Ayala Gomez Slingshot
Sophomore Katelyn Burn Long Jump
into action as new season begins
Q: What inspired you to join the track team?
A: I was selected to join and it’s a passion that I have. Running is mainly a sense of freedom for me and I’ve strived for it since I was little.
Q: How have you adjusted your own schedule to participate in track?
A: It’s really tiring sometimes when coming back and forth from Daniel Pearl to the track. I try to think about the rest of the day and how it goes by.
Q: What is something that you did during training that you didn’t expect to do?
A: I didn’t expect most of the activities to be so extreme. Doing a 400, 600, 800 and a 900 meter run for the first few days of the week is interesting.
Q: How has track benefited you in terms of physical and mental health?
A: It has helped me cope with stress as it’s practically a stress reliever.
Q: What inspired you to join the track team?
A: I wanted to improve my vertical structure and get into better shape.
Q: How have you adjusted your own schedule to participate in track?
A: I have been trying to go to practice on time and making sure I do all my homework before going to run.
Q: What is something that you did during training that you didn’t expect to do?
A: I definitely did not expect to do ab workouts and sit ups. Focusing on my core is something I didn’t expect as well.
Q: How has track benefited you in terms of physical and mental health?
A: It has helped me with stress and like whatever is going on at home is another issue. Seeing myself since last year, I’ve seen lots of improvement in my physical self and in my mental health.
Q: What inspired you to join the track team?
A: I think it’s because I did cross country and I just wanted to continue running. I’m doing distance right now and it’s kind of less than what I did in cross country.
Q: How have you adjusted your own schedule to participate in track?
A: It’s just the same as cross country. I have it during sixth period so it’s the same thing as last time when I walked home after practice.
Q: What is something that you did during training that you didn’t expect to do?
A: There are a lot more workouts and sprinting. For the workouts, we do 100 and 200 meter runs around six times.
Q: How has track benefited you in terms of physical and mental health?
A: Our coach makes us do squat jumps, so that helps to get in shape and get my muscles working physically.
Sophomore Nathan Coello-Rodriguez Long Jump
Sophomore Aaron Carrillo Otero Distance
Freshman Camila Serrano Distance
Artist of the Month Band Vivienne Eastwood soars charts with its discography
By Jade Gramajo @love_jade07
The band Vivienne Eastwood made their appearance in 1971, with synth-pop and goth-rock, mixing the traditional 2012 maximalist electro-pop and EDM-infused hits.
The band’s defined by a surge of support, their highenergy discography and the mainstream breakthrough of indie pop. However, with Eastwood’s new look and the band releasing new songs daily, such as “Squeeze” from the album “Take Care”, they continue experimenting with a mix of genres, joined by an appreciation for punk and activism. In recent years, Y2K-inspired Gen Z fashion has made a major comeback among teens.
“As far as what I’d like to bring to it, unusual produc-
tion techniques are always something I try for and something that I want to push further,” Eastwood said in an interview with The Family Review. “Lately, I’ve been experimenting with synths and samples and it’s something I want to incorporate more into Viv East’s style of music.”
Eastwood started her career in music in 2012, joining a band with people she met along the way in Grand Street in Williamsburg, New York City. The members of the band are Jordan John Parker (vocals/guitar,) Jenny Wong (drums,) Bailey Meadows (bass) and Lindsay Lueders (synth/vocals.) While filming a music video, the band faced a setback when Lindsay Lueders had to leave, slowing their progress but strengthen-
vivienneeastwood.bandcamp.com
“Shook” was released on Oct. 26, 2016, which consists of six songs and a runtime of 20 minutes. Fans now await Vivienne Eastwood’s new upcoming projects.
ing their resolve to continue their singing career and push toward success.
“I had been playing electronic music for a while prior to this.” Wong said, “It felt good to dig out some old distortion and chorus pedals and focus on guitar-based music.”
Climbing up the music chart ranks, Eastwood’s music and their popularity reached to a high. On Spotify, they have a total of 115,427 monthly listeners, alongside 837 followers on YouTube. As
Debin Smith for your patronage
the band continues to find new ways to mix their usual style of music in order to spice it up, they would like to mix the 80’s pop genre. They also want to expand more of rock and punk as a way to present their soft side.
“I’ve been embracing the sound of direct input guitar and drum machines,” Jordan said. “I love playing live music, there’s also something really satisfying about making interesting and immersive headphone music.”
Become a patron by scanning the QR code:
Predicting the 2026 Oscar winners in four prestigious categories
By Valerie Sanchez @my_jeonginnie
This year’s 2026 Academy Awards ceremony will acknowledge actors, actresses and animated movies who worked hard to achieve this recognition. The 98th Academy Awards Ceremony will be held at the Dolby Theatre and hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien on March 15. The streaming service Hulu will be airing the show live. Here are my predictions on who is likely to be announced as the winners at this year’s Academy Awards. I was extremely excited to see the trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson’s new movie “One Battle After Another.” Starring A-list stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn and Benicio del Toro, to newly rising actress Chase Infiniti, I knew this was going to be the movie of the year. Hearing that the movie would
be politically motivated, filled with a ton of action, I reserved a seat for opening night. Having DiCaprio play a paranoid ex-revolutionary member in hiding with his daughter, Willa, played by Infiniti, was such a perfect casting choice. I could see that Penn really put his all into this role as Colonel Steven J. Lockjaw. Del Toro followed their serious yet comedic acting and was able to bring such a fresh and humorous style of acting. The acting, set, character and cinematography have made “One Battle After Another” winners of previous awards, such as a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy and will now do the same for the Academy Award.
As an experienced yet increasingly popular actor, Timothee Chalamet is now nominated for one of the most
prestigious Academy Awards, Performance by an actor in a leading role, for his portrayal of Marty Mauser in “Marty Supreme.” Mauser, an egotistical table tennis player, pursues a reckless path to fame, creating chaos and havoc. I was very impressed by how Chalamet immersed himself in such a derogatory persona, leaving viewers, including myself, in a mixture of emotions. With his impeccable acting skills in the film, Chalamet is this year’s contender to receive the Academy Award.
Academy Award winner Emma Stone is back and is nominated for a fourth time for her role as Michelle in “Bugonia.” Michelle, who is a high-powered pharmaceutical CEO, is kidnapped by two conspiracy theorists due to being deemed an “alien” who wants to destroy Earth and human-
ity. During the film, viewers are confined to their seats while exploring capitalism, human greed and more. Stone’s performance in this film is one of her best from her career. The delivery of her fierce and captivating acting is why she should take the award.
Bringing the genre of K-pop to the big screen has been “Golden” for Sony Pictures Animation’s “KPop demon Hunters.” The film follows the K-pop girl group Huntrix, who are also demon hunters, protecting a magical barrier that holds back demons, the Honmoon. The group then meets rival demon boy group, the Saja boys, who attept to steal fan’s souls. As this movie, including its soundtrack, has already won many awards, such as two Golden Globes, it is heavily predicted that the film will win this category.
BDS2006 | WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
The red carpet at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue during the 81st Academy Awards Ceremony on Feb. 22, 2009. The 98th Academy Awards ceremony will be hosted by Conan O’Brien in the Dolby Theatre located in Hollywood on March. 15. This event highlights many people in the film indusrty.
