The Mirada February 2019

Second-half come back for Rio

Fractured fables take stage

SPORTS | PAGE 13

BACKPAGE | PAGE 16

THE MIRADA

Friday, February 15, 2019

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Rio Americano High School, Sacramento, California

Vol. 53, Issue5

OVERFLOWIN G

Students and parents drive into the overflow parking lot for the morning drop-off. Cars were lined up, some in illegal areas like no parking zones and fire lanes.

Photo by Rebecca Smith. speaker during fourth period that have warned Emily Borg students of potential consequences like, getting Synia Thrower fined or possible towing of their car.

Mirada Staff The school administration tries to give students a warning first because they know most ith a rising number of students of the students are new drivers and still have a comes more teenage drivers. The lot to learn, but they also want to ensure that parking lots are filled to capacity “He let us know that he will periodically have the school is a safe and accessible place in case every morning, and many students arrive ear- of an emergency.

There are many hazards that come with either officers or fire marshals check.” of an emergency where law enforcement or lier each day to insure a parking spot to avoid The first time a student is caught parking firefighters need to enter the parking lots. parking on the streets and having to walk to parking illegally on campus. It also blocks othBy enforcing these parking lot rules, it can even get to school making them have to rush er cars from entering and or exiting the over- illegally by school staff they will be given a flow lot which can cause accidents and damage warning, but if it continues to happen they will actually give students knowledge for future just to get to class on time. be assigned a detention. situations outside of school when it comes to The fear of being late or getting caught in the to cars.

The vice principals and principal monitor The school administration can easily run the parking in busy places like downtown for inrain has caused students to either parking in red zones or senior parking spots that are reserved parking in the overflow by walking up and student’s license plate and have the DMV con- stance. down the lot to ensure students are parking the tact their parents.

Some students have even decided to start for the seniors who paid for that specific spot.

“We were proactively trying to give kids carpooling so they don’t have to worry about “Overtime, it has become a problem with correct way.

“We had a fire marshal do an inspection of warnings and notices that they can’t park finding a spot in the mornings, and doing this more students here,” said Ginter. the school and one of the things he noticed was there,” said Ginter. “We were trying to be out could help the parking lot congestion in the Some students even park illegally, blocking the fire lanes in the overflow parking lot. we have a lot of areas of the parking lot that there and just let kids know where they should mornings and after school. and after school.

Emergency vehicles can’t get through if the are marked off as fire zones and we had 30 to park and should not be able to park.”

There are announcements over the loudstudents are parked in these red zones in case 40 students parking in fire zones,” said Ginter.

W

Increase in student drivers causes parking lot chaos

Digital arts program gets reprieve from principal Jane Snider Rebecca Smith Mirada Staff After a week of uncertainty and student protesting, Principal Brian Ginter told the Mirada Thursday afternoon that the school will continue to offer digital art classes and retain teacher Jonathan Feld, whose job had been threatened.

The school had previously announced plans to cut Photography, Digital Art and Advanced Commercial Art--all taught by Feld--because of the cost of upgrading the computer lab. Par-

Feld teaches his Beginning Photography class about Photoshop.

Photo by Jane Snider

INSIDE >> News|1-5 Opinion|6-7 Features|8-13

ents and current and former students protested the cuts, including getting 943 signatures on an online petition to keep Feld at Rio. “I’m so grateful and touched and just overall emotional by the amount of support this program and I have received from students, parents, the PTSA, other staff members and our administration,” said Feld, in an interview with the Mirada after meeting with Ginter.

“When I heard the news that this set of courses was going to get cut, I thought of past students that use this curriculum and have started careers and I immediately felt a huge desire to fight for them.”

Center Spread|8-9 Sports|14-15

Ginter said that there were students who directly talked to him about what Feld’s courses meant to them, and parents at the PTSA meeting that told stories about students who have created business and become entrepreneurs based on his class.

“There were parents that were saying here are success stories coming out of the program and talking about the things that kids are learning that have set them up for careers,” Ginter said.

SEE ART PAGE 3

ONLINE >>

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The Mirada |NEWS| Friday, February 15, 2019

page 2

MIRADA FROM THE PAST Students gain as minimum wage climbs in California February 1, 2005 California’s minimum wage is now eight dollars an hour, the third highest in the nation. This 50 cent increase can be seen as a blessing or a curse, depending on the recipient.

“I’m excited about the raise,” senior Lindsay Voet, a child care employee at California Family Fitness, said.

“50 cents an hour more will definitely add up.”

Yet, for those who depend on a minimum wage-paying job to pay the bills, there is common skepticism. Worker worry that with this pay increase, the prices of living will also go up.

According to Jean Ross the executive director of the Sacramento-based California Budget Project, this increase is significant and will demonstrate the value that workers have.

“I dont know all the specifics but it sounds like this 50 cent increase is simply coupled with more taxes,” senior Brook Stevens, an Abercrombie and Fitch employee, said “So how big of an effect is it really?”

Students reply to news: INTERNATIONAL

No school 2/18-2/22 The Rocky Horror Picture Show 2/16 Colonial Theatre 3522 Stockton Blvd, 10:00 p.m., $20 AM Jazz Concert with Guest Carl Allen 2/25, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

PAC, free GEAR-Global Expo 3/1 All day, Small Gym, free Rio & Beyond Mock SAT/ ACT Combo Test 3/2, 8:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., Rio GALA Spirit Week 3/4 - 3/8 GALA Dance 3/9 7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m., small gym, prices vary and increase after break

STATE

LOCAL

Calif. senate bans “he” and “she”

Arden Fair Mall bans minors without parents or guardians with them

Nude Parisian restaurant closes after business is bare

United States government shuts down over border wall

The first nude restaurant in Paris, O’Naturel, is closing this month. The name of the restaurant comes from what the establishment is made for, natural nudity. Being the first nude restaurant, business was expected to be booming. O’Naturel has completely sunk what they wanted to do; people were excited but they couldn’t picture naked dates. Business only lasted just over a year because of financial reasons. The average course costs around thirty-five dollars, and seats around forty people at maximum. Even since it’s opening, the restaurant wasn’t able to completely fill the restaurant.

President Trump decided to shut down the U.S. Government in order to resolve funding for the Border Wall on the Southern border. Congress had not come to a full decision about whether the wall was needed or not. President Trump asked for five billion dollars to cover the cost and wages for the wall. He offered 80 dollars per hour to volunteer workers as an influential push to enforce the decision. A majority vote had not been passed by the Senate, which made Trump shut all government departments down and most things involved with it. The shutdown lasted until Jan 25, 2019, a total of 35 days.

Recently, the California State Senate came to a decision to ban all “he or she” speech from all political hearings. This was decided because they believed it was an example of political correctness for the people of the state. Everyday speech is being banned along with things like racist and hateful language. Political issues have shown to be caused by such words used towards people like “he or she.” It is a matter of gender neutrality and any type of confusion in that sense. The goal is to fix all situations involving any gender issues and keep California’s senate strong.

Arden Fair Mall created a law to prevent recent fights and issues caused at the mall. Over winter break, Arden Fair Mall had a chaotic two weeks. With holidays like Black Friday, Christmas shopping, and New Years shopping, the mall was packed. The shopping spirit had taken over the actions of people and caused issues throughout the week.

The law insists a minor, 17 and under, to be with a guardian or parent.

Arden Fair Mall is known for being relatively unsafe. The mall security is not very effective as is, and they see this as a way of making up for it. They hope for a change to come soon.

“No offense to the people who created it, but this is just plain disgusting. I couldn’t imagine seeing naked people while I eat food, I want to throw up.”

-Amelia Iseley (9)

“I don’t agree with the decision to shut down the government because hundreds of thousands of people’s salaries shouldn’t be held hostage for other government projects. This is a purely selfish act.”

- Nolan Barry (10)

“Avoiding ‘he’ and ‘she’ could help create a more professional environment in the Calif. Senate.

However, I think it should be up to the individual how they would like to be addressed.”

-Jillian Halloran (12)

“I think the new rule for the mall isn’t the worst idea in the world.

For now, this is a step we need to take and in the future we can improve on other solutions.”

-Michael Rossi (9)

“This makes me laugh, but also makes me wonder what it would be like to be surrounded by naked people while I eat. It’s one of the weirdest ideas I’ve ever heard.”

-Cole Kaeser (10)

“Shutting down the government is not the answer.

A solution does need to be worked out but it can be done without all the other consequences of shutting down the entire government.”

-Leah Mckechnie (11)

“I think it’s funny that they would do such a thing. I’ve never noticed how political this topic was until I heard about this.”

CALENDAR Midtown Farmers Market 2/16, 2/23, 3/2 9:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m., 20th St between J & K, free

NATIONAL

Students respond to events from around the area and around the nation

-Daniel Meyers (11)

“The new mall law is not realistic.

Shopping is something that people of all ages should be able to enjoy.

We need to find a better solution that is easier to enforce and follow.”

-Abby Telander (11)

TEACHER OF THE ISSUE

Waltz: the Woodshop wizard Audrey Snider Mirada Staff Finding a career where you don’t want your work days to end is a life goal but not everyone achieves it, except for teacher Michael Waltz. Waltz teaches Wood Technology 1 and 2, and Introduction Engineering Design.

Waltz has been teaching high school students for 15 years and fell in love with it instantly.

“I tried it a little, I needed money throughout college and I loved it and it was easy,” said Waltz.

He took his teaching inspiration from his father when he was younger and learned how a teacher teaches others.

“My dad was a military officer and he trained people so he was always kind of a teacher,” said Waltz. “He couldn’t turn it off and he was like all the time teaching so I think I kind of got it from him.”

Waltz describes his love of teaching like never wanting the class period to end. He doesn’t want to look at the clock because he knows that time is running out for him to fit everything in.

“I’m always like ‘Oh! I hope it’s not over’ because I want to squeeze stuff in,” said Waltz.

Waltz enjoys teaching because it’s different for him each day. His classes have a daily routine of jobs to do but rotations and different activities keep each day exciting.

Waltz has a fairly free and easy-going class with jobs to do, projects to work on, and tasks to complete that day. It’s a quite independent and fun classroom.

“They don’t have to sit, they can move around, they can talk because most of the time we are working and I’m not going to say, ‘You can’t talk!’” said Waltz. “It is really loud in here so you can be a little hyper and you can be loud as long as you’re safe and do your job, you can have fun.”

He didn’t always know he wanted to teach engineering but most people don’t know too. It took Waltz through college to know exactly what he wanted to be doing.

“I was an engineer, that’s what I did before I was a teacher,” said Waltz. “Because I was in college being an engineer, as I was in graduate school getting a masters, that’s when I was first teaching to make money, and I was teaching engineering classes because it was what I knew, so I did always know but because of my career choice previously it was kind of inevita-

ble.”

Loving something as a kid and sticking through with it throughout his life influenced his career choices.

“It’s always been something I enjoyed doing, like this is the kind of stuff I did with my dad when I was a kid was making stuff with tools and then that’s what I choose to do for my first career as an engineer.”

Waltz is passionate about what he teaches and loves what he does.

He teaches woodshop and engineering with a smile on his face and a tool in his hand.

ON THE JOB Q: What do you do at work?

A: “I’m a manager at Little Whales Swim School, so I am in charge of training new employees, making sure everything is running smoothly and I help interview new hires and people who apply.”

Q: What are the pros and cons of your job?

A: “Pros- the owner is super cool and all my friends work there; I get super good perks also. Cons- sometimes it’s hard working during school when I have lots of homework.”

Q: How much do you work?

A: “I work Wednesdays after school, Thursdays and Sundays.”

Q: How much do you make?

A: “$16 per hour.”

Q: What is your dream job?

A: “My dream job is probably something to do with corporate law or owning a large business.”

page 3

The Mirada |NEWS| Friday, February 15, 2019 SHUTDOWN

Govt. shutdown affects Rio Alex Lydon Mirada Staff

During his campaign, President Trump has stated that if elected, he would begin the construction of a wall on the United States southern border. Two years later, the president seeks to fulfill his promise at the cost of many middle class families.

President Trump’s push for funding for his wall has left many Rio Americano families without funds for over a month. Many families have expressed frustration with the delay of their paycheck for what seems to be an issue not worthy of a government shutdown On Dec. 22 the government shutdown after Trump and the Democratic party refused to come to an agreement over the $5 billion allocated to the construction of the border wall. The shutdown left approximately 800,000 federal workers without pay. This shutdown became the longest running shutdown in U.S. history, surpassing the second longest government shutdown, which occurred in 1996, lasting 21 days. This time the shutdown lasted 35 days.

Three days prior to the shutdown, the Senate passed a shortterm spending bill which would

allow the government to continue running until Feb. 8. The Republican controlled House of Representatives then added $5 billion in funds dedicated to the border wall, returning it to the Senate. In the Senate, the bill failed to received enough votes and the shutdown began.

On Jan. 14, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, who has worked closely with the President, suggested he reopen the government in order to pursue a deal under better circumstances. President Trump rejected this offer, stating he had no interest in delaying this issue.

For over 800,000 federal workers this shutdown has meant working with no pay. Only half are likely to receive pay once the government reopens while the other half will never be compensated.

Amongst the agencies shutdown the interior department , the food and drug administration, and the treasury department amongst others cease to work during the shutdown.

Although many of these agencies may not seem to be of great importance, other agencies such as the TSA in charge of maintain security in our airports lost funding.

During the shutdown, the TSA reported 10% of their staff had

called in sick within the last week of the shutdown. For many employees the financial limitations created by missed paychecks has caused many employees to not report to work, picking up second jobs to cover the lost income.

For many Rio Americano families, missing a months worth of paychecks may leave families seriously economically vulnerable.

Many families feel as if the border wall has been prioritized over their liveliness. A Rio Americano student and daughter of a federal employee and a part time professor explained “My family lives paycheck to paycheck as many families do.”

It simply isn’t possible for families such as mine to remain afloat without a constant stream of income she explained. “He worked every single day as normal but didn’t get a paycheck” she said, “it was tough for my family because my mother works part time.”

While working without receiving a paycheck, many employees were forced to look for new or part time jobs. Unfortunately, many employees weren’t able to seek another job out of fear of losing employment. “My dad had to work if he didn’t want to lose his job”she said.

On Jan. 25 President Trump agreed to back a bill which would

Feld has been teaching for five years in the Arts Department. His classes were put on a PKS, or Particular Kind of Service, list which would’ve discontinued his classes because of the lack of funding for computers. gives us or we may have classes that people don’t sign up for them.”

The issue is that if the entire computer lab were to break today, Ginter estimates that to replace all of the computers would cost $45,000-$50,000.

In an interview with the Mirada before Feld learned that his job was saved he said the computer lab is good shape.

“If the entire lab breaks, the district will not provide funds to replace the computers,” Feld said.

“But in fact, all 40 computers in the lab were recently updated and technical services assured that they will operate perfectly for another five plus years.”

Ginter said the assurance of tech services contributed to the decision to keep the classes.

To help compensate for the more expensive equipment in past years, the PTSA bought professional grade tools, such as wide format printers and vinyl cutting machines for production.

“The funding for his classes is truly a non-issue and not good enough grounds to cut his classes altogether,” senior Whitney Wheeler said. “Funding could come from Student Government, PTSA, and students/parents are more than willing to donate or fundraise.”

Feld has created a classroom to take digital art to the production stage. He also uses these machines to print things like shirts and posters for groups like the song team, Rowdy Raiders, lip sync battles, the football team and teachers.

Wheeler had been a leader of the move to keep Feld and had met with Ginter to express her concerns.

“It seems beyond unreasonable to get rid of, or even cut funding for, many of Rio’s most popular electives, especially since the school has already invested money into help-

reopen the government but without funding for the southern border wall. The short-term funding bill will fund the government until the Feb. 15.

Although the government will be running through Feb. 15, Trump has warned that if democrats won’t reach across the isle and strike a “fair deal” he will yet again shutdown the government, or even place the country in a state of emergency.

In the two weeks following the shutdown a portion of the 800,000 government employees affected by the shutdown have either not received their due pay or only received a part of the due sum. Many of the government agencies have struggled to pay back their employees due to payroll glitches.

Recent negotiations between Republicans and Democrats have not been very fruitful. Democrats seek to change Immigration and Customs Enforcement priorities to focus on undocumented immigrants at the border, not already within the borders of the U.S. As the date of the 15th approaches, employees are still unsure of the security of their job. The threat of another imminent government shutdown leaves many federal employees worried about the future of their career.

Art

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

However, Ginter said the initial decision to cut the program was based on money not outcomes.

“I wasn’t looking to get rid of it,” he said. “But there isn’t money and there’s not a whole lot I can do. But understanding better from parents’ perspective and some of the students who talked to me ... (makes it) more compelling to be able to say ‘I still can’t afford this, but let’s try to work something out.’”

The classes will continue as long as there is funding, both from the district and funds Feld would raise in his class. Similarly to how yearbooks are sold to help fund the journalism courses, Feld must create a way to help fund his courses, Ginter said.

Feld said he would work to fund the program.

“I want to find sponsorships and donations to get more production level equipment so Rio can create a print shop where athletic teams, clubs and student organizations can make garments and those funds will help fund my programs,” said Feld.

ing develop these classes into the thriving programs they are today,” Wheeler said.

A Change.org petition created by junior Mitchell Dixon and had over 900 signatures. There are comments about why the program needs to be saved.

“Mr. Feld’s class changed my life; I’ve gotten so many amazing opportunities from the skills I learned in his classroom,” alumni James Vine said. “Not only have I made a livable salary one year out of high school from what he’s taught me, but he has personally opened doors for me by going out of his way to find jobs for me.”

Feld said that in his class students will learn more than digital arts. If students are willing to put in the effort to bring an idea to life, he will help them do anything.

“In my classroom, students learn art, marketing, branding, web design, business and a self-belief that they can do anything they dream of as long as they are willing to work hard and take the jump,” Feld said.

The stars of Poetry Out Loud

Students participate in the annual Poetry Out Loud competition where they to memorize different poems of their choice and recite them.

Senior and winner of Rio’s competition Gina Talcott (left) recited “Cathedral of Salt” by Nick Flynn . Junior and runner up Jenifer Su (right) recited “Say Grace” by Emily Jungmin Yoon. Photos by Ed Mahone.

Rebecca Smith Commentary

Journalism drastically declining

T

he death of newspaper has been discussed for years as the Information Age continues to prosper. The transition from print to online has barely begun and already took a hit this year: in January alone, more than 1,000 people in the media industry lost their jobs.

Newspapers have been declining, but these layoffs were mostly digital. Large companies like Huffington Post and Buzzfeed blame Google and Facebook for stealing readers. Their duopoly has conquered the online advertising market causing media sources to lose revenue.

Buzzfeed made headlines when it announced it was laying off 15 percent of its staff. The owner of Buzzfeed doesn’t allow unions, so there wasn’t much the journalists could do to prevent this. The National Security Desk had only been in existence for a little over a year and was completely eliminated. The CEO offered to bring in support dogs the following Monday to help the remaining staff grieve the loss of their coworkers.

At Huffington Post, 20 employees were laid-off and their parent company, Verizon Media, let go of seven percent of its staff. The cuts at Huffington Post were comprised of the opinion and health staff as well as Pulitzer Prize winners.

Verizon Media had nearly $4 billion in tax breaks this last year and promised to share the success with its workers, yet the major cuts suggest otherwise.

Newsrooms nationwide were affected by the cuts. Papers like The Arizona Republic, The Coloradoan and The Record had an estimated 400 layoffs.

Refinery29 had around 40 cuts and Super Deluxe was forced to shut down completely.

Following the announcement of these layoffs, social media exploded. News outlets around the country posted about their job openings and asked for the journalists looking for work to direct message them. Tweets were sent from outlets like The LA Times and The Associated Press offering positions as editors, reporters, media consultants and more.

Journalists were even posting their credentials and resumes hoping for someone to respond with an opening. These people ranged from heads of their old departments to award-winning writers and Pulitzer Prize winners.

The community came together to support each other, but more cuts are expected. As Google and Facebook continue to dominate the news cycle, online media will continue to shrink leaving readers to have to fact check for themselves and relying on very limited reporting.

page 4

The Mirada |NEWS| Friday, February 15, 2019

HOMELESSNESS

Students feed local homeless Students share their first hand experience helping homeless Emily Borg Alyssa Christopher Mirada Staff The breath from shivering homeless people laying on the cold ground is visible through the frigid night.

We all have the same goal in mind: to help those who need it most.

“After meeting the Edge’s and hearing about their mission, I immediately knew I wanted to join them.”

Tamara and Austin Edge volunteered to do just this through the Cathedral, but recently branched off

and now focus on helping homeless veterans.

They usually spend the majority of the day preparing for the night: they make roughly 100 sandwiches and put them in brown paper bags along with some sort of fruit and a bottle of water. This was our first time volunteering and we wanted to do this because we wanted to give back to our community.

Our youth group met by Cesar Chavez Park and then we walked up and down the streets of Downtown Sacramento distributing the prepared food.

The last time we went volunteers brought warm socks, granola bars, and even hot chocolate. Some people were kind enough to bring old jackets, blankets, and scarves to give to the homeless.

It was an amazing feeling to see

TEACHER WAGES

Low funding affects teacher salaries Annalee Gorman Mirada Staff Each year, more and more students enter high school, and less teachers are able to accommodate them. Hundreds of school districts are under distress and frustrated with the current standing of teachers.

According to the National Education Association, teachers’ salaries (after adjusting to inflation) have decreased three percent from their previous earnings over the last decade.

Nationally, the “teaching penalty” shows teachers earning 19 percent less than other education professionals.

This has increased over the past two decades from a two percent gap in 1994 to 17 percent since 2017.

Teachers’ salaries often make it difficult to pay off student debt or housing as not all school districts can accommodate their needs. Some school districts don’t pay teachers over the summer resulting in them having to take up a second job.

However, teachers do have a say in when and how they receive pay.

According to the IRS, teachers can defer their pay and be paid in a ten month span or 12 months. Contrary to a ten month pay plan, a 12 month pay plan compensates for teachers who works summers and pays teachers for a whole year of teaching.

Since 2015, schools have faced budget cuts resulting in a steady decline of teachers. California, one of the more underfunded states for education, is suffering from these cuts. The search for teachers proves to be difficult for multiple school districts as California gets paid 20 percent less than other educational professionals according to California Teachers Association.

For example, as districts seek educators to replace the ones lost in the cuts, they discovered finding qualified teachers are hard to find. In 2016, the San Juan Unified School district held its first ever job fair in hopes of receiving 100 new fully certified teachers to fill empty spots.

Some of California’s solutions to the shortage are blended teaching programs that lower the requirements to become certified in order to quickly gain more educators. A survey done by the Learning Policy Institute showed that over 80 percent

of California teachers were not fully qualified. In the Sacramento Unified School District 34 percent were not fully certified.

The absence of teachers impacts students and districts. Many classes are oversized and this trend will most likely as hiring more teachers to solve this problem is unlikely.

“Last year we were definitely understaffed for the students we had to start the year,” said Principal Brian Ginter.

Unlike some districts, San Juan Unified School District can place a cap on the number of students in a school, keeping our small class sizes.

Other districts, like the Los Angeles Unified School District, aren’t as lucky. About 34,000 teachers went on strike on Jan. 19 until Jan. 24, demanding more staff, and higher pay.

Over 40 percent of those existing teachers were not fully certified.

Lured by higher pay, less students are majoring or even considering jobs in education. Others leave because of the working conditions such as under-staffing and crowded classrooms.

Teachers report being concerned about the lack of respect for educators. They get paid less and don’t always have accommodating and supportive staff to create a healthy and relaxing work environment.

Seventy-three percent of trainee teachers said that they considered leaving the profession because of the demanding workload and inability to balance work life. About two-fifths of teachers quit after the first five years due to the demanding profession.

Approximately 90 percent of teacher vacancies are a result of teachers leaving. One third of those are from retirement and two thirds are from mid-age teachers quitting, for reasons other than retirement.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, many of these reasons are from the dissatisfaction of working conditions and the feeling being unheard. About eight percent leave teaching annually, and another eight percent move to other jobs in education.

Less people than ever are devoting their studies to education. Without changes in the workplace and teacher curriculum, the teacher drought will persist.

how thankful most of the homeless people were. Many would say “God bless” and “Thank you”.

Others were not so grateful for our presence. When given a bagged lunch/dinner a man proceeded to throw it out into the street and yelled “I don’t want this” in a very angry tone.

There was an older woman who was bundled up against a wall and asked for tissues. Sadly, we did not think to bring them so we offered her a pair of socks, but we also ran out of those. One of the leaders proceeded to take off her own brand new fuzzy socks and gave them to the women.

That small action brought so much joy to the women’s face and brought us to tears. It is amazing how something so simple can mean so much to someone. After seeing that we thought to ourselves, ‘why

didn’t we think of that?’

At the beginning of the night, we were a little nervous because we didn’t know what to expect from it.

We were a little hesitant to go and talk to the homeless, but once we began we jumped right in.

The feeling of comfort and the abundance of love after meeting these people completely made us realize why we give back to those in need.

Realizing that some of these people only have hope, made us smile with joy and love towards them.

Hearing that the Edge’s do this and take their own time to do so is incredible.

We soon became more and more outgoing just by being more comfortable talking with the families and asking how their day was going.

Some families live in tents and

have dogs. Not only is it important for us to give back to people, but animals who are in need too.

I took one glance and saw how significant our presence and gifts were to these people. Their smiles, were the highlight of the night.

The shock of seeing an abundance of homeless, makes us have an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for what we have.

Clean water, a warm place to sleep. These were all the thing these people were struggling to get.

People take having hot family dinners and a bed to sleep in every night for granted and we should be more grateful for what we have because some people have it much worse.

ATHLETICS

Senior athletes commit to colleges

Seniors sign athletic contracts for their colleges on Feb. 7. The top photo is all of the athletes that committed. In the lower left photo, Matthew Sutherland commits to Fresno State for golf; he’ll be following his father’s footsteps. The lower right photo depicts Jack Cartwright and his dad sporting Chapman shirts and hats. Cartwright was offered spots to play football at a couple of different schools, but chose Chapman. Cela Chamness has played beach volleyball for five years and was offered a spot on March 12, 2018 to play at Boise State. Camille Lidster has played soccer for most of her life and will spend the next four years doing so at Chico State. Maleah Evans and Maddie Haggard signed to the Academy of Art University and Saint Martins University where they will continue to play soccer.

Safiya Lahham signed with San Diego State where she will row, and Derek Walaitis will play lacrosse for Colorado State University Pueblo.

Photos by Rebecca Smith and Jane Snider.

page 5

The Mirada |NEWS| Friday, February 15, 2019 PRIVACY

ENTREPRENEUR

Students and faculty turn artistic passions into businesses Co.” a year and a half ago and makes a variety of goods for fathers looking to look Many students are “crelike a rad dad. atives”, or people that cre“I started my ate, invent, and imagine difbusiness because ferent ways to express their I love design and creativity through different I view myself as mediums such as clothing or a creative,”said pictures.

Feld.

Senior Whitney Wheeler Feld consisfound her passion for photently helps othtography in the 7th grade ers like Wheeler when she started experiand Pawlak with menting with her mom’s their products and camera. Now, she takes logos. pictures and makes videos Feld believes to sell, including this year’s “We should enfreshman orientation video. courage young “The admin even asked people to stume to put together the freshdents to control man video this year,” said their destinies by Wheeler. pursuing a path Wheeler said she feels supbeing an entrepreported by the admin and neur rather than especially her teacher, Mr. following in the Feld who helped her design footsteps of othher logo and create her webers.” site.

He plans “I wouldn’t have been continuing Go to whitswheeler.com to schedule a photo session with on able to create and design my “Daddio Trading Wheeler. Ad provided by Wheeler. own website without Feezy Co.” for the forewho helped me through the seeable future and She does this by sewing her own whole process,”said Wheeler. clothes with the materials she buys. hopes that he can continue to inShe’s inspired by Indy Blue Se- “I have my own sewing machine spire and aid students in taking their vere and hopes to continue pursuing and tons of fabric and materials that products and ideas to the next level. her passion for videography and I choose from. I don’t use any pat“I love bringing products to life photography in the future by be- terns, I just cut and sew as I go to as well as being able to use my platcoming a wedding videographer. what I think looks good,” said Paw- form as an educator to hopefully in“I want this to be a hobby for my lak. spire other creatives to pursue their whole life, and if I’m successful She hopes to go to a fashion based dreams,” said Feld. enough, then I’d want to make a ca- college in New York.

These creatives have been lucky reer out of it,” said Wheeler.

“I hate normal schools and jobs so I in finding what they love to do.

Junior Lina Pawlak designs and would want to work in that setting”, They encourage others to explore makes her own clothing, which she said Pawlak. different media of creativity and has her friends model.

She is interested in starting her create lasting hobbies or jobs that “I make women’s clothing, like tops own company after design school. students can carry out for the rest of and dresses” Feld started “Daddio Trading their lives.

Sydney Hodge Guest Writer

ANIMAL ADOPTION

Front Street shelter launches ‘Doggie Day Out’ Rebecca Smith Mirada Staff Eight dogs wear yellow bandanas with the words “ADOPT ME” stretched across, waiting for someone to take them out of their cage.

The Front Street Animal Shelter in Sacramento is implementing a program called “Doggie Day Out” where people can take a dog out of the shelter for a set amount of time ranging from a couple hours to a sleepover.

For two months now, Doggie Day Out has been a huge success.

The shelter claims they can’t keep enough dogs to meet demand. Dogs remain in the program until they are adopted which is when new ones will replace them. Older dogs that have been in the shelter the longest are prioritized in the program.

The goal of the program is to relieve stress dogs feel when they’re cooped up all day in a cage. Even if it’s just a walk or a cuddle on the

couch at home, the dogs are free to play with.

For families that are hesitant about rescuing a dog permanently, this is an easy way to test if they’re a good fit for your life.

Senior Andrew Espinosa and his family are looking for a new addition to their family after the passing of his dog Lulu almost a year ago.

For his family, this program will help them decide whether to adopt or rescue.

“I think the program is great because it allows people to experience what it’s like to rescue a dog without the responsibility of actually owning it,” said Espinosa. “The girls in my family want to adopt, but my dad and I really want a rescue because we know that there are so many dogs out there that get put down everyday, so we don’t want to add to that problem by adopting.”

This program works well for people that live busy lives and can’t care for a pet as well. All someone needs to do is list the qualities

they’re looking for or what activities they’ll be participating in and they’ll get matched.

For example, if someone likes to run or hike they’ll get matched with an energetic dog. In return, the person will take a few pictures and list any new qualities they notice.

Front Street provides a “doggy bag” with treats, a bowl, poop bags and a toy. There is no fee.

The point of this program is to acclimate dogs to life outside of a shelter and familiarize them with things that could possibly cause them stress like kids, cars or other dogs.

By reviewing a dog, families will be more inclined to rescue a dog because they already know their behaviors. This program has greatly diminished the fear of shelter dogs and if they’re aggressive or won’t work with the family and has helped create a personal connection with prospective families as soon as they walk in the doors.

Companies buying personal information Annalee Gorman Mirada Staff Google: the most widely used platform with the most information.

It has the capability to store every piece of information and create advertisements about its users. It has enough information for three million word documents or 5.5 GB worth of information. But why is this information necessary?

“Data brokers,” or companies whose existence depend on buying and selling personal information, collect it so quickly, they erase the trail without knowledge of it ever being there. These companies gather data from searches, apps, or other available online records. Really, it’s used to get to know the consumer better to make a profit in a legal way.

Omnipresent technology: 95 percent of teens go online daily, 71 percent use more than one social media site and out of those teens, and 51 percent have FaceBook according to Pew Research Center.

The past year, Facebook became infamous for breaching privacy without its users knowledge. Facebook spied on its users and those who didn’t own the app, without safeguarding any of that data and using it for business deals.

Similar to Facebook, other social media apps use “growth hacking” to personalize the user experience.

Meaning, companies monetize information to gain a better understanding of the user so an advertiser can target them.

Recently, Twitter updated its privacy settings integrating “advert preferences” which shows interests, sites the user viewed and gives suggestions for topics based off that activity.

Other successful apps like Snapchat and Instagram practice similar strategies. Obsessed with the user persona, according to Molly Hugh, editor of the Ringer, social networks collect likes, conversations and political preference. By licensing information, companies make a profit from user interaction, and cause pesky ads to appear.

Most teens don’t realize how powerful the apps they use are. Even when something is deleted, it’s still recoverable, and nearly impossible to fully erase. Over 60 percent of teens have deleted a post, 31 percent deleted an account, 45 percent deleted a tag in a photo and 53 percent have deleted comments.

More than ever, teens are being more open on what they share to social media. 92 percent of teens post their real name to their profile, 74 percent post their school and location, and 82 percent post their birth-

date. Additionally, some use auto-location settings to automatically post where they’re at constantly.

Unknowingly, teens are allowing profiles about them to be made to specifically target them. With more posts less privacy than ever, these companies know the user better than any friend could. The data trackers make it difficult for uses to control their data and have a right to privacy.

Facebook, Google, and Twitter recently have been under scrutiny for controlling others privacy.

Magnified by algorithms, it makes it difficult to avoid influencing users because of the vast amount of information these companies possess. These messages are capable of blocking neutral facts and providing extreme ones because fake news makes more money than real facts.

As mentioned before, companies know everything about the user including political preference. During the election time, some fake news writers were making $10,000 a month from companies such as AdSense. Companies such as Facebook gather user information to direct traffic to these fake news sites and make a profit from them.

A Pew report showed that nine percent of teens cared about what information the government, or other third party sites had on them compared to over half of parents. To them, it’s the trade off of data to a better social media experience that matters most.

Caution and awareness about the power of social media can help to relinquish the control these companies have. Teens can have the balance of a enjoyable social media experience while being educated on how to keep their data safe.

It’s not just social media that’s keeping tabs. Most websites include embedded code about the user and who they are. Every time a user visits the website, it is recorded in the history and is a reason the jacket you viewed seems to follow you around.

Those histories are used to create a profile about the user.

One study in 2016 showed that over 40 percent of emails were being tracked. Marketers and advertisers can see when, where, and on what device the email was opened with.

These techniques have been adopted by social media companies and are continuing to grow.

Nowadays, pervasive tracking is virtually invisible. Some useful tips to safeguard information include: being mindful about posting, turning off cookies, and turning on privacy settings.

Recycle your Mirada

page 6

The Mirada|Friday, February 15, 2019

Opinion

The First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

THE MIRADA The Student’s Voice Editors-in-chief Kaitlyn Shellooe Rebecca Smith Web Editor Jared Moisey News Editors Alex Lydon Emma Phoenix Opinion Editors Emily Borg Synia Thrower Features Editors Athena Acevedo Katie Newton Jessica Sheppard Sports Editors Mickey Doolittle Luke Richards Distractions Annalee Gorman Photo/ Back Page Editor Jane Snider Staff Malek Amaya-Safi Sam Bacceli Alyssa Christopher Lydia Ellis Deonni Humphrey Charles Johnson Eamon Lopez Martin Michael Mehrdadi Isabella Searle Audrey Snider Susannah Swindel

Published monthly during the school year by students in Rio Americano’s newspaper class, the Mirada is the independent voice of the students and the campus.

The Mirada welcomes story ideas, comics, letters to the editor and opinion pieces from all members of the school community. Submit articles to the box in A3 or the main office.

Contact the business manager for information on advertising, but we reserve the right to refuse any ad.

Contact us: email: theriomirada@gmail.com Twitter: @riomirada2019 Online: riomirada.com Mail: Rio Americano High School 4540 American River Drive Sacramento, CA 95864

Cartoon by Allison Beck

Arming Teachers A OUR VOICE

fter decades of horrendous gun violence on school campuses causing helpless, innocent students and faculty to lose their lives, many have begun considering arming teachers to keep schools safe.

In light of the Parkland school shooting that occurred almost a year ago causing the death of 17 students and staff, many think a solution to events like these would be to arm teachers so they have a chance to fight back.

On the contrary, others think this is a foolish idea.

Some feel like arming teachers with loaded weapons puts students, and the teachers themselves in danger which is an opinion that everyone should agree on.

Not all teachers have the correct knowledge of having a gun: how to use or even where to keep it, and the gun could easily end up in the possession of the wrong person.

There were countless stories of wrongful and accidental death and injuries from gun accidents, and having firearms in a school environment with children of all ages is a recipe for disaster.

Many people feel as though this might be the only solution to protection from hanneous violent acts such as the Parkland shooting, Columbine high, Sandy Hook, and countless more events occurring on school campuses.

Since the latest major gun attack on a school campus there’s been little to no change in gun laws allowing for young people to be able to obtain these weapons and use them for evil.

It should not be easier to obtain a gun than it is to get birth control, but that is the sad truth in this nation.

People should have to go through intensive background checks and classes before they’re even considered for approval to get a gun.

Having guns on school campuses in the possession of teachers can also take away from the learning aspects of the classroom, and interfere with students concentration.

People should have to go through intensive background checks and classes before they’re even considered for approval to get a gun. Also, guns like AR-15s and AK-47s should not be accessible to anyone in the public.

To improve the environment of American schools, we can’t combat guns with more guns. Arming school teachers is not the answer to improve school safety.

School should be a safe environment where students and faculty shouldn’t have to worry about having a deadly weapon. Guns should be less accessible to people and that would help start America on the path to improving its schools.

YOUR VOICE

“I don’t think that teachers should be armed. I think that there are too many things that can me miscommunicated and can lead to a teacher shooting a student on accident.”

-Ariana Bornino (11)

“I think that it is bad because, it makes the school more unsafe because you never know what the teacher could do.”

-Maddie Harris (11)

250 WORDS

Senior Showcase Shutdown Jane Snider Mirada Staff

T

he PTSA has lost an estimated $25,000 due to the cancellation of the 2019 Senior Showcase. The showcase has been canceled because of the low enrollment in the event.

The event brought in about 50 percent of the PTSA’s budget, and now the teachers are going to have to cut back on PTSA spending.

Only 21 of the 45 applications needed were turned in on Dec. 20.

The stress of finals were piling up, and seniors were more concerned about their academics than signing up for extracurricular activities.

Even though 71 people were signed up on the Remind app to receive messages about the showcase, there was only one event where sign-ups were encouraged: the senior picnic.

A booth was set up at the senior picnic to sign up for the showcase giving students a one time chance

to sign up in person.

Whereas at school, people in student government spend time at lunch encourage people to sign up for the blood drive, the senior trip, the “un-talent show,” and other events almost every day. If the school did something like this to advertise for the showcase they might have Cartoon by Emily Borg

gotten more sign ups.

Although there were messages posted about the showcase on the school website, there was little communication to the students. There was one event to sign up in person and then one meeting to talk about permission slips and the theme.

After that there were three remind text messages sent to remind people to turn in their permission slips.

If you didn’t sign up or go to the meeting, there was little opportunity to even know that a show was happening.

There was no knowledge of what the show entailed and that deterred people from signing up.

page 7

The Mirada | OPINION| Friday, February 15, 2019

The wall that divides us Mickey Doolittle Mirada Staff

“T

he conservatives are destroying the country.” “Those liberals are the reason for all of our countries’ problems.” These types of phrases encompass the beliefs of too many Americans today.

As the extreme political divide of our country grows, both left and right become more and more at odds. Extreme liberalism and conservatism that have no capacity for listening to one another has taken root, and does our country a disservice.

I have explained this many times to friends who do not listen to the opposite side and nearly every time their response is “of course we should hear each other out.” Their actions show otherwise

and this is hypocritical and a blatant lie.

Examples driving this extreme gap is President Donald Trump.

His name-calling, lack of understanding and impulsiveness are all negative parts of his character.

Trump may be one of the most polarizing figures of our time, which does not bode well for a divided country.

However, Democrats can’t find anything good about this president.

Sure, he is not the politically-correct role model leader we would want him to be, but as he should be knocked for his faults, we should also acknowledge his achievements.

Some of his so-called “wins” include a booming economy, an undeniable titanic decrease in illegal immigration, record highs in minority-owned businesses and unemployment at nearly a 50-year low.

These have gone mostly unacknowledged, especially in liberal-domi-

Our ! e d i s

nated areas.

An example of hypocrisy from both sides is when Bill Clinton proposed a border wall (much like Trump’s) in 1995. Conservatives were up in arms saying it was a waste of money, when in fact they are the ones proposing a very similar structure today.

Another factor contributing to the divide is the media. Although the president has popularized the term “fake news,” the phrase “slanted news” suits the situation better.

It is apparent that sources like Fox News and CNN lean their coverage to favor their political interests. This means if someone supports the right, all a liberal news source sees is more conservatives speaking out against liberals.

This causes a lack of understanding between the two parties, which deepens the political divide.

Ultimately, many Americans lack the ability to “agree to disagree” and find common ground. The 2009 election between John McCain and Barack Obama is a recent and golden example of how the two parties should treat one another.

Despite their varying beliefs, the two respected each other and listened. Out of this came a relationship where the two found common ground and ultimately gained something through that understanding.

When President Trump gave his State of the Union address Tuesday, he shared how woman makeup 58% of the new jobs in the US. Republicans and Democrats. Just for a moment, members of congress stood united as Americans.

So, next time a friend or acquaintance makes a comment disagreeing with your point of view, do not denounce it immediately.

Your side

Is the Bachelor as real as true love?

Annalee Gorman Mirada Staff

I

t is said that anyone is capable of finding true love.

A popular reality-TV show takes on this challenge. However, with 30 bachelorettes and only two months, is “The Bachelor” a legitimate way to find love?

The show is self-explanatory. An eligible bachelor tries to find his fiancè within nine weeks, choosing between 30 women. Inevitably, these relationships don’t last. “The Bachelor” franchise is one of the longest ABC reality-TV shows with 37 seasons. Yet, only 11 couples are still together.

Typically, before getting engaged, couples date two to three years and without millions of people viewing and commenting on the evolution of their relationship.

Those years are time to know one person (rather than 30) and not have to fight for spending time with whom they want to be with.

Around 40-50% of marriages end in divorce. Knowing someone for less than two months and splitting that time with other women significantly increases this rate. It gives unrealistic expectations for

relationships such as discouraging emotional relationships and having the contestants play a game in which there’s only one winner.

It’s not an accurate portrayal of dating with helicopter rides, private islands and concerts, and limitless shopping sprees. The contestants are not seen talking about core values or having other profound conversations. Instead, they are spending time with a guy who is setting such high standards considering they’re not millionaires.

True love is loving someone for who they are, not what they offer such as expensive dates. The show pits women against each other and causes hostile friendships.

One contestant from this season (23), Brianna pretended to have a fake Australian accent to gain the attention of the bachelor. During a confession, she claimed, “...you have to do what you can to stand out.”

“The Bachelor” turns love into a competition to entertain and create content despite the true feelings of the contestants. One can talk themselves into love by wanting to win and being nationally recognized for it.

This begs the question of: How

Drawn by Abbey Overbey real is the bachelor? Many say that the contestants are there for the wrong reasons meaning they seek fame and attention, not true love.

The agents look more for personality and less for compatibility to make the show more entertaining.

Like Brianna who felt she had to fake her nationality to gain attention, “The Bachelor” enforces gender stereotypes. Women are portrayed as jealous and petty as the whole show is them fighting for one prize: marriage. As a result, the show has some bad blood and ruined friendships.

Even when the bachelor chooses his bachelorette, they’re still

strangers. It’s hard after less than two months to completely love someone and want to marry them.

Less than half of “The Bachelor” couples stay together from a result of this. Sometimes, the bachelor can be pressured to choose a bachelorette in hopes of not going home empty-handed.

On season 22 of “The Bachelor,” Arie Luyendyk chose who he thought was the love of his life: Becca Kufrin. Shortly after, he admitted to loving the runner-up Lauren Burnham and broke off his engagement.

The “love” seen on “The Bachelor” isn’t real. Though there are sparks and relationships can last, too much of this show is scripted and purposely made dramatic. “The Bachelor” is more of a game than a serious relationship, and it truly warps people’s ideas of true love.

It misleads it’s audience to believe that love can be bought and be a game.

You shouldn’t have to fight for the ones you love.

Raising gender neutral kids Sam Bacceli Mirada Staff

A

new trend called “theybies” has started to emerging for parents. Theybies are when parents decide to raise their children without a gender.

That means using they/them pronouns, dressing them in androgynous clothing, and picking a unisex name. Instead of using the gender that the baby was assigned at birth parents raise them as non-binary.

This is meant to allow the child to pick their gender and pronouns when they are at the age where they know. Gender is a complicated topic that can be difficult to navigate, especially when you are young and impressionable.

When you are young your scope of gender is limited to what you see around you. Most boys are masculine and most girls are feminine, so that’s what most kids and even older people think gender is.

Gender is more complex than this black and white concept.

For a lot of people that is hard to understand especially children.

Kids are impressionable and will believe whatever they are told, they don’t have their own opinions yet. Adding this confusion to an already confusing world is unnecessary.

Though the intentions are pure from the parents, this is still harmful to the impressionable minds of their children. Letting your child pick their form of expression from a very young age is one thing, but gender is different.

Many parents of these theybies say what they want to do is teach their kids that one’s biological anatomy does not correlate to their gender.

Genitalia does not always directly correlate to one’s gender, especially for those who are transgender.

The thing is, most people aren’t transgender. Most people are cisgender, so their genitalia does match the gender that they identify as.

Through questioning your gender identity is not inherently wrong or bad, it does not need to be encouraged. It is already confusing enough to go through puberty without this idea that you need to pick your gender.

This concept of telling your children that they get to pick their gender, makes everything more confusing. It is different if your child were to come to you on their own because their own ideas and tell you that they do not identify as the gender that they were born as.

There is a difference between accepting someone who comes out to you and telling someone that they should be questioning their gender. Someone has to have realization that they are transgender because of their own thoughts and ideas, without influence from their parents or other outside forces.

The Mirada |NEWS| Friday, February 15, 2019

page 8

NEWS IN FOCUS

1 year after

Parkland shooting: What has changed?

Proposed legislation on gun regulations Emma Phoenix Mirada Staff Each year, schools around the nation are affected by gun violence, and each year thoughts are prayers are given. President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Paul Ryan and many more echo the phrase through hashtags on Twitter. While sincere at first glance, the phrase soon became cynical.

Students in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting were given lots of thoughts and prayers and little legislation; however, the legislation that is brought up is often funded by the National Rifle Association.

In data compiled by the NRA in 2017, governors since 2013 have enacted 382 “pro-gun” bills — many widely expanding access to firearms. Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas and Texas, all had governors sign bills that would allow people with concealed carry licenses to bring guns onto college campuses, joining seven other states with similar laws.

There have also been 210 “gun safety laws” enacted in 45 states, according to the Giffords Law Center.

Now, a year after the shooting of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in FLA., commonly referred to as the Parkland Shooting, there has been a lasting effect on the American population.

Since the 2018 shooting, where 17 students were murdered at the hands of guns, parents and students have been struggling to find solutions to end the gun violence in America.

Shortly after the shooting, students across the nation held school walkouts and the March For Our Lives rally, supporting stronger gun violence prevention measures and needing more than “thoughts and prayers” given by the politicians of America.

The Florida legislature took part in the change; three weeks after the shooting, the legislature passed a bill that included raising the legal age to buy guns from 18 to 21, banning bump stocks - a device enabling semi-automatic rifles to fire hundreds of rounds a minute - and introducing a threeday waiting period on all gun purchases.

Florida was the only red state to pass any legislation in support of gun violence prevention. States like Tennessee, Oklahoma and Nebraska had actually relaxed gun-related laws, as research by Associated Press.

Months passed without much being done in regards to gun control and more shootings occurred, such as the one at Santa Fe High School in Texas, a state notorious for being anti-gun control.

In December of 2018, a commission set up by President Trump to assess gun violence in schools published a report which rejected many things students had hoped for like raising the minimum age at which you could buy guns, while suggesting - controversially - arming teachers.

However, the Trump administration did ban the use of bump stocks. The final date to destroy or turn in the devices is Mar. 21.

Students feel unprepared Jessica Sheppard Mirada Staff Last year, on average there was a school shooting every week: one of the biggest was in Parkland, Fla. at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. With Parkland students and teacher standing up over the past year, it has made students, teachers and parents at other schools across the country more aware of school shootings.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas, had an armed officer on campus, the same lock down procedure that Rio has in place and it still wasn’t enough to stop the shooter. After the Parkland shooting, students at Rio came to the realization that as a school and a student body, we are unprepared.

Experts have made suggestions to schools and their students about what to do in case of a shooter some of them include throwing confetti, rocks, pencils, or holding up a backpack to their faces.

Although these suggestions have been discussed, no new concrete solutions have been implemented in schools.

“You really can’t coach for every circumstance, but most experts now are saying students carry backpacks with multiple books especially at the high school level, and experts say to hold the backpack in front of your face,” said Vice Principal Nichols. “If you’re prone to it and the whole class are

armed with books you can throw them at the intruder.”

Although teachers and administrators are educating themselves on what to do students are not aware of what to do.

“I guess get down to the floor,” said sophomore Sophia Cheng.

“Nobody has told me anything.”

Some teachers at Rio think the drills that are run are sufficient and the threat of a shooting isn’t something to worry about. While students think otherwise.

“Gun safety is a very big priority to me,” said freshman Kayla Warmolts. “I don’t think gun safety at Rio is talked about a lot and should be talked about more.”

Out of the 62 people that were surveyed, 85 percent of students say that they feel safe during the day, and 68 percent feel safe at night; however, only 38 percent know what to do if a shooter were to come on campus. There is a difference between feeling safe and being safe in a dangerous situation.

“For a lock down, teachers would stop teaching, lock the doors, cover the windows and students would take cover as far from the window as possible,” said Nichols.

The messages of how to stay safe is not reaching students, leaving them in a state of confusion about what to do.

“I haven’t really been taught about what to do in case a school shooter actually did come on campus,” said sophomore Lili

Valencich.

The school is only required to do one lock down, and one shelter in place drill a year making practices limited.

There are many options of what to do, but the main thing that most people are told is to try to remain as calm and collected as you can be.

“Stay calm, don’t make noise, don’t let them know where we are, don’t panic your parents and just remain calm,” said French teacher Alicia Murray.

Telling people to remain calm is easy, but actually having students remain calm is another thing.

Students aren’t the only ones in the room, teachers are expected to not only remain calm and collected, but to protect 35 teenagers from potential danger.

“Within the last twenty years [school shootings] have been something I was never really worried about prior to 1999,” said history and government teacher, Gary Blenner.

Columbine was one of the first major school shootings in the U.S. in 1999, so before this people weren’t as concerned with school safety. Today, because of a growing epidemic of shootings across the country, people are more aware and more concerned with their safety.

“Safety of the students will of course always come first,” said Nichols.

YOUR THOUGHTS

How should schools protect students and faculty from gun violence?

“One shouldn’t feel scared going to school, worrying if they will go home. Access to firearms needs to be restricted or reduced, not to make schools safer, but our country safer.”

- Alec Sumner (12)

day.”

“I think there needs to be tighter security to get onto campus. For example, at Rio, anyone can just walk onto campus at any time of the -Matt Lynch (12)

“If we were to arm teachers, it only would bring more danger if a teacher mistakes an action of a student as pulling out a gun.

At Rio, I feel safe and I think the school is doing well at keeping students safe.”

-Crystal Kim (12)

Overall I believe schools are generally safe.

However, schools should have more authority to search students. Better mental health counseling should be free and available to all, etc.”

-Meg Snyder (12)

“Schools should all have one entrance point and students should have to scan an ID card to get into the school.”

-Julie Ewert (12)

The Mirada |NEWS| Friday, February 15, 2019

page 9

NEWS ANALYSIS

It’s not just the South or fraternities...

Blackface

is part of Rio’s history, too

Rebecca Smith Mirada Staff

Attitudes toward blackface at Rio and in America

It’s easy to associate blackface with the South where slavery and Jim Crow remain a scar on their history, or fraternities where costumes and party attire are taken too far and become racist. Californians like to think of themselves as embracing equality, but in its capital, at our school, blackface was once celebrated.

In 1986 and 1987, students at Rio performed in the talent show while wearing blackface. According to yearbook photos and captions in ‘86 a group of unnamed boys performed “Jungle Love” by the Minneapolis R&B band The Time. A year later, a girl group, identified only by first names, imitated the Jackson Five with a cover of “ABC.” Both acts won first prize.

Is it at least sometimes acceptable for a white person to darken their face to appear to be a different race for a Halloween costume: At Rio: Never: 85% Sometimes or always: 10% Nationally: Never: 37% Rarely: 16% Sometimes: 19% Always: 15% Do you recall blackface being taught in a history class at Rio: Yes: 22% No: 77%

GOVERNOR The photos have taken on new relevance this last week, after revelations that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam wore blackface at a 1980s party. Northam, a Democrat, first said he was in a photo of a man in blackface and another person in a costumed in a KKK hood and robe that appeared on his medical school yearbook page, but he didn’t know which was him. He later denied being one of the figures but admitted he had worn blackface to imitate Michael Jackson.

The KKK hood is offensive for obvious reasons, but the blackface reflects different less-well-known traditions of racism. The person in the photo--which, in his first remarks, Northam admits could have been him even if it wasn’t--is not trying to replicate an African American he admires. This is an offensive caricature.

This behavior might have been more common 30 years ago, but in no way could someone pose in this picture and not see that what they were doing was wrong.

Although Northam has apologized, the grossly racist photo has caused elected officials and constituents to call for his resignation. Ironically, he ran his campaign claiming his opposition was racist.

“I think he should definitely resign,” said senior Cooper Davis.

“This wasn’t even just an accusation, there’s proof. Just because it was a long time ago, it’s still not okay by today’s standards. People should still be held accountable for their actions if there’s proof.”

A Washington Post survey of Virginians found voters split on whether Northram should resign, splitting 47 percent to 47 percent.

While blackface has become

A girl group performed in blackface as the Jackson 5, winning first place at the 1987 Rock Wars talent competition. Rio photos from Tesoro yearbook.

Should Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam resign over the blackface scandal?

At Rio: Yes: 53% No: 35% No opinion or not sure: 35% Of Virginia voters: Yes: 47% No: 47% Rio data derived from a survey of two senior English classes (AP and ERWC) on Feb. 13. National survey by Pew Research. Virginia survey by Washington Post.

Above: Gov. Ralph Northam’s 1984 medical school yearbook page. He denies being in the costume photo. Right: At the 1986 Rock War competition a student (right) portrays black singer Morris Day, while other boys in blackface perform as his band, The Time. They won first place for rendition of the group’s R&B hit “Jungle Love.” frontpage news this week as more public officials admit to wearing it, the practice dates back to the late 1700s.

HISTORY Typically used in theatrical skits, white men would paint themselves with greasepaint or burnt cork (Northam favored shoe polish), accentuate their lips, wear wooly wigs and ragged clothes to embody how they viewed African Americans.

The term Jim Crow actually comes from a blackface character developed by a white northern actor in the 1830s, who embodied racist stereotypes.

Until the Civil Rights popular actors white actors in blackface actors would act lazy, cowardly, clueless or buffoonish. White men would cross-dress and act grotesquely mannish, matronly or

overly provocative to distort African American women.

But Civil Rights did not spell the end to blackface, as seen at a Virginia medical school--and at Rio Americano.

RIO At Rio’s talent shows in the 80’s, this behavior wasn’t acceptable to everyone. A student at the time who did not want to be quoted said she felt uncomfortable by the performances, but that her classmates did not see a problem. The thought was, if you’re going to imitate them, this was the most authentic way to do it.

Not only was this act applauded, but they won. An audience of parents, teachers, faculty and fellow students condoned this behavior and rewarded them for it.

There are some things that have once been acceptable that are now

intolerable, like what is defined as racist. Through education and reflection, society is slowly able to recognize what was once admissible, should never have been.

“I understand that back then they had a different outlook on blackface, but now that racial prejudice has come to the forefront of news, it would never be acceptable by today’s standards,” said junior Alex Nguyen. “Things have changed a lot and I get how viewpoints have evolved.”

It was much easier to ignore the origins of blackface and excuse it as a way to play dress up, but after reading the history of it, it’s clear that the intent behind blackface was to mock and degrade African Americans.

Rio students apparently didn’t wear blackface or perform it as a way to deride African Americans;

they were simply trying to be their idols--or win a contest. It may not have been as extreme as it was in the 1700s-1900s, but the insensitivity is all the same. Ignorance is what bred and continues this tradition.

Hopefully, with today’s awareness and knowledge these same people would recognize the racism behind blackface and wouldn’t do it again.

Universities have had trouble with countless blackface scandals in the last decade and have taken action like suspension and removal from fraternities. Both in school and politics, blackface is not longer acceptable and has ruined numerous reputations.

In this way, it’s clear to see just how much times have changed--and how far we have to go. Without education, we have ignorance.

Fortunately this is a school, which can fight ignorance. And for future Michael Jackson imitators, remember, it’s as simple as 1, 2, 3 and as easy as A, B, C: if you don’t want to be racist, don’t do blackface.

YOUR THOUGHTS

Should the governor of Virginia resign because of the blackface photo?

“I believe it is unnecessary and caricatures African Americans. I believe it’s white people using black racial superiority in a way that is highly insensitive to the black community.”

-Sunny Hernandez (12)

“A med-school student today would be severely punished for doing a blackface. So I believe this man should be as well, despite this happening 30 years ago.”

-Cole Ramazzini (12)

“If someone is doing it to impersonate someone in an honoring way, then they should be allowed to do it.”

-Andy Nathan (12)

“I think it’s not okay, most people don’t realize that it’s offensive, which makes things worse.”

-Ruby Hammes (12)

“The governor should be straight up about his mistake if he is the one dressed up in blackface.

Blackface is not OK, and should

not be allowed.”

-Lauren Lawver (12)

page 10

The Mirada | Friday, February 15, 2019

FEATURES

Sactown turning into a go-to destination

The iconic Tower Bridge lit up at night enhances walks along the river in Old Sacramento. While Old Sac is still popular, the city is attracting visitors with new features. Photo by Kaitlyn Shellooe

Where to go in Sacramento

Stuck in town over ski week break? Sac has a lot to offer for your stay-cation

Holy Diver The midtown club is developing a reputation for launching local bands and bringing in cool, alternative national performers.

Check out Rio grad Alexia Roditis and friends in Destroy Boys Feb. 23.

1517 21st Street www.holydiversac.com

Katie Newton Mirada Staff California’s capital often hides in the shadows of Los Angeles and San Francisco, but now, Sacramento is trying to make a change.

With the deconstruction of the Sacramento Convention Center comes yet another sign of change in the city. The decision to tear down the old convention center is a part of a plan to reconfigure the Convention Center, Community Center Theater and Memorial Auditorium.

This plan is among many others that are striving to create a new image of Sacramento, making it a destination city of its own.

The most significant aspect of Sacramento’s new look thus far is the Golden 1 Center and Downtown Commons (DOCO).

The Golden 1 Center attracts artists and crowds that Sacramento never did before, and DOCO provides a fun place to hang out. The increased foot traffic through the area also adds some safety and cleanliness to the area, compared to much of downtown.

“I’ve been to DOCO a couple of

A part of the new river front project

by Garden Park in West Sacramento (top). The DOCO center is the latest addition to Sacramento (right) it has many trendy new shops and the Golden One center, which next week host Kings games and Panic at the Disco concert.

Top photo by Jessica Sheppard, right photo by Katie Newton

times, once for a party and one just to hang out with my friend,” said junior Natalie Link. “It is clean and well-kept and the people who work there and in the stores are nice and friendly.”

What many people don’t know, however, is that the Golden 1 Center is only the beginning.

The Hardin is a $60.1 million project lining the 700 block of K Street (the street that dead ends into the Golden 1 Center). The street will integrate local restaurants, stores and nightlife with the old building fronts for an urban, appealing facade.

Architects designed over 100

apartments of various sizes to be built above these retail spots. The roof, however, is rumored to be open to the public and include gardens, a fitness center and possibly restaurants.

More emerging projects including the Powerhouse Science Center and the Railyards have some promising designs for the city as well.

The Powerhouse Science Center will include a science, space and technology museum in addition to a planetarium. Construction of this

center continues on the riverfront and city planners estimate construction will be completed by 2021.

The Railyards, only a few blocks away from the science center, will develop 244 acres of land for retail, office, housing, theaters, hotels, museums, and a Kaiser Permanente hospital. The highlight of the Railyards, however, will be an Major League Soccer stadium that covers rest of the open land.

Republic FC, Sacramento’s soccer team, applied for the construction of an MLS stadium in hopes it would increases their chances of winning the bid on becoming an official MLS franchise.

“A new MLS stadium would draw more business into town which boosts Sacramento as a whole,” said sophomore Ryan Cervinka. “I enjoy going to games, though they are a little expensive when they have to pay off the new arena.”

Many of the biggest cities in America are proud to call famous franchises their own, and Sacramento introducing a new look to both the Sacramento Kings and Republic FC plants a promising seed towards the city’s expansion.

The myriad of proposed developments downtown, in addition to the recent deconstruction of the Sacramento Convention Center, create an exciting future for Sacramento, one that will hopefully put us on the map.

Crocker Art Museum The museum hold the foremost collection of California art, and has a great cafe. Not only that but they combined the old Crocker mansion with the new building making it a combination of the old and the new. With old Sacramento across the street from the new J street it only seemings fitting this museum represents the Progress in Sacramento. On Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. the museum has a free screening of the classic movie, “In the Heat of the Night,” as part of Film and Music program.

216 O Street www.crockerart.org Old Sacramento and the Railroad Museum Cheesy but fun, Old Sacramento preserves the city’s past while offering museums and plenty of places to dine or or go crazy on sweets. Walk off your sugar high with a walk along the river.

The Railroad Museum in Old Sac is constantly changing because their able to changes trains in and out.125 I Street www.californiarailroad.museum B Street Theatre at Sophia This newer theatre is located downtown by Sutter’s Fort and some of the new upcoming shows are House on the Haunted Hill, Mindi Abair & The Boneshakers, as well as Rockapella.

2700 Capitol Avenue

page 11

The Mirada | FEATURES| Friday, February 15, 2019

Try this!

There’s so much to do and see that it can be hard keeping up.

The Mirada is here to help with a sampling of destinations, apps, restaurants and more that you should try.

TRY THIS SHOW

Good Trouble “Good Trouble” is a new TV show spinoff from “The Fosters” which aired on Freeform. This new show follows Callie Adams Foster and Mariana Adams Foster in Los Angeles with their new adult life. This series includes drama, from relationships to politics, and while it is more mature than The Fosters, the fans should love it just as much.

Info: Airs on Freeform (Free) RIO AMERICANO SCENE

DATE

PROD. CO.

TAKE

ROLL

SOUND

DIRECTOR

CAMERAMAN

Behind Ace of Spades’s small facade is great entertainment from the venue’s local and professional artists that perform. Photo by Katie Newton.

TRY THIS VENUE

TRY THIS RESTAURANT

Ace of Spades Finding new things to do in Sacramento can be hard, but Ace of Spades never fails to provide fun entertainment and concerts. Ace of Spades offers many varieties of music for everyone. Some popular upcoming shows include Common Kings, Big Wild-Superdream Tour, Quinn XCII, and San Holo. Common Kings is playing Feb. 28 and their upbeat vibe should make for a fun night. Big Wild is playing Mar. 10 and this DJ also toured with ODESZA and was nominated for a Grammy Award for the “Best Remixed Recording.” Quinn XCII is playing Apr. 2. He is mostly known for his songs, ‘Strightjacket’, ‘Another Day in Paradise’, and ‘Flare Guns.’ San Holo is playing on Apr. 4. He is a Dutch DJ known for one of his most popular songs ‘We Rise’. It offers made-to-order items that you can ask for at their bar. On their website you can also upgrade to premium seating which includes your own seat and a server to bring you food and drinks without having the hassle of waiting in line. Ace of Spades is also a cheaper alternative to larger concert venues. Shows are on weeknights and weekends and the venue is standing room only. The small space also means an up-close experience with the band or performer. When in the mood for a concert, make sure to check Ace of Spades schedule for a fun night.

Info: 1417 R St, Sacramento, CA 95811 Hours vary on events, Closed Sundays

TRY THIS APP

Milk Money Milk Money, a new, hip donut shop, is now open downtown. Milk Money features many delicious and interesting donuts like their Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Sprinkle Zombie, Post Malone, and PB&J donuts.

Their downtown location in the new Ice Blocks development has a modern and minimalistic vibe with white tiles covering the walls and neon signs saying “Making Dough” and “Milk Money.” Along with donuts, they serve gourmet ice cream, ice cream sandwiches, milkshakes, and donut holes. Each day they rotate through three donuts so their customers can try all their unique flavors. Milk Money is a great place for a morning snack or an afternoon treat.

Info: 1715 R Street, Suit 100 Tuesday- Sunday 7 a.m.- 9 p.m.

Venmo If you have a credit or debit card and always wish you could transfer money to your friends quickly, then download Venmo. The app allows instant money transfers with sharing options; private, close friends, or public. It makes paying people back much more fun and much quicker.

Download the Venmo app from your phone’s app store and start transferring today!

Junior’s hobby turns into passion Annalee Gorman Mirada Staff It all starts with one line, one brushstroke, one idea. Meticulous shading and vibrant colors connect thoughts to pictures and convey ideas to emotions.

Mindless doodles turn into art, and hobbies become passions. Creativity flows from inspiration to fuel new passions, such as junior Olivia Pattitucci’s passion for art.

Patitucci has drawn for as long as she could hold a pencil. Inspired by her grandpa Anthony Patitucci, she saw his paintings and was inspired to start her first sketchbook in the third grade.

“I’ve gone through so many sketchbooks I can’t count them,” said Patitucci. “But I would guess maybe 35. I go through about two to three a year.”

Patitucci’s sketches and paintings have inspired others to draw or pursue art. Although, her indirect inspiration is not why she paints.

An array of Pattitucci’s paintings. The far left picture is a self portrait.

Photo provided by Olivia Patitucci.

“I’d like my art to be enjoyed, and that’s basically it,” said Patitucci.

“I don’t feel the need to create any certain emotion or inspire anyone to take any certain action. In that way, it’s less stressful, because I can paint what I want and what makes me happy.”

It only takes one glance at her sketchbook to realize the raw talent she possess.

“I’m always blown away when

I look over and see her drawing in class. She is super talented,” said junior Jemma Prichard.

Patitucci shares her art @opidoodle on Instagram, where her pictures have been praised; even by the influencers she has drawn.

Her account has received lots of attention, and even opportunities to commission or sell her art. Since she started her account in November of 2016, she has been commissioned

four times.

Her first commission was her freshman year to do a painting of a girl and her friends as a present.

“They all found out about me through my art Instagram I have (@opiodoodle) and so they usually saw a style I painted or drew in and were like: ‘Hey could you do this for a friend of mine for her birthday, or could you do this drawing of me?’”

Patitucci makes her artwork integrative with her followers, showing videos of her process in her Instagram story with fun poll questions to accompany it.

She has an extraordinary way of reaching out to people through her art and being transparent with how she makes it. She hopes to be able to eventually integrate her work into a career, but not pursue it.

“It’s purely just a hobby and I don’t want to turn it into a career, although I hope in some aspects of my career I’ll be able to be creative in a sense that is either drawing or painting, or something entirely different.”

Alex Lydon Commentary

Failed Fyre Festival

T

he failed Fyre Festival has garnished a great deal of attention in the last month receiving two documentaries from both Netflix and Hulu. During the spring of 2018, entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule began promoting a music festival in the Bahamas.

The festival’s first video advertisement promised a luxury music festival on a remote private island once owned by Pablo Escobar.

The advertisement featured private jets, yachts and models, but unfortunately McFarland and Rule were unable to deliver on their promise of a luxury experience.

Originally the festival was created with the intention of promoting McFarland’s talent booking app, Fyre. Instead, his venture ended with multiple class action lawsuits in addition to an FBI investigation of fraud charges.

Fyre Festival began it’s advertisement campaign in Oct. 2016, hiring a crew of models and bragging of a pending partnership with Samsung.

Soon after the publishing of their first advertisement video, the owner of the island refused to rent out the island. In fact, they never agreed to advertising that said the island would be located there.

Without notifying attendees, the festival’s location was moved to Great Exuma. This populated island didn’t come close to offering the private, luxurious experience advertised.

By March 2017, McFarland and the event coordinators realized they wouldn’t have enough funds to finish their festival.

McFarland launch a search for a second round of investors.

This wouldn’t be the last time McFarland would attempt to raise funds. During the final weeks before the festival, the organizers invited attendees to load money onto their wristbands available for all their transactions. This money would be used up to the last minutes before the opening of the festival.

A clear theme between both Netflix and Hulu is McFarland’s and Rule’s unpreparedness to host a festival. Both Rule and McFarland lacked any experience creating a music festival, nonetheless a luxury festival in the Bahamas.

When the weekend of the festival arrived, housing, amenities, and even all of the festivals performances were nonexistent.

Fyre festival’s unwillingness to postpone or cancel the event posed great deal of harm to all attendees.

page 12

THE MIRADA|Friday, February 15, 2019

REVIEWS

MOVIE REVIEW

FOOD REVIEW

Hurry over to these poke eateries Lia Rocucci Guest Writer

Marley Fortin Guest Writer

Poke restaurants are simplifying authentic Japanese cuisine with the creation of poke bowls, which are convenient for customers living busy lifestyles. As a sushi and poke bowl lover, I ventured to three poke restaurants in the Sacramento area: AhiPoke in Arden, PokeNoke in Sacramento, and Fishology in Folsom to rank them based on price, variety, taste, customer service, freshness, and ambiance.

I arrived to each restaurant at a different time of day, so my overall dining experience was likely influenced by the time of day I visited the restaurant.

AhiPoki

Walking up to the glass food counters of AhiPoki was slightly overwhelming. I ordered the regular bowl with two scoops of “protein”, or seafood. I picked my base to be sushi rice because of its sticky consistency.

Next, the protein area had several bins holding cubes of tuna, spicy tuna, shrimp, crab, salmon, scallops and yellowtail. Since I knew I could handle the taste of raw tuna and shrimp from sushi, I added spicy tuna and crab meat to the first layer of my poke bowl.

In the sauce section, I immediately chose the spicy house sauce along with masago, edamame, cucumber, seaweed salad, green onion, and furikake.

I sat down at a wooden table outside and peeled the lime green themed napkins from the lid of the bowl. The first bite combined the tastes of fresh vegetables and tangy sauces, the warm rice complimenting the fish and the furikake seasoning.

I was impressed with the overall cleanliness of the unoccupied tables and the friendly employees that didn’t shame customers who couldn’t correctly pronounce the names of the seasonings.

I spent $9.50 on the AhiPoki bowl and the dish tasted fresh and delicious. The line consisted of two people because the lunch crowd hadn’t yet arrived in the late morning of a weekday.

Poke Noke

Walking through the heavy glass doors of Poke Noke in the University Village shopping center, I was amazed by the intricate mural

AhiPoki’s regular bowl with scoops of crab meat, tuna and avocado is priced at $9.50+tax. Photos provided by Lia Rocucci on the wall on the right side of the building.

The design of this restaurant completely topped the design of AhiPoki because Poke Noke featured several modern wooden benches with metal accents in the outside patio.

This bowl, however, cost $12.50 for the relatively same amount of food as AhiPoke.

The initial taste of the bowl was sensational, but I had to add Sriracha sauce for spice since they did not offer spicy tuna as one of the options in their protein section.

After a while, the fish started to taste bitter and the onions overpowered the flavor of the bowl since little aioli sauce was added to the mixture.

When arriving to the restaurant, I struggled to find a parking spot because most spaces were occupied by shoppers of nearby stores. Although only one person was in front of me in line, customer service was exceptionally slow and I almost regretted purchasing the bowl for $12.50 when I could have gone back to AhiPoke for a better bowl with a more affordable price.

Fishology

The last poke restaurant I tried is called Fishology in Folsom. Similar to Poke Noke, there were severely limited options for protein, so I compensated for the loss of flavor by adding more vegetables than

second to most expensive.

I don’t think I would return to order another bowl at that restaurant because of the lack of variety and the bland environment of the facility. Even though the restaurant had just opened for the day when I went and the manager was training new employees to make the bowls, I was largely unimpressed with the lack of personalization and interior design of the restaurant.

The indoor tables looked cramped and clustered, and the chrome chairs clashed with the plain walls surrounding the restaurant.

Final Thoughts

Top: Mural painted on the side of Poke Noke.

Bottom: Dining outside of Poke Noke on wooden benches and red chairs. usual.

The scoops of seafood were the smaller in comparison to the other two restaurants, yet the price of the regular bowl with three small scoops was $11.95. Of all the bowls I tried, the Fishology bowl was the smallest and the

In this evaluation of three restaurants, I am confidently concluding that the best restaurant for a tasty and reasonably affordable poke bowl is AhiPoke. The vast parking lot is accomodating for the movie theater and other restaurants and stores in the complex, so there will likely always be a spot to park in.

For the amount of food provided, AhiPoki has the most affordable bowls with a larger selection of protein scoops and a display of vegetables with freshness you can taste. The next time you crave a delectable sushi roll but don’t have time for restaurant dining, stop by AhiPoki and experience poke in its greatest form.

LISTEN UP, KIDS

“Gorillas in the Mist”

A book that really stuck with me from high school was an autobiography that my freshman teacher gave me from her personal library called “Gorillas in the Mist” by Dian Fossey.

It’s a story about a woman that went and

Math teacher Jaime Bonato

Swipe right for quirky ‘Lobster’

took care of gorillas and saved their lives.

More important than the actual content of the book is the meaning of the person who gave it to me. My teacher, who had terminal breast cancer, gave us all a book from her personal

library before she died.

What’s even more important is that my teacher thought of me, and it sort of became my persona that I took on.

Inside the front cover she wrote “To Jaime, the keeper of all that is

good.” I still have the book.

It reminds me to be kind and compassionate and do the best I can for other humans and species of the Earth.

For those of you desperate to find love before next Valentine’s Day, at least be grateful that you don’t have to worry about being turned into a pony if you fail to cinch a date.

Director Yorgos Lanthimos’s wacky, unsettling dystopian comedy “The Lobster” explores a society that forces all the single people of the world to find a romantic partner in 45 days, or face the bizarre consequence of being turned into an animal of their choice.

David (Colin Farrell) kicks off the film by learning that his wife has divorced him.

His 45-day journey to a new partnerColin Farrell ship begins at a hotel famed for bringing lucky couples together through tedious ballroom dances, amateur concerts of romantic ballads, and draconian oversight from hotel staff- but mostly the looming existential threat of animal transformation.

David struggles to find love within these unnatural constraints, but the fear of being turned into a lobster forces him into morally ubiquitous territory.

David’s trials in finding love never ceases to critique the more absurd trends of today’s romance-obsessed society with a finely sharpened wit- for example, each romantic pair must match their defining features, like in David’s case, being short-sighted. Failure to find another short-sighted person means that our protagonist must face a crustaceous future.

The folly of reducing each person to a single quirk like weak eyesight constantly plagues the beleaguered menagerie of characters- and may remind viewers of their own similarly painful and reducing experiences of filling out dating app bios. Yet at the same time, the film doesn’t fall into the hackneyed role of acerbic outsider; it equally condemns the clan of romantic rejects who have given up on finding partners.

Led by a coldly authoritarian Seydoux, a nomadic tribe of sworn celibates wages war on the hotel, fighting valiantly against the shallow version of love that it enforces. Yet David finds no solace there. In fact, he suffers the misfortune of finding love with a short-sighted woman (Rachel Weisz) in the very place it is denied to him.

He must not only protect his new relationship from the violence and suppression of the loners, but must also reckon with the tribe’s more mundane cruelties, such as only permitting electronic music on dance nights.

The Lobster masterfully blends comedy with fear, absurdism with hard-hitting reality, and detachment with empathy and passion. Single or not, you’ll find David’s struggles endearing and relevant- even if you never find yourself confronted with animal transformation for failure to get a swipe right. Let that small blessing comfort you as you go forth bravely into the perilous dating world.

The Mirada | FEATURES| Friday, February 15, 2019

page 13

DISTRACTIONS

Will Heron (10)

Anika Rogaski (10)

Q: How would you describe your

Q: How would you describe your

Q: What personality traits do you

look for?

A: Someone who is funny, and really nice. be?

A: Going to a baseball game.

Q: Biggest turn on?

A: Pretty eyes.

Q: Biggest turn off?

A: When she does drugs.

Q: Favorite Disney character?

A: R2-D2 from Star Wars.

Juniors Hannah Null and Atticus Cotula have been dating for almost a year.

dream partner?

A: My dog.

Q: What personality traits do you look for?

A: Someone I can vibe and be comfortable with.

Q: What would your dream date be?

A: Watching “Chopped” together.

Q: Biggest turn on?

A: When he’s a goofball.

Q: Biggest turn off?

A: When he’s not a good sport.

Q: Favorite Disney character?

A: Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast because he’s really funny.

1) When and what time is the winter play?

A) 2/11 6 a.m B) 2/9 7:30 p.m.

C) 2/9 4 p.m.

D) 2/7 7:30 p.m.

2) How many heart shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year for Valentines Day? A) 39 million B) 4 million C) 53 million D) 36 million

Nicolas Gorman (11)

Q: What’s your animal’s name?

A: Cajun. She’s a Leopard Gecko.

Q: What’s the story behind getting her?

A: I had to spend my pet store money.

Q: How big can your gecko get?

A: They can get to be about six inches. Cajun is around that length.

Q: Cutest thing she does?

When she’s hungry, she lips her lips.

Q: What’s the most annoying

thing she does?

A: Sometimes, she doesn’t eat all the crickets and they pile up in

her cage.

Q: Favorite Story?

A: One time my grandparents

came over, and her tail fell off. My grandma was screaming as the flopping tail was chasing after her and we couldn’t catch Cajun.

Q: How did you decide to name her?

A: My mom came up with the name. Cajun has unique yellow and red spots and is from the Middle East region so the name seemed perfect.

Couple of the Issue

How did you meet?

HN: I had two classes with him sophomore year in P.E and history.

AC: I met her in our friend group and got to know her better in Mr. Freund’s class.

Favorite memory?

HN: I went to a Blue October concert with him and we danced.

AC: Halloween when we went as ghosts with bikinis over our costumes.

How did he ask you out?

HN: I made him a card and the card said “yay” or “nay.”

Embarrassing moments?

HN: When he got his wisdom teeth removed and he was loopy.

AC: At the park she saw a spider and screamed then punched me in the throat.

Best quality?

HN: He’s kind.

AC: She’s spontaneous.

Raider Quiz

A Valentine’s Day Poem

by Rebecca Smith Chocolates and roses fill the air Lovers stroll with teddy bears Single ladies gather and say “Cheers to us this Galentine’s Day” Happy couples laugh and kiss Shrouded in a bubble of bliss For some it’s all just hurt and ache A hollow feeling no sweet can shake Timelines filled with posts and tweets Couples posing with their treats Love is in the air this year So eat some chocolate and spread some cheer

Candy Crossword: Match these candies to their brand’s slogan

Know your campus Directions: Locate the image below somewhere on Rio’s campus. The first person to identify where the picture is from and tell Mr. Mahoney (room A3) will receive $5 gift card to the Raider Store. Good Luck!

3) In 2015, what percentage of women sent themselves flowers on Valentine’s Day? A) 18% B) 20% C) 21% D) 16% 4) What concert is happening on Feb. 20 at the Golden 1 Center?

A) Justin Timberlake B) Ariana Grande C) Disney on Ice D) Panic! At The Disco 5) What does GALA stand for?

A) Guys Ask Ladies Attend B) Girls Ask Lads Attend C) Girls Ache Longingly for Affection D) Gym Actions Look Amorous 6) What is the 3rd most searched flower on Valentine’s Day? A) Sunflower B) Rose C) Lily D) Orchid 7) How many people buy their pets gifts for Valentine’s Day? A) 9 million B) 20 million C) 22 million D) 14 million 8) Who receives the most Valentine’s Day cards?

A) Mothers B) Wives C) Girlfriends D) Teachers 9) How much does the average man spend on Valentine’s Day? A) $80 B) $100 C) $130 D) $150 10) How many cards are bought for Valentine’s day?

A) 300 million B) 60 million C) 1 billion D) 645 million

Across 1) Two great tastes that taste good together 6) Life’s better the ___way 7) Make the most of your break 9) Every day deserves a kiss 10) Nobody’s gonna lay a finger on my___

Down 2) Sour. Sweet. Gone.

3.) Get the sensation 4) Melts in your mouth, not in your hand 5) You’re not you when you’re hungry 8) Taste the rainbow

2.) D 4.) D 6.) C 8.) D 10.) B

dream partner?

A: Funny, sporty, and likes to play pranks on other people and softball.

Q: What would your dream date

Pet of the Issue

Bachelorette

1.) B 3.) A 5.) B 7.) A 9.) C

Bachelor

page 14

Sports

The Mirada|Friday, February 15, 2019

Sacramento Republic joining MLS Mickey Doolittle Commentary

I

(Right) Junior Alex Vryonis leads a fast break in the forth quarter. (Left) Jake Paxton makes a move on an EC defender. Photos by Rebecca Smith.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Team advances in playoffs Wins over E.C and River Valley propel Raiders Mickey Doolittle Mirada Staff The Raiders built on the momentum of a come-from-behind win over rival El Camino last week to clinch a playoff spot by beating first-round opponent River Valley at home Wednesday night.

An immediate addition the Raiders obviously made to their offense was the amount of threes they shot.

Most notably, senior Cole Ramazzini connected on multiple triples through the game, going on to be one of the main contributors for the offense.

“All of them focused on whoever had the ball,” Ramazzini said. “I was able to move around and find open spaces.”

When senior center Jonah Roth went out in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury, Rio needed to find a way to stay strong in the rebounding department. Junior Mitchell Dixon filled this void, pulling down countless rebounds throughout play.

“We just knew we had to step up our rebounding with Jonah out,” Ramazzini said. “Credit to Mitchell Dixon for leading us in that area.”

At half, the two teams were evenly matched, however that changed with the emergence of the third period. Rio began scoring in bunches, pulling away from River Valley.

As the final minutes came, Rio head coach Chris Jones substituted in the second string to avoid any unnecessary injuries. When the final buzzer sounded, Rio advanced to the second round, beating River Valley 65-52.

Although the Raiders won handily, the team had to overcome a difficult hurdle to make the postseason.

After suffering one of their worst losses of the season just a few weeks ago to the same El Camino team, Rio looked to bounce back on Senior Night Tuesday. The seven Rio seniors were honored pregame, along with senior cheerleaders.

Rio was immediately at a disadvantage with standout Roth inactive for the game. “They were down their big man, we were down our big man so our main focus was to rebound and box out their second biggest player, said senior Jake Paxton.

Despite this, the Raiders started the game hot, with Dixon immediately getting open in the paint off the tip for an easy two points. Rio played

aggressive and strong defense early, which contributed to their 14-0 run to open the first period.

After an El Camino timeout, the Eagles’ offense awoke, drawing within five points. The first closed with some sloppy play in the final minute, seeing both teams commit numerous turnovers.

Even with the Raiders’ strong start, El Camino answered back going on a nearly identical 14-0 run to open the second. The charge was lead by senior Michel Robinson, who hustled into transition before Rio’s defense could get back.

Rio did keep it close, getting a three-point play from Dixon. This was immediately answered by Robinson, who drilled a triple to close the half, putting Rio behind 32-27.

Early in the third period, Robinson took over the game. He started by swatting away a potential layup from Dixon, giving his team a fastbreak opportunity.

When on offense, the Eagles let Robinson hold the ball and make plays himself, while the Raiders struggled to figure out how to contain him.

However, Rio’s student section rallied after senior Ryan Nixon flushed home a triple. The third quarter would end with both teams even at 44.

All the back and forth lead to the

climactic fourth quarter. The sloppy play that had plagued the teams throughout suddenly disappeared.

Ramazzini opened the quarter with an electrifying three, which was answered by another Robinson fastbreak score. At this point, Rio junior Alex Vryonis took charge, starting with a layup beating a double-team in the low post.

El Camino senior guard Jaquawn Henderson answered, drawing fouls on two straight possessions.

He made a game-high 6 for 6 free throws in the quarter.

Coming back from this, Paxton connected on a corner three. On the next possession, he drained another three-point jumper from 26 feet with the shot clock winding down.

The Raiders lead 61-56 with 49 seconds left in regulation, and clamped down on defense, shutting down Robinson and forcing him into tough shots. As time wound down, El Camino continued to foul the opposition. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Rio prevailed with clutch free throw shooting from Dixon who went 5 for 6 in crunch time.

As the final horn sounded, Rio stood tall, winning 67-60.

“It was a huge win, not only for senior night, but for our playoff seeding too,” Paxton said. “To get revenge on EC was pretty cool on our senior night.”

CONSTRUCTION

‘Field of Dreams’ nearly a reality Mickey Doolittle Mirada Staff The new sports complex continues to move along without any major setbacks. With the field finished, workers have begun to lay the track.

The originally planned completion date was December, however The Field of Dreams has suffered multiple setbacks. These include delays for rain, smoke and an issue with the old scoreboard concrete foundation being larger than originally expected.

“Just last Friday, they finished the

first coating of the track surface that had to sit over the weekend,” says Principal Brian Ginter. “Once that was down, it is supposed to take four weeks from that point to finish up everything.”

He went on to elaborate that the weather must be perfect for the fourweek timeframe to work out. With rain in the forecast for at least the next week “We are probably looking at mid-March when everything will be done,” Ginter said.

Currently, there are portable SEE FIELD PAGE 15

The ‘Field of Dreams’ is under construction, nearing it’s reveal.

The field began construction last year, but due to weather delays, the expected end date has been pushed back numerous times.

Photo by Mickey Doolittle.

t seems inevitable that a Major League Soccer team is on it’s way to Sacramento. This should not be news to most people who follow the Republic, but the wait for the new team may be shorter than expected.

It should be understood that Sacramento and St. Louis are the front runners for the expansion team. Both have semi-pro teams that are successful, and both have extremely strong ownership.

That being said, Sacramento is the better destination. With our growing tourism industry and massive soccer fanbase, this is a perfect city for soccer.

One would argue that the St. Louis has a superior soccer culture. After all, they have hosted six major international friendlies in the last six years, and all sold out their respective stadiums.

However, saying Sacramento cannot compete with The Gateway City strictly because of fan interest is not plausible. There are over 100,000 youth soccer players in the Sacramento area alone, totaling more than the entire state of Oregon.

In addition, St Louis is only a three and a half hour drive from two other MLS teams, and five from another two. Sacramento’s nearest is San Jose, and the Los Angeles team is relatively close, however, this market is hungrier for a team than anywhere else.

In 2015, Sac Republic moved into newly built Papa Murphy’s Park, with an expanded capacity of 11,442.

In 2017, Sacramento went 13-12-7, missing the playoffs, but averaging a sellout crowd every night, with attendance at 11,596.

Now, the team is pushing for a new, 20,000 capacity stadium in the unused downtown rail yards. The company commissioned for the construction, HNTB Corp, built one of the best minor league baseball parks in America (Raley Field), and the most technologically-advanced stadium in the NFL (Levi’s Stadium).

The project is scheduled for completion in 2021, opposed to the 2022 completion date for the proposed St. Louis stadium.

However, one factor could pull the Capital City down in this race for a franchise.

St. Louis’ potential ownership would be made up of a majority of women. The MLS tends to favor a more diverse ownership group, and the city can absolutely deliver that.

Overall, both cities will most likely have a team within the next decade. That being said, Sacramento has a stronger fan base and are better prepared to deliver facilities. This makes our city the best home for a new MLS team.

page 15

The Mirada | SPORTS |Friday, February 15, 2019

SOCCER

Boys and girls soccer ride momentum into playoffs Mickey Doolittle Mirada Staff Rio’s boys soccer did not disappoint this year, going 11-2-2 in the regular season. Standouts like junior center attacking midfielder Manu Rey have boosted the team up a division into the division two playoffs.

Rey scored 22 goals, good for first in the Capital Athletic League.

In addition, he finished first in assists, points and points per game (15 game minimum).

The team beat rival El Camino twice in two meetings this season, outscoring them 8-3. In those games, Rey recorded more goals than anyone else who played.

The team easily qualified for the playoffs, and their first round game took place Tuesday night against the Grant Pacers.

The first half got off to a fast start with Rio controlling the game. Most of the half was spent on Grant’s side of the field, and Rio scored twice to show for it.

The first came in the half with Steen Unsworth scoring with 24 minutes left.

Next came a flurry of opportunity for the Rio offense, nearly converting on multiple chances. In one such instance, a shot ricocheted off the top post as it flew past the keeper.

Field CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14 bleachers for games, which the school may expand on by adding more. In addition, there will be a new building built, much like the original with a snack bar and restrooms which will not be finished until around next summer.

The new complex will encompass lacrosse, soccer, track and field and possibly even football games.

Head football coach Sammie Stroughter wants every home game to be played on the new field, but it is not that simple.

“Lights could be an issue, I know there is at least one game that we want to get portable lights into there to have a night game here,” Ginter said. “Early on in the season (coach Straughter) was talking about potentially starting games earlier.”

It is also possible that some

Senior captain Maddie Haggard dribbles past a Vista Del Lago defender. Haggard moved up the field looking for an opportunity. Photo

by Kaitlyn Shellooe

Senior captain Maddie Haggard dribbles past a Vista Del Lago defender.

Photo by Ed Mahone.

Finally, the Raiders found the net off of a Foster Hopp score. He ran in from the wing and found no defenders to meet him, netting it easily.

They continued the solid play until stoppage time when they gave up

a good look to Grant. Keeper Quinn Harington made a diving stop to preserve Rio’s two point lead going into the half.

To open the second half, the Pacers immediately struck with a goal of

their own.

Just five minutes later, Rio would strike back with Steven Barreto scoring, putting the Raiders up 3-1. For the second straight half, home team would control the pace of the game, making it tough on Grant.

The Pacers were barely able to fend off Rio’s attacks, however, the Raiders shot themselves in the foot on a miscue in the defense.

As the ball was trickling towards the net, a defender attempted to clear the ball, not getting solid contact and sending it only a few feet away. As he did this, Harrington dove for the ball which was no longer there.

This set up an easy goal for Grant, who took advantage and drew closer with just 15 minutes left before stoppage time.

Rio made the necessary adjustments, substituting an extra defender in shortly after the goal. The final minutes were dominated by the Raiders defense who stopped anything that entered their zone.

In the end, Rio moved on, cruising to a 3-2 victory over Grant.

In addition to the boys, for the third straight year, Rio’s girls soccer team is headed to the playoffs. With a league record of 9-1-2, head coach Jennifer Smiley cannot be more pleased.

They are lead offensively by senior Camille Lidster, who finished second in league in points, fourth in goals and fifth in assists. They were also helped by freshman forward Abby Brewster.

Brewster set the pace for all league freshmen with 22 points, 9 goals and 4 assists. In her first year, she finished only eighth in the league overall in points.

These two teams have lead the way for winter Rio athletics. They look to continue their respective streaks and keep advancing in the playoffs.

GIRLS LACROSSE

games could be played at Del Campo next season or on Saturdays. “It is very exciting to see ourselves getting a little face lift here at Rio,” said Coach Stroughter.

One parent is willing to donate two of the eight sets of lights required to have night games at home.

The school is willing to buy or rent the others to have true home games, and have a seller lined up.

There are no laws against putting in permanent lights, however residents of the neighborhood may be angered by the move. Down American River Drive, Jesuit is fighting a local group over the installation of their set of lights.

Ultimately, the school is getting a much-needed new field where many sports can and will be played. The next step, of course is to get night games back to Rio.

PREP OF THE ISSUE

Sadie Campbell excels at soccer and academics What is your most memorable moment in a game? Why? Probably when I scored a big goal against Del Campo. It was one of our biggest games, so it felt great to score in that kind of game.

What do you do off the field?

It feels like I’m always on the field, even on my off days. If I’m not on the field, I’m usually at home doing my homework or sleeping. I also go to the gym in my spare time. The most interesting thing I do off the field is my passion to ride horses.

What’s your next big game?

We play Vista Del Lago today, and they are by far our biggest rivals in our league. We usually beat them, but they’ve given us trouble in the past. I believe we will come out on top.

What are your goals for this year?

I hope to win the section title this year, and take my team to more and more wins. I want to finish with a 5.0 GPA; I came up short this last semester with 4.8, but I promised myself I would accomplish it.

Solo senior shines on lacrosse team Brenna Thomas was an original member of the girl’s lacrosse team and is the only senior on varsity this year Kaitlyn Shellooe Mirada Staff As an original member of the women’s lacrosse team, Brenna Senior Brenna Thomas rushes to the ball during a lacrosse game. Photo Thomas takes the field this year as provided by Brenna Thomas. the only senior.

Thomas started playing lacrosse schools have had lacrosse teams crosse friends outside of school and as a sophomore when the program for eight. “It’s a little intimidating they’ve become really close bewas first introduced to the school, going into games this year with oth- cause of this sport. she decided to try out after hear- er schools having multiple seniors, The team has had different ing about the sport from her cousin but I’m friends with a lot of the ju- coaches throughout the three years who played for three years in high niors so it’s good to have them on and the program is pretty small, but school. the team,” said Thomas. it has grown more and more each “I was a little nervous to try out Thomas is excited to be the only year. They first started out with a because everyone was a freshmen senior on the team because she coach from the bay area, which was who was new to the sport and I was wants to make an impact for the arranged by a mom of a freshman a little older,” said Thomas. team and is excited to give advice who wanted to start a program for She struggled at first, but with and help out her younger team- her daughter. experience playing other sports like mates. Thomas enjoys her team“It’s difficult to get into lacrosse soccer, she was able to adapt to la- mates and says the team is very at first because it’s hard to even crosse quickly. “I think lacrosse is close because everyone is so new to pick up the ball, but once you get probably my favorite sport that I’ve the sport. She says that she hears a into it, it’s really fun and I recomplayed because it’s a combination lot of other high school sports have mend more people to join,” said of a lot of sports and it’s so differ- groups among the team, but with Thomas. ent,” said Thomas. lacrosse they all bond and are super In college, she hopes to go to Outside of school Thomas en- close which is why Thomas encour- Monterey state where she hopes to joys journaling, hanging out with ages people to join lacrosse. travel and study abroad in a differfriends, and running or just being “My advice for freshmen would ent country. Thomas aspires to conactive in general because of la- be to try out lacrosse because it’s tinue to play lacrosse as a club sport crosse. a fun sport and it’s a great way to in college, if they offer it.

The lacrosse team has only been make new friends,” said Thomas. around for three years and other Thomas hangs out with her la-

The Mirada | Friday, February 15, 2019

page 16

IN FOCUS

‘Grimmsome and Then Some’ brings funny, creepy fairytales to stage

T

his year’s “As a senior it’s more winter play so of a commitment was a compijust because more of lation of fairy tales with our friends have an a modern take on the open sixth, but honestly tales from the Brothers I love being there so is Grimm and Aesop. doesn’t feel like a long The play ran from time at all.”

Feb. 6 to Feb. 9. in the “Grimmsome and Betty Miller Theater.

Then Some” was a The process of unique play because preparing for a play the fairy tales are short starts with the Drama stories and allow for and Readers Theater many different scenes teacher, Mrs. Miller, and characters. deciding which play the “This play was very class will put on. Then different because none there are auditions for a of the skits relate to week after that. each other, and instead “We brought in a lot just tell their own little of new people to the stories,” Christenson class to put this play said. on, which I was very Because there were skeptical about and many different charhow the chemistry of acters, students could the class would work, create different personbut I believe we all got Senior Sadie Odell and junior Olivia Pattitucci are on stage alities for their roles. along very well and together as the narrator and the “Tin Queen”. Photos by Jane “I was in five out loved working togethSnider. of the seven skits, so er,” senior Sierra Christenson said. memorize our lines,” senior Grace I had five characters,” Christenson After auditions, practice starts Ramatici said. said. “My favorite role was Sister and lines are memorized while they Practices run longer than just one Longneck, mainly because I liked rehearse. period to get in the most practice. dressing as a princess and improv“Personally, I feel like we “The commitment is pretty big ing with Grace.” rehearse so much that most of us because we practice everyday until don’t really need to go home and around 4:30 p.m.,” Ramatici said.

As the Stage Director, junior Jordyn Rose places tape where the prop box will be placed.

Senior Julie Ewert plays “Middle Son.” In this skit, the actors went to a forest where a witch lived to chop down a tree.

Junior Gala Jimenez adjusts the sound on stage. Sound effects were a key part of the play.

Senior Molly Odell helps senior Joseph Yotter into his dress for the scene where the actors cross dress.

Sophomore Kayla Mereness adjusts the lighting on the stage when going through rehearsal. She was a lights technician for the play.