Mirada October 2nd 2018

Harry Potter books turn 20

Heartbreaking homecoming game

DISTRACTIONS|PAGE 13

SPORTS | PAGE 10

The Mirada

Vol. 53, Issue 2

Rio Americano High School, Sacramento, California

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Stay connected at Twitter.com/mirada riomirada.com

Teens respond to Kavanaugh hearings Rebecca Smith Mirada Staff Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to become a Supreme Court justice, but an act he allegedly committed in high school is prolonging his confirmation.

Doctor Christine Blasey Ford testified Sept. 27 at Kavanaugh’s hearing and answered questions posed by senators and prosecutor Rachel Mitchell about the party Kavanaugh

allegedly sexually assaulted her at.

Although teenagers are unable to vote, this hearing sparked interest in younger populations, and brought awareness as to how their actions now can impact their future.

“The Kavanaugh hearing has taught me that what I do as a teenager and in high school can affect me later on in life and it’s important to be the best version of yourself at all time,” said senior Victoria Salazar.

Ford’s story has allowed teens to reflect on what they would do if they

were in a similar situation.

“The hearings have made me much more aware of the stereotypical frat party culture,” said senior Ben Baker. “If I ever saw a drunk guy at a party harassing a girl, I’d be sure to help the girl and stop the situation, as I hope anyone at Rio would do.”

The issue of whether or not Kavanaugh should be confirmed has become republicans versus democrats, rather than deciding who is telling the truth. Republicans are tending

to side with Kavanaugh despite their beliefs because they want someone of similar affiliation on the Supreme Court.

This is frustrating to some feminists who hoped this would be a chance for senators to redeem themselves from when Clarence Thomas was confirmed after Anita Hill came forward.

“As a feminist, the Kavanaugh hearing is important to me because I

SEE Kavanaugh PAGE 3

Brett Kavanaugh’s yearbook photo from Georgetown Prep. Photo from Common press

Parents tracking kids with phones Synia Thrower Mirada Staff

Top: Senior class representative, Coach Sammie Stroughter, chooses winning ducks for Duck Derby fundraiser. Below: Stroughter picks up senior Jay Wilson before jumping into pool. Photo by Jane Snider

Annual Duck Derby raises over $13,000 Emily Borg Mirada Staff The 4th Annual Duck Derby has come to a close, and the seniors came out on top, winning $1,000 for their class. Coach Sammie Stroughter jumped into the dive pool, with senior Jay Wilson, where he selected the lucky winners.

If your duck was one of the first two ducks chosen you won $500. The following 25 winners won $100 each.

Overall 1,295 ducks were adopted rasing $13,350 for the school.

The seniors sold the most 383, freshman came in a close second selling 362, juniors sold 282 ducks and finally sophomores sold a total of 233 ducks.

Michael Dengel and Julie Sazaki both won the big $500 grand prize.

Although short of their desired goal of $30,000 the fundraiser made an impact on the school community. The fundraiser is important to the PTSA because it provides support to the students and staff, and they hope to make an even bigger impact next year.

In an age where technology is more prevalent than ever, some parents use their phones to make sure their teens are safe and where they say they are.

Tracking teens’ location is a growing trend for parents and brings up controversy on how involved parents should be with their kids’ lives.

A survey including over 360 Rio students found that 38 percent of their parents track them using Life360, Find My Friends, or other tracking applications. This figure is significantly higher than results of a 2016 Pew Research Center parent survey that found 16 percent of parents nationwide said they track their kids through phone apps.

Students interviewed by the Mirada said that some of their parents fear for their safety if they are out alone, while others just want to make sure their kid isn’t at a party without permission.

Sophomore Molly Ford has used Life360 ever since 2015, when she first got her phone. The app is highly accurate in tracking location and can send parents notifications when their kid leaves the house and arrives at a destination.

“I think that although it may be annoying for some teens, it is actually really important for their safety,” said Ford. “Especially for young girls, it is important to for your parents to know that you are safe in a very dangerous world.”

The use of technology to track kids can be beneficial to parents. Life360, for ex-

SEE Tracking PAGE 3

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MIRADA FROM THE PAST Mardi Crow Builds Quite A Large Nest In School September, 1966 Mardi Crow, now a senior at Rio Americano High School, has accomplished many notable achievements during her high school career.

Mardi Gets Started In her first year of high school, Mardi was voted head song leader and crowned Queen of the Winter Wonderland Christmas Dance. She also belonged to the Press Club and the International Club. She was a reporter for The Rio Mirada newspaper and wrote her own column, titled the “Crow’s Nest”.

Original RA’ette Then in her sophomore year, she still had a great interest in the spirit of Rio, and decided to become a member of the Rally Committee. She made the tryouts for the RA’ettes which had just started their first year. Later that year, she was crowned Queen of Hearts.

So, So. ‘65 Mardi continued an avid interest in RA’ettes during her junior year and was elected their vice president. The classmates of her homeroom nominated her for their representative and she eagerly participated in anything she could to benefit the school.

In the winter she was one of the princesses for the Aurora Borealis Christmas Dance. This year, Mardi remained a member of the RA’ettes.

CALENDAR 10/1-10/5 Club rush week @ lunch on quad 10/1 RAAB athletics 10/2 CPR and first aid class 10/10 PSAT testing 10/10 Pops concert 10/12 Interim period 2 grades posted 10/15 Rio and beyond speaker series junior interview training 10/16 Jazz concert 10/17 Piano recital 10/18 UC and USC application help seminar 10/19 US air force band concert 10/23 Picture retakes 10/23 Readers theater 10/24 Readers theater 10/26 CIVITAS senior project philanthropy fair

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The Mirada |NEWS| Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Skater glides to gold medals Annalee Gorman Mirada Staff At four every morning, Junior Dasha Kovalenko wakes up to skate for her two hour figure skating practice at Skatetown in Roseville.

She has been skating since she was six years old after her mom took her to the rink for fun.

“After that, I never wanted to leave the ice. I fell in love with it and eventually took it up as a sport,” said Kovalenko. Despite the early practice times, she cherishes every moment on the ice.

“There’s no better feeling than being on the ice. In the morning, the ice is untouched and it feels like I’m the only person in the world. Nothing else matters and all my problems and stress dissolve when my skates touch the ice,” said Kovalenko.

Her training consists of long and arduous conditioning such as running, ballet, jump rope and extensive stretching exercises. Her hard work paid off as of last year, she won nationals in the senior (highest) category.

Kovalenko completed all the US figure skating levels and is a “double gold medalist”.

Despite her success, she feels nervous before every competition, “[It’s] stressful and there’s lots of tension. Everyone is there to win and nothing else. I feel sick because I know it’s something I’ve been working towards my entire life,” said Kovalenko.

Meet Rio’s new teachers Tianna Denny

New Job: I will be teaching Math Modeling, IM 1, and IM 3 Education: I graduated from Roseville High School, and went on to get my BA in Liberal Studies / Minor in Math at Sac State (graduated from Sac State in 2016).

Then I received my Teaching Credential in Math at UC Davis. I still attend UC Davis and will get my Masters in Math Education this Spring ‘19.

Family: I have a nephew that I am very proud of and I am a proud mom to my cat, Phoebe.

Personal: I was a Hula/Tahitian dancer for 10+ Years and am still participating in the Polynesian community.

Recommendations: If you haven’t already, read The Giver.

And watch the movie!

Sean Gill

@riomirda2019

Follow us online riomirada.com

nity in show business. However, not every competition has gone smoothly.

At the Crystalline competition in Santa Rosa, right before her first event, she realized her skates were left in her brother’s car. After calling her mom, she found out her brother had been in a car crash and her mom was unable to attend that event and bring her skates.

Having to rush onto the ice, she borrowed a competitor’s pair of skates. “Not having your own skates is crucial. Skates can take weeks to break in and I only had a few moments to adjust,” said Kovalenko. “ I remember being so stressed because I had so much going on and couldn’t wrap my mind around the situation.

The first event was not my best performance.”

Kovalenko was able to retaliate when her mom came back with her skates and skated what she calls the best competition of her life. Despite her prior setback, she won first overall in the competition.

“I skated to ‘Ne Me Quitte Pas’ which translates to ‘Please Don’t leave Me’. This was by far my favorite program because I felt connected to it. It was very emotional and I had to put myself in their shoes. For two and a half minutes, you’re someone else and are in a different world,”said Kovalenko. She will compete in Junior Dasha Kovalenko skates at a competition. Photo provided by Dasha three competitions this year and will Kovalenko hopefully continue with her success.

Additionally, she had an un- all her competitions and was apdefeated season last year winning proached by a judge for an opportu-

New Job: I teach Sophomore English and AVID Education: I graduated from William Jessup University with an English Degree.

I played 4 years of college soccer including one league championship my last year.

Family: I am married to my beautiful wife Michele and we have one dog His name is Cajun He is a mini dachshund.

Personal: I am interested in creative writing and film making.

Recommendations: I am reading Trevor Noah’s book “Born a Crime” and I would recommend it.

November.

Recommendations: I remember seeing The Fifth Element at the movie theater when I was in high school, I still enjoy it. I enjoy both Star Trek and Star Wars.

Come in and debate me on the best of those. If you haven’t seen the IT Crowd, it is a hilarious BBC series.

Julie Harr Lillia Romo-Diaz

New Job: Biology and Earth Science Education: Atascadero High School, Cuesta College, Chapman University, Sociology, Masters in Education Family: I am married and have three teenage daughters and an adult autistic son.

Two of my daughters attend Rio. I won’t embarrass them here, but you can ask me in person! I keep steaks with them on Snapchat, cause I’m cool like that. My oldest daughter graduated from Rio last year and will be attending Cal Poly SLO next year.

We have an aloof cat, Patches, who has trained us well to do her bidding.

Personal: I like to run and kayak. Last year I ran in two half marathons. I am a sci fi and fantasy geek. I love to attend the symphony and opera. I am looking forward to seeing the SF Symphony perform Beethoven’s 9th in

New Job: I teach mathematics, specifically Integrated Math 1, Integrated Math 3 and Integrated Math 1 Support. My last job in education was teaching summer school at Del Campo HS is past summer.

Education: I went to Center High School in Antelope, CA. I received my associate degrees from American River College and my BA from Sacramento State University. My degrees include: General Science AS, Social Science AA, Physical Science/Math AA, and Mathematics BA. Most recently I completed my teaching credential at Sacramento State University in 2018.

Interesting Jobs: Teaching is my second career. I have worked as an Optician/ Ophthalmic Technician for the past 8 years and counting. Still working as an Optician whenever I am not in the classroom, which includes most weekends.

Rosa Ramos

New Job: I am teaching Spanish 1 and 2.

Education: I graduated from Rio in 2010. I graduated with my B.A. in Spanish from Sacramento State in 2014. I earned my M.A. in Spanish from Sacramento State in 2016. This year I earned my M.A. in Teaching with my teaching credential from the University of San Francisco. I am not a sports type of person, but I did participate in PowderPuff (I think that’s what it was called) my junior year in high school.

Interesting Job During my M.A. studies at Sacramento State I was a Graduate Assistant for the World Languages and Cultures department and I was given the opportunity to co-teach a Spanish 1A class. This was interesting because all of my students were older than me.

Family: I have a brother who graduated from Rio in 2017.

No kids, well... I have 2 dogs!

Personal: I am crafty. I do a lot of perler bead designs. I play videogames from time to time.

Recommendations: I highly recommend everyone to see the movie Coco.

Harry Potter... you can’t go wrong reading the books or seeing the movies. I am still waiting for my Hogwarts letter to arrive.

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The Mirada |NEWS| Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Kavanaugh CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 believe that everyone, male and female, should be confronted for their actions and brought to justice,” said senior Chase Iseley. “I’m tired of people getting away with something as horrendous as sexual assault because of their power.”

This process has been a true test of democracy and is demonstrating to teens how the government has evolved since Anita Hill.

“It is the ultimate test to see if our country has grown since the Clarence Thomas case with Anita Hill,” said Salazar. “Sexual assault is a lot more common than it is talked about openly and it’s not a subject that should be taken lightly no matter how much time has passed.”

Salazar added that the results of this hearing will be “a clear example of how serious our country takes sexual assault as an act of injustice.”

Arguments to defend Kavanaugh have included: “boys will be boys” or that all teenage boys commit something like this, so they shouldn’t be blamed or that he was 17 and shouldn’t have his life ruined because of this. These justifications all relate to teenage boys being incapable of controlling themselves or being too immature to know better.

“If you read the story, it was sexual assault, not two drunk people making a bad choice; it was pure sexual assault,” said junior Peter Poirier.

“He put his hand over her mouth so nobody could hear her scream. That is not something that every boy does when they’re growing up. That is far far past anything that is normal.”

Students are refuting the argument that all young men do something similar to Kavanaugh.

“Not all teenage boys are sexual harassers,” said Baker. “There are tons of teenage boys who know right from wrong, but there are also the stereotypical frat guys who turn out to be like Kavanaugh. I think it’s great strong women, like Dr. Ford, are speaking out about this and sharing their painful experiences and hopefully this will educate young or teenage boys and can help them grow up to be respectful, accountable men.”

Ford has become a symbol for the Me Too movement, a movement started to create awareness about

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sexual assault. She spoke at the hearing saying she “didn’t want to be there, but she felt it was her civic duty.”

“I think Ford’s testimony will help unite women as a force to be reckoned with and will strengthen the Me Too movement,” said Iseley.

Senior Katherine London is un-

“Ford’s testimony will definitely change how women, especially those who have been sexually assaulted, are viewed in society,” said senior Shay Mellor. “Sadly, I think the case shows how untrustworthy our government is by exploiting her when she asked to remain anonymous.”

Kavanaugh is a conservative who

Bret Kavanaugh is expected to add a strongly conversvative vote to the Supreme Court if approved by the Senate. Photo copyright Wiki Commons

“It is the ultimate test to see if our country has grown since the Clarence Thomas case with Anita Hill. Sexual assault is a lot more common than it is talked about openly, and it’s not a subject that should be taken lightly no matter how much time has passed.”

-Senior Victoria Salazar sure whether Ford’s testimony will change the perspective of people that already ignore the Me Too movement.

“I would hope this hearing changes the way women are treated in society,” said London. “To me it’s sad that a woman can stand up in front of a room of people and no one will believe her. The Me Too movement has given so many women the courage to stand up and tell their stories, yet some men in society still refuse to listen.”

Some students feel that Ford speaking sent a message not of empowerment, but rather one of abuse of power.

was nominated by a republican president. For this reason and the fact that republicans have majority in the senate, many students agreed it didn’t matter whether Ford is believed or not, Kavanaugh would be confirmed.

“Despite the backlash and controversy, I think that Ford is brave, and hearing the pain in her voice as she retold her worst nightmare made me absolutely believe that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her,” said Iseley.

“I think Kavanaugh genuinely believes he didn’t assault Ford which makes him that much more disgusting of a man. Unfortunately, I think he will still be confirmed due to the

Tracking

can make a parent’s authority intimidating. Tracking is not the only way parents use technology to check up on their kids.

About 28 percent of Rio students say their parents have read through their text messages and phone calls at least once since they have been in high school. This compares to 48 percent of parents who said they had ever done this in the Pew survey.

(Unlike the Pew survey the Mirada did not include parental actions before high school.)

Some parents might end up obsessing over their teen’s life whether it’s there location, social media activity or messages.

Many adults feel that tracking their teen’s online activity is something any good parent should do to keep their kids accountable. Others believe that parents should trust their teens to make good decisions and only after they break that trust should this strategy come into play.

Regardless of whether parents used phones to check up on their kids, nearly half used phones as a form of punishment. Forty-eight percent of students said that since they have been in high school their

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ample, provides alerts whenever a family member leaves or arrives at home so parents know if their teen made it home safe or if they left the house without permission.

This also brings some nuisances.

“One thing I hate about it, is that it notifies me whenever a family member arrives or leaves home,” said Ford.

Parents find apps like this one to be very beneficial even though they know their teenagers might not be too fond of it.

“I worry about my daughter Emma’s safety as a young girl being out and alone, now that she has her license, you never know what could happen,” said parent and P.E. teacher Brian Davis. “I also use the app because of some mistrust that occurred, so now I can know exactly where she is regardless of where she tells me she is.”

On the other hand, some parents feel like tracking their teens is an invasion of their privacy, and feel it

lack of corroboration in the he said, she said circumstances.”

Students questioned Kavanaugh’s credibility as a judge following these allegations.

“It’s sad that a president who was elected even after being accused of sexual assault can appoint a man who supposedly assaulted a woman,” said London. “If elected, Kavanaugh’s job would be to make decisions on important matters including cases like his or Roe v. Wade, so how can we trust him to make the right choices?”

Mellor predicts a shift in the way future nominations will be conducted saying that, “future Supreme Court appointments will likely play out based on political party rather than merit.”

Although this is a job interview, not a trial, Mellor believes politicians and the public jumped the gun when it came to forming a conclusion, and the rule that everyone is innocent until proven guilty should still apply.

Iseley hopes this hearing will provide valuable lessons to both teenage boys and girls.

“I think that as more women come forward and share their stories, teenage boys will begin to understand that they can, should, and will be held accountable for their actions even if it is years later,” said Iseley.

“I’m not saying that men should fear women, but I do believe that they should fear the repercussions of sexually assaulting women because a ‘good time’ for them is a nightmare for her and one she will never stop reliving. Nothing goes unnoticed.

Bad actions will always catch up to you.”

Through podcasts, the news app and Twitter, teens listened to and read updates throughout the day.

This job interview has been unlike most.

“This hearing, and the entire process that’s come with it, has really opened my eyes to how actions, or even alleged actions, can impact our futures,” said senior Cooper Davis.

“In the past groups have been barred or silenced, while in these present times, opinions can be spoken freely.

This generation has arguably been the most vocal. This reflects in how involved we are with this confirmation and politics in general, and I believe this is a trend that will continue into our adulthood.”

parents have taken away their phone privileges.

“If you used your phone to do something you shouldn’t have then taking it away is a perfectly logical punishment,” said Sophomore Lucy Prieto.

Many kids become frustrated when their parents take away their phone. They try to outsmart parents by using iPads or laptops to text people and even giving their Snapchat passcode to friends to keep their streaks.

Prieto explained a common argument that kids use is taking away their phones makes the parent’s life harder.

“I also think that taking phones away as punishment can cause even more of a struggle for parents and such as they cannot easily contact their kid once they take it away,” said Prieto.

It’s nothing new that teens and parents do not agree on how involved adults should be in their kid’s lives, but technology gives teens some of the independence they want, while also giving parents the ability to check in more.

Rebecca Smith Commentary

Screen time harms eyes

F

rom iPhones, to laptops, to e-readers, eyes are constantly being strained.

Students are working on computers for hours at a time whether it’s researching for a report, writing an essay, or creating a presentation. Our eyes have to work overtime because of school’s demands.

When you’re looking at a computer, your eyes have to constantly focus and refocus.

Reading from side to side, looking down then back up or clicking through images all cause your eyes to react so your brain can process what it’s looking at.

Unlike a book or paper, screens have the added glare, flicker and contrast contributing to the strain on the eye muscle.

The blue light emitted through the backlight of screens can cause irritation and possible long-term damage to the retina.

Blue light passes through the cornea and lens before hitting the retina which can cause premature aging. It also diminishes a sleep hormone called melatonin which can disrupt sleep patterns causing dryness and further harm.

No only does school cause so much stress that students can’t sleep due to anxiety or an overwhelming amount of homework, but now their brain’s chemical balance is off and won’t let them sleep either.

Blinking protects the eye from dryness, but according to a study conducted by CBS, blinking can be reduced to half when staring at a screen. When eyes are left open for too long, tears evaporate quickly.

After a summer spent looking at my computer and my phone for countless hours, I was told I’d need glasses. I was also told to use eye drops to combat dryness.

My doctors said too much competing light in the background or a bright white background on the screen can cause damage too versus a cool gray tone background, so I changed my Twitter to night mode and turned down the brightness on my computer.

Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, has increased in recent generations, now affecting around 34 million people, and The National Eye Institute projected this number to reach 40 million by 2030.

Reports show that Generation X and millennials, our generation, will feel the worst effects screens have on eyes. Kids are also at risk. Daylight is needed to develop eyes and strengthen them, and being indoors looking at a tablet or phone damages them at a young age.

The world of technology has been embraced by schools, companies and people of all ages, but with it comes severe consequences. Bad eyesight is no longer just a product of bad genes or reading too much. Computers are essential for all school projects and everyone has a smartphone, but soon everyone will have damaged eyes.

The Mirada |NEWS| Tuesday, October 2, 2018

page 4

In brief: Students respond to the news LOCAL

NATIONAL

Family of man killed by police prepares to sue for $35 million

Hurricanes hit No debate in East Coast, Philip- governor’s race pines

Students can wear cultural attire at graduation

Hurricanes are hitting the East Coast and the Philippines. It is currently the peak of hurricane season, being the hottest time period of the year. Hurricanes cause flooding, high winds, heavy rainfall.

States on the East Coast like North and South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington D.C. are all being affected by Hurricane Florence, the first major Atlantic hurricane.

More than 4 million people in the Philippines are in the path of being hit by winds of 180 mph, caused by Super Typhoon Mangkhut, the strongest storm of 2018.

The bill that Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego,authored regarding students wearing cultural sashes at high school graduation has been passed.

The issue was brought to light when a graduating student in the Elk Grove Unified School District was removed from the ceremony for wearing an African cultural cloth.

“California is a place of rich diversity. We take pride in our communities, neighborhoods, and who we are as people – and we are proud to be a place for everyone.

Every Californian deserves the right to honor their heritage and celebrate who they are,” Gloria said in a statement after his bill was signed

The family of Stephon Clark, the unarmed black man who was fatally shot by Sacramento police, has filed paperwork for $35 million lawsuits against the city.

Clark, 22, was shot by police on March 18, in the backyard of his grandparents home by police who were pursuing him in connection with a report of someone breaking into cars. Police say the officers thought Clark had a gun, but it turned out to be a cell phone. The shooting, which was national news, sparked protests.

The claims seek $20 million for Clark’s two children and $15 million for his parents and grandparents.

STATE

California, along with 36 other states, is holding a gubernatorial election on Nov. 6. The race is against Democrat Gavin Newsom and Republican John Cox. The two candidates have not yet proposed a date for a debate before election day.

In July, a Public Policy Institute of California released a poll that found Newsom with a lead of 55 to 31 percent.

The same institute took a survey of 964 possible voters in Sept. where they found Newsom taking the lead 51 to Cox’s 39 percent.

EDUCATION

College Fair shows students options for the future Synia Thrower Mirada Staff College resources for most public schools are few and far between but the San Juan Unified School district has made an effort to bring college to the students.

College night is one thing that’s pretty common amongst most high schools in their efforts to broaden students horizons on all of their different college opportunities.

College night is an event that happens once a year at high schools around the country.

During college night students get to come into contact with hundreds of different kinds of colleges and get information about them from some of their advisors.

College night helps provide students with information and resources in more depth from colleges they’ve been looking at, and they get the chance to encounter and discover some colleges they’d never thought of.

With so many different options to choose from, college night helps motivate students to consider college if they previously felt like they didn’t want or need to go.

Rio and Beyond brings college counselor to review applications “It makes me feel bad because I read what their reasons for the money were and it said financial support and funeral services. It’s money and it’s nice but it will never really heal that hole in their hearts. I hope they get their money though,” - Senior Ajee Brooks

“That’s way too much money to ask for. I think that the police should’ve been more careful in making sure the object he had was a gun. He was acting suspicious and running, but I think they needed to be more sure before opening fire,” -Sophomore Max Long

“It’s sad seeing all the destruction it’s causing and all the families and communities they’re affecting, ” - Freshman Kara Halligan

“It’s upsetting because only 3 to 5 percent of people affected have flood insurance,”Junior Kennedy Ford

“I think it’s intersesting how there won’t be a debate. if there were to be a debate the republican candidate doesn’t have much advertising so I think it’ll definitely be in Newsom’s favor,” - Senior Meg Snyder

“It seems unprecedented for either candidate to reject the idea of a debate rather than reconciling the minor details of having one. After a long Brown governance, it’s vital for both candidates to make themselves known,”Junior Eric Osecheck

Diapers to Diplomas HONOR YOUR SENIOR WITH A TRIBUTE AD IN THE YEARBOOK

Ads are due by Jan. 2019.

Buy online by Nov. 26 for an early discount Contact the yearbook editors at riodiapers2019@gmail.com

“I understand the issue that the bill addresses but I do not think it is necessary. I think one of the exciting parts about graduation is that we all stand in uniformity dressed in our school colors. It’s our last chance to stand as a class and dressing the same is just one way we represent that. “ - Senior Emily Segale

“I think that if you wear something religious for your own reasons everyday I don’t see a problem wearing it during graduation. I think it’s ridiculous that weren’t able to wear religious attire before.”

- Senior Logan Duffy

Mickey Doolittle Mirada Staff Professional college counselor, Scott Hamilton presented the second lecture of his Speaker Series on Sept.

27 to students revolving around a student’s college application.

In the presentation in the library, Hamilton reviewed student’s college application essays. Students were welcome to share and receive feedback on their essays.

While this meeting was recommended for students from the senior class, later meetings like this encourage students from all grade levels to attend.

The series is sponsored by the parents from Rio and Beyond. Earlier in Sept. the organization sponsored a recruitment fair for historically black college and a lecture by esteemed college counselor Sara Harberson.

Future lectures and events will focus on college finance, SAT and ACT prep, one-on-one conversations with juniors and sophomores and much more.

The next meeting on Oct. 9 will be the second part of Hamilton’s presentation where students will continue to review their applications. It is recommended for seniors to attend.

For more information about upcoming events sponsored by Rio and Beyond, visit www.riovicci.com

College Visiting Dates 10/16 UC Santa Barbara @ 1pm 10/16 Rutgers University @ 2pm 10/17 Arizona State @ 1pm 10/18 Fresno Pacific College @ 9 am 10/22 Oregon State @ 9 am

The Mirada |NEWS| Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Mirada website gets new look Newspaper and Video classes team up on content, design Isa Searle Lydia Ellis Eamon Lopez-Martin Staff Writers For the first time in over a decade, the school will be getting a student-made newscast covering personalities, issues and events on campus.

The Radio and TV class will produce a video news program every other Friday that pulls together short videos that students in the class make and presents them with commentary from sophomore Amelia York, the anchor and creator of the show.

“It’s gonna be maybe around like five minutes of just like four stories, that are the best we have that week,” said York, the editor-in-chief of Rio TV. The process of filming for Rio TV begins every Thursday with a brainstorming session. The whole class comes together on those days to share ideas and assign stories to people. The next day, the students

A screen shot of riomirada.com shows the new video section. actually go out and film clips for their stories and edit them.

“And then from Wednesday, I’m the editor of Rio TV, so what I’m doing is I take all of those videos and I look for like the best, most informational, most entertaining stories from that and I’m putting that to-

gether in sort of a collage.” said York.

Rio TV started airing Sept. 21 and they plan to keep this airing the whole year on a biweekly schedule.

Along with the new addition to news broadcasting, the Rio Mirada website is now up and running. Website editor-in-chief, Jared Moisey, was

the first to get the website going after seven years of failed attempts by other editors.

“I am the first editor to actually take that role seriously and really try and work on it,” said Moisey.

The website is a place where current articles go, as well as the articles

page 5

in the newspaper when the paper comes out. If there’s an event that is at the beginning at the month, it is not timely for the newspaper, but the website can easily be updated on that event.

“There’s no limit to what we could put on the website, so say we take a hundred pictures from a football game, and then we have forty good pictures, only about 3 max can make it into print for the newspaper however those forty good pictures, if we want, we could put those on a slideshow on the website,“ Moisey said.

The website will be a place to get news, pictures, and any other thing the newspaper class has to offer, and it is ready for anybody to check it out and get some news.

“The second we have pictures it’s up on the website,” said Moisey.

Because of the website’s new release to the public, and Rio TV’s release around the same time, teachers and advisors for the two classes, as well as Moisey and York, agreed to collaborate with posting the Rio TV on the website. Along with that, the Mirada will publish codes to quickly access the website via phone so you can get up-to-date on other news and the latest edition to Rio TV. Be sure to check out the website and the first edition to Rio TV at www.riomirada.com. Enjoy the newest ways, of news.

New Calif. law seeks to limit plastic waste from straws Jane Snider Audrey Snider Mirada Staff

ENJOY YOUR FOUR-DAY WEEKEND NO SCHOOL OCT. 5-8

Many cities in California are switching to paper straws. A bill sponsored by Ian Calderon regulating the distribution of straws went to governor Jerry Brown for his approval. The proposed law is a “Straw-On-Request” bill where restaurants and food service businesses would not be able to give out straws unless requested by the customer in an attempt to reduce waste.

“By removing the default behavior of providing straws with every drink, consumers have an opportunity to make a deliberate, small change that will minimize the harmful impacts of single use plastic straws in the environment,” said Calderon.

On Thursday, Sept. 21, Governor Jerry Brown officially signed a bill so that you can only receive a straw upon request at food services. California is the first state in the nation to do so.

“It is a very small step to make a customer who wants a plastic straw ask for it,” Brown said in his signing message for AB 1884. “And it might make them pause and think again about an alternative.

Since Jan., when the bill was proposed, 10 cities have put regulations on plastic straws. Seattle was first to regulate drinking-straws followed by California cities including Alameda, Carmel, San Luis Obispo, Davis, Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Oakland, Richmond, Santa Cruz and Berkeley.

This new law will be put into action January 1st. Restaurants that violate this law could pay up to $300 a year or $25 per day.

The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk switched from plastic to paper straws in late 2017.

Straw Facts

-Starting in 2019 customers must demand for a straw if they want one -Companies such as Ikea, Starbucks and Alaska Airlines have vowed to discontinue their use of straws -Seattle already banned straws in July of 2018 -Approximately 500 disposable straws are used in the U.S. daily -Straws are too hard to recycle as they pass through the mechanical recycling sorter -71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs

“The paper straw change is a good thing because it helps the environment and that’s the main focus at the boardwalk. Although it’s kind of annoying, it’s definitely worth it,” said Yaneth Miranda, a food service employee at the boardwalk.

One of the first stories about plastic straws harming sea life was about a turtle in Costa Rica. The turtle showed up on the shore with something in its nose. Because the straw was lodged in its nose, the turtle was having trouble breathing, but once the straw was removed, the turtle was released back into the ocean.

Starbucks is also in favor of reducing straw waste. Their goal is to “eliminate plastic straws by 2020 from their stores globally.” The company will reduce a total of a billion straws per year with this revision.

The plastic straw issue was introduced after people realized how much trash ends up in the ocean and eventually back to the shoreline. According to the National Park Service, Americans throw away 500 million straws each day or enough to fill over 125 school buses.

One reason many people want to get rid of plastic straws is because there are many plausible substitutes for them. A popular alternative is metal or reusable plastic straws. Out of 153 students surveyed, 108 said that they do not use disposable plastic straws at their homes.

Although there seems to be support for the new laws, people argue that straws are a small portion of trash. According to U.S. News, only 4 percent of trash pieces are straws and therefore people disregard the problem.

The issue of whether plastic straws should be banned or regulated will become a more relevant topic as straw laws are enforced and the public starts to see the effects, if any, on their lives.

page 6

The Mirada |Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Opinion The Rio Americano

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 Jessica Sheppard Sports Editors Ashley Keene Luke Richards Photo Editor Jane Snider Staff Malek Amaya-Safi Sam Bacceli Mickey Doolittle Lydia Ellis Annalee Gorman Charles Johnson Martin Lopez Katie Newton Deonni Humphrey Isabella Searle Audrey Snider Eamon Lopez Martin 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.

Drawing by David Morse

OUR VOICE

Start sooner on college planning F or most high school students, college is the ultimate goal in their school endeavors.

College isn’t just about applying and getting in. There are multiple factors and tasks to complete to even start the application process.

It’s a competition, and if students haven’t been preparing for it their high school careers they have a much lower chance of getting into their dream colleges--or college at all.

Most high paying and successful jobs/careers require people to have a college degree of some kind. Studies have shown that people who attend college are bound to be more successful, but most public high schools lack resources to help and encourage students to not only get to college, but also graduate.

If students are provided with needed information about college applications at a young age it will

be more beneficial during the application process. Lacking information is a common barrier students encounter during the application process which increases the difficulty of being accepted.

Each year, Rio has an annual college fair where representatives from schools advertise their schools.

If it were to take place at lunch time students will be more likely to go.

Some students can afford the extra costs of hiring a college counselor, but others may not have that luxury. The opportunity for college counseling should be given to all students regardless of their financial state.

Joe Gomes is a new college counselor on campus. Rio is taking much needed steps to prepare their students for college apps.

Some high schools have taken initiative in college preparation for their students by providing them

with resources like college counselors and college visits to help students get a better idea of college life, and although avid takes its students to see colleges in person, resources like youvisit.com or techniques for navigating a college’s website should be introduced.

Some students don’t have a clue about how to avoid paying off student debt for the rest of their lives.

Sadly, they were never prepared for it and enter college blindly leaving them no choice but to take out huge loans if they can’t pay out of pocket.

Because of the current emergence of alternatives to college now, students are no longer seeing the reason to participate in higher education opportunities. Many students decide to take gap years or join the military versus going straight into college.

The U.S. should adopt a system like European high schools. Unlike

here in the U.S where students are required to take classes they most likely won’t need, students in Europe only have to take necessary classes to fulfill their professions.

In the U.S., students have to take different types of classes. Three years of math classes would be unnecessary for a student who wants to become a writer. Students should not be required to study subjects they have no intention of pursuing.

Students in Europe can easily feel overwhelmed because it is almost impossible to expect them to declare a major without allowing them to explore their interests through a tailored curriculum.

College is meant to be an exciting time of new beginnings, not full of dread and worry.

YOUR VOICE

Voices in the Halls: Do you feel prepared for the future?

Contact us: theriomirada@gmail.com Twitter: @riomirada2019 Online: riomirada.com “I think that high school has prepared me for college by having teachers guide me and give me individual help; however, I don’t think that high school has helped me decide what I want to do in life.”

Nic Gorman (11)

“I feel that Rio started to supply me with the neccesary tools to prepare me for college applications and I also think that they should as a juhave started our freshamn year, not our junior.”

Tatum White (11)

“I think that the counselors here are really good at letting us know which classes we need in order to graduate and get into certain colleges and also just giving us general information about what we can do after high school.”

Jake Cardoso (12)

“I think that Rio has definitely prepared me for the future with the socail and leadership skills I’ve leanred and our strong academic programs although I guess I can’t say for sure yet but we’ll see.”

Whitney Wheeler (12)

“I feel like Rio has prepared me for my future because I have taken rigorous classes that have challeneged me and taught me valuable study skills and work ethic as well as learning to balence the many aspects of my life.”

Emma Hutchinson (10)

page 7

The Mirada | OPINION |Tuesday, October 2, 2018

From diplomas to dropouts Why are college grad rates down as high school grad rates climb?

Annalee Gorman Mirada Staff

F

or the past seven years, the high school graduation rate in California has been rising under new circumstances such as an increased focus on students.

About 83.7 percent of teenagers graduate high school in California compared to the national average of 84 percent. High school students feel as if they are receiving more help and attention to get the results they need.

Teachers spend more time reviewing coursework to prepare their students for the future. California State Superintendent Tom Torlakson works hard to increase the success of students.

Although high school completion rates are improving, college dropout rates are increasing. High school dropout rates are often scrutinized more than college.

Meanwhile, dropping out of college or taking the six year track is becoming the new normal. From expenses to lack of preparedness, students find themselves unable to complete their education.

A possible explanation for the lack of preparedness is the rush to increase graduation rates. Teachers and districts hope to assist the students in any way. Including lowering the requirements to give a student a diploma.

Some states decrease the amount

of classes necessary to graduate.

These requirements are even lower than necessary to apply to colleges.

Students who don’t obtain a high school diploma, however, aren’t set up for success.

Price, preparedness, and school size all contribute to college drop out rates.

Cal State schools fall behind the national average of 34 percent four year graduation rate. 64 percent of people graduate in six years increasing student debt by at least 70 percent.

Over half of UC students graduate within four years compared to the 34 percent of CSU schools. More selective schools like UC Berkeley have even higher four year graduation rates like 68 percent.

Bigger colleges have a large student body, therefore making it harder to get classes and give students more freedom for their schedule. Whereas, private institutions keep students on a four year track by deriving their funding from enrollment and give students the classes they need sooner.

A study done by Ed Source showed that 64 percent of students from public colleges, 66 percent of private non-profit, and 23 percent private of profit colleges graduate in six years.

At a smaller school, demands and frustrations can be met making it easier to graduate. More students

can receive the help they require in a timely manner.

“The percentage of our graduates eligible for the University of California and the California State University is soaring.”

- Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.

Additionally, some students feel they weren’t academically prepared for college or had to work during college to cover the costs. Students wind up burdened with debt and left with no other option than to drop out.

A National Student Financial Wellness Study which surveyed 18,795 students from 52 colleges and universities indicated that 70 percent of college students feel stressed about paying for it. 64 percent have to pay with loans

using the maximum amount they can borrow each year.

It showed: “Nearly three out of 10 students said they reduced their class load because of the money they owed, while 16 percent took a break from their college or university and 13 percent transferred to another institution”.

With tuition on the rise, a concern for more dropouts emerges.

In California, a shocking 70 percent graduate or transfer from community college according to a study in April of 2018 by community college review. The completion of community college is the lowest in California, and serves a body larger than any UC or CSU. Overcrowdedness results in less access to teachers, resources and getting the classes needed to get a degree.

Bill Gates addressed the situation to CNBC saying, “The U.S. has the highest college dropout rate.

We’re number one in terms of the number of people who start college but we’re like number 20 in terms of the number of people who finish college.”

Preparing students for the rigor of college and debt control are only a few ways to increase the college graduate rate. Gaining awareness for college dropout rates will help to boost the rank of students completing college.

Music’s harmful influence on teens Emma Phoenix Mirada Staff

T

he news of rapper Mac Miller’s death sparked a new conversation of drugs and addiction plaguing societies younger generations. In recent months, numerous celebrities have either died due to drug overdoses or were dangerously close to death because of drug usage.

Stars like Drake, Travis Scott, and Migos all reference or have referenced the use of drugs in their music. All of these artists have a following in the millions on social Instagram: Drake, 47.1 million, Travis Scott, 11 million, Migos, 8.1 million.

With kids being more vulnerable than adults it’s easy for kids to believe these things that famous rappers are saying to their younger audiences.

Romanticizing a life full of drugs and addiction leads kids to believe that “drinking lean” or “popping a xan” is a lifestyle to dream of.

The reality of this “lifestyle” isn’t a dream at all. Legendary performers like Amy Winehouse,

Whitney Houston and Prince have all suffered a drug addiction and have passed away because of their addictions.

The child brain is most impressionable during the ages of 6-14 as written

by Jacquelynne S. Eccles, a psychologist who wrote an article on brain development. Even after the age of 14, the human brain continues to develop until it reaches the age of 25 and sometimes later than that.

Social media today allows people of all ages, especially young kids in the 6- 14 year old range to be encouraged by celebrities who promote drug use.

What is so belittled nowadays is how much of a problem drug addiction is and the impact it has on your life. These lyrics cover the true problem and glorify the way drugs are without promoting the consequences that come with the use of them.

Addiction is what makes the use

of drugs and the younger generation being introduced to them so early so incredibly dangerous. Addiction is “a chronic, relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite adverse consequences,” as reported by The National Institute on Drug Abuse.

The way addiction starts is by the simple ingestion of a drug taken orally or through injection. Initially when the drug is taken, the body experiences a sort of “high”; however, over time, regular drug use alters the brain and instead of feeling that “high” a person needs to take the drug just to feel normal.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse also reported that “people with addiction show physical changes in areas of the brain that are critical to judgment, decision-making, learning and memory, and behavior control.”

When kids are introduced to drugs before their brains are fully developed, the mixture of addiction and an underdeveloped brain .makes for a dangerous equation.

GOT OPINIONS? WRITE AN OP-ED Email opinion articles to theriomirada@gmail.com

Adults should be responsible for actions as a teenager Rebecca Smith Mirada Staff

O

ne out of three teenage girls is sexually assaulted, harassed or abused. One out of three female adults are scarred from trauma they experience as a teenager.

One of these women is Dr. Christine Blasey Ford. Her alleged abuser, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, was nominated to become a Supreme Court justice and is waiting for his confirmation.

Ford spoke at his hearing Sept.

27, and told her story of the party where Kavanaugh attempted to rape her. She said that although she was scared to speak at the hearing, she felt it was her civic duty. Ford has become a hero to women across the country who have felt silenced by a man in power.

In a time where #MeToo is still strong and Pantsuit Nation is at large, women have been given a voice after decades of stifling their truths. Following the election of a president that has boasted about groping women and belittling them, women united to speak out about their experiences with this and to show support for those who have ever been taken advantage of by a man.

Ford is a symbol of what women supporting women can accomplish, and proof that the time of men dominating government even with questionable pasts has come to an end.

For too long, the excuse that it’s not fair to ruin a man’s life because of something they did as a teenager has been acceptable. What’s truly not fair is that the victims of this assault have to live with the fear and damage these men caused. Their lives have already been ruined; that’s not right.

Writing off a boy’s actions because they were a teenager and didn’t know better, or saying that this is normal behavior and every teenage boy does something like this perpetuates the stigma that boys are too immature and lack any self control or decency towards their female counterparts.

There is a serious danger to prolonging this excuse. We are teaching teenage boys that it’s perfectly okay to abuse and assault girls, and we are teaching teenage girls that they should expect this behavior because it’s their fault boys can’t control themselves.

Men should be held accountable for the actions they commit whether they’re 15 or 35. No longer is it tolerable to push these horrible, disturbing, scarring memories under the rug. Any man, especially one that could potentially join the most powerful court in the nation, needs to face the punishment for the crimes they commit.

page 8

J.K. ROWLING SPENT 6 YEARS WRITING BOOK THAT BECAME ‘THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE’

THE MIRADA | Tuesday, October 2, 2018

RITA SKEETER REPORTS BOOKS TRANSLATED INTO 72 LANGUAGES

J.K. ROWLING’S NET WORTH ESTIMATED TO BE

$910 MILLION

MUGGLES ADMIT OBSESSION WITH THE BOY WHO LIVED See next page

HARRY POTTER

TURNS 20

First published in 1998, the book and movie franchise has inspired kids and made billions Harry Potter by the numbers

910 million: Amount, in dollars, of J.K. Rowling’s net worth 15 Billion: Estimated value, in dollars, of the Harry Potter brand 6: Number of years J.K. Rowling spent writing the manuscript that would become Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone 12: Number of publishers to which Rowling’s agency sent her 200-page partial manuscript of the book 0: Number of publishers that made an offer 7.7 billion: Amount, in dollars, of combined worldwide grosses of the Harry Potter movies 450 million: Number of Harry Potter books in print, worldwide 350: Number of copies from that initial print run distributed to libraries 500: Number of copies in the initial Bloomsbury print run of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone 73: Number of foreign-language translations of Harry Potter books 11 million: Number of copies the final installment in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, sold on its first day of release in the U.S. and U.K. 1.15 billion: Amount, in dollars, of the total budget of all eight Harry Potter movies

Annalee Gorman Mirada Staff

A

spell was cast upon all those who read the whimsical Harry Potter series, which began with the publication of “The Philosopher’s Stone” (retitled as “The Sorcerer’s Stone”) 20 years ago.

The impact of the J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world can can be seen through the franchise’s popularity.

Over 500 million copies of the seven books have been sold and translated into 72 languages.

The series captivates readers regardless of their age. Over 50 percent of readers ages 30-44 have read Harry Potter.

EXCLUSIVE

Photo Provided by Bustle Magazine

Its intricate plot and warm characters immerse the reader into the fantasy. Harry Potter has shaped our literary world in more ways than one.

The children’s literature market since the birth of the series has gone up by 52 percent and became a part of our culture. According to CNN, teachers saw a positive impact in those reading the series saying they were more creative, and had better emotional skills.

A series adored by children and adults, Harry Potter expanded the imagination of readers and created a new way to read a book: with others.

A new imaginative era dawned from JK Rowling’s mystical series. It set the stage for science fiction novels by including adventure with close friendships on a level all can relate with.

Happy 20th Annivesary, Harry and friends.

TEACHER ASPIRES TO JOB AT HOGWARTS Katie Newton Mirada Staff

W

alking into Rosa Ramos’ classroom, students might feel like they have stepped into a room at Hogwarts.

Nearly 30 Harry Potter themed Funko Pops bobbleheads line the walls, the first hint that the Spanish teacher has been a Harry Potter fan throughout its 20 years of existence.

On her walls hang tapestries for Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

Just like many kids today, Ramos immersed herself in the world of Harry Potter as soon as she turned 11 years old.

“I think I would say the first book

is my favorite,” said Ramos. In the first novel in this series, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the young wizard Harry Potter battled evil in vengeance for his parents murder.

This was the book that set the scene for a very successful series and established a love for the characters for many people like Ramos. She recalled how the first book marked the beginning of her passion for Harry Potter, and that is why it’s her favorite.

THE MIRADA | Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Chloe Planche Guest Writer

M

y first experience with Harry Potter involves me mistaking the most powerful wizard of all time for an elephant. In my defense, I had recently watched the movie Dumbo and when I overheard my older sister reading Harry Potter, I assumed, naturally, that is was a novel about zoo animals. Looking back, it would have been a better choice to associate Dumbo with our protagonist, Harry Potter. Dumbo’s long, gangly ears that gifted him with the ability to fly are parallel to Harry’s unique scar on his forehead that automatically cast him as an outsider, not only in his home with Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, but in his school where he is picked on. Both have physical traits that set them apart, but later them give powers.

After that initial encounter, my curiosity peaked, I began to take over my sister’s collection, succumbing to J.K. Rowling’s world of imagination. Throughout the years, I became entranced by everything from the meanings behind the character’s names (Vol de mort: Flight of Death) to the comparison between a character and their patronus.

The variety Rowling incorporates into her series allows a plethora of readers to identify with the story.

Whether you are the lost boy finding home, the insecure child constantly overshadowed by siblings, or the powerful figure with a secretive past, Harry Potter has a place for you: “Whether you come back by

page or the big screens, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home”.

Not only can readers identify Hogwarts as their home, they can identify it as something real. Hogwarts, like our world, suffers from discrimination, abuse of power, and a corrupt government. We see this in the Malfoy’s racist rhetoric, Voldemort’s failure to become the Master of Death, and the Ministry which denied the return of Voldemort for their own personal gain. In this generation, it is important for young readers to see that despite adversity and obstacles, love always prevails. This is established in the first novel, just by the mere existence of Harry, who was supposed to die the instant Voldemort uttered “Avada Kedavra.”

It was Lily’s love, a mother’s love, that protected Harry from the Unforgivable Curse, and rebounded the curse onto the only living thing in that room, Lord Voldemort. Love is more powerful than any spell, any wizard, or anything known to man.

Tom Riddle, also known as Voldemort, has never known love and that is his downfall.

The genius behind the multi billion dollar industry is J.K. Rowling, too scared to even publish her full name of Joanne Kathleen Rowling, in fear that potential male readers wouldn’t buy a book written by a woman. Before the booming success, Rowling was a single mother, jobless, living off of welfare, and wrote the future Harry Potter books in local cafes on a typewriter.

C

hoosing to give back to those in need, the acclaimed author lost her billionaire status after donating much of her earnings to charities, and even created her own called Lumos, dedicated to rescuing orphans from institutions where they are subject to abuse and trafficking and reuniting them with families suffering from war, poverty, or discrimination.

In her casting of the peculiar and lovely character of Luna Lovegood, Rowling promised the role to Evanna Lynch, who was in rehabilitation

clinics on and off from the age of 11-13 for her eating disorder.

Finding solace within the character Luna, she wrote an essay describing her body image struggles and used comparison to the quirky character that allowed her to overcome her disease. Throughout the makings of the books, films, and post Harry Potter, Rowling has remained true to the values at the core of Hogwarts; acceptance, passion, pursuit of knowledge, the greater good, and most importantly- a little dash of magic!

The movie franchise was an automatic success, racking in billions of dollars. This is no surprise however, as J.K. Rowling was working closely with the set, the casting process was quite methodical, and the book to screen adaptation was flawless.

It encapsulated all of our visions for Hogwarts and placed a face to a name we became so deeply fond of over the course of the series.

Emma Watson’s role as Hermione Granger could not have been paired better, they are both overachievers in their studies, Emma received top marks in all of her A level classes and graduated from Brown University, they both advocate for those who don’t have a voice; Hermione for Elves, Emma for the HeforShe campaign she started, and are dedicated to their work; Emma in the first years of her acting, she memorized all of her fellow actors lines and would mouth them, leading to lots of extra takes, and Hermione to her devotion to destroying Horcruxes, erasing herself from her family’s memory and abandoning Hogwarts.

Hermione embodies strong women everywhere who use their voice to do good and break down stereotypes.

Harry Potter Trivia Quiz 1) What is the name of Fred and George’s joke shop? a) Weasley Joke Emporium b)Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes c) Fred & George’s Wonder Emporium d) Zonko’s Joke Shop 2) What is the name of the Weasley’s home? a) The Burrow b) The Willow c) The Cottage d) The Den 3) In Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone which Gringotts vault was the philosopher’s stone in? a) 703 b)504 c) 713 d) 217 4) How many brothers does Ron have? a) 5 b) 3 c) 1 d) 10 5) Which is NOT a nickname of a marauder? a) Prongs b) Moony c) Septima d) Padfoot

1) b 2) a 3) c 4) a 5) c

An appreciation for the magic of Harry Potter

page 9

What Harry Potter means to us

Sophomore Amelia York traveled to Harry Potter World in Florida in March 2017 and the Harry Potter World in California in 2018.

“Harry Potter isn’t just the story of the boy who lived- it’s an entire world full of magic and imagination that the reader can lose themselves in. For me, Harry Potter is taking pride in your (fictional) house, cheering when your favorite character scores in a Quidditch match, and smiling when the trio miraculously saves the day again.

My favorite character is Neville Longbottom because he’s such a relatable, geeky guy but he’s still looked at as a hero.”

Senior Sydney Hodge dressed up like Harry Potter for Halloween when she was 7.

Sophomore Luke Richards dressed up like Harry Potter for Halloween when he was 8.

Senior Kaitlyn Ketsdever dressed up as Hermione for Halloween her sophomore year.

“My favorite character was Harry Potter because he really came out of his shell and did a good job fighting the bad guys.

My favorite book is the 3rd one because Harry finds his godfather. It reminded me of my uncle who’s my godfather and all the fun times we had when I was a kid getting hot chocolate.”

“I first started reading the books in fifth grade. I personally like the books a lot more than the movies because they have way more detail. I was really upset when Dumbledore died in the sixth book because he was my favorite character.

I’ve read the books like a thousand times and never get tired of them.”

“I like Harry Potter because I grew up with it. When I was in elementary school all my friends and I loved it. The first book is my favorite, and my favorite character is Hermione because she represents intelligence and leadership in a female role.”

Senior Ethan Crow dressed up as Harry Potter for Halloween in 2011 “Harry Potter was what got me started reading. I started reading with Magic Treehouse in kindergarten, but Harry Potter is the first time I ever remember getting invested in the characters and plot of a book series. I had a race with my friend in 4th grade to see who could finish the whole series first. To this day, I still believe the whole cast is made up of incredibly unique and lovable characters. My favorite character is definitely Neville Longbottom, because he’s super nice and he pursues his interests, regardless of what other people say. He’s a huge nerd and I can respect that.”

The Mirada | Tuesday, October 2, 2018

page 10

FEATURES

Senior is hoping DJ career is in the mix Andrew Wilson plays local clubs, posts on Soundcloud Isa Searle Mirada Staff

A lot of people have aspirations to be something great, and senior Andrew Wilson is attempting to turn these aspirations into a reality, one song at a time.

Wilson first got his inspiration in middle school when he would watch his favorite Minecraft youtubers.

“It was probably 7th grade and I was really into watching youtube videos,” Wilson said. “A lot of the videos I used to watch were Minecraft youtubers and they always had EDM music in their intro. I started listening to it through that and then in the end of 8th grade I was like ‘Wow that would be kind of cool to make it’ so I started researching and going from there.”

You can find his music on SoundCloud under the account Andrew Wilson; he has one song out right now, called Nightmare. You can also anticipate his next song, Waiting at the Edge.

Wilson doesn’t just create EDM. He has a separate account for anothSenior Andrew Wilson DJ’s his set at Holy Diver. Photo provided by Andrew Wilson. er genre.

“I have another SoundCloud for “Doing something that I love is rap music, and it’s joke rap music,” We’ve only released one, it’s called just doing something that he loves said Wilson. “I go by Andy Candy Cookin in the Kitchen. It’s a joke, because there’s no point in doing really important to me,” said Wilsomething if he hates it or barely son. “I wouldn’t want to do someand I have three songs with Matthew but I think it’s pretty good.”

He says what inspires him most is likes it. thing that I hate or kind of like. I’m Taylor, he also goes to this school.

Vlogs becoming the new reality T.V. “ Some viners like The Gabbie Show and David Dobrik are making millions of dollars...”

Jessica Sheppard Mirada Staff Nothing is better than unlocking your phone, putting in your earbuds, sitting back and watching all the tea be split. Clicking onto youtube via cell phone or computer is a great way to relax and unwind from a hard school day.

Vlogs are not something new but there are more and more vlogs and vloggers on YouTube. After Vine died there seemed to be a big influx of vloggers.

A lot of popular viners transitions just before vine was shut down and a lot of people decided to become vloggers. The best example is Lele Pons and The Gabbie Show.

They both decided to start vlogging and The Gabbie Show made it but Lele didn’t get the following she hoped for. Lele transferred to Instagram and now she is very successful and popular.

Some viners like The gabbie show and David Dobrik are making millions of dollars just videoing their daily life. Obviously some parts of vlogs are staged and some are just the weird quirks of life.

Vlogs have many benefits for teenagers that traditional t.v. doesn’t give them. They are able to connect with the vlogger on a personal level.

Not only are they able to connect, but they are able to hold their attention span of their viewer. Some vlogs are four minutes long while other are 20.

Vlogs are also tailored to every person individually. You can follow people that match your personality or what you want to do in life.

They can also be tailored to your

emotions. There are so many youtubers and they all offer something different.

The only frustrating part about watching a vlog is the posting. With a traditional t.v show you are guaranteed at least ten episodes a season.

With a vlog it is typically one person recording, editing and posting.

Some people post daily and some post on a monthly basis.

The best thing about when a vlog comes out it is like your birthday.

You know that eventually you are

going to get a present but you just don’t know when.

If you know anything about blogs is that relationships can blossom from working on youtube. A great example is Liza Koshy and David Dobrik.

They were together for about two years and when they broke up about three months ago it shattered the internet. So far their video has been viewed 43 million times.

They have both grown their platforms together. Their first video together only got 5.2 million views compare that to their breakup video you can clearly see they have a bigger presence online.

Although the average viewer may not understand the complex business of being a youtuber we appreciate all that youtubers do.

all about doing something that you absolutely love. That really inspires me and succeeding and having personal achievements also does.”

Wilson wants to go somewhere with his music and says he plans to go to a college for musicians like him, but that has also proven to be a bit of a challenge.

“I’m looking at a few colleges right now, but there’s not a whole plethora of options,” said Wilson. “If you want to be a lawyer you could go to so many different schools, and there’s so many different programs, but with this, its hard to find a specific thing that I really feel would benefit me.”

He is currently looking at Chico, LA film school, Recording Connection, and Berklee.

His dream started becoming a reality in Feb., when he played his first show at Holy Diver Bar. His friend who also makes music helped him to get this opportunity.

“I got my first show this year,” said Wilson. “I signed up on this website and basically what they do is they email you whenever they have an opening for a show and I got my first opening on Feb. 25 and that was a huge milestone for me and that got me into the scene. Then I got rebooked again twice in summer, and I have another show coming up in Nov. on the 25.”

Wilson is doing whatever he can to make sure his dreams will come true. Whether it’s going up to Boston for a week long music camp or driving up to Oakland every Wednesday for a music class, he’s willing to do it.

“I am super passionate in music and I’m going to do what I love,” said Wilson.

VLOGS WORTH WATCHING David Dobrik Vlog This vlog is fast pace and is over in under five minutes.

The vlog, which features paintball guns, explosives and a flamethrower, is like if you would give a 12-year-old boy a million dollars.

Lilly Singh Vlog This vlog is slower and can last up to 15 minutes. You see what it’s like behind the scenes of the most magical unicorn on the internet.

Jason Nash Vlog This vlog is very slow paced and range between 20-25 minutes. You are able to see all of the vlog squad in some off camera moments and you see how their content is made.

KEEP UP WITH SCHOOL NEWS AT RIOMIRADA.COM

The Mirada | FEATURES | Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Alex Lydon Mirada Staff

Rappers can bring attention to drug addiction issues

T

he music world lost another artist to a drug overuse. Malcolm McCormick, known as Mac Miller, passed away in his home in the San Fernando Valley. McCormick experienced a troubled life and career filled with substance abuse and alcoholism.

The Pittsburgh rapper has opened up about his drug use and abuse of substances such as promethazine and cocaine on his debut studio album.

During an interview with Larry King, McCormick revealed his struggles with mental health and its correlation with his drug use.

“I had a drug problem for a long time. It wasn’t just in music, but I definitely was going through a drug problem and I think it was more my state of mind. I was just pretty depressed,” said McCormick.

Only a month prior, McCormick released his fifth studio album titled described by “Pitchfork” as a wounded album, about heartbreak and his mental state. In Self Care McCormick describes his own struggles with depression and his self-medicating habits.

He also critiques the music industry on Self Care singing the lyric “must be this high to play.” McCormick exposes the need for artists to publicize their use of drugs in order to gain popularity. The music community has been plagued with deaths due to overdoses and substance abuse from Lil Peep to Amy Winehouse to Jimi Hendrix.

Although many claim that rappers are the problem I believe that many are bringing awareness to drug abuse and mental health. Rapper Lil Peep, whose legal name was Gustav Ahr was also a big proponent of bringing awareness to mental health.

B

efore his accidental death due to an overdose of fentanyl and xanax, Ahr openly spoke about his struggles with his bisexuality and his battles with mental illness. “My mom always tells me time will heal everything, it will eventually get better,” said Ahr. “Never be ungrateful there’s people fighting to survive, so live on for them.”

The deaths of these stars always open conversation on substance abuse’s effect on mental health. It is widely known that these musicians used drugs and alcohol as coping mechanism to deal with their inner struggles.

Critics of these acclaimed artists argues that artists such as Ahr and McCormick are making it “cool” to be depressed. Young, influenceable ears should not be listening to these artists and that mentioning drugs is still a negative influence on a young audience.

Although the hiphop world is still glorifying lavish lifestyles filled with money and substance abuse, artists such as Mac Miller have given the public an inside look into a life of heavy drug use and the effects it can have on a person’s mental state.

People are ditching movie lines for Netflix at home Audrey Snider Mirada Staff In recent months, Netflix streaming has increased while movie theaters have taken a back seat.

Many teens including a sophomore Alyssia Ullensvang say that she watches more Netflix movies than going to the theaters to watch a movie there.

“Netflix is taking over the movie business because it’s easy to watch and you can watch relatively new movies on it whenever you want and theaters are expensive and you can only watch one movie then pay to go see another movie,” said Ullensvang.

Meanwhile, in the last 17 years, HBO has had the most streaming service nominations for the Emmys; this year nominations were overtaken by Netflix.

Netflix’s plan is to spend $12-13 billion in the next year for their content while HBO budgets $2.5 billion.

Netflix is becoming more popular with new generations so their subscriptions in increasing. Out of 100 students surveyed, 61 percent would rather watch Netflix shows or movies than go and see a movie in a theater.

“Well I believe Netflix is becoming such a good movie streaming platform because, if you think about it, you don’t really have

“ Netflix’s plans to spend $12-13 billion in the next year for their content while HBO only budgets $2.5 million”

According to a survey 60% of Rio students prefer of watch Netflix rather than going to the theatre.

to go to see a movie when of options to choose from, watch movies on the go. It With Netflix producing orignal content like Strager Things it is obvious why students chose this you can see it for free on Netflix, which is the main reason, why Netflix is just becoming so popular,” said freshman Julian Holmes.

“Also the setting is better.

Being all cozied up in your bed with snacks and your headphones on watching a movie is better than being in a theater with 40 plus people.”

Netflix has thousands

so when you finish a show or movie you can start to watch more of similar content right after. Netflix is not only a convenient way to watch movies, but it is also fairly inexpensive.

Someone can also pause the movie and not worry about wasting money.

Netflix also has the option to download movies which gives the option to

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also tracks what the watcher usually watches and then can recommend similar content which gives the viewer more satisfaction in what they watch.

“It’s super easy for people to access and it has way more options which is why I think so many people tend to lean that way,” said sophomore Aviva Spector.

Netflix continues to

pump out content that their audience loves, but theater screenings continue to go down drastically causing concern as to whether the movie industry is big enough for both.

“I think the growth of Netflix is positive because streaming is often more accessible to people than going to a theater; however, going to a theater and watching Netflix is a different experience, so I think there needs to be room for both to exist in the movie industry,” said senior Jillian Halloran.

Netflix has over 130 millions subscribers as of mid-2018 and 125 hours on Netflix are being streamed each day.

Plus-size models a trend to stay Models of all shapes and sizes are taking over the industry Jessica Sheppard Mirada Staff The hair, the makeup, the clothes. Countries all over the world have fashion shows with all sorts of various models, but with the new trend of embracing all bodies types in the U.S., it has been shaking things up quite a bit.

Asa and Tallulah walking of London fashion week mini mode after a walk There tends to be a trend with on the run way. model icons like Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, and Karlie Kloss and that is their size.

With teens being susceptible to with companies like Old Navy and Kendall Jenner is a size two and body images that tend to be unre- Macy’s. standing at 5’10, Gigi Hadid is a alistic, it is damaging to their self Adults aren’t the only ones modsize four and 5’10, Karlie Kloss is confidence. If you look in a mag- eling. Children pose for the camera a size zero and 6’1. These women azine most people you see are no just as much as adults do. don’t represent a typical American bigger than a size five; however, a Children travel all over the women yet they all still make mil- new trend that has hit the U.S and world to do modeling shoots. Tallions of dollars a year. is hopefully here to stay is plus lulah Sheppard is a young model The average American woman size models: models that are a size and just finished a London fashwears between a size 16 and 18 and eight or higher. ion week mini mode with her twin is about 5’3.

In 2017, this trend really took off brother Asa Sheppard.

“We had such an amazing time and loved it! Doing the catwalk show was amazing and such a good opportunity,” said Asa. But it it’s not just about the experience it is also about the people that make it happen like the stylists, and the crew. “ It was so cool and such fun, there were so many nice people,” said Tallulah.

Female models are a major aspect of this new trend and the effects it has for their bussiness.

“I do think that the, ‘waif” look is a little 90’s and outdated,” said Maria Breese a model. “I understand that certain designer prefer to use models that fit the esthetic of the line, but for a whole country to ban a whole type of model is certainly ridiculous.”

Weather you, are a size zero or a size 15 this trend is here to stay.

Modeling has been revolutionized and America has finally hopped on the train.

THE MIRADA|Tuesday, October 2, 2018

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REVIEWS Bacon is Better Sam Bacceli Mirada Staff It’s a good thing that the wait to get into Bacon and Butter averages 30 minutes to an hour on weekends, because you’ll want to be hungry when you sit down to the large portions of comfort food that are the staples of the Tahoe Park restaurant.

The name Bacon and Butter is a play of the phrase bread and butter. The idea is that their dishes’ ingredients work very well together like bread and butter.

Instead of using bread they use bacon because it is a breakfast food, considering they serve breakfast and brunch.

They use products from farms that are locally sourced. The owners make sure all of the bacon that they use for consumption is sulfate free.

All of the bread used in their dishes are from a local bakery. You can request almost any meal to be vegetarian and some can even be made vegan.

The amount of people who come to eat there is truly a testament to the quality food they serve. The food is incredible and so it there service.

If you have any issues with your meal they are more than happy to help in whatever way they can. The servers are truly here to make your experience more enjoyable.

When you walk in, the restaurant is filled to the brim with people and clutter on the wall.

The ceiling has an intricate wooden design.

The overall aesthetic of the restaurant is rustic and clean yet still very homey. The restaurant is relatively small in size for all the people sitting in it.

I ordered the chicken and waffles which is one of the more popular items on the menu.

All of the dishes are large portions. The chicken and waffles were 18 dollars. It comes with four pieces of fried chicken, one Belgian waffle, and chilli syrup.

The chicken was well cooked and the flour batter was amazing. The waffle was a good consistency and texture.

My sister ordered the grilled cheese benedict. This meal was 16 dollars. She is gluten intolerant and can not eat the bread that they would have made the dish with. She instead brought her own gluten free bread for them to use. They were very accommodating to her food allergy.

Bacon and butter is not the type of restaurant to go to if you want a light meal.

Although they do have a couple of options including oatmeal and bee pollen. The bee pollen is an agave yogurt with granola, seeds, nuts, honey, and fresh fruit.

One of there more popular items is the kitchen sink. It has lardon, crispy potatoes, spinach, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and two eggs. This is definitely the kind of restaurant that you go to and want to take a nap afterwards, which I did after my filling meal.

The restaurant is located at 5913 Broadway, Sacramento, CA 95820. You can make reservations for a group of people over 6, if not you should be ready to wait.

Show captures drama of sports “All or Nothing: Manchester City” goes behind the scenes of the premier league.

Mickey Doolittle Mirada Staff The recent success of the All or Nothing NFL and college football series have earned the Amazon original a new season revolving around Premier League club Manchester City. The love for soccer in the UK’s second largest city provides an exciting backdrop for this series.

Instead of using the traditional reality show shaky camera techniques, this series immerses audiences in the world of these players without giving them headaches.

Hearing what players regularly say to one another humanizes athletes that society regularly looks upon as gods.

Through All or Nothing, we realize they are people too who laugh, cry and have fun. One moment they will be talking about music they listen too or how they felt when a new player came in and gave them an energy boost.

In addition to this, there are some truly emotional moments.

After many hard-fought wins, the team creates a mosh pit, jumping around and chanting. The show does a fantastic job of making the audience share these feelings with the players.

I personally did not care much

for European football, but decided to try this show out because I had enjoyed the previous NFL and rugby seasons.

All or Nothing may had not centered around my interest, but was extremely entertaining. The ins and outs of a football club are fascinating to compare to that of American football.

In addition to showing the back and forth of players and

coaches, I found myself getting attached to the players. I realized that I was rooting for Manchester City, liking when they did well, or feeling bad when an injury came along.

One of these injuries was Benjamin Mendy who was hurt early in the season, and many of the show’s episodes feature his recovery. To see how athletes who are superhuman, yet so frag-

ile and susceptible to setbacks is eye-opening.

All or Nothing also shows the unsung heroes that make the club click. From the ladies who wash and sort the players’ cloths to the “kit guy” who organizes player’s uniforms, this documentary could not have done a better job revealing the glue that holds together the club.

With all these positive elements, All or Nothing does have some flaws. Between games, I thought they spent a little too long on off the field scenes. As fascinating as it was, I wanted the editors to focus more on the matches rather than between them.

In addition, they constantly skip over matches and focus on big games. It is impossible to focus on all 32 games of the Premier League season on top of the tournaments. However, they could have reasonably covered more matches with deeper storylines. Because of the lack of games, some storylines suffer of dullness.

By far the best part of the show is manager Pep Guardiola.

The energy he brings to the team and the show is unparalleled. The dialogue he has with his players is fascinating and absolutely hilarious at the same time.

Overall, All or Nothing delivers an entertaining adventure, while not hesitating to be a legitimately authentic. It’s good camera work and well-documented stories are a good formula for an entertaining ride.

Love/hate debate about ‘Boys I’ve Loved’ Sam Baccelli Audrey Snider Mirada Staff EDITORS NOTE: Mirada writers Audrey Snider and Sam Baccelli have different opinions about the new Netflix movie “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” Read their debate; then check out the movie--or watch something else.

Audrey- I think To All Boys I’ve Loved Before on Netflix is an amazing movie. The chemistry between Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) is such a big part of the movie and it is clearly a strong connection.

Sam- I think this Netflix original was just ok. I wouldn’t disagree that the chemistry between the to leads is quite convincing but that is not the main issue I have with the movie. The part of the movie that really doesn’t sit well with me is Lara Jean Covey’s (Lana Condor) relationship with her best friend, Josh Sanderson (Israel Broussard).

Audrey- The relationship between Josh and Lara Jean was always confusing throughout the movie but why doesn’t it sit well with you?

Sam- Well, as someone who recently lost a close friend I don’t think it’s realistic that Josh forgives her instantly after weeks of mental abuse of refusing to talk to him. I use a word as strong as mentally abused because as a teenager, you are at such a vulnerable state, something like your best friend not speaking to you can really mess with you.

Audrey- I would say that Lara Jean separating herself from Josh is a key point in the plot of the movie. I wouldn’t take it as far as being mentally abused but I think that having

time off from each other helped Josh and Lara Jean really think about all the feelings going around.

Sam- I think that this entire situation could have been avoided if they had just communicated with each other. The movie is relatively pointless if you think about it. Not only is the situation with Josh easily avoidable but the entire concept of Laura Jean’s sister sending the love letters is ridiculous.

Audrey- I think that these major plot points are what make the movie interesting.

The movie makes people feel happy and hopeful so if you didn’t have those points the movie wouldn’t be as enjoyable to the audience as it is.

Sam- You are correct that theses plot points are main parts of the movie, but they

create giant plot holes in the storyline. I think that this movie concept has potential but it needs an entire rewrite to be a logical story.

Audrey- I think we should agree to disagree. Another factor of the movie that jumps out at me is how good the acting is. When Lara Jean and Peter have any alone scenes, their connection feels real and it feels as if I’m watching them in person.

Sam- I completely agree that the relationship you see between the characters truly feels like you are watching them while walking down the hallways of high school. Another plus of the movie is the cinematography is great.

Audrey- Yes, I also love how the camera angles are so smooth and nothing seems out of place. Something else that pleases my eye are the colors of the scenes. Nothing is too dense or too weak when you watch the movie.

This movie overall has such beautiful cinematography. One of my favorite concepts in the movie is how close their family is. Lara Jean and her older and younger sisters have such an unbreakable bond that is clearly shown throughout the movie. Even when Lara Jean’s younger sister goes behind her back, Lara Jean forgives her and loves her just as much as before. I love how the plot shows a family factor in the movie.

Sam- The relationship is very close but unlike you I don’t like that. It feels unrealistic and seems like something the most teens watching could not relate to. I don’t think we will ever come to a consensus over this movie. You think it’s amazing and I think that it’s just barely ok.

The Mirada | DISTRACTIONS| Tuesday, October 2, 2018

BACHELOR & BACHELORETTE

COUPLE OF THE ISSUE

Raider Quiz 1) Which class won the Duck Derby? a) freshman b) sophomore c) junior d) senior 2) Who went in the pool with Sammie Stroughter? a) Demetri Dogias b) Mr. Ginter c) Jay Wilson d) Madame Jenks

What’s your dream girl?

My dream girl is when she’s into horror movies and bigfoot What’s your biggest turn on?

When she wears ankle length skirts What’s your biggest turn off?

When she can’t think for herself Describe your perfect date.

You, me, 12 McChickens and the Mcdonald’s parking lot.

Chase Iseley (12) What’s your dream guy?

Likes country music, has blue eyes, funny, smart, adventurous, and athletic What’s your biggest turn on?

God smile/ someone who has fun with their friends

Aiden Barnes (11) Julia Massey(10) How long have you been dating?

1 year

How long have you been dating?

1 year

What’s her best quality?

How much she cares about me.

What’s his best quality?

How loyal and respectful he is.

What’s your favorite memory with her?

Going to New York with her.

What’s your favorite memory with him?

Traveling around SoCal with him.

What’s your biggest turn off?

Dramatic and someone who doesn’t care Describe your perfect date I like things that are simple, for example, eating Ben and Jerry’s while watching a Netflix movie.

KNOW YOUR CAMPUS Directions: Locate the image to the left 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!

Rio Countdown: Halloween: 30 days Thanksgiving Break: 46 days Winter Break: 79 days

3) What’s the theme for the Rio vs. EC football game? a) black out b) pink out c) white out d) camo out 4) How many clubs are participating in Rush Week? a) 42 b) 13 c) 1904 d) 37

5) When’s the 4 day weekend? a) THIS WEEKEND b) next weekend c) February 31 d) over winter break answers: 1) d 2) c 3) b 4) d 5) a

Dylan Searle (12)

Sports

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The Mirada |Tuesday, October 2, 2018

You #%&* stink!

Jack Cartwright Commentary

Nike Controversy

HOW FAR IS TOO FAR? Fan rivalries are part of prep sports, but school officials say some taunts cross the line

Rebecca Smith Luke Richards Mirada Staff School rivalries unite student sections and build excitement for upcoming games, but the question how far is too far is a concern many schools have.

The recent Jesuit vs. Rio football game sparked a heated Twitter battle between the two school’s accounts. Through videos and comments, the two schools hype up the game.

“We try to advertise the game as much as possible through our royalty twitter account and our personal snapchats, so we can have a big crowd,” said Rowdy Raider captain Matt Lynch. “It’s easy once people

are all there at the game because it makes it easier to run chants and get our teams hyped up.”

The Rowdy Raider account tweeted about the Jesuit quarterback and his offer to play college football at Oberlin College. This is a division three school which cannot give scholarship offers; this essentially was the message of the tweet. Students from Del Campo and graduated Rio students as well as Rio faculty commented on the tweet saying it was bullying and that the schools should support each other athletically. The Rowdy Raiders deleted this tweet after responding that the schools have a known rivalry and it was all a joke.

The Marauder twitter account posted a video the day of the game

with the message that if you go to Rio you won’t go to college and you’ll become homeless.

To many students, the Rowdy Raiders’ tweet was done in good spirits while this one was taken too far. Jesuit students are not allowed to comment on the rivalry or the intentions behind their tweets because of a school policy.

“I think it was really immature of them to post that video,” said senior Demetri Dogias.

Both schools deleted all tweets after a short period of time, but determining whether one school took it too far or not, or what is too far, is still up for debate.

The use of social media, where no context or tone can be heard, makes it difficult to understand

the motive behind the message, especially if the person reading or viewing it doesn’t go to the school.

A high school in Orange County was recently reported in the LA Times and Orange County Register as to having chanted “we love white” and having posters that support Trump’s border policy of building a wall. Students and principals claim that this was misreported, but the outrage and backlash that followed demonstrate an example of a rivalry taken too far.

Jesuit and Rio have competed for decades over the best school on American River Drive, and although the insults hurled between the schools sometimes hit a little too hard, no extreme line has been crossed.

Athletes compete against dress codes Katie Newton Mirada Staff A recent disagreement on the cross country team sparked a new question: is there a school sports dress code?

Many people have an opinion about the dress code at school, but when it comes to athletics, students have never been told what to wear aside from their coach’s requirements.

In early September, cross country athletes returned from their run dripping in sweat, no shirts in sight.

Coach Anton Escay then broke the news: due to a parent complaint, athletes had to wear shirts on campus.

This rule applied to both male and female athletes, but Principal Brian Ginter explained it mostly revolved around girls.

He said, “There were a number of concerns from parents that the girls were running in the community just in sports bras.”

Cross country runners were upset, pointing out that water polo players wore speedos, yet when it’s approaching 100 degrees, runners are expected to wear their shirts.

This brought up the controversy if we have a dress code for sports.

“There isn’t anything written down as far as a sports dress code goes,” Ginter said. “A way we look at it in general, is that athletes, now this was more specifically brought up around the topic of the cross country team, is that the idea was that students should not wear anything less than what they wear for competition.”

This rule justifies the administration’s argument and can be ap-

Sophomore Lucy Prieto and Freshman Josie Perez run on the levee at practice. Photo by Jane Snider

On August 24, 2018 Nike announced Colin Kaepernick to be the new face of the Nike Just Do It campaign. You might know Colin Kaepernick as the NFL quarterback who first kneeled during the national anthem to protest police brutality against African Americans. This controversial action caused many NFL fans to stop watching football as long as the NFL allowed it.

Since Kaepernick was using his job to push a social and political view, many people agreed it should be illegal to bring politics to the workplace the same way that teachers can’t influence their students to a certain political party.

No matter your political view, Kaepernick’s kneel took extreme courage and bravery.

However to me, Nike didn’t sign Colin Kaepernick to be the face of the “Just Do It” campaign for his bravery or his cause. Nike gave Kaepernick this sponsorship strictly as a business decision. From a business standpoint this decision was genius.

Although many people disagree with what Kaepernick did Nike was able to recognize that the same demographic that agrees with Kaepernick controversial actions are the same people who’ll buy Nike merchandise. Nike capitalized on Kaepernick’s fame and controversy making the political stress about them to sell merchandise.

The plain and simple fact is controversy creates publicity. As P.T. Barnum said, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” Since this power play, everybody has been talking about Nike, good or bad. However in the business world all talk is great talk, as long as everyone is talking about Nike.

The other side of the story is if Kaepernick deserves one of the biggest athletic endorsements of all time. To me the answer is no. The previous athletes who’ve received this honor have been Michael Jordan, arguably the best basketball player ever, Michael Vick, the most dominant quarterback of 2004 and then... Colin Kaepernick, who’s a backup quarterback? In the same Nike endorsement Kaepernick is headlining the face of the campaign over Shaquim Griffin who made it to the NFL despite only having one arm.

The Nike endorsement of Colin Kaepernick was nothing more than a genius marketing strategy. By siding with Kaepernick, Nike claimed their political side. Therefore cutting off their small amount of consumers who disagree with Kaepernick only to capitalize and secure the large amount of customers who love Kaepernick’s message and agree with his movement.

Colin Kaepernick’s bravery gave a voice to many people for a great cause, while doing so, he created controversy.

Nike manipulated that controversy into publicity to sell their products.

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The Mirada | SPORTS |Tuesday, October 2, 2018 FOOTBALL

Prep of the Month Taylor Hendricks

Q: What sport do you play?

A: Waterpolo.

Q: What’s your position?

A: Set…(we) set up in a 3-3, and it’s the person in the middle of the goal. I’m on the varsity team.

Q: What is a memorable game?

A: St. Francis because they are our rivals but we did lose.

Jalen Taylor gets tackled after a long run. Photo by Jane Snider.

Raiders blow 1st-half lead in Homecoming CB piles up points in 4th quarter Mickey Doolittle Mirada Staff In front of a packed homecoming crowd on Friday night, Rio football looked to upset Christian Brothers and bounce back after losing three of their first four games, “Going into the game, we knew if we did our jobs, we would com out with the win,” said junior quarterback Mitchell Dixon. “Our coaches prepared us well all week, so we just needed to execute on Friday.”

Jumping off to a hot start in the first quarter, junior wide receiver Savion Ponce scored a touchdown on a pass from Dixon. He would go on to contribute massively for the Raiders, with two 30-plus-yard punt returns in the first half (one was called back for an illegal block in the back).

As the first quarter wound down,

Rio continued to move the ball effectively, but could not put points on the board. Wide receiver Bryce Casey caught a few big passes including back-to-back receptions in the second giving Rio a 13-0 lead.

The Raiders held the Christian Brother’s offensive in check beautifully through the first half, pressuring quarterback Jacob Steward to make tough throws. However, the Falcons began to show signs of life late in the first half with a well-worked drive ending in a missed field goal.

With 7:17 left in the third quarter, CB pulled off one of the most miraculous plays you will ever see.

Steward fielded a low snap off a hop, evaded two would-be tacklers and found his receiver on a drag rout over the middle. He broke upfield, breaking three more tackles in the process of a long Falcon touchdown.

It all went downhill for Rio from there as Christian Brothers’ offense began to overpower the worn down Raider defense. On the first play of the fourth quarter, CB got the spark they needed with a well-timed interception.

CB marched down the field and scored thanks to a Jacob Steward

touchdown pass to his receiver running a slant route.

On the next Falcons drive, they ran the play made famous in last year’s Super Bowl ‘the Philly Special’. The play was slightly different, but finished with the same result, ending in a long CB touchdown from wide receiver Luke Jones. The game was sealed just minutes later with a 31-yard touchdown run by senior Chance Gallop.

For the second week in a row, the Raiders wasted an outstanding first half performance against a higher ranked opponent. Last week, they kept local powerhouse Jesuit within striking distance, trailing 7-14 at half, before losing 14-49.

Against CB, the Raiders let a 13-0 halftime lead slip away by surrendering 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter en route to a 19-27 loss.

“We simply didn’t execute and had a hard time moving the ball in the fourth quarter.” Dixon said. The Raiders got off to a hot start, but could not finish in the second half.

Next week, Rio looks to turn it around against Vista del Lago at home.

Dress Code FROM PAGE 13 plied to all sports, but cross country Coach Lea Wallace presented another perspective.

“Training sessions are different from competitions,” said Wallace.

“They are longer and harder and this consequently means they may require different attire.”

Wearing nothing less than in competition seems the most equitable considering sport’s different attires would be impossible to consider in one dress code for all athletics; some sports are in water, while others have contact and require equipment.

Football, for example trains with all their gear on, despite the heat.

“The way I look at it is the nature of football you need to have your equipment on to be protected while you’re practicing,” Ginter said.

Coaches of most sports either require shirts, or it is simply the norm of the sport, but in cross country this was not the case until the recent complaint.

“We train in what we are most comfortable training in,” said Wallace.

The Sacramento heat plays a crucial role in the topic of sports dress code because most athletes only

wear small amounts of clothing to avoid being hotter than necessary.

“Plenty of the folks were very upset because it does make a difference what you’re wearing whenever you’re running. It may be a small amount, but it does make a difference to them,” Ginter said.

The recent disagreement on the cross country team has been handled since, and athletes are allowed to run shirtless again. The concept on a specific sports dress code remains undecided, but for now the unwritten rule suggests the same attire as competition is to be emulated at practice.

Q: How long have you been playing?

A: Since I was nine, so like six years.

Q: What is your next big game?

A: We Are playing Christian Brothers on Monday.

Q: What are your goals?

A: Get better and play all four years in high school. ty?

Q: How did you get on varsi-

A: I worked hard...I know the game really well.

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Boys water polo expects to repeat as Section Champs.

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The Mirada | Tuesday, October 2, 2018

IN FOCUS

Raiders rushing to join clubs

R

ush week starts this week and clubs have tables set up hoping to gain new members. Joining clubs is a way to meet new people and engage in something that you are passionate about.

Students can create their own clubs as long as they have an idea for a club and an advisor to host the club in their classroom and oversee the club activity.

There are clubs that meet at school during lunch, and others that have after school events. Clubs range from fun activities, like Broadway Club, to volunteer opportunities, like Key Club.

All students are welcome to join all clubs and can sign up for as many as they would like. For signing up, club presidents often give out candy for joining. To sign up for a club go to the senior quad area at lunch.

Clubs and Presidents

Anna Chriss promotes Key Club to a student. Key Club is a student lead organization that encourages leadership and service work. The club connects students with non-profit organizations and volunteering opportunities. Photo by Jane Snider

Top Left: A member of the American Sign Language Club holds up a poster to promote the club. Bottom Left: A student listens to a member of Anime Club. Right: Peter Poirier signs up for French Club. Photos

by Jane Snider

Feminism Club (Zoe Murray) Anime Club (Samantha Perez, Alison Hughes) Pacific Coast Critters Club (Katie Knapp) Get Fit for a Cause Club (Rithvik Yenumula) Capital Crew Rowing Club (Andrew Oleson) Queer Straight Alliance (QSA) (Dale McMorris) Glee Club (Hedyen Yaghoubi) Academic Decathlon (Gavin Walters) Mental Health Awareness Club (Shayna Shenoy) Rio Americano Multicultural Club (Julien Pock) Rio Americano Key Club (Anna Chriss) Varsity Club Broadway Club (Jessica Sheppard) American Sign Language Club (Emma Hillenberg) French Club (Olivia Patitucci, Sophia Karperos) Science Olympiad (Ariana Bornino) Science Bowl (Ariana Bornino) Chicken Club (Katie McKecchnie) Art Club (Rachael Glib, Mahlia Herico) Quiz Bowl Moot Court (Hudson Burke) Christian Club (Hudson Burke) Jew Crew (Jack Cartwright) International Dining Club (Lauren Calcagno) Photography and Modeling Club (Kaitlyn Ketsdever) KPOP Club (Erika Goyenechea) Ultimate Frisbee Club (Sarah Sorenson) Raider ESports Scott Vocal Adrenaline Club (Hailey Washington) Smash Bros. Club (Jared Moisey) Interact Club (Amanda McGoldrick) Lunch With Friends Club (Emily Borg) FIDM Fashion Club (Mariah Morfin-Ruiz) Karate and Pancakes Campus Compassion (Ezra Silverberg) History Club (Elliot Worledge)

Feminism club members Rebecca Smith and Zoe Murray help students use Remind to sign up for the club. Photo by Jane Snider