Vol. 93, Issue 5
Great Balls of Fury!
April 29, 2019
Boys Basketball team proves victorious at dodgeball finale game
YESSENIA HERNANDEZ
The Boys Basketball dodgeball team rejoices together after earning their well deserved title as the 2019 Dodgeball Team Champions. SAMANTHA BRANDTS Reporter
With the Wilson dodgeball season in full force, students, teachers, and other staff members were excited to see who would win this year’s final match. With 32 teams that started the season off, only one could be the winner. And with that, the question everyone was asking was: who will be victorious? The battle for the championship took place every even day on either Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday at lunch, with three matches being played each day. Anyone could participate in the matches, as long as they had a willing team of five ready to play. The clubs that participated in the dodgeball matches include the Young Republicans Club, AVID, Theatre Arts, the Young Democrats Club, Z-girls, Science Teachers clubs, and many more. However, sports teams also entered their own groups, creating fearful Boys and Girls Swim, Soccer, and Water Polo teams, as
well as other intimidating competitors. The competition days started as soon as the gym seats filled up when the bell rang at 10:58 for lunch. Upon walking into the big gym, one could see the teams on the gym floor warming up, as well as the marching band and members of ASB cheering the competitors on. Teachers held the spots of referees in the dodgeball matches and were placed with the chaotic job of keeping the dodgeball games harmless and enjoyable. On April 9, the dodgeball games started to intensify. The four teams—the Young Republicans club, Basketball team, Baseball team, and Ping Pong team—were so close to becoming the champions of the school. But only one team could be the winner. So, on April 9, after the final four teams battled to determine who would participate in the championship game and the team members left all they could out on the gym floor, the boys Basketball
and Baseball team were headed to the last match. The final game was on. The match was set. Now, the only thing to do was wait for the day where players would compete for the title. For the basketball boys,
“Winning the game was pretty mind blowing.”
-Tariq Elboushi Dodgeball Champion
they did all means necessary in order to prepare one another to perform their best. “We would try to get hype by screaming at each other or just playing music,” says Tariq Elboushi, “we practiced as much as
we could, but the amount of energy we brought was how we were really strong.” Walking into the big gym on April 11 for the final championship match was almost as thrilling and chaotic as watching an Olympic game. The gym was packed with students and faculty that were eager to see who would win the title. Because the game between Boys Baseball and Boys Basketball would be the final match of the season, the administrators decided to make the last round of games the best of five. After the announcers counted down from three to one, there was no telling what could have happened. All everyone in the gym knew was that the game was going to be a match for the history books. The whistle was blown and the boys were off. Baseball was coming in hot, but Basketball was coming in flaming. Boys were running everywhere; the referees were confused about what players were out and in, which left not only the audience puzzled, but the
players disoriented as well. After the first two games took place, Basketball was ahead of Baseball by two. Basketball had one more game to win while Baseball had to kick it up a notch if they wanted a shot at the title. However, this did not stunt the Basketball team, as they worked to win their third game and secure their title as the 2019 Dodgeball Team Champions. The basketball boys were not shy to celebrate their victory. “First, we tackled each other and were yelling at each other, we were just going crazy. Winning the game was pretty mind blowing and we were all just really happy the whole day,” reports Elboushi when asked about the Basketball team celebration. Although it will be hard, Bruins are expected to continue this dodgeball tradition next year and bring the same passion and intensity that our teams did this year. Congratulations to Boys Basketball on their win, and good luck to all future Bruins in their fight for the dodgeball championship!
Opinion
Wilson High School Loudspeaker
Page 2
Is overthinking unhealthy for students? Emmett Edge Reporter
You know, overthinking is like eating at a local Denny’s at one in the morning: it’s as cold and unforgiving as the biscuits and gravy and it makes you look considerably slow. You know you’re not stupid, it’s just that you’re prone to making very peculiar mistakes. For those unfamiliar with the term, overthinking is the human routine of retaining useless thoughts on a negative past event (or events) and constantly pondering on said event(s) in inappropriate settings such as school, work, and most infamously, late at night in bed while listening to the hipster vaporwave hip hop. Now, I can tell anybody, from experience, that this phenomenon is a great threat to the youth of America, as everyone is fodder to this activity. However, people usually scapegoat phones and social media in pursuit of blaming the main cause of the youth’s prob-
lems- this will never be the case though, as overthinking itself is a much more serious threat to an individual than social media can ever be. The threat of overthinking comes in many different forms. For example, research shown by Professor Nolen Hoeksema, who was a scientist and the author of “Women who think too much:How to Break Free of Overthinking and Reclaim your Life”, has proven that depression is actually a side effect of negative ruminating. Her logical explanation was that, and I quote, “You rehash these events and analyze them, but you don’t do anything to solve the problems or feel more in control of your situation.” You see, according to Hoeksema, when one tends to overthink, they are hindered in thinking for solutions to their current problems. They’re too stuck in the past to think about the present. Also, it’s noteworthy to point out that depression has only risen with our youth; so presumably, due to a combination of getting new jobs, school, relationships, hormones, and many other different factors, overthink-
ing could have became a hidden epidemic to the youth of America and no one even knew. Furthermore, overthinking doesn’t just overwhelm its host with depression, but it also acts as a dangerous companion when paired to a similar disease: anxiety. You see, logically,
“Overthinking is a main threat to the youth....”
-Emmett Edge Reporter
when one reflects themselves pessimistically, they’ll become more anxious about their future encounters with people, picking up every single close detail they can. Sooner or later, this daily practice will evolve into a much more serious problem: emotional
Is wrestling underrated? Joseantonio Garcia Reporter
With the aggressive nature that a sport like wrestling has, it is surprising that not that many people know about it. Asking people outside of school and around campus about what they know about the sport mainly gets you answers similar to, “You mean the one with John Cena?” After comparing each sport at school, it always seems to follow a trend, football leads the pack with basketball and soccer riding its coattails. Although wrestling is the closest thing to a legal fight on campus, it is somehow regarded as boring. Sure you can watch a bunch of teenage jocks run an
egg-shaped ball and bash through their opponents turning them into pulp, or you can watch a calculated individual attempt to pin or dominate their competitor in a match that fuses both heart and pure strength to be victorious. Be that as it may, it is understandable for someone that has never seen a match before, to become both intrigued and perplexed by the long-haired referee who seems to be stuck in the ’70s. Wrestling is one of the most humbling activities there is, getting slammed on the mat can really shut people up. Not to mention, the grueling practice that wrestlers submit themselves to in order to achieve any sort of foothold over the person they will face. The variety of winners and losers is unpredictable, whether it be a graceful winner or the resentful loser, it always changes. In all seriousness, wrestling is a sport that really embod-
LOUDSPEAKER STAFF VOLUME 92, ISSUE 5
Photo Editor Kameron Hailey Sports Editor Adai Vidal
Adviser Mrs. Combs Editors-in-Chief Amber Eusebio Rachel Garcia Features Editors Windsor McInerny Chloe Knopf
Reporters Alex Aguilar Angel Arias Samantha Brandts Mollie Dolastek Emmett Edge Catherine Fuentes Joseantonio Garcia Isabel Fernandez Michael Ndubisi Cynthia Rodriguez Alessandra Trejo
ies the term, “Humble in victory, gracious in defeat”. The amount of detail put in by both wrestlers really gives an insight into the dedication and hard work that led up to the match. I’d personally encourage any student to go and watch a wrestling meet at school. The best part of any meet is the atmosphere; each team egging on their wrestler can be a sight to behold. The energy before a match can only be described as electric, the first match can set the tone for the rest of the night. In addition to the great atmosphere, you get to see the future of Wilson’s wrestling team flourish. The stories behind many of the wrestlers are inspiring, and the potential for greatness is endless. This is a sport I originally thought less of, however, after two years of getting thrown around I have grown to love it. 4400 East Tenth Street, Long Beach, CA 90804 ABOUT US - Published eight times a year, the student newspaper of Wilson High School is a public forum, with its student editorial board making all decisions concerning its contents. EDITORIALS - Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board. Editorials are not necessarily those of the staff, nor should any opinion expressed in public forum be constructed as the opinion or policy of the administration, unless so attributed.
stress. Combined with terrible thoughts of the past, anxiety’s voice just becomes much louder to the human brain when it’s in social activities. Because of this, scientists have also concluded that these swelling troubles have the ability to cause unhealthy coping strategies, such as eating, smoking, and/or drinking. Yes, I will admit that some of the crap that you see online can and will cause smoking since the internet is filled with eyesores. But nevertheless, that’s very rare, which furthers my belief that improper overthinking will always be more of a danger to the youth than social media or the phone. When it comes to the problems of the youth, many members of our society will still point the finger at the standard iPhone and say social media is the true evil to young people. Even with that though, we still have to think: what causes human suffering on social media? Is it just the phone itself? Is it our pictures that show our daily lives? No, it’s just the way we mentally react to one another. Without our mental problems (urges to bully one another, depression, anxiety,
etc.) coexisting with the urge to communicate with others via online, social media would’ve been even more useful and probably wouldn’t be as resented as much as it is today. To summarize, human flaws are the real problems with social media, which just speaks that mental problems, including overthinking, act as more serious threats to the society’s youth than any regular old iPhone/Android could ever pose. It should be a well-known fact that overthinking is a main threat to the youth of the world, as people who are premature tend to analyze more of their past mistakes than adults would usually do. However, if there’s anything positive to take from the subject of overthinking, it is that those who usually do it are highly intelligent, both emotionally and academically. Please, if you’re a person who’s known for complicating their thoughts due to a past or future event, do not dwell on them often. Think about these situations logically and, if anything, learn from them. Become smarter. Do not let one past event, or maybe multiple, define who you are.
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Wilson High School Loudspeaker
Feature
Page 3
Students play their part in fighting apathy Mollie DOSTALEK Reporter
Starting this year, JSA, or the Junior State of America, led a fight against apathy here on the Wilson campus. In doing so, their goal is to engage students in political discussions and raise awareness for political issues. This is all in attempt to prepare high school students for a lifetime of political involvement, according to the JSA official website. JSA isn’t an official club here at Wilson yet, but that didn’t stop students from expressing their political beliefs recently. Wilson students played their part in the fight against apathy on Friday, March 29, at lunch in the quad. All students were encouraged to come out and share their beliefs. Students had the opportunity to fill out voter registration forms for the coming 2020 presidential election, and each participant was also handed two stickers that read “I believe in” and a space to fill in the issue they currently find most critical. One sticker was to wear, and the other to stick on a poster that currently sits in the Activities
office. Among the extensive lists of issues, “women’s rights,” “gun control,” and “equality,” seemed to be some of the most popular topics, repeatedly covering the space. Perspectives varied and topics including “men’s rights,” “our president,” and “the flag,” were also listed. “I believe in equality,” said junior Kaylen Harley, who participated in the rally Friday and repped her own “I believe” sticker. “I believe in equality because I’m two different minorities. Two minorities don’t make a right,” she jokingly continued. “I’m here to get students talking about what they believe in and to get involved politics,” Harley continues on a more serious note. Also in attendance with Harley was Kiki Fields. “I believe in women’s rights,” the senior stated, “it’s important to give women a platform to grow and make changes.” The campaign was orchestrated by Wilson sophomores Michael Ndubisi, London Perelli, and Sara Balasuriya. “It’s a safe space,” replied Balasuriya, when asked
GRACE MCADAM
Two students take the opportunity to leave their mark on the fight apathy poster. about the environment provided on Friday. “They were able to reflect about what they thought,” she continued. “A lot of people showed up and wrote about how they felt.” co-collaborator Perelli reciprocated the enthusiasm. “It’s very important to make people care about issues. It’s how people with a lot of different opinions come together and unify,” Perelli
added. With the great turn out for the campaign event, Ndubisi is optimistic that the only JSA chapter in Long Beach will certainly have a bright future. “I’m sure that the people that are taking this up next year will definitely do another event like this, if not like this, then far better,” Ndubisi praises. They hope to continue handing
out stickers for the rest of April in Activities for any other students who missed it the first time. The exercise is just one of many to come in a very hopeful future for the up and coming club. Although this fight to engage students in politics and end apathy continues, it’s apparent that Bruins are welcoming the challenge with open arms.
Classrooms are adapting to Reconstruction postponed and time line is flipped/blended teaching reset for improvements ALESSANDRA TREJO Reporter
For many teachers an ongoing question is, How do I got my students to engage more? Finally there may be an answer. New teaching methods have been adapted throughout the country as Flipped/Blended techniques of teaching have been changing classrooms. For many students, lecturing is not effective way in their learning, and a way for them to learn is to do something more interactive. Flipped/ Blended classrooms create a solution for these students. Flipped classrooms is an instructional strategy which include teachers creating videos of their lectures so that their students can learn from home and when they get back to school, they are prepared to ask questions from their teacher instead of giving lectures. Blended classrooms incorporates in class lectures and lectures to watch at home to address all learning styles. Incorporating these strategies will include more one on one time with teachers and students, and provide more time in explaining the class material instead of teaching it. However, there are some limitations and pressing ques-
tions. Some students do not have access to technology to watch the provided video lectures and lessons. When asking the AP Seminar teacher, Mr. Henry, how he addresses this problem, he included, “I make myself available during lunch, and after school.” Other questions include from parents asking, How do I know that the teacher’s teaching methods will make my child’s learning
“I make myself available during lunch, and after school.”
-Mr. Henry
experience successful? Mr. Henry included that after teaching this way for many years he found real progress in his students and also found higher level of engagement, whereas lecturing is a passive way of learning. He further explains how he would have his AP Research students explain what they think about his teaching style and how it has impacted them positively, to the parents. Other limitations include the fact that students may learn when receiving lectures, and students can fall behind. This can be
solved by incorporating mini lectures. When addressing how students may fall behind, blended classrooms offer another opportunity to ask for help from teachers as they gain more time when incorporating this teaching strategy. Other solutions can be solved as participating teachers practicing flipped classrooms can make themselves available during any possible hours, especially after school. As many subjects may be hard to completely turn to flipped classrooms, a switch to a blended one will be more beneficial as it will address the needs for all types of students’ learning styles. In subjects such as math and science, these teachers could provide videos that explains the current unit, and provide additional help. Online lessons could be used on Khan Academy, and any additional help can be reached on Google Classrooms. Switching to blended classrooms will save time and money, as teachers can spend more time explaining the lesson and will not need to print out huge amounts of paper as the provided material will be online. At last, classrooms will no longer be boring as it will become more interactive, and will possibly bring up students’ grades.
EMMETT EDGE Reporter
Earlier this year, the school was scheduled to receive a the Measure E supported makeover in June; however, due to various different issues and their unforeseen repercussions, the school district’s construction management team determined it needed to reschedule the plan, postponing the work for one year. Now, Measure E shall be put into action by next summer, so eventually, Wilson will get its turn at reconstruction. When asked for further insight, Mr. Jimenez, the assistant principal involved with the renovation, stated that this wasn’t actually a school decision. The cause for the postponing was actually due to a combination of certain issues such as construction industry problems, costs of specific building materials, shortage of labor, and an increasing list of organized repairs. Jimenez commented that ultimately “The construction management team decided to postpone it for 1 year,” due to the long list of issues. Also, Jimenez added, “It [the renovation] is going to be starting June of 2020,” so students, as of now, shouldn’t expect a dramatic shift in class location. The air conditioning, electrical, and infrastructure improvements
plan would involve the whole school district, as many of the schools are in need of repair due to their ancient age. Some schools in the district are even around 6070 years old at the time, so a fresh, new look to the broken down infrastructure is vital for the school district’s appearance. The schedule for the Wilson renovation plan was originally set for June of this year. Not only was it going to supply air conditioning systems, but it also promised other repairs such as lighting and other an expansion of electrical equipment. This included projectors, screens, vending machines, etc. “I haven’t been able to move my desk because there are no electrical outlets on the South wall of my classroom,” English teacher Ms. Combs said. “I am looking forward to the A/C and being able to reconfigure my room to best suit teaching.” In addition, polishing up the school’s aging decor and fixing up some of the classrooms was a possible future that many of the students of Wilson would’ve greatly appreciated. But now, the residents of Wilson must wait with patience over getting their school its deserved improvement. Although this will disappoint those who were looking forward to the luxury of air conditioning, when the updates finally do occur, it will have been worth the wait.