The Pepperbox
April IN THE BOX
BOX BRIEFS May 2nd: SAT May 6th: FFA Drive Thru BBQ May 15th: Spring Week Kickoff May 22nd: Powder Puff Game May 25th: Memorial Day May 27th: Spring Sports Awards June 1st: Senior Awards Night
June 6th: SAT June 6th: Senior Prom June 6th: ArMack Orchestra Awards June 11th: End of Semester 2, Graduation, Safe and Sober June 13th: ACT June 13th: School Board Meeting
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EDITORIAL STAFF Gillen Martin Editor-In-Chief Zoe Ziegler Editor-In-Chief Sara Davis Managing Editor Terra Clarke News Editor Kaelyn Tuermer-Lee News Editor Hannah Finley Feature Editor Alley Perry Feature Editor Neel Rao Sports Editor Craig Broadman Sports Editor CJ Gray Opinion Editor
Ryan Ghisetti A&E Editor Carson McHaney Art Director Alyssa Day Business Manager Izzy Ensminger Online Editor Alec Perrone Executive Producer Bodie Yonts Assistant Producer Indigo Davis Photo Editor Jesse Bareilles Assistant Photo Editor Caitlyn Patterson Social Media Director
REPORTERS Mozara Abdalla Amanda Andrews Scott Ballinger Taylor Camp Isaiah DuFresne Marlena Tavernier
Darik Gaston Emma Harris Gabe Hunt Isabel Luu Ellen Keil Claire Rockwood
Anna Nelson Solo O’Neill Triston Pigg Josh Winter Peter Shao
The Pepperbox would like to thank Western Web, based in Samoa, for printing at-cost. Western Web supports student journalism throughout Humboldt County and has made publications like the Pepperbox possible for decades. We appreciate their dedication to keeping print media alive. Western Web
Minimum Wage. . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Food Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 AP/CP Switch. . . . . . . . . . . 8 & 9 No Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Deaf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Gluten Free. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Going Vegetarian . . . . . . . . . .12 Alley Eats Salad. . . . . . . . . . . .13 Binge Netflix. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 No Phone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Spring Sports . . . . . . . . . 16 & 17 Bakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 & 19 Juggling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 & 21 News Briefs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 CATE Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Hugs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Slacktivism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Mindset. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Tennis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Swimming. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Existentialism. . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 My Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 ASB Officers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Questions regarding editorial content of the Pepperbox should be directed toward its editors. Opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of Arcata High School.
Adviser Danielle Lehman
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Originally published: April 5th, 1968 This features four of the 1968 tiger track & field stars during a meet in which they took a long-overdue victory from Fortuna. Recently, at the 15th Annual Prefontaine Rotary Track Invitational in Coos Bay, Oregon, nine current AHS track-letes have proven that the tigers still belong on top. Congrats to Brandon Kelsey (3000m, 2nd place), Kellen O’Neill (mile, 1st place), Soloman Reinman (800m, 1st place), Ellie Earle-Rouse (high jump 1st place), Sara Davis (3000m, 2nd place), and Max Wrigley, Benson Floyd, Turner Trapkus, and Soloman Reinman (4x400 2nd place).
BEHIND THE COVER
The cover for this issue features Feature Editor Alley Perry facing her fear of vegetables. The photoshoot consisted of Art Director Carson McHaney arranging Perry amid fresh greens on the floor of room 104. She reports that her hair smelled of chard for quite a while (see pg. 13 to hear all of Alley’s salad eating adventures).
EDITORS’ BOX With Springtime in full swing, changes are everywhere. New beginnings, new perspectives. This issue, Pepperbox staff really took that to heart and stepped outside the box in many articles, revealing perspectives usually unheard from. Ten valient journalists took the plunge: Terra Clarke experienced life on minimum wage for a week (page 6), Kaelyn Tuermer-Lee, an AP student, stepped into the shoes of a CP student (pages 8&9), Alley Perry–our cover girl–faced her fears of foliage (page 13), and Craig Broadman journied through the life of a Netflix binge-watcher. Check out these and many more perspective pieces. Although as the sun comes out, it may feel that school is coming to an end. It’s true, the light at the end of the tunnel is slowly approaching. But we still have another action-packed month and a half, including Spring Week, AP testing, and plenty more Pepperbox! So hold tight through the testing, power through powderpuff, and seniors: we’re almost there. -Editors-in-chief Gillen Martin and Zoe Ziegler and Managing Editor Sara Davis
Quotable. “I actually love Sarah Palin for what she’s done for Tina Fey’s career and the Democratic Party.” -English teacher Shelly Stewart to her 5th period AP three class
“Mass Open Cattle Grave Bulldozed; Location of Carcasses Now Unknown.” -A very concerning April 22nd Lost Coast Outpost headline
“Intelligence is just how willing you are to learn different ideas. And it can be learned, no matter what age you are. Some people might be more resistant to it, but everyone has the ability.” -Senior Hanna Burnett (see pg. 26)
“Hope is what you have when you just confessed you don’t have any control over your future.” -Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson in a Center Arts show at HSU in early April
43 | 22 Days total until summer, days of school until summer
3,000 Dollars raised at the Relay for Life event at Mckinleyville High on Saturday, April 25th
7.15 | 39 Inches of rainfall in 2015 so far, average annual inches of rainfall in Arcata
57 Most miles ran during Relay for Life, congratulations to the Arcata High National Honor Society team
The Pepperbox | Page 6
Perspective
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Living life at the minimum Terra Clarke
I
News Editor
t was a Friday evening when I had to make the choice between my friends and my next meal. Before I share the choice I made, let me explain how I got to this moment. Two weeks prior I had made the decision to write about living on minimum wage salary. I set out to find the harsh reality of the difficulty many people experience. Unfortunately, my busy schedule would not allow me to drop out of school, rent my own apartment, and take a walk in the shoes of a fast food worker, but I did my research to make my experience as realistic as possible. I crunched some numbers and came up with fourteen dollars per day. This is after taxes, rent, utilities, medical expenses, and a cell phone bill. I had just fourteen dollars to pay for food, transportation, and any other expenses I came across. When I told people about my plan the biggest response I got was, “you’re going to be really hungry.” I brushed these statements to the side, convinced that I was indestructible. I started my adventure on a Monday afternoon in Safeway. I spent twenty-five dollars on prepackaged oatmeal, peanut butter, bananas, jelly, and bread. On my way home I stopped and spent twenty dollars on gas, which almost filled the tank of my 2000 Toyota 4runner up half way. At this point I was left with approximately seven dollars per day to spend on food and other expenses. I awoke Tuesday morning braced for the challenges the day would bring. I quickly, and in hindsight much too excitedly, cooked my quaker oatmeal pack-
et, grabbed a banana, and rushed off to school. The day went pretty smoothly...for the first three hours. By 10:15 I was starving, and without the usual morning snack the next couple hours were a blur of embarrassing stomach growls and awkward moments of being caught staring at other people’s food. Eventually I made it to lunch. Blinded by my empty stomach and my undying love for Wildberries potato samosas, I bought two and an apple. It was too late when I realized that I had spent over half of my daily budget on a relatively small lunch. After school I lost my self control again and bought a granola bar, leaving me one dollar and fifty cents to spend on dinner. I spent four dollars on a frozen lasagna and spent my first day over budget. I refused to be discouraged and was determined not to break budget the next day. Despite my determination and
I had the ability to return to a different life, but many people don’t. Children grow up without things that many of us take for granted.
positivity the next day was no better. I spent six dollars on lunch and dinner and five more on a pack of construction paper for a school project. Making it day two of a grumpy and hungry teenager over budget. On Thursday I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and oatmeal. I was exhausted and
Terra Clarke/PEPPERBOX
much more irritable than usual. Thursday was the day that my usually supportive mother became worried. She worried about my lack of nutrients and my rapid energy loss. It was not my mother’s worries that made me realize the effect my experiment was having on me, it was Friday afternoon when I had a feeling I had never known before. For the first time in my life I desperately craved vegetables. Vegetables that were normally such a large part of my life had completely disappeared. The produce section of the grocery store made me salivate and I could spot a lettuce leaf on a sandwich across the parking lot. I spent three dollars and fifty cents on a bag of baby carrots and ate the entire bag for lunch. Around six o’clock I got a text from a friend, an invite to a movie I had been wanting to see. Money had become a constant in my thoughts. Normally I wouldn’t hesitate to respond with a joyful “yes!!!!!”, but money had become a threatening obstacle in every situation. I had ten dollars and fifty cents left with three days to go. If I went to the movie it would cost
me seven dollars for a ticket, plus I didn’t know how many more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I could eat. I faced a decision that no teenager should ever have to face. This was the first time in my life money had affected my social life and it left me with a feeling of vulnerability that I was not accustomed to. Luckily for me I was able to choose my friends and not face the consequences. I knew that I didn’t really have to live off seven dollars per day. I went to the movie and found myself feeling guilty afterwards. I spent seven dollars plus gas money to waste two hours of my life staring at a screen. I had the ability to return to a different life, but many people don’t. Children grow up without things that many of us take for granted. I have parents who have the means to support all my endeavors, keep me healthy, and allow me to live a normal life. Not all parents are able to give their children these seemingly simple things. My experience proved to myself that minimum wage is not a living wage, and anyone who thinks otherwise should try living life to the minimum.
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Perspective
The Pepperbox | Page 7
Arcata food bank: myths vs. reality Caitlyn Patterson Social Media Director
V
isualize this: you’re home right now. It’s been a long, exhausting day of work, and you’re so glad that you can finally relax. You go into your kitchen to get something to eat. You realize there is nothing there. Your fridge is nearly empty, containing nothing but an expired carton of milk, some butter, and a couple of eggs. Your children finished off the last bit of Cheerios earlier this morning, leaving you with little opportunity to eat. You don’t care too much. This is a normal thing for your family of six. The only thing you’re worried about is how you’re going to feed your four children for the rest of the week. Luckily tomorrow is Saturday. And every Saturday you receive food from your local food bank. One out of six people in California struggle with hunger. Every month, 12,000 people and families get services from the Food for People organization in Humboldt County. That’s about 10% of the county’s population that relies on local food banks, food drives, and other various Food for People programs for their needs. Each Saturday at the Campbell Creek Church in Arcata, I get the opportunity to volunteer. Bringing smiles and filling the stomachs of those who need a little bit of support when it comes to food. It’s astonishing how much of an impact you can make in someone’s life just by sorting produce, helping people to shop around, or even just starting a conversation. Food banks are saviors to the communities that they serve. It’s a known fact. I have seen it with my own eyes. But it seems that not many people know exactly what
goes on inside of them. It has occurred to me that people tend to misinterpret what actually takes place at these locations. Therefore, I have decided to compile a list of the top five myths about food banks and compare them to my personal experiences as a volunteer. 1. Myth: All of the clients are homeless. Reality: Only a portion of our clients at the Arcata food bank are homeless. There is a large amount of college students, seniors, families, couples, travelers, etc. who are also regular clients. 2. Myth: You have to be unemployed to be eligible for food bank services. Reality: This certainly isn’t the case. The maximum monthly household income that is eligible for food bank services for one person is $1,458.75. For two people, $1,966.25, etc. The maximum monthly income goes up $507.50 for each household size. It does not matter whether you are employed or not. As long as your income is eligible, you are welcome at the food bank. 3. Myth: You can only attend the food bank once a month. Reality: Actually, you can attend the food bank every Saturday from 10-12. Once a month you can go on a full shopping trip with the assistance of a volunteer. Once a month you can pick up an emergency bag which consists of various canned goods. Every week you are able to pick out certain amounts of produce and bread. Also, every week we give out sack lunches and coffee for everyone. Sometimes we have various clothing items to give out to those in need, as well. 4. Myth: The food bank only provides canned goods and commodities. Reality: Definitely not true. Sure, canned goods and commodities take up a large portion of our pantry, but there are many
other items to choose from. There are refrigerated meals, snacks, a plethora of dairy products, soups, macaroni and cheese, etc. We also receive fresh produce donated from various local farms and stores. There are always plenty of options to fulfil any of our client’s needs, no matter what their eating habits may be like. 5. Myth: Going to the food bank creates dependence among the people, causing them to feel that they no longer need to support themselves because the food bank does that for them. Reality: The food bank provides assistance and stability for those who need it. Most of our clients are employed and just cannot afford to pay their bills and keep their kitchens stocked at the same time. This myth is not exactly false. There are people that depend on the food bank to get by every week. But for logical reasons, like
having a disability, having to spend money to attend school, having a family but not enough money to feed them, etc. And even if there isn’t a logical reason in some situations, no one on this earth deserves to feel constant hunger. Not only do food banks benefit their clients, but also their volunteers. Working at the food bank has given me tons of experience: working with food, and working with different people. It has also enlightened me in many ways. For instance, I no longer take things for granted. And if I do, I remember all of the privileges I have been given and how incredibly fortunate I am to have a roof over my head and food in my kitchen. On Saturdays I tend to wake up with a smile on my face, because I know that I get to brighten the days of those whose lives need a little brightening. On Saturdays I feel pure bliss, because my life has been brightened as well.
Courtesy of Food for People, Inc.
Every week fresh produce from local organic farms is distrubted to the food bank in Eureka and Arcata.
The Pepperbox | Page 8
Perspective
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
An inconvenient misconception Kaelyn Tuermer-Lee News Editor
“O
h, you’re not in the smart class?” Almost every day, I hear myself surrounded by those who think that the CP classes are the “dumb” classes–as if they weren’t set at high enough standards. This common belief leads to misconceptions that AP classes triumph over the CP classes because they are for the smart kids. In reality, the whole “smart classes, dumb classes” is disheartening. To uncover the truth about the class differences, I chose to partake in an AP/CP switch. This required me to shadow a student of all CP classes and complete a copy of the homework for the night. Vice versa, a CP student shadowed me for a day through my AP classes and activities. In doing so, I hoped to encompass a variety of perspectives on what truly defines students.. Ultimately, this would provide an interesting spin on the flip-flopping of schedules to uncover the high school experiences of different students at Arcata High. Kaelyn: I wake up at 5:30 a.m. to get ready for orchestra, only to realize that I’m not in that class for t h e
day. I roll back into bed and sleep the extra hour, which is nice. I start the day with geology. I mean, rocks are pretty cool, right? I sit in the back of the classroom, hoping no one would notice my random appearance. Thankfully, they were all much too busy sending last minute text messages before the bell. I listen through the lecture as my mind begins to wander. I wonder when it will be time for break…My mind snapped back to reality as the student teacher handed out the lab assignment. Knowing nothing about geology, I was nervous about not knowing how to do any of it. “Put the X’s and O’s on the grid of the ocean floor,” read the directions. I sit there puzzled. So we’re playing tictac-toe? Sweet, I’m pretty good at this game! Unfortunately for me, it was a bit more complex than that. My day continues long and sluggish as I observe the culinary class dicing vegetables in preparation for their “Quinoa Pilaf” dish tomorrow. The video on quinoa that the class watched was surprisingly interesting, and I was fasci-
nated as to the original root of the quinoa seed. As the bell rings for break, a bit of my stress has been relieved. I finally have ten minutes where I can relax. Too bad break isn’t longer...As I transition to chemistry, I recognize the same PTD’s and review pages I completed last year and think back to how much I enjoyed that class. I wish I could take chemistry again.
There are no “smart classes” and “dumb classes”; they are just classes. Only one more class until lunch. I hope I can survive. I sit in an empty seat at the end of the row and feel out of place. Thankfully, the class is also studying John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, so I actually know what’s going on! I am immediately handed a quiz, so I try it. “Question 1: Who is the author of the book?” I look
around the room curiously–these students work diligently and are exceptionally bright–I know they can answer harder questions. After taking the quiz, groups of three or four meet to discuss a mini synapsis of Steinbeck’s “Harvest Gypsies.” Thank you for having us read it, Ms. Stewart! I jump into the conversation with Turner Trapkus and Ellie Earle-Rouse and help to formulate ideas. The class ends and the students swarm out of the classroom like a herd of gazelles, eager to go to lunch. I, on the other hand, take my time. At the end of lunch, I give out a sigh and head over to Room 108, praying that I do not walk into the wrong classroom. That would be embarrassing. I walk inside, relieved I was in the right spot, and explained my random appearance. The teacher seems confused, but agrees to let me observe. I sit in the back of the room and take out a blank sheet of paper. Already, I begin to feel a bit better, as I consider math to be my forte. Concluding fifth period, I walk outside into the sunshine and head to U.S. History. Only one more class. I sit through lectures and movies that are interesting, but my mind seems to wander. I glance at the clock every couple minutes. When the bell finally does ring, I am more than grateful.
Thursday, April 30th, 2015 Throughout the day, I attended the classes I would never imagine myself taking. Not that the classes are bad, but it was just not the right working environment for me. Rex: Approximately two weeks later, I had junior Rex Bachemin attend my AP classes. When I shadowed through the CP classes, my mind often wandered, and I felt exhausted. I wondered how people could keep up this schedule for the entire year. His day started at 5:30 a.m., when he looked at the alarm clock and crawled out of bed. He must have been super thrilled. I meet him at orchestra, and am surprised by his punctuality. In all honesty, many students stroll in late, hoping to not suffer the wrath of Carol. Rex, however, walks in with a smile and introduces himself to Carol. He observes an hour of sightreading new pieces, which I could imagine would not be very exciting. As we head to AP U.S. History, I explain the Cold War projects we are working on in class. We sit down and listen to the bulletin and then begin working. He offers to get chromebooks for my group, and immediately begins researching our topics. I sit there silently, shocked. I expected frustration or restlessness, as I had previously endured. The bell rings, and I can see Rex finishing his page in the textbook as the class packs up their bags. As Rex is in journalism with me, this class seemed normal. People ask how his day is going so far, and he answers always with a positive outlook. After journalism, we transition to AP Statistics, where a formula table becomes your best friend. I glance at the classwork and realize that this must not make any sense for someone attempting to solve it for the first time. I briefly try to explain to Rex what we’re doing, and he nods attentively. I’m even more amazed when he continues to do that night’s homework in AP German, which
Perspective was a work day in the library. I’m sure he finished the assignment faster than a majority of our class. AP English and AP Physics were the last two classes, and I see that Rex is still full of energy at the point where I was exhausted throughout the CP classes. We work on a group presentation for for AP English, and continued to work on our lab in AP Physics, so there wasn’t much for Rex to do. Even so, he attempted to complete all of the work. I was incredibly amazed how on task and focused Rex was throughout the day of AP courses. And when I asked him about how the day was going for him, he always responded positively: Kaelyn: Did you notice any differences between CP and AP classes? Rex: CP classes are more free-flowing with many side conversations every now and then, while in AP there was a quieter, more focused mindset among the students as they worked as individuals or in pairs. Kaelyn: Was it hard to focus during class? Rex: No, because the atmosphere was rather quiet, and everyone was expected to do their assignment. Kaelyn: Would taking these classes for a day encourage/discourage you from taking AP courses next year? Rex: I would most likely want to take one to three courses, maybe two next year, because in the end, your GPA will increase and colleges will have a better impression of you. Also, it teaches self-discipline mentally. Kaelyn: What would you say was the hardest part of taking the AP classes for a day? Rex: Probably the repetition. I set my alarm for 5:45 am and felt awake throughout the rest of the day, but doing that five days per week must
really be stressful. Another difficult aspect must be how you use your time and effort outside of school to keep up with the AP classes. So after concluding my experiment, I was left with a newfound respect for those students taking CP classes. In a new setting and atmosphere, I’ve come to realize the hidden talents amongst a variety of students. Granted, a plethora of AP classes can be strenuous at times, but it’s all about how well you manage your time. In the end, CP and AP courses didn’t come down to technical ability or “how smart students are,” but to how motivated each individual is and how much faith they put in themselves; each and every student has the capability. I am extremely disappointed that some AP students view CP students as lesser than themselves, because in reality, they are more similar than different. There are no “smart classes” and “dumb classes”; they are just classes. I’ve heard many stu-
The Pepperbox | Page 9 dents in CP classes say they were amazed at how AP students manage their classwork, but honestly, we’re just as much in awe of them.
CP Schedule: Geology Culinary 1 Chemistry English 3 CP Algebra 2 United States History AP Schedule: Honors Orchestra AP United States History Journalism AP Statistics AP German AP English AP Physics
The Pepperbox | Page 10
Perspective
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
One week, no beats Bodie Yonts
Assistant Producer
O
ne Google search. That’s how readily available the research on the positive effects of music on the human brain is. One website, and I had a surplus of background on the science that was behind my week without music. It’s benefits make it sound like the next cure-all drug from a leading pharmaceutical company. From physical pain relief, to lowering blood pressure, benefiting the heart, to improving memory, increasing IQ, combating depression, improving physical performance, boosting productivity, and fighting stress and anxiety, music works its magic in every aspect of our lives (for those of us who avidly consume it). But despite the science, I think we are well aware of most of these benefits, if not consciously, subconsciously. Otherwise, why would any of us listen to music in the first place? So the challenge? One week without entering my own personal world of music. Dubbed the “Future of music,” SoundCloud has paved the way for thousands to outlet their visionary everyday soundtracks of the imagination to the world, and for the most part (as this is where I listen to the majority of my music) I attempted to completely eliminate music from my life for a week. An entire week cut off from this constantly evolving network of artists is something that I don’t at all like the idea of. The first thing I do in the morning is check SoundCloud to see what’s been uploaded over night. As I ride my skateboard to school I bombard my eardrums with beats that are
less than five hours old. If I check my stream and find that ODESZA, OZZIE, or another of my most respected and loved artists has new material up, I’m overjoyed. The week started out rather dull. The feeling of not having my earbuds dangling from the neck of my shirt gave me a sense of nakedness. I sulked between my classes, life feeling desaturated without the introspective narration of my favorite tracks. The days soon began to blend together. After school, I would skate home, with only the sound of my hard wheels rolling along the pavement. I’d walk in the door, and avoid the on switches to my KRK Rokit 6 loudspeakers. As the week progressed I slowly
became used to the monotonous reality I had constructed for myself. I began forgetting that music was a part of my everyday routine, and as this went on I lost the sense that my life was a story, and that it was more of a report.
I sulked between my classes, life feeling desaturated without the introspective narration of my favorite tracks. Friday morning I woke up and remembered that my music fast
View Bodie’s favorite tracks on his SoundCloud.
was going to come to a close that night. I silently, but happily rolled to school, attended class, and made some plans maximize the effect of hearing music again that night. After school, Savannah, (my girlfriend) and a few friends of ours chilled for a while, made some smoothies, had some pizzas delivered, and around 10:00 decided to break the week of no music by going for a drive. As we merged onto the freeway, Owen threw on some new music that I had never heard before. It was hard hitting, serene, and textural all together. I sat back and let the sound flow over my eardrums. At this moment I decided to never again withhold myself from music. It is a warm bath for the soul, and a refreshing shower for the mind. It revives, heals, inspires, taps the infinite vibratory universe that we are. By some means or another, we humans have discovered it, experimented with it, and made it an ever so bizarre but instrumental aspect of life. It transcends time, culture, religion, and the millions of differences, real or imagined that mankind has constructed for itself. And music itself, is ours, envisioned in the minds of earthlings, and blasted right back into our eardrums.
Hear Some Great M u s i c : h t t p s : // soundcloud.com/ bodieyonts/likes Hear Some Beats I’ve made: https:// soundcloud. c o m / b o d i eyo n t s
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
The Pepperbox | Page 11
Perspective
Losing a sense of myself Ryan Ghisetti A&E Editor
O
n a dark Thursday morning I woke up not to the typical sound of my iPhone chirping but to the vibrations of an alarm clock. As I walked to the shower the occasional creek of the hardwood floor was gone, the roar of my car engine, and class side conversations, all sounds gone. The typical noises of the morning were no longer existent. A monumental disconnect with the world surrounding me. For the next 24 hours I was living as 2.1% of the United States population lives: deaf.
Until something like sight, speech, or hearing is taken away, we never truly know what a gift we are naturally given. Experiencing going deaf was so important and a large interest of mine because 6 hours of of my day with orchestra, theatre, and dance classes all rely almost solely on the auditory sense. Also, because deafness affects such a small portion of our population, often this disability goes overlooked. With this article I really wanted to not only experience, but raise awareness for the deaf community. The daily accom-
modations that they have to make are challenges within themselves– that’s not even taking into consideration the obstacles they face in society. As humans, we take for granted so much in our daily life; I too fall a victim of this. Until something like sight, speech, or hearing is taken away, we never truly know what a gift we are naturally given. Wednesday night the preparations began by putting in my earplugs and wrapping my head with a band to act as a buffer to sound. Wearing both caused virtually all sound to be blocked out. From the first second it was already a shock, and this was the first inkling that the next 24 hours were not going to be in the slightest since simple. As I went to bed that night I found it hard to sleep, I persistently tossed and turned and the eerie feeling of silence at night made me feel as if someone was behind me. When I typically go to bed I watch TV and fall asleep to the sound of my laptop, but now with the sound gone, it was a true challenge left to my own thoughts. I felt as if my world was closing in on me. With only 23 hours and thirty minutes left, I had begun to count down the seconds till this was over. When I first thought about venturing into this project, I knew that living with a disability of this kind would be hard but the magnitude of struggle was incomparable. The loss of my hearing was a large shock to me. I found myself almost instantly going into a secluded state. In public places, I often kept my head down in fear that someone would speak to me. Throughout the day I found myself taking weird paths to class to avoid the
masses of students. When someone would spot and speak to me I found I had to guess what they were saying. I often would repeat back to them what I thought they said but I would know rather quickly that I was wrong. The people I spoke with would get frustrated with me and say, “nevermind.” That’s a word I could read on their lips. I felt terrible when people would get annoyed that speaking to me took a considerable about of time to understand but it gave me an insight on what if would be like if I were actually deaf. This frustration was a common theme for the day. Communication wasn't just a struggle for me but also those who are deaf. Lip reading can be very inefficient to the tune of only understanding 30% of
words. To put that in perspective of every three words said you would only understand one of those. The efficiency is still low for people they talk to and are very familiar with understanding only 60%. As my day of being deaf came to an end, I really pieced together how much we take things in life for granted. Though I only took on this disability for 24 hours, I began to miss the simple things like a dog bark. By no means am I saying that my experiment was scientific or accurate to what a typical day of a deaf person would resemble, but I did gain empathy for their situation. I’m taking away from this project a greater knowledge of the deaf community.
Carson McHaney/PEPPERBOX
I put up the symbol that means ‘love’ in sign language.
The Pepperbox | Page 12
Perspective
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
A meating with some vegetables. Solo O’Neill Reporter
I
t was my duty over break to write an experiential piece, so I decided to become a vegetarian for a week. According to Women’s Health magazine: vegitarianism is good for heart health, lowers your risk of cancer, lowers your carbon footprint, helps you stay physically fit, protects animals and is easier than ever. With all these positive benefits, why would one not be a vegetarian?
On my first day of being a vegetarian, I almost made it until lunchtime when I went to Costco and fell vitim of the free samples. By some miracle, I managed to make it through the next two days without ingesting any meat. On Tuesday night however, I went to a steakhouse for dinner and couldn’t resist the urge and yet again fell victim to the allure of ground beef. For the next three days of spring break being on the road caused me to give up on the vegetarian diet and it felt great. The weekend before school started back up, I made a vow that I would not succumb to the temp-
tation of meat all weekend. When I woke up that Saturday morning, I was left home alone with a full fridge of food. Besides cereal, which I had that morning, all of the leftovers had some type of meat in them. For lunch I had some carrots and salad, and although tasty, they were completely unfulfilling. My stomach was growling and I was sitting on my hands, so I wouldn’t go for the leftover pesto pasta and sausage. For dinner instead of going for a healthier yet completely disgusting option (tofu) I settled for another bowl of cereal. The next morning I was still hungry from the lack of nutrients
from the previous day, but settled for some granola bars. At lunch my stomach was growling and despite having all the fixings to make a turkey sandwich made a PB&J instead. By the evening, I was so hungry I could hardly stand it. That night my mother and I went out to eat at a Thai restaurant, and I made sure to order something with plenty of meat. Even though my journey as a vegetarian was short lived, all I could think of for a majority of the time was how hungry I was. Although I’m not ruling out trying it again, I think I’ll stick to a balanced diet with as little tofu or quinoa as possible.
Gluten free: fad or fact? Alyssa Day
Business Manager
W
hen I first told my mom about what I would have to do for this article, she laughed and said, “good luck.” Thankfully, she did give me some money to go grocery shopping. When I chose to go gluten free for this article and conform to this popular fad diet, I realized that I didn’t actually know what gluten was. It turns out, gluten is the general name for the proteins found in wheat. It is known to negatively affect people with illnesses such as Celiac disease, which is by definition, “a disease in which the small intestine is hypersensitive to gluten, leading to difficulty in digesting food.” However, eating gluten-free is said to have positive health benefits to people who don’t have allergies such as increased energy and feeling better over all. However, Junior, Faith Long dis-
agrees with the so called positive effects. She has had celiac disease for most of her life and is strongly opinionated about this fad. “Honestly I don’t think there’s any benefits unless you’re actually allergic to gluten. Gluten free foods are way more expensive and come with less food, plus the amount of calories and sugar and sodium is much higher. So if you go gluten free, don’t plan on losing weight unless you’re replacing wheat sandwiches with salads, not with gluten free bread. The only benefits for me was gaining weight and not being sick all the time. But again that’s because I’m actually allergic–not doing it for fun.” So is the diet actually worth it? Long definitely doesn’t think so. “Everywhere I go I have to pack food which is definitely a hassle. But that’s also because I’m very picky.” For my first step in the journey, I asked some girls on the cheer team who are gluten free if they had any advice, and the most helpful thing that was brought up was, “try to stick to just vegeta-
bles, meat, and fruit at home, and eat special gluten free products you may purchase while you’re not at home.” I stuck to this and it helped a lot. The next day, I went to Safeway and walked through all the aisles looking for gluten free foods. It wasn’t until a half an hour of aimless walking down the aisles, looking for food unsuccessfully that I realised there’s bright orange tags that state “GLUTEN FREE” in large white lettering hanging off of the shelves, indicating my options. After another ten minutes, I had a basket full of food for the week. Even though I found some food, I was surprised at the lack of selection, but I decided I’d have better luck in Arcata. During lunch time, I went to Wildberries, and found there was a large selection. But it was extremely expensive; I found a single granola bar that was $5! Long was definitely right about everything being more expensive. I have to admit I caved in and bought a chocolate and nut bar that was $2.50, but it was worth it. I decided
to stick with Safeway. From both stores, I ended up with salads, gluten free granola, which happeed to be the best I’ve ever had, bananas, fruit snacks, and tortilla chips. Usually I don’t put much thought into what I would eat on a normal day. My diet during school hours would normally consist of trail mix, a banana, a sandwich, and granola bars, so my eating habits didn’t change too drastically. I thought that eating out would be a challenge, but it proved to be easy in Arcata. Most restaurants here offer gluten free options. I ate at Plaza Grill, Sushi Spot, and Renata’s Creperie, and their gluten-free options tasted identical to the foods containing gluten. After seven days, I can honestly say I didn’t feel too different. Even though my original diet didn’t consist of too much gluten, cutting it out completely didn’t have much of a difference. So no, I can’t say I’ll conform and cut all gluten out of my diet, but I am more aware of how it affects people differently.
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Perspective
The Pepperbox | Page 13
Alley eats salad: no big dill Alley Perry Feature Editor
I
have pretty much accepted the fact that I probably won’t live past 30. If it’s not my reluctance to receive life saving vaccines and other medicines via needle, it will probably be my extreme aversion to eating anything remotely nutritious that will kill me in the end. Salad and I have a pretty rocky relationship. Salad is like that one person who all your friends seems to like, and yet you can’t seem to find a single redeeming quality. I am an extremely fearful person, to the point where I’m obnoxious to be around. The most I’ve seen of a horror movie is what I manage to glimpse through my fingers, and you probably shouldn’t lend me your hand during a plane takeoff if you value your circulation. Eating salad isn’t so much a fear of mine, as a step towards being a functioning member of society, something I found to be shockingly difficult. I approach the situation as any “normal” salad eater would, accompanied by two salad eating friends, I prepare myself to consume an entire salad for the first time in my life. The salad, constructed by vegetable professionals, consists of: Spring Mix Lettuce, Edamame, Garbanzo Beans, Kidney Beans, Mushrooms, Corn, Dill, Red Bell Peppers, Sweet Pea Greens, Celery, Bok Choy, Abruzzi Dressing, and a single Crouton.
I take a single confident bite, ready to become a healthy/ normal human, and immediately retreat back into my salad hating ways. I stare down at the glorified pile of leaves and feel unyielding contempt. What person decided this was a meal? Is living past 30 really worth this torture? After much persuasion, my friends convince me to try each component of the salad individually. I am reminded of a past encounter with a vegetable, where a dear misguided friend attempted to make me consume a piece of cauliflower in a public setting. It did not end well. My Friend hands me a mystery green. “What’s this?” I ask. “This is Lettuce,” she responds. I wonder silently how I’ve managed to survive 16 years on Earth thus far. With each vegetable I delve further and further into my aversion to eating healthy. I discover that Bok Choy is
just fancy lettuce, Kidney Beans taste like wet sand, and Bell Peppers are actually ok. “Do you actually enjoy eating salad?” I ask with genuine concern. “Yes!” They respond, almost too enthusiastically. “Why?” “Because it tastes good.” “How does it feel to perpetuate a government conspiracy?” Suspiciously, they ignore me. In defense of the vile vegetables, I am exceptionally picky when it comes to any food. My idea of a balanced meal is several variations of bread, and perhaps a fruit leather. My particular appetite means I often eat cereal in lieu of dinner, and limits me to eating mostly different types of rice when I go out to eat. It’d be nice to expand my tastes, so that I can stop ordering off the kid’s menu. It’s possible that my first attempt at eating salad was too ambitious. Though typically a foolproof philosophy, “Go Big
or Go Home” might not apply to this situation. It might be a better idea to try something more suited to my palate. I.e. Something more bland. Another theory that I have that is starting to seem more and more likely, is that everyone else is crazy and I am the normal one. Is everyone just pretending to like salad? Is this some kind of government conspiracy?? I’m onto you salad. My hope is that this unfortunate experiment will lead to further risks in my life. Good risks. I don’t mean like joining an underground gambling ring or anything. Maybe after this minor test of my nerve, I’ll take on something bigger. In the future I might be able to go on a more impressive roller coaster, get a shot without passing out, or stand atop a high place without wanting to cry. I don’t want my fears to limit my experiences in life, and this experiment a step forward. A baby step, but a step nonetheless.
Photos Courtesy of Maddy Hapgood
The Pepperbox | Page 14
Perspective
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Binging for my viewing pleasure Craig Broadman Reporter
I
t's the middle of the day. Various snacks that I've gathered have been placed strategically near my bed. Two little slivers of sunlight penetrating my closed curtains converge on the top corner of my TV, briefly making me consider going outside and doing something "more productive".
I can feel my metabolism slowing and my muscles atrophying from my movement deficit, it’s the painful price of a TV binge.
I won't though. As the infamous red home screen of Netflix loads, so does my anticipation. Staring at the screen I begin to recall Season 2, and my soon-to-be endeavor into Season 3. I also consider the many articles I’ve read, including the study from the University of Texas that found that lonelier and depressed people are more likely to bingewatch television, and that they possess a considerable lack of ability to self-regulate. I briefly scan my surroundings, reassuring myself that just because I'm alone in my bed surrounded by enough snacks to supply a nine-year-old's birthday party, preparing to watch a full season of my favorite show
wrapped up in blankets, in-doors, in a dark room, on a warm, cloudless Sunday, does not mean I am one of those people in that study. I longingly stare at the small rays of solar energy staining the darkness of my room, but I am pulled away from my brief bout of guilt by a sideways triangle superimposed over “Hell on Wheels”.” I click “Play.” The first three episodes of my binge, Episodes 11, 12, and 13, go as expected. The main character is still a badass, I still hate the psychotic character that insists on smothering any and all happiness within my show, and I still haven’t really figured out the purpose of the blonde woman who seems to be in almost every scene. Upon finishing three episodes, I realize this point in my binge is notable because I have now, by Wikipedia’s reliable definition, accomplished bingewatching. I am also at an optional point of no-return, which means I could stop, but my better judgement (or “lack of ability to self-regulate”), tells me a more reasonable amount of episodes to watch would be the whole season, so I press on. I also press “Play.” The next three episodes have me captivated. Immediately into Episode 14, one of the more favorable characters reveals she is pregnant. Aside from my utter shock, I am genuinely concerned for her as it is a poor time period to have a child. Furthermore, on top of the pregnancy, the next two episodes completely set me on edge. The crazy guy has teamed up with an even more psycho Reverend character and they are basically trying to take over the show, killing several unimportant characters along the way. What is going on? My elicited emotions from this show make me want to pick up the phone and call the screen writers and ask, “WTF, you can’t do this to me!” Now I must
finish this season, there is no other option. I have invested too much time (the slivers of light in my room having completely migrated across my wall and vanished) and emotion into this TV series (curse you screenwriters for being such geniuses). Not to mention my health. My snacks are almost gone and I am three shades whiter from lack of sunlight. I can feel my metabolism slowing and my muscles atrophying from my movement deficit, its the painful price of a TV binge, but I must finish this season, I cannot not know what happens. I resume my viewing. The final Episode of Season 2 is upon me. I’ve done it! I’ve completed a season. Nearly 7 hours in front of the TV and I don’t feel nearly as bad about it as I had initially anticipated. I haven’t resided anywhere but in bed, I haven’t actually moved with any significant velocity for any notable distance(kitchen to bedroom), I haven’t really seen the sun, and I haven’t done any chores. I have, however, finished Season 2, I have remained comfortable all day, I have been happy, and that nine-year-old is going to have a pretty hungry birthday party because I have eaten all the snacks. Successful Sunday accomplished? I think, yes. Sure, initially I felt compelled to go outside, workout, split wood, observe my usual routines and habits, but I was drawn in, completely lost and absorbed by the final episodes of Season 2. The main character's emotional fight with executing his friend and his brief one-nightstand with the useless blonde woman. The fate of the pregnant, strong, independent, Indian slave turned prostitute turned domesticated housewife turned mistress turned doctor and her frequently absent man. I, my productive ambitions, and a large portion of my health, was carried away with it all.
I want to watch the next season. Isn't that the point though? Shouldn't everyone lose themselves in their favorite shows? Shouldn't everyone have the ability to watch their show seemingly endlessly? Everyone should be able to experience the beauty of on-demand streaming and binge-watching. The accomplishment and enjoyment is worth the risk of feeling like you've wasted a whole day and some of your health. A Harvard study found that binge-watching can slow metabolism which creates weight gain. A similar study for a Huffington Post article found that, though metabolism is slowed, watching TV shows is both cognitively and emotionally taxing. The endorphins released by the pleasure of being engrossed in a show have a drug like effect, often times requiring more and more of the show to acquire the same effect. So, I feel positive about my
My elicited emotions from this show make me want to pick up the phone and call the screen writers and ask, “WTF, you can’t do this too me!” Now I must finish this season, there is no other option.
binge-watching Sunday. My brief battle with outside temptations and the desire to feel productively accomplished was blocked by my curtains. My baseball glove stayed quiet behind the slats of my closet, and Season 2 was incredible. Season 3 is on Netflix.
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Perspective
The Pepperbox | Page 15
Life without social media Wilani Brooks Reporter
I
magine going a year without a phone or maybe just a couple of months. How about a week? What if you deleted social media sites? Or just didn't go on them? Of course us teens, who are so obsessed (or maybe even addicted) to social media, can't see it. We could not see a world without social media. Why? Because that is how we know what is going on in the world and what is happening with our friends and family. I had decided to go one week, because of course, like you, I cannot go a month or even three weeks without my social media fix. One full week. Seven days. Without any social media use. That of course means no Facebook, no Twitter, no Snapchat, no Yik Yak, and no Instagram. I was expecting this experiment to be super easy and maybe even bring me a little less drama in my life. But it brought me more than that. On the first day I decided to not keep my phone on me because it would be too tempting. I left it in the glovebox of my car all day that day. In class I saw students using their phones, absorbed with the technology in their hands. During nutrition break I was tempted to just open my glovebox and surrender to my phone. I didn’t though, thankfully, I had the help of some friends to entertain me in my time of need. I had many people ask me where my phone was. When I told them that I was seeing how I would do without it they just said that I was crazy. The day went by and as I was walking into each class I heard students talk about Yik Yak, Twitter, Facebook, Snap-
chat, and Instagram posts. On the second day it went by just like any other day would. But of course, no phone. Instead of having my phone in the glovebox of my car, I figured to make this experiment a little more challenging by keeping it on me. No one had asked me where my phone was because I had it on me. I surprisingly was getting to school on time, getting my homework done, and building a better relationship with my friends and family. I was doing good until… I got a text from my mom and the instinct of not checking my phone was unbearable. So, like any other teenager, I broke. I opened my phone up to the text from my own very loving mother. I read every word she had sent me. I decided that I could look but I would not go on social media. On the third day, I was doing well without social media. I figured that I didn’t need all these social media apps. I deleted them.
Every single social media app on my phone. Even the ones that I never even used. I was doing really well with this experiment. I didn't feel compelled to know about what was going on with everyone’s lives over social media. I could just ask them in person. The fourth, fifth, and sixth day all went the same. School, work, and home. Just no phone. Which was fine. On my very last day I was happy because I finally got to look at my phone. But this seven day experience has really taught me a lot. We don’t need phones to see how people are doing or how they feel because we can just talk to them in person. Business Insider statistics show that in Fall 2012, 42% of teens were using Facebook, 27% were using Twitter, 12% were using Instagram, and 2% were using some other kind of social media app. Things have changed dramatically since then. Again in Spring of 2013 33%
were on Facebook, 30% on Twitter, 17% on Instagram, and 4% on other social media. But in Fall of 2013 23% were on Facebook, 26% on Twitter, 23% on Instagram, and 17% on other social media. The percentages of just teens alone have increased on certain social media apps and decreased on others. This is the percentage of how much we spend our lives on social media, how we contact, connect, see things. Mostly has to do with social media. Throughout my seven days I saw teens and adults using their phones non-stop. They weren’t even paying attention to what was going on around them, because they were so consumed by the little device in their hands. I have gotten a closer relationship with my friends and my family. I have even deleted some social media apps. It’s been a week since I’ve done this experiment and I rarely go on social media now.
Courtesy of Felicia Holbrooks
In a 2010 study conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that in schools that permitted students to have cell phones, 71 percent of students sent or received text messages on their cell phones in class.
SPRING SPORTS SUCCESSES Indigo Davis
S
Photo Editor
ummer is just around the corner, and the Arcata High campus is filled with anticipation and excitement! While most of us are spending our days dreaming about sleeping in and the river, others are still working hard at the sports they love. Spring sports have been very successful this year, and have certainly made our school proud. We look forward to seeing how these teams will improve over the season and in the years to come. The seniors will be greatly missed!
Tennis has a record of 10-3 so far this season. The number one seat on the ladder is being held by Antoine, a French exchange student, who has brought a new aspect to our tennis team. They’ll continue to fight hard in all their matches.
Track has a younger team this year. The underclassman sprinters are showing their true colors against older rival teams, and giving Arcata a good name. Track has a lack in people doing distance, but those who are maintain strong. Senior, Sara Davis, is one of the leading distance runners, and proved herself in the 3000 last meet.
Softball is having a tough season this year, only having a win over Ferndale. Their new coach and fresh group of girls creates a new group that works hard and is progressively improving throughout the season. Regardless of their record, they have a positive attitude and will continue to work hard until the end of the season.
Golf is currently second in league, battling the championship with the rival McKinleyville Panthers. Juniors Morgan Pennington and Cole Thomas are holding two spots in the Top 10 golfers of Humboldt County. The only senior, Matthew Mayer, will be greatly missed next year.
Varsity Baseball is having a very successful season with a 11-4 record. Wyatt Tucker is a true star on the team, pitching a perfect game against St Bernards. The whole team follows in Tucker’s footsteps and continues to get wins.
Junior varisty baseball had an incredibly tough year, but stayed strong and finished the season. They are looking forward to improving for next year.
Swimming is having a good season with a strong team. All of the freshman have contributed to the team in positive ways, and made the season go smoothly. The swim team has been competing really well, and everyone on the team has won at least one of their events.
Photos courtesy of Paul Swenson
The Pepperbox | Page 18
Perspective
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Making bagels at midnight Zoë Ziegler
Editor-in-Chief
I
sluggishly slid out of the open car door and got my balance on the cold cement. The parking area was fairly dark that night, and the slam of the car door echoed down the empty streets and alleys around me, eventually fading into the spongy black night. My back, however, was lit by a light from the building behind me, which showed a basketball hoop to its right and a long row of sunroom windows to its left. Directly underneath it was a dark red door. From behind the door came the dull murmurs of machinery, and hurried shadows moved behind the white curtained windows. I straggled towards the door to the bakery behind Los Bagels but paused at the handle. At 2:00 in the morning, who knew what kind of people I would meet inside. “Boo!” said the rough but kind voice from behind the door as I stepped in, and its friendly face was not far behind. The woman let out a deep chuckle and extended her hand. Introductions were short and as I got my camera out to document the scene, Marlene fell seamlessly back into her working rhythm. At first, the bakery appeared to be just like I had imagined it: walls of labeled containers filled with in-
gredients, racks full of baked goods, measuring devices, colossal balls of dough, and baking reminders taped to the walls and tables. Soon, however, I began to notice the peculiarities. First, it was the archaic equipment in one far corner, then the small mounds of slug slime accumulated in every right angle, and finally I noticed the bagel oven: the source of all the noise. The prodigious machine filled almost a quarter of the bakery, with a wide open mouth through which you could see shelves rotating through a hot orange glow. Next to the oven was a tub of steaming water where the uncooked bagels soaked before they were laid out on trays to be baked. Two men worked the baking and the soaking, though it seemed as though the process would continue without them; the living breathing machine working continuously through the night. Daniel, the younger of the two men, worked energetically, taking the bagels out of the water and setting them on the trays. He has been working for Los Bagels for about 8 months, though this was his first night shift. He talked quickly as he worked, never staying in one position for very long. “Can’t beat free bagels!” he said. “I love it.” He could, of course, only be referring to his experience as a daytime worker. Next to him, another man
worked quietly, placing the bagels in the giant oven. Frank, though only having 4 months experience at Los Bagels, had worked at Loleta Bakery beforehand, and his experience was evident in his precise and focused movements. “This is my favorite part,” Frank said fondly, taking a break to gesture to the enormous oven behind him. “And training him,” he said, shooting a brief smile in Daniel’s direction. “He likes to boss me around,” Daniel laughed. On the other side of the bakery, two women worked the baked goods. Their movements matched those of Frank, both fairly quiet and concentrated. Margaret, the younger of the two, drizzled frosting over a pretzel-like pastry. I began asking her questions about her job as a baker, which is, like the other bakers, a combination of pastry making and bagel shaping. “I like the pastry part of this job a lot more,” she said. In fact, this interest extends beyond the shop hours, too. She runs a pastry program online and bakes at home often, all in just a few hours each day. “I try to get to bed by 11 [am], wake up at 9 [pm], get some coffee,” she said. “I play a lot of video games, and sometimes I will wander around old town.” She chuckled and set her frosting-covered spatula down. “There is no social life.”
Marlene was working scones into balls on the counter behind Margaret. I watched as her hands grew bright red from the berries in the dough, and seeing this, she jokingly bent her fingers into a claw and made a murderous grin. We both laughed awkwardly and I began asking questions as she went back to work. “What is your favorite part about working here?” “Quitting time,” she snickered. “No, I like working with my hands. I like working back here [in the pastry section]. Working with bagels is the same thing over and over.” And for Marlene, who has worked at Los Bagels as a shaper and a baker for 20 years, ‘over and over’ is no exaggeration. So for the 10-ish years I have been going there, I have been benefiting from her work, and I didn’t even know--I didn’t even think to question where the food came from. With a camera full of pictures and a couple pages of notes, I decided to make my own quitting time. On my way back home through the still-sleeping town, my thoughts were filled with all the work I had taken for granted. I realized how important it is to appreciate the people that go to work as I am just going to sleep. “You give up your life,” Marlene had said. “Or at least a normal life, whatever that means.”
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Perspective
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Perspective
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
A toss-up between lifestyles Alec Perrone
Executive Producer
M
uch of my early education was focused on becoming a juggling master. In middle school, I joined the circus. Throughout 2nd to 6th grade, I trained daily along with regular studies through school. Today, I focus on different trades, but I will always remember my past.
In 2nd grade, I attended Peninsula Union Elementary School in Samoa, California. My teacher would teach us the basics of school: math, English, history, science, and juggling. We’d use this unusual exercise to learn patience and zen, as a sort of kinetic meditation. In the summertime, I would attend Camp Winnarainbow near the tiny town of Laytonville, California. There, the remnants of the original California hippies live to teach children kindness through the art of performance. That incredible place, along with my
practices at home, helped me on my path to become the absolute best that anyone has ever seen. Well, not exactly. Back when I practiced chronically, I didn’t really know what I was getting into. I enjoyed the activity enough, and wondered how far I could take it. After a few years of constant practice, I started going public with my newly acquired skills. People of all kinds would meet at every Farmer’s Market to practice and share their knowledge of performance art forms. Namely, juggling was a big thing.
Soon enough, my teacher took me to my first Humboldt Juggling Festival in 2006. When we got to the West Gym at HSU, we got out our equipment and began practicing with a variety of characters. From punk rockers to business-types, from messy dreadlocks to polished domes, people gathered to share and compete in the ‘sport’ of juggling. Before I knew it, I was getting tips from the greatest professional juggler on the planet. At the time, being a skinny young Russian with shaggy hair, Vova Galchenko
Thursday, April 30th, 2015 was one of the few people to be able to achieve a celebrity status for his juggling abilities worldwide. His sister and partner-infame, Olga, was also at the festival, and I was able to meet her too. Vova and Olga have an interesting past: being from Penza, Russia, they learned juggling skills at a very young age and travelled the world soon after. After practicing their skills as teenagers all over Europe, they eventually made it to the United States and toured from festival to festival, already known as superstars in the worldwide juggling community. As a team, they have claimed several world-records for their abilities with club passing, a form of juggling where two or more people throw and pass juggling clubs between one another in sequence. At the time, I had no idea what to think of this atmosphere. College students, hippies, and famous juggling stars were in abundance at the festival, all with a passion for something that seems so strange. But this experience led me into an unlikely competition. I found myself in the middle of downtown Arcata. I was at the home of many of the college students that, at the time, focused on performance with their studies. However, as I ascended the steps to the front door, I noticed an accumulation of beer cans and bottles under a broken table with a broken ashtray. As we opened the cracked
Perspective door and stepped through the frame, the cool Arcata breeze was met with a rush of musty, smoky air that seemed to consume anyone and anything that entered the household. I laid my things next to the wall in the doorway. I saw a table with an ancient computer under a ledge styled with a plethora of blown glass ornaments. All around, there were clubs, balls, torches, rings, assorted scarves, hacky sacks, unicycles, stilts, matchboxes, suitcases, and all other tools that made up the arrangement of a fully-fledged circus performance. I was being led into this circus home at the age of 12 by a local circus guru and his colleagues. Our goal was to build an act for me to win the Stars of Tomorrow competition. Building the act was surprisingly easy: three balls, and then three rings, then three clubs, then one of each as a finale. Fitting it all into music was tougher. Having heard the Absynth Quintet performed live at Farmer’s Market, I knew it would be a great fit for the style of juggling I chose. After constant practice for only one month, the competition came. I walked into Eureka’s Arkley Center looking like a professional, but feeling like a tightrope. The place was tense when I walked into the dressing room. There I met my competitors, who I could tell all felt the same way that I did. How else would a kid feel? We were all about to go on stage by ourselves in front
of hundreds of people in the biggest venue around. Talk about tense. But when it was my turn to walk on stage, I felt nothing. I don’t remember much of the experience, only that after everyone was finished with their performance, they called my name to award me. I won that year’s competition with my juggling abilities. I was the very best that no one ever was, but my days soon came to an end. My life as a juggling competitor ended when I found music. Music took over my life, and for years, I didn’t return to juggling or the strange (yet intriguing) atmosphere that accompanied the lifestyle. Recently, however, I returned to seek the nostalgia of my early life. The following documents my recent experiences back with the juggling community. Here I am, back at HSU’s Humboldt Juggling Festival yet again. Although it’s been years since I’ve participated in any of this, I’m back again to redeem myself and return to meet my past. I walk into the West Gym, and much to my surprise, the gym is full of enthusiastic people of all kinds and ages juggling. I don’t know where to put myself in this conglomerate of fastmoving bodies. There’s an announcement on the com about a club manipulation workshop happening in corner 2. I gather my things and snap out of my confused phase and head to the corner to learn something new, along
The Pepperbox | Page 21 with a sudden rush of other participants moving enmass towards the workshop site. Cheerful students meet and greet one another with excited faces and laughs as we are all met with our instructor: a young, beautiful German circus student who studied at a technical juggling university in Germany. After the intriguing workshop, I am met with many, many friends. People I haven’t seen in years find me in the masses to see how I am, and I find some friends that I never knew would show up to a place like this. We talk about life and existing in this moment, and plan to see each other at the big show that happens in the nighttime at the Van Duzer Theatre. Although it all seems so different and strange to me, it feels just like home. After the years of lack of involvement with the juggling community, I was surprised to find such activity with the locals of Humboldt. The show that night was an excellent performance of so many talented people from Humboldt county and from around the world, with many familiar faces. I suppose my life just went in a different direction for a while, but I still regret sticking with it when I should have. I finally remembered the family created by the Humboldt Circus and discovered its existence once again. Here’s one symbolic thing I can recommend to you: if there’s ever a chance to run away and join the circus, take it.
All around, there were clubs, balls, torches, rings, assorted scarves, hacky sacks, unicycles, stilts, matchboxes, suitcases, and all other tools that made up the arrangement of a fully-fledged circus performance.
The Pepperbox | Page 22
News
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
April 2015 [News Briefs] Arcata High Humboldt Spring 2015, This year at Ar-
cata High is the first that Common Core tests take over California state STAR testing. SBAC, which stands for Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, is a new way of testing that schools nationwide will now be using instead of an individual state test. Last year, the juniors took the test to test the test. They encountered quite a few issues. There were technology problems, an overheating computer room, and lack of effort from students. Apparently this year the process has been finalized and improved. The Common Core test is not all multiple choice, making it more challenging for some. On the STAR test, you could make a close, educated guess if you weren’t quite sure of the answer. Now with the SBAC, you have to plug in your own answer or equation to a math problem or write paragraphs to support your answer for the English segment. Mrs. Lehman, an English teacher at Arcata High commented about the SBAC. “I’d say the English part is close to as difficult as the AP 3 English and Composition Test. You have to do more writing and explaining other than a quick multiple choice answer.” Junior, Chloe Pigg shared her opinion that, “It’s nice because it’s only one period long, instead of two hours of straight testing. It makes it a lot less stressful.” She also added, “We don’t get treats anymore, so that’s definitely a negative.”
County
Wednesday, April 15th, the Eureka Police and other local agencies swept through over 100 campsites at the “Devil’s Playground” to enforce “Operation Safe Trails,” making over 20 arrests. Many of the arrests were for outstanding warrants and drug or weapon possession.
Thursday, April 23rd, Humboldt County released its “My Humboldt” app after the website had been launched in July. This new app enables residents in Humboldt County to access alerts and services, including the following: • Receive emergency alerts • Check road conditions • Find parks or other facilities on a map • Report crimes or road concerns • Stay updated on county news • Find local jobs • Learn about local water quality With the new “My Humboldt” app, you can stay connected and up to date on the latest and greatest HumCo news, so download the free app in the App Store!
Thursday, April 23rd, moviegoers were evacuated from Broadway Cinema as one of the theaters filled with smoke. The cause of the smoke was linked to a small electrical malfunction.
California
Wednesday, April 1st, California Governor Jerry Brown has ordered mandatory water restrictions after California’s four year drought, local residents will have to cut their water consumption by 25 percent of their previous years consumption. Check out saveourwater.com for innovative ways to help you and your community save water.
Saturday, April 25th.
two Northern California men attempting to climb Mount Everest survived an avalanche unleashed by a powerful earthquake in Nepal.
Monday, April 27th families in San Diego disrupted by deportation were able to reunite, briefly, during a special event at the U.S.-Mexico border. A rusty gate on the border was opened for Children’s Day, a mexican holiday that celebrates children and families.
Tuesday, April 28th,
the US Supreme Court heard arguments as to whether the Constitution requires state governments to license and recognize same sex marriage. The issues arise from cases from samesex couples in Ohio, Tennessee, Michigan, and Kentucky that are challenging state laws and constitutions limiting marriage to a traditional definition As of Thursday, April 30th, the presidential candidates who have formally announced their intent to run for are: Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Rand Paul, and Senator Marco Rubio for the Republican Party.
Global
Saturday, April 25th, a 7.8
magnitude earthquake hit Nepal killing about 3,000 people and injuring about 6,000. There is still no missing person count. It was the largest since 1934. A 6.7 magnitude aftershock on Sunday, April 26th, sent people further away from their homes to open areas. Hospitals are quickly filling up and have been forced to put patients in tents Sunday, April 26th, A 3.69 outside the hospital. There is carat diamond was found by still no electricity and buildings a woman at the Crater of Dia- deemed unsafe are being torn monds State Park in Murfrees- down to prepare for more possiboro, Arkansas. It is the 122nd ble aftershocks. The earthquake diamond found so far this year, caused avalanches on Mt. Everand by far the largest diamond est that killed at least 17 and at about the size of a pinto bean. injured at least 61 people. India, A 6.19 carat diamond was found China, and the US have sent relast April. lief personnel and search teams.
USA
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
News
The Pepperbox | Page 23
Muriel Ammon: Rise to fame Kaelyn Tuermer-Lee News Editor
W
hen you think of a typical high school student, you might imagine a teenager that stays up late, hangs out with friends, and maybe plays a sport in their freetime. Muriel Ammon, however, does so much more. Even with her time pulled in so many directions, such as AP courses, orchestra, ballet, and traditions for her culture (the Tsnungwe tribe), she still manages to get to sleep around 9 or 10 pm. But with such motivation and determination, it’s no wonder she’s able to multi-task so well. The rest of Arcata High has a few things they could learn from this star student. Her day begins with orchestra, bright and early at 7 a.m. until it transitions to the full-on AP/honors schedule. After school consists of hour-and-a-half ballet classes... and then more rehearsal. “On Tuesday nights,” Ammon explained, “we have family bear-grass braiding with my mom’s friend. It’s awesome because we always have fancy dinners!” Beargrass takes an extensive period of time. It is, however, an essential part of Ammon’s culture, and is used in the flower
dance, a coming of age ceremony. In her recent flower dance, Ammon explains the traditional houses, Xontahs, that she sits in isolation during the day until sundown, when she dances throughout the night. Flower dances are usually three, five, or ten days, although Muriel’s was six due to an unexpected rain. During this time, she was only allowed to drink acorn water and eat acorn soup. “Imagine having cardboard with mushy soup. It’s great,” Ammon recalled. “Acorn water is a watered down version of it, so you can really taste the cardboard. It’s actually really awful,” she said with a laugh. The flower dance is supposed to be about overcoming hardships and preparing you for your future by making you stronger. “It was the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me.” Ammon had recently written a narrative epiphany essay for her AP English 3 class when the opportunity to submit her piece in the CATE [California Association of Teachers of English] writing contest arose. But why enter? “Ms. Stewart is my favorite teacher and I love her so I’ll do whatever she says,” Ammon said with the sweet A+ student smile. Her topic was about her Flower Dance, which marked the beginning of really participating in her culture—being
Courtesy of News Channel 3
Arcata High junior, Muriel Ammon, won this year’s CATE firstperson narrative award with her story “Inside the Pit”. part of it was a much different experience than attentively watching. Upon first hearing the news of her winning, Ammon was shocked. “I still can’t believe I won, but it’s given me a little more self-confidence.” Along with Ms. Stewart, the AP English teacher, many more of the Arcata High teachers were excited and supportive. “I was very proud of her, but I was also pleased that the judges had selected something that related to a specific cultural experience,” Ms. Stewart said, “I think Muriel's success reflects positively on her skill as a writer
first and foremost. She has a natural storytelling ability. Of course, it also reflects the high caliber of students who attend AHS in general.” Being able to showcase various academic abilities is a key skill that will be essential for colleges, careers, and so much more. Junior Muriel Ammon clearly exemplified her talent in writing--being picked as the top writer out of all the submitted entries in the state is an outstanding achievement that she will be applauded and praised for. And how cool is it to say that you know someone that’s famous?
The Pepperbox | Page 24
Feature
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Sampson Benally embraces high school Hannah Finley Feature Editor
H
ug. verb. squeeze (someone) tightly in one's arms, typically to express affection. Is this a proper greeting for a perfect stranger? Is this the most effective way to start a connection with someone new? Well, for Arcata high freshman Sampson Benally, this strategy seems to be successful. Benally’s triumph is directly attributed to his approach. He casually walks up to a girl, makes himself appear unintimidating by not fully making eye contact until he finally pops the question, “Can I have a hug?” then the moment of truth follows. Will he get his desired hug or the cold shoulder of rejection? Benally admitted, “I get rejected more than I get accepted.” Despite that statistic, Benally is not discouraged. He has his loyal daily hug receivers to fall back on. Benally’s unusual ice breaker is reserved for upperclassman girls. While this may seem creepy or suggestive on the surface, he manages to make this a friendly, innocent gesture. I have come to expect my daily hug and find myself disappointed when I don’t receive one. I must admit, I feel a bit stupid for this reaction. Maybe this is a seemingly innocent freshman boy’s scheme to have the older ladies fall for his subtle ways and come crawling back, heart in hand, desiring his comforting hug. Okay. Maybe I’m looking into it a bit much; however, people do take for granted the simple comfort of a friendly hug. Benally restores faith. The unlikely event of a freshmen successfully hugging random random upper class girls begs the question: what are his motives? From first hand experi-
ence, his motives seem innocent; he’s just a guy who likes hugs. According to Benally, he’s “a young guy that likes older women.” Much to my surprise, Benally has never gotten in trouble or received hostility from asking for a hug. Most peolple just embrace it (literally hahaha...) Benally did admit, “My friends yell at me for it. I don’t know why. They’re probably jealous.” Benally also revealed that his parents probably wouldn’t approve of his perplexing hugging tradition, but what they don’t know can’t hurt them. The usual targets of Benally’s hugs are not limited to upperclass-
The Pepperbox chose two staff members to compete with him in a day of random hugging. The competitors wern’t allowed to express why they were asking people for hugs. The combined efforts of Hannah Finley and Ellen Keil received a whopping 34 hugs, Keil with 13 and Finley with 21. Hugging random people is a lot more intimidating and difficult than one would expect. There is a new found respect for Benally’s confidence. If you ever desire a hug that isn’t too aggressive but lacks the awkwardness that would presumably accompany a hug from a stranger, Sam is your man.
If you ever desire a hug that isn’t too aggressive but lacks the awkwardness that would presumably accompany a hug from a stranger, Sam is your man.
Maybe this is a seemingly innocent freshman boy’s scheme to have the older ladies fall for his subtle ways and come crawling back, heart in hand, desiring his comforting hug. men girls. He also hugs some qualified underclassmen girls and the occasional guy friend. He’s a guy with a type, ladies, get in line. Benally claimed that this isn’t a tradition he intends to carry throughout high school. He fears that once he’s an upperclassmen it might come off as creepy, and besides, he goes for older girls anyway. While Benally enjoys his hugs, he also treats it as a competition. He often challenges himself to see if he can receive a higher number of hugs from strangers. His current record stands at a whopping 23 hugs in a day. To heighten his competition,
Carson McHaney/PEPPERBOX
Sampson Benally hugging Pepperbox reporters Ellen Keil (left) and Hannah Finley (right).
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
The Pepperbox | Page 25
Feature
Officers break slacktivist stereotype Terra Clarke
C
News Editor
olorful signs with creative slogans decorate the halls, hopeful students hand out candy and share how they will improve the school and make this year’s prom the best yet. There are heated debates between contestants fighting for victory. Voters weigh their options and carefully place their vote; they know that the fate of the school hangs in the balance. This is the expectation for ASB elections, but the reality at Arcata High is much different. There’s no need for signs, bribery, or campaign slogans. Instead there is a campaign video, created by the talented Pepperbox broadcast journalism team, that is supposed to be shown to all voters, but I know from personal experience that not
every teacher shows it. In reality this video doesn’t matter because there are limited candidate options, and when I say limited I mean three out of four positions were uncontested. The suspense is gone, and with it the glory of elections. In today’s day and age, teenagers are often portrayed as lazy, unenthusiastic creatures who are throwing their lives away by spending their lives of the Internet. While most people at Arcata High School would like to say that we are different, our lack election candidates provides unfortunate support to this stereotype. Our ASB officers are set apart from the average teenager by their dedication to their education, their involvement in sports, and their school spirit. Junior and newly-elected ASB Vice President, Daisy Nutter, has no incentive for her involve-
ment other than pleasing the students of Arcata High. “It’s really fun planning and running school dances and events then seeing the looks on people’s faces when they finally see all your hard work in effect,” Nutter said. All of next year’s recently -elected ASB officers are passionate about their school, but Treasurer Canyon Robins admits that the lack of competition was inviting. “I ran for ASB because it’s an easy way to get involved,” said Robins, “and I might as well run if there’s not much competition.” Secretary Hannah Finley also had some alternative motivation. “I think it’s a great opportunity to have a say in the decisions that are made on campus,” said Finley, “and its presence on a college application certainly won’t hurt.” Arcata High School has entered
Carson McHaney/PEPPERBOX
“Exercise your voice and get involved! That’s the best thing you can do in high school!” recommends ASP President Cait Parker, “there should be no incentive, just passion.”
an era where the student body seems to be happy with being voiceless. Many of the students actively participate in extracurricular activities, but seem to have no interest in student government. Student government also means that
Our ASB officers are set apart from the average teenager by their dedication to their education, their involvement in sports, and their school spirit.
students must put themselves out there. They must be ready for criticism that can come with representing a large number of people. Nutter encourages her peers to run for student government with reassuring words. “Although it does take a lot of courage to represent a whole class or school,” said Nutter, “it’s not as scary as people think it is.” Parker also believes that the selfconsciousness of students at Arcata High School played a role in the small turnout for elections this year. “It’s disappointing to see few students running,” Parker said, “I honestly think people are afraid of putting themselves out there. Which is a shame, because there are definitely some qualified people who are just too scared or think that student government doesn’t matter.” According to all of next year’s ASB officers it does matter. They have all experienced the rewards of being in class office and wish to share these rewards with the rest of Arcata High School. Next year’s ASB officers plan to increase tiger spirit and encourage students to get involved. “Exercise your voice and get involved! That’s the best thing you can do in high school!” said Parker, “there should be no incentive, just passion.”
The Pepperbox | Page 26
Feature
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Fixing the fixed mindset Sonia Copple Reporter
“I
tend to like the harder classes. I like that feeling of banging your head against the wall, and eventually coming up with the answer.” If it doesn’t surprise you that this statement was uttered by a high school senior, it should. The vast majority of today's students suffer from a psychological epidemic that has driven such statements into obscurity: fixed mindset. According to prominent psychologist Carol Dweck, “fixed mindset” is the mentality that intelligence is genetically determined and cannot be changed. Students with fixed mindsets feel the constant need to assert their own intelligence. When confronted with the possibility of failure, they simply don’t try. At the other end of the spectrum is the “growth mindset.” Students with growth mindsets see challenges as opportunities to expand their minds. Instead of finding failure humiliating, they thrive on the hope of eventual progress. The Pepperbox was curious to find out whether there is a dominant “mindset” at Arcata High. We interviewed a handful of students from each grade and had them fill out a Mindset Assessment Profile created by Dweck herself. Only the aforementioned senior, Hanna
Burnett, scored high enough to fall under the “growth mindset” category–– the rest of the students were either “fixed” or “uncertain.” But even without the Assessment Profile, the dominant “fixed” mentality was also present in the interviews. For instance, when asked his favorite/least favorite subjects, one student replied, “I like math and science. They make me feel like I’m a smart person. And I hate English because I always interpret the literature wrong. It makes me feel dumb.” Another student, when asked if her favorite subject had changed since elementary school, replied, “In middle school I loved history because it was so easy. And now it’s so much work. So
When parents praise their children for fixed qualities (“You’re so smart; you did so well on that test”), it leads to a fixed mindset. The child will feel extraordinary pressure to fit the mold their parents lay out for them.
now I like science, which is easier.” In contrast, when we asked Burnett to choose her favorite class, she said, “I love physics because we learn a lot in that
class. And for me, the challenge of trying to understand a difficult concept is part of the fun.” What caused Burnett's mentality to be so different from the other students’? Well, a child’s mindset is often dependent on how they were raised–and more specifically, how they were praised. When parents praise their children for fixed qualities (“You’re so smart; you did so well on that test”), it leads to a fixed mindset. The child will feel extraordinary pressure to fit the mold their parents lay out for them, needing constant validation that they are still worthy of their assigned labels (gifted, bright, talented, etc.). But when parents praise their children for their efforts (“You’re so committed; you tried so hard on that test”), the child will recognize that the process is more important than the achievement. One question was particularly revealing of how much students think they should work to do well in school. When asked, “How hard do you think you’ve worked in school?”, many students claimed that they “haven’t worked very hard” or put in “the minimal amount of work,” though later admitted that they spend 2-3 hours on homework each night. One student phrased his dilemma very plainly: “I try to be all casual and pretend school doesn’t matter to me at all. But I actually work really hard.” We come from a culture that praises achievement but stigmatizes effort.
“When everything comes naturally to you, you know it… so you
We come from a culture that praises achievement but stigmatizes effort. don’t try,” said one student with a particularly fixed mindset. This belief, though misinformed, seems harmless in theory. But when students do not identify as “gifted,” their reality is affected because they see their own efforts as pointless. “There are definitely people who work really hard to try to match up to the gifted people,” the student continued. “But obviously they’re never gonna be as smart.” Part of this mentality stems from denial–– many people don’t want to acknowledge that they, too, could be more intelligent if they worked hard enough. One student insisted, “Even if I put 120% effort into school, there’s no way I could survive in an A.P. class.” But Burnett, who has survived nine A.P. classes, disagrees. “Intelligence is just how willing you are to learn different ideas," she insists. “And it can be learned, no matter what age you are. Some people might be more resistant to it, but everyone has the ability.”
Intelligence is just how willing you are to learn different ideas. And it can be learned, no matter what age you are. Some people might be more resistant to it, but everyone has the ability. - Hanna Burnett
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Sports
The Pepperbox | Page 27
Antoine Maraval: an unknown star CJ Gray
Opinion Editor
& Mozara Abdalla Reporter
O
f all the sports on Arcata High’s campus, boys tennis might be the most forgotten. With football, basketball, baseball, and track taking up most people’s athletic focus, many students do not realize that Arcata High is currently utilizing a nationally ranked French tennis player on the courts. His name is Antoine Maraval, listed at a fierce 5’9”, 140 lbs. His small stature and craving to beat everyone on the court has led many fans to nickname him “The Napoleon of Tennis” or, to his teammates, just “Napoleon”. He is ranked in the top 300 in France for his age group, and has brought his talents to the States while on exchange. He quickly established himself as the #1 youth tennis player in Humboldt. He serves at an average speed of 103 mph, and he can place balls wherever he wants on the court. Balls go past his opponent without them having a chance to even turn their racket. His tennis skills may be MARAVALous, but when asked how he got so good his answer was simple, “Practice.” Maraval has been playing tennis since the age of six. He received loads of recognition in his country. But in America, where tennis is often an after thought, he still maintains an affectionate passion for the sport. “I could not stop playing tennis, even if I get paralyzed. Then I would have to play with my mouth.” His devotion to the sport has
led him to have goals of one day coming back to the United States to play college tennis, and hopefully becoming a professional tennis player. But he is currently in the United States playing in an undemanding HDN tennis league that allows him to relax and have fun, in a less-than-intense competitive environment. “I still have fun. The team is fun. They are crazy” When asked more about his Arcata High team he says they are what gets him excited to play tennis. Even though his team gets him charged up, he still keeps
some of his routines and motivations he established in France. “In France, on the day of a match, I always take some Coke [Coca-Cola].” In America, his routine did change a bit once he became assimilated to the culture around him. He has added a pre-match song, which he listens to, and even sings sometimes. DMX’s “Where Da Hood At” has been getting him charged up all season. After the tunes and before a match Maraval has a much more specific and intensified ritual. “I sit for 1 min 30 sec. Then I drink water, then eat
a banana, then I jump rope” The whole time Maraval keeps a straight face, and even mean mugs his opponent. “I need to dominate my opponent mentally before the match even starts” During a match his intense routine continues. “Before a serve I readjust my glasses. Then I straighten my shorts” Maraval’s record speaks for itself. He has played nine opponents and beaten all of them handily. He has won every single set. He is truly a blessing to Arcata High’s forgotten tennis team.
Photo Courtesy of AHS Yearbook Staff
Nicknamed “The Napoleon of Tennis.” Antoine Maraval is ranked in the top 300 youth players in France for his age group.
The Pepperbox | Page 28
Sports
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Swimmers gon’ swim, no matter what Jesse Bareilles Reporter
A
t Arcata High we pay an awful lot of attention to sports but when was the last time you heard the loud speaker blaring, and were informed that there was a swim meet that night? Swimming may be the most underappreciated and unknown sport at Arcata High School, which is not fair because some of the best athletes at the school happen to be swimmers. In fact, some of the best athletes in the world are swimmers. Coming in at the number 10 Most Fit Athlete chosen by Sports Illustrated is a swimmer. Michael Phelps...ever heard of him? Ladies and some gentlemen, have you ever feasted your eyes on the rock solid bod of this Olympian?
Michael Phelps who has a total of 22 olympic medals and was named Most Decorated Olympian. I personally wouldn’t make it through one swim practice, and I have a feeling I’m not the only one. Swimming takes a whole other level of discipline, focus and overall athleticism that most athletes don’t possess. I feel comfortable saying that 85% of the school population couldn’t run three miles. “That’s what we have to swim sometimes,” Karin Finney said making it perfectly clear that swimmers are as dedicated as they come. Swimming may not be a contact sport but swimmers take a beating, with the endless lap repeats they swim, the breath taking cold water they brave daily. We all know the elementary cheer,”You have to want it, to win in it, and we want it more,” well swimmers want it more than other athletes. “No other athletes are
Courtesy of O.B.’s Parent
Some of Arcata High’s finest swimmers show off their toned muscles
Courtesy of O.B.’s Parents
Junior O. B. Kwon, junior Conrad Wright, freshman Jacob Ireland, and sophomore JonMichael represent AHS at a Bay Area meet. training eight times a week, some swimmers are,” Finney added. Most athletes, especially at the high school level aren’t training until their extremities are numb and breathing hurts more than defeat, swimmers are pushing themselves to the limits everyday. And it all starts with that first jump or step into the pool. Finney stated that “Swimming is not only a physically demanding sport, it’s incredibly mentally challenging.” Maybe swimming is underappreciated because the athletes are “nothing special”, "those athletes don't have broad shoulders, like Phelps, of Missy Franklin", "I've never seen them on the Sports page." But it would seem that sports where our school has athletes good enough to go and participate in Division One programs would have spectators other than the athletes parents. But look back at when Erin McNulty was
swimming for us, there was no increase in fans at her meets, now she’s at The University of Hawaii swimming on the national level. We watch football games in the freezing fall air, when I assume a majority of us wouldn’t mind sitting in a humid swimming center. Why don’t we give swimming the attention it deserves? Why is it that we don’t go support our swim team? Oh, maybe because we think it isn’t as exciting as other sports played on campus. Let’s look back on the 2008 Beijing Olympics or the 2012 London Olympics, when the US swim team was on it was hard for any true admirer of swimming or just of pure competitive excitement to stay seated while our boys and girls in blue were Back Stroking, Butterflying or Breast Stroking down the lanes. So pay attention to the swim schedule, and make a point of not missing the next meet, I know I won’t.
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Opinion
The Pepperbox | Page 29
The point of pointlessness
Gillen Martin
T
Editor-in-Chief
his is the time of year when high school seniors all around you are falling apart. Some of this contradictory downward spiral of both emotion and apathy is tangible-future, money, real-life stuff that we need to figure out and deal with. During March and April, we hear back from colleges regarding both admissions and financial aid, scholarship apps and FAFSA are due, and everyone is just trying to pull their lives together before they graduate. But the more interesting part of seniors falling apart and putting themselves back together repeatedly throughout every day of our last semester is the emotional aspect. We are all turning 18, watching our friends turn 18, facing adulthood together, and then realizing how far apart we’re going to be. Some of the people you grew up with are off to amazing things, and you’re worried about others. This may be one of the most confusing periods of our entire lives. And for some reason, California curriculum creators decided that this is the very best time possible to teach Existentialism. Pause--quick definition for anyone below seniority or not particularly well-read (not that I would judge a high school student, or anyone, for not being well-read in this day and age). Existentialism: “a
philosophical theory or approach that emphasizes the existence of the individual person as a free and responsible agent determining their own development through acts of the will.” Thanks Google. But existentialist theory is more commonly associated with gloom and apathy and black and cigarettes and rain and Europe. Probably because the same European guys who tripped out about individual moral codes and rejected the concept of God or religion also theorized that everything is meaningless and there is no inherent purpose in the human existence (and they expressed these ideas through short stories, novels, and plays featuring gloomy, apathetic characters who smoke cigarettes and get rained on). So while we are all morphing from confused, conflicted high school students to confused, conflicted young adults with reality and taxes crashing down around our earlobes, all the literature we read and ideas we write about and digest in English center around the idea that our existence is purposeless. Right as we lose the various purposes we’ve had for so long here in the only home we’ve ever known and are forced to discover new ones, Sartre tells us that existence precedes essence. The decisions you make become who you are as the things you do become your purpose. So decisions and actions gotta be on point. Better not miss a single scholarship deadline, even though there are infinite scholarships, and you never really know if you’ll get it anyways, or if the scholarship even actually exists (honestly, half those frickers are total scams). No room for screw ups here, because then you become a screw up. Existentialism makes the verge of a completely shifted existence that none of us could ever truly prepare for even
more scary. It’s really hard to get through a day of second semester senior year without some sort of faith. Raised essentially religiousless (as much of our generation was, especially in Humboldt County), I already find myself pretty lacking. So being told IN CLASS that the daily worksheets and responsibilities and obligations--you know, little things like attendance--that I already suspected were practically meaningless actually are meaningless really isn’t going to help me turn them in. Senioritis, the productivity-crippling disorder characteristic to the graduating class. You laugh at the term throughout high school until one day you realize you’ve showed up to a day with a test or essay due in every single one of five AP classes. And you haven’t done a lick of work, much less studying. Senioritis doesn’t just affect students though, teachers are influenced as well. Think about all the late, nonexistent, or just downright terrible work they have to put up with from their seniors. In an unnamed economics class last month, there was at one point over ten students sleeping, not to mention how many were watching Chief Keef videos on their phones. Let’s picture how annoying that is for someone trying to pass on some knowledge. But by teaching existentialism to seniors in the hell portion of spring, you take the whole heavy blame off us for our slacktivism. These wise authors of generations past tell us that nothing matters. They tell us to live authentically. They tell us that systems are inherently inconvenient. That the world is absurd. And then we’re expected to show up to mandated California public education (a systematic institution that is looked at as separate from the “real world” [and in which few people are ever
Carson McHaney/PEPPERBOX
These artist’s renditions of senior AP Literature students Madeleine Appelmans and Salix Bair illustrate what could become of us if we read any more existentialist works.
“authentic”]) every weekday for the fourth year in a row and we’re supposed to care enough to do mass magnitudes of absurd little assignments that are often nearly meaningless. There is a flaw somewhere in that logic, I’ll let you find it. Us semi-functional lumps of apathy and superiority are about to take a leap. A fricken’ leap, off the food chain we’ve all been climbing for so long. And right before this leap, California curriculum and a lot of old men tell us that we need to make up our own ways to get ourselves through our days, no more relying on some abstract construct of faith. Last summer I jumped off of a pretty high cliff, probably about 75 feet. My rear was good and bruised from the moment I hit the water. Leaps hurt sometimes. Actually, about a month later AHS grad Cayman Durham-Vance took the same leap and a minor flaw in form left him with a concussion, so I guess I got off lucky. But the point is, I’m still trying to decide whether or not the leap was worth it. I’ve come to the conclusion that in that particular case, it’s a glass-empty, glass-full situation. I could retrospectively put whatever I want into the experience. Take whatever I want from it. We each individually place however much meaning we want to take from life. And surprisingly, if you crack the gloomy exterior of existentialism--draw yourself a point in the pointlessness--that’s kind of what you might find.
E
es
n t E e r e pri n i l s e d (707) 826-0559
P.O. Box 2041, McKinleyville CA, 95519
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
My Story
The Pepperbox | Page 31
“I’m not a complete monster, am I?” Sara Davis
Managing Editor
I
am the product of twenty or so cans of C-ration apricots. Those cans were closely packed in the rucksack of a 24-year-old U.S. infantry lieutenant as he led his rifle platoon through thick jungle wilderness against North Vietnamese Army troops. My eventual coming-to-be was enabled by that double-arrayed stack of military ration cans, which absorbed the impact of several AK47 rifle rounds, preventing them from ripping into the back and right lung of my father-to-be. In that close ground combat engagement between a large N.V.A. infantry unit and his platoon, my father, Len Davis, sustained severe gunshot wounds to his abdomen and pelvic area. After months of hospital treatment he continued his military service for another three years. During two tours-ofduty in S. Vietnam as a platoon leader and company commander--both of which resulted in his medevacuation---my father lost eleven men killed in action and about twelve men wounded in action. The emotional effect of the deaths and wounding of those young men never released its grip on my dad's conscience, heart, or soul. After his discharge in 1969 from almost five years of military service, my father was rated 90% disabled by the Veterans Administration for injuries incurred dur-
ing his combat service in Southeast Asia. By this time, he had become decidedly anti-war and anti-militarism. Riddled with guilt for having survived the death and maiming of many of the men under his command, my father became a studyholic, workaholic, and alcoholic to cope with his PTSD demons. During the past eighteen years, I have lived with the effects of my dad's combat PTSD: his episodes of deep depression, anger, irritability, hyper-vigilance, over-reactivity, emotional numbness, inability to sleep, social isolation, and alienation. This environment has toughened me, both positively and negatively, and made me resilient, both mentally and emotionally. As a young child, I was already able to comprehend the tension between my father and my mother caused by his dependence on alcohol. Too often, ceaseless arguments ensued over trivial matters, yet, my father’s resonating, angry, and intoxicated shouts always came back to the same topic: the men he left behind in Vietnam. Distinct memories of my father aggressively lifting his shirt to reveal an abdominal canvas of thickly scarred skin as he argued with my mother still filter through my daily thoughts today. During middle school and the first few years of high school, I hoped that my parents would separate so I could be rid of the difficulties of my father’s PTSD. I spent much of my free time leaving reality to daydream of a potential life elsewhere: Japan with a grandmother, Georgia with an uncle, or
New York City with a half-sister. While my father opts to stay home and forget reality outside the living room, TV, and wine bottle trio, I seek every opportunity to escape the dark and saddened atmosphere of my house. Every hour dedicated to energy-draining cross country and track practices, weekend Pepperbox layout sessions, distracting class and honors society positions, and volunteering at Food-forPeople helps to keep me sane. Although I respect my father for the opportunities, life lessons, and support he has given me, I cannot help but resent the damaged, PTSD stricken man for his dependence on alcohol and inability to be ‘normal’ during my youth. I am angry for the pain, confusion, frustration, and sadness my father’s PTSD has caused me. I am devastated by the fact that I will never know the man my father was before Vietnam and infuriated that his alcoholism has poisoned our relationship. I greatly admire the person my father is before the memories of Vietnam flood through him with every swallow of wine. And I have had to learn that I am not the cause nor the solution to my father’s PTSD related issues. But I also have lived with the positive influences related to my dad's military service. I have seen a physically and emotionally damaged man---while struggling with his own war-related issues---work to redress some of the wrongs inflicted on people by war and militarism. Because of his need to atone for the men he
lost in S. Vietnam, my father has devoted much of the past twentyone years to his serious avocation of helping veterans and their dependents obtain a wide range of VA monetary and medical benefits. Because of my father's help, many veterans from all walks of life have been awarded 100% serviceconnected disability status by the VA. Hundreds of the veterans my dad has helped have moved from indigence to being able to support themselves and their families. As I grew older and more aware, I often thought the war that had consumed my father’s life had in turn taken over parts of mine, and that it had negatively impacted my childhood and adolescence. After maturing into young adulthood, I have come to the realization that I have had a unique experience growing up. My father's wartime service, the resulting PTSD and alcoholism, and his devotion to helping his fellow veterans all have helped shape my life. I have come to the realization that my father's example has influenced me to aspire to do what I can to assist others and to push myself beyond self-imposed or external limits. The diligent, ambitious, and conscientious person I try to be today is in good part the result of both the strengths and weaknesses in my father. And it is with his influence that I strive to be a person worth respecting. No, Dad, you aren’t a monster. Just give me time to accept you for everything that you are and aren’t.
My father’s wartime service, the resulting PTSD and alcoholism, and his devotion to helping his fellow veterans all have helped shape my life. And it is with his influence that I strive to be a person worth respecting.