The Monarch: October 2015

InsIde:

Focus on the Environment (see Focus, Page 10-11)

Serving the Archbishop Mitty Community

Volume 25 Number 1

October 2015

The Mark of a Monarch Celebrating the Life of Loukas Angelo

Photo Courtesy of KRON4

By Madeleine Fernando & Emily Malig Staff Editors Probably one of the best ways to understand Michael Loukas Angelo was through his socks. At first glance, it seemed he dressed like an average teenage boy. A closer look revealed that his feet were adorned with decorative designs.

Floral socks. Firework socks. Pizza socks. Animal socks.

His collection included a multitude of colors and patterns.

In some ways, Loukas’s fashion sense was a reflection of his personality. He was quietly funny—silly, but in a subtle way. His colorful apparel was reserved for his feet, just as his humor was reserved for a small fraction of the people he knew. Only his closest friends were able to see his truest colors. One of his best friends Ella Mulcahy reflects, “He didn’t hold back when he was with his best friends. He was never shy around them, but you had to get really close to him to hear his funny jokes.”

He was the type of person who was quiet at first, but extremely warm once you got to know him. He had a sense of humor that never failed to make his friends and family laugh.

On September 23, Loukas Angelo was tragically hit by a car while crossing Mitty Way from a preseason basketball conditioning session. He died two days later on Friday, September 25. His organs were donated on Sunday morning.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, the community rallied behind Loukas and his family. The hashtag #PrayForLoukas was used as a symbol of unity and hope, spreading love to all those connected to Loukas. Principal Tim Brosnan stated, “I have been an educator in the Diocese of San Jose for forty years, and I have never witnessed such an overwhelming outpouring of love and support.”

Archbishop Mitty held a memorial service on September 30 to celebrate the life of Loukas Angelo. Bleachers were filled with friends, family, and many others who wanted to honor Loukas. In honor of Loukas, students were adorned in white, and feet were decorated with crazy socks.

News ...............................................1-3 OPINIONS ......................................... 4-6

Most of us did not get the opportunity to know Loukas, but his memory lives on in the people he loved.

His father, Mr. Steve Angelo remarks, “So many people have found a way to make this personal to them.”

Although he was just beginning high school, Loukas displayed a maturity far beyond that of an average teenager.

He had a sense of humor and a determination that was rare.

His unique personality was admired by those who knew him.

As Loukas’s principal at Hillbrook, Mr. Mark Silverman, recalls, “Loukas was a quiet young man, someone more prone to listening than to talking. And, yet, when Loukas communicated, he often displayed a wisdom and a maturity beyond his years.”

As Ella put it, “He’s very articulate. Anyone who knew him would tell you that he wouldn’t really talk a lot, like he wasn’t really loud or really talkative. But when he did talk, it was very important and it sounded like he’d thought about it.”

From the first few weeks in his English I Accelerated course, it was obvious that Loukas saw the world with depth and perspective. His English teacher, Mr. Mick Vanvalkenburg, says, “It was clear that he cared about words and ideas and had a sense of the mark he could make with those.”

During one of his first English I Accelerated seminars, Loukas remained silent, quietly listening to the class discussion. He didn’t speak for nearly the entire seminar—not because he was frightened or intimidated by the subject matter, but because he was simply reticent by nature. As the discussion drew to a close, his fellow classmate, freshman Uday Dhanda, called upon him for his closing thoughts.

Loukas summed up the seminar perfectly. It quickly became a running joke in the class about how easily Loukas could convey ideas in such an articulate manner. He could summarize entire class discussions with a few significant words.

Loukas’s facility with language also stood out in his writing, which was recognized as exemplary in his freshman class. His friends could tell you that he was very proud of his writing; his insights and thoughts about life and the world around him shone through in his words.

In one of his previous middle school essays, he shared his thoughts on life saying:

“Dreams are like handholds hanging above us as we struggle against the vast mountain of life, driving us to climb and maybe someday reach the top, on our own special peak.”

Ella remembers, “I’ve been watching his games since 6th grade at Hillbrook and even his club games… Even in 7th grade and 8th grade, he wasn’t that good, but he worked so hard to get where he was.”

To Loukas, basketball was more than just a game. It was a passion, a lifestyle, a symbol of life. In one of his essays, Loukas wrote this:

“Basketball is a metaphor for life.

Basketball is unfair, inconsistent, subjective, and fast-paced.

And life itself could be described exactly the same. But there are two things that you can also manipulate in your favor: attitude and effort, which rings true in both basketball and life.”

Even in middle school, Loukas understood the tumultuous, unpredictable nature of life. He understood that personal outlook is the only thing you can control in the face of struggle.

As Mark Silverman comments, “He was tenacious in pursuing his own dreams, and yet he never did so at the expense of others.” Loukas had big dreams, but he was also the true definition of a team player.

Joseph Vaughn, Loukas’s best friend since pre-kindergarten, explains, “He was one of those players who was really good but didn’t just take the ball like LeBron James…

He passed the ball to others so they could score.”

During their eighth grade year of middle school, the two friends competed, counting the number of points they scored for each game. They wanted to break the school record, which was close to 400 points. The season was coming to an end when Joseph realized he only had a few games left.

Knowing how much the record meant to Joseph, Loukas did all he could to help his best friend. In the final remaining games, he passed him the ball as frequently as possible. “He could have had probably 20 or 50 more points that season, and he gave them to me,” Joseph recalls. “He was a selfless teammate and elevated everyone around him on and off the court.”

(continued at Loukas, page 2)

Loukas’s quiet disposition was coupled with the fierce determination those words suggest. As an eighth grader, Loukas was determined to beat the Hillbrook mile time. He had failed four or five times previously, but that didn’t stop him from trying again.

On the last day of school before graduation, he asked his coach if he could try one more time. Toward the end of the mile, a group of his friends came out to cheer him on.

Loukas broke into a sprint, breaking the Hillbrook mile record, which had been in place for twenty-three years. As Loukas’s father, Steve Angelo, recalls, “He had this grit.

When he failed over and over again, he would somehow come through… it was a remarkable part of who he was.”

From a very young age, Loukas was a driven individual who worked extremely hard to attain his goals. His grit was always a trait that his friends and peers admired in him.

JUSTICE AWARENESS ................... 7-9

Arts & Entertainment................12-15

PHOTO .......................................... 18-19

Focus ..........................................10-11

SPORTS ..........................................16-17

Comics ........................................... 20

Page 2

October 2015 • News

Loukas Angelo Remembered

(continued from p. 1)

Loukas’s friends were a huge part of his life.

According to his father, “He spent a lot of time with his friends. There didn’t have to be a big agenda, he just wanted to bring people together and be around his friends all the time.”

They spent ample time together hanging out, walking the streets of Willow Glen, and eating the food his father made.

Ella Mulcahy reflects, “We knew how much he cared about us and how much we cared about him…

We had a really tight knit group of friends.”

Joseph Vaughn reminisces, “In my eyes, he was one of those friends who was always authentic.”

Loukas possessed a confidence that inspired both his friends and family. He was true to himself, his ideas, and his passions.

Ella says, “A lot of my friends looked up to him; that’s just a really great trait to have.”

There’s no doubt that Loukas would have achieved greatness.

“This was such an obviously talented, thoughtful, reflective, funny young man,” Mr. VanValkenburg remarks. “He would have done really good things here in athletics and in the classroom.”

“As a parent, you think it’s your job to teach your kids but it’s incredible how much Loukas taught me,” Steve Angelo reflects. “I was so looking forward to what he was going to say and write next year and the year after that...”

Through his life, through his words, and through his actions, Loukas Angelo had a profound impact on his family, friends, and the Mitty community.

He was a son. A brother. A friend. A student. As we continue to cherish his life, Loukas’s father says this to those who never knew him, “I wish you’d had the chance to meet him… he was a pretty sweet kid.”

In Loukas’s honor, on Wednesday, October 21, the Angelo family partnered with Soles4Souls—a nonprofit organization devoted to providing shoes and clothes to those in need—to initiate a sock drive. Donation stations were placed on campus at both Mitty and Hillbrook, and students were encouraged to donate new socks as a way to honor Loukas and serve others.

Photo Courtesy of Mercury News

Loukas Angelo pictured with two best friends, Ella Mulcahy and Joseph Vaughn.

Additionally, the Angelo family will also be setting up an educational fund in Loukas’s name. Although the fund is still taking shape, interested contributors can contact loveforloukas@gmail.com to find out more information.

Uplifting Spirits

By Eliza Kolmanovsky and Kristine Chang Staff Writers This year welcomes the arrival of a new campus ministry organization: Uplift. This group aims to support students whose personal lives have directly been impacted by cancer. Uplift provides a safehaven for students to process and recover from the difficulties they face, as well as to connect to peers in similar situations.

Ms. Rose Lopez was inspired to create Uplift a year ago when her husband, Director of Publications Mr. Luie Lopez, was undergoing cancer treatment.

An oncology nurse introduced her to Camp Kesem, a free summer camp at Stanford University where children of cancer patients have an opportunity to relax and relate to one another. Ms. Lopez signed her daughter up, who loved the program for its creative bonding activities.

Ms. Lopez reflects, “I thought that it was really great, but it’s too bad that it’s only one week of the year...I thought we must have students here at Mitty who are going through similar situations that could get together throughout the school year.”

In order to offer a haven like Camp Kesem to Mitty’s students, she pitched the idea of a similar group to Ms. Kate Slevin, a cancer survivor whose daughter formerly led a similar Kesem Camp at Berkeley.

Together they planned the organization’s mission

statement and activities—Mr. Lopez designed the logo.

Dealing with cancer is painful from the moment of diagnosis, leaving lasting impacts on everyone.

Many people tend to feel helpless and unsure of what to do or say.

Ms. Slevin, a co-founder of Uplift, believes that, “The first thing is to acknowledge that something is different about their life. Simply acknowledge it.”

The organization assists students in processing the issue by finding creative outlets.

Mr. Graham Oleson, another club moderator, encourages students to “be a great listener...Often times it’s not about what you say, but just being present and really listening and hearing them out.”

When it comes to it, confronting serious illness is easier to face together as a community.

Uplift has had two meetings so far: the first one was spent playing games over a catered lunch and the second was spent decorating journal covers with a collage of family photos.

The group now has plans to meet once a month for activities including luncheons, art projects, and yoga to give students an opportunity to relax, reflect, and bond during this stressful period.

Uplift provides a platform in which students can come together and share their experiences, fostering a community of hope and love. If interested in this group, please contact Ms. Lopez: rlopez@mitty.com.

Club Corner

News • October 2015

Page 3

Youth@AMHS

Inspiration Through Conversation

By Izzy Braham Staff Writer Model United Nations is a club that deals with current events, politics, and government. Members represent delegates from various countries and prepare to debate, negotiate, and compromise at conferences discussing a range of topics from nuclear disarmament to the refugee crisis in Syria and the Congo.

Started last year by seniors Chiara Caraccio, Pranav Govinadraju, and Nikhil Aggarwal, Model UN was created in the hopes of fostering diplomacy and discussing international issues.

This year, Model UN has come back stronger than ever.

Twenty-five students showed up to the first meeting and twenty returning members signed up for the first conference this year— the Contra Costa County Model UN Conference—which will take place at Diablo Valley College on October 30-31.

This year, the club hopes to place more focus on advocacy and will also be holding several workshops over the course of the year to ensure members are well-prepared for upcoming competitions. Students from Yale and Berkeley will be visiting Mitty to lecture about everything from conference etiquette to how to effectively prepare for tournaments.

Chiara states that overall, “Model UN provides a platform to discuss, analyze, and try to solve the issues that plague our world today, while teaching the leadership and diplomatic skills needed to go into the real world and start solving these issues.”

Teens A.C.T.

By Charlie Pyle Staff Writer Many issues confront teens today. The solution? Teens A.C.T. (Advocate. Change. Transform). According to Club Co-President Quynh-Lam Tran, “It felt necessary to create a club that offered students an open environment to discuss the obstacles they are facing in their life—especially in times of stress.” In other words: Teens ACT is an organization that promotes students to lead healthier lives.

Teens A.C.T. hopes to help Mitty students find an outlet for issues such as stress, bullying, and sleep. In addition, the club will ultimately provide assistance to the greater community.

Quynh explains, “This year, we are planning on talking at middle schools and creating an open environment where people feel safe to discuss pressing issues.”

Teens A.C.T. strives to teach others about teen dilemmas in hopes of creating a more understanding community. Club participants will learn about pressing issues and advocate change by either lecturing about them at local schools or doing related community service projects. In the future, members hope to face these challenges, one step at a time.

By David Tu Four guest speakers from across Silicon Valley were invited to Mitty’s campus to Staff Writer share their ideas on different topics. The speakers ranged from various backgrounds—from Mitty held its first ever TEDx Youth Event in the Kinkade theater on Saturday, Katya Lavine, an expert on the realm of narrative medicine, to Mitty alum Misha Chellam September 26. TEDx is a nonprofit organization founded on its mission to share “ideas who discussed his thoughts on how technology will continue to shape the modern world. worth spreading” and to prompt conversations and networking in local communities. The Katya Levine, a graduate from UCLA, is currently an Operations Associate at Watsi. organization brings together guest speakers to share This innovative, nonprofit organization publishes their ideas with the world, typically in 18 minutes online stories to raise awareness of and funds for or less. Each spring, there is a TED Conference that third world patients who cannot afford medical takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia. treatments. During her TEDx talk, she spoke about This conference invites world leading thinkers her personal journey into narrative medicine. She and doers. Created over 30 years ago as a four-day also discussed her responsibility to ensure the paconference in California, TEDx events have since tients’ stories were properly translated. Combining then been organized worldwide to bring together her interests in storytelling, technology, and patient guest speakers to share their ideas. advocacy, Levine seeks creative ways to instill betThe TEDx board is extremely selective when ter healthcare opportunities across the globe. choosing schools to hold events. In fact, the first time A graduate of the Archbishop Mitty High the Mitty TEDx club sent in a request, they were School class of 2000, Misha Chellam is now the rejected. However, as the club continued to grow, founder of Tradecraft, an organization that strives to they were finally successful in getting permission to train people who want to work in startups. They prohost the event here on campus this year. vide the skills, experience, and connections needed The theme for the first TEDx event was to to thrive in a startup environment. By equipping promote interdisciplinary problem solving; each participants with tools to find jobs in the community, Photo Courtesy of Marc Martinez Tradecraft supports problem solving technology in speaker had already made significant contribuThe Mitty TEDx club sets up for their first event on campus. tions to his or her field by harnessing the power the workplace. Chellam’s talk focused on his ideas of technology. about how different technologies would transform Club President Nikita Vemuri states, “I wanted this event to encourage and inspire the nature of the work we do in the coming decades. students to creatively think outside the box and to promote intellectual curiosity, not only As Marc Martinez comments, “He had detailed research and findings to backup his during the conference, but also in daily life.” topic.”

These TEDx talks focused specifically on how technology can be used to solve global Having planned their first TEDx Youth Event successfully, the TEDx club plans to issues. Club Moderator and Mitty Technical Support Specialist Marc Martinez comments, continue hosting this event on an annual basis. The club also hopes to host more guest “The primary goal was to have a TEDx event that was tailored to our community. We live in speakers and workshops throughout the year to promote its mission of sharing “ideas worth the heart of Silicon Valley and wanted to share different insights from local tech companies.” spreading” and bring the culture of the Silicon Valley to the Mitty community.

Student Spotlight: Clare Brady

By Sophia Smith Staff Writer Clare Brady began golfing in second grade after she realized soccer wasn’t for her. She despised the incessant yelling of coaches and parents, plus the general confusion of the game. Instead, she decided to play golf: the sport where near silence and strategy reigns.

She reflects, “It took me a while to realize I loved the game. I think when I got involved with the First Tee of Silicon Valley (a character development program through the game of golf) I really started to climb out of my shell and realize how amazing this game is.”

Golf is an integral aspect of Clare’s life. The Photo Courtesy of Clare Brady sport has played a major role in the development of Clare Brady lines up a putt in a match at Pebble Beach. her overall skill, sportsmanship, and character. She especially likes how it requires the athletes to take responsibility for their actions.

Clare explains, “The game is run on integrity. If you do something wrong, you have to call a penalty on yourself. My favorite thing about golf is that it holds values that good citizens in society should hold: honesty, courtesy, respect...I believe it is important for future generations to understand these values.”

Such values are evident both on and off the field for Clare.

Asked to describe what sets Clare apart, Matt Garrison, her coach of three years, commented, “Clare is wise beyond her years. She handles herself with grace among both peers and adults. Clare is a very driven student athlete with clearly defined goals and aspirations. She has a uniqueness about her that is contagious. People want to be around her.”

For a sixteen year old, Clare is quite an accomplished golfer, participating in various tournaments around the country. Some of her most memorable experiences have been in Pinehurst, South Carolina, and at the Jim McClean Golf School in Florida. Just before school started, she competed in the NCGA tournament at Paso Robles Golf Club, winning by just one stroke.

On September 25-27, Clare played at the prestigious Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach. The tranquility of the course, which lies along the Monterey Bay, is sharply juxtaposed by the intensity of the competition. Only the top 81 junior golfers in the United States were invited to attend, and Clare was one of them.

While Clare is very competitive, she also genuinely enjoys being able to contribute to a team. In the future, she aspires to play Division I golf in college, wanting to be part of a program that allows her to become a stronger competitor. Looking forward, Clare is not 100% sure that she will continue onto the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association).

But no matter what she decides, Garrison has no doubt that she will go far: “Clare’s uniqueness and the way she carries herself will allow for any number of opportunities related to a future in the game of golf. Clare will be a star—guaranteed.”

Volume 25 Number 1 Advisors Mr. Mick VanValkenburg & Mr. Craig Whitt

News Madeleine Fernando, Emily Malig, & Maddie Zenk

Opinion Jacob Isaacs, Elaine Xie, Ana Gonzalez, & Alisa Khieu

Justice Awareness Nini Bhat, Amuyla Yerrapotu, Giulia Travostino, & Margarita Zverera

Focus Kirthana Sarathy, Quynh-Lam Tran, & Sanghavi Srinivasan

Arts & Entertainment Winni Cherukuri, Kristyna Otto, Klara Barbarossa, & Mary Celestin

Sports Sam Baker, Giuliana Calia, Alec Jo, & Kushal Singh

Photo Camille Daszynski, Aditya Gunda, & Nina Meyers

Art Bharathi Arasan

Archbishop Mitty High School 5000 Mitty Way, San Jose, CA 95129

OPINIONS

Social activiSm

By Rachel Dovek Staff Writer

Social activism through Facebook—is it still possible? Leveraging an effective tool to mobilize the masses towards a common goal or mindset can accomplish wonders if you have the right tool.

For several years, Facebook was viewed as the epitome of social media. Though it has recently been supplanted by other sites like Vine, Twitter, and Snapchat, and though its user base is aging, Facebook can still be useful to activists.

With the exception of Snapchat, Facebook has all the capabilities and tools of these other social media sites, and then some. Facebook’s News Feed provides access to trending social issues, exposing people to important issues when they otherwise wouldn’t pay attention. Its events and polls allow groups of people to easily mobilize and organize, often for social causes.

To be effective, social media must interest the group that its activism is trying to reach, generally young adults. Facebook may have become less relevant and less appealing to teens—it is becoming the new MySpace, in a general sense: quick popularity and sudden death, at least amongst the young. Nevertheless, those who still use it benefit from exposure to activism.

The decline of the use of Facebook among teenagers is making the once very popular website a less effective social media tool for the young. However, as long as Facebook maintains its imposing presence, teens and adults alike will be able to interact with societal issues in an immediate and significant way.

in

Opinions • October 2015

The PolarizaTion exPress

Social media

By Ana Gonzalvez and Anna Tseselsky Opinions Editor and Staff Writer

Over the past eight years, Tumblr has been at the forefront of promoting social justice to over 30 million users. Its easily accessible platform has made discussions previously limited to university classrooms available to a younger, more mainstream audience.

As a result, social justice has been absorbed into popular culture. “Problematic” and “cultural appropriation” have become household terms, while radical underground movements like feminism and BlackLivesMatter are something any 15-year-old with a blog can be a part of.

Despite these benefits, there are still some serious drawbacks to this widely accessible form of social activism. The nuances of these progressive movements have been sandpapered away, leaving the activism consumed by that same 15-year-old not radical at all, but instead pre-packaged and oversimplified. In-depth education of terms is rare, leaving most Tumblr users with a wide array of buzzwords they only barely grasp the meaning of.

Armed with tools they have no idea how to use, these unwitting yet eager young activists are prone to making honest mistakes. However, instead of being educated by their Tumblr peers, these users are often chastised and harassed. This leaves many with no other option but to be spoon-fed political ideas with no understanding of their complexities.

So does this side of Tumblr mean you should delete your blog? Of course not. Tumblr is still an incredible way to be learn about the different ways millions of people think about the world—just remember to also think for yourself.

By Elaine Xie Opinions Editor

It’s taken a little over nine years for Twitter to explode. At first, it was just a platform to follow celebrities. But now, Twitter has permeated not just pop culture but politics as well, with 20.1 million of Twitter users following The New York Times, for example.

It comes as no surprise for Twitter to be the primary platform for modern civil rights movements.

Chances are, if you’ve been on any social media site over the past six months, you’ve seen these movements--#BlackLivesMatter, #YesAllWomen, and #ProtectTransLives, just to name a few. Perhaps one of the most revolutionary aspects of the movements that these respective hashtags belong to is how accessible Twitter is; anyone can make an account, follow civil rights activists like DeRay McKesson or Netta Elizie.

Anyone looking through hashtags like #Ferguson or #IStandWithAhmed can read about what happened from a set of perspectives far more diverse than the set than media generally provides.

The world of social revolution is no longer exclusive to university classrooms. Anyone with an internet connection and a desire to better understand the issues of the world can expose themselves to as much or as little of progressive movements as they want.

Of course, social justice movements on Twitter aren’t perfect. But Twitter has inarguably made the concept of social justice far more accessible for an expanding audience, and has taught a significant portion of a generation to not pit girls against each other, to treat everyone with equality and respect, and to be aware of social issues beyond what the mainstream media broadcast.

Mitty StudentS ReSpond

Students who use Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr on a regular basis

Students who participate in online social activism on any of these websites

Most used sites for online activism

(more than one choice could be selected)

25.4%

25% 38.5% 75%

61.5%

Page 5

67.8% 39%

In 1988 and 2000, Donald Trump considered running for president, despite nearly seventy percent of Americans holding unfavorable opinions of him. In 2011, he garnered significant popularity, and when he announced he would not be running, Public Policy Polling described the phenomenon as “one of the quickest rises and falls in the history of presidential politics.”

Now, in 2015, he’s been the consistent frontrunner for the Republican nomination.

While the results of the general elections still remain to be seen, the polarization seen in the primaries thus far does not bode well for our country.

A few figures from the Pew Research Center: Up from 10% two years ago, the number of Americans overall who consistently express liberal or conservative opinions is at 21%.

Ninety-two percent of surveyed Republicans lean more right on the political spectrum than the median Democrat, and 94% of surveyed Democrats are the opposite. What that boils down to in essence is that there is less overlap in political ideologies, considering the vast majority at each end of the spectrum are separated with greater distance than before.

Since the 1970s, this mutual antipathy between the two parties has only been exacerbated. In greater numbers, Americans are viewing the “other side” as increasingly hostile, their policies so misguided as to hurt the nation’s interests and well-being.

This process, termed “affective partisan polarization,” presents an imposing issue. No purported democracy can function when the left and right refuse to cooperate for fear of being seen as moderate and therefore closer to “them,” those who would ostensibly wreak havoc upon the country if they were given the power to do so. Especially during a time of increasing gridlock on Capitol Hill, more and more people believe that the policies of the side they agree and identify with should be given greater priority in political negotiations than those of their opponents.

Beyond As a senior, I hear it all too often. When talking to adults, the questions brought up are no longer “How’s school?” or “What do you like to do?” but rather “What colleges are you looking at?” and “What do you want to major in?” Or: “Have you looked at this one?” For those of you not there yet, just wait—you’ll hear more and more questions like these as time passes.

Don’t get me wrong. College should be an important decision in life. But what I, and so many others, have come to experience is not a nourishing, nurturing introduction to the fantasyland of higher education, but a circus of advice, pressure, and elitist enticement.

Mitty was proud last year to send five students to Stanford, and others to Yale, UChicago, Penn, Brown, and so on. In fact, only seven Mitty students matriculated to a small liberal arts colleges--three to Lewis & Clark, and one each to Kenyon, Claremont McKenna, Marist, and Scripps.

By Jacob Isaacs Opinions Editor

the

Whatever the reason for this trend—whether it be fed by the echo chambers the Internet provides, by mass media (our default blame victim), by a greater inward focus politically, by fewer politically-unifying issues (like the Cold War), or by the two-party system that inherently promotes gridlock—the “us vs. them” mentality that comes with polarization certainly can’t be healthy going forward, and if the near-government shutdown is any indicator of further friction over issues like Planned Parenthood, we must resolve our greater partisanship to keep society running smoothly.

Big three

Why so disproportionate? I don’t doubt that the most well-known schools in the country are perfect for some students, but that can’t be true for everyone. These Big Names are competitive, elite, and graduate-school focused, lacking the broader, undergraduate-centric viewpoint of small liberal arts schools. These smaller, less recognizable colleges provide something rare in the modern world: a comprehensive education. At such schools, students get broader, more personal exposure to knowledge that will let them understand the world and themselves.

Conversely, by following our peer-imposed dream at upper-crust universities, students often lose access to self-discovery, one of the most critical parts of college.

Students at these elite schools live in their own little bubbles, surrounded by all the privileges of old money and traditionalism.

It’s a gamble to go to a university because you’ve fallen in love with its name and not its culture. Frequently, students who chose wrong feel stifled by an environment too static

to let them find themselves. After all, why would you need to change, if your world is already “perfect?”

It’s easy to believe that the Ivies, Stanford, MIT, and others like them are your dream college, because U.S. News and your teacher and your friend and especially your parents say so. But these schools foster cutthroat competition and flout intellectual discovery in favor of specialized graduate careers. If you don’t like the high school grind, you really wouldn’t like the central mantra of these schools: Be stressed, but don’t show it. If you love to learn, interact with teachers, or have agency, there are much better places than the ones you’ve heard of.

School doesn’t have to stress us out. We don’t have to believe in the supremacy of elitist education, which fosters competition, purges scholarship, and advances complacency. Don’t believe that what is right for you is what the educational system tells you. Instead, take a moment and think: Where can I be content? Where can I learn? Where do I belong?

T is for Trouble™

Without a doubt, most of the famous have a good side and a bad side, and the media today is meticulous enough to catch both sides. Except in the case of Taylor Swift, who’s apparently “perfect.” Every article I’ve read in the mainstream media is a gushing ode to her flawless girl gang and star-studded concerts. Why is everyone so completely on board with the idea that Swift is perfect, while every other celebrity faces a gauntlet of criticism? Honestly, Swift needs to reevaluate her priorities because, at the moment, they’re definitely not based on her fans or her ability to make a difference.

Let’s begin with the fact that Swift’s main goal is to monetize her success. Not long after removing her music from Spotify, Swift refused to let Apple Music include her albums in order to “protect unknown artists” who do not receive recognition or payment for their music. But if Swift is so adamant about giving fledgeling artists exposure, why hasn’t she brought a single one on stage during her 1989 World Tour?

That would be the perfect time to show support for new artists, but instead Swift includes megastars such as Selena Gomez and Justin Timberlake.

And as if she weren’t already making millions from her songs, she and her legal team decided to trademark some of her “iconic” lyrics like “Shake it Off.” Now if someone wants to make a shirt with those three words, Swift gets a fraction of the profit. She’s even gone so far as threatening to sue Etsy sellers who create album-themed products. Forget celebrating your favorite artist with fun and unique merchandise—just buy a $35 dollar item from her official website! At the end of the day, Swift is a capitalist, not a moralist.

By Sumeet Bansal Staff Writer

By Lauren Dang Staff Writer

Just like she makes empty claims to support underground artists, Swift also makes empty claims about supporting feminism and equality. In the “Shake It Off” music video, she adds a couple African-American dancers in each dance sequence but conveniently gives them the most screen time showing their bottoms. Unsurprisingly, all of the graceful ballerinas are white, and most of the black women are twerking.

And consider when Nicki Minaj spoke out when “Wrecking Ball” received a VMA nomination the year earlier while “Anaconda” did not, which Minaj felt was due to her body type. Swift, rather than showing support, attempted to divert Minaj’s anger by suggesting that maybe a man took her spot. While Nicki was trying to highlight racial inequality in their industry, Swift totally missed the point and argued that it was not a body-shaming injustice, but a sexist one.

Similarly, in the video for “Wildest Dreams,” Swift is in Africa yet romanticizes white colonialism with majestic lions as the backdrop, but no African people are shown in the scene, suggesting that Africa was a rugged, beautiful, and isolate land waiting to be explored, rather than a land of diverse people and diverse landscapes. Although these artistic choices may not be her call, she’s silent to backlash, suggesting that she probably just doesn’t care.

As one of the most prominent figures in today’s music industry, Taylor Swift needs to educate herself more on the social issues of the day—media elitism, independent art, racial inequality—and cash in on her fans less.

With her influence, she has the capability to raise awareness on important topics and educate her fans, instead of taking advantage of inequalities for her own gain.

Page 6

October 2015 • Opinions

the ConSeRvative antigone

By San Kim Staff Writer Star-Spangled America: where discriminating against a minority group can be viewed as patriotism by some religious conservatives.

Excuse me, what?

Last I checked, we were living in an America of laws—with freedom of religion, speech, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—not a religious state. Well, apparently discrimination is synonymous with patriotism to many people, not just a few.

On September 8, 2015, Kim Davis was released from federal prison for failing to carry out her duty as a county clerk by denying a legal marriage license to a homosexual couple. She was greeted by a gathering that celebrated her for her actions, receiving her as a hero. No. Martin Luther King Jr., dedicating his life to true equality for all, was a hero. Jesus, seeking to establish a worldwide loving community, was a hero and martyr.

Well, doesn’t that just mean Kim Davis is a religious adherent? Definitely not, considering the blatantly hypocritical fact that she herself married four times and had two children outside of marriage. Kim Davis does nothing but exploit selected portions of the Bible as an omnipotent authority and ignore its true message: love God, love yourself, and love your neighbors.

Kim Davis isn’t a religious adherent. She is merely a religious antagonizer.

She and her supporters are blind to the central message of the Bible. Not once did Jesus advocate for discrimination; his only message for us was love.

Not only does Kim Davis unjustly pick and choose whichever line from the Bible suits her provincial point of view, but she also discards the fundamental basis of Christianity.

As a civil servant, Kim Davis is obligated to uphold American federal law. Three months prior to her release, the Supreme Court decreed that marriage was open to any two individuals, which meant that Kim Davis must uphold this ruling as an employee of the U.S. government. When she refused to comply with this policy, Kim Davis broke the law and denied legal rights to others—none of her actions embody the ideals America stands for.

The American government is in no regard defined by a religion—the First Amendment testifies to that—therefore, religion should not dictate federal action. The Supreme Court’s ruling and the Bible’s central message of love render Kim Davis’ actions baseless: neither the Bible nor her job in government gives her any legal standing.

Kim Davis and her supporters not only selfishly and hypocritically exploit the Bible for her cause but also deny the law of their government.

Kim Davis, a patriotic, religious hero. Really?

Pictured: Kim Davis after her release from a Kentucky jail.

Quick Hits

Short, Sweet, & to the Point

modern doubleSpeak “History is written by the winners.”

A recently surfaced video has brought this saying back into the spotlight.

The video captures a Texas woman thumbing through her son’s McGraw Hill history textbook and pointing out the authors’ and editors’ meticulous avoidance of the word “slave,” even though other terms such as “indentured servants” are freely and properly used in the context.

Rather than printing the sensitive—and more importantly, historically accurate—word, the publishers subtly replace the term with “workers” and “immigrants” in an attempt to censor a shameful part of American history.

Although the publishers of the textbook have promised to revise their future editions of the textbook, this story reflects a much larger problem that exists in our modern-day America: racial discomfort and tension.

Although the Civil War ended in 1865, and the 14th Amendment was implemented in 1868, separate but equal wasn’t deemed unconstitutional until 1955.

By Daniel Guo Staff Writer

It has been a mere fifty years since then and we as a country are still experiencing the rippling after-effects.

Recently, there have been more and more stories revolving around the everlasting scars of racial issues in this country.

From the unfortunate story of Trayvon Martin to that of Michael Brown, the uncomfortable issue of race in America has been brought to the front pages of the media.

Although some may say that this discussion is sensationalized, talking about race is the first step to sparking real debate and positive change. As a country that prides itself on being the melting pot of the world, America somehow is unable to fully address its fundamental race-relation problems. The sooner we make amends for our history, the sooner we can function as a collective group of Americans and not as individuals divided by color.

To do so, we must not let our historians ignore the racial conflict that has too often existed in our country. It is up to us to write history ourselves as we triumph against the obstacle of racial tensions.

all you need iS love –and Money?

By Nicholas Kirst Staff Writer From time to time, those big stories pop in the news—you know, the ones about a millionaire in his eighties planning to marry a twenty-something-year-old girl. Now, I’m only seventeen, but if I were given the opportunity to get married to thirty-two-year-old Mila Kunis, I’m sorry to say but that will be the next big story on TMZ–sorry Ashton.

Normally, most people would consider the age gap in a relationship from the same age to five years older or younger “normal.” However, once couples get to the fifteen to twenty year difference, people start to judge— but can you blame them?

Let’s be honest, a gap of that size just isn’t normal.

But younger partners can sometimes seek out older ones because the bigger the age gap, the more kind and generous the older partner.

Now the question is why would a 50-year-old millionaire want to be with a girl who he has twenty-plus years on? The answer is simple: youth and beauty.

And though this may be rightly judged as superficial, it is often a reality. So we can ask: Are either of these individuals actually looking for a legitimate relationship built on mutual love and respect?

In some cases, older men seem perfect to younger women. An already-established spouse with a secure financial future? If you were a young woman without stability, you’d most likely want this promise of financial security in your life.

The ability to inherit a millionaire’s fortune with the trade off of only a few years of marriage, suggests that this trend is sure to continue.

This type of relationship isn’t normal to me personally—there is very often no legitimate connection between the couple. A relationship can only work and be successful if there is a connection between the two and this type frequently doesn’t offer it.

Justice Awareness The True Face of Terror Gun Violence in the United States On Thursday, October 1, nine students were killed at the Oregon Umpqua Community College, with nine more sustaining gunshot wounds.

On Friday, October 2, gunfire broke out at both Northern Arizona University and Texas Southern University, leaving four students in total killed by gunmen. There may seem to be a recent and terrifying upswing in school shootings over the past month, but the grim reality is this—there has been a school shooting almost every week of this year.

According to a report by CNN, the past 18 months have born witness to 74 school shootings, leaving 294 individuals dead. From the heartwrenching events of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting to the terrifying tragedy of the 2012 Aurora theater shootings, America has seen its fair share of gun violence—but these disturbing numbers seem only to be increasing.

In an address to the nation after the Umpqua Community College shooting, a weary President Obama called the media to compare the number of deaths due to gun violence in America with the number of deaths due to terrorist attacks in the last decade. The results are startling—even in 2001, with the grim tragedy of the September 11 attacks, deaths due to gun violence were at an astronomical 29,573 individuals, compared to the 2,990 who died in terrorist at-

By Niharika Bhat Justice Awareness Editor

tacks. These numbers are disturbing. In the past ten years, the number of Americans killed by gun violence has vastly outnumbered those killed in terrorist-related incidents.

This data does not correspond with the public’s perception of imminent terrorist attacks. While the events of September 11 are still raw in our nation’s mind, the greatest threat facing American society, statistically speaking, is not militant Islamic extremists—it’s Americans with guns.

Not all gun-owning Americans are mass shooters—but almost all the mass shooters in the past decade have been gun-owning Americans. The process of buying a gun is

Black Lives Matter America’s Racial Reality

By Erica Johnson Staff Writer

Trayvon Martin. Tamir Rice. Michael Brown. Eric Garner. Freddie Gray. Sandra Bland. These names are just a few of the far too many African Americans killed by police.

These deaths, along with the disturbing pattern of ingrained racism within some sections of American law enforcement, have spurred the creation of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Founded by African-American activists Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors, the group seeks to bring attention to the racial targeting of black people by police, and spread awareness of social issues pertaining to African Americans.

BLM has a deep foothold in social media, spurring the “#BlackLivesMatter” and “#IfTheyGunMeDown” hashtags on Twitter. The movement hopes to spread awareness of their platform through non-traditional media in order to reach the greatest number of people. Their digital dialogue provides an opportunity for activists and youth alike to voice their opinions and support in the fight for racial equality. The official Black Lives Matter website explains, “We have put our sweat equity and love for Black people into creating a political project—taking the hashtag off of social media and into the streets. The call for Black lives to matter is a rallying cry for ALL Black lives striving for liberation.”

Since its conception, the Black Lives Movement has begun to move off of the Internet and into the political realm. Recently, Congress has passed a law that requires police officers to wear body cameras while on duty.

Furthermore, two 2016 Democratic candidates—Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton—have begun to discuss the chronic police brutality plaguing the African-American community. Sanders, specifically, has backed “Campaign Zero,” a policy proposal limiting police interaction when unnecessary, increasing community interaction, and ensuring the accountability of law enforcement.

However, institutionalized and internalized racism still remains prevalent throughout the nation, remnants of an ugly history of slavery and racial inequality. Alabama has closed 31 DMV offices in counties that are predominantly African American and largely poor. Because driver’s licenses are the primary forms of identification in voting booths, many African Americans now find it more difficult to vote. Alabaman Raymond Johnson stated, “I think they’re going to find that this is going to have a disproportionate impact upon minority voters in particular, as well as the poor.”

The movement has faced backlash from those who believe that Black Lives Matter is abusing its traction on social media. Some Twitter users have created the hashtag “#AllLivesMatter” to counter what they believe is an attack on the value of non-black lives. However, the Black Lives Matter movement has one goal: to continuously remind people that black lives matter just as much as any other, no more and no less. Drawing attention to police brutality and perpetual racism against African Americans in no way detracts from the dignity and respect of non-black individuals, Opal Tometi explains. The Black Lives Matter movement is simply a reassurance, a reminder, to people all over the world that black lives matter just as much as all other lives.

The Black Lives Matter movement calls to mind the broken aspects of society and the fact that justice has not been served for all people. We, as the Mitty community, can help aid the movement by ceasing to make stereotypical generalizations and by accepting diversity. As a Catholic school that upholds the belief that all students are made in the “image and likeness of God,” we must continue to uphold the human dignity and respect of every individual, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.

We have the power to change the world, but whether we execute that power to our advantage is all up to us.

simple: interested individuals fill out a background check form for in-store purchases, which is then run through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). However, prospective buyers can also purchase guns at gunshows without any background checks or investigation into mental status or criminal record. The issue here is not whether guns should be sold to citizens or whether citizens should even own guns; the issue is the lax backgrounds checks and various legal loopholes that allow dangerous individuals like these shooters to purchase guns without any sort of verification process. How is it that citizens must pass rigorous testing and evaluation to receive and maintain a driving license, but can obtain a gun license with less than half the effort?

“We spent over a trillion dollars, and passed countless laws, and devote entire agencies to preventing terrorist attacks on our soil, and rightfully so,” Obama said.

“And yet we have a Congress that explicitly blocks us from even collecting data on how we could potentially reduce gun deaths. How can that be?”

We live in a world where children can fluidly assemble classroom blockades without a second thought, where news channels flicker almost daily with grim-faced reporters explaining the circumstances behind yet another mass shooting. This is our reality. This is terrorism.

Page 8

October 2015 • Justice Awareness

Across The World: An ECJ Overview El Salvador

Native America

By Giulia Travostino and Anya Navar Editor and Staff Writer

By Michelle Mallari Staff Writer

El Salvador has been haunted by violence and poverty since civil war broke out in 1980. More than 75,000 people lost their lives, and although the war ended in 1992, the social and political turmoil generated by the war gave rise to dangerous crime and more poverty.

Last summer, students in ECJ El Salvador lived with host families in the poverty-stricken country. The class saw that the people of El Salvador continue to remain hopeful despite their difficult situations. Senior Julia Read said, “On our hike to El Mozote..., we [came] across loud and happy music, children dancing, and families spending time together; yet, we were well aware of the [tragedies] that had occurred [there] years before.”

The constant reminders of poverty, marginalization and lack of access to basic services prompt people to join street gangs—also known as the “maras”—as a means to escape their reality. On top of all of this violence, El Salvador also has the slowest economic growth in all of South and Central America. To counter the chronic violence and poverty plaguing El Salvador, students worked at the Tamarindo Foundation, an organization working to create opportunities and positively impact on povertystricken communities.

As senior Ben Kim says, “The Tamarindo Foundation...actively works for justice by promoting education, wellness, and empowerment within communities...[it] shapes a more positive model for the country at large to follow.”

Though the issues that El Salvador has faced are heartwrenching to hear, its optimism and desire for improvement despite its harsh past provide hope that the nation is headed toward a brighter future.

The American Dream is a concept intrinsically tied to the United States where the belief is that success is never too far from one’s grasp. But the people who have lived in the Americas the longest are denied this opportunity the most. Out of the 2.3 billion acres that make up the U.S., only 52 million acres still belong to its original inhabitants: Native Americans.

This past summer, ECJ Native America visited Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, to acquaint themselves with the social issues that Native Americans face today.

Senior Nico Noriega explains, “Our focus was on understanding the massive human rights violations occurring within our own country.”

Here in the United States, Native Americans experience the highest rates of unemployment, school drop outs, child mortality, suicide, teenage pregnancy, and lowest life expectancy. In addition to these social issues, lack of income and education leads Native Americans, to become involved in criminal and gang activity.

Senior Kim Luong elaborates, “No one can get jobs, and that leads them to drink. It becomes a vicious cycle.

And even though the government claims to help, they don’t really, so a lot of families live under the poverty line.”

It is difficult to reform such issues because tribes are reluctant to forgive the U.S. for the past and the U.S. government is hesitant in taking responsibility for its previous inhumane actions. In addition, addressing the countless cases of alcoholism and drug abuse is a problem that can not be solved overnight.

If you are interested in learning more about these problems and what you can do to help, feel free to visit the National Congress of American Indians website online.

California

By Monique Reyes Staff Writer When most of us think of San Francisco, various tourist attractions come to mind. But if you knew that 20% of adults in San Francisco lack enough resources to provide for themselves and their families, would you see the city in the same way?

Senior Elizabeth Ekman’s image of San Francisco was changed after going on ECJ California. For ten days she and her fellow classmates visited Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Salinas. Ekman was particularly shocked by one place very close to home for all of us: San Francisco’s Tenderloin District. Behind Union Square’s prestigious stores lies the poverty of the local neighborhood.

The St. Anthony Foundation focuses their services on this district. The ECJ California class spent three days at the St. Anthony Foundation working with the impoverished and the homeless. In the Dining Hall, the class provided meals and friendly smiles to all those they encountered.

In addition to meals, St. Anthony’s also offers a medical clinic, a technology lab, rehabilitation services, and job training. From their trip, the class learned to get “comfortable with the uncomfortable,” which enabled them to see that all truly are made in the image and likeness of God. We often think that in order to make a difference in the world, we need to travel to help those in other countries. However, students can also aid those in our local community. San Francisco is right in our backyard and is in need of assistance. Students can help by volunteering at St. Anthony’s dining hall or donating money, clothing, or food, as well as spreading awareness to others about the injustices that exist within our own cities.

Seeking Stability: The Syrian Refugee Crisis

By Danning Yu Staff Writer Aylan Kurdi, a three year old boy, washing up dead on a beach early this September; overcrowded rafts attempting to brave rough currents; miles of desperate Syrians along fences waiting to be fed like animals—these have all become iconic images expressing the horrors of the Syrian refugee crisis.

The Syrian refugee crisis is the single biggest problem currently facing the European Union (EU). To make matters worse, Syrians are only a part of a much larger group of refugees from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa fleeing in great numbers to other countries due to civil war, economic hardship, and oppressive governments.

From January 2015 to August 2015, roughly 530,000 people sought asylum in Europe, compared to a total of 625,000 for the entire year of 2014, according to BBC and The United Nations Refugee Agency. At this rate, the number of migrants in 2015 will far surpass the number of migrants in 2014. Twenty-two percent of these refugees come from Syria, where they are only a small fraction of

the 7.6 million Syrian citizens that have been displaced as a result of the Syrian Civil War. After Syria, the largest numbers of refugees are from Kosovo and Afghanistan.

In Kosovo, a newly independent state, people are fleeing trying and unstable economic conditions, while in Afghanistan the remnants of the Taliban and the Afghanistan War are causing displaced people to flee for their lives.

Simply getting to Europe is dangerous—over 2,500 people have died trying.

The story of Aylan Kurdi (pictured below) captures the immense difficulties Syrian refugees face on the way to Europe. Together with his five-year-old brother and parents, they boarded a vessel in an attempt to reach Kos, a Greek island. Unfortunately, his father Abdullah was the only one to survive in his family after their rubber raft tipped over.

During an interview, he described the bleak situation he faced when the boat started sinking. With sadness and agony, he said, “I grabbed my sons and wife and we held onto the boat...We stayed like that for an hour, then the first [son] died and I left him so I can help the other, then the second died, so I left him as well to help his mom and I

found her dead. . . The life jackets we were wearing were all fake.” Not only do refugees like Abdullah’s family face the dangers of the sea, but they also face dangers of the smugglers cheating them of their supposed safety, as illustrated by the lifejackets that didn’t work.

Because of the large and undulating flow of migrants, the border states of the EU have become hostile to migrants, with states such as Hungary, Greece, and Serbia building fences to regulate or even stop the flow of migrants. As a whole, the European Union currently cannot agree on how it will handle the refugees and the quotas for each country.

For the refugees, this means no entry and uncertainty of their future.

So as citizens of the United States, one of the richest countries in the world, how can we help? The most direct way is to donate money to one of the many organizations that are supporting the refugees over in Europe, such as the United Nations Refugee Agency, the Catholic Relief Services, or the Migrant Offshore Aid Station.

Even though we may feel far away from the problem, we can make an impact.

Environment r e h t a e Daily W e Ra in h t n i g n i g Sin

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By Sachin Vallomkonda Staff Writer Transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau once asked, “What’s the use of a fine house if you haven’t got a tolerable planet to put it on?”

Because of society’s torpid attitude toward environmental concerns such as global warming and pollution, pol the Earth is paying ng thee price. pric Though such issues may seem impossible to fix, they can be mitigated through small steps, starting with the local community. This year, Mitty’s Nourishing Minds and Green Club have teamed up as Nourishing Earth to promote the importance of nutrition and environmental awareness. With a much larger curriculum, Nourishing Earth has numerous events and projects planned to help make the world a better place, starting at the local level.

One aspect of the club focuses on the mission of last year’s Nourishing Minds: spreading awareness about nutrition with the target group being younger children. Last year, Nourishing Minds went to the Queen of Apostles School several times a month to teach a third grade class about a variety of nutrition-based topics through fun activities created by the club members. Officers also wrote a short children’s novel titled Berna’s Healthy Adventures to teach children about the plentiful benefits of healthy habits. The story was also read to children at the Cambrian Branch Library.

Club co-President Mary Celestin said, “I am excited to see the impact Nourishing Earth will have on the community by both promoting healthy habits as well as helping the environment.”

The second mission of Nourishing Earth focuses on environmental projects inspired by last year’s Green Club. Motivated by the idea that small actions will add up, the club is eager to participate in beach and river clean-ups along with other service activities. Recently, the club went to Panther Beach in Santa Cruz and collected collect seventeen pounds of trash and twelve pounds of recycled materials. By helping restore the beach’s natural beauty, the club members are doing their part in the fight against pollution.

Nourishing Earth hopes to restore and protect Earth’s gentle grace one action at a time.

As the Nourishing Earth motto goes, “Lettuce stay healthy and green!”

From Rags to Riches

By Jessica Schueler Staff Writer

You’ve finally outgrown your favorite jeans, and that rag in your kitchen has outlived its usefulness—so what do you do with these old, unusable items?

Instead of throwing them away or even recycling them, you can upcycle them. When you upcycle, you reuse an old item to make it into something new and better. Those old jeans could be your new backpack, and that old rag might become the new rug in your bathroom. By using old materials instead of new ones, upcycling helps reduce emissions of CO2, and you won’t have to spend money on new items. So not only is upcycling creative and fun, it’s also environmentally and financially friendly.

There is a plethora of creative ideas posted online for upcycling clothes, backpacks, old take-out containers, and much more. For example, instead of buying a new bag to carry clothes or other items, you can repurpose an old t-shirt into a tote.

Simply cut off the sleeves and the fabric around the collar, then sew the bottom closed. Or when you order take out Chinese food on a busy Wednesday night, keep the take out boxes and make them into creative goodie bags for a friend’s birthday (after you wash them out, of course!). The creative DIY (Do-It-Yourself) possibilities are endless. Blogs or sites like Pinterest offer up thousands of ideas to incorporate upcycling into your life.

So the next time you find yourself wondering, “Gosh, what am I going to do with this old plaid shirt?” realize that this is your next eco-friendly upcycling challenge.

Obama and Climate

By Ishan Shah Staff Writer “We have a choice to make. We can remain one of the world’s leading importers of foreign oil, or we can make the investments that would allow us to become the world’s leading exporter of renewable energy. We can let climate change continue to go unchecked, or we can help stop it,” declared President Barack Obama when he ran for his second term.

Evidently, the president doesn’t care to mince words when discussing issues as serious as climate change.

The issue of climate change seems to be moving up the president’s agenda. In fact, he recently finalized the Clean Power Plan, designed to curb the carbon pollution from coal power plants and launch even an energy projects across the nation. This would lower more clean the overall carbon footprint of the U.S. and give us more clean energy. However, this comes at an increased cost for the power plants during the transition, as well as less energy output using reen techn technology. Additionally, he rejected the application for current nt green te the infamous Keystone XL pipeline, the cause of much controversy due to multiple environmental issues, including possible leaks and increased carbon emissions.

However, his record also shows some anti-environmental actions prior to these bills. Last March, Obama opened up parts of the Arctic Ocean for oil drilling, contradictory to his prior statements to move to clean energy. That area in particular has a high likelihood for spills, and there is likely to be great environmental damage from the drilling equipment entering a relatively untouched part of the world.

Overall, Obama does seem to be trying for a greener and more oil-independent future. While some of his past actions may not have fully reflected that, his latest actions most certainly do, especially in light of the recent Clean Power Plan.

Got Water?

By Teja Veeramacheneni Staff Writer

With very little rainfall in the past several years, California has entered a seemingly neverending drought that has become a significant problem for our society. Rainfall levels for the last two years are at all-time lows, and the situation looks dire.

The decrease in rainfall has caused devastating consequences for everyone; we have a drastic water shortage and no real solution in hand. The water deficit has to be remedied or rationing will become a permanent reality.

The lack of water not only causes minor inconveniences, such as taking briefer showers or not watering the lawn, but also leads to severe consequences such as countless wild fires and an economic disaster for farmers.

For example, in the middle of September, a forest fire in Northern California completely destroyed entire towns. This occurrence is just one of more than four hundred infernos that firefighters have recently been fighting.

Some possible solutions include building desalination plants, which would allow us to generate clean water from saltwater. Also, cities can enact new laws to make sure people cut down their water use.

Even with these disastrous fallouts, there is still some hope. With El Niño during the coming year, increased rainfall can be expected.

Even though this will not completely solve the problem, it will help fill up reservoirs and give us a break from the sweltering heat.

Ask Mitty:

We asked nearly 180 Mitty students how much time they spend in the shower. Here are the results: Compiled by Conrad Toranski Staff Writer

Focus on the

Nourishing Earth

Arts & Entertainment Oh, The Horror!

By Kristyna Otto, Winni Cherukuri, Mary Celestin, and Klara Barbarossa A&E Editors

On October 3, your intrepid Editors headed over to Halloween Haunt at Great America Evacuate

Killer Clown Town

Lockdown

Insanitarium

“Where is the Evacuate Scare Zone?” we wondered, looking down at our map.

We’d been wandering around Great America for several minutes, and, according to the map, the Evacuate Scare Zone should be right in front of us. But when we looked up, all we saw were a bunch of cars.

Concluding that the scare zone must be on the other side of the cars, we continued walking, arms linked in anticipation. That is, until a masked man jumped out at us from behind one of the cars. “AH!” we screamed, realization washing over us.

This was the scare zone! The man, dressed as the walking dead, came up close; his head was tilted to the side, eyes wild and crazed. Shivering, we ignored his presence and began scouring the crowd for more of the “walking dead.”

As we made our way around the cars and the moaning undead, a girl jumped out from behind us. Screaming some more, we broke away from our Editor Chain and sprinted out of the zone, refusing to stop until we were out. All in all, the undead of the Evacuate Scare Zone scared us to death!

Though we were never those kids that had a phobia of clowns, Killer Clown Town definitely got our hearts pumping.

Initially walking through this scare zone we were pretty calm; the clowns were walking around normally, seeming to be hardly paying attention to us.

However, as soon as we let ourselves relax, a clown would abruptly get up in our faces. Even worse, the clowns would sneak up behind us and honk their horns in our ears. With their bloody faces and creepy smiles, the clowns managed to make us unleash blood-curdling screams that we did not know we had within us.

As we stood outside the scare zone, we mentally prepared ourselves for the terror within. It was difficult to see what truly lied in our path due to the abundance of mist and tall, strategically placed shipping containers.

However, the anticipation was the scariest part. We were disappointed with this scare zone as it lacked anything that truly frightened us. Few actors attempted to scare us and those that did barely caused us to flinch. Before we had entered the scare zone, we genuinely feared that this one would be the scariest zone because it had great potential to be traumatic.

The thick mist created the perfect opportunity for actors to surprise us and they could have jumped out from behind the shipping containers, yet none of this occurred. We would still recommend going through this scare zone because it is possible that you will have a different and perhaps more terrifying experience than ours, but if you are truly looking for a good scare then this isn’t the scare zone for you!

This maze is literally your worst nightmare come true. Insanitarium is so scary that it can only be likened to seeing your deepest, most haunting fears manifest themselves as pale, bloody, insane patients. Even waiting in line to enter the maze is such a painfully traumatic experience that we have not yet recovered.

After you actually do end up entering the maze, prepare to have your life permanently altered because, inside the Insanitarium, every incorrect, exaggerated stereotype regarding insane asylums comes true in the form of real human beings.

Even though the “actors” legally cannot touch you, it will feel like they have because the sheer proximity between you and the mentally insane, combined with the strange intimacy of having a heavily makeuped man scream in your face, is extremely violating. Our recommendation: don’t go through Insanitarium unless you want to be paralyzingly afraid of the dark for a solid two weeks.

Ballet on Pointe

Amidst our busy lives, it can be easy to ignore the arts that have shaped our culture, especially the arts that do not garner much attention. Ballet is a prime example of this because, despite ballet having a history dating back to the 1400s, we often associate the term ballet with fragile, tutu-clad ballerinas.

This is simply not the reality. Ballet has the power to tell stories in their purest form through a hypnotizing beauty and grace that is unique only to ballet. Because of this, it is no surprise that ballet is one of the most popular forms of dance.

Paris. This show was so unique and ground-breaking that the artistic director of Silicon Valley Ballet, José Manuel Carreño, danced in select showings himself.

Recently, The San Jose Ballet Company has had severe financial setbacks, forcing the company to reduce its budget by $2.4 million. Fortunately, with generous support and donations from the community, The San Jose Ballet Company was able to fundraise enough money to stay in business. With this opening production and a promising upcoming season, The Company is making a strong comeback into the world of ballet.

Battle of the Mitty Bands Turf Title’s Website Whether you are working out, finishing your homework, or scrolling through your Twitter feed, there is one key element that often connects all aspects of your busy life: music.

With its proven ability to not only help one remain focused despite external distractions, but also to relieve immense stress, good tunes are a must-have for a balanced lifestyle.

Many students at Mitty embrace their love of music by taking part in musical theater productions, participating in choir, or playing instruments in the school band and orchestra.

However, some students choose to incorporate their passion for music into their everyday lifestyle by creating their own mu-

By Willow Patel Staff Writer sical style through the formation of a band.

Meet two phenomenal bands, located right in your own backyard: Turf Title and The Cautious.

Turf Title is a psychedelic punk band composed of Mitty juniors Gabe Sharp, Shane Mitbo, Callahan Bailey and Lucas Kernan, partnered with Bellarmine junior Cole Hammers. The NorCal-based band plays at a variety of venues throughout California, ranging from Tracy to Salinas.

While performing, they find it incredibly important to be able to connect with their audience, which is done through their use of solid instrumentals coupled with emotional lyrics. A strong performance would ultimately result from an all-around outpouring of high energy while still re-

laying a meaningful message. For them, performing is a positive outlet with a dual benefit for both those who enjoy their music and for the presence and performance of the members themselves.

The Cautious, on the other hand, is an alternative band created by Mitty sophomores Maxwell Slade, Ritwik Krishnan, and Bellarmine sophomore Camron Haynes.

Both Max and Ritwik do vocals, guitar, and bass for the group, while Camron performs as the band’s drummer.

They find that they are constantly inspired by a diverse group of artists and they prefer to play songs that they all love and think will get a good response from an audience. Although they are admittedly slow with writing originals, a five-song demo is

Page 13

Miley, What’s Good?

Back to Back

By Shelby Leone Staff Writer Now, I’m sure we are all aware of the supposed feud between ex-child star Miley Cyrus, and the strong-willed force that is Nicki Minaj. If you aren’t, I’ll fill you in. While accepting the award for Best Hip-Hop Video at this year’s VMAs, Nicki called out Miley who “had a lot to say about [her] in the press.” She then punctuated her statement with three words that will live in infamy: “Miley, what’s good?” The internet exploded. But why are we so excited about this? Well, because that’s how it was planned.

You see, what Ms. Minaj was referring to was a statement

by Miley made in The New York Times. Since music began, the press has been concocting schemes to pit women musicians against each other. In their minds, no one can resist a good cat fight. In the case of Miley vs. Nicki, The New York Times knew very well what it was doing when it asked, “What did you make of the Nicki Minaj controversy around the V.M.A.s—that she was upset “Anaconda” wasn’t nominated for Video of the Year?”

Miley replied, “I saw that. I didn’t really get into it. I know there was some beef. I don’t really know. There’s a way to talk to people ...” And, just like a gossipy teenage girl, unsatisfied with Miley’s lack of interest, the NYT asked, “Do you know what she said?. . .She may have alluded to “Wrecking Ball” . . .saying that when a naked white girl breaks a Vevo record she gets nominated.”

This is The New York Times undoubtedly trying to start a fight, and it succeeded.

But the NYT is oh-so-unoriginal in its tactics. This has been happening since entertainment began. Famous feuds include actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, punk singers Kathleen Hanna and Courtney Love, comedian Chelsea Handler and actress Angelina Jolie, Azealia Banks and Iggy Azalea, and even Bette Midler and Ariana Grande. I mean, guys, this is what the Real Housewives series depends on. The female catfight trope isn’t new, interesting, or worth it. If anything, it distracts us from the artist’s work and from potentially strong role models for women and young girls around the globe to look up to and be empowered by. Instead, they showcase the worst parts of the human condition: hate, jealousy, and anger.

So, what should we do? Well, for a start, look away from the headlines, get your facts straight, and most of all, realize that celebrity gossip doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things. What matters are the beautiful things artists create.

By Yabi Grum Staff Writers “Seen what you do for fame, or what you do for freedom.” As the greatest rapper of all time, Drake, recites this powerful line in his Meek Mill diss track, “Back to Back,” fans are left shocked as they witness a friendship go downhill.

After Meek tweeted at Drake, accusing him of hiring a ghostwriter for his music because Drake didn’t help promote Meek’s new album, Dreams Worth More than Money, their feud became the new, hot topic of social media. Considering their recent collaborations, many would believe that Meek and Drake have close ties, just as many rappers in the music industry do, but these two are going head to head, leaving fans having to choose sides with their favorite artist.

When Meek Mill first came out with his diss to Drake, Drake kept quiet, but little did we know that he was making a diss track of his own that would leave Meek Mill speechless—literally. Meek Mill’s response to Drake had taken him awhile, possibly because he did not know what to say or because he wanted to consider the fact that his girlfriend, Nicki Minaj, is one of Drake’s closest friends. Many fans have also been surprised about how quiet Minaj has been during this time. It leaves us to wonder, who does she really side with? We may never know since, while her relationship with Meek is strong, she also has an unbreakable friendship with Drake. Regardless of who Nicki sides with, Drake certainly seems to be the winner of the feud and has received overwhelming support in the press.

To support Drake, fans have been taking matters into their own hands with various internet memes, vines and tweets. The response on social media in support of Drake has certainly created some bumps in the road for Meek and his career.

In recent months, Meek has developed a bad reputation since his entire identity is characterized by his feud with Drake.

Hopefully, reconciliation will be in the near future so they can move past the negative energy and, instead, create more amazing music that we can all enjoy.

Who Should You Be Listening To?

By Alora Cisneroz Staff Writer

The San Jose Ballet Company, formally Silicon Valley Ballet, is comprised of 32 professional dancers and over 350 students. The Company kicked off its 2015-2016 season on October 16-18 with a show that made history: Giselle.

With the show, the company paid tribute to the rich Latino heritage of the internationally renowned Ballet Nacional de Cuba. In an historic moment celebrating the opening of relations between the US and Cuba, the classic tragedy was choreographed by the Cuban dance legend Alicia Alonso, who has won 12 prestigious ballet awards, including three Grand Prix de la Ville de

Arts & Entertainment • October 2015

The Cautious’ Tumblr Page on the horizon. Also, they genuinely love performing because meeting other bands and the feeling of being on stage contribute to the overall quality of every experience for The Cautious.

Finding a passion and succeeding with it is is not always easy as it takes immense dedication. These two bands have flourished with their aspiration of creating personalized music.

Whether you are the type of person who is content with listening to your favorite songs on Spotify, or you are more interested in creating your own jams, I highly recommend you support these talented local musicians in their inspiring pursuit of what they love! Check them out with the QR codes above!

By Philip Brazelton Staff Writer Attention! There is a lot of really good music you are missing out on. I’m not here to be annoyingly pedantic like the three doofuses in High Fidelity. My purpose is simple, and it is to tell you about a few of the artists that you should give a try.

I’ll start with Tame Impala. I first heard their 2012 song “Elephant” on the radio, and it sounded like John Lennon had been resurrected and joined a psychedelic rock group. A few weeks later, I decided to look the group up, and I saw that they had a new album coming out, Currents.

I’ve given Currents a few listens and my conclusion is this: In an age of music that depends so heavily on electronic music production, Tame Impala manages to meld alternative instrumentals with edgy electronic riffs to create a sound like no other. Lead singer Kevin Parker’s voice is soft and, at times, delicate, which somehow fits in well with the moments of gritty and precise electronic

notes and chords. The up-tempo songs have calm moments too, which they implement well. All in all, Tame Impala is infused with electricity, and if you are unsure, try out “Elephant” and “The Less I Know the Better” first before moving on to “Let it Happen” and “Eventually.” Consider giving them a chance—they are truly underappreciated.

On a different side of the style spectrum is James Bay who, though reaching the number one album spot in the UK, still doesn’t receive the attention he deserves.

When people think of James Bay, they often only think of his most well-known songs. If I were to ask someone if they knew any James Bay songs, they would most likely respond with “Uh, doesn’t he sing ‘Hold Back the River?’” Yes, yes he does. But responding with “Uh, Hold Back the River?” is like responding with “Uh, Michael Jordan?” when asked who was on the 1992 Olympic Men’s Basketball Team. It’s the Dream Team! What about Magic and Bird, Pippen, Ewing, Mullin, Malone, or Drexler?

James Bay’s debut album, The Chaos and the Calm, is

a masterpiece, and a personal favorite. Like Tame Impala, Bay’s overall tone and sound is so unique it can only be likened to him. Whether it is the passionate cries in “When We Were on Fire” the upbeat and hopeful feeling of “Craving,” or the slow, reflective trances of “Scars” and “Move Together,” James Bay is doing something special. Be a part of the history he is making and give his album a listen.

Tame Impala and James Bay are definitely underappreciated, but they actually have pretty strong fan bases.

For even lesser known artists, I’d recommend Mike Mains and the Branches if you want folksy-type alternative groups to listen to, and Penguin Prison if you want to take a trip back to the ’80s. If you are into rap, give Hopsin or Logic a try. There are so many artists around that it sometimes seems too difficult to keep up with the content that’s rolling out, but hopefully now when you put in your earbuds, you’ll try something that you’re not accustomed to just for the sake of discovering new music.

You might find that it is a lot of fun.

Ticket to Success:Local Band Makes Good

By Fiona Pestana Staff Writer Parents tend to view high school garagebands as cute, temporary hobbies. Finish Ticket, a four-piece indie pop rock band, has broken this stereotype, transforming their on-the-side jam sessions into a full-blown career.

Originally, the band arose from humble beginnings; formed in 2008, the boys simply played music together after classes at Alameda High School. With influences such as The Killers, Manchester Orchestra, and The Strokes, Finish Ticket built up their signature tone before submitting their tunes to Live 105’s Not So Silent Night (NSSN) Local Band Contest in 2010. They won the contest and performed at NSSN that December, which kickstarted Finish Ticket’s rise to local fame.

After they played on the Local Band Stage at Live 105’s BFD 2011 and released their debut full-length album, Tears You Apart, in 2013, I finally had the chance to see them live myself.

Though I originally attended Alice’s Summerthing 2013 to see Ed Sheeran and Sara Bareilles perform, I arrived early enough to hear the local band play. They sounded like a Bay Area spin on Walk the Moon, one of my favorite bands. I bought their album and have been a fan ever since.

One year later, I realized just how much Finish Ticket’s fan base and fame had grown over such a short period of time. At BFD 2014, the band performed on the same stage as Walk the Moon and Bleachers! They drew a big crowd of alternative music lovers, whose bobbing heads and fist pumps indicated an appreciation of the music.

Six months later, Finish Ticket headlined a show at The Fillmore in San Francisco. A line of excited 15 to 25 year-olds extended halfway down the street, eagerly waiting to hear the band’s feel-good alternative style.

Now, the same audience demographic pays to see the band across the country: Finish Ticket is one of the opening acts on Twenty-One Pilots’ Blurryface Tour. Playing sold-out shows with such a popular band is an incredible experience, surely leading to major exposure for the band.

I hope the history of Finish Ticket inspires Bay Area garagebands to persistently continue doing what they love.

My advice for audience members is to support local bands; watching them improve and develop over time is akin to watching a baby growing up. Clearly, jam sessions and coffee shop shows are only the beginning.

Page 14

October 2015 • Arts & Entertainment

Awards Season Anticipation

By Mark Johnson

Staff Writer Every year the Oscar nominations get announced, and more often than not, you will have no idea what movies they are talking about. This is because most of the movies that are considered Oscar contenders are released right at the end of the year and in very few theaters. Later, the movies will expand into more theaters, but you still have to keep your eyes open to know which movies are going to be relevant this awards season. Right now these movies are being released for critics and insiders at film festivals like Telluride, Venice, and Toronto. That way, critical word of mouth helps these movies become successful. You can find reviews of these movies if you go searching, but let me do that for you.

I have decided to highlight five movies that might be huge Oscar contenders this year, as well as some critical thoughts on each movie. That way you can know which movies to look out for when they come to theaters near you.

Anomalisa: Written by Charlie Kaufman, who wrote such insanely brilliant movies as Synecdoche, New York and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and produced by Dan Harmon, creator of two fantastic television shows, Community and Rick and Morty, this movie is the one that I might be the most excited about for this year.

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival, it is a stop-motion animated film about existential crisis and depression. I agree, it sounds difficult, but anybody who has seen any of Kaufman’s work knows they are in for something unforgettable. Matt Singer of Screen Crush says, “At a film festival with hundreds of other films, Anomalisa stands alone in a class by itself. It’s the funniest movie at Toronto, and the most heartbreaking, and the most weirdly beautiful. If the projectionist had offered to restart as soon as it was over, I would have gladly remained in my seat and watched the entire thing again. One viewing simply was not enough. 10 might not be.”

Beasts of No Nation: Did you love the first season of True Detective and then started the second and thought “What happened?” Well, you are not alone. What happened was the absence of director Carey Fukunaga. He left to direct this feature film, starring Idris Elba, about the complicated bond between an African warlord and the child soldiers he raised. If you hate going to the movies, you can still see this one right now at home because it was released on Netflix the same day as in theaters as part of Netflix’s growing push for original content. Jessica Kiang of The Playlist says: “Matching Fukunaga’s proven storytelling grace with a story truly worth the telling, the result is explosively authentic and yet lyrical, making an utterly inhumane and alien situation both completely real and completely abstract.”

Brooklyn: Starring Saoirse Ronan (The Host) as an Irish immigrant to America in the 1950s, and about the difficulties one faces between the life chosen for them and the life they choose for themselves. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter says, “Classily and classically crafted in the best sense...this superbly acted romantic drama is set in the early 1950s and provides the feeling of being lifted into a different world altogether, so transporting is the film’s sense of time and place and social mores.”

Carol: Possibly the current front-runner for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, Carol is directed by Todd Hayes (Far From Heaven, Mildred Pierce) and stars Cate Blanchett as a housewife in the 1950s who falls in love with a department store clerk (Rooney Mara) and focuses on their relationship, including the place of homosexuals in a pre-Stonewall era. Rooney Mara won the Cannes award for Best Actress, and Cate Blanchett is likely to win her second Oscar in 3 years. Tim Robey of The Telegraph says, “Carol is gorgeous, gently groundbreaking, and might be the saddest thing you’ll ever see. More than hugely accomplished cinema, it’s an exquisite work of American art, rippling with a very specific mid-century melancholy, understanding love as the riskiest but most necessary gamble in anyone’s experience.”

Steve Jobs: Michael Fassbender stars in this new biopic, written by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and directed by Danny Boyle (127 Hours, Slumdog Millionaire). Justin Chang of Variety magazine says, “Writer Aaron Sorkin, director Danny Boyle, and star Michael Fassbender have given their subject the brilliant, maddening, ingeniously designed and monstrously self-aggrandizing movie he deserves.”

Yeezy and Paradise

By Haley Sousa Staff Writer The outdoors and Kanye. That’s one way to sum up New York Fashion Week 2015, which took place from September 10-17. Hundreds of brands were featured, showing off their Spring 2016 Ready-to-Wear collections. The highlights of this year’s Fashion Week included Tommy Hilfiger, Yeezy, and Coach.

Everyone in the audience took a trip from crowded New York City to the sun-soaked islands of the Caribbean during Tommy Hilfiger’s presentation.

Hilfiger’s Spring 2016 runway was nothing short of impressive with a mini-beach setup, Bob Marley-esque track suits, and lots of red, blue, and yellow. The highlights of show included striped bucket hats, slingback sneakers, and the classic drawstring bag. In short, this collection is something you’d want to be seen in on the beach next summer.

Yeezy Spring Ready-To-Wear 2016, Kanye West’s line, was the second part of his original collection, which initially debuted during the February 2015 New York

Fashion Week.

The event was exclusive and invitations were only sent out to select people like Kendall and Kylie Jenner (Kylie was in the show), the Kardashian sisters, and Drake.

It featured many nude and neutral shades, and the show was ordered from lightest pieces to darkest pieces. Actual drill sergeants were in the show calling out orders to the models to give it a military feel. This was thought to be Kanye’s way of addressing racial inequality in America, but he didn’t confirm this in any interviews that followed. At the end, Kanye debuted his new song, “Fade.”

Nature was a common trend this year with Coach jumping on the bandwagon by lining their show with tall grass.

Typically, the brand is known for it’s signature bags, but Coach’s collection this year was quite diverse. It consisted of short, colorful patchwork dresses and floral patterns.

The ’70s bohemian feel gave it a more relaxed, effortless look. Ultimately, Kanye and nature partnered up this year to make a strong fall fashion season.

Upcoming Events October 10/30: Passion Pit at the Nob Hill Masonic Center 10/30: Sage the Gemini, Kehlani, IAMSU at the Warfield 10/31: Grimes at the Fillmore

November 11/03: Josh Groban at the Nob Hill Masonic Center 11/06: Matisyahu at the Herbst Theatre 11/10: Kendrick Lamar at the Fox Theater Oakland 11/15: A$AP Rocky & Tyler the Creator at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 11/16: Halsey at the Fillmore San Francisco 11/19: AMHS Fall Sketch Comedy Show 11/21: Chance the Rapper at the Fox Theater Oakland

Arts & Entertainment • October 2015

Monarch Critics Out of This World

Straight into Success

By Heramb Tamhanker Staff Writer “In your face, Neil Armstrong.” are marked by precise and accurate science Indeed, such a bold statement is said that also manages to be entertaining. For a

by Matt Damon in the movie The Martian, character trapped on a planet seven months yet what the actor says rings true, as a new away by spaceship, Damon brings a relatera of space exploration and films regarding able human element to his struggle of being such material is being ushered in. lost, indicating that people can feel such Directed by the innovative Ridley emotions regardless of what planet they Scott, the film is susare on. Other perforpenseful, thrilling, scimances in the movie are entific, and comedic. also solid, most notably It is the perfect plot to those of Jessica Chashit the film market this tain, Chiwetel Ejiofor, year, and is anchored by Jeff Daniels, and Donald an emotionally charged Glover (aka Childish performance by Matt Gambino).

Damon. Such a film Unfortunately, I can only leave the audihad one major issue ence wondering whether with this film: a general conquering the moon ‘white-washing’ of the almost 50 years ago film’s cast. For example, is mankind’s threshMackenzie Lee, a white old of space exploraactor, played the role of tion.

Mindy Park, a satellite This film is based on a book of the same planner in Mission Control, who Andy title, written by Andy Weir, and truth be told, Weir said he had perceived as Korean in its scientific accuracy is unparalleled. the novel. This white-washing is troubling Matt Damon plays Mark Watney, an as minority groups already have such a difastronaut who is lost and presumed to be ficult time making it in Hollywood. dead on a mission to Mars. When his crew Overall, The Martian is a profound film leaves without him, he uses his skills as a that will conquer most of its viewers hearts botanist to build an artificial environment as one of their favorites for the year, and it and grow food in order for him to survive. definitely has a chance to be talked about His story and his means of survival come awards season.

By Brad Lewinski Staff Writer Many movies struggle to capture the a huge popularity gain and a repressive scope and style of an entire era, but in F. government.

Gary Gray’s Straight Outta Compton, these The next phase of the group involves problems are nowhere to be found. The the departure of Ice Cube and dealing with movie is executed so well because it doesn’t their post-tour fame. The major characters lose its focus. of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Easy E, and Heller are This film is about NWA, both the rise given deep and meaningful scenes, and the and split of the group and the personal tension between the group members builds. struggles and Without successes of the spoiling the individuals. The story, the final film’s strategy is chapter of the to divide and conmovie tells the quer: the story is circumstances of told in segments. the group trying The story to mend relationships and get begins by showback together, ing each of the fixing the issues members of NWA that affected in their original situations in Compton. After a few ‘break- them negatively personally and as a group.

The entire story is told by weaving in through’ scenes, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, EazyE, MC Ren and DJ Yella are all together, themes of greed and dealing with obstacles, making music that is not only edgy and while at the same time trying to overcome contemporary, but written from the artists’ the racism of the era, which bears a striking realities, bringing the struggles of dealing resemblance to events of today.

This film achieves virtually everything with gangs and racism to the public.

After hiring a has-been manager look- it sets out to do, so if you get a chance, see ing for his next breakthrough, Jerry Heller, it. The stellar acting, storytelling, and scope the group goes on tour, dealing with both of the film deserve a few hours of your time.

In a Nutshell

Got Cake?

By Alexis Rambac Staff Writer Sitting on the couch while channel surfing, I often come across the Food Network, the channel where chefs like Bobby Flay, Rachael Ray, and Giada De Laurentiis have built their careers and become famous.

While these chefs are definitely legendary, they do not compare to the humble baker whose home is not the Food Network, but YouTube. A funny, charismatic, and energetic character, Yolanda Gampp has created a channel on YouTube showcasing her skills as a creative baker.

On her channel “How to Cake It,” she gives tips and recipes for baking cakes and other desserts. Of course, as a baker, she makes beautiful cakes for weddings, birthdays, and other special occasions, but she is not limited to these typical projects.

For her friend’s wedding, she did not make a classic four-tier, white cake, but instead created what she called a “naked” cake with no outer covering.

For her son’s one-anda-half birthday, she celebrated with one cake built from half cakes.

Despite this creativity, the most fascinating part of her content is still how she turns cakes into different objects, char-

acters, and food. Within ten-minute segments, she walks the audience through her process of making bagels, grilled cheese sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, emojis, and much more—all out of cake, chocolate, and candy.

With her creative energy and charismatic personality, Yolanda Gampp is definitely an inspiring and entertaining youtuber.

Among the randomness we watch online, “How To Cake It” is definitely a fun channel to stop by every Tuesday to watch new videos. Even though few of us are bakers, it is truly fun to watch her show us how to cake it.

Page 15

By Celina Leong Staff Writer

By Jenny Park Staff Writer

By Riya Dhoopar Staff Writer

Known for her soulful, melancholic music about glamorous lives and impossible loves, Lana del Rey certainly delivers again with Honeymoon. She returns to her roots of “surf noir” music, reminiscent of some of her earlier works.

Never has an album been so clearly Lana del Rey’s—she commits to her fabulous yet tragic persona, amplifying the glamour and nostalgia in every song. While she uses the same formula of mixing retro and modern tunes, Honeymoon still showcases a maturity that was not as evident before. Ultimately, the album’s consistency is incredible, sultry and atmospheric as ever.

Her greatest achievement on the album is the hypnotic “Terrence Loves You.” With enchanting Hollywood-centered lyrics, heartbreak-filled verses, and dreamy jazz undertones, del Rey captures the essence of her own character. The cinematic tracks are surely worth listening to, preferably while driving down a road lined with palm trees in a classic vintage car.

SEVENTEEN, a savvy thirteen-member K-Pop boy group, recently released its second EP, Boys Be. Fans have been long awaiting the release of the EP and it certainly does not disappoint.

The first track “Fronting,” a song about a special girl, is filled with a bouncy beat and a smooth melody. Next up is “MANSAE,” the title party track of the EP. This song is dedicated to an attractive girl and is filled with amazing harmonies and clever lyrics. Third in line is, “When I Grow Up,” a heartbreaking ballad with surges of warmth and nostalgia. My favorite track, an EDM and trap monster song, “OMG” rocks an awesome bass line, synchronized beats and a catchy melody. The final track, “Rock,” is sweet, bubbly, upbeat and has a killer rap. This song’s constant mantra, “rock my head,” combined with its bridge, captivates its listeners.

Although this EP is short, I’m definitely looking forward to the next album and more talent-filled compositions.

Looking for a new fall show to obsess over? Then Fox’s Scream Queens is the perfect show for you. The wacky aspects of Glee combine with the style and bloodletting of American Horror Story, give birth to a new series that makes every character both a suspect and a potential victim.

This Fox horror spoof is described by creator Ryan Murphy as, Halloween meets Heathers. The plot of this show follows Emma Roberts as she marches through a sorority-house with a grim determination.

The series’ opener begins with a 20-year-old flashback, showing a horrifying event that happened at the Kappa Kappa Tau sorority house. Flash forward to the present day, sorority queen Chanel doesn’t care what happens to her “sisters” and never even bothers to learn their names.

This show is executed with cheeky style and has captured the interest of more than 2 million viewers. Wondering who the next victim is?

Check it out on Tuesdays at 8 p.m.!

By Jose Lopez Staff Writer Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, has skyrocketed to stardom in the past year. His initial hit “Often” began the successful road to “Beauty Behind the Madness.” Earlier in his career, The Weeknd was known for his dark lyrics and numbing beats, but the songs on “Beauty Behind the Madness” are more mainstream than his previous works.

Songs like “Earned It,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” and “The Hills” are all radio friendly despite the lyrics’ dark undertones. It is easy to see that his music has changed a bit and can appeal to people of all tastes. The epic beat drops on “Prisoners,” the soulful lyrics of “Tell Your Friends,” and the Michael Jackson vibes of “In the Night” bring just about every genre to the al- bum.

Although The Weeknd has become a pop star, we can only hope his original persona shines through in his future work. In all, “Beauty Behind the Madness” is a good album made by a great artist.

Lions by Bharathi Arasan

Monarchs on Fire: Burns Makes His Mark

Making a Splash

By Alejandro Veroulis Staff Writer

The Men’s Varsity Water Polo Team started the year with a bang. With impressive finishes in three non-league tournaments, the Monarchs aimed to carry this momentum into the second part of the season.

In the Lynbrook Tournament, the team defeated various schools, including Lynbrook, Half Moon Bay, and Sobrato over the course of two days on its road to the title. Over the span of the first three games, the Monarch offense scored nearly thirty goals, while Photo courtesy of Luie Lopez the defense held its opponents to under ten goals. In the championJunior Connor MacLean looks to pass. ship game, senior team co-captains Nate Chandler and Ohsun Kwon led the Monarchs to a thrilling 6-4 victory over Willow Glen. Even though the teams were deadlocked at the half, Mitty’s stout defense proved to be the deciding factor in winning the game.

In another weekend tournament, the team defeated Mountain View, Mount Tamalpais, and Berkeley, posted a 3-1 record, and finished in the top-10.

In early October, the team posted a strong showing at the Harker Polofest in which they were proclaimed the champions after defeating Fremont, Pioneer, Capuchino, and Willow Glen to earn an impressive 4-0 record for the tournament. The team hasn’t enjoyed the same success in the WCAL, where at press time they had a 2-6 record.

Co-captain Ohsun Kwon says, “Our team has done some things well, but we can’t be easily satisfied. Our mentality has to be focused on winning.” The co-captains, along with Coach Mike Hendrickson, have been encouraging this mentality, both during practices and matches. This mentality should bring a new level of intensity that will motivate the team to perform at its best. Hopefully, this focus will produce a much deserved trip to the CCS playoffs. Come support the Monarchs on the pool deck as they finish their last string of games.

Digging the Competition

By Harika Veeramecheneni and Justin Bui Staff Writers As WCAL season kicks into high gear, the AMHS women’s volleyball team looks to continue their winning tradition. For the past three years, the Monarchs have come out on top as WCAL, CCS, Nor Cal, and CIF state champions.

Coached by Bret AlmazanCezar (AC), Mercury News and PrepVolleyball.com coach of the year, and led by seven seniors, women’s volleyball is ready to add to their historic legacy.

The new season also meant the loss of several key players, such as Alexa Dreyer (UCLA) and Gabriella CartaSamuels (Colorado). But the team goal is no different.

Photo courtesy of Mitty Women’s Volleyball Facebook Page Coach AC stresses that The team celebrates after winning the Jim Reillley the team mentality is “to get betPanther Challenge at Presentation ter today.” Despite the pressure to win that lies on the players’ backs, their priority is to always be enhancing their skills.

Coach AC adds that “Lauren Speckman, Candice Denny, Tessie Powers who have been on the team for three years” have taken on these leadership roles and been examples for the younger players. They will also help the team with their strong play—senior Lauren Speckman averaged six assists per set for last year’s team and senior Tessi Powers had 217 digs last season. Captain Tessie Powers affirms her seniority by noting, “It’s definitely a different mentality and mindset. In my previous years, there was always someone older, more wise that I could look to. Now the tables have turned and it’s now my job to be that leader to everyone else.”

With tough victories over Valley Christian and St. Francis, the Mitty Volleyball team has attained a 21-4 overall record. There is no doubt that the Monarchs will carry out “a culture of excellence” that is representative of the program.

By Giuliano Orsi and Siddhant Gannu Staff Writers Looking to live up to the already established excellence of the field hockey program, the Monarchs took back to the field this fall, seeking a BVAL title for the second consecutive year. Led by senior captains Samantha Baker, Hannah McCabe, and Lauren Gengarella, and Coach Justina Williams, the women’s field hockey team is off to an amazing start with a 9-0-3 overall and 8-0-1 league record at press time.

Hannah McCabe notes that her teammates “play for each other and are able to encourage one another to play their absolute best during every game.”

At the same time, she credits Coach Williams for stressing the fundamentals while continuously motivating and inspiring the team each and every practice to play hard.

McCabe states that it is important to “keep the team

Giuliana Calia

Junior Molly Teresi looks to score.

chemistry flowing. It is also important that I as captain show my teammates how we should be playing with my actions rather than my words.”

This style led the team to be able to dominate the first game of the season in a 5-0 rout against Los Altos.

Samantha Baker points out that even with the positives of being able to execute the game-plan perfectly, the team still needs to work on being more focused. “During the game, our physical fatigue lowers our mental focus which causes us to miss hits and stops. Our inability to stay mentally focused can hurt our fundamentals.”

With all this in mind, the team looks to only get better. Currently, the Monarchs sit in first place, their only tie coming against St. Ignatius in their first league game. Key wins over St. Francis on October 14 and St. Ignatius in the rematch on October 16 have left the Monarchs in perfect position heading into postseason.

By Donovan Hart and Gursimran Mavi Staff Writers The women’s water polo team is hungry to make it all the way to CCS Finals this year after coming so close last year. With the new season in action, senior Raina Patel was asked how the team could improve on last year: “The team was performing well during league games, but did not do as well during the WCAL and CCS playoffs.”

The varsity team showed huge potential to make it to the finals, but sadly did not execute its plans for the playoff games. This season, Patel states that the players are very determined during practices and games and have really pushed one another to perform to their best ability in order to exceed last year’s record.

During preseason, the team was practicing rigorously, honing in on plays and focusing on fundamentals, such as good positioning and ball handling. The Monarchs started off strong in their first league game against Presentation where Mitty completely dominated the game in a 12-3 win.

On September 23, the team faced Sacred Heart Prep

By Rachel Dovek and Nathan Stelliga Staff Writers How do you convince so many people to compete in a demanding sport? The answer is simple.

Newcomer to the team, freshman Anish Patel, explained it perfectly: “Running as a sport at first seemed to be pointless and boring, but with the team being so fun and supportive, cross country is such a great experience.”

After many years of divided men’s and women’s teams, the Monarch Cross Country Team has practiced in a co-ed environment this fall. The change adds a new dynamic to the team as practices and workouts are more enjoyable, allowing runners to make new friends, and have more training partners during workouts.

As returning sophomore, Camille Smallwood put it, “This year feels very different in comparison to last year but in a good way. The boys and girls team being combined has become a positive change, and I think that overall we are closer than last year.”

The Monarchs previously defeated Prospect High School by a wide margin. The team was able to win all of their races against a fierce Prospect team that could make state this year in their division. The meet made for a great introduction for rookie members, but also a quick tune-up for the veteran runners.

Photo courtesy of Felicity DeiRossi

Junior Shea Gavin dribbles up the sideline.

in another preseason contest with both goalies injured, so a field player was forced to play goalie. Though the result, was a disappointing 15-2 loss, the coaches and players were inspired. Senior Emma Allegrucci praised senior field player Carly Sigman for her performance in stepping up and playing goalie. Even with both goalies injured, the team placed sixth out of sixteen teams in an early tournament.

The athletes are driven in their goal of a strong finish this season, with senior Danielle Panconi saying, “We may have started out better last year, but I feel like we’ll end better this year.”

Junior Molly Teresi is leading the team with 38 points on 30 goals and 8 assists.

Currently, the Monarchs stand at 3-2 in the WCAL with a recent, exhilarating overtime victory over Valley Christian on Senior Day. With wins over Notre Dame Belmont and Presentation, they look to improve on their 4th place standing and make deep run into the WCAL and CCS playoffs, which start November 2. Come out and support your Monarchs on the pool deck.

Next on the Monarchs’ schedule was the Ed Sias Invitational in which they competed against many of the North Coast Section’s top teams. Both the Varsity Boys and Girls placed 5th, but showed overall improvement from their previous competition.

One of the most recent races was the Chieftain Classic/Spirit Invitational in Salinas, CA. The Monarchs dominated the steep competition as they took home five plaques, two winners and three runner ups.

Improvement was seen across the board for all runners at Toro Park. Standouts for the race include JV Champion, junior Francesca De Pierola, Varsity Champion senior Julia Lemak, and fourth place JV finisher, senior Rohit Kumar.

Lemak comments on her team’s recent success: “The first three races went very well, both individually and as a team, as many returning members had huge improvement and PR’s and many of our teams have placed highly in meets, like the Chieftain Invite. As a team leader, I am proud to see the direction that Mitty cross country is going, both boys and girls, and I feel like I am part of a legacy of success I hope Mitty cross country will continue to have.”

At the Chieftain Invitational, Lemak was able to improve her time by 21 seconds moving her to second

Photo courtesy of Sportswurlz

Senior Vincent Leuzze paces himself.

fastest All-Time in school history at Toro Park. Despite the blistering heat, the Monarchs held their own and came out with individual and/or team awards in all six of the races held.

Currently, the women’s team is tied for first place in WCAL with St. Francis, and the men’s team is sitting in third place going into the last meet of the season in early November. Come support the Monarchs as they race through the trails to victory.

Women’s Tennis

Women’s Golf

Melanie Nakumura:“I’m really looking forward to spending more time with my team. At the start of tryouts, I barely knew most of the girls, but now our friendships are growing stronger and stronger.”

Clare Brady: “I love golf because of what the game teaches the athlete.

Courtesy,integrity, and respect are needed to have success in the game, and I love being in an environment where everyone strives to hold these values.”

Photo courtesy of Lauren Dang

All Hands on Deck

quarterback, senior Samuel Serra, states, “he is a father figure to me and all of my teamBy Henry Phan and Kaeleigh Smith mates. He is there for us on and off the field.”

Staff Writers The performance of Mitty’s Varsity team has only reflected this connection. Senior Coming so close to winning a CCS championship in 2014 has the Mitty Monarchs now hungry to get back to business. Mitty enjoyed an incredibly promising pre-season, Derek Bauerle reinforces that “his energy and focus are second to none and that translates to the success that has happened for us.” Mitty’s football team is a family, built on having won all three of its games against Los Gatos, Aptos, and Palo Alto. the foundations of honesty, trust, and love for the The Monarchs looked to carry this momentum game of football. to their rigorous seven-game league schedule, Although the hope is that it will be a strong where at press time they began 1-2. The most noseason, it is no surprise that the Monarchs have a table addition to this year’s team is new head coach, challenging road ahead of them—playing in the Keith Burns. The high hopes for the Monarchs’ WCAL. Any team from the WCAL on any given season can surely be accredited to Coach Burns, day has the potential to hand the Monarchs a loss. and his reinvigoration of Mitty football.

Nonetheless, Burns states the team’s goal very Keith Burns is no stranger to arguably the most clearly: “We want to win all the games. That was competitive league in the country—the Western our goal when we started to work together back in Catholic Athletic League (aka WCAL)—as he has the offseason.” witnessed two of his sons play for crosstown rival With that goal in mind, Burns is aware of the Valley Christian. Burns has quite a few notches on daunting challenges that lie ahead. “But you’ve got his belt. Previously he served as the head coach at to take [each game] one at a time and know that it’s the University of Tulsa, as well as the defensive hard. Everybody has the same goal: they want to coordinator at Pacific, USC, and San Jose State, be the champion.”

Burns even went on to become the assistant speBurns has high expectations for the Monarchs cial teams coach for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders. this season—and the players love it.

He came to Mitty for the 2014 season, serving as Senior Running Back/Cornerback Justin Colan assistant coach and defensive coordinator. His lier who is currently leading the Monarchs in interseasoned skills and knowledge of the game should ceptions with three says, “Every game is going to be ultimately give Mitty Football an edge. important. I love the fact that Coach Burns expects Asked what his experience brings to the table to win every game—so do us players. We just have for our boys, Burns explains, “I’ve been exposed to everything, because I’ve experienced a lot in my Photo courtesy of Luie Lopez to put in hard work just as we did all pre-season.”

An exciting 35-28 victory over Bellarmine distime. If you have got confidence as a coach, it trickles Coach Burns rallies the team against Riordan. played the true potential of the team. The Monarchs down through your players.”

And man, does he have confidence. It is easy to see the head coach’s love and under- had the Pit on their feet all evening with spectacular plays from both the offense and standing of the game. He says that he “takes the good and the bad,” and learns what he defence. Some standouts included senior Colin McKinnon who caught two touchdown passes and senior Sam Serra with two rushing touchdowns. can from it and makes the best of it.

It is no doubt bound to be an exciting season for the Monarchs, one you for sure want Burns embodies what a true coach should be. He doesn’t take the disciplinarian approach, cold and rigid. Instead, Coach Burns’ belief is that the closer you get to your play- to be a part of. Make sure to save a spot in the Pit for the Friday night lights and cheer on ers, the more they will produce for you—to make you proud. He cares about each of his the team and Coach Burns. The competition is not only entertaining and good-spirited but players and makes great effort to know them individually. One of his ways of doing this is also carries lessons that stick for a lifetime.

Coach Burns states, “Football is the most like-life sport there is, riding high now but with “family time.” Every Wednesday the offense meets together (defense on Thursdays), and they all gather around talk and bond with one another. Whether it’s life stories, great one loss and you’re back down. There’s a lot to learn from getting knocked down. There experiences, or funny moments, they share company with one another and bond as friends. will be a point in your time where your job changes or you get hurt, and you can’t stop Burns makes the game personal and the players have responded positively. Starting life. The lessons you learn will reflect in life.”

Page 17

Field Hockey Sweeping Away Competition

Racing to the Top

SPORTS

Sports • October 2015

Photo courtesy of Clare Brady

Page 18

Photography • October 2015

October 2015 • Photography

Page 19

these photos were chosen as visual embodiments of who we are as photographers and individuals. these pictures encompass our vision, spirit, and unique views of the world around us. we have chosen photos that exhibit a stylistic sense of self.

this is who i

signed,

monarch photography

Avisha Sheth

Audrey Smith

Amelia Whitney

Giuliana Calia

Grace Chung

Maxwell Slade

Nina Myers

Comics Title Decoration by Charles Zhang

By Ella Garfunkel

Tips and Tricks

Reporter: Mr. Trump, what’s the trick for making your hair look great?

Donald Trump: It’s made in China.

By Chrissy Shah-Nazarian and Bharathi Arasan

Jack Skellington, Pumpkin King

Sally, Distressed love interest

Oogie Boogie, Antagonist

When drawing a confident person, focus on the body language.

Draw the shoulders back, the chin up and wide, with direct eye contact to portray dominance and power.

In order to convey a character’s melancholy emotion, facial features are key. Upon hunched shoulders, draw a tilted head with lowered eyebrows and eyes looking away to the side.

Eyes play an integral role in establishing personality. Evil characters are drawn with squinted, angled eyes and furrowed eyebrows to invoke a sense of conniving concentration.

Archie’s Adventures

By Elizabeth Mau

By Tiffany Chan, Maddy Cha and Winni Cherukuri