The Monarch February 2016

InsIde:

Focus on Generation Z (see Focus, Page 10-11)

Serving the Archbishop Mitty Community

Volume 25 Number 3

February 2016

Let the Madness Begin Celebrating 25 Years of Monarch Pride

the beginning of the season has been a major key to success; at least one weekly morning meeting has been held to discuss individual progress and various due dates. Junior Class President Brian Chan echoes this sentiment, explaining that pure organization and planning ahead of time has greatly increased overall efficacy.

As time has progressed, the class presidents have checked in with representatives to address any potential problems while also ensuring that everyone has stayed on schedule. This open communication is what has made the process as smooth as possible, especially as the night of Monarch Madness has approached.

ASB INVOLVEMENT

By Brian Chan and Sophie Sharma Staff Writers

HISTORY What is now known as the best night to be a Monarch began as a night rally in Fien gym, open only to students.

The gym was simply decorated, with artwork hanging from the railings and rafters. Events then were much different than the ones now, but some things, like the class colors and the dance, have remained unchanged throughout the years.

Student Activities Director of eight years, Mr. Greg Walker, says that Monarch Madness is the same, yet different, every time. According to Walker, Monarch Madness has the same events year to year, but it is the different people that make up student government and the student body that bring a new aspect to the event. Asked what he remembers from his first Monarch Madness, he reflects, “It was very interesting, from the first reveal to the practices to the actual night of.”

Junior Class Representative Una Gilmore describes how Tron: Legacy perfectly fit the criteria that the Junior reps were looking for in a theme. “We chose it knowing we could have amazing costumes and pull off an equally stunning dance. Considering our past two themes have been pretty ‘cute,’ we knew the class would get a kick out of Tron: Legacy.”

As for the seniors, choosing their final Monarch Madness theme came with a lot of responsibility. The representatives knew that the class of 2016 would not be satisfied with a theme anything less than amazing. Senior Class President Emma Dapkus summarizes the process of choosing a theme, saying that the palpable excitement surrounding Star Wars coupled with the astounding number of dance possibilities made it a clear winner. Class Representative Ohsun Kwon chimes in, mentioning that he looks forward to integrating the force and lightsabers into their dance. With three Monarch Madnesses under their belts, the senior class is determined to leave Archbishop Mitty remembering the Class of 2016.

PLANNING

THEME SELECTION The freshman class representatives, new to Monarch Madness, described their process of selecting a theme.

Freshman Class Representative Audrey VanValkenburg explains that they wanted to steer away from the typical “cute” freshman themes and that Tarzan was an exciting addition that would show the other classes that the class of 2019 should be taken seriously. Freshman Class President Eshan Gupta says that the versatility of Tarzan made it distinctive from the myriad of other possible themes.

For the sophomores, picking a theme was easy, according to Sophomore Class President John Lahey. “When we all presented our theme ideas, it turned out that everybody had The Incredibles,” he explains. Fellow Class Representative Cassie Korb also highlights the theme’s plot, class appeal, and, above all, gender balance. “Leave saving the world to the men? I don’t think so,” she smirks.

When it comes to Monarch Madness, all classes must follow certain restrictions. Dances must be between four and six and a half minutes long. A budget of only $500 is reserved for all 59 costumes and additional props. ROAR musical productions must be created using a set supply of materials and a single secret item. Classes also must create an 8’ by 8’ mural and a 4’ by 85’ banner out of nothing but white paper and limited painting supplies. These, among many other details, make planning Monarch Madness no small feat.

Gupta attributes his group’s success to regular meetings. Initially, they met sporadically, but as March 3 loomed nearer, they met every weekend. Gupta explains that the periodic meetings have kept everyone updated and focused on their progress.

Lahey reveals that delegating jobs among his group at

Seven ASB members assist Student Activities in overseeing all four divisions of class representatives. Student Body Vice President Amanda White was initially worried that being impartial would be difficult, but quickly realized that being on ASB opened her up to appreciating the work of every class rep, rather than just the efforts of those in her grade. Asked about her favorite part of Monarch Madness, she cited the end of the event when everyone links arms to sing the liturgical theme song—a time when class rivalries dissolve and school unity reigns.

Having also been a Sophomore Class Representative and Student Body Secretary as a junior, current Student Body President Gabe Mallari says that being on ASB gives him “a different perspective.” He comments, “Switching to ASB has allowed me to break away from the competition and work for the spirit of the school, rather than an individual class. I would rather celebrate every class’s victory during Monarch Madness rather than just my own. The more the merrier, right?”

As Monarch Madness steadily approaches, the meticulous work of Student Activities, ASB, Class Representatives, and the student body continues. The teams are practicing and the artwork is being painted, leaving just one question: Are YOU ready for the Madness? The Civic Center awaits your answer.

Did You Know?

• Dimming the Civic’s lights was originally allowed during the class dances, until once when they wouldn’t turn back on!

• It is rumored that if a class representative touches the Monarch Madness trophy before the event, their class will never win!

• Games such as Class Rep Dodgeball and Musical Chairs were included in past Monarch Madnesses before they got too hectic!

• Last year’s idea for Indiana Jones came from the abstract design on a Chipotle bag!

• Monarch Madness always falls on a Thursday!

CONTENTS:

Opinions ........................................4-6

FOCUS ........................................... 10-11

Sports.........................................16-17

News..............................................1-3

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

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

PHOTO .......................................... 18-20

Page 2

February 2016 • News

Changing Course

Morning Prayer

Two Immersion Trips Cancelled

By Izzy Braham Staff Writer

By Emily Malig Archbishop Oscar Romero and the many Catholic Staff Editor martyrs who gave their lives in support of the SalCampus Ministry has made the difficult deci- vadoran people. sion to cancel both the ECJ: El Salvador and the Campus Ministry has also cancelled the Jamaica Jamaica immersion trips this year. trip for this spring. A recent New York Times article The decision on the El Salvador trip came after stated, “The World Health Organization has declared the Peace Corps decided to suspend its half-century the Zika virus an international public health emerprogram in the country due to increased security con- gency, prompted by growing concern that it could cerns. Several cause birth universities and defects.” The high schools, outbreak is curincluding Mitty rently growing followed suit, in the Caribcancelling their bean and Latin visits to El SalAmerica. vador.

Given the In 2015 potential danalone, over gers associated 6,000 people with the Zika were killed in virus, Campus the country due Ministry doesn’t to the escalatwant to risk the ing violence belong-term health tween alleged of its students gangs and poPhoto Courtesy of NPR, Map Courtesy of The New York Times and staff. The lice. According Jamaica immerto a recent article in by The Guardian, “Last year’s sion trip has only been in place for one year. Last death toll is the highest recorded since 1983, at the spring, students were able to witness the wealth gap height of a 12-year civil war that pitted a US-backed between the poorest of the poor and the richest of military dictatorship against left wing guerrilla the rich. They learned the state of Jamaica’s health groups.” care and education systems, volunteering with The ECJ: El Salvador immersion trip has been developmentally challenged adults and students, in place for nearly 20 years. Over the years, Cam- and accompanying people in a hospice care center. pus Ministry has cultivated a genuine, meaningful Campus Ministry is working diligently to find relationship with the people of Guarjila through the possible replacement trips for both the El Salvador Tamarindo Foundation. During their time on the and Jamaica trips. Immersion Trips Coordinator trip, students spent a week living with Salvadoran Ms. Kristy Calaway hopes to turn students’ disapfamilies and participating in community activities. pointment into a learning opportunity, asking, “In In addition, they learned about the Salvadoran civil what ways can we be advocates for social justice? war while visiting important historical cities, includ- We need to be aware that people’s lives are being ing those commemorating social justice advocate negatively impacted by the violence and the virus.”

FBLA Storms the Bay

By Madeleine Fernando Staff Editor

On February 6, 2016, Mitty’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter competed at the annual Bay Section Leadership Conference at Westmoor High School in Daly City.

Students competed against over a thousand students from across the Bay Area in an assortment of business related events from marketing to healthcare administration to public speaking.

The Mitty FBLA chapter gathers for the Many events involved a multipleBay Section Opening Ceremony before competition. choice objective test that students take eiThroughout the year, Mitty’s FBLA members ther individually or as part of a team; other events such as Job Interview and Public Speaking are exposed to different business-related topics are more performance based, and students are through presentations, group activities, and videos. graded on how effectively they handle the given At a typical meeting, the club officers generally situation. In addition to competing throughout the introduce a new topic, and then club members are day, students were encouraged to network with asked to collaborate on a small activity.

For example, during the marketing unit, their peers from different chapters and attend business related workshops put on by California FBLA. students were given a presentation on the basics While many students in other Future Busi- of business marketing and were then asked to ness Leaders of America chapters prepare for use these tactics to “sell” a random object in the their events through business-related curriculum, classroom to the rest of the club.

As club president Athreya Steiger comments, students of Mitty’s FBLA students self-study on their own through online resources and textbooks “Through FBLA, members really have the chance while also attending weekly Tuesday after-school to explore different fields of business to see what piques their interest… hopefully FBLA will bemeetings.

Mitty started its FBLA chapter six years ago come an even bigger club as more students become with the vision of encouraging more students to interested in it.”

FBLA’s hard work showed clear results at explore fields relating to business. the closing ceremony of the conference with eight The chapter has continued to expand and make a name for itself. Last year alone, Mitty qualified Monarchs placing in the top five of their respecseven students to the State Conference where tive events, and all eight qualifying for the State two students qualified for Nationals in Chicago, Conference in Ontario which will take place on April 16-19.

Illinois.

A new morning prayer has been instated this semester. Director of Campus Ministry Mr. Tim Wesmiller comments that the administrative council and Campus Ministry created it as an additional way the Mitty community could express and affirm its faith.

Each morning, music over the intercom signals the start of the morning prayer read by a Mitty student or faculty member. The piano melody played before the prayer was written by Mitty ‘14 alumnus, Kelsey Parker, inspired by her time on LIFE Corps. Students are then invited to center themselves by sharing in a period of prayer and reflection before their first class.

Mr. Wesmiller states that the community’s response has been, “overwhelmingly positive.” He has gotten feedback that students enjoy beginning the day by praying together, with the only drawback being the occasional muffled sound from the dated PA system.

Why all the B Weeks?

By Madelynne Zenk Staff Editor

Since the start of the currentsemester, there has been plenty of chatter about one thing—B Weeks.

It seems as if this year has had an excess of four-day weeks, but that is actually not the case. Every year is comprised of fifteen A Weeks and fifteen B Weeks, totaling thirty weeks; the remaining seven weeks are “special” weeks like 3-day weeks and finals. However, the different weeks are not evenly spaced in each semester, making for an abundance of B Weeks in the second semester.

A good deal of planning goes into deciding when students will have a B Week. First of all, there are legal holidays that Mitty is required to give a day off for. Faculty members also have in-service days for which students are also given the day off.

Furthermore, little things like leap year and Monarch Madness are factored in as well. But most importantly, the goal is to always have graduation on Memorial Day weekend. To make that goal, there must be a certain number of each type of week, and it just so happens that there are more B Weeks this semester, so enjoy!

Growing Green

By Madeleine Fernando Staff Editor This year, Mitty has added a 52’ x 58’ garden onto its campus located directly next to the beach volleyball courts.

Nourishing Earth club members and volunteers have been working on the garden for several weeks engaged in a process called sheet mulching. Over Easter vacation, Nourishing Earth will be making raised beds for the vegetable beds and preparing other areas where native plants and raspberry bushes will be planted. Fruit trees will also be added next year and, as the years go on, the garden will continue to expand to include multiple varieties.

The garden will be primarily used for one of the new senior electives: Feeding the Future: Sustainable Agriculture. This class will study the current food system, exploring agricultural aspects and environmental concerns. Students will be able to use the new greenhouse and garden to study how current farming methods and sustainable methods differ, while also learning about soil, compost, and how to grow food more sustainably.

In addition to the senior-year course, the garden will be used to serve the Mitty community. As the garden develops with more shaded areas and seating, it will hopefully become a popular spot on campus.

Ms. Janet Fenker comments, “I envision an art class or religion class escaping from the confines of the classroom, taking advantage of a more natural setting on campus. I hope the garden area can eventually be used by everyone on campus as a place to enjoy and relax a bit.”

Dedicated to teaching the community about nutrition, healthy meals, and the environment, Nourishing Earth will continue to play a role in the garden’s future and ensure its success. As the garden grows, Nourishing Earth has thoughts of harvesting and delivering its food to organizations like Sacred Heart Community Services and Second Harvest Food Bank.

News • February 2016

Page 3

Quiz Bowl

Bio Olympiad perceive biology as a topic out of reach, but Bio Olympiad helps connect all of these topics together while also exploring biology Bio Olympiad has grown to be both an in multiple ways. educational and enjoyable club dedicated Mr. Motroni comments,“I would say to teaching students about different aspects that the mission of the club is to explore and of biology. enjoy the various phenomenon associated The club was initially started by recent with biology.” He adds that Biology OlymMitty alumnus Khush Kharidia after piad allows students who are interested in he was a semi-finalist in the biology to expand upon those International Bio Olyminterests.

BIO OLYMPIAD QUESTION: piad. Currently, SciMembers who want ence Teacher and to take this knowlWhich statement is true about enzymes?

Club Moderator edge to the next levEnzymes...

Mr. Thomas el by competing A) Are made up of a base containing nitrogen, Motroni and have the option to the club’s co- phosphate, and ribose. take the USABO B) Have activity that is independent of temperature presidents exam. and pH. organize and L a s t y e a r, C) Lose some or all of the irregular activity when plan all club current Co-Prestheir 3-D structure is disrupted. activities. ident of the Bio D) Provide the activation energy needed to Although O l y m p i a d Club activate a reaction. this club initially Ethan Han scored in focused on the United the top 10%, becoming States of America Biology a semifinalist in the competiOlympiad (USABO) exam, it tion. Through this exam, students can has now shifted its focus to appeal to all learn the skills to take a standardized scistudents passionate about learning biology. ence test that could be beneficial to subjects Instead of rigorous meetings full of practice in the SAT 2 and AP science courses. tests and lectures, more fun and engaging Because the USABO exam is near, activities have been incorporated into the students are currently spending a majority meetings. For example, before Christmas of the time during club meetings preparing break, members collected their own DNA for the test. Students usually take practice and suspended it in an ethanol and detergent tests and polish test-taking skills to improve solution to create a personalized Christmas scores. tree ornament. These types of activities and However, USABO exam is a small labs have been included in club meetings to aspect of the club, so any student with an attract a greater number of students. interest in Biology is always encouraged to While the club does cover some top- join. After the USABO exam is over, the ics included in current science curriculum Bio Olympiad Club is hoping to focus more like the different biological systems of the on other activities for all members with a body, it also seeks to apply this knowledge passion for biology such as dissections and to daily life examples. Students can often other labs.

By Soo Min Cho Staff Writer

of what questions to be expecting.

The club meetings sometimes emphasize subjects that students lack knowledge Mitty’s Quiz Bowl club is relatively in, such as classical music. new, formed just last year by students who Although other schools’ Quiz Bowl were curious about Quiz Bowl competi- meetings are more focused on studying tions. and memorizing hundreds of Jeopardy The competition always begins with questions, Mitty’s Quiz Bowl club takes a question called a tossup. In a tossup, one a more easy-going approach in preparing student from a school’s four-person team for tournaments. Quiz Bowl’s mission is to answers the paragraph-long question indi- make students enjoy the competitions and vidually without the help of other members. learn new interesting facts through the difOnce a student answers a question, the whole ferent activities. team earns bonus points via three questions Currently, students are training to that students can collaborate on to answer. compete in preparation for the multiple After a bonus, another tossup is given, and competitions they must attend, including the competition continues with teams going one at University of California Berkeley back and forth answering questions. and two more at local high schools.

The questions are usually based on The Quiz Bowl club is also focusing academic subjects and general knowledge, on learning history to attend but Quiz Bowl encourages stua History Bowl. Quiz dents to connect ideas together Bowl is hoping to QUIZ BOWL QUESTION: to answer the questions. create more acTherefore, Quiz Bowl is tivities in the In 404 BC, all but 3,000 citizens of not simply about who future outthis polis had their arms confiscated. One memorizes more facts struggle for control of it saw the death of the side of club before the competition. oligarch Critias at the Battle of Piraeus; after meetings, The winner is typ- that 403 BC battle, Thrasybulus pardoned many such as a ically the group who of the Thirty Tyrants who ruled this city after it scavenger lost the Peloponnesian War. For 10 points— has the better ability hunt or difname this ancient Greek city-state whose to pull all of the ideas ferent Quiz democracy was temporarily ended by together for a final answer.

Bowl quesSpartan control.

Quiz Bowl members tions on the say that students should not be announcediscouraged from joining the club ments. because they think that they lack knowledge Quiz Bowl President Sidof a wide range of topics. dharth Kulkarni states, “I would recomIn Quiz Bowl meetings, students go over mend this club to anyone with an interest topics for possible questions. For example, in learning new trivia and having fun at the they look through Jeopardy’s archive of same time. Our competitions are always a unreleased questions, or members review good time, even if there aren’t that many in Quiz Bowl organization’s “10 Things You a year...And you get to hang out with Mr. Gotta Know” articles that informs members Pierson and us!”

Answer: C)

Queen of the Rink

By Kristine Chang and Eliza Kolmanovsky Staff Writers Senior Polina Edmunds is well-known by all at Mitty as one of the school’s foremost athletes and as an incredibly talented ice skater. She first caught the attention of the community when she won silver at the 2014 U.S. Figure Skating Championships as a mere sophomore in high school. Her debut at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi shortly afterwards and her placement in the top ten was a moment that made Mitty history.

An inspiration to all, Edmunds has kept very busy since then.

In that time, she has been inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame and won gold at the 2015 Four Continents Figure Skating championships, a competition featuring the most talented skaters from non-European countries. She placed in the top ten in the World Photo Courtesty of U.S. News Skating Championships the same year. Additionally, she has toured Polina Edmunds skates at the with Stars on Ice, a national tour led by several leading figure skatU.S. Figure Skating Championships. ers. She even attended the Breakfast with Champions hosted by the organization Right To Play, which uses sports to enhance child development in disadvantaged areas.

Even with her intense schedule, Edmunds has found time to participate in several activities in the Bay Area: she attended the Kids’ Choice Awards, threw out the first pitch at an Oakland A’s game, and participated in the grand opening of a new ice rink in San Mateo. Additionally, Edmunds teamed up with Kristi Yamaguchi, a former U.S. Olympic gold medal skater, on January 31 to support children’s literacy programs. And she voluntarily choreographed the skating performance of “Skating in Fairytales” for a group of about twenty child skaters.

Edmunds most recent triumph was her second title as a U.S. national silver medalist at the U.S. Women’s Figure Skating Championship, in which she earned 207.51 points total in the competition for her two skating programs. She skated a beautiful short program performance to Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” which gave her a significant lead of more than seven points over her main competitors, Gracie Gold and Ashley Wagner.

Her long program, set to “Gone with the Wind,” had only one slight mishap, an under-rotated triple jump, but was excellent overall.

“I’m happy I skated a clean long program,” Edmunds commented to the San Jose Mercury News. “That was my goal, to skate two clean programs. I really think I showed a good champion mentality...I’m just very happy with how I did overall.”

Edmunds will go on to compete in the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taiwan in February, in which she will defend her Ladies’ singles title. In late March to early April, she will represent the United States at the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston.

Answer: Athens

By Soo Min Cho Staff Writer

Volume 25 Number 3 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 Sanghavi Srinivasan, Kirthana Sarathy, & Quynh-Lam Tran

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 Myers

Art Bharathi Arasan Archbishop Mitty High School 5000 Mitty Avenue, San Jose, CA 95129

OPINIONS OppOsing ViewpOints: Reading

fOR

pleasuRe

the adVantages Of new Media

ReasOns tO Keep Reading

Just tOO Many distRactiOns

By Shayne Jones Staff Writer

By Jacob Isaacs Opinions Editor

By Rachel Dovek Staff Writer

You’ve got the day off from school—finally!

You’ve been on the daily grind for the last three “A” weeks and there’s no way that you can solve one more polynomial without collapsing. So, what do you do?

A little voice in your head whispers, “read a book, read a book”. . . and what do you do? You laugh. Why in the world would you read a book when you could be playing Xbox, watching Game of Thrones, or going to the new Star Wars movie?

One of the best ways to be entertained used to be reading. A book had everything—romance, action, mystery, intrigue—it was basically a movie in your head. But now, we actually have movies, and even things better than movies—like Netflix. The entertainment at our fingertips (literally) is irresistible when we want a quick fix to boredom, so it makes sense that the first thing we grab for isn’t a book.

I can speak from experience, too. When I was younger, say in fifth grade through eighth grade, I was an avid reader. I read everything from Nancy Drew to The Yearling to Maximum Ride, and I would finish a book per week...but then I got to high school.

At that point, I automatically thought about closereading every book I picked up because that’s what had been drilled into my head for so long. At that thought, I would vomit inside my mouth and put the book down.

I read so much in school that the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was read more. After all, reading anything takes brain power and after a mentally grueling day at school, I couldn’t possibly imagine having to exert any more cerebral energy than I had to.

And I think that this is the trap that a lot of high schoolers fall into. The unadulterated pleasure that they might have been used to getting from picking up a freshly printed novel is dashed with the reality that the minute they open it, they’re going to think of it like an assignment—and that ruins everything.

This trap is especially prominent now because of this crazy information age that we all live in. The options that we have open to us for entertainment are endless and are generally far more enticing than books, so obviously we gravitate towards those instead. It’s a sad reality that reading for fun is becoming a thing of the past for many young adults.

I, however, hope that one day that will change, because books are special in a way that no Netflix original can ever overshadow—even if modern media offers quality entertainment that will always draw us to it.

In elementary school you loved books. You read often. Every day, most likely. You always looked forward to finishing a novel and starting the next one, which would often happen faster than you expected.

You waited, excited for the holidays, when you would get that crisp new hardcover. Over the years, though, you read less and less. Not necessarily because you didn’t want to. There just wasn’t enough time.

Sounds familiar, right? If you weren’t this person, you probably still know dozens of others who were.

No, I’m not an oracle. I only remember how important, how much a part of the culture, reading used to be, when we were younger. But now, it seems the once-honored tradition of reading has been reduced to a petty chore.

To me, this change is disheartening. As I became the person I described above, I became ashamed of my own hypocrisy and poor time management. So many books, not any time—I thought. Yet I still wanted to pursue reading. Many of us, I’m sure, still cherish books, even if we no longer read. They’re escapism, entertainment, and education. No other medium can provide that in the same way. Books give us stories.

Books give us conversations, ideas, and ways to relate to others. Books teach us about life, or perhaps more importantly, the human condition.

In an age of passive media, books are unique.

They entertain, but they also make you think. That may sound like a chore. It shouldn’t be. When you’re bored, what’s better—staring blankly into space or at a screen, or involving your mind in something? I find the latter more productive, useful, and enjoyable.

A good book, I believe, leaves you with something, even months or years down the road. It changes your thinking in some way. Anything from Moby-Dick to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy can affect a person. Books are little pieces of life we carry with us, always accessible (in our heads and in print) when we need to access their truths.

It’s true, we’re all tremendously busy. However, it’s still possible to make time for books. You can read during the lulls between activities, when getting ready to sleep, or when dawdling. I find that although books are one more thing to take up time, they slow life down. You can’t be in a hurry and enjoy a book.

You have to slow yourself down to enjoy it. With all of society’s freneticism, taking a few moments here and there to read may just be the very thing you need to relax—and to expand your mind to boot.

Do you remember the last time you picked up a book for fun or even when you stepped into a real bookstore? Think back to your elementary school days when reading a book under your blankets with a flashlight was the norm. Or maybe it was middle school, reading a book under your desk in the middle of class, when you were supposed to be working quietly on homework.

Today, that flashlight and page-turning novel have been replaced with the bright screen of a phone containing the latest gossip, news, or games. With the exception of required independent reading choices and picking up books before the school year starts, the concept of reading for fun has laregly diminished.

Between painful, lengthy reading requirements and subsequent tests, essays, and close reading checks, students have lost the freedom and joy of reading. Most students struggle to finish their homework at night; when is there time to read for enjoyment?

We all know of the knowledge we could gain and the benefits of reading, yet often we are stuck in a situation of only having to read what we are told versus what we want.

Between extracurriculars, homework, and sleep, most of us simply don’t have any time left to read for fun. Students struggle to finish assigned academic work, and therefore do not have the time or motivation to pick up a book for enjoyment. In addition, the time that could have been devoted to reading has been filled with other media, such as watching Netflix or surfing social media. Many students have not picked up a book since the end of eighth grade.

With summer and academic books predetermined, it is difficult for us to enjoy reading. School only leaves students times like winter vacation to pick up a book for fun.

But keeping a book you enjoy in your backpack for that one off period that you end up having nothing to do could be life-changing. Rediscovering the joy of reading could allow you to become even more knowledgeable and educated—beyond the classroom.

Ultimately, reading is a healthy way for students to alleviate the boredom they encounter. Head over to Barnes and Noble, find something you like, and your life will be significantly enriched in those few moments you find to read.

Opinions • February 2016

Page 5

hold Israel

To a

By Murad Awad Staff Writer Nelson Mandela once said, “Our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” While this icon of the resistance to apartheid knew how vital the situation in Palestine was, nowadays many would rather ignore the plight of the oppressed than stand for justice. Walter Benjamin was right when he said, “History is written by the victors”— this notion is most profoundly shown by the American coverage and media surrounding the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Let’s start with the 2014 conflict in Gaza. There was a spike in coverage after the despicable murder of three Israeli teens, Naftali Fraenkel, Gilad Shaer, and Eyal Yifrah

by Hassem Quwasameh, a member of Hamas. Israel then used this event as justification for a war that killed 2,310 Palestinians, 67% of whom were civilians.

In contrast to this, there was very little coverage when two Palestinian teens, Nadeem Siam Nawara and Mohammad Odeh Abu Daher, were murdered by an Israeli sniper during a protest in the West Bank, before the war occurred. Despite the Israeli government not being reprimanded by the international community for this injustice and other heinous acts committed during the war, all of Palestine was blamed for the murder of the three Israeli teens.

This double standard alleviated Israel’s moral responsibility, allowing it to exploit the

hIgher sTandard situation and kill thousands, then blame it on Hamas by saying that they use human shields, despite Amnesty International finding no evidence of this to be true.

There is no doubt that Hamas is an extremist organization that should not be supported, but the fact that Israel killed thousands of innocent civilians, opened fire on civilians, including four boys playing soccer at a city beach, and destroyed schools for little apparent reason, means that it must be held morally accountable for its actions. And, in fact, more than Hamas is. A terrorist group and a de facto government deeming itself to be “the only democracy in the Middle East” are not morally equivalent: States are expected to be in accordance with international laws and human rights; terrorist groups are not.

And yet the fact remains that among the American public, Israel was seen to have the moral high ground simply because it is an ally of the US. The most vile human rights violations were committed by our ally and we didn’t condemn it, we applauded it, despite the remarks of its own Minister of Justice, Ayelet Shaked that included, “This is a war between two people. Who is the enemy? The Palestinian people.”

Israel’s actions should not be supported. They should be condemned. How are we, the United States, to deem ourselves a nation of justice and democracy if we support countries while blindly ignoring their heinous actions? The answer is clear: we can’t. We must stand against Israel’s acts of injustice.

The Irrelevance

By Abhijit Ramaprasad Staff Writer From January 2 to February 11, Ammon Bundy’s Oregon militia was a persistent, if not necessarily important, part of the news cycle. Bundy and his militia attempted to occupy Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, as a sort of “revenge” for the sentencing of two ranchers for arson on federal land. Of course, they failed to get that revenge.

If anything, the group was a joke, a footnote on daily events, but also a callback to previously similar, albeit more tragic, events—namely, the Ruby Ridge incident and the Waco siege.

At Ruby Ridge in 1992, a standoff between white supremacist and criminal Randy Weaver and his family, and federal marshals, led to a siege and deaths on both sides of the conflict. In Waco in 1993, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms bungled the arrest of David Koresh, a cult leader with an extremely dangerous stash of firearms. The result: the death of ATF agents and a 51-day siege, concluding with a devastating fire that killed many of Koresh’s followers, including children. Seeing this history, it is unsurprising that the government kept its efforts in dealing with Bundy’s gang of thugs more low-key.

Bundy and his militia were similar in their worldview to the criminals at Ruby Ridge and Waco, and the government has proved that, a little bit over 20 years later, they can now properly deal with these kinds of criminals.

However, the nation also witnessed a very understated response to domestic terrorists, and fear of retaliation after the tragedies of the past has made dealing with these kinds

of The

of dangers a much more delicate proposition, and prevents the government from enforcing its laws. A perfect example can be found in Ammon Bundy’s father, Cliven Bundy, a cattle rancher who has been illegally grazing his cows on government land and driving others to do the same for over twenty years.

A thoroughly unsavory man who infamously lost much public support when he made racist statements about African-Americans, Bundy is the subject of a decadeslong attempt to be brought to justice. It is no longer safe for government employees to travel the federal lands around Bundy because of the danger of Bundy and his hooligans, who have, many times, shot at Bureau of Land Management agents and have convinced many of their fellows to do the same. When the BLM first tried to evict Bundy, they were forced to throttle down, as Waco and Ruby Ridge were very recent memories, and because of it, they have been unable to bring Bundy and his cohorts, to justice, allowing Bundy to spread his dangerous message and ruin the land he occupies.

The issue here is how we deal with this unique variety of domestic terrorism. Rather than forcefully and efficiently dealing with these threats, the government acts passively because it fears these dangerous militias.

It allows criminals to continue breaking the law for years; it was a miracle that Ammon Bundy was as incompetent as he was and failed to plan ahead.

These incidents say a good deal about how the nation views terrorists based on race. White militants are seemingly coddled and their crimes are often diminished,

flInT: snyder

By Sumeet Bansal Staff Writer The Flint water crisis recently came into the public eye amid large donations and short tweets from outraged celebrities. However, it’s been an ongoing issue for the city of Flint, Michigan, which has had to deal with contaminated water for over a year, and the prolonging of the crisis indicates a degree of ineptitude (or more likely, criminal negligence) that demands change within the administration that allowed the crisis to continue unchecked.

Flint’s residents first noticed the poisoned water supply back in 2014 following the decision of local officials to switch water sources from the safer and more reliable Detroit Water Department to the cheaper Flint River.

The trade-off for alleviating some of Flint’s financial distress was the loss of corrosion-control chemicals in the water, and the absence of these chemicals led to the corrosion of water pipes and the leaching of lead into the city’s water supply.

Of course, the people of Flint were quick to notice—complaints about the colors and odors flooded in. But these went largely ignored.

In fact, the authorities continued pushing the same message: that the water was fine, and if problems were to arise, citizens would be notified within 24 hours. It would take several months for city officials to actually declare that the water supply had been contaminated.

And as if such negligence weren’t enough, it was later reported by an official task force designated

Is

Bundys

painting them as less than terrorists because they do not match the public stereotype of what terrorism is.

While any other group who had the gall to do something like the Bundy’s did would face exponentially more public outcry and backlash and much harsher government retribution.

The government should not sit idly by as these goons trash federal lands for their own profit and spread messages of hate and violence.

Past mistakes should not force a different brand of inefficiency and passivity. The government has proven itself more than capable of dealing with much greater threats much more effectively—and it should do the same with trespassing militias, “sovereign citizens,” and terrorists.

responsIBle

to investigate the cause of the crisis that officials had actually suppressed separate findings on lead levels in both the water and the blood of diseased children. At that point, warnings and lead filters began to be passed around, but no definitive solution was formulated or even considered.

In fact, it was only after a maelstrom of bad press that Governor Rick Snyder stepped in. Prior to significant media coverage, he had done absolutely nothing to help the struggling city and its nearly 100,000 residents. Even FEMA, the most obvious source of aid, wasn’t brought in to help until late January, nearly a year later.

In dealing with the crisis, Snyder and his administration displayed a blatant disregard for the well-being of Flint’s citizens.

Many have leveled accusations that the delayed response was a result of Flint’s demographics skewing poor and black, that officials ignored early warning signs in an unfair and discriminatory manner because of the predominantly black population.

While such bias certainly exacerbates the issue, the fact that this crisis was ignored at all under Snyder’s watch points to negligence on his behalf.

Flint native and outspoken critic Michael Moore tweeted earlier this month: “On Sat, I called Flint ‘Governor Snyder’s Katrina.’ Today he said he accepts that comparison. Except Bush didn’t cause the hurricane #Jail.” If anyone is to blame, it is Snyder and his administration, and if anyone is to take the fall, it should be him.

Page 6

when fusiOn gOes Bad

By Anna Tseselsky Staff Writer Along with me, other children of immigrant parents can probably remember dreading opening up their school lunch boxes in elementary school and watching American classmates recoil in disgust at the wafting exotic stenches. However, the day has come where we can finally rejoice. Those “ethnic” foods we used to beg our parents not to cook for us have now become the latest trend.

Traditional cuisine has reappeared in trendy restaurants and you can’t scroll down for five minutes on Instagram without seeing at least one picture of milk tea. Foreign cuisine has never been more fashionable, but has this sudden mainstream appreciation of ethnic foods created a cultural problem?

As the conversation of economic gentrification and cultural appropriation continues to develop, we ought to start talking about the gentrification of immigrant food as well. When people treat ethnic food like discount tourism—a way for aspiring foodies to feel worldly without venturing outside the comforts of their suburbs—they undervalue the cultures of America’s recent immigrants. The same dishes American chefs put on trendy menus and flaunt as “authentic” are devalued when cooked by the people who brought them here in the first place. While restaurants owned by immigrants have to keep their prices low, stylish “fusion” restaurants can charge outrageous prices for mere imitations of truly authentic cultural dishes.

Expanding our palates isn’t a bad thing at all and can actually stimulate a much needed discussion on the importance of cultural diversity in America, but we should consider how we approach the foods that have so recently come into the limelight.

So the next time you grab some ramen with your friends make sure to appreciate not only the diverse tastes but also the cultures and the people that created them.

February 2016 • Opinions

the fine BROs aRe fine

By Alisa Khieu Opinions Editor Within twenty-four hours, the beloved Fine Brothers received 23,380,505 additional views on YouTube. They lost over 115,000 subscribers. Subsequently, their videos received more than 150,000 dislikes. It’s a not-so-fine time with TheFineBros.

Once one of the top ten most successful YouTube channels, TheFineBrothers were renowned for their hilarious content—for example, “Elders React to Nicki Minaj” and “Kids React to VCR/VHS.” Now, they are infamous for their predatory capitalism as a result of their attempt to license and trademark “reaction” videos of similar formatting.

Across YouTube, Tumblr, and Reddit, there was a severe backlash to the Fine Brothers’ attempt to monopolize a genre. Their reputation in ruins, the Fine Brothers apologized both in video and in print, announcing that they would rescind all React trademarks and release all previous Content ID claims which would allow for the removal of reaction videos deemed to infringe on TheFineBros’ intellectual property.

The Fine Brothers may be pitiful, but truly pathetic is the audience reaction.

Because of the vulgar hatred found in the comment section, their apology video has since been deleted. Each video thereafter increased the subscriber loss rate so that over half a million fans have been lost because their apology was supposedly “insincere” and “angry.” Ridiculous!

They admitted that they messed up. They apologized several times over in the video. Is complete surrender the only acceptable response? Under so much fire from their fanbase and company, the Fine Brothers tried to explain their reasoning for licensing, but the Internet completely rejected their attempt at dialogue. They listened when fans suggested reaction videos, yet the one time they tried to speak from their perspective, they were victimized. They made a grave mistake, but are people really fans? “Fine Bros REACT to Losing 1 Million Subscribers?!!!”—you’re kidding me.

Once, videos were fun for everyone, and the Fine Brothers genuinely wanted to entertain people, to make them happy. This was their passion, their dream, and now they wake up to this nightmare—eleven years’ worth of work destroyed.

If you’re really a fan, why don’t you react like a compassionate human being?

BeyOnd identity: ReeValuating clintOn’s suppORt the Value

By Ana Gonzalvez Opinions Editor The New Hampshire primary provided us with the first upset by underdog Bernie Sanders of the 2016 presidential election: Sanders swept the competition, taking a whopping 60% of the vote, while claiming a vast majority of collegeage voters. More surprising, however, was Hillary Clinton’s complete failure to nab the votes of young women. When all was said and done, 70% of women under the age of 30 supported Sanders, compared to the 20% backing Clinton.

This obvious lack of support from the demographic Clinton was certainly banking on outraged several notable women. Earlier in the week, Gloria Steinem offered her explanation for the disparity: young women simply weren’t activist enough. According to Steinem, when voting for president, young women support Sanders because “the boys are with Bernie.”

Madeline Albright echoed this same justification. At a Concord rally for Clinton, the first female Secretary of State commented that “there’s a special place in Hell for women who don’t help each other.” She then went on to chalk up the lack of young female support as a product of women’s tendency to be judgmental of each other.

Even with Steinem’s later half-hearted retraction of her statements, the message to young women is clear: we need to support Hillary out of solidarity! The only reason we’re not all jumping out of our seats to vote for her right now is because we’re just not #ReadyForHillary.

As for any young woman who votes for Bernie Sanders or any candidate who isn’t Clinton?

Well, she’s obviously just self-hating and misinformed. She just doesn’t understand how much Hillary has endured to be here.

In this argument lies one of the core problems of Clinton’s entire campaign: she calls too much upon her position as a woman, or a grandmother, or ways in which she is “just like your abuela.” In response to Sanders referring to her as a member of the establishment during the fifth Democratic debate, Clinton fired back that “Senator Sanders is the only person who I think would characterize me, a woman running to be the first woman president, as exemplifying the establishment.” With her close connections to Wall Street, her campaign funded by Super PACs, and her constant name-dropping of her governmental buddies, this argument is about as solid as her support from young female voters.

With all of the conflicting views surrounding Clinton’s candidacy, young women voters are getting caught in the fray of Clinton’s hollow identity politics and older women like Steinem’s unfounded, borderline misogynist guilt-tripping. However, we mustn’t get trapped in these reductionist arguments. While Clinton’s possible position as the first woman president is significant, ultimately, we cannot be informed voters if we base our support for candidates solely on their identities.

Of

gene dRiVes

By Tiina Otala Staff Writer Imagine a world free of disease, hunger, and invasive species. Insects never spread deadly illnesses nor do they raze crop fields. Natural species flourish as environmental intruders flounder. And all of this can be accomplished with one system. An impossible dream? No longer.

This idealistic image can be made a reality through the use of engineered gene drives.

Gene drives can bypass the regular Mendelian laws of a 50% chance of inheritance for either of two alleles, or versions of genes, of one parent. These genetic systems can skew the traditional odds of passing on an allele to half of the offspring in favor of having the majority of descendants affected instead. Genes drives cause organisms that inherit both a drive chromosome and a normal chromosome to repair the damage by copying the intact chromosome, the one with the drive. The result, already observed in nature for years, is an organism with only drive chromosomes that will carry the driven gene and pass it on to any progeny.

Despite gene drives being an older idea, scientists are now revisiting the concept with a modern twist: technology that allows them to finally build gene drives, rather than simply examine them. Their tool, CRISPR, originally a bacterial system of defense against viruses, has been transformed into a method of editing genomes. A piece of RNA can be reprogrammed to whatever sequence they wish, so essentially any trait can be inserted into almost any organism.

The applications of this technology are immense. With the ability to potentially adjust genes at our whim, a world of disease-immune insects, controlled invasive species, and pest-resistant plants could be on the horizon.

However, such a situation is presently buried under a mountain of questions and regulations. Scientists will not distribute gene drives into the wild without resounding approval from the public and assurance that disastrous effects—such as accidental extinctions, loss of biodiversity, and the spread of new invasive species—would not occur.

We can certainly aid in answering questions about the issue by backing the development of this new and beneficial technology. If we don’t develop it, we’ll never know what it can accomplish. So imagine that same world again, and know that it can be a possibility with your support.

Gene drives guarantee inheritance of a specific trait.

Justice Awareness

STEMming Sexism

By Amulya Yerrapotu Justice Awareness Editor

The fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, commonly known by the acronym STEM, are seen as the next frontier of our society, expected to offer 9 million jobs by 2022. Additionally, there are currently 1.4 million STEM jobs that need to be filled.

Considering this, it’s alarming that the Department of Commerce found that women hold a mere 26% of STEM jobs, despite accounting for almost half of the labor force overall. Starting around high school and continuing onward, women seem to display less interest in STEM fields.

The National Center for Education Statistics finds that the math test scores of boys and girls are identical at age nine, but by age 13 a divide begins to grow despite no difference in inherent ability.

Sources of this disparity range from “a lack of female role models, [to] gender stereotyping, [to] less family-friendly flexibility in the STEM fields” according to the Department of Commerce. STEM companies and classrooms tend to have a more masculine culture which can dissuade women from entering. Because they haven’t been exposed to STEM activities, they are less likely to pick STEM classes.

This can be seen at Mitty where, on average, women collectively make up 43% of Accelerated, Honors, and AP Math and Science students. This proportion mirrors the percentage of women who earn Doctorates in the sciences: 45%. However, when the numbers are broken down further, the situation begins to look more dire. The average proportion of women in Honors and Accelerated STEM courses at Mitty is 50%, but the average proportion of women in AP courses falls to 36%.

It’s important to note that not all fields are created equal.

Courses like Environmental Science or Biology have strong female representation—50% and 46%, respectively—and thus little gender disparity. The real differences are found in the more math intensive courses like Calculus and Physics (with AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism), which have the lowest proportion of women— only 23%. The gap is mirrored in the real world, where women account for only 18% of any degree in computer science and 22% of PhDs in engineering.

What makes the issue more pressing is the opportunity STEM fields present to women. STEM fields represent some of the highest paying jobs out there— women in STEM make 33% more than women at comparable levels of education in non-STEM jobs. Unfortunately, some of the STEM fields that women seem more inclined to enter pay less than careers in engineering, and even when women enter high paying STEM fields, studies reveal they have been less likely to be promoted to leadership positions.

A lack of women in STEM fields means that half of our population is underrepresented in the processes driving what kinds of technologies are created. The lack of women in STEM fields is thus a waste of critical resources. As President Obama says, “We’ve got half the population that is way underrepresented in those fields and that means that we’ve got a whole bunch of talent…not being encouraged the way they need to.” And Dr. Greg Scott, who became a physics teacher at Mitty after a long career in the tech industry, notes, “we lose a lot if we don’t have women.”

Programs that specifically target and encourage women to develop their talents in STEM fields have been seen as critical in combatting stereotypes and creating female-friendly atmospheres in typically exclusive climates.

Girls Who Code represents one of these programs as they teach young women computer programming skills and put them in contact with female mentors in the industry, allowing them to grow confident in their abilities, and inspiring them to pursue careers in the tech industry.

As Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saunjani said in a recent Daily Show interview, “You cannot be what you cannot see, so we need to change culture.”

26%

of STEM jobs are held by women

43%

of students in Mitty’s STEM classes are female

Focus on FEM

Feminism Edition

By Athreya Steiger Staff Writer Tackling the issue of oppression is no easy task, but it is one that is being taken on by Mitty’s very own FEM club. FEM, an acronym for the Female Empowerment Movement, works to spread awareness about the roots of discrimination within our society.

Juniors Ana-Gertrudes Gonzalvez and Anna Tseseslky started the club because they “wanted people to have a space where they [could] talk about their experiences as women.” As Gonzalvez says, FEM “strives to make the club as intersectional as possible” by recognizing the ties between different forms of oppression and understanding that each woman’s experiences are unique because of how their gender interacts with their race, sexuality, and more.

The club initially focused on raising awareness by having discussions.

This semester, FEM started the year with a Privilege Walk, an activity designed to promote awareness of our privilege and how it impacts our lives. By calling attention to our sources of privilege, FEM works to bring about more awareness for the social issues present in the rest of our community.

To share the opportunities afforded to us, the FEM club also plans to participate in many forms of service.

They have been reaching out to local women’s shelters for volunteering and are planning to hold a drive for feminine hygiene products and old clothing.

While the forces of oppression that exist within our world may be powerful, so too is the determination of these young women to defeat them.

Elephant in the Valley

By Niharika Bhat Justice Awareness Editor

We see the Silicon Valley as a hub of progress, but inside the chrome buildings of our nation’s most cutting-edge tech firms lies another reality for some. The sexism that female employees often face in the Silicon Valley has long been a topic of discussion, and some argue little has been done to address the accusations leveled at the companies themselves.

A January 2016 study, entitled Elephant in the Valley, reported on the state of women in the workplace here. According to the study, 60% of women in the tech industry report unwanted sexual advances from male colleagues, and 1 in 3 women have feared for their personal safety in the workplace due to these advances.

The 2012 Pao v. Kleiner Perkins court case, which was cited as an inspiration for the creation of Elephant in the Valley, was one of the first major cases to call attention to the nature of sexism in the Silicon Valley. Ms. Pao’s suit claimed that she had lost a promotion because of gender discrimination, and that Kleiner Perkins had retaliated against her after her complaints.

Though Pao lost the case, the trial sparked a powerful discussion among women in tech on their rights and the strength of their voices.

According to the researchers behind Elephant in the Valley, “What we realized is that while many women shared similar workplace stories, most men were simply shocked and unaware of the issues facing women in the workplace.”

As the study suggests, we must first raise awareness of this silent sexism before we can find justice for those women whose voices have been silenced by fear.

87%

of women report rude comments from male colleagues

66%

of women feel excluded from networking

60%

of women in tech report sexual advances

Page 8

February 2016• Justice Awareness

Spotlight: CRS: Helping Those in Need Women’s Empowerment

By Surabhi Bhupathi Staff Writer Catholic Relief Services is a non-profit agency that both supports Catholic Church organizations and also works independently to provide relief worldwide. Based in the United States, the agency has been known for its vast international work, spanning over 90 countries and 130 territories.

Founded in 1943, its first purpose was to support post-war European refugees.

As the U.S. government and the American Catholic community provided donations, the agency was able to expand its coverage and to shift its focus to health care, nutrition education, micro enterprise, and agriculture, equipping the people they helped with life skills and the ability to look out for themselves and help others.

Armed with “faith, action, and results,” the agency set about transforming some of the places that needed the most help into places that could actually provide help.

The foremost ideal of CRS is to “Help

Jesus in Disguise.” Apart from providing the impoverished with resources, the agency also acts as an advocate on behalf of those voices that are powerless and rarely heard.

Among the various forms of assistance they provide include medical help and training, emergency and disaster training, and violence in the face of civil conflict.

They have also provided medical help for those with HIV/AIDS and have helped with the rebuilding of peace in specific areas. Apart from focusing on large world issues, such as the Syrian refugee crisis, the agency also protects people suffering in the Central African Republic, providing help for those who fled their homes in the face of civil war and crisis.

As an agency that provides help to the impoverished, relief for the sick, and advocacy for the voiceless, Catholic Relief Services seeks to promote justice and compassion throughout the world—following the example of Jesus that acts as its model.

By Trisha Karani Staff Writer Raising children as a single parent, escaping domestic violence, struggling to find a job, fighting an addiction—battling these burdens may already appear difficult enough, but one thing complicates these circumstances even more: homelessness.

After working to stem poverty in Nicaragua, and spending years watching the cycle of poverty continue to affect the many women and children living on the streets, Lisa Culp returned home and founded Women’s Empowerment in Sacramento. The organization works to provide women with “the skills and confidence necessary to get a job, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and regain a home for themselves and their children.”

Women’s Empowerment provides the resources needed to offer a safe environment where each woman and her family are nurtured and treated with respect. The organization helps to provide a stable job along with safety and health for women and

their children. Through classes, counseling, career mentoring, and peer support, the goal is to provide women with a refuge to escape their cycle of homelessness and poverty.

Since its creation, Women’s Empowerment has helped more than 1,200 women and 2,500 children to reach a safe and secure lifestyle. With the organization’s help, 90% of homeless women have found a steady job, schools for furthering their education, or safe homes.

Voted Nonprofit of the Year of 2009 by the Nonprofit Resource Center as well as Organization of the Year in 2014 at the inaugural Women’s Appreciation Awards, Women’s Empowerment continues to bring change to our community by encouraging and supporting women to rise from an impoverished state to one of safety, security, self-esteem, and most importantly, hope.

“When you teach a mother to fish, her family will eat for generations,” the saying goes. Women’s Empowerment in Sacramento seeks to make this a reality.

Service Dogs to the Rescue

By Supna Kapoor Staff Writer For centuries, dogs have been considered man’s best friend. Not only do they have the ability to make anybody smile, they are tremendously intelligent and unconditionally passionate. For centuries, dogs have been trained to simplify and enhance the lives of people in need.

There are many types of Assistance Dogs, ranging anywhere from Service Dogs, who help provide mobility for those with physical disabilities, to Guide Dogs for the visually impaired, to Psychiatric Service Dogs, Hearing Dogs, Medical Alert Dogs, and Veteran Dogs aiding our returned soldiers with both physical injuries and PTSD. These dogs can complete a number of tasks such as opening and closing doors, turning lights on and off, retrieving objects, alerting people when their handler is in need of help, providing company: anything to better the life of the handler with whom they inevitably build an intimate relationship. Think of Assistance Dogs as an extension of their handler— wherever a handler goes, their pup comes with them.

People often confuse Assistance Dogs with Therapy Dogs, but Therapy Dogs are not required to go through the rigorous and extensive training of Assistance Dogs. In fact, the test Therapy Dogs must pass to be certified is considerably easier than the one for Assistance Dogs.

Essentially, Assistance Dogs are the Army Rangers of the “canine companion” world.

Nessa, Mitty’s own former Assistance Dog, is still in the training stage of her career, but after six more months in school she will be placed in a home.

While it is still unknown what kind of Assistance Dog Nessa will become, Ms. Shaffer, Nessa’s handler, says that Nessa scored perfectly on her doggie report card, so she’s capable for an array of duties. According to Ms. Shaffer, “Nessa’s basically got a 4.0”.

Despite all of the benefits service dogs have, few people have access to them, due to how expensive

they are and the lack of proper training many dogs have. However, they continue to serve as important means of managing PTSD and other mental and physical problems.

Assistance Dogs are important and beneficial to the community, and organizations such as Canine Companions for Independence (where Nessa came from) are always looking for volunteers—either to raise a dog or just help out around the campus. If you are interested, visit their website at cci.org.

As Ms. Shaffer says “People always say they wouldn’t want to raise a puppy because it would be too hard giving it up. But I think once you see what they’ll be able to do, it makes it all worth it.”

Statistics Mental health problems decrease after owning a dog for

of people can’t afford a service dog Approximate cost to breed, raise, and train, a service dog is over...

Photo Courtesy of Ms. Schaffer

Nessa crowned Hometown Dog.

Justice Awareness •February 2016

with Danning Yu

Page 9

Sanctions on North Korea

Known for its totalitarian government and poor living conditions, North Korea is one of the most isolated countries in the world. Its most controversial military program has been its development of nuclear weapons, viewed world wide as a threat to peace. The nation’s most recent nuclear test happened on January 6 of this year, when North Korea claimed to have detonated a hydrogen bomb.

Once again this resulted in condemnation and a call for tighter sanctions.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) recently enacted new sanctions authorizing countries to inspect cargo that they suspect contains prohibited items. This will strongly affect North Korea because as an isolated country, it relies heavily on trade to finance its program.

And President Barack Obama last week signed new sanctions on North Korea into law, punishing the regime for its nuclear and missile tests as well as for suspected cyber-hacking incidents. The unilateral U.S. sanctions Obama approved would freeze the assets of anyone doing business related to North Korea’s nuclear or weapons programs or who is involved in human rights abuses in the country.

Although these sanctions have not entirely prevented North Korea from proceeding in its development of nuclear weapons, a new trend of “targeted” sanctions seeks to slow the program’s progress.

with Giulia Travostino

Zika Virus Outbreak

Over the past few months, the Zika virus has possibly infected millions in Latin America, prompting the World Health Organization to classify the virus as an international health emergency. The virus is transmitted through mosquitos and results in microcephaly—a condition that results in babies being born with underdeveloped brains.

Because of this, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have advised pregnant women to postpone travel in about two dozen countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, as the disease is difficult to avoid. However, pregnant women living in infected areas have no sure way to escape the virus, since it is nearly impossible to control the mosquito population.

Scientists are currently working on a Zika vaccine. The vaccine will take time to create, so Latin American countries are focused on other preventive measures. Brazil has deployed 200,000 soldiers to hand out pamphlets filled with information on the Zika virus to inform the public of its dangers.

President Obama has asked congress for $1.8 billion in emergency funding to fight Zika. Tom Frieden, director of the CDC, assures the public that “[officials] are working around the clock to…do everything possible to reduce the risk to pregnant women.”

Oregon Standoff Ends

Join the Movement

Justice Opinion

Obama on Gun Control: “We Can Do Better”

By Monique Reyes enforcement of gun laws to lessen gun vioStaff Writer lence in communities as well. This includes Tragedies caused by gun violence occur monitoring illegal firearm trafficking and so frequently that Americans are gradually informing law enforcement immediately if becoming numb to them. Although the Amer- guns are lost or stolen. President Obama also ican public seems to forget these issues weeks calls for the advancement of gun technology after they occur, politicians are working to in order to keep guns out of the wrong hands counter America’s gun violence epidemic. and improve gun safety overall.

In a recent Some argue press conference, that such restricthe President retions strip Amerivealed his plans cans of their secto improve the ond amendment safety of Amerirights, but Obama cans through presays his measures venting more gunonly uphold the related deaths. rights of all.

The President Living in acknowledged a free country that, “We’re not should include going to eliminate the ability to feel President Obama addressing gun control. gun violence, but safe sending your we will lessen it. If we take that number children to elementary school. from 30,000 [gun deaths per year] down to, Living in a free country is not being let’s say, 28,000, that’s 2,000 families who afraid to go to church and worship. don’t have to go through what the families In a discussion in the CNN town hall at Newtown or San Bernardino or Charleston three days after his gun control press conferwent through.” ence, Obama concluded by saying: “Part of President Obama intends on making my faith and hope in America is not that we firearm sales and use safer by requiring achieve a perfect union, but that we get better. more rigorous background checks on those And we can do better than we’re doing right buying guns. The president calls for stricter now, if we come together.”

Paris Climate Agreement: A Revolution for Change

By Jason Xu nificant disruptions in Earth’s ecological and Staff Writer physical systems such as melting polar caps, From November 30 to December 12, rising sea levels, increasing sea acidity, about 50,000 participants (including nearly sudden droughts and storms are occurring.

25,000 representatives and delegates from China and the U.S., the world’s largest over 190 countries) arrived in Paris to dis- national carbon emitters, led the confercuss possible solutions to our impending ence. After weeks of talks and negotiations, environmental calamity at the 2015 United the participating 195 countries came to a Nations Climate Change Conference, or consensus on a final global pact: the Paris COP21.

Agreement that states that countries would However, unpledge to pursue like previous conall measures to ventions where prevent a global world leaders temperature rise of failed to agree upon over two degrees a specific protoCelsius and procol, COP21 was vide detailed plans designed with one to reduce carbon mission: to draw a emissions every binding universal year. In addition to agreement from all this, the developed nations of the world world will help deto help slow the veloping countries Parisian rallying at the COP-21 meeting. pace of global clireach their goals mate change. through technoU.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon logical and financial support. addressed how crucial it was for all the naAccording to some conference orgations to come to an agreement, as he said: nizers, it has taken over 20 years of nego“a political moment like this may not come tiations to finally reach a legally binding again”; while German Chancellor Angela global emissions pact. French President Merkel noted that there were “billions of Francois Hollande commented that “in Paris people pinning their hopes on what we do there have been many revolutions over the in Paris.” centuries. Today it is the most beautiful From the dry deserts of Sudan to the and the most peaceful revolution that has harsh tundras of Antarctica, incontrovertible just been accomplished—a revolution for signs of global warming are ubiquitous. Sig- climate change.”

: Z n o i t a r e n e G

e r u t u F e Building th is t a h W ?

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konda in Vallam h c a S d n a race Lui, chueler, G Staff Writers S a ic s s e h Tran, J itor and

By Quyn ay that is Focus Ed ing in a w rm fo s n a new tech is tr lted in a ur world u o s , s re u ra e e io v v g a e pre ly changin . These changes h While th f . o Z d In a rapd n le o te ti ti is , cons nd vola Genera ls a : t ia p n n u n ie ro c le g il ple both effi onnected as the M ludes peo d hyper-c n Y, also known tion Z inc ra has e n e e g a G , savvy an o s -1990 enerati rence in id G fe , m if n e d o th ti is h genera 980s to day. T from the 1 e present erations. those born rn from 1995 to th e two gen f new liberal ide th n e e o tw o b e g b re s ir in e e n n w o th in who tincti e beg uring many dis nessed th olution d resulted in e Millennials wit technological rev al leaps, such as of a ologic the While th h the start predictable techn year along with it w g n lo n a u ry s jis, e n ie o v e g e e m s e s lo o has ith one ration Z ts and ph ty that is filled w e n le e b G ta , le ra e ltip nali on of mu ial perso guish the creati t of a unique soc that distin gis it n a e tr m ty p li develo chnolo d more. persona filters, an e distinct ious and te Snapchat f Generation Z hav cteristically ambit zing things shows ra ma Those o ey are cha achieve a others—th ity to work hard to m o fr m the abil ned. Their future. cally attu e th r mise fo great pro

Dance Dance EVolution

By Darren Tsai Staff Writer

Everyone knows how to do the Carlton or hit the Dougie, but what moves that are trending on dance floors now? Before we get to the rewind back into the past. Beginning with the ’80s, the most popular moves the famous Moonwalk—as demonstrated by the legendary Michael cabbage patch, the sprinkler, and, of course, the robot. Flash forward and the dancing culture shifted once again. Tossing aside the old, outdated teens in the ’90s were seen doing the MC Hammer, the butterfly dance, running man. Once the 21st century hit, new revolutionary dance moves from the 2000s that are still used today. The hot hip-hop moves that to catch a girl’s attention include cranking that soulja boy, doing the the cupid shuffle, and the cha-cha slide, and who could forget Beyonce’ Ladies” dance? With technological advancements, music and entertainm be shared faster than ever—meaning, more and more moves are being In this current generation of dance, everyone can be seen hitting the but how did it even originate? King Imprint released a video in 2014 Dance #Whip” where several guys performed the move; within the video received over 17 million views and can be seen done everywhere, a touchdown victory dance. Besides the whip, our present day dance include “dabbing,” “hitting the folks,” “hitting the quan,” and yes, “Hotline Bling” dance. Last year alone created these infamous dance what could the future have in store for us this year?

Ask Mitty:

After asking o ver 170 studen ts when they r their first sma eceived rtphone, here are the result s: Grade

Age

The Last Paperback Readers?

convenience. B acklights and bu ttons mean neve worry about re ading in the da r having to rk or actually allowing a read flipping pages, er to focus on the material on Readers can se the “page.” arch definition s of words by si on the screen, mply pressing which can be extremely usef Yet the viscer ul for students al experience . be captured, as of a real book can never eBooks fail to embody the ta ence of readin ctile experig.

By Ishan Shah In fact, studie s show that eB Staff Writer reading to lear ooks require n the same info more rermation and lo times to prog The smell asso ng re er ss reading th rough a partic ciated with op Additionally, ular number of sound of the sh ening a book… on e’ s pages. eets crinkling at te The tends ntion span whe together… The of the pages ag n reading an eB to decrease, re roughness ainst your hand su ook lti ng in having to mation to reta … All of these ences that som review the info in it. are experie thought the ne rxt generations Battery life ca experience due might never n be another is to the rise of th means no more sue. A dead eB e digital novel. replicated by th ook reader reading which Unable to be eB e cold feel of a can be troubles ooks it’s difficu screen, the pape still lives on in om e.

And with lt to rb ack book by th know how far our generation, e thickness of one has left m yet, until rece quickly been fa erely th nt e ly, it had While ding in the nam pages in betw een one’s finge eBooks can ca e of convenienc Could our gene lc rs. e ul an ate your perc d cost. the novel ration may be ent completio down to the w physical book the last to grow n of ord, they cann s? up with simple, su ot do so in su btle way.

With eBooks, ch a thousands of bo D es pi te the corporea vices the size oks can be stor of our pockets. l ed su pe in riority of the de- eBooks, do sa Tomes of know accessed with paperback, ve one’s back ledge can be shelve only the touch and the storag s. As in all mod of a screen inst e space on ou around thousa er ea n r d nds of written items, conven of hauling trump no ience and func pages. Physic stalgia and so, easily be pass tio al barriers can ou n I ed with digita em brace the elec r reading future l materials inst tronic nature of to wait for wee . ead of having ks or even mon T ha ths for a single t is, if it actual particular rare ly comes to pa book to come copy of a book in. ss. After all, pa sales are up by Although eB per ab out 8% over th ooks have no digital book sa e last year, whi steadily grew in t existed for les still accoun long, they sa le popularity as so t for about 20% les, just as they ciety has succum of overall did several ye bed to their sh ars ago. So m ouldn’t write pa aybe we per books off just yet.

lution

but what are the new get to the present, let’s opular moves included Michael Jackson—the ash forward a decade, old, outdated moves, utterfly dance, and the dance moves emerged moves that were sure doing the stanky leg, get Beyonce’s “Single and entertainment can es are being invented! hitting the whip hard, in 2014 titled “New ithin the next year, the everywhere, even as day dance moves also and yes, even Drake’s mous dance moves, so is year?

#ChallengeAccepted

Mr. Ma rhe

ddharaju Neha Thakar and Ruhi Bu Staff Writers Z, it was inevitable internet among Generation the of rity ula pop g win gro With the tech-savvy generation. ges would rise among this llen cha and ds tren t rne ut, that inte of popularity since their deb Gaining massive amounts ative ways. neg and e itiv pos h r the internet in bot rity of videos, challenges have taken ove , spread through the popula nge alle Ch ner Jen lie Ky the s. This process Of the more harmful ones, t glasses or other small cup sho into s uth mo ir the ing tion llenge diminished involved young women suc l lips. Not only has the cha ful e, larg of n sio illu the es it has also led causes lips to puff up and giv for many young people, but als ide c isti eal unr ting mo self-confidence by pro itting open completely. to numerous cases of lips spl d in negative ways. how the internet can be use of le mp exa ar cle a ts sen encourages self-love and This challenge pre Beautiful Women Challenge 20 the m, ctru spe the of on Instagram with hundreds On the other side llenge gained its popularity cha ng h ifti upl is Th n. me of this challenge, along wit appreciation of wo e are beautiful. The spread iev bel y ter the wa o wh ice p ers dum oth g ts of women taggin nge, in which participan the ALS Ice Bucket Challe Lateral Sclerosis disorder, other inspiring ones, such as yot areness for the Am rophic aw ead spr to es elv ms the on the world. has brought positivity into er to community has come togeth ine onl the ular challenges, pop tes ely uni t rem tha ext ty se tivi the nec gh rou con Th ges. The ortunately, negative messa and ve f-lo sel of ges spread both positive and unf ssa me rldwide is used to promote millions of internet users wo social media, the impact ng usi rt sta ple peo re and mo son dumping social awareness. As more m ensely, starting fro one per imm w gro can ges llen cha of these same. Though millions of others doing the ice water on themselves to that they er pow the , m petty now many internet challenges see n stio que a ing pos piring, hold is astonishing and ins r ove e tak l wil ge for the future: what challen the world next?

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Gen Y vs. Gen Z

Generation Y (1980s - mid 1990s) - Make up 24.5% of the U.S. population - Use mainly Facebook - Text messaging as preferred digital communication - Have a much longer attention span than Gen Z - 61% use the internet

Generation Z (1995 - present) - Make up 25.9% of the Population - Use visually driven social media (e.g. Instagram and Snapchat) - Communicate through images, icons, etc.

- Have on average an 8 second attention span; 11% have ADHD - 95% use the internet

Arts & Entertainment Best of the Bay: Food Edition Poki Bowl

By Kristyna Otto A&E Editor Are you a sushi lover like me? Do you find yourself craving sushi, but lacking the budget to go? If so, then I have found the perfect place for you: Poki Bowl. Located off of Almaden Expressway and in the Plant, Poki Bowl has made sushi affordable and convenient, while still offering the high quality deliciousness we all search for. Poke itself is a Hawaiian speciality and can best be described as a raw fish salad. Hawaiian poke paired with Japanese sushi rice and ingredients, such as wasabi and ginger, make up Poki Bowl’s menu. And the restaurant utilizes a make-your-own bowl system—much like Panda Express or Chipotle.

You can choose from a wide variety of rice, fish, sauce, and toppings that are all fresh and healthy. My only criticism of Poki Bowl is that, at first glance, the line to wait can be pretty scary. I’m an admittedly impatient person, and the line had me thinking about going someplace else before giving Poki Bowl a try.

I have since learned that the line actually moves quickly, and the meal is completely worth the wait. Look for this concept of sushi in a bowl to become a food trend of 2016. So the next time you are craving sushi, find your way to Poki Bowl!

SAJJ Mediterranean

By Winni Cherukuri A&E Editor SAJJ Mediterranean in Mountain View is just like Chipotle, except instead of making your own burrito, you make your own shawarmas and falafel bowls. There is a counter offering different meats and ingredients, and you choose the ones you want. A unique feature of SAJJ that separates it from most of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurants is their Shawafel, which is a delicious combination of two different Mediterranean dishes: shawarma and falafel. This incredible hybrid dish is not only tasty and flavorful but, amazingly, it only has 330 calories!

There are many Mediterranean restaurants in the Bay Area, but SAJJ is unlike all of them in how healthy and fresh it is. Many of the dishes are no more than 400 calories and they don’t add unnecessary oil to their ingredients. They also put a heavy emphasis on including vegetables in their wraps and bowls, which makes their food seriously nutritious.

So, for delicious and healthy Mediterranean food close by, check out SAJJ Mediterranean!

Habit Burger Grill

By Philip Brazelton Staff Writer Have you ever been going about your daily business on auto-pilot when randomly a strong and sudden urge for a burger takes hold? It happens when driving down a highway, doing schoolwork, or spending time with friends. Let’s dub it burger anxiety. With every second that passes without getting your hands on a burger and fries, a feeling of dread and panic will fill your stomach. But the burger anxiety doesn’t end there. Where will you go? Will you settle for a lower quality burger for a lesser price at McDonald’s, or are you craving a gourmet burger from The Counter?

You visualize the patty, the juice of the meat mingling with the lettuce and tomato. But where, where, where? Go to The Habit Burger Grill, more simply known as The Habit! In fact, a new location just opened, so there are now three in San Jose.

I made a trip to the new one in Campbell, near the Pruneyard, not long after its Grand Opening.

For starters, the atmosphere is great. The Habit is clean and new, and its use of polished wood panelling and simple lighting create a very mellow atmosphere. Above most of the tables hangs a single pendant light. You order at the front, find a seat, and wait to be called. It is the perfect mediator between full on fast food and a serious sit down meal. You can get in and out very quickly or stay for a while and enjoy your meal if you prefer. The food is very satisfying as well. I’m a french fry man. If a burger stop doesn’t have good fries, I probably won’t return. The verdict: superb fries. Similar in taste to McDonald’s, but thicker instead of those fake freezer fries. The burger? A little undercooked, but I would compare the size and thickness of the patty to that at In-N-Out. And you can double up if you want to. Overall the burger was tasty, and the lettuce, tomato and onions were all fresh. Combined with the atmosphere, the good music they played, and the shake that I got, my burger anxiety was cured. At least, for a little while longer.

So if you are ever seized by burger anxiety, make a trip to the Habit, and make your stay as long or as short as you’d like.

Via Mia Pizza

By Mary Celestin A&E Editor Most would agree that you can never go wrong with pizza. But with the busy lives Mitty students lead, it’s often hard to get the best quality at a convenient time and place (and price). Well, if you want great pizza on the go, then Via Mia is for you! Via Mia is a family owned pizza restaurant that has been serving the Bay Area since 1991. What started as one small restaurant in Morgan Hill has grown into a four-restaurant chain currently situated in San Jose, Saratoga, Santa Clara, and Morgan Hill. Despite a blooming fan base, the awesomeness of their pizza is still sadly unknown to many! That’s why I’m here: to tell you to give Via Mia a try and taste for yourself how delicious their menu, with a wide variety of pizza and side dishes, truly is. And with a wait time of only 10-15 minutes for pickup, along with their speedy delivery and daily deals, Via Mia is for you. So whether it’s after a long day at school, for a group of friends coming over, or for a family movie night, you will never go wrong with Via Mia.

Sweet Pea’s

By Klara Barbarossa A&E Editor

Holy Crepe!

Sweet Pea’s, a cozy café tucked away in downtown Los Gatos, is a great place to catch up with friends and grab a bite for breakfast, lunch, or anything in between. From omelets to quiches, from waffles to burgers, Sweet Pea’s uses healthy and fresh ingredients, sticking to its motto, “It’s all good.” Though I love the other menu options as well, my taste buds always crave the crepes. Both the sweet and the savory crepes are to die for!

The Strawberry Banana Nutella Crepes, with their fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream, never fail to satisfy my sweet tooth. I only wish that the café had a greater seating capacity to accommodate larger groups. But then again, making Sweet Pea’s more spacious might take away from the intimate atmosphere that makes it so special in the first place.

Arts & Entertainment • February 2016

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Colors of the Year

By Julia Jannon-Shields Staff Writer Color goes beyond what we see at first glance. The sky isn’t just blue; it’s the light dispersed by molecules of air across the atmosphere. Your eyes aren’t just brown, blue or green, and your hair isn’t just black, blonde, brown or red; they’re all a result of the DNA and genes that have been passed down to you through generations.

Colors have always represented something more, like the green light of The Great Gatsby or rainbows used to signify marriage equality.

Leatrice Eiseman, the Pantone Color Institute’s director, understands colors and their importance, which is why she and the rest of the Pantone team have chosen two colors, Rose Quartz and Serenity, for the 2016 Color(s) of the Year.

Pantone is the authority on color, pro-

viding color systems and leading technology for the accurate communication of color. Its notable Color(s) of the Year are “a symbolic color selection; a color snapshot of what [Pantone] sees taking place in our culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude,” says their website.

At first glance, typical teenagers would

consider these colors irrelevant to their lives, when in reality, they’re a lot more prevalent than you might think. For years, Pantone has been the driving force behind the trends of the designers and manufacturers of the clothes that you wear.

That wine color that dominated last year’s fashion industry? Better known as

Marsala, 2015’s Color of the Year—and the work of Pantone. Those color schemes—often seen on sites like Tumblr—that you find so aesthetically pleasing? That’s Pantone too.

This year, two colors were chosen to create a balance between warmer tones (Rose Quartz) and cooler hues (Serenity).

Rose Quartz is a subtle, blush pink that stands apart from the classic Sharpay Evans hot pink, while Serenity is a light periwinkle that resembles the morning sky. The combination of the two is said to bring a peaceful and relaxing vibe, as they’re both found in sunsets and sunrises.

Pantone’s Color(s) of the Year have often been said to be a forecast of upcoming trends in fashion and design, so keep an eye out for them on your feeds, in street-style, and on the runway. Who knows? Maybe in a few months you’ll find yourself in airy pinks and faded periwinkles.

Dancing Drones March 3/3: Monarch Madness at the San Jose Civic Center

3/4: Fetty Wap and Post Malone at the City National Civic

3/11: Opening Night of Beauty and The Beast at Kinkade Theater 3/13: Bruce Springsteen at ORACLE Arena

3/17-18: Justin Bieber at SAP Center 3/19: Future and Ty Dolla $ign at SJSU Event Center Arena

3/27: Pvris and Fall Out Boy at the Nob Hill Masonic Center

By Jenny Park Staff Writer Each Fourth of July, fireworks illuminate the night sky, causing millions of Americans to turn up their heads. Now, imagine this tradition, but with the classic gunpowder replaced with electronic lights and patterns, all controlled by drones, accompanied by orchestral music. The work of Intel and Austria’s Ars Electronica Futurelab has made this a reality, potentially revolutionizing the Fourth of July firework shows we all love.

These two tech companies collaborated to create a high-quality performance of 100 drones dancing in the night sky. This project, dubbed Drone 100, painted colorful messages and figures across the sky above Flugplatz Ahrenlohe, in Tornesch, Germany, in early November. When the video of the spectacle was first released during Intel CEO Brian Krzanich’s CES 2016 keynote about two months later, he stated that this “redefined the fireworks experience without the inherent risks of traditional pyrotechnics.”

This two-minute performance took months to master. Intel and Futurelab’s goal was to combine technological innovation with art. The team partnered up with an orchestra to fuse lights with music. Futurelab created new software that allowed the drones to follow flight patterns and control lights in sync with dramatic orchestral music. Their diligent work ethic led the Drone 100 to success.

To ensure safety during the light show, the team worked with aviation entities to fully understand flight rules and regulations. The Drone 100 project was initiated on private grounds, and the audience viewed from a distance to prevent any potential dangers.

Drone 100 is a prime example of combining engineering and art to produce both a technological breakthrough. 2015 may have been the year of economic robots, but 2016 could be the year of artistic technology.

Watch for the Drone 100. It may be joining us July 4, 2016.

Pull Off Anything!

If I could pick out the phrase I have heard the most, it’s gotta be “I wish I could wear that!” From bold red lipstick to a man-bun, we all have something we only wish we could pull off without feeling self-conscious. However, through my short seventeen years of existence I have discovered a well kept secret: You can pull off anything. And here’s how.

1. Pick out what you want to wear That new pair of jeans, a funky shirt, a flat-rim hat, whatever your heart desires. Remember, there are no limits to fashion. It doesn’t matter what season or trend is afoot, just wear what you want. One of the worst things you can do is worry about what is in or out.

It is, however, important to check sizing and fit for clothes, styling tips for hairstyles, color tone and quality for makeup. Color choice can also apply to clothes as well.

Don’t know what color looks best on you? Look at the veins on your wrist! If they look green, warm colors will look best on you. Try, red, yellow, orange, and neutrals tones. If they look blue, cooler colors will look better on you. Try jewel tones, pastels, and white.

Tip: Don’t look at gender when it comes to clothes.

Clothes don’t have gender. So wander into the men’s and women’s section at your leisure. The more options you have, the more room for experimenting. Androgyny is always welcome.

2. Mix and match Knowing what you have in your closet is helpful here.

Picture what you want to look like and pull out pieces that you think will match. If all else fails, try the craziest thing you can think of. Sometimes the weirdest combinations

By Shelby Leone Staff Writer

make the best outfits. Moreover, when you know exactly how you’ll look when waltzing down the street, you’ll be more comfortable in a new outfit or style.

3. Just wear it, dude.

The ultimate key to pulling off anything is convincing everyone else that you can. Walk with confidence and when people say anything about your look, keep that confidence.

Those who lack basic manners might ask, “What’s with the ___?” . Don’t think twice. You don’t owe them an explanation or excuse. Just reply, “I like it.” The way you dress your body is no one’s business but your own.

As cheesy as it sounds, the best accessory is a smile. If you are happy and self-assured, no one will think to question what you’re wearing. So, before you say, “I wish I could wear that!” remember that you can pull it off. Seriously, just wear it. You’ll be fine. I promise.

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February 2016 • Arts & Entertainment

By Brad Lewinski Staff Writer

Awards season is in full swings, and to prepare, I watched movies that were contenders in many categories. I do my best to see every movie of note, especially close to awards season, and these movies were on the top of my list. So here’s a look at two of the films that got a lot of attention this year:

The Hateful Eight

Let me be perfectly clear: I am a die-hard Tarantino fan. I have seen all seven of his previous films several times, and my excitement for this movie was indescribable. And he didn’t disappoint. This is definitely one of Tarantino’s better films for a number of reasons. First, the score. Ennio Morricone makes his first composition for a Western film in 40 years, and if floored me. This combined with the ultra-wide shots of snow-capped mountains truly captivated me. The best way I can describe the plot of the film without spoiling anything is in halves. The first half of the film is all about revealing connections between the characters, and it was riveting. Full of classic Tarantino dialogue, the film kept my attention thoroughly as I discovered the relationships the eight people had, and the alliances which were sure to form as a result. The first half climaxes in an epic showdown of words between Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Dern, and I cannot think of a more tense and nail-biting scene I have seen this year. The second half shifts into a mystery film, a Tarantino spin on Clue. This section of the movie is incredible, aided by excellent cinematography and a stand out performance by Samuel L. Jackson. The relationships between characters constantly shift, and the

tension builds to its breaking point, when the film becomes a shooting gallery. It is at this point the film takes the floor out from under you, and reveals everything you thought you knew was likely wrong. I left the movie’s violent yet fitting conclusion with my jaw dropped.

I give The Hateful Eight a 9/10.

The Big Short

The Big Short was an entirely different experience. To its credit, it made me care about something I had no interest in and no knowledge about: the financial crash of 2008 and what led up to it. The film stars Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Steve Carell, and Christian Bale as men who more or less predict the financial crash and do their best to make money betting on it. They discover the not-so-hidden dark reality of the financial world, and question exactly why no one seems to notice or care about the eminent collapse, at times speaking directly to the audience. Bale and Gosling are the standouts, and Carell continues to prove he can do more than just manage Dunder Mifflin. My annoyance with this film was its insistence in making a movie about numbers a fast-paced experience through pointless edits. While Gosling narrates, the film continues to flash images and short videos that feel disconnected, and for whatever reason it insists on doing this the entire film. The film is informative, well acted, fun, and an interesting spin on the financial crash. But because of its poor editing and inherently difficult subject matter, I give The Big Short an 8/10.

Festival Vibes Must know artists for Coachella

By Fiona Pestana Staff Writer

As music festival season rapidly approaches, concert-goers ought to catch up with the hits and lesser-known tunes of the performers. To help with this music study session, here are three playlists, dedicated to

each of the three days of Coachella 2016. Included at the top left of each playlist is a QR code that will directly link you to the playlists. Happy listening!

Heroic Musician & Style Icon: David Bowie

By Haley Sousa Staff Writer David Bowie, musician and style icon, died on January 10, 2016, at the age of 69. The London-born star had been quietly fighting a battle with cancer for eighteen months. For decades, this legendary pop icon inspired many people, not limited to musicians.

His death triggered a grief similar to what was felt after the deaths of other stars with a large influence, such as Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.

It was a grief felt worldwide.

Beyond music, his influence on fashion is still alive and well, seen on runways throughout the world. For him, nothing was off limits; nothing was ever “too different.” Skinny pants, sequined onesies, pastel suits, and retro fedoras were amongst some of his most renown outfits.

In regards to his creative wardrobe, stylist June Ambrose said, “He was the master of making you feel that you didn’t necessarily know him.”

Taking on the infamous roles of Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, and the Thin White Duke, he always had another

identity up his sleeve; someone that no one had seen before.

In addition, he pushed boundaries in society. He was one of the first to introduce an androgynous look to the public eye in the 1970s. In an interview in 1976, he casually stated that he was bisexual, something that was unheard of at the time and marginalized by society. He shocked many people and changed the way they thought of sexuality.

Millions throughout the world expressed their grief on social media following Bowie’s death. Madonna, Courtney Love, and Iggy Pop were just a few the artists he influenced who expressed their sadness on Twitter.

One artist who has clearly been influenced by Bowie is Lady Gaga, who has channeled much of Bowie’s creativity into her own work and music.

She had the honor of performing a seven-minute solo tribute to Bowie at the Grammys on February 15. Ken Ehrlich, the producer of the Grammys, said that the tribute was meant to focus on Bowie’s influence musically while still incorporating his influence on fashion and pop culture in the performance.

His legacy will never be forgotten.

Rest in peace, Starman.

Arts & Entertainment • February 2016

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Monarch Critics

Spotlight: Kina Grannis

By Alexis Rambac Staff Writer Especially in the arts, we often over- showcased her as a true singer and look a group that is largely underrepre- songwriter. So far she has successfully sented: Asian Americans. Although we released three albums, gone on several have seen them more gradually in our tours, and launched her own website and media with Harry Shum, Jr. on Glee, merchandise. Throughout her career, Ki Hong Lee on Maze Runner, and the Kina has also maintained her own YouFresh off the Boat cast, they are still Tube channel to stay in touch with her few in numfan base. Her bers, but show music videos great potential are often live and, of course, studio sestalent. sions, highThe mulighting her sic industry true talent. has especially If she’s neglected this not performgroup, but one ing live, she musician has shares entermanaged to taining music break through videos such and showcase as for her her voice. song “In Your Singer Arms” where and songwritshe used thouer Kina Grannis kicked off her career sands of jelly beans in a stop motion several years ago when she won a contest video. and had her song “Message from Your Undoubtedly, her creativity and Heart” aired during a Super Bowl com- hard work shine through in both her mercial. Then, after a deal from a record music and dedication to her audience. company, she launched her first album Kina Grannis has broken through entitled “sincerely, me.” stereotypes and has bravely devoted her After just a few years in the music life to sharing her passion for music with industry, Grannis has displayed great the world. Her career itself stands for all artistry in crafting her music and her of the other unsung musicians and artists genuine lyrics and performances have today struggling to make a breakthrough.

Resilience and Reverence

By Heramb Tamhankar Staff Writer The movie is further bolstered by the raw In the 21st century, there have been many films that have been hailed as all-time greats. and gritty performance of Leonardo DiCaprio, To point out a few personal favorites: The De- who delivers a committed performance that transcends much of what he’s done before. parted and The Dark Knight.

Great films have always had a way of From eating raw bison liver to plunging into connecting with the audience, usually due to frigid waters, he conveys the resilience and one excellent facet. Although The Revenant strength of his character. DiCaprio, much like the cinematographer, outmay not go down in hisdoes himself. tory as an all-time great, The supporting cast it is an excellent film due elevates the film, with to its direction, committed Tom Hardy providing a performances, and most of strong antagonist. Aleall, cinematography. jandro G. Iñárritu’s gritty The Revenant introand somewhat stark diduces us to Hugh Glass rection drives the film to (Leonardo DiCaprio), a greatness. member of an American This film has been fur-trapping party in the nominated for 12 Oscars, early 1800’s situated in and I believe it is a surethe northern area of the fire lock for two: Best Lousiana Purchase.

Actor for DiCaprio, and After being mauled Best Cinematography for by a bear and left for dead Lubezki. DiCaprio, who by members of his party, many believe deserves Glass’s story of survival is told over the span of two an Academy Award for and a half hours. One ashis overall body of work, pect of this film that stands benefits from a lackluster out is its cinematography. pool of talent in the Best Actor category this Emmanuel Lubezki, after winning con- year, and this is the best performance of his secutive Academy Awards for cinematography life. Lubezki is locked in for a three-peat, as on Gravity and Birdman, outdoes himself. The his work here is phenomenal.

The Revenant is undoubtedly one of the film is the definition of a visual masterpiece and hence becomes an awe-inspiring experience for best films of 2016 and was a worthy contender this year at the Academy Awards. moviegoers.

In a Nutshell

By Yabi Grum Staff Writer Outstanding new artist, Bryson Tiller, of Louisville, Kentucky, has definitely gotten a big break after releasing his first album, Trapsoul.

The album has been hugely successful and earned a very well-deserved spot on the Billboard top ten chart. With artists such as Drake, Omarion, and R-Kelly serving as inspiration for the album, Tiller was able to create a record with vibes similar to those of the artists who inspired him. While the entire album has been very successful, Tiller’s first single off the album, “Don’t,” is a standout and has earned its place on Billboard’s Hot 100.

His combination of R&B and HipHop blend well to produce an album that many people can relate to and enjoy. Bryson’s career is clearly off to an amazing start and he’s only twentythree years old. Now that he is signed with RCA Records, there is certainly more to come from him in the near future.

By Wilow Patel Staff Writer It is said that true love can overcome any obstacle. But is it possible for love to endure incredible change?

Based on David Ebershoff’s novel, The Danish Girl is the biography of one of the first individuals to attempt gender reassignment surgery. The story centers around painter Einar Wegener and his wife, Gerda, who experience what starts as a game of dress up and evolves into a revelation of self-discovery. Filled with hope for a successful transition coupled with despair over the possibility of failure, Einar and Gerda embark upon a journey of a lifetime with only one certainty: their undying love for one another.

Ultimately the film does not truly delve into the mindset of Einar and it primarily expresses Gerda’s struggle with losing Einar as he transitions.

I would recommend this movie to all with an open mindset and passion for discovery.

Drawings by Bharathi Arasan

By Mark Johnson Staff Writer Those looking for more of an intellectual experience at the movies will do well with Anomalisa, the Academy Award nominated film from Charlie Kaufman.

An R-rated stop-motion animated feature, it’s certainly for a niche audience.

Most of the film is absolutely hilarious; it’s a post-modernist take on slapstick comedy.

This is a movie that will slowly, subtly crush your inner hope. However, that does not mean that it is not extremely good. Painting a portrait of narcissism and depression more accurately than any other film to date, it uses its animated freedom to perfectly justify its rather strange format. I don’t really want to spoil what it is, but I will just say that only three people voice every character in the entire film. In any case, I think that this unequivocally deserves an Academy Award due to the earnestness with which it was made as well as its emotional heft.

By Siddharth Kulkarni Staff Writer At first glance, Rihanna’s eighth studio album, ANTI, seems like it might be in the vein of most of her previous EPs — Rihanna has always been one of music’s biggest hitmakers, with thirteen number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. But the truth is ANTI is a new step in Rihanna’s sonic evolution.

Rihanna’s pop has always been influenced by other genres—the swift island tempo of dancehall, the breathy undertones of R&B. This time Rihanna brings these melodies to the forefront and, rather than filling her album with the usual club bangers, the album is instead slower and more relaxed. Even the album’s big single, “Work,” featuring ex-boyfriend Drake, isn’t as fast-paced as one would expect. Rihanna has made the album as intentionally muted as she could, featuring up-and-coming indie R&B singer SZA on the opening track, “Consideration,” and a cover of the song “Same Old Mistakes” by Tame Impala, both of which frame radically different sides of Rihanna’s personality.

SPORTS

Men’s Basketball: A New Challenge

By Henry Phan Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Mitty Sports

Senior Blake Flovin qualified for State with his performance at CCS.

Wrestling: Grappling to Victory

By Alex Veroulis Staff Writer Wrestlers endure many struggles throughout the course of the season, both physical and mental. Despite these hardships, the Mitty Wrestling program has enjoyed a fair amount of success in their 2015-2016 campaign, making the most of the wrestling experience. After all, the men’s varsity team got off to a strong start in the “John Irving Duals” Tournament, in which the team finished in second place. After completing this preseason competition, the team began WCAL league play.

In their first league meeting, the team lost to league-leading Serra, but the wrestlers had outstanding resilience. After the loss, the team went on to win their next two matches, which against Valley Christian and Sacred Heart Cathedral, two worthy opponents. It’s fair to say that all wrestlers contributed to these victories, but standout wrestlers from these wins include junior Mark Chaid, and seniors Daniel Woodward and Blake Flovin, among others.

The Monarchs suffered a tough loss (46-21) to Archbishop Riordan during Senior night.

But as varsity freshman, Ryan Smith says, “one thing that I think makes wrestlers so tough is their ability to keep going. At a tournament you could lose your first match, take some time to calm and think about what could be better, and go to the next match and win.”

Chaid and Flovin have kept going all season, and both were superb in last week’s CCS Tournament, with Chaid winning a CCS title in his weight class and Flovin making it all the way to the finals in his. Both qualified for state as a result of their successes at CCS. The women’s team season included participating in the “Lady Royal Tournament” and the “18th True Wrestler Napa Valley Girls’ Classic.” Notable wrestlers were freshman Tressa Stearns, sophomores Liane Reyes and Brinley Bowles, and junior Isabel Hernandez, who all performed admirably in their respective weight classes against tough competition.

NCAA Women’s Soccer

Jessica Lima, UC Davis Amanda Tuazan, UC Santa Barbara Maya Hoyer, Rice University

Men’s Soccer David Tenorio, Sacramento State University

Football Matthew Tofano, Columbia University Blake Flovin, Holy Cross

Men’s Lacrosse Nathan Iruegas, Notre Dame De Namur Univ.

High school basketball is not for everyone. The constant grind of a season is something that will test every player’s will. On top of working hard for an entire season to reach a mutual goal set by every team—winning a title—the possibility of ending the season in tears is ever present. This possibility became a reality for the Monarchs after last season’s deep run in the CIF playoffs.

Going into the Championship game of the Division II CIF State Men’s playoffs against La Mirada, the Monarchs anticipated being able to hoist the state cup for the third time in school history.

Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez Unfortunately for the MonThe Monarchs playoff run will happen without archs, after a back and forth senior Ben Kone, who was lost to injury. game, they would come up short in what would be a double overtime thriller thanks to two buzzer-beating, game-tying three pointers from former sophomore Sebastian Much.

Looking past the disappointment that filled the locker room after that game, senior Ben Kone said, “My goal as a high-school player is not to see the tears in our locker room at the end of our season.” Having set that goal for the 2015-2016 campaign, Kone and the Monarchs worked tirelessly throughout the offseason to capture the coveted state title—until disaster struck.

In a WCAL matchup against Archbishop Riordan, Kone suffered a torn ACL, ending his high school basketball career. This came after Much transferred to JSerra in So-Cal just as the season was getting underway. Without two of Mitty’s key players, returning to the state finals would be a tall task.

Head Coach Tim Kennedy remarked, “It’s a new challenge.”

Now, heading into the post-season the Monarchs sit with a 13-11 overall record and 8-6 in the ever-competitive WCAL. They’re a team that seems to be finding its rhythm at the right time, despite some setbacks.

If having to go up against some of Nor-Cal’s finest hasn’t been enough, they have had to do so without another pair of key players: seniors Sam Serra and Nick LaBruna—both who’d been out with injuries for several weeks but are just getting back now.

With the challenge of returning to the title game ahead of the Monarchs, junior Austin Kause says, “We’re going one game at a time, not thinking too far ahead. Our main objective is to win the next game.”

Junior Kyle Peterson adds, “We’ve had a lot of injuries to the team, so now’s the time for everyone to step up to make a push through the playoffs.”

Stepping up is exactly what the Monarchs did in their first game of the second half of league play against St. Ignatius. Led by the efforts of junior Mike Diaz, the Monarchs would hand St. Ignatius a 60-48 loss, a team the Monarchs had narrowly defeated 48-45 earlier in the month.

After a terrific performance, Diaz gave all the credit to his teammates and Head Coach Tim Kennedy, “Without their stellar execution of Coach Kennedy’s brilliant game plan, and their amazing ability to find me in scoring positions, it would have been a much closer game.”

The Monarchs final league game saw them gut out a tough overtime win on the road against Sacred Heart Cathedral. A Matt Hicks put-back with five seconds left tied the game, and in overtime the Monarchs allowed only a free throw in the 60-56 win. Sophomore Riley Grigsby led the team with 23 points.

Getting back to the CIF State Finals is going to take a collective effort from every member of the team—and it certainly will be a difficult task. However, if Friday night was any indication of what lies ahead, the Monarchs are ready to make a gutty run to claim their third CIF State title.

Sports • February 2016

Women’s Basketball: In Their Own League

Page 17

By Rachel Dovek Staff Writer With a perfect league record of 12-0 and an overall record of 20-3 at press time, the Monarchs are firing on all cylinders. Following impressive wins against Presentation (74-15), St. Francis (78-29), St. Ignatius (85-52), and Notre Dame (76-35), the team is on pace for a historic season as they remain undefeated in WCAL. In fact, Coach Sue Phillips recently won her 600 career game on January 23, in a 67-36 victory over Valley Christian.

In its most recent contest, the team destroyed St. Ignatius, 66-35.

Per MaxPreps, the Monarchs are currently ranked 4th in California and 9th in the country.

During her four years at Mitty, senior and four-year varsity player Janay Anderson says that “this is one of the best teams I have been on. It is a team full of talent, from underclassmen to upperclassmen.”

The achievements are but a mere reflection of the hard work the team puts in during the season, on and off the court such as lifting in the Caputo Weight Training room with Coach Brett Nichols.

Junior Talia Garza loves “playing together and being with her team every day.” She is looking forward to continue her career and “hopefully gain another state title.”

Hockey: Monarchs on Ice

Matt Lloyd: The Long Drive

By Justin Bui Staff Writer Typically, lions would never be caught near, let alone be, on ice.

But your Mitty Ice Hockey team skillfully disproves that common misconception. In the preseason, they claimed the win in all three of their games. Despite having some turbulence at the start of the season with a forfeit in their first regular season game, the team proved their mettle during the Bellarmine College Prep Holiday Invitational Tournament over winter break.

Of the four games played, they won three with decisive victories of 9-5 against Serra, 10-1 against San Diego, and 9-0 against Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez Nevada Storm. In those wins, junior Shawn Horner had an unBrian Milner skates up the ice. paralleled performance with nine goals of his own and five assists to lead the tournament with 14 points.

The top goal scorer of the tournament, Horner says, “It’s definitely nice being able to control how the game goes for the most part and it’s always great seeing others score and do well.”

In a recent game against the Saint Francis Lancers, tempers flared between two teams in a very competitive match, which resulted in two suspensions, one for each team. Junior Jacob Kim recalled seeing, “...senior Vincent Leuzze getting punched by a player on the Saint Francis team, so I skated over to pull him away.”

When asked about why he jumped in to fight in the first place, Jacob mentioned he was just looking out for his teammate and if that meant pushing the guy that was bothering him, then so be it. Jacob and the other player were rewarded with a three game suspension.

Ultimately, the team came out victorious with a 9-7 triumph for their first regular season win.

Our staff writer, Derek Hahn, had a chance to interview junior Matthew Lloyd who has verbally committed to play Division 1 Golf at Purdue University.

Women’s Soccer: Soaring through WCAL Play

By Harika Veeramacheneni and Sanjay Matella Staff Writers Currently in first place in the WCAL at press time with a record of 8-1-3 in league and 13-2-5 overall, the Monarchs look to maintain their spot over league rivals St. Francis (7-2-2).

In a stellar 3-0 showing against Notre Dame, senior midfielder, Nicole Marquez contributed greatly to the win.

The coaching staff stated that “The senior midfielder had her best game in a Monarch uniform, [by] controlling the tempo of the match and adding a degree Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez of calm to the proceedings.”

Kendra Wilkerson looks to shoot.

The team is bolstered by a number of key contributors. Among them are sophomores Sophia Mendoza and Hailey Smith, with seven goals each. In addition, junior Amaya Zabalza and Mendoza have assisted five goals each. Currently holding a nine game streak of shutouts, Maya Hoyer (Rice University signee) and Jessica Lima (UC Davis singee) have been crucial as goalies on the women’s defensive side.

The Monarchs faced league rival and first place St. Francis on February 10, as they looked to overthrow the Lancers as the number one seed in WCAL. After 18 minutes, the Monarchs earned a penalty kick after a Lancer handball in the box. Sophomore Paris Fox calmly placed the ball in the net giving the Monarchs the lead in the first half. This lead was enough to earn the win, and it put them in first place in WCAL. Looking ahead, junior Kendra Wilkerson explained her team’s goals for the remainder of the season: “To win league and then go on to win the CCS open division title. It would be pretty cool to win open division the first year they had it for women’s soccer.”

When did you first start playing golf and who first introduced you to the game?

I first started playing golf seriously when I was 10, but I have been around the game my whole life. Both parents and three of my grandparents still play, so I was going to be surrounded by golf growing up, regardless of how good I became.

We also had a family friend who played professionally who influenced me a lot.

What do you look forward to the most this golf season?

I’m really looking forward to the van rides.

We play Fun Run against each other on our phones and honestly those games are just as intense as our actual matches. We also eat so much In ‘N’ Out as a team that I try not to eat it for the rest of the year.

What do you look forward to most as you “take your talents” to Purdue?

I chose Purdue over other schools mainly because I feel like the coaches, facilities, academic support, and overall atmosphere will give me the best chance to take my game to the professional level.

There is a bowling alley on campus, and the team has some heated ping pong matches. I love ping pong. Also, Purdue is consistently ranked within the top 15 on-campus dining experiences, and I like eating just as much as ping pong.

Along with your creative and unique sense of style on the course, you have been known to rock the “sock tan.” How do you continuously find inspiration for your unique sense of style on the course?

I like my sock tan, so I’m glad you noticed.

I always follow the saying, “Look good, Feel good, Play good” #LFG

Photo courtesy of Matt Lloyd

Matt Lloyd aims for the green.

Page 18

February 2016 • Photography

peace of mind

monarch photography Grace Chung

Golden Hour

Amelia Whitney

When taking pictures, keep in mind the lighting. Different times of day have different effects on the tone of the photo. Try experimenting with light to get a variety of moods surrounding your subject.

The “golden hour,” the short span of time before sunset, can dramatically alter the content of an image, giving the photo a soft tint. Stay golden!

Sofia del Cano

Photography • February 2016

Page 19

Kendra Wilkerson

Bansi Patel

Vivianne Tu

Paulina Thurman

Madeline Bailey

Olivia Figueira

Comics

Liz Mau and Jasmine Lin

Ella Garfunkel

Gillian Ortega

Krista Deguzman

Monarch Madness XXV

Archie’s Adventures

By Tiffany Chan and Maddy Cha