The Monarch: May 2016

Inside:

Focus on Class of 2016

(see Focus, Page 10-11)

Serving the Archbishop Mitty Community

Volume 25 Number 4

May 2016

From Underdogs to Champions Speech & Debate Sweeps State

Photos Courtesy of Mrs. Karen Cruz

By Madeleine Fernando, Emily Malig, & Prahlad Anand Staff Editors and Writer Mitty is relatively new to the world of Speech and Debate. Despite this, our Speech and Debate team found a way to become State Champions in just five short years.

As stated by long-time MSD member and Team President Pranav Govindaraju, “By the start of my sophomore year, our small club of 20-plus students no longer met in a room in the 500 wing, but rather had its own set of classes held in the theater… Over the last three years, we quite honestly came out of nowhere in essentially what was a perfect underdog story.”

The Mitty Speech and Debate program was implemented five years ago as an after-school activity open to all students interested in public speaking. The club met weekly to practice and prepare for a select number of local tournaments throughout the year.

A year after the program was first established, Ms. Kate Thomas, Ms. Leslie Zambo, and Ms. Maria Woodruff took over leadership. Halfway through that year, Mitty posted a job description for a new Speech and Debate coach.

Starting that January, Mrs. Karen Cruz (then Karen Joshi), a new college graduate and a coach for Mission San Jose, accepted the job and began working part-time as the head coach for the Speech and Debate program.

Towards the end of her first year, Mitty made the decision to offer Speech and Debate as classes rather than just after school and, additionally, to bring Mrs. Cruz on as a full-time faculty member.

The first year of the classes’ implementation, there were two courses of about 40 students each: one focusing on speech-related events, and another with an emphasis on News................................................1-3 OPINIONS.......................................... 4-6

debate. Over the following years, the club’s member count has expanded significantly to over 100. More classes have also been added.

The team’s tremendous growth can be seen in its state ranking as well. Four years ago, the Monarchs were ranked 54th in the state of California. This year, Mitty placed 1st out of 300 schools and claimed the California State Championship at Mission College in Santa Clara. In addition, the team had two state champions in their respective events: freshman Conor Sherry in Humorous Interpretation and sophomore Amelia Whitney in Thematic Interpretation.

After countless hours of writing, editing, and practice, these dedicated Monarchs finally got their gold. The secret to their rapid success? Team culture. Coach Cruz commented on Mitty’s team culture by saying that culture is “the word that encompasses everything that makes us stand apart.”

Team President Ismail Shaik states,“More than any of the competitions I attended, the memories that will stay with me the longest are ones like sharing a meal with my team at a blitz, walking through the halls and doing a secret handshake with a teammate, seeing younger students grow as competitors and leaders, and simply being able to go to my coaches to discuss quite literally anything, be it joyful or otherwise.”

Throughout the year, MSD has held numerous team bonding events including one team potluck, a seemingly infinite number of afterschool meetings known as blitzes, a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt, an alumni reunion, and MSD Madness, an activity in which students of each class competed against each other in Speech and Debate oriented events.

The team’s motto of “All in,” encourages all members to give their best efforts and make the most of their opportunities, regardless of the final results.

As senior Rose Bueno puts it, “The thing I have learned from MSD is not how to become a better performer, but how to be a better supporter. MSD has made me a person who beams with pride for my friends when they perform well, and has motivated me to advance in tournaments not for the trophy, but for the points I can help earn for my team.”

Mrs. Cruz comments, “I think the reason our culture is what it is is because of the makeup of our team. We have people from across the Archbishop Mitty community, so you have these amazing students that are from athletics, student government, campus ministry, performing arts, robotics… all of these kids can come together and find a place in Speech and Debate.”

In terms of MSD’s future plans, leadership will continue to expand and improve. Mrs. Cruz states, “Every year, the leaders will learn to be better because they want to give back to a program that has given them a second home.”

Ismail Shaik comments, “It’s clear that we’ve grown in terms of sheer numbers, but what’s impressed me most has been the collective growth in dedication, maturity, and desire to succeed. Extraordinary seniors have come and gone as they graduate, but every year, our team grows in its desire to not just fill their shoes, but to make a mark of its own.”

With dedicated coaches, enthusiastic students, and a supportive community, Speech and Debate will undoubtedly be taken to even greater heights in the years to come.

Team President Jonathan Pham remarks, “We’re so privileged to have the resources we do—there are many schools across the state that simply don’t have the opportunities we do. It’s been an incredible four years with a storybook ending, and I can’t wait to see where this team goes in the future.”

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

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

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

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

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

Art .................................................. 20

Page 2

May 2016 • News

Building the Future An Update on the New STEM Building

By Krista DeGuzman and David Tu Staff Writers

Mitty’s new science building, complete with plenty of new resources, is expected to welcome students by the time they return from Christmas break in January, 2017.

While construction has been delayed due to weather constraints, the science building is still making steady progress. As stated by Principal Tim Brosnan, “Devcon Construction Inc. is very good to work with. They really know their business, and they don’t waste a lot of time.”

As of April, the foundation and

underground facilities of the building have been completed, and Devcon is now working on constructing the walls that will form the basis of the soon-to-be 32-foot tall building.

As we make way for the new building, more changes on campus are soon to come.

The current quad will be demolished the day after graduation and although senior hill will no longer be a part of Mitty traditions, students in the coming years will be able to enjoy a rebuilt quad that will feature more pathways connecting the science building to the existing buildings on campus.

Provided the construction process isn’t further hindered by weather or other unforeseeable factors, Devcon is scheduled to have the building constructed by Christmas break.

This should allow staff to add furniture before students return to class in January.

The new science building will feature a new chemistry lab and a new Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) lab that will be utilized by some advanced physics courses and the robotics team. In the STEM lab, students will have access to multiple 3D printers, Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines, and other tools that will help enhance the experiences of the robotics team, the advanced physics courses, and even some design classes.

Adjacent to this space will be a new Computer Aided Design (CAD) level computer lab which will facilitate communications between designers and builders. In addition to all of this, there will be a concrete walled-in arena for robots to be tested.

In addition, a terrace and a student lounge will be located on the second floor of the new building. The back wall of the student life center will be covered with inspirational quotes from our world’s most prominent leaders, a concept inspired by an exhibit at the Nobel Peace Prize Museum in Sweden that Mr. Brosnan visited last summer. By showcasing this 70-foot long and 14-foot tall collection of thought-provoking quotes, the wall, Mr. Brosnan hopes, will be a source of inspiration for future Monarchs. Students and faculty will be given the opportunity to submit quote ideas, which will be considered by the Mitty administration.

To get an idea of some of the new classes that will ultimately be taught in the new building, take a look at Page 3 at the right.

Capturing the Life of Luie Lopez

By Madeleine Fernando, Emily Malig, & Sophie Sharma Staff Editors From the floor design of Fien Gym to the banners that grace the foyer, Mr. Luie Lopez’s influence can be seen all over campus. Throughout Mr. Lopez’s 13 years here, he employed his own artistic sensibilities in order to express Mitty’s vision. As an artist, Mr. Lopez had a distinct view of the world around him. He could appreciate beauty in its simplest of forms. This appreciation for life’s moments extended to all aspects of his life.

He met his wife, Ms. Rose Lopez, through an online dating website 16 years ago, just as his subscription was ending and hers began. By the end of a week, they decided to meet for coffee. Within just three months of dating, they were engaged. After six months, they married.

Ms. Lopez explains, “You just know... if they’re gonna be the person, and I just knew.”

They had a small wedding in Paris at the American Church with two close friends who lived in Paris, complete with recycled flowers from another event and Ms. Lopez’s sister-in-law’s borrowed wedding dress. After the wedding, they would return to Paris every three years together.

As his relationship with Ms. Lopez developed, they quickly formed their own nuclear family. From weekend trips to Carmel to spontaneous photography outings, the Lopez family was constantly spending time together. Ms. Lopez describes their family as “warm and close with very few disagreements.”

Not only did Mr. Lopez have a family with his wife and children, but he also built a sense of family with the Mitty community. One of his closest friends, Ms. Catalina Tirado, refers to him as her “compadre.” They would tease each other about silly things, almost as if they were siblings.

As Ms. Tirado remembers, “Luie was a loving soul. He was kind, compassionate and caring. He was also funny. As older brothers always do they tease you about anything but in a loving way.”

Mr. Lopez’s humor was never malicious or hurtful; he always sought to lift people up.

Even in the seemingly bleakest of circumstances, Mr. Lopez maintained a gracious attitude. When he was diagnosed with cancer, he went to regular chemotherapy appointments, often accompanied by Mitty’s Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Jorge Helmer, who had gone through chemotherapy just a few years prior.

Mr. Helmer remarks, “Luie was like a ray of sunshine in these chemo infusion centers.

In these facilities, you have all these chairs facing each other, and you don’t have a lot of privacy. Luie would be chatting everybody up and trying to make light of the situation.”

In addition to his warm humor and sharp intelligence, Mr. Lopez possessed a rare sincerity. No matter who he was with, he expressed a genuine interest in all his interactions.

“He talked to anyone and everyone,” says Mitty World Languages Chair, Ms. Shelley

Hopkins. “And when you were speaking to him, you knew you had his full attention, and at that moment in time, nothing else was going on.”

Mr. Lopez lived in the present whether he was spending time with friends or working on a new project. He brought his singular focus to all areas of his life. Using his keen artistic eye and attention to detail, he was able to capture the heart of Mitty.

As Director of Publications, he lived with his camera in hand, always ready to capture anything that caught his eye. Associate Principal Ms. Kate Caputo says, “Luie saw the beauty in everything, even in the most mundane things.”

Mr. Lopez explored the world through his own unique, vibrant lens and had a clear vision in everything he did. The love he had for the Mitty community was obvious through his dedication and passion for his work. As Ms. Caputo recalls, “He had so much love for this community, he wanted his work to be exactly right.”

His life was one chock-full of passion. No matter how difficult his illness became, Mr. Lopez refused to give up his work or the things he loved. Science teacher Mr. Tom Motroni recollects talking to Mr. Lopez when he was sick and Mr. Lopez told him, “I could be home or I could be here. And here is where I find life.”

The day Mr. Lopez passed, the Archbishop Mitty staff had planned a faculty celebration marking the end of the third quarter. But after hearing news of Mr. Lopez’s critical condition, the gathering was canceled and the faculty gathered in the chapel for an impromptu prayer service instead. Faculty members spent time reading scripture, reflecting in silence together, and praying for Mr. Lopez.

Just after the service, they learned of Mr. Lopez’s death.

Ms. Hopkins reflects, “I think people being together in the community when that news came was very comforting because we’ve gone through a lot here. This is a very Photo Courtesy of Mrs. Rose Lopez special place to be when everything else doesn’t seem right or when you’re scared. This is always home. It’s a very safe, comforting community.”

On April 5, 2016, friends, students, and colleagues gathered in the Fien gym for Mr. Lopez’s memorial service.

Mr. Lopez truly impacted the lives of everyone he interacted with. Ms. Hopkins says that Luie taught her many lessons: “To laugh at yourself. To not take everything so seriously. That friends can become your family.”

Through his unique perception of the world and his rare authenticity, Mr. Lopez lived a life that inspired those around him. His legacy will continue to live on in the people who loved him most and in the abundance of designs and images that he left behind. His artistic vision is forever woven into everything that is Mitty.

As Mr. Lopez said in echoing sportscaster Stuart Scott at last year’s school-wide assembly, “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live.”

Photos Courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez

News • May 2016

Page 3

Masses of STEM Classes

For students who prefer space to Earth, “From Big Bang On: A Scientific Origin Story” is an intriguing prospect. Students in this class will study the beginnings of the universe and the evolution of life, combining the subjects of cosmology, biology, chemistry, and history.

“

The ultimate goal of the new science electives is to help develop a passion for learning and a lifelong interest in the many different scientific fields of study.

Associate Principal Ms. Kate Caputo

Those who love food can take “Science of Food” to learn about the science behind common foods, examine the historical and cultural influence of staple foods, and create original meals.

Music lovers can learn from Dr. Greg Scott about the science behind musical instruments and modern technology for digital sampling of music in “Science of Sound and Music.”

Mitty will offer “Human Health and Disease in Society” for students interested in careers in healthcare. This class will educate students about the biology of systems in the human body as well as health at the global and population level.

Additionally, the class will cover laboratory diagnostic tools and disease.

”

“Intro to Design Thinking” will teach students to recognize problems, to empathize with others, and come up with creative solutions. Students will be identifying “good” from “bad” design as well as discussing the importance of design thinking in the 21st century.

Compiled By Kristine Chang & Eliza Kolmanovsvky Staff Writers

No More #2 Lead A Look Inside ExamSoft

By Brian Chan Staff Writer For over 20 years, Scantron answer sheets and scanners have been used to administer thousands of tests and quizzes here at Archbishop Mitty High School.

However, following the transition from using binders and textbooks to iPads and e-books, test-taking technology here at Mitty is now receiving the digitization treatment as well. ExamSoft’s SofTest-M application has been introduced at Mitty as a more efficient, user-friendly, and cost-effective alternative to the physical bubbling-in with pencils or site quizzes we have become accustomed to.

Though the SofTest-M app seems to have suddenly appeared on the screens of students’ iPads, the preparation that has gone into adopting the ExamSoft software is no small Logo Courtesy of ExamSoft feat. “It’s definitely not something we rush into,” says Eric Anderson, director of the AMHS IT Department. “A lot of time is spent evaluating whether or not it’s a good solution for both teachers and students.”

Mr. Anderson leads the Spectrum Committee, a team composed of teachers from some of Mitty’s academic departments. Together with the Edtech program, Mitty’s faculty began testing and researching the feasibility of ExamSoft earlier this year.

When using Scantron answer sheets, students run into numerous problems from bubbling the wrong answer choice to not erasing answer choices fully. Additionally, quizzes designed on myMitty are difficult to set up, don’t guarantee security, and are occasionally marred by technological errors. ExamSoft features a question-by-question design and also provides instant feedback, with analytics ranging from average classroom scores and frequently missed questions, to more personal statistics such as time spent on a question or categories of improvement. For students, the intuitive layout design makes attached pictures, videos, and even sound files easy to see and hear. For teachers in similar courses, tests and question banks can be shared with one another, further expediting the test-creating process.

ExamSoft was rolled out to the entire faculty in March. While Spectrum leaders’ classes are the first to use it, all teachers can and will begin using it this semester so they are ready to go in the fall. ExamSoft has already been implemented in multiple classes in the World Languages department as well, and, along with the classrooms of some Spectrum Committee teachers, these courses will provide feedback and commentary to contribute to next year’s school-wide implementation. Examsoft’s multiple choice, essay, and other features are intended to become the main form of test taking at Mitty.

By next fall, Scantron machines will no longer be used on campus. With instant feedback, a user-friendly design, and detailed reporting, ExamSoft, the administration hopes, will improve the test-taking experience for both students and teachers.

Students interested in food and its correlation to science can take “Feeding the World: The Science of Agriculture.” In this class, taught by Ms. Janet Fenker, students can explore the origins of food, sustainable farming techniques, and climate change while working in the new gardens.

Volume 25 Number 4 Advisors Mr. Mick VanValkenburg & Mr. Craig Whitt

News Madeleine Fernando, Emily Malig, Sophie Sharma, & Maddie Zenk

Opinion Jacob Isaacs, Elaine Xie, Ana Gonzalvez, & 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 Way, San Jose, CA 95129

OPINIONS

Opposing Viewpoints: Voluntourism

Understand, Don’t Voluntour Volunteer

By Elaine Xie Opinions Editor Though the term rose to prominence in the early months of 2004, the concept of voluntourism has existed for about as long as there have been divides between the wealthy of the world and the not-so-fortunate. It’s exactly what it sounds like—tourism, but with pictures featuring visibly uncomfortable orphan children in front of dilapidated buildings instead of loved ones in front of traditional tourist attractions.

While the intentions behind these trips may be good, the results are at best insignificant—to the host communities, that is. Each community is plagued with problems that require solutions far more complex than a group of untrained volunteers can provide within a few weeks, and band-aid “solutions” like playing with impoverished orphan children will not do much to alleviate, say, the demand for much-needed antibiotics. In fact, not only is the impermanence of voluntourists’ efforts not helpful, it tends to hurt communities by increasing their dependence on temporary help, the only type voluntourists provide.

Furthermore, voluntourism fuels what The Atlantic deems the Western Savior Industrial Complex: a combination of (primarily western) participants using voluntourism as a way of attempting to justify privilege while tokenizing African and Latin American poverty, and groups who commercialize both the suffering of host communities as well as the eagerness of voluntourists by setting up for-profit voluntourism organizations. All aspects of the Western Savior Industrial Complex have overwhelmingly negative implications—acts of altruism are turned into proof of moral superiority, and poverty becomes an opportunity for proof of selflessness.

The growing popularity of voluntourism also contributes to desensitization toward the suffering of non-Western bodies as well, to the point that newspapers printing graphic pictures of dead Syrian babies or brutally murdered Kenyan students becomes normalized.

The commercialization of African and Latin American poverty in particular makes these the token examples for global poverty, which then allows the dismissal of the plight of developing areas—many of which are in this predicament because of the imperialism and colonialism that drained them of their wealth and resources to begin with—to be infinitely easier.

One can make the argument that the point of voluntourism trips is not so much to help the host communities, but rather to see and understand firsthand the nature of the poverty of the countries one is visiting. But then the question turns to ethics—is using global poverty as an opportunity for personal growth really that much of a step up from using it as a tourist attraction?

Ultimately, voluntourism instills within participants the false sense of productivity that is, in reality, only a misguided symptom of privilege. Perhaps other applications of volunteer efforts would be less exploitative and more efficient.

to

Understand

By Ana Gonzalvez Opinions Editor Upon hearing the term “voluntourism,” everyone most likely pictures varying degrees of the same thing: twenty-something, wealthy college students posing for pictures in an impoverished South Asian, African, or Latin American country, smiling and building houses, serving food, holding sick orphan babies, or even some ultimate guilt-assuaging combination of all three. Whether you find this image noble or not, the problems with this specific type of vacation are undeniable.

In an effort to humanize poverty and Make A Difference™, voluntourists often end up causing more problems than they weakly attempt to solve. In building houses for poor villages, locals often have to rebuild shoddy workmanship of foreign volunteers. The orphans and street children whom volunteers are so eager to meet definitely do not benefit from the constant bi-monthly bonding-abandonment cycle which rotating groups of voluntourists so readily participate in.

However, the good intentions of these volunteers cannot be overlooked. Voluntourists really do want to help—and more than that, many people simply want to experience other nations without glossing over their issues. So, the question remains: is all volunteer tourism harmful? Is there any way to substantially help people of the world living in poverty?

Well, as with most difficult topics, there is no simple answer; volunteer experiences are not all alike.

For example, Mitty’s yearlong ECJ program can hardly be compared to a group of students who spend spring break in Tijuana building houses. The ECJ program imbues its participants with a respect and understanding for their chosen country that many other volunteer programs can’t or don’t offer.

The first step to becoming a useful voluntourist, however, is to understand that your efforts to fix global poverty are largely insignificant. Erase any idea that your two-week or even two-month foray into a village in India will upend the structural problems that perpetuate poverty in third world countries.

Instead of seeking to help impoverished communities, think more in terms of understanding them.

It may sound counterintuitive, but if you get this opportunity, you should use it to further your own personal social education.

I know “further your own personal social education” is a pretty nebulous demand, but what I mean is this: study your country of choice. Make mindful decisions about the activities you choose to participate in. Avoid thought patterns which perpetuate the idea of “the suffering other”—there is no way you will be able to understand the entire scope of the lives of all of the people living in a village in just a week of living with them.

Remember that they are whole people just like you, who do more than just suffer and need.

AIPAC Undermines Peace

By Murad Awad Staff Writer Hillary Clinton’s speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee or AIPAC ignored the key issues demanding resolution in the Middle East and instead furthered the US trend toward granting concessions, no matter how ridiculous, to Israel.

Framing proponents of BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) as anti-Semitic, while ignoring the events surrounding these issues, Hillary Clinton has made it clear that appeasement toward Israel and its lobbies, and not reform, is her strategy towards stabilizing the complicated problem of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

This has never worked in the past. Appeasement has simply given more support toward human rights abuses committed by Israel. While we were giving arms to Israel during its last offensive against Palestine in 2014, we were continuously hearing reports of civilian casualties, and in the end 2,251 were killed, the vast majority being non-combatant. And what was our response? To have Pres. Obama

give a pretty speech about how we value all civilian lives, but keep allowing Israel to stockpile American missiles.

This trend towards appeasement is still occurring, with US leaders like Hillary Clinton giving unabated support towards Israel due to recent stabbing attacks. But yet, peace is no closer. In fact, a report by The Detainees and Ex-Detainees found that from the beginning of 2015, 85% of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces were killed in extrajudicial field executions, meaning that they posed no danger to anybody at the time they were murdered.

But yet the majority of our leaders support Israel’s actions because they are afraid to be labeled “anti-Semitic.”

They look at the recent stabbing attacks as a random event done by Palestinians due to their perceived inherent violent nature, despite them being the result of a populace absolved of all sense of hope. Candidate Clinton can talk about how “Palestinian leaders need to stop inciting violence, stop celebrating terrorists as martyrs,” but not with a clear conscience.

The fact of the matter is that first of all, Palestinian

leaders aren’t involved in these attacks—they’ve become popular due to the younger members of Palestinian society being angry at its government for not doing anything against Israel’s aggression, and it has been clearly been established that these “martyrs” are unwilling to associate with any political organization in Palestine. Second of all, this culture of martyrdom is only the result of a complete and absolute absence of hope.

It’s easy to say that if Palestinians were peaceful, change would be accomplished, but only if you know nothing about the conflict. Palestinians tried being peaceful during the First Intifada, and still hold many peaceful demonstrations. The main obstacle towards creating change is opposition of the hard right Likud party in Israel toward negotiating with Palestinian leadership. There have been many opportunities, including the December 2012 ceasefire negotiations, which Israel broke not long after. The truth is that our appeasement increases the ability of Israel to commit violations of human rights, and it must be pressured into changing through methods like BDS.

Opinions • May 2016

Page 5

Mideast Interventions Counterproductive

By Abhijit Ramaprasad Staff Writer The Syrian civil war has been a constant and depressing headline for the last five years. During the Arab Spring, the Western world believed that the protests and civil unrest would, ironically, finally bring stability to the Middle East. This optimism proved to be unfounded and proved how ignorant the West was when it came to understanding the underlying causes of the misfortunes throughout the region.

Nowhere else has this been more obvious than in Syria, where the civil war has left a huge proportion of the country’s population as refugees and where the conflict has spawned ISIS. And yet, international powers continue sending armaments and striking targets in Syria, all while continuing to deny refugees their basic human rights. Interestingly, it is the most gung-ho, pro-“liberation” superhawks who also level the most hateful rhetoric to the victims their war has created.

America, and Western superpowers in general, have proven time and time again that whenever they act in the interest of “freedom and democracy” in the Middle East, they instead create vicious, autocratic dictatorships and betray their founding principles in the interest of oil. Over and over, military intervention for the sake of “American values” has been, at best, targeted at actual dictators (but with no regard for actual victims of those dictatorships), and at worst, a series of coups of democratic governments to be replaced with US-friendly, oil-supplying military dictators. This is true of every country in the Middle East, including Syria, where America has historically backed dictatorships and has overthrown fledgling democracies.

And this American intervention has been a backdrop for America purposefully backing hyper-conservative terror groups. Whether it is to fight the Soviets in the past or other unfriendly governments today, backing terror groups has been one American weapon.

In Afghanistan, we countered the Soviet Union in the 1980s by funding the groups that would later become Al-Qaeda—and, more damningly, in recent years, we have supported the group that would become ISIS. American media and the American people promulgate the falsehood that American aid is purely humanitarian and in support of pro-democracy advocates. However, in reality, the intervention is in part a pretense for a war over oil—a truth that is incredibly transparent to the people of Syria and the Middle East, who have seen the same narrative repeated

time and time again. The US is operating in Syria not to act against a vicious dictator, but because its Sunni allies, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, who are themselves repressive, wish to build an oil pipeline through Syria that Shia Syria refused to allow. Americans have become cronies to a power grab from the Sunni powers of the region.

Meanwhile, Russia and Europe desire similarly self-serving goals: Europe wants independence from dependency on Russia for energy, which the pipeline would allow, and Russia wants to prevent the construction of said pipeline at any cost to preserve its economic stranglehold. America did not get into the war during the Arab spring—they started funding extremist groups as early as 2009, almost immediately after the denial of the pipeline’s construction.

Assad’s vicious overreaction to international support of protesters has allowed the western world to portray itself as humanitarian, supporting “moderate” revolutionaries.

In reality, American intelligence has always known its proxies to be extremists and knew exactly what groups such as ISIS would go on to do—and they initially encouraged it in the hope of ousting Assad.

Not only does this show American disregard for the basic human rights of the world’s people, it also demonstrates just how complex American intervention in Syria really is.

Pentagon-backed Syrian militias clash with CIA-backed militias, as the different extremist groups clash over their different beliefs for the future of Syria.

There are no “moderate” revolutionaries in Syria anymore. Syrian moderates are the refugees fleeing the country, being scapegoated and victimized by racist and xenophobic right wing groups in Europe and America. The only difference between the war in Syria and the Iraq War is that in Iraq, the people old enough to be militants stayed and died for their homes. In Syria, they have tried to flee for a better life and have been rejected by a worldwide status quo where oil and money are far more important than

By Carlos Latuff, 2011 human life, especially the lives of those who are different from us Americans.

So when you hear hawks clamoring for more intervention in Syria, claiming that doing so would be humanitarian, remember that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it. The true humanitarian position would be to accept the refugees who have lost their country to the sectarian conflict—not to continue the destruction of a nation that was on the road to modernity and liberalism, while leaving its people to die.

Mental Health: Stop

By Jacob Isaacs Opinions Editor Let’s talk about mental health. It’s an issue that, statistically, affects many of our families and may even affect you personally at some point in your life.

But in comparison to many other areas of marginalization, mental health is something we rarely ever mention.

Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia, and other prejudices are in the public eye—in part, because these prejudices target aspects of people’s identities that are often more immediately visible. Mental illness is much harder to observe directly, since you can’t see it through appearance or religious symbols or romantic relationships.

And where the former designations can be aspects of one’s identity to take pride in—one’s culture or sense of self—it’s much harder to see what benefits mental “illness” provides.

No one would expect you to appreciate your mental anguish.

But judging from the silence surrounding this issue, society does expect people to suck their mental health up and never mention it to anyone, lest they be judged.

The fact that most people, even patients, tend to brush aside the topic of mental health is the first sign that we’re doing something wrong. Just because it might not be enjoyable to talk about, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t. But how many times has someone opened up to you about a personal problem? Probably not many. And when that person does, chances are, you respond as society tells us to—you might distance yourself or dispassionately give tepid advice. That’s not productive in the slightest.

What people need in times of trouble is support—from themselves and others. But because almost no one talks about mental health, there’s a stigma around even so much as mentioning it. That in turn makes it harder for people to cope, which makes the problem—and thus the stigma— worse. It’s a vicious cycle.

I don’t mean to sound defeatist. Instead, I want to call your attention to this very common issue, just as we’ve already successfully brought to attention many of the more conspicuous prejudices of our time. Now, that doesn’t mean we’ve solved any of them. But we’ve certainly improved.

There is no reason why we can’t turn more attention to mental health as well. If we don’t, if we continue to ignore

the

it, the issue will only become worse. And it already has.

Mental illness has worsened markedly in recent decades, to the point that by the year 2000 the American Psychological Association reported that studies showed a modern teenager had more anxiety than child psychiatric patients in the 1950s. Our hyper-modern society, with its pressures to succeed, achieve, work, and do has certainly contributed.

It’s simply too hard for many people to withstand the unrealistic pressures our surroundings place on us.

Thankfully, in this hotbed of freneticism, people are beginning to take note of the problem. Our school’s Wellness Program seeks to reduce student stress, enabling us to cope with a rigorous preparatory education in the world’s craziest valley at least a little better.

But these noble efforts will mean little if we all don’t begin the conversation ourselves. We have a moral responsibility to protect our friends and peers, which means we should welcome their outreach. But right now, at a time when saying, “I’m feeling down,” is enough to turn heads, it is beyond unrealistic to expect that we can give people the help they need or, at the least, encourage them to seek such help. That must change.

There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that American mental illness has drastically increased in recent years, and that it’s worst among the affluent and elite, and the poor and marginalized. We are the elite here, academically and—many of us—economically elite.

Even more—we live in the technological center of planet Earth. With all the pressure surrounding us in every form imaginable, we need to make it OK to talk about mental illness, and to have mental illness.

It can be such a dangerous issue because people either ignore it, suppress it, or romanticize it (think of the “tortured artist” stereotype). None of these responses legitimize a very serious problem that is, in reality, best treated with the help, support, and healthy dialogue of the community.

More than anything, I hope that you come away from this article with an open mind. As long as we ignore mental illness, or refuse to think of it as a real malady and a consequence of our fast-paced, high-pressure lifestyles, we

Stigma

victimize many, many people who need help.

Those who struggle with their mental health are looking for someone to reach out to them. Because of the enormous stigma around mental illness, we can’t trivialize this need.

It is dangerously challenging to live with something that no one wants to mention, especially when it’s tearing that person apart inside every day.

That is why I cannot overstate how important it is for us to never judge people for their struggles. Instead, we should take the initiative. Ask people if they’re OK. Talk about your own struggles and listen to others. And when you need help, ask for it. Talk to your counselor, your teachers, your friends, your family when you need to. They’re here to help you. Don’t be afraid to see a therapist and, if that therapist prescribes medications, to take those if you need to. If it helps you, it’s a good thing.

Let’s stop the stigma. Let’s talk about mental health.

Page 6

May 2016 • Opinions

Give Youth the Vote

End Asian Stereotypes

By Alexis Toney Staff Writer With a stunningly large number of “not interested” boxes checked in polls asking adults why they didn’t vote last year, it’s no secret that the U.S. is suffering from a steady decline in voter interest. Studies show that the more one is exposed to debates and discussions concerning current events, the more likely one is to vote. Most eighteen-year-olds venture off to college and immerse themselves in new environments and their studies, and in turn many don’t make the time to focus on politics.

Research also shows that voting is habitual; once someone votes for the first time, he or she is more likely to vote again. Since young people do not have a developed habit of voting, they think less about it and as a result are less likely to vote at all.

Given these two observations, the solution to the decline would be an organized and institutionalized form of education that has the means to encourage voting—the modern-­day 10th grade U.S. history class. In high school, teenagers are already exposed to curriculum based on the functions of the government and politics. They are exposed to debates and discussions necessary to spur interest in voting and are in an ideal environment in which teachers can encourage this interest for further action later on.

But youth rights advocates in the United States are not the only ones promoting youth voting. Within the last couple of years, Scotland’s proposal to lower the voting age to sixteen passed unanimously, and consequently led to the country experiencing a massive influx of young voters, simultaneously debunking the myth that youth don’t care about politics.

Sixteen-year-­olds in most states in the U.S. can legally drive, get married with parental permission, get a job, pay taxes, and be tried as an adult in court. If the law already affects teenagers to this extent, why, then, should they not have a say in it?

Society needs teenagers’ votes, and we’re capable enough to vote. It’s time that the voices of newer generations are not only heard, but also put to use.

By Alisa Khieu Opinions Editor It’s 2016, and it’s another whitewashed Oscars. People of color lashed back on Twitter, but no words rose from the sown lips of underrepresented Asians. However, this isn’t new. Asians have found supporting roles as comic relief for centuries because Hollywood thought yellow-skinned, thick-accented shorties would be so entertaining. And they could get away with it, too, because what script does an Asian need but suffering in silence?

That’s why The Forest, a supernatural horror film inspired by the world’s second most popular site of suicide, was the perfect way to pay respect to Asian culture. Because Asians needed to see themselves replaced—just as they have been throughout history—by a blonde white girl running around in Aokigahara, Japan’s “Suicide Forest.”

How amazingly cruel and insensitive.

Hundreds of Japanese commit suicide in Aokigahara annually. This commercialized thriller trivializes this tragic truth, cheapening the lives of mentally-ill Asians. A forest where people decide to die may seem fascinating to outsiders, yet it is completely unacceptable for it to become an 8% Rotten Tomatoes joke. When the horror movie was shot, directors could have spread awareness, could have broadcast a comforting message to those who contemplate suicide. They could have reached out to Asians, showing the mentally-ill that they would not be abandoned by society. Yet, instead, they chose to make a mockery of the suffering and the suicidal.

Asians could laugh off the joke that was The Last Airbender—disappointment of the century for Asian children everywhere—but entirely abandoning Asian representation in The Forest, a movie descendent from our deepest suffering, is disgraceful. The Forest may be a horror film, but scariest and saddest will continue to be Hollywood’s blatant insensitivity and disrespect.

FBI Goes Too Far

Berning College Costs

Quick Hits

Short, Sweet, & to the Point

By Sumeet Bansal Staff Writer Last month, the FBI-Apple encryption case became incredibly divisive, as some believed the FBI was justified in its actions while others, including notable tech companies such as Google, sided with Apple.

First, the facts. The FBI had in its possession the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters, and it requested that Apple unlock the iPhone for security purposes, which, in and of itself, was completely justified. The problem was that the way the iOS was made meant that Apple didn’t have the ability to unlock the iPhone—it would have to write a completely new version of iOS specifically for this occasion and install that new version on the iPhone in question.

And this is where the case became incredibly divisive. In one corner, privacy advocates believed that the FBI’s suit would open the door to further government intrusion; on the other side, many believed that Apple should comply with the FBI’s request because this would be a one-time request.

Except it wasn’t a one-time request. A loss for Apple would have set a precedent in two ways: most obviously, the precedent for the government to force Apple and other tech companies to unlock any encrypted device they “need” for security purposes, the panacea of any intruding government intelligence agency in a post-9/11 world, on the basis of a centuries-old law (the All Writs Law of 1789); and less obviously, the precedent for any intruder to gain access to any given iPhone when (not if) such a version of iOS would inevitably be leaked into the wild. And this isn’t even getting into the allegations that the FBI had already been able to unlock the iPhone and simply used the San Bernardino tragedy to push an inherently intrusive agenda on the back of misguided public opinion.

Yet, many in the general populace believe that the FBI’s request was a completely valid one under the false assumption that Apple would only be forced to help just this one time. That the FBI resorted to fear mongering and capitalizing on the fact that the general population’s understanding of the case was nebulous at best was incredibly disheartening.

Let’s dispel once and for all with this fiction that the FBI didn’t know what it wass doing. It knew exactly what it was doing—demanding a private company become a part of its surveillance state. The FBI has since withdrawn the suit, claiming a third party was able to unlock the iPhone for them, but the case still remains an example of blatant government overreach and a warning to remain vigilant against similar actions going forward.

By Ben Kim Staff Writer Upholding his reputation as a leading progressive in Congress, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has proposed a highly ambitious, highly attractive plan to make tuition free at public colleges and universities. Pointing to Germany, Chile, and Sweden as prominent countries offering free tuition, he also looks to America’s past, where our local University of California system once did nearly the same.

The plan, a primary reason why many young Americans are “feeling the bern” on social media, places higher education as a citizen’s basic right, and its advocates are correct in proclaiming the need to alleviate the burden on students and their families while developing a competitive workforce for the global economy. Although Sanders’ intentions are admirable, his focus should not only be on making public universities free.

This may seem counterintuitive, but closer examination of the current proposed legislation reveals its inability to realize its full potential to make college affordable as it stands.

To cover the $75 billion cost, Sanders would impose a speculation tax on Wall Street, and the estimated revenue is anywhere from $50 billion to an astronomical $300 billion annually. However, Sanders’ proposal says the tax would pay for only two-thirds of the plan. Skepticism is warranted when the remaining third relies on the participating states.

Funding public education in this manner is unsustainable; the most recent recession has demonstrated how higher education is the first to be cut, and states have rejected Medicaid expansion even when the federal government covered a more generous 90 percent. For the plan to succeed, an impractically high level of enforcement would be required.

This is especially true for the spending-averse South, home to the majority of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). To solve student debt, Sanders’ proposal would do well to assist underrepresented minorities, who are more likely to take out loans and, consequently, to accumulate more debt relative to their peers. The plan does include private universities by expanding work study programs to fully meet financial needs, but Sanders could go further—a more feasible solution for addressing structural inequality is to provide greater funding to private colleges.

The Sanders proposal has indeed outlined the continued relevance of HBCUs. Facing declining attendance and reduced resources due to stricter PLUS loan requirements, private HBCUs would benefit immensely from the dedicated $30 billion fund for the private colleges that serve primarily underrepresented minorities.

This also solves a potential problem several years down the road, as increased enrollment due to newfound affordability could cause free tuition at larger public universities to become unsustainable.

Ultimately, reduced tuition would still present relief for families in the middle of the income spectrum as well, but the underlying issue remains the necessity of a college degree and the lack of promotion of viable alternatives.

Justice Awareness Mental Health in Media

By Trisha Karani and Erica Johnson Staff Writer and Apprentice Editor

Our lives are, of course, constantly influenced by the media. Media helps us learn about other people, places, and events and helps shape our societal beliefs.

And because the media can have such a shaping influence on us, it can also have detrimental consequences to our mental health. It’s well known that low self-esteem can result from the body images women see all around them, and the expectations set up by these images can contribute to mental health issues such as anorexia, bulimia, and depression. By celebrating individuals that have certain body types, the media negatively influences the body image and mental health of many.

One recent trend is a modern-day corset known as a “waist trainer.” Although corsets have been worn as far back as the 16th century, they have come back as a popular method of body shaping by tightly constricting the woman’s figure into an hourglass. Not only can these corsets physically damage a woman by squeezing her lungs and ribs, but they could potentially also mentally damage a woman by promoting unrealistic ideals.

The company Waist Gang Society claims that the product helps women achieve a “beautiful silhouette” while getting rid of “unwanted fat and impurities.” Thus, not only is the company bringing back an outdated fashion choice, but it is also insinuating that there is only one desirable body type that women should strive to achieve.

Moreover, some of the most influential celebrities (the Kardashians, Jessica Alba, and Lily James, to name a few) have been posting pictures of themselves wearing these waist trainers. The socalled Barbie figure that waist trainer users desire is not physically possible for nearly all women, and so these products do more harm than good.

However, media also has the capability to promote positive body images. Recently, the Barbie corporation has created a new Fashionista collection which features three new and more realistic body types, seven skin tones, 22 eye colors, and 24 hairstyles.

Since 1960, Barbie has been projecting a physically impossible and unhealthy body image on young girls. However, with the new collection that was released in January of this year, Barbie has been made to be more ethnically and physically diverse.

Other companies have also been promoting natural body images. For example, Seventeen magazine no longer photoshops in models. With millions of teenage girls reading the magazine, these girls seeing more natural bodies has the potential to remind them that their bodies are not something to be ashamed of but to be celebrated. In addition, Gap recently began to include a variety of diverse models, of different bodies and races, reflecting a changing, modern global perspective on the impact of media on society.

Mental health can be influenced by outside sources. Media has a powerful effect on society, one that needs to be understood to ensure that society is not negatively changed to reflect artificial, and potentially dangerous, images. We are more than the sum of our parts; we are humans regardless of the image we may fit into.

Mental Health Campaigns

By Izzy Braham and Natashia Tolia Staff Writers

With the number of people struggling with mental health issues, it is no secret that the media can add fuel to the fire, from contributing to alarmingly high body image issues among young women to the stereotyping of those with mental health issues. To counter these disturbing trends, many health groups and companies have started their own mental health campaigns, garnering support on social media.

One well-known campaign started by the personal care company Dove, the “Campaign for Real Beauty,” intends to challenge body image issues among young women. Running for over a decade, Dove’s campaign has produced a myriad of viral videos and advertisements. The campaign has also been active on social media, encouraging the use of the hashtag #SpeakBeautiful to promote positive body talk.

Other campaigns have focused more on mental health issues as a whole. The campaign “I Will Listen,” created by the New York City chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has received widespread attention on Twitter for opening up a discussion about mental health and encouraging those with issues to confide in others. Using the hashtag #IWillListen, thousands have pledged to support those struggling with mental illnesses. In addition to its media presence, the “I Will Listen” buzz has even spread to college campuses, many of which have endorsed this open dialogue by creating a day without headphones to emphasize the importance of listening to those struggling with mental health problems.

While these campaigns are catching people’s attention, are they actually successful in changing the media’s portrayal of mental health problems and helping those with mental illnesses? While some see the “Campaign for Real Beauty” as a successful push towards redefining the media’s beauty standards, many find flaws in the campaign. Some critics have argued that Dove is hypocritical, patronizing, and even anti-feminist by teaching what it is fighting against: the importance of physical appearance. While the campaign intends to encourage finding beauty in all shapes and sizes, some say the campaign should not focus on emphasizing beauty, but what society should truly value in a woman: her intelligence, her personality, who she is on the inside.

In addition to its message, the campaign’s efficacy has been questioned, and it is unlikely that the campaign alone has changed many women’s views of themselves. It has given rise, however, to significant positive dialogue on Twitter.

On the other hand, “I Will Listen” has received little backlash and looks forward to bringing more attention to the topic of mental health. Its effectiveness is also difficult to discern, but as the campaign continues to grow, participants hope they will raise sufficient awareness to reduce stigmas of the mentally ill and ultimately help people in need.

Page 8

Spotlight: Youth Radio

By Jiwoo Song Staff Writer A media production company originally established in 1992 during a period of heightened violence, award-winning Youth Radio has continued to serve as an outlet for Bay Area youth to process their experiences and provide alternate perspectives in the media.

Youth Radio’s efforts to reduce violence led to the nation becoming more aware of Oakland’s plight. It now serves to not only shed light on violence, but on a host of issues affecting teens. At Youth Radio, teens use and manage the company under the guidance of adults, creating content that has made its way into national broadcasts at places such as NPR (National Public Radio).

Youth Radio believes that teens should help shape the nation’s vast melting pot of beliefs and ideas. Youth Radio attempts to facilitate such expression by daily allowing a diverse cast of teens to produce marketable media that reveals a new perspective on matters of public concern. Rather than being limited to hearing the adults’ views, listeners may now consider the opinions of the youth.

Young people trained at Youth Radio are expressing their thoughts on topics ranging from the tumultuous 2016 elections to their own personal concerns for their community. Opening up these new

perspectives not only adds to the diversity of opinion, but also develops awareness for events that adults may fail to emphasize.

For instance, Youth Radio recently reported on the issue of underage drinking and how a group of teenagers came together as decoys to catch criminals. Another report from Youth Radio revealed how, ironically, parents were more attached to their phones than their millennial children.

The organization is a clear win-win situation. Not only does Youth Radio spread awareness on issues specifically affecting the young, but teens who participate in developing the media are also learning journalism career skills.

After some weeks of basic multimedia training, participants are readied to help keep the news network functional. Such hands-on experience in production roles ensures that they are ready to immerse into future media workplaces.

Youth Radio specifically seeks out low-income youth and has helped these students prepare for high school and college.

In fact, the radio boasts of 97% college graduation rate, in comparison to Oakland Unified School District’s graduation rate in 2014 of 62.5%.

Youth Radio has been recognized with honors such as the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities Award. The future is now, and it is happening at Youth Radio.

May 2016• Justice Awareness

History with a HumanFace: Rose Schindler Ankush Bharadwaj Staff Writer On March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese was attacked while making her way from the parking lot to her Queens apartment. An ambulance came by roughly an hour afterwards and she died on route to the hospital.

When asked why he attacked her so close to a building full of witnesses, assailant Winston Moseley responded, “I knew they wouldn’t do anything. People never do.”

This was deemed “the bystander effect,” by which people feel a loss of responsibility when they are witnessing a crime around many others. This was a major undertone of a speech delivered by Auschwitz survivor Rose Schindler in the Aymar Events Center in March.

She came with a simple question: Why didn’t anyone help the Jews sooner? Through her touching tale of loss and sorrow, we were exposed to a story from 70 years ago, yet one that remains fresh in her mind.

The speech wasn’t entirely ominous: Rose noted how much better she was treated in the orphan system, how her life improved after liberation, and how Holocaust survivor communities were emerging when she came to U.S. in 1951.

Rose was able to rebuild her life after the Holocaust because countries were open to

Jews who had lost families to the war.

Countries saw these refugees displaced by war and they had mercy.

Rose and her husband, Max, urged the audience to not forget what happened and to learn from it, since “those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

The question is, have we learned anything? Or is history repeating itself?

While we have exhibited significant progress recently with many individuals speaking out against sexist, homophobic, or racist rhetoric, horrendous crimes against humanity still go on, such as in Syria or South Sudan.

Additionally, what are we to make of the current refugee crisis? Should we further open up our countries to the war torn families in a similar fashion to the post World War II world?

Ms. Schindler’s overarching message can be summed up as “Do not ever give up.”

Through her speech, we saw history with a human face and all one survivor has been through. Despite all her pain and loss, there was hope and joy. After all, we are more than what we suffer.

Across the World: Immersion Trips Dolores Mission

By Amelia Kinsella Staff Writer While the rest of us pushed through the last days of school before Spring Break, a group of eleven students led by Ms. Stacie Allen embarked on the annual Dolores Mission Immersion Trip.

Originally started in 2005 by former teacher Mr. Howard, this new group of Monarchs worked in Boyle Heights on the edge of downtown LA during Holy Week to help benefit the impoverished immigrants, homeless people, and gang members of the area. Their focus: supporting the existing services that provide aid to the migrant workers and interacting with school children and people in the homeless shelter.

The locals of East Los Angeles often experience gang violence, and a severe lack of opportunities, making it difficult to break out of the cycle of poverty.

According to junior Sophia Smith, who attended the trip, “The isolation and lack of opportunities is the biggest problem, not even the language barrier because most of [the immigrants] adjust pretty quickly, but we don’t give them the opportunities.”

To help alleviate some of the strain on the community, the Mitty group worked in the school with children from poor migrant families and put in time at the church’s

homeless shelter. Students woke up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for the local homeless population. After breakfast was prepared, the group ate with the homeless that they served.

The group also toured Homeboy Industries, an organization created by Father Gregory Boyle. Homeboy Industries aims to reduce gang violence by providing professional counseling, education, and rehabilitation services. The company is completely run by former gang members seeking job experience.

Senior Bharathi Arasan recalls the words of one such worker. When giving a tour of Homeboy Industry’s silk screening factory, the worker said that he had reached a point in his life where he did not even know if he would be alive long enough to see a new day. But now he remarked, “Because I have this job, I know what I’m doing tomorrow.”

For Akaash Tawade, the most rewarding part of the trip was “serving the homeless breakfast early in the morning before they started their day because I could see the visual difference in the way they appeared and seemed to have a renewed sense of belonging and hope.”

The trip is an enriching experience that comes highly recommended for any student who wants to help make a difference.

New Mexico

By Danning Yu Staff Writer This past Easter Break, a group of Mitty students and faculty traveled to New Mexico for an immersion trip. They went to help out the community and the state as a whole.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, New Mexico has the largest overall share of people living below the poverty line in the United States, making it the poorest state in the nation. Out of a population of a little over two million, roughly 430,000 live in poverty—a rate of 21%. Originally, the destination of the immersion trip was Jamaica, but because of the Zika virus outbreak the location was changed.

Mitty students spent the majority of their time doing service in Santa Fe, but also visited Albuquerque. They toured the city in order to better appreciate the community. In Santa Fe, they helped out in a variety of ways, from volunteering in a soup kitchen to working on local farms.

Through working on farms, the group realized just how demanding farming is, both mentally and physically.

For Pierre Kreitem, the highlight of the trip was the work the group did for Habitat for Humanity. In New Mexico, the orga-

nization focuses on the desert climate and its Spanish history by building houses out of adobe blocks, as opposed to the wood usually seen in California.

Habitat for Humanity’s work greatly benefits the community, as it provides lowcost housing to a state ranked 29th in the nation with regards to the availability of affordable housing for those living below the poverty line. While they only had five hours of time to help out, together they made the best of it. Darren Tsai recounts that during their last hour working there, “an incredible surge of spirit” allowed them to place about 200 adobe bricks.

For everybody, it was extremely rewarding to know that their hard work was benefitting the local Santa Fe community.

In addition, many came to have an appreciation for the beauty of nature, as New Mexico has some of the most stunning landscapes in the U.S. Students were able to connect with a culture that they did not know much about prior to the trip, as they had the ability to explore the often hidden unique aspects of New Mexico.

Once again, the Mitty community has demonstrated a willingness to help those in need, expanding its reach this year to the Land of Enchantment.

Justice Awareness • May 2016

Page 9

with Surabhi Bhupathi and Jason Xu Global Terrorism

Since last November, the world has been reeling after a series of terrorist attacks. However, the reality of the situation grows more dire, as many only notice the highly publicized attacks such as those in Paris and most recently in Brussels. Some fail to realize that in other places in the world, such as Africa or the Middle East, such attacks happen almost every week.

Taking advantage of the rampant corruption and instability in countries, most terrorist groups (such as ISIS) are able to commit heinous actions that go unreported by the media. Recently in Istanbul, a suicide bomb killed five people and injured more than thirty. Similarly, a bombing at a Yemeni mosque took the lives of 130 people in March. On Easter Sunday, about 70 Pakistani people were killed during an Easter celebration in a park. On April 18, a bomb went off in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, killing 28 and injuring hundreds more. The Taliban has since claimed responsibility for the attack.

Terrorism takes many forms and has many names: the Taliban, the KKK, the Islamic State. But in a keynote urging global compassion and peace, President Obama recalled a quote from a civilian saved from an attack: “Our children will always remember that there was someone who felt our struggle and made a long journey to protect innocent people.”

with Giulia Travostino

Corruption in Brazil

Brazil’s political atmosphere has been incredibly tumultuous due to the Zika virus outbreak and the upcoming Summer Olympics in Rio. Now Brazilians are in the midst of a major embezzlement scandal, which has caused the devastating corruption of several Brazilian officials and business executives.

While Brazil is no stranger to corruption, recent discoveries have brought the issue to light.

Judge Sergio Moro, head of the corruption investigations, authorized the release of phone taps of Brazil’s current president, Dilma Rousseff, and ex-president Lula. The taps revealed that Rousseff planned to appoint Lula to a high government position to avoid prosecution. Another recent investigation uncovered evidence suggesting that the government had overcharged Petrobras, one of Brazil’s largest corporations, for building contracts. Rousseff has denied having any involvement in this scandal; however, since she served on Petrobras’s board of directors from 2003 to 2010, her claims have come under scrutiny.

On April 18, Brazil’s lower house voted to impeach Rousseff. As the Senate prepares to vote on the issue, many Brazilians are taking to the streets to express their hopes and frustrations.

Panama Papers Leaked

Join the Movement

Shepherd Q&A

By Monique Reyes Staff Writer

Monique: What inspired you to start/lead Shepherd?

Ms. Salmon: I think there are a lot of people on campus who benefit from the work we do in Shepherd. Shepherd was started by our administration a few years ago because they wanted to make sure that they were taking care of our kids who are gay and lesbian.

M: What makes this organization different from the others we have on campus?

S: We work outside of Campus Ministry, but the idea of Shepherd came from the Bible and Jesus taking care of people. It’s also a nod to Matthew Shepard who was a young teen in the midwest who was pretty much crucified for being gay so it was kind of that double “Shepard shepherd.”

M: How have you seen Shepherd evolve over the years?

S: When we first began, the kids who started Shepherd kind of wanted it to be not just for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender kids. It started off as doing presentations on depression. We did occasional campaigns on body image. The last few years I think they felt more comfortable. I think LGBT is more accepted in general, and so with that they kind of felt more comfortable saying this is our goal to support the LGBTQ kids and not have to worry about everyone else, too.

M: What can we as individuals do to help out in Shepherd or even around campus?

S: One of the most important things that you can do is to speak up when you hear slurs that are used. I think that our society is still okay with gay bashing and saying things like “that’s so gay” or using

terms like “faggot,” but there is someone nearby who hears that, so I think people need to stop accepting that and say, “hey, that’s not cool.”

M: Is there any work Shepherd does outside of Mitty to help the LGBT community?

S: Not really, we thought about it over the years but it has never really happened. Our major goal in Shepherd is education. We work to educate our community, and we do that with the LGBT spirit day we did last October where people wear purple that day and speak up for LGBT teens because they’re often the victims of bullying.

We have done things in the spring with additional poster drives around Lent. We also work to educate our group members and within our group we work on educating ourselves on issues.

Our second goal is community. We want to make sure that Shepherd is a safe place for students where they can hang out. Not all the students in Shepherd are LGBT but they are all wanting to support LGBTQ kids. It is a safe space within our community as a group and we want to work on building a better community for LGBTQ kids.

M: How do students become a part of Shepherd?

S: Everyone is welcome. You could just contact me: jsalmon@mitty. com, or you can add yourself on the MyMitty page by going into courses, selecting all (under Campus Ministry), then click and add yourself in. Then you can get all of our resources on our MyMitty page, but also our emails about when we have meetings and what is going on.

C

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Dear Underclassm

By Athreya Steiger Staff Writer Life is full of change— it is inevitable. W you are a freshman, so phomore, junior, or s be-graduated senior, yo u have experienced— experience—this chan ge in one form or a There is no doubt that this time of change ca scary one, but I am here to tell you that you ne worry but rather should embrace this change.

Undoubtedly, as high sch ool students, you here to learn and to pre pare yourselves to beco m most dynamic learners possible. However, thi s to say that you should sacrifice enjoying you time for the sake of sch ool. Sure, it is very imp to do all of your work to the best of your abilit I would argue that it is equally important to e your high school experie nce in the company of friends—some of tho se will be lifelong friends.

Honestly, I believe it is rea co mm on mi sc on ce pti on tha t cannot do well in sc hool and have a social life. All it takes is a of planning. Start your work the it is assigned, make su re to prepared for that test com

Thank You, Seniors

Sarathy vi Srinivasan, and Kirthana

By Quynh-Lam Tran, Sangha Focus Editors iors in this year’s say that we look up to the sen As juniors, we can confidently ’ve known the Class st of them are taller than us. We graduating class. After all, mo er ceased to amaze their accomplishments have nev of 2016 for three years now, and lars inspire us in a tion to such diverse extracurricu us. Their passion for and dedica Beast in Beauty the tcher’s stunning performance as variety of ways—from Noah Fle Martin Luther the daraju’s sweeping win during and the Beast to Pranav Govin wever, most Ho e. bat athlete Award in Speech and De st difficult King Invitational with the Tri mo ’s nity mu strength during the Mitty com The Class . importantly, the Senior Class’ ips dsh har se seemingly insurmountable be able to times helped us to overcome the ger lon no e years, and though they will l allow us of 2016 has guided us for thre wil us on cation after Mitty, their impact it means at do so as they continue their edu wh us ght ool next year. They have tau narchs.

Mo to be better leaders for the sch true , our peers, and most importantly to be mentors, role models for

t h g i l e m i L In the

orjanc antha G rts

By Sam rming A iter ’s Perfo in ty Staff Wr it n a M g in r be involved ty caree it as n e s M e b le y b e fe. M isera I hav li t M y a s m th e L f s r of eo came e yea d the tim ring production ever, I truly be a Over th h e v y a the sp ent, I h uring m ont; how Departm I performed in tion of Mr. Kim w as a student d as the ec ho ee, hen 2009 w ette under the dir I did my first s nty Spelling B I n u s e o o In total, h Young C Mitty family w nual Putnam C t I was hooked. ddams e An tha he A part of th ear: The 25th t, I knew gally Blonde, T a th r te y f n A ding Le freshma Women. gainne. itty inclu favorite, Little y for Lo d M t tu Kinkade s a r s e d un my show e in the derful t d m h n ti a ig y e t, s m e a n n g have do auty and the Be f the wo er durin e perform ome. Because o uch as when B a , s y a il h m c Fa mu s, s all h my limit ittle Women. arned so rned to c I have le e that I have lea been pushed to o n tio f L m leaving a plac , I have past fall produc e c at I a n a Theater, id know th cause of the this its gu I d in t n u a h b c y , r s lt a M n be uou facu ole of Jo tiring and stren d a better perso . r e th d me I ha er an been support perform s, it has alist on At time tage as a better ve been there to be a voc orld to y it n a s h w e opportu rom the the Mitty d teachers who r, I had th drastic change f periencing. a an e y ts r n e io d stu n ex y sen en a learn much fu d has be during m Finally, orming in a ban at I have had so e opportunity to my f th r Per sha e ge th had ools to Exodus. but it is a chan rosnan, I have h c s r e B e, el to oth of theatr direction of Mr. and trav , le e p e. And o th e r p new Unde ts. al theatr t n ic e e s e d u m tu m s , ldn’t er sic degree in re is that I wou rts with oth new mu a ic g s u in u m s u r for w for s ty Performing A n on pu passion re, I pla I do kno tu t a u f e Mit h e W th ?

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up next week, and comp lete any projects in a tim ely manner. If you do so, you will have more fre e time than you think.

However, do not forge t to use this free time to do what you love. Perso nally, I have made a po int to keep a couple nights free each week to hang out with friends. Many a da y has been spent with fri ends eating dinner out, roami ng different hiking tra ils in the area, and just relaxing at home and talking. Th ese moments—these days of hanging out and ha ving fun—are bound to be come some of your gre atest memories of high sch ool. And honestly, the y will likely make you feel mo re refreshed so that wh en it is time to hit the books, you can do so in a much more efficient manner.

Life is about to change for each and every one of you. It is a matter of tim e before we all part wa ys and embark on a new journe y. All your hard work and adventures with friends will coalesce into a be loved set of memories you wi ll hold with you forever.

It is for this reason that we must cherish our high school experience and make the most of it. In the end, it will truly all be worth it.

Good luck!

Athreya

Good V ibes Only

By Natasha Kuo Staff Writer ers about Mitty is the nev One of my favorite thing er nev uld wo I r y. Freshman yea ending flow of opportunit I t tha g hin ryt involved with eve have dreamed of being . son per iet qu y vel out high school as a relati s wa I , me ved in today—I started for t ou s and opportunities laid admired all the activitie o shy to pursue them. le service club lars started out with a litt icu urr rac ext in ent em nvolv was through this ernational Action, and it Int for s nd sta ct era Int eract. ut leadership t of my shell and learn abo ou e com to e abl s wa I t b tha people. lop a passion for helping Mitty community, I y and the support of the equent to this opportunit b with Jennifer of Random Kindness) Clu ired to start the ARK (Acts stop there. Flash the opportunities didn’t uring my junior year, and eech and Debate, myself auditioning for Sp to senior year and I found that it would be too e Team. At first, I thought for ASB, and joining Lif s support from both I took on, but the endles balance everything that times. got me through the hard hers and friends always think I would ething special that I don’t som ly tru is y nit mu com Mitty support, love, going to miss the endless I’m and e, els ere wh any d to fin t has helped me vided a home for me tha pro has tty Mi e. leg col rit in I wouldn’t have independent person, and and ve, siti po , ent fid con nto a d it any other way.

Unpack Your Heart: An Interview with Hannah Villalpando

Compiled by Raymond So Staff Writer How has Mitty shaped who you have become?

Mitty has played a pivotal role in my social, academic, and personal growth. As an 8th grader choosing where I wanted to attend the following year, I was not sure what to expect from Mitty. All of my friends were attending the local public high school, and I was scared that I would never find a community in which I truly belonged. In hindsight, I could not be happier with my decision to attend Mitty. It is a place where I have been presented with opportunities that expanded my comfort zone, like taking part in an immersion trip to South Africa. When I stepped off the plane in South Africa, I was hit by a wave of apprehension at the prospect of interacting with people whose culture differed so much from my own. But as I developed bonds with my fellow classmates and felt a sense of community with the native people, that initial self-doubt vanished. Never in a million years would I have imagined myself in that position. Sometimes, I wonder if freshman Hannah would be proud of the much more confident and independent Hannah that stands today. Thanks to the experiences and lessons I have had at Mitty, I am confident the answer would be “yes.”

What are your most memorable experiences at Mitty?

I think, by far, my most memorable experience at Mitty is leading the January Kairos retreat. I was absolutely terrified at the prospect of guiding people my own age through this spiritual and emotional journey, and I spent a lot of time questioning whether I would really be able to give my peers the experience they deserved. Thankfully, I was blessed with an incredible small group that reassured and supported me throughout the process. It was people like Samantha Gorjanc, Harrison Eagle, Emma Dapkus, and Erika Yeager that showed me what it really means to be a part of the Mitty community. We talked about our fears, dreams, and hopes for the future. When I delivered my personal reflection in front of my classmates, pouring my heart out and sharing my story, I looked out and saw the faces of sixty people who genuinely cared about me. As I got a hug from every person in the room after my talk, I finally understood what these retreats are about: realizing how much you are loved and taking time to remind others how significant and special they are.

Leading Kairos was an experience I will never forget.

How are you feeling as you close up the year and prepare to go to college?

The entire college process has really been a whirlwind of emotions. Of course, I am a bit nervous about moving on to another school and about finding a community as loving and welcoming as Mitty’s. But more than anything, I am excited to be starting a new chapter of my life, and I think a big part of that excitement is because Mitty has prepared me so well for the next step of my education. The teachers, such as Mr. Motroni, have encouraged me to pursue my passion: working with developmentally disabled children. I hope to become an advocate for those who live with a disability by pursuing a career as a special education teacher or an occupational therapist.

If you could tell your freshman self something, what would it be?

Do your homework, get here early if you want a good parking spot, and stop worrying so much about what others think of you. As soon as you start living your life for yourself and start being 100% authentic, there is a sense of liberation and joy. So, if you are ever in doubt, just ask yourself, “Does this make me happy?” If it does, then do it!

Don’t St op the Music

By Alliso

n Krame r S ta ff W riter For those of you wh bit of a su o know m rprise, bu t I was pre e now, this may be However, a tty sh w years ago hen I walked on c y as a freshman. ampus fo with my flute case u was sure a in my han r bout one th d, I ing: I love years of W d music. F in our Orchestra d Ensemble, three , and two years of P years of J it and I’m le azz Band aving Mit later, ty with a s for music tronger lo than whe ve n I came.

Likewise , I lo v opportunit e ies it offere the leadership d me, such drum ma jor of the a marching s being senior ye band my ar. I also conducte Beast this d the pit sp orchestra high scho ring, which was de for Beauty ol experie fi and the nce. I was nitely one of the h but I was igh terrified to met take on su lights of my teachers a with overwhelmin ch a gs nd it. The clo the members of o upport from the Pe large task, rforming rch sin Arts that I was g of the show was estra, so I knew th at I could finishing bitterswe e a do t, rg a u s ably the g But above reatest ex I could not believe a ll , it is p erience o the people departme f my life. who have nt s made the band, and o great. I have met Performin some of m I am so th g Arts yc a is greater than doin nkful for having th losest friends throu g gh em in my what you longer th e scared li life. Noth love with tt in p le freshm eople you g her first d an who s ay at in the w love. I’m no and I owe of Wind Ensemble rong s . I’ much of th Arts Dep at to the lo m now confident a ection on artment. nd outgoin ve and su pport of th g e Perform , ing

Arts & Entertainment Finals Stress

By Jenny Park Staff Writer Finals are coming up soon, and the pressure of wrapping up the school year with good grades is constant. Here are two excellent, practical ways to deal with stress during finals week or any other week.

Listening to music can have a tremendously relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, especially slow, quiet classical music. This calmer music can have a beneficial effect on our physiological functions: it slows the pulse and heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and decreases the levels of stress hormones. Even if you are not one to listen to classical music on a daily basis, it may be worth trying when selecting soothing music. Studies showed positive results about “The Mozart Effect” in which students’ test scores improved after listening to a recording of Mozart, compared with either a relaxation tape or silence. Apparently, listening to music can help the brain by improving learning and memory skills.

Eating Right. Have you ever grabbed a sugary latenight snack while studying? Chances are that you probably have. Sugar, gluten, and processed foods are your worst nightmares if your nerves are on the edge. Instead, try some of these foods: bananas, fatty fish, black tea, blueberries and blackberries, greens, and oranges. Many of these foods will boost your mood with hormones like dopamine, improve your memory, heal headaches and fatigue, and quickly bring your stress hormone level to normal. A healthier diet can yield an alleviation of the anxiety or stress that you are feeling.

So the next time you are feeling stressed, regardless of whether it’s grades or something else, keep these smart tips in mind to deal efficiently those daily problems!

By Mary Celestin A&E Editor Scrolling through my Soundcloud feed, I first stumbled upon Soulection last year when one of my favorite artists, Goldlink, reposted one of their radio sessions. Deciding to give them a listen, I immediately fell in love.

Ranging from 2-3 hours and hosted by Joe Kay, Soulection radio plays an eclectic mix of all genres from rap to Brazilian to electronic. Intrigued, I came to find out that Soulection wasn’t just a radio podcast. Founded in 2011 in Los Angeles, CA, Soulection is a record label, a global platform, and a culture, designed to bring people together through music.

In the past five years, the Soulection team has grown from a humble collective to a worldwide phenomenon. With radio shows on Apple’s Beats 1 and tours in five continents, Soulection is inspiring artists and listeners all over the world with their “Sound of Tomorrow.”

One such inspired artist is Mitty junior, producer and drummer Callahan Bailey. When asked, Callahan explained that he first heard about Soulection 2-3 years ago because one of his favorite producers at the time, Mr. Carmack, was signed to them. Soulection, Callahan notes, essentially has their own genre of music, and that sound birthed a lot of the producers he currently looks up to.

“Basically, without Soulection I don’t even know if I would be making music today,” Callahan admits, “My favorite artists (I can’t choose one) are Waldo, Sango, Esta, and Monte Booker. They all have their unique sounds and each push their genres forward in different ways.”

Similarly, Mitty junior and producer Dilip Venkatesh, has also found inspiration through Soulection. He first came

Meet the Editors

You’ve read their articles and seen their layouts, but have you ever really gotten to know the Editors of the Arts and Entertainment section? Here are some of the guilty pleasures of your Editors from this year! ru k Che uri ni Celebrity Cookbooks: I have never even turned on my oven, but I own 2 copies of Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook and have Ayesha Curry’s cookbook on pre-order.

UPCOMING EVENTS Summer Edi tion

Win

June o

Drake & Josh Go Hollywood: I don’t understand why everyone makes a big deal about Leo never getting the Oscar he deserves when this movie still doesn’t have an Oscar.

Kristyna Ot t Poki Bowls: Nemo tastes so good. And yes, I did write the article about Poki Bowl last issue.

Hammocks: Because who needs a bed when you can have a hammock?

K

Boba: Fantasia. Tpumps. Tapioca Express. You name the place, I’m probably a regular there. Seriously. a Ba lar

rbaross

a Disney: Disney music instantly sends me back to my happy childhood. I don’t care if I am almost an adult, I will continue to belt songs from the Pocahontas and Mulan soundtracks till the day I die.

Empire: Even though it’s probably not the classiest show out there, I live off of the family drama and Taraji P. Henson’s contagious sass.

Long Snapchat Stories: I know it has been a great day if my snapchat story exceeds 40 seconds. Enough said. ry Celestin Ma Hostile Rap Music: Sometimes you just need some prolific rap music that makes you want to throw something. Don’t ask me why it’s necessary to my life. It just is.

Salami Tortillas: My friends know that I love salami. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I will gladly grab a tortilla, throw some salami on it, wrap it up and go on my merry way Trey Songz: Let’s be real. Trey Songz is a beautiful person who makes lovely music.

I don’t think there is much else to say on this topic...

across the collective when one of his close friends shared some of the producers/artists on the label with him. What inspires Dilip the most about Soulection is how it pushes all musical boundaries and promotes creativity in all forms.

“They are constantly encouraging artists and creatives to make what they feel like making, rather than what the masses want them to make. I think this is so important,” Dilip says, “because it is common for people to fall into the trap of doing what other people want them to do instead of what makes them happy. Soulection is all about creating vibes that have never been heard before and I try to do that whenever I make music.”

Like Callahan, Dilip also adores Mr. Carmack. “I love his diversity; he can make really chilled-out hip-hop beats and at the same time he can make crazy trap bangers,” Dilip explains, “I believe this is why a lot of people appreciate his music. His unique style has influenced many other producers/artists, including me, and he continues to blow my mind with his creativity.”

With a wide range of samples along with original beats, Dilip embraces the Carmack style in his recent EP, Pressure under his Soundcloud account ||DIlIP||, featuring Callahan on two of his tracks.

With over 250 radio shows available on Soundcloud and over 20 artists such as Mr. Carmack signed to their label, Soulection has already touched the hearts and ears of millions. So join the movement and give them a listen and also check out Dilip’s Soundcloud using the QR code on the right.

6/3: Zac Brown Band at the Shoreline Amphitheatre 6/4: BFD at the Shoreline Amphitheatre 6/7: A$AP Ferg and Tory Lanez at The Regency Ballroom 6/11: KMEL Summer Jam (Fetty Wap, Rae Sremmurd, Kehlani) at Oracle Arena 6/17: Waka Flocka Flame and Buck-o-nine at The Catalyst 6/23: Cage the Elephant at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

July 7/12: Diana Ross at the Orpheum Theater 7/21-22: Twenty One Pilots at the Greek Theater Berkeley 7/28: Keith Urban at the Shoreline Amphitheatre 7/30-31: Adele at SAP Center 7/31: Weezer and Panic! At The Disco at the Shoreline Amphitheatre

Arts & Entertainment • May 2016

Page 13

Punk Ain’t Dead Dog Party

By Shelby Leone Staff Writer

SWMRS

If you are looking for some homegrown pop punk, look no further than Oakland-based band SWMRS! With a beautiful mix of indie rock and punk, with just a dash of pop, SWMRS serves as a semi-radio-friendly introduction to the world of pop punk. SWMRS is the ultimate coming-of-age band right now, with a fresh take on political and social commentary in music. Lead singer Cole Becker fills his lyrics with references to the past giving his songs a historical consciousness that connects the music to something bigger than itself.

SWMRS is a band that perfectly blends the old with the new to make something totally beautiful.

If you like your punk with a dash of rockabilly, Dog Party is the band for you. This duo of sisters brings a new, young edge to classic American Ramones-esque punk. Following the grand tradition of young punk bands, guitarist Gwendolyn is 19, while drummer Lucy is only 17. Their music possesses a kind of honesty you only see in young adults, fed up with the conformity of previous generations. Unlike other punk bands though, Dog Party does not seek to offend with explicit lyrics or controversial topics. Instead, they give off the impression that they just want to have fun. Dog Party is upbeat, passive aggressive, and full of an energy that is simply addictive.

Song to start with: Miss Yer Kiss

Song to start with: Lost Control

Pat The Bunny

If you are ever told that you are too pessimistic, nihilistic, anarchistic, angry, afraid, hopeless, or… communist… you need to listen to Pat Schneeweis, also known as Pat The Bunny. The Marxist Anarchist possesses an uncensored rage coupled with a “we’re-all-gonna-die-so-let’s-do-thiswhile-we-can” rush. His guitar playing is equally as violent as his nihilistic and self-deprecating lyrics that leave your ears ringing in the best way possible. A recovering drug addict, Pat writes about loss, displaced rage, and distrust of government with an ironically underlying message of hope. With his genuine humanity and vulnerability, he is the perfect introduction into the world of folk punk.

Song to start with: We Were Young Once

Jon Bellion: The Definer Jon Bellion, a musician in his early twenties, has a unique sound that could be considered a cross between Passion Pit and Halsey.

Bellion is originally from Long Island, New York, and claims that his New York City upbringing is what shaped his artistic style and his unique sound. He even has a song on his sophomore album titled “Newyorksoul.”

As a teenager he began his career in music production, then moved into writing songs for big name clients.

Ever heard of “The Monster” by Eminem?

Or “Trumpets” by Jason Derulo and “Beautiful Now” by Zedd? Bellion wrote the chorus for the Grammy winning single “The Monster,” co-wrote and produced “Trumpets” and sang the vocals to “Beautiful Now.” Bellion is largely undiscovered but still has a total of 27.5 million plays on his top two songs on Spotify, 10 YouTube videos with over a million views, and just over 100k followers on Twitter.

He is also just an inspiring person. He strives to make his fans feel the emotion behind his music and wants to make music and do what he loves.

He recently revealed on Twitter that he can’t even read sheet music and that all of his songs are recorded from memory and his vision for them. He constantly talks about how much he loves his fans and how humbled he is by their support.

I think he’s a great musician who is honest in his music and that is incredibly admirable.

I love Jon Bellion’s music because it fits into any emotion. Are you sad? Listen to “Simple and Sweet” or “2 Rocking Chairs” for a low key pick me up. Happy? Listen to “Ungrateful Eyes” or “Eyes to the Sky” for a feel-good anthem. Need a pump up jam? Listen to “Jim Morrison” or “All Time Low.” My personal favorite is called “Paper Planes,” because it’s slow and calming and packed with meaningful lyrics.

Bellion displays huge variety in his tunes and

That’s So Ravyn Lenae

Ravyn Lenae, also known as Ravyn Washington, has made a name for herself, being able to headline at the African Fest in Chicago, dropping her own EP, and be ing named as Verizon’s Big Break Artist at the age of 17.

Not only is Lenae known for her beautiful curly red hair, but also for her new and creative music that sends you back to times of pure soul and R&B. Lenae was interested in music at an early age, also earning her a scholarship at her current school in Southside Chicago. As time went by, she worked hard to produce music with Monte Booker who has also worked alongside many talented musicians.

Her first EP “Moon Shoes” has been her first big step into the music industry. In

By Yabi Grum Staff Writer

it she sings of an unhappy relationship that she kept hidden.

With lyrics such as, “I don’t want them thinking that we do not know how to smile, I think this is happy, Let’s chill under the trees and pretend we’re enjoying the breeze, the breeze,” Lenae is telling us how much she needed to pretend.

At such a young age, she has made huge achievements for herself that she will be remembered for. Being an inspiration to many young people with the same passion and drive, she stands as a role model to the people around her as well.

As we wait impatiently for more music, we will fully appreciate the background and the beauty of her art that she has brought to the world

By Haley Anderson Staff Writer

style, and I know that I definitely got all of my friends into his music as well.

If you have some time, you should check him out, too. His music is perfect for any time, it’s not ridiculously overplayed, and it’s a unique sound that will definitely bring a new experience.

Turn Up the Heat!

By Camille Daszynski Staff Writer The 93 degree weather here in San Jose a few weeks ago was a short tease for the bright and warm weather that is to come in the near future. As the school year winds to a close and the sun shines for a little bit longer each day, what better way to bask in the freedom of summer than by spending some quality time with friends at a local concert?

Whether your music taste varies from the powerful upbeat-vibes of Beyonce to the more hip-hop tinted lyrics of JCole, there is surely an artist coming to town who will satisfy your that taste.

Powerful women take the Bay Area by storm this summer with Selena Gomez at the SAP Center on May 11, Beyonce at Levi’s Stadium on May 16, Adele at SAP on July 30 AND 31 and Demi Lovato at the same location on August 18. If your style tends more toward the genius of rap music, you might prefer checking out Fetty Wap, A$AP Rocky, or Kevin Gates at Summer Jam on June 12 at Oracle.

If you prefer a more outdoorsy type concert and enjoy the indie-vibe, you should check out the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco between August 5 and 7! Halsey, Lana Del Rey, and Chance the Rapper are just some of the incredible artists that will take the stage in the city.

Good music and great company are sure to be a complementary pair this summer as these fantastic artists raid the Bay for what is promised to be a truly memorable music experience.

Page 14

The Best Cult Classics

By Brad Lewinski Staff Writer How do you make a cult classic?

Simple. Make a movie with an incredibly low budget, let it bomb at the box office, and wait years for a group of crazy people to create a ‘cult’ following. Here is my personal list of the best cult classics out there!

Donnie Darko

I could write for days about how much I love this film. It combines a perfect satire of suburban lifestyle, (white picket fences, preppy students and teachers, etc.) with a time travel thriller. There are multiple page documents explaining every carefully placed detail on what the film’s ending means, and it will not be completely understood on the first viewing. This is why people have been obsessing over this film for 15 years—it doesn’t provide obvious answers and takes serious thought to comprehend.

But this confusion is made incredibly enjoyable by fantastic performances by Jake Gyllenhaal and his real-life and movie sister Maggie Gyllenhaal. My personal favorite performance has to come from Patrick Swayze as the host of a video series on conquering fear. I can recommend this movie to everyone, as it possesses incredible laughs, a mind-bending story, and entertaining performances.

Clerks

Clerks is the ultimate low-budget film where a director tossed aside every obstacle in his path and decided to make the movie he wanted to make, not for fans, not for a studio, purely for himself. The movie is from the 80’s, yet willingly sports a black and white aesthetic.

The story revolves around one day in a cashier’s life in which he is forced to come into the connivence store where he works on his off day. There he meets up with his obnoxious friend who works at the video store next door. From then on, it is non-stop laughs.

What makes this movie even more impressive is the fact that only amateur actors played parts in this movie, before this film not a single actor was even of remote fame.

Please don’t let black and white scare you away, this movie deserves every laugh it gets, and fans cannot get enough.

The Room

Please, let me tell you about the worst film of all time, so bad it recently passed Rocky Horror Picture Show for the most played midnight film in the country.

Tommy Wiseau set out into the world armed with an awful script, horrible cast, and six million dollars of mystery money, and he returned with greatness (not really).

Wiseau wrote, directed, and starred in this train wreck in which, well, no one really knows what happens. Awful plot holes, horrible acting, and downright atrocious editing make this movie hilarious in its own special way.

If you attend a screening of this film, which shouldn’t be too difficult as it plays once a month at most theaters, bring your plastic spoons, as every time a closeup of a spoon comes on screen, people throw spoons. Yes, you read that right. I don’t know about you, but if a film can be so atrocious in every facet that it can warrant a movie made about a book made about a movie, I think it’s worth checking out.

May 2016 • Arts & Entertainment

Oscars Recap: The real Winners and Losers

By Mark Johnson Staff Writer Another year, another Oscars, and once again almost every winner has been forgotten by any casual fan of movies in just the two months since the ceremony.

Almost. Of course, this year was marked by the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio, perennial favorite actor of the internet, has won an Oscar after many years of putting himself under increasingly strenuous situations to get a better and better performance.

This time, with The Revenant, he subjected himself to hypothermia and ate raw bison liver, all in search of the gold. Though I would not have chosen his performance as the best of the year for men (I would have gone with Tom Noonan in Anomalisa), nor would I have chosen him out of the nominees (here I would have chosen Michael Fassbender in Steve Jobs), I am happy that he won.

Because he has finally won his Oscar, the ridiculous long-running joke that Leonardo DiCaprio, the so-called “greatest actor alive” doesn’t have an Oscar can finally die.

Not only has he never been the best actor in a certain year, but I still remain unconvinced that he has any acting ability beyond screaming and yelling. It still remains a notable event, and will probably be what this year’s Oscars will be known for in years to come.

The rest of the ceremony was about as predictable as possible, with Spotlight taking the big prize home. It was an exceedingly safe drama that celebrated professionalism and told a David and Goliath-type story, which is awards bait if I’ve ever seen it.

Hey, compared to some of the previous recipients of the award (I’m looking at you, The Deer Hunter), it’s a masterpiece.

In fact, with almost every single awards catego-

ry presented, I would have picked a different winner.

For best picture, Brooklyn was the best of the lot. Daring to tell a love story without a single ounce of irony even in the revisionist era we live in, it was chock full of subtle grandeur and featured a remarkable performance from Saoirse Ronan.

Additionally, the best performance of the year and possibly of the decade was snubbed for a fidgety and overcooked capital-A Acting performance. The former being the performance of Rooney Mara in Carol (which was the year’s best film) and the latter being Alicia Vikander’s performance in The Danish Girl (which was the year’s worst film).

At least I can be thankful that the monstrously pretentious Revenant did not walk home with the top prize of the evening (though Alejandro G. Iñárritu walked home with his second Oscar in as many years. Any more accolades and his ego may become too large for the screen) and that the exceptional talents of Mark Rylance were recognized despite odds being in favor for Sylvester Stallone’s grumbly “performance.”

Once again, though, the Academy Awards were an occasion for the industry to pat itself on the back, while ignoring some of the year’s more artistically bold fare with films like Youth, Sicario, and The Duke of Burgundy. I would encourage readers to see these films, and hope that in the future the Academy will branch out its horizons beyond the typical stuffy fare that has become all too commonplace.

Yes, most of the Best Picture nominees were good movies, but best of the year? Don’t be ridiculous.

Border Cantos: The Invisible Wall

By Katherine Rejer Staff Writer In the current of heated debates and political campaigns, immigration policy has been lurking at the forefront of countless minds.

Publicizing the stories of thousands of immigrants in their art exhibition Border Cantos, photographer Richard Misrach and artist Guillermo Galindo bring the reality of U.S.-Mexico borders to the San Jose Museum of Art. As if leaving their motherland is not terrifying enough, immigrants from Mexico must overcome a shocking number of additional obstacles. Some struggle to stay alive, and thousands die from dehydration.

Pictures of water barrels installed by a non-governmental organization, Water Station, emphasize the immigrant’s fight to survive. Even if the newcomers are strong enough, the U.S. Border Patrol uses methods to prevent immigration.

Photographs of agents smoothing the roads in order to easily detect immigrant footsteps are prevalent and serve as a reminder of how unwelcomed these immigrants feel.

Misrach also found shooting targets, where enforcement agents could practice

shooting down the criminals. Such shooting targets are intended to reinforce the idea that the Mexican immigrants should be hunted down like animals. Misrach’s photographs not only educate viewers about the horrifying conditions, but also instill a feeling of empathy for the immigrants.

In an unconventional, yet beautiful works, Galindo recycles items found by the border into extraordinary musical instruments. What looks like trash—old shoes, cans, and an assortment of debris left behind—is transformed into distinct treasure.

One of many of Galindo’s creations, the Zapatófono features an old shoe containing a wooden handle. When scraped along the gravel, microphones magnify the sound, echoing the footsteps of immigrants.

Galindo’s creative use of artifacts communicate the immigration experience in an avant-garde fashion.

If you happen to be in downtown San Jose between now and August, be sure to come and experience Border Cantos for yourself.

Inspiring yet terrifying, Misrach’s photos show that Donald Trump’s dream of a dividing wall is not as distant as many might believe. The barriers between two peoples are all too real.

Arts & Entertainment • May 2016

Page 15

Monarch Critics

No Man’s Sky

By Philip Brazelton Staff Writer Given our complacency and techno- are 18 quintillion planets. 18 quintillion. Put logical overload, not much has the ability it this way: if players could hypothetically to amaze us. discover planets at a rate of one planet/secYet, I was taken aback by a space-ex- ond, we’d have only scratched the surface of ploration game called No Man’s Sky, an indie the universe before we were dead. videogame in development by called Hello Planets are huge and players have the Games, led by the visionary Sean Murray. freedom to explore to their heart’s content. By No Man’s Sky is not a game, but a uni- discovering new species, players can upload verse. their data to “The Atlas” Every planet is ranand gain units, the currency domly generated, and each of the in-game economy. contains its own ecosysThey can use units to uptem and secrets to explore. grade their ship, weapon, or Some planets are uninhabsuit. The goal of the game itable or toxic to the player, is to reach the center of the and in order to continue universe, which a player exploring a player may can do by upgrading their need to upgrade his or ship’s hyperdrive. her suit or “multitool” (a Sean Murray and his gadget that doubles as a crew aren’t going to tell gun and mining device) in us what lies in the center order to survive. of the universe. That’s the Because everything mystery of the game, the is randomly generated, driving force that moves every ship, species, and planet in the game you forward, no matter how unforgiving life will be unlike any other. Some planets may in space is. Players may spend weeks explorbe barren and lifeless, desert-like, or even ing one planet, or may choose to never land covered in water. Each player will have a on a planet at all and move from solar system unique experience. to solar system, space station to space station.

Now, videogames have been produced Whether you yearn to understand the on a massive scale before, and there is a lore of the universe, or to buy a militarized whole genre of “open-world” games to ship and engage in epic space battles, this choose from, so why is No Man’s Sky so in- game has something for you. triguing? When Hello Games says they have Be on the lookout for No Man’s Sky, created a universe, they truly mean it: there which releases for PS4 and PC on June 21.

Batman vs Superman

By Heramb Tamhankar Staff Writer Whether it be in 2008 when Christopher excellent, and he is easily in contention for the Nolan’s The Dark Knight got snubbed in the best Batman to appear on the silver screen. A Best Picture category at the Academy Awards, gritty and focused performance, Affleck deor when Netflix’s Daredevil didn’t garner a livers a darker and more violent Batman than single Primetime Emmy nomination, super- audiences have seen before, and he is one of hero movies have never received the respect the highlights in the film. Gal Gadot also has an independent movies seem to so easily attain. impressive outing as Wonder Woman, despite Critics have often seemed to deem su- having a limited role in the film. Performances perhero movies as subpar are good, but it’s the meshto their award-nominated ing of the characters that counterparts. DC Comics’ raises concerns. newest addition to its cinDawn of Justice seems ematic universe, Batman v to be five movies crammed Superman: Dawn of Jusinto one: A sequel to Man tice, adds to this stereotype, of Steel, an independent as it is an overstuffed movBatman movie, a Batman ie attempting to rush its vs. Superman movie, a way to the Justice League. “superheroes vs. Lex LuDespite amazing visuals thor” film, and a setup of and a phenomenal perforthe Justice League. Due to mance by Ben Affleck, this a lack of patience, DC is film smothers its potential slowly destroying its own of a powerful story involvcharacters. ing two of the most iconic Perhaps such a rush is superheroes ever and falls short in comparison due to DC’s biggest competitor having already to the higher standard set by superhero movies established a strong universe with compelling in the past decade. characters and movies. This competitor MarThe positives of this movie, although few, vel, with the likes of Iron Man and Captain are noteworthy. Zack Snyder has created a vi- America established as powerful characters in sual aesthetic that is truly magnificent, with the the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe). stylistic yet dark lighting of the movie continuOverall, this movie stumbles and the DC ing the theme established by the DC universe universe gets off to a rocky start. I won’t try to in Man of Steel. Larry Fong’s cinematography pointlessly convince comic book fans to not is among the best to grace a superhero film in watch this movie, but for casual moviegoers, recent memory. Ben Affleck’s performance is such a movie is not worth your time.

In a Nutshell

By Siddharth Kulkarni Staff Writer Kendrick has a sound entirely his own, and in Untitled Unmastered, he continues to employ the jazz, funk, and soul influences from To Pimp A Butterfly.

The mixtape is a collection of unreleased songs from the past couple years, though snippets of many of the songs have been performed live. Yet despite being a compilation album, its themes and overall sound are exceptionally cohesive.

The album opens with a fiery, modernday Book of Revelations, as Kendrick creates a dystopian vision of the apocalypse in “untitled 01.” On “untitled 03,” Kendrick riffs on racial stereotypes as a jazz band plays blithely on, while on “untitled 07,” a woozy, drunkenly thumping beat underscores Kendrick’s sneers, as he urges others to get money and “levitate.”

Untitled Unmastered is a declaration: a sort of proclamation to the music world that Kendrick’s musicality is continuing to evolve. The mixtape’s title is, in fact, a misnomer: Kendrick’s mastery of his art form is more than evident.

By Sumeet Bansal Staff Writer Pablo has little to no cohesion—it’s more a mixtape masquerading as an album, especially when compared against Kanye’s previous works.

The College Dropout was defined by its soul and R&B sampling, Graduation by its synthesized sounds, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by its maximalist sound.

Pablo, on the other hand, has no defining sound or aesthetic. It jumps from the gospel music of “Ultralight Beam” to the more Yeezus-esque “Feedback” to the acapella “I Love Kanye” to the more introspective “Real Friends.”

The lyricism of Pablo is thoroughly average, bordering uninspired and unforgivably imbecilic at times, but the sound production shines through. Each track grows on you, and though the album’s been fairly divisive among critics, it’s still a fantastic addition to Kanye’s discography.

It’ll be interesting to see how Kanye follows up Pablo with his new album, slated to be released this summer and tentatively titled Turbo Grafx 16.

By Winni Cherukuri A&E Editor The People vs. OJ Simpson is the kind of show that you either watch in ten straight hours or not at all. The primary appeal of this show lies in the fact that, unlike most murder-related shows, this series doesn’t attempt to solve a crime or identify the killer.

The viewer already knows the verdict of the trial, yet the depiction of how the trial unfolded is still captivating despite the lack of mystery.

The series captures every one of the trial’s details from the distinct looks of Judge Ito and Robert Shapiro to the impact of the Fuhrman tapes. All of these details ultimately add up to the factors that swayed the jury’s decision and are the primary reason why no one was ever convicted for the murders of Nicole and Ron. Ultimately, The People vs. OJ Simpson quickly became one of my favorite shows and, if you can overcome how uncomfortable looking at John Travolta’s face makes you, it will definitely be one of yours, too!

Lion drawings by Bharathi Arasan

By Klara Barbarossa A&E Editor In The Boss, Michelle Darnell (Melissa McCarthy), a former business mogul, searches for a way to regain her prestige after being released from prison. She finds her answer when she devises a business plan for “Darnell’s Darlings”—a fearless girl scout troop that sells brownies.

Well-known for her roles in Bridesmaids and The Heat, McCarthy has earned a reputation for being hilarious. In The Boss, McCarthy delivers nothing short of an energetic and funny performance. McCarthy’s character is both outrageous and relatable. Unfortunately, other characters paled in comparison.

While there is an undeniable humor that accompanies the daring and somewhat raunchy script, the story is predictable and it would be fairly lackluster without McCarthy.

Yes, there were some laugh-outloud scenes, and I’m all for McCarthy, humor, and girl power, but this film left me feeling unsatisfied.

SPORTS

Lacrosse:

Men’s Golf:

By Sanjay Mattela and Kaeleigh Smith seniors look to make the most of their final season.

Staff Writers Nick says, “My main goal is to have as Within just few years, Mitty Lacrosse has become a dominant force in the WCAL. much fun as I can. This program has been As the sport becomes more and more a huge part of my life so I am really just popular throughout the country, Mitty’s trying to enjoy myself during these last few weeks.” program parallels Along with a that growth. strong and deterAs the Men’s mined upper class, Va r s i t y Te a m the team is also buildcontinues to hold ing for the future with a strong 8-4 rethe pickup of three cord, the girls fall freshmen, Jason close behind with Coopersmith, Sean two wins and four Mahoney, and Kilosses. eran Ruf, who are Junior Morgan all huge assets to the Peterson, a 2014team.

15 All-WCAL First No doubt, Mitty Team player, has lacrosse will evolve returned for her secinto a powerhouse in ond year on varsity, the upcoming years. but she has most Senior Amanda recently been sideWhite says, “I could lined with a hip not be more proud i n j u r y. F r a n c e s Photo courtesy of Mr. John Beahm of how far our proThurman has also gram has come in Senior Raj Dharmasena looks to score. returned for a secthe past three years, ond year on varsity as a junior. The loads of talented up-and- We have grown so much as individual playcoming girls will continue to transform ers and as a team, and I cannot wait to see Mitty Lacrosse and paint an optimistic the program get even better in the years to future. The women’s team has faced tough come.”

The program only keeps getting better. challenges during the infancy of the program with three new head coaches for the same Junior, Gabe Hyun describes the feeling of playing for the Mitty lacrosse team: “The number of years.

As for the men, they return this season great thing is it combines violent hits and after reaching the WCAL Semifinal last checks with stick skills and passing that can year. Senior Nick Aiello and the rest of the make for really graceful looking plays.”

in the last few weeks of the season, a large

By Alex Veroulis step toward capturing the WCAL league Staff Writer The Mitty Men’s Golf program has title. With many underclassmen stepping up had a successful year up to this point—the to the tee, men’s golf will see a certain upswing in talent in varsity and junior the years to come. varsity teams have Even though winning records, the varsity squad and each are in has shown the pothe top halves of tential to take on their respective dithe best of the best, visions. The two the junior varsity teams are coached team is also makby John Mosuning vast strides in nic and Matt De league play, curPalma, respecrently boasting a tively. six-game winning Playing at streak.

Cinnabar Hills, The JV MonPresidio, TPC archs play the Harding Park, and majority of their Spring Valley, and matches at Los Laothers, the varsity Photo courtesy of Mr. John Beahm gos Golf Course. team currently Junior Matt Lloyd eyes the green.

They’ve also made holds a 10-3 record a couple of select in league with one appearances at Fleming Golf Course at more match left in the regular season.

At one of the latest tournaments held TPC Harding Park. Top performers on the at the Palm Springs Terra Lago, the varsity team include sophomores Tyler Casaclang team finished with a cumulative score that and Ethan Brown, among others, who have seen a significant amount of success placed them 7th overall.

Throughout this year’s golf season, throughout the season.

After suffering a tough loss of just a one much of the young talent has won individual awards for their outstanding performances stroke difference against the St. Ignatious on the course and beyond, most notably ju- Wildcats on April 14, the Varsity Monarchs nior Matt Lloyd, freshman Brian Ma, and came back strong to defeat Sacred Heart sophomore Daniel Kim. Not to be outdone, Cathedral 175-211.

If both teams tee-off with the passion senior Jordan Jean, medalled in a match they’ve shown of late, then finishing strong against Riordan on April 4.

The team looks to overtake Bellarmine is on the horizon.

Great Expectations Underclassmen Talent

A Year in Monarch Sports

May 2016 • Sports

Page 17

Softball and Baseball:

Spring Swinging for the Fences Highlight Reel

dominant on the mound throughout the season.

By Justin Bui The Monarchs defeated archrival Bellarmine Staff Writer This year’s Varsity Men’s Baseball Team 1-0 on April 8 with a strong pitching perforfeatures a strong lineup with up to eight seniors. mance by King, who threw a one-hitter against Even so, there are valuable contributions from the Bells.

To say that the Varsity Women’s Softball multiple juniors, sophomores, and freshmen.

Team has played well thus far is like saying the Going into the last few weeks of the season, the Golden State Warriors have exceeded basketball team was 5-4 in the WCAL and 12-8 overall and expectations—both are severe understatements. tied for second place in league with St. Francis Led by seniors McKinsey Thorpe, Lindand Bellarmine at press time. sey Goubeaux, and One noteworthy Erika Yeager, the change to the team Monarchs sit with a was the addition of record of 14-2 and an new coach, Brian 8-0 record in legaue Yocke. Coach Yocke play. Only falling to has been around Mitty St. Mary’s Stockton for a long time, having and Alhambra in the taken part in the baseLivermore Stampede ball program when he Tournament, the softattended Mitty and ball team will soon having also recently likley clinch its 14th coached Women’s consecutive league Softball. title.

His main priorR e c e n t l y, t h e ity for improving the M o n archs battled team focuses on “takagainst WCAL advering care of the playsary Valley Christian ers.” He explains, “We for the lead in the are competing against league. ourselves to play at Both teams went our level as often as in 4-0, but the Monwe can. We have a lot archs dominated the of talent on our team, Photo courtesy of Lindsey Goubeux Warriors, 13-2. and if we continue to Senior Lindsey Goubeux swings the bat.

In the fifth inning, improve as a team, we senior Lindsey Gouhave a lot of potential.” beaux hit a home run to seal the game and finish This has definitely shown in the quality of what was an impressive blowout. play from the varsity team this season. Seniors Such games attest to the true grit of MonCole Palacios and Derek Bauerle, and junior arch Softball—handling the toughest challenges Haydn King have averages of .333, .333, and with class and skill. .363, respectively. Likewise, King has been

Men’s Tennis Coach: Tyler Nii Highlight: The Men’s team

defeats Sacred Heart Cathedral 7-0 on April 6.

Anton Gotlib: “The best part about playing is getting to experience a team environment since tennis is an individual sport. Players don’t usually get to play for a team where others are counting on you.”

Photo courtesy of Anton Gotlib.

Track and Field Coach: Mrs. Dina Oakland Highlight: The women’s team

defeats Sacred Heart Cathedral 107-17.

The Men win 85-30 in the same meet.

Maya Shaw: “ Track has been a great experience filled with ups and downs that have ultimately humbled our team and made our bond stronger”

Men’s Volleyball:

Holding Its Ground this as an opportunity to step into a bigger leadBy Giuliano Orsi ership role. “Since this is my third year on the Staff Writer The Archbishop Mitty Men’s volleyball court, I have to set an example for our younger team looks to remain a competitive WCAL force. players, whether that’s through exemplary demonstration of sportsmanThe boys are led by ship or competitiveness. head coach Will Yuen, My role has increased who is in his sixth year. significantly, and my Yuen’s most notable accoaches and teammates complishments include expect more from me an impressive run in now than they did beearning the CCS and fore.”

NorCal championships Playing under in the 2013 season. The Coach Yuen has defiteam sat with a 16-14 nitely taught Brazelton overall record (4-6 in about becoming a betleague) at press time. ter overall player. Yuen Key additions this is known for his deep year include transfer knowledge of the sport, sophomore and opposite and has had the experihitter Nick Alftin and ence from club coaching freshman setter Ryan and school coaching Li, who both start on to elicit the best in his the Monarch rotation. In players. fact, the 6’5” Alftin has Falling to rival Belled the Monarchs in kills, Photo courtesy of Thang Nguyen and has been Li’s favorite Junior Luke Byrnes goes up to spike the ball. larmine 3-0, the Monarchs stepped up big by target to set so far.

Key returning players such as junior hitter defeating St. Igantious 3-2 after losing a five-set Luke Byrnes and sophomore hitter and captain stunner up in the city against the Wildcats earlier Derek Jones have also been factors in the recent this season.

The Monarchs looked to continue their success of the team.

Veteran guidance is highlighted by 6’3” success having come off a big win in the Battle senior Phillip Brazelton, who leads all middles of the Bay Tournament on April 16. In the tournament the team defeated Homestead, Madera, in kills.

With his career closing out, Brazelton sees Gilroy, and Madera South.

Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach: Mr. Tom Miller Highlight: Earning second place in the California Catholic

Challenge held at Santa Margarita High School in SoCal. Meghan Hall: “It was great to have all of us together as a team for three days, swimming, having fun and just spending time together.”

NCAA Women’s Cross Country and Track

Julia Lemak, UC Davis

Women’s Softball

Lindsey Goubeux, Oregon State University Erika Yeager, University of Rhode Island

May 2016 • Photography

Julia Lohman

Monarch Photography

Page 18

MEMORIES

IT IS SAID THAT OUR PAST DETERMINES OUR FUTURE. WE ARE WHAT WE HAVE DONE, WHO WE HAVE MET, AND WHERE WE HAVE BEEN. OUR MEMORIES REMIND US THAT WHAT HAS PASSED IS NOT FORGOTTEN AND LIVES ON WITHIN US. WITH THIS IN MIND, WE MUST ALSO REMEMBER THAT MEMORIES ARE NOT ALWAYS AN IMAGE OF SOMETHING, BUT MORE SIMPLY SOMETHING THAT EVOKES A FEELING. WE ASK THAT YOU APPRECIATE THESE PICTURES, NOT ONLY FOR WHAT THEY ARE, BUT ALSO FOR WHAT THEY EMBODY.

Linnea Staab

reminicse

Sophie Sharma

Photography • May 2016

Page 19

David Tu

Mitchell Koontz

Michelle Mallari

Olivia Figueira

Monarch Memories

Thank You

In this day and age where art is often overlooked, the Comics Section is grateful to have had the opportunity to share important and unique stories through creative visual expression.

Thank you for making our first year on The Monarch a huge success.

We hope that art continues to be a vital part of the Mitty community for years to come.

Sincerely,

Comics Staff