Bear Witness - December 2019

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WITNESS BRANHAM HIGH SCHOOL

DECEMBER 20, 2019

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MOODS FOR THOUGHT

COLDER FRONTS It's not just finals that are weighing on you. If you feel a bit more down, a bit more blue when the days get shorter and colder, you're not alone.

HOW SEASONS CAN IMPACT YOUR WELL-BEING We are all affected by the weather differently. Here's what research says about the changes.

Spring sadness The rate of suicides can be two to three times higher than in December, when suicide rates are the lowest, according to Adam Kaplin, a Johns Hopkins psychiatrist.

Kaplin said that those who spent the winter depressed find in the spring that they now have the energy and motivation to take their own life.*

Summer heat Sunshine is linked with a mood boost, but don't expect it to last in the dog days of August.

University of Michigan researchers noted positive attitudes seemed to wilt in sweltering weather. In San Jose, the average high is 82 degrees in August, with this year's high at 99 degrees.

Falling Autumn anxiety is an annual increase in anxiety some people begin to feel during the autumn months.

Researchers say some causes of this anxiety may be due to beginning a new school year, the looming stress of the holiday season, or possible regret from not having achieved desired goals over the summer.

@bhsbearwitness

Summer lovers Happier, less fearful, and less angry on days with msunshine and higher temperatures. Rainfall was associated with less happiness, more anxiety and anger.

Summer haters Less happy and more fearful and angry when the temperature and the percentage of sunshine were higher.

With more hours of

*If you or someone you know needs help, please call (800)273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

WINTER WISHES 2019

Panel helped filter wishes for rally Transparency sought in process ELIZABETH POSEY

A

Co-Editor-in-Chief

s a way to increase transparency for wishes that were granted, a Winter Wishes committee of teachers, students, administrators and Leadership students formed to Inside select and filter out among the hunA recap of dreds submitted. the ninth anThe committee, composed of two nual Winter teachers, two ad- Wishes rally ministrators and Page 2 several leadership student met at the start of October to discuss and narrow down the wishes.

For science teacher Kevin Kalman, who began his involvement this year, noticed a clear difference in the transparency of the process, describing his experience as “eye-opening.”

Kalman was inspired by Robyn Guttierez, a student with muscular dystrophy who wished to talk about her struggles with the disease.

“It was just amazing to see how the whole community came together,” he said.

Upon receiving a staffwide email, seeking committe SEE WISHES • PAGE 2

POST-GRAD ACADEMY

Special ed grads get help beyond high school Classes promote independent living GENEVIEVE NEMETH Staff Writer

or the past three years, the disF trict’s Camden Post-Secondary Academy has been helping its

Caitlyn Schlaman/Bear Witness

Inside The science behind finals and stress, and the toll they can take on your well-being.

Page 7 INSIDE

KATELYN LOWPENSKY Copy Editor

uring the winter, junior Sela Jasim’s energy levels drop to a yearD ly low.

“The lack of sun and the gloomy weather impacts me negatively,” she

said. “Then I kind of start feeling down because of that.”

Her exhaustion and mood changes represent a common circumstance in many Americans’ lives.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) impacts over 3 million people in the U.S., triggered by the changing seasons. According to the Mayo Clinic, the circadian rhythm, the natural process that administers sleep to wake time, is disrupted during the winter due to a lack of light, resulting in many symptoms. The brain’s decreased amount of serotonin causes depression, and changing melatonin levels lead to drowsiness.

Campus briefs.................................2 News.............................................. 2

Editorial..........................................4 Bulletin Board.................................3

These symptoms can cause stress, grief, and depression, making the holiday season a tough time.

Psychology teacher Jennifer Ozdinksi sees possible cases of SAD in her sluggish students. She also said that people close to her fall into substance abuse around this time of year. It’s “I'm definitely a believer in that the weather affects our mood,” Ozdinksi said. “I know people who struggle with alcoholism and things like that tend to be worse in these months and worse during holidays.”

Depression is one of the main symptoms of SAD, which creates other emotional issues such as grief. Guidance counselor Joyce Davis said more students come to her and other counselors with personal issues during this season.

The holiday season, which emphasizes family togetherness, compounds this sorrow for students who have lost a loved one.

SEE SAD • PAGE 7

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InDepth...........................................7 Student Life....................................8

special education high school graduates transition from high school to their first years of adulthood.

The four-building academy, located near the district office off Camden Ave., is built around the philosophy that the community is the classroom, according to Ophelia Gomez, the site administrator.

The students, from ages 18 to 22, have frequent opportunities to venture out of the classroom to learn real life skills. Inside the classroom, some of which are built to resemble studio apartments, students are taught how to cook, make their beds, and how to do their laundry. Gomez said that they are taught that work equals money and no work equals no money. On a recent Friday, the

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BEAR WITNESS

NEWS

| DECEMBER 20, 2019 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

“I’m hoping that it will help me be able to achieve my career goals as quickly as possible."

— Senior Tyler Aruta on taking West Valley Dual Enrollment classes at school

Campus roundups Mayor honors Royal Alliance at City Hall

The Branham Royal Alliance was recognized at City Hall by San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and council member Pam Foley on Dec. 4.

They are the highest-ranked, mid-sized band in Northern California. They went undefeated throughout their season, which concluded in November.

Teachers receive grants for classrooms The CUHSD Ed Foundation awarded French teacher Laurel Garceau and art teacher Jessica Bender grant money toward their classrooms. from the Bender’s grant will go towards Art 1 students to learn about how artists make scientifically accurate displays for museums. Garceau and Branham’s World Language Department will use the funds to get books for students to read in class, educating them on each language in an interactive way.

Annual faculty show draws big crowds The Branham teachers showcased their acting chops in the thirty-minute dinner date comedy “Check Please”. The play follows a guy (Michael Ponce) and a girl (Tania Eaton) who repeatedly get lousy dinner dates, which include a kleptomaniac, a 10-yearold kid, a diehard Chicago Bears fan, and a mime. The show was directed by seniors Scott Tucker and Stacey Yavorski, premiered Dec. 12 and 13.

Special education department hosts winter dance The special education department held its annual Winter Wonderland dance Dec. 13, which drew more than 300 students from neighboring high schools. Students mingled, ate snacks, danced and took pictures with Santa (a.k.a. P.E. teacher Ron Smare).

The following day, Best Buddies met up at Christmas in the Park in Downtown San Jose to continue the festivities.

— Katelyn Lowpensky

WINTER WISHES 2019

DUAL ENROLLMENT

FRIENDS IN NEED

Bear Witness archives Robyn Gutierrez sings "Who Says" by Selena Gomez with her sister, Danielle at the first Make a Wish rally (now Winter Wishes) in 2011. She appeared again at the 2016 to share her struggles of living with muscular dystrophy.

Jazzy Nguyen/Bear Witness Robyn's mother, Aarica Kragh-Gutierrez, and her family watch a video tribute to Robyn at this year's rally.

Jazzy Nguyen/Bear Witness Junior Kendall Fowler embraces her mom after the Leadership class flew her from South Dakota as a surprise.

Jazzy Nguyen/Bear Witness Senior Roman Collazo's friends wished for financial support for his family following the lost of his dad.

Robyn Gutierrez, who would have been a senior this year, had been a celebrated presence at previousWinter Wishes rallies, from her duet with her sister, Danielle, at the first event in 2011 to her speech in 2017 describing her struggles with muscular dystrophy (and asking Branham to follow her YouTube channel).

It was fitting that at this year's rally the Leadership team dedicated the grove to Robyn, who died in 2017 from complications due to muscular dystrophy.

"She inspired all of us," said senior Kyle Haugh, who wished for the memorial.

The ninth annual Winter Wishes rally offered laughter and tears, helping the Branham community see the hidden struggles that their peers faced. Some of the wishes granted were checks to families such as the Karbowskis, who lost their home in a house fire. Friends wished for financial help for the family of Roman Collazo, who recently lost his father.

The rally lent a helping hand, and a hug, for those who needed it most during the holiday season.

— Ziv Galpaz

WISHES | Committee member sees room for improvement

From PAGE 1 members, Kalman knew he wanted to involve himself further in the decision making system.

“This year it's just more open, more transparent,” said Kalman. The google forms allowed for anonymity in the recipients of the wish in the initial filtration of student requests.

After the first screening of wishes, Kalman described a full whiteboard

covered with an approximate hundred initial wishes to sift through once more. From this point, the group faced more challenging choices. Wishes were placed into categories such as large wishes to be granted at the rally or small wishes for granting during class time.

Often donations received by the leadership class were more specific in nature, which made them difficult to grant. “If someone asks for a specific

Editors-in-Chief Julianne Alvares and Elizabeth Posey Editors News: Cara McClure Opinion: Andelina Miller Arts and Entertainment: Chandler Roberts Science and Health: Caitlyn Schlaman Student Life: Lily Middleton Sports: Jazzy Nguyen Back Page: Katelyn Lowpensky

laptop, can you give them a generic laptop?” Kalman asked.

Many when students ask for specific items, there are some funds allocated to general spending but many donations are from specific stores and services, which wish specificity limits heavily. Offering activities and groceries to aid students and their families is often a more feasible way to grant a wish.

While Kalman thinks the process

was an improvement upon previous years, he still believes the system has room to become even more fair.

Wishes with similar backgrounds and requests present a barrier for the committee.

A solution Kalman said could build upon the transparency of the selection is using some sort of randomization program to select one student of a similar group which would remove natural bias.

Copy Editors: Nolan Zils and Katelyn Lowpensky Staff writers Ziv Galpaz, Cianna Hollinger, Meenakshi Iyer, Orion Jandu, Tae Yun (Erica) Kang, Jayden Kim, Cara McClure, Zachary Macapanpan, Shantala Muruganujan, Genevieve Nemeth, Carly Waldorph, Ryan Walters Guest artists Audrey Nguyen, Julia Tran and Jessica Berton Adviser: Fitzgerald Vo

West Valley offers college courses on campus Grade bump, access to professors among perks LILY MIDDLETON

Student Life Editor

or the past year, West Valley ColF lege has been offering free college-level classes at Branham and other

high school campuses to give students a chance to earn college credit as part of its Dual Enrollment Program.

The classes meet after school, and change each semester. This fall, West Valley College offered American Sign Language, Calculus, and Child Family and Community, at Branham.

Students from sophomore year to senior year sign up for college level classes of their preference as an extra after school class. A program that has been up and running for two years now gives high school students the chance to boost their GPA through courses from Business Law to Introduction to Coaching Sports. Students can choose to apply for programs within their interests at the beginning of each semester.

Dual enrollment classes serve the give current Branham students access to a higher education, offering classes that are taught by West Valley educators, from Criminal Justice to Early Child Development.

“They are treated as West Valley College students and so they have all the services available to them. You know sometimes we have class and you don't,” Child Development Professor Katherine Moore-Wines said.

She has offered her West Valley College child development courses throughout the district, and will offer it again next semester.

These courses also offer a GPA boost equivalent to an AP class. Junior Tasnmeem Ababneh, who is enrolled in the child development course, wanted to get a taste of college.

“I enjoyed being able to learn about something that wasn’t offered at Branham,” she said.

What makes these classes so different apart from the college credits and different subjects is the fact that students are able to look at a list of classes that will be offered at high schools nearby.

The West Valley courses differ from school to school and are open for students from neighboring schools to join.

“All schools have different classes but when I took my criminal justice classes, there were a couple kids from Leigh that would come,” Ababneh said.

“It’s definitely something different and much more interesting.”

Students are drawn to these classes not only because of the GPA boost and access to college professors, but also because it gives them an insight to a possible career path.

Senior Tyler Aruta, who plans to major in kinesiogy, felt that it was a good way to jumpstart his college career.

“I’m hoping that it will help me be able to achieve my career goals as quickly as possible,” he said.

Volunteer writing coach: Joe McCarthy Mission Statement The Bear Witness is committed to providing accurate, timely coverage of local and world news while connecting these events to the lives of our diverse student body.

Website: www.bhsbearwitness.com Phone: (408) 626-3407 Email: bhsbearwitness@gmail.com Address: 1570 Branham Lane, San Jose, CA 95118

BEAR WITNESS

| DECEMBER 20, 2019 |

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

OPINION

“We have similar responsibilities and commitments to the other sports on campus.”

— Senior Gaby Avila on sideline cheer’s ineligibility for Sports P.E.

Give sideline cheer athletes some credit Team practices like other sports, can’t qualify for Sports P.E. TAE YUN (ERICA) KANG

M

Staff Writer

ost cheerleaders have heard the phrase, “cheer isn’t a sport” at least once during their athletic careers.

In 2015, former Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law (called the CHEERS Act) that finally considered competitive cheer as an official interscholastic sport.

However, no such action has ever been taken toward sideline cheer.

It’s a big oversight.

Athletes know of the work and commitment that goes into sports such as football, volleyball, basketball, and even competitive cheer, because they practice to compete, forcing them to strive for excellence.

These are the sports included as options for Sports P.E. Many people do not consider the work ethic and commitment that go into sideline cheer, which which isn’t eligible for Sports P.E. designation.

Competitive cheerleading is eligible, however. The sport consists of a two-and-a-half minute routine packed with stunts, tumbling, jumps, and dances. Teams memorize and practice these routines multiple times per week. These teams work to compete against other teams at competitions throughout the county and state.

The Branham Competitive Cheer team practices up to two hours a day, 3-4 days a week, with about 5 competitions every season, from August to February.

By contrast, sideline cheerleaders perform at sports games and school events. They are expected to memorize numerous cheers and new routines consisting of stunts, tumbling, jumps, and dances every week.

Sideline cheerleaders must also follow all of the same criteria as the other sports. Like other programs, there is a minimum 2.0 GPA to be eligible to participate.

Even though sideline cheer teams do not compete, they have multiple practices per week to prepare for performances at upcoming events.

The Branham Sideline Cheer team is a year round sport and practices for 1-2 hours, 2-3 days a week, even during the summer. They also cheer at football games every Friday for the entire football season and performs at 2-3 basketball games every week throughout the entire basketball season.

“We cheer in rain or shine, and if we are invited to an event, we are there,” said senior Gaby Avila. “Sideline cheer should be given the opportunity to receive Sports P.E. credit because we have similar responsibilities and commitments to the other sports on campus.”

From the physicality to the grades, sideline cheer is required to fit the expectations of the other sports at Branham without being considered as one, and without the benefits.

Despite all the similarities, sideline cheer is still not an open option for Sports P.E., and should be a consideration.

PERSONAL ESSAY

T

here are about 21 million Asian Americans in the United States, yet this group is barely represented in American media.Even less represented are Asians who don’t particularly fit the American stereotype, those who aren’t fair-skinned with black hair and slanted, or almond-shaped, eyes.

From a very young age, I have been aware of my own skin color. Growing up, the only other Asian I knew with dark skin was my father.

There were no “pretty Asians” with dark skin.

The hashtag #praisintheasian, where Asians posted photos of themselves celebrate diversity, helped me realize how much there was in the label “Asian.” It included people of all shapes, sizes and colors.

For the first time, “Asian” was not limited to the pale person with small eyes and a skinny frame ...

BULLETIN BOARD

Weighing in on bell schedule Teachers have finally chosen a new bell schedule, a modified block schedule where students will see all of their teachers one day and alternate block periods for the rest of the week. It will take effect next school year.

SKIN DEEP

Written and illustrated

by Audrey Nguyen

Nick Hames Junior

“I think it’s chaos. It’s like two different schedules, with different people going to see people with different times, people are gonna be walking different places, it would be chaos.”

Elina Vakunova Junior

“This will just give me more time after school before I do any activities to do my homework.

I know that a lot of sports practices start a bit after school is over. This will give students time for more for an opportunity to do school work.”

Joshua DeSouza Senior

For the first time I could be Asian.

“I think that they’re trying to fix something that isn’t really broken, like they are trying to find an extreme solution to a problem that doesn’t seem to be requiring something that big.”

Kate Turner Freshman

“I don’t like how there’s different start times. it’s too confusing.

We have a carpool schedule so it’s going to be kind of hard to make everyone aligned with sports after school.

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BEAR WITNESS

OPINION Editorial The opinion of the Bear Witness editors

| DECEMBER 20, 2019 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM Video game developers now sell full-priced, unfinished games ‘ to players, and then patch it over months or years.

DRUG INTERVENTION PROGRAM

Peer leaders can change culture of drug use

n the past few months, 50 students were I pulled out of class to attend training for the new drug prevention program entitled Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD) prevention. The new program is run parent company Community Matters and has a heavier focus on prevention and intervention. It achieves this through appointing and training student leaders to help fellow students to think about the long-term effects of drug use.

On the whole, this is a positive change; the motivation is helping destigmatize conversations about drugs, bringing it to a peer level

that could be more effective. Fear-mongering strategies previously employed by programs such as DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) focused on criminalizing drug use rather than offering help and treating drug addiction as a medical issue that needs treatment.

However, it is too soon to sing its praises.

The strategy has been used in the past and hasn’t been successful at every school. It’s impossible to say whether it will take hold on Branham’s campus.

Even though the program is starting with

a smaller group of 50 students made up of mostly underclassmen, the ultimate plan is to have more influential students take part in the program so there are more people reachable as resources.

If someone is addicted to drugs or alcohol, it’s unlikely that this program would have serious effects on them. For these types of situations, more serious addiction programs and procedures would be necessary. Sometimes, these addictions and behaviors extend well before students are in high school.

Drug education should also be established

at a younger age in order to prevent an increase in underage ATOD usage. The programs used in high schools mainly educate students who have already experienced the effects of drugs or already understand what they do, meaning that another generation of drug users will develop if young students are not informed.

Elementary and middle schools might consider collaborating with high schools they feed into in order to communicate effectively about drug problems and education for incoming classes.

Full-price for unfinished work?

Chances are you’re a gamer CAITLYN SCHLAMAN

Science & Health Editor

ould you pay $15 for a ticket W to half of Frozen 2, with the promise that it would be finished later?

Caitlyn Schlaman/Bear Witness

This holiday, we request your presence Andelina Miller Opinion Editor

hristmas is known as the holiday C where people give to their loved ones and celebrate with their friends and

families. However, the holiday season is also about people sharing their holiday experiences on social media and spending too much time on screens.

Kids and teenagers all love to receive presents. Due to the rise of social media, a trend among teens is to take pictures of all the presents they get and posting them on their social media accounts. When teens do this, they may not understand the effect it can have on other people who aren’t as lucky.

Some families can’t afford to buy gifts for this holiday, which is why this trend is somewhat insensitive. According to a study called “Modern Wealth Survey,” done by Charles Schwab, a financial investment company, 59% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.

Kids who come from low-income families probably feel more left out during the holiday season when they see all their peers with their new gifts on social media. Some people may not struggle financially during the holidays, but still understand that it is not sympathetic to post Christmas gift hauls on social media. Also, during the holiday season there are many gift drives to help those in need. Teens should be mindful of posting things like all the presents they get on their social media because not everyone is fortunate to get Christmas presents.

Another problem to avoid during the holidays is spending too much time looking at screens instead of interacting with friends and family. During the holiday season, people should try to limit their screen time. U.S. teens spend an average of more than seven hours per day on screen media for entertainment.

Teens should think about alternative ways that they can spend time with their families. Instead of watching TV with their families during the holiday season, teens could go ice skating with them.

In her 2017 article, columnist Jane E. Brody wrote that it’s important for people to be socially involved in their communities and to have relationships with other people. Those who lack these social contacts, she said, “are more likely to experience elevated levels of stress and inflammation. Christmas is a great time for families to reconnect and for teens to be more social instead of being on their devices, because they have a break from school. Social interaction and relationships are important for mental health which is why teens should do their best to be socially active during the holiday season.

Would you spend hours reading Harry Potter, only to learn that it was never finished, and you’ll never know what happens with Voldemort? This might seem ridiculous, but this is a common practice in the video game industry.

Video game developers now sell fullpriced, unfinished games to players, and then patch it over months or years.

Triple-A video games, the highest standard, are usually set at $60. “Fallout 76” (2018), developed by Bethesda, released as a Triple-A video game. The Fallout games have been a long-running series since 1997, and “Fallout 76” is the latest installment. But “Fallout 76” was ultimately unfinished when it first released, and a disappointment to many longtime fans. The game’s storyline was unable to be completed at times, as events wouldn’t play out when they were supposed to, or were disrupted by glitches. Game mechanics, like players detonating nuclear bombs, or crafting, could crash Bethesda’s servers, disrupting the game for hundreds. Fallout 76 also had in-game transactions, which forced players to pay for crucial weapons or items, becoming a “pay to win” game.

Bethesda has been working on “Fallout 76” for 3 years, ever since developers for “Fallout 4”, the previous installment, finished adding extra content. Yet, Bethesda still waited for its release to finish major patching. Since its release last year, there have been 16 patches released, each attempting to fix issues, but resulting in adding more. Update 16, which released earlier this month, added new content and was supposed to fix existing issues. Yet there have already been resulting glitches from the patch, like legendary

BUGGY, STILL NOT FIXED Anthem Developed by BioWare “Anthem” was a first-person shooter dedicated to finding loot. The game released with a lot of bugs and mechanical issues, like long load times and crashes. Missions wouldn’t start, mission rewards were meaningless, and if players wanted anything good, they had to pay.

Caitlyn Schlaman/Bear Witness armor breaking after the player reloads.

Continuously changing a game can work in some ways, just look at games like “Fortnite” (2017). But paying $60 for half-produced game with future fixes promised doesn’t quite cut it.

“Fortnite” is free to play, and can be changed with every update. Even with such updates, “Fortnite” developers aren’t patching bugs that should have been found in development.

Practices like this are destroying and weakening

famed developers and publishers. Releasing unfinished games for $60 and then expecting fans to play while you update it is a bad marketing practice. Companies can use pre-ordering as a marketing strategy to secure sales, essentially trapping fans into accepting the game as it is.

This weakens the market for games and with newer releases following in the footsteps of “Fallout 76,” there’s no knowing what the future for video games is.

STARTED BAD, ENDED STRONG No Man’s Sky Developed by Hello Games No Man’s Sky was developed by Hello Games, but crowdfunded through Kickstarter. It promised expansive worlds, infinite generation, and dogfights in space.

However, when it was released, No Man’s Sky had none of what it was promised. Now three years later, many say the game is better, but could have been released as a full game.

MOSTLY BUG-FREE Pokemon: Sword and Shield Nintendo’s “Pokemon” series has been releasing games for over 20 years. In 2019, the installment for the new Switch console was released. Yet, the game was missing half of its Pokemon, a design choice that angered longtime players. However, the game was still highly rated, and best-selling.

BITE-SIZED | Minor solutions, minor problems

Problem: Award shows. These days shows like the Grammys and Golden Globes seem to nominate/award based on popularity rather than talent or quality.

Solution: Award shows should have nominees participate in a “Hunger Games”style event to determine the winner.

— Julianne Alvares

Problem: Standardized testing. There are far too many bubbles; the questions are designed to optimize confusion; they make my brain cry.

Solution: Apply for a job at the College Board, rise from the ranks, and destroy them from the inside.

— Elizabeth Posey

Problem: The hallways have too much foot traffic and people walk too slowly in front of people who are actually trying to go places.

Solution: The whole school should be one big quad so people could get to their classes easier and faster.

—Andelina Miller

Problem: I know it’s been like six months, but every time I sit down at the tables in the new buildings, my legs are cut up by the harsh corners under the tables.

Solution: Everyone sits on the floor. The floor is good. The floor is cold and flat, and I don’t have to arch over my computer to work.

— Caitlyn Schlaman

BEAR WITNESS

| DECEMBER 20, 2019 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

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FROM THE FRONT PAGE ACADEMY | Field trips outside classroom help foster independence group traveled to San Jose City College, one of several local destinations for their field trips.

Teamwork is the word that Danielle Gutierrez, a teacher at the academy, would describe her class.

This teamwork is apparent where students are asked to teach other students the skills they have learned.

The students benefit from learning from each other because it helps with their communication skills.

“They all have their own strengths and weaknesses, but the strength of others help those who maybe are still learning that strength.” Gutierrez said.

Principal Cheryl Lawton said that the district used to send the students out of the county, costing each student thousands of dollars. Since its opening in 2017, the Camden Post-Secondary Academy has not only saved the district money, but it keeps the students working and learning in their neighborhoods.

The special education students receive free education until they are 22 years old, so the academy focuses on a four-year plan that helps to find a job that is right for each student.

At the academy, there are four classrooms, where students are placed based on their level of independence, from whether they can cook and clean to whether they can use washer and dryer properly.

Gutierrez said that the students at the academy are more independent than you think.

“What most people realize is that students that you would think can’t do a lot, can.” Gutierrez said.

“These students are more like your typical everyday students than they are different. They just have to do things differently and they need more support.”

Teachers at the academy engage in transition planning, a process to support students and help guide them to figure out their goals and needs after leaving the school system.

“The mission is to give our students a meaningful life and that means to highlight all the things they're good at, what their passion is, and give them the tools to use,” Gutierrez said.

The aim is to not to address their limitations, but on what their skillset is, and “just run with that,” Gutierrez said.

She said it’s her job to find the successes and to develop them until they are better prepared for the real world at 22 years old.

“My students are very capable of doing things," Lily Middleton/Bear Witness Gutierrez said. "All their lives they've been underCamden Post-Secondary teacher Danielle Gutierrez outlines behavioral expectations for the class during their San Jose City College tour Dec. 14. estimated.”

”

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BEAR WITNESS

| DECEMBER 20, 2019 |

SCIENCE&HEALTH CLIMATE WATCH

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

“It was really sad that at 8 a.m., he was already high,” — Sophomore Aofie Murphy, on the prevalence of drug use on campus.

Peer-to-peer drug program rolls out Persuasion, not punishment, is the aim of student group in reducing drug use on campus

Cities consider banning natural gas hookups Some cities in the United States like Berkeley and Cambridge, Mass. have brought up potentially banning the use of natural gases with concern for the impact the burning of fossil fuels has on climate change. The ban would entail that no natural gas hookups could be built in commercial and residential buildings as they are the main contributors to climate change.

Asthma worries increase for kids born today A child born today faces two big problems, increased risk of asthma from pollution and higher chance of developing anxiety over fear of natural disasters threatening their community. After a study written by the Lancet, a medical journal it came to terms that future children’s lives will be strongly linked to climate change, in many different ways.

Shipping group is part of Europe’s top 10 polluters After a survey of Europe’s top ten polluters, Mediterranean Shipping company, Europe’s largest vessel company, emitted 11 million tons of carbon dioxide on all of last year’s journey from countries only within th European Union.

Shipping is not included in the Paris Climate Agreement, making it hard to change policy.

Heat, dehydration making U.S. soldiers sick U.S. soldiers are falling ill due to high increase in temperatures leading to dehydration, inevitably killing at least 17 soldiers.

In 2008 there were 1,766 cases of heat stroke in the US army, but a decade later, the figure had climbed to over 2,800 cases. A warming world poses a big problem to national security which opens a whole new door of problems.

Minneapolis declares climate emergency The Minneapolis city council passed a resolution to declare a “Climate Emergency”. A climate emergency entails a massive scale mobilization to halt and potentially reverse the effect and address the effects and consequences and cause of climate change. Under the declaration all new buildings are as energy efficient as possible.

Greta Thunberg Climate activist is youngest to win honor.

Greta Thunberg TIME’s person of the year Greta Thunberg, climate change activist is the first teenager to be awarded the honor. Greta was named for “making the most influence on the news and the world”.

Greta has become a symbol for young people across the world protesting for climate change.

— Compiled by Ziv Galpaz

Peer strategies used in ATOD Prevention group Exiting Leave the scene, keep the relationship. This would be a way to get your friend out of the situation without embarrassing them. Example: “Hey your mom called we need to go.”

Supporting Show you care. This can show you are there to support them through their struggle. Example: “Hey you need to talk?”

Reasoning: Get them to think. Be very real, don’t sugarcoat the consequences. Example: “ You know the consequences of vaping?”

Active Listening: Understand the situation. Sometimes making sure they know they are understood is the best way to help. Example: “Just tell me everything that you need.”

Directing Get them to stop. Be direct. Tell

ZIV GALPAZ Staff Writer

ophomore Aofie Murphy recalls a time this seS mester when a student walked into her first period chemistry classroom who was already high and smell-

ing like weed.

“It was really sad that at 8 a.m., he was already high,” she said.

Murphy said she also often hears about students wanting to vape or vaping in classrooms or on campus.

It’s one of the reasons why she is one of 24 students who wanted to join a new drug intervention group at school that aims to lower usage rates on school campuses through peer influence.

For decades students have been using Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs (ATOD); they are at parties, school, and everyday life. Each generation had its own culprit. In the ’60s it was smoking, the ’80s had crack cocaine, and today’s generation has vaping, according to statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

One in four high schoolers have admitted to have smoked an e-cigarette of some sort in the past 30 days according to the CDC and often these are done on school campuses. A recent Bear Witness survey showed 15% of students admitting to using e-cigarettes.

Many students start using ATODs without thinking

the truth, at this point the peer needs to understand they need to stop. Example: “Stop. You know this is a stupid decision.”

Getting Help: Talk to an adult you trust. When are out of your control, seeking help is the best thing to do.

Example: “ Mr. Smith, my friend is not making the right decision and I need your help.”

— Ziv Galpaz

through the consequences, but a new program brought to Branham called “ATOD Prevention, by Community Matters” focuses on getting the person struggling with ATODs to think.

Principal Cheryl Lawton said she approved bringing the program to Branham after learning about it’s successful strategies.

“The program focuses on how to help someone by not just saying no, or snitching on them but by focusing on helping the student in a positive way,” said Lawton.

The ATOD program works with a group of selected students who are taught strategies to intervene in situations where people are using ATODs or putting themselves or others in danger. The training, which took place at Branham on Nov. 14 and 15, started off by having students focus on their moral values.

“We reflected on the peer influence students hold on campus,” said sophomore Andie Franco at the staff meeting where students who participated in the program informed the teachers on the skills they learned over the two days.

The ATOD prevention program uses six different intervention techniques varying on the situation, but the techniques are most effective when used on people you were close with rather than strangers.

The six intervention strategies include ways to help someone exit the situation, as well as talking someone

Julia Tran/Special to the Bear Witness out of taking drugs. Other strategies include talking to trusted adults on campus about what the student has seen or heard.

These strategies aim to make the person understand how their choices have consequences, which is immensely different than previous programs such as DARE that relied on a “Just say NO” mentality. DARE was a drug prevention program that swept the United states in the ’80s that brought in law enforcement to warn kids against the dangers of ATODs. Studies proved DARE ineffective as many adolescents do the opposite.

Community Matters, unlike other addiction intervention programs, is not informational but training -based, giving students more pragmatic and applicable ways to face these often tense situations.

Kimberly Moffett, the training and program development coordinator for “Community Matters,” says that the power of peer influence is what makes these programs work.

“Students see, hear, and understand things that adults just cannot,” said Moffett.

This prevention program is taught in over 40 states reaching back multiple years and has been deemed effective after research supported the new form of intervention programs called restorative practices, a way to prove and restore a person’s behavior and their relationships without resorting to discipline.

Jet lag worth trouble for traveling Bruins CARLY WALDORPH Staff Writer

any people like to travel during the holidays, inM cluding students and staff at Branham. When traveling across multiple time zones, people can expe-

rience jet lag, which is an interruption in the human body’s sleep cycle. It causes a conflict between the mind and body, which results in physical symptoms like insomnia and drowsiness.

When talking with sophomore, Sara Naji who often travels to locations in the Middle East, she said, “Typically I do get pretty bad jet lag, it takes me at the most a week to stabilize in the time zone. The first week I can’t function, cause I’m really tired during the day.”

When in a different time zone, the body is still used to its original sleep cycle, which results in the person feeling the need to sleep during the day or stay awake throughout the night.

Math teacher Neeraja Nambula enjoys traveling to India to visit her family.

“The daytime is nighttime there, and we have a 13hour difference, which kind of hits us hard,” she said.

People experience jet lag differently •Kids usually have milder symptoms, recover faster •Older people have more severe symptoms, and it takes much longer to recover from Symptoms from jet lag •Disturbed sleep, insomnia, Drowsiness, headaches, dizziness English teacher Chelsea Follett enjoys traveling as well.

“My sister lives in Barcelona, Spain, so I go to Spain.

I also travel a lot in Europe, Australia, South America, and kind of all over the place,” Follett said.

When experiencing jet lag, she suggests trying to adjust to the new time zone, rather than staying on your original sleep patterns.

“When you’ve flown to a new place, no matter how tired you are don’t take a nap, stay awake, and try to get

Main culprits of jet lag •Usually only takes place when traveling over two time zones •Drinking alcohol and/or drugs during or before your flights can make the symptoms worse •Sleep during the flight may make one less likely to experience jet lag onto the cycle of that time zone,” Follett said.

Despite the inconveniences that come from experiencing jet lag, traveling is still an extremely exciting and fun thing to do. “My favorite thing is being able to explore different parts of the world and see completely different cultures and lifestyles. “I get amazing opportunities that have had a big impact on my life,” Naji said.

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INDEPTH HOW TO COMBAT SEASONAL DEPRESSION 12 tips experts recommend that can help you past the seasonal blues.

YOUR BRAIN ON STRESS

Three main parts of your brain help regulated how you deal with stress, including those for finals.

PREFRONTAL CORTEX Regulates behavior, thought and emotion, helps develop goal-directed behaviors.

HIPPOCAMPUS Coordinates the release of hormones that drive a person’s motor responses to perceived threats.

Amazon

AMYGDALA Site of fear processing. Those with depression or anxiety can an enlarged amygdalas, disrupting sleep.

Amazon

FINALS ON

LIGHT FROM A BOX Light therapy boxes give off light that mimics sunshine and can help in the recovery from seasonal affective disorder. Typically, if you have SAD, you sit in front of a light box for about 30 minutes a day. This will stimulate your body's circadian rhythms and suppress its natural release of melatonin, according to University of Michigan Depression Center in Ann Arbor.

DAWN SIMULATORS These are alarm clocks, but they produce light that gradually increases in intensity, just like the sun. Different models of dawn simulators are available, but the best ones use full-spectrum light, which is closest to natural sunlight. Russian researchers found that dawn simulators were as effective as light therapy for people with mild SAD, according to a study published in 2015 in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR Because SAD is a form of depression, it's best diagnosed by talking with a mental health professional.

There are a number of screening questions that can help determine if someone is depressed. Your doctor will be able to sort out whether you have SAD as opposed to some other form of depression.

ANTIDEPRESSANTS If light therapy or psychotherapy does not sufficiently boost your mood, prescription antidepressants may help you overcome seasonal depression.

Again, only your doctor can prescribe these to you.

AROMATHERAPY Some ssential oils can influence moods and the body's internal clock that influences sleep and appetite. Add a few drops of essential oils to your bath at night to help you relax.

Essential oils from the poplar tree in particular were found to help depressive disorders in a study published in 2015 in the Journal of Natural Medicines.

EXERCISE As it does with other forms of depression, exercise, especially outdoors, can also help alleviate seasonal affective disorder. Outdoor exercise would be most helpful. If you can't exercise outside because it's cold, choose a treadmill, stationary bike, or elliptical machine close to a window at the gym.

LET THE SUNSHINE IN Get outside as much as you can during the day and take advantage of the sunlight.

Idoors, keep your blinds open to let as much natural light in as you can. You want to be in bright environments whenever possible, according to the University of Michigan Depression.

SET A CONSTANT SCHEDULE Maintaining a regular schedule improves sleep, which can help alleviate symptoms of seasonal depression. This will expose you to light at consistent and predictable times. Eating at regular intervals can help you watch your diet and not overeat, , according to the University of Michigan.

GO AWAY (ON VACATION) If you or your family can afford it, traveling to to warmer climates can help people who have SAD.It can help you escape cold and overcast skies.

KEEP A JOURNAL Writing down your thoughts can have a positive effect on your mood. It can help you get some of your negative feelings out of your system.

Plan to write for about 20 minutes on most days of the week, the University of Michigan Depression Center recommends.

GET MORE VITAMIN D Low levels of vitamin D were linked to seasonal affective disorder, acccording to the journal Medical Hypotheses. A study published in 2014 the journal Nutrients found that people who took vitamin D supplements saw significant improvement in their depression.

BE PROACTIVE Make time to do what you enjoy, and plan it with your friends and loved ones over the break.

See a movie, go outside.

Julia Bozzo and Michaela Edlin/Bear Witness STRESS HORMONES Adrenaline Known as the fight or flight hormone after sensing stressful situations.

Norepinephrine: Similar to adrenaline, helps focus. Shifts blood flow to crucial areas of body, such as muscles (to flee the classroom after a test!).

Cortisol: Stress hormonActs slower, but released gradually to help stabilize fluids and blood flow. Too much for long periods can suppress immune system.

FINALS ON THE MIND How your brain deals with stress can negatively impact your health ANNALISE FREIMARCK

O

Managing Editor

ne in five teens struggles with mental illness, with 50 percent of those disorders beginning before the age of 14. The Child Mind Institute reports that between 2011-2013 in Santa Clara County alone, the number of teen suicides skyrocketed to 10.0 out of every 100,000 of people aged 15 to 24.

Alumnus Rose Gipstein, class of 2019, suffers from depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and depersonalization.

She said while she was at Branham, her mental health "gets significantly worse during finals as there is more pressure.

"The reference to the word ‘finals’ seems like this big scary thing which causes my brain to over dramatize things," she said.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, mental health is mainly caused by two components within the brain: the hippocampus and the amygdala. The hippocampus regulates a hormone called cortisol, which can be triggered to release in excess amounts due to stress, leading to an imbalance that has been traced to depressive episodes. An abundant amount of cortisol can also cause anxiety to manifest itself physically like a fast heart rate or sweat.

The amygdala, a small almond-shaped part of the brain, regulates emotional responses and people coping with depression or anxiety can have an enlarged one, often disrupting sleep and normal, everyday habits.

Another main cause is serotonin deficiency. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that naturally stabilizes one’s mood, and when one has a lack of it, it often leads to increasing mental illness.

Many students feel this increase in mental illness can come from finals. With school in general, a study by the American Psychological Association found that teens’ stress levels were higher than the average adult with 31 percent overwhelmed and 36 percent regularly feeling tired. When finals come along, that stress increases immensely and 68.9 percent reporting too little sleep, adding even more mental health issues.

The amount of stress caused by finals, on top of having to deal with life in general, can cause a deterioration in someone’s mental health, especially with the immense pressure to succeed. Having this stress can trigger an influx of cortisol or cause a serotonin deficiency. This increase in someone already suffering from mental illness daily can make life significantly worse.

Even those who don’t suffer from mental health issues find this time of year especially emotionally taxing.

“Sometimes I get stressed, depending on the difficulty of the assignment For me it’s getting big projects done on time in an orderly fashion.”

Pressure, along with stress, are the two most prevalent emotional stressors that students face during finals, and this problem won’t go away. As school continues to pack on pressure with finals and AP classes, the intensity of the pressure to be perfect rises, often significantly deteriorating one’s mental health.

“It all seems like a competition to see who will get the highest scores or perform the ‘best,’” Gipstein said. “I feel like expectations are like a big weight on my shoulders from my parents and teachers. They increase every year… I feel like there’s so much pressure on teens to be perfect.”

Sources: University of Michigan Depression Center, Journal of Natural Medicines Illustrations by Reese Rosenberg unless noted

SAD | Other factors contribute to moodiness From PAGE 1 “A lot of people have a difficult time with grief,” she said.

“Sadness seems to come to the forefront a little bit more.”

Additionally, students are surrounded by the gloomy weather that coincides with the stress that comes during the first semester finals, and the realization of a permanent grade on the transcript.

“It’s the same kind of anxiety that occurs because so much is built up around finals,” she said.

To prepare for this week’s tests, junior Nitu Gupta has a running list of assignments she needs to complete. For AP Calculus AB, she needs to teach herself related rates, a brand-new topic, complete a six-page study guide for Physics, and review the nine chapters AP Biology. The process is overwhelming for her.

“I feel suffocated by my responsibility,” “I need to do everything. There’s not enough time in the day for me.”

Davis also notices the toll finals take on students through the number of students confessing their test- related stress.

“The Wellness Center will be popping because finals causes anxiety for a number of students, she said, “for those who are doing well and have continued to do well and those who haven't.”

However, SAD and major stress doesn’t affect everyone, and many people find joy during the winter. After polling 20,000 people, the New York Times found that Christmas is the “happiest day of the year by a significant margin.”

“For me, the holidays start on Nov. 1,” said senior Theresa Brown with a smile. “It’s my favorite time of year.”

Jasim, the junior who has experienced the negative effects of winter, knows that her seasonal moody condition is beatable.

“You can get through this,” she said. “You can combat seasonal depression.”

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STUDENT LIFE

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

“Branham is a beautiful place to be.”— Sports announcer Bob Holmes, on the collaboration that resulted in a revamped scorer’s table

NBC Bay Area documents Winter Wishes TV station NBC Bay Area will air a mini-documentary on Branham’s annual Winter Wishes rally as part of its Bay Area Proud series. The 30-minute program will debut Christmas Day at 6:30 a.m. Over the past month and a half, Bay Area Proud reporter Garvin Thomas had been documenting the Leadership class as they prepared for the rally.

Teachers pick new bell schedule After much debate, 71% of teachers have voted to implement a modified block schedule, where students will see all their teachers on one day of the week, with alternating A/B block periods. The schedule eliminates 0 period, and class will start at either 7:30 a.m. or 8 a.m. The new schedule may force students taking ROTC to transfer to Del Mar, since it is not offered here.

Pantry brings food to the table LSU partnership with Second Harvest to help relieve stress of food insecurity

Finals stress getting you down?

The finals are here, and with it comes the requisite complaints that there’s not enough time for students to bring up their grades. Not all classes offer retakes, and the high stakes for finals isn’t enough for students on the bubble to bring their grade up.

— Lily Middleton

Junior near top in global contest Alex Goldberg places13th out of 1,500 finalists at World Scholars Cup NOLAN ZILS

W

Food insecurity in the Bay Area

In October, the food bank processed

7 million pounds

Second Harvest Food Bank has served

of food to distribute.

in 2018 alone.

260,000 people

58 million meals

a month receive food each month from Second Harvest Cara McClure/Bear Witness CARA MCLURE News Editor

Vanessa Villatoro knows what it’s Junior like to be hungry.

Living in a home without enough food in the cupboard, she Worries about the pressures her father feels as her family’s principal breadwinner for their family of four and the struggles of other students in situations like hers.

Villatoro said that seeing her parents carry the heavy weight of avoiding family hunger made wishes that there was a way to relieve their stress.

This is why she is starting the Branham Second Harvest Pantry, partnering with the Latinx Student Union in hopes to make a difference for her family and the Branham community.

“I tried to get as involved as much as I could and was the only student to attend the meeting,” she said. “I’ve seen people around me struggle, even my parents. It helps a lot to have some food to come home to.”

Knowing the pain and worry hunger brings, Villatoro hopes to help other students receive the aid they need in order to thrive at school.

“I feel proud that I’m able to contribute to helping other people out because I’ve struggled, and there’s been moments where I look at my parents and am like I wish I could help them someway and this is something I can help with.”

Hungry students go to school every day with the hidden burden of food insecurity. Housing prices and the cost of living in the Bay Area are constantly rising, forcing some parents to choose between paying their rent and feeding their families. Second Harvest of Silicon Valley serves more than a quarter of a million people per month and battles hunger in schools. The organization supports 142 active pantries in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Second Harvest recently expanded to the Branham community with a new pantry that’s supported by the Branham Wellness Center and the Latinx Student Union. The aim of the new organzation is to gather food from local sources and distribute it to families in need.

“We’re calling it a ‘just-in-time’ pantry,” said social worker Kevin Nguyen, the director of the Wellness Center. “Providing nutritious food” is “one less stressor for families and stu-

dents to worry about.”

The first task of the pantry is to get the word out. Nguyen has created fliers describing the pantry’s services, but he needs help posting them. He’s reached out to students and teachers for starters. Targets will include neighborhood bulletin boards: Starbucks, libraries, anyplace with foot traffic.

The pantry will be open every Wednesday after school in the parking lot for the Branham community to access. The only prerequisite to receive groceries will be the amount of people in each family, no questions asked.

“A lot of people you wouldn’t expect struggle with food insecurity,” Nguyen said. “The pantry is a service for students, teachers, community members—anyone who needs our services.

“Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help,” he said. “We have resources. Our mission is to help you connect with them.”

Villatoro knows firsthand the worry food insecurity brings. The new pantry project, she said, will enable her to make a difference.

“I feel proud that I’m able to contribute to helping other people out,” she said. “Students can’t focus if they’re hungry. Meeting that need is something that we need to be doing.”

Art Club gives announcer’s table a Bruin-themed makeover SHANTALA MURUGANUJAN Staff Writer

on’t be surprised if Bob Holmes’ familiar D scorer’s table looks a little different come tipoff time for this year’s basketball season.

Known as the “The Voice of the Bruins,” Holmes has been a steady presence at Branham football, volleyball and basketball games for more than 20 years, but he decided recently that his ancient gray table was due for a makeover.

So, Holmes reached out to the Art Club, which stepped up enthusiastically to collaborate with him and to bring his vision to life.

“We used [the table] during volleyball season,” Holmes said. “It’s so plain.”

He asked the Art Club to bring into play the Branham school colors and logo. But the club went a step beyond that. Supervised by club president Chantal Wang and visual arts

teacher Jessica Bender, the improvements will include audio-visual elements, such as music clips that will play after Bruin scores.

The Art Club was passionate about pitching in, especially given that Holmes is an unpaid volunteer who gives generously of his time and effort.

“He was really happy about us painting the table,” Wang said.

Holmes is eager to see the results of the makeover, a work in progress that’s slated to be unveiled after winter break, at the first basketball game of the season. He believes the table will reflect his pride in the Branham community and help to inject a measure of Bruin spirit into his popular game calls.

“Branham is a beautiful place to be,” he said.

“So many people want to collaborate as a comShantala Muruganujan/Bear Witness munity—not just separate entities doing their Sophomore Chantal Wang puts finishing touchown thing but coming together for a common es on sports announcer Bob Holmes’ table. goal.”

Copy Editor

hen junior Alex Goldberg realized he had placed better than over 1,400 students in a global contest, he was shocked.

The Debate Club president traveled to New Haven, Conn. in November to compete in the World Scholar’s Cup Tournament of Champions at Yale University. This was the final competition that showcased the skills of students from around the world who performed well enough in the Global Rounds to qualify for the tournament.

In the competition, he teamed up with two students from Indonesia.

The group of three students were tested on a wide variety of subjects that included science, literature, art and music, social studies, history, collaborative writing, and team speech and Alex debate. In the end, Alex and his team Goldberg got 11th place out of 500 participating Junior teams. Individually, he placed 13th out Debate Club president of 1500 students.

The fact that he performed so well worked with teams from was news to him.

“I was really surprised, to be honest,” Branham and Goldberg said about his placements. “I Indonesia. didn’t think I was going to do that well. But, you know, I prepared a lot and I’m happy that I did.”

To get to the Tournament of Champions, Goldberg and his teams performed well enough in the regional contests in San Jose and the international rounds in Amsterdam to earn a spot in the final tournament.

In the earlier rounds of the World Scholar’s Cup, Goldberg teamed up with senior Lizzie Kim and sophomore Lena Kim. When it came time to head to Yale, only Goldberg was the only one able to go.

Lizzie explained how their team used each other’s strengths to win in the regional and international rounds.

“We all have certain subjects that we are really good at,” she said. “Lena is good at literature. Alex was pretty good at the special area, and I really enjoyed technology and poetry. I feel like all of our strengths helped us do well.”

Participating with students from all around the world exposed Goldberg to new perspectives about the world we live in. While working with his Indonesian teammates, he was exposed to new ideas, traditions, food, culture, and language.

“Having a global perspective on [Speech and Debate] is really useful because we live in America.

That’s just one small part of the world.” Goldberg said. “They [people from other countries] definitely give you a new understanding of what it means to be human.”

To prepare for the competition, Goldberg had to look at a list posted by the World Scholar’s Cup that included all of the curriculum and subjects they would cover in the competitions. One topic Goldberg had to study was art pieces and literature, the latter of which included works such as “The Bicentennial Man” by Isaac Asimov, and about 20 other literary works.

There was also a subject called “Special Area” that focused on a different theme each year.

This year, the theme was “Unsolved Mysteries” in which students are questioned about the significance of mysteries in society, and why some might be better left unsolved. The questions explores mysteries like Amelia Earhart’s disappearance, the lost Roanoke colony, and the true identity of the writer of the Shakespearean plays.

Goldberg really enjoys debating about mysteries, or anything that dominates conversations and affects a lot of people. “(I like) pretty much anything that has big impacts,” he said. “It’s not as much fun to discuss something that’s really narrow. So if it’s something that impacts a lot of people, and a really controversial topic then I like talking about it.”

Goldberg plans to participate in the World Scholar’s Cup again next year, and won’t stop doing Speech and Debate anytime soon. He said there is one thing he really loves about debate that motivates him to keep doing it.

“I love the sense of community, because there’s all these just really bright people in this world of academic competitions, and there’s so many different perspectives from all over the world,” he said. “So what really fuels me to keep going is just all the people that I’ve met.”

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

SPORTS

“Winter sports do have one of the toughest schedules because we play through all of the different big holidays,” — Patricia Perez, JV girls basketball coach

Long road to college commitment

Beyond hours of practice on the field, athletes must attend camps, email recruiters — and wait

SPORTS BRIEFS

Scores updates as of Dec. 18 Fresh. boys basketball The Freshman boys are off to an 0-2 start after Los Gatos nearly doubling their point total, Branham losing 44-76 on Los Gatos’ turf. Record: 0-2 Fresh-soph Boys basketball The Fresh-Soph Boys opened their season with a two-game win streak. game being a 6137 win against Willow Glen in the final game of the Willow Glen tournament. Record: 4-2 Varsity boys basketball The varsity boys started the season are fighting a four-game losing streak after a 58-36 loss to Melbourne at the Los Gatos Shootout.

Record: 2-4 JV girls basketball The JV girls have a .500 record after losing their most recent game to Lynbrook 28-39 at home.

Record: 3-3 Varsity girls basketball The varsity girls are off to an uneven start and will look to bounce back after two straight losses. In their most recent game, they fell to Evergreen Valley 71-43 at home.

Rdecord: 3-3 Freshman boys soccer The freshman boys are off to a slow start, winning just one game and losing to Carlmont 2-1 at home during their most recent game.

Record: 1-4-1 JV boys soccer The JV boys are on continuing to ride a winning streak that has lasted 3 games after beating Alisal 3-1 at home with Branham scoring 2 goals in the second half.

Record: 4-1-1

Lindsey Gigliello Track and field, pole vault

Personal record Cleared 12’6” at CCS finals in May

College: Cornell University

Frank Poso Football Offensive tackle

Accolades Second-team all-Bay Area News Group

Eliza Sarouen/Special to Bear Witness

Mike Gigliello/Special to Bear Witness JAZZY NGUYEN

H

Sports Editor

ard work and years of practice has paid off for seniors Frank Poso and Lindsey Gigliello, who have recently committed to D1 colleges in their respective sports. After an over two-year-long process, Poso will be attending the University of Nevada to play football, and Gigliello will pole vault for Cornell.

The process is also an emotional one. “(When I first was committed) I cried. I was so happy and excited and overwhelmed with emotions,” said Gigliello. “It’s something that I’ve been wanting to do for a while and it’s coming true, finally.”

Even though it is rewarding, the athletic recruitment process is far from easy. It requires hours of researching colleges and reaching out to coaches and schools. Ath-

College: University of Nevada-Reno

letes must also get letters of recommendation, attend camps to showcase skills, and get a feel of the program.

On top of that, student athletes also have to juggle school work, club sports, school sports, and the traditional college application process.

“Some days are pretty stressful,” said Poso. “(The process) is very time-consuming. Whether it’s going to camps or doing school visits, it takes a toll. You just learn how to make up for the time lost.”

Athletes spend hours sending emails and filling out online applications in an effort to increase their chances of getting noticed by coaches. Despite all the work, there is still no guarantee that athletes will be recruited.

According to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), only 2.8% of high school football participants go on to play for D1 schools, and 2.7% of female high school track runners will move on to D1

college teams. This means that getting on to high level collegiate teams is extremely difficult, as almost 8 million athletes compete on a high school level.

“You have to just believe in yourself through it,” said Emma Fales, a sophomore who is currently emailing coaches and attending D1 camps for softball. “Know that you’re doing the right thing for yourself, even if it seems difficult and other people are getting results that you aren’t. You just have to keep going.”

Confidence and belief in the result is crucial to the recruitment process, especially when things get tough.

In the end, the years that they have dedicated to their sport and sacrifices they’ve made have paid off.

“For most of my childhood I didn’t really have a social life because I was just training all the time,” said Gigliello.

“I did gymnastics for 13 years, and I worked really hard the past two seasons [of pole vault] to get where I am.”

Varsity boys soccer The varsity boys have had a rocky season, and have lost 3 straight after winning their first game. They had their third straight loss against Alisal at home.

Record: 1-3 JV girls soccer The team is having a great start, beating Del Mar 9-0 before a 1-0 loss against Homestead. They have allowed just two goals all season.

Record: 5-1 Varsity girls soccer The varsity girls are off to an undefeated start, beating Del Mar by the score of 10-0. The Bruin goalies have allowed just 2 goals in their 6 total games played. Record: 6-0 — Ryan Walters

Despite grumbling, winter athletes grasp need for practice over break MEENAKSHI IYER Staff Writer

edication and practice are a major D part of any sports team’s success, but with the arrival of the winter sports sea-

son, athletes are forced to practice during the holidays, which can prove to be difficult for people going on vacation.

The winter season includes Thanksgiving and Christmas break, which means three weeks without school. As a result, coaches and athletes need to practice on days when school isn’t in session.

According to the California Interscholastic Federation’s (CIF) Constitution and Bylaws, with the exception of religious schools, sports teams are not allowed to have practice or competitions on Sundays in order to provide students with a day of rest. There is no mention of holidays, so practice is tech-

nically allowed on any other day, including Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. Girls’ basketball was one team to have practice over Thanksgiving break. Coach Patricia Perez believes the commitment is important, but understands the personal importance of holidays.

“As an athlete you’re committing to the season, and for any other sport you’re not going to take a whole week off just because,” she said. “We shouldn’t be practicing on the actual holiday because that is a day for family and to celebrate.”

Junior Olivia Sipila has been on the varsity girls’ soccer team throughout her three years at Branham. Her team had practice and a scrimmage during the break. She feels that it is necessary to stay fit, and also values having fun with her practices.

“Of course people think it’s annoying because it’s break, but being in a team is really

important,” Sipila said. “I don’t necessarily mind it because it’s an hour-and-a-half of our day, but we put in the work, and we can have fun with it, too.”

Sophomore Sara Vela is a wrestler who went to CCS as a freshman. Many people on the team had to monitor their diets, in addition to practicing over break. Vela needed to exercise and eat smaller portions during Thanksgiving because of a girls’ tournament two days later.

“It kind of sucked, but it’s totally worth it to be able to wrestle,” she said.

Despite being on holiday, basketball, soccer and wrestling saw a majority of their players attend practice and games.

“I think part of it is hard - winter sports do have one of the toughest schedules because Meena Iyer/Bear Witness we play through all of the different big holidays,” Perez said. “But I think most people Like most winter sports, the girls basketball team is scheduled to go into that, hopefully understanding.” practice over winter break.

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Rules GEORGIA PALACIO | Freshman Each month, a student selected at random shares what’s on their playlist, and plays it on shuffle.

What follows is a conversation about their song selection.

Freshman Georgia Palacio is an artist and a writer. She plays piano and is in the theater program She says that often times she separates a lot of her music into different playlists, so shuffling just one playlist won’t get a full view of what she listens to.

Her music tastes include jazz, bosa nova, showtunes, etc. but weren’t fully represented in the shuffle.

Wild Cherry: “Play that Funky Music” Georgia Palacio:“I was really into jazz and the disco era for a really long time, and i never got around to changing it, but I still very much enjoy that song so I’m glad its on my playlist”

Weather Girls: “Raining Men” GP: It always puts me in a good mood and it has a very confident air about it. Also, supporting women artists are something im very active about, and the Weather Girls are one of my favorites.

Ninja Sex Party: “Pour Some Sugar On Me” GP: I like the cover more then the original because I like their timing more. I would have the original on my playlist but i like their sound of it a little bit more.

Bo Burnham: “IRONIC” GP: “I just find Bo Burnham’s songs very fun, they sound like they are being played live. A lot of people know them so when this playlist comes on people just jam out to it, and it’s a lot of fun.”

Unknown Mortal Orchestra: “Honey Bee” GP: “I like the feel of it, it is very spacey and sort of unknown. It has a very good guitar backing track that does not sound like something that should come out of a guitar, which I like.”

Bo Burnham: “My Whole Family...”

GP: “It’s on there for the same reason as IRONIC. There’s about three Bo Burnham songs on my playlist, and they’re on for the same reason.”

Elton John: “Crocodile Rock” “I find it to be very vibey and feel good song and whenever it comes on i enjoy listening to it.

Its a very easy song to sing along to and have fun with.”

“The kids are what makes everything special because the kids at Branham are just very special kids.” — Diane Wyant, former music direcotr

All in this together | A decade in the arts Band | Marching to victory JULIANNE ALVARES

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Editor-in-Chief

rom shogun to cowboys, the Branham Royal Alliance has had a creative and fruitful decade. They ended it with one of the most successful seasons they’ve had since the Royal Alliance formed in 2008 as a competitive parade band before transitioning to a competitive field band for the 20092010 season. Former band director Diane Wyant walks us through the decade, and the legacy of success that she helped foster until 2017, when she stepped down. Current director Chris Nalls has continued the band’s winning ways.

With a field show, the students had to learn the harmony of choreography, design and synchronization. “I wanted the kids effort to mean more than a parade,” Wyant said.

“There is a lot more value to a field show performance than a parade in so many ways.”

This extra value comes from the more room to take risks in set design, choreography and The first field show in 2008 followed the development of the Russian Empire. The next year the show followed Japan. During the Japan year the band went undefeated. Each year the show told a different story.

“We always did things that were programmatically based to tell a story,” Wyant said.

Wyant acknowledges that the success of the program both recently and in the past is accredited to the hard work of students and staff.

“The kids are what makes everything special because the kids at Branham are just very special The band’s fist show covered the Russian empire. kids,” she said.

2009 - The Russia Show The Royal Alliance’s first field show chronicled the history of the Russian empire.

and I did most of the show construction and it was all original music he and I designed.”

2010 - The Japan Show “The Japan year was the year we went undefeated. The band won first place in every competition and that was kind of profound.”

2011 The Mayan Show “There was a lot of really weird things that were happening during that season, which we thought, you know, could have had to be with like the Mayan spirits or things that were strange things like a wind came up in the middle of one of the rehearsals, and it took all the flags that colorguard had away:” 2012 The Birdcage Year “We went to the championships during the Birdcage year, they took fifth overall which was a really big deal.”

2013: The Arab Year

Gorillaz: “Starshine” GP: I don’t really like this song much anymore, so I don’t know why it’s on my playlist. I remember putting it on their because I wanted to put a little more grunge on the playlist.”

2014 The Hawaiian Year This show, along with the Mayan show, were written by Gary P. Gilroy for Branham and have been sold to bands all over the world.

Gorillaz: “Superfast Jellyfish” “It has a lot of vocal parts which are very fun to sing and a lot of my friends also like Gorillaz so when its on everyone can sing along and have fun.”

Pizza played a role for the Itlay show.

Smile: “Doing All Right” GP: “After I saw ‘Bohemian Rhapsody, ‘i wanted to include this song on my playlist because i really liked it. It’s just a feel good song with good vibes” P!nk: “Raise Your Glass” GP: “This one is on here because my mother really likes that song and I need at least one song on my playlist that she likes.”

— Chandler Roberts

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

2015: The Italy Year “This was a really good show because it was well put together. Gary Gilroy

A pie in the face for wedding planner Savidu Geevaratne.

2016 The Wedding Planner The show followed a wedding planner and ended with alumnus Savidu Geevarante being caked in the face.

2017: Cowboy Show 2018 The Juxtaposition of Sound and Silence This show featured the Simon and Garfunkel hit “The Sound of Silence” 2019 It’s about Time The band had an undefeated season this year for their time traveling themes show which featured the song “Time after Time” by Cyndi Lauper. They were also recognized by the City Council for their winning show.

All photos courtesy Branham Royal Alliance

Jeff Janosik/Special to the Bear Witness Senior Stacey Yavorski slays in this year’s D&D-themed play “She Kills Monsters,” which featured a five-headed dragon.

Theater | Show and tell ZACHARY MACAPANPAN

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Editor-in-Chief

rom Shakespeare and murder mystery to zombies and four-headed dragons, Branham’s theater department has staged many memorable performances in recent years.

As the lights faded on December’s faculty production of “Check, Please”— the last performance of the 2010s — students and faculty reflected on a decade of highs and lows, learning and fun, and the hard-fought rewards of confronting their limitations.

For the eighth annual faculty production in 2012, Branham staff members performed the musical, “Footloose.” The story follows teenager Ren MacCormack, who moves to a small town where dancing is illegal. Students enjoyed seeing their teachers singing and dancing, along with references to Branham that had been written into the script.

Teacher features Teacher Tobie Schweizer, who played the female lead, has fond memories of the production.

“The most fun is getting to interact with the staff in a way that you don’t usually get to,” she said. “I got to be (former assistant principal) Larry Lopez’s girlfriend — I remember he kept trying to hold my hand and make me laugh.”

The enthusiasm continued with faculty shows such as “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown,” in 2013, and “High School Musical”: in 2016, which was the second time the staff had produced the musical.

Engaging with the audience Student performances also occupied the center stage over the course of the decade. New Jersey met Shakespeare in 2014’s spring production “Midsummer/Jersey.”

The following year, the troupe staged the whodunnit novel “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”

The show played to generally favorable reviews, although an interactive format — enabling the audience to choose the end of Act One and, thereby, character roles in Act Two — created a disconnect for some in the audience.

“I think people really enjoyed the show,” said alumnus Savidu Geevaratne. “But we did get a lot of comments where people were

kind of confused on exactly what was happening.”

The students starred as the creepy and kooky clan, “The Addams Family,” in spring 2017, and a year later discovered an unusual plant that fed on human blood in “Little Shop of Horrors.”

Senior Jack Swartz said that while the shows were a lot of fun, they were just “alright,” and there was room for improvement.

New director, new expectations Branham welcomed theater arts teacher Jennifer Sorkin to direct its student shows, beginning with “Geeks vs. Zombies” in 2018.The cast immediately felt the difference with a sold-out performance on opening night. “[Sorkin] brought a lot more structure and a better workflow for the cast,” said Senior Frank Castro.

“A lot of people thought this had been the best show they had seen at Branham in quite a while.”

The Sorkin-led performers enjoyed a similar reception with their next show, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” which asked audience members to join the cast on stage.

“The cast and crew made the rehearsal process a lot of fun and together we all made a truly great show,” said alumna Iliana Karbowski, who characterized the show as her all-time favorite. “I learned so much from Sorkin about directing and upper position roles and that’s what I’m doing now.”

The students’ most recent performance, “She Kills Monsters,” influenced by the tabletop, role-playing game “Dungeons and Dragons,”features characters battling with supernatural beings.

Sophomore Camden Parker was elated to play the character Orcus.

“When I came out to meet all my friends that had come to the show, I was jumping up and down with excitement,” he said. “After the show I just felt so happy, like bubbling.

Jeff Janosik/Special to the Bear Witness Grace Su and Sophia Passarelli among ghosts in “The Addams Family.”

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BEAR WITNESS

| DECEMBER 20, 2019 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

THE BACK PAGE

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AirPods First ridiculed when introduced back 2016, AirPods have dominated both the headphone and meme world.

Bean Boozled Known as jelly bean chance the game, created in 2008, lets players spin to see which type of jellybean, good or gross, the player is to eat.

Clowns In 2016, there was an epidemic of clowns terrorizing people. At one Branham football game that year, a duo ran onto the football field.

Millions sold: Since its launch, Apple has sold 35 million AirPods worldwide.

New flavors: The game is currently in its fifth edition with two new flavors: Dirty Dishwasher/Birthday Cake and Stink bug/ Toasted Marshmallow.

Stunt: The first reported sighting of evil clowns was in Green Bay, Wisc. It turned out to be a marketing stunt for a horror movie.

E Emojis First created back in 1999, emojis are now a creative use to express body language and other messages through texting.

the A to Z of the decade

from AirPods to Zodiac signs, a look at the pop culture trends that shaped the past 10 years.

Choices: There are a total of 3,019 emojis, including ones with multiple skin color options.

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Written by Cianna Hollinger, Jayden Kim and Chandler Roberts Illustrated by Jessica Berton and Caitlyn Schlaman

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D Drones Drones have been around for about 100 years mostly used in the military field. They have gained a new use, from flying cameras to fun toys for a hobby.

High-flying crime: A spike from 2016 to early 2017 of crimes committed using drones.

F Fidget spinner Created in 1980, the fidget spinner originally was used to help ease anxiety or ADHD symptoms. As of 2017, most students use it to relieve nervous energy.

Confiscated: Since 2017, over 35 million fidget spinners have been confiscated in academic settings.

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Gangnam Style The popular Korean song was released in July 2012 by artist PSY. A highlight of the video was the famous “Gangnam Style” dance.

Hydro Flasks Hydro Flasks made their mark as a Gen Z trend when they debuted in 2009, taking over the reusable water bottle craze.

Ice bucket challenge To raise awareness for ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease, the ALS Association pulled together an online campaign that many have since copied.

Jeans (on everything) Jeans have grown far from just another pair of pants, going from basic boyfriend jeans to jackets, shoes and even necklaces.

Most views: “Gangnam Style” was the first YouTube video to reach over 1 billion views.

Sale: The company in 2018 was sold for $210 million to Helen of Troy, which sells household goods.

Donations: Since 2014, more than $115 million has been raised, with $96 million going to research.

Grandma jeans: The oldest pair of jeans were found in 1997, over 100 years old.

forward thinking We predict the next decade in popular culture ith the decade coming to an end, W we may often feel nostalgic or even gloomy looking back at all the trends we’ll have to say goodbye to.

Fear not, because there are plenty of new trends on the way for this upcoming decade. Here are the Bear Witness’ predictions for trends in 2020 and beyond.

Cinematic universes galore With the success of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, movie studios have been scrambling to create their own money-printing movie universes.

In the next 10 years, we predict that there will be an explosion in movies and TV shows becoming interconnected. We wouldn’t be surprised if the upcoming 2020 film “Scoob!” tried to set up a Hanna-Barbara Cinematic universe, where Fred Flintstone and Yogi Bear team up against Tom and Jerry. DC might even try its hand in a fourth attempt to recreate a cinematic universe starting with another “Green Lantern,” starring Noah Centineo.

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Kahoot!

This game-based learning platform released in 2013 has become a staple in many classrooms, and a favorite of students.

Loot boxes First used in 2004, loot boxes although popular among audiances, have gotten some backlash for being an outlet for gamers to “pay to win.”

Mannequin challenge The viral video trend where people pose as mannequins to “Black Beatle” started in 2016. It was inspired by by sci-fi movies such as “The Matrix.”

Netflix First launched in 1998, the streaming giant Netflix has faced major growth over the decade, currently raking in 150 million customers.

Naughty nicknames: Teachers receive emails when students submit inappropriate names.

First: In 2004, online game “MapleStory” debuted the loot box, calling it a Gachapon Ticket.”

Inspiration: Rae Sremmurd of “Black Beatle,” was inspired by a high school performance.

You’ve got mail: Netflix originally started as an online DVD rental service.

Animal politicians In the past decade there have been four animals elected to mayoral office. We predict that those animals may keep on moving up the political ladder. Will we see a cat in the Senate? Or maybe a goat president, the true G.O.A.T.? Only time will tell, but we do know that we don’t want any more lizards in office.

Remakes of remakes

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OK, Boomer The phrase was started by Millennials and Generation Z as a way to dismiss or ridicule members of the Baby Boomer generation or older people.

Pokémon Go Released in 2016, the mobile augmented reality game has been setting became incredibly popular, bringing in over 1 billion downloads.

Quizlet The popular flashcard app was appeared in October 2005, but didn’t get much recognition until late 2010s when it was used to quiz and practice.

Rainbow Loom Crated by Cheong Choon Ng, they were one of the top toys and trends for kids in 2014, selling sold over 40 million packets in that year.

Hecklers: New Zealand MP Chlöe Swarbrick responded “Ok, Boomer” to a heckler during a speech.

Step out: Players from all across the world the have take 144 billion steps playing the game.

Big audience: Quizlet is said to be used by over two-thirds of high schoolers in the U.S. alone.

Choices: There are a total of 51 Rainbow Loom designs and 8 colors for the bands.

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Superhero films The decade was dominated by these live action titles, and companies like Marvel and DC don’t seem to have an end in sight.

TikTok The offspring of the Musical.ly and Douyin apps, TikTok has been a massive success, credited for bringing many indie songs to the mainstream.

Unicorn Frappuccino The viral drink introduced in April 2017 was a 10-ingredient, 500-calorie drink, discontinued shortly after its launch due to its high sugar count.

Vine Vine let users create 6 second looping videos. The platform was acquired by Twitter in early 2012, before the launch in 2013. It closed down in 2017.

Many heroes: From 1977 to 2019, there have 85 superhero movies made in the U.S. alone.

Controversy: TikTok is accused of helping the Chinese government censor speech.

Coming soon: Starbucks is bringing back the drink, and only plans to sell it for 4 days.

Sequel: Vine’s creator, Dom Hofmann, is launching an app known as Byte , originally Vine 2, or V2.

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Walking Dead The comics started in 2003 and the series came out in 2010 and catalyzed the current zombie craze such as the “Santa Clarita Diet.”

Space X Founded in 2002 by Elon Musk the company has gained more notoriety in recent years. Their most famous feat, launching a Tesla into space in 2018.

YOLO “You only live once” was coined by rapper Drake in 2011 from the song “The Motto.” It became an anthem for teens to make their life count.

Zodiac signs The astrology pseudoscience has been around for thousands of year, but has risen in popularity in recent years, especially among teens.

Use your brain: Zombie actors have to attend a “zombie” school before being able to audition.

Spaceman: The carsent into space launched with a mannequin dressed up as an astronaut.

Parody: Comedy trio The Lonely Island recorded a song called “YOLO” making fun of the term.

Stats: 25% of Americans believe in astrology, despite it having very little basis in scientific fact.

Throughout the 2010s, film studios have slowly been losing creativity and as a result are basing their films off other movies they own - and by basing, we mean completely replicating. Remakes have become so prevalent that it won’t be long before Hollywood starts making remakes of remakes. In the 2020s, maybe we’ll see Jason slashing away victims in Friday the 13th for the third time. Or even more unoriginally, it’s possible that Beauty and the Beast will come back in theaters as a 3D computer animated movie. Whatever remake may be released in theaters again, it’s clear that someone needs to give studio executives a lesson on originality.

Microtransactions everywhere In the 2010s, microtransactions in video games blew up in popularity, with many game companies maximizing profits by having their customers purchase more content that gives them an advantage over other players or even worse, substitute the lack of gameplay in their own games.

For this new decade, it’s very possible that developers may cram downloadable content (DLCs) or loot boxes to suck out every part of their players’ wallets. At the rate things are going, maybe games of the future will even require an access fee to play an already bought game or have players be able to buy their way to unlock levels.

— Cianna Hollinger, Jayden Kim and Chandler Roberts