Bear Witness - February 2024

NEWS Teachers and students worry about Gen Alpha and their reliance on technology.

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WITNESS BRANHAM HIGH SCHOOL

FEBRUARY 2024

@bhsbearwitness BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

A PAUSE FOR ALARMS F

requent fire alarms at Branham, usually blamed on students vaping in the bathrooms, are causing distractions for both students and teachers.

As these false alarms blare through campus, there’s a feeling of desensitization for when a real emergency is taking place. | See pages 8 and 9

Grace Ngo/Special to the Bear Witness

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NEWS News highlights visit @bhsbearwitness

Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. on his holiday Students and teachers all over the nation are given a day off every third Monday of January to learn about Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy and participation in the civil rights movement.

US History and ethnic studies teacher Stefanie Menera hopes that her students will be able to make connections with Martin Luther King and other aspects of American history.

“A lot of students think that civil rights is a singular event

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that happens, but it spans over the entire history of America,” Menera said. “So, I’m teaching it hopefully to where my students can learn about MLK and draw a strong connection to what we’ve talked about in units prior.”

— Lia Choi and Jiyoon Choi Middle school visits make a case for elective classes As course selection rolls around in middle schools, elective classes send representatives to recruit incoming class of 2028 freshmen.

Some classes struggle to fill up enrollment each year, and they use middle school rounds to show incoming students more about the class.

Despite the effort to prepare for the showcases, dance

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performance and 3D art teacher Eileen Bertron said the visits are still “helpful” as they inform incoming students about the classes.

Sports editor Alan Schaeffer, who has been with the Bear Witness for four years, said that visiting the middle schools for the first time has been insightful.

“There’s definitely a lot of kids who are showing interest and it will be good for the publication to get some new members joining,” Schaeffer said. “Even though I won’t be here next year, I hope that they have as good of a time on the paper as I have.”

— Lia Choi and Jiyoon Choi

Sushi now available in The Kitchen Sushi is now a new addition to The Kitchen’s menu, and it is offered twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The sushi is prepared at Prospect High School which is equipped with a larger team and a specific setup. Fifty servings with eight rolls each are delivered to Branham along with other schools in the Campbell Union High School District. Students who were able to get sushi despite the limited quantities were satisfied with it.

“It’s only been one day that we did sushi, and it went by very fast,” said kitchen lead Oscar Sanchez Celaya.

Besides sushi, The Kitchen is also beginning to offer more variety in meals including the new beef and broccoli plate.

— Elliott Yau

PHONE USAGE

DIGITAL DEPENDENCE

As students who grew up with tech become freshman, teachers struggle to rein it in AVA STARK

W

News Editor

ith the majority growing up with iPads, the younger generation’s access to technology is increasing, whether that be through filming TikTok videos or shopping online.

In a Bear Witness poll of 154 readers, 95% of respondents said that they have noticed an increased use in technology in Generation Alpha, the people born from 2010 to 2024, the first group of which will be entering high school next year.

For senior Korinna Dunn, she has seen this trend in her two younger sisters.

“I got an iPad when I was about 10 and then a phone at 14, but my sisters have had an iPad since they were four and phones at 12,” Dunn said. “They spend a lot more hours per day and are constantly in the rooms on technology.”

A study done by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) gave 119 undergraduate students a memory test, with some of the students being frequent smartphone users and the rest not. The results showed that those with better recall accuracy were those who spent less time on smartphones.

Another study performed by the NIH showed that students who used their phones in their classes took fewer notes and had lower academic performance overall in comparison to those who didn’t. Dunn believes developments like these may have an effect on students’ success in school and later in life, especially with the short attention span.

“The [TikTok] clips are so short because they know that people don’t have the attention span,” she said. “This leads to shorter attention spans and less motivation to learn because it’s not entertaining, making it harder to pay attention to the lecture or have them present in the classroom.”

The increased use of technology is present in classrooms as students go on their phones during class as well. Many teachers have implemented phone policies to prevent the loss of engagement and attention.

However, physics teacher Ray Radlinsky believes his students in both AP and on-level classes should have the general freedom to decide whether or not to be on their phones in class.

“You’re a junior. You have to decide what you want to do and if it’s affecting your grade,” Radlinsky said.

“So, I want them to make a conscious decision because they’re going to be adults and have to figure it out.”

According to the Harvard Gazette, many administrators at Harvard like Victor Pereira, a lecturer on education and co-chair of the Teaching and Teaching Leadership Program at the Graduate School of Education, believe that completely removing phones from school will exacerbate the addiction, and teachers should instead encourage to “teach with tech not against it.”

Despite this, Radlinsky does attempt to regulate his students’ usage to some extent as he noticed that the four students who failed last year have constantly used their phones in class.

“I started off this year insisting on putting it in the backpack anytime I saw it, and then I loosened up later on,” he said.

Dunn also has witnessed an increase in phone usage in her classes each year and has seen a parallel trend of less engagement in school, which she relates to the isolation during COVID-19. According to the NIH, there was an increase in phone usage during lockdown, which was especially prominent in younger participants.

BORN INTO A FULLY MATURE TECH MARKET

Some teachers ask for unified phone policy JIYOON CHOI

Editor-in-Chief

eachers have long had autonomy T over what students do with their cell phones in class, but more are wish-

David Tran/Special to the Bear Witness “You see people standing in groups, and they’re all on their phone, and you wonder why it’s hard for them to talk in front of other people,” Dunn said.

Although Radlinsky recognizes the potential problems stemming from phone usage in class, he thinks that battling with his students over policies like a cell phone jail would be more challenging and detrimental to his students’ habits.

“I’ve been given guidance from other teachers and administrators saying to put the cell phones in a cell phone jail right from the start,” Radlinsky said.

“And that is just not a battle I want to face. If I had a pervasive issue, then I would consider, but I do what works best for me.”

Acknowledging this prominent rise of technology that specifically impacts both Generation Z and Alpha, Dunn acknowledges that this will be a significant issue younger people will continue having to face socially and academically.

“There’s just a huge dependency on technology,” she said. “Now that technology is more present and we see it so young, this kind of early maturing, that’s just how it’s going to be from now on.”

95% of 154 Bear Witness readers

say that they have noticed more tech use among Generation Alpha students Editor-in-Chief | Jiyoon Choi Editors Managing Editor: Lia Choi News Editor: Ava Stark Opinion Editor: Reese Gardner Arts and Culture Editor: Lauren Gernale Science and Health Editor: Aadyant Suresh Student Life Editor: Anabelle Walker Sports Editor: Alan Schaeffer Copy Editor: Makayla Wu

Generation Alpha

“Technology’s become a safety net. It definetly has its benefits and limitations, but [it’s led to] less attention span and less motivation to learn.”

Senior Korina Dunn, who has seen the effects smartphones in her younger sisters.

Those born between 2010 and 2024 were raised to be digital natives, comfortable with using technology.

The U.S. Census Bureau says that Gen Alpha will make up 13% of the U.S. population this year.

ing there were a consistent phone policy.

The Branham Student/Parent Handbook states that electronic devices are to only be used during “non-instructional time” or outside of class periods. Students are also not to call or receive phone calls from anyone, including parents, during class except for a 911 call in an emergency.

Branham’s handbook allows teachers to have their own phone policy.

“There’s pros and cons to that,” Principal Lindsay Schubert said. “Teachers have different teaching styles.”

With Chromebooks available to all students, Schubert said that phones are not necessary for class, saying they’re a distraction. Still she can see why it can get confusing for students.

Physics teacher Ray Radlinsky has a more lenient phone policy and simply asks students to put their phones away.

“There’s a wide range of teacher policies,” he said. “I don’t have a pervasive problem.

That’s why I haven’t really changed my policy.”

Though English teacher Heather Amanatullah does not have a strict phone policy because she does not want to be responsible for confiscating a student’s personal property, she wants a uniform district-wide policy for phones.

“I just don’t know how you penalize teachers that don’t follow it,” she said. “If you’re going to be disrespectful with your phone, I approach it as if you’re disrespecting your own education.”

Amanatullah has noticed a “huge problem” with engagement in class as she’s seen phone use increase over the years, and said that it has made her job “less fun” as it becomes harder to keep students’ attention.

“A lot of teachers put so much planning into (their lessons) only to see kids over there playing football on their iPhones during (something) like a Holocaust documentary,” she said. “That’s when I wish I had a more strict policy, but I don’t want to get into a back and forth with a student about taking their personal property.”

Schubert thinks an agreement among teachers for a set policy for all classrooms, which may not necessarily be more strict, can be a solution so that students experience the same expectations for phones.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say a stricter phone policy,” Schubert said. “It has more to do with being on the same page in what we’re going to do.”

This year, Branham implemented a new policy for students to leave their phones in class when going to the bathroom. Consequently, Schubert has seen less students on their phones during class.

In general, Schubert is concerned with the effects of increased use of technology and social media for not only high school students, but everyone.

“My concerns [with technology] are for everybody, not just not students,” she said.

“Even I have to remember to disengage [with my phone]. I worry about the dependency [on phones] and what that does to the community and personal relationships.”

Staff Writers Aresema Agdie, Yujin Cho, Angela Choi, Owen Dazko, Aryella Finkel-Hozer, Nevaeh Gutierrez, Maceo Inoue, Supriya Khandelwal, Francisco Pham, Aidan Weiler, Mila Windell, Elliott Yau and Alyx Yoon

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.

Guest Adviser: Yale Wyatt

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

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Sophomore Iker Estrada, who played a sousaphone solo in the winning group at Branham’s Got Talent that performed Nat R. McIntoshe’s “Brooklyn”.

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NEWS

OVERHEARD | QUOTES OF THE MONTH FROM OUR ONLINE STORIES

“[I like] the payoff feeling of knowing how many hours you put in. It’s nice to have someone actually hearing your voice.”

Senior BIll Tran opens the evening by performing “High and Dry” by Radiohead on electric guitar and vocals

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

“My part comes with its challenges, so I had to really work on it, but it came together well. I was really proud of myself.”

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Senior Bill Tran, who performed twice at the Winter Acoustic Night

“I think it’s a lot of people really resonate with MLK to the point where he has a national holiday because of his strategies like civl disobedience and non violence.”

US history and ethnic studies teacher Stefanie Menera, about celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy.

BELL SCHEDULE

TIME FOR A CHANGE, AGAIN? After four bell schedules in four years, Branham looks to revise once again

57%

of 228 respondents to a Bear Witness poll from August 2022 said that later start and ending times would negatively impact their ability to participate in sports.

Senate Bill 328

requires all high schools in California to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. Public high schools adopted the law into their schedules the last school year.

Contact jozdinski@cuhsd.org to provide feedback for the bell schedule committee.

David Tran/Special to the Bear Witness ALAN SCHAEFFER Sports Editor

alfway through seventh period, a student H collects his items, signals his math teacher that he has to leave and marches off to the

Branham football field. His home soccer games kick off at 4:15 p.m., and he has to be at warmups by 3:30 p.m. With a seventh period that doesn’t end until 3:55 p.m., he is forced to miss math class multiple times a week.

After four distinct bell schedules in four years, the bell schedule committee, headed by psychology teacher Jennifer McGrath, is gathering student opinions as they look to make another change to put these issues to rest. A survey that was sent out during tutorial in January garnered over 1,000 such responses, which has largely influenced the areas that the committee seeks to improve.

According to McGrath, one of the main areas in which students want change is in regard to the late end time of seventh period. With a 3:55

p.m. end time, students such as sophomore Arisa Gustafson often have to rush to practice or games, sometimes missing part of class as well.

“I have [waterpolo] practice right after school,” Gustafson said. “So I only have five minutes to change.”

Gustafson, who used to go to Presentation High School, said that her old school also had two very different end times, getting out at 12:15 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. on A and B-days respectively. However, she found this to be more manageable because neither day went too late.

After replacing last year’s outreach period with an additional tutorial, students such as freshman Kendall Ladd and senior Kira Weinger have suggested changing it again.

“Tutorial should be something that’s more optional,” Weinger said. “Not every student has a need to go, so sometimes it’s not that useful.”

Because tutorial fulfills the instructional minute requirement, doing away with it is out of the question. Instead, Weinger suggests that teach-

ers should let students who are not their own into their classroom so that students are never forced to sit by themselves in a class where they don’t need help.

Ladd, on the other hand, sought for more tutorial periods, requesting it to be more consistent throughout the week. McGrath seconds this concern, pointing out that teachers such as Ethnic Lit teacher Mike Espinoza and AP Environmental Science teacher Kori Reynolds only teach on A-days.

Other suggestions students made via a schoolwide survey put out by the committee included four-day school weeks or a zero period. Both of these options are inconceivable, however, as McGrath cites the minute requirement once again.

“There was definite interest in taking a zero period, but that doesn’t count for minutes since it is before 8:30 a.m.,” McGrath said. “We would need additional teachers which the district would have to agree to, and it is difficult

“We truly are looking at this as ‘what’s best for students.’

We recognize and acknowledge that it’s annoying to change but the vast majority do want change.”

Psychology teacher Jennifer McGrath, who is the head of the bell schedule committee enough to get the number of teachers we need for the regular school day.”

A more reasonable proposal was the division of seventh period across the two block days.

Students would see their seventh period on A and B days, but for shorter periods of time. This would enable school to end at an earlier and more consistent time.

Despite all the discussion and turmoil over potential schedules for next year, McGrath notes that everyone has different desires and needs from the schedule and that students should feel free to contact her via email or in-person with feedback or advice. Open to discussion, she hopes that students understand the difficulty of satisfying the desires of parents, teachers and students.

“I want to emphasize that we truly are looking at this as ‘what’s best for students’,” McGrath said. “We recognize and acknowledge that it’s annoying to change but the vast majority do want change.”

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OPINION

FAUXSHO

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THE ART VS THE ARTIST

People often don't differentiate between the person creating and the actual creation however, they are not the same.

ARYELLA FINKEL-HOZER

I

Dhatri Tummala/Special to Bear Witness

Staff Writer

n the creator world, one goal is to produce things people enjoy, whether that be as a songwriter, singer, author, athlete or comedian. Yet, in order to gain people’s attention, these celebrities may not match up with the gracious personas they often display, perceiving themselves as someone they aren’t in order to receive engagement.

A spotlighted artist is none other than J. K. Rowling, a world-renowned author who wrote the record-breaking "Harry Potter" book series and has won 37 awards for her work.

However, she has displayed her disregarding attitude through insulting the LGBTQ+ community and has been accused of transphobia on multiple occasions after claiming that transgender women are not women, receiving intense backlash.

She has also discriminated against women, referring to them as “people who menstruate,” and expressing her ill-mannered feelings about transgender women on X, previously known as Twitter.

Her tendency to publicly share extremely offensive and insensitive opinions has infuriated many communities, especially Harry Potter fans, who continue to enjoy her series immensely but find her personal actions wrong.

Readers and lovers of the series should realize the person she is whilst still being able to find happiness reading the books. Even though Rowling has shown her very upsetting opinions, she has written some of the most beloved books ever made.

A number of popular Nickelodeon shows, including iCarly, Zoey 101, Drake and Josh and Victorious, were directed and produced by Dan Schneider. While a majority of people enjoy these shows and find them entertaining, Schneider has proven himself to not be the person he seems to be.

A book written by former iCarly and Sam and Cat actress Jennette McCarthy titled "I’m Glad My Mother Died" expresses the trauma and struggles she went through as a child actor. Throughout her book, she repeatedly refers to The Creator, which is suspected to be Schneider. She talks about various instances in which he said vulgar words and acted inappropriately to her, and he once even forced the underage cast to ingest alcohol.

While Schneider was a prominent aspect in creating these shows, his true colors came out showing the very poor person he really is. However, people should still be able to enjoy his shows but viewers should keep in mind who he is as a person and what he has done to the people he worked with. In 2018, Nickelodeon and Schneider ended their partnership, due to many acts of verbal abuse and sexual harassment accusations.

The case of actress Amber Heard and actor Johnny Depp is a prime example of false accusations which influenced one’s popularity. Johnny Depp, famously known as Captain Hook and other aspiring roles, was convicted of sexual assault by ex-wife Amber Heard, known for her role in Aquaman. Depp ended up winning the case, leaving Heard paying him a $1 million defamation. Heard was also faced with a decrease of role in the sequel to Aquaman due to this trial.

Heard was well-liked in the film industry before this controversy and has lost a substantial amount of supporters since then. However, people still enjoy the films she has acted in separate from her true identity. As being proven guilty, Heard should realize the wrongful accusations made towards Depp and take ownership of this mistake.

While all these artists have left a positive mark in their work, their personal choices and morals have not shown the best of qualities. Harry Potter fans can still love J. K. Rowling’s books, children can still enjoy Nickelodeon shows and DC fans can still be entertained watching Aquaman.

Clearly, the perspectives of the creator and their creations do not have to stay parallel or depend on one another, as one can learn to separate their opinions from the artist’s personal life and what they produce for their audience.

ETHNIC LIT

LEARNING FOR LITERACY One class at Branham can mitigate a declining interest in politics in America

ANGELA CHOI Staff Writers

merica has been plagued by social injustice towards A minority groups. The solution lies in ethnic studies courses, which should be implemented in every school across America to contribute to strengthening the political system.

The model curriculum outlines that historically marginalized people’s contributions and role in American history are less discussed in history classes. Ethnic studies aims to offer students the opportunity to study these marginalized groups’ experiences as well as allow marginalized students to see their experiences reflected in their curriculum.

The class guides students to explore their identities. By creating a safe space for controversial discussions involving social movements and history, the Ethnic Literature and Ethnic Studies classes prompt students to be more involved in social and political problems due to a deeper understanding that is elaborated in the classes.

Starting in our classrooms, we can encourage students to critically reflect on their experiences, consider viewpoints from people from different walks of life, and develop their own opinions about social issues. Exposing students to different groups and educating them to engage in political conversations productively is the key to a future with less political polarization, more understanding between people, and more progress and collaboration in social movements.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, English teacher Michael Espinoza had been learning about the framework of teaching used in ethnic studies. Today, the ethnic studies program includes Ethnic Literature and Ethnic Studies and spans all five traditional high schools in the district. Branham’s offering of Ethnic Studies creates graduates who are more ready to be engaged in civil discourse and is exemplary of how schools can take action to improve the political culture in America.

In October 2021, California passed Assembly Bill 101, which makes Ethnic Studies a part of the high school

Angela Choi/Bear Witness Seniors Kendra Williams and Marta Wick discuss in Ethnic Literature class.

graduation requirement starting with the class of 2030, with California the first state to establish this requirement. The bill follows the state’s publishing of a model curriculum in March 2021 to encourage schools to offer Ethnic Studies.

For democracy in America to function effectively, this understanding of society is critical for citizens to develop opinions and make informed political decisions. However, a University of Washington study found that unconscious prejudice affects 90% to 95% of people.

A study by Harvard psychologist Gordon Allport, who advanced the Contact Hypothesis that knowledge of and contact with other groups decreased stereotyping, found that knowledge about other groups of people was very likely to decrease hostility towards them. British Anthropologist Mary Douglas promoted Cultural Theory, which suggests that people with different ways of life have different biases that can lead to hostility towards other groups.

Under both of these frameworks, ethnic studies mitigate discrimination by exposing students to knowledge of other groups and promoting understanding of other ways of life.

Mandating ethnic studies in schools can create a trickle-down effect in society that decreases overall discrimination. When more people have less subconscious bias, more underrepresented people will have more opportunities in every field, which creates more diverse role models that empower even more marginalized students to want to pursue different fields.

Race’s current status as a taboo topic perpetuates existing issues and hinders societal progress with discrimination. If Americans are not willing to engage in conversations about race and are uncomfortable with people from other groups, stereotypes that exist today will continue to be the same.

This contributes to less open-mindedness and understanding.

If we want progress against social inequalities and more collaboration in politics, change can start in our classrooms.

Using the ethnic studies framework of teaching in the curriculum is the first step in the right direction.

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DESENSITIZATION

OPINION

Desensitization to alarms will lead to danger

he very idea of an alarm is to call attention T to or warn people of something happening. Your alarm in the morning is telling you to

get out of bed and wake up, the bell at school tells you when you are late to class and the fire alarm is meant to tell you to get off of campus so you won't die in a fire.

However, due to the consistent false fire alarms on campus, our students and faculty have become accustomed to the sound. Instead of stopping whatever you're doing and leaving the room, the Branham community tends to get a headache and an annoyed attitude.

Our brains are programmed with a fight-orflight response. We are aware unconsciously that when there is an alarm going off to react to the situation. However, because of desensitization, our brains could experience alert fatigue or alarm fatigue. This occurs when people become desensitized to electronic safety alerts. Constant

Editorial The opinion of the Bear Witness editors exposure to alarms, warnings and notifications can reduce responsiveness.

Alarm fatigue is known as overstimulation of the brain due to the mass amount of false or constant alarms going off in an environment.

This can result in people learning to tune them out, ignore them or not hear them at all which could result in delayed responses to actual alarms and dangers.

Desensitization to alarms and warning signs can lead to more risks and impair our ability to

assess situations and react as needed. In a Bear Witness poll of 232 readers, 44% of respondents said that drills, including fire, earthquake and lockdown drills, are not effective.

A study done in 2022 found that between 72% to 99% of all alarms in a tested area—a hospital—were false. Though this is most common in people who work in the medical field, it has been proven that constant alarms can lead to one developing alarm fatigue.

Other areas where alarm fatigue has been observed are other work environments such as factories and transportation, schools, offices and traditional workplaces. The main reason alarm fatigue is found in these settings is due to false fire alarms.

Because of things like teachers burning toast or students vaping in the bathroom, almost everyone on campus has been desensitized to the idea of a fire alarm. The fear here is not that we

won’t evacuate campus if there is a real fire, but that in another environment and setting, we won’t feel the need to evacuate as well.

You could be at a mall or a bank and if an alarm goes off your first thought will be to find a way to turn the alarm off instead of evacuating. Students have been told how to react in a real fire.

However, due to the recurring false alarms and the underlying fact that students take practice drills and safety drills as times to get out of class, the use of these drills and the purpose they are supposed to provide are pointless.

Having actual drills that do not desensitize the fear of a real fire in which students act as if it were a real emergency would prevent both staff and students from potential dangers in the future. Having informative resources available for students to research on their own helps students prepare and know what to do in case of an actual emergency.

COURCE SELECTION

THE PRESSURE OF PICKING A MAJOR

Offering senior-reserved classes earlier will benefit underclassman when choosing majors AADYANT SURESH

Scicence&Health Editor

hoosing a major can be among the most difficult steps in the college admisC sion process, with many essay prompts being based on major choice and students being unsure of what their interests are.

Like all choices, deciding on a major is a case of considering alternatives and obtaining background evidence, requiring students to take a variety of classes and see where their interests or aptitudes lie.

Yet, classes such as government, economics and psychology are reserved primarily for seniors at Branham, making it challenging for students in lower grades to experience these courses. With this, it would benefit students to offer the aforementioned courses earlier in students’ high school career.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), social sciences and history make up around 8% of bachelor’s degrees conferred by postsecondary institutions, with psychology majors around 6%. As seen with the popularity of the programs, an earlier introduction into these subjects allow students to expand upon their interests and determine whether they want to go further into the material or focus elsewhere.

The benefits of trying new courses and seeing what adheres to one’s interests is demonstrated in college, with many schools asking students to declare a major in their sophomore or junior year after having taken general education and elective courses.

The 2014 data from the NCES identifies that 33% of students studying for a bachelor’s degree have changed their major at least once. Clearly, students tend to choose a different direction after trying new subjects, and high schools should follow this principle.

Moreover, with an earlier venture into certain academic fields, students can put themselves on a more secure path to pursue it in college and prepare for competitive programs.

In the University of California (UC) Berkeley, there are 11 high-demand and competitive majors in the College of Letters and Sciences, including psychology, Reese Gardner/Bear Witness political economy and economics.

To future students, Berkeley cautions on the limited opportunity to transfer into the majors later in college.

If one gains experience with the major’s area ahead of time, they can take other related courses, such as through concurrent and dual enrollment, self-studying online, internships or research. This can help build confidence in the material and increase likelihood of admission into these programs. For example, prestigious

universities like the California Institute of Technology consider the work put in outside of the classroom for STEM and self-learning when accepting students.

Furthermore, a large part of the high school experience is expanding one’s boundaries and by restricting the availability of these courses, it hampers students an early opportunity to learn subjects and from new teachers. Moreover, a key aspect of many classes is working with students in different grade levels, allowing underclassmen to learn important skills such as study habits from upperclassmen. Reserved courses limit this opportunity and inter-student learning.

Branham does offer other subject areas for non-seniors. For students interested in computer science, one of the most demanded majors, Computer Science PLTW and AP Computer Science A is provided; a new course, Data Structures & Algorithms will also be added next year. Similarly, numerous mathematics and STEM-related AP classes are available starting sophomore year, allowing students to try their hand at college-level courses.

Some courses are just too popular to offer to students of all grades, however. For example, psychology currently prioritizes seniors due to its high demand. Yet, despite the difficulties in managing varying graduation requirements and student interests, some seats could be set aside for younger students who are interested in it as a major choice.

For United States government class, students could substitute one of the required history courses taken in their sophomore or junior year, taking government and economics in their junior year and US History as a senior instead. This would allow for greater flexibility and experience before being required to choose a major.

It is apparent that due to the different factors in deciding a major and the benefits in experiencing various classes, opening up senior-reserved classes would benefit students. By allowing widened pathways for students to take these courses earlier in high school, it will help them better navigate this imperative journey in college and beyond.

BITE-SIZED OPINIONS

Minor problems, minor solutions

Problem: I hate it when I'm doing a group project but half my group is absent so I have to do all the work myself!

Solution: Make so that absences are illegal. If you are not at school, a special "truancy recovery team" will track you down and force you to come to class and work on the group project.

— Aidan Weiler

Problem: l hate that whenever I bring food to school, there’s always someone viciously begging me to share. They always find a way to take some with their greedy hands.

Solution: Create a barrier around my food that can only be opened by me through touch ID technology.

— Maceo Inoue

Problem:The weather has been so cold and dreary recently, and it's been hard to wake up since it's still pitch black outside when my alarm goes off.

Solution: Create realistic wallpapers of bright, sunny skies and tape them alongside our windows so it seems like we're waking up late for school when we're actually right on time!

— Lia Choi

Problem: Now that I am a senior in second semester, my motivation almost disappeared.

Solution: Provide various relaxing options for seniors: nap times, delicious snacks and other incentives.

—Jiyoon Choi

Problem: Every time I step onto the grass, I instantly get splashed by some muddy water.

Solution: Build bridges over all of the lawns and puddles on campus for students to use so they don't ruin their shoes or clothes.

— Elliott Yau

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SCIENCE&HEALTH Science &Health BRIEFS

— Compiled by Aadyant Suresh with information from The New York Times

ELLIOTT YAU

C

Staff Writer

oncerns about climate change and extreme weather such as droughts, excessive rainfall, heat waves and wildfires have become more prevalent, prompting the Campbell Union High School District to take action as it maps out the future of its facilities.

The district aims to modernize its schools with cleaner, more climate-friendly technology and cut down on its water and energy usage to prepare for extreme weather and reduce its carbon footprint.

Recent initiatives include installing solar panels and LED lights as well as keeping a close eye on landscaping and water usage across the district.

Since the district doesn’t receive state funding for facilities, it often goes to local voters to ask for a special bond measure, which allows the district to take out a large loan that would be repaid with property taxes. Measure AA, a $275 million bond measure, was passed in 2016 to address the lack of state funding for facilities, technology and infrastructure.

“We’ve been going through a period of construction, modernization and safety priorities at all of our school sites,” said Chief Business Official and Assistant Superintendent of Business Meredyth Hudson. “That’s everything from seismic retrofitting of our buildings, preparing for earthquakes and construction of new buildings.”

At Branham, projects within Measure AA include the four new two-story concrete buildings completed in 2020, kitchen remodeling, replacement of the track and field, resurfacing of the tennis courts and basketball courts, softball dugouts and more.

The car chargers in the parking lot were another major addition, approved in 2018 and installed in 2020.

Grants from Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) were used to pay for the chargers at every district school and site, with free charging for staff and students. The car chargers are a step towards building necessary infrastructure for the future as by 2035, all new passenger vehicles sold in California must be zero emissions.

According to Principal Lindsay Schubert, the car chargers are not only environment-friendly but also an incentive for more students and staff to drive electric cars.

“I know that as soon as I’m ready, I want to buy an electric car, and part of it is because I know that I can park it here and it’s a reliable place to get electricity,” Schubert said.

Despite the district’s climate initiatives, some students, like junior Alexis Tea, the co-beautifications coordinator for SPARE (Students Promoting Awareness of Recycling and the Environment) Club, aren’t completely satisfied. SPARE aims to educate students on climate change and offers volunteer hours for collecting recycling and picking up litter on campus.

“From my standpoint as a student, I don’t see a lot of what the district is implementing to curb climate change,” Tea said. “They leave it up to SPARE to do all the educating, and that’s fine because that’s what our club is for.”

Schubert acknowledged that SPARE has done a lot to bring attention to climate change, but Tea hopes that the district will take on a more active role in climate education and move towards sustainability since other CUHSD schools may not have clubs like SPARE. As Measure AA wraps up this year, the district continues to plan its next steps. It has hired Aedis Architects

from Measure A, which was passed in 2016

NASA orbiter’s flyby near Jupiter’s moon NASA’s Juno orbiter made a close approach to Jupiter’s third-largest moon, Io – the most volcanic world in our solar system, akin to earth’s geysers and volcanoes -- but on a much lager scale. The volcanic activity has led to the moon’s surface constantly changing, with observations of a double volcanic plume going into space and lava flow.

Scientists hope to use the data from the recent flyby, and an earlier one on December 30 of last year, to find information on how the magma is distributed inside of Io.

The district moves toward sustainability and climate resilience with new infrastructure projects

estimated for immediate projects in Phase One

Changes to CDC policy for HIV tracking The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) modified its guidelines for tracking the genetic signature of viruses from those who were recently diagnosed with H.I.V, or human immunodeficiency virus; each genetic signature is unique in each person. The updated policy recommends health officials to be more open about the tracking, which activists had supported.

The CDC does not allow health agencies to opt out of the process if they are located in states where individuals can be prosecuted for transmitting the virus; currently, patients are not required to be informed of the tracking.

Researchers say the practice is in place to help patients and find those who have a related form of the virus – helping them with the appropriate next steps including testing and medication.

GREENER GROUNDS $1 billion $400 million $275 million

California storms lead to historic rain The heavy recent rainfall in California, especially with the atmospheric river on Sunday and Monday have led to record-breaking rain and winds – leading to mudslides, flooding, power outages, and blocked roads. Southern California experienced significant rainfall, with the rain extending into Monday.

The total rainfall in downtown Los Angeles had reached six inches by Feb. 4, which broke a record that had been held for a century. Projections also included eight to 14 inches of rainfall on Feb. 5 in some areas of Southern California.

INFRASTRUCTURE

for full 20-year plan if approved

New FEMA policy connects to climate inititives The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, will begin covering 75% of the cost for solar panels, heat pumps and other energy efficient technology added to public buildings when rebuilt after disasters.

FEMA had traditionally covered 75% of the cost for main structures, but the addition of coverage of new technology is part of an effort to be more climate friendly.

It is funded through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act and aprt of effrots to cut emissions.

The plans offers buildings to be more resilient in future disasters, with solar panels and batteries, these locations could offer safety and electricity to residents when areas lose power. The program is optional, with state or local governments still having to meet the remaining costs.

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

Elliott Yau/Bear Witness

to develop a document called the Long Term Facilities Master Plan that focuses on four climate goals: mitigating the effects of extreme weather, improving energy efficiency, managing water resources and reducing carbon emissions.

The document outlines a plan for the next 20 years regarding the vision of an ideal high school campus, assessments of current campuses and recommended projects in multiple phases, such as replacing old classrooms with new two-story buildings and replacing stadium lights with LEDs. The Board of Trustees received the document in December, but it is still evolving as nothing has been approved yet. While the more immediate projects in Phase

One are estimated to cost over $400 million, the full 20year plan will likely cost over a billion dollars. If approved, the district would have to ask for multiple special bond measures similar to Measure AA over 20 years to cover the expenses.

The district faces a dilemma of managing its climate and sustainability goals while also modernizing and preparing for a warmer world.

“We have a long way to go, but so do most schools with environmental sustainability and making sure that we’re recycling and composting waste,” Schubert said. “Those things are going to be big down the road that we have to work on.”

WHAT’S NEW IN TECH

—Compiled by Elliott Yau and Aadyant Suresh

Tesla has begun deliveries of the Cybertruck, its spin on a pickup truck. First displayed in 2019, the Cybertruck features a stainless steel exoskeleton and angular design, setting it apart from other electric pickup trucks like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T. The highest end, the Cyberbeast, starts at $99,990 and features all-wheel drive; it has a 11,000 pounds of towing capacity, 320 miles of estimated range and a 2.6-second acceleration from 0-60 mph. There is an 18.5” screen in the front and a 9.4” screen for rear passengers. Other features include a 15 speaker system, two wireless chargers, and various charging ports. Tesla also offers the All-Wheel Drive and Rear-Wheel Drive versions, which accelerate slower and weigh less. They cost $76,390 and $57,390 respectively, with the Rear-Wheel Drive version being available in 2025.

— Information from Tesla, Inc. Credit: Motor1.com The Apple Vision Pro, Apple’s new “spatial computing” headset, became available in Apple stores across the US this month. The headset has dual MicroOLED displays with 3,386 pixels per inch. There are four eye-tracking cameras, allowing for users to navigate their interface with their eyes; users also use Optic ID, an iris-based authentication, to unlock the headset. It includes the M2 chip, an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU also found in other Apple computers, allowing users to work on a virtual desktop. The device’s six cameras face outward with other sensors, including a LiDAR scanner. The R1 chip takes the information from these cameras to stream it to the displays in 12 milliseconds.

The additional stereoscopic 3D camera system allows for spatial photos and videos. For audio, there is a pair of speakers capable of special audio. Users have a choice of two bands and a light seal that secure the headset. The battery is separate with a wire and has 2-2.5 hours of battery life, but can be used while charging. It costs $3,500 for 256 GB of storage and can go to $3899 for 1 TB. — Information from The New York TImes, The Verge, and Apple Inc.

Credit: CNN

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SCIENCE&HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH

SENIOR SLUMP ARESEMA AGDIE Staff Writer

fter enduring a first semester focused on maintaining A grades, a social life and college applications, seniors tend to undergo a case of senioritis, an informal name describing the

decline in academic motivation or performance during their final semester of high school.

A Bear Witness poll of 160 readers revealed that 68% of Branham’s seniors experience some type of senioritis.

Senior Sandhya Siva is currently struggling with the motivation aspect of senioritis. The stress from the first semester has made her exhausted to the point where she can not continue to put in much effort.

“I’m late to class, and I don’t care anymore,” Siva said. “It’s the same thing with homework. I don’t feel like I need to turn it in anymore because I can still hold an okay grade in the class.”

Although senioritis has made her physically relax more, Siva still feels immense mental stress. Her lack of motivation has caused her to slack off in her classes, but she still wants to finish her last semester of high school academically strong, especially due to her parent’s concerns.

“It definitely lets me relax in the way that I feel like I don't have to do work, but it makes me stressed in the way that my grades are going to end up being bad,” Siva said. “Especially because when the grading period ends, my parents see my grades and start stressing then that’ll make me stressed too.”

Siva is trying her best to combat her symptoms of senioritis, such as waking up earlier so she can get to school on time, which has been one of her biggest struggles. Because a build-up of detentions revokes the privilege of attending school events, Siva is using this as an incentive to come to school on time and get good grades.

“I want to attend all the school events, and for me to attend them, I have to have pretty good grades in classes,” Siva said. “That’s one of the things that's keeping me going, so I can go to prom and grad night.”

Senior Marianna Frangides also struggles with senioritis, more specifically with encouraging herself to get her homework done on time. She has lost nearly all motivation and drive to keep going.

Quick facts on senioritis:

“I have been trying to finish my English assignment for the past two weeks, and I still haven’t done it. But now, I have no time and it has me stressed and anxious trying to finish it,” Frangides said. “I want good grades, but it’s hard to achieve when you're not motivated.”

Frangides attributes her lack of motivation and performance to her phone as well since she treats it as an escape from her stress.

However, with the help of restricting her screen time access, Frangides has been able to alleviate some stress, and she encourages other struggling seniors to do the same.

“I have been trying to shut my phone off, put it on Do Not Disturb and leave it somewhere that I can’t get access to because if I do, I'll end up scrolling on it,” she said.

AP Psychology teacher Jennifer McGrath notices a difference between the five AP classes she currently teaches compared to the on-level government and economics courses she used to teach. In her on-level classes, students’ motivation dropped significantly after college decisions, whereas her current seniors maintain motivation with AP tests coming up in May. “I see students struggling to get the motivation to do their work, but they still do it at the end of the day,” McGrath said. “I don’t see grades tank in second semester or anything like that.”

McGrath recently lectured her AP Psychology students on stress and the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), which describes the three stages—alarm reaction, resistance and exhaustion—the human body undergoes as it responds to stress.

“I see senioritis is that exhaustion phase where you are over it, and you’re feeling done,” she said. “There are things that happen in the senior year that contribute to senioritis developing because we don't hear of ‘junioritis’ or ‘sophomoritis’.”

McGrath believes the key contributor is that students hear back from college decisions during the first three months of the second semester, which causes them to slack on their school work because they have achieved their goal of getting into college.

“Once you’ve achieved that goal of getting a college decision, you still have to go to school for a couple of months, but that’s where you check out and don't do things anymore,” she said.

“But it’s still important to finish strong and not cut corners, because there is still a final transcript that we send to your colleges.”

-A Bear Witness poll of 160 readers revealed that 68% of Branham’s seniors experience some form of senioritis.

-According to a study done by Omniscent, 78% of all high school seniors across the United States experience senioritis.

- According to Grand Canyon University, effects of senioritis can impact familial relationships and managing work opportunities.

Students also need to manage the decrease in motication can have on grades, as a drop in scores can lead to rescinded acceptances or scholarships from colleges.

Karis Do/Special to the Bear Witness

As the last semester of high school begins for Seniors, a lack of motivation and performance rises

EXPERIMENTS

Stanford science

The Stanford power workshop works with students on concepts behind carbon capture technology AADYANT SURESH

Science & Health Editor

tanford students hosted a POWER S Workshop this Thursday on carbon capture–a growing tool that aims to

take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and place it deep underground.

The workshop, composed of undergraduate and PhD students from Stanford, began in 2020 to connect high school students to work in academia. The program introduces new research and career paths in renewable energy and other STEM fields.

“It’s a bit nebulous, and we wanted to bridge concepts that you would learn in high school and show how they can be applied on a larger scale in actual technologies,” said Sunny Wang, a PhD student in chemistry. “If you get interested now, it’s very possible that you may play a major role in contributing to the development of these technologies.”

He said another major component of the workshop was allowing high school students to learn how Stanford students have gotten to where they are, with many having industry experience. Students who participated in the workshop will also have the opportunity to go to Stanford for an energy day, seeing facilities such as with nanofabrication or characterization. Wang says this allows students to understand degree options, and potential paths after that.

Facts on carbon capture

“Part of the goal is showcasing the work being done at connecting to where your career can go and hearing from some people who have gone through this process,” he said.

Junior Matthew Nelson enjoyed the workshop and hopes that it will continue.

“They are definitely very interesting and could help me develop a passion for the STEM field,” he said.

Participants explored the concepts with an experiment involving two balloons, one they blew into and the other that was pumped with air, releasing them into a solution of calcium hydroxide. It aims to show how the small concentration of carbon dioxide with the pump, or atmosphere, demonstrates the difficulty in filtering carbon dioxide through carbon capture.

Sophomore Sumin Choy found it an interesting experience and appreciated being able to ask questions to students with significant experience in chemistry.

Yet, he did wish that the presentation went more in-depth into chemistry concepts in the technology.

“They’ve explained nicely about global warming, but I wish more on how we’re affecting and dealing with carbon dioxide and specifically what other things you have done on a more chemical side,” he said.

Aadyant Suresh/Bear Witness Senior Srishti Ganguli, sophomore Sumin Choy and junior Kevin Follo do an experiment on carbon dioxide during the workshop.

Experiment information

-Carbon capture can be used in many different areas such as factoires, power stations and oil -Equation: Ca(OH)2+CO2(g) –> CaCO3(s)+H2O refineries–helping us decreasingt emissions.

-According to the Congressional Budget Office, there are 15 carbon capture and storage facilities in the US

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INDEPTH

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

VAPING

STALLS OF SMOKE Vaping in the bathrooms is the number one trigger of the constant fire alarms YUJIN CHO

A

Staff Writer

s the smoke from vapes rises in the bathrooms, it triggers the fire alarms, blasting across campus.

The main cause of the fire alarms is vaping in the bathroom at Branham. According to Plant Manager Verano Ramos, the girls’ C and S building bathrooms are the most frequent sources of fire alarms which average six times a month. Because the new buildings have more sensitive smoke detection systems, they catch the vape smoke and are more easily triggered.

“They just go in there and puff on it, and once they blow the smoke out, that’s what sets the alarms off,” Ramos said. “It’s hard to catch people going in there with vapes because they’re so small.”

Though Branham and schools across the nation do not permit vaping during school hours, more than 10% of high school students in the U.S. use e-cigarettes, according to the 2023 National Youth Tobacco Survey, which is a decrease from the previous 14% last year.

When the fire alarm goes off, staff and custodians check the source of the alarm and confirm if there is an actual fire.

Because the fire department is automatically contacted every time the alarm is triggered, Ramos notifies them that there is no fire or any hazard each time. In the case when the bathroom is the site of the alarm, administrators go through a process to assess which students were vaping on campus after confirming the falsity of the alarm.

To determine the students vaping in the bathrooms, the security cameras stationed in front of the bathrooms are utilized. Once administrators determine who was in or near the bathroom around the time of the smoke, students receive questioning.

There are usually common indicators that point to the students who are responsible for vaping such as groups being in bathroom stalls together.

“When multiple kids are in a stall together or have left campus and are returning to campus, it’s a safety issue,” Assistant Principal Todd Harrison said. “If we have a reasonable suspicion, we can search students and their belongings.”

On the other hand, junior Camryn Kubota, who had been in the bathroom at the time of the fire alarm, did not enjoy her experience being pulled into the office.

“This happened to me two times. I got pulled into questioning and took about 20 to 30 minutes out of class,” Kubota said. “It affected my learning abilities because I was missing Spanish and physics which are two significant classes to me. I was very disappointed.”

When taken to the office, students are asked to stay off of their phones, and they receive questions about what they were doing in the bathroom, what exactly happened and if they know who was vaping, according to Kubota. “[The questioning] makes me feel bad about myself, and I wish they would just treat me with a little more respect,” Kubota said.

According to Harrison, in cases where staff successfully determines which students caused the fire alarm to go off, they confiscate devices and inform parents. To provide help for the health of students, they offer counseling options as well. Students who are high are sent home for the rest of the day.

Though the frequent fire alarms may seem disruptive and the questioning process takes time out of class, there aren’t many alternatives to handle the situation since the alarms are still necessary for the safety of the campus and state laws.

“You’re not going to prevent vaping, and people are going to keep doing what they want to do,” sophomore Reese Hickey said. “I think the best solution now is to upgrade this system to make it less sensitive to vape smoke, but I don’t think there’s an easy solution stopping everyone from vaping because they have been doing this for years.”

THE FIRE

Even though the fire alarms blast across campus, no action is taken besid sensed spoken over the intercom. The common causes of fires, dan

DRILLS

DRILLED INTO BRAINS JIYOON CHOI

Editor-in-Chief

he entire student body lines up at their class period’s T yard line on the football field while teachers take attendance and administrators monitor the fire drill. 30

minutes later, students slowly walk back to class.

California schools are required by the state to practice school-wide drills. High schools must do two fire and earthquake drills, along with one shelter-in-place and run, fight, hide (active shooter) drill. In an email sent out in August by assistant principal Martha Bejar, who oversees the drills, this school year’s drill schedule is posted.

The final earthquake drill will be on Apr. 4.

In a Bear Witness Instagram poll of 232 readers, 44% of respondents said that most drills are not effective. Despite these results, assistant principal Todd Harrison said he has received relatively positive feedback on drills.

“Students have responded well when we need them to,”

he said. “God forbid we have a situation that requires us to experience the real thing, whether it be a major earthquake or an active shooter.”

Despite how some students find drills unproductive, they understand the importance of practicing drills, especially with a large student population.

“We’re able to ensure that we will be safe in dangerous situations,” freshman Amelia Martorano said.

Similarly, senior Lily Pratt believes that the drills help students learn about the actions they must take in an emergency.

“While I don’t value fire drills, I think that putting importance on the physical practice is good because it does help students visualize what to do,” she said. “This is definitely the type of thing where I really couldn’t say how effective it is until a real emergency happened.”

Although drills prioritize student safety, they may be time-consuming and therefore disruptive to class time

Fire dr

for teachers like Barbara Ardui “It’s a really hard balance,” Ard to practice, but there’s also the the actual work of the school, w so I’m of two minds about it.”

Another concern for drills is t the immediacy of the situation.

“The urgency that we take isn if there was like a really dange be walking really slow and in a To address some confusion an about drills, sophomore Reese a slideshow presentation with available for students at all time “Maybe we need a slideshow tutorial,” she said. “Teachers sh [line on the football field] their Earthquake drills paid off la

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| FEBRUARY 2024 |

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

INDEPTH

E SATIRE

des a few surprised faces followed by the protocol of not evacuating unless smoke is ngers of desensitization and effectiveness of drills are explored in this spread.

by Jiyoon Choi and Yujin Cho Illustration by Grace Ngo

DRILLS

DO NOT EVACUATE

Frequent exposure to fire alarms leads to desensitization of it, potentially being dangerous in an actual emergency JIYOON CHOI

Editor-in-Chief

Isuddenly sets off. Students roll their eyes and the teacher sighs and tells the student to continue pre-

n the middle of a presentation, the fire alarm

rills are mandated twice a school year for high schools, taking 30 minutes out of class

ini. duini said. “It is important downside of it disrupting which is educating people,

that it is harder to convey . n’t exactly the best because erous fire, we wouldn’t just line,” Martorano said. nd questions students have e Hickey suggests having h evacuation information es. presentation like those in hould make it clear which r classroom is.” ast year when a 5.1-mag-

nitude earthquake hit during second period in October 2022. Arduini, having a classroom on the second floor, felt the building shake and told her students to duck and cover.

“I’m not from California, so earthquakes are a very weird thing for me,” she said. “I was actually kind of proud of myself for having a reaction, although by the time I said ‘get under your desk,’ it had already ended because it was so short. But I was really proud of everybody, and it was kind of fun.”

Venero Ramos as the Plant Manager turns off the fire alarms at Branham and contacts the fire department to let them know there isn’t an actual fire. He hopes that students know what to do when an emergency happens.

“Just make sure when the alarm goes off that you’re aware of everything around you,” he said. “So far, we’ve been lucky and haven’t had any, so we will keep it that way.”

senting, speaking over the blaring fire alarm. Soon, the announcement of “If you do not see fire or smell smoke, do not evacuate” is communicated on top of the ongoing fire alarm.

Although there has never been an actual fire for the nine years Plant Manager Venero Ramos has been at Branham, he said the frequent fire alarms can cause desensitization among students and staff and prevent them from responding seriously and quickly in the case of an actual emergency.

“Because normally, when you hear an alarm sounding anywhere else, you would want to evacuate,” freshman Amelia Martorano said. “It’s become more of a thing that we just don’t expect [actual emergencies].”

For some students like sophomore Reese Hickey, fire alarms have reached a point where they are “an annoyance” to class. Even though the loud sound catches many students’ attention, they do not react after their initial surprise, demonstrating desensitization.

“I’m still caught off guard when the alarm goes off,” senior Lily Pratt said. “I think I am desensitized to associating the fire alarm with a fire just because every time I’ve heard it, there has never been a fire.

When I hear the fire alarm, I assume a lot of different things about how it could’ve gone off, but I never assume fire.”

English teacher Barbara Arduini has started counting fire alarms on her whiteboard since the start of 2023 because of their frequency. She counted 12 alarms in the fall semester of 2023 and two in spring of 2024 as of Jan. 18.

“It’s kind of funny like the irony of how often it goes off,” Arduini said. “But there is desensitization to it.”

Following the emergency protocols, Arduini steps outside to see or smell smoke every time a fire alarm rings. She observed that a lot of her students are now so accustomed to the fire alarms going off that they display little reaction, which concerns her.

“If, God forbid, there was actually an issue, I would hope that we would run for cover to be safe, but the danger of being desensitized to alarms is that then you don’t take them seriously,” she said.

Social science and CTE teacher Christopher Mock taught at Westmont before coming to Branham this school year. He noticed that Branham fire alarms are more common and was initially surprised at his students’ minimal reactions.

“It is contradictory to have a fire alarm going off and then tell someone to ignore them,” Mock said. “I understand where [the protocols] are coming from, but it’s a weird dichotomy.”

During fall finals, Mock found the fire alarms “a little distracting” while his student was giving a presentation for his business class. Arduini agrees as although they do not have a “huge effect” on learning, they are especially disruptive during exams, such as the 2023 AP US Government and Politics test.

“It’s disruptive to teaching because you can’t really teach over the announcements,” Arduini said. “It’s not like we don’t get through the curriculum for the year or something like that, so it’s not a major effect, but when it happens, it is disruptive.”

Both teachers hope that despite the frequency of false fire alarms, students will be able to follow procedures they learned from drills and act quickly in a real emergency.

“Hopefully in another context, if you hear a fire alarm going off, your response is not ‘okay, it’s fine,’ because that’s obviously a dangerous precedent to set,” Mock said.

Jiyoon Choi/Bear Witness English teacher Barbara Arduini marks on the fire alarm count for the semester on her whiteboard

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BEAR WITNESS

STUDENTLIFE STUDENT LIFE CALENDAR

visit bhsbearwitness.com and @bhsbearwitness for updates on student events SCHOOL EVENTS Spring Club Showcase: Feb. 12 to Feb. 14 In the upcoming spring semester, various clubs will be presenting their activities to attract more members. The schedule includes Hobby Club Day on Feb. 12, Sports & Academic Club Day on Feb. 13 and Cultural & Service Day on Feb. 14.

Mini Club Rush: Feb. 16 The mini spring club rush allows students to explore the variety of clubs and organizations offered at the school, in which clubs set up booths or stations to present their activities, goals and opportunities for involvement. From academic clubs to sports teams or cultural groups to service organizations, students can discover their interests.

Multicultural Week: Mar. 4 to Mar. 8 An enriching event that celebrates diversity and fosters inclusivity within Branham’s community. This event showcases the rich cultural tapestry present among students, staff and the broader community.

With world map poster pinning and lanter making in the quad on Mar. 4, pencils will be handed out before school starts.

CLUB EVENTS Japanese Calligraphy: Mar. 5 During Multicultural Week, in the quad there will be a captivating Japanese calligraphy workshop that offers students a glimpse into the elegance and tradition of brush writing. Participants will learn about the serene landscapes of Japan as they explore the art’s rich history and cultural significance.

Henna Mandala Art: Mar. 6 Branhams SASU (South Asian Student Union) presents an engaging Henna Mandala Art event for students to learn about the cultural significance and history behind henna while exploring various techniques to create temporary tattoos. Students are free to attend for a hands-on experience filled with artistic expression and cultural appreciation.

| FEBRUARY 2024 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

MUSICIANS

STUDENT

SOUNDS

Spotlights on self-producing musicians at Branham that devles into a diverse tapasty where students harness their creativity and technical skills to craft original sounds LIA CHOI

Managing Editor

hether it be maintaining the local park’s garW den or painting murals on campus, students at Branham have found many ways to express their

passions, making music being one of them.

Music has been a popular creative outlet for students, with opportunities to DJ at school dances or perform self-produced songs at Acoustic Club’s triannual music showcase, Acoustic Night.

One of these student music producers, senior Ivan Paramanov, goes by the name Lenny under his artist tag @lennybeatz. Paramanov almost exclusively releases rap music but hopes to combine modern trap beats with 90’s electronic-synth music in the future.

Paramanov has been creating music since he was 11 through GarageBand on his first computer, and his interest in it grew during the pandemic.

“It was cool because I was at the age where I was making stuff to seem cool,” he said. “But then, I liked it and when it reappeared later on, I stuck to it.”

Paramanov is involvedin the entire music-making process, from producing a beat, recording self-made lyrics and creating album cover art. Although he does not intend to pursue music professionally, he acknowledges the significant time and effort commitment involved in making music.

“It takes around six hours to create a full song start to finish, but when I’m making lots of music and recording, it might be around 20 hours per week,” he said.

His account recently achieved over 1,700 streams on Spotify, but instead of being encouraged solely by numerical insights, he is more intrinsically motivated.

“As a small artist, the streams don’t mean everything because I have songs that I feel like are really good, but they just don’t have enough streams,” Paramanov said. “I love seeing the numbers go up on my profile, but also I love doing it just for the sake of itself.”

In the future, he hopes to continue expanding upon his musical skills and avoid complacency.

“I want to achieve the next level of music to continue improving because I haven’t perfected what I’m doing just yet,” he said. “Because even if I set myself a goal and achieve it, I’m not gonna want to push farther and I’m going to just stop there.”

Despite being a relatively solo artist, Paramanov has collaborated with senior Nayan Ramam, who helps him write lyrics, and junior Caden Kim, who advises him on music structure.

Kim is also a student music producer and DJ who focuses more on creating electronic instrumentals under the name Jinzo, a homage to his middle name, Jin Seo. Similar to Paramanov, Kim has always had a passion for music, and the pandemic acted as a major incentive for him to start pursuing it seriously.

“I know a lot of people say COVID-19 sucked, but for me, it helped me start making music,” he said.

Kim, who plans to pursue music as his main career, said he is extremely dedicated to the hobby and spends at least five hours a day honing his skills.

“I just start making music immediately after I get home from school, and then after dinner I get ready

for homework and stuff,” he said. “I want to spend a Overall, Do enjoys the process of creating APUSH lot more time, but I get lazy sometimes.” raps because it is a fun and creative way of studying.

Kim has achieved multiple milestones throughout “It’s a good study tool, because in order to rap about his musical career, such as DJing at last school year’s the vocab, I’m forced to review my notes, and it ends Homecoming and Love Ball dances and releasing a up being a really good time,” he said. record label focused on electronic music, Dab ReParamanov, who has become more confident in excords. He mainly owes these successes to his authen- pressing himself and being productive, advises peotic passion for music. ple to find stress-free and enjoyable ways in pursuing “I just love music. If you just like listening to music their passions, no matter what they are or how they and have ideas to make it better, you start coming up do it. with stuff in your head that you really want to share “Just have fun with what you’re doing and enjoy the with others,” he said. process,” he said. “There’s always some established Although Kim is currently in a music slump, he process and formula involved with making music, but urges people to practice perseverance when pursuing at the end of the day, if you’re immersed in the process their interests. and go with the flow, you’ll be satisfied with the end “Never give up because that’s the only thing that can product and be just fine where you are.” stop you from becoming successful,” he said. “Keep doing it even though you know you’re going to fail.

Even though you might not do it in this lifetime, you’ll like eventually get there.”

For junior Matthew Do, making music hasn’t just been a form of self-expression but an efficient studying tool.

Do started creating and posting raps for his AP US History (APUSH) class on his Instagram account @gangsta. shrimp in December, which is dedicated to learning and remembering each chapter’s vocabulary.

“We cram vocab words and then remember the process behind it,” Do said. “So in the rap, I put as many vocab words as I can and listen to it, and then I can remember them during tests.”

In order to make the raps, Do, who has less experience with making music, searches up beats on YouTube and lines them up with his voice recordings on Adobe Premiere Pro. The hardest part for him is coming up with the lyrics and recording them, which takes around four hours.

Despite these difficulties, he said the raps have helped him and his friends in memorizing the terms, so he wants to continue making them in the future.

“I’ve always wanted to make an APUSH rap, but I didn’t until now,” he said. “But now since I definitely did better on the test and my classmates Karis Do/Special to the Bear Witness messaged me saying they lis- Junior Matthew Do arranges and records his APUSH rap to post on Instagram. tened and now know the vocab words, I’m thinking of making a short rap for every chapter.”

STUDENT ARTISTS

SPARE Earth Week: Mar. 25 to Mar. 29 Second year hosting Earth Week, SPARE Club (Students Promoting Awareness of Recycling and the Environment) prepared activities for each day to educate students about climate change and the Earth. Some of the activities include painting an earth poster with student handprints, trivia with prizes to winners and handing out roses from their garden at Branham Park.

— Compiled by Anabelle Walker

Lia Choi/Bear Witness

Caden Kim (11) | @jinzomusic creates electronic instrumentals

Lia Choi/Bear Witness

Ivan Paramonov (12) | @lennybeatz mainly rap music along with modern trap beats with 90’s electronic-synth

Lia Choi/Bear Witness

Matthew Do (11) | @gangsta.shrimp APUSH raps for textbook chapters containing its vocabulary

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STUDENTLIFE

NAVIGATING THE J JOB MARKET Students struggle to get jobs admist increasing competition as employers increasingly demand specilized skills, experiences, and connections LAUREN GERNALE

Arts & Culture Editor

hours a week. We need someone who can be there all the time.’”

Even without extracurriculars, College and Career Center Specialist Chen Liu, who is in charge of signing students’ work permits, also emphasizes that most high schoolers can legally work a certain weekly number and spread of hours. While 14-17 year olds can reasonably work three to four hours on any school day and eight hours on non-school days, 14-15 year olds cannot work past 7 p.m., and 16-17 year olds cannot work past 10 p.m. For jobs with later closing times, this can be unideal.

“For high school students, we have maximum hours you can work right every week, especially when school is in session,” Liu said. “So it’s harder for them. Also, some companies don’t really hire high school kids.”

Branham is planning to offer a Work Experience class next year with the objective of preparing students for the workforce and helping them gain essential life skills. The course will help fill A-G requirements as a college preparatory elective.

In the midst of high school’s heavy academic focus, Liu believes it is the right age to get a job.

“It’s very important for students to get some reliable work experience, especially since there are a lot of students who are very focused on academic courses,” she said. “It’s very important for them to go outside that bubble and experience the real world.”

From barista positions at Teaspoon to being a cashier at Lunardi’s, Branham students are searching for parttime jobs. With competition in the job market against other high school students, some students are finding it difficult to get hired.

On the popular job-searching website Indeed, positions for Mainland Skate and Surf at both Valley Fair and Westfield Oakridge shopping centers received 110 to 150 applications nine days after they were posted.

Chipotle garnered over 1,500 applications for its general crew member position after being posted for over a month.

In a Bear Witness survey of 188 readers, 43% of respondents said that they were actively looking for a job.

For junior Ethan Wright, who has been job-searching for over a few months, having one would be essential for common expenses like gas. As upperclassmen grow more independent, Wright wants to acquire a job to help him gain essential life skills.

“It’s good to have [a job] for sure,” he said. “It’s always nice to be self reliant and have your own money.”

Despite this, Wright has struggled to get hired. In the last few months, Wright applied to part-time positions that claimed to be hiring, including common retail stores like Tilly’s and Mainland Skate and Surf, yet received no responses.

Wright noticed that certain factors such as personal connections can give students an advantage when looking for a job. Recently, his friend got a position because he knew the manager of the store.

“It’s definitely unfair,” Wright said. “Connections are the best way you can get a job right now.”

Senior Natalie Hata, who coaches younger gymnasts at the California Sports Center, received her job through connections. As someone who has been a regular gymnast at the gym for 13 years, acquiring the role came easy.

“I already knew the manager at my gym, and she’s been to my practices a couple times,” Hata said. “So, I went to her. She was like, ‘bet,’ then she gave me a job.”

In general, Wright believes the lack of availability and age filters high schoolers out of a larger pool of appli- out of 188 poll respondants are actively searching cants. High school students are typically unavailable for a job during school hours whereas college students usually have more flexible availability and are trusted due to their older age.

“I do extracurriculars like marching band,” he said. “[Employers] might think, ‘oh, you can’t work this many of young people aged 16 to 24 are employed in the US

Frank Ocean: “Super Rich Kids” NB: “When I listen to this song, I just get chills. His voice plus the background sounds—it all blends nicely. It brings me back to getting food with my friends because we always love to listen to Frank Ocean. So this song just feels like a very happy memory. I love Frank Ocean.”

Daniel Caesar: “ENTROPY” NB: “Daniel Caesar just has a voice that makes you sad. It makes me reminisce on a past time and feel like ’Wow, I miss this moment.’ It gets me emotional. But it’s nice because I feel in touch with my feelings when I’m listening to it.

Just reminds me of past memories and people every time I listen to it.”

Erykah Badu: “Didn’t Cha Know” NB: “Her songs, you can feel your heartbeat with it, and they just really resonate with you. All the instruments are really interesting, and you can hear them all very uniquely and distinctly. I just love the way they all come together along with her voice. Her voice is very soothing. I like how she pairs with the music well, so you could tell that her whole team had a very good vibe together.”

Dhatri Tummala/Special to the Bear Witness

Embracing diversity and cultures

The impact of foreign language education at Branahm from students and teachers ANABELLE WALKER

L

Student Life Editor

earning new languages allows students to prepare for the outside world and venture into new opportunities helpful for personal growth, aside from completing foreign language courses just for credit.

At Branham, there are currently four foreign language classes offered to students: French, Korean, Mandarin and Spanish.

According to the National Education Association, multilingual individuals are more organized as learning a new language boosts mental agility and helps people learn how to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously.

French teacher Katia Saade corroborates this fact saying that language classes are a great opportunity for students to experience other cultures and push themselves to learn more.

“They are getting something out of it as they are getting hooked to the culture or to the language,” Saade said. “It’s good for their confidence [and] preparation in the future.”

Senior Kaelyn Kubota has been taking Spanish for four years and believes language classes are important for the future as they help foster communication with a wider range of people.

“They’re really important, especially living in California,” Kubota said. “There’s a lot of Spanish speakers. It’s really important [to learn the language] because we learn about the culture too.”

Being a part of the newly implemented Korean class, junior Daniel Lee is able to prepare for the outside world and collaborate with peers. Introduced in the 2022-2023 school year, the Korean course demonstrates the move towards more diverse language classes and adhering to a larger group of students.

“America’s a very multicultural country,” Lee said.

“If you are prepared in high school, you can be prepared for the world.”

Language classes have also allowed Lee to assist his struggling classmates as a native Korean speaker, in which he recalls feeling accomplished.

Lee partially attributes his achievements to the comfortable learning environment of his class,

which he values as creating an environment where students willingly participate is important.

Saade agrees on creating an environment where students feel safe to make mistakes when learning a new language. Her teaching approach has been to not only immerse them in the vocabulary and grammar aspects of the language, but also the culture.

“Because it’s important not only to students, but for anyone who is born in one place to learn about other cultures,” she said. “It’s good to just get out of the bubble.”

During spring or summer break, Saade organizes trips for her students with EF Tours to experience the culture and apply what they have learned in class first-hand. This year, the French and Spanish teachers plan to take their students abroad to both France and Spain to experience the differing lifestyles.

unior Naomi Bergman was selected at random to shuffle songs from her playlist. She characterizes her eclectic musical palate as the standard, “basic, emotional teenager music,” ranging from slow R&B to rap. From Drake to Daniel Caesar, her taste is influenced by her involvement in her youth group and car rides with friends and family.

— Mila Windell

43% 55%

SHUFFLE

Kendrick Lamar: “Swimming Pool” NB: “It’s pretty repetitive, but I still like the way he uses the words.

There are many different parts of the song that’s very unique and interesting. Especially in the winter of 2023, I listened to a lot of Kendrick Lamar, and it brings me back to that time.”

Drake and J. Cole: “First Person Shooter” NB: “It’s a collaboration between two of my favorite artists. Drake’s Jewish, so I have a special connection with him and his music.

J. Cole’s lyrics are always really meaningful, and I can listen to him and understand what he’s trying to talk about. I feel like in rap, that’s hard to come by. But, in this song, Drake hypes himself up, and they talk about their bond and Drake’s success.”

BLP KOSHER: “Special K” NB: “I like this song because it’s by a Jewish artist. And I’m Jewish, so obviously I feel a connection.

I wouldn’t say it’s a great song composing-wise, but it’s just a fun song in my playlist, and the lyrics are pretty funny. It reminds me of my youth group because we listen to a lot of Special K, and we like to blast it in the cars.”

Karis Do/Special to the Bear Witness “One student mentioned [on the trip last year] that they appreciate more of what we have in the US,” Saade said. “Small things like how fast the internet is. So, it goes both ways. Not only do they love what they see there, but they also appreciate what they have.”

Through taking the foreign language courses, Saade hopes that the students will appreciate the new culture they learn and continue their interest in the language after Branham.

“I hope that [students] will fall in love with the culture.” Saade said. “Not only France, but any French speaking country. [I hope] that [students] will continue with their studies of the language.”

Weeknd & Lana Del Rey: “Stargirl Interlude” NB: While it doesn’t have any specific meaning to me, it always leaves me being like ’Wow, they’re so talented’ because their voices go so well together. You feel like you’re in the city at night with the lights and everything. It’s the perfect song to listen to in San Francisco, late at night, with windows down and just driving around.

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SPORTS INJURY RECOVERY

SUPPORT FROM SIDELINES Despite injuries, athletes look for other ways to support and recover, so they can get right back into action MILA WINDELL Staff Writer

he girl’s soccer team faced a signifiT cant setback when nine of their starting players got injured midway through

their league season. Despite the team’s effort to adapt to their circumstances, it was a major challenge.

Injuries have been prevalent in not just girls soccer, but throughout all sports such as baseball. The study, “Epidemiology of Sports Injuries Among High School Athletes in the U.S.,” found that an estimated 5,228,791 sports injuries occurred nationally.

Junior Hailey Schlosser, a three-year varsity girls soccer player, was among the injured players who hurt her ankle at practice and had to sit out for two months.

Schlosser spent countless hours in physical therapy and training to regain her strength.

“It was a struggle to get my fitness back,” she said. “When you get injured you lose a decent amount of your fitness and then you have to work really hard to achieve what you had.”

Off the field, Schlosser still looks to support her team, attending practices and games to prepare for her recovery and return.

“I just try to attend as much as possible and be there to help my team, cheering them on on the side with a bunch of energy,” she said. “And while doing that, I’m also working to get myself back into where I was.”

To salvage her soccer skills, Schlosser would train with her dad in the backyard.

“It’s being able to pass the ball [with one touch],” she said. “Being able to make those precise passes that I had before, being able to run a full 90 minutes at 100% without getting super exhausted.”

However, her injury had not only physical but mental repercussions. She struggled emotionally and found it challenging to support her team at games when being on the sidelines instead of actively contributing on the field.

“It just put me in a really depressive state,” she said. “For me, seeing the people play the sport that I love, it just felt really unfair.”

For junior Christopher Von Barloewen, an injury caused him to miss out on his baseball tryouts and preseason.

“It was a big setback,” he said. “I feel like I wasn’t getting enough chances because I had missed a decent amount of the season, and my coaches couldn’t see my skill set as they saw the other players.”

However, this experience allowed him to work “10 times harder” to prove his capability to the coaches.

In fact, from personal trainer Brady Och’s experience, he finds that many previously injured athletes lose belief in their abilities after returning to their sport. He

SPORTS BRIEFS Boys Soccer Despite piecing together a few wins throughout the season, the boys soccer team struggled to stay consistent throughout the season. After a draw to Lincoln on Feb. 8, the Bruins barely missed out on CCS playoffs while Leigh secured the league title. The team celebrated their 15 seniors at their senior night against Westmont on Feb. 13.

Wrestling After last year’s dominance, the wrestling team had a season to rebuild and allow their younger wrestlers to gain valuable experience. They were able to put together wins throughout the season and set a a solid foundation for next year as they work towards the future.

Senior Preston Conrad

Alan Schaeffer/Bear Witness Junior Hailey Schlosser laughs from the sidelines as she talks to a teammate during halftime. After hurting her ankle at practice, Schlosser said she has been there with the team for games and practices as she seeks to recover and rejoin the team by the end of the season. emphasized the importance of working past both these physical and mental barriers to prevent stress overload and losing passion for the sport.

“Mental health is a big thing for student athletes, especially those who have their identities tied to their sport,” Och said.

“You are more than just an athlete, and it’s important to have a balance, so that your sport still feels fun and not like a job.”

Och also highlights the importance of injured athletes to ease back into their sport, starting with basic movements such as straight line jogging or jumping at “a rate they feel comfortable with.”

Because of this, Schlosser believes that her injury has given her a new sense of gratitude.

“Don’t take it for granted,” she said. “Be grateful that you’re going to be able to walk and play what you love because sitting on the sidelines really screwed up my head.”

Girls Soccer After struggling with injuries in the midfield all season, the girls soccer team tied with Pioneer on Feb. 9, meaning that they need a senior night win against Leigh to qualify them for CCS. The injuries, combined with unfortunate calls and difficulty in front of the net led to a disappointing season for the Bruins, who will be losing some key seniors players this year.

Boys Basketball The Bruins close out their league season in first place with a 9-1 league record and 20-2 overall. After a change of coach from last year, new head coach Jason Billie has changed the team’s mindset, as the team improves on last season. The Bruins are currently ranked No. 2 in CCS Division 1 and are keep fighting for the top spot as the season finishes.

Owen Dazko/Bear Witness

Recovering Physically

Recovering Mentally

Recovering After Recovery

Working through the pain of Recovering mentally is just your injury will only further as important. Make sure to Stepping back into the harm it. Instead, prioritize take breaks and honor your game after an injury can be your rest, proper nutrition feelings–don’t be so hard daunting. Focus on gaining and targeted exercises on yourself. Do something back confidence by setting that will help rebuild your to take your mind off your achievable goals and not strength and flexibility. It is injury, whether it be learning comparing yourself to your important to take things one a new hobby or going out past capabilities. Proper step at a time and gradually with friends. Remember to warm-ups and cool-downs ease back into things—pastay positive and surround can make a big difference tience and consistency are yourself with people who and prevent re-injury. key. support you.

— Compiled by Mila Windell with

information from the NPR

Girls Basketball The Bruins seek out another league title with an overall 19-2 record and 8-1 record against league opponents. Led by senior center Quinn Godfrey, who averaged 19 points per game, the Bruins averaged about 50 points per game as a team. In addition, senior Rebecca Sung led an elite defensive unit, averaging 2.3 steals per game. The team is currently No. 3 in CCS Division 1 and is looking to improve even more.

Traditional Competitive Cheer The TCC team has scored highly this season, averaging around a score of 94 throughout their seven competitions. After scoring third at CCS and CIF and first at a regional competition in Deer Valley, the team went to nationals on Feb. 15 to finish off the season.

Sophomore Angelo Hartmann

Francisco Pham/Bear Witness

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SPORTS OFF-SEASON TRADITIONAL COMPETITIVE CHEER

ALL-OUT, ALL YEAR ROUND Athletes prepare themselves during off-season to train the best of their skills OWEN DAZKO Staff Writer

ew sports season comes with immense preparaN tion and off-season conditioning to help them achieve their goals during the season.

400-meter track runner Logan Buckman describes preparation as the key to having a successful season filled with great performances.

“I want to have the possibility of running at the next level, so if I can keep my hopes up high and keep training, I can keep striving for that success,” he said.

Seeing his coach Aidan Kirwan continuing to train years after high school and college has motivated Buckman in his off-season training process.

“Seeing him run at his age is impacting,” Buckman said. “It’s something I would like to be in a position to do myself.”

Some of the motivation is attributed to the personal connection between Kirwan and his athletes due to Kirwan’s style of coaching, in which he likes to go through the workouts alongside his athletes.

“When I train with my athletes, we mutually learn more about our athletic goals and work ethic,” Kirwan said. “That in turn makes us push beyond our limits.”

According to Kirwan, off-season training has made athletes into the best versions of themselves, and despite it requiring coaching help or self-motivation, extra preparation is always beneficial.

Whether or not athletes are currently in season, Buckman believes that they always have to be in shape. Following a continuous training schedule is crucial as it will “set one apart from others.”

The consistencies in training plans carry over to other sports as well. Varsity girls soccer player Amy Barrientos said staying on a training schedule helps not only to improve her skills, but also to build a confident mindset.

“The more I train, the more confident I feel and mindset plays a big part in how I perform,” she said.

Barrientos notes that for off-season training, athletes have to stay committed to training without being concerned about their performance in games.

“You have more time to focus on things you need to without worrying about having a too extraneous workout or being too tired for your upcoming training or games,” she said.

Similarly, Kirwan noticed that although it may not be enjoyable, the progression athletes make in-season grows significantly from their work in the off-season, and athletes will appreciate their decision when they finally perform.

“Off-season training is a lot of work and at many times isn’t fun,” he said. “But the reward of being in better shape is the tradeoff well worth it.”

As a coach, Kirwan views his athletes practicing off-season as a chance to build up their conditioning.

By coming out to train, he said it shows the dedication athletes have to improve.

“From my athletic and coaching career, I have seen that champions are made when nobody is watching,” he said. “There is no audience in the fall or winter and with that, the grit of self-talk and self-motivation becomes the loudest voice.”

gopoly.com

Owen Dazko/Bear Witness Senior Logan Buckman runs during two track meets last spring. Inspired by his coach, Aidan Kirwan, Buckman keeps training during the off-season in order to stay running at the next level all year long.

Aidan Kirwan

As a former Bruin hurdling star himself, Kirwan is now in his third season coaching the Branham track and field team.

FANTASY SPORTS

America’s new favorite pastime

The rise of fantasy leagues and other sports-based gambling games FRANCISCO PHAM Staff Writer

n a world where sports and gambling are I intertwined, fantasy sports and sports betting have turned sports from a simple viewing

experience to incorporating money and higher stakes.

In a Bear Witness survey of 176 readers, 34% of respondents said that they participate in some form of fantasy sports, with fantasy football being the most popular. The concept, focused on turning player statistics into a points game playable with friends, created a new aspect of sports, from March Madness to setting parlays based on player props.

Fantasy football consists of people drafting a lineup with players of their choice from various teams in the NFL. Most common platforms for fantasy football are ESPN, CBS and Yahoo Sports. Cash prizes are given to the top finishers, and losers often suffer a punishment agreed upon in advance by those in their league.

“The punishment forces people to always check their lineups and try,” said junior Nick Fagin, who has commissioned different fantasy sports leagues. “It allows everyone to be incentivized all

year.”

The combination of money and sports isn’t limited to the major leagues. Games revolving around college basketball and the national March Madness basketball tournament have gained much traction.

“In my pool, you pay 10 dollars per bracket, and the person who best predicts the tournament wins the pool,” Fagin said. “ It’s a great way to expand your horizons toward other sports.”

Reaching new heights of popularity, major sports leagues encourage the idea and incorporate it into their viewing experiences. Subsequently, technology has played a major role in making leagues and player props more accessible to all.

“It’s easier to draft, to follow teams and to know more analytics, and it’s as simple as a click of a finger,” said junior Rocco Dressler, an avid participant in fantasy sports.

Fantasy sports has created a new viewing experience for fans as well with more stakes at hand than just a win or loss for their favorite team.

“It changed the way I viewed sports,” said science teacher Kevin Kalman, who has participated in fantasy football since he was in high

school. “Instead of just rooting for the teams I like, I’m now rooting for specific players on different teams, making the whole thing more interactive.”

Consequently, these leagues have fostered a culture around camaraderie and turned the game into more than just something to watch behind a TV screen.

“It’s fun to get [together] with your friends, grab some food, turn on the game and check your lineup to see how well your players are doing and have a good time,” Dressler said.

Alan Schaeffer/Bear Witness Logos of common fantasy sports applications

Courtesy of Nick Fagin Junior Nick Fagin shares a screenshot of his Fantasy Football roster, where he can see how many points each of his players scored in the last week and how his team stacks up.

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ARTS&CULTURE MINI REVIEWS

FALL OF SUPERHERO MOVIES

MOVIE

A MARVELOUS DECLINE

Paramount Pictures

Mean Girls (2024) Directed by Samantha Jayne and Arturo Perez Jr. What it is: A musical remake of the classic 2004 comedy “Mean girls.” It tells the story of Cady Heron as she deals with high school cliques and the troubles that come with them.

Liked: The overall idea of reviving such a classic movie is great. It created a lot of excitement for fans who enjoyed the original version.

Disliked: Every aspect is lower quality than the original, including the casting and costuming. The movie was just boring overall. A lot of the original class that the characters had wasn’t present in this movie, and everything just seemed cheap and cringey.

— Yujin Cho

87.8%

average score on Rotten Tomatoes

89.9%

77.75%

average score on Rotten Tomatoes

average score on Rotten Tomatoes

ALBUM

AIDAN WEILER Staff Writer

hen “Avengers: Endgame” was W released in 2019, the movie took the world by storm. The film grossed

Cube Entertainment

2 By (G)I-DLE Cube Entertainment What it is: 2 is the second full album by K-Pop girl group (G)I-DLE. The album contains eight tracks, all written by group members. The track “Super Lady,” continues the group’s trend of writing songs with the message of accepting different aspects of women and empowering them.

Liked: The concept, music videos and album cover resembles early 2010s K-Pop girl group vibes such as 2NE1, which evokes fond memories in many K-Pop fans. I especially liked the track “Fate,” which brings a fresh vibe and shows the (G)I-DLE style.

Disliked: The songs are so short.

The longest track is three minutes and 18 seconds with the shortest one being two minutes and one second. This is a trend not only for (G)I-DLE, but also for all K-Pop idols, and I really do not appreciate it. I want music longer than three minutes and albums over 30 minutes.

— Jiyoon Choi

over $2.7 billion worldwide, making it the second highest grossing film of all time. With an estimated 300,000,000 tickets sold to see “Endgame,” Marvel had reached its cultural peak.

However, in recent years, Marvel movies have seen a sharp decline in income and viewer satisfaction. While the 11 Marvel films released from 2016 to 2019 accumulated about $1.1 billion per movie, the 11 movies released from 2021 to 2023 only averaged $500 million.

Marvel fans like junior Hari Srivatsan have noticed this decline. Srivatsan used to watch almost every Marvel movie during their releases, but

after “Avengers: Endgame,” the storyline did not appeal to him anymore.

“There’s definitely been a drop off,” Srivatsan said. “It’s not like a terrible thing, and it’s bound to happen. I’ve just lost interest.”

Srivatsan believes that one of the main reasons for this decline is that there have simply been too many releases, which makes it difficult for audiences to casually enjoy.

“They diluted their content,” he said.

“They’ve made too much stuff in too short of a time span. I feel like they’ve run out of creativity.”

Between 2021 and 2023, 11 Marvel television shows were released in addition to 11 movies. With a total of 78 episodes accounting for over 50 hours, viewing all Marvel content can be time-consuming.

“They just started churning stuff out instead of actually putting effort into

extremes they once were.

“They don’t stand out to me anymore,” Lin said. “It’s not ‘Ooh, another Marvel thing is dropped!’ It’s just like, ‘oh, another superhero thing I’m not going to watch.’”

Some, such as junior Jay Um, have never felt a connection to Marvel that other students have. He argues that the movies lack defined characters and emotional stakes, so the series decline isn’t surprising.

“They seem really generic,” Um said.

“I never found anything special.”

Still, fans stand by that this is not the death of Marvel. Many like Lin would be willing to start rewatching Marvel if they made the right changes.

“They would just need to go more indepth on the story building to get the fan base more attached to these new characters, like what they did with the old ones,” he said.

STUDENT PERFORMANCES

THE TIME TO SHINE

Student performances of acoustic, instrument and voice fill the PAC

ACOUSTIC NIGHT | FEB. 2 LIA CHOI & LAUREN GERNALE

Managing Editor, Arts & Culture Editor

lluminated by the purples and blues of I the Performing Arts Center (PAC), student musicians came together for the annual

TV SHOW

Winter Acoustic Night on Feb. 3, showcasing talent with voice and string.

The show began and ended with performances featuring senior Bill Tran, who opened with “High and Dry” by Radiohead on vocals and playing the electric guitar with seniors Anthony Lenz and Eli Stone. Tran closed out with “Curl Up and Die” by Matt Maltese as a piano accompaniment with singer and guitar player Craig Dixon.

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness While a lot of stress was involved in the

Netflix

American Nightmare Directed by Felicity Morris and Bernadette Higgins What it is: The story behind the 2015 kidnapping of Denise Huskin that was deemed a hoax by the Vallejo Police Department and media around the world.

Liked: It made the retelling of this true crime story suspenseful and kept you on your heels the whole time. They left things open until the end and showed you the different sides of every person and establishment involved.

Disliked: Would have loved to know more and hear more from the Vallejo Police Department and the FBI that was involved. I also would have wanted to hear more from the people in the media who were closely involved in the telling and reporting of the events.

— Reese Gardner

it,” Srivatsan said. “I’m no longer worried about staying up-to-date.”

Junior Wyatt Lin has similar feelings.

Watching the new Marvel movie used to be a family tradition, yet his family have stopped following Marvel Cinematic Universe. He believes that superhero films are being oversaturated to the point where audiences no longer care, and the standard of quality that was once there in the genre is no longer being met.

“There’s a lack of quality,” he said.

“It just isn’t really interesting to watch anymore.”

Previously, the release of a new Marvel movie was a huge cultural event for Lin. Discussions were prevalent both online and in-person, with many viewers giving their thoughts on the film, while others avoided spoilers at all costs. However, he observed that the current films are no longer hyped to the

68.2%

average score on Rotten Tomatoes

process for Tran, especially with trouble coordinating his groups’ schedules, he still believes the night was fun. His favorite part of performing is the relief afterward, as he is assured that his hard work paid off. “[I like] the payoff feeling of knowing how many hours you put into the rehearsals and finally getting it out for an audience since [it’s] something absolutely huge and something you care about,” he said. “It’s nice to have someone actually hearing your voice.”

As a regular onstage, Tran has learned that performance anxiety never disappears. However, he believes it is necessary in the process.

“It’s just something you have to deal with,” he said. “But that’s one of the things that makes [performing] as incredible as it is.”

Senior Bill Tran sings during his performance of "High and Dry" by Radiohead alongside drummer Anthony Lenz.

BRANHAM’S GOT TALENT | FEB. 6 AIDAN WEILER Sctaff Writer

tudent musicians, dancers and singers S showed off both their talent and humor as part of the annual “Branham’s Got Talent” competition on Tuesday.

A panel of judges, which included band director Chris Nalls, assistant band director Andrew Kuykendall and Dartmouth band director Johnathan Pwu, gave various awards in terms of creative composition and performances.

The grand winner of this year’s competition, receiving a prize of $100, was the performance of Nat R. McIntosh’s “Brooklyn," which included sophomore Iker Estrada and junior Gautam Khajuria.

The performance highlighted Estrada’s

sousaphone solo, which featured overtones that created a bubbling, wavy sound that differs from the instrument’s usual dark tone by singing and playing simultaneously. Estrada had been working on the piece for over a year in preparation for Branham’s Got Talent, and it paid off.

“My part comes with its challenges, so I had to really work on it,” he said. “But it came together well, and it was really worth it.”

While preparing for the performance may seem like a large amount of work, Khajuria recommends it because of rewarding feelings.

“It’s so much fun to go up with your friends and do some hype stuff,” he said. “You start enjoying rehearsing up to the final day and just doing it. So, I say go for it.”

Aidan Weiler/Bear Witness Sophomore Iker Estrada performs a sousaphone solo during “Brooklyn,” the grand winner of the night.

BEAR WITNESS

| FEBRUARY 2024 |

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

ARTS&CULTURE STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS

STANDING ON BUSINESS From hairstyling to shoe cleaning and thrift-store clothing, students are turning their passions into small profits

ARTS CALENDAR OUT OF SCHOOL Arts Lunar New Year Art Gallery Feb. 5 to Feb. 29 School of Arts and Culture at the Mexican Heritage Plaza San Jose Weekdays - 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturdays - 11 p.m. to 1 p.m.

What it is: Celebrate the Year of the Dragon at La Plaza with Quynh-Mai Nguyen’s annual Lunar New Year art show, featuring pieces from over 40 different artists with displays of traditional and modern Asian culture.

Music Noise Pop Festival 2024 Feb. 22 to Mar. 3 San Francisco What it is: A multi-venue music and arts festival taking place across the San Francisco Bay Area back for it’s 31st year. A sprawling 10-day, multi-genre festival ground where you can discover some of the most promising up coming artists from the worlds of indie-rock, electronic, jazz, hiphop and much more.

Courtesy of Alex Barrera Junior Alex Barrera, also known as "Ablendz," has been cutting and styling hair for over two years.

MACEO INOUE Staff Writer

Alex Barrera, also known as Junior Ablendz on Instagram, has been

cutting hair for his friends and many clients for over two years.

However, with little clientele and his Instragram barely growing, Barrera doubted his ability and stopped temporarily. The break was able to refuel his passion for cutting hair.

Now with over 1,300 followers on Instagram and clients from all over the Bay Area, including players from the San Jose Earthquakes, he provides services beyond a normal hair cut such as hair dye, beard, eyebrows, perms, designs or even a massage.

“I don’t have to get paid to do it. I do it because I enjoy it,” Barrera said. “Making clients feel like themselves a little

Courtesy of Daniel Flaig Senior Daniel Flaig, who is @ FIREKIX_WG on Instagram, has been selling shoes since 2020.

more or feel better is the most rewarding feeling.”

From working at his family’s restaurant and buying a pair of clippers to cut hair for fun to it becoming a job, Barerra’s goal is to become an entrepreneur. He is currently enrolled in online school and spends most of his time working at Lifted Studios.

“I like to prove people that doubted me wrong,” he said. “I’ve come a long way since I’ve started, so I can’t give up so easily.”

Similarly, senior Daniel Flaig has turned his shoe passion into a small business.

Since 2020, he has run his own shoe reselling business called Firekix_wg on Instagram, selling Jordans, Adidas Yeezys and other rare shoes.

After a bad investment set Flaig back nearly $4,000, he found himself

Courtesy of Kazu Kimura Senior Kazu Kimura has been selling thrifted clothes on DePop for over a year.

wanting to quit, but he continued to build his business back up, believing in his dream of opening up his own store.

By creating smaller goals, he was able to stay encouraged.

“If I can get here in this amount of time, I can do it again,” Flaig said.

Amassing nearly 1,000 followers on Instagram, Flaig has been selling shoes all over the bay area and beyond, even supplying a pair to a client in Massachusetts. After running the business, it became a possible future career for Flaig.

“After I sold one of them, it felt kind of nice, and I sold another and another one until I was like, I’m doing this,” he said.

Selling unworn clothing, senior Kazu Kimura has been making money for over a year through Depop, a popular second hand clothing app. He became interested in clothes when he started thrifting,

which he wants to make more accessible to others.

“I hate seeing clothes being wasted and just sitting there collecting dust,” he said.

Kimura plans for selling his clothes goes beyond Depop, hoping to sell to big clothing companies such as Urban Outfitters one day.”

“I’m gonna do this forever,” Kimura said. “I’m not stopping.

To maintain a business, believing in yourself is the best advice from Barrera.

“There’s gonna be a lot of haters that say you can’t do it, or you’re not good at it,” Barrera said. “You need to ignore them because they’re just gonna bring you down and you won’t be able to accomplish what you want.”

Eat, Sleep, Game, Repeat

Gaming is more than what’s on the screen; for some students, it’s a lifestyle.

ALYX YOON

F

Courtesy of Isla Gordon Sophomore Isla Gordon plays games on her Nintendo Switch. She plays games like "Mario Kart" and "The Legend of Zelda" for three to hour hours each day.

Staff Writer

ocused on the monitor flashing with “Victory,” a student finally takes off their headphones and heads to bed at 3 a.m.

Video games are one of the most popular hobbies among teenagers. According to the National Education Association, about 90% of teenagers played video games in 2021.

Also in 2021, there were around 60 million people with a gaming disorder, and it is expected to pass 3 billion in 2023, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Gamers with at least 15 hours of playtime each week are considered to have an addiction. In 2024, around 8.5% of teenagers and children are addicted to gaming.

Senior Laurence Lu considers himself addicted to video games, and he plays video games such as Fortnite, Counter-Strike and Superauto Pets with friends for about five hours every school day.

“I believe that without video games, society wouldn’t prosper,” Lu said.

According to NSW Digital Citizenship, video games can help gamers improve their social and problem-solving skills. “[Gamers] have a stronger social network of people to work with,” said Computer Science teacher Steven Turner, who is the advisor of Branham’s eSports Gaming Club. “There’s more social interactions.”

The problem-solving aspect of games also helps students such as sophomore Isla Gordan.

“When I go to sleep the next day, I’ll kind of get my brain jogging about what I could do or what problem I need to solve,” she said.

For Gordan, video games help her

connect with the feeling of entering a “new world” because she can freely disregard the rules of reality. Gordan plays video games like “The Legend of Zelda” and “Mario Kart” three to four hours daily.

“It’s super fun and creative where you can be anything you want to be and there’s no restrictions,” she said. “That’s what makes it so addicting.”

Video games not only affect Gordan’s critical thinking skills, but also the way she portrays herself in real life.

“I definitely try to be brave like the characters in my game,” she said. “If they can fight off this monster, then I can do a test.”

However, video games have their downsides as well. It may contribute to short attention spans and poor time management, according to the Insititute for Educational Advancement (IEA).

“Both in teens and adults, having that instant serotonin or the instant gratification makes it a lot harder to pay attention,” Turner said.

IEA also found that outside of video games, gamers often lose focus on their personal obligations and academic work.

To avoid procrastination, Gordan has a self-timer to stop herself from spending too much time on video games or daydreaming about being inside the game.

“If you set a good time and make sure you do your schoolwork and homework, students can do better,” Gordan said. “I know I finished everything, and I can just chillax [and play games].”

If the balance between games and work is maintained, video games can be a relaxing way to relieve stress.

“It just relieves pressure on yourself,” Gordon said. “[I feel like] I’ve accolished even more now.”

The most searched video games with the word "addictive" 1. League of Legends - 38.3 million results As a competitive multiplayer online battle arena game, League has over 150 million players worldwide. Its multifaceted gameplay requires multitasking skills and determination.

2. Among Us -37.4 million results After its rise to popularity in 2020, this game reigns as a multiplayer fan-favorite that uses observational skills, teamwork and communication.

3. World of Warcraft - 29.9 million results As a multiplayer role-playing game (RPG), WoW has rigorous quests and enemies to keep players engaged. The game has almost 130 million players.

4. The Sims - 23.4 million results The game gives players personal freedom and creativity to develop their own characters as well as controling their actions, storylines and lifestyles.

5. Minecraft - 15.5 million hits Similar to Sims, Minecraft gives its users free region to explore and fight in its biomes, either by themselves or with others.

The game has over 140 million monthly players.

— Compiled by Lauren Gernale with information from the Table Read Magazine

Madonna: The Celebration Tour Feb. 28-29 Chase Center What it is: Madonna is traveling across the globe, including the Bay Area, to perform her twelth tour. The former “Queen of Pop” will play her rock, pop and fan favorites.

Mariah The Scientist: To Be Eaten Alive Tour Mar. 10 The Catalyst, Santa Cruz What it is: R&B Singer Mariah The Scientist is touring in anticipation for her debut album, “To Be Eaten Alive,” in October. She will be visiting the Bay Area and other cities across the nation.

“Passionate Perspectives” Concert with the Palo Alto Philharmonic Cubberley Theatre Feb. 17 What it is: Join the Palo Alto Philharmonic as they share music from various vibrant and picturesque Latin composers, each with a story to tell. The concert ends with introspection from Johannes Brahm’s finals symphony, Symphony No. 4.

CreaTV Presents: San Jose’s Hardcore Showcase Mar. 1 to Mar. 5 CreaTV San Jose What it is: Join CreaTV for an evening of music, art and community as they share up and coming rock and alternative bands across four days.

Movies Dune part 2 Mar. 1 Directed by Denis Villeneuve What it is: The sequel to the 2021 movie and Frank Herbert adaptation was delayed due to the actors and writers strike. It stars Timothee Chalamet, Florence Pugh and Zendaya.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire Mar. 22 Directed by Gil Kenan What it is: The sequel to the 2022 movie has old and new Ghostbusters battling old demons in New York City, where it all began, to prevent an ancient evil that threatens to turn the world into a new Ice Age. Albums Tortured Poets Department Taylor Swift Apr. 19 What it is: We know it’s a ways away, but fresh from her win in the Best Pop Vocal Album category for “Midnights,” her 11th album is a new project. She said that she’s been working on the project for two years. It’s available for pre-order on her website.

—Compiled by Lauren Gernale and Aidan Weiler

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BEAR WITNESS | FEBRUARY 2024 | BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

THEBACKPAGE

BEHIND THE BELIEF When someone sneezes, it’s almost automatic to say “bless you.” Other common superstitions include phrases such as step on a crack break your mother’s back, knock on wood, wish upon a shooting star and lucky pennies. Where do these beliefs originate from and why do so many people believe them?

—Compiled by Makayla Wu and Reese Gardner Illustrations by Dao Do

Year of the Dragon

Yellow-Light Instinct Certain superstitions become habitual behaviors ingrained in daily life, such as saying “bless you” after a sneeze or knocking on wood.

These actions often occur reflexively, without conscious thought, and serve as cultural or societal norms rather than deeply held beliefs.

“Everytime I go through a yellow light, I hit the roof of my car,” junior Juliette Bonocaum said. “I don’t really know what happens when I don’t do it. It’s more of a habit and it would feel weird going through a yellow light regularly.”

Feb. 10 is officially the start of the zodiac year of the dragon in the lunar calendar. In Chinese culture, the dragon represents good luck, strength and health. According to an article from the University of Colorado-Boulder, many believe in it so much that they plan their family accordingly, so they can have a child in the year of the dragon. From a research paper from the IZA Institute of Labor and Economics, there is evidence that school outcomes are better for the dragon children in China. This may be due to a self-fulfilling prophecy where parents invest more in their dragon child because they believe they will be more successful.

Purse and Prosperity

For Spanish teacher Leticia Molina, some of her superstitions are rooted in her culture and traditions that she grew up with.

“My superstition is that on New Year’s Eve, I put my purse as high as possible because this is supposed to represent your finances during the year,” she said. “The higher off the ground the purse is, the more money you will have. I’ve been doing this for as long as I had a purse since I was a teenager.

I’m not sure where it came from but all of my family and friends in my culture, Mexican culture, do this.”

Many superstitious traditions can be traced back through generations to ancestral practices and beliefs. These enduring superstitions become ingrained in the fabric of society, shaping customs, rituals and collective identity over time. Passed down through oral traditions, familial teachings and societal reinforcement, cultural superstitions reflect the values, beliefs and heritage of a community.

Wishing Track

Superstitions acquired through social learnings are often specific to a particular generation and not necessarily passed down through familial or ancestral lines. Individuals absorb these beliefs from their immediate cultural environment, such as family, peers or media influences. For senior Dani Jackson, much of her superstitions are learned from her mom.

“When we go over railroad tracks, we lift up our legs and make a wish.I do it for every single one,even if I’m driving,I’ll lift my legs.I get this from my mom,who probably got it from her friends,”Jackson said.

“I have a little sister and every railroad track we pass by, and she’ll remind us to lift our legs.”

Jewelry and Routines Athletes have their superstitions.

Whether’s a lucky hair tie or a specific song they need to play before a big game, these rituals offer a sense of control and familiarity amidst the unpredictable nature of sports.

“When I’m competing and I don’t put my ring in my shoe, I feel like we won’t do good because it’s my good luck ring,” said sophomore Makenzie Woods about cheer competitions. “I’m superstitious about my jewelry because it’s all been gifted to me, and the second I started wearing it, everything started going good. So I feel like if I don’t wear it, then things are gonna go bad.”

Tracing it Back: Common Superstitions and their Origins Breaking a mirror This superstition, rooted in ancient civilizations, holds that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck. The belief likely stems from early cultures’ association of mirrors with the soul. Consequently, breaking a mirror was seen as damaging one’s soul, leading to misfortune.

Black cats crossing your path Dating back to medieval Europe, black cats became associated with witchcraft and dark omens. The belief arose from the notion that witches could transform into black cats to evade detection. Thus, encountering a black cat crossing in one’s path was viewed as an ill omen, signifying impending misfortune or death.

Walking under a ladder The superstition of avoiding walking under a ladder has its roots in ancient Egypt, where the triangle formed by a leaning ladder against a wall symbolized the trinity of life–the earth, sky and underworld.

Disturbing this sacred shape was thought to invite the wrath of the gods and bring bad luck.

Opening an umbrella indoors This superstition has origins in ancient Egyptian and Roman cultures, where umbrellas were used as protection from the sun and regarded as symbols of shelter and safety. Opening an umbrella indoors was seen as a disrespectful action to the sun god and therefore inviting his wrath.