Bear Witness - Summer 2020

FOR THE CLASS OF 2020, HIGH SCHOOL REALLY WAS JUST A GAME. YOU WORKED ON YOUR CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION, FORMED ALLIANCES, UPGRADED YOUR ABILITIES. TOWARD THE END OF YOUR JOURNEY, A WILD PANDEMIC APPEARED. YOUR NEXT LEVEL WILL TAKE YOU ON A WHOLE NEW ADVENTURE.

THE NEXT LEVEL Where our seniors are headed, from college, to work, to taking a gap year.

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THE LEADER BOARD Recognizing student achievement, and department award winners.

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HIGH SCHOOL, WORLDS APART We take you through each year of high school as if it were a video game level Pg. 4

EVERY PATH YOU TAKE What's your road to success? Figure it out (sorta) with our career planner.

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SENIOR SURVEY Seniors share their thoughts on everything from online learning to their favorite pets.

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WHERE SENIORS ARE HEADED

California

Did you know: The Golden State leads the country in the number of post-secondary options with 264 four-year colleges and university and 481 community colleges and trade schools.

TWO-YEAR COLLEGE Cabrillo College Robert Cubbon De Anza College Logan Charles Ahmadi Mark Chester Mallari Albano Nikka Albarran Nathaly Arellano Sanchez Anna Bebekh Maritza Campos Minhtam T. Cao Kevin M. Cardenas Regalado Christian A. Castillo Isabella M. Chacon Maritza Chavez Tatiana Consuelo Corton Emily Tulsi Datta Gabriella Leigh Edlin April Esmeralda Espinoza Talia Fukushima Mabeline Fulgencio Alexandra Gaffney Jaeson Gonzalez Joanna Hernandez Avina Maria Jose Jaramillo Corrales Aiden Jasper Brendan Jones Zachary Robert Keller Hailey Marie Lopez Zitlaly Stephanie Lopez-Torres John S. Lucero Anastasiia Makovskaia Alexis Miranda Belle Jacqueline Ngo Joseph Nguyen Kiyomi Jade Le Nguyen Andrea Ordonez Vazquez Giana Ornelas Megan A. Panopio Leslie Perez Shelby L. Pippin Nikita Sadovnikov Oybek Salokhiddinov Payton Jamari Sample Jack Lewis Swartz Bryce Tuan BA Trinh Tam Truong Audrey Rey Tullao Alexa Isabel Valdes-Mitchell Carolina Vejar Natalie Lynn Walton Trevor M. Woodward Evergreen Valley College Jessica Ann Niccum Celsa Ocampo Folsom Lake College Christopher John Zuccaro Foothill College Yahir Vallejo Aleman Alicia Avila Charlotte Maeve Blue Lexi Eliana Doria Coldwell Roman Emilendo Collazo Emma Rose Hernandez Genevieve Mercedes Nemeth Alina Esperanza Quinonez Los Angeles City College Melody Rae Ocampo-Rhoades Mission College Patrick Kelly Marshall Ohlone College Carter Stephen Jones San Jose City College Jesslyn Marial Dablo Cabangbang Jillian Rose Cunningham Melody Rose Gutierrez Jocelyn Colin Padilla Carissa Carol Rivera Santa Barbara City College Samuel Jesus Aguirre Chris Leon Cameron J Rynhard Gilbert Wolfgramm

Conner Edward Kendall Hunter M Klise Jessica Deniz La Rocca Dylan Joseph Couto Llavore Eligh Lopez Kaley Lynn Lowrance Anna Molly Macpherson Courtney Renee Martinez Kyley Rose Martinez Brandon S. McElfresh Shelby Alexandra Montes Cesar Alejandro Moreno Aidan Nguyen Patrick Hoang Nguyen Ailish O'Deegan Kaylana Owens Brenden Guiseppe Passamani Andrew R Prado Niko Puharic Andre Kristofferson Quintos Haley Marie Riley Hannah Lynn Riley Chandler William Roberts Joshua Raphael Rojas Rachel Ross Christopher James Sanchez Diane Sanchez Caitlyn Marie Schlaman Christian A Schmiedeberg Joel Silva Elizabeth M Simpson Jaiveer Singh Christopher James Sotelo Alexa Celeste Souza Xitlalli Guadalupe Tadeo Samantha Rae Taylor Jacob James Towner Kayla Tutton Savanah Deonicia Tyrell Katarina Rose Van Wyk Kayla Michelle VillaflorHayame Community college Undecided Hannah M. Rudd FOUR-YEAR American Musical and Dramatic Academy Kayla Patrick Cal Poly, Pomona Idris Rahim Addo Courtney Jaina Kaleialii Kahai Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Kyle R. Barba Fernando Leon Garcia Eric Huang Darren Kim Timothy Kozine Mackenzie Samantha Mego Matthew Cung Nguyen Riley A. Peters Kyle A. Richards Justin Choa-An Teng Aiden Joseph Velasquez California Baptist University Jack Sparagna California Lutheran University Theresa M. Brown California State University, Chico Jack K Cassell-McClellan Samuel Lars Jansen Antonio Ryan FlennerPalladino California State University, Fullerton Jalen T. Wong California State University, Monterey Bay Summer B. Van Tassell

Sierra College Jacob Robert Herington Blake R. Yorkey

California State University, Long Beach Maia L. Borrison Victor Tam Doan Odelia W. Hui Cynthia Luo Lauren A. Majors Danielle Boi Nghi Phan Caelan Esteban Reinoso

Unitek Michael Abalos Pioquinto

Chapman University Scott Winston Tucker

West Valley College Tyler J. Aruta Matthew A. Blair Brent Brison Henry Julius Buck Isaiah Jeremiah Burr-Rastellini Frank William Castro Anes Causevic Raymond Anthony Chavez Nicholas Cilloni Sergio Davila Joseph D. Del Prete Alicia Nicole Dimulias Charlotte Magnolia Erez Robert Michael Escalle Asal Fahimi Moghaddam Andrew Foglesong Jade C. Frank Aliya Jordan Garcia William Gardner David Gysel Daniel Angel Hernandez Shivang Kalia

Cogswell College Masato Lee McCutcheon

Shasta College Halle Cameron Atkinson Alexander Y. Morgan

College of the Siskiyous Connor A McElroy Los Angeles Pacific University Rachel Grace Moody Pitzer College Ethan M Norris Saint Mary's College Diego Samir Hammana San Diego State University Nadia A. Dedgeba Sarah Yvonne Hagene Mateo R Melgoza Rasheed-Garnett R. Ragonjan

San Francisco State University Giovanny Angel Aleman Daniel Inclan Garcia Alan Vu San Jose State University Jessica Berton Maximus Zalman Chekhanovsky Brooke Elizabeth Hathaway Joshua David Klein Rishi Krishnamurthy Emma Elizabeth Le Zachary Hernan Macapanpan Stacy Amber Marlow Quinten Douglas Moshy Aileen K Murakami Alyssa Quynh Lan Nguyen Deshna Sierra Quincy Melissa Diana Sorto Viet Quoc Vuong Alexander Nicholas Wright Jaesung Yoo Santa Clara University Maisie Lopez Jenna Mackenzie Solis Turner Joel Uyeda Stanford University Khanh Phuong Nguyen Xiaomian Yang University of California, Berkeley Mia M. Cutlip Talia Desai Shlok Gore Anna Kawai Ha Rebecca Teodros Haile Alisha Rachel Jayamohan Gabriel Araujo Miller University of California, Davis Tymoteusz Franciszek Bak Nathan Jinho Kim Anastassia Yavorski University of California, Irvine Noah H. Chung Ajay Singh Deswal Mason Timothy Do Kaitlynn S. Lee Jessie K. Lin Brittany T. Pangaliman Phoebe Autumn Roach Suraj Thangellapally Madison Tran Ngoc Vu Qingxu Yang University of California, Los Angeles Sarah Yewon Huh University of California, Riverside Shadan D. Hamavand Sarah Ala Sabawi University of California, Santa Barbara Atticus G. R. Ahearn Benjamin F. Aronson Samiksha Nagaraja Boranna Ashley Nicole Donaldson Jessica Garcia Jessy Gonzalez Lyra A. Hunt Lara Kurtovic Benjamin Sol MacDonald Maria Malafei Elizabeth K. Posey Alexander J. Ward Rebecca Katherine Young University of California, Santa Cruz Eliana Hope Bower Benjamin K. Castanon Alberto Herrera Lauren Elizabeth Knipe Anica Le Melissa Muslic Sabrina Pan Shireen Elaine Sabouri Krisha Sharma Twisha Sharma Siddharth Singh Russell Akira Simpson Steese-Bradley Lev Teytelman Isabella Mendonca Thiara Katia M. Yarkov

A numbers game

47%

3

87%

386

35%

78%

220

97%

Percentage of students enrolling in a two-year community college program.

Percentage of graduates who will be attending school in California.

Number of students who enrolled in an AP course for the 2019-2020 school year.

Number of students who passed all their coursework during distance learning.

Percentage of students enrolling in a four-year college or university in the fall.

Arizona State University-

University of San Francisco Olivia Jayden Flores University of Southern California Aaron Ryan Ahmed University of the Pacific Edward Jun Kim

Percentage of students on track to graduate by credit completion.

Maria Anguiano

ARIZONA

State University of New York College at Geneseo John Drouin

Alexander Hector Valdez

UTah

Did you know: The sun shines in southern Arizona 85% of the time, more sunshine than Florida or Hawaii.

Illinois

Did you know: The Sears Tower is the tallest building in North America.

Did you know: The state has the highest literacy rate in the country.

Tempe Jacy Lynn Barbara

University of Chicago Annette Emilie Mino

Northern Arizona University Bailey Elizabeth Macaulay Mitchell Martin Macaulay Mia Judith Marotti

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Vikrant Banerjee

University of Utah Ryan Brennan Bailey Christine Donaldson Ethan L Nguyen Nick Steegmans

University of Arizona Evan Robert Franco Carter Michael Thompson Cole Alexander Williams

NORTH CAROLINA

Did you know: In 1903, The Wright Brothers made the first successful powered flight.

Duke University Paige Knudsen

INDIANA

Oregon State University Lyndsey Rachel Freitas

COLORADO

Did you know: Denver is nicknamed "The Mile-High City" because its official elevation is exactly one mile (5,280 feet) above sea level.

Community College of Denver Giancarlo Cristiani

University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus Benjamin A. Marty University of Denver Trinity Brush

OREgon

Did you know: Oregon's flag has two designs: A beaver one side, an emblem on the other.

Portland State University Aidan Elizabeth Allen

MASSACHUSETTS

Did you know: Reenactors celebrate the Boston Tea Party every Dec. 16.

Northeastern University Cassidy Reese Chang

University of Oregon Maura Ann Hennessy Bretteric Zachary Hicks University of Portland Carolyn Aurora Yglesias Sebastian Briceno

Western Colorado University Julianne Alvares

NEVADA

Did you know: Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other place on earth.

HAWAII

Did you know: By law, no building on Kauai is allowed to be built taller than a palm tree.

University of Hawaii, Manoa Lizandra Crissa Fernandes

University of Nevada, Reno Lauren M. Clift Terrence B. Cubbon Lucas Cuellar Marcus Cuellar Kyle Haugh Corinne H. Masegian Morgan Mashburn Nicholas Patrick Parise Frank Jess Poso Payton A. Scattini Max Ryan Sharp Nicolette Gayle Weiland

IDAHO

Boise State University Sara Rose Cubbon Brigham Young UniversityIdaho Nathan J Coy

New YORk Did you know: The New

York Post, founded in 1803, is America's oldest newspaper.

Cornell University Lindsey Nicole Gigliello New York University

WASHINGTON

Did you know: Popular games Pictionary and Cranium were all invented here.

Seattle University Amelia Wing Yun Fong Caroline C. Ralston University of Washington, Seattle Artemis S. Aburabi Kyoung Hwi Park Jack J. Sanfilippo

TENnessee

Did you know: Home to the largest quake in the world. It formed a lake , Reelfoot Lake.

University of Tennessee, Knoxville Megan Glover Vanderbilt University SungJin Shin

TEXAS Did you know: Idaho produces 72 types of precious and semi-precious stones.

Virginia Tech Mayank Sood

Christopher J Sagahon Garcia Sara Jercinovich Amy T. Kawasaki

University of Colorado, Boulder Sadie Lillian Stone Ian D. Mckibben University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Abhinav Das

University of Richmond Benjamin Read Sylvan

Butler University Katherine Miriam Briner Purdue University Isaiah Evans Behnke Rohan Joshi Aayushi Neema

VIRGINIA

Did you know: More than half of the 4,000 Civil War battles were fought here.

Did you know: Indiana has the most miles of Interstate highway per square mile.

Did you know: The state has changed its government eight times, after rule from Spanish, Mexican, French, Confederate and finally U.S. governments.

University of Texas at Austin Noah Francisco Contreras

Total number of seniors at Branham

Christian Eugenio Islas Jairo Guadalupe Orozco Montes Oliver Alan Polaha

Rochester Institute of Technology Andrew Joseph Gilbert

University of California, San Diego Macy Mishi Fu Atharva Prasanna Kulkarni Anderson Tue Lenguyen W. Aaron Deans University of Redlands Morgan Leann Irwin

Commencement speeches by former president Barack Obama to the Class of 2020

CANADA

Did you know: One in four North American grizzly bears are found in British Columbia.

University of Victoria (British Columbia, Canada) Robert James Morgan

MILITARY

Did you know: By law, no building on Kauai is allowed to be built taller than a palm tree.

United States Air Force Academy (Colorado) Lizzie Audrey Kim Marines Joshua M. DeSousa Christian James Fernandez Navy Benjamin Pierce Austin

OTHER

Apprenticeship Alec Daniel Leong Camden Post-Secondary Academy Angelo Soriano Aquino Nancy Guillermo Becerril Evan J. Bray Joshua Goulart Derek W. Gutierrez Veronica Lopez Angela Mendoza Sara Mustafa Nayfeh Paola Guadalupe Carrillo Pimentel Jake Keegan Shaw Gap year Margarita Yvonne Marie Albarran Alen Fazlic Juan Lopez Derek Anthony Marvin Kyla Jean Masamori Emma C. Roman Joshua M. Rynhard Emir Sehic Scarlett W. Sonora Katie Rae Wilson Moving To Oklahoma Kade Elias Martinez Trade school Uriel Isaias Hernandez Work Brody Beyer Natalia Alicia Mora-Saravia German Alexis Rivera Unknown Nathan Claiborne Rice Cox Nathaniel Ilagan Dimaano Amber Gant Leo Halina Golden America Inda Amaral Narges Jajarmi Khayat Gabriel H Martinez Guadalupe Mendoza Garcia Thomas Jerald Minteer Adam J Palomino Madison F Phan Alexander Michael Porto Angel Antonio Ramirez-Lopez Alexandra Sanchez Kayla Ann Simpson Keith Ewald Smith Diego Armando Torres Herrera Nina Celia Valencia Nickolas Ji-Song Yoon

Art 2D Elizabeth Posey

JROTC Josh De Sousa

“(Elizabeth) is not just a dreamer and a maker, but also a thinker and a doer."

Jessica Bender

“It was an honor to have you as a student. We appreciate your leadership, hard work, and dedication."

Major Richard Ruiz

DEPARTMENT AWARDS Branham’s class of 2020 has earned more than $1.2 million in scholarships and grants, the most of any senior class, according to Principal Cheryl Lawton at the May 22 Senior Awards Night, a prerecorded event in light of social distancing rules in effect. Teachers also picked Xiaomian Yang as the Senior of the Year. Khanh Nguyen and Samiksha Boranna were the class' valedictorian, and salutatorian.

Drama Stacey Yavorski

Dance Bailey MacAulay

Art 3D Lauren Knipe “She has such passion and drive for the artwork that she produces."

Eileen Bertron

Leadership Kaitlynn Lee

Journalism Julianne Alvares

Culinary Art Shelby Pippin “(Shelby has) creativity and finesse, and a willingness to go above and beyond."

Mary Anne Neil

Science: Physical Xiomian Yang

“(Paige is) an incredibly gifted writer, and a well-read critical thinker.”

Nancy Freschi

Math Khanh Nguyen

Social Science Atticus Ahearn

“Her determination, curiosity and ability to comprehend complex physical phenomena is exceptional.”

Chris Chidester

Music: Vocal Odelia Hui

“You are going to do great things and I look forward to hearing about your wonderful career.”

Chris Nalls

"She is always thinking about how we can make Branham a better place and take it to the next level."

Christina Hillman

“There isn't anyone I know who works as hard as Julianne does in all her capacities.”

Fitz Vo

English Paige Knudsen

Music: Instrumental Blake Shin

"The level of dedication and professionalism (Stacey) dedicates for her craft is truly unmatched."

Jennifer Sorkin

“She has helped our small dance program rise to greatness.”

Eileen Bertron

“She leads in the way that's wonderful, because it's all about supporting her classmates.”

Barbara West

Science: Biological Aaron Deans

“It is evident on a daily basis she is trying to become better in all aspects of her life."

Christie Henebry

“He goes beyond what is asked, helps other students, and is a well-rounded student.”

Juan Fernandez Spanish Eddie Kim

Mandarin Mason Do

French Kyle Haugh

“Without (Rachel), the yearbook would not look as good as it is."

Kirsten McKay

Physical Education Courtney Martinez

“It has been an honor to be your math teacher. I fully appreciate your leadership in the math club."

Ramani Visvanathan

“She goes above and beyond in the classroom, and possesses all the qualities of a teacher's dream student.”

Jennifer Ozdinski

Yearbook Rachel Moody

“This year, he chose to take AP French, and he is one of my most dedicated students.”

Laurel Garceau

“(Mason) has made an outstanding contribution to his learning environment."

Linda Chen

“He demonstrated consistent effort, and a love and respect for the Spanish language and culture.”

Leticia Molina

Other Awards Artemis Aburabi: President's Education Idris Addo: President's Education Atticus Ahearn: Seal of Bilteracy: French, Social Science Department Award, Summa Cum Laude Aaron Ahmed: National Honor Society, National Merit Finalist, Summa Cum Laude Mark Chester Albano: Summa Cum Laude Aidan Allen: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish Julianne Alvares: Journalism Department Award, Robbie Deauville Award, Summa Cum Laude Benjamin Aronson: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude Tymoteusz Bak: National Honor Society, Seal of Biliteracy: French, Summa Cum Laude

Nadia Dedgeba: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude

Daniel Inclan Garcia: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Talia Desai: CSF Life Member, National Honor Society, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Morgan Irwin: Summa Cum Laude Aiden Jasper: President's Education

Kyla Masamori: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, President's Education

Joshua DeSousa: ROTC Cadet of the Year

Alisha Jayamohan: National Merit Finalist, President's Education

Mackenzie Mego: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude

Sara Jercinovich: President's Education

Mateo Melgoza: President's Education

Brendan Jones: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Gabriel Miller: Summa Cum Laude

Ajay Deswal: President's Education Mason Do: Seal of Biliteracy: Mandarin, Summa Cum Laude, World Languages Mandarin Department Award Ashley Donaldson: Athlete of the Year, President's Education

Courtney Kahai: President's Education

Bailey Donaldson: President's Education

Edward Kim: National Honor Society, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude, World Languages Spanish Department Award

Quinten Moshy: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Lizzie Kim: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude

Melissa Muslic: President's Education

Charlotte Erez: President's Education Asal Fahimi Moghaddam: President's Education

Zachary Keller: President's Education

Kyle Barba: Summa Cum Laude

Olivia Flores: President's Education

Nathan Kim: National Honor Society,Summa Cum Laude

Isaiah Behnke: Summa Cum Laude

Maria Flores Anguiano: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Darren Kim: President's Education

Amelia Fong: CSF Life Member, National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude

Samiksha Boranna: National Honor Society, Salutatorian, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Evan Franco: 2019-20 Fall Spirit of Sport Award for the CIF Central Coast Section, National Honor Society, Robbie Deauville Award, Summa Cum Laude

Eliana Bower: Summa Cum Laude

Jade Frank: Summa Cum Laude

Ryan Brennan: National Honor Society, President's Education

Macy Fu: Seal of Biliteracy: Japanese, Summa Cum Laude

Sebastian Briceno: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Talia Fukushima: President's Education

Katherine Briner: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Jessica Garcia: Summa Cum Laude

Alexandra Gaffney: President's Education

Joshua Klein: President's Education Lauren Knipe: President's Education, Visual Arts 3D Department Award

Ethan Norris: Summa Cum Laude

Lara Kurtovic: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude

Melody Ocampo-Rhoades: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Anica Le: President's Education

Andrea Ordonez Vazquez: President's Education

Emma Le: President's Education

Megan Glover: Summa Cum Laude

Chris Leon: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Jessy Gonzalez: National Honor Society, President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Fernando Leon Garcia: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Lauren Clift: President's Education Noah Contreras: National Honor Society, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude Tatiana Corton: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish Nathan Coy: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish Mia Cutlip: President's Education Emily Datta: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude William Deans: CSF Life Member, National Honor Society, National Merit Scholar, Science Department Award: Biological, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Alec Leong: President's Education Jessie Lin: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude Maisie Lopez: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude

Rebecca Haile: Summa Cum Laude

Zitlaly Lopez-Torres: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Shadan Hamavand: President's Education

Cynthia Luo: National Honor Society, President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Mandarin

Kyle Haugh: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: French, World Languages French Department Award

Bailey MacAulay: Dance Department Award, President's Education

Joanna Hernandez Avina: Seal of Biliteracy: French

Mitchell MacAulay: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Alberto Herrera: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Benjamin MacDonald: National Honor Society, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Bretteric Hicks: President's Education Eric Huang: Seal of Biliteracy: Mandarin, Summa Cum Laude Sarah Huh: National Honor Society, Optimist Club Award, Summa Cum Laude Odelia Hui: Performing Arts- Vocal Department Award, President's Education Lyra Hunt: Summa Cum Laude

Payton Scattini: President's Education Krisha Sharma: President's Education Twisha Sharma: President's Education SungJin Shin: Performing Arts- Instrumental Department Award, Summa Cum Laude Joel Silva: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish Jaiveer Singh: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude Siddharth Singh: President's Education

Jessica Niccum: President's Education

Atharva Kulkarni: Summa Cum Laude

Maritza Campos; Summa Cum Laude

Noah Chung: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Jack Sanfilippo: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Russell Steese-Bradley: President's Education

Anderson Lenguyen: Summa Cum Laude

Raymond Chavez: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Alexandra Sanchez: President's Education

Matthew Nguyen: Summa Cum Laude

Andrew Gilbert: President's Education

Sarah Hagene: Summa Cum Laude

Take chances to change and grow

Timothy Kozine: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Jesslyn Cabangbang: President's Education

Anna Ha: National r Society, Seal of Bilteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Payton Sample: National Honor Society, President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Melissa Sorto: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Trinity Brush: President's Education

Cassidy Chang: DAR Essay Contest Winner, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Khanh Nguyen: CSF Life Member, Math Department Award, National Honor Society, National Merit Finalist, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude, Valedictorian

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Joseph Nguyen: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Kaitlynn Lee: Leadership Department Award, Summa Cum Laude

Frank Castro: President's Education

Aayushi Neema: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Lauren Majors: Summa Cum Laude Maria Malafei: Summa Cum Laude Stacy Marlow: President's Education Mia Marotti: President's Education Courtney Martinez: Physical Education Department Award

Benjamin Sylvan: President's Education Samantha Taylor: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Mandarin Justin Teng: President's Education Lev Teytelman: President's Education

Adam Palomino: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Suraj Thangellapally: Summa Cum Laude

Sabrina Pan: CSF Life Member, National Honor Society, President's Education

Isabella Thiara: National Honor Society, President's Education

Brittany Pangaliman: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude

Carter Thompson: President's Education

Kyoung Hwi Park: President's Education Brenden Passamani: President's Education Riley Peters: Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Summa Cum Laude Danielle Phan: National Honor Society, President's Education Shelby Pippin: Culinary Arts Department Award Elizabeth Posey: Summa Cum Laude, Visual Arts Department Award

Scott Tucker: President's Education Turner Uyeda: President's Education Aiden Velasquez: National Honor Society, Optimist Club Award, Summa Cum Laude Madison Tran Vu: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude Alexander Ward: Seal of Biliteracy: Mandarin, Summa Cum Laude, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Frank Poso: Athlete of the Year

Xiaomian Yang: National Honor Society, Science Department Award: Physical, Seal of Biliteracy: Chinese, Senior of the Year, Summa Cum Laude

Deshna Quincy: National Honor Society, President's Education

Quingxu Yang: Seal of Biliteracy: Mandarin, Summa Cum Laude

Rasheed-Garnett Ragonjan: National Honor Society, President's Education

Katia Yarkov: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Caroline Ralston: President's Education

Anastassia Yavorski: Drama Department Award, President's Education

Caelan Reinoso: Seal of Biliteracy: French Kyle Richards: President's Education

Carolyn Yglesias: National Honor Society, President's Education

Haley Riley: President's Education

Jaesung Yoo: President's Education

Hannah Riley: Summa Cum Laude

Rebecca Young: National Honor Society, Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Summa Cum Laude

Carissa Rivera: President's Education Phoebe Roach: Summa Cum Laude

ELIZABETH POSEY

Christopher Sagahon Garcia: Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Paige Knudsen: English Department Award, National Honor Society, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Lindsey Gigliello: Summa Cum Laude

Shlok Gore: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude

Aileen Murakami: President's Education

Shireen Sabouri: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude

Jenna Solis: National Honor Society, Summa Cum Laude

William Gardner: President's Education

Benjamin Castanon: President's Education

Rachel Moody: Yearbook Department Award

Sarah Sabawi: National Honor Society, President's Education

Alyssa Nguyen: President's Education

Theresa Brown: Summa Cum Laude

Minhtam Cao: Summa Cum Laude

Annette Mino: National Honor Society, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish, Summa Cum Laude

Rohan Joshi: Summa Cum Laude

Vikrant Banerjee: Summa Cum Laude

Liliana Blechman: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Benjamin Marty: President's Education

Victor Doan: President's Education

Lizandra Fernandes: President's Education, Seal of Biliteracy: Spanish

Jessica Berton: President's Education

Kyley Martinez: President's Education

n my time capsule, I wrote “There I are so many things I hope you don’t forget about me.”

My freshman self was nervous, always wearing a sweatshirt in 90 degree weather, and lacked the confidence to speak up for herself. In other words, change was inevitable. It always is.

Paralysis to change in any way prevented me from real growth as a person.

The me I was talking about didn’t have much self confidence, but she did have a lot of interests. One of those interests was art. When I chose to take Art 1 as my elective, I never expected for one class to so radically change my school trajectory. I wasn’t producing especially amazing work in grade nine but something had changed about how I viewed the class.

I would go home every day to work in my sketchbook, doing drawing exercises so I could come back to school with our classwork already complete. By the end of many nights, I would have a trash can full of rejected ideas and one page of passable work. By the end of the year, I knew I wanted to take AP Art and submit a portfolio my senior year.

So I signed up for another year in Art two. In the meantime, my academic career was getting increasingly hectic and cluttered. I was overwhelmed and had to give up piano lessons, an activity I had stuck with for 11 years.

At that point, I still had the mindset that made me fear letting go of old interests, thinking it was giving up part of my identity. I cannot caution students more about the dangers of that mentality. Letting go of an activity, a friend, or even a physical object from your past doesn’t erase the part of you that enjoyed it.

Then I joined journalism. When I was a junior, I used my continued interest in art to work as the art director for this newspaper. As I was gaining new experiences and skills in this environment, I was losing some of my free time.

Improvement sometimes takes away your old or incorrect past conceptions.

It’s like updating. Think about how many updates your computer or phone or applications have undergone to be at their optimal versions. You, too, change to fix bugs, to get smarter, to be the best version of yourself.

Change is inevitable with time, so the best advice I can give is how I learned to overcome my nerves and accept my new interests over time.

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT CHANDLER ROBERTS and CAITLYN SCHLAMAN

CHANDLER ROBERTS

MANAGING EDITOR

Taking a shot at fame on the internet

have had unsolicited internet access I since the day I got my second generation iPod Touch in 2008. The in-

ternet has grown up with me. It's been there when I needed a friend, when I wanted to share something with the world, and when I needed help with anything.

Without the internet I wouldn’t be the same person I am today. I’ve seen so much and learned a lot from watching YouTube and exploring random websites in my free time. The internet is a place for anyone to express themselves and be heard. It’s truly a place where random people can become celebrities overnight, and people can make a living off of just talking to a camera and entertaining people.

I bring this up because I have a big problem with celebrity culture, and seeing that anyone can become famous and entertainment can come from anywhere is a big deal for me. I hold some “internet celebrities” like YouTubers and Twitch streamers above other more mainstream celebrities.

So as most people with this knowledge have probably tried, I attempted to be famous. My first stop was instagram, which actually worked out surprisingly well. This is going to be news to a few people (except some of my closest friends) But I own an account with over 40,000 followers.

It's a meme page, which essentially just means that I steal content from a long line of other people who also steal content from each other and get followers and likes for it.

You may find that kind of scummy, and it is, but it works. I made the account when I was 11, and at the time I was just wanting to share funny stuff I saw online. That's still what I want to do, but I'm trying to move away from the account and transform it into something different. I’ve attempted to make it into a more personal account, so I could eventually stop stealing content and maybe make some of my own.

Those attempts haven’t fully panned out, but I’m working on it.

My biggest hobby online is YouYube.

A majority of my time is spent watching funny skits or powerful speeches, big stories or anything I can sink my teeth into.

I catch up on all of the drama and I invest myself in the problems facing creators on the website. This is because, in the future I’m hoping to make videos on the site. The motto “broadcast yourself ” has always enticed me.

So why haven’t I done it? Well have tried before, the first time I tried was even before Instagram, I made a "Minecraft Hunger Games" video under the alias 19crazyperson.

I wish it were still up so I could laugh at elementary school-aged me, but I used my Gmail account from the school district. A couple years later, I was part of a group channel that had mild success, but then almost immediately crumbled because of unrelated drama. Since then, I've been trying to find ways to get started. I'm too indecisive to really stick to one genre of video and without a niche, there isn’t really a way to become successful off YouTube.

I know that a good amount of people in my generation are looking towards these platforms in a similar way that I am.

There's often a sentiment that becoming famous online is the next big thing and that it's the best way to be successful in a new digital age. Now my opinion on it isn't as idealistic.

It’s more that internet stardom seems much more fun then the standard 9 to 5 job, and there’s always something extraordinary about the ordinary.

Hello, weary adventurer. You’ve just made it past 12 levels of education. In that time you’ve learned new skills, grown as people, and started to specialize into future careers. In order for you to set on your path, you have to answer some simple questions.

Do you like working with people?

Congratulations, Class of 2020!

You just completed your senior year.

Answer a few questions to decide once and for all what you're going to do for the rest of your lives.

Meh, like them or leave them

Yes, people are wonderful!

Kindergarten teacher

Cool! Which of these jobs appeals to you?

The game of life (choices) Now that you're a high school graduate, how do you figure out what career is best for you? Here's a serious look at what's next.

You're a helper!

You want a career that lets you help and take care of others.

These include: Nurse Teacher Social worker Counselor Personal trainer

1 | Take a career assessment test in which you answer a series of questions designed to analyze your strengths and weaknesses. These tests also consider different personality types for each individual.

While career tests should not be your main source of decision making, you can use them as a tool to help you decide what career might match your interests.

2 | Think about your interests and hobbies. If you enjoy science, you may want to pursue a career in engineering or marine biology. Write a list of possible careers that match your interests and your capabilities. If you find you are happiest when you work with others, jot down that you are a team player. In that case, you may want to consider jobs that involve people interaction instead of careers like computer programming or writing, which require more alone time. Speak to an adult you trust about your ideas and be willing to receive feedback.

3 | Research the careers that you are considering.

Write a profile for each, including job description, salary, educational requirements and job outlook.

Realistically look at each profile and picture yourself performing the job duties. However, you have to consider all factors. For example, you may be able to picture yourself wearing scrubs and performing open heart surgery, but if you hate biology and can't imagine investing years in medical school, then it may not be a good idea to pursue medicine.

4 | Narrow your options an d look for a career with growth opportunities. While it is important to pick a career that will stimulate your mind, it is also important to be practical about the job market. You will need to pick a career that enables you to make a living after you graduate.

5 | Jump into the first step of realizing your career dreams. If you have decided on a career that does not require higher education, start looking for ways to enter the field and gain experience. Speak to someone who already has your dream job. This person can provide a better picture of the pros and cons of the profession.

— Adapted from U.S. News and World Reports

Nah, these aren't doing it for me.

Do you like working with machines, tools?

Break it down, Charlie Brown

Yes! Build me up, buttercup.

Are you artistic or creative?

You're a builder!

You prefer a career that allows you to be hands-on and learn practical skills.

These include: Carpenter Police officer Firefighter Pilot Forester You're a creator!

You want a career that allows you to be artistic and original.

I can't even draw a stick figure.

These include: Graphic artist Freelance writer Musician Architect

Yes, I'm very artsy-smartsy

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT Are you a member of the grammer patrol?

Stories? Tell me a tale.

I ain't know.

Do you write with little room for ambiguity?

Journalist/ writer

Digital marketing

Stories, schmories

Company executive

You're a persuader!

You seek a career that allows you to gain power and influence.

These include: Financial adviser Executive Attorney Real estate agent PR specialist

Stories, schmories

You're an online savant.

You want to connect people who are already connected.

These include: Editor Publisher Reporter Photojournalist Bear Witness staff member

Computer programmer

Thinker You prefer work that involves research, data.

These include: Physician, engineer, professor, researcher

Yes. Dewey's got nothing on me.

Yes! Science?

No.

Do you enjoying organizing, cleaning?

You're an organizer!

You like a career that lets you put your skills to work organizing information, data and files.

These include: Office manager Programmer Accountant Paralegal Librarian

You're a storyteller!

You hope to share your story or stories of those around you.

These include: Editor Publisher Reporter Photojournalist Bear Witness staff member

Meh. None of these jobs fits me.

For being so indecisive, you better have rich parents.

OR

No. It's going to get messy again.

Dirty jobs In these so-called dirty jobs, you’ve got to deal with stuff that would gross most people out—like disease, waste or even death

CAITLYN SCHLAMAN

MANAGING EDITOR

Do you spend your days on social media?

Do you enjoy telling stories?

It's grammar. And yes, I am a member.

These include: Landfill operator ER nurse Crime scene investigator Veterinarian Plumber

Note: This is only for fun, and is not intended to be a comprehensive look at career opportunities.

Narrowing down my career path

or someone as obsessed with F video games and how people make them, I didn’t spend a lot of

time with them as a child. I didn’t play a ton of games when they came out, and wasn’t allowed near violent games like the first-person shooter "Call of Duty: Black Ops." On top of that, I am an only child with only a couple cousins, most of them much older than me, so no one ever passed down an Xbox or a PlayStation or introduced me to older games. I couldn’t afford any of those consoles anyway.

The only console I had growing up was a Wii, and the handhelds I owned were a very old GameBoy Color and every Nintendo DS. I never considered video games as a career, despite loving them so much.

At first I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up.

I liked art, I guess I liked writing, I liked music a bit. But nothing was really concrete. I wanted to try things and see what fit me. I used YouTube to tell me about any career that piqued my curiosity.

I wanted to be a YouTuber, too: You got to sit in front of a camera and talk, it was like being a celebrity without all the strings that come with being a celebrity.

Back in middle school, YouTube was accessible and not so complicated. I kind of realized in freshman year this wasn’t as viable (obviously).

Film editing was what I wanted to go into next. The logic made sense to me. I had someone in my family who was an editor for Warner Bros.

Studios who frequently talked about what it was like. And when I got the chance to take a film class, I took it. Editing itself is a tedious task, with lots of organizing and staring at thousands of clips.

I was actually good at it for a while, but the one thing I hated about the film industry was the people I was around. It all felt too artsy and stuck-up, plus I became disillusioned with the medium. It didn’t seem fun anymore, with the need for social networking and socializing. I just wanted to create something that people would see.

At this time, I became friends with a couple people who loved video games. They introduced me to my favorite games, like "Team Fortress 2," "Counter Strike: Global Offensive," and "Half Life." I had played these games before, but because there wasn't I just never cared to play it past the first try. Once you have people who make the effort of easing you into a medium they love, you can learn to appreciate more than what you had before.

I have scolded myself for not settling on a passion and jumping from one to the next, but it’s honestly just a part of growing up.

It may be cliché, but though I have always had video games in my life, I just never thought of it as a viable job. The signs were there: I loved creating my own "Pokémon" regions and games, and "Minecraft" definitely opened up coding to all of us when it came out.

The moral of all of this is: Don’t stress about what college you want to go to or what job you want, focus on working hard and exploring the things that make you happy.

You’ll find your little niche in the world soon, or some time later. Try to enjoy it while you can.

LEVELING UP EACH YEAR Level 1 | Freshman year: Here comes a new challenger. Welcome to Branham, class of 2020!

The first level helps guide you through the ropes, but watch out, some challenges lie ahead.

Link Crew orientation: This is the tutorial level; upperclassmen help show you the school map, and provide advice on your journey ahead.

New guide: You share the start of your Branham career with Principal Cheryl Lawton.

Level1 Boss: The first finals boss is easily taken down.

You've got this!

Miniboss: In October, clowns briefly pranked/scared football fans

Bonus level: The Construction Zone is open! Spend the next four years of your life battling cranes, 'dozers and ear-splitting noise.

Side quest: Gain extra XP by joining extracurriculars and sports.

Do you think school is just a game? In this case, it sort of is. Walk through memory lane with us and relive the greatest hits from the past four years.

Written and illustrated by Elizabeth Posey

favorite childhood VIDEO games

Level 2 | Sophomore year: You've gained in age, intelligence and Sports P.E. The challenge ramps up this year, with motorized vehicle privileges and and college-level courses opening up.

Mario Kart Wii: Though there have been eight versions, the Nintendo Wii version remains tops to the class of 2020.

New enemy: Fire alarms. The chemistry captains be setting off several demos without properly ventilatin'.

New skill: You can be a legal driver now. Thankfully most new vehicles can parallel park for you.

Lego Star Wars series: Like the famed movie series, the popular video game series spanned multiple consoles.

New map unlocked: Portable classes are now available, replacing the tennis courts.

More schooling awaits.

Grand Theft Auto V: The satirical and violent open-world game is still going strong, gaining a second life with "GTA Online."

Side quest: AP classes. You, like one-quarter of your class, took AP World History. Think it was hard? You ain't seen nothing yet.

Miniboss: If you took the sidequest, you can now slay AP World History exam best.

Club Penguin: Students were fond of the virtual playground. For many, it was their first foray into online video gaming.

Level 3 | Junior year: You've got a lot riding on this year: More college-level classes, more work, more stress. Are you feeling the heat?

Prom unlocked: Enjoy a night of awkward dancing in expensive attire.

Just Dance: The long-running series hit its stride during the Nintendo Wii era. It is still popular on the newer Nintendo Switch.

New boss: The SAT/ACT. To choose the college quest at a later date you must gain a high skill level in this category.

Some colleges have now vanquished this boss.

Level up: You are now an upperclassman! This upgrade comes with more responsibility — your textbooks and homework may get a bit heavier going forward.

Side quest: Middle college. You can swap maps for a different community environment to redeem for points after you finish this game.

Level 4 | Senior year: A newer, more vicious boss has threatened to upend the last few months of your high school journey. Don't let it deter you from finishing what you started.

Side quest, part 2: At the Silicon Valley Career and Technical Education campus, you can access specialized skills such as film and fashion.

Threat alert: Coronavirus

Side quest: Middle college. You can swap maps for a different community environment to redeem for points after you finish this game.

Call of Duty: Black Ops: The PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 version was the first first-person shooter for many students.

— Bear Witness survey of 280 seniors Online AP test: They’re open note, they’re free response, they’re the 2020 AP Tests and finals! This boss threw some interesting curveballs.

Diploma unlocked: You got the final ticket in the first online ceremony in history. You really are a winner. Who knew the precedent that this class has set?

New map: You've moved on... to your literal homeroom.

Distance learning is in full effect.

Senior parade: This driving level lets you see your older allies one last time. We're not crying.

You're crying. You get an "inch pebble" from Cheryl Lawton, the principal ally, as a reminder of your accomplishment.

FOUR YEARS OF FLUBS AND FOLLIES

GENEVIEVE NEMETH STAFF WRITER

Lessons from a seasoned senior

ear high schoolers, D No matter what grade you are, my advice will still be relevant to you.

Most of us have dreamed of making our high school years the best years possible. For the class of 2020, that wasn’t able to happen.

That's my first tip: Take every day of your high school year as your last.

If your friends want to go to every football game, go with them. I only went to a few while in high school and I regretted not going to them all.

Join a club that you have never joined before, or even start a club if you have an idea for it.

Support other sports as well. It is easier said than done, since the football games bring the school together.

Attend the different events that are going on in the PAC, whether that may be a play, a musical, a dance show, or a band concert. Each one is amazing in its own way. It also might cause you to want to be a part of it in the next year.

Also go to all the dances at least your senior year. They are a lot more fun than you may think and they are one of the most memorable moments in high school. Make your high school years full of firsts so that way it is memorable.

High school is a time for you to expand your interests and hobbies. You won’t know if you like something if you don’t try it.

My second piece of advice is to not overwork yourself. If you are doing an activity or sport that just isn’t for you, but your parents are pushing you to continue, talk to them. Don’t stress yourself out any more than you already are. This year came with lots of stress and most of it is not academic. You have the stress of getting into college, getting a good score on your SAT or ACT, while at the same time doing after school activities so it will look better on your college application. But just because your best friend is taking 4 AP classes does not mean you have to push for 4 AP classes. I am graduating with mostly A’s and I have been taking community college classes since December.

I am able to do these things because I have never taken an AP class or an honors class. I knew that if I took a harder class I would not get as good of a grade as if I were to have just taken on level classes. Don’t focus on only taking a class because it will look good on your college application. Take classes that you and only you want to take and that you know won’t make yourself overworked.

My third and final piece of advice is that you are going to lose some friends after you graduate. That is just what happens, everyone goes off to wherever they are going and you both lose contact. That’s all right and completely normal.

It is how you handle it that determines how you do. If you accept it and move on with the thought of possibly reconnecting than you will do much better and find new friends than if you were to only think about how you lost those friends. There is always a possibility of reconnecting even with friends you lost throughout high school.

I reconnected and forgave one of my friends that I lost sophomore year.

Their actions at the time hurt me, and I forgive them.

Both of us have grown up and realized that those issues we went through were more issues we had with ourselves.

So it’s okay to forgive someone and become friends with them again. I encourage it. This is all a part of growing up. You lose some friends but you gain even more.

This was my advice to you, a high school student, so pass it along.

Be friends with an underclassman and when it is your turn to graduate give this advice to them because trust me it will make your high school years the best years of your life or at least a little better.

I don’t know you personally so I can’t really tell you what to do, but if you take even just a little piece of my advice then you can make your high school years how you want it to be. Not what anyone else wants it to be. So good luck. I know you've got this.

We surveyed more than 260 seniors about their awkward, embarrassing moments at Branham. Here're the highlights of what they shared. Note: The survey was conducted anonymously.

My friend was trying to climb over the fence, but her P.E. shorts got caught, so she was dangling from the fence.

Went to a concert during the school week, and while walking around the venue area, I ended up spotting one of our teachers. Never had to walk away so fast before. To this day, I still believe that they saw us too, but they haven't brought it up yet.

The clown threats!

Freshman year, Ms. Lawton sniffed my field hockey bag full of my nasty smelling gear. She thought that somebody in my English class had drugs on them, so she went around smelling everyone’s stuff.

Showing up for male cheer practice on the football field at 4:30 AM and seeing a group of people meditating on the football field.

A group of students in my chem class would gather around the desk of a friend that moved away and salute it while one of them played a moderately off-key rendition of "My Heart Will Go On" with a recorder at the start of each class.

I recognized and reunited with a girl who I hadn't seen or talked to in 11 years when we were at the same SAT.

Coronavirus ruining senior year.

More of a confession, but I used to go on the roof all the time at night. The quad wall is awfully low and it gives access to all of the other roofs.

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE COVID

JULIANNE ALVARES

CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

We surveyed 262 Branham seniors on a variety of questions. Some were fun, some were serious, and some were outright absurd. Sometimes our search for class' identity can be quantified. Here’s the breakdown of what the class of 2020 had to say.

Skipped an in person class 48.9% Yes | 51.1% No I hope the boba was worth it.

Had a mental breakdown in class 49.6% Yes | 50.4% No There, there. It’s going to be better. At least in Zoom calls, the video is turned off by default.

SMoked marijuana 40.5% Yes | 59.5% No Many of our seniors really did go to HIGH school.

Most difficult grade LEVEL 47.3% Junior year | 24% Senior year 24% Sophomore year | 4.6% Freshman year Junior year was a toughie for most students.

Good luck, class of 2022. With the SATs going away, things might be looking up!

Easiest grade LEVEL 56.1% Freshmen | 22.9% Senior 12.2% Sophomore | 8.8% Junior You know what they say: Freshman year was pretty easy. addicted to caffeine 17.9% Yes | 82.1% No In other news, 82.1% of seniors are undergoing caffeine withdrawals. first thing you do when you get home 45.4% Eat | 25.6% Electronics 20.6% Nap | 8.4% Homework We'd like try to do all four at once.

Stayed up late watching TikTok 52.7% Yes | 47.3% No As the great Kesha once said, “Tonight, I’ma fight/ ‘Till we see the sunlight” Which do you prefer 74% Live Zoom/ Google Meets classes 26% Watching Pre-recorded lessons Be ready for another round of Zoom meetings, awkward pauses, and blank stares.

Your favorite year 43.5% Senior | 33.2% Junior 14.5% Sophomore | 8.8% Freshmen Saving the best for last, except probably the last part.

Attended a football game 87% Yes | 13% No This year, the Branham football team went to the CCS Division IV finals for the first time since the school reopened in 1999.

In a relationship longer than two months 66.8% Yes | 33.2% No Love is in the air for 66.8% of seniors.

HAVE A DRIVER's LICENSE 63.7% Yes | 36.3% No Watch out! Teen driver here. Seriously: Teen drivers age 16-19 are at greatest risk of getting in a car accident, account to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. car, speed lines Feelings about high school ending 37% Neutral | 32.1% Nervous 26% Happy | 5% Scared Whatever you might be feeling, it’s normal!

This is a major milestone, and that comes with some strong emotions.

Phone of choice 87% iPhone | 13% Android The Apple product doesn’t fall far from the tree.

SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

From sheltering-in-place to friendships, seniors have a lot on their mind.

Rejected from dream school 31.7% Yes | 68.3% No Yes, a few of you made it to Stanford (congrats!), but there’s strength in numbers. Remember: Your top choice is the school that you’re attending.

lied to a teacher about schoolwork 65.6% Yes | 34.4% No Your dogs can't really eat your Google Classroom assignment.

USED banned drugs( vaping included) in class 21% Yes | 79% No CUHSD participated in a class action lawsuit against Juul this year over lost class time and employee hours.

violated the shelter-in-place order 59.5% Yes | 40.5% No The more you violate it, the longer this thing will last. The recent spike in CO VID-19 infection is in large part due to those 35 and younger.

Are you LGBTQ+?

11.1% Yes | 84.4% | No 4.6% Unsure According to the Human Rights Campaign 64% of LGBTQ+ youth are out to their classmates.

Questioned your gender or sexuality 30.9% Yes | 69.1% No High school has always been a time to discover yourself. enjoyed high school 85.5% Yes | 14.5% No We're glad most of you enjoyed your experience! For those who didn’t, things WILL get better.

opinion of online school 75.6% Negative 17.4% Indifferent | 6% Positive Given that we had less than two weeks to prepare and deal with distance learning, it's not a stretch that not many enjoyed the last few months of senior year.

Sexually active 50% Yes | 50% No According to a CDC survey in 2017 only 53.8% of adolescents used condoms. Stay safe out there!

favorite part of high school 67.9% Friends 16% Extracurriculars 9.5% School Events | 6.5% Classes So no one told you life was gonna be this way *clap* *clap* *clap* *clap*. Friends make learning fun. Except on group projects.

Best part of homecoming week 33.2% Football game | 24.4% Male cheer 21.8% Night rally | 17.2% Dance 3.4% Powderpuff The best part is that we're all on the same team.

Hours spent on phone each day 47.3% 2-4 hours | 38.9% 6-8 hours

the more evil option 16% AP tests | 12.2% Finals

Clubs or extracurriculars 83.2% Yes | 16.8% No The SPARE club was honored by the San Jose City Council this year for their work in Branham Park.

Favorite school dance 16.8% Homecoming | 46.6% Prom 6.1% Back to school | 7.3% District | 23.35% None Those Zoom proms combined the best parts of prom with the best parts of not going to prom, so no one won.

Your political party affiliation 43.5% Democrat | 1.9% Third party 11.5% Republican 12.6% Independent Visit vote.gov to register to vote.

Most of our adult class of 2020 will be eligible to vote in the 2020 election.

Whatever your affiliation, vote in our upcoming elections.

PROCRASTINATor? 99.6% Yes | .4% No To the one person who responded no: You probably actually bought AND use a daily planner, too.

Took Coronavirus seriously in January or February 75.6% No | 24.4% Yes Sadly, many are still not taking it seriously.

Favorite pet 72.9% Dogs | 21.8% Cats | 3.1% Reptiles 1.9% Fish | .4% Rodents We could be having a "Ratatouille"-like scenario here, though the one in the backyard only made off with our "Zootopia" DVD.

Phone of choice 87% iPhone | 13% Android The Apple product doesn’t fall far from the tree. Currently there are more than 100 million iPhone users in the United States, accounting for about 45% of all smartphone users here.

7.9% 8+ hours | 16.1% 0-2 hours According to the FCC spending too much time on your phone can cause eye damage, headaches, and depression.

Introvert or an extrovert?

Ambivert 43.5% |24% Extrovert 32.4% Introvert We're not sure how to feel about this, either.

20.2% SATs | 6.9% ACT 44.7% They’re all equally bad.

The UC and CSU systems (and many colleges around the country) have temporarily waived the standardized test score portion of applications as optional for the applying class of 2021.

Opinion of the College Board 50% Negative | 43.1% Indifferent 6.9% Positive Those who don't like the College Board are not alone: They are currently being sued for $500 million over 2020's at-home AP tests.

been drunk 44.7% Yes | 55.3% No This is for all the empty White Claw cans in the parking lot. registered or pre-registered to vote 59.5% Yes | 40.5% No See above. cheated on a test 65.6% Yes | 34.4% No Since you're all graduates, we guess you got away with it. Don't let karma get to you. been cheated on 20.2% Yes | 79.8% No *Carrie Underwood voice* Maybe next time they’ll think before they cheat. Lesson: Watch out for Carrie Underwood. pulled an all-nighter studying 50.4% No | 49.6% Yes Studies suggest that pulling all-nighters is bad for your health. Plan ahead next time. had a crush on a teacher 23.3% Yes | 76.7% No Some thoughts should stay thoughts.

In pursuit of the optional side quests igh school has always H seemed like a competition. People brag about high

SAT scores, GPAs, acceptance letters from prestigious colleges. They act like a little achievement button is going to pop up over their heads showing what they’ve accomplished.

While academic success is certainly important we’re focusing on the wrong kind of achievements.

It's pushed on us that the only achievements that matter are ones that make us stand out to college. Our family and counselors push the idea that the more achievements and rewards you get the quicker you get to adulthood and success.

In reality there are many paths that a person can take.

There's nothing wrong with not having a huge list of academic achievements or accomplishments at the end of your high school career. What matters more is the people you befriend and impact.

There's a famous quote attributed to poet Maya Angelou that's actually from Carl W. Buehner (but that's another topic) that says, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

The things that matter more in school are the way you treat and impact others not your academic stats. I wish I could go back in time and tell my younger self this. I became so focused on keeping my grades up that I missed time to hang with friends.

I’m sure I’m not the only senior who feels this way. I wish I had worried more about trying to make an impact on the people around me rather than thinking my academic success made me a better person. I want my legacy to be one of kindness, not just one of shiny awards.

But then again, that's hard to do when you're constantly being pushed to do more and value academic achievements then social ones.

Being a kind person isn’t something you can put on your college resume; the amount of hours spent with friends is not something you can list under community service hours.

Colleges preach about wanting a well-rounded person but to get into said school you have to make sacrifices.

It's like students are encouraged to spend their high school years staying up till midnight every night to complete assignments fearing that if we don’t, we’ll never get into college and never have the achievements of a job or family. Worried that if we don’t have all of our success in high school we have no future.

This is not the case. If you don’t graduate with a 4.0 or a 3.0 you’re gonna be okay.

Not having a trophy case by the end of high school is not going to ruin your future.

This isn’t a video game not passing a level does not bar you from progressing to the next. Not passing all your classes does not mean you’re a failure and choosing to hang out with friends instead of studying isn’t in responsible, its valuing the people you care about. So take the side quest, get that achievement, level up whatever path you choose whether it be academic or social or in-between it all works out in the end.

BEAR

WITNESS

BLACK LIVES MATTER

ROOT CAUSE

George Floyd's death ignites a reckoning over the history of systemic racism in the U.S.

I

chool counselor Joyce Davis prefers metaphors when she S teaches those who wish to understand what systemic racism is like. Drawing from her Christian faith and her own

experience as an educator, she can clear the For those who wish to understand the Black Lives Matter movement, school counselor Joyce Davis refers to the parable of the lost sheep from the Bible.

In it, Jesus describes a shepherd who leaves his flock of 99 sheep in order to find the one that is lost. Once the lost sheep is recovered, he celebrates its return with his family and friends.

The description is apt for the current movement, she said.

While it is true that all lives do matter, it is the Black population in the United States that is being under siege, especially

by those sworn to protect the community. Though Blacks represent 13.4% or the United States population,they are killed at a rate of 31 out of every 1 million people, more than twice as high as white Americans. So far in 2020, out of 558 civilian deaths by police, 111 of them are Black, according to a database kept by the Washington Post.

"We are being hunted," Davis said.

For many in the BLM community, the May 25 death of George Floyd, who died shortly after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes, was the last straw of generations of discrimination and suppression. Recent marches, in which more than half a million turned out in over 550 places in the U.S. in a single day June 6, and where more than 15 million to 26 million have SEE MOVEMENT • PAGE 3

Page 2 | Editorial + Teachers and BLM allies at Branham Page 3 | Photo essay of the Branham community at protest

Bear Witness staff graphic

n the waning days of the school year, the world exploded in ways not seen in recent memory. The death of George Floyd, a black man from Minneapolis, during a police encounter became the catalyst of a long-simmering call among Black people and their allies to address police brutality and systemic racism. Floyd's death became . The Bear Witness explores the issues that the Black Lives Matter movement have raised, and what that means for students and staff at Branham.

2

BEAR WITNESS

| SUMMER 2020 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

ROOT CAUSE | A RACIAL RECKONING

Editorial The opinion of the Bear Witness editors

n May 25, 46-year-old George Floyd was O arrested after being accused of forgery at a deli in Minneapolis. Floyd resisted the arrest, causing the police to call for backup.

Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck, refusing to step away despite intervention by citizens around them. Floyd died after being knelt on for 8 minutes and 49 seconds in a scene that was recorded by a bystander. The officer has been charged of second-degree murder, while the other three officers were charged of aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

Floyd’s death, along with others at the hands of police, have been a catalyst for the growing unrest, from nationwide protests to rioting, demonstrating that racial tensions in this country were an issue larger than an incident between a Black man and a police officer.

It symbolizes the centuries of injustice and

SUPPORTING BLM

Community shows solidarity, online and off inequality that the Black community has experienced in America.

This summer. millions have taken to the streets to protest police brutality and support the Black Lives Matter movement. In San Jose, protesters marched in front of City Hall and stopped cars on 101. Violence exploded across America as people smashed shop windows and raided department stores, hurting civilians in the process. Although these protests are impactful, a nonviolent approach to advocate for equality helped shape the movement.

Millions have taken to social media platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter to speak their minds. On Pinterest boards and Facebook walls, they have shared graphics explaining how to donate to Floyd’s family and methods on how to show support toward the Black community.

Celebrities such as Lady Gaga and for-

mer presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush used their platforms to share their thoughts and explain how to fight against social injustices. Compassion for the Black community is expressed through reposts by people of all races, like the popular quote circulating the internet that states: “I'm not Black, but I will fight for you.”

The Branham community has taken part in this social media movement, sharing their beliefs and advocating for change online.

Students are sharing photos from protests and graphics about George Floyd, speaking out, and petitioning to aid African-Americans who face police brutality and inequality. They participated in Blackout Tuesday by posting a blank, Black photo with the #Blackouttuesday hashtag and by refraining from using streaming platforms for the day.

While posting spreads awareness about the

discrimination faced by African-Americans, it is imperative that our community goes further than sharing on social media. To do so, people have also included links in their bios to funds such as the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which helps pay bail for arrested protesters.

By sharing online, students are supporting the movement and allowing it to reach wider audiences. It is important that students speak their minds because they are the next generation who can work towards an equal society. We need to educate those around us who do not understand the magnitude of the Black Lives Matter movement. There are still students in the Branham community who continue to use the N-word as a derogatory way of shaming their Black peers. Racism still exists, and we need to recognize that. Now that we can’t see each other in person, we need to show support online.

MATTERS OF PERSPECTIVE

The Black Lives Matter movement has spurred heated debates and conversations among the Branham community — conversations about injustice, inequity, racial privilege and blind spots. We reached out to students and staff and asked them to share their stories and thoughts about the prevailing issue of our generation.

Interviews by Cara McClure

PATSY FONKWO incoming senior

On white privilege Privilege is being able to go jogging without getting shot, being able to sit in your house without getting shot, being able to get pulled over by the police and not be afraid that your skin color is going to be seen as a threat to the police. Some may say that you need to respect the police but what happens when you literally don't even have the chance to. Your skin color automatically makes them see you as a threat, and they're automatically scared, automatically trigger happy, and automatically ready to take your life. You’re just an inconvenience to them.

On ignorance of another's experience with racism It's easy to sit in your bubble and assume that racism doesn't exist from a white student's perspective. Of course you can say that because you haven't experienced racism. Of course I've experienced racism.

Fearing for your life when stopped by a police officer Depending on your skin color, you are going to be approached differently by a cop. Even if you're not approached differently, you're going to be thinking completely different things. Whether you're black or white, you're thinking I don't want to go to jail, I don't want to get arrested. But Black people are thinking I don't want to die. I don't want to get shot.

On rioting during BLM protests Obviously I don't support burning buildings and stuff I don't support violence. But I'm also not really looking at the violence, which is the point of all that (the community is) not paying attention. The entire thing (the Black Lives Matter movement) is happening because the years of peaceful protests. We've tried using our voices peacefully. It's not resonating. All of our words are falling on deaf ears. African Americans didn't just wake up one day and thought, "Let's just mess things up."

Say their names What's going on right now is really, exposing white privilege for what it is. It's really hard to say that white privilege doesn't exist. And people who think white privilege doesn't exist are having a hard time seeing that because what happened to Ahmaud Aubrey when he was jogging, he got shot. And then there's the case of Breonna Taylor, and that was really sad, too because he was in this house with his girlfriend. And they were doing another raid, as they do and they shot it a bunch of times, and she died. And really the thing that really irks me about all of this is that usually these kinds of things happen and they end up putting out a fake story about it. Like when they called Jim Aaron's family they were like, Oh, he was robbing a store and it was a shootout.

On the tipping point in support of BLM My overall tipping point came back in 2014 with the murder of Tamir Rice. I remember seeing the video shared on social media and not MIKE ESPINOZA believing it. I just couldn't handle it.

English and AVID A 12-year-old child gunned down teacher by police. Eric Garner had just been murdered months before, and I just couldn't believe nothing had changed to prevent this from happening again, let alone to a kid. Later, in 2016, the murder of Philando Castile hit me hard. He was murdered by a Latinx man. Anti-Blackness is cruel. We have the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd as focal points. People are clearly fed up.

On anti-racist training Why is there nothing about anti-racism in the standards? It should be mandatory. Same goes for anti-Smitism, anti-homophobia, anti-xenophopbia, anti-Islamaphobia, anti-patriarchal, and so on. Until that happens, teachers can get away with not touching these subjects in their classes.

On growing BLM movement Hearing the students in BSU say they are tired of having to explain racism and what they face everyday made me realize it was not their job to educate MERRY SARA but it was mine to educate myself and MADDELEIN others. I participated in a protest last Spanish teacher week. We had a man on a bike telling us, "Why don’t white lives matter?

Then old women shaking their fingers at us with our “Black lives matter” signs. Equity and social justice ought to be everyone’s right regardless of skin tone.

On her journey to discover her white privilege In North Carolina, I worked in a Title 1 school where the majority of the students I worked with were African American. It was there that I began to hear the horror stories my students had to face on the daily. Being racially profiled, scared of police offers, being called the N word. I was in shock and did not know what to do. ... This is when my journey began to take a closer look at myself and began to become aware of the the white privileged I honestly never knew I had or recognized.

On racial hypocrisy It seems that people are becoming more socially aware, but there are those who put things on their Snapchat stories and Instagram about the Black Lives Matter movement, but in real life like they're the first person to say the N-word.

SOFIA NONGA incoming senior

On Amy Cooper calling the police on Christian Cooper, a black man In May, Amy Cooper, a white woman, called the police on Christian Cooper, a bird watcher.

That literally made my blood boil. That made me so angry. ... It's a very clear example of white privilege, especially white woman privilege, because she used her fearful voice to play the woman victim card.

She used the police ... expecting the police do something bad to him. It shows that she saw that there's a corrupted system and the police and she was hoping that that would cause harm to the guy.

On the anti-mask protests In April, armed anti-mask protesters occupied the governor's mansion in Michigan in defiance of the state's social distancing rules.

You can see the way that the police handle African Americans and protest protesters and people of color protesters versus the ones with the white protesters who were protesting the quarantine. In New York, they're targeting minorities when it comes to breaking social disgusting distancing bubbles . In Central Park, a whole bunch of white families were eating lunch and stuff.

Police were giving them masks. It's shows that now especially people are able to see like clearly the difference like it's not being hidden anymore.

On the delay of justice in the death of Ahmaud Arbery Georgia resident Arbery died in February, but it was not until May that the suspects in his death were arrested and charged.

Police brutality definitely something that isn't new. And it's just like it's a reoccurring event. The reason why it got such media attention is because we had the opportunity to sit down and actually read things like this ... This happened months ago. The only reason why there's a trial is because the video was released and the police side with the rest of the world.

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ROOT CAUSE | A RACIAL RECKONING

MOVEMENT | Counselor shares own experience with discrimination participated, may have made it the largest movement in U.S. history.

For many young people the recent protests have given them an idea of what the Black experience in America has been like.

For Davis, she has seen many instances of it in her own lifetime.

As an elementary school child in a white suburb in Greenwich, Conn., she faced protests when she was the first black student to attend an elite prep school, recently desegregated.

"U.S. Marshals didn't walk me into school every day, but my mother did," she said. "I was the first black girl to go to this school, not being aware" of the significance of the moment.

In middle school, when it came time to study about slavery in the United States, her teacher told her to stand up and told the class that this is what a slave looked like. She told her mom about the incident, which enraged her.

"This was one of the first times that I truly knew that my difference was something to be aware of, and that wasn't a good feeling," she said.

The death of Dr. Martin Luther King in 1968, and the marches and riots that the summer brought on reminds Davis of the current situation, in which millions have poured on to the streets in a collective cry of anguish.

Without naming names, she points to leadership in Washington D.C. for enabling racist behaviors.

"We have modified people's behavior so that they weren't acting in racist ways," she said. "We came up with laws that prohibited racist intent. ... When the current administration came in, they made political correctness ugly. And they ripped off the scab, and they allowed the racism loose.

"We did not eradicate the racism," she continued. "All you did was change the behavior."

BLACK LIVES MATTER PHOTO ESSAY

Taking to the streets

The Black Lives Matter movement has drawn millions across the country seeking an end to police brutality and systemic racism. Students at Branham attended protests throughout June and July, including one on the corners of the school. In each protest, names of the victims, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as those

Calling out white privilege How she sees a solution isn't through behavior modification, but through empathy and understanding. But that's more easily said than done. Perhaps the biggest stumbling block for those who want to end systemic racism is the parallel issue of of white privilege, the idea that there are invisible forces that benefit white Americans above others.

This can be seen in superficial ways such as, until recently, finding bandages in one's own skin color, or in more subtle, harmful ways.

Davis recalls her parents searching for an apartment. Over the phone, her mother, Doris Davis, was able to secure an appointment to view it. ("Her name also doesn't denote anything of an ethnicity.")

However, when her parents drove up to the apartment, they were told that "all of a sudden there were no more apartments."

The property manager was caught in her act of discrimination when a white family friend was able to secure a meeting for the same apartment. Though her family did not ultimately settle in the apartment, the incident was "vindication" for Davis and her mom.

In the quest for Black Americans to seek equality, Davis said that demanding such actions seems to have made those who have enjoyed the privilege uncomfortable.

"I heard this one woman go 'I just don't want to see anything else (referring to the protests); I just want to turn it off — I'm like, wow, that's privilege, that's your white privilege being able to say, 'You know what, I've had enough," she said. "I don't get that privilege."

Relearning history Davis said that the recent deaths of Black people at the hands of police have been the tip of the iceberg in a long history of injustice against people of color in the United States.

History books have left out large parts of the Black experience in America, she said, and it's taken this movement to bring them to light, issues that stretch beyond Rosa Parks and Dr. Martin Luther King.

"There's so much that wasn't taught... but now that you know that information was purposefully left out, you go back and you find it," she said. "I am heartened by the fact that people want to fill in the gaps."

The current movement, unprecedented in its scope has drawn the community into reflection and conversation about Black injustice, she said, in an effort toward progress and reform.

"We can start to have these difficult conversations, but it doesn't have to be ugly, but we have to understand why," she said. "It's acknowledging what they don't know and ... know we have to give each other grace and understanding and love."

Julianne Alvares/Bear Witness

BRANHAM PROTEST Incoming senior Sofia Nonga leads chants at a protest near Branham on June 10. The protest drew more than 100 participants who occupied each corner of Branham Lane and Meridian Avenue. There were no speakers, but the peaceful protest exchanged chants naming the black victims who died after confrontations with police. Among the recent names were George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes, and Breonna Taylor, who died in her home after being shot eight times by Louisville, Ky. police.

Julianne Alvares/Bear Witness

DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE Incoming seniors Anna Ashe and Alison Keane joined thousands of protesters in Downtown San Jose June 6.

School counselor Joyce Davis participates in a peaceful protest in Downtown Campobell organized by sophomore Chantel White.

Lily Middleton/Bear Witness

Vinidu Geevaratne/Special to the Bear Witness

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CLASS OF 2020

The final goodbyes

Lily Middleton/Bear Witness

DRIVE-THROUGH CELEBRATION With homemade posters and balloons, Branham teachers and staff lined up across campus Friday for a rousing sendoff to the class of 2020 with a drive through celebration, closing out a historic and unforgettable senior year. Students such as salutatorian Samiksha Boranna returned the favor with their own thank you posters and gifts for their staff members. The drive through at times resembled a parade for the seniors, some of whom also decorated their cars like floats.

GRADUATING AT A DISTANCE Spread over two days, the class of 2020 had their chance to walk across the stage, socially distanced, for their hybrid graduation ceremony.

Joined by immediate family, the seniors shared the moment with their favorite teachers, who they selected to hand them their diplomas.

Activities director Christina Hillman organized the pomp and circumstance with administrative staff, which included a photo op in front of a Branham backdrop

SUMMER RECAP

What else happened this summer?

Spring musical premieres over Zoom Branham’s delayed spring musical "Side Show" finally premiered over Zoom in early July. In an email, theater director Jennifer Sorkin said that decision was reluctantly made official due to a recent county order limiting outdoor performances to 25 people, which would have been impossible with a cast and crew of 68, especially with social distancing measures in place.

Yearbooks are distributed Yearbook adviser Kirsten McKay hands off a copy of the Branham yearbook to graduating senior Darren Kim on Monday. Seniors were the first to receive their copies, with juniors and sophomores scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday pickups. The reason for the delay was because the printing plant responsible for the yearbook temporarily shut down due to COVID-19. “It feels absolutely amazing to have students receive their books,” said incoming editor Eliza Sarouen.

Sports season is pushed back High school sports will return in December, a decision the California Interscholastic Federation, which governs high school sports shared late July in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The decision came amid growing pressure statewide for schools to hold distance learning classes to stem the spread of the disease. CUHSD is among several districts in the last few weeks that will at least start the school year online.

We're online again As coronavirus cases in California surged, the district and staff engaged in a summer of debate over how to teach once school started again (you know how that turned out).

In a letter to the CUHSD community, Bravo said that while distance learning “can never take the place of in-person learning,” student and staff safety were his main priorities in the recommendations.