Bear Witness - May 2024

WINGING IT

taken many personality tests over the years, from the 16Personalities test to “What ’Station Eleven’ character are you,” scrolling through “free personality tests” websites and uQuiz for more. These personality tests are mainly for fun, and to compare results with my friends and laugh at memes. I also learned some fun facts about myself that I didn’t even know about. For example, did you know that ESTJs are the “most fun people to crack witty and sarcastic jokes” with (according to a very credible Reddit post)?

JIYOON CHOI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MASSACHUSETTS Did

ILLINOIS

Did

Counseling COTY CARSON

"He has worked extremely hard in his two years here. We can't be prouder of everything that you've accomplished."

Samantha Hickey Blum, counselor

Science HASIKA OGGI

"She is bright, thorough and always exudes positive energy."

Juan Fernandez, science

"She stands out for their excellent academics, intellectual curiosity and perservence."

Barbara Schremp, math and engineering CTE CLAIRE YANG

English NILA METTLER

Jennifer McGrath, psychology Social Science TIGLAD SAVRA

"He has consistently demonstrated a remarkable level of curiosity. He's intelligent, mature and respectful."

"She is imaginative. She's curious. She's interested in discussing literature."

Heather Amanatullah, English

Math ERIC LIANG

Special Education JONATHAN BURRELL

HASIKA OGGI | SENIOR OF THE

YEAR

"He is friendly, always willing to help, always ready to stand up for his spirits."

Angelita Leones, special education

"Eric has a deep rooted conceptual understanding of math and computer science and a good sense of their applications."

Ramani Visvanathan, math

Jennifer Sorkin, theater Performing Arts ALLISON CRICK

Leslie Do, art Visual Arts ADAM JANSE

"He is a prime example of an individual who values end integration of the humanities and the branch of science."

Winning both Science and Senior of the Year

AVA STARK News Editor

Grateful for her demonstrations of academic rigor, leadership and involvement with her peers, science teacher Kori Reynolds nominated and spoke on behalf of this year’s senior of the year award winner Hasika Oggi

Reynolds had been Oggi’s teacher twice, first in biology her freshman year and then later in AP Environmental Science this year.

“I don't usually get called upon to highlight our seniors,” Reynolds said, “but I had the opportunity to see Oggi develop unique interests, grow into their own voice and find confidence in who they are.”

With freshman year being online, Oggi did not have as much of an opportunity to connect with Reynolds. Now that she’s in her senior class, Reynolds has seen the extent to which Oggi has grown in her high school career and is proud of what she’s accomplished, especially in the science department.

“She has always shown confidence and commitment with a desire to grow academically,” Reynolds said. “Senior year is truly an

Valedictorian Eric Liang

Salutatorian

Aadyant Suresh

Athletes of the Year

Rebecca Sung

Ethan Lo

Scholar-Athletes of the Year

Quinn Godfrey

Ben Lim

even bigger take on challenges and during the pressure and stress of high expectations, but Oggi has been facing this pressure with joy and confidence and optimism. I see her reach out to her peers and support them and I've also often seen you ask for help and get advice.”

She is appreciative of the time she’s been able to have in Reynold’s class and in other science classes.

“This year, just her entire environmental science class was really fun,” Oggi said. “Meeting her baby a few times and bringing him to class is also really great.”

In addition to the Senior of the Year Award, Oggi also won the Science Department Award which was presented by science teacher Juan Fernandez. For Oggi, she was unsuspecting that she would win either.

“I've always been really interested in pursuing the sciences and going into medicine, so I just took all the science classes that I could and I feel like that's what paid off,” she said. Oggi is planning on pursuing the sciences and medicine in the future. Reynolds has confidence that Oggi will continue to succeed as much as she’s been able to in high school.

“And I'm excited to hear about all the things she’ll take on,” Reynolds said. “Anyone who you interact with is going to just be impressed and humbled by how much you have to offer really seeing here.”

HIGHLIGHTS OF AWARD RECIPIENTS AT SENIOR AWARDS NIGHT

Cully R Plant Scholarship

Angelina Frangides

Marianna Frangides

CWCC Scholarship

Michelle Heo

Sarina Nunes

PTSA Scholarship

Eric Liang

Rebecca Sung

Briana Avalos

Army National Guard ROTC

Annie Chen

Sports Booster Scholarship

Kaulen Velasquez

Rebecca Sung

Jocelyn Shepherd

Soorya Raman

Robbie Deauville Bruin Pride

Abbie Fales

Nolan Mannina

Citizenship Award

Nila Mettler, Cindy Le, Benjamin Ayala, Jonathan Burrell, Taryn Quam, Chloe O'Neill, Bryce Rosenblum, Salem McClure, Kaulen Velasquez,

Bangura, Jocelyn Shepherd, Ava Lee, Olivia Scadden

"The level of professionalism and dedication she has for her craft is truly unmatched and will serve them well in this industry."

or take it easy."

"She loves to learn about other traditions and embraces diversity. She is humble but always ready to help."

Katia Saade, French World Language MADELINE DANG

I’ve been the Archer

Taylor Swift has held a special place in my heart since childhood. Her melodies filled my mom's car during our rides to school, and as time passed, I surrounded myself with her discography. What started with a few songs turned into love for entire albums. Taylor's music evolved alongside me as I grew up. "Reputation" marked the beginning of my adolescence at 11, while "Lover" provided solace during the beginning of the pandemic. Over time, I developed an appreciation for her lyrics, immersing myself in them like novels. Despite my initial hate of reading, I was absorbed in her lyric books and manuscripts. In 2020, "Folklore" and "Evermore" became my refuge within the imprisonment of my room. Her words inspired me to turn my emotions into poetry, offering a sentimental outlet when everything felt numb and solitary. Unexpectedly, Taylor's music also introduced me to a best friend at a time when friends were hard to come by. Through the highs and lows of the pandemic and what followed it, my best friend and I shared moments listening to her albums and re-records, eagerly anticipating new releases and bonding over her music videos. What was once a personal connection became a shared passion with my new favorite person.

However, like the narrative arc of Taylor's albums, our friendship reached its conclusion. Like every album of hers there is always a breakup song, most of the time there are a few of them. I never thought I would relate to them until that moment.

Swifties know about the track five theory, where the fifth track of every album is the most vulnerable, and I had found my match. This friendship that I had loved was now lost, yet Taylor's music remained intertwined with memories of our time together, leaving me heartbroken. All of these emotions came at a time when I was supposed to be happy. I still had so much to love and look forward to. But it’s hard to be in love when you’re heartbroken. It was hard to feel and heal simultaneously, so I just chose to forget and leave everything that tied me to what I was trying not to feel, forcing me to distance myself from her music.

When "The Tortured Poets Department" came out this April, I was hesitant to listen. Part of me wanted to avoid revisiting heartbreak, but my childhood love for her music was stronger than what I was trying to avoid. As I listened, each track resonated with the emotions I had suppressed. Taylor's words provided release, allowing me to confront and process my feelings.

I had been living life with a broken heart, yet song after song she mended the cloth-covered wounds I refused to look at. The feelings of heartbreak were revisited, making me realize that I couldn’t just avoid and forget them. Instead, I had to forgive, and it helped me heal in an odd way I still don’t truly understand.

In Taylor’s Instagram post about the album, she explained how this album is not meant to be reminisced on, but enjoyed and heard: “This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed.” And my wounds, though still present, are healing. This chapter, just like hers, is over, and I have learned that holding the grudge is pointless, thus allowing me to let it go.

Taylor's words and songs have helped me grow and taught me countless lessons throughout life. The songs I used to never understand in those car rides to school suddenly became crystal-clear throughout my high school years. Losing friends and making more were events I never expected to go through when I started my sophomore year, but looking back, I honestly don’t know if I would change a thing.

Taylor Swift has always been more than just a favorite artist. She's been a source of understanding, giving voice to emotions I struggled to feel and express. With each era, she has been a constant companion, offering solace and healing throughout my life.

Alan Schaeffer/Bear Witness

Science teacher Kori Reynolds hugs senior Hasika Oggi after announcing the senior of the year

Jasmine

"Even though he played two physically demanding sports, he never asked to take a day off

Christopher Jensen, P.E. P.E. ISAAC SOTELO

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

Alan Schaeffer/Bear Witness

Oggi recieves the science department award from science teacher Juan Fernandez and responds with a "Thank you."

Passports and Passions

People joke about the three certainties in life. Death, taxes, et al. It is, at this point, apparent that there are a great deal more than three. One other such certainty is that with every introduction comes the requirement that one must share a fun fact about themselves. Or some variation of this. Usually people offer relatively banal statements, particularly of the I have a dog or I don’t like cheese variety. These aren’t very fun facts, and neither is mine. As far back as I can remember, I’ve always used the same fun fact when introducing myself. I’ve been places. More specifically, countries. A decent sum of them. Twenty-six exactly, and I could list them for you on the spot if prompted.

In the fall of senior year, I embarked on a meditative and introspective journey of self-reflection, where I found my mind and soul transported across time and space as I viewed my life in pieces, scrutinizing decisions I’ve made and analyzing the metamorphosis of my being in response to the evolution of my environment. I emerged from said journey with 22 college essays. Nine of them were completely about my traveling.

I lived in Germany from preschool through first grade (but before people start asking me, I am not German). If you look at maps frequently, you will understand why it is easier to do more traveling while in Germany, compared to while in the United States. Because I did not have much homework in kindergarten, and because European countries are small and close together, it was easier for my family to visit a lot of different places. A four-day-weekend, for example, would usually be a trip to Amsterdam. A week off would mean plenty of time to hit four Italian cities. Easter weekend would be a perfect chance to see London. Summer sounded like South Africa was on the cards.

Writing all 8,000 words of my college essays helped me see the impact these travels had on my life. At the risk of sounding cringe, I would not be who I am without these experiences. Like any five-year-old, I would complain. NOT another cathedral, I would protest as we waited in line, playing with a fallen orange at the Mosque of Cordoba’s Patio de los Naranjos. I whined about having to walk through city square after city square just to see another old building.

I wouldn’t know it yet, but when my interests shifted away from Pokémon and towards history and geography in middle school, I had my time in Germany to thank for that. Over the pandemic, I watched every Crash Course world history video, and then some. Sure maybe it was the nerdiest thing I could’ve done with my time, but at least I can explain how the rise of Islam indirectly led to Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat.

Then, in sophomore year, I turned my attention to flags. I always had a good memory, so I decided to learn all the flags. I still can identify the flags of all the 254 nations and territories. And the locations of all 180 UN-recognized states.

I think these interests developed in me due to my experience. I wanted to know about the histories and cultures of the places I’d visited. I wanted to visit more places and see these things in real life. To me, general knowledge about history and geography is core to having a basic knowledge of why the world functions the way it does.

I enjoyed AP World History and AP US History. I thought they were easy and fun classes, partly because I enjoyed learning the subject matter and because I already had a solid understanding of a lot of the history we learned. When it came to applying to college, I knew I wanted to study something that had an international focus. I wanted to study abroad and learn more about why the world exists the way it does today. I made my traveling and my history obsession a primary feature of much of my applications. I got what I wanted in the end, as I was accepted as early decision into the University of Chicago for global studies and economics, where I also plan to study abroad. When I start school in the fall, I count on having to share a fun fact about myself at some point. When the time arises, I know exactly what fun fact I will be using, only this time I see how that one fun fact holds so much significance for me: it got me to where I am, and it makes me who I am.

IDEAL FUTURE?

FAVORITE DANCE?

71.3% are attending the school/ pursuing the career they expected.

After a 15% surge from 2022-23, Common App reports a 6% growth in applications this year, with over 1,300,000 sent to 834 schools across the country.

EVER SLEPT DURING CLASS?

EVER GOTTEN DRUNK?

EVER USED MARIJUANA?

52.9% of the seniors had a blast at prom. Homecoming wass the runner-up, and Love Ball did not get much love. Maybe our class is just salty they didn’t have a date...

79.3% of us were desk dreamers at Branham. According to the CDC, over 70% of high schoolers are sleep-deprived. Apparently, lectures weren’t going to stop any sleepy seniors.

For 66.7% of seniors, yes.

National data reports that 15% of 16–17 year-olds and 32% of 18–20 year-olds consume alcohol.

CAFFEINE ADDICTION?

CONTRACTED AN STD?

51.7% of seniors have gotten high. An National Institutes of Health study found that teens are most likely to use marijuana as a coping mechanism or to escape reality. At Branham, 43.7% admit to to having been under the influence at a school event.

24.1% depend on a jolty beverage to get them through the day. From Starbucks and home-brewed coffees, to Monster and Celsius, to Five Hour Energy, Bruin seniors must be bouncing off the walls.

2.3% of the seniors may be getting a bit too much play. Hopefully they get that taken care of pretty quickly.

FAVORITE YEAR?

MOST DIFFICULT SUBJECT?

57.5% of the class of 2024 liked senior year the best. Unsurprisingly, none were fans of freshman year. Would it be unreasonable to say that maybe Bruins do like school?

Thankfully Google Forms calculated this percentage for us because 55.2% of seniors said their hardest subject was math.

BEEN IN A RELATIONSHIP FOR 2+ MONTHS?

46% have been in a long-term relationship (relatively speaking). Not to burst their bubble, but only about 2% of high-school couples end up getting married.

LIED TO A TEACHER?

Honesty is not the policy for the class of 2024. 70.1% of seniors said that they might have been a little academically dishonest.

BEEN IN A CAR ACCIDENT?

47.1% of seniors have had some uncomfortable talks with insurance. Maybe the small Branham parking lot is to blame?

HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON YOUR PHONE?

The senior class has major self-control. 47.1% spend 2-4 hours on their phones each day.

Source: Bear Witness survey of 87 seniors Compiled by Alan Schaeffer and Makayla Wu

A run down memory lane

OWEN DASZKO STAFF WRITER

Endless amounts of sweat roll down my face, my legs move as if in a dream, the sun beats down on my sunscreen-less skin, dirt kicks into my already dry mouth and a voice echoes in my head to give up.

The voice doesn’t give me a reason to give up.

Whether I am at 1% energy or 90% energy, I keep pushing. I follow my motivational phrase that I have structured my mindset around:

“Pain is temporary, greatness is forever.”

The journey of the 2022 Branham cross-country team truly embodied this phrase. We endured and battled through obstacles to become the best team in school history, and it was a lasting memory that I will never forget.

Walking into that first day of summer training junior year, thinking the coach was a new freshman from a distance, I had no idea what was bound to happen next.

The first season with the coach was an

obstacle for me. I hadn’t had true expectations as a runner before, and I hadn’t been held accountable by anyone other than myself or my family up to that point in my life. I had to realize my priorities, and I had to realize my obligations. I learned the hard way a few times, but I accepted what I needed to do and made decisions I thought were best for myself and everyone around me.

Coach truly helped me get through those decisions, and it allowed me to see the side of him that has made him such a great coach throughout his entire career. The side of him that cares about his athletes and the sense of connection and tough love that he brought to the team.

Day after day, practice after practice, I knew we were creating something special. Those Quicksilver hill days in the heat and those trail workouts allowed us to build the confidence that we needed to pursue future mental battles. A community, a family, and a mentality were grown that conjured the mindset to continuously dominate. From the day coach Craig Lee stepped foot on that Branham track, it didn’t matter what the goal entailed, we were set to expectations

of becoming the best. And we became the best, but it wasn’t reaching our goal that was special, it was the drive everyone had to exceed the goals that we created.

Every journey is challenged by adversity and finishing third in CCS due to a disqualification, we were faced with a mental battle we were required to endure. Luck may have been on our side, but that luck was on our side for a reason. We had trained all season to earn a chance to compete at the State Championships, and it would’ve been disappointing if we hadn’t reached it.

The sacrifices everyone was able to make were part of a once-in-a-lifetime journey, and it was well worth it, knowing I was sharing and cherishing memories with a new family that was being created.

Pain slithers through our bones, pain causes us to foster the idea of giving up, yet we don’t. Others may ask us “For what reason do we put ourselves through something so unnecessary?”

My answer is for the memories of fighting the mental battles others wouldn’t dare to resist and doing it together as one. Running is a privilege, but to live life facing obstacles is an obligation.

ALAN SCHAEFFER SPORTS EDITOR

Illustrations by David Tran and Makayla Wu

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

AP Exams, SATs and ACTs, finals, state testing... no difference. At least, according to 31% of Branham seniors. What did these tests ever do to you?

48.3% of seniors are a mix of both, while 28% said they were extroverted. The rest are introverts.

An article by BBC claims that ambiverts are better leaders due to their tendencies to both take charge and listen to others.

JOINED CLUBS AND EXTRACURRICULARS?

88.5% of seniors went to club rush for more than just the food (although it may have been a major contributer).

Branham’s website lists 65 registered clubs and the school has 22 sport teams across the three seasons.

ADDICTED TO YOUR VAPE?

A TEST OF INNOCENCE

ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?

12.6% of Branham seniors are LGBTQ+.

In a recent Gallup survey, more than 70% of Americans now say they support nonheterosexual marriage, compared to 27% in 1996.

5.8% can’t leave home without it, and 12.6% may have even taken a puff in class.

A study by the FDA found that 3.05 million high schoolers in the U.S. had used an e-cigarette at least once in a 30 day period in 2018.

The 66 Branham seniors who responded to this question have an average Rice Purity Score of 58.63. The test gets it’s name from Rice University in Houston, Texas—NOT actual grains of rice.

47.1% of seniors say they are still somewhat friends with the same people as when they entered high school. There’s no falling-out worse than a friend-group fallout! (Except for nuclear fallout).

LOOKING BACK... 20 YEARS FROM NOW

"My personal growth and friendships I made in high school"

"Everyone cheering and coming together to get excited"

"The times I spent during break and lunch with my friends" WERIDEST HIGH SCHOOL STORY

"Saw poop on the bathroom walls one time. The bathroom party was funny too. A lot of bathroom stuff was weird."

"Hung out with a friend one-on-one a few times. He later expressed how happy he was that we were dating."

"Seeing people in furry costumes."

"Kid walking around class barefoot."

DID YOU ENJOY HIGH SCHOOL?

Despite all the complaining, 92% of seniors enjoyed their high school experience.

ARE

YOU SEXUALLY ACTIVE?

42.5% of Branham seniors are. Among teen females aged 15-19, 42% had ever had sex, and among teen males, the percent was 44%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

WHAT IS YOUR POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION?

49.4% of seniors are feeling blue, while 25.3% are unsure. It’s a big year for elections! Let’s see how the class of 2024 affects the outcome.

HAVE YOU EVER CHEATED ON A TEST?

71.3% of seniors couldn’t keep their eyes on their own papers. Punishments for cheating on a College Board exam include reporting the incident to colleges and prohibiting students from taking other related

Finding

my voice

When I stepped foot onto the campus on my first day of sophomore year, I was thrown into a bustling, diverse environment that was five times the size of my previous school. Moving into the district just before high school prompted me to switch from a small, religious 6-12 school to Branham. Looking back, I believe this was arguably the best decision I could’ve made for myself. Navigating the environment made me quickly realize that high school is full of decisions, and I suddenly felt responsible for myself because no one else was. With newfound freedom came the weight of making decisions independently. Throughout these past few years, understanding when to say yes and when to say no has been my biggest challenge.

EVER BEEN CHEATED ON?

PULLED AN ALL-NIGHTER

16.1% of seniors, it’s sadly a yes. Maybe this explains why so much of the senior class has turned to weed and alcohol!

Desperate times call for desperate measures. 32.2% of seniors have pulled an all-nighter studying.

24.1% of seniors were probably drooling in their seats. We all know who the usual subjects of our affection were...

USED CHATGPT?

48.2% of seniors admit that they’ve turned to AI homework help in times of need. Another 9.3% say they have even used it for their college essays.

Steve Jobs has 92% of seniors on his side. According to Apple, there are over one billion iPhones in use around the world.

Source: Bear Witness survey of 87 seniors Compiled by Alan Schaeffer and Makayla Wu

I met people who lived lives I could never imagine. I befriended people I probably shouldn’t have. I had trouble saying no to anyone or anything asked of me. Though I made countless mistakes, both big and small, if you ask me what I change, I would say nothing. Losing a close friend in a moment helped me grow mentally and learn who is worth my time and who isn’t. It’s through these conscious choices and mistakes that I got to understand myself, my morals and my values. Despite well-meaning advice from others, true understanding dawned only through firsthand experience. Each mistake served as a stepping stone towards a deeper understanding of myself, my values and my priorities. I was blessed with people who were more forgiving of my mistakes than I was, helping me move past them and look for ways to improve. I learned to appreciate the people around me who are just trying to help me — teachers, friends and family — and to accept their help instead of resisting.

High school is a journey of self-discovery where we navigate the murky waters of yes and no, weighing risks against rewards, often feeling the weight of responsibility on our shoulders. Through moments of uncertainty, I learned to trust myself and gain confidence and self-awareness. I’m not saying that I make all the right decisions now. I’m still finding the balance between school, friends, family and work. I’m still learning how to open up to others better. I’m still learning the right things to say at the right time. However, I take immense pride in the decisions I’ve made, such as coming to Branham and joining journalism. Through the class, I witnessed the diversity and spirit of our school as a whole. I would not be who I am without the knowledge and the circle of friends I gained from this class. When the time came to pick a college, I felt ready. 4 years ago, I would never have been able to make this decision, nevertheless imagine myself being in this situation. But I know myself well enough now. Through the mistakes of high school, knowing when I feel bored and what excites me led me to choose the daunting option, thousands of miles away from home.

I can only hope that I feel as good about this decision in the future as I do now about coming to Branham. I’ve thought it over — what I’m giving up by choosing the East Coast over staying in sunny California and what this means for my future — and am confident in my reasons for picking UPenn. Even if it doesn’t work out, I’m sure that I will go through many times more growth than I have in the past 4 years. I look forward to the new experiences and ideas and will not look back with any regret. My ability to navigate conscious decision-making with introspection and confidence remains the most valuable takeaway from my high school years.

Illustrations by David Tran and Makayla Wu

MAKAYLA WU COPY EDITOR

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

Brainrot: Erm, what the sigma. Youtube

been

ChatGPT: An AI software used to complete essays and answer questions that’s saved us so much time in our last two years. Just don’t tell the teachers.

Seniors’ four years at Branham summarized by alphabet

The class of 2024 couldn’t stay on campus despite how many times they guarded the gates. Nothing hits better than a chicken sandwich during tutorial.

Compiled by Maceo Inoue, Owen Daszko and Jiyoon Choi Illustrations by Isabelle Zanchi

In-N-Out: The go-to place after any school

Changing My World

The World Cup is the world’s biggest competition, bringing together billions of people over one single, a life changing event that happens every four years. 32 countries, all fighting for the honor of becoming the greatest country on earth in the game of Soccer. It’s an event that includes all the aspects of life, from pain, anguish, frustration, to pure joy, excitement and elation.

With the 2022 World Cup being played in Saudi Arabia, the scorching hot middle eastern summer was deemed as unplayable, so the tournament was moved later in the year, to the winter of 2022, which was also the middle of a stress filled junior year. With the time difference, games were going to be played and shown in the early morning to the afternoon, right in between the school day. For me and my friends, this was something that couldn’t be skipped because of some assignment.

To me, the beautiful game has always been a source of passion and strength in my life. It’s been a true constant that has never gone away. Soccer to me is my area of expertise, a subject that I know everything about, from actually playing the game, to enjoying the professionals in their spotlight. I’ve enjoyed every part of the sport since I was little. From waking up at 4 a.m. to watch my favorite team Arsenal score a header to complete our comeback against first place Leicster in the last minute of extra time, to spending hours at Branham recreating goals with my friends, to scoring the winning goal against Prospect to give us our first win of the season. Soccer has been a major part of my life that was now colliding with my school life. This was not close to the first time that I’ve watched the beautiful game during class. There have been plenty of occasions where I’ve snuck my phone out to catch an Arsenal game or some Champions League clash that was going on on some janky website, but this was the first where I had so many people watching it with me.

After one week of the World Cup, I walked into school with no expectations on who would be paying attention to the game, thinking it would just be me and a few soccer players watching the USA game, but to my surprise, people were crowding around phones and computers completely immersed in what was going on.

I had friends come up to me wanting to hear my thoughts on what was going on, and others who couldn’t tell you a thing about the sport asking me what’s the big deal. Even my APUSH teacher Ms. Menera put the game on the screen, saying that it was history in the making. This experience made my love for the game feel validated and overall increased my confidence in myself that I started being more adventurous in my choices.

As the tournament progressed, I began to look at things from a different perspective. In the past, I’ve watched games and seen how players can carry themselves and their confidence that they bring to the game, but I had never really questioned it before then. For this World Cup, when I looked at the players, I saw how much pressure was on them to perform. They needed to put on a stellar performance, while also putting the hopes and pressures of an entire country onto their backs.

That understanding put things into perspective for me. It made me feel that any mistake or choice in my life wouldn’t matter as much which overall encouraged me to care less about how others saw me. These professionals were so focused on their goal and their constant striving to improve that they blocked out all those voices tearing them down.

It was in that mentality that I made a noticeable difference in myself. My clothes and overall style began to change, ordering stuff I usually would not have the confidence to get. I tried switching up my hair, and even wearing more jewelry to try and switch things up.

The famous soccer players that are able to play in the world’s biggest competition aren’t afraid of criticism or fear of failure, but rather embrace the challenge put in front of them. To me, it was about taking that next chance, to try something new and deal with whatever was thrown my way.

In a time in my life where I was feeling unsatisfied with what I had, watching these footballers play with no fear in their eyes and it made me feel confident in myself. All of these players had come from different backgrounds, all with different styles in the way they played but ultimately were successful enough to make it to the world’s biggest stage. To see that there are so many different paths that you can live your life, and still do amazing things instilled in me an idea of never self compromising.

The slogan from the Branham Barstool Instagram that posted Bruins’ photos every week.

Shorts have

detrimental to our attention spans — and vocabulary.

From Teaspoon, Starbucks and even Chiptole, the class of 2024 was making that bread.

Fire Alarms: The school’s fire alarms went off for everything but a fire.

Golf Carts: A certain student stole and crashed a golf cart into a trashcan, creating one of the funniest moments in our four years.

Heat Waves: Having to do assignments on one of the hottest days of the year in a classroom with no A/C should be considered a crime.

event. Real ones know about their 4x4s.

Journalism: Arguably the best class on campus, providing timely and accurate coverage on all that goes on at Branham.

Kirk Selfridge: Inarguably the GOAT senior year core teacher. His impassioned lectures prepared us well for the AP Exam.

Lock in: We used this phrase to show that we’re actually going to do our work. 50% of the time, it’s actually going to be completed.

Mansplaining: So basically, mans plaining is when a man explains the concept of something in a simpler way to a woman.

New York Times Games: The best procrastination games that won’t get you in trouble with teachers. Can’t do anything until you get the Wordle.

Outreach gone: An unnecessary version of tutorial that forced students to listen to slides presented by teachers. Good riddance.

Protests: The class of 2024 stood up for what they believed in throughout all four years from teacher salaries to school shootings.

Quizlet: The #1 study tool to use right before a test.

Rizz: noun: a romantic appeal or charm; The Rizzler has unspoken rizz

Shadow Boxing: A game played by making your opponent look somewhere three times in a row. Hundreds have been clipped from this.

Taylor Swift: The famous singer that had students going crazy for tickets and losing sleep over albums. It was an era…

Unsafe Driving: Cutting up through traffic, shattering the speed limit and doing donuts while still being in the Branham parking lot is pretty impressive.

Vandalism: Whether it was for devious licks or just wanting to take out the bathroom dividers, we caused a lot of damage in our time here.

World Cup: If you didn’t sneak your phone out to watch the games during class, what were you doing?

Xtreme Exit: Out of the original 118 staff members from our freshman year, only 61 still remain at Branham. Yikes.

Yapping: A term for someone who really knows how to keep talking on and on and on...

Zoom: Our classroom for most if not all our freshman year because of the pandemic. Anyone who says they didn’t sleep during it at least once is lying.

MACEO INOUE STAFF WRITER

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

LIA CHOI MANAGING EDITOR

A chance to be me

Luck (noun): success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions.

Throughout my four years of high school, I’ve been lucky a fair amount of instances. I’ve never failed a test (although I came close to it in AP Physics), had a bad friend break-up, or received a grade lower than an A in any class. It’s safe to say that overall, I’ve enjoyed high school and all the new experiences and perspectives it’s given me.

The text-book definition of “luck” that I copy and pasted above sounds pretty accurate in a literal sense, but I’m also a firm believer that luck doesn’t just come to anyone in any situation—you have to make the effort to put yourself in a situation where luck will find you in the first place (shoutout to Blue Lock for teaching me that one).

So looking at it that way, the luck that I’ve experienced aren’t mere flukes or brief successes. They’re the product of my own carefully-melded actions and efforts, contributing to the person I am today.

There’s been a lot of moments in high school I find significant. Things like attending my first homecoming dance, going on my first date and school trips are all memorable, but honestly, I’ve been sitting here for the last half hour trying to think of what my sole favorite moment of high school has been, and my mind’s drawing a blank.

ChatGPT’s top three suggestions are “winning a championship,” “prom night” and “graduation day.” Well, guess what? I never played a sport, I didn’t go to prom last year and graduation hasn’t happened yet. I guess even AI can’t help me on this one.

Creative writing has always been my strong suit because the words just flow out of me, but not when it comes to writing about me. I’ve always thought my life as utterly normal and somewhat mundane, and honestly, I want nothing more than to conjure up a fictional favorite moment so telling that it’ll leave readers with wide eyes and impressed looks.

But then, that wouldn’t be representative of me. That’s the reality of life. You’re never going to experience solely out-of-this-world moments or be consistently lucky because life is fleeting, and its capriciousness is what makes it worth remembering and living.

I remember I really wanted to join Bear Witness my sophomore year of high school, but due to schedule conflicts, I ultimately couldn’t take it until junior year. That was unlucky. And unpredictable. Yet if I’m being honest again, I hadn’t expected the class to be so fun and immersing, to the point where I now plan to pursue journalism-related fields professionally.

I’ve been lucky to have stepped into this role of a student journalist, because I’m able to seek and share unique, emotionally-compelling and impactful stories that come from other people’s voices.

At first, the transition was hard. Like I said, my writing skills were derived from fictional creative writing, not informative news writing. But after months of practice and writing news stories, the former Bear Witness adviser, Mr. Vo, once gave me a few words I’ll never forget: “We’re often glued to our personal biases, but your ability to abandon them and find the truth should be embraced.”

Up until joining journalism, I hadn’t really known what to do with myself, especially in the future. But as my experience in the class grew, so did my interest, and the memories, perspectives and skills I’ve gained from being here are ones I’ll never forget. Ultimately, this personal growth has been my favorite moment of high school. Although I’ve only been in this program for two years and everyone’s experiences are different, the universal truth still applies in that in high school, there’s truly something for everyone.

It’s a key part of one’s life; a time of searching for and establishing self-identity, allowing the unknown to guide you to future possibilities you may have otherwise never experienced or appreciated.

I’m always good at starting stories, but ending them has definitely been my weak spot. That’s how it is with life, too. A story’s beginning doesn’t guarantee its ending, and that’s okay.

There will always be instances of hardship and uncertainty, but don’t let those moments hold you back, because as long as you carry merit and put in the effort, luck—and life itself—will surely be on your side.

AADYANT

SURESH SCIENCE&HEALTH EDITOR

We asked the Class of 2024 who their favorite teacher has been throughout their four years of high school, along with asking various staff members who their favorite senior is and why.

Favorite teacher: Jennifer McGrath (AP Psychology)

“She has a good teaching style and her lessons were engaging and fun.”

Peter Lee

“She’s really

and she teaches really well. She makes the class really enjoyable."

Kaliya Yco

Favorite student: Nila Mettler

“She’s just well-read and I basically want to be her. Her book collection is just next level, and she’s so polite, kind to everyone and brilliant.

Heather Amanatullah (English teacher)

“She shows empathy, and she’s very understanding and caring about her students’ feelings and experiences. She believes in your abilities, which can be really encouraging and motivating for students.”

Logan Buckman

Favorite student: Monte

“He’s very outgoing and he loves everybody. I’ve never seen Monte get mad or talk bad about anybody.”

Aaron Ippolito (Campus Supervisor)

“She has an extremely high work ethic. She worked really hard for all the programs that she’s a part of, and she can be a little bit misunderstood, but she has a great heart and she is a great person.”

Noah Potts

A changing mindset

From my initial zoom classes in my freshman year, I realized that the next four years would be vastly different from what I expected from the academic high school experience I had thought of. Studying and school had always been something I looked forward to and was comfortable with. In a way, it was a safe zone — predictable with a set formula of what to study, how to learn and what to do.

Yet, in the first year online, it became apparent that my formulaic and constrained approach was limiting me by not taking the initiative to gain new insights and discoveries that new classes offered. But more than that, I was missing out on all new offerings and opportunities.

I understood that I needed a shift in mindset in the approach I would need to take to how I wanted to shape my learning — one that encouraged both trying new things and adapting when things are

unpredictable. I worked towards this, taking dual enrollment courses in Administrative Justice and Business Law. The classes both allowed me to delve further into new areas of study and discuss topics with students across the district and with experienced professors and speakers, including a former judge. With my introduction to AP courses as well, it was a great opportunity to go deeper into a subject area. AP English Language was one class where I thoroughly enjoyed both the engaging discussions on rhetoric and current events. I was able to express ideas and insights that I hadn’t before and had greater confidence in asking questions or risking a new writing approach.

With other AP classes from calculus to chemistry, I took pride with each new topic I learned and understood that difficulties were the best way for me

to learn. Thanks to the help of teachers, each new challenge was not wholly a frustration, but a means to improve and develop as a scholar. Yet, the most rewarding of these experiences would be my time in journalism. The new events to cover each week from hackathons to rallies and club events showed me more of my school and peers than I could have imagined. The foray into understanding photography and interviewing led to numerous skills and lessons with wide ranging applications. I would have never expected that my path would lead me to the Bear Witness, but the confidence I have developed during my time with the paper has been invaluable. As I prepare to move onto the next stage of my journey far in university, the lessons from Branham will always be with me. A reminder on trying new things and always being ready to explore new domains — unsure of what they offer but ready for it all.

Compiled by Lia Choi and Makayla Wu Illustrations by David Tran

Favorite teacher: Neta Ravid (Digital Photo)

chill

Favorite teacher: Bobbi Arduini (English)

Favorite student: Guy Muyal “He helps my class and is good with the students. He’s also pretty good at calculus.”

Ramani Visvanathan (Math teacher)

Favorite teacher: Jennifer Sorkin (Theatre and Yearbook)

Perez

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

Streetside Storytelling

Ialwaysmarveled at the impact of small businesses and market vendors who continued to create community and touch their customer’s hearts in the face of an industrialized era ruled by technology and efficiency.

I think there is something more real about small businesses — every product emanates a personal touch that mass-produced products simply can not replicate. Thus, when I was a student interning with both the Mercury News photography and writing cohorts, I decided to dive into the behind-the-scenes workings of small businesses.

When I was younger, I’d often visit an open air market in the plaza near my house to buy fresh fruits with my mother. As I grew older, I used my new degree of freedom to seek out new experiences. I reveled in the soft silence of the eighth floor of the MLK library, captured the undercurrents of emotion behind every gathering through photography, propagated plants and relished the belief in the future that every watering meant.

As a junior, I returned to exploring local open air markets. Venturing through the booths, I found joy in the rough brushstrokes, adorning handmade clay pins and contrasting veins of gold slicing through blue crystals. Each imperfection in the art represented a connection back to the authenticity and humanity I enjoyed in my high school experiences.

Searching for stories on the sidewalks of San Jose, a stout storefront caught my eye. A dusty blue canvas drooped over the awning, announcing “Vietnamese Bakery.” However, instead of pastries, the display windows brimmed with clay trinkets and hanging pots. I peered past the pots and noticed rows and rows of colors and textures. A woman in the back of the shop pushed a piece of fabric through a whirring sewing machine. I wondered if she would like to be featured in my article.

Navigating the maze of clothing racks, I followed the shuffling sound of cloth. The woman introduced herself and explained that she was a “fiber artist” — a career born from her instinctual understanding of and childhood enchantment with fabrics. Fiber artists work meticulously with fabric, focusing on creating aesthetic pieces for decoration rather than items of utility.

I was fascinated by this concept and the fiber artist’s journey. A smile spread across her face as she spoke about how she started from scratch and rode waves of success at local markets and showcases to eventually open her own successful storefront. Her continued attendance at open air markets and showcases inspired her regular visitors to pursue their passions and even encouraged them to explore the small business world. Her story reminded me what inspiring outcomes can originate from ideas and epitomized the beauty of human connection through art.

As I returned to the newsroom, I wrote her story into my article with fervor. Small businesses and open air markets had a lively atmosphere and were filled with people who had dared to try something outside of the box.

Open air markets comfort me not only with memories from my childhood but also as places that push for more creativity and art beyond the commercialized efficiencies of today’s technology. The small businesses at the open air markets remind me to be fearless in chasing dreams and striving to innovate, to love the beauty behind the storytelling that inspires human connection, and to believe in a society that prioritizes community and continuous growth.

Attending another open air market a month after successfully completing my journalism program, I bumped into her. She smiled upon recognizing me and then informed me that a few student journalists from nearby high schools had read my article and visited her shop in hopes of featuring her story in their schools’ newspapers. I was delighted to learn that my storytelling, which manifests itself in the form of journalistic writing, had brought together the community in support of a talented fiber artist.

The river illustrates the twists and turns of events at Branham High School during the time of the class of 2024. We asked the seniors to share some of their favorite events.

“As excited as I am to see where everyone goes and become adults, I am going to really miss just even these 30 minutes every lunchtime or that hour where we all hang out.”

Joseph Moyles

“Meeting my group of friends is one of my favorite things, and I'm really happy to be in this group.”

“Sophomore year homecoming was my first HOCO, and I still have the little photo booth pictures. It’s kind of funny because I was with a whole different group of people than I am now. I've evolved into a different person with new people.”

“The teachers here are phenomenal, especially Ms. Arduini. When [she] told me to take AP Lit, I didn’t have much confidence in my writing. It boosted my confidence and it made me a better student and person.”

Riley Guttadauro

ARESEMA ADGIE STAFF WRITER

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

The summer before my sophomore year, I boarded a very long flight towards Ethiopia to spend the next two months of my life in the country of my origin. During those two months, I learned more about life than I had in the 15 years I had lived before the trip. On one particular trip to Mitmiku Yohanes, Saint John the Baptist’s holy site, I witnessed an extent of suffering that I had only ever heard about on the news.

There were hundreds of impoverished and ailing people surrounding the lake, many of them having physical and mental disabilities or disorders, left without access to the medicines and other resources that could help alleviate

For the future

some of their struggles.

Their voices had become sore from repeating their chants of silemedanyalem, which translates to “for the sake of our Lord, the medicine of the world.” I bit back my tears, as my throat began to tighten in pain.

The one clinic that could possibly help these people, owned by a man who treats the less fortunate in Ethiopia free of charge, was far from the more rural area of Mitmiku Yohanes. It was the first time I felt truly helpless. I was only 15 years old and there was not much I could do, but it gave me a sense of purpose.

Though I had heard many stories about suffering all around the world, it became more than just a statistic or a news article to me. The desensitization that is unfortunately characteristic amongst members of modern American society was jarred and dispelled.

When I returned from my trip, I immediately started to take action for my people. I began running races to raise money and awareness, attending protests and vigils in honor of those

affected by the civil wars in Ethiopia, utilizing my social media platforms to support donations and press that support my home country.

Despite my current contributions, I still feel like I can do so much more to better the conditions of many people in Ethiopia, which is why I plan to open my own clinics in the rural areas of Ethiopia as a future nurse practitioner so that adequate health care can transcend the bounds of location.

It is my responsibility to give my community a place to receive health care that doesn’t stop at just the doors of my clinic, but leads my patients into a long and healthy life, without the worries of being able to afford medical advice. My empathy towards people has grown exponentially since that trip to Ethiopia, and I will continue to demonstrate it as my most valuable strength. The passion my experiences have inspired as well as the heritage of resilience and compassion I have inherited from my ancestors are assets that I will bring with me to every stage of my life.

ANGELA CHOI STAFF WRITER

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

Compiled by Aresema Agdie, Angela Choi and Jiyoon Choi

Illustration by Karis Do

Derick Pledger

There are six differences in these two photos. Can you spot them all?

PERSONALITY | developments over high school

My personality was influenced mainly by the friends around me. Some friends spread their interests. Managing editor Lia Choi introduced me to “Attack on Titan,” and I ended up being consumed by it, too. I also picked up various textual and verbal habits, ending every sentence with a “:3” or saying “that’s so awky.”

Timing played a significant role as well. Taking a personality test during college application season resulted in my lowest-recorded extrovertedness, with the second-lowest being when I was obsessed with needle felting and made two tiny dogs and a green dinosaur in an egg cup from wool over winter break. Yet, being part of the Bear Witness contributed the most to my change. Journalism really pushed me out of my pond. In freshman year, I contacted students and faculty, from my peers to the superintendent, for interviews on Zoom.

After only virtually attending school, I came to the Branham campus for the first time in spring 2021 to learn photography from an editor and practice by taking photos of girls volleyball’s senior night. Although the first photos were a little too overexposed, I learned that I am not the best at sports photography. After going through freshman year online, sophomore year felt like the first year of high school. Looking back at photos, the different trends, fashions and songs send me spiraling back, even as I am listening to “My Ordinary Life” by The Living Tombstone on TikTok. I like to think I matured over high school, gaining valuable skills in leadership, communication, social interactions and putting on a more natural fake persona when talking to people I didn’t want to talk to. I attained a better understanding of myself and more about my likes and dislikes, such as the environment after joining SPARE (Students Promoting Awareness of Recycling and the Environment), the one-andonly environmental club on campus freshman year. It was more difficult to think of five words to describe me for fun facts to share on introduction slideshows, but I am more certain

Idolized self

“The Abstract and Ineffable: A Collection of Poems” was the first poem book I wrote. The 33-paged work was stapled at the spine and printed in full color, a rarity that warranted a trip to Office Max and $5.00. After Googling “abstract synonyms,” I ended up with a title that could apply to any poem book, frankly. But I’ll cut myself some slack — I was only 14.

It was obvious I was going through puberty when I wrote it. Through symbolic tangents and strung-out rants, each page uprooted elevated emotions I experienced at the time. In “melancholy,” I compared the hollowness of my middle school achievements to bugged metal detectors. And in “pressure,” I ranted about the constricting responsibilities of growing up and somehow also solving climate change.

I wrote about the past in three different poems: “deja vu,” “nostalgia” and “time.” While most of my poems were about a page long, these ones nearly doubled in size. The premise? Time was slipping, and I missed who I used to be.

As I entered high school, I grieved the past immensely, clinging to a version of myself that existed a few years prior: a girl who loved soccer, drew until her hands were smudged with graphite and read voraciously. But I quit soccer in 7th grade when my parents couldn’t put me in competitive leagues. Over time, my performance in school became an obsession. As my days filled with mind-numbing busywork, drawing became a foreign feeling. And spending more time on my phone made me shed the attention span to read for hours on end.

For a long time, I lacked any form of catharsis, and in turn, I became complacent both emotionally and socially. Looking back at my poems, my low self-worth and negative outlook on my future were so obvious. And beyond the eye-rolling, evident hormonal influence on my content, it still hurts to read, even at 18.

Here’s a little AP Psych sesh: each time you recall an event from the past, it is slightly altered based on the context or time you remember it. Eventually, you can end up with memories that are completely different from what you started with.

I only focused on two things when I reflected on my past — the overwhelmingly positive and the factors I couldn’t control. I idolized a version of myself that didn’t even exist and amplified the brightest memories I held onto. My fear of change was holding me back from changing my present.

To be honest, the change I needed was hardly optional. Rather, it was forced onto me. After attending two Multicultural Club meetings at the end of freshman year, I was thrust into the president position for the following term. I hated PE, so I was convinced to sign the Marching Band PE contract and bind myself to the program for three years. I didn’t know it at the time, but these choices helped me grow the confidence to break my bubble and try whatever I wanted. Throughout high school, I’ve tried sports, clubs, arts and a slew of activities. To this day, I have board positions in AAPISU (Asian American and Pacific Islander Student Union) and Multicultural Club, volunteer for NHS (National Honor Society), am active in journalism and band, work two jobs and drive 90 miles a week.

and confident in myself now. Not only did my personality grow over high school, I also developed a more solid identity just like Eevee evolving to Leafeon. Now, I can also say that I have the same MBTI as Eugene H. Krabs from “Spongebob Squarepants,” Maki Zenin from “Jujutsu Kaisen” and Anger from “Inside Out.”

From being the bear of the Bear Witness, I move onto being a cub at UCLA and perhaps the Daily Bruin. I am both excited and nervous for the changes to come but am trying to welcome it with my paws up.

I wonder what my duck will look like in four years after college. Or when I am 65 and hopefully have enough funds to retire through the methods I learned in our economics class (thanks Mr. Selfridge).

Whether high school was a fast-flowing river or relatively calm waters, we all made it through at the end to a diversion point, heading in different directions. Whether you gained more decorations on your duck, threw some off or kept the originals, we all learned at least one thing leaving Branham and that’s what matters. Whether I will ever see you again, congratulations on passing the finish line, and I hope you have a desired rest of your

No matter how much time I spent in it or objectively liked it, everything I did still significantly altered my high school experience in a positive way. And over time, I learned that keeping myself busy with a lot of activities was what was best for myself. However, what I listed is just a college-format rundown of the extracurriculars. In reality, the people that came from it — my friends, teachers and family — were what truly shaped me. The in-between memories I made with them were the ones I reflected on the most. I love thinking about when I was laughing with my classmates and Mr. Vo in journalism, or quiet late night car sessions with my friends atop Communication Hills. These are the memories that should truly be treasured and define you as a person. When I think of my high school experiences, I’m not overwhelmed by the same loathe and regret I had four years ago. I don’t idolize who I was as a young teenager. I can finally see my old experiences wholly — the good, the bad and the ugly — and I’m not upset about any of it. But most importantly, I don’t fear my future anymore. I know that the strong basis of accomplishment and positivity I formed in high school will carry me through the next part of my life.

Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness

Illustrations by David Tran

Learn more about the athletic director's dismissal.

Although it provides instant energy, energy drinks full of caffeine has a negative impact on a teen's body. Pg. 13

With school in session from fall to summer, what are students' favorite season?

BEAR WITNESS BEAR WITNESS

PRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL'S LEAVE

Being at Branham for two years, principal Lindsay Schubert announces her leave after controversy about the dismissal of athletic director

Earlier this month, Principal Lindsay Schubert announced that she would not be returning to Branham next year.

The announcement comes in the wake of heavy backlash from the Branham community surrounding her decision to reassign long-time athletic director Landon Jacobs in late March.

Schubert declined the Bear Witness’ requests for comment, but cited in her May 8 email that she would be “choosing to pursue other professional opportunities” and that her intention to stay at Braham for many years

“remained intact until fairly recently.” She will be an assistant principal at Los Gatos High School next year.

Schubert’s brief legacy

In her two years as principal, Schubert sought to empower girls at Branham to speak up for themself and break through the glass ceiling.

“There’s no shame or reason to make excuses or not to come forward if you’re feeling like something isn’t right,” she told the Bear Witness for a spotlight during Women’s History Month in March. “Know that it’s okay to advocate for yourself and for other women.”

Assistant principal David Levy, who worked with Schubert previously when he was a math teacher and she was an assistant principal at Del Mar, said that she leaves behind a legacy of inclusivity.

“We have a very diverse population here, both ethnically and socioeconomically,” he said. “I think she’s really focused on making sure that we’re trying to serve the whole student population.”

Branham adds a new science course to the list

ANABELLE WALKER Student Life Editor

Anew science course, astronomy, will be introduced to Branham starting next school year. Since the beginning of this school year, the science department has been working to add a new course and solidifying details with the district.

In a Google Form asking students about what new science course they would like to be added astronomy came up the most. Although unable to disclose who will be teaching next year, physics teacher Dion De La Cruz has been working with the department to start up the class. Discussion only increased as they are still looking for teachers willing to dedicate time.

“Astronomy allows students to dive deeper [and] talk in detail about the different examples in outer space,” De La Cruz said.

Currently, Astronomy is taught at Prospect High School and covers early to modern astronomy, such as the motions of planets, stars and galaxies. Students perform labs and project based

Jen McGrath Bell Schedule Committee chair says that the new seventh period times are more beneficial for students with extracurriculars.

Every minute counts

Branham revises bell schedule for the fifth time in five years

ELLIOTT

YAU

Staff Writer

Branham’s bell schedule committee released the school’s fifth new bell schedule in five years, aiming to address various problems in the current bell schedule.

AP Psychology teacher Jennifer McGrath headed the effort to convene a bell schedule committee and collect feedback from the Branham community.

“We polled staff, students and parents to see what their feeling was about a lot of those issues and how they might potentially aim to fix it,” McGrath said.

“Our survey was pretty extensive for all parties involved to see what their preferences would be.”

The main issue that survey respondents wanted to address was the differing times school ended throughout the week. To achieve the same daily start and end times, the committee changed tutorial and seventh period to four days a week, despite mixed opinions.

“The seventh period now, in my opinion, is a little bit better just because, at least for sports, it's [A-days] that you have to wait [to practice],” said junior Matthew Do, who plays tennis.

ALAN SCHAEFFER Sports Editor

Aresema Adgie/Bear Witness

Posing for a photo, Schubert was featured in the Bear Witness's Women's History Month spotlight this March.

Makayla Wu/Bear Witness

Schubert speaks during last year's graduation, which was her first year being principal at Branham.

Courtesy of Dale Grogan

On Apr. 2, 2023, Schubert cut the ribbon to celebrate the reopening of the library, which shared a space with the College and Career Center in room 48 before it moved to room 7.

Courtesy of Sergio Diaz Luna

During National Fentanyl Awareness day last year in May, Schubert spoke to Branham families for a arcan distribution event

Jiyoon Choi/Bear Witness

As the new principal, Schubert gave a welcome message and general information about Branham during last school year's back to school night

PRINCIPAL

Remaining questions about why

Outcry over athletic activities director decision

Schubert’s tenure at Branham has come to be one defined by controversy over the past few months. When it was announced that Jacobs would be reassigned come the end of the school year, students, teachers and parents alike were left wondering why.

Jacobs’ ex-wife, Lisa Nasby Jacobs, who spoke on his behalf via her personal Facebook account, shared that the only reason given for his dismissal was that “[Schubert] did not have faith in his ability to do the job.”

Despite the overwhelming show of support from the community, and multiple grievances filed with the district by several parties, the board voted last week voted to take no action regarding the formal complaint against principal Schubert and calls to reinstate both Jacobs and former activities director Heather Cooper, who was dismissed in the fall under similarly vague circumstances.

Heather Miksch, a parent of two Branham alumni and former student athletes, shared with the Bear Witness an email she sent to the CUHSD board earlier this week. In her email, she outlined a number of complaints the Branham community had regarding the district’s action, particularly noting that district human resources has not followed the appropriate procedures with the firing.

“The Branham community’s trust in the district leadership has been absolutely shattered through this experience,” Miksch said.

Additionally, Nasby Jacobs explained that Jacobs’ contract requires performance evaluations every two years, but claims that he has not had one since Schubert took charge at Branham.

“There was no evaluation, performance plan or chance to address whatever gave the principal and the district cause for not having faith in his ability to do the job,” she said.

As the events unfolded, Nasby Jacobs continued to voice her opinions on her personal social media and in communication with the district board. Her words faced retaliation, however, as she says that Schubert has threatened legal action against her.

Potential legal action

Although it had initially been shared at a May board meeting, an anonymous source confirmed that two members of the task force in charge of communicating with the district and expressing support for Jacobs are now facing legal action from Schubert.

The source reports that the two received a “letter of intent to sue” from the Branham principal, who “claims defamation and other items.”

Furthermore, the source reports that the letter includes a settlement clause, where Schubert said “she would accept payment of $25,000 to settle outside of court.”

The Bear Witness has not been able to further confirm this claim.

Schubert denied a second request for a clarifying interview regarding the recent developments.

Follow up stories on any updates will be published on our social media accounts, @ bhsbearwitness, on Instagram and Facebook.

BELL SCHEDULE | Schedule changes once again

“But next year, we'll have to wait [four days a week], which is a little harder.” Matthew Do, who plays tennis. “But next year, we'll have to wait [four days a week], which is a little harder.”

Over 100 student athletes stated that late end times cause them to miss a lot of class, and the majority said it affected their grades in a poll by the bell schedule committee. However, cross country and track athlete Aaron Tsai (10) has different reasons for disliking the change to seventh period.

“[With the new schedule,] I'm unable to take a seventh because I feel like [55] minutes is not adequate time for me to truly understand the material taught in class,” Tsai said. “With seventh period being broken up, it's harder to memorize and truly practice what you learned in class, so you'll probably forget it before the next class.”

The bell committee also examined schedules used by other schools in the district which met the district’s requirement for instructional minutes. For instance, they borrowed some aspects from Leigh’s bell schedule, which has seventh periods on every regular block day and one collaboration day a week.

By having tutorials on both A-days and B-days, it allows students to ask questions to teachers without having to wait one day and for the few

teachers who only teach on A-days to host tutorials.

“You have six classes and only two to three tutorial options in a week, which makes it difficult if you're absent or need help in multiple classes. Having four tutorials allows you as the student to go to a different class each day if needed,” McGrath wrote in an email to the Bear Witness.

Although surveyed staff preferred two 30-minute tutorials a week and students preferred 40-minute tutorials three times a week, the committee ultimately settled on four 30-minute tutorials and 55-minute seventh periods per week, addressing more issues in the current bell schedule.

“Our end time every other day was much later than any other bell schedule that we'd had before,” McGrath said.

Another priority for the committee was allotting time for teacher collaboration during the school day. Teachers’ contract hours end at 3 p.m., but required weekly meetings run until 4:10 p.m.

“That's basically like we're working for free for that time period,” McGrath said. “No other school in the district did it that way. For some reason, our previous bell schedule got passed, and that [issue] was overlooked.”

To accommodate teacher collaboration after school, Wednesdays will be early release days with no tutorial or seventh period, and students

will be released at 1:25 p.m. Tsai, who is planning to take six AP classes, coach chess and lead school clubs next year, appreciates the early release days.

“Running is about two hours a day, so [the early release time] would give me more time to focus on homework and other extracurriculars,” Tsai said.

Additionally, passing periods were extended to 10 minutes from the previous seven minutes to have simpler classroom periods ending in zero and five. Because passing periods count for instructional minutes, adding three minutes would not take away from the school day, according to McGrath.

“We also felt that tardies and regular bathroom use in class are an issue,” she said. “So if we give [students] an extra three minutes, hopefully, everybody can use the restroom and get to class on time.”

With 20 years of teaching at Branham under her belt, McGrath has experienced several bell schedules, each with their benefits and drawbacks, and is pleased with the bell schedule for the next school year.

“There will be adjustments, but there's nothing about the new bell schedule that I'm disappointed about,” she said. “We really thought everything through and have data to back up why we did what we did from the student, the teacher and the parent perspective, staff included.”

ASTRONOMY | New science class introduced

learnings to achieve their physical science credit. Since the course is currently being taught elsewhere in the district, it has been an easy process to add the course at Branham.

“There's a lot of resources out there, the fact that [Prospect] already has something offered gives us the ability to adopt it and actually get it approved,” De La Cruz said.

According to De La Cruz, students want other options, especially those who have already completed the required three years of science and don't want to take additional AP classes. Therefore, the addition of new courses allows students to follow the standard to graduate or expand their knowledge on new courses.

When junior Angelique Lombera saw the new course, she signed herself up for the new oppor-

tunity. Since there weren't many classes to choose from for next year that she hadn't already taken or were interested in, she felt that it was the perfect time to venture out with the new course.

“It was a lot different than any of the previous science courses that I've taken,” Lombera said. “I've never really branched out into that subsection of science.”

Overall, Lombera believes that this new addition is a stepping stone for Branham to introduce more courses for students in the future, allowing students to venture into different sections of science to find interest in new places.

“I'm really excited for the potential that Branham has and how this is a step into the future,” Lombera said. “I'm excited for future students because although [astronomy] is something that I'm gonna take coming out of high school, it's [still] a good opportunity.”

deeper [and] talk in detail about the different examples in outer space,” De La Cruz said.

Currently, Astronomy is taught at Prospect High School and covers early to modern astronomy, such as the motions of planets, stars and galaxies. Students perform labs and project based learnings to achieve their physical science credit. Since the course is currently being taught elsewhere in the district, it has been an easy process to add the course at Branham.

“There's a lot of resources out there, the fact that [Prospect] already has something offered gives us the ability to adopt it and actually get it approved,” De La Cruz said.

Editor-in-Chief | Jiyoon Choi

Editors

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

Elliott Yau/Bear Witness

Students attend psychology teacher Jennifer McGrath’s tutorial the week before the AP exam.

From PAGE 10

Karis Do/Special to the Bear Witness

From PAGE 10

Reese Gardner/Bear Witness

On May 16, the district board decided 0-5 to not take action on the complaint filed in regards to the matters involving Landon and Schubert.

OPINION Editorial

The opinion of the Bear Witness editors

We’ve all drank, or seen people drink, energy drinks to get themselves a boost when they’re lacking sleep or motivation. But this constant intake of excessive amounts of sugary caffeine can take a toll on our bodies. Energy drink consumption is more common in teens than adults, and many Branham students utilize energy drinks to get through their day or week. According to a Bear Witness poll of 221 readers, around 43% said that they are moderately or strongly affected by the consumption of sugary or energy drinks.

In California, according to the National Institute of Health, two thirds of teens have

Energy drinks showing their negative effects

reported ever consuming energy drinks. Energy drinks may provide students with a short-term boost to get through their school work, but the numerous health effects largely outweigh their benefits.

According to Columbia University pediatrician David Buchholz, the caffeine in energy drinks can disrupt important relationships and contribute to failure in school. They can also lead to anxiety, insomnia, dehydration, diarrhea and increased heart rates, some of which could, in extreme cases, result in hospitalization. These can impact students in both the short and long term, creating a regular addiction that continues these habits and conditions later on. In addition to this, energy drinks can also

lead to other addictive behaviors, such as drinking alcohol or smoking, according to the National Institute of Health. This means that even once a person moves away from energy drinks, it’s often replaced with other addictions to get them through days or certain tasks, creating a continuous cycle.

While one cup of energy drink supposedly contains an average 85 mg of caffeine, according to Harvard School of Public Health, a standard energy drink serving is 16 ounces, meaning the drink actually contains an average of 170 mg of caffeine. This is concerning due to the recommendation that teens under 17 should limit their caffeine consumption to 100 mg or less.

This is a pressing issue for students who choose to consume energy drinks. Many may not be aware of the health risks, and others might be already too far into their addiction to make an easy change. Considering how significant these health risks can be for a teens’ future, it’s crucial that schools, companies and parents communicate the long and short term effects these temporary boosts will have. Since energy drinks are so accessible, there needs to be more measures in place to alert students of the potential dangers that amount of caffeine will have on their bodies. Branham students should educate themselves and keep track of their energy drink consumption in order to prevent future health risks.

Advanced Placement or Academic Pressure

AP Classes put extra pressure on already overburdened students

AIDAN WEILER Staff Writer

With AP exams being the first two weeks of May and finals coming up in June, many students experience the most academic pressure in the last few months of school. This year at Branham, over 800 students took over 1700 AP tests.

Because AP classes are supposed to resemble college courses, each AP class requires about one to two hours of homework and studying as stated in the Branham AP honors contract form. It typically moves at a faster pace in order to prepare students for the AP exam in early May.

Junior Hasan Ahmad, who is currently enrolled in five AP classes, acknowledges that there is a lot of “busy work” yet understands the purpose of the assignments. This year, he felt pressure from both external and internal sources.

“With AP testing, and then college application season so close, it's natural to feel some sort of academic pressure," Ahmad said. “I definitely put pressure on myself to achieve high grades, but I'm not necessarily worried about it too much because I have confidence that I'll do well.”

For English teacher Barbara Arduini, she tries to limit the amount of homework she assigns to about an hour per class.

According to Arduini, the district has a limit for the amount of homework per class that can be assigned. However, AP classes are exempt from this, meaning it is up to the teacher to decide.

“One of the things that is different about AP classes is everything that we're doing is to prepare for the AP exam,” Arduini said. “There's like a clear connection between putting in your full effort on your homework and doing well on the in-class essays and the exam.”

However, Arduini has noticed that most students do not

the final Final projects should not be required

ALYX YOON Staff Writer

Many people at Branham have or are enrolled in AP classes ranging from AP Chemistry to AP Art. Each AP course teaches different material and skills, but they all have something in common: a final project.

However, AP classes should not require a final project after the AP exam. It’s unarguable that AP exams are stressful. Since preparing students for the AP exam is the main goal of these classes, a final project is ultimately only a burden. Therefore after the test, these rigorous classes should become more stress-free. Nevertheless, the College Board wants students to create a final project based on a topic they are personally interested in. Not having a final project after the AP exam would limit them from researching topics they want to explore, but the lack of sleep and stress outweighs the College Boards' desires for a final project.

By not requiring a project or test after the AP exam, both students and teachers can benefit by having a break from grading and test-taking. Instead, students can focus on their standard classes and those finals, while not worrying about the additional stress of final projects.

Constant stress can lead to mental and physical drawbacks. Acording to Yashoda Hospitals, intense pressure leads to an increase in anxiety and mood swings. Students will have an imbalance within their hormones which occurs when cortisol, a stress hormone, disrupts the hormonal balance resulting in being more irritable and tired.Assigning a final on top of the AP exam will keep students from getting the necessary amount of sleep they need. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims high schoolers need eight to 10 hours of sleep yet seven out of 10 students do not get enough rest. I’m part of the seven out of 10, averaging on five to four hours of sleep. I struggle to perform well

put in full effort on homework. She warns that if students don’t put in full effort into homework, it can end up harming them in the future.

“If you don't do the work with integrity, then you're probably not going to get better,” she said. “If you don't practice writing, you're not going to get better. If you just keep writing poorly, your writing is not going to improve.”

Ahmad agrees on not trying his hardest on every assignment as he believes that spending a lot of time on homework is not necessary for most students.

“Giving full effort is not worth it,” he said. “You are expending more energy to get the same grade.”

By contrast, junior Aon Huang, who takes five AP classes, thinks that spending a large amount of time on school work is beneficial.

“By putting in more effort, I can reap better results,” he said. “Right now, I am content with my course load.”

One struggle among students is procrastination, which Ahmad commonly noticed among his peers. Teachers like Arduini realize this as well as assignments are often “turned in right before class starts.”

To address the stress and pressure on students, measures are being taken to reduce it such as the College Board changing the rubrics for the exams to increase the pass rate. For nervous students, talking to the teacher or asking for support can help reduce the concerns as Arduini recommended.

“If you're nervous, come talk to me,” she said.

Ahmad advises students to be aware of one’s own capacities and manage time accordingly.

“Take things slowly, one step at a time,” he said. “If you try to do everything at once and bite off more than you can chew, of course you're gonna start struggling. There's only so much time and you have to be able to prioritize it.”

for AP classes

in school while enjoying time with friends and resting. Students similar to me become insomniacs and sleep-deprived making it harder to concentrate and learn during school.

As reported by Health Direct, stress makes it harder for students to focus on tasks, and affects their ability to not feel overwhelmed. It does not help with the fact many seniors develop senioritis towards the end of their high school years and have difficulty focusing on finals.

To some people, no final project for AP classes can be seen as unfair, as compared to regular classes that have enforced projects or tests. Contrastingly, the AP exam should be seen as a final, due to the preparation needed to be done, and the school-year-long learning for it. By not having a final project after the AP exam it will relieve sudents from their academic stress and leave an increase in their concentration for finals in other classes.

Grace Ngo/Special to the Bear Witness

SCIENCE &HEALTH BRIEFS

China launches Change-6 mission to the far side of the moon

Aiming to collect samples from the far side of the moon, the Change-6 mission, which launched on May 3, will explore the 1,616-mile-wide South Pole-Aitken basin. The far side of the moon features a thicker crust, more craters, and fewer lava plains, making it distinct from the near side. The far side always faces away from Earth, requiring China to use satellites for communication. Once Change-6 returns from its 53-day mission in June, the samples it collected will be studied by scientists hoping to learn more about the moon’s history. The next missions, Change-7 and Change-8, will search for water and potential building material near the moon’s south pole, marking a shift in China’s lunar exploration strategy as it attempts to send astronauts to the moon and establish a permanent lunar research base by the 2030s.

Patient begins first FDA-approved gene therapy for sickle cell disease

12-year-old Kendric Cromer began commercially approved gene therapy for sickle cell disease this month, becoming the world’s first person to do so. A group of genetic disorders causing red blood cells to warp into a sickle or crescent shape, sickle cell disease afflicts about 100,000 Americans, causing anemia and blocking blood flow. For Cromer, activities like playing outside repeatedly triggered intense pain crises, sometimes requiring days-long hospital stays to control. He developed avascular necrosis, a bone death caused when bones are deprived of blood, in his hips, back and shoulders. Bluebird Bio, the company treating Cromer, extracted some of his bone marrow stem cells and will genetically modify them by adding a healthy hemoglobin gene. The $3.1 million treatment, Lyfgenia, has a long waitlist despite the monthslong, intensive process involving chemotherapy and long hospital stays, but Bluebird estimates it can only treat 85-105 patients a year.

Panera Bread’s highly-caffeinated Charged Lemonade under fire from multiple lawsuits

The fourth lawsuit against Panera Bread over their Charged Lemonade line alleges that high school junior Luke Adams went into cardiac arrest because he drank a large Charged Lemonade with ice. The 18-year-old’s doctors had to intubate him in the hospital and install a subcutaneous defibrillator in case of a life-threatening heart rhythm in the future even though they found no underlying conditions or structural abnormalities in his heart. The other lawsuits blame the beverage for the deaths of Sarah Katz and Dennis Brown, as well as for permanent cardiac injuries in Lauren Skerritt. Panera Bread will phase out Charged Lemonades nationwide.

with information from

ENERGIZING ADDICTION

ARYELLA FINKEL-HOZER Staff Writer

Inside the blue bottles and cans recycling box lies piles of empty energy drink cans from a variety of brands in almost every classroom. Students com monly continue drinking during class in order to stay awake and productive.

According to Harvard School of Public Health, a standard 16 ounce energy drink contains an average of 170 mg of caf feine. While the American Acad emy of Pediatrics discourages any energy drink comsump tion by teens, UT Physicians recommends teens under 17 to limit their caffeine consumption to 100 mg or less.

Sophomore Stavroula Agiris consumes energy drinks on a regular basis on school days and after sports games in order to help her do daily tasks.

“[Energy drinks] defi nitely affect my attitude in a way, like if I’m happier or not, just because of those junk foods, but especial ly if I’m having sugar,” Agiris said. “It might boost my energy for an hour or so, but then I completely go down af ter that.”

Short term effects of caf feine can “ruin a day but over time they can cause disruption in important relationships and, in ex treme examples, school failure” according to Co lumbia University pedi atrician David Buchholz. Other side effects include anxiety, dehydration, diarrhea, increased heart rates, insomnia and rest lessness.

“I usually get really tired in the middle of the day. I’ll crash, and I struggle to focus on things so then I want to get more caf feine, so it starts a negative cycle because of it,” said sophomore often drinks energy drinks.

Caffeine withdrawal is part of the long term effects when caffeine consumption is stopped or decreased. Common symp toms are headaches and agitation. Osband has experienced these effects of caffeine, which affect her sleep patterns.

“I’m relying on caffeine more than I’m relying on sleep for energy,” she said.

Energy drinks contain high amounts of caffeine and sugar. Companies bill some drinks with low calories or sugar as healthy, but astronomical amounts of caffeine remain in each drink.

Credit: OpenAI

OpenAI launched GPT-4o with voice, image and video capabilities, which can receive and respond to prompts in the form of text, image and audio. The multimodal AI can directly analyze audio or video prompts instead of first converting them to text, resulting in less latency. In OpenAI’s demonstration, GPT-4o solved math problems written on paper through a live video feed and read aloud stories it had generated. The AI can also sing (kind of), pick up on emotions in users’ voices or facial expressions and alter its own tone or cadence in vocal responses, resulting in lifelike speech that includes breathing and filler words. Actress Scarlett Johansson, who voiced a sentient AI in the movie “Her”, alleged that OpenAI based the AI’s voice on hers. GPT-4o will gradually roll out to all users for free.

— Information

kind of useless because I get five hours of sleep every day, and I still function

Although Osband is aware of her addiction to caffeine, she feels like they are necessary at the end of the school year to

“I know that I definitely am reliant on and benefit from caffeine, but I know that this reliance isn’t a good thing,” she said. ing so much caffeine isn’t good, but we all have become reliant on it to get us through the day and give us the energy we need to do all the work every single day, especially

—Compiled by

Logic Pro, a music production software. Next, the company is expected to unveil upgrades to Siri, its voice assistant and work AI into its ecosystem. — Information from the New York Times and Apple, Inc.

Microsoft unveiled Copilot+ PCs designed for artificial intelligence, which will run AI systems inside the computer rather than in data centers. Doing this will result in lower latency and faster responses to queries, as well as increased privacy. The Recall feature allows Copilot, Microsoft’s chatbot, to pull up any file on any application upon the user’s request by scanning and storing all activity. New Surface laptops and other high-end products made by Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo and Samsung that use the Windows operating system will join the Copilot+ lineup. These computers will use the new Arm-based Snapdragon X chip, reaching up to 45 trillion operations per second.

Compiled by Elliott Yau

Karis Do/Special to Bear Witness

Elliott Yau

SPORTS

ATHELTIC DIRECTOR

ATHLETICS DIRECTOR DISMISSED

The reassignment of Landon Jacobs by the Administration causes controversey

FRANCISCO PHAM Staff Writer

Last month, Landon Jacobs, Branham’s athletic director for 15 years, was notified that he would not be returning as athletic director in the following school year.

As a tenured teacher on a special assign- ment (TOSA), Jacobs was offered a new position at Del Mar High School to teach history, his credentialed subject. Jacobs declined the reassignment and has instead reapplied for athletic director at Branham. Jacob’s dismissal came as a shock to the Branham community as he had overseen a successful sports program. Although Branham administration is unable to publicly share the reasons for Jacobs’ dismissal, parents and students in the community have demanded that the district shed some light on the reasons behind the decision.

“I cannot share any details as this is a personnel matter,” principal Lindsay Schubert said in an email to the Bear Witness. “I stand by my decision, and look forward to welcoming a new athletic director to Branham High School.”

Additionally, in an interview with the Mercury News, Jacobs explained that “the administration told [him] that they don’t have faith in [his] ability to do [his] job.”

In the wake of his dismissal, the Branham community has rallied around Jacobs, voicing their support via a Change. org petition that has amassed over 1,500 signatures. Students and parents alike are fearful of what a sports program would look like without Jacobs.

The movement culminated in the gathering of various Branham parents, alumni and students protesting at the district board meeting on April 4th, rallying for Jacobs to retain his position as athletic director.

At the meeting, the parent of two ath- letes Ken Setser spoke about how he sent his kids “to Branham on purpose because of the great things they heard about the sports program” and how it would be “a tragedy for this man to walk out the door.”

Likewise, Mike Sullivan, a long-time

friend and former mentee of Jacobs, said that he “is truly the gold standard when it comes to athletic directors in the world.”

With Jacobs gone, Branham athletes have voiced uncertainty on the future of sports at Branham. Varsity football player Deegan Waldorph says he was “surprised” at the dismissal and that he was left not knowing “what is actually going to happen.”

Kerry Murphy, English teacher and par- ent of two Branham athletes, said Jacobs brought “integrity and accountability to the sports program,” and with his dismiss-

al, she has started to doubt “whether [her] third child should go to Branham.”

Murphy believes the Branham sports program has found success under Jacob’s leadership as he has built a strong culture around responsibility.

“He brings integrity and accountability to the sports program,” she said.

Although Branham sports program was struggling to make CCS when Jacobs first came to Branham according to Jacob’s ex- wife Lisa, now, the program has amassed eight CCS victories, with teams now competing in open division.

SPORTS BRIEFS

“When he came to Branham, the expectation for him was to do his job but he set the bar higher and higher and higher until the program was the best in the district,” Lisa said.

After the district meeting, Jacobs described it as a “living, breathing example of the community.”

“Due to the strength of the athletic program, now Branham has a waiting list. People want to go here. They choose Bra- nham,” Lisa said.

As I grew up acquainted with Mr. Jacobs, his unwavering support became evident, particularly when I expressed interest in wrestling. His genuine enthusiasm was truly inspiring. Mr. Jacobs has left an unforgettable mark on both my life and the Branham community.

A screenshot of the Change.org Petition started by Heather Dublin, a sports booster and parent. It has amassed 1583 signatures since March 27, 2024.

Reese Gardner/ Bear Witness

An image of parents and student athletes showing their support for Jacobs at the district meeting. Many parents attested to his impact on the sports program in an attempt to reinstate him.

Freshman Lily Jensen Freshman Class President and threesport athlete

Junior Zayne St. Laurent

Sophomore Luka Knezevic

ARTS & CULTURE

CASTING CONTROVERSY

Debates springs up around casting in modern remakes of traditional fairy tales

AVA STARK News Editor

The recent release of live action Disney movies like “The Little Mermaid” has raised controversy amongst fans. While the storyline matches the animated original film, one thing has changed — Ariel is played by Halle Bailey, an African-American actress.

The debate of whether the actor should match the ethnicity of the role started by casting Bailey in “The Little Mermaid” in 2023. Recently, the topic was brought up again on social media with conversations about a potential live action remake of “Tangled” since one of the Rapunzel candidates is the Indian actress Avantika Vandanapu. Since both characters were initially portrayed as white, this has raised controversy on social media on whether or not these actresses accurately portray the role.

In a recent Bear Witness poll of 216 respondents, 78% said that they believed a person’s race or ethnicity should match the role that they’re playing, many of which agreeing that it is most important when it comes to representing the experiences of a minority group.

“I get that they want to do inclusivity, but it feels so forced,” said junior Prachi Singh On the other hand, Ethnic studies teacher Olivia Tejeda thinks that the impact of the actresses’ race does not diminish their ability to play the role in this specific case since it is a fictional story.

“Kids just want to see a princess, and they want to see fun animals and animated characters,” Tejeda said. “I think it's society’s views that are making this all a controversy.”

However, Tejeda does think that a person’s background can matter in more serious roles where the identity of the character is important to the story.

“[People need to consider] how accurate to the history the roles must be,” she said. “What is the message the director or producer is trying to convey? If someone is cast outside of their race, how seriously are they taking that role and what respects are they paying to portray that role?"

Social science teacher Stefanie Menera argues that if a character belonging to a minority group were to be played by someone who does not belong to that group, it could be inauthentic, potentially being an issue when a character’s background is inaccurately represented due to their race, ethnicity or background.

78% of Branham students said they wanted an actor's race to match a previous potrayal of the character

32%

of Branham students said it was not important to them

Source: Bear Witness Instagram Poll of 216 readers

“If they haven’t actually lived that experience, sometimes it can feel almost deceptive and almost like you've been lied to as an audience member,” Menera said.

However, Menera does not believe this necessarily goes the other way.

“You're seeing a certain story, a certain type of person represented over and over and over for hundreds of years,” she said. “If you want to see a fair skinned, slim, straight person, you can find that in hundreds of other movies.”

Both Tejeda and Singh agree that the best way to further diversity is not to remake the story and simply replace a character’s race, but to make new and authentic stories.

“[The movie industry] should create new stories to

give people a voice and representation,” Tejeda said.

“The film industry just lacks tradition right now, which is why they make remakes instead of coming up with new content.”

Menera also acknowledges that especially for fictional stories like Disney fairy tales, many have inflexible opinions on who can play the role.

“It can be really disheartening to place such rigid rules on what it should and shouldn't be,” she said.

“Sometimes people misinterpret things like encouraging us to diversify media or encouraging us to use actors of the same race, background or lived experience of the character, which can feel like placing these really strict parameters on art. That's really not what it is, it's just a way to make art better.”

STUDENT PERFORMANCES

Concert Conclusions

AIDAN WEILER & AADYANT SURESH

Staff Writer, Science&Health Editor

On May 20 and 21, the Branham bands celebrated their last concert of the year, spread out across two nights. The night ended with a celebration of current seniors as it was their last high school concert.

The concerts were hosted by sophomores Valentina Anisimova and Cassandra Baker. Anisimova had never hosted before, and was nervous going in.

“It was a little bit stressful,” Anisimova said. “But knowing that all my friends were watching definitely reassured me.”

She said that the hardest part of hosting was getting started, and that she went into a zone once the concert began and other distractions went away.

In addition to hosting, Anisimova also performed with the wind ensemble and enjoyed playing the various pieces and seeing the solos from seniors.

The last night culminated in a senior celebration, including a slideshow of all members and special awards.

Branham bands play two nights of the final concert of the year

Senior bass clarinetist Brian Garrison won the John Philip Sousa Award, the night’s highest honor.

He said that he was thankful to receive the award and credited the performances of past seniors as inspiration, and hoped to carry on the tradition.

“I felt like this time I had extra responsibility as a senior,” he said. “I tried to make a good impression and hopefully inspire some of the other people. Hopefully I made some impact.”

Garrison had an extensive solo during the piece Fantasy for Clarinet & Band, for which he had been preparing for around three months.

“It was different because I was trying to communicate a feeling, have emotion and make an impact on people while sharing something they really care about,” he said.

Garrison said he hopes to continue playing clarinet and appreciates his time in the Branham brand program.

“It's cool to meet people and form lifelong friendships I'll keep for the rest of my life,” he said.

was disappointed with the lack of emphasis on the actual civil war and wish we had more context. The story was slow-paced, and at times I found myself almost falling asleep.

and

Disliked: The pacing was slow at times, and delayed more eventful developments or episodes that were more interesting.

Gardener Civil War

Directed by Alex Garland

— Mila Windell

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3

Created by Dave Filoni

Walt Disney Company

it is: The final season of the Bad Batch, a series set in the Star Wars universe that covers the conflict between Clone Force 99 and the Galactic Empire. Liked: I liked the animation style. Additionally, the story lines were very nuanced

offered something new each episode.

— Aadyant Suresh

Dao Do/Special to the Bear Witness

Aidan Weiler/Bear Witness Senior Sebastion Nguyen recieves an award from band director Christopher Nalls

SPRING BLOOMING

SEASONS TO SAVOR

Whether it's the rejuvenation of spring, the warmth of summer, the crisp air of fall, or the festive spirit of the winter, each season brings its own unique and special joys and activities. We invite you to journey through the array of seasons.

—Compiled by Yujin Cho and Mila Windell Illustrations by Grace Ngo

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Freshman Brayden Gassman

Sophomore Jillian Hom