NEWS Teachers on family leave add stress to AP and on-level students.
SHARING THEIR BEST SELVES
ARTS AND CULTURE
Where do students and staff see themselves in 10 years?
Over the years, the Royal Alliance’s field shows have changed from cultures to colorful ideas.
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WITNESS BRANHAM HIGH SCHOOL
NOVEMBER 2023
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1) Sophomore Tamar Maysel 2) John Salberg, social science teacher 3) Junior Avishawd Yarisaied 4) Senior Qusay Suleiman 5) Senior Amit Gonen
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here is no shortage of opinion on the latest war between Israel and Hamas that has left thousands dead and thousands more injured. As news of temporary ceasefires come from the region, we check in with students from both sides of the conflict and explore how teachers have broached the topic in their classes. | See pages 8 and 9 Grace Ngo/Special to the Bear Witness
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NEWS
| NOVEMBER 2023 |
BHSBEARWITNESS.COM
News highlights
FAMILY LEAVE
CUTTING THE CORD
visit @bhsbearwitness
“I’m a little concerned that I won’t be able to comprehend things as well as I did before. I wasn’t doing too great before and am scared of how much I will learn in class.” Senior Nila Mettler, who has seen two AP teachers take leave this year with newborns.
Students navigate challenge of school while teachers go on parental leave JIYOON CHOI
Editor-in-Chief
hemistry and physics teacher C Alex Johnson’s first baby, named Reese, was born on Oct. 24. He left for
his parental leave on Oct. 23 and will be out until the end of the semester. “My wife and I can’t stop snuggling her even though she is keeping us up every 2 hours at night and we are exhausted,” Johnson said. “It has been great being able to be home with our little girl, helping create a loving and nurturing environment for her.” While teachers leave behind resources for the long term substitute to teach students the same class material, students are still affected to some degree by the teacher’s absence. The federal Family Medical Leave Act entitles new parents up to 12 weeks of English teacher Lily Johnson since the “unpaid, job-protected” leave if the inbeginning of the year and will continue dividual worked for their employer until Thanksgiving break. Schaeffer defor more than 12 months. Usually, the scribes subbing as a “good experience.” birthing parent gets 12 weeks and the “The kids treat me like I’m a regular teachnon-birthing partner 8 weeks. The Caler, and I don’t feel like they are trying to take ifornia Family Rights Acts, a state law, advantage of me as I hear about sometimes also protects new parents in a similar with substitutes,” she said. manner to the FMLA. Teachers someCompared to day-to-day subbing, times take this time all at once or split it Schaeffer finds long-term subbing “more up through their child’s first year of life. fun” despite the increased work. Senior Nila Mettler is taking two AP “You get to form relationships with the science classes in which both teachers kids and actually feel more helpful knowtook their parental leave: AP Chemistry ing what’s going on in the classroom and with Johnson and AP Environmental in their lives with their grades; I find that Science with Kori Reynolds, who took more fulfilling than day-to-day subbing,” a 6-week maternity leave during the she said. second grading period. Junior Seojun Oh, who has Lily John“For AP Chemistry, we’ve only not Alex Johnson/Special to the Bear Witness son for English 3 this year, has had three had him for two days, but I’m a little concerned that I won’t be able to compre- Chemistry and physics teacher Alex Johnson’s first baby, named Reese, was born on of his teachers take parental leave in the last two years. Last year, he had math and hend things as well as I did before,” Met- Oct. 24, the day after he went on paternity leave. engineering teacher Amanda Wilson for tler said. “I wasn’t doing too great before IM3 STEM and English teacher Alanand am scared of how much I will learn in class.” na Ojeda for English 2. Johnson, however, believes that his students will “still “I don’t think it is greatly different because we are be fine” during his leave. learning the same thing with different teachers,” Oh “It might cause a little anxiety for students because I said. “The teaching style might be different compared won’t be here, but I don’t think it hurts their chances of to the sub, but sub teachers also have great teaching succeeding in the class and doing well,” he said. skill on their subjects.” Although it’s not required to do so, Johnson is olding For Oh, the most difficult part was not being able to Zoom sessions with his students. contact the teacher immediately for questions. What is required is that teachers must leave lesson “(The parental leave) only affects a small part of my plans behind before their leave. Although the forms of learning because almost every problem that I have was the lesson plans can be different, both English teacher solved with sub teachers,” he said. “But yes, there was and journalism adviser Kirsten McKay and Johnson difficulty in asking questions because there were some are leaving behind a semester calendar. questions that sub teachers couldn’t answer.” McKay made sure to add flexibility in her calendar Mettler is sympathetic to teachers, but also is looking especially for the journalism class as she will take her to find ways to relieve her stress with a long-term sub. leave from December through April. “It’s a really difficult position to be in because I want “Journalism is really going to put y’all to the test beto feel like ‘oh my gosh, they left us’ but also they had a cause class really runs on your interest and what you’re Jiyoon Choi/Bear Witness kid, and I’m really happy that teachers are able to take noticing about the world,” McKay said. that time off to be with their children,” Mettler said. The long-term substitute teacher is also responsible Student teacher Benjamin Klunpaitoon teaches a for grading assignments during a teacher’s leave. Sub- lecture in Johnson’s AP Chemistry class as his long-term “I’m trying not to be selfish but sometimes it can be really frustrating.” stitute teacher Jenny Schaeffer has been subbing for substitute.
SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING CAMPAIGN
AIDAN WEILER Staff Writer
ranham’s “Say Something” campaign, put in B place last year in partnership with the nonprofit The Sandy Hook Promise, encourages stu-
dents to report signs of trouble anonymously. Todd Harrison, one of the five assistant principals on campus, believes that the system is beneficial, if used correctly. “It’s a way for students to report anything that’s potentially dangerous or harmful on campus anonymously,” Harrison said. “Our number one goal for all students is safety.” However, few have used it, he said. “I would say this year we’ve gotten more prank reports than real ones,” Harrison said. According to an informal Bear Witness online survey, 90% of respondents said they had not used
the system. Harrison estimates that the system gets less than one report a week, and attributes this to students fearing the stigma that comes along with it. “We understand the student culture of ‘don’t be a snitch,’” Harrison said. “It’s easier to turn a blind eye to things that people see because they don’t want to get involved.” The campaign consists of posters placed around campus with a QR code printed on them. When a student scans the QR code they are taken to a Google Form, where they are prompted to give information of what they are reporting. If a student prefers, reports can be completely anonymous. However, a large reason why the system is ineffective is because it is not as easily accessible as intended. There is a poster with a QR code link to the form
Editor-in-Chief | Jiyoon Choi Editors News Editor: Ava Stark Opinion Editor: Alan Schaeffer Arts and Culture Editor: Lauren Gernale Science and Health Editor: Aadyant Suresh Student Life Editor: Reese Gardner Sports Editor: Alan Schaeffer Copy Editor: Makayla Wu Production Manager: Angela Choi
Irene Yoon/Special to the Bear Witness
Few use QR reporting system
in most classrooms, however, they aren’t always very noticeable and can blend in with the other surrounding QR codes. There is also currently no mention of the system
Staff Writers Aresema Agdie, Yujin Cho, Owen Dazko, Aryella Finkel-Hozer, Nevaeh Gutierrez, Maceo Inoue, Supriya Khandelwal, Francisco Pham, Anabelle Walker, Aidan Weiler, Mila Windell, Elliott Yau and Alyx Yoon Adviser: Kirsten McKay
South Asian Student Union hosts a districtwide Indian dance night Garba night hosted by the South Asian Student Union (SASU) in coordination with Prospect, Leigh and Westmont gathered the community together at Branham’s gym in October, making around 475 ticket sales. Garba is an Indian dance around an object, with people clapping their hands with various steps while moving in a circle together. At Branham, attendees danced around a Tulsi or Holy Basil. The event also had a DJ, Indian food such as chaat, henna drawing, backdrops for pictures and diya (clay lamp) painting. SASU adviser Ramani Visvanathan said that this is the festival season in India, with such events being an opportunity for the community to also partake in it. — Aadyant Suresh Some teachers get release day to write letters of recommendation This year, teachers are able to request a release day when they reach 20 requests for letters of recommendation This year, writing college letters of recommendation (LoR) is considered another reason for teachers not to be in class. A new Branham rule allows teachers to request a release day when they reach 20 LoR requests. A release day is not a day off of work, but a time for teachers to be doing work outside of the classroom. English teacher Barbara Arduini has gotten more than 40 requests, but limited herself to 40, estimating around 10 per each AP Language period she had. It takes her 30 minutes to an hour to write from scratch. For juniors who will go through the LoR process next year, asking teachers early and establishing good relationships are the advice from both Arduini and Follett. — Jiyoon Choi Backstage Bruins premier ‘Geeks vs. Zombies’ show The Backstage Bruins’ first production of the year, “Geeks vs. Zombies,” will opened in October. The show, adapted and directed by theater teacher Jennifer Sorkin, was written by her husband James Kopp. It highlights four geeks who are the few survivors of a zombie apocalypse that strikes worldwide. Due to their extensive knowledge on zombie apocalypses from watching science fiction movies, they fight to survive while undergoing conflicts with their friendships. Sophomore Valentina Varela played Blair, one of the four main geeks. Receiving a lead role was an unexpected surprise for Varela because they originally auditioned for a minor role and had only performed supporting roles in the past. — Yujin Cho
on the Branham website. In order to access the system, one has to go to the district website. The system was never meant to be the sole way of communication between students and admin, according to Sarah Thomas, the Director of Student Services. She is in charge of the system on behalf of the district. “We didn’t roll it out with the intention of it being our only method of communication so I can’t really say it’s working exactly how we wanted it to,” she said. The option of reporting problems to administrators in person is still there, but many students refuse to do that as they fear the repercussions they would get from their peers. Junior Tomer Vardi, who has tried to report something in the past, had doubts over how the system is run. He believes that in its current form, it can be hard for students to report things. “I remember looking one time to see how someone would report something,” he said. “It was a really confusing and tedious process to be honest.” Despite the concerns, Harrison urged students to report anything they see that would be helpful for the admin to know.
Mission Statement: The Bear Witness is committed to providing accurate, timely coverage of local and world news while connecting these events to the lives of our diverse student body. Website: www.bhsbearwitness.com Phone: (408) 626-3407 Email: bhsbearwitness@gmail.com Address: 1570 Branham Lane, San Jose, CA 95118
BEAR WITNESS
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NEWS
“Every single competition is a way to learn new strategies and network with teams ... They help you get a lot of practice, and you can’t win without experience.”
Sophomore Lindsay Dixon performs “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer.
Aidan Weiler/Bear Witness
OVERHEARD | QUOTES OF THE MONTH FROM OUR ONLINE STORIES
“I really love watching people gain confidence and giving them that platform to just try new things.” Senior Liv Do, president of Acoustic Club, which hosted its first Acoustic Night on Nov. 9
Junior Zoya Brahimzadeh, encouraging students to join the Bionic Bruins robotics club.
“This country is multicultural, so we have a part to play and it’s fun when you interact with different cultures.” South Asian Student Union adviser Ramani Visvanathan, sharing the joy of celebrations such as SASU’s Graba Night.
ENGLISH LEARNERS
BARRIERS TO ACCESS Spanish-only resources combined with shortage of language aides make school a challenge for EL students ARESEMA AGDIE
S
EL students at Branham (2022-
Staff Writer
ophomore Rino Moriyama is a first-generation student at Branham whose family immigrated from Japan. At home, her parents prefer to speak Japanese, a common story for immigrant families. She said that her parents’ Japanese-only household has hindered her English-language development and her self-esteem among her peers. “Compared to other students, I get no time to practice English,” she said. “So I feel like my speech is bad and lower than other students.” Branham hosts 111 first-generation American students at Branham, with native languages ranging from Punjabi, Farsi, Korean, Vietnamese and Japanese. However, a vast number of English learners speak Spanish, and the resources dedicated to the students show that. According to Harinder Kaur, the Emergent Multilingual Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) at Branham and Leigh, 111 Branham students are in the process of learning English. School resources include language aides, English Language Development classes, and translation services for emerging multilinguals, which cater to the majority Spanish-speaking students. ELD teacher Roland Francisco works to help first-generation American students learn and create a safe space to make students comfortable with the English language. “The language barrier is a big thing and it can make people uncomfortable,” he said. “I try to just make them feel at ease just because being comfortable in class is a way we can combat that.” Socialization issues Francisco also believes that students also tend to suffer with socialization and adapting to the differences between home and school life. He says that it is often difficult for the students to branch out from the community they have found in school and socialize with students of other backgrounds. “Just being different from their peers and socializing is sometimes difficult,” he said. “In general, I see them hanging around just in their group, or in their clique, and maybe not socializing with other students.” Stuti Arora, another ELD teacher, said she aims to teach students English as fast as possible so that her students don’t suffer in their other classes. She believes that teachers often don’t realize that their emerging multilingual students are struggling since they don’t communicate their struggles due to the language barrier. “Teachers have so many students who have so much going on in their lives and it’s really easy in a class of 30 kids to not realize that one kid is struggling,” Arora said. “Some of the things that come along with being a first generation student are the same things that come along with learning a new language, and I think that they might fall behind because of that.” Stuti brings to attention that although she is appreciative of the efforts of the schools resources for the ELD, she believes that the resources should be more inclusive to students whose native language is not Spanish and that existing resources are limited. “The bilingual aides are stretched very thin. There are some students who are going to all of their classes and they have nobody there to help them translate,” Arora said. “There’s only translators available for Spanish, so for students who speak Chinese or Japanese or Ukrainian,
2023)
61 3 4 3 7
Spanish speakers
Mandarin
Korean Vietnamese
all others (including Hebrew, Russian) Source: California Department of Education
“You might check out, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t care.” Spanish teacher Erica Marquez, on the struggles of English learners in class.
Grace Ngo/Special to the Bear Witness they don’t have anybody to translate things for them. And they’re just doing everything on their own.” Teachers encourage self-advocacy Arora advises students to reach out and advocate for themselves, since she said that the average teacher has around 150 students, and it can be difficult for them to differentiate between a student who cares but is struggling and a student who doesn’t care at all. She said she’s had many conversations with teachers of one of her ELD students where they say that the student “doesn’t seem to care.” That most likely isn’t the case. “They care a lot and they work really hard,” she said. “But imagine taking all of your classes in Russia as an English speaker. At a certain point, it’s just gonna wash over you and you might check out, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t
care.” Although there are many resources for first generation students that come from a Spanish-speaking country, there are still many shortcomings that these students face on campus. With the help of Spanish teacher Erica Marquez, junior Gerardo Rodriguez, a first generation student from El Salvador, expressed his concern with the existing resources and their shortcomings. It’s about language, not motivation Marquez explains that emerging multilingual students are often A students in their home country. When they come to America, it can be such a difficult shift that their grades tend to suffer, making it easier for them to fail. “[Rodriguez] is struggling in his theater class because it’s difficult for him to understand,” Marquez said. “He doesn’t have the help of a
language aide to help him get through the period, but he wouldn’t have these issues if he could get the support he needs.” Rodriguez currently uses Google Translate and support from his ELD teachers and friends to translate his classwork and homework to Spanish. He said that wishes that the school could provide the emerging multilinguals with more language aides and translation applications they need so that other first-generation students can succeed in school. Moriyama’s beliefs align with both Arora and Rodriguez’s, as she also mentions a lack of resources for non-Spanish languages at the school. This requires her and other students to translate forms and documents to other languages like Japanese to parents and guardians. “They have translations for Spanish speakers, but they never have translations for other languages like Japanese. So when the school sends a form home, I have to explain what it says in the form to my parents, because there’s no Japanese version,” Moriyama said. Moriyama’s beliefs align with both Arora and Rodriguez’s, as she also mentions a lack of resources for non-Spanish languages at the school. This requires her and other students to translate forms and documents to other languages like Japanese to parents and guardians. “They have translations for Spanish speakers, but they never have translations for other languages like Japanese. So when the school sends a form home, I have to explain what it says in the form to my parents, because there’s no Japanese version,” Moriyama said.
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| NOVEMBER 2023 |
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OPINION STEREOTYPES
BACKSTAGE STEREOTYPES The theater kid reputation can dissuade would-be actors
NEVAEH GUTIERREZ Staff Writer
heater is one of the most T notoriously judged classes in high school. It’s built up a reputa-
tion for being full of people who are loud, extroverted, obsessed with musicals and constantly breaking out into song. However, not everyone who is in theater is necessarily like that. “Theater kids are portrayed as cringy, or overly feminine, which is a stereotype a lot of people don’t want to be associated with,” said junior Ava Abendroth, an active member of Branham's theater program. “So, people don’t join theater when they otherwise would.” Theater is an elective class available to anyone, but those stereotypes and certain stigmas associated with theater prevent some from joining. Students like Abendroth believe that participation in theater classes has significantly declined with the rise of social media. There has been an increasing trend that involves poking fun at people in theater while referring to them as “theater kids.” While the posts themselves aren’t necessarily harmful, their underlying message is that being a “theater kid” is “cringe” or “embarrassing.” Many feel embarrassed to participate in school plays or musicals as it would require them to go up in front of their peers and perform. Performing in itself is already nerve-racking, but it’s even worse when the people someone is performing in front of are people they see every day. Theater can bring a sense of community. Just like how people in band hang out with other people in band, people who do theater surround themselves with other people Isabelle Zanchi/Special to Bear Witness who do theater – and it’s isolating
and prevents people from wanting to join drama because they feel excluded. All stereotypes come from somewhere; some students in theater are loud, a little eccentric, and might seem a little odd, but those people shouldn’t hold others back from pursuing something they’re interested in. By creating a negative stigma around theater, students are indirectly affecting others' interest in it, and making the people who do it feel worse about themselves. Students should be encouraged to participate in activities that interest them instead of being made fun of for even showing interest. There are also gender stereotypes within theater – many students in theater are girls. Theater is often seen as “feminine” or “sensitive,” which are traits that aren’t typically associated with the stereotype surrounding men. Theater does require that someone is a little in touch with their feelings, but theater can be many things. Not all plays are tender or graceful. There's so much variety in theater. It can – quite literally – be anything. Theater is also associated with members of the LGBTQ+ community. People may refuse to take theater or audition for upcoming productions for fear of being considered “gay.” Just like with everything else, someone's sexuality does not determine their interest or activeness in anything. Anyone can do theater, gay or straight. We shouldn’t judge others based on the activities they choose to take part in. Everyone is unique and should be allowed to have interests that differ from the norm without being swarmed with judgment on who they are based on a singular interest.
EDUCATION
The need for A-G requirements
FRANCISCO PHAM Staff Writer
igh school education is often labeled as H the cornerstone of American society. However, is it really preparing students for the
practical challenges they will face in the real world? In a Bear Witness survey of 143 readers, 50% of students at Branham believe that the courses they take are not applicable to post-high school life. According to a study by Cengage, which serves multiple education markets in 20 countries, 43% of employers believe that skill-based credentials are more valuable than a degree when applying for a job. With the increase in jobs reliant on specialized expertise, the relevance of high school curricula is on the decline. In a survey conducted by H&R Block, it was found that 84% of people don’t apply things they learned in high school to their work. Moreover, the survey also revealed that over half the skills required for these jobs are learned from experience, not curriculum. Employees are often reliant on their work ethic and their familiarity with the field. High school education is simply not put into place in common job areas. On occasion, calculus and AP English classes would be helpful if a graduate was to go into those fields, but more often than not, jobs have no correlation with the curriculum. The Common Core curriculum is still vital in developing the reasoning and thinking processes for life, but it should cover more specific interests. For example, according to CBS, 57% of their respondents believe a class on money management in high school would be helpful, with 44% wanting to learn how to file taxes before entering the workforce. Although these ideas are covered in the intro to business class, it is only an elective that certain students take, not a graduation requirement. According to a study by XQ, which focuses
on reimagining the high school experience, only 30% of students believe high school is setting them up for real-life success. In addition, a staggering 7% of adults believe high school prepared them. Results as such are all the more common with the direction the high school curriculum is heading. High schools need to adapt to changing times and provide opportunities for students to learn about their specific interests. Common Core is helpful for the application of ideas, but there needs to be a better range for the real life applications of what is being taught. A broad curriculum is counterintuitive for helping students specialize in their interests. Classes that teach personal finance, how to apply for a job, and how to build a resume would benefit students. Instead, high school education is focused on preparing students for college in an economy where 30% of students do not go to college, according to statistics by the New York Times. These students often opt to go straight into the workforce, which high school has not adequately prepared them for. Researchers from the Times further revealed that only a minority of students—mostly men—would end up with high-paying jobs as skilled workers like electricians or welders. The majority of students will end up being forced to work in lower-paying jobs that have less of a connection with their high school education. High school helps prepare students for the social and rational aspects of life when they should also focus on teaching real-life competency. The implementation of mandatory skills training would help mitigate the issues post-high school students face. Calling for an overhaul of the curriculum wouldn’t benefit students as many still attend post-secondary institutions. Instead, districts need to begin ushering in a new wave of classes focused on preparing students for life after high school.
Bear Witness staff graphic
How much does the core curriculum really prepare kids for life after high school?
Dhatri Tummala/Special to Bear Witness
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OPINION ACADEMICS
Lack of flexibility demotivates students Editorial
aving a broad elective requirement such as H art and CTE mixed in with college prep classes prevents students from specializing in a
subject that they may use later on. Conflicts may arise, such as when students can’t take an extra AP science class because they are enrolled in choir. Instead, elective requirements should be broader so that kids have freedom to either explore a variety of subjects or focus on one area of interest. When choosing courses for the new year, students have to take in account their required courses and how many credits they need to get in order to graduate. What art class and visual performance do they need in order to walk
The opinion of the Bear Witness editors
across the stage in June? Will they be able to take their first choice along with filling their basic English, math, science and history requirements? Although the baseline courses such as English and science are critical to students' basic knowledge on how to think for themselves and about the world around them, the restrictive require-
ments don’t allow students much room to pursue their own personal endeavors. The requirements prevent students from specializing in a certain subject they are particularly interested in, hindering their overall self-discovery. Therefore, the broad elective requirement excludes students from specializing in topics they are more interested in. It focuses solely on filling each student's schedule so that it exudes from finding a purpose to pursue later on in life. Because of this, if there were a more general requirement, students would be given the freedom to explore a variety of subjects they are interested in. Along with focusing on areas they
are interested in, students would then be given the opportunity to pursue their true passions. Currently, since many students are simply taking classes to fill their requirements, their participation and motivation to learn is drastically declining. Students would be more interested in topics they want to learn and participate in as they build a passion towards topics they want to pursue. Along with learning about these topics in school, there is a motivation to learn about topics with interesting aspects. Allowing for more flexibility would push students to find their passion and pursue personal endeavors.
SLEEP
GENERATION NO Z'S
BITE-SIZED OPINIONS
Minor problems, minor solutions
This generation isn’t getting enough sleep, but balance is possible
Problem: I hate when i’m trying to listen to music and my teacher starts yapping about assignments. Solution: Teachers need to have a cool background beat when talking so I don’t get bored of what they’re saying. — Maceo Inoue
Problem: The temperature changes too much everyday, going from too cold to too warm. Solution: Make a biodome over the school that keeps the temperature consistent. — Aadyant Suresh
David Tran/Special to Bear Witness LIA CHOI Managing Editor
You never responded to my text last night. What ““10:30,” time did you go to bed?” I responded. “You?”
“Wait, again? I had to sleep at 2 a.m. It must be nice not having any work to do.” This is a common reaction I receive whenever I share my sleep schedule: surprise, and more often than not, disbelief. As someone who’s found a successful balance between maintaining my grades and extracurriculars while prioritizing sleep, I’ve noticed a concerning lack of sleep among my peers, and these normalized standards seem to increase every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 72% of high school teens do not get the recommended 8 to 10 hours of daily sleep on school nights. For Branham, a Bear Witness survey of 399 readers found that 61% of respondents fall asleep between 10 p.m. to midnight, while 27% sleep during midnight to 2 a.m. Only 9% sleep before 10 p.m. The average amount of sleep for students is 6.5 hours. Bear Witness respondents provided a variety of reasons behind their late sleep schedules, ranging from prolonged sports practices to working jobs. However, the most common answers were along the lines of “having too much homework” and “procrastination.” According to the Association for Psychological Science, the two go hand-in-hand. A study at Case Western Reserve University found that procrasti-
nating students enjoyed initial benefits from pushing off their homework to pursue other enjoyable activities, but unavoidable assignment deadlines soon caught up with them, resulting in stress, poor academic performance, and most importantly, later sleep times. Although a considerable number of factors behind the lack of sleep are to blame on students themselves, some factors are out of their control. An article from KidsHealth explained that the pituitary gland releases the sleep hormone melatonin to reset the body’s circadian rhythm, our 24-hour internal sleep clock. For teenagers, melatonin is released later in the night than for children or adults, resulting in teens falling asleep and waking up later. Add piles of homework and extracurriculars into the mix, and the difficulty for teens to physically and mentally feel tired enough to sleep before 11 p.m. becomes clear. Initiatives have been made to promote healthier sleep schedules among students. Starting with the 2022-2023 school year, California was among the first states to implement later school start times. Signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2019, the state law requires all high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., a whole hour later than Branham’s previous 7:30 a.m. start time. Before 2018, the school had zero period, which started at 7 a.m. However, the resulting actions from this law aren’t exactly in accordance with its purpose of promoting more sleep among teens. Students may not wake up as early, but with later start times comes a subsequent delay in ending times. For students who play sports or are in extracurriculars after school, this leaves a substantial
impact on their home schedules with less time to complete homework or unwind. Therefore, teens have no choice but to sleep later and the unhealthy sleep cycle continues, which, according to the National Library of Medicine, can result in negative effects on memory, concentration, motivation, and mood. Whether it be researchers, parents, or students themselves, people have long tried to find concrete solutions to getting better, longer sleep. Although it’s impossible to successfully enforce earlier sleeping times among all teens, wider awareness of the external and internal effects of lack of sleep should be spread in schools. Branham students do not learn adequate, valuable information about the importance of sleep outside of their psychology class or viewing a presentation from admin. Thus, science classes should consider implementing a more in-depth unit regarding sleep in their curriculum, cultivating stronger knowledge about the benefits of healthier sleep schedules. More widespread education about the importance of sleep can help students balance their busy schedules without sacrificing their health. This can in turn help improve their academic performance and ability to be involved in activities, breaking the cycle of lack of sleep. Although I too don’t sleep a full 8-10 hours every night, my habit of diligently sleeping and waking up at healthy times has led to my ability to avoid procrastination while waking up refreshed. The next time I’m asked by my friend what time I went to sleep the previous night, I won’t just respond and brace for incredulity — I’ll recommend them to do the same.
Problem: I always bring a jacket to school because of how cold it is in the mornings but take them off by the end of the school day. I always have to carry it around with me instead, which isn't great for someone who loses things easily. Solution: Dedicate one of the classrooms as a coat room so students can put their jackets in with guarantee that they can safely pick it up later. — Lauren Gernale
Problem: The sun sets so early now and I have to walk my dog in the dark. Solution: A spotlight should follow me from the sky every time I leave the house when it's dark outside. — Makayla Wu
Save Your Sleep: steps for getting getting easier sleep 1. Be consistent with your sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day
2. Eliminate distractions: Sleep in a dark, noise-free, and relaxing environment
3. Stay active: Make sure not to be cooped in your room and get some exercise during the day
4. Minimal meals: Avoid consuming large portions of food or caffeine right before bed — Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Problem: The hallway is too crowded during passing period and lunch. Solution: Let's enforce a rule where everyone has to walk in a single file line. — Yujin Cho
6
BEAR WITNESS
| NOVEMBER 2023 |
SCIENCE&HEALTH SCIENCE &Health BRIEFS
Undersea volcano creates new island near Japan Eruptions from an undersea volcano near the Japanese Island of Iwo Jima has created a separate new island that was 100 meters across by Oct. 30. Scientists estimate there to be thousands of undersea volcanoes, with their eruptions leading to some large islands – such as the Hawaiian archipelago, but often are not seen above the water. The eruption is believed to be an offshoot of a larger volcano. Within the eruption are large particles that hold onto smaller ones as they travel up to the surface; the addition of magma also contributes to the complexity of the eruption. Scientists are unsure about the potential size of the island following the eruptions, with those near Iwo Jima usually occurring for a month at a time. Amazon delivery drones to begin operations Amazon’s delivery drones in action after having been announced a decade ago. Aviation specialists and top scientists have been working on the project for years, but the reality of the service still has not reached the original promotional claims. As of now, the drones have many limitations such as delivering only one item with the weather not being too hot, windy or rainy. The items must be five pounds at most and cannot be breakable. A lot of people are skeptical about the promises being made by Amazon and the actual functionality of the drones. 2023 on track to be hottest year recorded According to measurements from European climate scientists, this past October has been the warmest recorded October. As a whole, these last few months have been hottest for summer months, contributing to 2023 likely being the hottest year recorded. Scientists say that this has led to the temperatures being 1.43 degrees Celsius greater than the preindustrial average. Measurements were made with instruments around the world, including satellites and ships. The United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP28, is going to be held in Abu Dhabi to discuss these changes and potential actions to be taken. — Compiled by Yujin Cho and Aadyant Suresh with information from the New York Times
SOCIAL MEDIA
GONE IN AN ‘INSTA’
Students navigate new trends and privacy concerns as various social media apps rise and fall LAUREN GERNALE
W
The rise and ‘fall’ of social media
Arts & Culture Editor
ith the developing age of social media, trending apps like Saturn and BeReal had fleeting popularity, capturing the attention of teenagers across Branham just as quickly as they left. The rise of new social media apps, temporary or not, also raise concerns for privacy, one’s digital footprint and overall usage time. In a survey of 228 Branham students, 74% have downloaded and deleted trending apps before, with the majority of responses mentioning Saturn, TikTok or BeReal. Saturn, which peaked in popularity during the summer of 2021, garnered over 3 million downloads since its launch in 2018. The app is designed for high school students to sync their school calendars with other users at their school. It gives users the opportunity to share their schedules with anyone in their school, including their specific class times and room numbers. However, the app has no way to verify if its users are real students. Senior Tara Krishnan initially downloaded Saturn but deleted it after its popularity died down. After reading an article about the issues surrounding its lack of verification, Krishnan felt worried about possibly dangerous figures accessing the app and seeing where she is at exact times. After reading the article, she noticed users in the Branham High School Saturn group that did not attend Branham. “If the wrong person gets their hands on that app, it can be dangerous,” she said. “I got paranoid thinking about random people checking Saturn and seeing what class I’m in.” Krishnan also had BeReal, an app focused on garnering 13.89 million downloads during its prime in September 2022. It is designed to be a simple photo-sharing app where users designate one moment a day to “BeReal” and share a real-life photo with their friends. The app aims to diminish posting artificially perfect photos. While Krishnan does not think BeReal has any privacy concerns and enjoys the overall concept, she believes that the time spent on the app in addition to other major social media platforms like Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram can add up. “We spend a lot of our time on social media, and the whole concept of it is just to build an impression of you,” she said. “A lot of our time is spent building some image, and who you are on social media isn’t really who you are in real life.” Junior Hari Srivatsan still owns Saturn to check his schedule and saw many of his friends continuing to use BeReal. He claims there’s no distinguishing factor about the app besides its original concept since its beginning, which is why most users got over it so quickly. “There’s nothing really special about it anymore,” he said. “At the beginning it was just a trend, but I think the people who stick with it actually like the whole theme of it.” As of early October, Srivatsan recently noticed the rise of a new app called “Lapse,” which allows users to take and share photos similar to that of a digital camera. The app is still experiencing a surge in popularity, yet Srivatsan does not expect it to last long. While new apps continue to trend, Krishnan continues to notice a pattern of obsession for short periods of time, only to delete them later. BeReal followed this, especially since there were no notable features added to the app. “People will be obsessed for a few weeks, and then something new will come along. That’s just how it is,” she said. “There’s apps like BeReal, where the concept is super fun. But if you’re ‘being real’ every single day, then it gets old.” Digital photo teacher Neta Ravid similarly noticed the rise and fall trends with older sites and apps like MySpace, Vine and Facebook. While external sources,
Vine Vine was a short-form video hosting service where users could share six-second-long looping video clips. It was founded in June 2012 and acquired by Twitter before its official launch in January 2013. Vine was discontinued in 2017. At its height, it had over 200 million active users. Saturn The app was created in 2018 to help high school students interact with other students in their schools. The app helps students stay on track with their classes, assignments, group projects, and more. It boasts 85,700 active users. BeReal: BeReal was released in 2020 and gained popularity on college campuses in early 2022, and encouraged non-curated photos and moments. BeReal’s daily active users have since declined from 20 million daily active users in October 2022 to 3 million monthly active users. Lapse The app claims to to turn “your phone into an invite-only disposable camera.” The main difference is that only those invited may view the filtered photos. It saw 1.2 million in October 2023. TikTok Gen-Z’s most popular social media app was launched by the Chinese company ByteDance in September 2016 under the name Douyin in China and internationally as TikTok in September 2017. As of November 2023, it has 1.1 billion active users.
Baani Bola/Special to the Bear Witness
New space telescope maps out the universe Euclid is a space telescope launched in July by the European Space Agency (ESA). Its aim is to map out a third of the extragalactic sky, or the space outside of the Milky Way – studying the role of dark matter and dark energy; these are largely unknown parts of the universe that scientists believe influence its composition. Recent pictures showcase the Horsehead Nebula 1,375 light years away and the Perseus Cluster, a group of galaxies 240 million light years away. The telescope has a 600 megapixel camera and sensors that allow it to record the wavelength of light from other galaxies to measure the distance. More use of Euclid is to begin early 2024, with it continuing to map the universe for another six years.
BHSBEARWITNESS.COM
like the change in ownership with X, previously called Twitter, and app competition can affect an app’s success, she claims that longevity is also based on the addictiveness of algorithms and app design. “Sometimes it’s a matter of the algorithm not being addictive enough to keep somebody’s attention,” she said. “Innovation definitely pulls people in and out of apps.” On average, high school students spend about 4.8 hours a day on social media platforms, according to a Gallup survey of more than 1,500 adolescents. Ravid says this exposure has more evidently affected her students over the last 10 years of her teaching. “They seemed more emotionally present,” she said. “They seemed more open to changing based on new information, and they seemed more open to learning about themselves and the world around them.” She says the presence of social media has also largely impacted attention span. According to research from Dr.
Instagram An app that both Millennials and Gen-Zers can agree on. Part of Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta suite, the photo-sharing app boasts more than 2.35 billion monthly active users. Facebook One of the oldest and most popular social networking platforms. It was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his college roommates in February 2004. It has 2.989 billion monthly active users, consisting mostly of Millennials and older.
Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at the University of California, Irvine, the average attention span on screen in 2004 was 150 seconds. Now, the average is 47 seconds. “The attention span is probably the most noticeable thing that’s changed in the last five, six years,” she said. “The attention span of students has gone from having the attention of students without any knick knacks or videos or whatever for about three to four minutes. And now it’s 30 seconds.” As more social media apps are released, even as they continue to rise and fall, Ravid only sees increased dependence on these platforms for validation. Although social media began as a way to simply keep in touch with friends, she says it has become more of an obsession. “At the inception of Facebook, [social media] was sold as a great way for you to keep in touch with your people who are around you and share silly stuff,” she said. “Now it’s no longer this thing you go and do for 5 or 10 minutes, [but] where it’s constantly on your mind.”
WHAT’S NEW IN TECH
Credit: Forbes Credit: Apple Inc.
Credit: Google LLC
Apple’s new phones include the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. The 15 and 15 Plus get a 48 megapixel main camera, the Dynamic Island, and a brighter display from last year’s non-pro phones. The pro phones have a titanium design and the new A17 Pro chip. All new phones replace the Lightning port for USB-C.
Google’s new generation of phones include the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. Both phones have a brighter screen and larger battery of 4,575 and 5,050 mAh respectively. The Pixel 8 pro also gets a 48 megapixel ultrawide camera. Both phones can now go up to a 120 Hz refresh rate, utilize the new Google Tensor G3 processor, and have a new astrophtography mode.
Tesla has updated the Model 3 with the Model 3 Highland. It features subtle exterior changes, such as different headlights, and a new suspension. The interior has a 65 watt USB-C charger, ambient lighting and a 17 speaker sound system (up from 14 speakers). Rear passengers also have a new touch screen that allows from climate control and watching media. The car also has a new feature that puts the car in drive or reverse automatically if it senses an obstacle in front of, or behind the car. It also has a top speed of 125 mph, lower than the previous 145 mph due to different tires. The range for the rear-wheel drive model is 344 miles, while the long range model can go 421 miles. — Information from Autotrader
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| NOVEMBER 2023 |
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SCIENCE&HEALTH
EMERGENCY ALERTS
ALARMS SEND MIXED SIGNALS Recent innovations in emergency alerting technology add safety but also confuse phone users ELLIOTT YAU Staff Writer
hones around the Bay Area received wireP less emergency alerts warning residents to shelter in place on Oct. 18. The earthquake orig-
inated in the Sacramento County area, over 60 miles away from Branham. However, no Branham staff and students felt shaking after the alert, leading to a moment of confusion. Minutes after the initial alert, a PA announcement instructed students and staff to duck, cover and hold, further confusing staff like English teacher Kerry Murphy. “That we were asked to duck and cover minutes after the earthquake was a bit odd,” Murphy said. “We already had the earthquake. Why are we ducking and covering now?’” The earthquake was initially estimated to be a 5.7-magnitude earthquake, above the 5.0-magnitude threshold for sending out wireless emergency alerts, then later downgraded to a 4.2-magnitude earthquake by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The ShakeAlert® Earthquake Early Warning System aims to give affected populations a few seconds to take cover. Seismic sensors in the ground immediately detect earthquakes and send data to processing centers, where the magnitude and location is determined. A ShakeAlert® message is immediately sent to the Federal Emergency Management’s (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert & Warning System (IPAWS), which authenticates the alert and disseminates it simultaneously to the public via radio, TV and cell phones. Principal Lindsay Schubert, who received the same alert and is responsible for handling emergencies, first checked in with other administrative team members to confirm the alarm was not a test. The earthquake safety plan calls for students to duck, cover and hold until given the all-clear. The school is currently retraining staff on how to use InformaCast, which can send text, audio and visual alerts to classroom clocks and staff phones in case of an emergency. As a last resort, the school would be evacuated to a safe spot on campus or
to Branham Park. “[In] emergencies, anything can happen,” Schubert said. “You have to adapt, but we do have a plan. We have anything for any kind of major disaster in place. That's why those drills are important to practice, so that we're ready for if something [happens].” Computer science teacher Steven Turner has experienced evacuating his home due to a wildfire in 2020, which prepared him for in-school emergencies. He received an alert telling him to evacuate but already knew about the fire from X, previously called Twitter. Turner also uses Google Alerts to keep tabs on Branham and potential fires, which monitors the Internet for keywords. “I think [Google Alerts is] probably more helpful [than emergency alerts],” Turner said. “But that's relying on one thing, and if there's an emergency, I'd rather have that plus the emergency system.” Alert systems can be incorrectly used at times, such as when a false incoming ballistic missile alert was issued to Hawaiians in 2018, briefly causing panic across the islands. An investigation later determined that poor communication and human error were at fault. Technology itself is rapidly improving in predicting extreme weather and sending alerts out accurately. Geotargeting, when users receive alerts based on their location, is one example. In 2012, wireless emergency alerts were sent to entire counties. As of 2019, wireless providers are required to send alerts to a specific area with less than 528 feet or 161 meters of offshoot. Currently, an estimated 83% of US consumers’ smartphones support enhanced geotargeting. This improving technology is supposed to reduce the number of alerts sent out to unaffected areas, like Branham on Oct. 18. For Turner, these alerts are more important due to the threat from global climate change and weren’t very disruptive for his class. “We need to have the systems in place because institutional knowledge and even your human knowledge are going to apply less and less often as our world continues to change,” he said.
Elliott Yau/Bear Witness
ENGINEERING
PLTW making more out of less
From crowdfunding and grants to rationing supplies, engineering classes innovate amid budgetary difficulties YUJIN CHO
Staff Writer
D printers, screwdrivers, screws, laser cut3 ters—these resources are readily available for students in the engineering classes.
Although initial materials were provided by the school, most of the resources are bought through grants submitted by teachers. These resources are used by engineering students or by the 3D Printing Club for projects. Senior Luigi Renovato has been in the engineering program for the past two years, with his spark for inventions beginning during quarantine. He wasn't aware of the resources that the engineering department offered and utilizes his own resources. For example, he uses his own 3D printer for his smaller projects such as creating keychains to support clubs and programs that he is a part of. “I feel like [my creativity] is something I have always had. I've never been satisfied with how things are,” Renovato said. Renovato recently took on a project given by digital electronics and engineering design and development teacher Barbara Schremp. The project included 3D printing various components and assembling the motors and fans, and Schremp ordered the parts for a machine that converts recycled plastic bottles into filament, which is the material that the printers use to form their prints. “[Mrs. Schremp] asked me to build it because I'm really knowledgeable in [the engineering] field,” said Renovato. “She gave me all the parts and I'm almost done with it too.” In junior Zoya Brahimzadeh’s Digital Electronics class, students conduct experiments and
collect data and model circuits in order to learn the basics of electrical engineering. Digital tools are also used for ease of access along with their lower costs. “We haven’t experienced any instances where we're completely out of [a certain] part,” Brahimzadeh said. “We treat our materials really well, and sometimes I'm surprised by how much stuff we have that I thought we wouldn't be able to have access to.” Teachers have submitted grants to different companies for items such as 3D printers, computer science supplies, and other basic supplies. According to Schremp, the process of writing and applying for the grants takes a minimum of three to five hours. Yet, other resources that are necessary to the curriculum are not always covered by the grant money, and Schremp has proposed different ideas to get around these issues. For example, this year, she recycled old teacher computers to accommodate the shortage of laptops required for the digital electronics class. On the other hand, other in-class projects require more specialized equipment that Branham doesn’t have access to. “[A group] needed [equipment] that Branham doesn't have, so we worked out a deal where they went over to Westmont because Westmont had the equipment,” Schremp said. The department is still looking to expand the resources available to the students. “If we start thinking longer term about what types of materials are ongoing, and then put them into the budget, then all of the classes that we offer will not be limited by not having the right resources,” she said.
Engineering process steps
1. Research: Identify and validate the problem. Then conduct research based on expert sources. 2. Design: Develop solutions considering the time, resources, skills and knowledge needed. 3. Prototype and test: Utilize design requirements to create a testable prototype. 4. Evaluate: Look at feedback and protoype performance data to go over the design and revise. Senior Luigi Renovato works on a new 3D printer for his Project Lead the Way class.
Yujin Cho/Bear Witness
8
INDEPTH Dealing with antisemitic and Islamophobic remarks
Talking about what’s happening in Israel and Palestine is vital, now and always. Nonprofit groups such as the Anti-Defamation League, Solutions Not Sides and the Council on American Islamic Relations are sharing tips to engage in conversation without regurgitating antisemitic and anti-Muslim tropes and speech.
BEAR WITNESS
| NOVEMBER 2023 |
BHSBEARWITNESS.COM
The reality of missile threats AVA STARK AND ARYELLA FINKEL-HOZER Staff Writers
ophomore Tamar Maysel is Jewish and a S former resident of Israel. She has experienced the conflict first-hand and shares stories
Think before you post!
Be clear about what you mean when using labels: Jewish and Muslim refes to two minority groups in Europe and some other regions who experience racism, and this tends to get worse when violence in the Middle East hits our news headlines. Palestinian or Israeli are national identities. Zionism is the belief in the right of the Jewish people to self-determination (and not all people who call themselves Zionist share the same opinion about the exact territory, principles, etc. of the state of Israel). ‘Zionist’ or ‘Zio’ should not be used as a term of abuse. Arab is a grouping of people whose mother tongue is Arabic and there is great diversity across the Arab World (e.g. Jordan can’t simply become Palestine just because they are Arabs). Islamism is an academic term with French origins that refers to a broad spectrum of political ideologies. Islamism is not a synonym for terrorism and should not be used as such.
People vs. governments
Do not hold Jews responsible for the decisions of the Israeli leaders, or Muslims responsible for the decisions of the Palestinian leaders. Do not demand that Jews or Muslims take a certain political position on the issue. Do not assume that all Palestinians or Israelis support the actions of their governments. Anti-Zionism is not always antisemitic (for example if someone is generally anti-nationalism and believes in abolishing nation-states), but it can be. For example: if criticism of Israel goes beyond that of its government policies and uses antisemitic tropes. Do not state that Muslims should leave Palestinian territories because they have the whole of the rest of the Middle East or that Israeli Jews should “go back to where they came from.” Israel is not engaged in a conspiracy to take over the Middle East or the world, and Palestine is not a conspiracy to enforce a caliphate on Israel, Europe, or the world. These are two national identities who both want to exist in the same piece of land. Israel is not comparable to their experiences under the hands of Nazi Germany. Palestine is not synonymous with ISIS.
Display sensitivity
Be sensitive towards people who are pro-Israel and/or pro-Palestine at this time - they may have friends/family involved in the situation, or Israel/Palestine may represent something important to them such as their own sense of struggle or oppression or a place of safety in times of persecution. Solidarity with one side or the other is not a crime, they can be pro-Israel/pro-Palestine and still be pro-solution. — Compiled by staff from the Anti-Defamation League, Council of American Islamic Relations and Solutions Not Sides
Courtesy of Tamar Maysel Sophomore Tamar Maysel points to a sign in the Mazal Akrav Alley in Tel Aviv, Israel during a recent trip.
about what it was like for her and her loved ones. Though she moved to California years ago when she was seven years old, Maysel still has family in Israel, including her grandparents. “My grandparents are my main connection there,” she said. “They’re okay, because they live sort of far away from the Gaza strip in the West Bank, which are the two Palestinian territories.” Maysel is concerned about her family and what could happen to them. Since the war began, she has been able to keep in contact with her extended relatives. “It’s relieving to know that my grandparents are safe,” she said. “They’re getting old but it’s still so scary because you never know what can happen.” Reflecting on her time living in Israel when she was little, Maysel remembers the horrors of waking up to a bomb threat. “I remember waking up this one morning at 6:30, and I remember being pulled out by my parents into a bomb shelter,” she said. “Every single apartment has a bomb shelter with bulletproof doors and it’s tightly secured. This isn’t something new, but the inhumane scale of this is just beyond my beliefs and beyond everybody’s beliefs.” This, however, was not the only experience Maysel had with the bombings. “It happened pretty often. I remember on the drive to school, my dad and I were listening to the Israeli radio. And they stopped the music. They stopped what was going on and they played a live missile report. They were saying the names of cities and then the names of the neighborhoods. I also remember going out to dinner with my family one night. We heard missiles and bombs. I was scared but we weren’t sheltering because the threats weren’t in our city. So I just kind of had this fear. It’s kind of unique because the missiles are incredibly scary, but in the moment, you don’t really know what’s going on or how to react.” Here, Maysel connects with her B’nai B’rith Youth Organization, which brings together Jewish teens in meaningful Jewish experiences. During this hard time, it’s helpful for Maysel to be with them here in the United States. “The Jewish community is so small, yet so strong and so tight,” she said. “We all know someone who’s out there in Israel.” During a recent meeting with her region, the group broke out into singing the Israeli national anthem. “We talked a lot about the conflict,” she said. “And we all just were there for each other. Because that’s all we need right now.”
ISRAEL-HAMAS W
A long
Historical roots 1917-1948: Balfo Declaration, British Mandate, and UN Partition Plan shape early conflic dynamics, setting the stage for the Arab-Israeli War, th establishment of
Deaths befo 2023 war
Of Palestinian d since 2006, 5,3 were in Gaza, 1 in the West Ban in Israel. Most w civilians on bot sides.
Israel 1,320+
killed, including civilians,
7,266 wounded
500,00
Israelis displace
Gaza 14,854
killed, including 6,150+ children 4,000+ women
36,000 wounded
Student sees antisemitism on rise 1.7 milli
Palestinians dis placed
AVA STARK AND ARYELLA FINKEL-HOZER Staff Writers
West Bank 235
ophomore Amit Gonen moved to the U.S. S from Israel at the age of three with her immediate family, departing from her paternal fam-
ily and grandma. I’ve been in communication with my family in Israel and they are all in their bomb shelter rooms in their apartments.” Gonen worries about her family there, knowing that as Israeli civilians, they are continuously struggling with the bombings. “My grandma lives alone in Israel,” Gonen said. “Both her kids, including my mom, live in the United States. So my grandma lives alone an hour away from the rest of my extended family. She’s just alone in her little bedroom. I cannot imagine being in that scenario ever. That’s terrifying.” Along with her family being affected, her close friend faced a traumatic situation. “A friend of mine that lives in California who got stuck there, her flight got canceled, and she couldn’t come home because of all the attacks. It’s just a lot of social media stuff as well.” This war has been one of the first major ones since new technology and social media, allowing many things to get misread and biased opinions shown as information. Amit acknowledges how these topics can easily get twisted to fit certain narratives. “There’s a lot of dangers of single stories, and social media,” she said. “Many people only see one side or just pick one without knowing the whole story and not understanding that Hamas is a terrorist organization and that people posting about awareness for Israel are not targeted against Palestine, but against Hamas.” Many Jews have experienced antisemitism from this conflict, and Gonen’s family is not exempt from this.
killed
2,469 wounded
Courtesy of Ziv Galpaz Members of the Israeli Scouts outside the Auschwitz Birkenau extermination camp, which was responsiblefr the deaths of the majority of the deaths of the 6 million Jews in Europe.
“So many Jews have faced traumatic experiences and trauma from antisemitism,” she said. “My great-grandparents were in the Holocaust, they escaped concentration camps. Imagine having to relive all of this again to some extent. Imagine fighting for your lands, and then getting out of concentration camps, surviving that horrible war, and then being placed into another one, constantly being attacked by your neighboring countries.”
Gonen understands that this conflict hurts both Israeli people and Palestinians. She empathizes with civilians and their families that are being affected by the conflict, knowing that the situation is largely out of their control. “I feel sympathy for Palestinians as well. Because it’s not their fault. Hamas is a serious organization. Both civilians on either side of the conflict are facing deaths and injuries.”
Sources: Gaza He Ministry, which i controlled by Ham Syrian Observato for Human Right Israeli Defense Fo United Nations O for the Coordinat Humanitarian Aff Information curr of Nov. 28, 2023
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INDEPTH
WAR HITS HOME
history of conflict
our h
ct
he
Israel, and ensuing refugee issues. 1948 War and aftermath: The Arab-Israeli War leads to the establishment of Israel, triggering displacement and refugee crises, laying
the foundation for longstanding territorial and political disputes between Israelis and Palestinians. Post-1967 developments: The Six-Day War,
The Israel–Hamas conflict has been ongoing since June 28, 2006, but conflict in the region has existed since the late 19th century. There was a general cease-fire between Israel and Hamas from 2014 until 2023. Though this is far from a comprehensive look, Here are some points to consider. expansion of Israeli settlements, and the Oslo Accords significantly shape the territorial and political landscapes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, creating enduring challenges and opportunities for
peace. Early 2000s: The outbreak of the Second Intifada, the Gaza Disengagement, and a series of failed peace talks mark a turbulent period, intensifying
tensions and complicating prospects for resolution.
further strain the Israeli-Palestinian relationship.
2008-2014 The Gaza Wars, characterized by intense hostilities, casualties, and disputes over Jerusalem and borders,
2018-2020 Controversial events such as the U.S. Embassy’s move to Jerusalem and normalization agree-
ments with Arab states fuels both hope and criticism in the pursuit of lasting peace.
attack southern Israel. Israel retaliates with airstrikes and initiates a total blockade of Gaza.
Oct. 7, 2023 Palestinian militants breach the Gaza– Israel barrier and
Oct. 9, 2023 Israel orders Palestinians to evacuate northern
Gaza, including Gaza City, on Oct. 13. Oct. 27, 2023 Israel launches a ground invasion of northern Gaza. Israel begins the siege of Gaza City.
Nov. 24, 2023 Israel and Hamas implement a 4-day ceasefire agreement, later extended to six days. Scores of hostages are released on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
Information compiled by staff from the BBC and The New York Times
ore
deaths 360 1,007 nk, 37 were th
+
g 859
00
Elliott Yau/Bear Witness Ethnic Literature teacher Michael Espinoza aims to teach the complicated history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
ed
Nhat V. Meyer/Mercury News - reprinted with permission Protesters opposing the Israeli-Gaza conflict gather at the Winchester Boulevard and Stevens Creek Boulevard in Santa Clara on Oct. 15.
The Palestinian crisis, firsthand
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AVA STARK AND ARYELLA FINKEL-HOZER Staff Writers
enior Qusay Suleiman is a first generation Palestinian-American S who moved to the United States in 2017 with his family. From an early age he has always had knowledge of the ongoing conflict between
Israeli and Palestinians living in Gaza. “I’ve been learning about this conflict because of my grandpa,” he said. “In the 1940s he got kicked off his land and he had to move to where we live now. He never went to school, but he made sure my dad and his seven other siblings all went to school. They all went to college and I’m so grateful to all my uncles and aunts. They’re all successful.” He tries to go back during summers to visit his family, but has noticed the situation has gotten progressively worse in the Palestinian territory. “I’m glad to have an Israeli passport so I could leave the country,” he said. “I have some extended family in the West Bank. However, it’s been scary. Last summer I went to visit my family like I do every summer, and every summer it gets worse. It’s heartbreaking to see. I don’t want my people to die. I don’t want them to be wiped out.” What Sulieman sees when he is in Palestine can be alarming, with soldiers walking around with M15 rifles.
“They’re trying to make sure you’re not smuggling in anybody,” he said. “And then once you go further, you see seven year old kids selling stuff just to get by because it’s hard to get jobs. It’s hard to make money. It’s heartbreaking. It’s just hard to enjoy yourself.” Sulieman is afraid of what the future holds for Palestinian civilians with the United States supporting Israel. With a disproportionate number of Palestinian civilians dying “It’s important because, obviously, people are dying,” he said. “There’s clear evidence of war crimes being committed right now. We have to be aware of what we’re supporting. It’s just important to know what’s going on. Germany, they teach their students about the Holocaust. They don’t hide it. That’s how I feel like we should be. We do bad stuff, but we should talk about it. We shouldn’t just tuck it under (the rug).” Sulieman wants the harm to his people to stop and wants the ability to still see his family when he returns to Palestine. He stresses the importance of people here being educated on the conflict due to how serious it is and its effects on people like him. “Some people are very quick to assume things just because of religion or race,” he said. ”My friend asked me if any of my family are part of Hamas. People should be educated because with questions like that, I just don’t know where to start.”
Seeking empathy from both sides lot of my family members still live there. Growing up, my parents did face atrocities. And that doesn’t mean that Iran still isn’t a place where you can live happily and safely. We hold a lot of amazing unior Avishawd Yarisaied, a first born Iranian-American, exmemories there. But it is true that growing up they did face certain presses her concern for the people involved in the conflict. Being atrocities due to the Iranian regime.” Iranian, she relates to what Israeli and Palestinian civilians are expeEmpathizing with Israeli and Palestinian people here who have riencing due to the cruelties of the Iranian government. family in the conflict, Yarisaied understands the uncertainty and “Both Israelis and Palestinians deserve safety, freedom and dig- Avishawd fear that may cause for many. nity at the end of the day,” she said. “I am Iranian, so I come from Yarisaied “If you are an Israeli or Palestinian person living not in that area a place where people are still suffering from the country’s current Junior is the at the moment, then you obviously are thinking about your family state. In our current age, the Iranian government does not care for first Amerthat lives there that could be harmed,” she said. “It’s very heartits people. And it’s a huge part of the reason the Iranian people are ican-born suffering. I think that relates to this conflict in terms of Hamas, and member in her breaking that people are going through that right now and having to lose family members from a distance so harshly and not be able how Hamas does not care for the Palestinian people. They allow family. to celebrate their life potentially.” innocent Palestinians to be harmed. That’s something as an Iranian Yarisaied hopes that people can also empathize with their PalesI can relate to.” Yarisaied’s family has been heavily negatively affected by the current tinian and Israeli community members. “It’s really important for people to just be cognizant of what is going on Iranian regime, which has ties to the Hamas militant group currently in in the world in general,” she said. “Because, like I said, even if it doesn’t control of the Palestinian territory. “She was the first member of my family to be born in the United States. directly affect you or your family, or your friends or the people you know, All my other family members except my little sister were born in Iran. A it affects people in your community.”
AVA STARK AND ARYELLA FINKEL-HOZER
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Staff Writers
Bringing world events to Branham AVA STARK AND ARYELLA FINKEL-HOZER
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Staff Writers
number of Branham students are dealing with the emotional pain of the Israel and Hamas War. Whether they have family there or it is just a part of them, it affects them. With the role of being educators, teachers strive to educate their students and be there for them during this crucial time. Whether teachers have personal connections with this war or just want to become educated, everyone has their different opinions. Many teachers just want to educate their students and remain as unbiased as possible. Social studies teacher John Salberg wants to keep his students knowledgeable about the war by showing videos and news articles. “I show both sides of the spectrum of this conflict equally. And that was really important to me as a teacher.” Bringing such a controversial topic to the classroom can be challenging; however, it allows students to deeply understand what is happening. “Most people want to duck away and not discuss this because it’s too controversial. That’s my job as an educator to enlighten and teach and I had to figure out a way to do it. And so, in my class, I was going to take the time to teach economics. Yeah, this has an economic impact on us.” Throughout this critical time it is valuable that students have someone they can talk to about real life scenarios and issues. Ethnic Literature teacher Michael Espinoza wants to remind students of the harsh battles Palestininens and Israelis are facing right now. “And to kind of understand as best as we can not just the political side of it, but also the humanitarian side of the two. really understanding that, at the end of the day, there’s a lot of people you know, losing their lives and we need to honor their lives and do what’s right.”
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BATTLE OF THE CLASSES Looking at the difference between student behavior, environment in on-level and AP classes
SCHOOL EVENTS Winter Wishes week: Dec. 4 to Dec 8 For this winter wishes most of the events and traditions will remain the same except for the winter wishes rally. The winter wishes rally, which is typically held during school hours with two rallies , on for upper class man and one for under class man with an adapted schedule for the day, will now be held after school on Friday December 8. Winter Wishes Rally: Dec. 8, starts at 4:30 p.m. This years winter wishes rally will be held after school starting at 4:30 pm. This year it is open to all students staff, family and friends, who are a part of the Branham community. The rally is held to grant the large wishes to students staff and families of the Branham community.The event will be held in the gym and it will be broadcast by NBC Bay Area for the sixth year in a row. Semester Finals: Dec. 18 to 20 This year's first semester finals are quickly approaching. The last three days of the first semester will be on the 18th, 19th, and 20th of December. All three days will be minimum days with the 18th being periods 1, 3, and 7. The 19th will be periods 2 and 5 and the 20th will be periods 4 and 6. This will mark the last classes before the Christmas break as well as the end of the semester grading period. CLUB EVENTS SPARE Beautification: Dec. 5 SPARE Club will be hosting beautifucations at Branham Park on the 5th Sunday of December. Permission slips are now required to attend, which can be picked from SPARE president Jiyoon Choi. In addition to beautifucations, there are weekly recycling sessions on campus after school every Wednesday, either after 3rd or 6th period. These events both count for on-campus volunteer hours. If interested, please contact Choi at 551803@my.cuhsd.org. Speach and Debate Tournament: Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 Branham's Speech and Debate team will be compeating in UCLA invatational on December 2nd and 3rd. It will be held online and will be an all day event for the participants. This will be the second competition that the novice team will be attending.
Reese Gardner/Bear Witness ANABELLE WALKER Staff Writor
tacks of textbooks, overflowing papers, note cards, S assignment after assignment, endless analytical conversations, and the seemlining never ending ex-
pectation to know what's going on. While in the next class over, moving at a much slower pace, students are aimlessly waiting for instructions to finish their double sided piece of paper for the day while disinterested in the topic at hand. The environment in AP level classes greatly differs from on-level classes. With different teacher expectations, course load, and student behavior that all contribute to the distinction. AP classes are college level courses that give students the opportunity to experience more rigorous courses while gaining college credit. On-level classes are the baseline course that all students need to take to achieve their graduation credits. In advanced level classes, some students acknowledge the vast differences between the student behavior and class expectations. The difference in workload, stress level, and class expectations all push students towards a different approach, as for on-level classes there is a baseline credit to be achieved in comparison to higher level classes where there is a choice to join. According to senior Vyas Chipalkatti, the workload between the classes is what differentiates. Since higher-level classes expect more from students, there is more work to be done in comparison to the on-level courses. Chipalkatti recalls his time as a junior in his on-level physics class, where he would prioritize com-
pleting his work quickly in order to make time when he got home to start his AP homework. Along with workload, environmental structure such as students' behavior and involvement is another factor Chipalkatti claims. “People try hard, they make sure that their ideas are heard,” Chipalkatti said, “like [in] on level physics - people just really don't care.” Motivation is a key component that can change the dynamic of a classroom. In AP classes, there are more students who have chosen to be there. However, in on-level classes, there is a range of students. Some students are invested in the subject of the class and others are just taking the class because they have to fill the credits. “It's people caring about school and really immersing themselves in coursework,” Chipalkatti said, “versus just taking it for credit and taking it to pass.” Along with students' approach toward the class, World History teacher Joshua Bourekas believes many students face class with the overall motive of passing for credit. “Some World History students are just trying to get by in this class because they just have to take it. It's a mandated course,” Bourekas said. “Whereas the AP kids it's an option. Given that it's an option, they have to force themselves [to participate].” Since AP classes have a higher expectation on students, Bourekas acknowledges their own personal motives, which may include aiming for a better grade and preparing for exams. Meanwhile, on-level students may be more aware that they need more help. With AP classes depending on class time and covering the condensed workload, prioritized time differs
Bionic Bruins host robotics tourney at Branham MAKAYLA WU AND LIA CHOI
Architecture and Interior Design Club Gingerbread house building: Dec. 13 The Architecture and Interior Design Club will be building Gingerbread houses on Dec. 13th during lunch. During this event they will test the durability and integrity of each house along with the houses designs. The best house overall will be reciving a prize at the end of the meeting. All house will be eaten by their creators as well. — Compiled by Reese Gardner
greatly in comparison to his on level classes. “An important environmental factor [is that] people aren't here by force.” Bourekas said. “ [In] regular world history, students are here by force. I don't blame them [on] not being motivated.” Class environments change how students stay motivated, AP leveled classes bring discipline within the atmosphere. Then in comparison to on-leveled classes, motivation isn't a constant factor playing a role in the course. Senior Abbie Fales claimed that there can be a slight difference between classes and their overall environments are what makes each class unique. In her experience, higher leveled classes have slightly more work and move at a faster pace. Along with more work, Fales believes that with the higher expectation of the class and students' drive, higher level classes bring together motivated students. “I feel like you have more of a bond,” Fales said. “because you're also struggling with each other.” Although the classes are more work, Fales believes that higher level classes do not bring much stress with the proper time management. Overall contributing to the major difference, that being the students approach. Although she acknowledges that high level classes have much more work in comparison to on-level, the overall organization of each class contributes to how the class flows and functions, and she thinks they can be beneficial when taken for the right reasons. “I would definitely consider [taking AP classes] if you have the time and if you really want to do well in that class,” Fales said. “I wouldn't just take an AP class just to take an AP class.”
Copy and Managing Editor
he Branham Robotics Club (Bionic Bruins) T hosted its first robotics tournament on Saturday, Bionic Bruins Beat the Bay, inviting 35 robotics
teams across the state. Bionic Bruins are a part of VEX Robotics, an international robotics program for elementary to university students. The club was able to host a VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) for this year’s challenge, “Over Under.” Planned and led by advisor Barbara Schremp and Bionic Bruins President Anvit Mishra since July, the scale of the competition was nothing short of vast. Setting up the event took place the day before the event from 3 to 10 p.m., with the help of over twenty volunteers and club members alike. The club also fundraised for the $3000 event through Halloween grams. Mishra said the planning process included many sleepless nights and grounded dedication, but it was all worth it. “Hosting a tournament was something that all of us kind of wanted to do, and it also pushed our club to the next level,” Mishra said. “We tried to make it a super fun event for competitors to join because it’s the best way to show what Branham’s about.” The event consisted of individual skills and team
Makayla Wu/Bear Witness Students competing in a qualification match. competitions. Individual competitions were based on the programming and driver skills of the robots, and judges gave students points for awards. Qualification matches simultaneously occurred, where teams completed challenges while scouting out
other schools to potentially form alliances with. The teams who formally agreed to an alliance then worked to improve their robots and competed in the Finals elimination matches together. Student teacher Benjamin Kluntaipoon, one of the adult volunteer judges, found the tournament to be both a new and familiar experience as he also did robotics in high school. “It's definitely very interesting being on this side of the curtain and seeing all the different teams because when I was in high school, I remember just being focused on trying to win and scouting other teams,” Kluntaipoon said. The tournament concluded with awards of 8 different categories that were custom-designed by senior Luigi Renovato, ranging from Think Award to Tournament Champions. The Excellence Awards, given to teams Maestro and Pinnacle, qualify for event region championships. Mishra said although this experience was a learning process for everyone involved, he could not be more proud of the outcome. “We want to make sure people are happy because this is for them and they’ve done a great job,” he said. “Overall event planning, talking to parents, talking to other teams. It's just skills I think you can't really get anywhere else.”
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STUDENTLIFE
CROWDS IN THE QUAD
Is the work ASB is doing for lunch time events paying off?
HOLIDAY SPIRIT any clubs and school groups M have bought and decorated Christmas trees in San Jose's
Christmas in the Park. Entrance to the park is free and will be open from Nov. 25th to Jan. 1. — Reese Gardner Bear Witness | Good News Tree
Jiyoon Choi/Bear Witness Branham Royal Aliance
Anabelle Walker/Bear Witness ALAN SCHAFFER Sports Editor
tudents gather around the Branham quad to S watch their classmates hurl dodgeballs at each other. A line of cones divides the teams and tables
have been propped up, acting as cover for any dodgeballers who need a breather. A speaker, managed by two ASB students, plays music, while other ASB students officiate the match. The next day, quad activities are toned down. There is only one table with beads and strings, where a small handful of students are making bracelets for themselves or their friends. No matter the event, students in ASB spend a good portion of their class period and their lunchtime preparing the space, and equipment, and running the show. According to senior ASB vice-president Mikaylee Fore, having ASB right before lunch can be advantageous for setting up, but on A days some students will have to be pulled out of class to prepare for the lunchtime functions. Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness Despite all the work that ASB puts into setting up and running its activities, participation levels vary SPARE Club treasurer Anthony Lenz cuts a churro to hand on an individual basis. While some events such as out during fall club rush. club rush and homecoming volleyball draw in big crowds, others struggle to attract students, which then I think that it can be upsetting and kind of hit can be frustrating for those who were involved in home a little bit.” After putting on an event, ASB takes time in class organizing. “The events that [the students] are putting on can be to debrief and discuss both what went well and how it quite personal,” leadership teacher Victoria Raineri can be improved. According to Raineri, the students said. “When it doesn’t work the way they want it to often have to consider whether the lack of turnout
was due to the event not being publicized enough, or whether it was simply a general disinterest in the event. A trend that ASB has witnessed in the past is that events involving food tend to garner more student involvement, compared to craft-making tables which are often less visited. Fore, who is also the president of the National Honor Society, understands that many students at Club Rush are only there for the food, but notes that the booths can still be a helpful tool for clubs later down the line when students look to get more involved. “They’re going and getting food from the clubs but they’re then getting the name recognition and are aware that the club exists,” she said. “Then later on, when they want to join a few clubs, they’re like ‘I remember this club’s name so I’m going to go check them out.’” This year, ASB began enforcing their club policies more than they had in previous years, requiring them to submit attendance forms to track participation and activity. For NHS specifically, Fore says that the size of the club has grown slightly in recent years, despite strict entry requirements for new members. She attributes the rise in participation, not just in NHS but to many clubs around campus, largely to the fact that students are simply becoming more involved, but notes it still isn’t quite where it could be. “I feel like overall there can always be more participation in clubs,” she said. “Right after Covid no one was doing anything, and now I feel like more people are starting to [get involved].”
Reese Gardner/Bear Witness Backstage Bruins | Shakespruce
Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness LSU | What does it mean to be Latinx?
What's next after graduation? It's up to you MILA WINDELL Staff Writer
s college application deadlines are coming A up, the class of 2024 is finishing up the final touches to their application—making sure
they have standout letters of recommendation, filled out their Common App profile, and finalized their personal statements. Whether applying to a four-year, community, or trade school, creating a college application is a stressful process. Many students find it taxing due to the lack of preparation. “It’s hard to find time for it,” said senior Wilder Woodfin, who began work on his application in early October. “I’m choosing between if I should work on my homework or my application.” Woodfin is applying to a variety of colleges, including CSUs, UCs, and community colleges. He believes that the UC application has been the most difficult because of the amount of work and materials needed. “The process of UC applications and essays has been awful. Just months of rewriting, checking over with someone else, and then rewriting and restructuring again,” Woodfin said. While many seniors begin their application during August or September, senior Aum Abhyankar found it extremely helpful to start early. Abhyankar is applying to primarily 4-year colleges, such as UCs and CSUs, to study psychology or computer science. He began building his application during the summer. “Definitely start early,” Abhyankar said “Start with figuring out what you want to do, make your college list from there, and be organized.”
Senior Kendra Williams, who will be applying as a communications or a business major to mainly four-year colleges, agrees that it’s important to get a head start. Williams and Abhyanker found that filling out their profiles was particularly easy. However, their biggest challenge was writing the supplemental essays, in which students are required to write personal statements about the schools they’re applying to. Williams found it useful to ask friends and family questions about herself to help write her essays. “Writing about myself is the hardest part. I have to write about something that makes me different from other people. I really have to look inwards at myself,” she said. She also notes that college applications have affected her free time, especially during weekends, as she participates in various athletic activities, such as pole vault, track and basketball. Williams advises future college applicants to start the process early in an organized fashion, along with reflecting on their personal growth over the years to better understand their goals and preferences. Abhaynkar recommended making a to-do list and beginning there, allowing him to finish his supplements at least two weeks before the deadline so he could get the most difficult part out of the way. “I think the one thing I've learned over the past couple of months of going through this process is definitely to prioritize what's more important,” Abhyanker said. “Just be very organized and go at it slowly, even though the deadlines are coming up. Just be patient.”
Courtesy of Latinx Student Union
Life after high school
Branham Best Buddies
Lauren Gernale/Bear Witness
Reese Gardner/Bear Witness
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SPORTS TURF VS GRASS
Despite injury concerns surrounding turf, Branham’s field favored among student athletes. MACEO INOUE Staff Writer thletes face a wide range of obstacles they face when competing in their sport. From the weather’s conditions, to how pumped up a ball is, these factors can dictate an athlete’s performance and that includes the field. According to a study done by the NFL in 2012-2016, the injury rate of playing on turf is 16% higher than playing on grass. The researchers behind this also concluded that if all games had been played on grass, there would have been 319 fewer foot and leg injuries. Sports at Branam that use the turf field such as football, soccer and field hockey include quick changes in direction and other movements that put stress on the legs of athletes, and increase the chance of injuries. “There’s a lot of injuries from non contact that come from turf,” said junior soccer player Jacob Bloom. “Those are the worst kind of injuries.” Despite this, according to a poll put onto the Bear Witness instagram, 66% of students found turf to be the preferable surface to play on. Senior football and soccer player Ashton Derazizyan agreed that turf is the way to go. “Whenever I play on grass, my teammates always tell me to watch for holes so it’s not worth it,” Derazizyan said. Branham has both a grass practice field and a turf field available for sports, but most teams
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SPORTS BRIEFS Football After an undefeated 5-0 league season, the Bruin football team pushed past the first round of CCS Division 4 playoffs, but fell to Mountain View High School in the semifinals, losing the game with a disappointingly close 34-38 score. Cross Country Despite many new runners, cross country did extremely well this year, with both teams making it to CCS, and boys finishing first in BVALS. Sophomore Alijah Murillo led the boys, finishing second in the race. For the girls, Hannah Soetart helped the team secure their first ever STAL league title.
Senior Andrew Seefeldt
specifically only use the turf field for their practices. The bumpy surface of the grass field makes it difficult for sports like soccer and field hockey to practice if they’re unable to properly move the ball or accurately pass it. “I prefer turf because you wouldn’t find [holes] there,” said Derazizyan. “Turf is made to be played on.” The price of maintaining a grass field also costs much more to maintain compared to that of a turf field, whose main benefit is to last for years. While a grass field’s surface can be completely different after one game, a turf field is built to withstand the wear and tear of both sports and the weather. The average cost per year of repairing a grass field is between 18,000-40,000 dollars compared to that of a turf field set at 6,000-10,000 dollars, according to the site Sports Venue Calculator. Professional sports have also had their say in the grass vs turf debate. In soccer, the use of turf has been banned in all World Cup matches due to a higher risk of injury since 2015. The NFL players union has also been in an ongoing push in favor of grass fields instead of turf for safer player conditions. “A well maintained grass field will always be better than any turf field,” said Bloom. “But I appreciate that our campus has turf.”
Mila Windell/Bear Witness Senior Eneko Rios pushes past an Evergreen Valley player last season. Although some sports use the grass area to practice, all four field-using Branham sports play on the turf.
74%
of NCAA Division I schools use turf for their football fields
16%
The injury rate of playing on turf fields NFL
Associated Press
Girls Volleyball Having won CCS Division 1 last year, the girls volleyball team looked set to go big again, dominating their league with a 12-0 first-place finish. They qualified for Division 1 CCS once again, and breezed through the first round with a 3-1 win over Carlmont. In the next round they game up against a strong Los Gatos side, where they crashed out of the tournament with a 1-3 loss. Girls Tennis The girls tennis team showed significant improvement from last season, winning their league with an 8-2 final record. They qualified for CCS for the second time in their history but lost in the first round to Burlingame High School.
Boys Waterpolo The Boys Waterpolo team had a rough season, finishing third in the league with a 1-3 record. Despite a three game win streak in September, the Bruins lost their nect four straight games and failed to qualify for CCS. Girls Waterpolo Despite a few wins, girls water polo had a rough season, finishning 0-3 in league and not qualifying for CCS. They also lose a core group of founding seniors. Field Hockey The girls field hockey team had a remarkable season, dominating their league with an undefeated record of 10-0. Despite their league performance, the team fell short in securing a spot in CCS.
Senior Elias Antillon
Girls Golf Despite picking up some wins so far this season, the girls golf team has also suffered a few losses. With senior night coming up, the Bruins look to turn things around in their last few matches, taking on Christopher, followed by Leigh for their final outings.
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SPORTS A NEW SPORT TRADITIONAL COMPETITIVE CHEER
FLAG FOOTBALL’S FUTURE As flag football grows in popularity, could it be coming to Branham soon? REESE GARDNER
Student Life Editor
374
California high schools have a girls flag football team according to MaxPreps MaxPreps
lag Football is the newest sport to be addF ed to the high school athletics world with its recent addition to the list of CIF-sanctioned
sports. Last year the sport was going through the process of becoming a sport and was introduced to Athletic Director Landon Jacobs at an athletic directors conference. The sport has expanded because it became a CIF-sanctioned sport last spring. Lincoln, Carlmont, and Independence High Schools, along with Willow Glen and Pioneer, are a few of the teams that have joined the Central Coast Section. Flag football would be a sport for female athletes, similar to Competitive Sports Cheer and field hockey, so anyone who identifies as a female would be able to join. Jacobs has stressed that one of his big goals is to increase opportunities for girls to be involved in athletics. Having a sport like flag football available for female athletes is something Jacobs and the CIF athletics directors seek to take advantage of. “It’s our job to provide the programs that the students are interested in,” Jacobs said. “So if there are students that are interested in starting and playing flag football, then our job is to provide that opportunity.” Similar to a club, the interest in this sport must be student-driven. The school and district will not add a sport on campus if there is no student interest. Once there is interest, a meeting about the sport will be held before the school can go through the coach-hiring process. “There’s a lot of money and time that goes into starting a sport,” Jacobs said. “We need to know that there’s interest there before we move forward with it.” Jacobs has talked with coaches at Willow Glen and Pioneer to find out the benefits and struggles of hosting the sport. Field space and an increase in girls’ sports in the fall season are two of the big concerns Jacob has. Flag football would be held in the fall sports season. This means that during the fall, it would be the ninth sport offered, the sixth female sport available, and the fourth activity that would need the football field. Football, field hockey, and marching band already create a tight schedule on the football field between practice times and games. Adding another sport that would need the field has posed an issue at Branham. Freshman Kendall Ladd is one of the people who would be interested in the sport because tackle football is a male-dominated sport it is important to offer the same or similar sports for women so that they have the same opportunities as men at Branham and within the Athletic department. “It would make a new community for people,” Lodge said, “...a new community of people who have interests in the sport.”
Even though by the rules of CIF any person of any gender is allowed to try out for football, there is a stigmatism that Lodge mentions that prevents girls from trying out for the sport, even if they want to or have an interest in the sport. “[Flag football] would be a good option for girls who want to play football but not actual football,” responded freshman Solei Lao in a poll put out by the Bear Witness. Lodge said that the coaches and athletic director are not the people who push women away from trying out for the sport or intimidate them from trying out, but the athletes themselves. “I think if a girl showed up to a football tryout she’d be absolutely blasted,” Lodge said. “It makes people feel like at a loss of power.” Another area of concern Jacobs has would be the conflict a female athlete might face while deciding what fall sport to play if she is interested in more than one. Adding another girls’ sport to the fall season may create a decline in student participation. Despite this concern, he encourages students who have an interest in flag football to pursue it. “Anytime that we have students that want to do something, and they’re passionate about it, that’s a huge benefit because it allows them to be involved in something that they care about, that’s going to be a positive experience for them,” he said.
Courtesy of The Pony Express Pioneer, along with Willow Glen, are some of the few local schools and potential opponents that already have girls flag football teams.
ALUMNI COACHES
Younger coaches create more ‘authentic’ team dynamic OWEN DASZKO Staff Writer
ranham’s young alumni coaches have B brought a different type of personality that is relatable to a lot of the athletes on the teams,
and they have helped build up the chemistry that drives the programs. Current TCC head coach, and Branham TCC alum Brianna Morgan, who graduated in 2021, said she has built a better connection with her team and that her familiarity with her team’s tendencies has benefitted her role. “It’s easier for my athletes to come to me for advice because they feel like I’ll understand and that I am more approachable,” Morgan said. Building a connection with athletes plays a huge impact in coaching and establishing familiarity is a key in how a team responds. What young coaching can create has been evident in professional leagues such as the NFL and the NBA. Houston Texans head coach Demeco Ryans, after being the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, has led the Texans to a 3-4 record through eight weeks of the season, matching the same amount of wins they totaled the year before.
Most importantly, the effectiveness of young coaches comes from the fresh, and new ways of coaching they bring to their teams. A lot of these new young professional coaches, such as Ryans were athletes beforehand and was even a former Texans linebacker before retiring and making his way up to a head coaching position. Branham athletic director Landon Jacobs said that they know what alumni coaching can do for the sports programs. “They are committed to the Branham community,” he said, “they have walked the same halls and relate well with our athletes.” Alumni coaches like Morgan were former Branham athletes, which comes with a benefit as, Morgan, a former cheer athlete, can use the energy she used to have on the mat and integrate it into her coaching, creating new routines for her athletes. Morgan said there are more stressful moments as a coach than as a cheerleader on the team. “I can only do so much, and I have to let the team go and see what happens,” Morgan said. “It’s more pressure.” Relieving that pressure is important and to do that, coaches make it a priority to boost the mo-
Brianna Morgan, Branham alum
Currently the head coach for Team Competitive Cheer rale of the team and build an authentic environment where everyone can be themselves. “If there is no authenticity, there is really nothing,” Morgan said. “I just want to make sure that they know I care about them.” Morgan and other young coaches throughout all levels of sports have added a new dynamic to the idea of coaching that will change the way coaches will be found and hired. In 2017, the Los Angeles Rams made history, by hiring Sean McVay, making him the youngest coach in NFL history at the age of 30. Since then, 20 out of 42 of the head coaching hirings in the NFL, have been of coaches under the age of 45, and slowly this trend has leaked into the college and high school levels of sports. In 2010, college football had only eight coaches from 48 FBS schools under the age of 40, and later in 2015, half of the head
coach openings went to coaches under the age of 43. Most notably the University of Georgia hired Kirby Smart, a 40-year-old Georgia alum. Today, Smart has built a legacy at Georgia that has led to two straight national championships. Having the opportunity to continue the legacy of your former school is special, and continuing what her Branham coaches started, Morgan said it has been a satisfying experience. “From when I started Branham cheer, it has evolved so much. I get to continue the legacy and I am very proud of it,” Morgan said. Not only are the players trying to prove themselves, but with young coaches, their attitude emphasizes their dedication to prove themselves every day too. “Seeing your team succeed is the most fulfilling thing in the world,” Morgan said. “There is so much hard work, blood, sweat, and tears— from the coaching perspective but also the athletes’ part of it.” Recently, the rise of young coaches has taken off, and it will continue to take off as sports evolves into a world where connection and freshness are crucial to have.
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ARTS&CULTURE Mini Reviews BOOK
Hanover Square Press Paper Names by Susie Lao What it is: Paper Names explores what it means to be American from the perspectives of Tony, a Chinese immigrant, his daughter Tammy, and Oliver, a white lawyer. The tragic story unfolds over three decades, involving many plot twists. Liked: Luo explored the cross-cultural tensions and internal struggles of being an immigrant and being a second-generation American thoroughly. Disliked: The second part of the book, which covers Tammy's adult life, is convoluted and confusing relationships are unrealistic. — Elliot Yau ALBUM
Studio J & JYP Entertainment Livelock Xdinary Heroes What it is: 'Livelock' is the fourth mini album of K-Pop rock band Xdinary Heroes under JYP Entertainment's label, Studio J. They are the second boy rock band in the label following Day6 Liked: As a K-Pop group, having an all rock genre songs is rare, and I appreciate Xdinary Heroes for continuing to release songs of their identity of rock although it might not be appealing to the general K-Pop listeners. I particularly liked the last track "AGAIN? AGAIN!" but all the tracks were meeting or above my expectations. The title track "Break the Brake" is my second favorite title song as well, following their debut track of "Happy Death Day." Disliked: Xdinary Heroes are currently on their Break the Brake World Tour. Their current tour locations only include Seoul, Korea and European cities. Because it says more tour dates will come, I really hope they will come to the Bay Area for a concert. — Jiyoon Choi
BAND SHOW THEMES
MARCHING ONWARD Royal Alliance show themes have shifted from cultures to colorful ideas over the past decade ALYX YOON
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Staff Writer
efore charming the crowd with messages of friendship and art, the Branham Royal Alliance performed shows across the globe like France, Japan, Hawaii and the Maya Civilization. In more recent years, however, performances have been based on self-expression. The Branham Royal Alliance was established in 2008 as a competitive parade band and transitioned to a competitive field band in 2009. Under former band director Diane Wyant, traditional marching band shows were centered and competed around cultures. Beginning with their first show, which was centered around the Bear Witness Archives Russian Empire, Branham featured Japanese, Mayan, Arab, Hawaiian and The Royal Alliance's first show in 2009 showed the history of the Russian Italian shows. Band director Chris Nalls said performances changed over time from creating the show,” he said. The message behind this year’s show, the evolution of marching band competition grading and technology. Tech- “Polychromatic,” represents the strugnology advanced performances with gle of the creative process when makelectronic instruments, special effects ing art and how through work and and background patches are utilized inspiration, masterpieces are produced. for higher visual and musical scores. Marching band students hand-made Additionally, instead of a single genre a painting to unveil during the end of of music, shows are now encouraged to their performance “We've been very successful and a explore multiple. “A single idea that shows a single cul- large part of that is due to the level of ture or a single style of music is cur- details in our designs,” said Nalls. “A rently not as competitive as something judge this week said how much he enthat showcases a variety of genres of joyed how contemporary our approach was compared to our competition and music,” Nalls said. Themes are decided between staff it reflected in the results of the show.” Senior Sebastian Nguyen has been in members and later presented to student leaders. Nalls said that asking stu- the marching band for three years and dents for their deas provides a unique is part of band membership. He said perspective since they are the ones the staff does a pretty good job with performing on the field. students affect the themes and this year’s theme is his the quality of the show through their favorite. “We lean into the more artistic and performance. “I think it’s important to highlight expressive parts of marching arts and how incredibly valuable the input can deliver a performance that is meanof our students is in the process of ingful rather than just for entertainment,” said Nguyen.
Reese Gardner/Bear Witness
Nguyen describes how the band sees payoff in their scoring by doing so. Reese Gardner/Bear Witness This year, the band won first place in all of their 5 competitions leading up to WBA Grand Championships, where they won second place in their class. “It’s really fun during the shows when the scores come out,” he said. “We’ve been winning first in most of our marching captions and the excitement everyone feels makes the hard work worth it.” Nalls said the marching band enjoys putting together shows that are as fun to watch as they are to perform. “I always say that the journey is the reward,” said Nalls. “I really enjoy the process of putting the show together… the process of coming up with the ideas Bear Witness Archives and then working with the students to Pizza was featured in the 2015 Italy Show. make it come to life is the best part.”
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS CREDIT
Conflicting views over VAPA requirement
45% 55% 64%
of 139 Bear Witness readers say they had a positive experience in VAPA classes.
TV SHOW
say they had a neutral or negative experience.
voted in favor of Proposition 28, The Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act, providing nearly $1 billion, or 1% of the state's budget, for arts programs.
Animated by MAPPA Studios
Attack on Titan The Final Season Part 3 (Part 2) Created by Hajime Isayama, directed by Yuichiro Hayashi What it is: With a run-time of 86 minutes, this is the final episode that concludes the story of record-breaking anime and manga series “Attack on Titan.” Liked: The animation absolutely blew me away. Every scene was beautiful, and you can tell how much effort was put into accurately representing the manga. The opening song, “The Last Titan,” is also amazing and is by Linked Horizon, the band who did the openings for the other AoT seasons, which made the ending come to a full circle. Disliked: Although I greatly enjoyed the overall ending of this anime, some of the episode’s dialogue in the final scenes felt a little awkward and misplaced. Also, MAPPA Studios is too overworked! — Lia Choi
Aadyant Suresh/Bear Witness Senior Matthew Einsenman practices in the choir room during his guitar class. AADYANT SURESH
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Science & Health Editor
isual and Performing Arts (VAPA) classes have been a part of every student's experience at Branham, ranging from art to guitar. In a Bear Witness poll of 139 students, 45% said they had a positive experience, 35% had a neutral experience and 20% had a negative experience with the classes. The current CUHSD A-G requirements mandates students to take 1 visual and performing arts class for a total of ten credits. Guitar and choir teacher Barbara West supports the current mandatory requirement for VAPA classes, saying that it is valuable for students to be exposed to an assortment of curriculum and have an understanding of different subject areas. She recalls how during her Undergraduate at Florida State University, the medical school program
accepted many music majors due to their work ethic and their quick mental processing, all from practicing and learning music; additionally, she said that the overall creativity from music helps in all professions. “Developing the physical body, creativity, and intellect makes you a better citizen,” she said. “To have some broad base knowledge about many different things is really nice.” Theater and Tech Theater teacher Jennifer Sorkin also says VAPA classes help students work to discover interpretation in contrast with more focus on equations or facts in other classes. She says that students can absorb soft skills from the classes beyond technical skills, such as management, collaboration, creativity and work ethic. “Theater requires collaboration and forces everyone to consider different perspectives. We develop empathy and understanding of our society and how
it functions with its joys and sorrows,” she said. “Theater is a gift, and if a student chooses to accept it, they can become a new and improved Pokémon - you will grow.” Yet, for senior Sherry Cao, who is currently taking 3D design, her experience is less positive. Although Cao hopes to improve her skills with 3D art, she says the class can be slow-paced at times. She would prefer if students could work at their own rate. She says the experience is beneficial, but doesn’t think it should be mandatory. “If a student knows their passions, and they're not good at art, it'd be weird to force them to do something with it,” Cao said. She instead thinks it may be beneficial to allow students to take two CTE courses to count for a VAPA, as it is currently allowed in the opposite manner. However, there are concerns with VAPA teachers having enough classes. Sorkin said that some teachers may not have enough enrollment to be fulltime; she had taught senior English last year and yearbook this year to have the
full time status. For those interested in pursuing more advanced classes, West said that she has gotten knowledgeable Guitar 2 students, and is taking classes for herself to better develop a curriculum. She acknowledged that many students take her class due to the graduation requirement, but works to make their experience positive and fun. VAPA classes allow students to explore new fields and possibly find new interests – acting as an escape from other classes that may have a more study based focus. “Your brain doesn't perceive it as academic because you're having fun. It feels like you're playing even though you're learning at the same time,” she said. “I’m fine with people coming in because they have to be here and then I can hopefully make it something they really love,” she said. West says she hopes that there is a greater initiative to direct students to the available classes, saying how she used to have two choir classes and would love to return to that. “I would work on really solidifying the programs we have, because I think we have a lot of really good classes available that people just don't know about,” she said. Sorkin cites the passage of Proposition 28, or The Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act, with more than 64% of the vote as evidence of support for the arts in schools and hopes that the increased funds can allow teachers to have smaller class sizes. Both Sorkin and West do outreach in middle school, with West teaching choir at Dartmouth and Price Middle Schools. To West, the key is to get students to try new things and have different experiences.
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ARTS&CULTURE
PLAYING THEIR PARTS — Angela Choi Art by Dao Do
With 'Geeks vs. Zombies' over, we share how a show is produced. From the drawing board to the stage, the theater process requires effort from both actors and tech theater to bring together the shows we know and love.
ARTS CALENDAR IN SCHOOL Winter Choir and Dance Concert Performing Arts Center Dec. 14-15 at 7 p.m. What it is: Join the Branham Choir and Dance Team as they perform popular tunes from the musical "Spirited" and holiday favorites for the winter season.
Winter Celebration Band Concert Venture Church Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.
Theater board members and Theater Director Jennifer Sorkin meet to discuss and brainstorm in preparation for the production.
Students audition for their positions in the Performing Arts Center (PAC) over three days. Auditionees pick up the script of roles they are interested in before reading those lines in front of Sorkin.
What it is: Join the Branham bands as they present a variety of music to the community in the most festive season. They will also be taking coat donations to give to local charities in efforts to keep the community warm during the winter season.
San Jose Wind Symphony Presents 'Holiday Lights' Dec. 10 McAfee Performing Arts & Lecture Center What it is: Join SJWS as they perform holiday tunes both sacred and joyous, featuring junior Jin Cho on oboe along with band director Chris Nalls on french horn. This concert marks the start of a new tradition, where they will promote a local organization dedicated to serving the community. This year they will highlight the works of Family Supportive Housing.
After a week of consideration, roles are posted in front of the theater classroom and PAC. Sorkin picks based on factors like projection, genuine and intense emotions and availability.
Actors learn lines by first going through a “cold read” of the script for the first time. They learn lines at home and put them together during rehearsals, working through the play scene by scene.
MOVIE Wonka Dec. 15 in theaters Starring Timothée Chalamet as Willy Wonka, this "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" prequel explores Wonka’s backstory and life before being a chocolatier.
San Jose Girl Scouts Craftapalooza San Jose High School Dec. 9 This one-day-only youth craft fair is "Pinterest come to life," where Girl Scouts and attendees alike can make fun crafts, holiday activities, and shop for handmade holiday gifts along the way.
To bring together tech theater’s and actors’ efforts, students and directors exchange notes during rehearsals about props, lighting and cues to ensure props are in the correct places and actors know what cues sound like. The team also works to “block” lines, where they coordinate moving between locations on the stage.
During Tech week, the last week of rehearsals before production, students finalize efforts and work out details to ensure opening night goes smoothly. While actors rehearse, tech theater is responsible for sound and lighting. Their work includes designing costumes, cosmetics, lighting, props and the set before the show, coordinating their efforts with actors.
The theater department comes together to put on opening night, where actors perform their work. The night is also a time for everyone who contributed to the production to reflect on their experiences.
Mamma Mia! Broadway San Jose San Jose Center for Performing Arts Dec. 12-17 Set on a Greek island paradise where the sun always shines, the timeless "Mamma Mia!" is hitting San Jose Broadway for a short amount of time. The day before her wedding, a daughter’s sets out to discover the father she’s never known. This brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited decades ago. —Lauren Gernale
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SCRAPS OF THE FUTURE Junior Benjamin Lee Age in 10 years: 26 Occupation: Immigration Law Intern Location: San Diego or Upper Midwest Living situation: In an apartment with a cute cat Average day: “I’d probably wake up 6 or 5:30 and get my breakfast and coffee. I’d drive down to where I work. I’d spend a good eight hours workinIg and then go home, where I’d continue working- going over cases or documents. I’d grab a quick dinner and then fall asleep on the couch.”
Senior Manya Sriram Age in 10 years: 27 Occupation: Software engineer and entrepreneur Location: San Diego, Calif. Living situation: A really nice apartment Average day: “If it’s a Friday, I’ll wake up, make myself breakfast, drink carrot juice and toast a bagel. I’ll go on my Vespa and go to my 9 to 5. I’d grab lunch with my coworkers. After work, I will spend time with my friends, eat out, and maybe go to a nice bar and have a mocktail. This is only for Fridays because I need to save money so I can invest and be a millionaire in the future.”
Sophomore Riya Vora Age in 10 years: 25 Occupation: Biomedical researcher Location: Boston, Mass. Living situation: In a townhouse with a roomate Average day: “I’ll be focused on getting my masters, so I’ll spend the majority of the time in school. However, I’ll be enjoying the snow and building snowmen and hanging out with friends-going on nature walks, sightseeing, and watching movies.”
It’s no secret that Branham is supposed to prepare students for life after high school. But what exactly is that life? Here is a scrapbook of where students and teachers see themselves in 10 years.
AP U.S. Government teacher Kirk Selfridge Age in 10 years: 62 Occupation: Mailman and crossing guard Location: Somewhere near the beach Living situation: With a rescued mutt or two Average day: “I’d wake up and have a cup of coffee, read the newspaper, listening to the news. Going to work. Keeping kids safe or delivering the mail. Coming home and taking the dog for a walk either on the beach or wherever it is I’m living and when the walk is over and I’ll enjoy my evening afternoon. watching the sunset.”
Freshman Kylie Van Kirk Age in 10 years: 24 Occupation: Engineer Location: San Francisco Living situation: In an apartment with a pet snake Average day: “I’ll make myself breakfast, then go to work in the city. There’s a lot going on so I’ll probably take the train. I see myself as an engineer of some sorts, somthing hands-on. I want to build something where I feel like I’m contributing to the world. After my 9 to 5, I’ll go home and watch TV and probably DoorDash some food.”
— Compiled by Makayla Wu Art generated with Adobe Illustrator’s AI-generated vectors