Bear Witness - October 2018

CELEBRATING LIFE THROUGH DEATH

OPINION Biracial teens share struggles living between two worlds

Pg. 3

Student reconnect with Dia de los Muertos traditions

BEAR

SPORTS A rebuilding year for the football team

BACK PAGE

Pg. 10

WITNESS BRANHAM HIGH SCHOOL

OCTOBER 2018

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

ELECT 18N

FRESH FACE IN THE RACE Stacey Brown Who: Mother, incumbent, past Cambrian School District Trustee Areas of focus: Increase district revenue, keep teachers, adapt education to modern times Notable endorsements: Judy Chirco, Don Rocha, Johnny Khamis, CHSTA, Kalen Gallagher, ​ Andrea Ciplickas

Basil Saleh Who Branham alumnus, musician, politician Areas of focus Increase counselors, Help students develop talent, acknowledge the effects of campus climate, provide for teachers, secure art funding Notable endorsements Santa Clara County Democratic Party, Run for Something, Ken Yeager, Paul Resnikoff, CHSTA, Silicon

Robert Varich Who: Father, insurance agent, Moreland School District Trustee Areas of focus: Campus safety, address mental health, lessen bullying.

Notable endorsements: Sam Liccardo, Paul Resnikoff, Chuck Page, Curtis Wright, Laurie Smith, Mike Wasserman, Chappie Jones, Dev Davis, Johnny Khamis, Lan Diep Kristiina Arrasmith Who: Teacher, mother, incumbent, CUHSD graduate Areas of focus: Improve campus safety, increase academic performance and access, increase input into district decisions, maintain district financial stability Notable endorsements: Stacey Brown, Kalen Gallagher, Jarod Middleton, CHSTA, Evolve, Run for Something, Santa Clara County Democratic Party, Silicon Valley Young Democrats Photos courtesy campaigns for Kristiina Arrasmkith, Stacey Brown, Robert Varich, Basil Saleh

If elected, Saleh will be youngest on school board MICHAELA EDLIN

T

Editor-in-Chief

o get his ballot statement up to run for the CUHSD school board, Basil Saleh had to take out another loan help pay the $4,250 fee it takes to run, on top of his debt from college.

As a newly minted college grad, Saleh is unique among the other four candidates vying for the three spots on the district board. At only 22 years old, he’s most likely the youngest candidate the district’s ever seen and one of the few people of color that have run for a historically white district board.

A Branham alumnus, class of 2014, Saleh attended the University of San Francisco and majored in Media Communications.

He had worked in the music industry as the co-founder of the Bay Area rock group No Vacation (a video of theirs reached 3.5 million views on YouTube) and social media manager at Bay Area record label Father Daughter Records, until the devastating Ghost Ship warehouse fire in 2016 that killed 36 people.

Being a creative in the Bay Area and knowing several people who were killed in the fire, he saw how Oakland responded to the tragedy and was displeased.

“I decided to switch careers, to switch gears and take SEE SALEH • PAGE 7

"He’s always had a fresh perspective, even back when he was a student of mine."

Brett Johanson Social science teacher "One of the most important things about him running is how fresh his ideas are."

Adam Saleh brother

Campaigning takes a lot of legwork and volunteers ELIZABETH POSEY

H

@bhsbearwitness

Art Director

ere’s the basic recipe for running a campaign: money, staff, volunteers and long hours. The goal is to reach voters and get them to the polls.

One of the first major concerns campaign teams must handle is finance and choosing how to distribute funds. In the most recent filings in late October, Saleh has spent $11,387.43 on his campaign. Some candidates’ expenditures, however, have been significantly higher or lower; campaign statements show that Kristiina Arrasmith has spent $31,485.16. By contrast, Stacey Brown has spent $10,000 and Robert Varich paid $5,500.

Aidan Swanson, the field director for candidate Basil Saleh, said that smaller, grassroots campaigns such as his require constant budget maintenance.

“Money, unfortunately, is kind of intertwined with politics,” Swanson said. “You need the money to get your message out a lot more.”

Consequently, larger campaigns have a financial advantage with sponsorships from big charters or nonprofits where money is ample.

Saleh describes the campaign process as “prohibitively expensive,” so much that “I don't think if I lost SEE CAMPAIGN • PAGE 7

John Salberg Social science teacher Salberg was repeatedly abused by the Rev. Joseph Pritchard, one of 15 priests the San Jose diocese confirmed is accused of sex abuse.

DIOCESE SEX ABUSE

RIGHTING A WRONG

A devout Catholic, teacher fought Church's coverup of sex abuse ANNALISE FREIMARCK Staff Report

poster hung up in social science A teacher John Salberg’s classroom reads “Integrity is doing the right thing,

even when no one is watching.”

With the release in mid-October of the 200 members of the clergy in the Bay Area who are accused of abuse, and with the church only confirming 15 already mentioned from the San Jose diocese, Salberg is again reminded of the meaning of that word.

Salberg, a devout Catholic, came forward almost two decades ago about the abuse he suffered as a child under a priest.

From second grade until eighth grade, the Rev. Joseph Pritchard repeatedly abused him and other students at St. Martin of Tours school and parish in San Jose. Despite the repeated pleas over the decades from his and other parents about the abuse that their children had suffered, he said the church paid lip service to their concerns and continued to hide the abuse from the public eye.

“It’s just ironic that it’s reported in 1980, it’s reported in 2000 and it’s reported again in 2002, that it takes that many times to admit it, even though every time (the SEE SALBERG • PAGE 5

Alleged plan to phase out 'transgender' upsets teens

MICHAELA EDLIN & ANNALISE FREIMARCK Staff Report

eactions to President Donald Trump’s R alleged proposal to remove the word transgender from federal use were met

with responses ranging from amused disbelief to incredulity at Branham.

The administration, according to the New York Times, is considering defining out the word “transgender.” Besides the possible emotional and social harm this may inflict on members of the trans community, officials are unsure of its logistical effects.

In response, students such as senior Genevieve Liu are trying to spread a campaign to protest the reported plan Nov. 6. Liu considers themself gender-fluid and wants to raise awareness for themself and their friends.

The federal government’s policies on social issues usually don’t have a direct impact on states such as California because of its liberal-leaning positions and financial stability. For Branham, that means the supposed change toward redefining transgender people may influence perceptions of trans students on campus.

California is the lone state that, starting in 2019, will lower the threshold needed to SEE TRANSGENDER • PAGE 5

INSIDE

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

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

Science and Technology..................6 Science/Tech Briefs.........................6

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

MiniReviews.................................11 Sports.............................................9

Arts & Entertainment...................11 The Back Page...............................12

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BEAR WITNESS

| OCTOBER 31, 2018 |

NEWS

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

“I don’t really like to ask for things unless I truly need them, so when I do ask it’s because I really need the help.” — Senior Natalie Bacilio

Campus roundups Saturday classes begin in math and science for struggling students Students who are falling behind in math and science have the opportunity to take Saturday classes rather than retaking the class. The classes are held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and include IM1, IM2, Living

Earth and chemistry. For the larger part of the time, students get assistance on specific topics and practice, while the last hour of each class is dedicated to test retakes. Students in NHS or CSF can earn volunteer hours by helping out in these classes.

Branham-Leigh rivalry nets old-timers in first staff basketball game Led by activities director

Landon Jacobs, Branham’s staff team, consisting of teachers, staff and advisers, lost in their first game to rival Leigh’s formidable bench, 42-67.

Construction updates: Gates to be installed, pool excavation continues Iron safety gates will finally be installed by the end of the week, according to Principal Cheryl Lawton. Additionally, work to

renovate the pool is continuing, with more dirt to be hauled.

Science and English teachers took a quick tour of the new two-story buildings early October, with the Pankow engineers walking through the different configurations.

The buildings are set to be completed by the end of next year.

— Compiled by staff

Options exist for students without reliable internet

RENEE OWENS Staff Writer

hen there isn’t internet access at home, W senior Natalie Bacilio must find ways to compensate in an age when schoolwork is largely

done online.

“There’s times when my parents can’t really pay for internet because they barely meet rent money,” said Bacilio. “So sometimes it’s like we have to do without internet for maybe a week or two.”

Bacilio gets her homework done by going to a nearby library, asking friends for help, or using the wifi at school. Sometimes she feels uncomfortable reaching out for help.

“I don’t really like to ask for things unless I truly need them,” Bacilio said, “so when I do ask it’s because I really need the help.”

For many students at Branham, having access to the Internet at home isn’t something they take for granted. More than 90 percent have reliable internet access.

When students don’t have reliable internet at home, doing homework on Google Classroom or looking up assignments on Schoolloop becomes challenging. In addition, this can create more long-lasting implications on a student’s future such as researching and applying to colleges through Naviance, the online-only portal for col-

“I normally try to convince my teachers if I can do a hard copy instead of doing online,” she said.

Aside from teacher support, Branham administration provides multiple resources for students who need it. Students have the option to go to the library in room 45 to use the computers there, or use their own computer with Branham’s wifi.

During Branham’s annual Winter Wishes festival, students will occasionally receive a computer.

Another option for students who don’t have a computer and need to work at home is to check out Chromebooks with built-in routers. Students simply need to ask by going into the office or emailing administrators, though few “We have the resources now to hand out to everyone who needs one,” said Assistant Principal Rick Hayashi. He estimates that between 10-20 students have used this resource this year.

Del Mar High School is piloting a program in which every student on campus gets a computer to use at school and home for as long as they’re enrolled at Del Mar. A similar idea has been floated here, but Principal Cheryl Lawton has said that a similar program is not yet possible due to cost.

Ultimately, Bacilio tries to keep her situation in perspective whenever she struggles with access to internet.

On CASSPP, school scores well in English, low in math JULIANNE ALVARES Branham 85.32% met or exceeded English language standards

Branham students excel in ELA but many don’t meet standards in math.

State 55.96% met or exceeded English language standards

Branham 46.85% met or exceeded math standards

State 38.65% met or exceeded math standards

Julianne Alvares/Bear Witness Editor-in-Chief Michaela Edlin Managing Editor Annalise Freimarck Design Director Julia Marques da Silva Art Director Elizabeth Posey

Opinion Editor

he CAASPP results for the 2017-18 school year have recentT ly been released revealing that Branham score above average in both english language arts and math. Branham scored highest in the

district in ELA, but ranked 3rd in math behind Leigh and Westmont.

CUHSD ranked 6th in the county for both ELA and math.

The state average for meeting or exceeding standards was 55.96 percent of students while Branham had 85.32 percent of students met or score above standards. The district score was 70 percent, down form 75 percent last year.

In math less than half of Branham’s students (46.85 percent) met or exceed standards. This was a trend district and statewide with 31.37 percentof students passing the exam statewide. The area that Branham students most struggled with was mathematical rules and ideas.

Only 64.23% percent of students meeting or exceeding standards. To combat these results Branham is instituting a required course in the College Preparatory Mathematics (CPM) curriculum.

Editors Opinion: Julianne Alvares Science and Technology: Shlok Gore Student Life: Uzor Awuzie Sports: Ryan McCarthy Arts and Entertainment: Laura Heffernan Copy: Anastasia Langner Staff Writers Jessica Berton, Jasmine Nguyen, Renee Owens, Chandler Roberts, Sarah Sabawi, Caitlyn Schlaman

CHANDLER ROBERTS AND CAITLYN SCHLAMAN committee of teachers has been A working on a new bell schedule to potentially be implemented by 2019.

No phone, no reliable internet access Far fewer students fall under this category, but they neither have a mobile phone nor reliable access. These students are encouraged to ask teachers or administrators for help.

lege applications.

Whether they have a computer, but no internet, or simply cannot get access to a computer, doing everyday tasks online can be a struggle.

“That’s kind of hard for me and my brother because then we have to find other ways to get our work done,” said Bacilio.

Senior Sheyla Paredes Ramirez, who doesn’t have internet at home, says that not having wifi makes the college application process harder because “it’s more confusing doing it on the phone.”

However, it can be hard for students to come forward and ask for help because there may be a stigma on campus against asking for help or resources.

“I think that the biggest barrier is just getting them to be comfortable with saying, ‘Hey, I don’t have this at home,’” said Mike Espinoza, and English and AVID teacher.

As an AVID teacher, Espinoza sees a lot of students who face limited internet access. To him, one of the most important actions he can take is to simply be mindful of students’ circumstances.

“As a teacher, I have to be cognizant of asking that question,” he said. “And just saying, ‘By the way, if you don’t have access, please let me know.’”

Support from teachers is helpful for Ramirez, who prefers other methods of doing her work.

Teachers to vote on possible schedule fix Staff Writer

Types of limited connections at home

Own mobile phones, but no reliable internet Students who have mobile phones can still access a majority of school content, but cannot easily submit longer-form assignments such as essays and research projects. They can check out a Chromebook - just ask a teacher or administrator.

Times may be a-changing

The goal is to address the growing list of concerns with the current one: students enrolled in career technical education, called SVCTE, who miss 25 minutes during their second period of the day, long classes and not enough tutorial time.

At the end of the last school year, the Bell Schedule Committee reviewed the A/B schedule and proposed several changes, including those that modified tutorials and shortened classes.

More than 67 percent of teachers approved the modified block, which would allow for more elective class offerings.

However, the new schedule fell far short of the contractually required minutes, and the plan was scrapped.

The Bell Schedule Planning Committee, led by math teacher Steven Turner and science teacher Kevin Kalman, put together new schedules for the teachers to consider in comparison As of now, the committee is deciding between two options for a modified schedule.

One option is to use a modified version of the schedule that is being used now. The only major change would be the length of tutorial. Tutorial would be 45 minutes instead of 30, but according to Turner, the times are not fully confirmed.

In the other option, there are two A-days and two B-days per week with one day where students go to every class.

It is still uncertain where advisory would be placed in the schedule. According to Turner, early results of the survey indicated that majority of the teachers supported cutting advisory down to once or twice a month.

Zero period is still an option for either schedule, but it does not count towards the required instructional minutes.

The committee will meet again Nov. 5 to finalize the schedule and put to teachers at a later date for a vote, and also to plan how to get students involved.

New vs. Old schedules Math teacher Steven Turner, head of the Bell Schedule Committee, shared a few thoughts that teachers had on revisiting a schedule change.

Pros of a new schedule: See students frequently and often,consistent scheduling, not a huge adjustment, time built in for longer activities, meetings easier to schedule.

Cons: Too much homework, no huge change being made, long assessments and labs on same day Old schedule with modifications Pros: Students and staff are used to the block,modification could come again in the future so it’s not necessary to change twice.

Cons: SVCTE miss part of 2nd block, 100 minute classes too long, Break on wednesday too short, Wednesday classes get less time, zero period gets more time per block and an extra 55 min on minimum days, Break between zero and 1st block too short.

Source: Bell Schedule Committee Adviser: Fitzgerald Vo

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: bhs_journalism@yahoo.com

BEAR WITNESS

| OCTOBER 31, 2018 |

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

OPINION

“Why should I have to prove what I am, too?”

— Scarlet Sonora, who is half white and Mexican.

Editorial The opinion of the Bear Witness editors

EQUITABLE ACCESS TO EDUCATION

It’s hard to ask for help, especially if you need it

oogle Classroom, Schoolloop G and Remind. Many students like us use these apps daily just to stay on top of our school work.

One thing these apps have in common is they all require online access to function.

Nearly 95 percent of Branham students have reliable access online.

For those who don’t, the school Braham and the district have adequate resources to help these students.

However, not all who need help ask for it.

Branham is struggling to get

If you’re an ally, don’t call yourself one

students to take advantage of its program that loans out Chromebooks equipped with wifi. According to assistant principal Rick Hayashi, between 10 to 20 students have done so. The program is far more successful in schools where the Chromebook Because Branham is located in Silicon Valley, the tech capital of the U.S., some forget that some don’t have access to internet at home. This adds to the stigma around not having internet.

At Branham and throughout the district there are many aids for students who need help connect-

ing to the internet, such as laptops with built-in routers and homework centers with copyers: But the stigma that everyone has reliable internet access still stands in the way of students seeking help. Disadvantaged students may feel uncomfortable asking for help, as teachers have noted.

We alone may not fix this proble, but we must not forget that internet still may be unaffordable for families at or below the poverty line. The average cost of internet is $50 which could be a family meal or rent money.

In the Bay Area, where 20 percent

Mixed feelings JESSICA BERTON Staff Writer

For LGBTQ+ groups, term is a misnomer MICHAELA EDLIN

B

Editor-in-Chief

e nice to people who support you,” and “You should be thankful I care,” among other things are all things I’ve heard from people who call themselves “allies.”

The term ally is fondly used by people who want to support the LGBTQ+ community, but aren’t a part of it. However, the term is more performative than anything, indicating why it should not be used and why, as a nonbinary queer person, I’m wary of anyone who calls themselves an ally.

Seeing as October is LGBTQ+ history month, a lot of painful events are brought up for those of us belonging to the community. Conversion therapy and execution quickly come to mind. This, however, heavily contrasts with what the common ideal of allyship is, but there is pain in this term for many, including myself.

It’s important to address the fact that the term ally is usually self-imposed; people call themselves allies more than anything.

LGBTQ+ resources like the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education I’d much Network even prorather prefer vide page after page of information on someone how to be an ally. actually help, When considering the power structhan to call tures of oppression themselves though, this practice an ally. is evidently problematic. Someone who’s not part of a community isn’t cognizant of all of the forms of oppression that the said community faces.

I can only speak to my experiences as a queer person, but I know way more about how I am oppressed that anyone who is straight and/or cisgender.

When someone labels themself an LGBTQ+ ally, it’s without the consent of concerned group that they are doing so. People will consider themselves allies but still purposefully misgender me, will still argue about my bodily autonomy and even direct slurs my way. These are not behaviors I would consider parallel to allyship, but the people in question will still gain social clout from calling themselves allies.

On top of that, I’ve had experiences in which if I respond to bigoted, anti-queer behavior of people who are self-identified allies, I am silenced and dismissed because they are an “ally.” In this way, the term is used as a way to bypass social regulation and allows violence to continue.

Simply put, it comes down to intent versus effect. I understand that many people use the term “ally” to signal that LGBTQ+ people are safe in their space, but this is no longer reliable. Besides, I’d much rather prefer someone actually help, than to call themselves an ally.

Instead of being performative, people outside of the community can donate to LGBTQ+ charities and spaces. If money is not something that can be spared, volunteering at LGBTQ+ Youth Spaces and GLSEN can be options. The bare minimum though, is standing up for queer people around you and making sure that you aren’t contributing to oppression.

of children aged from 0-17 live below the poverty line, it is ignorant to assume that everyone can afford internet. Be conscious that not everyone is as privileged as you may be. Don’t give someone a hard time when they haven’t seen the latest episode of a T.V show because there may be an underlying reason they aren’t up with the latest “trends”. Remember that not everyone has equal access to technology and break the stigma so that those who need help can get it without worrying about social repercussions.

Biracial teens juggle between two worlds

I

n seventh grade, my table group and I started talking about anime. I mentioned how I could understand the characters because I spoke Japanese, and because I’m half Japanese. After I had said this, a kid next to me turned around and said, “Oh, you’re Japanese? Do you like tentacle porn?”

Mixed people are different, but that doesn’t mean you get to quiz people saying things like, “What are you?” or “Are you really _____?”

Mixed people are people, not some guessing game. People never find mixed people “authentic” enough for what they are a part of.

People used to think my mom was my Chinese nanny when we were together.

M

Moments like these were when I tried to be more white. I asked my mom to stop packing me certain lunches because kids made fun of it and I didn’t really learn more Japanese. It was just easier to be considered white. I’m not alone. Others biracial students have been through something similar.

Masato McCutcheon, junior Half black, half Japanese

asato has visited his family in

Japan before. He often feels out of

place there.

“I'm like the only dark skinned person (in

Japan). It's a little awkward sometimes. You know, my Japanese is not the best, it's awkward. And then when I do speak Japanese correctly, they're like “what are you?”

Scarlet Sonora, junior Half white, half Mexican

B

ecause of her light skin,

Scarlet Sonora is often asked

if she is truly mixed, just to make sure.

“Do you want to see my dad? My

whole half of the family. It’s more of an annoyance. Why should I have to prove what I am, too?”

C

Genevieve Liu Chinese, Japanese, Dutch and German

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enevieve Liu can pass as white, and says some friends might treat her that way. With her family, she’s afraid that there

might be some unforeseen difficulty, such as when visiting a friend in

Virginia, and her dad wanting to come for some reason. In that hypothetical situation, she sees that her whiteness can be an advantage.

“Next to my dad you could tell by the looks I’m his daughter..but

in a way I look white and white enough to be like, “Hey I look kind of normal. I’m one of you guys.”

alifornia is ranked as one of the top three states in America that has with most mixed race populations 3.5 percent. So there is less of an issue here. But going to other relatively homogenous places, like Japan or Virginia, people feel more alienated and sometimes even fearful.

Mixed people need to be normalized. So stop with the questions, the stereotypes and the racism that make people un-

comfortable with their identity. There will be more of us. There will be more mixed kids and without standardizing it, it produces shame in their identity.

Illustrations by Jessica Berton

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| OCTOBER 31, 2018 |

BEAR WITNESS

OPINION

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

Prop. 98 mandated that 45.6 perecent of the state’s budget be allocated to public schools

BULLETIN BOARD

Homework Apps Does using apps like Slader constitute cheating?

Students have mixed opinions whether the use of apps that give students answers and explanations to homework problems is cheating. See story, page 8.

“Although they can be helpful, yes they are cheating. Apps like Slader show the work to solve the equation. It’s not just the answer where Amanda Klein you can get come up Senior with it and check it.

You’re pretty much just copying how to do it and the answer.”

“I would say they’re cheating if you use them to get the answers, but sometimes they have explanations that Tarang can help you figure Lunawat out how to get the Sophomore answer. So it really depends on how you use them.”

“I personally don’t think using Slader is cheating. As long as they’re not just copying the answer and moving on, Vinidu they’re learning from Geevarit by looking at the ante answer and trying to Freshman work out how to get to the answer.”

“You’re pretty much just copying how to do it”

“It really depends on how you use them”

“They’re learning from it by looking at the answer.”

Claire Young Senior

“I think it’s not cheating because it’s already out there on the Internet. I don’t see why students shouldn’t use the resources available to them as long as it’s not plagiarism.”

“I don’t see why students shouldn’t use the resources “

Funding sources a sore spot for poor schools Parcel taxes not enough anymore to raise CAITLYN SCHLAMAN Staff Writer

he state of California used to be ranked T 14th in education, but it’s no surprise that it dropped to 48th on the U.S. Department of

Education’s list, which takes a state’s spending per pupil and factors in buying power in each state. California’s rift between the increasing cost of living and a good education has driven the state’s education system to ruin.

Each state differs in how they utilize education funding. The federal government is only mandated to supply 8 percent of funding. Branham, like most traditional public schools, is funded through property taxes.

In California, there are complications with this straightforward way of using property taxes for funding. First, there is Prop. 13, a measure passed in 1978, which was enacted to help ease the inflation of property taxes on owners. Essentially, the measure put a cap on how much the state could tax a certain property.

While homeowners appreciated this measure, funding for schools dropped almost overnight.

California’s public schools held a long decline down. Before 1978, spending in California was $400 above the national average of spending per student. In the early ’80s and ’90s, it was $600 below.

In 1988, Californians became alarmed at the state of its public school funding. Prop. 98 mandated that 45.6 percent of the state’s budget be allocated to public schools. This helped, but legislators didn’t think it was enough. Some counties can pass a parcel tax, which taxes a flat fee per parcel of land.

This parcel tax is how Branham gets its funds.

This might seem enough for public schools funding. As state revenue declines due to the 2008

recession, and a slow recovery from it, leaving public schools in a scramble for funds.

At Branham, the school relies on the parcel tax to fund most of the school’s needs. There are several bonds that it receives: Measure E, which assess $85 per parcel per year (it ends in 2023).

Voters recently passed Measure AA, which asks for an additional $30 for every $100,000 assessment in property values. This is expected to bring in $275 million for needed fixes and upgrades to school infrastructure.

In this district, prices for homes and property taxes are high, and the graduation rates are around 91 percent. Similarly, Palo Alto is home to the highest values in properties; its graduation rate is 95 percent. In Inyo County, where the value property is extremely low, the graduation rate is under 30 percent. This is a troubling trend for those who can’t afford a high-value home, and also those who are economically challenged.

If California could take the time to reevaluate Prop. 13, the system of funding could change.

Economic inequality is a big issue for the state’s schools. Fortunately, the Campbell Union High School District is trying to fix that.

The district has been planning an initiative, called For the Kids, which will have it leasing the existing land that it owns, and move its offices to downtown Campbell, which would bring in continuous revenue over the next few decades.

This would open up the district to sell the land it owns, or purchase more. On this land, plans for a new district office and storage locker facility.

There are also plans for a home for those with Alzheimer’s and a preschool.

This initiative is a small fix for CUHSD schools, but California still needs to take another look at the way schools are funded now and correct its mistakes.

Caitlyn Schlaman/Bear Witness

BITE-SIZED | Minor solutions to minor problems Annoyance: People like to complain about issues (their grades, elected officials, etc..) but take no action to actually solve them.

Solution: If you have an issue work towards fixing it instead of just sitting around and complaining.

— Julianne Alvares

Annoyance: Is it still leggings and shorts season? Is it time to wear jeans? No one knows, because it’s 68 degrees one day and 87 the next.

Solution: We could set up fans around campus to make it seem colder and windier. Students can also go around campus and color the plants red, orange and yellow.

— Laura Heffernan & Caitlyn Schlaman

Annoyance: What is there to gain from clogging a toilet? Nothing! I just want to go to the bathroom, not dig through soggy toilet paper and broken stall doors!

Solution: If you really need to “disrespect authority” or what ever you are trying to prove by making a dirty place even dirtier, maybe do that, anywhere else.

— Chandler Roberts

Women face inequalities in sports JAZZY NGUYEN Staff Writer

omen face unequal treatment and pay in W sports. In almost all professional tournaments, female athletes are paid a fraction of what their male

counterparts make.

This disparity appears in early on. According to the American Association of University Women, girls are given 1.3 million fewer opportunities to compete in high school athletics than boys. The main reason that they cite for the gap is the lack of funds and coaches for girls. This prompts the unspoken question of why female sports are cut, instead of having an equal division of funds for both genders.

The gap widens as athletes apply for college. In a report from CNN, men are given around $190 million more than women in collegiate athletic scholarships and 63,000 more spots to participate in sports. The millions of women who are unable to afford to play college sports will have a much harder time getting picked up by clubs and furthering their athletic career.

Those who are able to obtain one of the few spots in high-level sports encounter more inequality later on.

In the highest level of play in the world, the inequality is even more apparent. The men’s French national soccer team, this year’s World Cup champions, took home $38 million, or $1.7 million per player, which did not include the large bonuses they earned from

the number of goals scored and games played.

In contrast, the 2015 U.S. Women’s National Team became world champions in a historic match against Japan. They received no bonuses for the number of games played or goals scored. The money they received as a team was just $2 million, which averages out to just $86,975 per player.

In addition to the issue of pay, women are forced to compete in second-class conditions. In 2015, the women’s World Cup in Canada was played on a rubber turf field, rather than grass, unthinkable at that elite level.

FIFA, the governing international soccer body, said that limited venues forced their hand on stadium conditions.

Had this been the men’s tournament, hosting the competition on rubber grass would have been rejected.

Artificial turf is a much harder surface to play on. It lessens the ease of ball control, is a breeding ground for bacteria, and can trigger asthma. Receiving a burn from turf makes athletes seven times more likely to develop infections such as MRSA. Many people argue that women are paid less and given fewer opportunities in sports because they generate less interest from the audience, which is not always true. The New York Times reported that the 2015 Women’s World Cup championship game was the most watched soccer match in U.S. history.

It’s unfortunate how women can make millions less than men for doing the same job, putting in the same work, and just as much effort.

Uneven playing field 2015 womens team championship earnings $2 million 2018 mens team championship earnings $38 million Athletic Opportunities 1.3 million fewer slots on high school athletic teams for women 63,000 fewer slots on collegiate athletic teams for women Scholarships Women collegiate athletes allotted $190 million less than their male counterparts

BEAR WITNESS

| OCTOBER 31, 2018 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

SALBERG | Calls for transparency in church church) said it’s happened,” he said.

His experience came out at a time when the Catholic Church was roiled in a major sex abuse scandal starting with reports of sex abuse of thousands by the clergy in Boston.

Frustrated with the Church’s coverup of the abuse, Salberg called for complete transparency from the Church. He and three others who were also abused by Pritchard sued the Church in 2005.

The Church then offered $500,000 to keep quiet about the abuse, which he declined. He said that he was compelled to make his story public, even though he was going up against the institution that formed the basis of his moral character. He sued the church in a push for transparency.

“I was taught to be a man for others,” he said.

“A man for others means that you stand up for others, whether it costs you your job, your reputation, whatever… if it’s the right thing to do, you do it.”

In 2005, they won the lawsuit for $6 million,

which was split among the four of them.

Despite winning the lawsuit, Salberg continued his call for transparency, because he believed the the Church was still withholding information about the abuse.

The decision by the San Jose diocese to release the names of 15 members of the church who have been accused of sexual abuse with children follows the grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania that uncovered the abuse of over 1,000 victims by 300 priests over 70 years.

This acknowledgement of abuse by the church, after years of silence, has rehashed the need for transparency for Salberg.

He said that the renewed attention to the Catholic church’s dealing of victims of sex abuse by its clergy is just the starting point, and that there are more priests to be named.

“There’s a lot more information that they’re not divulging,” Salberg said. “These names didn’t come back in 2002 when I went public.”

Every year Salberg shares his story of abuse with his senior class, in order to help any oth-

er possible survivors of sexual abuse to know that it’s OK to come forward and be supported.

“Whether it’s a student of Branham, an adult somewhere else, someone older than me, whatever it is, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “I just want to give them the opportunity to know that you can make it and you’re not alone, you’re not the only one.”

Despite his criticisms of the Catholic church’s handling of the sex abuse, Salberg remains a devout practitioner. He enrolls his three children at St. Martin, the school where he was abused. He attends mass every week.

It is his faith, he said, that has helped him through tough times, which has included the deaths of his brother and best friends over a span of eight years.

“I look at this church as a foundation for my life,” he said. “It got me through those times. It got me through the everyday routines. It’s just something I turn to.” have a voice, and they weren’t represented. That

TRANSGENDER | State making it easier to register for to register register their legal gender or gender identity. They can register without a doctor’s certification or appearing before a court.

Senior Ten Sanchez, a transgender man, said that the purported policy is “ridiculous.”

“It just makes me laugh because it makes me uncomfortable,” Sanchez said. “I think it could make a lot of people very uneasy in their own country, especially if they were born and raised here, they could feel unsafe in their own community.”

Another senior trans student, who wished to remain anonymous, said that Trump’s alleged plan would erase the efforts in normalizing being transgender. They, too, originally thought it was a joke.

“I think comfort levels in the trans community will decrease,” they said. “A lot of people are not going to be as open about it. It’ll probably just

push back progress started years ago.”

The policy could limit the scope of Title IX, which prohibits education-based discrimination due to one’s sex. From this alleged proposal, one’s sex would purely be defined before or at birth, rather than on how one would define themselves. Other areas that would be affected include federal recognition of trans people’s genders, medical discrimination and transgender-based hate crime lawsuits.

On a broader scale, the 1.4 million people who are federally recognized as transgender would not be accounted for. This would complicate the efforts of those people who have yet to, or are in the process of officially petitioning to change their sex marker.

This alleged policy is a result of the Department of Health and Human Services’s efforts to

change federal definitions and vocabulary of scientific language, including words related to gender and sex. The administration has previously tried to bar transgender military members from service and legally restrict the scope of transgender protections in national health care law.

Junior Leo Golden, a transgender man, said that rather than limiting the rights of transgender people, the national government should be focused on more pressing issues.

“It’s a violation of human rights,” said Golden, who is also in ROTC. “Just give us basic needs, then leave us alone and focus on immigration, economics, crime, literally everything else that actually matters.”

The district extends nondiscriminatory protections to transgender students on campus, such as access to sex-segregated facilities like bathrooms

5

kind of makes me sick to my stomach that they are holding on to that information.”

Despite his criticisms of the Catholic church’s handling of the sex abuse, Salberg remains a devout practitioner.

“I look at this church as a foundation for my life,” he said. “When I’ve had low times in my life, it’s my faith that has gotten me through.

“The institution is flawed, but the rituals are good, the ideas are good,” he continued. “It works for me, but it doesn’t work for a lot of people, and I understand and respect that.”

He still has his three children attend St. Martin, the school where he was abused.

“I believe they’re safe and protected so I believe the Catholic Church has done some good things since 2002,” he said. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t put my kids in there. I put my money where my mouth is.”

Salberg is not afraid to tell his students about his traumatic experience, and talks about his faith openly.

In his disappointment that there are a lot more priests to be named, he said that the church’s tactic is to stall until its victims die and go silent.

“In that way the story dies,” he said. “And they just want to wait it out.” and locker rooms and protections against gender discrimination in hate-driven acts. It also encourages those in the district to use names and pronouns as requested. The district explicitly defines transgender as “a student whose gender identity is different from the gender he/she was assigned at birth” which contradicts the alleged policy of the Trump administration.

Special education teacher Leanne Haghighi, who advises the Gender-Sexuality Alliance club, has concerns about the potential emotional and social impacts of this policy.

“To delete someone’s existence and who they are, I think I’m at a loss of words of the impact of how that might feel,” Haghighi said.

At the same time, she believes Branham students would not be significantly impacted even if the policy were enacted.

“Our school can take care of the needs of our students here,” Haghighi said, “regardless of what is happening.”

6 BEAR WITNESS “Just be aware of your actions and how your actions are harming the environment we are living in.”

Doreen Yu, senior

Tech bytes Rocket aimed at planet Mercury to study its gases A joint mission between Japanese and European space agencies launched a rocket aimed at Mercury. The objective of the mission is to identify the mysterious composition of the closest planet to the sun. BepiColombo, the spacecraft, is expected to enter Mercury’s orbit sometime in 2025. The mission costed an estimated $2 billion to plan and execute. It took the joint team over two decades to orchestrate the building of the rocket and devise the mission plan.

Facebopl removes 800 spam political accounts Facebook recently purged their system of over 800 political spam accounts. These accounts were allegedly flooding other users’ timelines with political messages, prompting Facebook to take administrative action.

This comes in the wake of claims that Russian agencies used burner accounts to spread political propaganda in effort to rig the 2016 presidential election of the United States.

Bills may punish those behind robocalls Capitol Hill is moving toward legislation that would place stricter penalties on violations of the National Do Not Call Registry. Robocalls, or the annoying monotonous phone messages that claim you won a free cruise or $1 million worth of gold from a prince, have been under scrutiny for a long time. Now however, if a Robocall agency contacts an individual on the Do Not Call List, the penalties are much harsher.

Science briefs Deadly toxins proven to be life saving The toxins in the venom of the Komodo dragon are useful in treating victims of stroke. The venom prevents blood from clotting, so when a victim is bitten by the Dragon, they bleed to death.

Strokes are caused by blood clots, and these toxins in the venom of the reptile are used for solving this biological problem. If pharmaceutical companies progress with this treatment, people who are prone to strokes could be treated with a version of the antibodies in Komodo Dragon blood.

Fast food popularity one of causes for rising obesity Studies show that approximately 1 out of every three adults will visit a fast food restaurant on any given day. These actions taken by adults can be correlated to the rising rates of obesity amongst American children, teens, and adults.

America is currently the 18th most obese country in the world, and continues to rise with every coming year — Compiled by Shlok Gore

| OCTOBER 31, 2018 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY

Planet’s reckoning gets closer Governments need to overcome politics to avoid greater disaster, U.N. panel warns Major changes suggested The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has proposed lowering 2 degree Celsius target goal of climate change to a more aggressive 1.5 degrees Celsius, in order to avoid major catastrophes such as massive coral die-offs and flooding. What does some of that change look like?

Higher sea level rise By 2100, global mean sea level rise will be around 3.9 inches lower for warming of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit compared with 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

This could mean up to 10 million fewer people exposed to the risks of rising seas.

Greater exposure to heat waves When it comes to heat waves, in a world that’s warmed by up to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, about 14 percent of the population are exposed to a heat wave every five years. That number increases to 37 percent if the world warms up by 3.6 degrees Fahreheit.

Record drought: California, Cape Town, South Africa have seen record drought with just a 1.8 degree Fahrenheit change in the last 50 years.

JULIA MARQUES DA SILVA Design Director

y the time Branham students reach middle age, B the world will be drastically different.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Cli-

mate Change recently released a report predicting that worsening wildfires, food shortages and a mass die-off of coral reefs, could be at a level of crisis as soon as 2040, much sooner than previously thought.

According to the report, wildfires and droughts are a glaring concern. In California alone, natural disasters have been a problem for years, bringing about more extreme drought conditions. The 2016 drought was the worst in recent history.

Current human habits serve as a catalyst for climate change, but science teacher Kori Reynolds said many students don’t seem to understand the urgency of these dire warnings.

Due to the effects brought on by climate change, California will have more to worry about in the near future.

According to senior and past APES student Doreen

Yu, students understand climate change in the terms of air pollution, but lack the knowledge on how their actions impact the environment. She gives advice to her fellow students.

“Just be aware of your actions and how your actions are harming the environment we are living in.” said Yu. The state spent $702 billion alone in 2017 fighting wildfires. These costs will potentially increase as there will be a scarcity of rainfall.

Reynolds, who had been teaching AP Environmental science for four years, said that students are aware of climate change, but fail to understand what it means for their own lives.

In her AP Environmental class, she has helped students understand more about the broad implications of their behaviors.

“It’s nice to be able to take the time to talk about the realities of climate change impact individuals on an individual basis,” she said, “and how is it that your actions turn around and impact climate change.”

The class informed its students about their environmental impact, as well as elaborating on how climate

Caitlyn Schlaman/Bear Witness

change as a whole impacts various ecosystems and individuals in various ways through activities like measuring the use of non-renewable energy sources, individual non-food waste and water use. Reynolds stressed that climate change has different impacts on everyone.

California though, has been leading the U.S. in combating climate change and recently hosted the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco. It marked the halfway point from the Paris Agreement in 2015, which was signed for nations to contribute to preventing a 2 degree Celsius raise in global temperatures. Despite all of these efforts as a world population, people are still going to be threatened by the impacts of climate change.

The report did state that if there isn’t any drastic changes soon, the global temperature will increase by 4 degrees Celsius. President Donald Trump has significantly undercut Obama era programs related to climate change, while encouraging the expansion of the coal industry and withdrew from the Paris accord on basis that it will hurt the country economically.

What’s happening behind our screens?

UZOR AWUZIE

Student Life Editor

ounselor Joyce Davis recalls the time C she got messages from friends who claimed they received a friend request from

her on facebook, even though they were already friends.

“It’s a little disturbing to think that somebody can go in and just take your stuff and then use it,” Davis said, “but I guess it’s not scary enough to stop using it. But there are things that I will not do.”

Scroll through Instagram. Take a photo. Up load it. Forget about it. Within the few minutes that the process took, Instagram had the ability to access both the front and the back camera, record you and take pictures and videos of yourself and your surroundings.

Students are generally unaware of how their privacy is compromised online, but privacy infringement recently came into popular conscience.

Ironically, the topic has reached younger audience levels through social media. For example, when it became popular to cover up your camera with tape, it was taken both seriously

and as a joke. Memes spread around about a so called “FBI agent” that was assigned to watching you throughout your life. All jokes aside, a lot of information that intruders can obtain from our phones can be uploaded to the internet and used without our knowledge.

The unauthorized use of data has been defended by multiple experts. Fastlane is a tool for iOS and Android developers to automate tedious tasks to help release an application.

According to the founder Feliz Krause, as soon as you authorize any social media app to use your camera, microphone, or photos, you’re granting them access to use your pictures, take your videos and spy on you.

Government security agencies can also access devices through your camera and microphones. For example, an National Security Agency program called Optic Nerves captures webcam images every five minutes from Yahoo users’ video chats and then stores them for future use.

This shows how the government also has access to devices that you use in your everyday life. Agencies like the NSA can also use more secretive ways to read your messages, capture pictures of you, tune in to your phone calls,

stream videos of you, read your emails, and more at any time.

Hackers are known for threats to our devices, and they still successfully manage to access our data through apps, PDF files, multimedia messages and even emojis.

Over 60 percent of users use an application called Metasploit from hacking platform Kali, a common hacking website. The program can then use an Adobe Reader 9 exploit to open a listener, such as an application called Rootkit, on the user’s computer. All it takes for hackers to listen in is for the user to open up an alternated PDF file. Through hacking websites, people have an easier ways of entry to websites, social media, and information on our devices. That’s why that pesky ad on the side of screen that “guarantees” you a free iPhone X should be ignored at all costs.

For people like Davis who have experienced intruders on their device, it raises awareness on being safe when you go online.

“So because of those things, I now have a more heightened awareness” Davis said. “So when the Facebook stuff came through, I don’t know if it’s true, but I’m just going to let everybody know: don’t accept anything from me.”

How to avoid intruders Cover your camera with tape Read about the rights you’re giving up before you grant access to a social media app Unplug your microphones when your done with them Check out the reviews and search for any negative information about it Regularly delete your browsing history, cookies, and cache Avoid unsecured public wifi spots.

BEAR WITNESS

INDEPTH

| OCTOBER 31, 2018 |

ELECT 18N

What the propositions on the ballot could mean to you Pros: Hospitals help over 2 million sick children each year regardless of the family’s financial situation, and investing in hospitals allows them to help more children Cons: Borrows a lot of money when there might be better, more effective ways of PROP 1: MONEY GOES TO AFFORDABLE improving healthcare HOUSING Overview: Allows $4 billion to build affordable housing (mobile homes, infill, and transit-oriented) for low-income residents, veterans, and farmworkers.

Why it matters to students: Students may need affordable housing to live in the valley, and the financial success of California will be important to California residents moving forward.

PROP 7: Daylight Savings Time (DST) Pros: Doesn’t raise taxes while helping reform those in need of housing Overview: Subject to federal approval, Cons: Could increase housing crisis, diverts this bill would allow legislators to either funds from more effective programs change the period of DST or establish year long DST so that there is no time change Why it matters to students: Affects sleep levels and can impact safety Pros: Eliminates hazards related to DST changes, as well as maintaining productivity which otherwise can dip during these periods Cons: Dark in the mornings, which might be unsafe for children walking to school PROP 2: Providing homes for the homeless Overview: Uses $140 million in existing funds from the Mental Health Service Act to contribute to the No Place Like home Program which gives homes to mentally ill homeless.

Pros: This prop will not raise taxes and will help people off the streets and into housing PROP 12: More space for egg laying and treatment and breeding animals Cons: The prop does not legally require the Overview: requires a minimum space homeless individuals to receive treatment requirement for egg laying hens, breeding pigs, and calves raised for veal. All sales of products that do not adhere to the requirement are prohibited.

Why it matters to students: this might affect pricing of these products. Placing animals in confined spaces would affect the safety of the food Pros: Animals would be treated in a more humane fashion. If approved, the proposiPROP 4: Children’s Hospitals tion increases the food safety of eggs, veal, Overview: $15 billion to build, improve, and pigs. and equip California children’s hospitals Cons: While, the bill proposes employment Why it matters to students: Students, of healthier farm practices, it allows the friends, or siblings may be treated in these animals to be placed in cages.

— Renee Owens and Elizabeth Posey hospitals

7

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

SALEH | Close allies knew he would run for office my knowledge and apply it to policy because I saw the damage reactionary policy takes,” he said.

Painful experiences As for any candidate though, there are multiple reasons why Saleh is running.

The arrest of one of his high school friends who helped him through physical race-based bullying his freshman year was a huge influence.

“His arrest was connected to a larger narrative about the overall lack of resources and engagement,” said Saleh.

At Branham, Saleh did struggle with the environment and felt like an outcast in his first years in high school.

“There was a lot of on campus fighting and machismo, but there was also a lot of racism that we had to endure day to day,” he said. “On multiple occasions, I just got tired of getting picked on with these racist comments. When I tried to stand up against one of them, I got hurt.”

Even when Saleh became class president his junior year and eventually his senior year, he still experienced racial bullying and was told by others, including his fellow leadership students, that he didn’t belong.

At the board forum on campus, Saleh recalled these experiences and how they weren’t unique to him during a response to a question about the role of the district in social issues.

“My parents were called n***** in high school. In high school, I was called n*****.

In high school, my brother was called n*****,” Saleh said before an audience of about two dozen people.

During this same response, Saleh went over the allotted one minute speaking time, ignoring the student moderator senior Danika Cho and standing.

“I think that was worth saying, and I think that was worth standing for,” he said. “Because if we don’t stand for it,we’re never going to see change.”

Later on, Saleh reflected on the difficulty of this moment.

“This is a hard place to have any sort of honest discussion about race because the moment you bring it up, you’re making statements about people’s characters,” he said. “It’s uncomfortable. It wasn’t necessarily uncomfortable for me, what was uncomfortable for me was not being able to talk about these things before.”

Policy education When he felt the need to get into politics, he started as a policy intern in 2017 under the office of Aaron Peskin, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. In early 2018 he became a legislative fellow for lobbying Tenants Together until later in 2018 he worked as a civic engagement and policy intern with the Santa Clara Valley Water District.

When he moved back to San Jose and decided to run for a trustee position at CUHSD, he felt he also needed to expand his knowledge of the district. He’s been attending board meetings, events at all the campuses in the district and familiarizing himself with the district budget.

He’s also held his own events like “San Jomecoming” which showcased student art in the district and “Boba and canvass-

ing,” an event meant to engage volunteers for door-to-door campaigning.

Push from an APUSH mentor However, all of this might not have happened if he didn’t come to visit his AP U.S. History teacher Brett Johanson, who he credits for getting him to run for a trustee position.

“I know that sometimes we have big ideas, if you want to do things that make you step out of out of your comfort zone, that make you a little nervous, you talk about it and you’re hesitant to do it until someone gives you a push,” said Johanson, recalling the visit he had with Basil Saleh.

At the same time, it was no surprise to anyone that Basil Saleh would run for office, even to his brother who is a self-described evangelist for the campaign.

“He has that natural leadership quality about him. It was inevitable that he was going to run for something,” said Adam Saleh, his younger brother and recent Branham alumnus.

Johanson felt that Basil Saleh would be an apt candidate because of their personal experiences and Saleh’s integrity.

“I know from working with Basil that he has a thoughtful and reflective decision making process,” said Johanson, “If he came back with bad news, like something with our salary, I would completely trust that he had gone through a process that was filled with integrity.”

Similarly, Basil Saleh’s campaign manager Elisheva Basseri, who runs their team of six, became a part of the campaign team because she felt Saleh to be authentic.

“Bas really spoke to me both personally as mom and a citizen and I actually signed on to help him before I realized that I was in his district,” she said.

Basseri’s experiences as a mother have influenced why she supports Basil Saleh.

“I have kids in a feeder district, so they will be eventually Branham alumni and students,” said Basseri, “What I hope will be waiting for them, when they get to that age, is a campus that is able to keep up with the pace and culture of the Bay Area.”

'Fresh perspective' Johanson thinks that Basil Saleh is the type of person who will be able to affect these changes.

“He’s always had a fresh perspective, even back when he was a student of mine.

He’s always been great with working with different types of people and I know Basil would sit down and listen and talk to everybody, no matter what their viewpoint is.”

Adam Saleh also believes that his brother has a fresh perspective.

“I think that one of the most important things about him running is how fresh ideas are because obviously his demographic is closer temporally to students and he’s also Gen Z,” said Adam Saleh.

Looking ahead to election day, Saleh knows he has a likely chance of getting the seat, but if he doesn’t win, he isn’t planning on running again.

“We’re not assuming that anything is a given, even though we took all the right steps along the way,” said Saleh.

CAMPAIGN | Six full-time staff this, I'd be able to run again for a while.”

Saleh has a core team of six, including Elisheva Basseri, his campaign director.

Field director Swanson is involved in research and volunteer coordination. Saleh’s public image is managed by his communications and social media directors.

The campaign so far has received $16,000 in monetary contributions.

With the money they receive from their community donors, they decide whether to spend it on necessities such as fliers, lunches for volunteers or campaign fees.

The ballot statement cost $4,000, which Basil took out a loan to pay.

Funding dictates the priorities campaign staff set, but they still rely on outside assistance from volunteers, especially smaller campaigns. Aside from the core team of a campaign, there are student and adult volunteers who devote their time to canvassing. Saleh’s campaign has an estimated 20 to 25 weekend volunteers with shifts ranging around three or four hours.

Before the actual canvassing begins, staffers research information on the voting history of each household to assess

which house in the neighborhood to talk to. Houses shown as frequent voters in primary or midterm elections are more likely to be canvassed to; volunteers want to make the most effective use of time by going to houses that have a higher potential to vote in the upcoming election.

Perhaps the most crucial component in determining the success of a campaign is community engagement. With the majority of news focused on national issues, local politics are often overlooked. Because voting in local elections has a significant impact on the daily lives of residents, campaigns rely on word of mouth to spread their message. Candidates hope to engage voters through the platforms of social media and public forums.

Peel away the money, strategy and lawn signs, it’s all about the fundamental connections between the candidate and the voter.

“And it's sometimes a little cliche, talk to your friends and neighbors.” said Swanson. But it really comes down to the interactions that people have that really push a campaign forward … especially on the smaller campaigns.”

8

BEAR WITNESS

|

OCTOBER 31, 2018 |

STUDENT LIFE

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

“Some people tend to use it as an ‘Oh, I didn’t do my homework, let me quickly do it.’”

Assistant princpal Larry Lopez on homework help apps.

Apps that (almost) do your work Some see programs such as Slader as quick help, but others are wary of their usefulness Getting by with little help from my (online) friends

In a survey of 143 students, nearly seven in 10 students said that they believe online homework apps help them learn the material. Here are some other findings.

65 percent

Julia Marques da Silva/ Bear Witness Senior Skyler Miller leads her team during this year’s Powderpuff.

Increased student participation There has been an increase in student participation for events around campus, from football games, to rallies, to Homecoming participation.

Homecoming skit and lip sync reached a higher level of participation from those of last year, and football games experienced fuller crowds. Around 964 students attended this year’s Homecoming dance and 600 students were present at the football game.

Have used the Slader homework help app.

70 percent

Say that use homework apps rarely to sometimes.

Pre-made Quizlets The third most popular app behind Photomath and Slader.

Source: Bear Witness survey

Homework help apps

William Suiter/Bear Witness archives Senior Megan Hu uses Google Classroom during class in 2016. Students using online homework help are seeing mixed results.

CHANDLER ROBERTS Staff Writer

alancing extracurriculars, home life and homework can B be difficult for some students. Studying for hours upon hours takes up valued time, that many can’t afford.

Voter pre-registration numbers low Despite the efforts of Junior Statesmen to get the word out on voter pre-registration, not many did (at school, at least).

Only students who are 16 and older were eligible for voter pre-registration, which potentially excludes half the population.

Jocelyn Pierce/ Special to Bear Witness The torn banner.

School vandalized ahead of Leigh game, again On the Friday of Rivalry Week, there were multiple incidents of vandalism seen around Branham’s campus, prior to the Branham-Leigh football game. The Branham side of a large poster hung in the quad was torn down, and the rock was painted green, with the Longhorn mascot on it. Streamers and Froot Loops were thrown around the bleachers and quad.

The incident was just one of the many pranks pulled by Leigh in previous years.

As an apology, Leigh’s ASB sent over donuts to the Leadership class.

— Compiled by Uzor Awuzie

One easy fix is using apps that work out problems for them and copying the answers on these sites. They’re convenient, but is there a downside to using these sites?

Some apps, like Photomath, are advertised as platforms for learning. They show all of the work to help students learn how to work through a problem. Their website says that they will “magically show the result with detailed step-by-step instructions.” In reality they use algorithms to solve math equations for you. Junior George Tran says he uses them to finish his homework.

“It helps you with the problem,” Tran said, “and shows you every step of the problem.”

Other apps such as Slader are straightforward about their intentions. Slader is a service where students can submit their own answers for textbook questions. Slader says that their intent is to “solve homework,” and make things easier for high schoolers.

“If I want to be learning, it’s most productive for me to be using Slader,” said sophomore William Irish.

The common thread between these apps is how they are most frequently used.

“I’ve used (Slader) on days where I have half an hour to do homework and I have five assignments, where it’s just not possible otherwise,” Irish said, “I’ve used it only when it’s necessary, but if I’m at home and have time to work it through, I will.”

In a small survey of 143, about three out of four students at Branham use these apps and many say that it has helped them learn their materials.

“I’m in AP Stats, so I always have questions said senior Jayden Miller. “Whenever I get stuck on a problem, instead of giving up, I can use the tool and see what the steps are and go ahead.”

Some say it’s just unreliable.

“Generally the information that is given can often be incorrect or not related to the question,” junior Patrick Marshall said. “Often it doesn’t have the required textbook, and if they do, generally the answers that are given aren’t correct.”

Many staff say that it depends on the situation. Assistant principal Larry Lopez, who deals with disciplinary action such as cheating, sees two sides.

“The good in it is that students who go through the work have something to check and figure out where they may have messed up,” Lopez said. “On the negative side, I think some people tend to use it as an ‘Oh, I didn’t do my homework, let me quickly do it.’”

He says staff also have problems with this.

“It’s really hard to catch people unless they are actually using it [in class],” Lopez said. “We see plagiarism and I think the worst part is students tend not to do well on the test.”

Amanda Wilson, a math teacher who has been teaching for more than 10 years, has her own way of dealing with these apps.

“I don’t personally place any value on the [homework] answers in my class because I am aware of such apps that it would belittle the purpose,” she said.

She believes that copying down answers could be considered cheating, in some cases.

“It’s kind of in the same form as copying someone else’s homework,” Wilson said, “However, with textbook homework help, it’s a very similar idea and available to everyone”

Here are some apps that students find most useful for doing their homework.

Socratic

Free, iOS and Android Offers artificial intelligence-powered search function from a broad range of topics, from astrophysics to English. Take a snapshot of math homework, and it will also list out steps.

GotIt Study

Free for iOS, $24 for live help This also offers a photo equation solver AI function. But what makes it unique is the secondary option: You can contact a real, live study expert to text with through the app. They’ll guide you through the problems you’re facing, might be cheaper tutoring.

Wolfram|Alpha

$2.99 for iOS, Android and Amazon Answers all your normal school questions, plus its AI can detect how many fingers you have, plus any questions that you didn’t know you had, such as the frequency in which a dog shakes to dry off (6 Hz, by the way).

— Compiled by staff

JUNKING THESE TRUNKS Dingy and rusty, more than two-thirds of lockers go unused

ELIZABETH POSEY AND SARAH SABAWI Art Director and Staff Writer

any young students anticipate owning their M first locker. Whether it be in middle or high school, the locker is widely considered a staple of

Elizabeth Posey/Bear Witness Lockers don’t look like they do in the movies.

American education.

However, the charm of lockers fades quickly when students are confronted with the actual function of these storage spaces.

“It’s not exactly what I pictured high school looking like,” said junior Katia Yarkov. “I thought that lockers were always something that every high schooler had and they went to locker, they put everything inside and they’re just always hanging out around their lockers.”

Most schools, including Branham, have adopted a smaller, more compact style of locker — a far cry from the classic, tall design used in movies and television.

In fact, many of the lockers at Branham are nonfunctional or in need of repair. “(The lockers) are disgusting inside, broken down, and rusty,” said Susie Fleming, the bookroom secretary. “And as far as I know, there isn’t any immediate plan to clean them really well.”

Fleming added that the combination locks replaced

those with combinations built in, but they stopped functioning.

“Then they created a mechanism that lifts up to release the door, or locks it, and even that mechanism is stuck,” she continued. “So they’re really broken down.”

In a school of roughly 1,800 students, only 980 lockers are usable, and only 638 have been assigned to a student. That means that two-thirds of students at Branham don’t own a locker.

In the article “Schools and lockers: No longer the right combination,” the Washington Post suggests that the locker is disappearing into the realm of the obsolete.

Many schools have even gotten rid of them all together. Students no longer use them as a conversation hub and a place to decorate with stickers and pictures of their crush. Instead, they are being used simply for their intended purpose — storage.

But some think that lockers aren’t going away any time soon.

“I think the trend is that lockers are being used less, but I don’t know about ‘obsolete’. There are enough clubs and activities on campus that when people have stuff that they can’t carry around, I think there will always be somewhat of a need,” said Fleming.

Susie Fleming Bookroom Secretary Says many problems exist with lockers, but they’re not going away.

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

SPORTS

“We have the right foundation set by our coaching staff.”

Sophomore quartberback Nick Bandanza

Sports briefs Scores updated as of Oct. 29 Football Varsity: The boys won their second straight league game of the season against Silver Creek on Oct. 26.

Record: 4-5 (2-4).

JV: The boys lost to Silver Creek on Oct. 26. Record: 5-4 (2-3) Last game: This Friday at Gunderson.

JV 4 p.m., Varsity 7 p.m

Rebuilding season for football Coaches of league’s youngest team are looking forward to next year, and learning from mistakes

Field Hockey The girls lost their last game of the season to Leigh on Oct. 26. They finished the season sixth in the Mount Hamilton league.

Record: 6-10-2 (5-8-2) JV: Record: 1-1 JV: The girls won their final game of the season at Leigh on Oct. 26.

Record: 4-2 (3-1) Girls Volleyball The girls won the Mount Hamilton league with a win over Willow Glen Oct. 24.

JV: The girls lost their last game of the season against Willow Glen on Oct. 24.

Record: 1-4 (0-2) Next games: Varsity played in the second round of the CCS playoffs on Tuesday against San Mateo High School.

Girls Tennis The girls won their latest match against Silver Creek on Oct. 16. Record: 8-6 (9-5) Next games: They played again in the BVAL- Singles/ Doubles Championships on Tuesday and Wednesday at Leland.

Cross Country The team had a successful outing at Monday’s BVAL finals. For the second straight the boys and girls varsity teams made it to the CCS playoffs. The boys won the Santa Teresa League for the first time since 2002.

Next meets: The boys and girls teams head back to Crystal Springs for the CCS finals Nov. 10 — Compiled by Ryan McCarthy

Ryan McCarthy/Bear Witness According to assistant coach Tommy McMahon, the 2018 season for the Bruins have been a “learning experience,” as the team failed to make it to the playoffs.

RYAN MCCARTHY Sports Editor

s the final seconds of the rivalry game ticked A off, students cheered and the football team ran a flag across the field in their first victory

against Leigh in three years, but due to this year’s restructuring, wins in general have been sparse.

This was the first league victory in five games under new head coach Stephen Johnson and his staff. This year’s team, one of the youngest in the Santa Teresa league, has lost their first four league games, all against CCS-ranked teams.

This season is seen as a rebuilding year by the coaches, a complete culture change in the program, which has led to a numerically unsuccessful year. Johnson sees this season as the first step, looking toward a future with the younger team members.

“I want to believe it’s a two to three year project. When they [the freshman class] get to me as seniors, that’s when this will truly be my program,” said Johnson, who has only previously worked as an assistant coach. “All I can do is take it year by year.”

Johnson and Tommy McMahon, assistant coach and offensive coordinator, said that a late start to their hiring process hindered their ability to form a full staff before preseason preparations and the regular season began.

McMahon calls this season a “learning experience” for both coaches and players. Starting a sophomore quarterback, Nick Bandanza, and other young players in key positions is a strategy used to get valuable experience that will later benefit these players. This decision has left the team in a tough position throughout the season

reads, so when I’m out there I know what’s going on and I know what the defense is going to do.”

Johnson gives credit to the group, who helps Assistant Coach Head coach him and his staff connect with the players.

Education Education “The juniors are the most vocal and give pasBachelor’s in Bachelor’s in sion and devotion to the guys when they speak,” Johnson. “They echo our core messages.”

Kinesiology from Kinesiology from said These messages include “staying positive” and San Jose State San Jose State “being physical.”

Despite this, there still are challenges in team University University management and Johnson said they’re still Goal: To coach at learning. collegiate level The staff has had to fend off pressure from those outside the program who are pushing for due to competition with more experienced lineups. immediate results because they have run into common Bandanza, who was pulled up from Branham’s JV problems for first-year staffs such as low winning perteam to start as quarterback, can attest to the vast dif- centages and match-up ability. ferences between JV and varsity. He said he’s finding “Everyone wants to win now. We’re a young, very the speed to be more demanding. small coaching staff,” said Johnson. “People want re“In JV, you have a little more time with the football sults now. They’re trying to buy in to what you’re selling when you’re passing, and in varsity windows get tighter compared to what it’s been in past years, but if we’re not and linemen get faster,” said Bandanza. “You can’t just winning now, people start to question things.” outrun the linemen to the sideline; you have to calcuBandanza, who is expected to become the leader of late every move.” the team in coming years, sees the plan as achievable Bandanza also credits the coaching staff in helping if everyone in the program listens to the coaches’ longadjust his mindset for a varsity atmosphere. The coach- term goals, such as winning league and competing for es frequently take off days and weekends to help Ban- CCS championships. danza improve his skill set.

“We have the right foundation set by our coaching “Over the offseason Coach T [McMahon] and I used staff,” said Bandanza. “By the time I’m a senior, there to go out every Sunday and work on my form and ball will be a lot of fresh blood on varsity, but I don’t see placement,” said Bandanza. “It’s helped me with my why we won’t be able to win ball games.”

Tommy McMahon

Stephen Johnson

‘SHE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS’ LAURA HEFFERNAN

Arts & Entertainment Editor

nnoticed along the long line of sports U lockers, Branham’s athletic trainer, Angie Purchio, works out of a small office, helping the

athletes that come in and out as they get ready for practice.

Right after school in late October, a swarm of football players can be seen outside of the office.

One by one, Purchio calls athletes in to tape up an ankle or start them on rehab exercises.

The path Purchio took to her career is one that requires years of dedication. Receiving a degree in kinesiology, Purchio went through undergraduate studies at CSU-Monterey Bay, in addition to post-graduate studies at Weber State University. Both schools allowed Purchio the chance to work in hands-on environments.

She credits a friend of hers already in the athletic training program for introducing her to the job. Her first job was through an internship at CSUMB. “I fell in love with it,” she said. “As soon as I started doing it I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

Purchio says that she still learns through working at Branham for the past three years and gaining new experience.

“You see certain things that happen on a field, but the way they say it in a book, it happens completely different. It’s never by the book.”

said Purchio. “You take the knowledge that you have and you apply it to the situation.”

In certain situations, a torn ACL could be ruled out as an injury an athlete has while imaging can show that there is actually a tear. Purchio said that if she went by the book every time then she would be missing answers.

If an athlete picks up an injury, Purchio communicates with the coaches the progress of the student and supervises the recovery period. This time could include Purchio getting an athlete ice or helping with different exercises targeted at specific injuries, such as ankle sprains or head injuries both of which are common in most sports.

“Angie is amazing.” said senior Luke Sayre, who suffered a knee injury last year, which required frequent trips to Purchio’s office. “She’s always there to tape me up or give me ice after school. … She’s always asking questions, making sure everything is fine.”

To Purchio, what makes the job worth it is building strong relationships with athletes she works with, getting them back on the field and watching them be successful.

“It makes me love coming to work when they want to get better and they want to do better.” said Purchio. “Obviously they’re in my room, but I don’t want them here. I want them out on the field. I want them healthy.”

When she’s not working on injury reports,

In third year, athletic trainer has won fans in coaches and students

Ryan McCarthy/Bear Witness Angie Purchio tapes a players ankle at a recent football game.

Purchio said that her goal is to getting athletes ready for practice, taping up athletes and getting ice and water ready to be sent out to the teams.

Much of what is done before practice is done to prevent further injury.

Athletic director Landon Jacobs has noticed a positive change in athlete performance since Purchio was hired. Her full-time status has helped lower injuries among athletes.

“Now that we have her here five days a week she can do more preventative things to make

sure our athletes aren’t getting hurt and treating them after the fact,” Jacobs said. “It’s been a huge difference in terms of the communication between her and our coaches so they know what’s going on with athletes.”

Purchio also assists in preparation for situations in which 911 has to be contacted. In order to prepare, several times each sports season, Purchio makes rounds to all teams for an emergency protocol drill. Purchio says that everyone knowing protocol reduces delay during an emergency, so she can start assessing an athlete as soon as she arrives to a scene.

Knowing the support and communication that Purchio provides to them, coaches can focus on running the practices and not having as much stress over what will happen if an athlete does get injured. She has gained the trust and loyalty of coaches.

“She’s really thorough in what she does and she communicates extremely well,” said Stephen Johnson, head varsity football coach. “I don’t know how much harder my job would be if she wasn’t here. … She has all the answers.”

Purchio said she is always planning what she will do in the case of any event, no matter how extreme. The planning that goes into Purchio’s job takes many hours sometimes causing her to stay on campus extra hours at night.

“It’s a lot of work, a lot of hours,” said Purchio.

“But I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM “I like doing it because it makes me feel closer to my friends.”

Junior Genevieve Nemeth on dressing up in costume.

When every day is Halloween

Mini Reviews

Halloween-flavored

Disney

Fun, spooky movies

Not content with Oct. 31 holiday, friends create 31 reasons to dress up JULIANNE ALVARES

F

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” Directed by Tim Burton What it is: “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a stop-motion animation movie directed by Henry Selick and based on original characters and story

by Tim Burton. Burton got the idea of mixing holidays when he was in a store and saw them switching the Halloween display for the Christmas display.

He wrote a poem about his idea that eventually became the movie.

Disliked: The plot isn’t anything we haven’t heard before. The cliche moments prevent the movie from having more substance.

Liked: The artistic style of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” perfectly matches its tone. They designed the set and colors after German expressionism, which adds a dark and surreal aesthetic to the movie.

— Renee Owens

3 Mills Studios

“The Corpse Bride” Directed by Tim Burton

What it is: “The Corpse Bride” centers around the main character Victor, who is being forced by his parents to marry Victoria for her family’s money. Victor is nervous, so he runs into the forest to practice his vows, and then a bride, murdered by her husband, Emily, pulls him into the underworld.

Disliked: It’s short, running at only an hour and 18 minutes. Because the story is so encapsulating, it deserved more time.

Liked: The art style, as well as the character development was a good aspect of the film. It is easy to relate to Emily’s sadness and hope for love, as well as Victor’s awkwardness and compassion. The soundtrack is also fantastic and really draws you into the eerie mood.

— Annalise Freimarck

Staff Writer

or Kyla Masamori, Courtney Kaha’i, Genevieve Nemeth and Annette Mino the fun of dressing up extends beyond Halloween. It lasts the entire month.

The tradition of being in costume every day was started by Masamori who had trouble deciding what at be for Halloween and didn’t want to just dress up for one or days.

More on social “I’m indecisive and I didn’t want to pick media Halloween cosVisit our Instagram, one tume,” Masamori @bhsbearwitness for said. “So I was just more photos of the like, why not do 31.”

This year Kaha’i, friends in costume. Nemeth and Mino decided to join. The planning for the month’s festivities began months in advance.

“We made a paper calendar and then attached to it all the things for the outfits we wanted to do,” said Kaha’i.

They also use a group chat to stay organized.

Some days they even show up to school at 7:30 do to hair and makeup. On Oct. 1, when Masamori was dressed as Jack Skellington and Kaha’i as Sally from “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” they woke up their earliest, at 6:00 a.m., to get ready.

Fitz Vo/Bear Witness Coming up with 31 costume ideas is no Juniors Jessica Niccum and Kyla Masamori prepare Courtney Kaha’i’s hair in the style of Princess Leia from “Star Wars” in small feat so the group draws on their own early October. Masamori dressed up as Han Solo. interests for inspiration.

“We go by popular childhood TV shows, popular books, kinds of things we all like together,“ Nemeth said.

For Kaha’i there is joy in being able to dress up every day.

“I’m very fandom oriented so having to dress up every day of the month is very enjoyable for me,” she said. “It’s like semi-cosplaying every day.”

Thirty-one days in and the costumes have ranged from “Harry Potter” to the “Fairly Oddparents” and everything in-between. The Courtney Kaha’i/Special to Bear Witness tradition allows them to step into the lives of Juniors Annette Mino, Courtney Kaha’i, Kyla Masamori and their characters.

Genevieve Nemeth star as characters from Disney’s “Hercules.”

“We always take a picture of our costumes at the end of the day,” said Mino, “and it’s really fun to plan your pose and go and just be your character for a second.”

The tradition has also brought the friends closer.

“I like doing it because it makes me feel closer to my friends,” Nemeth said. “It also makes a lot more memories.”

Nemeth encourages others to participate in the fun and not care about seeming odd or weird to others who don’t dress up.

“If you honestly think this is a great idea and Fitz Vo/Bear Witness Courtney Kaha’i/Special to Bear Witness you are inspired just go out and do it,” she said. “It’s not just our thing. Don’t worry about Courtney Kaha’i shares her costume calendar, which Kaha’i, Nemeth and Masamori dress up from “Alice in Wonwhat other people are going to think about it.” details props and characters each day. derland.”

HOW-TO GUIDE Step 3: Add more liquid latex (alternatives include glue or spirit gum) to cover the cotton ball and allow to dry.

Atlantic Records

Song

“ZEZE” Kodak Black (feat. Travis Scott & Offset) What it is: ZEZE was a decent song, however, it had the potential to be much better.

Disliked: Kodak Black’s chorus and verse were unnecessary. They broke up the flow, and at some points were even unpleasant to the ears.

Liked: “Ice water turn Atlantic, night crawlin’ in the Phantom” is an example of a lyric that accurately describes the lifestyle of the rappers involved in this single.

— Shlok Gore

Step 1: Start with a red tone eyeshadow and draw a line across the desired area.

Step 2: Add liquid latex on top of the line and then place an unraveled cotton ball on top to create texture.

Step 4: Cover the area with a concealer that matches your skin tone to make the gash look more realistic.

Step 5: Use bruise like tones, or an actual bruise palette which can be purchased online or in Halloween stores, and pat on color in the area to create a bruised effect.

Step 6: Add fake blood on top of the “gash”, (Maggie Erez prefers scab blood). A sponge can be used to add more texture.

Annalise Freimarck/Bear Witness

A macabre hobby: Scar makeup that pops ANNALISE FREIMARCK Managing Editor

Maggie Erez’s passion for special effects Junior (FX) makeup began in her bathroom with one

simple tool: liquid eyeliner. She stood in front of her bathroom mirror one day, and began to draw lines on her face, meticulously mapping out the outline of an FX makeup look.

“I guess I just got bored one day and it somehow escalated to this,” she said.

Special effects makeup began in movies, used in order to create a realistic effect in gory and supernatural scenes; it dates back to 1895, with the recreation of the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots.

As time progressed, FX makeup has gained a cult following and has changed from just being used for movies, to a form of creative expression for amateurs and makeup artists alike. This has led to a slew of FX artists making makeup tutorials on platforms like Youtube and Instagram.

Over the span of time that she has been doing FX

makeup, she has taken inspiration from the YouTube channel Glam and Gore, where special effects makeup artist Mykie leads her audience through elaborate and intricate costumes. Erez says the most elaborate makeup she has done was a gash that spanned her whole face for her Halloween costume last year.

Erez says that to her, FX makeup is a form of self-expression and that it allows her to harness a creative outlet she might not otherwise have.

“You just kind of go crazy with it,” she said. “Blood is super fun.”

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

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“I start by trying the first thing that pops into my brainy hole.”

— Junior Maggie Eres on Inktober

Inktober helps artists draw on inspiration Daily prompts help artists make a habit out of art JESSICA BERTON

I

Staff Writer

n the spirit of Halloween, students at Branham have participated in Inktober throughout the month. Every day they create a doodle in response to a one-word prompt, ranging from “roasted,” to “stretch.”

These words are meant to be a way to use inspire the illustrators.

Jake Parker, a comics short-story creator, started Inktober in 2009 as a challenge to himself and others.Thousands of artists participate in Inktober to be part of a challenge to improve drawing skills and good drawing habits. Some have trouble keeping up on a day-to-day basis, but post a collage of many drawings to stay up-to-date.

Others such as junior Maggie Erez, have no difficulty at all.

“I draw in class all the time,” Erez said.

She recounts her process.

“I start by trying the first thing that pops into my brainy hole,” she said. “If that doesn’t work, I try to think of something else for inspiration.”

The sources of inspiration can be drawn from other artists from social media. Most artists who participate post their art on their Instagram accounts.

The reason junior Emily Datta post her artwork on social media is because she wants other artists to find and apprecioate her work, and vice versa. The event has inspired her to restart her drawing habit.

“I didn’t draw enough and I just kind of needed something to have me draw every day,” Datta said.

Many artists also make their own prompts independent from Parker that are also used by others.

For example, senior Kyra Bouchereau has created prompts for Monstober and Spooktober.

When drawing, Bourchereau usually thinks about connecting the prompt to something likable and usually the first idea is the one she goes with.

“I get to practice doing my inks because I’m not the best at it,” she said. “It’s fun, I love it.”

Ariana Renteria, senior: Her doo-

dle in response to the Oct. 1 prompt: Poisonous.

Inktober prompts 1. Poisonous 17. Swollen 2. Tranquil 18. Bottle 3. Roasted 19. Scorched 4. Spell 20. Breakable 5. Chicken 21. Drain 6. Drooling 22. Expensive 7. Exhausted 23. Muddy 8. Star 24. Chop 9. Precious 25. Prickly 10. Flowing 26. Stretch 11. Cruel 27. Thunder 12. Whale 28. Gift 13. Guarded 29. Double 14. Clock 30. Jolt 15. Weak 31. Slice 16. Angular

THE ARTS IN OCTOBER ART ArtNOW exhibition submissions Begins Nov. 12 at 106 E. Main Street, Los Gatos Students may submit their artwork according to this year’s theme: “DARE” starting November 12 for a chance to get their art exposed and potential scholarships.

For more information go to numulosgatos.org/artnow. Admission and submission are free.

Chocolate and Art Show Nov.15-16 at the SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St., San Francisco. Events include live body painting, live music, face-painting, live portraits, and free chocolate.

The cost is $15 to $20.

MUSIC Imagine Dragons “Origins” Releases Nov. 9 Less than 18 months after releasing their last album, Imagine Dragons will be releasing their fourth studio album. Singles as “Zero” and “Natural” mark the band’s fourth time hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.

An Evening With Fleetwood Mac Nov. 21, Starts at 8 P.M. SAP Center, 525 W Santa Clara St, San Jose On the 2018-2019 North American Tour, the British-American rock band, Fleetwood Mac is making a stop in San Jose.

MOVIES Bohemian Rhapsody Releases Nov. 2 In a celebration of Queen, this movie follows Freddie Mercury and illustrates how he defied stereotypes. The movie follows the band through its creation and the writing of the group’s most iconic songs.

The Oct. 2 prompt was “Tranquil.”

The Grinch Releases Nov. 9 In a remake of the Christmas classic, the Grinch is living with his trusty dog Max on top of Mount Crumpet. The Grinch becomes disgruntled when the Whos in Whoville up their game with Christmas celebrations.

Maggie Erez, junior: The Oct. 1 prompt was “Poisonous.”

ANALYSIS

LGBTQ+ characters move beyond stereotype UZOR AWUZIE AND JASMINE NGUYEN Staff writers

wenty-one years ago, Ellen Degeneres made T TV history by declaring on her sitcom that her character was gay.

Degeneres was afraid that, after her declaration in the “Puppy” episode aired in April 1997, that her career was over.

It wasn’t until later when she graced the cover of Time Magazine with three words: “Yep, I’m gay.”

In her interview with the magazine, she details her resistance in coming out until the show had finished.

“I watched my friend Melissa [Etheridge] come out, and she became “the lesbian rock star.” I never wanted to be “the lesbian actress.” I never wanted to be the spokesperson for the gay community. Ever. I did it for my own truth.”

So much has changed in the LGBTQ+ pop culture landscape since then.

The famous episode was remembered for its impact on how gay and queer people were represented on and off the camera.

From there LGBTQ+ characters on our screens have increased exponentially. From vampire slayers to regular humans, to shows based off these charac-

Elizabeth Posey/Bear Witness ters, they no longer are viewed as an “other.”

Today, there isn’t even a need for dramatic coming out scenes. The general acceptance of LGBTQ+ has made such characters a normality, rather than a historic moment.

More TV shows and movies that better reflect our society.

GLAAD, an organization that keeps tabs on LGBTQ+ representation in the media, reports that of the 901 regular characters on broadcast scripted primetime programming, only 6.4 percent of them

are on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Despite this being the highest percentage on record, some say it is far from being enough.

“It’s crucial that we have more representation,” said freshman Nicole Platko. “There’s obviously still homophobes in the world, we’re not going to change people’s opinions, but we can get them to stop sharing in such a negative way. ” The bigger problem is that with increased representation comes the problem of representative representation.

Many shows seem to follow the stereotypical characteristics of an LGBTQ+ person, rather than acknowledging the complexity of those all across the spectrum. Not every lesbian has short, dyed hair and displays masculine traits. Not every gay person wears feminine clothing or talks in a “flamboyant” way.

Platko shares her frustration with the stigmas that seem to follow LGBTQ+ characters everywhere “The most annoying stereotype would probably be, lesbians have short hair, they wear flannels, and they build IKEA furniture, because it’s not true,” she said.

“Everyone is super different. They can have a lesbian with long hair, Pocahontas with dreads, whatever, right? It doesn’t matter.”

AROUND TOWN Bay Area Science Festival Discovery Day Nov. 3 at AT&T Park The science event features hundreds of hands-on activities, and a chance to local scientists and engineers. Attendees can also run Christmas in the Park

campfire in response to the Oct. 3 prompt: “Roasted.”

Universal Pictures

Emily Datta, junior: Xitlaly Lopez, junior: Dinosaur

around the bases if they wish. Free.

Christmas in the Park Tree lighting starts Nov. 23 at Plaza de Cesar Chavez.

The annual walk-through feature trees, lights, and food to celebrate the holiday season. Free to attend.

— Compiled by Laura Heffernan

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INDEPTH

CELEBRATIONS F LIFE

THROUGH SCHOOL, STUDENTS RECONNECT WITH DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS TRADITION

ORIGINS OF THE HOLIDAY Día de los Muertos is a celebration of deceased loved ones beginning right after Halloween. It originated in Southern and Central Mexico around the time of Aztecs. To avoid its abolishment in the 16th century, it evolved to incorporate Christianity and was moved to Nov. 1 and 2 to coincide with All Saints and All Souls Day, a day that gives time to pray for loved ones.

On Nov. 1, altars are dedicated to the children who have deceased. Adults are honored the following day.

CREATING THE OFRENDA In preparation for the holiday, an ofrenda (offering) is made.

These are collections of objects that honor the deceased.

JULIA MARQUES DA SILVA Design Director ía de los Muertos is huge celebration for people who share a Mexican her-

D

Photo: Indicates who the altar is dedicated to, if there is no picture, then it’s for the person’s ancestors.

Candle: Represents light, hope, and faith. The flame guides the spirits to the altar and back to Heaven.

Steps on the altar: The levels to get to heaven from Earth.

Bear Witness staff graphic. Source: The Mija Chronicles

Glass of water: A source of life and purity. It’s put on the altar to quench the thirst of spirits.

Papel picado: Represents the element air for the way they move

Marigolds: The smell and colors of the flower leads the spirits to the altar.

Food: A feast laid out for the spirits to enjoy and consume.

Favorite objects: The deceased member's favorite objects are usually laid out.

HONORING THE DEAD AROUND THE WORLD

Japan | Obon Festival

When: Aug. 13-15 What it is: A Buddhist custom where one's ancestors are honored by creating two altars: one for the ancestors and one for unpeaceful spirits.

Candy skulls: Represents the sweetness of death.

Names of deceased are written on the forehead.

China | Ghost Festival

When: Fifth night of seventh Chinese month What it is: A festival where the gates of hell open, allowing spirits to roam Earth seeking entertainment and food.

itage.

From the pan de muerto, the sugar skulls to the face paint, Día de los Muertos has been mixed into our community, as the holiday was originally when it was celebrated primarily in central and southern Mexico.

The holiday, which takes place Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, has spread, and can be celebrated alongside the Catholic tradition of All Saints and All Souls Day. Through popular movies such as 2017's "Coco," and the "The Book of Life," it has also been ingrained in the public's consciousness.

Many students at Branham, though familiar with the tradition, do not celebrate the holiday, but through school have learned to appreciate its significance.

Senior Esperanza Ruelaz hasn’t celebrated Día de los Muertos with her family personally. Most of the opportunities to learn about her heritage came from her involvement with Branham’s Latino Student Union, who work together to build an altar every year.

“We don’t celebrate these kind of things, but it’d be really nice to start,” Ruelaz said.

“I can teach our next generation of cousins because there are a lot of little ones.”

By getting involved with LSU, Ruelaz has learned that the holiday is more than just costumes and face paint. It's for remembering your loved ones and celebrating the life that they had.

For Spanish teacher Leticia Molina, the holiday has changed its meaning after her father passed away this year.

“It’s not something that I grew up with celebrating traditionally, but because my father is the first one to pass away, that was close to my family,” said Molina “It is now something that has become more personal.”

She planned with her family to visit his grave and put items on his grave that he loved while he was alive.

Many others at Branham celebrate this holiday to keep in touch with their heritage. It isn’t just remembering who has passed away, but connecting back to one's culture.

Korea | Chuseok

When: Sept. 23-25 What it is: A celebration for good harvest/honoring one's ancestors; involves visiting their hometown and cleansing their grave.

Pchum Ben, Cambodia

When: 15th day of tenth Khmer month What is it? A time to pay respects to ancestors of up to seven generations by offering food after the gates of hell have opened.