Bear Witness - December 2016

OPINION

BRUINREWIND

Tis the season for wasteful gifts PG. 4

A recap of the 2016 at Branham and abroad Funky slang we learned this year

BEAR

Pg. 8,9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Holiday movies to scream about Pg. 14

WITNESS BRANHAM HIGH SCHOOL

DECEMBER 13, 2016

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

Sixth annual Winter Wishes Rally

News analysis

WALLED OFF Strong reactions to a Trump presidency

Student responses Shortly after the November election, students were asked to share their thoughts on 3x5 cards during a lunchtime assembly in the football field. Here is a small sampling.

I just want everyone to feel safe in their own skin. Being targeted through racist remarks isn’t going to help that goal. Everyone just needs to do what they feel is right.

We need a wall Trump for president 2020.

It’s scary how we’re going to have a man like this run the country. Just knowing how Trump supporters and others surrounding him are treating others, it’s scary.

IT’s scary that (people like) myself and others could get treated because we’re “different.” There’s no such thing.

We should be united as a nation. Let’s be open-minded and do not fight. We can work together.

How Trump’s plans may affect students’ lives CLARABELLE WALKUP Staff Writer

A

fter President-elect Donald Trump’s victory in November, some students and teachers are wondering what new policies he will implement and how they will affect the campus and its culture.

Some of the more controversial policies he has championed during his election, including a U.S.-Mexico border wall, deportation of illegal immigrants, as well as lesser-known ideas concerning education and child care.

The wall and immigration The current border consists of a fence, drones and border patrol agents. Some parts of the border include some underground tunnels where drugs are smuggled in and out of the country. In a recent interview, he was stated that some parts of the wall may now be a fence.

The National Border Patrol Council, which SEE POLICIES • PAGE 6

Campus groups feel harsh rhetoric has chilling effect GRACE CLINTON

F

Sports Editor

ollowing Donald Trump’s victory, various demographic groups here at Branham have been responding differently to Trump’s victory.

These groups include immigrants, women, Muslims, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Many undocumented immigrants have told news media that they are terrified in the wake of Mr. Trump’s win for fear of deportation. While Mr. Trump did show his appreciation for Mexico in his immigration speech at Arizona with remarks such as, “my love for the Mexican people” and “the close friendship between our two nations,” he has made other comments that make certain immigrants question their safety.

Immigrant groups feel unfair discrimination In his speech announcing his presidency and throughout the campaign, Mr. Trump has

Quad, rain alter plans, but not spirit Gifts help photo editor, student with ailing parent LAUREN HOGAN

Student Life Editor

he annual Winter Wishes rally (formerly T Make a Wish), held in the gym, used to be easy to plan for.

With a student population near 1,600, planning events in the gym is a matter of safety, as having that many students inside is considered a fire hazard.

Even through a venue change, and a weather delay, moving the event from Friday to Monday, Inside the atmosphere was as fesFormer gift tive and heartfelt as ever. recipients talk The first wish went to senior Iz Munoz, who about their had wished for a camera. experience at Though Iz is the Bear the rally.

Witness photo editor, he has had to borrow camerpg. 10 as from others. He hopes to study film in college, which may require proper equipment.

Unbeknownst to Iz, several of his close friends had also wished for Iz to have a camera as well.

“Iz is one of the most unselfish people I have ever met,” said senior Tyler Pesavento, one of his best friends. “He always does whatever he can to help others.

“How can you go to a good film school without a camera?” Tyler continued.

The Leadership class gifted Iz a brand new camera, a camera bag, a lense, a new tripod, and a software for him to edit and produce his videos.

Another wish granted at the rally was for senior Nick Norris, whose mom is fighting cancer. Seniors Andy Macias, Ismail Hersi and Richard Gonzaga also wrote in wishes for Nick’s family.

The Leadership class worked their magic and were able to gift the Norris family a $100 gift card to P. F. Changs to enjoy during the upcoming break and movie tickets to watch a movie after dinner.

The biggest part of the wish, however, was when the Leadership class presented a $1,500 check to Nick and his family to help pay for his mother’s cancer treatment.

One of the other wishes granted at the rally was the wish made by sophomore Conner Ngo for Branham’s Activities Director and Leadership teacher Shari Scott-Sawyer.

Ngo wished for Shari to feel more recognized on campus because she does so much for the school.

“I felt like she deserves (the wish) because within the first month of this current school year she had done so much for our school and she needs to be thanked for her dedication,” Conner said.

The Leadership class surprised Shari at the rally, for she had no idea that a wish was being granted for her, by gifting her a Macy’s gift card, a Cheesecake Factory gift card, and a gift basket with flowers. The students in Leadership and some of the staff were also recorded with each person being recorded saying their love and respect and praise they have for Shari. This video was given to Shari at a later time.

SEE COMMENTS • PAGE 6

EDITORIAL | ‘Inclusive’ Bay Area is not as welcoming to different ideas as we may think. pg. 5

Lauren Hogan/Bear Witness Leadership students spent nearly two months of work preparing for Monday’s rally.

INSIDE

National news................................2 International news........................ 3

Editorial..........................................4 Bulletin Board.................................5

Science and Technology..................7 Science/Tech Briefs.........................7

Spread.........................................8-9 Student Life.............................10-11

Club Roundup...............................11 Sports......................................12-13

Arts & Entertainment..............14-15 The Back Page...............................16

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BEAR WITNESS

NEWS

DECEMBER 13, 2016 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

Only 20 percent of teens can tell the difference between trusted and fake sources of news

National headlines

under increased scrutiny for allegedly housing the tenants illegally, and also failing structural requirements.

California

Deadliest fire in Bay Area since 1906 A deadly Oakland warehouse fire Dec. 2 left 36 dead, marking one of the Bay Area’s deadliest fires since the 1906 earthquake. For many local artists, the warehouse served as both a workspace and a home. Officials believe that a refrigerator in the space sparked the fire. Since then, the manager of the Ghost Ship has been

Search for suspects in mom’s kidnapping A Northern California woman has been found three weeks after mysteriously disappearing on a morning jog, badly beaten and chained to a heavy object on side of a California interstate. It is unclear the motives behind Sherri Papini’s capture, and police are still trying to identify the possible suspects.

OHIO

Motives sought for Ohio State attacks An Ohio State University student injured 11 with a butcher knife and running into them with a car before being killed by police Nov. 28. The investigation to find Abdul Razak Ali Artan ’s motives continues as authorities scour his social media postings for hints. In a recent article published by Ohio State’s student-run paper, Artan was quoted on his Muslim religion and his worries of praying openly on campus.

TENNESSEE

Wildfire threatens homes, 14 dead Since the end of November, wildfires have raged throughout the state, forcing evacuations in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, as well as other areas of Sevier County. There is also a potential threat to Dollywood, a famous Tennesseean theme park.

Fourteen people have died because of the blaze.

— Compiled by Taylor Doan

Upcoming meeting The District Facilities Committee will be meeting Tuesday to analyze survey results from 3:30 to 7 p.m.

Real facts on fake news CADENCE TRENCHARD News Editor

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odern teenagers have a reputation for being tech-savvy, but studies show that we are becoming extremely susceptible to false advertisements and news stories. The best way to combat this fake news phenomenon is by learning how to distinguish credible

news from sponsored content, satire, and just plain hogwash.

A Stanford University study analyzed over 7,000 American students from middle school to college age to test what they call “civic online reasoning,” which is the ability to judge the credibility of information on the Internet.

Only about 20 percent of the tested teens were able to identify the traits of untrustworthy sources.

How to spot truth from fiction Here’s our compilation of helpful tips from organizations devoted to fact-checking (Snopes.com, Factcheck. org) to determine credibility of online posts, articles, and news websites you come across every day Know your ABCs

Screenshot from Instagram Some fake or satirical news sites look legitimate by imitating other well-known

The real ABC network logo, left.

Many fake sites mimic real ones. news sites. Look at URLs to double-check the validity of the website if it appears similar. One website, abcnews.com.co, uses a similar logo and URL as ABC News, but taking a couple seconds to scroll to the bottom of their home page reveals ulterior motives.

Look at other articles the site has published. If they’re full of shocking, “too good to be true” stories and headlines, be suspicious. Look beyond the headlines and Google sources the author used (if any) or organizations mentioned.

Any article published without a date or author is unreliable, and all sources used during the research/investigative process should be properly attributed.

If you’re really confused about the credibility of a website, try searching for a disclaimer. This might be near the header, or lurk near the copyright or “About” section of the site. Trusted websites don’t need disclaimers.

Sponsored content and native advertising are paid forms of content, and they are usually labeled as such.

Have you ever noticed native advertising? Generally speaking, native advertisements are ads that don’t look like ads. If the advertisers have done a good job, you won’t notice them.

“Native advertising is a form of paid media where the ad experience follows the natural form and function of the user experience in which it is placed,” according to Sharethrough, a company that publishes advertising software.

Native advertising is promotional in nature and its goal is to convince rather than inform an audience.

It may still look like an article, but there will be a distinct call-to-action or it will contain brand-biased content that contains the company’s name.

On the other hand, sponsored content is not brand-biased and its goal is to inform the audience.

It usually serves useful or entertaining information as a way of favorably influencing the perception of the sponsor brand, according to the American Press Institute.

Subtle advertising Easily altered photos

Imgur “Nuclear flowers” had false origins.

Bear Witness Editors-in-Chief Julia Kolman Kelley Sheen Managing Editor Ty Shikashio Production Editor Dylan Chubon

It’s now extremely difficult to tell whether photos have been altered and where they originated from. Some good questions to ask yourself the next time you see an unbelievable picture: Who took this photo? When? Where?

You may find out that a compelling image was taken years ago, or that it was in a completely different context.

One way to see if a photo has been used elsewhere is by using Reverse Image Searches.

As in the case of the “Nuclear flowers,” some photos are presented as proof of a claim, but there is no way to tell who and where it originated.

Courtesy The Onion The Onion publication often skewers political figures.

Remember what your teacher told you about satire The satirical Onion site often gets mistaken for real news, which can whip easily fooled readers into a frenzy.

Although some of the real news may seem more fictional than realistic, some stories are meant to be funny or mocking.

Satire is defined as “The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other [current] issues,” according to the Oxford Dictionary. The important thing to keep in mind with

satirical content is that it’s intent is not (usually) to trick people into believing its stories as legitimate. Rather, it aims to highlight foolishness and spark change.

Satire’s “innate ability to cut right to the heart of the issue, and to cut the mighty down to size, make it an invaluable rhetorical tool, writes Ethan McCarthy on the importance of satire. “At its best, satire is fearless in the face of power, and... it has a unique way of rallying people to a cause.

But the best satire... is not merely destructive, but constructive”.

Challenge yourself with different viewpoints If you’re only ingesting media that agrees with your views, it’s time to look at the other side. Being open to hearing opposing views causes you to question why you believe what you believe. The result is either reinforcing or modifying your beliefs.

What’s the worst that could happen?

Stepping back to see the bigger picture of an issue or event can increase your com-

prehension of said issue, and helps you form a balanced, informed opinion.

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Bond may aid in cafeteria renovation JOCELYN PIERCE

S

Staff Writer

anta Clara County residents voted to pass Measure AA with nearly 66 percent of the votes this past November. This measure gave the Campbell Union High School District $275 million to put toward renovating, updating and improving our campuses.

One of the areas our school principal Cheryl Lawton said she would like to work on is our cafeteria. The building that is meant to be a popular eating space is typically not used to its potential; while food is sold through its windows every day, very few students actually regard the inside of the cafeteria as a favorite place to eat.

“It doesn’t look like it’s even designated to be an eating space,” said sophomore Kylie Delaney pointed out that the cafeteria’s appearance is confusing. “There’s just a couple of tables sitting in the back of the room. I’m honestly not even sure if we can go in there at lunch sometimes.

Ms. Lawton said that she aims to make the cafeteria a more open space for students to buy and enjoy their lunch. She would like to make it more buffet-style, with actual checkout lines to make for an efficient purchasing process.

This, combined with a better seating area, will presumably create a more welcoming spot. One concern about a remodel is the fact that the cafeteria essentially serves as a classroom for Branham’s Leadership class, which was previously located in room 7.

The cafeteria was able to function as more of a working environment for the Leadership students. Some fear that a remodel would hinder the class.

To address that, Ms. Lawton would like to provide ASB with a new space of their own. One option is creating them an area where the book room currently is. She would also like to get more input from the community on the remodel.

On the Branham website, there were surveys available for students, staff, and parents to give their opinions. The input given will be considered when making CUHSD’s Assessment & Master Plan, which outlines multiple proposals regarding what needs to be renovated. Furthermore, she extends an invitation to have a few students form their own district committee. This committee will meet at district meetings to help prioritize which parts of the school need more attention than others.

When in doubt...

Check to see if major, reputable news sources have reported on the same event.

If Wall Street Journal, CNN, and The New York Times haven’t picked up the story, there’s probably something fishy going on.

Snope’s updated list of websites to watch out National Report World News Daily Report Huzlers Empire News Stuppid News Examiner Newswatch33 The Stately Harold

Editors News: Cadence Trenchard Opinion: Sunanda Kottayil Science and Technology: Adam Saleh Student Life: Lauren Hogan Sports: Grace Clinton Entertainment: Sydney Uyeda Copy: Taylor Doan Online: Alex Mertens Photo editor: Iz Munoz

NewsBuzzDaily Now8News The Reporterz Empire Herald Satira Tribune Associated Media Coverage

Staff Writers Omar Ababneh, Fiorella Castaneda, Michaela Edlin, Rosalie Gonzalez, Laura Heffernan, Derek Hogan, Demi Le, Jocelyn Pierce, Sarah Snitzer, William Suiter, Eli Sylvan, Sai Tummala, Clarabelle Walkup 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.

Fitzgerald Vo/Bear Witness Joey Teng and his daughter Katherine try out mattresses in the cafeteria on Saturday.

Contact Us Instagram: @bear_witness_ Twitter: @witnessbear Website: www.bhsbearwitness.com Phone: (408) 626-3407 Email: bhs_journalism@yahoo.com

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DECEMBER 13, 2016 |

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NEWS

“I work to save up for college.”

Nick Perkins, on why he chose to take Work Experience

International headlines Syria

Starve, be bombed, surrender

The ongoing Syrian Civil War shows no signs of stopping. Stephen O’Brien, the U.N.’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, has informed the U.N. Security Coun-

cil that the number of Syrians under siege has increased from 486,700 six months ago to 974,080 by the end of November.

South Korea

Korean president impeached

Geun-hye Park, South Korea’s first female president, accused of longstanding corruption, was impeached Friday following the largest

protests in the country’s history. She is not out of the office yet: the Constitutional Court will have six months to decide whether the charges she faces are enough for her to step down.

United Kingdom

Brexit Decreases U.K Wealth

According to CNN, the U.K. household wealth has decreased by $1.5 trillion due to

the Brexit and its impact on the country’s currency. The pound has lost 15% of its value. The 1.5 trillion loss translates to a 10% reduction of household wealth. The term “household wealth” includes financial investments and “assets like housing.”

— Compiled by Grace Clinton

From BHS to CSU

DEMI LE

F

Branham students’ enrollment in California State Universities decreasing

Staff Writer

ewer Branham students are enrolling in CSUs but more are enrolling in the UC system, according to the data from the California State University.

The Calstate.edu database reported that the number of Branham students who enrolled at California State University campuses fell from 61 in 2012 to 43 in 2014. From 2012 to 2015, the amount of enrollees in the 9 UC campuses for undergraduates steadily increased from 24 to 34 students. Statewide, more students apply to CSUs than to UCs but the opposite trend is prevalent for Branham.

Guidance adviser Loan Hong mentioned that this trend may indicate that students are seeking pursuing higher education in other ways than the direct four-year route.

“It shows that more students want to pursue an education after high school and we want students to have the option of a four-year (college),” Ms. Hong said. “A two-year is completely okay, as long as they are continuing their education.”

Senior Lindsay Hill was among the students who applied to UCs. “I applied to more UCs because they are more research-based,” she said. “Since I’m planning on majoring in biology and will probably have to go to graduate school, UCs provide a better path for this.”

UCs have a reputation of providing more rigorous courses, with an emphasis on developing research skills, as well as providing an assortment of internship opportunities. Thus, they

Number of Branham students who enrolled at a CSU

Requirements for Cal State University and University of California

CSU

UC

Minimum of 2.0 GPA

Minimum of 3.0 GPA

Higher Acceptance Rate

Lower Acceptance Rate

Total of 23 CSUs

Total of 10 UCs

No writing prompts

Require Writing prompts

Lower tuition rates

Consider Extracurricular Activities Higher tuition rates

Demi Le/Bear Witness may be a major reason why there are many more UC applicants.

Senior Maddie Delgros said that she mainly chose CSUs because they are generally much

cheaper. Other than financial reasons, Maddie said that CSU Sonoma, her top choice, has a great teaching program.

“I don’t see any point to make my parents pay

so much money if I can get an education at a CSU for a much lower price than, say, Stanford.” she said.

For example, attending UC and living on campus will cost students $34,200 annually, compared to the CSU, with costs ranging from $20,000 to $27,000, according to the data from the University of California and California State University. There is an obvious disparity between the costs of a CSU and UC, which is a big factor of consideration during the application process.

Senior Lena Saucedo also mentioned another perk of CSU admission.

“CSUs are easier to get into,” she said. “Also, other UCs didn’t appeal to me as much.”

There are many reasons as to why students prefer one state school over the other, but all choices are good choices as long as students are “continuing their education beyond high school,” Ms. Hong said.

Working Bruins on the Dakota Access Pipeline minimum wage increase plans prevented SAI TUMMALA Staff Writer

any students work in order to save for M college, transportation fees, and recreational spending, but some are working to get high school G credits as well.

The Work Experience Education Program in Room 40, led by Mary Anne Neil teaches students about the work environment; credits are based on the total number of hours spent working or volunteering outside of school.

“I work to save up for college, but through this class, I also get extra credits,” said Senior Nick Perkins.

The class meets every Wednesday at 7 a.m. to learn about work skills and the etiquette needed to be successful in the work environment.

Living in Silicon Valley comes with a hefty price tag. The median price of a home in the Bay Area is more than $1 million, twice as much as Seattle, and four times as much as Chicago.

Due to this great monetary burden, some families need their children to work while in high school for extra support. Students could get a chance to save up as well.

“The raise in the minimum wage would give me more money to save up and have more pocket money.” said junior Sia Klaibua, who works weekends and Fridays at Togo’s.

The higher wages could also help with the price of a college education. The cost of attending a CSU while also being an on-campus resident, tuition, housing, and textbooks would require $26,402 a year.

These expenses would require extensive student loans, but higher wages would decrease the need for loans, thus there would be much less student debt.

A major change that may affect students’ relationship with work would be the increase of the minimum wage from 9 dollars to 15 dollars by 2021 under the Fair Wage Act and by $1 increments every year. Not only could students contribute to their family, but they could also get a chance to save up money for college, and not worry about completely relying on student loans for an education. Other students are skeptical about the rise in minimum wage: “The increase of the minimum wage would increase the price average things like clothes and groceries, and we would have to save up more.” said Junior Anthony Gigliello.

Branham student who also have a job save up money for recreational spending and saving up for college, and with the Fair Wages Act being passed, the entire community will be affected by the increase of the minimum wage through inflation of prices or the raise in their salary.

Kaya Fabbretti/Special to Bear Witness Kaya Fabretti’s mother, Nube Brown, shows off her sign during a protest for the denied permit of the North Dakota Pipeline LAUREN HOGAN

Student Life Editor

he Army Corps of Engineers have deT cided not to allow construction to continue as planned on the Dakota Access Pipe-

Sai Tummala/Bear Witness Students listen to Mrs. Neil’s lecture during the Work Experience Education Program.

line, a planned oil throughway that would have gone through the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.

The announcement came as a victory for the protesters and the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, who say that the pipeline would be a threat to their local water supply, sacred land and tribal burial ground.

The Energy Transfer Partners, which had been working to finish construction on the 1,170-mile, $3.7 billion pipeline, contended it would be a safer way to transport oil from North Dakota to Illinois by keeping the oil in a safe and compacted pipeline.

The number of protesters had grown to several hundred near the end of November, and many came from all over the country to support the tribes. The standoff came to a boil

when officers in riot gear attempted to force crowds from protest camps near Cannon Ball, North Dakota.

Since the protests started in January, over 400 people had been arrested, and some were accused of engaging in riots and conspiracy to endanger by fire and explosion.

As the news of the denied permit spread throughout the Twittersphere, many Branham students celebrated the victory for the protesters through retweets.

Senior Kaya Fabbretti, who has Native American heritage supported the halt in construction, and his mom was one of the many protesters nationwide.

“I believe that it is important to protect the environment in which we live and it is great knowing that my mom, Nube Brown, was at the protest supporting.

“It was right for the Dakota Access Pipeline to not be constructed because it would have hurt the Native American tribes, our drinking water, and the land they live on.”

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DECEMBER 13, 2016 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

AHOCKER

From Thanksgiving to New Year’s, the average household waste increases by 25 percent.

OPINION

Commercialization

“[Christmas] has strayed from the original intention of celebrating Jesus’s birth. But Christmas has always been about the idea of caring and giving. So in a way, commercialization DOES add to the idea of Christmas.”

Jason Kim Senior

“By commercializing Christmas, it has allows for other people who may not believe in the religion to have a reason to have a reason to gather with their family and exchange gifts.”

Paige Knudsen Freshman

“If you were to ask a kid what Christmas is about they would think it is a holiday to celebrate Santa.

Christmas has become more of a gift giving day than a day to celebrate its core reason.”

Emma McCarthey Sophomore

“As I have grown up, I have realized that I do not really need gifts anymore.

My parents keep asking me what I want for Christmas, but all I really want is to be with my friends and family.”

Shaya Zarkub Junior

“I personally believe that Christmas has become too much about buying gifts and less about the true purpose of the holidays. a Even though Christmas is Christian holiday, Christmas has become more than just something Christians celebrate.”

Gavin Su Freshman

“The commercialization of Christmas definitely takes away from the spirit and meaning of the holiday because you become more focused on what you are getting rather than what ” you have to be thankful for.n Natalie Brenna Senior

“The commercialization of Christmas is a part of the whole holiday because it is a way of showing your friends and family how much you mean to them.

The gifts do not even have to be store bought, they can be handmade; it is all about the thought.”

Barbara Fox Junior

“Christmas should be about spending time with family, not buying presents.”

Alexis Janosik Sophomore

Christmas has become commercializad and heavily focused on profit. Students share their opinions on businesses and the value of the holiday.

“Buying gifts is a part of Christmas but I also believe that the massive sales make people forget about what they are really buying gifts for: their loved ones.”

Craig Elliott Junior

“My only concern is that [Christmas] is advertised too early and it therefore disrespects other holidays such as Thanksgiving.

Christmas should not be about how much money you spend... it should be be treated as a time of love and happiness.”

Matthew Fernandez Senior

America the wasteful Holidays underscore need for sustainable habits

HOLIDAY$ Look beyond deals for true meaning of season

Julia Kolman/Bear Witness DEREK HOGAN

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Azura Gutierrez/Special to Bear Witness TAYLOR DOAN

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Copy Editor

ith the feasting and gifting that goes on during the holiday season come the waste from discarded ribbons and food.

This winter, while still enjoying each other’s company, it’s important to keep the environment in mind.

Even though it constitutes less than 5 percent of the world’s population, the U.S. ranks first among 195 countries in wastefulness.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we produce over 220 million tons of waste a year. This includes the extra 1 million tons of waste generated from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Imagine how much our environment suffers from the toxins released during incineration of trash. Think about how full our landfills

are getting. To put it into perspective, just picture the garbage in your kitchen overflowing with apple cores and moldy leftovers, and after a while you just let it sit there for maggots to make their homes.

There is so much we can do to prevent this extra waste and also remove the title of “Most Wasteful Country” from our international résumé.

My family doesn’t compost but is very mindful of what we cook and eat. We usually plan meals in advance in order to maximize the use of our groceries. This way, there are not a lot of leftovers or produce that will go bad in the fridge.

If you have a garden, your plants could use the extra nutrient boost from the fruit and veggie scraps from composting. Think about all the leftovers from the parties and feasts

hosted during this season.

Another thing we do at home is recycle. Paper waste, cans, cardboard, and plastic bottles are taken out daily in order to prevent the laziness that leads to tossing them into the garbage can.

Often times, we will flatten cardboard boxes to maximize recycle bin space.

Another option is to forgo gift-boxing altogether. Opt for the DIY guru approach by turning old newspapers and book pages into wrapping paper!

The point is, you may feel like trash (as a result of the election results perhaps), but that does not mean we should allow our country to look like trash. Take the environment into consideration next time you are about to toss half-eaten dinners or throw away reusable resources. Do you really take pride in living in the most wasteful country?

Staff Writer

hristmas is too commercialized, but we just can not help it. In our generation, the anticipation of the holiday season is highly concentrated on gift-buying.

We are always trying to see what videogames are releasing in time for Christmas or occupying our time with making lists for Santa. The holidays provide an opportunity for businesses to increase sales and make extensive profit. Businesses put advertisements out as quickly as possible in order to keep up with the competition, hence why Christmas trees are being sold in the middle of October. Business booms as customers are interested in stocking up and finding the best deals; you might not need ten sweaters but hey, it’s Buy One Get One Free! Senior Elden Li says, “I think humans are just too focused on materialistic things, something that has become institutionalized as money becomes more and more important today.”

This year, billions of dollars were spent during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. If you were to compare the amount of families at a mall in December to March, you would see a significant downfall in attendance in March. Why? It is because usually people would not be able to find the time to shop, but the holiday season practically forces them to wait in line for hours.

But why focus on such things when we should be getting into true holiday spirit? You know, the warm feeling you get when you drive by neighborhoods that already have their Christmas lights up? The feeling that makes you want to rush home and spruce up your own shingles.

Along with the joy that comes with the scent of peppermint and Douglas Fir trees. Regardless of religious affiliation, the holidays are the time of the year for everyone to cherish time with your loved ones and reflect on all the memories you have made throughout the year.

BEAR WITNESS

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DECEMBER 13, 2016 |

The opinion of the Bear Witness editors

live in a “We bubble of diversity and acceptance ”

5

23 percent say they have skipped meals because of schoolwork

OPINION Editorial

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

From Stress in America agency

Bay Area is inclusive, but shuns differing views

W

ith last month’s election results, the Bay Area’s bubble of inclusivity has burst.

In a place that prides itself with freedom, liberty and diversity of thought, the Bay Area saw the shocking rise of someone whose ideals have challenged the core of what has made America great.

Branham sees itself as a welcoming community for all genders, races, sexual orientations and groups. It may not be surprising that compared to other areas in the country, Branham is a very openly liberal school.

Its clubs represent the liberal student majority: the Gay-Straight Alliance, Latino Student Union, Days for Girls, Ambition and several more groups seek to be a safe place for students. Link Crew embraces transgender students and tells their leaders to use correct pronouns. Same-sex couples are welcomed to school dances. Best Buddies recently dedicated a week to end the “R word.”

Why then, can’t we accept students who supported Mr. Trump? Though far from being persecuted like the groups who feel targeted by the incoming Trump administration, students who are open Trump supporters have been shouted down in the classroom for expressing their support of the controversial billionaire.

Branham, and the Bay Area at large have created an ecosystem where we claim to support different ideas, as long as they fit our worldview. And when others threaten that unique perspective, is it right to shut them out?

The liberal Bay Area culture to some may be a place of comfort, yet others who seek a place inside may find themselves unwelcome.

With the victory of an unpopular man (at least at Branham), comes some mourning, but with mourning comes reflection.

It’s important to recognize that yes, the Bay Area is a giant oasis for different cultures, genders and orientations to express themselves. But we must also recognize that there are other areas in our community that hold values in direct contrast to ours.

Sometimes we do not realize this, instead choosing to remain ignorant to these communities. In acknowledging their perspective, we might be able to find common ground.

Our future leader has taught his supporters that it’s okay to express ignorant opinions and disregard the rights and feelings of minorities, and that it’s okay to lash out at your detractors.

By trying to understand his supporters and through an open dialogue, we may eventually be able to pull them into our bubble.

Missing school makes us sick

Give us a break!

OMAR ABABNEH

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Michaela Edlin/Bear Witness The balance of school and sickness should be taken seriously. Sometimes, It’s necessary to choose which of the two to priotrize first.

MICHAELA EDLIN

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Staff Writer

t seems as the days grow shorter and the weather colder, classrooms are getting emptier and emptier. The common cold that comes with the transition into the wintry season usually keeps students in bed, cozy in their blankets and away from the stress of school.

But what about the students who bare the sickness at school? Why are there students who still go to class, despite their obviously worsening case of the sniffles?

Health clerk Michele Crescibene has a rule for those who are sick: “If they have a feverstay home,” and says that students should stay home to recover even if they’re not contagious.

The main concern of sick students tends to be focused on their schoolwork instead of their health. This arises due to how overwhelming

it is to make-up school work and stay up to date with classes. Students don’t want a sick day to negatively impact their grade, even if it is just the slightest impact.

For those on the borderline, those five participation points might decide the semester.

While missing one day of school may seem like no big deal, the pile of make-up work adds even more stress to those waiting to recover.

And although you may feel just as ill on campus as at home, it is easier to coerce yourself to work when in a classroom environment.

Speaking from personal experience, keeping grades up is a tiresome and obsessive experience. Maybe one day you wake up feeling your absolute worst and find that it is nearly impossible to get out of bed, but the pain of sitting through eight hours of

lectures is worth maintaining your As. It is frightening how school takes over your life so intensely that even if you were hours away from your deathbed, you would still get up to take that 50-point test.

It is important to maintain a healthy balance. As a student, school is a vital part of life. The issue is that it should not impose on our health, the very thing that allows us to live long with the least amount of pain. Have ambition, but don’t push too hard. Think of other students as well, if you are contagious, you should not go to school because you are jeopardizing the health of others students as well; at this point, it influences more than just your own individual health.This is why it is so vital to be reminded that taking a sick day, especially when you are feeling under the weather, is a necessity that you should not feel guilty about.

Staff Writer

ver Thanksgiving break, I had assignments for Journalism, Chemistry Honors, Spanish, and English.

So was it really a break?

For students, break is a time to rest and recharge. They finally have time to catch up with family, friends and participate in extracurricular activities. Unfortunately for many Branham students like me, homework took up the majority of the week off.

However, there are students out there who have little to worry about academic-wise; their schools have banned homework over break altogether. It is constantly debated between students, teachers, and parents on whether or not homework should be given during breaks.

We should not have homework over these week-long rest periods. Breaks normally come around big holidays, when families get together for dinner or day trips. They are opportunities for students to connect with people they haven’t seen in a long time. Instead of having to finish piles of homework, they could be using the time to make fun memories with their friends.

Breaks are supposed to be time away from anything school-related. There is no debate school causes stress and many unneeded emotions. In a survey conducted by the Stress in America agency, 30 percent of teens report feeling sad or depressed because of stress from school and 31 percent felt overwhelmed and tired.

Another 23 percent say they have skipped meals because of schoolwork. Break should be a time to forget about school and catch up with other things. Students don’t only have school in their life. They have friends, extracurricular activities and hobbies.

There will be some students who will want to use break to catch up in certain classes through additional independent studies; they would prefer to focus on these things rather than finish actual assignments. I can personally relate to a lot of this.

I have soccer practice and games that take up most of my day, every day. There are many instances where I will fall behind in fast-paced classes like Chemistry Honors and Spanish, and need extra time to keep my grade from dropping.

In my case, Thanksgiving break was the perfect time to do so. But it was just my luck that I ended up sick all week, unable to work on many of the things assigned for my break.

Thinking about all the work I had to finish by Monday made my week miserable.

Break is not serving its purpose.

Eliminate finals, eliminate unneeded stress One test is not enough for students to show how much they have learned over the semester JOCELYN PIERCE

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Staff Writer

e all know the stress of finals. The weeks leading up to those tests consist of nothing but frantically trying to remember everything you’ve learned in the semester. Studying becomes your new hobby.

Sleep is replaced with last-minute cramming. How can you even think of your upcoming break when you’re trying to relearn an entire semester?

Finals give you three testing days to try and prove that you’ve been an attentive student. But is all this pressure really worth it? Who’s to say that one test should determine 10% of our grade? Who’s to say that one test should determine how much we’ve learned in five months, let alone an entire school year?

Don’t get me wrong, I can definitely envision a teacher’s standpoint behind finals. Students should work to understand a concept as it is being presented to them so it sticks for future reference .

If you have been putting in effort all year, you shouldn’t have to be re-teaching yourself at 1 a.m. before your final.

But let’s be realistic: You can’t remember everything. I learned how to divide fractions in fourth grade, but someone still has to re-explain it to me every single time. I still can’t remember when to use “effect” instead of “affect,” or vice versa. Ask me the difference between sedimentary rocks and igneous rocks; I couldn’t tell you without referring back to my sixth grade science notebook.

Does that make me a bad student? No. Does that mean I’ve learned nothing in my past 12 years of school? No. It merely means I can’t absorb every single piece of information thrown at me.

Some students retain information quickly and easily.

They hear something once, and with a little bit of practice they have it down. Not all students are like that though.

Some students can spend countless hours trying to grasp a concept, and sometimes still not understand it.

But, they’re trying. They are trying so incredibly hard, putting in so much effort, fighting to see results. And yet, this effort will not be shown through a final if they don’t perform well. No one can see the progress you are making as an individual if you do poorly on the test someone else aced, and that someone else did fairly good on, and that someone else at least passed, and so on, and so on, and so on.

Give a student a test and two hours to complete it, and they will show you everything they can remember. They will show you everything they can remember after hours upon hours of studying, stressing, cramming, panicking, working themselves to exhaustion night after night for this single test. But if you truly want to see how much a student has learned this semester, ask them.

Ask them if they feel like they know more than they did before. Learning should be about expanding your knowledge. Learning should not be about just learning enough to maintain a sufficient grade.

Jocelyn Pierce/Bear Witness

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POLICIES | Trump will face checks on controversial ideas represents about 1,800 border patrol agents, is endorsed by Mr. Trump.

“Trump’s wall will allow the patrol agents to more effectively control and supervise who enters,” said Shawn Moran, the border group’s vice president to Fox News personality Sean Hannity.

Trump also said that he will deport all undocumented immigrants, a population totalling 11 million people. He has since stated that he is focusing on a smaller subset: illegal immigrants with criminal background.

Half a million illegal immigrants are from the Bay Area alone, according to the Center for Immigration Studies. Even though Mr. Trump said that he wants to enhance the immigration system, he hasn’t proposed a specific plan yet.

His official website states that the United States should select applicants on likelihood of success in America as well as vetting applicants to ensure they support America’s values. It mentions temporarily suspending immigration from regions that have many terrorist groups or where safe vetting cannot be promised. Many experts say that that ban targets immigrants from primarily Muslim communities.

Some say that this may create a larger division in race and ethnicity among citizens and it could alienate immigrants and prevent them from living the American dream.

“The United States is a nation of immigrants woven to fabric, protected by the Constitution,” said Mr. Aaron Sherrill, the World History teacher.

There is already growing tension between Hispanic immigrants, Muslims and the white American population. According to the FBI, hate crimes against Muslims have increased 67 percent within the past couple of years. Hate crimes in general have risen 6 percent.

Opposed to Common Core Though Mr. Trump’s proposed wall has received a lot of airtime, but some of his lesser known stanc-

es include changes on education, child care, and college tuition.

Trump is against the Common Core education system; he claims it is a “total disaster” and that “We (American people) can’t let it continue,” he said.

The Common Core is a set of standards in mathematics and English language. The goals provide what a student should understand and should be able to perform after completing each grade. They were developed to ensure all high school graduates obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in the future.

California is one of the 42 states that has implemented Common Core system. While most of American parents are in opposition (54 percent according to a Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll), most of California is in support of the system.

“Most Californians are hopeful about the effect of Common Core,” in a press release.

Mr. Trump has stated his disdain for Common Core, and wants to leave it up to the states to determine the education system.

“We’re bringing education to a local level,” he said in February. “They don’t want bureaucrats in Washington telling them how to educate their children.”

Though Mr. Trump wants to eliminate Common Core, but the truth is that he can’t; the power is way outside of the executive branch’s jurisdiction.The Constitution doesn’t give national government the power to control education; this is a reserved power for the states.

California will still be allowed to control its individual education systems, regardless of what Trump thinks. Government teacher Mr. John Salberg states, “There is a check on him. Congress is the body that creates legislation. He’ll make some changes, he can try to get it through. But, I’m optimistic that Congress will prevent him from doing certain things.”

Tax cuts for parents Mr. Trump wants to rewrite the tax code to allow working and stay-

WINDSORSTORE.COM

at-home parents to deduct childcare expenses for as much as four children and elderly dependents.

The plan will offer childcare spending rebates to lower-income taxpayers through the existing Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). Eligible families could receive almost $1,200 annually. Trump’s plan will ensure stay-at-home parents will receive the same tax deduction as working parents, offering compensation for the job they already have, and allowing them to select the child care scenario that’s in their interest.

This will benefit about 46 percent of families living in California that qualify for low income. Housing is extremely expensive, and this will allow families to take care of expenses and care for their children.

For the many students who have college on their minds, you’re in luck. Student debt has grown exponentially and Trump wants to make college more affordable.

In other words, he doesn’t want paying for college feel like a burden or a curse. Mr. Trump’s administration plans to target big endowments which colleges have built up like as tuition and student debt. He expects colleges to reduce spending and control costs to invest in students.

A right to protest Although many people across the country have decried Mr. Trump’s victory through protests, sometimes violently, Mr. Trump will still be the 45th president of the United States.

“Everyone has a right to protest but they can’t protest against Trump being president,” said Mr. Sherrill.

Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate, has asked for a recount in Michigan and Pennsylvania, with the recount in Wisconsin under way. However, it is highly unlikely that the states will overturn their electoral votes. So far, Stein has raised more than $7 million dollars for the recount, which is more than she raised for her presidential campaign.

Trump | Stoking fear of minority groups claimed that Mexicans bring drug, crime and rapists to the U.S. Many undocumented immigrants claim that they “do not feel safe” according to The Washington Post.

It is “extremely painful to watch other immigrants, especially Latinos and Muslims, have to deal with unwanted hate,” said junior Johnny Atwal, who recently immigrated to the United States, though he is a longtime a U.S citizen.

A factor that plays into their fears is Mr. Trump’s mention of the deportation of “criminal aliens.” With no hard line that defines who is a “criminal alien,” undocumented immigrants worry that they could easily get swept into this category based on appearance and be more subjective to false accusations of criminalization and deportation. It is not surprising that many are living in fear.

Some afraid reproductive rights in danger Even though 53 percent of white women voted for Mr. Trump, many women say that they are disappointed and disgusted by his win.

He has widely been criticised for his “objectification of women” according to The Telegraph, using terms such as “pig,” “slob,” and “disgusting animal” in reference to the female population.

Mr. Trump has also made remarks that women should be “punished for having abortions” and that it is “their fault.” He openly supports the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” which seeks to ban abortion nationally. He also has promised to completely defund Planned Parenthood if they “continue to perform abortions.” Planned Parenthood, in reality, actually does not even provide the majority of abortion care; instead, they work on providing health services and other important services for struggling women that need the help.

“Women have a right to (their) own bodies and (their) own choices,” said junior Sara Robertson.

Sara said that many women choose abortion because they can’t afford to raise a child and it is the ethical thing to do to have the child never be born and “therefore never suffer.”

Sara also said at this time she is feeling “afraid, outraged, heartbroken, and ashamed of the U.S.” after Mr. Trump’s election.

She believes her concerns echo those of many women.

Women have mainly been reacting in the form of protests. The biggest movement, a “Women’s March on Washington,” is set to take place Jan. 21, one day after Mr. Trump’s inauguration.

Women mostly see the rally “as a way to move beyond despair they felt following the election,” according to the Chicago Tribune. Tens of thousands of people have admitted so far they plan on participating in the march.

Mixed relationship with LGBTQ groups Mr, Trump’s relationship with the LGBTQ community stands in contrast, and sometimes in conflict with his supporters, who are largely anti-LGBTQ. Fourteen percent of LGBTQ members voted for Mr. Trump. He has delivered speeches at anti-LGBTQ events and has supported homophobic and transphobic legislation (i.e he supports North Carolina’s anti-LGBTQ laws). He has pledged to sign the “First Amendment Defense Act” that would legalize anti-LGBTQ discrimination, according to the watchdog group LGBTQ Nation. Trump said also thinks businesses should be able to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

However, he had also mentioned that people who are transgender should be able to choose the bathroom that they believe fits their identity.

The aftermath of the election has LGBTQ members largely frightened for a “surge of hate crimes” according to the newspaper Salon. The hatred and discrimination that comes with Trump towards LGBTQ validates hatred and discrimination by other people who may have been “quiet” homophobes for a while.

A member of LGBTQ community at Branham (who wished to remain anonymous) said that, “the community is really worried about how Trump and Pence are going to affect LGBTQ+ rights like marriage and such.”

The Branham student continued, saying that “many are worried about Pence’s support of conversion therapy. [But) I think the most prominent feeling is concern for the safety of LGBTQ+ individuals with Trump as president.”

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SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY Tech Bytes Spectacles

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Most Americans gain 1 lb. during the holidays.

Talking turkey

Science Briefs

Over 2,000 calories worth of holiday delights

Fiorella Castaneda Staff Writer

hen it comes to the holidays, W there is one thing we all think about, food. Holidays such as Thanks-

Spectacles

10-second snaps from your perspective Snapchat’s spectacles are new smart sunglasses that sync up to your Snapchat to share video from your point of view. The glasses, however, are quite difficult to get a hold of, because they can only be bought in a vending machine which disappears and reappears every 24 hours. The machine also only carries a limited stock so if you want a pair you better be one of the first people to find it. The glasses currently retail for $130 from the machine but can be purchased off eBay for anywhere between $350 and $2,000.

giving and Christmas are usually involve grand feasts, which may cause some guilt for those who should be watching their weight. On average, holiday dinners tend to be over 2,000 calories, but luckily it is proven that “most Americans appear to only gain about 1 lb of body weight during the holidays.” Though gaining one pound may make you less worried, that extra pound is really stubborn, which makes it really hard to shave it off.

Some easy ways to stay healthy throughout this holiday season is by simply eating moderately. One should eat breakfast and have small snacks before any holiday dinner, so you can avoid overeating. Also, you should fill half your dinner plate with vegetables, one quarter with a lean meat, and the rest with a starch of your choice.

Another tip is to serve yourself small portions of side dishes so you can try a variety of them. For drinks, you should drink a lot of water to keep you hydrated, full, and healthy.

Usually once we finish eating dinner, we all eat some type of dessert, and want to reach for a second piece, but what’s best is to take a walk with

Mashed potatoes and gravy: 237 calories per 1 cup

Cranberry sauce: 86 calories per 1 slice

Candied yams: 206 calories per 1 cup

Spectacles FRETX

FRETX

The smart device that teaches you guitar FRETX is a small device that you attach to the top frets of your guitar and illuminates the spots that you need to press to play a certain song. The device works on both Acoustic and Electric guitars and all you need is a guitar, your phone and the device! The device connects to the app via bluetooth and has different colors to represent how you need to press. Blue means you play the string open, but red means you press the individual string. If you are looking to learn guitar in a quick and simple way, definitely check this out.

Holographic Vector Display

your family after dinner. Taking a walk around your neighborhood will help you burn some calories and make you say no to a second piece of dessert. Another way to stay healthy is to schedule a workout the day after the holidays with family or friends.

Some food to eat a lot of without feeling guilty are cranberries and sweet potatoes or yams. Cranberries are fruits that are packed with antioxidants and they can help strengthen the immune system. Sweet potatoes and yams have plenty potassium, and are good for heart health.

Overall, enjoy your holiday dinners, but just remember to eat moderately and in proportions.

Dark turkey meat: 183 calories per 4 ounces

Ham: 206 calories per 3 ounces

Alex Alfaro/Special to Bear Witness

Top tech gear for the holidays SYDNEY UYEDA

Entertainment Editor

The holiday season is officially in full swing and many of us are probably looking for presents and gifts for our loved ones. With many options to choose from, we have our top tech products for the tech-savvy in your family.

Holovect

First desktop holographic projector Holovect is the world’s first desktop holographic display.

In other words, it is the first real machine that is able to display 3D images in mid-air.

The holograms produced by the machine are not the highest resolution but they look more like a laserlight show that you would find on the floor of a nightclub.

Holovect is currently just a startup looking to be backed on Kickstarter and they have already raised over $70,000.

GPD Win

Windows 10 in your pocket The GPD WIN is a full Windows 10 laptop that fits into your pocket. This tiny laptop has all of the capabilities of a standard laptop and maybe even more. This laptop has a 720 ppi screen resolution as well as all of the ports that you would ever need such as USB, HDMI C-Type, USB-C, and even a headphone jack. You can even put in a SIM card into the device and have up to 4G capabilities for Internet on the go.

— Compiled by Alex Mertens

Accessible Gifts

Olia Design Self Stirring Mug Available on Amazon $7.99 Just pour your mixture of drinks into the cup and let it mix.

Hog Wild Motorized Ice Cream Cone (Available on Amazon) Between $10-$17 This contraption spins your ice cream cone for you!

Foto Fanatics

Polaroid Zip Photo Printer $130 (Urban Outfitters) iPhone photographers will be glad to know that it is now possible to print straight from their phones through mini-photo printers.

Nikon D3400 DSLR Camera Cheapest is $499.99 DSLR cameras are known for their high-quality captures, and are good investments for aspiring photographers.

Easy-on-the-wallet gifts

Moshi’s Digits Touchscreen Gloves $29.95 The touch screen gloves are perfect for people who use their phones all the time-even when it’s freezing outside.

JVC Gummy Earbuds Cheapest ones start at $5 Also, earbuds are always handy to have onhand and perfect for music lovers who want to jam out on-the-go.

Video Game Addicts

NES Classic Mini Starting from $60 (Very limited supplies) It enables players to play their favorite classic games to relive the nostalgia.

Logitech Gaming Headset Starting from $13 The right headset allows for a truly unique gaming experience through communication.

Sea Levels Rising

Still an empty threat?

Climate change is a known threat, but not many actually understand how or why it affects us. The trapped carbon emissions are melting the ice, and elevating the sea levels around the world. On December 6th, an iceberg the size of India has melted, and is an omen for what’s to come. Another recent realization is that while even though Global Warming may be prevented for the most part, temperature will continue to rise for centuries after; causing the ice sheets to melt and make many species go extinct.

Food comas

The affliction of the holidays A common experience for man y after a hearty meal is the commonly acclaimed “food coma”.

After holiday feasts this season, many will experience sleepiness, but why?Well, a popular myth is that an amino acid in turkey called Tryptophan causes this sleepiness, but the truth is that the body has an internal body clock that makes it the most susceptible after a hearty meal full of carbs. The recent study writes that anyone is susceptible to a food coma after a hearty, carbfilled meal. So expect one after a delicious meal during the holidays with your kin!

Procrastination

Natural habit among teens Procrastination is a very common trait among many people, but especially among teens. A trait that makes people put off tasks until the very last minute.

The limbic The cause behind this quality is the limbic system refraining from doing unpleasant tasks or in this case, work.

For instance, when we approach fire The moment the prefrontal cortex kicks in, a person finally is able to work and get it over with.

Refueling Spacecraft: Space crafts in orbit can be refueled

NASA has awarded $127 million to a company that is building a spacecraft that will refuel Satellites that are in orbit.

This innovative idea would allow satellites by commercial companies, GPS, and general scientific research to stay in orbit longer than what is to be expected. The craft (dubbed the Restore-L spacecraft) would join with satellites in low orbit to refuel, and allow the organizations to receive more use out of the craft.

— Compiled by Sai Tummala

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JANUARY President Obama declares a state of emergency in Michigan due to the contaminated water crisis in Flint.

APRIL A group of 200 Native Americans protest the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Construction plans pass through sacred land for the Standing Rock Sioux, a tribe whose reservation lies in both North and South Dakota.

Harriet Tubman will appear on $20 bill (6) AT BRANHAM Branham wins WiLD 94.9 Takeover contest. Over 300 Bay Area schools competed for a live performance from R/B singer/songwriter Kehlani.

Dr. David Putney announces his resignation as principal.

Branham receives full WASC accreditation through 2022.

JULY

FEBRUARY Lunar New Year starts Year of the Monkey (1)

The new, redesigned SAT starts this month. (4)

Federal magistrate orders that Apple must help the FBI try to get into an iPhone used by San Bernardino gunman. (2)

North Carolina passes HB2, which forces transgendered people to use bathrooms to gender they were assigned at birth. (5)

Leonardo DiCaprio wins his first Oscar and an Oscar boycott takes place after 2nd year of not having a diverse pool of nominees. #ocarssowhite (3)

AT BRANHAM Vianna Vo and Emma Tucker win Branham’s 5th annual talent show for their marimba medley.

MAY

Omar Mateen, who’d pledged allegiance to ISIS guns down 49 at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. It was the nation’s worst terror attack since 9/11.

Obama visits Hiroshima, the site of a U.S. atomic bomb attack, a first. (8)

Britons voted in support of Britain’s exit (termed Brexit) from the European Union.

Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla, is shot and killed at the Cinicinnati Zoo. (9) AT BRANHAM Branham students petition successfully to allow graduation caps to be decorated.

Ms. Tania Eaton wins Branham’s Teacher of the Year.

AUGUST Team USA wins a total of 121 medals in the Rio 2016 Olympics. (11)

Turkey’s military tried to overthrow the government in a failed coup.

AT BRANHAM Ms. Cheryl Lawton and Mr. Justin Ponzio begin their first year as Branham administration.

NOVEMBER

“Clown sightings” sweep the nation, scaring children and schools.

Chicago Cubs winthe World Series after a 108-year championship drought. (13)

Hurricane Matthew tapers off after reaching Southeast and East coasts. (12)

Santa Clara County votes to pass Measure AA, giving CUHSD $275 million budget for renovations.

AT BRANHAM Branham wins the 99.7 NOW “takeover.” The station’s DJ host a dance party.

Students return the favor later that night at their S.F. studio.

JUNE

Stephen Curry becomes the NBA’s first unanimous Most Valuable Player.

(7)

“Pokémon GO” is released and becomes an international sensation. (10)

OCTOBER

MARCH

Donald Trump wins the electoral vote, while Hillary Clinton wins the popular vote. Mr. Trump is named President-elect. (14)

SEPTEMBER Grace Vanderwaal, 12 year-old singer and songwriter, wins America’s got talent.

AT BRANHAM Branham’s Homecoming Court gets rid of gendered terms.

DECEMBER Winter Wishes rally was is held in the quad because the student population can’t fit into the gym anymore. It was postponed due to bad weather.

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Rewind

A look back on the events of the past year All reporting and graphics by Rosalie Gonzalez, Cadence Trenchard and Michaela Edlin Photos courtesy of Wikimedia Commons History 2016 saw many notable figures pass away

Chat Branham students reflect on an eventful year Going to Washington for Thanksgiving break and getting to see what beautiful things Washington had to show me.

My favorite memory was a concert from a band who meant a lot to me.

David Bowie Renaissance man

Alan Rickman Actor, “Galaxy Quest”

Glenn Frey Member of Eagles

Sir George Martin Beatles producer

Nancy Reagan First Lady

Prince Singer, “Purple Rain”

Muhammad Ali Boxing champ, activist

Elie Wiesel Author, Holocaust survivor

Gene Wilder Actor, meme star

Arnold Palmer Golfer, drink creator

Some of it was good, some of it was bad.

Too many awful things have happened in the world this year.

Overall this was probably one of the worst years in the past decade in my opinion, based on politics and social issues, and yeah overall it kinda went bad.

Dead because of college (apps) This year has been a great one! After switching schools and finding the great friends I have today have made me constantly happy.

A lot of upsetting things have happened, but it’s not like there weren’t any good things. While it may have not been the best year, I can’t say I wasn’t happy.

2016 had its ups and downs. It revealed a lot about people’s feelings all around the world. It was hard to accept the reality that many people want for our world.

Christina Grimmie YouTube star, singer

Jose Fernandez Baseball star, Marlins

2016 was good. I made new friends and I’m in a relationship now.

A year of so many emotions: shock, disgust, disappointment, but also of hope and prayer. Let’s all pray that the things said in 2016 don’t come true in 2017.

Charmian Carr Actress, “Sound of Music”

Say something ...

Florence Henderson Actress, “Brady Bunch”

Leonard Cohen Singer, “Hallelujah” covers

Words of 2016

Recommended What you may have missed this year

low-key (lo-kee) adj.

1. to keep something a secret 2. a little bit ex: I lowkey like him.

Oregon and California permit non-binary labels

Oregonian Jamie Shupe became the first legally recognized non-binary citizen of the U.S. after petitioning the state for a sex change on June 10, 2016. This historical moment legally recognizes the validity of Americans who don’t identify with either of the traditional male and female gender markers. A few months later, Sara Kelly Keenan from California followed suit. On Sept. 26 she argued the same case as Shupe, and the Santa Cruz judge hearing her case also ruled in her favor. As of now, there are two legally classified non-binary Americans, but this is just the beginning of the end of the difficulties for non-binary citizens. There are no federal laws or protections for non-binary people, so petitioning may not be successful or even possible in all states. In addition to this, most legal forms, including driver’s licenses do not offer non-binary options though the DMVs of both California and Oregon plan on accommodating Shupe and Keenan.

high-key (hi-kee) adj.

1. opposite of lowkey; to be obvious ex. I highkey vibe to this song expose (ecks-pohz) v.

1.to reveal information about someone; to spread a rumor ex.A: “Did you hear what Jack did?”

B: “No, what happened?? Expose him!” fam (fam) n.

1. to describe your close friends (friends who are as close as family members)

Ozone layer shows signs of healing

People have been trying to repair the ozone layer for thirty years without success, but there is finally hope. According to scientists, the hole in the ozone layer had shrunk by 1.5 million square miles from SepT. 2000 to 2015. This environmental victory has been accredited to a worldwide chemical ban, the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, that shows direct links to the healing of the ozone layer. The agreement focused on phasing out chlorofluorocarbons, halons, aerosol cans, and dry cleaning chemicals which were all proven to have negative effects on the layer that protects living things on Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays. Seeing as the ozone layer is an important element for the survival of humans, this is good news, especially considering that it’s healing even more. Considering that the ozone layer is much more healthy than it has been in recent years, it shows that humans have the capability to treat the environment with care and priority.

Eurovision Song Contest gains popularity in the U.S. The Eurovision Song Contest is an event where European countries have representatives make and perform a song that is ranked among the other submissions. This year Ukraine won with their song, “1944.” They solidified this win by getting the most votes from professional juries and televoting from all the countries participating. While popular in Europe, its popularity in America is only recent. 2016 is the first year the contest has been broadcasted on American cable television via Logo Network. Those wishing to watch the program can also find it on LogoTV.com, Eurovision. tv and clips on the Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel.

Controversy arose this year when Australia was a top contender due to the country not being European, even though included within the competition. Countries take this contest seriously, and it can become political considering certain european countries’ relationships with each other. From an American perspective, there’s confusion when citizens see Eurovision worldwide on Twitter and know nothing about the contest, but increasingly more each year this confusion deflates as the contest’s popularity rises.

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Fidel Castro Communist leader

ex t r a “Woke”

extra (ecks-tchruh) adj.

1. over-the-top, dramatic, excessive ex. He was being way too extra. shook (shook) adj.

1.to be shocked, scared ,or embarassed ex. I just listened to J Cole’s new album and I’m SHOOK! woke (woh-k) adj.

1. To realize something; to be aware of what is going on (usually in terms of social justice and racism) ex. *shared newsstory of police brutality* “Read this articles guys, stay woke” fire (feye-r) adj.

1. Extremely good ex: that song is straight fire roast (rohst) v.

1. To insult someone; usually done by taking a part of their apperance and using it as an insult against them. ex. *someone makes fun of their friend’s ears* “DANNNG you just got roasted!” lit (lit) adj.

1. To be extremely good (interchangeable with the slang word “fire” ex. This song hecka lit!

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BEAR WITNESS

STUDENT LIFE

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DECEMBER 13, 2016 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

“There was not a dry eye in the audience.”

Principal’s Secretary Barbara Nishiguchi on the first Make a Wish Rally (now winter Wishes)

Branham leads ‘Wishes’ movement

In six years, wish granting is now a district-wide event DYLAN CHUBON

Production Manager

t all started with 1,389 blue stars I in late October 2011. Now, it is an annual district-wide tradition.

The first annual Make a Wish rally, the predecessor to what is now Winter Wishes, began at Branham High School, pioneered by former Activities Director Larry Lopez and the Leadership class, to help students in need during the holidays.

They developed the schoolwide Penny Wars, organized teacher auctions, and received $3,000 in donations. The result was an inspiring and emotional rally that brought the school closer than ever, revealing the student population’s ability to care for the less fortunate of their peers.

Principal’s Scretary Barbara Nishiguchi, said that the rally had an impact on her.

“I had no idea it would be so emotional. There was not a dry eye in the audience.” The first Make a Wish rally was certainly powerful; however, there was no way they could imagine where it would go.

The second Make a Wish followed with similar stories but brought the concept of surprise visits by Leadership that led up to the main rally. The thought of small wishes being granted was pushed forward and now has become a major trademark of Winter Wishes just as much as the final rally is.

“We don’t just focus on the needs, we also focus on the good stuff like what you want. Like a pizza. It makes them happy for the day. It makes them excited. And I like that.

And I want them to be happy here at school… it makes the world go around,” says Ms. Nishiguchi.

Notably in recent years’ rallies, seniors Richard Gonzaga and Maddie Delgros recall their own wishes and what they received. Her freshman year, Maddie was involved in a car accident and her family struggled financially. “My coach made a wish for me that my family would have our

money problems eased after I was in

his wish was granted, he was amazed.

career: She wanted a recliner for her

a car accident,” says Maddie. “It gave us a bit of hope.”

When Richard was a sophomore, his stepfather was hard-pressed to pay for rent due to debt. “I wished for rent money because my dad couldn’t really pay for that month of rent… I didn’t want to put that stress on him.”

However, Richard wasn’t expecting for others to wish for him, and when

“As a community-as a school-and they’ve been doing it for six years… that effect, I’m really grateful for it. I didn’t [expect it].”

Former Bruins fondly remember Make a Wish. Jennavive Palacios who graduated in 2016, made several wishes before she finally had hers granted. The wish remained the same over the course of her high school

mom, who was disabled, so her mom could spend more time in the living room with her family. It was her senior year that her wish was granted, and it was the most emotional thing she can recall. “I didn’t think it would be granted. When I found out, I was so happy… I was in tears of joy,” Jennavive says fondly. “The Make a Wish rally is beautiful. It is something you

Hayden Blaz/Bear Witness archives Jennavive Palacios receives a blessing from her mother, who has a heart condition, at the 2015 Make a Wish Rally.

will never forget.”

In the following years, Make a Wish expanded and grew. The first Make a Wish to the third were roughly the same in the terms of money raised, estimated at $3,000. But it was in 2014 when the Make a Wish rally was recognized beyond just Branham. The 1440 Foundation, other sponsors, and the Mercury News all took interest in the event. The result was a total collection of funds peaking at $22,000. In 2015, the fifth annual Make a Wish received $7,000 less, bringing the 2015 rally’s funds to $15,000. But the tradeoff was the sudden influence of Make a Wish throughout the district.

Prospect High School, under the guidance Activities Director Sharon Salazar, a former Branham teacher, was the first school to follow in Branham’s footsteps in 2013, and Del Mar came next when Mr. Lopez became their activities director. By then, it just snowballed and even inspired the district to work with nonprofits to support similar endeavours. For example, on January 14, all schools in the district will partner with Bay Area chapter of Kids Against Hunger to pack more than 25,000 meals across the world.

Now, Make a Wish is making its sixth annual rally in the appearance as Winter Wishes. However, the name is all that sets it apart from previous rallies; the concept remains the same.

As for previous wish receivers, the memories are ever potent.

The first Make a Wish in 2011 saw a new wardrobe for Jessie Devera, a chance for Danielle Gutierrez and her sister Robyn, now a freshman, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, to sing “Who Says” by Selena Gomez together, and time for Alex Meeks to share his life story, explaining his inspirational determination to get his life back on track after the passing of his father and a car accident his mother was in.

Despite some obvious changes in this year’s rally, it is expected to be just as meaningful and emotional as the last, ultimately bringing the Bruin community closer in time before winter break.

Bruins nab top honors at hackathon SARAH SNITZER Staff Writer

ranham students in November comB peted at the prestigious Gunn Hacks Hackathon at Gunn High School. The stu-

dents placed first against over one hundred other Bay Area students.

Gunn Hacks is a student-run programming event that brings Bay Area high school students together to create innovative programs or applications based on a given theme. This year was the third annual installment of Gunn Hacks, with the theme of the Hackathon being anti-harassment.

With only 24 hours to come up with a hack, juniors Jack Irish, Adam Saleh, Kunal Dutta, and Dino Maslic teamed up to create an anti-harassment Twitterbot. The bot was created

Club Roundup

Liberty in North Korea/ Acoustic Club North Korean rescue funds earned

Acoustic Club hosted their annual “Acoustic Night” November 17 and proved to be a huge success. They teamed up with Liberty in North Korea (LiNK) to raise over $900 in ticket sales. LiNK received 70% of the profit from ticket sales, with proceeds going towards North Korean rescue funds. Acoustic Club will be hosting another show in February and auditions start mid-January.

Club meetings are held at lunch in room 38 on Wednesdays and you can receive notifications by texting @f$bch4 to 81010.

Days for Girls Supporting third world countries

Days for Girls is an international

using a programming language called Python and a module for Python, known as Tweepy, that can control Twitter. Twitter has built-in bot support, so coders only have to sign up and copy down some access information.

Using this information, the Branham coders wrote a program to filter public tweets for certain keywords that indicate harassment.

Once the bot identifies something offensive, it will reply with an automated warning: You should stop harassing people.

The team initially ran into some challenges; the original version of the bot was banned

by Twitter because it replied to Tweets too quickly. However, the coders were able to solve this by recreating the bot with additional code that limited the bot’s posting frequency, and the final entry wowed judges,

organization new to Branham this year. Many girls in third world countries miss a quarter of the school year because they don’t have the proper toiletries. The club hopes to address inequality over seas by assembling reusable kits with supplies that will help them during the time of the month.

Interact Benefit shows for Syrian refugees

This year, Interact Club is aiming to raise money to send to Syrian refugees through an international project, Me the Human, by organizing benefit shows. They also had a toy drive to collect toys to donate to children in need.

This week, they are selling holiday grams which will contain peppermint bark and a nice card.

— Compiled by Fiorella Castaneda

allowing them to clutch first place in the anti-harassment category.

“I’m really proud of finally pushing through and winning and really seeing that the hours of learning paid off, and it really inspired me to go further with programming and complete more,” says Kunal Dutta, “the group and I are going to integrate new bots into our future hacks, which will hopefully be more complex and powerful.”

It seems paradoxical to see technology being used to solve a problem that was created by technology in the first place. Nonetheless, we congratulate these talented students Adam Saleh/Bear Witness of Branham for their well-deserved win and our school is looking forward to seeing what Pranav Rao of Prospect, Adam Saleh, Dino Maslic, Jack Irish, new developments they will come up with and Kunal Dutta at the Gunn Hacks Hackathon on November. in the future.

DREAMS OF SOFTBALL Just a freshman, Ashley Donaldson eyes playing for college FIORELLA CASTANEDA Staff Writer

reshman Ashley Donaldson has practically lived F on the softball field all her life. She has been playing softball for nine years, currently for San Jose

Sting. Ashley has caught the attention of many college softball coaches. So far 11 Division 1 colleges and two Division 2 colleges have reached out to her with offers to play for their respective schools.

Ashley credits her dad as her biggest inspiration because he introduced her to the sport, and has trained with her extensively.

“I’ve always wanted to be like him ever since I was little,” she said.

One of her favorite memories during softball is playing in Colorado for a very important, single-elimi-

Ashley Donaldson Freshman Softball phenom may commit to college by next year.

nation tournament in Los Angeles. The game was close throughout.

“Then I came up to bat and hit a homerun. Best feeling ever!” she said.

Ashley is also very proud of being awarded the “Bucket Award” from her team. The award was given by a former San Jose Sting softball player who left quite the impact on the organization because of her dedication and love for the game. Ashley was recognized because she “ truly love this game and works super hard to succeed.”

Ashley looks forward to continue playing the sport she loves in the springtime while representing her school.

With all the college offers she has, she plans on committing to one by next year.

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DECEMBER 13, 2016 |

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BHSJOURNALISM.COM

“(Shooting) gave me an entirely new sense of calm and focus that most teenagers don’t experience.” Brianna Citringo, senior, on discovering her love for air rifling

GUNNING FOR THE TITLE Senior Brianna Citrigno is the top-ranked junior marksman in California

STUDENT LIFE

‘It’s like a family’

JROTC pushes cadets to challenge themselves

Will Suiter/Bear Witness ROTC students prepare to march after the National Anthem at a home football game.

WILL SUITER Staff Writer

e have all seen them at some point: W walking around campus in a pressed uniform, lined up perfectly in the sun, or doing

their drills with incredible synchronization.

For generations, the Junior Reserved Officers’ Training Corps program has been training candidates with the goal of preparing students for a potential future in the military.

“ROTC’s purpose is to develop leadership potential, character, and to groom cadets into better citizens” said senior Heather Follo, an ROTC cadet.

“A lot of students do not get the chance to be pushed into uncomfortable situations” Senior Marine Instructor Steve Mobley said. “You have to crawl before you can walk, and this program gives students that Everyone chance to do that. It is so close in provides structure, builds the class. It’s character, and gives kids are interested in like a family. who going into the military a head start because it already teaches them the Hather drills and other things Follo they will need to know.”

Senior ROTC can be taken at Branham as an alternative to a traditional P.E. course, as the program involves much physical exercise. The students enrolled in this program go on runs together, and do strength training exercise like push-ups and sit-ups.

In addition to taking ROTC as a P.E. alternative, students take the course for its intrinsic benefits and life lessons. Heather says she enrolled in ROTC because she was “already interested in the military, and so [she] wanted to learn more,” and to develop discipline.

“The instructors are all retired Marines, and they have no problem being straightforward,” says Heather. “If they don’t like something you do, they’ll tell you. If you ask them for advice, they get right to the point. It’s really helpful.”

Joined by developing their characters alongside each other, the students in ROTC are close-knit.

“Everyone is so close in the class.” Heather said. “It’s like a family.”

“

Brianna Citrigno competitively shoots rifles, practicing for several hours each week.

SUNANDA KOTTAYIL Opinion Editor

f sharpshooter Annie Oakley were to have I taken a modern form, she would have found no other fitting host than senior Brian-

na Citrigno.

Brianna competitively shoots air and .22 long rifles and is the state’s 2016 junior champion.

“We usually call it rifle because shooting has a negative connotation and that’s hard to beat sometimes,” said Brianna.

Although most people start shooting at around 11 or 12, Brianna started at age 13 after her grandfather gave her a used rifle. She knew that the sport was for her the minute she started.

“For me (shooting) gave me an entirely new sense of calm and focus that most young teenagers don’t experience,” she said. “That’s when I knew I wanted to continue with it.”

After deciding to seriously commit to the sport, Brianna started training three hours a week with

Coach Dean Peterson and soon with nationally recognized coaches Allen Jaynes and Steve Katasuyama.

She works with Mr. Jaynes and Katasuyama when she heads north to Lincoln, Sutter and Yuba City. Under their guidance, she received her first win two years ago at the Civilian Marksman Competition training camp.

Brianna now trains four to seven hours a week depending on her school schedule. Early in December, she attended the Winter Air Gun Nationals Showcase in Colorado Springs, Colo., where she beat her personal record of 400, scoring 402.2.

Her biggest win was at the California Pistol and Rifle Association 4-Position State Championship. In that event, she was named the state’s 2016 junior champion.

Briann said that it was the first place win that really boosted her confidence.

“This win taught me that I could win things with my own volition … that I could actually do

Brianna Citrigno/Special to Bear Witness it,” she said.

The quiet and concentration required in these competitions made the competition much more challenging.

“It was really serious, almost stoic,” she said of the environment. “Everyone had a job to do, which was to win the match in their respective category.”

Brianna was able to push through it and get the job done.

“There have always been times when I wanted to quit,” she said. “With anything, I think most people hit a wall, where they aren’t getting better.

They are either stagnant or getting worse. I tried to change my mindset so I believed that I could do better instead of expecting myself to.”

Despite her passion and talent for the sport, Brianna hopes to earn a psychology degree while shooting recreationally. Until next fall, Brianna will be shooting rounds at her training center, getting ready for a shot at her next competition.

”

Special Ed programs mingle at Winter Wonderland WILL SUITER Staff Writer

very year, Branham’s Best BudE dies Club hosts a Winter Wonderland dance for the special educa-

tion students at Branham and other schools in the area. This year’s dance had a huge attendance, with over 200 students from eight different schools’ special education programs attending.

Senior Rachel Martin said that this dance is very important for the special education students to let loose. “(The dance) brings all the students together to enjoy the holiday season,” Rachel said.

Volunteers serve food for the students, manage craft tables, and encourage the special education students to dance. The overall atmosphere was energetic, and everyone in attendance was engaged and happy.

“We’ve done this every year for ten years,” says Special Education Instructor and Best Buddies adviser Charlene Hernandez. “Eight schools participate, and each school takes turns hosting a dance, and Branham has always hosted the December one.”

Many of Branham’s clubs also contributed their service to help make this dance possible.

“Lots of teachers and clubs make donations,” Ms. Hernandez said. “Mrs. (Diane)Wilson got us a cotton candy machine, Starbucks donated some things, and the SPARE club and Latino Student Union are here doing arts and crafts with the students. Best buddies is here too, providing encouragement to the students and helping them socialize,” Hernandez explains.

The dance provides an opportunity for students to socialize, and enjoy high school activities in a fun and inclusive setting. In the midst of the dance, senior Melanie Asquith comments, “The dance is going really well, all the students are mingling and participating in fun activities. Everyone is having a good time.”

Events like the Winter Wonderland dance prove Branham’s culture of inclusion and demonstrate the dedication and effort that the Best Buddies Club puts into making sure that everyone on campus feels accepted and Will Suiter / Bear Witness loved.

Branham hosted eight schools with special education programs in the gym for its annual Winter Wonderland dance.

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BEAR WITNESS

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DECEMBER 13, 2016 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

SPORTS

Playing sports comes with a risk, and some injuries can suspend athletes ...

Hockey champs seek recognition

Goalie Donovan Clayton (11) warms up with James Thompson (11) before facing Bellarmine in the championships.

Few saw Branham beat Bellarmine in championship game ROSALIE GONZALEZ Staff Writer

fter Thanksgiving break, the A morning announcements gave a shout-out to the Bran-

ham roller hockey team for beating Bellarmine 9-5 in the league championship. When the team was announced, many students were seen shaking their heads in confusion, asking their peers, “We have a roller hockey team?”

The team plays regularly every Saturday at the Silver Creek Sportsplex, and suffered only two losses before their championship win.

Despite the team’s success, student support and attendance is minimal at best. Technically a club team, the roller hockey team often receives little to no recognition in

the Branham community. In fact, the team cannot be found on Branham’s own website; it is missing completely under the sports or clubs pages.

To combat the lack of support, the team collectively used their stars for Winter Wishes to request recognition at the rally. This way, they will be able to reach out to a potential fanbase.

“In terms of recognition, I would like to see it treated like any other sport at Branham, to be made official, but I know that is a more complicated issue,” said junior Tanner Tibbils. “For me, I would just love to see more Branham students come watch us play.”

Tibbils made several key goals to lift his team over the Bells.

Goalie Donovan Clayton, a junior, also wants more exposure for his team.

“I would like the team picture in the yearbook and the results of our games in the morning announcements,” Donovan said.

With any sport, a lack of recognition can cause a detachment in the Branham community.

Students miss out on experiences during games such as Tibbils’ personal favorite experience on the rink.

A former player named Danny took over as goalie, despite having never played that position before.

“At one point in the game, the puck came his way and he skated out of the net, took a shot, and scored,” Tanner said. “We all went crazy afterwards.”

Rosalie Gonzales/Bear Witness Unknown no longer: Members of Branham roller hockey, clockwise from top left: Tanner Tibbils( 11), James Thompson (11), Michael Applegate (12), Aubrey Tibbils (10), Marcus Cuellar (9), Coach Kent Tibbils, Robert Cubbon (9), Donovan Clayton (11), Terrence Cubbon (9).

Dance in high spirits despite setbacks A sports injury rule: Know your limits LAURA HEFFERNAN Staff Writer

prained and rolled anS kles, dislocation, and broken bones are common

Adam Saleh/Bear Witness The Branham Dance team performs at halftime in September. They will be working with a new coach in January.

DEMI LE

Staff Writer

ranham’s year-old dance team B has had a tumultuous inaugural year. Their previous coach Ni-

kia Alayoubi quit midway through September, leaving the team with a $13,000 deficit and Activities Director Shari Scott-Sawyer taking over management.

The team was formed when Ms. Alayoubi saw the opportunity to expand Branham’s spirit. Ms. Scott-Sawyer said that they aim to develop the team’s skills.

“The dance team has become an-

other outlet for students to support their school with talent, and adds spirit to the campus,” said she said.

Each week, the 12-member dance team learns basic dance techniques, choreography, and teach themselves routines in a style that combines both hip-hop and cheer.

The absence of a coach has limited the team to performing at only basketball games during halftime.

Dance team sophomore Captain Jamie Walls said despite the coaching turnover, the team is in high spirits.

“I love how we all have been able to bond even though the coach

quit,” she said.

Members of the dance team cite performance as their main draw.

“I used to do cheer and I missed performing,” said senior Emily McLaughlin. “It’s fun, entertaining the crowd and performing with a team.”

Through vigorous fundraising efforts, the team has substantially reduced their approximately $15,000 deficit prior to this year.

In January, a new coach will take over the reins build the team.

If their brief history is any indication, the members of the team are experts at being flexible and keeping morale high.

sports injuries, but become a struggle for athletes to avoid.

Playing a sport comes with risks, and some injuries can suspend athletes from the sport for the remainder of the season. It is important for an athlete to know what the most common injuries are and how to prevent them.

According to athletic trainer Angie Purchio, some of the most common injuries in general include various ankle injuries (sprains or someone rolling an ankle), knee injuries, or damage done to an athlete’s hands or fingers.

“You have to take care of yourself,” she said. “Know yourself, know your body, you have limits. If something is hurting you need to rest and ice it, and stretch properly. Proper gear is important, you need to have proper shoes, padding” Purchio also emphasized the importance of listening

to your doctor or athletic trainer because they know what to do to help you.

Sophomore basketball player Gina Hosn commonly has knee problems due to basketball, but that doesn’t necessarily stop her from playing.

Hosn wears multiple braces on the court and tries to take care of her body while on defense. Hosn also witnesses many of the girls on her team rolling their ankles, or in the case of her teammate Sarah Kim, much more.

A severe injury for Kim last year included a torn ACL, a torn meniscus in two places, a sprained MCL, and a severely bruised bone, resulting in multiple surgeries.

Kim doesn’t think injuries can be completely prevented but believes they can be less severe if people wear braces.

Kim follows much of the guidelines Purchio has set and can be seen standing to the side of games dribbling a basketball, sitting out until she heals completely.

Playing sports while injured can result in further injury, so it is important to

Sophia La Rocca/Special to Bear Witness

Did You Know?

Most Common Injuries Some of the Most Common injuries include sorained/ rolled ankles, knee injuries, and injuries to the hands and fingers.

BEAR WITNESS

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DECEMBER 13, 2016 |

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

SPORTS

“I am still pumped for the season.” sophomore Marco Orozco on their JV soccer loss to Pioneer

Promsing starts for winter sports Wrestling

Big wins at freshman tourney ADAM SALEH

Science and Technology Editor

ranham’s Wrestling team has kicked their year off B right with the new freshman additions. Branham’s freshmen swept the Annual Taz Freshman Tourney lea-

derboard with a first place win from Marcus Cueller.

Riley Peters, the Taz Tourney second place winner, said that despite his injuries the team chemistry is great this year due to the ability to wrestle with his friends and his older brother Lucas Peters, who is in the heavyweight class above him.

With the start of wrestling being so close to the end of the semester, Terrence Cubbon (4th place participant in the Taz Tourney) weighed in on how wrestling fits into his school schedule.

“The practice is only 2 hours so i have a lot of time to do homework and study,” he said.

Riley Peters agrees.

“For me, it blended well; for football I had to stay much longer, but for wrestling, practice starts much earlier and I’m able to get home earlier to complete my work,” he said.

Currently, Branham wrestling is trying to set up a strong foundation for the start of the season to follow up the success from their 2015-16 season. They wrestled skillfully all season and managed to get bumped from C league to B league. During their league matches, they lost only one match and earned their place as division champions and eventually sent three wrestlers to CCS.

Freshman and junior varsity basketball

Varsity basketball

B

On the rebound from last year’s losses

ranham’s Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball teams have finally kickstarted their 2016-17 season, striving to have a better year than the last.

Last year, Branham’s varsity placed seventh in the Santa Teresa Division with a record of 3-10. Varsity is hoping to place higher up in the standings and hopefully make CCS. This year Coach Kyle Power will carry on his team alongside Captains Jarrett Powers (12) and Matt Sakamoto (12). So far this season, the Boys are in third place carrying a 1-2 record , with their next game on Wednesday in the Prospect Tournament.

The Lady Bruins varsity basketball team had a great start to the season on Tuesday with a win against the James Lick Comets. The girls had a good start in the first quarter ending it with a tie of 2-2. Varsity Coach Joshua Lagod says, “we had more turnovers than I would have liked to have, but again we had some offensive rebounds which gave us a second chance.” Despite this setback the team worked hard together, ending the half with a score of 24-9. Working together doesn’t seem to be a difficult task for this team, as Labod said. “When I think of this team, I think of it more as a sisterhood than anything.”

- Laura Heffernan

Alex Mertens/Bear Witness

Jason Sanders (11) pins down Dylan Chubon (12) during Wednesday’s practice.

Alex Mertens/Bear Witness Tori Mok (11), moves toward the basket against James Lick.

G

On the rebound from last year’s mistakes

irl’s Basketball season has finally kickstarted and is preparing for a hectic season. The JV team has a new coach this year, Mia Price, who was previously the assistant coach for Varsity. This year’s captains are sophomores Abby Lang and Alex Winford. Last year, the girls had a rough season, winning only one game, against Pioneer High School. Despite this, the Lady Bruins are looking to place high up in their division and come out with a good record. “I couldn’t have asked for a better team.” Coach Price went on saying. “There’s a great community within the team and the girls are always checking in with each other.” The ladies’ next game is against Wilcox on Dec.13.

The boys on the other hand had a pretty good season last year, with a close record of 6-7. It was a struggle but this year they have a much stronger team. They are determined to win league according to sophomore Ben Brigham. The coach this year is Kyle Power, leading the team with Captains Aric Cutuli and Jacob Dressler. The boys have a record of 3-1 so far, and hope to continue their winning streak. Their last game was against James Lick, beating them by a score of 6028. Many outstanding plays were made by Dressler, and another key standout was Allan Medrano.

The boys put on a wonderful performance proving their strength coming in this year.

JV’s next game is on Wednesday at the Willow Glen tournament.

— Omar Ababneh

Alex Mertens/Bear Witness Freshman Mateo Melgoza drives the ball during Wednesday’s game against James Lick. The freshman boys won 60-28 at the game.

Varsity soccer

Junior varsity soccer

New formations mean winning starts for both boys and girls teams

Room for improvement for both teams

oth boys and girls varsity soccer are B off to a great start this year with winning records and placed on top of their ta-

ble. The boys team stands in second place with a 2-1 record and the girls stand in first with their undefeated record of 2-1-0.

The boys team had a bit of a struggle adjusting to a new formation but despite the loss against Prospect, the team chemistry has been rising and players are stepping up their game to get shots in the back of the net. Coach Danny Kadah of the boys team, has been finding new formations for the boys team in order to outwork their opponents. When the boys took their yearly trip down to play St. Joseph in Santa Maria, the team was placed in a formation rarely seen in soccer: three defenders in the defensive backline, five midfielders, and two forwards up top. The boys easily adjusted to the formation and ended up scoring four goals, one by Jacob Castro (11), in the first two minutes of the game and a hat trick by Daniel Whitworth.

For the girls team, they are very content with their start to this season and are looking to bounce back from their CCS Finals appearance last year. The girls have been to CCS for four consecutive years and are searching to gain a CCS title.

— Iz Munoz

Iz Munoz/Bear Witness Ty Shikashio (12) and Courtney Simmerok (12). The boys and girls both are having a strong start to the season.

oth girls and boys JV soccer seaB sons began at the end of November and will continue all the way until mid

February. On Nov. 29, the JV girls soccer team battled Monta Vista, but were unable to finish with the win. Despite the loss. the Lady Bruins played with great communication and superb transition from offence to defence. Sophomore Nayeli Morales played hard defense in the back attempting to stop the Mustang forwards. The Lady Bruins hope to keep improving on their game and end the year on a victorious note.

JV boys started the season off with a loss against Pioneer Mustangs. During the first game, the boys had many chances to score, but were unlucky when it came to finding the ball in the back of the net. Continuing an excellent record as last year’s champions, the team has a lot to live up to. In the first half, Branham fell behind with a 3-0 deficit after the first 40 minutes. While Pioneer kept the ball, Branham struggled to find any possession. Luckily their play changed in the second half when Branham came out in a new formation. “Despite the loss, I am still pumped for the season,” said midfielder Marco Orozco. ­— Derek Hogan

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT PRESS Movies for Scrooges and Tiny Tims

“I am so sick of hearing the same songs by the same people over and over again every Christmas season” -Tashsa Mills, Sophomore

1. Press shuffle 2. No skipping Hannah Buckingham Senior “Jocasta” by Noah and the Whale “Chained” by XX “Hold my Liquor”

by Kanye West “I like these songs because they all have a minimalistic style.

I usually listen to music when I’m trying to focus, like when I’m doing homework, at dance class, or drawing the minimalistic style.”

Meghna Banerjee Senior “Red” by Taylor Swift “Stitches” by Shawn Mendes “Riptide” by Vance Joy (Cover by Jasmine Thompson) “I really like the Jasmine Thompson cover of ‘Riptide’ because her voice is gorgeous.

She keeps the song upbeat but also adds a soulful twist to it.

I could listen to it for hours.”

Charis Mehdizadeh Senior “Jealou$y” by The Neighbourhood “Roses” by Casey Veggies “Miles Away” by Zomboy “Whenever I listen to ‘Miles Away’ it just makes me very happy. My sister, Ayleen, introduced me to this song, and would play it all the time in her car. If we went hiking, shopping, and other adventures, the song captured many memories for me that It’s one of those songs that never gets old.”

Mr. Salberg Teacher “Money Talks” by AC/DC “Good Times Roll”

by The Cars “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty “The number one reason I have these songs on my playlist is nostalgia.”

Caroline Ware Junior “You in January” by The Wonder Years “Two-Headed Boy”

by Neutral Milk Hotel “Every time I listen to “The Predatory Wasp Is Out to Get Us!”, I get really calm and comforted.

Something about the mix of Sufjan Steven’s airy voice with his childhood love makes me really happy and nostalgic.” ­ — Sarah Snitzer

Six iconic holiday films to watch with your family and friends

Gaming for the holidays

Season of giant birds, hackers and Pokemon ADAM SALEH

Science and Tech Editor

aming consoles are heating up while G the weather is cooling down. A number of hot titles were released in November

and some are coming this December for PC, Xbox One, PS4, and the Nintendo 3DS. Get ready to curl up next to the fire and immerse yourself in some of the following titles.

Pokemon Sun and Moon

Elf (2003)

This comical Christmas movie follows the tale of Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) who was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a baby and then raised to adulthood by Santa’s elves. Buddy soon begins to realize he doesn’t fit in and makes the journey to New York (in his full elf uniform) in search of his real father. Buddy navigates his way through the NY way of life, trying to rekindle his relationship with his father while still holding true to him his values of Christmas and magic.

The Polar Express (2004)

The Polar Express starts with a young boy not believing in Santa. On Christmas Eve Night, he is woken up by a loud sound coming from outside his window. He goes outside to find it is a huge steam engine. Slightly skeptical, the boy boards the train after convincing from the conductor who is played by Tom Hanks. The boy meets friends on the train ride and together they embark on a fun, exciting, and intense journey to the North Pole where they will get to see Santa grant the first Christmas wish.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

The animated short film, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” follows the life of a grumpy hermit who lives in a cave on a mountain alone with his mistreated, but loyal dog. The Grinch despises Christmas. He launches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville (the village below the mountain). The Whos love Christmas and have many elaborate decorations up, which makes the Grinch’s plan difficult, but his hatred for the holiday carries him through it.

Nintendo 3DS Available now, $39.99

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

This animated television special based on the comic strip Peanuts follows the whole crew during the Christmas season and focuses on the depression Charlie Brown is feeling with the over-commercialization of Christmas. The short film mainly observes the production of the Christmas play, led by energetic and bossy Lucy Van Pelt who often gets on Charlie Brown’s nerves. Charlie Brown’s dismay over Christmas results in some conflicts from character to character but ultimately yields a heartfelt ending.

It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)

George Bailey, played by James Stewart, is a suicidal man who wishes to end his life. The prayers for him to stay alive reach Heaven, where an Angel 2nd Class named Clarence Odbody is assigned to save George in order to obtain his wings. George eventually gets married to Mary Hatch, who has had a crush on him for the longest time. George handles some struggles in his life, making him wish to have never been born. Clarence then shows George what the world would’ve been like if he was not born.

Home Alone (1990)

Follow eight-year-old, Kevin McCallister, and his struggle to protect his house from two clumsy burglars, while his family is away on Christmas vacation. Kevin wakes up to see that he is all alone a couple weeks before the holiday, and begins to decorate his house while surviving on his own. Assuming the Kevin’s neighborhood is empty, two burglars begin their hunt for a vacant home to rob.

These games will be great for anyone who loves the Pokémon franchise or wasn’t to impressed by the recent “Pokémon Go” trend.

This iteration features new Pokémon, new easter eggs, and changes to the traditional pokemon gameplay. Pokémon Sun and Moon is currently available in stores for $39.99.

The Walking Dead On all platforms Dec. 20, $29.99 A Telltale Game Series - A New Frontier: Anyone who’s a fan of the “Walking Dead” TV series will be thrilled to play Telltale’s 3rd season of “The Walking Dead.” This chapter of the series follows a new character, Javier, where the player’s decisions heavily impact the story of the game.

The Last Guardian PlayStation 4 Available now, $59.99 One of E3’s top anticipated games for 2016, “The Last Guardian” is a game built for anyone familiar with adventure and problem-solving games. The game was made by the same critically acclaimed studio that produced Shadow of the Colossus and proves to follow in its footsteps. “The Last Guardian” follows a young boy as he creates an inseparable bond with a mystical creature found in the looming ruins of the game’s setting. The title is said to take the player through a journey of friendship and trust set in a beautifully structured atmosphere. This game is currently available in stores for $59.99.

Watch Dogs 2 PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Available now, $59.99 This fast-paced third person shooter is geared towards any gamer that enjoys strategy oriented sandbox shooters similar to the “Grand Theft Auto” or “Just Cause” franchises. Set in San Francisco’s industrial district, Marcus, the player, is tasked with shutting down a ctOS, a program that controls much of San Francisco. Marcus has the ability to hack virtually everything in the city with an arsenal of robots, remote control cars, drones, and other tech equipment at his disposal.

Dishonored 2 PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One Available now, $59.99 Set 15 years after the first game, “Dishonored 2” takes place in the disheveled coastal city of Karnaca. After the Empress was overthrown, Corvo and Emily Attano (Dishonored main protagonists) utilized their collection of supernatural abilities to take on both violent and stealth missions. The game’s art style and replay-value earned “Dishonored 2” a spot on the “Game Awards 2016” leaderboard. Pick up this title if you’re a fan of fastpaced skill and adventure games like the “Assassin’s Creed and “Elder Scrolls” franchises.

Lady Gaga just can’t compare to Rudolph WILL SUITER Staff Writer

t’s that time of year again. They’re on the radio, in I the mall, in Starbucks, in Target, and in our homes.

Christmas songs all the way (sang in the tune of “Jingle Bells”).

Christmas songs and carols are well-known symbols of the holidays in America and around the world. But why are the songs we know and love so… stagnant?

One of the most well known contemporary Christmas songs, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” was released in 1994, making the newest Christmas classic over 20 years old, and a far cry from the style of music that is being released today.

Some of the songs we are more familiar with are far older. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was released as a single by Gene Autry in 1949. Brenda Lee recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” in 1958. However, these songs do not compare to the age of “O Holy Night”, composed in 1847 by Adolphe Adam.

Iconic Christmas Songs “Joy to the World” - 1719 “Silent Night” - 1818 “O Holy Night” - 1847 “White Christmas”- 1942 “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” - 1944 “Happy Xmas (War is Over)”- 1971 “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” - 1984 “Last Christmas”- 1986 Despite our love for these holiday jingles, some are frustrated by the rehashed state of Christmas carols. “I am so sick of hearing the same songs by the same people over and over again every Christmas season,” says Junior Tasha Mills. “I think Snoop Dogg might be able to put out a new vibe in the Christmas music industry,” Mills says, laughing.

With students and many others hungry for new holiday tunes, why can’t the music industry deliver a new classic?

The answer likely lies in the nostalgic status of current classics. Because these time-tested songs have held their ground in the public’s listening appetites over the last century, it is likely they will continue to do so.

Current well-known artists can’t seem to break through the wall of classics either. Justin Bieber released “Mistletoe” in 2011, and Lady Gaga produced “Christmas Tree” in 2008. Neither of these songs are played while families decorate their trees or sip hot chocolate, instead playing “Jingle Bells” or “White Christmas.”

The secret to good Christmas song may lie in the song’s ability to conjure up nostalgic scenes and feelings of Christmas comfort in the listener’s mind.

Somehow, the images of iPads charging in a row and smartphone controlled thermostats that might show up in a modern Christmas scene just don’t compare to the idea of chestnuts roasting over an open fire and a white blanket of snow outside.

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

“Looking at the season as a whole, I think that it was a genuine success.”

Savidu Geevaratne on the Royal Alliance’s strong season

Glitch trips up final show

In a season of first place finishes, a quiet minute drags Royal Alliance down to fifth

Music Review Awaken, My Love Childish Gambino

A funky, more mature album from Gambino

Glassnotes Records

‘Awaken’ less energetic but more focused IZ MUNOZ

Michael Boomershine/ Special to Bear Witness Junior Savidu Geevaratne performs his last flute solo of the season at their field show Nov. 12. The Royal Alliance saw success even as their program grew.

ALEX MERTENS

M

Online Editor

arching out onto the turf of James Logan High School, the Branham Royal Alliance prepared for their last competition of the season on Nov. 12. The Royal Alliance has been extremely successful in their four previous competitions, winning first place in three of them and taking second in the Gilroy competition.

The ideal performance is when the band not only puts on a spectacular show, but also gets every detail of the show correct. However, during the performance, there was a technical difficulty which prevented one of the sound cues to play.

Not having the sound play prevented the Royal Alliance from acting the scene and continuing the performance.

In the competitions, each band has a certain amount of time to perform. The band’s technical difficulty affected their overall score by a one

minute time penalty.

Branham’s Royal Alliance ended up taking 5th place overall in their last competition this season.

In General Effects Music and Visual, the Royal Alliance placed third; but, in General Effects overall they placed second. In both percussion and auxiliary they placed sixth. The Royal Alliance took third in Visual Ensemble and fifth in Visual Individual as well as third in Visual Overall. Lastly, they took fifth in Music Individual and sixth in Music Ensemble resting at fifth for Music Overall.

Despite not receiving the result that they would’ve liked, the Secondary Drum Major, Junior Savidu Geevaratne stated that, “Looking at the season as a whole, I think that it was a genuine success.” And it truly was in many other ways besides competitions. This year the Royal Alliance saw the largest amount of incoming freshmen of 44 kids, with students having both previous experience marching, and some not at

all. Because the Royal Alliance also has a small senior class and an extremely large freshmen class, Savidu feels that the lopsidedness of the classes is “indicative of [how the] band is only going to get larger and larger.”

But the band was even more successful with its personnel than in previous years. The energy of the band this year was well held up because of their leadership team putting in hard work and creating events that would not only raise spirit, but help the band bond and become closer. And thanks to the SST, or Student Service Team, “We started the year super hyped up from that first entrance to band camp with Liz Brawn saying ‘Are we ready for band camp!’ and then it just kind of went on from there… our energy never really hit an all time low.” The Royal Alliance’s success shouldn’t be measured by only their results, but also how they perform off the field. And this season they definitely took first in that.

Art students share their muses SUNANDA KOTTAYIL Opinion Editor

hile most of us have spent this semester writing papers, the stuW dents in the fine arts department have created some amazing pieces. Art teacher Cristina Prates sent us some of her favorite pieces,

Elizabeth Posey, Freshman, Art 1, “Cubist Still Life” Elizabeth’s inspiration to create the piece came from the focal points of her original still life. After looking under the projector, she decided to focus on the more intricate pieces of the hand and flower to help her convey the message of fleeting time. Elizabeth used the basic supplies of colored pencils, ruler, and a compass to help her achieve the detail she wanted.

adding that she was incredibly impressed by them.

“These are truly exemplary examples, especially considering the level the students were [at] when they started this class,” said Ms. Prates.

“In teacher talk, they mastered all the learning goals, and most of the students were self-motivated.”

Bre Goolcharran, Freshman, Art 2, “Surreal Heads” Bre’s inspiration was Zendaya, who she considers a mentor. “The way she presents herself helps me present myself.” Her main motivation with this piece was to convey strength. Bre’s medium of choice was colored pencils.

Katryna Johnson, Senior, Art 2, “Surreal Heads” Katryna’s inspiration was the photo that she believes is the best picture taken of her. The work depicts a green girl in a gray world who eventually turns gray to match the environment around her. The only tools that Katryna used were a blending brush and graphite pencil.

Photo Editor

onald Glover, also known as ChildD ish Gambino, has finally released a full-length project since his 2014 mixtape

“Kauai,” and his most well known album from 2013, “Because the Internet.” The Internet rejoiced when he released a third studio album “Awaken, My Love!” last week.

After announcing his new album via Twitter, he released two singles, “Me and Your Mama,” and “Redbone.”

These singles showed how different his album will be compared to his old projects. On “Because the Internet,” the production was full of twists and turns with hip fills and R&B singalongs where some tracks included trap/hip-hop style beats.

In his new album, he chose to go a different route but with a conceptual idea. In an interview with Billboard, Mr. Glover discussed his influences while creating his new full-length project.

“I remember listening to songs my dad would play – albums by the Isleys or Funkadelic – and not understanding the feeling I was feeling,” he said. “I remember hearing a Funkadelic scream and being like, ‘Wow, that’s sexy and it’s scary. Not having a name for that, though; just having a feeling. That’s what made it great.”

His first single, “Me and Your Mama,” starts off slow with a gospel chorus, meaningful lyrics, and the tone of an aggressive rock opener.

His second single “Redbone” is filled with ’70s jazz and a funky tune. As you begin to hear the songs on the album, you can hear funkadelic sounds. Each song transitions smoothly into the next, as if it were a live performance.

Gambino did not continue his rap and hip-hop style and focused more on building an album that was more organized and straightforward. His old projects tended to have more of a high energy build but with lyrics that lacked a message, and sounded more like a bunch of rants.

His success has helped him build a bigger platform for himself and now is able to express what he truly feels without caring much about public criticism. It seems that Glover/Gambino is trying to bring up conversation about social issues and awareness.

For example, in “Boogieman” he talks about the image of a boogieman to illustrate the fear that people see in African Americans, which relates to the events of police brutality “with a gun in your hand, I’m the boogieman.” His main message? He wants equality for all and further expresses this on his song, “Have Some Love” where he calls for people to appreciate and love one another as times get rough. Lyrics such as, “We have got to bring this thing together and I hope and pray, we will find it someday” remind people that everyone is on the same side.

The album is now available on every music platform and according to HITS Daily Double, “Awaken, My Love!” is projected to have 85,000 - 95,000 units sold in its first week. If you are looking for a funky and lyrical album, “Awaken, My Love!” is the perfect album for you.

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SECRETARY POWER BAR BEST SECRETARY INNOVATION EVENT PLANNING ORGANIZATION PROCRASTINATION KINDNESS

AFTER 30 HEROIC YEARS IN THE DISTRICT, PRINCIPAL’S SECRETARY BARBARA NISHIGUCHI HANGS UP HER CAPE. THE BEAR WITNESS REACHED OUT TO FORMER PRINCIPALS AND COLLEAGUES, AS WELL AS SUPER NISH HERSELF, TO TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES WORKING WITH A REAL-LIFE SUPERHERO

Special Powers: Speed- typing, Mind-Reading, Organization Hero Squad HQ: Branham High School Experience: 17 years at Branhamville First Apperance: 1999, Branham’s Re-Opening, 30 years at in CUHSD shared universe.

Origins: Super Nish flew to Branhamville from Hong Kong to save the school from disorganized files and unplanned events. We can trace her presence back to her first rescue mission at Blackford (now Boynton). In 1999, helped resurrect the lifeless campus. Super Nish has no known weaknesses, except for babies. Over the years she has developed super -speed typing and mind reading.

Super Nish allowed Branham High to be the school it is today. And all the citizens of Branhamville thank her!

1990s

JUAN FERNANDEZ DEAR BARBARA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING OUR SECRETARY, MOM, NURSE, COUNSELOR, ADVOCATE, AND THE SOUL OF BRANHAM. LOVE, JUAN

The favorite year: Branham High School reopens Mrs. Nish was hired by then principal, Dr. Iris Berke, to take on the challenge of reopening Branham as Dr. Berke’s secretary. Ms. Nish helped decide the school’s color scheme, class furniture, and teachers. At the time, Branham was sharing all facilities with Valley Christian, which made for some tough but manageable challenges for Mrs. Nish. She said it was amazing to be given the opportunity to open a new school and to influence what goes on.

LAURA ANDERSSON THE ORGANIZER OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL AND SCHOOL EVENTS, MOTHER TO ALL STAFF, GRANDMOTHER TO ALL OUR KIDS, THE MOST AMAZING SUB FINDER OF ALL TIME, AND THE “DON’T WORRY, I GOT YOU COVERED!”, MAKES EVERYTHING OKAY PERSON. BRANHAM WILL MISS YOUR DEARLY, AND HOPES YOU ENJOY YOUR RETIREMENT.

BARBARA THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME OVER THE YEARS. MY TIME AT BRANHAM WORKING WITH YOU IS SOMETHING I WILL ALWAYS TREASURE. YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME AND I WISH YOU THE ABSOLUTE BEST ON RETIREMENT MY FRIEND. MUCH LOVE, LARRY

BARBARA, YOU ARE SUCH A WELCOMING, RELIABLE AND CARING INDIVIDUAL. A PILLAR OF THE BRANHAM COMMUNITY, YOU HAVE ALWAYS MADE THIS SCHOOL AND ITS MEMBERS FEEL COMFORTABLE AND TAKEN CARE OF, BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. YOUR DEDICATION AND HUMANITY IS UNPARALLELED AND WILL BE MISSED. P-NUT AND I WISH YOU THE BEST!

designed by Kelley Sheen and Ty Shikashio. Caricatures courtesy of Bitmoji

THE BARBARA PAGE

Challenges Barbara Nishiguchi/Special to Bear Witness Mrs. Nish cuts the ribbon, officially reopening Branham

When Branham & Blackford closed in 1990 due to low enrollment & cut backs, the classified staff was also hit with job elimintions. When Mrs. Nish started in 1986, she was one of 14 in the clerical pool. Now, Branham has only seven to support the ever-growing campus.The challenge is to work more but with fewer resources.

LARRY LOPEZ

Mrs. Nish is an avid traveler. So with the help of a GoFundMe campaign, friends and family of Mrs. Nish donated enough money to send her to Japan!

LISA PIMENTAL

The Leadership Class contacted the San Francisco Giants organization, who donated a gift basket filled with bobble heads, a t-shirt, a letter of congratulations, and even a signed baseball from Javier Lopez!

SHE HAS HIGH INTELLIGENCE, STRENGTH, SKILL, ENDURANCE, TACTICAL PROWESS, AND ALL THE OTHER SUPERPOWERS NECESSARY TO MANAGE A LARGE HIGH SCHOOLAND IS ALWAYS THERE TO PROTECT THE OFFICE FROM ANY ‘EVILDOERS’. SHE WILL BE SORELY MISSED BY US ALL.

CHERYL LAWTON

FITZGERALD VO BARBARA WAS THE FIRST PERSON I MET WHEN I GOT HIRED SIX YEARS AGO, AND SHE MADE ME FEEL SO WELCOME AT BRANHAM. I WILL MISS OUR EARLY-MORNING IMPROMPTU CONVERSATIONS, AND HER ABILITY TO ANTICIPATE ANYONE’S NEEDS.