Bear Witness - December 2017

WISH YOU WERE HERE

INDEPTH

TAKE AWAY THIS BALL AND CHAIN

Abuse isn't always violent.

Revisiting the best event of the year.

Pg. 12

PROFILE Sarah MacGregor wraps up successful career in cross country. Pg. 9

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BEAR

Pg. 12

WITNESS BRANHAM HIGH SCHOOL

DECEMBER 2017

@bhsbearwitness BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

ANALYSIS

61 percent of teens who sent photos said that they felt pressured.

Source: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

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24 percent teens engaged in sending sexually explicit photos.

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EDITORIAL | Male students must re-engage in civil behaviors when interacting with members of opposite sex, pg. 3

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SEE NUDES • PAGE 5

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classmates asking her for nude pictures of her. Some requests came from underaged classmates, others from boys she has never met. Douglas transferred to Branham last school year, and since being enrolled, she has received increasing requests for nudes from fellow classmates.

Douglas, whose name has been changed, said that she ignores or denies these requests.

However, these don’t prevent her from receiving unwanted photos from boys.

“They feel that if they send me a picture then it’s my duty to send one back,” she said.

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wo years ago, senior Monica Douglas* T began seeing a trend in the messages she received through social media: male

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Editor-in-Chief

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JULIA KOLMAN

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Culture of nude picture requests often ignores legal consequences

The law Minors engaged in sending or receiving photos are engaging in possession of child pornography, a federal crime. Those over 18 will be tried as an adult.

Julia Kolman/Bear Witness

INSIDE

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

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

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

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

Net neutrality repeal means more web tolls SHLOK GORE Staff Writer

ith the repeal of the so-called net W neutrality, the internet, once known as an information superhighway, can now be

be dotted with toll booths set up at the discretion of telecom companies.

The controversial decision to repeal net neutrality by Chairman Ajit Pai and his Republican associates at the Federal Communications Commission may indicate a new era in the online world. It also means that the government cannot regulate online access.

Though the major effects of the decision will take weeks to be placed in action, online experts fear that the decision can let internet service providers such as Verizon, Comcast and AT&T charge for access to specific websites. As other countries have shown, these websites will now be bundled into packages for purchase.

Net neutrality’s repeal has major implications for Branham students. Want to write that essay that you put off until the last day?

Now you’ll need to pay money to work on it because you use Google Drive, a site that can be on a “blocked until paid” list.

Not only would certain websites be hidden behind a paywall, but the internet could be generally slower.

“There are people who can already barely access the internet, and if net neutrality goes away it’s going to be even harder for them,” said sophomore Andre Quintos. “It would also affect me a lot because I spend a lot of time online, and if the neutrality is taken down, everything will require a lot more time to finish than it should.”

To better understand net neutrality, World and AP World History Teacher Aaron Sherrill compared it to another public service: our highway infrastructure.

“When the government views a public reSEE NET NEUTRALITY • PAGE 5

Active shooter drills train staff to reduce risk CATHERINE MONROY

R

Staff Writer

un, Hide, Defend, more commonly known as Code Red, has always been a serious matter between adults and students in schools. The Run, Hide, Defend procedure is used when a possible threat has entered school grounds (this often takes the form of an active shooter), and both students and staff are at risk.

The first action to consider in a Code Red situation is to run or evacuate the area. If a person has a safe escape from the area, then they must run as fast and as far as possible until they are away from danger. They must leave their belongings behind and, if they have an opening, help other people escape safely as well, but it is not recommended to help someone who is injured as it will put the person running in danger too. When they have escaped they must prevent others from entering the area and call 911.

Although schools cannot practice the running portion, students are most familiar with hiding (also known as lockdown). That is when an escape is not possible and everyone must lock the doors, turn off lights, cover windows and create a barricade to hide behind. During this time, everyone in the class must remain silent and avoid possible entries until the threat has been apprehended. The goal of this is to slow down the perSEE CODE RED • PAGE 5

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

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

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BEAR WITNESS

|

DECEMBER 2017 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

NEWS

“I feel like I have to be masculine to be valid.”

Student who responded to U.S. History survey.

Campus roundups Program to help teachers with down payment on home The district is partnering with Bay Area company Landed to help teachers with half of the down payment of a home, up to $120,000. Teachers must be permanent employees of the district and teach at least half the time. The current median cost of a home in San Jose is $934,000, according to Zillow. The salary range for teachers in CUHSD is $50,000 to $90,000, not includ-

ing graduate degrees and units and the parcel tax additions.

Science building gutting continues, demolition to take place over break Workers have already started tearing down the science buildings.

As part of Branham’s new plan, the science buildings are going to be replaced with a more advanced two-story building, projected to be completed within a year. Demolotion will take palce over break.

Link Crew and Bruin 2 Bruin team up for Cookies and Cram Peer tutoring club Bruin 2 Bru-

in and the Link Crew freshman advisory team held their annual Cookies and Cram event in the cafeteria. The event aimed to help students get ready for finals by providing a comfortable atmosphere with knowledgeable student volunteers.

College and Career Center shifts gears from college to job opportunities The College and Career Center is going to shift its focus from colleges more to careers next semester. College reps come in the fall, and rarely in the spring, because most seniors would have

already turned in their applications. It is an opportunity for students to look more into the career side of things.

Counselors calling in juniors instead of making class visits This year, instead of counselors going to classes to speak about class enrollments next year, they are calling in juniors separately to have a deeper understanding of what the student wants to do in their future at Branham and beyond.

— Compiled by Omar Ababneh

Poll finds push to conform to gender norms U.S. History survey asks broad range of questions, from sleep to catcalling SHAMS MOHAMMED

BITTER PILLS TO SWALLOW Trump’s planned birth control rollbacks have limited effects in state, but affect self-insured

T

Students use birth control for numerous reasons other than for contraception

he Trump administration recently announced a rollback on birth control, allowing insurance providers to omit coverage on birth control due to religious and moral reasons. The decision is halted in the courts, however the administration’s plans are to follow throough.

MoveOn Petition Students at Branham texted ‘BC’ to 2522 and signed a petition to stop the mandate created on Moveon.org by two women. The petition has received more than 27,000 signatures.

“Losing birth control would not just affect women, but men too. This petition is a group of men and women making their voices heard that they are against the repeal of the insurance….it is an American right and a very effective way of communication between the citizens and the government.”

Senior Sara Robertson, who signed the petition Bear Witness Editor-in-Chief Julia Kolman Managing Editor Michaela Edlin Production Editor Rosalie Gonzalez

Annalise Freimarck/Bear Witness

Due to California’s laws, only self-insured providers can omit birth control, but state insured providers cannot, in compliance with California’s state laws.

The Bear Witness examines the student use of birth control.

— Annalise Freimarck

6.6 million

55 million

Women will now not be able to access birth control due to the new mandate and its cost.

Amount of Californians who have self-insured providers that can exempt birth control

18 percent

Percentage of teens who are at risk for pregnancy without birth control, the largest group that would be affected by the planned rollbacks.

$600

The estimated amount uninsured birth control can cost a year

Sources: Centers for Disease Control, California Health Care Foundation Editors News: Annalise Freimarck Opinion: Julianne Alvares Science and Technology: Taylor Susewitz Student Life: Atticus Ahearn Sports: Ryan McCarthy Entertainment: Jocelyn Pierce Copy: Anastasia Langner, Mahta Delshad Online: Sydney Uyeda Photography: Bianca Medina

Teen use of birth control

Below are some reasons why birth control is used among students.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: hormonal imbalance that causes causes irregular menstrual periods, acne, excess hair growth.

Endometriosis: Tissue liningthat normally devlops inside uterus grows outside.

Lack of periods (“amenorrhea”) from low weight,

stress, or excessive exercise.

Menstrual Cramps: Pills may prevent ovulation and lighten periods.

Premenstrual Syndrome: Pills may be prescribed to stop ovulation and keep hormone levels balanced.

Primary Ovarian Insufficiency: Ovaries that don’t make enough estrogen because of radiation and/or chemotherapy or a genetic condition.

Acne: For moderate to severe acne.

Staff Writers Aaron Deans, Azura Gutierrez, Catherine Monroy, Julia Marques Da Silva, Matthew Follo, Omar Ababneh, Shams Mohammed, Shlok Gore, Uzordinma Awuzie 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.

H

Staff Writer

ave you ever been catcalled? Do you feel you are judged based on your appearance? Do you feel like you are judged on your gender alone? These are all questions Tania Eaton’s U.S. History classes used to help their assigned history project in which they were asked: What is the price of progress? A wide range of topics were covered, and two groups sent out a survey via SchoolLoop. The surveys combined had over 270 participants and asked questions the students could relate to.

The students submitted their responses anonymously.

A few questions among the surveys were in regards to gender stereotypes. Although the stereotypes placed on males and females are slowly beginning to disStudent responses solve, they still Students responded anonexist vividly among many ymously to the U.S. History people. Eighty- survey, which received over five percent of 270 responses. Below are students said two samples. that different genders have different expec- “I always feel pressured to tations.

“At the end of shave my legs or hide my the day, both leg hair, especially in P.E. genders suf- Sometimes I feel pressured fer from ideal body images to wear makeup or do my surrounding us hair a certain way.” in society,” said one respondent.

“Girls “At the end of the day, both are expected to genders suffer from ideal act ‘like girls’ body images surrounding us and boys are in society.” supposed to be ‘manly.’”

Fo r t y - f o u r percent of students surveyed said that they had been catcalled, or received aggressive and overtly sexual comments from strangers.

Among the respondents, 67 percent said they find it offensive, while the rest don’t. “[It] depends on the situation whether it is a joke with a friend or a random girl on the street,” said one student.

Many people find catcalling embarrassing and invasive, although others view it as a mere compliment.

Another topic that the surveys covered was the amount of sleep students get. More than 60 percent of students say that they don’t feel well-rested, and 77 percent added that their school schedule is affected by the amount of homework they receive. Teenagers on average need about nine hours of sleep to function optimally; however, the average number that teens get is seven hours.

This lack of sleep impacts memory and mood. When less sleep is gotten, the person becomes easily irritability and stresses in the result of smaller things. The survey also touched on homework, showing that 65 percent of students believe they are given too much homework. Students are receiving as much as three times the recommended amount of homework which can lead to feeling overwhelmed, according to CNN. With all the homework, extracurricular activities, and projects students have to throw in their daily lives, it can make them feel stressful. Over 80 percent of students feel stressed from school alone. The pressure bleeds into other parts of their life, which would be difficult to control after the matter.

Overall, the surveys allowed the student body to see the difficulties many seem to experience in school. While it may take time, this is a step closer to helping find a solution to these problems.

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

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BEAR WITNESS | DECEMBER 2017 | BHSBEARWITNESS.COM “I wanted to enjoy my summer...It really shortened the amount of time I had to work on them,” Senior Mac Francini

Editorial The opinion of the Bear Witness editors

The unspoken guidelines of social media

Relationships are all about building and respecting boundaries, and being confident in your own body is okay.

”

Samiksha Boranna /Special to Bear Witness

Plan ahead when applying for college RYAN MCARTHY

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OPINION

igh school is often the first inH troduction to romantic relationships, but it shouldn’t be a place where

those are riddled with unnecessary pressures from your partner or outside influences.

When someone, often male, texts another student for pictures with little or no clothing, otherwise known as asking for nudes, it presents an undesirable complication in school. Those pressured to send these pictures often risk those being shared to others without consent, causing immeasurable psychological and emotional distress.

Relationships are all about building and respecting boundaries, and being confident in your own body is okay.

Being confident in your own sexuality is okay. Being comfortable enough to share things with someone else is okay.

However, students who request

is not okay. Chasing people off social media sites is not okay. Feeling like you are only safe by turning all accounts to private is not okay.

It causes people to feel insecure with their bodies and with themselves in general. They could feel ashamed. A negative image of yourself can lead to anxiety, depression, and countless other problems.

The less comfortable a person feels with themself the less likely they are to ask for help.

There are enough stresses that come with being a student, and the least we can do is be decent human beings to each other. Basic respect doesn’t mean everyone has to be friends with one another, nor does it mean that anyone is obligated to like everyone they meet; it simply means aiming to comfort and accept our peers.

“Nazis are people. Nazis are human beings. They were young once. They have parents. Many are parents, or will be. They have dreams. They have feelings. They have human bodies. They sleep. They get sick. They age. And they still deserve to be shot. That’s very [expletive] important.” — @Coffeespoonie, a Jewish user

Sports Editor

any students at Branham will be leaving for college after this school year, hoping to pursue their ambitions, future careers and companionship with unfamiliar faces. Some have already gone through the rigors of the application process, but others have chosen to procrastinate, leaving them in a nightmarish situation Applications for most universities require SAT and ACT scores, a letter of recommendation and a personal essay. If students take time and care for these applications, they are able to submit their best work to schools. Still, knowing the amount of work and time needed to form a well-crafted application doesn’t motivate students enough to get ahead, leaving them a shortened amount of time to write, compile and submit their applications.

Senior Mac Francini was one student who chose to procrastinate on his applications, and based on his experience he would not recommend repeating his strategy.

“I wanted to enjoy my summer, so I decided to delay my application process until the school year started. It really shortened the amount of time I had to work on them,” says Francini. “I wouldn’t recommend procrastinating because it adds more stress that you don’t need on top of the application process.”

When students procrastinate on something as substantial as a college application, they tend to miss a lot of what can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection. To the surprise of many administrators, many mistakes are crucial and would have been noticed by the early submitter.

According to US News, most applicants most often come up short in following directions, proofreading and essay quality. Admission directors are mostly surprised at kids who turn in essays that are not related to any prompts that are provided. Robert Barkley, director of admissions at Clemson University, was stunned to receive unrelated personal information when asking for international students’ information.

“In one case we got Bank of America,” says Barkley. “And where we asked for the number of the (international students’) visa, we got the credit card number. We were not impressed.”

Spelling errors have proved to be costly, as Oberlin College’s dean of admissions Debra Chermonte says one application introduced one famous play as “The Loin King.”

“We had a student that was really passionate about [“The Lion King”] and wrote a really well-done essay,” Chermonte says. “But she neglected to proofread it, and she referred to the musical as ‘The Loin King.’”

Generic essays are the most common downfall for applicants, as many will submit the same exact essay for different university applications. This makes the applicant look disinterested in their submission, making it a higher possibility that one gets rejected in favor of original submissions.

“Demonstrating true interest and care can make a difference on the margin,” says Chris Munoz, vice president of enrollment at Rice University. “And when you’re talking about universities that admit under 20 percent of applicants, you may need it.”

Interest in going to college is what really should be the motivation for one to go to college, and taking time to proofread, follow directions, and write a quality essay may be the key to an acceptance letter

nudes of others, sometimes underage disregard someone’s privacy, and most of all, violate the trust and respect of their subject as a means to sexually objectify their peers. In the light of the law, this is an illegal practice, as asking for nudes of an underage teens represents the ownership of child pornography.

Relationships are full of choices, but respect is not an optional one. A person should never feel pressured or obligated to do something they don’t want to do.

If they refuse to participate, that person should never have to feel held back or ridiculed for their own choices.

Bragging about the number of pictures collected to other peers is not okay. Making comments in the halls and similarly making comments online is not okay. Spreading rumors about how people choose to live their lives

THAT TWEET GOT HER TEMPORARILY BANNED. WHY?

MIichaela Edlin/Bear Witness

Twitter took the wrong side

Tech company censors marginalized users, propagates spread of fascism MICHAELA EDLIN Managing Editor

witter has compromised its reputation as T a free speech platform, due to its alleged censoring of LGBTQ+ content and the refusal

to monitor the spread of Nazi ideology.

Twitter users should be aware that the site is inconsistent in how it handles controversial tweets, and seems to have censored anti-Nazi sentiments.

The company recently placed a temporary ban on the accounts of multiple LGBTQ+ and Jewish users for tweets that “violate the Twitter rules.” However, accounts of some notable Neo-Nazi leaders remained verified (a sought-after distinction) until Nov. 15, when new rules for revoking verification included the promotion of hate speech.

Examples of such tweets that Twitter claimed to be “abusive” include the content of Twitter users @coffeespoonie and @RadicalMariposa. @Coffeespoonie, a self-described “disabled Jewess,” tweeted, “Nazis are people. Nazis are human beings. They were young once. They have parents. Many are parents, or will be.

They have dreams. They have feelings. They have human bodies. They sleep. They get sick.

They age. And they still deserve to be shot.

That’s very [expletive] important.” The aforementioned tweet resulted in a 12-hour ban due to “targeted harassment,” one that would have been lifted once the offending tweet was removed.

The fact that a Jewish woman was censored

for speaking out against the depravity of Nazis and showing that humanizing Nazis should not be used to pander for sympathy is irresponsible and unforgivable. This is only one instance of the hypocritical actions of Twitter who have championed free speech, yet have allowed the spread of Nazi ideology and censored those who speak out against it.

The company had only removed the verified checks from neo-Nazi accounts after outrage due to the verification well-known neo-Nazis such as Jason Kessler, who organized the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville in August.

Even though Twitter came out with a statement early November that stated that a person’s verification status does not mean an endorsement of the individual, but as to “authenticate or identify the voice.” The company has yet to condemn fascism and the neo-Nazis who were once verified. Twitter has also not taken any steps to prevent or claim responsibility for the proliferation of Nazi propaganda that has clear footholds on Twitter.

Not only does Twitter have a flippant policy on Nazis, the company has taken similar steps to censor transgender users who have spoken out against violence they face from cisgender people.

This is ironic and inflammatory due to Twitter’s public endorsement of LGBTQ+ users. When the verified account @twitteropen tweeted in support of same sex marriage le-

galization in Australia; Twitter has proven that their support is only superficial.

Twitter user @RadicalMariposa was banned for seven days and forced to remove their tweet that was published Nov. 26 saying that cis women who feel threatened by transgender women can “choke, fall down several flights of stairs, and then die.” The violent language calling out cis women was harsh, but did not necessitate a ban, as it was used facetiously. By banning @nonbinarygxd, Twitter ignores the root of the problem: Cis women cause violence against trans people because they feel if it infringes on their womanhood. Trans people have every right to reprimand this oppressive and incorrect viewpoint.

Marginalized groups, such as transgender and Jewish people, who have been historically targeted by fascism, have been shut down and dismissed by Twitter.

Nazi ideology is centered around the justification of a white-ethnostate free of all people of color, Jewish people, disabled people and queer people achieved through mass genocide; the fact that this doesn’t seem to violate the Twitter abusive policies is absurd. Not only this, but they chose to censor LGBTQ+ and Jewish users for defending themselves. It is clear that Twitter is complicit against violence perpetrated against oppressed users.

Twitter’s allowance of Neo-Nazis’ spreading propaganda is not championing free speech, and neither is the unjustifiable censorship of LGBTQ+ content and creators.

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BEAR WITNESS

|

DECEMBER 2017 |

OPINION

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

“I really don’t think there is a religious connotation attached to ‘Merry Christmas.”

Sophomore Jairo Montes BULLETIN BOARD

New year, new you? | What’s your 2018 resolution?

I guess to become a better drummer and be able to read music better on piano.

I want to try to make my life less busy, with school and other activities. I want to have more time to myself, to relax and make myself more free.

William Richards, junior Aaron Rosales, junior

I want to get more sleep. I need to catch up, and I should be able to do that with more time management.

To procrastinate less with homework with time management and organization.

Caroline Ralston, sophomore

ZcAard Z I P gift

Quinten Moshy, sophomore

I want to be better in the stock market.

Cecelia Rodriquez. senior

Jan 14

Jan 4

I know I’m already pretty organized, but I would like to be more organized. I guess I would also like to eat more healthy food and less junk.

Inbar Michael Senior

I wanna start a better routine in terms of work ethic.

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Grace Harms, freshman

To get up earlier, if I’m ever going to do morning swim practice.

Azura Gutierrez/Bear Witness

Zoe Gardner, freshman

U.S., Israel against world on Jerusalem OMAR ABABNEH

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Catherine Monroy, Cassidy Chang/Bear Witness

From October to January, long live Xmas MAHTA DELSHAD Copy Editor

oliday shopping: it begins as early H as the summertime for some and as late as mid-December for others. It all depends on the resources and motivation of the shopper.

Aside from summertime, which only has Independence Day, most of the calendar is packed with festivities. In October, there is Halloween, then November’s Thanksgiving and December’s Christmas and Hanukkah.

The season carries expectations of family reunions and fun decorations; one who celebrates these holidays has to brace themselves for the transition from spooky decorations to colorful light. Stores and shops take note of the holiday seasons’ atmosphere and prepare accordingly.

To give customers the chance to shop early, stores begin selling products and goods related to the upcoming holidays extremely early. Many dislike the heaps of holiday stock months before what they deem appropriate, but I think it’s not only

fun to get into the spirit early, it’s also useful and time-saving.

According to Wikipedia, a term called “Christmas creep” defines “a merchandising phenomenon in which merchants and retailers introduce Christmas-themed merchandise or decorations before the traditional start of the holiday shopping season, which is on the day after Thanksgiving.” Bringing in merchandise before the holiday season even begins is a way for stores to allow their customers to start their holiday shopping early and save both money and time. Not only that, but it provides the participating stores some extra green.

The holiday creep has proven effective: A study by the National Retail Federation has depicted that about 40 percent of people begin holiday shopping before Halloween and are done before December, lowering the stress leading up to the holidays and further proving the popularity and usefulness of early holiday goods in stores.

But the holiday spirit doesn’t just begin

early; it also lasts a while, and subsides typically through late January.

Around 80 percent of students at Branham celebrate Christmas, according to a survey, and more than 90 percent of those keep their tree up through the first month of the new year. More than 80 percent of students at Branham also stay in the Christmas spirit by wearing holiday sweaters and not getting rid of their decorations after the holidays terminate.

“The tree doesn’t stay up for long, but I always eat Christmas cookies for weeks after Christmas because there’s so many leftovers,” said junior Sabrina Jones.

For people whose favorite holidays include those of December’s, the long-lasting holiday spirit proves to be fun in keeping the holiday more than a one-day event.

There are people, however, who dislike the habits of beginning the holidays too early and ending them way too late; 20 percent of students stop doing holiday-oriented activities right after it’s over. Others simply stay “Christmassy” until the arrival of the new year.

Reason for the season isn’t about religion SHLOK GORE Staff Writer

he holidays are a time for good spirit T and spending time with loved ones.

Christmas, Kwanzaa, Diwali and Hanuk-

kah are celebrations that take part in the holiday season, which is traditionally during the months of November and December.

Every year as this season rolls around, a popular debate arises. The common phrase, “Merry Christmas!” has been accused for having a Christian meaning for quite some time. While Christmas started as a Christian holiday, it has long assimilated into the American culture. Even though this may seem like a trivial issue, a slew of altercations have surfaced. For example, a few years ago, one of the Cambrian School District ele-

mentary schools, Sartorette, had to cancel its annual visit to Santa because of a complaint that the school was reinforcing Christian beliefs by taking the kindergartners to a local Kris Kringle.

This seasonal argument can be dubbed the “War on Christmas,” and it is not new. As early as the 1920s Christmas-related sayings and memorabilia have been protested against. Most of the complaints come because of the misguided notion that commonplace Christmas has to mean, and only mean, the birth of Jesus Christ. That is simply not true, because it has moved on to symbolize togetherness and that wonderful holiday feeling.

There is an animosity towards “Merry Christmas!” even though the phrase is used

to convey well wishes during a season that society, not a certain religious group, celebrates.

“I really don’t think there is a religious connotation attached to ‘Merry Christmas,” sophomore Jairo Montes said.

On the road to becoming president, Donald Trump said, “I’m a good Christian. If I become president, we’re gonna be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ at every store.” Trump’s claims of a war on Christmas may be erroneous; past presidents have used that phrase often around this time.

So when you’re saying “Merry Christmas,” whether you actually believe in the birth of Jesus or not, know that millions of Americans celebrate Christmas, and not all of them are Christian.

Staff Writer

resident Donald Trump recently signed an order recognizing the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and ordering United States Embassy to begin moving from Tel Aviv, the current capital, into Jerusalem.

President Trump’s announcement was seen as siding with the Israelis, and the declaration broke with international consensus, rattled allies across the Middle East, inspired riots and ended decades of U.S. policy in pursuit of a peace agreement between Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Both Israelis and Palestinians see the city as their capitals, and Palestinians have pushed for years to make the city the center of a Palestinian state.

The decision has not been accepted by anybody but the United States and Israel, with world leaders from Britain, France, Sweden, Turkey, and the Arab League all strongly disagreeing with the decision, calling it bias and in violation of UN resolutions.

Jerusalem rightfully belongs to Palestine, and so does the rest of the land. More realistically Jerusalem should be the capital of the two states, Israel and Palestine together, which has been in talks for a long time, with no progress.

After World War II ended, the Jewish community was convinced they needed their own country, and they saw Palestine as their right to have. Between 1896 and 1948, without Palestinian consent, hundreds of thousands of Jews migrated from Europe to what was then a British-controlled Palestine.

In 1947 the United Nations voted to split the land into two countries, Israel and Palestine, again without Palestinian consent.

The Jewish residents accepted the deal but the Palestinians did not, seeing it as a Jewish attempt to push the Palestinians out of their land. And that is exactly what they did.

Arab states of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, and Syria declared war on Israel, but Israeli forces defeated the Palestinian militias and Arab armies in a vicious conflict that turned 700,000 Palestinian civilians into refugees. The U.N. partition promised 56 percent of British Palestine for the Jewish state, but by the end of the war, Israel possessed 77 percent. It left Israelis with a state, but not Palestinians.

Many people do not know this, or choose to brush off the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The World ignored what has happened and what is happening to the Palestinian people. And Israel to this day has not stopped, still building Illegal settlements into Palestinian territory, and slowly decreasing the size of Palestine.

Many United Nations Resolutions have been put in place for this conflict. But one of the most important in this case is Resolution 446 adopted in 1979. It concerned the issue of Israeli settlements in the “Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem.” In the Resolution, the Security Council determined: “that the policy and practices of Israel in establishing settlements in the Palestinian and other Arab territories occupied since 1967 have no legal validity and constitute a serious obstruction to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”

Palestine has the right to Jerusalem, but Israelis and many other countries have chosen to ignore the fact, and it seems too late. The best solution is the United States stays out of peace talks between Palestine and Israel, and have them deal about it together, or at least with a better mediator. It is time for a two-state solution to end the suffering of both sides.

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FROM THE FRONT PAGE NUDES | Pervasive culture weighs heavy on girls Code Red | Drills taken seriously Another student, freshman Isabelle Olsen*, said that she has been pressured by male students to send naked photos. Olsen, who is only 14 years old, usually replies to messages informing male classmates that they are asking for illegal child pornography.

Olsen and Douglas are part of a sizable group of the student population being asked engage in potentially illegal activity.

According to the College of Education and Human Services, an estimated 24 percent of teens aged 14 to 17 have been involved in some form of sexually explicit messaging.

Among those in the general population who sent nudes, 61 percent of those who have sent nudes claim they felt pressured to do so at one point, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy found. Those who do so probably don’t realize the legal consequences for minors, defined as anyone who is under 18 years old.

Asking for and sending nudes without the other’s consent is not only a form of bullying and harassment, but a federal crime of distributing and possessing child pornography.

For two students who are minors, either sending or possessing nudes constitutes as child pornography, as it qualifies as obscene material of a minor under California state law.

If two minors are exchanging provocative photos, they are violating the child pornography statute, despite being of similar age. Consequences can be determined facing a court, possibly leading to undergoing counseling and education, and completing community service.

Students who possess and exchange the nudes of minors with other students are guilty of sexual exploitation of a child, which can be punished by a fine of $2,000 and up to one year of imprisonment. This

can be applied to students who share nudes they received from someone with others, through technology or in print. Current technology allows for easy sharing, through group text messages, social media direct messages, and new apps.

“There’s apps that you can use to save nudes and share them with all of your friends,” Douglas noted. “I know that there are girls whose pictures are currently floating around school.”

Seniors over the age of 18 who possess a minor’s nudes will be tried as an adult, facing similar punishments of imprisonment and fines as those exchanging others’ photos.

Both minors and adults who violate the child pornography statutes are typically required to register as a sex offender, which never goes away.

Assistant Principal Rick Hayashi is warning other students to be aware that there is no privacy online.

“Sending and possessing nudes is not as private as students may think,” Hayashi said. “Once something is posted online, it never truly goes away and can be tracked.

“Whatever you post, you might as well post on a billboard,” he added.

Hayashi said that pressuring someone for nudes or sending and possessing them is a crime. Branham can punish students for harassing others for photos, but the law enforcement becomes involved in cases where photos are exchanged.

“When you are talking about naked pictures, we are looking at that as crime,” Hayashi stated. “We don’t deal with it as a school. We talk to our police officers.”

Legal consequences aside, asking for nudes has severe emotional consequences for the victim.

Olsen struggles with her own mental health issues, and dealing with this kind of pressure takes a toll on her.

When male students send her these messages, she said that it lessens her sense of self-value and worth. “(Asking for nudes) makes me feel like I don’t have a lot to offer other than my body or physical self, not my emotional state. It feels like [boys] are taking away my worth in this world,” stated Olsen.

It is easier for students to solicit images from a student with a poor mental state, or any developing teen in general.

“It’s the ones that are vulnerable,” stated Hayashi. “Kids go after the vulnerable kids.”

Compared to other schools, Branham seems to have a larger group of male students pressing girls for their photos, Douglas claims.

Hayashi noted that as a general public, there has been an increased acceptance of possessing and sending nudes, with students ignoring the fact that this is a crime.

“I get upset that the culture has shifted, that people are doing this more often and thinking this is okay,” stated Hayashi.

This culture has allowed perpetrators to feel empowered to ask someone for their personal photos, that it has been normalized. On the other hand, the pervasiveness of these requests has made victims such as Olsen and Douglas underplay the severity of the situation.

“I think for a lot of girls, myself included, I just sometimes think ‘oh, they’re just being (ignorant).’ But it’s actually illegal,” Olsen said.

For many students, excusing nudes as normal teenage behavior is unjustifiable, as sending and soliciting nudes is not normal in sexual development.

“People don’t realize the consequences of having these pictures, until someone actually finds them,” Douglas said. "And then it’s too late.”

petrator from getting to students and staff.

The last resort is to defend, or to fight for your life. It is taught that staff should put themselves in harm's way in order to protect their students, but police say it is best to attack in groups (a recommendation for junior students and above). In order to defend oneself, one must commit to their actions, act as aggressively as possible, use improvised weapons, try to disorientate the perpetrator, and, if possible, tackle them to the ground and hold them there until police arrive.

During one of the many collaboration days, teachers are trained on the process of Run, Hide, Defend. These drills are not only for the teachers to practice with their students the steps it takes to protect themselves, but also

for kids to understand the process it takes to prepare for such a terrifying situation.

Principal Cheryl Lawton, who had been in a real Code Red situation in her previous school, says “The people who know what to do stay safe….[it] only needs to happen to you once”.

The student was 17 years old and before he could cause any damage to anyone a small group of teachers had tackled him down. Although Code Red drills are only drills, the seriousness of the matter is still there. Police officers, Deans, and the Principal herself go around campus during drills to check each class on their barricades and if they were quiet.

“There was one teacher that had holes in their barricade” Lawton said.

“We get mad….we mark down the teachers that didn’t do it right."

Net Neutrality | FCC decision to be processed through Congress source as being very important for the general welfare, they might choose to regulate it, so everyone gets to use it equally and freely,” Sherrill said.

In regards to the internet, the government provides infrastructure, and with the recent decision by the FCC, this control would be handed over to private corporations. An effect of this would be the possibility of paywalls and extra fees.

According to the Washington Post, the Trump Administration has fully backed this initiative by the FCC. In fact, Ajit Pai was Trump’s pick for the FCC when he came into office, and

he is a former Verizon executive, one of the major telecoms backing the repeal.

For free internet advocates, decision made by the FCC is not total absolution, because the action stills needs to go through the Supreme Court and the House of Representatives in order to be finalized.

In the case that even those higher powers cannot stop the action, the state of New York is leading a coalition of states, including Washington and California in a lawsuit against the Federal Communications Commission.

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1 in 5 teens struggles with mental illness, with 50 percent of those disorders beginning before the age of 14.

Tech bytes New Apple patent reveals folding iPhone display The U.S. Patent and Trademark office recently published an Apple patent for a foldable phone display that harkens back to the retro-cellular phone design concept, except with a futuristic, book-like folding display made with cutting-edge technology. The Apple patent application also references features in modern tech such as LCD, OLED and microLED, as well as touch sensors. Sources are stating that if product development runs smoothly, a foldable iPhone design may become a reality by 2021.

Tesla sends world’s largest battery to Australia

In March, Elon Musk made a now-famous bet on Twitter with Mike Cannon-Brookes of Atlassian that he would build the world’s largest lithium-ion battery in 100 days.

Elon kept his promise, and Tesla has just finished making the world’s largest lithium ion battery for South Australia.

The 129-megawatt-hour battery is three times bigger than any in the world. The battery is part of a $550 million plan to help solve South Australia’s energy crisis.

Gates chips in $80 million toward building ‘smart city’

Microsoft’s co-founder and former CEO has declared he’s building a smart city outside Phoenix, Ariz. Bill Gates intends to place $80 million USD into its development, which is planned to be spread across nearly 25,000 acres of land. The city will have data centers, high-speed networks, self-driving cars, new manufacturing technologies and an automatic logistics hub. This will include public schools, residential units, and commercial buildings.

SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY

ANNALISE FREIMARCK

M

News Editor

ental illness is not something tangible. It’s not something one can see, or touch, or taste. But an alarming truth is that it’s on the rise in students across the globe.

According to the Child Mind Institute, 1 in 5 teens struggle with mental illness, with 50% of those disorders beginning before the age of 14. Between ealth 2011-2013 in the Santa r mental h u o y t c e ff a Clara County alone, the atively number of teen suicides /Bear Witness ess can neg tr s h it w zzo and Michaela Edlin ls Bo a lia e Ju d skyrocketed to 10.0 out in a br of every 100,000 of peoHow your ple aged 15-24.

Junior Julianna Amireh, YOUR BRAIN ON STRESS although having not been Three main parts of your brain help regulated how you deal with stress, diagnosed, is one of those including those for finals. students. She said, “I do experience occasional depression as well as social and generalized STRESS HORMONES anxiety… It would Adrenaline Known as the fight come to a point or flight hormone, produced by PREFRONTAL where I would be the adrenal glands after sensing CORTEX Regulates afraid to raise my stressful situation. behavior, thought hand or speak up Norepinephrine and emotion, helps because I would Similar to adrenaline, helps focus. develop goal-directed just be afraid my Shifts blood flow to crucial areas behaviors.

AMYGDALA Site of teacher or other class- m a t e s of body, such as muscles (to flee fear processing. Those [would] view me as unintellithe classroom after a test!). with depression gent.”

Cortisol or anxiety can an Mental health is mainly caused Stress hormone, produced by HIPPOCAMPUS Coordinates enlarged amygdalas, by two components within the the adrenal glands. Acts slower, the release of hormones that disrupting sleep. brain: the hippocampus and the but released gradually to help drive a person’s motor reamygdala. The hippocampus regustabilize fluids and blood flow. sponses to perceived threats. lates a hormone called cortisol, which Too much for long periods can i n can be triggered to release in excess suppress immune system. clude distracting myself with amounts due to stress, leading to an things like spending time with family.” imbalance that has been traced to deEven those who don’t suffer from menpressive episodes. An abundant amount tal health issues find this time of year esof cortisol can also cause anxiety to manpecially emotionally taxing. ifest itself physically like a fast heart rate Junior Kishen Morar said, “Sometimes I get or sweat. stressed, depending on the difficulty of the asThe amygdala, a small almond-shaped part of the signment. For me it’s getting big projects done on brain, regulates emotional responses and people coptime in an orderly fashion.” ing with depression or anxiety can have an enlarged Pressure, along with stress, are the two most prevone, often disrupting sleep and normal, everyday habits. ready suffering from mental illness daily can make alent emotional stressors that students face during finals, and this problem won’t go away. As school Another main cause is serotonin deficiency. Sero- life significantly worse. tonin is a neurotransmitter that naturally stabilizes Junior Rose Gipstein, who suffers from depression, continues to pack on pressure with finals and AP one’s mood, according to Investigative Psychiatry, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and depersonalization, said, classes, the intensity of the pressure to be perfect and when one has a lack of it, it often leads to in- “It [mental health] gets significantly worse during rises, often significantly deteriorating one’s mental health. creasing mental illness. finals as there is more pressure.”

“It all seems like a competition to see who will get Many students feel this increase in mental illness This can also increase the amount of dangerous can come from finals. The amount of stress caused negative behaviors. Gipstein said, “A negative coping the highest scores or perform the ‘best.’ As a stuby finals, on top of having to deal with life in gen- mechanism is self harm,” an addiction she has tan- dent, that kind of setting is quite stressful,” Amireh eral, can cause a deterioration in someone’s mental gled with for the past five to six years, “along with ex- said, “I feel like expectations are like a big weight health, especially with the immense pressure to suc- treme anger. I also write suicide notes a lot. It sounds on my shoulders from my parents and teachers. They ceed. Having this stress can trigger cortisol or cause strange, but just writing it out as if I was going to die increase every year… I feel like there’s so much presa serotonin deficiency. This increase in someone al- just makes me feel better. Positive coping mechanisms sure on teens to be perfect.”

FIN

D N I M E H T N O S L A

Science Briefs Parents may one day edit their baby’s genes Recent advances in gene-editing tools, such as CRISPR/ Cas9 (RNA-guided DNA endonuclease enzyme), may mean genetic manipulation of human embryos is becoming reality. This year, scientists reported that using CRISPR/ Cas9 in viable human embryos could fix mutations that cause heart and blood disorders. But have the chances to terminate baldness, obesity and nearsightedness.

CRISPR/Cas9 has two parts: the first one being the Cas9, which is a DNA-cutting enzyme. The second part is the RNA that carries the Cas9 to a specific base on DNA.

Bulletproof school supplies a response to hostile threats

Bulletproof backpack features Sturdy reinforced handle

Stronger padding with added stitches

AARON DEANS Staff Writer

ecent shootings have given rise to R a new trend in schools: bulletproof school supplies. These range from bullet-

Built in auxiliary port from backpack strap

Study finds that ‘yeti’ DNA belongs to bears Yeti sightings over the years, as well as scattered “remains” secreted away in monasteries or held by shamans, have hinted to some that the yeti is not merely a mythical boogeyman. But DNA analyses of nine samples purported to be from the “abominable snowman” reveal that eight out of nine samples actually came from various species of polar and brown bears native to the area of the Himalayas.

— Compiled by Omar Ababneh

Some suggest

Cost $200 Available on Amazon, Bulletblocker

Other bulletproof products Tablet cover $120

White board $399 (lowest level pro-

Binder inserts $99

Source: BulletBlocker.com

proof backpacks to books and clothing, as well as bulletproof inserts for backpacks.

Some schools have taken these backpacks quite seriously. This year, CNN wrote how a K-12 school in Florida has recently been selling bulletproof panels for students’ backpacks. However, the effectivity of bulletproof backpacks, and their potential to replace or at least supplement other safety measures, is a debatable point.

NBC said that bulletproof backpacks do have a number of weaknesses, including higher costs and the fact that students don’t always keep their backpacks with them. Having bulletproof materials on hand may make parents less anxious about their children’s safety, but it’s not necessarily the safest choice.

Bulletproofing school supplies wouldn’t be sufficient to replace other safety measures, according to English teacher Niki Hinds.

“I still think keeping mentally disturbed people with weapons off the campus would be a higher priority, and, you know, getting people the services that they need,” she said.

Sophomore Krisha Sharma suggests that with other safety measures, bulletproof school supplies shouldn’t even be necessary.

“I think it’s kind of a bit of a waste of money,” she said. “You could implement bulletproof glass in the classrooms, not

From this issue Run, hide defend drills help prepare staff for dangerous situations, pg 1.

necessarily individual school supplies. And already, the school does so much to protect us, so I don’t think that it’s necessary to take it one step further and have school supplies.”

Sophomore Lyra Hunt also believes other measures should be prioritized.

“Focusing on other safety measures that can ensure the safety of all students is definitely a better strategy to address school shootings,” she said. Such measures would include “developing methods outside of just remaining inside the class, and informing us of backup plans and individual strategies of escape.”

The cost of bulletproof backpacks and such is also important to consider. On Amazon, bulletproof backpacks and inserts generally range from $80 to $190; however, typical backpacks generally sell for far less, between $10 and $60. Is a bulletproof backpack worth the additional cost?

Hinds believes that bulletproof backpacks may not be the best option if they cost too much. “I think it’s an okay supplementary thing to do,” she said. “But if it’s costing a school millions of dollars to do that, then I think, I don’t know if that’s money well spent.”

Hunt considers the cost to be important.

“The idea of purchasing the backpack I would consider, but only if it isn’t too pricey,” she said.

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INDEPTH

“It’s piercing. It hurts...because it was a person that was supposed to care.”

Guidance counselor Joyce Davis on victims of nonviolent abuse

UNDER THE SURFACE ABUSE IS MORE THAN SKIN DEEP

ANASTASIA LANGNER

bruises, tear tracks or bleeding skin; physical abuse is easiest to diagnose and stop.

But what happens when the damage isn’t visual?

As much as people try to disregard it, non-physical abuse in relationships is just as prevalent as problem as violent abuse. This is found especially with teens, where according to Loveisrespect.org, one in three are projected to be abused by a romantic partner. This abuse isn’t limited to sexual or physical violence either, but also emotional and verbal.

The range of nonviolence teens experience in unhealthy relationships is vast, encompassing manipulative and damaging behaviors. The dominant partner feeds off the insecurities of the victim with words intended to isolate, belittle and humiliate. Senses of helplessness, anxiety and guilt manifest in the mind and make victims Teen resources feel indebted to please their partT.E.A.R. (Teens Against ner. Friends, Abusive Relationships) family and www.loveisrespect.org peers are shut out National Teen Dating from the Abuse Helpline victim’s life, (866) 331-9474 often by the victim themNational Domestic self. Threats Violence Hotline and black(800) 799-SAFE (7233) mail—to National Youth Crisis Line expose them as uncoop(800) 442-HOPE (4673) erative partners, divulge their sexual history or share nude photos with an internet audience— overwhelm the victim as possible consequences for not adhering to their partner’s will.

The damage is debilitating, and all the consequences are enhanced by the fact that the people involved in these relationships are teens. They are developing skills and behaviors that will stick with them for the rest of their lives; unbalanced power dynamics in romantic relationships may be an expectation that carries over into their adult lives.

Understanding how these problems in romantic relationships can develop is the first step to healthier relationships, according to guidance counselor Joyce Davis.

“I find that either side, male or female, at this age, it’s hard for people to express their true feelings,” Davis said, “so they do things to try to make the other person angry, and then walk away from them.”

Her experiences with these victims and abusers have ranged in severity and scale, but one thing remains the same: feelings were hurt.

“Rather than saying, ‘Maybe I don’t have those feelings for you anymore’... they try to do other things to make the other person mad, so they leave them,” she said.

What is clear is that help is readily available with Branham’s counselors, and that choosing against seeking out help and support poses danger, for the mental health and emotional wellbeing of the victim, and for those abusers sometimes unaware of the pain they are inflicting. Though that pain may not be able to be seen, knowing the indications of those behaviors and offering support for those in need are the first steps in a process of rebuilding and recovery.

Nearly half of women and men in the United States have experi-

1.5 million teens per year are involved in abusive relationships.

58 percent

enced psychological aggression by an intimate partner in their lifetime (48.4 percent and 48.8 percent, respectively).

of parents can correctly identify signs of abuse in their teens’ relationships, though 82 percent claim confidence in detecting it.

EXPOSING NONVIOLENT, ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS

Copy Editor

he images most commonly assoT ciated with domestic abuse are the ones that people can see: purpling

BY THE NUMBERS

SIGNS OF AN UNHEALTHY PAIRING

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ABUSE

Humiliation (private or public) to pressure the victim into behaving in a certain way.

Victims often feel worried or threatened when their partner is nearby

MENTAL ABUSE Mental abuse is when the abuser alters the abused person’s sense of reality. This type of abuse has the same signs are emotional and verbal abuse since those typically alter a person’s state of mind and many aspects of their life.

Traveling together everywhere may be a sign of the abuser’s possessiveness Victims may display out-of-character traits, such as a drop in self-esteem, developing anxiety, depression or suicidal thoughts and a sudden lack of participation in social activities

#$@!

Sudden and unexpected absences by both the victim and abuser

VERBAL ABUSE Verbal abuse is any attempt on lowering someone’s self-worth verbally. This can include name calling, embarrassments, put-downs, and public humiliation.

WHAT HEALTHY LOOKS LIKE •Are honest about their past and present experiences, relationships and feelings.

•Communicate clearly and directly about their emotions and have an equal share of listening and speaking

EMOTIONAL ABUSE Emotional abuse involves manipulating someone’s thoughts and feelings. Some examples of emotional abuse can include mind games, victim blaming, gaslighting, and setting unreachable goals.

•Learn how to trust your partner, trust isn’t something automatically granted, but earned

Men Typically, when a man is emotionally abusive, they manipulate using their partner’s fears of harm, isolation, deprivation, and may threaten with promises of physical abuse, leaving their partner, and/or keeping their partner away from the things they love.

•Trust in each other’s judgment and communication with others.

•Communicate with each other through discussion rather than physical conflict.

•The partners consent to intimacy beyond sexuality.

Women Usually, when a woman is emotionally abusive, they manipulate by using the fear of failure, they might claim that to their partner that they are an inadequate provider, lover, parent, or protector.

•Share a sense of respect.

•Share more good memories together than bad ones.

Obsessive behaviors Abusers, when they are separated from their partners, often show their aggression through pressuring, interrogating texts or frequent, harassing phone calls.

Rosalie Gonzalez/Bear Witness

— Compiled by Julia Marques da Silva

Sources: KidsHealth.org, American Psychological Association

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“When I go thrifting I normally check out the men’s section first because that’s where all the good stuff is,” Junior Sienna Solorzano.

STUDENT FASHION

Secondhands & name-brands 11 Top $ you e Hav n see er g “Strangs”? n i h T Top , p Chea ou but y an’t still c d it. affor

Ridged skirt $2. Don’t ask why. It’s a bargan.

Socks Price of secondhand socks reduced due to low demand

Gre It’s n en soc b ot gree ks e c t e ause of n h fa dye. bric

Pla id ju Do ski you stify n’t rt bu sh wh y ou y do it. Ju ld it. st

Catherine Monroy and Rosalie Gonzalez/Bear Witness

Students who thrift value unique looks, but patience is key in shopping for threads ometimes the best things in life are free, or are S they recycled? Savers, Goodwill, Crossroads, and many other thrift stores are often popular place to pick up some unique threads.

Students who “thrift” value the fact that the rarity of a piece can make a bold statement, but some thrifting students are able to give some insight on the entirety of the question.

Junior Sienna Solorzano, a frequent visitor of thrift shops in Santa Cruz gave a few tips on what to look for when browsing the isles.

“When I go thrifting I normally check out the men’s section first because that’s where all the good stuff is,” Solorzano said. “Afterwards I’ll see the women’s section just to see what’s there”.

Though this is only the first step of the thrifting process, there’s a certain mindset one must have

when strolling the stores, as well as possessing the most essential trait of all: patience.

“You don’t usually find something right away, but that’s the beauty of it,” Solorzano said. “You have to search for things because it’s worth it when you finally find something cool. It’s fun but sometimes it can be irritating because you don’t always find things you like”.

It appears as though thrifters have similar techniques, involving beginning in the men’s section.

According to Junior Rose Gipstein, “...it’s always got the best stuff for sure”, she said while referring to the men’s section, “I usually just go for baggy sweatshirts, vintage or goth-ish clothing. I rarely ever buy clothing from the women’s section”.

When asked why this is even a hobby to begin with, Gipstein gave some thoughtful insight on the idea. “It allows for me to dress uniquely,” she said, “I know that nobody will have the same clothes as me and I like that feeling”.

Junior Ten Sanchez, another frequent visitor of thrift stores, doesn’t believe there is a needed method while shopping for recycled items. However, when he does, he aspires to find things he knows no one else will recognize.

“I always try to find things I know nobody else has,” Sanchez said. “I think it’s cool to have something unique, no one else can have it and when you make it your own it’s even more special”.

Sanchez frequently visits thrift stores to find materials for crafts, such as making blankets and individualistic articles of clothing.

Gipstein also mentioned that it’s beneficial to the environment, since it is recycling nevertheless.

It’s better to reuse clothing as opposed to blindly throwing them away. If you are looking to get rid of clothing, it is highly encouraged that you collect the things you don’t want, toss them in a bag and deliver them to your local thrift store.

Simpler styles such as Vans and Old Navy are popular among teens RYAN MCCARTHY

W

Sports Editor

hen many people choose to open up their memories and look back at their high school experiences, many instances regarding their favorite shops, restaurants and clothes will come to mind faster than anything else.

As it turns out, when many students at Branham choose to open their memories sometime in the near or distant future, they will likely be looking back at the same things that satisfied their interests.

Among these interests are the students’ favorites in shoes, as most are attracted to the same brands. Lifestyle-oriented shoes are perennial favorites at Branham, as Nike SB, Converse, Adidas and Vans have stood out as the preferred choices in apparel, shoes and accessories.

Junior Sasha Mariniuk is one of the many students that are attracted to Vans clothing and shoes. He points out the simplicity in their style, as well as their variation in color and model choices, as his deciding factor.

“I like the simplicity of Vans and the variety of colors they offer,” Mariniuk says. “They work well with other ideas of clothing, which helps when choosing what to wear.”

As high school students working with low budgets when dining out, fast food restaurants, specifically those serving comfort foods like cheeseburgers and milkshakes. Five Guys Burgers and Fries fits the bill, both in service and price.

Students like Junior Troy Pesavento enjoy Five Guys, as he cites their freshness and quality of service as the critical element of his choice.

“The people there are kind and welcoming, they take care of your order

like it’s their own,” Pesavento says. “I also like their free peanuts, which is another bonus of the restaurant.”

When it comes to shopping, students generally stick to one-stop shopping locations. Target, Costco, and Old Navy serve as stores with a wide variety of choices for clothes, shoes, and other accessories that students prefer to display.

Junior Isabela Dumo enjoys going to Old Navy, one of her favorites for clothes, shoes, and especially sleepwear.

“Old Navy is my favorite store for pajama pants because the comfort they provide is top-class,” Dumo says. “I like Old Navy for other stuff; I’ve been there six times in the past month, but their pajamas is what keeps me going back.”

For Branham students, some styles come and go, but the simpler looks many students sport may stand the test of time.

Quiz yourself | Teen fashion Teen-centric teen edition What is the top clothing brand? a) Nike b) American Eagle c) Adidas What is the top footwear brand? a) Vans b) Nike c) Adidas What is the top handbag brand? a)Kate Spade b) Michael Kors b) Louis Vuitton What is the top shopping website? a) Nike b) American Eagle c) Amazon

Answers: 1A, 2B, 3B, 4C

TAYLOR SUSEWITZ

Science & Tech Editor

Source: Piper Jaffrey

JROTC’s future at school is uncertain District may consolidate program due to low numbers AARON DEANS Staff Writer

Low enrollment may force Branham to drop JROTC next year.

JROTC members have been encouraging their friends and incoming freshmen at Branham to enroll in the program. One of the JROTC instructors recently spoke to each of the B-day classes about the program.

According to Gunnery Sgt. Steven Mobley, the program has already been experiencing low enrollment for a while, but it’s still progressively decreasing. Whether the program continues or not is decided by United States Marine Corps.

“To have only 20 or 30 kids in the program in one school is not feasible,” he said. “So there’s talk that it might go away, not for sure yet, so we’ll just have to play it by ear.”

At Branham, JROTC is often stereotyped as being associated closely with the military, especially judging by its name and the uniforms worn by JROTC students.

However, the program’s focus is not military preparation; it’s geared toward helping students become better, stronger people.

“A lot of times, people get the wrong message,” Mobley said. “You think because you take the class, we want you to go into the military, that we’re here to put you in the military as a process, which we don’t.”

Rather than military preparation, the core goal of the program is to instill leadership skills in students.

Sophomore Benjamin Austin, an JROTC student since freshman year, said the class is distinguished by the skills it teaches students.

“We learn a lot of leadership skills that are really applicable to life,” he said. “It’s really pushing you to push yourself in PT [Physical Training] and drill and just making yourself better as a person.”

Since it’s often associated with the military, JROTC ends up inheriting common military stereotypes: getting yelled at constantly by the instructor, receiving some severe punishment whenever you put a toe out of line, and other stereotypes which don’t necessarily apply to JROTC. As a result, some non-JROTC students fail to see the strong emotional aspect offered by the class.

Sophomore Amy Kawasaki, in her second year, said that JROTC has a bonding aspect that P.E. doesn’t have. “Everyone’s super close, and everyone you meet in there you’ll probably be friends with the rest of your time in high school,” she said. “It kind of is [like PE] because of the physical aspect.

But… you get to know these people, and some of the best friends that I have now, I met in JROTC.” Kawasaki said the cancellation of the program would be difficult for her, even though she would be alright academically.

“Purely on the academic standpoint, if it does drop, I’ve already taken all my P.E. credit, so I wouldn’t really worry about it,” she said. “But I would be really sad because I wouldn’t be able to meet as many people.”

According to Mobley, Branham and Del Mar are currently the only schools in the district where JROTC is available. JROTC students from other schools must go to either campus for the program; Leigh JROTC students come to Branham during sixth period, while Prospect students go to Del Mar.f JROTC were stopped at Branham, JROTC students from Branham and Leigh might be able to go to Del Mar for the class, although this isn’t certain.

BEAR WITNESS

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DECEMBER 19, 2017 |

SPORTS

“I’ve never seen her not work hard, not one practice does she take easy.”

Cross country coach Chris Jensen, on senior athlete Sarah MacGregor.

Sports briefs

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

STUDENT PROFILE | SARAH MACGREGOR

Scores updated as of Dec. 14

Boys varsity basketball

The Bruins are currently 2-4, and lost to Valley Christian, 72-33, on Dec. 12.

Their next game is tonight at 7 p.m. against Leland at home.

Boys frosh/soph basketball

The Bruins are currently 2-0. They won their last game against Valley Christian, 49-44, on Dec. 12. Their next game is against Leland at Branham at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 19.

Girls varsity basketball

The Lady Bruins are currently 5-2.

They won against Fremont, 54-32, on Dec. 13. They defetead Piedmont Hills at home Dec. 15.

Girls junior varsity basketball

The Lady Bruins are currently 1-1.

They won their last game against Del Mar 36-28. Their next game is against Evergreen Valley at Branham at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 4.

Boys varsity soccer

The Bruins are currently 2-2. Senior Grant King scored a late goal against Mountain View to lift the team 3-2 Friday.

Boys junior varsity soccer

The Bruins are currently 1-2. The lost to Mountain View 0-1 in a difficult match.

BIANCA MEDINA Photo Editor

f you’ve ever been to her track and field or cross country I races in the last four years, it’s clear that senior Sarah MacGregor stands out from the crowd.

The UC-Santa Barbara-bound senior is coming off a standout season, from top finishes in dual meets and invitationals, culminating in her first race in the state meet in November.

MacGregor comes from a family of active runners. Her sister, Megan, runs at UC-Davis and her mother, Wendy, started running as a senior in high school and continued at De Anza College.

“It was a long journey for Sarah,” her mom said. “I am proud of her to carry on the commitment and dedication this family has for running.”

Her mother credits MacGregor’s string of successes to her dedication.

“Sarah trains seven days a week,” she said. “Two days of the week calls for harder training such as hill repeats. She will also go up to trails such as Silver Creek to run. Four to five miles around the streets are some of her more relaxed running days during the week. On Sundays, the family goes for a long run, which consists of seven to eight miles.”

Cross country and track teammate Skyler Miller said that her colleague is a natural leader with a strong work ethic.

“She has improved a ton since I’ve met her and always tries her best to improve her times,” Miller, a junior, said. “She brings dedication, leadership and encouragement to the team.”

Similarly, cross country coach Chris Jensen said that her teammates look up to her.

“Out of my two years from coaching her, I’ve never seen her not work hard, not one practice does she take easy,” said cross country coach Chris Jensen.

“She sets the tone for everyone and with her confident self, helps prepare for a meet.”

MacGregor set the school’s record in the mile, finishing in 5:59. She also completed a 5K with the time of 18:54. She is among the top eight runners in Division II, one of the most competitive divisions in the league.

MacGregor has achieved 2nd and 3rd among all runners in her dual league races, placed sixth out of 65 runners in the Santa Teresa Athletic League and an impressive 5th out of 148 runners in the CCS finals.

Running in college was not her original goal. As she improved, she made the decision to switch from running for fun to running with a purpose.

“The switch in my mindset sparked junior year,” MacGregor said. “I started talking to coaches and as time went on my motivation grew to improve my running for the future.”

With her successes, many schools have sought to recruit her.

However, she ended up picking UCSB, where her family once lived.

“UCSB was actually my top school, for both the running and the education,” MacGregor said. With the new environment, she is setting her sights on a new goal: a conference championship for UCSB’s team, the Gauchos.

Athletes toughen up for winter training

Girls varsity soccer

The Lady Bruins are currently 2-4, after defeating Harbor Friday. Their next gam

Girls junior varsity soccer

The Lady Bruins are currently 0-5.

They lost their last game against Valley Christian, 3-1.

Their next game is against Piedmont at Piedmont on Jan. 5 at 3:15 p.m.

Wrestling

The Bruins scored a 6.0 as a team at the Lady Royals and Taz tournaments.

Their league meet is against Leland at Branham at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 4.

— Compiled by Julianne Alvares

Nand Kumar/Special to Bear Witness Senior Sarah McGregor has had an accomplished career with Branham’s cross country and track teams.

This, combined with a strong work ethic on the track as well as in the classroom, has allowed her to obtain a scholarship to UC-Santa Barbara.

Vacationing teammates, cold weather hamper practice schedule during two-week break

ATTICUS AHEARN Student Life Editor ost students rejoice in the holiday season with leisurely breaks from school. However, Branham’s winter athletes return to the fields and courts to face the harsh weather in order to stay in shape. For the school´s basketball, wrestling and soccer teams, several issues seem to put a damper on the festivities.

Chilly weather is one such problem. This month, temperatures are predicted to barely reach the sixties on most days. The cold alone stiffens muscles and chatters teeth, but rainy days are extremely tough - especially for soccer.

“It pours. Fields will be flooded,” said Sophomore Emma Hernandez. Several other players agreed with her, expressing angst over the biting cold as well as the lack of proper attire provided to keep warm.

This issue is not as prevalent to the wrestling and basketball teams, who mostly practice indoors. In fact, wrestling was more concerned with the lack of attendance due to conflicting holiday plans. Over Thanksgiving break, less than half of the team showed up for practice which limited what they were able to accomplish.

“We lift and then just work on basic throws, but we can’t get into the actual fighting as much without the whole team,”

M

said Senior Hunter Miramontes.

Minimal attendance is largely due to family vacations and celebrations during this time of the year. After all, break is a convenient time for families to spend time together, away from daily obligations.

“We just text coach when we’ll be gone and he’s pretty reasonable about it,” said Darren Kim, a sophomore on the JV basketball team. That’s not to say that practice is not important. Kim noted, “I’ve only missed a few practices and one pre-season game, so it hasn’t affected my playing time or bonds at all.”

In comparison to fall and spring sports, it is much more difficult to schedule practices for wrestling, soccer, and basketball even though they still have scrimmages and games. Holidays and eves of holidays justify days off of practice.

“Some teams will practice over the break and they’ll be better, and some teams won’t because who wants to practice over break?” said Rebecca Young, a sophomore on the JV soccer team. She agreed that more training would improve their skill.

Despite everything that threatens the success of Branham winter athletes, passion for their sport drives them to work even harder and overcome every obstacle.

“We practice when it pours,” said Kayla Tutton, a sophomore on the JV soccer team.

Matthew Follo/Bear Witness Sophomore Max Sharp takes the field against Mountain View High School on Dec. 15. The team lost 0-1. Athletes in winter sports such as soccer, wrestling and basketball have to endure practices during break, when the weather is coldest.

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BEAR WITNESS

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT Mini Reviews

Bite-Sized Opinions

Book

DECEMBER 2017 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

““It should be really cool to see a film that’s based off of a gem of our area” Ten Sanchez Junior

Local Mystery on big screen

The Farming of Bones Edwidge Danticat The Farming of Bones takes place in the Dominican Republic during the late 30’s. As war breaks out, main character Amabelle, a Haitian servant, is separated from her significant other. The point of view is very interesting, with the main character often recalling childhood memories throughout the story; however, the story starts off a little slow. This book is good for historical fiction lovers.

— Rosalie Gonzalez Album

Laura Heffernan/Special to Bear Witness Visitors to the Winchester Mystery House can pay anywhere between $20 and $47 for the regular tour. Two Friday the 13th tours take place April 13 and July 13 in 2018.

Horror movie detailing origins of Winchester Mystery House to be released in February TAYLOR SUSEWITZ

Science & Tech Editor

Reputation Taylor Swift This album combines all of Taylor’s attributes into one list: terrifying, seductive, sad, and angered. It brought all of what Taylor is made of into one thing, really rounding up her “reputation.” Taylor Swift declared her old self dead in the lead single “Look What you Made Me Do” and the album that followed certainly drove that point home.

Straying from her country and pop roots, Swift delivered an exciting album that was worth the hype. Personally, nothing needs to be improved, she is perfect and she made a perfect album.

This album is made for true Swifties who have been with Taylor since her career began.

— Ryan McCarthy

he Winchester Mystery House T has been a place visited by many from across the United States. Be-

ing in San Jose, it is a place we locals should visit at least once in our lifetime, for it is so seeped in mysterious lore and history.

In early February the history will be brought to the 45 by 50 foot screens via a horror film. Written by Tom Vaughan, and directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, the film outlines the entirety of the legend of Sarah Winchester and the hauntings of the Winchester rifle. Oscar winner Helen Mirren plays the title character.

Prompted by true events, the movie takes on the bringing-to-life of the house that knows no ends. Originally an eight-room farmhouse sitting atop 44 acres of land in 1881, and expand-

ed to 160 rooms by 1906, the house was purchased by Sarah Winchester after the death of her husband William Wirt Winchester.

Legend says Sarah Winchester continued the construction of the house in hopes of driving away and confusing the malicious spirits of the ghosts that might haunt her otherwise. Her husband and his creation of the Winchester rifle had sparked the hauntings in the first place. After visiting a medium to cope with the depression inflicted by the deaths of her husband and newborn, she began expanding her house.

Junior Ten Sanchez, a relatively enthusiastic fan of the Mystery House and frequent visitor of it, is excited to see the film on the big screen in February, and was also able to provide some rather interesting points about the filming of “Winchester.”

“They filmed in the house for only

Lots of rooms 160 rooms, including 40 bedrooms, 40 staircases, 13 bathrooms, 3 elevators, 2,000 doors Guiness World Record Construction of house took 38 years, but 1906 earthquake slowed it down. three days,” said Sanchez. “Only a handful were filmed in the actual house, which is still cool but at the same time, in a way, deflates the balloon of excitement built up around the film.”

When the subject of San Jose finally being recognized through something we’re all familiar with and are

intrigued by as a whole, Sanchez provided some thought-provoking insight.

“It should be really cool to see a film that’s based off of a gem of our area,” Sanchez said. “San Jose doesn’t get much recognition as it is, so to have a movie revolving around such a historic piece of it makes it even more compelling.”

It appears as though the Mystery House is viewed in similar perspectives, particularly when it comes to the rich history within it, as well as the overall experience of going.

Junior Kirstin DeMarquez, an individual not entirely familiar with the film being released revolving around the House, was pleasantly surprised to have been informed about it.

“That’s super cool,” Demarquez said.

“It’s good to see that they’re taking something that is a part of our community’s history and turning it into something as awesome as a movie.”

Confessions of two concert junkies Pair have been to six shows in 2017, say that patience helps in getting close to concert stage

Clothing Store

MAHTA DELSHAD

Cotton On

or most people, concerts are an occasional F event that friend to spend time with each other seeing a favorite musician live. But for

This Australian-born clothing store sets and sells trends for masculine and feminine attire alike, often at more reasonable prices than the typical trendsetting shop. The most enticing aspect is the affordability of the fashion-forward threads. In addition, the Cotton On Foundation sponsors the four pillars: education, infrastructure, health, and sustainability for youth in impoverished countries around the world. This store is great for anyone who enjoys exploring new trends and empowering youth.

— Atticus Ahearn

History of the Mystery House Expensive home Sarah Winchester spent $5.5 million on Mystery House renovations. It was valued at $5,000 when she died.

Copy Editor

juniors Summer Votaw and Bridget O’Shea, concerts mean something different: longplanned trips that last all day, requiring them to wake up as early as 4 a.m. the morning before in preparation for the big event.

The two juniors most often go to concerts together, due to their similar music and band interests. Their way of preparing for the events are not very routine for most people.

“Every couple months, we try to always go together because we’re concert buddies and we have a system going - we always camp out together; we make a plan a week before the concert,” said Votaw. “[We go to] Twenty One Pilots, The 1975, and anyone we see coming to town that we like, really.”

Votaw and O’Shea typically have their campouts outside the show buildings, to which they often arrive as early as midnight. To grasp front seats, they arrive early, having already bought their General Admission tickets, which refer to a first-come, first-serve basis. To avoid the overwhelming excitement of the concert while they wait, the concert junkies indulge in conversation. “We just try not to use our phone

Summer Votaw’s Top 3 Shows 1975; Twenty One Pilots, Glass Animals 1975: San Francisco & SJSU Twenty One Pilots: Greek Theater & SAP Center battery. We normally just talk. The wait is fun too, because it’s not just about the concert,” said O’Shea.

Going to concerts, however fun, can be expensive at times - as a solution, they buy their tickets early when the cost is low. Alongside that, O’Shea, who is a gymnastics coach at the California Sports Center, saves up for the concerts with the money she makes at her job and sometimes support from her mother.

Although Votaw doesn’t yet have a job, she doesn’t have a problem with buying the tickets.

“I just kind of have extra money. I’ll pay for one concert and she’ll pay for the next one,” said Votaw.

Votaw and O’Shea’s last concert was just a few months ago, when they saw Glass Animals perform in Berkeley at the Hearst Greek Theatre.

Their concert adventures will be continuing in the future as they plan more of their unique campouts for upcoming show.

Bridget O’Shea/Special to Bear Witness Juniors Summer Votaw and Bridget O’Shea clutch Twenty One Pilots lead singer Tyler Joseph’s iconic sunglasses. Votaw said that the singer dropped the glasses, and she yelled at a security guard to pick it up for her. They have seen the band twice.

BEAR WITNESS

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DECEMBER 2017 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

STATE OF PLAY 2017

11 Christmas in the Park set a Guinness World Record for most illuminated trees (600).

TV SHOWS

The Bear Witness staff share their favorite media from the past year ALBUMS EVERYBODY Logic Sinatra influences The concept: Like very civil rights activist decided to Frank Sinatra is a big collaborate and create an album, then give it to the one influence. Sinatra’s famous group of friends was called person who could relate to the message and had a big the Rat Pack, while Logic’s enough audience to sing it into the music realm. is called the RATT Pack Why it’s great: This album is the most impactful of (Real All the Time). the year, maybe even ever, as Logic vividly describes the struggles of living his biracial life, yet experiencing the oppression from both sides of the black and white equation, as well as tackling many current issues, most notably the presedential campiagn. His singles “Everybody,” the title track, and “Black SpiderMan” display the struggles of the life of biracial people in today’s tumultous soicety, and another track, “America” gives the artist a platform to voice opinion on the newly appointed president. Perhaps the most significant track on the album, “1-800-273-8255” was written to help people who are planning to take their own lives to solve their temporary problems, letting us all know we have something more to live for. The entire album tackles the most sensitive topic’s in todays society, but using his vocal talents and his life experiences, Young Sinatra has accomplished this seemingly impossible task Def Jam Records with a relative ease, making another masterpiece and In “Everybody,” Logic isn’t afraid to tackle difficult issues such as cementing his place among the greatest songwriters, racism, suicide and President Donald Trump. let alone rappers, ever.

— Ryan McCarthy One Way Conversations Hollyn The concept: The album is essentially pop with some Christian contemporary music mixed in.

Why it’s great: While touching down on Christian themes and ideas, it also explores common themes in love and relationships. This is Hollyn’s first multi-song release since her self titled 2015 EP. This album is an ideal choice for any fans of Christian or pop who are also inetrested in exploring other genres.

— Aaron Deans

PODCAST Small Town Murder James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman The concept: It’s like Serial, except run by comedians who look at new crimes each episode.

Why it’s great: “Small Town Murder,” hosted by James Pietragallo and Jimmie Whisman, brings a sense of humor to something that one would not usually find funny with dark humor. It handles the topic with sensitivity, but it also amuses the audience with comedy. It’s a new blend topics that sounds shocking, but with the way that it’s produced, comedy and murder flow with ease.

— Annalise Freimarck

Love Yourself Her-BTS The concept: They’re not a boy band, they’re better: They’re a boy GROUP. Why it’s great: It takes a certain level of genius to listen to BTS’s songs and prejudice-free attitudes. BTS has seven members, which means seven more times to fall in love and get your heart broken because they can’t speak the same language as you. Their hit song “DNA” from their album Love Yourself: ‘Her’ album runs through your blood vessels.

— Catherine Monroy

Year-end bests Top song Shape of You - Ed Sheeran Top album Damn. - Kendrick Lamar Top movie Star Wars: The Last Jedi Top artist Ed Sheeran Top Instagram celebrity Selena Gomez Most-searched athlete Floyd Mayweather

San Jose, bright and merry

FX Network Series regular Evan Peters plays an altright cult leader in the new season.

American Horror Story: Cult FX Network The concept: It’s like the current political climate, except with a murderous cult dressed as clowns.

Why it’s great: American Horror Story: Cult was the seventh season of the FX series, directed by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. Series regular Evan Peters portrays Kai Anderson, a Trump-obssesed cult leader fixated on having a male dominated wolrd led by fear.

He has his run-ins with Ally, Sarah Paulson, who fears for her life after the presidential election. If you have followed any news of the Trump presidency, “Cult” hits home with its representation of the political divide between liberals and conservatives.

The season, and series as a whole, is also a match for those who like theorizing and are scared of things that go Trump in the night.

— Julia Kolman

Defenders Concept: Defenders encompasses the superhero cliche of a team up between different hero, but instead of a loyal team going to save the world they’re four stubborn people fighting to save Hell’s Kitchen in New York.

Why it’s great: he show combines the forces of Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Daredevil not by some secret organization king a team but rather they all are fighting the same people at the same time. This leads to tension between the characters which results in good dialogue. If you are a fan of super heroes (Marvel or DC) you’re going to love Defenders. The show mixes action with comedy and the special effects are top notch. The show does a really good job at giving each of the characters screen time and is easy to follow even if you’re not caught up on the characters original series.

One thing I would change is to make the series longer at only eight episodes the plot feels a bit rushed.

— Julianne Alvares

Courtesy Creative Commons

Bianca Medina/Bear Witness Senior Johnny Altwal visited Christmas in the Park the day it broke a tree lighting record .

BIANCA MEDINA

D

Staff Writer

owntown San Jose’s annual Christmas in the Park broke a record this year. With 600 Christmas trees turned on, it set a Guinness World Record for most illuminated trees in one area (the previous record was 559).

Christmas in the Park, located at Plaza de Cesar Chavez, draws more than 600,000 visitors each year, and also return visits from Branham students.

Senior Johnny Altwal said that he enjoys the inclusive atmosphere, especially for historical events as the tree lighting.

“I like to go every year because I enjoy how it allows for everyone of all ages to celebrate the holiday season as a community of San Jose, especially in such politically divided times,” Altwal said. “I was especially excited to go this year to see the record-breaking amount of trees and being proud of the community for being able to accomplish that.”

Nonprofit organizations, such as daycares, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, middle schools and high schools (Branham included) take part in donating the 600 trees. Their trees help raise awareness for their group or social cause.

Senior Sofia Vartanian is part of a group called Homenetmen Ani Chapter, a Pan-Armenian diaspora association that focuses on sports and scouting. Her group decorated a tree at Christmas in the Park, and she hopes to educate park visitors about her culture.

“As a leader, I carry out the Armenian traditions, educate next generations of scouts and spread awareness of our past, such as awareness of the Armenian Genocide,” Vartanian said. “The tree we donated to Christmas in the Park is not only to get people to learn who we are, but also to explore other cultures overall.”

Photo club puts passion into focus UZOR AWUZIE Staff Writer bout six meetings in, the Photography Club made its debut as a friendly place for those looking to expand and share their passion for photography.

Club president junior Gina AboulHosn originally began the Photography Club out of her love for photography, an interest she shared along with her friends. She stated that her passion allows her to see things in a different perspective, which is what sparked her desire to share her interests with others.

“Its my place where I can shoot photos, edit them, and stay sane and happy.” Aboul-Hosn said.

The club now thrives with around 10 to 40 consistent members, and takes place in history teacher Tania Eaton’s

A

Instagram Photography Club Secretary Avi Aroroa (left) and President Gina Aboul-Hosn want to share their passion for photography with their classmates.

classroom every other Thursday.

Each meeting covers a different aspect of photography, lead by each of their leaders. Though they plan to cover more in the future, their main focus lies currently in portrait photography and urban photography.

“The digital photo class here seemed like it was teaching more basic level photography, when our goals go more into how to work on your style of photography,” said junior and club secretary Avi Aroroa. Aroroa believes the club serves as an alternative to a photography class; while the class is based off a curriculum that touches the basic techniques of photo taking, the club aims to knuckle down on the various styles that make up the subject.

Aroroa specializes in urban photography, where he has already lead multiple meetings to teach club members his procedure for the perfect “city life”

photo.

The club even plans take field trips that give them chances to put their experience to the test. Then, as a group, they can critique each others’ photos and share their opinions.

“A lot of individuals have come up and talk to us and asked us to come shoot with them and we can definitely see improvement in their work,” said Junior Abby Lang, the club’s vice president. Lang, a model herself, specializes in portrait photography, an area in which she plans to develop more and hopes to teach.

Being in its first year, the club holds plenty of potential for the future. As their ideas progress, it transforms into more and more opportunities for aspiring photography fanatics to learn the craft, share their projects and critique their skills, all to achieve the perfect snapshot.

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BEAR WITNESS

DECEMBER 19, 2017 |

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

THE BACK PAGE WINTER WISHES 2017

“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” — Maya Angelou

GIFTS OF COMPASSION

Atticus Ahearn/Bear Witness Junior Cecelia Rodriguez is escorted on to the quad stage at the Dec. 8 Winter Wishes rally. Rodriguez sought to bring attention to Winter Guard, which also received hundreds of dollars in help.

JULIANNE ALVARES

2.2% Technology 2.8% School Supplies

Opinion Editor

tudents gathered in quad chattering about whose wishes they S thought would be granted. They filled into rows while teachers stood to either side. Holiday music played through the speakers

on each side of the stage. The music suddenly cut off and the hosts stepped onto the stage. The 7th annual Winter Wishes rally was under way.

Leadership had been working since October and during the big moment Dec. 8, the spotlight was finally on them. Some for requests as small as a homecoming shirt, while others asked for objects such as Beats headphones. The rally was reserved for those with bigger wishes and stories.

The first big wish was for Winter Guard. Leadership granted their wish by saying they are going to promote Winter Guard events as well as gifting them money for entry for registration into competitions. Leadership also paid for 20 students’ AP tests.

The featured speaker of the morning was junior Skylar Henry, who spoke about how the Branham community supported him when he came out as transgender. He spoke of the time after he changed his name when his AVID teacher Rachelle Burnside threw a mini party to congratulate him.

Friends of senior Dustin Vu wished for him to get a camera he got the camera and much more. He received a $50 Cinemark card, a $75 Cheesecake Factory gift card, along with the camera they gave him a Nikon camera package and a drone.

Junior Ten Sanchez wished for Alex Gilden and her family to receive a fun night out. Leadership came through gifting them two games of bowling, a certificate to a themed escape room, and gift cards for meals.

Sophomore Lauren Clift’s dad has stage four cancer and she

1,000+

18

wishes made wishes granted at rally

5.5% Gift Cards

Bailey Hunter MiramonRudd tes Asked for Sought help financial for cousin help for battling mom. cancer.

Skylar Henry Thanked English teacher Rachelle Burnside.

Angie Pohle Trainer received a golf cart to help with work.

wished to go to Santa Cruz. She received gift cards to her family’s favorite places in Santa Cruz along with other assorted gifts. Sammy Carol, whose wish involved her mother who has stage 4 metastatic melanoma, received gifts for a spa day.

Sophomore Kyla Tutton received gift cards, groceries, and a winter essentials basket. Senior Bailey Rudd wished for her mom to financial help. She received gift cards for a night out and a new television.

Senior Hunter Miramontes wanted help for her cousin Katie who is battling cancer. Katie was presented with Buster Posey jersey from the giants along with a hat signed by him. Miramontes and Katie also were given tickets to Disneyland.

The rally concluded with giving the athletic trainer Angie Pohle a new golf cart along with tickets to a San Jose Sharks game.

Opinion Editor

e all know the results of wishes getting granted, but what W leads up to the big rally or the surprises in class?

Leadership students are split into six groups: rally coordination,

decorations, sponsorships, the teacher auction, tech, and publicity.

Students in these groups pick through a list of wishes Each group is only allowed two big wishes. The groups must be careful not to go over budget. The big wishes such as the ones granted at the rally are chosen off an anonymous spreadsheet of 40 wishes. The groups then work on the their assignments.

Some may wonder what the requirements are for the wishes.

There are not set requirements- the decision is up to the studentsbut the price of the wish and the student’s personal finances come

10.5% Other

11% AP Tests 20 paid AP tests 2 parking passes 1 AP review book

180+

wishes granted

20

AP Test wishes granted

into play.

An example of a wish going through the process from wish to product is groceries. A student wished for help for their family, leadership reached out to Safeway, and Safeway offered assistance in gift cards and groceries. Safeway gains publicity for their good deeds, and families receive aid in their of need . While Winter Wishes is seen as a great success, there are some wishes that get set aside due to monetary issues.

“I would give it [Winter Wishes] a larger budget,” said sophomore Rebecca Haile, “Because some of the wishes we set aside are great, but we just don’t have the type of money to grant it [the wishes].”

While not all the wishes are granted, the ones that are certainly leave an impact- both on the leadership staff and the people receiving.

{

2 Chromebooks 2 Macbooks 1 Flash drive

10 gift cards 5 bouquets of flowers 2 teddy bears 1 tiara 1 HydroFlask 1 paint set 1intercom shout-out 1 lunchtime serenade 1 smiley-face balloon set 1 basketball

20.4% Clothes 20 Branham sweatshirts 5 50th anniversary sweatshirts 5 Branham shirts 4 Fuzzy socks 3 Fuzzy blankets 1 Soccer windbreaker 1 Harry Styles shirt 1 Branham custom tie-dyed t-shirt 40.2% Food

Leadership shows steps toward wish fulfillment JULIANNE ALVARES

The wishes granted

*according to available information. Actual details may vary slightly from those shown here

}

A tradition to help students in need

20 Grocery wishes 20 In-N-Out 10 Donuts 10 Pizzas 10 Starbucks 5 Panda Express 5 Chicken (Popeyes, KFC) 3 Family grocery packages 2 Thanksgiving meals 1 Pizza Party

How do your wishes get granted?

1.

Two community service commissioners are appointed 2.

The commissioners and the activities director choose two leaders for each of six groups.

3.

Major wishes are chosen from a spreadsheet of about 40 options.

4.

Groups work on their assigned activity, two major wishes for the rally, and some small wishes to be granted in class.