Bear Witness - January 2017

OPINION

Resolution solutions ART

Senior Niko Torres debuts first album

How to keep them throughout 2017

The roots of your favorite slang words

Pages 8,9

Page 5

BEAR

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WITNESS BRANHAM HIGH SCHOOL

FEBRUARY 2, 2017

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

Robyn Gutierrez | 2002 - 2017

An inspiring figure makes lasting mark

Women’s March

WHY THEY MARCHED

LAUREN HOGAN

Student Life Editor

obyn Gutierrez loved life, enjoyed theater R and dreamed of being a director, and in the public eye. She made videos with

Crowds in cities around the world voice concerns of a Trump presidency DEMI LE

Staff Writer

n Jan. 20, President Donald Trump O was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States after a divisive election.

A day later, large groups of demonstrators in major cities in every state and around the world voiced their concerns in the global event known as the Women’s March. “Sister marches” were the solidarity events inspired by the original Women’s March on Wash-

ington.

In San Jose’s sister march, 25,000 people marched from City Hall to Cesar Chavez Plaza. Many protesters wore pink “pussy” hats in reference to a crude comment made

by Mr. Trump off-camera about women. The demonstrators sought to rebuke Mr. Trump’s plans to act against their interests, including reproductive rights, racial inequality, and equal pay. Several students and teachers at Branham attended the event.

Special education teacher Leanne Haghighi was at the protest and said that participants at the San Jose march supported a variety of issues.

Senior Victoria Boxall was fired up after the rally as well.

“The atmosphere of the march was very inspiring,” she said “Usually I get anxious in big crowds but this was different, I felt very safe around everyone. We were all there for the same reasons.”

Staff and students share their experiences from the Bay Area marches | page 6

Estimated turnout Worldwide San Jose San Francisco 3.6 million 25,000 100,000

Oakland 25,000

her friends and shared them on YouTube. In December, a month before she died, she shared her life and challenges before her biggest audience yet: her 1,600 peers at Branham.

Robyn passed away Jan. 10 from Robyn complications due to Ullrich Con- Gutierrez genital Muscular Dystrophy, a fatal The Bear disease. The disease causes progres- Witness sive weakness and a loss of muscle honors Robyn mass. One who is diagnosed with on page 16.

MD gradually loses the ability to do things like walk, sit upright, breathe easily, and move the arms and hands.

Despite her illness, she was an inspiration to her many friends and family. She did not let her illness define her, and poured her heart into theater and movie production.

“She’s an inspiration, not because that she made being a wheelchair look easy, but she made it look confident,” said sophomore Alexis Janosik, one of her theater friends. “She always had this personality about her that made people like her and she made it seem like she was happy, no matter what.”

Though students may first see her as a sweet girl in wheelchair, Robyn chose to see herself just like everyone else.

“I am a normal teenager,” Robyn declared in her speech at the Winter Wishes Rally. “One SEE ROBYN • PAGE 6

*conservative estimates based on several news reports Aidan Kirwan The Branham alumnus wrote a 100-plus page homage to his alma mater in his book: “Branham: A Passionate History.”

Book reflects on 50 years of BHS CLARABELLE WALKUP Staff Writer

s Branham celebrates its 50th anniversaA ry, alum Aidan Kirwan, class of 2015, has written a book exploring the roots of Branham

Name/Bear Witness

Julia Fish/Special Bear Witness

INSIDE

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

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

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

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

High School and its spirit.

Aidan aims to explore life as a Bruin, from its opening in 1967 through today in his book “Branham: A Passionate History,” which is dedicated to “all the alumni, teachers, administrators, athletes, musicians, coaches, and faculty that helped make Branham High what it was once and could be again.”

In the book, Aidan, a sophomore at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo studying history, writes about the birth of Campbell Union High School District and Branham High School.

Culling information and photos from decades of yearbooks and from interviews with alumni, he writes about the students and staff who helped evolve Branham through the decades and how Branham has made an impact on the Bruin community.

He said that he wants to share his passion for Branham, a place he says is very close to his heart. He wrote the book because he wanted to inspire current and future Bruins to appreciate what lives within Branham, its life and history.

“Ultimately I wish for the community to indulge itself upon its past and see what made us great,” he said.

SEE HISTORY • PAGE 6

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

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

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NEWS

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM Since October 2016, San Jose has received over 8.14 inches of rain.

National headlines

In one instance, an Arabic interpreter who worked with the Army was arrested.

Courts stall Trump’s immigration ban Several federal courts have put the brakes on President Donald Trump’s executive order banning immigrants from seven countries from entering the United States. The plan was met with protests after immigrants were detained at airports around the country, even as they seem to have provided proper paperwork.

Trump revives oile pipeline projects On Jan. 24 President Trump signed for the start of the Keystone XL pipeline project. The executive decision left many angry and protests started outside the White House shortly after the announcement. Trump hopes this project will restore work for many people, as he

WASHINGTON, D.C.

New secretary takes over front office

Iz Muñoz/Bear Witness Melody Jones has worked as an ASB banker and was in charge of the district payroll.

GRACE CLINTON Sports Editor

ast December, beloved Branham secretary L Barbara Nishiguchi stepped down after 17 years here and 30 years in the district. After

everyone said their goodbyes and Ms. Nishiguchi left, Branham wasted no time in searching for someone to fill the position.

In January, Melody Jones came aboard to fill Ms. Nishiguchi’s big shoes. Ms. Jones previously worked at the District Office in the payroll department, and prior to that she was an ASB banker at two of the schools in the district. She was one of 26 applicants for the secretary position at Branham.

Cheryl Lawton, Branham’s principal, explained that “all of the people interviewed were well-qualified, but in the end the interview panel decided that Ms. Jones was the best overall fit for both the requirements of the position and Branham.”

A school secretary is someone who assists with correspondence, keeps records, makes appointments, and Melody essentially tackles any obstacles that Jones a school is facing. Branham Secretary The job of a secretary is a vital role in the school system and a big part of making schools run smoothly despite all the obstacles and setbacks they face every year.

Ms. Jones said that being around students and helping them solve problems was a main reason why she was interested . Most of all though, Ms. Jones said she liked the “variety of the job.” In other words, she likes the fact that her role is not the same from day to day. When asked what her first impressions of Branham were, Ms. Jones said “(she) feels it’s a great community that works together.”

As far as what happens next, Ms. Jones explained it is her intention to “continue on with Ms. Nishiguchi’s traditions.”

“

... [Branham is] a great community that works together.

Bear Witness Editors-in-Chief Julia Kolman Kelley Sheen Managing Editor Ty Shikashio Production Editor Iz Muñoz

WASHINGTON, D.C.

promised to do during his campaign. Among protesters are the Standing Rock Sioux and other Native American tribes. These tribes say that the pipeline will negatively affect the water supply and disturb sacred burials.

WISCONSIN Trump revives oile pipeline projects Russian hackers are believed to have compromised the website of the eighth Congressio-

nal District Democratic Party. In doing so, it is suspected that Russian contacts had the ability to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. Hackers may have been attempting to access the state site and not the site of the city of Green Bay, seeing as the two websites have different titles, only by one letter.

— Compiled by Laura Heffernan

Rain eases drought restrictions TAYLOR DOAN Copy Editor

ith the amount of rain the U.S. has been W getting, especially here in California, assumptions have risen concerning the drought.

From mudslides to record-breaking rainfall all throughout Southern California this month, it does appear that we should worry more about protection from the rain than the drought. But our luck with Mother Nature and rain may run out, so the question remains: are we officially out of the drought or on the verge of implementing even more water conservation practices?

Gov. Jerry Brown first declared a drought state of emergency on Jan. 17, 2014. Homeowners were asked to water their lawns at night, sometimes to even forgo watering their greens altogether, in a water conservation movement that campaigned the slogans “Brown is the new green” or “Stay golden, California.” It was hard to go a day without hearing parents chastise their children for wasting water with a simple, “We’re in a drought!”

Three years later and things are finally looking up. For us students, the beginning of January meant a new semester of school. For Californians in general, it meant the end of El Niño and many weeks of ongoing rainfall. Since October 2016, San Jose has received over 8.14 inches of rain, according to the Mercury News. Despite complaints about the cold weather and constant pitter-patter of the rain, many know this is the best thing that could happen to California so far this year.

The wet weather brings growth and, of course, more water. More rain equals less sad-looking lakes. According to Collective Evolution, the state’s largest reservoirs have filled to almost 111 percent of its total storage. So not only did the past few weeks of rain make up for the dry spell, they overcompensated.

Moreover, California’s major crops, such as grapes that make world-famous wines as well as rice that gets exported all the way to Asia, now have a chance at redemption with the excess groundwater available to farmers. As a result of the drought, agricultural production in California since 2014 meant smaller and lower quality crops. Fortunately, the outlook for rain in California is quite high, with three storms projected to hit Southern California, continuing into February and well into spring. You know the saying– April showers bring May flowers.

Although much of the state does remain in drought conditions, water districts are ending the State Water Board’s mandatory water usage restrictions. A new conservation method will be implemented in May, once it is fully developed.

Precipitation records January storms raise water levels Since Oct. 1 ...

San Francisco: 15.68 inches (135 percent of normal), Oakland 13.87 inches (134 percent) San Jose 8.14 inches (117 percent) Salinas 7.96 inches (145 percent).

Rainfall in San Jose • December 1.49 inches • Rainfall year total 4.13 inches or 80% of average to date (Rainfall year is July 1 to June 30) ­ ­ — Source: San Jose Water Company Rosalie Gonzalez/Bear Witness

”

Cadence Trenchard/Bear Witness After heavy rainfall earlier this month, a skylight fell on top of a student and rested between two desks, leaving a large hole in the roof of Room 7.

Editors News: Cadence Trenchard Opinion: Sunanda Kottayil Science and Technology: Adam Saleh Student Life: Lauren Hogan Sports: Grace Clinton Entertainment: Sydney Uyeda Copy: Taylor Doan Online: Sai Tummala Photography: Iz Muñoz Guest artist: Catherine Monroy

Rosalie Gonzalez/Bear Witness Rains have peeled paint off ceilings in Row B is taped off.

Staff Writers Omar Ababneh, Fiorella Castaneda, Michaela Edlin, Rosalie Gonzalez, Laura Heffernan, Demi Le, Jocelyn Pierce, Sarah Snitzer, William Suiter, Clarabelle Walkup Adviser Fitzgerald Vo Mission Statement The Bear Witness is committed to providing accurate, timely coverage of local and world news while connecting these events to the lives of our diverse student body.

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

BEAR WITNESS

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FEBRUARY 2, 2017 |

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NEWS

$20 for first offense, $50 for subsequent offenses.

Fines for drivers who use cell phones without a mount.

International headlines GERMANY

World leaders denounce immigrant ban Several country leaders have criticized President Donald Trump’s plans to reject refgees and citizens of Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. The leaders from Germany, Britain, and Italy have all publicly criticized the executive order. Mr. Trump was reminded of the Geneva Convention, which requires member states to be safe havens for those escaping from their war-torn countries.

Two suspects were arrested near the mosque.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the killings an act of terror.

CHILE

Over 100,000 hectares of forest burnt Pumanque, Chile has had its worst wilderness fire that has destroyed more than 100,000 hectares of forest and forced the government to seek international aid. Many animals suffered broken limbs while trying to escape from the flames. Residents have also struggled to contain the fast-spreading fires.

LUNAR NEW YEAR

CANADA

Shooting at Quebec mosque kills six Six people are dead after gunmen opened fire on a mosque in Quebec on Sunday evening.

NETHERLANDS

Dutch seek way to fund women’s groups President Donald Trump signed an executive order banning federal money going to international groups that perform or provide information on abortions, leading leaders to propose a fund to help women’s health charities in a bid to stave off damage from the policy.

Asian cultures celebrate Year of Rooster Jan. 28 marks the Year of the Rooster. Many people will celebrate by wearing bright and

JAPAN

Chris Phutully/Courtesy Creative Commons A Lunar New Year show in Melbourne, Australia. detailed costumes. The Rooster is the tenth in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac sign.

Some lucky numbers for this year are 5, 7, 8, and some lucky colors are gold, brown, brownish yellow, yellow.

New rules steer teens toward safety Illegal left turns from visitor’s parking lot were driving hazard, principal says TY SHIKASHIO

Managing Editor

he new calendar year brought T new road rules to Branham as San Jose cracked down on disobedi-

ent drivers coming out of the parking lot and onto Branham Lane.

The City of San Jose extended the median that separates Branham Lane traffic flow by putting in large, protruding mounds. This will hopefully reduce the amount of drivers that illegally turn left.

Principal Cheryl Lawton said that illegal turns from the visitor parking lot were a safety issue.

“There were multiple accidents because people were turning left which is why they were put in,” she said.

She also said that police were counting cars that were illegally entering Branham Lane from the parking lot.

Among new statewide laws taking effect in January, Assembly Bill 1785, put into place by Gov. Jerry Brown states that phones be mounted whenever the driver wants to interact with his or her cellular

device. Only a single swipe or tap is permitted while the phone is on the car mount, and fines consist of $20 for the first offense and $50 for every following offense.

In other words, it is absolutely illegal to hold your phone while on the road. With Branham’s second largest class (2018) becoming eligible for licensure this year, this law will hopefully keep the roads safe for this upcoming generation of student drivers.

Junior Matt Ross recently received his driver’s license and thinks that mounted phones are a good idea.

“The driver’s eyes will be partially be on the road since the mount is on the dashboard,” he said.

He also added that while it has good intentions, the law probably won’t be enforced too strictly. English teacher Nancy Freschi, who has been driving in Branham’s parking lot and on surrounding roads since it reopened in 1999, said that while she hopes it helps, those who do not purchase a mount will inevitably sneak their phones on their laps.

Iz Muñoz/Bear Witness Above, new bumpers aim to deter illegal left turns from the visitor parking lot. Right, mounts are now required for those wishing to interact with their phones.

Talks of female empress It has been nearly 250 years since Japan has had an empress. Following the retirement announcement of Emperor Akihito, many in the Japanese government have been talking about having a woman become emperor. Emperor Akihito has been said to support the measure, too. ­— Compiled by Bear Witness staff

Arts programs see expansion for 17-18 year MICHAELA EDLIN Staff Writer

ranham plans to offer three new courses B for the 2017-18 school year to compensate for a growing student population and changing

interests.

Linda Goytia, the Campbell Union High School District board president, said that courses are often added to accommodate “student interest and demand.”

If students want a course offered at Branham, they should consult a teacher or administrator so the teacher may make a proposal. This proposal may later be approved by the board and added to the master schedule.

Branham plans to offer a multivariable calculus class in the future with a middle college professor for students who finish Calculus BC during their junior year. There is also interest in adding business classes similar to Project Lead the Way in addition to more coding courses, considering we are in the Silicon Valley.

Visual and performance art categories are greatly expanding with Musical Theater, Intermediate Dance, A Cappella singing, and Wind Ensemble classes being offered next year.

Intermediate Dance: Eileen Bertron, Branham’s dance teacher, said that the Intermediate Dance class was added because “we have a beginning dance class and an advanced dance class and there was nothing in between.”

She said she believes that the class will fill out a gap that has been keeping students from signing up for a dance class, but who want to perform at a level between beginning and advanced.

Bertron said that those taking intermediate dance can look forward to “building on technique … and choreography that gets a little bit harder.” Those taking the class will also be able to perform in the spring dance show to display the talents they have been focusing on developing.

Wind Ensemble: Similar to the intermediate dance class, Wind Ensemble fills a gap within the classes already offered. The music classes currently offered include: Concert Band, Guitar 1 and 2, Jazz Ensemble and Marching Band.

Wind Ensemble is the school’s most advanced band, after Concert and Symphonic Band.

A cappella: The a cappella class is a unique addition that interests Branham’s vice principal, Justin Ponzio. A cappella is singing not accompanied by instruments. In the past few years, movies like “Pitch Perfect” and music groups such as Pentatonix have popularized this form of singing that will soon be offered at Branham.

‘GREATEST SHOW’ NO MORE Struggling Ringling Bros. circus to shut down in May JOCELYN PIERCE Staff Writer

fter 146 years in the entertainment industry, The A Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus announced its closure earlier this month.

The show’s closing was the result of declining ticket sales not sustaining the extensive costs it takes to run a circus, said the producer of the circus, Kenneth Feld with Feld Entertainment Company in a press release.

Feld said that the shows’ attendance experienced a significant drop after the decision to get rid of their elephant act in May 2016. Animal rights groups have spent years protesting the use of animals in circus acts, especially elephants. Suspected animal abuse was a constant factor associated with the Ringling Bros. shows.

After the show was fined $270,000 for alleged violation of the Animal Welfare Act in 2011, they opened the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Center for Elephant Conservation. The elephants were finally retired, and the circus has been struggling with sales ever since.

Certain animal rights groups, specifically People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), arePETA celebrated the closure in a statement.

“Society has changed, eyes have been opened, people know now who these animals are, and we know it is wrong to capture and exploit them.”

Some Branham students are also happy with the closure.

Sophomore Isabela Dumo said seeing animals forced to perform tricks merely for people’s entertainment ruins the entire experience of a circus for her.

“It’s just difficult to enjoy the show when all I can think about is what they could be putting those animals through, rather than letting them be free,” she said.

The closing of this circus is going to leave about 500 members of the company out of a job. Feld Entertainment runs other shows, including Monster Jam, Marvel Universe Live!, and Disney on Ice. He would like to add some of the Ringling Bros. performers and crew members into his other shows.

The circus has 30 shows left before its final act on May 7, in Providence, R.I.

Laura LaRose/Courtesy Creative Commons Ticket sales for Ringling Bros. shows have plummeted since the company retired elephants. The closure ends 146 years of the once-popular circus act.

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BEAR WITNESS

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OPINION

BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

“If they want to, I see nothing wrong with it.”

Julian Franckx Sophomore

“If people expect a gender role, like guys ask girls but I think everyone deser ves a chance to break the norm.”

“ Yeah, I’ve asked guys before.

Because, why not?”

Brooke Irby Junior

Conner Ngo Sophomore

I “ Yes, girls should still ask guys. d side onea just noy it’s feel like thing; like if you go on a date, you both put effort in.”

Helen Nguyen Junior

Branham is bringing back the Sadie Hawkins dance, a tradition where girls ask guys to the dance. This event causes some conflict. When society is becoming more inclusive to the LGBT community, is the dance an artifact of bygone era?

ly “We have been doing so much late ents stud BT LG the ude incl to try to of at Branham but Sadie’s is kind it heteronormative in the way that who does not leave room for couples s.” ship tion rela girl boy/ aren’t in

Allie Yusim Sophomore

ily.

“I don’t think it matters necessaraskof sure pres the e’s ther Like yeah ts ing a guy, but if a girl really wan to, why not?”

Erin Rochfort Senior

Dated Sadie’s dance still fun SYDNEY UYEDA

F

Erntertainment Editor

or the first time since 2014, our school will host a Sadie Hawkins dance. Although the dance may be good news to some, to others it is a burden. With changing gender and social norms, do we really need a Sadie’s dance?

A little history. A Sadie’s dance takes place after girls are encouraged ask guys to the dance. It can be traced back to cartoonist Al Capp published a cartoon in 1937 in which a girl named Sadie Hawkins would chase a boy until he was caught, and they were to be married. This absurd concept eventually evolved into a dance.

Giving girls the chance to ask a boy for Sadie’s seems sweet. However, in a culture where girls are asking boys to prom, homecoming and other social events, having Sadie’s seems outdated.

And why did Leadership decide that this year was the year they bring it back after it being dormant all those years?

“A lot of people already wanted to bring Sadie’s back,” said junior Mac Francini, a Leadership student.

Others disagree with the sentiment.

“I don’t think that it is a necessity … but I do think that it’s really cool that we are having it this year,” said sophomore Kirstin DeMarquez.

Others are conflicted and can understand the purpose of the dance.

“Sadie’s is not needed in our generation because any gender can ask the other to any dance,” she said, “However, I do think the idea of Sadie’s is exciting and fun since typically more guys ask girls to dances.”

Our generation has come a long way from the old-fashioned gender norms, which makes Sadie’s unnecessary. However, Branham students should go have some fun with their friends or dates Feb. 10th! Don’t forget your lei!

Sadie Hawkins, 35,000 B.C.E

sa-dies?

Kelley Sheen/Bear Witness

AHOCKER

“Sadie’s is not needed in our generation because any gender can ask the other to any dance.”- Sophomore Kirstin DeMarquez

“Girls can put in effort too. It’s not just guys who have to do everything.”

Tori Mok Junior

“Sometimes girls are afraid to ask guys and then only people with dates will go to the dance.”

Belle Ngo Freshman

“I’m kind of yes and no, because girls have the right to ask but sometimes they don’t and nobody goes to the dance.”

Andre Nassar Sophomore

Arts last in funding priority

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said the world needed “ more welders, fewer philosophers.”

The work done by artists is incredibly monumental to society. Comedy hen schools are facing budget cuts, the first place to go is usually the art department. Excess money tends to go to sports since well- routines from Dave Chappelle to Hari Kondabolu have furthered racial understandings more than any diversity day workshop. You can learn more built sports programs can bring money and prestige.

In our tech-reliant world, schools are starting to place value on improv- about American history after listening to the “Hamilton” soundtrack than ing engineering departments. In 2013 the Chicago Public School system in a history class, or so the advertisements claim.The nation of North Korea launched an attack on Sony Pictures after the satirical (though not that shut down 50 schools, in the process laying off funny) comedy “The Interview” was made about them.

1,581 teachers, 10 percent of those who taught If the people creating art can’t pay their bills then we either art or music. have a problem.

These cuts are inevitable as public schools are Cutting arts also affect the creation of future scienstrapped for cash, but undercutting artists in tists. The GOP have consistently been trying to cut the schools reflect how we as a society view our budget of the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, a artists. nonprofit organization created by Congress to fund Funding academic departments is seen as public broadcasting. Public broadcasting pays for orgamore of an investment towards schools, which nizations such as PBS and NPR . Due to the low cost in theory will get them into prestigious colto consumers, PBS is most popular for its children’s leges and land prestigious jobs, in turn beneprogramming, PBS Kids (“Sesame Street,” “Arthur,” fiting the public school. This idea spreads the “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” etc.) that are designed ART ATHLETICS MATH&SCIENCE belief that artists are not sustainable members help underprivileged children be on track for school. of society. These beliefs are pushed forward by Kelley Sheen/Bear Witness Cutting this program may hold back students, students elected officials. who could have grown up to be scientists.

Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin suggested that stuSociety needs to value its artists. There’s nothing rodents studying French literature should not receive state funding for college education, saying that “all the people in the world who want to study mantic about starving and worrying that you might be evicted.

But amid the doom and gloom, there is hope for artists. Due to the high French literature can do so; they’re just not going to be subsidized by the number of individuals applying to engineering departments, you are stataxpayers like engineers will be.” tistically more likely to get into that college you want.

SUNANDA KOTTAYIL

W

Opinion Editor

2+4=

6

Blue Crew spirit ignores other sports GRACE CLINTON

P

Sports Editor

icture this: it is a Friday night in November and the sun has just gone down; the stands at Branham are packed full of cheering fans watching the varsity football game. But no one cheers as hard, as loud, and as passionately as Blue Crew, and the group does an excellent job of showing its support for the football team with loud cheers, chants and jumping, you name it.

While Blue Crew spirit during football games is great, the goal of Blue Crew is really to get supporters out to most, if not all, sports games throughout the school year.

“The main goal of Blue Crew is to definitely show support for our sports teams while also creating an atmosphere of solidarity,” said senior Jason Kim, one of Blue Crew’s leaders and ASB President.

The Blue Crew should ideally attend at least one game, match, or meet of EACH sport during the course of the year. But most people, myself included, mainly associate Blue Crew with football season.

Additionally, Blue Crew as a group sees more signups than those who turn up for the games.

Jason also said that, “there has for sure been a trend of people signing up but not showing up even throughout the football season.”

He also brought up the point that “Blue Crew leaders of the past never made much of an effort to rally spirits at other sporting events,” so it appears this is not a new thing.

This said, it isn’t like Blue Crew members never come out to watch other sports. For instance, for varsity field hockey senior night at Branham, a significant amount of Blue Crew members attended. Blue Crew does make an effort to come to senior nights and CCS games.

Football tends to get the most love as it is a convenient and sociable

Iz Muñoz/Bear Witness A sparse Blue Crew crowd cheers the boy’s soccer team at their home Jan. 23 against rival Leigh. Blue Crew attendance drops after football season. sport to watch. It is also at the beginning of the year, so the pace of the school year is not at its full height just yet, giving students the time and energy to come out and watch.

Another factor is that some games are just not as easy to watch. Golf crowds follow the players around the course, which can seem awkward.

Swim is also an odd sport to watch, as it is hard to watch the swimmers and really observe anything exciting.

I love sports, but I usually only attend the football games and occasionally the sports my friends play. Jason explained that he has noticed that there has been more support at games of other sports, and while it is mainly athletes supporting other athletes, it is still a good sight to see.

There are 14 sports at Branham, spread out among varsity, JV and frosh-soph.The options are endless. If you are in Blue Crew, find a day when you have some extra time, grab your jacket and go watch some sports.

OPINION Editorial The opinion of the Bear Witness editors

BEAR WITNESS

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Outdated Branham buildings a safety issue pened in 1967, Branham O High School has prospered over the past 50 years. With

thriving academic and athletic programs, it is one of the best public schools in the Bay Area. But this past month, the Bear Witness noticed a concerning facet of Branham High School: structural integrity.

Whether it be the skylight in room 7 or the hallway ceilings, it seems as though Branham is falling apart. For a school located in a city known for its modern technology and innovation, we are lacking

50-year-old buildings are showing their age after the recent rains.

5 BHSBEARWITNESS.COM “Start to love blacks as much as we love their culture.”

Amndla Steinberg, on people using AAVE but not apreciating its roots.

FEBRUARY 2, 2017 |

both. The hallway ceiling is one of our main concerns.

With the recent heavy rainfall, water has infiltrated the hallway overhangs, slowly degrading what was once solid. Just looking at the damage from the surface, one can tell there is obvious damage done to the roof. The ceiling paint is peeling, the holes are gaping, and bins are put into place beneath the damaged areas to catch the excess rain water. An old school will intrinsically experience a few structural breakdowns, but right now, safety is a large concern of

Today’s slang has black roots Finna: going to; something you are planning to do.

ours. Even though it doesn’t rain here often, our campus needs to be able to withstand light and heavy rains.

On Jan. 12, the room 7 skylight luckily made of plastic - collapsed on top of a student, underscoring the need that a solid infrastructure promotes campus safety.

Moreover, the weight room has seen significant damage. Located in a portable, the weight room floor consists of plywood overlaid by rubber flooring. After years of deadlifts, cleans, and dropping plates onto the floor, the plywood

has started to chip away, creating soft spots in the floor that are very suspect.

Branham is already taking steps towards restoring structural integrity by resurfacing the pool and installing new lights in the gym and cafeteria.

Overall, we do a great job of protecting students and ensuring their security. With the AA infrastructure bond backing us, funding will be accessible. We can rest assured that Branham is doing its best to combat these problems, and action is being taken to resolve them.

You’re killing me, Branham

A French textbook with a very simple yet chilling phrase: “kill me.”

ROSALIE GONZALEZ

Y

Lit: A word used to express excitement or pleasure.

Throwing shade: To blatantly show distaste, usually directed against someone

Ratchet: ghetto; not classy.

Staff Writer

ou’re sitting in class and the teacher has just assigned a long and rather tedious paper. The class lets out a collective groan when you hear a classmate mumble under their breath, “Kill me, please.”

It’s not like it’s never been said before, and you are likely to hear that phrase or something like it uttered once every class period. But is it an acceptable comment for you or your peers to be making?

Is it insensitive to people who know of suicide victims or who experience suicidal thoughts? Or is it simply a meaningless joke?

No matter where you stand, the line on “suicide jokes” can become very blurry. Some recognize them simply as jokes, others use it as a coping mechanism, and some find it offensive.

Comments like these have become commonplace among most classroom settings.

Many see them simply as

“

No matter where you stand, the line on “suicide jokes” can become very blurry.

”

light hearted jokes. Simply a venting of frustration and vexation, which they never intend to be harsh or rude.

Teenagers, in general, tend to be over dramatic and immature. Typically the only people who truly understand their sense of humor are the students themselves.

Similarly, many have been known to use comments like these as a coping mechanism.

Instead of actions they use words to cope with an array of emotions. These comments allow them to lift weight off of their own shoulders little by little. In a way, it helps keep them going.

However some see these comments as rude, insensitive, and offensive. Some know victims of suicide or are

Grace Clinton/Bear Witness dealing with their own builtup emotions. They feel as though these comments are mocking real life experiences that others may have had to deal with or simply find it rude to joke about such a morbid subject.

I tend to make comments like these on near daily basis.

It’s simply become part of my vocabulary as phrase meaning, “Wow, I couldn’t be more annoyed.”

It has never bothered me to hear fellow students making such comments, but if I was approached by a friend or classmate who informed me that my comments made them uncomfortable I would be sure to censor myself.

There is a time and place for everything, the same way it’s discouraged to curse around a child, we should be aware and respectful of the opinions of our peers.

If it’s acceptable in one friend group then feel free to voice your frustrations. But if it makes someone uncomfortable be sure to be courteous.

LIMITING PHONE USE IS IN YOUR HANDS JULIA KOLMAN

Thirsty: desperately craving something, usually with sexual undertone.

JOCELYN PIERCE

F

Staff Writer

inna.” “Bae.” “On fleek.”

“Turn up!”

We all hear these words, and many more just like them, thrown around as they grow in popularity. It almost seems like they come out of nowhere, until one day you check Twitter or Instagram and everyone is using some new, trendy word.

Mainstream slang doesn’t just appear out of thin air. Before you continue using this language, at least take the time to acknowledge where it comes from.

AAVE is short for African American Vernacular English, language that arises from the black community. It’s not the same thing as the African lan-

guage. AAVE is a part of a culture. It is not a language of laziness, nor of ignorance.

Many teens use AAVE without actually acknowledging or realizing what it is. While some think no one other than African-Americans should use AAVE, actually achieving this is quite an unrealistic and unnecessary goal. Slang is such a large part of what defines our generation, whether it derives from AAVE or not.

However, when we pick and choose what parts of black culture we use, it’s very easily seen as cultural appropriation.

We adapt their language, but shame them for using it. We can’t love their contributions without loving them, too. In the words of actress Amandla

Catherine Monroy/Bear Witness

Stenberg, “What if America loved black people as much as black culture?”

If you’re going to adapt black culture, make sure it’s followed with respect for where it comes from. Know your boundaries. Certain words, such as the ever-controversial “n-word,” should be left for the use of African Americans alone. AAVE has been used for so long by people not from the black community, though, that completely eliminating its use by anyone who’s not African-American is probably an impractical vision.

Continue to use AAVE. Continue to love black culture.

Start acknowledging where it comes from. Start to love blacks as much as we love their lifestyle.

W

Editor In Chief

e see it all around campus: friends together, students with open notebooks, and classes listening to lectures. Everyone seems connected in one way or another. Except for one thing: They aren’t present. Instead of interacting verbally, they check social media, text their peers, or plug in their headphones and listen to music.

Cell phones have become noticeably distracting in relationships and education. Rather than face-to-face conversations at lunch or outside of school, social media and texting keeps teenagers connected.

While doing homework, some students are interrupted by texts or the desire to check social media, distracting them from their studies.

Junior Chloe Stowers listens to music while doing schoolwork.

“It’s music that helps me concentrate,” she said. Instrumental music, such as jazz, is beneficial while studying; however, music most students listen to, with lyrics, is especially distracting, especially while studying language, reading, and writing.

Cell phone dangers stretch beyond the impact on social interaction. Research shows that modern phones’ LED light can harm the retina and lead to permanent eye damage. This illumination, also referred to as “blue light”, decreases levels of melatonin and can cause sleeping troubles.

Here at Branham, several teachers have started to require students to store their phones in

Iz Muñoz/Bear Witness

“pockets,” or simply enforce strict no-phone policies.

In an age of technology, it’s implausible to completely disconnect from our cell phones, yet there are suggestions to lessen the damage from blue light and improve social interactions. Frequent breaks from electronic screens give your eyes a rest, and will force you to blink on a regular pattern, as prolonged screen time reduces your blinks per minute.

These breaks from your phone allow a chance to connect to the world around you, and focus on social interactions.

Chloe believes it’s beneficial to disconnect “to realize that there’s more important things going on in our world.”

Technology has its benefits, but it’s crucial to stay connected to the physical world, not just your peers on social media.

6

Why Branham students and teachers marched Aaron Sherrill, History

I marched for my students’ future. This administration is not focused on helping youth nor on building America’s future. Decisions seem to be made based on questionable values of the past, and corporate power over individuals. I’m expecting to have to march a lot over the next few years.

Meredith Allen, Math

Hailey Rapa, Senior

I marched because I believe basic human rights are universal and that no one should have the right to tell me what to do with my body except myself.

Leanne Haghighi, Special Ed.

I marched for social justice and human rights.

Rachelle Burnside, English

I marched for my friends, family, and students. I marched for women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrant’s rights, people with disabilities, the poor and underprivileged, universal health care, public education, and environmental protections. I believe in bridges, not walls!

I marched for women’s reproductive rights and for immigrant’s rights. I have a lot of students who come from immigrant families and they are concerned about what this administration will do in terms of repealing DACA, increasing deportations, etc.

Julia Fish, Senior

I went to the Women’s March because in a time when our rights are being threatened, it is incredibly important to reestablish unity among all women; it is impportant to continue to fight for our human rights.

I just really wanted to participate! Women’s rights are something that I’m fairly passionate about, and I wanted to be able to say I was a part of such an immense and global protest.

Sara Robertson, Junior:

Grace Su/Special to Bear Witness

Aaron Sherrill/Special to Bear Witness

Leanne Haghighi/Bear Witness From left, former Branham teacher Diana Nguyen, and teachers Leanne Haghighi and Rachelle Burnside show solidarity.

HISTORY | Aiden Kirwan writes comprehensive history of BHS As a student at Branham, Aidan was visible member of the school community, often seen wearing his varsity jacket. He earned freshman of the year in track, became a team captain as a sophomore, and was named “Spirit Captain” of the football team for rallying the victory against Leigh as a senior.

Upon graduation, Kirwan said he was not prepared to leave Branham after such a great experience, and he wasn’t ready to let go of the Bruin Dream.

To ease his nostalgia, he set out to write a book about Branham’s past, an idea which came overnight. In his research, Kirwan read many past Bear Witness newspapers, yearbooks, and contacted many alumni and staff. It took him about half a year to complete the 100 page book, but in the end it was all worthwhile.

“Branham is no ordinary high school; the Bruin Dream is alive and well, watching over its Bruins

whether the spirit of Branham be its alumni or its faculty, it exist in all of us,” Aidan writes in the book’s introduction.

In his book, he reveals the origins of many clubs like Blue Crew and Key Club and explores many legends and rumors regarding famous Branham traditions.

For example, the Rock made its first appearance when a Branham senior, Phillip Foster (class of 1973) bought the rock and unloaded it at the side of the school. His original intention was to place it in the quad, but it was too heavy to transfer. The community quickly embraced the Rock’s presence and ASB used it as a tool to advertise events. He also touches on years that were considered the height of Branham’s spirit, called “The Navy Decade.”

Aidan said that he hopes to get the book published in the coming months, and to share his love for Branham to a broader audience.

ROBYN | Honoring a beloved freshman who spends too much time texting, is obsessed with cool shoes, loves Taylor Swift and Rosanna Pansino, loves to sing and act. I am an awesome artist, and yes, I too daydream about that cute boy in class.”

Her mother Aarica wrote Robyn’s obituary and shared it on her Facebook page.

“Robyn walked delicately, and sometimes with a special walker, until just a month shy of turning four, and then used a power wheelchair for all that her legs wouldn’t let her do. As her family struggled with the loss of her ability to walk, she embraced her chair and the freedoms it gave her, openly and happily.”

Aarica said that Robyn lived all of her life effortlessly making lasting friendships because of her kindness and acceptance of others and their differences.

In the fall, Robyn’s health deteriorated, and she was attached to a breathing machine continuously.

Robyn was able to muster enough strength to speak at the Winter Wishes Rally, but eventually needed the help of her sister to read the rest of her speech.

“This is no sob story,” she said.

“Not at all. It’s to say that under-

standing and accepting the fact that this may be a losing battle someday soon, is not a reason to give up. For me, it’s the opposite: it drives me to make the most of every day. To help others who are different – gain a new understanding from those around us.

To cherish everyone and everything. All the little moments, not just the big ones.”

Robyn made YouTube videos with her family and friends as an escape from the challenges of MD disease. With that in mind, the Leadership class made it their goal to get her fans for the page.

Since her passing, Branham’s students expressed their condolences to Robyn’s family and friends. The Leadership class invited the entire student body to come to the cafeteria at lunch on the Thursday after Robyn’s passing, where students could write their condolences to Robyn’s family. In addition, Leadership is donating $2,000 to Robyn’s family in aid with any expenses regarding Robyn’s funeral. A YouCaring page has raised more than $14,000 as of Friday for her family.

Robyn inspired all of us: everyone she met at school, and anyone who heard her story.

“She left a true legacy here on Earth, and made a wonderful impact on so very many lives… and will live on in thousands upon thousands of hearts,” her mother wrote.

Robyn’s contribution to the world was herself, her bravery in face of adversity, and her passion for life. She shared her illness with courage and strength.

“We each have something special to contribute to this world, so show it,” Robyn said in her speech. “Don’t let anyone ever make you hide way or feel any different.”

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FEBRUARY 2, 2017 |

SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY Science Briefs

Master Chief

Halo 4 2012

New human organ identified A new organ was found in our digestive systems, and was long thought to be made up of fragmented, separate structures. But recent research has shown that it’s actually one, continuous organ. A double fold of peritoneum - also known as the mesentery: the lining of the abdominal cavity that attaches our intestine to the wall of our abdomen, and keeps everything locked in place.

Super Mario Super Mario Galaxy Bros.

2012 1985

The warming of the ocean has not stopped, as reported in 2013.

Link

Ocarina of Time 1998

BJ Blascowicz

Skyward Sword 2011

Wolfenstein 3D 1992

Changing the faces of gaming

Twitter screenshot After a gag rule was ordered on science organizations, the Badlands National Park Twitter page sent out several tweets, since deleted, on climate change.

Science groups go ‘rogue’ on Twitter The Trump Administration has placed a gag order restricting the information federal science agencies can communicate to the public.

In retaliation the agencies created ‘rogue’ versions of their accounts, that are not affiliated with the federally funded organizations to share their support of science.

NASA and several national parks have created ‘rogue’ accounts, specifically challenging the Trump’s administration’s belief that climate change is a hoax created by China.

Halo 2001

Goomba

ADAM SALEH

S

Science and Technology Editor

ince the early 70s, video games have been the best way to find an escape from reality, a way for people to paint a narrative in a world that contrasts their own.

Video games have come a long way from the 8-bit classics like Mario and Pac-man to the first multiplayer hits like “Halo” and Call of Duty, and finally to the recent hits: Battlefield 1,” “Overwatch,” and “Watch Dog 2.”

In 1985, the entertainment world shifted with the release of the “Super Mario Bros.” At the time, the NES was a household necessity for families everywhere. The technological development immersed kids and adults in a virtual world that sated the thirst for adventure. In modern times, the classics can be programmed into an average graphing calculator as technology advances forward.

Recently, this theme has been threatened, video games are beginning to resemble interactive movies rather than individual experiences; however, this may not be a bad

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Wolfenstein The New Order 2014

thing. Consumer expectations have been outrunning the video game industry’s production status for decades; but, this new push for lifelike graphics could be moving video games into a new realm of technology. This would mean more companies expediting virtual reality and moving entertainment-based technology into a new threshold.

For many new games, companies use photogrammetry for their graphics, a process in which a series of photographs are taken of an object or scene and are stitched together and replicated in a graphics processing software.

“Star Wars Battlefront” and “Battlefield 1” are both popular triple-A titles released in late 2015 and 2016 were some of the first games to utilize the technique.The process yields extremely lifelike results that are almost indiscernible from real organic images which is where the point of contention stems from. For many games, the natural step for improvement has always been for better graphics; however, these titles quite cannot get any better visually unless they cross into the cinema field.

Developers of the video game “Star Wars Battlefront” hiked along the Redwood National and State Parks to capture high-resolution photograph to create lifelike backdrops for the game.

2016 hottest year on record Global surface temperatures and Arctic sea ice extent have broken records in 2016, according to NASA analyses of ground-based observations and satellite data.

Each of the first six months of 2016 set a record as the warmest respective month globally in the modern temperature record that dates back to 1880, according to scientists from NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York.

The six-month period from January to June was also the planet’s warmest half-year on record having an average temperature 1.3 degrees Celsius and warmer than the late nineteenth century.

Extremely rare galaxy discovered About 359 million light-years away from Earth, there is a galaxy with the name PGC 1000714, unlike anything astronomers have ever observed before. New research provides a first desc ription of a well-defined ellipse-like core surrounded by two circular rings—a galaxy that appears to belong to a class of rarely observed, Hoag-type galaxies. This work was done by scientists at the University of Minnesota Duluth and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.

Simple toy acts as a cheap centrifuge Researchers have used the technology behind a 5,000-year-old toy to make an inexpensive paper device that can separate blood andcould change how some diseases are diagnosed in developing countries.

This device, the Paperfuge, imitates the workings of traditional centrifuges that are used to diagnose infections like HIV. Typical centrifuges can cost thousands of dollars and need electricity to function which make it difficult for impoverished areas to afford them. The paperfuge is an affordable alternative.

— Compiled by Lauren Hogan

EA Games

Social media may heighten teen depression DEMI LE

Staff Writer

More teenagers experience depression than before.

The common age group for those who suffer from depression is 25 to 44 years old. However, new information from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed that increased rates were limited to those ages 12 to 20.

According to the November publication of the journal Pediatrics, the percentage of teens who reported having a major depressive episode increased from 8.7 percent to 11.3 percent between 2005 and 2014. A major depressive episode is defined as an extended period of time accompanied by low mood, feelings of guilt, fatigue and loss of interest.

The largest increase occurred after 2011, the span of time which social media began to make its way into everyday life.

Sheree Polanski, Branham’s Counseling and Support Services for Youth (CASSY) Counselor, said that social media is increasing the avenues of communication, for good or for bad.

“It’s easier to interact with peers, which is a good thing, however, there are detriments,” Ms. Polanski said.

These detriments include bullying, since people can be reached anywhere online. Ms. Polanski also said that she has noticed increased incidents of bullying, but she cannot say by how much since she is new at Branham.

Social media may be to blame for the rise in teenagers experiencing major depressive episodes. Even then, experts say that the phenomenon is underreported.

This can be due to a variety of factors. Many teens and

Tech Bytes Digital assistants take center stage LG, along with many other tech companies, has introduced a smart robot at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The LG Hub Robot is like a mobile Siri, that can follow you around your house, and operate smart devices in your home such as air conditioning, speakers, or even a washing machine by utilizing Amazon’s ‘Alexa’ voice assistant. No pricing information or release date has been given.

Kodak reintroduces Ektachrome film Although digital cameras and megapixels are what most of us are familiar with, Kodak is bringing back a photography classic. Announced at CES 2017, Kodak will reintroduce its classic Ektachrome slide film. Ektachrome is loved by film photographers everywhere for its sharpness, contrast, and vivid colors, this film was used for decades before Kodak discontinued it in 2012. Kodak will release the film in 35mm format at the end of 2017.

Pocket-sized desktop computers Intel has released a full-featured computer system that is barely bigger than a credit card. The Compute Card, a 5 mm thick, sleek looking device, is capable of plugging into a normal standalone monitor or TV and turning it into a working computer. In addition to being useable as a computer, the card also has potential to provide the computing power for smart devices and displays such as restaurant ordering systems and sports scoreboards.

Lindsey O’Donnell/CRN New cameras can nearly see in the dark The newly released Pentax KP DSLR boasts a 24 megapixel sensor, with high tech 5 axis image stabilization and weather sealing. The highlight of this camera is it’s high-ISO performance, with the ability to shoot at up to ISO 819,200. ISO denotes the sensitivity of the camera’s sensor to light, and most cell phone cameras can only shoot up to ISO 3200. A sunny day would be about ISO 50, and a dark room would be about ISO 1600. With such a high ISO, the Pentax KP will be able to easily take pictures in pitch black rooms without being washed out or blurry.

Kelley Sheen/Bear Witness adults confuse irritability and moodiness with actual symptoms of depression. It may also be due to the fact that the U.S health care system doesn’t provide regular screenings for mental illness in adolescents.

“For some teenagers it can be liberating to know (about their mental illness) so they can learn how to cope with it,” said Ms. Polanski.

Many teens may be experiencing symptoms of depression or have depression, and are not aware of it. There is not a clear explanation for this trend but even so, these are signs that we need to change how we approach mental health care in the U.S. Students feeling changes in their mood patterns can talk to counselors at the Student Service Center.

Sean O’Kane/The Verge — Compiled by Will Suiter

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BEAR WITNESS

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FEBRUARY 2,

So you resolved to be a better pe hasn’t worked. Don’t worry. You h track. We talked to Mary Welty-Da and help you get your goals back o

, 2017 |

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

erson in 2017 and one month in ... it have 10 more months to get back on apkus, a life coach based in San Jose, on track.

Concept: Sai Tummala, Adam Saleh, Iz MuĂąoz Illustrations: Catherine Monroy and Rosalie Gonzalez

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STUDENT LIFE

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

“Other schools don’t have the same interaction.”

Ms. Meenakshi Srinivasan, substitute teacher, on Branham’s unique atmosphere

Limitless possibilities from a deck of cards

Minhduc performs his ‘Sandwich’ on his YouTube Channel.

DEMI LE

Staff Writer

ll it takes is a deck of cards and some seriA ously fast hands for senior Minhduc Cao to amaze you.

Minhduc calls it cardistry, “juggling with cards,” in his own words, and has been practicing since December 2015.

He learned how to perform basic card shuffling by watching YouTube videos. This led him to performing magic tricks and eventually cardistry.

“You can make an infinite amount of ‘moves’

Iz Muñoz/Bear Witness Minhduc Cao demonstrates his card tricks on his YouTube page, where he describes the hours spent to perfect his “cardistry.” Left and right are his two signature tricks.

and ‘cuts’ with (a pack of cards), just like how you can toss a yo-yo many different ways,” he said.

The intent is to create an entrancing motion and display, so it differs from card magic in its complexity.

Although cardistry has not hit the mainstream yet, friends and classmates are captivated by his work.

Minhduc commented that the cardistry community is actually very active. “(There are) plenty of small competitions and

Minhduc performs a routine named “Break.”

conventions worldwide, as well as new ideas and cuts showcased on YouTube and Instagram,” he said.

Cardistry-Con is an example of a popular convention, organized by Dan & Dave Industries who are two notable sleight of hand practitioners. The most recent convention was held last year in Berlin, meant for “cardists” from around the world to explore limitless possibilities. Two other popular competitions include the Cardistry Con Competition and the International Cardistry Open.

‘Welcome’ to Branham

These conventions and competitions are generally too far away or too challenging for Minhduc. However, “there are smaller competitions open to beginners but it often requires a lot of new moves,” he said.

Minhduc would like to keep cardistry as a hobby and create “casual videos” instead of competing.

The most rewarding aspect of cardistry, according to Minhduc, is “seeing the end result of practicing for weeks even though the move might last 10 seconds.”

Tutorial sign-in system tracks student attendance SARAH SNITZER Staff Writer

ext time you forget to get N checked in for tutorial under Branham’s Five-Star Student pro-

Taylor Doan/Bear Witness A few days after President Donald Trump’s election victory, Branham’s administrators invited students to the football field to share their hopes, fears and concerns about the incoming administration.

Students, teachers attest to friendly campus climate SAI TUMMALA Staff Writer

ranham prides itself as a welB coming and altruistic community, and it seems that others see that

quality in our school as well.

Meenakshi Srinivasan has been a substitute teacher at every school in the district and said that students at Branham are more giving and kinder to each other than at other schools.

“Other schools don’t have the same interaction, and simply put, there are a higher concentration of greetings among one another.” Ms. Srinivasan said.

The school culture celebrates acceptance in all its activities, from Link Crew orientation for freshmen to the annual Winter Wishes rally, which began six years ago and is now a district wide tradition.

Junior Johnny Altwal immigrated

to the U.S. from Qatar, noted that he did not feel the target of unwanted attention because of his birth country.

“Our environment is welcoming to people of all origins and there isn’t any discrimination against anybody,” said Johnny. “The great thing about Branham was that I didn’t feel discriminated because I am from the Middle East.”

Ms. Srinivasan praises the staff ’s collaborative efforts, and the overall happy mood that she sees in the hallways.

“I have subbed here for seven years, and I love the teachers here at Branham and their ties with one another,” she saidi. “The work and interaction goes hand in hand efficiently.”

Best Buddies, Gay-Straight Alliance, Latino Student Union and many other clubs work to support students of different background and

orientations.

Best Buddies is a group that helps students and special education students create lasting friendships. The group hosts multiple dances, including the Winter Wonderland dance and prom with students from other schools.

Branham’s unique internal environment provides unconditional support to students old and new. Every year, the “Make a Wish” rally is great success as our community of 1,600 students and staff help one another. Our community not only nurtures those in it, but also influences our local community.

Through supporting one another and having friends or teachers that they can rely on, Branham’s environment is a highly functioning community and a tight-knit family comprised of 1,600 students.

gram, heed Julia Fish’s story.

The senior forgot to get her ID card scanned in Ms. Heather Amanatullah’s room during tutorial last week.

She promptly received an email later that day from Susie reminding her to do so next time.

Tutorial, a time for busy students to get work done and get help from teachers, has undergone a quiet reform. This month, a new rule was implemented requiring students to sign into tutorial by scanning their student IDs at the beginning of the period.

Though it may be a small change, teachers and faculty are hoping the new sign-in system will help tackle a big problem.

By the numbers W i t h o u t an online 60 percent of of students Indifferent record attendance, about new sign-in staff had difficulsystem ty finding students 30 percent of during tutostudents like the new rial, raising concerns sign-in system over safety and accountability.

“During tutorial we do not have any idea where students are, and since we’re responsible for them, it’s important we know their location,” said principal Cheryl Lawton. “Some teachers keep a written record, but that doesn’t tell us where the students are at the exact time we need to know.”

This is especially important in case of emergency, but it also allows the school to easily call students to the office without interrupting everyone with a PA announcement.

The benefits of this system are twofold; not only does it help ensure student safety, but it also increases accountability for attendance.

“We have a number of students

Omar Ababneh/Bear Witness Science teacher Juan Fernandez scans sophomore Marco Orozco’s ID card during tutorial. who keep cutting school,” said Lawton. “Having an online record makes it easier to see whether or not a student is actually going to tutorial.”

Teachers seem to be on-board with the idea as well.

“It was a bit hectic to get all the equipment out at first, but I love the accountability aspect so it’s completely worth it,” said math teacher Susan Tracy.

Student opinions on the new signin appear to be mixed. Out of 20 students surveyed, the majority of students (60 percent) said they feel indifferent about the new sign-in system. Another 30 percent said they liked the change.

“It lets the office know where the students are in case an emergency happens,” one student responded in the survey. “It isn’t a hassle to get your card scanned. And if it is...

Honey, grow some patience.”

“It’s a fine way to keep track of people but I feel like it’s a hassle to those who either forget their ID cards or don’t have one,” another student said. Ms. Lawton says she has heard a variety of feedback from students, ranging from “Thank you” to “This seems very ‘Big Brother-y.’”

BEAR WITNESS

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FEBRUARY 2, 2017 |

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STUDENT LIFE

“It’s like an outlet of expression for people who only want their closest friends to see their posts.” —Senior Maggie Haas on having private and public Instagram accounts.

For most students, comfort before style

“

Whatever is on the floor and smells clean.

”

Raygan Bradford Senior

“

Comfortable dress wear is the key to success on and off the school.

Kunal Dutta Junior

”

“

Fashion should express who you are.

Jenniifer Vangelisti Sophomore

”

Iz Muñoz and Taylor Doan/Bear Witness Branham students like to wear clothing that represents their style whether that be through Branham gear, comfortable clothes or fashionable attire.

Taylor Doan Copy Editor

erhaps you have watched YouP Tuber Lexie Lombard’s video series called “What High Schoolers

are ACTUALLY Wearing.”

The 21-year-old creative visits high schools in cities like Los Angeles and New York, uncovering new fashion trends and styles unique to the students, inspiring many students around the country to upload videos of their own, including insightful style interviews with their peers.

It is true that our style is a reflection of our attitudes and personalities.

Many of us dress to impress, while others dress for comfort. Our outfits change based on the weather, our mood, or even just how much time we have to get ready in the morning.

Senior Allison Lee, clad in jeans and a soft fleece jacket, finds that she thrifts more than actually shopping at department stores.

“I dress more for warmth,” she said when asked to explain what influences her outfit choices. Sophomore Allie Yusim can also relate; she said that she doesn’t tend to dress in high fashion, preferring to fend off the cold in her warm Bruin gear.

Many students around campus can be seen sporting the Bruin logo, loud and proud, whether it be on a class tee-shirt or a Branham soccer parka.

Speaking of school spirit, it’s also common to sport college gear, especially for students already starting to

receive acceptances.

However, there are still quite a handful who value brand over warmth, and even comfort. Who cares if the shoes give you blisters as long as you look cool?

Popular brands such as Lululemon, Nike, Adidas, Patagonia, North Face, and Vans are among many brands that are proudly flaunted throughout the hallways and classrooms.

Perhaps it’s their longstanding reputations or flashy ads that get kids to spend hundreds on puffer jackets and ripped jeans.

The term “hypebeast” describes those who essentially encompass enough wealth to dress in all street style brands such as Supreme, Anti Social Social Club, or Off White.

These companies sell their apparel in collections that “drop” ever so often, selling out in a matter of minutes and making the resale prices of their limited inventory soar well over $500.

It is interesting to analyze how the way we dress correlates to the way we are as people as well as the way we act towards others. We perceive each other purely through onceovers; that’s why the first day, or week even, of school is when many actually spend time and money on dressing in new attire. It’s all about the first impression.

This winter, according to our own students, it seems to be all about staying warm.

‘Finstas’ a private window to teens’ lives online Simply put, these accounts are used by students to share things that they do not ost people have two personalities, want to be aired publicly.

“It’s like an outlet of expression for whether they realize it or not.

One version of themselves which they people who only want their closest friends to see their posts,” said present in public, and one senior Maggie Haas. version which they present to Students use their private actheir closest circle of friends.

Finsta As students have moved their Finsta is a mix count to post their thoughts about current events, funny piclives online, documenting and of the words tures, parties, gossip, drama and sharing their experiences and adventures on Instagram, their fake and Insta- share their personal opinions.

Basically anything that they gram two personas have also transwould not feel comfortable havferred. ing posted on a public account “Finsta” accounts, a comfor the world to see. binThe accounts are private, “The posts are usually just funny stuff meaning that the owner of the account must accept any new requests to follow or ratchet pictures,” said sophomore the account, and the usernames are often Tasha Mills. “A lot of people have extremely different public and private vague versions of students’ real names.

What is inside these private accounts, (accounts). You have to trust the people and why would students create a second that you let follow your private because they could share the pictures if they account for themselves?

Will Suiter

M

Catherine Monroy/Bear Witness

Club Roundups Programming Club Calling all future Zuckerbergs

Ever want to learn how to code? Programming Club is the club for you.The club is involved in hackathons, public events for people to code, make apps.

Robots, etc. The club is supervised by Mr. Turner and meets every Thursday at lunch in Room 19. AP Computer Science teacher Mr. Turner provides Raspberry Pi, Arduino, robotic arms and short seminars on how to code HTML, CSS, etc. In the future, they plan to host more events and compete in competitions.

Board Game Club For those board at school

Card games, board games, whatever you enjoy playing is fair game with the Board Game Club. “We would play board games at school or when we would go out and we just realized how much it brought people together, so I was like, why not make a club?” said sophomore Shaya Zarkub, president of the club. If it’s no “Trouble,” come to room 53 at lunch on Thursdays.

Film Club Analyzing Oscar-nominated movies

Film Club inspires creativity and teaches students how to analyze and view films. The club, run by math teacher Mr. Hunter, reviews Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated movies and analyzes them from a cinema lover’s point of view: acting, directing, cinematography and score.The club meets Fridays at lunch. Screening of movies are Tuesdays after school.

Recently, the group just viewed the movie “Split” in theaters, and is on the lookout for the next group movie.

Bruin-to-Bruin Club Tutors seek to help student body

Bruin-to-Bruin Club inspires Branham students to work together to turn their academic, social and health goals into reality. Their goal is to tutor students. They have had a struggle actually tutoring but they have finally created their mission statements with sign-ups online. If interested, go to Google Classroom and join the Bruin-to-Bruin page with the code 03ozldg. The club is supervised by English teacher Mrs. Heather Amanatullah and meets every Thursday at lunch in room 28.

— Compiled by Omar Ababneh

Staff Writer

screenshot them.”

The general consensus in private accounts is that only close friends who are trusted are allowed to follow, and some private accounts even have descriptions that read “Screenshot my pics and you’ll get blocked :)”.

The secrecy surrounding these accounts is with good reason. Some posts would be embarrassing if seen by all but the account owner’s best friends, or would offend some who follow the owner’s public account. Some posts could even get students in serious trouble for underage drinking or drug use.

Not all private account posts are illicit or offensive, and most are just rants or personal thoughts. As the Internet becomes increasingly saturated with people’s personal lives exposed publicly, many simply feel that it is good to keep certain things within certain circles of trust.

“A big personality in the book room ” I love all the positive energy, potential, drama, challenges and fun.

Ms. Fleming had tech career before working for schools GRACE CLINTON

T

Sports Editor

he book room is one of the smaller rooms at Branham; however, the personality of the woman who runs the book room is much bigger.

Susie Fleming is Branham’s book room and testing secretary, and has been with Branham for over two years. Her son, Connor, attended the school and graduated in 2011.

After her son’s graduation, Ms. Fleming stuck around Branham to run the Home and School Club for the next four years.

During this time she became close with former principal’s secretary Barbara Nishiguchi, who retired in December.

In summer 2014, Ms. Fleming entered into the substitute clerical pool, the place from which any school from the district can request a sub. Ms. Fleming, feeling her ties were solely at Branham, set her availability only for Branham.

This was all Ms. Fleming could take on as she was taking care of her parents on the side.

Ms. Fleming experienced two emotional losses with her mom’s passing in 2013 and her dad’s passing later in 2015. At the time of her dad’s passing, Bobbie Boyer, the former book room secretary left Branham, leaving the position open.

Ms. Fleming picked up the position and has Susie been there ever since, greeting students with a Fleming smile on her face and always making the brief Book room trip to the book room a pleasant one. secretary Before her life at Branham, Ms. Fleming Ms. Fleming had three other careers. After graduating from has had close Cupertino High School in 1970, she went on ties with to receive a degree in accounting. She later Branham over worked in technical training, where she would the years travel to teach people about certain software and even train people to be able to teach it as well.

Both of Ms. Fleming’s parents were teachers, and although Ms. Fleming did not wish to become a teacher herself, she has always had an appreciation for the school environment.

When asked what the best part of her job is, Ms. Fleming didn’t hesitate.

“The kids. That’s it. I love talking to you,” she said, “I love all the positive energy, potential, drama, challenges and fun.”

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SPORTS

The renovations to Branham’s pool could allow water polo to be offered as a sport.

Courtesy Branham High School Athletics Facebook A Branham swimmer dives in to the start of his event. The pool which has been used for 50 years will soon be getting a slough of new improvements to improve the experience of swimmers.

Wish list for school pool

Swim team athletes hope planned renovation from bond measure can give them advantage in the water FIORELLA CASTANEDA Staff Writer

ince Branham opened in 1967, we have had S the same pool; this means the pool is around 50 years old. The pool has been used for the

physical education swim unit and for the swim and dive team. After having so many people enjoy the pool, it has aged over time. Recently, the plaster has started breaking, so the school fixed it before the swim team began in-water practice. Since the new bond passed, the school now has the budget to change and remodel many areas in our school, one of them being the pool.

With a brand new, deeper pool, our school will be able to offer water polo, and be able to host

more swim meets. Though the new pool will not take place for a while, since it needs to get approved by the state, many swimmers are looking forward to the improvement. “I think the new pool will provide drastic improvements for the team,” senior Emilie Jenkins said. “I assume it will have diving blocks, which will be extremely beneficial for practicing diving, as we only have one block right now.”

Having the new pool will give the swim team many improvements because many people underestimate the importance of a good dive. The dive is the very first part of the race, and coming off the dive establishes the tempo for the rest of the race. Another benefit Jenkins mentioned was that “the pool depth will encourage swimmers

Track team gets boost from expert coach

“

not to walk on the bottom of the pool when they are either tired or lazy, which will help not only with endurance in the long-run, but solidify the mental attitude of pushing through to the end that Emilie is required when an inJenkins dividual participates in Senior swimming.”

Senior Madeline Trotter said that she was really happy about the new pool, since it was long overdue. Trotter said, “I’m excited even though I’ll only have a year

I think the new pool will provide drastic improvements for the team.

”

with [the pool]”. She agrees that the new pool will be beneficial to the dive team. “Hopefully we’ll be able to practice dives in our lap pool now which will give us a huge advantage over previous years,” she said.

With no pool yet to swim in, the swim team is doing a lot of dryland strength and conditioning, which involves running on the track and working out in the weightroom. The team is hoping to get into the water soon. Senior Alex Headley said, “Swimming is a sport that demands time in the water, the more the better.”

He said that the swim team would have hoped to be in the pool two to three weeks ago, but they are excited to get in hopefully this week, since the official swim season starts on Jan. 30.

Sports adjust to rainy season

Coach Marshall has worked as strength trainer with 49ers and Sabercats WILL SUITER Staff Writer

ranham’s Track team has had B a long and very successful run under the guidance of coach

Tobias McCleod. School records broken, BVAL successes, and improved performances by runners are just part of the achievements the team has made.

This year, the reins of the team will be handed to Greg Marshall, the new Greg Marshall track coach.

Coach Marshall BHS Track may be new to the Coach Branham team, but Brings his he is certainly not years of new to coaching and experience training athletes. and training He is the owner and to the team founder of a sports performance company, “Marshall Sports Performance and Fitness,” where he oversees the training of high-level athletes in 17 different sports. The athletes he trains range in level from junior high all the way up to the professional level.

Marshall worked eight years as a professional football coach, with four years on the 49ers staff as an Assistant Strength Coach and four years with the San Jose Sabercats as Head Strength Coach. He is also recognized as an Elite Sprint Coach by USA Track and Field, the national organization governing track and field sports.

“I became a coach because all three of my kids wanted to compete in athletics,” Marshall says. “I couldn’t find competent coaching when they began so I decided to do it myself and I have never stopped.”

As a new coach, Marshall has big shoes to fill and a lot of talent on the team to cultivate. “Working at Branham, I hope to help the track athletes reach their full potential on the track and win as a team at every level that we compete,” he said.

“

I look forward to winning first on an individSydney Uyeda/Bear Witness ual level and then at a JV and Varsity softball use what little field they have left after torrential storms. The field was flooded but they were able to salvage what little field was not flooded to hold conditioning. team level.”

Coach Greg Marshall BHS Track Coach

”

Branham runners are clearly in good hands with Coach Marshall, and will be pushed to reach their full potential. “He works us very hard but I think he is definitely going to help us improve, I can already tell he knows what he’s doing and is a really good coach,” says junior track athlete Tasha Mills.

Individual training, achievement, and improvement are just as important to him as team success. “I look forward to winning first on an individual level and then at a team level,” Marshall said. “That’s why we compete.”

SYDNEY UYEDA Staff Writer

alifornia has been in a drought C since 2012. Thankfully, we have managed to come out of the drought in

these last couple of years, but due to the recent rain, Branham’s sports have had to either practice in the rain, or call off games and practices entirely.

While outdoor sports like soccer and softball are heavily impacted, indoor sports such as basketball and badminton, are safe from the rain.

The player’s shoes are soaked, and the field could potentially tear up and be thousands to replace. This is especially true with the softball and baseball fields, as they are usually covered in puddles after a long night of rain

storms. JV softball coach Roy Danley says, “The rain makes everything difficult or even dangerous with softball.. throwing to running the bases becomes challenging... I don’t think you can do much other than call it a rain out because of the game itself.” The rain causes puddles to form on the fields, which could alter the game and make it more difficult to play. Also, when the grass gets wet after a long night of rain, it becomes slippery, so running on it could lead to some severe injuries. Sliding on the turf and slipping on the grassy fields can easily cause a broken or fractured limb. Swimming in the rain can also cause injuries as swimmers are swimming in freezing water, and it’s harder to do certain strokes.

The fields are soaked, the pool is be-

ing rained on, and players really do not want to practice in the cold rain.

What’s next? “You play unless there is lightning or the fields are soaked” says JV soccer player Elise Imfeld when asked what soccer does when it rains.

Swimmer Sara Robertson says, “I did [swim] my freshman year….that year we still had practice in the pool unless there was a chance of thunderstorm.”

What is there to do? Do jackets and sweatshirts make it easier for the players to play? “Personal rain gear works [for softball] but can’t be worn while batting and it makes fielding difficult...” says Coach Roy Danley.

Players of any Branham sport that endures the rainy season: be prepared and bring a jacket. It’s gonna be cold and wet.

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SPORTS

Basketball comes up short against Leigh Boys and girls varsity basketball

Despite early effort, Branham’s spirited push can't overcome rival MICHAELA EDLIN Staff Writer

ranham’s varsity boys faced off against Leigh in a fiery basketball B game Jan. 24. Coming into the game, Branham trailed the its undefeated rival Blossom Valley West League standing with one loss. Leigh

still remains undefeated and Branham fell behind. Leigh had home court advantage, but Jarrett Powers (12) and Matt Sakamoto (12) set the mood of the game and continued feeding off each others’ energy. The first quarter of the game was tight, ending with a tie score of 16-16 and booming cheers from the Branham crowd. Leigh edged out small advantages, but Branham pushed back, taking the score to 24-25.

No matter how hard the players tried Leigh kept the lead with the second period ending at 30-39. The players are starting to feel defeated, but the crowd and the team’s coach Larry Loeffler wouldn’t allow it. Coach Loeffler was heard telling the team to not feel “defeated” or to “lose spirit.”

One Branham student cheered, “I love Branham! Branham is my soul!”

The team’s energy returned at the beginning of the third period, however the score stood at 44-57.

With seconds left in the third period, Powers made a desperate shot, diving to the ground and unable to see if he scored. The roaring of the crowd told him that he scored, but the scoreboard told him that the ball didn’t beat the buzzer.

In the fourth quarter, Branham’s efforts weren’t successful. Luke Sayre

(10) made the last basket from Branham, but Leigh putting up six more points in the last two minutes, and game ended with a score of 58-78.

Girls varsity Varsity girls basketball played against rival school Leigh on Jan. 21. The girls played a physical game and it was clear from the start that Tori Mok (11) is a serious player. Tori controlled the ball a large portion of the game.

Leigh started off the game with the first point, as their cheer team shouted, “We’re here to beat the Bruins.”

Brianna Sasao (12) makes Branham’s first basket, setting the score at 2-1. Branham struggles to make baskets and Leigh takes the lead with the score at 6-17 at the end of the first quarter.

In the second period, Branham was unable to make up for the gap in the score despite their efforts, ending the quarter at 14-28. Throughout the third quarter, Katarina Knezevic (10) proved to be a valuable asset as she made most of Branham’s free throws. Later, Sasao made an impressive three point shot from the corner of the court.

Both teams started the fourth quarter strong, but Leigh still retained the lead. Before the start of the last period, the score is at 28-40, but the girls aren’t phased. The game is as physical as ever.

At one point, there were six players touching the ball at once. Timeouts Iz Muñoz/Bear Witness from both teams littered the rest of the game, but it was just delaying the Senior Jarrett Powers goes to the hoop at the inevitable. The game ended with a score of 34-52.

Boys and girls JV soccer

Strong chemistry may lift team in second half

ranham’s soccer program has been thriving this B season and things look promising for the teams/ Boy’s JV soccer has been on a winning streak with a

record of 5-0-2, led by Coach Zaya Arami and captains Jackson Mota (10) and Omar Ababneh (10).

This season has been a huge challenge for the boys, who are hungry for first place.

Currently the team is in third place. Last year, JV placed first in league and is looking to do the same this year. But this year the competition is a lot tougher, with schools such as Lincoln, Evergreen, and Leigh coming in with a stronger squad. The boys suffered a devastating loss against Leigh last Monday, losing 2-1, to end their winning streak.

Leigh scored an easy goal within the first five minutes, leading 1-0. They had the defense working and on their legs all the time. Towards the end of the half, Leigh scored yet another goal, making it 2-0 at halftime. The second half improved for the Branham boys, as they kept most of the possession. Joel Silva scored a header off a corner from Jaeson Gonzalez. Yet the boys fell short and lost. But they have their goals set, and they are very determined.

“The goal is to win every game and embarrass the other teams,” said Jackson.

The girls’ team has been struggling, with a current record of 1-0-6, led by Coach Laura Andersson and Captains Nayeli Morales (10), Pavneet Kaur (11), and Karlie Henderson (10).

“Things haven’t been going as well as we hoped, but the team is getting along well and are having fun,” said Coach Andersson. Nayeli Morales was very positive about the rest of the season. “It will absolutely be better going forward. We just need to improve on playing as a team and to keep the intensity up and the girls are getting more comfortable with that.”

— Omar Ababneh

Omar Ababneh/Bear Witness Jackson Mota (10) dribbles the ball to try and shoot into the net during last week's match.

Wrestling ranham wrestling, coached by Shane Miller B and Garret Benjamin and team captain Senior Lucas Peters. So far the team is 5th in their league

— Sunanda Kottayil

Boys and girls varsity soccer

String of injuries and illnesses hurting girls team

he Branham boys and girls Varsity socT cer teams are already half way through their seasons. So far, the boys have been hav-

ing a killer season. With an overall league record of 5-0-2, the boys just recently had one of their big wins against Leigh. The Branham Bruins soccer team beat our rival school Leigh on Jan. 23 with a score 2-0, with goals scored by Daniel Whitworth (11) and Grant King. (11) “(Leigh) did better than we thought,” said Tyler Khan (11) comments on the Leigh game, “But we still did well and this should be a successful season.”

With an overall record of 3-3-1, the girls team has been having a tough season due to a sick and injured starting lineup. “Our team has definitely had our fair share of injuries this season, which left us with a few more losses than we would like,” said Nicole Sweeney (10). “But I know that we will finish the season out strong and to the best of our abilities with a smile on our faces.” The last home game the girls played in was on Jan. 24.

Unfortunately, the girls lost a battling game to Piedmont Hills with a score of 3-2. Branham’s goalkeeper, Lauren Coke (10), was injured and had to leave the game; as well as, Branham received a red card and had to play down a player. However, the Branham girls did have two sweet goals by Sweeney within the first 10 minutes of the first half. Hopefully with still half their season to go, they can heal their starting line up to hopefully be ready for CCS if they qualify.

— Lauren Hogan

Iz Muñoz/Bear Witness Nicole Sweeney (10) attempts to get to the ball before her Piedmont Hill opponent does.

Boys and girls JV basketball

Ream for improvement after a rocky start to season

2-1, in comparison to last season where they ended first with a record of 6-1.

“We are not looking to top last year, just grow as a team and look forward to the future," Lucas said.

According to the coaches, standouts on the team include Nick Melendez (10), Carlos Vela (10), Dylan Chubon (12), Jordynn Robson ( 11) , and Lucas (12).

Branham competed against Lincoln on the Jan. 26 and won 26-35.

Branham received one automatic win because there was not a Lincoln student that matched Gavin Su’s (9) weight class. Highlights were Jordynn and Gavin Rodinsky (12) whose effective takedown and aggressive pinning of their opponents pulled Branham ahead. Many matches were immediately called.

Marcus Cuellar (9) fought for several minutes before eventually pinning down his opponent. Several spectators praised the refereeing of Coach Benjamin, who is also the AP Biology and Biology teacher.

“He’s the good ref,” the father of a Lincoln player said. Team members and spectators on both sides and spectators called out words of advice and encouragement to their players. The most common being “ Keep your leg straight” while one wrestler pinned his competition.

Branham vs. Leigh game Jan. 24.

Sai Tummala/Bear Witness David Ortiz (11) goes up against a Leigh player in the most recent wrestling match.

Last-quarter surge isn't enough for Lady Bruins

ranham’s JV basketball team lost their conferB ence game against rival team Leigh on Jan. 24 by a score of 66-37. The Longhorns took the lead

early, ending the first quarter with a score of 207. The Bruins fought hard throughout the game, but struggled to break Leigh’s strong press. Jacob Dressler (10) had a standout performance, landing multiple three-pointers throughout the game. He felt the team wasn't as coordinated as it could be.

“We didn’t play as a team," Jacob said. "We have to play 100 percent for all four quarters, and we didn’t do that.”

Despite the loss, the JV basketball team has had a very strong season so far, with an overall record of 9-3.

JV’s next game was against Prospect on Wednesday.

On Jan. 25 the girls’ JV basketball team lost their away conference match against Leigh by a score of 49-26. The Longhorns got possession of the ball early and secured a 20-point lead by the half, but the Lady Bruins gained strength towards the end of the game. The Bruins played an amazing fourth quarter, scoring fifteen points. With only a few seconds left on the clock, Jesslyn Cabangbang (9) finished off the match with an incredible three-point shot. Coach Mia Price said that the team can learn a valuable lesson from the second half of the game: “We have to come out playing the way we ended that game," Coach Price said. "That tends to be our pattern; we play really hard second half, but then there’s not enough time left.”

The Bruins played Prospect at home on Wednesday.

— Sarah Snitzer

Iz Muñoz/Bear Witness Abigail Lang (10) dribbles the ball from a Leigh player.

ENTERTAINMENT PRESS 1. Press shuffle 2. No skipping

Cole Gillis Sophomore

BEAR WITNESS

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FEBRUARY 2, 2017 | BHSBEARWITNESS.COM “I knew that if I didn’t ever complete a project, I would never do anything.”

Senior Niko Torres on releasing his album “Sacrilege”

Senior’s debut album fulfills longtime goal

1. “Goosebumps” Travis Scott 2. “6 God” Drake 3. “Waves” Kanye West

OMAR ABABNEH Staff Writer

he Campbell Union High T School District held its annual Theater Fest on Jan. 20, a

“I have these songs on my playlist because I like the beats and the rhythm - I honestly just love hip-hop.”

Niko Torres / Soundcloud Excerpt from “Humanize” from the album Sacrilege available on Soundcloud Search for: knickknackthestormtrooper I don’t question my methods/ I just give consent to oppression.

I just live a life in the session I just live a lie in deception when I just can’t arise to the question.

Alicia Dimulias Freshman 1. “Dirt Road Anthem” Jason Aldean 2. “Guys Like Me” Eric Church 3. “Homegrown” Zac Brown Band ““Literally all I listen to is country, as you can tell. It’s always been my favorite genre of music.”

Ben Brigham Sophomore 1. “New Level” A$AP Ferg 2. “Wild Boy” Machine Gun Kelley 3. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” Marvin Gaye “These songs get me hype for the grind... I always listen to them before a basketball or volleyball game.”

Gaby Guevara Junior 1. “CRZY” Kehlani 2. “All We Got” Chance The Rapper 3. “Superpower” Beyonce “Kehlani, Chance [The Rapper], and Beyonce are literally artists I would die for if we’re being honest.”

Shireen Sabouri Freshman 1. “Ode to Sleep” Twentyone Pilots 2. “Not In That Way” Sam Smith 3. “Kids of The Future” Jonas Brothers “I promise I have better songs than these ones! Other than the Jonas Brothers; no one can top the Jonas Brothers.”

TheaterFest entertains district audience with comedy, one-act plays

After recording and creating tracks since his sophomore year, senior Niko Torres finally upload his debut album “Scarilege” onto Iz Muñoz / Bear Witness Souncloud.

SUNANDA KOTTAYIL Opinion Editor

trend seen around campus is the proA motion of students’ photography and Soundcloud accounts. Students get to share

their favorite music. On the other hand, there is senior Niko Torres, who has done little to promote his original album to his potential fans.

Niko recently dropped his debut album “Sacrilege” under the name Knick Knack the Stormtrooper on Soundcloud and Datpiff (a mixtape distribution platform).

“I only really promoted it on Facebook and Instagram because I wasn’t sure how people would react to it,” he said. “I’m not really an outward person and so I thought that people wouldn’t see me as a rapper, especially the people I knew.”

The album consists of 11 songs and a bonus track of alternative and experimental hip hop music. He became interested in the genre after first listening to it in his freshman year. His biggest influences were Aesop Rock and other lesser-known artists that he said the general population would find unusual.

Niko’s motivation for creating an album was that he didn’t want to fall into the category of people who said that they would do something but never did.

“I’ve been writing music for a long time and I knew that if I didn’t ever complete a project

I would never do anything,” he said. “So I figured I would do at least one.”

Niko began writing lyrics in 7th grade and making instrumentals in 8th. He has a plethora of songs he has not released because he disliked them or is saving them for future albums.

Niko began writing the instrumentals to the album in his sophomore year and finished it in October. The vocal recordings began at the end of his junior year. His writing process starts with instrumentals; drum beats are added once he understands the vibe of the song. Niko then “ vibes to the song” until he knows what he will write about. He places extra attention to his lyrics: “I just try to avoid straightforward lyrics and focus on complex rhyme schemes and multi syllabic words and phrases. I especially love metaphors and allusions.”

“Sacrilege” has dark themes running through it. Most of the songs discuss things that are considered to be taboo or against religion, with a touch of self-deprecation. Torres was inspired by “things I’ve observed about myself or the world around me.” His favorite track is “Humanize” because of the lyrics, “I recite my verse from writing on the wall, blind myself and let my third eye rhyme away.”

Torres was so enlightened by his experience creating this album that he has decided that he wants to spend the rest of his life doing it.

“I want to go to West Valley and learn music composition and do this professionally,” he said.

collaborative celebration of student work where the best have a chance to perform. This year’s theme was Mirth and Mayhem — chaos and disorder. The actors had to work on bringing the ying and yang together into a one-act play.

Theater Fest took place at the Leigh Convention Center. Fifteen students from each school were selected to perform at the festival.

This year’s Branham students included actors Sam Todd, Savidu Geevarante, Evie Sanders, Emily Beets, Kristen Williams, Mariah McDonald, Grace Su, Jack Swartz, Caroline Ware, Sophia Passarelli, Julia Bozzo, and Iliana Karbowski.The technicians included Layne Burnett and Jamie Merriam, as spotlight operators.

All the money from the performances was donated toward student scholarships . Directors gave scholarships to the students they found most deserving, and this year, Ms. Christina Plank has chose seniors Kristen Williams and Mariah MacDonald. They choreographed the scene “Can’t Stop the Beat” and showed great leadership all around.

This year Branham performed four pieces. The first were two scenes out of Monty Python.

Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created

their sketch comedy show “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” which first aired on the BBC in 1969. The second was a scene from the musical “Hairspray,” a musical about teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream to dance on “The Corny Collins Show,” a local TV dance program based on the real-life “Buddy Deane Show.” When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight, and meets a colorful array of characters. The scene focused on racial tension in the 60’s and loving yourself for who you are. The final scene was from the musical “Rent,” a musical about impoverished artists struggling to survive, while also being diagnosed with HIV/ AIDS .

The students enjoyed the experience and are eager to do it again next year.

“Even though it was a lot of hard work, I loved it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat” said sophomore Sophia Passarelli. Other students and parents also enjoyed it, saying that this year was better than others.

The only problem: not enough seats. “There were five schools performing and there were only 200 seats available.” said Ms. Plank.

Some of the parents and people who wanted to go were not able to attend. It would be better next time if they had more than one night or had a bigger area.”

Apologies for those who couldn’t make it, because this year’s Theatre Fest was a hit.

Jeff Bergman/Special to Bear Witness Branham students pose with their sets during Theater Fest at Leigh High School on January 20th.

Oh, say can you sing? Try out for Acoustic Night Last day to audition for February show LAURA HEFFERNAN Staff Writer

coustic Club has been holdA ing auditions for their second Acoustic Night of the year.

Auditions began in January and will be held until today, and are open to all students who wish to show off their musical talents. To those who are too nervous to audition, co-president and junior Kelly Neal said, “There’s no reason to be nervous, everyone here is super welcoming and they always clap no matter what they think of the performance. Afterwards you get a little bit of criticism, but only to make you improve as a musician and it’s never something that should hurt someone’s feelings.”

Those who are auditioning are required to sing or play one verse and the chorus from their selected song in front of the club to get used to performing in front of a larger audience.

Acoustic Club provides a welcoming environment to audition

and enjoy both each other’s music and company.

“Acoustic Club is a really welcoming community,” Kelly said.

“It’s also really loud, because we all love music, and music is loud.”

Freshman Samantha Taylor hopes to be able to share music with people through this club, in addition to gaining a better onstage personality. She says that what draws her to the club is the ability to share music.

Kelly says auditions are going well and “it’s hard to get people quiet for an audition but once it is, it’s a pretty magical experience, you get to see everyone shocked for the first time they see someone perform.” The club will donate 70 percent of its proceeds to SPARE. If you are interested in joining Acoustic Club, you are encouraged to attend the meetings in room 38 on Wednesdays during lunch. Make sure to go support your fellow classmates performing in Acoustic Night on Friday at 7 p.m. in the PAC.

Tasos Tentoglou/Special to Bear Witness Jack Swartz, Scott Tucker, Vincent Scrivens, Chester Albano play guitar, bass and sing vocals for the first Acoustic Night back in November.

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ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

The average person will spend 9 years of their lifetime watching TV according to the BLS American Time Use Survey, A.C. Nielsen Co.

TO MEME OR NOT TO MEME

That is the question

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

a whole new, but familiar, world Remakes of animated classic tap into our love for nostalgia

1950 Hair: The original Cinderella wore her mid-length blond hair in an updo with a headband to the ball.

2015 Hair: The new Cinderella had long, curly hair.

She wore a half-updo with the rest of her hair down and sparkly.

Comparing Cinderellas

Dress: She has puffy sleeves and a scoop neckline.

Her dress appears light blue.

Dress: Her ball gown is blue with an off-the-shoulder bodice and a tight corset.

The skirt is made of layers of fabric with a crinoline cage underneath.

Sydney Uyeda/Bear Witness “When you are just a happy children’s TV show character, but everyone uses you as an angsty teen meme.” Kelley Sheen parodies a famous Arthur meme.

KELLEY SHEEN Editor in Chief

emes. You’ve probably seen one or a hundred.

M At a quick glance, one may not be able to fully register the effect of a meme, nor understand the purpose of it. How-

ever, as teenagers we have found it our obligation to spend as much time possible searching for and laughing at these social media frenzies.

The hours spent scrolling through Twitter and Instagram are seen as a waste of time by those older than us. Are we disconnecting from the world around us? Or are we simply in the process of creating a new world, a world where wifi is the water, and memes comprise the air we breathe. It seems that these small images tagged with witty captions have become a staple in the creation of a new way of communication. While the What are generation before us may not fully memes? grasp the concept of memes, those anywhere from young children to Merriam Webster adults seem to have found defines a “meme” as young laughter and life from this new ad“an idea, behavior, dition to forms of communication. style, or usage that Humorous memes like “Bad Luck can bring slight amusement spreads from person Brian” for those who have had a rough to person within a cul- day. Opening the Instagram app ture” or “ an amusing and seeing Brian’s face with a capthat equates the same level or interesting item tion of bad luck you may have experi(such as a captioned enced yourself allows for a connecpicture or video) or tion with the photo, in addition to to others. In a newfound genre of items that is relating era of digital conversations, people spread widely online converse in memes much like they especially through converse in emoticons or words.

Although many disregard memes social media.” as being silly or a waste of time, memes are actually quite important. Not only do these images share a relatable message, but they hold great power. The topics and ideas presented in memes are not as lighthearted as one may assume: political scandals, social justice issues, and breaking news are all relayed to millions of social media users in the form of memes. Memes hold great leverage when it comes to public opinion, for many come together to relate to the message portrayed by what is shown and opinions can be formed by what is presented.

For example, a photo of President Donald Trump making his infamous “I’m not interested” face, with an ironic and clever caption that relates to one of his controversies serves as a way to make a point about the new president. Political memes are much like political cartoons, by sparking conversation and creating controversy. If this Trump meme was translated into plain text, the responses would not be as interesting or diverse. Is it because of memes that opinions and ideas can be exchanged in a simplified manner where a majority is able to react and relate to it?

As funny as some memes are, they are no longer just there for our entertainment. We have given memes the power to voice our feelings and exchange opinions. Memes are now as normal as any form of communication.

CADENCE TRENCHARD

I

News Editor

f it seems like all of your favorite Disney classics are getting the live-action makeover lately, you wouldn’t be too far off.

After director Tim Burton’s wildly successful remake of “Alice in Wonderland” in 2010, Disney has rolled out more live-action films based on animated classics in a similar fashion: “Maleficent” (2014), “Cinderella” (2015), “Pete’s Dragon” (2016), “Alice Through the Looking Glass” (2016), and “The Jungle Book” (2016).

The characters in the remakes tend to be given different or expanded backstories.

Remakes shift their focus from the princess and/or prince in favor of secondary charactors or villains.

One movie that revisited a minor character was “Geppetto” (2000). The live action movie centered on Pinnocchio’s father, the woodcarver that crafted Pinnocchio as a wooden puppet.

Another example is “Maleficent,” viewers learn that the antagonist of “Sleeping Beauty” was originally good before she was betrayed by her human lover. Most surprisingly, Maleficent had wings! Disney explores the famous tale from Maleficent’s point-of-view instead of focusing on Sleeping Beauty, the original movie’s protagonist.

When audience members were young, a menacing bad guy would have been more than enough to keep the plot going, but now that the original audience has grown older, the “one dimensional villain is no longer cutting it,” wrote Maria Garcia for Movie Pilot.

One of the possible issues people see with this trend of revisiting Disney villains is that it sends a message to kids that sometimes being bad is okay. It blurs the clear line between good and evil: a concept that children already struggle with identifying and understanding.

Most of Disney’s live-action remakes have a similar storyline to the originals.

Sometimes the remake movie’s timeline

Upcoming remakes according to TIME magazine Beauty and the Beast Mulan Dumbo Rose Red Peter Pan Cruella The Sword in the Stone Winnie the Pooh The Lion King Aladdin Tinker Bell Pinnocchio Prince Charming Rumored: Jungle Book 2 Chip ‘n’ Dale Little Mermaid Night on Bald Mountain shifts. The audience can see this in the prologue sequence in “Cinderella” (2015): We get to see Cinderella enjoy life while her parents are still alive, whereas the original begins at her dad’s second marriage.

Another striking difference between the old and new “Cinderella” is how the animal characters interact with Cinderella. The clothed mice ( Jacque and Gus), Lucifer the cat, and the birds, known for aiding Cinderella in times of stress, are either removed entirely from the new film or don’t speak.

The new movies’ musical scores include fan-favorites as well as new numbers.

Many of the original animated movies were musicals, but some remakes were not, like Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book,” in order to match the serious mood. The soundtrack included: “Bare Necessities,” and “I Wan’na Be Like You” in addition to Kaa’s seductive song called “Trust in Me.” Almost all of the technology used in

“

Cadence Trenchard/Bear Witness

We are taking advantage of animated classics and using modern technologies and fantastic filmmakers to bring these live-action stories to global audiences.

Ricky Strauss Disney marketing chief

”

Disney’s old animation is now obsolete in 2017. But what makes Disney’s first-ever feature-length animated film (“Snow White and the Seven Dwarves”) any different from the latest remake (“Pete’s Dragon”)?

Perhaps the biggest and most noticeable changes are the graphics. The modern remakes make extensive use of both computer-generated imagery (CGI) and live action. The result is a modern, hyper-realistic look much different from the flat, two-dimensional world of Disney’s older films.

The original animated characters are redesigned, but still recognizable in the new adaptations. While the prominent colors are maintained (like Cinderella’s blue gown and Belle’s yellow gown), much of the costumes include greater detail or design changes that reflect the time period.

Another change in female characters’ appearance involves their iconic hairstyles.

For example, the original animated Cinderella was known for her updo, but when Lily James played Cinderella, she wore her hair down in long curls.

One of the reasons Disney is choosing to remake old favorites is the same reason they make sequels: they depend on repeat customers.

“We are taking advantage of animated classics and using modern technologies and fantastic filmmakers to bring these live-action stories to global audiences,” said Disney marketing chief Ricky Strauss in an interview with the Hollywood Re-

TV shows influence teens’ interests CLARABELLE WALKUP Staff Writer

he film industry has evolved T rapidly over the decades and has influenced people’s opinions, speech,

Rosalie Gonzalez/Bear Witness

actions, and socialization. Even minor changes in the casting or script of a TV show can impact the world.

For example, in 1940, Hattie Mcdaniel paved the road for many African-American actors when she became the first African American Actor to win an Oscar. From her award, she opened up minds to equality in award ceremonies and in the country, allowing many other African Americans to be on screen.

In today’s age, shows and movies have taken a big part of American culture and society. The industry has

made billions of dollars m consumers and the revenue continues to grow.

The average American watches about four and a half hours of television a day according to New York Times.

What makes people so attracted to shows that they spend so much money and time? To President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences(most known for award shows such as the Oscars), it is all about escape. Sherak said to a Thought Economics writer, “To me personally, movies are about escapism. I don’t have to worry about what is going on outside. I lose myself in what I’m watching.”

Shows and movies allow the viewer to experience something they cannot (due to barriers like age, gender,

historical time period, and more) through a character’s point of view.

The viewer escapes their own life and is brought to a fictional world someone else has created. During these hours of escape, viewers can put themselves in the shoes of a doctor, a president, a superhero, a hacker, a detective, and more. Shows have dramatized certain occupations and making many jobs seem more interesting than they really are and giving the characters much prestige. People select TV shows based on interest and sometimes to get someone interested in something. Popular shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy”, “Law & Order”, “Criminal Minds”, “Sherlock”, “Mr. Robot”, and “Hawaii Five-0” have contributed what many young adults

want to be when they are older.

Sophomore Summer Votaw said, “I’ve become obsessed with investigative shows, now I really want to look into law enforcement. I never really had any idea what I wanted to do before, but Criminal Minds has made me look into Police Academies and FBI academy quite a bit.”

Sophomore Sophia McGee, who enjoys watching “Sherlock” and “Flash” said, “Nothing is ever like the TV shows. I like solving puzzles and I don’t want a desk job. I don’t want to be a detective per say, but I do want to solve crimes through science or find the cause of a death.”

Overall, TV shows can influence the view in ways that contribute to life decisions.

BEAR WITNESS

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FEBRUARY 2, 2017 |

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BHSBEARWITNESS.COM

THE BACK PAGE

My name is

Robyn.

M

any of you may just remember seeing me in the halls – let’s face it, these wheels I drive every day are not easy to miss.

I’ve been home for the past seven weeks. I’ve thought a lot about life. I’ve wondered if people are afraid to get to know me because of my wheelchair.

With this Rally – it would be a great way to share that I’m a normal teenager, one who spends too much time texting, is obsessed with cool shoes, loves Taylor Swift and Rosanna Pansino, loves to sing and act.

I’m an awesome artist, and yes, I too daydream about that cute boy in class.

I was born with Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy. One good thing is, IT DOESN’T AFFECT MY MIND AT ALL. I have muscular dystrophy, or rather, it has me — but it is NOT who I am.

I AM ROBYN. I’M LIKE YOU. Physically, of course it sucks. Not being able to go into some stores or places with stairs. Not being able to fly anymore. Emotionally, some things suck.

Being a teenager means having all kinds of changing emotions and feelings – but toss in a 400-pound wheelchair for legs, and a body that’s not working the way you want it to.

Will people give me a chance? Will I get to be in the school play? And the hardest one — will I still be here, alive — to make it to prom?

Graduation?

I read something that another girl who has what I have wrote.

“Living with this muscle-wasting disease can sometimes feel like a battle with an invincible enemy, that’s attacking me from the inside, and outside too! It knows me better than anyone and it’s a nightmare that fights me, even though I am awake.”

It wants to steal my life away someday, what does anyone really say to that?

This is no sob story. Accepting the fact that this may be a losing battle someday soon, is not a reason to give up. It drives me to make the most of every day. To help others who are different. BECAUSE LIFE IS AWESOME. I keep going for my family, for my friends who have seen beyond the body that is too weak to keep up with my mind, for the teachers who helped me succeed. Without their love and support, I wouldn’t be the person I am.

I do this for other people with muscular dystrophy. I do this for those who decided I wasn’t worth knowing, like the kid in preschool who said they didn’t want to play with me, because I

couldn’t walk.

I am glad they said it, because their words gave me the drive to show people I’m someone worth knowing, working legs or not. I am thankful because the lack of understanding I encounter in so many places, has encouraged me to prove to myself that I can accomplish things.

Dance classes. Softball.

Musical theater. Making movies with friends. Karate – all things I have done, sitting in this chair!

Those who are worthy of us, will see the good in us.

Thank you for the experience of being here with all of you, instead of learning from a faceless computer.

And to ask you for one favor, if you see someone that looks different than you, who can’t do things like you, please don’t shy away from getting to know them. They are like you in all the ways that matter. They are a person. A human. IT’S NOT A DISABILITY. IT’S A DIFFERENT ABILITY. We have many special day classes, with students who have different abilities. Each person in this world should imagine for a moment how they would feeI if the lottery of abnormal DNA chose them.

If we were all the same – how boring life would be! My hope is that being brave in sharing this, other people whose bodies don’t work right or that just feel awkward can also find a way to say that they’re not a freak.

WE EACH HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS WORLD. Don’t let anyone ever make you feel any different. Thank you for listening.

Note: Robyn’s speech was edited for space. Please visit bhsbearwitness.com to read the speech in its entirety.

Catherine Monroy/ Bear Witness

Funds for Robyn’s memorial

Remembering Robyn

To assist Robin’s mother with expenses, a donation page has been set up through the You Caring website. More than $14,000 has been raised so far.

To donate, please visit https://www.youcaring.com/aaricagutierrez-735429

Following the news of Robyn’s death, many students at Branham dressed in green or wore green ribbons to show their support for Robyn and her family.

The message was spread via social media and even those from neighboring schools.

‘She brought joy to everyone she touched’ MICHAELA EDLIN AND ROSALIE GONZALEZ

S

Staff Writers

ophomoreAlexis Janosik knew of Robyn when they both attended Dartmouth Middle School. They both were involved in the theater arts, but later grew closer when they were part of a summer theater production of “Alice in Wonderland.”

Alexis was inspired by Robyn “not because that she made being a wheelchair look easy, but she made it look confident. She always had this personality about her that made people like her and she made it seem like she was happy, no matter what.”

Alexis was at the Winter Wishes rally, like most of the school. Many were introduced to Robyn that day.

Alexis learned how strong and resilient her friend was.

“At the Make a Wish Rally, I was very happy that Robyn got to get up there and talk. I was crying because I never knew that her disease was fatal.

I never even knew what it was called; I never felt the need to. I knew she

About muscular dystrophy Muscular dystrophy is a group of diseases that progressively weaken the muscles. This can lead to an inability to walk, a weak heart, difficulty swallowing, scoliosis, and shortening of the joints. (Limited flexibility) Possible Treatment Although there is no cure, many treatments can be used to prevent or reduce problems involving the spine and joints.

Tammy Janosik/Special to Bear Witness Mia and Alexis Janosik appeared with Robyn in the summer theater production of “Alice in Wonderland.” Alexis calls Robyn an “inspiration.” had a muscular disorder and she needed a wheelchair.”

Janosik later said that Robyn as “an amazing person, and the wheelchair was a tiny part of who she was…

We would text, and I would always finish the conversation smiling. She brought joy to everyone she touched in her life.

Medication: Corticosteroids can improve muscle strength.

Heart meds (ACE) may be used if dystrophy affects the heart.

Therapy: Low impact exercise, (swimming, walking) help maintain mobility and flexibility.

Braces, slow progession of contractures. (muscle decay) Canes, walkers, and wheelchairs help maintain independence.

As respitory muscles weaken, a ventilator may be needed during sleep.