THE TALON “Seize Truth and Use It Well.”
Clayton Valley Charter High School October 30, 2015
Volume LVIII, Issue 02
girls run the world at clayton valley BY CELINE HERRERA
Escorted by their two friends, Danielle Gelhaus and Nicole Lyons, Anna Laou and Veronica Renner win the title for the 2015 homecoming court. Photo by Robert Burton.
An infinite, fervent sea of ebony glimmers across the field. The homecoming court don tailored suits and dresses on the turf, holding tightly onto white roses, anxious to hear their own name on the loudspeaker. Clayton Valley held its breath and finally, the 2015 homecoming king and queen winners were announced. Last Friday, during Clayton Valley’s homecoming game against Concord High, seniors Anna Laou and Veronica Renner were honored as Clayton Valley’s first king and queen. However, Laou and
Renner smashed records and will be keeping this win in the history books, because it was the first time two female students were crowned king and queen. “I was really, really shocked. I started crying and I couldn’t stop crying for the next twenty minutes afterwards. It was a pretty big thing,” said Anna, who was crowned king. The two marching band seniors were planning to run for homecoming king and queen since junior year. What first started off as a joke on
Instagram, soon became a realization that change needed to occur. When Anna and Veronica posted a picture on Instagram telling their peers to vote for them for homecoming royalty, they soon realized that during their senior year they should run for the court. “We knew what was coming and we embraced it. If people were ready for it then they would embrace the change in the end.” Since homecoming was held at Clayton Valley, it was a tradition to nominate and vote for one female student and one male student who would represent the school during homecoming week. Senior Anna Laou was crowned king and is an active member of the Clayton of the classrooms. But the situation Valley student body. On campus, she is the president of Spectrum, which is Clayreached a point where many students became involved and invested ton Valley’s club that supports members of the LGBTQ+ community. Laou is also in what was happening.” ASB President Hosna Opeyany the vice-president of Senior Men and is an comments on the impact it has on active member of marching band, where she plays the French horn. In the future, students. “The students basically took the hit. It was a domino effect. Anna wants to become a music educator. According to one student, Isaiah .. their problems took a toll on us and inevitably became our problem Thurman, states, “I feel like it’s great that too. There was a lack of unity and there was a change in scenery during the line-up. It seems as though the popthe feel of a family. This year has a different vibe and feel to it, in a ular crowd would usually win, but in good way. I think student voices are a way, the underdogs won this time.” Meanwhile, one of Anna’s best friends, now being heard. We are making Veronica, was crowned queen. On good strides towards the future.” Matt Foster, who took over last campus, Veronica is a member of the year from the mid-year departure Clayton Arts Academy, show choir, and of 19 year veteran Cate Sundling, marching band. She is also the captain for Clayton Valley’s drama and improv discusses his experience as a new troupe groups, and is the percussion teacher at Clayton Valley. “I have received support from the adminis- captain. In her spare time, she loves to tration when I’ve asked for it. They paint, sing, dance, and tell jokes. She can also play the marimba and the piaseem to be very invested in the no, and is a part of the percussion secstudents.” tion in band. After high school, VeronFoster, who teaches English, ica plans on graduating college with an believes “there could always be more done to create a better learn- emphasis on musical theater. She would ing environment for teachers and also like to join the Peace Corps in Afstudents.” However, in his tenure so rica. (Continued as “Girls” on Page 6). far, he has not experienced the hostile work environment that other teachers have argued. (Continued on Page 3.)
NEW LEADER ON CAMPUS BRINGS HOPE TO CLAYTON VALLEY BY PABLO HERNANDEZ AND TOMMY VO
As students are forced to say goodbye to a great number of teachers, many questions arise on how it is affecting their education. With the voluntary resignation of 25 teachers and staff members since May of 2014, the situation has undoubtedly changed the landscape on campus. With the addition of Principal Jeff Eben, several new teachers, and with Executive Director, Dave Linzey, now working off campus, this school has undergone serious change. There is an influx of new faces, new leadership, and new attitudes. Last year, some former teachers contend that the administration brought a hostile environment on campus. This led to many teachers, including former Chemistry teacher Tori Campbell, to voluntarily resign in the middle of the year. Campbell wrote a letter about her tenure at the school to the Contra Costa County Board of Education. In her letter, published online by the community group Stakeholders for Transparency, she states: “I would like to state one simple truth: I left CV mid-year because I was miserable working there … People who are ‘pro-administration’ are rewarded and people who are
‘anti-administration’ are shunned or disciplined.” Campbell’s resignation was only one of many. Several student-favorite teachers like Cate Sundling, Jenny Krnich, and Christine Reimer have departed from the school partially as a result of the conflict between teachers and administration. Current math teacher Robert Bergman comments on the recent departures of his colleagues. “I think people have to do what’s best for themselves, their health, and their family. While many of them fought the good fight, many of them just gave up.” Bergman, however, has an optimistic view on the current progress and strides that school has taken since the past year. “There are a lot of steps the administration has taken that have been positive for the school. They have made good moves, like the hiring of our principal, Jeff Eben. I think the biggest trouble spot [of the charter] was the idea to give teachers a lot of the input. This was supposed to be a school led by teachers. But so far, we’ve been ignored. In terms of how it has affected students and their education, we tried to keep it out
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NEW LEADER BRINGS HOPE TO CLAYTON VALLEY
CV STRIVES TO CONSERVE WATER IN DROUGHT
www.cvchsthetalon.com
BY PABLO HERNANDEZ AND TOMMY VO
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1) Some teachers, however, still believe they are being unrecognized for their efforts. “I have never worked anywhere where my work has not been acknowledged. I’ve worked as a waiter where I was more acknowledged than my time as a teacher here,” said a teacher who would like to remain anonymous. With the new school year already on its track, many new faces around campus are ready to take on the challenge of promoting a healthy learning environment for students. Jeff Eben, recently hired principal at Clayton Valley, discusses his newly founded leadership role at the school. “My whole thing about work since I’ve been here is to build a positive culture,” Eben says. “Wherever I’ve been, I’ve come with the idea to take our culture and make it as good as it can be. But for me, the challenge is how do we move forward. If all the adults are pulling in the right direction, we should also be able to push innovation and growth to a really high level.” In regards to the conflict between administration and teachers, Eben hopes to build a positive environment with teachers and administration to build a more positive learning environment for students. “Over the course of the next few
In the two years post-charter (2013-2014), Clayton Valley met all 17 requirements for the Adequate Yearly Progress, beating out other schools in the area.
years, I want to build a relationship-based environment. It’s not just about simply getting along, but to be able to believe in the same things. We work together. If we all believe together, that’s strength. It’s my responsibility for them to trust me. I inherent the issue of putting the trust back together. We all have the same responsibility to our students. There should not be a hierarchy. We should work together for the students.” Since Clayton Valley transitioned into a charter school before the 2012-2013 school year, it has shown significant progress in academic results. Clayton Valley currently has a 9 out of
Robotics Club
Clayton Valley is hosting its first robotics tournament on campus this winter. be sure to support your school!
Tournament dates:
November 14th- Modesto junior college december 12th- northgate high school february 6th- clayton valley charter high school
SENIORS STRUGGLE TO PREPARE FOR COLLEGE BY ROSANNA ARAGON AND ISAIAH THURMAN With November 30th right around the corner, seniors at Clayton Valley Charter High School are finding themselves in a state of peril as they try to prepare for college. To plan out the future for their lives after high school, students across campus are determining which college and major they’re interested in, if they will go straight to work, become a working student, or if they will join the military. SAT and ACT tests are being taken, college applications are being worked on, extracurricular activities are taking up time, and AP and Honors classes are stressing kids out. Many seniors have been waiting for this moment to come for years, but not all of them feel ready to move on. Out of 242 students, 57 percent of students would like to go to a four year university, 36 percent of them want to attend a community college, 2 percent are going to trade schools, 2 percent are entering the military, another 2 percent plan on doing something else, and 1 percent are going straight to work or are going to be working students. Surprisingly, more students taking economics this semester are interested in going to community college, rather than seniors currently
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BY ALYSSA ARINO AND KRIPA LAMICHHANE
10 statewide school ranking. In the two years post-charter (2013-2014), the school has met all 17 requirements for the Adequate Yearly Progress, beating out other schools in the area such as Concord High and Northgate, who only met 13 and 10 requirements, respectfully. Critics contend that while there has been initial academic progression, it has been accompanied by shortcomings, lack of transparency, and a shameless disregard for teachers and students. They claim that the original intent of the charter has been lost. Recent CAASPP test results showed that Clayton Valley scored significantly below both College Park and Northgate High School. While only 39 percent of Clayton Valley students met or exceeded math standards, 59 and 61 percent met or exceeded standards at College Park and Northgate, respectfully. Regardless of what happened before, each side can agree to one sentiment: students and their education matter. It seems to be a consensus that more needs to be done to provide a prosperous environment on campus. Many on each side can agree the administration and teachers must create a unified bond in order to serve the main priority at school, the students.
taking a government class. Seniors may be feeling confused and overwhelmed, but Mrs. Edwards is here to help. She recommends, “[That students who haven’t started applications yet] do the supermatch college search on Naviance. They need to make a decision sooner than later.” Mrs. Edwards also says that students should take both the SAT and ACT if possible. but “most schools take both, so I would also caution the students to make sure that they’re looking at the school and see if they prefer one over the other.” One senior, John Balido, said,“I have taken the SAT and I’m going to retake it in November.” He also admits, “I think so. [The counselors] have helped me with choosing classes to help me prepare for college.” Naviance is an online program that Ms. Edwards and counselors have shown students that can assist students with finding a college with the major they are interested in and what their chances are of being accepted. Seniors can also find out if they are eligible for a certain college by using the eligibility index on the CSU or UC websites. Before applying, the student may want to check what the deadlines for their applications
to be turned in and what type of application the colleges accept. Some seniors have decided to turn in their applications early, but most, if not all CSU and UC applications for freshmen of the Fall 2016 semester are due by November 30th. It’s not a very wise decision to wait until the last minute, since some websites can crash from having too many people on them at the same time. Seniors should start to gather information for their college applications if they haven’t already. These might include grades, extracurricular activities, any community service, test scores, and letters of recommendation. The seniors of Clayton Valley have been given information about college applications, but not all of them know where to start. It’s been a struggle for students to cope with everything that’s being thrown their way, and time is running out. Although senior year can be fun once in awhile, it can also be quite stressful because of things such as college applications. Sometimes, you wish you weren’t a senior.
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Lawns are brown, leaks nonexistent, and swimming pools are left dry. You can count the minutes of the average shower on one hand. It’s hard to remember what Mount Diablo looked like when it was green. California is nearing the fifth year of a record breaking drought, and water conservation is the only thing on many people’s minds, and Clayton Valley Charter High School is no exception. Clayton Valley and its students are no stranger to the drought. It has haunted every resident of California for years like a relentless ghost. The lack of water is impossible to ignore, so CVCHS, along with the rest of the state, has been going to extreme lengths to save as much of it as possible. “The water was off all summer and most of the beginning of the school year,” states Alison Bacigalupo, the facilities manager at Clayton Valley. There is also a limit on how many days a week the grass on campus is watered. Currently, the sprinklers are used only three times a week. Students are skeptical of the lush green grass found all over Clayton Valley’s campus; how could those manicured lawns in the lower quad not require a lot of water? There’s an answer to that, and it’s as important as water conservation: safety. “The ground was dry and opening up, so students were getting hurt because they were tripping over the cracks,” Bacigalupo explains. The rising number of stumbling-related injuries among students made it obvious to the point where CVCHS needed to take action. The water was turned on in order to soften the ground and
prevent further scrapes and bruises. The water used for our earth around campus hasn’t stopped CVCHS from reaching conservation levels we should be proud of. From June to August of 2014, Clayton Valley spent $415 a day on water, while the water bill for June to August of 2015 was $311 per day. Compared to 2014, this year’s water conservation had about a 25% decrease in the past year. However, it’s not just one high school that’s achieved an immense decline in the use of water. According to Jennifer Allen, the Director of Public Affairs at the Contra Costa Water District, this past summer we had a 40% decrease in water use districtwide.
Photo by Maris Degener Senior Sehaj Sahota is one of the students on campus affected by the drought. As a sports med student, she has to deal with higher rates of dehydration during the dry weather.
“Students should definitely [report any leaks] they
see around campus,” advises Bacigalupo. When you see a water fountain overflowing or a pipe dripping, take a quick pitstop at Student Services to notify our Facilities Manager of the water wasting. Without your help, there’s a chance dozens of gallons of water could be left unusable due to a leakage accidentally going unnoticed by staff. However, saving water doesn’t only have to be done at school. Preserving water on campus is unarguably important, but preservation can also be done at home. Here’s a few tips on how to contribute to California’s water conservation: 1. Turn off any running water that isn’t immediately in use. 2. Make sure every load of laundry or dishes is completely full. 3. Instead of pouring unused ice cubes in the sink, throw them on the lawn or in a plant. 4. Stop by the Contra Costa Water District and pick up a free shower timer. 5. Wash your bike or car with a bucket and sponge instead of a hose. With these tips, you are able to save water without lifting a finger. You can conserve by only using your words. “Bring home any information you learn about in school involving the drought. It’s important that you bring it back to your family, friends, and neighbors,” instructs Allen. “Remind your family there’s a drought. If you see people using water wastefully, say something.”
SNAPCHAT BECOMES NEW TEXTING AND DRIVING BY MADDIE SIMBIRDI
Your phone bleeps. You glance down to view the notification, and it’s a Snapchat from your best friend. The desire to check the new message is luring you to break your focus from the road for only a moment. What you don’t know is the five seconds required to unlock your device and view the Snap will take your eyes off of the road long enough to drive the length of an entire football field. Every second, about 8,796 photos are shared on Snapchat, a popular mobile application launched in September of 2011. Its 100 million daily users can send pictures, videos, and messages that “self-destruct” after a few seconds. Unlike a text message, the content of a Snapchat is gone forever after a user opens it. Therefore, drivers commit 100% of their attention to viewing that snapchat from their best friend. This failure to pay attention to driving for even one second can endanger not only the driver but also passengers and those around them. A particularly common use of Snapchat is to take “selfies,” or self-portrait pictures.
Drivers who want to Snap a selfie have to remove their hands from the wheel and divert their attention to petty distraction. Concord police officer Todd Stroud explained, “There are increasingly more traffic collisions that are directly attributed to distracted drivers using mobile devices to text, talk, and view social media sites. With the popularity of mobile devices and social media, it seems as if we are dealing with an increasing amount of distracted drivers, which poses the same dangers as an impaired driver.” As of January 1, 2009, California Safety Laws ban any form of reading, writing, or sending a text message while driving. Included in this restriction is any text-based communication such as email and instant messaging. It is still illegal to do any of the sort at a stop sign or at a red light. Still, many drivers choose to forgo the law. Two Clayton Valley juniors agreed, “Snapchatting while driving on the road is a bad idea, but it’s acceptable to do when you are stopped at a stoplight.” AT&T polled 2,067 smartphone owners ages 16-65 who drive at least once
every day. The survey showed that while driving, 61% of the candidates text, 17% take selfies, and more then 10% use Snapchat. CVCHS Dean of Character Greg Fister says, “The use of a cell phone while driving is against the California law, and it should be more enforced.” The recent updates to Snapchat have led to more usage of the application than ever before. Recent and popular features of Snapchat include live video chat, colored filters, geofilters, the current time, local weather, speed overlays, bolded text and emojis, trophies, replays, and Discover, a tab featuring trending news stories. The newest version of Snapchat allows users to apply entertaining 3D effects to selfies and to pay to replay a snapchat multiple times. One controversial feature is Snapchat’s speed filter. It monitors the speed in miles (or kilometers) per hour at which the picture is being taken. This feature is almost always used while in a car. It practically insinuates drivers take snapchats while driving. Although Snapchat does warn its users not to snap and drive, the message does not
reappear again after the user uses the filter for the first time. The rising problem of using Snapchat behind the wheel is an issue that involves most students at CVCHS. A poll between Clayton Valley students concluded that 81% of participants have either used Snapchat while driving or know someone that has. Autumn Zelmon, a CV junior, believes that “If you use Snapchat while driving, you will get in a car crash.” Another Clayton Valley student supports this claim, and he shared that his vehicle was almost hit recently by a distracted driver using his cell phone. Students can make unsafe decisions when it comes to distracted driving. Most likely, students’ need to use their cell phones while driving comes from the new culture of society that has molded in the last few years. The wonders of newfound technology make it difficult to unplug from our devices, even if only for a few minutes. Separation anxiety has become extremely common in students and young adults when they are required to put away their phones. (Continued on Page 4).
NEWS Page 4 www.cvchsthetalon.com
SNAPCHAT BECOMES NEW TEXTING AND DRIVING BY MADDIE SIMBIRDI
(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3) It’s no wonder that those at Clayton Valley and beyond experience difficulty putting down their technology to focus on the road. A parent of one CVCHS junior suggests, “A program needs to be installed in all teens’ phones, that when they enter a car, their phones turn into emergency call mode only.” Another parent, Stephanie Sproul, believes “every generation has to learn how to manage these distractions.” A third parent shares their concern, questioning why “drivers can’t use hands-free devices until they are 18.” Parents of both current and soon-to-be drivers can set examples and standards for their
children. By letting their phone ring or ignoring a text while driving, parents show their kids the importance of keeping the attention on the road at all times. This teaches student drivers that driving is a privilege that comes with consequences. Clayton Valley provides a threeday educational program for its students named “Every 15 Minutes,” emphasizing the fact that every fifteen minutes, someone dies from an alcohol-related accident on the road. Every other year, the juniors and seniors witness a crash scene presentation on the football field and a memorial service. Seniors attend an additional in-depth presentation, while freshmen receive a smaller pre-
sentation on the subject. Although its original purpose has always been to illustrate the dangers of drinking and driving, it has evolved to additionally include the dangers of cell phone usage while driving. Clayton Valley Director of Student Services Miguel Romo reflects, “I have seen a shift in the educational pieces with Every 15 Minutes. It’s not only the drinking and driving anymore, but it’s also the social media and distracted driving in general.” A parent of both a Clayton Valley sophomore and a senior said, “Both of them have been through the Every 15 Minutes program. Their comments were that it was pretty emotional and has stayed with them.” The ten-
tative dates for the Every 15 Minutes program for the 2015-2016 school year are April 26-28. Not only students, but drivers of all ages should be made aware of the dangers of distracted driving. AAA Texas and AAA New Mexico representative Doug Shupe explains, “Hundreds of thousands of people are injured and killed each year as a result of distracted driving and these injuries and deaths are entirely preventable.” Take time to send that text and snap that selfie before putting the car into drive. Distracted driving starts with you, but it can also end with you.
CAMPUS PERSPECTIVE SHIFTS ON FOOTBALL ARRESTS BY LYNETTE COX AND MARIS DEGENER
Last spring, Clayton Valley was shaken by the arrests of Miles Harrison, Drew Crabbe, Lucas Ostolaza, and James Dempsey for an alleged armed, daytime robbery. For weeks, it was the topic on hand at CVCHS, a subject no one could avoid. And yet, less than a year later, almost no current information can be found. It’s become almost a taboo on campus. A mention of the arrests either dredges up an emotional response from those close to the arrested, or a quick “sweep it under the rug” response from teachers and staff. The event was a PR disaster, particularly for a charter already facing widespread scrutiny from parents and community members. Even further, the football program, already under the microscope for their failure to adhere to a two-year probation prompted by improper player transfers last fall, once again found themselves in an unwanted spotlight. Considering the circumstances, it’s no surprise that information on the case is difficult to uncover. But one question remains that needs to be answered: Where are they now? The story was simple but shocking. Star athletes acquire gun, target drug dealer, stage robbery in broad daylight, and get caught. In the end, teenagers with no criminal record found themselves faced with serious charges and a car filled with incriminating evidence: stolen marijuana, someone else’s cell phones, and a gun that, luckily, hadn’t hurt anyone. On April 24th, the Contra Costa Times reported that the teens plead not guilty to their charges, and sought a reduction in bail. In July, it was reported that Crabbe was facing three years of incarceration served in a juvenile facility in Stockton after accepting a plea deal offered by the court. Harrison, Ostolaza, and Dempsey also accepted the deal, but the results were kept out of the news due to the minor status of the perpetrators, regardless of the fact that it was originally reported that they were to be tried as adults. The families of the students were eager to stay out of the spotlight, declining media requests for comments throughout the trial. Yet, the teens
had another family- not one forged by blood, but rather by sweat and laps run around CVCHS’ turf. Three out of the four arrested were key players on Clayton Valley’s football team, and had strong relationships with their coaches and teammates. In a letter to his team after the arrests, CVCHS football coach Tim Murphy wrote, “Young people have a lot to learn in life but they are the last ones to realize it. This is the age where a lot of them fight authority and want to make their own decisions. Just like when we were their age, they are not ready to do that and they can make a lot of irreversible mistakes.” After the arrests, Murphy said in an interview with the Bay Area News Group that he was “blown away” by the news, and that he had dealt with previous, albeit minor, infractions of the players off the field. Executive Director Dave Linzey said in a separate interview that it was “way out of character” for the students, and that he was deeply saddened by the news. Linzey wasn’t the only one to make this observation: many community members felt that the teens were unnecessarily villainized for their actions. In an interview, with one of three of the boys’ football coaches, Coach Walker, a theme arose that wasn’t ever mentioned in any of the news reports released around the break of the arrests: understanding. “They did what most students at that age want to do, party here and there, socialize with peers,” said Walker. “Unfortunately what they chose to do in that process broke the law.” Walker disagreed with how the boys were prosecuted, saying, “They weren’t habitual criminals. They made a poor choice. Throughout your entire lives you are put under a juvenile law system, and suddenly you turn 18 and are treated with adult law.” When asked about how the football coaches discussed the topic with their players after the incident, Walker could not provide much insight. “It was at the end of the school year and we didn’t really get a chance to discuss much,” explained Walker, “It was right after spring break.
We just moved forward and prepared this year’s team for the upcoming season.” When asked if there were any discussions at all with this year’s team about what happened, Walker explained that the coaches had addressed what had happened. “We don’t focus on rumors,” said Walker, “We focus on the now. We focus on the facts, and we want to clear up any rumors about what happened.” Walker was not the only one to feel sympathy for the former students. A current PSA student who worked with Crabbe when he was a member of the academy remembered him as “great motivator,” and someone who got excited about helping others. “I had a new perspective on things,” said the PSA student on the arrests. “Not all people who go to jail are bad people, they just make bad decisions. It makes you want to hear the whole story.” Finding the teens themselves to get the whole story, proved to be a difficult task. Harrison’s Twitter account, once active with posts about everything from football to women, now bears a cryptic message posted by an unknown source on September 11th: “If anyone would like the address of where they can write to Miles please send a DM to this Twitter -thank you” (sic). Whoever posted the advertisement is judicious with their information, but some have attempted to write the former football player. “He was one of my closest friends,” said a junior at Clayton Valley who wishes to remain anonymous. “It’s still really difficult to talk about. When he had to go away I didn’t get to say goodbye, so that’s why I wrote to him.” “He was a good kid.” she continued, echoing the voices of many others, “He just made a stupid mistake.” The anonymous source reported that the boys were “sent away” for six months after their court dates. “Not to jail,” she was quick to clarify. “To the Ranch.” “The Ranch,” as it turns out, is William F. James Boy Ranch in Santa Clara, (Continued on Page 5).
Sports
Page 5 www.cvchsthetalon.com
BASKETBALL CAMPUS PERSPECTIVE SHIFTS ON TRYOUTS FOOTBALL ARRESTS BY LYNETTE COX AND MARIS DEGENER
When: November 9th-12th 5 o’clock PM Where: Small gym Recquirements: Must have completed activity clearance form submitted by November 9th in order to participate in the tryouts. CONGRATULATIONS TO
ALEXIS ESPITIA for accepting a scholarship to Sonoma State University for Women’s Soccer in the Fall of 2017. You make Clayton Valley proud!
(CONT. FROM PG 4) ....one of two detention facilities in the county area. It holds up to 96 15 ½-18-year-old boys who have been ordered by the court to be held away from the public. As opposed the the juvenile hall in San Jose, the ranch puts a focus on the boys’ futures, and offers tutoring toward a GED, vocational job training, and work programs both on and off the facility. The residence of the boys was never made public, and it is unclear if the location of the teens can be confirmed through any public records due to their age.
Those close to the students confirm the information. It’s also unclear if all of the boys are located in the same facility. A request about a potential phone interview with one of the arrested, was declined due to conflict with the facility’s privacy policies. While the facts remain unchanged, opinions on campus appear to be undergoing a shift. Once met with animosity, or even shame, mentions of the boys now come with a sad shake of the head and remark on poor decisions; no longer harsh remarks on drugs or guns. It appears
that students and staff alike have come to view the arrests as reflections on teenage rebellion gone a step too far, a mistake that cannot be changed, but rather reflected upon by current and future charter students. “I have no doubt that this [their sentencing] will make them stronger men,” Walker said at the closing of his interview. “The mistakes we make do not define us- it’s the way we learn and grow from them that does.”
support makes ugly eagles soar BY AIDAN MARANAN Support-- a word that is used to describe when you the win. According to 48minutesofhell.com, fans can are giving assistance. It can come from many different change the outcome to any game give or take. Despite ways; From a financial perspective, to a morale based the team’s roster itself, the team can feed off the energy support. According to ncbi.gov, Studies show that the crowd brings. Better yet, it makes the game much more than half of the nation react and work at higher more fun and more intense. Jake King describes the rate with a little positive support from the peers. People energy the fans brings, saying tha ¨knowing that everylove to get the feeling of getting the support. According one is there makes the game more fun.¨ to Maija Reblin and PhD Bert Uchino, having a social As one of the greatest football teams in the state, the support can have a healthy outcome in your life. Supsupport runs deep at CVCHS. Before Clayton Valley port is one of the keys success. For CVCHS Football, even became a charter, the Ugly Eagles football team support goes a long way for them. has always been successful at a high rate. CVCHS Art In the past three to four years, CVCHS football teacher and former student, Mrs. Nolan, says that “[the has been solidifying itself as a powerhouse throughout team] has been a consistently achieving team since the state of California. According to maxpreps.com, the 80s. [The school] always had really good support CVCHS football Ranks 20th overall in California, and system for our football team.” 150th in the country. A lot of the past wins would not From her years of being at Clayton Valley student, be on the school’s record without a “home court advan- she shares a story of the football team playing against tage.” In order to win, you have start winning on your Pittsburgh High in the Oakland Coliseum. Mrs. Nolan home turf. Fans always rooting for you and the feel no longer attends school football games because they of knowing you have your whole community on your “are completely packed” with screaming fans and supback. To some people, it is just a game to show up, porters. The team admits that some of the school’s wins others feel that it is the best feeling you could get when would not be in theit record without all of the support playing a sport. Senior football player Joseph Nguenti, they have every game- they attribute much of their states, “It means more than just playing a football game success to the spirit and pride of the Ugly Eagles. when it’s at home, it is a good feeling knowing when you walk out on the field and you see all of the fans you know and love.” The morale of every athlete can be increase at an alarming rate when they see people they know and love in the bleachers to support them. Sports can win with a good team, but you can win at a higher level when the community are into the game. By showing support, the team feeds off of the crowd’s energy. Senior football player Luis Ramos says ¨they brought the excitement to the game.¨ The community has so much to offer to the football team by just showing support, coming to the games and give them the energy they need to get Harrison reaches for a catch during a game against REVHS. Photo by Jason Rogers
Opinions Page 6
girls
chef wayne confirms: student lunches healthy
(Con’t. from page 1) BY CELINE HERRERA
www.cvchsthetalon.com
However, not all students shared the same ecstatic energy Clayton Valley felt when Laou and Renner were crowned king and queen. Various comments and conversations about gender neutrality came up, with some students portraying the election as a negative way to represent Clayton Valley by having two female students win. One student on Twitter mentioned, “I’m gonna say it again, but letting a female win homecoming ‘king’ is stupid.” Another student vented on the social media platform to say, “Letting two girls be homecoming king and queen is like having lesbian parents and still calling them ‘mom’ and ‘dad’.” Other students felt that Clayton Valley wasn’t ready to break a tradition that was held for over fifty years. Despite the controversy, the homecoming title raised awareness about the LGBTQ+ community. Many students witnessed more same-sex couples at homecoming and how others felt confident to come out of the closet, because of Anna and Veronica’s achievement. Anna states, “There are a lot of things targeted against [the LGBTQ+ community]. [This election] brings visibility. The more you see, the more you accept.” According to Renner, “We’re a society that’s constantly changing and we need to allow ourselves to change and grow.” Administration also contended that it was a significant step forward into the future of Clayton Valley. “I think it was absolutely awesome. I think it reflects our times here as a society and that we are very accepting of different viewpoints and perspectives. It was beautiful to see that everyone was accepting of the night and that situation,” said Mr. Romo, the Director of Student Services. For future years to come, Anna and Veronica proved to the Clayton Valley student body, that no matter who you are or where you come from, you can run the world in your own way.
BEAUTY OUTLOOK REDEFINES VANDALISM BY REBECCA WALSH
The dictionary defines vandalism as “the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property.” Although most of the art on the walls of our school is sanctioned by the administration, others have not had as much luck. From first glance, the bathrooms seemed to be filled with vulgar language and provocative images. Looking deeper into the writings on the walls, one can find little notes of encouragement and love from strangers. This is the ripple effect of Operation Beautiful. With Operation Beautiful, it’s not graffiti. The goal of Operation Beautiful is to use post-it notes with the positive messages that women need. Each note is placed strategically in locations where self-hate occurs, such as bathrooms and public locations. The mission of Operation Beautiful is to end negative self-talk. Caitlin Boyle, the founder of this organization says, “I was inspired to start Operation Beautiful after having a really bad day at work; I wanted to do something small and simple for someone else to make me feel better!” At the end of the last school year, a student chose to embody the ideals of this operation. Crystal Gomez, a student from the graduating class of 2015, used sticky notes to reach the population of the school where negative body image is prevalent. She studied the effects of how our society sees beauty for her senior project. By using positive words and unanimity, this operation takes a strong root in the goodness of other people. Although the post-its have been taken down since the school year has ended, it has touched more hearts and minds than one would imagine. Nikki Mason, a junior at CVCHS, recounts, “My initial reaction to the sticky notes was that they were a good idea, considering there are some people that are being told the opposite of what [the notes] said.” The sticky notes were centralized around the girl’s bathrooms because girls, in particular, are three times more likely than boys to have a negative body image. The founder marveled at the fact that it became so popular so quickly, “I was surprised at first, but in hindsight, I see why it’s been so successful. We need this type of positive messaging in society.” People take interest in things that pull their minds away from the takedown society and turn their eyes to see the beauty in themselves and others. Through Operation Beautiful, society can change the minds of 90% of 15-17 year old girls that want to change one aspect of their physical appearance.
senioritis: laziness or self-sabotage? BY GIANNA PALLOTTA
We are only in our second month of school here at Clayton Valley, but seniors are already showing signs of the dreadful epidemic, known as Senioritis. Grades are dropping, homework is left undone, and ditching class has already become an issue. Google’s definition of Senioritis states, it is “supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance.” Although a lack of motivation due to burnout at the end of a long high school career may be the root to the “disease,” it could also stem from self-sabotage. Self-sabotage can come into play when seniors begin to realize that the future is getting closer and closer. In just a little less than one year, they could be in another state for college, away from their friends and family. Senioritis could simply be due to the fact that seniors are refusing to grow up. They begin to self-sabotage themselves by slacking off and letting their grades drop. This can affect their chances of getting into college, which forces them to go to community college; an option that doesn’t seem too bad for the soon-to-be graduates. To them, it means staying at home for another few years and not having to grow up just yet. Not only could Senioritis affect a student’s chances of attending a four year university after high school, but it could also affect their studying habits for the rest of their lives. According to recent studies, 65% of high school seniors go on to attend college. However, the 65% of seniors that are accepted that make it, many suffered from senioritis. These students may end up never being able to get back into the swing of things. Since they “took a year off,” they may find it hard to build that motivation back up to perform well throughout college. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, almost 22% of colleges revoked their student admissions in the year 2009. The reasons for revoked offers included dropping grades, lying in college applications, and disciplinary issues. Although colleges mainly only focus on sophomore and junior grades, they wait for students’ final transcripts to see if they stayed motivated until the end. 64% of the time,
colleges decline applicants due to those final transcripts. Therefore, it is very important that seniors are aware of the consequences of slacking off. Although seniors may believe they don´t want to grow up and take on a new responsibility, they should still keep pushing on to give themselves options.
Photo by Gianna Pallotta Senior, Pablo Hernandez, drifts off to sleep while listening to music instead of working on his classwork. This is a common sight at Clayton Valley, especially as the year progresses and motivation begins to wane among the senior class.
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Features
BY ALEX STEINER “We’re very specific about getting anything local,” says our award-winning Chef Wayne. Although the Chef has been featured on a radio show, a movie, and a few TV shows, he somehow ended up at our school. Clayton Valley is very lucky to have him, due to his dedication toward providing a wide range of meal options every lunch and brunch, including options safe for vegetarian and pescataraian students. Chef Wayne is very picky with the quality of the food that goes into the lunches. He’s proud to say that “the only frozen vegetables he will allow are peas or green beans.” In the past, news reports and online articles have made students wary of the quality of meat in school lunches. Stories of “pink slime” and “ammonia” made the hamburgers and hotdogs on the line in cafeterias across America suddenly extremely unappealing. However, the Chef says that there is no pink slime that goes into the meat at Clayton Valley. He quickly adds, “unless the meat is partying,” Classic Chef Wayne. Even though Chef Wayne may make his job look easy, he comes across difficulties at times. Chef Wayne says, “The hardest part of my job is making sure that the lunches are one hundred percent balanced.” If the meat isn’t partying, the lunches are fully meeting California’s food standards. He admits, that “there were three glitches in the audit that happened last year in the amount of grains that were in the lunches, but when we heard about them we fixed them and passed with flying colors,” referring the the amount of carbohydrate allowed on students’ plates to meet governmental requirements.” Chef Wayne can confidently say that there is nothing that the students don’t know about what is going into their lunches, and if there were, there are student helpers in the cafeteria that would know if something fishy was going on. While cafeteria lunches often seem to take the brunt of jokes on campus, a great deal of effort goes into preparing them: from three hours of food prep to sourcing quality ingredients to making sure they meet California Photo by Alex Steiner state standards. Students are lucky at Clayton Valley to have access to a wide variety of food on campus at affordable prices, with the added bonus of a chef In his fourth year at Clayton Valley, Chef Wayne never struggles to be creative in the kitchen. As a tribute to one of his inspirations who passed this year, Chef Wayne that is truly a character. CVCHS definitely blows the other cafeterias out of served jumbalaya to CV students to honor his memory. the water.
EATING IN CLASS: DISTRACTION OR NECESSITY? BY SHAILA PANALIGAN Time passes by slowly as you wait for the bell to ring. You constantly ask your peers around you how long it will be until lunch starts. Your head starts to ache and the math on the board becomes hard to understand. Clutching their stomachs as they growl, students at Clayton Valley often find themselves distracted in class because of their hunger. All around CVCHS, there are teachers who allow food to be eaten in class and there are other teachers who don’t. Teenagers’ bodies need nutrition in order to grow and stay healthy. Our food intake is a huge reason to why we behave the way that we do. According to the Deloitte, it is a proven fact that sugars and carbohydrates are needed for attentiveness and ability to focus. There are students at Clayton Valley that have a zero period early in the morning, and sometimes students have activities before school that force them to rush out of the house. Missing breakfast in the mad dash to get to school on time can create the hunger that causes inability to pay attention during class. The question is, does this affect the way that students perform in the classroom? AP Government teacher, Mr. Anwar answers, “The human attention span is your age plus five minutes. If I go over that time, especially when the student is unable to focus because of their hunger, I’ve lost them.” Students who have priorities early in the morning often don’t get the opportunity to eat. Sophomore Alison Harkness states, “I get up really early sometimes to finish my homework, and I realize that a lot of time has passed by the time I’m done, so I rush out of the house and miss out on eating my breakfast.” Skipping your needed meals causes inability to focus, loss in attentiveness, and poor academic performance both in class and on tests.
The CVCHS student handbook states, “Food and beverages (other than water) are NOT allowed in the classroom, (food, snacks, gum, other beverages, etc.), unless there is a medical reason.” But are all teachers on campus following this rule to full compliance? Policies seem to vary from classroom to classroom: some teachers allow full meals on desks, others don’t want to see so much as a grape. Even though eating in class is something that most students wish their teachers would allow, there are many reasons why it’s forbidden by administration. For one thing, pests like cockroaches are always looking for some leftover food to munch on, leading to an infestation problem on campus. It can also serve as a distraction if the food on one student’s desks attracts the attention of another, pulling the focus away from the teacher and their lesson plan. Some argue that teachers should put more emphasis on the importance of cleaning up after oneself after eating. Freshman Giovanna Gonzalez states, “I always make sure to clean up my area after I eat in class because it’s respectful to my teacher, and it also shows that I am responsible for the privilege that my teacher has given to me.” Being able to eat when you’re hungry is a basic human right, but does it take away from your education? The answer remains unclear at Clayton Valley, but there’s hope that further clarifications will be made to schoolwide policy to clear up the discrepancies between classrooms.
Features Page 8 www.cvchsthetalon.com
WOULD SWIMMING POOL BENEFIT CLAYTON VALLEY ATHLETICS? BY SYDNEY SKOW
Today is just another normal day at Clayton Valley Charter High School. School’s in session from 8:00AM until 3:00PM, and when that final bell rings, all of the fall sport athletes head to CV’s locker rooms to change into their workout clothes. The cross country runners pull on their sneakers and the tennis girls don their visors. Everyone is ready to go, except for one group. All divisions of the CVCHS water polo team, both boys and girls, are hurriedly driving to Cowell Pool, the city of Concord’s community pool. While Clayton Valley’s campus has many great facilities for its students, it is still missing one key component: a pool. Alison Bacigalupo, the Facilities Director on campus, puts the hope for a pool into words. “We want to have all of those facilities right here on our property. We really do.” However, the project is an endeavor that is very expensive, time-consuming, and much bigger than many realize. The estimated price for the exquisite pool that swim sport athletes want desperately is around $6 million. This is a significant amount of money that Clayton Valley does not have the flexibility with. To be able to begin budgeting for the project, the school would need a partner that could ensure a portion of the money. According to Todd Skow, member of the board of parents that is working for a pool, confirms, “We are out searching for and approaching companies or organizations that would be interested in working with us.” Although CVCHS does not have the sufficient funding in their budget, they do have a lot more flexibility than they did in previous years. As a
charter school, they control their own budget and what they want to spend money on. Meanwhile, a few years ago, when CV was still a part of MDUSD, they had very little money to put into an endeavor like this. The school would still have to work with MDUSD to begin the project, though. What many students and members of the community do not know is the fact that Clayton Valley leases the campus from Mount Diablo Unified School District, meaning that the property is owned by MDUSD. Anything that Clayton Valley decides to do that alters/changes the campus must be submitted to the district for their approval. With a huge project like a swimming pool, not only will a plan have to be submitted to MDUSD, but primarily, a sum of about $4 million would need to be fully committed to the project. A key group of community members that strongly support the construction of a pool at Clayton Valley have continuously been meeting over the past two years. The members, Grant Bazan, Clint Benton, Dennis Bledsoe, Shaun Guest, Tony Mancini, Eric Skow, Todd Skow, and Rick Waterhouse, have discussed just what the design of the pool would be and what it will take to get to the point where the school will be ready to commit to a plan. Northgate High School had a very difficult road to getting a pool on their campus. Although it took about 40 years to accomplish this goal, their pool is now open and being used by Northgate’s water polo teams during the fall, while the swim team will use the pool during the spring. The Walnut Creek high school had the same issue that Clayton Valley currently has with this project,
which is a lack of funding. However, Northgate had a bit of an advantage when solving this issue. When MDUSD passed Measure C around three years ago, all of the high schools in the district were given $6 million to be used for projects that had been let go at the school. While Clayton Valley, Concord, College Park, Ygnacio Valley, and Mt. Diablo High Schools used the money for projects on campus that were long overdue, Northgate put that money into the budget for a pool. Why? Northgate is at least 15 years younger than all of the other schools in the district, and was built more recently, so they did not have the same problems with general maintenance that all of the other high schools did. CVCHS Executive Director Dave Linzey, is the man to go to for any information or questions about the prospect of a pool, since he is the manager of the budget for the project. He is optimistic, and is hopeful to find an organization or a company that wants to partner with him in the funding of the pool. “Are we in favor of it? Yes. If I was approached tomorrow with an organization that wants to partner with us, would I meet with them? Definitely.” Linzey says. A pool at Clayton Valley Charter High School would create a new atmosphere towards swim sports at the school, and would be an everlasting addition to the campus. Many students, staff, and community members are behind the project, and with their support, a pool at Clayton Valley will someday become a reality.
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