October 2023 Issue: Modern Feminism

PASO’S PARTICIPATION PROBLEM

Students and admin take action to get to the root of why many students aren’t getting involved PG. 4-5

Media messaging has created confusion and misinformation about what it means to be feminine pg. 13-16

CONDUCTING BRILLIANCE

Senior drum major Daisy Garcia captivates with her melodic leadership PG. 12 ADOLESCENCE IS...

Crimson reporters weigh in on what pieces of culture capture the spirit of modern adolscence PG. 23

NEWS BRIEFS

LEIS FOR LAHAINA

Students show support for Maui following an electrical fire that burned 2100 acres

by Dayana Aispuro, Carmesi Co-Editor

In one of Hawaii’s greatest disasters, a fire on Maui in the morning of Aug. 8, 2023 from an electrical power line caused 2,170 acres of destruction. Tragically 97 died in the suffocating smoke and heat, and hundreds suffered second degree burns, and some ran to the water to survive.

Many people lost loved ones, homes, and their precious homeland as 90% of Lahaina vanished.

In the aftermath of the tragedy many communities joined together to donate significant money to Maui. By September 29, 2023, over $200 million had been donated to the Maui Strong Fund.

Bearcats took action, as well: hundreds donated $1or more, received a red, blue and

white lei at school and at the Homecoming football games for their decision, in a program directed by leadership and teachers Jennifer Bedrosian and Jennfier Martinez.

This campaign, first proposed by Counselor Cesar Barajas, raised over $1200 by for the Lahaina School. The majority of the money donated was at the Homecoming football game.

The school is proud of helping people in need, according to Bedrosian, who was delighted with students’ support.

“This is a chance to say, ‘Oh, I did something good. I’m supporting students who weren’t able to go to their first day of school this year or get to be with their teammates or have their favorite teachers,’” Bedrosian said.

POPULATION DECLINE

Research shows that a population decline is in full swing and is projected to continue worldwide

by Blair Bishop, Reporter

After decades of headlines about overpopulation, a possible world population decline might be upon us all. According to the Japan Times, a population decline has already been seen in Japan the last two years as the population has decreased by more than 800,000 people. Birth rates in the U.S. have fallen to about 1.7 children per household. In the 1950s it was close to 3.5.

Modernization is likely driving younger parents to birthing fewer kids as religion becomes less prominent, the LGBTQ+ community grows, and the economy skyrockets.

According to the Harvard Review, in the last five decades Earth’s population has experienced an incline: the 1960s rate of births and deaths were not parallel, causing an increase ever since.

Since then, a population decline has thought to be very unlikely. Until now.

COVID 19 played a significant role. The virus caused 75% of U.S. counties to have a surpassing number of deaths than births, according to the University of New Hampshire. The total number of deaths from the pandemic is at least 3 million, said the World Health Or-

ganization.

Population decline can be harmful or beneficial depending on the area.

For many countries, a decrease in population will affect the economy. An article by Stanford said that a decrease harms a population because fewer people lead to fewer ideas. The economy is only able to grow and improve when new concepts emerge; fewer people in the work industry means fewer people to bring ideas to fruition.

On the other hand, a population decline can be beneficial for many reasons in overpopulated places. According to NPR news, India is so overpopulated that food shortages, housing scarcity, and environmental destruction abounds. A lower population benefits the Earth as it reduces emissions. The cost to restore climate damage will be more than the amount we would be able to pay, based on a recent Scientific American article.

Presently, the world population is at about 8 billion. Many resources, including NBC News, figure that the Earth’s carrying capacity is around 10 billion people.

Projected Populations of the 10 Largest Countries by 2100

SALAD BAR RE-OPENS

On-campus salad bar reopens for the first time since closing in 2020

by Naomi Velasco, Carmesi Director

Students and staff have been noticing a positive impact of the new salad bar which was introduced the third week of school.

The lunch staff has decided to re-open the salad bar after it closed when COVID began in 2020. The decision to open the salad bar was made in part because of the lengthy lines that stretch past the railings daily at lunchtime. Opening this salad bar has provided another spot for students to get lunch, decreasing some of the long hot lunch lines.

“It’s really nice that there are more food options and shorter lines,” said senior Kameron Paine. “I feel like I used to take half the lunch period to even get my food, and by the

time I found a place to sit and eat the bell would ring.”

Additionally, the new salad bar offers an increase in more healthy options for students. Students can create a salad with a variety of options including: lettuce, carrots, olives, pickles, cheese, croutons, chicken, ham, and many more toppings.

“The number of students is definitely getting higher here than in the windows, because they know that they can get more choices in here,” said Robin, one of the lunch staff.

Overall it has been a positive improvement and addition to the campus.

FRESH CHOICES: The indoor salad bar has a variety of toppings students can use to make their own salads at lunchtime

SHOWING SUPPORT: Bearcats wear leis they recieved after making donations to the Maui Strong Fund

SCAN HERE to read more

SCAN HERE to read more

A CRIMSON CRUISIN’ HOMECOMING

by Quinn Kobayashi, Blind Date Co-Editor

Dim lights and chatter set the scene on the early afternoon of Sept. 15. The students’ anticipation captured in Gil Asa Gym led up to the games, performances, and Homecoming Court announcements that would happen over the next hour for the nearly 2000 Bearcats that ushered through the dimmed doors.

This was the pep rally that amped up students for the football game later that night against Righetti High School, and summoned them to the Homecoming Dance the following

day, Sept. 16.

Students get amped up at homecoming pep rally from performances, awards, and the 2023 court announcements

The assembly began with a quick letter assortment game played by the teachers, but soon transitioned into the announcements of homecoming court.

Proceeding the revelations of homecoming royalty, the PRHS Cheer Team, Dance Teams, Band, and Color Guard Team were all able to display their talent in acts that had much preparation.

Sophomore Jazmin Villareal, who is currently in her sec-

2023 HOMECOMING COURT

ond year of the Advanced Dance program, described how the team felt.

“I think the team did very well. We’re all really happy with how we did and I think that practi.cing the routine so much showed when we performed,” Villareal said.

During just a 50 minute time period, the gym was able to occupy such an energy that was able to energize students for the upcoming events.

FRESHMEN SOPHOMORES JUNIORS SENIORS

CONTESTS

PRHS Athletics goes cashless pushing all sports tickets to online purchase

by Elijah Mayo, Enviromental Editor

With students entering and exiting the football games, money has been transferred back and forth with the people at the front. Emerald paper being given to one another as full payment, or as change. But now, the paper money has disappeared from the match, and getting switched out from something else on the bench. A debit card.

The change of cashless games has had students scratching their heads in confusion, with many being unable to attend. One of which is senior, Caelee Martines, a cheerleader and four year attendee of Paso Robles High School and football games. However, she wouldn’t be able to go to a single game anymore if she didn’t get free entry as a cheerleader, as she is not allowed to own a debit card.

Most of her friends have stopped attending, and people that she used to recognize have halted attending. “There’s significantly less attendance in games and it makes it like, it kind of makes cheer boring now because there’s not like a crowd to engage with. Like it’s the shout out to the same people but like the same people every game pretty much that I’ve noticed,” Martines said.

They can all enjoy the experience of going to a game and don’t have to require a debit card or some kind of card to pay online,” Benbrahim said.

Yet, in an interview with Amanda Thompson, the recent changes have been proving good economically for the school. Making a total of $15,955 from the Paso Robles Bearcats vs Atascadero Greyhounds for the boys junior varsity and boys varsity, compared to 2021 with a total of $13,101.70, with the Atascadero game having the highest attendance rate compared to recent games of the past year.

Senior football player Ayman Benbrahim holds a similar opinion on the matter. Despite being on the team, Benbrahim has had to give them his debit card information to get into a game before. “My personal opinion is that they should just take both and cash because everybody can get in. You don’t need a debit card or some way to pay, so everybody can get in.

Paso Robles is one of the last schools to move over to a cashless system in the CCAA, cashless games allow for more accountability of the schools fundsthere are few to no accounting issues.

The money made from the tickets that are sold are given to the gate staff, and is as well paid towards the officials which cost $40,000 a year.

New sports ahead will also generate more ticket income. A new competitive cheer team, a CIF sport, will arive to Paso Robles this winter under coach Codie Wilshusen, who also teaches dance. Beach volleyball is building courts by the district office, across the street from PRHS and hope to run paid matches by spring. A girl’s flag football team might even take shape.

Despite student opinion, the product of the cashless game system has proven beneficial for both attendance and economic gain.

Brandon Clements and Reese Jaureguy

Quinn Stason, Cash Shaffer & Tori Holbrook

Nominees: Noah Ketchum & Bianca Rangel Kingston Anguiano & Kailea Stoltzfus

Not pictured: Benny Rodriguez, Senior Homecoming Court Winner

Photos by Chloe Van Pelt

Ayman Benbrahim, 12

ASO’S ARTICIPATIONPROBLEM

At the end of every school year comes the yearbook, a 300 page collection of memories from sports games to spirit days and every school activity in-between. For seniors in particular, the yearbook is representative of a closed chapter, and each student gets the opportunity to showcase the activities they chose in their time at PRHS.

Upon looking through his own yearbook year after year, Superintendent Dr. Curt Dubost noticed a concerning trend among seniors: many did not provide a senior photo or did not list any activities they were part of throughout their four years of high school.

“I started off by simply looking at the senior section of the yearbook and looking at seniors who didn’t list anything at all under their picture,” Dubost said. “My assumption was that that means there wasn’t anything they did in their four years here that they want to look back on.”

Dubost’s and the concern of other administrators and teachers on campus sparked the “Senior Exit Interview” project executed by AP Language teacher Aaron Cantrell in May 2023 in which students from Cantrell’s class conducted the exit interviews with 42 seniors. The seniors interviewed did not provide a senior photo, a list of activities they were involved in, or were missing both items from the upcoming yearbook.

“The worst thing we could do in the face of our disenfranchisement and the lack of involvement would be nothing. So we have to do something,” Cantrell said.

The interviewees were pulled from teachers Sophia Anderson’s, Carrie Baldovin’s, Kevin LeClair’s, Haley Talbert’s, and Zoe Valadez’s English classes.

Each senior was asked to answer “yes or no” to 40 questions known as the 40 Developmental Assets in a Google Form. Each of the questions covered strengths and weaknesses relating to school, home, and community life.

Following the interview, Cantrell’s juniors were asked to write an essay to summarize their findings.

LSENIORS...

- 87% were not involved in VAPA

Students and admin take action to get to the root of why many aren’t getting involved in on-campus activities

Superintendent Dubost

- 38% thought it was okay to do drugs or be sexually active

- 34% went to PRHS all four years and were not involved in any extracurriculars

- 16% not involved were PRJUSD students from K-12th grade OF 42

Data from 42 student interviews, May 2022

Aaron Cantrell

Jennifer Bedrosian, leadership and dance teacher found it interesting that the participation in school academics within the boys and girls is skewed, and has seen this occurring in many areas.

“I also see that in clubs that are going on. I see the stronger female involvement with the clubs,” Bedrosian said. “You can be part of a whole different program like SkillsUSA, CTE program and not feel the need to have to get involved with anything else because you’re already active.”

Bedrosian explained that COVID could also be a large factor in the participation of the PRHS students. She has seen it mostly affecting the involvement in sports, especially for newcomers.

“So I think the biggest bang for our buck would be students reaching out to students to get them involved versus adults telling students ‘hey, you should join the soccer team’ or ‘hey, come to this event’ because we’re old, and I really think they’re more influenced by their peers,” Martinez said.

Megan Fletcher, new principal at PRHS, provides a fresh perspective on the subject of our school’s participation. Fletcher has new ideas to provide stronger voices to our student body, and to help represent the various factors students have in their lives that impact their education.

Fletcher also feels that there is a general sense of apathy going on between adults and young people. She said the culture of the school will need to be changed so that PRHS students from now until the future feel at home while at school, as well as wanting to be involved.

“As far as athletics I think a lot of kids stopped participating in things because of COVID, and then don’t feel comfortable getting into a sport now at a later age,” Bedrosian said.

Leadership Director Jennifer Martinez also believes students’ experiences with cell phones has also caused a decrease in school involvement.

“I think it’s much easier for them to dive into their cell phone and get lost in Instagram stories and posts and forget that you could actually be doing that one-on-one with people,” Martinez said.

TYPICALLY YOU SEE THOSE WITH THE LOUDEST VOICE SPEAKING UP FOR THEMSELVES. THOSE WHO MIGHT BE SHY OR HAVE ANXIETY ARE TYPICALLY NOT REPRESENTED ON OUR CAMPUS AND MIGHT HAVE MORE DIFFICULTY SPEAKING UP

“I really love that a lot of clubs meet during tutorial so if students work or they’re already playing a sport, they have other things going on, maybe they have to babysit their younger brothers and sisters, we’re offering opportunities during the day to get involved and so I’d like to see that expanded as well,” Fletcher said.

Fletcher also explained that PRHS staff and administration don’t give enough credit to the young adults attending this school that have other tasks unrelated to PRHS.

“I think we don’t give kids enough credit for what they’re doing outside of school that has nothing to do with what we offer on campus,” Fletcher said.

MEGAN FLETCHER

Still, Martinez hopes for regular usage of the app Minga. She stated students resist the app, but Minga can provide alerts for new activities.

“With Minga they can see posts for activities and get points and earn prizes. Hopefully people start attending more events like games and dances and stuff like that,” Martinez said.

Rather than students reaching out to administrators or administrators reaching out to students, Martinez proposes students reaching out to students would be most effective.

DUBOST: COUNSELORS

Offering surveys is Fletcher’s first form of reaching out to our students, but she also encouraged club meetings during tutorial.

“I think that one of the main things is to ensure that we are surveying the entire student body and getting their feedback to what they would like to see happen,” said Fletcher.

“Typically you see those with the loudest voice kind of speaking up for themselves, those who might be shy or have anxiety are typically not represented on our campus, might have more difficulty speaking up.”

SOLUTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

FLETCHER: SURVEYS

We have one counselor per grade and lots of counselors with specific areas of responsibility, so it disappoints me that we still have so many students who aren’t being all that they could be. It’s going to take a team approach and we’re going to have to go into a lot of different angles. We’re not talking about a handful of kids; we’re talking about hundreds

MARTINEZ: MINGA

With Minga students can see posts for activities and get points and earn prizes. Hopefully people start attending more events like games and dances and stuff like that

I think that one of the main things is to ensure that we are surveying the entire student body and getting their feedback to what they would like to see happen

CANTRELL: GANAS TUTORIAL

*GANAS is a tutorial class designed to pair a volunteer student to help struggling students get and stay on track with their academics

I’ve been having some conversations about restarting our efforts with GANAS* and the will is there from teachers, administrators and students. If anyone is interested in hellping getting kids plugged in, I’ll be very grateful

a female future

Members of the Crimson staff believes that feminism is a multifaceted issue where compromise is key

The feminism of today has significantly evolved from when the movement started but still, the question of whether women are being oppressed in society is still being asked. It is evident that women today are facing more subtle forms of oppression such as through the “pink tax” phenomenon and upstanding traditional beliefs that don’t necessarily allow room for the growth of women’s roles societally. With that being said, it is important to acknowledge how far we have come from fighting for voting rights and work outside of the house.

Still, many hold onto the traditional idea that the role of every woman is to be a homemaker, while others believe that men and women should function equally in society, depending on what they want to do. We believe that there are notable and real

Cdifferences between men and women. At the same time, we believe that the merging of the two ideas is what will allow society to thrive.

The goal is open discussion. It is important for everyone to feel comfortable with what they believe their role in society is, and the first step is to talk about it.

Some women find the most happiness in the family, being a stay-at-home mom. Other women will be the most satisfied as a CEO. Pressuring women in either direction can be toxic, and ultimately unhelpful to our greater society. That being said, we can all feel how we’d like about other’s decisons as long as we aren’t forcing our views upon them without precedent.

From housewife to hoe-phase everyone can make their own decisions, and formulate their own opinions about said decisions.

- crimson staff

—Crimson Staff

Natalie Herrera’s views on the topic can be found on page 14-15.

THE PRICE OF YOUR FUTURE

Seniors voice their thoughts on whether they

would rather attend affordable schools

or prestigious Ivy Leagues by Georgia Domenghini, Pop-Culture Editor

What schools are you thinking of applying to? is the question that every high school senior in the country seems to be asked weekly as the deadline slowly approaches. Hundreds of seniors are biting the bullet and crunching the clock to attempt a launch past Cuesta automatic acceptance next fall. And the question isn’t easy: they are tasked with finding schools that are the right fit for them that are also affordable, and this can be a difficult balance for many teens. Plus there’s the question of which colleges will accept them.

It’s a time filled with unknowns, the mystery of the future, and the classic American coming of age season of departing high school.

The prestige and honor of the eight Ivy League schools can draw unassuming students in before they know their full price tag. Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University are the Ivy Leagues and arguably the best schools in the country with their average acceptance rate of 5%, rankings in the US NEWS top 20, and their average yearly cost of $80,000. But what makes them so special? Is the title of being an Ivy League school all they have, or can they back up their prestige?A survey of the senior class revealed they have clear opinions about the topic.

Senior Dakota Rickerd believes their prestige allows them to be the best universities in the country. Rickerd is planning on applying to ten schools around the country, and two of them being Harvard and either Princeton or Yale.

“I think they have the status for a reason because I think they do have the best [professors] and best schooling,” he said. His main goal is to show that GPA is not the only thing colleges consider when looking at applicants, and that extracurriculars really do matter.

Many other students at Paso, however, don’t agree with Rickerd. The majority believe that Ivy Leagues are not worth the money for what they offer with 80% of students surveyed opting not to apply to them, that they require an unbalanced amount of work for chances that someone will get in, that they can attend

schools just as good for half the price.

Senior Campbell Sinton is applying to approximately 10 schools, with her top choice being UC Davis because of their top-notch medical program. The Ivy’s were not important to Sinton.

“I think it’d be cool to say I went to an [Ivy], but I’m sure there’s other schools that have programs that are just as good,” Sinton said.

Paso High college and career counselor Jessica Shatwell believes that the decision is different for every student and their family. There are a number of factors that each family needs to consider, like the fact that they are all the way across the country, and decide if it is worth it for them.

“There are great schools for everyone, and they don’t need to be Ivy League schools to provide an excellent education,” Shatwell said.

Another concern many students have is the atmosphere at these schools. Ivy Leagues stereotypically have a exclusive “feelings” towards students who may not be as wealthy as others. Many of these schools have experienced scandals that involve wealthy legacy families trying to buy their child a spot in the school because the child was not able to get in on their own.

“Not only do I think it’s not worth it but I also feel like there’s too many students at those schools [that] have an elitist/classist attitude towards higher education,” Gandhi Anastacio-Olivo said.

The general consensus of the Paso High population is that students would rather apply to and attend schools that are more affordable with just as good of programs as the eight Ivy Leagues. Most students report that Ivy Leagues have never drawn their attention away from other schools that offer just as much.

IVY LEAGUE BEARCATS

Campbell Sinton, 12

Dakota Rickerd, 12

REFLECTING ON COLLEGES

REFLECTING ON COLLEGES

Here

are some great options for Bearcats filling out college applications

by Sebi Radojevic , Web Director

Two months left to decide the path you take for the rest of your life, no pressure right? Wrong. The stress of the approaching deadline for applications is haunting seniors all over campus.

“I think there’s a lot of pressure on us graduating students to figure out what to do right after high school,” senior Hayden Jones said.

It’s application season and many seniors may be confused and lost. Deciding their future path and career opportunities is a lot of pressure for seventeen and eighteen-year-old students.

“Over 80% of students change their major in college,” College and Career Counselor, Jessica Shatwell said, “If you are really stuck and you have no idea what path you want to take or what you’re interested in doing, we have multiple resources for students to start exploring those options like career interest. In finding what career interests you have you might find a similar

USC

major, depending on what you want to do.”

Luckily, Paso High understands that most students are unsure what to major in and the importance of college decisions.

One of the many resources provided by PRHS is Career Explorer. Career Explorer is a set of interactive tests that ask various questions about the tester. After all the questions are answered the program will pick out interests that are displayed and help choose a major that may be of interest.

Four majors that seem to appeal to Bearcats and other students across the country are Business, Health, Social Sciences, and Engineering. According to a study by The National Center for Education Statistics.Business makes up 19% of all degrees, Health 12.6%, Social Sciences 7.9%, and Engineering 6.3%. With these career paths being the most popular, many schools excel with their classes relating to these majors.

UC BERKELEY SOCIAL SCIENCES BUSINESS

Looking to work for a corporation in the future or even start your own company? A business degree may be the key to helping you achieve that goal. Majoring in business allows for many opportunities in the job market. According to Zip Recruiter, the median cost for business major graduates is $65,000 a year.

Ranked 15 out of all Business Schools in the world, USC Marshall is the Business Department of USC located in Southern California. Marshall School of Business offers real-world scenarios and projects to benefit their students as a result of their ties with corporations around the world. USC also offers programs to benefit those who aspire to pursue accounting, real estate, entertainment, marketing media, and technology.

CAL POLY ENGINEERING

Engineers can turn thought into matter as they find ways to create inventions and machinery. If science and math are especially appealing to you throughout your high school career, engineering may be a path of interest for your future. Luckily, one of the best universities for engineering is closer than you may think!

Just 30 miles from us, Cal Poly SLO has a fantastic program for engineering, ranked sixth on the list of best undergraduate engineering programs according to the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges guidebook. With majors ranging from Computer Science to Mechanical Engineering, the university is determined to shape the inventors of the future.

Social sciences is the study of people and how they interact with other people, society, or institutions. Students interested in social sciences can go into many varying fields, such as sociology, psychology, economics, and political science. All these programs intend to teach students about various aspects of thought and behavior.

University of California Berkeley is a highly prestigious university located just outside of San Francisco. Their social sciences division consists of a wide array of departments. This includes Ethnic Studies, Geography, Gender Studies, Linguistics, and more making up a total of fifteen programs. The widely diverse department allows students to dive deep into their psychological interests.

SAN DIEGO STATE HEALTH

Many

students on campus are hoping to pursue a degree in healthcare after years of being exposed to the CTE program offered at Paso Robles High School. This is the case for senior Hannah Freygang, who claims, “I want to be a flight nurse when I’m older, after being an RN you can get another certification to go on flights and help transport patients to hospitals.” Freygang hopes to go to San Diego State for college.

Ranked 19 out of over 170 other prestigious schools, San Diego State University’s School of Public Health offers a great program to help students excel in the medical field. SDSU strives to prepare students using multiple different settings and projects to expose students to the unpredictable world of healthcare.

Jessica Shatwell

PRINCIPAL FLETCHER :

THE CHAIRWOMAN OF PRHS FUTURE

A look into the new principal herself and the plans for the school, as well as

by Elijah Mayo, Enviromental Editor

aying goodbye to students every day with a smile and a wave, is a woman with 20 years of experience in the teaching field as she has been administering high schools on the East Coast. Having moved to Paso Robles two years ago, she originally began with work from home, but pounced on the

“I love it! It’s been so welcoming. The kids have been great. All you students have been wonderful. There’s definitely a lot of school spirit. Really kind of part of the school culture,” Fletcher

Despite only just becoming principal, Fletcher already has many things up her sleeves to introduce to students. Specifically bringing about a new club, referred to as The Water Club. The oceanic spirit of our coast that would bring students into the soul of the school, and get more people interacting with fellow students and be able to become more social via the simple act of passing around free water to each other. As well, she wishes to hop on expanding electives and giving seniors an understanding on finance using the math department and

“And then also looking in the math curriculum bringing forward some classes on personal finance especially for seniors. So when you graduate you know what a credit card is. Knowing how expensive rent is by yourself, so really kind

of giving you guys opportunities to see more things in the in this area and then around the county, and then opening up space also for internships for juniors and seniors so that you can actually try these careers before you commit to college or you commit to the workforce,” Fletcher said.

She wishes to bring forth new programs revolving around the English and Science programs, wanting for teachers to allow more electives of subjects they’re interested in, like creative writing.

Fletcher is focused on improving instruction and having more teachers come together, using such things mentioned before and as well PLC(professional learning on Monday’s), mainly doing this through staffing and communicating with the Board.

Fletcher plans on continuing her adventures across the academy and engaging with more and more students and bringing the school together.

“Not just going to football games, which everyone goes to, but attending the other clubs. I’m going to be going over to equity club at least once a month and seeing what they’re up to go into other sporting events have already been to tennis. I want to get to water polo and volleyball before season’s over to kind of see you guys in your atmosphere where you guys are excelling and doing the great things out there in the world. And then continuing to come into your classes to offer your support and help to ask you questions. Such as what’s going well, what’s not going well? And to have that student voice in mind when we’re making decisions to move forward.”

And despite the dispute around the off-campus passes, and specifically food, Fletcher desires to keep the safety of the students a top priority. Due to the lack of knowledge about Uber drivers and who they are, Fletcher is adamant about keeping the school protected from outside forces and unknown people.

If you want to learn more about Fletcher and her desires for the school, and as well as her as a person, scan the QR Code here for audio interview excerpts.

FLETCHER FACTS

SCAN QR CODE TO LISTEN TO PODCAST

• 20 years of teaching experience

• Creator of the Water Club

• Moved to Paso Robles

two years ago

• Married for one year

We now have higher efficiency, as far as the school layout goes, and people’s roles are concerned. And particularly com ing away from COVID. We’ve had a lot of new employees. And just time off, that there’s quite a bit of recentering that need to take place, and that’s still ongoing. And so we still have some old systems that we either don’t need to be using anymore or can be improved or just haven’t been communicated through pre COVID times now, and I think she is the right leader for looking at those with fresh eyes and making the reforms if necessary, or just tinkering with possible improvements.

MICHAEL GODSEY

10.19.23

THE NEW NINE

by Brian Arndt, Heath Editor

PRHS appoints nine new staff members at the start of the 2023 school year

NIKKI MOALLEMI: HAS A PET SNAKE

Nikki Moallemi teaches science academy 1. She grew up in San Diego and went to college at Cal Poly. 2023 is Moallemi’s first year teaching; she says what drew her to Paso Robles was the school en - ergy, “everybody is kind of excited to be here, and to learn, and to explore new things.” In her spare time, she loves cooking, watching T.V., and participating in the book club that she started. One fact about Moallemi is that she has a pet snake in her class room, which she was holding during this interview, that anyone can come in and play with.

STEVEN MATTHEWS: EX-TINY HOME BUILDER

Steven Matthews is the construction teacher, teaching all four levels of the program. He grew up in Fresno and went to community college before taking a break to work construction. Steven Matthews started remodeling houses and transitioned to building tiny homes. During this time he taught tiny home construction through a program in Fresno called ROP, where he also got his teaching credential. Before moving to Paso this year, he worked at Career Technical Education High School in Fresno. He is also a barbecue connoisseur and amateur gunsmith.

HEIDI HARKEY: OWNS EXOTIC ANIMALS

Heidi Harkey teaches English 1 and English 3. She says what drew her to PRHS was the size and diversity the school had to offer. Her favorite thing about PRHS is the students, “I learn from them every day and it’s an honor to be their teacher.”

Harley also loves the clubs and electives offered here; being very passionate about writing fiction and poetry, she recently joined the writing club. Surprisingly, Harkey has 15 animals ranging from pythons to tortoises.

ROBERT MARTIN: WORLD TRAVELING SINGER

Robert Martin teaches English 1 and English 3. He grew up in Fresno, but just recently moved to San Luis Obispo. He graduated college at Fresno Pacific University and worked as a college admission counselor before getting his teaching credential. In regards to why he chose Paso, Martin said, “I really like the school spirit.” In his spare time, he swims, cycles, cooks, and sings along with playing the piano. In college, Martin traveled around the world singing in places like Australia and New Zealand.

OLIVER SCHBLEY: HAS A DOG NAMED FALAFEL

Oliver Schbley is an English Educational Specialist who teaches grades 9-12. He grew up in Kansas and moved to California three years ago. He says what drew him to Paso Robles was the good weather, and being a 30-minute drive from the beach. “This seemed like a nice change of pace,” he said. He wants the readers to know that his dog, Falafel, a Boston Terrier, is the cutest dog in the world.

LINSEY MELENDY: IS A TWIN

Linsey Melendy teaches math, Modified Science 3, co-taught English 3, and co-taught science 3. She grew up in Paso Robles and went to Cuesta and Cal Poly to get her bachelor’s degree in English. Then, Melendy went back to school in her 20s and took some accounting classes and worked in accounting for 16 years before going to Alliant University to get her master’s degree in special education. Melendy loves reading, gardening, and the beach. An interesting fact about her is that she has an identical twin.

MORGAN COUTURE: WRITES POETRY

Morgan Couture teaches English 2 and Honors English 2. She went to college locally at Cal Poly where she got her teaching credential, bachelor’s degree, and master’s degree in English. Before this job, Couture worked as a student teacher at Paso Robles under Matt Carroll then moved on to Atascadero High School and Cuesta College. In her spare time, she loves reading, writing poetry, and spending time outdoors. She wants to create a supportive and diverse learning environment in the classroom.

CONSTANTINO DELGADO: ACTIVE IN THE NAVY RESERVES

Constantino Delgado is a social studies teacher who teaches Modern World History to sophomores and economics to seniors. He grew up in Paso Robles and attended Cuesta College before transferring to Sacramento State as a history major. After earning his bachelor’s degree he joined the Navy Reserves. Afterward, he got his teaching credentials online and worked as a substitute, then at Almond Acres before he saw a job opening at PRHS. Delgado still works in the Navy Reserves. He wants the readers to know that “I genuinely do enjoy my job.”

SHANT BARMAK: ALUMNUS AT FOUR COLLEGES

Shant Barmak teaches Language Literature. He grew up in San Diego and what drew him to Paso was: “the beautiful nature and life of the central coast.” Barmak likes PRHS because of the diversity and school spirit the students provide. is an alumnus from UCLA, Pepperdine University, Cal State University San Marcos, and UCSD. He wants the readers to know, “Whether it is running a marathon, or beginning various projects with regard to writing about social justice issues, or working in educational settings. I am always open to new challenges.”

DIAZ DOES IT ALL

All the roles that Daniel Diaz takes on at PRHS

by Quinn Kobayashi Blind Date Co-Editor

Push open the door to room 306 at PRHS during lunch, and you’ll find around 20 cheerful students who say their favorite place on campus is this classroom with teacher, coach, and advisor, Daniel Diaz Diaz graduated from California University of Sacramento in 2015, and later attended California Polytechnic State University, where he obtained his single subject teaching credential in 2017. Diaz has been teaching for six years. His first year he led five classes at Vista Verde Middle School in Greenfield. He has been a PRHS asset for 5 years. This academic school year, he is teaching two classes that he has previously taught, Science Academy One Honors, for two periods, and three classes of Science Academy Two.

STUDENTS WEIGH IN

HE MAKES ME LAUGH, I FELT SUPER COMFORTABLE IN HIS CLASSROOM.

Kendell Nancolas, 10

HE GIVES REALLY GOOD ADVICE AND JUST LISTENS TO ME.

Kiana Martinez, 11

HE GIVES US A GOOD START IN THE MORNING.

Gerald Martinez, 9

JDiaz shared that when he was in high school, science content was taught monotonously , so he knew that as a teacher he wanted to differ.

“When I went to school it was honestly like opening the textbook, reading the chapter, and answering the questions at the end of the book. I’m trying not to be like that, so I try to do things that are more engaging,” Diaz said.

Diaz pours his heart out to teach his students in the most enjoyable way by planning labs and activities that students can immerse in. As a result of his hands-on teaching style and his ability to make science an entertaining class, he has become popular among his current and past students.

“I honestly think he made me enjoy science more because I used to not like it at all. Now I think it’s fun,” said sophomore Kendell Nanco las, who previously took Diaz’s Science Acad emy One Honors class her freshman year. Diaz further shows his intentions of being a well-rounded teacher because of his determination to create a sincere bond with his students and his wish to become a trusted adult in all their lives.

“I enjoy just spending time with the kids and hearing about their lives whether it’s good or bad. They’re always welcome in my classroom and I’m always here for you no matter what,” Diaz said.

MY GOAL AS A TEACHER IS TO CREATE FUN, EXCITING CONTENT. I REALLY STRIVE TO AT LEAST TRY TO GET THERE. DANIEL DIAZ

“He has been my role model on campus since freshman year and I always look to him for help. Whenever something bad happens, I’d be like, ‘I’ll have to go to Mr. Diaz and ask him about this’,” said junior Kiana Martinez, who had Diaz for Science Academy 1 Honors her freshman year and is currently his T.A.

The Beach Beautification Club, which consists of about 30 students, also gets a lot of support and assistance from Diaz. Diaz is the Co-Advisor of the club with Amanda Caffrey, and the club meetings are hosted in his room every other Thursday during tutorial.

“My goal as a teacher is to create fun, exciting content. I really strive to at least try to get there. I think it’s gonna take a long time to actually build up to that, but that’s where I’m heading,” Diaz said.

He has built a learning atmosphere that students have grown to appreciate because of his consistent endeavors to create an interactive class opposed to assigning individual projects for students to learn on their own.

Apart from the roles he plays for science at PRHS, Diaz also continues to pursue his passion of tennis by coaching the boys tennis team. He played the sport for 28 years and wants to continue to introduce others to the activity. “I enjoyed my high school tennis experience a lot so I wanted to be able to pass the sport on to the next generation,” Diaz said.

Diaz truly puts his all into every aspect of his job by finding the perfect ways to teach students, going further to form relationships with them, and upholds a club and an extracurricular activity. Nearly every student agrees that his genuine dedication to his workplace has made him an excellent addition to the PRHS staff since 2018.

THE DAWG-CAST JOSHUA

oin BIG DAWGS Sebi Radojevic and Braydon Hoier as they go into detail about staff and faculty, learning all sorts of interesting facts. In this video, the boys interviewed Joshua Giwazda. Want to know his secret talent? Interested in his skydiving career? Want to know the way of ceramics? Get to learn more about Giwazda both as a teacher and a person.

CONDUCTING

Senior drum major Daisy Garcia, captivates with her melodic leadership

by Serenity Wulfing, EIC

In the heart of Paso Robles, senior Drum Major Daisy Garcia’s musical journey began in sixth grade at Flamson Middle School, nudged by her parents into the world of music. Initially hesitant, she joined the music program, laying the foundation for what would become a deep passion.

Transitioning into high school, Garcia defied the typical band kid stereotypes and embraced band class. Her love for music blossomed, fueled by personal research and a desire to excel. Influenced by her brother’s love for jazz and artists like Billy Joel, she mastered the piccolo and later, the alto saxophone for jazz during her zero period.

Garcia started as an Ariana Grande avid listener and transitioned into and avid jazz listener.

“Daisy’s group management is strong, she fixes things musically, she can be honest without the students taking it as rude, she is one of nicest people you will ever meet, and she is so enthusiastic about everything. She is the best leader I have had in that position. She works really hard at everything she does. She is also a Link Crew Leader, does track, and plays volleyball” band teacher Humberto Cera said.

Becoming a drum major her senior year marked a turning point. Despite initial struggles, Garcia’s dedication shone through, leading the band positively and efficiently, and overcoming challenges to unite and uplift the team. Garcia aimed to challenge misconceptions surrounding “band kids,” striving to make band experiences enjoyable and inclusive.

“Being a drum major isn’t just about conducting; it’s about conducting the energy of the entire band,”

Last year, she began taking private lessons and was involved in the Rising Stars program on a scholarship. Performances and her talent secured opportunities, propelling her to county band her junior year and hopefully state honor bands her senior year. Contemplating her future, she grappled with the risky prospect of a music-centric career, considering a double major in viticulture and music to strike a balance.

Garcia strives to bring positivity and efficiency to the band as a drum major.

“In the time that I have known Daisy, she

has really matured and has become an amazing flute player and drum major. This will be the 3rd year I’ve been in band with Daisy. She’s this really nice and caring person who will help you with anything you need. Daisy brings this really hyped up energy to the band and is always cheering and being supportive to everyone wile still being a very good drum ma jor. She leads the band pretty good for what our band it but she does a very good job and it and she is very clear about what we are doing,” senior

Her love for music and positivity transitions to the football stadium where she leades with Bearcat pride.

“I wanted to mention, how completely amusing and joyful

SHE’S VERY DRIVEN, FOCUSED, AND SHE’S ONE OF THE HAPPIEST PEOPLE YOU’LL EVER MEET. SHE IS SUPER KIND TO EVERYBODY.

HUMBERTO CERA

Daisy Garcia, 12

the shape of new feminism

Modern feminism a topic that has increasingly been misinterperted by men and women of this generation

by Margot Klo, Co-News Director

As an earlier movement, feminism has afforded women the opportunity to vote, to become educated, and the ability to be equal to men. Today, feminism, a controversial topic for this new generation of men and women, has had bad press on social media platforms and has become a politically significant topic.

The feminism of yesterday was more inclusive and used media and pop culture to promote ideas. This third wave brought feminism closer to the lives of people. The focus of this wave was to shed light on the pay gap, body image, and eating disorders according to the National Women’s History Museum.

The feminism of today is called Cyber-Feminism, which uses social media to take action against sexism and misogyny, with modern pillars of feminist discussion including the #MeToo movement and the recent 2023 Barbie movie. The #MeToo movement was in response to the case of Harvey Weinstein, a Hollywood producer accused of sexual harassment, with women replying #MeToo to display the frequency of sexual misconduct, especially in the workplace. The Barbie movie showcases a reimagining of feminism that doesn’t ignore the struggles of men and also has the ability to empower women, and it’s release brings renewed discussion on modern feminism to the lives of teenagers. Despite feminism’s definition focusing on equality, it seems the modern iteration has become a polarizing topic with its continued misinterpretation due to outspoken feminists who have turned into “men-haters”, as termed by ABC News.

According to the Pew Research Center, 61% of women say the term feminist describes them well. In the same study, however, 45% of women say feminism is a polarizing issue.

Amanda Caffery PRHS science teacher, described herself as an advocate for women’s rights “I would consider what feminism is supposed to be as not polarizing in any way, shape, or form,” she said. “It is supposed to be inclusive and uniting. I would say that it has been politicized to actually be used against us as females. So I would say due to other people’s agendas, it’s

been political.”

Marcy Goodnow, theater teacher, agreed:“I think it is misinterpreted by most. Some believe you can only support one group, but I believe there is room to support all.”

This confusion is well-documented at PRHS: when surveying students 52.3% said they were not feminists, but when feminism was defined as male and female equality, 90.6% of students said they were feminists.

An increasingly common thought process however, is that feminism has gone too far, and that women no longer face major issues based on gender alone.

After all, feminism has helped women like Kamala Harris rise to the ranks of Vice President, arguably the second most powerful position in America. If a woman can get there, some argue, is it really fair to assume there are major issues working against women?

Proponents of modern feminism, however, highlight the struggles women do seem to face. Through politics women struggle with the rising cost of feminine products and low wages compared to their male counter parts. Feminized staple items including razors, deodorant, and shampoo used on a daily basis are marked at a higher cost in local drugstores than the average man equivalent due to the pink tax. Along with the pink tax, there is the gender pay gap according to the research conducted by the Pew Research Center where womenomen get paid less for the same job a man has. Similarly, the media seems to run rampant with feminist based content, with the “feminist” hashtag on Instagram hosting over 8 million posts and is updated daily.

With increased political polarization, politics and media surrounding feminism have made it harder for women and students to call themselves feminist.

52.5% the confusion in numbers Students said they were FEMINIST initially

90.7%

...but after feminism was defined as “male and female equality” said that they were a FEMINIST

the politics of

Taking a deeper look at the pink tax and its affect at women and students at our school

by: Michelle Rosas, Carmesi Dircetor/Video Director

She picks up a double shift to barely get enough to pay rent. On her way back home she stops by the store to buy her daughter some preschool toys. She looks at the prices and realizes she is paying 0.9% more than what she would be paying for a boy’s toy. It turned out it wasn’t just toys. In 2015, a study in New York City revealed that women paid $14.92 more than men did for bikes and scooters, general toys, backpacks, preschool toys, helmets and pads, and arts and crafts supplies. This phenomenon is called the pink tax.

The pink tax, according to Avalara, “refers to gender-based price discrimination: the fact that some products and services designed for women or girls may cost more than similar products and services designed for men or boys.”

The pink tax has been a popular issue since the 1990’s (Avalara) and it has affected women, especially those of low income who just wanted to get by but the pink tax became a huge obstacle for them.

When asking students in a survey of 248 students on campus if they have heard of the pink tax , 51.4% of the students said they haven’t heard of the pink tax. Whereas 48.6% said they have heard of it. In that group, 5.3% of students think it’s fake, 9.3% believe it’s not based on systemic sexism, and the remaining 34% believe it is real and based on systemic sexism.

“While I personally haven’t dealt with the pink tax, I’ve definitely seen it played out, though the major problem with combating the pink tax is that many products marketed towards women don’t have a one-to-one equivalent to a product marketed towards men,” Gandhi Anastacio said.

Senior Lily Shroyer says she has experienced the pink tax. “I have had to pay more because I buy girl razors,” Shroyer said.

However, according to “Blankrate”,the state of California has passed two laws that prohibit price discrimination towards women. The Gender Tax Repeal Act of 1995 demanded merchants to

charge men and women equally for similar products (. Taking action on January 1, 2023,” California Civil Code § 51.14 that prohibits charging a different price for any two goods that are substantially similar if those goods are priced differently based on the gender of the individuals for whom the goods are marketed and intended” (Westlaw Today).

To put this to the test, I went to our local Walmart and Target to see if there were still any differences between the cost of basic products people use. I went to buy what would be considered products women need every couple of months and I did the same with men to compare the prices.

For women I looked for products such as deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, socks, underwear, bras, and tampons. For men I looked at deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, socks, and underwear. I wanted to see how much more a woman has to pay for these needs.

After purchasing these items all ranging from the same or very similar price, women ended up paying $61.74 and men ended up paying $53.16. This means that in this experiment women pay $8.50 more than men.

Based on the information gathered, women don’t pay more money for things such as deodorants, lotion, or razors for the most part. However there are still things like skirts that cost more than pants do.

I went to Walmart as well and noticed that clothing for women and girls cost more at times. For the most part, school uniforms all cost the same but I found that some skirts for school uniforms cost $4.32 more than boys shorts. Out of curiosity, I wanted to do further research. According to an article by The Courier, “on average, girls’ uniforms cost 11.8% more than boys’. For primary school students, the average cost of boys’ uniforms is £130.81 whereas for girls it is £150.14.”

modern feminism

an unnecessary challenge

Bearcats show their takes on the systemic problems women still face

by Michelle Rosas, Video/Carmesi Dircetor

Women have been faced with inequalities and gender discrimination, such as not having the right to vote up until the late 1900’s, having limited options of work, and not having equal pay. The question of whether women are oppressed in society is still relevant and has been frequently talked about in and outside of the feminist movement. The issue however, goes deeper than if women can vote or if they get paid less.

If we examine women in politics we can see that there has yet to be a woman as president. The 2020 - 2024 election was the first election to ever have a woman as vice president. Could the lack of representation for women in politics be considered discrimination or oppression? What type of role do women have in politics?

In a survey of 248 students, when responding to the question, “Do women and men have an equal role in society?,” the majority (61.9%) said that they both face their own unique issues but neither one has it worse in society. If not roles, what could be the reason for the lack of representation?

An article written by Free Network says that ”women are less encouraged to run for office than men.” They state this is the reason why we don’t see women in politics as much. However some students believe it is because women are not given the proper chance to be viewed the same as men in politics.

When asked about her take on women in politics, senior Natalie Herrera says that both men and women have been “caught up” into thinking that men are stronger and should be in charge. She says this could be a reason why men tend to have higher positions of power in our political system.

“I feel like they aren’t taking us seriously and people will say women are too emotional,” she said. She also says that a lot of the times when there is an opening for a job, both a man and a woman could have the same qualifications, but they are most likely to pick the man or look at the man’s profile first because men are typically seen as the “stronger sex.”

This idea is deep-rooted in our society- throughout all of history, men were more often than not leaders in politics while women who could afford to often stayed in the home. Some argue this as additional evidence that women have biologically evolved to be homemakers while men evolved to be leaders, from our earliest iterations thousands of years ago.

Religion, too, is a major factor: 1 Timothy 2:11-14 from the New International Version of the Bible states: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.”

Pew Research Center estimates 65% of Americans identify as Christian- and though not all of that number likely agree with those beliefs, devout and traditional Christians do, and can affect overall perception of women.

Modern audiences, argue, that those beliefs are limiting ones and women’s so-called submission in history was a result of their pressures rather than any sort of biological or natural inclination to do so, and further, they shouldn’t be forced into any sort of role.

Senior Gandhi Anastacio says that there are more issues built for women by society. “I do think that women are set at a disadvantage because of societal structures and institutions, more so than men are, given phenomena like the pink tax and the various double standards which women are expected to live up to,” he said. He mentions that these issues increase for women of color, trans women, disabled women, and women of other minority groups.

An article by MedPageToday states that the gender wage disparity or gender pay gap can become a financial burden for a lot of women. This can lead to women having to choose between necessary healthcare or their financial well-being. The article also states that, “women earn around $0.82 for every dollar men make; Black and inx women earn even less, $0.70 and $0.65, respectively, relative to white men,”.

Alongside Her rera, Anastacio says that, “I don’t think women are often treated fairly in poli tics, with their voices often being dimin ished, infantilized, ignored by the giant majority of men who make up the political world and po litical elite.”

63.3% OF PRHS STUDENTS HAVE ENCOUNTERED SEXISM TOWARD BOTH MEN & WOMEN VIA SOCIAL MEDIA, VIDEOS RECOMMENDED, ECT.

playing the

ROLE

with feminists.

As algorithms feed teens their endless stream of phone content, one might notice the focus on gender: one video could be a thoughtful song about girlhood, yet with the swipe of a finger watch a Barbie movie takedown because too “woke.”

A confusion and controversy now surrounds the term “feminist” or “feminism”. Women and the perception of women have been altered due to diverse opinions on social media and modern bending of social constructs. Social influencers like Andrew Tate, who promotes an obedient traditionally feminine role of women, feeds an audience that believes in this idea of women.

Yet more “woke” and modern representations of women, a more “brave and powerful” woman, appear in the modern adaptation of Snow White.

Content and media about women and girls have led to great confusion regarding feminism. Teenagers are fed with different ideas about what feminism is and how it affects society, contributing to a misunderstanding of what a feminist , and womanhood, truly are.

Senior Eve Barajas, former Equality Club president and current secretary, confirmed that feminism’s true meaning has been altered by the media.

As the term “feminism” catches more controversy, modern pop culture seems to have earned a role in the common confusion

by Cassidy Heer, Co-InDepth Editor

“They don’t really shout for a main purpose, they just shout to be heard. In history women were fighting for a purpose like voting rights. Nowadays I just don’t see what they’re asking for,” he said.

When junior Skylar Collins spoke about her understanding of Andrew Tate she felt he saw women living their own lives as “shameful” and “inappropriate” while degrading their individual success.

“I do think that certain people have taken it (feminism) too far, but at that point can you even consider it feminism?” Barajas asked.

“With all political ideals and movements of the day, it’s typically the loud minority that’s recognized. And so what people see and report on is the people who are doing it extremely, or the people who are getting things wrong,” Barajas said.

Sky Collins, 11

This confusion of modern feminism being “too far” and “man-hating” has beneficially evolved from the outdated expectation of obedient, home-based women. Yet the “bad parts” of modern feminism have effectively convinced many people that the traditional roles of women are the only one they should stick to.

Rachel Zegler

An- drew Tate and other traditionally-focused content creators have millions of followers and are often quoted describing how their ideal women should remain pure homemakers that steer away from the sexual promiscuity and career focused independence. They assert men and women should mostly stick to their more traditional roles, often believing men should be the main protectors and women should be the primary nurturers.

With the term “feminist” receiving multiple descriptions, more are shying away from the original

Junior Ethan Castelli believes men and women should have equal rights, he is not a self-proclaimed feminist. Castelli associates of marches and riots

“Unfortunately look through the school, you can see all these teenage boys listening and putting more thought into some random man on the internet, then a girl who is actually living their life as a woman. They would rather listen to some stranger online just wanting to get money from his podcast, then a girl who has actually experienced misogyny,” Collins said.

“There is a certain idea set up by certain men, that you have to be feminine to be good. And it is one of the biggest stems of shame from wanting feminine things and wandering to be feminine,” Collins said.

“Woke” ideology of feminism has also raised controversy with its new ideas and representations.

The new live action “Snow White” movie has made its way into the media and is stirring the pot with its depiction of a “stronger” and “brave” princess. According to the lead actress Rachel Zegler, this new version of Snow White will include more leadership, power and independence with an ending that leaves out being saved by a prince.

Collins believed that new characters like Katniss Everdeen have influenced stories. Everdeen, a brave and independent woman in the Hunger Games series, brought new light to women’s traditional role in popular movies.

But Collins is concerned with confusing characters like Katniss to characters like Snow White. When movies try to make women like Snow White act more like Katniss, Collins believes we are yet again putting women into a box of expectations.

“She (Rachel Zegler) kinda made it seem like women should feel ashamed if they’re not badass, because ‘we don’t live in old times’ and it makes it seem like if you believe in femininity, then you believe in misogyny,” Collins said.

When new influence such as social media or film is introduced to the pro jection of feminism more beliefs and opinions are availble and presented as the “truth”. This leads to diverse influence and ultimately the controversial stance on women in our modern society.

“My stereotypical view of modern feminism is the bad things that people see such as misandry and rejection of femininity. My idea of what modern feminism should be and what it was originally supposed to be: raising women up to the level where they can be whatever they want to be in the same way a man can be. But I guess it just hasn’t gone that way for some people,” Barajas said.

74.4% THINK WOMEN SHOULD NOT HAVE A “PARTICULAR ROLE”

Exit PRHS

Highway Bilingüe

Facing a Red Light: Inside View on the Spanish Program

by Amelia Peterson, Blind Date Co-Editor, and Blair Bishop, Reporter

Student Traffic Jam Teachers Signal Change

Sophomore Reangelle Rosas is a past Georgia Brown student whose family speaks Spanish at home, and she is currently taking Spanish 4. What students learn, and the ways it has been taught has changed throughout the years. From speaking Spanish at home, learning at Georgia Brown, and now focusing on grammar she feels that they don’t progress easily. Rosas said, “I’ve been taught three different Spanishes.”

573 students in the Spanish Program

Senior Benjamin Cardenas has taken Spanish 3, 4, and began in AP, but dropped the class last school year. He decided to switch electives because he felt that it was not worth taking to prepare for the AP test.

“Most of it was just like hanging out in class and we didn’t really go over any of that College Board stuff. We didn’t really do anything that prepares for the AP test. It just kind of felt like: get it over with. it. So, when I dropped the class, I just studied on my own at home…Yeah, I got a four on it (AP test),” Cardenas said.

Junior Alyssa Wesley is currently taking the AP Spanish class. She feels that the course is much more difficult than the previous classes.

“I definitely don’t think I’ve been prepared for this class, every Spanish class I’ve taken in high school so far has felt repetitive and not super helpful, but now in this class I feel like we’re actually doing helpful things to prepare for the AP test.”

Road Work Ahead

Overall, there is always room for improvement. Moving forward for the DI Program, to establish these changes in the courses, approval for a new curriculum must go through the department, site administrator, Curriculum Council, Superintendent + cabinet, and then finally to the public and Board of Trustees. This intensive process ensures agreement from all departments before being implemented.

Sobre todo siempre hay campo para mejorar. Moviendo para delante para el programa de DI, esperamos que establezcan estos cambios en las clases y los currículos para mejorar el aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Todo este proceso para mejorar nuestro currículo tendrá que pasar por todos los administrativos antes que se agreguen a las clases.

83

30

Jennifer Fuller is the head of the Spanish Department. She is currently teaching Spanish 2, 2 Honors, and AP Spanish. Fuller studied abroad in high school in Argentina and Spain and she has taken Spanish since preschool. As someone who knows Spanish she believes improvements could be made for the PRHS Spanish program. Fuller said that the Honors 2 course has an excellent textbook taken from Cuesta. These books have been part of the Spanish program for quite a few years now. When they were first introduced they were more current than they are today, but now they are outdated. In the future, Fuller hopes that PRHS can replace the Así Se Dice textbooks. “I think they tend to be a little bit on the boring side. So they need to be supplemented with other activities to make it more interesting. I’ve taught with worse textbooks, and I’ve taught with better textbooks. So they’re okay.” Fuller said.

Teacher Chris Cline is presently teaching Spanish 1 and 4. He has been teaching for 10 years now. He explained, “We must be flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of students” and pointed out that relevancy of Spanish 4 and AP is being debated. He feels the Spanish Department has not met the changing demographic of our campus and more courses should be offered. Students deserve a teacher who is a native speaker, he said.

District Switches Gears

76% AP test pass rate for non- AP students

Gabriela Clark is the District EL Coordinator. Her position oversees teacher training, applying the district’s curriculums, and choosing programs that will ensure all English Learner students make it towards reclassification. Clark has a lot to say about different students, and how to improve the curriculum: “Knowing your audience and purpose determines which register you will use and for what function. Our goal as multilingual speakers should be to attain native speaker–like abilities in processing the second language and then apply it in speaking, reading, writing, or listening. When learning a second language, you are not only learning the language but the culture as well.” For the improvement of the program Clark said, “A major priority is developing programs and curricula aligned to World Language Standards. Our programs should also be relevant and engaging to the students we serve. Our job as administrators is to provide teachers with the needed tools and training in language acquisition so they are prepared to meet the needs of ALL their students.”

Reangelle Rosas

Alyssa Wesley

Jennifer Fuller

Chris Cline

Ben Cardenas

Gabriela Clark

CELEBRANDO LA HERENCIA HISPANA EN PRHS

Del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre, estudiantes celebran sus raices Hispanas en PRHS

por Naomi Velasco. Carmesi/Podcast director

Celebracion el Mes de la Herencia Hispana (6 de octubre): Estos son los grupos musicales que tocaron en la celebracion

Celebracion el Mes de la Herencia Hispana (6 de octubre): El grupo musical estudiantil toca para los estudiantes

Celebracion el Mes de la Herencia Hispana (6 de octubre): Estudiantes bailan junto con nuestra directora, Megan Fletcher

Banderas de colores brillantes, verdes, rojas, azules y amarillos se mueven en el aire en todos los países de América Latina durante todo el año, pero aún más durante el mes de la Herencia Hispana. 7 de 20 países latinoamericanos de paises habla hispana celebran su independencia escuchando y tocando música con ritmos que los hace levantarse y bailar. Es un mes especial para el cuerpo estudiantil de PRHS porque más del 50% de estudiantes son latinos/ hispanos, por lo que el objetivo de MEChA es hacer algo para celebrar el Mes de la Herencia Hispana en la escuela.

MEChA, es un club que está dirigido por sus co-presidentes, Héctor Rendón y Jessica López este año, y su asesora, Jasmin McEntire MEChA está abierto a cualquier persona que quiera ayudar y representar a la comunidad hispana en la escuela. Han estado trabajando para planificar un mes lleno de actividades para celebrar las tradiciones y culturas de los hispanos. MEChA ha empezado el mes organizando una mesa de dulces durante el almuerzo para hablar de lo que se celebra este mes.

MEChA también tuvo una semana de espíritu para el mes de Herencia Hispano del dos al seis de octubre; Lunes: “Día Huevon” (usa ropa cómoda), Martes: Día de ponerse una camiseta de futból, Miércoles: Día de un Artista Hispano (vístete como tu artista latino/a favorito/a), Jueves: Vistete en tu Cultura (vistete ropa tradicional de tu cultura), y Viernes: Día del Vaquero y de la Bandera (vístase como vaqueros/as y traigan sus banderas culturales). Todo seguido de un evento de almuerzo el 6 de octubre de 2023, donde MEChA tuvo un evento con música en vivo de un grupo estudiantil para que los estudiantes bailendulces, y decoración para que disfruten los estudiantes.

“Creo que es importante hacer eventos para el Mes de la Herencia Hispana porque necesitamos celebrar y reconocer nuestra cultura. Y es una gran parte de nuestra escuela porque tenemos muchos estudiantes hispanos en la escuela, por lo que es importante hacer eventos como estos hagan que los estudiantes de diferentes etnecidades sentirse bienvenidos”, dijo Héctor Rendón (10).

Una estudiante salvadoreña de PRHS expresó cómo se sentía en sobre MEChA al crear eventos para el mes de Hertige Hispano.

“Durante mi experiencia en la escuela secundaria, he visto a clubes como MEChA y ACT colaborar juntos para celebrar el Mes de la Herencia Hispana, como el Baile anual y el evento en el almuerzo que reúne a personas de diversos orígenes y les permite conectarse a un nivel más profundo. ”, dijo Amy Ayala (11). La encargada de MEChA, McEntire nos ha dicho que han hecho a la hora de colaborar con otros grupos.

“ASB realmente está ayudando y diciendo que quieren participar en cualquiera de las actividades que MEChA tiene planeadas, lo cual es maravilloso. Nos encanta colaborar con ASB y nos han apoyado mucho. Creo que más que nunca estamos unidos pero siempre hay más espacio para celebrarnos unos a otros”. En PRHS MEChA se ha asegurado de crear un ambiente para que los estudiantes latinos se sientan cómodos y representen su cultura durante el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.

Jasmin McEntire

PhotosbyAngelaLorenzo

CELEBRATING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AT PRHS

Through September 15 to October 15 students celebrate their Hispanic roots at PRHS

by Naomi Velasco Carmesi/ Podcast Director

Flags of bright, green, red, blue, yellow, wave all over in Latin America countries all year round but even more during Hispanic Heritage Month. 7 of 20 spanish speaking Latin America countries celebrate their independence listening and playing music with beats that makes them get off their feet and dance.

It’s a special month for the PRHS student body that constitutes more than 50% Latinos/ hispanics so it’s MEChA’s goal to do something to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month on campus.

MEChA, is a club that is directed by co-presidents, Hector Rendon and Jessica Lopez this year, and Advisor, Jasmin McEntire

IT’S

Wear your Culture (wear traditional clothing from your culture), and Friday: Vaquero and Flag day (dress up in western wear and bring cultural flags). Lunch this week will also be inspired by Hispanic dishes. All followed by a Lunch event Oct. 6, 2023 were MEChA will host by having live music to dance, and candiesand decoration for students to enjoy.

Hispanic Heritage Month Timeline

MEChA is open to anyone who wants to contribute and represent the Hispanic Community on campus. They have been working to plan an eventful month to celebrate traditions and cultures of Hispanics.

MEChA has kicked off the month by having a table of candy during lunch to talk about what is celebrated this month.

MEChA is having a spirit week for Hispanic Heritage month as well from October second through the sixth; Monday: “Huevon Day” (wear comfy clothes), Tuesday: Jersey day (wear a soccer jersey), Wednesday: Hispanic Artist Day (dress like your favorite ), Thursday:

“I think it’s important to do events for Hispanic Heritage Month because we need to celebrate and acknowledge our culture. And it’s a big part of our campus because we have a lot of Hispanic students at the school, so it’s important to make events like these make students of different ethnicities feel welcome,” Hector Rendon (10) said. One student at PRHS who is Salvadorian expressed how she felt on behalf of MEChA creating events for Hispanic Heritage month.

“Over my high school experience, I’ve seen clubs such a s MEChA and ACT collaborate, together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, such as the annual Baile and lunch event which brings people of many backgrounds together and lets them connect on a deeper level,” Amy Ayala (11) said.

Advisor McEntire also talks to us when asking what have they done when it comes to collaborating.

“ASB is really stepping in and saying that they want to participate in any of the activities MEChA has planned, which is wonderful. We love collaborating with ASB and they’ve been very supportive. I think more than ever, we’re united and there’s always more room to celebrate each other.”

At PRHS MEChA has made sure to create an environment for Latino students to feel comfortable and represent their culture during Hispanic Heritage Month.

September 16

Mexico receives its independence Septem-

October

October 11 is known to most people as Columbus ay but it is also known as Indigenous Day as well

September 15

The 15 of September, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua all celebrate their independence on the 15

September 18

Chile receives its independence

September 18

Hector Rendon, 10

Amy Ayala, 11

NOT FROM OUR PLANET EARTH

Students share their ideas and perspectives on aliens after recent international attention

by Raffy Fuentes, World Editor

Recently found corpses of extraterrestrial beings were revealed to Mexico’s Congress Wednesday, September 13, 2023 as potential evidence of other life forms on Earth by scientist Jamie Maussan, who claims to be a ufo-ologist bringing the topic of alien activity to the limelight.

As far as most humans are aware, there is only one world and only so many people-but some believe there are worlds beyond Earth, and even sentient creatures beyond humans, who may have already visited this world of ours.

These beings are commonly called aliens, and whether people choose to believe in aliens or not, it’s undeniable their existence sparks debate throughout the world with hundreds of themes, trends, movies and even cities that shout their likelihood.

Knowing that the universe is extraordinarily big through billions of lightyears, it’s logical to assume we aren’t the only ones living in our cosmos. Countless stars, solar systems, and galaxies inhabit the world, and we’ve only been able to reach the Moon six times and humanity has frequented Mars with programmed robots for research and samples 11 times. Such small counts suggest, meaning that life beyond us could definitely go beyond our radar.

green men walking around on spaceships and more like other creatures in different worlds.” He is skeptical about the methods on analyzing the supposed extraterrestrials, which are carbon-dating.

“I’m a little bit suspicious that they were able to get entire bodies intact,” Wilding said.

Social media has a play on this widely known theory as there are podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience and Investigate Earth Conspiracies Podcast- UFO UAP (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena): Conspiracy Podcasts-Mexico Alien Bodies, which provide opinions and more eye opening theories to talk about.

THERE IS NO WAY THERE’S NOTHING ELSE OUT THERE. DYZEK WILDING, 10

Students at Paso Robles High School believe that there may just be life out there, the world just hasn’t seen it yet.

Curious, freshman believer, Amber Malik said, “I wouldn’t be surprised if there is something out there, but I’m not fully ‘there are aliens!”

While Erick Aguilar, junior, also believes that “there’s a small possibility.”

The percent of people at PRHS who refuse the existence of aliens is 18.5%, and the unknown half who haven’t considered other possibilities of life is 29.9%. Understandably so, as there is no valid nor complete evidence of other beings on our Earth or in space, besides ourselves. Yet, remaining, stands 55.6% of students that have suspected that aliens do exist.

“There’s no way there’s nothing else out there,” Dyzek Wilding said, one believing sophomore on alien life.

Wilding viewed this theory of aliens and yet to be discovered human-like species “of other planets, and less so like little

NEW

Whether scientist Jamie Maussan and his alien fossils were accurate findings or not, questions still remain about UAP activity and their relations to Earth. Coming from the voices of PRHS students, questions about features, visitations, and sightings is a subject that the world can only wait to find out through the passing of time and news.

FOUND EXTRATERRESTRIALS CLAIMED TO BE 700 -1000 YEARS OLD

Dyzek Wilding, 10

Amber Malik, 9

Erick Aguilar, 11

TAGGING L��VE OR L O NELINESS?

Examining how social media affects teenange relationships- for better or for worse

High school relationships: the scourge of tired students trying to get to class without bumping into two fifteen year-olds making out and the subject of what-seems like every teen movie in the last few decades.

According to Pew Research Center’s “Teens, Technology, and Romantic Relationships”, 35% of teens have had or are in a romantic relationship, and teenagers’ apparent obsession with romance is well documented through the media, often sharing the stage with teenagedom’s other love, social media, as teens stalk their crushes and agonize over texting them back. This coupling of interests, therefore begs the question: how do these two staples of the high school experience interact with each other?

35% OF TEENAGERS ARE DATING REGULARLY OVER 50% FLIRT ONLINE

SOCIAL MEDIA MAKES 27% FEEL INSECURE OR JEALOUS IN THEIR RELATIONSHIPS

Social media gives teenagers an outlet to express their “love” for their partners, with 47% of teens say social media offers a place for them to show how much they care about their significant other and 12% feel this way “a lot.”

Similarly, it’s common to see teens put their significant other’s names in their bios, match profile pictures, or, on a less positive note, break up over one of them liking another girl’s post and sob over the endless videos of happy couples on Instagram and comment “gonna take a bath with a toaster.”

Indeed, PRHS teens seem to agree that social media is a double edged sword for relationships.

Georgina Abreu

season 1, has been dating her boyfriend for the past two years and sees mostly positives in social media’s interac tions with social media. “I love when other couples’ posts and you get to see inside (their relationship, but) I defi nitely think there’s a boundary line when they post too much, or when they post when they’re mad at each other.”

She admits, however, that expectations can be harder for younger people, including teens. “I

47% SAY SOCIAL MEDIA OFFERS A PLACE TO DISPLAY THEIR CARE FOR THEIR PARTNER

by Kalani Gaviola, Editor-in-Chief

think that kind of plays into like when you’re a kid and look at every other girl on social media and you want to be like them… It’s affected me before, but in a dumb way.”

What Abreu is describing isn’t uncommon, with 27% of teens say social media makes them feel jealous or unsure about their relationship. Nonetheless, Abreu has no reservations about posting her significant other on social media “with limits.”

Senior Landon Lacy, single, said he “doesn’t care if someone has a relationship” but admits there’s a small element of “missing out” as peers and others post each other on social media, even though “most high school relationships end pretty quickly anyways.”

When the connection is strong enough, both conclude social media doesn’t end up mattering much.

Seniors Lucy Schutle and Maxon Brown have been dating for around five months, and see little problem with social media in their relationship. Brown notably only got social media recently, and described his move towards the apps as majorly influenced by Schulte.

“I see so much relationship content,” Schulte said. She expressed that it allows her and Brown to better bond through

IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING

Taylor Swift’s Eras tour ended its 2023 U.S. leg; students got to experience the anticipated tour

by Kayla Degnan, Co-Sports Director

Were you ready for it? Taylor Swift’s Era tour had 51 shows, spanning the course of six months, for the first part of the US Leg with 38 international dates announced, which just started in Mexico City and three more US cities in 2024. California had a total of eight shows, with two being located in Santa Clara’s Levi Stadium while the other six were played at SOFI stadium in Los Angeles. Junior Bearcat Gracie Domenghini, was surprised last Christmas with tickets to the Aug. 8 show in LA and was ecstatic for the chance to see her favorite artist in concert.

“The stamina of Taylor and all the dancers [exceed my expectations] because it’s a three and a half hour concert. All the costume changes and all the set changes were really cool.” Domenghini said.

The Aug. 8 show was her second to last, with “I Know Places” off of 1989 and “King of my Heart” off of Reputation as the surprise songs. With Swift announcing the next day the rerecording of her 2014 album 1989, the Taylor’s version of that album will be released on Oct. 27 exactly nine years after the original recording. From this announcement, over 671,000 copies have pre-sold. This is not the first rerecording that she announced while on tour with Speak Now Taylor’s version was released in July, selling just under 507,000 copies in the first week of its release totaling about 2.131 million worldwide.

The tour is made up of 44 songs divided into nine of Taylors eras, with two of the songs in the set list being surprise piano and guitar acoustic versions of the songs off any album.

The Eras tour has made a project five billion dollars in consumer spending just in the US, with Swift expected to take away over 300 million. Swift announced that the tour would be hitting theaters as August slipped away, with the film having a projected domestic gross of $125 million opening weekend, Oct. 13, 2023.

“Our tickets were $250 each, and we stayed in the hotel for one night, plus our costumes which were about $100 each, along with food and other stuff. We probably spent around $1200.” Senior Swiftie

Ava Cox said.

Cox went on Aug. 5 being one of the many peo ple who bought tickets that were available for resale through other sellers, only securing tickets from a family friend who had bought extra. Original pricing of the tickets ranged from $49 to $499, but the reselling prices were much higher with most averaging $1,619 per ticket.

12 items were available for purchase in the merchandise line with some Swifties waiting over 11 hours for the blue crew neck that became the most popular item. In total the merchandise grossed over $100 million domestically, with most of the items being available online and shipped to many different countries.

Cox bought merchandise from the traveling truck while Domenghini purchased merchandise from one of the other areas in the stadium. President of the new Taylor Swift club sophomore Jaklyn Woodland was able to attend night one of the Los Angeles dates.

“ [The concert was] a 10 out of 10. It was amazing. I think my favorite part was trading bracelets and just seeing her the entire time, it was really good.” Woodland said.

Woodland was one of few Bearcats who was able to purchase tickets during the Swift stated, “Ticketmaster Great War”, when the website crashed due to too much activity. Each ticket was about $300 with six people in attendance, along with purchasing merchandise from the truck for an estimated $100 each.

The Taylor Swift club was introduced for the 2023-2024 school year with meetings being held Wednesdays in Ms. Scoggins room, with 28 members the club is expecting more growth as the year continues.

Swift has made an impact on modern day popular culture with whatever she is doing, from football games to what lipstick she is wearing. She is certainly living out of her song Long Live, telling people her name.

Jaklyn Woodland, 11

Gracie Domenghini, 11

ADOLESCENCE IS...

Crimson reporters weigh in on what pieces of culture capture the spirit of modern adolescence

by

Kalani Gaviola, Editor-in-Chief

...GUTS

Inspiredby“AmericaIs...”publishedbyTheNewYorkTimes

...TYPICAL OF ME

by Amelia Peterson, Blind Date Co-Editor by Raffy Fuentes, World Editor

G

uts is the sophomore album by teenage pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo, and thus naturally speaks to the angsty heart of adolescence. From “pretty isn’t pretty”’s reflection of unrealistic beauty standards to “making the bed”’s self-deprecating, melancholic feel and the scarely-disguised anger of “all-american b*tch”, Rodrigo invokes the classic overthinking and powerful emotions of a teenage girl. The genre intwines her usual pop with classic rock and metal in homage to the teenage fascination with the past.

...NORMAL PEOPLE

IEn Laufey’s EP “Typical of Me”, she croons of the many faucets of romantic love in a dreamy mix of jazz and bedroom pop. In the fashion of a typical teenager, she pines and admires, romancitizing heartbreak but also speaking to the often unspoken, simpler nature of young relationships themselves, helplessness, silly crushes, and bad haircuts alike. Almost every song on the album is an ode to the feelings that come with love, a teen’s unwieldly obsession that often creates some of the most powerful emotions in a young person’s life.

by Michelle Rosas, Carmesi Director

xisting both in the spheres of printed fiction and later as a limited series adpation, “Normal People” is a love story. But not just in a romantic sense- “Normal People” is a love letter to coming of age, the transformative power of one’s first strong connection and the realities of modern anxieties. These realities are common ones for teens: lonelines and the dread over feeling strange or out of place are major themes both in the text and written across character’s faces on screen.

The series follows two teenagers from their time at secondary school to university. The story is as complex as the characters’ emotions and there are no easy answers, just like in life, with the characters often miscommunicating and misinterpreting the other. And what could be more indictative of adolescence than that?

...GILMORE GIRLS

by Kai Stolzfus, Co-People Editor

“Who cares if I’m pretty if I fail my finals?”

“Gilmore Girls” is the aesthetic of every overachieving high school girl, with the main character, Rory Gilmore’s big dreams for college and her relationship with her single mother Lorelai being the main focuses of the show.

The show displays the teenage truth that we sometimes want to ignore: Our moms are always here for us, through thick and thin, through the stresses of school and the hard-hitting breakups. The series displays the power of teenage ambition and the similar strength of teenage stupidity, which almost all young people can relate to as life gets confusing and mistakes are made.

B...THE AMAZING WORLD OF GUMBALL

by Elijah Mayo, Environment Editor

eing a teenager isn’t all angst and emotion. “The Amazing World of Gumball” relishes in its own silliness, and is better for it. It’s a lighthearted show with humor and heart, and therefore demonstrates the more childish side of teen-dom.

At the core of it all, it’s about two best friends going on wacky adventures together, sometimes fighting, something just laughing, but always coming back, safe in their both in this tribute to young joy and friendship. 10.19.23 Crimson Newsmagazine

IMPORTANCE OF

by Zane Wilson, Photographer

Heads on their desk with students half asleep. Dozing off in class may show issues in the amount of sleep students are getting. Sleep is a universal need which often is taken for granted by those who are ignorant of its importance. Around PRHS, those persons include students who think they can stay up all night doing homework or more likely other distractions like their favorite game.

Hours aren’t adding up. After surveying 100 PRHS students only 48% of students surveyed reported receiving the recommended 8-10 hours of sleep. Whereas 52% of students surveyed are not getting the sleep that is essential for adolescents’ growing brain development as well as preventing physical and mental health disorders. Adane Siegrist,junior at Paso High, is a multi-sport, straight A student athlete who has input on how he would describe sleep.

“It’s kind of like having a remote control device. If you don’t charge it, it’s just gonna run out of energy eventually. Just how I’m gonna run out of energy during the day if I don’t get a good night’s sleep” Siegrist said.

Effects of sleep deficit could be the cause of severe health issues including in relation anywhere from heart disease, dementia, obesity, or potential stroke. Sleep deficit is in direct relation to our overall metabolism, respiratory, and circulatory systems. According to “Verywell Health”, people who showed signs of insomnia or were sleep deprived had a 25% higher risk of receiving heart disease. This may affect many areas of the heart, lead to high blood pressure, or potential diabetes.

Being too much on your feet is getting in the way of your sleep.

55% of PRHS students surveyed displayed how outside curricular activities were getting in the way of their sleep efficiency. Practices and events that go on until late hours often leave little to no time to complete school work and go to sleep by a good hour. Being an athlete playing basketball and volleyball Siegrist describes how he feels after not getting a good night’s rest.

“If I don’t get enough sleep, my muscles don’t work well. I don’t perform well in school because I’m mentally tired. And also my mood changes,” Siegrist said.

Sleep is powerful in the way it boosts our mental health. Information from NHLBI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) explains in which viable sleep helps and improves problem-solving and learning skills. While sleeping, our brains prepare for the next day by forming pathways which allow for us to learn and obtain information.

When sleep deprived there is a link between depression, risk-taking behaviors, suicide, having trouble solving problems, and controlling emotions. When low in sleep efficiency it can be a challenge to get along with others while facing mood-swings, feeling sad, and handling problems paying attention. A study of about 28,000 students done by Newport Academy showed with each hour lost of sleep there was an increase of about 38 percent of feeling sad and hopeless. Joseph De Liema, a student athlete who plays basketball and volleyball, relates how he feels after a good night’s rest.

“I feel energized and ready to take on the day… I’m just like prepared for everything you know, solidifies my mental fortitude” De Liema said.

Rem is your sleeping hidden gem.

Rem sleep (rapid eye movement sleep) is the stage when your eye movements become rapid, your brain becomes more active, breathing hastens, heart rate increases, and you have the ability to dream more intensely. This is the sleeping stage your body reaches after about a 90 minute period of sleep, and lasts for only about 10 minutes.

According to studies by “Relias Media,” for every 5% decrease in the average time spent in Rem sleep there is potential direct correlation to a potential 13% increase in the risk towards an early death. Rem sleep is also the stage where bodies process emotions, consolidate memories, further brain development, and prepare for wakefulness. Rem sleep could have a positive effect on students’ alertness and focus in class.

Let your pillow be the only safety cushion you need.

Sleep deficit has the potential of leading some teens to engage in riskier actions. For example these actions may include, getting involved in alcohol and drug use, drunk driving, and drowsy driving. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) reported that there is an estimated average of 1550 deaths as a result of drowsy driving each year. Along with this there was reported about 71,000 injuries and 12.5 billion dollars in monetary loss. The NHTSA also stated that there were 13,384 U.S. deaths in the year 2021. By receiving efficient sleep teens will be able to be more engaged in making safe decisions which would help cut these causes of mortality.

Sleep during the night or fade in the day.

In summary, it is ideal to get 10-8 hours of quality sleep. If regularly getting 7 or less hours you may pick up on possible major side effects. As the old saying goes: you need to get your beauty sleep. So, if you want to be a beautiful person… sleep!

Joseph De Lima

FAST

FAILING FAST?

Environmental effects add up after swift cheap clothing has hit the racks by Brian Arndt, Health Editor

With the new dress codes sparking controversy at PRHS and student representatives claiming they can’t just buy a new wardrobe to fit the standards, some might be tempted to turn to fast fashion as a cheaper new way to buy trending clothes.

Around the 1990s fashion companies realized if they could produce cheap, trendy, and disposable clothes people would just buy more than they really needed.

This is the business model know as “fast fashion”

Zara, founded in 1975 in Spain, was one of the early adopters of this business model. They focused on getting new styles from the sketchbook onto shelves as quickly as possible to capitalize on new trends.

Due to this business push on consumers, a study in 2015 found the average number of times a garment is worn before it ceases to be used has decreased by 36% compared to 15 years ago, according to “New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future.” Additionally, research has shown clothing production almost doubled over the last 15 years.

If society doesn’t stop this downward spiral of the overbuying and underutilization of clothing, many are concerned the effects on the environment will continue to get worse and quality, long-lasting clothing

Nearly 60% of PRHS students are aware of what fast fashion is, and 52% own clothes from these brands. With over 50% saying they purchased fast fashion because they were cheap and/or had cool designs.

“They (fast fashion companies) cater to micro trends,” sophomore Milo said. “And then it’s kind of out of fashion immediately, so you don’t want to wear it anymore and you throw it out.”

The survey showed 34% of students never wear the clothes anymore that they have previously bought from fast fashion brands.

Wilson thinks the PRHS program The Crimson Closet run by Ava Cox, Campbell Sinton, Audrey Dawes, and overseen by teacher BreAnne Overton is “really great. And there’s like some good clothes in there,” she said.

Once a week during the tutorial period students can get a pass to Bearcat Hall where racks of used donated clothes line the walls. Students are allowed five free articles of clothing.

Junior Sean Pailma brought up the idea that fast fashion reveals an underlying problem in our generation with a lack of commitment and forward-thinking.

“Our generation is deteriorating,” Pailma said. “We can’t figure out what kind of clothes we want and what we can wear in the next couple years.”

Junior Divy Emmons openly admitted, “A lot of things in my closet I feel like I’ve only worn a few times,” which leads her to the point: “it’s a good thing to think about what do you need and actually wear in your closet.”

Sean Pailma, 11

According to experts at “The Global Environmental Injustice of Fast Fashion”, the consumer could spend their money from more reputable brands with transparent supply chains, buy second-hand clothing, use the clothing they own for longer, and adopt the mindset that less is more.

“It’s really bad, but also it’s just like such a part of our world today that it’s like so hard to get rid of,” Emmons said.

NEW WAVE OF THE BEACH CLEAN-UP CLUB

An inspiring club welcomes new faces to restore local spots

With sun, sand, surf, and mountains, the West Coast state of California is known for its breathtaking locations that lure in travelers year-round. However, what’s often neglected is the amount of trash that inhabits these vacation destinations.

Pressing matters with ocean pollution burdens our world today, with plastic waste being 80% of marine debris found on our beaches and in our oceans today. To resolve this problem, students on PRHS’ campus have created The Beach Cleanup Club, originally founded in 2021, to clean up our local beaches.

The club’s president, junior Jordan Hammond, says that the inspiration for this club comes from “Knowing that what we do has a positive impact on our environment. Preservation of our planet’s natural state is very important to me. This club is a great way to do this and help others recognize the issue too. It’s always a great feeling knowing that you’re being part of something positive and this club does that.”

The 22 members that meet every other week organize month-

ly clean-ups to help reduce the amount of plastic and garbage littering the golden state coast line. According to KYMA News, the top 5 collected waste items are: plastic beverage bottles, metal bottle caps, plastic lids, wrappers, and cigarette butts being the #1 staple for waste on the shores. On average, at each cleanup, 3 full bags of trash were collected, aiding in reducing this local issue.

This year, there is a whole new team of ambitious people running the club. The founders, Kelsey Hammond and Devon Kinder, graduated in the spring of 2023 and are preceded by president Jordan Hammond, vice president Cassidy Heer, treasurer Jasmine Rosales, and secretary Faye Patchett. The advisors this year are Amanda Caffrey and Daniel Diaz, replacing Cora Karamitsos.

Diaz shared his favorite part of the club, “I enjoy going to the beach with the kids and actually making our beaches and where we live a more beautiful place to be.”

As of now, the club has hosted 1 clean-up. On Saturday, September 23, the club participated in a local creek clean-up, coming together with the Paso Robles community hoping to clear our riverbed of waste.

This proactive group of students creates an opportunity for growth here in our small town. These small acts of service by students add up and develop a new generation of people committed to helping our Earth shine.

Jordan Hammond, 11

ABOVE: Members collect all types of trash in the river-bed.

LEFT: Students venture into the creek, ready to give back.

WORKING TOWARDS

RECRUITMENT

Bearcats share their experience with trying to play sports at a collegiate level

by Kayla Degnan, Co-Sports Director

Over 460,000 students around the country have set their hopes towards the future, through that of continuing to play a sport in college. The process is one that students have had to take control of with the hassle of spending money on National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) recruiters.

At PRHS there are over 15 sports that are offered at D1, D2, D3, and NAIA level schools, with the largest division in recruitment being D3 at 87%, as of 2020. There are about 19,000 collegiate teams that use programs such as the NCAA to find new incoming or transfer athletes.

“I have promoted myself to coaches on my own, and have to manage it myself,“ senior Peyton Bedrosian, who does Pole Vault, said.

According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NCSA) the minimum for D1 schools is 12’, D2 is 9’6”, D3 is 9’6”, and NAIA is 10’. Currently Bedrosian jumps at 12’9”, with interests from D1 colleges. One of them being Oregon State University, which is offering official tours. Bedrosian is currently debating other offers at the moment. With more than 1,000 colleges across the country offering Track and Field programs, they all weigh athletic profiles, academics, and proactivity.

Collegiate coaches take five steps to recruiting athletes, for incoming and transfer students.Step one is generating interest from athletes, step two is making initial evaluations, step three is making family contact and hosting official visits, step four is extending verbal offers/getting commitments, and step five is signing the new athletes. Currently, Bedrosian is on step three with the colleges reaching out for official tours.

Collegiate football is considered one of the hardest sports to get recruited for with about 7% of high school players continuing in college and only about 3% playing D1 football. Senior quarterback James Cogan has been trying to go through the recruitment process following many of the steps previously mentioned.

“I had a private quarterback coach who went to play football

at the NAIA level. He is kind of the only person other than like, you know, my parents that like look stuff up” Cogan said “He’s the only person that’s helped me get recruited and he went through the whole recruiting process so he knows what he’s doing and but I don’t have like a recruiter that reaches out for me”

He has attended quarterback training camps over the summer with local T.J. Jordan who helps with training throughout the Central Coast. Cogan has attended camps at various division schools such as UC Berkeley, a D1 school, and five camps total this past summer. When recruiting for the quarterback position, consistency is in the top ten qualities that are most closely looked at, along with their poise and grit.

Cogan has advocated using twitter as his main platform to get recruited on, with many coaches using twitter along with statics on maxpreps.

New sports in the recruitment world are Acro & Tumbling and Stunt, both being labeled as Title IX-focused. Senior Caelee Martines is looking to get recruited for the sport of stunt.

“It’s been just kind of difficult to monitor, figuring out what’s a legitimate scholarship offer versus hey, you could look at us if you want to,” Martines said.

Stunt is a sport that has been evolving with what schools are in the four divisions, with many schools switching around in the next two years. USA cheer in partnership with Stunt the sport have been hosting recruiting combines across the US with the first two being located in California, one in Northern and one in Southern. Martines attended the Sacramento combine with a few of her teammates, looking at schools that have already reached out to her like St. Mary’s College in Texas.

All three athletes, Bedrosian, Cogan, and Martines represent different sports that all derive from the simple sets of recruitment. All three said that promoting yourself as early as possible is the best way to start recruitment, with them starting later in their junior year rather than sophomore year.

FRESHMEN SOPHOMORE JUNIOR SENIOR

Collegiate coaches can send educational information, this is the year to build a resume

After a certain time coaches can meet off campus and coaches can call athletes.

Offical paid vists can begin and offical offers can be made and recieved at this time

JAMES COGAN

CAELEE MARTINES

PEYTON BEDROSIAN

Stifling heat, rainy spells, tired days, and “last lap” bells: the PRHS boys cross country team stays dedicated through it all. None perhaps though, more dedicated, than the trio that leads the pack in speed, miles, and long-run routes alike, composed of juniors Tyler Daillak and Bishop Morsette and sophomore Brain Arndt

The team, with those three in front, is a stronger one than PRHS has seen in a few years for men, according to PRHS’ longtime Cross Country and Track coach Ivan Huff

Together, the boys won Paso the top three spots at the first Cross Country meet of the season, Greg DeNike Big Ditch XC Classic at Talley Farms on Saturday, September 2, a 4,000 meter (approximately 2.5 miles) course. 13 teams were present including Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Righetti, Templeton, Santa Maria, etc.

Similarly, at the CCAA Mountain/Ocean Mid Season Meet 3 mile race for Mountain Varsity boys, Daillak placed 1st, Morsette placed 13th, and Arndt placed 3rd.

“It really started last year with Bishop and Tyler, and then Brian came in last year as a freshman and he really was the motivating factor. He always wanted to test himself and he started bringing those guys along,” Huff said. “As soon as we talked about what you need to do to get to the next level, they bought into it. They ran more miles, ran on Sunday. So I kind of knew in track season (last year) that things were going to be much better in cross country.”

They estimate running about 50-70 miles per week, around the same amount as the average marathon trainee according to Marathon Handbook, and usually running every single day, sometimes twice a day, both in the moring and afternoon.

Each boy has a history with running and strong motivations that keep them in the admittedly difficult sport:

TIMING THE TOP THREE DISTANCE

Boys’ varsity cross country’s top three runners race the team to new heights

by Kalani Gaviola, Editor-In-Chief

teams in middle school, and continued with it through high school due to the success he found and a desire to “keep in shape.” If things go well enough, he wants to maybe “go to college for it (and) get a good scholarship.”

“His work ethic is outstanding. He will always.... work with those guys, even when he’s sick and things aren’t going right,” Huff said, regarding Morsette.

Arndt, the youngest of the trio, wants to run Division 1 and is described as the most competitive in workouts by his teammates. Though he technically started running in elementary school, he didn’t take it seriously until high school, where it eventually overtook the original athletic love of his childhood: soccer.

“It makes me happy afterwards,” Arndt said. “I feel achieved after a good run… I like the people and the community of running.”

Dalliak has flown the highest so far, with his recent 5k time at Woodward Park, the CIF course, being the 5th fastest in recent Cross Country history according to Huff.

He first got into running in third grade after his homeroom teacher told him he had too much energy, and he hasn’t stopped since. He hopes to run in college, like the other boys and described a genuine enjoyment of running. “Running has impacted my life in a very positive way. It helps me relieve stress.”

The boys have encouraged their teammates with their work ethic too, with first-year teammate Wade Willis describing feeling inspired by them: “It kind of sets a standard of what you can achieve in cross country. I feel like if I run with them, I’ll be able to eventually catch up to their level of running.”

Huff expressed a hope for more improvement from the boys and possibly a move in League champions next year.

Morsette, described as “quiet but determined” by Dalliak, joined the track and cross country

“We’ve been making a lot of progress for getting better,” Huff said. “I believe in them.”

15:43.3 5k 5 minutes 3.62 seconds per mile

16:32.3 5k 5 minutes 19.39 seconds per mile

17:12.7 5k

5 minutes 32.4 seconds per mile

Wade Willis, 12

Daillak(left),Arndt(middle),andMorsette(right).

PhotosbyNoemiBasurtoandOwenWinstead.

Aset of 20 feet floats down and, standing at 5’9”, freshman Kiley Bowman jumps and swings, sending the ball blazing over the net, showing a sliver of her iconic hit. In her first year of high school, Bowman is a starting outside hitter, playing all rotations for the PRHS varsity volleyball team. So far this season, the varsity team has placed first in Gold division at a Madera tournament, second in Silver division for the Hard Driven Tournament, and won four league games as of October 12, 2023.

Knowing most of the high school varsity team from other sports, mostly softball, Bowman felt as part of the team from the first practice, noticing the jump in competition level and energy on the court.

“Playing more competitive volleyball with more rallies is so much fun, especially with a team full of really fun girls,” Bowman said.

The challenges of higher competition at the varsity level are a block threatening her kill, but as Bowman’s coach, Vickie Werling said, “her attitude is a huge bump in team confidence,” a goal Werling has for all her players this season. Her positiveness and integrity on the court makes her an even stronger and more dependable athlete.

“Kiley does what is asked of her, you never hear her complaining, and she is the one who would do an extra rep to ensure she doesn’t cheat the exercise,” Werling said.

Having coached at Paso High for 7 years, Werling noticed from the moment Bowman walked in the gym that she knew how to play formal volleyball. Using her strong form, Bowman’s hits are intense as she follows through the ball when she swings, making her an unavoidable force on the court.

Bowman has been training with her mom, Ali Bowman, a division one setter in college, since she was 6 years-old. As Bowman continues through high school, she plans to follow in her mom’s footsteps playing for the University of San Diego.

“I want to go to USD because I love their volleyball community and I want to con tinue where my mom was,” Bowman said.

Bowman has played for two clubs, Hot Shots being her first team in elementary school. She is now going into her third year playing for 805 Elite, a travel team established for athletes in SLO County by Cal Poly Head Coach, Caroline Walters

10.19.23

5’ 9’’ AND HITTING LINE

Playing high level volleyball on varsity, freshman Kiley Bowman brings crushing hits and confidence to the court by Kailea Stoltzfus, People Co-Editor

THE HISTORY OF

The Bearcat and Hound rivalry has spanned for over 100 years, and evolved into friendly competitive sports games today

by Chloe Van Pelt, Op/Ed Editor

Two schools, over 4,000 students in total, have been butting heads each and every year for the last century.

Students from both Paso Robles High School and Atascadero High School have been brawling with each other in sports for over the last 100 years. The history between the two schools has led them to where they are today, continuing to play back and forth in many sports, proving in our own community why rivals have an impact on a student’s high school experience.

The rivalry between Paso Robles and Atascadero first started in 1919 and has continued on throughout the last 104 years. In all sports throughout the school, a chant that has been popular since the rivalry started is “Pound the Hounds.” In water polo, another common chant is “Drown the Hounds.” One of Atascadero’s popular chants when playing Paso Robles is “No Pity For the Kitty.” These chants have added to the competitive bond Paso Robles shares with Atascadero.

Staff members of PRHS have lived through this rivalry first hand while attending school as a Bearcat or Greyhound, and have come back to work in either school district. PRHS Varsity Football Head Coach, Tim Alvord, graduated from Atascadero High School in 1968 and has now taken the interim head coach position for the 2023 football season at PRHS.

Paso Robles Bearcats every year in high school gave him a player perspective of their rivalry which he now continues to see as the interim head coach of the Bearcats Varsity Football team. Alumni, English teacher, and football coach at PRHS, Matt Carroll, has also seen the history form between the Bearcats and the Hounds. Being a graduate from PRHS in 2005, he remembers events in preparation for the “Pound the Hounds” football game because it was so important to the campus.

“Coach Alvord, who runs the varsity team now, I remember him at a pep rally teaching everybody the pound the hounds chat, which was really funny,” Carroll said.

The preparation events are what have made these sports games something that both the students and staff at both schools have looked forward to for the last century.

In high school, Alvord was on the Atascadero Varsity Football team for one year, the baseball team for all four years, and their varsity basketball team for three years where he was able to compete against Paso Robles and witness this rivalry from a player’s perspective. While being on these different sports teams, Alvord was also able to have a first hand experience of this rivalry which has left him with memories.

In 1967, Alvord was the quarterback for the Greyhounds. Near the end of their football season that year, they were at a two and seven record with their last game being against the Paso Robles Bearcats.

“All we had to do was beat them and we would have gone to CIF,” Alvord said. “Unfortunately, they rose up and beat us, which then prevented us from going to CIF that year.”

Alvord being on the Atascadero team in 1967 and facing the

Although the players of these sports teams are battling on the field, in the pool, or on the court, they have continued to keep the peace and be friendly towards their opponents. In 2016, there was an incident where, allegedly, Atascadero students poured gasoline on the turf at War Memorial Stadium. Due to this event, senior football players and the senior cheerleaders from both teams come together to have an annual luncheon the day before their rivalry game. This luncheon unites both schools and shows them friendship before they step onto the field and play their hearts out.

Today, students frequently attend these rivalry games for all sports and it is something that is looked forward to by staff and students alike. Girls water polo player, Ella Tobin, is able to experience this rival both in and out of the pool.

“We always know it’s going to be a competitive game, so it just makes our competitiveness go up 10 times more,” Tobin said. “We obviously always want to win, but when it’s A-Town, it drives us to get that win even more.”

The rivalry between PRHS and AHS has been ongoing for the last 104 years and continues to make new history as these rivalry games are bound to continue in the future.

Tim Alvord

FALL SP RTS

GIRLS WATER POLO

OVERALL RECORD 9-11

As of print, girls varsity water polo is currently 6th in League, with a 1-8 record and a 9-11 overall record, compared to last year’s 4-6 record which put them 3rd in League. Standouts and most frequent “Player of the Game” recipients include senior Goalkeeper Zoey Bixler, ranked second in the Mountain League for saves, and junior Summer Colegrove, who leads the team in goals, shots, and points. A season highlight is their victory in the Golden Bear tournament in Hanford``We’ve definitely had our ups and downs,” senior Ella Tobin said.

BLOCKED: Zoey Bixler prevents Templeton from scoreing a point during their game.

GIRLS GOLF

SWE’RE NOT THE BEST IN OUR LEAGUE FOR SURE, BUT WE HAVE COLLECTIVELY BEEN MEETING OUT GOALS AND WHAT WE WANT TO BE ACCOMPLISHING TOBIN, 12

winging for success. The Bearcat girls golf team has been experiancing through some ups and downs as they attempt to reach their goal of advocating to CIF. However because of complications in their league our division two golf team has had to face many teams in higher division including division one teams such as Arroyo Grande. Because of this they have been consistently placing in 7th or 8th during their tournaments. Coach LeClair expressed that their goal as a team isn’t to be first in a tournament but rather to score a 555 which is what is required for them to enter into CIF. Stand out players this season have been Ava Cox and Gabby Silva who are also both co captains of the team.

PUTTING THE WORK IN: Gabby Silva perfects her swing while at Practice.

COLLECTIVELY WE HAVE BEEN MEETING OUR GOALS AND WHAT WE WANT TO BE ACCOMPLISHING AS A TEAM COX, 12

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Receive, set, SLAM! The Bearcat’s girls volleyball team had a bumpy start due to a mostly new team with only four returning players. They are currently 6th in league with a record of 2-8 and an overall record of 8-17. Stand-outs include Middle blocker Skylar McEntire (12) and Kiley Bowman (9). Season highlights include their Madera Classic Tournament win, and team captian Elie Chavez expressed hope to turn the second half of their season around.

NOPE: Ave Friedling and Hailey Williams block San Luis Opisbo from schoring a point.

OVERALL RECORD 8-17

WE ARE ALMOST THERE, BUT WE NEVER GET THAT WIN, THAT FEW EXTRA KEY POINTS WE NEED TO GET THE MOMENTUM BACK CHAVEZ, 12

OVERVIEW

by Owen Winstead, Sports Photographer, and

BOYS WATER POLO

OVERALL RECORD 6-14

The boys bearcat water polo team is going to have to do some navigating to get through this choppy season. With an overall record of 6-14 and 0-10 in league, the boys team will need to do some cunning moves to steer themselves back on track this season.

Top scorer, sophomore Colin Daugherty has an average of 4.2 points per game, followed by Junior Garrett Haggmark with an average of 1.7 points per game.Team captain and goalkeeper Ezra Smeltzer has been awarded Player of the Game five times, and is ranked #1 for Mountain League in saves.

I THINK ONCE WE START REALLY JUST FIXING THOSE LITTLE TINY ISSUES THAT ARE CAUSING MOST OF THE PROBLEMS I THINK WE’LL BE ALRIGHT.

HAYDEN MCKANNA, 12

PWE ARE KIND OF SLOW THIS YEAR... BUT OUR TEAMS PRETTY YOUNG.

EZRA SMELTZER, 11

Splash: Junior Vincent Napolitano eggbeats to block the shot from opponent Santa Ynez

CROSS COUNTRY

BOYS 3RD & GIRLS 4TH MOUNTAIN LEAGUE

WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD VARSITY SQUAD THIS YEAR, I CANT WAIT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON.

AIDEN GIBSON, 12

Runners Set Boom!: Brian Arndt running towards the finish line with his competitors following closely behind.

FOOTBALL

Boys and girls cross country are running through their seasons, taking 4th and 3rd respectively at the recent CCAA Mountain League Mid-Season race at Elks Unocal Event Center in Santa Maria, a three mile course. Standouts include junior Tyler Daillak, who won first with a time of 15:03.75, averaging 5 minutes 1.25 seconds per mile, sophomore Brian Arndt, who was third with a time of 15:28.48, and Bishop Morsette, who was 13th with a time of 16:04.98. The team was overall 3rd out of 7 in the Mountain League, an improvement from their 5th out of 7 in 2022. Female standouts from the race include senior Kalani Gaviola, who was 9th with a time of 19:58.86, Pippin Came, who was 16th with a time of 20:50.37.

CURRENT RECORD 1-6

ass, receive run, pass, receive… picked! The Bearcats have’ struggled this season with a subpar record of 1-4 overall and 1-1 in the Mountain League, which places them 5th overall in the mountain league. The highlight of their season was the homecoming 21-14 victory aganist the Righetti Warriors. Standout player Ashton Murphy carried the ball an average of about 50 yards a game, and a total of three touchdowns this season.

Touchdown: Ashton Murphy trying to break the Atascadero defensive line to get a first down.

Mateo De Alba, Photography Director

PhotobySerenityWulfing

Photoby JosephTaranto

GRIP

Only one hand is allowed on the ball, having a good grip allows the player to have more control ove rthe shot

FOCUS

Daugherty has to focus on the goal, shooting the ball at a high speed, and keeping his opponent away from him

EGGBEATER

The eggbeater is a style of kicking where the swimmer’s legs alternate one-legged breaststroke kicks. This form provides continuous support and allows the swimmer to remain stable in the water.

In a remarkable display of precision and finesse, sophomore, Colin Daugherty egg beats to reach his threshold and he draws his arm back looking for the exact window to take his shot. The crowd erupted in applause as Daugherty effortlessly propelled the ball past the opposing goalie, securing a crucial point that swung the momentum in favor of their team.

Daugherty is one of two sophomores on the varsity Boys Waterpolo team. He has been playing polo for 1.5 years but already shows outstanding promise for the sport. Every day after school, five days a week, Daugherty attends practice for two hours and 15 minutes. During these practices, they focus on practice plays as well as fundamental

skills, like shooting and passing. The team also has morning swim twice a week and focuses on weight training two other days of the week.

But, Daugherty hasn’t always wanted to play polo. He has drawn inspiration from alumni Nolan Severson and current captain, Ezra Smeltzer.

“I would say, Nolan, the varsity captain from last year, inspired my water polo career the most. He gave me my first speedo and taught me how to play water polo. I look up to Ezra a lot because he also has taught me a ton about the sport,” Daugherty said.

Daugherty’s favorite part about water polo is the physical aspect of the sport because it keeps him in good shape. However, in the future, he sees himself pursuing volleyball at the collegiate level at a four year.