March 2024

Crimson

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Among district changes, students and staff speak out about job and site changes

PG. 13-16

SPILLING AND SCROLLING

Anonymous Instagram account posted a variety of inaccurate and private details about students in February before being shut down and copycats efforts made

100 posts 500 followers 0 following Following Message

Athree by six screen illuminated by over 100 instagram posts captured the attention of hundreds of Bearcats as an anonymous account took false and/or secretive rumors and posted them about specific students without their permission. The Instagram account, taken down Feb 2024, gained over 500 followers in three weeks and is known as the “Tea Account.” It quickly gained attention from students and administrators and was heard around campus that the posts paraded critical and comical information submitted to the account’s student administrator. Some of the information posted revealed students’ personal lives, romantic details, and topics that were not meant to be shared to a mass media platform. Sometimes the posts poked fun. Other posts were completely inaccurate and false. Some students viewed them as jokes because of how random they were.

“I just thought it was unfair that irrelevant drama from the past should be posted and cause rumors that aren’t true. It creates conflict between you and a person you’re on good terms with,” said a student who was put on blast.

a staff member or any part of admin about the account or what was posted on it.

The account caused a significant alarm once discovered by administrators, teachers, and parents. Principal Megan Fletcher sent out a Parent Square message and email to teachers during the week of Feb 25 about the negative repercussions of the account.

“It is crucial that we come together as a united front to reinforce the values of empathy, inclusivity, and respect within our school culture. We cannot allow such negative actions to overshadow the positive environment we strive to cultivate each day” the post from Fletcher read.

A Google form link posted in the bio of the account allowed students to anonymously “spill their tea” or request for a post about themself to be removed. The form received over 900 responses. Also in the bio, the creator made note that “if you (students) don’t like it (the account) DM or choose to unfollow.” This was one of few disclaimers.

Other disclaimers posted in a seven-slide post pinned to the page included that the account purpose was not intended to hurt feelings. They informed followers that posts might not be taken down right away after a request because the account holder wasn’t always on their phone.

The account blocked students who were known to have informed

“ AS A SCHOOL WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT WE SAY AND POST BECAUSE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS A SCHOOL TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER IN A POSITIVE WAY.

This email was an encouragement to teachers to share with their classes the importance of digital citizenship and kindness on the internet.

”It was disheartening that certain people would go out of their way to make other people feel bad,” Vice Principal, Michael Godsey said.

He explained the first step taken by staff in addressing the situation was to find out who was behind it or stop it. In the case that they can’t fix a problem alone they address the for support, sometimes the platform, in this case social media, or even the police if a situation gets unmanageable.

“80% of our job is to just make this school a safe place that students feel good at,” Godsey said.

Another Instagram account, “PRHS Ships” has surfaced, a private account following students. This account is receiving photos of students via DM from students. These photos are posted without permission and are of people who peers think would be cute together.

Within 21 days this account took off, grabbing the attention of students and staff alike. Different accounts circulating through Instagram still, we are all wondering who was really behind the first instagram tea account.

“ SOME OF WHAT WAS POSTED WAS FUNNY AND NOT TRUE BUT THEN SOME OF IT WAS HURTFUL AND TRUE.

HOW DID THEY SPILL THE TEA??

1

UNKNOWN FOLLOW REQUEST COMES IN

2

3

4

ACCOUNT UNFOLLOWS EVERYONE ONCE THEY HAVE FOLLOWERS

STUDENTS FILL OUT FORM AS POSTING SUGGESTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC

FOLLOWERS WERE BLOCKED IF THEY TOLD ADMIN OR STAFF ABOUT THE ACCOUNT

5

ADMIN REQUEST FOR ACCOUNT TO BE TAKEN DOWN

“ I THOUGHT THE ACCOUNT WAS FUNNY BUT I ALSO FELT BAD FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WERE POSTED ABOUT WITH OU THEIR PERMISSION.

DANCE PRESENTS “SKYLINE”

The advanced dance team wow at their March dance show, “Skyline” by Michelle Rosas, Carmesi Director

his year the advanced dance team choreographed 30 dances to show the journey of a girl making her way through the city to become her own person. This dance show introduced our campus to new elements and a once in a

The hosts of the show were senior and junior Asher Moore who guided the audience through the city to see Gracie follow her dreams to get an acting job

Senior and four year advance dancer Peyton Bedrosian says they have been working on the dances since late november. “Its rewarding to see dances you choreographed be performed but you’re also a little nervous with the pressure of making it look good,” Bedrosian said. Since Bedrosian is a senior and like other senior dancers, this was her last high school dance show but it was a little more emotional than the rest. Her mom, (pictured right), is the dance and advanced dance teacher and the two had one final moment together on stage where they danced a personal dance about “letting go”. The dance show was full of complex and very different dances. Never seen before though was the Mexican style dance ballet folklorico which was introduced and choNaomi Velasco. “I think diversity is important and with half the school being hispanic, I think it’s important to represent them.”

scan above for more photos!

DANCE, BABY!: The advanced dance team prepared months in advance for their three shows. (Photos by Elijah Mayo and Jade Wagner.)

CHICAGO: BEHIND THE SCENES

Students in theater put in hours behind the scenes to prepare for “Chicago”

The costume team has been creating costumes for every actor and are now taking the task of bedazaling bowler hats under the leadership of costume designer, Ruth Enriquez-Bague and Senior Emma Smith

Director Marcy Goodnow has helped directing the show and her clases for months for Chicago the Musical. She helps the lighting team to put in diffrent gels for the lights using a lift.

by Naomi Velasco, Carmesi Director

In advanced technical theater, Adelaida Coelho and Maritza Flores along with other students have been working on building letters and painting.

Stage manager, Sami Laucella and assistant, Garret PlatterRath have been working on the set by measuring, cutting, and drilling almost everyday.

STUDENT ASSASSIN SHOWDOWN

Upperclassmen partake in a massive nerf gun war

by Sebi Radojevic, Web Director

NO NERF GUNS OR FIGHTING ALLOWED ON CAMPUS OR AT SCHOOL EVENTS SUCH AS PRACTICES, GAMES, ETC.

NO FIGHTING AT GYMS OR OTHER PUBLIC PLACES OUT OF RESPECT TO BUSINESS OWNERS.

INTERACTION MUST BE FILMED AND KILL MUST BE CLEAR ON CAMERA

NO KILLING PEOPLE WHILE THEY ARE WORKING

IF SOMEONE IS SURROUNDED IN THEIR CAR AND NOT ON THEIR PROPERTY, THEY HAVE 10 MINUTES BEFORE THEY ARE CONSIDERED ELIMINATED

As the Bearcat leaves their shift from work they can’t help but feel suspicious as if they’re being watched. Suddenly, in a flash they feel the pressure of a soft dart hitting them as students run out laughing, filming, and cheering: they are eliminated.

In a clash of foam and strategy, 73 upperclassmen are involved in an ongoing Nerf war. Assassins 2024 was organized by seniors Kameron Paine and Kylee Dayton, who envisioned a massive war between students and worked hard to bring that vision to life.

“I felt like no one was going to run it this year, so I felt like I had to be that guy.” Paine said. “As fun as it was playing, it is also a lot of fun to run it and be the whole background.”

The organizers ensured that rules were set in place to avoid any chaotic behavior.

After its initial launch on February 1st, assassins became a massive success With 20 students originally signed up,, the peak number of active upperclassmen was 73. Each student paid $5 for initial buy-in, which was due by January 31st. After that, late buy-ins were $10 per person. If someone is killed and wants to buy back in, they need to pay $15. The total amount of money students spend between the varying kinds of buy-ins will be added together and given to the winner of the game. Paine and Dayton have claimed they are unable to calculate the total amount just yet.

As more students began to play, it was clear competitors needed to stay strapped and be prepared for an attack at any moment.

“It was such an inconvenience carrying my gun to places such as work, soccer, and hangouts because you never know who could be waiting to strike.” Senior Keaira Leiagan said.

As the game continued, Paine and Dayton decided to incorporate “supply drops” that could be found around the city with certain equipment.

“The drops happen weekly. What we do is we go to Target or Walmart and buy materials like ammo and small guns typically.” Paine said, “We’ll basically place them at random spots around town, we did one at Takken’s and Barney Schwartz.”

Not only did the game develop, but equipment students were using began to develop as well. With each kill it is required that the culprit takes a video of the interaction and sends it to the @prassasins24 Instagram account where they showcase each kill. Some students felt that managing to aim, carry a gun, and a phone was difficult to balance, and as a result some decided to add a mounted camera to their gun. Additionally, as the game evolved, contestants increased their militia and bought

73 participants

stronger and higher-performing dart guns.

The games didn’t initially start off with as many rules as it has now. Certain events lead to the realization that more rules needed to be put in place to allow the game to flow better. Af ter multiple altercations in Kennedy Club Fitness Center and Planet Fitness, the leaders needed to ban gunplay in the gyms.

“Some of the gym managers got mad, so they contacted us and we were contacted through other people.” Paine said, “We were trying to be respectful to everyone around Paso, as much as this game is fun, it can be obnoxious at times.”

Additionally, some students such as senior Gracie Weyrich even went to such extreme heights to stay alive that her car was damaged in the process. Weyrich had just finished soccer practice and tried to set someone up to secure her kill. After driving to her future victim’s house he quickly realized it was a setup. Suddenly, Weyrich was sandwiched between two trucks shining their bright lights.

“They came to my window with guns telling me to get out. I tried backing up and the lights were so bright,” Weyrich stated. “I couldn’t see how close the truck behind me was and I rammed into his truck.”

As of March 12, 2024, thirteen students remain in the games as they begin to come to a close. Paine says one of the biggest struggles with running assassins is having to make tough calls on certain videos sent into the account.

“I can’t know, I calls if I can’t hit someone in the video, or if someone claims a kill happened during an event, detailing if a kill actually happened if not. A lot of people get really mad you and others will be happy with choice, it’s all part of doing what I Paine hopes to pass on his skills and knowledge from running the game this year to someone who can continue the game when he is no longer attending PRHS next year.

9

$500 to the winner

bought back in

5

kills for Wyatt Haley

23 eliminated in the first week

MWE STAND WITH OUR SWIMMERS

illion dollar discussions, thousands of signatures, and eight years since the passing of Measure M, the school board has finally voted to move forward with construction of the long-awaited aquatics complex between the parking lot and ag campus.

We understand that the district has an extreme variety of intense issues to weigh these days. At the same time, having other things to solve should not function as an excuse to brush certain things under the rug. The building of this pool has taken too long and we applaud the board members who are becoming promise keepers about a much desired pool.

PRHS is home to a variety of sports programs, all of which have safe and secure sports complexes - all except our water polo players and swimmers. Each and every one of them deserve to have the same privilege of a secure complex to practice and play at.

The Municipal Pool is less than ideal for our water athletes. They are forced to wake up extremely early to get to morning practices, and have to rush across town to make it to practice in the afternoon. They have been injured, called “off the bottom” and arguably limited in their success by a shallow, outdated, flawed facility.

Crimson stands with PRHS water athletes who have been fighting for an aquatics complex, and we are grateful to current board members who took action on years of empty promises

our staff has followed since the beginning of the build-a-pool effort.

In 2016 members of our staff released two stories on this issue: one in Feb. titled “Municipal Maintenance” regarding a temporary closure of the pool for renovation and improvements on its grounds. In May of the same year another staff member published “Facilities Plan Approved” regarding the initial approval of Measure M which included first plans for the pool.

A deeper pool would prevent this from happening, and launch aquatics into new levels of performance and event hosting

As a class full of campus-aware journalists, the building of the aquatics center is a topic

A year later in Nov. 2017 “Diving into Paso’s New Pool” went live on our website, anticipating the pool to be finished in Jan. 2019. In 2024, still nobody has ‘dove in.’

In Oct. 2019 we reported the unfortunate update that pool plans would be tabled due to high maintenance costs.

A fifth story was covered when players, coaches, and the community came together at a school board meeting to fight for their pool in May 2022.

We write to remind readers of the long history of broken or delayed promises. We write also to applaud promise-keeping new board decisions. We at Crimson look forward to good news of progress and completion for the sake of aquatics. The “pool promisers” who were members of the board at the beginning have since moved on, and we are excited for our swimmers and grateful to our current board members who took action to move forward with the project.

Directors

Elise Mathers News

Margot Klo News

Kayla

Crimson Staff

COLUMNS

Wby Kayla Degnan, Sports Director

TURNING THE PAGE

et’s talk about books! As an avid reader, and writer, I decided to share with Crimson readers my own opinion/take on books taking social media by storm, particularly the world of Booktok. As I was wondering what books to talk about, three in particular stood out to me: “Divine Rivals” by Rebecca Ross, “If He Had Been with Me” by Laura Nowlin, and “Kingdom of the Wicked” by Kerri Maniscalo. Each of these books are sweeping platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, all sharing a main character who we can all relate to, and two out of the three being based in a world that is fictional.

Ross’s novel starts as any would, setting the story in a world where mythology is not quite far off from reality, and the characters are in the middle of a huge world war that some acknowledge while others do not. This book was one of the ones that did live up to the hype that was surrounding it, building characters and storyline that was easy to follow/understand alongside the subplots that were presented. Nowlin’s novel is the most realistically set being based on a high school freshman and how she progresses through high school, navigating relationships and finding herself through this coming of age

story that takes a sad turn near the end. This book was an emotional rollercoaster, certainly the most emotional from the social media recommendations so far, and would serve for the best and biggest impact for teenagers.

Maniscalo’s book was the most invigorating, giving a new take on the seven deadly sins, while following a strong female protagonist, who is a witch investigates the murder of her twin sister. This book is the first book of a three part series, and each chapter and book got better than the next. I never quite wanted to set the book down to do much of anything- let alone get an appropriate amount of sleep.

As a person who appreciates every letter and word on a page, I am grateful for the opportunity to explore these literary treasures and share my thoughts with fellow book lovers. While social media may sometimes lead us astray, the gems unearthed through platforms like Booktok remind us of the power of storytelling. So, here’s to many more adventures between the pages of beloved books, and the endless discoveries that await us within their boundless realms.

BRIAN’S BACKYARD

hen I think of time spent outdoors I remember time spent with friends and family, but as of recently I have been broadening my horizons to experiencing the outdoors alone, and it has changed my perception of what a hike can be. olo hiking, or any adventure, is a unique experience that cannot be replicated with a group. Just recently I couldn’t find somebody to go on a hike down to a waterfall with me, so instead of calling off the trip I went alone.

When I am deep on a trail, completely alone, it is true solitude.

Rather than being distracted by the people around me, I can take in everything nature has to offer. I can stop for minutes just to listen to a small trickle of water flowing from inside a mountain and dripping onto the trail. I can look out at an alluring view as long as I please to take it all

in.

COLLEGE CORNER

The first article I ever wrote for Crimson was titled “The College Stress To Impress.” It described the growing anxiety among high-achieving teenagers as college admission rates shrunk, and how students were faring under that pressure.

And though I provided all the appropriate evidence for the problem, the story was, more than anything, a reflection of my own terrible distress.

But, looking back as a senior pre-receiving the majority of my decisions, I don’t think I would change a thing about my high school experience, even with the stresses.

In freshman year, I was enchanted with the idea of getting into a top college, my idea of the ultimate academic validation. As I matured, top universities attracted me for more practical reasons, but nonetheless, I knew this: I really wanted to get in.

This desire was a fire beneath me, an extra push to get things done and get involved. I never did an extracurricular just to “look good” for colleges, but the looming deadline always reminded me to do my best. Though things were often stressful, I am proud of my accomplishments, no matter the college outcome that awaits me.

by Brian Arndt, Health Editor

When I am alone my thoughts wander. I daydream, reminisce about old memories, and think of the future. At times thoughts can be brought from the eddies of my brain that I have been trying to hold down, but with nothing to disturb me, I am forced to solve the problems. I am forced to spend time with myself and learn who I am. I always come out of these times alone feeling refreshed and prepared to take on what lies ahead of me.

I can go as fast or as slow as I would like without the pressure of staying with a group. I can take any detour, choose to climb any, and every, big rock just to see the same view but from five feet up, and hike without the pressure of time constraints Though, I still prefer participating in these activities with others, since I feel that happiness is purest when you share it with others, I also believe that exploring nature alone is something everyone can gain something

by Kalani Gaviola, Editor-In-Chief

Recents studies from the CT Examiner show that students are more unmotivated than ever, and many trace this generation’s collective paralysis to technology. Though I am no way entirely immune from this, I think I’ve maintained a no-quitting attitude that has been facil itated by the goal of “getting into a top college” Though it was hard, life is hard. Having a goal to work towards made me stronger, and used to doing things for long-term goals- something Gen Z, as shown in a study published in Yahoo! Fiance, is less likely to have.

Of course, it was difficult to find a balance between social, school, and extracurricular life, but I suspect that will reflect a precarious balance I will continue pursuing the rest of my life. I just got a head start in managing it, and life is good.

This magazine will publish the day before the last of my college decisions. No matter the outcome, I’ll maintain this: the college stress to impress wasn’t such a terrible thing after all.

(Note: Sign was decoration. I am #notcommitted.)

RISE THE RISE OF SELF DIAGNOSIS

Self diagnoses increase, with harmful effects on teens by Elijah Mayo, Director of Photography

The brain is constantly changing and evolving, searching for reasons why we feel the ways we feel and act the way we act. With emotional changes and behaviors that some see as strange, many people have begun to swarm social media to discuss their lives.

This has made the act of self diagnosing become more prominent, as young people apply the titles of mental illnesses and neurological conditions to themselves without professional diagnoses . With apps like TikTok and Instagram, it’s increasingly easier to find these types of videos in an easy to understand format. In a study run by the National Library of Medicine, 84% of the US population now uses social media. But it’s not only limited to these social media platforms: many people have begun to take quizzes and tests that tell them what personality they have or mental illness they have.

These self diagnosed mental illnesses are commonly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD), depression, and anxiety disorders. The most assigned however, is the autism spectrum. Due to said spectrum being so large, people often diagnose themself in order to have a sense of comfort in their pain similar to how the sadness of depression can bring comfort. There are multiple reasons on why an individual would diagnose themself.

“I would say it’s dangerous. We are trying to find a label here for something that might not need a label. once we get into self-diagnosis it can sometimes stick but it might not be what is actually happening,” Jennifer Martinez said. She warned young people against self-diagnosis on sites such as WebMD and TikTok. “It’s not a professional assessment of what could be really happening in your life. and I would suggest they look back at what the rook of the problem is and then move,” she said.

A large consensus of why people self diagnose is to have a feeling of belonging, and specifically among teenagers due to

COMMON SELF DIAGNOSES

• Autism

• ADHD

• Depression

• Anxiety

them being in a phase of identity transformation. When people self-diagnose and or are affected by a page with self-diagnosis, it can create a stressful and confusing environment both on their feed and in their head. One of these individuals is Liliana Voorheis(12), an individual who has herself dealt with self diagnosis and knows others who have struggled with it.

“Instead of analyzing symptoms, and then seeing how they fit in what could actually be wrong, you’re analyzing symptoms that are possible and fitting yourself to the symptoms. So then you can actively, even though it’s not on purpose, if you’re in the right mindset, you can actively trick your brain into thinking that you have them. Now you have to face the problem as if you had whatever original trauma or experiences that you didn’t really have that didn’t really affect you in that way,” said Voorheis In reality, many people confuse a mental health experience with an actual disorder or illness. As stated by Jennifer Katzenstein, an experienced director of psychology and co-director at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St.Petersburg Florida, “A mental health disorder or illness involves a pattern of symptoms that significantly disrupts a person’s daily functioning in their home, school, work or other environment. It causes distress and requires a professional assessment, meeting specific criteria and warranting intervention.” While a mental health experience is the reaction to something happening in day to day life

But not everything about self diagnosis spells doom for an individual’s mental health.

Some individuals seek professional help to continue to learn about their inner realizations, and others are unable to due to the expenses of therapy. In an article written by Elisa Martinez called How Much Does Therapy Cost In California, on average in California a therapist can cost a total of $150-250 per session which is unaffordable for most high schoolers. However, these self diagnoses can let someone figure out who they are and if there truly is anything wrong with their mental state.

A MENTAL VIRUS:

Our brains and computers are one in the same, spreading the virus of self diagnosis through our skulls like a glitch.

When a Deaf person is present you must announce that you are learning ASL and try to sign instead of talk.

When leaving an event, one must acknowledge everyone before departing.

Full responses

No one word responses.

Physically walking through two people conversing is appropriate

MR. AJANI SIGNS IN

The ASL Program returns with new teacher Mr. Ajani Edwards by

or the first time in 11 years, Paso Robles High School is offering the ASL (American Sign Language) program, headed by new teacher Mr. Ajani Edwards. The school decided to remove ASL from the school’s curriculum in 2013 after various controversies, and now, the admin has brought it back, hoping to offer a new opportunity for future students enrolling for a world language to fulfill their language requirement to graduate.

Ajani, who will go by his first name in the classroom (In the Deaf Community, people go by their first names) is from New York and moved to California 20 years ago with his wife, Mrs. Edwards. He originally pursued the career of electrical engineering but soon realized it wasn’t his path after quickly getting “kind of bored” of it. Mrs. Edwards was the one who suggested taking ASL as an elective in college. Ajani agreed openly to the idea, and took the elective, which later inspired him to pursue interpreting for the following 12 years.

“She convinced me because I love the arts, music, and movies, and that’s incorporated (in ASL)... ASL is an art. (It’s) not only culture for Deaf/Hard of Hearing people, it’s interpretive,” Ajani said, “That’s interesting.”

Moving forward in his first year, to grow as an individual, Ajani is focusing on improving the content he is doing with his students. He claims to be a student in the area as well; he learns through communicating in Sign Language with the students. He is working on improving as a teacher to overall understand his students better and is currently striving to complete his single subject credential and masters courses.

AJANI

Taking on the job of an interpreter, Ajani believes that ASL opens up the students’ minds in awareness to more languages, cultures, and equips students for their future adult lives to be more accepting towards people’s differences. Ajani’s work gives students the tools to be able to apply this language into their career as “ they continue on any career path, having bilingual or trilingual skills opens the door for accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing,” Ajani said.

Raphaelle Fuentes. WorldEditor

students are increasing their ASL skills,” Ajani said.

Ajani is actively communicating how important it is to acknowledge the language and that students begin to recognize that as they learn ASL, they are essentially guests of the language and must respectively show that when using the language.

“There might be some native speakers…we would have to make sure that we acknowledge that person that they are a native speaker and respond to them. We’re guest users of the language. ASL is not our first language. So if they respect that, we must show when we’re using the language,” Ajani said. For Ajani, he was able to form connections while studying the language and it allowed him to not only re-continue this program, but allow students to form connections with another culture and community. Ajani says that to ensure that his students understand the importance of formalities and diversity within the culture and language of Deaf/Hard of Hearing (ASL).

Mr. Ajani runs a company called Baby Sign Sessionsa family-owned local small business (located in Santa Barbara County) that teaches Baby Sign & ASL for parents and kids! Mr. Ajani and Mrs. Edwards discovered through research that babies communicate to their parents even though they can’t speak. He guides parents in order to bridge a connection to keep the bond between parent and child intact through signals, body language, and ASL! The company donates 10% to their local Deaf and hard-of hearing organizations because ASL is not his native language. They also offer free services for parents with Deaf and/or hard-of-hearing children beacause it is their language. Recent reviews on their website Baby Sign Sessions claim that Ajani is very skilled and adaptive: “Ajani is so knowledgeable and attuned to babies and their body language! His adaptation of ASL to baby sign is extensive and intuitive in the moment. I learned so much about my child and communicating with him in a short period of time and was able to bring that learning home to the rest of our family. Highly recommend!”

Ajani is proven to be welcomed and very appreciated by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community. After 12 years of interpreting and becoming a professional in his field, he continues to strive in teaching and spreading the culture of ASL in Paso Robles High School, room 1015. D

Walking around them is considered rude in Deaf Culture.

According to Mr. Ajani, he entered PRHS as the ASL teacher on February 1, 2024 and was prepared to take students in and get them started with new skills and curriculum. Briefing over the structure of their ethical learning methods such as: reforming the classroom’s desk layout into a circle or horseshoe shape to make it visibly interactive and inclusive, engage in collaborative work and focus on projects involving diversity awareness and equity, and using less oral communication as their sign language progresses “When we speak and sign at the same time, it’s called simultaneous communication. And throughout the year, oral language will diminish as the

Ajani said “Babies cry all the time. Frustration happens when we can’t express ourselves…” and examples to communicate with babies are through “kicking their legs a little and thrusting forward with their body. However, being that it’s a baby...we actually educate the parents and not the babies.”

SKILLED STUDENTS

SPOTLIGHT TRAPSHOOTING GAVIN BLYTHE

Senior Gavin Blythe loads up the trap with the bright orange clay pigeons. He loads up his shotgun and aims into the sky. Suddenly, the trap shoots the saucers in the air- BAM! The pigeon is shot midair and shatters to pieces. Trapshooting is the sport where participants use shotguns to shoot at clay shaped saucers (pigeons) that are shot out of a machine known as a trap. Additionally, trapshooting is the passion and talented sport that senior Gavin Blythe competes in and regularly practices one to three times a week. “I was going to a Junior pheasant hunt when my dad realized I’ve never shot a shotgun before. We went out to the SLO range and shot some traps for practice and that’s when I realized I gained a passion for it.” Blythe loves the competitive nature of the sport and enjoys the memories made from playing the sport with family members. However, he continues to practice more than just casually as he has earned respectable 11 notable awards for his trapshooting such as CA State: Singles Championship Sub Junior Run-

11 national awards

After a long day of stressful classes, being a bear kittens teacher, going to stunt practice daily, senior Bianca Rangel looks for a way to wind down. She goes to get her embroidery kit and continues to work on her current project, decorating a visor. Embroidering is the art process of making designs on fabric, while it is typically done on a machine. Rangel prefers the handheld method with tools such as needles and thread. Rangel’s passion for embroidering started when her grandmother introduced her to the craft.

“We’d go to Mexico often growing up, and she’d always buy pre-designed cloth pieces,bring them back home, we’d sit down together in the living room, and she’d teach me different stitches

DREDGE MIX BUSINESS AIDEN PONTI

PRHS students showcase their unique various talents

by Sebi Radojevic, Web Director

ner Up and Western Zone: Singles Championship Site Junior Champion. When asked what awards he had won, Blythe has this to say, “Too many to say I’m afraid. I am a national champion and have also won many state awards and just awards in general.”

Although he enjoys shooting pigeons with his family, Blythe has made a new one through friends he has met at various tournaments in different states. Blythe has “ I really enjoy the family that trapshooting has created for me. I look forward to meeting all of my friends from many different states.” Blythe said, “But also because the sport is very fun and enjoyable to do, it has many different disciples in it with each of them being a joy to participate in.”

EMBROIDERY BIANCA RANGEL

and techniques,” Rangel said. Rangel has made multiple designs on sheets of cloth, her favorite being a hummingbird she designed with her grandmother. Ever since her grandmother exposed Rangel to the art of embroidery, she has been trying to practice her skills as often as possible.

Oftentimes, Rangel struggles to find time for embroidery in be tween being on the cheer and stunt team, work, and balancing workloads of school. “I actually recently sat down with one of the kids I babysit and taught her how to do a simple chain stitch.” Rangel said, “ It really took me back to when my grandma used to sit down with me.”

Freshman

Aiden

Ponti is on a mission to grow his dredge mix seasoning company to spread one message- It’s not just for chicken! “We’ve done it on pork, zucchini, pickles, chicken fried steak, and one of our customers used our product to make gravy,” Ponti said. Dredge mix seasoning is used to bread and season chicken and other various foods.

Ponti started his business, Breadin’ Bros last year, but he has been perfecting the recipe for far longer.

“I started working with the recipe when I was 11 years old,” Ponti recalled, “We launched the business last year and we’ve had some local success.”

Breadin’ Bros can be found at The Creston House and General Store as well as Irish Oaks Mercantile. On top of being in local stores, Breadin’ Bros has made appearances at the Mid State Fair and ___ on top of smaller promotions

at Tractor Supply Co. Additionally, Breadin’ Bros has a website with more information about the product: breadinbros.com.

Ponti has had the determination to perfect the recipe because he has a deep passion for chicken and dredge seasoning. “Growing up, we always made chicken breading and we were always eating chicken in the house.” Ponti said when asked about how he got interested in the dredge mix business. “We were doing it homemade and then I was like, I could do bet- ter.

So one night announced I was making this seasoning, and it was the best thing ever!”

WEBSITE

A CONCERT ON THE MOVE

4 Bearcats called Los Del Robles have begun to play at the school inspired by their families

By Elijah Mayo, Director of Photography and Environmental Editor

With a mariachi of guitars, a group of musicians wander through the school and perform to their heart’s content. With members of the group being Enrique Jimenez(11), Ruben Salgado(11), Ursulo Echevarria Salvador, and Luis Vasquez Leon. Usually consisting of a guitar, a bass, a singer, and sometimes a saxophone, the band of merry men often play Spanish songs. These songs specifically come from the album Corridos Tumbados, made by Nataneal Cano, released on October 31st of 2019. Beginning in 2023, the group has gradually grown in size and begun to make even more people play across the school, and are even spotted outside of it to play music to the people.

The band originally began with Salvador, and everyone joined shortly after. Leon had joined because he was inspired by his fellow musician, and learned bass in order to help perform and simply because it was fun, and he enjoyed the deep sound. He originally started playing drums in his younger years, and became infatuated with music the more time he spent with his father.

inspired by grandfather, his fellow musicians, and the final motivation from his girlfriend.

With an entire instagram account dedicated to his playing, Jimenez is seen with a takamine G series, a 12 string guitar and is the requinto of the group. He plans on going big with the group and expanding his musical career for the rest of his life.

“I’ve been playing with my friends ever since I touched a guitar, it just felt right and fun. I’ve always loved music since my grandpa. Now I just want to make it big with everyone else and keep going,” Jiminez said.

With Salgado being unable to be contacted, Salvador takes the final stage. As the armonia for the group, which is essentially the harmonizer for the requinto. Salvador has been the armonia for the band, which he referred to as Los Del Robles, for 10 months.

Originally beginning to play guitar because it kept him happy, Salvador was motivated to start playing at the school from a band called Limencia Central and the armonia Miguel that released their first song in 2022 titled Lo Que Me Gusta De Ti when he was in 9th grade.

because now I can hear the notes and everything about it just makes so much more sense,”

But primarily, Salgado plays his music to put a smile on the faces he passes by. To provide tunes for people in the school to dance to and hear to brighten their days. And with a hope to eventually have Los Del Robles make their own original song and make it big, the four players continue to march across the school and eventually march across the country with the echoes

THE PRESSURE IS ON

WFirst generation students use their parents sacrifice as motivation to succeed

by Cassidy Heer, Indepth Co-Editor

alking through the halls you see all different kinds of people, but you rarely hear their story. As you pass by someone, change seats in class, or meet a new student, you may be oblivious to the work they did to get here- or where their family is from.

There are more than 46.2 million immigrants in America, and almost 25% of U.S. children are born of at least one immigrant parent, according to Urban Institute calculations using Census Bureau American Community Survey data. At PRHS, many of these first and second-generations face unique struggles because of their background.

Junior Tony Van is an immigrant from Vietnam who came to America with his family in summer of 2017, when he was nine years old. Those who know Van might recognize his enthusiasm in class or intense training for cross country, but few know the motivation behind his character.

feels his school work can pay back his family for their sacrifice and hard work.

“It’s quite unfair if I’m being lazy in school when they’re working hard to help me, that’s being selfish. I feel like how much your parents give you, you should be paying yourself back. It’s like they’re investing in you. You’re their hope for the future. That’s what a parent is,” said Nguyen.

Though some may say being first generation helps with college applications and admissions, Nguyen feels the stress and pressure of being first generation isn’t worth the so-called “little boost.”

“Having that little boost for college isnt really worth the stress, time, money, making ends meet, or helping your parents around the shop. I don’t know if all it (the factors of being first generation) is worth the slightest boost for college admissions. That’s not going to be worth it for me. I mean, it’s hard but you don’t have any place to go. If it’s too hard, you have to stick with it,” said Nguyen.

IT’S HARD BUT YOU DON’T HAVE ANY OTHER PLACE TO GO. IF IT’S TOO HARD, YOU JUST HAVE TO STICK WITH IT. BRANDON NGUYEN, 11

The dream of first generation students making it to college seems to have an effect on college and career councelor, Jessica Shatwell, gets to help and watch her students succeed.

“You don’t know where to go, who to look for, who to talk to, you don’t even know who speaks your language. It was pretty scary,” said Van.

Van who was fortunate enough to have a headstart on learning English thanks his mother for all her sacrifice.

“It was hard on my mom to get us here. She had to spend a bunch of money just on the tickets to America. She doesn’t speak the language (English), which makes it harder for her to help us in any way. And obviously, it took a long time for her to get her citizenship,” said Van.

Van explains that this is why he cares so much about academics and cross country; he sees his mother’s hard work as a reason to succeed himself.

“Seeing how hard she works everyday and remembering her story helps me remember that they (his mother and step-father) sacrifice so much for me, I should try my best to make their lives easier and also make a better life for myself,” said Van.

Van expresses that one of his biggest struggles is the stress and pressure he puts on himself. The “high expectations” he explains, are sometimes hard to achieve.

“The problem is, you have very unrealistic expectations of yourself just trying to do better or trying to do good, even though you just moved here. I keep thinking, my parents sacrificed so much, I have to give them something back such as good grades or lots of medals in my sport. My parents tell me to just do my best but in the back of my mind I feel I must succeed for them, I must get an A and I need to get 100% on my test. It stresses me out.”

Junior Brandon Nguyen, who was fortunite enough to be born in the US expresses his admiration for his parents who immigrated here. As Nguyen helps around his parents’ salon by cleaning nail polishes, cabinets, windows, and even the bathroom, he also balances his rigorous academics in hopes of attending a prestigious college. The aspiring technological entrepreneur

“They’ve worked so hard to get there and then they’re doing better for their family. They are setting their family on a whole new trajectory and changing their generations,” said Shatwell.

Students who stem from immigrant families like Van or Nguyen are taking advantage of school and using the pressure to succeed as a path to success.

“It’s funny, I never knew what a first gen. was until recently. All throughout middle school and even part of high school I didn’t know what a first gen. Was. I didn’t even know that I was a first gen. I just decided to do it. People say first generation has the advantage but they have already been given the opportunity. Anyone can be successful,” said Nguyen.

Tony Van, 11

The Nguyen Family

WHAT’S C KING IN CULINARY?

by Owen Winstead, Photographer

weet, savory, or spicy, culinary is something to be enjoyed in a variety of ways. This CTE Program directed by Adam White in his commercial kitchen facility is not just a potential career path, but a life skill following you through life.

has broken down full pathway completion into four semesters. You can take two years of the class,

Students learn cooking, discipline, and fun in Culinary CTE pathway

has learned a lot and has enjoyed the culinary journey. She started cooking and baking with her mom when she was 10. Helping around the kitchen, Guardado developed a passion for baking cakes, adding flowers with shades of blues, yellows, and pinks, along with decorative frosting . She joined the culinary class to improve her skills as a baker and overall skills as a cook. Guardado really enjoys cooking with her friends and fun moments that happen along the way.

on, fresh fruit, vegetables, flour, eggs, and margarine so students can

Starting in as a hospital cook, Chef White worked his way up the ladder to finally become the head chef at the

“(It’s fun) to talk with friends while you’re baking or cooking,” she said.

His passion for cooking was first ignited when he was young, first year student culinary student junior Julian Malagon has been cooking with his grandma since he was 6 years old, helping her chop vegetables and cook traditional Mexican dishes like tinga, pozole, and tostadas. Julian took the culinary class because he wanted to learn more about food diversity and different cultures. He enjoys the creative aspect of cooking and the freedom to express his style of cooking.

“If you really want to learn how to cook, taking culinary will give you the skills to do so,” Malagon said.

Head Chef Adam White

been cooking for over twenty years and loves what he does. His goal is for the students to use what they learn to help them with their lives. Whether that is getting a job in a restaurant or for

Mayra Guardado

Approximately 140 dishes cooked in one week

Stepping out of his comfort zone, second year culinary student senior Juan Tinajero cooked a little bit with his momthrough the years, but never grew to love it until he decided to take the PRHS culinary class. Every elective class bored him, he said, so he decided to try out culinary and ended up falling in love. Taking culinary up to the second level, he has learned how to bake cakes and pastries how to filet fish and how to de-bone whole chickens. Juan has learned many cooking techniques such as making a consume and is loving each step of the way. He said that unlike a math class where all you have to is solve a problem, the more effort you put into culinary the better results come out of it – and that’s why Juan enjoys culinary so much.

Culinary Website

CHEFIN IT UP:

Students Julian Malagon, Juan Tinajero, and Mayra Guardado cooking up a storm during culinary.

The Board is moving Lewis to Flamson, in a site change felt around the district by Kayla Degnan, Margot Klo, & Georgia Domenghini

teacher for science and math, and one teacher for an elective, but also have the chance to be

believes that giving sixth grade students a year to be introduced to the typical six period day will be a benefit to them.

“We have seen a slight dip in performance for some of our 6th graders when transitioning to middle school. This semi-specialized model could be a wonderful transition year to better prepare our students for the six-period rotation they will

Erin Haley Assistant Superintendent

As a sibling to a current Georgia Brown student Elliot Krames, former Georgia Brown student and now PRHS junior welcomed the moving of the Dual Immersion program to Lewis. However, “it’s going to take them [ students] a minute to adjust, but I think in the long run, it’s going be a good decision,” Krames said.

On the issue of attendance redistricting, Krames believes that new district rules will be an opportunity for parents to send their children to a school of their choice.

Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Brad felt the site changes are minimized as students age up at their current sites , “ Georgia Brown becoming a K-8 ,there’s an opportunity for students that are there in fifth grade. Now they’ll stay in sixth grade, and some can stay at seven, some can stay at eight. We think that will also reduce the number of students at Flamson. “ . The dual immersion program will start as a K-6 school for the 2024-2025 school year, a K-7 school for 2025-2026, and a K-8 school thereafter.

Dual immersion changes are also favorable, according to Pawlowski. “The dual immersion program is truly an immersive program. And students that are out of it for a short period of time, it may be hard for them to kind of come back into it. The principal felt that the best way to do that is just to progressively let the fifth and sixth become seventh and so on,” Pawlowski said.

The new site changes happening throughout the district brings to mind the question of what is going to happen to the current Georgia Brown campus. “There’s a lot of things floating out there but no solid answer on it yet,” Powlowski said. The district has fielded complaints about transporting students to new sites. But the changes do not necessitate more driving. “There are some neighborhood kids, but if you talk with the principal, it’s very limited, that we’re walking to school there. And so it may be an inconvenience now for parents to drive to Lewis as opposed to George Brown. But they were already being transported. So if it’s still going to be a challenge, I totally get it. But I don’t think it’s going to be as significant as maybe some have thought,” Pawlowski said.

Alexandra Thompson, the Class of 2027 counselor, has a 7 year old in second grade at Georgia Brown. Both she and her husband are full time working parents, so the biggest impact of district changes is childcare.

“If I can drop my [child] off right as soon as I can, I can get here on time but after school the elementary school’s day is much shorter than the high school, and my husband doesn’t work in Paso, so childcare becomes our concern,” Thompson said.

Alex Thompson PRHS Counselor

Along with site changes comes the reconfiguration of the Lewis the new Dual Immersion school. In reconfiguring Lewis they have to make sure that upper grades like eighth and seventh graders aren’t put next to kindergarteners. Additionally, their is going to be a playground built for kindergarteners as apart of Lewis’ reconfiguration.

In this model, sixth grade students will be able to have a transition year where they will be able to still have rotating classes, with one teacher for ELA and history, one

There are many pros and cons to the changes that will come with the 2024-2025 school year. However, these changes bring opportunities to continue to support and enrich the students of the PRJUSD.

667K-5 GRADERS

6-7GRADERS

FLAMSON becomes the only Middle School in the District

GEORGIA BROWN is no longer the Dual Immersion School LEWIS becomes a Dual Immersion

K-8

STUDENTS BEHIND THE CAMPUS

With the Georgia Brown campus changing locations, effects to our student community are inevitable

by Blair Bishop, Reporter

As Dual Immersion at PRJUSD looks to expand to 8th grade, some PRHS students and staff worry about the effect on native Spanish speakers.

The current location for the Georgia Brown campus is a neighborhood primarily consisting of a large part of our hispanic population in Paso Robles, providing an opportunity for these students, some of which speak majority Spanish, to continue speaking Spanish in school, and continue to learn in their native language.

Although some express worry that this program might have set them back on their English, and was much more beneficial for their English speaking counterparts.

“Speaking majority Spanish in school kind of enabled me to not learn English, I think” one anonymous student said. “It wasn’t necessary, and certain words and spelling are still hard for me.”

Sophomore Diana Ojeda went to Georgia Brown from TK to fifth grade. At home her family speaks Spanish, but at PRHS she primarily uses English. Sophomore Abraham

PRHS, has an eight year old in second grade at Georgia Brown Elementary School. “I think it will be great for the students of Georgia Brown, and great for my family.” Ewing said. Ewing believes that the more time the kids get to be in the program, the better for the kids. The goal is for them to become bilingual, so the more time they get to master that is preferred.

The new location does present transportation problems for the presently enrolled students who are walking distance from the current Georgia Brown site. The future students who will attend Georgia Brown will include a broader range of students within the community due to the lottery system the school district plans to use. This will save the parent tradition of camping overnight and waiting in a long line at the district office in order to get first dibs at the very popular program.

Others however, think the Dual Immersion helped them both grow in their native lan-

The change also means that the surrounding neighborhood will change. The new location is walkable for field trips to Paso Robles High School allowing Georgia Brown students to easily take advantage of being able to visit for theater productions. The easy accessibility to the High School opens many possibilities for opportunities of collaboration. The new site will

The purpose of having schools in different neighborhoods is for easier accessibility to everyone. With the Georgia Brown campus moving there will be easier access to students from many neighborhoods , as the location is more centrally located. However, it’s unfortunate that while offering a wider and easier accessibility within the community the site change is displacing students of a population already facing barriers to their education.

At Georgia Brown 80% of students enrolled are minorities, as well as 76.9% are Hispanic or Latino. The Dual Immersion program is for students to become bilingual in both Spanish and English. These students often are introduced to Spanish at home families and get exposure in English at school. However, the Georgia Brown displaces many students who are already in vulnerable position to succeed academically.

The change in location of the elementary school will easier availability for students from many neighborhoods being in a more central location of our community and the of a lottery system for enrollment.

LAUREL DOWLING

OLD CAMPUS : The old Georgia Brown campus, now rendered unusable due to a “seismic anomaly”.

IS ON THE

CHANGE HORIZON

About 50 teachers will be moving sites next school year due to a PRJUSD board decision that will cause grade changes, site changes, and staff changes.

The current grade span configuration consists of elementary schools being grades k-5, middle schools grades 6-8, and the high school grades 9-12. Next school year, elementary schools will be K-6, and Lewis Middle School and Flamson Middle School will combine into one middle school, consisting of grades 7-8. The dual-immersion program at Georgia Brown will move to Lewis’s current school site and will consist of a new format, grades K-8.

“There are pros and cons, so if we can focus on the pros and make what we can work well, it will be more successful,” Superintendent of Human Resources Shauna Ames said.

PRJUSD schools have had the same structure since 1981, nearly 40 years. This is the largest district decision ever made, and the first time bringing a K-6 program to PRJUSD, a K-8 dual immersion program, as well as one 7-8 grade middle school.

Of the 50 teachers that will be moving sites next year, 30 are go- ing from Lewis to Flamson, or from a current middle school position to a sixth grade position at an elementary school.

Classified staff will be moving from Lewis to Flamson, another position in the district, or lose their current position.

Currently three classified staff members have lost their current position because

As schools combine, teachers and staff will be reassigned to different school sites and grade levels

by Braydon Hoier, Review Editor and Georgia Domenghini, Pop-Culture Editor

it will not be needed next school year, but they have access to other open positions throughout the district.

Linda Berry, is the current attendance clerk for Lewis and is one of three classified staff that will be laid off with the closing of Lewis.

“The new junior high (currently Flamson) will have a staff reduction to 1 attendance clerk, and the clerk at Flamson has seniority over me,” Berry said.

Luckily for Berry, she will have a job as an attendance clerk next year at Winifred Pifer elementary school. Howev er, Berry is currently an eight hour employee with benefits, and taking the job at Pifer will demote her to a six hour em ployee with no benefits.

“I could take the demotion or go on unemployment,” Ber ry said.

She chose to take the demotion and keep a job.

One of the biggest challenges Ames has faced is helping the staff members with their feelings on the changes. Teach ers and staff from Lewis feel an attachment to the school and the closing of a historical piece of Paso Robles is causing sad ness.

“Overall the staff have done an amazing job at expressing their concerns, worries, and unease, while at the same time remaining committed to the students of our district,” Ames said.

A $9.5 million budget has been allocated for the new changes, according to District Superintendent of Finances Brad Pawlowski. About $6.5 million will be going to Lewis to make it suitable for K-8 students, and $3 million of it will be going to Flamson for restructuring and adjustments. Ames has hopes that even though “there will be added expenses to make this all happen, over time it should be saving costs to have one less campus to maintain and staff.”

The benefits of these changes may not arise in stantly, but Ames predicts overtime there will be unintended positive effects, the with the help of staff, the district will see great results.

30

I LOVE LEWIS MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT’S MY HOME. IT’S MY FAMILY. I LOVE MY MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. I LOVE THE RAPPORT I HAVE WITH THEM. I LOVE COACHING THEM.

CARAME KROENER

LINDA BERRY

BUDGETING

THE BUILD

District renovation budget traces back to 2016 Measure M Bond and gives insight into financial aspect of upcoming changes

by Amelia Peterson, Blind Date Co-editor

The many plans for change coming out of the District Office have been picked apart by the community, inspiring hope for these developments, as well as criticism for their “selfish” choices. Delving into the business side, the budget and expense plans that back up these decisions are complex and well-researched, and as they say, “the numbers don’t lie”.

Measure M funding from voters, time, the pool question, and the surprise loss of the Georgia Brown property have pushed PRJUSD into critical financial times and scrutiny, with decisions overseen by the Board of Trustees and Chief Business Officer and Assistant Superintendent

Peterson

Brad Pawlowski Board member Joel Peterson explains the difficulty of these decisions, “It’s easy for people to essay these are easy financial decisions, but they are really tough ones that affect families, teachers, and students. The board really weighs all of these factors when making hard decisions.”

In 2016, Measure M was put onto the ballot, a $95 million bond that would be used for the district to upgrade and renovate elementary school needs, as well as building a pool for usage for all students. It received a successful 57.5% voting rate, 2% over the number needed to pass.

With $62 million of bond money so far, the district has rebuilt and re-designed the Glen Speck and Marie Bauer campuses, as well as building a 10-classroom facility at Flamson. Around $33 million remains for the Georgia Brown renovation and pool build.

In 2022, while planning the Georgia Brown re-design, engineers discovered the oft-mentioned seismic anomaly, making the site possibly unsafe by state law and unaffordable to solve at an estimated $200-400K. A seismic solution would have to be completed while the campus is vacant, only giving the small window of summer to complete this project. The district is hesitant to sell this property due to the fact that there may be underlying issues that could cause danger.

The district made the decision to move the Georgia Brown site to Lewis Middle School on February 13, 2024. Additionally, Flamson will become the new sole junior high with around 800 7-8 graders expected in the 2024-25 school year. The old Lewis site is set to be renovated in order to accommodate around 700 K-8 students starting next school year. Portables will be added, classrooms will be refreshed, and additional resources will be provided for the younger grades. These renovations are quoted

to be around $9-10 million, leaving ~$20 million in Measure M funds for the pool.

OVERALL BUDGET - $115M

When these changes were originally budgeted six years ago, the district had accounted for both a warm-up pool as well as a regular competition pool. Prefabricated pool tanks and equipment were purchased in 2018 and have sat in storage since. The smaller practice pool eventually had to be sold off in order to have enough money to build the first one. This old plan had totaled $6-8 million, and has since doubled, due to inflation and COVID. The current plan to build a pool facility is budgeted around $16 million, and set to break ground this year on a plot of land on the western side of the PRHS campus.

Now, all of these renovation costs come from the Measure M funds, which is completely separate from the overall PRJUSD budget. The majority of this budget goes to labor: which is paying the salaries of teachers and admin - around 85%. The other 15% is divided between materials, services/contracting, and capital outlay.

Increasing the budget for renovations can be done through many ways, too. One is proposing another bond, similar to Measure M, to keep up with the constant constructions needed in the district,

“We’re going to have a new superintendent … starting July 1st. We also have a board election that’s coming up in November. So there’s going to be some big changes in the face of the district over the next 10 months or so. I think it’s important that we get past those big changes first, before we bring up the idea of another bond,” Pawlowski shared.

Additionally, developer fees, which developers of land have to pay per percentage of square foot, can contribute to this budget. Near the high school, many apartments and houses are being built, which could bring in around $20 million in the next 7-10 years.

The changes facing our district bring many factors to the surface: parents, money, teachers, and of course, the children impacted. Handling them is a delicate process, one

Joel

BACK IN TIME WITH

SLIME

Revisiting their first date 5 years ago, middle school sweethearts Maricarmen Anducho and Alex Gomez reflect on their lasting relationship by Chloe Van Pelt, Amelia Peterson, and Kai Stoltzfus

Silly crushes and week-long relationships were a staple of many people’s middle school experiences, with many ending in a breakup after a couple of weeks. That’s certainly not the case for PRHS sophomores Maricarmen Anducho and Alex Gomez, who have been together since 6th grade, almost five years. They agreed to go on a date with us reporters, as we sought to document a not very blind date for this month’s feature.

We set them up in a re-creation of their first date, complete with a 5 year old trend, iconic snacks and a park scene in downtown Paso. The start of this sweet relationship was at Lewis Middle School in 5th period math class, where they sat together and instantly were interested in each other. They became friends, and soon went on their first date in October.

THEN2019

- Watched a movie at Park Cinemas

- Ate at Good Times Cafe

Downtown Paso Robles was host to this new relationship five years ago, but of course provided fun with its small town charm in 2019. The couple visited Park Cinemas where they watched The Nightmare Before Christmas, a spooky movie that involves a Halloween and Christmas clash when the pumpkin king, Jack Skellinton, wants to be Santa. Next was Good Times Cafe, just down the street: an old fashioned diner that has since closed, and they enjoyed the classic milkshakes and comforting atmosphere. The attraction began to grow on this outing, as they got to know each other on a relationship level rather than just being platonic friends. As the two viewed the other in this new light, their first impressions were that they were comfortable with the other, making it easy to hold a conversation while also having a quality laugh.

This date set the stage for Anducho and Gomez’s relationship, leading them to where they are now, nearly five years later. To reminisce on these fond memories and make some new ones, they revisited the scene and reflected on what has made their relationship long lasting.

Gomez plays soccer through school while also playing club soccer for Dynasty. In his free time he likes to go to the gym, sleep frequently, and go to the field to improve his soccer skills.

Anducho is interested in cosmetology, specifically makeup, her skills are obvious by her elegant look, and she shares that she will sometimes do her friend’s makeup when they ask her. She is also vigorously involved in AVID and community service, including childcare. She is also a member of the MECHA club, where they plan events and help newcomers to stay on track.

Many may remember slime, that sticky craft made with household items that was all the rage back in middle school, with students making new types and trading among themselves. We had the couple try to make a 2024 version of slime together, giving them glue, activator, a bowl, and a warm picnic in the park. They instantly got to

work, mixing the ingredients to try to get the perfect consistency.

Anducho had a strong start, with her pink slime becoming stretchy and malleable, but Gomez struggled a bit, adding so much dye that his slime’s texture was ruined. Anducho laughed and comforted him as she tried to help by adding more contact lens solution to assist the slime to become less sticky.

“You can see who’s the brain of the relationship,” Gomez commented after comparing his slime to hers, giving an inside look to their cute dynamic.

While they worked, attempting to add the perfect ratio of shaving cream to lens solution, we asked about the key to their relationship lasting so long.

“I would say communication and just being open with each other,” Gomez shared. Anducho agreed that frequently talking between them really helped them have their best relationship.

NOW2024

- Made slime together - Ate

Lunchables in the park

After their semi-failed slime activity from it being almost too sticky to touch, they set it aside and moved to the next activity.

An hour into the date, the iconic bell tower on the corner of Park and 12th rang out, interrupting the interview.

But the bell marked the beginning of a favorite part of the day: Lunchtime! In honor of going back in their relationship, we pulled out a classic middle school lunch: Pizza Lunchables. The couple exclaimed happily when we revealed them, and immediately began assembling their mini pizzas with the provided ingredients (sauce, cheese, pepperoni), and sipped on their Capri Suns. They playfully fought over who got the pepperoni one, and eventually compromised with a candy trade, which is pretty spot on for “middle schoolers”.

While they ate, the couple shared that they go on frequent dates, many taking place downtown at Street Side Eatery,

“I have to convince him to eat somewhere else,” Anducho joked. They reflected on how far their relationship has come since those sixth grade days, and how they have changed with each other over the years,

“I feel like it kind of switched a bit,” Gomez remarked, thinking about their old personalities, “I used to be really shy and now I’m pretty outgoing - [vice versa with Maricarmen].”

Gomez shared that Anducho is super supportive, and she admired his respectful and understanding character.

Growing up can be overwhelming, causing us to wish we could regress back to our playground and finger-painting days, without the stress of high school responsibilities. But there are some things worth growing older for: like driving, said Gomez and of course their lasting relationship, which has certainly stood the test of time.

The couple’s eighth grade PE teacher had told them they wouldn’t last, to which Anducho laughed and exclaimed, “Look at us now!”

1. Adding Contact Lens Solution

2. Mixing the Slime

3. Playing with Slime

4. Lunchables Time!

OMAR JIMENEZ, 10

“I just like to dress for myself to look good and feel good. I get most of clothes from thrift stores and stuff that are second hand.”

GEOVANI RENDON, 11

“I like to add new things to my style and I don’t only stick to one specific aesthetic. I like to dress up because I think it helps me accomplish more things.”

ANTHONY RAMIREZ, 11

“I’ve never really been a fan of fitting in or doing what other people do. I like to be my own person.”

DRESS DRESS

EXPRESS IMPRESS

Bby Michelle Rosas, Carmesi/Video Director

eing trendy is so in. Don’t you want to wear the latest trends? Don’t you want to fit in? In books and films it has been looked slightly down upon to be the outcast or to be different. However, times have changed. If you scroll on social media you’ll stumble upon a video about someone dressed differently. You’ll see layers upon layers, interesting patterns being styled together and them earring something you wouldn’t normally see around you. To some it might come as a surprise but these videos have thousands of views. And are left with comments like “I want to dress like you”, “where do you get your clothes!”,and “I want to dress like this but I’m scared people will judge me.” For years it has felt difficult for people to stand out with their style because there has been a stigma with looking different and being bold. Around campus there will be students with similar styles but around the corner, you’ll find students with new, original, and different styles.

STUDENTS SHOW THEIR IDENTITIES THROUGH FASHION

THESE STUDENTS ARE NOT AFRAID TO DRESS DIFFERENT, THEY JUST WANT TO BE STYLISH:

Divy Emmons, a junior, has a trendy style with a mix of unique pieces. She has a cozy style that is shown through sweaters and Doc Martens, but she also has more spontaneous pieces with fun patterns and designs. Her style can move from cozy casual to urban smart.

Sophomore Omar Jimenez, has more of a streetwear style with a mix of edgy Y2K. He wears mainly baggy clothes that have darker tones to them. He uses basic pieces like plain baggy jeans but styles them with an edgy-style T-shirt or jacket or studded belts.

Junior Geovani Rendon, doesn’t stick with one “aesthetic;” he likes to add new pieces and styles them to what he thinks looks good. He wears a lot of bold pieces like clothes with cool patterns or pieces with faux fur. He also wears dressy shoes and a lot of accessories like watches, belts, layered necklaces, and rings.

Anthony Ramirez, a junior, has more of a skater style- baggy jeans or jorts and baggy tops. He wears a lot of more bold pieces that stand out like camo designs and tops with very bold,edgy or dark designs: graffiti style shirts, skulls, and people. He accessorizes a lot with chunky rings and marbly necklaces.

BEYONCÉ BREAKS THROUGH

After a switch in her music genre, Beyoncé has broken records and become the first black woman to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart

by Quinn Kobayashi, Blind Date Co-Editor

Beyoncé has recently gone through changes with her music and become the first black woman to ever have a No. 1 song on the US Billboard Hot 100 Country Chart after previously only producing R&B and Hip Hop music.

One of her two new singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em”, released on Feb. 11, gained popularity and streams quickly, which resulted in a quick incline on the country chart.

“‘Texas Hold ’Em’ is made for do-si-doing on a dusty dancefloor, with banjo, line-dancing commands, and exclamations of “woo hoo!”...something much more rootsy and authentically country…with its closely harmonized backing vocals and admirably restrained feel,” Ben Beaumont-Thomas, a reviewer with the Guardian, said.

However, throughout her releases with music in the R&B and Hip Hop genre, she found much success. She has won 32 grammys and was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart 85 times with 22 top 10 hits and nine No. 1 hits.

Born in Houston, Texas, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter expressed her love for dance and music at a young age. All throughout her hometown, she was enrolled in dance classes, attended art classes, sang in talent shows, and immersed herself in the school choir.

Growing from just a passion, her interest in singing transitioned into a real career in 1992, when she and her friends, Kelly Rowland and LaTavia Robinson, created an R&B group, Girl’s Tyme. After numerous additions and subtractions from the group, the three girls and LeToya Luckett eventually became known as Destiny’s Child.

The group has numerous big hits and some of their singles, “Say My Name” released in 1999, “Bills, Bills, Bills” released in 1999, “Independent Women” released in 2000, and “Bootylicious” released in 2001, made it to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Changes concerning the members in Destiny’s Child continued to occur until the band eventually broke up in 2006.

Beyoncé continued on with her musical career alone, simultaneously dropping 2 successful songs in October of 2008, “If I Were a Boy” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, that gave her a name in the music industry.

However, because of her Texan roots, she recently decided to switch up her genre and shift towards country music. She released her two first country singles, “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages” on Feb. 11, which took many of her fans by surprise.

“I was really surprised when I heard she released country songs. I used to listen to her old songs a lot so I wasn’t expecting her to switch genres,” junior Susan Thomas said, who has been listening to Beyoncé since she was six.

Kacey Musgraves, which had been at the top of the country chart since September.

She also makes history because she is the first woman to have songs that made it to No. 1 spot on both the Hot Country Songs Chart and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart. The only others that have accomplished this are Morgan Wallen, Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus and Ray Charles.

BILLBOARD

HOT BEYONCÉ FACTS

She’s the first biracial woman to have a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Chart with her new single “Texas Hold ‘Em”

She’s the first woman to have a No.1 hit on the Billbaord Hot Country and Hip Hop/RB&B charts.

”Texas Hold ‘Em”, released on Feb. 11, already has 19.2 million streams

HOT STUDENT OPINION

The popularity of the songs have grown quickly, with “Texas Hold ‘Em” having 19.2 million streams and “16 Carriages” having 10.3 million streams. These two single releases are the start of a full album, Act II, which is scheduled to be released on March 29.

On Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart, “16 Carriages” made it to the No. 9 spot and “Texas Hold ‘Em” took the top spot, which gave Beyoncé the honor of becoming the first biracial woman to have a No. 1 song on the country chart.

Her successful top hit had taken off “I Remember Everything,” by Zach Bryan, featuring

I WAS REALLY SUPRISED WHEN SHE RELEASED COUNTRY SONGS. SUSAN THOMAS, 11.

I’M EXCITED TO HEAR THE REST OF THE ALBUM.

JAZMIN VILLAREAL, 10.

“I’m excited to hear the rest of the album. I really like the two songs she’s released already so I’m guessing the rest of the album will be pretty good,” sophomore JazminVillareal said.

Act II, her ninth album, is said to connect and follow her previous album, Renaissance, which was previously titled Act I. She has shared with fans that this is a three-act project, so Act III will follow her previous works.

As the first black woman to hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, it is clear that Beyoncé’s recent accomplishments with her switch to country music provide a step for her music career as well as her plans for her albums in the future.

DUNE 2: A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT

IThe long awaited sequel does not disappoint with phenomenal cinematography

By Elijah Mayo, Director of Photography and Environmental Editor

n the dry desert of mediocre movies like Madam Web and Night Swim, buried in the sand grains, an oasis appears filled with a pool, political philosophy, and a galactic empire. This is Dune: Part Two, released March 2, 2024 after waiting two years since Dune Part One from October 2021, created from the original book Dune by Frank Herbert released in August 1965. This movie is the second part of the first book, with still five books remaining, a staggering 896 pages when printed.

Directed by Denis Villenueve, eye-catching scenes immerse viewers in the planet of Arrakis, ship action scenes, and the Duniverse. With his movies being Blade Runner 2049, Prisoners, and Arrival, Villenueve is someone whom I trust to deliver this series in the best way possible. I have read the first book and am still on the journey to read the majority of the franchise. I find that this adaptation is extremely faithful and breathtaking. From the political sabotage to the emotional destruction of main character Paul, Dune 2 is a promising look into the future of science fiction movies and ideas of society.

Currently sitting at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 9/10 on IMDb, and a 79% on metacritic, Dune 2 is a beautiful piece of fiction. Villenueve has gone bigger, and better, in this movie with some of the best spectacles I have ever seen in any form of media as Paul Atriedes, played amazingly by Timothée Chalamet, rides along the back of gargantuan sand worms. The ex-aristocrat teenager now turned crusader and future ruler takes the main stage once more as he becomes allies with the Fremen, the planet’s native people. Believed to be a messiah by many, Paul is guided by Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), Stilgar (Javier Bardem), and his love interest Chani (Zendaya).

able culture. Their fascination with water was extremely intriguing, and the movie did an amazing job with it and with the small, snarky comments made towards people they didn’t like. It kept the lore serious but still fun. You will enjoy the dialogue of Chani referring to Paul’s friend Gurney Halleck, one of the few survivors of the Atreides House, as a “Whole lot of water right there.”

Their culture plays the most integral role in the entire series, other than the Bene Gesserit. Two overbearing forces on Paul, give an effective sense of pressure towards the conflicted teenager, since he is said to be the messiah of the Fremen culture and the Chosen One that the Bene Gesserit have been attempting to breed for thousands of years. But I am slightly upset about how much they had made the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Jessica into a brutalist mastermind. While the Bene Gesserit are supposed to be the masterminds of the universe (and you can argue that they are the main “villains” of the entire series, which is something I agree with), I believe that making Jessica more villainous is worse off for the character. In the books, she struggles a lot more with her identity of being a Bene Gesserit that gives her duties of controlling politicians and being Paul’s mother, which makes her character much more intriguing in my opinion.

I STILL BELIEVE DUNE:PART 2 IS A MODERN CLASSIC, CAPABLE OF CARRYING OVER THE MESSAGE OF THE EVILS OF MONARCHIES, TOTALITARIANISM, MANIPULATION, AND ABUSE. IT’S AN EXAMPLE OF SCIENCE FICTION DYSTOPIA DONE IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE, AND AN EXAMPLE OF HOW GORGEOUS A MOVIE CAN BE. I RATE THIS MOVIE A 10/10, AND EXCITED TO SEE WHAT COMES NEXT UNDER THE VIEW OF VILLENUEVE.

While in the first movie we see this struggle a lot more, Jessica fully dives into her mastermind abilities upon learning that Paul could essentially become a God. However, I will not deny that it plays into the larger theme of the Dune message and meaning as a whole.

The movie picks up with the Harkonnen threat (a royal house in the Duniverse that had slain House Atreides, which was the strongest house at the time), which I believe was done effectively, but better in the first movie. Harkonnen and the Emperor are the main antagonists throughout the story of the first Dune Novel, other than Paul’s internal dilemma, which I will get to later on. While I think that the Harkonnen authority was still well done, it almost felt as if they were comically evil. In a sense, you never see the Harkonnens do a single good action in the entire movie as a political house. But this is not just an issue in the movie, but in the book as well. In the original Dune book, the Harkonnens, specifically their leader Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, was depicted as a violently evil, incestuous pedophile.

However, this tension of racial murdering, due to the Harkon nen’s attempting to butcher the entire race of Fremen is cut up by the comical relief that Stilgar brings. His zealous personality towards his religion and prophecies breaks up tension with the actor’s amazing performance and facial expressions, along with ridiculous but well written dialogue. He states “See, he is too hum ble to admit that he’s the Madhi. That’s more proof that he is!” Other than Paul and Chani, Stilgar was easily my favorite character.

Stilgar and the other Fremen are most likely the best part of the film as an entire ty, and especially their

The message is apparent still, with Paul taking over the entirety of the Fremen with ease after fulfilling his destiny. I do wish for that to have been a change that the movie made compared to the book.

But I continue to stick by my opinion that Dune 2 is one of, if not, the best cinematic experiences ever made. Two specific scenes I adored: The battle scene on the Harkonnen’s home planet, where we see another one of the main villains Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, which was entirely filmed in black and white, giving the brutality of it a better feeling as blood is drawn and the intensity of the black colors slamming against the screen becomes more apparent in the battle scenes. However, my favorite scene in the entire movie was

The colors and cinematography of the scene was breathtaking. Specifically the colors of it were gorgeous, and I can only imagine the struggles that the color grading team had to go through in order to make it look as amazing as it did. The final battle between Paul and Rautha was so simple and decently short, but it was still intense enough to the point where for anyone who hadn’t read the books would think that Paul might even die because of his youth and inability to control his future sight. Yet with the dagger twisting into Rautha’s stomach and the sound of the blade piercing skin, muscle, and bone, Dune has a phenomenal ending.

FROM “LOL” TO LAW

As the 2024 election year continues on, social media and memes become a new campaign weapon and form of political expression

by Kalani Gaviola, Editor-In-Chief

Martin Luther King called riots the language of the unheard. But in modern times, memes are the language of the youth- and it seems like politicians are scrambling to learn it as more politicians and politically engaged-young people than ever take to social media, not just to share political ideals, but to humanize and humorize the state of American government through jokes and memes.

Webster’s New World College Dictionary defines a meme as “a concept, belief, or practice conceived as a unit of cultural information that may be passed on from person to person, subject to influences in a way analogous to natural selection.”

In simpler terms, memes are almost the internet’s “inside jokes”, often a video or image that users can apply to a variety of situations to better express themselves to the collective mind of internet users. Many memes go so viral they are used countless across all social media platforms, and 75% of people 13-36 years old use memes in some capacity.

So, it’s no wonder memes and social media trends have begun to spread to politics, as platforms like Reddit host communities called “Political Memes” with over 40 thousand members, and videos like “US Presidents Play Minecraft” gain over 4 million views on Youtube, besting every video on Joe Biden’s actual official channel except one.

The memes often poke fun at presidents and their policies, but seem to represent a new facet of polit-

ical engagement.

“(Political) memes are funny and a good way to brighten people’s moods,” senior Noah Ketchum said. Ketchum is 18, and will vote in the next election. His favorite memes are that of President Joe Biden falling. Compilations of this phenomenon have millions of views on Youtube. “I think it’s better to express your views as a joke because people get behind it more.”

Some worry about misinformation or negativity spread through memes, however.

“I can find some political memes funny and others insensitive,” senior Jolie Clack said. “It varies just like everything else.”

Politicians seem to be becoming privy to this method of communication, and seek to utilize it to further their political agendas. Regarding politicians who use memes, Clack said: “I feel like they’re trying to be cool and it can go south pretty quickly because it’s cringe. It depends on which one they use.”

Ultimately, memes seem to be here to stay.

Former Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang makes memes and partakes in trends often, and mentioned it as advice for a younger candidate Vivek Ramashaey in a column he wrote for Politico, “Lean into memes. Trump dominates memes. A lot of People see them… Someone once said, “He who wins the Internet wins everything. Trump owns the Internet. If you change that you become a real threat.”

Memes also seem to be representative of the faults and strengths of American politicians. Trump is commonly considered the most “memed” President of all time, and that thus communicates his ability to appear human, funny, and relatable to the American public, with one of his slogans being “Drain the Swamp”, referring to the “gross” immoral swamp of American politicians before him, that, he, a businessman, didn’t belong to before his run. In contrast, many memes about Joe Biden refer to his often criticized old age.

As 2024 approaches, it is certain more memes will be created, and the political discussion will continue to be by them, as much of modern American internet culture is. NOAH

BROMANCE WITH OBAMA: During Obama’s presidency, the pair attracted internet attention with their friendship.

BIDEN SCREAMS FOR ICE CREAM: Since his vice presidency and leading into today, Biden is known and memed often for his love of ice cream.

DARK BRANDON: Biden posted this photo on his Instagram after the Chief’s 2024 Superbowl win.

PRHS ELECTS TRUMP

Generation Z will make up over 40 million potential voters in 2024, many willing to share who they would vote for, but not why they would vote for them by Elise Mathers, EIC

In a survey sent to PRHS students on Feb. 27 students were asked who they would vote for in the upcoming election, regardless of if they were of age to vote or not.

Of the 202 respondents, 38% voted for Donald Trump leading Robert Kennedy Jr. who had 21% of votes, and Joe Biden who received 19% of votes. The other 22% either chose a different candidate, or were unsure of who to vote for.

The voter turnout of youth nationwide (ages 18-29) has seen an overall increase in the last several presidential elections with 37% voting in 1996 and gradually increasing over time to continual estimate of 50% in 2012, 2016, and again in 2020. Between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, voter participation among the 18-29 year-olds in California jumped from 37% to 54%.

In a survey done by CIRCLE (Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) 57% of 2,017 citizens ages 18-34 said they were “extremely likely” to vote in the 2024 election. An additional 15% expressed that they were “fairly likely” to vote. In 2024 Generation Z will make up over 40 million potential voters, 8 million of which turned 18 sometime during or after 2022.

At the time of the survey there were nine candidates on the ballot. Since then, three have dropped out: Ryan Binkley (R) on Feb 27., Nikki Haley (R) and Dean Phillips (D) both on Mar. 6. Marianne Williamson unsuspended her campaign on Feb. 28 after previously suspending it on Feb. 7.

Senior Julianna Holloway was among 76 seniors who voted for Trump.

“I chose him because first off, I lean more right in my political views.

Out of the republican candidates he is the main candidate,” Holloway said. “I feel like if I’m going to pick someone it should be someone who has a chance of winning.”

Leila Barela was another senior who felt Trump was the best 2024 candidate.

“I believe that our country needs someone who is shameless and blunt with the truth at the head of everything. I think Donald Trump portrays that more than other candidates,” Barela said.

On the other side of the political spectrum freshman Kennedy Williams said she would vote for President Biden if she was of age to vote.

“I feel like I’ve been more aware of what Biden has been doing than I was aware of Trump when he was in office,” Williams said. “Knowing more about what he’s doing makes me feel more comfortable choosing him as a candidate.”

Efforts to find a wider range of students who were willing to share their reasoning for who they chose were unsuccessful. Many did not feel comfortable putting their opinion to their name.

WE HAVE A CULTURE THAT SHAMES PEOPLE FOR HAVING DIFFERENT BELIEFS RATHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER.

One anonymous student expressed that they did not want to share because “we have a culture that shames people for having different beliefs rather than attempting to understand one another.”

The 2024 presidential election will most likely be one that looks familiar to previous and new voters alike, as current president Biden and 45th president Trump are the presumptive nominees for their parties as they were in the election of 2020.

Juilanna Holloway, 12

OBERGEFELL V. HODGES: THE CLASH BETWEEN SEXUALITY AND RELIGION IS REOPENED

As same sex marriage was legalized in 2015 with the Obergefell V. Hodges case. Dissented jurors say that the 14th Amendment was violated, encouraging the case to be reexamined and changing plans for young LGBTQ+ communities

by Cassidy Heer, Indepth Co-Editor and Naomi Velasco Carmesi/Podcast Director

As two conservative-leaning Supreme Court justices urge the Court to reconsider the federal legalization of gay marriage, PRHS students clashed with the move, expressing the way the potential ruling would threaten ideals of freedom, religion, and sexuality.

In January of 2015 the Obergefell Vs Hodges case began. James Obergefell and John Arther James filed a lawsuit against the state of Ohio due to the refusal of documenting same-sex marriage on death-certificates.

Though the couple was married in 2013, when James

died of illness several months later the state of Ohio refused to recognise that James was married and that Obergefell was his husband. The Obergefell Vs Hodges case is what lead to the legalization of gay marriage.

In 2024 jurors who were taken off of the case came forth to express their feeling towards being removed. Those jurors who expressed a religious view were seen as biased and could not fairly judge the case. Those jurors have requested that the case re-opens without the threat of being removed due to religious views.

STUDENT VOICES

RELIGIOUS VIEWS CAN INFLUENCE A JURY’S DECISION AND THE VERY POINT OF A JUROR IS TO BE UNBIASED. FOR THIS REASON REMOVING RELIGIOUS JURORS IS COMPLETELY CONSTITUTIONAL

ELIJAH JORDAN, 11

RELIGION AND SEXUALITY ARE BOTH THINGS YOU IDENTIFY WITH SO IF YOU TAKE CHRISTIANS OUT OF ONE SIDE (LIKE A JURY), LOGICALLY YOU SHOULD HAVE TO TAKE GAYS OUT OF THE OTHER.

ETHAN CASTELLI, 11

Elijah Jordan, 11

Ethan Castelli, 11

LA MÚSICA

EN EL CORAZÓN

Estudiantes comparten sus emociones y su nostalgia sobre la música de su niñez by

Michelle Rosas, Carmesi/Video Director

Las memorias que sostenemos en nuestras vida son unas de las cosas más valiosas que cargamos. Nuestra niñez es una parte muy importante de nuestra vida, nos hace recordar unos tiempos más simples. Y a veces lo que sentimos de la nostalgia de estas memorias nos hace sentir feliz y calmados. Lo que hemos escuchado, hemos visto y lo que estaba a nuestro alrededor nos ha formado en las personas que somos hoy. Unas de las memorias más importantes contiene música.

Nuestra niñez es parte de nuestra cultura y moldea nuestra identidad. Mucho de lo que sabemos viene de nuestra familia. Como aprendiendo recetas que vienen de generaciones o aprendiendo cómo bailar cuando tus padres te sacan a bailar a las fiestas los sábados.

ME RECUERDO DE TODO LOS SABADOS

Las cumbias también fueron una parte importante para la niñez del estudiante Daniel Rodriguez, que está en su último año de la prepa. Unos grupos que se destacan para Rodriguez son Los Tucanes de Tijuana y Los Ángeles Azules. Cuando él escucha las cumbias, se recuerda vivamente, “cuando mi mamá no trabajaba, siempre ponía cumbias y quería que bailara con ella.” Una canción que recuerdo mucho cuando era pequeño fue “Llorando se fue” la versión de Kaoma.

CUANOD ME LEVANTE A LAS CUMBIAS QUE MI MAMA

La música está por todas partes. En la cocina cocinando con familiares, o sonando muy fuerte en fiestas del año nuevo cuando tratabas de irte a dormir, en lo que escuchaste en el radio o cuando estás caminando afuera. Lo que escuchamos cuando éramos niños se ha quedado con nosotros y es muy común que todavía escuchamos la música que escuchamos en nuestra infancia.

PONIA TODO LOS SABADOS, JOVANA FLORES, 12

Jovana Flores, en su último año de la prepa, dice que todavía escucha la música que sus padres escucharon. Dice que recuerda cuando su mamá ponía música en español cada sábado en las mañanas mientras estaba limpiando. “Me recuerdo levantándome con cumbias o canciones de Juan Gabriel”. Dice que escucho mucho Enrique Iglesias, Amanda Miguel y Laura Pausini. Para Flores, las cumbias fueron lo que más escucho cuando era pequeña. Sus papás normalmente escuchaban ese tipo de música y hoy en día, todavía las escucha. Ella escucha una mezcla de música que ella encontró y música nostálgica. Una canción que recomiende es “Desvelado” por Bobby Pulido que también es una cumbia.

En vez de cumbias, Allison Jaimes, en su segundo año de la prepa, dice que su padres escucharon mucho la música de bandas populares y artistas de los 80’s y los 90’s. Unos grupos y artistas que escucho mucho fueron Luis Miguel (que normalmente es Pop mexicano), Joan Sebastian (normalmente es música estilo mexicano regional) y Los Bukis (estilo mexicano regional).

Jaimes dice que sus favoritas hoy en día son los corridos viejos, banda y música de los 80s y 90s y todavía escucha esos artistas. Y escucha banda y Luis Miguel cuando se quiere sentir motivada.

Agrega que la música de su infancia le hace sentir calmada y le hace sentir un tipo de consuelo. Tiene un apego emocional con la música de su niñez. “Si nunca me enseñaron esta música, nunca sabría cuál podría haber sido mi música de consuelo.”

Unas canciones nostálgicas para ella que recomiende son “Ahora te puedes marchar” por Luis Miguel y “Enamorado de Ti” por Los Temerarios.

Aunque la vida en momentos es difícil, poniéndote tus audífonos y poniendo música nostálgica puede ayudar a sentirte más tranquilo y lleno de gozo.

AMOR PROHIBIDOSELENA

EL ALBUMA MAS POPULAR DE ELLA, MUSICA

ESTILO CUMBIA

MAS ALLA DEL SOLJOAN SEBASTIAN

EL ALBUMA MAS POPULAR DE EL, MUSICA MEXICANA REGIONAL SOY COMO QUIERO SER - LUIS MIGUEL

EL ALBUMA MAS POPULAR DE EL, MUSICA

ESTILO POP MEXICANO ENGLISH

Music is such an important part of our childhood and a lot of old music brings us a nostalgic feeling that reminds us of simpler times. These students share that they still listen to music their parents listened to. Cumbias, old corridos, mexican pop, and banda are some of the most listened to genres among these bearcats.

REVISA LA MUSICA RECOMENDADA POR ALUMNOS AQUI

TSECTIONING SCREEN TIME

PRHS students share views on different types of screen time and the resulting health implications

by Brian Arndt, Health Editor

he average bearcat screen time is about five hours, according to a survey of 42 students, a small number compared to the national average screen time of seven hours 38 minutes a day -Health Wise: Unplug to Power Up-. PRHS students spend much less time on their screens than the rest of the country, but this is a self-submitted optional survey that might not fully represent the school population.

EDUCATIONAL

The first type is educational screen time; any screen time related to school or doing homework. Educational screen time is not harmful to adolescents; it is actually shown to have favorable educational outcomes, leaving children more persistent without any effects on mental or physical health 42.9% of students say that some of their screen time is used for educational purposes.

The third type of screen time is passive, which includes activities like T.V., and has negative effects on all levels, it is associated with: “worse psychological outcomes, poorer health outcomes, and lower educational outcomes in unadjusted and adjusted models’.’

“Watching TikTok is the worst thing I can do, and I do a lot of it,” Michell openly admits. He goes as far as to say: “I’m addicted to TikTok. I can’t get off of it.”

He explained how in the past his addiction to this type of entertainment screen type affected him very negatively:

“In the summer I was horrible. I would stay on TikTok like three in the morning every night,” Michell said.

Parker Keep (9), agrees that passive screen time has the worst effect on the user: “Watching YouTube or T.V. (has the worst effects) because you’re not really doing any- thing. On social media, you at least see what other people are doing…so watching YouTube is just you, by yourself, doing nothing,” Keep said.

However, Keep sees the benefits YouTube has on his physical health: “But sometimes if you’re on Youtube to find workouts or sports skills it can help -my physical health-.”

While these two students believe it has the worst overall effects on the user, the student population does not agree with only 2.4% saying it is the worst. Passive screen time could be flying under the radar as a threat for the 97.6% of students who are not worried about it.

Too much screen time leads to negative effects on both physical and mental health, as well as academic performance. From the survey, 91% of Bearcats believe that time spent on social media has the worst overall effects on the user. Their average screen time is five hours, but the harm this can cause varies depending

The next type of screen time is interactive. Interactive screen time, such as computer games, was not associated with any negative effects despite many popular beliefs. Computer games alone are even associated with positive educational outcomes.

Nate Michell (10), who said he plays video games on average five hours a day on top of five hours on his phone, believes they are not as addictive to him as other types of screen time: “I play a lot of video games, but I can just get off of it,” Michell says. He explains how he can sometimes even get some homework done in between matches while playing video games, but it still has an effect on his grades.

As Dylan Lewis (10) said: “I’ll actually say it could (have a positive effect on my mental health) because a lot of the time I spend with my friends outside of school is during video games.”

Brayden Llamas (12) has about 12 hours of average screen time with about four hours daily being video games. He explains while playing video games: “Time flies when I do it, and it gets in the way of some stuff.” Llamas says interactive screen time affects him the most, but the downsides are not as concentrated as the effects of YouTube or TikTok.

The final type of screen time has been in the spotlight recently: social screen time. Social screen time is “linearly associated with poorer health-related quality of life, higher reactivity, and worse socio-emotional outcomes for the prosocial, emotional, and conduct subscales’’ -Type of screen time moderates effects on outcomes in 4013 children.

Lewis believes social screen time has the worst overall effects: “When it comes to the worst effects I would definitely say social media with the pressures it can cause.”

A student survey at PRHS shows that about 90% of students agree with Lewis that social media screen time has the worst effects on the user, but at that same time, 35.7% of those students say they spend the greatest percentage of their time on social media,

Brayden Llamas, 12

WHAT’S IN YOUR LUNCH?

Monitoring a healthy diet can be necessary for the bodies of growing teens

by Zane Wilson, Photographer

Greasy burger in one hand, Cheeto dust brushed across the other. Teens aren’t necessarily known for their healthy eating habits. While there are students who monitor their healthy eating levels, there are many who may not be fully aware of potential consequences.

Reports from Michigan State University show that more than 80 percent of U.S. teens follow an unhealthy diet. Based on an informal survey from 63 PRHS recipients, 54 percent of students reported that they do perhaps receive the recommended 1600-2400 calories of food per day. On the other hand 46 percent reported getting above or below this average.

Based on a survey question that asked students to determine their healthy eating levels on a scale of 1-5 (5 being most healthy), the majority of 48 percent rated about a 3. 3. 3 percent of students rated themselves a 1 whereas only about 5 percent of students rated a 5.

You are responsible for what you eat, so make it good. A good nutritional diet consists of a stable mix of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, healthy protein, healthy oils, and water. A general teen should consume around 46-58 grams of protein, 6 ounces of whole grains, 2 cups of fruits, and 2.5 cups of vegetables each day.

Luke Kleinman, freshman track and cross country athlete, describes how a balanced diet is important to him as a Varsity runner.

“A healthy diet for me is to have a good balance of meat, protein as well as vegetables, and fruit… I know that at least in running a good diet definitely gives you more energy. You have more speed and endurance. It just helps your overall performance” Klienman said.

Eat healthy so you can live healthy. A good diet is the foundation for health, development, well being, and optimal growth (World Health Organization). There are many positive effects that come from a well balanced diet. Healthy nutrition keeps eyes, skin, and teeth healthy along with supporting muscle. Creates a healthy physical appearance and feel to our overall bodies. Healthy eating lowers risk of disease, and may allow for a longer life.

As the famous saying goes, “looks may be deceiving,” relates to food. Foods that look and taste good aren’t always what’s best for our bodies and or overall nutrition.

Based on information from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Medical Health describes good and bad fats to be had in our diets. Unsaturated fats such as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats lower variables in potential disease risk. However, trans fats, mostly found in processed foods, increase risk of disease even in small servings.

Sugars are a nice treat but won’t always make you feel sweet. Added sugars used in processed

foods contain no nutritional values, and lead to blood levels skyrocketing. This causes increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cognitive decline.

Other natural sugars found in items such as fruits or honey are higher in nutritional value in comparison to refined processed sugars.

Asyel Mendoza, Junior at PRHS, describes why staying away from unhealthy food choices and keeping healthy nutrition is important.

“I believe it is important to make healthy food choices, and to keep that mindset if you’re someone who wants to remain active and healthy moving forward into adulthood. If food is going to heavily impact how I live my life, I’m going to want to focus on the best outcome for myself” Mendoza said.

Chemicals on your food: pesticides such as chlorpyrifos and malathion are commonly used in fruits, wheats, and vegetables to prevent pests. However the chemicals used are toxic to humans and may lead to acute poisoning, reproduction effects, and cancer. Based on Survey done by the United Nations around 200,000 people die due to use of pesticides. In alternative organic foods provide for the healthiest input, while safe from toxic chemicals.

Watch what you eat: bad nutrition is one of the leading risks to obtaining the burden of disease and other negative health effects. One of the main risks is obesity and becoming overweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 42 percent of adults and 20 percent of young people ranging from ages 2-19 were found as obese from poor nutrition. Another negative effect is heart disease which is often caused by consuming too much sodium which may eventually lead to high blood pressure: “current guidelines recommend getting less than 2,300 mg a day, but Americans consume more than 3,400 mg a day on average” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Further effects of a poor nutrition plan may lead to Type 2 diabetes and Cancer. A healthy diet plan can be developed by using helpful tips by experts. Practices for eating healthy would be to cook rather than eat out, control portion sizes, and choose nutritios calories. Monitor levels, in fats, sodium, sugars, and chemicals used in proccesed foods. Kleinman describes the tips he has to stay on a healthy eating track.

“I think just when you have the opportunity to eat your vegetables or something, just go for it, or whatever else there might be. And I’d say don’t overeat, like take a little break in the middle of a meal to assess yourself. See if the amount of food you have is enough, and if you need more or less” Kleinman said.

In conclusion, overall moderation in what you eat along with a balanced diet will allow for the most positive nutrition. Okay to eat your cheetos with some broccoli to balance it out.

I TRY MAKING A PERFECTLY BALANCED DIET WITH ENOUGH PROTEIN AND CARBS TO GET MY DAY GOING. IF I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH THEN I WON’T HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY TO FINISH OFF MY DAY STRONG IAN WINSTEAD, 10

I THINK THAT A HEALTHY DIET IS IMPORTANT. I DON’T THINK ITS LIKE SOMETHING EVERYONE IS GOING TO FOLLOW, BUT GOOD NUTRITION IS IMPORTANT TO ME

MARVIN CHEEKS, 10

POWERED BY COBALT

In western countries there is a need for new electrical devices and more production, but never talk about what is behind the scenes.

n an average, Americans tend to spend $485.5 billion per year on numerous electronics from Apple, Samsung, Android, and big tech companies. Yet as buyers consume new products, they tend not to question what the devices con-

But the demand requires that consumers gain background knowledge about where devices and components come from. The electronics you carry in your hands contain a main factor of cobalt which powers one’s devices. Big corporations find it the cheapest and more affordable to use child labor, without consequences. And the aftermath of

Cobalt mining results in significant and disastrous wastes.

Cobalt is a critical mineral used in lithium-ion batteries found in electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage systems, and consumer electronics and superalloys. Cobalt, mined heavily in DR Congo, Africa, is viewed as an important contributor to the field of renewable energy and sustainable development in both the U.S. and EU, which has classified cobalt as a critical raw material due to the important role it plays in technology.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is by far the world’s largest producer of cobalt, accounting for roughly 70 percent of global production. Many reports show that western nations like the US , the UK, China and France have given military and financial aid to groups in Rwanda and Uganda to invade cobalt rich areas. And because of these invasions Congolese people are either killed or enslaved into working in cobalt mines, including women and children, according to Andrew L. Gulley in a 2022 report.

Unfortunately, big companies like to profit from free labor in Congo as they extract cobalt. For decades electronic devices have been powered by the hands and blood of innocent Congolese people. Roughly about 12.5 million of Congolese work in mines include children.

The DR Congo Forest is the second largest forest in the world after the Amazon. About 20% of it has been destroyed, often as cobalt mines expand their reach.

Consumers carrying a phone or driving EVs —or anything electrical — are contributing to the impact and waste by wanting more demand, not really questioning where their products come from.

The lack of media coverage creates a sense of ignorance in what is going on in other parts of the world. A shortage of stories leads to consumers continuing to buy and big corporations continuing to mine.

Africa is one of the richest countries for their natural resources. Somehow the economic benefits are not flowing into the community. People are overworked in dangerous situations to mine these pieces of metals that go to our technology that we over consume in America.

THE PROGRESS OF COBALT

By Dayana Aispuro, Reporter

What are the effects of mining?

Those chemicals can then be deposited into large reservoirs and those reservoirs can sometimes leak into the surrounding environment. They cause a lot of air pollution depending on how the mining operation takes place.

Environmental teacher

Katie Lamb

How does this situtation in Congo affect you?

I have a phone. And morally speaking, it changes the way I look at products and technology and phones... I don’t see any of that [cobalt] stuff and the media doesn’t cover it.

Eric Chavez

FRESHMEN FACE THE FIELD

Get to know the seven freshman who were welcomed onto the varsity baseball and softball fields

by Chloe Van Pelt, Op/Ed Editor

he first of seven years is upon us. It has been over seven years since both the baseball and softball programs were welcomed more than two freshmen to their varsity team. A freshman making varsity on any sports team is considered to be a rare occurrence, but more than three freshmen making the team is something that has not occurred in either the baseball or softball programs at PRHS in over seven years. In the 2023 season, baseball did not have any freshman on their team and softball had one freshman, now sophomore, who was added. In PRHS’s baseball history, five years ago was the most recent occurrence of a ninth grader being added to the varsity roster: shortstop Bryson Hoier and pitcher Carson Turnquist. After completing their baseball career at PRHS, Hoier is currently attending Saddleback Community

Dobroth has been playing baseball for six years with his primary positions being catcher and pitcher. He is currently playing travel ball for Baseball Performance Academy (BPA) which is based out of Mission Viejo. Outside of mandatory practices, he has a batting cage at his house where he hits with friends, three to four times a week.

College and playing Junior College baseball and Turnquist is currently attending Cal Poly SLO where he is playing D1 baseball. In the upcoming ‘24 season, baseball has welcomed three freshmen to the varsity roster: Emmett Dobroth, Casey Prieto, and Jaiden Soboleski. Softball has also welcomed three freshmen onto the varsity team: Natalie Davis, Izzy Murphy, and Maddie Paz, with one freshman who floats between both JV and Varsity squads, Preslie Lyles. All seven freshmen strive to improve throughout the season and show the fans and student body that they will make a positive addition to the team. As of March 21, 2024, softball’s record stands at 6-4 and baseball’s at 5-7.

Davis has been playing softball for seven years primary positions being second base and outfield. She currently plays on a travel ball team, Nitro Renegades, that is based out of Paso while participating on the school She puts in work by going to her hitting coach at least once a week improve her skills. emmett dobroth

Prieto has been playing baseball for nine years with his primary positions being pitcher and catcher. He is also currently playing travel ball with the same team as Dobroth, BPA. Prieto works on weekends outside on mandatory school practices by working out six days a week and going to various pitching programs to improve.

casey prieto

Soboleski has been playing baseball for 12 years with his primary positions being second base and shortstop. He currently plays for a travel ball team, Rio Vista Orioles, that is based out of Orange County. Outside of mandatory practices, he to the gym three times and has a batting his house where he works twice a week.

7 IN 7

AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF THE TEAMS ONLY TAKING ONE FRESHMAN, SEVEN STEP UP TO THE PLATE

Lyles has been playing softball for eight years with her

preslie lyles

ROSTER NUMBERS

Baseball: 13 players

Softball: 14 players

natalie davis

Murphy has been playing softball for 10 years with her primary positions being catching and shortstop. She currently plays on a travel ball team, Velocity, that is based out of Atascadero, while also participating on the school team. Outside of mandatory practices, she works with her hitting coach, two times a week improve her skills. Paz has been playing softball for nine years with her primary positions being third and first base. She, like Murphy, works with a hitting coach, Henry Valeu, up to two times a week to improve her ball to bat contact. Paz is looking forward to a season when being with the upperclassmen to grow her skills.

SPORTS BRIEFS

DEFYING THE ODDS

Softball makes remarkable victory over Selma HS after a neck and neck battle

Girls Varsity Softball won 6-5 against Selma Bears on Mar. 9, 2024 on a Saturday morning that was deserted at school but alive on the softball field.

White and Black cleats pressed into the field and a sea of pin-striped colored jerseys swarmed as the PRHS Women’s Varsity Softball team stepped onto the pitch to face the Selma Bears for the first time this season, making this their 7th game of their season.

The game was a difficult battle as the game was neck and neck for seven innings. Adding to the difficulty, Selma High School has a player committed D1 to Texas A&M University. Being the star player for the Bears, she scored two home runs, one in the third and one in the sixth.

By the 6th inning, Selma was up 3-1 and at the bottom of the 6th, the Bearcats secured five runs. In the 6th, Aalia Torres (12) took a swing and got on first base. Freshman Izzy Murphy (9) hit a single, putting Torres on second and her on first. Junior Kylee Nancolas then hit a double, which sent Torres and Murphy home, securing the Lady Bearcats with a 6-3 lead. The Bears attempted redemption in the 7th inning, but only secured two runs ,ending the game at the top of the 7th and the Bearcats took the win.

BEARCATS SMASH THE SAINTS

Baseball takes home second win of the season

by Chloe Van Pelt, Op/Ed Editor

Twelve sacrifice fly balls and seven batters sent home: with impressive numbers, the Bearcats smashed the Santa Maria Saints on Mar. 19, 2024 in a decisive score of 7-1. Starting at 5 p.m. at Barnhart Field, players warmed up and locked in for this game. With the Saints having the first ups’ (batting first) they managed to score only one run in their first hitting opportunity. Until the third inning, the score was held at 0-1 until Junior Braydon Hoier hit a hard ground ball to the center fielder, sending teammates Emmett Dobroth and Ace Perry home. Sophomores Chris Glover and Talen Freitas both hit a sacrifice flies to the center fielder, sending home a total of two runs themselves.

The team by the end made off with a total of seven stolen bases, 24 at bats, nine hits, and five walks, leading them to their longest win streak this season.

As of Mar. 20, 2024, the Bearcats have a record of 4-6 and are in second place Ocean League behind the Nipomo Titans.

Bearcats’ beat Righetti with a 3-0 win BOYS SHUTOUT THE WARRIORS

Bright gym lights, and stands stacked with supporting fans, set an exciting presence on March 5th for the game against Bearcats and Warriors.

Paso put on a strong performance with a 3-0 win against the Righetti Warriors putting the Bearcats in a 1-4 record for the overall season thus far.

Starting lineup for the Bearcats consist of Bennet Reed (12), Setter Maxwell Berry (12), Jordan Prowse (12), Ezra Smeltzer (11), Colin Daughtery (10), and libero Bryson Wakeman (12). The first set of the match stayed pretty even between the Bearcats and Warriors during the beginning points.

The Varsity Boys began to build momentum by the end of the set where Paso won 2519. Paso kept up the momentum in the second set with strong attacks from hitters while making defensive plays to many of the Warriors offensive attacks. The Bearcats closed out the second set with a 7-point lead 25-18.

Third set stayed more even as both teams were close in points throughout this set. As the set came closer to a close intensity rose as both teams were tied 24-24. Bearcats pulled through to close out the match with a strong final point scored from a hit by Ezra Smeltzer. This would end the final set with a score 26-24.

STUNT STOPS THE KNIGHTS

PRHS Stunt wins third game of the season, 15-11

by Kayla Degnan, Sports Director

Stunt played against the Saint Joseph Knights, winning 15-11 on Mar. 13, 2023 at San Luis Obispo High school. The Bearcats arrived with only 20 minutes to spare as they approached the gymnasium. Music could be heard echoing around them and two other teams in the league battled each other for the win. The current record so far in the season is 3-0. Captains Claire Wells, Jossellyn Ruiz- Juarez, Brissa Centeno, and Kiana Martinez represented the team along with coaches Vanessa Espinoza, Mollie Batrum, and Erika Matthews in the opening coin toss.

The Bearcats dominated the first half of the game, Partner Stunt and Pyramids and Tosses, earning six points, leaving the score at the half 6-2 in favor of the Bearcats. As the third quarter approached the Knights were able to catch up with the score becoming 6-5 going into the final quarter.

As the game progressed into the final quarter, Quarter four, the ladies put forth everything they had kept ahead of the Knights, ending the night as triumphant.

Photo by Jade Wanger

by Zane Wilson. photographer

Photo by Chloe Van Pelt

Photo by Degnan Family

by Serenity Wulfing, EIC

SENIOR ELIE CHAVEZ

FRESHMAN JAIDEN SOBOLESKI

SENIOR MAXWELL BERRY

Photo by Jennifer Chavez

SPRING SPORTS

IN ACTION

As winter sports come to a close, the start of spring sports is welcomed by eager athletes

by Serenity Wulfing. EIC

girls softball

The Varsity Girls Softball team consists of 14 players: four seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen. Captains being Elie Chavez, Brielle Burt and Kylee Nancolas. The team has a batting average of 34.4%, 276 plate appearances, 77 runs, and one home run.

boys baseball

The Varsity Boys Baseball team consists of 13 players , one of them being a senior, Kade Mitchell and the rest being juniors, sophomores and freshmen. The team has a batting average of 23.5%, 286 plate appearances, 51 runs, and one home run.

volleyball

The Varsity Boys Volleyball team consists of 14 players: six seniors, six juniors and two sophomores. Captains being Maxwell Berry and Bennett Reed. They are in Mountain league. boys

girls beach volleyball

The Varsity Girls Beach Volleyball team consists of six players. There are three seniors: McKenzie Cobb, Ashlee Wescom and Skylar McEntire. One junior, Olivia Heinbach, one sophomore, Kai Stoltzfus and one freshman, Kiley Bowman. They are in ocean league competing against Nipomo and Morro Bay.

swim

Boys and Girls Swim is in Mountain League and is competing against Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Madera, Nipomo, Righetti and SLO.

track and field

Boys and Girls Track and Field is in Mountain League and is competing against Arroyo Grande, Atascadero, Madera, Nipomo, Righetti, SLO and St, Joseph. Standout Track players are, Rylie Herlberg (12), Gracie Wyrich (12), Peyton Bedrosian (12), Brian Arndt (10), Tyler Dalliak (11), Hayden Roady (11) and Neveah Dyer (12).

stunt

Girls Stunt is in Mountain League. They have been league champs in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022. They were CIF champs in 2022.

WE ARE A LOT BETTER AT PASSING AND HITTING THIS YEAR, OUR ABILITY TO GET A GOOD HIT ON TO THE OTHER TEAM’S SIDE IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING OUR TEAM HAS IMPROVED BENNETT REED, 12

PREGAME RITUAL (PRHSSoftballField) : The girls cheer on their teamate, junior Ashlynn Domingos, as she chugs the rest of the team redbull

PhotosbyRiogelioMolina,JadeWagner,JosephToranto,SerenityWulfing

EXTRA PRACTICE (PRHSTrackField):

THE PRE-SEASON WAS GREAT. WE’VE OFFICIALLY ENTERED INTO SEASON. PRACTICE IS ALWAYS FUN, EVEN THE WORKOUT DAYS. I THINK PRACTICE IS MOVING IN A STEADY DIRECTION FORWARD AND WERE MAKING FANTASTIC PROGRESS.

ELLIOT KRAMES, 11

Senior Daisy Garcia takes on practice hurdles before her meet.

SENDING THE BALL BACK (PRHSTennis Courts) : Senior Matt Graebner forehands the ball back to the opposing team, securing another point.

HANDING OFF THE BATON (PRHSTrackField) : Freshmen Lila Colegrove hands the baton off to senior Peyton Bedrosian to finish the last leg of the race.

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

SOFTBALL

FEATURING:

ELIE CHAVEZ

by Serenity Wulfing, EIC

FOCUS

Chavez focuses on maintaining control, aiming for the base with her lead foot, and timing her slide to evade the tag

POP UP SLIDE

Chavez positions her back leg and uses her leading front foot to guide herself to the outside of the bag where she then pops up to avoid the tag

TIMING

Chavez judges the distance to the base, the speed of the ball to execute the slide efficiently

THE VARSITY SOFTBALL GUIDE

Elie Chavez, an academic weapon on campus and a secret weapon on the softball field. Chavez has been on varsity softball for four years while also maintaining a 4.7 GPA. Softball is her all time favorite sport, but it does not stop there. She is a tri sport athlete: softball, volleyball, soccer. She is the ASB president and has shown prowess throughout her time at PRHS.

From a young age, Elie was drawn to the diamond. Softball became her escape from the pressures of everyday life.

“I’ve been playing softball for 11 years,” Chavez said, a testament to her dedication to the sport.

Outside of high school softball, Chavez fills her summer and fall playing travel ball and has competed in many states across the US. She has been on four different club teams over the past seven years.

Despite the rigorous demands of her athletic pursuits, Chavez has never neglected her

academics. Late nights were spent studying after practices, and even during summer breaks, she found herself in hotel rooms, diligently working on coursework while her teammates enjoyed nights out.

But it wasn’t just the thrill of competition that kept Chavez coming back to the field. It was the connections she made along the way, specifically the teammates who became like family.

“I love how you can never be perfect. It’s always a game of failure and you work and you work until you can be as perfect as you can. Because perfect practice, makes perfect practice,” Chavez said.

As her high school years draw to a close, Chavez is facing a pivotal moment in her life. While she dreams of playing collegiate softball, she is also realistic about pursuing other paths. Chavez has her sights set on a four-year university, where she hopes to continue her athletic pursuit and major in mechanical engineering.