Paw Prints Weekly | Volume 51 Issue 9

EDITION

Special

VOLUME 51 THE FINAL ISSUE:

SENIOR GOODBYES Paw Prints Weekly

The student newspaper of Glen A. Wilson High School | Hacienda Heights, CA 91745

Volume 51, Issue 9 | Monday, May 13, 2019 | pawprintsweekly.com

STEM night recognizes graduating seniors

By RANI CHOR STAFF WRITER

Wilson Institute of Technology and Science held its annual senior recognition and showcase night on Monday, May 6.

Hosted by the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) department and Principal Danielle Kenfield, each graduating senior received a white sash for pursuing the STEM pathway and an opportunity to present his or her year-end project to the audience.

As part of his project, senior Matthew J. Wu spent the year brainstorming and designing an emergency system with his team that alerts drivers when first respondents or emergency vehicles drive toward their vehicles.

According to Wu, the showcase provides a great opportunity for students to take pride in their work and sets the precedent for future STEM students.

“I was excited because I wanted to showcase how our project worked and how it would be used in the future,” Wu said. “We are just the starters of a program that could be improved, and creative problemsolvers will create better projects in the future.”

Additionally, math and science teacher Courtney Bushyeager is proud of her students’ contributions to their projects and the STEM program as a whole.

“The biggest reward is seeing the students complete something that they have worked so hard to do,” Bushyeager said. “I think future students will be able to see that there is something tangible about investing time in a program that could turn out to be the first step in something bigger than themselves.”

Ultimately, physics and engineering teacher Justin Ro feels fortunate to have been able to teach such an amazing class of students.

“It has been four years in the making, and I am proud of their accomplishments,” Ro said. “I have seen them grow from squirrely freshmen to young adults that will leave great impacts when they get to college.”

ONE LAST TIME -During Battle of the Classes, the seniors celebrate their fourth and final victory as the “most spirited class” of the year. To display their class pride, seniors participated decorating their class color red and played various games throughout the rally.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY/YEARBOOK

Battle of the Classes encourages school spirit

By HENRY HSIA STAFF WRITER

Associated Student Body (ASB) held the Battle of the Classes Rally on Friday, May 2.

The rally featured various competitions, games and a dance performed by each class. Classes received points based on their ranking in each of these events, as well as the number of students who wore their class colors. Seniors finished first with 6600 points, freshmen placed second with 5575 points, juniors finished third with 5300 points and

sophomores placed last with 5175 points.

According to ASB advisor Patricia Branconier, Battle of the Classes served an important purpose.

“The [goal of the rally] is to create school spirit before the end of the year and see which class is the most spirited,” Branconier said. “We planned for [the event] earlier than usual this year, [but we will still] try to start preparing [even] earlier next year and [try to engage] school spirit all year, not just at the end.”

During the rally, emcee

and senior class dance member senior Andy Sui enjoyed his role in engaging the crowd.

“Being able to hype up the crowd is really fun, and [getting to] look at your class from the bottom-up [offers a different perspective],” Sui said. “[A challenge I faced was] keeping the momentum going, because yelling for two straight rallies is tiring. I [also] had to keep up with the script and make sure everything ran smoothly and [on queue].”

While Mr. Wilson runnerup senior Ezdras MerazLerma appreciated the chance

to spectate the class dances, he believes the Mr. Wilson performance could have been improved. “[During] the rehearsal, I got to see different perspectives of the class dances as they slowly improved throughout the [run-throughs],” MerazLerma said. “[However], I would have wanted more [challenging] choreography [for our own dance], as [we were limited] by the instructors telling us, ‘It was too hard.’”

ASB’s next event is Grad Bash at Universal Studios on May 17.

FBLA hosts cabinet interviews for new year

By RANI CHOR STAFF WRITER

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) held interviews for its future cabinet from May 6 to 10.

The interviews, conducted by co-presidents senior Katie Kyan and senior Melanie Wu, took place during break and lunch in FBLA advisor Christina Rouw’s room. The cabinet positions available included president, copresident, vice president of

projects, secretary, public relations and more.

According to Kyan, having well-qualified and dependable officers is crucial to chapter growth.

“I think next year we can plan a calendar for the members, because this year it was kind of hectic with all the unsprung dates,” Kyan said.

“Also, the new cabinet should be able to make new ideas and get new people to be a part of the club.”

Vying for the position of

secretary is member freshman Justin Huh, who is excited for the future of FBLA and its reach on the campus.

“When I first joined FBLA, I realized that I had found a club that I really enjoyed,” Huh said. “I noticed that FBLA is one of the smaller clubs around the school, and I hope to spread awareness [about] this club because I feel that there is strength in numbers.”

Additionally, Rouw looks forward to a cabinet filled with new possibilities but stresses

the importance of leadership.

“To make a strong cabinet, we need self-motivated people who are willing to take personal initiative,” Rouw said. “If we want to succeed as a program in this campus, we need more communication and personal initiative from our members.”

In the time being, FBLA will be considering its new cabinet.

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) held interviews for its future cabinet from May 6 to 10.

2 EDITORIAL

Paw Prints Weekly

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

EDITORIAL

Measles: an outbreak rooted in indifference

N

ot long ago, measles were virtually extinct. Now it is back and rapidly spreading, and we have one factor to blame: our own ignorance.

In an age where medical study is constantly improving the quality of life and reaching unthinkable goals, it is almost ironic to have a measles outbreak rear its head, squirming back into the lives of many. The worst part: the outbreak was definitely preventable.

This is not a discussion of whether the public has the resources to protect their health, but rather a manipulation of perspectives. The arising belief that vaccines are dangerous and result in negative consequences is simply preposterous.

It is essential to realize the downfalls of this viewpoint, as lack of vaccination exposes society to a multitude of health issues, on top of many of the other diseases that also heavily impact the lives of many.

According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), countries that have tourists brought preventable diseases to the United States, such as Israel, Ukraine and the Philippines.

Although obvious and straightforward, the process of security check regarding international travel needs to be tightened, as even the smallest infection can lead a widespread disease.

The misleading of popular opinion is due to a multitude of causes: from fake news

articles to inaccurate data, it is effortless for public media to sway any individual’s mind by planting a seed of doubt, resulting to the ultimate decision of not providing vaccination for themselves, or family.

As of now, forty-seven of the 50 states have laws that give citizens the option of vaccination, giving citizens the option, rather than strictly implementing immunization. It is a direct correlation- Most of the states who have a great amount of measles cases are states that have laws whose get the choice. However, it is hard to regulate the immunization records of every citizen of America, especially since children are under the care of their guardian, and do not have the choice themselves for vaccination. A prime example is California, which holds the biggest population in any state of America. With so many residents, it is difficult to separate the individuals who have vaccinated and the ones that have not. The impact of the outbreak is devastatingthose who have been vaccinated have taken the right steps to disease prevention, but ones who have been affected by measles now face heavy medical bills, and their lives on the line.

It has been stated, proven, and taken as fact: vaccines provide opportunities for people to freely experience life, without the burden of contracting unhealthy diseases. In an extremely developed nation like the

United States, the choice to receive vaccination should be obvious.

However, as people refuse to get their children vaccinated increases due to an inaccurate opinion spread by false information. The higher of a risk that the public, including vaccinated individuals, are able to contract the disease. This may lead to widespread epidemic, a rise in another life threatening disease and so much more, but w slid the issue of not vaccinating under the rug until it had to be addressed.

Still, society is unaware of the harsh detriments that will be inflicted on population. What seems to be encouraging the movement away from vaccinations is the popular claim that people are still healthy, despite not taking immunization shots.

However, this is clearly false due to what is called herd immunity, where a population is more resistant to a disease because the majority is vaccinated, which strongly debunks the standpoint that vaccination does not provide health benefits for people.

This is not the only claim that people use to undermine the work and progress that modern medicine has done over the years and even though it has been disproven fear and distrust is still prevent.

The only reason that for this, is having the idea that this will take away the ability of choice, but in reality it is for safety.

Nevertheless,

an underlying issue that needs to be addressed is the bridge between the public and the scientific knowledge that seems to be hidden from society. While the idea of vaccination inserting unknown chemical components into the body may seem scary, in reality, the research and experimentation that have been conducted to establish vaccinations proves that the practice is not intimidating in the slightest. Also, many of the things inside medicine and vaccines are in the same things that people eat everyday, such as pears which have formaldehyde,acommon element in vaccines.

To improve, our country should take a glance at the measure our nations are implementing to prevent this problem.

In fact, Germany has recently proposed a law to mandate people to undergo the measles vaccine, if it passes, this will set an example for other countries to take action and protect their citizens. The law itself will fine anyone who is not vaccinated and ban all kindergarteners from attending school because they are more under the threat of the disease.

Overall, it is time to face the fact: thanks to the neglectance of vaccines, the measles have become a crucial problem that affects areas throughout the country. As citizens and moralistic humans, we must realize that our viewpoints, no matter how strong, must be put aside to save the community.

Paw Prints Weekly Volume 51 | Issue 09 Glen A. Wilson High School 16455 E. Wedgeworth Drive Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 www.pawprintsweekly.com Facebook @pawprintsweekly Instagram @glenawilsonppw Twitter @glenawilsonppw ADVISER Pilar Robles EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Charley Jackson Melanie Wu

EDITORS NEWS Justin Yeh EDITORIAL Michelle Huang FEATURES Sarah Chun ENTERTAINMENT Charley Jackson Charis Qi PERSPECTIVES Vincent Cortes Jenibelle Hsu SPORTS Melanie Wu Emma Chang VISUALS Christopher Chan ONLINE Carol Li

STAFF

Candice Lee Belinda Kuo Colleen Gapuzan Adrian Hernandez Estelle Zhou Sidney Wong Simone Yu Henry Hsia Katye Chien Annmarie Li Alex Castro Tiffany Chan Rani Chor

An open forum, Paw Prints Weekly, encourages the written opinion of its readers in the form of signed letters to the editor or longer commentaries on topical subjects.

While we recognize the individuality of all forms of expression we reserve the right to edit and censor that which we feel necessary in accordance with California Education Code 48907 and standards of good taste.

All communications must be signed and submitted to room C-9 or emailed

directly to editor@pawprintsweekly. com It should also be understood that the views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the opinion of individual Paw Prints Weekly staff members or the policy of Glen A. Wilson High School.

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

Paw Prints Weekly

FEATURE

3

She holds the CODE for success in the world of engineering

By SIMONE YU STAFF WRITER

Blossoming throughout high school as a diligent and passionate leader in many clubs, leading her CODE team through success and always standing on the top with her academics, senior Justina Chen is one to truly admire.

With a zealous and kind soul, Justina has proven herself in her high school career to be the definition of hard work and enthusiasm.

With a passion towards computer science, Chen pursued her interest in the start of sophomore year.

“Sophomore year was the first year of the release of the new AP Computer Science Principles course, so it was a bit of a struggle figuring things out in that class since there was no precedent like the course before,” Chen said. “However, it was really interesting to delve into the field of programming and I came to realize how much can be created through just lines of logic and numbers. I was just really amazed at how much you can do with [coding] and how it has the potential to make any kind of application and project you want.”

In addition to her computer science pathway courses, Chen further pursued her passions by trying out for the CODE team.

“Being a part of the CODE team has taught me what it means to work collaboratively.

As Front-End Captain, I learned what it means to be an effective leader,” Chen said.

“I also love to code in my free time, but I usually spend my time coding with my team, because it is much nicer to work as a group.”

As a result of the team’s hard work in their projects, Chen and CODE are finishing up a development of a webbased application that is intended to replace the school’s announcement system, making the broadcasting of announcements much easier and more efficient.

With the encouragement of her team, Chen has

also won the award for the National Center for Women and Information Technology Aspirations in Computing award in both 2018 and 2019.

In addition to her impressively piling achievements, Chen also programmed her very own app called Moodday and published

I came to realize how much can be created through just lines of logic and numbers it on the App Store. The app tracks a person’s mood at any time of any day, giving users an easy and fun way of documenting their emotions and productivity.

Besides her dedication towards CODE and her interests in programming languages, Chen also involved herself in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and engaged her passions in helping others by leading clubs and outside activities to help out the community.

“I have always loved participating in community service activities and helping the underserved. As I grew to be Vice President of Red Cross, I helped out with homeless shelters and blood drives, both of which I really enjoyed,” Chen said. “[As the] Vice President of Rotary Interact, I truly grasped the importance of their motto, “service above self,” so I always involved myself with as many events possible, from charity rodeos to the preparation of Thanksgiving food baskets.”

Besides school clubs, Chen also spent her freshman and sophomore year volunteering at the Salvation Army and moved on to being a patient transport volunteer at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where the kind high-schooler helped

out many, always with a smile on her face.

Although she works hard at being active, Chen also loves to spend time with her friends, relieve stress with fun activities and develop her other interests in her free time.

“I love drawing both by hand and digitally, and I also occasionally do Snapchat art, which is much cooler than it sounds! I am definitely interested in furthering my knowledge of graphic design,” Chen said. “I also play the piano, violin and flute and love listening to music. Besides that, I love to hang out with my friends, watch Netflix and play Brawl Stars.”

Taking attention to her persistence and many achievements throughout high school, Chen states that she could not have done it without the love and motivation of her parents.

“My parents motivate me to strive for success because they had grown up in poorer conditions, and instead of giving up, worked really hard to get where they are now, and that really inspires me to do the same, especially when I am more fortunate to have a more comfortable living style,” Chen said. “I really take a deep appreciation for my mom, because she really showed me that through education, you can achieve big things.”

Despite Chen’s involvement in the many activities she holds close to her heart, she has always learned to put academics first, a mindset which led her to be at the very top of her class, landing her the title of valedictorian.

Chen will be majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley).

She hopes to work hard and prepare for her future career in computer science at college, graduate and work at her dream job, Google.

No one can disagree that this brilliant and star student is truly just-in-a world of success, enri-chen-d with passion and dedication and will certainly achieve big things in the future.

4 FEATURE

Paw Prints Weekly

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

Paw Prints Weekly Volume

By CHARLEY JACKSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Every year, I read all the senior goodbyes and thought about what I would say in mine when the time came. But now that it’s fi nally here, I fi nd myself at a loss for words. I can’t adequately describe what this program has given me, but I’ll try my best.

Joining Paw Prints Weekly is truly one of the best decisions I’ve made in my high school career. Not only have I learned a ton about writing and journalism in general, but the countless friendships and memories I’ve acquired through this program are sure to last a lifetime.

Coming into this class as a shy, quiet sophomore, the stress of deadlines and multiple rounds of edits a night was difficult to say the least. But, no matter how I stressed I was, it never felt like work. I’ve come to love the writing process in its entirety, but more so, I have come to love every single one of you.

To Sidney, thank you for being one of the best friends I could ever have. I can’t imagine my high school experience without you. You make me laugh more than anyone I know, and everyday I become more and more grateful for your friendship. Your motivation and diligence in sports and in this class inspire me to be better. I also appreciate you letting me think about my answers for a really long time before you interview me.

To Estelle, thank you for always supporting me and pushing me to be my best. Your energy and attitude make me feel better even on my worst

By JUSTIN YEH NEWS EDITOR

What can I say? It’s been a great two years, and I can’t believe it’s come to an end this quickly.

I still remember the end of my sophomore year, when I was struggling to plan out my schedule for junior year.

Side note: wow it feels great

days, and you always know how to cheer me up. Also, thank you for including me in all of your vlogs.

To Sarah, I don’t even know where to start with this one.

Th anks for just being you honestly. You make hard work days so much more enjoyable, but always manage to get your work done. Despite the fact that you compare me to random US states and presidents, you are one of my closest friends.

Also, thank you for reciting the lede of my fi rst entertainment article to me almost every day junior year, reminding me of my humble and cringeworthy beginning in this program. I know that whatever you do in the future, you’re going to be successful, and I can’t wait to see it happen.

To Michelle, thanks for your passive aggressive comments and constant validation through words like “Okay” and “Good,” and for making me laugh even when you’re not trying to. Also, thank you for taking my pretzels that I didn’t want to fi nish.

To Vincent, thank you for giving me someone to talk about Game of Th rones with.

I’ll never forget your endless comments about my zodiac sign. Or which political candidate I most closely relate to and why. Or which state reminds you of my personality.

Or what kind of vegetable I am.

It most defi nitely is NOT corn, by the way. In all seriousness, I have really enjoyed the past two years with you, and can’t wait to see what you do in the future.

To Chris, thanks for everything you do for the program, it hasn’t gone unnoticed. I appreciate the times you talk and the times

being able to use passive tense.

Anyway, frustrated with how my classes weren’t piecing together the way I wanted them to, I found myself with a hole for fi fth period. Taking a leap of faith, I decided to join Paw Prints Weekly after having already thought about doing so since freshman year.

I still remember how nervous I was for my interview. After

you don’t.

To Charis, thank you for being such a great co-editor. I would not have made it through the year without you. I appreciate how dedicated you are and I’ll always remember you by your fluff y white dog profi le picture.

To Simone and Colleen, thank you both for being such great writers. Colleen, I enjoyed editing every single one of your articles, and love your passion for entertainment. Simone, you are so cool. And hardworking.

And I love watching you braid Mel’s hair.

To Belinda and Ann, thank you for keeping me up to date on all things K-Pop (and anime, Ann).

To Justin and Jenibelle, thank you both for the time and energy you put into this program. You both make us all want to be better.

To Alex, Candice and Rani, thank you for being so hard working, and keeping me entertained when I overhear

your strange conversations.

To Adrian, thank you for being so sweet and willing to help. I admire your kindness and know you’re going to go far in the future!

To Henry, thank you for reminding me of my college decisions everyday and thanking me for my diligence every time I talk. I appreciate your neverending sarcastic comments, and the fact that you talk in Mrs. Rouw’s socratic seminars so that the rest of us don’t have to.

To Tiff any and Kayte, thank you for making our paper a little less ugly. Your talent amazes me.

To Emma and Carol, thank you both for going above your job descriptions for this program, we would not have made it through the year without you. You both are such hard workers and I know you guys are going to do big things.

To Melanie, I’m so grateful to have you as my co-EIC. I don’t

know how I would have made it without you. I’m so happy I’ve gotten to know you over the past few years together in this program. Even when things got hard, I knew I could always count on you to help me through whatever the challenge was, and I will forever be grateful for your friendship. You deserve all the success coming your way.

To Mrs. Robles, Th ank you for encouraging me to join this program, and giving us all a forum to express ourselves freely. Your dedication and willingness to stand up for our right to say what we want is what truly makes this program great.

So, with that, I guess all that’s left to say is goodbye. I will miss you all, and wish you nothing but the best next year.

Charley will be attending Mt. Sac in the fall to play water polo.

She hopes to eventually become a doctor or a lawyer, she hasn’t decided. If all else fails, she wants to be a dog sitter for rich people.

all, I was sitting on a tiny chair surrounded by an intimidating sea of editors and EICs. They asked me to tell them a joke, and I panicked as I struggled to run through my collection of dumb jokes, which took a while, but couldn’t remember any good ones. Off the top of my head—and I still remember this vividly—I said, “Are you Netfl ix, because I could watch

you all day.” I took the small chuckles mixed in with the groans as confi rmation that I did not disappoint.

Flash forward to junior year.

Amidst the stress and confusing nature of all the AP classes, I found comfort in the structure provided by our weekly routine of writing an article and publishing the newspaper.

Naturally, as I wrote more and more articles, my writing began to improve, and I developed my own style of opinionated writing. In fact, junior year was the most I’ve ever written, which consequently allowed me to strengthen my ability to meet tight deadlines and produce quality work, and I certainly have Paw Prints to thank for that.

Despite the workload, I’ve had so much fun during my time in journalism. I’ll never forget our “Fun Fridays” and how our EICs came up with the most random games to play. I’ll miss all the amazing memories I made, both inside and outside of the classroom, and I’ll certainly miss not being in class. Yup, you read that right: I’ll miss not being in class. Just double-

registered things. I’ll miss the days of not using an Oxford comma, as well as constantly reminding writers that the punctuation goes before the ending quotation mark. I’ll miss the struggle of editing three articles every week, and I’ll miss reminding everyone to include a transition. But most importantly, I’ll miss everyone in Paw Prints.

Th ank you to everyone who has made my experience in journalism such a memorable one. From our online editors who keep the website alive to our advisor who keeps this program alive, I know I speak for all of us seniors when I say that we can leave knowing that Paw Prints Weekly will be in good hands moving forward.

Signing off the Google Drive for now, Justin Yeh, Paw Prints Weekly Vol. 50-51.

Justin will be attending Harvey Mudd College in the fall as a Computer Science major. He hopes to create a tech startup someday, but if all else fails, he has a YouTube channel that has 19 subscribers as of now. Like and subscribe so that he can become rich and famous!

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

Paw Prints Weekly

51 Senior Goodbyes

By MELANIE WU EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

So this is it. If this were 2016, I would never have imagined myself at this point, already planning my senior goodbye. It seems as if time has passed so fast and all my years in this program is just one giant blur. Nevertheless, it is a blur of unforgettable experiences, hundreds of laughing fits, chatty editorial board meetings, neverending articles, and everlasting memories.

Flashback to the end of freshman year, when I received my acceptance to the program in a small glass bottle, I was so surprised and excited. Excited to be a journalist, excited to work with all the talented editors, and excited to call myself a staff writer of Paw Prints Weekly. At this time, I didn’t realize that this program would surpass all my expectations and impact my high school experience in more ways

By SAR AH CHUN FEATURES EDITOR

“I can’t believe this is it!” I say this in both an excited and melancholic tone.

It’s been three years. I remember first getting into Paw Prints at the end of freshman year and not knowing whether I should even do it. After some debate, I ended up continuing with Paw Prints, and even though not everything along the way was perfect, I’m glad I did.

With this being the end of my Paw Prints career, there are definitely some thank-you’s that need to be made.

But this farewell and thank-you message from me wouldn’t be right without a proper thesis statement: Throughout Sarah Chun’s three years in Paw Prints Weekly, she learned many valuable lessons, among them being the significance of support and friendship.

To Mel-- Thank you for being not only a good friend all these years but for doing journalism with me.

From fifth grade math all the way to senior year journalism, we’ve shared countless laughs. I’ll never forget all the weird videos we watched together and the mukbangs we did in class.

Chris-- Herro! It’s been really fun being your friend and fellow journalism student all these years.

than I could ever imagine.

Being Editor-in-Chief of Volume 51 is an honor that I will never take for granted and this isn’t a proper goodbye without a few major appreciations.

To Chris, thank you for being there with me since the beginning and going through everything with me since we joined the program together. You are my partner-in-crime, support system, and I am so blessed to have you in my life. This is not a goodbye because we will see each other so much in the summer but please know that I am forever thankful for you.

To Sarah, thank you for being such a good friend and going through everything with me. We have basically an endless number of memories in this class together and to have you by my side for everything is something I treasure greatly. From all the mukbangs, to ASMRs, to TLC shows, to different journalism groups over the years, you have been there

through it all and I am so grateful that it is you I get to experience it with.

To Michelle, thank you for being literally my favorite person ever. I’m not sure if this is something to be happy about but you make me laugh so much to points where I can’t even breathe or I feel like peeing my pants…

In all seriousness, you are such an amazing and unique person and I am so happy to have you in my life. Thank you for being everything that you are to me.

OKAY! GOOD! To Charley, thank you for being the most amazing co-Editorin-Chief and working through everything this year with me. I can’t imagine handling this year without you and having you every step of the way is a blessing in it of itself. We are so compatible together, whether it be bouncing ideas off each other, managing stressful situations, or even just building each other up, I am forever grateful to be able to work

with you.

To Justin, thank you for always making me laugh and helping us out whenever you can. Not having you in the program this year was a big downside but I am glad that you were able to contribute wherever you can. You are such a great friend to me even though you are kind of weird but it is ok. I wish you the absolute best in college and in the future when you are making bank with a six-figure salary.

To Sidney WONG, even though I don’t show it much, I am extremely grateful that I got to know you better this year because despite all the times you ridicule me or just TRASH me, you are an amazing friend and I appreciate you so much. You always manage to make me smile when I least expect it and we have had so many memories together with Reese that I will never forget and I hope to make many more this summer.

To Simon Yu, thank you for being the kindest and most down-to-earth freshman I know and I am so happy that we were able to become close this year.

We have had so many funny and memorable conversations and your advice is just sometimes so hilarious but at the same time very helpful HAHA. You are such a talented and dedicated individual and I already know that you will accomplish great things in your future. I wish you the best in your water fasts and know that you can come to me if you ever want to talk or need anything.

To Emma, thank you for being the best co-editor ever. Your first year in the program, I saw a lot of potential in you for your ability to write for sports and that talent

Your little comments were sometimes what got me through class...“And the link’s down below!” And please let me know when you choose between rich or buff.

Hi Justin-- Yeah sorry, I almost forgot about you. But nothing will ever make me forget the seven years (and running) friendship we’ve had. I’m glad you ended up joining journalism even though you doubleregistered this year. Thank you for copying my outfits and for being your cringe self. Harvey Mudd ABB! Michelle-- GOOD OKAY GOOD! I’m super thankful for all the inside jokes and memories we made through this program. Above all, we’ve developed a friendship so unique that we even have our own language dialect, and it’s something I’ll never forget. You’re one of the most talented writers I know and I’m glad and proud that you’ll be pursuing even more success in the future.

Hi Charley!!! Thank you for letting me make fun of you non-stop for the past three years. It must be annoying but thanks for putting up with me.

From government conspiracies and alien sightings, to teenage romance and family…. I could go on but you get it.

To Vincent-- words can’t explain how thankful I am for you that I won’t even start because that’s too

personal. You’re smart, talented, and one of the most empathetic and caring people I’ve ever known. I wish you good luck in journalism next year, I know you’ll do well.

Ms. Robles-- I never expressed my thanks to you, but truly, thank you for the chances and opportunities you’ve given me. I’ll never forget the words of encouragement you gave me after ELA-JEA and SCJEA this year.

And finally, to all the rest of the staff of Volumes 49, 50 and 51-- I didn’t really take the time to get to know all of you, but you all made an impact

on my high school journey. Thank you for being a part of journalism.

In the end, there were a lot of bumps not only through my journey through Paw Prints, but throughout high school. Despite this, I’m glad things turned out the way they did.

Not everything turns out the way you want it to. But everything serves as a growing and learning opportunity.

Paw Prints, you were honestly never my first priority. But you did make an impact on my life and I hope you continue to do the same for many to come.

And so concludes my farewell to

FEATURE

5

transitioned into your superior skills as an editor. Thank you for all your hard work and immense dedication to this program, we all appreciate you beyond words.

To Vincent, thank you for all your energy and knowledge about horoscopes… You basically seem like a senior to me because your knowledge is so mature. I am so thankful I got to know you better these couple years because you are such a wonderful person and I’m going to miss you so much. I wish you the best in your senior year and remember to not stress too much because you are such a capable person and I already know that you will be accomplishing great things in the future.

To the staff of Paw Prints Weekly Volume 51, thank you for all your hard work and dedication this year. I know at times it may not be easy especially with everything going on, but all of you managed to work through it and work together to create a fantastic paper.

And last but not least, thank you to Ms. Robles for everything that you do. This program is so fortunate to have someone who cares deeply for not only its success, but the students in it and our individual successes.

You have taught us so much, not only about journalism, but about growing up and handling all the curveballs that life can throw at us. Thank you for being so good to Charley and me this year and I am so happy I got to work with you as EIC. Melanie will be attending UC Santa Barbara in the fall as an actuarial science major. She would like to shoutout Victoria Kuang, her predecessor, for introducing her to bomb acai bowls.

Paw Prints. I really can’t believe it’s over: writing on Google Docs in this two-columned, Garamond, 10-pt font format. But I don’t give a “honeyed ham” because the time I had with Paw Prints was fulfilling.

So, with a light heart, I say thank you and goodbye, Paw Prints Weekly.

Sarah will be attending UC Riverside in the fall as a Pre-Business major and hopes to transfer to a university of her choice and then pursue her MBA at New York University. If all else fails, she will become a calligraphy artist.

FEATURE

6

Paw Prints Weekly

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

Paw Prints Weekly Volume

By MICHELLE HUANG EDITORIAL EDITOR

This is it.

The end of so many last minute ledes, almost-late drafts and endless laughter, but I don’t know what to feel.

On the one hand, the weekly marathon of cycling through writing and editing draft after draft has finally come to an end.

On the other, however, my two years of amazing, supportive friends and family in an organization on campus that is absolutely unparalleled in energy and team dynamic has suddenly halted. And so, it’s finally time to say goodbye.

Time to say goodbye to an organization that has shaped and pushed me to be the person I am today, and the person I never thought I would become just a mere three years ago.

Through this program, I have forged lasting friendships with people who share my passion for writing, my interests to inform others and, most importantly, my sense of humor.

With that said, this wouldn’t be a proper goodbye without a few special thanks to those who most impacted me on my journey on the newspaper staff.

So, thank you Mel for being my friend in and out of journalism, always laughing with me (or at me; who knows?) Thank you for always being there for me and teaching me to be more carefree about the little things in life.

You’re one of the most open, caring, and understanding people I have met, and I just know that you will succeed in all of your future endeavors, and I can’t wait

By CHARIS QI ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

“So, why do you want to join this program?”

As a timid freshman, I looked at the five upperclassmen interviewing me, almost trembling because I was so nervous. I was too scared to look into their intimidating eyes.

After what seemed like eternity (but in reality only a few seconds), I opened my mouth to answer.

To be honest, I now do not remember a single word of my answer. What I do remember,

to see what you accomplish in the future!

Thank you, Vincent for basically being my co-editor this year when things got too hectic for me.

Thank you for pulling through and writing and co-writing so many editorials with me. And of course, thank you for all the jokes and laughter that you brought to the class that kept the class lighthearted. As I leave this chapter of my life behind, I know that you will continue to strengthen our newspaper, and I can’t wait to read the next articles that you help produce next year!

Thank you, Charley for the two pretzels that I ate from you while I am writing this goodbye. And, I guess you were a great EIC. I really loved your picnic table stocking, okay? Also, thank you for always stepping up during IB Biology when no one else talked.

Thank YOU, Sarah, for all of the kindness that you have given me these past two years, from the moment I stepped foot in Mr. Pham’s Biology class last year to this very day. You are by FAR one of the kindest, funniest, and smartest individuals that I have ever met in my life. I am so glad that YOUUU made yourself a foreground in my life because I really, truly could not picture my high school experience without you in it. So, thank you for everything, first from the constant laughs in bio (“I’m gonna need to escort you out of the building,” and the safari outfits) to now, with our own way of speech that is far too robotic, but unique all the same. Like you said, WEEE need to stay foregrounds in each others’ lives okay? GOOD, OKAY, GOOD.

though hazily, is receiving that small bottle that held my acceptance letter to Paw Prints, visiting the counselor’s office every day for a week at the beginning of sophomore year because the Journalism class was not on my schedule, and eventually making the decision of dropping one of my other classes in order to be in Journalism.

Then came one of the most difficult challenges I had to face.

Not only did I have to produce a written work in a short amount of time, I was forced to step out of my comfort zone. I became the same

Thank you, Jenibelle for being such a supportive and kind friend throughout both of these years, and for struggling through IB with me :,) You are such an amazing writer, and you are just so smart all-around. Your support and kindness every day pushed me to be able to edit weekly this year, even when I was so stressed, and I am so grateful that I got close to you through Paw Prints.

Thank you, Chris for making the program so interesting. Even though you do not even talk and sit in the backest corner of the room you are still funny and GOOD thing youuu did not resign okay good.

Thank you, Simone for literally being the best freshman ever! You work so hard on everything you do, and I just know that you will achieve amazing things in the future, and you should know that I will always be rooting for you.

Thank you for always having

your drafts done by Monday or Tuesday. Thank you for just being the absolute kindest person ever!

Thank you Emma and Carol for pulling through with the website and layouts each and every week, without fail. Without you guys, all of our writing and editing would have no place to go to inform our school community.

Thank you for keeping the program running, and good luck to you guys next year :) Thank you Mrs. Robles for being the truly amazing adviser that you are. You always kept us in check to make sure we were still doing our work on top of all the fun we had in the program. Thank you for always looking for new ways to improve our newspaper and for being as dedicated as you are. Thank you for giving us this creative space for us to express all of our interests and compile them onto

one successful newspaper issue every single week.

Thank you to every one of my friends in and out of journalism who encouraged me to foster and develop my interests throughout high school.

And last but not least, thank you to everyone on the staff of Volume 51 for making every moment of my senior year in Paw Prints Weekly count. I can’t wait to see the things you talented people achieve in the years to come!

So for the last time this year, I write the conclusion of an article—this time, to end one fulfilling chapter of my life and begin another.

Michelle will be attending UC Berkeley in the fall as a Political Science major. She hopes to relearn to talk normally so she can make friends in college, despite all the fun she had saying, “OKAY, GOOD” to everyone this year.

nervous ball of wreck every time I had to go up to a stranger and request an interview for an article.

Over time, I questioned myself.

Why did I want to join this program? It was terrified freshman me all over again, sitting in front of the upperclassmen, struggling to find words to justify my thoughts and actions.

Yet I did not notice that I was changing. I did not notice that there was a little less butterflies in my stomach every time I talked to a stranger. I did not notice that I was voluntarily striking up more conversations with people I was

not close with. I did not realize that class presentations were getting less nerve-wracking. Most importantly, I did not realize that I was changing: I was no longer afraid to talk, to converse, to enjoy my interactions with other people.

Before I get to my conclusion, I would like to thank a couple of people first because without them, I would not even have a conclusion.

Thank you Charley, for being the coolest co-editor I could ever ask for and for believing in me as an editor.

Thank you Jenibelle, Kayte and Simone for being the best table mates and for making Paw Prints fun and for making Journalism one of the highlights of my high school years.

Thank you, past editors, for teaching me, for being patient with all my mistakes and showing me how to fix them. I will be forever grateful to you guys for the writer I am today.

Thank you to all the staff members for your hard work and for coming up with all the creative ideas that make our newspaper special.

Thank you to all my fellow editors for always putting in the most time and your best efforts to make our newspaper what it is today. I admire all of you for the all the special flairs that you guys bring to Journalism.

Thank you, Mrs. Robles, for always being there to support us.

Thank you for your dedication and the encouragement you give us.

And just a quick word of advice to the Paw Prints Weekly Volume 52 staff: Write as you. Take it from me; I have changed this draft numerous times in the past couple of days in an attempt to make it unique, but finally settled on simply writing words from myself.

Trust me, it works.

Looking back, I see my timid freshman self, not only looking at the upperclassmen, but looking at present me, begging for an answer.

I still cannot answer my freshman self. But what I can do is answer the question I have to my present self: “Was it worth it, joining Paw Prints?”

Yes, it was. Paw Prints has not only changed my writing for the better, but has changed me for the better.

Thank you, Paw Prints Weekly, for all the great memories these past three years. And thank you, for allowing me to find myself along the way.

Charis will be studying as a linguistics major at UC Davis in the fall. One day she hopes to become a teacher or speech therapist. If nothing works out, she will live with all her rich and successful high school friends.

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

Paw Prints Weekly

FEATURE

51 Senior Goodbyes

By JENIBELLE HSU PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

Dear Vol. 51 staff, Oh, hi guys! How are you guys doing?

Throughout your high school career, you probably answered

By CHRISTOPHER CHAN VISUALS EDITOR

Journalism for me was... quite an experience. Yet, my high school year is f inally over. And I am really grateful for my peers in dance team and my coaches for pushing me on this journey.

Dance team instilled in me the values of communication and organization, but it most importantly taught me leadership. I never had a real leadership role until my time on dance— where I worked my tail off, like I do in all my

By KAYTE CHIEN ARTIST It’s almost time for the senior class to graduate.

I’m fi nally saying goodbye to this school and, of course, to Journalism. I was only in this class for two years, and for one of them I never even spent time

that in many colorful ways.

Perhaps, you slept late the last night because you were cramming for your tests, or finishing your drafts in between mountains of homework or making our newspaper layouts for our next issue. On the flip side, perhaps you and your friends planned to rob a boba store and drink all

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have made me into the writer and editor I am today, and I cannot thank you all enough for all your support and dedication.

In the years to come, I hope that you will continue to grow as writers, artists, graphic designers, photographers, editors and individuals, in and out of the program. Lastly, for Vol. 52, I wish you guys the best of luck in continuing Paw Prints Weekly’s legacy of granting students a voice on campus.

If you ever have time, please write me back. I would love to hear about all you will achieve and all the places you will go.

the boba milk tea in the world. .

However, through all the good days and bad days, you pulled through issue after issue for our small team of journalists. Behind the scenes, you have dedicated countless hours toward perfecting your draft or artwork and editing column after column, so I just want to shout THANK YOU to

all you amazingly talented and hardworking people that made Paw Prints Weekly possible.

Now, I am at a major writer’s block. I respect and admire you all so much that I am speechless.

In the end, I am just hesitant to say “goodbye.” I hope these are not my last words to you guys, but just in case, I prepared some notes...

To Vincent: you are the best coeditor I could ever ask for. Thank you for working alongside me this year and for making me a better editor.

To Kayte, Charis, Michelle and Belinda: thanks for all the love and laughs in Paw Prints hahahahaha.

To Emma and Carol: you guys are actually miracle workers.

Every Friday at 8 pm, the website is magically updated with a fresh batch of articles, and every month, a stack of complete newspapers suddenly materialize at the front gates. With each so-called miracle, both of you have sacrificed Friday nights and restful sleep, and for that, I will forever owe you one.

To my previous editors: you

art. I could have gone through high school without joining Paw Prints Weekly, but my high school experience wouldn’t have been nearly has fun as it was now. Journalism has helped shape me into the person I am today: someone who can make her deadlines and draw a black and white illustration in under twenty minutes.

Jokes aside, I really am thankful for the way Journalism has tempered my work ethic.

Drawing quickly is a skill that I am glad to have obtained, and the satisfaction of turning in my work on time and seeing my fi nished art published and distributed is what really endeared me to this class. Being an artist for Journalism has turned me into a better artist in general, and I’ll defi nitely use the skills I’ve gained here to help me in the future.

Of course, I’m also extremely thankful for the people in Journalism. In fact, though I’m thankful for Journalism itself, it’s the people that really shaped the class for me, and I want to put my gratitude into a visible message.

To Michelle: YOUUU have been one of my CLOSEST friends this year, so I am thanking YOUUU in my SENIOR GOODBYE. I’m glad you came from Troy because that led to us becoming friends and being able to graduate together, OKAY. I made a lot

of good memories with you and I’m glad you ended up joining the friend group we have now.

If I wasn’t double registering I would’ve had a lot of fun in class with you! Th anks for being my friend!

To Jenibelle and Charis: thanks for being my friends during these four years of high school! We don’t talk as much as we did when we did badminton together or when I actually showed up in the classroom for Journalism, but I still consider you guys my friends and hope that you both have fun in the future, after we graduate and split up.

And fi nally to Ms. Robles: thank you for supervising Journalism for all these years!

Th is class has come to mean a lot to me and I’m glad I could be a part of it with you!

Kayte will be attending California Polytechnic State University as a Computer Science major in the fall. She hopes to make money while pursuing her hobbies at college and enjoys drawing with digital art programs.

Best wishes, Jenibelle.

Jenibelle will be attending UCLA in the fall as a Biochemistry major.

She hopes to help patients in a hospital one day, but if all else fails, she plans to crash at her friends’ dorms and catch up on Game of Thrones because that’s what everyone has been talking about these days.

extracurriculars.

Moreover, my time in dance fostered a sense of respect for my advisor.

There I was taken seriously, and I was seen as a real contribution to the dance program.

My advisors also garnered my respect because they were always honest and fair with me.

I’m going to miss Glen A. Wilson and the lessons I learned along the way.

Thank you Journalism and Mrs. Robles and the friends I met along the way!

Chris will be attending Mt Sac and plans on pursuing business accounting.

in the classroom, but when I say that I had fun being a part of Pawprints I mean it.

Th is isn’t just a goodbye, it’s a thank you message.

Th ank you, Journalism, for giving me an experience no other class could ever provide for me, for giving me the friends I made through this class, and for rekindling the love I had for

8 FEATURE

Paw Prints Weekly

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

Paw Prints Weekly Volume

By BELINDA KUO STAFF WRITER

Without realizing, my senior year has already reached its end. As graduation draws nearer, I cannot help but ref lect on my high school experiences, one of which is my time at Paw Prints Weekly.

A lthough I joined Paw Prints for only one year, this program is one I hold dear to my heart. As someone rather shy and reserved, I loved having a platform to express my thoughts and concerns that others may relate to.

Despite staying up until odd hours to f inish an article, I not only learned how to write better, but I also became more willing to step outside my comfort zone and learned more about myself than through any other program.

A lthough daunting at f irst, Paw Prints taught me that interviewing different people for news or writing about sports is not as terrif ying as it seems. In fact, I learned that I could talk to other people outside my friend group and I could write a whole three columns on a sport I could barely understand. I learned that communication between

By TIFFANY CHAN ARTIST A picture can tell a thousand words, and yet words could paint the most vivid image and tell a story. Whether that’s a good story or not though... that depends of course, on the viewer.

Since I can not use my pencils or graphic tablet, my words will have to suffice. The first stroke of the pencil reveals the scene of a young girl drawing in lined notebooks and doodling her vivid imagination into reality. A messy, silly girl who explored the depths of her mind to create whatever she wanted. Always drew as a

writers and editors is very important, and that editors aren’t as scary as they seem.

With that said, I would like to thank my editors. Thank you Melanie and Charley for running this program.

You are amazing EICs and editors! Thank you for acting intimidating and making sure we all get our work done.

To Charis: thank you for letting me write my K-Pop articles and for keeping me updated with what was happening in class.

To Emma: thank you for editing my sports articles so my lack of understanding of sports is not as obvious. To Justin: thank you for making writing for news so enjoyable and eff icient.

To Carol: thank you for updating the articles every Friday at 8 PM. I always look for ward to refreshing the page and f inding all our hard work from that week.

To Michelle: thank you for making me sound smarter than I am in my editorials.

I loved co-writing with you and I hope we have a chance to co-write again in the future. To Jenibelle and Vincent: I will miss writing perspectives articles for you guys. Thank you for letting

hobby, yet a part of her would strive to do something more.

Always wished to participate and do something beautiful with that pencil, but too afraid to take that step forward.

Always watched as her high school years passed by, one color at a time.

Junior year came to a close, and her friend Christina Quach convinced her to take a risk and join Paw Prints Weekly. Of course, that fear crept in again and doubt whispered in that sensitive heart that she could never be good enough. Another stroke, and yet her steps brought her into that interview room.

Shaky hands and jumbled thoughts collided as the

me write my heart out in topics that are dear to me and letting me heal in the process. Thanks to you amazing editors, I survived writing with all the workload and chaos in my life.

Most importantly, thank you everyone this year for an unforgettable experience. I never pictured myself joining Paw Prints senior year, but my high school experience would not be complete without it.

In retrospect, joining Paw Prints was one of the best decisions I made in high school. Even though it has only been one year, I have become so much closer to people I never would have talked to and am so thankful everyone in Paw Prints. I loved being a part of an amazing group of photographers, artists, writers and editors. I wish Paw Prints the best of luck for next year and years to come!

So I guess this is farewell.

Thank you all yet again and I hope to see you again very soon.

Belinda will attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the fall and will be studying Business Administration. She hopes to create her own entertainment management company some day. If that doesn’t work out, she will ask her friends to swipe her in with their meal cards and binge-watch Netf lix shows in their dorms.

chaotic sketch filled the scene.

A conf lict of ideas clashed in her mind. The girl presented herself as best she could amidst her fear, and eventually that acceptance letter fell into her hands. Suddenly, the colors blended into a beautiful scene.

One by one, the details all fell into place and the strokes began to connect into something beautiful. She found her place in a quaint little table of friends. Annmarie, who was warm and easy to blend with like a vibrant yellow. Adrian, who was awkward but friendly like a cool shade of bluegreen. Henry, who always had a snarky retort and insult to share like a shade of black.

A single year, a final year,

a memorable year was finally added into the blends of her painting. Carefully folded into the intricate details, memories capture her nights spent with the RWMA. Stories were being told from the carefully crafted friendships that were lost and gained. Happiness being framed by those who support and love her.

Joining Paw Prints Weekly was perhaps a delayed inevitability, yet in her eyes a memorable experience. Finally, she could be proud of the things she could create as she spent hours on art or the occasional article if up to the task. A fitting conclusion for the artist with a desire for challenge. Her palette finally came to a rest beside her as she admired the art that resulted from her high school experience. As her eyes shifted to the blank canvas next to her, she was ready to start her next masterpiece.

As a final note, genuinely thank you to every single friend I’ve made through my high school career! In particular, Anabelle Solorzano is the real MVP who always puts up with my limitless energy and is the best homo homie a girl could ask for.

B) Brianna, Anna, Matt, and all the others who have the unfortunate responsibility of spending time with me, thank you for dealing with my stupidity. :’) Not forgetting those in the RWMA who I’ve quite literally shed blood, sweat, and tears

with, Michelle Young, who’s going to be a great leader next year! Andrea Gregorio who’s always a warm addition. Emily Plascencia, and of course every other person I’m missing I’m extending a big thank you to!

Big shout out to my teachers as well, especially Mr. Torres for always being lots of fun and supporting the band, as well as believing in me. Ms. Rouw for teaching her students all the important things in life (and English, of course)! Also, Ms. Robles for hosting Paw Prints and granting me and the others a wonderful experience!

Finally, I want to thank my family and some of my closest friends. My best friend L.E. that, despite being separated by a state border, still managed to take the kids. Thanks to them, anyways, for always giving me so much support and being my safe haven. Lydia, who sends me the most cursed images to make me laugh and always being a lovely person. My group chat friends Kate, Rin, Charlene, Sapir, and Lea who will always love me and help me when I need them. Lots of big love to everyone who have brought happiness to my life!

It’s been a very, very beautiful yet chaotic four years, but thank you! :) Tiffany’s next stop is Mt. Sac to start her path towards being a high school counselor and perhaps continue pursuing art as a minor. She hopes everyone reading this will find their way through life and have happiness!

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

Paw Prints Weekly

FEATURE

51 Senior Goodbyes

By HENRY HSIA STAFF WRITER This might sound cliche, but despite only joining Paw Prints Weekly this year, I would not be the same person without it.

Paw Prints has been the most unique, enlightening and overall fun experience of my high school life, and I would not trade it for the world.

I vividly recall seeing a giant poster advertising Paw Prints Weekly, and being impressed by an actual application process, with an interview and everything. I still recall desperately trying to fish a joke out of my shallow repertoire, and landing on something along the lines of this: “A guy in the soviet union was thrown in prison for criticizing Karl Radek. He is in the cell with two other men, and asks one: ‘What are you in here for?’ The man replies: ‘I was thrown in here for supporting Karl Radek.’ Confused, both men turned to the last man in the cell, who said: ‘I am Karl Radek.’” The execution was not

very good.

Despite my botched attempt at humor, I was pleasantly surprised to be accepted into the program with open arms. The first few weeks were a struggle, trying to keep up with the interviews, the edits and all of the other work involved with Paw Prints.

But I quickly adjusted to the weekly publishing schedule and it became the cornerstone of my senior year experience.

The hard work everyone put into Paw Prints Weekly was evident from my first day. Never have I seen a group of students so committed to a project like this, and I was impressed. I wanted to be a cog in the well-oiled machine that was Paw Prints Weekly.

I still recall how excited I was to write my first editorial article, and how anxious I was to present my topic to all of my peers on the editorial board. I remember shifting through previous editorial articles, examining their structure and the intricate detail put into every one of them.

Obviously, my writing skills

and work ethic improved tremendously throughout the year. Writing a new article every week does that to you.

But more importantly, I made an unbelievable number of new friends in the program. My senior year would not have been the same without you guys.

To Adrian, thank you for being the best friend a journalism student can ask for. I enjoyed our goofy ways of passing the time, including our terrible renditions of “How Far I’ll Go” and “Let it Go,” as well as quizzing each other on the countries of the world every day. I think I doubled the number of countries I can name off the top of my head this year. Don’t let some minor failures take away from all of the hard-work I’ve seen you put in this year, keep your head high and persevere. I hope to see you at UC Santa Barbara in two years!

To Tiffany, Annmarie, Candice and Alex, thank you for brightening up my day, everyday in the class. I had fun at ELAJEA, and despite saying

the opposite, I am still proud of you all for the effort you put in daily. A special thanks to Rani, for always cheerfully greeting me, your small acts of kindness really made my day.

To Sarah and Michelle, thank you for being the most diligent and hard- working editors a writer can ask for. Hanging out with you guys all day at SCJEA was perhaps the most fun I had all year, and really changed my perspective on the editors in our program. Thank you so much for being so supportive through our college admissions decisions, I will always remember facetiming you guys right before the UCLA decision released, and having my anxiety fade away under all of our goofiness.

Michelle, you think yoooooouuu can just place second at SCJEA? And to Sarah, you really inspired me to work hard and persevere this year, watching you join Gil Cisneros’ campaign and receive a scholarship from Ian Calderon was a wake up call for me to try my hardest as well. Thank you for always making fifth period my most exciting period of the day. H, pump it up pump it up, E-N, keep it going keep it going, R-Y, what up what up, H-E-NR-Y. I would not be where I am today without you, and I am certain that your disappointing college results are not indicative of the bright future you have.

To Ms. Robles, thank you for being such a great advisor and staying on top of us when we get complacent. Thank you for all of the time and effort you have sunk into the program, journalism wouldn’t have been the same with anyone else!

To Justin Yeh, thank you for being the most diligent and helpful news editor an aspiring staff writer can ask for. No way could I have gotten 4th place at

9

ELAJEA without you.

To Vincent, thank you for being an inspiring perspectives editor and a good friend. You gave me a different perspective on haircuts, and I am sure you got that 5 on the APUSH test!

To Melanie and Charley, thank you for being the most capable Editors-in-Chief I know. I really enjoyed being Editor-in-Chief for a day, and wish you the best of luck on your future endeavors.

And of course, how could I forget Colleen and Emma?

Journalism wouldn’t have been the same without our friendly banter, nor would have watching Avengers: Endgame been the same. Thank you Colleen, for reminding me everyday that I got rejected from Washington University. But don’t worry, there are plenty more movies I can spoil for you in the future.

Thank you Emma and Carol, for being such diligent and vital components of our program, we wouldn’t know what to do without you two! And finally, thank you Emma for being such a supportive friend. I love all of you 3000.

My senior year experience would have been truly incomplete without all of you at Paw Prints Weekly. I will finish my tenure as a staff writer with a quote from one of my favorite speeches. “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” Never be satisfied and continue pushing yourself forward. Always be willing to do what others say can’t be done. Thank you all for everything!

Henry will be attending UC Santa Barbara in the fall as a Economics major, and hopes to change the world as a lawyer. Or maybe just change the way you binge watch YouTube as a computer scientist. He hopes to stay hungry and foolish, and will always enjoy an overly embarrassing rendition of your favorite Disney song.

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

We are so incredibly proud of you and all that you accomplished this year. Thank you for your insurmountable dedication to this program and we wish you only the best in the future.

10 PERSPECTIVES

Paw Prints Weekly

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

PERSPECTIVES

The internet’s misinformation crisis

By ALEXANDER CASTO STAFF WRITER

The internet can be a useful source of facts and information, but what happens when these facts become fictitious?

Many people rely on the internet for trustworthy news and information.

Yet due to sensationalist standards, and the desire to be correct, the pandemic that is misinformation is being spread both intentionally and unintentionally.

Moreover, the growing surge of misinformation on the internet, can be attributed to a few provocative or convincing statements which are rebranded as “new information.”

This corruption of informational sources on the internet represents the tendency of society to perpetuate confirmation bias, hindering individuals from forming their own opinions.

People who are in the wrong will manipulate information in order to trick innocent viewers into falling in line with their agendas.

The act of purposely spreading misinformation is an unjust practice which can have deadly consequences.

One of the main problems of false information is that it is hard to pinpoint the sources. Sources often get lost in the debates for correctness. Anonymous media distribution allows anyone to share falsified information without having to check the origins or merit of the post. One image or statement can be spread to countless number of people, without any clue of who first created it.

This growing trend of

sensationalism entails featuring shocking or surprising stories to incite an emotional response in exchange for both accuracy and truth. This helps to spread misinformation as the eye-catching pieces gain lots of attention and fly mostly under the radar of fact checkers and consumers.

What’s more, social media platforms such as Twitter

popularity rather than display factual information. This lessens the value of honorable journalism.

Due to this system, it allows anyone to have their, regardless of whether the information comes from trustworthy or respectable sources.

With as many fact checkers and secondary sources there are in today’s highly aware society, sources

public creates a very dangerous environment for new sources.

Readers can no longer trust the information they had come to believe.

Yet, this distrust extends into trustworthy sources as well: the lack of trust between outlets and the reader.

Take, for example, the antivaccination movement sweeping

and Facebook incite the wild misinformation fire that rages across the internet. In essence, social media websites use a program called a learning algorithm which learns what users like and displays posts based on the user’s preference.

Because “sensational” posts are more likely to catch the viewers eyes, messages are created to gain

that publish misinformation are regularly outed. However, this creates a hyper-active audience that is quick to isolate any incorrect fact they see. Companies and publishers can be called out for any errors, whether intentional or unintentional.

By creating such a hostile environment for mistakes, the

the nation as a result of this maelstrom of misinformation.

The National Center for Disease Control states that the growing movement of individuals who fear vaccines are lresponsible for the return of the deadly measles. A public poll by the Royal Society for Public Health in May of 2018 found that 40% of more than

2,500 participants had recently seen an advertisement or post containing untruthful or purposely misleading statistics regarding vaccinations.

This group operates under the impression that they know more information than normal citizens that is “more trustworthy” proven sources. These skeptics tend to over-analyze arguments even when analyzing credible sources. In doing so, they create confirmation bias handpicking the information they choose to believe and viewing evidence for their pre-existing views.

As Forbes Magazine stated, any given person is 84% more likely to believe information showed to you by someone you trust. By limiting the sources you receive information from, it increases the likelihood something will be incorrect.

While some of this circulating misinformation may have been made intentionally misleading, some are simply unknowingly spread by concerned viewers repeating blatantly fabricated information that was shared with them. Because of this, information is primarily circulated between similar-minded groups and people. This has an echo-chamber effect, which creates no space for competing opinions and blows problems out of proportions.

Over time, an advanced tool that began as an attempt to provide crucial knowledge to those in need of it became corrupted. People started posting misinformation and fake facts and began to disrupt the necessary bond between source and consumer.

ART/TIFFANY CHAN

Paddling through the tidal wave

By BELINDA KUO AND JENIBELLE HSU STAFF WRITER AND PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

Picture a duck, gliding on the crystal blue waters of a pond. To the human eye, this image is calm, serene and pleasant—or so it seems. But if you look underwater, the duck is furiously pedaling to stay af loat.

This analogy can be translated to the all-too-familiar faces of students painting a brave smile amidst the chaos of finals and projects. Coined by Stanford University students, “duck syndrome” describes the phenomenon among college students to appear at ease in face of adversity. However, adopting this “fake it until you make it” mentality will only make students more vulnerable to feelings of hopelessness and loneliness.

To begin, duck syndrome can negatively affect students mentally and academically.

In high schools, we are lucky

enough to have amazing support systems rooting for us throughout the year. However, in college, the encouragement of freedom may make it may be rather daunting to ask for help from a friend, family member or school faculty member when everyone appears to be thriving and the professors are more focused on their research than their 300 students. While your classmates earn A’s on exams and score internships at reputable companies, you may be struggling to do seemingly simple tasks. In believing that you are alone in confronting your social and academic challenges, your sense of security and confidence plummet, which may result in depression, anxiety and suicide.

However, the masked reality is that many students are in the same rocky boat.

Behind the scenes, high school and college students with the near-perfect grades and an impressive list of achievements are often paddling frantically to maintain their highachieving image, constantly

embroiled in their own worries and insecurities just like their classmates.

All too often, students feel pressured to shove down their academic and personal struggles, quietly risking their mental health, for the sake of conforming with their carefree classmates in the tranquil pond that is their school. But at what cost? According to a study conducted by Harvard Medical School researchers, one in four college students reported being diagnosed with or treated for a mental health disorder, and one in five students attempted suicide. In fact, suicide is the second most common cause of death among college students and the third most common cause of death among teenagers and young adults between the ages of 10 to 24.

As modern society glorifies workaholism and shames “laziness” among students, we have increasingly undermined the importance of the self-care and instilled shame in those who seek help. Nonetheless, as shown through the terrifying

statistics of student suicide across the nation, the threat of “duck syndrome” should not be underestimated. Especially in today’s hyper-competitive atmosphere in high schools and universities, sleeping for more than six hours has become an unspoken disgrace among students. Assuming that “others have it worst,” fewer students are willing to seek help when they feel overwhelmed. In fact, a 2008 study conducted by the American Foundation for Suicidal Screening Project at Emory University discovered that only 16% of students with suicidal thoughts and 14% of students with depression were receiving treatment. Without open discussion between students about their academic stress and challenges, people may misjudge their own mental well-being and ask for help when the damage is already done.

By no means am I saying to students should not work hard. Just as ducks can swim long distances by persistently paddling across the choppy

waters, we students must be motivated to paddle consistently in order to greet success at the other side of the pond. Rather, we must find a healthy balance between paddling too much and too little. It is important to try our very best in every grueling situation we encounter while still voicing our struggles to those around us. With a balance, we can create our own sense of identity and learn more about ourselves in the process.

In retrospect, the pristine images that students conjure for the public eye are oftentimes mere illusions to the despair boiling beneath the surface.

Though it is tempting to retain your mask of perfection, battling duck syndrome starts with you. Unveil your true, vulnerable self in the company of caring friends, family members or school counselors, and you may grow stronger, wiser and happier. As Dory from Finding Nemo says, “just keep swimming.” Or in the case of duck syndrome, just keep paddling.

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019

Paw Prints Weekly

OPINION

ENTERTAINMENT

11

OPINION Despite lack of viewers, the Billboard Awards are a must-watch

By CAROL LI ONLINE EDITOR

The Billboard Awards are everything fans want: live performances, shiny trophies establishing recognition and many favorite artists all in one place. What more could they ask for?

The annual Billboard Music awards by the American entertainment media Billboard, features numerous categories of awards that artists may compete in depending on their style and music. In some categories, such as Billboard Chart Achievement, fans are even able to vote for the winner.

On May 1, 2019, the awards show was held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. With captivating performances by top artists like Taylor Swift and BTS, the billboard music awards should appeal and draw many viewers in; However, this year’s viewing records dropped to an all time low.

Despite this, the show should be given

more attention due to its significance, recognition and opportunities it gives to artists.

At the start of the show, singer Taylor Swift and singer Brendon Urie brings a confetti filled performance of their new single“Me!” The song celebrates being an individual, and accepting the unique characteristics of oneself. The song provides a perfect example to Swift’s fanbase, especially to young girls who are bombarded with the stereotypes set in magazines and movies. Applicable in many aspects of life, the song’s positive message indicates to fans be embrace who they are, no matter what.

Swift was followed by singer Kelly Clarkson, who has been hosting the show for two consecutive years.

The “American Idol” star appeared on stage to perform multiple recordbreaking songs from a variety of artists, including “Meant to Be,” “East Side, “Boo’d Up,” and “Girls Like You.” Overall, Clarkson performances was a great way to lift the audience’s spirits.

Not only does the Billboard Awards acknowledge singers, but it also provides these artists with a platform to share their thoughts, whether it be on society’s issues or explain the meaning and purpose behind their songs. For example, as Imagine Dragons accepted their award for Top Rock Artist, the band decided to take a moment and discuss the importance of LGBTQ rights, as well as the unhumane actions taken against LGBTQ individuals, such as shock therapy. In addition, Drake also gave a tribute to his inspirations Avicii, Mac Miller, XXXtentacion as he accepted the award for Top Male Artist. Because of shows such as Billboards Awards, famous artists are able to shine a light on the issues in our society, which can be impactful to the world as these celebrities have extremely large fanbases.

Speaking of large fanbases, Korean boy group Bangtan boys (bts) certainly fits the category. The group debuted in America just a year ago, and their

admirers are exponentially everyday.

After BTS’s performance of their newest hit “Boy with Luv” featuring Halsey, the coordinated dance moves and costumes allows the audience to understand why there are so many BTS enthusiasts in the world.

However, BTS was not the only band that caught the audience’s attention. After one decade, the Jonas Brothers reunited and have made a special appearance on the Billboard Awards, singing their single “Sucker.”

For individuals who have been listening to their songs when the Jonas Brothers had first begun their band, it is a sight for sore eyes, not to mention the very catchy beat of their hit.

Most importantly, before people decide to switch the channel and skip a viewing of the Billboard Awards, consider the fact that Madonna spent five million dollars for her performance “Medellin” with singer Maluma on the Billboard Awards.

Letting everyone know that she takes the performance seriously, Madonna

is not afraid to produce a show that viewers will never forget. Complete with holograms and strategic props, Madonna is sure the woo and provide the audience with an original, innovative show.

Last but not the least in the slightest, Mariah Carey concluded the show with multiple performances of hits throughout her career, such as “No,” “Always Be My Baby,” and “Emotions.” After accepting the Icon Award, Carey dedicated a meaningful and moving speech to her fans, saying that “They have lifted me out of the depths of hell and brought me back with their devotion and love,” which ended the Billboard awards show on a sentimental and impactful note.

Overall, the Billboard Music Awards definitely was a great watch; while it may be overshadowed by other celebrity-curated events, it is important as fans and the public to understand the importance and significance the show may bring to artists and singers.

Eccentric Met Gala fashion captivates audiences in different ways

By COLLEEN GAPUZAN STAFF WRITER

The theme was camp, not zoo.

On May 6th, the 2019 Met Gala was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Throughout the night, actors, musicians, influencers and industry paragons alike strode down the pink carpet in the biggest event on the fashion fundraising calendar.

To put in perspective, the benefit was first held in 1948 to encourage donations from the high society of New York, founded by publicist Eleanor Lambert.

Iconic faces from the realms of art, music, sports, film and fashion come together in their modern incarnation to raise money for the Met’s Costume Institute and celebrate the grand opening of their latest exhibition.

Every year, the gala revolves around the theme of the new exhibition, respectively.

For the Met Gala 2019, co-chairs Lady Gaga, Harry Styles, Serena Williams and Alessandro Michele hosted an evening honoring pieces from the most elaborate to the most elegant under the theme Camp: Notes on Fashion.

Subsequently, curator in charge of the

Costume Institute, Andrew Bolton, based off this year’s theme from American writer Susan Sontag’s seminal 1964 essay Notes on “Camp,” which ultimately emphasizes extravagant, boundary-breaking ensembles in artlessly mannered fashion.

Although many celebrities were able to uniquely capture the essence of camp culture, others fell short and proved they might have been better off not attending.

As one of the night’s co-chairs along with Lady Gaga and Serena Williams, Harry Styles’ hand-selected ensemble seemed to disappoint fans, which made its way to the Met’s most boring looks of the night. Styles proceeded down the pink carpet with an all-black Gucci jumpsuit with a ruffled top and matching slacks, missing the mark in what critics are calling “too conservative for camp.” Regardless of his attempt to disregard the expected, standard masculinity, and instead promote a more eccentric aura which uniquely expressed his individuality, the whole outfit overall unfortunately was the pinnacle of both safe and sorry.

Speaking of ensembles that did not need a second glance, the “playing it safe” trend ultimately continued throughout the night. For instance, celebrity couple

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West seemed to lack knowledge of this year’s theme, strutting down the pink carpet in a brown body-tight dress and a tracksuit.

Considering that Kim’s dress took “eight months in the making,” you would think that she would make sure her piece was on theme. On the other hand, if her husband’s outfit seemed like something he had picked up a half- an-hour at Nike prior, it’s safe to say that the couple was more focused on the event itself, rather than making a true statement.

Moreover, music artists such as Frank OceanandShawnMendeswerealsohighly criticized on their fashion choices. Arriving at the Met in a plain, all-black Prada hoodie and slacks, fans were left wondering if the ironic contrarian attended as a guest, or was hired as one of the gala’s security guards. In addition, proceeding with the supremely boring all-black look, singer Shawn Mendes walked down the carpet wearing a simple Saint Laurent suit with black piping and minor flourishes for uniqueness. Despite the musician’s attempt to entertain the camp culture, all he managed to entertain was that he clearly was just another male attendee—not from the fashion world.

Aside from Hollywood’s elite, many

popular influencers such as beauty guru James Charles were given the opportunity to take part in fashion’s biggest night.

However, when graciously invited to such a prestigious event, one must be responsible for not only their appearance in terms of fashion, but through their character.

Immediately, Charles not only received an immense amount of criticism for his “Coachella Weekend 3” ensemble—a seethrough top made out of safety pins with black satin Alexander Wang cargo-type pants—but on what he had to say about the event, which ultimately struck a contentious conversation on social media. Many were enraged that he had posted saying that he was a catalyst for “influencer representation,” and was accused of comparing privileged influencers to marginalized groups to fight for representation in their respective field.

Regardless, if the YouTuber decided to create mass controversy, he could at least do us all a favor and follow the Met theme instead of showing up for a music festival three weeks late.

Despite the various mixed opinions on this year’s gala, a numerous amount of celebrities undoubtedly stole the night, and thankfully saved it.

For the most magical night in fashion,

actressZendayautterlyspokeitintoexistence.

To start off, the star arrived in a stunning blue and black corseted Tommy Hilfiger ballgown, thanks to her stylist Law Roach, who accompanied Zendaya as her “fairy godstylist,” making the dress illuminate with a wave of a wand. In addition to the lights, special effects including smoke added to the dramatic entrance, creating one of the most iconic moments of the night. For the grand finale, the actress made her way up the Met stairs “accidentally” leaving one of her glass slippers, then proceeded to change into a pink dress once inside, alluding to princess Cinderella’s story. From her campworthy dress to the attention to detail to her dedication in playing such an iconic role, Zendaya truly went above and beyond and undeniably made Met Gala history.

All in all, “fashion’s biggest night out” 2019 proved to be one of the most diverse, with an array of iconic style that— camp-worthy or not—are indubitably, memorable.

To all the un-camp celebrities who unfortunately missed the mark, hopefully you all took notes in preparation for next year.

If not, please just stay home.

Softball advances to CIF Quarterfianls over San Jacinto HS

By SIDNEY WONG STAFF WRITER On Tuesday, May 7, softball won their second round of California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) against San Jacinto HS with a score of 9-6.

Softball will be advancing to quarter finals where they will play at home against Whittier Christian HS on May 9.

According to captain Emily Bracamonte (12), the team’s confidence and consistency contributed to their overall performance.

“We were excited to play and did not doubt our team,” Bracamonte said. “We practiced our usual drills and hyped each other up. For the next round, we just have to come out stronger because the deeper we make it into CIF, the more difficult the teams will become.”

Additionally, hitter Victoria Ramirez (10) believes maintaining a positive mentality as well as supporting each other helps to improve their gameplay.

“We are proud of how we played this game as a team,” Ramirez said.

“Keeping each other’s moral high throughout the entire game and planning our strategies beforehand helped us to gain a lead.”

Overall, catcher Elizabeth Chong (11) is proud of the teams progress so far in the season and hopes next year will be even more successful. ‘[I am] excited to move on past the second round of CIF because last year we [did not] make it past the first round,” Chong said. “I can speak for the team and say that everyone is proud of each other and happy to see what [we are] capable of. Our team can only go up from here.”

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Farewell from

Until next year!

MONDAY, MAY 13, 2019