Issue 4 2015-16

The Eagle George Washington High School 600 32nd Ave, San Francisco, CA 94121 Issue iv. May 19th, 2016 Website: gwhs.co Instagram: gwhsofficial Twitter: gwhs_official

SFUSD Eliminates Accelerated Math for Underclassmen What’s Inside

BY JOYCE MA

O

ne size fits all -- that’s the essence of the most recent changes to the math and English tracks at Washington High School and many other schools in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Along with the implementation of Common Core, standards that detail what K–12 students should know in language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade, the SFUSD has also initiated a standardization of classes for freshmen and sophomores. This year was the first in recent history that all freshmen were enrolled in the same English class (English 1) and math class (Common Core Algebra I), and the changes have brought on mixed feelings.

Although the standardization affects both the English and math departments, it has had the greatest impact on the math track. In contrast to prior years, all freshmen are now required to take Algebra I; and all sophomores are required to take Geometry. Then, once students reach junior year, they will have the option to take Algebra II or Algebra II Honors.

The district is still contemplating what to offer for the senior year of those who experience this new system. For those who take Algebra II as juniors, they have the option of PreCalculus, Statistics, or AP Statistics. For those who take Algebra II Honors, they have the option of Statistics, AP Statistics, as well as Calculus. However, what remains undecided now is how the Calculus classes will be organized.

With this new system, the highest math level a current freshmen will be able to attain is AP Calculus AB. As a result, the district will potentially add a combined AP Calculus AB/BC course. They are also considering the addition of a regular Calculus class.

“We’re worried that that’s (highest attainable level of math is AP Calc AB) what’s gonna happen... but other schools do BC as an accelerated (class). They do AB and BC the same year so we’re looking into that,” says math department head Tracy Thompson.

However, the plausible AB/BC class could lead to other problems.

“I think it would be very hard especially if you’ve already skipped Pre-Calc. The way our curriculum is in BC is that you actually have to teach some more advanced Pre-Calc topics that you just can’t cover in Alg 2 Honors because there’s just not enough time. I think there’s a certain group of students who will do really well, kids who really like math or who achieve well in it, but I think that then there’ll be two separate classes, AB and AB/BC,” adds Thompson.

In addition, many current AP Calculus BC students also feel that the combination could be too challenging.

“I think that it’s a bad idea for the school district to implement the combined AP Calculus AB/BC class. Having taken both calculus classes in my high school career, and having seen many students struggle through both classes, I think that condensing each class into just one semester may be too rigorous for students to handle,” says junior Legina Chen.

One of the goals of this change is to create a heterogeneous classroom environment that will benefit all students.

“A lot of research shows that students tend to learn better when classes are heterogenous, where everyone has something to offer where it’s not just everybody at the same level,” says Thompson.

“The idea in Complex Instruction (a teaching technique) is that, if you’re in a heterogeneous classroom, it benefits all students, where the lower achieving students get to work with students who are stronger

and get to see how they work. And, the stronger students build their own skills where, if they have the knowledge and the ability to teach someone something, then you’ve just made yourself smarter,” states Algebra II teacher Kenneth Baker.

Some students also acknowledge the benefits of a heterogeneous classroom environment.

“It’s important for students to be surrounded by other students with different work ethics from them and for them to get used to that sort of integrated environment so they can possibly be more encouraged to take the more challenging courses they are certainly capable of handling. I know plenty of people that were totally capable of handling more rigorous classes but were intimidated because they’d taken general classes with the same group of people for the past years. The new system can give some students more confidence to take progressively harder and harder classes,” adds senior Kyoka Kagami.

Furthermore, the identical curriculum between classes enables students to essentially communicate and to receive assistance from anyone.

“From a student perspective, I think it kind of benefits students [because] if teachers are working from the same curriculum and doing the same things at the same time, then all students can help each other no matter what teacher they have. It gives them a bigger pool of resources to get help from,” says Baker.

However, many students do not share the positive perspective on the new standardization of classes. Current upperclassmen who have had the opportunity to pursue accelerated classes during their freshman or sophomore year argue the importance and benefits of those classes early on in one’s high school career.

“Honors or accelerated classes allow students who need more stimulus to have more engaging and interesting classes that allow students to grow and thrive. However, the current way that our system is set up is detrimental to the students. Student should be able to take classes that they look forward to attending and classes that encourage students to prosper and allow students to perform to their full abilities,” comments junior Kelly Miko.

Students are also worried that this limitation of honors/accelerated courses will result in an unequal playing field when it comes to college applications.

“SFUSD’s decision to eliminate the option for accelerated classes at George Washington makes SF students less competitive. Standardizations like these should be implemented at the federal level to ensure equality in all schools. But, even then, private institutions would be exempt from this. In short, standardization of classes is a good concept, however, much like communism, once applied to the real world, it has unintended side effects,” Miko exclaims.

Similarly, freshmen have also expressed the concern that the standardization will make them “not look as good when colleges look at [their] transcripts” and that they will “lose the opportunity to get good peer pressure from other students who really want to challenge themselves.”

In addition, having heterogeneous classes has sparked the concern that they may be too “boring” for those who are prepared for more challenging courses.w In a survey of 141 freshman students, 54.61% said that they would, if given the chance, choose to take an honors or accelerated math continued on page 2....

Societal Pressures

Whether it be the need to pursue a particular career, or the confinement of fitting into one gender, we all, at some point, feel the tension of society’s conventions and pressures. In this issue, we delve into what it feels like for students to deviate from social norms and why they feel obligated to adhere to them. for more, see page 8

The Average Wash Student

In a survey of over 300 students, we sought to capture the average Washington student in terms of living situation, lifestyle, happiness, and more. for more, see page 5

Athletes of the Issue

In this issue, we feature some of the many graduating seniors who have excelled in their sport throughout their years at Wash. From their favorite team traditions to their most memorable moments, check out how their athletic careers at Wash have impacted their lives. for more, see page16

2 News

The Eagle

Standardized Classes Cause Conflicting Feelings course. Of those who said yes, 29.2% feel “bored” in their current Algebra I class and 22.12% feel that it is “too easy, while only 40.17% feel that it is simply a normal class.

In terms of the freshmen English class, out of those who want Honors, 23% of the students surveyed feel “bored” and 23% feel as though it is “too easy” while 48% feel that it is simply a normal class.

The “boredom” that stems from these standardized classes may be a result of having already learned the material.

“I think it is kind of annoying for students that are a tad bit brighter than others to be learning something they already understand when they could be learning something new,” says one freshman.

However, some argue that that is not the case.

“Students have seen it before, but they haven’t mastered it so they act bored. You would think that they’re strong students and that they’re all getting A’s, but they don’t. They’re still not here at the mastery level so the goal for higher achieving students is to get to a level where you’ve mastered it so much that you can teach it to other people. Some of the higher achieving students are resentful of that because they’re not making the connection between being able to explain it to someone and mastering that concept,” states Baker.

However, Baker has also noticed a difference in Algebra readiness amongst his freshmen.

“Some stronger middle schools are going through the algebra curriculum and not just

Highest Level of Math Reached with Previous Track

Highest Level of Math Reached with Standardized Track

May 19th, 2016

the 8th grade curriculum while other schools are just going through the 8th grade curriculum so we have an imbalance,” explains Baker.

There still is a way for freshman to skip Algebra I and to go directly to Geometry. The SFUSD offers a validation exam to demonstrate knowledge of all the Algebra I content.

But, the new Common Core Algebra I curriculum has changed, making it more difficult for incoming freshman to pass the test.

“It’s really hard, because there’s a lot more statistics in math. It used to be until students took AP stats, but, now, that’s a big component so that’s part of what’s making it hard for students to pass even though it’s Algebra 1,” Thompson said.

Since math and science often work hand in hand, changes in the math track have also influenced the prerequisites for science courses. For instance, Algebra II will no longer be required for students to take Chemistry.

In the end, it all comes back to the idea of who gets the sole power of determining whether it is the best for the students. Although some students and teachers have opposing views to the standardization of classes, both agree that these decisions that directly impact students should extend beyond the control of merely the district.

“Students should have the most say in deciding their own education. I believe that there are enough students who want to be academically challenged and, if that is the case, there should be honors classes open for those students,” exclaims senior Cosimo Faieta.

May 19th, 2016

Features 3

The Eagle

Teachers of the Issue:

Larry Yee: Once a Teacher, Always a Teacher

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BY MELODY YAN

enerations of families have gone through George Washington High School, and math teacher Lawrence Yee just happens to be part of one of them. Yee’s mother went to Wash; and after Yee himself graduated, he came back to work as the school’s basketball coach in ‘83 and later started teaching in ‘96.

Initially, Yee never thought about becoming a teacher.

“My mom was a teacher, [but] I never wanted to be a teacher. I was done with college already; and then, at one point, I just said, ’Who had the best job I’d ever seen?’ It was Mr. A, the basketball coach [at the time],” said Yee. One of Yee’s funniest memories was when he was coaching a basketball game and a father from Galileo was yelling at him throughout the game.

“He kept yelling, ‘Yee! Stop running the ball up the sideline; everyone knows what you’re doing.’ We ended up winning the game, but, at the end, I looked up to see who [the father] was, and it was one of my former players. His kid was playing for Galileo; and we were doing the same thing that [the father’s] team did when he played for me,” Yee recalls.

Some people will go through their whole lives without finding what they’re truly passionate about, but, fortunately for Yee, he’s found something that he enjoys doing to the point where he ties his identity to it.

“People ask me ‘Who are you?’ [I’m] a teacher, a coach. It’s what I do, who I am. I’ll probably have to ask myself this question after I retire. Who am I? Now that I’m not really a teacher, how do I define my identity because I’ve been doing this for so long?” Yee explains.

Having been a part of the Wash community for so many years, Yee feels like a large part of him is going to be left behind once he retires this year.

“I’ll be walking away from something that says ‘Larry Yee, math teacher’. It has a nice ring to it. I can’t say that anymore, and the only place I can say that is here,” says Yee. For Yee, what he will miss the most is the view. Ever since he was 14, he’s walked along the esplanade, and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge everyday is something that he has never gotten tired of.

“I smile every day I’m here. It’s a great place to be. People spend thousands of dollars to

Thomas Tomczak’s Passion for Teaching Extends Around the World

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BY JERRICK ZHU

earning a second language is no easy task. Teaching another language to students is a whole other story, perhaps more difficult. Yet after 23 years of teaching English Language Learners, Thomas Tomczak still has not had his fill of the profession.

Tomczak was first inspired to become an English Language Learner teacher while teaching in Japan.

“The Japanese students I had were so generous, hospitable, and kind to me. They introduced me to the culture that inspired me to work with the immigrant population,” states Tomczak.

Tomczak has been teaching for 23 years, and, in those years, he considers that teaching English to the immigrant population is, “Karmic payback, because they were so good to me and I know how important it is for someone to introduce you to the culture, using that as an inspiration.” Stretching beyond that, Tomczak is also involved in the Bay Area Writing Project, which is based at the University of California, Berkeley, and has workshops for students and collaborations with other Bay Area schools. Tomczak has done presentations and has also worked with younger teachers to pass on his passion and knowledge.

While Tomczak is retiring from Washington next week, his passion for teaching, culture, and knowledge extends far beyond Washington High School. Tomczak plans to go to China this summer.

“I’m going to teach English for a couple of weeks.

I’m hoping to do that every year for the foreseeable future,” says Tomczak.

The assignment of teaching English to students in China is specifically for high school students, but Tomczak hopes to also travel to other parts around the world to teach and learn.

“I would love to have little temporary jobs, where I can

go to Vietnam, China, Japan, say for like a month at a time,” Tomczak said.

As you can already imagine, Tomczak loves to travel, and also hopes to venture in Europe and teach there. So while Tomczak is throwing in the towel for Washington, he is not totally out of education.

In his twenty-three years at Washington, Tomczak has created many memories.

When asked about his favorite times, he stated, “I relish and love the staff baseball games we have every year, between the seniors and students. Every year we have a fantastic game; we play, bond together, and we always enjoy that.”

With the good memories however, there are the bad ones. Tomczak describes his worst memories as, “Several faculty and students have died since I’ve been here, which has been tragic.”

In his endless passion for teaching, Tomczak believes in a very balanced lifestyle.

When asked why he is retiring he says, “Because I am healthy, relatively young enough so I can do other things. I want to live a balanced life; I loved teaching, but there are other things I want to do, and, while I’m healthy and still have a lot of energy, I would like to write, travel, teach in other countries, relax, and spend time with my family and friends.”

There is no doubt that Tomczak deserves this break and relaxed yet exciting life that is in store for him, and, with only a week left of school, Tomczak will miss Washington very much.

“I will miss my colleagues and students of course. I loved the students here; we are very privileged at Washington to have a great student body. It’s been a real joy and a real pleasure working with these students, so I’m going to miss them a lot,” says Tomczak.

Tomczak will still come back once in awhile for meetings and events, and the school will miss him, as much he will miss us.

What’s also interesting about Tomczak, besides his life around the world of teaching English, is that he used to be a newspaper writer. Although Tomczak became a teacher, he has still managesd to continuing pursuing his love for writing.

“I still freelance articles. I’ve been working on a book for a while, so I want to get it finished and get it published. I also want to do more writing!” Tomczak exclaims.

Whether Tomczak is at Washington, China, or some other place in the world, his passion for teaching will always resignate with him and continue to spark his desire to educate others.

4 Features Student of the Issue:

The Eagle

May 19th, 2016

Jason Pham to Take on College and the Marines

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BY DAVID SCOLARI

n April, Washington senior Jason Pham was awarded $180,000 in scholarship money from the National Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC). The award includes a monthly stipend, and it will also pay the full cost of him attending UC San Diego for the next four years. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Pham will then serve as an officer in the Marine Corps.

I first heard about Pham’s scholarship award a few weeks ago. Though I was extremely happy for him, the news came as a surprise to me. I remember talking to Pham about the military last school year. I knew that Pham was very active in Washington’s Army Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program, so I asked him if he had any plans to join the military after high school, but he said no. He wanted to go to college and start a career.

Remembering this conversation, when I learned that Pham was on track to become a Marine Corp officer after graduating from college, I began to wonder what changed his mind about joining the military.

“I decided [that I wanted to join the military] near the end of my junior year,” explains Pham. “A lot of my friends who I really looked up to did it and the people who teach JROTC are retired military people and I really look up to them.”

JROTC has been a huge influence on Pham throughout high school. Joining as a freshman, Pham has always had people to look up to in the program. “[The leaders of JROTC] were really motivating and they carried themselves like adults.” says Pham, “I remember this one guy (a senior member of JROTC), I thought he was like 20 because of how much of an adult he was.”

The program taught Pham how to conduct himself like an adult and taught him the skills he needed to be successful in high school.

“Because of RO, I feel less shy and more empowered in all my classes. Speaking with confidence has become a lot easier,” says Pham. “Without the skills I learned in RO, I might not be in as good of a position as I’m in now.”

Pham is now one of the leaders in the JROTC program. During his junior year, Pham was a Company Commander. His job was to be a student teacher of a class of more than 20 JROTC students. This year, as a senior, he still remains one of the leaders of the program. Just as Pham once looked up to the senior members of JROTC, many of the underclassmen now look up to him.

“This year, at our spring competition, a freshman came up to me and told me that he was doing the competition because of me and because of the influence I had on him; and he thanked me for that,” says Pham. “It felt really great, because now I’m not the one looking up to people, but people were looking up to me.”

Being involved in JROTC has also allowed Pham to discover his love for leadership.

“I enjoy solving problems and leading people is really just finding a solution to a problem,” Pham explains. “Taking on the challenge of motivating, directing, and caring for individuals is amazing, especially in RO. I love making an impact on the outlooks of younger kids.”

The opportunity to continue being a leader as an officer in the Marine Corps is a major part of what has attracted Pham to the Marines.

“It’s going to be great to be able to lead people into doing better things and work with people who are motivated,” says Pham.

JROTC has shaped Pham into the person he is today. As he takes the next steps toward becoming a Marine Corp officer, Pham is hoping to have that same kind of impact on others.

“It’s a way to give back to my community and be of service to a bigger thing than I am,” says Pham.

May 19th, 2016

Features 5

The Eagle The most common househould size is 4 People tend to have 2 or 3 bedrooms

77% live with two parents in the same house

41% have a family

Top 3 neighborhoods people live in: 1) Sunset 2) Richmond 3) Mission

80% have not tried marijuana

member who smokes Most students do not have a job

The Average Washington Student In a survey of over 300 Washington students from all four grade levels, this is what we found to be typical of a Washington student.

38 GEARY GEARY 38

Most people have a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5

51.14%

bus to school

45.21%

31.25%

have been in a relationship

commute time is 0-15 minutes

The most common rank of overall happiness is 4 out of 5

50% do not

have at least one parent who has attendedcollege

6 Features

The Eagle

College Up and Down the Socioeconomic Ladder

May 19th, 2016

BY ANNIE LEI

Around this time of the year, seniors have already decided what they want to do after high school. For those who have decided to go to college, along with their acceptance letters, they have also received their financial aid package with the tuition and living fees. With financial aid and scholarships, the cost of college can be reduced, but most families still struggle with the cost of education. For some students, the thought of not being able to attend college never even crossed their mind. But, for others, their financial situation limits them in terms of the college they can attend or prevents them from going to college at all. Due to their limited finances, some opt out of going to college and often decide to work to support/help their families. We decided to survey a few graduating seniors with different socioeconomic backgrounds to see how they feel about the cost of college and how their perspective on the prospect of going to college has been growing up.

Male, Senior, Lower Class “I’ve always wanted to leave San Francisco for college, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to straight out of high school. I actually had the chance to leave San Francisco, to a school not too far from the city, but because my family does not own a car, I would not have been able to commute up there for orientation much less the actual school year. Despite getting financial aid for being a part of the lower class, the tuition is still too expensive so I’m planning to work my first two years here in the city as well as build up my GPA to hopefully receive merit-based scholarships as well as need-based scholarships.”

Male, Senior, Middle Class I used to be in the upper class until I moved to SF in high school. I remember I definitely used to take eating out for granted. I used to eat full course meals on weekends for dinner. I used to have 2 tutors, baseball, and piano lessons. I definitely disliked my busy Asian lifestyle. All I wanted to do was to be free and to play outside with my friends. When I moved to SF, all my privileges were taken away, specifically eating out. I haven’t eaten a full course meal since 9th grade. But, becoming financially poor allowed me to find what I wanted to do rather than what my parents wanted me to be. My social skills also definitely improved after being able to hang out after-school with friends, and not having extracurriculars.

I always planned to support myself throughout college. I’m planning to go into the military first, and use the GI Bill to fund my college tuition. My mom put 18 years of hard work into me; I don’t expect her to help me anymore. So no, I didn’t worry if my mom would be able to support me through college. As long as you have a plan, financial issues can definitely be avoided.

Female, Senior, Middle/Lower Class “I couldn’t go to the college I planned and dreamed of going, because my family can’t afford the tuition for me to go there. I have to think about my sibling and what I believe will benefit my family. I constantly worry about my parents not being able to support me in college. I don’t want me parents to be in debt because of my college fees. I don’t want to be the reason why my parents continue to struggle financially.”

Male, Senior, Middle Class When thinking about college and finances, I really don’t think there’s an issue between them as some would think. I think that anyone and everyone should be able to pay for college as long as they spend the time and effort trying to. We live in a time where there are so many different ways to pay for college, such as financial aid, scholarship, and grants. I never worried about my parents not being able to support me through college. As a kid, I was already told that even if they couldn’t pay for my college, as long as I was trying in school and doing well, I’d be able to get money from different sources. The thought of opting out of college due to financial reasons never really crossed my mind because I never had a reason to worry about mine or my family’s financial situation.

Female, Senior, Middle/Upper Class I think I’m middle to upper middle class.

At first, when I was thinking about college, I was kind of naive in that I thought I didn’t really have to worry about money. But, when I got no financial aid from every school I was accepted to, that’s when it really hit me how heavy the financial factors weigh into your decisions for where you are to go. In my case, I did worry at a certain point whether my parents would be able to support me or not, but I think, in my case, it was a little different in that I technically could afford it. It would just be a really big cost and burden. But yeah, it really doesn’t hit you until you see the figures on your estimated cost form and then you sometimes see what the people around you are paying--some higher, some lower-and that’s when you really start to understand what the actual cost of college is.

Class of 2016 Takes On College

BY MARIE BAKER

As the end of the school year approaches, we asked seniors at Washington about their post-graduation plans and what factors influenced their college decisions

What school are you attending next year?

72% got into one of their top 3 choices

Why did you choose to attend this school?

50% co st

24% rank

3% sports

42% major

56% location

May 19th, 2016

Features 7

The Eagle

Gender Gap Divides Washington Students’ Choice of Major

W

BY JENNIFER YIP

hen college acceptances came out, there was a lot of buzz between seniors about what majors they got into schools for. What caught my attention was the large majority of guys who said they were set on going into some sort of computer science or engineering field, compared to the very small handful of girls I knew who planned to do the same. I started wondering why this was the case; Of is it because Washington girls just happened to not be the 46 out of interested in those subjects by chance? Is it because they 150 seniors who said don’t think they’re capable of doing something difficult they were planning to study tech related STEM subjects (e.g. like engineering?

I never thought about going into the STEM field Computer Science, Engineering) in college, 78% were until recently; so when I took Calculus in my males and 22% were junior year, I felt kind of out of place. There was females. about an equal amount of girls and boys in my class, but I knew that most of the boys already knew they wanted to do something STEM related in the future while most of the girls did not. Whenever I thought about how I was doing in the class or how well I knew the material, I always compared myself to the guys who seemed so confident in what they were doing. It made me question whether I was capable of going into any field that involved math. It wasn’t that any Of guys were condescending or discouragthe 30 out of ing at all; it was just an insecurity I felt the 150 seniors who on my own. said they were planning to A recent study at Massachustudy non-tech related STEM setts Institute of Technology subjects (e.g. Medicine, Biolfound that the female students at ogy, Environmental Science) the school still felt inferior to their in college, 23% were males male peers despite the fact that they and 77% were fegot into the 7th ranked college in the males. nation and had long lists of achievements to be proud of. In a survey of 1,219 MIT seniors, 20.7% of women reported feelings of inadequacy while only 9.3% of men said the same. It’s hard to explain why women tend to feel this way; often times, it’s just societal norms that make female students doubt themselves.

Our surveys show that girls tend to steer towards “softer” majors like psychology and communications, while Washington boys tend to steer towards “harder” STEM subjects such as computer science or engineering.

Senior Alyssa Gordon, who plans on studying a field in the humanities, says, “I’ve never had a teacher who made me feel passionate about math or science, so I never developed an interest in it.”

I’m undecided on what career field I want to study in the future, but even now I still find myself hesitant to even think about going into a STEM field. Not all girls feel the same way that I do, and I feel inspired by girls who aren’t afraid to go into male-dominated fields. Co-President of Washington’s Robotics team Kitty Fung, who plans on majoring in computer science, says “I’m not intimidated by [the amount of males in computer science]; I always ask questions when I am stuck on code so I never feel left out. I am just another person who likes to code and feel ecstatic when I find a solution to a program that seems impossible to fix. I’d also like to tell girls who are afraid to try things like computer science not to be!”

Washington’s Take on Voting

BY BITOTA MPOLO

A Word From Our ASB President...

Why do you think many young people are so involved in the presidential election, yet they do not vote?

“Many people really don’t understand the whole process.

Especially this year, social media has played a big role in the presidential election, which has really contributed to the involvement of young people. Young people are not often taught about the democratic process. They just assume that other people will vote for the candidate that they plan to vote for, so them voting will not matter because that candidate will still be getting the vote.

Of the 26 out of 150 seniors who said they were planning to study social science related subjects (e.g. Psychology, Communications,Child Development) in college, 23% were males and 77% were females.

The presidential election has been very relevant in young people’s lives, this year more than ever. Social media is a platform that has become a prominent part of political campaigns. Although young people seem very involved in the political election this year through social media, voter turnout for 18-24 year olds has still been fairly low. Young people are not usually informed about the political process within school and consequently become absent or uninformed voters in the future. Through a survey of 143 students, we sought to gauge Washington’s involvement in the political process.

Do you plan to vote when you turn 18?

Many seniors that I’ve talked to about their future involvement in the political world seemed very optimistic. By this I mean that the majority of them plan to vote and that they would be informed voters. Although I have my doubts, I believe that this year, voting turnout amongst 18 year olds, especially in California, will be relatively high in comparison to previous years.”

Who would you vote for in the upcoming presidential election?

Do you think you know enough to vote?

Is 18 a good voting age?

8 Societal Pressures

The E

The Systematic Career Pressure

BY BITOTA MPOLO

W

e often hear the phrase “It’s a man’s world” and are aware that men are usually the dominating power in the working world. However, in this day and age, the perception of women in power is becoming more and more accepted. Women are now encouraged to go into the fields that are far too often dominated by males. It has even gotten to the point where it is almost looked down upon if a female doesn’t want to become a doctor, lawyer, or employed in the STEM field. I, myself, have experienced the pressure to get into coding and technology because females are “treasured” in that area. But, do males feel the career pressures as well?

Asking some of the males at Washington if they have experienced career pressures because of their gender, I got a variety of responses. One student told me that he sees an overall stereotyping of males to go into certain fields such as engineering or a field that requires “man power”. He further explained that society sees men as these strong willed figures that like to do hands on activities that require muscles. Society sets these stereotypes that men will go into a field that require a lot of brainpower (STEM, Doctor, Lawyer, etc.) or physical power (Construction, Mechanic, etc.). And, many males succumb to these stereotypes to prove something to themselves. Because society sets these standards, they feel as if, in order to be a “true man,” they need to demonstrate their “manliness” through these careers.

Another student delved into a spiel about how every person feels the need to live up to others’ expectations. He says that it is not so much pressure on men, but pressure from the environment you come from. For instance, if one was raised in a very accepting environment with support in whatever they do, they may not feel the pressure to go with a certain career path. However, if one was raised in a household with very conservative parents who advocated that men should do

Facts about Male-Dominated Careers In 2013, 25.4% of jobs in the Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicles Equipment Manufacturing industry were held by women. (catalyst.org)

very traditional jobs or had older siblings who were very successful in the STEM field, they might then feel the pressure to go a certain way with their career and not fulfill their lifelong dream of, for instance, becoming an artist.

As a female, I constantly see the gender stereotypes on both ends of the spectrum. It is interesting how much stereotyping is preached as substandard, yet we constantly do it without realizing it. Even simple slideshows about certain work fields paint a certain image in people’s minds. In a slideshow, you might see a picture of a man as an engineer and a women as a nurse. These are some stereotypical jobs for both genders that would appear normal in a job slideshow, because it has become such a normality to see certain genders carrying out those specific jobs. Because of this constant stereotyping that goes unnoticed, many people may not even consider a certain career as a job option because it was never presented to them in a way that could make it open for their gender. For instance, a male may never consider becoming a nurse because it is constantly presented with a female fulfilling that occupation.

The root of these gender career pressures is the systematic stereotyping of both genders. Many schools take part in teaching gender roles without being quite aware that they are doing so. I often catch teachers making generalizations about an entire gender and not even thinking much about it. The idea of individualism should be accepted in schools and a realization that no two people are alike should be taught from day one. Instead of putting boys in front of toy trucks to play and girls in front of dolls, why not put all our children in front of books to get some knowledge and succeed in life within whatever field they choose.

Since 1970, in law careers, women have gone from 4.9 percent to 33.4. (thinkprogress.org) In 1970, 97% of STEM workers were men. In 2011, 26 percent of STEM workers were women and 74 percent were men. (census.gov)

Have you tried to break the wall of gender norms? If so, how? (ex: painting your nails, no matter what gender you are)

37% of females said yes

“Cutting my hair super super short, like a pixie cut” - female “I love wearing boy shorts and hoods” - female

“wear a skirt” - male

13% males said yes

“act independently and with courage” female

Since 1970, women have grown from 9.7 percent of physicians to 32.4 percent in 2010. (thinkprogress.org)

How Does You

As we grow up and explore our own we should and should not be. Society’ that we begin to view them as a norm what we feel most comfortable doing reveal the societal pressures from s

The Relations Timeline

BY MELODY YAN ocial norms tend to dictate the way we go a lives, especially in relationships. In high sch age relationships and the PDA that comes them are bound to happen. High school related m shows, and even books makes it seem like all your should happen before or in high school, whether first kiss or first relationship. It’s not outwardly sta you’re not in a relationship before you’re eighteen want to get checked out. I don’t think there’s anyt with people who haven’t been in a relationship ye feel like there’s a pressure to be in one because it’s norm in high school.

After high school, dating becomes a lot more people look for relationships that will last rather t ups. Back in the day, people would marry incredib but that’s no longer the norm. People, especially w

S

Gender Norms Do you ever feel the pressure that you have to follow gender norms?

27% of females said yes

“dressing like a tomboy, playing sports” - female

“I feel myself classifying certain activities as ‘girl’ and ‘guy’ things”

“painted my nails before” - male

“dress like a girl, act like a girl, speak like a girl”

15% of males said yes

“girls have to stay neat/ presentable, mannered and proper” “having long hair; dressing “girly””

Societal Pressures 9

Eagle

s Society Influence ur Identity?

identity, it can be easy to fall into society’s traps of who ’s conventions become embedded into our minds so much so mality, discouraging us from doing the opposite even if it is or what we love. In our last issue of The Eagle, we sought to society that have impacted the Washington student body.

ship

about our hool, teenalong with movies, T.V. r “firsts” it be your ated, but if n, you may thing wrong et, but I do s seen as the

serious and than hookbly young, women, are

more focused on completing higher education and advancing in their careers, and marriage comes afterwards.

It’s interesting that when people start having children, it’s the complete opposite of marriage. The older you get, the more society looks down on you if you’re trying to have a child. Obviously there’s a limited amount of time for women before they can’t have children anymore, but people should stop viewing them as ticking biological clocks. Age shouldn’t be a factor as to whether a person should be a parent or not.

These relationship timelines set by society are doing people more bad than good. When I was growing up, I planned my own relationship timeline and thought of the age I would be in my first relationship, graduate college, get married and have children. Those days are long gone now because they were just highly idealistic and obviously unrealistic. I’ve realized that we can’t control every factor of our lives, and sometimes we just have to let the chips fall where they may.

What is a stereotype that you feel like you need to live up to?

Female, junior “That girls can’t play certain sports boys do” Male, senior “Not crying” Female, junior “Dressing ‘girly’”

Female, senior “That Mexicans are dumb, but I work to defy the stereotype” Male, senior “Getting good grades in school because I am Asian”

Female, junior “I feel like I have to be fit/ skinny (with a flat stomach) to be accepted.”

Make-Up is for Everyone

I

BY KEVIN TRUONG

will never forget the dirty looks I got taking the bus home, the confusion on the faces of older people or the glares and whispers from teens my age. I felt like I needed to cover up; and I felt ashamed for something that didn’t really matter. By my description, you would think I did something heinous, but it was just a little bit of eye makeup. All my friends did was put mascara and eyeliner on me, nothing over the top; they just wanted to try something on a guy. The people on the bus looked at me like I was an alien. I thought it looked good; and I was pleased with the way it turned out, but not many others shared the same opinion. There should not be a social stigma against males wearing makeup.

Males should be able to wear makeup because it makes them look good and feel empowered without society making them feel any less.

Makeup is empowering. Many males have not tried any form of makeup, because it is seen as a “girl thing.” But, what they don’t know is that it gives you confidence.

When I get really nervous for a presentation or a speech, I like to put on mascara, nothing too bold, just enough for me to feel powerful. There is something about applying mascara that makes me feel so strong and ready to face any challenge that comes my way. It only takes me 20 seconds in the morning, but it makes me feel like a million bucks.

I feel so much stronger, and, honestly, it makes me feel like I’m good looking.

Personally, mascara makes me feel like I can take on any challenge that life throws at me. And, since mascara is small and isn’t very noticeable, I have always wondered what a full face of makeup could do to my confidence.

I’ve never tried a full face of makeup, but I think it would be fun. There are a few things I would like to fix on my face; and I could wake up an extra 15 minutes earlier in the morning to apply makeup. But, I know that I am not the only one who wants to look better. Some guys are super conceited and care a lot about their looks. I am surprised that most guys don’t wear makeup. Both males and females have their insecurities and things they want to fix, which is why I find it so weird that society frowns upon guys wearing makeup while it is acceptable for girls to wear makeup. I don’t want all guys to wear makeup; I just want it to be more socially acceptable.

Many people have helped in breaking down this wall. There are male beauty gurus on YouTube; and most actors wear makeup. Many guys diss makeup but fail to realize that many of the people they look up to put makeup on before acting or going to events.

Many guys tend to exaggerate all the time and tend to associate you with what you do. One of the biggest reasons why guys don’t wear makeup is because it is seen as “gay.” Makeup is not “gay,” and, trust me, I should know because I am gay. Things that tend to be feminine get labeled “gay” if done by guys. Makeup is a way for you to look better, not a way for you to come out. In my eyes, there is no such thing as “femininity” and “masculinity”; these are just words used to categorize what people do. These words make gender seem so black and white when it isn’t. We are expected to act a certain way because society associates actions with gender.

Growing up, I wanted an Easy Bake Oven, but I couldn’t

because it was a “girl toy.” The words “gay” and “feminine” are just excuses for guys to not try new things. We shouldn’t let labels affect what we do. Makeup doesn’t define who you are; it is just an action and should be treated as such.

There is a male at our school who puts on makeup for fun. His name is Kevin Tan and he is a sophomore.

“Girls have so many opportunities to look good due to makeup; and I am stereotyped because I am a guy.

They have so many opportunities to look good and to customize their face. Just because I am a guy shouldn’t mean I can’t look good if I wanted to,” said Tan. His makeup skill are superb; and he has the skill set to become a great makeup artist one day.

Kevin said, “It involved a lot of trial and error. At first, I used unconventional items as makeup. But, eventually, I started using real makeup.

It didn’t start off good; but, eventually, I got really good at it. I still have a lot to learn, but I really enjoy the art of putting on makeup.”

Kevin wears makeup to school sometimes but is still afraid of being judged.

“I have worn soft makeup like foundation and mascara, but I am a little afraid of wearing eyeshadow and eyeliner, because I feel like I am going to be judged. I am confident and comfortable in my skills, but, at the end of the day, I cannot be fully comfortable in my own skin when I am constantly judged,” says Kevin.

He has a message for everyone: “I would like to see the day where a guy can be comfortable wearing a full face of makeup without feeling judged or pressured to take it off.”

If makeup makes you look and feel good, you should embrace it, whether you are a guy or a girl. There are so many time where guys complain that they don’t look good enough, but they don’t try makeup because it is “gay,” which is one of their biggest mistakes. Makeup should be socially acceptable for all genders.

10 Opinion

The Eagle

May 19th, 2016

We Should Have Gender Neutral Bathrooms

I

BY KEVIN TRUONG

magine a place where you feel like you don’t belong.

That is how agender people feel when they are told to choose between male or female bathrooms. Now imagine being ridiculed for doing something you felt was right, but your peers didn’t. This is how some transgender students feel when using the bathroom they identify with. Together, we can change that. There should be gender neutral bathrooms everywhere because they provide a safe space for those who need it.

Though George Washington High School recently added a gender neutral bathroom, I believe this should be implemented throughout the school. If you didn’t know, agender people do not identify with any gender. By including gender neutral bathrooms everywhere we are providing a safer, more comfortable space for those who need it. Gender neutral bathrooms should be accessible everywhere for those who need them.

It is uncomfortable having to choose one bathroom over the other if you are agender.

It’s like choosing between two things you don’t like. Keep in mind there is a third option, but you aren’t allowed it because someone deemed you unfit. This is how some transgender students constantly feel; they get ridiculed for using the bathroom of the gender they identify with.

Kyle, a Native American transgender student experienced this first hand. Logging onto twitter one day, Kyle sees a tweet from a male student at his school saying, “I just saw a girl in the boys bathroom #notacceptable #endtransgender.”

For using the bathroom that he identifies with, Kyle recieved hate from this student. When Kyle brought this up

with the administration at his school, they told him that he wasn’t allowed to use the boys restroom anymore because it made others feel uncomfortable. With the fix of gender neutral bathrooms, we can stop things like this from happening. But schools aren’t the only one discriminating against the transgender community.

In North Carolina, a bill has been passed a bill that attacks the transgender and agender communities.

To summarize the bill, you must use the bathroom that corresponds with your birth certificate. If you went through the surgeries to change to the gender you identify with you can use the bathroom that you identify with because it states the change on your birth certificate. But that excludes many people.

Teenagers who haven’t gone through the surgeries and those who can’t afford the surgeries are directly affected by this law. This law affects many people and this should not be allowed to happen.

We are taking away basic rights. By not adding gender neutral bathrooms, we are taking a hundred steps back from progressing toward a society that accepts everyone. There are many who struggle with their gender identity or don’t identify with a certain gender. We, as a society, are forcing people into a position where they need to fight for their basic rights due to the ignorance of others. But what are we supposed to expect from a society that still discriminates against the LGBTQIQA communities? The media mainly shines attention on the LGBTQ communities, which is unfair to the intersex/genderqueer/and agender communities. We can change this by educating the younger generation.

When I asked my twelve year old brother “Do you know what an agender person is?” he replied with a blank face. I

think this blatant disregard towards gender neutral bathrooms and the community that uses them comes from a lack of knowledge. We need to educate those that do not know about these communities to help people understand why we should have gender neutral bathrooms. Through schools and media, we can educate everybody about these communities and open their eyes.

I cannot speak for the whole community. I myself am not transgender or agender, but I am a part of the LGBTQIQA community. I have faced discrimination, and it isn’t a good feeling. The feeling of being discriminated against is a feeling I hope no one has to go through.. A woman began to call me rude names and talked about gay people in a derogatory way. She mentioned all these bad things about gay people and turned it around and bashed on gay Asian people. She talked about my sexuality like it was a disease that needed to be eradicated. Being talked down to about something that I have no control over makes me understand how agender people feel.

When I grew up, I knew I was different. I was only talking to girls, I didn’t like gun games, and the idea of hurting myself and doing dangerous things like setting things of fire because it was “fun” seemed to scare me. I didn’t choose to be gay, but everyone around me was using that word as an insult. I was forced to hide my true self because I was afraid of being made fun of. I didn’t want to grow up feeling like I had a secret that only I could know because people around made me feel like I didn’t belong. Just like I cannot choose to be straight, those who are agender shouldn’t have to choose between being male or female. We should not ignore their needs because they are a small group of people; we should accommodate them because they deserve to be comfortable and feel like they have the support from our community.

By not accommodating the agender/transgender communities, we are giving up on them and saying we don’t believe that they deserve our resources. Gender neutral bathrooms are important if we want to progress as a society. We need to include them everywhere because they are a safe place for those who need it. By taking this giant leap forward, we can start to become a society that accepts anyone and everyone.

Common Core: A Step Backward, Not Forward ach student learns differently. Some learn faster and some want to be challenged, so they take honors and AP classes.

On the other hand, some students may not want to have such a heavy workload, so they tend to limit the hard classes that they take. For the past two years all the freshmen have been taking the same classes. Same science class, same English class, same math class. Yet that doesn’t make any sense. That is practically saying that all students are on the same level, know all the same material, and learn at the exact same pace. Which they do not.

In previous years freshmen have taken Geometry. Now, incoming freshmen are required to take Algebra 1. Normally that class would be taken in middle school, but the eighth graders are now taking another comprehensive math course. That pushes Algebra 1 up to high school, leaving little room for the freshmen to take more advanced math courses later on in high school.

At the end of my freshmen year, when we were picking classes, my counselor gave me the option to either take Algebra 1 or Algebra 2. He recommended that I take Algebra 1 since I didn’t pass the test that all students took at the end of eighth grade to see how well they understood the material. He assured me that many people didn’t pass the test, and that it was not anything to worry about. So I signed up for Algebra 1, thinking that at the very least it was going to be an easy A class.

I was right. It is an easy A class. What I didn’t expect is the feeling that I am behind. With almost everyone in my grade taking Algebra 2, it seems like I am a whole year behind everyone else. It almost feels like because I’m taking Algebra 1, a basic math class, that means I am not ready to take more advanced math classes.

Which means, later on in high school, I might not be ready or able to take some of the harder classes.

“What math classes should I take? Should I not take some of the harder math classes because I’m in Algebra 1? What about AP and honor classes? What about Calculus, or even Pre Calculus?

Should I even bother taking those classes, or should I wait until college? Should I double up on math classes so I can be at the same level as most of my grade? Or should I not, because it might be to hard? If I take a harder math class will I be able to pick up everything, or will it all brush over my head? What does taking

COMMON

E

BY SAMANTHA SACKS

Algebra 1 mean for everything?” are some questions that I often ask myself.

Statistics, Pre Calculus, Calculus, Probability and Statistics, and Computer Science are all math classes that the school offers to the juniors and seniors. I will only be able to take one of these five classes. Since I am taking Algebra 1, I don’t get the option to take these classes until my senior year. Of course, I could double up on my math classes in my that year. Personally though, I know I will not. Honestly, I am not entirely sure I am capable of balancing two math classes.

I am not supposed to be taking Chemistry this year. In order to take Chemistry, you are supposed to be enrolled in Algebra 2.

I’m enrolled in Algebra 1, yet I’m still doing well in the class. I understand most of the material and when I don’t, it is not because of the math. The whole reason the school district want you to take Algebra 2 is so that you can understand the math in Chemistry.

Even though I’m taking Chemistry without being enrolled in Algebra 2, that option isn’t available for most. I am a blip. Most wouldn’t be able to take Chemistry or Physics until their junior year. I should have been taking either Environmental Science or Marine Biology this year. I should have been taking Chemistry or Physics next year. I should have the option of taking one of the AP science classes my senior year. Except that is not how it played out for me. Next year, as a junior, I am going to be taking Physics. As a senior, I am going to have the option to either take AP Chemistry, AP Physics, AP Biology, or AP Environmental Science. Those are going to be my options, but for most people taking Algebra 1 this year, both sophomores and freshmen, that will not be the case.

The freshmen are going to be on a controlled path. They are going to take Algebra 1 their freshman year, Geometry their sophomore year, and Algebra 2 their junior year. That only leaves them with a choice their senior year. With this new change, the curriculum is taking away the options. It is putting everyone on a set path and leaves little to no wiggle room. It is making it so that the student has almost no control over their education. There are already so many restrictions and requirements that students need to deal with and this curriculum is now adding yet another. While boundaries and a path to walk on are good, there is a point where a student needs to pick their own path. We need the chance to choose. Without that, we are all just dogs listening to the whistle.

12 Opinion

May 19th, 2016

The Eagle

Reveal Our Potential Teachers

I

BY CARMEN ZHEN

n the blink of an eye, March approaches every year and conflicted feelings arise within us as we get called one by one to pay a visit to our counselor.

Once again, it’s time to pick the classes we want for the next school year. Unlike how things are at schools like Lowell High School and at colleges, we don’t get to see who our teachers will be for the classes we choose. We deserve to know who the teachers are before signing up for classes, because we all learn differently and each teacher has a distinct teaching style.

Throughout my years at George Washington High School, I’ve come across various teaching styles and, as expected, not all of them were to my liking. In my sophomore year, I had a class that I absolutely dreaded everyday, because I didn’t agree with the teacher’s method of teaching. Each day, he simply sat in front of the class and talked for what seemed like forever. Naturally, my attention was diverted from his monotone voice and, due to that, I barely passed the tests and I struggled to complete the homework assignments correctly.

After receiving a particularly bad grade on a test, I started meeting with a tutor to teach me the subject and with a new teaching style came a significant rise in my grade.

Having the strength to talk for a straight hour may be impressive to students who learn better by sitting quietly at their desks and attentively jotting down notes. However, this method may not apply to students who learn best through engagement in hands-on activities. As a result, classes with teachers who teach through lectures may result in a handful of drowsy students. In addition, the sleep student’s mood will drop and the student will not do as well as expected. There are multiple teaching and learning styles and they must be matched together.

Despite enjoying the subject of a class the year prior, it can turn into a student’s

most hated subject the next year all because of the new teacher’s teaching style. If the names of the teachers who are teaching courses are revealed before mid-March comes around, students can ask their peers about them or even talk to the teachers directly. It would be an immensely helpful factor to consider when picking our classes, because we wouldn’t sign up for a class that has a teacher who we can’t communicate well with. Choosing a teacher who has differing views on teaching is like setting ourselves up for stressful, sleepless nights, and, ultimately, at the end, failure.

AP and Honors students especially deserve the right to know who will be teaching the courses they sign up for. If AP and Honors students are expected to stay in the chosen classes for an entire year and are not allowed to transfer out, they should know every aspect of the classes they will be taking. That doesn’t just mean a description of the course and the materials that they will be covering; it also means who will be teaching the class.

Who is going to be the person that they will see everyday for the next year? Who is going to be the person that has a big influence on whether they will pass or fail the AP exam?

The six or seven teachers that we will see for about an hour each day play a huge role in our academic success. Students should not be distributed out to teachers randomly like a lottery system. Just like how every student is different, every teacher is different. Each teacher has their beliefs on which is the best teaching method for students to learn and each student learns best through a specific teaching style.

Thus, students should be given the knowledge of the teachers for each course in order to achieve a learning environment and style that will enable them to best succeed.

THANK GOD I Didn’t Get Into Lowell

F

BY DAVID SCOLARI

or much of Washington’s senior class, the months of March and April have been defined by college admission decisions. The excitement, joy, and disappointment that these decisions have brought has occupied the minds of this year’s graduating class as its members plan for the years after high school. Amidst this college decision season, I am reminded of a similar experience I had when I was an eighth grader finding out where I would go for high school. As a middle schooler, I imagined myself going to Lowell High School. It had the reputation as being the best school in the city and one of the best in the nation. I can remember opening the SFUSD high school assignment letter, expecting good news, and being extremely disappointed to learn that I would be going to George Washington High School in the fall of 2012. However, four years later, all I have to say is this: thank God I didn’t get into Lowell.

Undoubtedly, my opinions about Lowell are swayed by a few different factors.

The Wash vs. Lowell rivalry (and, admittedly, some saltiness about four straight Lowell baseball championship titles) has made it difficult to retain any kind feelings toward the Cardinals. I also think there are certain aspects of a Washington education that are simply better than from Lowell.

For example, I don’t think such an academically competitive environment is necessarily the best environment for students to develop in. However, having not been a student there, my thoughts on an education from Lowell do not hold very much weight. But petty rivalries and uneducated presumptions aside, the real reason why I’m so glad I didn’t

get into Lowell has nothing to do with Lowell at all and everything to do with the amazing experience I’ve had here at Washington.

Washington High School has provided me with an enriching and challenging education that has developed my academic abilities, but more than that, it’s been the teachers, coaches, and classmates who I’ve shared this experience with that have shaped me into the person I am today. I’m happy with the person I am now and I can’t even imagine how different I’d be if I had gone to another high school, so I’ll say it again: THANK GOD I didn’t get into Lowell!

As this year’s graduating class heads off to college, I hope we take whatever we might be feeling about the schools we’re headed to into perspective and realize that even though college is going to be a critical time of personal growth and development for us all, the name, rank, and reputation of the college or university we are headed to have nothing to do with the people we are going to grow up to be four years from now. The relationships we form and the experiences we create in college are what’s going to determine who were are going forward. Four years from now, I hope we’re all able to look back at this time in our lives and say, “Thank God I didn’t get into (insert college name here)!”

May 19th, 2016

Opinion 13

The Eagle

AP Testing Should Be Free for All Students

BY BITOTA MPOLO

T

hey offer Advanced Placement (AP) classes for free in high school! But wait…. in order to get the credit for college, you have to pay $90 for a test you may not even pass?! Many students take AP classes to look better on college applications and to get college credit early for free. However, the more classes you take, the more money you have to pay at the end of the year for AP testing. There are other high schools in San Francisco that offer AP testing for free to the students who take AP classes, such as Burton High School. However, Washington seems to be holding back and is still asking for this upfront fee.

As a high school student, money doesn’t come easy. Many may argue that they still offer it for $5 for those who have free/reduced lunch or are in the financial range. But, why is it fair for students who don’t make the cut to pay 18x more for every AP test they have to take? How is it that other public schools in San Francisco are able to provide free or very reduced prices for all of their students taking AP exams, but Washington, the supposed 3rd best school, in the district cannot offer this to their students?

Seeing that most AP teachers basically require you to take the AP test in order to pass the class, the fee should not applied. The only options for those who do not qualify for aid are to pay for the AP exams at a high cost or to not take the exams.

The school should provide alternative options for students who do not necessarily meet the financial aid requirement. Although they do give you the option to tutor to pay off your AP’s, personally, I am not very educated in the

high demand subjects people need for tutoring nor do I have the time to tutor someone for nine hours for each test I need to take.

According to Mercury News, even San Jose Unified School District (SJUSD) has “taken a stab at the opportunity gap.” The district has made a subsidy available for the SAT, IB tests, and AP test for all 32,000 students in the district. All students would be eligible for the subsidy, regardless of family income level. That is, each student would only have to pay $5 per exam. SJUSD is saving hundreds of dollars for these college bound students. Although some students may have a higher family income than what is required to qualify for the financial aid, it does not mean they will be able to afford all the tests they will need to take.

With the high cost of living in San Francisco, money is a barrier for many people. SJUSD has allocated $550,000 last school year to pay for tests. Seeing that San Francisco is much wealthier than San Jose, the school district should be able to provide the same benefits for their students.

Just like Washington, schools in SJUSD made it so you had to qualify for free reduced lunch in order to get they subsidy for the tests. However, now, the district has changed it so that all you have to do is to apply for free/reduced lunch and, whether you receive it or not, you will still be able to get the subsidy for the SAT, IB, or AP Tests.

This is a system all school districts should institute. This would take away the stress around paying for AP exams for many students and instead of wondering whether to pay for an AP exam they may or may not pass, these students can invest in college.

The Eagle Nicole Bergelson

For the past few years, many people have been a large part of the production of The Eagle. And, now, you can finally put a face to the names that often appear in the newspaper. Meet some of the many graduating seniors of our journalism class and see them rep their college gear!

Joyce Ma

Newsaper Editors-in-Chief

Jhoselene Alvarado

Marie Baker

Magazine Editors-in-Chief

Allison Wu Graphic Designer

Annie Lei

Jennifer Yip

Website Editors-in-Chief

Photographer: Mandy Yu Staff Writers: Anna Bernick, Maximillian Bormann, Dulce Fuentesleyva, Carolyn Hanson-Lee, Joel Ho, Kevin Li, Andrew Liu, Bitota Mpolo, Christopher Ramos, Jesse Matthews, Samantha Sacks, Hanaki Sato, David Scolari, Deavon Smith, Tobias Sunshine, Benjamin Toledo, Kevin Truong, Katherine Whitmire, Melody Yan, Winnie Zhang, Carmen Zhen, Jerrick Zhu Advisor: David Cary

14 Opinion

May 19th, 2016

The Eagle

Technology Is Taking Over

2

BY WINNIE ZHANG

3,500. 64.8 million. These are the numbers of websites that existed in 1995 and the present.

In 1995, over 60% of teens talked to their friends over the phone daily, whereas now, only 39% of teens make or receive calls at all.

Before smart phones had become a habit, people would play board games or go outside and play. People would interact and be there for one another. Nowadays, all people do is go on their phones and become antisocial.

Throughout the past decade, social media has become a huge part of teen lives. Social media has made it easier to connect with others and share ideas and photos. For example, in the 6th grade, most teens had to go out to work on a project or to socialize. Nowadays, a simple click of a button would allow one to Facetime or Skype another, which easily allows people to communicate face to face. Being able to share ideas or photos can act as a way of self expression, while other social media users can provide feedback.

28% of teens have said that social media has encouraged them to become more outgoing, whereas 5% said that it makes them feel introverted. Social media often helps teens develop their social skills through connecting with others, as well as helps to boost their social awareness by reading articles online or watching the news. A study conducted by Griffith University has shown that social media offers a sense of belonging. Although nowadays people have fewer friends, due to the high usage of technology, people have felt less lonely.

Even though social media has given us easy access to others, a place of belonging, and a way of self expression, it is also known to have raised the rate of cyberbullying and online harassment. We all do not want to be involved in cyberbullying, but it is difficult to prevent it, due to the fast paced innovations with technology. Studies have shown that teens have become more sleep deprived and less physically active, due to the popularity of digital media usage. Teens now spend 300% more time facing a screen than they spent in 1995; On average, in 1995, teens spent about 2.5 hours in front of a screen versus 7.5 hours in 2015.

There are both pros and cons to the existence of social media. As a social media user myself, I know how addicting it can be and how time seems to fly by while you are snapchatting a friend or playing with the snapchat filters.

One thing that has heavily impacted me, and many others, from using social media is the lack of productivity. We can all admit that we are on social media for at least an hour a day, whether it is to quickly reply to a Snapchat or to like a photo on Instagram.

After hearing an alert from my phone, I would quickly bring my attention from doing homework to checking my social media for hours. As a result, I never got anything done during those few hours while I was on social media. After years of doing this, I started what is called a ‘social media cleanse’ after the first day of junior year. What is a ‘social media cleanse’?

It is when you delete all your social media apps for a certain amount of time and/or have a friend change the accounts’ passwords, so that you don’t have access to your accounts.

I thought that it would be impossible for me to survive without social media and that I would give in by impulsively going back to my unhealthy habits of spending hours on social media. In the beginning, I would always ask to go on my social media accounts. I felt left out by not being able to see what others were doing or not being updated on certain trends. I especially did not like the fact that I was unable to open snapchats that were being sent to me, and not being able to scroll down Instagram, liking my friends’ photos. At one point I would even ask to go on others’ accounts because I missed being able to see what others were up to.

However, about one month into the cleanse, I started to forget that my social media accounts even existed. Four months later, I made it to winter break without re-downloading Snapchat and Instagram. Even after having re-downloaded the apps on my phone, I noticed that I barely used them because I would forget that the apps even existed. I now never feel the urge to constantly go on and use my social media apps, as I use to. After this experience, I have realized that social media really is a waste of time! It may be fun and intriguing to see what others are up to, but really, is it worth the time? After starting my social media cleanse, I no longer encountered sleepless,

How much time do females spend on social media each day?

Nearly three-quarters of teens now use smartphones and 92% of teens report going online daily — including 24% who say they go online “almost constantly. (PEW Research Center)

Smartphone users check Facebook 14 times a day.

(Dailymail)

long nights doing homework. Instead, I get everything done in a significantly smaller amount of time and am able to get at least seven hours of sleep almost every night. For a teenager, that is a lot of sleep!

I have noticed that everytime I hang out with friends, they always have their eyes glued to their phones. Everytime this happens, I always tell myself, “aren’t you glad that you do not have social media?! You get to appreciate your surroundings more than those who are on their phone.” I would put my phone to the corner of the table and then sit there staring off until someone notices that everyone at the table is being antisocial.

First of all, by not being on my phone so much, I get to appreciate the fact that I am preventing my eyesight from getting worse. I also get to enjoy the moment of being able to be with someone or to be somewhere. When we spend time trying to capture a moment rather than to enjoy it as it happens, it takes away from the fun of capturing it live. Without using social media, I feel so much more free and appreciative of what I have. But, of course, sometimes I will ‘cheat’ and give myself a break by going on social media when we have long breaks or holidays just to catch up with old friends and to see what everyone is up to.

Some may think that I am missing out on seeing all the fun that others are having. However, studies in the UK have shown that social media has changed the behavior of the 53% of its users, and of those users, 51% said that it has affected behavior in a negative way because it led to lower self esteem, due to comparing one’s life to another’s. So why not just be happy with what you are doing in life rather than comparing it to someone else’s life which is not yours.

Depending on how you see it, social media can have a positive or negative impact. I challenge you to go on a social media cleanse for a week- it will change your perspective on the way you want to live life in this era full of technology. Ready to take on this challenge?

71% of teens use more than one social network site

Teenage girls use social media sites and platforms — particularly visually-oriented ones — for sharing more than their male counterparts do. For their part, boys are more likely than girls to own gaming consoles and play video games. (PEW Research Center)

How much time do males spend on social media each day?

Facebook remains a dominant force in teens’ social media ecosystems, even as Instagram and Snapchat have risen into a prominent role in teens’ online lives.

(PEW Research Center)

Some 88% of teens have or have access to cell phones or smartphones and 90% of those teens with phones exchange texts. A typical teen sends and receives 30 texts per day. (PEW Research Center)

May 19th, 2016

Sports 15

The Eagle

Larry Yee: Baseball Afficionado

I

BY MELODY YAN

t’s no secret that math teacher Lawrence Yee is an avid baseball fan. With Giants gear adorning his classroom walls and his many trips to AT&T park during the school year, Yee makes it known that he is a devoted Giants fan.

His love for the game began when he was young. Growing up, he would play catch with his friends and parents. Yee was in third grade when he attended his first baseball game; his mom had taken him and his friend to a double header and taught them how to keep score in a scorebook. “It was like easy child care. You go to a baseball game and you get hours and hours of entertainment. Kids will run around trying to get the ball. It’s not like that now since baseball games have become so expensive,” explains Yee. Eventually, Yee brought his children to baseball games, and they too have grown to love the sport, and he considers the time he spends with them at these games very meaningful.

One of Yee’s favorite things about going to games is that it gives people an opportunity to talk to one another in a relaxed, non-confrontational environment. “We’re looking at the world from the same perspective. To go to a baseball game is a different dynamic when you’re with people,” Yee says. “My kids and I outside of baseball, we don’t sit and talk a whole lot. Maybe if we’re in the car sitting next to each other we talk, or if we’re driving somewhere. But around the house they’ve got stuff to do, I’ve got stuff to do. But at a game, you sit and relax and go and eat a hot dog. It’s a fun thing to do for me to go to baseball games.”

As a math teacher, Yee can’t help but love the mathematical aspect of baseball. “Everything

is based on numbers. You choose things based on averages and you create these metrics of efficiency. Baseball is all numbers,” he explains.

Yee first bought his season tickets in 1996. “I go to a lot [of games] with my kids, my wife, and my friends. I sell a lot of them [too]. Although I do have season tickets, the number of games I go to is a lot lower than you might imagine. Maybe when I’m retired I’ll have more time to go,” he says. Along with the games he’s been to before he bought his season tickets, Yee has gone to about 600 games, and 700 if you count Washington’s games. “It’s a lot of sitting around and eating peanuts,” Yee jokes.

Though he loves the game, Yee admits that he’s not exactly the best at it. “I can’t play baseball to save my life. I played softball a lot and I wish I was a good baseball player, but I’m not. I’m okay with that, I just love the game,” Yee says. His current favorite player is Buster Posey, but his all time favorite is Willie Mays. “[He’s the] best player I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m a fanboy all the way,” he admits.

A memory that stands out to Yee was the year the Giants won the 2014 World Series. “It was a rainy day, seventh game of the playoffs. We had to win this game to go to the World Series.

This game had gone all the way to the seventh game, and it was contested all the way to the ninth inning, and we finally got the last out in a rainstorm. This was going to be the third trip for the Giants to the World Series in five years. It was a dramatic game. I remember standing there in the rain with my son next to me thinking, ‘This is so cool’. It was a hotly contested game in a meaningful contest, and [it was] well played, and we won,” Yee recalls.

What Do Students Think About College Level Sports?

Many students at Washington participate in sports. Students reveal whether or not they want to play at the collegiate level, and their opinion on college sports in general.

“I want to play sports in college because I think being active is a good outlet to relieve stress. You are in a new environment and you can’t always handle it well or aren’t adapting well so you need a way to let that out. It also helps you focus better because you are less… energetic and preoccupied. I expect that in college sports there will be more people watching in the audience, competitiveness and [stricter] coaches.” - Denise Chow, Junior

“I really need to see if it is something I would want to commit to because it takes up a lot of time.” - Male, Freshman

“I want to play basketball in college because I love playing basketball. High school sports are more for fun. College ball [requires]more skill because it prepares you to be a pro. College is like semi-pro.” - Elijah Davis, Freshman

“It depends on the college I attend and my workload” Winnie Zhang, Junior

“They are really competitive and [for people] trying to become pros” - Female, Senior

“College sports are on a whole other level than high school sports.” - David Scolari, Senior

I

n San Francisco, lacrosse is not usually the sport you would expect someone to play.

This hasn’t stopped senior Alex Duong from playing the sport she has loved ever since being introduced to it four years ago during her freshmen year.

Duong has been the captain of the varsity team since her sophomore year, won the Sportsmanship Award her sophomore year, and has been MVP for the past two seasons.

After playing the sport for four years, Duong says the game has taught her to stay mentally tough, especially during challenging games.

Duong’s favorite memory of the past season was the game against Tamalpais, a team that they had lost to previously the last two years. In this game, Duong shared that the team played “in a way that she had never seen before,” and had contributions from all players, resulting in a shocking win. Another special memory was their game against Sacred Heart on senior night. This was a momentous game in Duong’s career because she felt things had finally come “full circle,” as her first win was against Sacred Heart freshman year, and her last home game also resulted in a 10-9 win against Sacred Heart.

Although she will never play for Washington again, she plans to attend University of California Santa Barbara next fall, where she looks forward to continue playing the sport that she loves in the Division 1 Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association at UCSB.

Alex Duong

Scored a total of 158 goals over the past four seasons

BY JOEL HO

S

enior Simon Shi didn’t always run track. Before he became a star track runner at Wash, he was a sixth grader playing basketball for Roosevelt Middle School where his incredible speed caught the attention of his coach, who then convinced him to try track out.

With his newfound interest for track, the thrill of competition carried into high school where he has been a part of the track team for the past four years. Even though Shi was a part of the team his entire high school career, he only ran for three seasons. During his junior year, Shi fractured his foot, keeping him away from any intense physical activities. A little later, he fractured his ankle, keeping him away from the sport for an entire season. This was a difficult time because just the previous year Shi had won 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal. When asked how he felt Shi said “I was very disappointed, my coaches and teammates had high expectations for me that year”. Despite the injuries, Shi said his love for the sport didn’t let the injuries get him down too much and his desire to get back to the sport helped him through the recovery process. As for this season, Shi is currently ranked 1st in the city for both the 100m and 200m, plus ranked 1st in the 4x100m. As Shi and his team train for the upcoming All-City meet, where the top runners gather to compete against each other all at once, he hopes he can impress and earn offers from college scouts so he can compete at the next level after high school. In the meanwhile, he plans to attend the University of California, Irvine and hopes to continue running track at a competitive level at Irvine if granted the chance.

Simon Shi

Currently ranked 1st in the city for both 100m and 200m

Athletes of the Issue: Senior Edition

M

arco Liang, a senior, has been swimming on the Washington Varsity team for the last four years. During his time here, he has held a city-record for both the 200 medley and 200 free-style relay, and has qualified for State Championships for seven events two years in a row. Liang is also a nine time City-Champion and was named MVP his junior year.

Liang’s most memorable moment is the 200th Medley relay, where they were viewed as underdogs. During this meet they would claim a huge win, which was viewed as a David vs Goliath battle, a race they seemed to have almost no chance at all. With this win they would carry momentum over for the rest of the season and win their remaining events. Adding on, some of Liang’s favorite memories were made at the restaurant Hard Knox where they would talk about life, sports, and just relax. One of his most memorable memories was the time they broke a shower handle causing the water to spray everywhere. Liang plans on attending San Diego State University in the fall, and although he does not see himself participating in the sport there, he hopes to join new clubs that he will be just as passionate about as he was with swimming.

Marco Liang

Nine time city champion

January 12th, 2016

The Eagle Sports 16