The Knight Magazine - February-March 2016

THEM AKNIGHT GAZINE NDHSMEDIA.COM

Notre Dame High School 13645 Riverside Dr, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2015

We Are

THE KNIGHT

EDITORS

Emily Glennon Andrew Gavinet Visit the Knight online publication at

NDHSMEDIA.COM

To advertise in the Knight Magazine, please contact us at (818) 933- 3654 or via email at newspaperknight@gmail.com

Seniors!

STAFF

Peter Smith Annika Pearson Ty Martin Liam Gallagher Nick Han Spencer Niehaus Audrey Azera Katie Crowe Olivia Horowitz Sam Wiser Alex Smith

TURN IN SENIOR SURVEYS TO MS. HARKINS IN ROOM 40 BEFORE MARCH 7.

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ADVISOR

Elisia Harkins

GUEST WRITERS Mikaela Appleby Evin Santana Arissa Santos Jordan Williams

THEMAGAZINE KNIGHT Page 4 - Decision 2016 by Mikalea Appleby

Page 14 - Varsity Boys Basketball by Spencer Niehaus

Page 5 - Music and Concerts by Emily Glennon

Page 15 - Girls Varsity Soccer by Ty Martin

Page 6 - Valentine’s Day by Arissa Santos

Page 16 - Oscar Predictions by Peter Smith and Nick Han

Page 9 - Sundance by Andrew Gavinet

Page 17 - School Safety - by Sam Wiser

Page 10- Club Review by Mikalea Appelby

Page 20 - Living in a Wifi Reliant World by Annika Pearson

Page 12 -What is Winter Guard by Jessica Milton

Page 22 - Social Media and The News by Peter Smith

Page 13 - Girls Water Polo by Sam Wiser

Page 24 - Dating on a Budget by Evin Santana Page 27 - Single on Valentine’s Day by Jordan Williams

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Decision 2016 TDame ed and Hillary may have won Iowa, but according to Notre students Bernie will be taking the cake, or in this case, the

White House. In the heat of the 2016 election I conducted a poll of 100 randomly selected Notre Dame students to see where they stand. Each student was also asked a series of questions about current events and their opinions on today’s most heated controversies.

First, was the million-dollar question, ‘who do you want to be your next president?’ I found that while some only knew one or two candidates, others had been following the election closely and could not say enough about who they wanted to see elected.

Although Bernie topped the polls with 33 of the 100 votes, Donald Trump was a close second with 32. Freshman Hugh Thomas says he’s, “feelin’ the Bern,” whereas junior Sam Wiser believes, “Donald Trump is a great businessman and will make an even better president.” While Trump and Sanders topped the polls, more people opted to undecided rather than support any other candidate, ultimately leading Hillary to take third with 23 points less than Bernie, at 10%. When asked why she was more inclined to support Bernie than Hillary, senior Ella Fisher responded, “Hillary is the moderate Republican of the field which makes me less inclined to trust her.” As for the GOP, Ted Cruz may have won the hearts and votes of Iowans with his grassroots movement, but only three Notre Dame students supported him, the same amount that supported Kasich and Rubio. Still, all three men were beaten out by Ben Carson, who received four votes. Nationally, Trump and Clinton are leading in polls but struggling to hold onto their numbers as other candidates close in.

by Mikaela Appleby

Next, students were asked whether or not Syrian refugees should be allowed into the United States. This controversy has sparked a national debate, and while some argue that America is a nation of immigrants, others fear that if refugees are allowed in we will be risking a terror attack on American soil. Of those interviewed, the majority believe that Syrian refugees should be allowed into the country, but only if a clear and effective vetting process was to be established. TIME Magazine reports that 54% of Americans are against letting refugees because, “they’re not confident in the American screening process to weed out possible terrorists,” mirroring most students’ response to this same question. While more students at Notre Dame are in support of letting refugees in, most are far from certain about what that would entail.

Lastly, students were asked whether or not the United States should take action to combat climate change in accordance with the conclusions reached at the Paris climate conference. This effort would include mitigating emissions, forcing transparency, and supporting adaptation in developing countries. While some students like junior Tommy Daigle believe the deal is unnecessary because, “climate change isn’t real,” the overwhelming majority of Notre Dame students, 76%, believe we need to make an active effort to stop the effects of climate change. Ultimately, the decision to comply with new regulations relies heavily on the nation’s next president.

If anything, this poll is indicative of the diverse view points students at Notre Dame hold and the many ways in which it is possible to view this election as well as the issues that surround it. As we get closer and closer to election day, November 8, things are sure to only get more exciting, and a lot messier.

source businessinsider.com The Knight 4

Music & Concerts

By Emily Glennon

JD McPherson

T

Dr. Dog

his year has hardly begun and already multiple artists have released new music: DIIV, Leon Bridges and Anderson Paak to start. This past month I had the opportunity to attend two shows with totally different vibes .

On January 20, 2016 I headed to JD

McPherson’s show downtown at the Teragram Ballroom, which opened last summer on 7th Street just west of the 110 Freeway. HONEYHONEY opened with their song “Sugarcane”, a slower jam with frontwoman Suzanne Santo’s clear and twangy voice dominating every beat. Their music was far more folk/country than McPherson’s rock n roll/rockabilly roots, but Santo’s voice carried their music all the

way through. After their set JD McPherson and his band opened with”Bossy”, a hit off their new album Let The Good Times Roll.

All of McPherson’s lyrics and old-fashioned rock n roll music seems to echo from aonther time but still remain relevant today. Some of the people at the show were even dressed like they were straight out of the ‘50s to go with the theme. The night ended with McPherson inviting HONEYHONEY back on stage for a cover of David Bowie’s “It’ Ain’t Easy” to celebrate the late singer as well as Santo’s birthday.

January 29th I made the drive down to Santa Ana for Dr. Dog’s show at the

Observatory. Indie folk-rock band Hop Along opened, with music that contrasted Dr. Dog’s upbeat sound. Unlike Santo from

HONEYHONEY, Hop Along’s lead singer Frances Quinlan had a harsher voice to suit their punk vibe, which greatly contrasted the pop-rock sound that Dr. Dog has become known for. Dr. Dog opened with “How Long Must I Wait?” from their 2012 album Be The Void, a preaches optimistic nihilism and happy absurdity they have found in modern life. I always enjoy being at shows to see a new band and hear different music if not for anything else. You can follow Dr. Dog on Instagram @drdogmusic and JD McPherson @jdmcphersonpix.

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Reviews Albums to get you through 2016

Whether you spend your weekends with a significant other, a friend or your TV, you’ll probably be looking for a good album to listen to. Here are three that can fit any day, no matter the feeling.

By Arissa Santos Layout by Emily Glennon

Unknown Mortal Orchestra ♥ Title: Multi-Love Label: JagJaguwar

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Multi-Love is Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s third studio album and second album with Jagjaguwar.

New Zealand-turned-Portland psychedelic rockers merge corny love song lyrics with signature funk beats to bring you what sounds like a fuse between 80’s pop and techno. The album begins with the title track, and frontman Ruban Nielson seduces you with soft whispers of the opening line. “Multi-Love” tells an honest and unfortunate love story, which is probably more realistic than most non-Nicholas Sparks love stories. The rest of the album continues the story of toxic love, and you’ll find different tempos to groove to. Multi-Love is a milkshake of sweet nothings turned disco, and the melodies sound like they were sung in a basement with the intent of not waking up anyone sleeping in the overhead rooms.

Jake Portrait’s soulful bass in “Necessary Evil”

will leave an imprint in your head, and you’ll find yourself humming it in the middle of math class (as I did). In conclusion, if you want to take your better half on a journey to a smorgasbord of cheesy pop ballads, pop Multi-Love in the car and groove away this Valentine’s Day. Or groove alone; I can promise I’ll join you.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra will be making an appearance at this year’s Coachella Valley Music Festival.

Recommended Tracks: “Multi-Love,” “Ur Life

One Night,” “Extreme Wealth and Casual Cruelty,” and “ Necessary Evil”

Sounds like: Some 80’s pop group you can’t

remember the name of, but definitely know. A little mix of Tame Impala’s high-pitched vocals and Daft Punk’s groove.

IF YOU LIKE THESE...

You May Also Enjoy

Haitus Kaiyote ♥

Title: Choose Your Weapon Label: Flying Buddha

Choose Your Weapon is Hiatus Kaiyote’s sophomore album, and takes you on a journey through the soulful chimes of frontwoman Nai Palm. The Melbourne-based alt-R&B folks place you in the center psychedelic experience. The only way to fully listen to Choose Your Weapon is to give it your full and undivided attention from the first track to the last. Like their live performances, Hiatus Kaiyote will often get lost in their own songs, and from the first listen it sounds like a chaotic tornado of instruments.

I find this characteristic telling of the passion this album exudes. The band gets in “the zone,” whether through Paul Bender’s prominent bass lines or the multitude of keyboard melodies that invite you into their sweet sound. After being nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Performance in 2013, HK has evolved from its neo-funk roots to bring you a collection of what I like to call electronic jazz funk. It’s hard to put this band into a category, but they were one of the most honest sounds to emerge in 2015. Nai Palm’s poetry in Choose Your Weapon’s holds you close and tells you that everything will be alright, and the stories of strength and love provide a different vibe for Valentine’s Day.

Recommended Tracks: “Shaolin Monk

Motherfunk”, “Laputa”, “Borderline with My Atoms”, “Fingerprints”, “Jekyll”, and “Molasses”

Sounds like: Take Amy Winehouse’s vocals

and soul and fuse it improv jazzfunk with the weirdest noises you can think of, including owl hoots.

Wolf Alice ♥

Title: My Love is Cool Label: Dirty Hit Records Ellie Rowsell brings more power to the female-lead indie band movement with Wolf Alice’s debut LP, My Love is Cool. Her voice is both charming and fierce, which rightfully places her in Gigwise’s “50 Greatest Frontwomen of All Time”. Wolf Alice surfaced from their Northern London base this past year, and they will be making an appearance at the Coachella Valley Music Festival alongside acts such as Girlpool and Beach House.

My Love is Cool opens with the meditative “Turn to Dust” to bring you into the summery-feel of “Bros.” This second track is a swell tune to play for your best friend, and it seems so fitting for a scene in a movie where the main characters drive along the coast in an orange pickup truck. The album takes you through more intense songs such as “Giant Peach’ and “Fluffy,” in which Rowsell’s vocals punch you in the face. If you’re not interested in joining hodgepodge of cheesiness that is Valentine’s Day, rock out to this album.

Wolf Alice will be making an appearance at this year’s Coachella Valley Music Festival.

Feels Like Bully

The Halocline EP Hippo Campus

Real Estate Atlas

Recommended Tracks: “Bros”, “Moaning Lisa Smile”, “Lisbon”, “Freazy”, and “Giant Peach”

Sounds like: Joan Jett gone New York indie

or similar to Nashville-punk band Bully when it comes to the more punk-y songs.

The chiller tunes can sound like Drowners or Real Estate.

Drowners Drowners

Film Festival

For 345 days out of the year, Park City, Utah serves as a small and reclusive ski-resort town only notable by its proximity to Salt Lake City. However, for 20 days of the year, this small town is host to the great power of the American and world film industry, past and present. In 20 days the sleepy town becomes the epicenter of the indie film scene. Moviemakers and watchers alike flock to it religiously, despite the cold, slobbering snow and cramped Main Street. Why do people continue to make the pilgrimage, despite any weather or adverse circumstances, year in and year out? Surely there is something of greater value than the allure of a few worthwhile films. Why else would we put ourselves through this? Is the power film holds over the spirit this intense? Yes, yes it is.

Still shot from Asantewwa Prempeh’s Jungle which was shot over the course of a week in Manhattan

Our nights were spent exhausted, hungry, but enraptured by the films that broke free from the Hollywood status quo (despite sometimes starring Hollywood residents) and introduced bold and new ideas through film. Some of the class favorites included John Krasinski’s critically acclaimed dramedy “The Hollars” and the Lebanese rom-com “Halal, Love, and Sex”. “It was an amazing experience,” said senior Nick Han “ it was great being able to see so many different films and enjoy the experience with my friends and classmates”. We spent the days in and out of the city as constant films, interviews, and momentary pauses shaped our trip became a whirlwind.

The trip was highlighted by inspirational films as well as viewings and subsequent interviews with the cast and crew of various short films. One such film was the Canadian short film Her Friend Adam that aired and was heavily praised at both the Toronto and Sundance film festivals. Ben Petrie, the writer and director of the film said “Its such a bonanza at Sundance that it takes an actual physical and mental toll on you. But honestly its worth it, it’s an amazing place”. Another short film we saw was Jungle; we had the opportunity to speak with the directorAsantewwa Prempeh. “Its hard, but you have to wake up, eat, and find an inspiration everyday you go on set,” she said. Prempeh also added the importance and close bond she formed with her cast and crew she filmed with by saying “ I was very lucky to do this with my friends from NYU since we are constantly helping one another on our films and we are basically one another’s second families”. Ms. Prempeh left us with the true essence of all of our loves behind film. “ The magic of film is that once you finish a project it always teaches you something about yourself you didn’t know was there”.

Check out the Sundance website (www.sundance.org ) for a full list of nominees and winners from this year’s festival.

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Silver Students Society:

C L U B

W A T C H The Knight 10

Students Working with Seniors

By Mikaela Appleby Layout by Annika Pearson

A new club has arrived on the scene at ND! The Silver Students Society (SSS) was co-founded this year by Sistine Stallone and myself, Mikaela Appleby. SSS is an entirely student-run volunteer program through which high school students are able to work directly with elderly people in the area. Our goal is to enrich the lives of the students and senior citizens involved. SSS has chosen to work with Sunrise Senior Living on the corner of Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Hortense Street. Sunrise is a highly-esteemed facility just two minutes driving distance from Norte Dame that provides its residents with assisted living and Alzheimer’s and memory care. We believe that in working with Sunrise we will be able to support their mission to preserve the dignity of their members and provide them with the upmost quality of life. We chose Sunrise because it was easy to draw parallels between the goals of our

club and those of their organization. Upon touring Sunrise, I was instantly reminded of the Notre Dame community. I felt immediately welcomed and enveloped by the compassion and happiness of the staff, a feeling that is nostalgic of the first time I stepped on the Notre Dame campus. Notre Dame is a school that prides itself in the education of the heart and mind of its students, and SSS’s roots are anchored in this mission of embracing the whole person.

We at SSS believe that there is a flaw in modern society that our club can seek to address on a micro level, with hope of contributing to a macro level change. Elderly people, specifically in the United States, are often not cared for with the dignity they deserve. It is common that we get too caught up in the day-to-day buzz of our lives or our Instagram feeds to appreciate the people around us, especially senior citizens. As much as SSS is a club focused on volunteering, it also seeks to do more by challenging societal norms and creating impactful relationships that are mutually-beneficial. We hope to host events throughout the year both on campus and at Sunrise. On campus, we plan to sell an item of the club’s choosing to raise money to host an interactive activity at Sunrise. Although the club is in its infancy now, we hope that as it grows we will be able to involve more members of the community and promote social awareness. In addition, we hope that this is the first chapter of many Silver Student Societies and that it will spread to other schools so together we can have a greater impact and serve the elderly on a larger scale. It is never too late to sign up and get involved!

Getting Involved Now:

When: meeting frequency will vary based on club activity but they will be hosted during X periods (although they will not take up the entirety of the period) How: meetings will be announced during the morning announcements, if you have specific questions email Mikaela Appleby at applebymikaela@gmail.com Where: Ms. Hinds English classroom, room #5 Why: “Because who doesn’t love old people?”

–Sistine Stallone

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WHAT IS WINTER GUARD? JESSICA MILTON

W e have all seen the Notre Dame dance flags team perform-

ing at football games, rallies, and band reviews, but did you know that they compete in winter guard competitions throughout February, March, and April? I sat down with dance flag senior captain, Crista Gregoire, to learn more about these exciting events.

The dance flags team began winter guard just last year, but have already made themselves a team to watch. They began competing as a way to “push their team to improve, elevate their experience, and diversify their skill set in both dance and equipment choreography.” Last competition season, they placed fourth in their division at the Winter Guard Association of Southern California Championships. This accomplishment does not happen overnight. The team works hard to prepare for several months. They have dance class during third period and also attend a three-hour practice once a week, working on a routine that involves difficult choreography, an array of equipment, and elaborate costumes. A typical routine is about five to seven minutes long and incorporates the use of tall flags, rifles, and sabers.

In addition to committing long and hard hours during the week, the dance flag team must keep a whole day free for their winter guard competitions.

A typical competition day begins with an early morning call time, where the girls rehearse in the Notre Dame gym a few times.

Then, they travel to the competi-

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tion. Once they arrive, the dance flags warm up for about an hour, perform, watch their competitors’ routines, and attend awards. By the time the team returns to school, the sun has set and they are exhausted.

To some a winter guard competition may sound very similar to a band review or parade; they are actually quite different. “In winter guard competitions, we compete without the band; we are not an auxiliary component ” noted Crista.

Additionally, the dance flags utilize many different types of equipment and perform more difficult choreography. Crista prefers winter guard competitions because “the team is able to better improve their technique as a whole and show off their skills independently.”

If you are interested in joining dance flags next year, Crista’s advice is “be sure to ask current members about the team, make sure you can handle the time commitment, and work on improving your dance technique prior to auditions that are held at the end of the school year.”

Good luck to dance flags in your upcoming winter guard competitions!

FOR MORE UPDATES ON OTHER SPORTS AND SCHOOL GROUPS GO VISIT: WWW.NDHSMEDIA.COM

Coach Hirn

ore a game The team bef

Hirn Senior Christin

O L O P R E T A W Y T I S R A V S GIRL

SAM WISER

Commonly recognized as one of the most demanding sports

Notre Dame has to offer, girls varsity water polo spends countless hours in the pool training for their competitive season. The Lady Aqua Knights are always early rise and in the pool to put in practice and their effort has shown. The Knights have flexed their muscles pulling off close wins against Flintridge Sacred heart (7-6 W), Atascadero (8-7 W).

The Knights began the year in neutral tournament play to fine tune their skills and prepare for the regular season.

Although tournament play did not yield a first place finish for the team, the ladies played multiple tough matches with incredible competition. This year strong senior leadership has definitely boosted the Knights. Senior captains Kara Grist, Christin Hirn, and Alexa Fabrizio have led the Knights using their experience to build chemistry among the younger players. The girls have had several notable team wins including an impressive non-conference win against Birmingham (16-6 W). In addition, the Aqua Knights built momentum on their season early on with a commanding 10-4 win against Burroughs.

A highlight of the season was undoubtedly senior night at the Notre Dame Aquatic Center. There was a spectacular turn out for our varsity girls as they whopped Louisville 14-5. It was a memorable game for Kara Grist in goal who came up with nu-

merous incredible stops. In addition spectacular goals scored by Christin Hirn and Georgia Moran secured the victory.

Coach Hirn has shown unwavering dedication to the girls and the water polo program. He runs a tight shift and win or lose, he remains focused and humble. Coach Hirn has truly pushed the girls to be their best and noted that a key this season is to “stay consistent, and just play [their] game no matter the competition”. Coach Hirn noted that when the girls find themselves in match against poor competition, they tend to lower their level of play. He has stressed to the girls the importance of executing and playing hard regardless of opponent in front of you. This season, the girls’ work has paid off.

With competitive league play building up the Knights have a good chance of taking Mission League and exploding into the playoffs. Please be sure to support girl’s water polo at home for the rest of this season and many more to come!

FOR MORE UPDATES ON WATER POLO AND OTHER ND TEAMS, VISIT THE BLOG: WWW.NDHSMEDIA.COM The Knight 13

NOTRE DAME

By Spencer Niehaus Layout by Emily Glennon

Varsity Basketball

What do the phrases “highly skilled”, “high flying”, and “draining threes” have in common? They all describe our Boys Varsity Basketball team. The team has had a great season thus far, with huge wins all across the board.

They have been grinding ever since summer, practicing and honing their skills for the upcoming season. Going into most games as the underdog, our Knights proved that they are anything but. Head Coach Vincent Oliver led the team to victory against Loyola and an extremely close 65-63 win over Harvard-Westlake. Senior center Michael Geirland how he felt when they won “It’s an energetic feeling and it really gets you pumped to go into the next games.”

The veteran team, led by senior forward Chibuze Jacobs, uses their experience and skill to defeat the opposing teams. The Knights schedule isn’t easy and they face two of the top teams in state, Crespi and Alemany. Going into these games with a ruthless mindset, the Knights played savagely, as if they have nothing to lose. The Knights squared up against our rivals Crespi once already, they fought hard, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough. That game was nothing to be ashamed of, as players like Joe Hace had an exceptional game and the stands overflowed with all of the students in the Castle. The Knights used this game, along with many others, to learn from their mistakes and work on their weakness.

The team has also had some blowout victories, like the 70-43 win over Loyola at their senior night. That game was very special for the team, and was in honor of Senior Chris Kelly, former basketball player and student. Senior guard Dylan Pastoral, a close friend of Chris, “That game really meant a lot for everyone on the team, Chris was a great friend to all of us. It was really special to win that game for him and it was really great to see the student section full of bright neon showing their support for Chris and our team.”

The Knights now set their sights on playoffs, going game by game and keeping their eye on the CIF championship. There has not been a team who has wanted the title more than this years team, so be sure to show up and support our Knights.

FOR MORE UPDATES ON BASKETBALL AND OTHER SPORTS GO TO: WWW.NDHSMEDIA.COM

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GIRLS VARISTY SOCCER

By Ty Martin, Layout by Emily Glennon and Peter C. Smith The varsity girls soccer team is having a great season. So far they’ve crushed Birmingham 7-0, Taft 4-2, Malborough 4-3, Hesperia 6-0, plus many more.

There’s no doubt that our girls soccer team is exceptional. They absolutely love each other and are always there to support and give a helping hand, on and off the field. I interviewed Christine Dragan on how she feels about the sport and her team. “I really like the girls on the team, they are very dedicated team members,” Christine said. All the girls show a great willingness to not only play the game but make to it a family effort, which makes them tough to beat. Later in my interview Christine added, “These girls are very committed to the game and each other. It’s really hard to put in the work and the time but it’s worth it in the end to play with people who love and support you.”

Aside from all the overwhelming positives, I had to ask, if anything, what her least favorite part of being on the team

was. Not surprisingly Christine told me, “Practicing, we practice a lot and work very hard but it is necessary and we have to do it.”

Despite practice being a little overwhelming, the soccer team continues to dominate this season. More victories included, Hart 2-1, FSHA 3-0, along with a few ties. Christine then explained what her favorite part about being on such a close-knit, dedicated team. “I love being able to play on a team with girls I’m so close with”.

Notre Dame girls soccer is definitely a great, loving and supportive team with a killer kick. Be sure to go out and support the Varsity Girls Soccer team at their last two upcoming games.

FOR MORE UPDATES ON GIRLS SOCCER AND OTHER SPORTS GO TO:

WWW.NDHSMEDIA.COM

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By Sam Wiser

Teens: SCHOOL SAFETY IN AN UNSAFE WORLD In 2015 alone, the United States experienced 52 school shootings leaving 30 people dead and dozens injured. As these numbers rise, many discuss the best way to ensure the safety of America’s teens.

O

HOW CAN WE KEEP AMERICA’S SCHOOLS SAFE?

n April 20th, 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold walked into Columbine High School in Colorado and shot 13 people. The words above have been repeated thousands of times. The Columbine High School shooting of Littleton, Colorado goes down in infamy for a number of reasons. First and foremost is that loss of life in any situation is tragic, and always hard to forget. However the Columbine Shooting is seen to hold an even greater weight than before. In the eyes of many Americans, Columbine is recognized as the first mass shooting to take place on a high school campus. The incident marked a point in American society, as ever since the Columbine Shooting, the United States has seen a sharp rise in school-based violence, a trend that appears to be doing nothing but increasing, especially when we take last year’s numerous tragedies into consideration.

THREATS OF VIOLENCE

There have been over 1000 high school-related terrorist/ shooting incidents since the Columbine Shooting, which has prompted much political discussion. Liberal politicians have continually condemned organizations such as the NRA for their support of the rights of Americans to procure assault rifles with devastating capabilities. On the other hand, the political Right has condemned the Left’s “GunFree Zones”, areas pertaining mostly to school campuses in which guns are forbidden by law. It is a true statement that 98% of these attacks have occurred in “Gun-Free Zones”, prompting the Right to argue for more guns in these areas in order to combat a bad guy with a gun, with a good guy with a gun. This debate has raged for over a decade, but now with the rise of terrorism and the Islamic Jihadist group ISIS, the debate has shifted dramatically.

The debate regarding the safety of teens in school revolved around how to keep guns out of the hands of mentally unstable teens. This debated has begun to shift following threats and attacks from the rising terrorist organization, ISIS. The Islamic State (ISIS) is a Syrian based terrorist group. ISIS has waged Jihad – Holy War – against the western world in attempt to re establish an Islamic Empire in the Middle East, similar to the Persian and Assyrian Empires. However, their tactics are more easily compared to that of Nazi Germany. ISIS is well known for their gruesome beheadings and tortuous propaganda videos.

They have slaughtered American and Japanese journalists, and have claimed an attack in Paris, which took over 300 lives. Thus worries have risen regarding how to protect a defenseless highschool from a similar attack.

THREATS AGAINST LOS ANGELES

On December 14th, 2015, Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Ramon Cortines issued a mandate that the Los Angeles School District would be closed due to terrorist threats. Due to security concerns and the possible legitimacy of the threat, over 700,000 middle and high school students did not attend school. Recent details have revealed that the threat stemmed from an email in which an alleged ISIS member threatened to kill Los Angeles high school students with pressure cookers, machine guns, and explosives. The threat was taken very seriously, but many criticized the Superintendent for acting before he received all the facts. As it turns out, the threat was a hoax email sent from a server in Germany.

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POLICE DETECTIVE SPEAKS ON SCHOOL SAFETY

The threats against schools are very real whether they stem from an organized terrorist group or students themselves. I spoke with Detective Nicole Connor of the Torrance Police Department who specializes in school safety. Detective Connor works from offices based out of Torrance high schools and investigates formal reports like theft and assault. She is also a first responder if there were an emergency situation. As an investigator she spends countless hours in and around the school system interacting with students and monitoring safety. I asked Detective Connor how she felt about having privatized security details protect schools as some have suggested. While she acknowledged that the idea has promise, she asserted that, “armed security can not always stop the attack”. She instead recommended a police presence because not only do police ward off outside attackers, they “provide an incentive for students to behave”.

When asked about protocol for active shooter situations Detective Connor informed me that it completely relies on the district. The shooter evacuation for a school in North Hollywood is completely different than that of Notre Dame. The police departments often provide emergency situation training to staff at a school and rely on a trickle down effect for the information to reach students. Despite any and all discrepancies between schools on proper lockdown protocols, Detective Connor assured me that one thing remains the same, “Safety is the top priority”.

RUN, HIDE, FIGHT

According to the Torrance and Los Angeles Police Departments there are three basic options, depending on the scenario, for a student faced with an active shooter situation: run, hide or fight.

Run- If the gunfire or situation sounds as though it is far from you, running is your best option. Ensure that you are a decent distance away then move to a safer location.

Hide- If the gunfire or situation sounds close and running in the open appears risky, hiding is the best option. Hide in an enclosed location and barricade or lock yourself in.

Fight- Fighting is always an option. Detective Connor stated that “it’s a choice that must be made at the moment it’s necessary to do so”. People must be aware that fighting is the riskiest option and can be a deadly decision.

TEENS DISCUSS SAFETY

David Cook is a student at The Summit Country Day School in Cincinnati, Ohio. David “is rarely concerned with [his] safety. Because the school is a smaller, close knit community there is less concern”. Although David feels little concern, that does not mean he doesn’t think about emergency situations. David “hope [he] and [his] classmates will never find [themselves] in those circumstances, but [he] believes the school has taken proper measures to prepare the student body for a lock down situation”.

Notre Dame High School’s Avery Romick 17’ stated that she does feel safe at school “especially considering the rules regarding [access] through school gates during the day…” When asked if she would be prepared in an emergency situation Romick responded that she “would hope she [was], but in reality [she] probably is not”. Avery stated that safety is a major concern for her, especially because she is a “very paranoid person”. She agrees that terrorists are more than likely to target high schools “because it’s a large community on one area [where] they can hurt a lot of people at one time”.

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T

here are 7.2 billion people in the world. Three billion of those people use the Internet. Almost two billion people have active social media accounts across the globe. They generate four and a half billion likes daily. Five hundred million tweets per day.

Social media runs our lives.

To those who claim they remain detached from social media: you are a rare and lucky case. To those who count likes like bankers count money: you are not alone. Social media’s profound influence has made us into a wifi-reliant culture. It affects our lives both positively and negatively, and further changes the way we see not only acts of compassion, but also social injustices.

The selfie, one of the prized and newest terms the 21st century has added to the Oxford Dictionary, dominates teenagers’ Instagram feeds. Common Sense Media, a child advocacy group, did a study showing that “one in five teens said social media makes them feel more confident” (Wallace). Shira Lee Katz, director of Common Sense Media, claims teens “believe that social media helps their friendships, makes them feel more outgoing, and gives them confidence” (qtd. in Wallace). Countless comments telling girls they are “so beautiful” and “perfect” obviously

boosts confidence–it would in anyone. However, this speaks for a larger problem at hand. Social media is a screen. People give and receive compliments, pictures, and messages with the thought they are faceless and nameless. Would you really say that to their face? In negative cases, people feel as though they will not be held responsible for what they message. As a result, problems such as cyber bullying, sexism, and even racism stem from social media.

These comments, contrary to common belief, do not go unnoticed and are most definitely not anonymous.

With the rise of social media, private lives can become public matters, and any mistake or mindless act has the ability to follow a person around forever due to society’s persistence of public shaming. While social media gives everyone a voice and allows them equal opportunity to make an impact with what they say, not everyone contributes positively. A health and wellness company fired intern Erika Escalante “after she posted an image on Twitter of herself in a cotton field with the caption: ‘Our inner n----- came out today.’” (Dwyer). Although deleted, her tweet and reputation precedes her forever. Social media has the potential to turn us into our worst selves. It encourages an unhealthy obsession to highlight other people’s mistakes, or, as author Jon Ronson

LIVING IN A WIFI RELIANT WORLD

BY ANNIKA PEARSON puts it, people’s desire “to be like amateur detectives, [looking for] clues into people’s inherent evil” (qtd. in Leopold).

Social awareness unfortunately comes in worse forms and on even larger scales. The news warns us to be watchful of ISIS recruitments on Twitter, but does that really resinate with us as much as it should? ISIS targets teenagers through sites like Facebook and Twitter. Two Tunisian girls, 19 and 21, saw a page in Facebook offering opportunities to aid the people affected by the Syrian War and they contacted it. A stranger their age promised to help them travel through Turkey into Syria, but had to pick up another European girl before they went. All together, the man led the girls into an ISIS compound where the girls were sold as wives to ISIS members and “raped daily” (Geiger).

Lately, social media has also shed a tremendous amount of light on otherwise unnoticed social issues. In the last few years, trending hashtags on Twitter and Instagram give awareness to global concerns. In April 2014, the Boko Haram terrorists kidnapped hundreds of Nigerian girls from

their boarding school. Almost 500,000 tweets were sent with #BringBackOurGirls as “a social awareness campaign” in attempt to do exactly that, and their Facebook page has over

237,000 likes (Bring Back Our Girls). This international campaign now advocates for women’s education and safety in effort to “protect schoolgirls across the world” (Bring). Other hashtags like #WhyIStayed and #BlackLivesMatter raised controversial moral questions about modern society as they dealt with domestic abuse and systematic racism.

Media’s influence on us is undeniable and inevitable, and its capabilities have only begun to emerge. Even as a rising generation, we cannot fully dictate social media’s influence on us, so rather we must learn to dictate its ability to affect us toward a more positive outcome. Like Ghandi’s quote says, “Be the change you want to see in the world”– even if that change comes one like, favorite, or comment at a time.

Sourses: jeffbulas.com bringbackourgirls.us takepart.com dailymail.co.uk For more on social media go to our blog at ndhsmedia.com to find additional content.

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SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE NEWS

BY PETER C. SMITH

Social media affects aspects of people’s everyday lives. Recently it has marked a huge change in the way people consume media. We went out and surveyed Notre Dame students about how social media has affected the way they get their news.

“I find out information about current events much quicker with the help of social media. Everyone posts major events so they become impossible to miss.” – Dani Posin

60% of students we

surveyed said they got the news from social media.

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55% of students we

surveyed said they felt the news media moved from story to story too fast.

“A lot of people get (the news) from what their friends are tweeting about and it ends up being like a game of telephone and the real news gets misconstrued” – Annika Pearson

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CHALLENGE

Dating On A Budget

It’s tough to be a broke high school student, especiallywhen you’re trying to go on a date.

In Los Angeles especially, going on a date can turn into a serious financial investment. But on January 23, 2016, Zoe Shyngle and Ted Alberon went on a date with a budget of $20, proving that more fun doesn’t have to mean more funds.

By Evin Santana

At 5:00 pm, Zoe arrived at Ted’s house.

From there they head to the Griffith Observatory, on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park.

Before entering the Observatory, the couple stopped to enjoy the view of the city and the Hollywood sign. Admission to the Observatory is free. They arrived at 5:30 pm with $20 left to spend.

At 6:00 pm, Ted and Zoe purchased two tickets to see a show called “Centered in the Universe” in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium. The tickets were $7 each. The couple had $6 left to spend.

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The show was scheduled to start at 6:45pm. To kill time, Zoe and Ted walked around the museum, viewing the different exhibits and seeing how much they would weigh on the different planets.

After the short film ended at 7:15, Zoe and Ted looked at the mountain view again, this time in the dark and the city lit up in the night.

At 7:25, Zoe and Ted still had $6 to spend, and they made their way to Millions of Milkshakes in West Hollywood. There, at 8:15pm, they split a medium Oreo Licious Shake for $5.95. That was the last of their $20 and a sweet ending to their budgeted night out.

So that was it for Zoe and Ted’s night out! You don’t need tons of cash to have a great time. It’s usually the times you spent no money at all but still found something great to do that make the best memories. So next time you feel like asking someone out, don’t just run to the bank, think of something good; that will be more meaningful.

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Being Loveless on the Day of Love

Single on Valentine’s Day

By Jordan Williams Between the increase in chocolate at the grocer store and the return of roses to every florist, it was pretty clear that Valentine’s Day was just here. This was great news for most couples; however, that left single people asking what they should do.

Although many couples littered public places, they did not deter singles from taking in all Los Angeles has to offer. The Americana in Glendale and The Village in Topanga both have a wide range of shops and great restaurants. If someone wanted something amore uncommon, they took the subway downtown to Olvera Street, one of the oldest places in Los Angeles dedicated to Mexican heritage where they tried the Carne Asada Fries at las Anitas Resaurant.

If you were in the mood for some art, The Broad is an exceedingly popular addition to Downtown Los Angeles. The museum of Neon Art hosted its Grand Opening on February 6.

On February 13, the Griffith Observatory hosted its Public Star Party with free admission. On

the same day, China Town hosted its 117th Golden Dragon Parade and Chinese New Year Festival. The more adventurous couples participated in the LA Marathon on February 14 at Dodger Stadium. Some Notre Dame Students stated they “just watched movies and ate a tub of ice cream in a jacuzzi” or “went on vacation and had family dinners”.

In past years movie theaters have been filled with cheesy romantic films; however, this holiday there was a wider range of films to see on Valentine’s Day weekend. Some of these films include Marvel’s Deadpool, Hail Caesar and How to Be Single. Unlike past Marvel super heroes, Deadpool exhibits a crude and unusual brand of humor, which justifies the R rating on this film. Hail Caesar features an all-star cast ranging from George Clooney and Scarlett Johansson to Channing Tatum. It tells the story of Hollywood producer Eddie Mannix ( Josh Brolin) who searches for the kidnapped Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) in order to save Capitol Pictures’ next blockbuster movie.

If they felt like seeing a nontypical romantic comedy, How To Be Single hit theaters for the holiday. The title says it all: Allison Brie, Dakota Johnson and Rebel Wilson come together to learn how to be single in New York.

There were lots of options when deciding how to spend Valentine’s Day weekend, and, whether you were single or in a relationship, Los Angeles always offers a wide range of activities.

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