The Northwood Howler Volume XXII, Issue VII: April 23, 2021

A Northwood High School Publication Volume XXII, Issue VII: April 23, 2021

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Leading the Pack: Northwood’s newest ASB officers

By Annie Lee

www.TheHowlerOnline.org

Staff Writer

The new ASB officers for the 2021-22 school year were selected during the Election Convention on March 22.

The elected students include: juniors Shan Syed (ASB president), Snigdha Maddula (ASB vice president), Jasmine Chhabria (Student Forum president), Luke Garcia (Spirit and Rally commissioner), Delaney Wong (Girls Athletics commissioner), sophomore Aditya Hari (Boys Athletics commissioner), juniors Yun Seo Lee (senior president), Andy Hoang (senior vice president), sophomores Rachel How (junior president) and Neela Michelsen (junior vice president) and freshmen Joy Bae (sophomore president) and Kristie To (sophomore vice president).

Election Convention, held through a YouTube livestream, took four hours along with six rounds of voting. Current ASB president Kara Chu asked each candidate questions ranging from their leadership style to what fresh ideas they planned to bring to ASB. After each round of questions, student forum members voted for the candidates who they felt responded with the best answer.

The candidate that won the majority of the student forum votes earned one point. Some candidates already earned one point from winning the popular vote, held during Advisement one week prior. The first candidate who reached two points won the position. For some of the

History of Kare-Kare Accent

[insert the credits] Sondos Elbershawi The Northwood Howler

SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS: Incoming ASB officers and juniors Snigdha Maddula and Yun Seo Lee help creatively decorate a mannequin for Northwood’s annual Fine Arts Week event, celebrating all types of art. elected officers, winning the position was a huge surprise.

“My YouTube livestream was lagging a bit so as I watched Yun Seo being announced as the senior president, I suddenly got pulled into the Zoom and was not prepared for the news at all,” Chhabria said. “I think my hand was over my mouth for a solid two minutes. In all seriousness though, I was so happy when the news finally sunk in, and I’m just

really excited to work with a great group of T-wolves next year through student forum!”

Already, many elected officials have clear envisions of improving the school environment and creating engaging school events for next year, particularly with Northwood planned to return to a five-day in-person schedule next year.

“One aspect of Northwood that made me fall in love with our school,

especially ASB, is hearing about how exciting the pep rallies are and seeing how hyped the crowd gets,” To said. “I am very excited to decorate the sophomore section at pep rallies and choreograph sophomore Class Council’s pep rally dance. I genuinely want to bounce back from the pandemic and give the Class of 2024 the amazing high school experience that we deserve, with great vibes and tons of fun!”

Asian Hate Crimes Viewpoint

Fun at the OC Fair News

2021-2022 Academic Models Students speak out at Virtual Advocacy Trip

By Cameron Arcand Staff Writer

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced at an April 6 news conference that schools should be able to reopen for full in-person instruction once California exits the current tier system on June 15.

“I share Governor Newsom’s optimism that conditions continue to improve,” State Superintendent Tony Thurmond said in a statement. “As all Californians continue common-sense measures, such as continuing to wear a mask and getting vaccinated, there is a clear pathway to a safe and full return to in-person teaching and learning this fall.”

This comes as coronavirus metrics in Orange County continue to see positive trends, sending the county into the less restrictive orange tier on March 31. Vaccines also continue to be administered to the community, and are currently available to everyone over the age of 16.

Irvine students will have the option to continue with IVA, which provided an alternative to hybrid learning for students and teachers who were concerned about the spread of COVID-19 in schools.

“Although the district will offer both online and in-person academic models in the fall, the revised guide-

lines will allow for more flexibility in the classroom, further supporting IUSD’s commitment of a five-day per week program,” IUSD Superintendent Terry Walker said in a letter last month.

However, controversy surrounds next year’s bell schedule, which aligns all IUSD high schools together. The proposal includes an all periods day on Mondays, eliminates late start Wednesdays and adds extra time for tutorial. The final bell schedule also shifts the start time for schools to 8:30 a.m. and shifts the ending time to 3:45 p.m.

“The district is in the process of developing a bell schedule that works for all six IUSD high schools (including IVA),” Northwood Assistant Principal Eric Keith said. “They are still in the discussions, but the hope is to have a common bell schedule set soon.”

The district has indicated it will cooperate with public health guidelines in place during the fall, which Walker hopes will offer more flexibility than the current rules, such as less spacing between desks and allowing more students to be in each classroom. While it is unclear what the future will hold in terms of public health, the district remains hopeful that K-12 education will soon return to normal.

garding mental health services for students. We emphasized that if CaliStaff Writer fornia can introduce social-emotional Six Northwood students spoke learning in schools from a young age, directly with state lawmakers during the overall well-being of students ultimately the annual Sacramento Advocacy would be bettered,” Trip virtually on March 8-9.

Students addressed issues sur- Scott said.

Students rounding public education and procalled vided student feedback on the current also additioneducational system. Participants in- for cluded juniors Kaitlyn Cui, Anjana al funding for Narasimhan and Aditi Sreenivas, visual and perarts and seniors Rohan Agrawal, Kamryn forming programs and Scott and Colman Sun. “Through this program, students maintained the imcan delve into the deeply interesting portance of creatsubject matter of educational policy, ing a safe environment for which not only impacts people who deaf students during the pandemic.

Among the state lawmakers in want a future in such areas, but any attendance were politicians such as student,” Sreenivas said.

Sen. Dave Min and Assemblywoman Due to COVID-19 Cottie Petrie-Norris. restrictions, the pro“I was pleasantly surprised gram was held virby the amount of ditually over Zoom versity in the backinstead of in Sacgrounds ramento. It conof the sisted of two sixl a w hour meetings makers, in which Northas it was wood students interesting to were joined by Anjana Narasimhan The Northwood Howler other student representatives from see how such backgrounds shape our the six IUSD high schools in commu- political opinions,” Sreenivas said.

After each presentation, the lawnicating student concerns.

“Our largest platform was re- makers would respond to students’

By Rachel Yokota

concerns and expand upon any exi s t i n g plans to address these issues.

S t u - dents found that many responses related back to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects.

Applications for the program were submitted to Northwood Principal Leslie Roach during early January.

Those selected to become N o r t h wood student representatives attended six meetings with IUSD policy makers in order to prepare their thoughts and research topics. Through this research and the program itself, students were exposed to state and local government affairs.

“The program has taught me so much about education in California,” Sreenivas said. “I loved being able to speak to the people that determine the state of our educational system and being able to see how they were addressing issues that we were passionate about, as well as learning about other issues that need improvement in our district through the voices of my peers.”

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April 23, 2021

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Bb.q’s fried chicken: Not finger lickin’ good

By Ryan Wu Staff Writer

Cozily tucked in the corner of Northpark Plaza alongside Boba Time and Donut Star, bb.q Chicken is the newest fried chicken restaurant in Irvine. An expansive restaurant chain occupying 15 states, bb.q Chicken has achieved massive success around the country, so I was eager to try their famous Korean fried chicken.

Right beside the restaurant, there are plenty of tables and chairs outside for customers to enjoy their meal. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a plus that people have the option of where to dine. Walking inside, it was clear that excellent precautions were being taken by the cashiers and chefs to safely cook and serve food. Employees of bb.q Chicken wore masks and gloves, and throughout my time there, I witnessed workers sanitizing tables and counters.

I decided to order from the lunch menu, which, for the reasonable price of $11, includes chicken, sandwich and kimchi fried rice combos, which is a bigger variety than most fried chicken restaurants. Lunch combos come with a soda and a choice of french fries or sweet potato fries. I ordered the Golden Original chicken combo with sweet potato fries along with the Cheesling chicken combo with french fries. Besides these two flavors, you can choose hot spicy, honey garlic, soy garlic and a variety of other seasonings.

Although the staff was welcoming, the wait time for my order was a tad inconvenient. I was told that my chicken would be fried up in 20-25 minutes, but I had to wait for approximately 40 minutes until I finally received my food. I recommend that you preorder your food over the phone or through their website before leaving the house to avoid the long wait.

As for the food itself, I was admittedly disappointed considering the long wait time and the high praise that other bb.q Chicken locations

Ryan Wu The Northwood Howler

GOLDEN ORIGINAL AND CHEESLING WITH VARIOUS FRIES: Tart pickled radish and spicy sauces cut through the fried greasy goodness. received. The Cheesling flavored chicken had practically no cheesy taste, with only a hint of artificial cheese powder flavor. I was expecting my fried chicken to be satisfyingly crispy on my first bite but was met with a disappointing, soggy texture. The same can be said for their Golden Original Chicken. Although this is their signature flavor, I didn’t catch a rich enough taste for customers to come back for more. Thankfully, the sweet potato fries were crispy and complimented the flavors of the chicken. The combo also came with a spicy sauce and a free cup of pickled radishes that added another dimen-

sion of taste when combined with the chicken.

My recommendation to anybody looking for Korean fried chicken is to skip this location and instead visit Furai Chicken, located in the Zion Market at the Northwood Town Center, which has crispy fried chicken that bursts with flavor with a shorter waiting time. A bb.q Chicken in the Diamond Jamboree plaza offers chicken just as delicious as that of Furai. Suffice to say, Northpark bb.q Chicken’s chefs have plenty of learning to do in order to reach the expectations that customers have come to expect from their competitors and predecessors.

Yenna Kim The Northwood Howler

A bright blooming reopening

By Zarina Yunis Staff Writer

Chloe Song The Northwood Howler

The Huntington Botanical Gardens exhibit a medley of displays of the serenity of nature to satisfy any vibe. But beautiful gardens are not all The Huntington has to offer: Select galleries, including one showing a newly restored 18th century masterpiece, The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough, reopened April 17th.

In compliance with COVID-19 guidelines, The Huntington implemented requirements for all visitors to wear masks and maintain a physical distance of at least six feet. Like many other public spaces, visitors are expected to stay home if they exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 or have come in contact with other individuals who have shown symptoms. Two of the 14 gardens remain closed for being high-touch spaces. A few more art galleries have also reopened, as well as the 1919 Café and the Huntington Store, where people can pick up orders they placed online. All visitors are required to purchase their tickets in advance on The Huntington’s website.

A total of 16 themed botanical gardens taking up a total of 130 acres are offered for the community to tour. They contain 27,000 different types of plants that make up 16,000 species, sure to delight any plant connoisseur. Many collections of flowers in addition to these gardens are also on display throughout The Huntington, where visitors can learn about

the botany through presentations led by professionals. The gardens hold collections of orchids, camellias, cycads and bonsai. Viewers can also check the blooming calendar on The Huntington’s website to discover what flowers are in season ahead of their visit.

The botanical gardens feature plant species from all around the world, including one garden dedicated specifically to the plant taxa of California, which mainly highlights the drought-tolerant plants that can be seen all throughout the state, from snowy mountains to areas with a Mediterranean climate. Visitors are welcomed by a diverse canopy of California trees, including California pepper trees, podocarpus trees and fruitless Wilsonii olive trees. Contrasting the dull green hue of the foliage, flower species like the red yucca, Canary Island lavender and Otto Quast Spanish lavender come in red, blue and lavender.

Considered one of the world’s greatest independent research libraries, The Huntington galleries feature American and European art, as well as exhibitions of historical documents, including displays of William Shakespeare’s first 36 plays, Isaac Newton’s 1687 “Principia” formulating his laws of motion, Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” and more. Only select galleries are currently open.

Interested visitors can book tickets and plan their visit in depth at https://www.huntington.org/planyour-visit.

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Peek into Fine Arts Week Build beats with Sean Kawanami

By Rachel Gima

Staff Writer

Brightly painted posters and decorative sidewalk chalk around The Oak welcomed students into school on April 12 to celebrate Fine Arts Week, dedicated to the multitude of classes, students and staff involved in the Fine Arts programs.

The week, orchestrated by Fine Arts Commissioners junior Haley Chan and senior Katelynn Pi as well as the rest of the Interdisciplinary Arts Council, involved on-campus and virtual events. Students watched videos on the NHS Den YouTube channel along with Instagram Reels and posts where teachers and peers discussed their experience with the arts.

“Throughout the school year, I find that I am very busy and can’t attend many of the concerts and performances, so Fine Arts Week provides another opportunity to see all of the talents at Northwood,” senior Allison Dong said. “In addition, many of my friends are in different art classes and I enjoy getting to see what they have been working on.”

Students in various fine arts classes have been working diligently to adapt to drastically different environments despite facing the cancelation of many performances, galleries and displays. In an effort to address the unprecedented situation students and staff alike found themselves in this school year, this Fine Arts Week encapsulated the theme “Out of Our Element.”

“This year, we’ve all been pushed outside our comfort zone, and while the arts have been hit hard, the artists behind it all have been ex-

tremely resilient,” Pi said. “The goal of our Fine Arts Week was to encourage people to venture out of their element while showcasing the amazing artists we have at Northwood. As a student, this week is one of my ways to thank our VAPA teachers for everything they have sacrificed and done to provide their students not just a community, but a family.”

To accomplish these goals, Fine Arts Week had various activities throughout the week in class and on social media. A Fine Arts NTV episode played during Advisement, featured different choreographies of the same song, a virtual backstage tour of the theater on the NHS Den YouTube channel, a Jazz Jam IGTV video, Teacher Trivia and student spotlights.

“Fine Arts Week is so important because it highlights the various arts programs that are offered at Northwood,” senior Anessa Davies said.

“Everyone is extremely gifted and it is great that they get a chance to be recognized for their talent.”

Many of the activities from the week will be available for online viewing for the foreseeable future, celebrating the collective effort of students and staff that continues to make the Northwood Fine Arts program shine.

“Northwood takes pride in our extensive arts programs,” Chan said. “Fine Arts Week is not just about the different arts disciplines, but it’s about the students, the staff and the community. Here at Northwood, you make some of your closest and best friends in your VAPA classes. These people become your family, and that is what we celebrate during Fine Arts Week.”

SK: If I’m doing something in the classical realm, I would most likely be notating on sheet music in order to write down all my ideas.

With that type of composition, I need other musicians to play the piece for me.

If I do more jazz or hip-hop, I would be doing that on a DAW, or a Digital Audio Workstation. I use Logic Pro X, basically an expensive GarageBand, and I make my music on that.

Coco Tsaur The Northwood Howler

MUSIC MAKING MAGIC: Senior Sean Kawanami uses the software Logic Pro X to polish his latest album in the works.

By Matthew Dimaandal

I started doing percussion and realized I wanted to do music as a career.

While many stay up late listening to chill beats while studying for their next test, senior Sean Kawanami is hard at work composing the same beats students listen to. While soon to be studying music at UCLA, Kawanami discussed in-depth about how his passion for music began and revealed his own process for composing different styles of music, ranging from classical to hip-hop.

TH: Which instruments have you played?

SK: I grew up in a very musical family, but I didn’t play instruments until I was in third grade. I started playing piano when I was eight but also know how to play drumset and a little bit of violin and cello.

Staff Writer

The Howler: When did you start getting into music?

Sean Kawanami: I loved music all my life. I grew up with parents who loved different genres of music: My dad was interested in classic rock and my mom was interested in pop and funk like Earth, Wind and Fire and the Bee Gees. I didn’t take it seriously until middle school, when

TH: When did you start composing and what type of music do you like composing?

SK: I started composing about a year and a half ago. Probably a little bit more. I enjoy using different varieties of instruments and ensembles in my pieces. I also like making a lot of hip hop, jazz and sometimes help NTV with their music.

TH: Is there a process for different genres of music that you compose?

TH: Do you have a musician that inspires you the most, whether it is in performing music or composing?

SK: I don’t have a singular inspiration. I have inspirations that influenced me quite a bit but not a single type of person that expired me the most. Kendrick Lamar, Bill Evans and MF Doom are some of my most recent inspirations.

TH: What are you currently working on?

SK: Right now, I’m working on a string quartet piece. It’s the second one after one I wrote earlier in 2019.

I’m trying to work on an album that focuses more on hip-hop and planning on showing parts of it on my Instagram @seank_music.

TH: Do you have any tips for those that want to learn how to compose music?

SK: I know a lot of people say it, but you have to start doing it. No matter how it sounds, good or bad, you just have to see it from start to finish. It’s really trying to learn your voice, and the only way to find it is to speak your musical language.

Orange County on the big screen Raya takes off on Disney

By Ashley Lee Staff Writer

It is always exciting to recognize a familiar location in your favorite movie or television show, especially if it’s the place where you live.

Although most of us may not have heard about any film crews gathering near our neighborhoods, Orange County is only around 40 miles away from Hollywood, so it makes sense that some of the biggest productions occasionally roll their filming over to the place we call home.

“Accepted”: Director Steve Pink’s 2006 comedy “Accepted” follows a group of high school graduates who found their own college after being rejected from every university they applied to. Although the movie was initially struck with unfavorable reviews from critics due to its outlandish plot, it has since become a cinematic cult classic. The story is set in Wickliffe, Ohio, but filming took place in Los Angeles. Campus scenes for the fictitious Hampton College were shot at Chapman University.

“Iron Man”: This 2008 blockbuster marked the first installment in the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe. In “Iron Man,” billionaire Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) faces off against Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges), his father’s old business partner, to stop him from using Stark Industry weapons to commit international terrorism. In an iconic scene, Tony Stark reveals his superhero identity in a press conference with his unforgettable line, “I am Iron Man.” This conference room setting was shot at the former Nikken headquarters in Irvine.

“Ocean’s 11”: “Ocean’s 11” is a heist movie released in 2001, kicking off a franchise that has since added three more movies. The plot follows the planning and execution of a large-scale heist to rob the vault of Las Vegas casinos, led by ex-convict Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his partner-in-crime Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt). The duo recruits eight specialists to help them carry out reconnaissance and create perfect replicas of the casino vaults.

During one crucial scene, the team steals a physics device called a “pinch” to create an electromagnetic

By Ryan Wu

Staff Writer

Anjana Narasimhan The Northwood Howler

pulse that would block out power in Las Vegas. This part of the movie was filmed in the Gillespie Neuroscience Research Facility at UC Irvine.

“Arrested Development”: This popular television show ran from 2003-2019 and follows the wildly dysfunctional Bluth family, who find themselves penniless after their formerly successful real estate business goes bankrupt. Michael Bluth (Jason Bateman), the only family member who seems level-headed and sensible, attempts to take himself and his son, George Michael (Michael Cera), away from the family drama.

However, outlandish circumstances always seem to push the family back together. “Arrested Development” was filmed in Los Angeles County, but there is a running gag where the characters frequently regard Orange County as “The O.C.,” with the joke being that residents of Orange County rarely ever use the term “The O.C.” when referring to it.

George Michael also attends UC Irvine in the fourth season of “Arrested Development,” although the scenes of the college campus were shot at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

The new Disney film “Raya and the Last Dragon” is their recent, overly ambitious attempt at blending more characters and Southeast Asian cultures than a two hour film can possibly process. Yet despite these flaws, it presents a sincere story full of enchanting animations, captivating action scenes and profound messages.

The film begins with an intricate storyline about how the last dragon left a Dragon Gem to save the kingdom of Kumandra from Druun, a plague that is able to turn the entire world to stone. Though the gem was originally located in Heart (a region of the kingdom), disputes cause the gem to crack, and each tribe of Kumandra steals a piece of the gem out of greed and distrust.

Raya, the next Guardian of the Dragon Gem and daughter of the Chief of Heart, must piece together the cracked parts of the gem to save everyone who has already been turned to stone. So she embarks on her journey with her friend Tuk Tuk, the last dragon Sisu and others that join along the way.

Raya’s team supports her despite her claims of being able to accomplish her task alone, showcasing a group fighting for the same cause rather than an individual hero coming to save the day. However, with such a large cast, there is not enough character development nor enough established background to help explain each character’s motives and actions: Their only connection is all having lost their families to Druun.

While Raya’s character is somewhat difficult to understand, the film includes meaningful scenes that older audiences can relate to, such as the conflicts between Raya’s pragmatisn and Sisu’s optimistism.

Not only does the film carry a heartfelt message about having to take the first step towards someone else in order to establish trust, but in a way, the film parallels current global conflicts where countries are divided by factions who prioritize their needs and wants above those of others. Because the story is told from the perspective of Raya, other tribes are criticized as full of crime and clearly unable to save the world from harm. This mirrors current global affairs, where a flawed point of view often prevents people from moving towards a compromise.

Additionally, Disney made several efforts to represent Southeast Asians among the crewmembers of the film. For one, the main character, Raya, was voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, an American actress of Vietnamese descent. The screenplay was written by Adele Lim, who was born in Malaysia, and Qui Nguyen, who is of Vietnamese descent as well.

Nonetheless, there has been controversy surrounding Disney’s representation of the Southeast Asian cultures, as the backgrounds of all those countries were lumped under the label of “Southeast Asian” and East Asian actors were casted for important roles such as Sisu voiced

by Awkwafina and Namaari voiced

by Gemma Chan—who are Chinese American and British Chinese respectively. Others suggest that Raya’s cultural identity should have had a more integral role in guiding her on her quest like “Moana.”

Although Disney has been criticized for its cultural inaccuracies and lack of representation, with recent films such as “Coco,” “Moana” and now “Raya and the Last Dragon,” the company is moving in the right direction in creating films with relevant messages for its audience while representing diverse cultures.

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VIEWPOINT 9 Flaws with the IUSD standardized high school bell schedule The Northwood Howler

April 23, 2021

By Helena Zhou

Staff Writer

As we transition out of the pandemic, our return to normalcy will not be as straightforward in regards to next year’s bell schedule. For students, going from the current hybrid schedule to a revised, fully in-person schedule may be difficult and potentially detrimental to productivity, especially due to the implementation of an undesirable all-periods day every Monday, known as an “anchor day.”

In addition to the all-periods day beginning at 9 a.m. on Mondays, next year’s schedule has quite a few changes. The start of the school day has been gracefully moved to 8:30 a.m. for the rest of the week to bring IUSD into early compliance with a state regulation that goes into effect in 2022, and each school day ends at the same time, which will be later than we are used to.

Tuesday through Friday will follow our customary alternating block schedule with a 30-minute tutorial after the day’s first period. Each class will be 85 minutes (five minutes less than our former schedule), break will be five minutes (also five minutes less than before) and lunch will be 35 minutes. Though doubts have been raised by teachers across campus, the current plan is to abide by this schedule only for next year and revert back to each school’s regular schedule afterwards.

It’s true that a change in our routine can teach us valuable lessons.

Period scheduling has its upsides— though few—as attending a class one more day in the week may help students retain the material. As for teachers, the scarcity of time may impel more efficient lesson plans and a

Rachel Gunawan The Northwood Howler

STRESSED OUT: Students and teachers may be up for a rough ride with next year’s schedule. reduction of extraneous discussions.

These benefits, however, are miniscule in comparison to its downsides, as constantly switching between classes prompts unproductivity, disorganization and a lack of individualized attention for students.

Cramming six classes into less than six hours forces students to constantly readjust their focus and not be able to engage in in-depth reflection. Students could also receive additional homework from every class: a workload that would become overwhelming in the long run.

Despite these factors, an allperiods day looks to be unavoidable, for driving these schedule changes is the need to accommodate for next year’s Irvine Virtual Academy (IVA) schedule. Due to the uncertainties around COVID-19 next school year, attending in-person, IVA or a blended

approach remain options for students.

For blended learning, although there will be logistical challenges, students will be able to take courses at Northwood in addition to electives unique to IVA, or vice versa. Consequently, IUSD administrators require a schedule consistent for all high schools in order to ease transitions for students and teachers involved in both their home school and IVA classes.

Thus, with increasing pressure on the legal requirements concerning instruction time in schools, a representative democracy of staff across the district convened to design a schedule. With most schools dedicating certain days or none at all to a block schedule, Northwood’s all-block-schedule stance stands as a minority voice in this consequential decision. Meanwhile, student input seems to have not been considered

at all.

“There’s a committee of three people from every high school, principals, and people from the district office that had to come to a consensus on next year’s schedule,” Northwood Principal Leslie Roach said. “There was more support district-wide for the anchor day on Monday than for the alternating block schedule.”

Yet the district-wide schedule brought on by IVA inconveniences everyone, as for example, University High School previously followed the traditional period scheduling and would now need to follow a block schedule.

At this point, there’s likely no way around it, and we’re faced with the question: What are we supposed to do on Mondays?

“The science department enjoys longer blocks of time for extended

activities and labs. We’re not used to a shortened period,” IS2 and AP Physics teacher Karen Zhou said.

“We may use Mondays for introductory activities, review and shorter direct instruction. In any case, our plans for lessons will have to change.”

Teachers from the history department have considered using Monday as an unstructured day for independent study, review and tests while math teachers are considering holding homework review and quizzes. From a teacher perspective, administering assessments for all students to take on the same day would be ideal to curb academic dishonesty.

However, tests in multiple classes on Mondays may accumulate into overwhelming stress for students and a transformation of the weekend into simply a preparation session for assessments. Fortunately, those tests will likely not be major given the 40-minute class period. In fact, most activities cannot take place during that time, even more so after accounting for the time to get settled, take attendance and introduce the lesson.

“I believe Northwood has kept an alternating block schedule for a long time for good reasons,” junior Miya Liu said. “I’m doubtful about how we can make use of such a small amount of time, and as a student, I’m not sure if I will find coming to school on Monday meaningful if there’s not much we can do.”

Ultimately, an all-periods day is not ideal for students and teachers alike at Northwood, but it’s a compromise we have to make. The many changes that have come with this year have all pushed us to both settle and innovate, and moving into next year, Northwood will continue to rise above the occasion.

How COVID-19 killed student engagement in clubs

By Kathy Chun Staff Writer

Entering high school as a doeeyed freshman with hands clutching my backpack straps, I found myself constantly receiving the same piece of advice: get involved with as many clubs as possible. I remember buzzing around with genuine exhilaration, feeling inspired by Northwood’s passionate clubs—and now, as a high school junior, I wonder where they’ve all gone.

Don’t get me wrong, the majority of our clubs on campus remain vibrant communities for students to explore their interests and provide a welcoming environment for all. But with the hypercompetitive nature of college admissions skyrocketing, the list of Northwood clubs has increasingly fallen prey to empty shells of resume-boosters, maintaining neither the engagement of club members nor the interest of the board.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, Northwood pushed all student-led clubs to follow a strict virtual-only policy. Since clubs can no longer track student engagement by taking attendance for in-person meetings, ASB aims to regulate student engagement within clubs by receiving feedback from club advisors and tracking meeting minutes.

“We have sent out ‘tasks’ for the clubs to complete, allowing us to track which clubs are actively meeting their deadlines and show passion for their causes,” co-Clubs Commissioner junior Jasmine Chhabria said.

“ASB ensures that our student body stays involved by hosting events like the Virtual Club Fair series and promoting clubs through Charitable Clubs posts.”

It would be inattentive for me

to disregard the many Northwood clubs whose efforts have kept students engaged during difficult times.

Some have created online events or tournaments, whereas others continue to hold meetings and provide a safe community for its members. I also sincerely applaud Northwood’s diligent attempts to monitor student engagement despite facing difficult circumstances, and appreciate our Club Commissioners’ efforts to hold clubs accountable. Yet despite these measures, some clubs have managed to slip past the checks.

Let’s take a look at one studentled Northwood club, whose name remains anonymous for the sake of confidentiality. This highlight doesn’t aim to target that club in particular, but rather to shed light on a larger issue plaguing our student groups.

A quick glance at the 2020-21 Club Directory offers a list of the 74 student-led clubs on campus. A slide dedicated to the unnamed club in question contains, among many things, links to a social media account, the club email address and a Zoom meeting link. In February, my inquiries about joining the club were sent through social media, email and even attempts to contact the president(s) directly. All were met with silence.

Puzzled, I then turned to the club advisor through email, wondering if there somehow was a communication error. A few days later, a response in my inbox confirmed that the club “hadn’t met in a year or two” and the club advisor “was surprised that they still existed on paper somewhere.”

How could a group who had apparently not met “for a year or two” still be actively recognized as a fullfledged club?

Clubs like these have become

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Anjali Mittapali The Northwood Howler

GLO OM A ND Z O OM: Clubs are ov er whelmed by low par ticipation dur ing meetings . increasingly common—and it’s not Northwood-specific. In the affluent, education-prioritized city of Irvine, high school students have always had college admissions on their mind. The COVID-19 pandemic has simply accelerated the usual trend: Getting into your dream college gets harder every year. With newly adopted changes in standardized test requirements, the uncertainties of the college application process and the landslide of distraught lives due to the pandemic, the Class of 2025 has become the victim of record-low acceptance rates. With such strong competition, it’s no wonder that high school students would find themselves asking, “What looks good on my resume?” instead of,

“What am I really passionate about?”

A hunger to impress admission officers at competitive colleges may thus move students to create a new club. After all, “president” is a noteworthy title. Once their clubs are approved and have become another shiny extracurricular on their resume, students might very well leave their clubs and move onto the next endeavor to boost their resume. And with the chaos of the pandemic, leaving your club has never been easier.

“A few club presidents don’t show up to the presidents’ meetings and some clubs don’t respond to emails or messages from their members,” president of Sports Analytics club senior Henry Jia said.

With the limitations of the pandemic, club presidents and board officers need to take action by creating new events and dedicating the work necessary to keep their members engaged in a virtual setting. Clubs should continue to meet on a regular basis and are responsible for developing thoughtful agendas to keep their meetings worthwhile and maintain the engagement of club members.

It’s up to board officers to take over the reins of their own clubs and they must, ultimately, just care. The few clubs whose board officers and members have abandoned with indifference must step up and take action, or Northwood may become a heartless campus without passion or drive.

10

April 23, 2021

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The Northwood Howler

Summer

Camps Northwood HS Athletics summer camps are a great opportunity for those interested in exploring a sport for the first time or for those who want to continue to sharpen their skills in dedicated sports during the offseason.

Deadline to Register -> May 21st for more info on sports offered, dates, and regisration

SPORTS

The Northwood Howler

April 23, 2021

11

New Season: In-brief of spring sports BTS of sports livestreams

By Matthew Dimaandal Staff Writer

Sondos Elberashawi The Northwood Howler

A FRESH START: Northwood’s Track and Field team huddles up following an exciting competition.

By William Baik Staff Writer

As the new season arrives and sports teams begin a shortened season, here is an in-brief of recently started spring sports.

Swim: Northwood’s swim teams dominated their early season games, beating Irvine High School with a combined 241-99 score at their March 24 meet. The boys won 137-33 for a staggering 104-point differential while the girls also broke into the 100-point barrier, winning 104-66.

“We were pretty fortunate to have the swim season with little interruptions to our practice,” swim captain senior Kenneth Duong said. “It’s disappointing to find out our usual team bonding activities are restricted, but we’re still doing fundraisers and virtual activities to keep us going.”

Swim has had an easier transition back into regular practice than most other sports. Although the swim team still remains in the slower part of its season, as members continue to improve their skills, expect to see more exciting meets as championship time rolls around in a couple of weeks.

Lacrosse: Varsity Boys Lacrosse played their first game of the season on April 5 against Woodbridge High School, winning with a convincing 9-3 score.

“I am looking forward to how flexible the season will be considering how much it changed according to COVID-19,” senior William Shin said. “Especially because we get to play against teams like Beckman again, I am definitely excited.”

Regulations for lacrosse, like most other sports, require them to keep their masks on at all times.

Track and Field: Track and Field also began their season with a win against Crean Lutheran High School on March 27. The girls gave a stellar performance, taking 1st place in both the 4x100 and 4x400 relays, and the boys performed well in long distance runs.

With all the long distance runs and jumps Track and Field members are required to do, it is quite difficult to accommodate for masks, but a conscious effort is made to wear masks at all times. The transition was difficult at first, but it became much easier after adjustments.

“Having to wear masks in an aerobic sport has definitely been challenging,” senior Roy Tseng said.

“Still, I’m pretty excited for this track season and to compete at a high level again with my team.”

Track and Field has their next meet on April 24 at 9 a.m., so be sure to support them in the new season.

With support from Northwood’s Sports Commissioners and NTV, students are now able to watch livestreamed games from the comfort of their own homes despite still being unable to watch in-person.

In order to set up the livestreams, the Sports Commissioners met with IUSD’s IT Department and were able to provide Wi-Fi and other equipment necessary with the help of Video Production Instructor Mr. Sellwood and NTV. “Mr. Sellwood has a wealth of knowledge that we are extremely fortunate to have on our side and has helped to create what we are working with,” Athletics Director Brandon Emery said. “He has coordinated with his team to help man the cameras so we can ensure that contests are being streamed.”

NTV Crews of two to three people are sent out 30 minutes before a game starts to properly set up all equipment and ensure that the internent connection is stable. The crews are equipped with a servo-zoom lens camera to ensure that the camera is on-focus during games, and have recently adapted a microphone.

The footage and sound is then connected to a Teradek attachment which automatically uploads the feed to iusd.tv for the public to view. The primary goal of this technology is to immerse the viewer in the game atmosphere as much as possible and simulate an in-person experience.

“Livestreaming the games has been a unique opportunity for NTV to further connect with the Northwood community,” show producer senior Chris Fry said. “We even get some

brand new gear out of it too!”

Currently, the only sports being live streamed are volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, track and football. Other sports may be livestreamed in the near future, but restrictions such as the number of people allowed in the audience and technological limitations have restricted certain sports from being livestreamed.

As of April 23, there are three NHS Athletic Livestream links that can be accessed from the Northwood website. Only these three livestreams are available for student and parent viewing, but more will likely become available as the sports season progresses.

In combination with the livestreamed games, Northwood is providing a comprehensive schedule detailing which sports teams will be competing in matches at certain times, displaying both the time of the match and the level of the team playing. Northwood will also update the schedule to reflect sudden changes such as cancelations due to poor weather. Before livestreams, viewers are advised to check the schedule so as to avoid unecessary waiting.

Although games cannot be viewed in-person unless students or parents are invited with specialized tickets available to two members of the players’ immediate household, students are still excited to be able to support their teams virtually.

“I found it really enjoyable to view sports again as I wouldn’t be able to go see them in person,” junior Xuchao Li said. “Obviously, watching our school compete live is much more thrilling and exciting in comparison to livestreaming, but seeing it online is still much better than not seeing it at all.”

Batter up: A new season CIF regulations spark controversy

By Varun Vishnubhotla Staff Writer

Whiz—the baseball’s sound as it flies through the outfield echoes amidst the bat crackling upon impact.

The cheers from the dugout signal a dinger on the diamond. Northwood Varsity Boys Baseball teed off their season with a slow start but are looking to conclude it on a high note.

At the beginning of the shortened sports season, the team was hit with a string of injuries, forcing many players to learn new positions.

Despite the limitations brought by the pandemic, the players continued to hone their skills through drills.

Once sports were given the green light to return, the team resumed its strenuous practices with consistent training. During the offseason, the team endured difficult practices that consisted of split field training and weightlifting. As the possibility of playing a season became a reality, the team shifted to scrimmage-like practices.

“The reps we get from practice allow us to be focused and relaxed on game days, so I think it is all worth it in the end,” Varsity Baseball player senior Justin Nam said.

The second regular season game against Irvine High School on March 23 was a defensive bounce-back game, following a devastating loss against Woodbridge High School the previous week. While Northwood strived to close the gap in the last innings, Irvine pulled away to win 6-1.

“We are learning to be responsible for our own successes and failures to prepare for the next games,” Varsity Baseball Head Coach Rob Stuart said. “I think the difficulties our players have gone through have definitely made them more resilient and they will benefit in the future both on and

off the field.”

The team faced local rival Portola High School in a hard-fought divisional ballgame on March 27.

Both teams played stellar defense and offense, but in the final innings, defensive lapses coupled with timely hits by Portola gave the Bulldogs the victory with a score of 4-2.

The Timberwolves aim to erase their early season woes with their upcoming games against University High School on April 23 and Woodbridge High School on April 27. For the seniors, this is most likely their last ride as part of the white, silver and navy blue, and a few wins to close their high school chapter would certainly hit their final season experience out of the park.

Joy Kim The Northwood Howler

DEFENDING SKILLFULLY: Junior Harry Kim swiftly bumps a serve.

By Helena Zhou Staff Writer

Kaylee Charlton The Northwood Howler

STRIKE-OUT: Junior Ethan Chen pitches a heater to a batter.

A San Diego lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state successfully altered public health and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) regulations, allowing youth and adult sports, including indoor sports, to resume practice and competition if testing protocols and safety measures are administered. This change, which reinstated all sports at Northwood, is the latest move in an ongoing saga regarding a return to high school athletics, a heated topic since the start of the pandemic last year.

Enormous pressure on the state preceded these decisions. At the start of the year, Brad Hensley, the father of a football player at Mission Hills High School, co-founded a Facebook group called Let Them Play CA, which grew to over 60,000 members

advocating for a return to normalcy in youth sports. In January and February, rallies at the state Capitol and high schools across the state—including Orange County—called for the loosening of COVID-19 restrictions “Forty of the other states across the country have successfully and safely done youth sports,” Hensley said to ABC 10News San Diego.

“Approximately 30 million interactions and not one serious case of a hospitalization or serious illness from youth sports.”

The lawsuit that became a major win for “Let Them Play” activists was filed in the San Diego Superior Court on Jan. 28 on behalf of Nicholas Gardinera, a senior at Scripps Ranch High School, and Cameron Woolsey, a senior at Mission Hills High School. It echoed student-athlete and parent concerns for a variety

of negative consequences.

San Diego Superior Court Judge Earl H. Maas III’s ordered that youth sports could resume if teams abide by the COVID-19 protocols of professional sports. For this year, CIF Southern Section condensed the three traditional sports seasons into two shortened and overlapping seasons.

“With the past year being so isolated, sports have helped foster a better sense of community for me and reignited connections with my teammates,” Varsity Boys Volleyball player junior Logan Hardison said. “I feel like the school is doing the best it can right now. The COVID-19 tests for gym sports and the enforcement of social distancing is allowing for a much safer environment.”

Currently, indoor and outdoor sports have returned to practices and competitions this season with reopening guidelines, including weekly COVID-19 tests for indoor sports, wearing face coverings at all times (with certain exceptions), limiting observers at competitions and practices, maintaining distance to the “maximum extent possible” between participants and completing a self-assessment for COVID-19 symptoms.

However, the “maximum extent possible” can be no distance at all, and self-assessments for COVID-19 may not be enough to ensure carriers are identified. It is also worth noting that sports thus far have had an unnoticable impact on COVID-19 cases, regardless of their inability to guarantee student safety. Findings from the UW School of Medicine and Public Health last October suggest that “participation in sports isn’t associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 among athletes but call for expanded studies to build a more complete picture.” It’s a risk, but for many, it’s a risk worth taking.

12

April 23, 2021

Mystifying Misfortunes

The Northwood Howler

Northwood officially bans senior class of 2021 April showers bring Mayflowers delicious treasure... Oh, and slavery. *snaps fingers*” Columbus was such an unapologetic evil mastermind that In the name of God, Amen. We, I wonder if Marvel took some inspithe loyal subjects of our Sovereign ration. Still, even Thanos didn’t disLord, Christopher Columbus, by the criminate based on skin color. grace of this great American nation, But Columbus’ dauntless leaddefender of the faith, etc., having un- ership wasn’t the only thing that dertaken, for the glory of God, and cemented our victory. For that, we advancement of white supremacy, can thank the Smallpox BlanketTM, and honour of our country, a voyage the most brilliant biological weapon to plant the first great colony— in human history. After all, it would Okay, okay. I know what you’re have been impossible to infiltrate inthinking. As iconic as the May- digenous lands if it weren’t for flower Contract this unprecedentis, we need to ed spectaaccept some cle of entruths: it’s old, gineering outdated and brilliance. frankly, boring.

Consider So after months of this.

What vigorous research do you get when you and interviewing, have one sleepy Native I’ve taken it upon American tribe and myself to create one very contagious a new and imblanket? That’s proved version. right. The rapExcept this time, id spread of a I tell it the deadly virus. way it is.

Just watch Colonialout for the Nicole Curtis The Northwood Howler ism. Here in the bones. western part of the world, we just Considering the glow-up histocan’t seem to go without it. We feel ry gave us though, you’d think we about it the way Americans feel about colonizers were harmless. If you’re hamburgers and Canadians feel about a member of a peaceful indigenous poutine. It’s a craving we MUST sat- tribe, that’s precisely what we want isfy, an itch we HAVE to scratch no you to think, so we can swoop in matter how many indeginous people on our ships and steal your land. we have to murder to get there. At And according to some sources, you least I’m sure that’s how our Lord, wouldn’t even know it, until one day: Savior and Protector of the Mor- “Oh look! All the beautiful flowers tal Realm felt when he floated that are in bloom! And, over there! White creaking boat onto North American dudes with shiny weapons running shores and laid his hungry eyes on all towards our village.” the native tribes.

Overall, the fight for land was “And today, I must enslave and brutal, tough, sickening and very massacre all these beautiful brown very racist. But hey! It made us rich, folk and drain this country of all its so who are we to complain?

By Hari Sreeramagiri

Staff Writer

Chloe Song The Northwood Howler

By Kathy Chun Staff Writer

Northwood made the decision to implement a permanent policy to replace its senior class with senior citizens on Feb. 31 after public outrage over the school’s decades-old ageist behavior.

The Irvine community called for change after a local university published advanced statistical analysis on Northwood’s discriminatory policies, criticizing the school for only enrolling students of ages 1418 and thus neglecting ages 0-14 and 18+. Upon approval of the change, administration immediately expelled the entirety of Northwood’s Class of 2021 and adopted Title XCIX, a For-Discrimination statement that prohibits the enrollment of any student between the ages of 14-18 into the senior class.

“Well, it’s about time. The young seniors were always slacking off and missing school, anyway,” president of the Northwood Seniors Against Seniors Coalition Weeluvboo Mers said. “Did you know that two halves of the class took turns coming to school this year? They don’t take education seriously.”

A print copy of the new policy is now on display at the front office in size 70 font for readability, while further changes are being pushed at an executive level. During a committee meeting scheduled after the seniors’ daily nap time for clarity in decision-making, school officials unanimously voted to reallocate the Northwood Emergency Budget for Disaster Relief towards replacing the carpet in classrooms with hardwood floors most suitable for tennis-ball walkers.

Northwood teachers were heard

publicly celebrating the policy on campus and were reportedly enthusiastic to avoid handling senioritis, eager to treat arthritis instead.

All administrators and staff on campus have signed a legally-binding contract confirming their agreement to changes in their salary and will now accept payment in peppermints and Werther’s Original caramels.

Parent-teacher conferences have also been modified into child-teacher meetings, and Northwood administrators plan to meet with their new seniors’ children to discuss disciplinary action against violence during Bingo sessions.

“I can’t really blame Northwood for the change, to be honest with you,” ex-senior Yung Pursen said.

“Sure, we might not be getting a high school diploma right now, but it’ll be our turn to be seniors again if we just wait 50 years.”

Bad days are crimes no more EPIC!!1!1 Leprechaun fights Easter Bunny??? murder trial in 1979, where lawyers defended the actions of the murderer after he fell into a depressive state The Supreme Court has ex- due to being deprived of his right to panded the diminished capacity de- eat Twinkies. As an avid connoisfense in a 9-0 ruling by including seur of Twinkies, Powter claimed “having a bad day” as a possible he could not stand by and let other excuse for crimes Twinkie lovers be held accountable after the landmark for crimes they had no control of. case of Powter v.

Fortunately, the ruling caused a United States. This drop in fines for jaywalking led to an immeas police have diate 220% started increase in dito become more minished empathetic towards jaycapacity walkers due to the fact that most claims, Anjali Mittapally The Northwood Howler people only commit crimes when allowing people to commit heinous they have bad days. Littering has also crimes such as jaywalking, petty seen a similar drop in fines, but only theft, world domination and scam- if the perpetrators were throwing ming. hostess wrappers on the ground.

Plaintiff Daniel Powter sued the “I love the new ruling,” proU.S. government after he was thrown fessional jaywalker Liter Brug said. in jail for stealing a box of twinkies “Now I can enjoy my hobby of walkbecause he “needed a way to cheer ing around eating sugary treats with[himself] up.” Powter was a lifelong out having to care about finding a advocate for expanding diminished trash can.” capacity, and felt that his actions Unfortunately, expanding dishould have been excused because minished capacity has worsened the he was having a rough day, not just driving ability of people. Car crashbecause he was famous or anything. es have become more common as Since he is a musician, Powter tried people have stopped using their turn to express his feelings through his signals, switching lanes withmusic especially with his song “Bad out warning. Since peoDay.” ple have claimed to “It was so annoying be having bad days, that people just listened fines can not be to my song begiven to these cause they drivers, but this liked it,” means driving tests Powter said. are becoming much easier.

“The song was “The pandemic has made this supposed to get past year or two a complete nightpeople to call for crim- mare for everyone,” Powter said. inal reform, but they didn’t, so “So I’m glad people can finally have I took matters into my own hands.” a bad day without having to worry Powter was inspired by the fa- about getting in trouble for lashing mous Twinkie defense used during a out.”

By Diego Moreno Staff Writer

Saba Nabaeighahroudi The Northwood Howler

By Anlon Zhu Staff Writer

In the most highly anticipated exhibition boxing fight of the season, Leprechaun and Easter Bunny exchanged fists and paws at the Magical Guardian Monument (MGM) Grand Arena on April 10. The bout was sparked by multi-millionaire gold-loving YouTuber Leprechaun, dubbing himself “The Mavertrick,” who called out professional Australian boxer Easter Bunny for faking his stunts in the 2012 film “Rise of the Guardians.” Unconfirmed reports state that the bad blood runs deeper, claiming that Leprechaun’s feelings had been hurt way back when he wasn’t chosen to star in the hit film, citing discrimination against his short stature as the reason.

In spite of the concerns about Bunny’s overwhelming weight class advantage, the bout became one of the richest fights in boxing history, drawing thousands of attendees to MGM Grand and millions more livestream viewers. Over 90% of viewers were between the ages of 5 and 12, closely matching the demographic of Leprechaun’s YouTube subscribers, who call themselves the “Lepregang.”

Fans paid $66.60 per view with an additional $666.00 if they wanted to buy an exclusive fight shirt.

However, fans and foes alike expressed their disappointment once they saw the judges’ scorecards read 57-57, 57-57, 57-57—the fight ended in a draw.

“Bunny’s a faker. Believe in the Lepregang! Be a Mavertrick!” said 8-year-old Leprechaun fan Aimgul

Ible when asked about his opinion on the match.

During the fight, Bunny proved his centuries of professional boxing merit, rolling with the punches and smacking highlight reel shots on Leprechaun with a carrot (leaving the viewers with no doubt that Bunny does indeed perform his own stunts).

In the second round, Bunny bashed Leprechaun with a jumping jab to the jaw, almost knocking out the green ringster out of the ring with a twirl and a tickle with his fluffy bunny tail.

In the last round, Leprechaun used his height disadvantage to land an uppercut on Bunny, but he bonked the back of Bunny’s head and faced a two point penalty.

“That penalty was just not fair, man,” Leprechaun said. “Do you know high I had to jump to reach his head? Coach Clover and I worked on my jumps throughout all of training camp! I bet Bunny carried his lucky rabbit’s foot.”

Although footage shows that Bunny did not morbidly carry the severed foot of a fellow rabbit (leading some conspiracy theorists to claim that Bunny’s own foot is the lucky charm), Bunny agreed with Leprechaun.

“I’ll admit he shouldn’t have gotten that point penalty,” Bunny said. “But that little Leprechaun definitely carried his lucky four-leaf clover today because I was worn out from laying millions of Easter eggs last week.”

Displeased with the draw, Leprechaun and Bunny are already talking smack at press conferences and calling for a rematch in 2022.

Will Bunny rise up to guard his reputation as a boxer and Hollywood star stunt-performer, or will the next fight just be Leprechaun’s lucky day?