The Northwood Howler Volume XXII, Issue VIII: May 27, 2021 by nhsthoeditor

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Volume XXII, Issue VIII: May 27, 2021

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Mask-erading at Midnight: Senior Gala 2021 www.TheHowlerOnline.org

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Sondos Elbershawi The Northwood Howler

SINGING

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By Rachel Yokota Staff Writer

High heels and dress shoes click on the stone floor as seniors step into the courtyard. Excited voices float in the evening air as students rush to greet greatly-missed friends. For the first time in a year, seniors from both cohorts were able to mingle on May 22 during the Senior Gala, though 6 feet apart and behind masks. “A lot of my friends were in cohort A so I hadn’t seen them since quarantine started,” senior Nicole Torres said. “So when I finally saw them at the gala I got so happy and I came back home with the biggest smile. It was by far the best day of the year.” After checking in and crossing

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Staff Writer

The annual Coffeehouse event, organized by Northwood’s International Thespian Society (ITS), showcased talented student comedians, poets and musicians on May 21. Hosted by seniors Jerry Chen and Ali Yuceer at The Oak, the event featured performers from the drama department. While in previous years, coffee was sold at the event as a fundraiser for the department, COVID-19 protocols prevented the sale of coffee. Though students were spaced out, the event still marked the first time students were able to watch performances by the drama department since February 2020. “Being in-person is great because you get to see all your friends and actually do things without sitting at home,” Chen said. “I’ve had a lot of fun just being able to watch and do things with friends again.” Prior to the event, volunteers used props from previous musicals

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a red carpet, seniors rocked to the beat of popular hits such as “driver’s license” and “All Star.” While dancing was not permitted, seniors could step up and sing their hearts out in karaoke with the help of two DJs. Around the Student Activities Center (SAC) courtyard, seniors gathered around casino tables to play games of poker, blackjack and craps with professional dealers. Other activities set up around The Oak included arcade racing games, air hockey, foosball and video games such as “Super Smash Bros.” At a halo photo booth with two hand-painted backdrops, seniors smiled and posed for photos. A caricature artist also was present to sketch drawings of seniors. “I loved seeing everyone dressed up, though it’s definitely

Club

By Matthew Dimaandal

Attendees

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like “Mamma Mia” to create the atmosphere. Fixtures like flower columns and busts were reused or repainted to create a beautiful environment for all attendees to enjoy. “We’re very thankful to put on this event and finally able to work with each other for the last time,” Coffeehouse tech director senior Bri Walsh said. “We really wanted to use the environment of The Oak and use our old props on hand to make something beautiful.” The event opened with junior Aditi Sreenivas performing her original song “Meadowland” about perseverance and finally feeling safe. After some song covers performed by juniors Alex Fleming and Liv Majestic, senior May Woodrow performed her comedy routine “Who Works at a Public Restroom,” where she criticized the colors of Taco Bell sauce packets, encouraging the kicking of Amazon delivery drones and the lamented the troubles of dealing with a modern-day Nazi. The event is the first time Woodrow was able

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different than other dances with the masks and with it being at school and outside,” senior Lauren Greenberger said. Unlike previous years, food was not provided to ensure that masks stayed on, though small water bottles were handed out during the event. While students were allowed to briefly go inside the Media Center to collect yearbooks, they were asked to stay in the area around the SAC courtyard and The Oak. These changes were overseen by the junior class council, who were in charge of planning the gala with president Shan Syed and vice president Yun Seo Lee at the head. The junior class council held weekly meetings to discuss ideas for the gala, which were finalized by Northwood administration.

“We tried our best to plan around the fluctuating COVID-19 guidelines and still give seniors a night to remember,” Lee said. “The uncertainty has been difficult but we were able to plan an on-campus gala with twice the amount of activities and just as much fun as any other year.” As the dance came to a close, the junior class council announced seniors Abhinav Dinesh and Ashley Weimer as the King and Queen of the Gala Court among the 10 nominees. Seniors are now looking forward to Grad Night which will be held on June 3 and organized by Northwood PTSA. “I’m so happy that the school was able to host something for the seniors before we head off,” senior Kaitlin Miranda said.

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to perform in front of an audience at Northwood. “It feels really good getting up on stage and being able to have that reaction from the audience,” Woodrow said. “Performing virtually, you’re not going to get that reaction and you just have to trust that their reactions are there, which makes performing difficult online compared to in-person.” The night continued with more original songs, covers and poetry. In between each act, the hosts performed fun skits involving sword fighting and even a surprise performance of opera singer Arzu Yuceer. The final act of the show was The Cheech Boys, consisting of seniors Jerry Chen and Tim Hu as vocalists, Sean Kawanami on piano and Sean Yan on a cajon performing a fourman quartet cover of “Surfer Girl” by The Beach Boys. As seniors of this year are able to perform for the last time, members of the drama department look forward to continuing performing in

Shadow and Bone A&E

NCAA Recruit Sports

Coffeehouse

2021

Sondos Elbershawi The Northwood Howler

R AW TA L E N T : J u n i o r s A d r i a n n a I s a b e l M a c h a d o an d Liv Maj e st i c c ov e r “Par t ing Gif t” by Fi on a Ap pl e . person this year. “It’s a refreshing experience coming back and seeing people that I knew as freshmen are now juniors

and seniors,” Northwood drama alumnus Johan Obillos said. “It’s nice seeing them develop as performers and becoming really fun to watch.”

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Northwood’s 2021 in songs Anessa Pier’s drive to pursuing dance By Diego Moreno Staff Writer

Every year, Spotify and other music streaming services debrief listeners on their top songs to recap the year. While Northwood may not be a music streaming service, that doesn’t mean that we can’t give students the best songs to describe the 2020-21 school year. “Hard Knock Life” from the movie “Annie” “It’s been tough not being able to see any of my friends and having to wear a mask. Missing most of my freshman year was disappointing too because I still don’t know what a normal day of high school looks like.” — freshman Nikki Sanders “Future Nostalgia” by Dua Lipa “In a couple of years from now, we’re all gonna be nostalgic about this year. Despite COVID-19 taking away these years of high school from us, in the end, we’re still gonna look back on it and remember the good parts of it.” — sophomore Uma Joshi “The Lazy Song” by Bruno Mars “I feel the chorus perfectly captures what this year has been like for me because it’s been hard to do any-

thing. There’s just been such a lack of excitement or motivation for anything that I’ve done this school year.” — junior Linda Zhong “Thank U, Next” by Ariana Grande “I’d like this school year to be over, but at the same time I’ve grown a lot. I’ve become more empathetic, responsible and developed better study and time management skills.” — junior Nithin Parthasarathy “Wasteland Baby” by Hozier “This year felt like the end of the world with a lot of different endings for a very weird situation. However, I have also had a lot of love and have been with people who make me feel okay even if it feels like the end of the world.” — senior May Essman “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles “Although we had a rocky 2020 that felt like darkness was constantly looming over it, 2021 is more invigorating, with sunlight coming in to bring better times that will uplift everyone’s spirits. It’s a hopeful song that reminds everyone to look towards a brighter future, which is something we all need to hear to have hope.” — junior Keya Gupta

Ashley Lee The Northwood Howler

TUNE IN: Sophomores Alison Abravanel and Anna Lieggi listen to the melody of Panic! At The Disco’s “But It’s Better If You Do”.

Photo provided by Anessa Davies Pier

ELEGANCE: Senior Anessa Davies Pier begins a bentlegged lunge with a back arch outside of the dance room. By Hari Sreeramagiri Staff Writer

In a highly competitive environment like Northwood’s where many students are burdened by fears of judgement and failure, senior Anessa Davies Pier’s story comes as a breath of fresh air. It’s not just her love of dance or even her 14-year-long commitment to it that sets her apart: it’s the fact that she didn’t hesitate to pursue a career in what she loved, even if the journey might have been daunting. Pier reflects upon her time at Northwood and the bright future ahead of her as a dance major at Cal State Long Beach. The first time Pier walked into Dance Theater, she was a nervous, jittery sophomore transfer student. Those feelings didn’t last long, thanks to her innate passion for dance, which overwhelmed everything else. “I love that I can rely on it like a friend. If I am ever feeling stressed or just can’t find the right way to express my emotions verbally, dance is al-

ways there to lend a hand and allows me to move freely, with no judgement,” Pier said. “Sometimes school or life can make me anxious, and that is where dance is very beneficial in the sense that I can get my mind off of reality for a little while, and just be present in the moment.” But dancing isn’t the only thing Pier specializes in. Choreography has always come naturally to her, acting as a creative outlet and form of expression. She quickly picked up on the ins and outs of choreographing for groups, even choreographing a group dance for the Northwood Dance Theater group. In order to pursue a career in choreography, however, she knew that she would need to go to school for dance. “What better way to learn and improve than earn a degree?” Pier said. “I only applied to schools that had a dance major and decided that Cal State Long Beach was the best fit for me because it has an excellent dance program with very welcoming professors.”

As important as a dance education is, some of the most transformative lessons Pier learned were through collaboration at Northwood. As one of the captains of Dance Theater this year, it was challenging to create team bonds and foster unity because of separate cohorts and social distancing regulations. However, they were able to find times to meet outside of school to get closer, and make new friendships. “Knowing what it is to be a leader also means keeping energy levels high,” Pier said. “This year, we weren’t sure if we were going to have a show. Yet we kept positive attitudes, and we were able to have a show a couple of weeks ago. It was a super fun experience.” Despite her many achievements, Pier hasn’t forgotten the friendships and several voices of support that have paved the way for her. If she could thank one person in her life who impacted her career the most, she says it would be her mother, who never left her side. “She has always been there for me throughout my dance career, and constantly motivating and encouraging me when I felt like giving up,” Pier said. “She has stuck by my side 24/7, and I am so grateful that she has been a positive influence in my career as a dancer because I wouldn’t be in the place I am now without her.” According to Pier, everyone has a purpose in Dance Theater, and there is someone that will be there for you. Northwood dance teacher Judy Scialpi, for example, played a huge role in Pier’s dance career, dedicating extra time to helping her with dance auditions for colleges. Pier’s peers have always lifted each other’s spirits and provided her the confidence needed to achieve her dreams. “I now see Dance Theater as a second home,” Pier said. “It’s sad to leave behind the close friendships that I’ve developed with so many talented dancers.” It’s safe to say Northwood will miss her too, but like all the best artists say, the show must go on.

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The Northwood Howler

May 27, 2021

I appreciate thousand island Daily school routines dressing (and so much more) By Zarina Yunis Regional Manager

By Anlon Zhu

Assistant (to the) Regional Manager

This year has been weird: School events disappeared, Zoom class was pioneered, presidential candidates ferociously electioneered and mosquitos were released that were bioengineered (look it up!). Weirdest of all was the distance. When the class of 2021 should’ve been closer than ever, we were 6 feet apart or more. This year has been weird, but we persevered. Amidst all this weirdness, distance and uncalled-for time to selfreflect, I started gratitude journaling. Side note: I think that bullet journaling (a different but similar practice) is just a fun way to feel productive while not being productive. But back to gratitude journaling: Gratitude journaling is about counting your blessings––friends and family, a hobby you’re progressing, an item you’re possessing or maybe even a salad’s incredibly tasty thousand island dressing. In a weird year of have-nots, gratitude journaling is a way for me to appreciate the things I’m fortunate to have. Several stud-

ies have shown that gratitude journaling has a plethora of mental health benefits and keeps you grounded! Admittedly, I’m not sure if what I do actually counts as gratitude journaling. I’m too lazy to write down the objects of my gratitude, so I usually just make a mental note of a couple things that I’m grateful for as I fall asleep. So here goes my attempt at real gratitude journaling: I’d like to give a massive thank you to my parents, sister and grandma for their never-ending support and optimism. Thank you to my dog for having the fluffiest butt and giving our family an excuse to discover every scenic hike in Irvine. Thank you to all my friends for the influx of virtual interaction, Discord calls and top-notch Valorant gameplay. Thank you to Science Olympiad for being a family of unfettered geniuses; thank you for generously teaching each other new topics and persevering through our quieterthan-normal competitions on scilympiad.com. Thank you to Odyssey of the Mind and all the OMelettes for somehow remaining the most chill STEM club out there, even though

we couldn’t travel to Nashville this summer for our national tournament (yep, I am using this publishing space to shamelessly plug my clubs. Sign up!). Thank you to chorus for being a hub of music-lovers who are amazing to sing with; I’ve learned so much about singing and music these past four years. And last but not least, thank you to The Howler. Honestly, I started this year worried that our publication would barely stay afloat with all the weirdness going on, but we ended up cruising along the coastline on a yacht (except for deadline days, which were like anchors dragging in the sand). Thank you for fighting through the Thursday Zoom fatigue, deciphering InDesign’s workspace and constantly outputting creative articles, photos, ads and graphics. To Ms. Alburger, thank you for putting up with us as we fumbled to make things work. To next year’s team, I can’t wait to see the brilliant ideas you bring to The Howler and The Howler Online! Whew, that was the most legitimate gratitude journaling I’ve done all year. But here’s the great part: Gratitude journaling trains your mind to find silver linings. So as we escape this weird year, I’m confident that the normal-est things will become gilded happiness bombs. Get ready to sit in a classroom with table groups that face each other. Imagine how great it’ll be to stand around The Oak without masks and actually be able to tell whether your friend is squinting or smiling. In this weird year of have-nots and 6-foot distances, gratitude shows you that your friends and family are closer than ever. So what can I say except for “thank you”?

Every day was beginning to feel the same. I would wake up at 6:45 a.m., drive to school, sit through six hours of classes, come to Howler after school, change quickly for basketball practice, eat dinner, shower and cram seven classes of homework into just a few hours. While I loved everything I had put on my plate, I could feel the burnout coming. It was tough knowing that just when I had finished, I had to wake up the next day and do it all over again. The schedule I described above had been going strong until the notorious March 13, 2020 (need I say more?). Suddenly, it all came to a halt. I was not waking up early, walking to classes or running around for my extracurriculars. Online school felt so optional that I started to relax. I had gone from having almost every minute of my day booked to struggling to find something to do with all of the free time on my hands. I thought I would like it better, but I didn’t. While I kept in touch with my group of close friends, one thing I particularly missed was all of the ac-

quaintances I had met in my classes over the years. That’s where I made a majority of my high school memories, and all of a sudden, I could no longer see those people. Even though I dreaded waking up for school some days, in those early months of quarantine I would have given anything to go back to school and see some of the people I had lost touch with. Sure the school events in my 2.5 years of traditional high school were fun, but I realized the thing I would miss most was the daily routine of just going to school: chatting with friends before class, saying hi to people in my classes, watching Netflix in Howler seventh period instead of getting work done and walking back to our cars with my teammates after practice. It all seemed so insignificant at the time, but the saying that your four years of high school do not come back is absolutely correct. If I were to give one piece of advice to my underclassmen, I’d say not to hesitate or wait. Nothing is guaranteed. So go to that dance. Say hi to someone new. Sign up for that club. Do whatever it is that you’ve been dying to give a try. That way, when you look back on your four years of high school, you will have no regrets.

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May 27, 2021

The Northwood Howler

Taking back control Living my life to the fullest By Cameron Arcand Badass Boss

The worst advice I ever received was in my freshman year of high school when I was told that I should say yes to every opportunity presented to me. Perhaps the most disturbing part was that I actually believed it. This led me down a dangerous path of miserable people-pleasing, and it took me two years to take back control of my own life and start living with purpose. While it may seem strange, saying no can be much more difficult than saying yes to taking a seemingly positive risk. At Northwood, we love to join clubs and organizations in the hope that it will get us into a “good college” or achieve some other vague form of social currency. I’m here to tell you that nine times out of ten, it’s not worth it. In an attempt to reflect upon my personal experiences and impart some half-baked wisdom on the underclassmen reading this, here are three tips on how to be unapologetically authentic and discover your self-worth in your time at Northwood. First, you need to stop living somebody else’s dream. It is common

with students who are active in sports or the arts to actually be satisfying the desire of their parents or friends. For me personally, I was deeply passionate about theater until I realized I was doing certain things for purely selfish reasons. I cared more about having a fancy title than learning new skills, and it was rare that things would actually align with my long term goals. Additionally, you need to know when it is time to walk away. If people do not respect your time, friendship or contributions, it’s time to leave them and find new people who actually do. Your talents are too valuable to be wasted in a place that you are not welcomed and loved. High school is meant to be a time of exploration, so don’t be afraid to go outside your own bubble to find new interests and make new friends. Lastly, it’s just high school. As author Richard Carlson once titled his book, “Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff”—that is usually the case with most things here. Whether it is a D on your Math 2 test or a choir performance that did not go as planned, learn from the loss and move forward. You are only going to be an angsty teenager once, so save the attitude for something worthwhile.

By Erin Kim

Chief in Charge of Cuteness

If you read this, no you didn’t— quite frankly, I’m not the sappy, sentimental type, but now that graduation is hurtling closer, I will admit that I’m going to miss high school and all of its highs and lows. I know… I’ve probably said a million times that I can’t wait until the last day of school, and yes, I am counting down the days, but lately, my countdown seems to be more of nostalgia than excitement. I remember freshman kickoff day as clear as yesterday: I was uncomfortably standing amongst a group of strangers, waiting to get my photo taken. To be honest, I was dreading the start of high school—acclimating to a new environment and feeling the pressures of academics—

but little did I know that high school would end up being so much more than those feelings of anxiety. Before I knew it, I had rekindled old friendships, ventured outside of my comfort zone with extracurriculars and leadership positions and explored my passions. High school (all 2.5 legitimate years of it) truly passed by in a blink of an eye. In retrospect, I wish I had done even more with my 2.5 years. I never knew that there would be no “later” to go to games and dances or hang out with friends. So, in the spirit of making up for lost time, I plan on celebrating the milestone of graduation to the fullest extent. After a very isolated year and a half, one of the first things I’ll be doing is spending time with friends and family (we’re all fully vaccinated). Yes, that sounds cliché, but nothing’s

more exuberating than beach days, mini road trips and nights out feasting with loved ones, especially without the worry of exams and applications. Another simple way of celebrating myself: nourishing my body with tasty, nutritious snacks and maintaining my health through exercise that I enjoy. After all, taking care of me is the kindest thing I can do for myself. Finally, I will celebrate my academic achievements by continuing to foster my love of learning. Whether that means striving for fluency in a foreign language, picking up a new hobby or familiarizing myself with concepts that I have always found confusing like stocks and NFTs, I will continue to intellectually challenge myself in hopes of growing into a well-versed person that will find herself in more and more celebratory situations.

A bittersweet reflection on my final year of childhood

By Ryan Wu Yearbook King

Admittedly, writing this is much more difficult than any other article I’ve written throughout my time in The Howler. To sit in front of your computer and write a last goodbye and seeing your name printed for the last time as part of a high school publication feels a little emotionally draining and also undeniably challenging. It feels like a very vague college application essay all over again, and, while I’m not a very emotional person, I’ll do the best I can to end my time here with The Howler on a strong note.

This year sucks. We all know it, we all say it, and as much as we complain about it, we’ll never change the fact that the Class of 2021 is arguably the second most unlucky class in recent memory (the Class of 2020 takes the cake with their lack of graduation and senior activities). Personally, I’ve never felt more disconnected from people at school. It doesn’t feel good to realize that a year ago I had unknowingly spoken to or seen certain students for the very last time in my life. As college draws closer and closer, I’ve been looking back at my experience during my brief time here at Northwood. During my first week of high

school in August 2017, my TA’s respective Link Crew group visited our classroom to welcome us to the school. I distinctly remember one of the seniors, Jordan, telling us that although it didn’t seem that way, the four seemingly endless years ahead of us would flash by in the blink of an eye. Of course, as a freshman fresh out of Sierra Vista, I scoffed it off. I sincerely couldn’t envision myself as a senior recently committing to college. Just a couple months ago, my own Link Crew group relayed the same warning that Jordan gave to me to the Class of 2024. The years really did fly by. Everyone feels like we’ve been

robbed of something this year, whether it be time with friends in opposite cohorts, school dances, sports events or concerts. But now that I take a step back and examine this year in retrospect, I realize that it wasn’t really all that bad. Although I’ve never necessarily felt the desire to step up and be the person making plans with my friends in my last few years of high school, I’ve paradoxically become more inclined to reach out to people during the whole stay-at-home period of the pandemic. I’ve also gotten to spend a lot more time with my family, my small community of people who’ve supported me every step of the way. It’s embarrassing how much

we take our loved ones for granted, and quarantine has really opened my eyes to how much I truly appreciate and cherish the meaningful relationships I have. Pretty soon, this final stretch of May and June will be over as quickly as the rest of high school, and all of us Northwood seniors will take different paths to fulfill our future goals. But that’s for our future selves to worry about. Right here, right now, the most important thing is to grasp onto this fleeting moment of childhood and to remember this feeling for as long as we possibly can. This time does not come back, so it is important to take advantage of every moment.

The Northwood Howler

April 23, 2021 May 27,

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The Northwood Howler

May 27, 2021

Sincerely, Coco Tsaur By Coco Tsaur

Lemonade Connoisseur

If I were to be brutally honest, I did not want to write this article. It’s not easy for me to put my emotions into words (which is maybe one of the main reasons I’m a photographer), and I did not see the merit in giving empty thanks to a school that chewed me up and spit me out all of the four years that I was here. I don’t want to lie about how much I’m going to miss the shallow encounters with friends who I will never keep in touch with, teachers who didn’t believe in me and superfluous cur-

riculum that I’ll probably never use in my adult life. That being said, despite my less-than-pleasant experience these past four years, I don’t regret a single decision I’ve made throughout high school. I’m grateful for the lessons I learned and the experiences that built the strong, resilient human I am today, and I sincerely feel that I’ve grown incredibly in my time at Northwood. And although I am so happy to be leaving Northwood and to say goodbye to the blissful ignorance and innocence of my childhood, I’m so excited, yet so scared, to dive into the unknown world of adulthood.

Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler

Playfulness: The ultimate tech disrupter and world transformer By Ayushi Bhardwaj Sushi-in-disguise

I visited Google’s campus in Silicon Valley a couple of weeks ago, with high expectations going in—the company, a pioneer of technological expansion and the epitome of innovation itself, would intuitively have a never-before-seen main office. Would every electric pencil sharpener on campus have a solar panel attached to it? Would there be a room filled to the brim with Google Chromebooks? A Google Chromebook ball pit, perhaps? Once there, I concluded that Google’s campus was simply a neighborhood playground. Simplicity yet vibrancy radiated from every nook. Statues of characters were littered around the campus, greeting people with a cheerful presence. Everything was washed over in bold colors and the daring reds, yellows and blues. Truly, a rainbow had dissolved and fallen as a blanket of energy upon campus. There was even a fake dinosaur, and on the ground right beneath its back end, laid a fake dinosaur fecal dropping, plump and realistic, but bereft of olfactory sensations…thankfully. After witnessing the surprising charm Google’s campus had, I was quite inquisitive about the intentionality of it all. What benefit would this quirky and youthful campus provide any engineer working on crystalizing Google Maps or fine-tuning the search engine’s algorithms? For now, I have concluded that it derives to a familiar and powerful concept: Playfulness. Playfulness is whatever enters your mind first. Google’s campus, at least in my interpretation, illuminates the value of Playfulness. I think we should too.

The impulsivity, the limitless imagination and the bold move to believe in anything: these are the values that empower the engineers to work with dynamism and liberation. If we emulate these values, we can keep growing inside out, outside in. Many times in meetings, I hear a dialogue along the lines of, “This idea might be too much, but here it goes,” as one prefaces their pitch with a cautionary caveat. I wonder if ideas were “too much” or too far-fetched back in my childhood days. Was our Playfulness so restricted as it is now? Was making imaginary scenarios out of mere plastic toys “too much”? Perhaps, as slightly unsure, slightly confident young adults, we shouldn’t be so hesitant to imagine, reimagine and believe. We should capture the kiddish spirit from years ago when we could make nothing into everything. We should play. I encourage you to express freely and take the risk of pushing boundaries, even if it’s as simple as proposing a progressive idea to a school club you are a part of. Or maybe even attempt something less formal––prop a book of light-hearted puns next to your stack of AP Test Review books to spruce up your workspace into a playspace. Perhaps paste a blank sheet of paper on your wall and use it as a free-form scribble realm: if an idea pops up in your mind, you draw it on that sheet. In daily habits and repetitive routines, we can carve out opportunities for fluidity. As Bernard Shaw puts it, “we don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” Perhaps Playfulness is the genesis of innovation. Needless to say, it works for Google––really well, actually, if you take a glance at the company’s net worth and satisfaction

amongst employees (it’s 97%, may I add). Google’s campus, its business playground, is a representation of the company’s expansive leaps and bounds, as employees play tag all the way to their next mega product

launch. With all said and done, I still haven’t quite figured everything out yet. Can Playfulness really be applied everywhere? How can I make grade deflation in college playful? How can

taxes become imaginative? I don’t know all of the answers. But for now, my plans for the summer are slowly taking shape: Pretend City, Disneyland, the neighborhood park—I am on my way and I am ready to play.

May 27, 2021

Farewell

By Varun Vishnubhotla Papa Veesh

Any time a teacher gives an option for a project, it is a sure thing that I am not picking the oral presentation option. Normally, I’m a man of few words, but when given the opportunity to freely write about my time at Northwood, there’s no shortage of words to describe my experience. Frankly, “goodbye” isn’t one of them—just a casual “see you later” or “here’s to the future.” Since 2017, every year has been marked by many ends and many more beginnings. Unsurprisingly, freshman year was the start of it all. That was the year of restlessness, relaxedness and everything in between. Lunches were spent conversing with the few friends from the summer Health course and making the daily commute to the gym bathrooms because it was the only bathroom I knew how to get to. The casual stroll to class wasn’t as advertised; I think sprint is a better word. Honestly, back in the day, even Usain Bolt couldn’t compete in the class-to-class sprint against me. Jokes aside, planner beside me, I hurriedly tried to piece together the labyrinth of buildings, but more often than not, I was still tardy. However, over time, as I met the friends who made campus feel like home and the teachers who redefined learning, the first two and a half years were filled with the overwhelming

SENIORS my

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definitely

feelings of euphoria. It seemed to be so separate from the thought of high school ending that the Coulombic Force of Attraction between the two feelings was about zero. Thanks Mr. Monge... But then came along second semester junior year, when the world grounded to a halt. The supposed three-week pandemic exploded to be a year-long saga that culminated in more variations of learning than I ever thought possible—Emergency Distance Learning, Hybrid Learning, Distanced Learning, Asynchronous Learning, Synchronous Learning, the list goes on. Everything seemed to have “Zoom” in front of it, and it has led to a rather bittersweet finale to our experience here. Although nothing can compensate for the memories we could’ve gained in a traditional high school setting, the thoughts of the future seem gratifying, exciting and more or less relieving. It’ll be a joyous occasion when masks aren’t needed for society to function, but until then, it’s time to make the most of what we’ve got. With all the sappy anecdotes out of the way, here’s a quick ode to some of the people that have contributed to my time here. After all, I am an immature senior, who has had his fair share of screw-ups, so I don’t have any real wisdom to impart. Not to mention, wisdom is for the “bigbrain” people, and nothing about that screams me.

typical

To the teachers, a massive thank you for everything. Even though each groan at another presentation or head shake after reading another project rubric makes it seem like the exact opposite, words can’t describe how thankful we are to have you as guides. To my parents, thank you for your endless support and for allowing me to make the 30-minute commute to and from Northwood for the first

senior

year

two and a half years of high school. Last, but certainly far from the least, is thank you to all my friends that I’ve met over these years. All my Flight Reacts’ references and quirky sense of humor definitely get old, but each laugh makes all the difference. That was a mouthful to say the least. With that, I conclude. Thank you for all the memories T-Wolves. It’s my time to be a freshman again.

A reflection on my past four years of high school By William Baik

“I’d Rather Be Called Bill”

Let’s be honest—I don’t have much to reflect on about The Howler. It’s only been one year for me, a senior, who chose to stay at home the entire time. I stayed within my comfort zone and rode it out, giving effort when it was demanded and disappearing when it wasn’t. Do I regret the experience? Not really. Do I wish I demanded more out of it? Perhaps. But experience is fickle. Sometimes you feel like the fruit borne from your effort is as ripe as ever—sweet and delectable. Other times, it just exists. A hanging reminder of fleeting pas-

Anlon Zhu The Northwood Howler

sions and limited time. And I think, strangely, the most pertinent opportunity The Howler gave me was a reflection upon the experiences I chose to gather throughout high school. To think about if these experiences are the ones I chose to make, the ones I’ll cherish and more importantly, if they’re the ones I won’t regret. It’s a fruitless reflection, but a lot of things have been fruitless this year, so I might as well try. It’s probably ideal to start with The Howler, for, well, the obvious reason. I didn’t think I’d be here, to be frank. I never had an inclination to begin journalism, and I definitely did not want another class where I had to

write even more. But I decided to try; nothing really spurs regret like not trying at all. I had my qualms in the beginning, but I think the drive of the class really stuck out to me. It’s definitely not hard to notice. Same idea for Speech and Debate—passion is hard to find in a core subject, so it’s in classes like these where you can observe those who truly cherish their experience that you begin to understand the allures of creating them on your own fruition. And even though journalism wasn’t really the start of my pursuit to create something I would care for deeply throughout high school, it definitely reminded me that the experience—that high

school—was something that I had to give myself to in order for it to return to me with something. Funnily enough, I don’t think I ever really formed that. It’s not that I absolutely despised my existence here—it’d be a little pretentious of me to forgo the memories my friends and teachers alike have been willing to give me. I am truly grateful for that. Still, I just felt like I never met it, whether it be through music, club activities or sports. Perhaps I set the bar too high. Perhaps I scrambled past the things that would’ve given me whatever it is that I was looking to make out of high school. Perhaps I was lazy. A plethora of reasons to choose from, but none that I could particularly point to and say with confidence that that was the reason why. But despite that, I never once felt disappointed. Even if I wasn’t satiated by the fruits that my dedication or my efforts brought back to me, part of me felt content that I had even tried, and that the value of living life doesn’t have to stem from what you receive. It’s all about the journey, but I don’t think it’s wrong to think that true contentment will come from knowing you tried things. I think it’s fine to come out of high school feeling regretful and unhappy. It happens. Where it takes us may be less fine, but it’s unfair to expect yourself to be as happy-go-lucky and relieved as people around you tend to be once it’s time to graduate. I don’t really want to offer advice because I don’t even have this figured out, but I think that even if I won’t look back on high school as a magical four years, the fact that I’ve at least understood myself a little better because of the experiences it’s given me is a good enough gift. And it’s wholly possible that I’m just being some depressed teen who thinks he knows what he’s talking about—I don’t really doubt that possibility. All I know is that for now, even if I didn’t enjoy the experience I chose to shape for myself, I can always take pride in knowing that I at least tried, and hope, one day, that perhaps its value will emerge as well.

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VIEWPOINT/SPORTS Failures of state testing in measuring student achievement

May 27, 2021

The Northwood Howler

Richelle Gunawan The Northwood Howler

UNNECESSARY TESTING: Students are forced to take state tests even during the pandemic. By Arya Bhattacharjee Staff Writer

With the recent administration of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) to students across the state, an elusive question arises among all students: Why? The pandemic has caused many difficulties and inconsistencies throughout the 2020-21 school year. In IUSD, newly introduced hybrid

schedules and constant restructuring of courses and tests created confusion for many. The announcement of the mandatory CAASPP caught many students and teachers off guard after 2020 saw national cancelation of state testing. Why did the government reinstate them? The purpose of the CAASPP, as stated by the California Department of Education, is “to assist teachers, administrators, students and parents by promoting high-quality teach-

ing and learning through the use of a variety of assessment approaches and item types.” With the inability to proctor online assessments this year, no test can fulfill this purpose. The only thing it will inevitably show is that students did not learn at pre-pandemic levels in 2020-21. This is a nobrainer, so why spend millions, and sacrifice already limited educational time to give a test to show it? Even in normal circumstances, standardized tests are widely regard-

ed as an inaccurate method of evaluating education. For most people, if the average score on a standardized test is high, then it is assumed that the school’s teaching methods are effective, but this is not what standardized tests actually measure. State tests are a subclass of standardized tests known as achievement tests, which interpret student skills as compared to other students, regardless of whether they were gained within the classroom. Thus, there is inherent bias for upper middle class students with college-educated parents, while any blame for lack of achievement gets placed at the feet of teachers. The now-defunct No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 went so far as to remove teachers and administrators from schools who consistently achieved below standard in comparison to other campuses. Guess what population those schools largely served? While relying solely on grades could be problematic, standardized tests are in no way better and have recently been removed from most college admission decisions because they unfairly penalize racial and economic minorities. While CAASPP testing has no individual impact on college admission, it does factor into school reputation and thus impacts admission decisions. But what do the results of state tests directly affect? A likely answer is the state education rankings that grade states as a whole. The tests have been noted by multiple school officials to hold more weight in polit-

ical value than other forms of meaningful data. Government officials have the ability to misuse these test scores by giving inaccurate ratings to schools and wrongfully penalizing teachers instead of providing struggling classes with the help that they need. Many states tried to call for the cancelation of these tests for the 2021-22 school year, but the Biden administration stood by its decision to enforce state testing, requiring 95% of each school district’s eligible students to take the test, and no further attempts were made to convince them otherwise. Teacher unions are a strong force fighting against the avarice that runs rampant within the education system, but very few call for the cancelation of standardized tests, which would not only make the system fairer, but would also increase the budget of many school districts. Additionally, the 2020-21 year had many schools finding ways around testing. California was one of the first states to implement a smaller, less intensive test compared to previous years, and other states have skipped the tests regardless of federal mandates. As with many other standardized tests, the best way to combat them is to remove them entirely. If more people begin to show resistance rather than acceptance towards these tests, (whether it’s through unions, petitions or even peaceful protests) then in the future, we may begin to see the removal of standardized state assessments completely.

An interview with soccer star Paul Son By Helena Zhou Staff Writer

Enjoyed by nearly four billion fans globally, soccer has maintained its reputation for more than a century. Among the vast crowd of competitors, senior Paul Son has set himself apart, with extensive experience culminating most recently with membership on renowned teams such as Strikers Football Club and Los Angeles Football Club Academy. Now, presented with a momentous decision between continuing soccer with the United States Military Academy at West Point or professional soccer team Las Vegas Lights, Son reflects on his soccer journey. The Howler: When did you know you wanted to pursue a career in soccer? Paul Son: Growing up, I always told people I wanted to become a professional soccer player, but I was just a young kid with big dreams. Once I entered high school, I started to seriously consider it. It’s a blessing I have both options right now, but it’s also a hard decision. My parents want me to go to the college route because it’s more secure. I want to go professional because it’s been a lifelong dream of mine. We’re still going back and forth, but we’ll see in about two months.

Photo provided by Paul Son

SHOOTING FOR THE STARS: Son aims to score during practice.

TH: How have you pushed through obstacles you’ve faced? PS: I’ve had my highs and my many, many lows. I’m always fighting for a potential spot on a national team or a game. Sometimes, the coach will tell me that I’m not performing well and won’t be playing that weekend, and those moments really hit hard and make me loathe soccer. My way to push through those times is to view where I am now from the perspective of when I was younger. It makes me proud.

PS: In ninth grade, I had one of my best seasons, and got invited out to a national team camp. But the day before the camp, I went out to Universal Studios with two of my friends, ate a bunch of junk and did not feel well the next day. When I was called up to perform, I didn’t and fell short. I wasn’t called back to go to the national team. It was a moment where I seriously considered quitting: I had worked so hard to get there, and it felt like I just blew it. It’s always an internal battle, choosing between hanging out with friends and soccer, but that’s a moment I’ll never forget. It reminded me that even though I might have a little fun with my friends, I should stick to my practices, diet and sleep schedule.

TH: What’s a moment you’ll never forget in your soccer journey?

TH: What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned from soccer?

PS: I know it’s cliche, but believing in myself has gotten me through my doubts. I learned to put in work when others don’t and that no matter how talented you are, if you don’t push through obstacles and learn how to mature from mistakes and develop from criticism, you won’t be able to grow. TH: What advice would you give to current student athletes? PS: The balance between school and sports is hard. Northwood is definitely academically rigorous, and being strong both physically and mentally is tough. You need to decide what you’re willing to sacrifice and how you want to allocate your time and energy, and from there, I think it comes down to discipline and focusing on what you want to get out of your activities.

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May 27, 2021

Befuddling Bufoonery

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senior advice graphic w/ some small images Saba Nabaeighahroudi The Northwood Howler

Jam-packed colleges “do-nut” accept students STATE TESTING ramps up likely failed to make the top 1% of their class or had not crafted notaStaff Writer ble passion projects such as curing The Council of EYE-VEE cancer and founding 10 nonprofits. Group Presidents was the first to an- With admission rates faltering to nounce negative acceptance rates for -10.57% for Coco-Lumbia Universithe incoming undergraduate Class ty in particular, college students who of 2025, citing a newremained enrolled had an ly-founded pre-reqaverage GPA of 7.37, uisite of eight years according to the of high school as Aspiring Student the cause. Notable Times. Student universities such Allie Lumni as Stand-ford and addressed posNorthsouthern have sible grievancalso followed aces of evicted cordingly. students, but With the steady glossed over decrease of admisthe possibilision rates each year, ties of smallnegative admission Chloe Song The Northwood Howler er-student rates were triggered by a record ratios. breaking 1000% increase in appli“I know cants, according to the EYE-VEE nobody wants to go through eight League Admissions Center. The years of high school, but luckily booming number of applicants was I didn’t, so yay me!” Lumni said. attributed to the newly adopted uni- “People might be less likely to comversal Donut Theory, a policy that plete high school, meaning boosts applicant numbers by prom- more available spots ising an offering of a dozen donuts for hard-working each day to each admitted student, students like me, specifically glazed and so it seems like a chocolate sprinkled to win-win.” benefit the elite staWhile the tus of students that EYE-VEE Student attend. Coalition is taking “I had no idea legal action against top that young adults universities, highschoolers— love sugary donuts along with evicted college so much,” president students—are taking of the EYE-VEE to college campuses League Admissions in public protest of Council Kris P. Kreme the decision by fillsaid. “If I had known, ing teachers’ loungI would have offered es with frosting and Raisin Bran, lavender jelly filling ranand black tea as flasacked from local vors.” donut shops, triggering Current college students a drop in donut sales. who had their admissions rescinded “I worked hard for my admisBy Karen Wang

sion into Acorn-ell University, and now I can’t even look at a chocolate donut the same,” evicted student Gennifer Pee-Aye said. While snacking on the surplus of admissions-offered stale chocolate donuts, professors at Acorn-ell University were allegedly content with the new 8-year high school duration, citing fewer finals to grade with a lower student population. Donut enterprises attempted to fight off the boycott by offering coping desserts for rescinded college students. “It’s been a tough year for the class of 2021, marked by virtual learning, canceled sports, limited school activities and being forced to stay in high school for another 4 years. But the class of 2021 persevered through it all,” Soggy Kream CEO Donut Panic said. “We admire them and we want to celebrate all of them by giving them a special ‘Graduate’ Dozen completely free at their local Soggy Kream.” While short-termed reparations attracted positive attention, rescinded college students and high schoolers bracing for 8 years of high school created the “Students Against Donuts” (SAD) Facebook support group. “The legendary University of Pencil-vania was the school that I have dreamt about since I was six years old, but of course some donut sponsorship had to ruin it all,” SAD founder senior Dissa Pointed said. “Apparently, I, along with so many other seniors weren’t worthy of glazed and sprinkled donuts.”

By Rita Lai Staff Writer

In place of high school graduation, the California Department of Education (CDE) has announced that all senior students will take part in a new state-wide initiative named the STATE TESTING program effective June 2021. “Look, it’s not really ‘state testing.’ We prefer to call it by the full program name, which is ‘Such Terrific And Transcendent Efforts Teaching Electronically So Talent Is Now Guaranteed,’” CDE Superintendent of Public Instruction Lovet Esting said. “This year has been really tough on both students and teachers, so hopefully this shiny new acronym can boost morale.” Though school officials had been cautiously optimistic graduation ceremonies could be held, commencement plans have been completely halted in favor of a week-long program of senior state testing, an experience Esting and other CDE officials hope will be just as memorable as a live graduation ceremony. The originally planned graduation ceremonies have been adjusted to place seniors socially distanced throughout the theater as the Wind Symphony loops “Pomp and Circumstance” in the background until the testing period is over. The volume of the music can be set between “deafening” and “ears-bleeding” at the discretion of local school administrators. After the Every Child Left Hopelessly Behind Act of 2002 saw little nation-wide success, the Every Student Succeeds Because of Testing Act was passed in late 2015 to hand more control over educational standards to individual states. States would then have the option to administer as many standardized tests as necessary to gain an accurate measure of learning proficiency among students.

“We absolutely understand the hardships that distance learning has put on our students,” STATE TESTING program development advisor Faultie Rieserch said. “That’s why the development team conducted extensive research on the best way to relieve students’ stress while also effectively gauging student success. From our comprehensive sample size of one student, we concluded that increasing testing would have the most positive effect.” Regardless of if the results of 2021 STATE TESTING demonstrate student proficiency or deficiency this year, the CDE plans to replace all class meetings with constant testing in the 2021-2022 school year. Teachers will be redesignated test proctors, required to cut the entirety of their curriculum to deliver state-designed tests and meet a weekly quota of surprise tests to dole out to unexpecting students at random. “Teachers, or test proctors, as we are now called, have been planning test traps around campus to meet our quota,” Northwood test proctor Regina Larmabur said. “My best advice to students? Avoid the bathrooms next year. Those are prime places to administer surprise state tests.” Yet the CDE has further plans to increase the volume of test administration among high school students. Studies conducted by California’s top test proctors have indicated that students are most productive between 1-3 a.m.; to take advantage of this, the CDE plans to expand the TESTING initiative to force students to test in the middle of the night. “As a committee, we have taken note of the countless hours that students waste by sleeping and learning,” Esting said. “Here at the CDE, we believe that TESTING all-day, every day, is a vital step towards the future of education.”

(4 Panel) BILL GATES COMIC Rachel Gunawan The Northwood Howler