Raven Report Sequoia High School
Volume XI, Issue 2
1201 Brewster Ave. Redwood City, CA 94062
October 18, 2017
Voting assembly brings politicians to Sequoia By NICHOLAS ABRAHAM Opinion Editor
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Assembly member Kevin Mullin visited Carrington Hall Sept. 26 to celebrate Voter Registration Day. The main goal of the assembly was to encourage 16 and 17-year-old students to pre-register to vote, allowing them to be automatically registered once they are eligible. “If we can pre-register, that [gives students] one less thing to worry about when [they] turn 18. Once you’re on Photos by Aviva Futornick the list, you’re going to start getting In accordance with National Voter Registration Day, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla visited Sequoia’s own all the information [about upcoming Carrington Hall to discuss the importance of voting, among other politically based topics, with future Sequoia voters. elections],” Padilla said. The event was hosted by senior Dez is showcased in the main hallway near tion. According to the Public Policy Ashley Gray was also commended by Institute of California, funding for the speakers for organizing the assemFrazier, who presented the speakers the College and Career Center. and moderated the question and an“The fact that [Sequoia has] a higher education—the UC, CSU and bly and continually encouraging his swer session that folVoter Hall of Fame community college systems—has fall- students to vote on all levels and on all lowed Padilla’s speech. “My hope is that we can alone shows that this en from 18 to 12 percent of the state issues, from local to state to national Topics such as racism expose our young people to the school values the role budget in the last 40 years. elections. and racial representa- role of local governments.” of young people in “The [state] legislature actually has “My hope is that we can expose our —Kevin Mullin, the political process,” more of a say in funding for the UCs, young people to the role of local govtion, gerrymandering and voter suppression California Assembly Member Mullin said. the CSUs and the community colleges ernments, like city councils and school were discussed. One of the most than our members in Congress do,” boards, which make decisions that afBoth Padilla and Mullin commend- pertinent issues Padilla discussed with Padilla said. fect [students’] lives on a regular basis,” ed Sequoia’s Voter Hall of Fame, which students was the cost of higher educaHistory and government teacher Mullin said.
New legislation keeps California Wine Country fires wreak pedestrians focused on the road havoc on bay air quality By MACKENZIE CLARKE Managing Editor
At a meeting on Sept. 12, San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa and other Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of a resolution to ask state lawmakers to pass the requisite legislation necessary for the enactment of a distracted walking law to mitigate distracted pedestrian street-crossing and subsequent safety hazards. The ban on cellphones came to fruition amidst Pedestrian Safety Month. The effort to protect pedestrians has recently become more important due to an increase in pedestrian fatalities in the state. According to the Office of Traffic Safety, 892 pedestrians were killed on California
roadways in 2016, accounting all the time, and they’re comfor 24 percent of all roadway municating on a very high volume with them.” Canepa fatalities that year. While the law has been met said. “If you’re staring down mostly with approval, there at your phone, you can’t look are still some who view it as both ways [when crossing the another example of the intru- street].” As Redwood City increassion of the government on people’s everyday lives. The ingly becomes more of a miproposed ban has been likened crocosm of the bustling clito the seat belt legislations of mate of the Silicon Valley, distracted 1983, which is enforced the “This is a 21st century so- walking necessity of lution to a 21st century prob- subsequently also on the wearing seat- lem.” —David Canepa, rise. With belts for all San Mateo County the number passengers in Supervisor of new busia car. Similar nesses and to this law, the cellphone law is not intended startups downtown, there is to inconvenience pedestrians, a high density of pedestrians, bikes and cars during combut rather protect their lives. “This is a 21st-century so- mute hours. lution to a 21st-century probSee PHONES, page 2 lem. People use their phones
Spread:
One nation completely divisible. The Raven Report examines the political conversation.
Page 4-5
By MACKENZIE CLARKE Managing Editor Fires which ignited due to high winds and dry conditions throughout Wine Country Oct. 8 have spread to consume around 160,000 acres of homes, nature and vineyards. As of Sun Oct 15, 400 people in the region have been reported missing, and 40 are confirmed dead. The Air District, an air quality assessment system under the jurisdiction of the Environmental Protection Agency, deemed Redwood City air unhealthy Oct. 12 due to smoke with a score of 165 (a score over 150 is considered unhealthy). Napa and surrounding areas were assigned air quality indexes of “hazardous”. The entire town of Calistoga was evacuated,
and residents of various other communities whose homes were destroyed have been displaced to shelters. Many Sequoia and Redwood City alumni attending Sonoma State University were forced to return home. The fires created the worst air quality ever recorded for smoke in the Bay Area. After winds shifted Oct. 10, a higher density of smoke blanketed Redwood City the next day, and as a result all Sequoia sports games and practices were cancelled, along with the IB Environmental Systems and Societies field trip. 80 flights were cancelled at SFO due to thick smoke in the skies. Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Napa, Sonoma and Yuba counties, stating “we’ve had big fires in the past...this is one of the biggest.”
SPECIAL FEATURE: The Rohingya Crisis: Silent suffering speaking loud volumes
Page 8