The Pepperbox
November BOX BRIEFS
Fall Performance: “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead”: December 6th and 7th @ 7pm and December 8 @ 2pm
IN THE BOX What’s Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Housing Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Minimum Day: Monday, December 3rdArtisan Faire at Arcata
D&D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.
High School: Friday, November 30 @ 3:30-7:00
Books to movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9. .
Want to advertise or buy a mail subscription to the Pepperbox? Email Business Manager Hannah Pereira at pepperbox@nohum.k12.ca.us !
EDITORIAL STAFF Jacquelyn Opalach Editor-in-Chief Caledonia Davey Managing Editor Jazmine Fiedler Feature Editor Lindsay Rimmer Sports Editor Mira O’Barr A&E Editor Jack Taylor Opinion Editor Alef Mitchell Photo Editor Haley Hill Online Editor Mercy Arnold Online Editor Fiona Murphy Editor Abroad Hannah Pereira Business Manager Kaylien Ownby Art Director
Fires/Remembering Joia . . . . . 7. .
REPORTERS Jj Anaya Emily Cook Odin Huff Bailey Ives Tri Jensen-Dougherty Dakota Kalvaitis-Heffernan Grace Mitchell Aidan Nickelson Mark Salamunovich Trinity Smith Eva Villamor Stella Walston Isabella Welch
CLUB REPORTERS Grace Talty Haven Fricke-Smyth Kai Hansen Andrew Mettier Alyssa Pedicino
The Pepperbox would like to thank Western Web, based in Samoa, for printing at-cost. Western Web supports student journalism throughout Humboldt County and has made publications like the Pepperbox possible for decades. We appreciate their dedication to Western Web keeping print media alive.
Wrestling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Coaches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 . J. Rophe Van . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Syphilis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Girls and Boys Honors/AP . . . .16 Failing students. . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 .. Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Shoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 McKinley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 .. The sex talk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 .. Saltbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Questions regarding editorial content of the Pepperbox should be directed toward its editors. Opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of Arcata High School.
Advisor Danielle Witten
Behind the Cover
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he cover of this issue is an artistic representation of an investigative piece that the Pepperbox decided to tackle this month. The article began as a question: What is the story behind that purple van that offers “free and confidential pregnancy testing,” and why is it parked so close to Arcata High? After some interviews and research, the Pepperbox soon learned that the organization has prominent religious affiliations that influence the services and materials they offer. Getting the right photo involved buying a Dollar Tree pregnancy test and casually snapping some photos in a girl’s bathroom stall. Unfortunately, the pictures were lost in a tragic Pepperbox emergency and so we had to start again from scratch. Ultimately, the photo that we ended up using was taken in the Target family bathroom one stressful Wednesday afternoon.
Danielle Witten/PEPPERBOX
Mira O’Barr and Jacquelyn Opalach at the Bean.
Editor’s Box
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his issue is jam-packed with fresh ideas gleaned from a Chicago journalism conference, which two staff members and the adviser of Pepperbox attended earlier this month. In addition to the decadent designs and alternative angles that you will find in this issue, the Pepperbox added “What’s Good” - a page dedicated to great things happening around campus. But what really sets this issue apart is the in-depth news reporting that led to our investigative article, “The Van: When medicine and religion collide.” Writing the story challenged our staff to see beyond bias and report with complete accuracy, precision, and professionalism. It was a learning experience and highlighted yet again the importance of journalism, especially at a high school level. - Jacquelyn Opalach, Editor-in-Chief
Ever wanted to have your own podcast? Come to room 104 at lunch on Wednesdays to make your own podcast submission to the NPR student podcast contest in March.
Jacquelyn Opalach/PEPPERBOX
Kaylien Ownby shoots a photo of Emily Cook for the cover, which was later misplaced :(
Did you know that anyone can write for the Pepperbox?! Come to room 104 on Tuesdays at lunch to see your name in print.
Strong reaction to any of our content? Have something that the entire MUST know? Write a letter to the editor!
Quotable. “Someone licked the hip replacement again this year.” -Maddie Lankarani
“Sometimes you just gotta take your problems and shove them in your pocket.” -Haley Hill
Hamlet ruined words for me, okay?! I’m doing braille only now. - James Richards after reading Hamlet “These aren’t the greatest memes in the world.” -Mr. Pinkerton on the extra credit Econ memes
“And he just took the crouton and walked away.” - Skaidra Pulley
“Being a viking would be lit.” -Lissandro Carrillo
News
WHAT’S GOOD
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
The Pepperbox’s
Varsity girls soccer make it to championship of sections
Carolyn Bareilles/PEPPERBOX
The Pepperbox | Page 5
Good news column
Rochester Award winners
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our Arcata High seniors were recognized with Rochester awards after demonstrating determination, rigor, and high achievement in their classes and hobbies. Olivia Gerving won the Bausch and Lomb Honorary Science Award for her hard work in science classes and high score for math in the PSAT/SAT. Nigella Baur won the Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award for showing great dedication and leadership to her community. Angelica Meade won the George Eastman Young Leaders Award for her excellent involvment in extracurricular activities, high grades, and strong leadership. Andrew Pedicino won the Xerox Award for Innovation and Information Technology for demonstrating a strong interest in innovation and technology. Congratulations to these exceptional students who will surely continue to bring influential and innovative ideas to life!
The girls varsity soccer team pose for a group photo with their coach, Patrick Stranahan. “It was great being able to have our coach Pat back and see everyone come together. I’m incredibly proud of my whole team for really giving it their all throughout the whole season and for making it further than we ever have before. This season was truly filled with so many amazing experiences and memories that I will never forget, and I’m so thankful for my team for making this season the best season.”
- Audrey Shelton, varsity girls soccer player
AHS students donate blood
Courtesy of Leadership/PEPPERBOX
The Leadership class smiles with Blood Mobile on November 7.
121
Students donated blood
91
Total pints donated
273
Approximate number of lives saved
Brooke Coelho/PEPPERBOX
Superintendent Rodger Macdonald and Principal Dave Navarre joined Counselors Kathi Olesen, Deena Faull, Emily Silveira and Darcy Robins in celebrating Arcata High’s Rochester Award winners: Olivia Gerving, Nigella Baur, Angelica Meade and Andrew Pedicino.
The Pepperbox | Page 6
News
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Students combating the housing crisis population? How many students are struggling and working with A & E Editor their families to pay their rents or mortgages? According to Arcata High ad’d wake up at 5 a.m., take the city bus to school, go skateboarding, ministration, about three percent write lyrics, or make money af- of students enrolled are homeless. ter school, then go to drivers ed Homeless can mean living anyand return to the motel at around 10 where from a hotel, being housed p.m. Next day, do it all over again. temporarily at a friend’s or a public There were points of heavy depres- space. Homeless students face daision, points of insecurity; however, ly challenges that make it difficult at the root of it all, I knew I was still to learn and live the life of an averhuman.” - Josh Horan, Arcata High age teenager. Senior Josh Horan has strugSenior gled with reliable housing in reWalking through the streets of cent years. Though he now has a Arcata, the presence of the home- house to live in with his family, at less community is prominent. one point he was homeless. Horan Those sleeping under bridges and began working to help support his on storefronts are only a fraction family. “I was making money to of the overall homeless popula- feed myself and my parents when I tion. Many sleep in shelters, couch could,” he said. Horan still works to help pay bills at surf, or live out his new home, of their cars. and he is mainAccording to taining pride of the New York who he is and Times, more where he came than a quarter from. of the nation’s Homeless stuhomeless popdents also suffer ulation lives an emotional in California. toll. Though Hum“There is boldt is low in more stress on its homeless Josh Horan someone that‘s population comhomeless,” Crisis pared to other Counselor Eicounties in Calleen Klima said. Klima sees many ifornia (calmatters.com), there are still 759 people who are registered of the homeless students on campus and explained some of the as homeless in Humboldt. A housing crisis in Arcata leaves unseen hardships such as fitting more and more residents home- in with peers and getting access less. According to the North Coast to computers. Horan maintained Journal, HSU has more students a positive outlook throughout his enrolled than there are available experience, “I guess you could say it was a houses. The price for rent in Arcata has increased by 19.44% since last learning experience, and I learned year (Rent Jungle). So, what does that my roadblock was my ego, that mean for our high school? Are and feeling like I was beneath peothe halls of Arcata High School re- ple as if I was deducted points in flective of California’s homeless the game of life. Though, through
Mira O’Barr
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I was making money to feed myself and my parents when I could.
knowing that, I learned to focus on the housing by working two jobs. bettering myself, my family, and “Right now I have a part-time job the people around me who truly and I’m trying to save up this year cared for me,” he said. . . . I’m very lucky because my High housing costs affect many grandmother is going to help me local families with low-earning financially through all of this,” Hill employment. Approximately 379 said. Calling herself “very lucky” students at is an overstateschool currently ment in this qualify for free case. Though and reduced she will be getlunch. That’s ting help from about 40% of her family, the the student pop$895 a month is ulation strugstill a struggle to gling to earn pay, even with it enough money being less than to pay for food. the current avSome reerage of $1,065 sources are per month for - Eileen Klima available to renting units in struggling stuArcata. dents at school. The city of Arcata will find a “We keep food here at school, solution to this problem. There are along with clothes and hygiene new buildings being built in open products,” Klima explained. spaces, like the new Sunset apartSchool secretaries, the school ments, but there is only so much nurse, and academic counselors in room. On top of that, the Arcata the office can help students get the City Council is having a difficult resources they need. Students who time passing major projects that are homeless or in financial need would provide more student houscan also stop by room 104 and talk ing. With ocean levels rising on with Danielle Witten, Title I Coor- one side, and a protected forest on dinator to get confidential help as the other, Arcata will soon have well. nowhere left to expand. What is Seniors graduating and plan- a solution to this problem? Should ning to stay in the area face steep we build up? Cut down forests? rent. Expand into the places soon to be Haley Hill is hoping to live on her under-water? Only time will tell own in the new Sunset apartments what will come of the overflowing this summer. She plans to pay for streets of Arcata.
There is more stress on someone that’s home-
3%
Percentage of Arcata High students that are classified homeless
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
News
The Pepperbox | Page 7
California is on fire In loving memory of Joia Simpson Jazmine Fiedler Feature Editor
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he Camp Fire, located in Butte County has a current death toll of 85 with three firefighter injuries. The number has been steadily growing as officials search the burned cities. As for missing people, the list now consists of over 1,000. The Camp Fire is the worst fire in California history. It has burned 153,336 acres but is now 100% contained thanks to recent rain. It has destroyed 13,972 residences, 528 commercial, and 4,293 other buildings. The cause for the Camp Fire is still under investigation. Although the Camp Fire has not directly threatened Arcata, our citizens have been affected. Arcata high science teacher, Cindy Condit, grew up in Paradise, a city that has been evacuated and is now completely destroyed. She owns her parent’s old house and has a significant amount of family who previously lived there. Condit described her nephew and his family’s situation. “They found out [that] their house was burned to the ground . . . they immediately went and rented a house in Corning which is two cities over. At least they have a place to live but they have nothing in the house and they have no money until insurance comes in,” she said. Unfortunately, this is an example of a comparatively lucky family. “Walmart in Chico has a tent city in their parking lot. They’ve been really, really gracious about it . . . you go in, you can use the Walmart bathroom,” Condit continued. Fortunately rain has blessed northern California but it’s not a blessing to everyone. “Living in a tent in the rain is not going to be fun,” Condit said.
People lost everything they had. “The churches and the Elk’s Lodge are storing stuff so you can go in and get clothes,” Condit said. NPA Student Iya Ortiz-Beck had family living on Yankee hill outside of Chico. Her grandmother was visiting Humboldt at the time of the evacuation so her step-grandfather had to load everything up by himself. “He loaded all of their important stuff from their house of over 20 years into their camper,” Oritz-Beck said. Ortiz-Beck described from her grandma’s husband’s perspective. “He passed the main grocery store they went to, burned to the ground, and his brothers house burned to the ground… When he was driving to Oroville he saw people’s cars engulfed in flames with people still in them and people just getting out of their cars and running.” As Condit described, ““The pictures they’re showing on the news… you can’t really understand the devastation.” She explained that, “It’s like complete incineration. The only things still standing are brick chimneys and car bodies.” Often, science and politics interfere with each other. Climate change is a hot button topic with a number of differing political views around it. With our current administration, there is little action being taken on a federal level to counteract natural disasters. With the earthquakes, floods, and tsunamis that took place last year in the south as well as in Central America, these devastating events are beginning to seem commonplace. No matter what political party a person associates with, the reality of today’s environmentally ill America will be detrimental to the future. As residents of a coastal community, Arcadians are very lucky to live in such a stable environment. The air we breathe is safe.
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oia Simpson, a 2018 graduate of Arcata High School passed away on November 1. “Joia was a bubbly, energetic child who touched people with her bright spirit. A mischievous sprite as a young being, Joia could bend the world to her will with a smile and giggle,” stated her obituary published in the Times Standard. “I really got to know her over her four years here and she had some struggles in school but re-
ally overcame them and finished out really strong and was really excited about her new journey into college. She was just a really sweet girl,” counselor Dina Fall said. “All my experiences with Joia were positive. She seemed very happy. [She was a] great young lady,” Dean of Students, Mark Sahlburg said. “I remember Joia as being a very independent and very strong young woman and she will be dearly missed,” Librarian Jennifer Berube said.
The Pepperbox | Page 8
A&E
Boundless imaginations Dakota Kalvaitis-Heffernan Reporter
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ommon belief holds that age causes our imaginations to gradually recede and disappear. They get pushed out by a sense of realism. Children have the freedom and ability to make believe the things they want because they don’t have the responsibilities and problems of their older, future selves. When we grow up we think about things like our Instagram, and our Instagram, and our Instagram, and it seems like everyone who is not a kid any longer has the ability to entertain themselves with their imaginations. This is not the case for me, or for a hearty band of my fellow adventurers. We have found something that lets our imaginations out of the deep dungeon that they were hiding in. We have been possessed by a weekly ritual, a ceremony that happens only in the darkest of nights. Accompanied by an extremely high sodium intake, we play Dungeons and Dragons (abbreviated D&D). D&D takes place in the collective imaginations of the players. This means that there is no physical representation of the game (besides a grid to help visualize distances accurately), and the story plays itself out in the minds of our players. There are
rulebooks, which are limiting to a certain degree, but they serve to make the game more accessible to newer players and help everybody agree on rules that allow cooperative playing. The real game is, in fact, unique to the individual who is playing it. The story unfolds in our imaginations as we act as a character we can truly customize to fit our fantasies. One person takes on the roll of the dungeon master, who is essentially the narrator of the epic. Rather than dictating the story as a narrator traditionally would, the dungeon master creates the story that the other players are put into, making their own decisions, roleplaying as their characters, and thereby influencing the story in a unique way. Former dungeon master Hunter Lewis said, “I love the fact that I can create a world that only limits to my imagination. It is like being in your favorite TV show or book series, except you and your friends are the main characters, and you all have the ability to influence the world based on your own actions and ideas.” From its conception in 1974, D&D has been stereotypically soaked in nerdom. It was created by a band of (most likely)
stinky, (most likely) unshaven, (most definitely) glasses-wearing dudes who (most likely) ate way too much sodium and wanted to make their imaginations of evil necromancers and heroic warriors a reality in the best way they could. The 1970s did not have the virtual reality that exists today. We also have so many video games that have extensive customizable options that you can tailor to yourself to best fit your creativity. This new age of technology is limiting the ability at which we can live out our imaginations. Yet, despite the new era of digital games and virtual reality where players can essentially live in a world they create, Dungeons and Dragons has remained quintessential to fantasy roleplayers for decades. Creating anything in the hopes of bringing fantasies to life only serves to shoot that fantasy in the knee with an arrow, effectively injuring it, ending its adventuring career. There is no replacing the mind. Computers have come so far and become so advanced that they can (almost) predict the weather (not really), yet they have not surpassed a simple tabletop roleplaying game in harnessing the
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
imagination. The reason that Dungeons and Dragons allows me and my fellow geeks of friends to so acutely bring our imaginations to the table is because D&D’s rules only provide guidelines on gameplay, not constricting rules. Maybe people realize that their imaginations can’t come to life, and that’s why people stop imagining things. But D&D changes that. At least it does for me and my fellow adventurers. “D&D is an excuse for adults to act like little kids,” Zane Taylor said, although he is not an adult. Dungeons and Dragons is an outlet into a new world of collaborative imagination that is accessible to everyone. The truth is, rulebooks are not needed for D&D. Only burning fantasies and lustings for adventure are needed to answer the call. Time and time again we gather around a kitchen table, sodas and chips ready to fuel our teenaged imaginations of powerful dragons, high city spires that hold unbounded secrets, and mysterious elven mistresses. We are individual hosts to a world of our own, and our creative imaginations know no bounds within our own minds.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
A&E
The Pepperbox | Page 9
Beyond the words: Magic to technology Mark Salamunovich Reporter
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am sitting in a dark room and it’s beyond silent. I look around the lightless, ghostly, death-silent room and no shadows can be seen on the walls or c e i l ing. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a distant, faded, white glow appear, blinking on and off. It comes closer, closer, closer. The low hum of the light deafens my ears, the screen still blinking. The blinking stops and the screen stays white. I’m excited to see what comes next on the white screen. Here I am, at the movie theater! The House with the Clock in Its Walls was released on September 21st, 2018. It is a spooky comedy starring the talented and funny Jack Black, who outdoes himself in this role. It also stars Cate
Blanchett, who blends in and out throughout the film with splendor and beauty. Black and Blanchett do a magnificent, miraculous, astounding job together. The House With the Clock in Its Walls was originally published as a book in 1973 by John Bellairs. The location and setting are very similar in both the film and the book. The film is fairly true to the book, though the gothic tone is replaced by an 80’s theme, and the sense
of dread that pervades the book is not present in the film. A few minor changes in the magical properties of the house and a plot quirk or two contributed comedy to the film without fundamentally changing the story. Ready Player One, the movie, came out on March 29, 2018. It stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, T.J. Miller, Mark Rylance, Simon Pegg, and Ben Mendelsohn. These actors do an amazingly excellent job at playing their characters in the movie. The book was pub-
lished on August 16, 2011, and was written by Ernest Cline. The film wasn’t faithful to the book at all. It wasn’t even close. I didn’t like them stealing other characters from different movies and putting them in this one; for example, they drew influences from The Shining, King Kong, Tron, and The Last Starfighter. Because of this, I don’t think the film was a good ad-
aptation of the book. The book is way better than the movie; it had a lot more depth to it and it explained the story in much more completion. In addition, Ready Player One featured a lot of product placement. I think this cheapens the film by turning it into an advertisement. There were a few things I liked about the film. For example, the 80’s references and complicated, twisted plot and story made it an intriguing and intense film.
The House With the Clock in Its Walls was successful because it was a faithful adaptation of a great book. The acting was great, it was funny and it had great scary special effects. Ready Player One, on the other hand, was not such a great adaptation. The film strayed too far from the original story in an attempt to make it more interesting and easier to understand. Product placement was really in your face and cheapened the image of the film. Both books are really great; they were captivating and took my breath away. I believe it is important to be faithful to the book when making a film adaptation, as the story in the book is what made someone want to make the film in the first place.
The Pepperbox | Page 10
Sports
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
The heaven and hell of wrestling Dakota Kalvaitis-Heffernan
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Reporter
he odor of the wrestling room is remarkably unique. It is rubbery. It is sweaty. It is grossly satisfying, and as I walked in, I could almost taste it in the air. The whole room seemed to thunder as the heavy footed wrestlers sprinted around the confined room, bouncing off the padded squishy walls and floors, and the thought of ringworm inevitably worked its way into my mind as I stood, barefoot, in the midst of a storm of flying sweat. Despite the overloading amount of sensory input that I received over the course of about 15 minutes of watching the wrestling practice, it would be impossible to describe the wrestling experience in any accurate way without the verbal input of the team. There seems to be a general consensus among wrestlers that the sport is simply just hard. “It’s up there on one of the hardest sports you can do,” student wrestler Chris Borden said. I re-heard this sentiment from Senior Dori Denisi, who said, “It’s not easy.” Senior Sky Pinto was a bit more elaborative in his response about the experience of the wrestling team. “It’s a killer. You feel like you’re running through a desert. No, a jungle. At the end of the day, you’re covered in someone else’s sweat,” Pinto said. In contrast to the committed members of the team, there is one Senior James Richards, who described his experience going
to the first practice of the wrestling team last year. “My first day, I felt like I was going to puke and die and asphyxiate three times. Each time I went to the bathroom and sat wondering how I’m going to make it for two more hours of this. I lost four pounds in the course of three hours,” James said. He quit the team. Some wrestlers actually intend to cut weight, which can often be an arduous endeavor. Senior Logan Koppenhaver described one experience cutting weight. “Cutting six pounds in three hours is harder than it sounds. You chew gum and wear like three sweatshirts and spit in a cup as much as you can,” he said. Generating sweat seems to
be a common theme, whether inadvertantly or for the purpose of cutting weight. “The amount of sweat produced is insane,” first time wrestler Tate Contreras said. Coach Erik Mikolai felt that the mental challenge wrestling presents is the real difficulty. “While it’s very physically demanding, mentally it’s definitely the hardest. It’s like being given a Corvette and only being able to drive 20 miles per hour in it,” Mikolai said. What he meant by this, I’m not sure, but it is a starkly impressive analogy, considering he i s
comparing sleek, fast, flashy sports cars to the sweaty struggle of wrestling. The wrestling team may sound miserable. And it really did seem miserable to me, but at the same time, the sweaty, rubbery, taxing, miserable state of wrestling seemed to give it a quality of distinction that I could respect. It seemed like these conditions are what brought teammate and teammate and coach and coach together, giving the wrestlers satisfaction in themselves through their sport. “The team becomes a family,” Freshman Haley Kenyon said. Although they all remarked at the struggles of wrestling, they were proud to be part of such a miserable recreation. “We say it’s hell, but really it’s fine. Everyone kind of bonds through suffering. We do it because we love it,” Sky said. The wrestlers wrestle because they love it, despite of the fact that they are breathing in more sweat than air. The true spirit of the wrestling team embraces the misery, and they thrive upon it, in glory.
The Pepperbox | Page 11
Sports
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Meet the basketball coaches of AHS Hannah Pereira Business Manager
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oin the Pepperbox as we take an inside look at the men behind the curtains of our valiant junior varsity and freshmen basketball teams. Here are all the answers to your burning questions, along with groundbreaking insight into the basketball community.
Graham Johnson Junior Varsity Coach
Pepperbox: At the end of last season, there were rumors that you were planning to step down from this coaching position. What made you change your mind? GJ: Yes, you are correct about those rumors of me stepping down. They actually were not rumors and I did technically step down after last season. After having multiple discussions with Dusty Scofield and Troy Ghisetti I felt good about the state of the program, and after talking about it with my family, I decided to stay at Arcata High School. PBX: What are some of your goals for the season? GJ: As always we are working towards winning an HDN league championship this year but ultimately at the end of the season, I would consider this season a success if I have done my job as a JV coach and prepared these young men to compete in a varsity game next year. PBX: What angle do you bring to the position? GJ: I feel like with my being a little on the younger side of coaches in the league the kids can relate to me a little easier and me to them as well. I am a very strict coach as any of my past players will echo, but it is all for good reason and they know that.
I am trying to make these kids not only the best basketball players they can be but more importantly the best young men and adults they can be.
Vince Zinselmeir
PBX: What’s the biggest accomplishment you’ve achieved as a coach? GJ: I've had some really cool moments and accomplishments as a coach but to be honest with you my biggest accomplishment is seeing kids I've coached as youngsters mature into young men. It makes me so incredibly proud to talk to my ex players and know that I had a hand in shaping them.
Pepperbox: How did you hear about this open coaching position, and what made you want to take it? VZ: I saw the position on the HCOE website. I have coached at Arcata previously and wanted to get back into coaching again. I like Arcata High and wanted to help out with the program.
PBX: What's the most rewarding part of coaching? GJ: The most rewarding part of coaching is seeing the kids accomplish their goals and knowing that I helped them get there. PBX: What is your own personal experience with basketball? GJ: I played basketball all through my younger years and into high school here at Arcata High mostly playing the small forward position. I still play every now and then but I'm gonna be honest it’s not very easy on my body anymore. PBX: What do you do when you’re not coaching? GJ: I own a small construction company and we mostly frame residential homes. We will frame up to 5 homes in a year sometimes. As far as hobbies go I really enjoy big game hunting most specifically mule deer. I love to travel out to state every fall to pursue mule deer with either my bow or rifle. I also am an avid golfer and carry an 8 handicap on the golf course. PBX: What is your favorite basketball shoe? GJ: My favorite basketball shoe of all time to play in is the Nike KD 6.
Frosh Coach
PBX: What are some of your goals for the season? VZ: A couple goals are: A. To help establish a program, with the other great coaches, where the players will become successful at sports and help prepare them to become young adults. B. Encourage young players to build their skills and prepare them for the next level. C. Have fun and hopefully players will build new team/friendships form this season. PBX: What angle do you bring to the position? VZ: I want the team to have an uptempo style game that is fun to watch and even more fun to play. PBX: What’s the biggest accom-
plishment you’ve achieved as a coach? VZ: For me, my biggest accomplishment is watching the players grow over the season and then continue to develop into great athletes throughout their high school career. PBX: What’s the most rewarding part of coaching? VZ: The most rewarding part of coaching is developing friendships/ bonds with the players and supporting them in becoming well-rounded student-athletes. PBX: What is your own personal experience with basketball? How long did you play? Are you still playing? VZ: My personal experience - I played through college (at HSU) and have continued to play in the local men's leagues to this day. I still enjoy the competition and friendships that have developed over the years. PBX: What do you do when you’re not coaching? VZ: I teach Middle School PE when I'm not coaching. I also enjoy spending time with family fishing, hunting, and boating at Trinity Lake in the summer. PBX: What is your favorite basketball shoe? VZ: Nike - Air Jordan!!
*This is an ad
The Van
Special Fea
When medicine and religion collide By Jazmine Fiedler, Caledonia Davey, and Jacquelyn Opalach
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The J. Rophe Medical mobile unit parks across the street from Arcata High School every Tuesday.
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t might happen like this: A girl, maybe 16 or 17 years old, has sex and misses her period two weeks later. Worried about an unwanted pregnancy, she rushes out of her fourth-period class the next Tuesday to visit the Purple Van that offers confidential pregnancy testing, conveniently parked 369 feet away from Arcata High School. When the test comes out positive, the nurse in the van is comforting and offers the girl some informational pamphlets about the side effects of abortion and its alternatives. The girl
is told that her baby’s life began at conception. As she steps out of the van, the nurse wishes her well before asking, “Do you have any spiritual beliefs?” The girl says, “I guess so.” The nurse replies, “Can we pray with you?” Parked across the street from Arcata High on Tuesdays, “The Van” is the mobile extension of the J. Rophe Medical clinic in Eureka, which offers free and confidential pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, prenatal vitamins, medical and so-
cial referrals, and abortion recovery information, according to their website. J. Rophe Medical also helps connect new parents to the Pregnancy Care Center which provides food, formula, baby clothes, and maternity clothes, until the baby is two years old. J. Rophe Medical does not provide information about birth control or safe sex but instead focuses on navigating newly pregnant women toward following through with their pregnancy. The Pepperbox* set out to learn more about the organization
Caledonia Davey/PEPPERBOX
and the services it provides given its close proximity to the teenagers of Arcata High School. J. Rophe Medical is a Pro-Life organization with religious ties. While some of the information provided by J. Rophe is accurate, other information is false or skewed. As a medical institution, J. Rophe operates with questionable medical ethics. Considering all of these factors, Pepperbox was left with this question: Should the J. Rophe Medical mobile unit be parked so close to a high school?
w to for a Mana “J. and our H came ager bile u Th gelica Roph in th does conn “Ou have that t pretty princ that conce that just s that w Anne An work durin Peppe J. Rop work “An she c say?” An to the J. R quest times their en w invol ceive or ph “As we th able o gettin lieve nette
ature Story Facts should be Facts J. Rophe Medical: Religious Organization
wo Pepperbox reporters went o the van in early November an interview with its Nurse ager. Rophe means Jehovah Rophe, Jehovah Rophe means ‘God Healer,’ so that's where that e from,” Annette**, Nurse manof the J. Rophe Medical mounit, said. he only indication of the Evanal-Christian practices that J. he Medical is affiliated with is heir name: J. Rophe. The clinic not mention these religious nections on their website. ur volunteers and our staff e to sign a statement of faith they believe in certain things; ty much Evangelical-Christian ciples. And those are basically we believe that life starts at eption . . . and that we believe there is a God in heaven. It’s something we do to make sure we are all on the same page,” ette said. n unintroduced woman who ks in the van interjected ng an interview between the erbox and Annette to add that phe Medical has a prayer netk. nd we have a prayer network,” chimed in. “Is that alright to ” nnette paused. “Yeah,” she said e woman. Rophe sends out a prayer ret to about 250 people - somes without the knowledge of r clients - to pray for the womwho seek their services. Those lved in this “prayer chain” ree a notification via their email hone. s soon as we get someone who hink might be abortion vulneror someone who’s planning on ng an abortion, we firmly bein the power of prayer,” Ane said.
“Once you're pregnant you have three choices. You either parent or you get an abortion, or you place an adoption . . . and we have information on all those things,” Annette explained. However, the information that they do have frequently differs from medical facts and include Evangelical-Christian ideals. “We don't advocate for abortion which is why we like to show women pictures of what they’re carrying in their bodies - because we’re all about education,” Annette said. J. Rophe provides a pamphlet entitled “Before You Decide”, which is distributed to clinics like J. Rophe Medical nationwide, originating at Care Net, a “crisis pregnancy center.” Care Net identifies as a Christian Pro-Life organization. The homepage of their website states: “Nearly one million babies die every single year from abortion [. . .] That is why it is so important that believers in Christ stand up for the right to life.” Several of the facts provided in “Before you Decide” contradict the facts provided by both Planned Parenthood and other medical organizations. The Pepperbox analyzed several factual topics presented in this pamphlet, including when pregnancy begins, emergency contraception, the association between abortion and breast cancer, and the association between abortion and compromised mental and physical health. (The Pepperbox’s findings on these subjects can be found in the sidebar at right).
A
No Exceptions in Ethics
rcata High’s Nurse and past Planned Parenthood employee Johnny Kell established that he feels that the presence of the religious beliefs associated with J. Rophe Medical is inappropriate in a medical setting. “It’s an ethical Continued on page 14
Misinformation
When pregnancy (and personality) begins The debate over when a pregnancy begins has existed for centuries. Ultimately, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists claims that pregnancy “Is established only at the conclusion of implantation of a fertilized egg.” Planned Parenthood agrees: “Pregnancy officially starts when a fertilized egg implants in the lining of the uterus,” their website states. In contrast, “Before You Decide” argues that “Pregnancy, and life itself, begins at the time of fertilization and not when the embryo implants in the uterus.” It also says that “when the sperm and egg unite and fertilization occurs, the genetic makeup of a unique human is established, including gender, and hair and eye color, and to some extent, personality and intelligence,” which is written in “Before You Decide”. This is not entirely correct. When conception occurs, a personality has not yet developed. Registered Nurse Maureen Mulligan LaRossa and Dr. Sheena L. Carter from Emory University School of Medicine wrote, “On day 18 the developing embryo (still only a small clump of cells) folds back on itself to form what is called the neural tube. The neural tube will eventually develop into the brain and the spinal cord,” but has not yet at the point of conception. Emergency contraception = abortion? “Before You Decide,” equates emergency contraception with abortion. It states, “All forms of emergency contraception have the potential to prevent the new life from implanting. This is not a contraceptive effect, but abortive, resulting in the embryo’s death.” Planned Parenthood directly claims that Emergency Contraception prevents pregnancy, and is therefore not abortion. Their website explains that “Emergency contraception pills work by keeping a woman's ovary from releasing an egg for longer than usual. Pregnancy cannot happen if there is no egg to join with sperm.” The association between abortion and breast cancer “Before You Decide” also points out that “Carrying a pregnancy to full term gives a measure of protection against breast cancer.” The pamphlet goes on to claim that there is, therefore, a “positive association (increased risk) between induced abortion and later development of breast cancer.” In stark contrast to the information provided in “Before You Decide” mentioned above, the American Cancer Society published that “scientific research studies have not found a cause-and-effect relationship between abortion and breast cancer.” The American Cancer society supported that women who have a full-term pregnancy before the age of 20 are at lower risk of breast cancer than other women, however, they also mention that “a full-term pregnancy after age 30 is linked to a higher risk of breast cancer than never giving birth.” The association between abortion and risk of compromised mental health “Before You Decide” claims that “There is evidence that induced abortion can be associated with significant loss of both emotional and physical health long term.” In support of this claim, the pamphlet references a 2003 study that surveyed fewer than 100 people over the course of about 60 days. The results of the study concluded that: “induced abortion increased the risks for [ . . .] mood disorders substantial enough to provoke attempts of self-harm. ” Planned Parenthood sources studies with the same question but different outcomes. They credit a 1989 panel assembled by the American Psychological Association which concluded that “legal abortion does not create psychological hazards for most women undergoing the procedure.”
The Pepperbox | Page 14
The Van
Feature
Continued from page 13
boundary that medical professionals try not to breach,” he said. Kell reflects the standards that have been set by the medical community. “Professional ethics requires physicians to not impinge their beliefs on patients who are particularly vulnerable when seeking health care,” wrote Thomas R. McCormick, a Doctor of Ministry, in a 2014 paper titled “Spirituality and Medicine”. In conformity with these medical ethics, language in a medical setting is meant to be professional. But emotionally-charged language and hypothetical questions appear in some of the materials provided by J. Rophe. “Starting Over: Your Negative Pregnancy Test - A Chance for Renewal” is a pamphlet distributed by J. Rophe Medical. The pamphlet extols abstinence, which is a different topic than pregnancy and motherhood (which are the areas that J. Rophe Medical claims to attend to). It encourages the reader to question their choices. The pamphlet posits: “Now is the time to look at your life and ask yourself, ‘Is this the life I really wanted?’ When you came into the clinic, you were worried and concerned about the possibility of being pregnant. Is this how you imagined yourself reacting to your first pregnancy?” The pamphlet also makes unsup-
This was like right there, right at the school, so it was like easy access. - Nita
ported generalizations about sex. “Outside of marriage, sex is often something the guy wants, something to make him stay, or something done without commitment, love, and concern,” it says. Furthermore, the brochure attempts to provide dating advice: “You need a boyfriend who will become a good father. If your current boyfriend can’t fill that need, it’s time to get out of the relationship.” Considering that J. Rophe Medical is a Medical center, “Starting Over” lacks a surprising amount of medical information. “I feel like maybe somebody, instead of writing a pamphlet, was writing in their diary,” Kell said in response to the language. With this in mind, is J. Rophe Medical conforming to the precedent set by the medical community? J. Rophe denies any real intent. “A lot of times people think that we coerce people into making decisions that they don't want, and we don't do that. I don't have the power within me to do that. People do what they want to do,” Annette said. When the van first arrived a few years ago, Arcata High Crisis Counselor Eileen Klima visited the mobile clinic to learn their purpose. “I went and introduced myself, and they were really nice to me. They showed me the van, and they said they weren’t going to force anybody, that they were just there to be accessible,” she said. Arcata High Principal, Dave Navarre, also went to meet the nurses, and had an experience similar to Klima’s. “I thought they were very polite, gave me a lot of good information,” he said. Nita,*** a student at Arcata High School, has visited the J. Rophe Medical van. “They did not push God on me in any way, shape, or form,” she said.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
As soon as we get someone who we think might be abortion vulnerable or someone who’s planning on getting an abortion, we firmly believe in the power of prayer. - Annette
Nita said that going in the van was “scary” but she ultimately had a positive experience. “It was really supportive,” she said. “They were comforting.” She was given a pregnancy test, which came out negative. The nurses did not give Nita any of the pamphlets that are normally on display in the mobile unit.
Too Close?
T
he biggest ethical point of interest is the proximity of the J. Rophe Medical Van in relation to Arcata High School. Was this intentional? Annette explained that the city of Arcata requires the Van to be parked on private property. In addition to parking across from Arcata High, the J. Rophe mobile unit parks at Rite Aid and the Trinity Baptist Church. “We cannot park on the street because we are a little bit oversized, people getting in and out, [and the city is] just a little apprehensive about liability,” she said. “One of the first things I had to do as Nurse Manager was to look for places to park and this place came up and I have to honestly tell you, I had no idea where Arcata High School was. I had just moved here. We got permission from the owner to park in this parking lot and so we park here.” The landlord of the property, despite two attempts to contact, failed to return calls.
Navarre said that he has “no opinion” about having J. Rophe Medical park across the street from Arcata High. Nurse Kell shared his views about the van’s proximity to the school. “It super bugs me,” he said. According to Annette, only “four or five” high school students visit the van each year. Annette explained that most of the young women who visit just need a pregnancy test, which often come out negative. “Just girls who are kind of nervous, they made a choice that maybe they’re regretting on Monday and so they’ll come in and get a test,” she said. Nita, whose friend urged her to go to Planned Parenthood when she had a pregnancy scare, instead chose to visit the J. Rophe mobile unit because of its convenient accessibility. “This was like right there, right at the school, so it was like easy access,” she said. “I do have to say that they’ve been here for five years and we have had absolutely no concerns, no issues with them whatsoever,” Navarre said. “They’re really thoughtful, caring people.” *Readers should know that the writers of this stroy are pro-choice **Annette asked not to have her last name printed ***This students name has been changed to protect their privacy
Feature
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
The Pepperbox | Page 15
The rising threat of syphilis in Humboldt County county in 2017
county in 2016
18 49
reported in Humboldt reported in Humboldt
S
^
^
Number of syphilis cases Number of syphilis cases
Alef Mitchell
The increase of syphilis cases in the last year
172%
^
Photography Editor
yphilis in Humboldt County has gone up 172 percent in the last year, according to Humboldt County Department of Human Health and Services. In 2017 there were 49 reported people diagnosed with syphilis in the county, as opposed to 18 cases in 2016. According to the CDC there are four main stages of syphilis. The first is the primary stage, where there are painless sores at the location which came into contact with syphilis. The second stage is a rash, and then there is the latent stage, in which no symptoms are visible. The final stage, which can occur 10-30 years after the infection was acquired, is tertiary syphilis. In this stage, organs such as the brain, heart, liver, and bones can be harmed. According to Arcata High nurse Johnny Kell, “It is curable, but if it goes untreated it can cause permanent reproductive harm.” In the early stages of syphilis, treatment is a simple shot of penicillin. It is important for people to know is that syphilis is transmittable regardless of whether or not there are visible symptoms on the body. Kell said that it’s hard to determine why syphilis might be on the rise, as there are many factors. There are many aspects that could be contributing to the rise of syphilis in Humboldt, such as a lack of education, access to birth control, and people neglecting to get tested. Kell thinks that people getting tested is the best way to prevent the spread of syphilis. “Primary prevention is routine screenings,” Kell said. Kell said he thinks some people are scared to get tested because having a STD “carries a stigma.”
There are many facilities where people can get tested for STDs in Humboldt County, such as Planned Parenthood and other open door clinics. Nurse Kell described syphilis as “The Great Pretender,” because the antibodies that the blood test detects can often be present when a person doesn’t have syphilis. The antibodies, or similar antibodies, may also be present if a person is infected with chickenpox or an autoimmune disease. “There is a blood test which is notoriously inaccurate,” Kell said. Perhaps this is why syphilis is on the rise; maybe people don’t take the test seriously because it can be inaccurate. There is another blood test, called the FTA-ABS blood test, that can be used to make sure a person doesn’t have a false positive. If you are sexually active, then you are at risk for contracting an STD. Testing should be a regular occurrence for anyone who is sexually active. STDs are an invisible problem, so people don’t think about it often. Kell, who worked
at Planned Parenthood earlier in his career, said that while he was working there he came across people who “were scared to get tested.” The combination of people being afraid to be tested and acting oblivious to STDs is what leads to the spread of STDs. Elle*, an Arcata High Student, has been tested for STDs at Planned Parenthood. Elle said that the results are confidential, and minors do not need parental permission. In reference to the staff Elle said, “Everyone was really pleasant and not judgemental at all.” Another positive aspect of being tested is that it’s free and results come back in a few days via email. “For STD testing it’s no charge,” Elle said. The more people get tested, the easier it will be for syphilis to be removed from our community, so if you are at risk please get tested for the safety of others and yourself. *Elle is an Arcata High student whose name has been changed to maintain anonymity.
The Pepperbox | Page 16
Feature
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
The disparity between girls and boys in AP and honors classes Mercy Arnold Online Editor
Bailey Ives
I
Reporter
magine starting a new year at school. You’re no longer a freshman and can enroll in honors or AP classes. You walk in and settle down. The bell rings and you realize there are no boys in the room. You wonder if everyone is there, but when roll is called you discover your first-period honors class only has 17 students, and all of them are girls. Or maybe there’s only four, five, six boys in your AP environmental class or your AP history class. You begin to wonder why there are so few boys in these higher-level classes. Arcata High’s AP and honors classes are 91% girls and 9% boys. Most of those enrolled in honors or advanced placement classes have noticed the ratio of males to females. The question raised: why are there more females than males in such classes? It’s difficult to distinguish stereotype from fact. Theories abound from teachers and students alike. “Guys tend to be much less driven and don’t really care about school as much,” Sophomore Oliver Segura, who is enrolled in English Honors 2 and AP European History, said. The notion that girls are “more organized” and “more mature” has come up so many times that it has become a stereotype. Teachers have theories too. “Females tend to use their smarts because that’s how we survive,” Frau B, AP German teacher, said. When asked how having more girls than guys affects the class-
room environment, Julie Angles, AP English 3 teacher, mentioned that most tend to joke about it and that most of the class content is gender neutral. Teachers also noted that it doesn’t make a huge difference. Shannon Kresge, AP Environmental Science teacher, said, “Typically, female students have their organization and time management skills down a little bit earlier.” In Sophomore Rachel Meyer’s 2CP English class, she says “I think there are a few more guys than girls, but it’s near equal.” Rachel also mentions that there is about equal participation between the two groups. Sophomore Zoie Andre said, “Guys have an advantage in the world already, and girls feel the need to push themselves to get to an equal point.” Guys, in general, tend to be taller, stronger,
and faster than girls. Andre and Meyer alike feel that girls have to make up for their height, strength, and speed with smarts and cleverness. Julie Angles also addressed the fact that males might not be as encouraged in the humanity classes, such as English, history, and philosophy, as the math and science classes where there are more boys in honors and AP. This issue is not specific to AHS alone. There is a continuation of this unequal female-to-male ratio in college enrollment numbers as well. The New York Times, in an article published in 2016, stated that women have outnumbered men on college campuses since 1970. Though from 1940 to 1970, men made up about 70% of the entire college enrollment population. What caused the change? JoAnn Moore, honors English
teacher, said, “There’s a significant disparity between boys and girls each year.” Why? We don’t necessarily know, other than possible maturity and organization differences. The imbalance of girls and boys in AP and honors classes has become a continuous trend. The prevention of it becoming a stereotype is the real challenge posed by this situation.
9:1
The ratio of grils to boys in AP/Honors classes
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
The Pepperbox | Page 17
Feature
Failing students or failing systems? Stella Walston
four years of College Prep English Reporter to be qualified to attend a four-year or as long as schools have college. Remedial classes can make been open and functioning, students less likely to pursue highthere have been students er education which can hinder who fail. From complex their career path in the long run. “I think it’s been good for stuproblems such as a lack of motivation to behaviors like learned dents who otherwise would have helplessness or issues at home, stu- been in a basic class; just to see dents of all backgrounds fail some- what it’s like to be in a class of stutimes. Either way, you have proba- dents who tend to be more acably rolled your eyes in annoyance demic-minded,” explained English at a particularly obnoxious kid in 1 CP teacher Julie Angles. Mixed level classes can be chalyour class that will absolutely not take a cue, even when nobody is lenging. Unmotivated students, laughing and the teacher seems who no doubt deserve just as on the verge of tears. Or perhaps much opportunity for college, are you’ve glanced over to the corner still disruptive. “Some lab partners of a classroom and noticed a stu- didn’t contribute as much as othdent who you didn’t even know ers, which can make it hard if you existed, simply because they were need more than two hands or a quiet or withdrawn. What do we second opinion,” explained Sophodo when our students fail and our more Meiwan Gottschalk on what school system seems to fails stu- it’s like to have an unreliable lab partner in Biology. dents? Unmotivated students have an Most students at Arcata High take college prep or advanced class- impact on not only themselves and es. Core support, study skills, and their success, but the success of peer tutoring are crucial for this those around them. “I’m still worsystem to work, as they provide ried about what we do with the students who aren’t an environment motivated at all,” for some stuAngles admitted. dents to finish Failing students their homework are a subject with professionthat many avoid al help and learn commenting on, essential skills often because of with extra supthe lack of conport. text. “It can be However really hard to tell helpful these the difference classes and resometimes, of sources can be, why some stusometimes a - Julie Angles dents are frusstudent simply trated,” Math 1 needs a lower teacher Bodhi level course like basic English or Math 1. However, Waller said. Of course, the school wants all English 1 is no longer offered this students to succeed. Above all, year, meaning that the students who would be in that class are in- people should be held responsible for their actions, but if they’re tegrated into English 1CP. At Arcata High, students need putting in an effort and still fail-
F
I don’t think that regular education works for everybody.
ing, the school takes action. What under the umbrella of traditional about unmotivated students who schooling to thrive and succeed. are careless about everything from It’s not aimed toward failing stutheir own schoolwork to the en- dents strictly. It can be a good fit vironment that their classmates for students who have to work to support their families, students need to succeed? Angles said, “I don’t think that who are struggling with substance regular education works for ev- abuse, students who dropped out of school and now want to receive erybody.” their diploma, or The school even students is faced with who just need a complicated to get in, get a task: determindiploma, and get ing whether out as fast as failing students they can. “I’ve need extra supheard parents port and second say that they chances or if think that these action and punare bad kids ishment need that go to school to be taken for here, and that disruptive becrazy stuff haphavior. This propens, and those cess begs the things just don’t question: is the happen here,” school system Principal of Pawe have now cific Coast Jon the right system - Meiwan Gottschalk Larson states. for all students? Yes, if a student Brainstorming is failing they other possibilities leads to limits in imagination will sometimes end up there, but because of finances. There’s a lim- that takes a lot of steps and interited budget, and the more inclusive ventions on both the student and a plan is the more expensive a plan the admin’s part. “A fraction of them are discipline related … for is. Pacific Coast Continuation High almost all of them, it’s related to School is one such place that al- being behind in credits,” Principal lows some students who don’t fit Dave Navarre stated.
Some lab partners didn’t contribute as much as others, which can make it hard if you need more than two hands or a second opinion.
5648, 1603 G STREET
(707) 633 - 6187
The Pepperbox | Page 18
Feature
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Arcata High pets and their people Emily Cook Reporter
Owner: JJ Anaya Name: Tammy and Timmy Breed: Russian Tortoise
His favorite snack is cockroaches, and he likes chillin’ in my jacket pocket. - Dylan Kile JJ Anaya/PEPPERBOX
Their favorite snack is romaine lettuce and once a week they get strawberries. They scratch their cage to let me know they are hungry. - JJ Anaya
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From Classroom to Career.
Lisa K. Hansen clpf, ncg & Matthew A. Pereira clpf, ngc
Managing the financial and healthcare affairs for our community’s elder and special needs populations Are you age 18 or over? If so, have you created legal documents to memorialize your medical and financial wishes, and to name your respective decision-makers, should something happen to you, say a temporary medical incapacity, or worse? Everyone age 18 and over should have an advance health care directive, a durable power of attorney for finance, and a will, and for those with more or complex assets, a living trust. Please visit the “Resources” page of our website, at www.hansenpereira.com, for links to forms and educational resources about these important documents.
535 Third Street Suite A, Eureka | hansenpereira.com
707.444.9364 California Licensed Professional Fiduciaries #399 & #720 | National Certified Guardians
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Owner: Dylan Kile Name: Oscar Breed: Bearded Dragon
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Feature
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
The Pepperbox | Page 19
Shoes, souls, songs, skulls, & surprises Abigail Brodhag’s Pointe Shoes allet extraordinaire and Junior, Abigail Brodhag, bought these spiffy one-hundred-ten dollar pointe shoes from the Bloch Dancewear website, “Where I get literally everything,” she said. She danced her first solo on pointe as the Cyclone Queen in the Wizard of Oz in these shoes. She says that she loves “how they fit and how they feel.” When Abigail danced in them, they were “the only pointe shoe that worked for me.”
B
Isabel Terra’s Doc Martens
C
Holly James’s Knee High Converse
onverse enthusiast and Senior Holly James got these fun shoes from her best friend in middle school. “After multiple years of telling my best friend ‘Oh my God! Look at those shoes! I want those shoes!’ she surprised me for my birthday. It was something completely unexpected and kind of like, a magical thing.” Besides their look and feel, what Holly really likes about them is “the fact that they were that thought our gift.” She’s done lots of fun stuff in her converse from dress-up days to “a really memorable game of capture the flag.” To emphasize her love for the shoes, she said: “I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad day wearing them.”
S
enior Isabel Terra bought these sexy scuffed skull Doc Martins from the Doc Martin store in San Francisco, five years ago when she was in the 8th grade. “I like the style…but I’m a vegetarian, so I got the canvas,” she said. She has gone to school, gone to Germany, and gone “everywhere” in these “edgy kid” shoes; they are wedged into her life and are a part of her sole. Her 8th-grade self lives on through her shoes to this very day.
Caledonia Davey Managing Editor
Eva Villamor Reporter
Jazmine Fiedler Feature Editor
Photos courtesy of Abigail Brodhag and Jazmine Fiedler/PEPPERBOX
The Pepperbox | Page 20
Feature
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
AHS Students Speak Out What do you think of the Mckinley Statue? What should replace it? Move it to Bolivia. Don’t quote me on that. -Nishyra Aaron Williams
I don’t care about it. I never knew people wanted to move it until an old man at the plaza screamed at me that we need to move it. -Freya Nutter
W e should melt it down and recycle it. A piece of art, yes, but dedicated to a very bad person. -Jonah Powell
I don’t like it at all. I think it stands for a lot of BS. We should leave it as empty space for music performances and community events. -Mikayla Jaramillo
Move it to a park We should replace that space with a small fountain. -Dele Rebstock
Move it to a museum. Donate it to another town like McKinleyville. -Caleb McCarthy
They should just destroy it. Replace it with, I don’t know, flowers, trees, and a small pond. -Cameron Dart
W e should replace it with a bench or a fireplace to keep the homeless warm. -Jaron Nemcosky
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
The Pepperbox | Page 21
Feature
Let’s talk about sex (with parents) Eva Villamor
Y
Reporter
ou will get pregnant and die! Whether you have this shouted at you, get handed a book, or get subjected to an awkward chat about hormones, everyone has different experiences dealing with The Talk. Many kids struggle with feeling comfortable talking about sex with their parents, and parents often feel weird about it too, but that doesn’t have to be the case! The Talk, in all of its necessity, can be very chill. Some parental figures are rather modest, or just don’t see the point in conversing about sex twiththeir kids. “It never happens. We don’t talk about anything like that, not even tampons--[referring to them as] lady things,” said Junior Hannah Davis. She added that ideally parents should be more like, “It’s okay to do as long as you’re safe and smart with someone you trust.” It’s not that all kids don’t want to talk to their parents about sex. But perhaps they don’t feel they can, or that they’d feel too weird about it. “I would…but it’d be uncomfortable,” Freshman Samantha Geira said. Many parents are very brief with it, making The Talk not much of a talk, but rather, a few words. According to Sophomore Maddie Lankarani and Senior Cali Fournier, these few words include: “Don’t get STDs. Avoid them,” or, “just use condoms,” What they re-
ally want to hear is, “I’m here for you.” On the other hand, some parents feel just fine about it, as it is a natural part of life. Madame Bagnall, a parent, respected adult, advisor, and French Teacher at Arcata High, stated very strongly, “All communication should be established and open and honest between parent and child. The first conversation [regarding this subject should be] bodies belonging to themselves and they get to choose who does touch their body and who doesn’t touch their body.” Communication is key, and crucial to anyone and everyone, parents and children alike, on all things, not just sex. Madame Bagnall added, “…talking about how very positive sex can be. [And] children should be able to understand the resources available to them,” establishing what she personally thinks parents and adults should do, Many teens feel conflicted approaching adults about sex. “I could if I want to, but not preferably. I feel like kids if they are mature enough to do it and need help… they can go to their parents,” Lankarani said. Some parents feel they can just joke around, or playfully bring up sex. “Please be safe. Please don’t get pregnant,” Senior Izzy said, slightly and subtly mimicking her mom. Not everyone knows what to even bring up along with sex; The
Talk isn’t just on sex itself, but things relating to it and what can and cannot be associated with it. “What they do in France…they talk about love
and address that,” Senior Izzy said, stating what she thinks more people should focus on. More than half of all teens feel uncomfortable talking to their par-
Teen Clinic be in control
ents about sex. You have just got to realize that your parents were in this place themselves--the place of awkwardness and shyness and ignorance, so they can probably relate. But, if you truly believe that your parents are not the people for you to talk to about this subject, then talk to a friend (or multiple). Or, try to reach a reliable adult to talk to, whether that’s a medical authority, teacher, other family, or whoever. It’s quite unfortunate that so many teens feel the “geez mom/dad/ whoever, stop bugging me about this…this is weird and unnerving” attitude about sex and all the consequences, technicalities, and emotions that go with it. It’s okay guys! Just breathe! After all, Sex is what got us here!
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Walk in: Mondays
3-5 pm
(or call any time for an appoinment)
Humboldt Open Door Clinic 770 10th Street Arcata, CA 95521 (707) 826-8610
Do you blur gender lines? Trans? Non • Education & Sexual Health Support • Birth Control Pregnancy Testing & Counseling • STI Testing & Treatment
All teens are welcome
binary? Questioning gender labels? Supporting someone who is? Come join our Trans and Gender Expansive Youth Support Group co-led by a trans community member and a counselor. The group meets at 3:45 pm on the third Monday of every month at Humboldt Open Door Clinic, 770 10th Street, Arcata. Free, drop in, confidential.
(707) 826-8610 • opendoorteenclinic.com
The Pepperbox | Page 22
The Saltbox Opinion
The Earth will be a cold dead place: A call for reform
I
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Things we’re salty about
Dakota Kalvaitis-Heffernan Concerned Dirt-Lover
magine a desolate world, void of most plant life, the few remaining animals starved and sickly, fighting over the wilted leaves that are left on the planet. This is where our earth is headed, and the cause may not be as obvious as it seems. The environmental collapse will not be caused by microplastics in the ocean, deadly ultraviolet rays, or erratic global weather conditions. No, the collapse will be caused by our lack of compost bins. I understand that, around our school, composting would be arduous, expensive, and quite possibly gross, but the problem is real. If we do not begin composting and recycling our food scraps to recover their valuable nutrients, disaster will soon ensue. Our apple cores, bad bananas, and cold, stale pizza crusts that were ignored will all eventually end up in landfills, only to be sealed up in a plastic coating and buried forever. Sooner or later the natural nutrients in our world will all be gone, leaving a desolate, barren landscape where the richest people are the people who own landfills and hoard the valuable nutrients. Take action. The school needs compost bins.
SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE A KEYSTROKE FOR CAPS LOCK
Let’s (not) talk about boys Caledonia Davey
Single, Stable, and also Managing Editor
“You should get a boyfriend.”
¨You would be so much happier with a boyfriend.” ¨So, do you have a boy yet?¨ ¨I just feel like you were meant to be in a relationship.¨ These are the words that are arrogantly tossed into the faces of young women. These are also the urgings from our friends, our families, and our society that manipulate us into throwing out our stable independence for a much more unstable dependence. As a fifteen-year-old girl, I have listened to these words since the beginning of kindergarten year, almost eleven years ago. The fact of the matter is, though there has been much improvement in the role of women in our society, the social stigma that we need a man in order to define ourselves is still very present. I have watched this cultural milieu seep into the mindsets of my friends like a disease, forcing them to have one major focal point in their lives; men. It seems as if every conversation, every hangout, every FaceTime is based around what this boy thinks of who and which guy is showing interest in what friend. ¨Any new boys?¨ is almost always one of the first questions asked when catching up with a friend. The largest issue is that almost every single person, even myself, is guilty of putting out this, for lack of better words, bullsh*t propaganda that glorifies women dependence. Women are taught from an extremely young age that they are not worth much if they don’t have a man to distinguish their importance. But why? From a personalized perspective, I think many can agree that independence gives you so much power. Why is it that women shy away from this power? The answer is that this issue is just one more stubborn aspect left behind by the sexist, patriarchal world that was present for hundreds of years before, and that only recently has begun to change. In order to stop this bizarre, forced mission for women, we, as a whole, need to wake up from this deep sleep of ignorance, and, as a whole, recognize that women are more than their relationships. And if we aren’t in a relationship and you think that we should be, kindly heck off. Some of us just happen to have our priorities straight.
Jazmine Fieldler
H
Unsatisfied Customer
AVE YOU BEEN ON A ROLL WHILE WRITING? YOU’RE NOT LOOKING AT THE SCREEN. YOU’RE COMPLETELY FOCUSED ON THE KEYBOARD. AND THEN YOU GLANCE UP. YOU LOOK AT THE SCREEN ONLY TO FIND THAT YOU WERE WRITING IN CAPS LOCK THE WHOLE TIME. You sigh because you know there’s nothing you can do besides delete it all and write it all over again. Why? Why haven't the brilliant minds that build and program computers figured out how to UN-caps-lock your writing? It’s horrible. Sometimes I find myself re-typing entire paragraphs. The other day I was sitting at Mosgo’s Coffee House working on another article with Jacquelyn Opalach, Editor-in-Chief of the Pepperbox. She was typing while I read a quote to her and neither of us noticed that it was all in Caps lock until we looked up at the screen. I said to her, “You know what’s really annoying?” and she looked back and me and said, “I know what you’re going to say.” She knew exactly what I meant. But wait! There’s more! I was just going through this salty rant, trying to see which words would be best capitalized for emphasis and, ya know, what I couldn’t do? I COULD NOT, I repeat, could not highlight a word, press Caps Lock and voila . . . CAPITALIZED WORD. Nope. Not capitalized. So basically what I’m trying to say is that everyone loooves Apple or Chromebooks or Samsung or whatever the frick, but none of those stupid companies can figure out how to make CAPS LOCK actually work for the people. We are the people and we are asking for more. [***Editor’s note: As it turns out, there IS a keyboard shortcut for Caps Lock. It is Shift + F3. Jazmine, who neglected to Google her question before getting rather salty (as many of us tend to do), has been informed of the shortcut. The Pepperbox has decided to keep her rant in print, however, as it is still a great read and probably relatable for many teenagers.]
Opinion
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Fake is plantastic Mercy Arnold Pseudo-Hipster
T
oday, modern decor consists mainly of plants. Outdoors, indoors, on shelves and on the ground. It takes a person years and years to water each one. But why waste a million gallons of water on green, droopy beings that just grow and grow? Personally, I recommend fake plants. They never have to be watered, never grow to take over your house and make you “The Creepy Plant Lover,” and you still get the feel of a naturistic, peaceful environment while not having to spend your limited time here on this planet watering your thousands of plants. You can use that time to read a book, visit with an old friend, go bowling . . . whatever it is that you wish you had the time to do. No more dead leaves and stems on your newly polished hardwood floors imported from Brazil. You can walk into your home and sit back without having to sweep the floors for that plant litter, water your plants, and make sure they have enough sunlight. Fake plants provide oneself with the opportunity to be “modern” and “with the trends” without piling on a million years of work to tend to their plants. In the long run, fake plants are the better option. Hopefully, everyone can begin to see that.
The Pepperbox | Page 23
Do you really need a straw?
The elderly vs technology W Alef Mitchell
A
Millennial
s time goes on, the world begins to pass us by without us noticing. This is especially true for the elderly. Technology vs old people is a feud as old as time. I’m sure that even during the stone ages there were old people that couldn't get behind the wheel. I understand that it can be difficult to learn how new technologies work, but a lot of the time the elderly disregard a new invention before they understand it. For instance, take the smartphone; it’s a camera and a computer, as well as a phone, but some people, like my grandma, refuse to get one. She is always taking pictures of our family (that she makes me get off of her camera and onto the computer) and always uses Facebook on a computer when she gets the chance. When I try to explain to her that she can take pictures and post them directly to Facebook from her phone she doesn't seem to care. It is so much simpler, but she refuses to do it the easy way because she doesn't want to learn how to use a smartphone. It is a curse as old as time that the elderly cannot catch up with technological advancements.
Jack Taylor
Environmentalist
hy do people feel the need to use plastic lids and straws when they are literally just sitting in restaurants? Look, lids and straws have a purpose. When you are going out or on the move, one is necessary to keep whatever is in your cup from spilling everywhere. But when you are SITTING in a restaurant, and are drinking SODA OR WATER, it is hardly necessary to have one. Our plastic straw consumption is bad enough as is. You've probably already heard the statistics, about how we use 500 million single-use plastic straws every day in America, about how by 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Now couple this with the fact that when you use a plastic straw, you most often use a plastic lid as well, most often in a time when hardly necessary. I have come close to physically hurting some of my friends when they have brought me a water cup with a straw and lid. It is one of the most wasteful and useless practices of our time, and we must do something about it.
College small talk?Agh. Jacquelyn Opalach
I
Stressed Out Teen
’m sure that most seniors can agree: We don’t want to talk to you about our marvelous plans for next year. Believe it or not, answering the question “So, what do you want to do for the rest of your life?” is a smidgen stressful, because many of us HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA. Sorry awkward adults of the world, but we would all appreciate it if you started relying on some other topic of small talk to get you through unwanted encounters with us teenagers. Thanks.
Herd immunity is NOT the answer to everything this flu season
I
Stella Walston Educated Citizen
f you’ve been on Facebook in the past 20 years (or even just the Internet), you’ve heard about the illegitimate link between vaccines and autism. Published in 1998, Andrew Wakefield’s paper on a supposed link between vaccines and autism caused a tsunami effect over the parents of America. Children left and right were running around unvaccinated, causing monumental amounts of formerly obsolete diseases in their wakes. Measles, Gout, Rickets, and Whooping Cough alone have made a comeback since one discredited scientist put out a fateful paper announcing a poorly researched link between vaccination and autism. Nevertheless, you can take your fate into your own hands and make the right decision this flu season - the decision to get vaccinated. You may be considering an alternative to getting a shot this season - one that is commonly called herd immunity. Otherwise known as community immunity, it’s what uneducated and unvaccinated people alike love to consider as their way out of vaccinating. The logic of herd immunity is that “Most of Billy’s classmates got vaccinated this year, so it won’t matter if I vaccinate him or not. If none of them can get sick, then none of them can get Billy sick!” This wishful thinking is bad at best and catastrophic at worst. The concept of herd immunity was not designed for those who can get vaccinated and choose not to. In fact, the concept of herd immunity was designed and continues to be intended for those who physically can’t get vaccinated. Using herd immunity as an excuse for not educating yourself on the actual (positive) effects of vaccines is taking advantage of and misusing a system that some people rely on to stay safe in flu seasons. People who are allergic to proteins in some vaccines, people who have weakened immune systems due to HIV/AIDS, or even people who have failing immune systems due to type 1 diabetes or cancer are the intended subjects for herd immunity. Herd immunity is NOT for anyone and everyone to use as an alternative to simply vaccinating. Walmart and Walgreens both do free vaccines any day of the week, and most of the public health clinics in Humboldt county do as well. Above all, don’t be afraid to do your own research. If you’re not sure why you should get vaccinated, then just google it. Almost nothing is more dangerous than a mix of misinformation and deadly diseases.