Issue 4, Volume 92

The Pepperbox

January BOX BRIEFS

February 1: Pancake Breakfast February 1: Junior Prom February 8: ACT Test Day February 14: Valentine’s Day and End of Term 4 February 17-20: President’s Break Want to advertise or buy a mail subscription to the Pepperbox? Email Business Manager Zane Clarke at pepperbox@nohum.k12.ca.us !

EDITORIAL STAFF

REPORTERS

Fiona Murphy Editor-in-Chief Stella Walston Managing Editor Zoë Reiss News Editor Martina Mapatis Feature Editor Jake Knoeller Sports Editor Kein Mazzotti Deputy Sports Editor Bailey Ives Life Editor Ruby Langdon A&E Editor Jack Taylor Opinion Editor Will Oviatt Photo Editor Isabel Wedll Online Editor Zane Clarke Business Manager Marisa Mendosa Art Director Zelda Geren & Lilli Bowman Social Media Isabella Kellawan, Skaidra Pulley Copy Editors

& Kamari Brown

Diego Bazan Caledonia Davey Thalia Godinez River Kiener Marisela Montoya-Tejeda Alexander Rice Levi Robbins Tommy Robinson Gabriel Sanchez Emilio Silveira Tyler Vizenor Natasha Youravish Kelsey Atkinson-Hatch Miles Rodelander Orion Smith

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.

IN THE BOX Harassment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 FAFSA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Gamers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Snow Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Turf Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Wrestling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Trump Supporters. . . . . . . . . . . 13 Generations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Decade Review. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Arcata A’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Contact Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Speed of Change. . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Campus Couples. . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Graduated Seniors. . . . . . . . . . . 26 Seasonal Depression. . . . . . . . . 27 Upcycling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Memes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Tech/20’s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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.

Adviser Danielle Witten

Behind the Cover C

onveying the theme of looking back on the decade, using only a photo, was simpler said than done.

Many ideas were juggled in the creative process, but the majority fell short being cliche or infeasible. Eventually we opted to take a more literal, but subtle angle, in the form of looking back in a mirror.

A windy drive ensued on shooting day up and through Kneeland. The weather unfortunately was not up to par and after sleeping until 4:00PM it was rather dark. Shrouded by trees and the grey grim clouds, getting “the shot” seemed doubtful. And tensions were definitely at a high, as I knew screwing up the cover for such an important issue would not be ideal.

Miraculously however, the backdrop of the shot was just open enough to let in cream-orange light, that outlined the horizon. All it took was time, angling the mirror, and we had accomplished what we set out for. This is not where the “exciting action” ceased though. Traveling back down from the peaks, it appeared someone was playing my mixtape, as their house had erupted in a near crimson blaze.

Me, being the hero I am, stopped to try and get some cool shots, my efforts however were subsided after the flames were swiftly outed.

-Will Oviatt

Will Oviatt/PEPPERBOX

Above, Oviatt takes a test shot for the cover.

Below, on the way home, we stumbled upon a fire in Freshwater.

Editor’s Box

We have a website! Go to thepepperbox.com for breakInterested ing news and in writing more exciting for Pepperbox? content! contact the editor. fmurphy@nohum.k12.ca.us

T

Follow us on Instagram! @ahspepperbox

his issue has the most high stress and high stakes article I have ever written. The article on sexual harassment is the culmination of almost five months worth of investigative journalism by me with the help from Calli Davey. It started as rumors and blossomed into research on policy, legality, systematic failures, and fear. I spent countless hours reading over board policies, studies, and versions of Title IX and other state and federal guidelines. We sat with girls as they recounted incredibly uncomfortable events and struggled with “what ifs.” I attempted to decifer bureaucratic answers to policy questions. When girls pulled out as sources because it was too much or they just couldn’t do it, we mustered and replanned. But this article isn’t just our work.

It’s thanks to Sommer Ingram Dean, the lawyer at the Student Press Law Center who counseled us on public records requests and made sure we were legally clear. It’s Marci Burstiner at Humboldt State University who met with us to advise interview tacticts and story angling. It’s each girl who spoke to us, whether or not they ultimately decided to be in the article. It’s each piece of writing, each study, and each law, that addresses sexual harassment.

This article will not be the end of all sexual harassment, nor fix the entire system, but I hope it will be a start. I hope that if anyone believes they have been harassed will now know how to come forward and that they are not alone. There are people all around who understand what you are going through and will help.

-Fiona Murphy

Quotable.

“Birds are like rats, if there were 20 rats running around the parking lot everybody would be freaking out.” -Iris Mahony-Moyer, on birds.

“Yeah I could fight a goose. Put me, and a goose, in the ring and I WILL win.”

-Pheona Worrell, on birdwatching.

“There’s are full 24 hours before this is due, that means there’s a full 23 hour until I do it.” -Jocelyn Bliven on homework.

“Animals, once you kill them, will start to fall apart.”

-Adam Pinkerton, on the barter system.

“Cashews are the inferior nut, power to almonds.”

-Owen Smith, addressing a previous issue’s nut opinions.

Friday, January 24th, 2020

The Pepperbox’s

The Pepperbox | Page 5

News

WHAT’S GOOD Marisa Mendosa/PEPPERBOX

A

Night

in the

Jungle

Good news column

S

eniors! March 2nd is the CalGrant deadline! UC schools cost an average of News Editor 33,000 dollars without any financial aid and CSUs cost an average of 26,515 dollars per year without financial aid. The FAFSA and California Dream Act application can help offset these costs. If you need help filing your FAFSA or California Dream Act application, there is a Cash for College workshop at the McKinleyville High School library that AHS families can attend on February 26th from 1pm to 6pm. This workshop can provide you and your family with help filing both of these applications, as well as provide you with an opportunity to win a scholarship. If you need additional support with your FAFSA, there is a step by step guide to help you fill it out on page eight.

Additional scholarships can be found in the scholarship box in the attendance office. Scholarships are updated every month, providing a diverse array of opportunities for students. For general college information and questions, there is a link on the Arcata High School website for the Career and College Center. This page provides information on financial aid, career exploration, and general college information. For more specific questions, you can sign up to meet with Darcy or your counselor by emailing them or writing your name on the sign-up sheet in the office.

Zoë Reiss

February 1, 2020 9:00pm-12:00pm $25 single, $40 couple AHS Fine Arts Building

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his year’s prom theme is jungle, so wear the most ”jungle” related Reporter outfit you can think of! Arcata High Junior Class President Emma Sarye is helping put together this year's junior prom of 2020. They will be playing today’s Rap and R&B and a few throwbacks from the 2000’s. Emma Sayre and two other classmates have been working hard and are very excited about this year’s junior prom because they have been working very hard to put this together.

The fine arts building will be covered with beautiful flowers,plants, sparkling objects and lights. Juniors don’t miss out on YOUR high school junior prom of 2020 because you’re going to have a blast!

Marisela Montoya-Tejeda

Zoë Reiss/PEPPERBOX

The College and Career Center is in the library.

The Pepperbox | Page 6

News

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Nohum sexual harassment policy Fiona Murphy Editor-in-Chief

Caledonia Davey Reporter

S

tudents experience sexual harassment on school campuses. It’s not news. Yet, the vast majority of harassment goes unseen and unheard. One of the most common failings of the school system is underreporting.

Students simply do not report their experiences. In a 2011 by study of sexual harassment in grades 7-12, 48% of students said they had been harassed, but only 9% of students reported the incidents to a teacher.

Our district is no different.

An Investigation Last semester, a district teacher was investigated for sexual harassment. A letter from the district to Pepperbox denying access to personnel records confirmed the investigation and offered a few additional details about the investigation. After a “thorough” investigation, the district said the complaints were “ultimately not found to be of a substantial nature,” and no disciplinary actions were taken. The district maintained they “addressed what needed to be addressed” and had “faith” in the teacher’s ability to do their job.

Unreported

A Northern Humboldt alumnus spoke anonymously to Pepperbox regarding a separate allegation of an incident with this teacher. The alumnus believes they were harassed by the teacher their freshman year. They didn’t report the alleged harassment because “[the teacher had] a lot of authoritative power over me and other students,”

they explained.

Even though the alumnus said the event caused them extreme distress, they feared they would not be believed by administration, so they stayed in the class for the rest of the year. They said they spent each school day in an environment in which they did not feel safe or respected and they felt powerless to change it.

Another student, a senior in the district, whose name is withheld to protect her privacy, despite willingness to go on record, spoke about her experience in an interview with Pepperbox. She alleges she was harassed by the same teacher. She claimed the teacher “kind of like grabbed” her breast in class and that it happened more than once. She also claimed “[the teacher would] always find a reason to put [their] hand on my lower back or get unnecessarily close.”

Like the alumnus, she did not report. The senior, too, spent the rest of her year in a class in which she did not feel comfortable.

The vast majority of harassment goes unseen and unheard.

“Every time [the teacher] would come near me I would go on guard.

I didn’t want to feel like that for fifty minutes every day,” she said.

She didn’t report for much of the same reasons the alumnus didn’t report.

“I had heard of sketchy stuff like that had happened like that in the past, with the same teacher, and

nobody had done anything or really listened, so I just figured it would be the same for me,” she explained.

The senior said it would be easier for students to report if there was someone on campus students could talk to that wasn’t “just a teacher,” someone whose job it was to help students with these sort of allegations.

There is a person who is trainedto handle these situations. Title IX coordinator Melanie Susavilla works out of the district office and said she can be reached by phone or email. However, neither alleged victim knew who she was.

Policy Problems The conversation about sexual harassment exploded in recent years, kicking off what some call the “Me Too Era.” Women and men are coming forward with their experiences, holding businesses and bosses accountable at some of the highest levels. While some awareness has reached younger people, high schools are still catching up.

The sexual harassment policy for the Nohum district is buried in Article 5, section C, subsection 5, sub-subsection g, under suspension procedures and student insurance.

The contents of the policy are incredibly important to a high school student body. Much of the world remains blurry on what consitutes “sexual harassment.” Does it have to be physical? Or could it just be verbal? Does it have to happen more than once? Where is the line between joking and harassment?

One student Pepperbox spoke to, a junior, was unsure whether what she experienced was sexual harassment or not, and cited that as a reason for not reporting.

The policy contains definitions and examples of what the district considers sexual harassment. But

without easy access to the policy or the “appropriate” training for students outlined in the policy, students do not receive answers to those questions.

The policy states that “There will be adequate notification of the policy to include permanent posters in public areas, offices, and hallways.”

There are no posters. There are

“There will be adequate notification of the policy to include permanent posters in public areas, offices, and hallways.” no accessible pamphlets. At the Arcata campus, there were pamphlets on bullying and complaint procedues, but nothing on sexual harassment. (We were unable to check the McKinleyville campus due to time constraints.)

The pamphlet on complaint procedures does not specifically mention sexual harassment at all. It is more focused on mediation, encouraging students to directly contact the person that is being complained about, but this direction may not be the safest or at all comfortable for harassment victims.

Superintendent Roger Macdonald acknowledged that pamphlets are not sufficient. He mentioned that “people don't look at that,” referring to the pamphlets. But did not elaborate on how they are fixing that.

In the policy, it also states that it “will be published in site handbooks and the District Summer Mailing.” Yet, in the copy of the 2019 summer mailing obtained,

News

Friday, January 24th, 2020 there was no copy of the policy.

In the “Annual Notice to Parents” there is a section that says the policy should be provided with the annual notification and has a “see attached” notice. No such policy was attached. There is a section stating that there is more information on policies, programs and other topics on the website, but it does not sepcify anuthing on sexual harassment.

“Appropriate” Education

The policy requires “appropriate” training for students. What it means by “appropriate” is not defined. On the Arcata High and McKinleyville campuses, health classes supply some information on sexual harassment and assualt. North Coast Rape Crisis visits the class for a few days each year to teach students about gender stereotyping, harassment laws, bystander intervention and more.

However, according to Arcata health teacher Tahnia Campbell there is very little education on students’ educational rights when it comes to sexual harassment.

“We do teach them about consent, but there’s not a lot about what their educational rights are,” Campbell explained.

Paula Arrowsmith-Jones, a North Coast Rape Crisis employee, explained that while they cover sexual harassment in some sense, they do not have enough time to go in depth and cover all the other necessary topics. In the past, they provided more in-depth training specifically on sexual harassment, but that has not happened in years.

Rape Crisis will be extending the amount of days spent in the health classes. They have also been working with Humboldt State University and some other local high schools on bettering sexual harassment procedures but have not yet worked with this district.

At McKinleyville, there is an “every other year” Safety Day, where rules and expectations regarding

The Pepperbox | Page 7

interpersonal treatment are addressed. But, according to Principal Nic Collart, they do not specifically address sexual harassment.

Nationwide When compared to other school districts throughout America, the Northern Humboldt Union is remarkably progressive with its sexual education. There is education on how to avoid sexual assault and harassment, but with students’ lack of awareness and fear of coming forward they are still suffering, despite a very clear board policy.

Throughout the country, high schools are unprepared to handle such incidents.

The lack of follow through on a sexual harassment policy and education of its students is not isolated to the Northern Humboldt Union High School District. Throughout the country, high schools are unprepared to handle such incidents. Whether it’s rooted in lack of training for students and staff, or the policies themselves, studies suggest there is a problem. In the previously mentioned study of sexual harassment in grades 7 to 12, only 12% of students believed their school did a good job addressing harassment.

Where to Now?

What’s next? How can the district move forward to create better educated and more protected students? Sexual harassment exists.

The students need to learn how to spot it, stop it, and how to report it. Macdonald said that next year, all employees, not just spervisory ones, will recieves sexual harassment training. First steps have been taken.

As the nation reckons with its past, Hollywood is being forced to change its ways, and some politicians are being held to a higher standard. Schools can do the same.

Our schools can do the same.

For help and more resources call:

Melanie Susavilla (Title IX): (707) 839-6474 Rape Crisis 24 hr Hotline: (707) 445-2881

The Pepperbox | Page 8

News

Friday, January 24th, 2020

How to: A fast FAFSA application Caledonia Davey Reporter

Step 1: Create a FSA ID To file the FAFSA, both the student and a parent will need a FSA ID. It’s just a username and password that you create to electronically sign into your FAFSA. We did this in November with the counselors but if you were absent, don’t fret! It takes less than 20 minutes. Go to https:// fsaid.ed.gov to start!

Step 2: Gather your documents You will need: -Your Social Security Number or your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen) -Driver’s license number (if you have one)

-Your (or your parents) federal income tax returns for 2018, W-2s, and other records of money earned -Records of investments such as bank statements and untaxed income A FSA ID if filing a FAFSA Step 3: Go to the correct website!

If the website asks you to pay, you’re on the wrong one! FAFSA is free, if you’re on the right link. Go to FAFSA.gov or dream. csac.ca.gov if you qualify for the Dream Act. Step 4: List Colleges Add colleges that you’re applying to, to the list in the FAFSA application. Have more than ten schools you want to add? Don’t worry, you can add them later.

Financial aid offices at the schools you list will receive the information you provide on your FAFSA and use it to determine your financial aid award at their school.

Step 5: Tell FAFSA if you’re a dependant!

Being a dependent just means that you are a child and that your parents claim you on their taxes.

If you aren’t a dependent, dont click it!

Step 6: Demographics Insert your demographics, socio-economic information (expressed statistically) that includes employment, education, income, race, etc. - into FAFSA. Step 7: Use the Data Retrieval Tool

This allows you to automatically import tax information from your parents (and/or you) via the IRS so that you don’t have to put it in by hand. This can bring the amount of time you spend on the FAFSA down from three hours to fifteen minutes!

Step 8: Sign into your FAFSA using your FSA ID Both the student and a parent will sign into FAFSA with an FSA ID. You should receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) confirming that your FAFSA was successfully submitted! Your SAR will include your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

Step 9: Take a deep breath You have finished your FAFSA Application!

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Sports

The Pepperbox | Page 9

Major league Tigers get gaming Gabe Sanchez Reporter

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ith the world of competitive gaming on the rise, this year’s competitive season is just around the corner, and after a long wait, Arcata High formed a team. Recent developments in this multi-billion dollar industry known as ESports are now opening up schools just like ours to the field of competitive gaming. With teams playing games such as League of Legends, Smite and Rocket League, there is much in store for Arcata High’s first ever ESports Team. As I looked into the subject, I found Tate Contreras, a senior at Arcata high, eager to fill me in on his knowledge of the sport. “I personally feel that there is a lot of misinterpretation around the ESports Team. Everyone kinda assumes that it's just some club where people get to play video games. I think that is completely wrong,” Contreras told me.

ESports is a globalized competitive online gaming league that creates organized competition among some of the best video game players in the world. The ESports team at Arcata High is an actual sports team where people are going to be learning, practicing and playing.

In this competitive season Arcata High students will be representing our school in the ESports community and will be working very hard in doing so.

“People will also be learning teamwork and sportsmanship,” Contreras said, making clear the point that this is not “just some club,” but in fact Arcata High’s newest sports team. There will be tryouts for players to compete for junior or varsity positions. For the different games played, there will be a starting team and a few alternate players to step in if need be.

Garett Hall, an Arcata High se-

nior playing both basketball for the school and video games in his free time, explained to me his view of the ESports world.

“People get so good and spend so much time playing it's just like every other sport. Just like how people get so good at sports like basketball where they can make every shot, people get so good at video games that they can make every play,” Hall told me for those skeptical of ESports being a “real” sport.

The pre-season is set to start the third of February with the real season beginning on the seventeenth.

This season will last nine weeks in which players from high schools all over the nation will compete for first place.

“Arcata High teams are going to be matched against other random-

ly selected teams from California and will compete to qualify in the championship tournament at the end of the season,” Jason Sidell, the ESports coach, explained.

The players from the top teams will then compete in the final tournament for the title of the top ESports high school team in California. All of these matches will take place at the school at 4:00pm PST. Each school can have as many players and teams as they want, as there is no size limit to the online gaming world. As of now, the previously listed games are the only ones sanctioned for this league and are the only ones that are counted as a sport by high schools. What makes these games eligible is their popularity and large user base.

They also require strategy and skill to compete, making them ideal for

competitive gaming. Also, they can not be rated M in order to meet the schools requirements.

These three games require a certain grade of equipment to run and as of now the ESports team is currently working on fundraising to upgrade the hardware needed to run these games. Currently, there is a $100 enrollment fee to play which contributes towards new gaming hardware and equipment. ”We are hoping for a much smaller enrollment fee in future years,” Sidell told me. “We are all very excited to get started,” Sidell continued, “It is great that we are finally able to have a team.” It is currently unclear if any other local teams will be competing against us, but with the beginning of the season around the corner, there is much more to come from Arcata High’s new ESports team.

Will Oviatt/PEPPERBOX

ESports has become a multimillion dollar industry and is now making its way to Arcata High

The Pepperbox | Page 10

Sports

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Snow sports: They exist some places River Kiener

I

Reporter

t is that time of the year when it gets too cold to participate in many outdoor activities, so the sports are moving indoors.

However, a fun winter activity, or a sport to some, is skiing or snowboarding. It’s quite a distance to the nearest slopes, but that doesn’t stop everyone. Here at Arcata High, I was compelled to find out who else enjoys hitting the snowy slopes during the winter months at any possible time.

The first student I interviewed was freshman Beck Pedersen. Pedersen is currently a skier and a

River Kiener/PEPPERBOX

Mt. Bachelor and its snowy trees in the wintertime.

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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

I surf and skate so there is no reason why I shouldn’t snowboard.

-Beck Pedersen pretty polished one at that. However, Pedersen explained to me that while he skis now, he is transitioning to snowboarding, a switch that I very much support being a snowboarder myself.

“I surf and skate so there is no reason why I shouldn’t snowboard,” he said. He started on skis because he grew up learning how to ski with his parents, and he has never felt like switching to boarding until now, that is.

Pedersen’s favorite ski resorts are Mount Bachelor in Oregon, right outside the fairly sizable town of Bend, and Heavenly, California, located above south Lake Tahoe, very close to the border between Nevada and California, “They both

get good snow and I like the terrain,'' Pedersen stated. He explained to me that he normally goes with his family and friends. Almost every President’s week, Pedersen and his family goes up to Mount Bachelor and rent a vacation house with a couple other families in the resort town of Sunriver, which rests at the foot of Mount Bachelor, so they can ski/snowboard all week.

Pedersen explained to me that despite the fact he lives in Humboldt County he gets in his share of time on the ski hill every winter by just making trips to a ski mountain as frequently as possible, which contributes to his skill on skis. Pedersen is an Intermediate Advanced skier meaning he is better than the average skier that you may see on the mountain, and experienced on top of that. His favorite type of run is going through the trees and powder.

For those who don’t go skiing orsnowboarding there are ski runs clear of obstacles, and trees and are groomed so that the snow is flattened and straightened to create the most ideal conditions for skiing/snowboarding.

In between each ski run there are thick patches of trees that are ungroomed but people have made tracks in the powder, through the trees. Powder is the deep, fluffy, ungroomed snow, that is cherished by many skiers and snowboarders.

Much like Pedersen I enjoy snowboarding in powder a lot because it slows you down, so less maneuvering is required and it is very low impact and overall just more superior to crappy hard, chopped up snow.

Throughout these winter months I look forward to the snow storms at all my favorite ski resorts that bring in the fresh powder and attract all of the local skiers and snowboarders.

Sports

Friday, January 24th, 2020

The Pepperbox | Page 11

Pepperbox ponders turf fields Jake Knoeller Sports Editor

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urf fields are a hot topic among soccer players. It seems as though there are numerous benefits and drawbacks. Having them would help local teams have better success against teams out of the area, because out of the area players can play year round due to not having as much precipitation as Humboldt County. There are also benefits with the actual quality of the game.

“Turf fields don’t get soggy and they last longer,” said junior Dillon Rouse. “We can play soccer year round.”

“You don’t have to worry about flooding as much, the ball moves faster,” said freshman Thea Trout when explaining why she prefers turf fields.

She also mentioned not having to worry about uneven grass and the fact that cork turf is an option now, and it is better material than tire turf.

Sophomore Tristan Straka had a different opinion.

“I prefer grass fields cause it’s a more natural feel and it’s softer.

Falling on turf fields doesn’t feel very good,” he said.

The issue with turf fields is their dangerous pellets. According to a study by Penn State Univeristy, the rubber made up of tire with potentially cancer causing chemicals. The fields could pose a danger to athletes.

Straka did agree that turf is great during all seasons and that they wouldn’t be as slippery.

“I personally think it’s not the best choice for our environment,” said freshman Sean Shermer. “But it’d be the best choice for our situation with water and the lower

field.”

Turf doesn’t take in the light and release nutrients like normal grass does, and it can get awfully hot in the summertime. There is also no room for living organisms. (biofriendlyplanet.com) Freshman Kayin Kloberdanz, as well as Straka, both said that there should be more money put into soccer programs locally and that this would make the teams more successful and be able to play year round without worrying about soggy grass and mud.

Most high schools in California have moved their soccer programs to the winter. This trend continues and there aren’t a lot of teams left that play in the fall. Many of these teams have turf fields with lights around them so that when it gets dark, they can practice or play their games later at night. The turf doesn’t get soggy and these teams are able to play year round and improve their skill level all the time.

Having turf fields may benefit local teams and make games more entertaining with better quality soccer.

Turf fields don’t get soggy and they last longer.

We can play soccer year round.

- Dillon Rouse

Fiona Murphy/PEPPERBOX

Two players battling it out on a grass field.

The Pepperbox | Page 12

Sports

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Sports update: Winter wrestling Kein Mazzotti

Deputy Sports Editor

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restling started playing in their first tournament at Del Norte. They have a fairly small team in and have a lot of young kids in low weight classes.

For those that doesn’t understand wrestling like me, a weight class is one person wrestling another person at or around the same weight.

It’s to create fairness and to keep a three-hundred-pound senior from wrestling a one hundred pound freshman.

Having all these young players doesn’t count them out. “[Thre’s] a lot of studs in the mix,” Stone Boyer, a senior on the wrestling team, said. Boyer couldn’t participate in this tournament because of a bad ankle from football, but Boyer still wants to compete though, and tries CAMP UNALAYEE INVITES YOU TO OUR

to get back to the grind everyday.

Max Rice, senior, had some of the same opinions. He thinks that having a smaller and younger team doesn't count them out.

“We’re coming together well,” Rice said.

He thinks Arcata has a good shot at making league this year.

Arcata didn’t place in their meet but had some bright spots. Some powerful wrestlers made sure everyone knew they were there. Haley Kenyon, got first place in her class, along with Marley Harris.

Omar Green was looking for that bread, wrestling up a weight class.

He got second place. Overall, Arcata didn’t win, but so many different players showed strengths, a lot of whom faced older and more experienced players and still beat them.

Like Liam Brennan, a freshman on

the team who faced a skilled junior but ultimately brought him down and won the match. Rice had some other words on the coach.

“He’s a hard worker. We get along great and he's very agreeable,'' Rice said.

This wrestling team is on its way to win state this year, and that seems to be the motive. They also want to beat McKinleyville (because who doesn't want to do that).

Come out to some tournaments and support your Tigers.

Photo courtesy of Stone Boyer

Stone Boyer, right, at a wrestling team practice.

Humboldt Meet & Greet Sunday, February 2nd, 2020

2pm: Meet & Greet and Reunion • 3pm: Info Session and Q&A

2437 Graham Road Bayside, CA

Learn more about our wilderness backpacking summer camp, application materials, and financial aid!

Meet or reconnect with staff members, campers, and community members!

Contact Max Pitman: max@gocampu.com, or Dennis Rael: 707 822-2635

www.gocampu.com @gocampu

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Feature

The Pepperbox | Page 13

Common ground under Trump Ty Vizenor Digital Team

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016 was a year of anger.

This wild and vitriolic anger spread like wildfire throughout the country, manifesting itself in the election of President Trump. We all live in Humboldt County, behind the safe and comforting protection of the Redwood Curtain. In Arcata we often get stuck thinking the entire county is a blue haven, but in 2016 only 60% of the county voted blue There are a diverse array of opinions here.

Despite how wild it may seem to the common liberal or progressive mind, there indeed are real people out there who truly support and love our current president.

Ever since 2016 I have held a strange obsession with Trump supporters. I could never figure out why someone would support someone who was, in my mind, an evil man. So, this month I did the unthinkable for many progressives like me, I talked to Trump supporters.

First I must get something out of the way: If you are a true believer in the ideals of our nation, of what we should be, not what we are, please do not harass or attack these people. If you think they are wrong, debate them, prove the wrong if need be, however do not attack anyone personally. If you cannot actually engage politically on substance and must resort to ugly personal attacks, you might, and I know this may be hard to hear, be wrong. Argue your side, debate, discuss, that is political discourse.

After months of desperate search, I finally found two supporters of President Trump at Arcata High that were willing to talk to me, Riley Walsh and Bryson

Brandon. When I interviewed them I covered many topics spanning from immigration to war. I came out on the other side rather surprised.

Immigration is obviously a very important issue to supporters of President Trump. Both of my respondents ranked immigration as one of their favorite positions of Trump’s.

“I’m all for legal immigration,” Walsh said. “That’s how my great grandparents came here.”

Brandon agreed.

“Obviously we want to help every single person, but they have to do it through the legal process.” he said.

Walsh had a solution: “I think the wall could be a good idea if we approach it the right way.”

As a politically minded person none of their answers surprised me so far, being commonly held opinions of supporters of the President. But then I got an answer that absolutely blew me away. It was on the topic of abortion.

“It’s not right to kill another living human,” Walsh stated.

Brandon again shared this opinion.

“It’s killing a baby. If you look at the science after a month or two it’s heart is developing, it’s brain is developing. It’s basically a living thing,” Brandon said.

I then, being the stellar journalist that Witten taught me to be asked an excellent follow up question, “Would you increase birth control and contraceptive access for women?” Both of my respondents responded with a resounding yes. I was shocked. But-but-but how? How could this happen? Rachel Maddow told me that these guys were terrible? Did we just find -gasp of horror- common ground?

My shock did not end there.

One campaign promise of Trump’s

that has fascinated me from the beginning is his surprising stance of peace, arguing for our “endless wars” in the Middle East to conclude. An electoral ploy, probably.

Real Trump supporters are war mongering gun nuts right?

Boy, did Riley Walsh prove me wrong!

“I don’t want a war. I’m not supporting a war. I’m not supporting our troops going out and fighting for something that’s not even related to our country,” he said.

Brandon echoed a similar sentiment.

I am a (democratic) socialist theatre kid who has Marx on his bedside table. In those exact same words, I have said the exact thing as Walsh.

And this is what is fascinating about this encounter and the broader electoral moment. I went in thinking, “I’m gonna talk to voters,” and left having talked to peo-

ple. People are confusing. People are complex. “Voters” are one dimensional.

And this is the message. American politics is a game of people dressed in red and blue punching scarecrows in front of them that they themselves have assembled.

It is a game of the strawman, a game of points.

This is the system in which we entrust to allow us to live lives of dignity? This is the system in which we hope to save us in times of crisis. We can’t afford to be painting broad strokes across society with our thick stereotypical brush. It only brings divisiveness.

Some say we should simply paint society with thinner brushes. Instead we must reject the brush entirely, burn it, and scatter it’s ashes into the ocean. Only then will we be able to resolve the desperate struggles that poison our great nation.

Fiona Murphy/PEPPERBOX

Humboldt County has a vast array of political ideologies, including support for President Trump.

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Feature

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Who really are the generations?

Isabel S. Wedll

A

Online Editor

fter World War II, the United States strived to restore its greatness back into households. Thus an increase in births occurred, giving this new generation the name Baby Boomers. 72.56 million people in the United States are the deemed Boomers. Strolling about campus is a fantastic Baby Boomer, Julie Angles. From the Civil Rights Movement to great technological advancements, Boomers experienced it all. “[I] think we realized that the economy is always more of a problem than, say, drugs,” Angles explained, “[people] that get caught with a little pot going to jail for years and years versus white-collar criminals, [who] billed people out of thousands.”

As trendy as the “OK Boomer” meme is, one must not forget that the Baby Boomers have laid a great foundation for the modern United States. “[I] think we take great pride in speaking out for the common person and so we’re seen as very anti-authority,” Angles emphasized.

Thank you Boomers for laying down the track to a more progressive nation.

Generation-X is the middle child between two large generations, they capped off at 65.45 million people in the U.S. In the past, they have been characterized as the lazy, angsty generation, but the Xers have their own terms they identify with.

“Pessimistic, independent, self-sufficient, forgotten, and apathetic, but it has its benefits,” Art Bromberg, Arcata High alumni (Class of ‘95), stated.

Xers were the first generation to grow up with both parents working in a household. “[I] was raised a lot by like TV

and movies and music,” Bromberg remarked. Throughout our generational discussion, the ideas of technology, jobs, the youngins, and childhood differences were the main focuses. But the idea that stuck out the most was that “We have that feeling like the world’s already kind of fucked anyway,” Bromberg said, “Things don’t really matter as much as we thought they did.”

Thus pessimism and apathy are extremely prominent in a GenXer’s mindset. Bromberg’s catchphrase for the lovely forgotten Generation-X is, “Oh well. Whatever. Nevermind.”

Generation-Y/ Millennials and Boomers are the same. The loud and vocal ones are whiny and expect to get their way, but not all of the 72.06 million Millennials are like this. On the AHS campus, we do have some Gen-Y teachers sauntering about, one of whom is history teacher, Owen Moore.

During his interview, he specified that he’s not a Millennial, but a

Generation-Y. “The term Millennial connotes a relationship with technology,” Mr. Moore said. He then further explained that he does not have a connection with technology like many of his generational group.

“People look at the world, interact with the world, build relationships, with our phones,” he said.

Then we dove into a conversation about how the internet and technology have bettered our world but are also ruining it.

Now, one would expect for Mr. Moore to be a part of the “Ok, Boomer” bandwagon. But when I asked him, his response was, “I don’t dislike any other generations, just people.”

His main point being, why hate an entire generation that has done so much for us? In the end, I left with a new perspective on Generation-Y. Ah, finally my own people, the fun-loving, the loud, anxiety-ridden, depressed, technology addicted, Generation-Z. Events that

formed the 72 million, Gen-Zers vary from the Tide-Pod eating epidemic to the election of Donald Trump.

Zoe Leonard, a junior, suggested that the last election formed the majority of Generation-Z. “[It] kind of showed people that they need to participate more politically if they don’t want things that have happened,” she expressed, “Then that kind of really opened people’s eyes to participate more.” As our discussion continued, Leonard felt that Generation-Z is the most outspoken.

“There’s a lot of problems that are being put on us,” Leonard said, “So I think a lot of the people in our generation are realizing they have to stand up in order to have another generation after us.”

So Zoomers, (*gag* that word is deplorable) don’t forget that the world’s problems are not just ours, they are everyone’s: the few Silent Generation the Boomers, Xers, Yers, and the youngsters after us, (possibly) Generation-Alpha.

Isabel S. Wedll/PEPPERBOX

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Feature

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The split in Generation-Z Isabel S. Wedll/PEPPERBOX

Isabel S. Wedll Online Editor

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very generation has defining traits that separate them from the rest but not all of us feel that our generation, Generation-Z, falls under the umbrella for characteristics.

Generation-Z started in 1998 and ended in 2010, and created a great variety of new people in the world.

But with this variety can come with some dividing characteristics and events.

“Yes, People Really Are Eating Tide Pods. No, It’s Not Safe” was a lovely headline written by Niraj Chokshi for the New York Times.

The Tide Pod Challenge is one of the most notorious events that painted Generation-Z in a strange light.

“I think when the whole Tide Pod eating went viral the older generations started seeing us as this dumb generation,” Junior Kylee Swanson said. “That all we care about is becoming internet famous or going viral or memes.”

Of course, X-ers to Boomers don’t always realize that our brains, specifically the frontal lobe are not fully developed till the age of twenty-five. But Swanson and I agreed that there is a major split between the older Gen-Zers (19982005) and the younger Gen-Zers (2006-2010). This is simply because of the use and consumption of technology. “[When] we were in elementary school, we had older PCs that we’re in a computer lab, and our teachers used overhead projectors,” Swanson said. Swanson and I did not experience the fancy technological advances in the classroom until we were in eighth grade at Blue Lake Elementary School.

“And since they’re more exposed at a younger age, they’re just

more focused on phones and stuff like that until maybe sixth grade,” Swanson said, “Now you see little kids walking around with the newest iPhones.”

Meanwhile, I spent the majority of my childhood outside pretending I was a Disney princess and eating dirt.

“Even babies know how to unlock smartphones and get on apps,” Swanson said. As our discussion continued it headed towards the direction on how technology and the internet affect today’s adolescents.

“We are constantly exposed to the world’s tragedies, and it’s a good thing that we are informed on these things, but at the same time it has desensitized us to tragic events,” Swanson said.

There is no scientific evidence that being constantly exposed to horrible news can desensitiz people, but it does have great negative effects on people’s mental health.

“Negative news can significantly change an individual’s mood — especially if there is a tendency in the

news broadcasts to emphasize suffering and also the emotional components of the story,” Dr. Graham Davey told The Huffington Post. So yes, as much as us youngins would like to deny it our smartphones have negatively affected our livelihoods.

“I think older generations think we’re glued to our phones. That we are super dependent on technology,” Sam Wedll, freshman and my younger brother, said.

Now, of course, this also makes our elders have the hypothesis that nothing affects us anymore.

“I still feel sad about when tragedies happen, like a school shooting, but it doesn’t surprise me anymore,” Wedll said.

“Now like we’re all desensitized to watching death on TV, but back then… That was a big deal.

It changed everybody. Everyone’s all desensitized about it now,” Art Bromberg, AHS Alumni of 1995, said.

Violent and tragic events are old news in the context that humans have always had to deal with these

emotionally trying cases; its the way the news is spread is what’s different. Baby Boomers and GenXers were raised by TV and typically weren’t monitored on what they watched. A great depiction of this was in the TV show Mad Men, in which the solution to everything was to say, “Go watch TV!” Young children would then turn on their television sets to see burning monks on the news channels.

But this idea of Generation-Z is the only one with a large split between its people is not true. Every single generation has a split between its people. A great example are Millennials. Mr. Moore is completely different from his younger counterparts for Generation-Y. He is a great representative of older Gen-Yers because they relate more to Gen-Xers childhoods.

Basically, it all depends on the nurturing and maturity level of the people within a generation. So as life progresses people become different, obviously, but don’t let the stereotypes define your life.

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Decade Review

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n the past decade, so much has happened in politics that it feels impossible to keep track of it all, but here’s a review of our nation’s political climate in the past 10 years.

2010: The idea for the Affordable Care Act was born in 2009 when Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi presented the idea. The bill was eventually signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010.

2011: Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda and known for his involvment in the 9/11 bombings, was killed on May 2 by Navy SEALS, ending a 10 year long manhunt for him.

2012: On December 14th, 2012, a man named Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. It’s the deadliest mass shooting at an elementary school to ever happen in US History.

2013: The Black Lives Matter movement gained massive notoriety in 2013. The movement started as a hashtag used on posts about George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch coordinator who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, being acquitted.

2014: The CIA Torture Report is a document detailing the “enhanced

Friday, January 24th, 2020

interrogation techniques” used by the CIA. It was found that exposure to cold, sleep deprivation, prolonged standing, and even waterboarding were used against detainees.

2015: The Supreme Court ruled on Obergefell v. Hodges in June 2015 that it is the fundamental right of all same sex couples to be able to marry on the same terms as opposite sex couples.

2016: Donald Trump won the presidential election on November 9th, 2016. He lost the popular vote by 3,000,000 votes but won the vote in the Electoral College.

2017: On June 1st, 2017, Donald Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Climate Agreement. The US’s removal from the agreement sparked massive, international, public outrage.

2018: In 2018, a record 23 women served in the Senate, 4 of which were women of color. Since 2018, the number of women and people of color in the Senate has continued to rise.

2019: On December 18th, 2019, the 45th president of the United States was impeached on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He’s the 3rd president to face impeachment.

Decade Review

Friday, January 24th, 2020

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he last ten years of music has defined our generation. Personally, it has shaped a large part of my identity. There’s so much more to music than what is on the Billboard Top 100. Come to think of it, the influence on music in the 2010s had more to do with how, rather than what, we consumed.

It’s no secret that music can be free these days and long gone is the era of mixtapes for your crush or a burned-CD-loveletter. We live in the era of playlists and artist radios and “If you like blank artist, check out other blank artist.” While it is a great thing to have so many options, it can be overwhelming trying to navigate the sheer amount of music available to us. So of course, in our media and technology driven world, platforms like Spotify and Apple Music made algorithms

The Pepperbox | Page 17

to show you more of what you like and what your friends are listening to.

In addition to Spotify and Apple music, one of the leading contributing platforms in the music streaming world is Soundcloud.

What has made Soundcloud different from the start is the ease with which someone can upload music. Anybody with a laptop and an internet connection can download professional software and watch a YouTube video to become a filmmaker, digital artist, music producer, or anything their heart desires. The DIY nature of this has birthed many major artists in the last ten years. After seeing so many success stories right in front of you, it's not hard to imagine yourself in those shoes.

The promise of being able to

Blonde by Frank Ocean. 2016

There's not much that can be said about this album that hasn't already been said. Frank Ocean's 2016 post R&B masterpiece, “Blond”, is the pinnacle of this decade in music. Frank strips down the album to the most bare essentials, creating a masterclass in emotional minimalism.

To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. 2015 Listening to the album, “To Pimp A Butterfly”, you are transported into the mind of Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar as he takes a deep dive into the vices of himself, the United States, and society as a whole. Over a fusion of jazz and hip-hop production, Kendrick shouts, cries, and even takes on the voices of others as he proudly conveys through complex wordplay the black experience in America.

This is a masterpiece that will be looked back upon as one of the apexes of musical achievement in the twenty-first century.

Currents by Tame Impala. 2016 While perhaps lacking some of the sonic ambition of their previous works, Tame Impala's “Currents” proves that Kevin Parker and his cohorts have perfected their magic formula of psychedelic synth rock. The result is an album that fits nearly any mood, with a sound that almost seems to hug you as you listen.

make your own music without the commitment of a music label has become increasingly more attractive and feasible. There has been a significant increase in self-produced, independent artists. Some of the most popular of those artists include Chance the Rapper, Lil Peep, XXXTentacion, and Post Malone who all started on Soundcloud.

Viral songs and artists have massively changed the way we consume music and media in general. Hit songs like Lil Pump’s 2017, Gucci Gang, and Sheck Wes’s Mo Bamba were in every teenage speaker in America for a few months and then, just like any other viral piece of media today it is gone without a trace before you know. Streaming platforms, and the noncommittal listening that

results are just another effect of the fast-paced media driven world we find ourselves in.

With the platform of the internet, anyone, regardless of age, can become the next Tyler, the Creator, Clairo, or even Rihanna. This isn’t just true for music either, the possibilities of YouTube are seemingly endless. If you wanted to become the next great filmmaker, or a music video director, or comedian there is a platform online waiting for you. The internet has given birth to countless influential creators and it shows no signs of stopping, so take advantage of it, whether as a creator or a consumer.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West. 2010

Recorded far away from the public eye in Hawaii, Kanye West crafted “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” as a testimony to his wildly successful and increasingly demanding career. On this record, West’s ability to produce music that makes me instantly attach emotional value to a song is especially evident. West retells the myth of the American dream and shows how life at the top may not be as idyllic as it seems.

Pure Heroine by Lorde. 2013 Lorde’s debut album is the perfect medium. She lyrically challenges pop music and turns an unbothered cheek to mainstream themes. She also steps back to identify pieces of herself within that culture. Between long days and nights of parties, indulgence and boredom, Lorde submersus her listeners into the world in which she and countless other youths find themselves drifting.

Born To Die by Lana Del Rey. 2012 Lana del Rey is an icon of the last decade, her debut album redefined pop music and set the stage for the melancholic, gloomy scene that arose shortly after. Many of del Rey’s most memorable songs can be found on this record and, when played, take the listener to a sad, deadly, yet beautiful soundscape that is Lana del Rey.

The Pepperbox | Page 18

A decade in Miles Rodelander Reporter

The past decade has been full of amazing movies using new technology, and techniques. There is no limit on what can be created in films.

Shrek Forever After (2010) We’ve all seen it. Shrek races to warp time and kiss his wife Fiona to reverse the spell and save their relationship. Eddie Murphy plays a great Donkey.

Hunger Games (2012) From the books of Susan Collins, this amazing film shows kids fighting for their lives on national television. It’s dark and twisted yet so intriguing to watch. It will have you on the edge of your seat. It’s a love story of story with the highest stakes.

Decade Review

Sharknado (2013) A legendary movie everyone has seen or heard of. The title says it all.

Ex Machina (2014) About consciousness, reality, and self aware robots. I think this movie is crucial for us to see because it is a window into the near future.

We can either keep evolving or destroy our entire species with our own creation.

The Revenant (2015) Taking place in 1823, Hugh Glass sustains life threatening injuries resulting from a bear attack. A masterpiece of a movie. Intense to watch and full of surprises. Leonardo Dicaprio finally won his Oscar.

Deadpool (2016) A hilarious Marvel movie about an antihero who transforms after an

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Fiona Murphy/PEPPERBOX

evil scientist disfigures him. 20th Century Fox shut down the idea for the movie back in 2004, but thanks to Ryan Reynolds begging relentlessly for years we get to enjoy the masterpiece.

IT (2017) A spooky movie full of comedy. In this mystery based off the Stephen King book, an ancient shape shifting force of evil comes out of hibernation every 27 years. The beast isn't really a clown, he is an entity older than the universe itself who feeds off fear. Truly terrifying.

BlacKKKlansman (2018) Based on actual events. Ron Stallworth infiltrates the local Klu Klux Klan. Directed by Spike Lee. A wonderfully performed and filmed movie. You’ll be laughing out loud one second, and crying the next.

Avengers: Endgame (2019) The epic culmination of a decade’s worth of superhero movies. This movie made an insane amount of money, breaking all sorts of records. It left some fans devastated, but most of them excited for the next phase of Marvel movies.

of the decade Martina Mapatis Feature Editor

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roll Face: This meme was created in 2008, and was still alive and well in 2010 with the help of the infamous anonymous image board 4chan, it quickly spread like wildfire through the online community.

Planking: This 2011 thing is much more a trend than a meme.

Planking seems stupid now but we have to understand that taking pictures with phones was still a novelty so anything weird and out

of the ordinary was hilarious.

Doge: This Shiba Inu, that came to be known as Doge was all the rage when I was at the end of my elementary school career in 2013.

The meme’s confusing english boggled my mind but it didn’t stop my older sister and her friends from donning the meme on their graduation hats in 2015.

Thug Life: Ya know, the one where someone made a sick burn and then the frame freezes followed by pixelated glasses landing on their face while Snoop Dogg plays in the background.

SpoNGebOb: ThE onE tHat UsES miSplAced CapiTal LetTeRs To mAke a MockINg VoiCE. Harambe: After the believed to be undeserved death of Harambe, memes criticizing the mom who wasn’t watching her kid as he fell into the enclosure, and memes that paid respect to Harambe in heaven quickly became popular in 2016.

Blinking Guy: A GIF of 201314 that had a resurgence as a still meme in the past few years due to the guy coming out and talking about his struggles after the meme or something. It’s been dragged out too long. Let it die in 2020, people.

Butterfly/Pigeon: A screenshot of an anime that went viral with a tweet in 2018. Pretty much just expresses one’s thoughts in a time of confusion. Replace pigeon with anything that is clearly not what the butterfly is to make funny.

Haha.

Ok, boomer: Do I really need to explain this? See thepepperbox. com opinion section.

Baby Yoda: Just an adorable lil’ green dude. He’s my home screen, because looking at his cute face makes my day better. You can’t deny his lovable disposition. A friend of mine has even said that “the day Disney makes him grow up is the day I burn the world to the ground.” And I mean, love him or hate him he’s spitting straight facts.

My Meme of the Decade: Press F to pay respects. This meme originated before the halfway point of the decade and has stuck with us until now. The 2014 meme has ingrained itself into our language, sarcastic or for real. Is there any better way to pay respect to a fallen comrade?

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Decade Review

The Pepperbox | Page 19

:The decade in boy’s basketball Kelsey Atkinson-Hatch Reporter

2010-Eric Vollmers led the team as head coach. They made the playoffs but lost in the second round to Modesto Christain 66-63. Their overall record was 26-6.

Fiona Murphy/PEPPERBOX

Garret Hall shoots during the 2019 AIBT

2011-They had to fight to make the playoffs after having a decent record of 6-2 in league and 22-8 overall. They won the first round playoffs then lost to St. Patrick-St. Vincent in the second round playoffs by 11.

2012-The next season there was a new coach Bob Wallace, they had an overall record of 26-6.They went far in the playoffs, making it all the way to the 3rd round of playoffs before losing.

2013-With Allen Schmitt as the new coach they were heading toward a great season. They started strong by winning their first 7 games before losing to Fortuna in the Eureka Logger Classic. They had an overall record of 24-8. They made playoffs bust took a loss in the first round to Corning.

2014-A rough year with an over-

all record of 11-15 and a league record of 1-7. They were unable to make playoffs due to losing almost all their league games. They were #641 in the state and #8817 in the Nation.

2015-With Bisio as the new head coach, it was a good year for the Tigers with an overall record of 21-8.

They never lost an away game and placed 3rd in the McKinleyville Basketball Tournament. The team competed in the playoffs winning their first game against Kennedy then lost to St. Mary’s in the second round .

2016-The team went the whole season without losing a home game. They passed through the first and second rounds of the playoffs, beating Kelseyville and Lick-Wilmerding. Although they had a good run, Salesian College

Preparatory beat them 51-30.

2017-Going 22-5 overall and 8-0 in league gave them a great seed position for playoffs. They were good enough to make the playoffs but not far, they took a devastating loss against Piedmont 61-51 in the first round.

2018-Another rough year for the Arcata High basketball team with a 14-12 overall record and a record of 4-4 in league. Barely making the playoffs they lost the first round against Lick-Wilmerding in overtime 65-59.

2019-A new coach, Dusty Scofield, entered the scene. The team was pretty young, but they worked hard. With an overall record of 9-16 and 3-5 in league they squeezed into playoffs as the #11 seed and played against Marin Catholic and lost first round 58-41.

:A decade of change Isabella Kellawan Copy Editor

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ven in the past decade we’ve seen technology change rapidly. People have access to supplies such as fresh water and food because technology can help deliver those items to people that otherwise couldn’t get it.

Here we look at some of the best and most significant inventions of the 2010s.

2010 - iPads were first created by Apple, and have since advanced and become much better since.

The first ever Samsung Galaxy Tablet was released: It was the first “android-powered” tablet.

2011- The Bed Bug Detective was invented, and it was used by being placed in a mattress to capture bed bugs. Wack.

2012- Microsoft Surface PC/Tab-

let was made as an alternative to Apple and Samsung. According to mashable.com, it was a “PC in tablets clothing.”

2013- The OrbSys shower was introduced to reuse water and send it back to people clean. It catches the water and puts it through purification before sending it back to the user.

2014- 3D printers developed to print everything from toys to possibly human organs. Apple Watches, a very popular trend in the world today, were first introduced. These fancy gadgets can be used to text, play music, or use most normal apps.

2015- Hoverboards, as in skateboards or “self balancing scooters,” were invented and became a strange trend quickly. When first released the hoverboards would catch on fire and explode on mul-

tiple occasions due to the battery in the hoverboard, which became a safety issue.

2016- PlayStation VR was released on October 13th. VR stands for virtual reality and is a form of fully jumping into the world with special glasses and only seeing the game. Apple began taking orders for Airpods online on December 13th.

2017- Apple’s first iPhone X was released. It was the first iPhone to have a screen stretching along the whole phone and not have a home button.

2018- The iRobot Roomba i7+ became the first vacuum to have the technology to empty itself 2019- The newest and most advanced iPhone was released on September 20th: the iPhone 11. It is very popular and has two camera lenses to take much better quality

photos. The Pro version is bigger and has three lenses instead of two. Apple Airpods were extended to a Pro version with noise cancellation and better sound.

Kai Hansen

“Are you being serious, Sarcasm-Bot 9,ooo?”

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Feature

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Arcata’s feature students: The Artist Cora Dandeneau

The Activitst Avery Arbaugh

Natasha Youravish

Jack Taylor

Reporter

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rcata High Freshman Cora Dandeneau is an incredibly experienced artist.

She’s been creating art since she was about two years old,and has excellent fine motor skills. Not only does she like art because she finds it fun, but more importantly it’s a way to express herself.

“There’s so many things you can do with a blank page,” Dandeneau said.

She draws her inspiration from nature and animals. Her future art goals are to go to college for visual arts, commercial use, and graphic design.

She’s been known for her merch designs for four years, and she has helped create most of the designs for the band Blue Dragon Steel. She created their album cover, which went international, all the way to Japan. The album cover art, and it consisted of t- shirts, hats, and CDs..

One of her favorite art pieces is a big watercolor painting of a big sun with a smiling face (a full arches watercolor painting). For being so young, she’s accomplished so much and still has her next three years in highschool to continue improving her skills!

Opinion Editor

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ne of the brightest voices of activism on the Arcata High campus is Avery Arbaugh.

Avery is well known on campus, as well as around Humboldt, for his hands-on political action. While Avery is not yet old enough to vote, he has still done much more to help get candidates elected than just about any adult.

Currently serving as the vice president of the Humboldt County Young Democrats, Avery has worked with the organization extensively.

One of the things Avery is most proud of is the teacher pay support walkout. When the teacher contract negotiations ground to a halt this fall and were locked in a stalemate, Avery decided it was time to do something to show the student support for the teachers.

“It was by far the best organized action I've ever planned, and I was working with a fantastic, passionate and immensely talented group of activists. It paid off too, the Times-Standard estimated almost 300 students walked out! That wasn't where it ended either, we brought attention to the unfair wages in 6 publications, increasing public pressure on the school board and our movement had great follow up in later board meetings,” he said.

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Feature

Friday, January 24th, 2020

The Arcata As The Academic The Athlete Tate Contreras

Emma Fechner

Emilio Silveira

Diego Bazan

Reporter

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hile he may not be a traditional academic, Tate Contreras is an amazing guy with a lot of tech knowledge. He started to play video games when he got a gameboy on his fourth birthday. That’s when it all started, Tate fell in love with games and tech, and how they are made.

He plans on going to go to CR for two years then switching over to HSU or maybe a San Francisco college. He wants to study graphic design because he likes video games and software. He knows so much about them both but wants to continue to learn more.

Tate's favorite games are RPG-role playing games. His favorite creators are Sakurai & Kojima. He is part of Arcata High’s new ESports team, which you can read more about on page nine.

His other interests are hanging with friends, table top games, reading, and just games. He's also done seasonal wrestling, his favorite book is “The Alchemist”, and he loves “Pulp Fiction”.

Watch out for Tate in the near future when Arcata High gaming takes off.

Reporter

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mma Fechner is a senior at Arcata High School. She is most known for being a cross country and track runner. She is smart, strong, and extremely athletic. She has exeptiona artistic skills as well.

She loves to make portraits out of pastels.

She is a kind and super chill friend, always giving a hug or a wink with a beautiful smile. She’s a person you can easily walk up to and start a conversation with, no doubt she will always be there to know what's going on. Fechner started track freshman year and fell in love. Fechner has also been on the honor roll for her outstanding grades multiple times.

Fechner consistently focuses on her running and cross country to stay in shape during the off season as well as running on her own. This year, she’s focusing on the 400 meter and finish her last year strong. She says, “I get a feeling of adrenaline and ecstasy after finishing a 400m race or a 4x4 relay when I feel like I’m about to die.

Other than running, I love track because of the fun memories and the trips we go on.” She feels like running the 400 and 800 are very therapeutic and helps her ease her stress.

Besides track, Fechner wants to attend a University of California.

Her main goal is to get a major in psychology or environmental science

The Pepperbox | Page 22

Feature

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Student rights on physical contact Martina Mapatis Feature Editor

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rguments occur, people get some beef, vibes are checked, and it escalates to a physical conflict.

While compared to the rest of the state, Arcata High fights are pretty rare, they sometimes happen. To some, fights are entertainment.

Why pay money to see people in a ring when you could just watch them in the parking lot? To others, it’s merely an indication of stupidity or lack of critical thinking and communication skills. To teachers, fighting is an overrated, nonsensical, and unsafe event that ends up badly for all those involved. Seeing the students under their care hurting themselves and others is probably the thing they least want to occur while in the workplace.

Every teacher should know why touching a student, in a harmful way or not, is a risky and sometimes inappropriate action. Why risk a misunderstanding or making a student feel uncomfortable when you could just use your words?

However, there are some weird, unknown rules surrounding teachers physically breaking up fights, and it’s because most of the time

Seclusion is defined as “the involuntary confinement of a pupil alone in a room or area from which the pupil is physically prevented from leaving.’

they don’t. So stay with me here as we delve into the world of education policies and teacher trainings.

Found in our very own Northern Humboldt Union High School District Policies, we come to the Students’ section, specifically the Administrative Regulation (AR) on Student Disturbances.

The bit most important to our interests is the first activity listed under Prohibited Activity: “A student involved or attempting to be involved in any of the following prohibited activities shall be subject to discipline: 1. Disturbing the peace, including, but not limited to, causing or attempting to cause a riot, burning or destroying property, fighting, challenging another to fight, or using offensive words likely to provoke a fight” Then a new law about restraint of a student(s) by staff went into effect on January 1, 2019. Assembly Bill (AB) 2657 added new sections to California’s Education Code. One section says that some types of restraint and seclusion can be physically harmful to students even though intervention in an emergency is to prevent a student from getting hurt. Another just defines what each used term means: mechanical restraint is restricting a student’s freedom of movement using a “device or equipment”. Physical restraint would be using one’s body to stop a student from moving partially or completely. Prone restraint means “the application of a behavioral restraint on a pupil in a facedown position”. Seclusion is defined as “the involuntary confinement of a pupil alone in a room or area from which the pupil is physically prevented from leaving.''

Assembly Bill 2657 allows teachers to restrain and seclude a student in the ways described above. As long as the action is con-

siderably justified by the purpose of protecting a student’s physical well being, there would be no serious repercussions for their actions.

When you think about it, it’s scary to know that a teacher could keep you in a room against your will, put you in a “facedown” position, or restrain you using an object.

But the actual purpose of this new law is to stress that every student has the right to be free from physical restraint by a staff member if there it is for “coercion, discipline, convenience, or retaliation,” aka bad intent.

A staff member should only be physically involved if the fight “poses a clear and present danger of serious physical harm to the pupil or others that cannot be immediately prevented by a response that is less restrictive.” This law tries to make it clear that restraint should only be for the sole purpose of protecting a student from imminent harm.

A student who gets in fights and would like to stay anonymous agrees with what the new law supports. He thinks that if the fight becomes one-sided and a student is in serious danger of getting hurt it’s appropriate for a teacher to intervene, even though “friends usually already break up the fights… ‘cause there’s always the one in the group who knows fighting is stupid”. But when it comes to a classroom setting, he doesn’t think it’s appropriate “because there’s a lot of students who get uncomfortable from that kinda thing.”

So when you see a teacher doing nothing but yelling at those involved to stop fighting, it’s because they think that it could be prevented by a response that doesn’t involve them getting physical with a student(s) or they just aren’t comfortable. Teachers are also encouraged to call a superior when it comes to altercations.

When you see Monge rush in

With the inevitability of conflict, it is important for both students and staff to know their rights and constraints. to break up a fight, he’s aware that every time he comes into contact with a student it is for the well being of that student.

Sometimes he’s even there before the physical altercation starts, as he is there to protect against and prevent harm.

A common training throughout the education community is CPI, Crisis Prevention Training. Teachers, staff, and even students can get certified. The training educates the trainee on how to deal with conflicts and specifically how to respond to certain situations and people. The basic idea is to defuse hostile feelings or actions before it escalates and someone gets hurt.

For those of us who like to be able to control what’s happening around us or prevent harm to come to our peers, looking into becoming certified or just reading about easy methods wouldn’t be a bad idea.

With the inevitability of conflict, it is important for both students and staff to know their rights and constraints. The last thing the school, administrators, or staff want is for a student to get seriously hurt while in a trivial, physical fight. However, boundaries have been set by state law, and staff and students alike should be conscious when they’re involved in a physical altercation.

The Pepperbox | Page 24

Life

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Technological change of a lifetime Martina Mapatis Feature Editor

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here is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” The words of Ken Olsen, founder of Digital Equipment Corporation in 1977. Personalized computers had just been released and apparently business wasn’t booming, but he couldn’t be more wrong.

Nowadays, very few people can even live without having a computer in their hand (Yeah I’m talking about the cellphone). Besides most of you freshmen and some sophomores, we all remember a time when technology was significantly advancing for what seemed like the first time. I can recall when my mom finally ditched her trusty flip phone for the iPhone 3GS that came out in 2009.

Although this change in technology happened at the beginning of our lives, there have been so many more previous to our 2000s era.

The Walkman, as seen in 80’s movies and Stranger Things was the first portable media player.

The cassette player was released

by Sony in 1979, selling more than 50,000 in the first two months.

Three years after it was released in the US (1980), cassettes outsold vinyl for the very first time as the world transitioned from big, heavy media to small, lightweight listening devices.

And just when cassette players became the norm, CDs swooped in and stole the thunder.

1983 also saw the first handheld cell phone; and although it may have been blocky, longer than one foot, and weighed 1.75 lbs., it was the beginning of cellular technology. Not soon after, the first Macin-

tosh computer, a 16.5 lb. futuristic cube of metal and plastic,was released in 1984.

While tech professionals worked on upgrading cellular devices, gaming devices improved as well.

Nintendo’s first 8-bit handheld gaming console, the Game Boy was released to Northern America in 1989.

Now flash forward to the mid 90s and we really start speeding up. The Nokia 8110 cell phone that was featured in The Matrix is released, MP3 players become common, and earbuds/headphones are being incorporated into technology.

We finally reach a familiar century when Apple’s first iPod was released in 2001; and after a number of years, technology had advanced so much to achieve touch screen technology, WiFi connection, applications, and a built in camera for the first iPhone in 2007. This thing

Generational Technological Advances

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was the future! It had everything the up-to-date modern person of the 2000s could ever need.

After Apple’s first iPhone, there wasn’t a year where they didn’t release a new phone.

Leaps were made when the iPhone5S took on a new cle cut structure. And I think we all remember when those lucky ducks who got the iPhone 6 Plus complained about how they couldn’t fit it in their pocket or their thumb could’t stretch all the way across the screen. Two seperate earbuds were crazy, and when the iPhone X was missing the familiar border we were all suprised.

Just looking at the timeline below, it seems as though time moves at an exponential rate. The more our knowledge rows, the faster technology advances.

Let’s see what this new decade has to offer in the technologic world.

2007 - iPhone

2014 - iPhone 6 Plus

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1983 - Motorola DynaTac 8000X

80s

1996 - Nokia 8110

90s

2001 - Apple's First iPod

2007 - Blackberry Curve 8300

1989 - Gameboy

2017 - iPhone X

10s

00s

1998 - First MP3 Player 1983 - The First Compact Disc

2013 - iPhone 5S

2016 - Apple Airpods 2004 - Nintendo DS

1979 - Walkman

Marisa Mendosa/PEPPERBOX

Friday, January 24th, 2020

The Pepperbox | Page 25

Life

New year, new (and old) couples Kamari Brown Reporter

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atasha Yourivish and Eduardo Lopez, probably the most notorious couple in the school. I know everybody has seen this couple in the front of the school making out like one of those sterotypical high school couples you see in movies. Some cringe in hate, few in awe, but half of you know you wish you had something like that.

It all started 9/24/19. Eduardo and Natasha were both in the library and Eduardo was purposley acting stupid to get the pretty girls help, and that was just the start of an iconic relationship to come. A few days later, Natasha asked him if he wanted to skip with her. They did donuts and burnouts and got food at Tony’s, where Eduardo works.

Coming from Eduardo, Natasha (or as he calls her Bebe) seems like the full package. She cooks for him, has beautiful eyes and a personality like no other, though she does have a bad side if that’s what you wanna call it. Eduardo claims Natasha is stubborn and has an attitude but she denies it calls him stubborn back. Natasha say there’s not one doubt that Eduardo, who she calls Papi, got some cons to him too, “He’s too friendly with other females and sensitive as lordt.

But his caring self and style makes up for it,” she said. When asked if they fight, they agreed they usually just be playing but they definitely fight,”We fight like some siblings not gonna lie,” said Natasha giggling. “We sound so toxic oh my gosh,” But other than that they seem like a basic cute cheesy couple. “We got in common we both like to do crazy stuff together,” said Eduardo. Natasha loves taking corny couple pics and set-

Photos courtesy of Camille Brady and Natasha Youravish

Camille and Maggie, left, and Eduardo and Natasha, right, show their love. ting them as her lock/home screen and doesn’t need to sweat Eduardo to set his too. They hangout almost every lunch, and often after school and on the weekends, making out half the time. They definitely gotten in all the couple activities of the season. They’ve gone ice skating together, to the pumpkin patch, fresh freeze, and any other things they could manage to find in this sad, boring county. Eduardo buys flowers, Natasha makes spooky baskets on halloween filled with candy and such, that’s some looovebirdsss. I had to ask how long they think they’re relationship would last, Natasha was quick to open her mouth, “Till death cause I’ll kill him if he try to get away.” She ended with a smile. Eduardo let off a quiet grin. You can tell by being around this couple for about five minutes that they thrive off teasing each other, nobody knows how long they’ll last or where they’ll be

in the future, but that’s what every relationship is like. I’m sure all the teachers that passed them making out in front of class after the bell rings, telling them to, “Get a room or go to class”, are rooting for them.

The next couple is Camille Brady and Maggie Smith. They’ve been together for 4 months. They met in their math class, when Camille knew she liked this girl off the rip, first glance. She later messaged her and they got to know each other a little before hanging out, which was easy because their friends were friends with their friends (if you get me). When asked what they like about each other, Camille said she liked her style and personality, “Like she’s sweet, but not. Cool, different and laid back,”Maggie said, “Her lil attitude, her eyes, her smile, everything.” When asked what they like doing together they agreed on, “Nothing specific, just being around each other.” Camille’s

nicknames for Maggie are “hunny” and “baby”, Maggie’s names for Camille is babe and pretty eyes. This couple fights like any other, “For sure, we argue but not fight, we’re both girls we’re both gonna have lil moods, and shes sensitive, but it’s never anything serious,” said Camille. And of course they are on each other’s lockscreen. They hang out often too, “Damn near every day.” One might go over to one of their houses after school, and on the weekends, go out and do cute couple things. Their song is “Sure Thing” by Miguel, music is something this couple has in common, next to people and activities they both like.

Sometimes high school relationships last out of high school, most of the time they don’t, but it’s all about the experience, the love, the fun, the lessons and good times that make being in high school easier to get through.

The Pepperbox | Page 26

Life

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Graduated seniors: Where are they?

Ora Folden

Skaidra Pulley

Graduated 2019

Copy Editor

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t Arcata High, Ora was very involved with Humboldt Bay Rowing Association and the music program. He qualified for All State Choir and he designates the support and community in the music program as a main positive influence during high school. At HSU, Ora is majoring in Trombone Performance. Going to HSU saved him a lot of money as opposed to moving out of Humboldt but he does plan to transfer to San Jose State next year.

At Arcata High, Ora’s biggest struggle was his beef with precalc honors. “I loved Bagnall but I just couldn’t wrap my head around the material,” said Ora. Luckily, precalc also contributed to a good memory from Arcata High. “I was failing, then took a retake on a test...I ended up with a B in the class because of the trebuchet project”. Ora’s biggest struggle in college was a recent medical emergency. While shopping peacefully in Eureka Natural Foods, Ora stubbed his toe upon a shopping cart. Several minutes later, an employee came across the college student lying flat on his back in the aisle, brought down by the sight of blood gushing from his toe. Luckily, fire and ambulance crews responded quickly to the scene, using taxpayer money to carefully place a Band-Aid() on Ora’s toe. No permanent damage was reported.

Photo courtesy of Ora Folden

Ora Folden plays the trombone.

Dylan Diemer Graduated 2017

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ost seniors still remember Dylan Diemer.

As freshmen, his slogan of “I Save Lives” was burned permanently into our brains. Luckily for his patients, Dylan has lived up to his branding. He currently attends North Dakota State University, where he is majoring in Emergency Management. He works for an ambulance service and volunteers with an advanced life support, emergency medical service in Haiti. He plans to advance his career into Law Enforcement and work in tactical operations or public service.

At Arcata High, Dylan worked in the Athletic Training Clinic. Darcy at the College & Career Center encouraged him to do ride-alongs, which is when a member of the community can go with an ambulance crew, firefighting team, or police officer for a shift. His experiences at Arcata High helped him to decide on his career path and explore his passions through career immersion.

Photo courtesy of Dylan Diemer

Dylan Diemer, left, in his EMT uniform

Hannah Christen Graduated 2014

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annah Christen works for the Red Cross in Wenatchee, Washington, where she works as a Disaster Program Manager. At Arcata High, she was involved with the Pepperbox, where she helped to break a story on the Dan Johnson plagiarism scandal. For those of you who don’t remember, good old Dan of Danco fame read a speech at graduation in 2013 lifted almost verbatim from a famous speech read the year before at Wellesley High’s ceremony. The next Pepperbox issue dedicated itself to plagiarism, which Hannah says had a big impact on the community.

Before moving to Washington, Hannah worked for the Red Cross in McKinleyville, serving in disaster preparedness and response.

She attended Hood College, where she majored in Political Science and Global Studies. She studied abroad in Spain and worked on Nadia Hashimi campaign for Congress.

Photo courtesy of Hannah Christen

Hannah Christen at Hood College.

Friday, January 24th, 2020

The Pepperbox | Page 27

Life

Seasonal depression strikes again Stella Walston Managing Editor

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umboldt County is dark.

Not in a creepy macabre way, but in a literal way.

Humboldt County is physically just dark for most of the year. Our winters are wet and cold, our springs are just wet, our summers are foggy (with the exception of one good week of sun), and our falls are cold.

So it’s no surprise that Humboldt county has high suicide and depression rates in comparison to the rest of the state and country. The darkness itself isn’t the sole cause of depression- but it is a factor that certainly doesn't help. And in places like Humboldt (i.e. far from the equator), the lack of sunlight can be a factor in a certain kind of depression--seasonal depression, or SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Seasonal depression is a form of depression where the person affected experiences typical symptoms of depression in a certain time of the year. Most often, those affected will begin feeling it in the fall and it will last throughout the winter.

“It’s cold and dark and I don't care about anything. Like in the summer I try hard at stuff and do stuff, and in the winter I sit at home, don’t do homework, don’t try and get a job,” stated junior Archer Brayton. Crisis Counselor Eileen Klima agrees. “In cold, wet, dark weather, it's hard to sometimes go and do fun things or socialize, and sometimes being disconnected or isolated can lead to sadness or depression.”

SAD is a form of depression that people can suffer from without even realizing it. Because it’s so commonplace to feel sad when

it’s dark, people don’t realize when they’re actually suffering from a depressive disorder and aren’t “just sad”. “Sadness can become depression….where the concern is is if depression is impacting your daily life, if you’re avoiding doing things because of depression, if you start thinking how worthless you are, if you're thinking about hurting yourself or killing yourself, that’s not just sadness, that’s depression,” Klima stated.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is also unique, in that oftentimes, people will think that SAD is just a “part” of normal Major Depression, and that it isn’t it’s own mental disorder.

Winter is normally when SAD occurs because no sun means no Vitamin D, which means a significant drop in happiness. According to brainmd.com, “Vitamin D is best known for building bones[....]optimal vitamin D levels can help improve your mood, boost your overall brain function, and generally improve your well-being.”

However, SAD is much more severe than normal wintertime sadness.

“Normal sad is like when you’re sad about maybe a couple things, but seasonal depression feels like you have no purpose,” Brayton stated.

SAD is in fact a depressive disorder, so it can have much, much worse side effects than a Vitamin D deficiency. According to mayoclinic.org, signs of seasonal depression include, “Feeling depressed most of the day, nearly every day, losing interest in activities you once enjoyed, having low energy, having problems with sleeping, experiencing changes in your appetite or weight, feeling sluggish or agitated, having difficulty concentrating, feeling hopeless, worthless

or guilty, having frequent thoughts of death or suicide.”

If you think that you might be suffering from more than just occasional sadness, don’t hesitate to reach out. More people are affected by SAD than you think.

“Look up things at the Ameri-

can Psychological Association, or the National Association of School Psychologists.[...] [students] can come see me on campus, and there are community agencies that we can refer them to. There’s the TAY, or Transitional Aged Youth, for kids who are 16-25 years old. We have a grant right now where we can refer students to get free counseling,” Klima explained.

“Get yourself checked out ...even if you do [have SAD] or even if you don’t and you just get sad in the winter, just surround yourself with things you love and people you love,” Brayton advised.

At the end of the day, it’s better to have gone to a doctor and been wrong than keep suffering by yourself.

The Pepperbox | Page 28

A&E

Friday, January 24th, 2020

The arts of thrift and upcycling Ruby Langdon A&E Editor

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lothes are the easiest way to show somebody so many things about yourself. Being able to express yourself so directly and openly is incredibly cool. It’s great to be able to show people what you you want to express through patterns, textures, and colors. Based on style alone you can say so many funky things without actually even speaking a word. And upcycling is one of the best ways to take your style by the reigns and make it your own in an inexpensive and environmentally friendly way.

“The benefits are that you have clothes that make you unique and stand out from everyone else, and

you’re not adding to a lot of child labor and poverty in areas where they’re producing so much fast fashion that, of course, will be out of style really soon, so it’s good to give new life to clothes that people don’t want,” junior Alexus Roberts said.

Fast fashion is terrible for the environment and it’s terrible for the people who have to work in that industry too. According to a 2015 Forbes magazine article, nearly 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make the world’s polyester fiber, which is now the most commonly used fiber in our clothing. But it takes more than 200 years to decompose. Not only is the oil used in creation an issue, but the lasting effects of wasted resources is astronomical as well.

“85% of the plastic pollution in the ocean is due to microfibers from synthetic clothing,” Dr. Mark Browne an ecotoxicologist said. In 2011 Browne and his team found that most plastic in the ocean came from textiles that contained microfibers that didn’t decompose and were thrown out.

One simple way you can decrease and slow the amount of waste buildup and discouraging the consumption of fast fashion is by being aware and using the clothes and resources already around you instead of adding to the heap of quickly produced clothing. Repurposing old clothing into something you enjoy more is better for the environment, economy, and better for you to get to have something unique that you’ve upcycled.

Marisa Mendosa/PEPPERBOX

Ruby’s upcycled shoes

Willow and Rags The front half is new clothing that’s very fresh and somewhat cheap but the back half of the store is all used clothing. There’s long racks of all sorts of shirts that are fun to search through for some golden items. They have a lot of nice trendy clothes donated as well as some funky statement pieces.

Miranda’s Rescue Thrift Angels of Hope Lots of cheap Eco Groovy Deals They’re clothing with a whole isle of dollar clothing. There’s a new deal every single day of the week, and they’ve got a super fun kitchen-y section with cute little knick knacks and a fun seasonal section with a lot of interesting yet golden items.

very groovy indeed! They have a large selection of work clothes as well as cute casual clothes.

There’s lots of fun costume pieces during Halloween and a lot more belts and hats than most thrift stores around. They have a wide, unique selection.

Personally I’ve only been to the Eureka location but my favorite part is definitely the employees.

Whenever I’ve gone they’ve given me streams of compliments and discounted prices even when there’s none of their fun deals happening. They have lots of good affordable clothes and a really fun home section too.

If you are more creatively inclined there’s so many wonderful ways to make things your own.

“Deconstructing it and like, painting on clothes I think is my favorite way, because it kind of transforms it into something else,” Roberts said. “My favorite way is thrifting and then painting on clothes,” Junior Sabrina Wilson said. Taking something old and re-making it into something you like and are proud of is really fun, and even somewhat satisfying when you get to have and wear stuff you created out of something else.

Upcycling isn’t just stuck to clothing though. Sophomore Pheona Worrell makes a lot of funky jewelry on her own time and in her Makers class. “Accessories really do make an outfit, just like a cute belt or a necklace or some epic earrings,” Worrell said. Spicing up your outfits can be really fun to do and makes you stand out among crowds of people wherever you go.

Having statement pieces is great but accessorizing can help you add statement and a little fun into any outfit. “I kinda go to the dollar store and anything that’s kinda tiny, I’m like yeah! Also Michaels, Michaels has a lot of small stuff,” Worrell said. Funky bling to go with any outfit helps you to stand out in your expression.

Expressing the things you care about and presenting yourself as you want to be seen is so much easier when you’re creating your clothes to wear. Using materials already around us is a great way to promote creativity, as well as awareness towards the effects of the fashion industry on our planet and the people on it. Also it’s far more rewarding to be able to tell people about a piece you made or altered rather than telling them where you got it, which is already a pretty good feeling.

Friday, January 24th, 2020

Opinion

The Pepperbox | Page 29

Your memes probably suck Alexander Rice

I

Reporter

, shockingly, am not a fan of memes. They take concepts that have potential to be funny and then repeat them a billion times until they stop being funny, and everyone has to find some new thing to oversaturate and ruin.

The difference between modern memes and traditional jokes are that jokes use their formats as a medium for a punchline while memes are generally the formats themselves. This is an issue because there can be millions of different knock-knock jokes, but there’s a point where posting the same picture of Baby Yoda with a slightly different caption gets extremely annoying.

With that said, Baby Yoda is fundamentally a bad meme. There is no joke. By posting Baby Yoda memes with “relatable” captions you have lowered yourself to the same level as middle-aged women on facebook using minions to express themselves.

Memes weren’t always like this.

Memes used to serve as formats for punchlines, with the meme serving as context to the setup & punchline. The rise of memes without punchlines happened in around 2015.

In 2015, a new subgenre of memes were created, called “dank memes.” The term dank meme isn’t nearly as popular as it was before, and died off in 2017. However, memes have kept the idea of having no real setup or punchline since then. Modern memes generally rely on the fact that they are memes to be funny, and are treated sort of like inside jokes that everyone knows.

Just like with memes, inside jokes stop being funny when they’re overused, because there is little to no variety to them, and

they get old. Sometimes, memes can be funny just from the sheer absurdity of them. For example, one of my all-time favorite memes is Walter the Dog. Now, Walter isn’t his name, but instead the name of a YouTube commenter by the username of Walter Clements, who commented “I like fire trucks and moster trucks,” and then shortly replied to his own comment with “walter.”

I have absolutely no idea why people started acting like the dog wrote the comment, but I think it makes both of them funnier overall. The dog, whose real name is Nelson, is funny because he’s facing directly at the camera and looks very silly. Walter Clements is funny because of his bad grammar and how he replies to himself saying his own first name for no reason. Together, they paint the image of a funny dog commenting about his passion for fire trucks and “moster trucks” and then proceeding to leave his name afterwards.

Surprisingly, Walter hasn’t “died” by any means, despite being popularized in 2018. Now, the comment itself isn’t spread much anymore, but the dog, still referred to as Walter, is still used frequent-

ly. Even though Walter has no punchline, and also has almost no variation in how it’s used, a lot of people still find it funny, including myself.

Now, there’s one meme that deserves some special negative attention. I’m sure everyone has heard the term “Ok, boomer” by now. “Ok, boomer”, as you probably know, is a relatively recent meme created as a response to older people’s depiction of the younger generations.

In my eyes, there are 2 types of people who use it. There are people who think it’s funny, and use it as a meme, and then there are the people who use it for the reason it was created.

My main issue is with the people who use it as a meme, but those who use it as a response aren’t great either. Ok boomer is probably my least favorite meme. Let me explain why. I remember hearing it for the first time and thinking it was somewhat funny, because of how simple yet “effective” it could be. But then I heard it again, and again, and again, and I stopped thinking it was funny.

By now, it has lost all meaning it originally had, and people have even used it against me, a 16 year

Walter glaring at you in his office, wearing a sharp suit.

old, a few times. What was originally conceived as a sharp response intending to invalidate the opinions of older people simply by pointing out their age, turned into another bland throwaway insult people use in the same way they use the clown emoji. There is also something fundamentally wrong with using it for its intended purpose. By creating a meme specifically targeting the people who make fun of you for creating memes and targeting old people, you have literally played into their stereotype of you. Even if it was totally reasonable in the first place, you are fixing literally nothing by firing back at the generation you don’t like for firing at a generation.

Memes aren’t what they used to be. Even though we make fun of the internet’s sense of humor in its early years, you have to admit that the way they used memes worked a lot better. Troll Face, Pepe the Frog, and Wojak were all created at least a decade ago, but we still find them funny and use them today.

They aren’t the most popular anymore, of course, but they definitely used to be. I hope that someday we can reject modernity, and return to traditional memes.

Alexander Rice/PEPPERBOX

The Pepperbox | Page 30

Changing times Marisa Mendosa Art Director

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hroughout our lives, technology and childhood pastimes have evolved significantly. We now have iPhones, Alexa, huge flat-screen TVs, and weird unnecessary accessories big companies produce to make you waste money on. Those are what kids are worrying about nowadays, yet it is something completely different from what I grew up with. Yeah, I own an iPhone, frequently use Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, and yes, don’t always go outside as much as I should. But at least I had a childhood when I did. Kids these days are ALWAYS on their electronics and get them at such young ages.

I constantly see, in grocery stores, restaurants, even my own dance studio, kids under the age of five intently watching screens with

Opinion

headphones drowning out the world around them.

When I was growing up, I had a VHS player, a 13” box TV, and a Dell computer with the screen smaller than typical iPads, and those were the most advanced technology we owned.

On a special day when I was in fifth grade, we had the chance to bring our electronics to school. I remember joking about bringing my electric blender since that was the extent of the technology I personally owned. Everyone seemed to own iPod touches, Kindles, or if they were fancy, phones.

My childhood wasn’t dictated by screens. I would go outside to play on our playground, ride my bike, and when the weather was good, pull out my swimsuit and the slip and slide.

Technology still impacted my life, but it didn’t control my life. I would watch Saturday morning

Friday, January 24th, 2020

cartoons every week and play online games at PBSkids.org. But I also played board games like Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and Guess Who. Those were the epitome of my childhood.

The first real “video game” I had was a Wii. I started with just Wii Sports, Wii Fit Plus, and Wii Play.

Eventually, my collection grew to over 50 different games. That was my first interaction with “extensive” screen time.

Times have changed so much.

Now when I’m waiting in a restau-

rant, I’m searching for the wifi password rather than searching for a pen to play hangman and tic tac toe on the placemats. I rely on my phone for almost everything: alarms, planners, communication, and more.

While I most definitely rely on technology now, I remember times when screens weren’t my sole focus. My childhood was defined by a crayon and paper, a vinyl Twister mat, Rainbow Magic Fairy books, and the feeling of hose water spraying in my face.

Marisa Mendosa/PEPPERBOX

Over the course of our lifetime, technology has changed an insane amount

Decades of change: The 1920’s and now Marisa Mendosa/ PEPPERBOX

Bailey Ives Life Editor

W

ith a whole new decade on the horizon this is a chance to reinvent and improve ourselves, and that seems to be the same mentality to the 1920’s. The younger generations began to distance themselves from old traditions to make room for new ones. People began to accept more sexualities, races, and the female gender.

The 1920’s was a decade full of feminist advancements. Women began to understand and value their individuality and began to live for themselves. Flappers, for instance, wore what they wanted and did what they wanted, and they did it all for themselves.

Women wearing pants and bloomers was a common occurrence because women were more empowered from the rise in feminism.

Compared to the events of the

The 1920’s were a decade of change for women and the LGBT+ community. past decade the equality advancements of the 1920s seem miniscule.

According to Independent news on October 24th, 2016, thousands of women walked out of work at 2:48 pm to protest for equal pay with men. In the 1920s women counted for only 21% of the workforce, whereas now women count for 47%. Payscale.com states that the overall pay gap for men and wom-

en in 2019 was 79 cents to every dollar a man makes.

The LGBTQ+ community also made some progress. At balls and parties, men known as “Fairies” dressed as women. While now that isn’t really an accepted term , it was a first step. At the height of the Prohibition era, the dances attracted more than 7,000 people of all races, classes, sexualities, and

genders, and resulted in the formation of the first gay rights group in 1924.

Throughout the decade, the LGBTQ+ community fought for the rights that they deserve, and while that’s one more step, we still have much further to go. I think this decade has many more equality movements in store. On June 26th, 2015 same sex marriage was finally legalized.

The equality movements in the 1920s were just the beginning.

Newer generations are becoming more aware and accepting of those who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. People also seem to be realizing what is acceptable and what isn’t when it comes to women.

I think that even though we have had major advancements in both communities if you think about how long people have been working for equality it doesn’t seem like that much

The Saltbox Friday, January 24th, 2020

The Pepperbox | Page 31

Opinion

Things we’re salty about

speed Your New Year’s resolution won’t happen NeedJackfor Tayor Tommy Robsinsobn Resolution Skeptic

I

f you actually think you are going to follow through with your New Year’s resolution, I am sorry because you’re not. Chances are you won’t even make it through January. At the risk of generalizing, the type of person who believes they are going to follow through with their resolution is the same type of person who buys overpriced diet tea from an Instagram thirst trap.

Just because you woke up New Years Day feeling like death and have to go on a hike with your mom doesn't mean you have to start eating salad for a week. I don’t think that making resolutions is bad, but if you need the year to change in order to make a meaningful change

in your life congratulations, you have an 8 percent chance of succeeding according to Forbes. The only thing worse than asking what someone’s resolution is just so you can talk about your own is posting on social media about your resolution. If you do either of these you are dead to me.

Exercising regularly to get in better shape is the singular most common New Year’s Resolution according to Vitagene (probably a terrible source). If you fall into the trap of an unnamed local gym chain body shaming you into joining their cult after you destroy your body with cookies and the stress of acting like you actually like your family, I am sorry for you but you’re a sheep. I am a member of the local gym chain cult but I am

RESPECT YOUR RETAIL WORKERS Thalia Godinez Has a Job

D

ear Consumers, You don't have to unfold every single thing you see. We spend all day trying to make our zone look good and you wish to destroy our efforts.

I don't mind if you actually buy it, but if you and I both know you're broke, please just stop. Also, if you're heading towards the area you got something at please just put it back instead of giving it to me. Another thing I must express: none of the workers are responsible for the pricing of the products so please don't yell at me for “overpricing” things.

It's crazy how many grown people I have to pick up after because they are worse than their

3 year olds that sit in the cart. It just makes me think, what does their house look like? Working as a retail worker during the holiday you face the worst clients imaginable. The disrespect is ridiculous. I understand that you're in a rush to get all your gifts and check out but you don't have to treat people badly in the process. It is almost a daily occurence that we find some type of drug in the fitting rooms or in the bathrooms whether it be a half smoked joint or a needle with heroin. It's so fun to have to clean up after junkies, it's my favorite part of the job! Obviously, I was being sarcastic. Being a retail worker sucks and the customers are the main reason why, so to avoid being treated like dookie and being paid peanuts for it I moved to cashier where I get to see the best of our guests and not the worst.

not there to take pictures and act like I am actually doing something.

When you do make this terrible decision you will be there with the rest of the world, unable to even find a spot to workout because of all the other sad people who were subtly forced to go when they got a gym membership as a present.

Thinking you are doing something special because you are making a resolution you think is unique is just as bad as drawing in sharpie on your AF1s. I do hope if anyone is stupid enough to have a legitimate resolution they can stick with it but when it comes down to it your chances of succeeding in any of them are about as good as the chance of anything actually changing when we enter the new year of 2020.

The Oxford Comma Fiona Murphy

Only Cares About Grammar in Pepperbox he accepted gramatical format for pretty much all newspapers is AP Style. For the most part, I am extremely grateful to have such an accesible guide to all the questions that come up when editing articles.

But I have one problem. They do not use the Oxford Comma. I love the Oxford Comma. It is the one beautiful piece of punctuation and grammar I will actively fight for. It makes sense. There isn’t really a time you shouldn’t use it, but there are times you have to. So why not always use it? I hate the structure of language that is forced upon us.

I prefer to view it as fluid and everchanging and that each change is growth of new dialects and meaning. But the Oxford Comma is the one exeption, and I will fight for it.

T

D

Has Driven a Car

ear sophomore who just got their license speeding through the parking lot, Congrats, you made it. You really did. In one stupidly easy drivers test, you went from lame underclassmen who disgustingly walks everywhere to a hip, cool, and ultimately superior being who gets to drive.

Naturally, the best way to assert your dominance is to drive as fast as possible absolutely everywhere, even when you started driving without your mommy in the car 2 hours ago. Don't get me wrong.

I love going fast. Broken many a bone due to dangerous speeds on bikes, skis, and just about anything else. Give me an empty dirt road and my truck, and I'm gonna drive that thing like it's the baja 1000.

But paved roads are an entirely different beast.

You don't realize how many clueless idiots there are out there.

And honestly, you guys are probably one of those idiots. The majority of y’all who claim to be “really good drivers” who just “choose to go fast” are actually complete trash drivers who should be driving a golf cart around. And unlike the majority of the childhood dumb pursuits that many of us have enjoyed (jumping off things, crashing our bikes, etc), theres actualy some consequences to this one.

Doesn't matter how “good” you think you are, you mess up and well, you're most likely dead. Dead.

No second chance. Es Todo. I’m not saying that driving isn't really fun, and that you can't enjoy it. Please do. Just remember that it is incredibly dangerous, and that you might not be quite as good as you think you are.