The Antlerette May 12 2020 Volume 94 Issue 7
A Letter From The Editors Hannah Villarreal, Content Editor Jordan Ritchie, Editor-in-Chief Senior year has definitely not turned out as expected….as of March 7th, the Elk Grove School District effectively closed its doors due to the rapid spread of COVID-19. A few days later, a stay-at-home order was issued to the entire state of California. Now, students are forced to participate in distance learning, which is not as easy (at all) as it seems. Seniors – me – already suffer from the ‘wonderful’ senioritis that makes us want to procrastinate like it’s a paid job, and now with the structure that comes with physically going to school gone, we don’t know how to even wake up before noon and sign into classes on time. Despite senior year not going as hoped, I am grateful for the previous years I’ve spent in Antlerette to make up for the depressing end of my last year in high school. I am able to look back at my previous articles and previous potlucks, and be satisfied with my high school experience. I hope that current and future students of the Antlerette are able to feel the same as I do. (Hannah Villarreal, Senior) As a junior, I can’t even comprehend what seniors are currently feeling, but as a high school student in general, I can vouch for my upperclassmen in their struggle to maintain their sanity these last few weeks of school. However, what separates the class of 2020 from the rest of us is that while seniors will
be moving on to greater endeavors such as college or careers – which I’m sure will include their own setbacks – it is we underclassmen that will have to return to high school and face the consequences of the time we lost due to the novel Coronavirus. I can’t imagine what my senior year will look like, how it will change, and what little will stay the same. This whole situation has been so surreal that it’s hard to imagine what happens next when most of us still haven’t grasped onto what’s happening now. All we know is that the rest of our high school experience has changed in a moment. Right now, whispering in class, hanging out at lockers, and all else that we considered the “norm” are things of the past, and we’ve transitioned to online education, which is not at all like the high school experience we know and took for granted. Despite my frustrations, these current circumstances have made me cherish the times I spent at school more than I did before this all happened. I’m especially indebted to the Antlerette… without it, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to share my perspective in the first place. No matter to what extent next school year will change, I can only promise to stay strong in these troubling times and uphold the legacy of my seniors to be an inspiration for my underclassmen as they were for me. (Jordan Ritchie, Junior) Considering current events, this magazine focuses not only on the senior class of 2020, but the change that seniors (and all underclassmen) are currently facing and how they’re feeling towards it. Several writers
touch on the struggles of distance learning, the subject of students not ending their school year as planned, the uneasiness many of us are feeling throughout this pandemic, new outlets that are helping people cope with the stay-at-home order, and many other matters of importance. Though this pandemic has clearly divided the country, with the anti-lockdown protests and extremely unwarranted violence displayed against Asian-Americans, students at Elk Grove High have managed to come together in a time of crisis, disunity, and uncertainty. It will be difficult when school and life resumes to normal, but the students and staff of Elk Grove must persevere and have understanding towards others who struggle with the new dynamics of life after this pandemic. (Hannah Villarreal & Jordan Ritchie)
Class of 2020 Top 9 Academic Students Interviewed by Selena Enriquez & Dayana Ruiz DESMOND WALLACE 1. What things are you most passionate about? I am most passionate about conducting scientific research, tinkering with machinery, and working on technical projects and inventions. 2. What was your favorite class throughout high school and why? My favorite class(es) throughout high school would be Mrs. Etch’s AP Physics classes (both AP I and AP II) because she does an excellent job of making the content interesting and the content I’ve learned from those classes has become surprisingly relevant in my daily life. 3. 2020 has been pretty chaotic. What advice do you have for facing it, despite all the negativity?
My advice for facing 2020 is to not give up on your goals. If you fall down, pick yourself back up and keep going. It’s surprising just how much you can do if you’re relentless enough. 4. Considering you are among the top ten students academically, is the motivation for your high academic achievements your own? Or is it derived from the people around you, like peers, parents or others in your life? Or is it a mix of both? 5. The motivation for my high academic achievements is partially my own and partially something that was instilled in me by my parents. They made sure that I always completed my homework before anything else when I was in elementary school and offered plenty of encouragement (as did my teachers), but choosing to take lots of advanced classes was a decision I made for myself. TYRA JOSE 1. What things are you most passionate about? Overall, I’m passionate about environmental justice and social justice. It’s really insightful and humbling to just be aware of and understand different issues going on in the world. Recently, however, I’ve also found passions in cooking different things using waffle irons and reading the entirety of the Haikyuu manga. 2. What was your favorite class throughout high school and why? Japanese! It’s such a fun class and the approach to learning languages is interesting and different from how we learn other subjects. Sorry, I know I’m supposed to only do one, but I also like the social science classes. There was so much discussion and it’s nice
to hear what other people have to say. For me, I’m always absorbing what other people think and their mentalities and opinions, even if I disagree. I’m always changing my outlook to not be so biased. 3. 2020 has been pretty chaotic. What advice do you have for facing it, despite all the negativity? Try to focus on what you have and the positives. Quarantine has definitely been somber, but we as long as we’re safe, we’re very fortunate. Know that doing things like staying inside is the best that you can do for yourself and others! And finally, try to stay busy and do your favorite things, so you won’t go crazy. 4. Considering you are among the top ten students academically, is the motivation for your high academic achievements your own? Or is it derived from the people around you, like peers, parents or others in your life? Or is it a mix of both? My family is truly my foundation. Especially my parents. Their stories as immigrants inspire me and it’s amazing how they’ve always taught me to be openminded despite the challenges they’ve faced. Ever since I was young, they’ve always told me I would do great things. Yet they never forced me down a certain path, so I feel like that freedom paved the way for my own selfmotivation to flourish. The fact that my parents always had a vision for me was honestly comforting and it
really helped me to stay true to myself and trust in what I can do. I also have two sisters who are always there for me in the simplest ways, like making me laugh even though I’m drowning in homework and coffee. I just love my family so much and I want to make them happy and proud of me. And I’m really lucky to even be able to say that. KYLIE NAKAMOTO 1. What things are you most passionate about? I like to communicate and learn as much as I can about anything. Mock Trial helped me find my voice, which helped me in my mission trip to Guatemala, where I was able to use my voice and communication skills to speak Spanish and learn about Guatemalan culture. 2. What was your favorite class throughout high school and why? I really liked AP Spanish. It was nice to see the real world applications of Spanish and different Spanishspeaking cultures. I really liked AP [English] 11, when we did the American Dream essay. I learned a lot about Asian-Americans and my own culture. 3. 2020 has been pretty chaotic. What advice do you have for facing it, despite all the negativity? I think we should think about what we can change when there is so much that we can’t. Check in with your loved ones. There’s always something positive to look forward to. 4. Considering you are among the top ten students academically, is the motivation for your high academic achievements your own? Or is it derived from the people around you, like peers,
parents or others in your life? Or is it a mix of both? Mostly my own. No one is pushing me to get good grades. My parents and friends are my amazing support system. They always help me when I’m sad or feel like I can’t do anything. CHRISTINE HOPKINS 1. What things are you most passionate about? During my time at EG, I was very passionate about my mock trial team. It taught me a lot about myself, and gave me a second family. It solidified my passion for law and plan to be an attorney. 2. What was your favorite class throughout high school and why? The AP English classes because they gave me a chance to get to know people better while discussing current issues, instead of focusing primarily on work. 3. 2020 has been pretty chaotic. What advice do you have for facing it, despite all the negativity? Appreciate the people you have in your life and don’t take anything for granted. I never thought I would miss my friends and seeing my classmates and teachers as much as I do. 4. Considering you are among the top ten students academically, is the motivation for your high academic achievements your own? Or is it derived from the people around you, like peers, parents or others in your life? Or is it a mix of both? When I was younger, my parents were what pushed me to work so hard. But at this point, I push myself to work hard because I set my expectations high and always know I can do better.
BRENDAN JORDAN 1. What things are you most passionate about? I have a deep passion for cooking. There is something about making your own meals from scratch and bringing the flavor out of food that adds a special depth to it. 2. What was your favorite class throughout high school and why? I have had many good classes during high school but none of them could I relax and have fun while talking or doing my work like I could in Senior TDA. Working on graphics projects and people I was close to, making it a class I enjoyed every day. Mrs. Souliere is my favorite teacher and she supplied us with new things to do every day that kept us productive, but didn’t work us too hard. I never had a repetitive day in that class. 3. 2020 has been pretty chaotic. What advice do you have for facing it, despite all the negativity? For me, I have had to really focus on the things I care about the most. In order to stay positive, I have had to keep all the thoughts about what I’m losing out on and focus on what I’m grateful for. Picking up some form of exercise, even just going for a walk, is one of the most helpful things I have done to stay happy. 4. Considering you are among the top ten students academically, is the motivation for your high academic achievements your own? Or is it derived from the people around you, like peers, parents, or others in your life? Or is it a mix of both? My motivation comes from myself. Other people have certainly supported me in my academic career, however, my effort is self-generated.
SARAH MARTINEZ 1. What drives you to be successful in school? My family definitely serves as one of my biggest motivators. They’ve always taught me the importance of getting a good education and to appreciate the opportunities I’ve been given. The main reason I pushed myself to do my best in school was to make them proud. 2. What are your passions outside of academics? I enjoy helping out my community through various volunteer organizations like Front Street Animal Shelter. Also, I’m in ASB and I really like being a part of a committee that represents our student’s interests. It has helped me develop valuable leadership and teamwork skills. 3. What teachers have influenced you the most? Mrs. Winger has been very influential to me. She’s one of my favorite teachers and I know I could come to her for anything. Also, Mr. Benson because his government class made me realize I wanted to major in Political Science. 4. What are you looking forward to after high school? I’m most excited about going to college and everything that comes with it. I’m definitely ready for the independence and freedom. Also, the fact that I’m gonna be living and going to school right on the beach is another thing I’m really looking forward to.
KENZIE FERGUSON 1. What drives you to be successful in school? Well, I'd have to say a part of it is the college credit I get for AP classes, but I think a bigger part is that I love to learn, honestly. I take advanced classes because I want to challenge myself, because for me, challenging myself now is how I know I can be successful in college and my life beyond. 2. What are your passions outside of academics? I love theatre and dance, and I hope to be able to pursue dance more even while at college. 3. What teachers have influenced you the most? Mr. Benson, my AP Gov teacher, really showed me how to find my own opinions on issues happening today, and while not a teacher I had, Mrs. Reiswig, the librarian, helped me keep my passion of reading alive, and influenced me to read more and expand my knowledge through reading. 4. What are you looking forward to after high school? 5. I'm really looking forward to college and the freedom that comes with it. I'm excited to pursue my own interests and really develop myself as a person the way I haven't done here. I'm moving to Montana to attend MSU and I'm excited to be experiencing something new and starting a new chapter of my life. LOURD XEDRIC MIGUEL 1. What drives you to be successful in school? I enjoy learning, especially things related to math and science, and I think that's what drives me to be successful
2. What are your passions outside of academics? Outside of academics, I love to play tennis and play video games with my friends. 3. What teachers have influenced you the most? Throughout high school, the teachers that really made an impact in my education were the ones who were passionate about the subject that they were teaching. 4. What are you looking forward to after high school? After high school, I'm looking forward to attending college and I'm most excited about participating in undergrad research. CHLOE BOURNE 1. What drives you to be successful in school? My motivation for success in school is that I always want to be the best version of myself. I’m also competitive and a perfectionist, so I like getting good grades. 2. What are your passions outside of academics? My biggest passion outside of academics is art. I’ve loved being in TDA, painting, drawing, and doing photography throughout high school. 3. What teachers have influenced you the most? I have loved so many of my teachers. Some of the most influential ones have been Mr. & Mrs. Winger, Mr. Hughes, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Benson, Ms. Scidmohr, and all of my TDA teachers.
4. What are you looking forward to after high school? After high school, I’m looking forward to new experiences and fun adventures in a brand new place during college. Also, discovering what I truly want to do.
Great America Hannah Villarreal, Content Editor Something I’ve come to realize is that the media does not report events that aren’t eyecatching and incredibly dramatic. Regardless of how entertaining the public will view the story, what should matter to the media is how important the story is. On October 26th, 2019 in Santa Clara, California, chaos ensued inside Great America when screams rang out “Shooter!” Hundreds of people stampeded out of the main gate, screaming, crying, and pushing each other over. Others poured out the back gates, even climbing over fences and pulling up the bottom of the fence to crawl under. Thousands of people streamed onto the streets, running for their lives, calling 911, and their loved ones. Some people were able to get to their cars and drive away, others just kept running till their legs couldn’t anymore or until they found some place to hide and call for help. The media’s view of what happened, their completely insufficient address of this event, has been the most infuriating part of what happened. Once, in my government class--while studying how the media influences public opinion-my teacher pointed out, “If something wasn’t reported or discussed by the media, it did not happen at all.” There was almost no media coverage of what happened; the Santa Clara police simply tweeted out,“no shots fired”, and Great America decided to reopen their gates one hour later after the police cleared the area. To the media, what happened was not
important enough to be newsworthy because no one died and no one was shot. To the media, the threat of an active shooter at Great America did not happen. It happened to me. It happened to my boyfriend. It happened to my best friend. It happened to her boyfriend. We were there when screams rang out “Shooter!” and people started running and shoving. It happened to the thousands of other people who were at Great America--the adults, the children, the employees…. During the struggle to get out of Great America, our group of four was separated--I was with my boyfriend and my best friend was with hers--I remember running through bushes, feeling branches scratch my bare arms and face. My boyfriend was running behind me, and when we broke out from the bushes and into the open fence line, there were kids everywhere climbing over and crawling under the high fences. We ran to a large group of kids who had pulled up part of the fence and slid under. By then I had already gone emotionally numb and I was solely focused on getting out. I couldn’t hear anything over the screams of kids around me, but luckily my boyfriend heard my best friend screaming my name; coincidentally, she and her boyfriend were running alongside us and had gone under the fence just before us. We continued running until we reached a random store lot and found other kids hidden behind bushes. From there, we called our parents and 911, waiting to be picked up. The entire time, I was on edge and flinched at every sound. I was in shock and hadn’t even cried or processed the entire situation; only until we got into the car did I start to cry and panic. Once home, we started watching the news and reading Twitter. People were still trapped in Great America: hiding in the mazes, the food court, on the rides, and in bathrooms. We still did not know that no shots had been fired, everything was real to
us--it still is--I was terrified for those people still trapped. We waited for the news to completely turn to what was happening and keep the public informed about their loved ones, but we only saw one major news station report on it that night. The following day, there was still little talk or discussion of what happened. The Santa Clara police department issued a report that there was a strong-arm robbery that night, a fight had ensued, and that’s when someone screamed there was an active shooter. Police did not find anyone with a gunshot wound, nor did they find anyone with a gun on them, and they found no evidence that any shots were fired that night. I’ve only been able to find local news reports of the event, and I can understand that not all national-viewed news stations have the time to report on everything that happens, but it is extremely angering when the threat of an active shooter is ignored and covered up. These kinds of events should not be normalized. These should be blasted everywhere and encourage our government to act on them. I don’t understand how so many shootings--mass shootings--can happen in a year and for no action to be taken by the federal government to prevent them. There were 417 mass shootings in the United States in 2019, more days in the entire year. Yes, no shots were fired on October 26th, but this is an example of how our society has normalized gun violence. We have stopped taking action to prevent even the threat of a shooter. What is the result of our inadequate response to gun violence? As stated before, there were 417 mass shootings last year, but I didn’t mention the death toll: 463 people died in these shootings; the injury count is at least twice the amount. These premature deaths could have been prevented; they should have been. Considering current events--the COVID-19 pandemic and the discussion of reopening the economy early--I can see similarities between our actions taken against gun violence and our actions
towards preventing further spreading of COVID-19. The government is completely ignoring the fact that if the restrictions are completely lifted, hospitals will be even more overwhelmed than already are, this virus will spread even faster, and more people will die. Unmistakably, we care more about the economy and capitalism just as we care more about our 2nd amendment right to bear arms than we do protecting human life.
being said, things should not go completely back to normal because it's clear that the way we were living wasn’t cutting it. Now is the perfect time to pause, pull back, and reset our way of life. By continuing to go out unnecessarily, we will only elongate time in quarantine and worsen national conditions. However, such an extension could be avoided if citizens just follow the proper protocol. Going out for non-essential activities such as seeing friends, hanging out, and going shopping must stop because they aren’t essential activities.
http://thewellnessproject.me/positive-newsstories-from-september-to-brighten-yourweek-part-1/
Stay Home Isella Nepomuceno, Staff For the past few months, the COVID19 pandemic has been the main focus of the media. There have been constant reminders to wash your hands, cover your mouth, and most importantly, practice social distancing. Doctors across the country agree that social distancing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of the disease; by standing at least six feet apart, people can help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Despite evidence from trained medical professionals, some people are still deciding to go out and blatantly disregard CDC protocol. By doing so, they endanger not only themselves, but the lives of others as well. It's selfish for citizens to go out in the time of a global pandemic simply because they are “bored”. If we collectively followed the stay at home orders, there is a good chance that this will pass sooner and we can all go back to going out and living life as close to normal as possible. That
https://www.kait8.com/2020/04/20/cityportageville-updates-stay-at-home-order/
Animal Crossing: The Social Distance Savior Benjamin Carrillo, Staff As of March 19, 2020, the Governor of California officially put the entire state on lockdown and a stay-at-home order was issued due to COVID-19. Since then, several global events have been cancelled and life itself seems to be at a standstill. One outlet to the pandemic that has helped people satisfy their boredom and made them feel a little more secure during quarantine has been the new Nintendo game, Animal Crossing. The game itself has sold over 5 million copies and shows no sign of slowing down so far, with people buying Nintendo Switches with the sole purpose to play the game. The online features and the simplicity of just picking it up and playing has been widely praised by critics and fans alike, and the presence on social media has been
insane, with people attacking the ugly villagers and trying to befriend the cuter ones. The idea of the game is very simple. You are moving to a deserted island with two other little animal villagers and are tasked with creating your own little world for your characters to live in. While there, you have to pay off your house loans and customize your island and character to show off your skills. The game created this sense of safety throughout these troubling times. The calming nature of it all makes this game feel like everything is going to be okay in a time where everyone is so unsure of what's coming next. The year has been hard, this game gives us a little bit of optimism and a “light at the end of the tunnel� feel to it all. Although we may be in a crisis and pandemic, the game reminds us that there is always something to look forward to. Only making us more excited for when we can finally go out and experience the fresh air and outdoors once again. But until then, this game remains an outstanding distraction from this weird reality. Animal Crossing is the perfect game to be occupied by during quarantine, and coincidentally Animal Crossing was released at the perfect time. The game took 8 years total to develop and the content displays that fact. Animal Crossing was even postponed once to make sure it was perfect for the newest device, the Nintendo Switch. The accidental late release date is a blessing in disguise. The optimism this game is giving its fans is great and showing us we will all be okay.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Crossi ng:_New_Horizons
The Coronavirus Effect on Sports Greg Santos, Staff COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus, has affected our way of living in a way like never before. The normal everyday activities and daily routines we followed every single day were instantly taken away from us in a heartbeat. Just to name a few things that have incredibly changed: all school activities have been canceled, many small businesses are becoming bankrupt and closing- which means reduced income for many people, a lot of big branch businesses are releasing their employees, parks and gyms have been closed, and many more. As of April 9, 2020, US unemployment rose to 6.6 million people in one week, and 16 million in total have lost their jobs with mass layoffs occurring across the country. This global pandemic has been negatively affecting our society in millions of ways, but a huge thing that has affected me and millions of other folks is the cancellation of sports. It all started on March 11, 2020. Famous Utah Jazz Center, Rudy Gobert, was tested positive for the Coronavirus. Rudy is a 2x Defensive Player of the Year Award Winner (2018, 2019), 2x All-NBA Team (2017, 2019), and French Player of The Year Award Winner (2019), therefore he is a well-
known player in the sports world. When the news became public that he was tested positive for the Coronavirus, it was a huge shock. Within a few minutes of Gobert’s test results going viral, the NBA suspended the season. With Gobert reportedly being infected, there was an extreme possibility that other players got the virus in the past couple weeks because Rudy Gobert has been playing on the road. This is exactly what went down. One day later, Rudy’s teammate, Donovan Mitchell, was tested positive. That week, the number of cases in the NBA racked up to 13, including players like Kevin Durant and Marcus Smart. The positive Corona test of Rudy Gobert served as a tipping point as other sports organizations followed by suspending their seasons, cancelling events, and closing all arenas and sports venues. For basketball fans, everything was just starting to get interesting. March Madness was about to start and so were the NBA playoffs. As for other sports… Major League Baseball has cancelled the start of their regular season, the NFL has cancelled the draft in Las Vegas and made it online and at home instead, and the 2020 Olympics scheduled in July this year has been rescheduled to start Friday, July 23, 2021. The Coronavirus has had a clear impact on sports fans all around the world. Fans have been left depressed and attempting to find ways to entertain themselves since there are no more live sports being aired. Though I am struggling to cope with this loss, I am extremely thankful to be comfortable, living under a roof with food, and a great family. Stay safe and take the right precautions and we can get through this all together.
https://www.yourbasin.com/sports/localsports/how-is-covid-19-impacting-localsports/
Our Real Enemy: The Hand Sanitizer Yasamine Yusufzai, Copy Editor If I’m going to be really honest, I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve started social distancing with my family. Time is flying by so fast, and this whole COVID-19 pandemic is making everyone fully aware of how just one virus can impact the whole world. Attempts to curtail the virus’s spread have resulted in hand sanitizer emptying the shelves. What many people don’t realize is that this hand antiseptic may actually be doing more harm than good. For instance, the only hand sanitizers that are known to work against the coronavirus are the ones that have at least 60% alcohol in them, and that’s because the alcohol attacks and destroys the envelope protein (which is vital for the virus’s survival and multiplication) that surrounds it. Many people may not know this information and may proceed to buy non-alcohol hand sanitizers or make their own. A lot of stores are running out of them because people are buying them in bulk. Doing both these things are dangerous to your health because they don’t fight against COVID-19 at all. Nonalcoholic hand antiseptics don’t have that much proof backing up the idea that they can kill the coronavirus, and the FDA never recommends anyone to D.I.Y their hand sanitizers since they have a high chance of being made incorrectly, and can end up
irritating or burning your skin. Disinfectant sprays and wipes don’t replace hand sanitizer since their use is only for getting rid of bacteria on cleaning surfaces and not skin. Another thing that many of us may not know about hand sanitizers is that they are drugs. Poison control centers during this outbreak have received many phone calls regarding hand sanitizer, as children or pets have accidentally swallowed it. It is important to monitor any young children’s use of hand antiseptic and let it dry for at least 30 seconds on your hands so that your pet doesn’t lick any of it off. Also, please don’t put hand sanitizer anywhere near an open flame or heat source, as the alcohol in it can ignite. Triclosan is an antibacterial agent used in some hand sanitizers, and reports of it being dangerous are surfacing.1The FDA is taking another look at it due to some studies that have shown that it can disrupt the human endocrine system, it being classified as a pesticide by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and being one of the top 10 contaminants found in U.S. waterways and umbilical cord samples, and as it is a chlorophenol, it can cause cancer. Overuse of hand sanitizers could lead to the bacteria on our body becoming resistant to antibiotics. It can also kill the good bacteria on us and excessive use is very bad. Many of us are so scared of catching COVID-19 that we most likely are excessively putting it on too much. Whenever there is warm water and soap available, always wash your hands instead of opting for putting on hand sanitizer. Knowing all of this information about hand sanitizers is very important. By knowing more about disinfectants, we can get closer to getting rid of COVID-19 forever. 1https://safety.lovetoknow.com/Hand_Saniti zer_Dangers
https://www.inlander.com/spokane/youmight-be-buying-a-hand-sanitizer-that-wontwork-forcoronavirus/Content?oid=19237361
Remedy Jordan Ritchie, Editor-in-Chief I remember the moment I found out that school had been cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak. I was freezing my butt off in front of Save Mart trying to sell my last few cases of Thin Mints. I don’t remember how I found out – I think a customer mentioned something, taking note of my age and the probability that I went to school in the Elk Grove district – but I remember how I felt. I was sad and in shock because this meant that the virus had affected enough people for it to be this serious and more than that, it had a great enough impact that it had affected where I live: Elk Grove, where “nothing like that ever happens” because Elk Grove “isn’t an important enough city”. But I guess disease doesn’t discriminate. Aside from sadness and shock, I felt… relief. Maybe that sounds selfish or cruel given the current situation, but I was tired. I was overwhelmed with schoolwork and extracurriculars, I was getting mere hours of sleep a night… Senioritis hit me a year too soon. So when I heard that I wouldn’t be coming back to school after the weekend, when I realized that I could postpone my AP work for a while, when I realized that I’ve been holding my breath for
so long that I forgot what it felt like to breathe, relief was the only possible answer for how I felt. I initially didn’t know how I was going to spend my newfound free time. My goal – if you could call it that – was to decompress and unwind however I saw fit, whether it be by reading a book or watching TV, but what started out as a half-baked plan to be as lazy and carefree as possible turned into a journey of self-reflection and discovery that I had embarked on without even realizing it. The past couple years have probably been the most stressful time of my life, AKA high school. I’m supposed to be living in the moment, but thoughts of the future are lingering over my head like a storm cloud getting ready to strike lightning. In between getting good grades, thinking about college, and what happens after that, it felt like I could never get a break, and anytime I did, I guilt-tripped myself into thinking I was just wasting time when I could be working hard instead. On countless occasions, I found myself missing out on a lot of things that used to make me happy, but instead made me feel sad or guilty. I stopped eating dinner with my family and spent less time with them because that took away hours from my study time. Weekends weren’t really breaks from the week; they were just catch-up and study days. Mid-week crises became the norm and every Sunday, I found myself praying that the weekend would last just a little longer, and the next morning, I’d hope that the week would go by just a little faster. It was like playing tug-o-war with time every week; a game that I could never win and only exhausted me to the point where I just gave up on the fight completely. So I made an unconscious decision to let the struggles of life drown me and swallow me up, and I just hoped every day, I might be able to reach the surface again. During the first week of the school’s closure, I felt myself slowly swimming out of my mental abyss and the surface was just
within my reach. It was hard at first, awkward, even uncomfortable to reach my nirvana. Though I was enjoying my time away, I could still feel that little dark storm cloud hovering over me. It wasn’t until a few days later, I was sprawled out on the bed, watching a Korean drama, when my mom walked in, looked at my lazy, laid-back appearance –that would never have been seen if it was a school day– and gave a nod of approval as she said something around the lines of “It’s nice that you have all this time off. You seem happier.” Happier. Yes, I was happier in that moment than I had been in a long time. Before, my happiness came in small doses – a quick 10 minute break in between studying, the few moments before I closed my eyes to go to sleep, 4 minutes spent listening to my favorite song – fleeting and ephemeral. But in that moment, buried in the blankets, stuffing my face with junk food, watching people speak a language that I wasn’t graded on learning, happiness was just at the tips of my fingers. I didn’t have to worry about my English project due the next week, or seeing that annoying classmate that’s been giving me a headache for the past month, or waking up early every morning. I was free to do things, not because I have to, but because I want to. I’ve finished 21 K-Dramas, which probably isn’t something I should be proud of, but I am because I managed to watch over 300 hours of TV when recently I couldn’t comfortably sit through a 2-hour movie because I felt as though I was wasting time when I could have been studying. I shamed myself for living happily because I thought that if I was happy, then I must not have been productive. And if I wasn’t being productive, I must have been a failure. But in these couple months, I’ve felt more productive than I have been in a long time. As someone who is known to leave stacks of plates in the sink, never does laundry, and is a broken record when it
comes to the question, “Mom, what’s for dinner?”, it felt so good to ritually do the dishes after each meal, do the laundry regularly, and switch my wording to, “Mom, what do you want me to cook for dinner?” I read a book that wasn’t for school. I keep a virtual daily journal. I wrote a few poems. I’m officially learning Tagalog – if I’m going to be stuck in my house with my family, I might as well talk to them in both of their languages. I tried cooking some international recipes – sometimes they were successful, sometimes they weren’t – but that’s okay, because failure is irrelevant to me right now, because I can always do better tomorrow… it’s not like I’m going anywhere. I don’t wake up early anymore, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. My average bedtime is 2am, but I still do well to wake up before 11 or noon. I spend the day reading, cooking or baking, making bookmarks, or watching TV. So you could say that my lifestyle hasn't been very healthy… but I’m happy. So if we’re only talking mentally, my health is fantastic. My soul could live for hundreds of years. When I wake up in the morning, I don’t feel suffocating dread. I feel… excited. I’m excited to wake up and figure out what I’m going to do that day. Despite the fact that I don’t go anywhere, each day is a new adventure, a quest for what else will make me happier than the day before. I only hope that when this is all over and the Coronavirus has hopefully faded, I don’t have to leave behind this mentality and can keep it with me everyday. It would be a lie to say that if I could repeat time, I’d have this all happen again, because even though I’ve found a silver lining, a terrible thing still brought me here. Countless people have suffered because of the Coronavirus and that suffering will not end overnight. But we should stay optimistic, we must stay optimistic that we will prevail over this. And once we do, we shouldn’t return to the way we were before this all happened. We should be better. We
should live better. Happier. It took me an entire pandemic to learn what that meant. That having a negative mindset was also a disease. But in the middle of that pandemic, I found my cure.
https://abc7news.com/coronavirus-us-whatis-news-the/6016814/
Problems with Distance Learning Kyle Williams, Staff COVID-19 has changed the way we do a lot of things. We’re more aware of cleanliness, the things we touch, the people we’re around, we pay attention to the news more (hopefully) and overall, we’re more conscious of our surroundings. For those of us who were in school, we are no longer allowed on campus, schools have closed everywhere, and we have begun distance learning. Whether it is using Zoom, Google Classroom, or Synergy, it is all new stuff for us on how to accomplish school goals and learn new information. Some of us are actually enjoying doing work on their own time and having their own set schedule, but if you are like me, organization is one of your weaker qualities. It seems almost abnormal to miss school and want to go back solely for the organization it provides students. The main problem I have had with distance learning is time management. During school, you had an hour to just focus on the one subject at hand. Now, everything is just thrown at you all at once and expected to be finished before the due date: zero organization. You have all day to do as much
as you can, but it’s different when you are home. At school, you had minimal distractions, besides a phone. At home you, have your family, pets-if you have any, and getting distracted is a bigger risk. People are also choosing to sleep in more, cutting off more time to get things done. Another problem with distance learning is the lack of interaction with teachers. Despite teachers having office hours or emails to get in contact with them if you have any questions, it is extremely difficult to fully learn and understand a subject on your own when students don’t entirely know how to learn the material; we aren’t teachers. For example, math class used to be a class full of constant interaction, opportunities to ask questions and fully understand the material, but now, it’s a 4-5 minute video on Khan Academy. We can’t ask questions (obviously), we can’t request to explain something further, and we can’t have the teacher go over a more difficult equation-we are just given equations and told “this is what you do, hope you understand it”. After getting that off my chest, COVID-19 has given a different outlook on how to appreciate high school for once. It has shown that people actually put a lot of time into school, whether it is staff or the students who attend the school. The amount of thought teachers have to put into the lesson they are going to teach for that day and how they have to do that every day, then reteach it multiple times to different classes along with probably answering the same questions every period, and then having the patience to deal with these kids who aren’t always the best to deal with, I am impressed. It makes me have so much more respect towards these teachers.
https://theconversation.com/distancelearning-the-five-qualities-student-teachersneed-to-succeed-86550
Ignorance Phoebe Follette, Guest Writer My eyes tightly glued to a single carpet fiber. While I carefully placed myself on the heap of blue, yellow, and white sheets and blankets that my father fashioned into a makeshift bed, my eyes stayed locked on the intertwined strings. Counting each rough, tan strand lying between my feet. Being cautious not to meet his grey speckled, deep blue eyes because I knew though it was pitch black, I’d notice the permanent dark circles existing below. A cool breeze drifted in from the midnight air now offset by the heat of his intense stare. No words left his thin lips since he sluggishly welcomed me to sit on the cushion-less couch next to him. The long silence illuminated with every crack of the walls echoing around the towering hallways. I was constantly, agonizingly aware of every waking second passing due to the irritating ruby red, sparrow clock that incessantly ticked, interrupting me every time I worked up the courage to part my lips. “I’m gay.” I repeated it twice since he couldn’t comprehend the short sentence through every voice crack. Softly, the words were pushed from the pit of my stomach out into the open. I no longer heard the dog’s collar jingling as he shifted in his sleep. The wall cracks.
The blinds tapping against the window sill. The air conditioner turned on for its 1:00 am shift. Every sound turned mute. My eyes still intended on staying static on the floor. At the same time, my fists clenched with so much force, my nails left indents on my sweaty palms. All I could hear was my heart beating out of my chest. Every beat, every pump of blood through my arteries was all my ears could comprehend. Time slowed from seconds to hours as every single horrible outcome shot through my brain with every neuron fire. I wrenched my head up to meet his eyes; he now directed them at his hands. He sat hunched over rubbing his calluses. I could hear the scrapes of friction, sounding similar to the force needed to build a fire. His mouth hung slightly open as he tried to process. Every stress wrinkle he possessed levitated to the surface. While the moon lit them up with low light, my eyes traced every one, attempting to make sense of their movements. He turned his body to me accompanied by a grunt. His eyes widened and the outside corners dropped, eyebrows still slightly together. Hesitant to reply, his mouth hung open for a split second. “Has anyone tried to mess with you about it?” His voice was thick and littered with protective undertones. My whole body relaxed at the sound of his gritty voice. Realizing his first reaction was to be concerned for my safety gave me all the reassurance I needed. Everything I had assumed, when in a more tranquil state of mind, before was true. He didn’t care who I dated, his only real concern was my safety and wellbeing. Every time someone used the terms “faggot” or “dyke” to describe me jokingly ran to mind. It never occurred to me to take it seriously. I never thought they’d escalate past a joke. Before I could reply, he reminded me, we now lived in an area far more conservative than I lived in previously. He sounded as though he was trying to justify
his first reaction while he continued to speak rapidly and fidget with his hands. I was and am still aware of this reality. From that moment on, I catch myself letting go of her hand in public. The hair stands up on the back of my neck when I feel “the look.” I check behind my shoulder to make sure that person isn’t still staring. After feeling it so many times from strangers in their car, I make sure she's safe on the inside of the sidewalk. I am more conscious of the area I’m in and the people around me. I know when or when not to say anything about myself. The moment I woke up my father to come out to him, his immediate concern for my safety made me realize I could no longer be ignorant to the dangers I was faced with simply for falling in love with a girl instead of a boy.
https://givingcompass.org/pdf/improvinglgbtq-health-strategies-for-funders/
Freshman Year Reflection Ryan O’Sullivan, Staff At the beginning of the year, I wrote the article, “Freshman Year Perspective”, where I detailed the struggles and feelings I experienced following my first couple weeks of school as a freshman. I wanted to write a follow-up article that would serve as a reflection on my first year as a member of the Herd. Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, I didn’t get the stereotypical high school experience as a freshman, and have had to do online school. However, I still have made a lot of cherishable and terrible memories, and
have had a lot of experiences while still on campus. One thing I have really enjoyed about high school is the leeway given to you from an educational perspective. Due to the wide selection of courses offered, you really get the opportunity to figure out what you like and what you want to pursue. For example, if I had not taken Literary Publications, I would have never seen how much improvement in my writing and how much enjoyment can be experienced from a class centered around social interaction and writing. Another experience that was eyeopening for me was how much relationships could change in one school year. You get a chance to connect with new people, and in some cases, you may even stop talking to people you used to be really great friends with. Due to schedules changing and extra curriculars, you may find it harder to stay close with people you were close with in the past. Classes are also a lot more interesting than they were in middle school. They’re more interactive and the topics aren’t learned entirely through dull bookwork, and a shift to a more technological education, we use resources such as PowerPoint, YouTube, and Google a lot more. A couple aspects of high school that can be improved upon is the bathroom fire alarms and the online school system. The bathroom fire alarms should be a top priority for the school because they are in place to act as a deterrent and they don’t do their job. Some kids make it a goal to try to set off the alarms, which is why we should just take them out altogether. Second, in my personal opinion, online school is not treated like normal school. I think we should just have 1 to 2 assignments every day for each class. Instead, we are bombarded with a set amount of assignments due at the end of the week. I know that online school does not fall under the prototypical high school year curriculum, but I still feel like the system in place can be approved upon.
Despite the Coronavirus ruining everything, I am actually pleased looking back on my first year of high school. Most of the time, it was rough, but there were a lot of moments that will stick with me throughout my lifetime, both good and bad. I am extremely grateful for The Antlerette giving me an opportunity to write for them and I am looking forward to being an editor in the years to come. It has given me so many opportunities to express my opinion and talk about subjects I feel strongly about. Freshman year has been a compelling time in my life and I can’t wait to be a sophomore.
https://www.youniversitytv.com/collegetips/tips-to-help-you-prepare-for-freshmanyear-in-college/
IT’S OKAY TO BE SINGLE Tess Sommer, Design Manager I may sound like an old, lecturing, high school senior, but I wish to be helpful when I say this: it’s okay not to have a girlfriend/boyfriend in high school because you have the rest of your life to focus on relationships. Don’t feel pressured to be in a relationship during high school to seem cool or to seem more beautiful, because you are beautiful just the way you are and you don’t need something such as a high school relationship to determine your worth. In addition, you don’t have to have sex during high school to determine your worth. I’ve seen many high school movies and heard from actual high school kids in my personal experience that people during high
school will only want to date you if you’ve lost your virginity. Honestly, it doesn’t matter whether or not you’ve lost your virginity; you are still a special person and your virginity doesn’t determine that at all. Along with that, the notion that you have to drink alcohol, smoke, and/or do drugs during school to seem cooler is incredibly stupid and dumb. I know some people that drank due to peer pressure and were so cool during high school, but after high school, they were a total mess and a wreck afterwards. In short, their lives were ruined. The key to having a successful high school life is just by being yourself, to be honest. As well as focus on what you want to do in the future, and if you don’t know what you want to do yet, like me, then try to have fun with your friends and try to focus on school as best as you can until you do eventually figure out what you would like to do. In the end, this is my opinion and nobody has to listen to it.
https://thoughtcatalog.com/michelleerin/2017/06/relax-its-okay-to-be-single/
Your Rights in Your School Ethan Maiuro, Staff As high school students, we’ve spent over 9 years in the education system, and the extent of our authority in a school environment seems to stop at the point in which a teacher or administrator says “No”. Spending a majority of their lives in the education system, what students fail to
realize is that the Constitution knows no bounds. While the education system has succeeded in educating students, offering a variety of classes and clubs, they have failed to educate students on their rights in school. Keep in mind that the rights of students are not absolute and all depend upon context and are subjective, but numerous Supreme Court cases have laid the groundwork as to how far the Constitution extends to students. The First Amendment guarantees the “right to free speech”, and Supreme Court cases over a number of years have generally supported the extension of this right into a classroom environment. Under Tinker v. Des Moines, administrators “must be able to show that [their] action was caused by something more than a mere desire to avoid the discomfort and unpleasantness that always accompany an unpopular viewpoint." If the school can prove that one’s expressions are likely to disrupt school, lewd, promotes the illegal use of drugs or is part of the curriculum or communications sponsored by the school, they have the authority to censor it because the schools have a responsibility to protect children and the learning environment. Even gang-related apparel has been considered by the California legislature to be “hazardous to the health and safety of the school environment.” These standards, under California law, must apply to all students and teachers equally, regardless of disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or anything else outlined under Section 422.55 of the California Penal code. So the next time a student feels that their MAGA hat or LGBTQ t-shirt is being suppressed unlawfully, ask why. The distinction between personal property and school property and the extent to which the Constitution protects that property must be made if we are to look at the Fourth Amendment within a school environment. What the government considers to be a search, outlined in case law
Katz v. U.S., is “any governmental intrusion into which an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy.” What that means is that a search can only occur if the individual has exhibited privacy over something. For example, the action of one closing the zipper on their backpack would exhibit privacy over the contents of the bag, as opposed to leaving it wide open and exposing a brick of Columbian Cocaine. An expectation of privacy doesn't have to be physical either; one can simply say, “I don't want law enforcement searching my stuff.” This itself exhibits privacy, disallowing officers to search personal belongings as the individual has not consented to a search. Of course, there are exceptions: if officers have a reasonable suspicion to believe that the search of one’s belongings will disclose evidence of illegal possessions or activity. If officers notice odors, smoke, fire, and/or other threats to student health, welfare, or safety emanating from the locker, they have the authority to intervene. Luckily, at EGHS, lockers are in joint control of the student and the district, so the test of reasonability is still applicable and searches must have justification. The same also applies to your phone. If officers ask to search your phone without a warrant and don't have reasonable suspicion to search, just say “No.” The complexities of student rights go well beyond this paper, and like everything in law, are subjective. If you're looking for more information, you can go to the California Legislature or The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Additionally, if you or someone you know feels as if their rights have been violated, whether in a school environment or not, you can contact ACLU at 1 (212) 549-2500.
https://www.apalanet.org/know-your-rightsat-work.html
Is Senior Year Really That Great? Calvin Wilber, Staff Throughout my high school life, I have been fed the myth of the “Senior Slide” -not the idea that senior year will be easy and that the little schoolwork assigned is not a priority. Honestly, when I was first exposed to this idea, I bought into it without hesitation; it just made sense to me. What would be a better reward for 11 years than getting one easy year before college and adulthood? However, I soon realized that “Senior Slide” was actually the senior lie! Senior year is just as much work as any other year, in fact, maybe more! The classes are just as difficult and the workload remains similar to junior year. You’ll still have plenty of challenging work to keep you busy for most of the day. To top it off, you also have to apply to colleges, which requires you to prepare essays and sign up for websites and classes for hours; and some seniors have to manage all of this while being employed. The existence of senior ditch days have helped to perpetuate the myth of the “Senior Slide”, but most teachers will punish you for ditching their class on these days, even if you were excused. Besides, where are you going to go on a senior ditch day in Elk Grove? It’s better to stay at school and keep your grades up; which, by the way, are still as important as any other year.
The Senior Slide is as tangible and realistic as Arthur Miller’s version of the American Dream. It’s a baseless myth that only a clever and/or lazy few can get away with, and often they aren’t entirely true to the vision. The ideal Senior Slide would require a student to completely reject any thought or worry about their future and commit themselves to the chaos that is going out of their way to put in as little effort as possible. Most people aren’t willing to commit to this level of laziness and still invest in their future, which is a good idea. So for most people, senior year is just another year of struggle through the education system. Juniors will be happy to realize that senior year is not quite as strenuous as junior year. The workload may be a little slimmer for students who went through the rigors of four or five A.P. classes in their junior year. It’s possible the Senior Slide is really just the illusion that sleep-deprived juniors create and thrive on to get them through the school year. Maybe there doesn’t need to be an actual Senior Slide, there just needs to be some hope for overworked students who can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel.
https://lbhspawprint.com/7128/studentlife/warning-senior-year-is-expensive/
End of a Year Mitchell Schrader, Staff Welp, I don’t have to wake up early to go to school and now I’m saddled with less work. I am so very sad. Poor me. On
second thought, maybe I’m not so broken up about this situation. I’ve noticed that a lot of my fellow seniors are very broken up about missing the remainder of their last semester in school. This is fairly understandable, since going to school is nice for meeting up with friends and all the joys of going to a campus. The cancellation of these last few months of schooling make meeting up with friends to make memories harder. Personally, I find complaining about the whole school situation to be a bit frivolous. The quarantine’s effect on people’s ability to support themselves is much more worrisome than not going to school for a few months. Many people are losing their jobs, and their means to provide for themselves and their family. In the worst case, not going to school will prevent students from not seeing their friends and missing class credits. If people have a stable household to live in, missing a few months of school is not that harmful. I’m most irritated by those who try to get sympathy from other classes by posting how they are so sad from missing their precious last months of school and how they miss their friends as if they are the sole class experiencing this. Freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are also missing out on being with their friends. Maybe seniors should try empathizing with their underclassmen. Maybe they should try a bit of leadership. Dunno.
http://www.atrendyteacher.com/2018/05/myend-of-year-checklist.html
Sincerely, Class of 2020 Lorelai Paige, Staff The end of the school year. It doesn’t seem like it, but the end has finally come. Even though it’s been a strange second semester, I want to bring something meaningful from my quarantine to yours. Here are four lessons I’ve learned throughout high school from way back in 2016 to this year. When I first got to high school four years ago, I was under the impression that I had to make every moment memorable. Like many freshmen, my expectations were through the roof. But while writing this, I realized that I barely remember anything about my freshman year of high school. So if you’re a freshman reading this and feeling like the mistakes you’ve made will permanently mess up your entire high school experience, don’t stress. Four years from now, you’ll be just like me trying to recall your first year of high school only to come up with next to nothing. After making it through freshman year, I went into my sophomore year as a drum major in training. I was really proud of myself for making it into the leadership of the marching band, since I had wanted to be a drum major since middle school. Because of this position, I learned some of the hardest lessons I ever had to do in high school, since the leadership team I was a part of that year had a lot of problems. I, unfortunately, found myself in a group of drum majors that were pretty toxic, especially to each other. There was a ton of discussion that year on who the main drum major would be for our field show; it was between a junior girl I was friends with and a senior boy who had previously been kicked off the team. Even though the girl had been originally chosen for the role, our band staff did everything in their power to give her a smaller part in
exchange for the boy. This back and forth between them taught me that casual sexism is very much real and can ruin people’s ambitions forever. In hindsight, I wished I had stood up for my friend more, but I was afraid the staff would punish me for it. If any of you find yourself in a position where you or someone else is facing racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, or any other discrimination, do something about it! Don’t be complacent, because that’s how discrimination continues. Moving on from marching band drama and sophomore year in general, my junior year was probably the most stressful year out of the four. Pretty much every junior can relate to that statement, sadly. I had originally signed up for three AP classes: AP English 11, AP Calculus BC, and AP U.S. History, but there was a mixup in the system and I was also put into AP Physics. As much as I love the physics teacher, Ms. Etch, taking that fourth AP class really spelled my downfall. So, this next lesson is for my sophomores who may be reading this: DO NOT take classes that you cannot handle. I was too lazy to go through the process of switching out of AP Physics, but I knew it was too much work for me. If you’re signing up for your classes and thinking, “Hmmm, this might be a really stressful schedule,” then you’re probably right! There’s no shame in taking regular classes to save your sleep schedule; I’m serious. I always find myself looking far into the future, especially when I don’t like where I am in the present. From freshman year all the way through the first semester of my senior year, I could only focus on how fun and amazing senior year would be. Of course, due to current circumstances, everything I had been looking forward to for four years was cancelled. It felt like losing a friend or putting down a pet, something you love suddenly being gone just like that. From the class of 2020 to all of you, don’t count on anything. It seems bleak, but you never know when something will be taken away
from you. Nothing in the future is ever certain, so just focus on what’s going on in the present. This last semester has been weird, but the past seven have been fun regardless. We’ll miss you all, sincerely the class of 2020.
https://michelledespres.com/2020/01/01/202 0-the-year-of-clarity-pt-2-truth-andtransparency-ep-16/