April 2018
investigator
the
Vol. 27, Issue 5
Divided Diversity see pages 10-12
16 feature
a & e 17
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Green KidsNV&Sings Coupons StudentsA andStorm teachers use their academic badges in order to avoid breaking the bank Up
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discount for the Cirque du Soleil acappella composer, Diek Sheron. show, ‘Mysteré’,” Brown said. coolbeen experience. If“It’s you ahave waiting toYou see meet lot ofyou different people. a new a movie, are also in luck. In choir, it is all also about perfect Local businesses offer disvowels, but in Green NV, there’s
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By Madison Cox By Gabriella Ghasserani
pects of acapella is following the beat, which is the expertise of the vocal percussionist. The main help us out and it gives students priority in acapella is to replicate the chance to have fun.” noises of certain instruments and toTeachers help create thealso same effect spethat can receive instruments would cial discounts. Mathgive. teacher Kel“This is has my had first the year in Green ly Wagner opportuniNV but I was in an acappella ty to do so. Wagner talked about group two teacher years in middle why shefor thinks discounts school,” freshman Ava Danko are so helpful. said. “I’m excited “I use the very chance to get for 15% the off songs we areand doing this year, beat Michaels JOANN fabrics,” cause [Green is so different. Wagner said. NV] “I spend so much The sound depends on you, money on my classroom that itthe is music and vowels fall on you. If nice to save 15%, which can add you mess up slightly you could up to hundreds of dollars worth ruin an entire song.” of savings for myself and my High schools around the nakids.” tion have started contemporary acappella groups and are working to gain recognition for their talent and hard work. Most groups are self-taught, 15% meaning they have student conOFF ductors rather than teachers leading other students. Each individual singer has their own re-
sponsibility to ensure pitches do not fall flat. For most, singing is not the only benefit and reason for joining these groups. Many groups 10% are tight knit and filled with the OFF same people every year, but invite new freshmen to join their groups make memories that Deals and are also offered at a lot of last after places. high school. different “I’m excited to sing with new Subway, Burger King, andaTaco group of people and growing Bell all offer students 10%that off bond withpurchases. them. Acappella so on their Urban is Outdifferent from choir,” freshman fitters, topshop, and Charlotte Molly Martin said. “If you look at Russe also offer 10% off for those the two side-by-side, they are on showing a student ID. two completely different sides of Different discounts and barsinging. I’m excited to have those gains seem to when be offered everycool moments you are just where, from clothing stores to in sync with everyone.” world famous shows on the Las Green NV implements music Vegas Strip. into the lives of many and brings Before paying, online students together.check While a lot or of ask discounts areconofworkif isstudent required , students fered. to Youform might be surprised tinue bonds between how muchgroups that student ID could multiple and push the end up savingto youlearn this weekend. participants on their own. 9/20/16 11:23 PM
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On the Cover April 2018
Sarah Fernandez and Hailey Gross
investigator
the
Vol. 27, Issue 5
Divided Diversity see pages 10-12
The diversity of teachers becomes a growing concern around campus. Take a look inside to read the opinions of teachers and students on this topic.
in this issue This Issue news
sports
16 National Strokes Senior Victoria Navarro competes on the Mexican National swim team.
6 Across the Atlantic Students travel to Israel to compete in a safe cracking competition.
feature
arts & entertainment
23 Coffee Grind
Starbucks and Dutch Bros fight in order to determine who has the best beans.
8 Defeating Gender Norms
Two students discover the new norm is no norm.
opinion
26 Tasty Tide Pods The debate of the purpose of savory pods rises.
14 Health Habits
Students express how to live a healthy lifestyle.
31 Colorless
Students reflect on the teacher diversity on campus.
“ Alyssa Hulse
Editor’s Note
pg.
15
In this issue, we have aimed to highlight some of the more unique individuals on campus. With the year coming to an end, culminating profiles highlight talented students, full of commitment and determination as well as fun attractions, tasty food and some well thought out opinions. Our News section covered a walk out where students took action and spoke their minds to senator’s representatives. In our Feature section, we showcased students who challenged the gender norm. In our Sports section, we uncovered students who race dispite their ailments. Our Arts and Entertainment section discovered the best place to grab a cup of joe to go. As you flip through our 5th issue, we hope you acknowledge the tenacity of our staff in developing this issue. We are proud to present this issue featuring not only students, but teachers and support staff as well.
editorial
I have Cerebral Palsy, which is basically like a brain injury. There are all different kinds, I have it very, very mild. junior Bridget Dietz Shila Sherafat
Senior Raynalene Callado holds a sign during the walk out on March 14.
Sections news
4
feature
7
sports
15
photo essay
19
arts & entertainment
21
opinion
26
editorial
31
NEWS in
brief. QUOTABLE
Students walk out to make a stand By Abigail Culpepper Students took a stand on March 14, 2018, one month after the shooting that occurred at Marjory Stoneman-Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida in February. Over a hundred
What is your opinion of March 14?
Students
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It was really nice to see how students actually spoke out against something they believed in. freshman Iliana Rios
“
It was really powerful and I’m really appreciative that Mr. Roberts and the rest of the administrative team put it together.” junior Anthony Winchell
“I liked the assembly because it gave us an opportunity to have our voices be heard by representatives. Especially since you can’t really call their offices because it doesn’t have the same effect,” junior Anthony Winchell said. Although changes have notbeen seen yet, students are still hopeful. “I’d like to add that whether or not we have the same views, we should be respectful of what other people think and we shouldn’t bring other people down if they have different views than us,” Moore said.
Former Principal Jeff Horn returns By Erinn Veach
On Feb. 28, former Principal Jeff Horn responded to letters from Viviana Garner’s English 11 classes in room 505 on issues that students wanted. Students were assigned the project of writing a letter on a topic they felt needed to be addressed, including dress code, bullying and school safety. Horn was initially planning on writing back to students, but decided it would be more benificial to come speak to the students in person instead.
Erinn Veach
Junior Tighe Galvin and former principal Jeff Horn converse during Horn’s visit on Feb. 28.
“Your voice, whether you are a student or a parent or a collegue, has the right to be heard
at every level of government,” Horn said. “So keep using that voice and all of its power.”
Speech and Debate wins County for the 24th year
“
By Anastasia Koulich
It was cool how representatives from Dean Heller and Catherine Cortez Mastro, came out to listen to us.” senior Joey Hughes
Staff
The Clark County Speech and Debate tournament took place at Foothill High School, running from March 1-3, ending with the team taking home the 1st place trophy.
It was an oppournunity that doesn’t normally exsist. It’s the step we needed to take to start the conversation about school safety.” social studies teacher Demetrious Beam
Coaches chose four people per event to compete in the first of the selective tournaments for the year which lead to the national qualifying tournament, making for a strenuous and highly competitive three days for students involved.
Preparation done by the team involved hours reviewing new arguments and material. “It’s the most important tournament for our team because we have a 24-year streak of winning it,” senior Alexandria Fincher said.
since it is my senior year and my last prom,” senior Tara Okui said. “I am excited for the dance because I heard Dragon Ridge Country Club is a nice place and I am excited to go with my friends.” Nominations for Prom King and
Queen are done through clubs and activities. Winners will be announced on April 7, 2018.
A Night In Athens prom debuts By Sydney Lum
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students stood up and walked out of their third period class for 17 minutes to remember the 17 students and staff that lost their lives on Feb. 14, 2018. “I want to show my view because a lot of us have the same view. We all want change. We all want something to change so we can feel safe in school,” sophomore Samantha Moore said. An assembly was held for students to have their voices heard. Kent Roberts brought in representatives from senators’ offices to ensure that Nevada’s senators heard the voices of the students.
Prom will be held on April 7, 2018, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Dragon Ridge Country Club. Tickets will be sold at the door for $35 for one person and $70 for a couple. Prom has a Greecian theme called, “A Night In Athens.” “I am excited. It will be fun
Prom court nominees pose for a photo on March 23.
news 05
Gator program calls for funding in D.C. By Anastasia Koulich The motto, “Commitment to Excellence” stretches beyond Henderson all the way to Washington, D.C. where on Feb. 13, Special Education teacher Rebecca Schultz stood facing Capitol Hill ready with student Grayson and his family. The group was scheduled to speak before the Senators of Nevada, Dean Heller and Catherine Cortez Masto, in support of funding for Special Olympics, a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to experience the joy of sport.
like to participate in “ISpecial Olympics because it helps my friends and I.
“
Grayson Guild
Schultz is the first teacher that Special Olympics has taken. Parents have typically been flown to Washington D.C. with students
who have disabilities and it has been very focused on the community side, but now the organization is transitioning its focus on high schoolers. “Since Special Olympics is a non-profit, we ask for money from the government, and because the President just released his budget for the next fiscal year, we went to ask for Senator support in helping approve the appropriations bill for Special Olympics,” Schultz said. It is difficult for doctors to fully grasp and comprehend the disabilities that the 100 kids on campus and around the community live with. The whole point is to get funding to train doctors to understand them, and they are crucial components, as they are the ones saving kids’ lives. “We asked for $12.08 million for unified sports which is what impacts Green Valley and other schools. And then $7.2 million for Healthy Athletes,” Schultz said. The kids are never left without a support system. “I like to participate in Spe-
courtesy of Rebecca Schultz
caption thing Grayson Guild (left) and Rebecca Schultz (right) with the CEO of Special Olympics, Mary Davis on Feb. 13.
cial Olympics because it helps my friends and I,” student Grayson Guild said. “I also get to go through the hallways and high five people and shake their hand.” Ultimately, Special Olympics produces the right set of circumstances for a child, and adults of all ages, to bloom and develop. It transforms lives beyond compre-
hension and produces smiles that stretch from ear to ear. “The biggest thing I pulled away from this trip is that within eight hours I saw my student grow so much. I couldn’t ever have done that in a classroom,” Schultz said. “So by giving my student that opportunity, it was the best thing ever.”
Students initiate greener alternative IB and S.O.L. club students met on Feb. 21 on campus to participate in a waste audit to help determine how to create a more effective trash disposal system. The purpose of a waste audit is to provide a breakdown of a locations trash, meaning it helps to separate materials and identify which recyclables are being mistakenly thrown out. The implementation of these audits helps to point out efficiency and success levels of being environmentally responsible and economically successful. “We all share the earth, we need to strive to improve it. In the audit there were so many unopened, uneaten items thrown away,” junior Jourdin Wilson said. Many schools across the nation have taken a stand to improve their environment for stu-
dents through emerging as green schools. “We could definitely improve our efforts by starting an environmental preservation club or a new recycling program. A campus being clean helps to establish a civilized learning environment,” junior Kevin Leong said.
all share the earth, we “We need to strive to improve
how much recycling the campus throws away,” Assistant Principal Ray Ortiz said. Students have made efforts to separate recycling from classroom trash cans. A few others offered to collect extra food items that were not eaten and take them to shelters and other organizations for them to use. “We are trying to work on a sys-
tem to separate what is thrown away so students realize the difference in things like waste and compost,” junior Sruthi Srinivas said. “It isn’t the most pressing matter in the world today, but it is something that needs to be addressed as a priority. People need to have their own initiative to recognize what’s going on.”
Alyssa Hulse
it.
Jourdin Wilson
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By Madison Cox
Not only will that improve the overall health of students, but will teach early on how vital it is to be responsible and resourceful. “The goal was to decide how much waste we could divert from placing in landfills, the percentage of organic waste and
Students audit trash in the cafeteria on Feb. 21.
April 2018
06 news
Robotics travels overseas for competition Traveling overseas, senior Scott Mai along with juniors Surya Suvari and Michael Goldstein are attending an international safe-cracking competition in Israel from March 15-25. At the competition they will compete against schools from around the world and crack each other’s safes based on two riddles. “This is great experience. Getting to go to Israel, seeing biblical locations and the competition. We’ve been working on our safe for a few months now and we think it will do well,” Goldstein said. The scores are based on the safe fitting the guidelines for creating it, how well they present their safe, how well it works and how hard it is for another team to solve in 10 minutes. In order to make their safe the best it can be, the team has prepared for long hours everyday. “We just have to add some finishing touches, add a theme and make our safe look nice and then hopefully we will be ready. Since me and this group of people are interested in physics, we all worked together to make this happen,” Suvari said. The last time the physics team went to an international competition was three years ago, and they
have not competed since then. This small group of students decided to start the physics team back up again. “I am expecting for us to do very well in the competition. Last time we went, Green Valley took 10th in the world, so I am expecting us to do just as well and hopefully better. This year we have a really good design and a really good puzzle,” science teacher John Agan said. Throughout this 12 day trip, the physics team will compete in the four-day competition that includes attending seminars, touring research facilities, learning what students are doing in college level physics classes, and competing against other schools
“They are going to get
to see that everything throughout their entire high school career can be used in real life. John Agan
“
By Victoria Rodriguez
across the globe the crack their safes. “This is really a once in a lifetime opportunity. They are going to get to see that everything throughout their entire high
school career can be used in real life. It is going to take their eyes to a whole new world of possibilities they never thought possible, getting to be a part of this global community,” Agan said. These students want to show people that the science department is just as excellent as any other club on campus, and want to show the world they are just as committed as any other school out there. Winning an international competition will give these students an excellent amount of credibility and will help them prepare for their future career choices. “I am planning to go into medicine and so physics is a major concept that you use in life. It’s a day to day application and so this competition shows that you know how to apply physics to your day
Hailey Gross
Senior Scott Mai configures parts of a safe on March 13.
to day life, which is what you need to be successful,” Suvari said. Aside from the competition, they will get to explore different parts of Israel tourist sights and get a better idea of their culture. They will be going to The Gardens of Hoffa, parts of the Old City of Dursilm and more. “This is really going to be an eye opening experience, giving them a chance to see how big our world is, yet how small it is at the same time,” Agan said.
New advisor takes over Student Council By Brynne Hilton After being Student Council advisor for seven years, English teacher Viviana Garner will resign as advisor at the end of the 2017-18 school year with Social Studies teacher Scott Otter taking the position. “We saw him come to an assembly with a bright, sparkly jacket and a gator hat, that’s when we realized he would be an excellent advisor,” Garner said. Otter has been working with Student Council since the winter assembly. He has been a judge in boy band and has helped them with assemblies. After working at the boy band assembly the coun-
The InvestiGator t GVHS
cil saw how Otter fits the character traits for being an advisor, they asked him and he immediately jumped on board. “I believe they do a lot for the school and I want to be a part of a great program and make it even better,” Otter said. With Otter working with the council since December, the students are comfortable with him and are excited to see what he brings to the table. The vibe that students get from Otter is enthusiastic and spirited, which are necessary. “He is going to bring a different feel to the council and I can not wait to see what he is going to do,” junior Dalen Lutes said.
Now only teaching English, Garner plans on using her new free time to focus on herself and relax. She wants to do yoga more than once a week, finish her list of books that she wants to read and spend more time with her husband. “It’s going to be a huge adjustment for me,” Garner said. “But I’ve been wanting to just be an English teacher for a while now.” The job description for an advisor includes approving the students ideas. They do not plan assemblies or pick the theme for dances, they guide the students in the right direction. “Student Council is a student run class; all of our kids have ex-
cellent ideas and they will make the job easier,” Otter said. On Feb. 23, 2018, Student Council and Otter helped with the Stranger Sadies assembly. He helped with mic checks and met with them prior to the assembly to make sure everything would run smoothly. “They know what they’re doing,” Otter said. “They know how it is supposed to run and they did just that.” Otter will now guide the students in creating all the student activities for the upcoming year. “He gets the students going with spirit, he is full of Gator pride which is what we need from an advisor,” Garner said.
feature 07
friends
Not so By Skylar Jones When thinking of house pets, images of dogs, cats and fish come to mind for most, but not for everyone; many students boast more exotic animals, such as a bearded dragon, tortoise or ducks. One’s assumption may be that it could be difficult to buy such unique pets, but acquiring an out-of-the ordinary pet can be as typical as a purchase from a pet store or gift from a friend. “One of my mom’s friends was moving and she couldn’t keep
Peaches and Cream waddle through owner Scott Mai’s yard.
[the bearded dragon] with her. She offered it to us because we’ve always liked fun pets. So, we just took it,” senior Lana Benson said. On the other hand, the unusual pet can come in a more unusual way, such as through the mail. Although this sounds bizarre, it is as easy as ordering online. “I wanted ducks for a long time and I had found out that you could get them online,” senior Scott Mai said. “We got them from a farm in California and they shipped them over as ducklings in a box. We just got them at the post office.” Having a different type of pet can also mean having to deal with the law. There are many strides made to make sure these animals are safe and comfortable.
“Before you can adopt a desert tortoise, you have to have someone from the state come to your house and make sure that there’s proper living conditions for the tortoise because it’s endangered,” sophomore Ruby Burch said. Pets that most other people will never have the joy of owning are commonly thought of as difficult to care for, but that is not always the case. In fact, the process can be strikingly similar to the more tame cat or dog. “You have to clean up after [the ducks] a lot - cleaning the messes they make, changing their
courtesy of Scott Mai
water bowls, feeding them. They like having a swimming pool, so we have a kiddy pool that we have to change every few days. When it’s really hot or cold we have to take them inside and keep them in a cage,” Mai said. Occasionally, though, the pet can be quite troublesome, such as with a desert tortoise. It may seem counterintuitive that the stereotypically lazy tortoise would be a more involved pet, but Burch attests to it. “[The tortoise] is spoiled, he only eats certain foods,” Burch said. “We were supposed to feed him the turtle food, but after awhile he started eating rose petals, lettuce and grass. Now, he’s become so spoiled that he’ll come up to the door and hit himself
against it until we bring him a tray of nice veggies and greens.” However, there can be some unique characteristics than most average pet owners would never see. Most pets eat bagged kibble, but pets, like the bearded dragon, have to be served creepy crawlies. “[The bearded dragon is] different because we have to buy certain foods for it. Most of the time we give it kale and other vegetables, but we also give it cockroaches and mealworms. It’s weird to think about how we always keep those in our house,” Benson said. Other than diet, unique characteristics make supervision a requirement in order for the pet to remain happy and healthy. “With normal pets, it’s like ‘here’s your food, here’s your love, bye,’ but with a tortoise you have to keep an eye on him cause you never know if they’re gonna flip themselves over or barge into your house to eat all your cucumbers,” Burch said. Even though these animals are incredibly different than most house pets, they can still interact and act like the usual dog or cat. “He acts like any other pet, which seems weird, but he cuddles and likes to walk around with the dogs,” Benson said. Many pet owners claim that their pet has a strong personality
“
of their own and this is also the case for the more exotic animal. “You wouldn’t expect a duck to have a personality, but they definitely have their own personalities. The males are very affectionate, but also very protective. If it’s egg-laying season for the female, he’ll chase you around. It’s funny to watch,” Mai said. Although owning a less common pet can be cool, there are some struggles financially. “One cockroach costs two dollars and he eats ten of them a week, so it’s a bit of a struggle with the cost,” Benson said. Other struggles can include the pet’s pickiness about the care they receive, but this can be seen in cats and dogs as well. “He’s very high maintenance, which is weird because you’d think he wouldn’t even notice us, but he always wakes up at a certain time in the morning to wait at the door for food. He only eats off a certain green plate and he won’t eat on any other color plate. He also won’t let anyone pick him up and he’ll put his head in the dirt and blow it. He’s obnoxious sometimes, but I love him,” Burch said. Despite any negatives, the positives seem to outweigh. “I think quacks are the best sound a pet could ever make,” Mai said.
He acts like any other pet, which seems weird, but he cuddles and likes to walk around with the dogs. Lana Benson
courtesy of Lana Benson
Zor relaxes on his owner Lana Benson’s couch.
April 2018
08 feature
Transgender
By Kaeli Britt
Brynne Hilton
Senior Lauren Manner (left) and junior Jared Poe (right) pose during a photoshoot on March 7.
The InvestiGator t GVHS
Throughout the month of December, the Clark County School District CCSD had five meetings in regards to the creation of a policy dealing with transgender students and bathrooms on school campuses. As a result of these meetings, a Gender Diverse Working Group was formed and is composed of family representatives, members of the community and students and staff from schools in CCSD to learn from other districts what restroom policy works best for transgender students. In addition to creating a policy that is meant to protect transgender students inside bathrooms, the Gender Diverse Working Group has drafted a series of possible recommendations that they have made based on observations from across the nation. Such recommendations include allowing transgender students to have their preferred names on unofficial documents including picture IDs, class rosters, yearbooks, etc. rather than their birth names. Looking to be included in the final CCSD policy also, is ensuring that transgender students have the right to use the restroom of the gender that they identify with, not the gender they were assigned at birth. “Schools should allow transgender kids to just use their preferred bathrooms. Everyone is just trying to use the bathroom let them. Kids should also be able to put their [preferred] name in the system as a nickname at the very least,” junior Jared Poe said. “I have not been able to put in my name in as a nickname, so I have to sit through the pain of hearing my birth name every time a substitute teacher takes role.” Introducing a gender neutral bathroom would be part of the solution in how to accommodate for transgender students in restrooms. By placing this kind of bathroom among the bathrooms that are already established allows anyone to use the bathroom
Today
that feels comfortable with using it since it acknowledges the needs of people with both male and female characteristics. “In regards to the bathroom
“Once you go start hormone therapy, depending on what you want, insurance and how much money you have, you can start getting surgeries. After surgeries you can do whatever you want.
“
Lauren Manner
policy, the creation of a gender neutral bathroom is an option. It would be an addition to the other standard bathrooms we have now. Overall, though, I think people should just be able to use whatever bathroom they want to use, no one wants to just hang out in there for fun, everyone just wants to get in and get out to carry on with the rest of their day,” senior Lauren Manner said. Aside from finding a bathroom policy that is in favor of transgender students, schools can do more to ensure that those students feel welcomed. Not all of their parents are as supporting and caring as they could be towards transgender kids, so this support from teachers, counselors and advisors may be the only positive reaction they might have gotten after telling people that they were transgender - not straight. “[Parents who do not support their kids] breaks my heart. Unfortunately, I do have friends who are not able to come out to their parents in the fear of being kicked out of their houses and ridiculed. Their lives should not be pushed aside just because they are viewed as ‘different.’ My parents are very supportive, they just have a difficult time with the new name, but they are making an effort and are learning,” Poe said.
Creating a safe and comfortable learning environment for all students is the main goal that all schools across the country have, so this goal should not waver when mentioning transgender students alongside others. “[Having unsupportive parents] makes me want to adopt kids and give them everything, if I had the money and was out of high school,” Manner said. “My mom is completely supportive.” For the most part, transgender students are treated equally by their peers. “To those who are afraid, just wait until you’re ready. For me, I’m not fully ready to be out, especially physically,” Manner said. In the draft, the Gender Diverse Working Group also included that the classroom will be a place of support for all students, including those with diverse gender identities and the discrimination or segregation of those students will not be tolerated. “[At school] not a lot of people can tell I am androgynous and that is okay, I do look decently feminine. However, it is a bit painful to be misgendered, but I just fight through it,” Poe said. “I would rather save the long conversation of explaining my sexu-
feature 09
ality to other people. My friends know and that is all that matters.” Because there are different transitions, each process is different. “My biggest struggle was trying to figure out what I identify as. I have gone through all the ins and outs of figuring myself out, but once I finally realized what androgyny was, everything just clicked for me,” Poe said. Each of these processes are dependent upon what you identify as and which gender you are transitioning to become. “The transition process is different for each person,” Manner said. “You go to therapy, a psychiatrist. This would then lead you to getting a referral for hormone replacement therapy. Once you start hormone replacement, therapy depending on what you want, insurance and how much money you have, you can start getting surgeries. After surgeries you can do whatever you want.” Some kids do not even have to go through a formal transition process, necessarily, depending on their gender identity. “I do not necessarily have a transition stage since I am androgynous [have both male and female characteristics], it all de-
pends on my style of dress and makeup. My parents were confused at first, but I explained that I was similar to Prince and David Bowie. It started making sense to them from there,” Poe said. “My transition process mainly consists of finding clothes I enjoy both masculine and feminine.” In today’s society, people tend to be more open-minded towards others who identify with other sexual orientations besides straight opposed to 50 years ago when being gay was extremely looked down upon, not to mention being transgender. “I have had quite a few people come up to me and tell me that what I feel about myself and my identity is wrong, but it is not my problem that they do not accept me,” Poe said. “I just get try to that negativity out of my life.” Once one realizes what they identify as and understands what that means, the process starts. “Back in middle school, I knew my body wasn’t my body, but up until sophomore year, I didn’t know what being transgender was,” Manner said. “Once I did, I was like ‘whoa, I know what this means,’ so I looked into it and found the meaning of being genderqueer.”
pbs.org Kaeli Britt
April 2018
10 feature
The true colors of
Diversity
“I remember going to interviews and I was the darkest dude in the room, which is not uncommon. One interview I went to was very unique where the principal was African American, his staff was very diverse and then he had parents, and students and teachers in the room,” assistant principal Ray Ortiz said. “There was a young lady with a headdress in the room and another kid who was a Sikh and I was like ‘holy smokes.’ It was like an afterschool special, it was so diverse.” This is Ortiz’s recollection of a distinctive interview he had while on track to obtain a dean position. His experience is perhaps reflective of many teachers of color in CCSD. As per the District 20162017 accountability reports, 60.7 percent of students in CCSD are non-white while the percentage of Caucasian licensed personnel stands at 72.2 percent. This lack in diversity has profound impacts of students of color. “I don’t want to speak in general terms, but I do know a good handful of students including myself who do feel uncomfortable at times because there aren’t other around to relate to,” senior Chyna Germany said. Similarly to CCSD, the school’s teacher diversity does not reflect its student population. The
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school has 66 percent of students who are non-white per the last accountability report released in 2015-2016. In a survey taken by the licensed personnel at the school, there were 101 responses out of 117 total personnel. According to this survey, 79 percent of the licensed personnel identified as Caucasian which includes the Middle Eastern category since the CCSD accountability reports categorize it under this section. The low percentage of diverse teachers in the school and CCSD in general is not an anomaly. These problems exist nationwide. In a 2011-2012 study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, there were 82 percent of teachers who were Caucasian while the number of students who fell under this category was 51 percent. The lack of diversity for some seems to come from the candidate pool that applies for teaching positions as well. “One, I don’t think we have a large, diverse clientele going into the teacher profession. When we interview for candidates, I know I don’t see a wide variety of people applying,” Ortiz said. Roberts also agreed that this was a big factor in the lack of diversity in many schools. Due to the minimal amount of diverse applicants entering the field, the school and its administrators are
then forced to make the decision that is best for everyone. “From my perspective that is always something I am looking to do, is increase the diversity of the staff, but here’s what happens sometimes, is you have an opening for English, math, whatever, and sometimes you 20 applicants for one job and sometimes you get two,” Robert said. “For example, math and science, there are not a lot of math and science teachers roaming around out there so
“One, I don’t think we have a large, diverse clientele going into the teacher profession. Kent Roberts
“
By Sarah Fernandez and Shila Sherafat
the competition for those teachers is fierce and they can kind of pick and choose where they want to go. Sometimes you have two candidates and one is a white guy and the other is a white girl and I got to fill the position now or we will start the school year with a long-term sub or no one and then we are going to have to put 48 of you in a classroom. Those are the decisions that we have to make so sometimes it comes down to just not having those people in the candidate pool.” Because the pool is indeed so
small, once a qualified minority candidate applies or is available for a teaching position, they seem to be valuable in more ways than one. “Everyone is looking for a qualified candidate in the field, regardless of whether they are White, Hispanic, African American or whatever, but when you do, somebody that is amazing and would be a good role model for other minorities, the competition for them is fierce and they can pick wherever they want to go,” Roberts said. “It really comes down to a supply and demand issue, when the demand is so great for those qualified minority applicants, it’s almost like they are interviewing you sometimes, like, ‘tell me why I should come to Green Valley?’ but then they look at the picture on the wall and they go ‘the staff, none of those people look like me, and I want to be comfortable and around someone like me,’ just like we all do.” Thus, there are many factors that come along in the deliberation process of hiring a candidate for a teaching position. “In the back of your mind you’re thinking, do I want that person because they’re milk chocolate, or butter pecan, or do you want the person who is the greatest teacher? Ultimately I think you take the best teacher that we can,” Ortiz said.
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The situation of a lackluster candidate pool is inverted when it comes to administration positions, according to Ortiz. “I went to 13 interviews before I became a dean. When this assistant principal job opened up, I think Mr. Roberts said there were almost 100 people applying,” Ortiz said. In order to encourage diversity, CCSD has a designated office in order to encourage teachers to be diverse in their lessons. “If you’re teaching a lesson you don’t always use a boy’s name, like Billy has 2 apples, you have to give Sally 2 apples, and you have to give Ahmed 2 apples and you have to give Jose 2 apples every now and then,” Ortiz said. Despite this initiative, the implementation in schools does not reside beyond the initial workshops provided to teachers.
“Then you have the joy that a child in your class looks at the powerpoint and says ‘hey, that looks like my dad.’
“
Alejandra Rossignoli
“There doesn’t seem to be a follow up besides site visits where they would come to your campus and see if the posters are diverse or if there are some celebrations of cultures on campus,” Ortiz said. Many agree that teacher diversity is an inherently important thing that not only helps students and the community in grand ways, but in minute, everyday ways as well. “I think teachers that are diverse can bring other things to the class. It happened to me, for example, I have to make powerpoints for my kids and look for cliparts and it’s so hard. For example, you want a picture of a family and you just type in ‘family’ to the internet and everything you get is white families, you actually have to type ‘Hispanic families’ or ‘African American families’ to get something different in the search,” Spanish teacher Alejandra Rossignoli said. “So it’s really hard to find those materi-
Sarah Fernandez
Teacher statistics were collected through a teacher survey distributed to all of the licensed personnel on campus at an afterschool meeting on March 7, 2018. We obtained 101 responses from a total of 117 staff members. Student statistics were obtained from the latest 2015-2016 school accountability report. als, and when you find them and you use them in your powerpoint, then you have the joy that a child in your class looks at the powerpoint and says ‘hey, that looks like my dad.’ I had it happen in my room and I was so surprised how much that meant for that student.”
Similar to this experience, senior Isabella Galvez-Lopez recalled a time where representation in the classroom affected her in a positive fashion. “Well to me, since I’m latina I don’t really see a lot of Colombians around me, so when I saw that my Spanish teacher was Co-
lombian it made me feel happy,” Galvez-Lopez said. “It felt really comforting to have someone who comes from the same country as my family teaching me, so I can imagine how students of color must feel not having a lot of teachers similar to them.” Germany agreed with this
12 feature sentiment, having said she only had one Hispanic and one Asian teacher throughout her four years at school not including substitutes. Galvez-Lopez similarly had less than a handful of teachers of color during her time at school, having only had one teacher of color besides her Spanish teachers. On the other hand, some students believe the school is already diverse as it currently is and that diversity extends far beyond racial or ethnic barriers. “There’s many different ethnicities of teachers at our school,” senior Jesse Watson said. “I don’t really think [teacher diversity matters], as long as the teacher shows their support towards the students and help them achieve their goal, race shouldn’t be a
barrier between education and their future.” Likewise, senior Jevon Johnson also believes the teaching staff is diverse, although he would like to see some changes. “Well, to truly be diverse, I would like to see a little more African American teachers to be honest. As of right now, not having much representation of Black teachers is just one of those things, but that’s something that I’d like to see more,” Johnson said. “I think it’s important because you don’t see too much of that. Besides, who wouldn’t want a black teacher? I feel like that would be pretty cool in my opinion.” In accordance to the lack of diversity in CCSD and in school in general, Roberts believes there
are some dangers that come with this situation. “When you only have one kind of viewpoint represented, it leads to groupthink. If everyone has the same background, then you never get that other perspective,” Roberts said. “[Finding diversity] is harder to do than it should be. I don’t think that’s getting better. I’m not seeing more minority candidates and I was hoping that as I went through my professional career, that I would see greater diversity in the candidate field.” Although there is a history of a lack of diversity at the school according to Ortiz, there are external circumstances that need to be taken into account. This being said, in the hiring process there are a plethora of factors in play. “I do think there are some
outside influences, I think some people’s comfort levels maybe interviewing or hiring people on staff,” Ortiz said. “I am pretty color blind myself, I don’t care what flavor people are but I do recognize the need for diversity and it is in the back of my mind.” Overall, for some teachers, their experience has taught them that diversity is in fact important for their student’s daily education. “Teachers are here with these kids every single day and they set an example for the kids,” Rossignoli said. “I think it is really important that the kids can relate to the teachers and if the teachers look like them or are closer to their culture or respect their culture, then the kids are going to feel better.
information gathered from a survey of 101 teachers. Shila Sherafat
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C C
ustodial
are Custodian Juan Angulo fills a hot pressure washer after school on Mar. 12.
Hannah Serquina
There is a variety of people who work towards maintaining a high quality school. Nevertheless, a particular group of contributors seem to be overlooked for their craft, the support staff. Not only do they take care of the students, but they ensure the entirety of the campus is in tip-top shape. The support staff shows warm congeniality and makes efforts to protect the well-being of the school through cleanliness and repair. Juan Angulo is the head of the custodians and explained the daily tasks all of the support staff has to do. “We pretty much do everything. We pressure wash and gum scrape. The morning crew cleans windows and the football field. My night crew cleans the gym. They prepare for basketball, wrestling and volleyball,”Angulo said. The amount of work hours for custodians varies upon the school event. Multiple custodians contribute to the cleanliness of the school no matter how early they arrive or how late they stay. “At night there are about six custodians working, but seven if you are including me. During the day, there is three. We get here at two and we stay until ten o’clock. We work eight hours,” Angulo said. “For banquets, it is not that long. We go home at our regular time. When football sea-
son comes around, we come in at three and leave at eleven. Still eight hours but we have to downshift our hours.” The labor of a custodian is far from easy. The amount of areas they need to maintain and what they need to maintain is immense. There are certain places and occasions, which require more work than others do. “The lunchroom bathrooms, vacuuming, and dumping the trash take the longest. Let’s say I am in charge of the 900s, I have all the classrooms in that hall, bathrooms in the corridor hallway and the library,” Angulo said. Additionally, custodians clean up messes most would not dare to go near. “I would say throw up and human waste is the worst thing I have ever had to clean. Throw up happens once in a while, but in the boys bathroom cleaning up human waste is an everyday thing,” Angulo said. “What happens is the toilet overflows and then they throw too much toilet paper in it and don’t flush it”. Angulo is a former Gator who believes that the school feels more like a home than a job. “My experience has been really good, this is my crib. This is where I live now. Everyone here is nice to me and I just like it here,” Angulo said. Angulo acknowledges the respectful students, but notes that
there are some who lack that courtesy. The students who stick out are the ones who make an effort to clean up or just make conversation with him. “Some of them are respectful. Others, not so much. Some can be very rude, and throw trash in front of you and I do not like that.
“It is important to keep
schools clean because it is healthy for the students and others around. Kyle Bynum
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By Hannah Serquina
The good ones are the ones who know me, pick the trash up for me and ask me how I am doing. I really like that,” Angulo said. With this in mind, Angulo wants students to realize the purpose of a custodian and the impact of letting them know when something needs to be cleaned. “We are always here to keep the school clean and I want people to realize it. If they see something like a kid throwing up, just let us know right away so we can clean it,” Angulo said. Of course, there are other custodians besides Angulo who wish for students to keep schools clean. Kyle Bynum, another custodian, enjoys his job and the
school he works at. Bynum hopes for students to see the benefits of a tidy school. “I have been working here for four years now. I started here because I like the school and I like to be around kids. I also like the work and it has good pay. It is important to keep schools clean because it is healthy for the students and others around,” Bynum said. Bynum’s life outside of school is at the very least dull. Family is also a factor in his life that he deems significant. He specifically shows deep appreciation for his father and the support he has gotten from him. “My life outside of school is very adventurous. My hobbies are riding my bike, going to the lake and being with family. My dad is definitely the most influential person in my life. He is just been my biggest support system for sure,” Bynum said. Bynum not only believes that students should take part in cleaning up around the school, he also emphasizes the importance of simply learning in school and reaching one’s goals. “I think that school is very important because it teaches you how to learn and if you are not focusing on school, then you’re not going to learn everything else. If I could give students life advice I would tell them to never stop reaching [for] their goals,” Bynum said.
April 2018
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Healthy living A journey to becoming healthy can be very complicated if you do not know where to begin. Living a healthy lifestyle means following a nutritional diet and exercising in addition to staying mentally healthy. It is important to keep up with all of these factors since they are facets in trying to live a significantly better life. There are various kinds of tutorials, books and videos that can help you begin your journey to a healthy lifestyle. Just getting started is only half the battle in this world where procrastination has become the norm. First, one must find out what ones main obstacles are. One should find out if one has high blood pressure, if one is lethargic, if one needs to gain weight, if one needs to lose weight, etc. Basically, one must find out what pertains to oneself in regards to where one stand in one’s health and learn what it is that one needs to accomplish. One can write it down, if that helps. For example, one might write down every food item they eat while they are monitoring their calorie intake per day. Another person might write down how many sets of a specific exercise one would do each week with the hand weights while measuring their improvement of endurance. The key to becoming healthy is knowing which direction one wants to go in. After all, if one enjoys the methods one practices to stay in shape, one will most likely continue it. Regularity is the recipe for success. Adapting to exercising on a regular basis is going to help one stick to a schedule. Running is great exercise for a cardio workout, but if one is not fond of it, one should start off with jogging or walking. “The first thing I would tell students who want to get more active or fit is there is no secret,
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it takes hard work and being consistent with it. It also makes it a little easier to start being more physically active when you have a buddy to do it with you,” senior Seth Arvidson said. Sticking to a routine is going to help someone in the long run rather than burning oneself out and never going back to it again. On days when one is not feeling motivated to work out, it is best to remember why one wanted to begin being physically in shape again which usually helps. According to VeganBits.com,
Brynne Hilton
“It takes hard work and
being consistent with it. It makes it a little easier to start being more physically active when you have a buddy to do it with you. Seth Arvidson
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By Nora-Jo Paramo
people between the ages of 16-24 are the highest age group in the demographic of vegans. Veganism is a lifestyle that many dedicate their life to live by for a various amount of reasons, especially due to the health benefits one can attain from it. Just because it takes effort to become and stay vegan, it does not mean one is not enjoying oneself. “The thing I live by is 80% diet, 20% exercise,” sophomore Natalee Amhaz said. “You cannot outwork a bad diet so what I do is try to go out as much as possible and do fun activities; I like walking the most. I do not necessarily do hardcore gym work; I just mainly focus on my diet to make sure my body is happy with what I am putting inside of it.” Mental health can help onemaintain a proper course of action. Now the proper course of action can be learned from a teacher, a health instructor, a
Senior Seth Arvidson flexes during a photoshoot on Mar. 21.
parent, or someone who has researched and followed a proven method that has given them the results you strive for. In other words, do not be afraid to seek out the knowledge of others. Having low self-esteem could just give way to one having a bad lifestyle. Dealing with lack of confidence can set one back in life and it can be fixed if they receive the help they need. Mental health is crucial to how one lives and many take their mental health for granted. In dealing with mental illnesses, do not be afraid to seek help by talking to close family and friends, teachers, counselors and/or psychiatrists. Remember, it is never good to bottle emotions up because it will take a toll on onself, which is unhealthy for ones mental well-being and, thus ones physical health. An uphill battle that many face is having people with unhealthy habits involved in their personal lives. The healthiest people are those who have personal relationships with others who are also living healthy lifestyles and have a positive impact on those that
they are involved with. Try influencing people to make healthy changes in their lifestyles, like inviting them to go on walks or plan to eat nutritious meals together. Be sure the people involved with your life bring positivity. Being healthy does not mean one has to make drastic changes to ones life. Being healthy can mean to just make a few adjustments. For example, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, eating vegtables as snacks instead of junk food or taking mental health days instead of wearing yourself out. There is no shame to the choices one makes to improve ones life, whether they are large or small, what is important is that one is happy and content. A crucial thing to remember when someone is on their journey to becoming healthy is that not everything someone recommends will work for them. If something in particular does not work out, one must not be afraid to try something else because everyone is different and everyone has their own preferences on which methods they like.
odds
the
Racing
By Erinn Veach
Erinn Veach
Nothing has stopped junior Bridget Dietz in pursuing her long time love of track. She has been participating since middle school, but last year she joined the track team. Competing in 100m and 200m races, a wheelchair has not stopped her from giving her all. “She was doing track before she even came to high school. She wanted to be part of a team so she joined track last year,” track coach Vanessa Pike said. Dietz has a form of Cerebral Palsy, a brain injury or malformation that affects motor skills and coordination. It can affect one or multiple body parts and affects how the individual controls their muscles. Major cases result in complete immobility, but she has a moderate type, allowing her ample range and control of movement. “I have Cerebral Palsy, which is basically like a brain injury,” Dietz said. “There are all different kinds, I have it very, very mild. Some people have it where they can’t walk or they can’t talk, but I can do both those things.” When Dietz was in middle school, staff noticed she had an interest in track and helped her get started. They gave her all the tools to begin and supported her as she learned. “I started track when I was about twelve, in 7th grade. The school district has a bunch of adaptive P.E. teachers and they saw that I was kind of into it, so they gave me a chair to use and then I started going out and doing it on my own,” Dietz said. Although she has not competed yet with the track team, she plans to this year with the rest of the athletes. She has been preparing since track started on Feb. 26 to participate at her first meet. “She says she has some major goals, so I am excited to see what those are,” Pike said. “I hope we can increase her time this season and I hope she can place. There are athletes at other schools who are also wheelchair athletes. It would be nice to get them to some
type of region championships. I am excited to see her improve.” Dietz trains with the rest of the students in track during practice. Coach Pike enjoys learning how to work with her. “Working with Bridget is great. It is a new challenge and I accept it,” Pike said. “It is like working with any other athlete. She has to do everything that the others do. She has to come to practice, she gets tired, she has to warm up and she comes on the bus with us. Nothing changes.” There is no modification for when she competes at meets either. She mainly partakes in the
“
Track’s fun. It gives me something to do rather than sit, so I like that. Bridget Dietz
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against
100m dash, and occasionally will race in the 200m. Some safety precautions are made though, both for herself and the other runners due to her wide wheelchair and its sharp wheels. “During practice and meets she is on the outside lanes so there is no interference. She is in lane 8, then 7 is left open so she has plenty of room and so it is
Junior Bridget Dietz warms up on the track before practice.
feature 15
they don’t fall off or get caught in the spokes, and that takes a while to do,” Pike said. “Opening doors and picking things up off the ground and stuff like that are the challenges in a normal day, but I don’t really notice my wheelchair anymore because it has always been a part of me.” Many misconceptions made about her also frustrate her. People judge at first glance, and a bulk of these hasty assumptions are wrong. She is as intellectually adept as her classmates despite their judgements. “It is frustrating because people think I’m stupid, they think I am mentally disabled, but I’m not,” Dietz said. Despite these setbacks, she receives encouragement from everyone around her. “The team interacts with her beautifully,” Pike said. “They applaud her when she is racing and they give her high fives. The team has a lot of acceptance.” Racing and seeing improvements within herself over the years makes it worth it for Dietz. She enjoys the sport and the way it gives her something to do with her time. “Track’s fun. It gives me something to do rather than sit, so I like that,” Dietz said. “I have definitely become a better athlete. I get a little faster every year.”
Alyssa Hulse
April 2018
16 sports
Sarah Fernandez
Navarro’s National splash By Sarah Fernandez Victoria Navarro has not only accomplished the feat of making it onto the Mexican National swim team, but she is now currently on track to qualify for the Central American games which will be held in Barranquilla, Colombia starting on July 19, 2018. Navarro is hoping to qualify for the Games in Tijuana, Mexico in the beginning of April for the relay team by making the cuts for the 100m freestyle and the 200m freestyle. “The sports federation called me and told me if I can make a certain time in the 100 free then I have a spot on the relay for sure for the Central American Games,” Navarro said. “It is going to be kind of rough because I’m not a sprinter and the 100 free is a sprint event so we will see how it is, I am okay I just have to focus more on it.” To prepare, Navarro has been focusing more on specialized and unique training for her body and her style in order to improve and make the cuts necessary for her hopeful qualification. “I’m turning on the switch. I’m still trying to train for my
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distance events but lately I have been doing more resistance works. We have been using a lot more tools to get that sprint going,” Navarro said. “We use this thing called a parachute and it is like a belt that you put on and you do explosive work while you are pulling a parachute. It slows you down so much especially when you’re doing butterfly, but it helps so much. You’re kind of dying but it’s fine.” To get to this position, it has been quite a journey for Navarro. She started swimming for the Mexican National team two years ago and was selected to be on the Mexican Selective team last year right at the end of the school year. Despite some initial shock, Navarro prevailed and her time on the National team has allotted for a lot of growth as both a swimmer and a person. “I loved being on the Mexican National team, everyone is older and I’m the youngest one but everyone is so welcoming and so motivational. They have all gone through so much with swimming so they have really good advice, they are just really fun people too,” Navarro said. “A lot of them have actually gone to the Olym-
pics so I’m hanging out with people who are Olympians. It is kind of mind blowing because when you’re hanging out with them and relaxing before the meet they are just like normal, everyday people that are just there to swim and have fun.” Navarro has also officially committed to the University of Arizona for swim. For her, it was love at first sight. “I went to something called Junior day, it is not a recruiting trip because you have to pay but once you are on the campus they show you the campus, there’s meetings with the coaches. The campus was so beautiful, just walking on it I was like ‘is this what it feels like to have your wedding dress?’ I was like, ‘this is the campus for me,’ like I know inside that’s where I wanted to go. The team was people who I knew I would get along with,” Navarro said. For those who are close to her like her brother who is now her teammate as well, Navarro’s accomplishments come as no surprise. “Well anyone can learn to swim, but to swim fast is by passion, and Vicky has a lot of it so that’s why I think she goes fast,”
sophomore Andrew Navarro said. They both now swim on the National Team together and it has greatly improved their relationship. “It feels cool, like we are getting faster and it is cool to be at meets with her, I feel like I’m connected with her way more,” A. Navarro said. “We do fight but I know she cares about me, but she’s a good role model teaching me how to stand up for myself and to be myself.”
Records Broken Mexican Olympic National Record Age group 15-16
100 Butterfly 1.02.01 mins Mexican Categorical Record Age group 15-16
200 Free
2.03.35 mins
sports 17
MARCH MADNESS M
arch Madness is the biggest NCAA men’s college basketball tournament in the country. Sixty-eight college teams will play for the championship title. The teams are chosen on “Selection Sunday,” on Sunday, March 11. A committee will decide on the teams by observations, discussions with coaches, directors of athletics and reviewing data. People who watch the tournament can view it through NCAA live, on television and other mobile device apps. This event allows people to place bets through making brackets. Most people set out to guess the final four for said brackets. Exciting as that sounds, chances of winning the bets are extremely low. “Every year my family and I make a bracket and see who wins out of the four of us. It is always
fun to see who will guess it right and see whose teams go where in the tournament, ” junior Carson Martinez said. The first game will be held on Tuesday, March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio and the championship game will be in San Antonio, Texas on Monday, April, 2, 2018. During this time period, people make brackets that show where they think each team will end up. Duke, North Carolina, Michigan State, Arizona, Villanova and Kansas are some of the top teams to go far in this highly competitive tournament. Sophomore Kayden Jackson is a Blue Devils fan himself and wants Duke to win this year. “I think Duke has a real chance of winning the tournament. Seeing as they always do well in these types of games, I think coaching is a big part in how well Duke does and how they play together,” Jackson said.
What most audiences and fans like is the thrill of not knowing who is going to win. One second, a person could have everything line up in their bracket and their team looking to get in the Final Four and the next second their bracket is a failure and their team
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Every year my family and I make a bracket and see who wins out of the four of us. It is always fun to see who will guess it right. Carson Martinez
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By Gabriella Ghasserani
is done. “Usually there is a dominate team that looks like the clear winner, but I think it is anyone's game this year,” Martinez said. “ Usually there is an underdog and I hope there is one this year
so I think not having a dominate team will make this event more exciting to watch as the teams compete.” Geometry teacher Steven Reeves is usually a fan of the average teams himself, like Gonzaga, Boise State or Reno. He has been enjoying this event for the past 40 years. “I saw my first college game in 1978. I got to see Larry Bird play Mike Glenn and I was hooked because I saw two of the best players in history play each other live which was fun,” Reeves said. One of his top favorite teams, Gonzaga, made it in the final four last year. Gonzaga faced North Carolina for the championship title and North Carolina won with a score of 71-65. This has fans in question wondering how Gonzaga will play this year and if North Carolina will come back and make it in the Final Four to win it all again.
April 2018
18 sports
TAKING THE BOARD TO THE SLOPES
W
hen people think of the desert, they think of heat and sand. However, a less common sport is starting to gain popularity in the dry city of Las Vegas and that is snowboarding. The winter-themed activity has been around for years. Generally popular among teens and young adults, snowboarding gets the adrenaline rushing through their veins. This is not typical in the Valley since a sport that needs snow in order to be enjoyed seems unpractical. “Snowboarding is very energetic and it’s really exciting,” junior Max Salerno said. “It’s something unique since we don’t get snow or anything like that down here.” Starting when he was in middle school, Salerno saw snowboarding just as a fun activity and something to pass the time.
After years of this thrill-ride, he decided to do much more. “I looked at it as if it was just another winter thing everyone does,” Salerno said. “After a while, I really enjoyed it and decided to turn it into a sport.” Snowboarding consists of various moves that can take years to master. Moves such as the halfpipe, the fakie, poptart are all just some of what the snowboarders perform. “I really like the switch-stance,” Salerno said. “It’s when you reverse your whole board while you keep moving. It is not as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot of practice.” Motivation is the key to success. For Salerno, his motivation comes from within and his own personal drive. “A lot of people have their own motivation. It can be for their parent or something like that,” Salerno said. “But for me, I just want to get better and see where
“Everyone should try it at
least once in their lifetime. It is definitely worth the time and the energy. Mackenzie Campbell
“
By Meka’la Parker
this takes me.” Salerno is taking the sport to the next level of competitiveness. Even though they are not taking it to the level Salerno is, juniors Jaime Lopez and Mackenzie Campbell are taking the time to enjoy snowboarding. “Sometimes when my friends and I go to Mount Charleston, we get competitive but it just makes it more fun for us,” Lopez said. “We turn it into a race and just see who can get to the bottom.” Open from the beginning of December to the end of March,
Mount Charleston has several locations for the people to enjoy such as Lee Canyon. This is the most popular spot for skiers and snowboarders. “It’s the go-to spot since it has a lot of snow and a lot of trails to go to,” Salerno said. “You never truly know where you are going.” Teachers have been taking in the fun as well. Physics teacher and advisor of the Outdoor Explorations Club, Jolie Glaser has been snowboarding for years. “I started in my twenties and the thrill of such an adrenalinerushing sport is amazing,” Glaser said. Each sport has their own fans. When it comes to snowboarding, its crowd is slowly gaining. Not only is it just a winter activity, it is the rush that many people seek. “Everyone should try it at least once in their lifetime. It’s definitely worth the time and the energy,” Campbell said.
Me’kala Parker
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information found on facts.net
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STRANGER SADIES
Dance team strikes a pose during the Sadies assembly on Feb. 23.
Senior Alexis Perez performs with Polynesian Club. Brynne Hilton Hailey Gross
Senior girl band dances to Get Your Head in the Game.
Brynne Hilton Brynne Hilton
Math teacher Theresa Hayter participates in a waffle eating contest.
April 2018
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Courtesy of Casey Gehlken
Hailey Gross Courtesy of Adrian Montaro
Channeling Yourself By Maycee Labo It is not rare to come across a student on campus with a passion for photography, cooking or hiking. However, there are a few students on campus that have some unconventional hobbies, like YouTube. YouTube is a social media outlet that many use in order to express themselves and teach others. Senior Maeline Jimenez, a makeup artist, typically produces content that involves her doing makeup tutorials, trying on clothes from a certain brand, or getting ready for the day. In addition to this, she also plans on creating vlogs and challenge videos on her channel. When she is not editing videos for YouTube, she does others’ makeup by appointment. “When I was little, I would always mess around with makeup, and I wasn’t that good, but I kept messing around with it and got good at it,” Jimenez said. Although most of YouTubers with large platforms get their money from ads, Jimenez is still able to make money because of the amount of views she gets on her videos. “I don’t think I’ll stop [Youtube] soon, [and] I want to keep
making videos in the future,” Jimenez said. Continuing to create content while balancing school, work and other extracurricular activities, all at once can be difficult. Jimenez also has ads on her videos, providing more money on top of the money she already makes because of the views she gets on her videos. Jimenez uploads to YouTube every other week. The process from filming to uploading to YouTube can take hours depending on the content. For Jimenez, just one video can take up to two days to produce. “You have to film, and that takes hours. Then you have to edit and upload which can take forever, which is why I try and work on it every weekend,” said Jimenez. Junior Casey Gehlken, another YouTuber at the school, makes vlogs with her friends. The group got their inspiration from Emma Chamberlain, a YouTuber who also vlogs. “My friends and I would always take videos of the stuff we would do throughout the day, so we thought, ‘Why not make a YouTube channel?’” Gehlken said. There is a whole community behind YouTube, just as there is for any other hobby. For many,
YouTube acts as a positive outlet where you can share your experiences and thoughts with others. “Everything is so fun, and it’s all just real things that happen,” Gehlken said. “My friends and I did the Spicy Noodle Challenge, and we could not stop laughing.” Lastly, junior Adrian Montaro, is one unique YouTuber who, films himself hunting and fishing with friends, family and even some of his 60,000 subscribers on his channel SinCityOutdoors. Because of the size of his YouTube channel, Montaro has had the opportunity to meet other YouTubers. “I’ve been able to collab with other YouTubers from other hunting and fishing channels,” Montaro said. “I’ve been able to talk and meet a lot of other YouTubers,” It is rather easy for opportunities to come flooding in once you have become immersed in the YouTube community. Some of these opportunities include traveling, and other job opportunities, like acting. “I’ve learned so much since I’ve started, I’ve had the opportunity
to travel more, it’s just a lot more than YouTube,” Montaro said. Creating a YouTube channel is not always easy. Unfortunately, YouTubers often have to read hateful remarks left in the comment section. As a result of this online hate, it can be hard for students to muster up the courage to start their own channel. “A lot of my friends and family would always tell me to start a YouTube channel, and I always wanted to, but I was just scared of what other people would think and if they would judge me,” Jimenez said. Haters are a real issue that almost everyone has to deal with on the internet, and unfortunately, YouTube is notorious for hate. “I’m sure that my friends and I get hate, or judged because of our YouTube channel, but I don’t care, [because] they don’t say it to my face,” Gehlken said. Hate comments typically bash on the YouTuber, or the content they are producing, and can be one of the most toxic things that a YouTuber has to deal with. “[If you’re struggling to make a YouTube channel] just do it, it’s fun even if you don’t make money. Who cares if people think it’s stupid? It gives you something to do and it’s fun.” Gehlken said.
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“Wakanda Forever!” Critics are raving over the revolutionary, black excellence film, “Black Panther.” The film follows T’Challa after the death of his father. Prince T’Challa returns home to the African nation of Wakanda to take his place as king. When an enemy reappears, T’Challa’s strength as king and as Black Panther is tested when he is drawn into a conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of the “Black Panther” to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people. The film has blown up box offices by taking $277.5 million in its first days domestically, according to Collider.com. The success of the movie is more than just the numbers. Not only has “Black Panther” blown up the box office but it has created a pathway for better representation for black actors, actresses, and people of color. This revolution has allowed for black empowerment and strength within its community. Brooklyn Darmody, president of Black Student Union on campus, notes that “Black Panther” paves the way for African Americans in the cinema industry. Darmody expands on the lack of representation for all people of color. Also, the narrative that black people can only play roles in which they have to fight for their freedom has changed.
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“The movie gives black people representation within Hollywood and the movie industry. There is a definite lack of people of color in general, especially African Americans. To have an African American be a superhero and have a role that’s not having them fight for their freedom is very impactful,” Darmody said. Senior Jevon Johnson has high hopes for the future due to “Black Panther.” As society moves forward, he hopes for more opportunities in the Black community. Specifically, for Black artists to be able to enhance their representation. “I feel like some people should take this as an open opportunity. An opportunity to make great African movies. I feel like we need more of those because it’s a tough time for Black people. But if we prevail in the industries of music, songwriting and screen playing it puts a good rep on us,” Johnson said. “Black Panther” captures Black excellence, which is someone or something that portrays great qualities and ability to make the Black community proud. In the movie, Africa is depicted as a country that is technologically superior. This is due to their access to the strongest material in the world, vibranium. Vibranium enhances the cities of Wakanda and is the material that the city runs on. The movie enhances the country in order for the audience to see that Black people can essentially do anything. “Picturing an African country as not ‘third world,’ and being
technologically superior to any other country in the world is important in showcasing Black excellence; essentially showing that Black people can be smart. Black people can be high achieving. Black people can be technological. African countries aren’t just third world,” Darmody said. “Black Panther” attacks the misconception that Africa is just third world. Darmody denounces that through the film, audiences are allowed to see that the country and its people can achieve anything. The film reinvents the
“I feel like some people-
should take this as an oppurtunity to make great African Movies. Jevon Johnson
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By Hannah Serquina
Nicholas Horrilleno
thought that only White people can achieve greatness. The message of the film shows that the greatest of all things can be found in the places that one would not even think to look. “Black people can be just as smart and just as thriving as White people and White countries. Wakanda is like paradise. Like when you picture paradise like utopias and stuff like that, you don’t think of Black people. But this movie shows that the smartest countries in the world is Black and it’s in Africa. A place where you would least expect something like that to be,” Dar-
mody said. Darmody acknowledges that Black Panther is significant in paving the way for black women. Black women are acknowledged throughout this film as powerful and intelligent characters. The stereotypes of Black women are taken apart within this movie in order to showcase the Black excellence within them. “I think that society tends to stereotype Black women as being angry and violent. Wakanda and, “Black Panther: takes [that stereotype] and spins that around. Through the character Shuri’ Black women are intelligent and lively people. Through Black Panther’s guard, Okoye, Black women are shown as warriors, strong and capable of doing anything. They are the strongest women. They are the most able women in all of Wakanda. I think that helps to dismiss the stereotypes that Black women can only be violent or ghetto or ratchet,” Darmody said. As we look into the future, young African children now have a hero on the movie screen that they can call their own. T’Challa has now paved the way for black generations to embrace who they are and come to know that the possibilities for them are endless. “I’m really excited for Halloween now. I’m excited to see all the Black Panther costumes and all the young African American kids dressing up as either the warriors or Shuri or T’Challa, and Killmonger. I’m so excited to see how they embrace it,” Darmody said.
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Cup of joe showdown By Hailey Gross Everyone has their go to variety of coffee, whether it be a Keruig cup prepared at home or a stop by the corner cafe before school or work. There is long lived debate though on who really provides the most tasty, energy-boosting brew. Afterall, the options are endless with a coffee house on nearky every corner. The real battle is between U.S. favorites Starbucks and Dutch Bros to settle who provides the best morning fix of essential caffeine. Starbucks has been one of few coffee companies around for more than 40 years. Founded in 1971, Starbucks has opened more than 26,000 locations in the United States alone. Being a household name comes with great responsibility, but Starbucks manages to keep their well-maintained reputation. Starbucks has an advantage over other coffee shops. Every location has a sitting area for customers to relax. “Every time I go to Starbucks It’s a great experience. I love the fact that I can stay for as long as I want and do homework and study for tests. It’s just a really peaceful environment,” junior McKenzie Mitchell said. Blended frozen drinks are the way to go. A blended java chip Frappuccino always hits the spot. White mocha sauce and java chips mixed with a combination of original coffee, whole milk and ice mix are blended to make the perfect drink. “I’ve gotten everything off of
the Starbucks menu. For first timers, I recommend getting something non coffee based like a crème Frappuccino,” senior Holly Richardson said. Dutch Bros is also a wellknown drive-thru chain of coffee shops. Compared to Starbucks, Dutch Bros only has around 280 locations across the west coast, but plans on expanding in the near future. Drink connoisseurs who are looking for bright
drinks with a side of fun should invest their time in taking a trip to Dutch Bros. “It’s impossible to go to Dutch Bros and not feel great afterwards,” junior Meia Stuart said. As mentioned, customer satisfaction is important to every business nowadays. Baristas employed at Dutch Bros always ensure a positive interaction with customers. “My favorite drink is a Christmas morning with the works,”
Stuart said. “It’s Oregon chai tea, a robust blend of organic chai and other spices, with white chocolate flavoring and half and half to make it extra creamy.” Drinks are always made to your liking no matter what you are craving. Dutch Bros has categories for their drinks to make it easier for their customers to decide. Although Dutch Bros has over 100 drinks to choose from, the process can be overwhelm-
other hand makes it harder,” junior Morgan Stricklin said. Many regulars who enjoy coffee cannot consume dairy products. The Dutch Bros menu has many additional options such as their rebel drinks, which is their signature flavored energy drink. Another smash hit is the Dutch sodas, which come in as many flavor combinations one can possibly imagine. On top of all this greatness, Dutch Bros has a secret menu. A secret menu creates a more exciting experience for those thrill seekers who look for a drink typically outside the box. “The best experience I’ve ever had at Dutch Bros was in the morning on my way to work. I already had a rough morning and they could visibly see that I was upset. The girl working the drivethru window really cheered me up and that's why I continue to go back,” Stricklin said. Many would recommend taking a nice 15 minute drive to Tropicana and Eastern for a good Hailey Gross ing. From mochas and lattes, time. to tea and hot chocolate, everyWhile Starbucks has more one will walk away with a smile. than one location, Dutch Bros Without a doubt, the best drink really makes it work. At times, at Dutch Bros is a raspberry trufthe line for the drive thru and fle iced mocha. A blend of origiwalk up can get backed up, but nal coffee with chocolate milk, remember good things come for instead of cream, and a splash those who wait. of white chocolate and raspberry Dutch Bros is the overall winflavoring make up this wonderful ner of this coffee challenge due drink. to their tasty drinks, amazing “I can’t consume milk so services skills and loyalty to their Dutch Bros makes it easier to customers. Out with the old and pick a drink. Starbucks on the in with the new.
April 2018
2280 S Jones Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89146
(702) 948-4999 Reiki Treatments Chakra Balancing Vibroacoustic Sound Therapy Crystal Healing
a&e
Spring Break in Sin City
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In a city full of gambling, nightlife, and fine dining what do teens do for fun? By Sydney Lum
Hiking at Red Rock Spring break is a time to make great memories. Although most people think about leaving to visit another city during break, there are exciting things to do right here in Las Vegas. When it comes to Vegas, there is every-
thing from fun hiking, to crazy shows. “I plan on hiking at Red Rock with my friends. I am excited because it seems like it will be a fun thing to do,” junior Gwyneth Miller said.
New York, New York
junior Mason Mellor said. Going to the New York, New York occasion to ride the roller coaster there is a must. The coaster costs $15 and $7 for a second time riding the roller coaster, but the tickets must be purchased together. In addition to this, there is an all-day pass for the roller coaster which costs $26. There is so much excitement in seeing all the city lights in different directions.
Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil shows are always a great time to spend one’s vacation. “‘Beatles Love’ was super fun. I have a friend who was formally in the Love show when he was younger and so we went,” senior Madison Heiny said. “I love the Beatles, so it was really cool to see it live in action and it tells the story of how their band came to
be.” The “Beatles Love” show by Cirque du Soleil takes place at the Mirage. The show starts at $79. Cirque du Soleil has other amazing shows in Las Vegas such as ‘Mystère’ at Treasure Island starting at $75, ‘O’ at Bellagio starting at $107, ‘KÀ’ at MGM Grand starting at $75, and so much more.
Downtown Las Vegas If one is looking for cool pictures to take and an exciting adventure to go on, then visit Downtown Las Vegas. It has art murals, the Fremont Street Experience, zip lining, and cool neon lights. Fremont Street includes live music and it also has specific times where pre-recorded music is played with a video
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playing on the curved, overhead ceiling. Staying in Las Vegas for spring break can be beneficial because there is so much to do. It is an eventful town that does not fail one’s expectations to have a good time. People from all over the world come to Las Vegas; it is a destination in our backyard.
Maycee Labo Maycee Labo
“‘Beatles Love’ is very
entertaining and it will be a hit, especially for music lovers. Madison Heiny
Maycee Labo
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There are many things one can do whether it be going to the Las Vegas Strip, or going to Downtown Las Vegas. The Strip has the whole world within a few miles, offering places such as Paris, New York, Egypt, Rome, Italy, and an island full of pirates. “The New York, New York rollercoaster is a must do activity. It is one of the most fun things in Las Vegas, it is thrill seeking, and it gets your heart pumping,”
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By Jenna Ricciardi Tide Pods are traditionally used as an effortless way to add detergent to an everyday load of laundry. This ultra-concentrated substance is often mistaken as only a way to gently clean clothes. What some may not know is that the possibilities are endless when it comes to this detergent pack. Tide Pods have an intense multi-colored packaging and have a candy-like resemblance. They were first introduced to the game in 2012 as a convenient way to do laundry - just throw one in all your worries will wash away. Recently, memes and challenges with this forbidden fruit have been all the craze. The videos and pictures that are circulating all over social media are
showing kids and teens biting, or pretending to bite, into the detergent packets. YouTube gave the Tide Pod community backlash and flagged all videos having to do with the challenge. YouTube called this behavior “dangerous” and “a violation of our policies.” The pod goers were enraged and overlooked the negative feedback from YouTube, preceding to indulge in the fruit-like snack. Tide Pods consist of flavors such as April Fresh, Spring Meadow, Coral Blast and the fan favorite, Original Scent. “Where do I begin? The words Tide Pods just make me feel this warm fuzzy feeling in my heart,” junior Raul Gomez said. These soap nuggets make the perfect snack that’s easy and accessible. The list of recipes for
Tide Pods goes on and on. Add a flavorful zing to any dish and your tastebuds will thank you. Bakeries and bars are replicating Tide Pods and turning them into everyday foods. For instance, Hurts Donut Company, with shops located primarily in the Midwest, created an iced donut featuring bright orange and blue swirls that mimic the design of the detergent pod. Vinnie’s Pizzeria of Brooklyn, New York, created a blue mozzarella and cheddar cheese square pizza to replicate the magnificent Tide Pod. “I wake up sometimes at 3 A.M. craving the delicious forbidden fruit,” Gomez said. Many are opposed to the Tide Pod rage, and assume that this trend is alarming and toxic. Several retailers including Walmart,
Walgreens and many more have locked up Tide Pods in plastic blocks or behind glass doors according to Mashable. Reports of pod theft has increased ever since the Tide movement has taken off. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is pleading to the public to not eat laundry pods. If they did not want us to indulge in this magnificent treat, why would they give it such a joyful appearance? The Tide Pod’s sweet aroma and tantalizing look is a snack just waiting to be eaten. The forbidden snack looks delicious, but should be handled with great care. All jokes aside, the health risks of eating a detergent pod can be detrimental to the human body, for we are not a washing machine.
Snapchat update a true failure By Abby Culpepper Good morning to everyone except the idiotic people who developed the Snapchat update. We are yet again faced with a major first world problem, the Snapchat update. In this time of drastic change, we must come together to fight for what we believe in, the old Snapchat layout. Watching stories is difficult, avoiding bitmoji is difficult, keeping streaks is difficult, and scariest of all, sliding into DM’s just became that much harder. The update made it a tad more time consuming for people to view stories from when that one friend opened a book and found another inspirational quote. The update combined the regular chat page and the story page into one giant, horrendous mess. But don’t completely lose it and throw a brand new rose gold IPhone across the room, the pain and anguish is being heard.
One Twitter user has contacted Snapchat attempting to return Snapchat to its former glory, when users could easily post their daily Fortnite wins and their endless gym selfies. Bitmoji. The people get it. Creating cartoon versions of themselves is all the rage. This isn’t 2001 though, and people aren’t as cool as Lizzie Mcguire. For those still pushing off creating a bitmoji and haven’t come face to face with the terrifyingly bad update, well they’re in for a treat . The update pushed bitmoji on its users more than Trump pushed for his wall. Everywhere Snapchatters click, they see bitmoji. There are
bitmojis on the filters, there are bitmojis on the sticker pages, they’re everywhere. Remember that time cute Jared from Palo left all the girls on read seven months ago? Well, although no one really understands why the new algorithm was necessary, it now shows the last time users chatted or snapped whenever said person posts on their story and it’s viewed. So as hard as everyone has been trying to avoid the utterly painful reminder of the time they took a chance and got denied, it can’t be done now. Either that or follow the crowd and head over to Instagram stories. Some may be thinking “But I thought we hated Instagram sto-
ries?” Well times have changed and now everyone, even that one girl who ranted about them on twitter for five straight days, loves them. Those who could honestly not care less about the update are ecstatic right now, they don’t have to see Karen’s acai bowl on both Snapchat and Instagram stories. Streaks are the epitome of today’s generation. The update not only made the entire layout flat out ugly, but it brought on a glitch, and not the kind that makes a screen freeze for a few seconds. The glitch could sometimes make the streak number disappear, and for the kids who rely on how high the streak is with someone to determine the value of their friendship, well they’re pretty lonely right now. But Karen, stop freaking out, there’s a fix to this disastrous occurrence. Log out and log back in to get that streak with a B.F.F.L.E back.
Nevada earns a in education By Shila Sherafat While Nevada is dubbed as the “Silver State,” it certainly doesn’t earn a silver medal in its education as Nevada has ranked last in education, again. EducationWeek.org utilized the information of every state’s equity for education, graduation rates, early foundations of students’ careers and the overall years of education to grant Nevada a D in education. As the national grade stands at a C with a 74.5%, Nevada fails to reach this standard holding a whopping 65%. This subpar performance in education has occurred for the past two years, even with the investments that were placed in 2015 by Gov. Brian Sandoval. Three years have passed since these reforms were arranged, and still there is no evidence that these investments have improved the education value and problems have continued to escalate. Listed as the 6th largest school district (in terms of number of students) in the country by the National Center for Education Statistics, Clark County has only 300 schools while a school district, like Dade in Miami who only has 30,000 more students than CCSD, has almost 500 schools. As the population in Nevada continues to rise, no new schools have been added to accommo-
date for the extensively large classrooms. Administering 40 to 50 students in a cramped classroom is not a decent learning environment for students. Many school years begin with students seating on floors or random chairs without desks because classrooms are not constructed to hold such a large amount of students. These large classrooms hinder students’ outcome of education as students receive less one-on-one time with teachers and makes it difficult for students to concentrate in class. These hefty classrooms affect teachers’ ability to sufficiently teach a class. Forcing a teacher to manage 40 to 50 students in each of their five class periods makes it is impossible for an educator to spend time grading or conferencing each individual. Even with teachers choosing to teach early birds to accommodate these enormous classrooms, not enough students have the ability to arrive to school early to obtain these classes. With The Strip being only a few miles from schools, the post-education opportunities are unique in CCSD which inflict students’ attitude towards school. Many jobs located on The Strip require little to no education and receive an equal, or higher, amount of pay than those jobs requiring degrees. While these opportunities have allowed students a different
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Shila Sherafat ed.week.org
path post-high school, the emphasis on education within the community has diminished immensely as funding for schools in the district continues to dwindle down. Whether the issue is classroom size, lack of emphasis on education or inadequate funding, Nevada needs to retire its position in the lower end of education
quality. Students should not be stuffed in a classroom bumping their elbows to each other as they try to finish an essay that their teacher will have minimal time to read and sufficiently review. As the student population in the district increases, the number of schools and teachers should increase, not the number of neon sign renovations on The Strip.
April 2018
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Selective Reduction in options for learning By Casey Li In an ideal world, schools should have a large variety of elective classes; students should be able to take charge of their own education and be better prepared for more specific career paths in their future. Teachers should be able to teach the courses they are most passionate about, and parents should be able to help craft a curriculum of extracurricular, classes, and electives best suited for their kids. A diverse education like this would benefit all involved, and if possible, schools should attempt to achieve this type of atmosphere. However, we do not live in this ideal world. While a variety of electives may sound appealing to many, the implementation of this into practice in an education system like Nevada would be detrimental. At the beginning of the 20172018 school year, according to the Review Journal, CCSD had a $45 million dollar budget shortfall. Even though the budget is experiencing this major shortfall, the Huffpost shows they are still in desperate need to hire 2,600 more teachers. Students are suffering because of this; according to the Review Journal, less than a half of third to eighth graders in Nevada are proficient in English, and a third proficient in mathematics. According to Education Week, it is no surprise that Nevada is ranked as the worst education system in the nation. Currently, Nevada needs to focus on how to master teaching core subjects, such as math and reading, before considering more electives. Specialty elective classes are expensive, especially with their small class sizes and unique curriculums. An increase in specialty elective classes will ultimately cause a decrease in funding for core classes. This
will, in some way or another hurt all students within the educational system, while the benefits will be left to the select few who are lucky enough to take a special elective class. While this may benefit the few ambitious, high achieving students that will enroll in these electives, the general student population will be severely harmed. Additionally, the benefit of electives could be imitated by the benefit of extracurricular activities. Extracurricular activities at school depends on student initiative to find resources and available teachers. This provides a stronger and more important set of skills for students that no class could teach, and at the same
time, it costs little to nothing for the school. Many clubs exist on Green Valley high school’s campus, such as Engineering club and Varsity quiz, promote student discussion and new material like an elective would. However, students also learn important lessons on responsibility, ambition, and perseverance. While it is undoubtable that more electives are better, we cannot afford to do that right now. While CCSD scrambles to find new teachers and cover their budget, they should focus on strengthening their weak, but vital, core classes. However, students can find many alternatives to electives that would achieve similar benefits.
Nicholas Horrilleno
Electives
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Essential classes get cut By Erinn Veach
Budget cuts are a necessary evil in order to keep a school afloat. The problem starts when entire useful extracurricular programs are pushed to the curb in favor of other electives. Funds can be divided out in a way that allows all classes to flourish, not just the ones with the most students or benefits. Programs that are often victim to the syphoning of money are classes that have less enrollment, such as culinary and driver’s education. While these programs are cut, more traditionally academic and equally as expensive electives such as anatomy and robotics are less vulnerable. With the cut of so many programs, the diverse options to fulfill every student’s interests decrease. In the 2016-17 school year, both culinary and driver’s education were discontinued as classes, despite the important real-life, practical applications they held. This leaves incoming students without the option to learn the skills that they may need or enjoy. Both culinary and drivers education provide necessary skills and can be the stem for career choices after high school. In a town like Las Vegas, jobs in the food industry are always in demand, and having taken culinary can allow a student a job while they go to college or to support
Sydney Lum
themselves. Every functioning adult needs a driver’s license, and the driver’s education class gave a cost-free option for low-income students. Cutting these two programs will prove disadvantageous for the next generation of students coming through school. Why are useful programs that will continue to profit the individual cut, when programs that pose nothing but a credit, like lifetime sports and film studies, kept? The continuous removal of electives has made the pool of options quite miniscule at most schools. The strain to put the most money where the most kids are undercuts programs with less enrollment. Just because some are more sparsely enrolled in, does not mean they are any less valuable or wanted. Several years ago, the business program as well as the marine biology classes were taken away, leaving many students disappointed for they had been looking forward to taking those in high school. At lower income schools where arts programs are taken less seriously, they are often seriously neglected in the budget. According to Guardian Teacher Network, 1 out of 10 schools have cut art, music, and drama altogether, and 20% of schools have seen a decrease in the amount of these classes. These courses are in some ways just as important as
scientific and career-aimed electives. Taking from these electives can prove detrimental to the students. These classes are often an outlet for students, where they find fun and a sense of calm in the hectic school day. Cutting programs cuts off students’ accessibility to that. Even if it is the smallest elective, in getting rid of it you are taking away a group of students’ favorite class. Arts classes are also proven to help students in their academics. According the U.S. Board of Education, students who take arts consistently through high school score higher on the SAT, especially in English and language portions. Students who took four or more years of an art scored on average a 539 in the English section, for those who did three years of an art the score drops to 514, and for two years a 508. In addition, students who participate in music are on average twice as likely to be in higher-level math classes than their peers who are not a part of a music program. All electives pose great and unique benefits to the student. No one program should be cut over another, instead all should be financially aided equally. Grants can be earned for certain programs or the school district can allocate a special department for budget. No student should be left behind due to money.
Information according to CPD
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Movie makeover By Anastasia Koulich
Martin Scorsese coined the term “theme-park movies;” movies that are meant for entertainment and deviate from realismexpressing sentiments about modern cinema perfectly. Some of the top grossing movies of 2017 were Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Spiderman: Homecoming, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. All I have to say about the three movies are. . . meh. Their predictability is irritating. Within the first ten minutes, one could tell the direction of the story, swallowing the movie and the audience’s attention, or at least mine, in artifice. The pacing, the cadence of the dialogue, the turning points and the direction of the story are aspects of a film audiences have
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seen that are made with the same vision over and over again. Modern cinema has become repetitive. When I say ‘modern cinema’, I mean the flashy, overproduced, blockbuster, computer-generated films. A point that has to be made is this: every story has been told. Originality does not exist in this sense, but imagination, inventiveness, a new perspective can create originality. This is not and will not be achieved with endless remakes, franchise-obsessed studios and Hollywood perennially concerned with reputations. One does not experience a movie anymore, but is rather reminded that one is watching a movie. Immersion does not manifest itself in audiences any more. I do not want to sound like a conservative, stagnant, old woman living in the 40’s reminiscing
about the days where Casablanca, Citizen Kane and The Great Dictator had the hype equivalent to today’s commercially-successful, theme-park movies. Film should not be static, but the human condition is best told when the fact that you are watching a film is hardly noticeable. Although two of the three were nominated for Oscars in the 90th ceremony this year, films like the caliber of Good Time, The Florida Project, and Call Me By Your Name, unfortunately will never rise higher in ticket sales and have more exposure and advertising than the work of auteurs like Christopher Nolan and J.J. Abrams. In addition, I am sad to say that most audiences are just not interested. It is difficult for those who are trying to produce their passion project because the big, bad stu-
dios of Hollywood only greenlight movies like Fifty Shades Freed to the masses and to the pinnacle point of success because they know the box office will be aflame with ticket sales and their revenues will soar indefinitely. Alas, it is difficult to uproot the source of greed from people. However, it is important to realize that this matters in your life. Movies are friends. They are an extension of who we are as individuals and as a human race. It is an experience where other sensitivities hit you and change you. You enter a place where the spirit of the director and the story interacts with your spirit in a way that changes and moves both of you forward, and we should care what moves us forward whether that be a person or a medium of art.
A question of color By The InvestiGator Staff Growing up, I have only ever seen Caucasian teachers. Being exposed to this type of environment has created a mindset, not necessarily a negative point of view, but not a positive one either, that only Caucasian people become teachers. This type of perspective is detrimental to children of color who aspire to be teachers when they grow up. Representation is important for all races, but people of color, for the most part, do not make up the population involved in white-collar professions (administrative and managorial work), but rather blue-collar jobs (labor centered work). This type of environment sets up a certain subconscious in the back of people’s minds that some jobs are only meant for specific races while other jobs are meant for others. Despite the fact that we are in the year 2018 and technically, the years of racism and segregation
are behind us, this does not stop people from continuing in their negatively fixed mindset that one race is supposedly superior to another. Still, some people choose the route of hatred and closed-mindedness regardless of the new era of society that we live in today. The preconcived judgements that some continue to have about people of color need to stop. Not every Black person is a gang member, not every Hispanic person is a drug dealer, and not all White people are the rich and powerful people that they are made out to be. If they are capable, potential teachers who are of color should be considered for hire and not looked over based on their race or the color of their skin. Now, this does not mean that Caucasian people who are equally capable of the same job someone of color should be picked over just because they are White. The interviewing process should be fair and just for both candidates and the person who is selected
for the job should be chosen based on skill-level, experience, persona and other characteristics of a good employee. Being able to walk into school and sit in a class taught by a person of color will help to create a sense of normalcy, that those of all races are capable of doing any kind of profession they seek out and put their minds to. This environment reverses the fixed mindset that people who were exposed only to non-colored teachers on a constant occasion grew up with. As people, especially our generation, seeing the lack of diversity in school administration should make us angry. It should make us want to change things from the norm that a generation mainly composed of racists created before our time. Diversity among our teachers should be something that a school should have naturally from hiring people who are the most capable, not because schools are trying to meet a certain quota of colored teachers. Our teachers should represent our students.
speak Student
“I don’t think that teacher diversity is prevalent here at GV, but I don’t think it’s caused by racism or anything like that. Maybe some people are more qualified than others.”
“I feel that most of the teachers here are of caucasion ethnicity. It doesn’t make me mad, but it doesnt make me happy either. It’s 2018 and there should be a more diverse group of teachers.
“I’ve never had anything besides white female teachers. I don’t think there is any diversity at school.”
Mariah Neshkoff, junior
Editors-in-Chief: Sarah Fernandez Shila Sherafat Managing Editor: Erinn Veach Editors: News: Anastasia Koulich Features: Kaeli Britt Sports: Meka’la Parker A&E: Maycee Labo Opinions: Sydney Lum Photo Editor: Brynne Hilton Reporters: Bethany Casall Madison Cox Abigail Culpepper Gabriella Ghasserani Hailey Gross Alyssa Hulse Skylar Jones Casey Li Nora-Jo Paramo Jenna Ricciardi Victoria Rodriguez Hannah Serquina Business Manager: Madison Cox
Do you think teacher diversity is present at the school?
Aubrianna Conradson, freshman
editorial 31
Gages Curry, sophomore
Staff Managers: Abigail Culpepper Gabriella Ghasserani Victoria Rodriguez Advisor: Eric Johnston The InvestiGator is a student-run and operated news magazine. All opinions and views expressed within are those of the author and not of the student body or staff of Green Valley High School. Letter to the editors or staff may be delivered to room 825 to Mr. Johnston or emailed to him at emjohnston@interact. ccsd.net.
“I don’t think in the past there was much diversity, but now, I’m seeing a little bit more diversity among students and teachers. I feel like we could be a little more diverse.”
Paola Landaverde, senior
April 2018
32 gallery
FISH OUT OF WATER Senior Victoria Navarro comes up for air during practice at the Whitney Ranch Recreation Center on March 16.
SARAH FERNANDEZ | PHOTO