The InvestiGator

InvestiGator the

Green Valley High School

460 Arroyo Grande, Henderson, NV 89014

EDITORS Note

By The Investigator Staff

Well gators, springtime is upon us. Campus has had a lot to offer as we entered the fourth quarter of school. From art murals on the ground to a plethora of musical performances, student life on campus has been eventful. Although students have had a change of pace with a different type of second semester schedule this year, everything else has remained the same. Besides the weather of course which has stayed colder longer than usual but will warm up soon.

This year, we experienced a different spring break time separate from the Easter holiday and got to have a break between the third quarter and the last stretch of the school year. However, the same typical end of year stressors are making an appearance. No matter the year, big things like end of year tests and concerts are quickly approaching. Senioritis may be kicking in for the graduating class.

For those students in AP classes, credit deciding classes are just around the corner in the beginning of May. Even though the juniors no longer have to fret over the ACT, it is time for reviewing and prep for finals to begin for upperclassmen and underclassmen alike. Seniors have a bit more on their mind because while this may be just another school year for the rest of the school, this is the end of a stage and the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

A lot more change than a class schedule is about to happen as college decisions are being released and seniors face deciding the course for their approaching future. It is a lot, we know. Something to ease the mind of these stresses could be in our more light hearted and humorous pieces of this issue.

We have different fun articles ranging from episode release styles and a battle of two brothers, to featuring some students on campus who push above and beyond. However, reality still kicks in with our topics that are a bit more serious. We cover the impact of animal testing, the truth about lying and the impact of representation and diversity in the school environment. With a variety of different articles, we hope that something peaks interest as we had an interesting time writing and designing this issue.

On the cover

Learn about representation of demographic diversity in school settings.

Co Editors-In-Chief

Liliana Burke

Violet LaMela

Section Editors: News: Bradley Geiger

Features: Elyse Gamiao

Kinsley Priebe

Sports: Brysan Wilson-Harrell

A&E: Ameya Naduvalath

Opinion: McKenzie Shelton-Lott

Reporters: Joshua Berson

Stormy Byrne

Olivia Patai

Laycie Taylor

Delia Waring

Staff Manager: Kennedy Milton

Adviser: 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.

Letters to the editor or staff may be delivered to room 825 to Mr. Johnston or emailed to him at johnsem1@nv.ccsd.net

Green Valley High Scxhool 460 Arroyo Grande Henderson, NV 89014

Bradley Geiger, Violet LaMela, Brysan Wilson Harrell & Ameya Naduvalath

Danneisy Ochoa

Lily Burke

Isabella Pupo

Take Flight

Performing arts travel to D.C. & the big apple

By Laycie Taylor

Green Valley’s musical programs take trips across the country to perform.

One day a student may be in fabulous Las Vegas, the next in the bustling New York City or even the capital of the US. The choir group took on New York for their performance at Carnegie Hall, while the band traveled to the Kennedy Center for their performance in Washington D.C.

Carnegie Hall is an invitational only event offered to specific schools nationwide. The group traveled from March 23-27. The event was not a competition, but the groups were still judged on their performance.

“This is very important to me because I know that Carnegie Hall is a very historical place and many famous people have performed there in the past. I am really excited to be a part of that,” junior Shawn Callado said.

Since its opening in 1891, Carnegie Hall has been considered one of the most prestigious concert venues in the world. The Hall’s history has played a central role in elevating the city into one of the world’s biggest cultural capitals for music. A performance from the choir could mean extra recognition for the school’s program and the students who attended.

Choir was split into madrigals and concert choir for separate performances from both. Madrigals were required to perform while members of the concert choir

had the option of joining. The overall goal for the performance was to receive a high score from judges even though there was no competitive aspect.

“I feel really confident in Madrigals, we practice every day and have already gone to festivals with the same songs and did really well there. I feel like we will do really well there,” junior Weston Steed said.

In past years, the choir has taken trips for performances that may have held just as much importance for the group. Last year’s trip included going to Hawaii for not only a performance, but a chance to see historical sights and participate in some community service. Each big location at the end of the year is taken every four years so each class has an opportunity to experience them all.

“This year we have taken two other choir trips, one at Chapman and another one in Flagstaff. This is just an awesome opportunity to go as a choir out of state,” junior Allison Bollard said. “We are going to be judged and preparing for our festival so this trip is going to be a pretty big deal and I am super excited.”

The Concert choir group finished off their trip with the highest scores of the entire performance with Madrigals following right behind with the second.

Just before the choir took their trip, the school’s band program traveled March 10-14 for their annual end of the year big

trip and performance. Similar to the choir, The Kennedy Center is an invitational only event for certain schools and specific groups. This was also not a competition, however, the group was still judged and given a score.

The Kennedy Center is the official home of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Washington National Opera. Performances ranging from Broadway productions, dance performances, comedy shows, and concerts are held in the center. A performance from band could mean yet another recognition to

Green Valley’s band program.

“This performance represents our school, staff and teachers. It really shows what we are as a program at Green Valley,” junior Austin Miranda said.

These music groups being sent off to highly recognized places to perform could mean yet another accomplishment for further recognition of the programs and the school itself.

“I think we were all really excited to represent and get out there and perform,” Miranda said. “I’m really proud of all the work we put in.”

Julianna Alcala

NEXT UP - Performing arts students pose in front of The Statue of Liberty. The group travled from March 23-27.

SPRING SPORTS

Avari Morris, 12

Evelyn Dolphin

Evangelina Robles

David Davilla Matamoros, 10

The baseball team has managed to bring home a total of nineteen wins thus far in the season. With games twice a week, it can seem hard to find the time to practice. However, many of the players will agree that they days they do spend out on the field without an opponent are the key to their success. “Learning the new plays allows us to get a better understanding of what we are exactly doing.” sophomore Grant Morris said.

From the diving board to the deep end, the swim and dive team has been hard at work determined to qualify for state. After spending their weekdays practicing, they are as prepared as ever to showcase their skills on saturday mornings when they face competitors.

In the midst of a season filled with personal bests, new runners and lots of ambition, the track and field team has placed top three at nearly every meet. With two hour long practices every school day the group works hard to ensure their spot on the podium. “I really think the hard work pays off when I see improvments in my times.” Sophomore Riley Lantow said.

Maddie Beam, 11 A’janay Stewart, 12

Chaz Mcnellis, 12

Brooklyn Tumminia

Danneissy Ochoa

Isabella Pupo

Sophie Maksimaitis, 09

March Madness

The best thing to happen in Las Vegas

By Oliva Patai

Bring on the Madness; The 2023 Men’s NCAA March Tournament Takes

Place

Popular sports always have large events that get people in a frenzy– from the Super Bowl to the World Cup, sports are celebrated for their uniqueness and competitive nature. For basketball, this event is March Madness. This year, on March 14, the first round of March Madness began with the “First Four” games, taking place in Dayton, Ohio, at the UD Arena; Texas A&M (16) played SE Missouri State (16), and won 75 - 71. Pittsburgh (11) played Mississippi (11) and won 60 - 59.

March Madness is the nickname for the official NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament, getting the name from Illinois high school official Henry V. Porter in 1939. The tournament consists of the best college teams going head to head, competing for the title of National Champions. 360+ college basketball teams compete to qualify for the tournament, with only 68 teams being able to actually play. The tournament then starts, eliminating teams in the span of 7 rounds. Some of these rounds have iconic names, including the “Sweet Sixteen,” “Elite Eight” and the “Final Four.” The process of teams entering the tournament happened on “Selection Sunday,” which was on

Like the Super Bowl, betting ness. Many sports betting apps

out there have digital March Madness brackets, where many can win thousands of dollars just by guessing which teams make it to the Final Four. This has led to a great growing popularity of bracketing, predicting how the tournament will go. This process for guessing which teams will win is a challenging one, as there are many teams to choose from and skill levels vary for teams. This bracketing fever has even reached teachers on campus, including math teacher Lisa Beam.

“I do a March Madness bracket every year, and we have a family competition on who has the most accurate bracket. Usually my children win, but it’s always fun doing it with them. It’s something to look forward to.” Beam says.

Free printable brackets can be found online on the NCAA

when figuring out my bracket, there is so much that you have to research that I just end up guessing teams. It can be stressful sometimes. I also usually just pick by seed, and sprinkle in a few upsets here and there,” Beam said.

According to CBS Sports, Houston is currently one of the more popular teams in the NCAA, as the team is predicted to have a high chance of making it far in the March Madness tournament as suggested by their season stats. Many bettors and analysts are honing in on the team’s analytics and scores; Houston has a 25-2 record and has scored a total of 1,534 points. Along with this, teams from the ACC, Big 12, Big 10, Big East, Pac 12, or SEC usually qualify for the tournament. Alabama and Kansas are the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams, with Alabama

website, or you can fill out digital brackets on ESPN or on Yahoo Sports.

The NCAA organization ranks teams in a 1-16 seed, with 1 being the best teams and 16 being the worst. This ranking process helps people predict who will win on their brackets and allows games to be well matched. However, these numbers are not the determining factor of which teams will win; upsets are a large part of March Madness. Oftentimes teams with a lower ranking beat ones with higher rankings, causing an “upset.”

“I don’t usually look at stats

having a record of 23-4 and Kansas having a record of 22-5.

For those who have missed the previous games, Alabama, UConn, Texas, UCLA, Houston, Gonzaga, Creighton, Arkansas, Kansas State, Miami, Tennessee, Michigan State, Xavier, San Diego State, Florida Atlantic, and Princeton remain in the Sweet 16.

Be prepared as the The Final Four games are coming up, with the first few games spanning from April 1 to April 3, in Houston at the NRG Stadium. So as you get ready for the final games make sure to beware the odds of March. The odds are with you.

Oliva Patai

“

March Madness is a really cool tournament.

Diamond Darrett, 10 ”

MAKING IMPACT an

Senior Soriah Tafua falls in love with flag football, finds passion and family

By Lily Burke

Many serious athletes strive for the dream of being a pro player and making it big like the household names one may hear on a daily basis. One of these high achieving students is none other than senior Soriah Tafua. Throughout her high school career, Tafua has dedicated her winter sports season to being quarterback of the flag football team.

“I have been playing flag since freshman year,” Tafua said. “I also played softball, soccer, and I do track as well.”

Even though Tafua participated in these different sports throughout high school and maybe even her childhood, flag football captured her heart from the beginning.

“Me and my sister actually used to play when we were little, we used to play football for Boys and Girls Club,” Tafua said. “It wasn’t really a sport back home in Kauai, Hawaii. So when we came here, we found out about it and I wanted to try it when I got to school.”

Many people who are passionate about something remember the moment they fell in love with it. Art, music, sports, animals, making people laugh, helping others, anything. There is a moment when things just click and a passion is found no matter the reason.

“From the first game I played in freshman year I just loved it, and grew to love it. My passion for flag football grew more than the other sports I played,” Tafua said. “It was also the people in the program, we felt like a family and were all together.”

Building a family off the field can be a crucial element for playing as a team during a game. However, already having a biological family within that flag family is bound to cement that support and build a legacy of family.

Soriah had an opportunity to play with her older sister (Faith) during freshman year and has two younger sisters - (Leah) who she gets to play with now and a sister (Camille) who plans to play as a freshman next year. With being a senior, reflecting on how far you have come and the impact you want to leave may escalate the importance of that last season, last game or even last minute.

“I want to leave my flag family kind of letting them know they gotta have each other’s back, and it is all just about sharing love. Like God, you know, shares love and just be a blessing to others. So just to be a blessing to others and share love and positivity,” Tafua said.

This “flag family” so to speak, has made a huge impact on Tafua’s high school experience, which has in turn shifted her trajectory for the course of her life.

With dedicating so much time

to this sport, from playing with the Las Vegas Blitz over quarantine as an escape from the trying times to focusing on flag over other sports, Tafua was able to achieve 100 touchdowns throughout her high school career.

“At first, actually, during the game I didn’t know I was at 100 [touchdowns]. So after the game they surprised me, so it was just a shock. I couldn’t believe I was there already because I really didn’t pay attention to that stuff. I can just thank God, my teammates and coaches for that.”

No matter who, most people have someone in their life to call on in times of need. Outside of a team and coaches, an athlete may also turn to someone else for extra support and motivation to push that extra bit and make it through the next game.

“It was actually God. I would go to him in prayer if I ever felt like I wasn’t confident or if I ever felt down,” Tafua said. “I would just go to him in prayer and he gave me that confidence to just go out there and play my game because every game I go play my best for Him and glorify Him. That’s what helped me get through.”

To some, a sport is just something fun to do after school and participate in. For others, it may be a way to get to college. For Tafua, it went even beyond this.

“It gave me a drive to get through high school, it’s my motivation,” Tafua said. “It helped

me be more open to meeting new people, which is good because it also gave me that good high school experience.”

Tafua, after receiving 3 scholarship offers from schools, committed to Bryant and Stratton junior college for the opportunities in flag she may receive. With flag having such an influential and positive impact on her life, Tafua hopes to leave just as big of an impact, if not bigger.

“So [flag] is actually going to be an Olympic sport. That’s my goal,” Tafua said. “I want to make it out there. I want to be D1 and all that so other girls can have and know they have the opportunity to play at a better and higher level.”

Since day one, flag has without a doubt been influential to Tafua as she navigates through high school. While she needed external support as flag provided an outlet, Tafua has also , on the flip side, gotten to be that motivation and role model for any young girl aspiring to be an athlete.

“I would say to keep going no matter how hard it gets even through all the hard times and pressure, just to keep going because you are always going to have someone looking up to you,” Tafua said. “That’s what pushes me to keep going because there is always someone looking up to you as an inspiration so you just gotta keep going to show that you can do anything even when it gets hard.”

Identity and Inclusion

The importance of representation in school

By McKenzie Shelton Lott

Tio reppresent is often defined as the portrayal of something or someone. Representation can be a symbol, a sign or even a person.

In many cases society may see the word “representation” when discussing what viewers see in the media. When these discussions originally began, many wanted to see more people of color (POC) and more of the LGBTQIA+ community shown in television and in movies.

“I feel like the LGBTQIA+ community is becoming more represented in the media more than anything,” sophomore Kylie Anderson said.

This discussion has recently become more popular as movies such as the new live action “The Little Mermaid”, which features a Black woman playing Ariel, have begun gaining traction. This comes along with companies like Disney and Pixar releasing films featuring different cultures and same sex relationships. While discussions surrounding media representation remain relevant, discussions surrounding repre -

This discussion can be especially prevalent in school districts like Clark County School District. With 631 schools within the district, CCSD has an 80 percent minority enrollment rate with 60.8 percent being economically disadvantaged. With statistics such as these, many have begun to question if the schools’ faculty and staff demographics match those of the students attending

White and 34 percent of support staff is White. This shows that while the majority of the attending students are minorities, much of the staff surrounding them everyday for 180 days does not look like them.

“I feel like it is important to have teachers that represent the students. Having teachers that look like us can give us the opportunity to learn from someone

staff at schools could potentially help students and lower these statistics. In an article by UNCF, studies showed that Black students typically receive less class time due to discipline and are two times more likely to be suspended without educational services than their White counterparts.

“Having more representation in school could give students an outlet. Students could talk to a teacher they feel comfortable with about their struggles instead of lashing out and getting in trouble. I know having people like Mrs. Matlock, who I can talk to about anything, allows me to feel more comfortable in school,” Draft said.

the schools.

“Every group deserves proper representation. If we look throughout history, representation has always been important and prevalent,” senior Kennedy

who had similar life experiences to you,” Draft said.

In CCSD students of color, specifically Black students, make up the vast majority of suspensions and expulsions. Black students

Considering students spend so much time at school many argue that it is important that students see staff that represents them in a positive light. Students seeing administration, teachers, counselors and support staff that look like, act like and have similar life experiences to them may see that they have options and are capable of much more than they may have originally believed. Many would also argue that this positive portrayal of underrepresented groups could cause a chain reaction resulting in the gaps be

It makes them want to do more.

Kanesha Matlock

McKenzie Shelton-Lott

Coming to theaters

New movie club steals the action

By Joshua Berson

From Elvis to Antman, the KES (Kaci, Eva, Sophia) movie club hosts public screenings at Sunset Station for anyone to come along. All people have to do is follow their Instagram account then members can choose to go to the movies they find interesting.

The beginning of this club is from two Green Valley students. They wanted a space where people can come along, meet new people, and enjoy a movie they have been wanting to watch. It all started from home to the big screen. As it is fun to watch a movie in the comfort of a couch with a friend, it can expand to sitting in a movie theater with new people.

“Me and my best friend Eva

were watching Star Wars, and we had decided that this is so fun. Why don’t we invite people, and it started out with just our friends, but we decided let’s start inviting people that we don’t really know for fun. It went from five people to around 45 to 50 people coming each time,” Senior Kaci Casto aid

The movies are welcome for anyone to come and watch. They space out the showings, so they can view new movies. As 2023 is packed with fans eager to watch movies, it will be a good year for groups to hang out. Yearning to finally see the movie they want to watch, members don’t have to wait too long. The club makes sure everyone can go to the theater with them.

A new movie that is a must watch for “Nintendo” fans, the

Super Mario Bros movie is set to release April 5. It is the scheduled movie for the month of April. That is just one of the movies they are going to watch.

“We try to have a movie once a month. Our big one coming up is April 11. We are watching Super Mario Bros,” Casto said

Everybody has different preferences on the movie they want to watch and with so many movies coming out in one month, the members must choose. Well, they have to factor in prices, times and the showings that day, but for any movie they always manage to make it work.

The public showings are usually scheduled on Tuesday because tickets are $5; therefore, members are able to buy more snacks. The movie is usually picked by talking

to the members who are planning to participate that month and listening to their opinions. The movie theater is always “Regal Sunset Station” as it is the closest to the school.

“We like to do polls on our Instagram KES Movie Club, and we tried because we want to have a movie that everyone wants to watch, and we will pick the times so that it works with everyone,” Casto said

Movie club started with just two members and has now expanded. It has increased in movie-goers that are excited to see each film. People have fun reclining back in their seats and eating popcorn and sweets. The friendly environment allows members to relax and escape into a different world for an hour or two.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION - The movie club poses for a picture on Feb. 21 after watching Black Panter: Wakanda Forever. The club has montly meetings at Regal Sunset Station

Courtesy of Kaci Casto

to his own beat

Ancell focuses on arts, looks to future

By Kennedy Milton

It all started with a Buddy Rich DVD. After senior Cameron Ancell received a gift from his grandmother his curiosity with the music, especially drumming took over. When he was little he mostly just messed around just trying to make noise, but once he began middle school he started learning and improving his skill set and technique.

“I just sat in front of the TV and just started drumming,” Ancell said. “But I didn’t really start playing classical music until about sixth grade and I didn’t fall in love with it until my freshman year.”

His high school music career has been packed as he has participated in many music groups including the guitar ensemble

doing so I can’t imagine myself not doing it. It is worth the lost sleep,” Ancell said.

Despite Cameron playing classical music in most of his performances, his favorite music style to listen to is metal. He also enjoys playing jazz because it adds him think more about what he is creating, primarily because he has to be able to work with the people around him.

“I love jazz music, the difference between jazz and metal is jazz music makes you think a little more about the music, what is the music about, what is the story you are trying to tell,” Ancell said. “There is also an improv aspect and he has to think about music theory and decide which notes are going to sound good where.”

Ancell plays many different instruments, especially in the

into other departments.

“I do the percussion section which there are countless instruments within that section but I also play guitar and I also dabble a little bit in electric bass,” Ancell said.

Ancell does not do this all for nothing, he has goals he is working toward. His career aspiration includes becoming a music professor so he can continue to grow his love and knowledge of music.

“My main goal is to become a performance major. I want to get my doctorate in music, so I can teach at a university because that’s just something I can make money off of while still performing things I enjoy,” Ancell said.

Ancell is on everybody’s radar, he has been accepted to many universities and is still auditioning for more, although he has not committed to any yet, he wants to

about while performing, he sometimes gets stage fright, but not the usual type. Ancell is not scared of being in front of a big crowd, he is more worried about not giving it his all.

“Even though it is the scariest thing that I make myself do all the time. It’s so much fun. I love it so much. performing is great,” Ancell said. “I get scared because I get anxiety, I care and I want it to sound good. I don’t want all those hours I put into working on it to go to waste.”

Acell has so much love for his music and believes that everyone should enjoy it just as much as he does. If you are new to music he encourages you to develop a passion for it.

“Music is something that has a lot of meaning and is something that is very beautiful and something that’s so unique in this world. Something that brings a lot of people together and can evoke emotions that not a lot of other things can bring out so just ing able to play music with other people and being able to share something not with the only with the other people that are in your ensemble but something to share

Courtesy of Cameron Ancell

emotional knock-out

iii”

more than just the boxing

By Brysan Wilson-Harrell

Spoiler Alert! Micheal B Jordan is back again with Creed 3 now released in theaters March 4. Adonis Creed this time going against his old sparring partner Dame starring (Jonathan Majors ).

After winning the heavyweight world championship, Adonis announces that he is retiring and taking a step back for his wife ( Bianca Taylor Creed) and his deaf daughter ( Amara Creed). The film flashes back to a memory of Adonis and his childhood best friend, Damian “ Dame” Anderson. Dame returns to Adonis in the present time from a long time in prison. Adonis, clouded with guilt, does everything in his power to help him get back on his feet and get back in the ring and train to become the champion of boxing.

Not knowing that Dame came back not to rekindle their friendship but it was a set up so that Dame would have personal access to Adonis gym, home, and family so that it would be easier to fight Adonis when the time was right.

The full flashback is not revealed until the end of the film. Though the suspense was nailed through the fight scenes in and out of the ring. The full flashback

was slightly underwhelming compared to the build-up.

“I love Boxing and this movie was just incredible to watch from the beginning to the end. Adonis reed is my favorite character and the obstacles he had to face. The storyline was everything and the fight scenes had me on the edge of my seat,” Junior Shawn Carter said.

In Creed 3 it shows that even the slightest incident in your past can damage your future. It is one thing to try to erase your memory when it just comes back to haunt you which they portrayed very well in the film. This plays into the typical toxic masculinity that is presented. But with his wife and strong willed daughter by his side Adonis is able to confront his past and his emotions.

Adoni’s relationship with his daughter was a sweet touch to the film. Amara is deaf and only communicates in sign language. Their relationship shows how you can communicate love without words. Whether it was teaching her how to fight or playing “tea” with her. Adonis’ confrontation with his childhood was also shown in the relationship between his foster mom. Giving him the advice he needed.

Despite Micheal B Jordan hav-

ing to juggle two roles as both lead actor and director in the series, He still manages to bring a sense of heart to the franchise that goes all the way back to the Rocky film series released in 1976. Overall Creed 3 is emotionally charged with amazing performance from Jordan and Majors. Delivering some of the most exhilarating boxing sequences captured.

Creed 3 confronts childhood trauma that can affect you in the next generation. Unlike Creed 1 and 2 Stallone Rocky did not make an appearance in the Creed 3 movie. Usually following the “Rocky” formula, this film did not follow the classic “student becomes the teacher” or “underdog becomes the champion” tropes like previous “Rocky” films did.

Creed 3 is a cinematic knock out punch that despite being the 9th film in a decades old franchise, and also not starring it’s original actor Sylvester Stallone, this latest film still manages to stand tall on it’s own two feet!

In the end Micheal B Jordan did not disappoint in his direction debut.

This is just the begining for the series Creed as Mihcela B Jordan confirmed a fourth movie in the Creed franchise.

Laycie Taylor

Back and better

After yearlong hiatus, rappers return with new music

By Bradley Geiger

Rapper Don Toliver surprised fans with his third album, “Lovesick”, departing from the traditional trap he had showcased in his past two albums.

The Houston-based artist, known for his association with Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack label, delves into a funk and soulinspired sound on his latest project. With “Lovesick”, Toliver proves that he is ready to step into the spotlight as a solo artist.

At 16 tracks and 52 minutes, “Lovesick” provides just enough time for fans to become acquainted with Toliver’s new style without feeling bloated. Notable guest appearances from the likes of Brent Faiyaz, Justin Bieber, Toro y Moi, and Future give the album a sense of distinct contrast, highlighting Toliver’s unique vocal range and style compared to his peers.

The signature blend of melodic vocals and trap-inspired production that Toliver is known for is still ever present in the album. However, his soundscape has clearly developed, incorporating distinct elements of funk and soulinto his sound.

One standout track on

the album, “Time Heals All,” features a groovy synth riff and a catchy hook, layered with melodic hymns. Toliver’s smooth and effortless vocals deliver verses about forbidden lovers and excessive wealth.

The album’s title track, “Lovesickness,” is a slower and more introspective cut, with Toliver’s raw and emotional vocals reflecting on past relationships.

The stripped-down production on this track allows Toliver’s voice to take center stage, showcasing his versatility as a singer and rapper.

Despite some moments where the album feels formulaic or stale, such as on “Do It Right” or “If I Had,” the album often feels fresh and innovative. The occasional skippable song does not detract from “Lovesitck”.

Toliver’s unique addition of funk distinguishes him from his peers in the rap world, while his smooth and versatile vocals and willingness to experiment with different sounds demonstrate his growth as an artist.

Fans of his previous work or Cactus Jack label-mates will find much to enjoy on Toliver’s new project, making it a must-listen for any admirer of his music.

By Bradley Geiger

After the success of his last project, rapper Yeat posted on his Instagram story that he was moving away from rage– a genre that the Oregon-based artist had pioneered in past projects such as “4L” and “2Alive”. What followed was a surprise release of his latest album, “Afterlyfe”, a 22-track project filled with distorted 808s and vocals. While still retaining a healthy dose of his signature autotune, the once prevalent EDMinspired synthesizers that had become a staple to Yeat’s music have been replaced with dry and groovy industrial sounds.

However, this isn’t to say the album is pushing any boundaries. With the album stretching over an hour, and most songs running over three minutes, the songs extend to the point of redundancy. With only one feature (other than Yeat’s alter egos, Kranky Kranky, and Luh Geeky), fans must be infatuated with Yeat’s psychedelic vocals in order to endure sitting through this whole project.

This is not to say the whole project is necessarily bad though–standouts such as “Nun I’d Change” highlight Yeat’s skill in creating mind-numbingly catchy vocals

and melodies. Shifts in Yeat’s pitch and delivery can create dynamic moments that almost sound like two different artists. The album shines when Yeat focuses on trying something new and different. While it doesn’t always work, when it does, it sounds amazing. The rest can feel like filler.

Despite this, Yeat’s fans are loving “Afterlyfe.” The album debuted at number four on the Billboard Hot 100, pushing Yeat into the mainstream and putting a spotlight on his career. In a congested genre like rap, where many artists try to imitate each other, someone as unique and different as Yeat stands out. His music may not be revolutionary–and his lyrics may not have anything groundbreaking to say–but it’s undeniably catchy.

Yeat’s move away from rage may have disappointed some of his fans, but “Afterlyfe” proves that he’s not afraid to take risks and explore new sounds. His willingness to distance himself has earned him a devoted following and cemented his place in the current rap scene. While the album’s runtime may make it a challenge for some listeners, those who enjoy Yeat’s style will appreciate the psychedelic and distorted vocals that define “Afterlyfe.”

Bradley Geiger

Bradley Geiger

Adaptations strive for accu racy

power to unimaginable limits, from a

These books were brought to life on set in 2019 and season one of this adaptation was released on Netflix in 2021 followed by the release of season 2 in April of 2023. Originally the plot lines are definitively separate; however, on screen they became

the show seemed almost as if it was a fanfiction. The characters stayed true to themselves, yet they were in scenarios that were priorly unimaginable. The fascinating nature of the story pulls new viewers in. While on top of that, the changes keep readers who are viewing invigorated as they devour these new aspects of the tale they have come to know and love.

Originally orphaned by war, along with Malyen Oretsev - referred to as Mal - Alina spent her childhood at an estate orphanage later becoming a cartographer for the first army and Mal a tracker for Ravka. Capital

three books, comes the “Six Of Crows,” duology. The two books follow the six main characters - Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, Wylan and Matthias - undertake a job to retrieve a scientist who has produced a deadly

The entirety of three novels were squished into two seasons along with ulterior plot points involving characters that are not supposed to exist in this timeline. Due to the amount of information put into a smaller window, parts of the plot seemed rushed, overlooked and many were completely changed. The Crows, who never before interacted with Alina, held an integral part in how her story began and ended.

Because it strayed from the books,

There are some aspects of a book that the screen could never capture; however, the wardrobe of this show did just that. The military outfits of the Grsha called keftas are floor length, robe-like coats that are different colors with differentiating embroidery.

This show is an imaginative narrative that may stray from its origin but does not fail to capture the heart of the story. Regardless if people have read or have not it is worth a watch.

Green V. Green Brothers put popularity to test

By Kinsley Priebe

Overrated and underappreciated aka John and Hank Green.

As brothers, they share immense success that they have warranted through their passion for education along with separate ventures they have taken. They are both New York Times bestselling authors, video creators and booming entrepreneurs. Together they are an iconic sibling duo, but how do they compare?

“Hi, my name is John Green and you are watching Crash Course World History,” is a typical dull, repetitive opener to the lesser brothers’ videos. Both headline a number of educational Crash Course videos, John as the history expert leaving science to, Hank the better brother.

These videos are often shown in history classes and meant to be helpful; however, they only hit

tent that makes up the entirety of his season of Crash Course World History, only hitting the high points and leaving gaps in the knowledge viewers should have picked up from their watch.

Grossing 7.4 million followers on TikTok, Hank does not lack in content or interest as he creates scientific videos answering questions followers actually wish to know.

Since their emergence in 2007, the two have become household names in schools throughout the country with their informational YouTube videos being viewed over 60 million times a month. VlogBrothers, which was initially started as a way for them to communicate outside of text messages, through videos they sent each other back and forth, quickly became a sensation that has grossed 5.3 million subscribers.

Beyond the internet, both brothers have brought their brains to

rker, although he has not been near the age of teenager in 3 decades has produced six novels.

“The Fault In Our Stars,” his fourth novel which was meant to be a nuanced unsentimental cancer story, surrounds two terminally ill teenagers who find confidence within one another was originally released in 2012 and adapted to screen in 2014. It gained mass popularity; however, what does John Green know about being a teenager with a terminal disease? It helped to send his prior titles to the best-selling list as well because they obviously were not good enough to initially be best-sellers by themselves. Hanks’ first novel “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing,” published in 2018 by Penguin Books debuted at number two with no help from another title.

Don’t Forget To Be Awesome, something Hank does not often forget and something John overly compensates to reach, abbreviated as DFTBA is yet another company owned by the pair. It is a website that provides online creators

Leone, West Africa.

Sold on their aforementioned website are 2D glasses invented by Hank for his wife, Katherine who he has been married to for 15 years. Hank has endearingly invented these specialized glasses for her as she often gets headaches while watching 3D movies and these glasses solve that issue. They revert 3D movies back 2D.

Separated by 3 years and $5 million. Numbers are not everything. The brothers have created a large name for themselves shadowed by dollar signs as John Green has a net worth of $17 million while Hank has a lesser $12 million to his name. It is quite a common belief that your paycheck equates to your worth or even happiness as a person but not everyone is the same nor has the same goals. While it is difficult to compare, even though Hank is obviously the better of the two, their mission was to communicate more with one another which they have completed along with communicating their pas

quality products they are

Kinsley Priebe

Put an end to the cruelty

Unethical experimentation on animals for human benefit

By Elyse Gamiao

Caged. Prodded. Drugged. Killed. Animals endure a tremendous amount of cruel treatment for the benefit of humans. Everyone has heard of animal testing at least once in their life, but very few know what really goes into animal experimentation and why people do it. The term “animal testing” refers to experiments performed with live creatures for the purpose of research into basic biology in order to assess the effectiveness of medicinal products (vaccines, antibiotics, etc.). Along with this, it evaluates the environmental safety of consumer and industry products such as cosmetics, household cleaners, food additives, pharmaceuticals and industrial/agro-chemicals.

Animal testing may be advantageous for human safety, but it certainly is not beneficial for the safety of the creatures. This unethical method of product testing forces animals to endure a multitude of chemicals injected into their bodies, forced up their nostrils, down their throats and dripped into their eyes. After being forced to inhale or inject toxic substances, lab animals are subject to addiction to drugs; they are blinded, deafened, burned and infected with viruses. In most cases, this cruel treatment ends with the critter being euthanized after the testing is over. However, some animals are re-used in subsequent tests.

Most of society often disregards the subject of animal testing because they do not realize how much it is actually implemented in our day-to-day lives. Nowadays most companies claim they do not conduct animal testing, but there are situations where governments or laws require it; a well-known example of such companies is Colgate. Colgate used animal experiments to determine the toxic effects of materials (in their toothpaste) on cells or to

investigate their biocompatibility. Even brands that claim to be “cruelty-free” are sometimes not considered so because of their parent companies. For instance, the cosmetic brand Aveeno claims to not test its products on animals, even including the cruelty-free bunny symbol on its bottles. However, Aveeno is owned by Johnson & Johnson, a parent company that claims to test on animals. This contradicts Aveeno’s morals, invalidating its claim to be cruelty-free. So before reaching for the toothpaste in the morning or a disinfectant wipe to clean a spill, think about the beings subject to

also suggests that the use of animals is to be carefully planned and ‘refined’ in a way that the animals receive the minimum amount of pain and distress. Such refinement would include enriching the cage environment. By taking care of the animal facility, scientists reduce the amount of discomfort during scientific procedures and animal life. Oftentimes, animals under stress experience an imbalance in hormonal levels that lead to fluctuation in lab results; this causes repetition in tests which increases the number of experimental animals. Hence, refinement

ren cage. Also, such mice were found to mimic the progress of the human disease more closely.”

The 3 Rs approach also proposes that higher animals should be ‘replaced’ by lower organisms and alternative methodologies. Two types of replacement would be used, relative and absolute replacement. Relative replacement involves the use of animals, but they are not exposed to any discomfort during testing. The absolute replacement strategy does not include the use of animals at any stage of experimentation.

Besides the 3 Rs, various meth-

Elyse Gamiao

Streaming services begin

Weekly-episode schedules rally more attention series

By Kristel Alfaro Borbon

Binge watching... a habit that nearly all people fall victim to. What seems to be a potentially productive afternoon seeps down the drain, after starting a new Netflix series. Therefore, releasing one episode a week is more beneficial to audiences and streaming platforms.

Recently, streaming services such as HBO and Disney Plus have noticed the binge watching habits that audiences have developed. These streaming platforms now release an episode a week for their TV shows instead of the whole season at one time.

“I personally enjoy when a streaming service has weekly episodes of a show because I do not waste all my time watching a 15 hour TV series,” senior Joseph Burns said. “By only having one episode available at a time I am more likely to incorporate watching the episode into my schedule during the day of the release, since I have become more invested in the plot.”

Disney Plus releases one episode a week of fan favorite shows in order to encourage discussion between viewers. By releasing only one episode a week, viewers are able to talk about the new episode online or with people around them. This in turn creates more

advertising for the show. Releasing all episodes of a show at once is interesting news around social media for around a week; however, releasing an episode at a time leaves people in suspense therefore they will talk about it more and come back to it the next week.

“Releasing an episode per week makes cliffhangers more impactful and exciting, so this increases the buzz on social media while people wait for the next episode,” senior Sarah Chemplavil said. “I think it’s beneficial for the streaming service because they are gaining more publicity from this.”

Releasing one episode a week is also more beneficial for a show’s audience. It makes them spend less time watching television and does not test their self control. It gives the audience the option to save all of the episodes for one sitting, or watch the weekly episode and participate in the discussion of it on social media or with friends.

“I don’t binge watch shows too often, I don’t have time to set aside for this so I usually have to spread a season out over the course of a couple weeks,” Chemplavil said.

“I prefer when shows release episodes weekly. It makes me feel like I’m managing my time better and I like the suspense I feel before the next release.”

By releasing one episode a week, audiences can savor the

content of the show more, as they are more likely to reserve a time in the day to solely watch it. When shows like “Euphoria” release their weekly episodes, audience members rush to social media to discuss the content as well as the meaning of it. This can in turn create more engagement with TV shows and the audience will become more invested for next week’s episode.

“When I started watching ‘Europhia’ on HBO, they would only release one episode a week, this allowed me to have better time management skills as I did not have the choice of sitting down and watching the whole season at once,” Burns said.“I was able to appreciate the cinematography and meaning more because I knew this is all the content I would have for the show until next week.”

Having a weekly episode also allows audiences to be less at risk for spoilers. After a new season drops on streaming platforms like Netflix audiences will rush to social media to discuss the whole season and its ending. For many viewers who do not have the time to watch the entire reason in one sitting, this can often be frustrating, as simply going on so -

cial media can result in knowing the ending of the entire season.

“When the latest season of ‘Stranger Things’ last summer was released, I was unable to find the time to sit down and watch it all immediately, so I had to wait a couple days to find the time to do so,” Burns said. “I tried to avoid spoilers on Instagram at all costs, but it was inevitable. Only a day or two after it was released, I found out how the season ended. It was highly disappointing.”

Overall, streaming services releasing weekly episodes can be more favorable to an audience as they are more likely to enjoy that one episode individually. Furthermore, the audience does not have to attempt to have the self control to watch the whole season in one sitting. This allows for discussion about a singular episode and its content which in turns creates more appreciation for the writers and cinematography.

“Binge watching doesn’t necessarily waste time because the amount of time spent watching the show is all the same,” Chemplavil said. “I do think it messes with your schedule and makes it difficult to complete more important tasks.”

Elyse Gamiao

to follow weekly-release

Season-by-season releases increase the legacy of shows

By Ameya Naduvalath

You get home on a Friday evening. It has been a busy week because your job and homework have kept you on your feet. You gravitate towards the TV to turn on your favorite show… oh, you watched this week’s episode last Sunday and now you have to look for something else.

One of the biggest let-downs to a relaxing weekend is turning on Hulu and realizing the next episode of a show that you are binge-watching has yet to be released. This is why streaming services that release entire seasons at a time are superior to those that follow weekly-episode release schedules.

“Series-by-series is definitely the way to go, especially with longer shows like ‘Stranger Things,’” senior Ananya Subramaniam said. “It gets me more excited because I can binge all the episodes in one sitting.”

Unlike weekly release schedules, full season releases are easier to watch because the commitment is dependent on the watcher. Of course people who enjoy binging seasons can do that, but those who enjoy watching shows little-by-little still have the choice to do so by watching at their own pace. The main appeal of weekly release schedules are for the streaming services to build a large audience in a shorter time frame, opposed to the smaller fan bases of the season-release ones.

“Though they do decrease anticipation, they increase the longevity of the show,” Subramaniam said. “As more seasons are released, people will rewatch the show, so the overall viewership continues to expand.”

Shows that follow weekly-re -

lease schedules are harder to binge because they often include recaps and previews for the next episode. This then makes the shows less appealing to rewatch and audience members will likely only watch each episode once, whereas season-released shows are more digestible and fun to watch multiple times through. The schedule also satisfies those who cannot keep up with the weekly pace.

“They do not appeal to the busier demographic,” Subramaniam said. “Some people don’t have a lot of time to watch every week, so it might be easi-

Although weekly-releases do teach patience, they make it more difficult to stay committed, especially in a time where there is so much other content people could be streaming. Another exciting factor about season-release schedules is how large audiences can binge the new uploads together; big fan bases even hold watch parties with their friends when new seasons drop.

“When I talk about these shows with others, it’s easier for me to mention certain parts,” Subramaniam said. “Everyone has watched the season in its

[an episode] and I felt like I had to cocoon myself to make sure I didn’t get anything ruined.”

The main reason cable television is dying and streaming services are thriving is that people do not want to wait. They do not want to wait through the advertisements and they do not want to wait for weeks just to get through a show.

“You’ll hear [older] people say, ‘Well growing up we couldn’t pause the TV to go to the bathroom’ and ‘We had to run back’ and there was this extra level of excitement because you were waiting and had questions between each week,” Hawkins said. “From a teaching perspective, I like that, but everybody has their flaws and I like to consume things quickly, so from a personal independent adult perspective, I want to binge.”

er for them to watch a lot of a show on one of their free days.”

Season-based schedules are good for students who can watch entire seasons during long weekends and other breaks, time the typical school week does not allot.

“What I like about weekly releases is that it gives my kids something to look forward to, and hopefully we will teach them that you can’t have instant gratification all the time,” English teacher Tanner Hawkins said. “But when it is just my husband and I, we are binge watchers. We want instant gratification now, we need to finish [the show,] and we need to know exactly what’s going to happen. So I see both sides.”

entirety, so it’s easier to explain.”

This keeps everyone on the same page whereas, with weekly-release, people often miss episodes and are susceptible to spoilers from their peers. Spoilers for weekly episode releases are annoying because the person has to wait even longer for an episode they can be excited about.

“I think part of the fun of watching something that a lot of other people are watching is seeing their reactions to it, so I don’t want any spoilers,” Hakins said. “‘The Last of Us,’ [released] every week on Sunday night, and since it’s a school night and the end of the weekend, there were times when we missed

”Weekly-release schedules are set to mimic that of traditional television, but on the contrary, people enjoy digesting shows at their own pace, whether that is an episode a day or 15 episodes at once. Weekly-release schedules force viewers to tap in according to the streaming service’s schedule, and this ultimately causes many viewers to lose interest in shows. All this goes to ultimately demonstrate how streaming services that upload shows through season-release schedules as opposed to weekly-release ones are more successful.

“There’s so many other things people have going on in their lives. Back in the day, it was easier for people to know they were going to be home at a certain time to watch TV,” Hawkins said. “But in a time like this, there is no guarantee that we are going to be home at eight o’clock on Thursday, you know?”

They increase the longevity of the show.

Ananya Subramaniam, 12

“Netflix Logo” by theglobalpanorama is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

opinion / 22

The lying

truth

By Stormy Byrne

Throughout most of our lives we have been told that being honest is the best option in any situation. Even white lies were frowned upon as children but the reality is not so clear. Honesty is always seen as such a black and white topic; there are only truthful people or liars. The gray area in between is often ignored when that is where most of us lie.

Nearly everyone has told some sort of lie in their life and that does not make them a bad person. If a friend came up wearing a top you did not necessarily like, typically people would not tell them how awful it was, and rather they would throw in a little lie. One that would make their friend feel much better.

White lies that protect the feelings of another person might actually make you more moral than the person who swears to tell the truth even when it is hurtful. Scientists refer to these lies as “prosocial lies,” these include small, white lies (e.g. lying about liking your friends top) but also larger ones (e.g a doctor lying to a patient about the prognosis to offer them comfort).

Researchers, Emma Levine and Maurice Schweitzer, at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, conducted a study in which they held participants and told them about a counterpart who had either told prosocial lies or one who had been honest during a series of interactions. Afterwards, the participants played a trust game or the Rely-Or-Verify game with their counterparts.

They found that prosocial lies harm integrity-based trust but prosocial lying increased benevolence-based trust. In most cases, they said intentions matter far more than veracity. This proves that humans are more likely to trust those who do share white lies so why is there such a value on being completely honest all the time.

“I would not consider a white lie to inherently be a lie, it is done for the good of another,” junior Erin Ranck said. “The intention behind a lie is incredibly import-

ant to whether it is true dishonesty or not.”

As society progresses we are seeing more of a stress on the value of honesty. It is a common denominator between political parties that they call the other dishonest. A source of many fights in schools are due to the lack of honesty from one or both parties.

Honesty is one of the most ‘important’ values in modern society, so important that fights spark due to it. But this is illogical when the reality is that we are all dishonest.

Putting such value on a moral that nobody truly follows is ludacris. Bella DePaulo, Ph.D, a psychologist at the University of Virgina, says lying is on the same level as brushing your teeth and that every person lies at least once or twice a day. People get so caught up in the idea of somebody lying to them that they let their anger get the best of them.

“The moral toll of actually being honest is more important to people than honesty itself,” Ranck said.

People also allow themselves to get so caught up in the idea of someone lying to them due to it being a universal ideal, something many cultures use to deem people moral. However, the normalization of using white lies and the acceptance that most people will lie to you at some point could be a key part of bringing down the rates of bullying in school fights.

A majority of issues among teenagers sprout from issues of pride from finding out another student has lied to them.

“Many students get themselves worked up over nothing, like someone telling a lie.” Ranck said. “People accepting the idea that others lie could help them get along with each other better.”

While, not lying holds a feeling of morality for many people, the reality is that lying or honesty is not important because everyone has done it. Letting a value that every person breaks at a minimum once a day dictate the morality of a person is at the end of the day unjust.

Allowing the broad idea of the morality behind honesty to hold you hostage in a vat of self-hate isn’t worth it when everyone, even the person who sits next you is guilty of the same thing as you.

Alfaro Borbon

By The Investigator Staff

Throughout history books and world class lectures everyone has seen and learned about the injustices faced by marginalized groups. After several years of fighting what appears to be a never ending battle, there has been a breakthrough in the way the media, community and even schools represent these groups in an effort to fix the corruption they have undergone for so long. However, even though there is a visible change in inclusion- there is still more that needs to be done to ensure equality and equity. When spending the majority of your days in the same place, you grow accustomed to the rou-

are valued and included, which leads to increased academic and social success. In addition to this, when people from different backgrounds and identities come together and are able to learn from one another, they begin to break down stereotypes and challenge harmful attitudes and beliefs. This can help to create a more equal and just society, where everyone is treated with the respect they deserve. This can be accomplished by participating and promoting activities like reading books by authors from diverse backgrounds, attending cultural events, or engaging in meaningful conversations about each other. While doing these things in schools is beneficial, inclusive behavior and the importance

“ I don’t feel like the teachers I have judge me at all, they just do their job and teach.”

tines and patterns that follow that specific environment. This is why schools especially must gain awareness of the need to recognize and encourage diversity in all its forms, including racial, cultural, and even sexual. Students who are exposed to diverse perspectives and experiences are more likely to develop empathy and understanding toward others, which can lead to a more inclusive society overall. Giving students an opportunity to see themselves represented in places they spend a great deal of time in, gives them a chance to form role models that they can better relate to. Statistics will show that students who feel represented in their schools and communities are more likely to feel like they

of respecting others must begin at home. As these opinions and ideas are very easily mimicked, it is absolutely necessary that we demonstrate a refrain from the use of derogatory language and actions. In turn, those behaviors can be replaced with positivecomments and acknowledgements.

Ultimately, creating a more inclusive and representative society requires the collective efforts of individuals, schools, and communities. We must work together to promote diversity and inclusion and to challenge harmful attitudes and beliefs. Only then can we truly create a society where everyone feels valued and included, regardless of their race, culture, or sexual identity.

“ Yes. Espeacially with the Asian Pacific islanders club. It brings people from the same culture together.”

“I mean I guess. I think if people started to treat one another based on who they are and not what they look like would help.”

“I definitely feel represented at Green Valley. This amazing enviroment has allowed me to be who I am and focus on my interests.”

Inclusive behavior and the importance of respecting others must begin at home.

As these opinions and ideas are easily mimicked.

Angelina Santos, 10

Brayden Sullivan, 09

Azael Marruffo, 11

Sujal Trentina, 12

JUST IN TIME

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