The InvestiGator

InvestiGator

TURN Up The heat

Editors-In-Chief

LaMela Burke

Editors: News: Geiger Features: Pribe Gamiao Sports: Willson-Harrell E: Golmoka Naduvalath

Opinion: Shelton-Lott

Reporters: Beck Berson Byrne Milton Patai Quezada Taylor Waring Manager: Milton Adviser: Johnston

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

Editors Note

By The InvestiGator Staff

As we are in the fourth month of the school year, we are quickly approaching the end of the first semester on campus. As fall sports and activities such as Homecominig have come to a close, it is time for winter themed festivities to begin. We hope this school year has been going well; As the weather turns colder and work loads increase for everyone on campus, the InvestiGator staff has been working diligently to bring everyone yet another issue of the 2022-2023 magazine.

Note Editors

By The InvestiGator Staff

Our main focus was a bit more lighthearted in this issue than our last, as the world of spicy food is delved into. People come from all different backgrounds and therefore eat all different kinds of food with different levels of spice. While some individuals can tolerate the hottest habaneros, others can barely eat mild salsa without needing a glass of milk. Along with this, we discuss some origins of everyones’ favorite spicy foods from the shelves at our stores.

Welcome back to another year in the swamp Gators! We hope that the first month back on campus has treated everyone well thus far, despite all the new policies that had to be learned. While everyone else is easing back into annual routines, our staff has been hard at work. We are very proud and excited to release our first issue of the 2022-2023 school year.

Reporters: Breezy Beck Joshua Berson Stormy Byrne Olivia Patai Laycie Taylor Delia Waring

The news section looks at some of our programs events such as Marching Band’s competition and Choir’s annual Fright Night event to celebrate Halloween and fundraiser. Our feature section focuses a lot on some student athletes who are comitted to excellence in their respective sport. For sports, we see how the athletic participation of students goes down as more and more people are chosing their mental health over the stress of playing a sport. In this section we also take a look at which fall sports moved on to the playoffs to represent our school.

Our main focus in this issue was directed at success and the harsh stigma that surrounds the requirements needed to obtain it. Oftentimes, what society deems as success is not always what individuals would describe it as for themselves. Yet, despite feeling personally content, people still look down on their achievements based around their monetary status. In reality, success is very objective and should be determined by a person’s feelings as opposed to societal pressure.

Staff Manager: Kennedy Milton Adviser: Eric Johnston

Arts and entertainment sees a movie review of a popular movie that hit theaters, as well as looking at trends over the years and what is making a comeback with our generation. Due to the season, we also took a look at Halloween costumes around campus.

Finally, we hit a few different debates such as: are self driving cars more beneficial or detrimental, the making of TV shows on true crime and how it affects victims, does tech make us lonelier and should students be able to rate their teachers publicly for high school in the same way college students can rate their professors.

We are excited to present to you our second issue of this year after overcoming some bumps with our first one. We hope you enjoy this issue and the plenty that are to come.

The new section highlighted the newest rules here on campus, along with some of the new faces instructing classes. In the feature section we shine light on the idea of influencers and the success of that particular career choice, as well as students who have made the permanent choice of a tattoo & delve into the personal meanings behind the art. As far as sports, we recognized men’s soccer for their kickoff and the cross country team for a home meet that was put in place to honor a late coach.

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.

Arts and entertainment had writers listening and replaying films and albums alike, with several reviews on current media. From comedies like “The rise of Gru” to the horrific “The Black Phone”, our team was treated to a wide range of genres to add a strong sense of variety.

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

Finally, we debate the reasoning for such high expenses when it comes to attempting to pursue a healthy lifestyle and the idea that it is important for teens to have jobs outside of school.

Green Valley High Scxhool 460 Arroyo Grande Henderosn,NV 89014

Our staff is eager to share all the changes we’ve made to this year’s magazine. We hope that it was well worth the wait.

On the cover

Violet LaMela

Inside Issue the

SPORTS

The numbers for athletic participation continue to vary

A&E

Halloween gives students a chance to showcase costumes on campus

50-14.

Take a look at the concerns people express as technology advances with self-driving cars

Choir hosts annual Fright Night event with haunted maze and activities

OPINION FEATURE

Senior and his family detail their lives involving the martial art of Jiu Jitsu

Joshua Berson

GO GATORS - Sophomore Celeste Barry tosses a flag during a colorguard performance with marching band. The performance took place during halftime at the Homecoming game on Oct. 15 where the Gators defeated the Centennial Bulldogs

News In Brief

HENDERSON BOWL

Green Valley and Basic High School football teams compete annually in Henderson’s oldest football rivalry. This year saw the Gators defeat the Wolves 24-10 on Sept. 23. The win marked the team’s first win of the season after 4 previous losses. The team finished the season 3-7 and fell to Arbor View in the first round of the playoffs.

Clark County School District announced its 78 National Merit Scholarship semifinalists. Sarah Chemplavil and Antonio Man qualify from Green Valley High School. More than 1.5 million juniors across the country entered this year’s contest by taking the 2021 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test last October. According to the district, semifinalists across the country will go on to compete for $28 million in college scholarships.

PAPER

This year, CCSD provides free tutoring through “Paper” for all students. CCSD is funding the “Paper” partnership using Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, making the service free to all K-12 students and families. A one-on-one chat with a tutor is available 24/7 to help students with any questions they may have about any given subject.

CCSD has recently earned a grant that will assist with the cost of all AP exams for this school year. Refunds are in the process of being issued for students that have already paid in advance. Students who otherwise would not have been able to afford their tests may use this opportunity to take them for the classes they been enrolled in.

NATIONAL MERIT

Band puts on show

Performing group places second in competition

By Ameya Naduvalath

The marching band performs in various events throughout the year including First Fridays, assemblies, football games, and local competitions, and this year’s season was a successful one. The marching band participated in major competitions, including one at Arbor View and an even bigger one in California. To prepare for all these events, marching band students begin practicing together over the summer.

Senior Dorian Vila-Barrios has been participating in the program as a clarinet player since his fresh-

man year.

“We started practicing at band camp and we have been putting on the show since the last week of July,” Vila-Barrios said. “We basically started off our school year two weeks early for the sake of marching band.”

During the school year, students devote even more time, gathering at the football field daily for early bird rehearsal. Synchronization of all performers is vital to the show and can only be accomplished with consistent practice, as a group.

“It’s hard work. I woke up at four just to get here by 5:30 am so I was tired, but we got started working at 6, finished at 6:50, and then went to class. We also had

after school rehearsals on Tuesdays,” Vila-Barrios said. “Marching band is probably the hardest program in school right now, but it’s worth the amount of gratification that we get from completing the shows.”

The band placed second in their Arbor View competition on Oct. 22. Over twenty competing bands from around the district attended the event. On Oct. 30, the band traveled to their competition in California where they placed second as well, among roughly twenty schools. When building a cohesive band like the school has, quality members are important.

“What makes a marching band good are productive people who

are not only disciplined, but can lead others,” Vila-Barrios said. “We have a lot of freshmen and other classmates who [are new and need guidance] , so that’s what upperclassmen are here for.”

Members of the program believe that personalities are the reason why the program is as successful as it is today. The commitment is major but the outcomes show these musicians’ dedication to their craft.

“I hope a lot more people join the marching band,” Vila-Barrios said. “It’s a really hard program, and of course it takes a lot of dedication, but there is a lot of gratification as well. You won’t find anything else like it here at Green Valley.”

IN PLACE - Members of marching band prepare to begin their performance. They went on to win first in their division and second overall.

Fright Night

Choir hosts Halloween festival fundraiser

By Laycie Taylor

Green Valley High School’s vocal music department hosted the sixteenth annual Fright Night Halloween carnival. The evening was filled with costumes, games and prizes in the quad along with a haunted house production run by members of the Madrigals.

Tickets were given out at the door, allowing people to play at game booths and win prizes. Costumes were encouraged for the

event with an optional costume contest for anyone. Halloween themed activities and music were provided. Food and drinks were also available for pur chase. While people of all ages were welcome, the haunted house was the most popular among the students.

“My friend Earan Mertes and I ran the haunted house together. We had meetings after school, during lunches and things like that. Basical

ly, we wanted to make it as stress free as possible because last year there was so much that went wrong that we simply did not plan on happening,” junior Wyatt Reece said.

Last year’s Fright Night carnival had issues regarding the haunted house and the safety of the members running it. Some of the actors in the production had been bruised or hit by the participants due to fear but this year the problem was fixed

by having people scan an online waiver pledging not to touch the actors and the actors would nottouch them before entering. The waiver was a safety precaution for both parties.

“We are just people in there and we are not actual creatures and I guess it helped people to actually understand that,” Reece said. “The haunted house this year was definitely a win, like almost perfect, it was fantastic. Really just so much better than last year.”

Ellie Hayek

Ellie Hayek

HAIR COLORING - Sophomore Aliyah Green colors the hair of another student. The booth was manned by the Choir department

WORKING HARD - Students in choir diligently to operate their booth. The event took place Oct. 27 at 5 p.m.

ple were seen on social media platforms donning the newest tote bags out. Fashion trend blog

“They’re cute,” Powell said. “It is definitely not reliable, since it doesn’t close.”

the school safe, it highest “I thing that unless work,” But of theft, concern According percent backpacks able than to Larissa sHealth, option supplies. weight ly distributed tote bag shoulder, this issue backpacks

“Whenever a backpack, a bad wearing shoulder, ting a isn’t going make much difference.” While tote bags may be

A change in plans

New CCSD diploma policy beginning in 2024

By Jasmine Gomolka

In previous school years, the Advanced Honors Diploma has been available for all students. At the start of the graduating class of 2024, the Advanced Honors Diploma will no longer be a choice within the various diploma types.

“Green Valley High School is removing the advanced honors diploma for our present Juniors, Sophomores and Freshmen a little early, so the class of 2023 is the last class that will be able to earn the Advanced Honors as a diploma,” school counselor Kimberly Mahan said.

The staff want nothing but the best for their students' career paths, therefore they are looking at the bigger picture and making the decision to remove the Advanced Honors diploma; it is not as beneficial to the students outside of Nevada due to this diploma type not being recognized out of state.

“The Advanced Honors diplo -

ma is very similar to the College and Career Readiness diploma. The College and Career Readiness diploma is the diploma that is going to be recognized moving forward,” Mahan said. “Our school wants our students to be working towards the diploma that is going to be recognized moving forward in and out of state and not one that's going to be phased out by CCSD in a few years.”

Many stu dents had lit tle to no idea about the Advanced Honors diploma being removed. The low er-classmen who were working towards that diploma throughout their previous high school years are just now realizing that they can no longer graduate with that diploma, and are understandably distressed.

Not to worry though, the Col-

lege and Career Readiness diploma is the highest diploma in the state of Nevada and is just as good as the Advanced Honors diploma. All you need to do is pass a test that certifies you as college or career ready (ASVAB, ACT, CTE program/exam).

The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery), is an aptitude test that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success.

The ACT (American College Test), is a national standardized test that serves as a measurement of aptitude and critical thinking, it is also a graduation requirement in Nevada.

The CTE (College and Technical Education) program is a pathway to success that offers students opportunities to customize their education to fit their career inter-

ests and the end-of-program technical assessment is programmed to measure the skill attainment of the students who have completed their said CTE courses over the course of three school years.

“The advanced honors diploma has been around for a very, very long time and the College and Career Readiness supplement is a little bit new. When they rolled out the College and Career Readiness diploma, the conversation within counselors began with the benefits of each diploma type,” Mahan said.

Recognizing that the Advanced Honors diploma was not as beneficial to their students outside of the state, the staff of CCSD decided it was best to replace it altogether with the College and Career Readiness diploma.

“We, ourselves, do not agree on which one is better. They are both equally as good. The decision was made to allow both graduates to wear white and if you qualify for advanced honors, you more than likely qualify for college and career readiness,” Mahan said. “If you do not, it is likely because of that ACT score, but there are other paths that we want you to explore to get where you want to be.”

The counselors are persuading their students to still work towards the College and Career Readiness diploma, whether they have been on track for this diploma or not. This higher diploma type is now becoming more inclusive for all students due to the requirement variety that you can choose from such as, CTE program and test, ACT score requirements, ASVAB and a new opportunity coming around winter break called ACT WorkKeys.

“For some students it might be a pathway that was not offered before,” Mahan said. “This way it doesn’t matter what your post secondary plans are or whatever your track is.”

Kinsley Priebe

Past the bell

Student organizations keep busy around campus

By McKenzie Shelton-Lott

Dabout a different culture? Are you looking for something to do after school? You should join a club!

GVHS, each club focusing on ac ademics, hobbies, culture or a mixture of all three. All clubs must be advised by a faculty member and must have an officer board that includes a president, a vice president, a secretary and a treasurer. Each club must also have at least 10 members. This process was per fectly illustrated by the president of skate club, Wheels of Glory.

the skate club during junior year. We were making sure we had shirt designs and ideas of activities we wanted to do and making sure we had an advisor,” senior Rayne Robinson said.

or join clubs because they wish to share their interests and hobbies with others. These clubs also pro vide a space for students to make friends with similar inter ests and learn new things about this hobby together.

lished during my freshman year and after quarantine we decided that we really wanted to bring it back because it was fun and just something to do,” Robinson said.

on hobbies though, they may also have a strictly academic focus. Programs like AP club, headed by English teacher Catherine Davis and senior Sujal Tretina, focus on how academics can impact stu dents and allow a space for them to discuss with like-minded students and relax from the stress

Poly club, Asian Pacific Student Union, SOL and BSU, are centered

Cultural programs are also meant to be inclusive of everyone

and allow them the space to ask questions and learn from their

“It is a really diverse club and anyone can join. We have good food, good people to be around

This can also be similar for groups like Pride Alliance, which allows students the ability to be themselves freely and without fear of judgment. Co-president of the club Ananya Subramaniam speaks on socializing in pride

“It is a good opportunity for queer students to meet other queer students. There is often a lot of exclusion so this provides them with the opportunity to socialize,” Subrama-

Many students also find this program to be a safe haven and a

“I am in all IB classes so it is a good way for me to get out and talk to people,” Subramaniam said. “There are no competitions and no stress, we are able to just

Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a religious program meant for students to come and learn about religion while enjoying quality time with others with the same beliefs as them. The main goal of the program is to create a welcoming environment where students are allowed to have open conversations about religion. This program also opens up to many other students to learn about something new or get involved in a way they may not have been able to before. While this program does have a religious center, it is not only the only focus of the group. This organization meets every Wednesday during both lunches where they not only discuss religion, but enjoy food and

welcome to join the meetings at any time throughout the year and they are also encouraged to ask as many questions as possible.

Mock Trials is a program established for students who plan on taking on a career within the justice system. While this program may seem similar to speech and. Debate, the main difference is that students in this program spend the majority of the year learning how the process of both civil and criminal trials as well as how to analyze and debate the cases. They learn about the different jobs that are available and through this program are able to find their strengths and weaknesses and which career might fit them best. These students will begin to compete in mock trial competitions against other schools in Nevada.

rial Tournament where they will compete against other schools in other states for the title of National Champion. The advisor of Mock Trials is Tanner Hawkins in room 820, they meet every Monday after school.

Making friends and helping others are important parts of creating a memorable high school experience. Best Buddies is an international non-profit dedicated to creating friendships between students of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. In the Green Valley’s chapter of the club, teens will be able to form bonds with students of like minded interests of all abilities. To start, students with intellectual and developmental

disabilities (IDD) are paired with students without IDD. These students then get to engage in fun activities and games, along with special events throughout the year such as the Best Buddies Friendship Walk and Special Olympics training. The program also founded the Gator Joe program here at Green Valley, in which students are able to get hands-on experience making and delivering coffee to teachers schoolwide. Phillip Postier is the advisor of the Green Valley’s Best Buddies program, which meets year round every Tuesday from 1:30-2:30 in room 208.

EYES AND EARS - Poly Club performs at the homecoming assembly on Oct. 14. This was followed by games and competition for the spirit stick.

Angelina Santos

By Lily Burke

t is one, two, 161 strikeouts from the pitcher and you are out. The left handed pitcher for the GV Softball team during the 2021-22 spring season was senior Avari Morris, who got to take home the Gatorade Player of the Year Award for Softball for her achievements when she was a junior during the 2022 spring season.

“I started playing softball when I was about seven years old. Everyone else in my family either played softball or baseball. It has always been my sport, something that I was good at, so I didn’t really find a need to play any other sports,” Morris said.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program was established in 1985 to highlight the most elite high school athletes for not only their athletic accomplishments but also for their academic achievements and exemplary character. With one winner from each of 12 sports, there are 608 state winners and 12 national winners. Furthermore, Morris is the first winner of this award at Green Valley

High School. However, this was not the only award Morris got to take. She also received the title of Southern Nevada Pitcher of the Year.

“I knew for a while that I was up for the award, so it didn’t totally catch me off guard when I won it,” Morris

know they are a possible candidate for an award, whether it is for Gatorade Player of the Year or something smaller, there is still the period of time when one must wait to hear if a big accomplishment was made for them or someone else.

“ I just remember my mom coming into my room while I was lying in bed, and she just walked in with a smile on her face that I could tell she was trying to hide. She sat down on my bed and said “Congratulations, Gatorade Player of the Year,” and of course I felt excited but I also felt relief,” Morris said. “I had met that goal that I secretly had in my brain and craved so badly to accomplish. It was really just a relief to have accomplished it. I immediately hugged my mom and we sat there together as she told me how proud she was of me.”

to throw it exactly where he/ she is aiming it.

“A lot of learning the game of soft ball comes with experience. The lon ger you play and the better teams you play give you a better chance of mak ing those big time plays,” Morris said. “While practicing specific plays with your team is important, being able to perform those plays on the spot in a game is very needed to be successful.”

Between striking batters out 161 times and pitching 146 innings during the 2022 season, Morris is the No 22 prospect for the Class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball and has al ready verbally committed to Seattle University.

said. “I knew there was some good competition for it, especially a pitcher from the school being played against in the state championship, so I kind of told myself not to get my hopes up.”

Although a student athlete may

Being the pitcher is actually considered the most important defensive player on the team. This is due to it being the most physically demanding spot on the team as well as having the most control over what happens during the inning and therefore the game. As a pitcher, the player must have incredible control over the ball

“I chose to commit to Seattle University mainly because it was my dream school. I had been wanting to go there for a long time, mainly be cause I love the Seattle area and saw myself living there when I got older. I had been emailing the coaches for a while, with no answers, so I was kind of giving up on that dream,” Morris said. “But eventually, I must have caught their eye because now I’m committed to going there. I have lots of goals for college, but one of my

Softball Gatorade Player of the Year “ ”

VICTORY FROM THE MOUND I don’t want to finish soft or careful. It’s either go big or go home this year. Avari Morris, 12

Adreane Almero

main ones at first is to just learn from the older pitchers on the team. They have so much experience, so I just want to be able to learn a little something from them.”

By volunteering at local libraries and youth sports programs and maintaining a weighted 4.31 GPA, Morris was able to be eligible for this title.

However, getting this far in a sport does not happen overnight or from just giving back to the community. It takes a lot of time and dedication to practicing the sport to achieve the sort of things Morris attained during this past season.

“I started pitching when I was about 8 years old. While I was shy when I was younger, I also secretly craved to have all the attention on me. I really just wanted something that I had special to myself. Pitching is an art, and every pitcher is unique, so a certain part of softball was unique to me,” Morris said.

As a recently committed Redhawk, Morris will also be continuing her softball career alongside her twin sister, Michaela Morris as they are both going to play D1 softball for Seattle University.

“My sister and I have always been playing softball together. Every team we went to, we went together. I’m ex-

cited to be able to have her playing behind me for another four years,” Morris said.

As a softball/baseball family, there are people close to Morris personally who have helped her along the way along with her own personal determination to do better with each pitch thrown.

“I’d like to thank both of my parents for always encouraging me, but especially my mom. She’s my pitching coach, and without her constantly on me to get better, I wouldn’t be half the pitcher I am now,” Morris said. “My hatred of failing has honestly also helped me get this far. I despise losing and I compete with everyone, even if they don’t know it. I think it’s just that hatred to fail that has helped me to keep getting better and better.”

Longtime thletes have time to build a sort of routine that they have worked out to make them the best player they can be before each game or possibly even practice. To be completely focused and prepared for a game, a certain mindset is necessary.

“If we have an away game, I’ll put on my music, close my eyes, and do mental reps of pitches in my head. I imagine myself striking out batters and nobody being able to get a hit off of me,” Morris said. “When batters or other teams try to throw me off,

I simply just try to drown it out and zone in on my catcher’s glove. Just finding one spot to focus on is really helpful for me.”

However, mental preparation is not the only thing that comes with playing a sport for a long time. An athlete who has played so many

and relief, and so much love for my team,” Morris said. “My teammates really made that memory my favorite. They were so encouraging of me the entire tournament and really the whole season, so I was so happy to win it all with them.”

While Morris has accomplished her goals of playing college softball and winning this prestigious award, there are many others who wish the same accomplishments for themselves.

“I’d tell those who have my goals to always be looking for a way to get better and never, ever, be satisfied. Even if I had just pitched a shutout, when my mom would ask me how I felt, I always saw things that I needed to be better at,” Morris said. “While the strikeouts were great, there was always something to get better at from them. Though it’s of course important to celebrate the wins, just know there are things to improve on.”

games has had the chance to build up a lot of memories and even have one that will stick with them for a long time to come.

“My favorite softball memory is winning the state championship last season. I pitched a lot that week and the week prior, so I was feeling very tired and drained. When we finally won it, I just felt so much happiness

When it comes to this next spring season for softball, Morris is not ready to set down the mantle and has her own determination to make her senior season one to remember.

“I’d really like to finish my last year at Green Valley with a bang,” Morris said. “I don’t want to finish soft or careful. It’s either go big or go home this year.”

“

”

I’m excited to be able to have my sister playing behind me for another four years. Avari Morris, 12

their fame from spicy food chal lenges. First We Feast is a popu lar site and channel that uses food to connect with pop culture, music, travel and fur ther aspects.

many web se ries on the site, including their award winning ‘Hot Ones lenge’. Hosted Evans, it is an show in which rity guest eat ten plant-based al hot sauces, each bite increasing in spice level. The sauces are arranged according to their Scoville Heat Units also known as their SHU. Named after Wilbur L. Scoville who engineered the Scoville Organoleptic Test in 1912 while investigating the best pepper to use in a heat producing ointment. Within the experiment, people were given a sequence of prepared chili samples to determine their heat level. The chili became progressively diluted until the heat was no longer detectable by the subject. One unit of dilution is one SHU. In short it is a scale that measures the amount of times capsaicin needs to be diluted by sugar-water to eliminate the spice completely.

Capsaicin is the active element in chili peppers that releases a burning sensation onto any tissue it makes contact with. This compound attaches itself to nerves called TVRP1 which elicits a response of scalding heat and pain. It deceives your body into thinking that you are actually overheating.

“I have watched all of the Hot Ones and my daughter also likes really spicy food so, at Christmas time for our holiday meal we are going to get the lineup of the favorites from each of the lineups from the seasons we really enjoy,” Callicoat said. “I am a vegan so I have to make vegan wings but we are going to do that challenge. I love Hot Ones. I think that his set up is brilliant.”

The show demonstrates how a person's, let alone a media trained celebrity's demeanor can be influenced while their mouth begins to feel as though it is on fire. Sweat begins to drip down

I put Siracha on everything,” junior Isaac Angulo said. “I have grown a dislike for (Tapatio) because I ate it so much so I feel like that is what is going to happen with Frank’s and Siracha but I am currently flipping through the different options.”

Spices. Once worth more than their weight in gold, originally were only able to be found in select parts of the world, mainly in areas near the Indian Ocean. Due to the Columbian Exchange, the New World integrating the Old World and expansion of overseas trade, spices were spread all throughout the world.

Historically, pungent crops are commonly popular in areas with warmer climates. This is said to be due to their natural ability to kill bacteria; therefore, the people living within these conditions enjoy eating them as it promotes their health and prosperity.

Spicy foods are not only popular with students because of the immense amount of snack-like foods available to them, but also the cultural significance it bears.

“It is like good pain, like when you have a bruise and you press on it to make it feel better,” senior Ananya Subramaniam said. “It is satisfying in a way.”

Depending on cultural background and availability of different types of foods

Kinsley Priebe

growing up, people can have different preferences for the variety and intensity of cuisines they enjoy. According to a KEAN Health experiment, no genetic factor has been found yet to conclude a relationship between the two. Although, those born with a low tolerance can increase it. By constant exposure you can rewire the nerves receptors on your tongue.

“I grew up in a Hispanic household, but I guess a lot of Indian food was mixed into that because that is mostly available here,” Angulo said. “I have friends that are less tolerant, that do not eat a lot of spices and it is kind of funny when they even taste like the smallest picante. It is just bad for them.”

In some cultures such as that of India, spices are not only used daily for cooking but they are also used as herbal medicines to counteract a wide may suffer from.

“We use turmeric for wounds because it helps to heal them. We mix it with coconut oil for a paste. I guess spice is more of a loose term in terms of that,” Subramaniam said.

“When we have indigestion we eat yogurt and buttermilk. You put cumin, you put cloves into it. Then you toast

Beyond holistic medication, spice has become a monopoly in snack food ingredients. One phenomenon that has taken students by storm is hot chips such as Hot Cheetos or Takis. It is often said that people are addicted to their favorite

”

foods, they just can not stop purchasing and eating them. Although this is often said in a non-serious manner, it actually holds truth. Childrens MD, a blog by pediatricians who have children of their own from various parts of the country called this sensation “a mild opiate addiction.”

Spicy foods can be associated with a painful physical reaction; although, capsaicin which is in chili powder is also used in many ointments for pain relief. It makes your body believe your skin is actually on fire which triggers the heat receptors to cause a desensitization leading to the sedation of this sting. This is one of the contributing factors as to why some students associate addictive behavior with their favorite spicy snack.

“Meals are what gets you through the day. So I think that more traditional foods are the best way to go when it comes to spicy food, ” Angulo said. “Because of all the authentic flavors you are not getting a chemical flavor like when you eat spicy chips like Takis and stuff.”

I think that more traditional foods are the best way to go when it comes to spicy food. IsaacAngulo,11

Mental health over sports

Participation decline in athletics seen across the district

By Brysan Wilson Harrell

The interest in youth sports is declining. Due to many factors, including the stress and anxiety one’s sport can have on a kid, and also the lack of motivation and commitment that kids have toward the sport.

“I play for the Green Valley baseball team and I can say that sports can be stressful. Trying to juggle school and an outside curriculum can also be draining in a way, but I feel it also depends on if you play a team sport or individual sport as well. If you play an individual sport you only really have your parents to help push you to reach your goals, yet if you play a team sport you have teammates there for you making it a little less intense at times. It can also make you want to stay just for them,” sophomore Jacob Ferry said.

Matt Hoffman, a sports psychologist at California State University stated in a Smithsonian article that individual sports are more prone than team sports to create situations where a child experiences acute anxiety about their performance or perhaps their appearance or body type.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 80% of U.S. students report feeling stressed sometimes or often, while the other 34% feel depressed.

School can be challenging for many students, so adding on a sport can add to the stress.

“It seems like more athletes are having trouble managing both a sport and their education,” varsity cheer coach Bailey Perryman said. “21 football B programs were eliminated this year. So now a lot of schools just have JV and varsity football programs. Same with the soccer programs. We just have to be there for them while they decide if doing the sport is even what they want to do and what is best for them.”

Parents often inspire young athletes to grow in a sport and in

life. Without a role model, reaching goals can be more difficult.

“I feel that high school athletes decreasing in numbers also has to do with the fact that some kids just can’t afford it. Personally, playing football cost a lot more money than my parents had originally planned on spending and I felt bad and guilty that I couldn’t help pay for it and they had to pay for something I love to do. It made me doubt playing football this year because I didn’t want to be stressed out about whether I had enough money to stay on the field,” sophomore Benjamin Parker said.

Parents spend an average of $671 per child, per sport annually. This covers registration fees, uniforms, lessons, and coaching. With the growth of school sports every year it can be difficult to pay all the fees. It can be even more costly if a team travels. This can make high school sports unavailable to some children that actually want to do it. It can also lead to stress on family finances and result in the child being stressed and guilty for making their parents pay so much just for their sport.

“Being an athlete can be overwhelming, which is why I quit during COVID and came back in high school. I felt I needed to work more on my mental health before I could seriously get back into a sport again. I felt I couldn’t play my best due to my family not being able to support me because they were always working, and my need to be the best for my team caused me to be depressed because I felt I was letting my baseball team down. It was also causing my grades to slip, making me more stressed out,” junior Terrance Shaw Jr. said.

As programs and athletes continue to recover from the drop in participation, some athletes are finding that the break gave them newfound focus

“Now I am happy and can focus on my sport even more than I already have,’’ junior Amari Camacho Anderson said.

Brysan Wilson

Fight to the end

Mens soccer gets another shot at State title

By Stormy Byrne

For the second straight year, the men’s varsity soccer team found themselves on the wrong end of a thrilling state championship game. Out for redemption after last year’s 3-2 overtime loss to Sunrise Mountain, the team cruised through their side of the playoff bracket and faced off against Faith Lutheran on the afternoon of Nov. 12 at Cimarron-Memorial HS.

However, despite mounting a furious comeback after falling behind 3-0, they ultimately fell short in a 4-3 loss, finishing as state runner-ups for the second consecutive season.

“Even during their freshman year, we were the team to beat,” coach Jacob Rivera said. “We just literally choked in the last round against Liberty.”

Senior Anwar Ben Rhouma Torres had four goals in the semi-

final win vs. Western, and looked back at what could have been over the past two years.

“I do think we were the best team these past two years, but it was that last game that we couldn’t get past,” Ben Rhouma Torres said. “This is how we learn from our mistakes, though. We take this and try to find a way to better ourselves for college or whatever we’re going to work at.”

The team’s dominance over the past two seasons ended with two runner-up banners, two conference titles, and multiple winning streaks that often lasted over a month. With a loaded 4A division, the overall success of the program was not lost on Rivera.

“We weren’t going to deviate, or take time off, or let them get away with anything that would hinder their success,” Rivera said. “I told them (Seniors) to use this for motivation in life. To know that you’re going to fail in life — unprepared or not — but the

more you use this as motivation the less you will fail.”

Despite the loss, players were able to take a lot away from the time they spent together and the success that they enjoyed.

“We’ve gotten really close over the past four years, and it’s just been great to go through these past two years with every single

one of those guys,” senior Kevin Kucik said.

As the program looks forward to next season, current players know that the program is in good hands. “We’ve been down multiple games before and been able to come back,” Ben Rhouma Torres said. “But we weren’t going to give up.”

To the finish line

Boys cross country finishes season at State

By Lily Burke

AAfter hours of running in the Henderson heat, the Gators cross country team yielded a good payoff at Veterans Memorial Park in Boulder City. Under head coach Brian DeCania’s instruction, seven runners for the boys

team qualified for the NIAA 5A state championship race and two finished in the top ten. On Nov. 5, sophomore Andrew Poirer finished in sixth place with a time of 16 minutes and 36.5 seconds.

In addition to this, senior Diego Chavez finished in seventh with a time of 16 minutes and 41.2 seconds.

“Through the final stretch I knew I was in eighth place and I wanted to beat that kid in seventh,” Chavez said. “I just told myself to give it my all, no matter how painful it was to just make that top 7.”

As a team, runners had daily training. However, to achieve high placements, extra time outside of school practice is necessary for personal training.

“The training was pretty straightforward, I was running 40-60 miles a week, waking up at 5 a.m. and running 3 miles before school, then running 7-9 miles at practice,” Chavez said. “Roughly 4 to 6 hours per week depending on the mileage.”

Along with needing the physical stamina, students agree that a key factor of athletics is an unrelenting and determined mindset despite the possibility of falling behind.

“The highest I have placed was first place; this cross country season I won 3 races. When I had lower places it was disappointing but I was not going to let that stop me,” Chavez said.

Even though races are individualized, teamwork is still required as a cross country race is scored by adding up the places of each team’s top five finishers. With 84 runners in this race, teamwork is necessary to get more runners higher up.

“This year the experience was good, the team had some ups and some downs with personal problems between runners but we all got through it. I loved working with my teammates and especially the younger ones,” Chavez said.

Overall, the boys finished in seventh place out of 10 teams. The girl’s team was soley represented by senior Alexa McAfee who ended up placing 32nd invidually.

FINISH STRONG - Senior Diego Chavez starts kicking just feet away from the finish during the NIAA 5A state championship race on Nov.

5. Chavez finished seventh overall at Veterans Park in Boulder City.

SCORE - Senior Anwar Ben Rhouma Torres takes a shot on goal during a semifinal game vs. Western. The Gators won, 4-0.

Violet LaMela

Eric Johnston

Upside Down homecoming

Elyse Gamiao

Joshua Berson

Breakfast Battle

Local spots fight it out for morning supremacy

By Kennedy Milton

With school starting so early it is causing students and teachers to squeeze breakfast in, really only leaving the weekends to truly enjoy the most important meal of the day. With all three restaurants, Cafe Du Val, The Cracked Egg, and Black Bear Diner, all being similar in price, the taste and aesthetic of the restaurant, play a big role when picking your Sunday brunch.

Eggs benedict (benny) is not your usual teen pick. However, It does show a lot of skill if restaurants are able to execute it well. There are many styles and types of bennys, each restaurant having their own unique flavors.

The first restaurant visited was The Cracked Egg. This is a southwest franchise with restaurants in Nevada, California, and Arizona. It has a country home vibe, and the menu only adds to the feel.

The biscuits and gravy benny contain a biscuit, sausage patty, poached egg, and is topped with country gravy. Although tasty, the gravy was thick and not the most flavorful, and the egg was slightly overcooked but is a challenging

dish to make. Personally, I like a runnier egg, but if you prefer a more cooked center this place might be for you.

The warm dish went nicely with the cooler weather coming in. The restaurant is usually packed on the weekends, especially mid-morning, but perfect for a classic family gettogether. The food arrived fast and the waitress was very nice but hard to get attention with her running around to most of the tables in the restaurant. Overall I give this restaurant a 7.6/10.`

As soon as you walk into Black Bear Diner you are hit with the classic diner smell. The whole restaurant has a cozy atmosphere. The decor truly makes it feel like an escape to a mountain cabin. The servers were very nice and they had the quickest service of all the restaurants.

Their most unique benedict was the chicken fried steak benedict. This was my least favorite meal. They had the largest proportions of food and the sides were very tasty. However, the coating on the steak overpowered the meat which was quite delicious on its own. Other than that the egg was perfectly cooked and the hollandaise sauce

was not bad, a little thick but taste-wise fine. I give Black Bear a 6.8/10.

Of course, with every meal you order a drink and waking up in the morning, coffee is my fuel. Neither the Cracked egg nor Black Bear diner had anything extraordinary or special in any way really. Cafe Du Val on the other hand had extremely well-brewed coffee. It was very smooth, the flavor was mild but still packed a punch. This does come with a much larger price and with some flavors or types of milk adding an extra charge.

Le Cafe Du Val was my favorite by far. I ordered their bacon and brie benedict with an order of avocado. It was layered with ciabatta bread, brie, bacon, avocado, poached egg, and topped with hollandaise sauce. The bacon is perfectly crisp and flavorful but the compliments of the other components even it out. It’s very rich so it is perfect to split between two and left with a full stomach. The avocado was perfectly ripe and the sauce mixed well with the egg yolk.

This restaurant is perfect for a nice brunch but it is jam-packed pretty much every morning which can affect your food wait

time. It’s more mellow closer to closing but is a dressier place. However, they also have a pastry and bakery section where you can pick up fresh french pastries quickly if you are just looking for a small bite. I give them a 9.8/10.

Depending on what you’re looking for in your breakfast experience there is a place for you. I definitely suggest trying Cafe Du Val even if it’s just for their coffee or pastries. Black Bear and The Cracked Egg are also very good and their griddle items are highly suggested.

Price wise Black Bear was the cheapest with the benedict and coffee coming to a total of 16 dollars and some change. You can find it at 2751 Green Valley Pkwy. The Cracked Egg is the middle man being $19.87 for refillable coffee and the biscuits and gravy benny is also located on Green Valley Pkwy, in the Smiths shopping area. And even though reaching a grand total of $25.18 and the most expensive restaurant I think Le Cafe Du Val is worth the money. Their food was well made and very delectable. You can visit this restaurant at W Horizon Ridge Pkwy. Though all of these restaurants have multiple locations across the Valley.

A Witchy Return

Nostalgic fan favorite releases sequel

By Stormy Byrne

Every year we see a resurgence of the cult classic Halloween movie “Hocus Pocus.” Starring Bette Middler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, “Hocus Pocus” has become a part of the classic Halloween movie binge list, and now we have a sequel.

On September 30, the characters we loved as much as we feared as children have returned to our TV screens. However, like most sequels of beloved films, it received bad reviews. Many people claimed it to be too silly or even so bad that it is good.

With an unstable plot “Hocus Pocus 2” is a lot harder to enjoy than its predecessor, and while “Hocus Pocus” is meant to be corny it was taken way too far. To start “Hocus Pocus 2” completely destroyed the Sanderson sisters making them far too caricatured and simply unenjoyable. It was hard to focus on the plot when I was too distracted and overwhelmed by the theatrics of the witchy sisters. Besides the poor acting, which is expected in a movie advertised for kids, there wasn’t a single original idea in “Hocus Pocus 2”

“This is just as unevenly plotted as the original lacks even the element of surprise,” said a top critic for Empire Magazine, Helen O’Hara. “It is not by any reasonable standard “good.” Between gooey and ghoulish, there must be better options.”

From recreating the choreography of Micheal Jackson’s “Thriller” to changing the lyrics of a Blondie song, there wasn’t a single idea in this movie I could call original. The whole movie was basically recycled from the original, adding no new nuance to a childhood favorite. “Jen’DAngelos screenplay doesn’t have any issues recycling the funniest,

most memorable moments of Hocus Pocus.” said critic, Juanma Fernandez Paris. “But does not find new, fertile ground for the characters to flourish.”

Besides no character development, it is also hard to believe that this movie was made for anything but the money it could offer. There seems to be absolutely no care in this movie, at least not as much as there should be in a remake of a movie that was a part of a lot of childhoods. It seems that rather than putting any actual thought into the movie they took a list from what they think original fans enjoyed the most and called it a day. Aside from the blatant recycling of old jokes, the portrayal of teenagers was far from accurate.

Like many movies “Hocus Pocus 2” struggled to portray real teenagers, with out of date slang

were hired for. There’s nothing worse than a movie where you can tell the actors are acting. Watching the new batch of teenagers who teamed up with the Sanderson sisters did nothing but make me wish I was watching the first movie. The teenagers aren’t the only issue. It seems that they only chose to use their budget on the returners rather than using that to find better actors to play the teenagers.

The Sanderson sisters did no justice to their former roles. A part of why the writing wasn’t successful is because of the presentation, and this falls completely onto the actors themselves. Maybe because these women have gone onto have such successful careers with roles considered more “important” than their part of “Hocus Pocus” they didn’t give it’s sequel as

million to make “Hocus Pocus 2”. From the performance of the actresses who were in the first movie, I do not think there was any true passion for making a second “Hocus Pocus.”

“Hocus Pocus 2” was one of those movies that I really wished would be good, but it was not. From the quality of writing to the quality of acting nothing changed for the better. I hope the first “Hocus Pocus” will not lose its spot as a top Halloween movie because of the failure of the second movie. Next year, I hope Disney will have learned their lesson and stop producing movie sequels that just don’t need to be made.

While majority of the movie was poor quality, the nostalgia it offered was one of those things that made me enjoy the two hours I spent watching the movie. Even

Fitted for the Future

Past clothing trends make a comeback

By Delia Waring

Fashion is a form of self-expression for many. You can tell a lot about a person by what they are wearing. Every year there are new fashion trends that many pursue and make their own.

Trends can be simple or bold. If you have a bold fashion style, you might wear more prints, vibrant colors or even lots of embroidery. This year the clean girl aesthetic got very popularized. The “clean girl aesthetic“ is a trend in which looking clean and very simple is the ideal look. Most girls that try this aesthetic typically wear their hair in low slick buns, wear very natural makeup, and have a comfy, cute put together outfit. Their outfits are usually neutral colors and pastels.

Recently, some older fashion trends have made a comeback. This year, there has been a big uprise of people wearing a clothing style called Y2k. Y2k stands for the year 2000 so people wear clothing that was very popular in the early years of the 2000s. To be considered a Y2k style people typically wear things like bell bottoms, juicy couture tracksuits, lots of hot pinks, bedazzled bags and shoes. Excessive amounts of accessories are a big part of this style as well.

“I love dressing up personally, It makes me feel a lot happier just being dressed up, it definitely affects my mood,” senior Sophia Pitch said, “I express myself with my clothing and switch up my style a lot, I can’t ever stick to one style. I do more themed outfits depending on the weather and holi-

days.’’

Another trend that is very popular right now is wearing baggy pants like trousers, cargo pants, mom jeans and sweatpants. Wearing baggy pants was primarily a style that came out in the 1990s and has since then made a comeback.

One trend that has also been more popular lately is the alternative look. Stemming from the late 1980s, the emo aesthetic has been boosted lately consisting of very dark clothing and dyed hair. A lot of media inspires this as it

large influence on the fashion world for the past few years has been the TV show “Euphoria”. With its glitz and glam, people are recreating their wardrobe and makeup all over socials.

Speaking of TV influences, the Netflix show “Stranger Things” set in the 1980s has brought back a few older fashion trends. The designers behind the show have talked about the influence of how each character is dressed. Nothing they wear is too outrageous and looks like something their character would actually wear, unlike

aesthetics earned them their own nicknames “the gentleman”, “the vampire” and “the pirate”. Even artists such as Harry Styles breaking gender norms with pink suits and skirts. He was a huge influence on society and clothing trends in general

It is proven in a study “ICEWEAR” conducted that 96% of participants’ mental states changed depending on the style of clothing they were wearing that day.

“Look good, feel good. My outfits always affect my mood, and whenever I’m in an outfit out of my comfort zone I don’t feel as good and I notice it affects my overall day,” senior Cooper Weglarz-Ward said.

There are lots of clothing trends people do not like as well. As clothing trends come in and out of style some are loved and some are hated and never worn by lots.

had first really blown up back in 2003 during the MySpace scene that lasted until 2013.

Among overall fashion trends, accessories and hairstyles come into play. Since the pandemic, people have been experimenting with their hair and cutting it themselves due to not being able to go to a salon and get it done by a professional. Some hairstyles that arose during this time consisted of cutting it really short, bangs, wolf cuts and dying or bleaching.

A large inspiration for fashion trends stems from the media. One main form of media that has had

what you immediately see online when looking for 80s aesthetics with bright neons and pink eyeshadows. With that, the designers behind the show designed the characters’ wardrobes to suit more of an everyday look, something casual that you would have seen more often in that time.

Among shows and media, fashion influences are also affected by music. Various artists express themselves not only through music but through their fashion and what they wear as well. One band that this shows in is Palaye Royale, which has a fairly heavy influence in the alternative scene. Their

Stacked jeans are a jean style where there is excess fabric around the calf and ankle area to create the illusion of a stacked look using fabric. Another clothing trend that is not as successful is bermuda shorts.

“Bermuda shorts are so ugly, they are such an awkward length,” Pitch said “I think they should either be regular shorts or just pants.”

These trends, coming back from different decades, show how clothes that are popular waver in and out; they are changing constantly, in the blink of an eye. As far as using fashion to express yourself, it is unique to each individual even as trends take over a mass of a population.

Elyse Gamiao

“

”

Look good, feel good. My outfits always affect my mood.

Cooper Weglarz-Ward, 12

Halloween Costumes

Students, staff show off their spooky spirit

Back

Second

Front

Kennedy Milton Elyse Gamiao

row: Emily Bilan, Lily Jacobson, Madison Rose, Yesenia Maldonado

row: Rayanna Burnside, Lily Wollard, Mr. Michael Lamb, Hayden Abramson

row: Sophia Murdock, Jake Hanson

Kennedy Milton

Club begins morning drink

By Cherie Franklin

Coffee is an essential aspect of many teachers’ lives. It provides energy for the coming day, as well as creating a routine in their hectic and, most often, very stressful environment.

This was the driving force behind Gator Joe, a service put on by the Special Programs department. First, an email is ent out who are ordering coffee for that day. After responfing with their order, teachers get coffee delivered to them by Best Buddies as frequently as once a week to every day. The service, spearheaded by teachers Judy Rossetti and Brandi McElhaney, gives students a chance to learn life skills and learn business aspects they will use later in life.

“A lot of times when they graduate, they don’t have job skills. So they graduate and then they’re just sitting at home. Mrs. Rossetti and I were thinking, “We have to give the

skills that they can take into the real world.” Even if they’re not going to work at Starbucks or Dutch Brothers. So that when they finally leave Green Valley High School they are going to do something and not just sit around,” McElhaney said.

Inside the Gator Joe program itself, its manager senior Chad Maldonado organizes tasks for students to do from delivering to making the coffee itself. Maldonado became the manager a few weeks into the service’s infancy after taking a leardership role and showing qualities that later landed him the position.

“We decided about a month into it that one of our students was doing really well. [He] was doing such a good job, and was taking a leadership role. So now, he coordinates what jobs students need to do, and sends out the email that reminds teachers to put in their order through the Google form. So he does the main part, and other students are given roles around him,”

McElhaney said.

Getting exposure to help provide a service to others is especially important for some Special Programs students who may have trouble interacting with others in an everyday setting.

“Just interacting with the kids is really great. They may be shy at first, starting their freshman year

off here at GV. If I help them, they’ll be more active and able to interact with more people rather than be quiet and stay behind closed shutters,” Maldonado said.

As the school year continues, Gator Joe hopes to continue to deliver a variety of coffees every day to teachers and staff around the GVHS campus.

Sebastian Villamil

Good morning - Sophomore Rylee Lucas delivers English teacher Michael Lamb his morning coffee.

By Bradley Geiger

In 1962, Americans were captivated by The Jetson’s bold predictions of an automated future driven by technology. As of now, we are not at the point of robot nannies and sky homes- but the introduction of self-driving cars shows we are pretty darn close. In 2014, industry pioneer Tesla announced their car’s self-driving capabilities, which allow the driver to sit back and twiddle their thumbs while a computer drives their car. While this innovation sounds great in theory, some drivers have started to question the practicality of this feature.

Industry leader Tesla’s self driving feature costs drivers $15,000, promising users the ability to steer, accelerate and brake the car automatically within its lane. The only catch? Drivers must have their hands on the wheel at all times. Although some may think this makes the feature almost useless, over a hundred thousand drivers have already paid an arm and a leg in order to

purchase this feature. The change is minimal- drivers still must pay attention and be aware of their surroundings, just like normal driving. On top of this, some critics wonder about Tesla’s confidence in their technology if they need someone to man the wheel at all times.

This question comes into effect when considering the statistic listed by Carsurance that selfdriving cars have over twice the amount of crashes compared to normal cars. Compared to 4.1 crashes per million miles, selfdriving cars had 9.1 crashes per million miles. And while this may not seem like a lot, the average Nevada driver travels over 950,000 miles in their lifetime.

Another startling fact is that the lithium ion batteries being used in many of these self driving cars are highly flammable and susceptible to explosions. A 2020 Tesla involving an ion battery crash took 30,000 gallons of water to put out. This statistic is scary enough to convince many drivers to stay away from self-driving vehicles. Then again, if the cozy heat of a raging

fire on your dashboard sounds inviting, then feel free to fork out a mortgage on a self-driving car. One other factor that comes into question is the moralities of a self driving car. Programmers must make the tough decisions of who lives and dies in split second scenarios where the car must choose who (or what) to hit. Does a Tesla swerve around a family walking along a crosswalk, killing its passenger in the process? Does age come into play? Who lives and who dies?

There is no set moral compass that regulates what decisions must be made. In a situation where every outcome is fatal, it’s up to the car to make the right call. When getting into a self-driving car, drivers rest these decisions in the hands of a program conceived by overworked and underpaid employees. Besides the obvious glaring technology issues, what really is the morality of self driving cars?

Like all technology, self-driving cars are susceptible to hackers. The issue? Instead of your computer data being stolen, it is your life on the line. In 2019, Forbes found that

hackers could infiltrate the Tesla model 3’s system and remotely drive the car from their home. This becomes a major security and safety issue when considering anyone could take control of a car and easily drive it into oncoming traffic, into pedestrians or worse. From terrorists to psychopaths, anyone who could hack your car could drive it.

The solution to this madness is simple. Ban self driving cars. Everyday life already has so much convenience, from online food delivery, to one day shipping, or even rideshare services. Does America really need anymore convenience? What would people do in their self-driving cars? Sleep? Clip their toenails?

Society is becoming more and more reliant on other people and technology to do things for us. If we continue to be complacent to ideas that reduce our interactions with the real world, the future depicted in movies such as Wall-E is surely not far off. It’s time we take a stand against companies looking to make profit at our expense- whether we realize it or not.

Bradley Geiger

A for effort Student feedback benefits everyone

By Laycie Taylor

Students spend hours upon hours a week catching up on work handed out in classes, or even perfecting their work after listening to a teacher grade and review. Although teachers play an essential role in the importance of student development, students’ voices may not always be heard. Students could essentially be grading their teachers back.

The idea of student review for their teachers is by no means a new concept considering colleges and universities have been performing them for years. While this is not college, and a class can not be switched at the drop of a hat, evaluations can go a long way for high school students just the same.

As students prepare for college, they have to start doing more things related to a college environment. students will have to get into quality habits later to increase productivity and more of an active learning environment. Recalling information and how students learned it throughout the year not only benefits memorization of knowledge but also what tactics from the teacher helped them the most. When high schools promote building a teacher-student relationship through the reflection of the year with open and honest communication it can build crucial skills for students to move on later in life.

“I think it’s a great idea and I have said that for probably nearly all 20 of my years being here that instead of administrators doing our observations, I think they should come into our room, kick the teacher out, and talk to the students and get their opinion,” social studies teacher Demetrius Beam said. “Some of them might say a stupid thing, but as a whole, if you really want to know what goes on in a classroom, talk to the

kids. With that being said, I think student assessment should be part of what we do.”

Some may say high school students could be incapable of giving a professional and informational rating due to personal feelings regarding the teacher or even a lack of maturity. However, even though this may be the case, a student’s reaction to a teacher can still be very telling of how teachers handle professional relationships with students and should still be considered.

In order for high schoolers to get the most out of their education, it all has to start with how students are taking in the subject at hand. Good educational outcomes are a result of having highly qualified and experienced teachers. Traditionally in a public school system most states and, in turn, most large districts still require teachers to be observed multiple times as part of an evaluation. These observations can be formal or informal walkthroughs, and most often include a feedback conference between the teacher and their observer. Samples of students’ work, teachers’ records and lesson plans, and other relevant factors were also often taken into account. However, personal student evaluations are rarely taken into account.

“Student reviews are way more holistic and there are some things that [administrators] simply sitting in a classroom for half a period taking notes wouldn’t pick up things like student relationships with teachers,” junior Phoenix Evans said.

However, this is only a small glimpse of an entire year of learning. Everyone may be on their best behavior during this time but it may not reflect the environment created for the remaining part of the year. Students are the only ones who truly understand the dynamic of their learning within the period which can conclude that what they have to

say would give a lot more intel to these reviews. Reviews from high school students should be prioritized for the overall benefit and true knowledge of their learning environment.

“The kids will genuinely be honest. They have teachers that they think are working for them and they have teachers that they think are less so and I honestly think they will be genuine,” said Beam. “I have a daughter here and I see what they go through. I think the student-teacher relationship is essential and I think historically I’ve been pretty good at establishing that.”

Teachers are paid to educate and grade their students so it can only be fair for students to do the same. Students are the ones who truly know what’s going on and experience the whole course through thick and thin. Teachers are allowed to review students all year yet students are the ones who are needed to take the information to pass and move on. Reviewing teachers back can create a morally fair environment for everyone to take from.

“I think students rating teachers is a great idea, honestly I think it exposes the weakness of teachers but alongside that students are also scared to give feedback in fear of repercussions or it might affect how teachers view their students when it comes to grading. I think required anonymous ratings would be the most ideal for school evaluations,” Evans said.

Either way, feedback can be good for students’ benefits as it may help them feel more fully engaged in their education. Students who feel their opinion matters are far more likely to have a personal stake in the educational process. Listening to others’ opinions, on a general scale, can be a good indicator of whether they need to change something about themselves. Unlike deconstructive or negative criticism, construc-

tive criticism builds trust and provides an opportunity for both parties to grow. Feedback also gives teachers concrete advice on making the education process more enjoyable and effective. Educators who are more responsive to their students stand a better chance of providing a quality educational experience.

“I’m not teaching for the administration and I’m not teaching for our school board. Quite frankly I don’t care,” said Beam. “I’m teaching kids and that’s the reason I’m here so I very much value their opinion and I hold what they have to say with a lot of weight.”

Roles Reversed Teacher ratings become detrimental

By Krstel Alfaro Borbon

Students should not be given a platform where they can rate their teachers. Most high school students would not know how to use these websites professionally. Furthermore, students taking a class with bad reviews do not have power over their schedule; therefore deeming the platform essentially useless.

There are websites available to high school students such as “Rate My Teachers” in which students are able to leave a review on their teachers. The site allows students to score teachers on things such as the difficulty of the class, clarity and how knowledgeable the teacher is. However, these websites are not nearly as popular as other college websites such as “Rate My Professors.”

“I would personally never write a review for one of my teachers,” senior Joseph Burns said. “Reading reviews on classes I am taking would cause me unnecessary stress and I do not think they are necessary. Students are often assigned the teacher that is available during a certain period so there is not much to be done when it comes to switching a class due to an educator’s abilities.”

High school students are all required to take core classes and are not able to choose when they want to obtain a certain credit. Many classes are predetermined by the school and due to class sizes students end up with a random teacher and it is out of their control. Furthermore, counselors will not allow students to switch a class due to a teacher’s difficulty level or style of teaching. Reading reviews off of a site would essentially be useless in that unlike in college, high School students are much more limited by their schedules and the same liberties are not offered.

“I think that if there is honest

feedback it could work in a high school context but you don’t have the freedom to choose your professors like you do in college,” teacher Anna Vinciguerra said. “Let’s say someone rated me terribly and they’re like ‘I never want Ms. Vinciguerra as a teacher because her ratings are low,’ but then i’m the only teacher at that period, now they have this preconceived notion of what i’m going to be like.”

Students also often take

advantage of these websites in order to leave hate comments and inappropriate criticism on their teachers. Many students do not understand the impact that their technology use can have on people’s lives. High school students are anywhere from 13 to 18 years old, meaning that some can lack the ability to see the effect of their words. Some high school teachers have claimed that their students have given them inappropriate and unprofession-

“It doesn’t work in college either,” Vinciguerra said. “If you have a bad experience with a professor you’re going to rate them poorly, if you have a good experience you’re going to rate them highly, and not everyone has the same experience.”

In websites such as “Rate My Professors” teachers are asked what grade they got in the class but do not need to show any proof of their scores. Therefore, there can be a lot of misinformation by students who did not receive good marks in a class. Many students use websites like these to get back at a teacher and give them a bad review. Even in college scenarios students often do not admit the amount of work they put into a class and simply leave a bad review with a lack of explanations.

“I can see a lot of students, especially younger students, lying on websites like these,” Burns said. “There are many people who do not put their full effort into a class and when they get handed back their grade they find it easier to blame the teacher over themselves. Overall, I just think a lot of the information can be false because there is no way to fact check a person’s experience.”

al comments in their reviews regarding other topics besides the class on “Rate My Teachers.”

“I can also see sites like these (Rate My Teachers) potentially causing problems within a school’s staff,” Burns said. “Many high school students are very impulsive and do not realize what effect their actions can have, so many students could leave a harmful comment that is not helpful for a future student.”

When looking through comments about a class it is very hard to tell how truthful these

reviews are. Often teachers that are easy graders or laid back will have higher scores in their reviews because students like them. However, rating teachers on likeability, like many students do, does not give an accurate representation of the class. In contrast, teachers that are very strict and assign many assignments can have lower reviews despite having teaching more material. The character of the teacher is what is being evaluated, it is rarely the class itself that is receiving criticism.

Overall websites where students grade their teachers, especially in high school scenarios, are futile. Students do not have the emotional maturity to be truthful and give constructive criticism. Furthermore, in high school students do not hold much power over their schedule due to their required classes making these types of websites essentially useless.

“It might open up a can of worms that doesn’t need to be opened,” Vinciguerra said. “It’s based on personal experience so it’s accurate for that person, but I don’t know that it would be accurate for a whole collective or that you could get everyone to be honest.”

Kennedy Milton

Going

Technology advancement often leads to growing isolation

By Elyse Gamiao

Over the past few decades, technology has grown to become a necessity for an average adolescent’s life. Adolescents, as a whole, frequently use modern electronic communication methods such as instant messaging, calling, video chats and communication-focused sites or apps. With these advancements, however, relationships between adolescents and their friends, relatives, romantic partners and strangers are dwindling.

Adolescents rely on technology to build relationships. However, to past generations, this method of communication is bizarre. Older generations are used to going through romantic relationships by physically meeting new people, seeing what they look like imme -

their mobile devices to lay the groundwork for relationships; in some cases, they don’t physically meet or learn what they look like until much later in the relationship. Whether society accepts or denies it, technology undoubtedly changes how people go about their day-to-day interactions.

With this changed technique of social interaction comes a change in how relationships are structured, especially familial bonds. Relations between a kid and their family have always varied, but nowadays they are particularly damaged. Many people initially think of children as the problem when it comes to technology and family relationships. What people don’t consider is how parents can use it in ways that ultimately ruin the connection with their family. Divorce rates have risen over the decades, but access to dating

mean broken families are solely the parent’s fault, nor does it mean technology always destroys relationships. It can also be used in a healthy, positive way within a family. For instance, children often text their parents even if they are in the same household instead of talking to their face. In a 2019 article, Texter or Yeller by Edward C. Baig, mothers by the names of Tamara Forsman, Kelli Jones Geiger, and Cara Gunia explain how they use today’s technology to better communicate with their children. In their cases, it opens up awkward conversations and presents their kids with a way to easily reach out.

Electronics have instigated a rise in social anxiety and subconscious behaviors in juveniles. Relationships frequently have unspoken rules that apply to verbal communication and actions in romantic relationships. A portion of these rules derives from the excessive use of technology. For example, it creates new expectations for how one’s significant other talks to other people. More specifically, people now have to pay attention to what they say over texts or DMs, direct messages, as they can be perceived in many ways. Social cues and body language are important parts of communicating with others; being able to read these cues is essential for understanding what someone is trying to say. With text messaging, these components are removed, and one sentence can

thing completely different to another person. This can lead to a breach of trust in romantic relationships.

Technology not only isolates people due to outside influence but also detaches relationships because of personal conflict. According to a study by Tamyra Pierce, participating females reported more social anxiety compared to males and felt more comfortable using text messaging and online social sites to interact with others rather than face-toface. Similarly to these studies, the recently experienced epidemic has shown us just how much people rely on electronic devices. Although technology allowed us to connect when face-to-face interaction was not possible, it also had detrimental consequences on how adolescents behaved and interacted once the world reopened.

Advancements in technology will always come with problems, but as much as it isolates us, it also brings about magnificent opportunities. This new way of life won’t ever disappear, so we have to find a way to flourish in the cyber zone. Whether this means limiting the time we spend on our devices or creating newer, healthier ways to use technology, there is not a single clear solution. Although one thing will always remain crystal clear, human life requires in-person interactions to maintain a healthy mental status; people must remember that technology should never dampen it.

Elyse

New Year, New Us

By The InvestiGator Staff

Start the year with some spice! This past year everyone has struggled to get back into the groove of their normal routine after dealing with the pandemic. The new school year kickstarts with all extracurricular activities and school events back to normal. Mask mandates dropped, sports teams competing, and clubs open has rid us of our boredom.

Individuals have always participated in school activities, but the pandemic has impacted students’ desire to join in. With sports participation rates down, the ability to make the cut increases. Students are encouraged to jump into this new school year with school spirit and the passion to work along peers. Green

Valley has already started to see this school pride in the recent fall fright festivities. Student were seen dressed to impress not only by going all out with their Halloween costumes, but with their day

administration recently removed the ability to graduate with the advanced honors diploma. Complaints about this change were muttered for weeks amongst peers, but have been interrupted

For many, food palettes are the least of their worries, but spicy foods have really made a comeback. Although it has a long history, spicy food have reintroduced themselves in new bite sized snacks, like the spicy chip challenge. Coverage about expanding one’s scovile scale can even be seen on screen. With newer talk shows and podcasts, attention on cultures known for their spices have skyrocketed. With the current winter weather we can expect spice enthusiasts to fire up their palettes in compensation.

to day fashion sense incorporating modern trends. Not to mention the enthusiasm felt throughout homecoming week.

However, our halls aren’t only filled with liveliness. The school

by the achievements of school clubs and sports teams.

Preoccupied with the new opportunities offered by the school, students are able to unplug and discuss the need for some heat.

We have progressed a long way from the beginning of our pandemic journey. Moving forward, Gators have a lot of opportunities offered to them; taking up and extra class or joining a new group may be just what you want to heat up the holiday season.

What is your favorite spicy food?

“Any soup or ramen that is spicy is the best!”

Isabel Ferenal, Junior

“I would say that I like more spicy snacks rather than meals. My favorite is takis, but I like spicy tacos or burritos.”

Ruby Klein, Sophomore

“Anything with hot sauce on it.”

Edward Welsh, Freshman

“My mom’s Ethiopian food and ramen.”

Jazira Hassan, Senior

Elyse Gamiao

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The new school year kickstarts with all extra curricular activities and school events back to normal.

TAKE THE LEAD

Sophomore Andrew Poirier pushes his way to the front of the pack during the NIAA 5A State Championship race on Nov. 5. Poirier finished in sixth place overall while the team placed seventh at the event held at Veterans Memorial Park in Boulder City.

VIOLET LAMELA |

PHOTO