The InvestiGator - March 2017

March 2017

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Vol. 26, Issue 4

Green Valley High School Ů 460 N. Arroyo Grande Henderson, NV 89014

Fernando Agreda 1978 - 2017

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9/20/16 11:23 PM

March 2017

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Contents

Vol. 26, Issue 4

Green Valley High School ٠ 460 N. Arroyo Grande Henderson, NV 89014

Fernando Agreda 1978 - 2017

Dynasty solidified

page 15

On The Cover The school mourns the passing of Green Valley art teacher, Fernando Agreda.

SECTIONS

page 5

NEWS 4 FEATURES 6 SPORTS 15 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 19 PHOTO ESSAY 22 OPINIONS 25 EDITORIAL 31

FEATURED STORIES 6 Jack of All Trades

Sophomore extraordinare masters all activities he partakes in. courtesy of Vicki Temple-Hoffman

13 Perfect execution

The wrestling program poses along with their Regional Title trophy on Saturday, February 4th, 2017.

The team would go on to capture their sixth straight state championship the following weekend.

Junior olympic gymnast scores full ride and a prestigious invite.

editor's note:

21 Nice work, play nice

The grand, exciting moments, the ones that make your heart rush , your face light up, and the ones that make your family proud. These are the moments we all live for; we consistenly thirst for their appearance within out lives. In our fourth issue, these moments aren’t hard to find.

We have highlighted some of our most talented, dedicated, and involved students, who constantly experience the joy these moments bring about in our lives. A sophomore who does it all, and does it well, our award-winning theatre program, our sixth time state winning Wrestling team, and so much more.

This issue also brings about the discussion of several more serious topics that have taken both schools and kids in those schools alike, by storm. New changes are constantly being made in our environment, and stories like the integration of Girl Band, and our upcoming Spring Sports clearly demonstrate this.

For our center, we chose to do an in depth feature on everyones favorite thing to do: procrastinate. As an act that seems to take an inherent part of student life, we explore the reasons why it consistently happens, how teachers are battling it, and how students can help improve these procrastination laced actions.

Our entertainment section also covers a colorful array of new topics. These include things like a concert guide to staying safe and having a good time, a vibrant review of Oscar nominated La La Land, and a chicken battle between three popular restaurants.

In a different serious fashion, our opinion section is full of valid and unique criticisms of many social justice issues plaguing our nation, as well as our popular culture.

Overall, the paper offers a large installation of vibrant and serious issues, specific student spotlights and group achievements, as well as changes and continuities within our school and society. As always, we hope everyone finds a story they can relate to, and that they enjoy reading. It is only our deepest pleasure to produce this paper for all those in the GV community.

- Sarah Fernandez and Lena Navarro, co-editors-in-chief

An extravagant showcase with a mix of 1920’s culture and a hilarious set of characters.

26 Marching for all

Women’s March on Washington calls for more intersectionality.

28 Filtering for better, or worse?

Online web filters at school spark hot debate on their legitimacy.

webjazba

4 NEWS

New adventures for Sadie Hawkin’s

By Hailey Gross Student council members have put together an extravagant night for everyone of all class grades to hang out and experience the thrill of adventure-dome with loved ones.

Sophomore Cassidy Gehlken is one of the multiple students who planned this event as a new way to collect fundraising money for the school.

“I knew we could get people to show up because it is a fun place to be,” Gehlken said.

Instead of throwing a dance, there would be an alternative for those who want to shake it up with friends, but not spend loads of money doing hair and makeup to go out.

This night at Adventure Dome will be a fundraiser to help benefit the sophomore class. The money will be going to the stu-

“

Sophomore class chose Adventure Dome as something else fun for students to take part in.

- sophmore Casey Gehlken

dent council sophomore class bank account to help with future purchases on supplies for activities, and events like

courtesy Jade Nies

Sophomore Benel Higuchi and junior Monica Molina playfully pose while taking pictures for Sadie’s on Feb. 25.

prom. Student council members decided on Adventure-dome because of the double ended benefit. This may also start a new tradition for sadie’s. It should be a fun alternative for the ladies to take their dates.

Adventure Dome is located in Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, a very popular attraction ever since it opened in 1993. With twenty-one rides for of all ages and eight attractions, students enjoyed the night filled with thrilling twists and turns from

endless rides.

Sophomore Cassidy Newberry is also one of the members who made this night possible.

“When we came up with this idea is was a bit difficult to organize things, but we knew it was going to be a success,” Newberry said.

Sadie Hawkin’s has been a highschool tradition, and this fun twist encourages students to participate in school functions.

Memorial Scholarships.

“Each scholarship is worth $1,000, one of them is offered to any track or cross country athlete and the others are available to any senior with gator pride,” one of the many organizers of the Memorial Mile, Kelly Wagner said.

“In order to apply for the scholarships, there’s a two-page application, which is just general information that every application asks, you need a reference from one of your math teachers, and you have to do an essay,” Wagner said.

For the track and field scholarship students have to write about what being an athlete means to them, and expand on some of Thompson’s favorite quotes that he always said while coaching. However, for the other scholarship offered, students must write an essay that proves how they are committed to excellence and represent school pride. Thompson was an example of how dediaction and determination will always end in success. Not only being an imspiration to athletes, Thompson encouraged many to be the best they could be.

Our school will continuely do things to remember a man who truly changed lives for the better.

Social Studies teacher, Bud Beam runs in memory of Coach Blaine Thompson.

Memorial mile runs on

By Taylor Strezlec

Blaine Thompson was a big part of the our school’s family. He taught math, coached the track and field and men’s cross country programs. Overall, he was a huge inspiration to the student body.

Thompson passed away due to pancreatic cancer on Jan. 18, 2015, but students were still able to pay tribute to him on Saturday, Jan 28.

Thompson coached senior Lenny Rubi for a total of three seasons, two seasons his freshman year and one his sophomore year. Rubi showed support for his former coach by attending not only last year’s memorial mile, but also this year’s.

“It made me really happy to see faces that I wouldn’t expect to see at the memorial mile, and especially teachers and old athletes of his,” Rubi said. “If I’m able to come back and visit after I graduate, I will, but if not I would just do a mile for him wherever I’m at.”

The 2nd Annual Blaine Thompson Memorial Mile took place on our campus’ track at 10:00 a.m. There was an entry fee of five dollars and all of the money collected went towards the Blaine Thompson

The InvestiGator t March 2017

Shila Sherafat

Fashionistas stitch together

By Bethany Casall

With glitter, fabric, and string, magic happens inside fashion club. This year, the industry has been taken to the next level. A club for striving fashion designers is gathered together to truly make the most out of every square inch of material.

“

We hope to have a fashion show by next year.

to bring in more ideas to make the most out of the club.”

With talents and passion, you can come in and strut your stuff. If you want to learn new works, everyone is more than happy to teach and bring in more excitement throughout the world of fashion.

“We talk a lot about sewing and differ-

NEWS 5

ent techniques used, along with the fashion behind the fabric,” performing arts teacher, Jennifer Hemme said.

Meetings are held in the sewing room, 408, Wednesdays after-school. If you are interested in fashion or learning about what it takes to design your own style, attend a meeting.

Bethany Casall

- junior Dahlia Jones

With style being the number one trend every year, you can truly bring your inner fashionista out in fashion club. Take a simple idea and expand upon it to create a style that can carry throughout the school and further. From mom jeans, to holes in your sweater, anything can become trendy.

“At my last school I wished we would have done more before the fashion show so this year, with a fresh new start, we are going to make our own clothes and start a fundraiser.” club president Dahlia Jonas said. “One of our most popular ideas so far is to make and sell chokers. We hope

Fashion Club president Dahlia Jonas carefully sizes a mannequin in a dress she is making.

Girl band launches

By Lexi Demoleas

The flips, the turns, and the crowd going wild to an early 2000’s hit; Gators are used to all of these events in every annual boy band assembly. Now this year, there was an all new girl band experience. The general idea of it was to be similar to the well known boy band, but with an all girls dance groups from all grades.

Juniors came out victorious of all the class groups, with their funny renditions of popular songs and dance moves that

made the whole gym burst with laughter.

“We were very confident in the days leading up to the assembly,” junior Paige Jeffers said. “When we were in front of the school performing it was really easy for us to just have fun with it.”

In place of regular after school Sadies events, they put girl band in its place as a school assembly. Girl band was recognized along with other clubs that are not normally showcased at other assemblies.

Girl band is all about women empowerment, and it is a special event unlike

In remembrance

On March 6, art teacher Fernando Agreda passed away after a long battle with brain cancer.

Agreda, who graduated from GVHS in 1997, began his teaching career at the school in 2007. He had an amazing dedication to Green Valley, as he spent hours after school running the ever popular Art Club. He also spent the better part of a decade coaching the girls freshmen basketball team.

Agreda taught classes ranging from Cermaics to Art AP and was instrumental in running the annual Empty Bowls event.

The Agreda family also wished to pass along their gratitude for the Miracle Minute that was held, as well as for all the well wishes and support from the staff of Green Valley.

most in our school. In previous years we had battle of the sexes, which was taken out. With a girl band at the school, girls are given an opportunity to be on the same level as the boys.

“It was super awesome creating history for [the school],” Jeffers said. “Getting to do it with all of my girlfriends made it even better. This is something we can all look back on and be proud of.”

Unlike boy band, where the members are specially selected, girl band is open to the whole student body.

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6 FEATURE

By Lena Navarro “Kung fu has taught me kindness. There is a misconception that martial arts is only a means of beating people up,” sophomore Benel Higuchi said. “Opposingly, a key notion of martial arts is that conscious thought, acuteness, kindness, and compassion is what develops the individual and refines the skills of a martial artist.”

Higuchi is a first generation intellectual.

He is prospering in a family rich in diverse cultures--Japanese and Israeli--and as a student of Shaolin kung fu and the violin.

By peers and teachers Higuchi is described as an old, wise soul with a youthful heart.

From Higuchi’s point of view, he is working towards living a life of utmost significance--a life of personal fulfillment and compassion.

“

An unorthodox definition of kung fu would be moving meditation.

-sophomore Benel Higuchi

“To not use your individuality to help others or the world is to be meaningless,” Higuchi said. “Rather, to be yourself and also to maintain responsibilities, complete objectives and then explore yourself more is really something special.”

Higuchi practices this mature philosophy with devotion to his character-building undertakings--one being kung fu, which he uses as a means of self-expression, mind expansion, spiritual growth, physical endurance, and even relaxation.

“An unorthodox definition of kung fu would be moving meditation, because as you are focusing deeply on your inner self, you’re also strategically moving the body,” Higuchi said. “You must combine your internal spirit and internal energy with the outside forces to have an efficient practice.”

This legend of kung fu was initially created around 540 AD when monk Bodhidarma travelled to China and noticed that the monks were spiritually and mentally refined, but were physically very frail. After witnessing monks falling asleep during meditation, Bodhidarma introduced them to the eighteen movements derived from traditional Indian Yoga. This was designed to increase their physical and mental strength as well as the flow of Chi energy.

These eighteen movements became kung fu as we know it today, after being expanded for over 1,500 years.

“Ch’i is the inner energy created when doing kung fu. It is stored in the dan tian, known in western sport as the lower abdomen,” Higuchi said. “Dan tian translates to where earth meets heaven, which just goes to show how religiously martial artists think of the core,” Higuchi said.

The idea is that one can direct this ch’i energy from the dan tian to a particular part of the body and produce enormous

The InvestiGator t March 2017

A life of significance courtesy Benel Higuchi

Sophomore Benel Higuchi achieves balance in Shaolin kung fu pose, The Stork, at Shaolin Kung Fu Chan.

power. Enough power to break bricks, iron plates, stones, and even shield the most delicate parts of the body from attack.

“Kung fu has taught me about the importance of core locomotion,” Higuchi said.

“There’s a great analogy that my sifu gives me: You want to be like a fan, because the fan always has one center where it turns, but it never stops turning from the center.

That’s why the fan is stronger.”

After years of training and cultivating a passion for martial arts, Higuchi came to realize that in addition to self-defense and maintaining physical fitness, kung fu helps channel energy and restore focus while empowering himself in his everyday life.

“While doing kung fu I’ve learned that you have power when you’re angry, but to be able to express that same power when you’re not angry is a different thing entire-

ly,” Higuchi said.

With influence from his father (a black belt in aikido), Higuchi began practicing kung fu, and in turn, developing this philosophical expansion of the mind just out of elementary school.

“While I was growing up my father would often times do aikido demonstrations on my sisters and me, and it was always very intriguing to watch,” Higuchi said. “With the slightest movements or turn of the waist or hip, a martial artist can easily flip someone. I think that it itself is incredible.”

An additional explanation for Higuchi’s adoration for kung fu stems from being able to connect and bond with the members of what he calls his kung fu family.

“Being with my kung fu family is very calming. When I am stressed, I get to enter my kung fu school, drop everything and practice moving meditation with the amazing people in my life.”

Now that Higuchi follows his father’s example, he sees kung fu as a form of expression of the human body, mind and spirit.

“Similar to self-expression with music, poetry or painting, kung fu, karate, taekwondo and any other division of martial arts are outlets for people to display their individuality and character,” Higuchi said.

According to kung fu masters, along with self-expression, physical challenge and intellectual growth, the ultimate aim of kung fu is to achieve enlightenment. As expressed in Buddhism, enlightenment is a state of perfect knowledge combined with endless compassion. Knowledge does not simply mean the accumulation of data, but rather an understanding of both the rela-

Lena Navarro

tive mode of existence (the way in which situations appear to us) and the ultimate mode of existence (the true nature of these same appearances). Such knowledge is thought to be the basic antidote to ignorance and human suffering.

“Kung fu is about finding the most direct path to your goal, following the path of least resistance, developing balance and staying centered,” Higuchi said. “My goal in kung fu is to continue practicing all of my life and also to find balance, wisdom, and complete compassion.”

“

I kept coming back to the violin because it brought me so much joy to play.

-sophomore Benel Higuchi

Unlike western sports, kung fu offers those practicing this unique opportunity to not only build lean, long muscles and develop technique, but also to achieve clarity and awakenment.

“Any sport is more physically demanding than mentally demanding at its face value, but in kung fu there is mental challenge and spiritual growth that is be incorporated into it,” Higuchi said.

Higuchi enjoys that these attributes gained from practicing kung fu help him flourish in other activities and areas of life, such as his role as a student of the violin.

Along with insisting his pursuit of martial arts as a young child, Higuchi also insisted on exploring the musical arts.

“After I graduated from elementary

FEATURE 7

school I found my own violin teacher, Eliane Mahlangu,” Higuchi said. “Eliane was not only a teacher, but a friend who understood the beauty I saw in playing the violin.”

Higuchi describes the art of creating music as one of the most extraordinary activities man is capable of: discovering another snippet of the boundaries of beauty.

“As a small 5th grader, I kept coming back to the violin because it brought me so much joy to play. After five years, playing the violin still brings me great joy and making music has become a passion of mine.”

Higuchi continues to embrace his love for the violin as a member of the Young Artists Orchestra (YAO), which is a youth string ensemble in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“The Young Artist Orchestra is the only tuition free orchestra in the state. We also have the most performances of any youth group,” Higuchi said.

The acclaimed music company is led by music director and founder Yunior Lopez.

Lopez is considered to be one of the most multifaceted musicians and conductors of his generation and created the group to train young musicians--one being Higuchi.

“I met Yunior in the 7th grade when he was the guest conductor of the CCSD Middle School Honor Orchestra,” Higuchi said.

Yunior knew he wanted to form a youth ensemble and later contacted him. Higuchi did a video audition and the rest was history.

“Yunior is a very personable teacher. His teaching style demands a sense of presence-both in playing and in character. Frankly, he’s part of the reason that I’ve been able to

8 FEATURE

Lena Navarro

courtesy Yunior Lopez

Higuchi plays his violin at wih the YAO at the Windmill Library.

play the violin in a bolder, stronger sense,” Higuchi said. “Sure, I’m not the most frequent practitioner, but when I do practice his voice is in the back of my head pushing me to play smarter and better.”

Similarly, Yunior most enjoys the positive vibe and dimension Higuchi brings to the youth ensemble.

“He’s one of the most relaxed, analytical, and thoughtful students I’ve ever met,” Lopez said. “He’s a leader among his peers, and someone I can depend on. His most exceptional quality is that he’s not trying to be someone he’s not. He knows exactly who he is and that’s something that is rare nowadays.”

Prior to working with the YAO, Higuchi began participating in solo violin competitions in the 7th grade, acquiring only superior ratings at the CCSD Solo and Ensemble festivals at both local and regional levels. Although he proves successful in competitions, he claims his relationship with competition is not exemplary.

“I often don’t like competition because it puts us against each other and makes us reject the idea that we got into an event wanting to learn, and instead direct our energy towards beating someone. Competition may be beneficial, but I enjoy what I do much more during practice.”

Along with the joy experienced through creating music in an environment without excessive pressure, Higuchi’s love and talent is also driven by the great challenge (similar to practicing kung fu) that playing poses on both his body and brain.

“I love what I do because I find a connection between them. For one thing, most people are really tense when they practice music, but practicing Kung Fu has taught

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March 2017

Higuchi poses next to his sifu, Shi Xing Wei, at Shaolin Kung Fu Chan.

me is to relax the body while playing and to just let everything drop. That has really helped with the violin.”

This analytical approach Higuchi utilizes in his activities enables him to live fully.

Through the chaos of balancing his pursuits for the violin, kung fu, scholastic success, and even Speech & Debate, Higuchi thanks all of his families, and especially his mother, for his prosperity and wisdom.

“My mother inspires me to be an individual,” Higuchi said. “She was one of the first, if not the first woman in Jerusalem to get a nose piercing. That right off the bat says something so admirable about her character.”

“

He’s one of the most relaxed, analytical, and thoughtful students I’ve ever met.

-YAO Director, Yunior Lopez

Higuchi’s mature line of thought and disciplined lifestyle may also be attributed to his mother’s influence. In Israel, where Higuchi’s mother was born, there is a mandatory conscription to the army for all 18 year olds. In the past only males drafted but Higuchi’s mother was the first infantry to be integrated with the male draftees.

“She made her way up the ranks and became a captain of many men. She got that position being the person she is,” Higuchi said. “There’s no way to describe the charisma she has.”

With a great deal of experience as an Army captain, Mrs. Higuchi has passed on her valuable wisdom to her son, which he utilizes in his many practices. For exam-

ple, she instilled Higuchi with the notion that anger and embarrassment are hindrances in one’s pursuit of happiness and success.

“She emphasizes that we get attached to those situations making us upset or embarrassed that we forget to see the bigger picture,” Higuchi said. “If you place yourself outside of your own perspective and analyze a situation objectively, you can realize there is no true reason to continue being so angry or embarrassed. By doing this, those negative emotions will drop easily.”

Higuchi claims that moments inciting anger or embarrassment do not define one’s past, present or future. Rather they are opportunities individuals should see as means of growth. His optimistic interpretation of moments that would typically bring one much regret and aggravation is accentuated as he often laughs at silly mistakes made in his past.

“In kung fu when I trip in a form, or in Speech & Debate when I lose a tournament 0-6, I laugh it off because really, it’s funny,” Higuchi said. “What defines us is not what situations we face, but how we approach those situations. I think everything--my mother, kung fu, the violin--has taught me that.”

Overall, in the sixteen years Higuchi has acquired more knowledge and accomplishment than many acquire in their whole lifetime. Contrary to what many would assume, the developed character has simple goals for his future.

“As for my future I simply want to go to a place where I can get a great education and explore. Explore the others around me, who I am, and the possibilities the world can offer,” Higuchi said.

FEATURE 9

Music Has No Limits

Brynne Hilton

Junior Carter Terrano-Watson utilizes his cochlear implants while playing the flute and piccolo with his bandmates during the Girl Band assembly.

W

By Deanna Chea

hen Carter Terrano-Watson wakes up in the morning, he is greeted with dead silence—no faint wiz of a fan, and not even a piercing alarm clock. After picking up two devices and attaching them to his ears, the audible world envelops him, letting him go on with his day. Without his two hearing implants, Terrano is completely deaf. Despite this, he has been a musician for over six years.

“Honestly, I compare having implants to having glasses,” Terrano said. “It’s just one thing in the morning you need to remember to take with you to school. Other than that, I just have to take care of them. When I swim and shower, I take them off. I don’t let them get wet, but other than that they’re not really in the way of my daily life as much as one would think they would be.”

Born with very little hearing, Terrano underwent two surgeries to install cochlear implants in both ears. These devices are electronically-powered with a battery, working with electrodes installed into the head during surgery. The electrodes are used with magnets on the coil of the implants, stimulating them. Whichever electrode it stimulates dictates the frequency of sound Terrano hears. His first surgery took place when he was only a year and a half old, while the second occurred at fifteen.

“I decided to have the second surgery because I wasn’t really one-hundred percent satisfied with my hearing in my right ear,” Terrano said. “For it, I needed to get the basic procedures done first, like shots and MRI scans, as well as an overall mental preparation. Choosing to get a skull surgery isn’t something a person can decide in

one day though. It was a process.”

Terrano’s implants are not waterproof, forcing him to take them off to shower or swim. As soon as the magnet detaches from his head, he’s brought back to silence, leaving him to his mind. This proves useful during times requiring no distractions.

“It’s really convenient to stop sound completely,” Terrano said. “If I want quiet when I’m working, I can take my implants off and not worry about the vent in the background, paper-turning, all of that.”

Despite the irregularity, Terrano uses his hearing to its optimum capacity as a section leader of the top band. He’s studied the flute for six years and piccolo for two, currently taking private lessons with one of the most distinguished flute players in the

“

It’s pointless to let those kinds of obstacles get in the way of something you love.

-junior Carter Terrano-Watson

valley. He also succeeds in the AP Music Theory class, cultivating his musical abilities. A two-year CCSD Honor Band participant, two-year member of the Las Vegas Youth Orchestra, and 2017 All-State musician, Terrano is no stranger to the musical world and doesn’t let his hearing keep him from his passions.

“I remember I initially wanted to take dance as my elective in middle school,” Terrano said. “My parents talked me out of it and said I should really play flute. It’s still a joke because my mom asks me ‘Aren’t you glad you aren’t carrying that tuba around the parking lot every day after school?’ The other nice thing is the flute is honestly such a simple instrument. You just throw all the

pieces together right out of a case that fits in your bag. It’s really convenient for me.”

While doing miracle work, the two devices that allow Terrano to hear come with some inconveniences. In addition to the risk that the implants’ batteries can die at any moment, the implants themselves have a limited frequency range, with a maximum of 9300 Hz. When they are turned off, Terrano is not able to hear any type of alarm, proving difficult to get up in the morning.

This has sometimes caused problems in the event that he does not wake up on time.

“Last year, the band had a big trip to Orlando, and of course I’m deaf and can’t hear any alarms,” Terrano said. “My roommates and I were actually late to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade because none of us in the room woke up, and it was really scary. There was also a time when I took my implants off during the school day and fell asleep in the band room. It took a few hours before someone came and woke me up.”

While sometimes having difficulties with his “ears,” Terrano feels similar to any other student or musician. While not certain of his future plans, he currently aspires to attend a university to major in music, ultimately becoming a music educator or conductor with a possible minor in the science field. After proving the worth of overcoming adversity, Terrano exhibits what success can come to those who strive for it.

“My implants have helped me learn those lessons in life where it’s pointless to let those kinds of obstacles get in the way of something you love,” Terrano said. “Even though my hearing is something I’ve had to learn to work around, it’s shown me that if you can figure out a problem, you can overcome those obstacles with absolutely anything you can think of.”

March 2017 t The InvestiGator

10 FEATURE

Sarah Fernandez

The art of keeping up with yesterday

By Sarah Fernandez & Shila Sherafat

T

hey often say keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but total catastrophe can occur when this friend and enemy is the same entity. Procrastination, everyone’s seemingly favorite activity, is infiltrating students’ everyday lives. This activity is defined as the act of delaying or postponing something. Everyone seems to, in someway on another, dabble in this throughout their academic years, even extending into everyday life activities.

A big proponent of this ever-increasing trend is social media’s large clout, that has been the fuel driving procrastination in many students, perhaps since its days of conception. Today, many students often find themselves wasting countless hours on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, or texting and playing games on their phones.

According to a report by Common Sense Media, teens spend an average of nine hours surfing social media sites. In addition, the report also represents that much of this time was done simultaneously while doing homework.

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March 2017

There are a slew of websites and apps to spend time on, and they are all utilized for different reasons.

“I find myself mostly on Snapchat and Twitter because I like to keep up with what everyone is doing and what is happening in the social world,” junior Paola Landaverde said.

For some students, although they lead busy lives with extracurriculars or sports, the procrastination still finds a way to seep into their everyday schedules.

“With swim after school and days with morning practice, I’m pretty much dead after and find myself just sleeping with no energy to do homework,” junior Victoria Navarro said.

One would think that with busy schedules, it would allow for less time available to utilize time-consuming social media apps, but this is not always the case.

“There’s a lot of people posting things about their procrastinating and making jokes about it. It’s funny but it does make you feel better about yourself that you’re procrastinating too,” Navarro said. “It’s almost as if it’s acceptable since everyone

else is doing it too.”

“It’s very hard since social media influences a lot, but I try as hard as I can to make time for homework, work, social media, and relaxation,” Landaverde said.

On the other hand, for some teachers, procrastinating does not seem to be too intricate. In fact, the act of procrastinating is derived from generally simple acts.

“Well if you want to get it done, you’re going to get it done. If you’re procrastinating, you’re putting whatever you don’t want to do at the bottom of the to-do list,” math teacher Andrew Lenselink said.

This seemingly straightforward act also arises from instinctual habits.

“Inherent human nature is to take the easy way out, and the easy way out is to not do your homework every night,” science teacher Scott Panik said. “People procrastinate because it’s a lot easier to procrastinate than actually do it.”

Now, looking at procrastination as a whole, much hasn’t changed in the progression of time with us students.

“Well I don’t think it’s a generational thing because I can tell you firsthand, I

FEATURE11 procrastinated when I was a kid,” Panik said. “As a teacher now what I’m trying to teach them is to avoid the mistakes I made when I was a student.”

In fact, procrastinating in general does not seem like a problem that teachers can really fix, but they can do whatever is possible to help spurt inspiration to stop consistently doing it.

“Well I think reminding [students] constantly to learn from our mistakes. We have been down this road of high school before.

It’s stressful to procrastinate, tell kids it’s stressful to procrastinate. Tell them how much better it feels to do a little piece of something each day instead of waiting,” Panik said. “[Teachers] can’t solve it. I mean we can put deadlines to guide you through it.

But I don’t care how many deadlines, you will procrastinate to get to the deadline,” Lenselink said. “You’ve got to have some internal incentive for you, to stop procrastinating.”

Although different classrooms have different designations where procrastination is highest in trend, it always ends with a last minute rush or the simple neglection of an assignment.

“I see it on labs. In my class students have one week to do lab reports. And

again, what I’ve tried to do is have them learn from my mistakes. Don’t wait until the last minute on a big project like that.

Try to spread it out, but inevitably I have kids come in the morning the lab is due and ask me questions, when they had the whole week to do little bits and pieces of it,” Panik said.

In addition, the putting off of work stems from confidence issues in the material as well.

“The more difficult they first perceive an assignment, the less likely they are to do it,” Lenselink said.

With the discussion of procrastination also comes the discussion of productivity.

Although this increasing trend in procras-

“

You’ve got to have some internal incentive for you, to stop procrastinating.

- Math teacher, Andrew Lenselink

tination through technology and social media is thought to sometimes cause lesser productivity, the opposite can occur.

“Productivity is a different question because there are times where I think we increase productivity or better outcomes of what we used to be able to do just because

of the ability of the technology we have,” Lenselink said.

As students’ attention in social media increases, their attention to life tasks decreases. In some cases, social media is at fault for the distractions.

“You can’t not answer the phone as a student. If the phone rings, I don’t care how sly you are about it, you’re going to find a way to answer that,” Lenselink said.

“You’re hardwired. You have hardwired yourself to answer the phone no matter the consequences, for the most part.”

While students are at fault for moving their thumb to unlock their phone, this could be a subconscious action. As a result of self-regulation failure, the inability to act in best interest of oneself, procrastination exposes itself and attacks without the victim realizing.

“I don’t know how many students have learned to blindly text. So you can be looking at the board, with your hand underneath, answering the question and I can’t tell unless it’s obvious,” Lenselink said.

With constant notifications about a celebrity’s pregnancy or live streamings of an event, escapism is nonexistent. In media every second counts, and when that second is missed or ignored, important news is buried under countless, frivolous headShila Sherafat

12 FEATURE lines.

In a study conducted by the American Psychology Association, procrastination similarly follows the economic models of delay discounting, putting off a task due to its deferred rewards. When the benefits of a certain responsibility is in the distant future, the value of it in the present is diminished; therefore presents the ‘I’ll do it later’ attitude.

Rather than actually sitting down and doing the work, students instead spend their valuable time worrying more about not completing the assignment. This in turn, is extremely unproductive, but seems like an almost sixth sense to some students.

“Personally I try to procrastinate as little as possible. However when I do, I typically count how many hours I have left of the day and see how late I can possibly go to finish what I have for school which is probably not the best method,” freshman Kaitlyn Caputo said.

Many students have their own way in dealing with their addictive procrastination, but fail to comply to their promises of ‘I will get it done now.’

“I try avoiding procrastinating by sitting myself down and forcing myself to do my

“

[Procrastination] leads me to stay up all night and do stupid things like drink a cup of coffee.

- junior Steffany Yang

homework or project that is due the next day,” Caputo said. “Then if I feel motivated enough, I will continue to work on other assignments due for the next week or extra credit.”

Avoiding procrastination requires for intrinsic motivation, where the student creates their own personal incentive, in order to pick up the pencil and keep on writing.

“The way I deal with procrastination is to try to motivate myself and give little motivational speeches in my mind. However, I’m still not sure how to deal with procrastination other than drinking coffee to fit everything into my time frame,” junior Steffany Yang said.

When self-motivation fails, students result to using unhealthy impetuses. Coffee is the common drive for students to extend their time late into the night in order to finish adding the last conclusion to that five page essay. “[Procrastination] leads me to stay up all night and do stupid things like drink a glass of coffee so I can stay up and finish the task. This then leads on to me being sleep deprived and having to drink an even larger dose of coffee for school in order to be focused so I grow a dependency for cof-

The InvestiGator t March 2017

fee,” Yang said.

Procrastination is common in the traditional classroom, but can go as far as online classes. Whether students are retaking a class or taking extra classes, procrastination can increase in these intrinsic motivation situations. Online classrooms involve a lot of self-taught material and self-motivation.

“Online classes have deadlines but they aren’t really forced which makes me procrastinate since I feel like the assignment is not very important or urgent. The deadlines are pretty long so it does not seem as bad and I can always do it later,” senior Carlos Lorenzana said.

Schools online not only differ in the way of their attendance, but the effect of the whole experience on the students. With no specific person motivating the student in person, this allows for procrastination to trickle in.

“It is different in school. Procrastinating in school is harder because you have to face Shila Sherafat

the teacher and they are scary since they will yell at you if you do not do the work.

In online classes, there is no virtual voice yelling at you which is nice but at the same time not good,” said senior Carlos Lorenzana.

Procrastinating has infiltrated student’s everyday lives and everyday schedules, but it is something that can be combatted. Although this is nothing new, steps can be taken to prevent this ever increasing trend.

“You get to sunday night and your backpack is in the corner and you realize ‘oh my gosh I haven’t done any of my homework,’ and it’s due in a couple of hours, that is a very stressful situation,” Panik said. “Trying to encourage [students] to develop better habits. You can’t force them but you can encourage students that this is going to feel better to do it in stages than all at one. And if they take it your advice, then great. I think that helps them with other things down the road in life; their taxes, bills, their chores, and whatever else.”

All around

accomplishments

FEATURE 13 point of quitting, but they have the choice push it until the end or give up. Isa was in the same situation last year when her teammates were not supportive and the athletes she grew up in gymnastics were graduating and moving on to the college level.

“I was really sad because I did not feel like my teammates had my back,” Isa said.

“It wasn’t a great feeling but I am glad I did not quit because of my scholarship.”

All athletes have weaknesses and strengths, and Isa isn’t an exception.

Something as small as the position of her toes or the way she lands can cause for deduction, and every tenth of a point counts.

“

She is a strong gymnast overall. She pushes through each event leaving it all on the mat.

-Gymcats coach, Cassandra Rice

courtesy of Cristal Isa Junior Cristal Isa hits a sassy pose during her beam routine at her 2016 Nationals in Fortworth Texas.

By Brynne Hilton From chalk covered hands to broken toes, and college scholarships to all around medals, Junior Cristal Isa has seen it all in her Junior Olympic gymnastics career. She has recently qualified for the Nastia Cup; one of the top gymnastic meets in the nation.

“Nastia Liukin is the 2008 Olympic AllAround champion and she hosts this meet.

You have to be the best level ten in the meet, and then you qualify to go to New Jersey for the meet,” Isa said.

Along with her qualifying for Nastia Cup, Isa has also received a scholarship to the University of Arizona. She has been verbally committed since her freshman year.

Between these two accomplishments how-

ever, Isa is more proud of her scholarship.

“My scholarship is long term and I am going to have more benefits, but I am excited for both,” Isa said.

Gymnastics is a sport that involves a lot of sacrifices for gymnasts spend up to five hours a week at the gym and work out six days a week. These athletes have very limited time to do anything outside of the gym, but these sacrifices are worth it because of the benefits like college scholarships and national recognition.

“You do not have a lot of time to have fun and do homework, but it is worth it in the end,” Isa said. “I love it because it is so fun and exhilarating. I do not regret doing gymnastics.”

Every athlete has been pushed to the

Her strengths outweigh the weaknesses though.

“She is a strong gymnast overall,” Gymcats head coach Cassandra Rice said. “She pushes through each event leaving it all on the mat.”

Teammate’s accomplishments can fill up other athletes with jealousy or fill you with determination. Isa’s teammates have supported her with her scholarship and now her opportunity at the Nastia Cup. Her success can light the spark for the others to achieve those same goals.

“I love having her as a teammate because she helps me be a better gymnast,” junior Amber Koeth said.

Gymcats is a local gymnastics facility who has sent many girls all over the country for gymnastics. For example, they have sent numerous girls to college on scholarships to all divisions, a girl to the olympics in 2000, and now they are sending Isa to the Nastia Cup. They also have two athletes who are training in Elite; which is a training style that prepares gymnasts for the olympics.

“We haven’t had a girl there in the Nastia Cup in a couple years. It is nice to have s o m e o n e jump back into a spot and represent Gymcats,” Koeth said.

Everyone at Gymcats has supported Isa since day one.

When they heard that she qualified for the Nastia Cup, they were all cheering and had her back through the training. Her teammates believe that she will do excellent at this meet and will be cheering her on from Las Vegas.

“She just needs to keep doing what she’s doing,” Koeth said. “She is ready for it, and she is going to do excellent,” Koeth said.

March 2017 t The InvestiGator

14 FEATURE

Debating duo takes the floor

S

By Maycee Labo

enior Conrad Palor and junior Alex Balasky competed at the Alta Speech and Debate Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah this past November.

The Alta Speech and Debate Tournament is a national forensics competition that is extremely difficult to get into. Not only did Palor and Balasky get into the competition, but they came in first, which earned their national rank of sixth place.

“During the Alta competition, I felt great,” Palor said. “I knew that we worked extremely hard in the month before the tournament, so it was exciting to see our hard work pay off. It was cool to be from Vegas and beat out a lot of really good teams from other states.”

Getting to the top is not an easy journey, and Balasky and Palor had to completely dedicate themselves to their partnership and debates in order to earn their ranking.

“For me and Conrad both, what allows us to do well is the hours we spend sifting through online resources,” Balasky said.

“This takes an enormous amount of time and we have to boil down all the information we collect into two cases one in support of and against.”

The InvestiGator

t

March 2017

From practicing speeches to doing research, the dynamic duo constantly works to beat out the competition and improve their own individual debating skills. Even though it takes a lot of hard work, they still love to do it.

“Speech and Debate is honestly one of my favorite things to do. In reality it’s a game and it’s probably one of the best ones I know,” Balasky said.

In the school’s Speech and Debate course, the students get to pick what speech and debate event they will participate in. For speech, Balasky does Exempt, which is a limited-preparation speech event based on

Sarah Fernandez Senior Conrad Palor and junior Alex Balasky practice their case before a tournament.

research and original analysis.

For debate, both Balasky and Palor participate in Public Forum. Public forum is a team event that advocates or rejects a position introduced by the monthly resolution topic. Palor and Balasky have become role-models to other students in Speech and Debate because of both their positive and committed attitudes and accomplishments.

“They do a good job of helping other students in the class. Students admire them because of their work ethic and success,” Speech and Debate advisor Scott Ginger said.

In numerous ways, the Speech and Debate program can be beneficial. Not only in terms of the bigger things, such as college benefits, but also in the little things that not many people pay attention to.

“It really helps you to be able to discuss things with other better,” Ginger said.

These two boys have been on the constant grind to get to the rank and position they currently attain.

“Both Conrad and Alex put in a lot of hard work and as a result got a high national rank and won. That is just a small display of the great things they and the program have done,” Ginger said.

Decade of dominance D

By Cameron McCormick

eath, taxes, and state championships.

As has become the norm for the Gator wrestling program, after countless practices and hours on the mats, they spent the month of February capturing their seventh straight regional and sixth straight state title in the usual dominating fashion. They also claimed ten regional individual championships as well as an individual state championship on their way to the medal stands.

The past few years have been very special and exciting, but the team has been focused on the task at hand, becoming the 2017 state champions.

“Our goal is to win state, anything less would be a disappointment,” junior Cody Chamberlain said.

In the end, they did not disappoint. At Spanish Springs High School in Sparks, Nevada, the Gators earned state title number six.

“Overall I felt great about our performances. Of course, I’d like everyone of our

kids not lose a match, but that’s not realistic in our sport,” head coach Jon Ferry said, “In fact, the wrestlers who did lose and were able to come back after a loss of a medal helped us significantly.”

“

We have some of the best wrestlers in the state at every weight class so we’re a very well rounded team.

- junior Cody Chamberlain

Sophomore Steele Dias was the team’s only individual champion, but the team still dominated, outlasting second-place Spanish Springs by a score of 152-125.

“The moment I won state I felt like I accomplished what I needed to after last year.” Dias said. “I also felt very proud of myself, because I knew that I made my parents, wrestling partners, coaches, friends, and kids that look up to me proud.”

A strong all-around team performance is

SPORTS 15

what brought Coach Ferry and his team the title. In fact, this year’s team is considered by many people within the local wrestling scene as the greatest team in Nevada history.

“The team effort exceeded my expectations at the state tournament,” Ferry said.

“Our athletes were extremely focused and had a one track mind helping to defend our state title in a hostile Northern Nevada Gym where the tournament was held.”

Having gone through this several times before, the team and Ferry knew what to expect from a state tournament.

“Each team is almost completely different from year to year. Every year we have different faces, different personalities, and different talent levels,” Ferry said.

In fact, the young talent is brewing within the team, as many seniors are due to leave next year.

“What sticks out to me about this team is that we had five freshman in our varsity line up,” Ferry said. “They brought a fresh new energy with their attitude to our team that seemed to be contagious through out our team.” courtesy of Vicki Temple-Hoffman

Varsity wrestlers enthusiastically pose after winning their sixth straight state championship on February 12, 2017.

March 2017

t

The InvestiGator

16 SPORTS

spring Kiara Thomson

Brynne Hilton

Brynne Hilton

By Kiara Thomson

By Kiara Thomson

By Kiara Thomson

Our track and field athletes have eyes on the finish line for this brand new season.

Senior Tyler Rivera hopes to lead his team to a winning record, as well as improve on his own skills.

“Individually, I am hoping to increase my speed and beat my past PR’s (personal records) from last season,” Rivera said.

Coach Vanessa Pike is the backbone of the entire team. Whether it is coming up with daily workouts for the runners, or giving an encouraging word to the students, she dedicates herself to this program.

“First they have to believe what they can do, and realize what their strengths are. The Newcomers Meet on March 10th is where we will see a lot of the athletes’ strengths that we have never witnessed before,” Pike said.

Due to track and field being looked at as an individual sport, many athletes would agree that every school is a rival.

“This year’s rivals are probably Foothill and Silverado,” Rivera said.

For the team, this year is a building year due to the large number of lowerclassmen.

This being said, to Pike, that is not a concerning thought.

“As long as we give each athlete a positive experience and improve their skills, that would be a successful season for me,” Pike said.

Looking to bring home another state championship, the men’s volleyball team hopes to serve up all upcoming competition.

Senior James Reed is preparing his team to work on minor errors to have a successful record for this season.

“I’ve actually committed to BYU and plan to continue my volleyball career there.

My goal is to help my teammates bring out their best and hopefully find that chemistry we had from last season,” Reed said.

Already walking into this year with an impressive reputation, the boys plan to face the competition.

“I would say our rivals are Foothill and Palo Verde. For me individually, the Palo Verde game will be the biggest rival,” Reed said. “I play with a lot of their players on my club team. They have actually become some of my best friends, so it should be fun,” Reed said.

Men’s volleyball coach Emily Baracco hopes to hold that state title once again.

Working hard and being dedicated to the program will surely help, but there are many plans for the upcoming season.

“We have a really good set of core guys coming back this season, so we are just going to master what our strengths are and improve on our focus,” Baracco said.

High expectations are following the team this season due their success last year. Many other teams are also on the watch out for the competition the boys are putting forth.

“Coronado is putting together a good team this year and Palo Verde is always a tough opponent. We are prepared to face both,” Baracco said.

An exciting season is coming up for the boys. They are favorites to bring home plenty of wins, and hopefully bring back another state title.

With the long-anticipated season, the baseball boys are finally ready to swing back into practice and start competing.

Seattle University commit and senior Drake Maningo is just one of the many players anxious to start this season.

“Some goals I have for this season is to hit over four hundred hits and take home a state title,” Maningo said.

A state title usually seems to be on the mind of most athletes, and the boys are planning to make that dream a reality, beating their rivals as the season progresses.

“Coronado and Basic are always our toughest competitors during the season,” Maningo said.

Coach Corey Gehlken is ready to see the character and talent that newcomers plan to bring out to the field. The young men are expected to take direction and play with heart.

“This season we are planning to fix our inconsistencies we faced with last year.

Our boys are dedicated to fix that and also gain more physical strength,” Gehlken said. “Every game to us is important and every school we have faced has always had the mind set to beat us.”

Competition is on the rise for the young men. Due to their impressive past seasons, there are several high expectations.

“It has been a long off-season, so I am excited to get back out there with the guys.

We are ready for this year,” Gehlken said.

SPORTS 17

preview Kiara Thomson

Brynne Hilton

Ava Meade-Scarpitta

By Kiara Thomson

By Kiara Thomson

By Kiara Thomson

The men’s golf team is putting their first foot forward for this season. Senior Nolan Perns is training to improve and make his team better, as well.

“My goal this season is to work on my putting and game mentality,” Perns said.

Returning players are working to increase scores and hopefully recruit new players to help continue their status of success.

“Our team last season was very young and still getting the hang of the whole sport, but I have high hopes we will give it our best. The goal is to win more, as always,” Perns said.

Head coach Gregory Murphy is focused on teaching his players not only the game of golf, but the lessons of character that come with knowing the game.

“This season I am intrigued to see how the boys will learn and strive to improve.

Last year we struggled with skills due to the lack of knowing the game, so we are prepared to fix that,” Murphy said.

Golf is a sport filled with discipline, focus, and dedication. This is what is planned to be enforced in the players during the season.

“To anyone that wants to play for us I just say bring a good attitude and have a mind set to learn the sport,” Pern said.

Our softball girls continue to throw fastballs at the competition and steal even more wins. Senior Alexa Blazek is deeply rooted in the program and strives to make her last season the best for her and her team.

“As a senior I plan to lead the team by example and show them that hard work is the way to get things done. I always want to continue to train on improving my hitting,” Blazek said.

The team practices and expects to make their team goal, a reality.

“End of the season goal is to make it to playoffs and regionals. We just want to get as far as we can and represent our school,” Blazek said.

Dedication, is head coach Cynthia Castro’s motto to playing for her team. Her girls are working hard to improve, and hopefully this will pay off on the field this year.

“We are looking to have girls improve individually. Last year we struggled with consistent pitching. We plan to add new pitchers on the team and work on our offense,” Castro said.

The ladies are hungry to make it to regionals and will do whatever it takes to make it there. Practices are consistently tough but in the end, this should all go towards the improvement of the team.

“Every game to us is important, but we always look forward to playing Basic, Foothill and Liberty. Overall though, every competitor we face is a rival,” Castro said.

With high hopes and ladies who are committed to putting their all in, this is the perfect recipe for a successful season.

With the season floating above our swimmers and divers’ head, they are mentally and physically training to bring some records home. Senior Christina Hill is planning to dominate the waters with her teammates this season.

“Last year I struggled a lot with keeping my motivation throughout the season, I plan to change that for this season though,” Hill said.

There is already much chemistry between the players on the team from the past year.

“Our team is really close and we are just excited to get in the water again,” Hill said.

Coach Bob Swift is prepared to guide his team to achieve goals for themselves and for their school.

“We have a lot of key returners this year and we are hoping to get more time in the water,” Swift said.

Rivals are nothing new to our water based athletes.

“The rivals this year are Coronado, Foothill, and Palo Verde,” Swift said.

Spectators are excited to see our swim and dive team make a splash this season.

With a long tradition of excellence, the team is expected to compete in regionals as usual.

“The end of the season goal is to finish further than we did last season and make it to regionals again,” Swift said.

18 SPORTS

N

By Sydney Lum

ew beginnings are springing into action with senior Socrates Howard and his fitness company called Motion. Howard is an accomplished athlete in track who went to regional’s two years in a row, placing top three both times in the 400 and 200 meters. Now he strives to show a business-oriented side of him.

Motion is a fitness company that focuses on group training. This program is less expensive than getting a personal trainer and there is a group to encourage others along the fitness journey.

“I was inspired to create Motion because I was going around doing personal training on my own and a lot of people could not afford it because it costs so much. I was thinking on how to solve that problem. I looked into group training and saw it was better and more beneficial to people,” Howard said.

People commonly have ideas, yet do not always follow through with them.Howard, however, has made his idea into a reality.

Motion was started about two months ago so they are not yet officially up and running. Howard is planning to give people the option to train outside or in a gym and the typical sessions has six to eight people around the same fitness level being trained by a personal trainer that lasts for an hour to an hour and a half. They plan on tai-

loring the workout to fit the client’s goals perfectly.

“I want to make it a sustainable company that will last for a long time and make an impact on the United States,” Howard said.

With Howard having to juggle school with track and now having to run a business, he has developed great determination and time management in order for all of his pursuits to be successful.

“

I looked into group training and saw it was better and more beneficial to people.

even sprint with your arms,” Levert said.

The team is also developing wireless earphones that will stay on the ears, and also download all music.

“It will also have different colors to keep track of your running and show statistics of the run,” Levert said.

Despite the chaotic time management and busy schedules, some things are difficult to succeed at, but if there is enough hard work and determination, anyone can maintain a successful life and achieve al-

- senior Socrates Howard

“I get about three hours of sleep a night and have to plan out my weeks ahead of time,” Howard said.

Any company involves multiple people to be successful. Howard has made sure that Motion has staff members in charge of different components of the company. Junior Cadell Levert is the chief technology officer who is in charge of the technological parts of the product before they make prototypes.

“I am going to be developing and coding software and innovating on basic products and making them better. We are working on a product that has evenly weighted batons, so while running you are given an

Brynne Hilton

Senior Socrates Howard lifts a 250 lbs barbell overhead.

Brynne Hilton

Howard works chest, arms and shoulders at the bench press.

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A&E 19

An Ode to dreamERS

By Anastasia Koulich A new critically-acclaimed film recently hit the theatres that ties with “Titanic” and “All About Eve” for most Oscar nominations (fourteen to be exact) and has girls gushing over Ryan Gosling singing in his retro 50’s fashion. You will find the latter in “La La Land,” a film for dreamers. Any kind of dreamer, whether it be an aspiring actor, singer, musician, dancer, or writer, all ambitions, including non-artistic ones, are included allusively in the film.

Not only that, but through Emma Stone’s character, Mia, viewers see and relate to the constant internal battle that is catalyzed every time artists ask themselves, “What if this is all just a pipe dream, like Mia said, and I think I’m good enough, but the industry thinks I’m not?” junior and actor Emily Ezelle said.

It is anguishing to always have the lurring thought that you will never know if you are wasting your time and money, or

if it is all well spent. You are begging and wishing for some higher being to give you a straight yes or no answer. If they do not, it is like the universe is mocking you. If, once they look out on their lanscape of possibilities, it is all theirs and if all their dreams will come true.

When we run out of energy and the willingness to withstand the continuous rejection and pain that comes with it, we put on our pragmatic hats and tell ourselves that we should go back to school, focus on something that we are supposed to do.

“Sometimes I think that the constant criticism, though I know it’s necessary, just doesn’t outweigh the benefits that come from acting,” Ezelle said.

Artists at some point in their career tell themselves they should be graduating from business school or taking up an internship somewhere.

Sebastian, Ryan Gosling’s character, stresses with the idea of old time jazz being forgotten and replaced with space trap and

banal pop music. It is quite hard to revive a trend, yet Sebastian is oodles more optimistic and indestructible than Mia. “Artists wish they had the attitude of Sebastian. Just a fraction of it would help,” Ezelle said.

He knows that, to quote the movie, this is the dream! It is conflict, it is compromise, and it is very very exciting! Perhaps artists need a mix of Sebastian and Mia in the judgement of their aspirations. They need Mia to rationalize who they are, what they need, who they need, and where they stand in such a 50/50 business only for Sebastian to remind you why you love what you pursue and why the dream is worth the pain.

“There’s those moments in your career where you remind yourself why you love your passion so much and why you hate it. It’s such a conflicting business,” Ezelle said.

Here’s to the ones who dream, foolish as they may seem.

New phones take the nation

By Meka’la Parker When students think of phones, they only think of the new camera they can take selfies with or where they can plug their headphones in.

Today’s latest technology holds much more than the basics. Uncovering the features of these innovative phones is where it is at.

Today’s hit phones are the new iPhone 7 and the Motorola Moto Z. These two have grabbed the attention of our generation with their latest features.

“I just got my iPhone and I love it,” junior Ailyn Escalante said. “The downside is there’s no headphone jack so I have to buy the air buds.”

This is just the start of the takeover of the iPhone. Over half the population owns an iPhone, even if it’s not up-to-date. The newest iPhone costs close to $700.

The iPhone features a dual camera to help those pictures “pop.”

“The camera helps my selfies look so

much better than before,” freshman Abigail Halstead said.

The iPhone 7 has a 3-D feature for pic-

tures that are captured. This makes t h e images look like they have depth. Also, it’s water and dust resistant.

It can withstand one milliliter for thirty minutes.

It comes in all the original colors, adding

matte black and jet black to the list. The speakers are twice as loud which helps amplify the sound. Apple upgraded the home button to no click. Just touch and your phone is unlocked.

“I like to watch Netflix when I’m in the shower, so my phone being water-resistant helps a lot,” Halstead said.

When it comes to Motorola, very few have the Moto Z, which features mods such as a full projector and a dual camera. This phone costs around $500.

“The camera is pretty much like a real hand-held camera, “ freshman Jeremy Hoffman said. “It clips on the back of your phone and actually works like a real one.”

The Moto Z features a solar-powered battery to help save energy while the phone is charging.

“It’s great. It saves energy, but it’s bulky and heavy for a battery,” Hoffman said.

Both phones have the millennials wrapped around their finger, with each possessing qualities that people love.

March 2017 t The InvestiGator

20 A&E

Battle of the

fried chicken

Lena Navarro

$9.29

T

5 Piece Chicken Finger Combo with fries, drink & hot honey garlic sauce

By Michael Goldstein

he fried chicken community is booming and the competition to be the number one provider is on. Restaurants featuring the southern staple are appearing everywhere, but the most popular choices among them are Chicken Shack, Chick-fil-A, and Raising Cane’s.

Chick-Fil-A is an American fast food restaurant chain that is brand-new to Nevada residents. Locals lined up for miles on and even camped out in the parking lot before opening day, demonstrating the instant popularity and obsession with the new fried chicken hub. It has a menu of over 100 options ranging from the classic Chick-fil-A Nuggets and the Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap, to the Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit and the Chicken Tortilla Soup. For just $3.35 customers can get three of the nationally recognized Chick-n-Strips.

On the other hand, Chicken Shack’s only location resides in Henderson has been around for years. It is well known by a majority of the community and some locals even consider it family. It features less of a variety of menu items than Chick-fil-a but makes up for it in the quality of food. Menu items include saucy chicken wings, juicy strips, BBQ baked beans, stacked burgers and 20 sauce options for customers to de-

The InvestiGator t March 2017

Michael Goldstein

$6.98 4 Piece Box Combo with fries, coleslaw,

Cane’s sauce, Texas toast & drink

lect over. As opposed to Chick-fil-a, Chicken Shack charges slightly more per chicken strip at a price of $6.29 for 5 peices.

Raising Cane’s is fairly new to the Las Vegas Valley and gained mass popularity shortly after opening. With three locations in the area and contrary to the other two chicken joints, Raising Cane’s has a fairly simple menu, featuring its famous all fresh, never frozen chicken fingers made of premium chicken breast tenderloins and fried in a unique option of canola oil which is said to enhance the chicken’s flavor. Other famous menu items include its crinkle-cut fries, coleslaw, texas toast and secret Cane’s sauce. Customers can either purchase chicken fingers individually at $1.09 per finger, or various price efficientcombos, one of which includes four chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw, Cane’s sauce, Texas toast a regular drink for only $6.98.

Of the three acclaimed chicken joints, Chicken Shack takes the gold. The chicken is crispy, flavorful, and has the perfect amount of breading. Additionally, with the 20 sauce options ranging from Habanero Honey and Jamaican Jerk, to Chipotle BBQ and Sweet Chili, chicken lovers will only make their deep fried addiction swell.

My personal sauce favorites are tangy BBQ and honey BBQ. Also, the chicken is freshly made and you can savor every bite.

Lena Navarro

$8.59 12 Piece Chick-fil-A Nuggets Combo

with fries and drink.

Customers can tell that those working the local restaraunt’s counter and friers truly care about giving the community amazing finger food.

Raising Cane’s swipes the silver from Chick-fil-a. With its iconic tangy and spicy sauce, Texas toast, and fresh lemonade, it’s a close second. The only downfall: the chicken and fries can be a little soggy from time to time. Chicken lovers can look past this though when they dip it in their specialty sauce and it ends up still tasting great. Raising Cane’s retro atmosphere gives the establishment a nice vibe and a relaxed place to eat and hang out with family and friends.

Finally, Chick-Fil-A takes the bronze.

Despite the out-the-door lines and mile long drive-thru, Chick-Fil-A is a great place to eat. Compared to the others, it also tends to have the quality of a regular fast food place. Customers seeking to satisfy their greasy cravings can get the same types of food here as at Wendy’s. It does have its special waffle fries which are good, but they are no different than regular fries besides the shape.

Each place is similar in most categories, but they all have their own unique traits about them. Go try them all and decide for yourself which one takes the trophy in the battle of the chicken fingers.

NICE WORK, T

By Erinn Veach

he award-winning theatre program brought to its stage the vibrant and hilarious production, Nice Work If You Can Get It, on January 26-28 and February 2-4. Lively music, masterly constructed sets, dazzling handmade costumes, and phenomenal singing and acting brought the show together perfectly. This marked an enjoyable time for everyone who watched. Director of the theatre program, Jennifer Hemme, worked diligently to pull together the musical in just a few short months. Nice Work was unique and gave show-goers a laugh and a smile on their faces even as they were leaving the auditorium.

Taking place in the Roaring Twenties of America during the heart of prohibition, female bootlegger Billy Bendix, played by senior Adelynn Tourondel, and wealthy playboy Jimmy Winters, played by junior Jake Van Orden, cross paths outside of a busted speakeasy, or bar where illegal alcohol was sold. Being extremely drunk, Winters attempts to kiss Billy despite being engaged to his fourth wife to-be. Billy takes this opportunity to steal his wallet and therefor gains an excuse to go to his summer mansion to “return” the item. In reality, she plans to use the cellar to hide her and her gang’s stash of liquor.

Billy and her sidekicks Cookie and Duke reach the lavish, 32 room beach house only to find unexpected company. Jimmy and his self-obsessed, interpretive dancer fiancé, Eileen Evergreen, are preparing to spend their honeymoon there, along with a group of Jimmy’s adoring showgirls secretly following him. When Eileen discovers that Jimmy is not divorced from his previous wife yet, she storms off. This

A&E 21

AND THEY’VE GOT IT leaves room for Billy to reluctantly fall in love with Jimmy, feelings that he immediately returns. Run-ins with the cops and the politically powerful parents of Eileen cause turbulence in both Jimmy and Billy’s relationship as well as the security of the bootleg business, just adding to the overall comedic drama of the production.

From the very moment the curtains opened and the house lights dimmed, the audience was captivated. The stage displayed a fabulous opening musical number accompanied by sequined flapper girls in the speakeasy. Accompanied by his entourage of showgirls, Jimmy Winters is introduced as a charming, yet slightly ditsy, rich boy enjoying his last night of freedom before married life for the fourth time. When the bar is busted by the cops, a very drunk Jimmy wanders out and the second star of the show, Billy Bendix, is introduced while hiding her stash. In the first ten minutes, the audience was immediately immersed in the world and was already loving the playful and diverse characters. Throughout the show, quirky and hysterical turns of events, such as when the alcohol apposing Duchess Estonia Dulworth, played by senior Talia Ruiz, gets tipsy and swings from the chandelier, had the crowd laughing so hard it was hard to hear the music for a few moments.

Through the course of the production, the energy never dropped. Any moment that did not have upbeat dancing and gleeful singing had expressive acting. Each actor’s facial expressions, body language, and masterly done portrayal kept everyone’s eyes glued to the stage. From the subtle loving looks between Billy and Jimmy in silent moments to the wide smiles of the Chorus Girls, the actors gave a show stopping performance that the audience gladly

sat back and enjoyed.

Nearly all the costumes worn by the cast were handmade by the fashion design classes as well as Jennifer Hemme herself.

The countless changes of wardrobe kept the audience on their toes, curious as to how each glitzy garment topped the previous. Each piece looked brilliant with its respective scenes. Bright colored dresses on each of the Chorus Girls and flashy suits on the Vice Squad wowed the audience during musical numbers such as the jazzy Fascinating Rhythm, while blue and translucent white dresses matched the bubbly and quirky song Delicious performed by Eileen and the Chorus Girls.

This twenties spectacular is unlike many of the plays the theatre department has done, giving returning audience members as well as the stars a nice change in pace from its previous Disney musicals.

“It was a fun, but a weird show because it is so different from all the Disney ones we have done, but I think I like it better because it’s not as cheesy and an actual real story,” Tourondel said.

The cast had a blast both preparing and performing the musical. Many inside jokes about the comical script and lasting memories of long rehearsals would stick with the talented cast.

“There’s a lot of funny stuff that happens backstage,” Tourondel said. “It’s a lot of jokes and references to the show. There is a lot of kissing in it, so there’s a lot of jokes about who kisses who and if one person gets sick, everyone gets sick.”

From the first note of music to the final bow, the theatre department outdid itself with its production of Nice Work If You Can Get It. It brought smiles to audience’s faces and fulfilling laughs to anyone who watched.

Erinn Veach Dutchesss Estonia Dulworth, played by senior Talia Ruiz, swings from the chandelier.

Eileen Evergreen, played by junior Zoe Konsur, reacts to being left at the altar.

March 2017 t The InvestiGator

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Serving the Las Vegas Community and Helping Build a Better Tomorrow for our Youth

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PHOTO ESSAY 23

Above- The GV Step Team kicks off the Girl Band assembly by getting the crowd going with their opening act.

Right- Christian Chandler, Ashton Stoever, Issac James, Emma Letourneau (left to right), devour donuts during a fun assembly game.

Below- Juniors Zhizhi and Alexis Gomez hit a sassy pose in their winning girl band routine.

Bottom Right- Senior class enthusiastically cheer at the assembly.

Shila Sherafat & Christine Talion

March 2017 t The InvestiGator

24 A&E

How to survive a music show A

By Nora-Jo Paramo

concert is one of the best types of social gatherings you can attend. It is important to be prepared for the day so your experience can go perfectly.

Remember to save up money in advance to purchase tickets. It is crucial to buy your tickets when they are well in stock and still affordable. Concert tickets tend to go up in price as the day of the show gets closer.

“I one time got sold fake tickets from a guy that was selling them for real cheap.

Just make sure you know where you’re getting them from is a good and valid source,” junior Daniel Corona said.

Ensure that you know the conditions of the tickets you buy. They might be nonrefundable, or without exchanges. Wherever you buy the tickets, it is recommended to use a credit card, PayPal, or other form of protected credit if possible. If you are charged more than the amount you agreed to or are sold fake tickets, you can dispute unfair charges.

Before you buy your own ticket, make sure you know of friends that are going as well. Not only will this increase your safety, but it will make the experience more enjoyable. If you do not know any friends who are going to the concert, do not be afraid to go around and ask aquaintences.

“If I find someone who is planning on going, I just invite them to join me and my group,” sophomore Jenna Ricciardi said.

“The more, the merrier.”

Concerts are special occasions, so do not be afraid to dress it up. You can go buy a new outfit, wear your favorite outfit, or borrow something from a friend of yours.

Ava Meade-Scarpitta

If the concert is taking place outside, take the time to check what the weather will be like on that day. It is important to wear something you will be comfortable in under the conditions.

Not only is it important to wear something you will be comfortable in, but you should also bring items with you that will help to keep you comfortable throughout the night. It is very important to bring water because you can easily get dehydrated.

It is advisable to bring money and a por-

“

Concerts are special occasions, so do not be afraid to dress it up.

table charger in case of any emergencies.

It is not recommended bringing a bag with you if you are going to be in a mosh pit.

“In a mosh pit, you are surrounded by so many people pushing and shoving each other,” sophomore Mckayla Wolford said.

“It is very easy to get your items lost or stolen if they are not directly on your person.”

On the day of a concert, it is best to get ready and leave with the group of people

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March 2017

you are going to the venue with.

“You [and your group] can carpool to the show together. It cuts down on gas, parking fees, and time,” Wolford said.

Arrive before the actual arranged time of the show. Arriving early gives you a better chance to buy merchandise or get closer to the stage when it is general admission.

After the show is done, concert-goers are drained and want to leave immediately.

Because of this, everyone tends to push towards the door all at once, making it easy to lose whoever you came with in the large crowd.

“Just try to not lose your friends, and if you do, make sure you call them and find a place to meet up,” Corona said.

Remember you are there to listen to good music, make memories with your friends, and maybe you will make new friends while you are there.

“Take videos and pictures to remember your night,” Ricciardi said. “Make sure to not spend too much time being on your phone. Relax and enjoy the music because you are only going to experience this moment once.”

Whether attending a rock, pop, or concert of any genre of music, it is of paramount importance that you properly prepare to ensure the best time.

#ThanksObama... for what?

By Kaeli Britt

As President Donald Trump is getting used to being in the White House, social media is reminiscing on the good ol’ days when Barack Obama was in office and the country wasn’t getting out of control in the eyes of America’s youth.

During his first week in office, Trump signed eight presidential memoranda.

According to CNN, these have less legal weight than an executive order, but can still have serious consequences. A few of these include the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Pipelines, an order that rolls back any regulations–potentially getting rid of Obamacare and withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations and Agreement–the Obama administration put in place, and a pause on hiring new federal workers (except the military).

Signing a few executive orders as a new president is common because it shows vot-

ers that their candidate will follow through with their campaign promises. Both Trump and Obama signed five executive orders within their first week in office. Within

OPINION 25

Obama’s first 30 days as president, he signed off on six executive orders that reversed eight orders from George W. Bush.

One of these orders undid Bush’s policy on stem cells which kept the National Institutes of Health from funding research on the embryonic stem if it went beyond using 60 cell lines, according to CNN. While many of Trump’s signed orders have been highlighted on social media because of how inhumane and horrifying

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they seem, Obama has had controversial executive orders signed as well; a couple of these involving Guantanamo Bay and The Nuclear Deal.

With Trump and his administration condoning racism and inequality across the country by signing off on mass deportation, reduced women’s healthcare, and 90 day travel bans, much of America’s youth see the country spiraling downward and are taking to overglorifying the former president for solace. Yes, most people miss the Obamas and believe they were the best presidential family to go down in history, but that doesn’t mean we should idealize them. Most of America’s youth grew up with the Obamas leading the country, so it is admittedly weird and scary now that things are different.

Rather than dwelling on the last eight years of the Obamas’ time in the White House, we should look ahead to the future and focus on the next four years with a new president.

merly owned by someone’s aunt comes, giving unneeded goods new homes is always going to be the better option.

I have a particular axe to grind with the boho movement, the hippie movement’s eyeroll-worthy younger sibling. Both share the same amount of vapid philosophy and hygiene lackthereof, but unapologetic hypocrisy is the cherry crowning the unwarranted revival of the 1970s counterculture.

Promoting respect and love amongst different peoples while an illegitimate dreamcatcher necklace from Tilly’s perches upon your collarbone is hilariously contrived.

The matted mop that slinks down your shoulders does not prove your respect, much less allegiance, to the Rastafari or any culture that practices locs. If one desires to appreciate and regard a culture in all its richness, no part of that culture should be deemed a “trend” by any means.

Being current with the latest trends does not mean taking from something that isn’t yours or wearing clothes that could collectively pay your rent. Whether it is found at your neighbor’s garage sale or in the glossy shelves at Forever 21, style is always going to be at your own discretion.

[America’s youth] are overglorifying [Barack Obama] for solace.

Trials and tribulations in trendsetting

By Irie Douville

Trendsetting is a colorful act of determing our own respective mark on history.

Whatever the apparel, nostalgic, modern, or a fusion of both, trends and style are effusive of one's personality. Depending on the person’s tastes, their attire may also reflect main interests or beliefs. However, through this leeway, people tend to become reckless in their fashion pursuits. Whether it is a matter of irresponsible spending, claiming motif of a tired old movement, or adulterating another culture for the sake of “deviating from the norm”, there are many ways to end up in a fashion faux pas without even realizing it.

Anyone who is a dedicated member of true indie culture encourages purchasing donated clothes. To claim such a title while purchasing $80 jeans from Urban Outfitters is entirely trite; by purchasing clothing from a major retailer, the customer increases cotton production, much to the Earth’s detriment. Not only this, but those who produce these clothes are continuously exploited.

However, if one were to go to thrift stores, swap meets, or flea markets to embark on their fashion escapades, cotton production is reduced; alongside this, recycling clothing ignores companies who outsource their merchandise, which are gained through underpaid employees and poor working conditions. Your bank account will thank you, too. Although an initial influx of gaudy blouses and pairs of bedazzled capris for-

Irie Douville

March 2017 t The InvestiGator

26 OPINION

For starters, the criticisms that come out of this movement from other women, like myself, are not to be taken out of context.

Some have echoed the feeling of: better to have something than nothing, which is certainly valid, but also extremely flawed.

Conformity to accept whatever we can get leads to the justification and erasure of certain issues which should be brought up in order to help the movement as a whole.

These criticisms should be taken to progress the movement along, not to be taken as hostility or the disappreciation of the efforts of millions of women trying to advocate for our rights.

For one, the Women’s March on Washington clearly demonstrates a large problem within the sphere of discussing wom-

N I PS

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R E T T E B O D E O V T I S D U EE L N C N N E NI M A O E W T AV E N T H I E Y H EM UL W V R O T W M TO HO

Sarah Fernandez adapted from How To Win at Feminism

By Sarah Fernandez Women’s rights, feminism, and equality; I hope you did not stop reading this article after that last word. The history of women’s rights in the United States has been quite shaky, and that is a major understatement. Recently, expansive seas of women raged across not only the United States, but also the world in their bright pink hats and catchy slogans protesting and demanding rights and equality. This glorious event took place on January 21, 2017 with about half a million people attending in the Washington DC protest, along with several other sister marches.

This being said, a series of protests that seemed justified and appropriate on the

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March 2017

surface had several major flaws once we look in deeper.

Although originally thought to merely protest the Great Orange One’s electiona.k.a. Donald Trump, women have been marching for decades, and all for the same sole reasons. It is extremely aggravating and sad to say that in 2017 women still feel the necessity to march. This burning desire decades later directly stems from the desire to raise awareness and protect basic human rights, such as women’s rights, LGBQT rights, immigration and health reform, and various other issues.

With the rise of this massive movement of women all across the globe, certain points have been brought to the eyes of those vigilantly watching.

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If your liberation is not intersectional, you should not want it.

en’s rights: the dismissed intersectionality and inclusivity. What does this mean? Aerial pictures can paint a pretty image. White.

Women. Everywhere. Now, one might say, what’s the problem? Well, dating back to the Women’s Suffrage Movements from the 1850s to the 1920s, and all the way to today’s products, the narrative of freeing ourselves from sexist systems of oppression has been largely dominated by white women. The inclusivity of black women, Native women, and later on generations of non-black Latinas and other women of colour has been largely, if not entirely erased from the conversation.

In fact, a striking detail from CNN tabulated exit polls has showcased that 52 percent of white women voted for Donald Trump. 52 percent. Let those numbers sink in. It has been proven time and time again that white women have considered race over gender in situations where other non-white women are placed in threatening conditions. The lack of accountability for the continuous erasure of other struggles women of colour face besides sexism is largely problematic. If your liberation is not intersectional, you should not want it.

Perhaps one of the biggest rip-offs in history is the fact that the inspiration for this Women’s March on DC was originally named One Million Women march, but concerns were raised when this co-opted a march led by black women in 1997 in Philadelphia. Wow, another thing white women stole!

The political co-opting of this march into the all women rhetoric is harmful. This directly contributes to erasing the oppression women of color, specifically black and native women, have struggled with for various centuries. Your favorite women’s liberation leaders, such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were underlying racist and often silenced black women’s voices within the movement. Stanton liter-

OPINION 27

Sarah Fernandez

-ally equated black men’s rights to the degradation of white women. Way to be subtle on the racist rhetoric there ladies.

Sexism is not the only struggle women of colour face, and the silencing of these voices only leads to even bigger problems.

White feminism has to be addressed for its underlying misogyny and racist undertones. Otherwise, we are only building up to more problems. We have to cut the snake at the head. For example, if a black woman speaking about how she’s constantly systematically oppressed by both sexism and race bothers you: honey, we have a problem. How are we going to stop these intersectional problems if we never discuss them?

These sentiments of erasing and diminishing women of color’s voices are seemingly being done because some white women are too sensitive to talk about racism. Some white women have failed to acknowledge the fact that they are trying so hard to smash the patriarchy, but they have continuously allowed themselves and others to racially discriminate other women. To quote one of the popular signs some intelligent women were carrying: “White silence is violence.”

Another large part of the intersectionality and inclusivity discussion is the fact that these marches were swarming with cissexism. This is defined as prejudice or

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Sexism is not the only struggle women of colour face, and the silencing of these voices leads to even bigger problems.

discrimination against transgender people.

Although we live in a society that bases sex off of gender, this is the worst excuse to not check our cisgender at the door. When speaking about women’s rights and liberation, one cannot ignore this huge elephant in the room. Like aforementioned, silencing the voices of those whose oppression faces crossroads with sexism, such as cissexism in this case, is inherently problematic. The large drawings of classified female body parts, or the constant referencing to pussy power, is unjust. The experiencing of gender by many, is not directly defined through the genitals they have. Even so, many people that classify themselves as

non-binary do not define between the two set societal sexes.

The continued cissexism only leads society to increasingly view transgender or nonbinary people as not normal, which only further instigates their oppression.

This is not something to gripe about. It is something to realize and become educated about. The inclusion of transgender women is absolutely vital to the conversation about liberation and is definitely not broadcasted enough within the movement.

It is time to change for the better, considering there is an actual demagogue who boasted about sexual assault as our president. It is time we all clearly distinguish our missions and ideals, and be fully inclusive in these talks of liberation. We are calling for the rights of women. All women.

Not just white, cisgender women.

The next time you go to a protest, or have a heated conversation, or simply look for a way to progress this narrative along: do not forget what you just read. Don’t forget.

If your feminism is not intersectional, it is surely not worth the signs, cheers, or any of the unnecessary fluff. Be inclusive, be intersectional, be the change the movement needs.

March 2017 t The InvestiGator

28 PRO/CON

SCHOOL EFFORTS TO BLOCK INTERNET SOURCES SPARK DISCUSSION

Overzealous internet filters hinder scholarship

A

By Skylar Jones

s students increasingly learn with technology-based curriculums, their exposure to the Internet rises substantially. In 2000, the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) provided schools with filtering guidelines which are intended to shield students from accessing explicit content.

Although CIPA offers some valuable protections to students, from pornography and other obscene websites, implementation can cause access issues to students, teachers and school administration. Furthermore, many websites censored by the school are in no way harmful towards people of any age. This limitation with web filters restricts a student’s right to learn and research freely.

In a study it was found that Internet filtering software in schools also blocked many other websites which did not contain any harmful or inappropriate content. The same study found that many websites related to state curriculum were also blocked by these internet filters.The National Committee for Teachers of English even advises districts to side with access over limitations, contending that media literacy and case-by-case judgment should be emphasized rather than censorship of the Internet.

CIPA’s opposition also calls attention to

the fact that many students already have unfiltered access to the Internet at home or on their phones. Either way, they will still be able to access these sights. Thus, the most efficient strategy to protect students is to expand their media literacy skills and educate them about the possiblities for harm online.

Students’ direct access to all content from independent sources also highlights a socioeconomic divide that enlarges if some have unfiltered Internet access, while others with financial disadvantages and litte

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This limitation with web filters restricts a student’s right to learn and research freely.

technology do not. By schools implementing strict web filters, a clear unfair advantage is given to those who can afford smartphones and unfiltered retrieval of all online content.

Additionally, because lines are blurred on what is inappropriate on a local level, teachers, counselors, and administrators have come across issues with the internet filters made to obey CIPA regulations.

Districts have become fearful that fund-

ing will be taken away if regulations are not perfectly followed, and therefore, have adopted overly conservative policies that block access to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, educational video services like YouTube, and even interfere with general student research online.

Another logical reason censorship should not exist includes the fact that it is extremely costly. The expenses add up when creating, implementing and maintaining an internet filter. Students and teachers would much rather have that extra money go towards educational recourses.

Many websites that could be considered inappropriate are easily accessible anyway. Students will always find websites that the filter is not programmed to ban.

No longer is Facebook the biggest problem for schools; there are many potentially hazardous websites that students can find their ways to.

Even if censorship was perfectly effective and economically reasonable, they do not pose a hindrance to students. Most teenagers have smartphones with internet access and no restrictions.

Those in favor of censorships will say that they protect students from most of the inappropriate websites online. This is simply untrue. Additionally, censorships are ineffective, very costly, and hinderances to students’ educational opportunties in the learning environment.

Lena Navarro

PRO/CON 29

Lena Navarro

Secure web-surfing protects from expllicit content

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By Casey Li

hether you have encountered it while attempting to open SnapChat on your phone or reach Reddit on a school computer, school web filters are a prominent part of every day student life. This may feel like a nuisance when students try to post their status in the middle of English class, but what many of them may not realize is that this precaution is necessary for a robust educational environment.

Upset students have frequently argued that school web filters act only as a detriment student productivity by hindering a student’s ability to find full, complete searches for research projects. Others may say that students can easily bypass web filtration by using an simple internet proxy or turning on data on their phones. There is no denying it: web filtration at school is not perfect. That does not mean that it is unnecessary though.

Web filters in CCSD are typically rational; important websites for email like Gmail and video sharing platforms like YouTube are unblocked to allow students to communicate and learn to their full extent. In regards to research, almost all websites are permitted for student use at school. Most sites that are blocked on school web filters typically contain explicit content, something that you probably won’t need for that research project in the first place. CCSD recognizes that students need a degree of freedom when working at

school, and this recognition is clearly reflected in their school wifi policy.

All forms of filtration are used to protect student safety and ensure academic success in any way possible. Although many students may feel upset when they see that their favorite social media website is blocked, it reminds them of what the purpose of going to school is-to get an education. School is not the time or place for a student to access any sort of social media, and schools are best advised to discourage it.

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It reminds students to not get distracted on the internet in a learning environment.

Strong web filters suggest students to not be distracted on the internet throughout the school day and focus on absorbing new information in class. Even though many students use data to access unfiltered internet, the fact that there is a barrier prevents hundreds of students from getting on to social media every day.

These filters are not just for the students, though; implementation of strict web controls are necessary for parents too. Because schools are responsible for students when they are not at home, they are morally obligated to take certain responsibilities that parents can’t manage when student’s are

not at home. If parents know that they are sending their students to a school with a cyber-safe environment, they are able to have greater trust in the educational system and feel comfortable leaving their children at schools.

Beyond the realm of parents and students, web filtration is a necessity in any school due to legal issues. Since schools are legally responsible for what students do on school computers and servers, they must ensure that both them and their students do not get in trouble. If a student were to access pornographic or illegal content using school servers, the school will face a potential lawsuit and further regulation. This is something that schools cannot afford, so web filters act as the first line of defense against irresponsible teenagers.

It is also important to note that schools without a strong internet filtration policy may face cuts from government funding.

Schools need to erect strict web filters in order to have money to educate their students in the first place.

Overall, web filters are necessary for everyone: parents, students, and schools.

They all need them to ensure that people can get the education that they came for.

If we were to eliminate school web filters, students would be more distracted during class, parents would have no way to manage their kids, and schools will face potential lawsuits and steep cuts in funding. Next time you try to open Instagram on school wifi during a lecture, remember that these filters are there for a reason.

March 2017 t The InvestiGator

30 OPINION

the wrangling of the black snake

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By Ava Meade-Scarpitta

ative Americans have been facing heavily militarized police forces and tanks near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in Dakota since April 2016. On January 24th, 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to progress the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipeline projects. Protesters were evicted from the area by law enforcement on February 23rd. Their battle is not just over a pipeline, rather a battle for their human rights, against the same disrespect they have faced from the white majority since 1492.

The Dakota Access Pipeline (mostly referred to as DAPL) was originally planned to pass through the Missouri River, north of Bismarck, but was switched to cross just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation due to fears of ruining the water supply for the residents of Bismarck. There was no concern for those living on the reservation.

According to sacredstonecamp.org, a website that is owned by one of the camps at the drilling site, the pipeline is proposed to transport 450,000 barrels of crude oil per day through the Missouri River.

Natives protesting are worried about gas spilling into the river, as it is not only their main water supply, but is regardecowatch.com

ed as incredibly sacred to the Sioux and other neighboring nations. An example of the exact occurrence that they are worried about has already happened: 55,000 gallons of gasoline spilled into t h e Susquehanna River in Gamble Township, Pennsylvania on January 27th, 2017. This very pipeline was manufactured by the same company producing DAPL. The pipeline would not only endanger the Standing Rock Sioux’s main source of drinking water, but also its sacred tribal grounds. The natives have not been properly consulted about the pipeline at all.

Although they have been forced off of the camps to begin construction for the pipeline as per Trump’s executive order, water protectors continue to fight for the safety of the reservation’s water supply from locations around the globe.

The disrespect for Native American tradition is now being joined with climate change problems and America’s heavy reliance on oil.

Those in favor of the pipeline believe that it will allow for American energy independency in an environmentally friendly way.

This pipeline should by no means at all be considered environmentally friendly.

With Earth permanently passing the

carbon tipping point of 400 parts per million just last year, it is evident that there has been little to no concern for the environment in all CO2 emmiting industries thus far. The construction of the pipeline and the pipeline’s burned oil will have released 101.4 million metric tons of CO2 each year. As recorded on ecowatch.com, this is about the same amount as the CO2 emissions from 21.4 million cars per year.

The world cannot afford another pipeline.

Regardless of what supporters of the “black snake” think it will do for the country, this is a blatant violation of the rights of the indigenous people living on the reservation. Trump’s execu- t i v e order and the actions of the DAPL leaders are unapologetically ignoring the wishes o f those who will be immediately effected b y this. Not to mention the relentless harm peaceful protestors have already had to endure from the militant forces sent to the camps: tear gas, numerous assaults and beatings, beings sprayed with frigid water in zero below temperatures. The fact of the matter is that the pipeline has already done more harm than good and will surely continue to do the same.

Out of sight, out of mind

By The InvestiGator Staff Procrastination, is defined as being slow or late about doing something that should be done. This is a bad habit we are all guilty of, whether it’s putting off that English essay we had three weeks to do, but choosing to do it the night before, or avoiding to take not taking the math test we were absent for.

Even though we all know putting off our work is not the best option, we continue to turn assignments in late – sometimes we don’t do them at all – and end up drowning in more work than we originally started out with. By adding more weight on our shoulders, we are inducing more stress on ourselves which could potentially lead to not doing any work at all.

Unfortunately, this bad habit many students have can carry over into adulthood which can lead to negative outcomes. Instead of taking a bad grade on an assignment, you’d have late bills piling up on top of other responsibilities that should have been the top priority.

If the outcome of procrastinating our responsibilities is always negative, why do we keep putting ourselves through so

much stress by doing it?

According to Psychology Today, procrastination has two parts with the first being delay (putting it off) and the second as denial (ignoring it). Instead of saying you’ll “do it later” – which we all know probably will not even happen – take some time to study for that chemistry test in the week leading up to it. Make sleep one of your top priorities and don’t pull an all-nighter to try and cram, we are better off studying in the morning for small intervals of time.

Learn to prioritize homework based on the importance of classes and how to correctly manage time. Both of these will help in spacing out homework while adding in time for a nap or a short Netflix break.

Don’t focus on one subject for more than 20 minutes. Switch up subjects when studying to avoid getting bored and going off track entirely.

Let’s all do ourselves a favor. Stop putting assignments off because we think they are going to be easy or pretend they don’t exist because it’s “too hard,” don’t cram for a test the night before, and follow the outline of essays to keep up with the heavy workload. Our future selves will thank us for it.

STUDENT SPEAK

What do you do in order to avoid procrastination?

“I set reminders on my phone or place sticky notes around my room so that I can always remind myself I have something to do.”

Skylar Slade, freshman

“I take a twenty minute nap, take a sip of coffee, and resume my work.”

Isaac Glover, junior

“I set an alarm on my phone to remind me to do homework.”

Cameron Leavitt, sophomore

“I get in the mood to do work by blasting music in my room. Especially if it is an upbeat song, it will really get me pumped up.”

EDITORIAL 31

Editors-in-Chief: Sarah Fernandez Lena Navarro Editors: News: Kiara Thomson Features: Erinn Veach Sports: Meka’la Parker A&E: Ava Meade-Scarpitta Opinions: Irie Douville Copy Editor: Deanna Chea Photo Editor: Brynne Hilton Reporters: Seth Beekman Kaeli Britt Bethany Casall Lexi Demoleas Michael Goldstein Hailey Gross Skylar Jones Anastasia Koulich Maycee Labo Casey Li Sydney Lum Cameron McCormick Nora-Jo Paramo Shila Sherafat Taylor Strezlec Business Manager: Lexi Demoleas Staff Managers: Kaeli Britt Hailey Gross Advisor: Eric Johnston The Green Valley High School 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 editors or staff may be delivered to room 825 to Mr. Johnston or emailed to him at emjohnston@interact.ccsd.net.

Danielle Frevert, senior January 2017 t The InvestiGator