investigator
the
Vol. 31, Issue 4 March 2022
Green Valley High School 460 Arroyo Grande Henderson, NV 89014
T OU S N ES R U BS CC see pages 14-16
By The InvestiGator Staff
Editor’s Note
The InvestiGator’s March issue is has arrived, covering the latest in campus news. The weather is starting to warm up, students prepare for the year’s end, and the Investigator continues to report on any newsworthy happenings. The News section covers the plans for the theater program, as well as the various changes being implemented by CCSD between this year and the upcoming year. With the end of the mask mandate sweeping Nevada, controversy brews in the halls regarding the statewide decision. A student’s passion to craft guitars from scratch is covered in the Feature section, along with another student who takes professional photos for the Las Vegas Raiders. The school’s pairs of twins are interviewed about the idea of “Twin Telepathy,” and whether it is simply a myth or a true feeling. The former swim coach, Robert Swift, retired after almost 20 years, leaving a lasting impression on the program. Spring Sports began in full force after the Winter Sports teams finished their seasons. In the world of Arts and Entertainment, the trend of Fast Fashion is investigated, and the Strip’s upcoming performers are also covered. The section also takes a retrospective look into Sadies, as well as a deep dive into Internet Horror. Closing out with the Opinion section, topics such as Senioritis and group projects are discussed, as well as how the upcoming schedule changes might affect student morale in the upcoming year. With an issue discussing controversies of all sorts - culminating in this issue’s center story on “hustle culture” - anybody can find a story that interests them. The staff’s dedication to quality and reliability has not faltered, even as the year starts nearing its end.
On the cover
Co Editors-In-Chief: Brenna Knight Tyler Bonnette Violet LaMela
Managing Editors: Kristel Alfaro Borbon Cherie Franklin
Section Editors: News: Emma Trifonova
Features: Shaelyn Gamiao
Sports: Jeremy Anderson Dilara King
A & E:
Lily Burke Adrian Sifuentes
Opinion:
Neyta Flores Esquer McKenzie Shelton-Lott
Reporters:
Younger generations adopt the hustle mindset as a means to maximize success. Shaelyn Gamiao
LOOKING SHARP Junior Porter Melgar puts on a show in the quad with his bandmates for the school’s Fine Arts Week celebration. The performance on Feb. 10 was one of several in the quad during the week.
CHERIE FRANKLIN | PHOTO
Brandon Anderson Joe Byington Stormy Byrne Kayla DeMenezes Simona Grigonis Evan Halfhill Ameya Naduvalath Nathan Paet Quinn Pedrick Kinsley Priebe Brysan Wilson Harrell
Staff Manager: Jasmine Gomolka
Business Manager: Brook Gray-Vanderbur
Social Media Manager: Laycie Taylor
Copy Editors: Taylor Hunt Sowmya Kumar
Adviser: Eric Johnston
The InvestiGator is a student-run and operated news magazine. All opinions and views expressed within are those of the author and not of the student body or staff of Green Valley High School. Letters to the editor or staff may be delivered to room 825 to Mr. Johnston or emailed to him at johnsem1@nv.ccsd.net IN HARMONY - Junior AJ Guerrero and senior Julian Vale perform during fine arts week. Music groups took turns performing during lunch from Feb. 7 to Feb. 11.
Cherie Franklin
Green Valley High School 460 Arroyo Grande Henderson, NV 89014
INSIDE this
ISSUE
6 10 17 23 25 34
NEWS CCSD updates on masks and new school start time
FEATURE Myth or fact? Twins take on telepathy
SPORTS Adam Berger becomes new swim coach
A&E
Artists touring in Las Vegas
PHOTO ESSAY OPINION
Senioritis spreads in last semester
4 news
GVTV LIVE GVTV has officially switched their broadcast to a live newscast. Although the content is pre recorded, the video streams live on YouTube. The school is now able to say the Pledge of Allegiance in unison, watch many announcements and listen to Principal Kent Roberts’ daily message at the end. Previously, GVTV had written their stories, then recorded them and posted them on their YouTube account “0945 GVTV.” Teachers would then go into the school website or YouTube to access the announcements and show their students. There are hopes for the broadcasting class to eventually transfer to going fully live, with students saying the announcements in front of the school instead of recording.
SENIOR TRIP On May 13, the class of 2022 is taking a trip to Disneyland to celebrate their final year of working hard and their upcoming graduation. The trip will cost $275 for travel fees and the pass to the park, plus extra for food, water, etc. In order to secure a spot, out of 100, there is a down payment of $100. The final payment was due on March 4 [down payment due by Feb. 18]. In order to attend, students must be on track to graduate, be cleared by the Student Success Office, have 10 or less excused or unexcused absences for the second semester and be covered by health insurance in case of emergency. Failure to meet any criteria will be removed from the trip without a refund.
GRADUATION After a turbulent few years, graduation for the Class of 2022 is approaching. With each of the past few years’ graduation ceremonies being vastly different from one another, the return to form is welcomed by the seniors hoping for a mostly normal ceremony. The graduation ceremony for the class of 2022 will be held on May 31 at 9 a.m. and will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The ceremony will also be live streamed for those not able to attend. Each student will receive six tickets to invite family members and friends. The InvestiGator
Too much
Drama Theater department plans, prepares for new shows
T
By Joe Byington
heater. From kindergarten plays to Broadway shows. There are a million different kinds and levels of each type of theatrical performance. Many students believe that the school theater is a place where kids are able to express and invest themselves into dramas and comedies, while developing a number of skills and life lessons along the way. As the fourth quarter arrives and the semester approaches its end, the theater program is preparing for their final performances of the school year. Following several plays and per-
formances, a production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” is planned, with other plays soon to be announced. With seniors in their final year, they are looking to make the most of their last semester and try to create the best production they can. “I joined theater my freshman year, Theater I, and it turned out to be really enjoyable. By the end of the year, I made some really cool friends,” senior Adrian Yates said. “I learned a lot from theater. I said, ‘I might as well audition for Advanced Studies,’ and that’s probably one of the best decisions I’ve made in high school. I don’t regret it at all.” Yates was one of the directors in
news 5 one of the most recent productions, “Did Someone Say Murder?” and he played the character Mr. Elsinore. The plot went through a series of ups and downs and unexpected endings in the chaos of this restaurant on “Murder Night.” An unknowing couple who find their way to a restaurant where a detective tries to solve a murder. With multiple twists and turns, nobody knows who it is or who will be the next victim. “If you’ve ever thought of doing theater, I’d definitely recommend you do it because it certainly is an experience. Try to make friends with as many people as possible because everyone’s very amiable in theater, they’re very open,” senior John Chumas said. “And if you haven’t thought about it, I would try it once to at least to get over that general fear of public speaking. Try as many things as you can.” Many choose to take theater because of the variety of roles to be a part of. It offers a free credit and can provide new insight about things that can be used in everyday life. A lot of students also join theater because it allows people to be any character they want, and express freedom and creativity through the variety of opportunities they have to do so. “We have ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ coming up. It’s going to be in a while, but it’s coming relatively quick,” Chumas said. “So I’m pretty hyped for that because I’m Mr. Van Damme, and from what I understand he is a very bitter older guy. And I’m
paired up with Ashley, who I have a very great synergy with, so we essentially get to riff, but on stage.” Many join theater to convey themselves in new ways by creating plays that put stories in a different. With plays like “The Diary of Anne Frank” and “A Piece of My Heart”, the theater program is able to tell stories of others that convey messages about life in an entertaining way. “It was just very real without, you know, being real. It was able to convey the message that we needed to convey the horrors of Vietnam,” Chumas said about “A Piece of My Heart”. “It was just very humbling, and so I use that experience to evaluate myself.” Theater is extremely diverse, from directors and producers, to sound control and effects - not to mention the characters onstage. There are a vast variety of roles to choose from. Not every role is the center of attention - many choose roles that are simply supporting characters that are just as important but are less stressful simply for that reason. “Support roles, I think, are amazing. I think they’re so fun to do, and they’re not as stressful as a lead role,” Yates said. “I mean, I’ll be okay with either one, don’t get me wrong, but support roles are all I’ve ever played, and I’ve really enjoyed it.” The theater program has roles for everybody, even those who wish to stay behind the scenes instead of performing on stage, and there is plenty to be learned from the experience.
Meghan Murphy CENTER STAGE - Junior Evelyn Plummer performs on Feb. 5 in the GVHS theater. The play was called “Did Someone Say Murder?” and ran from Feb. 4-5.
March 2022
6 news
District updates Changes to current policies to be enforced next year By Brook Gray-Vanderbur
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CSD has changed their policies once again. The two most notable changes are the updated late work policy and the new schedule for the upcoming school year. With a new start, there will be a new summative and formative grade percentage. With all the differences starting this semester there has to be a new late work policy. After a semester of no late work policy, the school transitioned back to the way it was before - teachers get to decide deadlines. “I do believe there needs to be a penalty for late work, especially when it comes to AP classes. Everything builds on each thing. So if you were to turn in all of your assignments at the end of the semester, or quarter, whenever the late cut off is, you would do the work, but you wouldn’t have learned the stuff at the right time,” History teacher Scott Otter said. Starting at the beginning of this semester, Jan. 5 2022, there was a late work policy change as well as a tardy policy change starting to be enforced across the school. “It was necessary because we had a major problem with tardiness, at the beginning of the day. As an administrative team, and especially Mr. Roberts, everyone knew we had to do something to change. Now every single tardy is a detention as it’s always been before. That’s a 30 minute detention. We also notify your parents that you were late to class. We think that part is important as well,” Student Success Facilitator Heather
Coleman said. “On the third tardy there will also be an RPC. It’ll be a one day RPC that you’ll miss school. Starting on the fifth tardy and beyond, in addition to the detention, the parent notification and the RPC, then we’ll start taking away extracurricular activities.” Every year the grading weights will be changing. This year, it has been 70 percent summative and 30 percent formative. The summative weight will increase 10 percent each year, until the split between the two is 90 to 10. “The ultimate goal is we need students to master the standards for each of those classes by the end of the class. The grades should come down to them, they’re trying to limit how many students’ grades are affected by all of the little practice things. Those are important,” Coleman said. “But those are important tools for teachers to know where we are in that learning process to master those standards? It really comes down to ‘Can you show mastery of those standards on those summative assessments!’” Starting on Aug. 8, 2022, there will be a new bell schedule to go with the new start time being at 7:00 a.m. to 1:11p.m. With all the differences now in effect students will have to make adjustments to deal, and the underclassmen will have to adapt. “We’ve found that these modified schedules are actually costing the district an insane amount of money because it’s exponentially more bus routes than there used to be. Because they can’t have that one driver doing those three different levels of schools. So that’s how it came down to the time change,” said Coleman. Brenna Knight
ACT wrap-up Upperclassmen fulfill graduation requirement
By Brysan Wilson Harrell Another big step into adulthood is coming full speed ahead. ACTs are right around the corner, and prepping season is now beginning for juniors and seniors. ACT prep teachers are now working harder than ever to get students as prepared and worried free as possible. “I was nervous my first time taking the test, because no matter how much I studied. I never felt like I was prepared enough,” senior Luke McCambridge said. Many schools are holding ACT and SAT prep classes over the weekend; for kids that do not take an ACT prep class or just need a little bit more help. Green Valley’s prep courses were held on Feb. 12-14. “As a junior I don’t feel really prepared. I don’t know how they even score the ACT. I am very stressed about the subject,” junior Adreane Almere said. “Studying has always been really hard for me because I don’t know how to study.” Students that may be under stress can always start with talking to their counselors first. Reviewing old notes is one of the many strategies used. There is an online ACT and SAT practice test, with easy access for anyone that might want to know what the test will look like. ACTs are a big part of getting into college because they use the test score to determine your academic abilities; furthermore a way to compare you to other students in their application process. This means it may be very important to most to have a high score. The average student scored 20.6 in 2021.
“Definitely don’t overthink any of the questions. One at a time and do your best” senior Luke McCambrdige said. The start of ACT took place on March 1 followed by the makeup test on March 9. Those not required to take the test had the day off for space needed for any juniors or seniors taking the test, and teachers emptied their classrooms and served as proc-
“ It may be stressful but I promise it is worth every second of studying and preparing.
Catherine Davis
tors for any test-taking students. ACT scores will be released for students to see after five to eight weeks have passed since the test was administered. “ACTs isn’t as hard as it may seem, it may be stressful but I promise it is worth every second of studying and preparing,” English teacher Catherine Davis said.
Thank you to our clients, team members, and the Las Vegas Community for getting us to 100. www.gaudinford.com
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news 7
Future business leaders ______ ____________ take on the world FBLA members to compete in April contest
F
By Laycie Taylor
uture Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is committed to excellence and has been competing for the past few years. This year, the team has made it to the state competition where they will compete in tests, and presentations. Students in the program will all gather in Sparks on April 25-28. There are over 50 categories students can choose to compete in including tests and presentations. Presentations will be presented at the competition and ranked from there. “FBLA is a huge organization promoting business leadership and it is obviously in more of a broad sense. There are categories that go from sales all the way to business interviewing, business plan, and business writing,” Business teacher and co-leader of FBLA Carami Olsen said. “There is a whole curriculum for it and we push for competing in different competitions. We never tell kids
in the program that they have to compete in a certain category, it’s very open to what the kids choose to do.” When it comes to competing, students take it on themselves to really get into the program. The group only meets once every other week, and the officers meet once a week, so it is a big responsibility to take it upon themselves to try their best. Students participating in FBLA competitions only meet once a week compared to their biggest competition in southern Nevada, Clark High School. The team has made their presence well known in the past, and will continue to do so during the upcoming competition. “Clark High School is a pretty big magnet school with 150 kids in their chapter, and they are all required to be in FBLA compared to us who have it as an option. I am not sure but I think they teach it during the school day but it’s pretty clear they have more time with the kids, and they are scared of us. We do really well for a comprehensive high school who is
pulling from a wide variety of kids. We have heard that they are scared of Green Valley because we were really incredibly strong last year online. They are just very aware we have a strong presence even though we are a comprehensive high school,” Olsen said. FBLA does much more than compete in competitions. These leaders are always looking for business opportunities around the school as well. First Fridays are taken as a learning experience for the whole club. They focus on selling different foods, and items to raise money for the group. Advertisement is a big part of the plan and is specifically strategized on how to sell what they are selling for the occasion. Every moment is taken as a learning opportunity whether it comes to competition or general improvement around the school. “There are so many roles that go into the group and everyone has equal and important responsibility. My job as the Historian is to take
HARD AT WORK - Members of the FBLA meets to prepare for upcoming presentations as well as school events. The group has participated in each First Friday, as well as the Homecoming Carnival, to fundraise and advertise.
courtesy of Carami Olsen
pictures, I kind of document our meetings and stuff like that. One of the big things that I’ve been doing is I am kind of the manager of the High School of Business and FBLA table on
“ There’s a lot of commitment. We are a great group of people, and we always have fun in our meetings.
Emma Broecker
First Fridays. I also came up with a couple of advertising things like the cupid grams. It was my idea, but in general I just help around,” junior Emma Broecker said. Competition-wise, these skills acquired at school can be major boosters. It has been almost two years since the group was able to compete in person due to COVID restrictions and this year is a new opportunity for success. In the past year competitions were held online over meetings and sending in videos for presentations. Skills learned in school with real life experiences make the competition so much more authentic. Student’s choosing to compete will go head to head with other schools all over the state mostly coming from southern Nevada and the Reno area. “There’s a lot of teamwork, there’s a lot of commitment. We are a great group of people, and we always have fun in our meetings,” Broecker said. “There is always the occasional argument but that’s there in everything. Overall we just have a lot of fun and we get along great.”
March 2022
feature 9
Passion turned into art
Musician uses woodworking to handmake guitars
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By Dilara King
ince the beginning of time, woodworking has been an important part of both the artistic community and society as a whole. Woodworking is usually associated with furniture and architecture, but for senior Evie Hart it is associated with music. Music started to play a big role in their life once they hit middle school, regardless of how musically-inclined they were beforehand. “I was always crafty, not artsy per se,” Hart said. “That’s how I got into guitar-making because I was left handed and could not find a good guitar that was decent.” Hart has always had a “woodworking touch,” making small trinkets such as decorations and boxes. Being able to say they created something out of nothing has always touched their heart. Their love for music elevated their talent, being able to give a sound to the wood, while also accompanying both passions. “One of my friends played something on the guitar when I went over to their house,” Hart said. “They just played a song, and it was crazy to me that you could just play a song you heard.” Their fascination with playing a song by ear - being able to understand music in the same vein as understanding language - prompted Hart’s interest in guitar. By listening, Hart is able to gain inspiration from artists they currently listen to. They serve to provide something to work off of when playing a new song on guitar. “I have stuff from Kendrick Lamar to My Chemical Romance. It’s kind of all over the place,” Hart said. Hart’s appreciation for the technical aspect of My Chemical Romance comes from their lyrics and their prestigious guitar solos - both serving as hallmarks of the punk rock genre. One song in particular that spoke to them was “Welcome to the Black Parade,” due in part to the soft and easy tones in the beginning of the song. The inspiration for Hart’s first guitar mainly came from the music of 2000s punk rock bands and present day pop artists. “The first guitar I ever made was luckily functioning on the first try. It
is really easy making a functioning instrument. It is just hard to make something that is actually fun to play,” Hart said. Despite this, there was still a lot of progress Hart had to make before they were satisfied with their product. The hardest part of creating a functioning instrument is hoping it meets the standards of a good instrument. Not only does it have to look good, but the most important part arguably is for it to sound good. “From a technical standpoint, putting the finish on the guitar is my favorite part because that is when it looks pretty,” Hart said. “But from a philosophical standpoint, my favorite part is the end when it finally makes a sound.” Although Hart has not painted on guitars, they have dabbled in the decorating aspect by practicing with wood burning projects on the surface of their guitars. Still, they plan to hold off on the making a profit out of their woodworking to focus more on their IB program in school, because they want to keep making guitars as a passtime rather than making a business out of it. “I have not sold any guitars just because I did not have the time, but I h a v e r e paired a few guitars,” Hart said. H a r t believes the beauty of any
instrument is the sound that echoes through the air once everything is in the right place and the finishing touches are finally done. “Right now I’m more into acoustic guitar because I just recently made one,” Hart said. While Hart focused primarily on acoustic, there were struggles to be found when attempting to experiment with electric guitars. Regardless, no matter what the project is, they are able to find a passion “I do intend to do woodworking, in general as a living, but probably more like carpentry, and keep guitars as a side hobby,” Hart said. “But I am planning to go to college for biochemistry. I know I will make money and there is a weird overlap of biochemistry and woodworking.” In biochemistry chemicals and reactions are a big portion of the work alongside the formulas. In the case of woodworki n g , H a r t has to mix limonene, an orange oil that is synthe-
Evie Hart
sizable with polymerized linseed oil to create the finish on their guitars which is biochemistry in action. “My hope is that I can get through
“ I got into guitar making because I was left handed and could not find a guitar that was decent. Evie Hart
college with as little debt as possible and be able to buy a home somewhere near a city but not in the city,” Hart said. “I like the eco-friendly living environment so I want to grow my own trees and plants.” The idea that they can grow their own plants and natural fruits in their yard provides a place where they can be creative and also help the environment. By converting to an eco-friendly lifestyle one step at a time reduces Hart’s carbon footprint. “I would love to live in the pacific northwest but I will probably end up living near the great lakes because of my family,” Hart said. “It’s also really cheap and easy to grow.” The reward of growing their own produce and knowing where their food is being sourced from is one of the many reasons Hart wants to grow their own fruits and vegetables. Being able to create music out of thin air is one of Hart’s many talents that has progressed into an undenying appreciation and love for the foundation of music rather than the outcome. “Don’t make guitars because you want a guitar,” Hart said. “Do it because you want to make it and enjoy the process of it.”
March 2022
10 feature
“
Phenomenon surrounding psychic language only twins can speak revealed
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By Emma Trifonova
trong bonds between friends and family may lead many to wonder if they can feel each other’s emotions on a profound level. There are people who think this is a given for twins. Whether or not twin telepathy has scientific evidence to back it up as a psychic power is up for debate; but the accumulation of anecdotal evidence over the decades has proven time and time again that twins can indeed communicate with each other on a much deeper level than the average platonic relationship. These two
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sets of identical twins, seniors Benson and Harrison Nielson and freshmen Morgan and Kaylie Smith, just may have an explanation for all things telepathic. “I believe in it,” Benson said. “I wouldn’t say I have an early memory of it, I just feel like it happens a lot. Me and him are always on the same note.” Spotting the exact starting point for twin telepathy may not be the easiest thing to do but it is not specifically necessary for it to be true. There is an abundance of ways twin telepathy can display itself in twins’ relationships that some may deem as more important in proving the phenomenon’s validity. “ T w i n telepathy has happened
Tyler Bonnette
a few times. Our mom calls us the ‘Shining Twins’ because we would say something or laugh at the same time
go back to yelling at each other.” While some might find it intrusive to have someone bonded to them
We went to California to visit our aunt, and when she told us a little joke, we laughed at the same time. Our mom was like, “Woah, the Shining Twins.”
Morgan Smith
and it would sound exactly the same,” Morgan said. “We went to California to visit our aunt, and when she told us a little joke, we laughed at the same time. Our mom was like, “woah, the ‘Shining Twins.’” There is a copious amount of ways twin telepathy can show itself, which can be seen in the Neilson twins’ bond. These actions are the evidence some use to support twin telepathy’s realness, while others may discredit twin telepathy because breathing at the same time shows no indication of it being true. It is simply just how a pair of two people who happen to be twins breathe at a specific instance. However, only the twins know the true bond between them. “Me and my sister fight a lot, so when we say ‘no’ at the same time, it’s funny but also frustrating because we have no idea that we’re gonna say it at the same time,” Morgan said. “When we do, we laugh for a little bit and then
in such a way, that they know their thoughts more than anyone else, Benson appears to have a different opinion concerning the matter. Some twins may even find it comforting to know that there is someone who will always support them even without asking, which is why they may appreciate the bond even more. It may feel really reassuring to have someone there in both the serious and comical times. “It’s usually a funny moment,” Benson said. “We were playing Call of Duty on the Xbox, right? And we’re like, ‘oh, let’s leave this area,’ and we both went the same way at the same time.” Twin telepathy can provide a plethora of funny moments between twins, whether it be while playing an Xbox game or doing identical gestures. For Harrison and Kaylie, they also credit twin telepathy for plenty of things with their close bond with their twins, albeit in a different way. “I believe in it to a certain extent. We know who we are and each other’s thinking,” Harrison said. “But I don’t know if it’s twin-twin telepathy. It’s more like twin telepathy because
feature 11 you know each other so well.” In actuality, the specific way in which twin telepathy actually works does not have a singular and sure way of being defined. The way in which twin telepathy works may vary between twins and the exact definition of it can differ across people who speculate and theorize of the concept. “We’ll say things at the same time or do things at the same time, but it’s not as often as people think,” Kaylie said. “It’s not like how it’s portrayed in the movies and media.” Some may say that twin telepathy is ‘the work of wizardry,’ and others may give it a more realistic way of describing twin telepathy. Journalist Benjamin Redford with livescience. com states that “twins often finish each other’s sentences and think the same thoughts, but that has more to do with shared experiences than any psychic telepathy.” Whatever the reasoning behind twin telepathy, Harrison and Kaylie state to have experienced it. “A serious moment when it worked was when I’m sad, with, for example, losing a football game,”
Elyse Gamiao
Harrison said. “He knows how I feel so he’ll come up to me and be like ‘I know what’s going on.’” The unconditional support of
feeling. Unfortunately, this unrelenting support does not come without its difficulties. “When I sniff, she’ll sniff at the
courtesy of Harrison Nielson
MIRROR IMAGE - Twins Benson (left) and Harrison (right) Nielson together at a family gathering. The two believe that being twins made their connection as siblings stronger to a certain degree.
one’s twin may provide them with a sense of safety and security, knowing that without a word, they have someone who will get what they are
same time and, and I’m like, ‘don’t sniff at the same time as me,’” Kaylie said. “One time we did actually sneeze at the same time, and we say
‘don’t do that’ but we can’t control it. It gets annoying in situations like that.” As aggravating as it may be for one to have another predict all of their thoughts, twin telepathy has also provided the Nielson twins with a lot of good times. In the wise words of Zack Martin from comedy twin show “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” the phrase “it’s like my brain is receiving phone calls from him,” seems to hold true for the Nielson and Smith twins — whether they respectively believe twin telepathy is true in its exact meaning or more due to the fact that they have a close bond. From knowing what the other one is thinking to anticipating each other’s feelings, these two twins will always have a special bond with one another, one that many give credit to twin telepathy, something that supposedly only twins are privy to. “It’s not an instance, it just happens all the time,” Harrison said. “There are times when no one knows what we are talking about and we’ll just look at each other and know exactly what we think.”
March 2022
12 feature
From N ature to ___________ ___________ NFL Student photographer finds opportunity working in sports photography
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By Cherie Franklin
t is often common to hear the phrase “when I grow up” or “when I get out of college” attached to the conversations of young people when they discuss their life goals or dream careers. Although many wait till they complete their education to begin pursuing their career or even gain experience in their desired field, this is not the case for senior Anthony Roth-Ewanick--an avid photographer in and out of the classroom, has not wasted a second finding a career that he enjoys. The Las Vegas native, after pursuing photography at an amateur level for many years, has found himself on the sidelines with the Las Vegas Raiders at 18 years old. “It has honestly been so much fun. You get to go to every game for free, and you are right there on the sidelines,” Roth-Ewanick said. Photography has been a long-term hobby for Roth-Ewanick, learning under the expertise of his grandfather, whom he often goes on outings with to take photos of nature. Unbeknownst to him at the time, those same outings would be his ticket into the exciting world of professional sports photography. While outdoors on a trip, Roth-Ewanick and his grandfather ran into a photographer who worked for Associated Press, the company that he would soon be working for. “We talked and we exchanged numbers. We went out a few times together to take pictures of wildlife and he asked me if I was interested in doing something else that was similar to what I was already doing,” Roth-Ewanick said. From this point, Roth-Ewanick was equipped with the necessary tools to be on the sidelines of the Raider Stadium. “It is so much different than what you see on TV. The first NFL game I ever went to was on the sidelines. It was such an awesome experience. That first time, I did not take any photos; it was kind of just going around and watching the game,” Roth-Ewanick said. “Getting to do that was something that most people never get to say that they have done.” However, the credit to this opportunity as well as to his passion overall, as Roth-Ewanick tells, goes to his
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grandfather. “My grandpa has been doing it since I was born. We do almost everything together, like going out and taking photos. I really enjoy the hikes that we go on,” Roth-Ewanick said.
the process along with time with his grandfather formed significant memories in his mind. “When it started, I enjoyed the exploration more than anything else because we got to go out and take
It is so much different than what you see on TV. The first NFL game I ever went to was on the sidelines. It was such an awesome experience.
Anthony Roth-Ewanick For Roth-Ewanick, these outings are only a portion of the factors that have led to his heavy involvement in photography. Both his admiration for his grandfather and the art itself, as he can attest to, are reasons for his choice to stay with the hobby this long. “I admire everything about him.
pictures of wildlife all the time,” Roth-Ewanick said. From the wilderness outside his Henderson home to the field at Allegiant Stadium, Roth-Ewanick has become comfortable with working on the fly. The difficulties he began to experience as a sports photographer opened his eyes to a whole new world
Anthony Roth-Ewanick
He is really motivated, he cares for his family, he really does everything for them. He taught me everything that I know and love about photography,” Roth-Ewanick said. When Roth-Ewanick first started taking photos, the exploration of
of things to learn, Roth-Ewanick said. “Ball placement, you got to know where the ball is at all times. And it is kind of hard and you are looking through a lens to keep track of it,” Roth-Ewanick said. Not only does one have to keep
track of where the ball is at all times but where the players are as well. “When I first started, I was definitely nervous, mostly about getting hit by a player,” Roth-Ewanick said. Being so close to the players of a professional football team would leave many starstruck, but for Roth-Ewanick, it has just been another part of the job. “My grandpa and my grandma and even my boss all said just keep an eye out because they do come on the sidelines sometimes and you might need to dodge them,” Roth-Ewanick said. However, having the opportunity to be close-up to so many professional athletes is not his favorite part. It is seeing the full commitment of the Raider nation to their football team. “I was shocked, for one, at the games, at how loud the fans can actually get. Also just what they wear, and of them wear really crazy costumes. So probably the fans stood out the most,” Roth Ewanick said. From being next to star players like Derek Carr to getting up close and personal with fans, there is never a dull moment in Allegiant stadium. A typical game day for Roth-Ewanick looks like getting to the stadium bright and early for warm-ups, eating breakfast in the press room and putting the pedal to the metal until halftime. After a quick lunch with the rest of the press team, it is back at it until the final whistle blows. “They take really good care of us, definitely,” Roth-Ewanick said. After continuing to work with Associated Press and having some amazing opportunities, Roth-Ewanick enjoys the exploration of photography as a whole and looks forward to branching out into other sports and areas of photography. “I really want to try some other stuff, kind of like artistic photography,” Roth Ewanick said. That being said, one thing that carries over to photography in any respect, is having fun. One thing that Roth-Ewanick learned and will continue to carry on with him wherever he goes, is that as long as you get into photography for you, you will have a great time. “You do not really have to worry about getting the perfect shot as long as you enjoy it,” Roth-Ewanick said. “You are doing it for yourself.”
feature 13
Stepping towards a cure Sophomore leads fundraising team in annual competition
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By Lily Burke
eukemia and Lymphoma Society - what originally started as parents fundraising money in honor of their son is now a nationwide organization dedicated to furthering blood cancer research and education. The organization raises money in many ways, one of them being through the “Students of the Year’’ program, one which sophomore Emily Bilan participates in. Bilan is the leader of “Team Mission Ambition” and the legacy student of junior Anais Villalba. To be a legacy means that Bilan is carrying out the work that Villalba’s team started in the previous year’s competition. “Students of the Year” is a philanthropic leadership development program where students form skills such as entrepreneurship, marketing and project management to raise funds for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society “Student of the Year” is a program where several teams from high schools will compete against each other by trying to raise as much money as possible to fund the research. “The main goal is a scholarship, and we organize fundraisers with lots of different places, or we just do little things like small fundraising events, or asking for donations from other people,” Bilan said. “If you raise the highest amount between all the teams, you get $1500 towards education or it gets donated back to LLS. You can also win $250 scholarships for mission awareness, community involvement, and leadership.”
The LLS is a non-profit organization so all donations and money raised goes towards blood cancer research and educational purposes to spread the importance of their mission. According to lls.org, since the start of this operation in 1949, the Society has invested nearly $1.5 billion in blood cancer research and has pioneered many of today’s most innovative approaches to patient treatment. The organization helped advance 85 percent of FDA-approved blood cancer treatments since 2017. Although the LLS began by the belief that blood cancer is curable, it cannot raise money and funds towards this cause simply by word of mouth. To increase funds and donations, programs are created, one being the “Student of the Year,” where students who may have a personal reason for joining may contribute to the cause. “My mom’s dad had lymphoma and he passed away from it and my niece growing up, she had leukemia, so I felt like it was something I just needed to do,” Bilan said. “My friend Anais, who I met in anatomy, kind of brought it up and was looking for a legacy candidate.” Due to being a legacy candidate, Bilan did not go through the same application process that nominees typically would to become a part of this program. Normally, an interested student would go onto the LLS official website and sign up to be a part of the program. “Usually I think most of the candidates got nominated last year when the last year’s student’s competition ended, but I didn’t get nominated until December,” Bilan said. “Then we have all this time to prepare, and then the seven weeks of the compecourtesy of Emily Bilan
SHOWING SPIRIT - Sophomore Emily Bilan meets with her team during the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s “Kickoff Day” event. They held the party on Jan. 27, and won the “Most Spirited Team” award in the process.
tition, so this year it is Jan. 27 to March 17, and that is the only time we have to fundraise.” During these seven weeks, students can raise money in several different ways whether it is gathering donations or selling products through other companies who are willing to work with the team. “Usually we just try to talk about what fundraisers we can do, and what everybody’s role is, and then throughout the next seven weeks, it’s kind of just keeping up with everything and making sure everyone’s doing what they need to do,” Bilan said. “Right now we are selling masks and are also doing a popcorn fundraiser. Then I think on Feb. 28, we are going to have a donation day at Shake Shack.” Donating to the organization can be done by anyone wishing to help out by going to the website but students who take the extra step to become candidates and run teams have a bit more goal setting and planning to do, as well as teamwork if they wish to win and raise money towards the cause. “There are 19 other teams, and two of them, including my own, are at GV. A lot of the competition is you do it by yourself. So I am a candidate, and I choose my own team members. Then it’s my job to kind of organize and get them all together, and every team does their own stuff,” Bilan said. To keep students involved and motivated, the organization presents the competing groups with weekly challenges throughout their given seven weeks. These challenges can vary week to week but always end with a prize that can boost a team’s chance of winning the overall competition. “The weekly challenges, we get them on Monday at around 12:00-1:00 in the morning. This week’s challenge is to collect every letter in the alphabet [by donor’s first name]. The challenges are just fun little things to kind of keep us going,” Bilan said. However, the challenges presented by the organization are not the only goals team members try to reach throughout the allotted time. Teams can also strive for individual goals as far as received funding goes. “We set my team’s goal to $10,000 but for everyone individually it’s about $1000,” Bilan said. “I try to text [the team] daily to remind them what we are doing or trying to do.” Leukemia is the most common cancer diagnosed in children and one person is diagnosed with leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma approximately every three minutes. On the flip side, approximately every nine minutes more lives are affected as someone dies from blood cancer in the United States. Being a part of such an impactful organization that works towards eliminating the amount of lives affected by this can leave a trace on the people who raise funds or work just as much as it affects the patients. “I think it kind of just gave me a sense of direction and a lot of advocating skills because I’m not a very outgoing person, so it forced me to do that,” Bilan said. “The way they advertise it is you are taking a step towards curing cancer, and that is really important to me. Just being able to do things out of the goodness of your heart as well.”
March 2022
14 feature
HUSTLE CULT
Reframing opposing work-life mindsets and society’s outlook
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By Shaelyn Gamiao
lood, sweat, tears and a whole lot of determination: the face of hustle culture, which has established itself as a more glamorized version of workaholism in mainstream society, with a following that only continues to grow. Hustle, if you are unfamiliar with the term, is often conceptualized as the relentless pursuit of personal success and ambitions, or in layman’s terms: hard work. The culture further developed this concept as an effective way to approach adversity and an acceptable way of life, especially amongst younger generations, fueled by
Jose Cazares Obispo motivational aphorisms and the people who preach them. “The hustle mentality is really just about going out and doing it. There’s times where you don’t want to keep going, but the things that you want to accomplish sometimes don’t even need you to have the motivation to do so, you just do it,” senior Jose Cazares said. In a society that prioritizes productivity, hustling became a thing about resilience and empowerment — discipline. The work itself was not glorified, but rather the grit and ingenuity needed to push through it.
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go to reach that point, oftentimes at the expense of sleep, relationships and hobbies. The most notable drawback: deterioration of physical and psychological well-being if work-life harmony cannot be attained. Embedded within the culture is an inherent urgency, and while certain profitable skills and proficiencies can be accumulated, it only works in moderation and can perpetuate self-destruction if handled improperly. “Being busy all the time, it makes it so that you don’t have to think about the things that may be bothering you. You could say in some instances it’s a coping mechanism, and in some instances, it’s kind of a
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If you give yourself the mentality that nobody will work harder than you, then it’s always a competition against yourself.
“Sometimes you wake up in the morning and you don’t even want to get out of bed. Many kids don’t want to come to school in the morning, but we all do anyway because we know that if we don’t come to school, life is going to be harder. Sometimes the things you don’t want to do just have to be done,” Cazares said. “Sometimes you have to remind yourself why you’re doing this. There’s not always going to be a good moment for you, you’re not always going to feel motivated, but you have to give yourself the reminder.” The media plays a shaping role in the way these things are perceived, but it all comes down to how each person defines “success” for themselves, and whether or not a finish line exists. Some proponents take advantage of this lifestyle -- in hopes of securing a future that leaves room for leisure activity, and see that potential as enough of an incentive to make the gamble -- while others simply live for the go-go-go atmosphere, addicted to the adrenaline rush. It gives them a purpose, something to look forward to. Many individuals seek out a degree of control over their life, and the “only you can make it happen, you have to do it for you” attitude fulfills that desire. “We often tell ourselves to work harder than those who work hard. If you give yourself the mentality that nobody will work harder than you, then it’s always a competition against yourself, and as long as you’re always competing with yourself, you’re always going to be better,” Cazares said. “When I started to understand these things, I saw the fine line between people who change the world and people who sit there and witness other people change the world. Once you take these factors into account, you really see who is going to make it. You can see the ‘want’ in somebody’s eyes -- you can see their craving.” As with all things that gain enough media attention, hustle culture has had its fair share of criticisms and praise. The “hustle harder” mindset aims to optimize personal achievement and prestige by testing one’s will power and the lengths they will
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cover up -- you’re not really thinking about those things because you’re keeping yourself so busy,” school psychologist Elizabeth Echevveria said. “I think it depends on the reasons people do it.” This generation, especially, understands the consequences of working until burnout. The evolution of social norms and technological advancement has increased mental health advocacy and given influencers a larger platform to emphasize the importance of it in the media. “The mental health thing is a very big problem in this kind of culture because sometimes there is no room for these emotions. Obviously, it’s very important to take care of mental health -- it’s extremely important, and something we should all consider more often, especially when we’re on this hardcore grind to get to where we want to be -- but mental health is not really thrown into the backseat, it’s just viewed as something not as important to achieve your goals,” Cazares said. When it comes to hustle culture, the varied perceptions of it can all be influenced by someone’s experiences and upbringing. People argue that the reason hustle culture is toxic is because mental health is like a backseat to everything else. This has sparked concerns about whether or not we should prioritize our health over our work, as well as controversy on how it affects society as a whole. Priorities differ from person to person, and there will inevitably
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feature 15 be contrasting opinions because of that. The mind governs our desire to complete everyday tasks. Instant gratification has increased the need to see immediate improvement, and when that expectation is not met, it can become difficult to find the motivation to continue. Hustle culture centers itself on the mind-over-matter concept and demands that we push past our point of exhaustion. Hustle is a mental game: the mind surrenders before the body does and with the belief that something can be done, people will find a way to get it done. In the words of Henry Ford, “whether you can or can’t -- you’re right.” It is a matter of believing that the goal can be achieved from the outset, and making the effort to reach that point. “Sometimes you have to fake it till you make it. If you’re not happy, if you’re not energized, if you’re not feeling a hundred percent, you just need to persevere until it happens. You need to keep trying and stay determined throughout it all,” Cazares said. “There’s never going to be a whole week straight where you’re feeling great, but you’re still going to put the same amount of work in, you’re still going to go out there and make it happen.” This mindset can be adopted as a coping mechanism, where work becomes a placeholder for suppressed feelings, in order to avoid or postpone confrontation with the stressors causing them. In some instances, life at home can make work feel like a safe haven. In which case, throwing oneself into a never-ending work cycle is the only way to grasp a sense of control over their life. When the pressure at home outweighs the pressure outside of it, that heaviness can prompt the person to seek out an escape, and shift the focus toward something less draining and more freeing. “Just like going to the gym, or reading a book, going to work could be an escape for someone,” senior Joshua Telles said. There are so many other factors that come into play when assessing the reasons why people have this lifestyle: insufficiently reliable relationships that require a person to assume adult responsibilities at a young age, having only experienced familial love that was conditioned on performance or being surrounded by role models who only prioritized work. These can all form the basis of a person’s worldview as they progress through adolescence, and eventually adulthood. Because of the ways success is perceived in families or in the workplace, people handle trials and tribulations differently according to what best satisfies their goal. “Sometimes people have this cold mindset where they believe that they can achieve their goals without anybody else and without feeling happy, but at the end of the day, whatever mountain you may climb, wherever the top may be, you’re going to be alone up there,” Cazares said. “You have to take care of things like your mental health before you can truly appreciate where you’ve landed.” The problem is, hustling is not an option for people born into circumstances where that mindset is essential in staying afloat. For many people, to hustle is to survive and make ends meet -- to sacrifice for the chance at a stable future; it leaves no room to tend to mental well-being because work is the only thing keeping them on their feet. Everyone is capable of hustling, but not everyone can hustle the same. It was “hustle so you don’t have to struggle anymore,” and that mentality has engraved itself so deeply into the minds of certain people, that noth-
ing else matters to them because their only goal is to make it. “I believe self-discipline is a huge part of having this mindset because just like anything that requires your full attention, focus, and a lot of time and energy, if you don’t have that self-discipline you can’t maintain working at a high rate,” Telles said. For others who have hit rock bottom, and refuse to let themselves fall between the cracks, it is more about the “come-up.” Many of these individuals possess some measure of self-discipline to manage temptation and overcome obstacles. The “rise and grind” mindset makes way for them to emerge as elevated versions of themselves, through their own tenacity, with the opportunity to evaluate past mistakes and move forward from them. “When you have nothing to lose, that’s when you’re the most capable of growth,” Cazares said. “When you have nothing to lose, where is there really to go but up?”
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Just like going to the gym, or reading a book, going to work could be an escape for someone.
Joshua Telles
Hustle culture faces a lot of disapproval because of the egoes that spring from it and the superiority complexes it can create. However, often overlooked is the destructive nature of societal expectations and how ego serves to protect individuals from falling prey to their judgment. “You have to be impartial. If you view somebody as egotistical solely because they have the ambition that you don’t, maybe you need to rethink the way you’re viewing things. It’s really about perspective here,” Cazares said. “The egotistical side of it is there, for sure, but what are we really without ego? Our ego is what sometimes helps us keep going, despite what others think. Despite what anybody says, despite the way that anybody views our hustle, it’s more about us, our ego. It’s always seen as a bad thing, but sometimes ego is all you have.” The need for ambition comes as a result of greater financial pressures like: student debt, increasing housing costs and gas prices. Wherein, working to enhance one’s craft and boost human capital can stimulate envy and thus, increased competition in the workplace. Envy is a product of the hyper-competitiveness that gives hustle culture a bad rep, and emulating someone who has already reached their idea of success does not facilitate our own. Competition with others allows external values to dictate the metrics of our own performance. Healthy oppo-
March 2022
sition lies with our past selves and our unrealized potential; it embraces the “growth mindset” and creates an openness to learn. “The changes that it’s made in my life are incredible. I was very egotistical at one point because I thought I had achieved the highest level that I could possibly be at, but eventually, when I had realized that there was so much more that I could do, I humbled myself in a way where I understood that there is always going to be a better way; there is always going to be some sort of improvement that has to happen,” Cazares said. Work ethic is one of the basic principles of hustle culture, characterizing steadfast individuals with the determination to move up the corporate ladder. As much as this mentality can promote the can-do attitude and initiative, highly sought after in today’s job market, how we go about setting boundaries and effectively incorporating those values in proper decision-making is what will shape the outcome. “This lifestyle affects your work ethic in a good way. Hustle makes hard workers and reliable people… it ultimately creates less of a lazy mindset and more of an ‘on the move’ mindset,” senior Micah Kamanu said. From a mental health standpoint, boundaries could mean the difference between crumbling under pressure and staying the course. Burnout occurs when the path to fulfillment begins to falter. Without discerning between when and when not to push the limit, devotion to work can deteriorate, along with all other facets of life dependent on the completion of that work to thrive. Overwork arises not from working too hard, but when it becomes less of a means and more of an end. “This mindset has impacted my relationships a lot, in many good and bad ways. I’ve met so many amazing people working and created a lot of
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It’s not a matter of if you can, it’s a matter of motivation and consistency.
Micah Kamanu
meaningful relationships, that I believe I will carry on with me throughout the rest of my life, but it has also cost me a lot of relationships and made me unhealthy for relationships,” Telles said. “You don’t have the same amount of time and energy to put into your relationships with people when you are working, and not having that time and energy makes it hard to maintain healthy relationships.” Mind-over-matter resilience that is not influenced by negative self-talk, coupled with a sense of
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realism, can make honest and constructive self-criticism more attainable. Awareness of one’s own capabilities enables clearer vision when seeking out the best course of action -- as a result of taking the time to analyze internal thoughts, feelings and virtues. “You need to have that balance where you try to keep your mental health in check because I think if you go too far, you get burnout, stress, anxiety, sometimes it even leads to depression, and then you’re not able to do as good a job as if you took the time to do that self-care,” Echevveria said. We have long been under the impression that work and happiness cannot coexist in the same environment -unless we get a job we love and “never have to work a day in [our lives]” -which is why the culture has such a negative connotation behind it. “Worklife balance” is off-putting in the sense that it insinuates an equal trade off between work and leisure -- which is difficult, for lack of a better word, to accomplish in an ever-changing world. Work-life harmony, on the other hand, acknowledges the two as integrated parts which abide by our availability for them. Meaning, contentment in the workplace is a possibility if both aspects can blend together in a way that works for us. Greater job satisfaction, less burnout. “Working takes up such a big part of my life and the exhaustion that comes with taking on a big workload makes it harder to even want to do anything for myself because I’m always so tired,” Telles said. The dilemma of sacrificing sleep for work versus work for sleep is that the effects can both make and break a person, based on how committed they are to recovering what is lost. For instance, one could sacrifice their sleep for work but get nothing done, and vice versa for the latter. Adequate rest is vital in supporting the immune system, memory consolidation, response time et cetera. It increases efficiency nevertheless, but without discipline, sleep schedules can impede on responsibilities. Some people require that push, the test against their will power, because they know that without it, they would otherwise surrender to temptation and relinquish the fight. “There will be moments where things seem futile, but throughout it all, you always have to remember your goals. Why are you there in the first place? Why did you start your journey to become better? Give yourself reasons to keep going. Even
“the push to finish a goal”
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without the energy, you need to have the ‘want’ to persevere,” Cazares said. Holding ourselves to a higher standard, and striving to surpass those expectations is where a lot of people, who utilize this mentality, find their motivation -- the idea of proving to ourselves that we are capable of achieving everything we put our minds to. “This mindset is a good mindset for everyone. You should strive for what you want, no matter who you are,” Kamanu said. “Everyone can do anything they put their mind to. It’s not a matter of if you can, it’s a matter of motivation and consistency.” There are varying perceptions of the culture and that, when it comes down to it, is what will determine how the lifestyle is structured. Nonetheless, success looks and is defined differently for everyone; how each individual goes about reaching that point is entirely up to them and the circumstances which have demanded the need for that way of life. “You are capable of anything and everything you put your mind to, but you never really understand your potential until you actually go out there and try to find it. There is nothing before there is something,” Cazares said. “Give yourself the goal, give yourself the reasons, give yourself an image of who you want to be. Don’t always put yourself down in a way where you think that there’s a limitation to what you can do. There’s always going to be somewhere you can be and somewhere you can be better.”
sports 17
New coach dives deep Swift retires after 19 years, Berger takes over By Evan Halfhill
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any people pick up the sport of swimming because it is easy on the joints, and it exercises every muscle group in the body. Swimming is a varsity sport that has been a part of the school since it opened in 1991. The goal of it is to teach students about teamwork and the value of good communication, and to strengthen their motivation and endurance. “Whenever I first started, it was definitely difficult,” junior Genavieve West said. “Now that I’ve been doing it for a while, it’s a little bit easier.” As swimmers like West continuously improve, the swim team provides a special opportunity to annually compete for major championships. “I came to the school specifically for the swim team because I know how good it is,” West said. This year has been different for the team due to the arrival of their new coach, Adam Berger. Bob Swift, the previous coach, had been coaching for about 20 years. “He was a really great coach. He motivated us and he pushed us to be our best and he always prioritized school, but made sure that we are good athletes, too,” West said. Coach Berger has plenty of experience at several different schools in Las Vegas. Most recently, he was a co-head coach at Desert Oasis High School from 2015-2019. He is fond of our school because he swam on the boys team all four years here, and graduated in 1997, where he was then an assistant coach from 1998 to 2002. “I think it’s about giving back to the school I went to, to the community and building upon the winning tradition that Green Valley has had over the past two decades,” Berger said.
Coach Berger has been swimming competitively since the age of eight. Outside of coaching, he swims competitively in a master’s group for adults. “Swimming isn’t easy. It’s not splashing around in the pool and having fun all the time. Instead, it’s hard work, dedication and determination. For me, it was 5:30 morning practices and 5:00 afternoon practices,” Berger said. It is not much different for the swimmers he now coaches, where
the number and length of practices is quite similar, making it just as difficult but potentially more rewarding. “It was very rewarding to see swimmers progress over the season from when they started out the very first day,” Berger said. One of the priorities for Berger is, of course, honing in on the strokes to which each swimmer prefers or specializes in. “The sport of swimming has four strokes. We have backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle,” Berger said. Such repetition of strokes during practices can be very draining, but it is part of practice in order to reap the benefits at major competitions. “I’m a swimmer myself. When they say they’re tired, I know what
they’re going through,” Berger said. “I get them to continue swimming because it’ll get easier as the season goes on.” Coach Berger understands this very well, to which in 1996 as a junior, he helped to win state for the first time in the school’s history. “I expect a lot. The standards are you’re going to be at practice everyday, you’re working hard, making sure you’re representing our school at our facilities,” Berger said. Such expectations help makeup
not in competitive swimming, but by their senior year they ended up getting a college scholarship,” Berger said. The growth in just a four-year period for students to get a chance at college scholarships is quite notable and it does not happen overnight. ”Swimming builds character with each individual person, it builds discipline and it builds dedication,” Berger said. For those with much more experience, the introduction of new swimmers acts many Aferdita Vinca times as a teaching moment, where often they can become a second coach. “It’s definitely helped me with my communication skills. There are new kids every year,” Madere said. “A lot of the team is filled with people who’ve never swam before, too. It’s great to see new swimmers and watch them progress throughout it and help them out, talking to them and making new friends just because you’re DIVING IN - Sophomore Jake Mecham practices his helping them. It’s form during a meet. The Swim Team has had meets fun.” every Saturday in order to train hard and practice. Even if there is not a potential scholarship opportunity to swim the format in which practices are competitively beyond high school, conducted, as well. the swimmers’ love for the sport is “His practices are a little bit more often certain to push them to swim intense. They’re more consistent. noncompetitively or for recreational Like the sets, we have less time in clubs for years to come. between them,” senior and swim cap“It’s great to stay fit and keep tain Abigail Madere said. yourself healthy in all ways,” West Although swimming is considered said. “It’s really good for your mental an individual sport, it is not possible health and your physical health. So, without a collective “push” for one I’ll probably maintain it as a hobby.” another to do their best. The focus now, though, is the sea“One thing that is huge with me son in store, and the expectations for is a lot of team spirit - getting behind the team’s success are high. each other, kind of like one big fami“My goal for the swimming season ly,” Berger said. is to get as many swimmers qualified The swim team is such an interwofor regional times, and get as many ven community that even mostly new swimmers qualified for state,” Berger swimmers are welcomed in. said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to “I don’t believe in cutting the be the third head coach in the school’s swimmer because I’ve seen it happen history, not many schools can say before: freshman year and they are that.”
March 2022
18 sports
Home is where the court is Father-daughter duo take on new roles By Adrian Sifuentes
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hether at home or on the court, Adam and Olivia Patai are a dynamic father-daughter duo. Any time there is a situation where a player’s coach is their parent, there is bound to be controversy and accusations of favoritism. Still, the pair does their best to respect professionalism. They focus on their own work, whether it is teaching English class for Adam or studying for Olivia, and the moment they step onto the court, they both get their chance to shine. Despite being linked together as father and daughter, the two came to a mutual agreement to keep their school and home life entirely separate. They both understand where their boundaries are, but over time they have also realized that it is not so easy. “It’s difficult at times because I’m her dad and she’s my daughter so there’s that relationship and then being a coach and a player is another relationship and we’ve got to kinda navigate those things,” English teacher and women’s basketball coach Adam Patai said. “We try to keep separation, we’re at home and it’s dad and daughter, we’re at school and it’s coach and player.” The two certainly do not seem to mind the whole “dad and daughter” scenario as much as they thought they would. In fact, Olivia actually looks forward to her games because she gets to work with her dad and they are both invested in what is happening in the game. “It’s a bit rough sometimes because he’s my dad and it’s gonna be a
little bit awkward but yeah, I do enjoy it,” freshman Olivia Patai said. She makes it clear that she gets no special treatment from her dad and that she wants everyone to keep an even playing field. “Me and my dad talked about it and wanted to make sure I’m equal to everybody else,” Olivia said. On the other hand, Adam found it difficult to get around the stigma around the “father-daughter” favoritism that others might accuse the pair of. Pouring his heart and soul into the team, he doesn’t want his hard work to be undermined by a stereotype. “I was really sensitive to when people think I’m favoring her or anything like that so I talked to a number of coaches that had coached their children and so taking what they told me, you know, we kind of had a plan going into it,” Adam said. Coaching in itself is something all too familiar for Adam. Getting exposure to it in previous years, he was more than ready to tackle coaching his daughter when she came of age. “I’ve coached for 20-something years before she was born so I have a lot of experience with that and you know, when we’re at practice I tried to see it as not that she’s just another player but I am conscious of I have to praise and correct her just like anybody else,” Adam said. Regarding games that do not go well, the pair offer differing views on how that plays out privately. The fact of the matter is that it is normal to get upset about losing a game. However, it is important to understand that managing your emotions is the key to improvement. “We would walk to the car and we’d talk about it if we wanted to and
TAKE THE SHOT - Freshman Olivia Patai gears up to score a point. The game ended in a win against Legacy HS.
Evelyn Plummer
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Evelyn Plummer
ENLIGHTENMENT - Coach Adam Patai gives his daughter pointers during a game. The game took place on Jan. 20.
then once we got in the car we didn’t talk about it. Maybe if something happened in practice or in game or if it got brought up later we would talk about it but not in the heat of the moment,” Adam said. The intensity of a game can not only determine the outcome, but it can also determine how the players react, feel, and how aggressive they play. When push comes to shove, how you choose to interpret a win or a loss is what matters in the long run. “If he’s angry at me, he will yell at me and say, you should’ve done this and you should’ve done that, but then at home he’ll say, ‘I shouldn’t have gotten that upset, I’m sorry, you did great, you just got to work on stuff like that,’” Olivia said. Even though they decide to work out those situations on their own terms, there are moments when Adam needs to get the point across to Olivia, and sometimes that can be expressed by raising his voice. “I guess during games and stuff, it’s definitely rough getting yelled at by your dad in front of everyone. It’s a little embarrassing but I got used to it because he’s coached me before,” Olivia said. In years previous, Adam dedicated his time to coaching at college level basketball. Since his daughter chose to play basketball, he decided to use the many years of coaching experience he had to aid her through her journey. “In elementary and middle school, I assisted the teams at her school but like I said, I was a head varsity coach, I coached college leading up to when she was born and so after she was born I didn’t think I’d ever coach again,” Adam said.
Despite the bickering between player and coach, Adam is aware of the limitations his daughter places on herself. Juggling the complexities of sportsmanship and competition can make it difficult to hinder harsh self-evaluation. “I don’t think we’ve really had any arguments or anything, like she’s a good girl, she listens, and she works hard. There was one game where we played Canyon Springs and near the end of the game, maybe she didn’t play as well as she felt she could have,” Adam said. “My daughter is probably more critical of herself than I ever could be.” Adam realizes that perfection is a grueling and unrealistic task to achieve. He makes up for this by encouraging his daughter through thick and thin and making sure she shows up ready to give it her best shot on the court. “I love coaching and I love working with the players to try and help them be the best that they can be and I get to spend time with my daughter doing it,” Adam said. “I would say there’s some rough patches here and there, you know, maybe I get on her a little bit more in practice one day or something like that but it’s just part of that process.” At the end of the day, the knowledge, experience, motivation and dedication they have when playing and coaching basketball are what allow both Adam and Olivia to succeed on the court. The connection between the two is unmatched and they bring pride to the Green Valley basketball team. “I say I love coaching basketball,” Adam said. “But I love coaching my daughter more.”
sports 19
Right on the bullseye
Indoor archery competition hosts competitors from across nation By Kayla DeMenezes
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ince 1962, the Vegas Shoot has been one of the biggest indoor archery competitions where people from all over the world come to participate. There are almost 3,500 people who compete in this event yearly. This year it was hosted by the South Point hotel from Feb. 3-6, and over 3,800 people signed up for the event. The four main divisions, based on the type of bow being used, are Compound, Recurve, Bowhunter, Crossbow and Recurve Barebow; each division had different prizes to be won for competing. A member of the Archery Club, sophomore Noah Kocinski, returned to the competition having previously participated the year before. Since so many people compete at this event including many pros, the stakes are raised for everyone. For many participants, it is what they
have been mastering and it is just a way to show off how hard they have worked to be as good as they are at the sport. “The pressure is slightly higher as you get older because you are getting into bigger and bigger divisions,” Kocinski said. Some people think that archery just includes pulling back a string, aiming, and firing; but there is much more to it than just that. Most archers have what is called a shot process, which explaining their steps when firing a shot can fill up to two pages or more pages. During tournaments it can be more difficult, because as the stakes are raised it can be much more nerve wracking. But the Vegas Shoot is not all tough, there are also many good factors that it has. Because there are almost 3,500 people who attend this competition yearly, everybody is able to learn a lot from each other. Also, because the Vegas Shoot is known by so many archers, there are a lot of
different people you get to compete with. The rules are a little different for such a large tournament. They have a lot of people always verifying the scores to check them and make sure that nothing is unfair for any of the archers. “So it is all very tight knit and everyone is verifying everyone’s things,” Kocinski said. Overall, there are so many things archers get to learn at such a big
event and it is something that is good for everyone to learn from. Also, because most people have different shooting styles it is interesting to see how different everyone shoots. So an archer is able to gain a lot of experience and grow from an event like this one. “The Vegas Shoot is like a snapshot of everything I’ve worked up to,” Kocincki said. “So I know how I have done now and I can see how I can get better.”
CONCENTRATION - Competitors line up to look at their targets after shooting. This event was held on Feb. 3-6.
Step up to the plate Kayla DeMenezes
Reflections on last season, preparation for new one By McKenzie Shelton-Lott
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espite coming off of a losing season last year, the outlook for this year’s gator baseball team remains optimistic. The team hosted try-outs on Feb 19. This was an opportunity for students to display their skills while also learning more about the game of baseball. Many have called this a season of growth. Last season the team’s record was 5-10, but according to the varsity head coach Manny Llamas, this season’s outlook is much better. “We have matured a lot from last year. We had a lot of underclassmen last season, which was a bit of a struggle, but we have more upperclassmen this year so I know our record will be better,” Llamas said. Due to their previous record, the team is also working on gaining mental strength along with physical strength. “We have been working a lot on conditioning. We are working on weightlifting three times a week and we really try to push them to the ex-
treme so they can be mentally tougher because we lacked that as well last year,” Llamas said. The players also work to improve their skills off the field and outside of practice. “We tell them baseball practice is the bare minimum. They have to go to the cages and work on their own to be better,” Llamas said. Despite having a majority of juniors and seniors on the varsity team,
Every time I step onto the field, I do whatever I can to prove myself.
TJ Shaw
six of the 25 players are underclassmen, something that is not very common in high school sports. “Even though I am a sophomore, I still get the respect I deserve from my teammates,” sophomore TJ Shaw said. “Every time I step onto the field, I do whatever I can to prove myself and earn the same respect from my opponents.” Like many other sports teams, the connection between players and their shared bonding experiences all affect how they play on the field. “Some of the team dads hosted a barbecue for us. We were able to all just hangout and bond which is important for teamwork,” Shaw said. “If we are not on the same page we do not play as well.” Baseball can be many things for the players such as a simple hobby, an outlet to release pent up emotions or even a way to create valuable relationships with teammates. “My favorite part of the sport is the connections we make,” Tarango said. “We create a closer bond, and since we are around each other a lot, we play better.”
March 2022
20 sports
Knock it out of the park Softball team prepares for future games By Neyta Flores
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t is finally spring sports season of 2022 and the softball girls are back on the field. After a dreadful two years, the girls are stoked and ready to talk all about it. “The thing I’m most looking forward to is having a somewhat normal season. I haven’t had a normal season since my freshman year,” senior Ava Meredith said. After an impressive season last year, the team is ready to live up to the expectations that have been set up. With old and new players alike, the team is practicing and preparing for the upcoming season. “It feels like I’ve been waiting forever for senior season, but it’s finally here! All I can say is I’m so excited,” senior Cindy Martinez said. “We’ve been training consecutively for a
while, and I know it’ll show on the field. I mean, varsity girls have to run to the fire station up the street and back in under thirty minutes, so it better.” While every sports team has had to accomodate both this year and last year to the unusual conditions, the standards for the district are still set high. Plenty of effort and time has to be put into practicing and training to make sure that the team lives up to the expectations and succeeds in the new season. Outside of putting in the work for their audiences in the stands, the girls are looking forward to building better relationships and connecting with new team members and rekindling the love with their old ones. Last year was not as exciting due to the conditions of online learning and restrictions; however, the girls have hope for this new season.
“Being able to practice and connect with my team and get close with all of the new girls, along with just finally being able to come together, is
something that really is standing out for me this year,” Meredith said. “I’m also really stoked to see everyone’s faces.” Danneisy Ochoa
WARM UP - Womens varsity softball warms up before practice. The team has practice everyday until 5:00 to prepare for their games.
Set up for victory
Men’s volleyball dives into new season
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By Kinsley Priebe fter a shortened 2021 season and being off of the court for some time, the men’s volleyball team is eager to start a new
season. The team consists of 13 players and they practice everyday after school from 2:30 to 4:30. “Returners have been coming back which is good, because then we know they enjoyed last year even though there was COVID, they still had fun,” Head Coach Analicia Gonzalez said. “For our varsity team we have seven returners, and they are going to be very competitive.” New seasons mean the beginning for some and the end for others. While new players are excited for their first season to start, others are preparing for it to be the last of their high school career.
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“I hope that we win games obviously, and win State but if not I hope we just have a fun season,” senior Ben Hanson said. “I’ll miss the people the most, and the friends I have on the team because I’m not really friends with them outside of volleyball.” A struggle at the beginning of this season was getting freshmen boys to try out for the team, but after going into boys PE classes and offering them a chance there was a positive turnout. Varsity is kept to a minimal range of 10 to 12 while B and JV have a few more spots, capping around 15 players. “For the new players it’s really easy to just get a boy and say ‘Hey do you want to try volleyball?’ and when we teach them the skills they pick it up pretty quickly,” Gonzalez said. To kick off the season, the team hosted a tournament. The Las Vegas Invitational (LVI) that took place on March 4-5. After that, the team
has conference and non-conference games lined up. These include a weekend trip to La Jolla, Calif. and another tournament they are hosting, the Easter tournament in April over
spring break. “We should be one of the top 3 teams,” Gonzalez said. “I am hoping with good discipline and work ethic that we can come out on top.”
DIGGING IT - Senior Derek Lawrence saves a ball at a tournament on March 5 at Shawdow Ridge. The gators played Sage Creek and came short with a score of 25-20, 25,23.
Rayne Robinson
sports 21
Bowling takes the lanes Team wins State Championship
By Kristel Alfaro Borbon
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own 70 pins and their dream of a State title seemingly disappearing, the women’s bowling found some early momentum in the third and final game vs. Bishop Gorman on Feb. 11 at The Orleans Hotel & Casino. Junior Michaela Morris fired five strikes in the first six frames, leading the team to a thrilling comeback as they went on to become the 2022 NIAA 4A State Champions. The team defeated Bishop Gorman in the finals with a score of 5-4, after defeating Chaparral High School in the semifinals. “I didn’t think we would actually make it to State,” junior Rayne Robinson said. “I didn’t see us getting there so it’s a very interesting story of how we were able to make it.”
Despite the large deficit, members of the team held out hope that they could come together and turn things around during the match. “I was definitely kind of nervous because we were down by so many pins,” Robinson said. “I didn’t really think it was possible because we weren’t bowling great. Until the final ten frames it didn’t look too good.” The women’s bowling team consists of five girls; Morris, Robinson, junior Isabel Zamora, senior Samantha Orozco, and sophomore Elysia Ponce. Morris led the team with a score of 188 in the final game. The majority of the girls joined the team in order to have fun and try a new sport. Many of them never expected to end up as state champions. “Soccer season had just ended and I was looking to join a new team. I’ve never really done anything other than soccer, and they were super
welcoming,” senior Samantha Orozco said. “I knew they were good but I never really knew bowling was a thing at school.” The Gators faced many challenges throughout the season, but encourage one another to do better. Some of the girls started out not knowing
the technique that bowling requires; however, they quickly learned. “It was really fun. I had never interacted with these girls, like it wasnt something that I was expecting, but it was super fun,” Orozco said. “We bonded over not knowing how to bowl and we all learned together.”
CHAMPS! - The women’s bowling team poses for a picture after defeating Bishop Gorman. The match took place at The Orleans Hotel & Casino on Feb. 11.
Going the extra mile Track team sprints into upcoming season
By Brandon Anderson
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ith football and basketball season over, it is easy for students to assume that the high school sports season is largely over as well. This could not be further from the truth, as students set their sights on track and field which starts its outdoor competition schedule in March. At practices, the team refine various aspects of the activity through different drills. These drills are endurance and strength based, which prepare athletes for their competition season. “[The team] practices usually get more intense throughout the season,” senior Jeffery Welsh said. “I’ll practice on my own twice a day too.” While the season starts in March, many first year members of the team begin practicing in February. These early intramurals and practices help new athletes get acclimated to the requirements of the athletic season. “Running is a very naturalistic
sport,” junior Sujal Tretina said. “Track compliments cross country as it also helps you get faster.” The track and field team also practices short distance sprints that help the team to run faster in competitions. On other days, the team uses the weight room to help their athletes become more well-rounded. “I always knew track was going to take a lot of work or else I would not be as good as I wanted to be at it,” Tretina said. Track offers competitors a wide variety of races. There are 100, 200 and 400 meter sprints that test an athlete’s speed against other competitors from various schools in the district and across the west coast. The race distances range from 800 to 3200 meters. “Competitions are really just competing by yourself,” Welsh said. “At the end of the day they tally up the points that the team made.” Being a part of the team allows members to form bonds with their teammates. Over the three to four
years on the team, athletes grow both physically and have the opportunity to make friends. “Cross country and track have taught me about the power of encouragement,” Trentia said. “When you’re struggling and hear words of encouragement from a friend or family member, it goes a long way.” Many athletes use the sport to enhance their lives in other sports and off the field. The core principles of track and field allow these athletes to improve some of the fundamental skills of other sports during their off-
season. “We have a really strong track team right now,” Welsh said. “There’s individuals within the state that are really good at what they do, and we’re doing really well for a distance team.” Athletes also participate in events that test their athleticism. Among these events are long jumps, high jumps, hurdles and pole vaulting. These events also have the opportunity to apply outside of track and field, as these events help improve flexibility and speed. Danneisy Ochoa
FINISHING STRONG - Junior Josiah Edwards and senior Kendall Saragosa-Ayersman competes on March 3 at the Newcomer’s meet. Teams from all over the Valley came to GVHS for their first meet.
March 2022
22 a&e
Smith Center starts season “Hamilton” returns to Vegas, musicals adapted for big screen
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By Taylor Hunt
ne of the most wellknown musicals of the last decade. “Hamilton,” is coming to Las Vegas in 2022. The Smith Center will be hosting the performances, and Hamilton is scheduled for Oct. 18 as a demonstration of “America then, told by America now.” This production was originally planned to be a part of the Smith Center’s “Broadway Las Vegas” series in 2020, accompanied by other shows such as “Tootsie,” “Cats” and “A Christmas Carol,” along with plenty of other renowned Broadway shows. The series was unfortunately postponed in March 2020 when the COVID-19 outbreak halted the entertainment industry. However, just like many other events that were derailed by the pan-
demic, this series is reopening for the 2022-23 season. On the Smith Center’s website, there is an option to register for interest as it gets closer to the summer. Shows like “Hamilton” are known for connecting different groups of people together. With the added benefit of its historical context, it can connect audiences more to American history. Most of the show’s events may be taught in schools, but the performative aspect can help connect the audience with the history involved. “I like how they show it in a fun way, rather than just teaching a boring history lesson,” freshman Alyssa Lynn said. On top of this upcoming visit, “Hamilton” was introduced to Disney+ in 2020, since performances were temporarily out of the question. Musicals in general have been introduced to the media and accessible to
UPHE.com
fans all over the globe. With a subscription to streaming sources such as Disney+ or Netflix, many musicals can be viewed as a movie or series. “I feel like they add stuff they like and replace certain things in movies, but it’s not a big deal. Movies, you know, are more perfect and cinematic because they perfect every little thing,” junior Riley Stannard said. This can bring up controversy about whether or not the production will be the same when you view it in different ways. Musical productions and films have different standards for their releases and this also applies to “Hamilton” as it is transferred from the stage to the screen. ”When watching the musicals in person, it’s just a lot more fun because then you hear the laughter and reactions from the audience themselves,” Stannard said. Movies tend to take up much
WarnerBros.com
more time due to filming and editing, where the goal is to improve the film as much as possible. There are more likely to be scene retakes, more touch-ups, special effects, animation and anything filmmakers can use in order to make it the best it can be. Something fantastic about musicals, however, is that they have been around and will stay around for a long time, regardless of any editing or alterations. Managing to represent unique ideas and different concepts about society in one go on stage is a difficult feat, and many prefer the live versions of musicals. Several movies have been released that are adaptations of broadway musicals, which has been met with controversy. “I love the music and I love both the movies and the Broadway shows,” Lynn said. “They are pretty much the same, but I still get everything I love out of each production.”
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Ratings from IMDB.com
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Kristel Alfaro Borbon
Coming TO Soon
Las Vegas
a&e 23
Look into entertainment appearing in stadiums throughout Sin City
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By Lily Burke
rom the several music festivals that take place to the resident artists performing, Las Vegas is a host for plenty of sources for entertainment on a daily basis. The Life is Beautiful and iHeartRadio Festivals are two big events that pull in a lot of fans in the Las Vegas area. This year, fans saw artists such as All Time Low, Coldplay, Imagine Dragons, Kings of Leon, twenty one pilots, Willow and more during the two day iHeart Festival that happened on the Strip on Jan 15, 2022. “I have only been to one iHeartRadio Festival and it was a really good experience for me. At the time, I really liked Billie Eilish and seeing her play was a big thing for me then since it was the main reason I went actually,” sophomore Shannon Carr said. “It was a good experience because it wasn’t just a concert for one artist. There were so many to see and I really enjoyed the variety. I would totally go again and experience all those feelings again.” The three day Life is Beautiful Festival is an event where big artists such as Billie Eilish, Green Day, Megan Thee Stallion, Tame Impala and A$AP Rocky performed last year. Although the 2022 lineup has not been announced to the public just yet, festival goers can expect to see some big names on stage. These events only happen once a year which leave concert attendees lying in wait to see a live performance again. However, music fans have opportunities to listen to other artists performing throughout the year since Las Vegas is a hotspot for entertainment. Las Vegas started taking form as an entertainment capital in the 1950s as the city quickly became the top destination for seeing top performers such as Elvis Presley for as little as five dollars. Today, performers like Celine Dion, Penn & Teller, Blue Man Group and many others take residency in Sin City. According to bestofvegas.com, Celine Dion is considered the most successful individual performer in Vegas since Elvis. Dion’s Courage World Tour is still set to kick off on March 9, 2022 despite her last North America Tour getting cut short due to unforeseen circumstances. Dion was one of the many resident artists to watch here in Vegas until June 9, 2019 when she ended her residency with The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Globalnews.ca reports that she had performed some 1141 shows at this location. Since this city is such a hot spot for entertainment, there are many different types of performances geared towards different audiences. If one is in the mood for some hoodwinking magic, David Copperfield as well as Penn & Teller can be seen tricking their audiences frequently. “I go at least once a year to the Strip to watch shows and more than half of them are magic shows,” junior Kat Bosworth said. “I have seen David Copperfield and he is one of the oldest magicians on the Strip and people still go to watch
his shows. He is really incredible.” As for Penn & Teller, it can be watched in several performances in the upcoming months of March, April and May. The duo typically runs 90 minute shows that start at nine p.m. but ticket holders must be five years of age or older. According to refundmanagement. com, Penn & Teller have been an act together since 1975 and debuted in Vegas in 1993. Since beginning their performances at the Rio in 2001, they hold the title of longest running performers at the same hotel. “I would consider seeing Penn and Teller because if I am right they are really funny and comedic so their performances are more than just magic,” Bosworth said. “I love being able to believe what most don’t believe, like magic. Even though it’s fake it’s amazing how real and flawless each movement is.” If one wants to listen to music, Carrie Brandon Anderson Underwood is set to perform on May 13 at Resorts World Theatre. Underwood has a residency here in Sin City that runs off and on until May 2022. If country music strikes a chord with someone, Underwood’s performance might be a good way to seek entertainment in Vegas. Otherwise, R&B/Soul singer John Legend is set to perform on April 27 at Planet Hollywood. The “All of Me” star’s performance starts at 8 p.m. and general admission costs $79 on livenation.com. Pop / Dance fans can see Katy Perry perform on March 18 at Resorts World Theatre. Perry recently expanded her residency here in Vegas by adding 16 more dates for shows. Perry’s March 18 show will start at eight pm and standard tickets to see this performance range in price from $80-$249+ on tix. axs.com. “I would 100% without a doubt go to one of Katy Perry’s concerts. Spotify probably gives me a song by her every other day or so and I know more of her music than Carrie Underwood’s, but I prefer [Underwood’s] personality,” sophomore Aniah Collins said.
Stage presence has a big effect on how many people might attend a concert depending on if the artist invokes emotions in an audience or not whether it be feelings of sorrow, relatability, joy or maybe even nostalgia. “I like Katy Perry’s Hot n Cold and Teenage Dream albums. I like those two albums because they are kind of nostalgic and remind me of my favorite summers as a kid,” Collins said. “Plus, she has a lot of fun with the music she makes but can also story tell and capture emotion and universalize her own experiences.” If magic and music are not the desired scene, there are several sporting events that happen in the city throughout the seasons. One of whicb was the NFL Pro Bowl on Feb. 6 at Allegiant Stadium. If a person is ever bored or looking for something to do, there is a plethora of entertainment to choose from in stadiums and arenas around the valley; Just like any other year, 2022 has plenty of Vegas’ resident and visiting performers in store for interested audiences.
March 2022
24 a&e
All about throwbacks Students combat damaging fashion practices with thrifting
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By Jasmine Gomolka
ashion trends have recently been taking a nostalgic turn, bringing back many well known styles from past decades such as corduroy, mom jeans and bucket hats. Making a comeback across social media platforms, these trends are being modernized by millenials, and many feel as if they teleported to past decades due to their return. This style of clothing is becoming more and more prominent through ‘fast fashion’, which is often combatted by buying clothing pieces in thrift stores. Fast fashion is the mass production of trendy, cheap clothes that mirror higher end companies and expand to retail stores quickly while the demand for the items are high. Shein is a prime example of a fast fashion company; the brand is quick to produce the latest trends with low prices. Making these clothes come at a cost though, the overall quality is not sustainable compared to trustworthy brands. But who is going to refuse something at such a low cost that is somewhat identical compared to a higher price? All to make a quick, easy buck, those making these items are paid poorly and are usually in unsafe conditions. “Fast fashion, overall, is extremely harmful to not only the environment, but also millions of workers overseas in Africa, China, all these other second world or even third world countries that are being forced to work hours on end with pay ranging from less than or minimum wage,” sophomore Amy Liu said. “A lot of people do not recognize the effects of fast fashion because they only see the small prices and the trendy clothing. It is really important to spread awareness on fast fashion. Especially in the capitalist society that we live in, in which the amount of money you gain is all that people care about.” There is a big difference between thrifting and buying brand new clothes from fast fashion stores. Thrifting is cheaper which helps out people that may not be able to afford bigger brandnames, while still receiving very sustainable clothing like items of jean or leather material. Thrift stores recycle clothing to give the pieces life that would otherwise be put into landfills, wasting billions of dollars every year. They reduce, reuse and recycle. This is why a lot of teens prefer thrifting, especially with it becoming trendy all over the world. “The prices really went up because it has been trendy to thrift for the past couple of years. So, it kind of took advantage of all these teens that were thrifting because it was a trend, senior Aurora Valenti said. “As far as fast fashion going back into the thrift stores, it is a little bit better, because you are saving it from going to the landfill. At the same time, it is still bad for the environment because fast fashion is made very poorly. It is made by people that are oftentimes getting paid really low wages, it is really horrible.”
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With those trying to find vintage clothes that fit into their particular style, thrifting is a much better alternative to find trendy clothes without supporting fast fashion. Adults from older decades have no use for their old clothes anymore, causing most to donate to thrifting stores such as Goodwill or Savers. Doing so gives younger generations the chance to buy older, sustainable jackpot pieces to give their personal styles some spice from older generations. “I love thrifting secondhand clothes, I love vintage pieces, I feel like when you go to the thrift store, no one else can have what you find in a way and it is kind of cool because it is just you that has that piece. It is just yours in a way,” junior Leila Diouri said. Many trends are coming back into style these days, but the most commonly seen are Y2K themed which many consider a better, more sustainable alternative commonly found in thrift stores, compared to fast fashion brands such as Shein, found online. “My favorite clothing era probably has to be this year,” junior Melanie Jimenez said. Everyone has been thrifting now and I prefer the Instagram model style as well as Y2K, I love it.” Y2K is a style that covers 90s and early 2000s clothing trends, it consists of many bright colors, especially “bubblegum pink’’ and brings back many brands such as Juicy Couture or Fiorucci. The style during this time were baby tees, low rise jeans, track suits, cute patterns and lots of bright colors. Of course there are many other different styles that have made a comeback. For example, decades such as the 60s, 70s and 80s. These trends range from flared jeans, bandanas, long hair and tie-dye shirts in the 60-70s, to the 80s’ bold colors, leotards, permed hair and leg warmers. “The 60s mod is so cute. It is due for a comeback right now,” Valenti said. “The silhouette was very androgynous and it’s kind of how society is right now. It is really androgynous and I feel like we could learn from our predecessors. They did it first, they have the best style.” With those trends making a big impact on the fashion industry there were people who would have rather defined themselves as a part of the “anti-fashion urban youth street culture” and dressed in “punk fashion,” which created the beginning of the punk era in the mid 1970s. The clothing trends within that group are torn band t-shirts, bullet belts, black skinny jeans and body modifications. “I think my style is a representation of what music I listen to. It is somewhat made up of grunge-punk fashion, pop punk, 2014 Tumblr style,” junior Sofia De La Cruz said. Every individual person has a different reason as to why they dress the way they do. Regardless of the trends and personal preferences, people will dress however they want to, to express themselves. “I feel like everyone buys clothes to feel comfortable in,” Diouri said. “I feel like it is honestly confidence boosting, especially because we have
so many different trends that you can buy from and and I feel like clothing is honestly just a way to boost your confidence in general, because you can express yourself through it.”
Kinsley Priebe
IN TUNE - Senior Richard Ayersman looks at the crowd while singing. The band performed during both lunches.
HARMONICS - Senior CJ Pratt plays chords on the guitar. The rock band consists of five members.
SHREDDING - Juniors Ian Clements and Cameron Ancell play back to back during the show. The club practiced after school in preparation for the concert.
PERFECT PITCH - Junior Porter Melgar sings during lunch on Feb. 10. Melgar also played guitar during a couple songs.
ENCORE! - An audience of students cheers for the rock band after their performance. The students gathered around the stage to hear the music.
FINE ARTS WEEK AT THE SWAMP
March 2022
Roles reversed
a&e 27
History of annual student holiday explained
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By Kinsley Priebe
ating back 85 years, Sadie Hawkins Day is a pseudo-holiday set to happen annually on Nov. 13. Sadie Hawkins, also known as Sadies, is a high school event where non-traditional gender roles are tradition. The girls ask out the boys rather than the typical vice versa. It is usually celebrated over the week of Valentine’s Day and despite it being uncertain why this day is celebrated in schools around this time, there are some theories. According to Irish folklore, Feb. 29 or Leap Day was the perfect day for roles to be reversed, with women asking men for their hand in marriage. “I asked out my boyfriend,” freshman Paige Brown said. “It’s definitely uncomfortable asking someone out, but it’s a super fun experience and now I know how the guys feel. We didn’t do matching outfits at all, but I did force him to participate in the spirit days during spirit week.” In years before there has been no formal dance held; instead, a relaxed get-together for students such as a movie and an assembly is tradition. This year there were not any school sanctioned events, although there were tables set up to sell things during lunch like hearts of chocolate and Crush sodas that would be sent to class the following period. “In the past I know we’ve done things like wear pink and red day or Wednesdays we wear pink,” junior Sophia Murdoc said. “Sadies isn’t really that extravagant, but this year we are going to amp it up. My favorite part is probably the decorations because they are always super cute.” This year’s spirit week began on Feb. 14 and was kicked off with “Stoplight Day” where students wore either red, green or yellow to signify their relationship status. Tuesday, students dressed as they wish a significant other would for “Dress as Your Type” which is a new addition to the abundance of spirit days put together by the Student Council. Students dressed in black and white for “My World is Grey Without You” on Wednesday. Thursday was “I’d Run a Mile for You” and students wore their sports attire. The week was wrapped up with the famous pajama day titled “Dreaming of You.”
“My favorite part about Sadies is being able to match with someone even if it’s like my friend or my significant other,” junior Sandy Leon said. “Our plans are to take pictures somewhere nice and then go play mini golf and wear something we both look and feel good in.” Another uncertain piece of lore tied to Sadies is the matching outfits worn by couples. Because there is no formal dance held, students take it upon themselves to make plans with their date and/or friends. The pairs usually have matching outfits that they have previously picked out together. Some have a theme, while others pick outfits that incorporate both of their personal styles. “We chose to go to America’s Got Talent Las Vegas Live because it was random but sounded fun,” junior Eva Powell said. “Our theme is “Sadies is worth a million bucks,” so we are all wearing a fur coat of some sort and dressing fancy to make us look like we are rich.” Sadie Hawkins was a fictional woman created by cartoonist Al Capp in his comic strip “Li’l Abner.” Set in the mountainous town of Dogpatch, Sadie was the daughter of Hekzebiah Hawkins, Dogpatch’s most wealthy and powerful man. Sadie was described as “the homeliest gal in all them hills.” She was 35 and had not married nor had she had any prospects. Her father, fearing she would be an old maid for the remainder of her life, took it upon himself to get her married. He gathered all of the single men of the town and challenged them to a race. They would be given a head start and whoever Sadie caught up to first was bound to be her groom. The bachelorettes of Dogpatch loved this idea so much they decided to declare it a mandatory yearly event. The original Sadie Hawkins Day race was held in Dogpatch on Nov. 15, 1937. Two years after the first of 40 publications about this event, Sadie Hawkins Day gained popularity with college campuses. In a 1939 issue of Life magazine it was reported over 200 schools had held events to celebrate. Celebrations included performing skits inspired by the comic, dressing up as characters and having parties. “I love it,” Student Council adviser Hannah Dey said. “I think it’s fun that it’s more casual and laid back.”
Evan Halfhill
March 2022
28 a&e
Audience searches for gems
“
Easter eggs continue to entertain movie watchers
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By Quinn Pedrick
ilm lovers are accustomed to the presence of Easter eggs, hidden references within movies to other movies in or outside of the brand, if they are able to recognize them. Disney and Pixar are particularly known for their use of Easter eggs, engaging their devout fans through the subtle details in the animation. Many fans have taken the discovery of these secrets as a challenge, re-watching movies and hunting for details not easily noticed. The concept of Easter eggs in movies started with the classic “Rocky Horror Picture Show” where three different literal Easter eggs can be seen throughout the movie. In 1975, when the show was first established as a musical comedy, the cast held an egg hunt on stage where not all of the eggs were found. In the movie adaptation, the supposedly missing eggs were used for viewers to find if they were to look closely enough. The “Rocky Horror Picture Show’’ was a trendsetter, establishing the entertaining feature of having hidden gems that many movies and franchises adopted over the years. Disney is well-known for their use of Easter eggs across the brand movies with obvious ones like Hercules wearing a lion’s corpse identical to Scar from “The Lion King’’ or more subtle details only true fans could identify. Some of those smaller, harder to recognize Easter eggs, among many others, include the appearance of Mrs. Potts and Chip from “Beauty and the Beast” in “Tarzan,” Pinnochio perched in the tavern during the “I’ve Got a Dream” number of “Rapunzel,” or a Dumbo stuffed toy among Lilo’s belongings in “Lilo & Stitch.” Disney also has even more minute details, such as characters Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy as well as Kermit the Frog in the crowd of merpeople at the beginning of “The Little Mermaid” as King Triton enters. The franchise also sneaks in details pertaining not to just the movies but the entire company. In “Beauty and the Beast” when Belle’s father Maurice gets lost, a sign with directions points to Anaheim, the California location of Disneyland, as well as Valencia where the California Institute of the Arts is located and where many Disney animators studied. While Pixar is owned by Disney
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as of 2006, they have still established their own use of the hidden details. The sub-brand has used Easter eggs in reference to their own movies as well as to Disney or completely outside of both brands. One of their most prominent Easter eggs in reference to a movie outside the franchise is in “Toy Story.” Although the movies are very dissimilar, the carpet of Andy’s room in both color and pattern allude to the carpet of the Overlook Hotel in “The Shining.” Also, throughout all of the “Toy Story” movies, the number 237 appears multiple times, and it is the same as Jack’s room number in the horror movie. Within their umbrella brand, Pixar makes use of multiple humorous Easter eggs. Some of them include in “Cars 2” where the famous Italian restaurant from “Ratatouille,” Gustaeu’s, makes an appearance under the more fitting name of Gastow’s, or, in “Toy Story 2,” a calendar depicting a scene from “A Bug’s Life” is shown for a very short amount of time. Even in Disney Pixar’s most recent short
Many fans have taken the discovery of these secrets as a challenge, re-watching movies and hunting for details not easily noticed.
classroom number to the Arts room at the California Institute of the Arts. The inside joke or reference is seen in “Toy Story” on a license plate, “Cars” and its sequels as Mater’s license plate, “Finding Nemo” as a camera model code of a scuba diver, “Ratatouille” on a passing train, and there are many more instances of the room number appearing in the franchise.
Quinn Pedrick
film “Out,” there’s an Easter egg of the dog, Jim, carrying a toy that is the character Wheezy from “Toy Story.” Similar to how Disney paid homage to the majority of their animators’ education, Pixar incorporated a frequent Easter egg throughout the franchise: “A113” referring to the
While the classic animations from Disney and Pixar have a large audience enveloped in the search for Easter eggs, films like “Scream” or “Fight Club” also have hidden messages throughout their works. The new rendition of “Scream” features many Easter eggs in refer-
ence to the previous four movies. The new “Scream” is partially a sequel as well as a remake of the original, so there are many details horror fans may recognize from the older versions. In relation to the original “Scream” movie, the new one starts with lead Tara, played by Jenna Ortega, being psychologically tortured by Ghostface, which is similar to the original’s starting scene with Casey Becker, played by Drew Barrymore. Other similarities between all the movies in the franchise are found throughout the film. The remake also has details in reference to other horror films, such as scenes reminiscent of “Psycho” and “Halloween.” Despite the first rule of fight club, the classic contains a detail with great significance worth talking about. In almost every scene of “Fight Club,” there is a Starbucks cup to symbolize the movie’s basic theme of commercialism and capitalism. The main character Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt, makes a statement about how their generation is given information through media and commercialism that feeds them a false sense of identity, fueling their anger toward the capitalistic world that is simply controlling their consumers. Director David Flincher used Starbucks to build on that idea, emphasizing the movie’s message. Many movie franchises implement Easter eggs for marketing purposes. The conversation of hidden gems in movies brings more traction and more profit for the movie and its franchise. The conversations between fans over the shared experience gives people a deeper connection associated with positive emotions toward the film and/or brand, drawing in more business from increasingly loyal fans.
a&e 29
Tyler Bonnette
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By Brenna Knight
he buzz of fluorescent lights fill the room and in the eyes of someone else, they start to accustom to the yellow hue the walls are painted with. They seem to have no recollection of where they are, but they can tell they are not safe. Warning. Viewer discretion is advised. Horror has been evolving through many mediums, and more recently through alternate reality games (ARGs) and analogs. ARGs use the real world as their platform to present a narrative that alters and changes based on how players interpret their decisions. Analogs, in a similar fashion, are an alternate reality that can be compared to the real world to convey a storyline through audio and visuals. Take the popular indie game, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (FNAF) for example. Creator Scott Cawthon developed a franchise based on a real world fear of animatronics, adding uncanny elements to interest his players into immersing themselves into the storyline. What makes this brand popular amongst the generation today is the lack of a confirmed ending; this leaves it up to the player to pick up on hints and create theories based on what they have seen when playing. Unconfirmed endings are what most ARGs tend to aim for as it gains more attention from players. The first game, out of seven that are canon to the timeline, was released in 2014 and introduces players to a confined security office in a well-loved pizzeria. Those who play pose as the security guard and have to survive the night from animatronics that roam the grounds, attempting to murder the security gaurd. At this time, it was unknown what the intentions were, but it is made known later that the animatronics are driven by something paranormal. Through small hints that Cawthon and his developers hide inside, not only in the first game and the rest that follow, but the numerous canon-books, are incredibly effective in getting devoted fans to investigate further. In the first game, the only solid hint of a storyline is from an eight-bit video cut-scene of a tragic accident. One of the two men who created the franchise had a family consisting of a wife, two sons and a daughter. In the infamous cut-scene, it shows the oldest son with his friends teasing his younger
brother for him being scared of, what seems to be, the animatronics. The scene ends when the animatronic’s jaw malfunctions and closes, injuring the youngest son’s frontal lobe. Without the uncertainty of this storyline, theorists would not be able to come up with ideas - it would make it difficult to classify this game an ARG without real-world hints and easter eggs. The lore of FNAF is ultimately confusing, especially with how many canon elements there are. Add the unconfirmed ending to the pile of evidence provided and the timeline gets messy. By reason, there is a multitude of debates among the community on what the true storyline is.
“ It reels you in and makes you feel like you are watching a real event happen.
Joseph Lemonds
“It will be one of the most expansive games to have such a deep lore that, truly, the game will hold its name for a long time,” senior Kaden Pease said. ARGs exist in different forms, most not involving an interactive network; horror analogs are a niche form of audio oriented videos. “Local 58” created by Kris Straub, is a simulated news broadcast that becomes distorted with unsettling details. Through the series of YouTube videos, most all dropping hints of storyline, stay consistent in the theme of using VHS tapes showing national emergency service warnings, cartoons and found footage. The first video to start the timeline is “Contingency,” a message to citizens explaining the US has surrendered to enemy forces and needs to follow certain instructions to take action in keeping our patriotic spirit. Later in the broadcast, after mes-
Horror genre explored through new online mediums sages of telling citizens to take one’s life, a correction message appears saying the previous message that was aired was actually a hoax. Another video titled “Weather Service,” starts off with the national EAS, which already fills viewers with anxiety, and proceeds to inform a weather warning of a meteorological event. It is then explained that “Citizens are advised not to observe this event with the naked eye.” The broadcast thereafter continues but is cut off with another emergency alert, this time warning of a civil danger alert. The alert issues for everyone to comply with the following instructions: “For your safety remain indoors. Do not look up at the night sky. More information to follow.” The following instructions that show afterwards start to encourage to do the opposite, all while blaring the EAS tone. Viewers, in a state of confusion from the back and forth instructions, are then told not to look, to stay inside and face away from the windows. This analog of videos really touch in with realism and the fear of losing unity and being in danger, while still adding the element of an event that is unlikely to happen. Distorting the National Anthem, an audio that provokes emotions of unity, diminishes all sense of protection when reading a contingency message that is only to be used ‘in the event of United States complete surrender to insurmountable enemy forces.’ “It is not actual horror, it is psychological horror. It is based on something that could actually happen and they make the videos seem real,” senior Joseph Lemonds said. “They mess with your head with all the noises and disturbing images.” Even without directly stating the exact plot, Local 58 indirectly shows something or someone trying to take over the Earth by taking out the human population. Those who have made theories mostly agree with Earth being taken over, but it is debated by what is taking control. With the market of horror movies being as saturated as it has ever been, the creative use of other mediums has already shown that horror can be more interactive - and at times, even more terrifying. Through ARGs and analog horror shorts, the genre can be explored to a depth that horror movies may not be as equipped to accomplish, while still delivering the scare that audiences are looking for. “It reels you in and makes you feel like you are watching a real event happen, and that’s what makes it so scary,” Lemonds said.
March 2022
30 a&e
Sushi Mania
Best local restaurants for seafood enthusiasts By Sowmya Kumar
K
nown to be the food that sparks some of the most polarizing, divisive opinions, sushi is a part of Japanese cuisine that has made its landmark on the Vegas food scene. Trending food combinations often feature sushi as part of the mix, which can cast off eaters hesitant to try it. Other times, food lovers are overwhelmed with the number of sushi restaurants to choose from. Should someone choose from affordable sushi, all you can eat, or try out a restaurant that delivers the most ambient experience? Most popular Las Vegas sushi restaurants fall under one of these categories, but there are three local gems that shine in each: Momo Sushi, Blue Fin Sushi, and Midori. The perfect place to go to for affordable sushi is Momo Sushi. Their rolls are both unique and delicious, offering a fresh perspective on innovative sushi. The monkey special, made with deep-fried banana topped with spicy tuna, is a must-try roll. The banana is wonderfully caramelized, making it a good combination with the eel sauce and spicy tuna. There are other fried roll options as well, like the yellowtail. The nori adds crispness to the fried yellowtail which makes it a surprisingly lightweight roll. Though Momo Sushi does not compromise, as the spicy tuna roll delivers guaranteed fresh tuna that creates a soft, decadent taste. It does get crowded, so be sure to make a reservation. The mostly affordable sushi, averaging around $8, ensures not to compromise on quality. Blue Fin Sushi offers an array of options to choose from for both experienced and new sushi lovers. The all-you-can-eat (AYCE) menu is set at a price of around $31, which may be a bit more expensive than other AYCE restaurants, but its menu does not disappoint. The Red Dragon, a special roll that transforms a typical spicy tuna roll, is topped with fresh tuna and spicy ponzu sauce. It is perfect for spicy lovers, but the spice is not too overpowering to ward off new eaters. The roll has an overall mellow aftertaste, and the fish flavor is not extremely strong. Meanwhile the Sunset roll, another take on the classic spicy tuna, delivers a tangy kick.
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The cajun albacore may seem intimidating, but its freshness is a good measure of good quality sushi. And if the special rolls become overwhelming, the tempura udon is a great way to take a break. The udon is cooked to perfection, with rich broth and crispy tempura. Though, for picky eaters who eat with their eyes first, a fair warning is that the crab cakes do not look very appetizing. Overall, Blue Fin Sushi is a great choice for everyone, especially those looking for a new take on regular rolls. All-you-can-eat sushi can be a good choice for people who want to eat a variety of rolls at a minimal price. Though with Midori, a small, quaint Japanese fusion sushi restaurant, it delivers an ambient environment for those looking for a more relaxing experience. A great starter is the yellowtail
sashimi, which is basically an explosion of flavor. It is definitely for those with or more acquired palate, but it can be a gateway into discovering Japanese cuisine past regular sushi rolls. The spicy garlic ponzu sauce is slightly salty, but it adds an essential depth of flavor that elevates the sashimi’s taste. And to follow, the toro nigiri is more on the tame side with the sweet rice accompanying the fatty tuna. Even though it might seem tempting, the nigiri is best eaten plain, as the wasabi on top adds a subtle spice. The rest of the appetizers are just as enticing, but the Mr. Brown roll is an excellent choice to kickstart the entree portion. It is a lighter roll, with the spicy mayo and eel sauce working in coordinated harmony with the crab and avocado. The Norma Jeane roll offers a similar experience, but it has notable differenc-
es. The eel inside adds an extra bite to the roll, and the scallops are extremely soft. This is a foolproof experiment roll for new scallop eaters. Many of the rolls come out to around $10, but it is still a wonderful experience for those looking for a relaxing night out. Sushi is easily a top favorite for many avid food eaters, while simultaneously being a nightmare for those hesitant towards seafood. Momo Sushi, Bluefin, and Midori are all great places to continue—or begin—one’s sushi journey. Although the topic is debatable, undoubtedly the best place to go would be Midori Sushi. It may not be an all-you-can-eat experience like Bluefin, but the phenomenal food and service make it relaxing and refreshing. The sushi is fresh, and the peaceful environment it establishes invites even the pickiest eaters to give sushi a try.
Tyler Bonnette
opinion 31
Teamwork makes the dream work? Group projects create stress for perfectionists
Nanase Kimura
By Jeremy Anderson
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itting in a quiet classroom, the teacher announces there is going to be a group project. Immediately, the class erupts with joy as everyone makes eye contact with their friends whom they slowly gather with. The cliche says “two heads are better than one,” but that overidealizes how well students could work together. There is always the frightening situation of randomized groups, being placed with fellow students who have been across the room all year and are complete strangers. From personal experience, meeting unknown students at an e.g. seminar is one of the most awkward experiences imaginable, as each person looks at each other hoping another person talks. It is very similar to the awkwardness of trying to make small talk on an elevator, where waiting to reach your floor is comparable to waiting to talk about anything to break the ice. The argument for group projects
is that people get to meet new people. But, there is no advantage in working with others to create a presentation over some random amendments for government class or on a small excerpt in English, especially when that excerpt comes from an 18th century prose writing or poem. That will not help for collaboration in any way besides becoming an even more frustrating situation where everyone is more befuddled than before. For tasks that are often confusing individually, working with peers or close friends acts as a big contributor to greater success. There is even the opportunity to goof off and procrastinate as a group. Each project work day the teacher assigns turns into a leisure day, instead. Then, of course, the night before is where the real benefit of group work comes into play: a group call to figure out who is doing what and then rush to finish that part of the project to present the next day. The heart rates of the students speed up, voices raise in frustration at each other on a FaceTime call, even though each one of them is
responsible for this disaster and roles are assigned without any idea of who has a strength in an area that would help the group the most. All of that rushing the night before pays off: the group members’ eyes are bloodshot, each member can barely get a word out without stuttering and they read right off the confusing presentation they made. The teacher is in complete shock, as she thinks the group has the same work ethic as Ferris Bueller. There is no hesitation to write “F” on the rubric and hand it to them. This sets the precedent for the rest of the groups, who meet the same standards of having little idea of what they are presenting. Or, there is the unfortunate situation of the four-person group that is split into these categories: one person does about 99% of the work, the one person that never listened to the instructions in the first place, the one that lies about his participation in hopes of making it along with a good grade and the one that goes ghost until the project deadline comes up. Either way, F’s are handed out, includ-
ing to the unfortunate person who had to try and do everything themselves but failed, even as they try and explain to the teacher the effort they had to put in without anyone else’s help. Or, the group receives an A+ grade, where the procratinators and lazy workers are actually rewarded for relying on another person. All of this suggests to a teacher that the option to work individually is a much better option for future presentations. It prevents these situations, which can be quite frequent and it gives way to opportunities to those who worked on the group project by themselves anyways to show their personal work ethic which surpasses the other students. This, of course, is the worst-case scenario of being able to choose your groups. It is not expected that each and every group is going to turn into a second edition of Ferris Bueller, but it is hard to ignore how much easier it is to be distracted with friends you choose knowing you want to have fun with them. The benefits of working in groups supposedly still far outweigh being isolated for various projects. According to the National Survey of Student Engagement back in 2006, positive group experiences at any level of school, especially in high school and college seminars, for example, complex tasks are easily broken down when different minds come together and provide their own thoughts or solutions to certain problems. A Lot has changed in 16 years, including the smartphone, which has made it so much easier to ignore others during discussion while scrolling through social media instead. This survey also does not go into detail of what the students are engaging in, or even the success rate of this collaboration. I would hope it is something more necessary to the student’s education, but often it can be useless relative to the future goals or endeavors of a college student, especially, making the survey very questionable in trying to prove the efficacy of this kind of work. The early excitement of working with friends is too often overshadowed by the disastrous end to these projects where all the responsibilities fall on one person, an outcome that is arguably inevitable, especially when it is up to the students who they end up working with.
March 2022
32 opinion
Students express key factors for long lasting relationships
A
By Violet LaMela
s people grow, they are continuously learning to adapt to life and all of the surprises that come along with it. Something that can, oftentimes, be an incredibly difficult thing to do, especially when attempting to do it alone. Friends are the people that are met while going through all the twists and turns that life presents. They are supposed to help make the journey feel lighter and much easier to deal with. Social interactions and relationships are essential in order to get through life, so building strong connections and having impactful interactions with other people is very important. The people one decides to share their own unique experiences with play a large role in the life that they lead. So when it comes to who one surrounds themselves with the biggest things to look out for are the way they present themselves and the way that they treat others. A good friend is someone who is always loyal to you, no matter what, even when there are bad or good times.” Junior Tyler Eenhuis said. “Someone you can always count on and trust, who will stick with you.” Some of the many qualities that people find themselves on the look out for are empathy, patience, loyal-
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ty and honesty. This is because these traits all radiate positive and uplifting energy, the kind of energy one often strives to be around. “One trait that I always look for in a friend is kindness,” Freshman Phoenix Mccall. “Kindness is just a good quality to have and if they’re kind to you then you know that they will be there for you when you need them.” While kindness is a good trait to obtain, many of the best friendships
conversation skills and want to solve problems rather than always creating them,” Junior Aaron Santana said. “Like if we have an issue, we should be able to resolve it.” In any relationship it is incredibly important that all parties involved can easily communicate and rationalize situations. Not every relationship is going to be a breeze, there will most likely be several hardships and disagreements along the way. Being able
“ Having friends is a really important part of life.
Ionel Cuenca
and/or relationships are held together entirely by solid communication. With good communication no problem should feel unsolvable and no emotion should be left unknown. I look for people who have good
to sit down and get to the bottom of whatever conflict there is as a whole should always be the goal. “It’s nice being in an environment where you can talk about what is bothering you instead of just brush-
ing things off,” Mccall said. “I think it’s just hard to find people that you can trust and build that vulnerable connection with.” When it comes to making friends, the easiest way to do so is simply branching out and attempting to meet new people. Although for some this may be a daunting task, reaching out to others will almost never fail. A great place to start is engaging in small talk, asking questions or even giving someone a compliment, then from there people can usually find things that they have in common and eventually begin a bond. “I don’t really like going up to people to start conversations, but sometimes I make a comment about something or they say something about my outfit and then we just start talking,” Mccall said. “Once we start talking it makes whenever we see each other feel less forced and just like easy.” All it takes is the one conversation to potentially create a long lasting connection. Many people can remember the first conversation they had with their best friend and don’t recall it as something out of the ordinary. Some of the best things in life are the things that happen by surprise. “I think having friends is a really important part of life,” Junior Ionel Cucena said. “Without them what would you do? Just like be bored all the time? I just think that friends make life so much more interesting.”
opinion 33
Violet LaMela
March 2022
34 opinion
BAD CASE OF SENIORITIS
Students fall behind as end of high school approaches
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By Tyler Bonnette
he second semester begins, the homework and quizzes keep coming, and the end is in sight for many students, but Senior Year is the time for dozens when productivity begins to falter. At a certain point, the realization that graduation and freedom is less than a few months away - and the fact that Kindergarten was 12 entire years ago - can be enough to make anybody feel completely drained. After all, it has been 12 long years of school, and now that it is nearly over, why would any senior want to try if they could easily just coast through the remaining months? Such a mindset - colloquially dubbed “Senioritis” - can happen to anyone, even when it comes to students who regard themselves as the best of the best. Some feel the burnout of the long year, or some just want a break. Maybe they already have a 4.0 GPA, college plans and even employment options once they graduate. Putting in extra effort may seem meaningless toward the end of the year regardless of who it is. Oftentimes, however, it ends up being a bigger problem than they might realize. Maybe, at some point in January or February, they feel like staying home one day, because they have yet to be absent even once for the whole quarter. A week later, they feel like that long homework assignment would barely affect their grade if they “forgot” to turn it in. A week after that, they assume that phoning it in for just one unit test will leave their GPA untouched and their college prospects intact. Then, the one day to skip school becomes two or three, the missing homework grades start to stack up, and the summative grades are the worst they have ever been. And yet, there is still that feeling of safety and
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comfort in the fact that it is Senior Year, and after 12 years of putting in effort, maybe lagging behind for just a bit is affordable - a very prevalent “I’ll be fine” mindset. With some students, it comes far sooner than the second semester. A significant number hear the word “senior” next to their name and immediately feel untouchable. They have made it this far, after all - there should be seemingly no reason to try as long as the plans for college remain the same. So, for that significant number of students, the Senioritis starts to kick in far earlier, and before they
know it, they have seven unexcused absences by the end of October. It is not a problem that afflicts all students, obviously. Some, while experiencing the fatigue and burnout of high school, continue to persevere, taking the opposite approach: if school is only a few months away from being over, then there is no harm in finishing the last semester or two with the same vigor that was spent on every other year. After getting as far as Senior Year, after all, it would only be a few months more of effort separating somebody from
graduation. And, compared to the 13 years spent in school, the last semester of Senior Year is only around four percent of it - even the most fatigued students can suffer through the last four percent of school if they try. While most blame Senioritis on the laziness of the students, there have been some suggestions as far as how to effectively rectify the problem. A common suggestion is to make Senior Year just… better. As in, schools should make Senior Year one of both educational and extracurricular value, since students are so close to moving into college and careers.
then. All would be well and good with that, to help students ease back into in-person classes. Unfortunately, the policy ending halfway through the year - after students had a semester to get used to turning in work late, of course - harmed just about everyone’s productivity, with whole summative projects going in late. Arguments about the policy’s effectiveness aside, rescinding it after a semester might not have been the best move. With Senioritis often setting in toward the second semester anyway, it was the perfect storm for seniors to fall behind once January rolled around. There is no doubt that the administration has only the best intentions when it comes to policy making, but sometimes there can be adverse effects, especially when it is something as huge as a late work system. These kinds of changes should be reserved for new school years, rather than pulling the rug during the middle of a school year despite everyone already being accustomed to the changes. Seniors who already have difficulties keeping up good habits had an entire new challenge to tackle. There is already a large enough trend with seniors to the point where it has been given its own name, and the policy change cause the symptoms of Nanase Kimura Senioritis to be amplified. It is a problem that cannot be Having Senior Year be dedicated to solved with something as simple as more interesting subjects that will instating new procedures or giving benefit students would help with the seniors special treatment, but there dropoff of effort that is seen so comare potential ways to get students monly. back on the road to success when SeAs helpful as it would be to make nioritis sets in. It can affect just about the year more enjoyable, a scenaranyone, and while it can be written io such as this past year is bound to off as laziness, there are ways to help affect the productivity of any stustudents recharge before the year dent, regardless of their grade level. ends. As it stands, however, the last Beginning the year with a new polifew months of high school are going cy preventing any work from being to be viewed as a time to coast, skip late (not to mention the minimum F school and disregard grades, despite policy) would give any student an exhow close they are to graduating. cuse to slack off a bit every now and
opinion 35
C
By Simona Grigonis
hance of a jackpot. There is no doubt that some people do get lucky, however, this is disproportionate to the amount of people who waste loads of money hoping for a victory. “People believe in something called the law of small numbers,” Math teacher Jacob Rivera said. “When you do something in the short term, it is very unpredictable, but millions and millions of times there’s a very predictable pattern of behavior.” Generally, slot machines and table games are more popular amongst the older population. However, the peculiarity and interest does not dismiss those who are underage. Certain forms of gambling can easily be accessible to the underage population. In fact, gambling money can be involved in most games creating a premature habit of involving money in entertainment. Games such as poker and fantasy sports are often played amongst friends outside of casinos. Especially fantasy sports, which are played on the internet and involve assembling imaginary teams who compete based on the statistical performance of the individual athlete. “Gambling is such a normalized thing that people don’t really care to bat an eye if they see anyone gambling,” junior Hunter Carr said. “There can sometimes be positives to gambling like actually winning big.” Much like any other addictive habits, growing up with gambling as a normal everyday scene desensitizes
people from the harmful effects the form of entertainment possesses. It is similar to growing up around people with problems centered around alcoholism and drug addictions, except in areas where gambling is an industry, it directly affects all of the youth; not just the individual household. Gambling is specifically a danger to the player’s mental state making it the most common impulse control disorder. The addictive nature of gambling comes from the stimulation it has on the brain’s reward system. When children grow up in families ridden with gambling addictions, the common issues related to finances and lack of stability increase the child’s likelihood of troubled behavior in their approaching adulth o o d . E v e n
though most addictions possess similar major effects, this form of addiction is extremely belittled compared to narcotic addiction simply because it does not directly affect the body. Nonetheless, the physical effects of gambling addiction build up over time, resulting in a decline of self-care, higher rates of stress-related physical ailments and undeniable psychological damage. When children are exposed to gambling simply as a form of entertainment, they become blind to the symptoms of addiction that can quickly lead to a decaying lifestyle. “Having parents with a gambling addiction can have a big impact on children’s younger lives,” Carr said. “It can affect homelife and can cause parents to potentially take out their anger on their children or to gamble away or sell possessions just to be able to afford their addiction.” The accessibility of gambling has grown drastically due to the rapidly growing industry and the internet;
people can partake virtually anytime and anywhere. Can be played online, at one of the million casinos here or even at the gas station or airport. No matter how pleasurable gambling may be, the industry is designed to be
“ It is such a common everyday thing you see here that sometimes you forget about the drastic effects.
Hunter Carr
addictive with the intention of making money. This is common amongst all addictions; the industries capitalize off of the decaying lifestyles of the people addicted. Much like those who suffer from alcoholism or drug addictions, gambling addicts spend their days hypnotized by their dependency. “I think living in [Las Vegas] has definitely normalized gambling to me,” Carr said. “It is such a common everyday thing you see here that sometimes you forget about the drastic effects it actually has on people’s lives.”
Brenna Knight
March 2022
36 pro/con
Bright And Early
District time changes provides benefits for CCSD students, workers
B
By Nathan Paet
laring alarms, birds chirping and the sun barely in the sky, students next year will collectively begin waking up at an earlier time because of the new scheduled school start time for the 2022-2023 school year. Plenty of families seem to be filled with nothing but trepidation and dread ahead of the scheduled remodel, thinking that something
for the next school year. While many schools are making an adjustment of 30 minutes or less, GVHS made the significant transition to start an hour earlier at 7:00 a.m. from the previous 7:55 a.m. The amount of sleep a person gets can vastly impact how the rest of their day will pan out. Many will have to adapt their own sleeping schedule to coincide with the changes. Furthermore, a study done by JAMA Psychiatry found that shifting your sleep schedule an hour back
“ I think it also has the potential to be good if students commit to making it work, it’s all about the attitude.
Connor Slay
bad is bound to happen; however, foresight is very telling that the new change will be more than beneficial for everyone. Earlier this year CCSD announced that schools all around the Valley will be altering their school start times
corresponded to a 23 percent lower risk in depression. This is especially beneficial since about 20 percent of teenagers experience depression before entering their adulthood, and only an astounding 30 percent of teenagers
Lily Burke
The InvestiGator
are being treated for it. The hour shift that the new school district is taking should improve these numbers for everyone. The reasoning behind the new change is because of the continuous lack of bus drivers available in the district. The school district has about 1,300 drivers for 1,500 routes that service around 125,000 students. Unsurprisingly, the number disparity between drivers and students caused frequent bus delays and led to students being late to school at an alarming rate. New scheduling can offer more leeway for buses, as well as efficiency through their routes. “People that take the bus are already at a disadvantage, so being able to get there on time every day is the most important thing,” junior Max Martin said. This is a great thing for not only students but also for parents that will not have to worry about their kids hurrying through early morning rush hour safely. Teachers, along with the parents, will not have to worry about as many students missing the material for the first 15 minutes of class because of a delayed bus. “I think especially [during] the first period, people are tardy every day, so if we can get everyone on time, it’s obviously going to be better,” Martin said. An earlier start time means an earlier end time. The last bell of the day for most students will be at 1:11 p.m. However, for upperclassmen that have a shortened schedule, the early end time could be extremely helpful for those that have a job or are planning on getting a job during the next school year. The problem with the current schedule is that since students are released later in the day, it gives them less time after school to properly portion their job and school work. Consequently, it can be very difficult and taxing on the body because of how conflicting it can get. Getting out of school early allows students to receive an ample amount of time for both school and work hours. “I think it’ll give people more time to work and I think it helps students with more time being available to
them, which is good. Given that I [also] think people won’t go to bed earlier either so it would give people more time for that,” Martin said. Even for students that do not have a job nor a shortened schedule, having more time in the day is just better all around. This gives them the ability to have more time to work on extracurricular activities. For example, take something like sports and clubs that a majority of students are involved in. These after s c h o o l
activities typically last for hours on end after school, which tend to eat up after school “free time.” With the earlier release time, these students will not have to worry as much given that they will now have more time after their practices or games to work on their homework and school related assignments. “An early start might be an adjustment next year, but I think it could give students more working opportunities and more time to do things after school,” sophomore Connor Slay said. “I think it also has the potential to be good if students commit to making it work, it’s all about the attitude.”
Five More
pro/con 37
Minutes
School start time changes will have negative impacts on students
I
By Stormy Byrne
magine having to change your schedule from arriving at school by 7:50 a.m. to being prepared to learn before 7 a.m. Many would say it is near impossible but that is what CCSD is expecting of their students for next year. “Waking up at 6 a.m. is going to be the hardest part about going to school next year,” sophomore Sofia Cupich said. M a ny places
around the world agree that early school times for students are more harmful than beneficial. In 2019, the California Governor, Gavin Newsom, went as far as to place a law where it would be illegal for high school to start any earlier than 8:30 a.m. The bill was signed on behalf of medical research which showed that many teens are sleep deprived. “I’ll barely be getting any sleep this year,” Cupich said. “I doubt anyone else will either.” For many students at our school, early bird classes are a thing. With the new bell schedule plan, they would need to be at school by six every morning. For students like
junior Porter Melgar, who have other morning obligations such as religion classes, chores and many other nonschool-related reasons for waking up so early. By adding a new school time, it is forcing these students to wake up at ridiculous times to make sure they are actively arriving on time. “I would have to wake up by 3:45 a.m. just to be on time,” Melgar said. “And I would have to go to sleep at 6:00 p.m., just to get the bare minimum of sleep.” Without a good night’s rest, a noticeable irritability in students leads to more behavioral issues among teenagers. Many severe mental illnesses and disorders such as bipolarity, anxiety and depression have been linked back to a poor sleep schedule. While more sleep will not cure mental illnesses, it can reduce the symptoms and lead to better emotional and physical wellness. Along with this, a bad sleep routine can stunt emotional development. Emotional development is not the only development a lack of sleep will affect; physical health and
“ I would have to wake up by 3:45 a.m. just to be on time.
Porter Melgar
development are at risk as well. Sleep helps regulate hormones, enables the recovery of muscle and tissue and improves the immune system. According to the Cleveland Clinic which is a non-profit academic medical center based in Cleveland, Ohio, some of the most serious potential problems seen with lack of sleep are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack and other cardiovascular issues. Academic performance is also at risk when
possible sleep deprivation is imminent. According to the National Sleep Foundation, a non-profit organization, sleep benefits and promotes attention, memory and analytical skills in school-age teenagers. Without the eight to ten hours of sleep that the American Academy of Sleep medicine agrees teenagers need, academic performance suffers exceptionally and they experience a lack of attention in class and excessive drowsiness. Students have already struggled with waking up on time after the 2020 school year. “After getting into the habit of waking up whenever I wanted, getting up early has been rough,” Melgar said. With a change in the school times, an increased amount of tardies and absences will be seen among students. And with the new tardy policies introduced by CCSD, there will be an increase in Recommended Parent Conferences (RPC’s), detentions and exclusion from extracurricular activities as well as other punishments. A study by North Carolina State University showed that earlier times for high school students had significant consequences including increased absences, tardiness and an increased number of students who were not able to graduate due to attendance issues. The argument of teenagers simply going to bed earlier is frequent with this topic and while that seems like a reasonable answer to teens’ sleep problems, it is just not that simple. Teenagers experience multiple hormonal switches that make going to sleep earlier more difficult or sometimes even impossible. In order for teens to get a good night’s rest, they must be able to go to sleep when tiredness occurs and be able to wake up at a more reasonable time than 6:00 a.m. Making the school times earlier by even thirty minutes can be detrimental. The hour change that CCSD has set will without a doubt affect all students. Instead of making school start earlier, the district should opt for later start times. Later starts would produce results
of less caffeine usage, better health and sleep routines causing an influx of better grades and test scores for students. “I just know waking up earlier will mess up my grades,” sophomore Angela Morgan-Perry said. “I’m not looking forward to the start of my junior year because of the new time.” Earlier school times will undoubtedly affect high school students, not only through quality of education but also their physical development as adolescents. Countless studies performed by trusted sleep specialists show this consistently but the students who will be having to conform to this new schedule admit that a change in times will do nothing but stunt their education through increased attendance problems and decreased willingness to learn.
Lily Burke
March 2022
38 opinion
Reliant on ramen Generation struggles with basic culinary skills By Ameya Naduvalath
W
hat am I going to eat when I get home? A question on everyone’s mind throughout the school day. When you get home today, what are you going to have? Cereal? Hot Pockets? Regardless of being one of the most food-obsessed groups of people, when it comes to cooking many students do not have much experience. If you asked a typical high schooler about their cooking expertise, the conversation would likely hop around bacon, toast, instant ramen and dino nuggets. Most students who cook only do so to meet their nutritional needs, however, a few make a hobby out of cooking and baking. “When I started to cook, I watched cooking videos. The more I watched, the more I wanted to cook with my family. The more that I cooked with my family, the more I wanted to cook by myself, and as I got older and older, I [figured out] what to cook and the right [techniques] for it,” freshman Drew Brown said. Similar to Brown, most beginners learn basics from the videos, online recipes and other people. By attempting a recipe multiple times you can learn and adapt until you master it. “I started cooking when I moved to Vegas, I was 20 or 21 years old and I worked in a book store. I had never really seen cookbooks before so I just ended up looking at [them] all the time,” English teacher Angelique Callicoat said. “It was really through reading that I ended up really loving to cook because I’m like, ‘Holy crap. You can read these directions. Follow the directions. Then you have a beautiful meal.’” Learning to cook is an experience-based process and after you get the basics down, incorporating parts of different recipes together becomes a lot easier. Teaching yourself a few simple meals can help you in the long run. Junior Daniel Brock practices judo and is provided with dietary guidelines in the days leading up to a match. “I have to follow these specific rules, but I can teeter-totter. It’s a lot of meal planning, so I think me being a really good cook is helping a lot,” Brock said. Brock has been cooking his whole life and prepares food for his
The InvestiGator
household. He is also known by his classmates for bringing his dishes to school and sharing them. “People say it’s a love art of sorts,” Brock said. “I use it to show appreciation because you go to a bunch of restaurants and these things can be like $20 to $30 when I can make them for $5, maybe $10. Then I can just give them [out] free of charge.” Cost effectiveness in general is a major pro of being able to cook. Look
Nanase Kimura at it this way: If you purchase ingredients on Saturday and prepare enough food for several days of lunch, even if the initial shopping seems slightly expensive at first glance, it is not as expensive as eating out for all of those meals. When you know how to cook you can also support yourself. You do not have to rely on an adult or older sibling to buy or make food for you. “You eat out all the time, you spend a lot of money and if you cook
at home, you have leftovers. You have other ingredients and things that are able to supplement the meal after that and the meal after that,” Callicoat said. Although Brown and Brock have been cooking from a young age, it is never too late to begin. Cooking is not only a convenience and a cheaper option to purchasing restaurant food, but many people also find the process of cooking therapeutic and the outcome rewarding. Being able to recreate a restaurant-quality dish is a great feat, but with practice it is not very difficult replicate most picture perfect dishes. “I’m passionate about it. I love it. I cook as soon as I get home, I’m thinking about what I’m going to cook all day. It’s my stress reliever,” Callicoat said. Callicoat expressed that her current love for cooking, similarly to Brown’s and Brock’s, has risen over the years as her knowledge about various foods and techniques has accumulated. All three discussed their more recent cooking endeavors, including Dukkah, an Egyptian condiment, ricotta, an Italian rice dish, and cannoli, an Italian dessert. But honestly, it is best to start small and branch off as you gain interest in different cuisines. I asked Callicoat what she believes the best beginner route to cooking might be: “Find a cooking magazine or a blog that you really like and start cooking off one particular chef, writer or home cook and get to know one person well. Don’t bounce around cooking recipes,” Callicoat said. “Get very good at modeling their recipes, their style, because if you do that, you’ll end up building a whole bunch of skills based on somebody who you really respect in a cuisine you really like.” Although the microwave pizza is tempting and the cutting board is intimidating, exploring your amateur chef has major benefits. The exclusivity of being a teen who can whip up a fire meal will win you friendship points with anyone. “Cooking is a fun way to be creative, try new things, express yourself and also be helpful. If you’re trying to convince your parents to let you do something, then try to make dinner,” Math teacher Lisa Beam said. “They’ll be so impressed like ‘Yeah, take the car.’”
Worth the work?
By The Investigator Staff
Finally, after three lengthy months, the third quarter has come to an end. While it was a long and tedious period of time for many, we have reached the final stretch of the 2021-2022 school year and the end is approaching much quicker than expected. While the underclassmen are busy preparing for summer vacation and their next year of high school, Seniors are getting ready to turn the tassel and venture out on their own into adulthood. One of the biggest challenges of adult life is usually found at the beginning, things like figuring out how to budget, living on your own and balancing work and school are all things that teens are forced to adapt to within the duration of a single summer. When put in this situation many young adults begin to overwork
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themselves because they believe that if they don’t they will not be successful, which is not always the
way people go about it can be. On that note, the main focus of this issue was directed at the negative
Many young adults believe in the ‘hustle’ or ‘grind’ almost religiously, so much to the point it can be draining.
case. Working hard to obtain wealth, success and higher positions is not always a negative thing, however, the
stigma that surrounds hustle culture and how to differentiate between a strong drive for success and the glo-
rification of workaholism. The word hustle is most simply defined as the act of working hard consistently. Many young adults believe in the ‘hustle’ or ‘grind’ almost religiously, so much to the point it can be draining. After spending some time taking an in depth look at hustle culture, many people would come to understand the importance of work life balance and being able to learn and grow alongside personal limits. In all reality, there is never going to be something that is deemed one hundred percent good or bad because everything can be perceived as a positive or a negative depending on the way one chooses to look at it. When looking at the effects hustle culture has on youth, it is important to look at it from every perspective. Because working hard for what you want is good, but pushing the boundaries of what one can do is not.
STUDENT SPEAK How do you feel about the mask mandate being lifted?
“I like it because people get to make their own choices now, but it kinda sucks that there are people being rude on both sides.” Whitney Rodrick, Senior
“It’s okay. It definitely created some separation between the student groups, but I think it’s fine because the mask mandate has been around for a while.” Mya Pelaez, Junior
“I think they lifted the mask mandate too early, but now I think it should be a personal choice.”
“I like it, but I mean I never really liked the masks. I don’t really care if I’m being honest.”
Andrew Wilson, Sophomore
Seth Nelson, Freshmen
DANNEISY OCHOA | PHOTO
Freshman Kade Brahma charges forward as he participates in the pole vault event on March 3. The competition was part of the Newcomers Meet, held for members that were new to Track.
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