October 2019
investigator
the
Vol. 29, Issue 2
EVERY
15
MINUTES
Why the program matters now more than ever see pages 10-12
Co Editors-in-Chief: Victoria Rodriguez Hannah Serquina
October 2019 Volume 29 Issue 2 Fall is here! The weather is finally getting cooler, the time for handing out candy and the crisp smell of pumpkin is in our presence. The first quarter is over, and now we attempt to save our grades from the procrastination that took place in the early school year. The time for oversized hoodies and the approach of ‘No School November’ is what gets us through the month of October. With that being said, the month of October brought us a variety of stories that needed to be shared. In this issue we highlighted the Every 15 Minutes Program. Specifically, the responsibility students have to prevent drinking and driving. Not only that, but there are a variety of new editions like Gator Joe and an upgraded Robotics Club who are defending Region champions. In addition, we share the stories of individuals who embrace their culture, run unbelievably fast, snowboard off of mountains over 10,000 feet,
Editors’ Note
on the cover
Managing Editor: Abigail Culpepper
The Grim Reaper stands in the GVHS parking lot during the Every 15 Minutes crash scene presentation on Oct. 3. The program, which is focused on the dangers of drinking and driving, took place over two days and included a two part asssembly that juniors and seniors attended. photo by Cherie Franklin
Hannah Serquina
Editors: News: Kristel Alfaro Borbon Features: Vivien Liebhardt Sports: Zachery Schauer A&E: Tyler Bonnette Opinions: Alexis Ladd 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. Green Valley High School 460 Arroyo Grande Henderson, NV 89014 and try out for the Olympics. If you have not heard, Mario Kart is available to play on your mobile devices, girls are going to steal your sweater, and people religiously care about astrology. News flash: our generation is very self obsessed. Life Is Beautiful also had more than just music, and despite the fact that Spider-Man almost changed AGAIN, the MCU will continue. This issue editors attempted to add more style to our pages through
Reporters: Paige Bordelove Malia Deramus Neyta Flores Cherie Franklin Shaelyn Gamiao Brenna Knight Alexis Lane Violet Lamela Halle Scoles Sebastian Villamil Staff Artist: Alexandra Estrada Staff Managers: Abigail Culpepper Alexis Ladd
Letter to the editors or staff may be delivered to room 825 to Mr. Johnston or emailed to him at johnsem1@nv.ccsd.net the use of infographics. These infographics were tedious, but nevertheless, they are done. We wanted to make sure that our readers would take more out of the page than just a story and a picture. The infographics throughout this issue enhance the reader’s understanding of the story and hopefully make the magazine overall more enjoyable and hopefully we accomplish edthat goal. So yes, Fall is here with new additions just like this issue.
Inside-the-Issue
CONTENTS
NEWS 5
PHOTO ESSAY 17
Robotics club upgrades their equipment and aim to defend region title.
A groovy Homecoming week goes by while the seniors remain in charge of the spirit stick.
FEATURES 8
A&E 18
SPORTS 16
OPINIONS 24
Sophomore Selenne Arroyo-Martinez embraces her culture through Mariachi.
NASCAR fans argue why the sport is underrated and why it deserves more credit.
Who is your favorite player? Mario Kart takes over on students’ mobile devices.
What’s your sign? Horoscopes influence students’ perceptions of one another.
College bound - Students gather material from college representatives in the S.A.C. on Oct. 16. The fair was put on by the GVHS College & Career Center to provide students with a variety of postgraduate information.
7
Sebastian Villamil
04 news
News in brief
Getting lost in the sauce
Families support the performing arts with a pasta dinner By Kristel Alfaro Borbon
A
pasta dinner was held to help showcase the performing arts at GVHS and to help fundraise money for the different programs. The pasta dinner was held on Oct. 16 and it was filled with various performances from orchestra, choir and band. There was also a silent auction that families could participate in. Orchestra performed outside the theater, band performed in the inside the cafeteria and choir perfomed inside the theater.
Symphony orchestra and chamber orchestra both performed that night. They played “Por Una Cabeza,”Brandenburg Concerto 3”and “Intermezzo.” “I am very glad that the school organized this event because I love performing in front of an audience and seeing their reactions when we play. It shows all of our hard work and it makes me realize why I keep doing this,” freshman Kaleigh Downingm, a violin player for chamber orchestra said. Marching band and jazz combo also performed during the event.
“I liked the pasta dinner because it was like preparation for a lot of our other combo gigs. It was helpful to get to run through our set list before out first gig and the band made money too, so it all worked out really well at the end,” freshman Ben Bernstein, a bass drum player for marching band said. All choirs including Madrigals, Concert Choir and Green NV also sang throughout the night. “I think having the pasta dinner was a great idea because it helped the performing arts fundraise money for new things. It was exciting perform-
ing in front of everyone and showing them what we do in choir. We put a lot of work into our performance and I think it really did pay off,“ freshman Alex Cipili, a member of concert choir said. The money that performing arts made will be distributed between the three departments of performing arts which are orchestra, band, and choir. They will be able to buy new instruments and equipment that has been damaged or that needs replacement the programs and what they do. The fundraiser was very successful towards the programs. Alexis Lane
Symphony Orchestra
The InvestiGator t GVHS
Madrigals
Jazz Combo
news 05
Built for competition Robotics gets new equipment and wins regionals By Tyler Bonnette
O
ne of the campus’s most intuitive and creative clubs has been making a bigger name for itself as of last year. Combining technical know-how, tremendously hard work, and outstanding teamwork, the group has worked tirelessly to ensure that they both succeed and exceed their goals. That group is the one and only Robotics Club. The Robotics Club, meeting every Monday after school along with inclass sessions, experiments with and constructs robots of varying shapes, sizes, and types. The robots that are constructed are programmed to complete all sorts of tasks, from simple autonomous walking to more workintensive and complex activities. These robots are often small and simple, but can also be of immense size and complexity depending on what the necessary task is. “Robotics does exactly what the name implies: we build robots,” Junior David Tango said “Really the purpose of the club is to learn engineering skills and techniques as well as the importance of working in teams.” Students in Robotics Club meet on Mondays and other days after school to work together to create fantastical contraptions that exceed the boundaries of regular building. To learn skills that will assist in future careers in robotics, they collaborate on designing and programming robots with the resources available to them. They are built with one main intention kept in mind, which is designated based on the current goal of the competition for that year. “Tournaments are held by a large, international company known as Vex,” Tarango said. “Vex issues a new challenge for the world every year for us to compete in.” Vex provides much of the resources and basic ideas for the robotics club to use and shape into their creations, which they then improve upon and work with for months to be as ideal as possible. These are used mostly at the club’s base level, where robot construction is competitive, but relatively simple. The club also has a varsity level of sorts, with more complex and intense creations than the basic level.
“The varsity level is called FRC (First Robotics Competition), which is a step up from basics,” senior Hunter Tague said. “With varsity the robots are massive, with a weight limit of 200 lbs.” In the basic level, there is still competition, but it is strictly based on smaller and simpler robots with a maximum size limit. In FRC, the robot can reach sizes several times larger than those in the basic robotics level. Everyone in the varsity level works together and pours in all of their efforts into one gargantuan robot. This robot is meant to carry out a task set out by Vex and other organizations. The stakes become far larger with the FRC robot. The task could be carried out in a space as big as a basketball court. “What makes FRC so difficult is that you start from scratch, no tools, no supplies no money. It’s your job to get it all yourself with the help of you and your FRC team,” Tarango said. The robotics club of GVHS has been around for years, but began competing in a regional competition just last year, entering the Las Vegas Regional FRC. Despite being the group’s first year competing in FRC, they managed to win the re-
gionals, earning them a spot in the World Championships in Houston, TX. Their win netted the club lots of attention both worldwide and from the school. “We got some funding from the school, and got recognized by Mr.
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Robotics does exactly what the name implies: we build robots. David Tarango
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Roberts,” Tague said. “It paid for almost all of the trip to Houston.” With increased funding, the club has more freedom and opportunities to expand their abilities. Access to resources is easier, and partaking in the group effort that FRC requires is more easily accessible. With less stress on the acquisition of resources
for the construction of the massive robot, more time can be delegated to designing, building, and hardwiring the robot to its fullest potential, with the inevitable hopes of succeeding in the competition posed by Vex. This increased attention, however, it brings pressure to the group as well. There is a heightened amount of stress among the participants in both the basic level and the FRC varsity level. Higher expectations have been applied to the club after last year’s win, and there is extra pressure for those who have been in the club for longer. “The club got a lot more serious and bureaucratic,” Tague said. “Serious business meetings were started, for growing the club and getting fundraising.” In the end, the club’s main intention still holds true: strengthening the skills of the students involved. While it grows ever more competitive by the day, its roots are having fun, learning, and growing as an individual. “To put it bluntly, yes, we do just build robots,” Tarango said. “But at the end of the day, the best part of it is the memories you make with the people around you, and the skills you develop to become a better person.” Sebastian Villamil
Building a robot - Sophomores Michael Cuccia and Domnick Iwuoha build a robot with the new robotics equipment.
October 2019
news 07
Gator Joe brews it up
Club begins morning drink delivery service By Cherie Franklin
C
offee is an essential aspect of many teachers’ lives. It provides energy for the coming day, as well as creating a routine in their hectic and, most often, very stressful environment. This was the driving force behind Gator Joe, a service put on by the Special Programs department. First, an email is ent out who are ordering coffee for that day. After responfing with their order, teachers get coffee delivered to them by Best Buddies as frequently as once a week to every day. The service, spearheaded by teachers Judy Rossetti and Brandi McElhaney, gives students a chance to learn life skills and learn business aspects they will use later in life. “A lot of times when they graduate, they don’t have job skills. So they graduate and then they’re just sitting at home. Mrs. Rossetti and I were thinking, “We have to give the
skills that they can take into the real world.” Even if they’re not going to work at Starbucks or Dutch Brothers. So that when they finally leave Green Valley High School they are going to do something and not just sit around,” McElhaney said. Inside the Gator Joe program itself, its manager senior Chad Maldonado organizes tasks for students to do from delivering to making the coffee itself. Maldonado became the manager a few weeks into the service’s infancy after taking a leardership role and showing qualities that later landed him the position. “We decided about a month into it that one of our students was doing really well. [He] was doing such a good job, and was taking a leadership role. So now, he coordinates what jobs students need to do, and sends out the email that reminds teachers to put in their order through the Google form. So he does the main part, and other students are given roles around him,”
McElhaney said. Getting exposure to help provide a service to others is especially important for some Special Programs students who may have trouble interacting with others in an everyday setting. “Just interacting with the kids is really great. They may be shy at first, starting their freshman year
off here at GV. If I help them, they’ll be more active and able to interact with more people rather than be quiet and stay behind closed shutters,” Maldonado said. As the school year continues, Gator Joe hopes to continue to deliver a variety of coffees every day to teachers and staff around the GVHS campus. Sebastian Villamil
Good morning - Sophomore Rylee Lucas delivers English teacher Michael Lamb his morning coffee.
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08 feature
Mariachi Martinez S
By Neyta Flores
elenne Arroyo-Martinez, a sophomore at Green Valley and former member of the Mariachi Los Halcones, is ready to be introduced to the school. As one of the only Mariachi members at Green Valley, she takes pride in her love and passion for the art form. Similar to band and orchestra groups, Mariachi is a group performance. It is a style of music, however, that originated in Mexico. It is known for its distinctive instrumentation, performance, singing style, speed, and extravagantly sophisticated clothing. Arroyo-Martinez began taking classes her sixth grade year; during her seventh grade year, she tried out for the Mariachi Los Halcones and made it. She played in a Mariachi band for the rest of her middle school life, with five hour practices each day and up to three performances a week. “My brother was in orchestra, but I wanted to do something different. I
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Mariachi is in my blood. My entire family always celebrates with music and mariachi performances.
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Selenne Arroyo-Martinez heard about my middle school’s (Jim Bridger) Mariachi, and honestly, I really liked the fact that I could play music my parents enjoyed. The environment just felt so right, ”ArroyoMartinez said. In his twenties, Arroyo’s father played the trumpet in a Mariachi band with his brother, who played the guitarron. Their continuous love for this art inspired her to join a Mariachi in the first place. Because of the influence of music in ArroyoMartinez’s life, she felt like it was truly her calling since it is “in her blood.” “Growing up, music always had an influence in my life and culture. My dad always talked about how he played the trumpet, and my uncle used to explain how they loved Ma-
The InvestiGator t GVHS
Get Loud - Sophomore Selenne Arroyo-Martinez sang during her performance with Los Halcones on Sunday, April 21, 2019. in San Juan Capistrano California.
photo courtesy of Selenne Arroyo-Martinez
riachi. Mariachi is in my blood. My entire family always celebrates with music and Mariachi performaces,” Arroyo-Martinez said. Selenne plays the guitar and the vihuela (a spanish stringed musical instrument, similar to a guitar), which she is extremely passionate about, but her newfound passion is singing. She performed in a huge competition event last summer, and that’s when she realized her love for this art was stronger than she thought. “When I performed in front of thousands of people in the San Juan Capistrano Mariachi of the Battles, it was so scary, but once I started singing, my friends started doing their gritos (a Mexican interjection, used as an expression of excitement) and the crowd started cheering, I was okay. It was indescribable. That is how good it feels,” Arroyo-Martinez said. Around the Green Valley area, there are barely any Mariachi environments. Schools around this area do not have any Mariachi bands or events; the culture is more alive in the northern parts of town because there is a higher population of Hispanics. “I really wish there was a Mariachi here, I think it would help diversify the kinds of music that are played,” Arroyo-Martinez said.
Because Selenne’s brother came to Green Valley, she had to come with him. Therefore, she could not be in a school of Mariachi anymore due to the fact that there is not one at Green Valley. However, she takes classical guitar. “I decided to take classical, since it is all they have, but my love for Mariachi will always be in me, so I decided to try out for the best Mariachi school programs. If I don’t make it, I will probably join an outside group because I miss it so much,” Arroyo-Martinez said. Even though she has not been
playing in a Mariachi group, she continues to practice and play at home. Arroyo-Martinez continuously plays her guitar for her family and friends, as well as sings. “Most of my friends are still in Mariachi, so when they have certain celebrations to attend, they invite me to sing and play with them. I still continue to practice and even my parents always make me sing at their parties,” Arroyo-Martinez said. Selenne’s Mariachi journey is not over yet; she is trying out for Las Vegas Academy and Del Sol Academy’s Mariachi programs in January.
Champs - Sophomore Selenne ArroyoMartinez and the rest of the members of Los Halcones win first place in the San Juan Capistrano Mariachi of the Battles.
photo courtesy of Selenne Arroyo-Martinez
feature 09
Across the globe M
By Brenna Knight
ore than 4,000 miles away from home. While this may sound like a dream vacation for some, it has become the norm for three exchange students. Exchange student programs are provided for international education and to learn about cultures around the world. From Germany, junior Carla Kuzmik is one of the three exchange students that has traveled far from home to come to America. In Germany the school system is very distinct from the schools in the U.S. There are two different types of schools in Germany. Elementary is from first to fourth grade and high school is from fifth to thirteenth. Although, for some it can be from fifth to tenth. This is because the high school separates into three different sections. One section is called ‘Gymnasium’ and is for intelligent students. An-
other is for students that are not fast enough at learning the material. This is called ‘Realschule’. The last section, ‘Oberschule’, is for students that have problems with studying and are not as clever. Oberschule is for students who need more help when learning the material, because they are behind other classmates. “I know it sounds rude but that just makes it easier for teachers to find a way to teach the children how they need to be taught,” junior Carla Kuzmik said. The schools in Germany also have fifteen different subjects that students go to every week. Similar to the U.S. they also have homework and exams. Not only do the students come to America to experience school, they also come to learn about our culture. A big part of Nevada culture is the popular festival, Life Is Beautiful. Sophomore Finn Weber, another exchange student from Germany, was
Welcome to Vegas - Finn Weber (2nd from right) takes a photo with his host family on the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 21.
courtesy of Finn Weber
fortunate enough to experience the festival.
,The,idea of America that we have, which we see in movies made me come to America.
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Matilde Gionala
“It was my first festival and we were wild, there were so many cool art things. We basically just went there for Lil Wayne but then he did not show up so they cancelled his show, so we just listened to random artists,” Webber said, The exchange students that come to America are diverse. At Green Valley, we currently have students from Norway, Mexico, and Italy. Sophomore Matilde Gianola, from Italy, is one of the foriegn exchange students that is attending GVHS this year. “The idea of America that we have, which we see in movies made me come to America. Also because my sister was an exchange student five years ago and had a beautiful experience,” Gionala said. Education for students in Italy is extremely different than it is here in America. For the students, there are five years of high school. In the five years, they always have the same class and the same classmates. The only thing that changes is the teachers. Before the students attend high school, during the end of the year in middle school, they must choose what high school they want to go to. Some options they could choose would be scientific, classical, human science, musical, or linguistic high school. Choosing the high school helps prepare the students for what they will be studying in college or university. “I have ten classes in Italy, but some are more important than others so I have, for example, four hours of ancient latin a week and only two hours of art or physical education,” Gianola said. The schools in Italy also do not
have outside activities like America does. This includes Homecoming, Prom and sports. Gianola says that this can make school more difficult and stressful. Before they come to America, the students have to go through an application process. When a student wants to go to a foreign country and experience their culture, they have to go through various steps to apply to the organizations. The person will give the organization their interests and things they like to do. At the same time, a host family will also give an organization their interests and other information. After they submit their papers, the person and the host family get matched up so that it ensures both the student and the family will enjoy their time together. “I had to apply at the organization, and they gave me lots of paperwork to do. I probably spent more than a week only doing that. It was really annoying,” Kuzmik said. Through Kuzmik’s organization, Taste, a German organization, and the American partner organization, CHI, Kuzmik traveled more than 4,900 miles to come to America from Germany. After three long months, Kuzmik was finally paired with a host family. She was not expecting to come to Nevada. “After three months of waiting, I got my host family. But it could have been anywhere, it wasn’t planned that I was coming to Vegas,” Kuzmik said. Foreign exchange students can choose which country they want to go to, and it is all based on price. America is one of the cheaper countries to go to. Although, say the student goes to America, they do not get to choose which state they go to. Wherever they go in the U.S. is completely random. Although, if they pay more money they can choose what state. “Some people get to choose they state they go to, but they have to pay an extra thousand dollars. And I did not want to do that because what matters is the host family, not what state I go to,” Kuzmik said. The application procedure for all pending forign exchange students is similar. The process was the same for Weber and Gianola, as it was for Kuzmik. They all shared the same experience with the organization, asking of personal questions and the simple yet long process of eager waiting for their application acceptance.
October 2019
10 feature
Every
15 Minutes
Bi-annual program hopes to save student lives By Victoria Rodriguez
“Hello, 911.” “Please help! We had an accident! The other guys body is through the windshield, the other girl isn’t awake. I can’t feel my legs. There’s glass everywhere. Please help us!” The Every 15 Minutes program is implemented on campus every two years, for juniors and seniors. The two day event includes a fatal car crash, the allusion of students ‘dying’, an overnight retreat, and an assembly the following day. The point of the program is to bring awareness to teenagers of the dangers of drinking and driving by making them feel as if it had happened to them or to one of their friends. “I have been doing this program for three years. This will be my ninth school that I have done this presentation for,” police officer Bret Hyde said. “What we really hope happens
The InvestiGator t GVHS
is that when we try to teach them the dangers of drinking and driving, they take it to all their friends and spread the word.” On Oct. 3, four students were involved in a mock high speed, head on collision -- seniors Hannah Wallis, Maxwell Leuga, Robert Queen, and
,When, I watched her
get pulled out of the car, I started to feel it.
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Noah Hawthorne
junior Alani Gittleman. These four reenacted what can actually happen to someone when one decides to drink and drive. Over 70% of students have admitted to under age drinking in America, and according to the program, every fifteen minutes someone dies as a result of drunk driving. “This is not a scared straight program. We ask for good role model kids that are not afraid to get out there and take the keys away from someone that might be ready to drink and drive,” Hyde said. “We get a lot of good feedback. We know that information is key, and the more information that people have, we think that is powerful and that bad things won’t happen.” The car crash was set up in the parking lot during third period. The call was made about the accident to a 911 operator and immediately police arrived on the scene. Two officers
were the first to arrive and inspect the area. They located the driver and then quickly walked around to analyze the scene. Next, vehicles from the fire department arrived. They rushed to inspect the scene and then began to react accordingly. First, they took care of Queen, who was thrown through the windshield. They got him off of the car and put him down on the ground, knowing what the outcome was going to be. Then the paramedics attended to Wallis, who was in the car next to Leuga. They took her out on a backboard and rushed her into an ambulance. Then they took her to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. At the hospital they did a full body exam to explore the depth and impact of her injuries. “It was an emotional rollercoaster. It was very traumatizing, but in a good way. I didn’t really understand
Cherie Franklin
feature 11
Sensory Overload - From senior Maxwell Leuga failing a sobriety test, a visit from Life Flight, a heartbreaking speech from a parent who lost her child, to a mock graveyard, Every 15 Minutes forced students to run a gamet of emotions as they witnessed the effects of drunk driving firsthand.
Cherie Franklin & Breanna Harris
how crazy it would be until I was actually in that situation. I was in the car and it felt very real. The officers and doctors took it very seriously. In the moment it was hard to think it wasn’t real. It was very emotionally draining,” Wallis said. While Wallis was being taken to the hospital, the response team worked to get Gittleman free from the car. After removing the door from the car and pulling her out, they took her to the hospital via helicopter. “When I first saw [Gittleman] in the car it was really eye opening. You can visualize it, but once you actually see it, it’s kind of crazy to think about it,” senior Noah Hawthorne said. “When I watched her get pulled out of the car, I really started to feel it. I got sad and it made me realize not to take things for granted” After all of the critically injured victims were taken away, the police turned their focus to the driver as a coroner came to inspect Queen. The were able to clear Leuga and determine that he was uninjured. They had him get out of the car and go through a few sobriety tests -- Leuga failed all of them. They put him in handcuffs and took him down to the police station to get processed. “Once we got into the car accident scene, it started to get pretty real,” Leuga said. “The moment it really hit me was when I got arrested. Having
to go down and get processed. I actually went to jail. Even though it was all fake, it felt very real.” The coroner then came to inspect Queen and confirm his death. After confirming, they put Queen in a body bag and got him set up to take him to the morgue. Before removing him from the scene, his parents came forward to identify his body and confirm it was him. Queen was pronounced dead at 9:25 a.m. “We really want the parents to understand what it is like. When we take these students phones away and they’re not allowed to talk to their parents or see their parents, it’s an eye opener.” Hyde said. “Even though
Cherie Franklin
it’s just 24 hours, when they do not get that call or text, it’s sobering. We want them to be involved, and there are things they do at our parent retreat, like they’ll write a good-bye letter to their child.” After taking him away, the response team grabbed all of their things and left the scene. Assistant Principal Ray Ortiz came forward to read Queen’s obituary in front of all of his peers. It was then announced that Gittleman had passed away at the hospital and her obituary was read to the crowd. “I was on the verge of tears when they read her obituary, because I didn’t know she was going to die,” Hawthorne said. “I would have wanted to tell her that I love her and that I don’t know what I would do without her, especially after watching that. I would want her to know that she has changed my life drastically.” All of the students returned to class after observing the crash scene. However, it did not stop there for those in the crash. Wallis arrived at the hospital and the doctors attended to her immediately. They eventually concluded that she was paralized for life from the neck down. “It was heart wrenching when my parents came in. Watching my mom cry holding my dad’s hand, and seeing that this actually happens to people,” Wallis said. “Having to act like I couldn’t do anything for the rest of my life, it was very nerve racking. It crushed me overall.” In the next room over, the doctors worked on Gittleman to try and do what they could to keep her alive. Eventually, the doctors failed to resuscitate her and had to accept the inevitable. Alani Gittleman was pronounced dead at 10:03 a.m. on Oct. 3 due to a drunk driving collision. “Finding out Alani died was one of the hardest parts for sure. Having to hear ‘a 16 year old was involved in a crash’ and knowing it was her,” Wallis said. “I had to hear her dad, his girlfriend. It was horrible. By that point I hadn’t seen my parents yet, I didn’t know what was going on. I started balling my eyes out.”
In serious condition - Senior Hannah Wallis lays still while being carried out of the car crash simulation by first responders. She was later announced paralized on Oct. 3.
A Personal Reflection By Abigail Culpepper
Every 15 Minutes is something I have been all too familiar with throughout my life, so when I was chosen to be part of the day it is safe to say I was less than ecstatic. Sophomore year, during the underclassman assembly, I was a wreck. This meant to me, Every 15 Minutes during senior year was going to be a day that I needed my friends. However, this was not an option after being chosen, but I knew that I was doing this to help give the reality check that far too many students needed. On the morning of the first day, we were to arrive in the aux gym at 6:30. This was the last time we would see our friends, our teachers and hardest of all, our parents, for the next 24+ hours. Saying goodbye to my mom was not as hard as I imagined, at first. It hit when we were escorted to the crash scene and told not to speak or look at anyone. Walking by my mom knowing she was in the mindset that I was truly gone killed me inside. Tears welled in my eyes the entire hour we stood there solemn, watching our classmates be pronounced dead, seriously injured and arrested. The only thought going through my mind the entire time was I wanted my mom. I could see her from across the bleachers crying, I wanted to tell her that I’m okay and I would never make that decision. After the sentencing, we travelled to the hotel we’d be staying at. There, we got the opportunity to hear from many speakers. Some were advocates for the cause, and others shared their firsthand experience with drunk driving and the detrimental impact it had on their lives. I wish the whole school could have gone to these presentations. The reality of these stories hit so close to home. We heard from a mother, a girlfriend and all these people who had lost their loved ones to these horrific accidents. We also got the chance to do bonding activities. First, we played some fun games so we were able to better get to know one another. It great getting to interact with these kids I probably never would have crossed paths with. After the fun times, we got into some more serious activities. We did a sharing circle where everyone got to tell stories of how things such as drunk driving, addiction and alcohol abuse had impacted their lives, their families or even friends. Everything was kept confidential which allowed everyone to really feel close to one another and share these deeply personal events. Perhaps the hardest part of the night came before we wrote letters. The lights were dimmed and we closed our eyes and one of the volunteers told us a story. In this, we were meant to actually imagine we had died and we had the chance to tell our loved ones one last thing. We closed the night by writing letters titled, “Dear Mom and Dad, I died last night and here’s what I didn’t get the chance to tell you...” Abigail Culpepper is a staff member of The InvestiGator. She was chosen to take part in ‘Every 15 Minutes’ and participated in the program over a span of 2 days.
October 2019
12 feature By this point, Leuga was taken down to the station and was being processed. They took down his fingerprints, drew blood, took mugshots, and made him change into an orange jumpsuit. After that was done, he was locked in a jail cell until it was time for his trial. “It was pretty lonely, it’s full of walls. There’s really nothing you can do and you’re just sitting there. The energy the officer gave off was pretty mean,” Leuga said. “When they took me from the cell, there were a lot of real criminals and inmates staring at me.” After Leuga was kept in the jail cell, it was eventually time for his trial. He went in front of a judge to receive his sentence. Everyone he killed and injured was there, along with all of the other kids who died every 15 minutes. Leuga was sentenced to 20 years for killing Queen, 20 years for killing Gittleman, and another 20 years for paralyzing Wallis. In total, he will serve 60 years in prison. Leuga will be 78 years old when he is finally released. “Sitting in the courtroom, in front of your peers, it was pretty tough,” Leuga said. After everything was done, the students had to go to a retreat that night. During this whole process they did not have their phones -- this helped create the effect of them being gone. They did several things that night to help get the point across of the dangers of drinking and driving. The students got to listen to several different speakers about the dangers of drinking and driving and real life stories of parents who have lost their child to drinking and driving. Aside from that, the students had to write good-bye letters to their
statistics courtesy of MADD
The InvestiGator t GVHS
parents. It started, “Dear Mom and Dad, every 15 minutes a teenager will die due to drunk driving, and today I died. Here is what I never got the chance to tell you…” The next day, on Oct. 4, there was an assembly where the students were brought back to school. Juniors and seniors attended, along with the parents of the students involved. During the assembly, a video was played describing to students what had happened after everyone returned to class. Then a woman came forward to share her story about her son, Joshua, who had died due to a drunk driver who had hit him. After a prosecutor came forward to share what she does when she fights to lock away drunk drivers, a student read their letter to their parents, a parent read their letter to their child and then Principal Kent Roberts came up to talk about a student who was hit and killed by a drunk driver -- he would have graduated this year with the class of 2020. “I don’t think everyone will be affected, just because some people don’t care and they think their fine,” Wallis said. “But I could see a lot of people in the crowd crying, I could see my friends balling. I think it definitely affected a big percentage of the audience. Even if it only impacted one person, that’s better than nothing. If one person can change their perspective they can help to change others.” After the assembly, the students involved were finally reunited with their parents. They had no communication with them since 6:30 a.m. the previous morning, and most of them didn’t even get to see them at all after the crash. Once they got to go and hug their parents again, they arranged a brunch for the students and parents.
Reality hits - Juniors Haley King and Kayla Szczublewski hug each other after they are reunited after the emotional assembly on Oct. 4.
Breanna Harris
“Seeing my parents after was the best feeling in the world. Hugging them was all I wanted to do and tell them that I love them and telling
Victoria Rodriguez
them that I’m okay,” Wallis said. “It was such an amazing feeling going home and sitting down and talking to them. It felt like I hadn’t done that in years.” The two day event created a whirlwind of emotions amongst the students involved. According to the participants, even though it was a simulation, it felt very real and created life long images into their minds. “I remember taking a nap the next day and having flashbacks to being in the crash. I felt like I was being pushed around, rolled over, and carried out. I had that feeling where I woke up and thought it was real again,” Wallis said. Drinking and driving is a serious issue, and the point of the program is to prevent as many students as possible from making the wrong decision, and to stop others from making that wrong decision as well. “We wanted kids to teach others and respect the program,” Hyde said. “We want them to be able to say ‘Hey don’t drive or let me drive, give me the keys.’ or ‘Don’t drink, don’t pop that pill, don’t smoke that.’ We want those kids to use this, go out and teach others to help save some lives.”
feature 13 13 sports
Round and round they go
Sport has strong, dedicated fanbase in the Valley
A
By Halle Scoles
die hard fan base is the driving force for sports to thrive. The norm is for everyone to have a favorite football team, basketball, and soccer team. For individual sports, people have their star tennis player that they keep up with, gymnast that they idolize, or runner that they can not wait to see cross the finish line. With that being said, there is one very popular sport with an involved fan base that people seem to often fail to recognize, NASCAR. “You go as fast as you can with a limited amount of time. I like it personally because NASCAR is honestly an underrated sport. You could do a lot with NASCAR, it just teaches you how to have skills for driving, and teaches you how to confidently pass somebody. It’s just a really fun sport,” senior Kaseem Harris said. The Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube is a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series stock car race held annually at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. NASCAR has developed a high fan loyalty standard. The location of Las Vegas embodies the vibe of NASCAR and the race track is suitable for the races. “Honestly Vegas has a lot of stray roads. It just has that NASCAR feel, and the track is pretty small for you to get a good lap around,” Harris said. Due to the fact that NASCAR deals with both a vehicle and a driver, the sport has more to offer than the normal, ‘ball’ sports. Not only that, but the sponsor participation in NASCAR is a different animal. The sponsorship participation is so involved that there are three different types of NASCAR sponsors: contingency sponsors, a form of sponsorship where the race team sports a company’s decal, associate sponsors, a form of sponsorship where the company’s decal isn’t displayed on the race team’s vehicle or uniforms, the price depends on the level of sponsorship, and a primary sponsorship, which is a form of sponsoring that is above an associate. This type of support has the company’s name featured in various positions on the car. Contingency and primary sponsorships are similar, but they are not the same. “NASCAR is so different from other sports because it focuses on the mechanics and also how to build cars. It also shows you sponsorship and
how the sport interacts with other people. And they just win to the top,” Harris said. Harris uses every opportunity he can to watch NASCAR. “I try to watch NASCAR as much as I can. I watch it whenever it comes on,” Harris said. Another student, sophomore Jessica Taylor, is also a big fan of NASCAR. She has grown up with the sport and enjoys watching it with her father. He has it on every Sunday, and they sometimes listen to it over the radio. “My dad, he’s always been a fan and he likes cars and he likes working on cars. So I’ve always grown up with working on cars, I’ve grown up watching NASCAR,” Taylor said. Because of its differences from more popular sports, such as football or basketball, the sport has become severely underrated and not that many people even tune in to the races that take place. “NASCAR is underrated in our generation because a lot of people don’t like it, just in our generation people think redneck type things are
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NASCAR is so different from other sports because it focuses on the mechanics and also how to build cars.
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Kaseem Harris
weird and country type things are weird and everyone’s like ,‘Oh I’m too cool for that’ ” Taylor said. Some may say that many teens focus on pop culture and other things seen as ‘cool’ and do not watch NASCAR for that very reason, which is why NASCAR is viewed as ‘underrated. What captivates NASCAR fans is the fact that watching the sport is unique and everyone can have a different way of watching it. The interaction between fans and watching
the actual race can differ among the viewers. “It’s very different, watching in person than on actual TV. The people who you’re surrounded with, I like having like, sounds, I like it when it’s loud and I like interacting with it. Sometimes it’s so exciting because you think someone’s going to get into a crash and you can see it, right in front of you.” Taylor said. “If there is a crash you’re like, ‘Oh my god, I just saw that.” NASCAR enthusiast highlight the fact that NASCAR is inclusive and non-discrimatory. Not only amongst its’ fanbase but it’s players as well. Taylor acknowledges the fact that as she continues to watch NASCAR and grows up she will see new faces race and grow up along with her. “NASCAR has improved because throughout the year they’ve just let more people in. They let people of any race, of any gender, and of any age. They are also letting new drivers in because you see these older drivers retiring. It’s just kind of interesting to see that I’m growing up to see this change of people,” Taylor said.
Halle Scoles
October 2019
14 sports
Salerno Shreds
By Violet Lamela
E
veryone has that one thing that gives them that “on top of the world” feeling. For senior Max Salerno, snowboarding does just that. His parents first introduced him to the sport as a young boy at the age of three. “My mom and dad are really what got me into it,’’ Salerno stated. “They just put me on a snowboard and pushed me down a mountain. Ever since then it has been a big part of my life.” Salerno, like his mother, was born and raised here in Las Vegas, Nevada. His father, was born in California, but moved to Las Vegas when he was very young. Both Salerno’s parents got involved with snowboarding through family members, and they passed it onto
him and his two younger brothers. “My parents, ever since I was young, have always wanted me to do better,” Salerno said. “Whenever I would feel like I didn’t do the best I thought I could do, I would get frustrated, but they always helped me get through it. They would push me to do everything I could possibly do, and for that I’m so grateful.” Salerno’s parent’s passionate attitude about snowboarding has really been a key factor as to why Salerno has so much love for the sport as well. His parent’s motivation and support are really what keep him going. “If I didn’t have them telling me to get up and try again, I probably wouldn’t be snowboarding anymore because of how difficult and how frustrating it is, But because of how much they enjoy it, it makes
me wanna do it more.” Although snowboarding is his primary hobby during the winter, during the summer Salerno presently works at Lake Las Vegas as a lifeguard and as a dockhand. His
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They would push me to do everything I could possibly do, and for that I’m so grateful.
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Max Salerno
job allows him to use his outgoing personality to be able to communicate well with tourists and natives of Las Vegas who are visiting the area. His job requires him to have good conversation skills, due to the fact that he communicates with customers effectively. He gives them instructions on how to use the rental items, such as boats, kayaks, flyboards, and paddle boards etc. Along with knowing how to use each rental, he must know how to properly clean each one as well. For this job the employees also have to be able to withstand in the hot summer conditions, as it is an outside job in the desert. Although being able to withstand the Las Vegas heat for long periods of time is nothing new for Salerno. This is because he is also
sports 15
Ready to Shred - Senior Max Salerno poses with his siblings on a trip to Mammoth Mountain.
Hit the slopes - Salerno (right) poses with his friend, foreign exchange student, Jaime Lopez Valero.
photos courtesy of Max Salerno
a student athlete. For the last three years he has been very involved with track and field, in addition to running races for cross country. Recently Salerno has been recognized and chosen by coach Beam as athlete of the month. He has run many races and has earned numerous medals for his outstanding citizenship and diligence. “I think my biggest achievement during Cross Country so far was in a race I recently did, I ran three miles in fifteen minutes. I was really proud of myself after I actually realized what I had just done.” Salerno said. Being a student athlete is a strong advantage that benefits Salerno in many areas of his life, a big one being snowboarding. No matter what class of snowboarding you are in, it is important to stay in shape for the slopes as snowboarding can be a very aggressive and dangerous sport. “Since I snowboard with my dad, he usually has to stop because he gets exhausted. On the mountains, the air is way thinner and it’s cold so it’s harder to breath. Since I run all the time I can stay on the mountain longer.” Salerno said. While Cross country and Snowboarding are both big parts of Salerno’s life, they both serve different purposes when it comes to his desire to participate in the activity. “Running is more like a goal or an accomplish-
ment. Like I don’t get that feel-good feeling until I’ve passed the finish line, verses snowboarding where I have that feeling from the moment I’m on the mountain. Really the only boring part of snowboarding is riding the lift to get to the top,” Salerno said. Even though Salerno doesn’t participate in any snowboarding competitions, he does know many tricks such as backflips, front flips, and grinding on rails and boxes. “You can just add like twist to it, if I’m grinding on a rail I can just add
a 180 twist to my body and it’s a new trick.” Salerno said. Many may find it interesting how someone born and raised in a place where there are very few “snow days.” could be so passionate about snowboarding. However, despite Vegas’s consistently warm climate, Salerno and his family always find a way to get out on the ice. Whether it’s on the slopes of Mt Charleston with their season passes, or across America with their IKON passes that give them unlimited access to any mountain across
the United States. While Salerno has visited numerous mountains and snowboarded down slopes all around the country, there is one place that stands out to him the most. “My favorite mountain is probably Mammoth, that’s where I first learned to snowboard and it is still my favorite mountain, it’s almost like you can never get tired of it,” Salerno said, “it’s one of the biggest mountains in the nation, and i know lots of pro snowboarders go there to practice for the olympics.” Mammoth Mountain, located in Mammoth Lakes, California. This is a very well known resort that caters to various levels of snowboarders and skiers alike, whether an amateur or a pro. While Salerno does not see himself building a career off of snowboarding, his dream college is a school with lots of snow during the winter so he can continue his seasonal hobby. In the future he sees himself residing in a place with a cold winter climate as well, where he can continue to snowboard and one day share the sport of snowboarding with his children. For Salerno and his family, snowboarding is a hobby that’s only purpose is for enjoyment and time spent together as a family. Snowboarding has become a tradition that Salerno would like to pass on to his children when that time Abigail Culpepper comes.
October 2019
sports 17
With the first pick Season in full swing as fantasy fever hits GV By Cherie Franklin
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or many around the school, fantasy football is more real than people think. Drafts in the middle of the day take precedence over classwork for hardcore fans, while newer users are content with just playing the game. But what even is fantasy football? Fantasy lets you try your skills as the owner of a team, and you compete against the other teams in your league. Before choosing your fantasy team, you draft your players. Players of the game may often do extensive research before choosing which players to draft and when. Drafting is done in rounds, with each user picking one player in each round. It is very important to have a balanced roster (a list of players and their positions) when you draft to ensure that your team has a good season. Some newer players often make the mistake of carelessly drafting, which can lead to less-than-ideal results. Among users, there is much debate over which position you should pick first, whether that be a defensive or offensive position. “I drafted a quarterback first, which is what you’re not supposed to do. But I don’t follow rules because I really wanted Patrick Mahomes from Kansas City. He’s just so fun to watch because of his crazy plays” math teacher Kelly Wagner said. More experienced users draft positions such as running back or wide receivers in favor of the number of points they bring in. “With a quarterback, statistically, the top pick and top 10 are all within 2.5 to 3 points of each other as far as average weekly points. So you’re better off getting a quarterback in the 6th to 8th round [of drafting],” math teacher Jacob Rivera said. Many expericenced users also reccomend drafting your defensive positions later as well. After drafting is finished, the season begins. During the NFL games each week, the real teams face each other, and so do the fantasy teams in your league. The players that are on your fantasy team’s real-time stats are converted into fantasy points by your league provider, and the fantasy team that scores the most points wins the game for the week. The goal
is to win as many games as possible to make the playoffs. For winning each week or making it to the playoffs, leagues have different prizes. However, some competitive groups of friends who play bet money on wins and points every week. This can lead to serious gain, or serious loss every week. Betting on games only makes it more competi-
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With a quarterback, statistically, the top pick and top 10 are all within 2.5 to 3 points of each other as far as average weekly points.
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Jacob Rivera
tive, and for most users, much more engaging and enjoyable. “[Some] leagues’ [prizes] are anywhere from $100 to $1,500,” Rivera said. Rivera is in seven fantasy football leagues, and he believes that his background as a statistics teacher definitely benefits him. To say that the stakes are high for many users would be an understatement. This competition does not change when the playoff season begins, and this is when many users face single-elimination games. In this type of playoff game, once a users’ team loses, they are done for the season. This can be a source of stress for many players, or it can be a factor that increases the competition. This unpredictability keeps many players coming back each season. Many who play fantasy football enjoy it simply because of the joy of winning and the community aspect of the game. Drafting parties held in person are just one aspect of the bonding that creates these tight-knit communities. The weekly competition as well as the camaraderie it develops often lasts long past the end
of the season. Friendships created between students and teachers are some of the common bonds formed. “For some of my students who are really into football, it allows me to have a conversation piece. It helps keep me more connected to my students,” Wagner said. Fantasy draws in a wide range of users in CCSD alone, from students across schools to teachers that take the game as seriously as they take teaching. But, for those who are on the outside of the stadium looking in, fantasy football may seem much too complicated to even understand. Others say people should just watch football instead. However, there are plenty of aspects of fantasy football that make watching football every week that much more enjoyable. The statistics that determine points earned by users each week are recorded in realtime each week as their drafted players go through their season, which allows users to recognize more players on and off the field. Even before the season or drafting even begins, users often have extensive knowl-
edge of statistics, past seasons, predictions for the upcoming season, and so much more. Although research is extensive and drafting is meticulous, things do not always go as planned. Injuries pose a very large risk for users when drafting an influential position. Or, players can have a bad season that was unexpected, which can throw off the balance of a whole roster. “When your favorite player gets hurt or two major players on your team, then you lose them. Then you have to pick someone off the market, and there’s always bad players on the market so you don’t get to replace those points,” Denstaedt said. Despite its unpredictability, many users will forever remain loyal to the end. The community it creates and fun-loving nature of the game are just a couple of reasons that fantasy football has become so wildly popular. Students and teachers bond over statistics and games each week and enjoy rooting on their team. So, as the season wears on, many fans will continue to tune into games each week, waiting for their win.
Sebastian Villamil
October 2019
18 sports
Freshman dusts the district
Newcomer lands in top 20 of national rankings
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By Hannah Serquina
ast. Focused. Fresh. Josh Nicolaides has burst onto the high school cross country scene, currently holding the position as the 17th fastest three miler in the nation. Also noteworthy, Nicolaides is just a freshman. “I’ve been running for 3 and a half years. I tried out because I love to run, and I thought it might be fun. Most other sports you still run a lot, but I wanted a sport dedicated just to running. My fastest 3 mile time is 15:50.2,” Nicolaides said. Nicolaides did not anticipate to achieve this title or even be that fast. In other words, Nicolaides doubted that he could even reach the time of his personal record. “It’s kind of weird. I don’t know.
It’s almost unreal. It’s just cool. I hoped I’d rank this high, but I never thought it was going to be a reality. The time was really fast and I didn’t think I was going to be able to do it no matter how hard I worked, but I did it,” Nicolaides said. Nicolaides credits the team atmosphere surrounding him as well. He thinks that his teammates embody what makes up one of the top-notch teams in the State. “We’re the best team in the state,“ Nicolaides said. “The season so far is amazing. Even though you’re not going to get a personal record every time, we have a really good mentality for the team. I think everyone gets along very well. So far it’s a really good year.” Nicolaides has high goals that he strives to reach this year. But he has
bigger aspirations after high school in regards to his running career. “This year the goal is to take State. In high school, I want to be State Champ, either my junior or senior year. In college, I want to run for the Florida Gators or Oregon because those two are really good schools,” Nicolaides said. “The first time I went to Nationals in 7th grade for cross country it was at the University of Florida, and I just loved it there. Hopefully, after college I can go professional and go to the Olympics.” Bud Beam, who is in his 5th year as head coach, believes that Nicolaides has the potential to reach those goals. However. Beam knows that he still has to train harder because the competition is out for his spot. “While he does have some experience, he’s got the experience rac-
ing his people his own age. Now he’s racing against people who are bigger, who are stronger. And so he has the ability to get there. He’s just going to have to get some more work in.” Nicolaides ran in middle school, which set him up to be more comfortable on the courses he is now running on during his freshman year. “He’s a real hard worker. He’s a natural talent, but he kind of combines both natural talent and he works really, really hard.I think it’s his, the fact that even as a freshman, he’s got a lot of racing experience,” Beam said. “He ran not just ran in middle school, but he ran a lot of races, including Junior Olympics. And he spent a lot of time learning how to race. And I think that experience is kind of gives him again, in addition to that ability gives him that bump,
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He’s a real hard worker. He’s a natural talent, but he kind of combines both natural talent and he works, really, really hard. Bud Beam
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Hannah Serquina
The InvestiGator t GVHS
above most without that experience.” Beam supports the fact that Nicolaides is a strong contributor to the team. Despite the fact that he is the youngest, Nicolaides’s humble attitude allows him to add to the strength of the team as a whole and get along with the Varsity members. “He’s been great for the team, he seems to fit in really well, especially when it’s hard, him being a freshman. But I think because of the way he works, and because of his attitude, and everything fits in really quite well. He doesn’t act like he’s elevated above anybody else. He really does fit in quite easily” The one piece of advice Beam would give to Josh to become a State Champion would be to continue what he is doing and to not give up on the goals he wants to accomplish. “Don’t stop. Don’t slow down. Don’t concede, don’t change your objectives. You figure out what’s going to work best for you,” Beam said.
Opening up - Freshman Josh Nicolaides opens his stride during the second mile of the Lake Mead Invitational on Oct. 5 at Veterans Memorial Park. Nicolaides finished 15th overall in the race.
Hannah Ser1uina
20 photo essay
Varsity cheer performs a pyramid stunt during the Homecoming assembly on Sept. 19. Cheer swapped their traditional uniforms for groovy themed tie dye shirts for the assembly.
Senior Olivia Lee (right) cheers on fellow student body officer, senior Gabriel Vargas during halftime of the Homecoming football game on Sept. 20. Vargas was crowned the 2019 Homecoming King.
STUNTIN’
CROWNED
One GrooVy Hoco Seniors Anna Kurosawa and Chase Allen wave during the halftime Homecoming court procession.
Senior football players storm their class section as the class of 2020 wins the spirit stick once again. The student section flags were waved by seniors in celebration of their victory. After breaking tradition and capturing the spirit stick as sophomores and juniors, the class of 2020 hopes to remain on top until graduation.
SMILE & WAVE
Senior Illai Macaggi performs with band during halftime. Maccagi was on double duty and had to rush after his performance to take part in the Homecoming court procession.
CHAMPS photos by Alyssa Giles, Sarah Arendt & Angel Gabriel
SHOW STOPPER
During the annual Homecoming Assembly members of the varsity cheer team battle the football team in a game of tug of war. Once a tradition at GVHS, the cheer vs. football tug of war returned much to the delight of the crowd as they watched football be defeated.
VICTORIOUS
Junior class president Marisa Boyce (left) smiles as the floats drive on the track during halftime of the football game. Juniors Amber Soto (right) and Jasmine De La Torre (center) clap as their class float is shown off to the crowd. The junior class later took the prize of best class float.
WINNER, WINNER The InvestiGator t GVHS
ART & CULTURE
THE
a&e 21
of Life is Beautiful
Festival becomes a melting pot of music, food, and technical arts By Sebastian Villamil
L
ife is Beautiful lit up the streets of downtown Las Vegas with art, music, and food. Although the festival is most famous for its artists that perform there, the art and culinary aspects are essential parts of the festival. For seven years, Life is Beautiful has brought artists from all over the globe, creating a melting pot of art that re-decorates the urban landscape of Downtown. The food also provides a unique experience for those who go to Life is Beautiful. All the murals that artists create in the streets of Downtown are kept there to give the area a more vibrant look according to the Life is Beautiful art director. In addition to that, Downtown Project, the committee that works on improving the Downtown area, likes the idea of leaving murals every year. “I do definitely think that keeping the murals on the streets of Downtown makes that area in general, a better-looking place. Not to mention, that Downtown is becoming progressively better,” junior Brezian Kane said. Every year, muralists take on the task to bring new art into downtown. There is not just murals, however there are also installations, which are statues that are placed amongst the festival grounds like the Monumental Mammoth or the HOTTEA. The Monumental Mammoth is a metal sculpture that is placed right next to the biggest stage, and the HOTTEA is a structure of dangling yarn in a rainbow order. The installations do get removed every year. Lastly, there is immersive art where you can have the option to interact with the surrounding art. For example, the BACARDI motel is an abandoned hotel that got remodeled with FX lights, interactive rooms, plants, and colors. This motel is a good place to hang out and take a break from the craziness of the festival. Take pictures, re-hydrate, sit-down in a chair or even dance in one of the disco rooms, many people enjoy what the BACARDI motel has to offer. “The motel was super fun and interesting because of how I could take a break with my friends before jumping back into the chaos,” Kane said. They also included something new
this year with partnering with Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Program to bring in Japanese bathing into the heart of Downtown. Japanese bathing is where you bathe in a mineral pool that can reach very high temperatures. Many festival attendees enjoy the unique cultural experiences that this festival offers. The event also has put in establishments like the Container Park, which, as the name suggests, is a park full of containers. Here, you can take a break from the massive crowds and relax with great music and drinks. The park has locally owned restaurants and shops, ranging from Italian to Mexican food. This park is also formally known for its giant praying mantis that spews out fire. The culinary is also a spectacular
Sebastian Villamil
part of the festival. A melting pot of different cuisines from all over the world show the array of food choices that this festival has to offer. Not only does it provide local restaurants, but
,Keeping , the murals
on the streets of Downtown makes that area in general a better-looking place.
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Brezian Kane
also food tours. This varies from farm stands to top-of-the-line cuisine from chefs like Gordon Ramsey. Jose Villamil is one of the many local owners that represent the food in the festival. He owns a gourmet hot dog restaurant in Container Park called Cheffinis, with his own spin on the iconic American hotdog. “Life is Beautiful is a multi-cultural place of different cuisines. All the restaurants are unique, like in my restaurant where we serve hotdogs with unique toppings that you would not normally find in a normal hot dog restaurant,” Villamil said. Villamil believes that the food is an important part in going to the festival, and he claims that it helps all the local businesses in the area to grow. “I have been working with restaurants in downtown since 2010, and with help from investors like Tony Shea, he helped restaurants open up in downtown which then began the revival of downtown” Villamil said. Tony Shea is the creator of Zappos, and the money he put into the restaurants helped revive the area. Owners like Villamil are happy with what the festival offers to the people, and how they are able to serve their unique food to more people. “When I went there I had the Cheffinis hot dog. It’s really cool how a hot dog can be that different, but taste delicious,” Kane said. This cuisine shows how culturally diverse Downtown is, and why it is a major aspect of Life is Beautiful. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian, Life is Beautiful has always something to fill you up. Local restaurants also benefit greatly from the festival which causes more investors to pull in money downtown. Overall, locals think that it has made Downtown a safer place. The Life is Beautiful festival is a perfect place to experience great food, stunning art and listen to top musicians. This festival has not only helped Downtown become what it is today, but it has also transformed a beat-up area into a tourist attraction site. With every New Year comes new artists creating beautiful work that truly makes an astounding urban landscape. According to many, this festival is a perfect place to spend your weekend.
October 2019
22 a&e
The future of the MCU Marvel’s chaotic plans after ‘Endgame’ to pull both Disney and Marvel Movies off of other streaming platforms, such as Netflix. This has many worried about this new age of streaming services, where numerous subscription requirements will lead to cable-like television dominating the market again. “It’s just another streaming service that people are going to get tired of paying for,” sophomore Cash Freeman said. “It looks like they’ll have good content, though.” This new streaming service seems like good news for Marvel fans, however. While many Disney originals are planned, other franchises that Disney has acquired, like Star Wars and Marvel, have several shows and movies planned in the upcoming years. Classic characters from the Alex Estrada Avengers saga are getting their own stories, especially characters who have not yet had the spotlight in their By Tyler Bonnette own solo movie. Already announced productions include Hawkeye, Black Widow, Loki and many more. he last few years have been an “I’m so excited, because I grew up eventful time for the Marvel with Disney so it’s a big part of my Cinematic Universe. Numerlife,” said junior Shannon Gold. “I’m ous game-changing movies, upcomvery excited to have so many Disney ing releases, and even a deal involvshows and movies available to me ing two companies and their rights whenever and wherever.” over the beloved character SpiderOther characters that have yet to Man. People are wondering where be seen on screen are having their the story can even go from where it debut in the MCU through movleft off. The upcoming years are goies and shows. Moon Knight, Ms. ing to be action-packed for Marvel, Marvel, and She-Hulk are all having and it may be difficult to keep track shows dedicated to them on the new of at times with everything happening streaming platform. So far, all three at once. have yet to appear in a live action In 2018, Disney announced the production, and are rather unpopucreation of Disney+, a new streamlar due to being mainly exclusive to ing platform for older Disney movies comics. Due to the upcoming release as well as any future Disney Original of Disney+, they are finally being movies and shows. Several of the shown off thanks to the many shows shows will be exclusive to Disney+, of the MCU underway. rather than being released in theAs many are aware, an issue hapaters. With Disney’s acquisition of pened regarding one of the most iconthe Marvel movie franchise, they plan
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ic superhero characters of not just the MCU, but his own independent movies as well: Spider-Man. Sony has had the rights to Spider-Man since 1999, and has created several movies revolving around the character in the past before making a deal with Disney to allow his appearance in the MCU. Over the summer, a deal was proposed by Disney for there to be a 50-50 profit split between Disney and Sony, which was rejected, resulting in Spider-Man’s removal from Disney’s films. This led to fans taking sides, but mainly being upset at the loss of a beloved character. “Both sides are to blame. It’s just greedy business people ruining it for the viewers.” Freeman said. The difficulty with the omission of Spider-Man stems from the setup of his character after the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame as well as his solo movie, Spider-Man: Far From Home. With the death of Ironman in the former, and the exposing of Peter Parker’s identity in the latter, many wonder where the MCU could have gone without the character. “For a time, Tom Holland was no longer technically in the MCU and that just threw everything off,” Gold said. Luckily for fans of the Marvel saga, Disney and Sony came to a brand new agreement, seeing a 25% co-financing deal between the two companies and future films. While Tom Holland will continue to portray Spider-Man in
Tyler Bonnette
MCU appearances, more Spider-Man films are planned on Sony’s side. This will continue the universe that was established by Venom (2018), separate from Disney’s cinematic universe that has been in progress since 2008 upon the release of the first Ironman movie. Future movies are planned to continue the storyline from where it left off after both Avengers: ‘Endgame’ and ‘Far From Home’. Lots of major characters have their own Disney+ shows, but there will still be numerous cinematic releases to progress the story of the MCU now that the 22-movie-long story (dubbed the “Infinity Saga”) has finally come to a dramatic conclusion. Most fans are excited for what is coming, especially with the incredible climax that ‘Endgame’ brought. For the last movie featuring the core Avenger characters, it was a great way to wrap up their story. “It had such an amazing story and amazing fight scenes,” said sophomore Patrick Nanongkhai. “Even though it was three hours, it felt short and left me wanting more.” Regardless, the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to be chaotic. With the death of fan favorites like Black Widow and Ironman, as well as the handful of new shows and movies having been announced, new stories and character arcs are on track to change the course of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
a&e 23
By Abigail Culpepper
The speed seems to be one of the biggest differences between the videogame to the app. Karts are automatically accelerated by simply placing your finger on the screen to steer. For those who relied on certain techniques revolved around speed, such as drifting, to conquer the race, they were more than let down when the app was released. Now that motion steering, tilting your phone to make your kart turn, has been introduced, app users have adapted more. When approaching a turn, tilt the phone in the direction you wish to go and keep some speed though the turn and the kart automatically drifts, if you maintain your speed.
Mario Kart Tour followed tradition and features many of the same tracks seen in games past. Some of the tracks even date all the way back to when Super NES consoles were being enjoyed by kids. More tracks have appeared through time-limited tours like the Tokyo tour.
Some featured tracks: Mario Circuit 1 Choco Island 2 Rainbow Road Daisy Hills Kalimari Desert Bowser Castle 1 Dino Dino Jungle Luigi’s Mansion
Waluigi Pinball DK Pass Toad Circuit Koopa Troopa Beach Cheep Cheep Lagoon Shy Guy Bazaar Rock Rock Mountain Mario Circuit
The difficulty levels of Mario Kart Tour is arguably the worst aspect of the app. It became a common theme for every player, whether they were young, old, skilled or a brand new player, could manage to earn first place. Although it is not known just why it was so easy to earn first place, with the updated steering, tours and more, players are not awarded first place every race. So, much to the delight of app users, the kinks such as this one, are slowly working themselves out.
Just like any videogame, Mario Kart Tour is no different when it comes to in-app purchases. The app features “The Store” which is where players can go to purchase everything from new gear to new characters. Most items are available for purchase with coins or real world money. The app also features different levels of subscriptions. The lowest level being the “Gold Pass.” The pass will set you back $4.99 per month but offers many benefits. With the Gold Pass, players will receive better gifts for racing in tours, 200cc races and access to gold badges. If someone is looking for a more expensive pack, they can purchase the “Diddy Kong Pack” for $39.99. This pack offers 90 rubies, access to Donkey Kong and one quick ticket.
When the app first was released, the only form of steering was sliding back and forth. Imaginably, app users were not the fondest of this feature. It seemed to limit players ability to drift, to go in the intended direction and made the race all around less enjoyable. In a more recent update smart steer-
ing is available in settings. Smart steering turns off the intensity of steering assistance so players have more control over their race. Gyro Handling is also available now. This allows steering through tilting your device, this feature was much more accepted as it is the closest option to traditional Mario Kart.
In Mario Kart Tour, players see all the classic characters; Mario, Luigi, Peach, Bowser, Donkey Kong, etc. Characters are unlocked in various ways. Players start with choosing a single character, after this, other Mario Kart Tour characters will have to be unlocked in various ways. The first way to unlock new characters is as players progress through time-limited tours. These tours are connected to specific characters and require the course being completed to unlock. Another way to get new characters is through the store. You can use coins to purchase them or real-world money that can be linked to your account.
October 2019
24 a&e
THE ROAD TO RETIREMENT
NICKI MINAJ By Alexis Ladd
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icki Minaj, the icon that pop and R&B fans used to once adore growing up, is now retiring from making top song hits. It is not as simple as a celebrity artist signing off in the music industry, but more so, her fans saying goodbye to one of the most impactful beings that altered music taste for many. Minaj is known for her outstanding yet creative style and her success in being one of the few great female rappers in contemporary society. Her “Barbie dreams” seem to be fulfilled as she now is focused on creating a family. Established on September 5th, Minaj announced on Twitter that she will be moving on to the next chapter in her life. From making her own mark to collaborating with the biggest artists of current times, Nicki has been a leading pop and R&B star for just about 10 years now. However, within the past couple years, newer artists have popped off, becoming just as big or “iconic” as Nicki. Time to shine only lasts so long for most artists while for the ones who stand out, they shine from the moment they start their career until they die. Nicki has clearly recognized that
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her sparkling moment has come to an end. But for what reason? Have other current artists outshined her or is it really just time to settle down and start a family as she claims. She says it wouldn’t be possible to if she were to continue her celebrity career. In 2009, Nicki signed Lil Wayne’s label, Young Money, being the first female artist to join. Young Money, an imprint of Birdman’s Cash Money Records, consists of some of the most popular R&B artists today, like Drake, DJ Khaled and Tyga. The label can be credited for representing eight, number one albums. Least to say, Nicki signed with a rather successful label pretty early in her career; this clearly affected how her journey would play out until the end. Cardi B, Megan the Stallion, and City Girls are three prime examples of the hottest current female rappers, very similar to the music style that Nicki obtained. On multiple occasions, it has been observed that Nicki and/or Cardi has felt threatened by competition from the other as drama has risen between the two. While Nicki claims that she helped Cardi get into her career of being at where she is as an artist, Cardi claims that she is “very different” from her and “never helped her get into her career.”
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It has even been said that Minaj was not actually retiring for the reason of starting a family and focusing on her personal life, but for the fact that she felt “pushed over the edge by constantly defending herself over accusations of not writing her own songs.” Along with being bombarded with too many “questions about her
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Her songs are a reminder of my favorite childhood jams. Nyssa Silva
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personal life,” sources close to Minaj said. Take the beef however you want, should Nicki stand her place in the industry or should she accept that other female artists are beginning to be just as successful and impactful as she was? Nicki’s fans seem to take the re-
tirement as a bigger deal than she does. “I’m still right here,” Minaj said over Twitter in response to a frantic fan. Although fans will no longer be able to enjoy new songs by Minaj, her iconic music will still be played and remembered. “When I was in middle school, Super Bass was my favorite song. I am really sad Nicki is retiring, I feel like part of my child-hood has died,” senior Nyssa Silva said. Not only has Minaj produced hit songs since from the time everyone can remember, but her releases within the past couple years will also leave the same mark. “I’ve listen to plenty of great songs that she has been featured in, which are typically my favorite songs she contributes to. So hopefully she will continue to feature in songs with todays top R&B artists,” Silvia said. Nicki Minaj has been a legacy to not only pop and R&B culture, but also a new era of pop style. Although it will be sad for such an impactful artists to be saying goodbye to such a strong career, it will fufill a much needed break Minaj has longed for. And who knows, no one can truly see what the future holds after all.
opinion 25
No room for imperfection Teens battle perceptions of self-obsession and social media By Kristel Alfaro Borbon
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here are many advantages to being born in the”Generation Z”, social media not being one of them. Lately there has been some controversy over Gen Z being obsessed with themselves. According to Vox.com, 70% of teens use social media every day. This can affect a lot of teens’ views about themselves since they are frequently being bombarded with images of models or their friends with “the perfect body type” or even just having expensive clothing.
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I feel like everyone should love themselves, but they should not be obsessed with themselves.
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Nicole Reid Teens are very open minded and like to support and cheer on their peers, whether it is giving them a compliment or commenting on how good they look on their recent Instagram post. This is mostly positive, but they may not think that they look good themselves. According to the Renfrew Center Foundation, 58% of girls in today’s climate of social media put on makeup to meet modern beauty standards. Some teens even go as far as photoshopping their bodies in order for them to look like a celebrity to get the most amount of likes on social media. The reality is unfortunate; teens are constantly try-
ing to look like a celebrity known for being beautiful such as Kylie Jenner, and will go through a great deal just to look like “the perfect person.” “I think social media is a huge factor. I’m pretty confident with myself but even then when i’m on social media I’m not going to lie back then I would compare myself to others, and whenever they would post something about their lives that was really cool I would think why do I not have that, senior Allen Rios said. Teenagers lack self-confidence. One of the reasons for this is representation in the media. In most movies or TV shows the main characters are always the tall, skinny, pretty ones that everyone likes. This sets the example to teens and kids that they have to be beautiful or perfect in order for people to accept them. The lack of different body types and races in the media are affecting the youth. We need to change this and show more variation so everyone feels represented. “I think there is a lack of representation in the media, you don’t really see a lot of different races or sizes on TV. I don’t think this is right we should make everyone feel like they are being represented and no one should ever feel left out. I think this is really negatively affecting teens because they look up to a lot of celebrities and they want to look like them,” freshman Sophia Pitch said. Gen Z is also the loneliest generation according to a recent survey conducted by USA Today. This is due to this generation having lots of friends, but never really feeling close to them. Teens today are more depressed than other generations, and teens are becoming stressed. This is partially due to school, but social media and electronics are mainly the reason. According to wvea.org, the average teen spends nine hours on social media. Since the invention of social media teens have become more anxious and
stressed. Past generations would go outside on their free time, while the current generation will browse social media for fun. This is becoming a very big distraction because teens use social media at school, before they go to bed and even while they are trying to do homework. It has become one of this generation’s biggest addictions. “I feel like everyone should love themselves, but they should not be obsessed with themselves. You should just be positive with yourself because you only get your one body and you can’t ever get it back,” freshman Nicole Reid said. What is the perfect body type? The “perfect body type” for women is the hourglass shape, meaning a small waist with larger bust and hips. For men the “perfect body type” is the inverted pyramid, which is suggestive of broad shoulders and a smaller waist. Both, however, are unrealistic, as people come in all different shapes and sizes. There should not be a “perfect body type” because your body carries you all day and it works hard to keep you healthy. “I don’t thnk the ideal body type is realistic I think you should be comfortable with your own body and you got to love yourself for who you are.
You should look at yourself in the mirror and see yourself as the perfect body,” freshman Ethan Wallace said. Teens are not used to receiving negative feedback about themselves on social media which is why sometimes they might take things so seriously and make them feel bad about themselves. They should feel confident about themselves and not care what other people say about them. “Teens love to post stuff, but they don’t know how to handle bad criticism or reactions when they get that back on posts. It’s hard to overcome some stuff like that and sometimes I think just getting rid of social media for a while and just focusing on you and surround yourself with good people is the way to go,” psychology teacher Tanya Rasmussen said. Although there is a lot going on in our lives, it is important to just take a break for yourself and do some selfcare once in a while. Do what makes you happy, whether it is having a spa day, going out with friends or staying home and watching movies. You need to remember that you do not have to please anyone but yourself, and you do not have to change yourself in order to get the most likes on a post.
October 2019
26 opinion
The bae-sics of hoodie season A rundown of the hoodie stealing dynamic as Fall arrives
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By Shaelyn Gamiao
adies and gents, it is that time of the year again. Couples are cozying up, and with all the romance, it is “steal your hoodie season”. If you have not already hopped on the trend, here is a breakdown for you. People are generally attracted to the closet of their significant other— particularly during this intimate season—for inexplicable reasons. Closet, meaning hoodies, sweatshirts, oversized t-shirts, et cetera. Why? Maybe some invisible force of nature is acting as a magnet to draw our attention to their wardrobe. The whole idea of “hoodie season” can apply to any article of clothing. Say your boo was wearing a tee that was relatively large in size for you and it just so happened to match perfectly with what you are wearing. Well, guess what? It is now all yours. According to the whole concept of this trend, that is exactly how it works. It is quite a clever and vanishing act.
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Wouldn’t you want to ensure that your significant other is yours and only yours?
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Many people actually adore this idea. Stooping to steal a well-worn hoodie, already broken in, is what many individuals would resort to if the opportunity ever presented itself. They are such a find. Though, it has nothing to do with how perfect the fit is—and by perfect, I mean oversized to the point that it is practically a blanket—it is about the fact that it is worn by the person you, presumably, are infatuated with. It is considerably sweet that someone would be willing to wear something of yours, just so they could carry your scent around with them all day, so that the memory of you never fades. Some individuals are not in favor of this idea, ultimately because they are the ones to lose their hoodie, or it comes off as possessive—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing per say. Admittedly, it does in fact have to do with marking your territory,
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at least in most relationships. The explanation is quite simple, really. Wouldn’t you want to ensure that your significant other is yours and only yours? Hence, you do so sartorially. It’s understandable that some people are not already “boo’d up” for cuddling season, so we look at the alternative. In the instance of girls wanting a guy’s hoodie, what about guy best friends? You don’t necessarily need a bae to enjoy this weather. You can turn to your best friend and snatch that hoodie you have had your eye on for quite some time. That way, you can ride in the single lane, and still feel the warmth and comfort of a loved one’s embrace without actually having to cuddle. Not to say that you are not allowed to do so, but this way, you can both float around in the friendzone without feelings attached. Hopefully though, it remains that way. Catching feelings for a best friend is not necessarily impossible. Speaking of feelings, there are a lot of those. Generally, unwanted ones. You see, in some instances, couples split after hoodie season. Why is this? Following this intimate time of the year, people realize that they are simply not as committed to a relationship as they were previously. There are also those people who do not want to be in a relationship at all. To some, it is considered a distraction. Now, technically that is somewhat true. You may not view the person as a distraction, but a relationship requires a lot of time and effort. It is a commitment. That does not mean that it is impossible to juggle everything in your life and still maintain a healthy and lasting relationship, but what people fail to mention is that it is definitely a challenge. Whether or not someone completely adores their significant other, and if they are best friends, there will always be obstacles. It is inevitable. It is really up to the couples to decide if they want to push past those bumps in the road together. As aforementioned, it is a commitment. One person cannot pull all the weight. There is no balance. Therefore, it would not be a healthy relationship. Speaking of time and effort, the school year speeds up after the holidays, and not everyone can handle a relationship, school and extracur-
ricular activities. That is another reason to explain why everyone is so desperate and in such a rush to get “cuffed” around this time; to spend as much time with that beloved hoodie for as long as possible. Of course, you could always just keep it to yourself and never return it if you do happen to break up. After all, maybe it was just the hoodie that you wanted all along.
Hoodie season may not be your cup of tea, but for many, it is the perfect opportunity to bundle up with their boo and strut their stuff in a hoodie that only they can work.
Alex Estrada
opinion 27
Can you see it in the stars? By Paige Bordelove “Hey baby, what’s your sign?” A common pick up line used by most of the general population when on the prowl for a new person they would love to get to know a little bit better. I am sure everyone has flipped through the pages of a magazine and stopped to read their daily horoscope in that tiny blob near the corner of the page. There are reasons journalists keep creating Buzzfeed quizzes that tell you what ice cream flavor you are based on your zodiac sign. Simply put, people like to take them. However, most people are unaware of the science behind them. Astrology is a pseudoscience (aka not a real science) that studies the movements of celestial bodies which are then interpreted as having an influence on human affairs in the natural world. In layman’s terms, astrology is the study of planetary symbols and influences. Astrology is very much like any other science; in that it has many different sides to see in order to judge it as a whole. There are the sun signs, the moon signs, the planets, and the astrological houses, each representing a completely different area of a person’s life. According to Astrology for Dummies, “A zodiac sign is the portion of the zodiac occupied by the sun at the moment of your birth.” Zodiac signs are called Sun signs for this reason. 12 zodiac signs exist. Which one belongs to you? Are you more of a Libra, with a laid-back personality and a ‘look for the good in every situation’ type of person? Or are you more of a Virgo, with charming perfectionism that adds to your already intense lifestyle? “What You have Been Doing Wrong in Your Relationship Based on Your Zodiac Sign,” an article published by themindsjournal.com, leads me to believe that some people actually base their ENTIRE relationship off of their zodiac signs compatibility. There are even a few people in the world who choose to only have relationships with people who have a sign that is compatible with theirs. This way of thinking is fascinating, especially when you start to apply it to you and your own life. I am a Cancer, so according to Elle magazine, I should not date a Leo because both of our signs are too needy and bossy. It’s true what they say: opposites attract, which in turn means that similar sun signs do not. That is good to know, much more important than knowing actual skills that will help me in life like how to balance a checkbook.
It is important to remember that astrology is indeed a pseudoscience. It is NOT a real science. The Flat Earth Society is also an example of a pseudoscience, which puts into per-
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It is difficult to understand how a person can base their entire relationship off of whether their partner has a sign that is compatible with theirs.
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spective how distant from science both Astrology and the flat earthers truly are. But, then again, Green Val-
ley High School is home to its very own Flat Earth Club. It is difficult to understand how a person can base their entire relationship off of whether their partner has a sign that is compatible with theirs. What if someone who thinks this way met the person of their dreams only to discover that they are incompatible according to Astrology? Would this person ruin an otherwise perfect relationship because of the “stars?” According to The Dallas Peace Center, “In the context of astrology, compatibility means that two signs understand each other and naturally act in a harmonious way. They like each other immediately, and they do not need to do much work to get along.” However, any daytime television host with tell you that relationships need a large dose of work and a person’s sign does not excuse them from this extra effort. Communication, willingness to work through the hard times, emotional support and love are all things on the list of what is needed to make a relationship work. Surprisingly, your zodiac sign is not on that list. As stated in an article published by Brides magazine, due to the rising quantity of hardcore astrological believers, the dating app Bumble recently released a new feature. Those
looking for love can now filter their matches by zodiac sign. Unfortunately, this feature could potentially filter out someone’s true love. How tragic. The extreme believers in astrology will have a hard time explaining this one: two zodiac signs that are said to have that so called “perfect compatibility” are the signs Sagittarius and Libra. However, Taylor Swift (Sagittarius) and John Mayer (Libra) only lasted two months. Zodiac signs,the planets motion, our birth chart, the make up of elements, horoscopes, compatibilities, and our characteristics make up the riveting topic that is astrology. On one side of this controversial conversation, there are the people who truly believe that their destiny is set in moon stone. On the other side, there are the people who make jokes about the pseudoscience, but still take the BuzzFeed quizzes that assign them a fast food based on their zodiac sign. Though astrology is not factual it still is a tool for self awareness and reasurance. I may not believe in astrology, but I still read my daily horoscope. I know, I know, I’m a water sign. I frequently change my mind about everything, and I constantly go back and forth between emotions. Astrology, however, is not a real science, and it never will be.
Vivien Liebhardt
October 2019
28 pro/con
Should we just let
Awards boost morale, add value to being involved L
By Vivien Liebhardt
et us be realistic; in life, we do not always win. In fact, failing is often when we learn the most about ourwselves and what we need in order to move forward. Kids need these lessons too, but how does losing shape their self-esteem? Giving children a reward for their efforts is great, because it shows them the value of being present, working hard, and contributing to a team. Rather than teaching kids a black-and-white dynamic of winning vs. losing, participation trophies can help show kids that trying new things, even if you might not be good at them, can teach you far more than only doing things you know you can win. The main purpose of an award being given is to celebrate a student’s achievement and to motivate them to continue on their path. No matter the place, every player contributes to their team winning. Even the benchwarmer contributes to their team.
They get a front row seat on the field or court and get a different perspective than the active players, who can be more focused on individual performance than what is going on with the team as a whole. Watching other, more skilled players will push a teammate to set new goals and work harder in achieving them. It also allows them to see what parts of the game went well, ultimately making them a better player and allowing them to contribute more to the team. Yes, there definitely are players who are better than others and really stand out, but if you only reward the winners, there will come a point when only one or two children will show up for practice. Participation awards acknowledges everyone bodies work and contribution even if they were on the sidelines. Pressuring children to perform and only praise talent, not only will you make a talented child afraid to lose, but you will also put undue stress on an average child and inhibit his opportunity to participate.
“Participation trophies would help everyone feel included. Almost every sport has club leagues apart from school teams. Athletes that participate in these club leagues have a clear advantage over those who only participate in high school sports, and so the participation awards serve to help high school athletes enjoy the sport more,” sophomore Katie Kucik said. Admit it. We have all cheated at one point in our lives. If there were rewards for only the best of students and their natural ability were not enough, they are more likely to cheat themselves to the top instead of putting in the consistent hard work. On the other hand if there were awards to acknowledge a variety of places students would be more motivated to move forward up that scale since they still may receive acknowledgment for their work even if it was not the greatest. You have probably heard your coach say “If you cheat, you are only cheating yourself.” I know I definitely have a million times in the pool by my Brooke Meyer
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coach. Rewarding kids only for the outcome of their actions rather than the process that got them there can lead them to cut corners in the future. Many athletes or students cheat when they feel like they can not benefit themselves naturally and need an advantage. But cheating is not affecting anyone right? Wrong! Athletes tend to cheat try to justify their dishonesty by convincing themselves they were still good, they just needed that extra advantage. This is not the case and you will not benefit since you are not learning your mistakes. Most Americans and other countries have a general perspective on the educational system as a large Darwinian competition that only rewards the most intelligent individuals. Finland has the second best educational system in the world after South Korea. Finland believes that “Real winners do not compete” and this is one reason they don’t have any private schools; Finland has understood the concept that competition between schools doesn’t get kids as far as cooperation between schools. Same goes for students, competition between them will just enhance children to push each other down to be on top, instead of working together to really make a difference and something even better since, as the saying said “two minds are better than one.” Clearly we can see with Finland as an example that equality and rewarding everyone instead of motivating students to be better than on another will create a better, healthier atmosphere that will allow for more development and advancement. Rewarding kids for their efforts at a young age can have lasting, positive effects on their development. Little things such as participation awards, or anything really that helps a child feel involved can make an outstanding difference. Not only, as I have stated before lead to a confidence boost, but it will keep them away from bad habits such as cheating their way to success. Participation awards shows that every amount of effort you put in pays off, and as they start to receive higher and more significant awards they will learn the importance of hard work paying off rather than just having a strict idea of being the best or nothing.
pro/con 29
everyone win?
Lessons learned in losing
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By Malia Deramus
rophies, awards and medals are all ways to show gratification of success. When all participants are given any of these winning items for every competitive match they compete in, what is the point of having a first, second, and third place if every student ends up a winner? Teachers and students have at least received one or more participation awards. During our school years, we have many opportunities to win awards because of all the sports and clubs in school. We have the chance to take first, second, or third place
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All this does is water down what the true meaning of earning trophies or awards is all about.
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during competitive matches but, we also have the chance to lose and be defeated by our opponent. Softball Coach Cynthia Castro said she is grateful for the times she lost as a kid. “Some of my most memorable times as a child is not when we won the championship. It is when we came in second and having that feeling of absolute heartbreak and devastation. Those are the times that I will always remember in my life. Those are the times that really pushed me to get better,” Castro said. Memories that stick to our brains are never just going to be the best memories from our lifetime. Humans make mistakes and life can not always be a box of chocolates and sprinkles. Many kids and adults are exposed to painful experiences like the first time you don’t get first place in a talent show.
Memories like those can be so impactful that it is not easy to forget when you grow older. The brain will remember those rough times more than every victory you will take in a lifetime. Those moments allow us to reflect on ourselves and create a more loving, exciting memory. Just by learning from our actions and what we do, we can change how we act on certain situations. If we never had losing memories that made us feel completely at a loss of words, humans would never feel emotions like guilt, sorrow, remorse, or total defeat. By giving every kid an award for simply showing up or for being on the team robs kids of the importance of dedication and hard-work. If schools were to give a trophy to a football team who played horrible the entire game versus a football team who was cooperating with each player and showed their perseverance to win, it is unfair for teams who put more dedication into the game. When you give every team an award just because they do the bare minimum, all this does is water down what the true meaning of earning trophies or awards is all about. By making unfair decisions because you want every team to have at least one winning game, it hurts the reputation of more dedicated teams. “Students and athletes should be praised for their effort, dedication and perseverance, but when it comes down to earning medals or trophies, those are for the students who go above and beyond,” Castro said. Not every athlete receives an award each game they play. Awards can be given to players around the end of the season. Sophomore Angelina Ortega played for Green Valley’s softball team and is currently playing on the golf team. Previously, she has won Athlete of the Month and Defensive Player of the Year, an award that is not given out immediately. It takes a season of watching the players highlights and stats to understand who put the most effort to gain the award.
Awards do not have to be physically given. By verbally telling a student what a great job they did out on the field boosts their self-esteem up. Some trophies are best left spoken rather than a matted sheet of paper to tell someone they did good. Junior varsity football coach Jeffrey Park feels that trying out and making it on the team is a good enough participation award. “Being a part of the team and being able to wear the jersey each week is your award. I would not go through and give everyone a paper saying that they were a part of the football team,” Park said. Trophies that are limited can be so special to where the trophy has high significance to it. Take for example the Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup is awarded once a year to the National Hockey League playoff winner. Only three trophies are handed out in the
entire world. It would be any hockey players dream to obtain these types of awards. Stanley Cups are incredibly hard to achieve and no average hockey player can walk up and earn a trophy like the Stanley Cup. Countless amounts of effort and dedication was put into a team to deserve and win a trophy like the Stanley Cup. Trophies and awards are given to only the best of the best for a reason, to create competition. It would make absolutely no sense for a hockey team that can’t score and a team who clearly is better to both get the Stanley Cup. On another stance, it is understood that at a young age kids need to feel that boost of happiness to think they are special, but if you create this ongoing hill telling a kid they are special by doing nothing, kids will think awards or gratification will be given to them automatically with no effort needed.
Malia Deramus Alex Estrada
October 2019
30 Opinion
Free Candy Forever
The debate on teenagers and their Halloween festivities continues By Alexis Lane Halloween, a holiday that dates back about 2,000 years ago that is still celebrated annually around the world. Today, we celebrate it by dressing up into something we are not and go trick or treating for candy. The problem with dressing up is that it is mainly for kids, but is it okay for teenagers to do it? They are not adults, but they are not exactly children either. What is the appropriate age to stop trick or treating? Teens celebrate the holiday in a variety of ways such as still going doorto-door, going to parties, out with friends, or simply staying home and watching scary movies and passing out candy to younger kids. Some teens who don not trick or treat stopped around the age 12-16. Teens should be able to trick or treat regardless of their age as long as they are being respectful and courteous to other trick or treaters. Trick or treating is the most popular way to celebrate the holiday, and everyone should be able to participate. Some teens could go trick or treating to celebrate their last years of youth with the holiday, others may go just for the fun of it. They should be allowed to because it is not affecting anyone else’s celebration. Most teens go-to Halloween ac-
tivity is getting together with friends and go trick or treating, or staying in and watch scary movies. Staying in with friends is for teens who would still like to celebrate, but they want a calm, more relaxed setting. Some celebrate with parties that become reckless and cause a disturbance in the neighborhood, but that is not always the case with every teenager. No one else on the holiday, adults and children are not restricted to anything on halloween, so teenagers should not be either. No one should look down on teens trick or treating because their only intention is to have fun. Trick or treating is meant to be fun for kids of all ages, and teens are still technically kids until they are eighteen. There should be no restraints on what they can and cannot do on Halloween to celebrate. Teens also go trick or treating as a break from the pressures of being a teenager, such as school and growing up. It is a break for teens to be a kid again and enjoy their youth because teens are expected to start maturing and grow up even though they are still technically kids. They are held at high expectations all the time to act mature and grow up quickly, even though they are still very young. Trick or treating for teens is much more than getting free candy. It’s their way of having
When should kids STOP trick-or-treating? 11-12 years old
no age limit
13-14 17+
15-16 Alexis Lane
The InvestiGator t GVHS
fun and enjoy their last years of being a kid until they actually grow up. It is almost like a celebration of their youth, which is something teens are unable to do most times without being criticized. Teens acting like kids is looked down upon, so trick or treating is an outlet where they should not be criticized for dressing up and going door to door for candy. Adults who are against teens trick or treating are against it because they expect teens to be more mature,
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It is the only day of the year for some teens to act like a child again and dress up.
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and only younger kids should be able to do it. They only see it as acceptable for younger kids to do it because dressing up is seen as childish and immature. They believe teens are too old to trick or treat because they expect teens to act like young adults. Teens should not have to act like young adults on Halloween because they act like young adults everyday, and it is a break for them to act like a kid again because they are still kids. It is the only day of the year for some teens to act like a child again and maybe dress up with at least, a reasonable cause. Teenagers are used to a routine and staying inside all day and sit on their phones. It has taken up most of the younger generation’s attention, and they are always on their phones during their free time. Adults complain about teens being on their phones a lot, but they also do not want teens going out and trick or treating. Trick or treating can be good for teens because they are used to staying inside all the time. They should not be put down for going out and having fun, but also being put down for staying inside on their phones. Teens should be able to trick or treat without being judged because they are only going to let loose and have
fun to get away from the stress that they are always under. It is an outlet to have fun and relax for one night and to act like a kid again. No teen is ever “too old” to trick or treat. “I do it for as long as I can for the feeling of being young still because it’s fun to go out and walk around,” Senior Aurora Vanderbusse said. When trick or treating, kids have learned that walking around in nicer neighborhoods works better because they give better candy like the full size bars rather than the fun-sized candy they would usually get from regular neighborhoods. Neighborhoods with bigger houses usually have more decorations or even haunted houses for kids to walk through, providing more entertainment while trick or treating. Neighborhoods with bigger houses usually have more going on during Halloween because there are usually more kids in those areas for those reasons. Teens should be able to participate as well because they want to enjoy the feeling of being young and have a break from all the stresses from school and all of their extracurriculars. It is only for one night and teens trick or treating is not effecting anyone else’s celebration of Halloween because they want to enjoy the holiday like everyone else. It is not only about the experience as a whole for teens who choose they would still like to trick or treat, but also about what they are getting out of it. More than just a fun time. Everyone has recieved at least onsuper awesome piece of candy or snack when going door to door as a child. So perhaps the goal when one gets older is to only score big chocolate bars, or even money. After many years of traveling through neighborhoods asking homeowners for candy, it can be observed of which houses and housing areas pass out the ultimate treats. This is the prime motivator for teenagers to trick or treat. This increases the chances of young people to continue trick or treating. “Of course the bigger houses always give out the better candy. One time I got a 20 dollar bill which only made me want to trick or treat in the same place every year,” senior Bella Erwin said. Trick or treating on Halloween should be something to look foward to, especially for older kids and teens. After all, they know how to get the best experience out of the most festive night in the fall season.
editorial 31
Time to fear for your life By The InvestiGator Staff
D
eath is an aspect of life that most people fear. Especially, as a teenager, when you have your whole life ahead of you, you don’t want to be cut short from your future. The reaction to the Every 15 Minutes program varied among students. For some students it was convenient to get out of class while others were emotionally impacted and educated. When talking about the Every 15 Minutes program in my AP Psychology class, most students claimed that the assembly scared them. The students focused more on the consequence: death. What stuck with students the most was that, at any given time, they could actually lose their life. The reaction from the students was fearful because not only could they die from a drunk driver, but when they are behind the wheel in
general. With that being said, I believe that the program’s message is much more than ‘stop drinking and driving.’ The message behind this program and what students are failing to understand can be boiled down
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The message behind this program can be boiled down to one word: Responsibility.
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to one word: Responsibility. At this age, more than ever, students need to be held accountable for their actions. High school is a time period where one can fall to peer pressure easily. Now we have an opportunity to make
better decisions and prevent tragic events from happening Not only that, but this is when we as teenagers make decisions without thinking about the impact they may have for ourselves and others in the long term. These consequences can be severe. Honestly, it is a good thing that the Every 15 Minutes Program opened the eyes of many young lives because now what can come after is action. Responsibility is putting yourselves in your parents’ shoes when they are wondering where you are. Responsibility is calling an Uber or Lyft when you know that you have been drinking. Responsibility is knowing your limits. Responsibility is preventing that one creepy guy from taking advantage of a drunk girl. Responsibility is putting your phone down while you are behind the wheel. All of these are examples of how we as teenagers can simply be smarter. A lot of us like to talk high and mighty on how we
would never be the one to get behind the wheel drunk or would never even think about drinking at a party. As teenagers, we cannot just be aware and educated but we must also act and respond with intention. Specifically, with the intention of using logic and reasoning rather than acting out of emotion and carelessness. Although it is difficult to think things through at times, teens must understand that the result will be better than acting without thought. The truth is we do not really know what we are capable of until we are put in unexpected situations. We like to think that we would make the right decision, but the truth is we never really know. For the most part we like to think that we are good people and would never make life altering decisions, but in reality, everyday we are capable of going in the wrong direction, but the choice is up to you on whether you go down that path.
speak
Student Hannah Serquina
October 2019
ALYSSA GILES | PHOTO
MEMBERS OF THE FOOTBALL TEAM TRY TO DEFEAT THE CHEER TEAM IN A GAME OF TUG OF WAR ON SEPT. 19 DURING THE HOMECOMING ASSEMBLY IN THE GYM. THE TRADITION RETURNED AFTER A SEVEN YEAR ABSENCE WITH THE CHEER TEAM COMING OUT VICTORIOUS.
GIVE IT YOUR ALL
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