Senior Issue - May 2017 by The InvestiGator

May 2016

investigator

the

Vol. 26, Issue 6

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

Christine Talion

Members of the senior section cheer during the Girl Band assembly.

Class of 2017 waves goodbye By Michael Goldstein

enior Week is May 22-26 here at Green Valley High School. The week focuses on all the seniors and all of their high school careers from freshman year to senior year. “The week is 90’s themed. Monday is pajama day, Tuesday is college shirt day, Wednesday is tropical day, Thursday is when I grow up day, and Friday is dodgeball - or squad - day,” English teacher Heather Coleman said. This year’s goal is to live up to all the hype and exceed all of its expectations. In years past, the seniors have been excused from their classes during the week to have fun and participate in activities. The annual dodgeball game takes place during a barbeque lunch after senior breakfast and assembly. “During the week there’ll be events like the senior breakfast, a senior slideshow, a dodgeball tournament, and we’ll also have a cap and gown parade at the end of the day where the senior march through the halls in their caps and gowns with the drumline. The whole week is filled with cool activities and little surprises,” Coleman said.

This week is also an extremely emotional time as the students prepare to leave high school and transition into adulthood. This week is the last time the seniors will be able to actually say they are high schoolers up until graduation day. “I’m really hyped for Senior Week. I think I’m actually going to dress up for all the themed days and have fun because it’s my last week of high school let alone my last chance to dress up for a themed week,” senior Amy Amezcua said. “I’m excited for college, but I’m also really scared. Like I am actually going to be an adult and I am going to have to do everything myself. That’s terrifying but cool at the same time.” Senior Week is a summarization of the four years that the seniors spent in high school. The senior assembly includes a slideshow of pictures submitted by seniors that they have taken during the last four years. The term senioritis is strictly defined as a supposed affliction of students in their final year of high school or college, characterized by a decline in motivation or performance. While most students have fallen into senioritis – even if they are not yet seniors – around the end of the school year, once the seniors actually realize they

are graduating, the senioritis declines and reality sets in. “We graduate on June 8th. It seems so far away, but it is not, it is super close and it is weird. I can remember my first day of freshman year and then I remember we graduate in like a month and it’s the weirdest thing to me. Like I’m excited for college but I’ve been for like ever.” Amezcua said. On Monday all seniors will come to school in their best rugrats outfits. On Tuesday the seniors will rep their favorite college t-shirts and show off their soon-to-be college inspired by Saved by the Bell. On Wednesday they will wear their best Spongebob Squarepants outfit. On Thursday is when I grow up day, seniors will dress up as what they want their future career to be. Finally, Friday they will dress up as a “squad” or a group. As a last event before graduation, the seniors will go to thier gradutation rehersal on June 7 the day before graduation. The last day of [high] school for seniors is Friday, May 26th which also happens to be the last day of Senior Week. This week is about celebrating the seniors and reminiscing on the last four years before the seniors go off to college and enter the real world.

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May 2016

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Contents

Vol. 26, Issue 6

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

Christine Talion

Members of the senior section cheer during the Girl Band assembly.

Class of 2017 waves goodbye By Michael Goldstein

Decisions, decisions page 17

SECTIONS

On The Cover Seniors prepare for their last week of high school.

page 1

NEWS 1 FEATURES 4 SPORTS 11 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 13 OPINIONS 17 STUDENT SPEAK 24

FEATURED STORIES 4 Traveling Gator

Senior Carlos Lorenzona is planning a getaway to Europe.

6 Kirson is D1 bound

Christine Talion

Senior year forces students to make many decisions including the all elusive one: what do I do after this is all over?

editor's note: The year is ending, and you’ve made it this far! Senioritis is probably eating the majority of the senior class alive, and that’s totally alright. Everyone who is graduating should be extremely proud they made it through these past 4 years. In our issue solely dedicated to the birds leaving the nest, we have a wide variety of stories we hope accurately reflect the spirit and essence of the 2017 class. For senior week we have highlighted the major days, which include PJ day, when I grow up day, and even Squad day. We also included a blurb about graduation, the wished upon day many are hoping to hopefully encounter soon rather than later. We have featured seniors planning to do super cool things over summer and next year, like Carlos Lorenzana, who plans to go to Europe. In addition, we have also featured some super start athletes like Alexis Kirson who is playing D1 soccer at UCSD. In light of these new changes we have also included stories like changing fashion and social media trends. Four years is a long time, and things have definitely evolved in this time span. Some of our opinions stories include the unforseen benefits of community college, as well as what students are facing with new political climates that have been created across campuses worldwide. We hope that this big step in all of the senior’s upcoming futures is plentiful of good times, good friends, and a lot of prosperous opportunities. Green Valley will definitely not be the same without the Class of 2017 that has enriched our lives with a lot of joy and funny times. The campus will miss the upbeat nature of our seniors and their bright smiles, even though they’re probably all fed up and ready to get the heck out. - Sarah Fernandez, editor-in-chief

Senior soccer star Alexis Kirson receives partial ride to UCSD.

13 Trending fashions

Clothing trends have severely evolved through the four years seniors have been in high school.

16 Social media frenzy

Instagram with stories? Snapchat filters? Changes to social media have taken us by storm.

20 Politics and Campus identity

Facing the new heated campus tenions in a political frenzy. theodyssey

4 FEATURE

From Green Valley to Greece and Italy

Carlos Lorenzana starts his summer off with a luxurious trip to Europe

By Maycee Labo

This summer, Senior Carlos Lorenzana, will be taking a two and a half week trip to Europe, specifically Greece and Italy. He plans on sight-seeing and enjoying many of the delicious new foods he will come across. Since, Lorenzana had never traveled outside the country, his parents allowed him to choose somewhere to travel as a graduation gift. He decide on Europe because he has always dreamed of traveling there. “I’m really looking forward to just traveling, because I haven’t traveled outside the country before, so it’ll be really cool,” said Senior, Carlos Lorenzana. Sightseeing is one of Lorenzana's top priorities during his trip. In fact, he plans on seeing the Sistine Chapel, which is what he is looking forward to the most. Next, is the food; he plans on indulging the famous crepes and pizza while he’s across the atlantic. “I’m very happy that I’m traveling with my cousin because we’re very close and I couldn’t think of anyone else to travel with,” said Lorenzana. Lorenzana plans on traveling with his 22 year old cousin, Jovana. His parents though Jovana was a perfect travel partner for Lorenzana because she has more experience with traveling and can help Lorenzana out if they’re ever in a sticky situation. “I’ve known that I was going on this trip since last summer, since that’s when things with my parents started to get serious,” said Lorenzana. When Lorenzana’s parents confirmed that he was going on this trip he was excited and of course a little bit scared. This is because of the fact that he hasn’t ever traveled out of the country or flown for a long period of time before. “I’m nervous about the language barrier. I know that some people will speak English, but it’s still a little scary,” said Lorenzana. Traveling to a new place can be scary, especially when there is a language barrier. Even though Carlos is fluent in spanish, he is still nervous about not being able to speak Italian and Greek. “I’m feel very grateful that my parents are giving me this opportunity to travel and I’m looking forward to summer because of it.” said Lorenzana In conclusion, Lorenzana is looking forward to spending a couple weeks in Europe as a way to begin his last summer with a bang. After his graduation trip, he will go to Nevada state college.

“I think I have grown up a lot and I can deal with more homework and putting up with people that I don’t necessarily like. By trying to be more responsible and setting goals for myself I have become more independent.” - senior Andrea Santillian “I have learned a lot and I have become more smart. Over the four years, I have learned a lot and become smarter. I now know how to manage my time, how to trust certain people. and how to organize myself. I still kept to myself and I didn’t focus on trying to be popular.“ - senior Nathalia Arias “My attitude, friends, and style has changed throughout the years. I have tried to improve myself to help myself with school and my personal life. Sometimes I realized I have changed without even noticing because I have just adapted to situations unconsciously. The biggest thing has changed since freshman year has been the friends I entered school with. I started with a bunch of somewhat close friends and now I have my core friends.” - senior Angellina Acosta “From freshman to senior year I have become more focused on my school work and starting to actually study more. Ever since I realized I wanted to be in the military and go to college, I realized that I needed to improve my grades which motivated me to become more focused. Overall, I care more about how much I study and the grades that I receive.” - senior Ashley Anderson “I have changed in a way that I learned how to be more mature and realize there will always be times when you can’t be okay which is totally okay because there will always be people around you who will help whatever you are going through.” - senior Ronnee Villamor “I realized that you don’t need all these people to make you happy. You just need that certain person to make you realize you have everything that you could ever need.” - senior Spencer Mills

GROW

Seniors reminisce changes over the past years By Shila Sherafat

The intricate craft of “glowing up” nears its final stages for seniors as their last year comes to a close. While glowing up is only another phrase for going through puberty, the change of one’s image has widely become admired. This elaborate process differs from process of puberty in that it does not focus on the biological effects, but more on the social aspects. Glowing up is the classical “rags to riches” story in terms of a person’s physical looks, personality, and even number of followers. As trends change constantly in a society of social media, the change of a person through the four years is incredibly drastic. While glow ups can start slowly in early junior high, the majority of the process occurs in high school where students experience several milestones in a short timespan including obtaining a driver’s license and managing oneself in everyday tasks. Glow ups are affected by an individual’s likes, dislikes, pet-peeves, talents, and achievements. Although glow ups are seen more physically, they occur concurrently with the growth of the person’s personality. Senior year is the time where students arrive at their self-actualization stage by looking back at their accomplishments and contributions. Many seniors will scroll through their social media feed on graduation day and look at the differences between the then and now. As seniors have experienced all that the four years had to offer, their personality and friend groups have developed simultaneously. Whether glowing up is considered as something to ignore or not, the adjustment of people will continue, even after senior year. In the end, the art of glowing up is growing up.

FEATURE 5 “Over the past four years I have learned more about myself than anything else. I’ve discovered that I can accomplish things that I never thought possible, both academic and personal. Also, I think I have become more comfotable with who I am now than I was as a freshman.” -senior Tiffany Holm-Morris “Over the four years I have been at school, I have become more accepting about who I am and where I came from. I have realized the I know one day I will make a difference in the future. These past years have taught me to me more optimistic in my life.” - senior Deedrah Corral “Since freshman year, I have changed physically by growing about a foot. Personality-wise, I think that I have become more mature and aware of the world around me. Although my sense of humor and immaturity in some cases have stayed with me throughout my high school years, ultimately I think I have become mature in what is important.” -senior Charles Fiorenza “I have become more mature than I was freshman year. I cared about unecessaries back then like being better than someone or focusing on things that don’t really affect me. Now as I’m getting older, I ignore all the drama and focus on just doing my own thing to be more sucessful in my life.” - senior Anthony Herrera-Mead “I have definitely developed my self confidence and social skills. I wanted to develop friendships that would make me step out of my comfort zone. In my underclassmen years, I was pretty reserved. Later, I began talking to more people and I started to become more open over the years.” - senior Christine Talion “I think I have changed a lot over the four years. I changed the way I see things now, I don’t look at things as a little kid anymore and I see it as a young adult going into the real world.” - senior Anahi Castaneda March 2017 t The InvestiGator

6 FEATURE

Community college opens doors By Sydney Lum

After high school there are many paths that can be taken. One path that is most common is college. College is a great opportunity to focus on a field that will help future occupations. But before having complete focus on something the basic classes must be completed. The time comes to where the choice must be made… Community College or a University. When a decision like this must be made all of the major factors have to be thought of. If you have a full ride scholarship to a University then it is a no brainer to go to the University offering that but if you do not have scholarships lined up and need to get basic classes out of the way before focusing on a major then it might be the smartest option to go to a Junior College. “I am planning on going to CSN. I am going to get my basics done and out of the way because it is going to be a little cheaper than a University. After going to CSN I plan on moving up to a University,” senior Autumn Beltran said. Paying for college can be difficult especially if you attend a University for four years or more. The average tuition for a Community College is half the price of a University. Money can be saved if attending Community

College for the first two years and then transferring to a University after earning an associate degree. “Making a decision of what to do after high school depends on the student. The Community College before a University has some options like it is cost effective, user friendly, convenient, and there are several different campuses that are available,” counselor Debra Block said. Although most students think about college after high school to get a degree and major in a subject to try to make it a career there are students that are not driven to continue their education at a college. There are other options after high school rather than just college. “I would encourage my students to pursue a good path whether it is going into the workplace, going into the military, or going to college. I would encourage them to take a class or two to see how they like it instead of taking a gap year. This way they might pursue a two year degree,” Block said. Everyone has different career paths and different interests, even if someone decides to go to college there are many things one can major in. It all depends on what interests the student. Therefore a Community College can help a lot and is very beneficial. It offers the classes just like a University at a less expensive price and is an affordable way to earn an associate degree. Also if you still want to travel out of state but want to go to a Junior College that is an option because there are Community Colleges located areoud the United States just like Universities. Community College can open doors to a future career or to going to a University.

The age old question

FEATURE 7

By Anastasia Koulich

â&#x20AC;&#x153;When will I ever use this after high school?â&#x20AC;? the question that we have all not only heard, but asked ourselves numerous times while sitting in class. When we look back at all the classes weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve either been forced to or chose to take, we often begin to existentially ask ourselves if all of the trouble was really worth it. After all, it is only natural at two in the morning, after writing an essay on the importance of the Cold War or repeatedly going over the quadratic formula while you aspire to be a graphic artist, to wonder what the purpose truly is. In high school, the common core classes that we are all required to take serve us much more than we could ever imagine after graduation. While your math packets may seem pointless and monotonous, not only does it teach you valuable skills that could wind up being applicable in your career path, but these classes teach you discipline, responsibility, and critical thinking. In any career you choose, even if it is only solely driven by yourself, there will be tasks that you are required to complete that are undesirable, but ultimately will result in a positive outcome when completed, and it is the practice that you had dealing with such tasks on a smaller scale during high school that will push you through these trying times. Despite your lack of motivation to complete them, the ultimate negative impacts that would result from a missing assignment will ensure that you get these jobs done. When you receive this A+ in Life After High School, you will have those endless hours of algebra to thank. Of course homework is not the most enchanting activity you could be doing with your time, but I think life is a little more interesting when you have knowledge stored in your head. Not only do these classes benefit you behaviorally, but mentally as well. The critical thinking and assessment skills that stem from the science and math classes we take throughout school do not cease to exist after you receive your diploma, but follow you both in your career and through your general life. Our education reaps a litany of benefits and it oftentimes something we take for granted. While perhaps the area of a triangle may not be applicable in every real world scenario, it is the comprehensive outcome of your education that is going to benefit us in the long run.

8 FEATURE

2016-2017

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WORST ARTIST

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H&M BEST SHOE

WORST SHOE

Sketchers

Vans

FEATURE 9

SENIOR SURVEY FAVORITE MALE CELEB

Leonardo DiCaprio

FAVORITE FEMALE CELEB

Selena Gomez

BEST NETFLIX SHOW

BEST SOCIAL MEDIA

Snapchat WORST TREND

Shameless SONG OF THE YEAR

100 Layers Challenge Bad and Boujee -Migos

www.swscontractors.com

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

5277 Cameron Street, Suite 100 t Las Vegas, NV 89118

SPORTS 11

Soccer star leaves mark on school By Kiara Thomson Senior Alexis Kirson is the top leading scorer for our well-known women’s soccer program. After four years of dominating on the offensive end, her teammates and coaches will dearly miss her. Although, Kirson will continue to live out her dream and play division one soccer at the University of California, San Diego. “I started playing soccer when I was four. I played a bunch of sports growing up, but soccer has always been the main focus,” Kirson said. From a very early age, Kirson was determined to make something out of herself when it came to the game of soccer. Not only did she see a potential future with the sport, but her family did as well.

“

My parents were also a big push and helped me a lot throughout my journey -senior Alexis Kirson

UCSD (University of California, San Diego) has always been a dream school for the student athlete. Now, that her dream has become reality she has to learn how to balance all the demands that are ahead. “I know once I am in college I am going to have to learn to have really good time management. I am still trying to balance having the college experience and playing soccer full time. It will be difficult at times I am sure, but I will have to learn how to do it,” Kirson said. Aware of all the support she has going into this new world of college sports, Kirson hopes to make a statement her first year playing. Kirson will be attending school only a few miles away from her sister, whom she is very close to. Planning to stay connected to her roots while she is away, Kirson explains that her high school coach Catherine Davis has had a tremendous impact on her throughout her career. “Coach Cat is amazing. She taught me so much about leadership,” Kirson said. Coach Davis is known for following the motto, “commitment of excellence”. She teaches her girls the importance to try the best you can in not only soccer, but in everything, you do. Kirson claims that having Davis as a coach helped her get to where she is today. “Alexis has broken more records and expectations than I could have ever imagine! When other teams have to game plan around her, you know you have a rockstar athlete on your hands,” Davis said.

courtesy Alexis Kirson

Alexis Kirson (left #14) and her sister, Chloe Kirson (right #15) jog off field for halftime during a home game vs. Cornonado.

Davis and many others anticipate watching the local star from Henderson make it big in California. Kirson knows that accomplishing the goal of making a D1 program does not mean the work is over, it is far from over. “From my own D1 experience, you have to love the game and be ready to push yourself to levels you never thought possible. It takes over your life! It is also critical that you find a good school and good program that is a good home. I think Kirson has done that,” Davis said. Kirson prepares herself and takes in all the memories as she is on her way to graduate. “For the underclassmen, I would just say, enjoy highschool! It honestly flew by for me. I had a lot of fun along the way,” Kirson said.

As a role model to many of our young female athletes, Kirson hope to aspire students to never give up. “I am not going to lie, there were times when soccer was all work and no play. I sometimes would think about quitting. I am so glad I pushed and got myself to where I am today,” Kirson said. Now, the time has come to say goodbye to one of the most valeubale soccer players our gators have ever seen. “It is a bittersweet moment in my life, I will always come back,” Kirson said. From the class of 2017, make sure to always keep an eye out on “the girl on fire”. Kirson will continue to work hard and make her own legacy in soccer. “She truly will go down in Gator history, and continue to show her leadership on and off the field,” Davis said.

12 SPORTS

All-Star player scores a touchdown with University

courtesy ofBrock Hershberger

Senior Brock Hershberger intercepts a pass at Basic High School on Oct. 14, 2016.

By Cameron McCormick

ollege can be an exciting thing for any senior whether it is for academics or sports. Senior Brock Hershberger is going for both. With offers coming in left and right from schools such as Cornell and Adams State for his athletic performance, Hershberger committed to Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma holding 27 national championships. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to get to play for Oklahoma,” said Hershberger.

“

I chose OBU over the other schools that offered me because I like the coaching staff and the atmosphere -senior Brock Hershberger

Listed as one of the highest ranked athletes in Nevada, any college would be lucky to have him. Weighing at 235 lbs and being a height of 6’3”, he can be seen playing on the field giving his all. As a defensive-end, colleges look for hardworking and dedicated athletes; Hershberger has these qualities and more.

“I’ve been playing football since I was little,” said Hershberger. “Playing football in college is something I’ve always wanted to do. Hopefully, I make it big one day.” Starting when he was little, Hershberger has always been interested in football for years. Not only is he being scouted out right now, but even when he was little playing the kids league, colleges were looking at him as a potential player for their team. Going to football recruiting camps over the years has helped many colleges get a better look at Brock and his way of the game. Originally, his hope was to go to Boise State University and play for the Broncos when he gets to college. “Originally, I wanted to go to Boise since it offers a lot for academics. I’m happy with the offer I got.”, said Hershberger. Oklahoma Baptist is the top-ranked private Christian college in the nation. Not only does it offer the basic undergrad classes such as English and Math, but it also offers theology and ministry for those wanting to go into it. Theology is the study of God and religious beliefs. Anyone can attend whether you are religious or not, however, it can be expensive. “I chose OBU over the other schools that offered me because I like the coaching staff and the atmosphere.”, said Hershberger. “I had an awesome time on my official vis-

it and it helped me decide on going there” College is all about being independent and being responsible. It’s about being on your own with no parents to help you and paying bills on time. This can be scary for many seniors but for Hershberger, this is just a walk in the park. “I’m looking forward to being independent in college.”, said Hershberger. The basic dorm at OBU houses two to three people per room. Students often have to pay their tuition which takes care of the dorm rooms and their general classes. Not only does tuition help pay for all the basic necessities such as books and rooms but it also helps pay for the semesters of education a student will receive. “I think it’s going to be a cool experience living with one of my teammates in a dorm and getting the full college experience on and off the field.”, said Hershberger. On average, only a handful of scholar athletes are given offers whether they’re fullride scholarships or partial, by big-name colleges looking for their next player to join their all-star team. Colleges don’t just look at a player’s athletic performance but also their academic performance such as grades and their behavior in the classroom. GPA plays a big role in sports. A low GPA means no game time which is crucial to any athlete. “I always stay on top of my grades so it doesn’t affect my season. Grades are a big part of any sport.”, said Hershberger. Being a top-player on the varsity football team, he can recognize the next player that will catch the spotlight on the team. “Some kids to look out for on the defense next year are my brother, Brant Hershberger and Branden Lopez.”, said Hershberger. OBU had been looking at Hershberger for many years and watching his highlights on Hudl to see what he can bring to the Bisons. “I’m going to give my all to this team. College football is something that is going to be fun and different than high school football. It’s a lot more intense and competitive.”, said Hershberger. Moving on from high school can be hard. It means you are leaving behind the friends and family you made over the years and the memories that you created. “High school was a rollercoaster to be honest. It had it’s highs and lows but I’ll miss the friends I made and my coaches that helped me get to where I am today.”, said Hershberger. “I couldn’t do it without them.” Whether it’s in school in the classroom sitting in a desk or on the football field tossing the football around with other varsity players, Hershberger can be found giving his all. With his four years of high school finally out of the way and in the past, he is moving on to bigger things and new adventures at Oklahoma State.

A&E 13

Trends change, but style is forever By Lexi Demoleas You walked in freshmen year and saw ombre hair, skater dresses, flannels tied around the waist, and fancy sweatshirts bejeweled on the collar. These fashion statements were the staples of the 20132014 school year. “I thought the trend on flannels around the waists was pretty pointless, it was so useless. People would be cold and refuse to take off the flannel,” senior Koko Takahashi said. At the beginning of 2014-2015 school year, the trends started to shift sophomore year. We revived suede skirts from the 90s, holographic everything, kimonos, t-shirt dresses, and sandals that either made you look like Jesus or a gladiator.

“I really hated kimonos because first of all that’s not what a kimono is, it’s just a fancy cover up because a kimono is a completely different Japanese dress. Also the suede skirts made everyone look like weird cowboys,” Takahashi said. Rolling into junior year 2015-2016, we got overalls and mom jeans, it was the year of thrift shopping - thanks Macklemore. For high schoolers that are broke most of the time, thrift shopping is a dream come true. Vintage clothes? For less that $10? Sign us up. “Mom jeans didn’t really flatter anybody wearing them and at the time boho pants became a thing. Although, boho pants were ‘flattering’ the style of them were weird,” Takahashi said. Finally, we have this year, senior year.

Checkered vans are all the rage, inappropriately cut jeans, fuzzy Puma slippers, Gucci slides, and space buns. “This was really the return of the bad 90’s trends year, a lot of things that were on the non-matching side,” Takahashi said. From 2013-2017, many of the same trends stayed and never went back out of style. Ripped jeans, Converse, and perfectly arched eyebrows were all the rage then and still are today. “Overall the years my favorite trend would be ripped skinny jeans because they looked really nice on a lot of people,” Takahashi said. Hopefully next year in college, seniors won’t see as much outlandish trends like feather brows, extremely over lined lips, and plastic clothing.

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14 A&E

Healthy habits after high school

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . By Bethany Casall Depths within the mind bring forth different routes to be followed. The path outside of high school is a journey that many struggle to find a start to. Especially a flow with healthy habits that prove to be beneficial. Although it may seem as somewhat a struggle, finding a plan suitable for your newfound time will not only leave you motivated but energized to try new things. Whether one decides to go to college, take a gap year, travel or whatever it is that is filled with interest, there will always be room for a simple routine filled with health benefits. Effortlessly, one can just start eating healthier. This can easily be done as long as self discipline is gained. The capability of having this skill is within everyone. Yes, a bit of “training” may be needed for a while to deter from the undesirable impulses of unhealthy habits but through it all, it will lead to a happier healthier you. Coming along with this one has to understand that it is okay to treat yourself, as long as it isn’t to a point of extensiveness.

Another way to implement a healthier point of view on life is to start exercising. For most students, not having to wake up early is a plus side to have graduated from high school. Taking the extra time you have and using it to its fullest will only be beneficial. Time spent on getting ready in the morning could be used to implement some cardio or hours spent on homework at night, at the gym. There are always positive ways to have a schedule with exercise somewhere in it no matter how minute, everything counts. Moving along with a formula that can make your days easier, a planned schedule is truly important. Although many go about their day far from what’s proposed, a good time block can help tremendously towards a better flow. During high school it’s easy to get caught up in whatever takes its place around school. Free time is usually gained from graduation leading to time spent watching Netflix. Take a break from hours on end in front of the streams and find a beneficial alternative. Have a period set for all aspects of life, work, leisure time, exercise and anything your

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day deems to have done. Balance is key to everything you do. Sleep is one of the most important parts of life allowing us to function properly. The average amount of sleep a teenager in high school gets is much less than the recommended hours required for a fully functioning mind and body. The use of different stimulants isn’t encouraged but is widely used and excessive amounts of caffeine is taken from energy drinks, coffee and surprisingly, protein bars. The national sleep foundation studies show that teens in high school need at least 8-10 hours of sleep each night and with everything going on in their daily lives, it’s difficult to finish everything in a timely manner. Only about 15% of students get the recommended 8-10 hours each night. Keep in mind that simply because high school is over does not mean obligations are done. It’s actually far from that. You have the capability to make a difference in the world and by starting with yourself, you can go forth with motivation and drive to create a positive influence. Congratulate yourself and have fun.

SAVING MONEY as a graduating senior

By Erinn Veach Life after high school is a difficult road, the challenges of being independent, the stresses of college, and making a future all weighing down. No matter how much planning and thought is attributed to a prosperous post high school life, nothing can quite ready graduating seniors for the financial aspect. With smart methods of saving money under their belt though, even the least financially inclined person can be prepared to successfully start the rest of their lives. Saving money starting in high school is an important step in working towards being financially stable. Planning ahead gives students a jump-start on the next years of their life. Not only does it give a foundation for graduating seniors to build up from, but also a safety net to fall back on if necessary. “It’s all about planning ahead,” senior Adam Matthews said. “There is nothing worse than not planning and then you have to spend extra money as a consequence. Then you are set back even further than you already were. It will just lead to a mess.” Seniors can earn this money to stow away by getting a job. Many businesses, such as Cafe Rio and Smith’s, around the school hire students and work with their school hours. When saved, not spent, the paychecks can add up to be a helpful sum of money. Although it can be tempting to use money right away, it is in the best interest to save. Skip out on the splurge with paychecks. Put it in the bank instead. Focusing on saving when it comes to small things can also be beneficial. Spending less on non-essentials can make for extra money for emergencies and critical payments. A mistake many graduating seniors make is that of not paying attention to the money they are spending. This disregard of how much everything adds up can be harmful to their financial state. “A mistake many seniors make when trying to save money is that they don’t,” Matthews said. “They don’t make the effort to try and save money on the little things.” The struggle can be real with expenses after high school, yet with knowledge on how to save prepared, it can be made easy. Work smarter with money, not harder.

A&E 15

16 A&E

Social media releases program updates By Brynne Hilton

These past four years social media has greatly blossomed like the spring flowers that are coming around the corner. All social media platforms have had their fair share of upgrades and downgrades. Whether it be story features, photo albums, Snap streaks, or lip sync videos, the class of 2017 has been in the middle of it all. In 2013, Instagram just started videos and the logo was the retro camera that we all have come to love. The layout was still blue and you could only post square photos and used word art on the picture instead of the caption. As the years progressed Direct Messages were added, longer videos, better filters, post any size photo you want, and could link more than two accounts together. “A game changer was when they added videos to the app, that was massive. People then got to transfer Vine to Instagram,” senior Brie Gorter said. Some of the more recent updates to Instagram have been; stories, photo albums, and Instagram Live. One of the more upsetting updates was the logo change and the layout. The logo went from a retro camera to a vibrant ombre square with a white camera, the layout changed to blue and the bottom bar has thinner strokes and users profile picture in the corner instead of the silhouette. Everyone had mixed opinions about stories and live steam, people either

get irritated because everyone uses it or enjoys it. “I like the new layout, it’s way more convenient be able to swipe between all the different pages,” Gorter said. Twitter has been the same except little changes like Direct Message, Twitter Polls, and Twitter Moments. It does not have a form of stories or live but you can still tweet to your heart’s desire and post the same selfie that you do on Instagram. “The biggest change I remember is quote tweeting and being able to put emojis in your bio; I was waiting for that,” senior Rachel Petterson said. Even though Twitter has not had dramatic changes some of its little fixes have made their users happy. Some of these fixes have been putting emojis in bios, adding pictures, and being able to edit your tweets. “Its nice to have updates like upload more photos and edit tweets, it does not need the features that Instagram and Twitter have,” Petterson said. Snapchat has probably had the biggest change and upgrade of all the platforms. In 2013, all you did was take pictures, post on your story, and screenshot all the ugly pictures your friends sent you. One of the first upgrades was to message people and read all the news companies that give you the most pointless advice. About a year and a half ago, we were given filters and everything blew up after that.

2013

VS 2017

The first filters were more for entertainment than looking cute but the dog filter along with the Coachella flower crown have changed everyone selfie game. Everyone was posting their Snapchat selfies on every other media and made them their profile pictures. Now filters change every week and vary from animals, to nerds, retro, and face swap. “I think the filters were the biggest change,” senior Leonardo Rubi said. “Especially the geo filters and the ones you can flip the camera and still have the filter” ` But this year we have lost one platform where we were introduced to lip syncing videos, challenges, and overall laughs.. Vine. Sadly, Vine was put to rest earlier this year. Our younger and cringey selves can no longer worship Vine stars like Liza Koshy, Josh Peck, and Nash Grier. We can no longer appreciate the slang and challenges the Vine has provided us like; Or naw, What are those? You gotta bae? Do it for the vine. Social Media will always be a part of our everyday lives. Every year the platforms will update and downgrade. The class of 2017 has experienced some of the bigger changes in the media and have seen in it evolved to what the rest of the school used today. Every class will experience the changes in social media and will have to get use to the changes. Let’s just hope that they all would not be the same with stories and live videos.

College as the only option

OPINION 17

By Skylar Jones

College, or as many people call it: the only option after high school, is promoted tirelessly by schools and parents. High schools, even middle schools, revolve education around the prospect of higher education. For example, earning two foreign language credits is considered almost mandatory even though it is not required for graduating with a standard diploma. This is only enforced because almost all competitive colleges require the credits. It can seem like high school education is not about learning, but about gaining the rights to college. To be fair, this is not without good reason. On average, college graduates will make 462 more dollars a week than those with only high school degree. Over a lifetime, someone with a bachelor’s degree will tend to make one million dollars more than someone without. Also, adults with college educations are also less likely to be unemployed. In 2009, 5.2 million college graduates were unemployed whereas 9.7 million adults without college degrees were unemployed. Some studies also show that college degrees lead to happier and healthier lives. Divorce rates for those without degrees is double that of those with. College graduates are also more likely to not smoke, watch their weight and have access to medical care. At this point, college can seem irresistible, but there is another side to this debate. America boasts 1 trillion dollars in student loans. Plus, student loans are the only type of debt that cannot be expunged in bankruptcy proceedings. The average person takes out 30,000 dollars in student loans and that number will only continue to go up. The cost of college has risen so fast in the past 40 years, that it has passed the rate of inflation.

There are also hundreds of successful and talented individuals who lack degrees. Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, had a networth of 10.2 billion dollars and no college degree. The CEO of Wendy’s, Dave Thomas, also did not attend college. Others include Kanye West, Tiger Woods, Michael Dell, and Lady Gaga. Although the biggest example by far is Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft and the richest man in the world, who is a college dropout. Deciding not to attend college opens many opportunities for a young adult. Most of successful college dropouts listed above were entrepreneurs who started their own businesses. Another route to a

desirable salary is attending trade school. Trade school graduates make almost the same amount of college graduate, are almost guaranteed a job, and finish school two years sooner. Other options include following one’s artistic passion, volunteering, joining the military, selling real estate, of course, getting a job. Attending college is not something someone needs to be successful. It is advertised as the only option with plenty of data to back it up, but it’s not. With hard work and luck, not attending college can positively impact one’s life, but it is important to remember that is usually not the case. Even then, degrees are not for everyone, despite the world saying so.

18 OPINION

Succeed over seas

By Hailey Gross

The time has come most parents are dreading. When they see their not so little baby walk down the aisle. While a number highschool graduates will be attending community college, very few students will be taking a risk and study abroad. These fresh out of school teens will travel to foreign countries to expand their education. While traveling abroad these young students will be adapting to the new culture around them. Travelers will be able to experience the taste of the culture while exploring out and discovering new food, music, and clothing options. Monitoring social qualities and standards is intriguing, as well as can help us comprehend worldwide issues and clashes, or even identify with the social standards of a remote business accomplice. It is an imperative ability to have the capacity to move points of view and see where another person originates from. By enlisting in an abroad program, you’ll have the opportunity to see a side of your undiscovered love for travel and expanding education that you might not have been presented to at home. You’ll see that totally submerging yourself in the training arrangement of your host nation is an awesome approach. Training is the centerpiece of any review abroad excursion—it is, all things considered, a review abroad program—and picking the correct school is an imperative variable. There is nothing very like being all alone in an outside nation. You may find that concentrating abroad truly draws out your free nature. Understudies who travel abroad progress toward becoming voyagers of their new country and truly find the interest and fervor that they harbor. There are an assortment of decisions and chances to truly become acquainted with another culture, take in another dialect,and experience secondary school classes in another nation. Many program suppliers put secondary school understudies in a differing number and kind of nations, from Spain and Germany to China. In the event that a year or semester sounds like an excessive amount of time, you additionally can look over various summer programs. Many projects offer school credit for their mid year programs, which will give you a lift when you really begin college. An advantage to concentrate abroad is simply the chance to find while picking up a comprehension of an alternate culture. Accept these open doors to venture to the far corners of the planet without any duties however to ponder and find out about new societies. On the off chance that you are occupied with universal travel

and new social encounters, procuring your graduate degree abroad might be an awesome instructive choice. A whole year is additionally an awesome approach to get school credit while concentrate abroad before starting school. Set aside the opportunity to deliberately consider the greater part of studying abroad open doors accessible to graduate understudies and figure out what strategy will be suit your long and here and now instructive and vocation objectives. Excogitating abroad can show you precious life lessons. Inevitably you’ll discover a profound profession, and some of these things may sound inconsequential, yet it might be the first occasion when you have needed to spending plan for yourself,

cook and clean for yourself, do the shopping, etcetera. You will likewise get an awesome feeling of flexibility, which means you should figure out how to teach yourself. The fact that you have lived and studied abroad shows that you possess valuable workplace qualities such as independence, initiative, and resilience. It also shows that you are not afraid of a challenge and that you can be adaptable if the circumstances demand it. It is very simple to overlook that one reason you came. This experience is simply vital that you center a piece of your time on your scholarly reviews and not exclusively on your recently discovered flexibility and social existence. Enjoy the experince.

Pain in the passport By Nora-Jo Paramo Studying abroad is frequently an extraordinary experience. However, it is crucial to pay attention to the drawbacks that come along for the journey. While it is normal to envision the glamorous parts of your trip abroad, your expectations could blind you into a haze of misconception. Studying abroad will require you to do a lot of planning and organization. You should prepare for every aspect of your trip and include an evaluation of both the positives and the negatives. There are a number of things to consider when arranging for your semester or year abroad, and travel medicinal protection can turn out to be a fundamental viewpoint. Overall, a universal understudy medical coverage plan can essentially lessen your own costs ought to an unforeseen disease or damage happen over the span of your program. Many people expect that their residential health care coverage supplier will cover any crisis restorative costs they obtain abroad, yet this is not regularly the situation. In fact, multiple medical coverage arranges no longer cover you once

you leave your nation of origin. Fortunately, there still are global understudy health care coverage arranges that give moderate, complete therapeutic treatment to full-time students or scholars studying outside of their home country. If this was not obvious, correspondence is basic to proficiency. Dialect boundaries exist in each nation, and it is critical to know the level of familiarity that will be anticipated from you, both from your teachers and peers and local people you will be communicating with abroad. Furthermore, you may be shocked by the sudden difference in culture. Everything from nourishment, religion, transportation, frameworks and style of dress may contrast from those at home. This culture stun can cause feelings of dissatisfaction, tension, and a yearning to go home. In turn, if you are not ready to adapt to these distinctions, they can lead to anxiety even in circumstances where you are doing the most simplest of errands. It would be tragic if your international credits did not count towards your degree because your credits did not transfer over

OPINION 19

to the United States. Not having your credits transfer is a total setback because that means they do not go towards your degree. Not only did you spend your money but you also spent years of your life you are never getting back on attaining credits that will not go towards your degree. In order to prevent this from happening, you can make sure the college you go to study abroad is accredited. To stay on track to graduate, check to see your home university will approve of your study abroad credits before accepting an invitation to go study in another country. Studying abroad is certainly a challenge and requires hard work out of you. In order to prepare for what lies ahead, you will need to think everything out

20 OPINION

Political campus whirlwinds fast approaching By Sarah Fernandez College is where you’re supposed to find yourself, where you’re suppose to have existential crises every now and then, and self-reflect on a wasted freshman year and an exciting summer internship. As the year comes to a close, and many seniors go on their way out of the door to their expected campuses, one can’t help but recognize the elephant in the room. Call it fate for some, or a terrible inconvenience for others, universities across the nation have recently been undertaken with a huge tsunami of student activism in the wake of national issues. Student groups from over 60 schools, according to The Atlantic, have met their respective schools with list of demands in order to call for change they desire. Such demands have included integration of certain cultural teachings in curricula, creating cultural centers, and leadership changes. As some of our seniors go off to college, many might find themselves at any of these campuses, in the middle of a huge protest, or perhaps in their dorm room wondering why any of it matters. In the midst of rising tensions in the political climate of today (much thanks to our Oompa Loompa president), many new students find themselves with a rather grand, kind of ginormous, and earth shattering identity crisis. Where do I fit into all of this? See, that is a question no one can answer

for the student, but it is quite important to start answering it if you want to find yourself on the right side of history. Things are actually quite clear and not as complicated as some make it out to be. The divide between our archaic two-party system is growing more than ever, and their rift is only reflected in our college campuses. Really, that’s it. One can have several attitudes to this new aspect of what is probably going to be every day student life. For one, you can be the kid that locks themselves in a dorm and does not participate in absolutely anything

“

In the wake of all of this, you can choose what you want to be.

because like why does it matter that a cop shot a black kid, right? You can be the kid that actively campaigns for either the left or right, and blazes a trail along the way; further meaning you’re going to be one loud, lean, mean, fighting machine for your cause. The trailblazing and fighting machine moves have to have an ounce of moral dignity, well, unless you’re a conservative ignorant or a liberal bystander, of course. Or, alas, you can be the kid that passively participates in protests here and there, at-

tends some meetings, and pets their ego into thinking they’re actually adding anything to the conversation. In the wake of all of this, you can choose what you want to be. You can find your place but let it be known that once you stand your ground you cannot waver. If you somehow find yourself sophomore year campaigning on your college campus, with light tones of white supremacist rhetoric, well, don’t say you weren’t warned. If you somehow find yourself holding a sign that says “Peace and Love,” while minorities glare at you for your inability to see that the sign you so adore does absolutely nothing to help end their oppression, don’t say you weren’t warned. When you step onto your college campus and you try to answer that question of fitting into this political climate, don’t say you weren’t warned about the extremes. Don’t cry out that you didn’t know, ignorance is never a good look or first impression. There actually is no excuse anymore, and no side can really afford to be grossly misinformed about the actual facts. Whether some like to admit it or not, whether there is a large student activist crowd at your university, and whether you actually care or not, the chance is that you will most likely become entrapped into some type of tense political situation. How you act is all up to you, but like aforementioned, don’t find yourself on the wrong side of history.

info from The Atlantic

14 SPORTS

Hockey team skates into town

The Vegas Golden Nights recently revealed their logo to the general public in an event at T-Mobile Arena.

By Seth Beekman

ne thing many Vegas sports fanatics have always wanted is a professional sports team in their city, and now they officially have one to call their own. On Nov. 22, team owner Bill Foley held an event to reveal the long awaited team name, logo, colors, and other team associated information. The Las Vegas hockey team will be named the Vegas Golden Knights and the logo is a helmet that forms the letter V, standing for Vegas. The team colors will be steel grey, gold, red, and black. The steel grey and gold represents strength and the red comes from the Las Vegas Skyline. The black originates from the mountains around the valley. The Golden Knights will play in the T-Mobile Arena located on Las

Vegas Boulevard. “I’m really excited for this team to come to Vegas. I’m a huge hockey fanatic and look forward to seeing professional games in Vegas,” sophomore Grant Schenkel said. The team has received outstanding sup-

“

opportunity so I jumped on it,” sophomore Omar Arellano said. The Las Vegas community has always wanted a professional sports team but many around the country have questioned whether or not there was enough popularity. After holding preseason and minor league games to see how well it would end up doing, the sport gained popularity to the point where Las Vegas could get its own team. This was the beginning of the Golden Knights. The professional team also plans to impact the community in numerous ways. It will bring jobs to the Valley and bring in a lot of people for tourism. “I think having the team in Vegas will greatly affect the economy and bring plenty of jobs and opportunites to the people of Vegas,” sophomore Scott Gruber said. Many wonder how the team is going to fill out a roster. It will happen through something called an expansion draft. Every NHL team will select five players that they want safe and then the Golden Knights will select one player from each team that is not labeled as safe. When the expansion draft is complete, Vegas will have their 20172018 team. Geroge McPhee was announced as the general manager of the team. McPhee was a former GM for the Washington Capitals and had an exceptional career there. He made the postseason four times and won a divisonal championship. McPhee made it to the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals but ended up losing to the New York Rangers. He plans on bringing a winning culture to the team and brings a championship mindset to the table. The Golden Knights will be playing in Vegas in no time and look forward to having the chance to bring the city and people of Las Vegas their first ever major professional sports championship.

Henderson Location Now Open! 543 N. Stephanie St. #120 I already purchased my season tickets for the season.

- sophomore Omar Arellano

port from the community. Over 16,000 people had already put down deposits for season tickets before the team was even officially announced by the NHL. “I already purchased my season tickets for the 2017-2018 season, I am personally a Los Angeles Kings fan but I still love to watch the sport I love and I finally got the

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24 OPINION

Student Speak: What is your favorite high school memory?

“Prom night 2k17 #TeamSwanky.”

“Performing in front of the entire school for girl band.”

“The last dance show that is happening Friday night.”

“Going to beach goth with my friends on my birthday.”

~Sean Adina, senior

~Aniyah Pinaula, senior

~Cijay Pillai, senior

~ Jamie Cordon, senior

InvestiGator Editor-in-Chief

Adviser

Eric Johnston Member: National Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Volume XXVI, Issue VI

Sarah Fernandez

Reporters Seth Beekman Kaeli Britt Bethany Casall Lexi Demoleas Michael Goldstein Hailey Gross Skylar Jones Anastasia Koulich Maycee Labo Casey Li Sydney Lum Cameron McCormick Nora-Jo Paramo Shila Sherafat Taylor Strezlec

News Editor Kiara Thomson Entertainment Editor Ava Meade-Scarpitta Staff Photographer Brynne Hilton

Opinion Editor Irie Douville Features Editor Erinn Veach Sports Editor Meka’la Parker Photo Editor Brynne Hilton

Editorial Statement The Green Valley High School InvestiGator is a student-run and operated newspaper. All opinions and views expressed within are those of the author and not of the student body or staff of Green Valley High School. Letters to the editors or staff can be delivered to room 825 or emailed to greenvalleyinvestigator@gmail.com.

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

May 2017