The InvestiGator

Vol. 28, Issue 1

THE

September 2018

Back in

session

INVESTI GATOR

Green KidsNV&Sings Coupons StudentsA andStorm teachers use their academic badges in order to avoid breaking the bank Up

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Go Gators!

9/20/16 11:23 PM

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insideissue this

on the cover Vol. 28, Issue 1

THE

September 2018

INVESTI GATOR

News

6 anchoring a win Girl’s swimming wins it all at State

Feature

8 got citizenship?

Senior gains citizenship after growing up in the U.S.

11

beauty king A look into the life of a high school drag star

Sports

15

in their league

A&E

Back in

session

21 love letters

Gators jump back into the school year with a bang at the Welcome Back Assembly.

Netflix movie “To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before” captures hearts

Opinion

24 suck it up

Brynne Hilton

The pros and cons of a straw ban

pg. 14

Editorial

26 new year

Students examine the experiences of First Friday

InvestiGator editors take on the NBA

Parkour always gave me a safe place to turn to.

-Antony Castro Hailey Gross

Editors’ Note Brynne Hilton

I absolutely love track & field and cross country.

- Dana Detweiler

We are back Gators, and we couldn’t be more excited for this year! Through the making of this issue, there was unarguably a lot of stress, long days and many bowls of popcorn, but it was worth it. We are back in the swing of things with the beginning of the year and we hope you are too.

In our news section, we learned about safety issues both at our school as well as on another campus. The staff went on to write about extrordinary students that are doing unique things in the feature section. Sports touched base with the new wrestling room and previewed the Fall seasons for your Gator sports teams. And our entertainment section features a review of an ever growing hit movie about five letters and five boys. As a staff, we saw both sides of the controversial plastic straw ban and discussed reasons to support or reject getting rid of disposable straws.

As you turn the pages in our first issue, we aspire to recognize the meaningful stories that may not be easily seen. As a staff, we are honored to have the chance to cover the amazing and ever unique stories of the students who walk the halls of GVHS.

04 news

The news in brief.

Erinn Veach

Erinn Veach

Security becomes concern

By Erinn Veach Cheyenne High School in North Las Vegas will become the first CCSD school to have permanent metal detectors implemented. This action leaves educators around the Valley wondering if metal detectors will soon become a norm in all schools.

“I think it would be a very different atmosphere with metal detectors on our schools,” campus monitor Phyllis Lackie said.

In the concern of student safety, some find this method of security to be necessary. Lackie especially believes this.

“I think metal detectors would be good,” Lackie said. “Anything that would make it safer for kids is worth doing. My job is to ensure the safety of students, so really I am willing to do what it takes.”

Metal detectors are not the answer in everyone’s eyes though. The argument that arises is that schools are for education, not fortification.

I think the optics of it would make school look like a prison, and we don’t need that.

Kent Roberts “I’m not a huge fan of [metal detectors], I don’t think they are the answer to the problem of safety we have,” Principal Kent Roberts said.

Problems of cost and efficiency also present themselves. Metal detectors are not cheap and come with a lot of hassle in enforcing and maintaining them.

“There is obviously a large cost to them, and there is no way to have a perfect security system,” Roberts said. “I think logistically it would be a bit of a problem, because with the way those work, there has to be one point of entry. Imagine replicating 3000 students going through the airport every day, that is essentially what that would be. .”

In addition to the logistical issues metal detectors present, educators are concerned with the visual aspect. The devices are not small and are very obstructive.

“I think the optics of it would make school look like a prison, and we don’t need that,” Roberts said.

The InvestiGator t GVHS

New class for 2018-19

Erinn Veach

Safety measure adopted

By Erinn Veach Coming into the school year, several new safety measures have been implemented by the administration. One addition is the distribution of emergency phones to every teacher. These phones give each staff member the ability to alert the entire school with a single click in the case of witnessing an emergency.

“The purpose of them is to give teachers the ability to make an announcement that everyone would hear instantaneously if the unfortunate event arose where that became a necessity,” Principal Kent Roberts said.

The process of instituting the use of these phones was largely prompted by both students’ and parents’ pleas for safer schools.

“After the Parkland shooting last year, a lot of kids brought up the issue of safety, so we really have been trying to implement security measures that will alleviate some of that concern,” Roberts said.

Following the student Town Hall that was held at GVHS on March 14 of last school year, Roberts held an additional parent meeting where ideas were brought up about how to create a safer school enviornment.

“When we had the parent meeting, I discussed security issues and one of the parents reached out because he works for a phone company,” Roberts said.

This option was much cheaper than the ideas that administration has previously been thinking of. The lower price tag is mostly due to the type of phone being used: a flip phone. Putting the plan into action wasn’t easy. It took nearly 7 months to push through the idea.

“There were a lot of bridges to cross and red tape with our school district. We didn’t even get approval until three weeks before school started,” Roberts said.

Now that they are in place, the hope is that they will increase communication ability between staff. Staff phones will fill gaps in the school’s intercom abilities and will provide a reliable, easy protocol for emergency situations. In many emergency situations there often can be a sense of panic and confusion. The phones allow directions to be directly given to teachers, hopefully alleviating these concerns.

“When things like that happen, you can tend to forget your training. This makes it very easy for teachers, it’s literally one button,” Roberts said.

By Alexis Ladd All students have been introduced to an additional class upon their return to GVHS. This class, “Social and Emotional Learning” (SEL), will be giving students the opportunity to meet new peers and acquire important social skills.

Classes were held during the 2nd and 3rd weeks of school, and will continue to be held once a month for the remainder of the year.

We had SEL classes last year, there were four pilot teachers doing this class which went very well so we decided to incorporate these classes throughout the entire school . All students need to build these skills to apply after education.

David Hawley The class will focus on topics such as improving listening skills, developing better social skills, and learning better study habits.

Dean David Hawley further explained the purpose of the SEL classes. From Hawley’s perspective, SEL can be great way to help kids in facets of their lives that go beyond the basic curriculum that the majority of high school students are used to.

“We had SEL classes last year. There were four pilot teachers doing this class which went very well so we decided to incorporate these classes throughout the entire school. We needed it wall to wall within our school because all students need to build these skills to apply after education, whether it is learning to meet others or working through adversity,” Hawley said.

Freshman Kaylee O’Neill feels that SEL will be a useful resource in coming years. It is her first year and she sees the potential of the new program.

“This is my first year at Green Valley so I am fine with the SEL classes,” O’Neill said. “I feel like they can really help students.”

news 05

SWIM TEAM ENDS YEAR WITH TITLE Women’s swimming brings first championship to program

By Maycee Labo

On May 19, 2018 the women's swim team brought home the program’s 1st ever State title at the Buchanan Natatorium Aquatic Center, on the campus of UNLV. Although the team was runner up at regionals, the team was able to pull it together and take home the win at State.

“I think the team had good spirit, were put together, and knew what they had to do to win,” head coach Robert Swift said.

Competing in big competitions like state can lead to many different emotions being felt where it can affect individuals in various ways.

“I didn’t have the need to be nervous for the meet because I had confidence in my training that I could do well,” senior Valerie Kitchens said.

Another element that many athletes can relate to is the atmosphere of important competitions. The vibe of a meet, or race impacts the competitors in terms of how the competition is going to be, affecting how the athletes will perform.

“Previously, we had faster swimmers, but there was a lot of tension, and I feel like this year there was no tension and that it was nice and re-

I didn’t have the need to be nervous for the meet because I had the confidence in my training .

Valerie Kitchens laxed,” Kitchens said.

One of the school’s top swimmers, Victoria Navarro, spent the season dealing with shoulder injuries and was ruled out for the season. However, Palo Verde, who was looked at as the favorite to win State, also had swimmers that could not compete.

This strengthened the girls’ confidence heading into the State meet.

“I was pretty confident going into the State meet. I had looked over our information before and I knew our chances were good at the beginning of the season,” Swift said. “The girls really stepped up at State, and I think that was a big thing.”

Swim team members celebrate after qualifying at Regionals for the State tournament. They would go on to capture thier first ever State title on May 19, 2018.

courtesy of Rylie Collins

The score of swim meets are calculated in points that the team collectively earns as a result of what each swimmer places in their event. As the last event, the 400 meter freestyle relay, crept closer and the tension grew, it became more and more important that the girls won that event for both bragging rights and points. Kitchens was the anchor of the race and her competitor from Palo Verde had been .5 seconds faster than her in the 100 freestyle.

“I was terrified because I knew this girl was faster than me in the 100 free, but I was like ‘whatever’, because even if we lost the race, we still would have a chance to win State, but it just feels better to win the last event,” Kitchens said.

Green Valley ended up winning the 400 free relay by .33 seconds, as Kitchens swam the last leg of the race in a personal best of 51.94 seconds. At the end of the meet, the Gators ended up defeating Palo Verde by 20 points, with a final score of 94-74.

“My club coach was so proud of us, he kept bragging to my other teammates that we won, and how we accomplished something in our lives,” Kitchens said.

The team had made four straight trips to the State tournament, but had come up short each time. In 2017

the team was runner up, losing to Palo Verde, but this year the team attacked State with a different attitude and mentality and seemed ready to claim their title.

“I think there was more team uni-

ty, it was more of a team, there wasn’t drama. I think there's been drama in the past about who’s going to swim what,” Swift said. “They were focused on winning the meet, and that’s exactly what they did.”

A JURASSIC HOMECOMING

By Tyler Bonnette The annual Homecoming Week is on its way, for late September.

Kicking off the Jurassic Homecoming is the spirit week, starting Monday the 24th with “Dino-Snore Day” (wear pajamas), which is followed by Tuesday’s “Welcome to the Jungle” (tourist attire), Wednesday’s “Dinosaur Tracking” (wear camo clothes), Thursday’s “Searching through the Vines” (meme day). Friday then concludes the spirit week with Homecoming Shirt day, which will lead to the parade, carnival, and football game after school. Tickets for the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, September 29th, are on sale sold by student council members around campus.

The decision for this year’s theme happened at the Student Council retreat, alike every year.

“Student Council has a retreat for

a few days,” Student Body President Olivia Weddell said. “We all brought ideas, and decided on Jurassic Homecoming instead of other ideas that were brought.”

With the recent movie, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and the previous movies being such a hit, it was bound to be a desired theme.

“They put a lot of work into their theme,” Student Body Advisor Mr. Otter said. “I think it’ll be a really great theme for the assembly and the dance.”

As Homecoming targets various age groups returning to their home from 1991 to 2018, it appeals to the whole family. With the 25 year gap between the first and latest movies, everyone can find the love for prehistoric creatures.

With “Jurassic Homecoming”, it lets Jurassic Park, and Jurassic World become aligned as both bring about the dinosaur madness.

September 2018

06 news

SENIORS FACE NEW RULES ON SHORT SCHEDULES

By Vivien Liebhardt

With the option available, many seniors are excited for a shortened school day with only 4 classes; though this year, that may no longer be possible for certain students. There is now a requirement of having at least an 18 in math and 22 in English on the ACT to be eligible to take the minimum classes required. The new rule changes up the game for seniors since in the past, students simply needed to participate in the ACT and scores were not regulated for graduation. The new requirement states that students should be able to succeed in college and be well prepared for it in the pursuant of further studies. This regulation allows students to further their studies and have a better projected path in assisting their college journey.

This new requirement was established about one week before school started by the Clark County School District (CCSD). Many students believe it is a tactic to raise overall test scores.

“I believe that the requirement was an incentive to make kids try and get a better ACT score,” senior Surya Suvvari.

Not only could this policy raise average test scores, but it may force students to be better prepared for college applications. High test scores are

required to get into many schools.

“The ACT is a big part of college applications and the staff want you to try and aim for a good ACT score so that students can get into better colleges,” Suvvari said.

It’s no surprise that the school and

Even if you do meet the requirement, you should still try to take as many classes as you can because that’s what colleges are looking for .

Some students disagree with the system saying it is not fair that out of the blue their ACT scores determine the amount of classes they will take during their senior year. Others believe that there could have been another option instead of forcing students to take six classes.

“I do think there could’ve been other ways that this situation could’ve been approached,” senior Lea Carr said. “Seniors look forward to their

shorter schedules, so maybe instead of making them take six classes, another option would be being able to take the ACT again.”

On the other hand, Suvvari, who scored an outstanding 35, believes that this new policy could be helpful for students who struggle academically.

“I would not mind taking six classes if it meant that it would help me improve academically,” Suvvari said.

Surya Suvvari staff would try to challenge students beyond their limits in order to ensure they have done everything they possibly could. Their goal is to strive to make all students at their very best.

‘The requirement was set in place in order to check if a certain student is college and career ready,” counselor Kelli Grimm said.

Senior Surya Suvvari studies for the ACT.

Bethany Casall

2280 S Jones Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89146

(702) 948-4999 NEVADA CLASS SIZES HIGHEST IN NATION Reiki Treatments

Schools to see average class size increase Chakra once Balancing again in 2018-19

By Zachary Schauer

Nevada has the largest class sizes in contrast to any other state in the nation. Having a class of 30 to 40 students is quite different compared to the average class size of 23 to 26 students. Understanding this, teachers and students within the Clark County School District (CCSD) across have a hard time tackling this issue throughout the valley.

“It really is stressful for us teachers because we have to make sure every student understands what we are trying to teach them,” social studies teacher Clay Mauro said.

Teachers see that once one student has a question or needs help, it can be difficult to move on from a certain topic.

Taking time to focus on each student can be an obstacle when trying to teach a whole curriculum in one 50 minute sitting.

The InvestiGator t GVHS

Some teachers, similar to Emily Baracco, did not know anything about the current class size situation that Nevada is in.

“I have always had big classes and I just never really noticed,” Baracco said.

Thankfully, through the dedication and capabilities CCSD teachers and staff have, accommodation is quite natural towards the application of their teaching when there are a lot of students.

“I think it is a bit harder since there is so many kids and some have questions, so you have to stop teaching to help them and it kind of messes up the rest of the class,” Mauro said.

Teachers find difficulty in trying to keep the entire class on track as a whole.

Students, like junior Chris Carson, find this difficult as well.

“I just want to finish school, but it is hard to learn when I have a question and ten other students do too,” Carson said.

Vibroacousticsometimes Sound into a class that is already full.

Many agree that this then creates further Therapy problems in the effectiveness of educating students one on one in the classroom.

Crystal Healing

With the issue of having above average classe sizes and overcrowding in Nevada high schools, students are constantly being switched in and out of classes, but

sports 07

Definiton of a cheerleader

By Hailey Gross

Casey Jones has done something that has never happend in the history of GVHS. Flipping into this season, Jones will be the first ever male in the school’s history to have made the varsity cheer team.

“My dad would put on old kung fu movies. I would sit down and mimic the moves that I saw on the television and ever since then, he has been helping me learn more and more,” Jones said. “I started doing flips a little bit around the house when I was little and my dad was very impressed with that, so we decided to enroll me into gymnastics classes to start building u p

my abilities.”

L i k e what most people do when trying something new, Jones started out small with a few classes here and there to improve with his balance and other physical abilities.

“The girls on the team that I have known since middle school have wanted me to join since sixth grade and I did not think it was really going to work out, so I delayed trying out and tried doing other things like football,” Jones said.

Sometimes trying new things can benefit you the most. It stimulates creativity while also driving you to challenge yourself both physically and mentally. The benefit is almost always more rewarding than the risks, life is too short to constantly be stuck in the same worn out routine.

“When I first found out I made the team, I was shocked. I did not think I would make the team, let alone varsity. This is a step in the right direction for those boys who are too afraid to join gymnastics or the cheer team, even. People should not care what others think about them,” Jones said.

In recent years, self-consciousness has peaked among teenagers.

Many of today’s teens are concerned about what their peers think about

them, placing a harmful effect on them later in life. Some will grow up believing thay are not good enough or that they don’t meet society’s standards.

“I always aspire to do my best, but I don’t feel like there is any more pressure on me than the girls on the team. If anything, there is more pressure on the captains. They are responsible for keeping us on track and making sure we’re all doing what is needed,” Jones said.

High school is about creating precious memories to remember years down the road. This means getting out of your comfort zone as well as making new friends and joining clubs that interest you.

One of the four returning captains on varsity, senior Sabrina Swiontek, was more than excited to have a boy join the cheer family.

“He went into tryouts not knowing much and didn’t prepare for anything,” Swiontek said. “Then he started showing us what h e

was capable of and everyone was so impressed our coach was like ‘we need him on the team.’”

To jump into something so quickly, then being able to adapt to it took Jones unconditional

love and passion for his hobby.

“Casey is constantly learning new cheers, and he is adapting to new things so quickly which is amazing.

It is a lot to take in especially because this is his first year and he is still learning,” Swiontek said.

With stunts, one of the more difficult aspects of cheerleading, the cheerleaders perform different skills

When I first found out I made the team, I was shocked.

I did not think I would make the team, let alone varsity.

This is a step in the right direction for those boys who are too afraid to join gymnastics or the cheer team.

Casey Jones and tricks, all timed to a set number of counts.

In addion to trying to entertain the crowds too.

“I know we performed for the first time at school during the first assembly, so hopefully it’ll bring other guys out to try new things.

Casey is setting such a good example for those who are too afraid,” Swiontek said.

Pep rallies and football games are only two of the many events Jones will perform at.

This year the cheer team will be traveling to Anaheim, California for the Anaheim US nationals.

“He doesn’t care what anyone thinks of

him and he’s totally in love with what he’s doing,” Swiontek said.

People will always try to tear others down. If one is driven to do something and they set their mind to it, the negativity won’t affect them as much.

“All the girls on the team are so thirlled to have a boy on the team becasue obviously it has never happened before. I don’t think Casey realized he has basically made history at Green Valley,” Swiontek said.

Carrying greatness around your shoulders is tough, especially when so many people are relying on you. With great power comes great responsibility. Being great is much harder than people understand.

“We are all super supportive of Casey becasue we all want him to succeed. Every time he does something cool and new, we’re the first ones to cheer him on and I don’t think he is used to that yet,” Swiontek said.

Having a strong foundation and support means having someone to fall back on even if things don’t go the right way. The cheer team serves as a backbone and will continue to support a fellow member of cheer forever.

With a new coach, new challenges should be taken. That’s exactly what head coach Bailey Perryman is bringing to the table to help shape the girls (and Jones) for the 2018- 2019 season.

“Casey brings the most positive energy to the team, he makes everyone happy. We could all be having a bad day, and everyone will be down, but then he comes to practice and changes it. He is very spirited. He is the true definition of a cheerleader,” Perryman said.

Having a good attitude is in the description when mentioning the word “cheerleader.” One of their jobs is to radiate positive energy into crowds, pumping everyone up with excitement.

“The only thing Casey could improve on is the cheer terminology.

He doesn’t get all of the words we use one , so it can be tricky at times. Every other correction he gets, he fixes immeditely which is really weird because he is still figuring out routines and new moves,” Perryman said.

Making mistakes is a part of life.

They teach how to fail and learn along the way while also giving valuable lessons.

Casey Jones gives a new and improved meaning to the word “cheerleader.” He is going to continue to go above and beyond to prove that anyone can do what they love even if it means being unique and stepping out of his comfort zone.

September 2018

08 feature

The

road to citizenship

feature 09

By Bethany Casall

There are a few moments in life that stand to become a part of one’s most memorable experiences. For senior Aditya Subramaniam, becoming a citizen of the United States of America has been added to this ever growing list.

“I hereby declare, on oath… that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America… so help me God,” Subramaniam said in early May of 2018.

In the process of obtaining citizenship, there are certain obstacles that may stand in the way. For Subramaniam, as a minor, the process towards the acquisition is placed among the parents. There are two general ways to obtain citizenship through U.S. citizen parents: at birth, and after birth before the age of 18. Congress has enacted laws that determine how citizenship is conveyed by a U.S. citizen parent(s) to children born outside of the United States. Subramaniam’s parents became citizens in March of 2018 which has allowed him to apply for citizenship along with his younger sister.

Subramaniam was born in India and lived there for his early years.

“I lived there for six years then I moved to the United States and have lived here for eleven years,” Subramaniam said.

Coming from an entirely different country is quite difficult for some, but for Subramaniam, having arrived to the United States as a young child, the adjustment was easier. Opportunities in education that presented themselves in America were much more apt for supporting his dreams.

As an individual who has been to school in the United States for almost all 12 of his childhood years now, Subramaniam does plan to stay here for college and the furthering of his life towards his career.

Conforming to western academics has influenced him to look into schools, colleges in specific, to advance to as his upcoming senior year comes to an end. As a high achieving individual, Subramaniam is taking a fast paced route to acquire a degree in medicine in hopes of becoming a doctor.

There has yet to be a day where Subramaniam is not grateful for everything that has surrounded him.

Being a citizen of the United States is so much more than a piece of paper and being able to reside in any of the 50 states. It allows for rights. Rights where voting, protests, and one’s

voice matters.

“If you’re not a citizen, you can protest and rally but you really don’t have a say in who becomes president, senator, or governor. As a citizen, you can then vote and directly contribute.

It is nice to have control of who represents you,” Subramaniam said.

The drive that individuals have to benefit the community as a whole is acquired from many different point of views and as the population grows, as does the amount of people who wish to make a positive difference in the world.

“Being a citizen is really empow-

Being a citizen is really impowering because I can help change the world with my vote.

Aditya Subramaniam ering because I can help change the world with my vote,” Subramaniam said.

Like Subramaniam, Senior Gerard

Bensadoun is in America in hopes of gaining his citizenship in the future.

Originally from Spain, Bensadoun came to the United States with his family as his father was transferred here, working for an American company from Spain.

“My father worked for an American company in Spain and he wanted me to go to school in the US,” Bensadoun said. “They opened a job for a financial director in the US and my father accepted it.”

In 2016, Bensadoun started school in the United States for the first time and since then, has excelled in academics and more recently, took up cross country.

Both Subramaniam and Bensadoun, high achieving advanced honors students taking AP and IB classes, are truly living up to the American dream.

“I am looking into schools like MIT, UCLA, UNLV, and Berkeley, to study aerospace engineering,” Bensadoun said.

With many obstacles in Bensadoun’s path towards his desired future, each day is a battle in hopes to become a citizen and continue his studies here in the United States.

As the process is changing over time, the path towards getting citizenship is different for each case and generation. Subramaniam was able to apply for it as a minor under

his parents as he has been residing in the United States for more than 5 years with them. As for Bensadoun, the process is much different due to the fact that in 5 years, he won’t be a minor anymore and is currently here applying for a green card.

Throughout his life in America yet to become a citizen, each waking moment hasn’t always been the greatest.

Diversity is still a situation that many have to deal with when seeing that it isn’t present. Alike many schools in Nevada, they are primarily populated with one ethnic group far from a diverse population. Though difficult to come to terms with as a child, it is something he grew up around and has accepted his environment.

With English being the primary language spoken in the United States, many find it difficult to learn it and thankfully Subramaniam had the opportunity to study both at the same time.

“My first language was Tamun, which is a language spoken in India,” Subramaniam said. “I learned it with English as a conjunction.”

Alike many hopeful citizens, the time and dedication given to benefit not only themselves in the acquisition of citizenship but their commitment to the good moral citizen that the United States proudly upholds many to be, will always be a deed true to the heart.

Senior Adytia Subramaniam recieves his citizenship in March 2018

courtesy of Adytia Subramaniam

September 2018 Kaeli Brittz

10 feature

Hardcore

By Diana Brown

P

arkour is an art in motion and a way of getting from one place to another in an artistic form.

It is an escape from the stresses of school and home for junior Antony Castro. Five years ago, Castro started going to the park with his friends to mess arounwd with flips. Times were rough at home, so Castro would feel freedom when he did parkour. He decided it would be smart to start taking parkour seriously and start training at the gym.

“Parkour always gave me a safe place to turn to whether I was stressed from school, arguments at home or just having a rough day,” Castro said.

Castro trained extensively every day for a few months. Not long after, the training started paying off. He began going to competitions and won awards. In 2014, he won 2nd and 3rd place during a freestyle and all style competition for WFPF (World Freerunning Parkour Federation).

“If you put your heart into it and you really believe in what you are doing anything is possible,” Castro said.

As a middle school student, Castro never came short of inspiring other students. After school, when he went to the park, he attracted many of his friends to start doing parkour. Castro influenced junior Scott Hill to start attempting harder tricks. Following this influence, training after school became an everyday thing.

“I would go to the park with Antony after school and when he would do flips he amazed me by how serious he was about parkour,” Hill said.

As time progressed, Castro became advanced enough to coach a class at the gym he was practicing at.

Although he enjoyed teaching, he desired to learn more. During Castro’s training process, he does monkey ups, completes obstacles, such as going through different courses, speed walking and getting from a starting point to an end point. Since then, he has learned his favorite moves, which are the corkscrew and a full twist.

“I learned my favorite tricks only when I started testing my abilities,” Castro said.

For anyone who wants their dreams to come true, motivation is key to achieving them. Castro works the hardest at parkour to be the best he can possibly be.

Professional traceur (a parkour professional) Perris was Catro’s idol before they became friends. When-

The InvestiGator t GVHS

ever Castro was struggling with parkour, his motivation came from the fact that Perris, his long time friend, has a hole in his heart, yet he continues to live his life to the fullest.

“I figure if he gets out there every day and is able to have fun, then why shouldn’t I get out there,” Castro said.

Castro has his own commercial sponsored by Cirfit apparel in collaboration with groups like Zoologic, Knucklehead, Zoo and BRK. When he found out he got sponsored, his aspects changed. Castro felt as if he could do anything.

“It felt like I was taking a huge step forward,” Castro said. “That opportunity gave me the chance to show those who doubted me that they were wrong.”

There are many tricks in parkour and being able to carry out those tricks all the way through does not always come easy. It usually requires

repeated trial and error.

Castro has seen many injuries

Parkour always gave me a safe place to turn to whether I was stressed from school, arguments at home or just having a rough day.

Antony Castro

since he has started doing tricks.

However, one of the worst injuries he witnessed was when an old friend broke both of his kneecaps at once.

“The most painful injury that I have had while tricking happened when I was on the corner of a roof and I skinned my shin so bad that the bone peeking through,” Castro said.

What makes Parkour fun for Castro is that he does not rely on anyone but himself. It helped him deal with his bad relationships at home and allowed him to get away from the negative influences in his life.

“Parkour allowed me to the explore foundations of tricks throughmy own expression inside of a big community,” Castro said.

Parkour has no boundaries, which allows Castro to explore his emotions and the world in an artistic way. With parkour, possibilities are endless and the sky is the limit.

Hailey Gross

Q &A

Brynne Hilton

feature 11

with

fAUNA WHITE a high school

drag queen

By Abby Culpepper

Q: What first made you want to do this?

I’ve been watching Women Divine since I was a kid and I used to watch Hairspray the movie so once “Rupaul’s Drag Race,” came out it kind of inspired me to start doing it.

Q: Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

My biggest inspiration is probably Snow White and Marilyn Monroe because Marilyn Monroe is such an old classic and Snow White is my favorite princess so that’s where I get the white in the final part of my drag name.

Q: What has been your favorite experience/memorable moment so far?

When I did my very first lip sync competition in drag and I remember winning it and I just immediately started tearing up because it felt so great.

Q: Could you see this becoming what you do for a living?

I would love to do this as a living, but I know it’s a really hard job because there is so much competition, so I really want to pursue costume making for drag queens and just do drag part time.

Q: Have you always loved performing?

When I was little, I would dress up in my mom’s heels and run around the house so I’m very welcoming on the stage.

Q: Do you feel more comfortable in or out of drag?

I feel the same honestly. My drag persona is sort of the same as my boy persona, so drag is just another expression of who I am.

Q: Who’s your favorite Drag Queen?

There’s so many to choose from. Obviously Trixie Mattel because I love me some trixie. A really underrated drag queen is James Mansfield. I feel like she does camp in such a unique way.

Q: If you could change one thing about societies view on drag what would it be and why?

I would make them know that drag isn’t always so provocative and dirty, I know media always displays it as scandalous and so taboo but drag is evolving in the right direction. It’s becoming so teens can do it and become more comfortable with themselves.

Q: What do you have to say to the haters?

I would say that I really don’t care what you think because your opinions are irrelevant.

Q: What are your all time favorite makeup brands?

Of course Jeffree Star because I love him, but I really love Sugarpill. Another brand that is really underrated

in my opinion is drugstore, because drugstore is really great. Same with Kryolan.

Q: When was your first competition/ most recent competition?

My very first competition was in 2017. I did a school lip sync contest and won a $20 amazon gift card. My most recent competetion was in 2018 at a convention called the Level Up Expo where I competed in lip syncing and won 2nd place.

same with or without it.

Q: When did you start Drag and why?

I started drag freshman year because I saw Rocky Horror and I wanted to be Frank N. Furter for Halloween.

Q: What would you say to people who are afraid to do drag?

You just have to go for it. If you’re afraid of people thinking “You’re a guy in makeup,” don’t think that way because the world is changing and people are becoming more accepting. Everybody is a beginner at one point.

Q: What do your parents think of drag?

Oh my gosh! My mom loves it so much. She’s always like ‘Oh my gosh, my son is doing drag and yours isn’t!’

My mom is my biggest supporter. My dad was worried for a minute because he wasn’t sure what other people would think about it and think about me, but now that I do it so much, he kinda just thinks of it as ‘he’s doing what he loves.’

Q: What is your response to people who say that Drag is fake because you aren’t really a woman?

I think when people say ‘oh drag is this,’ or ‘oh drag is that,’ my response to that is drag is art. You have to interpret it in your own way and how it makes you feel. I just think people need to open their eyes to what drag really is.

Q: Do you think drag has helped you come out and become more confident?

Not really. My drag personality is the same as my normal personality , but my mom took me to pride when I was in middle school too. It was a gateway to gay culture, but I would feel the

Q: What is your ultimate goal with drag?

I see myself as Rupaul’s Drag Race Champion #23 when I’m 21. I see myself making my own costumes, in full drag, and doing death drops everywhere. I see myself in 20 years being a super famous, glamazonian warrior.

Q: Do you think Drag is something anyone can do?

Of course, anybody can do it, boy or girl. Drag is just an exaggerated women character. You don’t even need expensive makeup. I still use drug and dollar store makeup, so just go for it.

September 2018

12 photo essay

First Friday

Students celebrate the first “First Friday” of the year on Sept. 7, 2018 in the courtyard by playing games and enjoying lunch.

Erinn Veach

Seniors Lauren Taylor, and Julianne Elliot blow bubbles into the crowd of students.

Students that work at the Gator Gear store sell merchandise to the students attending First Friday.

Senior Shannon Johnson plays her roll in the school’s band by playing her clarinet.

The InvestiGator t GVHS

Senior Bryce Avecilla loses in a game of giant Jenga in the courtyard.

The brass section of the band participate in playing some jazzy takes on popular music.

sports 13

Gators score a day at the Summer League

By Hannah Serquina

Members of the InvestiGator had the opportunity to cover the National Basketball Association (NBA) Summer League this past July at the UNLV Thomas and Mack Center. This experience influenced these young reporters by improving their skills for their newspaper at school.

“I thought it would be a good, fun experience. I thought I would get a lot of experience through writing that I could use for the next year in the magazine,” senior Maycee Labo said.

At the Summer League, students were put in a more professional environment in order to report about the players competing while other reporters from different schools were conducting their own reports.

Intimidation is an aspect Labo was able to overcome after attending the NBA Summer League. Interviewing athletes on the verge of the next step of their career puts pressure on the reporters to have an effective interview.

“I learned not to feel intimidated when interviewing. At first, I was a little intimidated considering we were interviewing basketball players who are like six foot seven and about to be in the NBA. We were interviewing coaches too and so we really had to know what we were talking about.

I learned to be more relaxed and confident when going into an interview,” Labo said.

Junior Gabriella Ghasserani was ecstatic to be able to attend the Summer League on behalf of the GVHS Journalism program.

“Being able to go to the Summer League was one of the best things

ever, especially since I’m a basketball player. As soon as I heard about opportunity I jumped on it,” Ghasserani said. “Being a basketball player, and being able to go to the NBA Summer League was a dream.”

Ghasserani notes that the environment of reporting at a major, action-packed event contrasts from the every day reporting at her high school. Specifically, the variety of events taking place when players are off the court.

“The environment is crazy. There

were people lined up, cameras flashing, players being followed with microphones. You’re trying to squeeze in, just to get one interview. Compared to how we interview at school, it’s crazy nad unlike anything I have ever done,” Ghasserani said.

Aside from the environment, senior Kaeli Britt discussed the significance of being able to attend the NBA Summer League and how it helps one set the path for their future.

“It’s important to participate in these activities because they are rare

opportunities and when they do come around, it helps you get to where you want to be in terms of a career,” Britt said.

Students recieved a front-row seat to a “day in the life of a journalist.” Furthermore, the experience clarifies this field as a career path students could see themselves doing. The exposure of reporting at the NBA Summer League, a professional environment, aids young reporters to determine if this is what they really want to do with their lives.

Junior Gabriella Ghasserani and seniors Kaeli Britt and Maycee Labo (left to right) talk with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith on Jul. 6, 2018 at the NBA Summer League.

A wrestling re-vamp

By Max Ghasserani

Gator wrestling just had a remodel of their room. Starting at the end of last school year, construction teams began work.

Richard Rivera, a parent of two former Green Valley students, and the school itself put forth money for the new room.

“Mr. Rivera donated the money for this room because he’s been a part of the team for many years from flipping burgers to cleaning the gym and helping lead the kids,” varsity wrestling coach Jon Ferry said.

In the past few seasons, the wrest-

ing team has taken home title after title, and Rivera wanted to reward the team’s hard work.

The new room cost close to $1 million to renovate. Contractors broke down the room and rebuilt it from the ground up with new walls and floors. The walls got a new paint job and mats.

The upgraded room has a special place in the hearts of various players and the coach.

“It means progress and that people respect wrestling in this school and this state,” Ferry said. “Wrestling is important just like any other sport.”

This has been a constant battle for the wrestling team as at times they have felt like they are overlooked when compared to other sports on campus.

“Wrestling is very underrated in this school. We will probably have the same amount of people each meet.

Not a lot of people show up to watch us,” junior Karter Kares said.

Junior Jeremy Hoffman believes that the new room will give the team more room to practice as well as a better atmosphere.

“This new room represents a new beginning for our team to grow together and accomplish more as a

family and a team,” Hoffman said.

Not only does the team think that it help their success, but it will also be a nice change of pace compared to the old, worn room.

“It is looking a lot better than the old room,” Hoffman said. “I definitely will not miss the days of doing sprints in the old room.”

The team has worked hard for the past few years resulting in many wins including state titles. The whole team is looking forward to having more room to practice and train. For this year the wrestling team will be saying hello to new beginnings, and hopefully to more wins as well.

September 2018

Destined to Run

After a childhood of trying to decide what sport is the right fit for her, Senior Dana Detweiler finally came to the conclusion that running was her key to success.

By Victoria Rodriguez From gymnast and cheerleader to basketball player and runner, senior Dana Detweiler has done it all. She was a competitive gymnast since she was three years old until she was in seventh grade. From there, she became a cheerleader, decided to switch to basketball, and after all that, Detweiler found her real love for track and field and cross country.

I love sports and competing, but of all time I absolutely love track and field and cross country. I plan on continuing track and field once I go to college.

Dana Detweiler At the age of three, Detweiler’s parents enrolled her into gymnastics. She fell in love with the sport and competed for nine years before she decided to give it up. Detweiler spent long hours after school training and suffered through countless

Saturday practices. Eventually, the decision to stop came to the fact that gymnastics was taking a toll on her body.

“Gymnastics was no longer fun for me with all the hours I had to put in and I was getting to a high enough level I wouldn’t be allowed to go to school and I didn’t like that, so I had to quit,” Detweiler said, “So then in middle school I gave cheer a shot.”

Detweiler’s seventh grade year is when she decided to cheer for Thurman White Middle School. After being a competitive gymnast for so long, she still has a love competing and pushing herself. Detweiler chose not to stick with cheer due to the fact it was not as competitive as she prefered and was used to.

Once cheer was over with, Detweiler decided to give basketball a shot. She played basketball from eighth grade to her sophomore year. Starting out, basketball was not really her thing, but as she practiced more and became better Detweiler started to enjoy it more.

“I improved and loved it a lot,” Detweiler said, “But when I found track, I found something I was good at and I loved all the people I got to be around and all my friends are in track. I could be there all day. I didn’t feel that way about basketball and I knew I couldn’t go anywhere with it.”

Detweiler started track her freshman year, but during pole vaulting, she pulled her ACL and was out for the season. Because of

the injury, it caused a muscle imbalance between her legs making it difficult and painful to run.

“I wore a brace for the rest of freshman year and half of sophmore year,” Detweiler said. “I wasn’t able to compete in cross country sophomore year and I had to do physical therapy and wear a brace during basketball games.”

After surviving her ACL injury and rehabilitating through sophomore year, Detweiler was ready to run by next season and she stayed injury free for a while after that.

While running her first 400-meter at a major meet, the Blaine Thompson Memorial, Detweiler injurged herself again. She was halfway through the race when Detweiler felt a pop and feeling of discomfort in her leg, but she kept running.

After the race, she broke out into a lot of pain and discovered she had pulled her hamstring.

Detweiler pulled her hamstring two other times during track and field and cross country her junior year, and throughout the summer she has been rehabilitating and getting ready to train again, so her senior year can be successful and injury free.

“I had to forfeit the rest of the races I was supposed to run that day, I had three more, but I couldn’t because the pain was so bad,” Detweiler said.

Last year, the cross country team broke their region steak and are trying to get it back this year. Detweiler has been working hard to not let her team down and pull her weight so they can get back on a winning streak.

“One thing I do to improve my running is running by myself. It helps motivate me and pushes me so I can do better in order to hopefully meet those personal goals of mine. We all really want to win regions this year and get on track to get our winning streak back.” Detweiler said.

Even though everyone is keeping a positive mindset and working their hardest, Detweiler still has some fears with the upcoming track and field season along with cross country as well, because of her history with previous injuries.

Detweiler plans on taking track and field to a much higher level next fall. She wants to run at a college level and is starting to look for places to go.

“My number one choices right now are the University of Redlands and Adams State University,” Detweiler said. “Redlands is my dream college, it’s amazing.”

It can be hard to choose the right college, but Detweiler is set on Redlands. “[Redlands University] has all the majors I want, plus I love the coach, so running there would just be a bonus,” Detweiler said.

sports 15

September 2018

16 sports

Sports Previews

Fall

By Gabriella Ghasserani

Soccer

Both soccer teams are anxious to see what the season holds, the girl’s team coming off a successful win at regionals.

“Even though we lost a lot of our strong players from last year the younger girls are looking good and have really stepped up to make this a great season,” head coach Catherine Davis said.

Junior Zachary Hanson thinks that men’s soccer is looking good as well for the season.

“I think as a team we have strong chemistry and if we use that on the field we will definitely be a team to look out for throughout the season,”

Hailey Gross

Golf

Golf is teeing off the season excited to see what season will hold.

This year golf has a small team that is an older team, but more experienced as well.

“Seeing that there are only five girls on the team we are really close and even though you don’t play as a team we still have a good team dynamic,” senior Savanna Smith said.

A struggle that the team may face this year is building as players individually.

“Golf is such an individual sport that

Tennis

Hailey Gross

The InvestiGator t GVHS

we have to focus on ourselves which can be hard,” Smith said.

Coronado High School will be the team to beat this season if golf wants a shot at regionals, but Southesat Career Technical Academy (SECTA) is the school that golf plays more and will also be a challenge.

As a leader, Smith wants to the teach the younger players how to enjoy the season.

“Golf is such a fun sport and even though it can be stressful I want the younger players to remember why they signed up for golf and to enjoy just playing the game,” Smith said.

Hanson said.

A struggle that both men’s and women’s anticipate for this season is becoming better at scoring.

“I think scoring will eventually come to us as our team bond continues to grow,” Junior Grace Panik.

Davis is anxious to see what her younger players can do this year.

“I think we are definetly going to see these younger players step into these roles that they are used to older girls filling and so far they are doing well and we have a really positive outlook,” Davis said.

“Looking down the line I think this will be a good year for soccer that will end in strong friendships and in alot of wins hopefully,” Panik said.

courtesy of Savanna Smith

Swinging off with a win at their first match, tennis is in good position for the season. Senior Casey Ghelken is excited for the season to begin and feels they can go far this year.

“We won our first match so I feel we have a good chance of winning all of our matches, regionals, and state,” Ghelken said.

This year the tennis team is fairly young for the women’s team, but for the men’s team they have a older team with eleven seniors.

“Right now we have younger players on the wonen’s team so finding out how they play like and how they work as a team is a struggle, but as season goes on our team can only improve,” Ghelken said.

Along with the team dynamic an-

other struggle that tennis will have to overcome are the doubles matches.

“I think as the season progresses the closer we will become and the more of friends we will become will definetly help us with the doubles matches,” Ghelken said.

Coronado and Liberty High School are the teams to beat if they want to get to regionals and state.

“These are two very tough teams, but if we show up and put the work in I have no doubt that our team can go far,” head coach Kelli Grimm said.

Grimm wants her players to take out some lessons from this season.

“I want to lead them with standards, show them how to be on the court with grace, and have dignity,” Grimm said.

sports 17

Hailey Gross

Football Tackling the new season, football is starting off strong with two wins under their belt. This year football has a good mix of upper and lower

classmen. Head varsity coach Brian Castro thinks this team can go as far as they want to go.

“We have some really talented

Women’s Volleyball Volleyball season is in full swing.

Senior captain Julia Whiting strongly believes that this year they can make it to regionals.

“This year we have a lot of room to improve, but if we work hard and work with each other we will have a great season,” Whiting said.

Volleyball has a fairly young team and in order to go far they have to have a good team dynamic.

“With having a lot of newer players it is cool to see how much we have grown as a team and as friends in such a short amount of time,” Whiting said.

Volleyball head coach Erin Hill is

known for high expectations for her players in athletics, acedemics, and overall character.

“She challenges us in our athletic ability, our ability to play as a team, and our ability to stay mentally strong,” Whiting said.

Whiting has been on the team since her sophomore year and wants to make an impact on her younger teammates.

“I want the underclassman to know that although Gator volleyball is an intense program that requies a lot of time and effort, you will learn how to become a better teammmate and a better person,” Whiting said.

Brynne Hilton

Cross Country Racing towards the finish line cross country is eager to defend their regional title. Junior Aydan Patricelli

thinks his team can make it all the way to State if they work hard, and if they do, Centennial High School will

kids and there is a lot of potential with this team so we just have to show up to practice, put in the work, and take it one week at a time,” Castro said.

Senior Daunte Watson also agrees with Castro on how well the team can do this season.

“Seeing that we have won our first three games of the season I think that with this team we have potential to go far, but only if we work together,” Watson said.

Coronado High School is the one to beat if football wants a shot at winning regionals. The team plans to work hard to achieve those.

Instead of struggles, Castro looks at them as challenges you have to overcome. This year Castro said the challenge is team chemistry and continuing to grow. While growing as a team Castro hopes that the guys learn a lesson or two individually as well.

“If my guys had to learn one thing I would want it to be that football is the ultimate team sport,” Castro said.

“At the end of the day you can have a great game individually, but if you don’t have a great individual effort

that contributes to the team then the team will struggle.”

Football is a team sport so even though a player might shine individually they all have to work together to achieve one common goal and that means the team has to have a good team dynamic.

“This year the team dynamic is different than any past years, there is a lot of different types of leadership.

Leadership is coming from places that we have never had it and more people are contrubuting in different ways.

Watson is looking forward to many things.

“I am looking forward to buiding new relationships and playing football because that is what I enjoy and love doing,” Watson said.

Both Watson and Castro believe they will be a team that no one expects to do good.

“I think a lot of teams will overlook us and think we will be an easy win, but we will come out, put up a fight and blow them all away,” Watson said.

Brynne Hilton

Football Tackling The New Seabe the team to beat.

“After last year so much has changed. The team has changed so with that I think we have a really good chance of winning state,” Patricelli said.

Cross country is not seen as a team sport, but Patricelli thinks differently.

“We really work as a team to push each other. I think that is the key to winning a race,” Patricelli said.

Cross country is not only a physical sport, but it is a mental one. Patricelli says one of the hardest things is your mental state.

“You have to be mentally perpared. When you want to quit and stop you have to mentally push yourself and tell yourself that you can do it,” Patricelli said.

Head varsity coach Demetrius Beam says this year the team is

younger.

“After losing a lot of top seniors last year we have a bunch of new kids, but also some returners who are starting to shine and have experience from watching our top racers throught the years,” Beam said.

Beam is big on his kids learning lessons that can help them on the track and off.

“I want my kids to learn how important it is to look out for one another, how important it is to encourage one another,” Beam said. “If we can generally look out for one another and it leads to a competitive enviorment that benefits everyone to make themselvcs and their teammates better then I have done my job.”

Looking down the line cross country seems to have high hopes and a chance to bring home a regional title.

September 2018

18 a&e

The Sweetness of The Summer

By Maycee Labo

ASTROWORLD- Travis Scott

www.pitchfork.com

SWEETENER- Ariana Grande

For months, Ariana Grande fans had been talking about the release and were pleasantly surprised with her album, Sweetener.

The album shows a more honest side of Grande, as this was the first album she had released since the 2017 Manchester shooting. However, America’s popstar maintains a happy tone throughout the album. “[This album] would definitely be her best because I feel like this one is more of her, instead of what is produced for her,” senior Alicia Albright said.

Sweetener was co written by Grande and Pharrell. Ariana cowrote 10 out of the 15 songs on the album, which makes fans feel like the album is more real, and sincere.

I think that in the past, Grande has held back a little more in her music, but Sweetener feels like she put more of herself in the album. www.complex.com

In addition to the beat, Grande adds in lyrics that everyone can relate too. Her lyrics refer to everything from heartbreak, to following in love, and empowerment.

Her song Get Well Soon is about the Manchester shooting, and how Grande is there to comfort her fans.

I love the fact that she included that song in her album, because it shows her caring personality towards her followers.

“In her song Breathing, [Ariana] says, ‘you just gotta keep on breathing, breathing, breathing’ which is about her anxiety, and when you listen to it you can relate to it, and it makes you feel like you have opportunities to grow,” Albright said.

I agree with Albright in saying that Grande’s album showed more of herself in it. I always appreciate when an artist comes out of their shell and shows everyone who they

SWIMMING- Mac Miller

Another popular album that dropped recently is Swimming by Mac Miller. The album became a little notorious for being gloomier than what Miller usually produces.

The album he previously produced, The Divine Feminine, still had Miller’s groovy feel, but it had more of a joyful tone, than swimming, and for that reason I prefer The Divine Feminine, to Swimming. All preferences aside, Swimming is an amazing album, that I love to listen to.

“In comparison to The Divine Feminine, Swimming is more in depth because of how he organized

The InvestiGator t GVHS

Travis Scott’s newest album Astroworld was an album that had everyone on their toes, and Scott first performed the album at Lollapalooza, the day before it was released. Although Astroworld has lots of amazing artists like Frank Ocean, Tame Impala and Thundercat, I think the album was a little overhyped.

Out of all the albums reviewed, this album had the lowest score in terms of other critiques and reviews on the internet. I think part of the reason why this album did not score as high is because it lacks variety in sound. To me, most of the songs sound similar, and although he makes up for that by incorporating a slew of other artists into the album, I still think Scott could have added more zest to his album.

Even though this album is not

my favorite, I still like a couple of his songs. If I had to choose my top two favorite songs from the album, I would choose Sicko Mode and Who? What!

Sicko Mode is my favorite song on the album because of the change in beat at the beginning of the song.

At first, the song sounds like it’s going to be kind of slow and vibey, but it quickly changes into a hype, pump-up song. I enjoyed Who? What! because it also is a really hype song, and it is a nice change from the other songs on the album.

In conclusion, Travis Scott’s third album was definetly his best.

The work painted a messy, psychedlic, and oppresive image of the world, and it had peculiar shifts throughout the album. Its safe to say that Travis Scott has lived up to his job title of being a Creator.

www.theithacan.org

really are. This is because it takes a lot of courage to show millions of people your true colors, and it makes the artist more relatable.

Grande wraps up her album in

one song, Get Well Soon the song tells her fans that she is here for them, especially after the Manchester bombing. I think that song sums up the vibe of Sweetener.

it, and I feel like Swimming has a different vibe to it,” senior Emily Milen said.

The 26-year old rapper recently received a DUI fo, suffered a break up with, now ex girlfriend, Ariana Grande and passed away on Sep. 7, 2018. These events led fans and critics to believe that Miller’s album was showing his depressed and angry feelings at that time.

In my opinion, many rappers tend to sound the same, but Millers’ style stands out in that it has more of a funky and minimalist sound, and he keeps that vibe throughout

every song on the album. I really enjoy how Miller sticks to his music style, because I always know what I’m going to get when I listen to him.

“My ideal place to listen to this album would be in the car driving literally anywhere. Going to the mesa or driving down the strip would be amazing,” Milen said.

Although it has been said that this album is a “breakup album”, because of his hurt feelings from his split with Ariana Grande, Miller still maintains a calm tone throughout the album.

Battle of the binges

a&e 19

By Nora Paramo

It is time for a showdown of the most popular streaming services for movies and TV shows. These two sites offer vast amounts of content at a generally low month to month cost.

Though these streaming sites have a lot of movies and TV shows to watch at any time one wants and they have different deals and prices.

Netflix has more than a hundred million members worldwide. Netflix was once mainly used for watching movies, but now one site has its own original shows that it spends billions of dollars on. Netlfix Orignals include hit shows like Fuller House, Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black and more. These shows are exclusive and can only be watched if one has a Netflix subscription.

“I prefer Netflix over Hulu hands down because it does not have any commercials. You can also skip the intro to your show. It also matches shows and movies you would potentially like based on what you have watched,” English teacher Viviana Garner said.

Netflix is known for its commercial free service, this is what users usually love most. Another perk of this website is that its available on many devices such as: PS3, Blu-ray player, Wii, Cellular device, iPad,

PC, Macbook, and Google TV. Netflix makes it very accessible to stream television shows one could not get on their regular cable channels.

Unlike Netflix, Hulu offers live streams of more than 50 broadcast and cable channels. Hulu has up to

I prefer Netflix over Hulu hands down because it doesnt have any commercials.

Viviana Garner 20 million members and is only available in the United States as of right now. Hulu has its own original series such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Casual, 11.22.63 and more. It also comes with the ability to create up to six user account profiles in one subscription.

Netflix only allows four accounts to be made under a subscription.

“I have been using Hulu for three years. It has been good and satisfactory,” senior Caleb Raduenz said.

The subscription features personalized program recommendations based on a person’s top programs and streams depending on the package. If

one is into sports, it comes with personalized sports recommendations.

Plus, a cloud DVR with between 50 and 200 hours of storage is available.

These two services have different prices for the plan one signs up for.

Hulu has three different plans.

The $7.99/month plan comes with full access to the Hulu streaming library, but it comes with commercials.

The $11.99/month plan comes with the same amount of content except it does not have commercials. The third package comes with the Hulu streaming library and has Live TV which is $39.99/month.

Netflix has a couple of packages to choose from, too. Netflix’s basic plan is $7.99/month which gives you the benefits of watching unlimited content with no commercials from your laptop, TV, phone or tablet. The $10.99/month standard plan has everything that comes with the basic plan but includes HD viewing and being able to watch from two different screens simultaneously. Netflix’s third plan is the $13.99/month premium plan which includes ultra HD and being able to watch from 4 different screens at the same time.

These sites are admirably cheap alternatives to Cable TV. No matter which one chooses, they will be saving and getting their money’s worth for quality streaming service.

Abby Culpepper

September 2018

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a&e 21 a&e

This movie was never second best

By Brynne Hilton

“The Kissing Booth?”

Never heard of her.

“The Notebook?”

Replaced. On Saturday August 18, Netflix released an original rom-com that stole the hearts of teenagers everywhere: “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” The average person, having watched this movie ten times over since it came out, has already created their own personal fantasy, like how main protagonist, Lara Jean Covey, dreamed of Peter Kavinsky.

“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” a Netflix original with a 4.5 star rating on Rotten Tomatoes (94%) along with four stars from Vox, does not end here, it is a book trilogy as well, written by Jenny Han. The other two books in the series are “P.S. I Still Love You” and “With Love Lara Jean.” Many fans quickly began reading the books after waching the first movie. Movie lovers turned to twitter and other social media demanding a sequel and it is safe to say, everyone is in agreement. There is no limit to the joy this series can provide.

The movie follows the life of teenage girl, Lara Jean, a young Korean

girl madly in love with romance, yet scared to act on her feelings. So instead of talking to the boys she’s fallen for, she writes them letters.

She wrote five letters total and kept them in a round green box in her closet. Eventually the letters are sent out when her younger sister, Kitty, decides she and her big sister could benefit from Lara having a boyfriend.

Now Lara is forced to deal with the consequences of the five boys, including her longtime bestfriend who also happens to be her

even more difficult for Lara thoughout the movie. The ski trip escapade taught viewers an important lesson.

People will talk and will make horrible assumptions. After a video circulates of Lara and Peters night in the hot tub during the ski trip, everything between them was left in shambles.

However, Margot was able to help Lara out of the situation and Peter stood up for Lara after her locker was vandalized.

The relatability of the characters is another thing that viewers love, take Lara Jean Song-Cove into account. This innocent girl is a hopeless romantic

The fact that he drove to the Korean grocery store across town just for Lara’s favorite yogurt smoothie and has movie nights with her and her family showed some serious character development. sisters, now ex, boyfriend and her mortal enemies current boyfriend, who was Lara’s first kiss.

A widely enjoyed aspect of the movie is the emphasis on family, it surprisingly does not just talk about cheesy high school cliches. Lara Jean has an older sister, Margot, and a younger sister, Kitty. The sibling aspect shows the audience the experience of having an unbreakable bond and assisting those you love in times of need. Another subject that shaped Lara and her sisters was the loss of the their mother when they were younger, Their dad constantly tries to include his wife’s Korean traditions and always reminds them how special their mother is.

High school. The not so great four years of everyone’s life. The movie portrays some of the well known hardsips that modern teens go through everyday. Lara’s old best friend, Gen, ended their friendship before high school in pursuit of popularity. Which just makes high school

like the rest of us. Afraid of opening up because she believes the more people you let into your life, the more that can up and walk out. This hit too close to home for some of the fans, having people come into your life and leave like nothing happened is an all too framiliar event. Also, the fact that movie closely follows the book plot and even casted an Asian actress to play Lara Jean got another thumbs up from viewers.

Peter Kavinsky, everyone’s new celebrity crush, played by Noah Centineo, has also starred in some other teen classics such as, Austin and Ally, The Fosters, Spf 18, Penguin Flu and Word Play. In the movie, Kavinsky is a narcissistic athelete who, after receiving the letter, only planned on using Lara Jean to get his ex, Gen, back, but like the rest of us, he fell in love with her. The fact that he drove to the Korean grocery store across town just for Lara’s favorite yogurt smoothie and has movie nights with her and her family showed some seri-

ous character development. He also drives a jeep, major brownie points there. However, there were times when people wanted to scream at Kavinsky because he seemed so focused on making Gen jealous, but with is love notes to Lara Jean a n d proclaiming she was not second best made fans weak in their knees for Peter Kavinsky.

Even though Kavinsky is what had a lot of viewers undivided attention, the coloring and aesthetic is the real eye candy. The colors in this movie are amazing all the way through, including pastel moments and bursts of blue and gold. The colors are what we all dream of our Instagram feed resembling.

Lara’s room is full of teals and pinks, all messily put together… just like Lara Jean. Along with the coloring, the music is spectacular, only including one pop song , the soundtrack has an array of songs that help set the mood of the scenes. Anna of the North’s Lovers is playing during the hot tub scene and the chorus goes “show a little loving shine a little light on me” which describes Lara Jean. She wants to experience real love and doesn’t want to be second best so she wants Peter’s light to shine on her and not Gen. So basically To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is what everyone wants their life to be like; cute boys, brigh, vibrant colors and an excellent display of music throughout.

This is exactly the type of rom com this generation needed. No sappy back story or anything cheesy like that. This movie addressed different topics such as bullying and single parent families. There’s a reason why the media is calling this the rom com of the decade, it has the modern approach that society needed and did not focus on just romance. It included true, genuine character development and the changes teens can go through in a school year. But now we patiently wait for the potential sequels.

xoxo, Lara Jean Covey September 2018

22 opinion

takes the

By Jenna Riccardi This is the start of something new.

Clean, crisp, and clear. Those are just a few of the attributes that make this beverage one of a kind. It gives the sensations of a new beginning, a brilliant awakening. LaCroix is french for ‘the cross’ but it is much more than that. This Parisian name does not give it justice, it might as well be called “ca-

deau” meaning gift in french, because it is truly a blessing.

Finding this beverage at a local grocery store may be hard due to its high demand, but look no further than your nearest trendy teen to try this bubble blessing in a can. The lingering metallic taste it leaves in your mouth has the people wanting more.

In recent years, LaCroix has bubbled to the top of soda sales all over the United States. The fizzy, flavored water gained a following of devoted soda swapping connoisseurs. Many are mesmerized by the soft, luscious sound of the fizzy

the crown popping bubbles, and delight in the carbonated chilled goodness of that initial brain-numbing swig.

LaCroix has 20 invigorating flavors that are derived from the natural essences and oils of certain fruits.

LaCroix’s best selling flavors are Coconut, Pamplemousse (grapefruit,) Peach-Pear, and Tangerine. Fruit never tasted so good. These are just some of the exquisite flavors that this drink of the century has to offer.

LaCroix was introduced 1981 by G. Heileman Brewing Company in La Crosse, Wisconsin as one of the first “Anti-

Perrier” brands. Unlike Perrier and other bubbling water brands with a bland tasteless can, LaCroix stole the show by having a more bold and colorful approach to their can, making all near and far turn heads. With a $1.8 billion net worth, LaCroix is the pinnacle of success.

With its soft flavor and invigorating fizz, nothing can match LaCroix.

At this point, we might as well honor its name and start bowing down to the can that’s on top.

September 2018

opinion 23

Do it for the Culture Hydroflasks

By Victoria Rodriguez

Footwear

School is back and that means another year of learning, growing, meeting new friends, and most importantly another year of being the basic gators that we all know and love, because let’s face it ladies and gentlemen, we have a culture. Gator culture consists of specific water brands, sandals named after Jesus, and an unlikely love of man satchels.

Truly, students set quite the strange array of trends.

Let’s talk about shoes, not just any shoes, the infamous Birkenstocks.

These comfortable foot wear are often referred to as jandals, or Jesus sandals. They are great for last minute outfits; throw on a t-shirt, a pair of leggings, Birkenstocks and then good to go. This is a great tactic for tired high school students. On the other side of things, Birks also can provide a hippie-esque vibe to any nice outfit.

If the jandal vibe is not an option, Vans take a large roll in student footwear as well. They have taken over the game. From the essential checkered and white slip-ons to fun and colorful old skools with new patterns and styles, they never get old. Aside from buying Vans in stores, customizing Vans has also been a popular thing around campus. Vans are definitely a good move for almost everyone.

Gators would not be Gators if not for their infamous Hydroflasks. For three long years, their vibrant colors have been roaming the halls, keeping water cold and students’ hearts warm. Staying hydrated in a desert is hard, so thank goodness quenching thirst is a trend.

Stickers come hand in hand with hydro flasks. A naked Hydro is a scary sight to see, so many students dress their water bottles up with stickers from their travels, memes, and art. How someone decorates their Hydro can tell a lot about a person, kind of like a live autobiography.

A Guide to Dressing like a Gator: Morning Coffee

Denim is everything in American culture. Aside from just everyday jeans, there are ripped jeans, jean jackets, and jean skirts. You can make any of these items as fancy and cute or as laid back and causal as one wishes.

Pair a jean jacket and a dress: fancy.

Put that same jacket with leggings and suddenly, it’s casual. Denim works with anything and everything.

A must in every student’s morning routine is coffee. At eight a.m. while trudging to class, an iced latte from either Starbucks or Dutch Bros can be spotted in many hands. Despite the 20 minute drive, many Gators will sacrifice their sleep for this precious liquid. Those who enjoy a late alarm will usually opt to mobile order a classic Starbucks though.

Thrifted t-shirt

Fanny Packs

Scrunchie Challenging Dress code Policies HydroFlask

Distressed Denim

“Thrifting” Recently, thrift shopping has become a popular pastime for Gators.

Being a cheaper option, it makes students and parents alike happier. Why spend $30 on a t-shirt when an entire shopping spree at Saver’s can cost the same amount? Aside from hitting the racks, many students also raid parents’ closets for their clothes from the eighties. Hand down the hand-medowns please!

Denim and Dutch

Vans

Music Music is a necessity, no questions asked. This calls for an abundance of earbuds. Apple changed the earbud game in December of 2016 when they released Airpods. Airpods are easy to use little buds that do not have a wire. This means easy wearing and easy carrying. Another plus is that they can be easily concealed behind hair, so the music never has to stop for class.

The elusive fanny pack is also making its way onto the hips of students.

Their look has evolved though, many people, especially men, have been turning them into shoulder satchels.

The preferred name for these bags is “man satchels,” a homage to male Gators’ adopting of the fashion.

Accesories Rings, bracelets, scrunchies, and earrings are a fabulous way to fit in with the Gator crowd. They are all a definite ‘yes’ to make any outfit look like there was some type of effort in puting it together in the morning.

It is a great tactic because no one is getting up early enough to look good.

The best way to accessorize any outfit is simply adding rings. If rings are not cutting it, hoops are always an option.

They are very sassy and make a statement.

Speaking of scrunchies, there is no better way to tie hair up. They also double as a bracelet. A scrunchie worn on a wrist adds a colorful flare to any and every outfit.

September 2018

24 opinion

Straws are essential to society Banning straws causes more problems than it solves be a simple solution for any environmental problem. Lavender expands on how little straws impact for the incredibly large environmental problem.

Lavender furthers that straws on average weigh so little — about one sixty-seventh of an ounce or .42 grams — all those billions of straws add up to only about 2,000 tons of the nearly 9 million tons of plastic waste

Jared Poe

Disabled people have to find ways to navigate through the world because they know it was not made for us. If someone says, ‘This does not work for me,’ it’s because they’ve tried everything else

By Hannah Serquina

By the year 2020, Starbucks is projected to phase out the use of all plastic straws. This can already be seen in Seattle as the banning of straws has become a phenomena at city restaurants, bars and food trucks. Not only that, but airlines such as American and Alaskan will eliminate straws from their inflight beverage service beginning in November. This strawless lifestyle is problematic and harmful to the disabled community who heavily rely on the straws.

Lei Wiley-Mydske, an activist with autism quantifies that disabled people have to find ways to navigate through the world because they know it was not made for us. She furthers this idea by saying If someone says, ‘This does not work for me,’ it’s because they’ve tried everything else.’

Alternatives simply do not create long-term solutions for the difficulties of the disabled. Essentially, other materials are not as sturdy and useful as plastic. Plastic serves as the perfect safe and affordable paper is eas-

The InvestiGator t GVHS

ily dissolved and metal can be painful for those with the jitters or tremors.

Metal conducts heat and cold in addition to being hard and inflexible thus posing a safety risk. Biodegradable alternatives often fall apart too quickly or are easy for people with limited jaw control to bite through.

Access Living, a Chicago-based disability rights organization, informs that a banning on plastic straws is cause for concern and that many people with disabilities rely on plastic straws as the only way they can drink. Some have proposed the use of metal, glass, bamboo, or paper straws and all of these have issues for at least some people with disabilities.

The group explained that straws made from alternative materials such as metal, glass and bamboo can cause pain or injury to the mouth.

Paper straws have a tendency to dissolve. Many people with disabilities need the flexibility of plastic straws because of how their bodies work, or because of how they use their mouths to sip.

Moreover, you are more likely to forget a reusable straw, or even

worse, lose it. Consequently, CEO of PacknWood, Adam Merran, explains that the alternative for plastic straws will cost more.

Merran explains that paper straws cost about 2.5 cents, compared with a half-cent for plastic straws.

Spontaneity is then impossible when an individual with a disability suddenly has an unplanned event.

Lawrence Carter-Long, Director for the National Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund argues that non-disabled folks take the “spur-ofthe-moment” for granted.

Carter-Lond adresses the question about forgetting a reusable straw at home while out for a spur of the moment night with friends. That doesn’t leave a lot of room for spontaneity -- something nondisabled individuals largely take for granted.

The converse of the plastic straw argument may say that straws are detrimental to the environment but that problem is simply flawed. There is a large misconception. Oceanographer, Kara Lavender, discusses in an article for the U.S News and World Report that a ban on straws will not

Lei Wiley-Mydske that yearly hits the waters. Ultimately she believes that we are not going to solve the problem by banning straws.

In addition to the misconception, biodegradable alternatives do not come at a more friendly cost than their plastic relatives. Author Brianna Ladapo, discusses to the Home Guides of SF Gate news that one can see expensive prices when dealing with biodegradable materials.

Ladapo justifies that biodegradable materials are two to 10 times more expensive to produce than comparable non-biodegradable materials.

In essence, replacing plastic straws is not the solution. Although the motive of Starbucks and American Airlines is coming from a good place, their solution is ultimately ineffective. At the end of the day, a strawless lifestyle does not solve for environmental problems, costs more, and is harmful to the disabled community.

opinion 25

#STOPSUCKING Plastic straws are slowly killing the enviornment

By Abby Culpepper

As most people know by now, plastic straws are beginning to be banned across the country. Places such as New York City, Hawaii and California all have pending straw bans and many more cities are starting to take action. There are an estimated 7.5 billion straws lying around America’s beaches according to a study conducted by Australian researchers. This means there are more

Not only do these straws end up polluting our beaches, but they are also part of the millions of pieces of toxic trash that is f loating around our oceans.

Our oceans are greatly suffering due to the carelessness of society. plastic straws than there are people in the world.

A single gruesome video is said to be what enacted the wide-spread pledge to say “no” to plastic straws.

The video shows a rescuer carefully removing a straw from the nose of an entangled, in pain sea turtle. After the video was shared with the public in 2015, it quickly went viral. With celebrities like Adrian Grenier and Tom Brady joining the campaign, it’s becoming a quickly growing cause.

Its large backing and spread on social media provides for the increasing protests. Single use straws were ranked number five on the most col-

lected items from beach clean ups, proving their dangerous spread into aquatic habitats.

Not only do these straws end up polluting the whole world’s beaches, but they are also part of the millions of pieces of toxic trash floating freely around our oceans. This waste ollects into large masses, making sea animals more likely to mistake it for prey. It’s estimated that 12.7 million tons of plastic waste are dumped into the ocean every year. Our oceans are greatly suffering due to the carelessness of society. In order to combat this, many companies have looked to creating eco-concious alternatives to plastic waste.

Some of the small ways you can help is investing in a reusable metal straw. Many people are not doing this because they may feel like they do not have a big enough position in the world. They feel that they are too small to impact something so

big. But, in reality, if everyone did something as small as getting a reusable straw or just quitting straw use in general, it would create a huge decline in plastic straw consumption and ultimately pollution itself.

Upstream, an organization devoted to ridding the world of single use, disposable plastics, has urged people to pause the next time they open a plastic straw. Stop and think about what you are actually doing.

That straw that you are going to use for the next hour or so could end up in the nose of a turtle, or the stomach of a fish.

Based on the plastic consumption rate in America, the possibility of eating a fish that has consumed some sort of plastic pollution is not a farfetched instance. Many researchers are concerned about the toxins which could be transferred to consumers after eating a fish that has absorbed poison from the ocean’s plastic pollu-

tion. Plastic dumping could realicticly turn back on humans. In turn, society needs to understand and change their relationship with single us plastics.

By going to restaurants who have chosen to be environmentally-friendly, using reusable straws in your own home, and always recycling, each and everyone can lend a hand.

Almost everyone loves a good beach day. Relaxing and spending time with friends or family. But, what happens when beach clean-up runs out of their multiple, gracious volunteers?

We could soon be faced with terrifying plastic plauged oceans and beaches. According to a recent study published in the journal “Science,” if action is not taken soon then the plastic in the ocean is set to increase by tenfold over the next ten years. As humans, we are responsible to save and protect the earth’s creatures along with theri homes.

Nicholas Horrilleno

September 2018

26 editorial

THE BEST OF HIGH SCHOOL

By The InvestiGator Staff

Ah, another year of high school. For some, this is their first year and have high hopes to make valuable memories while for others, this is their last year and they’re trying to make the most of the time they have left with their friends.

To get the “full high school experience,” one would need to immerse themselves in the busy environment around them.

Embrace the hectic life of a high school student, don’t be overwhelmed by it.

Freshmen, get excited for asssemblies and dress up during the themed weeks that Student Council put together. Always walk on the right side of the hallway and make new friends (some kids will be so nervous that they won’t talk to anyone, so this is the perfect time to approach someone).

Sophomores, start getting prepared to be upperclassmen, but, leave the freshmen alone you were in their shoes not too long ago. This year, learn who your real friends are. Understand that cutting some people off is beneficial to your personal growth, which is more important than keeping friends

around who shouldn’t be there.

Juniors, push through the year and take it seriously, start to think about colleges. This year will be one of the most demanding years academically.

Take some time for yourself and don’t take on more than you can handle just because you’re afraid of saying “no.”

Seniors, enjoy this last year, but don’t blow off school when the seniotirits kicks in. Write your college applications and fill out the FAFSA on time. Enjoy Senior Sunrise and the school dances. Take advantage of some of the last opportuinites you will have as a high schooler.

Overall, the key to a memorable “full high school experience” is to ensure one is having fun, but also doing what needs to get done.

These four years are all about discovering ourselves as young adults and finding the perfect balance between the academic and social worlds. Here, you learn from your mistakes and continue to fail until you get it right. Don’t be afraid of failure, it’s a vital part of the learning process that everyone - even the “smart” kid” - goes through.

Here’s to high school, the best four years of our lives.

Editors-in-Chief: Kaeli Britt Erinn Veach Design Editor: Maycee Labo

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.

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

Editors: News: Bethany Casall Features: Hannah Serquina Sports: Gabriella Ghasserani A&E: Abigail Culpepper Opinions: Victoria Rodriguez Reporters: Tyler Bonnette Diana Brown Max Ghasserani Alexis Ladd Zachary Schauer Advisor: Eric Johnston

Photo Editors: Hailey Gross Brynne Hilton Staff Artist: Nicholas Horrilleno Business Manager: Vivien Liebhardt Staff Managers: Nora-Jo Paramo Jenna Riccardi

Student speak

What is the best part about the beginning of the school year?

“It’s all about meeting new people and adapting to the new surroundings and people.”

Vincent Cepeda, freshman

“Seeing all your friends that you did not get to see over the sumer and sharing the crazy stories from the summer.”

Damian Cortez, sophomore “There isn’t anything too exciting about it but I like seeing my school friends that I do not see over the summer.”

Marin Houlihan, junior

“Seeing my old friends and all the cool teachers that I had in the past.

Also, seeing all the new classes and electives.”

Kymberly Hall, senior

September 2018

gallery 27

ACE! Senior Benjamin Khoh smashes a serve on Sept. 4 during a home match vs. Liberty HS. The Gators defeated the Patriots by a score of 10-8.

HAILEY GROSS | PHOTO

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