Howler Issue 22.2 September 28, 2020

A Northwood High School Publication

4515 Portola Pkwy. Irvine, CA 92620

Volume XXII, Issue II: September 28, 2020

Follow us on Instagram @nhs.howler

www.TheHowlerOnline.org

INSIDE

THIS ISSUE

Kara Chu: “73 Questions”

Accent 4

Division over Prop 16

Viewpoint 11

Mulan: Mediocore at Best

The Howler Online

Zooming into the club fair

ALUM for Northwood

fall kickoff

Photo provided by Jasmine Chhabria

BETTER TOGETHER: National History Day club puts together a history puzzle on State of the Student.

By Arya Bhattacharjee and

Erin Tsai

Staff Writers

The virtual club fair was live

streamed on the NHS Den Youtube

channel at 4 p.m. from Sept. 14-18,

showcasing many of Northwood’s

new and returning clubs.

The fair, hosted by Clubs Commissioners

juniors Jasmine Chhabria

and Snigdha Maddula, featured

two club representatives introducing

activities that students can participate

in throughout the year, such as

fundraising events, competitions and

concerts.

“We wanted to take this week as

an opportunity for the student body

to learn about the wonderful experiences

offered by our clubs, despite

our circumstances,” Maddula said.

“Through learning more about our

rich club culture at Northwood, we

can grow together as a student body

and help each other become the best

version of ourselves.”

The transition from in-person

to virtual club meetings due to the

COVID-19 pandemic has been different

for each club. While some community

service clubs still offer contactless

service projects, many sports

and music clubs have had to rework

activities into a virtual format due to

potential safety concerns.

“A big part of our club was

meeting up in the gym so that everyone

could play rallies, but we’re not

able to do that this year,” Birds of a

Feather president junior Sharon Leo

said. “We’re figuring out ways to still

have fun interactions with our club

members and enjoy badminton from

the safety of our homes.”

Musicians United in Service and

Entertainment (MUSE) takes a different

approach to transitioning online.

With its Discord server, MUSE

fosters a community of musicians

through questions-of-the-day and

memes and still plans to hold virtual

concerts for senior centers.

Although different from previous

years, the virtual club fair still

gave students a chance to explore the

clubs available at Northwood.

“Taking some time to participate

in Northwood’s phenomenal clubs allows

the student body to be an active

member in Northwood’s culture and

community,” Chhabria said. “Seeing

my friends, organizing meetings and

being part of something bigger than

myself makes me happy!”

Students interested in creating

their own clubs this year can find the

application form at nhsden.org/clubs,

due Oct. 2.

By Helena Zhou

Staff Writer

ALUM for Northwood, an organization

that pairs Northwood

students with alumni for one-on-one

mentorships, hosted its fall program

kickoff with group workshop sessions

and guest speakers via Zoom

on Sept. 20.

“ALUM has shown what to expect

not only for college but also for

my Northwood career,” sophomore

Sanika Kolur said. “Especially as an

underclassman, ALUM has for sure

helped ease my nerves because I

know they’re always there for help.”

Founded in March 2020 by

Northwood alumni Viren Abhyankar,

William Choi and Manav Manivannan,

ALUM for Northwood aims to

build connections between Northwood

students of different years and

create a community around shared

experiences. The program is divided

into three major career pathways:

business, engineering

and pre-med.

Within these

pathways are group

workshops as well

as individual meetings

aiming to provide

guidance in

academics, extracurriculars,

internships,

networking

and the overall college

experience.

During an

8-week pilot session this

summer, ALUM hosted 38

mentors and mentees, receiving

a 90% satisfaction rating.

“After being part of several

mentorship programs in college, I

wished I had a similar program when

I was in high school,” Manivannan

said. “That’s why we started ALUM,

to help foster the talents and passions

of the next generation of Northwood

students.”

Moving forward, ALUM for

Northwood is hosting their fall session

with nearly 100 participants,

having improved their program with

feedback from summer. They hope to

continue their program annually.

“Being the oldest child, I had

no idea what college is like before

ALUM,” senior Anagha Subbaraman

said. “It was a useful and eye-opening

experience that gave me a new

perspective.”

For more information about

the program and registration, visit

ALUM for Northwood’s website at

https://www.alumfornorthwood.org/.

Graphic provided by ALUM for Northwood

The world of virtual competitions: Speech and Debate attends Jack Howe

By Jonathan Kang and Diego

Moreno

Staff Writers

The Northwood Speech and Debate

team competed in their annual

Jack Howe Memorial Tournament

online from Saturday to Sunday,

earning multiple semi-final positions.

The team participated

in numerous

events including Policy,

Congress and

Lincoln-Douglas.

Junior Shreya Shankar

earned 4th place

and sophomore Siddharth

Kumar was a

semifinalist in Oratorical Interpretation,

while sophomores Amir Abarham

and Rohit Rajesh were quadrafinalists

in Public Forum.

“I was nervous because it was

our first competition,” Shankar said.

“You also can’t interact

with as many people

in-between rounds

onex-

line, which made the

perience more stressful.”

Jack Howe, the club’s

first school-sponsored event,

was run

Photos provided by Alex Fu and Issac Lee

by the online

communication

platform

National

Speech and Debate Association

(NSDA) Campus, which allowed students

to experience tournaments in a

virtual format due to COVID-19 and

alerted competitors of all important

information and updates. Competitors

joined virtual rooms through

NSDA Campus and competed in

a live format to simulate the regular

tournament environment.

Students entered a call

with both their opponents and

judges for debate and communicated

with their partners

via text. For

speech, students

listened to others

present while

judges gave marks

on the presentation.

“I’m just happy that they didn’t

shut down tournaments

completely,” sophomore

Sana Hamid said. “When

quarantine started, that

was definitely a concern.”

Students have

been competing on

their own since the

spring, using virtual

platforms like Discord

to engage in student-organized

events.

Others individually participated

in virtual competitions

by submitting a

video of themselves performing.

Despite the smooth transition to

online tournaments, there is a price

to be paid with inherent drawbacks,

such as technological issues and lack

of enjoyment.

“Tournaments are not as fun as

usual,” junior Alex Fu said. “A large

part of tournaments is being physically

present in the round with your

friends.”

In spite of the immediate caveats,

the use of NSDA Campus helped

the tournament stay organized. For

the next tournament, students hope to

improve and earn better placings.

“I did pretty well but there is

still room for growth,” Shankar said.

“I’m focusing on bettering myself for

the next tournament.”

2 September December 16, 28, 2019 2020

NEWS

UCs banned from using SAT/ACT

By Rahul Khanna

Staff Writer

The University of California

(UC) must immediately discontinue

the use of the SAT and ACT as part

of their admissions process, as ruled

in a preliminary injunction on Sept. 1.

The injunction cites concerns

that the option to submit scores, even

if not mandatory, creates a system

of privilege for wealthier students

to enhance their college admission

prospects, particularly during the

COVID-19 pandemic.

“The barriers faced by students

with disabilities have been greatly

exacerbated by the COVID-19 epidemic,

which has disrupted testtaking

locations, closed schools and

limited access to school counselors,”

said Alameda County Superior Court

Judge Brad Seligman, who issued the

injunction.

The lawsuit was filed by Public

Counsel on the behalf of a group of

students and advocacy groups that

argued the tests were inequitable,

particularly against students with disabilities.

The UC Board of Regents,

agreeing that the tests were biased on

the base of race and income, voted in

May to phase out the SAT and ACT

over the next five years. However,

many campuses had still allowed the

class of 2021 and 2022 to submit test

scores. This is no longer possible.

“I honestly think we should

get rid of standardized tests,” junior

Kaitlin To said. “They illustrate a lot

The Northwood Howler

“Is it October yet?”: Recap of major events this fall

By Jonathan Kang

Staff Writer

From a global pandemic to one

of the largest series of protests in U.S.

history, a myriad of world-changing

events have occurred in 2020 thus

far. Although there is still history to

be made, here is a recap of some of

the most important events that have

happened in the past few months.

California wildfires:

Wildfires across the U.S.

west coast have burned over

3,000,000 acres of land in August

and September, damaging

and destroying nearly 5,000

structures.

The damage

caused by the fires

far exceeds previous

years, with 7,718 incidents

of wildfires

statewide. The

August Complex

fire, which has burned

over 750,000 acres of

land, is only 30% contained.

Firefighters are quickly running out

of resources to contain and mitigate

the damage.

Coco Tsaur The Northwood Howler

UC? MORE LIKE YOU’LL SEE: A student prepares meticulously

for the SAT and ACT amidst constantly changing circumstances.

about class and race inequality, and

hopefully this year shows they are not

needed in college admissions.”

UC appealed the ruling on Sept.

9, saying in a statement that the reasoning

used by Seligman could be

extended to any admissions criteria

not equally available to all students.

This would mean, according to UC

officials, that many students would

lose the opportunity to best showcase

themselves.

Regardless of recent efforts to

change standardized testing requirements,

taking the tests at all this year

proved difficult. Due to COVID-19

restrictions, nearly 45% of test registrations

for the SAT were cancelled

in August, with more cancellations

in March, May and June. A test has

California has a long history of

using inmate firefighters, and California

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill

on Sept. 11 allowing inmate firefighters

to be eligible for firefighting jobs

upon release.

Lebanon explosion:

A large fire caused a devastating

explosion in Beirut, Lebanon’s

capital, killing 191 people and

woundingmore than 6,500 on

Aug. 4.

The resulting explosion

in a warehouse at the

Pourt of Beirut levelled

nearby buildings and

caused $10-15 billion

in damage. Beirut is

currently assessing

the damage and

working on recovery.

Lebanon’s

Higher Council

of Urban Planning

has limited

real estate transactions

and new construction for now,

but will need over $500 million to restore

important heritage and cultural

sites.

been added for Sept. 26, currently set

to be administered in person for an

expected high number of test-takers.

“I was supposed to take the ACT

in April, and I was prepping a lot,”

senior Virginia Crook said. “When

it got cancelled, it was very stressful

since I wasn’t sure if I would ever be

able to take it.”

Meanwhile, students will still

have the opportunity to take the

PSAT, the National Merit qualifying

test given to over 3.5 million students

annually. Northwood plans to

offer the test to juniors on Oct. 17,

assuming the hybrid school model is

in place. Students can register for the

PSAT by purchasing the test on the

Northwood Webstore for $18, starting

Sept. 28.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo

Abe’s resignation:

Japan’s longest-serving prime

minister Shinzo Abe resigned due to

illness on Aug. 28.

Abe expressed regret for resigning

in such a critical time for the

economy, but claimed he wanted to

avoid making political mistakes due

to his illness.

Despite past achievements such

as securing the 2020 Olympics and

restoring Japan to relative economic

health after a devastating series of

natural disasters in 2012, he leaves

behind a deeply damaged economy

due to the COVID-19 pandemic as

well as the postponement of

the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

CSU ethnic studies ruling

By Jonathan Kang

Staff Writer

At least one ethnic studies

course must be completed by students

to graduate from the California

State University (CSU), according to

Assembly Bill 1460 signed into law

by California Gov. Gavin Newsom

on Aug. 17.

The bill, which goes into effect

with the 2021-22 school year, sets

the requirement beginning with the

graduating class of 2025. Among

the courses offered will be African

American, Latinx American, Asian

American and Native American studies.

Courses on police reform, disparities

in health and Native Californian

perspectives will also meet the new

requirements.

“Ethnic studies will provide the

knowledge and understanding needed

to navigate a multi-cultural and rapidly

evolving nation,” California State

Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, a

prisoning over a million Uighurs and

adopting the forced sterilization of

women.

However, China denies the existence

of malpractice and has labelled

these camps as “re-education centers.”

Members of the Uighur claim

to have been detained, interrogated

and beaten for their religion.

Many argue not enough is being

done for the Uighur minority.

Europe’s largest refugee camp

burned:

Europe’s largest refugee camp

on the Greek island of Lesbos burned

down, leaving nearly 12,000 residents

requiring aid on Sept. 8.

The camp

Oppression of Uighur

Muslims in

China:

China is under

scrutiny from

human rights organizations

as recent

investigations have shown a

violation of human rights through

detention camps that target Chinese

Uighur Muslims. The Chinese

government has been accused of improfessor

of Africana studies at San

Diego University and author of the

bill, said. “This bill reflects 50 years

of student, faculty, and community

advocacy for curriculum reflective of

and responsive to our diverse state.”

This marks the first significant

change to CSU’s general education

requirements in 40 years, making

California the first state to implement

ethnic studies as a graduation

requirement in a four-year public university

system.

The decision was made following

Black Lives Matter protests

and demands for the representation

of historically oppressed groups in

education, including petitions from

Diversify Our Narrative, which aim

to create a more inclusive literature

curriculum nationwide.

Following advocacy for more

progressive education, faculty on the

23 CSU campuses will develop plans

and coursework to meet the needs of

their students and communities.

www.latimes.com

APPRECIATION, NOT APPROPRIATION: CSU students have

enlightening discussions during their Asian American studies course.

Nicole Curtis The Northwood Howler

faced terrible conditions prior to the

fire, and over 30 people had been diagnosed

with COVID-19. Efforts are

being made to house people in new

tents.

France and Germany are working

to help relocate immigrants from

the refugee camp. Although the investigation

is not complete, the fire

is thought to be from arson over discontent

with COVID-19 lockdown

policies.

Death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg:

Supreme Court Justice Ruth

Bader Ginsburg died at 87 on Sept.

18 due to pancreatic cancer.

Ginsburg, appointed in 1993 by

Bill Clinton, worked on numerous

social issues including

women’s rights, discrimination

and immigration.

Ginsburg’s replacement

is a highly

polarizing issue.

Despite her wishes

to be replaced after a

new president is elected

in 2020, Republicans argue a new

Supreme Court Justice should be

appointed immediately while Trump

is still in office.


ACCENT September 28, 2020 3

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: Virtual Well

By Lana Hwang and Erin Tsai

Staff Writers

The sounds of birds chirping

and a soothing melody welcome you

as you enter a pastel-themed room.

An energetic dog wags its tail and

places itself at your feet as you take in

your surroundings. On the wall hangs

a cheery picture of a sunny beach that

takes you to the tropical paradise of

the Maldives, while the other picture

reminds you to take a deep breath to

calm down. Here, you feel relaxed

and safe.

This is not a physical place, but

the Virtual Well, an interactive safe

space created by Northwood’s counseling

team to provide mental health

resources for students during distance

learning. Its release was in honor of

September being National Suicide

Prevention month--with the plethora

of 2020’s chaotic events, mental

health awareness is becoming more

important than ever.

“It’s a great interactive and

calming space where students can

access various mindfulness activities

and videos. When you run your cursor

over the images, you’ll see that

most of them (including the puppy!)

lead to an activity or website,” school

counselor Allison Singer said. “While

we hope to have our students in our

on-site Well soon, we think that this

virtual space is a great alternative.”

With the increased pressure of

going back to school and the stress

that comes with living in a global

pandemic, you may have experienced

some symptoms of depression, like

feeling hopelessness regarding your

situation, feeling lonely without regular

physical interactions with people

or trouble finding motivation to do

the things you used to be so passionate

about. You might also have problems

with eating, whether it is eating

too much or too little, and you might

be struggling to fall asleep or get

enough sleep.

When you notice these problems,

it’s important to take care of

yourself, both physically and mentally.

Maintaining a daily routine,

like eating at regular times, having

a healthy sleep schedule, and exercising

regularly can help you feel

more in control of your life. Use this

time to learn more about your own

strengths and think about your goals

for the future. Take the time to connect

with your friends and family

who support you.

“73 Questions” with Kara Chu

By Erin Tsai and Yejin Heo

Staff Writers

Sondos Elbershawi The Northwood Howler

ASB TEA: Senior Kara Chu shares her distance learning experiences,

along with her duties and expectations for the year as she answers rapid

ASB president senior Kara Chu

may be struggling through her college

applications, but she’s still going

strong despite 2020’s opposition to

let normal life resume. You’re lucky

if you spot her in your Zoom classes—she’s

the one with the biggest

smile and even bigger heart.

The Howler: How’ve you

been?

Kara Chu: Hoping we can safely

get back to Northwood soon.

TH: What are you up to lately;

any new hobbies?

KC: Quarantine baking—I've

got a great chocolate chip cornflake

shortbread cookie recipe.

TH: Describe yourself in three

words.

KC: Kara bout chu.

TH: Do you have any secret talents?

KC: Fitting in the most rides in

one day at Disneyland.

TH: If you could switch lives

with someone for a day, who would

it be and why?

KC: Kristen Bell because I love

her voice and her humor.

TH: How is the school year going

for you; are there any struggles as

a senior?

KC: I feel like it’s really Zooming

by.

TH: How’s distance learning

been going?

KC: Like the one unmuted person

in a breakout room with all muted

people.

TH: What are you most excited

for this fall?

KC: Turning 18 and VOTING.

TH: What Northwood activities

do you enjoy most?

KC: Cheering my friends on

at games, performances and ASB

events.

TH: What’s your favorite song

from the NHS Back-to-School playlist?

KC: There are so many, but I’d

have to say Stereo Hearts by Gym

Class Heroes.

TH: What’s one thing on your

high school bucket list?

KC: Going to prom...in person.

TH: What is something you’re

thankful for?

KC: Teachers and staff!

TH: What do you do as ASB

President?

KC: Lead ASB events, create

a caring NHS community, hype up

school spirit, collaborate with other

IUSD ASB Presidents and more!

TH: Describe your favorite

ASB memory at Northwood.

KC: That’s a tough one. Homecoming

games and dancing as Ariana

Grande in our Homecoming pep

rally?

TH: How has the new school

year been going for ASB?

KC: I couldn’t be prouder of

my team! To check out some of our

virtual events, subscribe to our NHS

Den YouTube channel.

TH: What plans does ASB have

for the rest of 2020?

KC: We're planning a great

year. Go to nhsden.org for upcoming

events!

TH: What event that ASB has

planned are you most looking forward

to?

KC: Homecoming— Spring Semester

style.

TH: What should we expect going

forward from ASB?

KC: ASBest virtual events that

are completely new and different!

TH: What advice about high

school would you give to NHS students

as the ASB president?

KC: Get involved! The more

you put in, the more you get out of it.

TH: What advice do you have

for students who want to join ASB?

KC: It will be one of the best, if

not THE best part of your high school

experience, so definitely do it!

Anjali Mittapally The Northwood Howler

“The pandemic and transition

to online-only environments has affected

students in different ways,”

school psychologist Jamie Carey

said. “I recommend all of the above

strategies for these students and emphasize

keeping in connection with

the school community.”

Sometimes, mental health affects

more than just mentality and

physical health. Some people who

are having suicidal thoughts may include

talking about feeling trapped or

being a burden to others, giving away

important possessions, withdrawing

or isolating from others and acting

unlike themselves or displaying extreme

mood swings.

If you or someone you know is

experiencing these symptoms of depression

or showing signs of suicidal

thoughts or actions, it is crucial to

seek help from a trusted individual

and openly talk about what you are

going through. Confiding with someone

might help you to release your

emotions in a safe way. Talking about

your struggles with mental health

with others can help you get what you

need and can also reduce the stigma

surrounding mental health.

“Being a teenager and being

in high school is not always easy,”

Carey said. “If you are having mental

health struggles or thoughts of suicide,

please seek us out. We are here

to help!”

If you believe someone poses a

threat to themselves or others, please

reach out to one of the following resources:

School counselors

School psychologist: jamiecarey@iusd.org

National Suicide Prevention

Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

YouthLine: 1-877-968-8491 or

text “teen2teen” to 839863

Crisis Text Line: text “HOME”

to 741741

The Trevor Project for LG-

BTQ+ youth: 1-866-488-7386 or

text “START” to 678678

Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler

4 September 28, 2020

ACCENT

Student-led organizations rise to the occassion

By Lana Hwang and Helena Zhou

Staff Writers

As educational inequalities

widen and vulnerable communities

stagger behind during the COVID-19

pandemic, students have demonstrated

solidarity and hope as they

volunteer to support their community,

donate to charitable causes and

spearhead organizations to serve the

community. Even as we’re six feet

apart, student-run organizations have

risen to the occasion in promoting

education, supporting hospitals and

assisting underserved areas, demonstrating

the power of high school

students in bringing positive change

to the world.

Founded in 2014, Writer’s Ink

is a nonprofit organization led by

senior Mengshu Zhang dedicated to

cultivating a lifelong love for creative

writing in children and supporting

aspiring young writers. Writer’s

Ink has held weekly creative writing

workshops for over 3,000 elementary

school students at seven different

libraries across Orange County. In

addition, they have organized, publicized

and adjudicated writing contests

and scholarship competitions,

awarding over $5,000 in prizes.

“With coronavirus transforming

education, we realize many communities

are not prepared for this

transition, and crises like this widen

education inequalities in our society,”

Zhang said. “That’s why we worked

hard to maintain operations and serve

impacted areas.”

Over the summer, the Writer’s

Ink team hosted a virtual two-week

online summer camp for over 100

elementary school attendees and

managed their Equity Initiative Writing

Contest for high school students

in underserved communities or who

have been financially impacted by

COVID-19. Online activities did

present an upside: removing distance

barriers and being able to connect

with students and volunteers around

the world. Moving forward, the organization

is planning to resume its traditional

workshops online using tools

like Zoom and Google Classroom.

“While volunteering for Writer’s

Ink, I really got to venture into

the anatomy of a child’s brain. It was

so fun listening to them ramble on,

those words spoken without a fear of

judgement,” Writer’s Ink volunteer

and junior Shinhye Park said. “They

truly make my day and are one of the

biggest reasons why I continue being

a part of Writer’s Ink.”

While some students focused on

writing, others turned to promoting

music education. Interlude Musical

Outreach is one such organization,

offering free weekly private lessons

to elementary and middle school students

taught by qualified high school

musicians since 2016. Interlude also

organizes free workshops on music

theory, honor orchestra auditions

(All-Southern, All-State and All-National

Orchestras), and other musicrelated

topics. In light of COVID-19,

Interlude began Music from Home,

where private lessons have transitioned

online.

“With school now online, many

elementary school students have lost

the opportunity to participate in their

school music program,” Interlude

Marketing and Outreach Director and

junior Miya Liu said. “As a result, we

realized how urgent it was to continue

providing lessons so that students can

still have that valuable experience

and receive support in their musical

journey.”

Interlude has a club at Northwood

as well, meeting the second

and fourth Thursday of each month at

3:30 p.m. At meetings, they plan to

discuss teaching advice and masterclasses.

To join the club and participate

in their activities, email nhsinterlude@gmail.com.

“To me, music has never been

about just one person’s proficiency

on an instrument; it’s about doing

something with it” Interlude Club

Co-President and senior Curtis Yang

said. “And what better way to do so

Photos provided by Hari Sreeramagiri

INNOQUIP EQUIPS: Technology Director junior Jenny Zhang drops off

masks, which will be sent to healthcare workers around the globe.

than to nurture the next generation of

young, talented musicians?”

Meanwhile, Innoquip, a nonprofit

organization with a global impact,

takes a different angle, focusing

on researching and developing innovative

solutions to equip those in low

income communities. An example of

their procedure can be seen in their

approach to the environmental pollution

caused by chemical extractions

of banana fibers. They created a table

with a hinged blade, a sliding seat, a

footrest, and a trash dispenser. This

system’s sliding seat allows the user

to push off a surface and use the momentum

to pull the fiber back in one

singular movement, minimizing the

time and strength needed. Their solution

was the product of research, engineering

and partnerships with other

organizations that assisted in the accomplishing

their goal.

“We also encourage students

in the Irvine bubble to explore their

STEM interests while making a lasting

impact on these communities,”

Innoquip CEO junior Hari Sreeramagiri

said. “Currently, we’re working

with BEACONAhead to construct

toilets in rural villages. We’re really

excited about the work we do and the

many things we learn in the process.”

This group has equipped over

20 villages with their technology,

designed, produced and distributed

over 5,000 masks to healthcare workers

worldwide and raised more than

$4,000 for their mission.

“Volunteering is never about the

hours or something to put on your resume,”

Liu said. “It is all about using

your skills and passion to spark happiness

in your community.”


Welcoming the new season with safe traditions

By Rachel Gima and Diego Moreno

Staff Writers

The cooler weather and reddening

leaves signal the beginning of

autumn, and with it a variety of activities

to do, even if they may look a

little different this year. The Howler

has compiled a list of some of Northwood

students’ favorite fall activities

that you can do this season. Just

remember to wear a mask, maintain

distance and stay safe!

Nature Walks:

Take a stroll through the scenic

trails that cut through Northwood

communities, transformed by colorful

leaves lining the sidewalks and

the mild weather that accompanies

this time of year.

“My family likes taking walks

on the trails near our house in the

evening,” freshman Keira Patel said.

“The weather is nice too because it’s

warm outside but there’s cool breezes

that come through.”

Pumpkin Carving:

Trick-or-treating and other traditional

Halloween plans might be

cancelled this year, but you can still

show your love for the spooky season

by carving some pumpkins.

“When we moved to America,

our friends introduced pumpkin carving

to us and it was one of the first

times my family spent time together

and had fun,” junior Kryshia Artienda

said.

All you have to do is stop by

your local grocery store and pick out

your favorite pumpkin and a couple

of carving tools from Target, Amazon

or any convenient retail store.

Adorned with the classic toothy

smile or even your own face, put your

gourd-geous design on display for the

neighborhood and have a spooktastic

Halloween.

Fall Movies:

Sometimes there’s nothing better

than staying indoors and watching

seasonal movies. Some fall classics

to choose from include “Charlie

Brown,” “The Nightmare Before

Christmas” (a dual-holiday movie),

“Monsters Inc,” and “Goosebumps.”

Grab some popcorn and candy, gather

the family in the living room and

press play to get lost in the movies of

the season.

Sunday Night Football:

Fall marks the beginning of the

National Football League season

with many families spending Sunday

afternoons relaxing together as they

root for their favorite teams.

“My favorite thing about it is

just feeling the excitement when our


team succeeds,” sophomore Aditya

Sheth said. “It’s an important tradition

for me because it connects my

family as we watch together and

cheer together.”

Even if you aren’t a football fan,

you can always pass the time with

commercials and have fun attempting

to understand the game. Get yourself

a plate of nachos, chips and dip,

a coaster, cup of your favorite soft

drink and enjoy Sunday nights for the

rest of fall.

Despite all the changes that have

occurred this year, many fall traditions

don’t have to change—and the

ones that do can change for the better.

The classic fall traditions can still be

done with or without the usual human

interaction as long as you’re creative

enough. From the Howler staff to

you, spend this fall season staying

safe and have fun.

Anjali Mittapally The Northwood Howler

The Northwood Howler A&E

September 28, 2020 5

Christopher Nolan: Behind the set

“Rest in power, King”: In memory of Chadwick Boseman

By Ryan Wu

Staff Writer

The announcement of Chadwick

Boseman’s death on Aug. 28

was met with tributes and remembrances

through social media by millions

of fans and distinguished members

of the entertainment industry,

athletic organizations and more.

Boseman was revered for being

a virtuoso actor, one that studies

his characters inside out to properly

bring to life their widely varying

quirks and personalities. He amazed

audiences with his embodiments of

the daring, admirable Jackie Robinson

and the enigmatic, success-driven

and somewhat tyrannical James

Brown on the big screen. He became

a NYPD detective, an Associate justice

and a Vietnam war hero.

“Chadwick came to the White

House to work with kids when he

was playing Jackie Robinson,” former

president Barack Obama wrote

on Twitter. “You could tell right

away that he was blessed. To be

young, gifted, and Black; to use that

power to give them heroes to look up

to; to do it all while in pain – what a

use of his years.”

Boseman uplifted the life stories

of influential Black Americans in his

portrayals, but perhaps the work that

is most emblematic of black culture

is “Black Panther”, a role that invited

Boseman to Hollywood stardom.

The titular superhero was created

by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in

1966 and has been a point of discussion

about the shifting perspectives

on race and a critique on society ever

since. Half a century later, production

for the movie was reflective as a

cinema.com, inverse.com, theatlantic.com

INTRODUCING (from left to right): Batman from Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark

Knight,” the Protagonist from his latest film “Tenet” and Joseph Cooper from “Interstellar.”

By William Baik

Staff Writer

Christopher Nolan: filmmaker,

director, scriptwriter and legend cemented

into cinema history. Whether

it’s “Interstellar,” a science-fiction

film that stretches the boundaries

of your imagination or “The Dark

Knight,” a masterpiece superhero

movie featuring an iconic representation

of the Joker, his name alone

evokes the most critically acclaimed

movies of this generation. His newest

movie “Tenet,” released in theaters

Sept. 3rd, provides fans with

yet another opportunity to appreciate

Nolan’s distinctive cinematic style,

a style he has perfected over the last

two decades.

Nolan’s initial directorial work,

“Following,” was neither wellknown

nor well-funded, but established

a non-linear narrative scheme

that became the hallmark of his second

film, “Memento.” Released in

2001, “Memento” earned Nolan the

first of many Academy Award nomi-

and gave mainstream audiences their

first glimpse of Nolan’s talent.

But not everything is accomplished

by pure talent. Nolan puts

immense effort into pre-production

research, matching his vision to reality

as accurately as possible. Prior

to filming “Interstellar,” for example,

Nolan consulted with established scientists

to understand wormholes and

time. This effort results in a believable

universe that ultimately gives

viewers a reason to consistently rewatch

his films, a feat that few directors

achieve.

For Nolan, innovation and testing

the limits of practical effects over

computer graphics enhance the believable

universe for the audience.

Authenticity is key, no matter the

time or money required to shoot each

sequence. Scenes like the truck flipping

over and exploding in “The Dark

Knight” and the zero-gravity inducing

rotating room in “Inception” are

memorable moments in both movies

because of his care for crafting a

genuine world.

This combines with his stellar

camerawork, outstanding musical

scores and descriptive screenwriting

to produce Nolan’s masterpieces. In

a world where formulaic, bland action

movies have oversaturated Hollywood,

his complex films are a relief

for moviegoers who appreciate an

experience rather than a distraction.

To no one’s surprise, when “Tenet”

was announced earlier this year,

that the hype train took off—and fast.

Each of the three trailers reached at

least 10 million views on YouTube,

and despite several delays due to CO-

VID-19, interest has remained high.

Still, with many people reluctant to

visit movie theaters, the future of

“Tenet” remains unclear.

When you finally have the opportunity

to watch “Tenet” or any of

Nolan’s other masterpieces, keep an

eye out for Nolan’s key trademarks.

And if you don’t catch them the first

time, watch it again, and again. Just

like his movie-making process, it

takes time, and effort, to grasp the genius

behind his work.

similar novelty to its source material.

Boseman, director Ryan Coogler and

most of the supporting cast including

Angela Basset, Forest Whitaker

and Lupita Nyong’o are all black.

Its $201.7 million opening weekend

challenged the narrative set by Hollywood

that films with black leads are

not successful with the public.

With America’s racial and political

divide becoming an even larger

issue than in the recent past, the representation

of black people in a superhero

movie resonates deeply with

its targeted young audience. Indeed,

the introduction of Black Panther in

the superhero genre gave black children

a character to relate and look up

to, to base their own moral compass

off of and to reassure them that it’s

possible to create a positive change

in the world.

The producers knew that the

movie was going to be a cultural

touchstone, bearing potential to become

a phenomena that represented

Soundtrap collab

By Matthew Dimaandal and Tyler

Wong

Staff Writers

Soundtrap, a web-based music

studio that allows students to create

their own music or podcast, was recently

implemented by IUSD’s Visual

and Performing Arts program,

allowing students to continue their

music education online.

Utilized in guitar, band, jazz, orchestra

and choir classes, Soundtrap

features a range of possible assignments,

from creating original songs

to making recordings with other musicians.

A collaborative component

permits multiple students to work

together on a single project.

“Soundtrap will allow the most

important thing for our classes,

which is collaboration,” Northwood

Instrumental Music Director Whitney

Tavlarides said. “I also have access

as a collaborator in my students’

studios within the program. I can see

their progress and their recordings.”

Although Soundtrap has provided

a unique way for students to

interact with music virtually, some

vox.com

miss the communal experience of

performing in a large ensemble.

“There is a big difference in

that we are creating our own music

independently or in small groups instead

of working together as a whole

band,” junior Andrew Chao said.

But with large performance

groups out of the question for now,

Northwood has shifted the emphasis

of their courses to composition rather

than performance—a facet that previous

music classes lacked.

“Soundtrap is very innovative

and easy to learn,” sophomore Noelle

Rhee said. “Our music teacher is also

making it very interesting by assigning

fun projects where we have to

produce our own music.”

Although the pandemic has

drastically affected how extracurricular

activities function, Northwood

pushes forward to provide opportunities

for student musicians to cultivate

different areas of their music education.

With Soundtrap being implemented

for the first time in IUSD,

we can only wait and see the musical

possibilities created by Northwood’s

musicians.

Photo provided by Andrew Chao

MUSIC PRODUCTION 101: Junior Andrew Chao spends

time on his laptop making a beat from scratch on Soundtrap.

something greater than itself. Boseman’s

contributions to the film behind

and in front of the camera only

boltered the film’s distinctiveness

from other Marvel movies and blockbuster

productions.

Boseman was adamant that the

characters in “Black Panther” should

use an accent based in the Xhosa language

when Marvel Studios believed

that the general audience would be

put off and have trouble understanding

the dialogue. Although only ini-

tially given the choice to take on eiher

a British or American accent for

the role, Boseman didn’t stop fighting

for his beliefs.

“I said that would not be fine

because if we did that, that would be

saying that [Wakandans] had been

colonized,” Boseman said.

Going through the trouble of arguing

for an accent and the process

of learning Xhosa to fully immerse

himself in the character, Boseman allowed

the film to stay faithful to its

comics and embrace its deep cultural

African roots. He believed that the

Black Panther should speak like the

people he rules, and his consideration

for the movie, simply on behalf of

the native authenticity of the setting,

points to how much Boseman wanted

the film to make an impact.

“Chadwick was special. A true

original. He was a deeply committed

and constantly curious artist,” fellow

actor and “Avengers: Endgame” costar

Chris Evans tweeted. “He had

so much amazing work still left to

create. I’m endlessly grateful for our

friendship. Rest in power, King.”

“Black Panther” isn’t just a superhero

movie. It’s a black movie.

Chadwick Boseman wasn’t just

an inspiration. He was a hero in the

black community and beyond. He

was cast as the Black Panther not

as an average crusader, but instead

a symbol of the progress of the film

industry. The movie set milestones

in the box office and breaks down

the myth that black-led films are too

niche for mainstream enjoyment. Although

Chadwick Boseman passed

away at a young age, the impact of

his work and lessons about acceptance

and identity in his films live on.


A&E


Social media transformation leads to advocacy

By Ryan Wu

Staff Writer

Throughout American history,

civil rights workers, whistleblowers

and other ordinary citizens have

used the means of technology available

to them to foster social change

in society. Similar to how activists in

the 1960s used the telephone and film

to educate people and display urgent

messages, activists of the 21st century

are utilizing social media apps like

Twitter, Instagram, and, most recently,

TikTok, as a means of activism.

In recent months following the

murder of George Floyd by ex-police

officer Derek Chauvin, social media

underwent a significant transformation

in which Gen Z and younger

millennial creators began using it to

promote their activist agenda more

frequently than ever before. Unlike

times of previous injustices,

social media users continued using

their platforms to spread awareness

about institutionalized racism and ingrained

bias that have permeated society

in addition to sharing the death

of Floyd.

“If you want to rapidly mobilize

a bunch of people you know and you

don’t want the whole world clued

in, you use social media services or

WhatsApp,” Bijan Stephen writes in

a Wired article titled “Social Media

Helps Black Lives Matter Fight the

Power.” “If you want to mobilize a

ton of people you might not know

and you do want the whole world to

talk about it: Twitter.”

In mid-2013, the hashtag

#blacklivesmatter made its first appearance

on Twitter in response to the

acquittal of George Zimmerman, the

murderer of black teenager Trayvon

Martin. As Twitter allowed people to

share their ideas and opinions with a

very wide audience, this controversial

hashtag sparked fire in the social

media community, used in thousands

of retweets and spurring on the formation

of the Black Lives Matter

(BLM) organization.

However, popularity of the

hashtag died down just as suddenly

as it started, and the spotlight on

BLM eventually flickered out. People

on the internet have a short attention

span, losing interest in once trending

issues as time goes by and going back

to the status quo of more light-hearted

topics. When another particularly

outrageous event occurs, the cycle

restarts as the majority of users will

once again focus their attention on

the issue for a couple weeks before

promptly shifting their usage of social

media back to entertainment.

Thus, the media’s reaction to

Floyd’s murder is so surprising because

public attention to the mistreatment

of minorities never moved on

like it did in the past.

“On May 28, nearly 8.8 million

tweets contained the #Black-

LivesMatter hashtag—making this

the highest number of uses for this

hashtag in a single day since the

Center started tracking its use,” Pew

Research Center reported. “After that

peak, the number of tweets containing

the hashtag consistently remained

above 2 million uses per day.”

Media attention did not quietly

move away from racial and social

issues as it did in the past. Instead,

the growing popularity of the BLM

movement has given a voice and a

platform to other overlooked problems

in our world today, inspiring

influencers and ordinary users alike

to send continuous streams of information

exposing underlying societal

issues that need to be addressed.

Tiktok is an app formerly known

The drive-in theatre, once the

cultural zeitgeist of the 1950s and

60s, has since become antiquated as

modern theater complexes became

mainstream. However, due to the CO-

VID-19 shutdowns, throwback driveins

rose to popularity as a nostalgic

alternative for moviegoing. Starlight

Movie Night showcased movies and

live improv comedy at the Irvine

Spectrum Center this summer, ensuring

a rare outing for families and

friends that adhered to general safety

guidelines.

Including films such as “Willy

Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,”

“Avengers Endgame” and “The Hunger

Games”, the outdoor theaters

provided guests with a communal

experience uncommon in the age of

Joy Kim The Northwood Howler

POSTING FOR CHANGE: Northwood students use social media platforms such as Instagram

to learn about and raise awareness about the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID-19.

for its funny skits and silly dances,

but its unique feature that allows a

content creator to gain a mass following

by posting just one video makes

it possible to evoke a large audience

response. After garnering major support

for the BLM movement, TikTok

creators were able to spread their take

on other civil injustices to millions of

users. Recent talks about the possibility

of TikTok being shut down by

the government due to security reasons

were met with objection from its

creators, who proclaim that since the

BLM protests, the app has become a

crucial outlet for education on a variety

of societal issues.

“I saw a lot of youth on the

ground TikToking the [BLM] pro-

Summer Irvine movie drive-in

By Yejin Heo and Ryan Wu

Staff Writers

quarantine. A large outdoor screen

was situated at the center of the parking

lot, and guests used the FM transmitter

radio in their car or a portable

battery-operated stereo for the audio.

“I watched ‘Mean Girls’ at the

Spectrum drive-in over the summer,”

senior Riley Perez said. “Being in the

back of my car and bringing my own

snacks was a really fun experience.”

Getting the full drive-in movie

experience came at a cost of $30 per

car on Mondays and Tuesdays and

$50 on other days except Saturday.

Guests were able to use a complimentary

$20 Irvine Spectrum Center gift

card towards dinner and snacks prior

to the start of the movie.

“I’ve never gone to a drive-in

theater before, so it felt like a novelty,

but I had a great time spending time

with my friend there,” senior Keely

McCarthy said.

tests as opposed to live streaming,

tweeting or Instagramming,” Kareem

Rahmam, a TikTok creator with nearly

400,000 followers on the app, said

to the New York Times. “The conversations

these kids are having with

each other are essential.”

Instagram, an app generally used

for entertainment purposes, followed

a similar path of change. It erupted

in support of the BLM movement

towards the end of May, with hundreds

of activism accounts gaining

hundreds of thousands of followers.

Additionally, regular people continue

to share posts on their stories about

the most recent ethical dilemmas or

humanitarian crises, accentuating

misogyny, homophobia, rape, dehumanization

of immigrants, defunding

the police and the treatment of mental

health issues to name a few.

Instagram transformed from an

app to follow celebrities and watch

funny videos on to one of the largest

platforms for mainstream activism,

as it provides a medium to spread

awareness and urge the populace

to take action in an effort to resolve

these problems.

As people become more aware

and willing to fix the problems present

in the world, they also become

more inclined to publicly share their

stance. With the ability to spread a

message at their fingertips, young

activists have revamped social media

into the center of activism.

Health precautions were mandated

for moviegoers to maintain

safety guidelines. Guests wore a face

covering and practiced social distancing

when outside their own vehicle,

and it was mandatory to watch the

movie from inside their cars or from

their trunk.

“It was nice to get my mind off

of everything that’s been going on,

even if it was for just a short while,”

junior Yun Seo Lee said. “I love that

drive-ins are becoming more popular

since film is such a big part of my life

and drive-ins remind me of the happier

times from the safety of my car.”

Although the Irvine Spectrum

Center hosted its last drive-in movie

on Sept. 7, Starlight Movie Night

continues to host movies at other

locations in Southern California, including

The Outlets at San Clemente

and Brea Mall.


Rachel Gunawan The Northwood Howler

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The Northwood Howler VIEWPOINT


College entrance exams are a game. So who ends up winning?

By Hari Sreeramagiri

Staff Writer

“The SAT does not assess your

intelligence. It’s a game that you must

learn to play, by whatever means necessary.”

This is what I was told on my

first day of SAT prep classes. Looking

back 4 months later, following a

court ruling barring the use of standardized

tests in admissions to the

University of California (UC), what

might have intended to be a positive

analogy now holds an entirely different

meaning. Make no mistake: As

the court decision correctly reasoned,

the SAT is a game, and it invariably

favors the rich and privileged.

To understand this, let’s play.

Welcome to the SAT. You have

60 minutes to cross the finish line.

Get in your positions.

Player 1:Standing at the finish

line, sporting a spotless pair of

Yeezy Boosts and an arrogant smirk,

is Robert Beck. Robert is from an

upper-class family. His father owns a

successful oil company and has a net

worth of around $5,000,000. He received

a 700 on his first practice test,

but attended nine weeks of summer

camp and private tutoring lessons

that cost around $15,000. Much to

his father’s delight, he made it up to a

1500 (thus the Yeezys). Oh, and he’s

white.

Player 2: Standing 50 meters

from the finish line is Sarah Lee. Sarah

works hard in school and receives

satisfactory grades, but not enough to

make it over 1500 without guidance.

She’s from an upper middle class

family who could afford to send her

to seven weeks of camp and tutoring

lessons here and there, costing them

around $7,000 dollars. She received a

1500 on her last practice test.

Player 3: Standing 100 meters

from the finish line is Ben Lopez.

Ben is a hardworking student with an

impressive academic record. His parents

work night and day to make ends

meet, and he’s still saving up for the

TI-89 graphing calculator he needs

for Calculus next semester. He can’t

afford tutoring or camp, so he makes

the best of his prep book and Khan

Academy tutorials. After months of

hard work, Ben achieved a score of

1450 on his last practice test.

On your marks, get set, go!

The winner is Robert.

Why did Robert win? He has the

ultimate combo: he’s a wealthy white

kid coming from a well-to-do family

going in for a test with a history of

bias towards people who look like

him. Steven Singer exposes the test’s

inherent racism in his article “Standardized

Testing is a Tool of White

Supremacy,” where he explains that

questions on the SAT and ACT are

Rolling blackouts in California

By Arya Bhattacharjee

Staff Writer

With the recent statewide blackout

issued by the California Independent

System Operator (CAISO) due

to the ongoing heat waves, families

have been encouraged to limit their

electricity usage and keep their air

conditioning units either on low power

or completely off. This is creating

a dangerous situation for seniors and

those with medical device. But with

climate change resulting in an increase

in heatwaves and temperatures

reaching record highs, telling families

to turn off their air conditioning

can lead to an increased number of

health problems in addition to the effects

of an ongoing pandemic, which

is why those with the ability to resist

the heat must take the responsibility

to save energy.


Heat waves are taking over most

of the state, and temperatures have

reached triple digits, causing families

to rush to their thermostats and set

their air conditioning to full power.

Normally, this would increase the

nationwide power consumption by

a good amount, but combined with

the COVID-19 pandemic, the spike

in electricity usage led the CAISO to

issue a statewide blackout for the afternoon

of Friday, Aug. 14: The first

ordered blackout in CA since 2001.

“We are grateful to families

and businesses across the state that

answered the call to reduce electricity

use during a crucial time on the

grid. This heat storm is not over, and

we still expect exceedingly hot temperatures,”

said Steve Berberich, ISO

president and CEO. “With continued

help from California residents in

conserving energy, much like today,

we can reduce the risk of power outages.”

While the extreme heat proved

to be quite taxing on the CA power

grid, heat waves can actually be

much more taxing on humans. Even

though a majority of heat related illnesses

are curable, a research article

by Environmental Epidemiology reports

that there are still around 297

deaths per year in the U.S. caused by

extreme heat.

As of right now, with the pandemic

limiting us to the boundaries

of our houses, the state’s power usage

has gone up due to lights being

on for longer and computers being

used continuously, in addition to the

heatwave increasing our air condition

usage. Therefore, it becomes our job

as those who are less vulnerable to

the heat to limit our own power and

electricity usage so that those who

depend on artificial cooling receive

the power they need to ensure their

safety.

Proposition 16 debate divides minorities

By Hari Sreeramagiri and

Rahul Khanna

Staff Writers

Proposition 16 will appear on

the general election ballot on Nov.

3 asking Californians to vote on

whether or not to repeal Proposition

206, which had previously banned

Affirmative Action, which allowed

universities and workplaces would

take race, ethnicity and sex into consideration

when making admission or

hiring decisions.

Debates about the virtues and

pitfalls of Prop 16 will undoubtedly

dominate the news cycle until Election

Day, but it is the wrong conversation

to be having. Instead, we

should talk about how Affirmative

Action itself is a band-aid over the

bullethole in a system broken beyond

repair. What’s worse is that it actually

pits minority groups against one

another when we should all be in the

fight to end systemic racism together.

It’s a classic divide and conquer

strategy. To keep two opposing forces

from uniting to topple a system,

those in power convince the opposing

forces that they are in competition

with each other for scarce resources,

in this case key college admission

spots and lucrative jobs. Affirmative

Action attempts to solve for diversity

by offering some a chance at the

job, but in reality fractures minority

groups into coalitions, each seeking

to prove that they are more deserving

than the other,, sparking fear and internal

animosity that hinders the fight

for equality. Like dogs at the master’s

table, we fight amongst each other for

scraps instead of questioning why the

master controls the system at all.

In one of the largest scandals in

Harvard history, Asian American students

argued for inclusivity, claiming

that Harvard caps the amount of spots

Sophia Fei The Northwood Howler

written based on how a “typical” student

would respond. What does their

typical student look like? A lot like

themselves. And incidentally, a lot

like Robert.

Furthermore, according to Singer,

the multiple choice nature of the

test itself reduces complex processes

to a predetermined set of four answers—forcing

students to guess at

which answer reflects the test-maker’s

reality rather than allowing them

to express answers about the intricacies

and nuances of the real world.

Additionally, test-makers design their

product to render a bell curve, an antiquated

educational theory in which

as many students fail as receive advanced

marks, while the bulk score

somewhere in the middle. In short,

this is a test designed for some people

to fail. But it won’t be Robert.

Sarah, on the other hand, may

not look like she is at a disadvantage,

but she is despite being economically

well-off. It is her race and culture

that leave her at a disadvantage.

She does not look like or have the

same foundational background as the

test-makers, but as an Asian American

stymied by the model minority

stereotype, she is expected to fulfill

higher standards than other minority

students. A lawsuit claiming just this,

Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard,

is currently being argued in the

First Circuit Court of Appeals, and is

expected to eventually reach the Supreme

Court.

Finally, Ben has overcome many

obstacles to achieve a 1450. Like

Sarah, he is already disadvantaged

because of inherent cultural and racial

bias within the design of the test.

But unlike Sarah and Robert, he lacks

the resources to hire the tutors and attend

the intense prep courses that the

others could. The test’s rigid structure

allows little room for success without

prior preparation and familiarity

with its rules. Thus, Ben’s inadequate

preparation, through the fault of his

available to them. While movements

for equality are never bad, it’s important

to note that the same people who

argue against Affirmative Action are

silent when it comes to issues that involve

other minorities.

As Asian American students

and second generation immigrants,

we would be lying if we said 99%

of dinner table conversations with

our parents didn’t consist of grueling

discussions about our future. “Score

higher than them on the SAT,” “Be

better than them at sports” and “Do

better” are all phrases we’ve heard,

but they promote the sort of “race

to the top” mindset that pits students

against each other.

The cold and hard battle against

economic status not his aptitude, renders

him at a disadvantage.

And though there are those that

may cry we are making sweeping generalities,

and #NotEveryRobert, the

correlation between family income

and test scores is well-documented.

An article in the New York Times in

2009 tested a regression between high

test scores and parental wealth, showing

a strong positive correlation (Rsquared

= .95 for the statistics geeks).

A study by the National Association

for College Admissions counseling

reports that excluding standardized

test scores could increase representation

of underrepresented minority

students in the applicant pool and the

freshman class.

Disparities in access to education

devastate quality of life and increase

the statistical chance of poverty,

especially for racial minorities

generationally. Danilo Trisia, a Senior

Research Analyst for the Center

for Budget and Policy Priorities

reports that gaps in score distribution

reflect and reinforce racial inequalities

across generations.

So when students walk into

their testing halls this September, remember

they aren’t playing the game

alone. Their parents’ pockets, empty

and full, are playing with them. The

color of their skin is playing with

them. The institutionalized bias embedded

in college admissions is playing

with them. The test creators are

playing with them. And if the student

is a low-income minority, all these

factors are playing against them.

Standardized testing is a game

that is rigged against the weakest

players. It determines students educational

path, but still fails. And until

we stop playing, only the Roberts of

society will continue to win.

racism in college admissions is not

won by debating about Affirmative

Action, but fighting for larger shifts

in mindset and global movements

for equality. We all deserve absolute

equality and fair judgement from college

admissions officers. Attending

Black Lives Matter protests, spreading

awareness on Asian misrepresentation

and the model minority myth

are all ways to create the permanent

change we desire without trying to

repair a system that is already fractured.

So instead of travelling to the

voting booth to pass a verdict on a

policy crafted by the same white politicians

who are racist when it serves

their purpose, let’s fight this our way.


VIEWPOINT


Remembering Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg


By Ryan Wu and Helena Zhou

Staff Writers

The United States mourned the

untimely death of Supreme Court Associate

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg

from complications of metastatic

pancreatic cancer on Sept. 18, who

spent her life battling injustices as a

powerful voice for women’s rights

and pioneer for gender equality.

Born on March 15, 1933, in

Brooklyn, New York, Ginsburg

displayed a love for education and

capacity for knowledge since her

youth, graduating as valedictorian of

the Cornell University class of 1954

and attending Harvard and Columbia

Law Schools.

While studying at Harvard, she

experienced gender discrimination

firsthand as one of the nine female

students at in a class of 500. Undeterred

by tribulations, she became the

first female member of the studentrun

Harvard Law Review.

Despite her excellence in academia,

Ginsburg had difficulty finding

a job in the discriminatory workforce

of the 1960s. She eventually

became a clerk under District Judge

Edmund L. Palmieri, yet she was

consistently offered significantly

lower salaries than those given to her

male counterparts.

In 1963, Ginsburg became a

professor at Rutgers University Law

School, holding this position until she

was offered a job at her alma mater,

Columbia. She became the school’s

first female tenured professor in

1972, and while there, she also served

as the director of the Woman’s Rights

Project of American Civil Liberties

Union and argued six milestone cases

in front of the US Supreme Court.

After serving as the judge for the

US Court of Appeals for the District

of Columbia for 13 years, Ginsburg

became the second woman in history

to serve on the Supreme Court

when she was assigned by President

Bill Clinton and began her streak of

arguing landmark cases on the side

of progressivism. Nicknamed “Notorious

R.B.G.” after late rapper

The Notorious B.I.G., Ginsburg had

become a pop culture figure appealing

to younger generations while

she staunchly advocated for gender

equality, civil liberties, protection

of workers, voting rights, abortion

rights and separation of church and

state.

She was confirmed by the Senate

96-3 despite some members

doubting her ability to properly transition

from a social activist to an

arbiter of law. As a fierce champion

of feminism early on, Ginsburg coauthored

the merits brief of Reed v.

Reed (1971), extending the protections

of the Equal Protection Clause

of the Fourteenth Amendment to

women. Notably, Ginsburg wrote the

landmark decision of United States v.

Virginia (1993), deeming it illegal for

the Virginia Military Institute to deny

women.

Ginsburg also wrote numerous

compelling opinions that often differed

from the majority. She iconically

concluded her opinion with her

famous “I dissent” instead of the usual

“Respectfully, I dissent.” In Lilly

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber

Co. (2007), her written dissent countering

the majority’s denial of sex discrimination

in the employment was

so influential that it led to the Lilly

Ledbetter Fair Pay Act being passed

in 2009, ensuring non-discriminatory

pay practices.

Despite facing many adversities,

Ginsburg demonstrated an unmatched

resilience, overcoming many personal

struggles throughout her career.

She lost her mother to cancer before

her high school graduation, and years

later, her husband Martin Ginsburg

battled testicular cancer from 1956

until his death in 2010.

In her last twenty years on the

Supreme Court, Ginsburg took on her

responsibilities while suffering from

serious health issues herself, including

colon cancer, pancreatic cancer

and malignancies on her left lung.

She endured heart surgery and radiation

treatment when her pancreatic

cancer returned in 2019, barely missing

a day in court.

Ginsburg has left her mark on

the world as arguably the most accomplished

lawyer of her lifetime

next to Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Her voice for equality continues to

ring and inspire people across America,

as she famously said,

“To make life a little better for

people less fortunate than you, that’s

what I think a meaningful life is. One

lives not just for oneself but for one’s

community.” Her immersion in litigation

has transcended politics.

Ginsburg’s death has left an

empty seat to fill in the Supreme

Court less than seven weeks before

Election Day, sparking controversy

as many predict that Republicans will

use this opportunity to tighten the

conservative grip in the court with a

6-3 majority.

Chief Justice John Roberts,

proven to be an unreliable vote for

Republicans by siding with the left on

many notable issues in the past, will

no longer be the deciding vote between

closely fought cases, as he will

only be the fourth vote for a Democratic

cause instead of the fifth. Highly

controversial cases concerning the

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals

and abortion and contraceptive

rights will now likely be decided in

favor of Republicans.

Clear changes to legislation

following to the death of Ginsburg

may come as early as this fall, during

which a Republican-brought

challenge to Obamacare will be argued

in front of the Supreme Court.

A tied vote on this issue can bring

about an appeals court decision that

ultimately nullifies key components

of the health care law. And, because

associate justices get life tenures,

Democrats fear that the Republican

stronghold on law will continue for

decades to come.

Days before her death, Ginsburg

said “My most fervent wish is

that I will not be replaced until a new

president is installed.” Trump has announced

on Tuesday that he will be

selecting the Supreme Court nominee

this Saturday at 5 p.m. although confirmation

vote on the nominee will

likely not take place until after the

election. On Monday, Trump stated

that he was considering five candidates

before adding that he was really

focused on “one or two” names.

Should prison labor be used to fight current wildfires?

By Tyler Wong

Staff Writer

California is no stranger to wildfires.

It is often broadcasted on our

local news station and every once in a

while, we experience one nearby. We

often dismiss these fires—a hazy day

giving the sky a slight orange tint typically

does not affect us in the comfort

of our homes, if we are lucky enough

to not be evacuated. However, there

has been a growing concern over an

aspect of wildfires that many of us do

not consider in regard to these disasters—the

unfair treatment of inmate

firefighters.

The California Department

of Corrections and Rehabilitation,

(CDCR) in cooperation with the

California Department of Forestry and

Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has been

using inmates since the 1940s to assist

fires, floods and other natural or

manmade disasters.

Inmates who are incarcerated for

nonviolent offenses are voluntarily

placed in temporary rehabilitation

centers called conservation camps or

fire camps and go out to augment regular

firefighters when necessary. There

are currently 44 Conservation Camps

throughout 27 counties in California.

Inmates are subject to exhausting

work, carrying heavy bags, utilizing

three-foot chainsaws and being exposed

to potentially life-threatening

environments.

In June, the CDDR put 12 conservation

camps on lockdown after

they were exposed to the coronavirus

through outbreaks within the prison.

Weeks later, the quarantine protocol

had to be extended due to concerns

that some had potentially been

re-exposed to the virus, causing a

large number of inmates to be unable

to fulfill their firefighter position for a

long period of time. In an attempt to

reduce coronavirus outbreaks within

facilities, the state granted an early

release to thousands of inmates. Onefifth

of wildfire fighters are inmates,

and this early release of inmates led

California Gov. Gavin Newsom to

hire additional firefighters to make up

for the loss in numbers.

Both criminal justice advocates

and formerly incarcerated firefighters

have expressed their disdain towards

the minimal pay and extreme working

conditions that inmate firefighters

experience.



Inmates are paid between $2.90

and $5.12 a day and $1 per hour when

fighting an active fire. On the other

hand, the annual median pay for firefighters

in California is approximately

$74,000 dollars, not to mention the

various benefits they receive from their

employer. The cheap and minimal pay

of inmates has saved the state and taxpayers

an estimated amount between

90 and 100 million dollars a year.

We must question the ethics

of this kind of labor system as the

potential financial benefits of cheap

prison labor might incentivize mass

incarceration. Evidently, many are

pushing for these prison programs to

be replaced by means of proper public

investments.

For some inmates, firefighting is

both a sense of direction and a skill

that has developed through extensive

training and they hope to use it in the

professional world. In fact, upon being

released from prison, many former

inmates apply for jobs as firefighters.

Unfortunately, many have found that

various barriers have been put in place

to prevent them from doing so.

These barriers include being affected

by the stigma that comes with


being a former inmate or not having

an Emergency Medical Technician

(EMT) licensing. With the regulating

factors added in place that are preventing

former inmates from even attempting

to become firefighters, many are

demanding change to make it easier

for previously incarcerated individuals

to land well-paying jobs.

Efforts are underway to mitigate

these obstacles, which are preventing

former convicts from having a second

chance. On Sept. 11, Newsom signed

Assembly Bill 2147 by Assemblywoman

Eloise Gómez Reyes, D-San

Bernardino, allowing former inmate

firefighters to apply for the expungement

of their criminal records, making

it easier for them to obtain EMT licensing

and continue with their career.

While some progress has been

made, there is still a lot of room for

improvement in mvareas such as

dismantling the incentivization of

mass incarceration by means of higher

wages.

It is our duty as American citizens

to continue to push for more reform in

order for those currently incarcerated

and former inmates will be able to live

more fruitful and productive lives.

The Northwood Howler SPORTS


Interviewing water polo sensation Max Abravanel

By Rachel Gima

Staff Writer

Coco Tsaue The Northwood Howler

MAKING A SPLASH: Northwood alum Max Abravanel rifles a shot from distance, swinging the game’s momentum.

sider my closest friends, I met most

of them through the water polo program.

As for the thing I enjoyed the

least about water polo was obviously

the conditioning and commitment

that it requires. But in the end, going

through tough conditioning sets and

long, grueling tournaments is what

really brought our teams closer together.

By keeping an open mind and

a positive attitude during those challenging

times, I think it can really enforce

a work ethic and makes every

victory that much more worthwile.

TH: In your opinion, how do

you believe that you got into a college-level

team?

MA: I got onto a collegiate team

by dedicating a lot of time and hard

work to the sport that I love. Day in

and day out, every set was done with

a purpose. And, of course, having

some natural talent didn’t hurt. I think

Max Abravanel is a Northwood

alumni from the Class of 2020

who was a significant figure in the

school’s athletics program as a water

polo player, which advanced to the

CIF. He also was a member of the National

Interscholastic Swim Coaches

Association (NISCA) All American

water polo’s third team, a group of

the most coveted athletes from across

the nation.

Locally, Abravanel was a first

team all California Interscholastic

Federation (CIF) recipient and competed

at the highest levels in Southern

California high school water polo. As

a co-captain of the Northwood team,

Abravanel led the Timberwolves all

the way to the CIF-SS semi-finals,

where the team unfortunately fell

short in a hard-fought game that

went down to the wire. Although the

implementation of Northwood athletics

is uncertain this year, the heart of

the program still remains, and Abravanel

has agreed to speak about the

program and offer advice to current

students.

The Howler: How many years

have you played water polo, and how

long did you play for Northwood?

Max Abravanel: I’ve been

playing water polo since I was 9

years old, so the past nine years have

been dedicated to water polo. I was

a starter on the Northwood varsity

team for all four years of high school.

TH: What did you enjoy most

and what did you enjoy least about

water polo?

MA: The thing I enjoyed the

most about water polo at Northwood

was the friends and connections that

I made. Of the people that I conby

having a goal to play on a collegelevel

team really pushed me through

the tough times.

TH: What are your plans for the

future, in terms of athletics and academics?

MA: This year I will be playing

water polo at the University of

California, San Diego, and studying

probability and statistics. As far as

careers go, I don’t have my eyes set

on a single career path, and I think

it’s best to keep my mind and options

open to what life brings my way.

TH: What are some things that

you wish you did in high school that

would’ve been fun and/or helped you

later on?

MA: I wish I went to more

school events. For example, attending

events like dances, athletic competitions

and club events would have

provided some much-needed leisure

Social justice on the school field

in my high school career. I didn’t

have a ton of extra time on my hands

but I definitely could’ve found some

time to do more things like that. High

school is the time to make memories

as well as focus on priorities, so I

would advise underclassmen to get

involved in the school’s culture.

TH: What are some things you

regret doing/not doing as a high

school athlete?

MA: As an athlete, I regret not

being a better leader and role model

for my teammates and peers.

TH: Why is leadership so important

in athletics and team sports?

MA: Athletics and team sports

are one of the few ways people our

age can practice and refine their

leadership skills, which is essential

to each individual in their own way.

Every team needs someone to vocalize

plays and communicate coverages

that our oppenents may be running.

Outside of the pool, coordinating

times for team bonding and practice

schedules allows for the season to run

smoothly. If a team wants to win, it

needs to have a good leader, and that

is an unspoken rule of team athletics.

TH: What advice do you have

for current student-athletes at Northwood?

MA: No matter what level of

athletics you may be in (varsity, JV,

frosh), make sure that you’re having

fun and making new friends. As

much as I love actually playing water

polo, all my best memories in high

school athletics happened outside the

pool. Aspects of sports like bus rides,

tournaments, team dinners really allowed

to make friends for life. They

can be the best moments of your high

school career if you surround yourself

with the right people.

Coco Tsaur The Northwood Howler

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS: The football team hustles on to the field, ready to compete.

By Tyler Wong

Staff Writer

A team of football coaches,

many of whom have experienced

racial inequality first hand, ignited

protests across Thousand Oaks High

School, inspired by recent national

sports team’s protests in support of

Black Lives Matter (BLM).

As other California high schools

have allowed political messaging

onto the pitch, Northwood coaches,

players and athletic directors have

begun discussing exactly how to appropriately

handle calls for protesting

racial injustice within high school

sports.

“As an IUSD staff, social justice

and student safety are at the top

of our priorities, and it is a topic of

conversation within the athletics department,”

Athletics Director Sierra

Wang said. “We are looking forward

to having this conversation as the

year progresses.”

Athlete’s using the playing field

as a platform for protests has been a

conversation for decades. During a

medal ceremony in the 1968 Summer

Olympics, Tommie Smith and John

Carlos each raised a black-gloved

fist, a sign commonly associated with

the phrase “Black Power,” resulting

in their expulsion from the games. In

2016, former 49ers Quarterback Colin

Kaepernick made national headlines

for kneeling during the national

anthem.

This summer, teams from the

National Basketball Association

(NBA) and the Major League Baseball

(MLB) boycotted games in response

to another police shooting of

a black man, an action which resonated

with other sports and inspired

them to take the same actions. The

Los Angeles Lakers, as well as many

other teams across all leagues, are

wearing uniforms emblazoned with

“Black Lives Matter,” and the slogan

also appears on the basketball court

at the ESPN Wide World of Sports

Complex, where the NBA restart has

been taking place. The expansion to

the international stage, through soccer

players’ goal celebrations, has

expanded BLM’s agenda outside the

country, in addition to the constant

vocal push for reform.

In light of the statewide social

justice movement ignited in Thousand

Oaks, some Northwood studentathletes

have expressed a desire to

follow the example of the professional

athletes, although the fall sports

season is on hold for now,

“The incorporation of BLM into

high school sports is a great way to

show support and help spread awareness

of the movement,” junior Kade

Acab said. “It’s about being treated

as equally as the person next to you

on the field, no matter who they are.”

As Northwood and IUSD officials

begin their conversations, there

remains uncertainty about what the

future holds for student support.


14 September 28, 25, 2020

SPORTS


Welcoming esports: the up-and-coming sport on the block

Coco Tsaue The Northwood Howler

THE GRIND NEVER STOPS: Freshman Newton Tsaur undividedly focuses on the game at hand, looking to scrape out the win, alongside his team.

By William Baik and

Arya Bhattacharjee

Staff Writers

The arena is buzzing with the

energy of the fans, the big screen at

the center of the stage illuminates,

and the players take their seats. This

isn’t your conventional sporting

event— this is esports, a professional

sport based on video games.

The sudden rise in video gaming

due to the lockdown has increased

interest in esports tournaments, and

while some esports scenes have

started from scratch, more distinguished

tournaments have continued

to thrive. Here’s a look at two esports

scenes that have caught the attention

of not only the gaming community,

but have entertained the entire world

for the greater part of the quarantine.

X-treme game alterations to the XFL

By Ryan Wu

Staff Writer

Majority stake of the Xtreme

Football League (XFL) has been

bought by another wrestling legend,

but this time it isn’t World Wrestling

Entertainment (WWE) CEO Vince

McMahon. An investment group including

former WWE star Dwayne

Johnson, businesswoman Dany Garcia

and RedBird Capital Partners

combined their efforts to purchase

the spring football league which filed

for bankruptcy in April.

The group acquired the XFL

assets handled by its parent company,

Alpha Entertainment, for $15

million, days before the league was

scheduled for a bankruptcy auction.

“For Dwayne, Gerry and myself,

this property represents an incredible

opportunity,” Garcia said

in a press release. “Melding our expertise

combined with our commitment

to deliver exciting and inspiring

unique content has us all focused

on developing the XFL brand into a

multi-media experience.”

VALORANT:

VALORANT is a tactical first

person shooter game by Riot Games

that was released in early June. The

game puts each player into the shoes

of a character, who is then given a

weapon, and sent off to complete an

objective. The game is a round-based

game, which ends early when one

team plants a crystal. From there, the

opponents’ goal is to diffuse the crystal.

Riot’s unique spin on the genre

adds in special abilities, making the

game require a mix of mechanical

skill and strong team communication

in order to achieve the highest ranks.

“The game is really well built

for a pro scene,” junior Antonio Galisteo

said. “It requires you to make

smart decisions [and] in the moment

thinking, which I think is a key to any

modern and fun video game.”

The XFL was founded in 1999

by Johnson’s former boss, McMahon,

as a testing ground for aspiring

National Football League (NFL) athletes

and provided faster action for

fans through its altered rules. For instance,

teams have two timeouts per

half, compared to the regular three

in the NFL. Players also only need

one foot in bounds for a pass completion,

making it easier for referees to

determine catches. Even with these

adjustments, the league folded one

year after its introduction, and Mc-

Mahon spent $200 million to revive

the league in 2018. The sports shutdown

brought on by COVID-19 led

to the XFL ceasing operations for its

second time, for economic reasons..

Johnson’s interest in football

stems from playing the sport competitively

in his youth as a defensive

tackle in the 1991 University of Miami

national championship team and

his time on the roster of the Canadian

Football League’s Calgary Stampeders.

His love for the spotlight

and providing opportunities to overlooked

talent was one of the reasons

VALORANT has already seen

unprecedented growth in the esports

market, hosting a total of 18 tournaments

since the game’s release. With

major streamers from the internet

sensation, Fornite, shifting over to

VALORANT, the pro scene’s future

looks bright. Professional VAL-

ORANT tournaments have seen up

to 80,000 viewers with an average

around 30,000, indicating that the

future of this game’s esports scene is

another reason to definitely keep an

eye out for this video game.

League of Legends:

League of Legends, one of

the oldest and most popular esports

scenes in the world, continues

to thrive in these trying times. As

a game that is more predicated on

strategy than skill, the game relies on

Rachel Gunawan The Northwood Howler

why he decided to purchase the XFL.

“I think Dwayne Johnson buying

the league is a great thing for

the XFL,” senior Troy Javier said.

“The first season when McMahon

ran it showed an alternative football

league has potential if advertised and

televised correctly, since it would be

going strong if not for COVID-19.”

Several exceptional players in

the XFL have been drafted into the

NFL, including Colin Thompson to

the Carolina Panthers and Donald

Parham to the Los Angeles Chargers.

The league MVP PJ Walker got farther

in roster status than any other

XFL player, transitioning from the

Houston Roughnecks to a $1.565

million, two-year deal with the Carolina

Panthers to learn quaterbacking

under the NFL’s brightest stars

Although Johnson and his team

are up for the challenge, the unprecedented

circumstances presented by

COVID-19 make it difficult to set

any definitive plans for the future of

the XFL. However, with the league

under new leadership, the future of

the league appears bright.

smart decision making to destroy objectives,

the final objective being the

Nexus, the core of each team’s base

on the Summoner’s Rift, one of the

many locations in the game. Its global

championships average over 100

million views, topping $1 billion in

annual revenue and putting it on par

to sports championship games such

as the National Football League’s

(NFL) Super Bowl. With the current

situation of the COVID-19 pandemic,

that number is only expected to climb

higher, with more players flocking to

the game while locked at home, on

the basis of entertainment.

“Esports makes League of Legends

even more enjoyable as you can

see international teams battling it

out on a world stage,” senior Soumil

Joshi said. “The rivalries amongst

regions add intensity, especially between

North America and Europe.”

Esports has blossomed into

a mainstream source of entertainment

that millions of fans can watch

from anywhere in the world, attracting

interest from celebrities and

large corporations alike, making

national headlines. Not to mention,

ESPN decided to televise the National

Basketball Association (NBA)

2K series’ championship series on

its main channel, as a replacement

for professional sports. From signing

high school basketball prodigy

Bronny James to professional gaming

team FaZe Clan to the growing

number of celebrity investors, praying

for this sports genre’s successes,

such as Drake, recent developments

in the video gaming community have

proven that the sky’s the limit for the

future of esports in the modern world.

Out with drear, in with cheer

By William Baik

Staff Writer

The scent of buttery popcorn

wafts as you walk back to your seat

with a hot dog and a drink, ready to

cheer for your team like any other

year. Except, of course, it’s not like

any other year. You’re stuck at home,

watching TV with nothing but canned

cheers and awkward selfie cutouts of

fake fans in the stands. So how do

you recapture the excitement of live

sports in the COVID-19 era? Why,

fantasy sports leagues, of course!

Fantasy sports leagues are online

competitions where you draft

a team and face off against friends

and strangers alike. It runs on a point

based system, which is derived from

a player’s performance that week in

the major statistics for that. The sum

of all the points is used to determine

the winner between two fantasy managers

that week. From there, players’

ranking accumulate based on their

total points from the professional

league’s season, creating a ranking

system among your friends to see

who really is number one.

Recently, fantasy sports leagues

have become popular at Northwood

in recent years, thanks to the Sports

Analytics Club. Members of the club

are free to discuss anything sports

related, using fantasy leagues to spur

conversation for their weekly meetings.

In addition to these conversations,

the club organizes fantasy

leagues for club members to participate

in to educate each incoming

sports fanatic on the fantasy sports

while introducing new players.

“It’s a reminder that sports have

room to grow and also gives people

a chance to learn more about sports

especially while having a lot of fun at

the same time” club president senior

Henry Jia said. “It is also a plus for

those seeking social interaction.”

The club’s involvement in fantasy

leagues help them write their

weekly articles. With game schedules

and player stats being closely followed,

members observe players or

events that warrant an in-depth look

using advanced statistics.

The growth of fantasy leagues

expands past Northwood’s campus

as well. Fantasy leagues experience

increased participation every year,

hitting over sixty million players as

of 2017. Increased accessibility and

the expansion of sports available

are responsible for the community’s

growth, transitioning fantasy leagues

from a niche to mainstream hobby.

In addition, the emergence of platforms

such as DraftKings and Fan-

Duel have caused many adults to earn

pocket change for simply watching

the game that they love. That allows

the younger generation to have an increased

affinity for fantasy sports.

Quarantine has also increased

the importance of fantasy sports for

anyone who decides to play. The inability

to regularly attend sporting

events means that direct interaction

for fans is difficult, and fantasy

sports have provided a solid alternative

towards improving interactivity.

Fans have found solace in seeing the

play by play features on many fantasy

sports’ platforms and in the joy

of seeing a drafted player’s points increase

with every play, providing the

ability to interact with strangers and

bond over similar interests .

“Fantasy leagues are fun and accessible

to everyone,” Jia said. “It’s

helped bring people together, encouraging

a lot more people to interact

with the sport they love.”

The Sports Analytics club meets

on Zoom every Monday, so if you’re

interested, contact Jia for more information.

You may not be getting

tickets to games anytime soon, but

at least you’ll have a reason to cheer.

The Northwood Howler Shambolic Shenanigans


Petition.org to ban breakout rooms picking up steam

By Rahul Khanna

Staff Writer

Freshmen Rangi Thimor and

Regina Malbarru have taken the Internet

by storm with a Change.org

petition that calls on the US government

to immediately ban Zoom

breakout rooms, which Malbarru

calls painfully awkward, physically

intolerable and laughably ineffective.

The petition quickly gained

traction, even earning the support of

the national organization “Breakout

from Breakout Rooms,” composed of

dedicated highschoolers and college

students protesting the very existence

of breakout rooms. There have been

organized protests in which students

log off Zoom and join Google Meet

instead. Experienced hackers have

found ways to transfer host privileges

from teachers to the students,

who disable breakout rooms and

even kick out teachers who rely too

much on them. Others have taken to

SOPHIA FEI The Northwood Howler

the streets, physically throwing away

their computers solely to give an excuse

not to use breakout rooms.

Thimor and Malbarru report

that countless students from across

the country have sent them emails

thanking them for their initiative,

when nobody else had the courage to

stand up.

“I mean, I would keep hearing

about all my peers that started nonprofit

organizations, raised money

for charity and helped tutor underprivileged

kids, and it really made me

want to give back to my community,”

Thimor said. “After some thinking, I

realized that every since a week ago,

I have always hated breakout rooms.

From then on, I pledged my life to

saving the world from the virus that

is breakout rooms to make a real difference

in people’s lives.”

Thimor is certainly not alone in

his feelings towards breakout rooms;

a survey conducted by Pewpewpew

Research Center found that over 82%

of students who used breakout rooms

had suddenly developed a fear of any

kind of socialization.

“It’s no surprise,” said Harvard

Medical school professor Kovinda

Ninteena. “We’re calling it the breakout

effect, or Zo-vid-19. These poor

kids are being forced time and time

again into breakout rooms only to

mute their microphone and camera.

Two students try talking, they talk

over each other and get all flustered

and just mute. Another unmutes, and

their audio starts glitching out. Students

are clearly uncomfortable, and

it’s impacting them on both a personal

and spiritual level.

The petition has garnered over

764,000 signatures, with countless

students sharing stories about

their failed experiences with breakout

rooms in the comment section.

Among the most common include

the infamous “I didn’t know I was

muted” scenario, in which one student

presented a five minute speech

without knowing he was muted, and

the always hilarious “I thought I was

muted” situation, in which another

made the mistake of playing video

games with loud audio. The effort to

ban breakout rooms has also gathered

roughly $20,000 in funds from

the angry, socially-awkward students

supporting the movement, though

it is unclear what the money would

even be used for.

But not everyone supports the

movement. Fed up with students logging

off their Zoom meetings, a group

of teachers from Southern California

have created a Change.org petition to

ban all Change.org petitions, claiming

the petitions were interrupting the

flow of education.

“If the government can ban Tik-

Tok they can certainly ban Change.

org,” one of the teachers said. “It’s

an evil, vicious site that encourages

harmful behavior in our young, innocent

students.”

The students led by Malbarru

and Thimor refuse to back down, noting

that over 10,000 breakout rooms

are being created every day. They

pledge to not stop until that figure

lowers to zero.

To get involved with the “Breakout

from Breakout Rooms” Movement,

reach out to a local coordinator

in your area.

Life-changing Zoom secrets

By Yejin Heo and Hari

Sreeramagiri

Staff Writers

For the amount of money Zoom’s

making off of us, they should have

some features that make our lives

easier. It’s

sad to see

the quality

of education

in this country

has been

reduced to a

world without

Essential

Zoom Features.

Video virtual

background

of

yourself. Look. This is SCHOOL

we’re talking about. The

one place no one wants to

be, especially when they

could be on TikTok instead

(assuming it hasn’t

been banned yet). Slap

on the virtual background

and call it a day.

Zoom now has everyone

as the host. We are equal

in status, rights and opportunity.

Comrades, we

are all co-hosts. Relish in

the power of muting your

classmates when you can

clearly hear them playing

games on their Nintendo Switch,

throwing teachers into breakout

rooms for no particular

reason and

ending meetings

when necessary;

but remember,

with great power

comes greater responsibility.

Freeze motion

camera. Again,

you’re too busy

watching anime

that you didn’t

hear your teacher’s

question. You can’t look stupid

ANJALI MITTIPALLY The Northwood Howler

in front of your crush again. Look in

the bottom left hand corner to freeze

your camera for 15, 20 or 85 minutes.

Send a chat to everyone except the

teacher. Remember that one time

you made that comment on Ms.

Rochester’s bald spot? Well this

time, you won’t get caught.

Pixelated audio glitch simulator.

Wha-- wS- thA- Ms.-- I

cAn- hEa- ques--tion. The- answE-

is kSjgns-Sfnf. HeLl-O?!

You’ll never get called on again.

Live facetune. Rough

night? Rough morning?

Rough skin? Play around

with virtual foundations,

eyeshadows, and lip colors

when you find yourself waking

up at 8:29 for your 8:30 class.

Karaoke feature

during lectures.

If learning is

“fun” then learning

is jamming

out to the World

Advanced Placement

(WAP)

song instead

of

scrolling

through

Nearpod

slides. If

you press the

spacebar three

times, you might even find a secret

autotune feature or two.

5G tower meltdown. Automatically

changes everyone

but the teacher to black

screens and renames them

“Reconnecting…”. Enjoy

the confusion as your teacher

calls both the school and

district technology help

desks.

Get out of Zoom detention

free button. In

the bottom right hand corner,

click “Leave meeting.”

You’ve peaked.

CIF mandates new COVID-19 measures

By Matthew Dimaandal and Tyler

Wong

Staff Writers

In July, CIF released a statement

stating that sports will resume

between December 2020 to January

2021. In preparation for the upcoming

months, CIF has released another

statement describing their safety

measures and protocols to keep

coaches and athletes 100% safe without

changing up the sport. CIF’s super-duper

official list of safety measures

and protocols for several sports

are outlined below.

Basketball players must now

wear human-sized hamster balls.

A modified scoring rule

requires players to

throw an opposing

player into

a large hoop

to complete

a four-point

play. Referees

must

also replace

their

whistles

after every

play.

S w i m -

mers must acquire

their own Olympic

sized pool for every

competition

to prevent the spread of COVID-19

through water. However,

water is simply not

safe enough in this day

and age. Instead, the

whole pool will be

filled with a mixture

of the usual chlorine

and hand sanitizer

to keep individuals

both in and out of

the pool virus-free.

Soccer will

now require the

match to be played

on multiple foosball

tables. Members from

opposing teams will

face each other in simultaneous

games. After,

both players will disassemble,

disinfect and reassemble the foosball

table to encourage sportsmanship and

cooperation.

A hazmat suit under regular

uniforms will be required to participate

in football games. Water boys

will now carry Gatorade bottles

full of Clorox spray to make sure

players stay hydrated and healthy.

Players must disinfect the ball with

a wipe every time it changes hands:

after the hike, any hand-offs, completed

passes or interceptions. Failure

to follow this protocol will result in

a penalty on the field and a free

kick for the opposing team.

Tennis players will compete

via Nintendo Wii

SOPHIA FEI The Northwood Howler

Sports

Resort

(2009) tennis

video game.

Athletes’

respective

districts

will be

providing

players

with

a used

Wii from

2 0 0 6

along with

one remote

control (batteries

not included).

Athletes will

also be provided

with a Wii Fit Balance

Board to ensure that they are in

impeccable physical shape.

Wrestlers are only allowed to

arm wrestle with their dominant

arm. As a precautionary measure,

players are required to not

breathe during the match to

prevent the possibility of infection.

Players who pass out

automatically lose and are

promptly thrown into a bath

of hand sanitizer.

For the time being, CIF has

managed to use funds to buy 500

feet tall 360 degree screens that

will surround every high school

football field in California. Northwood’s

talented musicians can simultaneously

blast their pep tunes

via a Zoom meeting from the comfort

of their home to emulate the feeling

of being at a real football game.

Track and field will

experience only

minor changes to

their sport. Glass

barriers 10 feet

tall will replace

traditional

lane

markings,

and. For relays,

the baton must

be thrown

from a

minimum

o f

2 0

feet

i n -

stead of

handing off. The Howler expresses

its deepest sympathies for those in

the outer lanes.

Baseball mitts will now be required

to have built-in disinfectant

sprayers. Sprinklers on the field will

now spray Lysol every two minutes,

and tagging at bases is strictly prohibited.

Instead, runners will be air

tagged from a safe distance of 6 feet.

Due to the unsafe nature of being

in a pool, water polo will be converted

into a modified version of the

more superior polo. Players will ride

on horses and attempt to dump water

buckets on opposing players heads.

To prevent any illnesses from transmitting

through water, players will

wear complete scuba diving equipment,

fins included.

Volleyball players must run off

the court after each return to apply

hand sanitizer before the other team

hits the ball back. To encourage social

distancing, players must stand six

feet apart from each other and a minimum

of six feet away from the net.

Robotic arms will be used in place of

hands to limit any transmission.

With CIF sports right around the

corner, nine out of 10 sports scientists

have stated that they guarantee

student athletes won’t be able to tell

the difference between sports with

the new regulations and sports pre-

COVID-19.


Shambolic Shenanigans

RACHEL GUNAWAN The Northwood Howler


Kollege Bored drops the SAT

By Jonathan Kang

Staff Writer

The Kollege Bored dropped the

SAT as a requirement for college

applications, relenting to students’

pleas to avoid retaking the test three

times to get above a 1450.

They made this decision after realizing

that the test was too non-profit

for them, as recent cancelations project

revenue at less than the $1 billion

goal.

Falling profits made the decision

all too easy for Kollege Bored, who

simply couldn’t bear to be labeled as

a true, dare I say it, non-profit organization.

“The SAT wasn’t even designed

for testing knowledge: It’s just an

easy $50, so college admissions

will more or less be the same,” Kollege

Bored Business Executive Low

Nsharc said. “What I’ll really miss

is making students pay $16 extra to

write an essay. The $12 detailed score

reports will hurt too.”

While supported by many, the

decision has also come with plenty

of backlash. Some argue the decision

leaves colleges without a standardized

measure of preparedness, which

could cause biased admissions.

“College applications will be

flawed because we will have to compare

clubs and nonprofits that are

only for some extra college admissions

points,” junior Call Ijaps said.

“Whoever can spruce up their application

the best gets in.”

Following the decision, student

organizations across saw a 250% increase

in board applications, while

new club requests also rose dramatically.

Kollege Bored claims this is

just a coincidence and merely relflects

higher morale in students.

Despite the backlash, many argue

that the SAT was unfair to begin

with, and this decision is a step towards

equitable admissions.

“These tests greatly favors

wealthier individuals,” an anonymous

student said. “I mean, have you

seen those fancy $200 Texas Instrument

calculators? People who can’t

afford those flashy colors are immediately

disadvantaged. I’ve even

heard that if you buy the study books

directly from the Kollege Bored,

some of the answers on your scantron

will be mysteriously filled in.”

The Kollege Bored has made

decisions on college admissions for

over a century, and it remains steadfast

in its decision despite some of the

complaints it has received. However,

the organization is developing a new

test that they claim will revolutionize

the way college applications are

judged.

“We call it the Tangential Academic

Standards (TAS). You’re

allowed to take the test completely

free! However, we do charge $50

for the scantron, $10 for TAS specific

pencils, $70 for admission to

the testing center and $40 for parking,”

Nsharc said. “Also, you have to

pay dollar-to-dollar to validate your

score, so if you get a 1450, expect to

pay $1450. We prefer cash.”

SAT prep providers have quickly

adopted a similar model, offering free

services with self-proclaimed minor

additional charges for entering the

building, sitting in chairs and using

the restroom.

Meanwhile, the Kollege Bored

will continue to sell SAT test prep

books and study guides, citing the

sentimental value that they bring to

their past customers. They plan to roll

out the new test as soon as January

2021 to maximize reven—sorry—

benefit to the students.

Howler exclusive: interview with a decorated Zoom bomber

By Diego Moreno and

Helena Zhou

Staff Writers

As a national symbol of honor,

bravery and chivalry, the Zoom

Bombers flight squadron continues

to make America proud by fighting

for our nation’s freedom and justice.

Flight Lieutenant Gu Gulmeats has

fought valiantly in the Mal War and

Operation Blizzard, becoming one of

the most decorated Zoom Bombers of

all time. After serving the U.S. military

for over 40 years and holding a

range of positions, Gulmeats decided

to retire three years ago and settled

in Latex Valley with his family. Now

standing at 12 years old and 5-foot-

2, Gulmeats discusses his past war

experiences and comeback into the

arena of bombing for those who wish

to follow in his footsteps.

The Howler: What are some of

your proudest accomplishments in

the military?

Gu Gulmeats: I’ll have you

know I graduated top of my class

from William Gates Air Force Academy,

and I’ve been involved with

raids against Ap Pleinc and in famous

battles like iPhone vs. Android and

Apple vs. Microsoft. I have over 300

confirmed meeting bombings, I am

trained in guerilla reconnaissance,

and I am the top sniper in the entire

U.S. armed forces.

TH: That’s very impressive.

How did you initially get involved in

the military?

GG: It’s a funny story, actually.

I had signed up for some draft, I

think it was called fantasy football or

something like that. I ended up getting

the wrong address and going to

a different draft, but it all worked out

in the end.

TH: How do you carry out

your attack raids?

GG: I use my own personal

Acer Skyhawk armed with 504-Ra-

NICOLE CURTIS The Northwood Howler

zor missiles. If those don’t work,

then I break out my Apple-130 armed

with its 404 error cannon and Asus-

Tek Hellfire missiles. This combo can

ruin any Internet call with ease, and I

can still get home in time for dinner.

TH: Any more recent campaigns

you’ve been involved in?

GG: A few weeks ago, one of

my old squadron buddies introduced

me to a new sphere of combat known

as Zoom Bombing. It’s entirely novel,

having rapidly gained popularity

over the last six months, and on a

completely different landscape than

what I’m used to—really goes to

show how much warfare has evolved.

I can’t disclose too much information

on it though, since they’re covert operations.

I’ve always wanted to have

a magnum opus, to leave a legacy, so

I just couldn’t pass up bombing a call

named Zoom.

TH: Walk me through all of the

details of how you mangae to pull off

Zoom bombing.

GG: My wingman Gotome Eting

uses intel to find the Zoom locations

which we then pursue. We take

off precisely an hour before the meeting

time, and we leave before the defenders

can use their Norton anti-air

cannons to shoot us down. Once

we’re able to control the system, we

have a member distract the crowd

with blasting noise while another

member ejects and silences people.

Seeing the chaos, confusion and horrified

faces we encounter in battle,

it’s all so thrilling. You should try it

some time.

TH: Tell me about the rest

of your bombing squadron.

GG: I have several apprentices

who are carefully learning

the art of Zoom bombing. Luvhac

Ing is our designated Password Pick-

pocket, so has the job of securing the

password to allow us entry into the

target. Around 50% of the time, he

reports that the password was either

“password” or “abc123”. Another of

our interns (unpaid, of course) is the

certified Background Blaster. Once

we’re in the call, he sets up the strobe

light backgrounds and 80s rock and

roll music suddenly starts playing.

TH: What are some difficulties

you’ve encountered during the

bombings? How do you overcome

these difficulties?

GG: The life of a Zoom bomber

isn’t all fun and games. One of the

interns named Ed Xplorer had been

assigned the breakout room sector

of the raid, but the countdown time

wasn’t enough for him to get out

safely. We didn’t see him at the postraid

meeting in the main room, and

that’s when we realized the room had

collapsed on him. It’s risky, yet the

most difficult part is joining the network

of Zoom bombers, especially

as our campaigns rely on the inside

information we receive. There’s a lot

of security you need to bypass during

the missions, so it’s essential to be

connected with someone supplying

passwords and identification details.

Otherwise, things can go South.

TH: What advice would you

give to any future Zoom bombers interested

in the field?

GG: It’s a dark time for Zoom

bombers right now. In the last week,

we noticed major setbacks with our

campaigns as the enemies have developed

more powerful security precautions.

We currently lack the credentials

to hack meetings, and some

are losing faith. It’s more difficult

now than ever to become a bomber,

but with perseverance and skill, I believe

you’ll make it.

Howler Issue 22.2 September 28, 2020

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