October 2020 Howler

A Northwood High School Publication
4515 Portola Pkwy. Irvine, CA 92620 Volume XXII, Issue III: November 6, 2020
Follow us on Instagram @nhs.howler
Silverado fire burns 13,000 acres, Irvine evacuates
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www.TheHowlerOnline.org
Harry Potter Revival
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Photo provided by Stanton Sharpe
AN EMPTY SCHOOL: Smoke billows over Northwood as a firefighter combats the wind-fueled
Silverado fire, which burned through the edges of the Northwood campus and the surrounding vegetation.
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By Claire Chien, Mei Ono and
Anlon Zhu
News, Copy and Managing Editors
Over 90,000 Irvine residents
were placed under mandatory evacuation
orders as the Silverado fire
burned near Santiago Canyon Road
and Silverado Canyon Road on Oct.
26. As of Nov. 1, over 13,000 acres
had burned with 82% containment of
the fire. All Irvine residents were allowed
to repopulate.
The fire began at 6:47 a.m. with
winds up to 70 mph blowing from the
northeast. Despite 500 personnel battling
the fire, 7,200 acres had burned
by 4:30 p.m. with 0% containment,
according to The Orange County Fire
Authority (OCFA).
Residences north of Irvine Boulevard
down to Trabuco Road and
IUSD hybrid students go back in-person amidst COVID-19 concerns
By Lana Hwang
Staff Writer
IUSD entered the hybrid model
of learning last month, in which students
attend school in-person twice a
week while following safety protocols
set in place by the district.
Under the hybrid model, all people
on campus are required to wear
approved masks and social distance.
Classrooms are stocked with hand
sanitizer and sanitizing wipes—
which are used when students enter
and exit classrooms—as well as one
air purifier per classroom, purported
to filter all the air in each room every
30 minutes. Students are required
to wipe down their chairs and desks
upon entering the classroom.
“Being back in the classroom
and creating art with my students has
from Jamboree Road east to Portola
High were ordered to evacuate.
Northwood High was also placed under
mandatory evacuation, followed
by several elementary schools in the
area. IUSD schools, including Irvine
Virtual Academy, were closed for the
next two days.
“Emergencies like this are always
scary,” Northwood Principal
Leslie Roach said. “When people
are displaced in such a hurry, it is extremely
stressful and scary.”
By the evening of Oct. 26, the
fire burned the edges of Northwood
near the football field and a few areas
between buildings.
“We are extremely grateful to
the firefighters and first responders
who were quick to react and keep our
community safe,” Roach said. “Our
own School Resource Officer Tanya
been very rejuvenating,” art teacher
Kimberly Rohrs said. “For me, it is
good to be back. Art taught virtually
is just not the same.”
Additionally, 10-minute breaks
are held at different times for first and
second floor classrooms to limit the
amount of people outside at one time.
The school also employs contact tracing
when students are in classes, on
break and in bathrooms, in case of a
positive case. Students are split into
Cohorts A and B, with Cohort A attending
school in person on Tuesday
and Thursday and with Cohort B attending
in person on Wednesday and
Friday in reduced class sizes. Seventh
and eighth periods are fully online to
minimize on-campus time.
“Sometimes the hybrid schedule
is difficult to keep track of, and having
each class in-person only once a
Ayalde was on campus and was able
to turn on sprinklers which helped
quite a bit.”
Irvine, University and Woodbridge
High were used as temporary
shelters. Los Olivos, Harvard and
University Community Centers as
well as six others were set as evacuation
centers, five of which reached
maximum capacity by 1 p.m. The
shelters implemented mandatory face
masks, social distancing and temperature
checks in response to COVID-19
concerns, according to OCFA Public
Information Officer Capt. Greg Barta.
“The evacuation was very hectic.
We took all our cars and left,” senior
Ronald Wang said.
Smoke from the fire carried as
far as Long Beach, with air quality
levels quickly declining. The Orange
County Health Care Agency urged all
week can be confusing,” junior Adrian
Chen said.
While attending classes at home,
students either log onto Zoom meetings
to learn virtually alongside those
at school or study independently.
However, going back in-person
comes with significant health risks.
One Northwood student has already
tested positive for COVID-19, and
those in contact with that individual
have received self-quarantine directions
from the school.
“We encourage families to be
proactive and to reinforce the importance
of hand-washing, physical
distancing and face coverings to limit
the spread of the coronavirus,” IUSD
said in a public statement. “If your
child has any symptoms associated
with the coronavirus, make sure they
stay home and get tested.”
residents to stay indoors, shut windows
and doors and run air filters.
Falling ash from the sky covered
houses that were close in proximity,
and streets were littered with broken
branches as residents evacuated. Authority’s
hand crew suffered major
second and third-degree burns and
are currently being intubated.
In IUSD, high schools were set
to resume following normal academic
models on Nov. 2. In these stressful
times, counselors are available to
help students who have been impacted
by the fire.
“The stress we feel manifests in
each of us differently, so we should
all acknowledge it and be patient,”
Roach said. “This is a complicating
event to an already difficult time for
our community and world with the
pandemic.”
PSAT Horror Stories
Junk
Seasonal Activities
Accent
Coco Tsaur The Northwood Howler
SAYING HI TO HYBRID: Seniors Claire Wang and Emily Yu
wear face masks as they socially distance by The Oak during break.

2
November December 16, 2020 2019
Student-organized sit-in
By Yejin Heo
Staff Writer
An informative sit-in led by junior
Sondos Elbershawi and Orange
County for Black Lives (OCFBL)
educated San Clemente residents on
police brutality and racism on Sept.
27. Kurt Reinhold, a black man, was
shot and killed by white policemen
on Sept. 24 in San Clemente
for a crime that most
people do not get fined
for: jaywalking. To spread
awareness about the continuing
perils of racism in
San Clemente, Elbershawi
decided
to organize
an educational
event.
“0.7%
of people in
San Clemente
are black, yet
two in the past
month have died
at the hands of the
police,” a speaker
from OCFBL said
at Elbershawi’s sitin.
“The system is
failed. The system
is broken. We see
it every day.”
After successfully
partnering
with OCFBL,
Elbershawi spread
infographics and
flyers to teachers,
residents,
students, influencers
and businesses,
receiv- ing an
overwhelm- ing wave
of support. Initially,
everything seemed to
go as planned on the day of
the sit-in as people gather
around on blankets and
passing out water bottles,
but conflict
soon arose
after the speeches
began.
White
Sondos Elbershawi The Northwood Howler
strangers approached the group multiple
times throughout the sit-in,
shouting violent, racist and profane
statements. One of them said that
the participants “were not welcome
here,” and later revealed he was
equipped with a firearm.
“It became very clear that
people are not afraid to harm others
when their superiority is threatened,”
Elber- shawi said.
“These
people
did not care
that we were
being
peaceful,
that this event was
or- ganized by
someone a
third of their
age or that we
were simply
being informative.”
Three police
cars and
many more on
motorcycles
circled the area
throughout the
three-hour sit-in.
Despite the verbal
assaults, Elbershawi
was thankful
that her event was
being recognized and
making an impact.
Elbershawi plans
on teaming up with
OCFBL to organize more
gatherings. Until then,
she is attending as many
other protests as possible
and educating others using
social media, which she
uses to share petitions,
articles and infographics.
“Nothing will
change unless you actively
try to educate yourself
first, then others,” Elbershawi
said. “Always
look to
be educated
and educate
and do not be afraid to confront people.
Every voice matters.”
NEWS
The Northwood Howler
Science Olympiad places in BEARSO
By Jonathan Kang
Staff Writer
The Northwood Science Olympiad
team competed at the BEARSO
invitational, a virtual tournament
hosted by California Science Olympiad
coordinators, on Oct. 9.
Sophomore Annie Lee and junior
Andy Zhu placed first in Sounds
of Music and they placed eighth in
Codebusters along with freshman
Derek Lee. Freshman Yutong Ke
and junior Kaitlin To placed sixth
in Ornithology, and Lee along with
co-captain senior Andrea Huang and
senior William Pan, placed 10th in
Experimental and Data Analysis.
“I am proud of the hard work
and effort everyone put in in the
weeks leading up to the competition,”
Huang said. “I think our performance
overall sets a good baseline as to how
we can each improve as individuals
and as a whole team.”
203 teams from 135 schools
across the nation competed in 23
events, five of which were exclusive
to BEARSO. The BEARSO exclusive
events were Cybersecurity,
Digital Structures, Experimental and
Khan wins election for Irvine mayor
By Erin Tsai
Staff Writer
Irvine Councilwoman Farrah
Khan won the Irvine mayoral election
against incumbent mayor Christina
Shea on Nov. 3.
Khan won 48.81% of votes
compared to Shea’s 35.48%, leading
by almost 15,000 votes.
“Thank you to the residents of
Irvine who have put their faith in my
leadership,” Khan said on her Instagram
and Twitter after results came
out. “Even if I didn’t earn your vote,
I look forward to serving as a Mayor
for all Irvine residents!”
Khan, a strong advocate of minority
voices in Irvine and a council
member since 2018, made equal representation
a major part of her 2020
campaign.
“When I ran in 2018 for Irvine
City Council, it was based on bringing
civility, transparency and placing
residents first,” Khan said on her
campaign website. “I became the first
woman of color ever to be elected to
Sondos Elbershawi The Northwood Howler
I JUST VOTED!: Senior Audrey Landis explores
the vote.org website in preparation for the election.
California became the first state
to propose potential reparations to
descendants of enslaved people and
those who continue to feel the effects
of slavery under a bill signed by Governor
Gavin Newsom on Sept. 30.
“This is not just about California,
this is about making an impact
across the rest of the country,” Newsom
said in an ceremonial broadcast
moments after signing the bill.
After months of protests across
the nation spurred by racial inequality,
California lawmakers approved
Assembly Bill 3121 to hold the state
accountable for its past grievances
involving slavery and the systemic
racial disparities that it caused, which
are still present today.
The specifics of reparations
have not yet been set in
stone, but the bill
calls for a ninemember
team that
will propose the method by
which the state can pay reparations
and who is eligible to receive them.
These reparations may include cash
payments, leniency for student loans
Data Analysis, Helicopter, and Write
It CAD It, while the others were national
Science Olympiad events. The
tournament was the largest national
level competition the Northwood
Science Olympiad team had attended,
with teams from over 15 states
including California, Hawaii, Texas
and New York.
Northwood sent two teams to
compete in the high school division,
which implemented the Mini Science
Olympiad (Mini SO) model that
banned hands-on events from being
run.
The competition was run on the
Scilympiad website hosted by the official
Science Olympiad association,
which featured systems such as a list
of links to enter the tests for certain
events and built-in texting between
teammates. However, students were
banned from calling each other to
make the competition equitable for
those with no means of verbal communication.
The Mini SO format also altered
the way tests were administered. For
construction events, students submitted
designs rather than showcasing a
completed project. Students competing
in study events were monitored
on how much time they spent outside
of the testing browser to prevent
cheating.
“It felt completely different
from a normal competition because
we couldn’t even talk to each other,”
sophomore Shayan Halder said.
The team prepared by taking
practice tests every week for their
events and communicating online
with teammates through Discord. Despite
rigorous preparation for BEAR-
SO, the team faced technical difficulties
such as tests not being submitted
on time and the chat feature malfunctioning,
due to delays on the website.
Northwood’s team hopes to continue
improving in all their events
following their first competition this
season with BEARSO, and is currently
preparing for the Rickards Invitational
on Dec. 5.
“I am happy to see how everyone
has continued to support each
other as much as we would in person,”
Huang said. “This tournament
sets a baseline for our growth as a
team, and I have no doubts that our
motivation will continue to grow
throughout the season.”
Photo provided by Northwood Science Olympiad
BEAR-ING MEDALS: Science Olympiad students proudly display the
resources they created in preparation for virtual competition BEARSO.
the City of Irvine. Irvine deserves a
mayor who reflects the inclusive,
compassionate and progressive values
of our city’s residents.”
The runner-up of the election
was Shea, who is a prominent figure
in the Irvine community due to her
rich history of political involvement
as an elected official and incumbent
mayor.
“The voters spoke and they did
not choose me,” Shea said. “I just
wish the best for the city of Irvine.”
Other contenders of the election
included business owner Luis Huang
and former campaigner Katherine
Daigle running for mayor. Most made
statements in their campaigns that
their policies would ensure the safety
and health of Irvine citizens during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even with the uncertainty of
2020, the election process went
smoothly due to the flexibility of voting
procedures to account for the effects
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Shea prepares to leave office
next month, Khan plans to make Irvine
more environmentally friendly,
provide leadership on social justice
issues and help civilians recover from
the economic shutdown.
“I am excited to get to work as
your next Mayor,” Khan said. “Together,
we will ensure we continue to
protect our great city’s quality of life,
build back our economy, and restore
transparency in local government.
To view election results, please
visit ocvote.com.
Reparations for slavery
By Ryan Wu
Staff Writer
and funding for public work projects.
“California’s recent reputation
as a liberal haven has allowed for
people to ignore its racist past, but I
think that this bill is the right step forward
in advancing black prosperity,”
senior Virginia Crook said. “The state
is doing what the federal government
should have done a while ago.”
The distribution of reparations is
not a novel idea to the United States.
After World War II, the government
compensated Holocaust survivors
with German payments. In 1988, the
U.S. government set up repayment
programs for Japanese Americans
affected by internment camps from
nearly half a century ago.
Newsom will pick five members
of the task force, while the other four
will be selected by the State Assembly
and Senate. The team will submit
its reparation proposals
Richelle Gunawan The Northwood Howler
to the Senate
in a year.
“California
has come to terms with
many of its issues, but it has
yet to come to terms with its role
in slavery,” chair of California’s Legislative
Black Caucus Shirley Weber
said after Newsom signed the bill. “If
we can do it, others can do it also.”

The Northwood Howler ACCENT
November 6, 2020 3
Halloween festivities: Tanaka Farms pumpkin patch
By Matthew Dimaandal
Staff Writer
Even if we might not be able to
go around stuffing our pillowcases
with candy this Halloween, nothing
is stopping you from picking your
own pumpkin to carve. Tanaka Farms
offers a fun way for a traditional
pumpkin-picking experience while
maintaining a safe distance from
those around you. While the experience
may be lackluster to some other
Halloween events, it doesn’t mean it
won’t be an enjoyable experience.
I first had to make an appointment
on Tanaka Farm’s website,
with the choice between their U-Pick
Pumpkin Wagon Ride on the weekdays
or the Drive-Thru Pumpkin
Patch on the weekends. I found registering
to be relatively quick and
easy. All I had to do was pick out the
time slot and select how many passengers
would be with me. I was then
emailed the date and time, a QR code
and helpful information about the experience.
Pulling up to the bumpy dirt
road of Tanaka Farms, I simply
showed an employee directing traffic
my QR code and I was signed in instantly.
It took less than 30 seconds,
which I found nice, as I was eager to
pick out a pumpkin. The employee
also gave me a scavenger hunt to do
as well as a raffle ticket for two tickets
for a farm tour.
As I approached the entrance
of the drive-thru, I could see a line
of cars in front of me. The amount
of cars made the ride towards the
pumpkin patch a bit slow but the
Kaylee Charlton The Northwood Howler
HAVING A GOURD TIME: Masked and socially distanced, families and friends frolic among the rich orange
pumpkins and leafy greenery, searching for the perfect pumpkin to complete their afternoon at Tanaka Farms.
scavenger hunt made it easy to pass
the time. Along the way, enthusiastic
employees gave me delectable treats
of roasted pumpkin seeds and candy
corn. They were wrapped in tiny plastic
bags and were tied up with string,
which was a nice touch to an already
tasty snack.
The 1.5 miles of road towards
the pumpkin patch were filled with
Modern-day witchcraft and manifestation
By Arya Bhattacharjee and
Matthew dimaandal
Staff Writers
From ghosts to zombies and
vampires to Frankensteins, almost
everyone has some form of mythical
creature on their mind as Halloween
draws near. Witches are no doubt a
part of these ghoulish list of creatures,
but are they really some fictional creature?
To some, the long-nosed witches
with pointy hats are just tall tales
fabricated centuries ago, remnants of
the medieval era, but witches still exist
in the modern day—and they are
vastly different from the stereotypical
witch!
While there is no concrete definition
of what a modern day witch
is, they can be described as people
who practice witchcraft or the manipulation
of already existing energy.
Witches are able to use this energy to
work with their intention, which is
the purpose of what they’re trying to
achieve. A witch’s intention could be
protection or positivity. But how do
modern day witches practice witchcraft?
Alex Fleming is a junior at
Northwood and one of these modern
witches. They have been practicing
for almost a year, researching how to
practice modern witchcraft.
“Your practice of witchcraft is
your own path that you personally
want to follow,” Fleming said.
There is no singular form of
witchcraft that is practiced, although
brewing potions and casting spells
are certainly a part of it. One form of
practice is Kitchen Witchcraft, where
certain cooking ingredients are used
for different intentions; for example,
blackberries represent healing and
protection and pepper could be used
as a warning to “back off.”
“Intention is the manipulation
of preexisting energy,” Fleming said.
“Everything has a certain energy and
I manipulate that energy to work with
my intention.”
Witches achieve their intentions
Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler
in a variety of ways, one of them being
manifestation, or physically creating
something through your thoughts
and feelings. Manifestation can happen
through potions and spells. The
crafting of modern-day potions are
similar to witches brewing potions
in the past, as they both brewed for a
specific effect they wanted to achieve.
Ingredients that are used in potions
relate to the witch’s intentions.
Other than manipulating the
energy for intentions, witches are able
to use the energy for divination; the
practice of seeking knowledge of the
future or unknown. Witches are able
to use tarot cards, which can be a specialized
deck or regular playing cards,
to answer a question about the future.
Specific cards have different meanings
such as positivity or accomplishment.
To use tarot cards, witches
ground themselves by clearing their
minds. They think of a question and
use the card to answer their question.
The history of witchcraft has a
dark history of witch trials and hunting,
but modern day witches have
taken that dark history and flipped
it all the way around. These days,
witchcraft is used by many women
and men around the world as a method
of empowerment. The concept of
power and magic that witchcraft revolves
around provide a sense of security
and individuality. Additionally,
witchcraft is something that has become
accessible to everyone. Witches
all over the world have agreed that
you don’t need any money or other
prerequisites to become a witch.
What most people don’t realize
about witchcraft is that some of it is
integrated into some of our most well
known traditions. One of them being
birthday candles. The act of having
a wish and blowing candles is much
similar to candle magic, which uses
candles as a way to enhance a witch’s
intention. When we think about
witchcraft, it’s not about casting spells
and brewing potions. It’s about what a
witch wants to achieve.
colorful decorations of fruits and vegetables
with interesting facts about
them. Other than those decorations,
the scenery along the road was lackluster,
and there wasn’t much look
at other than the acres of farmland,
strawberry plants and the surrounding
houses nearby.
I eventually reached the main attraction:
the pumpkin field. As I stood
before the rows of pumpkins, it felt
like the start of autumn with the cooler
temperatures and cloudless sky. It
was the best time to take pictures, but
it seemed like everybody else had the
same idea, since it was so crowded. I
waited a bit for the crowd to die down
a bit but there was a seven minute
time limit. After it was clear, I was
able to take a few pictures with a scenic
background of all the pumpkins.
After the time was up, I headed
down the road and there were a few
other attractions to see like “Tanaka
Farms” spelled out with pumpkins
and scarecrows that people made. I
also went through a drive-thru area
that had a donkey and little pigs running
around their pen. At the end of
the experience was a store filled with
Tanaka Farms merchandise like hats
and shirts. There were also pumpkin
carvers for sale and produce from the
farm. There’s vegetables like carrots,
beets, kale and cucumbers. They also
sell strawberry, peach and apple pie
jam. The store even had pumpkins
being sold a dollar per pound, which
could be a better deal than other
pumpkins in grocery stores.
Overall, the experience was enjoyable
but in my opinion it wasn’t
worth $20. I did not particularly enjoy
being stuck in traffic to head to
a pumpkin patch. It might be well
worth your money to head to a haunted
drive thru instead and buy some
pumpkins on the way home.
Richelle Gunawan The Northwood Howler

4
November 6, 2020
ACCENT
Caden Hornyak: An aspiring polyglot’s language learning journey
By Erin Tsai
Staff Writer
During quarantine, some baked
masterpieces, some went viral on
Tiktok and others just caught up on
sorely-needed sleep. Senior Caden
Hornyak spent his quarantine reading,
and he is currently on “Deathly
Hallows.” But there’s a catch—he’s
reading the series entirely in Spanish.
Of course, reading an entire
series in a non-native language was
by no means easy for him. When
Hornyak first took Spanish 1 as a
freshman, he only took it as a graduation
requirement, not at all aiming
for fluency. It wasn’t until he came
across a Youtube video of polyglot
Ikenna speaking to strangers in multiple
languages that Hornyak changed
his perspective about learning Spanish.
“Watching him talk with a lot of
people, switching languages left and
right, was pretty awesome,” Hornyak
said. “Something switched in me and
I was really motivated to speak Spanish.”
During quarantine, Hornyak began
to practice his Spanish—on his
own by reading in Spanish and using
Spanish-learning apps, practicing
with others by regularly conversing
with coworkers at his afterschool job
and people online.
“I made a bunch of friends I
could play games online with, so that
really helps,” Hornyak said. “Right
now, I’m still making new friends,
and they know that I’m learning
Spanish, so they’ll speak it to me.”
His efforts throughout quarantine
led to massive improvements
in his Spanish, impressing even his
Spanish teachers.
“I was blown away to see how
much his Spanish had improved
when he came to chat with me in
Spanish in person,” Spanish teacher
Luc Landeis said. “His progress is
greater than what I have ever seen in
a student over such a short period of
time.”
When asked about advice for
students who wish to improve their
language skills, Hornyak suggests
having a goal in mind and considering
why they want to learn a new language
to motivate themselves.
“If you motivate yourself because
you want to speak to other
people better, that definitely helps,”
Hornyak said.
Spanish teacher Laura Tijerino
agrees with Hornyak’s sentiments,
Photo Provided by Caden Hornyak
HARRY POTTER EN ESPAÑOL: Junior Caden Hornyak tests his Spanish skills by reading “Deathly Hallows.”
and advises students to make language
learning fun.
“By doing what you enjoy, you
can really build fluency,” Tijerino
said. “Caden is a great example of
how practicing and not being scared
to speak Spanish can really help you
communicate in the international
word we live in.”
Despite already taking Honors
Spanish 4, Hornyak is also currently
taking French at school, starting his
journey towards becoming a polyglot.
By mastering the languages
of the world, he hopes he can form
better relationships with the people
around him and form connections
with new people.
The Northwood Howler
“People love when they find
out you try to learn their language,
because it makes them feel that their
culture is valued by others,” Hornyak
said. “Speak to someone in the language
they understand, and it’ll go to
their head. Speak to someone in their
own language, and it’ll go to their
heart.”
Rachel Gunawan The Northwood Howler
Ridiculous October observances
By Matthew dimaandal and Lana
Hwang
Staff Writers
We’ve all heard of at least one
obscure holiday that makes us go
“huh?”: National Michigan
Day, Penguin Awareness
Day, World
Quark Day. October
has its own fair share
of interesting observances.
National Hermit
Day on Oct. 29
celebrates the people
who willingly isolate
themselves from society—
the ones who would rather be
alone with no social interaction and
not stress over the daily obstacles
of life. It’s as easy as turning off
your phone, finding a secluded
place and taking time
to just be alone. Just
don’t use it as a reason
to procrastinate
from the homework
due tonight at 11:59
p.m.
Spinach Lover’s
Month in October
spotlights
that leafy green in
foods like salad and herbal medicines
that get stuck in between your teeth.
Some celebrate it by making
recipes containing
spinach,
but most have
probably never
known that
Spinach Lover’s
Month exists, or
never really thought of
spinach as important enough
to dedicate an entire month
to commemorate it.
Squirrel Awareness
Month has an interesting origin
story. It all began in 1955, when Greg
Bassett claimed he had his
life changed as he n o -
ticed a squirrel
standing near
him and “motioning”
at him
at the Grand Canyon.
When he returned
to his home
in Chicago, he began
the Squirrel Lovers
Club, which eventually
created Squirrel Awareness Month as
well as Squirrel Appreciation day in
January. Go outside to find and observe
a cute squirrel, or look up videos
of squirrels’ amusing behavior to
acknowledge this month.
Created by the
Personal Computer Museum
in Brantford, Ontario Canada,
National Clean Your
Virtual Desktop
Day encourages
time to clean the
mess of a desktop
you’ve made
over the years.
With everything
being online, having space
that is well organized and a computer
that’s fast is essential. So why not
do it on every third
Monday of October?
It’s not like the
files of homework
PDFs from three
years ago is going
to speed up your
computer.
With so
many random
observances
throughout the
month, it may
leave you to
wonder why there are so many. It’s
simply
Nicole Curtis The Northwood Howler
because people love
things enough to
make a day out
of it. It creates a
way for people
to come together
for things they care
about and that’s really
what the spirit of holidays
are.
Even if it’s unlikely
to create your own official
holiday, it’s not
impossible. Choose a
specific date, spread
the word among your
friends and try
to get as many
people as possible
to participate.
There
are an infinite
number of things
to celebrate, so
go out there, see
what makes you
happy and create your
own observance!

The Northwood Howler A&E November 6, 2020 5
Fall-ing in love with unbe-leaf-able seasonal movies
By Helena Zhou
Staff Writer
The change in season brings
dew that gilds the changing leaves
and refreshment for summer’s swelter.
Fall has arrived, and along with it,
pumpkin spice lattes are brewed, picnics
are held and jack-o’-lanterns are
carved. The emerging chilly breeze
means that it’s also time to snuggle
up and enjoy some seasonal movies,
so here are a few fall movie recommendations
ranging all the way from
romance to drama to cartoons.
You’ve Got Mail (1998)
Travel back to the 90s and
sightsee through the lens of a classic
romantic comedy, following the
timeless love story between Kathleen
Kelly (Meg Ryan) and Joe Fox (Tom
Hanks), both owners of bookstores
who meet in an AOL chatroom. After
several email exchanges revealing
deep secrets but omitting personal
information, they set off a fervent
online connection under the screen
names “Shopgirl” and “NY152,”
oblivious to each other’s identities.
Funnily enough, while their online
personas unwittingly fall in love,
the two meet in real life. Not knowing
who she is, Joe puts Kathleen’s
small bookstore out of business, and
the two grow to hate each other. The
movie is two lively hours of dramatic
irony as their online secrets unravel
and real-life relationship sparks.
Available on Amazon Prime
Video, this movie combines bulky
computers and Windows 98 icons
with heartwarming romance to create
the perfect recipe for a movie night
that will leave you romanticizing
your life for the next few days.
Remember the Titans (2000)
Fall means football, and as the
infamous teen drama “Riverdale”
once said, “You haven’t known the
triumphs and defeats, the epic highs
and lows of high school football.”
Similar to the many epic tales
of sporting triumphs like “Varsity
Blues,” “Rudy” and “The Blind
Side,” “Remember the Titans” has
a competitive intensity but incorporates
a unique twist. Set in the 1970s,
the film portrays racial tensions on
the football fields of the integrated T.
C. Williams High School in Alexandria,
Virginia. The coaches Herman
Boone (Denzel Washington) and Bill
Yoast (Will Patton) work together to
unify the white and black team members
to achieve stunning victories.
This movie, now streaming on
Disney+, is truly multidimensional
and will elicit many different emotions
from heartbreaking agony to
all-time highs. “Remember the Titans”
isn’t just about football: it tackles
historical desegregation and race
relations, which become increasingly
important to understand.
Dead Poets Society (1989)
As the weather cools and
school starts, “Dead Poets Society”
will help you start off your school
year inspired and hopeful. The 1989
American teen drama film is directed
Personalized spooktacular reads
Anjali Mittapally The Northwood Howler
by Peter Weir and stars Robin Williams,
who delivered an emotional
performance as one of the greatest
fictional teachers of all time, John
Keating. Set in 1959 at a conservative,
all-boys boarding school on the
East Coast, Keating uses unorthodox
teaching methods in his English
classroom and inspires artistry in an
environment brewing total discipline
and tradition.
The film produced powerful
messages that are still quoted to this
day including, “Carpe diem. Seize the
day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary,”
and, “But poetry, beauty, romance,
love, these are what we stay
alive for.”
You can find this movie on
Amazon Prime Video, and watching
it might just change your world
view or lead to a life changing selfdiscovery.
In any case, experiencing
this film will encourage your creative
individualism, which may prompt
some insightful commentary for your
upcoming English essay.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie
Brown (1966)
From this television special
came Linus Van Pelt’s famous retort:
“There are three things I have learned
never to discuss with people: religion,
politics, and the Great Pumpkin.”
Charlie Brown was a cultural
reset. Originating in the 1940s
“Peanuts” comic strips by Charles
M. Schulz, Charlie Brown has persisted
through the past decades in
the “Peanuts” television specials and
films like “Snoopy, Come Home”
(1972) and “The Peanuts Movie”
(2015). He’s remembered as one of
the greatest American archetypes: a
meek, nervous boy surrounded by his
friends, family and dog Snoopy.
Available on archives.org and
Hulu along with the other Charlie
Brown episodes, the 25-minute Halloween
special “It’s the Great Pumpkin,
Charlie Brown” covers Charlie
Brown and his friends preparing for
Halloween as they adventure to the
pumpkin patch, dress up in ghost
costumes and go trick-or-treating.
This film is a feel-good cartoon
that will get you ready for the coziness
of fall. It is nostalgic in a way
that makes you reminisce on a childhood
you’ve never had, and it’s a
mellow classic perfect for watching
with friends and family.
Coco Tsaur The Northwood Howler
HOLD ON, JUST ONE MORE PAGE: A Northwood student is deeply immersed in a novel
titled “12 Rules for Life” with a cozy, warm blanket and stuffed animal by her side.
By Jonathan Kang
Staff Writer
As the scariest time of the year
rolls back around, many of us are
wondering how to safely celebrate
Halloween this year, especially with
mandatory social distancing. But
even if our plans end up getting
canceled, you can always curl up
in a chair and indulge in a wonderful
book. In anticipation of Halloween
night, here is a list of books you
should read based on how you typically
celebrate Halloween.
Staying at Home:
If you typically stay at home for
Halloween, a long novel that focuses
on expansive world-building such as
“The Name of the Wind” will certainly
captivate you. Although it’s long,
it has a strong emphasis on mystery
and suspense, following the story
of a young man named Kvothe who
solves the myriad of problems he
encounters on his journeys. The addition
of mythical creatures and beasts
makes it a perfect novel to dive into
on a night like Halloween.
Trick-Or-Treating:
If you enjoy trick-or-treating,
classics such as “Dracula” and
“Frankenstein” are perfect for enjoying
Halloween traditions even if the
pandemic prevents you from knocking
door to door. “Dracula” is a complex
narrative that has come to shape
depictions of vampires in popular
media, and “Frankenstein” recounts
the creation of a creature hideous in
appearance yet only wanting love.
Going to Halloween Parties:
If attending Halloween parties is
a tradition of yours, the novel “Misery”
by Stephen King will definitely
keep you on your toes. The novel is
primarily focused on the relationship
between Paul Sheldon, an acclaimed
writer, and Annie Wilkes, a fan who
is revealed early on to be layered in
mystery, crime and misery. Following
a car accident, Wilkes brings
Sheldon to her home, and Sheldon
soon realizes that he needs to escape
from Wilkes, who is trying to force
him to stay. The constant suspense,
layered action and flawed characters
all make “Misery” a perfect novel to
read instead of attending a party.
Visiting Haunted Houses/Scary
Theme Parks:
If you traditionally visit Haunted
Houses for Halloween, “The Haunting
of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson
will certainly make you think twice
about going to another. It is a short
but consistently terrifying story about
a mansion named Hill House that Dr.
John Montague, an investigator of the
supernatural, wants to explore. Hill
House is famous for odd occurrences
such as manic suicide and paranormal
deaths, and Montague aims to
prove the existence of the supernatural
by finding it in Hill House. After
inviting three other guests to stay at
the mansion with him, they begin to
witness paranormal experiences such
as doors closing and noises coming
from unoccupied rooms.
Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler

6
November 6, 2020
A&E
A guide to Northwood’s art gallery
By Rachel Gima
Staff Writer
The virtual art gallery on the
NHS Den website displays the art of
several VAPA students, showcasing
their talent despite the limits that the
pandemic has placed on creative collaboration
and appreciation.
The fine arts commissioners junior
Haley Chan and senior Katelynn
Pi asked students to share a piece of
art they created in one of their classes
here at Northwood. The gallery displays
varieties of artworks from 11
students, including photos, sketches,
dances, embroidery and even old
school projects, all of which have
interesting messages and backstories.
“For my Humanities 9 Capstone,
I decided to make a cartoon to make
the historical content interesting for
my class who had to listen to my presentation,”
junior Simran Patel said.
“I included a giraffe with a picture of
my English teacher, Mr. Wroe, as its
face, because he’s insanely tall,” “I
entered it into the gallery because I’m
proud of my project, not just because
I got a 100%, but also because I really
like how art can make everything
more fun.”
Artists also used this platform to
convey various symbolic messages
through their depictions, drawing
inspiration and parallels to famous
artists and pieces, the environment
and social justice. The end result is
a collection of meaningful works that
advocate for different issues and can
connect with a wide audience.
“What I wanted to illustrate
through my piece was that women,
no matter their background, can
come together and create change and
further the fight for gender equality,”
senior Jin-Kim Niu said about her
piece “Hand in hand.”
Other featured artists drew inspiration
from their personal lives,
incorporating their unique experienc-
By Ryan Wu and Helena Zhou
Staff Writers
Simply put, “Among Us” is one
of the greatest online party games
to have ever been created. Available
on PC and mobile devices, the game
was released over two years ago, but
it only recently surged in popularity
in September of this year.
Similar to the popular parlour
game, Mafia, this social deduction
game revolves around identifying
crewmates and imposters. While
the players who are crewmates must
complete tasks around the map and
vote out the imposters during emergency
meetings, the imposter’s objective
is to unsuspectingly kill the
crewmates until the number of imposters
equals the number of crewmates.
Discussions are the only times
players can talk, and they can be triggered
if a dead crewmate body is
reported or if an emergency meeting
is called, in which players must logically
deduce who to vote off. Dead
players cannot speak during discussions
but can communicate with other
dead members in the ghost chat.
Here are some tips to improve your
imposter skills:
1. Look the part.
In order to win as an imposter,
you must act like a crewmate. Pay
attention to your fake tasks listed
at the top left of your screen, and if
worse comes to worst, just say you
were at electrical doing wires when
questioned. Pretending to do tasks
and acting inconspicuous under security
cameras offer opportunities
to blend in with crewmates, but be
careful: Crewmates can easily spot
Joy Kim The Northwood Howler
ONE, TWO, THREE, SMILE: Senior Kamryn Scott was inspired
by a painting in a restaurant in Buffalo, New York.
faking tasks if the task progress bar
does not increase or if you complete
the task in an unrealistic time. During
the discussion rounds, conceal
the quiver in your voice and gear up
your psychoanalysis skills. You must
be reasonable during voting rounds,
and that includes agreeing with crewmates
to vote out an exposed imposter
if it means that you can win some
trust from other players and time to
continue killing. If the other crewmates
agree to skip voting, do so as
well so you don’t look suspicious being
the only one voting someone out
while others don’t.
2. Be smart about sabotages.
Imposters have the ability to
sabotage specific areas of the map
to distract crewmates. For example,
door sabotages lock crewmates in
different rooms for ten seconds, allowing
an imposter to hide a dead
body or kill a crewmate secretly. On
the common skeld map, the main
sabotages are lights, O2, reactor, and
communications. The lights sabotage
reduces crewmates’ field of vision,
and O2 and reactor both require
crewmates to head to a room and stabilize
the sabotage in a given amount
of time. (Otherwise, if time runs out,
crewmates lose). Sabotages are most
effectively used in separating crewmates,
which an imposter can exploit
by picking off lone wanderers,
and preventing emergency meetings
from being called so the imposter is
not voted off.
3. Frame a crewmate.
Always target killing cleared
crewmates and make suspicious
crewmates even more suspicious. A
ess and cultures to create narratives
that resonate with people despite
their personal nature.
“When I created ‘Weight of the
World,’ I was inspired by the idea
that people, even myself, tend to
compress the emotions that we’re
sometimes too scared to confront
up until the point that it all suddenly
explodes,” sophomore Yusrah Khan
said. “The project was based on expression
and at the time, I thought
that it was a relatable emotion for
many people.”
The gallery will remain on the
website throughout the school year.
It will be updated periodically with
new additions, and all Northwood
students who would like to are encouraged
to submit their own artwork
to be featured at bit.ly/nhsartgallery.
Although all of the artworks
displayed in the gallery are unique
and interesting in their own ways,
they are more meaningful as one collection
that highlighted our student
body as a whole.
“Providing the opportunity
to show off artwork created by our
peers furthers our goal of preserving
and advocating for creativity
through art,” Pi said. “For a lot
of people, the arts are a safe space
where their emotions can best be
expressed. Our virtual gallery highlights
our twolves’ creativity, and we
hope it inspires you to create just as
much as it does for us.”
fundamental skill to be a good imposter
is the ability to think quickly
on your feet and produce reasonable
lies. If a player is skilled enough as
an imposter, they can kill someone
right in front of another crewmate,
and then immediately self-report the
kill. Another strategy is to kill near a
player in an otherwise isolated room
and vent out of the scene. The other
player will then report the body, and
during the discussion, the imposter
can frame the onlooker as an imposter
by producing a realistic alibi.
This has a higher chance of success
if the framed crewmate in question
has a more ambiguous status among
the other players, and you are in good
standing with the rest of the group.
A popular strategy is the stack kill,
where the imposter can kill a person
while many players are standing at
the same place, doing tasks or fixing
a sabotage. In these instances, it
The Northwood Howler
Thrills for chills
By William Baik
Staff Writer
A chill travels down your spine
as you feel a cold sweat, the dark
screen in front of you mirroring your
room. You’re huddled into a blanket,
glancing occasionally to see if something
happened. It goes silent. You
slowly look back, thinking it’s over
—and then you scream. A jump scare.
Although movies have always been
the most popular way to display horror,
mediums like manga, anime and
novels have their own unique qualities.
So with the holiday of spooky
superstitions nearing, let’s take a look
at Northwood’s taste in horror.
Movie: IT
“Horror portrayed through movies
gives the audience an authentic
experience because it influences your
visual and auditory senses. Comics
don’t really deliver that same,
all around experience that makes
the scare genuine. My favorite scene
makes full use of the flexibility that
movies have, which is the jump scare
from the projector scene. It really
bended reality as Pennywise morphed
into the woman on the screen and
jumped out.” - senior William Shin
may be difficult to determine who the
imposter is, but doing stack kills will
drive suspicion towards them as well.
It is only wise to stack kill when almost
every player in the game is in
the stack; it may be too risky otherwise.
4. Coordinate double kills.
A chain is only as strong as its
weakest link, so you and the other
imposter must be working together
throughout the game. However, cooperating
with the other imposter
without verbal communication takes
teamwork to a whole new level. A
perfect scenario is double killing
with your imposter partner, locking
doors while you wait for the kill
cooldown and guarding the bodies.
Imposters can also call a sabotage at
a fatal location, such as the reactor,
and wait near it, double killing those
who enter.
Manga: The Promised Neverland
“Manga doesn’t necessarily focus
on jump scares and rather builds
genuine suspense through the story
itself. The Promised Neverland is a
manga that places humans in a world
where demons have taken over, yet
begins its first chapter by setting a
happy, idyllic atmosphere. The real
horror comes through how the manga
progresses its storyline through the
thriller portions and gradually builds
suspense.” - sophomore Karen Luo
Anime: Death Note
“Anime is a bit different from
other mediums because the pacing
of the story fluctuates a lot. There’s
a lot more time to develop themes
and ideas that you can’t really find all
the time in movies because of its run
time, which I think is really good for
building horror. The Death Note follows
the journey of Light Yagami, a
high schooler who discovered a book
capable of killing anyone he writes
their name in. The development of
this main character through scenes
that show his descent into a psychotic
mirror of himself shows how the pacing
can be pushed and pulled several
times to create thriller.” - senior Matthew
Pham
Rachel Gunawan The Northwood Howler
Top 5 Among Us tips and tricks for true imposters
Nicole Curtis The Northwood Howler
5. Manipulate a crewmate to play
third imposter.
If you’ve ever watched the renowned
Among Us player Disguised
Toast on Youtube, you’ve likely
come across his viral video, “The
greatest Among Us IMPOSTOR
game ever…,” where he achieved a
game-changing win using this unique
strategy. Having a crewmate act as
third imposter means having them
continuously act as your alibi during
discussion rounds to clear you from
any suspicion. To do this, you need
to follow a crewmate throughout the
entire game while faking tasks, so it
seems like you had no time to complete
a kill.
Being the imposter can result in
an embarrassing failure or awe-inspiring
win. By following these strategies
listed above, you can achieve
the latter.

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The Northwood Howler VIEWPOINT
November 6, 2020 11
The happiest place on earth lays off thousands
By Rahul Khanna
Staff Writer
It was once regarded as the
“happiest place on Earth,” one that
drew in tourists from all over the
world like moths to a flame. Chockfull
of attractions, shows and rides,
Disneyland caters to nearly 18.6
million people annually with a reputation
as one of the most successful
theme parks in the world. However,
today it has been reduced to a grim
reminder of just how destructive CO-
VID-19 truly is.
It’s no surprise that social distancing
guidelines have made sustaining
the park, which requires large
crowds to turn a profit, a nearly impossible
task. A central part of the
now staggering tourism industry, Disneyland
remaining shut down comes
with clear economic risks that far outweigh
the benefits. California Governor
Gavin Newsom should allow for
the gradual reopening of theme parks
with adequate safety measures in
place.
In comparison to schools and
small businesses, theme parks have
been placed in the backburner in
terms of reopening. For instance,
schools reopened around August with
social distancing maintained, and
many small businesses have gradually
reopened since September, if not
earlier. In comparison, the majority
of theme parks have remained closed
since March.
A lack of guidelines have
caused theme parks to suffer even
further: The Walt Disney Company
lost nearly $5 billion in the months
of April, May and June alone after
theme parks closed down. To compensate,
Disneyland plans to layoff
nearly 28,000 employees, including
part-time workers, salaried workers
and executives.
“We’ve cut expenses, suspended
capital projects, furloughed our cast
members while still paying benefits
and modified our operations to run as
efficiently as possible, however, we
simply cannot responsibly stay fully
staffed while operating at such limited
capacity,” chairman of Disney
Parks Josh D’Amaro said in a letter
to employees.
This spells out danger not only
for Disney itself, but also for California
as a whole. According to an
economic study at California State
University in Fullerton, Disneyland
generated $8.5 billion in economic
activity for California in 2018 and
created more than 78,000 jobs.
Disneyland’s reopening is also
essential for the tourism industry,
which is expected to lose $78.8 billion
this year. Anaheim in particular
relies on Disneyland to draw in tourists
from around the world, both for
Disneyland itself, and for Anaheim’s
hotels, restaurants and other entertainment
centers. The tourism industry
has taken a large hit ever since
Disneyland closed, and it is unlikely
to recover for at least a few years.
In hindsight, Disneyland’s economic
troubles that forced the layoff
of nearly 28,000 employees was
avoidable. California’s biggest failure?
Miscommunication. The financial
problems Disneyland faced were
exacerbated by Newsom’s refusal to
ease restrictions on theme park reopenings.
The lack of guidelines and
lack of any indication for when the
park could reopen were particularly
detrimental. Without any dates, it is
difficult for Disneyland to plan for its
reopening in hopes of getting back
Can we trick-or-treat in a pandemic?
By Arya Bhattacharjee
Staff Writer
As Halloween approaches, children
and parents across the country
are preparing to go trick-or-treating.
The age-old tradition of walking
around the neighborhood wearing
costumes while collecting candy
marking the beginning of the holidays
excites almost everyone. However,
with the current public safety
guidelines due to the COVID-19
pandemic, a different future may be
ahead of us.
In order to prevent the spreading
of the virus, rules should be put
in place to prevent trick-or-treating
this year, as the dangers created by
it heavily outweigh the fun. While
it may seem pretty straightforward,
there are health effects of trick-ortreating
that have recently come to
light with respect to the pandemic.
Direct contact with someone
who has COVID-19 can occur at any
moment during trick-or-treating. It
could be as insignificant as brushing
shoulders with a fellow trick-or-treater
or handing out candy to a stranger
at your doorstep. Just minor contact
with a stranger can be enough to
spread COVID-19 to your entire family,
which is a risk that no one should
want to take.
Indirect contact is a different
story. When food is distributed during
a pandemic, it must undergo a very
specific and sterile process. Restaurant
orders and food delivery services
all follow a strict code to prevent the
spread of the COVID-19. When trickor-treating,
however, there is no way
to enforce these restrictions. There is
no guarantee that a house distributing
candy will properly sanitize and
handle it, which can increase the risk
of spreading the virus.
Additionally, Amanda Garrity
from Good Housekeeping writes that
the age range of most trick-or-treaters
is between 3 to 13 years old. This
age range is particularly vulnerable
to COVID-19 since their immune
system is still developing. Allowing
these young children to go door
to door for candy is irresponsible at
best, as protecting the younger children
from the virus should be everyone’s
number one priority.
Some may argue that those who
don’t want to go trick-or-treating
should just stay at home, and that
there is no need for regulations to
prevent this activity; however, this is
a selfish statement and the problem
will not fix itself. Without any rules
and regulations put into place by local
governments, the people who
want to will go trick-or-treating. We
have already seen multiple cases of
people throwing parties and traveling
even with rules in place to stop them,
so without any rules, trick-or-treating
would result in a large number of
people following unsafe practices.
Having short-term rules, similar
to that of school lockdowns, to
prevent trick or treating temporarily
may at first seem like a terrible thing
to do, but it will ensure children’s
safety. It will also protect immunocompromised
individuals who find
themselves most vulnerable to the
symptoms of COVID-19. In order to
prevent the possible harm that could
happen on the evening of halloween,
it is important that these rules are put
into place and obeyed.
Should trick-or-treating be allowed
this year, it would be in everyone’s
best interest to just not go.
Even though there are precautions
put in place, none of them guarantee
safety.The only way to make sure that
the number of people infected does
not increase, would be to stay inside
this Halloween, and not participate in
trick-or-treating this year. If we work
to prevent the spread of COVID-19
then our chances of having a blast
during trick-or-treating next year dramatically
increase.
Nicole Curtis The Northwood Howler
Joy Kim The Northwood Howler
even a portion of the money they lost.
In September, Newsom promised
that guidelines related to theme
park reopening would be coming
soon. However, at a press conference
on Oct. 7, he changed course.
“There is no hurry in putting out
guidelines… we don’t anticipate, in
the immediate term, any of these larger
theme parks opening until we see
more stability in terms of the data,”
Newsom said.
Many argue that Disneyland
should remain closed in order to minimize
social interaction and prevent
the spread of COVID-19; however,
there is no reason that Disneyland
should remain closed when other
places, most notably schools, are
reopening. In fact, Disneyworld has
been open in Florida since July with
safety measures in place, and has
experienced relative success. There
have not been COVID-19 outbreaks
connected to theme park reopenings
thus far, and it is illogical to hold
theme parks to a higher standard
for reopening, when given sufficient
health precautions, such parks should
have no more risk than schools or offices.
“The State of California continues
to…mandate arbitrary guidelines
that it knows are unworkable
and that hold us to a standard vastly
different from other reopened businesses
and state-operated facilities,”
said Disneyland Resort president Ken
Potrock in a statement.
Fortunately, an initial draft of
guidelines for theme park reopenings
was put out by Newsom in early
October. Although it was a step in
the right direction, it was far too restrictive
to make tangible change.
The guidelines called for reopening
at 25% capacity, and only when the
park’s county reaches California’s
yellow tier, which requires less than
one case per day per 100,000 residents
and a testing positivity rate of
less than 2%.
“We ask the Governor not to
finalize guidance for amusement
parks before engaging the industry
in a more earnest manner, listening
to park operators’ expertise and collaborating
with the industry on a plan
that will allow for amusement parks
to reopen responsibly,” said California
Attractions and Parks Association
(CAPA) executive director Erin
Guerrero in an official statement.
For the sake of the thousands of
employees that work at Disneyland,
and for the sake of California which
so heavily relies on Disneyland, it
is imperative that Disneyland be reopened.
Maybe then, will Disney’s
magic be finally restored.
Why you need to vote
By Hari Sreeramagiri
Staff Writer
Whenever the word “voting”
emerges in conversations, people
tend to assume it’s about politics. Responses
like “I’m not a very political
person” are common.
What these people don’t know
is that voting has less to do with political
affiliations and more to do with
what the act of voting symbolizes
for our future. By placing power in
the hands of the people, it gives citizens
the autonomy to make decisions
about the candidates that best represent
their needs and interests. Here
are three reasons why you should
vote in the elections.
1. You should have voted
If you’re afraid your vote will
get lost in a sea of ballots, remember
the closest polls in U.S. history.
In 2000, the poll between then Texas
Governor George W. Bush and former
Vice President Al Gore came down to
a recount in Florida, where Bush won
the popular vote by 537 votes. According
to National Geographic, “had
600 more pro-Gore voters gone to the
polls in Florida that November, there
may have been an entirely different
president from 2000-2008.”A Portland
University study showed that
fewer than 15% of eligible voters turn
out to vote in local and national elections.
If students voted in local and
national elections alike, they could
help raise this number.
2. Unequal representation
A study conducted by the University
of San Diego titled “The Vote
Matters: Race, Turnout and Representation
in City Politics,” suggests
that black Americans turnout in municipal
elections at a rate 8 points
lower than white Americans, with
Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler
Latinx 39 points lower and Asians
36 points lower. A similar gap is
shown between low income and high
income Americans. Due to unequal
turnout, our election system fails to
reflect the diversity of viewpoints and
silences the voices of many marginalized
communities.
3. Privilege is not an excuse
To live in a country where the
people hold the power to decide their
future is a privilege in itself, and an
opportunity many can only dream
of. But every year, along with all the
young people who work to stay informed
and politically aware, there is
a part of the population that continues
to be apathetic.
As youngsters who live in one
of the wealthiest cities in the nation,
we should utilize our privilege for
positive change rather than letting the
Irvine bubble crowd out our empathy
for the world around us. Just because
the impacts of the election might not
directly impact some of us does not
mean that we should remain ignorant
of other impacts.
Young people have gained a
bad reputation for being out of the
American political system. In the age
of information, it is easier than ever
to vote, and young people especially
should have no issue finding the confidence
to cast their ballots. If you
are a student who is old enough vote
in the next elections, the impact you
have is greater than you can imagine.

12 November 6, 2020
VIEWPOINT
The Northwood Howler
Examining both sides of Amy Coney Barett’s nomination
Upholding the integrity of the Constitution
By William Baik
Staff Writer
Judge Amy Coney Barrett was
met with a wave of criticism following
her nomination. Her strong Catholic
faith and views opposite Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg caught fire on
social media. However, there is much
irony in criticizing Barrett purely for
most of her viewpoints, as her consistent
track record means that Barrett
meets the qualifications to be a credible
Supreme Court member.
Barrett approaches judging
through a rigid adherence to the Constitution.
In due part to her clerkship
under former Justice Antonin Scalia,
her rulings rarely stray from what is
prescribed in the Constitution, evident
in her short career in the Court of
Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Her
dissenting opinion on Kanter v. Barr,
for instance, consisted of a 37-page
paper detailing the intentions of the
Founding Fathers in the ownership
of a gun. Though it is possible that
this unwillingness to shift with the
times is a fallacy in Barrett’s judging,
stricter judges are necessary to put
Keeping drivers independent contractors: Voting “yes” on Prop 22
ByYejin Heo
Staff Writer
Proposition 22 is a general ballot
measure that would exempt gig
workers in the ride-share industry
from Assembly Bill 5, making them
independent contractors rather than
standard employees. Californians
casted their vote on election day, and
it has now been confirmed that the
proposition has passed.
When gig companies like Uber,
Lyft, DoorDash and Postmates argue
for their workers, it’s because they
are genuinely worried about their
own revenue streams. But in this
case, the self-employed back them
up at their own accord by saying that
independent contracting is beneficial
for them. Even though most of
us have no horse in this race—since
most high school students are not gig
workers—it is preferable to listen to
the viewpoints of the people who
would be directly affected by this
proposition.
“It gives me the flexibility to be
around my mom and kids during the
day and early evenings,” Uber driver
Trisha C said on Drivers for Prop. 22.
“I have health issues that restrict
NBCnews.com
CENTER OF CONTROVERY: New Trump court appointee strikes conversation about constitutional law
a threshold on how far government
powers can expand.
This is especially true in an age
where progresivism, or social reform,
has emerged at the centerpoint of
politics. Questioning the extent of
our civil liberties are vital towards
a healthy democracy, but deciding
where the boundaries lay for Congress’
policies remains ambiguous
due to how the majority inevitably
fluctuates over time. It is impossible
to assert that Barrett’s addition will
suppress progress entirely or that her
future actions would substanitially
impact social reform.
Conservatives will hold a 6-3
majority over the Supreme Court if
Barrett is confirmed by the Senate,
giving opportunities to overturn landmark
cases. Roe v. Wade is the primary
case of concern, as its precedent on
the federal legality of abortion could
be flipped with Barrett’s personal
opposition to abortion. Barrett also
states Roe v. Wade is not “super-precedent”
as per her confirmation hearings,
meaning that the case is debated
enough to question if its original decision
should stand. The pro-choice,
pro-life debate remains a deeply contentious
point, but supporters of the
pro-life movement will find Barrett’s
nomination appealing.
A judicial confirmation on the
horizon encourages Republican voters
in swing states to participate in
the upcoming election. The possibilities
she presents in overturning cases
in favor of a conservative-leaning
population may likely spur voters to
cast their ballots. These votes look to
be particularly important considering
President Donald Trump’s 16-point
deficit to Joe Biden as per CNN’s
poll conducted from Oct. 1-4. The
Senate’s final confirmation vote is
expected to be around Oct. 26, days
before Election Day; her nomination
could end up altering the election outcome.
People are often threatened by
the prospect of ideas that do not align
with their own. Barrett’s stance on
several hot topics may perturb those
with opposing views, but her consistency
and assertiveness will ensure
that she retains the integrity of the
Constitution while serving on the Supreme
Court.
how long I can stand or sit, so being
able to stop when I need to is what
makes ridesharing perfect for me,”
Lyft driver Honey R. said.
“On the days that I am unable to
work, I don’t,” Uber and Lyft driver
Christine C said.
The driving force behind the
California Assembly Bill 5 that Prop.
22 is trying to terminate is California
Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez
who represents parts of San Diego.
Gonzalez was previously a labor
leader and organizer, which fueled
her proposition that more employees
would lead more people to join work
Anjali Mittapally The Northwood Howler
Destroying the road to equity
By Hari Srerramagiri
Staff Writer
“My most fervent wish is that
I will not be replaced until a new
president is installed.” This was the
sentence Justice Ginsburg prompted
her granddaughter to write before her
untimely demise. Trump, however,
has nominated a candidate whose beliefs
place every decision Ginsburg
has made in hopes of a better future
in peril: Amy Coney Barret.
Barrett, who thinks being gay is
a “sexual preference” rather than an
immutable part of identity that is not
chosen, and who repeatedly dodged
questions on same-sex marriage during
her U.S. confirmation hearing.
Coney Barrett, who does not believe
in a woman’s right to choose, and
who has indirectly threatened to overturn
Roe v. Wade decision legalizing
abortion. Rape victims, young girls,
underpriviledged women without the
financial means to raise a child. These
are the people who this decision will
hurt the most, and guess what? Barret’s
Catholic beliefs that “affirm the
teachings of the Church as truth,” regardless
of proven science and statistics,
do not solve their problems.
Barrett, who thinks guns should
continue to be legal, regardless of
their catastrophic impact on the lives
of young teens and the victims of racial
violence. She dissented in Kanter
vs. Barr, in which the appeals court
upheld a decision restricting the Second
Amendment rights of a felon
convicted of mail fraud, claiming
that this violated his Constitutional
rights. According to this reasoning, it
follows that any person convicted of
a major felony due to suspicious behavior
can remain armed, regardless
of an imminent risk of more dangerous
future occurrences.
Barrett, who has made questionable
decisions when it comes to
immigration policy, including defending
the Trump administration’s
rule denying immigrants permanent
residence if they are deemed “likely”
to use public assistance. Additionally,
she has refused to review cases by
immigrants applying for humanitarian
protections, which are essential
for immigrants to obtain deportation
relief and other benefits for quality of
life.
Barrett, who helped to block
the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission from stopping
an employer who was appointing
their employees based on ethnicity.
Columbus Dispatch reports this is a
decision which, in the words of three
dissenting judges, “deprived people
...of employment opportunities at
their preferred geographic location.”
During trying times, there are
some issues which test the intelligence
of leaders, some which test
their strength, and others which test
their basic human instincts. Following
the passing of Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg, President Donald Trump’s
instincts are in question, because the
differences between Barett and her
predecessor are stark. Ginsburg was
a strong woman who spent her life
battling adversity, unifying the liberal
block, and shattering the glass ceiling
for future generations of women
in politics. Meanwhile, Barett has
ideals that would solidify conservative
dominance on the Supreme
Court and restrict the passage of
liberal decisions. Some might argue
that my judgement is being clouded
by political opinions, but there is
nothing wrong with conservative or
originalist views. It is when they are
combined with a lack of empathy for
oppressed and minority groups that
they lead to catastrophic impacts. A
balance of liberal and conservative
judges leaves room for conversation,
while imbalance furthers the dogmatism
and polarization that already
plague our country.
All in all, this is not a political
issue, but a people issue. Barret’s
nomination threatens the lives of millions
whose freedom Justice Ginsburg
worked so hard to preserve and
protect. If she were here today, perhaps
she would say it louder for the
people in the back: “My most fervent
wish is that I will not be replaced until
a new president is installed.”
unions, which would make Gonzalez
more money in the end.
Gonzalez’s proposal for the bill
would codify into law the Supreme
Court decision made in the delivery
service company Dynamex Operations
West, Inc. versus the Superior
Court in April of 2018, which set
standards to determine whether a
worker is an independent contractor
or employee through a three-step criteria
process.
It was ruled that a worker is an
independent contractor if they are
free from direction from their company,
performs work outside the usual
course of the company’s business,
and is engaged in an independently
established occupation or business of
the same nature to the company.
After negotiating with other
legislators to figure out how to implement
the complicated bill, it was
signed by Governor Newsom in September
2019 and was put into full effect
in Jan. 2020.
Prop. 22 also provides benefits
in addition to the sought-after flexibility
of the job. It requires workers
to be paid at least 120% of California’s
minimum wage for the hours
they spend driving, and those who
drive more than 15 hours a week are
additionally compensated for health
insurance.
On the topic of health, Mothers
Against Drunk Driving has also
endorsed Prop. 22, saying that ridesharing
provides a safe, reliable and
convenient alternative to drunk and
drug-impaired driving, preventing
accidents on the road.
At first glance, Prop. 22 could
be viewed as a way for companies to
create a new class of workers to exploit
gig workers by cheaping out on
paying benefits to their employees,
but it isn’t a loophole for corporations
at all.
If gig workers become employees,
tech companies will have no
choice but to make services more
expensive, putting their businesses in
jeopardy since customers may not be
able to pay for the extra cost. Saying
no to Prop. 22 means companies will
also have to restructure their business
models to accommodate their newlymade
employees. Due to the economic
downturn created by the CO-
VID-19 pandemic, this is not an ideal
time for businesses to restructure.
With Prop. 22 passed, many
workers who need a supplemental income
will lose their financial safety
net overnight. For most workers,
ridesharing and delivery is a side job
for retired folks seeking work in the
community, caregivers with unpredictable
schedules tethered to a loved
one’s health issues and students with
pending timelines for their next final.
The self-employed have been ignored
for too long and it would only
be right it we gave them the voice that
they deserve.

The Northwood Howler SPORTS
November 6, 2020 13
Rolling towards the season: Welcome Coach Pask!
By Helena Zhou
Staff Writer
Daniel Pask has taken charge
of Northwood Boys Soccer as the
team’s new Head Coach following
the departure of former Head Coach
Sam Lane. After making his coaching
debut as the Eel River Youth
Soccer Association Assistant Coach,
Pask has coached for 11 years at four
other high schools as well as for the
Pateadores Soccer Club. Currently,
he works as the Assistant Coach of
Saddleback College Women’s Team,
Boys and Girls Head Coach of West
Coast Futbol Club owner and head
coach of Royal Soccer, Assistant
Coach of Newport FC, all while he
takes on Northwood’s team.
The Howler: What has your
experience with the Northwood team
been like so far?
Daniel Pask: I’m just getting to
know everyone since we started last
week. Everyone has been welcoming,
and I like how the players practice on
their own without a coach because it
really demonstrates the responsibility
and accountability of the group. It is
a huge positive for the coach when
you know you can trust the players to
look after themselves, train on their
own, and step up to drive the program
forward. It makes me look forward to
continuing and growing the program.
TH: How do you hope to help
the program and players grow?
DP: My coaching philosophy
is to allow the players to express
themselves on the field. In order to
do that, we have to make them feel
comfortable and confident. The better
they feel technically, the more confident
and able they’ll be to keep the
ball, attack, execute what they want
on the field and hopefully dictate the
Coco Tsaur The Northwood Howler
ONE STEP AT A TIME: Head Coach Daniel Pask is excited to orchestrate the team’s offense and defense.
game. This would allow us to get in
the opponents’ head which usually
indicates the match’s victor. We also
don’t want to be a team that constantly
has to change depending on the
opposition, since that breeds unfamiliarity
with our playstyle. We want to
be the one going out there and taking
the game to the opposition, which
facilitates confidence. That’s what
differentiates the best teams from the
good teams.
TH: How would you describe
yourself as a coach?
DP: I would say I’m demanding,
and I need everyone to respect each
other, since soccer is, fundamentally,
a team sport. We need a positive attitude
and not anyone feeling like
they’re above or below anyone else.
We want the program to be all as one
working together toward common
goals. I’m also very tactical when it
comes to game management, so I’m
always trying to analyze the opposition
and trying to find any way to get
a leg up on the opponents’ tendencies
and playstyle.
TH: What is the soccer team
working on right now while social
distancing measures are in place?
DP: Right now, we’re running
pre-season workshops every Tuesday
and Thursday in 90-minute sessions
until the end of October. There’s a lot
of the game we can’t work on while
social distancing, so we’re focusing
on individual skill drills, controlling
Brandon Luu becomes a Sun Devil
the ball, passing and getting better at
every technical aspect of the game so
that we’ll be ready when we are allowed
to play in closer contact. Ultimately,
practice is where we make
out mark. I want to help the team improve
on every aspect they’re able to
work on right now to prepare for the
future, on the pitch as well as off of it.
TH: What are your goals for the
future concerning CIF, league and
more?
DP: My goals have always been
to compete and challenge the players—to
win the league, go as far as
we can in CIF and hopefully win a
CIF championship. That’ll take a lot
of effort on the part of the players.
I’m here just to guide them forward
and give them the tools to achieve
their goals. It’s up to the players and
by holding them accountable, we facilitate
a culture to be proud of and
one that carries into future seasons.
TH: What do you want your
players to get from soccer?
DP: We want the players to
learn life lessons, good morals,
strong work ethic and a positive attitude.
The more positive you can be,
the more together you can be, and
the more likely you can be successful
both on and off the field. We’re
looking at soccer as a complement to
life, not as the number one thing. It’s
not “win at all costs.” Rather, we’re
trying to build better people through
the game.
Photo provided by Northwood Baseball
BATTER UP!: Sophomore Brandon Luu focuses in on the opponent, in search of a strike.
By Yejin Heo
Staff Writer
The roaring crowd holds their
team’s mascot in one hand and a
soft pretzel in the other as sunflower
seeds litter the ground, the crack of
the bat resonating across the stadium.
It’s the signature of an American pastime:
baseball. Sophomore Brandon
Luu grasped his future as a baseball
player in September as he committed
to play at Arizona State University
(ASU), a nationally ranked athletic
powerhouse.
Far beyond a game of ball and
bat, Luu remembers falling in love
with every aspect of baseball ever
since he started playing at 5 years
old.
“The one thing baseball has
taught me over the years is you are
going to fail often more times than
you succeed,” Luu said. “You aren’t
going to hit the best one game, or
pitch as well as you would like, but
it’s controlling what you can control
throughout the game and helping
your team win that really makes the
difference.”
The ASU Sun Devils are a Division
I team and part of the Pac-12
Conference, a distinguished NCAA
conference consisting of twelve
schools that exhibit academic excellence
and superior athletic performance.
Luu developed a strong connection
with ASU coaches and found
that the team was a perfect fit for
him through several trips to Arizona,
where he played in front of scouts
during recruitment.
As a first base pitcher, Luu’s talent
and work ethic lead to him being
the first Northwood athlete to receive
and accept a scholarship to ASU.
“It’s a blessing and hard to wrap
my head around it, but it’s a humbling
experience and one I’ll never
forget,” Luu said.
Chapman Baseball Compound
coach and Luu’s mentor, Ryan Chap-
man, prepared him physically and
mentally to give it his all every day
for the last six years, constantly
pushing him to be better every time
he stepped foot onto the field as an
individual, teammate, and friend.
“Brandon has a rare blend of
both talent and the desire to be great,”
Chapman said.“There are a lot of
players that would love to be where
he is in terms of baseball development,
but I strongly believe that is
just a result of the person he is.”
Before sports were put to a halt
due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Luu
consistently practiced after school,
playing in one league game last season.
In quarantine, he trained for four
months and then played with his travel
team. Luu is still waiting for a safe
time to resume his standard baseball
schedule.
Until then, Luu remains grounded
in his communities; his coaches,
team members and other supporters
wish him luck for the future.
Nicole Curtis The Northwood Howler

14 November 6, 2020
SPORTS
The Northwood Howler
For Kobe Bryant: Gone but never forgotten
By William Baik and
Ryan Wu
Staff Writers
Capping off the NBA’s socially
distanced season, the Los Angeles
Lakers have been crowned as the
league’s victors after defeating the
Miami Heat 106-93 in Game 6 of the
NBA Finals.
The championship represents
more than just a celebration to the
Lakers—it was a memoriam to Kobe
Bryant. The death of one of basketball’s
most beloved stars last February
especially shook Los Angeles,
and so the Lakers’ homage to Bryant’s
legacy put monumental weight
behind their championship victory.
The “Black Mamba” jersey, originally
introduced in 2018, made appearances
in Game 2 and Game 5 of
Girls water polo rises up the ranks
By Rachel Gima
Staff Writer
The Northwood Girls Varsity
Water Polo has earned its place in Division
3, following two increasingly
successful seasons, as their sudden
rise to stardom has caught the attention
of high school sports.
The Northwood Girls Water
Polo team was in Division 5 two
years ago, qualifying for the CIF-
Southern Section (CIF-SS) for the
first time in seven years, finishing
their season with a stellar 21-9 overall
record. As a result of their accomplishments,
they progressed to
Division 4 the following the 2019-
20 season, finished with a 20-10
record, and were crowned the Girls
Water Polo League Championship
for the first time in Northwood’s history.
These successes resulted in their
eventual progression into Division 3.
“We’re all hardworking and
determined to play our best,” var-
the finals, the team’s way of honoring
the memory of Bryant, a close friend
of Lakers superstar Lebron James
and an influential figure to others.
Though Bryant’s death still stings,
the trophy brings some closure to his
tragic passing.
“We’re thinking about the Bryant
family—Vanessa and the daughters.
They’re with us, we’re with you
guys,” James said after the Game 2
win. “We love you guys. And, hopefully,
we’re making them proud by
wearing these uniforms tonight.”
The Lakers’ victory in the Oct.
11 finals game gave them their 17th
ring and tied the franchise with the
Boston Celtics for most championships
won in league history. James
was named NBA Finals Most Valuable
Player, averaging 29.8 points,
11.8 rebounds and 8.5 assists while
sity right wing sophomore Ella-Blue
Wilmot said. “We all push each other
to be better players and I’m really
excited for another season with my
teammates.”
The season is scheduled to start
late December, with league games
beginning in January. In the meantime,
the team is preparing to compete
together again.
“It’s definitely going to be harder
playing in Division 3; Our competition
is going to be so much more
difficult,” varsity goalie junior Sanjana
Venkatesh said. “I’m excited to
play in a higher division because it’s
a new challenge, especially since we
were Division 5 my freshman year,
so it shows how much our team has
progressed.”
The CIF-SS assigns teams
“power rankings,” placing teams
with similar power rankings into one
of seven divisions. Each year, the division
of a team is determined by the
team’s performance average —influ-
shooting 59% from the field over the
six-game finals.
Though the finals pairing was
expected to be uneven, the storyline
behind the young underdog Heat team
and all-star guard Jimmy Butler’s
dominant game three and five performances
made the finals a worthwhile
and exciting watch. The Heat’s game
six was a disappointing outing, but
their run exemplified the threat they
pose for other title contenders in future
years. The composure and raw
talent of their rookies combined with
Butler’s defined leadership skills indicate
future success.
In an effort to deter the spread of
COVID-19, modifications were made
to all parts of the game this season.
This included a 100-page rulebook
that adapted the Center for Disease
Control and Prevention’s (CDC)
enced by factors such as a team’s win/
loss record and schedule strength—
from the previous two years. This
measure is a predictor of success for
this year, providing hope for many
of this year’s athletes, both new and
returning.
“Last year, we were a young
team, but we have built a lot of chemistry
which allows us to be successful,”
Venkatesh said. “Our coach also
contributed to our success last year
because he had a lot of faith in us and
led our team in the right direction.”
The team is currently holding
socially-distanced practices to prepare
for the upcoming season, which
will officially begin as early as January
2021.
“We’re nervous about playing in
Division 3, and we hope it won’t really
affect the outcome of wins and
loses very much, but we’re also excited
about it,” Wilmost said. “When
we play, we play for each other, and
that’s what makes us so strong.”
Coco Tsaur The Northwood Howler
STOKED WHILE SOAKED: Head Coach Kyle Kim-E and Assistant Coach Isabelle
Comtois review the team’s playbook during a routine water break.
health guidelines to the 2020 NBA
Bubble, an isolated playoff zone in
Orlando. The bubble’s safety precautions
were headlined by its zero
COVID-19 cases, an impressive feat
in comparison to both football and
baseball. Still, the bubble subjected
athletes and employees to monumental
changes during their stay, due to
the mental strain it created.
“This was very challenging, and
very difficult,” James said after Game
6. “It played with your mind, and it
played with your body. You’re away
from some of the things you’re so accustomed
to that make you the professional
you are.”
During the finals, James became
all-time 2nd 3-pointers made during
finals and 2nd in all-time playoff assists,
while teammate Rajon Rondo
surpassed NBA legends Larry Bird
Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler
and Steve Nash for 6th in all-time
playoff assists. As for the Heat,
20-year-old rookie phenom Tyler
Herro became the youngest player to
ever be in the finals’ starting lineup,
and scored the most 3-pointers by a
rookie in a finals appearance. Butler
liberated himself from the “villain”
label in the media and improved his
legacy through his leadership and
killer mentality.
Basketball’s time in the bubble
was an impressive feat that managed
to balance the difficulties of quarantining
and delivering another year of
playoff basketball. The NBA Finals
is always a bittersweet moment for
basketball fans, but this year’s ending
also came with relief: relief from
the players who were free to go home
and relief for the fans, knowing that
basketball would always be there.
Ice hockey makes its mark
By Diego Moreno
Staff Writer
The cool air and rush of adrenaline
on the hockey rink was something
unique to the East Coast, but
with the rise of hockey in Irvine that
feeling is only going to spread to the
West Coast. Ever since the Anaheim
Ducks’ inauguration in 1993, hockey
has been spreading like wildfire
in and around the greater Orange
County area. Ever since the creation
of the Anaheim Ducks High School
Hockey League (ADHSHL), yet in
the past few years high school hockey
has seen unparallleled interest, especially
in Irvine.
Since ADHSHL first started
in 2008 with JSerra Catholic High
School, it has grown tremendously
every year. It currently consists of
53 teams across 39 schools, spanning
a number of districts in the process,
including the Irvine United Warriors
hockey team, which is a team made
up of aspiring hockey players from
high schools across Irvine, that compete
in regional contests against other
teams in ADHSHL.
“From prior hockey experience,
I knew some of the players from my
club team before playing on the Warriors,”
Northwood alumni Jaxsen
Foxfire said. “But, it was extremely
enjoyable meeting my new teammates
who went to Woodbridge and
it was a different experience bonding
with them on a level I hadn’t previously
experienced.”
Foxfire was a former right wing
and defenseman for the Irvine Warriors.
The Irvine team was formed
due to the lack of players at any individual
school to form a full hockey
team, however, the amount of hockey
participation in Irvine was too much
to ignore; thus, the ADHSHL board
members allowed a collective Irvine
team. However, many other teams in
the ADHSHL are compelled to play
on behalf of other schools as well,
making the Warriors team’s situation
traditional protocol.
“The development of additional
rinks and more exposure from the
Anaheim Ducks, leading to more
kids wanting to try it and get hooked
into it,” ADHSHL director Matthew
Blanchart said. “So we always want
to try to grow the sport and to get
more kids on the ice as it’s always a
considerable benefit for us.”
Like most sports, hockey is the
recipient of COVID-19 regulations,
especially with it being a full contact
sport. With the increased precaution,
ADHSHL has been adaptive in their
pracrices, as they focus on the fundamentals
of the sport, which include
stick skills, skating and passing.
“I think COVID-19 will affect
our league the same as it will affect
any other CIF sports,” Blanchart
said. “Our season is currently set to
begin the first week in January when
CIF sports return, and we are anticipating
a season but it won’t be a full
season.”
As of right now, it is unlikely
that there will be a Northwood hockey
team in the near future, but with
ADHSHL’s unprecedented growth in
the last few years and the new Five
Point Ice Rink at Great Park open
for service, that may change in favor
of hockey players. For Northwood
hockey to be a reality, a Northwood
student can start a hockey club,
which could potentially become a
club team and eventually enter CIF
as a full-fledged team, once the club
gains enough members and interest.
“Hockey is one of the greatest
experiences in my life,” Foxfire said.
“I hope hockey is able to become a
bigger sport in Southern California
so more schools can have teams.”

The Northwood Howler Shambolic Shenanigans
November 6, 2020 15
A new OVO: October’s Very-Best Outfits
By Arya Bhattacharjee
Staff Writer
With the pandemic making fun
illegal across the globe, Halloween is
one upcoming event that people want
back. However, as going outside becomes
more and more difficult, your
next Halloween costume will have
to step up to the challenge. Luckily,
there are ways to be able to show
off your creative (or not so creative)
genius through these four amazing
COVID-proof costumes that’ll attract
attention but keep out the virus!
Transformer. The world is in
the middle of a crisis, and we need
warriors to fight against it! Become
a Transformer this halloween, and
you’ll not only be immune to the
COVID-19, but also gain the ability
to fight extraterrestrial beings while
you’re at it. Sure, bending your limbs
so that you can turn into a car might
be a little bit difficult, and the technology
required to do such a thing may
be a little expensive, but it should be
worth it in the long run, right?
Among Us Impostor. With the
world in lockdown, everyone is a
potential threat, including yourself.
Play the role of the Among Us imposter
and you’ll have the ability to
turn off the ship’s oxygen whenever
someone gets too close to your liking.
And if it comes to it, you can just
get rid of that one pesky crewmate
of yours who just doesn’t understand
the consequences of the pandemic.
A doctor. Were you too busy
struggling with the multiple exams
that dropped on you during the week
How to Halloween in 2020
By Lana Hwang
Staff Writer
While trick-or-treating might
not be possible
in our current
environment
due to
some spooky
circumstances
this year,
these alternatives
are
sure to safely
keep the Halloween
spirit
alive around
yourself and your loved ones.
Wicked Witches. Consider being
First Witch, Second Witch, and
Third Witch for your group costume
this year. Leave your hygiene
products at
home and trudge
around in the
woods for hours,
making sure to get
covered in dirt and
stray branches to
really sell the look.
Bring a speaker along so
you can play cackling noises
at your heart’s content. If
you’re lucky, you might be
able to run into an unsuspecting
passerby, and you can predict
their future anchor grade. Send cryptic
apparitions of “wc” and “?” their
way and watch the wonder- ful
tragedy unfold. Even
better, take their
paper without
them knowing
and write
illegible comments
in red
pen to raise
anxiety levels
to the utter
maximum.
Mummified
Mansion.
Modern
problems
RICHELLE GUNAWAN The Northwood Howler
of Halloween? If so, grab a lab coat
from your nearest science classroom
and pretend like you planned to be a
doctor all along. Working on the front
lines, doctors are definitely considered
heroes during the pandemic. Out
of sheer respect, people will avoid
you in order to keep you alive and
well. You might even get some free
candy as a token of appreciation for
require modern solutions. Before
anyone else has the chance to, cover
your entire house with the mountain
of toilet paper that you bought on a
rampage during March but no
longer have any use for. To
spread the cheer with anyone
else that might be passing by,
throw more toilet paper rolls at
them so they can join the fun
in turning your entire house
into a giant mummy. As a bonus,
by doing this, you prevent
anyone from teepeeing your
house or throwing eggshells at
your walls without your knowledge,
all while maintaining safe
distance. The Howler has not of yet
found a reasonably efficient way to
remove these “decorations”.
The gift that
keeps on giving.
You could
be lame this
year and give
your friends
bland Halloween
gifts like discount-value
candy
from the shady
convenience store,
toothbrushes from
various dentists, or celery sticks;
or, you could give them a gift that
will have them screaming from joy.
Literally. Wait in the trunk of their
car with a Jared Leto Joker costume
(don’t forget the mask), and jump
out to congratulate them for their
hard day of work at school at the
next green light. It’s guaranteed
to make memories that’ll last
a lifetime. If your friend
walks home instead, prepare
a costume to go along
with your axe, preferably metal,
and trail them all the way
home to make them freak out.
Make sure to bring an oversized
speaker so you can
play the Purge siren as loud
as possible. If they start running,
it’s really your duty to accept
their challenge to a race.
ANJALI MITTIPALLY The Northwood Howler
your work.
Skeleton. Ah, the skeleton! You
can’t have Halloween without one
of the most classic characters found
during this time, and it’s the perfect
costume. It’s very spooky, and also
perfectly Covid-proof, because the
virus doesn’t affect bones. The only
question is how you would get rid of
all of your flesh...
Spooky Northwood mysteries
By Diego Moreno
Staff Writer
Northwood is a school filled
with dark mysteries that have only
gained notoriety over the years. After
a thorough investigation and years of
contention, The Howler has determined
the ones that may have some
truth to them.
History Necromancy. Though
they only come out during new
moons, the necromancers—publicly
known as the history teachers—
spend all of October to raise historical
figures so as to craft the most devious
of test questions. Some of these include
“What was Thomas Jefferson’s
favorite color?” or “What size shoes
does Genghis Khan wear?” These
yearly summons always end with the
history teachers having to fight the
undead Mongol horde before they
take over the school and steal all the
soap from the boys bathroom again.
The Mongols seem to dislike the upstairs
ones, so they always make sure
to lock them.
Timby The Werewolf. There
have been reports of howling heard
in the Northwood area at night, but
this one isn’t really much of a mystery.
Who could it be other than our
very own Timby? Every October,
Timby transforms into his true form
as a werewolf. His rituals commonly
include spending nights howling
at the full moon, chasing squirrels
and chewing up the sports equipment.
Avoid the Oak at night because
Timby might just be waiting in the
branches for you...
Science Witches. Have you
ever walked into your chemistry class
and noticed a weird smell or overheard
your teacher pronounce weird
incantations such as methylethylamylophenylium?
If you have, then it
may not come as a surprise that they
are in fact a coven of witches led
by Mr. Monge. These witches spend
their time making potions that have
devious side effects like making you
forget test questions or laugh at the
teachers puns, and they sell these potions
to the other monsters of Northwood.
Be careful what you say in
their classrooms, because you do not
want to be cursed. These curses will
give you endless bad luck, including
making sure you always choose the
wrong stair direction between classes.
Mysterious Drama. In October,
the drama department shows are on
another level, as if everything they do
is real and every emotion their own.
This is because they were cursed to
temporarily transform into whatever
role they play becoming their characters.
No one knows how it started, and
no one remembers when it happens
almost as if their memories are wiped
each time maybe due to the curse or
something even more sinister. If you
see a monster around Northwood it’s
just your drama classmates really
getting into their roles. A rogue Frankenstein
was even reported trying to
attack the fabled theater ghost.
Though we have to claim these
are nothing more than rumors for legal
reasons, we all know that there
are strange things happening at
Northwood. Watch your back.
VICTORIA TA The Northwood Howler

16
November 6, 2020
Shambolic Shenanigans
The Northwood Howler
What Kind of Pumpkin are You Graphic
Disastrous debate debacle
By Rahul Khanna and Hari
Sreeramagiri
Staff Writers
NBC News issued a formal
apology to viewers on Sept. 30 after
accidentally broadcasting two old
men yelling at each other in a senior
recreation center instead of the presidential
debate.
Instead of the first presidential
debate, nearly 73 million people
tuned in to a violent yelling-match
between senior citizens Old Beden
and Donald J. Tired.
“We are terribly sorry about
what happened, and we can assure it
won’t happen again until Congress
reconvenes in October,” NBC Reporter
Faken Ews said. “Thankfully,
this situation has a silver lining: as
bad as American politics may seem,
they will never get this bad.”
The squabble started with gentle
jabs at each other but soon descended
into unintelligible speech as both citizens
refused to let the other talk for
even a moment. Notable moments included
Tired taunting Beden, saying
there was nothing smart nor young
about him, to which Biden responded
that Tired was the worst resident this
county had ever seen.
“I’ll admit, when I first heard
the yelling and grunting I assumed
it was just classic Trump and Biden
at it again,” said Desperate American,
who watched the debate with his
family. “But once they started dueling
with their walking sticks, I began
to suspect something was wrong.”
A third voice also briefly interjected
throughout the broadcast, adding
to the chaos. This man was identified
as Cantmo Derate, the director
of the senior center who fruitlessly
attempted to restore order.
“I tried to get those old geezers
to stop fighting, but they just wouldn’t
listen,” Derates said. “Believe me, I
tried everything too: I asked nicely, I
asked again and I asked one last time.
For some reason, they wouldn’t listen
to me!”
A mysterious computer virus by
the name of VOTID-19 seemed to be
one of the major disagreements.
“That virus, it was some virus.
People would walk up to me and look
at my computer and tell me ‘Tired,
that’s some virus’,” Tired said. “And
I would agree, it’s one of the most virus-like
viruses I have ever seen. The
radical young would tell you otherwise,
but take it from me, it’s some
virus.”
Tired claimed that the virus
showed up on his computer in early
September and had been maliciously
attacking him ever since. Beden later
reported seeing the same virus on his
own computer and accused Tired of
giving him the virus.
“I never had a virus on my computer
until Tired came in,” Beden
said. “It’s absolutely ridiculous—
he’s a clown. His management of the
computer virus is absolutely terrible,
and whenever someone points it out
he keeps yacking on and on about
how he has done more for the virus
than any other resident in the center
- a complete lie. I wish he’d just shut
up.”
Both Beden and Tired reported
not being able to type lowercase
letters ever since their computers
contracted VOTID-19, a side effect
not common among other infected
computers. Further investigation by
the FBI revealed that the two citizens
accidentally put CAPS-lock on and
forgot how to turn it off.
Another major disagreement
centered around climate change,
though not in the way you might
expect. Beden complained that the
room was getting too hot and demanded
that the air conditioner be
turned on. In response, Tired lit a fire
without shutting the fireplace door,
letting smoke pour into the room and
infuriating Beden.
As for the actual presidential
debate between candidates Joe BIden
and Donald J. Trump, there are rumors
that the debate was one of the
most civil, constructive and informative
debates in American history.
Unfortunately it is unlikely that the
public will ever know the contents of
this debate, as there was no recording
kept.
Due to their old age, both Beden
and Tired have completely forgotten
the events of that day.
Fall essentials: Pumpkin spice everything
By Diego Moreno
Staff Writer
Pumpkin spice flavoring has
been a staple of fall for years.
This year, however, your favorite
brands are stepping
up their
game
b y
providing
pumpk
i n
spice
varieties
for your
favorite
treats.
Kool-
Aid Jamm
e r s .
Hoping to
beat out
Capri-Suns this
year, the Kool-aid man has been concocting
a new flavor. The flavor is
spicy with a taste similar to pumpkin
pie and coffee, although it may just
be coffee in a juice pouch. Find the
pumpkin spice kool-aid jammers
you’ll love a-latte at your nearest
grocery store.
Toothpaste. Colgate has created
a brand new toothpaste for your
pumpkin spice needs. Say goodbye
to morning breath and hello to
pumpkiny goodness. Four out of five
dentists recommend the pumpkin
spice toothpaste this autumn (warning:
pumpkin spice toothpaste is not
meant for consumption).
Burgers and Condiments. This
year, your neighborhood burger place
is putting out all the stops. Get a combo
with Mc- spicy or Pumpkin
Famous Star that comes
w i t h pumpk
i n fries
and a large
pumpk
i n
coke for
only $7.99. Are
your pumpkin spice
burgers not enough to
satisfy your taste buds? Add to
the flavor with pumpkin spice condiments.
Heinz has spiced mustard and
ketchup for your burgers and fries
while Pace has your nacho needs
covered with spicy pumpkin salsa.
If you’re a fan of ranch on pizza, try
Wish-bone’s latest pumpkin spice
ranch next time
you order pizza.
Deodorant. Axe is preparing
to capture the market this
fall by releasing its fragrant pumpkin
spice body spray. Why just eat
pumpkin spice when you
can smell like it too?
Not wanting to be outdone
however, Old
Spice is staying true
to its namesake by
releasing a pumpkin
spice deodorant this
year. For the busy
coffee enthusiast
on the go, this deodorant
captures the
essence of fall with
its cinnamon scent
and feeling of regret
that you spent your
money on seasonal,
overpriced pumpkin
spice deodorant. The
deodorants contain
no anti-odor chemicals and
are strictly for showing your
love of pumpkin spice to those around
you. Pumpkin spice body mist is also
reportedly in development.
Frozen Foods.
Some-
VICTORIA TA The Northwood Howler
times you get too tired to go out and
get that pumpkin spice food, so why
not have it ready to eat? Your favorite
frozen meal brands have prepared
some delicious dishes such as Tyson’s
gourdgeous pumpkin shaped
nuggets, Foster Farms’ breakfast
pumpkin dogs and Hot Pockets’
spiced pumpkin flavor. Pumpkin
spice taquitos have also shot off the
shelves, as has pumpking spice fish
filet. Just pop these treats into the
microwave and
wait 3 to 4 minutes
for those
sweet appetizers.
Chipotle
burritos.
Chipotle has
introduced a
new fall special
called the
Pumpkin Spice
Burrito, a potentially revolutionizing
product for the restaurant industry.
Instead of choosing black or pinto
beans, customers now
only have the choice
of pumpkin-flavored
orange
beans to embrace
the fall
spirit. Guacamole
has
completely
disappeared,
and has instead
been
replaced
with a pumpkin
GMO
variant that
might not sit
very well.
Salsas are
now all minutely
different
variations
of pumpkin spice
jam. As if that wasn’t enough, sour
cream has also fallen victim to the
pumpkin spice curse. There’s also a
new limited time offer that environmentalists
will love: order from the
app and recieve your food packed in
a biodegradable pumpkin instead of
those tree-killing paper bags.
NICOLE CURTIS The Northwood Howler