Howler Issue 22.4 Dec 11, 2020

A Northwood High School Publication
4515 Portola Pkwy. Irvine, CA 92620
Volume XXII, Issue IV: December 11, 2020
Follow us on Instagram @nhs.howler
www.TheHowlerOnline.org
Making Northwood’s distanced canned food drive count
By Rachel Gima
Staff Writer
Northwood held its annual
canned food drive from Nov. 16-20
to donate food to the less fortunate.
Throughout the week, students
were encouraged to bring canned
goods to school and drop them off
in a bin corresponding to their TA.
Instead of allowing students to collect
cans within their respective TAs
each day until the end of the week,
collection was done outside to follow
COVID-19 regulations.
“The food drive lets us support
others in a really simple way,” junior
Amanda Carlson said. “We don’t
have to put in a lot of effort to donate
food, but when everything from
the drive is compiled, it’s enough to
make a big impact on the people who
need it.”
To encourage students to bring
more cans, ASB ran the food drive
as a TA competition in which the
TA that brought the most cans at the
Developments in COVID-19 vaccines
By Matthew Dimaandal and
Diego Moreno
Staff Writers
As COVID-19 cases surge in
the United States and Europe, pharmaceutical
companies AstraZeneca,
Moderna and Pfizer have announced
promising results for prospective
COVID-19 vaccines.
Out of the three treatments, Pfizer
has shown the most success during
clinical trials, with a 95% effectiveness
on rats. The most significant side
effect is fatigue, and to complicate
things further, the vaccine must be
stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit.
However, this is
difficult for many hospitals
due to the need to
transport and store
the vaccine a t
sub-zero temperatures
in specialized
freezers.
Moderna is second
with a 94.5% effectiveness
rate and side effects
including fatigue and
aching muscles and joints.
AstraZeneca has two different regimens
at 62% and 90% effectiveness
with no known side effects after clinical
testing.
Moderna announced on Nov.
25 that the European Commission
will be securing 80 million doses to
distribute across Europe as early as
December and globally in early 2021.
“We appreciate the confidence
the European Commission has
end of the week won Nothing Bundt
Cakes. This friendly competition
helped bring in more cans and made
the students feel like a team trying to
achieve a common goal. Math teacher
Ann Doan’s TA won the contest,
bringing 114 of the 375 cans.
“The food drive is important
because it is so crucial to give back
during hard times like these,” sophomore
Sohani Pawan said. “Using this
opportunity to give back to the community
is something that can make
the school feel more connected even
when we’re not really together.”
While the competition brought
some fun into the drive, many students
participated simply for the sake
of giving back to their community
during difficult times.
“I donated to the canned food
drive because nobody deserves to
go hungry,” senior Ryan Talebi said.
“With everything going on right now,
it’s nice to know that we can adjust
accordingly to keep up a schoolwide
tradition that helps people in need.”
demonstrated in our mRNA vaccine
platform,” Chief Executive Officer
of Moderna Stéphane Bancel said
in an official press re- lease.
“We recognize that
tackling this global
pandemic will require
a number of solutions,
and we are proud
of the role Moderna
has been able to
play in this global effort.”
The U.S. reached
over 276,000 total
deaths due to COVID-19
and averages close to
200,000 cases each day.
The recent surge has
been attributed to businesses reopening
across the country despite high
numbers of cases. Furthermore, as
public safety and social distancing
guidelines are continuously extended,
many refuse to
stay home or wear
masks.
This increase
in cases is predicted
to worsen
with the
approaching
holiday season,
leading to widespread
travel across the country
and large gatherings with
little adherence to safety
guidelines.
“To the extent possible, keep
the indoor gatherings as small as you
possibly can,” Director of the National
Institute of Allergy and Infectious
GB&U: College Applications
Accent
Coco Tsaur The Northwood Howler
WE ‘CAN’ DO IT!: With masks and gloves to prevent the spread of COVID-19, sophomore class
president Rachel How and vice president Eugenie Chang package thank-you cards and food donations.
Disease Anthony Fauci said. “By
making that sacrifice, you’re going
to prevent people from getting infected.”
To contain the
surge, Governor Newsom
has issued new lockdown
guidelines as
counties continue
to report increases
in hospitalizations.
However, these
guidelines will
only take effect if
a county’s Intensive
Care Unit capacity
drops below 15%. This
lockdown will force care facilities
like hair salons, gyms and nail salons
to be closed while retail stores will
have to limit customers and restaurants
may only allow pickup or takeout.
“We really
all need to
step up,” Newsom
said when announcing
the new stay-at-home order. “We
need to meet this head-on and we
need to do everything we can to stem
the tide, to bend the curve.”
Richelle Gunawan The Northwood Howler
2020 Voter Suppression
Viewpoint
National Merit qualifiers
By Rahul Khanna
Staff Writer
Twenty-seven Northwood seniors
were named semifinalists in
the 2021 National Merit Scholarship
Program on Sept. 9, joining nearly
16,000 students nationwide to compete
for scholarships worth thousands
of dollars.
More than 1.5 million students
of the Class of 2021 entered the program
by taking the 2019 PSAT, with
the top 3% of scorers qualifying as
commended scholars and the top 1%
of scorers qualifying as semifinalists.
Commended scholars will not continue
in the National Merit competition,
but may be eligible for other awards.
About 7,600 scholarships worth
over $30 million will be awarded to
students who successfully progress
in the competition, on the basis of an
application that each semifinalist will
complete.
“I was actually pretty surprised
that I qualified since I was unsure
of a decent number of questions on
the PSAT,” senior Kaela Birozy said.
“Once I found out my score, though,
I knew I was going to be a semifinalist,
so that was definitely exciting.”
In order to become finalists, current
semifinalists must complete the
National Merit Scholarship Application,
which includes writing essays,
showing evidence of high academic
performance throughout highschool
and getting a recommendation from
a school official. While SAT or ACT
scores are generally required for the
Genshin Impact Review
A&E
application, they will not be considered
this year due to multiple test
centers being closed.
Semifinalists will be notified by
February whether they advanced to
finalist standing or not.
“I’m happy to get this opportunity
to win scholarship money,” senior
Austin Wang said. “But it’s also
a competitive process with a large application
pool, and you really never
know what they’re looking for.”
Roughly 15,000 of the 16,000
semifinalists are expected to advance
to the finals. About half of the finalists
will win scholarships ranging
from a $2,500 National Merit scholarship
to a corporate-sponsored or
college-sponsored scholarship. Most
scholarship winners will be announced
by the National Merit Scholarship
Corporation by June.
“Having National Merit recognition
on an application is certainly
notable as it is awarded to such a
small number of students,” counselor
Allison Singer said. “It’s a huge
achievement, and we are so proud of
our Semifinalists.”
www.nationalmerit.org

2 December 11, 16, 2020 2019
NEWS
The Northwood Howler
Setting the Stage for Political Elections in 2021: Georgia run-offs
By Ryan Wu
Staff Writer
Georgia’s runoff elections on
Jan. 5 will determine whether the
Democratic party or the GOP will
take control of the Senate, with drastic
implications for the Biden Administration.
If Democratic candidates Jon
Ossoff and Raphael Warnock both
win Senate seats in January, the Senate
will flip to a Democratic majority
with Vice President-elect Kamala
Harris authorized to break ties, making
it the first time in 11 years that
Democrats control the Legislative
and Executive Branches.
“A Democratic majority in the
U.S. Senate would be the biggest difference
maker to help Biden deliver
across the country,” Senate minority
leader Chuck Schumer said.
If either Republican candidates
David Perdue or Kelly Loeffler hang
on to their positions, the Republicancontrolled
Senate can limit Biden’s
agenda and restrict his attempts to
pass major legislation concerning the
School board results for IUSD
By Jonathan Kang
Staff Writer
Deputy District Attorney Cyril
Yu and incumbent Paul Bokota won
the IUSD Board of Education elections
in Trustee Area 3 and 5 respectively
this November, and incumbent
Lauren Brooks from Area 1 was declared
winner due to lack of opposition.
Yu ran against Bolsa Grande
High School teacher Douglas Euper,
Northwood alumna Bethany Huang
and IUSD parent Sidney Wu, while
Bokota ran against pediatrician and
parent Demetra Arvanitidis. Although
both Bokota and Yu have previously
worked in IUSD, Bokota has
pandemic, abortion and other issues.
Run-off elections occur when
no candidate receives the majority
of votes needed to win the election,
and acts as a rematch for the top two
candidates to declare a seat winner.
Incumbent Republican senator Perdue
faces Democrat Ossoff in the first
runoff race.
Perdue’s avocation for stock
trading has stoked controversy, with
ethical questions arising over his
stock purchases. Earlier this year,
Perdue faced heavy scrutiny for buying
stock in Dupont de Nemours,
a company that manufactures PPE,
after a Senate briefing on the coronavirus
held on the same day. In 2018,
Perdue made timely and profitable
share purchases in a Navy contractor
just before becoming the head of a
Senate subcommittee supervising the
Navy fleet.
Ossoff, an investigative journalist,
previously ran for Georgia’s Sixth
Congressional District in 2017 but
lost in the runoff election against Republican
Karen Handel. This year, he
runs with a progressive standpoint on
www.cyrilyuforiusd.com
READY FOR THE NEW YEAR: New board member Cyril Yu,
among others elected, aims to improve district education.
healthcare and women’s issues, and
hopes to support policies that entail
affordable healthcare and debt-free
public college.
“Our ability to respond to this
pandemic and to invest in economic
recovery and get financial relief to
people depends on victory here,” Ossoff
said.
The other race has incumbent
Loeffler facing off against Warnock
in a special election, where the elected
senator will complete the remaining
two years from the six-year term
Johnny Isakson was appointed to in
2016.
Loeffler was appointed to the
position in 2019 by Governor Brian
Kemp after Isakson resigned due to
health concerns. Like Perdue, Loeffler
was put under fire for engaging
in stock trading activities amidst the
pandemic.
Warnock is the senior pastor of
Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta,
and was drawn into politics through
his activism supporting the expansion
of Medicaid in the state.
In preparation for January, orga-
served for eight years on the Board,
whereas Yu comes from a position on
the IUSD Finance Committee. Both
will take office as COVID-19 experiences
a surge in national cases.
“These challenging times have
depleted the school district’s funds
with the added challenge of reopening
schools safely,” Yu said in his
candidate statement. “I want to partner
with local health authorities, staff
and district leaders to ensure all children
and staff are safe while preserving
academic excellence.”
Bokota expressed similar priorities
to Yu, valuing safety and transparency
by allocating funds to security
and mental health.
“I’ve always put students, teachers
and parents first, so my top priority
is to continue improving the
educational quality of our worldclass
schools while keeping everyone
safe,” Bokota said. “I want to
continue to invest in new schools and
modernize existing schools.”
In 2014, Yu was appointed to
the IUSD Finance Committee, where
he advocated for increased access to
modern learning environments and
technology for all students. He also
previously served as chair of Irvine’s
Green Ribbon Environmental Committee,
which seeks to advance environmentally
friendly policies by
increasing public participation in sustainable
practices.
“I want to bring more funding
to schools and enhance STEM programs,
special education, athletics
and the arts,” Yu said. “I also want
to encourage parents and teachers to
add their voices to the process.”
Bokota served on the IUSD Finance
Committee from 2006-2012
before serving on the Board. Since he
joined, he has worked on allocating
funds towards mental health and has
invested $14,000,000 in safety equipment
for schools.
The coming months will test the
ability of the IUSD School Board to
adapt to new developments while upholding
Irvine’s academic standards.
“My parents and teachers made
it possible for me to reach my potential,”
Yu said. “I want to ensure all Irvine
children have the means to reach
their potential.”
The Bond Fire has burned 6,686
acres and caused the evacuation of
more than 25,000 residents living
near the Silverado, Black Star and
Baker Canyons since Dec. 2, destroying
31 structures. As of Dec. 9, the
fire is at 96% containment and all
evacuation orders have been lifted,
according to the Orange County Fire
Authority (OCFA).
“Unlike the Silverado Fire,
where I think we were all mostly surprised,
I started making a mental list
of items to bring, people to notify and
important documents to carry,” junior
Andy Zhu said.
The resulting poor air quality
led all IUSD schools to switch to
distance learning on Dec. 3 and 4, as
installed heating, ventilation and air
conditioning systems were unable to
operate in accordance to COVID-19
safety protocols.
The fire, which started as a
house fire on Bond Way, was gradually
worsened by a combination of
weather conditions such as Santa
Ana winds and warm temperatures.
Mandatory evacuations were issued
in neighborhoods closest to the fire,
such as Portola Hills, while voluntary
evacuations and warnings were
issued for communities farther away
such as Meadow Ridge Drive. Unlike
the Silverado Fire, most evacuation
centers were not open in an effort to
maintain social distancing and pre-
Nicole Curtis The Northwood Howler
nizations across the state have been
rallying eligible voters to participate
in the runoffs, focusing on the 23,000
teens who will turn 18 before the runoffs.
When We All Vote, a nonpartisan
organization that works with high
schools to increase voter turnout,
utilizes social media and games like
“Among Us” to share voting and registration
details.
“I think this is important to
equip the next generation with the
most important tool, which is their
vote,” student activist Tiffany Pham
from Clayton County, Ga. said. “Historically,
we’ve always been seen as
the apathetic generation. That’s simply
not true.”
Orange County Fire
By Claire Chien and Abby Fang
News Editors
vent the spread of COVID-19 cases.
“We had to spend the night at
someone else’s house, but it was
more of an inconvenience than a
worry,” science teacher and Portola
Hills resident David Monge said.
“This time, even though the fire was
technically closer, we were less nervous
because we knew the firefighters
were doing everything they could
to protect property and people.”
Although warnings and evacuations
have been lifted, some roads
and infrastructure areas will continue
to be closed to repair damage done
by the fire. Almost 1,000 personnel
were assigned to control the fire since
its start, according to Cal Fire and
OCFA.
With 2020 being the largest
wildfire season in California’s modern
history, over 4,359,517 acres
have been burned by 9,279 fires as
of Dec. 6. Red Flag Warnings issued
by the National Weather Service will
continue to warn residents of critical
fire conditions. Officials advise that
residents should plan for evacuation
routes and prepare emergency supply
kits in case of such a warning and
evacuation.
“The reason why we evacuate is
because we care about the health and
well-being of our citizens,” Ventura
County Fire Captain Steve Kaufmann
said. “We rely on you to be vigilant.
Be aware of what’s going on in your
surroundings, and if you feel the need
to evacuate, don’t wait for the authorities.”
Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler

The Northwood Howler ACCENT
December 11, 2020 3
It’s no secret that school can be
stressful, especially at Northwood.
And with finals coming up, the stress
will only build. Although you could
destress with traditional methods like
taking walks, baking or just talking to
friends to manage your stress, a more
spiritual outlet for your stress could
be meditation.
San Francisco-based company
Within Meditation offers group
meditation classes led by a teacher,
focusing particularly on mindfulness,
which is when you bring your
attention specifically to the present
moment.
“Mindfulness can teach us to
be present so we can actually enjoy
our lives,” meditation teacher Adam
Moskowitz said. “Instead of being so
concerned about what’s going to happen
in 10 minutes from now, 10 days
from now or 10 years from now, just
enjoy the moment.”
Photo provided by Within Meditation
BRANCHING OUT: Although sessions look different now than above,
the sense of community prevails, reaching meditators around the globe.
By Erin Tsai
Staff Writer
Within Meditation uses meditation
as a tool to teach people how
to practice mindfulness and change
their perspective on the way they deal
with problems.
“You have a constant whirlwind
of thoughts,” Within Meditation
co-founder Hannah Knapp said. “But
when you meditate, you discover this
inner core in you that’s unchanging,
stable and calm, which can help you
feel a sense of balance.”
In addition to managing stress,
meditation can help relieve physical
tension caused by stress, allowing
you to recover physically.
“When you’re stressed out all
the time, you are constantly in fightflight-freeze
mode, and that really
wears your body out,” Knapp said.
“Each time you meditate, you’re putting
your body back into recovery
mode, so you are giving your body a
chance to recuperate from all of that
stress.”
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Within Meditation has suc-
Mindfulness at Within Meditation
cessfully made the transition online
from their San Francisco studios to
Zoom meetings, opening their services
to people from all over the
world. Even without in-person classes,
Within Meditation works to maintain
a sense of community between
its meditators.
“It does feel different, meditating
with other people as opposed
to on my own,” meditation student
Danielle Goldberg said. “With a good
community of people that ask questions
and share their own experiences,
I just realized that a lot of people
are going through the same stuff.”
Although it can be easy to write
off meditation as a waste of time,
meditation can be a breath of fresh air
in a world where constant hustle and
hard work is the norm.
“A lot of times it feels like you’re
always trying to get everything done
and you never get everything done,”
Moskowitz said. “There is no finish
line, because what happens is when
we try to get to the finish line all the
time, as soon as we get there, there’s
another finish line. And when we live
like that, it’s hard to enjoy the present
moment.”
Meditation is not for everyone.
But for the people that find a place in
their life for it, it changes them for the
better.
“One of the things I love about
meditation is that you don’t need to
take anybody’s word for it,” Knapp
said. “You don’t have to believe anything.
You don’t have to buy into anything.
It’s really just about you and
your experience.”
To sign up for classes with Within
Meditation, visit withinmeditation.
com for more information.
In 2019, we raved about biker
shorts, bucket hats and animal prints.
Now, with winter festivities and holiday
spirit bringing 2020 to a close,
it’s time to reflect on this year’s fashion
trends reviving vintage statement
pieces and prompting entirely novel
styles. In the spirit of winter fashion,
here are some wardrobe must-haves
for the coming months.
Sweater Vests
Patterned sweater vests may
have seemed outdated last year, but
they’re now starring in Instagram
and Pinterest posts, with Harry Styles
making them look effortlessly stylish.
Sweater vests can be worn in a
variety of ways: over untucked white
dress shirts, oversized sweaters or
short-sleeved shirts. They’re versatile
in matching with nearly any bottoms,
as they can be tucked into straight
jeans or worn untucked with pleated
skirts.
Oversized Sweaters
Baggy clothes are making a
comeback, and they’re an excellent
approach to staying cozy and warm
during winter. Whether it’s color
block or a graphic of Dragon Ball Z,
don’t be afraid to choose sweaters
with your favorite designs or inter-
Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler
Winter essentials: Wardrobe must-haves
By Hari Sreeramagiri and
Helena Zhou
Staff Writers
ests. Currently, outfits layering oversized
sweaters with collared shirts
have been everywhere and will likely
remain timeless, making them great
staples for your closet.
Turtlenecks
Turtlenecks look chic with a
multitude of other clothing pieces,
including blazers, overcoats, leather
jackets and sweaters. Some general
rules for wearing turtlenecks: layer a
piece over them and tuck them into
your pants. If that’s not enough of a
reason to incorporate turtlenecks in
your outfits, turtlenecks have historically
been part of some of the
most iconic outfits of all time, such
as Dwayne Johnson’s ‘90s black turtleneck,
chain and fanny pack combination
as well as Steve Jobs’s refined
black mock turtleneck and jeans look.
Boots
This fashion trend is the perfect
compliment for chilly weather, but
that’s not what we love most about it.
Whether it be a pair of Dr. Martens
for a night out with friends or overthe-knee
boots for a Beyonce-esque
look, you can always rely on boots
to make any outfit look runway-ready
and add a sprinkle of drama to your
life. After all, boots are popular for
making their wearer feel confident
and invincible. How can they not
when they’re Wonder Woman’s signature
style?
Scarves
Scarves are absolute winter essentials
to help keep your neck warm
during the freezing mornings and
nights. They evoke a down-to-earth
feel and can be dressed up or down in
countless ways. However, make sure
to choose monochromatic or reasonably
patterned scarves or else you
might look like a personified version
of Tumblr in 2014.
Puffer Jackets
Puffer jackets are perfect for creating
a top-focused silhouette. They
create a beautiful balance between
warmth and lightness that leather and
wool jackets cannot compete with.
Some other puffer jacket options include
those of sherpa or corduroy material.
For a bolder statement, try pop
colors or vintage patterns; otherwise,
go for black or muted color jacket.
Either way, they work with any outfit.
Beanies
This fluffy, soft companion will
take your fashion game to the next
level, adding the perfect amount
of cuteness to your look. There are
many ways to wear a beanie, featuring
countless variations of hairstyles
including a side braid with a slouchy
beanie or hair down with your beanie
pulled back for an effortlessly cool
look. But no matter the shape or size,
one thing is for sure: a beanie will
never let you down.
Nicole Curtis The Northwood Howler
Richelle Gunawan The Northwood Howler

4
December 11, 2020
A&E
Eventz for a winter to remember
The Northwood Howler
Coco Tsaur The Northwood Howler
‘TIS THE SEASON TO SHINE: Kelly Myers (left) and Christian Giles (right) discover
the interior design of a Christmas ornament at Holidayz at the Park with their furry friends.
By Yejin Heo
Staff Writer
We’ll survive this winter season
without the usual Disneyland tree
lightings and velvet seats for a production
of “The Nutcracker,” but that
doesn’t mean we have to end this difficult
year without any holiday joy.
There are still many holiday events
around Irvine to enjoy while following
safety precautions.
Hikari Festival of Lights
The Hikari Festival of Lights
at Tanaka Farms is a sparkling sight
brimming with cheer and glittery
lights. Ending on Jan. 10, 2021, the
drive-through extravaganza covers
the 30-acre farm with seasonal
sparkle, complete with lit-up trees,
Japanese umbrellas, snowflakes and
sugarcane from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Admission on Monday through
Thursday costs $49 per vehicle while
admission from Friday through Sunday
costs $59.
The event was inspired by the
Kobe Luminarie event in Japan
where over 200,000 hand-painted
lights are lit every December to commemorate
the Great Hanshin earthquake
of 1995. Since the survivors
had to live in darkness for weeks because
of electricity outages, the Italian
government donated thousands of
lights, hoping that they would act as
a symbol of national hope, restoration
and recovery. The lights continue
to adorn Japan every year since,
keeping the tradition alive and even
spreading its influence to other countries.
In fact, “Hikari” directly translates
to “light” in Japanese, a fitting
name for the dazzling event.
“For those who love seeing the
lights and decorations of the holiday
season, this is a perfect excursion to
go on,” junior Rhea Meta said. “It
only lasts around 15-20 minutes, but
it is still a fun thing to do in the midst
of consistently staying at home due
to the virus.”
Irvine Spectrum Holiday Spectacular
The Irvine Spectrum Drivein
theater is back, now showcasing
movies throughout the holiday
season. Movies like “Home Alone,”
“Elf” and “How the Grinch Stole
Christmas” will be playing at 7:30
p.m. from Friday to Sunday at a price
per vehicle ranging from $40 to $60.
The socially distanced event only accepts
pre-ordered online tickets.
The Irvine Spectrum is also
hosting its Candy Cane Scavenger
Hunt. Players can grab a participation
card from the Guest Services kiosk
and try to find all the candy canes
in the mall. If completed, participants
will receive a sweet treat and be entered
into a raffle for a chance to win
Anjali Mittapally The Northwood Howler
an annual Attractions Pass, giving
them unlimited access to the Ferris
Wheel, Carousel and Lucky Climber
at the Irvine Spectrum.
Holidayz at the Park
The Great Park is hosting a sixweek
celebration consisting of various
holiday-themed events until Jan.
3. Photo-ops take place in the Palm
Court, which displays a recognition
of Saint Nick and the Greak Park’s
military roots through light decoration
from dusk to 9:30 p.m. every
day.
“I’d recommend going at night
so it’s a little less crowded,” junior
Yun-Seo Lee said. “My little sister
loved the candy cane palm trees.”
The Holidayz at the Park is also
hosting a city-wide pajama movie
party that will take place from the
safety of everyone’s car on Dec. 12
and 18 at 7 p.m. Tickets are free with
pre-registration and a food donation
to the Orange County Food Bank.
The gingerbread house decorating
workshop is the final event the
Great Park is offering, which takes
place on Dec. 12 from 10 to 11:30
a.m. and 12:30 to 2 p.m. For $55,
parents and children are welcome
to decorate a gingerbread house together
with the help of the staff. The
class fee includes all the supplies and
decorations necessary to build a gingerbread
house.
Sleighing 2020: A musical showcase
By Matthew Dimaandal and
Tyler Wong
Staff Writers
December is the time for Northwood’s
musicians to showcase their
talents at the annual winter concert,
but as COVID-19 affects extracurricular
activities campus-wide, it
becomes harder to spread holiday
cheer through music. Despite these
circumstances, the Northwood Instrumental
Music Directors were
able to continue this annual tradition
through a Virtual Winter Showcase,
set to premiere on Dec. 17 at 7 p.m.
on YouTube.
The showcase will feature each
Northwood ensemble, including the
Irvine Virtual Academy Instrumental
Music class, and combinations
of audio and video performances of
chamber pieces, large ensemble performances
and solo works.
“The showcase is meant to acknowledge
the hard work being done
by our students throughout our program,
as well as give students the
chance to share their art,” Northwood
Instrumental Music Director
Ben Case said. “Though so much
has changed this year, what has not
changed is our commitment to providing
our students with exceptional
musical and artistic experiences.”
While conventional instrumentation
of orchestras and bands will
still be included, some of Northwood’s
ensembles have created unorthodox
performances. For instance,
one particular performance in drumming,
where students rhythmically
hit different areas of plastic buckets
and metal garbage cans using drumsticks.
“From a percussionist perspective,
it’s cool to see other students
learn our craft and how it’s more than
just hitting things with sticks,” senior
Sean Kawanami said. “I get to enjoy
the company of friends and I still can
go to class with a smile, under my
Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler
mask of course.”
For many students, this event is
an opportunity to express themselves
through their music and hearing the
diverse works produced by the different
groups in each ensemble, all
while adhering to COVID-19 safety
guidelines.
“Even though it may not be as
fun as traditional live concerts, the
Winter Showcase will still be enjoyable,”
senior Lara Gursoy said. “Playing
music together brings a sense of
normalcy and a breath of fresh air after
a day of academic classes.”
Kaylee Charlton The Northwood Howler
THE SHOW MUST GO ON: Sophomore Christy Han (left) and freshman
Audrey Lee (right) hit various buckets during their final rehearsal.

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6 December 11, 2020
CENTER

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The Northwood Howler VIEWPOINT
December 11, 2020 9
New Mayor Farrah Khan on COVID-19 and civil rights
By Rachel Gima and Helena Zhou
Staff Writers
Newly elected Mayor Farrah
Khan looks to lead Irvine towards a
brighter future that promotes social
justice reform, environmental sustainability
and economic revitalization.
As an advocate of government
transparency and inclusionary housing
among other issues, she hopes to
get started on her plans as soon as she
is sworn in.
The Howler: Why did you
choose to run for mayor?
Farrah Khan: I wasn’t planning
on running for mayor, but as
conflicts arose in our city, especially
regarding social justice issues, it became
apparent that we didn’t have
leadership that understood the changing
demographics in the city.
When people were calling the
coronavirus the Chinese virus on
a national level, I was the one that
brought forward a resolution to stand
against that threat of hate. At the
same time, we had our Black Lives
Matter protests, many of which were
actually led by our Irvine students, all
of which the police claimed had been
peaceful. But then, the leaders in our
community released statements about
disliking violence and protests in
our cities when it’s actually our First
Amendment right to protest. And
these things kept happening over and
over again, such as when our black
community members were told to
find another city to live in if they
didn’t like it here.
It was just unacceptable. It was
the last straw for me, and I recognized
that we needed leadership that
is going to be understanding of problems
within our community and how
to work through those problems.
I had the opportunity to hold a
roundtable discussion with several of
our black community members and
our police. In those conversations, we
talked about housing equity, education,
what it feels like for them when
they get pulled over and how we can
set up a speaker series for our officers.
And that’s how we build bridges
within our communities. That’s how
we fix our issues: by bringing people
to the table, not shutting them out.
TH: What do you plan to work
on in addition to social justice?
FK: We’re currently working
on a diversity, equity and inclusion
resolution that I hope we’ll be
bringing forward soon. It will reach
out to those who normally wouldn’t
seek employment at the city level
and businesses that don’t know how
to apply for government contracts.
We’re essentially providing an equity
base for them.
Outside of that, dealing with
this pandemic and the economic crisis
that followed it is a high priority.
Right now, I’ve got staff looking into
data on exactly how many community
members are facing housing insecurity,
whether they’re able to pay
their rent or mortgage and how many
of our small business owners are at
the brink of closing down their shops.
We want to make sure that we’re
reaching out to our state and federal
legislators, bringing those dollars
back locally and helping people get
through this pandemic so that we can
come out of it stable both in terms of
health and finance.
I’m excited about the Community
Choice Energy moving forward
and our Climate Action Plan recently
being approved. We’re working to
ensure the reduction of greenhouse
gas emissions, energy and water usage
and overhauling our city as far as
where we can improve, whether it’s
in our buildings or on our streets.
TH: What changes would you
like to implement in our educational
system here in Irvine?
FK: My son is currently in Irvine
Virtual Academy, and as a parent,
I’d like to see our educational
system really empathize with the
needs of the students right now. Even
though I can’t directly impact education,
I can help bring education to the
forefront by bringing students voices
in at the council level, and I meet with
the elected school board on a regular
basis. Right now, I’m planning to
start up a Student Advisory Council
under the mayor’s office to get input
from students on what changes they
want to see.
TH: How do you plan on achieving
more transparency throughout
civic government?
FK: It really has to do with collaboration—making
sure that everyone
understands that we’re making
decisions on behalf of our residents
and really looking at how we can
improve the city. That takes compromise
and working together.
We’re also looking at opportunities
for people to have Zoom meetings
with the mayor, where they can
voice issues happening within their
community and know that someone
is there listening, taking notes and
going to take action appropriately. I
don’t think people had actual access
to an elected official previously, so I
want to make that happen as soon as
possible. Right now, I just do a Facebook
Live every Monday before a
council meeting to connect with people,
go over the agenda and answer
any questions.
TH: What advice would you
give to high school students aspiring
to be more involved in politics?
FK: I would say to get involved
in opportunities right now. Our office
offers internships throughout the
year, and I think that by spring we’ll
open those up again. Those are great
opportunities for students to not only
get involved with the local government
but also to work on projects
they’re interested in. I’ve had high
school students who worked on the
no smoking ban and the Climate Action
Plan.
OC House Representatives: Unexpected Republican turnout
By Ryan Wu
Staff Writer
Photo from Michelle Steel Facebook
SWITCHING IT UP: Young Kim and Michelle Steel take over formerly democratic congressional districts.
The 2020 election flipped the
script for Orange County, with Republican
County Supervisor Michelle
Steel and former Republican State
Assemblywoman Young Kim both
defeating incumbent Democrats for
seats in the House of Representatives.
This outcome was seemingly surprising
to the majority of political think
tanks; sources including Politico, Inside
Elections and The Cook Political
Report all predicted in June and July
that the 48th and 39th congressional
districts would likely remain blue. So
how exactly did these two politicians
gain an edge in this year’s house
races?
One of the most distinctive features
of Orange County up until 2016
was its historic position as a sturdy
Republican stronghold. Former
President Ronald Reagan specifically
called it a place where “all the good
Republicans go to die,” and Orange
County’s Republican majorities in
several elections led to key California
electoral college votes ensuring the
victories of Richard Nixon, Reagan
and George H.W. Bush.
As time went on, however, it
became apparent that both the government
and the governed underwent
heavy changes. Notably, the Republican
Party has transitioned from a
more moderate party under George
H.W. Bush to an increasingly ideological
one in modern times, moving
farther to the right on the political
spectrum. The General Social Survey
found that more self-identified
Republicans have been classifying
themselves as “extremely conservative”
over the past several decades.
One specific change in the GOP is the
Tea Party movement which was officially
launched in 2009 with the support
of Ron Paul’s 2008 presidential
campaign voter base. Lobbying for
the significant reduction in the size
of the federal government, opposing
tax increases and protesting for the
strengthening of anti-immigration
policies, the Tea Party garnered copious
amounts of right-wing and libertarian
support.
The Republican Party also used
to be more demographically connected
with the public. As the United
States becomes older, more diverse
and more educated, the Republican
Party is catering to older and therefore
more conservative people. A
study by the Pew Research Center
tracking support for the GOP by age
found that 38% of Republicans were
50 years old or older in 1992. By
2016, that number had grown to 58%.
The cosmopolitan and liberalleaning
voters that are predomi-
nantly Generation Z and millenials,
combined with the young voters’
general unfavorability towards President
Trump, led to Orange County’s
transformation into a purple region.
A major contributor is the increasing
number of college degree-holding
suburbanites moving into its borders
to start their families. In 2018,
a 71% voter turnout in the midterms
elections flipped all four Republican
congressional seats in Orange County
to Democrats. All of these Democrats
were neophytes in the campaign process.
In this year’s election, two of
these seats have been reverted back
to red. Considering Orange County’s
transformation to a purple state and
the fact that Villa Park is the only city
in the county to have 50% or more
Republican voters in 2019, it doesn’t
seem to make much sense that these
freshmen representatives would be
voted out.
However, we can see that the
Republican winners, Steel and Kim,
both share certain qualities. They are
both South Korean first generation
immigrants that do not look like your
average GOP candidates. Both of
them work in politics, and they could
draw support from their political experience
as well as the prolific Asian
community in Orange County. Their
background and story of success
may resonate with voters, as Orange
County is the most diverse county in
the entire state.
Another variable that earned
Steel and Kim more votes than their
Democratic competition is the circumstances
surrounding Trump. According
to Democratic Assembly
Speaker John Pérez, Republicanleaning
voters in 2018 could only
farrahforirvine.com
LOOKING FORWARD: Farrah Khan pushes for a progressive Irvine.
TH: Is there anything you
would like to say to high school students
reading this article right now?
FK: You all are so resilient.
You’re doing amazing work even under
the current conditions, and I look
forward to all the great things you’ll
accomplish. There really hasn’t been
a generation that’s gone through so
much, especially a pandemic. I see
that you’re doing everything to not
only get through this pandemic but to
thrive during it, and I really wish the
best for you all.
express their dislike towards Trump
by voting blue in the congressional
races. In contrast, this same demographic
could now cast an anti-Trump
vote for Joe Biden in the presidential
elections while still expressing their
conservative beliefs down the ballot.
For example, California’s 48th congressional
district saw the majority of
one in ten precincts voting for Biden
and Steel. This rare act of ballot splitting
shows that Orange County voters
are voting across party lines this year,
contributing to Steel’s close win over
incumbent Harley Rouda.
Orange County’s voter turnout
in the 2020 election was rather high,
with 86.6% of eligible voters going to
the polls. Nonvoters, making up 43%
of the voting population, are generally
less white, poorer, younger and
more likely to be women. Thus, many
experts have suggested that low voter
turnout is the large cause of Trump’s
2016 election win.
Even though a high turnout has
traditionally benefited Democratic
candidates more, this year was different.
According to Mark Baldassare,
president of the Public Policy
Institute of California, 2020’s historic
turnout stands for both sides of the
coin. An October poll by this institute
found that roughly three-fourths of
both GOP and Democratic voters felt
“more enthusiastic” than usual about
the election.
Many say that Orange County
will become permanently blue in the
near future, but that just might not
be the case. The county-sweeping
Democrats two years ago, as well as
this year’s two flipped districts, were
similarly impacted by voter reaction
to Trump, the nature of congressional
candidates and rate of voter turnout.
Orange County is purple, and will
likely retain its reputation as a political
battleground for years to come.

10 December 11, 2020
SPORTS
Always shooting for the bullseye
The Northwood Howler
FOR ARROW DYNAMICS: Junior Richelle Shim adjusts her bow to hit the perfect shot.
By Matthew Dimaandal And
Erin Tsai
Staff Writers
Remember the nights staying
up, hiding under the covers with a
flashlight just to finish another chapter
of “Hunger Games?” We would
read for hours upon hours about Katniss
Everdeen, wishing to be able to
use a bow and arrow just like her. We
all were inspired to start archery after
reading “Hunger Games,” but junior
Richelle Shim took this inspiration to
become part of the 2021 U.S. Archery
Team.
Shim began by joining the HSS
Sports Academy at 13 years old,
owned by 1984 LA Olympic Gold
Medalist Hyang-Soon Seo, in seventh
grade. She quickly found the sport to
be much more difficult than expected.
“When I first started, I was bad
at archery,” Shim said. “For months, I
missed the target and I wanted to quit
cause I felt like I had no talent. But
then I bought the bow.”
Archery is not a cheap hobby to
pick up, costing hundreds of dollars
just to purchase a bow and a set of arrows.
Shim knew she needed to commit
to the sport.
“I really want to succeed in the
sport because it’s an opportunity for
me to start something new and to
excel in that area,” Shim said. “I felt
like I didn’t have any excuses to not
succeed.”
With a newfound commitment
to the sport, Shim spent her summers
shooting ranges in Irvine and
Fountain Valley any chance she got,
practicing for about six hours on
weekdays and eight to 12 hours on
weekends during the school year.
“At first, I didn’t think that I
was improving, but over time, I could
tell I was improving because I put so
Annual Turkey Trot recap
Photo provided by Richelle Shim
much time into the sport,” Shim said.
Shim started competing in state
competitions in Chula Vista, California
and across the United States, using
each state competitions as practice
for the one competition to qualify
for nationals and obtain a national
ranking.
“There’s one competition that
everybody has to go to to be eligible
for a national ranking,” Shim said.
“It’s the biggest competition of the
season and the first time I went I got
third place.”
Shim spent the next few years
in these competitions to qualify for
nationals, eventually joining the national
team for 2021. Throughout this
time, Shim became part of the tightknit
community archery fostered.
With the bow and arrow in hand,
Shim has joined a community of likeminded
individuals on the road to
perfection in their craft.
Victoria Ta The Northwood Howler
Buzzing in on American Ninja Warrior
By Yejin Heo
Staff Writer
The Northwood Cross Country
team participated in the annual Orange
County Turkey Trot on Nov. 28
at Hicks Canyon Park, allowing them
to compete in an organized race since
March 2020 while also reconnecting
with Northwood alumni from all
walks of life.
The event served as a much
needed bonding experience for the
current Northwood team, alumni and
Head Coach Louie Muniz, especially
due to the lack of the annual summer
technical camps for the athletes.
“My favorite part was getting
to see all the alumni and getting to
spend that morning with my teammates,”
junior Sheinne Laygo said.
“It honestly puts me in the holiday
spirit, especially with the Christmas
and Thanksgiving breaks rolling
around, and helps me appreciate my
team and recognize how thankful I
am for them.”
Before running the seven-mile
distance race, the team’s practice
schedule consisted of timed miles at
the track, recovery runs and conditioning
at Hicks Canyon Park, Peters
Canyon and Northwood’s track. The
strenous conditioning that seems to
accompany the various terrains the
team practices on, intends to provide
all the runners the tools to do their
best on any course they encounter
in all league competitions. After all,
as the saying goes, perfect practice
makes perfect.
“The day before the run, we did
a really hard speed workout consisting
of three mile repeats and three
cool down miles,” senior Vlady
Clodfelter said. “We talked about
running on the collegiate level and
how different it is from running in
high school, such as the intensity and
commitment that each level demands
from its athletes.”
The Dana Point Turkey Trot is
an Orange County tradition that has
brought runners and family members
together on Thanksgiving morning
for 43 years. Named as one of America’s
best trots, the Turkey Trot brings
people from skill levels, ranging
from beginner to expert, in an effort
to burn the pre-Thanksgiving meal
calories. The cross country team organized
their own race instead of attending
the usual county gathering,
one of their many modifications to
prioritize the safety of the runners.
While running, the team and
cross country alumni discussed how
the pandemic has affected them as
students and athletes alike. The CO-
VID-19 crisis has halted all community
running events and practices for
months, but the California Interscholastic
Federation (CIF), the governing
body for high school sports in
the state of California, has recently
allowed for the boys and girls cross
country sectional playoffs to resume.
It has become more important
than ever for athletes to be staying
in shape during the quarantine, both
mentally and physically, in preperation
for the potential season slated to
continue in late December 2020. If
everything goes as planned, selected
teams will also be eligible to compete
for CIF State or Regional championships,
which are scheduled to conclude
on March 27, 2021, marking
the end to this year’s shortened season.
The Northwood Cross Country
team continues to practice each and
every day in preparation for their first
official meet which is scheduled for
Dec. 30 at William R. Mason Regional
Park.
By William Baik And Ryan Wu
Staff Writers
As the Emmy Award-nominated
competition show American Ninja
Warrior (ANW) approaches its 13th
season, both the show’s loyal and
new fans are asking: What is it about
ANW that makes it so popular in
mainstream media?
Competitors are chosen by applying
to be on the show or winning
a walk-on lottery, giving them the
first taste of what it takes to become
a Ninja in the city qualifiers. The top
30-35 competitors advance to the regional
finals, where the competitive
pool thins to 13-15 Ninjas that have
the fastest finishing time among all
regions. Then these Ninjas continue
on to the national finals. At this final
match of the show, Ninjas must
Nicole Curtis The Northwood Howler
complete four obstacle courses far
more difficult than the other rounds
in order to reach the prize of a million
dollars and earn the title of “Grand
Champion.” If more than one Ninja
completes the first three finals obstacle
courses, the competitor who
completes the final course—a strenuous
75-foot vertical rope climb—the
fastest is declared winner, winning
prize money of 100,000 dollars.
As is commonplace in other reality
shows, the competitors’ histories
are depicted through background
segments, instilling a sense of tension
and drama in the show’s otherwise
straightforward concept. Throughout
the seasons, an occurring theme
in ANW seems to be the diversity in
its competitors: Some contestants are
fresh out of high school while others
are personal trainers, lawyers or art-
ists, and even legally blind Ninjas or
those with mental illnesses. Accentuating
the differences in competitors’
personalities, upbringings and past
struggles is at the core of this show,
and its creators enthrall the audience
with a vast spectrum of interesting
stories and backgrounds. This leads
to the showrunners purposefully cutting
out the majority of contestants
for television, focusing on 20-30 of
the most interesting, inspiring Ninjas
while around 130 people actually run
the course.
ANW’s popularity has prompted
media outlets like Wall Street
Journal to wonder if the game show
could possibly edge out traditional
sports. But really, the answer is no.
The show has consistently put up an
average viewership of five to six million
viewers each season, which pales
in comparison to the NFL’s average
of 16.5 million viewers as per CNBC.
Baseball and basketball both fall behind
in viewership to ANW, but the
quantity of sports games means there
is less incentive for viewers to watch
every game. Still, regardless of the
viewership, it is a stretch to believe
that traditional sports will become
obsolete in the face of a game show.
Traditional sports will likely remain
in the entertainment sphere as they
have for so long, even with ANW airing
alongside it.
ANW has been a staple on television
for its feel-good themes of
inclusivity and unconventional approach
to sporting events. It’s an entertaining
watch filled with tense moments,
and with Season 13 contestant
applications now open, aspiring Ninjas
are mentally and physically training
themselves to become the next
American Ninja Warrior, perhaps
weaving an interesting backstory to
give themselves an extra edge.

The Northwood Howler December 11, 2020 11
How bad could 2021 be?
By Rahul Khanna and Diego
Moreno
Staff Writers
As 2021 quickly approaches, astrologists
and Reddit users have begun
to make their predictions about
the new year. The Howler has some
hypotheses to add to the fun based
off of hours of scrutiny of conspiracy
theory videos on YouTube.
2021 turns a new leaf. After
a year as dreadful as 2020, human
beings deserve a break from all the
hectic happenings that have been
brought upon us. The upcoming
COVID-19 microchip is predicted to
provide protection not only against
computer viruses, but also against
every known disease like the plague
and malwar-ia, preventing that yearly
discomfort of coughs and runny
nose. That’s not all, this miracle cure
will prevent hair loss, make your skin
shine and prevent acne. No need to
take any more precautions—go to
your nearest hospital without a mask
and stand next to others, just because
you can.
2020 repeats itself. Numerous
individuals confessed to repeatedly
stockpiling toilet paper and hand
sanitizer because they experienced a
déjà vu sensation with the lockdown.
According to them, this lockdown
has happened multiple times before
and will continue happening. After
Irvine’s third COVID surge and second
canyon fire, this may be a classic
case of the Bill Muray curse known
as Groundhog Day.
“I swear we’ve been through
this year over a dozen times,” philosopher
Vee Sauce said. “It’s like
we’re being forced into this scenario
over and over until we get it right.”
The Good, Bad and Ugly: Navigating holiday family gatherings
By Rachel Gima
Staff Writer
The holiday season is upon us
once more, bringing with it a number
of timeless traditions. With all
of the intricacies of different festivities,
questions and complications can
arise, so The Howler’s Good, Bad
and Ugly are here to solve the most
pressing issues that come up.
Dear Howler,
I want to get gifts for my friends,
but not all of them celebrate Christmas.
If I only get gifts for some of
them, will the rest be offended? What
do I do?
The Good: Gifts are fairly
common during the holiday season.
If you want to get gifts for all your
friends, then go ahead and do it! It’s
completely fine to give gifts in the
With lockdown continuing into
its ninth month and the world’s supply
of toilet paper running dangerously
low, it’s possible these individuals
are onto something. For many, it has
felt like the COVID-19 lockdown has
lasted years, if not decades. Who’s to
say that this is an exaggeration?
The Earth reboots itself. “As
it turns out, every planet in the solar
system will be very closely aligned
on Dec.31, more than they have ever
been in the last 800 years,” Harvard
professor Jemini Sun said. “We scientists
believe that this foreshadows
new beginnings, or a rebirth of some
sort.”
It’s highly possible that a complete
reset of the world will occur
the moment 2021 begins, reverting
civilization back to its most primitive
form. As all the planets start to align,
their combined force of gravity will
lead to volcanic eruptions and massive
tsunamis ravaging through civilization.
According to Sun, however,
you only need to worry about these
catastrophic events affecting you if
you are a Scorpio or Sagittarius.
Alien Invasion. Numerous
monoliths have been mysteriously
popping up all around the world recently,
and many are looking towards
these shiny pillars as signs of an imminent
extraterrestrial invasion.
Experts predict that the aliens
are hiding in the pillars, but it is
unclear what threat they pose to the
public. However there’s really no
reason to be fearful, according to
alientologist Bethany Grauci.
“Aliens want a peaceful, sustainable
environment to call their new
home,” Grauci said. “Once they see
the state of Earth, it’s likely they’ll
leave as quickly as they arrived.”
holiday spirit, not just for a specific
holiday.
The Bad: Don’t buy gifts for
any of them. After all, it’s only fair.
If you don’t get one, nobody gets one.
The Ugly: If you want to keep
people from feeling guilty or left
out, get one giant gift and hide it at
the top of a very tall tree (the Oak
would work well for this), and let
your friends fight for it. Survival of
the fittest. It’s a foolproof way to prevent
guilt, spend less and entertain
yourself all at once! Just make sure
your health insurance is up to date
before attempting this in case you get
crushed by a falling tree.
Dear Howler,
I love the holidays because
there’s so many festivities and I love
attending them with my family and
friends. But it’s really hard to partici-
Nevada counting update: Kanye declared winner
By Jonathan Kang
Staff Writer
SONDOS ELBERSHAWI The Northwood Howler
FAMILY TIME: Meeting with relatives can be both an exciting and frightening experience,
but this advice column for family gatherings will make sure they feel like a piece of cake.
pate in these activities and also study
for finals. How can I do both?
The Good: As with anything in
life, it’s a good idea to try and find
a balance. Draw up a study schedule
that allocates a few hours each
day for studying, and leave parts of
your evenings and weekends open for
time to have fun. If you stick to your
schedule, you can easily have fun and
ace those exams!
The Bad: You spend half your
day in school, so use that time to
study for finals. It’s over Zoom, anyways,
and it’s not as if anyone else is
paying attention. Spending all day in
school and then studying afterwards
too really doesn’t make sense. Once
your classes are over, go have fun,
and don’t give the looming exams a
second thought.
The Ugly: Just skip finals for
a pumpkin patch. If you don’t take
Nevada has projected Kanye
West to win the state by more than
100,000 votes in the 2020 election,
marking an unexpected projected win
for the independent.
Amidst a polarizing fight for the
presidency between President-elect
Biden and President Trump about
voter fraud, West has been largely
forgotten by both the public and the
media. In fact, all 49 other states
have finished counting two weeks
ago, with Biden declared the President-elect
of the US. However, Nevada
claims that the results from their
state—which they are only 3% done
counting—could sway the election.
“We are counting votes as fast as
possible, but we are also prioritizing
accuracy over speed to preserve our
great democracy,” Secretary of State
of Nevada Boo Mur said. “To allow
for triple-checking on the ballots,
we will count an estimated 30 votes
per day, meaning the finalized results
will be available by late 2021 or early
2022. We are providing mindfulness
breaks to our hard-working staff every
five minutes and mandatory trips
to Vegas to keep their minds fresh.”
Although many state representatives
have communicated that Biden
has already achieved the required 270
votes and that Nevada’s six electoral
votes are insignificant, they remain
steadfast in their decision to keep
counting.
“Actually, Nevada is currently
deciding whether to bring in the big
guns and hire sloths,” vote counter
for Nevada Slo Lee said. “Deep Data
Analysis has indicated a 230% faster
count rate with sloths, but we’re unsure
if this is serious enough to hire
such specialists.”
West suggests his millions of
fans begin counting ballots in Nevada
themselves. In fact, he claims that
on the backs of ballots, millions filled
out a secret section to indicate their
vote for his campaign. If these ballots
are counted, West claims he will have
a decisive victory.
“The first thing I will do as president
is abolish the Grammys and
create laws restricting the power of
music labels,” West said. “My agenda
will primarily target the new age
of artists who need music.”
West also plans to distribute
them, you don’t have to worry about
studying for them. In the grand
scheme of things, does a college degree
really matter when you have all
those wonderful memories of you
and your family arguing over weirdly
large Christmas trees and cliche Instagram
captions?
Dear Howler,
I like spending time with my
family during break, but they always
ask about my future—college, job
ideas, etc. How do I avoid all these
questions I don’t have answers to?
The Good: If you don’t know,
just tell them that! Family members
usually give pretty good advice about
college and work life, and if you
share what you’re interested in, they
can probably give some solid school
and career advice.
The Bad: Answer their question
with a question of your own about
their college and work experience. As
they go off on a tangent about “back
in my daythe good ol’ days,” go
ahead and tune them out in favor of
your phone or the TV. Just remember
to nod thoughtfully every once in a
while to keep them going.
The Ugly: Tell them that you
plan to become a water slide tester
and watch them avoid you for the rest
of the holidays, and maybe if you get
lucky enough (fingers crossed!), the
rest of your life!
Dear Howler,
I absolutely HATE holiday music,
but I have to listen to it all day
because my family loves it. Any tips
for keeping myself from exploding?
The Good: I don’t really like
holiday music either, so I’m with
you on this one. It does only play
for about a month annually and most
people enjoy it, so sometimes the best
strategy is to put on a fake smilegrin
and bear it. It could grow on you! I
RICHELLE GUNAWAN The Northwood Howler
a complimentary pair of Yeezys
to all those who voted for him.
His Vice President pick, Kim Kardashian-West,
will make history as
the first fairly elected female to hold
the office.
Although a majority of the
American public is more invested in
the White House transition than remaining
ballot results, diehard West
fans still believe in the music mogul.
Twitter engagement has even escalated
to West fans arguing that West
faced election fraud.
“Everybody wanted to know
what I would do if I didn’t win,” West
said. “I guess we’ll never know.”
recommend having earbuds handy so
you can play your own music without
disturbing anyone else, and that way
everyone’s happy. For a compromise,
try playing some instrumental or
classical holiday music. It’s less annoying
for you, and still has the seasonal
vibes that holiday-music-lovers
enjoy.
The Bad: Delete all your family’s
holiday playlists, and if you want
to take it a step further, delete all the
Youtube, Spotify and Apple Music
apps from their phones. Toss some
sand in your car radio so it breaks and
you don’t have to listen to it at all.
The Ugly: Tell your sibling to
blow their trumpet directly into your
ears and hope and pray that you go
deaf.
Dear Howler,
‘Tis the season of giving, and I
would like to take that to heart this
year and help others, but I don’t know
how to help. Any suggestions?
The Good: When it comes to
donations, any little bit helps out.
Stop by your local soup kitchen to
donate your time, drop off some cans
or find a charity whose message you
support… the possibilities are endless!
Anything you do to help out
will make a difference, so do what
you can to help those around you and
spread the holiday cheer.
The Bad: Helping people is
always a good idea. Use the holiday
season as a time to help yourself, and
buy whatever your heart desires.
The Ugly: Donate a kidney or
two. Or three. Or 60. Maybe throw
in a pancreas or a spleen for good
measure. Show how much heart you
have by tossing that in too. The sky’s
the limit when it comes to giving! As
Kathy Calvin, the President of the
United Nations wisely said, “Giving
back is not just about making a donation,
it’s about making a difference!”

12
December 11, 2020
The real way to get on Santa’s good list
By Lana Hwang and Rahul
Khanna
Staff Writers
As Christmas draws near, people
all over the world are relishing
the thought of holiday decorating,
gift-giving and spreading
cheer. But others
are starting to
remember
that night
they spent
procrastinating
on the
essay they had
over a month
to complete, or
that time their finger
slipped, causing them to click off a
Canvas quiz and search up the conjugations
of Spanish verbs. As we
approach the final stretch of the year,
it’s the little things that can push people
over the edge to make it to Santa’s
coveted nice list. Here are some
of the best, sure-fire ways to guarantee
that you won’t find coal in your
stockings this year.
Stop the strain. As your sibling
labors through Zoom classes
and Canvas modules,
you may notice that
they have strained
eyes and frequent
headaches.
They are likely
suffering from
prolonged exposure
to blue light
from their computer
screen, which according
to Bing, is likely to
cause blindness, deafness and heart
attacks if not addressed. Help them
out by cutting off all electricity to
ANJALI MITTIPALLY The Northwood Howler
their home; bonus points if it’s during
their AP Bio final. Nothing beats doing
homework by candlelight, and
now they are free to rest their eyes
in peace. If you want to help them
feel especially cozy, use the candle to
create a bonfire of their school worksheets
and past anchor essays.
Save our marine life. With
all the pollution
in our oceans, you
must act quickly
to save all the marine
life on Earth.
Every once in a
while, take a sailboat
out to sea
and capture
as many fish as
possible, saving them from
the poisonous dangers of
the water. They are probably
cold, so place them
outside on a scalding-hot
road where no pollution
is present, and patiently
wait until they stop moving
and you can hear the
sound of sizzling. This is a
sign that they can finally get
some sleep in a clean, warm
environment. Also, they can finally
breathe! It is a wonder how their
lungs did not collapse under
the intense water pressure
of the ocean before. The
world is truly a miracle.
Take a stand (literally).
To combat the more
serious pandemic of poor
posture, address the problem
at its source. Take a
stand by throwing all the chairs in
your house into the fireplace in defiance.
But your protest should not
stop there, as a grassroots activist
RACHEL GUNAWAN The Northwood Howler
like you needs to get the community
involved. Raise awareness of the
issue by letting yourself into your
friends’ houses uninvited solely to
grab anything that could possibly be
sat on, whether it be cushions, beds
or their fish tank, and throw it out the
window. After all, you should always
have your friend’s back. Now, force
your friends and family to maintain
proper posture and be sure to glare at
them angrily if they so much as think
of sitting down. It’s been scientifically
proven that proper posture increases
height, so you’re only helping
them with your actions.
Complimentary room cleaning.
You notice
that your sibling’s
room is
an absolute
mess, and,
wanting to
help them
out, you decide
to clean
their room
for them.
You return
the 3,458,483
cups in the kitchen
to their desk, spray copious amounts
of Febreeze in their room and throw
away all of their trash: including papers,
dull pencils and erasers now
reduced to nubs. You wonder how
your sibling ever got any of their
work done with things like “Reaction
Rate NT/NM” and “Unit 3 Test
Study Guide” unnecesarily cluttering
up their desk. If you’re feeling
especially helpful for some reason,
simply remove everything out of
their room and into the backyard
so that your Mom can’t ever complain
about their messy room again.
Cue the antsy fidgeting,
last-minute cram sessions and nervous
breakdowns because finals season
is here! While your friends may
suffer through the agonizing pain of
reviewing notes and pulling all-nighters,
you can ace
the tests without
the stress by following
these scientifically
proven
strategies for effective
studying.
Remember, work
smarter, not harder.
Simulate the
testing environment.
Do the 30-
page homework
packet, reading
notes and graphic organizers
the morning of the test. After
all, what better way to prepare for
finals than to simulate working under
the pressure of time? You’ll be ready
for any stress that the test brings, and
while taking the test, you’ll find that
the material is fresh in your mind
from 3 a.m. that morning. Plus, with
every day, hour and minute that goes
by comes with
age and
therefore
wisdom.
Might as
well capitalize.
T r y
new reading
strategies.
A
unique
approach
to reading dense
works like Shakespearean plays and
metaphysical poetry may be the key
to understanding them. You’ll often
find yourself dozing off when your
With the winter season approaching
and COVID-19 cases
rising higher than ever, the children
of the world have demanded that
an official statement be released
surrounding Santa Claus’ annual
delivery. Claus upheld this request
and announced on his Twitter that
“CHRISTMAS IS NOW CAN-
CELED” this year due to restrictions
from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The complications are countless
and formidable. Whether it is the fact
that the elves couldn’t gather to package
presents or that Claus qualifies as
an immunocompromised individual,
this year’s gift delivery is simply impossible.
On top of that, the reindeers
have simply refused to cooperate
with safety regulations.
“Imagine being tied up and
flying across the world in one night
while wearing a mask,” Rudolph
said. “I mean, can reindeers even
GET this disease?”
Many are devastated by the
unprecedented shortage of presents
and as a result, millions of children
around the world are on the brink of
a huge Christmas temper tantrum.
Meanwhile, #cancelsantaisoverparty
is trending at #1 on Twitter, making
things extremely difficult for Claus
and his PR team. We reached out to
a few parents for their perspective,
but they were unfortunately not in the
Christmas spirit.
“Unfair is what it is,” Kare
Ehnen said, watching her daughter
stomp up the stairs in frustration. “I
mean, just the fact that the parents
have to BUY PRESENTS NOW is
The Northwood Howler
Santa cancels Christmas
By Hari Sreeramagiri and Tyler
Wong
Staff Writers
eyes lazily follow each word left to
right: THIS IS THE WRONG WAY
TO READ! In order to truly keep
your mind engaged, you need to stray
away from conventional reading
methods. Instead, read right to left.
Only look at the first letter of each
word. Maybe even play Word Hunt
with the letters on the page. This way,
you can also discover secret
meanings within
the passage
that even the
teacher (and
possibly the
author) didn’t
even think of...
Conduct
DIY science
experiments.
Some of my
favorite physics
experiments
include driving your car
into a brick wall at 70 miles
per hour to observe Newton’s
Second Law and pushing
your sibling down
the stairs to verify
kinematic equations
(don’t
forget
t
o
conduct
multiple
trials to reduce
error and round
to the appropriate
sig figs).
This method
will guarantee
an A, as those
experiments
will be unforgettable
even under testing anxiety.
Make the most out of your
mistakes. Making mistakes is part
of the learning process, and they can
teach you valuable life lessons. For
outrageous. And what will I tell my
daughter? That Santa BOUGHT her
the presents?”
While many around the world
are furious over Santa Claus’ decision
to cancel Christmas this year,
members of Claus’s immediate family
have expressed their joy as they
are finally able to celebrate Christmas
Eve together.
“He always makes up some bogus
reason to take a flight to another
county on Christmas Eve, only to
come home bloated from milk and
cookies,” said Mrs. Claus. “I’m not
sure what he is doing out there, but I
am just glad that this year he’s staying
home for the holidays.”
Although Claus has cancelled
his gift delivery this year, he has
promised that all kids, except those
who are on the naughty list, will receive
surgical gloves and a face mask
shipped directly to their door—courtesy
of Amazon Prime’s one-day
shipping service. However, these
shipments may be delayed due to
two-week quarantine requirements
across countries.
Claus has also announced that
all types of cookies and milk will
be banned from stores on Christmas
Eve. Anonymous elves have reported
him saying that if he doesn’t get
them, nobody does.
For those children who are eager
to meet Santa Claus as per usual, they
can find him exclusively at the Irvine
Spectrum ferris wheel, where he will
be wearing a hazmat suit while encased
in a plastic box placed 20 feet
away from the crowd. These precautions
will ensure that the children and
parents visiting Claus and Claus himself
will be safe and healthy during
their heartfelt exchange.
200 IQ studying strategies to ace your finals
By Helena Zhou
Staff Writer
ANJALI MITTIPALLY The Northwood Howler
example, committing tax fraud and
misreporting your parent’s taxes is a
hands-on learning opportunity to familiarize
yourself with America’s tax
system for your government or history
class.
Become an aspiring rapper.
Life should always have balance, and
getting involved in the arts is a great
way to achieve this. Hop on to Soundcloud
and begin your career as an educational
rapper. Create songs that
cover major physics and chemistry
concepts, and make sure to explicity
include the most complicated chemistry
formulas. While the process of
creating music itself will help you
study tremendously, becoming saturated
in the music is just as important.
Go to your local Best Buy and purchase
a $12,000 home speaker system
with individual units in
every room. Then, blast
your songs at full
volume the
entire day
before
t h e
test to
make
sure
y o u
gain all
the knowledge
you possibly can.
Utilize the power of
art. Although music is a great way to
learn, visual art may be more effective
for those who prefer to learn by
seeing. Grab your paintbrushes, dig
deep in your garage for rusty paint
cans and fish out an apron from the
kitchen. Although the masterpieces
will vary, a good starting point is to
paint your entire house black to resemble
a chalkboard. You can then
use paint sploshes of different colors
to symbolize different concepts on
your AP Biology test. If you wake up
the next morning and remember what
each color means, you’ve succeeded.