Issue 1 pdf merge

The

Californian

California High School

The new Spider-

Man trailer has

fans spinning with

excitement. Read

more in A&E on

page B8

Volume XXXI, Issue I 9870 Broadmoor Dr. San Ramon, CA 94583 Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Grizzlies roar back on campus

Students return to in-person

school for first time in 17 months

Tyler Aronson

Staff Writer

Students have finally returned

to Cal High’s campus in a

traditional setting after spending

last school year in remote or

hybrid learning.

Nearly half of the student

body is experiencing high

school on campus for the first

time.

“It’s exciting as we get to see

our friends, meet new people

and our teachers,” freshman

Priya Mistry said.

Sophomores like Connor

Watson are experiencing high

school for the first time this

year as well. Although Watson

took hybrid classes last year,

not being able to take classes

entirely in person affected his

first year of high school.

“Last year, it wasn’t the same

experience of being a freshman

who has just started high school

since most of the school year

was remote,” Watson said. “It’s

pretty good to be back, but it’s

more tiring.”

Many students are facing

challenges being back after getting

used to last year’s at-home

routine. Returning students who

were enrolled in remote learning

all last school year are having

trouble adjusting after being

stuck at home for school.

Senior Mihir Harshe said

getting reacquainted with being

on campus hasn’t been easy.

“It’s stressful getting adjusted

to coming back,” Harshe said.

Harshe said he is glad to be

back on campus because he

wants to enjoy his senior year

and focus on his courses moving

forward.

Junior Tian Li Pollinger

shared similar sentiments as

See CAMPUS page A4

Cal High students walk to their classes on campus, something most haven’t done since March 2020.

Photo by Ryan Syms

Schools follow new safety protocols

Cal has had 23 COVID cases

Tyler Raymond

Staff Writer

With school now back in person,

Cal High and other district

schools are following many

safety protocols to help prevent

the spread of COVID-19.

Despite these safety measures,

which include a mask

requirement for everyone while

indoors, Cal has reported 23

See VIRUS page A4

News Lite Features A&E

Ode to online school

Some students are actually

missing remote learning from

the comfort of their homes.

PAGE A8

positive COVID-19 case as

of Oct. 11, according to the

district’s case dashboard.

When someone contracts the

virus, school protocol affects

both the sick person and the people

they come in contact with.

One sophomore boy, who

contracted COVID-19 two

separate times, is intimately

familiar with coronavirus

protocol. The boy, who is

not being named because of

medical privacy issues, said he

tested positive for COVID-19 in

August and stayed home after

initially catching the virus a year

Illustration by Carol Chen

Cal High and other district school are following many safety protocols to help reduce the impact felt by the medical

community and ensure the safety of everyone on campus now that students are back on campus for in-person learning.

and a half ago in March of 2020.

The boy said the virus made

him very sick the first time,

but when he tested positive

again this August, he had no

symptoms.

Cal’s COVID protocol made

the boy feel safer and reassured

that more people weren’t getting

sick because of him.

New Staff at Cal

Check out The Californian’s

profiles on the new faces on

campus.

PAGE B4-B5

Vandals hit

classrooms,

bathrooms

‘Devious ‘Licks’ trend

responsible for thousands of

dollars in property damage

Andrew Ma

Staff Writer

When sophomore Jackson

Polus went to the second floor

boy’s bathroom during brunch

last month and saw 10 guys

huddled by the largest stall, he

decided he didn’t need to use

the restroom anymore.

After hearing rumors of

something happening in the

same bathroom in his Geometry

class, Polus returned at lunch

and found an entire stall door

missing.

“The door was gone!” Polus

said.

The stall door has since been

reattached, head custodian

Roberto Manrique said. But

the incident was far from the

only instance of vandalism on

campus since school started in

August.

Polus is one of many students

who have seen firsthand the

damage from the viral TikTok

“Devious Licks” trend and other

student vandalism.

The trend, in which students

post videos of themselves stealing

from or vandalizing their

schools, first hit Cal and other

San Ramon Valley Unified District

schools in mid-September.

While TikTok has censored the

videos, they can be found under

other synonyms, like “diabolical”

or “dastardly” licks.

The trend at Cal resulted in

students damaging every boy’s

bathroom and possibly one

girl’s bathroom over the span of

a few weeks, assistant principal

Jeffrey Osborn said.

“[Students] are destroying

the soap dispensers, the paper

towel dispensers, the toilet

See VANDALISM page A3

BTS bummer

Iconic K-pop band cancels

its “Map of the Soul:7” tour

because of COVID-19.

PAGE B7

A2 News

read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Underclassmen juggling more

weighted classes this year

Trend could

continue for

students competing

for college spots

Trisha Sarkar

Staff Writer

As freshmen and sophomores

jump into their first year on

Cal High’s campus, more

underclassmen are juggling

multiple weighted classes than

in previous years.

Teachers have noticed an

increase of underclassmen in

their weighted classes.

“When I first started teaching

AP Calculus in 2012, less than

five percent of my students

were sophomores,” AP Calculus

teacher Janice Saiki said. “But

this year and last year, about a

quarter were sophomores.”

AP Computer Science teacher

Anh Ngyuen also said she

noticed a slight increase in sophomores

in her class, stating that

about 10 percent of her students

in AP Computer Science A are

sophomores this year.

Sophomore Trenton Von

Sosen is among a growing number

of sophomore is enrolled

multiple AP and honors classes.

Von Sosen is AP Calculus

BC, AP Computer Science A,

Honors Chemistry, and Honors

Biomedical Sciences.

“I feel tired a lot,” Von Sosen

said.

Von Sosen said he is still tired

when he wakes up, even after

getting seven hours of sleep.

Rishi Chandrasekaran is

another sophomore taking four

weighted classes. He is taking

AP Computer Science A, AP

Calculus AB, AP European

History, and Honors Chemistry.

Chandrasekaran said he is

taking multiple weighted classes

because he feels pressure

getting into college. Because

he is Asian, he said h believes

there is a lot of competition to

get into a top-ranked college.

Sophomore Arisha Islam

Luca Alioto’s

hydrogen car is

one unique ride

is also taking four weighted

classes. Islam is taking Honors

Chemistry, Honors Biomedical

Science, AP European History,

and a weighted, one semester

Calculus course at Diablo Valley

College.

“I only had one honors class

last year, and it wasn’t that bad,”

Islam said.

Islam said her older sister

took the same weighted classes

she is enrolled in when she was

a sophomore, so she feels she

can always ask her sister for

help if needed.

Freshman Ira Kaur also feels

like she can take on more than

her current weighted class. Kaur

is taking Honors Precalculus this

year. Although she describes the

class as fast-paced and her most

challenging class, she still hopes

to take more weighted classes

as a sophomore.

Although many students

seem to have this attitude when

it comes to weighted classes,

Nguyen advises students to

prioritize what classes they want

to take based on their future

interests, rather than just for a

weighted grade.

Von Sosen and Islam decided

Photo by Lili Loney

Sophomore Alexander Pak does work in his AP Calculus BC class. More underclassmen are taking AP classes this year.

to take their respective Calculus

classes online after dropping the

Calculus course at Cal.

Islam said that she wanted

to focus on extracurriculars

for this semester, and wants to

take Calculus next semester.

She also says she believes the

course will be easier for her by

taking it through DVC.

Von Sosen said she was not

prepared for the class. Instead,

Von Sosen is learning AP Calculus

BC through Brigham Young

University’s online programs.

“I feel like I can learn way

better,” he said.

News

in Brief

Four-day Halloween

weekend

After Grizzlies enjoy Halloween

on Sunday, Oct. 31,

school is off on Nov. 1 and

Nov. 2. That Monday is a school

recess and Tuesday is a staff

development day.

Senior portraits

due next month

The deadline for senior portraits

is Friday, Nov. 12. Studio

One will be at on campus to take

portraits on Oct. 26 from 8 a.m.

to 3 p.m. Students should schedule

an appointment by calling

Studio One (925) 361-0430.

Den Reps program

new to Cal High

Cal High started a program

this year where one student and

one alternate from each first

period class report to the theater

to learn about upcoming information

and provide feedback

to school staff. There are more

than 100 Den Reps and they

each present the information

they gathere to their first period

classes every two weeks during

student support.

Theater 3 and 4

performances

The first Theatre 3 and 4 show

of the year will premier on Oct.

27. There will be a second performance

on Oct. 28. The shows

feature three one-act plays.

The Californian strives to

cover the news accurately, fairly,

and honestly. It is our policy

to correct all significant errors.

Corrections should be emailed

to californianpaper@gmail.com

or bbarr@srvusd.net.

Parwaan Virk

Staff Writer

Cal High’s students often

own older cars or small sedans.

But senior Luca Alioto has

taken his ride to the next level

by owning the only hydrogen-powered

car in Cal High’s

parking lot.

Alioto owns a 2020 Toyota

Mirai, one of the two hydrogen

cars available on the public

market. The other vehicle being

the Hyundai Nexo.

There are only about 6,500

hydrogen cars in the U.S., according

to energy.gov.

“I got my car from my uncle

last year when I had just learned

to drive,” Alioto said. “It’s kind

of weird driving it though.”

Alioto said that the driving

is smooth, soft, and silent.

The sounds and refueling are

completely different from a

gasoline car.

“The engine is silent when

you start it and while you are

riding it,” Alioto said. “It also

[sounds] different refueling a

hydrogen car than a regular

gas car.”

When refueling a hydrogen

vehicle, a nozzle is used just like

at a regular gas station.

When refueling, there is a

hissing sound, which is normal

but makes the process sound

risky and prone to an accident.

The hissing from the nozzle

pump is actually just for separating

the oxygen from the

hydrogen, like a vacuum.

It can be risky refueling with

hydrogen, considering how

dangerous hydrogen is without

proper safety measures, such as

secure nozzles and educated

drivers.

Hydrogen is extremely flammable

when in contact with

oxygen present in the air, according

to osha.gov. In the past,

there have been many accounts

of stations exploding when

faulty nozzles didn’t properly

separate hydrogen from oxygen,

resulting in death of customers.

One example is in Santa

Clara, where a hydrogen refueling

tanker exploded, resulting

in a shortage of hydrogen in the

Bay Area for a month, according

to Cnet.

It is also very expensive to fill

up the car with hydrogen, with

prices reaching $16 for a kilogram

of hydrogen, Alioto said.

Hydrogen is expensive to

harvest, according to a story in

The New York Times. Harvesting

hydrogen involves separating it

from a substance, such as water

or fossil fuels from a refinery. It

is then transported to the station.

While burning hydrogen

is emission-free, harvesting

it creates greenhouse gases,

causing more pollution than

burning diesel, according to the

Times story. It’s ironic, considering

that hydrogen power was

meant to decrease greenhouse

gases, but is creating more at

the same time.

Filling Alioto’s tank requires

about 5 kilograms of hydrogen,

which will take him about 100

miles. So, a full tank costs

Alioto roughly $80.

Alioto’s car is a certified

clean air vehicle, which is an

added bonus to using hydrogen.

Clean air vehicles have

rebates ranging from $1,000

to $4,000 tax credit, special

access to carpool lanes, and

fuel savings for the state

government of California,

according to SF Environment.

Alioto said that there are

only three hydrogen stations in

the Bay Area, with the closest

Photo by Dannika Shah

Luca Alioto’s 2020 Toyota Mirai is the only hydrogen-powered vehicle parked in Cal’s

parking lot. It is one of two hydorgen-powered cars available to the public.

one in Bishop Ranch. The other

two stations are in Hayward

and San Leandro. The lines at

these stations are really long,

and one time he had to wait

three hours to fill it up.

Alioto has had some interesting

experiences with

his car.

“One time, my car [ran out

of fuel] while I was waiting in

line, so I had to leave it there

for the night,” Alioto said. “I

had to go home and refuel it

the next day.”

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Wednesday, October 13, 2021 read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com News A3

Vandalism echoes ‘Devious Licks’ trend

VANDALISM

From page A1

[paper] dispensers, seat cover

dispensers,” Manrique said.

“And not just that, the supply

too.”

The second and third floor

boy’s bathrooms closed for

five days because of the lack

of toiletries and the absence

of one of Cal’s three campus

monitors, who help supervise

the restrooms.

Manrique’s custodial department

has spent about $1,800 on

nearly 50 various replacement

dispensers alone. Osborn estimates

soap and paper towel

dispensers cost more than $75

each, while metal toilet paper

dispensers cost about $100

each. Sink faucets have also

been damaged and repaired by

custodians.

“This is sad,” Manrique said.

“This is just a group of students,

and because of their fun, all the

students are paying for this.”

The culprits have not been

caught because there are no

cameras inside of the bathrooms,

Osborn said. Administrators

can only monitor who

goes in and out of restrooms.

“It’s a very long investigation

to do all that,” Osborn said. “I

really need students to help us

keep bathrooms safe by letting

us know.”

To mitigate further vandalism,

campus monitors have

been regularly sweeping bathrooms.

Students who are caught

will be disciplined and asked for

restitution, Osborn said.

The “Devious Licks” incidents

come after classrooms in

the world language and main

building were vandalized.

French teacher Miranda Kershaw’s

classroom in the World

Language building was broken

into and vandalized on the night

of Sept. 5. Two students were

caught by surveillance cameras

and legal action is being taken

against them, assistant principal

Tucker Farrar said.

About $2,100 in damage was

done to Kershaw’s classroom,

San Ramon police Cpl. Jarred

Pereira said. The vandals

entered through an unlocked

window and broke through the

window screen.

The pair smashed Kershaw’s

personal computer monitor,

poured hand sanitizer on the

floor, damaged two ceiling tiles,

Photo courtesy of Brian Barr

broke a Chromebook, and tore

the classroom projector screen.

One of Kershaw’s two singing

meditation bowls, which

Pereira said are worth $130

each, was missing. Kershaw

used the bowls to start her classes’

daily one-minute meditation

sessions.

Kershaw entered her classroom

on Sept. 6 a half an hour

before her first period to find the

damage. She promptly called

Farrar to assess the situation.

Farrar and Kershaw began

cleaning up the classroom and

made sure other classrooms

had not been affected before

students arrived.

After asking a few students

to help clean the mess, Kershaw

started teaching about 20 minutes

after first period started.

“It is very unsettling, to be

a teacher and have your space

vandalized, and then have to

teach right away,” Farrar said.

Junior Stephanie Hunt,

who is in Kershaw’s first period

French IV, Honors class

arrived early that Monday

morning and with one of

her friends helped Kershaw

tidy up the room and remove

debris from the ceiling with

Kershaw’s vacuum.

“I just wanted to help because

I really respect her as a

teacher and I could tell she was

really frazzled,” Hunt said.

Added junior Laura Byrne,

“I think she was a little shaken,

class started a little late,

but other than that we were

basically able to continue as

normal.”

That Monday was the only

day the class didn’t do their

Photo by Ryan Syms

Left, a soap dispenser in the third floor boy’s bathroom is

one of many that have been destroyed by students following

the “Devious Licks” TikTok trend. Several bathrooms have

been closed on campus because of vandalism.

morning meditation, since the

projector was damaged, so

Kershaw couldn’t show her

daily slides, Byrne said.

“[Kershaw] was obviously

very upset, and it kind of scattered

her thoughts,” Hunt said.

“The rest of the day she was

stressed about trying to get back

on track for the actual work.”

Kershaw declined to comment

about the break-in.

“I had my car broken into

15 years ago, and they stole a

photo album which was the only

valuable thing,” said Farrar. “It

felt like that, so violating.”

The break-in comes after the

main building was also vandalized

in late June.

In this instance, two teenage

vandals from another district

damaged computers, keyboards,

monitors, and tables

throughout the first floor of

the main building, Osborn.

They also wrote with Sharpies

on white boards, and emptied

fire extinguishers, resulting in

thousands of dollars of damage.

Cal is working with police

and the district attorney’s office

to seek restitution from the

families of the vandals for the

damaged items and the dozens

of hours custodians spent cleaning

the mess, Osborn said.

At the time, custodians

were in the middle of summer

cleaning, and furniture had

been transferred to the hallways

while the carpets were cleaned.

“It took weeks to dust the

floors, to disinfect the lockers,”

Manrique. “It took weeks, and

then in 3 to 5 minutes, it went

from good to really bad.”

Manrique had just left work

at around 3 p.m. that day in June

when he got a call that the fire

alarms had gone off and started

driving back to campus. When

he entered the main building, he

could only see fire extinguisher

powder everywhere.

“Three fire extinguishers

were released,” Manrique said.

“The whole first floor was a

mess.”

He called five other custodians

to help clean the first

floor, but it wasn’t until after

clearing the discharge from

the fire extinguishers that they

found the broken furniture and

technology.

It took two entire days and 10

custodians to clean and repair

the furniture and scrub the first

floor from top to bottom.

“Teachers didn’t have a

clue what happened,” Osborn

said. “Our custodian crew is

amazing, and they were able

to restore the classrooms back

to how they were.”

New ethnic studies class engages students

Course to be required for

graduation for Class of 2030

Alice Oh

Staff Writer

Cal High’s new ethnic studies

class is encouraging students to

make a major impact on campus

and in the San Ramon community

as a whole.

The class unpacks the intersectionality

of the histories, cultures

and identities of people of

color and inspires students to go

into the community as activists

to advocate for social change.

Ethnic studies is fueled by the

mission to understand and analyze

identity, relationships and

power dynamics to change the

world for the better, according

to the book “Rethinking Ethnic

Studies”, which was published

by Rethinking Schools in 2019.

California public schools will

be required to offer at least one

ethnic studies course by 2025-

26 school year. Taking ethnic

studies or any other class the

qualifies will be a graduation requirement

for the Class of 2030,

according to KCRA News.

Senior Chris Iordanov joined

the class after ethnic studies

teacher Benjamin Andersen

recommended it to him. Iordanov

has begun to appreciate the

community of interaction and

the expression of honest identity.

He said he is looking forward

to sharing his own experiences

and hearing from others as well.

“This class gets people

engaged and passionate about

learning,” Iordanov said. “A

lot of people don’t really care

about other classes and don’t

pay attention. I think this is one

of those classes that changes that

narrative.”

After one month of taking

the class, Iordanov said he has

witnessed a sense of community

that he has never witnessed in

any other class.

While he learns more about

his own identity, Iordanov also

hopes to become more aware

about other cultures and their

experiences.

“I’m passionate about learning

different perspectives of

history,” Iordanov said. “There

have been a lot of misconceptions

about certain topics and I

feel that it’s important to learn

different sides of the story in

order to get a better understanding.”

Junior Isabella Waziri feels

that ethnic studies is much

different from classes she has

taken in the past.

“In other classes, I dread the

work. But with this class, I’m

excited to learn,” Waziri said.

“I just feel safe in this class to

say what’s on my mind and not

Ethnic studies teacher Benjamin Andersen walks among his students, who are learning about the different histories and

cultures of people of color in the first year class.

be judged.”

Waziri said the class has

helped her to form her own opinions,

reflect on current events,

and express herself.

Senior Traniel Brown enrolled

in ethnic studies for the

opportunity to learn about his

Black culture as well as others’

cultures.

“At school, it’s the same thing

over and over again, specifically

with Black people,” Brown said.

“ It’s just Martin Luther King,

Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman.

The three people rotated over

and over again.”

He understands that others’

experiences may be different

from his and encourages them

to take the class in order to learn

about their identity.

Andersen, who also teaches

world history and global studies,

was the only teacher who volunteered

to teach ethnic studies

this year.

“As a white male, I feel [ethnic

studies] is a class that should

be taught by underrepresented

groups, but since no one else

was stepping forward that’s

why I ended up teaching it,”

Andersen said. “I think sometimes

it’s compassion. That’s all

that really matters in the end.”

Going beyond the walls of the

classroom, Andersen believes

ethnic studies can transform

the school and San Ramon

community.

“I hope to create students who

Photo by Erica Dembrowicz

are confident enough to stand

up for those things and have the

knowledge and understanding

of where those ideas, beliefs

come from in order to push

back against them and create

a new campus culture that is

more accepting,” Andersen

said. “I feel that there are some

people who do believe that the

class teaches certain things like

anti-whiteness or anti-Americanism

but really, it’s about

teaching the truth.”

A4 News Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Students provided with chromebooks

District uses

COVID-19

funds to buy

devices

Katya Vial

Staff Reporter

San Ramon Valley Unified

School District has issued more

than 32,000 electronic devices

this year, with second through

12th graders receiving a Google

Chromebook.

Cal High assistant principal

Tucker Farrar said students

in transitional kindergarten

through first grade received

iPads for school use.

The district was able to purchase

devices for all students

due to state funding provided

in March 2020 to address the

transition to online school because

of COVID-19.

The state allocated $16.2

million to the district, including

more than $10 million for technology,

said Greg Medici, the

district’s chief business officer.

Students work on their Chromebooks, which were provided by the school district this year for the first time.

Farrar said the district provided

the technology to help

create greater equity among

students by giving all of them

equal access to online tools and

curriculum. Chromebooks have

since been integrated into most

classes on campus.

“The pandemic made them

[the school district] realize

that all students need devices,”

Farrar said.

While providing students

with chromebooks is beneficial,

the rollout of these devices

didn’t go smoothly for everyone.

Freshman Lauren Ko was

one of many students who

received the wrong charger for

her chromebook.

Ko said it took about a week

for her to receive the correct

charger. During that week, she

borrowed other students’ chargers,

used her phone for virtual

classwork, and copied online

assignments onto paper.

“It was especially hard during

the first two weeks of school because

we started to use Schoology

instead of Schooloop,” Ko

said. “My chromebook didn’t

stay charged long and it was a

consistent problem.”

Freshman Onyi Onyema

has mixed feelings about her

chromebook. Onyema says It is

helpful in class because much of

her classwork is online, but there


are also some inconveniences.

Turning on her laptop is time

consuming and it loads slowly.

The battery drains very quickly,

making it troublesome to constantly

use.

Farrar said that in the future,

the district will provide one type

of charger for everyone, instead

of different types for different

students.

“Each year the distribution

process will get easier as we get

used to this system,” Farrar said.

English teacher Abraham

Kim said at the beginning of

the year there were a lot of

issues, but students’ use of

chromebooks in class is going

more smoothly now.

“The only negative I’ve noticed

was that some students are

getting distracted on other sites

during class,” Kim said.

Many teachers agree that

logging onto Schoology and

other online resources during

the first week of school was

very messy.

Algebra teacher Saumya

Rakesh said she faced problems

with two of her online resources,

Big Ideas Math and Clever.

Many of her students couldn’t

log on because the apps weren’t

set on the portal, and other students

had trouble logging onto

the portal in general.

Rakesh said these problems

were resolved through the IT

help line, searching online, and

students helping each other. The

IT help line is a platform run by

the district that allows students,

staff, and parents to get help with

technology problems.

Cal has new COVID cases

VIRUS

From page A1

“It wasn’t helpful with

school, though,” the boy said.

“It was hard to keep up with all

the work from home.”

The protocol when he first

got sick was nonexistent because

school was online. Still,

he missed almost a month of

learning.

When the boy caught

COVID-19 the second time in

August, new protocols required

him to stay home for a week and

get tested twice since he wasn’t

vaccinated.

“The protocol has worked so

far this year,” the boy said. “The

office told all my friends and

people I was around that they

had to get tested for COVID-19

and test negative to go back.”

The school district is strict

about students who have tested

positive or have been exposed

to COVID-19.

These students have to leave

campus to be tested, assistant

principal Nicole Main said.

Students can only return once

they test negative.

“Students who do end up

testing positive and showing

symptoms have to go through

a strict protocol,” Main said.

Main said that when the

school receives notice that an

individual on campus has tested

positive for COVID-19, it first

checks when symptoms started

or if they’re not symptomatic,”

Main said.

“Then we go back about

48 hours and we retrace their

steps on campus for 48 hours

leading up to where they tested

positive,” Main said.”

For contact tracing, if a

person is fully vaccinated and

shows no symptoms, they are

allowed to continue at school.

It’s recommended the person

get tested but not required,

according to districts protocols.

But anyone who not vaccinated

and is exposed to someone

who tests positive may have to

quarantine at home until they

test negative depending on if

both were masked..

For Cal nurse Niko Holmes,

the workload has never been

this heavy. Holmes must make

sure everyone understands the

protocols and that they are

being followed. Parents whose

students came into contact with

someone with COVID-19 have

contacted her in confusion about

the protocols, asking why their

kids can’t go back to school.

“The protocols are fine as is,”

Holmes said.

Students glad to be back on campus

CAMPUS

From page A1

Harshe. Pollinger said she is

both glad and nervous to be

back in person.

“I’ve been able to get

things done and I hear better

than being online,’’ Pollinger

said. “I was nervous coming

back because things were a

little different from what I

was expecting, the limits in

spacing during lunch time and

places to go.”

Returning to campus

has come with a variety of

new rules, many related the

COVID-19 pandemic. These

adjustments include the indoor

mask mandate and the

relocation of lunch to the quad.

Students have mixed opinions

about wearing masks at

school.

Despite being glad to return to

Cal, junior Benjamin Lewis has

concerns about students when it

comes to wearing masks.

“Even though you can still

wear masks outside, people

do have the option to not wear

them,” Lewis said. “I feel safe

because I’m always wearing my

mask, but it’s a little unsettling

to think about.”

On the other hand, sophomore

Johnathan Bouch said he

doesn’t like having to wear a

mask but he understands that

it’s required. He said he feels

safe to be in the classrooms and

appreciates some of the changes

Cal has made to its lunches.

“I feel safe being back

doing in person learning,

and I like the decision of

free school lunches,” Bouch

said. “I like being back on

campus, and it’s good to see

my friends again.”

A range of emotions are

apparent for Cal students.

After overcoming the struggles

of distance learning,

students are excited to be

back in a physical classroom.

Despite students feeling

different about their learning

experience from last year to

the start of the new year, most

have one thing in common.

“Everyone has a positive

outlook of being back,”

Algebra 2 teacher John

Muscarello said.

What was your

favorite Halloween

costume?

Photos by Lili Loney

“Probably in sixth grade

when I was a ’70s hippie.”

Mia Andrews

Freshman

“First grade. My Spider-Man

costume.”

Matthew Malfatti

Sophomore

“It might have been when I

was Glinda the Good Witch

when I was three. My hair

was stunning.”

Ava Olguin

Junior

“Seventh grade I was cow. I

wore it because I like cows.”

Gabby Meidberg

Senior

“Probably in kindergarten

when I dressed up as Winnie

the Pooh.”

Alex Aghighi

Senior

“I really liked Tinkerbell,

so I was Tinkerbell when I

was six.”

Maddy Gregersen

Junior

Wednesday, October 13, 2021 Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com News A5

District and site budgets reflect pandemic

Focus shifts to technology;

arts departments find new

fundraising strategies

Shravya Salem Sathish

Staff Writer

The focus of the district’s

budgets has shifted during

remote and in-person learning.

In March 2020, the state

issued learning loss mitigation

funds, which addressed the transition

to online instruction and

COVID-19 related obstacles for

students and teachers.

California allocated $16.2

million to the San Ramon Valley

Unified School District, with

technology receiving more than

$10 million of these funds, said

Greg Medici, the district’s chief

business officer.

He said the decision was crucial

at that time and crucial now.

“The chromebooks and all

other software, PCs and other

things for a virtual learning

environment were paid for by

this COVID relief money that

was very specifically for technology,”

Medici said.

But this state grant wasn’t

the only source of money that

changed. Medici said school

departments operate on an independent

budget, and the money

available to each department

varies.

For example, departments

relying on copy machines and

paper supplies more would have

had fewer costs while online,

Medici said. But this doesn’t

translate to hands-on classes

like ceramics.

“In a virtual setting, [ceramics

classes] must have been doing

a lot more virtual ceramics,

or they were doing kits that were

sent home,” Medici added.

This isn’t far from the truth

for ceramics and 3D art teacher

Dominique Santos.

Santos said that families

contributed fewer donations last

year because no one knew what

to expect in virtual classes. This

resulted in a spending freeze for

art classes.

“If [we] ran out of classroom

donations, we’d just have to do

something else,” Santos said.

To prevent limiting class activity

to the screen, Santos chose

to use her own money. Santos

said she purchased ceramics

kits, plastic boxes, and more

for each of her students.

“[It] was more expensive

because I had to buy all the

materials for all my students,”

she said. “In class, I can just

buy one for six, but online, it

was one for everyone.”

Despite these costs, the ceramics

class’ small district-provided

budget also helped keep it

successful in a remote setting.

Still partially supported by the

district while back in-person,

the money is now being directed

toward the same materials as

pre-pandemic times.

It’s a slightly different story

for programs like the Associated

Student Body, which collects

funds through school events, not

from the district. ASB treasurer

Jack Heinz said the pandemic

may have caused the starting

balance to decrease from around

Technology received nearly 2/3rds of COVID-19 funding for the district.

$30,000 to $26,017.

“It’s not drastic, but we did

spend money making the virtual

experience more engaging last

year,” Heinz said.

He predicts that they will

quickly recover from the initial

decrease as the year continues,

but ASB card sales were lower

than anticipated, totaling to

approximately $60,000 as of

early September from $80,000

from last year.

“We were expecting it to be

higher, but it wasn’t, and that

could have been because of

COVID,” Heinz said. “We don’t

really know.”

Similar to ASB, performing

arts isn’t funded by the district.

Instead, funding generally

comes from showcasing their

work. Theatre arts teacher Laura

Woods said their self-sufficiency

grants them an even more

flexible budget, allowing the

program to bounce back from

the repercussions of the pandemic

quickly.

As in the past, the theater

program has used an online

campaigning platform called

Snap Raise, where students

request donations to relatives

around the world through email.

“We raised $8,000 in one

year,” Woods said.

Although their fundraising

efforts have been successful,

Woods hopes art and tech are

given equal significance in the

district’s budget.

“Kids need art as much

as tech,” Woods said. “They

come to [these] classes to feel

Illustration by Keertana Sreekumar

connected. It’s where they learn

each other’s names, where

social-emotional learning happens,

where they feel safest.”

Medici agrees, hoping for a

future where all departments

have the chance to flourish with

more funding.

“We need to advocate and

find a way to get more dollars

flowing into our public school

system so that we can have

more ceramics, and have more

music, and have more arts and

theatre and tech,” Medici said.

A short timeline of the Taliban takeover

Lexi Broughton

Staff Writer

After almost 20 years of war,

American troops retreated from

Afghanistan in August, leaving

the country under the control of

the Taliban.

The Taliban’s takeover, 20

years after they lost control of

Afghanistan’s government in

2001, has impacted the Afghan

community in the Bay Area, one

of the largest in the country.

“When I was in elementary

school and middle school

people didn’t know where

Afghanistan was and now it’s

like the center point of all this

chaos,” said junior Ali Ahmad

Taheri, whose family is from

Afghanistan.

The United States’ involvement

in Afghanistan started

with the Soviet-Afghan War

from 1979-1989, when the U.S.

funded various militia groups,

called mujahideen, who fought

against the Soviet invasion of

the country.

“The United States made a

series of very short term decisions,”

World History teacher

Tyler Gulyas said. “Everyone

in the United States saw it [as

we’re here to fight the Soviets.]”

The conflict resulted in an

estimated five million refugees

fleeing Afghanistan to other

countries.

“[The Soviet-Afghan War]

is the reason that my parents

This map of Afghanistan shows what the country looked like on Aug. 15 when Kabul fell to the Taliban.

moved out [of Afghanistan],”

Taheri said.

One of the militia leaders

in Afghanistan fighting the

Soviets was Osama bin Laden.

Originally a group that aided

fighters against the Soviets, Bin

Laden’s Al-Qaeda launched

several international terrorist

attacks after the conclusion of

the Soviet-Afghan War.

These attacks included the

1993 bombing of the World

Trade Center, the 1998 attacks

on U.S. embassies in Kenya and

Tanzania, the 2000 attack on an

American warship harbored in

Yemen, and the attacks on Sept.

11, 2001.

President George W. Bush

signed into law a joint resolution

on Sept. 18, 2001 authorizing

military action against those

responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

That October, the U.S. began a

bombing campaign against the

Taliban.

Courtesy of Wikemedia

Fast forward 19 years, and

in February 2020, Secretary of

State Mike Pompeo and Taliban

leader Mullah Abdul Ghani

Baradar signed a deal in which

the U.S. agreed to withdraw

troops from Afghanistan within

14 months. In return, the Taliban

promised to begin negotiations

with the Afghan government,

sever ties with al-Qaeda, and

not harbor terrorists.

The United States agreed to

release 5,000 Taliban prisoners

that were being held by the Afghan

government. In addition,

the Taliban and the United

States agreed not to attack

each other.

“I feel like the Taliban missing

5,000 people would have

definitely helped [limit their

rise],” Taheri said. “I genuinely

hate speaking the same language

as these people.”

When the U.S. began withdrawing

troops in August,

Taliban forces overthrew the

Afghan government and captured

Kabul on Aug. 15.

On Aug. 21, two suicide

bombers from ISIS-K, which

is ISIS’ Afghanistan branch and

an enemy to both the Taliban

and the U.S., killed 13 U.S.

service members and at least

60 Afghans.

Thousands have tried to flee

Afghanistan and escape the

persecution of the Taliban.

“I’ve seen videos of Taliban

being in people’s houses and

messing around,” Taheri said.

“They have no idea what kind

of power they have.”

Local organizations have

helped Afghan refugees relocate

to the Bay Area, such as Jewish

Family and Community Services

East Bay, which resettled

80 refugees in August and at

least 28 in September.

A6 Opinions

STAFF EDITORIALS

The Voice of California High School

Students need to

respect campus

New Texas reproductive

laws threaten women

When people think of healthcare,

they may think of the basics

like yearly doctor checkups

or getting braces. Healthcare is

what keeps us alive and healthy.

It is without a doubt a necessity

in everyone’s lives.

Ignorant Texas lawmakers

draw the line on healthcare

when it comes to female’s

reproductive health and rights.

In August, Texas Gov. Greg

Abbott signed into law the TX

SB8 legislation that bans women

from getting abortions after

six weeks into their pregnancy,

with no exceptions.

Anyone who helps a women

recieve an abortion can be sued

by any citizen who needs no

requirement to show proof of

relation to whom they are suing.

Six weeks may seem like a

long time, it is not enough time

for many women to even notice

that they are pregnant. For many,

it’s well before they even have

the chance to decide whether

an abortion would be the best

option for them.

The state is ultimately taking

into account the potential life of

a fetus before the preexisting life

of a woman.

In California, women’s reproductive

rights are attainable

and even encouraged. The California

Proclamation on Reproductive

Freedom signed by Gov.

Gavin Newsom in 2019 reassures

protection of reproductive

rights and health care. From this

document, reproductive care

Coming out of a whole year

of online learning has taken

a toll on students returning to

in-person schooling. While

most would say they prefer it

to the Zoom-ruled classroom,

there are still things that require

adjusting to.

Most notably, students have

missed out on an entire year

of what is considered a child’s

most formative years. It’s hard

to learn about oneself and develop

as a member of the larger

society when you are confined

to the walls of your bedroom.

Take for example the class of

2025. The last time they set foot

on campus was halfway through

middle school as seventh graders.

For many, middle school

is that awkward but necessary

transition between elementary

and high school, going from

baking soda volcanos to frog

dissections and learning to be

responsible for one’s own time

and work. Instead, they were

thrown into the dog-eat-dog

world of high school, with

barely any time to prepare.

Returning to campus also

comes with a lot of pent up

energy, slowly collecting as

students anticipated the day

they would find themselves

walking through the gates of

Cal High again, ready to make

up for lost school dances and

football games.

This pent up energy combined

with a lack of maturity did

not come without consequences,

and it manifested itself into

a series of destructive events.

Before the school year could

even begin, Senior Chalk Day

was ruined by a group of vandals,

covering the parking-lot

decorations with their own

drawings of explicit and obscene

imagery.

At the first varsity football

game of the year, Cal High

students could be heard chanting

“F**k you Antioch” to the opposing

team and throwing water

bottles and popcorn within the

crowds of students in the stands.

The following day, fences were

found broken and porta-potties

tipped over.

Now, a TikTok trend known

as “Devious Licks” is ripping

through the country, and it has

hit Cal High too. The trend

encourages students to steal or

destroy school property and post

a video of it on social media.

One such video depicted a Cal

High student kicking a soap

dispenser in the boys bathroom.

Overall, students have returned

to campus with a lower

sense of accountability and

pride for their campus and

school community. Even if this

attitude does not apply to each

individual on campus, as a student

body we must perpetuate

a culture of accountability for

one another.

Now, more than ever, we need

a strong sense of community to

combat the obstacles that the

pandemic has brought us.

that includes abortions can be

easily accessed. Reproductive

freedom is described as, “...a

fundamental right for all Californians”.

This recognizes the

importance of women’s health.

Texas needs to realize that

women are protected through

the prioritization of reproductive

and sexual health care. A

woman’s choice to an abortion

will ultimately affect her the

most. Potentially being a mother

under poor and unmanageable

conditions is an overlooked

outcome that many women will

face under Texas’ new law.

The eventual outcome for

women in desperate need of

reproductive care, especially

regarding abortions, will be to

find a clinic that can perform

the medical procedure in states

that are more progressive and

respectful of women.

And if federal courts authorizing

laws like the one in Texas

continue to be enforced, it is

very possible for other states

to impose laws restricting the

female body and reproductive

choices.

Texas’s new laws were

designed to prioritize fetuses

that aren’t considered a living,

breathing organism yet. The

undeniable truth is that one

cannot kill what was never alive.

Reproductive rights must be

seen as important before more

women are put into threatening

situations like those in Texas are

now facing.

Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Wednesday, October 13 2021

Teachers have gradually begun asking students for their preferred pronouns over the last several years.

Managing Editors

Shiphrah Moses

Features Editors

Nimisa Panda

Daphne So

News Lite Editor

Saachi Sharma

Dylan Allen

Asiyah Ally

Tyler Aronson

Vishwas Balla

Alexia Broughton

Allison Cavanagh

Sydney Cicchitto

Hallie Chong

Anika Choudhary

Samantha Contreras

Artists

Shua Lee, Judy Luo

Opinion page policies: Opinions expressed in The Californian are

those of the respective authors. Unsigned editorials reflect the majority

view of the editorial board.

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Letters must be signed and should not exceed 150 words. Letters may be

dropped off in room 321 or e-mailed to californianpaper@gmail.com.

The Californian reserves the right to edit letters or not publish any letters

deemed inappropriate.

It is our policy to correct significant errors of fact. All corrections should

The

Californian

Editor in Chief

Nicholas Harvey

News Editors

Andrew Ma

Samyuta Tripasuri

Sports Editor

Tanner Curtis

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Photo Editor

Carol Chen

Staff Writers

Sophia DiGiovanni

Wyatt Golla

Evan Heinz

Aniruddha Lappathi

Melody Mulugeta

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Tyler Raymond

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Principal: Megan Keefer

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Gabriela Jimenez

A&E Editor

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Ari Harvey

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For more coverage, check out The Californian’s website at www.thecalifornianpaper.com

Wednesday. October 13 2021

Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com

Opinions A7

In-person school maintains safety

Abhinav Purohit

Staff Writer

After spending all my freshman

year online, and practically

forgetting how it felt to be in an

actual classroom, I was ready

and excited to return back to

in-person school.

But as much as I told myself

that things would be “normal”,

there was still a little hint of

doubt whether in-person school

would really be safe?

Now, after being back at

campus for about two months,

school appears to be safer than

expected.

As the first day of school

approached, I wasn’t so sure

that the mask guidelines would

be followed. I mean, come on,

they expect us to wear masks

every time that we are indoors?

But to my surprise, most of

the teachers from day one were

really strict about the mask

guidelines, almost always instructing

students to wear their

masks properly. I also found

that most classrooms have also

had hand sanitizer, with some

teachers requiring students to

use some before starting class.

These are just some of the

many ways the school and

district are following to make

school as safe as possible. In

addition to mask mandates

and asking students to socially

distance, the district is also

Students in Mr. Allen’s class do work while wearing masks, which is a requirement of everyone on campus while they are indoors. Masks are reinforced in

all classes as a precaution against COVID-19.

encouraging classrooms to have

ventilation in the classroom by

opening windows and doors to

let in fresh air when appropriate.

Some classrooms even have

small air filters.

The district states it has addressed

the issue of improving

air filtration by “[upgrading]

all HVAC air filters to MERV-

13, which meets the guidance

from the American Society

of Heating Refrigerating and

Air-Conditioning Engineers

(ASHRAE) on how best to

handle COVID-19.”

Despite all these efforts to

keep students and staff safe,

there is still a chance of some

people on campus catching

COVID-19. In order to limit the

spread, the school is heavily emphasizing

students to stay home

if they show any symptoms of

COVID.

If unvaccinated, students

are required to get tested and

quarantine. They can only return

until after a negative COVID

test and they have remained

symptom-free for 24 hours.

Participation in on-campus

activities such as after-school

sports is also not permitted

during an illness.

There are also ways the

school is using to accurately

track students to create a further

layer of protection. If students

need to leave a classroom, they

have to scan a QR code to fill

out a Google form providing

their information and where

they went.

Other than serving as a bathroom

pass, this also allows the

school to know who students

might have been in contact with

so they can be notified if there

are any issues with exposure.

Given these measures the

school and the district have

taken, the number of cases specifically

in Cal High has been

low compared to other schools.

As of Oct. 11, Cal has reported

23 positive cases of COVID-19

since Aug. 10.

The number of daily cases

also has been significantly lower

than when we were at the peak

of the pandemic.

In California, we’re currently

averaging around nearly

9,000 cases a day compared

to the nearly 40,000 cases in

January, according to the New

York Times.

Photo by Ryan Syms

Despite this new “normal”,

there hasn’t been much of a

compromise of regular school

activities such as athletic events

and on campus rallies, which

are being hosted outside in the

hopes of achieving the feel of

normalcy.

It will be very interesting

to see how these rallies and

school activities will be hosted

as the school year progresses,

and more such activities begin

to resume.

But we can be rest assured

that Cal will continue all abide

by every policy to keep us safe.

Racism at Cal continues without consequences

Hannah Shariff

Staff Writer

When looking at how Cal

High has handled racist incidents

on campus over the

past years, it’s clear to see

the solutions aren’t beneficial

in helping the progression of

making this school a safer space

free of racism.

Just within the past year there

have been a number of racist

incidents, including over Zoom

classes during online school,

writing in chalk on the parking

lot for what was supposed to

be a fun Senior Chalk Day, and

placing offensive stickers that

were racist, transphobic and

antisemitic all over campus.

These numerous events have

continuously caused minorities

who have been targeted to feel

unsafe in an environment they

should be allowed to enter

without judgement.

In the emails sent addressing

the multiple racist incidents

Principal Megan Keefer states,

“Regardless of whether the

perpetrators are caught, we must

work together as a community

to make sure everyone feels

welcome and safe.”

While I agree this is true,

many students cannot and will

not feel safe until these perpetrators

are caught and properly

disciplined for their actions of

disrespecting entire groups of

students on campus.

Two sticker incidents happened

twice within less than

a year of each other. The only

reaction the school provided

was sending an email explaining

what happened, rather than

addressing actions that can help

prevent further incidents from

occuring in the future.

And that’s not all. The first

time the stickers were discovered,

it took administrators more

than a month to address it.

This shows the school doesn’t

care about the gravity of the

incidents and the well-being

of those who were negatively

affected by the environment

these incidents were creating

on campus.

Next, the school’s solution to

racist remarks drawn in chalk

before the first day of school

was to hose off everybody’s

work all together. This is misguided

considering this was

mostly punishing the people that

worked hard on decorating their

parking spots, not the actual

offenders who should’ve solely

been punished.

Seeing as Senior Chalk Day

was a school-sponsored event

school officials should’ve

been present to be able to stop

anything like this — which did

not happen.

The offenders put no thought

in writing these racist remarks,

which prove their most likely

careless attitude to it being

hosed off.

The solution should have

been focused on the individual

rather than everyone as a whole.

The rate at which racism

has steadily continued at Cal

shows that the actions that

must occur needs to sprout

from a more structural change.

Currently the solution consists

of an anonymous tip line and a

handbook discourging hateful

acts of any kind.

After all, look at the school’s

reaction to years worth of racism

compared to the reaction to a

single incident at this season’s

opening football game, where

chants with curse words were

directed toward an opposing

team.

Den Rep meetings, a schoolwide

video and an apology

letter to Antioch High quickly

resulted from that incident.

This clearly shows the

school’s priorities, valuing

athletic reputation over students’comfort

on campus.

This stark comparison highlights

two issues. It’s clear after

this event that the school cares

more about avoiding punishment

from NCS and how others

perceive Cal High than it does

of the students themselves who

are impacted by hateful incidents

that have been ongoing

for years.

Secondly, if the school wanted

to enact real change and

have students listen through a

schoolwide workshop as it did

after events of the football game

it easily could.

Sadly, it has chosen not to do

this. Admin needs to re-direct

the focus of the current race and

equity forums to specifically

address what policies can be

changed.

Seeing as the school is capable

of administering workshops

that highlight actions that must

be corrected, this should’ve

been used following countless

incidents instead of the ineffective

emails and lack of consequences

for students involved.

The football game behavior

has seen improvement after the

workshop, so it may be a vital

solution to implement such

Photo courtesy of Cal High administration

Racist and transphobic stickers were plastered across Cal

high campus, but were only addressed in a school email.

actions following future racist

incidents in order to achieve a

better outcome.

Solutions may discourage

students from engaging in

hateful actions from the start

and allow for more open discussions,

instead of the current

taboo attitude.

Discussions will allow for

more closure for students that

have been made to feel unsafe

because of these hateful acts.

When a pattern of appropriate

punishment for those responsible

becomes apparent then

maybe will students begin to

feel truly safe on campus.

A8 ews Lite Say goodbye to sleep and hello to Schoolog

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

An ode to online schooling

Saying goodbye

to our old friend

Evan Heinz

Staff Writer

Zoom, oh where art thou?

I have fallen under the care

of Schoology, a cruel mistress.

I await your comforting smile.

Hurry home.

There are many things I miss

about online school. I know

many students enjoy being

back on campus, but I am not

one of them.

In online school, classes

were regularly cut short and

assignments only took a few

minutes to complete, leaving the

rest of the day for me to walk

the dog, watch Netflix and call

my friends.

Online schooling felt as if

summer hadn’t really ended.

Almost all class time was spent

resting in bed. Activities like

calling friends and getting a

snack were easy to take part

in without consequence. When

a teacher got too caught up in

a rant, students could turn the

class volume down and watch

a show or play a game.

Of course, I never did commit

any of these heinous acts.

Food was often a highlight

of my day. There was always

an opportunity to go downstairs

and grab something from the

kitchen when I felt my stomach

growl. Now I have to wait for

the bell to ring to bring out my

delicious Goldfish and satisfy

my cravings.

Teachers during quarantine

were almost as casual as the

students. Watching them get

used to online school was almost

painful. We’d frequently

be interrupted by a teacher’s

kids crying or the sound of the

gardener mowing their lawns.

Teachers were out of their

element, while their students,

of course, shut off their camera

to go hang out with friends

and nap.

With online school I could

There is one truth at this

school: there’s always something

going on at Cal High.

It doesn’t matter if we are

online or in person. It’s always

something.

Honestly, I definitely could

have guessed that something

wacky was going to happen

based on Cal’s track record, but

some part of me hoped that this

would be a fairly normal first

few months.

Boy, was I wrong.

I suppose we should start at

the one thing all Califonians

know and love. No, not the high

rent prices. The smoke.

We seem to have normalized

the fact that nearly every year

the sky turns orange because of

wildfire smoke blowing into the

Bay Area.

When one of my classes

took the mask break I usually

look forward to, I was begging

Many students have fond memories of attending school online from the comfort of their own beds.

listen in on classes from Starbucks,

the park and even my car.

The possibilities were endless.

It was liberating. Going outside

to take class felt like listening to

a podcast. Very few times did I

ever have to turn my camera on

and actually participate in class.

Another great aspect of online

learning was not having to

wear a mask. I have no quarrel

with masks, but it was nice when

I wasn’t fogging up my glasses

and my skin wasn’t being irritated

by my warm breath.

Breaking out with bursts

of acne has become another

common occurrence, but masks

do come in handy when hiding

those aggravating red bumps

on my face.

Being trapped inside meant

we didn’t have to deal with the

weather outside. Every day I

awoke comfortably wrapped

in the pleasant temperature set

by my AC. Now I roll off my

soft bed sheets and go to school

where hoodies are necessary

inside the chilly classrooms but

immediately need to be taken off

outside in the 90 degree heat.

During online school, students

often met with friends to

hang out during and after classes.

I miss the days when I could

pick up donuts and coffee before

spending the day sitting next to

my friends as they listened in

on a class they weren’t even in.

Sometimes we would even help

each other with assignments to

speed things up, and by help I

honestly just mean help...

More studious students could

work undisturbed by their fellow

classmates while less studious

students could ignore their

class to their heart’s content.

During online school, the

Back to school backfires

Typical shenanigans start faster than ever

Wyatt Golla

Staff Writer

my teacher to let the class back

inside in just a few seconds.

Even so, students now have

the opportunity to get free

lunches for the first time ever,

but fewer students were able to

do so as food stock ran out on

the first day. While the food no

longer costs money, you may

still have to pay a lofty price.

I’m no food critic, but I can

personally attest that eating the

cheeseburger made me feel an

odd mix of fear and joy at the

same time.

Lunches aren’t the only thing

that students got for free. We

received Chromebooks that

come personalized with all

kinds of defects. Now we can

turn in our hard work on the

most confusing app of all time,

Schoology.

Speaking of the school providing

supplies, I’m sure many

students have caught a whiff of

the weirdly thick hand sanitizer

that resides in many classrooms.

One drop of the stuff and suddenly

my hands smell like a

pub. There’s so much ethanol

in those giant jugs that my Irish

ancestors are weeping.

And is it just me, or was

the car conga line going to and

from school a few hundred cars

shorter during my freshman

year. A nice added bonus is that

one car on Newport Avenue that

just has to rev it’s engines every

day like it’s a Formula 1 race

car. You know who you are, pal.

As longtime readers might

know, I have a very special relationship

with the stairs in the

main building. I thought I could

escape them during quarantine,

but alas, I am no longer in the

safety of my own home.

The stairs seem remarkably

cruel this month, especially

because of the mask. I can

breathe fine with it on, but every

time I go to the third floor I get

smacked in the face by my own

cereal-scented breath.

And since I have two classes

on the third floor every even

day, I get to smell what I had

for breakfast and dinner. Yum.

playing field was leveled and

there were more opportunities

for me to share my ideas, while

in school there’s always a loud

kid that takes most of the class

conversation time while others

don’t get a word in.

Communication with teachers

was quick and easy for me

compared to in-person learning

I could simply slip into another

breakout room if I wanted to talk

to a teacher in private without

the entire class listening.

Contacting fellow students

was easier for me as well because

I could privately message

them to discuss class topics.

Working at home was comfortable

and students could

finish work quicker because of

fewer distractions and familiar

space. Doing work in a seat that

didn’t feel like an electric chair

was a massive relief for me and

Many of you who similarly

have to ascend the stairs on a

regular basis might be familiar

with the decidedly adult gratification

object that had been

residing rent free in our minds

and on the second story since

Aug. 27.

For those of you who are not

aware of what I’m babbling

about, unfortunately you will

never find out. It’s too late to

Illustration by Ari Harvey

many others who were taught

from a screen.

But now we’re back in class.

Many of us are still stuck behind

screens because the district

gave us chromebooks to use.

Sadly, the district also gave

us Schoology, our new online

platform that makes learning

more difficult to navigate.

School at home was not only

more comfortable, but better

organized with Google Classroom.

Sigh.

I have written this declaration

of my love to sway others to

come and rescue me from this

foul and smelly diseased lady

who dabbles in the dark arts of

in-person school with her evil

sidekick, Schoology.

Sincerely yours,

Evan Bartholomew Von

Richard Alexander Christiansion

VIII.

Illustration by Ari Harvey

The demon stairs of the main building sadly did not

disappear during quarantine.

witness its glory because it’s

finally, less than promptly, been

removed.

There have always been some

sort of shenanigans going on at

Cal High, no matter the time

of year, but these first months

feel different. But even with

conspicuous objects, demon

stairs and monumental amounts

of traffic, there’s still nowhere

I’d rather be.

Jordan Vereen

Staff Writer

Students

face

roadwork

trouble

Students have always struggled

with getting to school.

Early wake-up times, transportation,

those annoying pedestrians,

the works. Who

would’ve thought that I’d need

yet another obstacle between

home and getting a C+ on my

first Algebra 2 test?

Well, apparently that’s what

the Contra Costa Transportation

Authority thought, as they decided

it was appropriate to shut

down numerous streets around

Cal High that had nothing wrong

with them.

I pity the poor fools who have

an A period. They didn’t even

see it coming.

The newest gruesome mutilation

of our road system was

the work on Alcosta Boulevard.

It began not long after school

once again opened for business.

How convenient.

The noise pollution of heavy

machinery was only matched

by the dirtied air. The dust,

along with the smoke from the

700,000 fires around the state,

were the nail in the metaphorical

coffin for those who wanted

to do outdoor activities, and

the literal nail in the coffin for

asthmatics.

But some thought it couldn’t

get any worse. Those people

clearly do not learn from history,

which, to be fair, is about

90 percent of folks these days.

The next phase of the obstructionist

road work came

on Aug. 31, ready to enter the

new month with a fresh mindset

and a new plan to block my

“Getting Home” speedruns. The

record for me is to be inside my

house by 3:10 p.m., if you’re

interested.

On that fateful day, a Renaissance

of tearing up began.

Unlike the historically illiterate,

the devils in charge of this

stupid project did study the past.

From Veracruz Drive to Pine

Valley Road, the city took a page

out of Berlin’s book and erected

a great divide. Not a wall, but

the effect is the same.

For miles, a ditch where the

road once was and traffic cones

and signs kept apart the two

groups, a people divided by an

outside power. See it now?

We’ve yet to see machine gun

nests there, but I say patience is

a critical virtue.

This further work caused

even more unnecessary inconvenience,

with crosswalks

entirely incapable of function

without the constant attention

of a crossing guard just like elementary

school, and detours that

might as well send you through

Mexico and back.

Whatever “The Man” decides,

the common man will

have no say in it, so we all just

have to sit down and shut up

as our tax dollars are dozing

around the water cooler. And,

we may yet have more road

work on the way.

Photos by Samantha Contreras, Erica Dembrowicz,

Alex Gome, Lili Loney and Dannika Shah

Page design by Carol Chen

B2 Sports

Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Fall sports make a triumphant return

Competition is

back to normal

Eli Mayerson

Sports Editor

Last year all sports were

affected by the COVID-19

pandemic, but none were more

affected than those that took

place in the fall.

Because the season coincided

perfectly with the chaos of

the beginning of the first ever

fully online school year, the

fall sports season was unable

to continue during its regularly

scheduled time.

Seasons were pushed to

the winter and spring, and

most sports had to deal with

shortened schedules with no

postseason. But excluding some

safety mandates to address

COVID-19, fall sports are pretty

much back to normal.

Football

The varsity football season

could not have started any better,

with the team undefeated

at 6-0 and ranked third in the

North Coast Section.

“We’re just playing more

disciplined than the other teams

we’ve played,” senior Adam

Linari said. “Less penalties,

right personnel.”

Linari said the schedule for

the rest of the season just gets

harder, with the difficulty of

games ramping up this month.

The game on Oct. 15 against De

La Salle is the ultimate test, followed

by league games against

Monte Vista, San Ramon Valley

and Amador Valley.

Cal, which has outscored its

opponents 257-92, narrowly

pulled out a victory in their last

game against Clayton Valley

Charter on Friday.

The game was decided on a

last second touchdown throw

from quarterback Teddy Booras

Grizzlies boast first female player in three seasons

Vicky Coninck

serves as Cal’s

backup kicker

Tanvi Pandya

Staff Writer

For the first time in three

seasons, Cal High has a female

player on the varsity football

team.

Senior Victoria Coninck,

commonly known as Vicky, is

a new addition to the Grizzlies

this year, serving as one of the

team’s backup kickers.

Coninck is in her first ever

season as a football player, but

she said this has been a dream

of hers for quite a while now.

“I remember my freshman

year, we had Khylie Weed on

the team,” Coninck said. “It

kinda made me feel like I could

do it too.”

Though Coninck had never

tried out for the football team

before, she wasn’t very nervous

because she had been getting

help from other football players

she knew, one of them being

senior Macray Madruga.

Madruga is one of the football

captains and is Cal’s main varsity

kicker. He had been helping

Coninck practice before the

to wide receiver Jake Calcagno.

Women’s Golf

Last year’s golf team may

have been impacted more than

any other sport. The team only

had four members, including

senior captain Leah Keswani.

But this season the team has

10 rotating members on varsity

which contributed the team being

closer, Keswani said.

“We got a lot of new girls to

play [this year],” Keswani said.

“It’s good because it means

we’ll have a team next year.”

The regular season ended

last Wednesday with a narrow

236-238 loss to Dougherty. Cal

(6-12) will play in the EBAL

Championships on Monday.

Women’s Volleyball

The only indoor sport of the

fall season, women’s volleyball

is in a unique situation when

dealing with COVID-19.

Last season, the team had

a shortened schedule and was

only able to play half the teams

in league, senior player Payton

Lee said. But this year has featured

a full schedule, including

tournaments and playoffs.

“The shortened season was

fun and didn’t get in the way

of my schoolwork,” Lee said.

“But I am enjoying this year’s

season because we get more

time to establish relationships

with our teammates.”

The team is 14-13, 4-10 in

league play. Lee believes if the

team plays to its potential they

will be able to finish strong and

make NCS.

“Everything’s going well

because our team chemistry is

really good,” Lee said.

Women’s Tennis

Despite the limiting factors

COVID created, the tennis team

was still able to have a successful

season last year.

“It was a short season but a

fun one,” senior varsity tennis

tryouts and is a fan of having

her on the team.

“She doesn’t really change

things too much,” Madruga

said. “I mean, it’s not like we all

treat her differently just because

she’s a girl.”

Coninck may not be a seasoned

player, but she’s proven

herself so far. She’s performed

two kickoffs and made all four

of her extra points, including

one in Cal’s season opening

49-7 win over James Logan.


Number 5 Natalie Peete and number 15 Emily Sugihara contend with San Ramon Valley to continue Cal’s early lead.

player Tina Zeng said. “We got

to play with the boys which

helped us improve drastically

and I’m grateful for that.”

So far this year, the tennis

team is 2-8, but Zeng has reason

to be optimistic.

“Some players were injured,”

Zeng said. “Now we’re more

prepared for what we have

thrown at us.”

Men’s Water Polo

The men’s water polo team

is excited to get back to their

regular schedule.

Last year’s season was only

five weeks long and took place

in winter instead of fall, senior

Conner Tom said.

“It was super cold and annoying,”

Tom said. “It’s way better

during the fall.”

Senior Vicky Coninck, number 85, watching her team compete in the first home game of the year against Antioch.

Although Coninck is new to

the team, she isn’t new to Cal’s

athletic programs. Coninck has

an impressive record when it

comes to sports, participating

in soccer, track and field, and

wrestling in the past.

Having played on all-girl

teams before, Coninck has

noticed some differences in the

dynamics between that and being

the only girl among 40 plus

men. Understandably, Coninck

says she can’t really talk about

This year, the team has had

an up-and-down 5-9 start, but

this isn’t entirely due to lack

of talent.

“We’ve sucked because

we’re missing half our starters,”

Tom said. “We’re getting

better.”

Tom is confident that by the

end of the season, the team will

improve to a record that they can

feel satisfied with.

“We’ll get better,” Tom said.

Women’s Water Polo

Similar to the men’s team, the

women’s water polo team is off

to a rocky start. With an early

record of 1-8, they are looking

to improve moving forward.

“Our success comes when we

talk to each other and listen,”

senior Victoria Waller said.

more feminine issues, but also

feels that a men’s team has more

fun, and less rivalry.

Thankfully though, even with

the differences, Vicky doesn’t

think she’s treated any differently

from the rest of the team,

especially by her fellow players.

“I’ve been friends with most

of the guys on the team since

freshman year,” Coninck said.

“Besides the coaches maybe

being a little nicer, I just feel

like part of the team.”

She is hoping the team can

learn from what they did right

in their lone win and apply it in

future games.

“We are trying our hardest

and will continue to do so for

the rest of the year,” Waller said.

Last season, the pool the team

uses was under construction, so

they had to travel to practice and

play in a smaller pool. They no

longer have to deal with that

issue this season.

Cross Country

The cross country team had

a very different season than

normal last year.

“Because of COVID guidelines,

all courses were around

the schools instead of our

regular ones,” senior Aryan

Sarda said.

Photos by Samantha Contreras

The season also was pushed

to spring, causing conflicts for

those who also ran track. This

year, the team is back to normal

for the most part.

“Some of the usual meets

have been canceled because of

lasting COVID effects,” senior

Matthew Alm said.

But this hasn’t hindered the

team too much. The team won

their last meet, and haven’t

shown signs of slowing down.

“The team has been looking

a lot better than in year’s past,”

Alm said. He is optimistic about

the team’s chances of making it

to the NCS playoffs.

“It’ll be tough [to make the

playoffs], because Dublin and

Dougherty are really good, but

it’s possible,” Alm said.

Head varsity coach Danny

Calcagno has also had a big

impact on Coninck’s experience

with football so far.

Calcagno had his own apprehensions

about Coninck joining

the team, but they were never

about her gender. Instead, they

were about the logistics behind

having a girl on an all boys team.

But aside from the physical

differences, Coninck isn’t

treated as a “girl” on the team.

“We’re a family here,” Calcagno

said. “We don’t see Vicky

as a female. She’s just another

part of our family.”

He also says that Coninck

has been a great addition to the

team. She has her strengths and

weaknesses on the field, but

she gets along great with her

teammates and is a hard worker.

Calcagno’s positive attitude

has caused a lot of people to like

him more than the prior football

coach, according to Coninck.

Another teammate of hers,

junior Brian Kirrane, agrees

with Coach Calcagno.

“I mean, I don’t really see

any differences from freshman

year,” Kirrane said.

Being an avid sports fan all

her life, football is no different

for Coninck.

When it comes to professional

football, she is a strong

Patriots supporter.

“People always give me s***

for it around here, but I’m from

Massachusetts,” Vicky said. “I

was raised being a Patriots fan.”

Vicky has her hands full with

football this year, having practices

every day, but isn’t nervous

about the whole situation.

Rather, she feels excited

about what’s to come. It’s

been something she’s wanted

to do for a while, and she’s not

stopping now.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021 Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Sports

B3

District spends $810,000 on new field

After 11 years, Cal

gets turf replaced

Tanner Curtis

Sports Editor

Cal High’s field had a little

bit more of a shine to it during

the first football game this year

after the district installed new

turf over the summer as part of

its plan to replace fields at all

four high schools.

The San Ramon Valley

Unified School District spent

about $810,000 to replace the

turf field, which is used by the

football, men’s and women’s

soccer, and men’s and women’s

lacrosse teams.

This marked the first time

since 2010 that Cal has had any

work done to its field, athletic

director Chris Declercq said.

“The old field was very worn

down and it made it more difficult

to play on.” varsity soccer

player Naya Pollack said.

Work on Cal’s field begin

early in summer and took about

three months to complete. The

field was available for use

the second week of school in

August.

While the project was being

completed, the football teams

used other practice facilities,

such as the turf field at Diablo

Vista Middle School in

Danville.

The district’s field replacement

project actually began

during the 2019-20 school year

when Dougherty Valley had its

new field installed.

Before this project started, all

district high schools were given

the option of when they wanted

to replace the fields.

This meant that schools could

Freshman Gracie Barco stars for varsity tennis

Anirud Lappathi

Staff Writer

It’s usually a senior or junior

who is the top ranked player on

the varsity tennis team.

Sometimes a sophomore will

slip in there and claim the top

spot. But a freshman?

That’s what Cal is experiencing

with freshman Gracie

Barco, who is the Grizzlies top

ranked player.

“I’m proud because I’ve been

training for a really long time so

I feel like it paid off at least,”

said Barco, who attended Pine

Valley Middle School last year.

The Grizzlies are still growing

this season while off to a

2-8 start. Barco has gone 3-6 in

the nine matches she’s played,

facing mostly upperclassmen

playing in the top spot for their

teams.

Before tennis, Barco tried her

hand at other sports such as basketball,

swimming and soccer.

But tennis stuck with her in a

way that the other sports didn’t.

She has been playing tennis

since she was seven with her

parents as her main motivation.

Being the best hasn’t come

easy for Barco. She spent four

hours practicing each day during

the summer, and currently practicing

up to two hours every day

during the season.

She doesn’t seem to see all

of this practice as work though.

“Tennis is really relaxing to

me,” Barco said. “All the time

I’m stressed about schoolwork

especially with COVID, and

tennis has been an escape from

that.”

Though COVID-19 has been

an obstacle in her tennis career,

Barco has persevered through

the challenges it brought and

emerged on top.

“Gracie is a fighter. She

knows she doesn’t have the size

or the speed but she makes it up

by the technique and strategies,”

varsity tennis coach Manuel

Vasquez said. “Her strategies

are usually what make her win,”

Barco’s teammates are fond

of her as she’s a newcomer to

the school and team. Instead of

being jealous, they encourage

her to play better, and admire

her dedication to her craft.

“When I started I was in JV,

and I think it’s really cool that

she’s really dedicated to tennis,”

teammate Stephanie Woon, a

senior, said. “Some of us are

not as motivated to play tennis

as she is.”

Having great expectations

placed on a young athlete can

come with great pressure, and

Barco definitely feels it.

“I do feel like there might be

a little bit of pressure to keep the

number one spot and the work

expected of me,” Barco said,

“but I’ve been training a lot so

I think it’s going to be easier

than I might think.”

The team’s second-ranked

player is senior Bhavya Pandey,

who was last year’s team’s top

player.

“She has a lot of drive and

spirit, and I see that she really

puts in the work outside of

practice as well,” Pandey said.

“I know that a lot of us get

busy and don’t really do that

but I can see her putting in that

extra step.”

Though Barco is the best on

her team, she does sometimes

take losses.

“I have a lot of tournament

matches where I’m motivated

and I’m ready to go but it just

starts to slip as I keep playing.”

Barco said. “Nowadays when I

play a match and I lose, I’ve been

working on letting it go. I’ve

been working on regulating my

emotions so I can move past it,”

Barco has overcome many

obstacles to make it to varsity.

COVID, being an incoming

freshman, and schoolwork piled

on top of her hours of practice.

Photo by Dannika Shah

Freshman Gracie Barco returns a serve during a match against Dublin High.

“I think my biggest achievement

was getting up to the

number one ranking,” Barco

said. “It’s something that I

can tell people and they can

understand.”

And if she keeps working and

progressing, who knows where

tennis can take her.

“She’s only a freshman, and

Photo courtesy of Alex Gomes

Cal High’s brand new football field was installed this summer after a year long delay and it has already made a big impact this school year.

risk doing construction before

the school year and possibly not

have a field for football season,

or not having the new field for

the football season but possibly

cost winter sports teams the

chance to use it.

Cal elected to do construction

over the summer while other

schools like San Ramon Valley

and Monte Vista high schools

are waiting until after football

season.

Although the price of the

Stand-out newcomer to the

team makes big impact

field seems expensive, the field

needed to be replaced to give

athletes a better, and safer, experience

while playing. Several

athletes said the old field needed

to be changed because it was

starting to become dangerous

and affect play.

“The old field had a lot of

divots and was worn out,” senior

varsity football player Jason

Duggs said.

This isn’t good for sports that

require quick movements like

football and soccer because it

can lead to serious injury and

prevent athletes from playing

at their highest ability.

If athletes are trying to play

sports in college or in an important

game and the field affects

the way they perform then that

could be a big problem.

Some athletes like to put their

concerns with the field in more

simple terms.

“That old field was horrible,”

senior varsity soccer player

Gavin Navarro said. “I’m excited

to use the new one.”

The new field has already

proven its effectiveness when

it comes to the health of the

players this year.

“Rolling an ankle and tripping

is less of an issue,” Duggs

said.

This is a good sign for the

health of athletes because it

means they will be able to play

with more confidence that the

surface they are playing on

is safer.

While the field was a large

investment, it should be worth

the money because the athletes

that have already used it have

noticed the difference.

“I used it at open field and the

ball moved more smoothly and

it is much nicer and more fun to

play on.” Pollack said.

Added senior varsity soccer

play Derek O’Brien, “The new

field should be way better. I am

excited to use it.”

she’s already number one with

this school right now,” Vasquez

said. “If she keeps up where

she’s going… she will definitely

be a college player.”

B4 Features Read

The Californian online at

Cal High welcomes ne

Cell-ebrating new

STEM teachers

Brad Bretzing, sports medicine

Sports Medicine teacher Brad

Bretzing may be new teacher

at Cal High this year, but this

is not his first time on campus.

Bretzing is a Cal alumnus,

graduating with the Class of

2012. He played football for

or three years and ran track for

one year.

“The school gave so much to

me and I wanted to give back to

it,” Bretzing said.

After his time at Cal, Bretzing

attended College of the

Redwoods where he majored

Hayou Chen, math

in psychology. He then went to

the University of La Verne and

earned his BS in kinesiology.

He is enrolled at the University

of Phoenix to earn a master’s in

education combined and a single

subject teaching credential in

PE. He often tells his students

that he does homework too.

When not teaching, Bretzing

enjoys playing rugby, hiking

with his dogs, and staying

active.

– Sydney Cicchitto

Math teacher Hayou Chen

teaches Algebra 2 and geometry.

Chen has been teaching

for a total of 21 years and has

taught high school physics and

middle school sciences before

coming to Cal.

The main reason why she

started teaching was because she

enjoyed working with students

to help them see the beauty of

learning new subjects and to

learn with them. Chen recently

moved to San Ramon after

teaching at private and charter

Catholic schools.

Some of her hobbies are

traveling, reading, gardening,

photography, ballroom dancing,

and hanging out with friends

while also making new ones.

– Kaustav Pal

Tracy Foster, honors chemistry

When it comes to science,

Tracy Foster has taught a little

bit of everything.

Although he currently teaching

honors chemistry, Foster

also has taught AP biology,

chemistry, biology, anatomy

and physiology, as well as other

biomedical classes in the past.

His old teachers inspired him

to teach, and he was undecided

in college whether to be a sur-

Ryan Hughes, chemistry

Science teacher Ryan

Hughes is a familiar face in

the San Ramon Valley Unified

School District.

Hughes taught at San Ramon

Valley High School in Danville

prior to coming to Cal. He decided

to teach at Cal because

of his familiarity with this area

and neighborhood, and because

he liked the diverse population

Math teacher Saumya Rakesh

has been teaching in the United

States for a total of six years.

For the first two years,

Rakesh worked as a short-term

and a long-term substitute

teacher.

She currently teaches Algebra

1, and has taught eighth

grade math and art in the past.

Rakesh also was a physics

teacher for juniors and seniors

geon or a teacher. He ended

up choosing the latter. Prior to

teaching at Cal, Foster taught

at Malibu High School near

Los Angeles.

Some of his hobbies include

hiking, camping, archery, and

growing ghost peppers. An

interesting fact about Foster is

that he has been to all 50 states

and 13 countries.

– Kaustav Pal

of the school.

Some of Hughes’ hobbies

include playing video games,

such as “SMITE”, “Warframe”

and now uber populart “Dead

by Daylight”, listening to lo-fi

music, swimming in his backyard

pool, and cheering for his

favorite professional football

team, the Las Vegas Raiders.

– Kaustav Pal

Saumya Rakesh, Algebra 1

in India before coming to the

United States.

She taught for three years

in Fremont and two years in

Dublin before coming to Cal. So

far, the new school year has been

going well. She’s happy with

well behaved Cal students are.

Some of Rakesh’s hobbies

are drawing, gardening, yoga,

and cooking.

– Kaustav Pal

Counting on the

Christine Abogado

Christine Abogado used to be

a college and career specialist

at Fremont High School for

five years.

She then decided to get into

counseling because she wanted

to be able to prepare and help

students.

Some of Abogado’s hobbies

are watching anime, movies,

Jennifer Beavers

Jennifer Beavers is another

new counselor that started this

year at Cal High.

Beavers started teaching as

an English teacher at Monte

Vista from 1999-2007 before

gaining the experience as a call

and instructional coach from

2005-2020. She got back into

teaching when she joined the

Kelly Nogueiro

Counselor Kelly Nogueiro

was a counselor at San Jose

Unified School District for three

years before coming to Cal. She

started off wanting to study

psychology, and then spent two

years at a counseling internship

during grad school.

Nogueiro liked the experience

of helping students achieve

goals. She knew she wanted

and crocheting. The Harry Potter

series and The Night Circus

are among her favorite books

to read.

Some of the quotes that

have motivated her are “be the

person you needed when you

were younger” and there are

far, far better things ahead than

any we leave behind” by author

C.S. Lewis.

– Ylin Zhu

Cal staff last year.

Beavers moved into counseling

so she can work closely with

students and families. A fun fact

is that she met Cal Principal

Megan Keefer when they were

both English teachers at Monte

Vista. Coincidentally, they both

transferred to Cal High afterward.

Some hobbies of hers are

hiking, reading, and traveling.

– Ylin Zhu

to work with high schoolers

because students start to have

goals and thoughts by then.

Since her aunt used to teach at

Cal, Nogueiro thought it would

be a great opportunity to come

and become a counselor.

Nogueiro grew up in Fremont

and used to do track and baseball.

She’s very crafty, likes to

cook, and enjoys playing with

her dog, Zoey.

– Ylin Zhu

www.thecalifornianpaper.com

Features B5

As a first-year teacher,

Juliette Garcia is in the middle

of her probationary period at

Cal High.

But the new history teacher

hopes to have a long career as

a Grizzly.

Garcia got her bachelor’s

degree in history at Saint

Mary’s College and is currently

working towards a master’s

degree in history from the same

university.

She wanted to be a history

teacher because she thinks “hisw

teachers and staff

Two teachers for

the history books

Juliette Garcia, history

tory is in everything” and being

a teacher was a long term goal

she has had since childhood.

Garcia’s favorite historical

events include the Cuban Revolution

and World War II. Some

activities she enjoys in her free

time include graphic design and

creating vivid illustrations. She

also a huge fan of Disney and

her favorite characters include

Ariel from “The Little Mermaid”

and Baymax from “Big

Hero Six”.

– Aarna Prashanth

Lucas Westmoreland, world geo

Newly hired world geography

teacher Lucas Westmoreland

has made his return to

San Ramon.

Westmoreland taught for two

years at Kimble High School

in Tracy before coming to Cal

because he said he was “born

and raised here.” He chose to

teach world geography because

he has always had an interest in

history and the world around us.

But teaching wasn’t his first

job. Westmoreland earned his

bachelor’s in marketing at Pep-

perdine University in Malibu,

and he worked in that field

for 10 years before becoming

a teacher.

Some activities he enjoys in

his free time are reading books

and playing video games. Currently,

his favorite video game

is “Assassin’s Creed”. To push

himself, he’s reading “Where

Do We Go from Here” by Martin

Luther King Jr. Westmoreland

said it’s not easy, but it’s a

great book.

– Aarna Prashanth

se counselors

Adding to the Cal

administration nation

Chris deClercq, athletic director

The new athletic director

at Cal High this year is Chris

deClercq.

He was originally a teacher

in Walnut Creek, as well as the

baseball coach for San Ramon

Valley High School.

“I got into teaching and

coaching because I want to help

kids and guide them, and being

an athletic director gives me

more people to have an impact

on,’’ deClercq said.

So far deClercq has enjoyed

being able to meet and interact

with many Cal students.

When he is off-campus,

deClercq enjoys spending time

with his kids, 7-year old triplets.

He enjoys sports and staying

active, similar to his wife, who

is an Olympic bronze medalist

synchronized swimmer from

the 2004 Greece Summer

Olympics.

– Sydney Cicchtto

Meet Kathi Nichols, Cal’s new

college and career adviser

Students looking for help or

advice about which college best

suits them will most likely meet

new college and career adviser

Kathi Nichols at some point.

Nichols has been at Cal

High since 2000, starting as a

volunteer before becoming a

substitute in 2008. After that,

she focused on testing, managing

SATs, PSATs, and ACTs. As

the college and career adviser,

Nichols focuses on guiding students

on the path to their futures,

which includes navigating the

website Naviance.

Some of her hobbies are fitting

uniforms for the school’s

marching band and color guard.

In the summer, she travels

around the country, passing out

food as a registered dietitian for

the Blue Devils Drums Corps.

She enjoys that Cal High is

a very friendly, supporting and

welcoming school.

– Ylin Zhu

Nicole Main, assistant principal

Nicole Main is Cal’s new

assistant principal. She used

to teach English, AVID, and

academic enrichment at Monte

Vista before coming to Cal.

Main also has spent time

working for the district’s communications

department. She

saw an open position to become

a Grizzly and applied.

“Anything that lets me interact

with students!” said Main.

In her free time, Main enjoys

reading, working out, spending

time outside, and doing crafts

with her kids.

When eating in San Ramon,

she enjoys going to the City

Center for dinner at C Casa and

then stopping by Salt & Straw

for their non-dairy ice cream.

On-campus, students may

see her eating her favorite onthe-job

snacks: cucumbers and

carrots with hummus.

– Sydney Cicchitto

All photos by Erica Dembrowicz, Dannika Shah, Daphne So, Ryan Syms, and Ylin Zhu

B6 A&E Read

The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Masks introduced to band program

Musicians adapt

to special face

coverings so they

can play indoors

Kira Sidhu

Staff Writer

Ever worn a mask with a slit

right in the middle of it?

As the Cal High instrumental

music program brings in-person

playing back to life, many band

students can now answer “yes”

to that question.

After a rough year online,

music students and staff are

adjusting to changes in the

program to accommodate

COVID-19 safety guidelines

and protocols. New Personal

Protective Equipment (PPE),

such as the special masks, have

taken some getting used to.

Every mask that band students

use is produced by United

Sound and looks like a regular

black mask. But up close, a twoinch

slit in the front where the

mouthpiece of the instrument

goes through is visible.

This slit, which operates as

a flap, also properly covers the

mouth when no instrument is

inserted. There’s also a cloth

cover called a bell cover that fits

over the end of the instrument

where sound comes out. Such

PPE is used to stop the aerosol

spray produced by musicians

when they blow into their instrument

from being released

into the air.

Throughout multiple band

classes, issues with being able to

comfortably use the band masks

have been common.

“In the beginning it was

sort of awkward,” sophomore

Alyssa Luu said. “Afterwards

you get used to it.”

Javier Cerna, Cal’s new

instrumental instructor added,

“Some of the masks are very

uncomfortable.”

Masks for flautists are different

from masks for the other

musicians mostly because there

are two slits for the flute to

slide into. Like with the masks

for other instruments, flautist

masks have a bell cover, which

is a piece of cloth strapped onto

the end of the instrument using

a rubber band.

The masks for flautists in

marching band, which arrived

before the ones for wind ensemble,

were found to be extremely

uncomfortable and tight.

Sophomore flautist Ishika

Banerjee said the original

marching band masks were

so tight that they would cut

into her neck and around her

nose. To deal with this, many

flautists in marching band got a

regular mask and cut slits into

it themselves, or tried to loosen

their mask.

Since then, this problem has

been alleviated because marching

band regularly plays outside

with social distancing.

On the other hand, flautists

in wind ensemble must wear

masks at all times due to

the class being held indoors.

Flautists in this class received

different and more comfortable

versions of the masks.

Senior flautist Prisha Narasimhan

said it takes time and

extra effort to insert the flute

into the mask. The masks were

tight for many at the beginning

but the fitting has gotten better

as flautists, for whom the masks

must be manually tied at the end,

have learned to tie them more

loosely or to their individual

comfort level.

“It’s not comfortable at all,”

Narasimhan said, “but you have

to adapt.”

Narasimhan said she feels

safer with the masks than

without but prefers playing

outside so she doesn’t have to

wear a mask.

“[The mask] helps more than

if you were completely mask-

Members of the Wind Ensemble class play “Sleigh Ride” with their special masks, which include a slit for the instrument.

Hollywood’s representation issue needs fixing

Melody Mulugeta

Staff Writer

Minority representation is

a bone that actors, directors

and viewers have picked for

decades.

Although our society has

definitely evolved from once

having an aggressively racist

film industry, many of these

problematic patterns are scarily

repetitive.

Social media users have discovered

one of many upcoming

directors to put the blame on:

Kenya Barris. As the creator

of “#BlackAF”, “Black-ish”,

“Grown-ish”, and “Mixed-ish”,

(and soon to be “Brown-ish”)

Barris has perpetuated many

acts of colorism and misrepresentation

in his work. Crazily

enough, a large majority of the

actors Barris’ casts for these

shows are light-skinned.

On the first season of “Grownish”,

the similar-shaded Black

college friend group addressed

issues of colorism. Ironic, right?

As expected, Barris chose to

less,” Banerjee said.

Freshman tuba player Sid

Arora also said there were some

issues with tightness of masks

around his ears, but for the

most part band musicians have

been successful in comfortably

adjusting to them.

Junior Dylan Liujanto, who

plays saxophone, agrees and

said the adjustment to wearing

a band mask doesn’t bother him

anymore.

Both Luu and Duong said

they feel safer because of the

special band masks, and all

Illustration by Judy Luo

Hollywood has become more inclusive but lighter skin tones are continuously chosen over darker skin.

highlight light-skinned sisters,

Sky and Jazz Forster, and their

struggles with being excluded

from the “desired dating pool”.

Realistically, an episode about

colorism would spotlight darkskinned

people, aka the ones

who face colorism in the first

place.

Although ABC and Freeform

have been bombarded with the

these “-ish” shows, Netflix isn’t

students interviewed said they

are glad their respective music

class is back on campus instead

of virtual like last year.

Cerna said safety has been a

priority this year and the goal

is to be able to run the music

program successfully without

doing so well either. The hit drama

series “Never Have I Ever”

has left viewers questioning

whether they hit the mark on

being culturally sensitive.

With an Indian-American

lead, the plot follows a teenage

girl who’s going through the

waves of high school. Although

Netflix did well with writing a

show that isn’t about the typical

white American teenager, it

is very clear that Netflix still

depends on racial stereotypes

when writing a cliche script.

The plot referenced tired

Indian stereotypes, such as

arranged marriages, fake Indian

accents, an over-controlling

mother, and being the “unpopular”

kid at school.

But that’s not all. More recently,

the phenomenon “In The

Heights” has received endless

backlash for the absence of

dark-skinned Afro-Latinx people

in the movie. The musical

film takes place in Washington

Heights, a heavily populated

Afro-Latinx neighborhood.

Despite that, none of the

lead actors were of Afro-Latinx

descent besides Leslie Grace,

a light-skinned Dominican

Photo by Shiphrah Moses

putting anyone at risk.

Overall, he said he’s really

focusing on going back to the

basics with students this school

year and spending time creating

music together.

“It’s starting to feel like band

again,” Cerna said.

woman.

“Why are Afro-Latinas who

look like me excluded from

the lead? Have y’all ever been

to Washington Heights? We’re

not all white-adjacent. When

will they stop erasing us? Representation

matters.” Lynn V on

Twitter wrote.

It wasn’t until multiple discourses

that “In The Heights”

music composer and actor

Lin-Manuel Miranda took to

Twitter to issue an apology

for the misrepresentation of

Washington Heights.

He admitted that team behind

the movie “fell short” and took

accountability for the improper

casting. Although Miranda recognized

where he went wrong,

it’s a shame the movie was held

back because they couldn’t cast

dark-skinned actors.

As ethnically diverse TV

shows and movies have become

the new normal, viewers can

only hope that these shows will

lose their racial insensitivity as

time goes on.

Until then, Twitter will always

be there to warn the public

on which strange show or movie

to steer away from next.

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com

A&E B7

BTS ‘Map of the Soul’ tour cancelled

COVID-19 creates

problems for

K-Pop band tour

Anika Choudhary

Staff Writer

As performers of all kinds

begin to start up tours and concerts

again, all eyes are on the

world’s biggest music group and

the future of their tour.

In other words: What’s up

with BTS?

Big Hit Music, the label BTS

is under, announced on Aug. 19

the cancellation of the band’s

“Map of the Soul: 7” tour.

The tour was supposed to

kick off the US leg of the tour in

April 2020 at the Seoul Olympic

Stadium. Unfortunately, when

COVID-19 hit the world with

full force, the group was forced

to postpone their tour for an

indefinite time.

After more than a year of

being in a postponement limbo,

the tour’s cancellation was

announced through a post on

Weverse, a mobile platform for

fans and artists.

“Due to changing circumstances

beyond our control, it

has become difficult to resume

performances at the same

scale and timeline as previously

planned,” Big Hit Music

representatives announced.

“Therefore we must announce

the cancellation of the BTS

‘MAP OF THE SOUL TOUR’.”

Although the tour was canceled,

BTS recently announced

four concert dates in Los Angeles

at SoFi Stadium on Nov.

27-28 and Dec. 1-2.

“Map of the Soul” was one

of the most anticipated tours

of 2020, selling out 39 shows

in 18 countries spanning North

America, Europe and Asia.

There were almost twice as

many tickets sold for BTS’s

tour as the Super Bowl in that

respective year, according to

StubHub, a ticket exchange site.

BTS was going to start the

US leg of the tour on April 25,

2020 with a two-night run at

Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.

“I applied for the ARMY

membership but getting the

tickets was still kind of difficult,”

said sophomore Carolyn

Xu, whose tickets for the Levi’s

stadium show were canceled.

“So many people were trying

to get tickets.”

Conversations were sparked

over whether the cancellation

was even necessary, seeing as

many other artists have started

touring again. The Korea Disease

Control and Prevention

Agency announced on Sept. 9

the spike in COVID cases as the

country enters its fourth wave

of COVID.

“They did the right thing,

especially in these times,” said

sophomore Anushri Das, who

was also planning on attending

their Santa Clara show. “People

can barely effectively enforce

masks at school, so it would be

impossible to enforce masks in

a stadium full of people.”

Although fans who purchased

tickets for any of the shows

received full refunds, the news

of the tour being canceled still

upset those who planned on

attending.

“Obviously it is very sad, but

it was the right move,” junior

Margaux Gutierrez said. “People

were clinging onto hope that

the tour would happen, so the

tour being officially canceled

gives the fans closure and lets

them grieve.”

The members of BTS have

been very vocal about their

irritation with this situation.

Through interviews and songs

on their last studio album “BE’’,

the members have expressed

how much they miss performing

and seeing their fans.

In an interview with Rolling

Stone magazine, BTS vocalist

Jungkook stated, “I’m a person

that really loves to be on stage

and really loved hearing from

our fans, so when our tour got

canceled in March last year, it

was a bit of a shock, and it was

kind of hard to take in.”

Throughout the pandemic,

the music group has stayed

connected with fans as they

continue to perform via online

concerts.

“The online shows are a great

way to keep performing,” said

junior Kayla Romans, another

fan who had tickets to the tour.

“It really is the next best thing

to an actual concert.”

BTS hosted their first online

concert, “Bang Bang Con: The

Live”, in June 2020. Big Hit

metrics indicated that the show

peaked at 756,000 viewers in

107 countries and territories.

Attendance was the equivalent

of 15 shows at a 50,000 seat

stadium. The concert had the

biggest audience for a paid

virtual concert.

The K-Pop titans beat this record

with their “Map of the Soul

ON:E” Concert when they had

nearly 1 million viewers from

Illustration courtesy of Michelle Ngyuen

Members of BTS, who have a tradition of taking group photos at every concert, have not performed live since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020.

191 countries tune in. At this

virtual concert, they performed

the set list they were planning

to perform in their “Map of the

Soul Tour”.

“Muster Sowoozoo”, their

most recent virtual concert,

was a weekend-long event to

celebrate the band’s eighth

anniversary. They broke their

world record, with 1.33 million

viewers, earning $71 million in

merchandise and ticket sales.

“From the clips I have seen,

BTS do a great job with making

you feel like you are there in person

during the online shows,”

freshman Daksha Chandragiri

said. “It’s not surprising that so

many people pay to watch even

though it’s online.”

DaBaby bigoted HIV/AIDS

comments spark controversy

Allison Cavanagh

Staff Writer

In a media-driven world,

cancel culture is not something

that lacks persistence.

Several music artists such

as Tyler the Creator, Morgan

Wallen and Sia have had past

and recent information come

to light, initiating what the

majority of people like to call

“scandals”.

Most recently, rapper Jonathan

Kirk, commonly known

as DaBaby, became a hub of

criticism regarding his opinions

about people living with HIV

and AIDS.

During his Rolling Loud set

in Miami in July, he expressed

these opinions by saying, “If

you didn’t show up today with

HIV, AIDS, any of them deadly

sexually transmitted diseases

that’ll make you die in two or

three weeks, put your cellphone

light in the air.”

Not only is this highly inaccurate,

but it’s also harmful

to impressionable youth who

already lack education about

these diseases. Considering

Dababy is quite a popular artist,

it’s very likely loyal listeners

could be led astray.

He also told fans to put their

phone lighters in the air if they

aren’t having homosexual relations

in the parking lot, and to

keep it “f****** real.”

Unsurprisingly, this caused

an uproar among people, including

celebrities. Elton John,

Madonna, and Jonathan Van

Ness are some of the big names

of the LGBTQIA+ community

who have spoken out against

DaBaby’s comments. Dua Lipa,

who recently featured DaBaby

on her hit song “Levitating”,

renounced any further affiliation

with him, saying she was

“surprised and horrified.”

Once the backlash started,

DaBaby went on a rant on his

Instagram story with a total of

19 videos, initially standing by

his previous statements. Some

of the things he said in defense

included “shut the f*** up, what

I do at a live show is for the

audience at the live show,” and

“That’s called a call to actionthat’s

what it’s called. Because

I’m a live performer. I’m the

best live performer.”

As a result, DaBaby was

dropped from multiple sponsorships,

brand deals and

music festivals, including

Lollapalooza, K5 107.5 Summer

Jam, iHeartRadio Music

Festival, Governors Ball, and

DayNVegas.

He later posted a message on

his Instagram apologizing. He

wrote, “I want to apologize to

the LGBTQ+ community for the

hurtful and triggering comments

I made. Again, I apologize for

my misinformed comments

about HIV/AIDS and I know

education on this is important.”

People have speculated a

manager of his curated this

post, saying it didn’t come off

as sincere. He deleted this post

shortly after.

But what can’t be deleted are

his harmful comments.

Rapper DaBaby speaks with the media.

Photo courtesy of HOTSPOTATL

B8 A&E

Read

The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Spider-Man trailer has fans spinning

Third installment of film

prompts frantic speculation

Samantha Contreras

Staff Writer

Two years after Spider-Man’s

identity was exposed in “Spider-Man:

Far From Home,”

Marvel has finally released the

first trailer of the new “Spider-Man:

No Way Home.”

In just the first 24 hours of

the trailer’s release on Aug. 24,

it received 355.5 million views

worldwide, beating “Avengers:

Endgame,” which received 289

million views.

Some Cal High students even

say that once the new movie

reaches theaters on Dec. 17, it

will be a more successful and

higher grossing movie than

“Endgame.”

“Oh 100 percent. Spider-Man

is definitely making more

money than ‘Endgame’,” sophomore

Ronak Adhikri said.

“Everyone loves him.”

The new trailer of Marvel’s

friendly neighborhood Spider-Man

caused much excitement

since it is the first Marvel

movie to finally introduce the

Marvel Cinematic Universe

“Multiverse”. But it has also

received many questions and

created confusion over the introduction

of this new concept.

Fans recently have seen

many examples of the MCU

multiverses crossing over, the

biggest one being in the Marvel

Series, “Loki,” which was

released on Disney+ over the

summer. One of the examples

of the multiverse crossing over

in the series are the Lokis from

different universes. All of them

are “Variants”, or people who

did something that disturbed

the Sacred Timeline.

This timeline is a path of

certain events that must happen.

If these events do not occur,

there is a disturbance in the

Sacred Timeline, causing a

branch timeline to form off of

the sacred one.

In certain scenes of the new

Spider-Man trailer, hints of

villains from the previous non-

MCU Spider-Man movies with

Tobey Maguire and Andrew

Garfield playing the roles of

Peter Parker are shown.

Villains such as Doctor

Octopus, Green Goblin and

Sandman from the Maguire

“Spider-Man’’ films are expected

to join the ones like Lizard

and Electro from Garfield’s

“The Amazing Spider-Man”, in

the new “Spider-Man No Way

Home” film.

One of the major parts of the

trailer was Doctor Strange’s

appearance. In the three-minute

long trailer, it showed that Peter

Parker went to Dr. Strange for

help because the whole world

knows his identity and it’s

causing too much conflict for

him and his loved ones.

He asks Dr. Strange to make

it so that Mysterio, the villain in

“Spider-Man: Far from Home”,

never reveals his identity. It appears

in the trailer that Strange

gladly casts the spell so that all is

forgotten, even after Wong, another

sorcerer like Dr. Strange,

strongly advises him not to.

During the spell, Peter Parker

interrupts Dr. Strange, causing

some sort of outburst of energy

which might lead to more conflicts,

like the disruption of the

multiverses.

After fans watched the trailer

the question they are asking

themselves is why Dr. Strange

was so willing to cast this spell

that seemed to have caused so

much chaos.

Dr. Strange even said himself

in the trailer, “The multiverse is

Illustration by Shua Lee

Characters from the new “Spider-Man: No Way Home” movie trailer in action which comes out on Dec. 17.

a concept about which we know

little about.”

Yet he tampered with it just

so Spider-Man could have his

reputation back. From how Dr.

Strange acted in “Endgame”,

calculating all the possibilities

of how they would win and

leading the rest of the heroes

down that path, it seems unlikely

that he take risks when it comes

to Peter Parker’s issue. The only

explanation for fans is that Dr.

Strange had some sort of personal

gain from this.

“I’m actually wondering if

Strange might see a benefit

in deliberately crossing the

streams of the multiverse to

get ahead of a chaotic crisis he

knows is coming,” ErikVoss,

host of Youtube channel “New

Rockstar” said.

The trailer introduced so

many conflicts and plot twists.

Fans are eager to know what is

going on in the new film.

“Where are they going with

this?” history teacher Ben Andersen

said. “Who is the main

villain?”

Andersen is not the only one

with these questions.

“I was extremely confused,

not going to lie.” Adhikri said.

“I’m not sure what to expect.”

But the biggest question on

social media is if Maguire and

Garfield make an appearance in

this universe as well?

“If the Spider-Man villains

from the other movies will be

in it, I don’t see why the other

Spider-Mans won’t be in it

either,” sophomore Thomas

Coons said.

No one quite knows what to

expect until Dec. 17.

New Marvel film adds to representation in MCU

‘Shang-Chi’

features first

Asian superhero

protagonist

Eli Mayerson

Sports Editor

“Shang-Chi and the Legend

of the Ten Rings”, the latest addition

to the Marvel Cinematic

Universe, introduces a plethora

of firsts for the films.

Set in the “post-snap” timeline

after the events of “Avengers:

Endgame”, “Shang-Chi”

tells the story of a man whose

identity is torn apart by the fact

that his parents are the epitome

of evil and good.

Shang’s father, Xu Wenwu,

owns the Ten Rings, which

keeps him immortal and gives

him a wide variety of super-abilities.

Wenwu has used the rings

for thousands of years to make

himself more powerful, imposing

his will on his enemies.

His mother, Ying Li, was

the protector of the passage

to Ta Lo, an otherworldly city

and her home, until she met

Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore

Actor Simu Liu speaks at San Diego Comic Con in July before the release of “Shang-Chi

and the Legend of the Ten Rings”.

Wenwu. The two married and

had two children, Shang and his

sister Xialing. In an act of love,

Wenwu temporarily gave up his

villainous ways until Li died.

Years after Li’s death, Wenwu

attempts to invade Ta Lo

because he believes he hears his

deceased spouse’s voice calling

him to do so. This prompts

Shang’s journey to his old home,

the place where he was raised

and trained as a kid.

This physical journey coincides

with his journey of

self-discovery, as he revisits the

dark and painful upbringing his

father induced him to.

Juxtaposed by the venture

into his mother’s home of light,

Ta Lo, Shang learns to find the

balance between the light and

dark of his heritage.

“Shang-Chi” has been well

received by almost everyone,

and there are people who have

gone so far as to claim it as their

new favorite MCU movie.

The action within the movie

is stellar, featuring minute-long

scenes of intense martial-arts

that has not yet been seen in

the MCU.

The fight choreography was

led by the masterful Andy

Cheng, who’s also done excellent

work on other classics like

the first two “Rush Hour” films.

The scope of the movie is

immense, spanning Shang in

a one-bedroom apartment in

the opening to a final act that

closes with a combat scene that

nearly matching the scale of the

Wakanda scenes in “Avengers:

Infinity War”.

The new ideas and themes introduced

in “Shang-Chi” bring

with it exciting new prospects

for fans of the MCU.

Adding on to that the exploration

of the Multiverse that is

coming with other MCU shows

like “What-If?” and “Loki”,

the chaos that could ensue is

thrilling to consider.

But “Shang-Chi” isn’t just an

excellent addition to the MCU

because of the combat. It is also

the first MCU movie that stars

an Asian superhero protagonist.

“Everyone, regardless of the

color of their skin or where

they come from deserve to see

themselves represented in that

way,” Liu said in an interview

with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight

Show. “What excited me

most about this movie is that

we were able to provide that for

kids and I could be something

that I never had.”

The original six MCU Avengers

were all white. Captain

America, Iron Man, Thor, Black

Widow, Hulk, and Hawkeye all

had white actors.

The first major non-white superhero

protagonist featured in

an MCU movie was Chadwick

Boseman in “Black Panther”

with his role as King T’Challa.

This was an important step

toward providing equal representation

in the superhero world.

Now, Marvel has taken another

big step by expanding that

with “Shang-Chi”.

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