October 2022 Issue

The

Californian

California High School

Two Cal students

make it to the

taekwondo world

championships.

Read more in

Sports on page B2.

Volume XXXII, Issue I 9870 Broadmoor Dr. San Ramon, CA 94583 Thursday, October 13, 2022

AP classes affected by teacher shortage

Lit class goes a month with no

teacher, physics course cancelled

Rohan Iyer

Staff Writer

Senior Spandan Kottakota

never expected that the AP

Physics class he signed up for

last year would be canceled because

no teacher could be hired.

“The week right before

school started I got an email

saying they couldn’t find a

physics teacher, so I didn’t know

what class I was supposed to go

to,” Kottakota said.

Kottakota, like dozens of Cal

High students who registered

for AP Physics, was forced to

transfer to another class because

no replacement was found for

former physics teacher Deborah

Sater, who retired in June.

The teacher shortage that’s

impacting California and most

states throughout the country

has also frustrated students in

AP English Literature, which

did not have a teacher until early

September when Wade Wilgus

was hired to teach the class.

“Every day we had a new sub,

and they wouldn’t know what

we did in the previous classes,”

Kottakota said. “Most of the

work was just busy work.”

Nationwide, teachers are in

high demand but low supply,

and schools have been struggling

to adapt. There is an excess

of 36,000 vacant teaching

positions in the county, and

more than163,000 positions

Joe Biden starts loan forgiveness plan

Program designed

to help those with

student debt

Jacqueline Guerrero

Staff Writer

have been filled by people who

are unqualified, according to a

joint study by the University

of Illinois and Kansas State

University.

Assistant principal Jeffrey

Osborn said the school searched

for someone to teach AP Physics

but was unable to hire anyone

before the start of the semester.

“We had a job posted before

the end of last school year,”

Osborn said.

The school received numerous

applications for the

position during the two weeks

the posting was open, but by

the time administrators finally

reached out to the applicants, all

of them had already accepted

offers elsewhere, Osborn said.

After it was determined there

wouldn’t be an AP Physics

teacher for the school year,

students who signed up for the

class were notified they needed

to pick another class.

“I actually had to take the

course outside of school, and

that cost a lot of money,” senior

Shiva Katragadda, who had

signed up for AP Physics, said.

Although the school eventually

found a teacher for AP Lit,

students such as senior Shruti

Kale said not having a consistent

teacher for the first month

of school set back preparation

for the AP test in May.

“I still don’t know if I’m

going to be taking the [AP Lit]

exam, which could have been

avoided probably if I had a

teacher,” Kale said.

Kale said the lack of an

AP Lit teacher hindered her

ability to gain a quick grasp

of the subject. Senior Bryce

Wijesekara, who is also in the

class, agreed.

See TEACHERS, page A2

Parents push to

ban LGBTQ books

SRV, Dublin

school districts

face challenges

Sophia Liu

Staff Writer

Local parents have pressured

San Ramon Valley Unified

School District and other nearby

districts to ban books with

LGBTQ content as a wider trend

of queer book banning that is

spreading across the country.

“Carry On” by Rainbow

Rowell, “Melissa’s Story” by

Alex Gino, and “57 Bus” by

Dashka Slate were challenged

by parents from Dougherty

Valley High School, Charlotte

Wood Middle School, and

Dublin Unified School District,

though none have been banned.

All three feature prominent

LGBTQ characters.

The 2021-22 school year saw

nearly 140 school districts in

32 states banning more than

2,500 books, according to the

Photo by Allison Cavanagh

Cal High’s library displays some of America’s most banned

books during its annual celebration of Banned Books Week.

non-profit human rights organization

Pen America. Of these

books, more than 40 percent

are titles that address LGBTQ

issues.

“I think that [book banning] is

a form of censorship and limiting

our freedom of speech,” Cal

High librarian Jessica Bailey

said. “To me, it is problematic

and troubling in a lot of ways.”

Junior Ada Wang agrees with

Bailey and said that possible

book bannings could potentially

harm children’s upbringings.

“If you don’t want a child to

read something, it cuts off so

many world experiences and

thought perspectives,” Wang

said. “It kind of leads to a more

closed minded view when you

grow up.”

The first book to come under

attack was Slate’s “57 Bus”,

which contains a nonbinary

character. Cal librarian Nikki

Ogden said parents in the

Dublin school district expressed

frustration about the book being

taught in eighth grade and

See BANNED, page A2

Opinions News Lite A&E

Senior Disneyland

disappoints

High cost not worth the short

stay at the theme park

PAGE A7

In August, President Joe

Biden and his administration

devised a three-step loan forgiveness

plan to help pay off

up to $20,000 of college debt

for eligible Americans.

The plan aims to prevent the

cost of college from weighing

down Americans with debt and

help current and past college

students already in student

loan debt.

“I’m glad they’re doing

something about it,” senior

Spriha Pandey said. “[Even if]

each system isn’t totally fair.”

The first step of the plan

provides individuals with income

less than $125,000 and

married couples with incomes

less than $250,000 with $20,000

in debt cancellation if they took

advantage of the Pell Grant.

Non-Pell Grant recipients will

receive $10,000 in debt cancellation,

according to a statement

published by the White House.

Pell Grants are federal grants

given to college applicants

without a degree who display an

extreme need for financial help.

The typical undergraduate

will graduate with $25,000

of debt, according to the Department

of Education. Grants

used to cover up to 80 percent

of tuition, but have diminished

to cover only a third of the cost

to attend college.

Step two focuses on fixing

the current Public Service Loan

Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

It advocates for PSLF to give

automatic credit toward some

loan forgiveness to citizens

working in nonprofit, military,

federal, state, tribal, or local

government services.

The final step aims to make

community college tuition

free and to hold all colleges

accountable for keeping tuition

prices reasonable. The goal is

to ensure that students receive

the best value and education for

Back to school

shenanigans

Typical crazy antics resume

for the start of the school year

PAGE A8

their money.

Senior May Tijero believes

that the plan is necessary and

positive.

“[The plan] is good because

I don’t think that education is

something that should have a

price tag on it,” Tijero said.

On the other hand, senior

Mihir Arya believes that people

Illustration by Erin Kim

President Biden’s loan forgiveness plan will relieve up to $20,000 in debt for eligible Americans.

need to be more financially

responsible when it comes to

college loans.

“If you choose to take out a

loan, you need to pay it back,”

Arya said. “The price might

not change [for current high

schoolers], but the possibility

of forgiveness could influence

See BIDEN, page A5

Addams Family

“Wednesday”

The Netflix adaptation aptly

releases on Wednesday

PAGE B6

A2 News

read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Thursday, October 13, 2022

Queer books questioned by parents

BANNED

From page A1

sought to have it removed from

the course materials.

“It was something that basically

went up the chain,” Ogden

said. “There was conversations

with teachers, parents and administrators.

It went all the way

to the superintendent to make a

decision on whether or not they

would keep it as a book to be

taught in school.”

To settle the issue, Dublin

Superintendent Chris D. Funk

rejected the challenge and

allowed teachers to continue

teaching the book.

But this was just the first of

several similar challenges.

At Dougherty, Rowell’s

“Carry On” was challenged

because of the main character’s

homosexuality. A Dougherty

parent asked for the book to

be removed from the school’s

library, prompting a meeting

between the parent and Dougherty

Principal Evan Powell.

Powell and the parent came to an

agreement that the book would

remain in the library.

Dougherty librarian Allie

Hussenet said book banning

prevents librarians from doing

their job of empowering readers

and ensuring students have what

they need to succeed.

“I understand if a family

decides, within the confines

of their family, that they don’t

want their child to read a specific

book,” Hussenet said, “but I

am against banning a book and

taking it out of the library so that

no one can read it.”

Many Dougherty students,

including freshman Nicholas

Wong, also disagree with the

motion to ban “Carry On”

because he said it would be a

violation of the United States’

founding principles.

“America is a country that

prides itself on freedom of

speech,” Wong said. “It’s one

of the most important parts of

our Constitution and our Bill of

Rights. I don’t think censorship

on any topic should be allowed,

especially in a public school.”

Gino’s “Melissa’s Story”,

which contains a transgender

character, was questioned after a

Charlotte Wood student picked

it for a book club. When her

parents found out, they went

to the school to complain about

the district allowing students to

read the material.

“There was a lot of conversation

and pushback about

whether the book should even

be allowed,” Ogden said. “Ultimately,

it was allowed.”

While none of the locally

challenged books have been

banned, school districts across

the nation have banned other

LGBTQ books, such as “Gender

Queer” by Maia Kobabe, “Lawn

Boy” by Jonathan Evison,

and “All Boys aren’t Blue”

by George M. Johnson. These

Photo by Allison Cavanagh

Students read books that have been challenged during a celebration of Banned Books Week.

books are on the Top 10 Most

Challenged Books List of 2021,

according to ala.org.

Some of these books were

featured in Cal’s Banned Books

Week, an annual event that

brings awareness to censorship

and freedom of reading. At the

event, which ran from Sept. 18-

24, students spoke out against

book banning.

“I feel like they [LGBTQ

books] shouldn’t be banned because

I think younger kids need

to be aware of this,” junior Rachel

Sears said. “When I was in

elementary school, I kind of just

knew about [LGBTQ people]. I

feel like it doesn’t necessarily

need to be in the curriculum,

but this information needs to

be presented to younger kids.”

Sophomore Sabir Seth agreed

with Sears, saying book banning

puts schools in a bad light.

“There shouldn’t be any sort

of oppression in any way,” said

Seth. “Banning books that are

selective on certain groups

shouldn’t be a cultural aspect of

Cal or any other school.”

Principal Demetrius Ball also

believes that it is important for

students to learn about a variety

of diverse topics and characters.

He said as a school, Cal has the

responsibility of inclusivity and

promoting social diversity.

“Literature is written by

people with different stories,

and we have the responsibility

to expose our students to a

variety of different cultures

and experiences,” Ball said.

“So as part of our job, we can’t

discriminate when it comes to

gender, sexuality or race.”

Cal’s librarians also expressed

support for freedom of

choice. Ogden firmly believes

all books should be unrestricted

and allowed to be read freely.

“I think it’s up to the individual

to decide whether a book is

right for them. Each individual

has different life experiences

[…] so I think it’s really critical

that their stories are heard,”

Ogden said. “And when there’s a

movement to erase those stories,

I think that’s when we have to

fight and push back and say that

we honor these stories. We think

they’re important and valuable,

and they have a place here.”

Shortage leaves classes without teachers

News

in Brief

School hosts

PSAT on Saturday

The PSAT will be administered

to sophomores, juniors

and seniors on Saturday. The

test will take three hours and

25 minutes, with doors opening

at 8 a.m. Cal also hosted

the SAT on Wednesday.

Red Ribbon Week

coming up

Red Ribbon Week will take

place from Oct. 23-31. Red

Ribbon Week is an anti-drug

campaign that educates students

about drug abuse. The

campaign is the largest drug

abuse prevention program in

the United States.

Cal leadership

hosts Fright Fest

Cal High will be hosting a

haunted carnival on Oct. 26

for members of the San Ramon

community. Along with

a haunted house, there will be

food and carnival games open

for all to enjoy.

Choir to perform

fall concert

On Nov. 3, Cal High choir

students will host their fall

concert on Nov. 3 in the school

theater.

TEACHERS

From page A1

“I definitely wasn’t engaging

with the literature as much as I

would have,” Wijesekara said.

But Wijesekara believes that

with Wilgus, the class should be

able to catch up quickly.

“All the other English teachers

were sort of coming together

to help out our curriculum,”

senior Sriram Rajagopal said.

“Another English teacher came

in to help us get ‘Macbeth’ so

we could start reading that.”

English curriculum co-leader

and teacher Regina Lyon, who

was involved in the hiring process

for the AP Lit class, said

the process took longer than

expected since few teachers

applied for the position.

“We did make quite a few

attempts to hire a teacher, but

it took us several attempts to

successfully hire someone,”

Lyon said.

Cal isn’t alone in experiencing

teacher hiring problems.

Wilgus said that at the previous

school he taught at in

Oakland, there were major

issues with hiring teachers. He

said the situation was so bad that

his school could not even hire a

principal, which ultimately led

him to leave for Cal.

“I was one of two returning

teachers on a staff of 25 [that

year],” Wilgus said.

In many school districts

around the country, the bar for

entry level teachers is being

lowered significantly. Fifteen

states now only require educators

to pass a basic literacy

test before allowing them to

New AP Lit teacher Wade Wilgus lectures his class. Rotating substitutes taught the class before he started on Sept. 7.

teach at school, foregoing the

normal requirements of a college

degree, according to The

Washington Post.

This new reduced job criteria

in many states is because of the

scarcity of teachers.

In addition to the problems

the teacher shortage created

with these two AP classes, more

Cal teachers are also taking on

six periods this year because

many other positions were not

filled before the school year

started. Full-time teachers are

contracted to teach five classes.

This year, 33 Cal teachers at

have six classes, compared to

23 teachers last year, according

to the school’s counseling

department.

Spanish 2 teacher Anna

McKnight and social studies

and business teacher Chris

Doherty said they’re willing to

pick up an extra class because

they appreciate the additional

compensation.

Doherty said that only experienced

teachers who want

to teach six periods are given

the extra class. There are several

challenges that come with

teaching six periods.

“We’re just a quarter of the

way through the year,” McKnight

said. “In terms of energy

level, [teaching six periods is]

draining.”

AP Government and world

geography teacher Brandon

Andrews is one of the many

teachers with six classes for the

first time.

“I’m pretty sure that I’m going

to request five periods again

next year,” Andrews said. “I’m

realizing how much time that

it takes away [from] my family

situation.”

Many teachers and administrators

have theories why the

teacher shortage has become

such a problem recently, but

there isn’t one agreed upon

answer to this complicated

question.

Photo by Daphne So

Andrews said there are a

lot of issues with the current

teaching climate that had an

impact on the current shortage

of teachers. He said most of

the issues revolve around the

conditions that most teachers

are forced to work under.

“People who are here have

to either really like [teaching],

or be stuck [teaching],” said

Andrews.

Many believe that even the

people who are interested in

teaching don’t end up getting

the respect they deserve.

“I think there needs to be a

shift in society to value educators,”

Osborn said.

Connect

with The

Californian

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Thursday, October 13, 2022 read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com News A3

New principal gets the ball rolling

Demetrius Ball is Cal High’s

third leader in the last five years

Lexi Broughton

and Saachi Sharma

Californian Editors

From his beginnings of

playing college football to then

serving in the Army, now-educator

Demetrius Ball is getting

the ball rolling for 2022-23 as

Cal High’s newly appointed

principal.

Although many know Ball

through his three years as

principal at Iron Horse Middle

School, he’s had a much longer

history in education.

As a junior in high school,

Ball was inspired to become an

educator by his own principal,

who he said supported him

from seventh grade through

high school.

“I wanted to help students

feel the way she made me feel,

like I belonged,” Ball said.

Ball was able to gain firsthand

teaching experience in a

fifth grade classroom while participating

in his high school’s

iQuest program until he was

recruited to play football at

West Point, the United States

Military Academy.

From there, he spent five

years on active duty in the field

of artillery for the Army while

pursuing his master’s degree.

After serving in the Army,

Ball pursued his teaching

dreams in Tracy and Oakland

before heading to Baltimore and

Howard County in Washington,

D.C., until he arrived in San

Ramon.

Once in the Tri-Valley, Ball

became an assistant principal at

Dougherty Valley High before

transitioning to principal at Iron

Horse. Now, as Cal’s third new

principal in five years after former

Principal Megan Keefer’s

three-year run, Ball is excited

for the new environment the

school has to offer.

“I’ve been super impressed

with how respectful our students

are, how supportive you are

of each other, and how you’re

taking care of our school,” Ball

said. “And the staff is great too.”

During his time at Iron Horse,

Ball built strong connections

with his staff, including new

Principal Marissa Norris, who

was his former vice principal.

“Mr. Ball pretty much, you

know, took me under his wing

and was just teaching me how

to do this admin thing,” Norris

said. “One of the things that I

admire about him most is that

he’s so down to earth, and he’s

cool, calm, and collected in

every situation.

“I’ll walk up to [Mr. Ball], ‘I

got a random question’ and he’s

like, ’Okay, random question,

what is it?” Norris added. “He’s

always there to support.”

Ball impressed district staff

during the hiring process with

his visions for Cal, his respect

for students and families, and

his passion for the field of

education. Melanie Jones, the

district’s executive director of

human resources who helped

with the hiring process, said Ball

stood out to her since he was

already involved in the district.

“One thing that stands out to

me is that [Mr. Ball is] a member

of the community,” Jones said.

“And the fact that his own kids

are going to be going through

our schools I think is reflective

of his level of commitment.”

During his very first week

as Cal’s principal, Ball’s introduction

came with several new

controversial changes to school

rules. These included restricting

access to the parking lot during

school hours, prohibiting Door-

Dash, and strictly enforcing

bathroom visits.

“I wanted to kind of establish

a baseline set of parameters and

structure, so that we are making

sure that the most important

Photo by Judy Luo

New principal Demetrius Ball waves to the crowd during Cal’s annual homecoming parade.

thing we do in schools - teaching

and learning - that those things

were able to happen,” Ball

said, “Given the opportunity,

I’d probably go back and you

know, maybe communicate that

more prior to instituting them.”

In response to feedback from

the community, including a brief

student walkout on Aug. 21, Ball

reopened the main building and

Fine Arts building for lunch

and adjusted the rules to allow

students without fifth or sixth

periods to stay and eat lunch

on campus.

”From the standpoint of

not just an administrator, but

someone who works on campus,

and you know that ultimately,

student safety is your responsibility,

he’s just doing what

makes sense,“ Norris said.

Despite some community

pushback against his initial

policies, Ball is enthusiastic

about making Cal a comfortable

environment for all students.

With upcoming teacher-planned

lessons, student productions,

and new extracurricular activities,

Ball is looking forward to

what the school year has in store.

“Having the opportunity to

be part of a journalism class, or

being in a club, being part of the

band, being part of the drama

program, being exposed,” Ball

said, “I think it’s key that we

provide those opportunities for

students to find their space.”

As principal, Ball thinks

being present is one of the most

important contributions he can

make on campus. He wants to be

seen as approachable and supportive

to all students regardless

of decisions he makes. He asks

that others share their comments

and concerns openly and with

mutual respect to him and any

other administrators.

“I like how present he is,”

assistant principal Jeff Osborn

said. “He’s out and about. He’s

out before school, after school

getting into classrooms, which

is something administrators

have always been trying to do.”

Introducing Cal’s two new assistant principals

Azine Davoudzadeh

has a passion for

innovation in tech

Melissa Nguyen, Christine

Wang, and Shivani Phadnis

Staff Writers

Innovation doesn’t always

come easy, but to new Cal

High assistant principal, Azine

Davoudzadeh, it’s worth the

struggle.

During her time as an educator

and administrator at Dougherty

Valley High, Davoudzadeh

accomplished technological

feats such as designing a lowcost

fire detector that won the

school $100,000 in Samsung’s

Solve for Tomorrow innovation

competition.

Davoudzadeh used the money

to better her Extended Reality

(XR) projects at Dougherty and

create a class called XR for

Social Good, where students

could learn about real-life applications

to VR.

Now, Davoudzadeh is one

of two new assistant principals

working at Cal this year. Her

responsibilities include overseeing

the Class of 2026 and the

technology department.

She also works closely with

the rest of the administration

team on solving school-wide

issues, such as creating a new

system for student support with

assistant principal Jeff Osborn.

Davoudzadeh excels at bringing

new ideas to the table,

according to Osborn.

“I’m thinking specifically

on this new tutorial program

we’re doing and she just wants

it to be the best,” Osborn said.

“She doesn’t just want to do the

same old thing. She’s creative

and innovative.”

Before coming to Cal,

Davoudzadeh taught computer

science at Dougherty. She

earned a degree in virtual reality

before working in the Bay Area

as a teacher.

“What I can say about the

time I’ve been here at Cal is

that we have a diverse student

population,” Davoudzadeh said.

“And I think that’s really unique

in a school.”

Outside of school, Davoudzadeh’s

biggest interest lies in the

virtual world. With a degree

in virtual reality in education,

she formed a community of

students with similar interests

at Dougherty.

Together, the group worked

on new ways to implement VR

technology in school curriculums,

eventually starting an XR

club that Davoudzadeh advised.

She encouraged club members

to think outside of the box and

explore the virtual world.

“I learned a lot from her,”

current Dougherty XR club

Photo by Christine Wang

Assistant Principal Azine Davoudzadeh is in charge of the

Class of 2026 and the technology department.

president Mitali Mittal said.

“And I feel pretty confident

about becoming a president

because I think that I can kind

of follow in her footsteps.”

The XR club entered the

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow

competition with their invention

of a low-cost fire detector and

won the competition’s top prize.

Davoudzadeh doesn’t plan

to stop innovating and working

with VR. She’s thinking about

starting a chapter of the XR

club at Cal and has already been

approached by students who are

interested in the subject.

She also hopes to build an innovation

center where students

can learn about and work on VR

and XR projects, giving students

more resources to further their

education.

“Davoudzadeh brings a lot of

knowledge and resources to our

team,” assistant principal Samuel

McClymont said. “She wants

to make sure that she has a full

view of what’s happening before

she jumps into a situation.”

Samuel McClymont

brings a decade of

leadership to Cal’s

administrative table

Vedant Desikamani

and Achintya Gupta

Staff Writers

Sports and food lovers will

love seeing new assistant principal

Samuel McClymont on

campus this year.

McClymont, a big sports fan

and foodie who goes by Mr.

Mack, began his career as a

social studies teacher, teaching

subjects such as US History for

more than 10 years. He also

taught several grade levels of

AVID, a college readiness program,

and eventually became a

program coordinator.

McClymont then worked as

an assistant principal at De Jean

Middle School in Richmond

(2018-19), Washington Manor

Middle School in San Leandro

(2019-20), and in Arroyo High

School in San Lorenzo (2020-

22) before coming to Cal.

“Cal has really established

itself as a strong school in terms

of what it offers to students,”

McClymont said.

As an assistant principal,

McClymont oversees the Class

of 2023, the Associated Student

Body, leadership, and the math

department. He works with the

leadership advisers Hannah

Cheng and Troy Bristol to provide

administrative oversight

for their plans and activities.

“Mr. Mack values the

well-being of students,” Cheng

said. “He takes his job very

seriously.”

McClymont also works

collaboratively with other

Photo by Lili Loney

Assistant Principal Samuel McClymont oversees the Class of

2023, ASB, leadership, and the math department.

members of the administration

team for major decision making.

“He’s learning his way,” new

Principal Demetrius Ball said.

“So am I and so is Ms. D [Azine

Davoudzadeh] as another new

assistant principal.”

One of the aspects McClymont

appreciates about Cal is

the students. He feels students

don’t get enough credit for being

the people they are.

“He really cares about students

and wants to do a good

job so that they have a good

experience,” Davoudzadeh

said. “He is doing a great job

working with our campus

monitors and he is really a great

presenter and public speaker and

is thoughtful.”

McClymont loves the enthusiasm

and pride students show

toward their school. One of

his favorite moments so far at

Cal was seeing the passion the

students show at football games.

He’s also noticed the adaptability

of the senior class

regarding the new rules and

appreciates it greatly. McClymont

said administrators are

trying their best to communicate

with the community about the

rule changes they implemented

at the beginning of the year and

are working hard to listen to

student and parent feedback.

One change McClymont

wants to see is for more students

to pick up garbage, even if it’s

not their own trash, because it

pollutes the campus.

“The least people can do is

throw away their own trash,”

McClymont said.

McClymont was delighted to

see Cal’s student ambassadors at

Back to School Night last month

guiding parents on the campus,

and encourages their responsibility

and independence.

“We really do see you,”

McClymont said. “We really

do recognize your greatness,

and at the end of the day we

really do care about you as an

admin team.”

Staff writer Tejas Mahesh

contributed to this story.

A4 News

Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Thursday, October 13, 2022

Cheerleaders wave from the back of a truck at Athan Downs

before the homecoming parade begins. The parade traveled

through the streets of San Ramon near Cal’s campus last Friday.

Students from the Class of 2025 look out from their class float

during their first homecoming parade. The freshmen chose a

disco theme to decorate their float with this year.

Homecoming a rockin’ good time

Seniors Sam Fomin, left, and Sophia Culver ride in style through

the homecoming parade. The two were named the homecoming

king and queen during the football game’s halftime festivities.

From left to right, senior water polo players Jordyn Porter,

Nimisa Panda and Brianna Farias cruise through last Friday’s

homecoming parade on a boat. All fall sports teams had floats

in the parade.

Photos by Judy Luo and Christine Wang

What were you most

looking forward

to during the

homecoming week?

Photos by Lili Loney

“The food or dancing at

homecoming seems like

fun.”

“The parade probably

because I get to spent time

with my team.”

“I’m excited for the spirit

days and the football

game.”

“The rally because it is fun

seeing all my classmates

together.”

“I like going to the homecoming

dance because of

the social aspect.”

“The pink out game because

the football games

are always fun.”

Kacie Rousseu

Freshman

Zach Rosenberg

Sophomore

McKenna Reid

Junior

Sydney Barlow

Senior

Ryan Hoffman

Senior

Kaylee Rodgers

Junior

Thursday, October 13, 2022 Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com

News A5

School Resource Officer assigned to Cal

Cpl. Maricela Bracamonte is a

veteran police officer

Mansi Swaminathan

Staff Writer

Cal High has upgraded from

sharing one School Resource

Officer (SRO) with Dougherty

Valley High to having its very

own on campus this year.

The San Ramon police

force’s new addition, Corporal

Maricela Bracamonte, is Cal’s

new SRO. Her role is to ensure

the safety and well-being of

students and staff on school

grounds.

“My primary and sole role is

to make sure that everybody on

campus, whether it is teachers

or students, feels safe,” Cpl.

Bracamonte said. “It is to protect

you guys from any harm.”

Cpl. Bracamonte has been

working as a resource officer

on campus for a little more than

two months now and likes the

environment of the school.

Her interest in criminal justice

compelled her to pursue

a job as a police officer. She

worked as one for 14 years

with the Walnut Creek Police

Department before joining

the San Ramon department.

Cpl. Bracamonte said she

wanted to become an SRO

because she liked to interact

with kids.

Cal Principal Demetrius

Ball said SROs are like a

bridge between students and

the police department.

“The purpose of a school

resource officer is to build

a relationship between the

city’s police department and

the school,” Ball said.

As a part of Cpl. Bracamonte’s

role as an SRO, she

has to make sure that there

aren’t any unwelcome people

on campus.

She said many people

like to walk around campus

during the daytime. She gives

them friendly reminders emphasizing

that during class

hours no one is allowed to

enter the school grounds.

“If they [citizens] don’t

have a reason to be here, we

don’t want them to be here,”

Cpl. Bracamonte said.

Photo by Mansi Swaminathan

Corporal Maricela Bracamonte patrols campus in her SRO uniform during break at Cal High.

Cpl. Bracamonte is usually

patrolling near the perimeter

of the school. During the day,

while students are in their

classes, she patrols near the

back gate. When students are

out in the quad during breaks,

she tries to be there with them.

She often talks with students

and teachers during lunch.

“The only way I’m going

to gain trust [from students] is

through the interactions I have

with you all every day,” Cpl.

Bracamonte said. “Hopefully

the people I talk to let other

people know that I’m a person

that they can always talk to.”

Some students feel that Cpl.

Bracamonte’s sociable and approachable

conduct makes her

a comfortable person to talk to.

“She’s very friendly, she’s

waved to me a couple of times,”

senior Spriha Pandey said. “Her

presence definitely feels nice,

I don’t think her being there

interrupts any school activities.”

Despite her friendly interactions

with many on campus,

some students are sure about

the idea of a police officer on

school grounds.

“At first I was quite skeptical

about it,” sophomore Renee

LaMarche said. “But this is high

school, and you never know

what could happen.”

“Added senior Sochi Nwankwo

said. “[Having police officers]

doesn’t really do anything.

They are not really helping our

campus at all.”

In response to some students’

concerns about having an SRO,

assistant principal Jeffrey Osborn

asked students to meet Cpl.

Bracamonte first before passing

judgment.

“I’d like for them to get to

know Cpl. Bracamonte,” Osborn

said. “Cpl. Bracamonte is

a wonderful person.”

Biden’s loan forgiveness plan to help those with student debt

BIDEN

From page A1

the mindset surrounding higher

education and incentivize more

people to pursue higher education.”

Current Cal students should

not expect the loan forgiveness

plan to help them because the

debt cancellation only applies to

people who have already taken

out student loans.

The window to apply for

help closes at the end of 2022

before some seniors even finish

submitting applications. It’s

predicted that 21 percent of

recipients affected are 25 years

and under, while 44 percent are

ages 26 to 39, according to a

White House fact sheet.

Tijero believes those who

have already been through college

need the loan forgiveness

the most.

“I feel like you should start

with the people that have debt

first,” Tijero said. “ That makes

sense.”

According to an estimate by

President Joe Biden created a new loan forgiveness plan that

will forgive debt for people who have taken out student loans.

the Wharton Budget Model,

forgiving $10,000 per person

Photo courtesy of goodfreephotos.com

applicable would create an additional

$519 billion in federal

deficit. Forbes analysts agree

that forgiving student loans will

increase the deficit.

Cal’s college and career

counselor Kathryn Nichols expressed

concern for the potential

negative impacts of the plan on

the local economy.

“You’re trying to figure out,

how do I pay my rent, my food,

all my other expenses, and

have a little percentage that‘s

also going to pay back my

student loans,” Nichols said.

“But meanwhile that money

is the money that could have

been used for something that

goes into your local economy

as well.”

Spending on the plan could

cut funding from other policies

the Biden administration had

promised, including eliminating

free and reduced lunches and

raising the age senior citizens

become eligible for full Social

Security, according to the Congressional

Budget Office. Proposed

laws such as guaranteed

parental leave could also be cut.

Nichols expressed additional

concern regarding the potential

elimination of programs such as

parental leave and their impact

on the Cal community.

“That’s a real problem because

that’s addressing an entire

other part of the population that

could very well be this population,”

Nichols said.

Taxes will be raised in order

to raise funding. The plan will

run on a progressive income

based tax system, which means

that the more income a person

makes the more they will have

to pay for other people’s student

loan forgiveness, according to

the National Taxpayer’s union.

The wealthiest Americans

paying the most money won’t

be eligible for aid.

According to the National

Taxpayers Union, the average

amount a U.S. taxpayer will pay

toward student debt cancellation

will be $2,503.22. An additional

$11,940 would be contributed

by those making between

$200,000 and $500,000, bringing

the total for those taxpayers

to nearly $14,500.

Cal High government teacher

Alex Geller said the plan will

help him but will exclude

some people, including current

students.

“It’s unfortunate that people

who already paid off their debt

won’t benefit from [the plan],”

Geller said.

Geller also said Biden’s

plan will help him greatly as

someone with student loan debt,

but he believed the new taxing

system to pay for it can be seen

as both fair and unfair.

According to Forbes, many

professional analysts, as well

as citizens including Geller,

speculate that colleges and

universities will increase the

prices of tuition to balance

against the loss of money from

Biden’s plan.

If that happens, students

currently unable to apply for

loan forgiveness would have

to spend more on their college

education in the coming years

without a guaranteed chance

at future loan forgiveness or

debt relief.

Positive psychology class hosts food packing event

Students will team with Kids Against Hunger to

pack food for people in Ukrane, Haiti and San Jose

Cameron Ho

Staff Writer

The positive psychology

class is hosting a Kids Against

Hunger event for volunteers to

help package meals for Ukraine,

Haiti and San Jose on Nov. 9.

Senior Michael Vass, who is

in the positive psychology class,

had the idea to work with the

Kids Against Hunger program

(KAH) after a unit in class about

the effects of acts of kindness.

Vass looked toward his

church to find volunteering

organizations to partner with

and learned about the KAH

volunteering service.

“Kids Against Hunger

seemed to be like a good fit for

us because you could set up

the events and one of the other

schools in the district did it,”

Vass said.

Positive psychology teacher

Christina Haaverson oversees

the KAH event and lets her

students vote on where to send

meals. This year, students

decided to distribute the meals

to Ukraine, Haiti and San Jose.

Volunteers will contribute $20

each to pay for ingredients and

pack them in the cafeteria.

“It’s amazing what happens

when we give kids an opportunity

to shine,” Haaverson

said.

Some students volunteered

to pack food this year out of the

kindness in their hearts.

“I wanted to do something

kind to help someone out,”

junior Zaid Sharifi, who signed

up for the event, said.

Students such as junior Charlotte

Yamada saw the event as

an opportunity to get into volunteering

and helping people.

“I like the thought of helping

others, especially since I don’t

usually volunteer,” Yamada

said.

This isn’t the first time the

positive psychology students

organized and volunteered

for this service. Last year, the

students focused on distributing

meals to Ukraine and garnered

support from many students and

teachers. Volunteers worked

together to pack almost 15,000

meals for people in Ukraine.

“People would be at different

stations doing different things,

like scooping, weighing,” Vass

said. “I ended up moving bags

to stations to fill ingredients that

would go into bags.”

Senior Sienna Lewis, who

has volunteered with KAH

before, said she enjoyed the

experience and the way the

organization lets volunteers

directly manage supplies.

“I did an event like this with

KAH in the past with Girl Scouts

and it was fun,” Lewis said. “I

also liked KAH because usually

companies like this don’t give

resources straight to volunteers,

but KAH does.”

Last year, positive psychology

students also raised $420 for

ingredients from teachers who

couldn’t attend but supported

the cause. This year the class

hopes to garner the same support

for the event.

“[Volunteering last year]

gave them joy and it was fun

giving back to the community

and the world around them,”

Haaverson said.

In order to continue with the

event this year, the class must

have 100 sign-ups before the

date of service, Haaverson said.

About 120-150 students came

last year, including some who

had not registered.

“Some kids came at the door

because friends were there,”

Haaverson said. “Last year there

were whole families that wanted

to give back to others, so we had

grandparents and little siblings

all packing food.”

Added junior Samantha Gee,

“[The KAH event] is a good

opportunity to give back, and

it’s an opportunity to incorporate

people into the community.”

A6 Opinions

STAFF EDITORIALS

The Voice of California High School

Cal appreciating

culture much more

Cal High has turned a new

leaf in terms of inclusion by

creating different activities to

educate and appreciatemore

cultures.

Last year, Cal’s Culture and

Climate Team created Instagram

posts for heritage months,

but that was the extent of the

awareness spread for different

cultures. There were not many

activities advertised to students,

making the celebrations small

and pointless.

Creating Instagram posts

is not enough to enforce the

positive thinking that is needed

to improve Cal’s culture

awareness.

The drastic change between

last year’s cultural appreciation

versus this year’s is immense.

Cal’s leadership team started

the year with Latin Heritage

Month, which runs from Sept.

15-Oct. 15. Flags of different

Hispanic countries are hung

throughout the main building.

Activities pertaining to Latin

culture, such as making papel

picado and watching “Encanto”,

were also organized for

students.

These activities make the

educational aspect of cultural

awareness more fun and accessible

to more students. Only

some Cal students have access

to social media where they

can view posts during heritage

months, so including in-person

events creates more inclusivity.

For Latin Heritage Month,

leadership reached out to the

Hispanic Heritage Club and

AP Spanish classes to get their

input for creating inclusive

activities. This is a great way

to get accurate and well thought

out information.

Leadership should continue

to use input from clubs of

different backgrounds to break

stereotypes that would be reinforced

by assumptions.

The effort put into the variety

of events for Latin Heritage

Month is a huge step up from

just Instagram posts. It creates

a stronger connection between

students and encourages a more

inclusive environment.

What’s most important now is

a commitment to such actions.

We started the year off strong,

so it’s important to continue

the positive energy and effort

for all heritage months and

cultural weeks.

As we continue to celebrate

different cultures, learning

about their history and why

certain activities are important

can help educate students so

they become more mindful of

others on campus.

Leadership is doing their best

in changing Cal’s culture, but it

is up to the students to help promote

positive appreciation as

well. Participating in the activities,

reading through Instagram

posts, and being more mindful

of other people’s backgrounds

on campus can all contribute to

a more inclusive campus.

UC housing crisis

needs to be fixed

The unique experience of

moving into a new dorm is a

monumental moment for any

college student.

Unfortunately, numerous

incoming UC students have

struggled with limited housing

options because of poor communication,

planning and overbooked

on-campus housing.

Affordable housing has been

an ongoing issue for UC schools

that has never seemed to be

properly resolved. According

to a report from California’s

Legislative Analyst Office, 16

percent of UC students in 2020

resorted to living in hotels, transitional

housing, and outdoor

areas because they did not have

access to permanent housing.

Although the UC system offered

an additional 20,000 beds

to students at their 10 campuses

since the 2016 school year,

7,500 students still remained on

waitlists for campus housing in

the fall of 2021, the Legislative

Analyst Office reported.

In short, past efforts to provide

more housing after recognizing

this severe issue failed

under the poor management

of the UC housing system. A

large factor is the increasing

number of students admitted to

UC schools each year.

Within the past five years,

UC schools admitted 30,000

additional students, increasing

enrollment to a record 294,662

students in the fall of 2021.

This shows the UC system’s

careless push toward enrollment

growth.

At this point, it seems almost

impossible for the UC system to

not recognize the pattern of the

student enrollment in comparison

to the lack of housing. But

these figures show little regard

for students’ well-being.

The overall cost of housing

at UC schools is another hurdle

for incoming students. The estimated

cost of housing and meals

alone for the 2023-24 school

year is $18,700 on campus and

$15,000 off campus according

to UC Admissions.

There are many solutions

for UC Admissions to consider

to resolve this housing crisis.

First, admitting fewer students

will significantly decrease the

housing needed for the universities

to provide. While this may

make the admissions process

more selective, the well-being

of students must be taken into

consideration over the growth

of the student population.

Second, decreasing the cost

of housing will allow students to

have access to more affordable

housing, which can greatly

improve the hunt for homes

during the transition to college.

Students planning on attending

UC schools next year will

experience the same problems

from the actions of UC administrators

if drastic changes do

not occur.


News Editors

Andrew Ma

Trisha Sarkar

Ylin Zhu

News Lite Editor

Wyatt Golla

Alexia Broughton

Marcus Chalasani

Andrew Chen

Keliimaikai Demello

Vedant Desikamani

Jaqueline Guerrero

Achintya Gupta

Rebbeca Haghnegahdar

Cameron Ho

Social Media Editor

Kylie Thomsen

Social Media Team

Asiyah Ally

Allison Cavanagh

Aniruddha Lappathi

Tanvi Pandya

Abhinav Purohit

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Californian

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Daphne So

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Gabriela Jimenez

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Staff Writers

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Thursday, October 13, 2022

Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com

Opinions A7

Senior Disneyland trip comes with issues

Pranav Khosla

Staff Writer

The end of the year senior

class trip to Disneyland has been

anticipated by many students

finishing their last year of Cal

High hoping to end their high

school years with a bang.

A trip to the “Happiest Place

on Earth” is seemingly the

perfect place to celebrate their

achievements throughout their

four years at Cal.

Although many students are

looking forward to the trip in

May, the many provisions and

expenses are an unfortunate

price to pay in order to attend

this trip.

Registration for the trip costs

$499, according to a flyer sent

in an email to students and families

from International Student

Tours GradWeek, the company

hosting the trip.

That’s a lot of money for

a one-day trip when seniors

must wake up at the crack of

dawn to ride a bus from Cal to

Anaheim. and after the trip ends

at 2 a.m. the next day, students

and chapterones get back on the

buses to go home.

The fact that the trip is only

a day long is a severe let-down

The end of the year senior trip to Disneyland caused concern with its high expenses and questionable itinerary.

since students sacrifice their

sleep for a 24 hour trip.

Although the trip comes

with the advantage of Park

Hopper tickets that costs up

to an additional $65 per ticket

for the privilege to visit both

Disneyland and Claifornia

Adventure to only to be given

a single day is more of a waste

than an exciting perk.

Why be offered a benefit to

better enjoy Disneyland when

this enjoyment only lasts for

a day?

The trip also includes a Disney

Grad Nite Private Event

for the students, which grants

them exclusive access to the

California Adventure park from

9 p.m. until 2 a.m.. The events

offered are forcefully shoved in

the span of a day.

For the GradWeek coordinators

to expect students to

have enough energy to enjoy

the event after spending nearly

a day in the park from their arrival,

poorly overlooks student

wellbeing.

How students are being asked

to pay for the trip is proving to be

more a problem than an incentive

to go on the trip. Students

can either pay the upfront price

of $499 or pay in installments


over several months, starting

with a $100 nonrefundable

deposit in September and continuing

with a $75 payment on

the first of each month from

November to March.

This payment method, especially

with the nonrefundable

deposit, is not a lenient way for

students and their parents to pay

for this event. The initial non

refundable deposit is simply a

forceful agreement to compel

people to remain committed

to their decision of going to

Disneyland, regardless if they

change their mind or are suddenly

unable to attend.

The limited capacity of students

who can go on the trip is

another restriction. The buses

used for the trip can hold 45

people each. Once all the buses

are full, any remaining students

are waitlisted.

The problem with this is that

if the trip does end up overbooked,

then many waitlisted

students who signed up may

miss out on the trip, which

is a disappointment for them

and their parents who paid for

the trip.

To get the most fun out of the

trip, the GradWeek organizers

should lengthen the trip to allow

seniors more time to enjoy the

park the next day while still

having enough time to return to

campus on the scheduled time.

Not only will this let students

enjoy their trip for a longer time,

but it will help make the most

of all the expenses required. In

addition, guaranteeing a reliable

form of transportation will be

one less thing for students to

worry about.

Lowering prices must also

be considered. This will allow

more students the opportunity

to participate in this event other

than just the students whose

parents are willing to pay $500

for their senior student to enjoy a

single day of fun and a potential

bus ride.

Is Biden’s student loan plan really a good idea?

Rebbeca Haghnegahdar

Staff Writer

As the cost of attending a four

year institution continues to rise,

it becomes increasingly difficult

for middle-class families of high

school students to help fund

their children’s college tuition.

While taking out loans may

be seen as a solution to the high

costs of tuition, on average it

takes 20 years to pay back their

loans, with some taking even

longer according to bankrate.

com

To tackle this issue, President

Joe Biden signed an executive

order to provide forgiveness on

up to $20,000 in student loans.

A study by CollegeBoard

and the U.S Department of

Education shows that even after

taking inflation into account,

the average tuition for a four

year college in America has

tripled since 1980 from $10,231

to $28,775, while the median

income has barely doubled,

according to Forbes.

These increasing costs make

a higher education less affordable

to many people. Additionally,

the Pell Grant, a federal

grant that is the main source

of government funded aid in

America, had no significant

YES

increase in the maximum value

of money that can be granted to

a student. Pell grants now barely

make a dent in the debt of most

students according to a white

house fact sheet.

The average American will

graduate with $25,000 in student

loan debt, according to

the Association of Public Land

Grant Universities.

Biden’s loan forgiveness will

give new college graduates a

head start to their future while

also helping Americans who

have been out of college for

10-plus years, who may still be

paying off their loans.

This can fix the rise in students

who are forced to drop

out because of the high costs of

college or will be stuck in debt

for a degree they were never

able to earn. Of the 5.3 percent

of Americans who drop out of

college, a majority of them do

so because they can not afford

to continue attending, according

to an analysis done by the U.S

Department of Education.

Biden’s plan can solve this

by providing many low-income

college students with enough

financial relief to continue

their education, and as a whole

makes a four-year degree more

accessible to America’s youth.

It has also been proven that

student debt disproportionately

affects students of color, specifically

Black Americans. The

average Black American still

needs to pay back 95 percent

of their student debt 20 years

after they graduate, according

to a White House fact sheet.

This program will allow for

Black Americans to have more

equal opportunities in a country

that has been systematically

working against them.

The plan focuses on more

than just relieving loans. It also

works to make monthly loan

payments more manageable for

middle class Americans. The

plan sets a maximum amount

for how much each monthly

payment can be, at 5 percent

of the borrower’s discretionary

income, which is the annual

income after income taxes. This

portion of the plan benefits not

only people who are currently

paying back loans, but people

who plan to take out student

loans in the future, and can lower

annual loan payments by $1000

on average.

Smaller monthly payments

are a better way to ensure

that people will not miss the

payments they owe. Missing

payments can harm one’s credit

score, which can make it hard

for them to make important

purchases, as well as leading to

higher interest rates and fewer

future loan options.

Biden’s plan to ease student

debt is a monumental step forward

in making four-year education

more accessible to lower

and middle income families in

America, and provides hope that

one day, student loans will not

be such a pressing issue.

Ahbinav Purohit

Staff Writer

NO

As with any well-intentioned

policy the devil is always in

the details, and President Joe

Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness

Plan is no exception.

Implemented through executive

action, the Student Loan

Forgiveness Plan aims to cancel

up to $20,000 in federal student

loans for nearly 20 million

borrowers. Under the plan,

eligible borrowers who earn

less than $125,000 ($250,000

for married couples) can expect

a debt cancellation of $10,000,

and $20,000 if they are a Pell-

Grant recipient.

This policy aimed at helping

lower- to middle-class borrowers

may hurt them.

What is abundantly clear is

that this policy aims to tackle

student DEBT, but does not do

anything to limit tuition costs of

colleges. The very source of the

problem with massive student

debt is the fact that colleges are

just more expensive than they

used to be, even when adjusted

for inflation.

Average tuition costs increased

by 10 percent at public

schools and 19 percent at private

schools from the 2010-11 to the

2020-21 school years, according

to the National Center for

Education Statistics.

Plus, in-state tuition increased

from $3,800 in 1990-91

to $10,560 in 2020-21, according

to the College Board.

The reason why it got so bad

is because of the subsidization of

higher education. Through the

Higher Education Act passed

by President Lyndon Johnson in

1965, the government was able

to help pay for people’s college

tuition through the creation of

low-interest student loans in

addition to increasing federal

funding to universities.

Ironic how the government

made student loans to help

people pay for college which

has now become a problem in

itself. With each student now

having more money through the

government to pay for college,

colleges took advantage of the

situation and increased tuition.

Now, colleges are able to

charge outrageous fees with

very little accountability.

A policy aimed at capping

tuition or setting tuition at a rate

in which a college’s graduates

are able to effectively pay them

back with their expected salary

might be the way to go. However,

this policy does NOT do

that. Instead, it keeps the existing

heavily-subsidized system

of higher education in place,

without tackling the source of

the problem.

Additionally, does it really

make sense for a plumber, who

didn’t go to college, to pay for

Sally’s degree in theater arts?

Unlike the National Defense

Education Act of 1958, which

sought to encourage students to

pursue degrees in science and

mathematics during the Cold

War, Biden’s student loan forgiveness

plan does not consider

what major students pursue.

It does not take a rocket scientist

to figure out that certain

majors such as engineering will

pay more and have a better return

on investment ROI for the

taxpayer, than some hogwash

liberal arts degree.

But this plan does not even

consider that.

So in theory, one could major

in anything, rack up a substantial

amount of student debt, and then

have the government, aka YOU

the taxpayer, pay for it. Because

even though the government

will try to convince you that it’s

“all paid for”, they will never

shed light on who exactly paid

for all of it.

To add on, this policy completely

disregards the very

structures in which our modern

economy is rooted in. Our society

relies on people being able

to borrow money (credit) from

people who have this money

(debit), and then being able to

pay them back in full within a

given time.

Higher education is a choice

for many, NOT a human right, so

it does not morally make sense

for people who decided not to

go to college to pay for someone

who is going to college.

A8 ews Lite The Californian’s Time-Honored Humor Section


Cal High hijinks back in full force

A new year

means more

absurdities on

campus

Dhruv Kommuri

Staff Writer

The the first quarter of the

2022-23 school year is already

in the books, and Cal High

is off to a bit of a rough start

once again.

A new school year always

seems to mean the same thing:

more expectations that won’t be

met, entertaining club activities,

and more “appetizing” food

for lunch.

With new Principal Demetrius

Ball taking over, some new

rules were introduced. When

some of the rules regarding

seating during lunch for this

year were announced, lots of

students immediately thought

Cal was going to be like glorified

detention.

These rules prevented students

from going to the back

parking lot during school hours,

and restricted all students to the

commons and the quad during

breaks.

As a compromise, several

new tables were added around

the quad, that way only most

of the students would have to

either stand or sit on the warm,

comfy concrete.

What a luxury.

Students, reasonably enough,

felt like they were going to be

packed in like sardines. To

combat this, they had decided

to protest with a walkout.

However, because of the

rules students were protesting,

they couldn’t go through the

gates to commence said walkout,

making it more of a walk-in.

Illustration by Pavani Balaji

Crafty crooks quickly carry away candy during Club Fair, just one of the many interesting events that has already taken on a strange twist this school year.

Trying to protest seating rules

only to be stopped by seating

rules. Oh the immobile irony.

Speaking of being stuck in

the quad, last month students

got to experience the wonder

of Club Fair, where every single

club-seeking student was

crowded into a small ring around

the quad. Spectacular.

Many of the students were

interested in joining new clubs

for their own interests, to widen

their perspective, to add new

activities into their lives, and

to meet new people.

So, to make sure students

wouldn’t miss out on such

an opportunity, several club

members represented their

activities in the most effective

way possible. They shouted at

the top of their lungs that people

should join their club.

Now, this isn’t entirely

different from what happens

every other year, but when you

have a river of people slowly

shambling their way through a

club alley, all that noise blends

into one big cacophony.

I would love to pursue my

interests, but it would help just

a bit if I could actually hear

myself think.

On the other hand, a large

number of students were more

interested in collecting candy

than joining clubs, as many

clubs offered candy or other

treats for those who would join.

The “thieves” managed to

take candy by proclaiming they

would join the club, only to go

back on their word and enjoy

the ill-gotten goods.

If this deception didn’t work,

they would just pilfer the candy

and run away with all the

grace and subtly of a raccoon.

Sometimes, a sweet tooth isn’t

the best thing.

To add onto all of this, morning

traffic around campus has

somehow gotten worse. Didn’t

think that was possible, right?

With the elimination of

A-Period, everybody arrives at

school simultaneously. Now,

trying to get past the river of

automobiles into Cal is like

whitewater rafting.

As the school year progresses,

more notable events will

happen, no doubt, and some will

even carry on to the following

years to come. But if history is

any indication, Cal students will

always find a way to add their

own interesting twist.

The newest craze: Schoology bios

New feature to

school grading

platform leads

to unsurprising

outcomes

Dallas Nowlin

Staff Writer

Say goodbye to Instagram

and Snapchat.

A new form of social media

has risen. It’s the grading platform,

Schoology. All others

pale in comparison.

Many students discovered

at the start of the year that

there’s a new option allowing

them to “write a short bio” in

the Schoology settings. Along

with the bio option, students can

include interests, activities, and

contact information. Students

can even insert a profile picture.

With an endless amount of

options for their bios, many

students have made the most

of this opportunity.

“I was messing around [on

Schoology] and saw it [the bio

feature], and I love it!” sophomore

Sophia VanDerbeek said.

Other students, however, feel

indifferent to the function.

“I clicked many buttons on

Schoology and accidentally

found it,” sophomore Daksh

Singh said. “It is strange. I do not

know why there’s a bio feature.”

I agree. It’s unexpected, but

let’s run with it. The opportunities

are limitless.

Although it’s a hidden, outof-place

detail, many students

have already taken advantage

of the new tool for comedic

purposes.

“Have a nice day. Why are

you here?” Singh’s profile read.

Good question, yet somehow,

I don’t even know. Yikes man,

are you gonna make me have

an existential crisis about why

I chose to publish an article on

Schoology bios? Oh, and I hope

you have a nice day too.

VanDerbeek added to the

overall humor of the situation,

stating in her bio, “I love Austin

Butler.”

Apparently, VanDerbeek is a

big Butler fan.

“I love his face and his voice

and his face!” she said.

I couldn’t agree more! I mean,

look at him.

One student took this humor

even further. Sophomore Srinath

Parvatine’s bio included

multiple links to Rick Astley’s

Photo by Wyatt Golla

Students such as News Lite Editor Wyatt Golla have made the most out of the new Schoology

bio feature by highlighting their interests, hobbies and, of course, their cleverness.

notorious “Never Gonna Give

You Up”. After all, a rickroll is

truly a hallmark of the internet.

Side note, Astley turns 57

next year! Don’t you think his

age is the real rickroll? I don’t

think I could imagine him in any

other scenario than an odd video

found within the intricate fibers

of the internet. Man, time flies.

From asking around campus,

the consensus on the bios was

either “What do you mean

you can write a biography on

Schoology?” or “Uh, yeah,

I’ve seen it, and well...it exists

I guess.”

Not many people seem to care

about this endearing aspect, lovingly

included by the creators

of Schoology. Hopefully more

students will take note of the

feature during the school year,

and everyone could have their

own profile.

Mainstream social media is

perfect for meeting companions.

But there are many other

ways to be outgoing, such as

making a phone call, meeting

up for brunch, or my favorite

medium, the free-to-use, hip

and trendy Schoology.

Who knows, maybe after

this is published, other students

might want to make their own

bios on Schoology. Doubtful.

Get a new sense of style with fall fashion trends.

Read more about it in A&E on page B8.

Graphic by Judy Luo

B2 Sports


Flora and Zora bring home the gold

Junior Zora Choi and sophomore Flora Dixit

compete at Teakwondo World Championship

Anvi Kataria

and Yinning Xie

Staff Writers

Feeling as if they were holding

Captain America’s shield with the

American flag on their backs, junior

Zora Choi and sophomore Flora Dixit

were presented with their team events

medal, quite an accomplishment consider

where they were last summer.

Choi and Dixit competed for the

USA Junior Girls Team at the International

Taekwon-Do Foundation (ITF)

World Championship from July 29-31

in the Netherlands.

Choi earned six medals, including

gold in specialty techniques (different

variations of high kick) and silver in

individual patterns (a set of techniques

in a sequence). Choi was awarded the

most medals on Team USA.

“I really enjoy competing,” Choi

said. “[I] get that adrenaline rush.”

Dixit received five medals, including

a bronze individual medal for special

techniques.

Team USA earned a gold medal in

specialty techniques, silver medals

for patterns (set of techniques in a

sequence with multiple people in sync)

and power breaking (ability to break

boards using hand and leg techniques),

and a bronze for sparring (fighting).

“[The tournament] was by far one of

my biggest achievements,” Dixit said.

Dixit has been training in taekwondo,

a traditional Korean martial art,

since she was four years old, while

Choi has been involved with the sport

since she was in fourth grade.

To earn spots on the team, Dixit and

Choi had to compete at a qualifier in

Houston, where each studio sent its

top on March 26. In Houston, Choi

and Dixit had to place among the top

three in each division and have coaches

select them for the team.

There were only seven girls chosen

for the junior girls’ team.

When Choi was chosen for the team

she actually felt surprised that she

earned a spot. A few names later, Dixit

was announced for the team as well.

Both girls were excited and happy that

they qualified for the team together.

When selected for the events team,

Choi and Dixit couldn’t believe that

they both got selected. Dixit said it was

great that they both got selected (and

other girls from their studio) because it

brought more unity to the team.

Dixit said Team USA had a very

strong bond with her teammates and

Photo courtesy of Chuen Choi

Zora Choi practices a kick during the Taekwon-Do World Championships.

played “High School Musical” songs

during practice to help bring the team

even closer together.

During the competition, Dixit went

up against competitors from different

countries, including ones in the Netherlands,

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Italy,

Argentina, Spain, and Malaysia. She

said that Argentina was the hardest

country to compete against because its

team was government-funded.

Choi also went against some challenging

countries in the tournament.

“Argentina was a big one [competitor]”

Choi said.

Monte Vista junior Saran Nagubandi,

a member of the USA Junior Boys

Team, met Choi several years ago at

Jue’s Taekwon-Do and said she’s very

diligent in her training.

“[Choi] is the most hardworking

person I know,” Nagubandi said.

Choi started training through San

Ramon taekwon-do programs before

joining her current studio, Jue’s Taekwon-Do

in the Market Place, which

she really likes. Dixit started training

because she had a lot of energy and

someone had recommended having

her officially join a studio.

“[Taekwon-do] was just a way that

I could just spend my time and I made

a lot of friends,” Dixit said.

While Dixit moved to Jue’s Taekwon-Do

about four years ago, Choi

was actually one of the first students

to join the studio. Dixit moved to Jue’s

Taekwon-Do as a first-degree black belt

and is now a second-degree. Choi also

is a second-degree black belt.

“[Dixit] is very diligent in her training,”

Derek Leung, one of her instructors

at Jue’s Taekwon-Do, said. “She

came as a black belt. It took her a long

time to become a second-degree black

belt, but she didn’t give up so she has

a lot of perseverance in her training.”

Dixit worked very hard throughout

her taekwon-do training and is currently

debating whether to go to the next

world championship to see if she has

improved. She is also working toward

her next belt, a third-degree black belt,

and is hoping to potentially teach others

in the future.

Choi is hoping to compete in the

Taekwon-Do World Cup next summer

which she said is rumored to be in

South Korea.

One of Choi’s mentors, Val Leung,

motivated Choi the most to keep on

training.

“She is one of those people where

you teach it once, and it will stick to her,

and she will always try to implement

that in everything she does,” Leung,

an instructor from Jue’s Taekwon-Do,

said. “So you see her consistently trying

to improve herself and [get] better.”

Chad Ross takes over as new athletic director

Photo courtesy of Chuen Choi

Flora Dixit, left, and Zora Choi, far right, pose at Taekwon-Do World Championships this summer. The girls helped

the USA Junior Girls Team four medals at the international competition, including a gold medal in specialty

techniques. Choi earned six individual medals, while Dixit earned five medals.

Marcus Chalasani

and Andrew Chen

Staff Writers

New athletic director Chad Ross was

getting sports scholarships as a Grizzly

before iPhones existed.

Now as Cal High’s athletic director,

Ross supports student-athletes and

coaches to ensure the school’s athletic

programs are a positive representation

of the Grizzlies. Ross also works behind

the scenes scheduling practices

and games on campus, answering any

questions parents or athletes may have,

and constantly working to improve the

athletic program.

Ross’s goal for Cal is to build a

culture that uplifts athletes to achieve

their potential. He aims for Cal to be

viewed as a school filled with athletes

who show dedication, a passion for

sports and demonstrate sportsmanship

at the highest level. And one day, he

knows Cal will become just that.

¨I feel like I can give back to a place

that gave so much for myself,¨ Ross explained

about his new job opportunity.

Athletic directors are responsible for

making sure every team has enough

funding, practices are schedules, and

much more. Traits Ross picked up as

a student athlete help him manage all

these responsibilities for all of Cal’s

athletic teams.

Ross was a star athlete for both the

baseball and basketball teams during

his time at Cal. After graduating in

2001 and attending Oklahoma City

University on a baseball scholarship,

Ross coached baseball at several colleges

and high schools, including Cal

(2012 - 2014) and San Ramon Valley

(2021 - 2022) high schools. He also

coached at Lewis and Clark College

in Portland, Ore., (2015-2017), Chabot

College in Hayward (2009 - 2012), and

for multiple travel ball organizations.

Ross said he learned a lot from being

around other coaches and mentors

all of these years. He learned how to

teach, motivate, organize, and build a

competitive and positive team culture,

all elements he hopes to bring to Cal

as an athletic director.

“I think what stood out for me with

him is that he had a fair perspective

of women’s and men’s sports,” said

assistant principal Rhonda Taft, who

oversees athletics. “Ross communicates

very well, He will tell us, ‘Hey,

the girls have a game tonight’, and that

helps a lot because we get so busy.”

From as early as elementary school,

Ross found a passion for sports. Eventually,

his passion brought him to the

various sports offered at Cal, where

his dedication and talent truly began

Chad Ross became Cal High’s new athletic director in August.

to shine.

“Ross was an amazing pick for baseball

as he was talented. He could hit the

ball and spray it around the field,” said

current Cal golf coach Mike Pottinger,

who was Ross’s former baseball and

basketball coach. “In basketball, it was

his leadership and raw talent.”

But being a star student-athlete came

with its challenges. Ross said he found

himself juggling between his social life,

sports and academics.

“I think it’s important to know that

everybody is going to have those time

Photo by Christine Wang

management issues,” Ross said. “And

have those hectic days, I remember

them vividly.”

It’s common for Grizzlies to feel

overwhelmed and stressed from the

various classes and extracurriculars

they may be involved with. Ross

believes that everyone has different

ways of finding success during busy

times. His method for dealing with time

management issues is quite effective

and simple.

“You should have a really good support

system,” Ross said. “For example,

let me call this person, or let’s go get

pizza with that person. Introducing that

support system is crucial for people

struggling with balancing their additional

responsibilities.”

During his time in school Ross

found that focusing on himself instead

of others elevated him to new heights.

During his high school basketball tryouts,

Ross focused on himself instead

of worrying about whether or not others

would make it on the team and where

he ranks among them.

“All you can do is just focus on

how you perform to the best of your

ability and then let them fall where

they should,” Ross said. “I think too

many people are caught up playing the

numbers game.”

From his past experiences as a Grizzly,

Ross decided to become an athletic

director at his old highschool because

he hoped he could make a difference.

His passion for Cal is evident through

his diligent work ethic and cheerful

attitude towards everyone.

“I love the people at Cal,” Ross

said. “They are so welcoming and

open-minded, I feel like my colleagues

are committed to helping out students.”

Ross knows that he has a strong

support system behind him because

his colleagues are dedicated to the

well-being of students at Cal.

Thursday, October 13, 2022 Read The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Sports

B3

Heroic Homecoming!

Carson Pfotenhauer

Staff Writer

Fantasy football

is back, and so are

the punishments

David Huan leads Cal volleyball to victory

New coach hopes to

help lift program to

greater heights

Mansi Swaminathan

and Ryan Wang

Staff Writers

There is yet another change at Cal

High that will help elevate the athletic

program to newer heights with the

addition of first-year women’s varsity

volleyball coach David Huan.

Huan is one of the club directors

of Red Rock Volleyball, a local club

in Alameda County. Huan, who was

recruited as Cal’s new coach, has

been coaching for more than 23 years

and started his coaching career as a

sophomore at UC Berkeley.

“My goals for every team that I work

with is just always trying to help them

get to the next level,” Huan said.

Huan’s primary goal is to push the

team to develop their skills. He said he

experienced a lot of challenges as a Red

Rock Volleyball coach and a business

owner during the COVID quarantine

months. He mentioned that the experience

was highly unpredictable and

that they had to learn to adapt to the

‘new normal’.

From having no classes at Red

Rock to slowly doing exercise routines

through Zoom, Huan had quite a journey

through the pandemic.

Many of his players believe that he

has implemented new routines and

good values for the team.

“The competitiveness that Coach

David brings to the table gives a good

environment,” senior defensive specialist

Ha Ly Carlson said. “I would

say that we have more of a routine this

year. The construction of our practices

are much different.”

David Huan, second from the right, speaks to the girls volleyball team during a break in the action.

Compared to last year when the girls

used to do laps as a warmup, they started

doing half-court dynamic warmups.

In comparison to last year, when the

Grizzlies finished 6-12 in the EBAL,

Cal got off to a fast this year start by

winning its first six games and going

13-0 in non-league play.

Since league play has started, the

Grizzlies have dropped six of seven

games and are 14-8 overall.

The team won the Deer Valley

Tournament last month and continues

to improve.

With Cal’s latest set of victories,

players say that Huan has established

himself as a strong and focused coach.

Most of the women’s volleyball team

thinks the same.

With a fresh mindset and a new

coach, the women’s volleyball team is

looking forward to a lot more victories

in their upcoming matches.

“We were really excited, actually,

to have some change,” senior outside

hitter Natalie Peete said. “We didn’t

have a coach until right before the

season started, so we were worried we

weren’t going to get a coach.”

Peete is an experienced player who

has been on the team since her freshman

year. Adapting to a new coach was

definitely not easy, according to her.

The comfort level achieved with the

old coach is being rebuilt since new

changes are being brought to the team.

Photos by Samantha Contreras

Clockwise from top, fans cheer on the varsity football team 34-25 victgory over Monte Vista in last Friday night’s homecoming game. Junior Sayyidi

Abdul-kareem (26) runs through a Monte Vista defender’s arm tackle, while junior Devan Love (4) power rushes a Mustang defender. Cal improved to

5-1 with the victory. The Grizzlies host De La Salle on Friday at 7 p.m. The Spartans are 3-3 this season.

Photo by Mansi Swaminathan

But Peete felt that they are lucky to

have such an experienced coach and

is excited nonetheless.

“I think our team is responding pretty

well,” junior middle blocker Alana

Villela said. “Our team really works

well when it comes to speaking with

new people and changes and stuff.”

Villela thinks that this change had

a large impact due to Huan already

bringing a difference to the team.

The competitiveness of this new

environment sparks the team to work

even harder to be prepared for the fall

season.

“For me, you know, my goal as a

competitor is to just try to win everything,”

Huan said.

With the NFL season well under

way, a majority of football fans are

participating in fantasy football.

Fantasy football is a fun way to stay

interactive with teams and players in

the league while also having fun with

friends. And in most leagues, members

agree upon a punishment for the league

loser for their amusement.

Over the years, social media has provided

some outrageous punishments,

and most recently the one that caught

my attention was the case of Lee Sanderlin,

a Mississippi man who spent 24

hours in a Waffle House. Sanderlin lost

his fantasy league, so league members

came together and decided he had to

stay in a Waffle House for 24 hours and

for every waffle that he ate, it shaved

off an hour off his sentence.

He stayed in the Waffle House for

15 hours after downing nine waffles.

Though there are no Waffle Houses in

California, I can see a similar punishment

with the loser spending time in a

McDonalds. The league can decide on

what menu item the loser should eat

and assess the appropriate time taken

off for each item eaten.

There are many punishments to

explore that students can choose from

that fits best for you and your friends.

Even those at Cal High who play in

fantasy leagues have ideas of what

punishment they will use.

Sophomore Rishab Somas said his

favorite idea of a punishment was

wearing a tutu to school, or taking a

stuffed animal on a date. I think these

are both uncommon and unique, and in

that sense I like these options.

Sophomore Holden Major said his

choice of punishment would be for the

loser to do stand up comedy with the

league winner deciding the content.

“I like how the winner gets rewarded

and gets their say in what the loser

does,” Major said.

Sophomore Brady Gillespie said

his favorite punishment was the loser

eating a meal chosen by each member.

There are a lot of other great punishments

to choose, such as my favorite

known as the Gilk Mile. With this

punishment, Gatorade is added to a

gallon of milk and shaken up. The

league loser then runs the track with

all of his friends watching, and every

time a lap is completed the runner takes

a swig of the gilk.

Depending on how strong of a

stomach the person has, it can quickly

turn for the worse. That combination

of fluids and running a mile is a recipe

for disaster.

The classic buzz cut is arguably the

most used fantasy punishment because

of how easy it is. The loser losing all

his hair is a nice way to lose months

or hair growth.

Taking the three-hour-long SAT

is one of the most stressful tests for a

person because it can help shape the

future after high school. So what better

punishment than to have the league

loser prepare for the test and require

them to earn a certain score to avoid

an even worse punishment.

These are just a few “fun” ideas

awaiting the loser of your fantasy

leagues. Of course, they’re only fun

if you’re not the one losing.

B4 Features Read

The Californian online a

New schedule

creates change

B-period and

later start

time adjusts

students’ days

Yining Xie

Staff Writer

The jury is still out on this

year’s new schedule.

Since Senate Bill 328 went

into effect to start the school

year on Aug. 10, many Cal

High students began their days

later with no classes being

offered earlier than 8:30 a.m.

Conversely, many students

are ending their days later too

because the extra A period that

used to be scheduled from 7:31-

8:30 a.m. has now been shifted

to the end of the day.

The optional seventh period,

now called B period, starts at

2:40 p.m. and runs until 3:41

p.m.

“Sometimes if you have to

do something after school, you

really don’t have much time

to do it,” sophomore Kaylie

Chang said.

Senate Bill 328, which was

signed into law in late 2019

and went into effect on July

1, requires all California high

schools to start no earlier than

8:30 a.m. and all middle schools

to start no earlier than 8 a.m.

This change was proposed

after three decades of scientific

research on teen health, sleep

patterns, and brain chemistry,

according to State Senator

Anthony J. Portantino, who

authored the bill.

As a result, Cal changed its

schedule to replace A period

with B period because any

classes offered before 8:30

a.m. would not count toward

graduation credit, according to

the new law.

Last year, nearly 700 of

Cal’s 2,800-plus students were

enrolled in classes offered during

the earlier period. This year,

only 509 students are enrolled

in classes offered at the end of

the day, according to school

enrollment figures.

Freshman Amiya Khosla

likes B period because she can

wait after school for her tennis

practice, which starts at 4 p.m.

“I did a B period because

practice starts at four, so I would

get to stay at school and not

go all the way home,” Khosla

said. “It works out very well

and I like it.”

But sophomore Hana Kim

said she despises B period, because

going home later means

that she pushes back the time she

starts her homework and goes to

bed. She feels like she is almost

falling asleep in all her classes

compared to just falling asleep

in A period last year.

“I always sleep later than

normal,” Kim said. “[So] I’m

sleeping in class because I’m

sleep-deprived.”

This is a problem facing

student athletes because sports

practice start times have been

pushed back to 4 p.m. to accommodate

students taking B

period.

Although some students live

close enough to campus to easily

go home after school and return

for practice, others don’t have

the luxury and are now forced to

wait around for practice to start.

“My house is too far away

to go home,” senior Asher

Coats said.

Coats said he is able to do

homework at that time, but

he preferred last year, when

practices started at 3:30 p.m.,

30 minutes after school ended.

Coats said he would immediately

change and go out to the

track compared to this year

where he has to wait more than

an hour at school before his

practice starts.

Some students who have

teacher meetings after school to

receive additional help are also

having issues if their teachers

have a B period. These students

cannot meet with their teachers

after school for help until

instruction time ends.

“It’s hard for them to visit

me after school because I’m

teaching a B period,” chemistry

teacher Ryan Hughes said.

The late start and swap of A

and B periods aren’t the only

changes to this year’s schedule.

Tutorial has been shortened by

10 minutes to 30 minutes and

is now offered after third and

fourth periods right before lunch

instead of at the end of first and

second periods.

There are also no more late

starts on Wednesdays. With

classes beginning at 8:30 every

day, students are being released

early on Wednesdays at 2:05

p.m. After this early release

time is when teachers have their

weekly meetings, instead of

before school on Wednesdays

like the previous year.

Lunch and brunch also were

shortened by five minutes so the

school day still follows rules.


School District teachers’ contract

states that they cannot

work on average more than

seven hours a day, said statistics

teacher Bob Allen, who helped

make the schedule. He said the

schedule went through multiple

drafts to make sure it followed

the new law and fit within teachers’

contracted hours.

Some students are still adjusting

to the shortened tutorial,

brunch and lunch breaks.

“Because tutorial is shorter,

it is harder for me to complete

stuff,” Kim said. “Lunch being

shorter, I don’t have time to go

to club meetings and eat lunch

after club meetings.”

Algebra 2 teacher Anthony

Khoo, however, likes the new

tutorial schedule better than the

previous year’s because it goes

straight into lunch and if the

students are willing, students

can stay longer during the lunch

period and make the tutorial

period longer.

“Teachers and students still

have the flexibility option for

the longer help period if you’re

willing to give up your lunch,”

Khoo said.

One change students and

teachers seem to like is the

new early release Wednesday,

which was added to make the

schedule more consistent and

create time for weekly teacher

meetings. Assistant Principal

Jeff Osborn said an informal

survey of students indicated

students liked being able to go

home early one day a week.

Students also like the consistency

of having school start

at 8:30 a.m. every day.

Chang said she doesn’t mind

the new schedule that much

because there is no more waking

up early, but she has found

it difficult volunteering at elementary

schools for California

Scholarship Federation because

her B period class ends so late.

Other students seem to like the

new schedule as well.

“It’s easier to get into a

routine and in terms of pick up

and drop off with my parents.”

sophomore Jasmine Young

said.

Teachers shared a similar

sentiment.

“I personally like it,” Khoo

said. “Just because now the

schedule is consistent Monday

through Friday.”

Students learn how to adjust and balance their busy schedules with new start times, longer tutorial perio

Changes in lunchtime procedures aim

Achintya Gupta

and Zaki Humayun

Staff Writers

Cal High is no Michelin Star

restaurant. It has long lines,

unknown chefs and odd milk.

But since the school year

has started, it has undergone

numerous changes.

California has become the

first state to provide free lunches

for every student after passing

the California Universal Meal

Program. Assembly Bill 130

was signed into law by Gov.

Gavin Newsom and went into effect

in the 2022-23 school year.

The $700 million program

funds a variety of free meals to

all students, plus upgrades to the

kitchen infrastructure.

Prior to this program, free

meals were available at Cal in

the 2021-22 school year as the

result of a preliminary statefunded

program that allocated

$650 million so the state could

provide students with free meals

during their first year back from

COVID-19 quarantine.

The school has also brought

back the old keypad system that

existed prior to COVID-19. This

system wasn’t used last school

year to prevent the spread of

physical contact on campus.

The implementation of the

keypad system is an abrupt

change to many, but administrators

believe it is necessary,

to keep track of the number of

meals being served.

“This is a state thing, so that’s

why we input [these rules] for

us,” said Elaine Esguerra, the


School District child nutrition

manager. “To be able to provide

free meals for the students, we

need to account for how many

students we are serving.”

Because of these new rules,

the wait time and the length of

lunch lines have increased leading

many students to complain

about not getting a school lunch

on time or at all.

“I haven’t actually gotten

lunch for the past three days,

because they keep running out,

so I just get a milk carton,”

junior Maheen Shafi said.

The system also led to severe

congestion of students in the

commons trying to get food.

“The keypads are fine but

it would be better if they

could make a faster way [to

get lunch],” freshman Akshay

Madivanan said.

Then, improvements were

t www.thecalifornianpaper.com

Features B5

Parking and pick-up

rules shift routines

School adjusts

procedures for

second time

this school year

Addison Jing and

Daniela Noubleau

Staff Writers

Illustration by Judy Luo

ds, and the new “B-period”, an after-school replacement of A-period.

It might be a new year, but Cal

High students are still experiencing

problems with traffic and

parking, with a few new twists

and turns in this windy road.

Last year, about a quarter of

the student body started school

at 7:30 a.m. because they had an

A period, according to school

enrollment figures provided by

administration. Now, students

say 10-15 minutes have been

added to their morning commutes,

with all 2,881 students

arriving to Cal at once. This is

due to the new schedule creating

an 8:30 start time.

“It gets really bad so I come

earlier to avoid the traffic,”

senior Anya Mahajan said.

“I get to the backlot around

8:05-8:10.”

Senior Isabel Talwar said her

drive to school is twice as long

compared to last year.

“It takes me 30 minutes to

drive to school, but I live two

miles away,” Talwar said.

And that’s just getting to

campus. Some students also say

they’re now waiting 20-30 minutes

after fifth or sixth periods

end to even leave the parking lot.

Parents picking up students on

campus forms a bottle neck that

leads to increased congestion,

due to a new pick-up procedure

being implemented.

“I’ll just wait till there’s no

traffic,” senior Hunter Scruggs

said. “I’ll just stay here [in the

back lot].”

Other students also share the

same sentiment.

“After school there’s so much

traffic, so I just wait it out and

then I leave,” said Mahajan. “I

have to wait like 30 minutes.”

At the start of the school year,

parents were asked to enter

the back lot which serves as a

student exit, turn in front of the

band room and pick up students

in front of the administration

building. But admin realized

this change was creating more

congestion, so on Oct. 3 they

changed pick-up procedures.

Parents heading north on

Broadmoor Drive still follow

the same procedure of turning

into the back lot, but parents

heading south on Broadmoor

are no longer forced to enter

the back lot since the horseshoe

in front of the administration

building has been reopened for

student pick up, where as it was

previously blocked off.

Administrators are hoping

that these changes will help alleviate

some of the congestion,

but it seems traffic will always

be an issue.

“The school was built for a

couple hundred people 50 years

ago in a residential neighborhood,”

assistant principal Jeff

Osborn said. “So, it is a matter

of design.”

Administrators created a

change in the student parking lot

this school year by adding numbers

to all spaces. Unlike years

past, students are now required

to park in their numbered spot,

which they chose when they

paid for their parking permits.

“Last year’s administrative

team had the plan of putting

numbers in the parking lot,”

Osborn said. “So this was not a

new concept. This is something

that we identified issues with

last year.”

The change was made to help

prevent students who pay for

a parking permit having their

spots taken by students who

don’t.Some students like this

change.

“I think it does [benefit

students] because I don’t have

to worry about where to park,”

senior Jordyn Porter said. “It

was all already figured out,”

Senior Dylan Farrell believes

that having the numbered spots

prevents people from getting

their spot taken, which he said

happened to him repeatedly last

school year.

“I personally think the numbers

are a good choice because

I don’t like people taking my

spot,” Farrell said.

But the change to assigned

parking spots doesn’t mean

students are parking in the spots

that they are supposed to park in.

“I’ve gotten emails saying

‘Hey someone’s in my spot,’”

Osborn said.

Students who are caught

not parking in their designated

space or without a permit will

be issued a ticket after one warning.

Tickets issued through the

school are still $35, the same

as last year.

The same rules apply to

students who park in staff spots

in the main parking lot, as well

as the parking spots in front of

the band room and outside the

pool deck.

“Last year it was a big problem

because I parked at the front

of the school and a lot of kids

were parking there, and it clearly

says staff on it,” biology teacher

Erica Steadman said. “So when

I was coming back from lunch,

I didn’t have a space available

Illustration courtesy of Cal High administration

Cal High’s new plan to minimize parking lot congestion during pick-up and drop-off was

announced on Oct. 3 and it includes reopening the horseshoe in front of the admin building.

Administrators had closed the horseshoe for the first two months of school.

for me because there were kids

parking there and it upset me.”

Despite the implementation

of the numbering of parking

spaces, it seems the greatest

problem involving parking on

campus will continue to be

students taking spaces that they

didn’t purchase permits for.

In September, The Californian

checked 150 cars parked

in the back student lot on

two separate occasions. Staff

members found that 31 and 34

cars did not have permits. Last

spring, The Californian checked

150 cars in the back lot twice in

two months and found that 32

and 44 cars did not have permits,

which is an increase from the

pervious year.

Administrators said that due

to a lack of staffing to monitor

the back lot, fewer students

were being ticketed for parking

illegally. Administrators and

teachers are hoping that some

of the old parking problems

don’t resurface again during

the school year.

“I personally have not had

any problems [parking], but I

also get here pretty early,” health

and biology teacher Patrick

O’Brien said. “Some teachers

just have a problem coming

in because the staff spots are

in [the same parking lot as the

students].”

Editors Kylie Thomsen and

Saachi Sharma contributed to

this story.

ed to ease congestion in commons

made to alleviate these issues.

The new plan, which began on

Sept. 22, created two lines of

students, one for those getting

food and one for those finding

seating. Students now use different

doors depending on what

they’re doing. Two other doors

are dedicated exits.

Before, there was just one

line to enter the commons for

seating or getting food, and one

line to exit.

“The change we made was

to have the people who are

dining in [the commons], who

are mostly seniors, be able to

easily go in there and find a

seat,” assistant principal Jeff

Osborn said.

But more problems ensued

when students used the new

door to cut the line.

“We had some people going

through the same door as those

seniors went through and cutting

in line,” Osborn said.

After the implementation of

the new program, the demands

for meals increased.

“Compared to pre-pandemic,

demand rose,and approximately

900 more meals were being

served,” Osborn said.

Free food for all students was

great . But there were noticeable

downsides, like the quality of

the food.

Most meals served last year

were prepackaged and microwaved

because of the kitchens

being out of order due to construction.

“Dining was also closed off in

the commons during that [2021-

22 school] year,” Osborn said.

This year, however, the food

seems to be better.

As for the 2020-21 school

year, Cal had to accommodate

the COVID-19 outbreak and

was forced to shut down for a

semester. This also meant that

students could no longer receive

food from the cafeteria.

During the second semester

of the 2020-21 school year, a

hybrid program was introduced.

Students who wished to go in

person were able to, but this

meant that the school had to

provide them with meals.

Prior to the pandemic, the

variety of food and the price

to pay were all very different.

“Three years ago, in 2019

the cafeteria provided Subway,

Korean BBQ, and other

meals,” Osborn said. “However,

this was pre-pandemic, when

students had to pay for their

lunches.”

B6 A&E Read

Director Tim Burton does

it again with a live action

adaptation of bizzare family,

but this time star is Wednesday

Keliimaikai demello

Staff Writer

The Californian Online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Thursday, October 13, 2022

The Addams Family is back on screens

The season of spookiness

brings horror shows with

it, and this year, there isn’t

anything much better than to

curl up on the couch with than

“Wednesday,” the new Netflix

adaptation and continuation of

the famously peculiar Addams

Family.

Set to be released on Nov.

23, Netflix’s anticipated series

is produced and directed by Tim

Burton, who is notorious for his

gothic filmmaking. The show

is already being commended

for Burton’s accurate ethnic

casting and modernization of

“Wednesday” compared to its

predecessors.

From cartoons by Charles

Addams in the 1930s to 10

televised series and film adaptations,

including “Wednesday”,

the Addams family doesn’t get

any less creepy or bizarre. This

wealthy family is completely

oblivious of their supernatural

peculiarities, making most

of the remakes all the more

appealing.

Unlike previous adaptations,

the 2022 series will follow

Wednesday, played by Jenna

Ortega, through her journey

at Nevermore Academy, the

school for the outcasts. There,

she dives into a murder mystery

that goes back 25 years as well

as dealing with monsters that

lurk around the town, all while

tackling new relationships at

her school.

“The show will be amazing

because she is in it,” sophomore

Brannon Tomren said of Ortega.

Ortega’s Mexican and Puerto

Rican roots make her the

perfect person for the role of

Wednesday. In the past, the

character of Wednesday was

never accurately represented.

Ortega really hopes to bring

justice to the character.

“Wednesday is technically

a Latina character and that’s

never been represented,” Ortega

said in a YouTube video,

“Wednesday Addams: Inside

the Character”, on Netflix’s

channel. “So for me, any time

that I have an opportunity to

represent my community, I want

that to be seen.”

Burton feels, as well as senior

Kushboo Pandaya, that Ortega

is the perfect Wednesday.

“[I’m] looking forward to see

what Jenna Ortega does in this

Wednesday role,” Pandaya said.

Even though the spotlight is

on Wednesday this time, the rest

of the family can’t be forgotten.

Actor and comedian Luis Guzman

has taken a big time role

as Gomez Adams, the head of

the Addams family.

Guzman also is Puerto Rican,

and with a short stature, rounded

out build, and carefully gelled

down hair, he shares an uncanny

resemblance to the very first

Gomez Addams.

But some shared their disapproval

on Twitter, criticizing

the casting of Guzman because

he isn’t “slender” enough for

the role.

B.J. Colangelo, a film producer,

was ready to defend

Guzman by pointing out that

the slender versions of Gomez

were not the original.

“Gomez looks like the original

cartoon strip again and if

you don’t think Luis Guzmán

is hot (which I’m seeing in the

replies), that’s a you problem,”

Colangelo tweeted. “I love this.”

But Guzman’s looks aren’t

the only complaint about the

series. Sophomore Michael

Manning thinks it won’t be all

the rave overall.

“[The series] looks pretty bad

to be honest,” Manning said.

“I haven’t heard good things.”

Sophomore Aaron McCord

feels differently and sees the

appeal to the show.

“Definitely a really interesting

watch,” McCord said. “I

haven’t gotten into it all yet but

it does seem very interesting.”

Along with Ortega and Gomez,

Cathrine Zeta-Jones will

playMorticia Addams, the Gothic

wife of Gomez and mother of

Wednesday and Pugsley. Issac

Ordonez will take on the role

of Pugsley, Wednesday’s older

brother, who is described as “an

energetic monster of a boy,” by

Charles Addams.

Also joining the cast are

Thora Birch, Riki Lindhome,

Jamie McShane, Hunter Doohan,

Georgie Farmer, Moosa

Mostafa, Emma Myers, Naomi

J. Ogawa, Joy Sunday, Percy

Hynes White, Gwendoline

Christie, and Christina Ricci,

who previously acted as

Wednesday.

Whether “Wednesday”

brings justice to the show will

ultimately be revealed next

month, when viewers meet the

death-loving daughter and the

whole eerie family.

Andrew Tate has an influence with his ideology

Social media influencer’s sexist,

homophobic and racist ideology

helps him gain a following

Riya Reddy

Staff Writer

There are many influential

people on social media whose

ideas often impact their viewers.

One influencer, who’s known

for his controversial opinions,

is Andrew Cobra Tate, whose

fanbase is mainly young boys

who are heavily influenced by

his words and actions.

Tate is a 35 year old man

who is commonly known

for his views on women, his

racist, homophobic, and sexist

comments, and being an alleged

sex offender. But he originally

became famous from his online

school, Hustlers University,

a school he founded to teach

people how to many money.

He began making many appearances

on podcasts but was

removed from most of them

after a video of him beating a

woman in 2016 was leaked. He

defended himself by saying it

was consensual and the woman

requested him to do it.

Tate’s Twitter account was

suspended in 2017 because

of his tweets describing that

“victims of rape and sexual harassment

should ‘bear responsibility’

for assault,” according

to Forbes.

Tate’s statements are seen

as concerning to a point where

many people who don’t agree

with his ideas believe that

younger boys, whose minds and

opinions are just being shaped,

are agreeing with how Tate

says he treats women. Those

who disagree with Tate believe

he is convincing the younger

generation that this behavior is

acceptable.

Like many people, senior

Sione Hingano takes issue with

Tate’s opinions on relationships.

“I feel like in a relationship

men and women can work together,

but he emphasizes how

men take a lot of the dominant

side. I can also agree with a

little bit of that, but he’s just

really extreme,” Hingano said.

“Like one time he said if your

girl gets OnlyFans, since she’s

yours, you can get all the profits,

which I disagree with.”

Sophomore Enguun

Munkhnairamdal added, “Just

knowing that there are guys like

Andrew Tate out there is scary.

I have seen people, especially

guys my age on TikTok, agreeing

with his hurtful viewpoints

on women.”

Tate’s statements have been

pointed out to be hypocritical

and sexist. He often uses Christianity

as logic for his beliefs,

but many people find this as a

way of him forcing his religion

on others.

“Read the Bible, every single

man has multiple wives, not a

single woman had multiple husbands,”

Tate said on the BFFs

podcast hosted by influencer

Josh Richards. “It’s against

God’s will. It’s disgusting.”

Some people are defending

Tate by saying that he’s empowering

boys to show off their

masculinity and his extreme

statements are just jokes.

“He just says a lot of BS

and it’s entertaining,” junior

Bobby Singh said.“I think it’s

obviously satirical. He said if

his son was a nerd he would

challenge him to the death. I

think anyone can tell that he’s

over-exaggerating.”

Some people are more neutral,

and the major reason for

this is because they see that

below all the extreme jokes,


New Netflix show “Wednesday,” starring Jenna Ortega as the peculiar Wednesday Addams, will air on a Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of @andrewtate_secret account on Instagram

The controversial social media influencer Andrew Tate, seen here checking his phone with a

concerned look on his face while on a private jet.

his intentions seem to be to empower

the youth. Even though

his intentions may be good, his

words often send the wrong

message, especially his sexist

ones against women.

“I agree that the man should

provide and be able to protect,”

freshmen Jack Wasley said. “I

don’t agree with being able to

cheat and hit women. That’s

just horrible.”

Richards tried to show his

viewers the double standard of

when women say phrases like

“All men are the same” they get

praised, but when Tate does it

he gets flamed.

“I’m not trying to defend

him or [anything]. I’m just

saying that there’s definitely

both sides,” Richards said in

his podcast. “Like, there’s definitely

female creators that are

telling females ‘men are trash’

and they’re OK to do that.”

Tate used platforms such as

TikTok, Instagram, Youtube,

and Facebook to spread his

ideas, but was recently banned

from all of them for violating

their policies on hate speech and

misogyny. Fans say he shouldn’t

have been banned because everyone

should be able to voice

their opinion.

Even though Tate has many

supporters, a majority of people

that know of him find his

viewpoints aggressive and are

worried how influential he is and

how young teens will be affected

by his controversial views.


Read The Californian Online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com

A musician of a generation

A&E B7

Cal student

is making an

album set to be

released this

school year

Nidhay Mahavadi

and Tejas Mahesh

Staff Writers

Vocals, guitar, bass, and percussion.

All of these musical elements

are crucial to every song,

and all done by junior Anushna

Sapatnekar through raw demos

and inventive editing.

Sapatnekar is planning to

release an indie rock album,

“Little Dipper,” during their

senior year in 2023.

They began the album as a

freshman, writing 150 songs but

are currently narrowing down to

their top 10 songs.

“The album is about what I

went through during ninth grade

and how I dealt with my mental

health,” Sapatnekar said. “It’s

also about a toxic and unhealthy

long distance relationship and

how it was affecting me.”

Sapatnekar’s music career

started with classical music

training when they were nine,

but they felt that it suppressed

their interest. Thankfully, their

music teacher, Matthew Fisherkeller,

recognized their talent

early on and redirected their

path toward the guitar.

“A few years into our study

they picked up the guitar and

with absolutely no help from

me, wrote and sung their first

song,” Fisherkeller said. “It was

quality and so beautiful to me

that I shed a tear or two from

seeing how far they had come,

excited they finally found their

passion and knowing how much

potential they had in store.”

Sapatnekar’s music was inspired

by Taylor Swift’s poetic

and detailed lyrics in “Folklore”

as well as by Phoebe Bridgers

and Car Seat Headrest, where

they got their ideas for the

bassline. Fisherkeller saw the

music as fitting in with some

sentimental singer-songwriters

but also major pop acts.

“It’s sort of hard to listen to

those styles and make your own

styles which is why you need

a mix of artists to look up to,”

Sapatnekar said.

Their music-making process

starts with a demo, a recorded

melodic idea. They first record

guitar and vocals and then use

MIDI (Musical Instrument

Digital Interface) to add the

bass and percussion. Once the

demos have been critiqued by

their teacher, they are sent to

their producer, David Lipps at

Earthtones Audio.

Those who have heard “Little

Dipper” believe that Sapatnekar’s

introspective music will

take them places as a songwriter.

“The music has a melancholy

feel but simultaneously it gets

stuck in your head,” Anika Patel,

Sapatnekar’s girlfriend, said.

When listening to one of the

songs, “Infinite”, Sapatnekar’s

friend Aarush Kulkarni described

his listening experience

as though he was standing in

an open field, exposed to the

elements of nature around

him. Kulkarni added that Sapatnekar’s

music goes to the

extremes.

“The songs are drenched

with feelings of nostalgia,

youthful romance, and wonder

that captivate our inner poet,”

Photo courtesy of Anushna Sapatnekar

Junior Anushna Sapatnekar plays the guitar in the recording studio for their first ever

album.

Fisherkeller said. “I believe this

reflects on who they are as a

person and trust that they have

a lot of wisdom to share with

the world as the years go on.”

Fisherkeller has been a part

of Sapatnekar’s long musical

journey and can confidently say

that they have a true musical gift.

“As a teacher I truly believe

anyone with the will to succeed

will do so,” Fisherkeller said.

“Anushna certainly has the

talent as a singer and songwriter

to do amazing things with their

music. Regardless of what they

choose, I know they will have

a life full of sharing beautiful

music.”

Homecoming high note

Photo by Samantha Contreras

Junior Alyssa Lu, flute player on the marching band, leads in a solo during the homecoming football game last Friday

night. The band and color guard performed their routine during halftime festivities.

J.K. Rowling takes

her transphobic

comments to the

pages in new book

Sia Lele

Staff Writer

J.K. Rowling, beloved author

of the Harry Potter series,

recently released a new book

on Aug. 30 called, “The Ink

Black Heart.”

It is the sixth installment in

the Cormoran Strike series,

written under the author’s pen

name, Robert Galbraith. Since

its publication, the book has

received a lot of backlash and

criticism, and sparked quite the

controversy.

The book is about a character

named Edie Ledwell,

who comes under fire and is

murdered for creating a comic

called the “Ink Black Heart”,

which includes transphobic,

ableist, and racist comments.

Coincidently, this plot line almost

exactly mirrors Rowling’s

own experiences of making

transphobic comments and

losing fans.

But when asked about it

in“The Black Heart Interactive

Q&A”, Rowling said she had

been planning this book for a

long time and denied the semblance

to her own life.

“When it did happen to me,

those who had already read the

book in manuscript form were –

are you clairvoyant?” she said in

the Q&A. “I wasn’t clairvoyant,

I just – yeah, it was just one of

those weird twists. Sometimes

life imitates art more than one

would like.”

Like the character Ledwell,

Rowling has repeatedly posted

transphobic comments, particularly

targeting trans women.

The retaliation by the public

led to her losing many fans

and entire fan bases distancing

themselves from her. According

to Metro, actors in the Harry

Potter movie franchise, including

Daniel Radcliffe, Emma

Watson, Rupert Grint, Bonnie

Wright, Evanna Lynch, and

Katie Leung, were among the

people offering support for the

trans community.

“Transgender women are

women,” Radcliffe wrote on

Twitter. “Any statement to the

contrary erases the identity and

dignity of transgender people

and goes against all advice

given by professional health

care associations who have far

more expertise on this subject

matter than either Jo or I.”

Emma Watson also expressed

similar views.

“Trans people are who they

say they are and deserve to

live their lives without being

constantly questioned or told

they aren’t who they say they

are,” Watson tweeted, according

to Entertainment Weekly.

“I want my trans followers to

know that I and so many other

people around the world see

you, respect you and love you

for who you are.”

Many people were infuriated

that “The Ink Black Heart”

attempted to paint transphobic

people like Rowling as victims

of vicious, hateful trans activists.

The activists are depicted as

online trolls who go to extremes

to kill Ledwell, who is depicted

as honorable and respectable.

A lot of controversy also

surrounds Rowling’s chosen

pen name Robert Galbraith.

Dr. Robert Galbraith Heath was

an American psychiatrist in an

era when homosexuality was

considered a mental disorder.

During his work as a neurosurgeon,

he experimented with

many unethical and horrifying

“solutions” to change a person’s

sexuality, such as shock therapy.

Many people have pointed

out the significance of the

similarity between Heath and

Rowling’s pen name, but Rowling

and her representatives have

gone to great lengths to say that

her selection of the name is

merely a coincidence.

“I chose Robert because it’s

one of my favorite men’s names,

because Robert F. Kennedy

is my hero…,” Rowling said

during the same Q&A. “Galbraith

came about for a slightly

odd reason. When I was a child,

I really wanted to be called ‘Ella

Galbraith,’ and I’ve no idea

why. I don’t even know how I

knew that the surname existed,

because I can’t remember ever

meeting anyone with it. Be

that as it may, the name had a

fascination for me.”

“The Ink Black Heart” was

unnecessary and the nail in

Rowling’s transphobic coffin.

She should have expected the

negative response she would get

since she already had received

backlash when she made transphobic

comments on Twitter.

For the person who coined

“words are our inexhaustible

source of magic” in the Harry

Potter series, “The Ink Black

Heart” only uses words in the

most exhausting way possible.

B8 A&E

Read

The Californian online at www.thecalifornianpaper.com Thursday, October 13, 2022

Students craft their path in fashion design

a

Fashion & Design

provides unique

opportunity to be

creative

Melissa Nguyen

Staff Writer

It takes boldness and creativity

to transform fashion

statements into serious works

of art, but some students have

taken this step towards working

professionally with Cal High’s

Fashion & Design.

Like many other intro classes

at Cal, it offers a variety of options

that help students explore

their creative side and learn

more about the industry.

“I kind of act like the model or

the person we are drawing is me,

I would draw stuff that I would

personally like and am okay

with going out of my comfort

zone,” junior Alina Munir said.

Creating bonds and making

connections with new people

can be tough, but it thrives

within this classroom.

“Everybody was really welcoming,

and I could tell there

[were] a lot of creative people

in there,” junior Aneesha Reddy

said. “The teacher is super

nice too.”

Fashion & Design teacher

Shanin McKavish said that she

tailors her curriculum to her

students’ interests and what they

hope to learn.

“I like to know what students

want out of the class so I can

create a class that meets their

desires,” McKavish said.

One of McKavish’s favorite

projects is “The book project,”

where students get to create an

article of clothing, made entirely

out of pages from a book. She

particularly loves seeing students

in their element as their

eyes light up with creativity.

Her students also enjoy how

relaxed the class is since there

aren’t many strict deadlines

and students can have fun with

assignments at their own pace.

“I really enjoy it because she

tends to make [Fashion & Design]

really stress free, which is

something that you really need

every day,” Reddy said.

Munir added, “I like the class;

I can’t wait to get more hands-on

activities.”

The class also looks at

emerging fashion trends such

as flared jeans, cargo pants,

and more from past decades

that have been innovated into

something new.

For more background information

of the decades of

different fashion, McKavish

assigns a special project looking

at the evolution of our world’s

fashion since the early 1900s.

In the end, it really depends

on what best suits each student

and how they would like to be

perceived.

“I try to make it centered

around them,” McKavish said.

Either way, the class brings a

Photo by Cameron Ho

Fashion & Design students Desiree Dong and Zachary Smallridge work on papers and watch as Brooke Williams burns a piece of fabric over a candle.

new perspective on academics

compared to the usual courses.

“I get to be creative and I

get to see the students’ creativity,

which I love,” McKavish

said. “They’re inspiring [when]

watching the students be creative

and produce amazing

work with incredibly talented

students on this campus.”

Threading into sustainable fashion

Cal High club offers more longlasting

alternative for fast fashion

Shivani Phadnis

Staff Writer

Getting access to sustainable

clothing can be a challenge for

high school students.

Luckily, Cal High’s new club

Threaded may just be the solution

to the fast fashion frenzy.

Juniors Abhiraj Sharma and

Lauren Lee started the Threaded

sustainable fashion club with

the goal of educating Cal High

students about the dangers of

fast fashion, as well as providing

a space where people can learn

about environmentally-friendly

clothing.

Fast fashion is a new trend

in the clothing industry that involves

making cheap, low-quality

clothes at a lightning-quick

pace, often at the expense of

the workers involved. Workers

in the fast fashion industry

suffer through unbearably long

hours and hazardous working

conditions, according to Pebble

Magazine.

Workers aren’t the only ones

harmed by fast fashion either.

Over 85% of fabric waste goes

to landfills, where it won’t decay

for millions of years, according

to the New York Times.

“We wear a lot of fast fashion

without knowing the effects

it has on the environment,”

Sharma said. “I felt that we

have to help educate the Cal

High community on what fast

fashion is.”

Sustainable clothing and

rejecting fast fashion drew

the attention of plenty of Cal

students. At the club’s first

meeting, junior Sophia Pfister

expressed her interest in the

topic.

“I was really interested in

learning about sustainable

clothing since I love learning

about the environment,” Pfister

said. “I thought it was cool

that this club is teaching these

things.”

Shopping at local thrift stores

is on the table for Threaded

members too. The club plans to

go on “thrift trips” which will

have club members shopping

at local thrift shops and community

stores in order to show

them real-world examples of

sustainable clothing.

“We really want to try to promote

shopping in our local community

and support local thrift

stores,” junior Sam Saudners,

the club treasurer, said. “Reusable

clothing is a great way to

support the environment and

give back to the community.”

Sharma and Lee also have

plans to collaborate with other

school clubs, such as the Coins

for Countries Club. Their main

goal for this collaboration is to

organize a sustainable clothing

drive for poor and underdeveloped

countries.

Threaded’s officers have

plans for Do-It-Yourself projects

too. Members will get the

opportunity to make their own

bracelets, tote bags, and t-shirts

out of environmentally-friendly

materials and share their creations

with their fellow club

members.

The biggest thing Threaded

has planned is a sustainable

fashion runway show during

lunch, where students can showcase

trendy but environmentally

friendly clothes they’ve bought.

“Dressing sustainably has

so many benefits, and it’s also

therapeutic in a way, kind of

like retail therapy,” Lee said.

“Knowing that what you are

wearing is safer for the environment

feels nice.”

Cal students and staff have

high hopes for Threaded’s future.

Hannah Cheng, the club

advisor, believes Threaded’s

founders are taking big steps

to achieve their goal.

“I think the message of the

club is really important,” Cheng

Photo by Cameron Ho

From left to right, Threaded’s officers Sam Saunders, Abhiraj Sharma, Lauren Lee, and Melissa Nguyen showcase their

poster at club fair advocating sustainable, ecofriendly attire.

said. “Students who have an idea

for something that they’re passionate

about and take action, I

really appreciate them. ”

From field trips to clothing

drives to runway shows,

Threaded’s founders hope to

make a big impact on Cal and

encourage people to think outside

the box when it comes to

trendy and sustainable clothing.

October 2022 Issue

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