December 2016 Issue by The Bruin Voice

DEAR SANTA

HOLIDAY

LBGT+ Students share their coming out stories

The Bruin Voice’s annual Dear Santa letters —Page 3

Christmas past, present, and future

—Pages 4 and 5

—Page 6

The Bruin Voice

Volume 25, Issue 3

Bear Creek High School, Stockton, California

December 16, 2016

AP exam fee waivers reduced By SANDRA SUNIO STAFF WRITER

One of the challenges AP students face in their high school career involves the AP exam, and for some it’s not the test itself that proves most daunting — it’s paying for the exam. The AP Test Fee program that secured funds for low-income students has been eliminated this year due to — ironically — the transition to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and the state is not providing fee waivers. The regular exam fee of $93 can pose a barrier to some students, especially those who take multiple AP exams. “I only took the tests I knew I [would pass] for sure because $93 is a lot of money, and I didn’t want to have [the money] go to waste if I didn’t pass,” senior Edric Liong said. “I only took the ones I was confident in.” Students whose tests are paid for by their parents say they feel reluctant to ask their parents for money for the exam. “I didn’t want to burden them with such a large payment,” senior Leilany Lim said. “I definitely thought about only taking two or three [exams] at first, but my teachers encouraged [all] students to take the test.” Last year, according to AP Central on Col-

legeBoard, under the AP Test Fee program, par- ography teacher Kathy Scott said. “I think, someticipating states granted $38 in federal funding times, when you have to pay [a lot] for things, you toward each AP exam taken by a low-income stu- have a tendency to take things more seriously.” dent along with supplemental federal funding by Some teachers say they are worried that stusome states for further reduction. dents will opt out of taking the AP exam due to the Bear Creek High School’s AP exam fee for increased fee. low-income students (determined by the qualification “I’m afraid that there will be a lot of students for free or reduced lunch) was $5, and it put many that will not be able to take the test, and it concerns of those students at ease knowing not much money me, especially for my subject,” AP Spanish teacher would go to waste if they did not pass their exam. Andres Gil said. “Last year, we had a 100 percent Senior Benny Huynh qualpassing rate, and I’m sure this ifies for the reduced fee, and he year can be the same, but some says he was grateful all he had to students might not afford the hen you have to pay was $5. test, so they don’t take it even pay [a lot] for things, you “I paid for three AP tests though they invest all that time have a tendency to take last year, and I didn’t have to in the class.” beg my parents; $5 doesn’t dent Gil said he has already things more seriously. a bank account,” Huynh said. reached out to his cycling -AP GOVT. AND HUMAN This year, the AP Exam community and team, and he GEOGRAPHY TEACHER fee for low-income students is has already collected moneKATHY SCOTT $63. tary donations. However, he Some teachers say they still has to learn how he will noticed some students took the reduced price for allocate the money. granted by not taking the test seriously. The $58 increase in AP exam fees may deter “I really think that a lot of the students [who low-income AP students and potentially push them were paying the reduced fee] were just taking it away from taking the test, thus preventing them because it was only $5,” AP Govt. and Human Ge- from possibly earning college credit for course(s)

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they spent a whole year learning. “If I were to tell my mom [about the price increase], she might say I shouldn’t take it or to take [only] one instead of two,” junior Angela Nguyen-Bernal said. “It decreases my chance of taking AP tests.” For a number of universities, students can earn college credit if they score high enough on an AP exam. Spending $93 or $62 on an AP exam in high school instead of paying a larger amount for college classes may save students a lot of money. According to Bright Hub staff writer Sylvia Cochran’s article “Calculating the Cost Per Credit Hour,” college credit hours at a public four-year college are approximately $253 each. “Successful testing reduces the number of college credits the student must take and therefore also decrease the cost of education,” Cochran said. According to counseling secretary Nancy Figueroa, in 2016, 99 students qualified for the reduced fee, and 120 students paid in full. “We anticipate that fewer [low-income] students will be able to take the AP tests due to the higher cost,” Figueroa said. This year, AP exam sign-ups are held from December 8 to March 3, 2017, to allow students to make monthly installments, but any tests not fully paid by March will not be ordered.

Expulsion process of- Baysinger returns after battling rare cancer ten long and complex By EMMA SNYDER

While adjusting to her illness, Baysinger admits that it was hard for her to know how much In January, Vice she was excluded from. Principal Sera Baysing“It was easy to uner was diagnosed with derstand that the world mucinous adenocargoes on and I knew that cinoma, a rare type of my life would never cancer that produces be the same as it was,” what is called “mucin,” Baysinger said. the main component of Senior Jenna Colmucus. The cancer is so lins, ASB commissionrare that only two hoser of activities, noticed pitals in the nation have a significantly different the resources to treat it. atmosphere in BaysingAfter researching er’s absence. her treatment options “She was such a and consulting with ray of sunshine, showdoctors, Baysinger deing every kid she talks cided to undergo testing, to that she cared about surgeries, and rehabilithem,” Collins said. tation — a process that Despite the pain took over nine months. she endured during Now, Baysinger and after the surgeries, says she is excited to Baysinger remained be watching over Bear PHOTOS BY ERIN BAQUIRAN positive that she would Creek’s campus again. Back in the saddle: Vice Principal Sera Baysinger helps (left) jube able to return to the “It’s a strange feelnior Michael Hampton and (right) sophomore Pezere Gullory in their life she once lived. ing to feel like you’ve “I think everyone been ripped from ev- math class after returning to Bear Creek in November. Baysinger copes with this magnierything you know but spent nearly nine months recuperating from cancer treatment. tude of change and loss that’s how it felt — as if I were lost,” Baysinger said. “The life I had been living was stripped in different ways,” Baysinger said. “First — I laughed. A lot. As often and as loud as possible. away and replaced with a ‘new normal.’” “Second — I took stock of my life, how I was living it, and who While she was recuperating, Asst. Principal Allen Dosty took was included in it and I leaned on those people: family and friends. over Baysinger’s duties. “Third — I coped by realizing I was not alone in this predica“It was a challenge stepping into a position usually held by a person so organized and efficient,” Dosty said. “The challenge was ment, nor was I special. People are afflicted with things each and every day.” to do a good enough job until she came back. Since returning to work in early November, Baysinger says she Baysinger said that during her lowest moments, it was the unexpected amount of encouragement that she received from staff and is grateful for the feeling of exhaustion that greets her at the end of each day. students at Bear Creek that kept her spirits up. “Now, more than ever, I have a deeper understanding of this “I didn’t expect to receive that much love and support,” Baysinger said. “Students and staff stayed in contact with both me community and I want to work within its strength,” Baysinger said. Baysinger continues to receive physical therapy to help regain and my family through visits, calls, articles, gift baskets, pictures, her strength. cards, ‘flat-Sera’ episodes, emails, texts, and videos.” STAFF WRITER

By CLAIRE GILLILAND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

AND HELEN LE FEATURE EDITOR

When two students from Bear Creek were recommended for expulsion after a fight that involved physical intervention from a teacher, sympathetic friends began trending a hashtag that soon brought additional attention to the situation and to the process itself. The two students were allegedly fighting in the hallway near English teacher Ryan Miller’s classroom. Miller attempted to break up the fight by stepping between the students, but they continued to fight around him while also hitting Miller several times. Eventually, the two students stopped and fled. Striking a staff member or any other adult is an expellable offense. “As far as [fighting] goes, that needs to stop,” Miller said. “They need to have enough intellect to know when to stop.”

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here [are] certain things that, it doesn’t matter what you do, I have to recommend you for expulsion.

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- PRINCIPAL HILLARY HARRELL Recently there have been multiple fights with injuries indicating their serious nature. Principal Hillary Harrell contacted the Bear Creek community on December 8 to warn students engaging in physical altercations. “Students may face disciplinary consequences for participating and/or encouraging fighting while on campus, on the way to and from school, and while on any other school campus,” Harrell said in an announcement to students. “I want to reiterate the importance of students having a safe passage to and from school.” Expulsion from high school is anything but simple, especially because students are legally required to receive education. “It’s a very detailed and kind of cumbersome process, as it should be, because students are compelled to attend public education or be educated,” Harrell said. To be recommended for expulsion by administrators, students must commit a serious offense, typically involving drugs, alcohol, or harm to another student or anyone else on campus, including physical and sexual assault and harassment. “There [are] certain things that, it doesn’t matter what you do, I have to recommend you for expulsion as the administrator,” Harrell said. Once administrators recommend students for expulsion, they draft a report and submit it to Bill Toledo, the district’s Director of Child Welfare and Attendance Office (CWA). Toledo then holds a mini-hearing with the student, parent(s), and administrators to determine whether or not the school has a valid case for expulsion. Hearings are held within five days as a student can only be under typical suspension for five school days; however, if the hearings and trials continue, then students may be placed under extended suspension until the case concludes. If it is ruled in the mock hearing that the school does not have a valid case, then the student returns to school the next day. If it is ruled that the school has a valid case and the parents of the student agree that they should be expelled, then the appropriate motion is enacted. However, if the hearing is ruled in favor of the school but the parents of the student present an argument for their child, then a hearing commences similar to that of the appeals process, complete with witnesses and testimonies. This process could continue all the way to the Supreme Court, though that is rare. Administrators’ primary goal throughout the process remains making sure students are safely receiving their right to an education. “[One goal is] to make sure the school that you all attend every day is as safe as possible,” Harrell said. “The second goal is to get the [expelled] student back on the right path.” One of the students involved in the fight, who will remain anonymous, found the possible expulsion unfortunate since this was his first offense. He was under extended suspension until the case was resolved, which did not result in an expulsion. “[I wasn’t expelled] because of my character and how [I’ve] never done anything else in the past,” the student said. Although he is currently being educated via independent studies (home-school), he will return next semester. “I had no intentions in [hitting the intervening teacher]... but I do respect admin, especially the principal, for even giving me the chance to come back to Bear Creek,” the student said.

BCHS and McNair extend olive branch By SANDRA SUNIO STAFF WRITER

In past years, McNair and Bear Creek students expressed their longstanding rivalry through vandalism, heated social media exchanges and threats of violence. This year, the two rivals have extended an olive branch in hopes of preventing the animosity that last year culminated in the canceling of the senior night football game. Rather than spreading graffiti all over campus, teepee-ing the oak tree, and stacking all of the school’s trash cans before the big game, the two schools had a flashlight war during the game instead. McNair’s and Bear Creek’s student sections exchanged messages across the football field using the flashlights on their cellphones to form letters or symbols. Both student sections ended the conversation with a

heart. ing with his ASB members to McNair’s ASB President organize more events for the two Michael Stallworth has been schools to attend together to allow communicating with Bear students to bond and share ideas Creek’s ASB President Farrah- that would influence positive lynn Bonocan to plan events that changes on both campuses and will ease the tension with Bear the community. Creek. “ A l Stallt’s really cool to see and though riworth comknow that both ends are valry is a municated tradition, with Bono- trying to fix a once broken it should can last road. be clean, month to -ASB PRESIDENT FARRAHLYNN respectable BONOCAN and friendinvite Bear Creek stuly,” Stalldents to attend McNair’s movie worth said. night at their campus to improve Bear Creek has also made relations between the schools. similar attempts to make “I really wanted to decrease peace with its rival. Bonocan the tension between McNair and and ASB Commissioner of Bear Creek because we are two Public Relations David Hangreat schools who bring differ- cock had planned a friendsent things to the tables, and with giving dinner with McNair’s the help of each other, we are student government class, able to improve our communi- but busy schedules prevented ty,” Stallworth said. them from doing so. Stallworth is currently work“To me, the school rivalry

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isn’t as heated as it has been for the past years that I have attended Bear Creek,” Bonocan said. “It’s really cool to see and know that both ends are trying to fix a once broken road.” As a result of the now friendly rivalry, Stallworth has noticed more McNair students befriending Bear Creek students as well as more positive social media interactions. “There have been no Twitter fights or bashing of either school, and the football game was very clean and well-played; there were no fights [nor] other incidents that occurred,” Stallworth said. Some students say they appreciate McNair’s attempts to reach out. “I feel like they feel bad that things happened [so that] we didn’t have a senior night [for football], and they’re trying to make it up to us,” junior Edwin Esquejo said.

NEWS 2 Delta College dual enrollment offers college courses THE BRUIN VOICE

DECEMBER 16, 2016

Students can save money and experience advanced curriculum By JERICE BANOLA STAFF WRITER

For most students, the cost of a college education is a concern — but the Delta College Dual Enrollment program is not only intended to provide a low-cost option, but also expose high school students to a more advanced curriculum. Although ﬁrst conceived in the early 2000s, the Dual Enrollment program was postponed due to the 2008 recession that led to Stockton ﬁling for bankruptcy in 2012. With Stockton’s economy improving in recent years, the idea was brought back to life and approved last year by the California legislature. Funded by the state, the Delta College Dual Enrollment program (DCDE) aims to provide high school students with a chance to earn college credit in a fashion similar to that of Middle College

High School. Students will be able to take college it’s still a great opportunity to save some money courses directly after school hours. and I plan on taking full advantage of it,” senior “[The Delta College Dual Enrollment pro- Harminderjeet Kaur said. gram] gives us the same beneﬁts as students atEven just that one class can save students tending Middle College, making me feel less hundreds to thousands of dollars. For a standard guilty about choosing Bear Creek over Middle three-unit class at a community college, in-state College,” senior Sonia Sandhu said. residents typically pay between $135-$750; the The DCDE program is designed to help with cost rises to between $300-$1650 for out-of-state college expenses residents. Public and to demonstrate and private unito students the ven just applying to college is ex- versities are much value of a higher pensive. These classes can mean the dif- more costly, with education. Taking classes costing ference between food and starvation. free college coursthousands of dol-SENIOR NARONG VANG es through this lars to total a yearprogram will help ly average tuition soften college’s impact on wallets, since the cost of $9410. of college courses at regular universities can be up “Even just applying to college is expensive,” to thousands of dollars. senior Narong Vang said. “These classes can “Although I’ll only be able to take one course, mean the difference between food and starva-

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Powderpuff seniors victorious

Gridiron ready: (counterclockwise from top) The seniors claim a victory against the juniors Powderpuff team Monday, November 21st. The juniors show their class pride with an orange “ﬁre nation” poster while the seniors demonstrate their green with a “money team” poster.

PHOTOS BY ERIN BAQUIRAN

tion.” The biggest drawback with the program is the availability of the courses. Starting in the spring of 2017, each high school will only offer one class. “We do plan on expanding the number of courses available at each high school to around two as the program picks up steam,” Dual Enrollment Program Manager Michelle Diguilio said. However, students are not limited to taking the course their high school offers; they can also take classes in neighboring high schools. This spring, McNair and Lodi will offer English 1A and Psychology, respectively, while Bear Creek will offer Sociology 1A. For more information on the program or to enroll, students can go to the counseling ofﬁce or check the Delta College website for the Dual Enrollment program.

NaNoWriMo gives budding authors a reason to write By LILY TRAN FEATURE EDITOR

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an event that should be added to every bucket list: participants aim to write 50,000 or more words in a single month. Last year 431,626 participants worldwide achieved their goal and wrote novels. “NaNoWriMo gives you a reason to just get [a story] down,” creative writing and theater teacher Cassie Champeau said. “It doesn’t matter if it makes sense, it doesn’t matter if it’s spelled right, it doesn’t matter if it’s grammatically correct. Just get it down.” The creative writing class participated in NaNoWriMo this year through the Young Writer’s Program, a NaNoWriMo-based program that allows educators to create classrooms for students under 18. The Young Writer’s Program allows individuals to set their own goals that may or may not reach the required 50,000 words on the ofﬁcial website. “I gave them a minimum of 5,000 words for the class and then beyond that, they got to just choose,” Champeau said. Among the 18 students in the class, most word-count goals ranged from 5,000 to 25,000 words. However, juniors Christian Portin and Brittney Joya set a 100,000 word goal. Their ambitious goals earned them the nicknames “the Beast” and “Beast Jr.,” respectively. Though neither student completed that goal, both ended with over 50,000 words. “Even though I didn’t ﬁnish, I’m just happy I got this far,” Portin said. Students had complete freedom in choosing a topic and direction for their stories. The genres of the students’ novels ranged from contemporary fiction to sci-fi fantasy to dystopian. “For some reason, when you give students class time to create and they get to drive the car and get to say what they want to write, they do it and they don’t even think that they are sitting there working because this is them creating what they want to create,” Champeau said. Students were given several days each week in November to write, tracking their progress throughout the month. Grading was based on participation and if they completed their wordcount.

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Comedy Sportz not laughing over theater fee By DAVID HANCOCK STAFF WRITER

In Lodi USD, the district policy states that no other parties besides the district’s administration are allowed to charge facility use fees and, in most cases, school functions are exempt from any fees; thus, when theater teacher Cassie Champeau told Comedy Sportz they had to pay $25 to use the theater for their next game it was no laughing matter. Champeau maintains that because she is not charging the club for the facility, but for the equipment in the facility, that the fee is allowed. Additionally, she argues that fee is reasonable because whenever anything in the theater needs to be repaired, the money to do so comes from

the theater’s budget. “The fee is not for the theater, it’s for the equipment in the theater,” Champeau said. “Anything that gets broken in the theater is paid for from the theater fund and not the district; the theater can charge groups for the use of the theater’s equipment.”

should not be charging a school function for use of a school facility,” LUSD Planning Analyst Vickie Brum said. “It’d be like charging the football team to use the ﬁeld.” Brum says she disagrees with the “theatrical donation” charge. She says that all technical equipment is included in the fees that come

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hen the school — and that’s clubs, sports teams, any school function — uses a school facility, there should be NO fees beyond custodial.

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-LUSD PLANNING ANALYST VICKIE BRUM However, district ofﬁcials disagree with this premise, stating that all light, sound, and any other equipment is included in the use of the facility. “In my opinion, [Champeau]

from the district, and that those fees are only for non-school groups. “Let me be clear, when the school — and that’s clubs, sports teams, any school function — uses a school facility, there should be NO fees beyond custodial,” Brum said. Not only is charging clubs to use facilities and equipment against the district policy, it is contradictory to how things usually run at Bear Creek too. “Typically, if a Bear Creek group uses a Bear Creek facility, there would be no fees,” Vice Principal Sera Baysinger said. “Typically, only outside groups pay the fee schedule.” Baysinger emphasized the word “typically” because although it is uncommon, there is one exception to the fee rule for school functions. “The only time a BC group

would be charged to use a BC facility would be on weekends, like with Speech and Debate, and the fee would be only to pay for custodial services,” Baysinger said. Comedy Sportz advisor Heather Blount consented to paying the fee, even to the point of agreeing to paying $35 for Comedy Sportz game on December 16. “It [the fee] is deﬁnitely kind of a frustration, but I understand why because of all the costs involved in running a theater,” Blount said. The “theatrical donation,” as Champeau calls it, was a “special thing” for Comedy Sportz because, as a performance-based club, they rely very heavily on have a venue to perform. Other groups requesting to use the sound and light equipment were not given the option to pay $25 and were, instead, not permitted to use the equipment at all, Champeau said. Jazz Band teacher Joseph Sandoval, however, says that his band and the choir have never been charged a fee for their concerts and they use the lighting and sound equipment in their performances. Champeau says she hasn’t charged them because they are theatrical groups and Comedy Sportz is not. “It felt very personal to our club because she let us use the theater last year for free, and we’re still a theatrical club and that helps the theater,” Comedy Sportz treasurer Kirsten Weber said. “I hope all of it gets ﬁgured out.”

his event certainly puts the pressure on how you meet a deadline and also how you can be creative within that deadline.

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-CREATIVE WRITING TEACHER CASSIE CHAMPEAU

Still, like most classwork, setting aside time to write proved challenging. “Finding the time to write, especially with sports and school, was the hardest part,” Joya said. And writing, of course, was the most important part of this event. “It teaches [writers] to just sort of relax and enjoy their writing instead of always feeling like they have to get another page down,” Champeau said. “I liked that I didn’t have to worry about fixing the story and plot holes,” Portin said. “[NaNoWriMo] really helped me to get my story done.” To motivate students, Champeau provided prizes for each milestone reached. Students who reached 50 percent of their goal earned stickers; those who reached 75 percent of their goal received buttons and students who completed 100 percent of their goal received a certificate of completion. Encouragement is especially needed when writers meet their worst enemy: writer’s block. Writer’s block varies from person to person and can last hours, days, or weeks. “When I get stuck on a part of my story, I’ll watch movies or read books and grab ideas from them,” sophomore Caitlin Fink said. During this event, writers developed important life skills such as perseverance, determination and confidence. “[NaNoWriMo] really showed me how much I could push myself,” Fink said. “It shows that I can get things done if I push myself forward and do it instead of procrastinating.” Even seasoned writers attribute their published works to the impetus they acquired during NaNoWriMo. “More than 250 novels originally drafted during NaNoWriMo have been published,” LA Times writer Michael Schaub said. Best-selling stories like “Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell, “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern, “The Lunar Chronicles,” by Marissa Meyer, and “Water for Elephants,” by Sara Gruen were all originally written during the month of November for NaNoWriMo. Perhaps one of the most important lessons for writers — one for life — is the importance of meeting deadlines. “You may not be writing for the deadline, but all jobs, everything has a deadline,” Champeau said. “This event certainly puts the pressure on how you meet a deadline and also how you can be creative and be yourself within that deadline.”

The Bruin Voice

LETTERS TO SANTA

Dear Santa , For years I have sat idly by as family and friends alike worship the “most wonderful time of the year.” Well , not anymore . I’ve finally decided to disclose to you the true horror that you unleash every year starting the day after Halloween . To appease their wonderful , innocent, in-no-way-selfish children , parents all over the world battle in the mall to buy the one toy their child would “simply die without,” mauling any man , woman , or child that happens to be at the checkout lane . I can’t even step into a Walmart without the feeling the overwhelming sense of malice hitting me like a brick every time I walk through the automatic doors to, you guessed it, buy my friend the gift they “just couldn’t live without.” Every year I swear superstores like Walmart and Target decorate their stores earlier and earlier every year. I’m pretty sure if I were to go to Target first thing on November 1st, I would be greeted by a poor sap who’s paid to dress in the molester outfit you would call an elf costume . Now let ’s move onto the creepy hundredand-something-year-old man getting paid minimum wage to have hundreds of children sit on his sweaty lap and brown nose (or red nose , in this case) him until he agrees to bring them an Apple Watch for Christmas. The “season of giving” is funded by thousands of parents who cattle prod their sniveling children into the lap of a stranger. Now how is that celebrating peace on Earth or the birth of Christ? Oh my God I just realized it ’s Christ-mas. The holiday celebrating the birth of Christ is called Christ-mas. Now that ’s just lazy naming. And DON’T even get me started on children who don’t have chimneys.

Dear Santa, Where is the rain? I’m gonna be real here. I know you have snow in the North Pole. I know your little reindeers probably love freezing their little furry butts off in the cold, and I bet Rudolph remains ecstatic with keeping his nose lit just to have some sort of light and warmth. And I’m very sure that Mrs. Claus loves to wear those heavy red jackets that are so fashionable, and that she is grateful that you always come in through the door with snowflakes stuck on the side of your boots and piles of snow wetting your socks. Do you love the feeling of wet socks, Santa? Because snow melts. You might not have a grasp on how the world works when it’s not December 25th, but, yes, there are physical laws. And when the temperature rises enough, snow becomes this thing called water. If you can’t see where I’m going with this, I’ll provide

you a piece of relevant information: I live in California. Oh, shoot, you don’t know what’s wrong with California right now? Because you only deliver presents to houses with fresh green lawns? Well, you should definitely have noticed the dramatic decrease of houses that you delivered presents to last year then, because we are in a drought. My wish benefits everybody. I’m not saying I’m selfless or anything — I’m just getting really sick of the fact that people don’t even have the basic necessities to survive. And I’m not necessarily asking for water for only us, either. Flint, Michigan, still doesn’t have clean water to drink. Can you help remedy any of this before you fly off with your magical sleigh and bags of toys that children throw away within the year? So, water, please. Regards from the dying, Helen Le

Spencer Fulgham PS: Don’t forget to bring me an Apple Watch this Christmas. Thanks bro.

Dear Santa, I just want to say hey and thanks in advance for the Christmas gifts. Oh you can bet I’ll be putting my socioeconomic status and race, coupled with my astounding GPA and leadership experience to good use once college app season comes along! I just love the rush of being nowhere near financially equipped for my dreams and therefore deemed fit for the demographic that made affirmative action heaven sent. Not only have I been drowning in fear of living in utter regret from the joyous workload of AP classes, but I’ve learned how to swim, too. I can’t wait to be pent up with an overflowing sensation of guilt for being a first generation Asian-American girl with aspirations of becoming a doctor. Oh the happiness I’ll bring to the Christmas dinner table as my extended family asks about my plans after high school. I can’t wait. Guess who wants to be different from everyone else in her family and therefore convinces herself that

thirteen years of molecular agony is her best bet to make a name for herself! Well, obviously it’s not me. I’m definitely my own person. The holidays bring laughter and lightheartedness into my life. Well, even that’s short-lived. Christmas is my favorite because of you. Who doesn’t love the obligation of entertaining their great Aunt Sheryl who likes to tell them about how her second divorce wasn’t entirely her fault as she sips spiked cranberry juice from a candy cane colored wine glass? Five cheers for being festive. All I’m really asking of you this Christmas is peace of mind. You don’t have to worry about it taking too much space on your sleigh. Just like my will to carry on, for example, it’s exquisitely non-existent. With a frenzied heart, Kate Lagera P.S. I’m lactose intolerant. I hope you like lukewarm soymilk and acai berry scones!

Dear Mr. Claus, I know that you have a very busy day ahead of you and many wishes to fulfill. The thing I desire most is for everyone to experience happiness throughout their life, whether it be from a significant other, family, a hobby, or themselves. I hope everyone has a purpose to wake up in the morning and look forward to their day. I hope that everyone has a purpose to live. Self love is a branch off of the tree of happiness. I want people to learn to love themselves for who they are. I want people to not worry and fear how people view them. Happiness from within is a quality I believe everyone should share. Please teach everyone to not look down on people unless they are willing to help them up. I also wish for people to show gratitude and satisfaction for what they have in life. I wish for them to not take what they have for granted. I wish for people to not envy others. I wish people can see the beauty in nature and life. To be content with life is my ultimate goal and I wish you could help me with spreading it to everyone around the world. Thank you. Have a Merry Christmas. Sincerely, Asia Valenzuela

Dear Santa, This may come as a surprise, but I have only one wish this year. I don’t ache for mountains of presents with my name beneath our Christmas tree. It’s alright if I wake up and my stocking hangs empty above the fireplace. Instead, I wish for something that cannot be seen or touched. It is free yet worth all the money in the world. Happiness. I wish for eternal happiness. I

am asking for the kind of happiness that makes your cheeks hurt from smiling and your stomach burn from laughing too hard. I want the happiness that makes you cry tears of joy and feel so weightless that you could float towards the sky forever. Take this feeling, and make it last forever. I don’t want this for me, of course. I want all of it to go to her (you know who I’m talking about).

Dear Santa Claus, Reflecting on the past year, I think I was overall a “nice” person although I have some flaws and I have made some mistakes. I worked hard, was generally generous and selfless, put others before me, and did quite some hours of community service. After a long, tiring, yet exciting year, this Christmas I hope you can make some of my wishes for the world and myself come true. One important thing I think the world and people need is world peace and acceptance. Although world peace seems hard to imagine, I hope for the world to become a little closer in harmony and help out and love one another. I also want the natural environment on Earth to be healthier and cleaner, especially in this age of fossil fuels and global warming. Cities are becoming dirtier and more polluted, and nature is not only beautiful but crucial for life. A present I would

really want for Christmas is a cookbook by the eminent chef, Gordon Ramsay. I love food and I really love Gordon Ramsay and his many shows. I would like to share his cookbook with my parents because they need to seriously up their cooking skills. Another item on my wishlist is an EcoSphere, an enclosed aquatic system with mini shrimp that is selfsustaining. It is a glass ball of water filled with shrimp and algae, it looks super cool, and combines my passions for nature and sea life. This Christmas and pretty much every Christmas, I want to be surrounded by my family members for they are a true blessing, and I ask for you to give them peace and good health. I won’t ask for better grades or a load of cash because I think I should earn those myself, although perhaps some money for my parents would be great.

It doesn’t matter how you give it to her. The kind of happiness that I am asking for does not have to come from me. It could be from a gift she’s always wanted, wrapped up in pretty pink bows and sparkling wrapping paper. Perhaps it could come from a person that will love her and understand her in all of the ways that I wanted to. Maybe she can find the happiness

that I want her to have within herself, tucked away behind those towering walls that I tried my hardest to knock down. Those are only suggestions, of course. I’m sure you can figure out the best way to give or guide her to happiness. After all, you’ve been doing this for a long time. Have a merry Christmas.

With much love and gratitude, Christine Tran

Sincerely, Aryah Coilton

DecemBer 16, 2016

Dear Santa, In the time of holidays, I start to appreciate what I have more than I normally would. There is an emphasis on spending time with family and being generous to others less fortunate in this time. I write to you my desires and hopefully you can make them come true in this time of giving. Unfortunately, I’m not eager for the newest Xbox One or the latest 2K game anymore. Those days are in the past for my youth is long gone. These days all I yearn for is to be carefree and filled with joy during the holiday season. It’s close to impossible to thoroughly enjoy the jolly season in the midst of piles of schoolwork. It’s sad Santa, that those who are impressionable really think I’m happy but I’m not. I want to have recess again and play tetherball with my friends. I want to roam the local Toys R Us anticipating with excitement what was coming on Christmas Day. More importantly, Santa, I wish that during the holiday season everyone is employed, well fed and blessed with good health because those are things that we live with day to day yet are underappreciated. Also, make sure no one goes unloved or lonely because everyone needs some sort of company regardless of who they are. Don’t bother coming to my house this year Santa. Just spread joy, generosity, and kindness in the hope of a new year. Love, Jaan Jaime

Dear Santa, 2016 was a really mixed bag for me, let me just get that out first. Pretty much everyone can agree that 2016 just wasn’t a particularly great year, regardless of political affiliation or opinions. But if there’s one specific thing I definitely have a beef with, it’s Hallmark movies. My dad absolutely loves cheesy scifi movies like “Sharknado” and especially Hallmark Christmas movies. Hence, those movies are in the background 24/7. I could be doing homework, making breakfast, or getting ready for bed, and there would always be a Hallmark movie playing. Call me a cynic, but I just don’t get them. There’s a simple, irritating formula to these movies. Usually, there’s at least one person who works too much and doesn’t value Christmas. They usually have a romantic interest who is totally different and absolutely perfect for them, except the other person loves Christmas and doesn’t get why the protagonist is so workoriented.

Or maybe there’s a business executive who is determined to monetize Christmas and destroy the true spirit of the holidays. That is, until someone comes along (typically a child) and proves to them how wrong they are. A lot of times, the executive was just snubbed by Santa one year and that led him to the path of evil capitalism. Or Santa has a daughter. That’s really big, for some reason. Santa, please give us better Christmas movies next year. I loved Christmas movies when I was a kid, but they just don’t have their spark after years of sub-par Hallmark films. I used to get so excited when “The Santa Clause,” “Home Alone,” or “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” came on. But now I rarely see any of those movies, and I’m stuck with Hallmark movies my dad refuses to stop watching. Please, Santa, save me from this dumpster fire of a movie channel. Sincerely, Kylie Yamada

Dear Santa, I just wanna let you know that I have my priorities right. I’m not gonna ask you for a dog or any materialistic presents or anything like that. What I want is something more elusive, something less obtainable, something only a few people have: an A in math. Hear me out, Santa. I mean, I don’t ask for a lot do I? Just this one time, boost my confidence a little and help me out. I’ll still study and everything, just give me that part of the brain that makes me good at remembering what it means to be asked to find the point at which a particle changes directions by using the second derivative. I want an A in Calculus, Santa. It isn’t just to boost my confidence and make my family proud of me. If you give me this gift, Santa, I would remember it forever and always appreciate it, I would be able to use it, I would be less insecure about my future because of my constant B, hell, I would even swear to everyone I meet that you are real (if you’re anything like they portrayed you in Elf, then that is a great offer in exchange for this one thing). Think about it Santa — it’s what you call a win-win. With anticipation, Sophie Gilliland, a high school student who is sick of math

Dear Santa, Hey, Santa, how are you? Christmas is coming up, so here’s my wishlist. I’m not going to bore you with all the music and movies and books I want this year, and since you’re clearly some kind of magical, powerful being, I guess I’ll expect more of you than a CD. So, Santa, listen up, because this is important. This year I want courage. I want to be brave enough to volunteer to present first in English class and get that extra credit, or to take risks in ceramics and try to make each bowl just a little bigger, even if it means risking starting over. I want to be brave enough to raise my hand in APUSH, or add a little more risk and variability into my essays. Santa, I’m not asking for much. Surely you can do this if you can deliver toys to every house at nights.

If you can’t deliver courage, however, then maybe confidence? It would be nice to trust myself enough to try something new, or to talk to more people, or to just feel nice and happy. But I guess I’m supposed to be practical, huh? I would like less stress, please, Santa. I’m sure you’re not a stranger to stress — you do know a thing or two about deadlines — so you know that it’s not fun. I know that a large portion of my stress is kind of my fault (procrastination is my fatal flaw) but that doesn’t mean I enjoy it. So if you could just relieve that stress, Santa, with a snap of your fingers or however your magic works, that would be much appreciated. Thanks, Claire Gilliland

IN-DEPTH

THE BRUIN VOICE

DECEMBER 16 2016

Not all cultures accepting of homosexuality LGBTQ+: Learning the terminology By SOPHIE GILLILAND ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Americans oftentimes have gay pride parades to celebrate gay rights — but on the other side of the world, being gay can be a death sentence. Even though gay marriage was legalized in all of the United States in 2015, other countries and cultures still deny members of the LGBT+ community their basic rights because of their sexual orientations and gender identities. According to the ILGA — the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association — same-sex relationships are illegal in 74 countries. In some countries, violence directed toward LGBT+ people and corrective rape are commonplace. “Back home in Nigeria, being gay is worse than murdering someone,” junior Abigail Mania said. “People don’t seem to understand.” Nigerian people can face up to 14 years of imprisonment for being homosexual. In Chad, a country that borders Nigeria in Africa, people can be imprisoned for up to 20 years for being openly homosexual. “I remember I used to go to boarding school in Nigeria and if they found a gay student, they used to beat them up with canes,” junior

Richard Emiko said. Western Europe, but there are some Mauritius, a small country in the in South America and other parts Indian Ocean, equates the crime of sod- of the world as well. Even though omy with bestiality in their laws and these countries allow same-sex mareach is punishable by imprisonment for riage, some of them have restrictions up to five years. Sudan punishes peo- on adoption and other things, such as ple convicted of sodomy with flogging giving blood. Although these priviand after three offenses with a death leges are taken away from same sex sentence or life imprisonment. Iran couples, 73 countries do have protecpunishes same-sex relationships with tion laws for LGBT+ people. penalties that range from whipping to Although same sex marriage was t h e legaldeath ized in ack home in Nigeria, being gay is all 50 pena l t y . worse than murdering someone. states - JUNIOR ABIGAIL MAINA in the Saudi AraUnited bia punishes same-sex relationships States, Californians are typically thought among men with stoning to death for of as more accepting of the various sexumarried men and 100 lashes of the al orientations and gender identities. whip for unmarried men. A lot of the stigma around sexuIn 13 countries, mostly in Africa al orientation is because of religion, and the Middle East, having same- but other things, such as gender, also sex relationships is punishable by influence these views. Many laws death. These laws restricting same- regarding same-sex relationships are sex relationships are primarily be- focused on men, but some countries cause of religion. are developing equal laws for wom“When I came out to my father, en too. he disowned me, moved cities, and While the United States and the put me back into the foster care sys- Western world is quickly removtem because he found me as a dis- ing restrictions and laws regarding grace to his Christian religion,” ju- the criminalization or inferiority of nior Amari McCof said. LGBT+ people, some countries in Most of the 47 countries that the other parts of the world are slowrecognize same-sex marriage are in ly moving toward equal rights and

“B

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acceptance while others remain stagnant. In Colombia, a country that is predominantly Catholic, same-sex couples recently received the right to adopt. In Jamaica, a country where violence and discrimination towards members of the LGBT+ community is common, activists are beginning to call for change. Malta became the ﬁrst country to prohibit normalizing gender surgeries on intersex babies, Mozambique decriminalized homosexuality, Nepal recognized a third gender on their passports, Taiwan gave same-sex couples some of the same rights as straight couples, Vietnam began to allow people to register as a gender not on their birth certiﬁcate, China still censors homosexuality but in 2014 they outlawed conversion therapy. Even with the progression towards equality across the world, LGBT+ people are struggling for their rights in certain areas. In certain countries people are becoming more accepting of other sexual orientations and gender identities, but there is still a long way to go in the more rural and religious places of the world. Khaled Alameldin contributed to this article.

By GABRIELLA BACKUS ARTISTIC EDITOR

In a flowering new age of sexualities and gender identities, many teens find themselves confused as how to identify themselves and others. Here’s a helpful guide for puzzled newcomers to the LGBT community’s many identification terms. SEXUALITIES: ●Lesbian: The L in the LGBT; A woman who is sexually and romantically attracted to other women. ●Gay: The G in LGBT; A person who is attracted primarily to members of the same sex. ○Although it can be used for any person in the LGBT community as a blanket term in the same sense that any LGBT person can call themselves queer, gay usually describes a man who is sexually and romantically attracted to other men. ○Gay women are called lesbians, although it is not incorrect to label them as gay. ●Queer: ½ of the Q in LGBTQ; An umbrella term sometimes used by LGBTQIAP+ people to refer to the entire LGBT community. ○Queer was often used during the 16th century onwards to describe something strange, eccentric or peculiar, and was often used as a slur labeling members of the LGBT community. Many LGBT people have reclaimed the term in more recent years. ○It can also mean a person who is attracted to men, women, genderqueer people, and/or other gender nonconforming people. Not to be confused with pansexuals or bisexuals, queer people do not wish to put a specific label on themselves, often see-

ing their sexuality as more ﬂuid and thus are unable or unwilling to further categorize themselves. ●Asexual: ¼ of the A in LGBTQUIA; Someone who does not experience sexual attraction, or has only a very low desire for sexual activity. ●Pansexual: The P in LGBTQUIAP+; Someone who is sexually or romantically attracted to various gender identities. They can be attracted to cisgender, transgender, intersex, and nonbinary people, although said attractions are exclusive to the pansexual. ●Bisexual: The B in LGBT; Someone who is sexually and romantically attracted to only two gender identities. ○The difference between bisexual and pansexual is that bisexuals are only attracted to two different genders. Pansexuals are attracted to multiple genders. ○Bisexuals are often known to be attracted to men and women, but they can also be attracted to 2 nonbinary genders, or 1 binary and 1 nonbinary gender. ●Demisexual: Someone who is sexually attracted only to people with whom they share an emotional bond with. ○Demisexuality is often seen as a type of asexuality. GENDER: ●Gender Binary: Referring to male and female genders. ●Transgender/Trans: The T in LGBT; Umbrella term for all people who do not identify with their assigned gender at birth or the gender binary. ○Transgender individuals who do not identify with their assigned gender at birth often dress to match the gender they feel most aligned with. They

Coming out of the closet: I was almost in denial about it and was always unsure if I was correct. The problem with being different is that you never realize you aren’t “normal” until you compare yourself to others. Of course, in middle school I realized that it truly was something that is different about me. The benefit of the Internet is that it allowed me to search various terms and read other people’s experiences so I never felt lost or alone. From the moment I read the definition, which is ironically different depending on where you search it, I knew “bisexuality” was what described me. I can also credit the books I read during this time for helping me to accept myself. Young Adult books have much more diverse protagonists now than they did 10 years ago, and the variety of experiences I read about helped me understand myself and my life so much better. The first time I told someone was in the eighth grade — a By KYLIE YAMADA FEATURE EDITOR middle school friend of mine who I still text often. She was fairly accepting of me, though it did get slightly awkward My coming out story is hard to tell, because I didn’t when she asked me if I had a crush on her. Afterwards, I told have a typical coming out at all. For one thing, I didn’t re- a few of my other friends. ally tell anyone in person. Over text, I can type out the mesOnce I reached high school, it essentially became an open sage and then decide whether or secret among my friend not to press send, a process which group for my first two years. oing from ‘I think Emma Watson is A lot of my friends are gay, takes only a couple of seconds. In person, it’s incredibly nerve really pretty’ to a mature, serious real- bisexual, or pansexual themwracking to have to actually say ization takes a lot of introspection. selves, so we would joke “I’m bisexual.” around with each other while Of course, once it’s over, it’s over. People rarely ask further hanging out. I told a few people personally, but it spread almost questions (though I have had a friend of mine once ask if I had a as if by itself for a while, which I did not particularly mind. I crush on her after I told her), and the conversation moves on. In prefer that to an awkward conversation. person, it’s not that fast; some people want to ask questions and Recently, I have decided to tell a couple of my siblings. I know learn more about my experience, which is not something that is no one in my immediate family is homophobic, but I was still exeasy to discuss. Questions like, “How did you know you were tremely nervous. Thankfully, they both responded warmly, reassuring bisexual?” are not easily answered. me that they still support me and making sure I am okay and happy. The simple truth is I did not have a typical, or a linear, I am not sure when I will tell my parents, or what I will path to discovery at all. I remember knowing I had crushes do when I graduate and have to go to college. Some people on girls since I was a little girl, around sixth grade, but going may find it easier to come out to their parents, but I almost from “I think Emma Watson is really pretty” to a mature, see it as a final enemy in a video game — once I reach there, I serious realization takes a lot of introspection. Truthfully, will be done, but I still have a way to go before then.

tify myself as bisexual. and female genders, but also with every type The first time I came out was in eighth of gender identity such as transgender, agengrade to three of my best friends. I had been der, bigender, demigender, gender neutral, contemplating the idea for a long time but was and gender fluid. unsure how to go about it. It was then that I realized I wasn’t bisexI found refuge in the comfort of my cell- ual. Yes, I possessed the desire to like two phone and the emotional protection the screen genders, but it was more than that: I possessed provided. I didn’t have to deal with the con- the ability to like any gender, making me panfrontation of a face-to-face confession. sexual. I had nothing to be ashamed about. I I was amazed at how accurately this sexwasn’t weird or confused and I knew they uality summed up exactly how I felt. A perwould be accepting. son’s gender I finally gathered and physical ansexuality is often brushed off a p p e a r a n c e the courage to press send and I felt instant relief. as being nonexistent or fake. is completely In gaining acceptance irrelevant to from my friends, I had also found acceptance me; instead, my focus is directed toward their from myself. personality. But later that year, I began to stumble The majority of people I tell have no idea upon a new variety of sexual orientations. what pansexuality is. Today’s progressive soThrough the internet I learned about various ciety has become more conditioned to gays, sexual orientations that I was not even aware lesbians, and bisexuals, but the majority are existed, such as asexuality, demisexuality, typically limited in their knowledge to just polysexuality and pansexuality. those three labels. Being on different areas I learned that a pansexual person can love of the spectrum, pansexuals are often ignored. people who identify not only with the male Even if I am confident in the acceptance

By SERRA RAQUEL ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

There’s never really just one coming out story. I am constantly coming out and have received various reactions over the years. When I was younger, I was pretty terriﬁed of confronting this part of myself. I was aware that my attraction was not exclusively set on boys. As I grew older, I decided to ﬁnally iden-

LGBTQ allies are like dogs; they’re our best friends not because they’re loyal, but because they don’t judge us. However, not every gay person is free to outwardly express their sexuality due to the risk of discrimination not just from outsiders but also from friends and family. For those not familiar with the wide variety of queer folk, it can be difﬁcult accepting someone unlike themselves. Thus the action of coming out to family and friends is almost never simple and from

I will receive from coming out, there is still a certain hesitancy towards revealing this part of myself. Coming out isn’t as simple as just saying, “I’m pansexual.” I must not only confess my pansexuality, but also address what exactly that entails. The complexity of my sexuality ultimately leads to a rather uncomfortable conversation on my end. The discomfort is not because I am ashamed, but because it sparks a long and personal discussion about the details of my sexual orientation. For this reason, I have yet to reveal this part of myself to my family. It’s not because of fear of rejection, but because of my awkwardness when it comes to articulating personal information about myself. Because pansexuality is something many people are unaware of, it is very common for the deﬁnition to be misunderstood. Pansexuality is often confused with bisexuality. In order to understand the meaning of pansexuality, it is important to understand that

there are gender identities that exist beyond the traditional male and female. Bisexuality is the attraction to two genders, most commonly, male and female. Pansexuality is the attraction to all genders. However, this does not mean that I am attracted to everyone. It means that I am capable of ﬁnding love in anyone, regardless of gender or reproductive organs. Just because I am capable of loving anyone does not mean I love everyone. Pansexuality is often brushed off as being nonexistent or fake, but we’re not just bisexuals that are confused, seeking attention, or labeling ourselves in an effort to present our uniqueness or individuality. In truth, I don’t care if people don’t believe my sexuality is real. I know how I feel and who I am and I am comfortable with that. I am grateful to not be limited to seeking speciﬁc genders or categories of people when it comes to attraction. It’s all about their hearts, not about their parts.

○Demigirls feel a partial connection to female identity. ○Demiboys feel a partial connection to male identity. OTHERS: ● Intersex: The I in LGBTQUIA; A person whose sexual anatomy or chromosomes do not fit with the traditional markers of “female” and “male.” ○ The most popular intersex flag is horizontally striped purple, white, blue, and pink, then white and purple. An alternate version is entirely yellow with a purple ring in the middle. ● Ally: ¼ the A in LGBTQUIA; A non-LGBT person who supports and stands up for the rights of LGBT people ○ Also means an LGBT person who supports rights for other LGBT people who do not have the same sexual or gender orientation as they do. For example, a lesbian can be a trans ally. ○ The ally flag is a striped black and white flag, with a striped rainbow arrow cutting up from the bottom. ● Aromantic: ¼ the A in LGBTQUIA; A person who experiences little or no romantic attraction to others. ○ Aromantics may still feel sexual attraction to others, however. ○ The aromantic flag is horizontally striped dark green, light green, yellow, gray, and black.

Students share their journeys Finally I got her attention to it stems issues that can last a point out what she had so blatantly lifetime. That isn't to say that all missed. “I’m bisexual” I confessed with LGBTQ people will have difficulty with expressing who a forced, lighthearted smile. My mother embraced me and they are. In fact, my friends and family have been mostly confirmed her never-ending love for supportive of me being bi- me. When my dad later strolled into the room he joined in affirming my sexual. Still, I find myself worry- acceptance and saying that nothing ing about who I should share had to change. I wanted things to change. my sexual identity with and I wanted to be asked about my when. I came out to my parents herein lies the truth about comon October 14, 2014, and it ing out; there seems to be no end to was the night before the process of revealing yourself to when I decided to do the rest of the world. so. In the morning I woke up earlier troubles, about my fears for the trust than usual to cut up different colored that I give, about the secrecy that I scraps of construction paper and ap- have to maintain with certain disappropriate banners. Pink, purple, and proving people. Some of my closest cousins and blue: the colors of the bisexual flag. Our black, worn leather couch their immediate family still don’t consoled me while I waited for my know that I’m bisexual. Their viewparents to awaken from their near- points have been made clear before by bedrooms. There were neither I even thought about my sexual atlights nor electronics turned on yet; traction, and I’d rather not lose my just me waiting in the sun-lit living connections with them. It’s a pain to gauge the tolerance room. My mother arrived nonchalantly of strangers or even tight-knit friends at first, giving no indication of notic- to determine how much to play up ing the crudely made-decorations I or play down my personality. Any nonconforming orientation can seem had put up.

By GIANCARLO LIZARRAGA STAFF WRITER

can choose to use hormone injections or undergo surgery to better watch their preferred gender, but not all transgender people do so. ●Agender: ¼ of the A in LGBTQUIA; Individual who is genderless, lacking male, female, or nonbinary identity. ○Agender literally means ‘without gender.’ ●Genderfluid: Individual whose gender identity varies over time. At any time, they may identify as male, female, or any other nonbinary identity. ●Genderqueer: An umbrella term for individuals with gender identities which fall outside of the accepted gender binary, similarly to nonbinary. ○Genderqueer, like queer, also can be used as a gender identity. It can refer to those who do not wish to put a specific label on themselves, often seeing their gender as more fluid and thus are unable or unwilling to further categorize themselves. ○It also can mean the individual is both queer and nonbinary. ●Nonbinary: Umbrella term for any individual who feels their gender identity does not fit within the gender binary, but without being any more specific about the nature of their gender. Hence, the gender nonbinary. ○Genderqueer and nonbinary are very similar. Genderqueer means a queer gender while nonbinary means gender that falls outside the gender binary model, but is not necessarily queer. Genderqueer also has a negative connotation, because queer is a reclaimed slur. ●Demigender: umbrella term for nonbinary gender identities that have a partial connection to a certain gender.

threatening to those not accustomed to the entire queer spectrum. On car rides, where I seem to converse the most with my parents or siblings, I tend to keep my mouth shut about the controversial issue of transgender people or ambiguous sexualities since I know that my opinion on them differs from others. Therein lies the truth about coming out; there seems to be no end to the process of revealing yourself to the rest of the world. As pessimistic as that may appear to be, there are better experiences that occur, but only for the lucky few. I’m lucky that I grew up in a caring environment. I’m lucky that most of my friends could not care less what labels I gave myself. I’m lucky that I can voice my story to a variety of attentive students. Following my actions on that October morning, I continued to carry my burden of lies and deception. Although it’s a heavy weight on my soul, I can’t help but feel lifted from the darker reaches that other LGBTQ people remain in to this day. Journeying forth I am certain that the decision to out myself will be ongoing, but I will never regret the times that I disclose my genuine self.

think I’m gay,” I would tell myself, as if I hadn’t done enough thinking at that point to either confirm or deny the strange feelings. I was never very good at keeping secrets, mostly because I didn’t like to. So hiding something as big as this was killing me. I advanced farther into my parents’ room until I stood beside my mother. I dismissed my father. I couldn’t even imagine revealing this to him yet. Once he was gone I was alone with my mother. I realized then that I still could not say the words out loud. I leaned in close and spoke in a low whisper. I began, “I think I’m,” and for the first time I spoke the taboo word aloud,“gay.” In the moment that followed I felt almost every emotion at once. Entirely overwhelmed, I began to cry. I cried because I was so scared, having heard too many coming out horror stories on the internet. I cried because I feared that being gay would make me a disappointment. I cried because it was the only thing I could do in that moment, similar to the way that one screams when they are startled. Yet it was the most relieving moment of my entire By RYAN DUFF life, and as I sat in my mother’s tight embrace, doubt, fear, and GUEST WRITER self-consciousness flooded from my body along with my tears. Probably the most surprising of all things to occur in the The date was April 7, 2013. following days, weeks, months, I was uneasy as I walked into my iding something as big as this and years was...nothing. Techniparents’ room. My heart beat rapcally, much has changed since was killing me. idly, and a million tiny butterflies that night. I’ve grown taller, I’ve awoke in my stomach to attempt matured, I’ve changed my hair, an escape with considerable vigor. The wall to my right held a and started high school. What I mean is, the next day I woke large mirror, and within it I saw a boy whom I did not recog- up and I was still Ryan. My parents were still my parents. I nize. He was a veteran, the only veteran, of war with himself. went to the same school, and played with the same friends. I had spent the last several weeks brooding about my homo- Being gay does not define me, it is neither my best nor my sexuality, ever since the thoughts first entered my mind as the topic worst quality. It is simply one of the many qualities that makes began to gain traction in the media. At night, I stared up at my white me unique. People are more than their labels. ceiling. I stood in the shower and let the warm water cascade around I am gay, but also much more. my body. I was constantly in thought, and constantly in denial. “I I am Ryan Duff.

HOLIDAY

The Bruin Voice

Traditions make holidays special By ERIN BAQUIRAN PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

For some people the holiday season means celebrating their religion and reflecting on their beliefs. For others it means spending quality time with family, whether it be with a large reunion or just relaxing on the couch and watching Christmas movies. The most popular holiday in the United States is Christmas, usually celebrated with a large pine tree covered in ornaments and vibrant lights. Christmas was originally celebrated for religious reasons, relating back to the Biblical stories of Jesus Christ and his birth. “My family goes to mass every 24th of December for our church’s midnight mass,” junior Justine Yadao said. Today, the holiday is widely spread regardless of religious beliefs. “We aren’t religious, but my family and I always do Secret Santa and drink eggnog,” junior Thuy Bo said. Holidays like Hanukkah, which is a Jewish holiday that is celebrated for seven nights until the 25th of the Jewish month Kislev, and Kwanzaa, which is an African American holiday that reflects on their heritage, are also celebrated in the wintertime. “[For the seven nights leading up to Hanukkah,] my family makes traditional Jewish food and we light the menorah every night with a new candle,” junior Kayla Hale said.

Traditional family foods during the holidays are different for every culture. Some Americans have similar food to Thanksgiving, with ham and turkey to offer at the table. In African American cultures, soul food like gumbo is a popular choice. “My grandpa’s birthday is on Christmas, so every year my whole family gets together to make and have gumbo on Christmas to celebrate my grandfather and the holi-

days,” senior Breanna Hilliard said. Foods like tamales and flan are preferred in Mexican culture when it comes to holiday celebrations. “I always help my mom make flan, and we only do it for Christmas [because my mom] and her grandmother made it every Christmas in Mexico,” junior Eric Benitez said. Chinese culture calls for people to have dumplings and rice cakes to celebrate the holidays while the Fili-

pino culture usually calls for lechon, a fried pork delicacy. Many students celebrate the holidays with family gatherings that usually include plenty of food and laughs. “My family comes together to eat, dance, and karaoke,” freshman Zion Larkins said. “The fact that we haven’t seen each other in a while makes the togetherness and all the laughs [my favorite part].” “We have a family picnic for all the little kids in the family and we learn about our family’s history,” sophomore Jailah Brice-Moore said. “Seeing all my younger cousins and getting to play with them makes the holidays special [for me].” Small traditions such as buying a new tree for the holidays or staying at home and relaxing, can still be special and unique to families in many ways. “My family always has a real tree,” senior Jasmine Syrovatka said. “Most of the time we get it from Lowe’s, but one time we went to a tree farm and picked a tree and they cut it right in front of us.” “On Christmas day my family stays home in our pajamas, opens presents and watches Christmas movies all day,” sophomore Asia Valenzuela said. Despite the many differences in cultures and beliefs, everyone has one tradition in common for celebrating the holidays: spending time with people they love.

Clubs help raise holiday spirits By CHELSEA NO STAFF WRITER

Volunteer opportunities in the Stockton community abound and several clubs have stepped up to fill needs that are especially apparent during the holiday season. The girls soccer team collected toys for foster kids for the holidays. “Anybody could donate and we collected five large bags full of toys,” sophomore Maile Tibon said. “We donated them to foster kids in the beginning of November. Our team was able to give all the toys they collected to foster kids for them to keep as a present for the holidays.” The cheer team adopted two families this year for the holiday. Cheer coach Michelle Faamusila asked the cheer team to help the two families by donating food and clothes. Students from the two families go to Bear Creek and Faamusila said she even drove one family to school because their car broke down. “I never thought our cheer team would adopt families,” sophomore Tori Lopez said, “but I’m glad we did because it’s a nice opportunity to help out the families for the holidays.” Future Farmers of America (FFA) Club raised $1127 for St. Mary’s Dining Hall with a penny war. Their donation to charity includes jackets, blankets and socks. “We have never raised this much money in all the years combined,” Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor Suzanne Perrin said. Make-a-Wish Foundation Club helped out with Adoption Saturday on November 19, a national day to celebrate adopted children and their adoption finalizations. Local judges, adoption agencies, and

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUZANNE PERRIN

Seasons greetings: Bear Creek’s FFA Club donated jackets, blankets, socks and other items to St. Mary’s Dining Hall after raising $1,127 from a penny war. the county office took time out of their weekend for Adoption Saturday, where around 40 children were adopted by local families. “I enjoyed seeing the kids really excited and running around the room with their families,” senior Leilany Lim said. “They’ve waited so long for this day and I’m so honored to celebrate it with them.” Volunteers from Make-a-Wish Foundation passed out scarves, stuffed animals, and food to celebrate the kids’ special day. The clubs not only spread joy to local children

for the holiday, but the elderly as well. Glee Club sang Christmas carols at The Commons, a local nursing home, on December 8. “It’s good for elders because they don’t get to get people to come to sing to them because they’re in a nursing home,” junior Amari Cuff said. For those who would also like to help the community, the Bear Creek Comedy Sportz game is tonight at seven in the theater. Half the proceeds will go to gifts for children in foster care for the holiday season.

DecemBer 16, 2016

Divorce splits families during holidays By CHLOE JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

The holidays are usually a pleasant combination of gift-giving, celebration, and quality family time. However, for some people, family time is no walk in the park. In a country where more often than not, marriages end in divorce, many are familiar with the process of a spilt-family holiday. Some see divorced families around the holidays as an advantage due to the double dose of Christmas spirit. “You get to have two Christmases [with a divorced family],” freshman Josh Manzo said. That’s double the gifts, double the food, and double the cheer. But what some see as an advantage, can actually be detrimental. “Parents [who aren’t with their children] call our helpline around the Christmas period, and they often feel jealous, lonely, sad, angry and resentful,” Family Lives, a charity specializing in divorce and

any divorced families split the holiday between Christmas and Christmas Eve, with one parent having the kids on Christmas Eve and the other having them on Christmas.

family life in the UK, said on their website. “Navigating the holiday season with divorced parents is somewhat like walking a tightrope: at any moment one can plunge into dangerous territory, and it requires tremendous balance, skill and practice to avoid disaster,” Elizabeth Joy LaMotte, LICSW said in an article for Huffington Post. During the first holiday season after a divorce, many children struggle with evenly distributing the love amongst their newly split families. It can be hard to adjust to such a big change, especially when years have been dedicated to the same traditions that will no longer exist. “When you’re a little kid, you’re so excited to celebrate Christmas with your whole family,” junior Sophie Gilliland, who is celebrating her first Christmas with divorced parents this year, said. “Now it’s just pretty disappointing.” Many divorced families split the holiday between Christmas and Christmas Eve, with one parent having the kids on Christmas Eve and the other having them on Christmas. “We’re going to be with my mom on Christmas Eve and my dad on Christmas,” Gilliland said. “It’s hard because I don’t even get to see my mom on Christmas.” However, many students have grown accustomed to having divorced or separated parents, so splitting the holidays is normal. “Personally, I can’t imagine having Christmas with both of my parents,” junior Alyssa Erickson said. “It wouldn’t be a positive environment … it’d just be too awkward.” Despite the downsides of being separated during the holidays, especially for the first time, it’s not all negative. With the holiday season comes a plethora of Internet remedies for a conflict-free Christmas, something that proves useful for most family gatherings. “This year, at least there’s no chance of [my parents] arguing,” Gilliland said. “And we still get to celebrate and spend time with our family.”

Christmas past, present, and future By CLAIRE GILLILAND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

AND HELEN LE FEATURE EDITOR

As the holidays draw closer, teenagers find themselves in a unique position between childhood and adulthood, between nostalgia for family traditions and anticipation for future holidays with their own families. Students tend to miss the childlike imagination that came with Christmas. “[Christmas was] more special when I was a child, just because [of] that imagination of someone, another entity like Santa, being able to go into your house magically,” senior Jeron Lee said. “I miss ... putting out cookies and milk for Santa,” senior Michael Garcia said. That death of imagination is often due to growing up and the stress that accompanies the high school experience. “As we get older, I’d say that school gets more stressful, so Christmas has become less magical,” junior Jamie Wallace said. “Now it’s just worrying [and being] too focused on grades and everything to have a Christmas spirit,” junior Catherine Anaya said. Even if Christmas present isn’t as magical as Christmases of the past, students still feel nostalgia for holidays spent with well-loved family members. “The thing I miss the most is just being around my real family,” senior Justice Marcelo Devara said. For some, having family split apart means getting accustomed to a different hoilday season. “[Christmas] is less special [now] because we don’t celebrate at my

dad’s as much,” senior Danielle Cochrane said. Other students, however, have experienced the opposite: their holidays have gotten more special as they’ve gotten older due to time with their families. “Now [what’s important about the holidays] is getting to see my family instead of getting presents,” junior Caden Ryan said. “I’m able to appreciate [Christmas] more,” Anaya said. “It’s not about presents — now it’s more [about] family all together.” With adulthood rapidly approaching, some have already begun thinking about the parts of the holidays they will emphasize when they have their own children one day. “I hope… my children [remember] that Christmas is about Jesus,” Garcia said. “I’d [want my children to continue] the tradition of reuniting with family members, especially from [either] side of the family,” Lee said. Not only will students teach their children about the holiday’s importance, but some also plan to carry on family traditions from their childhood as well. “I hope to pass on getting the biggest Christmas tree in the lot,” junior Caden Ryan said. “I open up one present on Christmas Eve, and then my mom makes me wait until the next day to open up all [of the rest] my presents,” senior Briana Niswonger said. “I’ll probably do that and keep the tradition going [with my kids].” At the end of the year, though, the real importance is staying in holiday cheer. “I hope to have more time to get into the holiday spirit and enjoy it because it’s only one time a year,” Anaya said.

ILLUSTRATION BY JASMINE SRIPRASEUT

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHRISTMAS MEMORY? RYLEY DONATO Sophomore

“When my family surprised me with Disneyland.”

JAAN JAIME Sophomore

“I got a bike when I was nine.”

DANA FORD Senior

“When my dad got drunk and knocked over the Christmas tree.” POLL AND PHOTOS BY HELEN LE

The Bruin Voice

LETTERS HOME

DecemBer 16, 2016

What I’ve learned after my first semester of college

Former Bruin Voice editors share their thoughts, reflections, and advice

By AIDAN BACKUS

I can’t stand games with tutorials; if I can get away with skipping them, I always do. Aside from being time-consuming (and often mandatory) they’re often quite easy and tedious, and they simply don’t reflect what high-level experience is like. I am, of course, talking about the game of life, in which high school is the tutorial, a sick practical joke played on American youth. Classes are straightforward, it’s everyone’s job to help

By JESSICA RODRIGUES

I’m going to be completely honest with you, college is hard — but not in the way that most expect. People usually associate the difficulties of college with academics or being homesick, and those are problems in their own respect, but the biggest issue about college is the fact that

By EMMA GARCIA

In the weeks leading up to my move to college, I avoided thinking about it as much as possible. At first it was easy, I was still recovering from my jaw surgery and had other things to worry about, but as time went on (and after I was able to chew again) it got harder and harder. I’m a worrier by nature and my favorite pastime has always been dreaming up scenarios, both good and bad. I did everything in my power to avoid dreaming up what could happen when I got there, which only lessened my anxiety a little bit. As a result, by the time I was on the plane to Sarah Lawrence I was a ball of nerves. Of course, there’s no good way to prepare for moving to college. Whether you’re moving an hour away or across the country, like I was, you can’t prepare for everything. Even if I had gone through every scenario, noth-

By CODY EVANS

My first semester of college has nearly concluded, and so far

you, and the most stressful experiences you have involve petty drama and bad romance. But, that feeling when Mr. Meredith calls you out in front of the class, or when Mrs. Duffel assigns you a diction quiz with a “D” class average, or when you have to stay up late writing a paper seems awful: well, I was once there, too. But like any tutorial, high school ends up being straightforward and superficial, leaving graduates unprepared. I know I was. It used to be that I could dedicate 10-15 hours to preparing for an AP test, and expect a 5 on it; this would be the hardest I’d studied all year. Now I could devote a good 20 hours to a midterm (not even a final!) and be disappointed to find that I’ve barely hit the mean plus a sigma. The only reason I’ve been able to keep up so far is that I previewed most of the course material over the summer. Meanwhile, my wealthier and better-prepared

friends and peers put me to shame with their talents ... and, dare I say, their resumes. One of my friends aspires to work on practical nuclear fusion; another is already courting certain Wall Street companies as a freshman. “Ah, but Aidan, you go to UC Berkeley! I won’t have it as bad,” you might be tempted to think. And you’re right: I’m surrounded by a culture of competition in which I stand in an eternal battle royale against the best in the world – but with this competition comes motivation and collaboration unmatched by most other schools, which leaves the day-today grind bearable, even fun. And it’s not like you’ll be shielded from adversity anywhere else: whether you join the military (I hear basic training is fun), go to a community college (you’ve got to keep your GPA up if you want to transfer), or enter the workforce (it’s not unusual to be in direct competition with underemployed college gradu-

ates for minimum wage) you’ll be left looking back at high school thinking that maybe your parents weren’t that mean to you, that you really didn’t spend that much time studying. And I write these words fully knowing that one day, when I have ascended to Diamond tier and on high can look back at my freshman year ramblings and think that, compared to the vortex I’ll face at the time, the challenges I face today are merely a gentle stream, no matter how much the people around me normalize, even romanticize, lost sleep, tears, and self-pity. So start preparing for your future. Put in an hour of studying college-level material here, an hour of learning how to cook real food there.Don’t waste time griping over difficulty, for high school is life’s free trial. When you’re out, you can rise to the top of a society that always has someone more talented than you. Rise with me.

it is just like high school...only more frustrating. The people are just as clueless, just as ignorant, and just as fake. I am now convinced that that never changes wherever you go. But now not only are the people you learn with still inconsiderate and obsessed with drama, now they are your roommates for an entire year! The random suitemate match-up is a huge toss up and personally for me, it resulted in three suitemates I love and hope to maintain lifelong friendships with and six suitemates who annoy me to no apparent end. I pray that you all get suitemates you actually like or even better, a single room! And if you thought that you were going to escape edu-

cational authority, think again. Administration is just as inyour-business as ever and there are millions of rules you must “abide” by. Don’t let this discourage you, though; college definitely has its perks, such as eating as many pints of ice cream and cups of noodles that you want in a day without reprimand. You’ll get to stay out as late as you want and procrastinate for as long as you possibly can. The classes are slightly more strenuous than any AP class you may have taken in high school, mostly due to the fact that most finals are worth an entire half of your grade. So you’ll have to learn how study your butt off and manage your time if you want to pass because remember, you’re paying thousands of dollars for this! If you

choose to go somewhere somewhat far away from your family, appreciate them now, because trust me, you will miss the homecooked meals once you literally get a taste of dining hall food. When you first come home to visit you might even find the nagging from your parents endearing — emphasis on “when you FIRST come home.” But by finally being on your own, you will learn to love — and kind of hate — college and the process of becoming an adult. Your eyes will be opened to so much that was not relevant before and you will begin to shape your true identity. I definitely had, and am still having, many bumps along the way but the experience is once-in- alifetime and my advice is to just enjoy every minute of it.

ing would have prepared me for what I found when I got to college. You see, college comes with good things and bad things. For instance, my roommates are definitely one of the bad things. If I met them I never would have considered being friends with them, let alone live with them. But the good thing that came with them, basically the only reason I’m not moving out this very second, is the rest of my apartment. My roommates might piss me off and I might piss them off, but in the end I live with six other girls that are awesome. Then there’s the distance from home. While many people might dream of getting as far away from their parents as possible, I was never like that. I never thought that I’d move across the country where I didn’t know anyone, where it SNOWED. But here I am, at a school smaller than I expected where I know no one. Also, there’s no Mexican food here. All I’ve been dreaming of for months is a good taco truck burrito. But as much as I miss my family and everything else, there is still a good side. After all, I spent all of my school years with most of the same people. Not that I don’t love my high school friends, I do, but I never wanted to stay near

home and go to college like it was still high school. Sure, I never wanted to move across the country but I also didn’t want to stay (it’s a difficult line to walk). So as scary as it was to start from scratch (apparently I’ve forgotten how to make friends), it was sort of liberating. I didn’t have to worry about becoming too dependent on my friends from high school, I didn’t have to worry about spending too much time at home and not adjusting to college. Did adjusting to college suck? Hell yeah. Am I still adjusting? Yep. But as horrible as that transitioning time was, I think I’m better for it. Not to mention the fact that we don’t have tests here (it’s hard to explain, it’s based off of some Oxford system, look it up if you’re curious). I guess if I was going to sum up my experiences with one message it would be to not be afraid of putting yourself out there. It doesn’t matter what “putting yourself out there” means to you, just do it. Personally, I think moving across the country works wonders (Sarah Lawrence is taking applications until January 15th, by the way), but I’m not in charge of you. Do what you want, but don’t not do something because you’re scared. Everyone’s scared, that doesn’t matter, all that matters is what you do with it.

I am underwhelmed with my college experience. I imagined scores upon scores of papers and assignments when picturing college as a high school student. This image was daunting to me. It filled my mind with angst — to the point that I considered not attending college at all. The experiences I’ve actually encountered have been wholly and dishearteningly the opposite. My English 1A (101) class is mediocre at best. One decent 500 word essay every three

weeks and a good grade on a six page research paper that is due at the end of the semester is all that is required to pass. They seemed like torture at the time, but now I long for Duffel’s hyper-formidable grading scale and her constant insistence on diction and grammar tests. I am hungry for a challenge. I am thirsty for criticism. Since these two motivating factors have been eliminated from my post-secondary education, my thoughts have drifted away from the thrill of writing a quality essay to unsystematically

lege.

By KATELYN BIDDLE

Currently, I’m attending California State Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo as a journalism major, with Media and Technology and Art History minors. At Bear Creek I was involved in “The Bruin Voice,” theatre, Link Crew, Swim, Golf, NHS, and the AP program, and I can honestly say that all of these groups helped me so much in college and helped me to grow into myself. Now that I’m in college, I know we all scan things first, so here’s a preview list of what I’ve learned from the Mustangs: The Good: Shy? If you work, you can leave that behind. A fresh start is amazing — leave the demons behind. So. Many. Cute. Guys. Some of them lumberjacks. It’s so easy to make friends — no crappy cliques, living together, and all in the same situation! The gym makes you feel so badass. And strong. Colleges bring in cats and dogs to take stress away! You get to network and meet so many amazing people in your field! The best thing? That I’d take up the whole paper if I told you all of the great things about col-

The Bad-ish: Laundry costs money. Apples cost money. Breathing costs money. Money. You eat the same food every day. If I eat one more piece of crappy chicken or the same salad I’ll scream. You become a kleptomaniac. Apples at the buffet? Take two (seven is my record). Plastic forks in the cafeteria? Now yours. Napkins? Yours. Everything is so overpriced that if you don’t do this you’re wasting money. People will play the trumpet at 3 a.m. You’ll look crazy when you tell them about your 8 a.m. class in your pj’s and crazy hair and no makeup, and realize you’ve turned into one of your parents. Dessert is ALWAYS readily available. Wait, wrong list… The lists are just simple overviews, and they say nothing about how wonderful it feels to get french fries at midnight with friends (who encourage you to wear your Harry Potter pj’s to get them), how the punctuation tests are so useful, how you can learn anything, how people literally dance and bask in the sunshine, how it feels to be in a place that’s always so alive it practically has a heartbeat. It’s amazing, and wonderful — I love it, and while I’ll always visit our sleepy hometown, I love the new, fastpaced world I’m living in, and you will too. You’ll move in and tack up the tapestry or poster you’re so excited about. You’ll get excited about washing sheets, showers with no shoes, free food, getting a library spot, and quiet. You’ll miss Stockton Halloweens, your parents, the safety of high school. But it’s worth it.

I know it’s easy to get caught up in the seemingly validating aspects of high school. I won’t be the one who tries to talk you out of the appeal of something like being nominated for Homecoming, Winterfest, or Prom court (I even encourage you to bask in its glory) because although your lives will be filled with much more significant moments, you only have those four years of high school to make it something not entirely dreadful to look back on. So I say go all out on spirit days, scream with pride for your class at rallies, go to dances, join a club and definitely make an effort to participate in International Rally (you’ll realize once you leave Bear Creek that there truly is no other place that embraces and celebrates cultural diversity with as much fervor), attend games and cheer with the Creek Crazies, and just enjoy every moment of it. Also, while you’re making the most out of the final months of high school with all of your friends, be sure to make time to

spend with your family too. Don’t forget that your entire household dynamic changes once you move out as well. Cherish moments with your siblings and parents, and the home-cooked meals. In high school, I had moments where I felt on top of my world. I had my solid group of friends, I figured out how to do well in my classes while juggling extracurriculars — I just knew and was sure as hell of who I was. After just a few months at UC Davis, I’m beginning to understand why it’s such a vital step to leave and separate yourself from a place that has “familiar” written all over it: growth and refinement. However, that realization does not always come easily. At first, I had a rough time adjusting to just how accelerated and competitive the UC system is and I felt totally defeated. Unfortunately, so contrary to how I thrived in high school under the successful impression that I could clutch my way through anything, I reaped the consequences of thinking that I can rely on the same habits in college. The senioritis from last year is still very much alive and is learning how to take form into the monster of my first year here. I was made well aware of the huge reality check that was to come my way and my first quarter has definitely served that right to me. I also realized early on that I literally did not have time for the things that I loved to do and made me who I was in high school, like writing and being culturally in-

volved. Honestly, as much as I may have expected it, the revelation was still quite a tough blow. Anyone can tell you that being in college is a huge wake up call. Every new experience will be. It’s inevitable to start reevaluating exactly who you are and whether or not you made the right decision of your life path, no matter how sure you thought you were, but you gather your experiences layer after layer and soon enough you’ll see a more cultivated identity emerge. Thankfully, I’ve found people and organizations on campus that remind me of who I am. I’m still writing and sharing my voice, just how the Bruin Voice taught me; I was chosen to be a contributing writer for UC Davis’ freshman publication chapter. I’m also the only first-year with a board position in the Filipino Association for Health Careers as an intern. I’m getting more into the flow of my classes and weekly quizzes, five midterms, and three finals over the span of less than three months have pushed me to develop better habits every day. I must say, college life is getting a lot more manageable and fun now that I’ve opened myself up to what it has to offer. With that said, seniors, when you’re in the midst of overwhelming academic pressure in college, don’t forget who you are. Everything becomes more enjoyable when you fight for what makes you so uniquely you. You will thank yourself for it eventually.

presenting my professor with a half-hearted collection of words neatly printed on white paper. The sad part is he loves it. He says my essays “make his job worthwhile” and his eyes practically sparkle when I hand him a copy of my work, but I know the writing I submit to him represents a mere fraction of my capacity to write well. Even as I am composing this letter I’ve become aware of how largely my writing has improved, and it is all on account of the fact that to this day the thought of writing

something for Duffel pushes me to produce my very best work. If I don’t, I know she will ask me to rewrite my piece until I’m blue in the face and blistered at the hands. My English professor isn’t my worst professor, though; that honor belongs to my Communication Studies 1A professor. He has cancelled class more frequently than the rising of the sun, and he is consistently 15-30 minutes late for his own class. To me there is nothing more discouraging.

My experience in college most likely won’t be yours so do not let what you have read thus far discourage you from having the best possible college experience you can. I have no one to blame but myself for the mistakes and blunders I am correcting. Be humble, stay focused on your aspirations, and apply dedication to your schoolwork because attending a college with professors that are complacent can lead you down the same path as I. Do not let them discourage you.

By GRASCHELLE HIPOLITO

OPINION

The Bruin Voice

DecemBer 16, 2016

Voices Should California secede

Annual naughty or nice list Naughty ● ● ● ● ●

● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Donald Trump Hillary Clinton Traffic in the student parking lot College application fees The Every Student Succeeds Act raising AP test fees for students with free or reduced lunch from $5 to $63 2016 clown craze Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando The BRUIN Way Halloween on a Monday Powderpuff on a Monday Galaxy S7 Note phones and their “secure” replacements iPhone 7’s without the headphone jack Cheer losing both JV and Varsity coaches No more Vine Brexit Male birth control study getting cancelled because of “mood swing” side effects Paris attacks So many teachers planning on retiring Deaths of Prince, Christina Grimmie, and Alan Rickman Hurricane Matthew BLM protests and rallies turning violent

Nice ● BC football team and other sports teams for doing great this fall season ● JK Rowling for planning a fivepart series starting with “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” ● Hydroflasks ● The Obamas ● The BRUIN Way ● Promethean Boards for some teachers and Chromebooks for every student ● Mrs. Harrell for being a great new principal ● Glasses for color blind people and hearing aids that end language barriers ● NASA’s New Horizon flying by Pluto ● US-Cuba reconciliation ● Election season finally being over ● The Duffelite vs. LaRuester competition for encouraging all juniors and helping them believe in themselves ● Ms. Baysinger coming back ● Frank Ocean’s new album: Blonde ● Stockton’s first African-American Mayor, Michael Tubbs, being elected ● Kamala Harris becoming the country’s first Indian American senator as well as California’s first black senator

The Bruin Voice

“The Voice shall not be silenced!” Bear Creek High School, 10555 Thornton Road Stockton, CA 95209 (209) 953-8369 Editor-in-Chief Claire Gilliland News Editor............................Claire Gilliland Feature Editors.......................Lily Tran Kylie Yamada Helen Le Sophie Gilliland Entertainment Editors..........Serra Raquel David Yang Opinion Editor.......................Aaron Tam Sports Editor...........................Helen Le Artistic Editor.........................Gabriella Backus Photography Editor...............Erin Baquiran Online Editor-in-Chief.........Sophie Gilliland Adviser....................................Kathi Duffel The Bruin Voice is a public forum for student expression. Content is decided by student editors. Views expressed in opinion material do not necessarily reflect those of the newspaper, its editors, adviser, Bear Creek High School, or Lodi Unified School District. All letters to the editor must have a valid signature, but names may be withheld upon request. We reserve the right to edit material for publication.

from the United States?

California is a state with firm Democratic roots, and the election of Republican Donald Trump has led to a surge in interest in the state’s separation from the United States –– otherwise known as “Cal-exit.” With over 25,000 followers on Facebook, today’s largest separatist movement is the Yes California Independence Campaign. The mission is simple: a peaceful transition to an independent California via an independence referendum. Recent adoptions of the California By GIAN BALDONADO STAFF WRITER Equal Pay Act, the Reproductive Fact Act, state-sponsored healthcare for undocumented children, and several environmental laws such as Clean Energy and Pollution Reduction Act suggest that the Golden State, with its Democratic-majority legislature, has turned far left in its political agenda. In addition, California’s economic labor force, generating $2 trillion in GDP in 2015, renders it akin to a major global power with the sixth largest economy in the world, according to International Monetary Fund figures. With the image of a more progressive California that has the economic capacity to support itself, the estrangement of values and the country’s overdependence on the state is just the tip of a clear conflict between California and the rest of the United States. While the values of open-mindedness, tolerance, and diversity are often iterated as good reasons why California should leave the United States, factbased evidence of the federal government’s abuse may lead most Californians to vote yes for independence. According to the Internal Revenue Service, Californians paid $292,563,574,000 in federal tax in 2012. The California National Party, another campaign devoted to California’s nationhood, reports that the state’s federal tax is comparatively higher than what the state receives in federal funding. “During [2012, California] received back approximately $0.78 for every dollar paid while states like Mississippi and Louisiana that constantly complain about ‘entitlements’ got more than $2 for every $1 they paid,” the California National Party wrote in a statement. The campaign argues that the extra money other states receive comes from the $59 billion expenditure in California’s total federal tax solely for subsidizing other states. Meanwhile, a Bloomberg Government study reports another $57 billion in spending on the U.S. military. According to a “Business Insider” report, the United States spends a total of $610 billion on its military compared to China’s $216 billion and Russia’s $84.5 billion expenditures. An independent California can spend the billions of dollars it currently spends subsidizing other states and the bloated U.S. military budget to build its own military. Take for example Switzerland, which spends only 0.7 percent of its GDP on its military compared to the U.S.’s 4.2 percent spending, according to the World Bank data. If California were to follow Switzerland’s footsteps on defense budgeting, the Golden State only has to pay $14 billion for its military defense, significantly less than what the state currently pays the U.S. and less than one percent of California’s GDP. Moreover, this low-spending projection on military combined with California’s trillion-dollar GDP provides an allowance for any margin of error, especially that California is a big coastal state compared to landlocked Switzerland, and allows the state to focus on other expenses like infrastructure, education and healthcare. In addition to the federal government’s overdependence on the state, California also suffers from an outdated immigration system tailored for the other 49 states, and with a President-elect who has taken an anti-illegal immigrant stance, California’s immigrant-dependent economy is at stake. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, the state is home to an estimated 2.6 million undocumented immigrants or six percent of the state’s total population. A University of Southern California research reports that these unauthorized immigrants, who are facing threats of deportation after Trump’s election, contribute as much as $130 billion (6.5 percent) of California’s GDP –– more than enough to finance the current and projected military spending of California. An independent California would mean that the state would further be able to help its many immigrants become naturalized citizens and make its own immigration system that is consistent with its progressive, more immigrant-friendly values. While it cannot be denied that the path to a constitutional secession would logistically take time, Cal-exit from the Union is nowhere unreasonable –– nor impossible –– in the near future.

PRO

South Carolina became the first state to secede from the United States on December 20, 1860. We all know how that turned out. Over 150 years later, it seems that California has become the proponent of states’ rights. The result of the 2016 election was incredibly controversial as soon as it was called. Donald Trump won the electoral votes by a slim majority in many states — but not California, where Hillary Clinton won with two-thirds of the vote. As soon as By KYLIE YAMADA FEATURE EDITOR Trump reached the needed 270 threshold in electoral votes, protests broke out at every UC campus, as well as some CSU campuses and in cities such as Oakland. The UCs and CSU student bodies are already known for their emphasis on trigger warnings on potentially offensive material, as well as advocating for “safe spaces” on campus. Unfortunately, it seems that these entities intended for protecting students have instead blinded them to the reality of politics. Some of those protestors took it even further by creating the hashtag #Calexit as well as a website yescalifornia.org dedicated to California becoming its own nation. Although there are economic reasons listed to secede, the majority of believers focus on the hope of keeping California’s ideals alive — diversity, acceptance, and a refusal to accept prejudice of any kind. But how is abandoning the vast majority of Americans keeping our ideals live? Our response should not be to give up on the United States and leave it behind; instead, Democrats should work even harder to convince others of their causes. Excluding just California and New York, the majority of the country voted Republican in local and national elections. It took Republicans six years to win back both chambers of the House after losing them in 2008; Democrats will have to wait and organize as well if they are to effect change. California is powerful as a state; it has the greatest population, the largest economy, and the most Congressional representatives. As an independent nation, California would by necessity not be able to interfere much in the United States’s affairs. As a state, California has the right, and arguably an obligation, to assert the opinions of its citizens. The United States relies on California economically, another point of contention for Calexiters. But it should be kept in mind that California relies on the United States as well; it currently receives around $300 billion in federal aid, the most of any state. If California seceded, its residents would lose all of the federal funding they currently receive, including Medicaid. The US Common Sense, a group based in Stanford University, estimates that California’s debt is around $443 billion. Half a trillion dollars in debt isn’t as bad as several other countries, but California would have to account for several new programs it would have to fund as an independent nation, and several cities, including our very own Stockton, have already filed for bankruptcy — largely due to our unmanageable and unfunded pension liability. Think California is too big to fail? Think again. Economically, California needs the United States just as much as the United States needs California. In addition, over 30 percent of Californians did vote for Trump. Even if you don’t agree with them, a divided nation is not a good place for a new country to start out. Alternatively, some of the Trump voters (many of whom are farmers contributing to agriculture) could leave California, which would hurt the economy of a fledgling nation. Additionally, the steps to secession are numerous and difficult. It’s against the Constitution to secede, and if California leaders wanted to leave the nation without another Civil War it would require passing a 28th Amendment which would need a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress. Neither Democrats nor Republicans would vote in favor it; Democrats need the blue stronghold of California and Republicans want to keep California’s huge economy in the U.S. And if California refuses to remain in the Union? Americans get to experience a second Civil War — and this time, it’s likely there will be more than 600,000 casualties. In this polarized, partisan, political atmosphere, the last thing the United States needs is a literal Civil War. Mark Twain once said, “Loyalty to the nation all the time; loyalty to the government when it deserves it.” People may not agree with Trump, but our response shouldn’t be to run away.

CON

I voted for the first time—and hated it I registered to vote in February. My birthday is October 29, and voting day is in November, yet there I was, registering to vote eight months before I needed to. I was so exBy DAVID HANCOCK cited, so proud, STAFF WRITER and so happy to finally be old enough to vote. I vowed that I would closely follow all of the candidates and the news in politics and that I would vote with pride and certainty and help to change the course of America and the world! I was so young, so foolish, so naïve. I know better now. I broke my vows to stay involved in the presidential race. It wasn’t because I stopped caring or stopped trying, but because everything was scandal this and scandal that and emails and tax records and grabbing and rigging and it was just

too much negativity for me to handle. When I got my ballot, the first thing I noticed was that it was the same paper and font as the benchmark tests from elementary school. So even before I read anything, I was already getting feelings of anxiety, stress, and wishing I studied harder. It felt like a test, but with no right answers. Not a lot of people seem to realize this, but on November 8 we voted for a lot more than just who will be president. We also elected people for the Senate, the House of Representative, the mayor’s office, city council, council this, commissioner of that, chief of blah, secretary of whatever, and so on. I hadn’t even heard of most of the people I was supposed to be electing, and I was supposed to trust them with running my city, my state, and my country? The only fact I knew about most of the candidates was their party affiliation, and only because that was right on the ballot. Was that supposed to be enough for me? It’s sad that America is so divided now that we will blindly elect someone because of their party allegiance, not because the candidates themselves are qualified. After I got through the pages of names that I’d never heard of, I got to the pages of propositions that I’d never heard of. This was the worst part of

the ballot. I am amazed at how something can be so vague, so specific, and so unclear all at the same time. I don’t know if lawmakers actually speak like that or if they are trying to confuse voters, but either way, I was lost. I will admit, the pages in the back where each proposition was explained helped out a lot ― but still, it was hard for me to really believe all that was being said. I feel bad saying it, but this election has given me serious trust issues with the leaders of our country. Everyone lies. The media, the politicians, the internet, Twitter ― all have lied before and all will lie again so it’s hard for me to believe that they weren’t lying to me on the ballot. I hated this election. I hated the negativity, I hated the deflecting, and I hated the lies. I firmly believe that there is no reason to lie, ever. Yet, our politicians do it so often that we hardly even notice it anymore. They lie repeatedly and they lie casually. They act like lying to the American people is no big deal, like it’s ok. There is a serious problem with our elections when a young and hopeful voter can be so discouraged by an election to the point where he can’t even trust his leaders anymore. It’s supposed to be better.