The Stampede: March 16, 2018

THE
STAMPEDE

issue 4 | volume 9
march 16, 2018

THE

ALPHA SYSTEM

CONTENTS MARCH16,2018
VOL 9 / ISSUE 4

04 2211
SPOTLIGHTERINNEVTLARIOTORIVONENMRSTEHSNIPCTSAANLINCM2OA0L1UK8EM1GNR0E0A8T LEADERS 11
EDITORIALA DEGREE IS A DEGREE 03 ON THE COVERALPHA HOUSE SYSTEM FRUSTRATES STUDENTS 12
HEADLINESSWDTOUODWRELEDNDTLSOAHNEINGTUOTAUHGGEEHPWOWLEILTESHKTCOHEUISLREMBNRAAARMTCEEHS?0C04U5LTURES 04 PERSPECTIVESIBMTRRPAUENMRDIPAO:LTNIHSYMEEWCSHTOOIRLULSTTG:?WR2IPH0SATTHI’EVWE BOERELNDW1A6TCHING 18
THE SCOREMWRELACBTAESPREAOPSOFOL2ON01PP8RREEWVVIIINEEWWTER00O66LYMPICS 07
PROFILESMMRET.ELAO’SNNGEFWOSFUTNERKSBAKNINDD2N2ESS AND DOGS 21

TTT STAFF EDITORIAL

STAFF THE GRADES YOU
MAGAZINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF GET, OR THE PLACE
Hailey Hagemaster YOU GO

ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Zainie Qureshi

WEBSITE MANAGER

Nate Burleyson

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS
Maddie Crabtree Chesney Wargo

PUBLIC AFFAIRS EDITOR

Maddie Crabtree

GRAPHICS EDITOR STAMPEDE STAFF how you do at school is more import-
Kainin Blissett ant than what school you go to.
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS It’s junior year of high school, and
Kennedy Homan Isabella Gonzales suddenly, there are some big deci- Some people are more suited for a
Arianna Presso Valerie Morris sions to make: particularly choices big university and others are more fit
for the future are becoming major for smaller one. Everyone is differ-
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR stressors. But does it matter what ent and so is their criteria for their
Ethan Meyers college you go to? The short answer college. Depending on the major and
PHOTOGRAPHERS is no, but, there are many factors that the preferred career, there are going
contribute to a successful career. to be schools that have more to offer
Brittany Coates Maddie Crabtree students.
In the end, a degree from a state
Delaney Reed Aimee Leal school is not going to be much differ- It all comes down to what college
ent than one from a private school. is going to give you the resources to
HEADLINES EDITOR A degree is just proof that a student be the most successful. Sometimes
Chesney Wargo has completed the necessary course- there is a university that has a strong
work for their given major. The parts program for your major, or it could
HEADLINES REPORTERS that have more importance are any be a college that offers strong connec-
academic achievements or skills on tions and networking.
Thuy-An Nguyen Avani Shah top of a degree. These are the things
that are going to have value upon For some people, class size is a
Laurel Westphal entering the workforce. People tend strong factor on choosing a school be-
to argue that a degree is not just a cause not everyone learns the same.
THE SCORE EDITOR degree when it comes from an Ivy Large lecture halls are not always the
League school. ideal way of learning, but same goes
Kellie Foy for small classes.
An Ivy League school may have
THE SCORE REPORTERS more internal connections that can set Choosing a college may seem like
students up with jobs after gradu- a big deal as a student, but not as
Myra Bajwa Tyler Burleyson ation, but Big Ten schools can also much when entering the workforce.
have their own networking to offer After a few years out of college,
SPOTLIGHT EDITOR students. employers are looking more for ex-
Connor Smith perience and skills rather than what
While people are not completely college you attended. It is all relative
SPOTLIGHT REPORTERS wrong and there certainly are differ- in the fact that high school grades
Claudia Grzyb Abbey Malbon ent advantages for different schools, don’t matter anymore once entering
college.
Juthi Saha
The same applies for getting a job:
PROFILES EDITOR experience outweighs a name.
Zyma Lakhani

PROFILES REPORTER
Tanvi Pant

PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

Liam Sweeney

PERSPECTIVES REPORTERS

Nate Burleyson Ryah Walker

Ben Weiss Brandon Yechout

FACULTY ADVISER
Adam Page

NEWS

STUDENTS HIT The flags hanging in the auditorium hallway represent the many languages that are spoken at
THE POLLS THIS Metea Valley and around the globe. Photo by Brittany Coates.
MARCH
STUDENTS APPRECIATE DIFFERENT CULTURES
CHESNEY WARGO
DURING WORLD LANGUAGE WEEK
Community members have the op-
portunity to participate in the General JUTHI SAHA language class to your everyday world
Primary elections come March 20, 2018. and finding more meaning in what you
At local polling sites, people can vote on Staff and students had set up different are doing in the classroom,” spanish
candidates for the Illinois Secretary of activities, games, prizes, and showcases teacher Tom Womack said.
State, House representatives, governors for the annual World Language Week.
and more. This week was a time the school learned, The annual foreign language fair was
appreciated, and celebrated the various the main event on Thursday in the LMC
Government classes and students got cultures around the world. Students ben- during lunch periods. Experts in world
involved as many are eligible to vote efited from this week as they engaged in languages demonstrate different job
in the upcoming spring elections. To activities in and outside of the classroom. fields they are currently in that incorpo-
qualify, one must be a US citizen and a They got inspired by making connections rate a foreign language.
resident of Illinois for at least 30 days. with multilingual professionals at the
However, you do not have to be 18 years World Language Fair, and most impor- ¨The fair is something special to me. I
old in order to vote this March. If a stu- tantly, had fun. brought this event from Waubonsie when
dent is 17 years old he or she may be for we opened Metea and I feel it is the most
suitable for participation as long as he or “In my opinion a foreign language realistic way to bring real life experienc-
she turns 18 by the General Election date, opens a person up to a different culture, es to our students, without leaving the
Nov 6, 2018. a different perspective on life, and a new school,” spanish teacher Brandi Bane
kind of creative thinking,” junior Smruti said.
Some government classes offered Warekar said.
a day to register with the help of the This week was significant because
League of Women Voters in Febru- During this week, the school had vari- it informed students of the importance
ary. The League of Women Voters is a ous activities that kept students engaged of foreign language and how it makes
non-profit organization located in Lom- in foreign language. Activities included an impact on one’s life. Students were
bard, Illinois that focuses on the encour- find the flag games, foreign film nights, reminded that the awareness of different
agement of active and knowledgeable culture shows, student presentations, cultures around the globe will gain one’s
voting. daily trivias, and even changes in the respect for one another, and increase the
school lunch menu to world foods. compatibility of being an open-minded
Students found benefits from the in- individual.
volvement from their teachers and class- Additionally, students were encour-
es. “I don’t think I would have known aged to design a poster incorporating the "We focus so much on teaching lan-
about the elections had I not been in ¨Many Hands, Many Voices, One World.¨ guage and exposing students to authen-
government this semester,” senior Katie theme for this year. tic materials, but we don't always have
Marshall said. “It’s a great way to get us time to enjoy getting to know the culture
[students] involved in voting,” Marshall “I think the big thing is to have fun nor seeing [the] relevance language and
added. with foreign language and find a way to culture can have in our lives. This is a
connect what your doing in your foreign time we set aside to make that happen,”
Senior Grant Levin agreed. “I learned Bane said.
about the eligible age in gov class not
long ago. I thought since I wasn’t going
to be 18 in March that I wouldn’t be
able to vote, but now I know I can,” said
Levin.

Students were also able to collect
points on a long term Civic Engagement
project for registering. This project lasts
the entire semester and focuses on uti-
lizing active student participation in the
government.

“This project and class gives us an in-
centive to get involved in our community
and be active in our government. What
we are learning about in class is real life
oriented and opportunities like this show
that,” Marshall said.

04 / THE STAMPEDE

MARCH 16 , 2018

Graphic by Valerie Morrice

METEA, MEET METEA
make sure that we pronounce the name “I feel sort of bad that I don’t know
ZAINIE QURESHI right, and B) that family members know more about our heritage, I feel like the
that we are representing a positive image school or clubs should make more of
All three IPSD high schools are named of Native American culture rather than an effort to weave in the culture we’re
after a Potawatomi Tribe member: Chief [what would be] the opposite of that. meant to represent from a Native Ameri-
Waubonsie, son of Waubonsie, Neuqua, [We want] to also maintain the culture can point of view,” Liu said.
and latest in the IPSD trio, Chief Metea. of the community,” LMC Director Debra
Being the youngest of the schools to be Turner said. There’s a lot of focus on the atmo-
named after a tribe constituent, Metea sphere the school would like to represent
Valley hasn’t exactly had the time other Many students aren’t aware of the academically and socially but many feel
schools have had to bring pride to the history accompanying Metea and District that it doesn’t do enough for our history.
name yet, but it’s not too far behind in 204 as a whole. “I don’t know much “We have a lot of slogans like our ‘Metea
the eyes of the community. about the Native American associated Life’ mantra and ‘Everything Matters’
with Metea,” sophomore Lisa Liu said. but how does that relate back to Chief
Metea was one of the principal chiefs Metea and why we decided to name our
of the Potawatomi tribe during the 19th Even those who have been here for a schools after their tribe,” Brosius said.
century. The name means a multitude of couple years are lacking in knowledge
things all alluding to strength. That begs of what their district represents. “I’d like Opening August of 2009, Metea Valley
the question, does the school community to find out more about what the names has had only had nine years to serve its
do the name justice? pertain to and whether or not the tribes name. Despite the lack of time, Metea has
actually resided in this area and see more still spread its name in a positive way.
“I think we do [their name well]. Be- emphasis on those aspects incorporated “There’s plenty of time to add [to our
fore we selected the name Metea Valley, in our day-to-day Metea life,” senior acclaim] and develop that and continue
there was research that was done to A) Jordan Brosius said. to grow,” Turner said.

05

SPORTS

THE CHICAGO
CUBS AND
WHITE SOX GEAR
UP FOR ANOTHER
EXCITING
SEASON

MYRA BAJWA Athletes look on as upperclassmen on the team explain plays on the whiteboard. Photo by
Tyler Burleyson
As winter in Chicago wraps up, it’s
time for the most wonderful time of the WATER POLO
year: baseball season. The Cubs and the
White Sox are Chicago’s pride and joy, STARTS ITS SEASON
especially following the Cubs’ success in AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
the 2016 World Series.
TYLER BURLEYSON Due to IHSA regulations, the coaches
The Cubs, looking to draft more start- can’t start official practices before the
ing pitchers, signed Yu Darvish right be- For many sports, morning practices regular season start date (Feb. 26).
fore the start of spring training. The team are a rite of passage. Waking up and
is in need of pitchers in order to prepare arriving to school early can be brutally So, several upperclassmen on the
for any potential injuries to their pitching demanding on student-athletes, some of boys’ and girls’ teams took the pre-
rotation this season and compensate for whom train for more than three hours a season into their own hands. “We [the
the loss of Wade Davis to the Rockies day. Most athletes don’t look forward to upperclassmen] will lead practices in the
and the retirement of John Lackey. Also, morning practices. mornings,” senior Andrew Eber said.
Jake Arrieta filed for free agency, which “It’s nice because it gives us a chance to
means that the Cubs may be without But for some members of the boys’ get to know the new swimmers before
another one of their starting pitchers. and girls’ water polo teams, mornings are the season starts.”
the best pool time they can get.
Darvish brings his intense talent and Most polo players take up the sport
skills to the Cubs’ lineup, making the After their last regular season swim in high school because of some encour-
Cubs a serious contender for the World meets, many polo players finish their agement from teammates on their high
Series or at least a National League Cen- swim seasons with almost a month out school or club teams, so this preseason
tral championship. The Cubs’ made sure of the pool before official practices begin. time is a good way for freshmen and
to overhaul their rotation, and didn’t With the pool reserved after school for sophomores to try out the sport before
bother to change the fielders at all. Sectionals and State athletes as well as committing to an entire season.
club teams, members of both boys’ and
The White Sox, on the other hand, girls’ polo teams have no time other than Student leadership is always import-
finished fourth in the American League six a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and ant in athletics, and for the water polo
Central with a record of 67-95. During Friday. teams eager to start before the season
the quiet offseason, the White Sox signed begins, there’s no better time.
catcher Welington Castillo. They are
looking towards last year’s rookie pitch-
ers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.
Kopech will start in the minors but may
get called up later on in the season. The
White Sox are relying on a young lineup,
especially pitchers, to get them through
the season.

The White Sox have a lot riding on
their young roster. There is an atmo-
sphere of hope and doubt as the White
Sox go into the season with uncertainty.
It is hard to predict how they will do in
comparison to last season, and fans hope
the young lineup will usher in a new era
of southside baseball.

06/ THE STAMPEDE

MARCH 16, 2018

Graphic by Kennedy Homan

WINTER OLYMPICS SHOWCASE
ANOTHER FOUR YEARS OF HARD WORK
most of the gold medals while staying in of redemption. As he reclaimed his half-
KELLIE FOY second place. pipe title, he became the first American
snowboarder to win gold three times and
The month of February was very Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla was the first secured USA’s 100th all time gold medal
important for many Olympic athletes. person to earn a gold medal at the 2018 on Feb. 14.
The 2018 Winter Olympics occurred from Winter Olympics. Kalla earned hers as
Feb. 9 through Feb. 25 in Pyeongchang, she crossed the Cross-Country Skiing As the games continued, Norway and
South Korea. The winter games consist finish line with a time of 40:44. The Neth- Germany continued to lead in medal
ed of 102 events in different sports with erlands claimed four medals in a period count while the Netherlands and Canada
88 countries, including a variety of talent- of five minutes with three Dutch women stayed in a close third and fourth place.
ed and hardworking athletes. competing in the Speed Skating and USA’s Nick Goepper won a silver medal
Sjinkie Knegt receiving a silver medal in in ski slopestyle but was outdone by
As the traditional Opening Ceremony the short track men’s 1500m. Norway’s Oystein Braaten with a differ-
kicked off the excitement for many who ence of 1.4 points in score.
watched at home, athletes, their families, Red Gerard won the United States
and other viewers gathered in Pyeongc- its first gold in Pyeongchang for men’s On day nine of the Olympics, Cana-
hang days in advance to experience the Snowboard Slopestyle on Feb. 10. The 17 da’s Alex Beaulieu-Marchand received
Olympics in person. With Russia not year old from Colorado earned a score of the sixthteenth Olympic medal for his
participating in the Olympics this time 87.16 and beat other competitors. Snow- country. In the final rounds of the Men’s
around, the competition was more in- boarder Jamie Anderson won the second Slopestyle, he was the highest-ranked
tense and exciting for the other countries gold for the United States with a score of Canadian and finished with a score of
taking part. 83.00 in the Women’s Snowboard Slope- 92.40.
style on Feb. 11.
From Alpine Skating to Figure Skating As the 2018 Winter Olympics came to
to Ski Jumping, many medals were given That same day, returning Figure Skat- a close, there was much to look forward
within the first weekend of the thrilling er Mirai Nagasu was the first American to for what the 2022 Winter Olympics
events. With many great individual and woman to land a triple axel during her and the 2020 Summer Olympics has to
team performances in each event, Germa- event. In result of her success, she helped offer many athletes. Many teams and
ny was able to take four gold medals. to boost the United States’ team with a individuals were able to see success
Norway made it in first with the nine bronze medal. After a rough experience while others saw room for growth and
medals overall, but Germany earned in past Winter Olympics, USA’s Shaun improvement in anticipation for the next
White came into Pyeongchang with hope set of Olympics.

07

SPOTLIGHT

Graphic by Isabella Gonzales

08/ THE STAMPEDE

MARCH 16 , 2018

ENVIRONMENTAL
COLUMN:

A GREENER PLANET

THUY-AN NGUYEN they may potentially be consuming. already face hazards such as amputations
The database then calculates the risk and musculoskeletal injuries, could be
IS YOUR SEAFOOD FISHED of forced labor, human trafficking, or at more of a risk if the rate of speed lines
USING SLAVERY? hazardous child labor that was used in increased. The USDA maintains that it is
fishing that seafood. not responsible for worker safety. That
The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea- responsibility falls to the Occupational
food Watch program is renowned for Seafood Watch also provides sustain- Safety and Health Administration.
helping consumers pick and choose sea- able recipes, a list of partner restaurants,
food that is sustainably fished or farmed. and information for businesses and con- Various labor, public health, envi-
Through an app and a website, Seafood sumers to educate themselves and work ronment and animal protection orga-
Watch is constantly updating users on towards consuming seafood sustainably. nizations have protested against these
what kinds of seafood they should and changes, concerned that they will in-
should not eat, based on current popula- Seafood Slavery Risk Tool available at crease the risk of food contamination,
tions of sea creatures. Seafood is catego- www.seafoodslaveryrisk.org worker injuries, animal abuse and water
rized and ranked based on species, meth- pollution.
od of harvesting, and source location. Seafood Watch available on iTunes,
Google Play Store, and www.seafood- The USDA says that these rules don’t
In recent years, a new issue arose in watch.org risk food safety and improve industry
the fishing industry. Reports of forced practices. The National Pork Producers,
labor, human trafficking, and other A PIGGY PROCESS a trade association that represents meat
rights abuses in the Thai fishing indus- Recently the Trump administration packers, says that these changes increase
try brought to light the exploitation of efficiency, inspection effectiveness and
migrant workers from Cambodia and revealed a plan to overhaul U.S. De- the rapid adoption of new food-safety
Myanmar. According to National Public partment of Agriculture rules for meat technologies.
Radio, migrant laborers are not entitled inspection at pork processing plants.
to Thai labor law protections under Thai Under this new plan, oversight duties The USDA will be taking comments
law. such as meat inspection no longer belong until April 2, which can be made on the
to USDA inspectors, but rather to plant USDA blog or other media communica-
To combat this, the Monterey Bay employees. Additionally, the plan elim- tion forums discussing the Department
Aquarium recently revealed its Seafood inates the speed limit of manufacturing of Agriculture. The USDA Comment
Slavery Risk Tool. Users first input a lines in the pork processing plants. Policy can be found at https://www.usda.
country, fishery, or type of seafood that gov/media/blog/usda-comment-policy
According to U.S. News & World Re-
port, maximum line speeds are currently
1,106 hogs per hour. Plant workers, who

09

PERSPECTIVES

Graphic by Ari Pressl

RELATIONSHIPS IN 2018

HOW INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS HAVE EVOLVED IN THE PAST YEARS

JUTHI SAHA “In the past, I believe relationships because it leaves more room for confu-
were more private. Now they are more sion when interacting.
“He just liked another girl’s selfie on public so everyone can know who dated
Instagram!” who, and past exes,” junior Neha Imma- “Since there are more connections
neni said. online, people try to do more online dat-
You might have heard these exact ing. But the thing is, there is little to no
words at one point in your life. You sud- Social media has been one of the main commitment. The only commitment they
denly get a phone call from your friend reasons that confusion sparks between have is with their computer,” Immaneni
and before saying hello, she rants about people. For example, if you have a said.
how such a simple action can be that Snapchat streak with someone but never
offensive to her life, and she is not alone. talk to him or her in person, are you two So are relationships getting worse
Social platforms such as Twitter, Snap- really friends? or better? This can be seen both ways
chat, Instagram, and Facebook are a vital as new methods of communication are
part of everyone’s day-to-day life. It is It is difficult because most people do giving people more freedom in how they
affecting not only intimate relationships, not treat social media as talking to some- want to live their life. There are several
but friendships as well. The question is: one face-to-face. It’s simply not the same more options than there were in earlier
how exactly is this affecting us? because of the value people give to likes centuries.
on a post, followers, and views.
In a technologicaly filled era, rela- However, since there are so many
tionships have evolved from what they In 2018, it’s common for teenagers and options, that also makes making friends
were fifty years ago. Technology has led adults to be using dating apps, which and partners difficult. It gets twisted into
to many positive interactions between further creates a holistically different a psychological question of “Are they
people. By allowing for more platforms approach to dating itself. Compared to playing mind games on me?”, or in a ro-
for communication, it has also changed previously, it is more digital than face-to- mantic relationship viewpoint of whether
relationships in a negative way. face. they are falling in love or the idea of love.

10 / THE STAMPEDE This can negatively impact both
friendships and romantic relationships

MARCH 16 , 2018

DOES THE IDEAL LEADER

NEED TO BE EXTROVERTED?

CONNOR SMITH Creative Commons graphic by Paul Vera-Broadbent via Flickr

What do Barack Obama, Michael teachers are always looking for students they do speak up though, their thoughts
Jordan, and Steven Spielberg all have in to “lead.” Whether it be participating are typically more cohesive and orga-
common? There’s no doubt all three of in socratic seminars or leading a white- nized than that of the extrovert. Extro-
them have had a significant cultural im- boarding session during science class, verts, on the other hand, tend to “think
pact as role models throughout society. we as students are always encouraged to out loud,”meaning to verbally express
More specifically though, all of them continue to “come out of our shell.” But their thoughts in the moment they occur,
have been publicly considered to have an does this ideal sincerely pose a problem which has its benefits as well.
introverted personality. for introverted students, or even students
such as myself, who may feel more open So does having an introverted person-
Contrary to popular belief, not all and comfortable in some social situations ality really matter in being a successful
introverts are necessarily shy or quiet. and not others? leader, even in a highly social environ-
However, they may have a greater pref- ment such as school? Absolutely not.
erence for solitude, less stimulating en- Because of their reputation to be However, introverts may lack in getting
vironments and fewer, yet more intimate reflective and analytical, introverts are a group motivated like an energy-filled
friendships. often praised as having better focus. For extrovert may do, but an introvert may
example, while leading a group project, take a more conventional approach using
In the book “Quiet: The Power of the introvert may come up with a more focus and concentration.
Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop creative tactic or strategy because of his
Talking,” Susan Cain states that approx- deep thought processing ability. Introverts and extroverts both have
imately one-third of the nation’s work- their own strengths in leadership and
force consists of introverts. Yet why does Often, introverts also think before they neither one is better than the other. It’s
our society continue to have the “extro- speak. Introverts have a natural tendency just a matter of their different styles, and
vert ideal”? to usually listen more in group conver- the approaches they may take in being
sations than share their thoughts. When successful.
From a young age, we are taught the
importance of being social. After all,
human beings are considered “social
animals” and maintaining positive rela-
tionships with others can help us form
new connections and relieve stress. Each
day, we are forced into different social
situations, such as sitting with friends at
lunch or working on a group project.

Many people, including myself,
don’t necessarily fall at either end of the
introverted/extroverted spectrum. Those
people often consider themselves “am-
biverts”-people who have a personality
of both of extroverted and introverted
traits.

One night, the person may be having a
blast at a loud party or club, while he or
she could be at home reading or watch-
ing TV the following night.

At Metea Valley, the importance of
being a “leader” in the classroom has
constantly been emphasized. While not
explicitly stated in the L.I.F.E. statement,

11

COVER STORY

ADMINISTRATORS

INTRODUCE
NEW HOUSE
ORGANIZATION

Metea students demonstrate the privilege of sitti

THUY-AN NGUYEN Valley? It’s my senior year. I’m not tryna The system is being modeled after
be neighbors with a gd freshman,” junior multiple other successful alpha models
Students and parents recently re- Sammie Rao tweeted. “Metea kids: I in the area, including West Aurora and
ceived an email informing them of a big can’t be the only one who thinks that the Geneva High Schools. Many high schools
change coming for the next school year. administration’s argument for an alpha- have studied a variety of these systems
The school is planning to switch from the betical house system is terrible, right?” and concluded that the alpha arrange-
current grade-level house system to an junior James Turnbull tweeted. ment was the best.
alpha house system.
Junior Abbey Borden took action and “The underlying improvement will
Students will no longer be organized started a petition online. “I intend on be that we’ll be able to service students
into class houses with counselors by bringing [the petition] to the attention better, and be able to even the amount
grade, but rather by last name. For exam- of school officials in the beginning of of students our adults will be able to
ple, one of the houses may be students March. I wanted to wait a while because work with. Being able to have eight
with last names A-E, another F-J, and so I know the counselors are super busy people working on college and career
on. wrapping up course selection. work with our seniors as opposed to two
is helpful.” Assistant Principal Laurie
Immediately, students responded I hope they at least take my thoughts James-Schrader said. “For kids I think
with anger and confusion. Frustration into consideration because I like Metea it’s going to look pretty similar, as far as
over the new change was clearly ex- the way it is and I’m not a fan of these how you operate during the day.”
pressed on Twitter. “What the hell Metea proposed changes,” Borden said. The pe-
tition is on the website The Petition Site The changes give counselors the
and has 160 signatures thus far. opportunity for more personal assistance

12/ THE STAMPEDE

MARCH 16, 2018

ing in the locker banks during free periods. Photo by Ethan Meyers

for each student: if one counselor has to haraj said in response to the reasoning could possibly be one of the locker banks
handle only 40 college applications as behind the change. but we’re looking to see other spaces in
opposed to half of the entire senior class, the school that might be kind of cool for
they can give more focused help. Coun- This means that students might be seniors,” James-Schrader said. “There
selors will also be able to work with a switching from a counselor they had in will be an area for seniors, we just hav-
variety of students and their needs. the 2017-18 school year, but the counsel- en’t determined where that is.”
or they receive in the year of 2018-19 will
“It will keep us current with infor- most likely stay with them for the rest of Some students aren’t entirely con-
mation across the board, with college their high school career. vinced, though. “There’s nowhere in this
information, with job information, with school for a senior lounge and they don’t
things happening each year,” junior This is particularly frustrating for have the money for that,” junior Beatriz
counselor Nicole Liska said. “I think it juniors, however. “I don’t know if I’m Sindac said.
comes down to servicing our students comfortable talking to new counselors,”
better. If you look across grade levels, junior Carissa Cavicchioni said. Locker banks are also the meeting
different classes need us at different spot for friend groups in the morning.
times.” Part of the reason is that seniors rely “Everyone has their meetup spot like
on their counselors for letters of recom- with all of their friends, so , ‘I’m going
Students don’t think this was the best mendations to send to universities. to meet you in the locker banks’ [is now]
option. “Then just add more counselors ‘oh, which one?’ ‘the yellow one’,” Sin-
to [each class]; people are used to talking A concern that was commonly raised dac said.
to their counselor,” junior Mahek Ma- among students was what would be-
come of the senior locker bank privilege. continued on next page
“We’re going to have a senior area, it

13

NEWS

continued from previous page being older, and they want to have their Photo by Ethan Meyers.
own privileges,” freshman Vikas Reddy
Beyond counselors, students don’t like said. system is guaranteed to be implemented
the fact that the new houses would mix next year.
grades in locker banks. Generally, underclassmen are mixed
on how they feel about the changes. “It’s The only thing that remains unsure is
“I feel like it would be better for every- not really a big thing right now [in the if the lockers themselves will be arranged
one to have their own privacy, because freshmen class] because we’re all still alphabetically, or if they will be sectioned
upperclassmen do have more pride in getting used to school,” Reddy said. off by grade within their respective
houses.
For the most part, the alpha house

14 / THE STAMPEDE

MARCH 16 , 2018

GEN Z CONSERVATIVES

STUDENTS STRUGGLE TO GET UNPOPULAR OPINIONS HEARD

ABBEY MALBON

As a generation, we have witnessed an listen to,” junior Conor Mackay said. Graphic by Isabella Gonzales
excess amount of social reform move- Representation and visibility is always
ments. High school age students are conservative and liberal perspectives
quickly being more exposed to current an important factor in creating a bene- and to not exclude one of the other from
issues. ficial school environment. As a result, our daily lesson plans. In contrast, some
it is important for all students to feel as students believe that politics doesn’t nec-
These movements often become asso- though their voices are being heard from essarily need to play a major role in our
ciated with liberals and “leftist” ideas. As all viewpoints. high school’s climate.
a self-proclaimed liberal and member of
Gen Z, I was curious to receive insight on Sometimes, through my generations “I don’t believe representation is nec-
what it might be like to experience waves excessive use of social media and our im- essary for either party because we can’t
of progressive rhetoric, as a conservative pending digital presence, we forget that vote yet and have no say in the political
teenager. even on those platforms we are exposed condition of the country. I don’t feel any
to bias and protected from other’s politi- different from any other person of our
According to a recent study published cal and ideological perspectives. generation,” junior Jason Kirchner said.
by Jean Twenge, professor of psychology
at San Diego State University, millennials The popularity of customized Google Regardless of personal opinion, the
aren’t as statistically liberal as many may searches and filtered Facebook accounts diverse climate at Metea Valley requires
be lead to believe. "High school seniors unknowingly block consumers from students to engage in, and address dif-
are more likely to identify as political opinions and facts that they don’t associ- ferences. Hopefully, students can view
conservatives now compared to 10 years ate with. the benefit of immersing themselves in
ago. Most surprising, more identify differing opinions, politics, and cultures.
as conservatives now compared to the In our progressive climate, I believe it
1980s, presumably the era of the young is truly necessary to be exposed to both 15
conservative,” Twenge said in an inter-
view with CNN.

School environments are generally
supposed to be free of political, religious,
and biased opinions coming from ad-
ministration and curriculum. However,
many English based courses have begun
to incorporate very liberal and progres-
sive conversations into the class itinerary.

“I think that lack of representation is
the biggest problem when it comes to
Metea Valley.

I feel that the newspaper can be very
biased on the way things are portrayed
and needs to be more mindful of other
solutions to issues. In the classroom,
I have witnessed teachers share their
own political affiliation, which 9 out of
10 times ends up being left-sided, and
then continue to force their ideas on their
students, which can be very frustrating to

PERSPECTIVES

Graphic by Kainin Blissett

16/ THE STAMPEDE

MARCH 16 , 2018

IMPERIALISM STILL GRIPS THE WORLD TODAY

LIAM SWEENEY advised over by economists from the Crimea also has warm water ports which
University of Chicago, helped destroy make trade much easier with other coun-
We all learn about imperialism in his- Chile’s economy and oppressed its peo- tries. Russia’s biggest push for power lies
tory class. One of the first things we learn ple. The regime also resulted in the death north. With climate change melting the
about the 1800s is that European pow- of 3,000 Chileans, the torture of 29,000, ice caps in the North Pole, a new ocean is
ers carved up countries like China and and more specifically the execution of slowly created. Russia has been making
Africa for resources and bragging rights. 120 suspected communists being thrown major plays in that area to make sure
It’s one of the many cautionary tales that out of a helicopter. This is just one of the they have as much control as possible for
we learn in history class. It’s a tale of most egregious examples of what went trade and other economic purposes.
exploitation and the horror of an empire down in South America in the past cou-
that we must never repeat again. ple decades. China has also been making imperi-
alist moves as of late. Despite General
Except there is a problem with that Nothing, however, can compare to Secretary Xi Jinping claiming that the
sentiment: it is still occuring today. what the US did in the Middle East. In Communist Party is moving back to a
Whether it be from typical US meddling the 1950s the US helped stage a coup Maoist line of thought (Maoism being an
or the actions of our greatest rivals, impe- against yet another democratically elect- ideology founded on heavy anti-impe-
rialism is still wreaking havoc across the ed leader of a country: Prime Minister rialist sentiments), his government has
world. Mohammad Mosaddegh of Iran. What been making blatant imperialist actions.
was this leader’s crime? Iran did not In Africa, China has been funding infra-
Let us begin with our elephant and want to sell oil at incredibly low prices to structure projects so that the continent
donkey in the room: the United States. the United States and United Kingdom. can have paved roads and highways in
Back in the early 1900s, the United States exchange for precious resources.
occupied Cuba and the Philippines in the So the US installed a monarchy, led
chase for sugar, rubber, and other similar by a Shah, and imposed its western This seems fine on paper, until you
resources. US-centric views on the country. The realize the dependent relationship that
people of Iran hated the Shah so much has formed. Many African countries can’t
The US also helped fund and start that they rallied around a charismatic create their own infrastructure programs,
several coups and uprisings in South and despotic leader: Grand Ayatollah forcing them to continue to sell precious
America. This is for reasons ranging from Khomeini. resources to China for less than stellar
creating “Banana Republics” established prices, keeping them in an economically
to bend to the will of banana companies We inadvertently created a supposed vulnerable state that they can not escape
so they can cultivate and sell bananas enemy out of our own greed. And this from.
in the US for maximum profit, like in isn’t the only time we did a similar thing
Honduras and Guatemala, and personal in the Middle East. Remember how we These are just some of the most egre-
projects in Panama. The original Panama invaded Iraq to seize weapons of mass gious examples of imperialism today.
government would not give the US the destruction but there weren’t any? Yeah, There are still dozens of regime changes
land to build the famed Panama Ca- it seems like we only did that to over- and proxy wars that the US has been
nal, so we started a coup to overthrow throw a leader we didn’t like in order to involved in. This includes companies
that government and establish one that secure some sweet oil instead of “fighting utilizing sweatshops and poor working
would give us that land. The US really for international safety.” Through such conditions to up profits and reduce pric-
did sit shoulder to shoulder with its violence, we also planted the seeds for es, the continued holding of old imperial
European cousins back in the glory days groups such as ISIS to emerge and wreak claims by the UK, and many, many more
of imperialism. havoc across the world. other examples.

But now we have rectified our wick- As much as the US has messed up the Our world is more ensnared in
ed ways, right? Well, no. Going back world to gain oil and power, they aren’t imperialism than ever before; it’s just
to South America, we made two major the only ones that are guilty. Many of been dolled up and kept hidden from the
moves to try and maintain control and the US’s current world rivals have been masses. That is something we can’t take
influence over the region. doing the exact same thing. anymore. We must all stand up against
an injustice that is plaguing the world.
In the 1970s, when Chile democratical- Let’s start with a place that is cold
ly elected socialist Salvador Allende, we both literally and figuratively: Russia. If you still are not convinced, let me
wouldn’t have any of his leftist gar- Their annexation of Crimea is a clear ex- ask you something. As kids we learn to
bage. So, we helped instigate a military ample of imperialism. Putin has had am- treat others as we want to be treated. So
coup against his regime and installed a bitions to bring Russia’s land mass to its after reading the aforementioned exam-
military dictator by the name of Augusto previous number from back in the days ples, would you want something like that
Pinochet. Pinochet’s authoritarian and of the USSR, and his goal was to annex to happen to the US?
free market driven regime, which was areas with heavy Russian population.
17

PERSPECTIVES

18/ THE STAMPEDE Graphic by Kainin Blissett

MARCH 16 , 2018

WHAT I’VE
BEEN WATCHING
BRANDON YECHOUT and the Holy Grail.” Much of it came off a flashback sequence) and virtually no
as a muddled mess, and I found myself violence, feel like one of Miyazaki’s most
The Princess Bride (1987): not caring about the actual story of the adult works. There’s a lovely little scene,
film to any degree. The look of the film is for instance, wherein Porco and an old
“The Princess Bride” is a fairytale film terribly unimpressive, as well, boasting a friend of his, called Gina, sit across from
that tells of a dashing young man by the plethora of uninspired sets and dry land- each other in the restaurant of the Hotel
name of Westley, who embarks on a jour- scape shots. Cary Elwes’ performance Adriano, this film’s “Rick’s Café Amér-
ney to rescue his love, Princess Butter- was fairly entertaining, at least. Brando’s icain” equivalent. They simply talk with
cup, from the villainous Humperdinck, rating? Two-and-a-half out of four stars. each other, reminiscing about the old
who plans to wed her, much to her dis- days. Porco says that there’s one thing
dain. Along the way, he endures various Porco Rosso (1992): that he dislikes about her restaurant,
strange encounters including a “battle and points to a picture of his younger
of wits” over a goblet of poisoned wine, I had originally planned for there to self on the wall. She remarks on how it’s
rodents of unusual size, and a Spanish be a third review in this section, for the the only picture left of him as a human,
swordsman with a taste for vengeance. French film “Amélie,” but I’ve decided though Porco’s face has been scribbled
to cut that review in order to make more out of the photo, presumably by Porco
This much-loved film has amassed room for my review of this next film. himself. There shouldn’t really be any-
an extremely dedicated cult following You’ll understand why shortly. thing particularly noteworthy about this
the years since its release, but I’m disap- scene, but there’s something so incredi-
pointed to report that I do not share their “Porco Rosso” is a comedy-adventure bly humanizing and appealing about it,
love for this film. In fact, I would even film from anime master Hayao Miyazaki, to me. Just two old friends, sitting togeth-
go as far as attributing much of its wild which centers around an aviator known er in an empty restaurant, remembering
popularity to nostalgia; how such a film by the moniker of Porco Rosso, whose the bygone days.
managed to land a spot on the Ameri- disillusionment with humanity had him
can Film Institute’s (AFI) list of 100 best cursed with the visage of a pig. A for- What the film really does for me most
film love stories is utterly beyond me, mer pilot of the First World War, Porco of all is make me so desperately want
as the development of the “romance” in now works as a bounty hunter over the to live in a world as romanticized as the
this film is absolutely pitiful. It’s not as Adriatic Sea, skirmishing with air pirates one the film depicts. To get a taste of the
if a comedy-adventure film such as this while making just enough money to sup- feeling I’m here attempting to describe in
demands a serious dedication to its fairy- port his meager living. text, you need not look any further than
tale romance, but for the AFI to recognize Joe Hisaishi’s splendid and aptly named
it in the manner it did is frankly insult- I absolutely adore this film. I adore composition: “The Bygone Days.” This
ing. The humor of it was alright, but my it with every ounce of my being. It’s beautiful instrumental, the melody of
main gripe with the film was how it tried difficult, however, for me to describe which appears several times throughout
to blend its sillier moments with scenes why I adore it so. Nevertheless, I will the film, captures the vibe of this film
that appear to be aiming for some sort of try. Firstly, the film absolutely oozes more appropriately than I could ever
emotional impact. For instance, the Span- charm. Every exchange is drenched in hope to convey with mere words. This
iard’s climactic duel with his father’s it, and there isn’t a single unmemorable film is not only easily my favorite of all
killer did absolutely nothing for me (and character, from the spunky Fio to the the films I’ve reviewed for Metea Valley
it didn’t help that it was a poorly choreo- riotously funny “Mamma Aiutos” (a clan thus far, but it is also now my favorite
graphed fight). I feel it may have been to of air pirates whose name, translated film of the 1990s and one of my favorite
the film’s benefit to either scale back the from Italian, means “mama, help!”), to films of all time. To discover a film I love
goofiness of its humor, or completely run the gruff yet good-hearted Porco himself. as much as this is a rare joy that I will
with its absurdity à la “Monty Python The film, as delightful and lighthearted never cease to cherish. Brando’s rating?
as it is, also has several moments of quiet Four out of four stars.
contemplation, which actually make
this film, which has no death (outside of

19

PERSPECTIVES

Graphic by Valerie Morris

IS PRESIDENT TRUMP THE
WORST PRESIDENT IN HISTORY

BEN WEISS flaws of Trump, we need to realize that political actions were highly criticized,
all Presidents have made poor decisions, including his refusal to sign the proposed
President Donald Trump has become even the ones who we consider some of Crittenden Compromise, which could
a polarizing figure in American politics. the best. have postponed the Civil War before it
Currently, he has a 39 percent approval even started.
rating, with the public disagreeing with From George Washington’s handling
his political views, particularly his views of the Whiskey Rebellion and favoring He also wasn’t as progressive as many
on equality and immigration. Others of policies that caused problems for the people were led to believe as he only
point out his troubling personality, with poor citizens, to Barack Obama’s lies freed the slaves after his party convinced
his vulgar language and outspoken de- about his health care policies and educa- him to do so and he didn’t truly believe
meanor being a turnoff for a large num- tion laws that poorly affected teachers in in equal rights.
ber of our citizens. Trump currently has a low-income schools, each president has
55 percent disapproval rating according done negative things: whether they are Despite this, many still call him one of
to an aggregate of polls from FiveThir- regarded as a good president or not. our greatest presidents. Is it possible that,
tyEight, a political analysis website. over time, Trump could have the same
Sometimes objectively great presidents treatment? Besides, he’s only one year
With all of this hate coming from are ruined by one bad decision. Nixon’s into his presidency. He still has time to
political figures and citizens, many claim biggest mistake was the Watergate scan- learn and grow.
that Trump is the “worst president in US dal, which pretty much destroyed his
history.” But are the opinions of the peo- political career and administration. The truth is, there is no such thing as a
ple grounded in fact? Is Trump’s run as bad president or even a “worst” presi-
President really one of the worst in our Many presidents with great estab- dent. Every president has done wrong,
entire history? I’m not going to defend lished track records have made tremen- not on purpose, but often proposed
Trump or hurt him, but rather analyze dous mistakes during their presidency. actions that caused harm to the country
what he has done for our county and Abraham Lincoln is well known for his according to the ones that interpret their
compare it with the atrocities of former endeavors against slavery and his actions actions.
US presidents. for the Civil War, but most overlook that
he was probably the most hated presi- So as the presidency of Trump contin-
Although it’s easy to point out the dent of his time. He entered his presiden- ues, let’s be aware that no matter what he
cy with a popularity rate of 39 percent does in the future, he is doing everything
despite winning the election. Many of his with the best intentions.

20/ THE STAMPEDE

MARCH 16, 2018

TEACHER MATTHEW LONG SHOWS
KINDNESS BY FOSTERING DOGS

TANVI PANT

Teacher Matthew Long is known Matthew Long poses next to his dogs Gypsy and Donovan, along with his fostered dog Ghost-
for his generosity in fostering buster in center. Photo by Delaney Reed.
dogs in his household and using
genetic testing to find out about the properly in the house, and live with wisdom panel, then you swab the
background of his dogs. His love for cats since he does have one. Along inside of the [dogs] mouth and send
dogs stemmed from his childhood with this, Long may struggle with that in [to] the people [to] confirm
when he had to take care of his own navigating around schedules in order they’ve received it. After they’ve test-
dogs. He recently went into genetic to find time for dog meet and greets ed it, the testers will send a document
classes and informed students about or deciding who is in charge of caring with a in-depth description of the
the procedures his dogs underwent to for which dogs at what times. DNA,” Long said.
find out what breeds they were.
“I coach two seasons of badminton Long stressed that fostering kind-
“I actually trained the second dog so it’s extremely busy and taxing. It’s ness and generosity in society can be
we ever had. I took it to classes when I time consuming and it’s a lot of com- done in small measures such as taking
was about 10 or 11 years old so I have munication back and forth between in the animals around you. A step in
always a special place for dogs in my my girlfriend and I to take care of our the right direction can help save the
heart. I’ve worked and had several dogs,” Long said. lives of many dogs.
dogs since then,” Long said.
In 2014, Long became interested in Long and his girlfriend volunteer
Long’s love for dogs pushed him to the idea of testing his dogs genetical- through CPR Fund K9 Rescue and
adopt his very first dog from a pound, ly. He was curious about the type of have placed 11 dogs in forever homes
CPR Fund K9 Rescue, instead of buy- breed they were, so he bought a $75 in the last year. There will be an adop-
ing one from an actual pet store be- test from wisdom panel insights to tion event at Metea Valley on Apr. 14.
cause dogs that are placed in pounds answer his question. Please see Mr. Long for more details
are often put down to make room for on rescuing, fostering, or adopting.
new stray dogs. “[First] you have to buy a kit from

“There are literally millions of dogs
laid down annually in the United
States and that is just way too big of a
number,” Long said.

For people breeding dogs for the
first time, Long advises not to be
particular to any kind of dog in the
beginning. Oftentimes, people assume
they already have a favorite breed in
mind but that shouldn’t be the case.

“I try not to say I want to foster
this dog or this breed. They will come
with different personalities and with
different kinds of behaviors, so we
really shouldn’t categorize dogs like
we often do,” Long said.

Long looks at potential dogs that
are able to get along with people, live

21

PROFILES

22 / THE STAMPEDE Fishcake practices in band members basement. Pictured left to right: Andrew Kim,
alto saxophone; Liam Sweeney, guitar; Nicholas Asuan, bass. Photo by Delaney Reed

MARCH 16, 2018

FISH CAKE

GETS OFF THE GROUND
The first question of many: where a bunch of sections of the song and then
TYLER BURLEYSON did that name come from? Originally eventually we write this down,” Kim
called Cold Blue, the band wanted a said. Their drummer definitely appreci-
Fish Cake is a band. They’ve got a more unique, memorable name inspired ates the freedom. “Playing on our own
pretty funny name and a lot of musical by their logo of a bear. “Ok, well, bears without anyone officially conducting us
ability riding behind them. Their sound eat fish, but we don’t want to be called or leading us helps us take responsibility
comes from senior Caleb Scott on the Fish because that’s too close to the actual for our own work,” Scott said.
drums, senior Liam Sweeney on guitar, band Phish. So I was like, oh, Fish Cake,”
junior Nick Asuan on bass, and senior Kim said. A little silly? Maybe, but the Their collective experience with jazz
Andy Kim on saxophone. group definitely means business. “We influences their somewhat unique live
goof around, we have a fun time, but we sets. The drums and bass set up a groove
All seasoned musicians in their own all know we have to take responsibility for the guitar and sax to play over.
right, the four have come together to for our own work to be a band that func-
start producing and performing their tions,” drummer Caleb Scott said. They’ll plan out different forms and
own music. melodies but they’re all strong improvis-
While those of us in high school music ers. The group came out of their first live
The four played together in extracur- groups are conducted by a teacher, inde- gig excited about performing on their
ricular Jazz groups before coming togeth- pendent bands like Fish Cake have to put own. “We had a lot of fun, the audience
er independently. it all together themselves. liked it, and there was a lot of good en-
ergy. It’s a lot of fun to interact with the
They cover rock songs, improvise on Sometimes that means covering ma- audience,” Scott said.
funk and jazz melodies, and recently per- terial from famous groups (like “Higher
formed live for the first time. “We blend Ground” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers) The next step for the group? Making
a lot of funk and rock together,” saxo- but they also collaborate on new licks and recording some original music “We
phonist Andy Kim said. “We’re pretty and tunes. “The process goes like, we want to have six or seven songs before
passionate about the music, and it gives have practice, one of us, Nick, Liam, we’re ready to record,” Scott said.
us something else to focus on besides all or I play a lick that we’re like ok, this
the school stuff,” Kim added. sounds good. Then we basically hash out As the school year winds down, the
band is going to get ready to finish their
first solo project sometime this summer.

23