Month: January 2021

Categories
News

When Will Sacramento County Schools Reopen?

Sacramento County schools could possibly reopen in Mid-October due to the improving COVID-19 infection rates. Before schools can reopen the state will have to win approval from the Sacramento County Public Health officials on September 29th. 

Sacramento county moved down from the purple tier, which is the highest covid infection risk, to the red tier. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) says that local health officers must review local community epidemiological data, consider other public health interventions, and consult with CDPH when considering a waiver request. 

When reopening Sacramento county schools, many precautions will be taken. Unicef says that some practical measures that schools can take are staggering the start and close of the school day, staggering mealtimes, moving classes to temporary spaces or outdoors, holding school in shifts, and reducing class size. Administrative staff and teachers should also be trained on physical distancing and school hygiene practices.

Mr. Voison, a Social Science teacher at McClatchy highschool shared his input on how he feels about school campuses reopening. He said, “I most certainly want to go back to teaching on campus. Although I cannot speak for my colleagues I know that almost all of them feel the same. We know that distance teaching, like distance learning, is a very poor substitute for in-class instruction.”

He also discussed as far as reopening, No district or school has come up with a safe, workable plan.

Mr. Johnston, a McClatchy English teacher, had a different point of view on going back to school. He stated, “There’s no easy answer here. I miss going to work and seeing my students in person, absolutely. And I know that many students are not handling the isolation of lockdown well—and neither am I, if I’m being honest. The stresses of being forced to stay home are causing all sorts of problems for my family.

But having to wear masks all day long in warm classrooms isn’t going to work for a lot of people, and when we see that every school system that goes back is having a rise in infections, it seems clear to me that it’s too soon to even consider it.”

Mr. Johnston believed that the school districts should wait until there is an effective vaccine. Even though he missed going to work outside of his home and seeing his students and fellow colleagues, he wants to be able to do so in good health and not risk getting an illness that could kill him or leave him with lifelong health problems.

More than 30 Sacramento County private schools have already received approval to reopen their campuses before Tuesday. Private schools can bring middle school and high school students back to the classroom as soon as mid-October, says The Sacramento Bee. Students may be going back to campus soon, but many health precautions will be taken.

Categories
Entertainment

Demon Slayer Does Not Deserve its “Best Anime of the Year” Status

Demon Slayer,  Kimetsu no Yaiba is a popular anime that took over the anime community when it aired last year. It went on to win Best Anime of the Year status on Crunchyroll, a popular anime streaming service. However, I believe this was a terrible decision. 

There are a few good things about Demon Slayer including the amazing animation, overall great production, and the soundtrack. That is about it though. 

The basic plot of the story is not original, and does not make sense. Simply put, it’s about a boy whose family was killed by humanoid monsters referred to as demons. His sister is alive, but she’s now a demon, so the main goal is to turn her back into a human. Already the unoriginality is apparent. 

The trope where the main character loses their family is so common. It is shown in other animes such as Black Butler, Fullmetal Alchemist, Attack on Titan and many more. Even the concept of demons as villains is unoriginal, as it has already been explored in many other anime such as Blue Exorcist and Claymore. The main goal of the protagonist is to turn his sister to normal is not even original, as the focus of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is exactly that.

It was also revealed that most people don’t know about the existence of these demons, which doesn’t make any sense as they are often 7-10 foot monsters. The main character found out about the demons when he tried to go to his house from the village after dark, and an old man tells him to seek shelter as there are monsters in the forest. The fact that the main character did not already know about demons despite the fact that he has been to the village numerous times, and the old man was so willing to offer the information that it was apparent that it was not a big secret. It leaves the viewers with more questions than answers.

To continue with story flaws, the main character was sent to train and learn swordsmanship with a master located on a mountaintop. The best way to kill demons was by using breathing techniques,which was done first in Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. The character development in this training arc was minimal, yet it was all the audience gets for the entire first season. 

The main character even has flaws. Tanjro, the main character, has minimal development over the course of the 26 episode first season. The explanation for that is the fact that he’s already technically perfect personality wise and has no notable flaws, so there isn’t anything left to develop. There is also nothing in his backstory that would explain such a strong bond with his sister, or any backstory about his relationship with his family at all. All we know was that his family died, and nothing else. The side characters are all common tropes as well, no originality there. Situational conflicts further the plot, which is boring and gives the impression that these conflicts don’t give the plot any depth as they are just coincidence.

It does not make any sense why this would win anime of the year when there is almost no substance or originality. In my opinion, something akin to Vinland Saga or Dororo would have been better off winning, as they are more original and include more complex characters, however those aren’t crunchyroll. Mob Psycho 2 should have won alone instead of giving the status to Demon Slayer, which only made it more overrated than it already was.

Categories
Entertainment

@HUMANSOFNY Promotes the Humanity of New York

Through his viral instagram page, Humans of New York, Brandon Stanton has been able to raise over 2.65 million dollars for Stephanie Johnson, a retired burlesque dancer known as Tanqueray.

Stanton started his instagram page as a photography project back in 2010. His goal was to “photograph 10,000 New Yorkers on the street, and create an exhaustive catalogue of the city’s inhabitants.” With over 11 million social media followers, Stanton has been able to capture his viewers’ attention with the amazing and often tearful stories of his interviewees.

His latest series focuses on Stephanie Johnson who told a few of her life stories in his 32 part feature called “Tattletales by Tanqueray.” She was first interviewed in November, 2019, but because of public demand for more of her interesting stories, Stanton began to work with her on a podcast.

Unfortunately, this plan fell through after Johnson fell down a flight of stairs and suffered alone for 72 hours. Johnson was later found after Stanton asked neighbors to check on her. After her accident was discovered, she was taken to a local hospital for treatment. Wheelchair bound and in need of money to pay fees and to hire a part-time nurse, Johnson worked with Stanton to simultaneously get her stories out and raise money. 

Johnson and Stanton decided to release her stories on his instagram page throughout the week of September 21st. This was to raise awareness for Johnson’s plight and viewers were directed to a gofundme link in the page’s bio. Throughout the week, thousands of people contributed to the fund, raising over 2.65 million dollars for Johnson and 200,000 more followers for Stanton.

Johnson’s stories started with her childhood and ended with events that happened a few years ago. She detailed her mother’s abuse, the racism she endured, failed relationships, and colorful run-ins with celebrities. She also recounted her rise to fame which made her the first Black woman to be a feature at a burlesque show.

Not all of Johnson’s stories had happy endings. When she spoke about New York, she explained how the city has changed for the worse. “There’s nowhere to go that people can get to know each other. Or if there is a place to go—you need a corporate credit card just to afford a drink. What about the regular people? They used to have choices too…Sure, New York is more family friendly now—but not everyone has a family.”

Stanton’s latest book, Humans, will be released on October 6th. When Johnson was given an advanced copy and asked to review the book, she responded, “Hell no! I already know my story is the best, so I’m not reading the rest.”

Categories
Sports

COVID-19 Makes its Mark on Collegiate Football

Many colleges are not taking proper safety precautions for football games, which can cause a huge increase in COVID cases if someone was infected. Only a few schools have permission to hold football games, and those are only allowed to be filled at 25% capacity.

The University of Georgia’s (UGA) crowd is under fire after many of the students from the school at the game weren’t wearing masks. UGA is supposed to do temperature checks before spectators walk in the stadium and ensure that they have on a mask. UGA’s spokesperson said, “Last night’s crowd was 20,524 which is a capacity sellout. Our normal capacity is 92,746. So, you are looking at about a 22% capacity.” They also said they were following the guidelines by social distancing while seated, but a photo of a large number of students together without masks during the game of Georgia and Auburn counters that argument.

Southern Methodist University (SMU) forced students out of their section after the students didn’t follow the safety guidelines. The students were in close contact and not spread out. At the game, there was a large audience of students gathered together, similar to the one during the Georgia and Auburn game. Those not following the guidelines were kicked out by police.

However, Texas A&M is taking proper safety precautions by only allowing 25% capacity of their stadium. Their safety guidelines are strict, and if a spectator doesn’t follow them security gives them a warning, and if they continue with their unsafe practices they are kicked out. Along with normal safety guidelines, audience members must also be seated if they’re eating or drinking a beverage during the game. A&M fans continue to be a great example of how to safely enjoy college football during the pandemic by having on a mask while social distancing. 

Colleges would love to fully open up the stadium for the fans, not only to let the fans enjoy the full view, but also because it’s one of the schools ways to get revenue. But with the pandemic it’s hard to manage the fans’ needs and keep them under control during the game.

Categories
Features

Crawford’s Books: A Bookworm’s Paradise

If there’s anything you should know about Sue Richards, it’s that she absolutely loves sustainability. She recycled before it was fashionable and has always bought her books second-hand. She believes that books were made to be reusable, so of course it made sense for her to frequent a little shop tucked away on Freeport Boulevard, Crawford’s Books. Little did she know that one day she would own and operate that very store. 

Established in 1983 by Jim and Joyce Crawford, Crawford’s books has withstood the test of time, location changes, and a global pandemic. Crawford’s is different from most bookstores because of their buy-sell-trade policy. At the store, you can sell back books for 20-25% of the cover price. This money is transferred into store credit redeemable on everything except clearance titles. 

Sue Richards had always wanted to run a bookstore, and after visiting the store one day in late 2017, she offered to run the place if the Crawfords ever decided to quit. Unbeknownst to her, that very morning, the elderly couple had talked about retiring. Two months later, in January 2018, she owned the shop. As a business owner, Richards’ main priority is to give people the opportunity to read. She says that “book selling isn’t a money making venture but [she] really loves books and wants to keep book distribution at an affordable price.” 

After taking over, Richards reorganized the bookstore’s 40,000+ books (including a $300 graffiti book and a $100 book explaining why humans are part dolphin) into 15 major sections (although there are dozens of subsections) including cooking, fiction, romance, classics, and international literature. Her entire back wall is filled with non-fiction titles that are perfect for history term papers, and she makes sure to keep a shelf of books specifically read in the HISP program. She also tripled the kids section of the store as she hopes to encourage young readers to engage with books early on. 

After being hit by pandemic shutdowns this spring, Crawford’s was closed for three months. In June, Sue started to introduce curbside pickups with remote payments and her extremely popular mystery bundles. These are hand-selected packages of 5-10 books based on a reader’s favorite authors that are offered at a reduced price. She says that she will continue to offer these services as long as people still want them.

Sue says that she feels fortunate to operate a bookstore during the pandemic because her business has increased. She says, “right now, everyone wants to read a book and escape. People are bored and they have a lot of time on their hands.” She also attributes some of this success to the increased rejection of big companies like Amazon. Sue has noticed that the pandemic has created a big shift in where people choose to buy from. Now, customers are actively seeking her out whereas before, people didn’t necessarily think to support local business.

Although some small businesses like Crawford’s have survived the pandemic, Richards pointed out that proposition 15 has the potential to wipe out a lot of these shops. Prop 15 would make commercial businesses pay property tax based on their market value instead of purchase price, with the revenue going to public services like schools. Sue says she “can see both sides. On the surface this seems great, but if commercial property owners need to pay more, it will trickle down”. When property taxes are raised, landlords increase rents, which force business owners to increase prices. 

This ends up hurting people on the lower side of the socioeconomic scale and Sue argues that this could effectively make or break a small business. She’s seen this happen firsthand when her friend’s Elk Grove used bookstore had to close because of rent increase. Sue fears that this will ultimately harm smaller businesses and leave big businesses unscathed.

With winter holidays coming up, a lot of us are scrambling to find thoughtful, affordable gifts. Sue believes that books are the perfect gift because “they share feeling and experience with the ones you love. It’s a wonderful way to give someone hours of entertainment for cheap too!”, and she has always given books as gifts. Crawford’s has been stocking up for the holidays with copies of Dune, local author’s work, STEM books, feminist theory, and a whole collection of sci-fi fantasy written by Black women including famed Octavia Butler. In addition to books, Sue sells local art and jewelry in her store, making Crawford’s Books a great place to support local artists, authors, and small businesses.

If you need suggestions for gifts or pleasure reading, just ask Sue! Her favorite book genre is historical fiction, because she “feel[s] transported to different times and places”. Her all-time favorite books include Marcus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay and Aaron Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea, but she firmly believes that everyone should read classics like All Quiet on the Western Front, A Man Called Ove, The Boys in the Boat and The Life of Pi. If you have anything you’d love for Crawford’s Books to stock up on, let Sue know! She’s always open to suggestions.

Categories
Sports

NBA vs. NFL COVID-19 Restrictions

After quarantine, life during the COVID-19 pandemic became the new reality for Americans. Many were hesitant about the idea of national sports leagues taking part in their regular seasons. One league, the NBA, has proved doubters wrong, but other leagues including the NFL have had to face growing restrictions as multiple teams have contracted COVID-19. 

In late spring, the NBA Players’ Association made headlines after announcing that their teams would all be quarantined in an exclusive “bubble” only accessible to players, coaches, partners and children. The bubble is located in Walt Disney World, in Orlando, Florida, where teams are divided into three different hotels based on their preliminary rankings, also known as seeding. 

Players entered the bubble on July 7th, after the Raptors held a test run beginning June 22nd in Fort Myers, Florida. While team-members are technically allowed to leave, the Players’ Association warns against it as each player will have to self-quarantine for at least 10 days and have a reduced paycheck for every missed game.

Players are offered a lot of different amenities including pools, spas, and nightly movie screenings, but there are some strict protocols on activities. For example, they are only allowed to play ping-pong in singles and not doubles in order to reduce the spread of COVID.

Other protocols enforced by the six-phase plan emphasize the use of masks and other PPE as well as routine testing for everyone in the bubble. These regulations have been extremely effective in stopping the spread of COVID-19, and from July to August, there was a 5 week period of zero positive COVID tests. So far, only four players have broken the quarantine.

The NFL on the other hand, has had multiple cases in their short season. The NFL official season began in August, and already teams including the Tennessee Titans, the New England Patriots, and the Oakland Raiders have at least one teammate infected with COVID.After administering over 300,000 tests, there have been at least 58 positive tests, and the numbers are growing every week.

The NFL is a lot more lax with their COVID rules than the NBA. They have no bubble or strict regulations for their players. All players have to do is take a daily COVID test (except on Game Days) and not leave their cities during their time off. If a player tests positive, they must be quarantined for 10 days, which goes in direct conflict with the CDC’s advice of a 14-day quarantine period.

Critics from sports news sites like ESPN and SportsNet argue that there is a lack of transparency as teams are not allowed to formally name players who have tested positive for COVID. Teams are allowed to report the number of positive cases, but only players are allowed to name themselves. While Patriots players Stephon Gilmore and Cam Newton have formally announced their positive-tests, the 18 Titans players and staff have not, showing the lack of cohesiveness in the league.

The league has been forced to reschedule week 5 games involving the Titans and the Patriots. It is currently investigating if the Titans have met outside of practice, creating a “super-spreader” event. If they are found guilty, they could face forfeited games or consequences involving draft picks.

Because of the transparency and strict regulations on players, the NBA has done a much better job of controlling the spread of COVID-19. The NFL has had a very open-ended set of rules that allow for the spread of COVID that they can not afford. Even if teams are safely practicing and using the utmost caution, they are still susceptible to the virus through games with teams who aren’t being safe. In order to have safe sports seasons this year, all national leagues must take a page out of the NBA’s playbook. 

Categories
Opinion

The “Get Z Tattoo”

Generation Z TikTok users have been debating on the new “generational tattoo”, and, while this generation has had its fair share of dumb moments, this idea is on another level of irresponsible. 

TikTok user and Generation Z member “smoothavacados” posted a now deleted video on TikTok to suggest all of Gen Z (those who are currently 5-24 years old) tattoo some kind of symbol to signify unity and rebellion. Her original idea was a “Z” with a singular line through it.

While this may seem like a cute way to bond over our similarities as Gen Z, the symbol she chose looks strikingly similar to the Nazi Wolfsangel symbol– an italicised “Z” with a singular line through it. Nazis have used the symbol to point each other out, and it’s even banned in Germany due to its historical use.

Supporters of the tattoo say we can reclaim the symbol and erase its negative history. However, the Wolfsangel is not for non-Jewish Gen Z to reclaim. The symbol was a hate symbol against the Jewish people and showed a person was in support of Nazi Germany’s plans of a mass genocide. It is not for non-Jewish people to reclaim a symbol that was never used to harm them or their people.  

The user who posted the original video explained in a follow-up video that she did not know the historic background of the chosen symbol. This is understandable as many fonts and typefaces use a “Z” with a line through it, including vintage tattoo and gothic fonts. However, the widespread support only shows how irresponsible Gen Z is and solidifies why there are tattoo age requirements. 

The video received over two million views and thousands of people have shared and reposted the video on all social media platforms. People had already gone out to shops and received the tattoo before knowing its historical context.

Since most of Gen Z is under 18, making it illegal for them to get a tattoo, some commented they were going to use a stick-and-poke method of tattooing. Others said they would write the symbol on their body with a permanent marker every single day until they could get a tattoo.

Many of these non-professional practices to create this mark can be dangerous. If young adults and teenagers are not going to research the symbol they are marking on their body, why would they research how to properly stick-and-poke a tattoo on themselves? Additionally, permanent markers often have toxic chemicals which can lead to blood poisoning and organ damage.

This overwhelming support shows the impulsive and reckless decision making capabilities of Gen Z. Thousands of people were ready to tattoo Nazi imagery to their bodies. If somebody wants to permanently mark themselves, that’s their choice. However, they should do research to make sure what they are tattooing is appropriate. 

Having a generational tattoo may have seemed like a cute bonding moment, but Generation Z misses the mark again. The irresponsibility and lack of research put into this idea only shows why teenagers are not allowed to receive tattoos in the first place.

Categories
News

Prop 18: Lowering the Voting Age is on the Ballot

Prop 18 is on the California ballot this year, and if passed would allow 17 year olds who turn 18 before the general election to vote in primary and state elections. Although this may seem like a “radical new idea”, this system is already in place in 18 other states and Washington D.C. 

This is the sixth time that this proposition has been voted on by the legislature, and this time it has passed with a two-thirds majority vote. This proposition does appear to be a partisan issue as 55 Democrat and 1 Republican legislators voted in favor of the bill whereas 1 Democrat and 12 Republicans voted against it.

The hope for this proposition is that interest and voter turnout would increase, especially among the youth, by allowing them to have a political voice. Supporters for prop 18 argue that many teenagers already work, pay taxes, and even sign up for the military so they should be extended this right to vote as well. Calmatters, a nonpartisan reporting agency, argues that this amendment would also allow for 17 year olds to run for office, because only registered voters can run for elected positions. The proposition has garnered support from the California Association of Student Councils, Governor Gavin Newsom, the California League of Conservation Voters, the California School Boards Association, and Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

If we put it into the context of this election cycle it would mean that 17 year olds who turn 18 before November 3rd, 2020 would have been allowed to vote in the democratic primaries back in March. Amahli Vivian (‘22) believes that seventeen year olds should be allowed to vote in primaries, “because if they’re going to be of age by the general election then they should have a say in who is nominated.” If she was able to vote in this year’s primary, she would have voted for Andrew Yang or Bernie Sanders, two candidates who did not make it onto the general election ballot. 

Arguments against the proposition revolve around the fact that most 17 year olds are still in school and are at a risk of being influenced by teachers and parents. Jacob Inocencio, a junior at Christian Brothers High School, highlights the hypocrisy in this argument. He says that “eighteen year olds are susceptible to this too. People who are above that [age] and live with their parents could have that happen to them too. It’s not exclusive to 17 year olds so prop 18 really is just common sense to me.”

Other issues like logistics come into play with this contested proposition. Eleanor Love (‘22) argues that although this has the potential to become a good proposition, it could confuse young voters and “wouldn’t run smoothly at all at least for the next two elections”. She does acknowledge that there is always the question that if we don’t adopt this proposition, then when will we. 

The official voting guide has stated that if the proposition is passed, there would be increased biennial costs to counties in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for voting materials. It is officially opposed by the Election Integrity Project California and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Association. The Desert Sun Editorial Board has been quoted saying, “Pre-registration of young people beginning at age 16 already gives those eager to join the process a tangible step toward voting, which should remain a goal they’ll attain at age 18. It is definitely worth waiting for.”

Categories
Entertainment

The 2020 Billboard Music Awards

Photo Credit: Katherine Krinsky

Despite the fact that there was no audience at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the night of the Billboard Music Awards was still impressive with performances and appearances from many of today’s best artists.

Originally, the BBMAs was scheduled on April 29, however, due to the coronavirus, it was pushed back to October 14. 

The BBMA nominees and winners were chosen based on music criteria as well as album and digital song sales, streaming rates, radio airplay, touring, and social engagement. 

BMMAs 2020 will mark the third year that Kelly Clarkson has hosted the BBMAs, and with her lively energy, she was able to hype up the show. Although she was a host, she had her own incredible performance, joining forces with Pentatonix and Sheila E singing “Higher Love.” 

On the exciting night of the BBMAs, Doja Cat had the most fun. She performed a few of her top hits, “Juicy,” “Say So,” and “Like That,” which certainly was amazing. But to add a little more appeal to her performance, she topped it off with a grandiose look of Old Hollywood. 

For the third year in a row, the K-pop boy band BTS is back on the stage. This time, performing their English-language hit song “Dynamite” filled with choreography, burgundy suits, and a band playing in the background. They were nominated for Top Duo/Group, but they did not win the award, however, they did win the award for Top Social Artist. 

While most performances were performed on stage, Post Malone had his own performance at a secret location in Los Angeles which seems to be at a steel mill. He performed his top hit song “Circle,” and later joined with Tyla Yaweh singing their collaboration song “Tommy Lee.” 

The 32-year-old singer, Lizzo accepted the award for the Top Song Sales Artist wearing a black dress that has “VOTE” plastered all over it. Along with that, she made a powerful speech about suppression and the need for people to use their voices to speak up. 

Lizzo was not the only one who had a strong message to speak out, Demi Lovato spoke out too. Behind the piano, Lovato gets political with her new track “Commander in Chief” vocalizing her unhappiness with the administration of President Donald Trump, and with a twist at the end, “VOTE” was spread across the screen. 

Not only was the BBMAs eventful but it was also an emotional night as John Legend performed “Never Break” on the piano. This performance was dedicated to his wife Chrissy Teigen, the implication of enduring their recent loss of their child. 

Overall, the legendary country star Garth Brooks is the ninth artist to receive the biggest award of the night, the Billboard Icon Award. He is the only artist to have eight diamond-certified albums and remained the top-selling solo artist in U.S. history. 

With 16 BBMAs, Post Malone was the most nominated artist, followed by Lil Nas X with 13 awards, and Khalid and Billie Eilish tied with 12 nominations. 

Although it was a pity that the BBMAs was done virtually, fans were still able to have the normalcy of the awards with outstanding performances.

Categories
Sports

The 2020 Formula One Season

Formula One: a racing series that started in 1950 and has captivated audiences ever since. From the drama and scandals to the clashing of racing legends on the track, Formula One has its fair share of exhilarating moments, and this year is no different.

Formula One is an open-wheeled racing series that is based mostly in Europe and has many different exotic car brands fighting for glory on difficult, winding tracks. Lots of these brands like  Mercedes or Ferrari have been racing since the sport’s founding, but some companies like HAAS or Williams are much smaller.

The 2020 season has held 10 of its 19 races, and so far there has been a rather consistent pattern: Mercedes wins, and Ferrari does poorly. 

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has won 6 out of the 9 races of the season. Lewis has won the  Formula One Driver’s championship 6 times, five of which have been in the last ten years. Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes have been a dominating pair, so much so that F1 fans are tired of seeing him win. This has made the referees be overly strict towards Hamilton to the point that he lost the most recent race due to a referee’s early penalty.

Adversely, Ferrari has had one of the worst seasons ever. They finish in the bottom half most of the time–if finishing at all. This has outraged Ferrari fans because Ferrari has a legendary racing pedigree making this year’s failures extremely disappointing. 

Since COVID-19 has halted almost all sports, Formula One has had to make changes to its live viewings. Like most live sporting events, no fans are allowed to attend the actual event. However, the broadcasting of the event has greatly increased. Hopefully when it is safe the competitions can go back to thousands of fans, screaming with excitement as these cars race around the track.