Poster made for the new reinvented Saturday morning market. (Elizabeth Molloy /ETHIC NEWS ART)
Working to bring all aspects of the community back, Redlands beloved Thursday Market Night is brought back. As of Mar. 4, 2023, Redlands reintroduced Market Night as Saturday morning’s market. The morning market will be operating 8 a.m – 12 p.m in the afternoon, located along East State Street between Orange and Seven street. The market will be open throughout the spring, summer and fall seasons with up to a variety of 80 vendors.
The long awaited reopen of market night was discussed in the May meeting with the Parks and Recreation Commission. The subcommittee brought up the reopening of Market Night with new rules and modifications for both the vendors and the community as a whole. Re-introducing Market Night as Downtown’s Morning Market rather than Thursday Market Night was to better complement the downtown businesses and work with available staff. In addition to the Saturday Market, downtown businesses and communities are familiar with the existing operations. The market leads to reformatting policies and guidelines to include higher quality merchandise or artsy products for customers.
Vendors posted up in downtown redlands selling to buyers (Photo Courtesy / Sierra Mason)
Sierra Mason, a junior at Redlands High School visited the Morning Market the day of reopening, “It was awesome to see the community come together again like that, since the pandemic shut everything down community events never really healed, and I’m really excited that we are starting to bring them back! There were so many people and small businesses, and it was great getting to see everyone support each other.”
People crossing the street making their way to other vendors to browse at selections (Photo Courtesy / Sierra Mason)
In reintroducing market night as saturday morning market, the community rejoices together like times before the pandemic.
The brand includes different foundations, highlighters, eyelines, lipsticks and more. (Nadia Ceniceros/ Ethic News Photo)
HudaBeauty is a cosmetics brand created by Huda Kattan. Kattan is a 39-year-old makeup artist, beauty influencer, and entrepreneur. The brand was created in 2013 by Kattan and her two sisters Mona and Alya Kattan when she simply could not find false eyelashes to purchase. Now, HudaBeauty is a favorite and popular brand that many people love.
Before she was an influencer, Kattan had worked at a finance office but quit to pursue her dream job. In April 2010, she started a blog called “Huda Beauty” with her videos about makeup tips and tutorials. However, after three years, Kattan’s sister, Alya, gave her 6,000 dollars to start the company after considering it for some time. She also used her 10,000 dollars of savings to start her now well-known brand.
The first product to launch was false eyelashes. Her false eyelashes became very popular after the Kardashian sisters had talked publicly on social media about how great the lashes were. When she later released eyeshadow pallets, the colors were bright to embrace her heritage and have makeup with a Middle Eastern impact. As Kattan’s products got more attention, her followers on social media became larger as she would constantly post about new or feature releases.
HudaBeauty’s “Glowish” highlighter. It retails for $38 at any Sephora store. (Nadia Ceniceros/ Ethic News Photo)
In 2022, HudaBeauty sold more than 140 beauty products that range from lipsticks, eyeshadow pallets, compact powder, highlighters, false lashes, and more. HudaBeauty is mostly popular for its eyeshadow palettes for varieties of colors in pigmentation and matte lipsticks. Kattan also sells 39 different shades of foundation, after releasing nine more shades in 2020. HudaBeauty is only exclusively sold at Sephora stores.
HudaBeauty is connected to a skincare line called “Wishful” which was also made by Kattan. The line is also sold only at Sephora stores. The line was released on Feb. 16, 2020, with its first product being an exfoliating scrub. There are so far 34 products available in different sizes. HudaBeauty sells a fragrance brand called “Kayali” founded by Huda’s sister, Mona Kattan. There are 11 different types of perfumes, the first edition was released in 2018 and is now sold on the HudaBeauty website.
HudaBeauty makes over two hundred million in annual sales today. Kattan’s net worth is about five hundred and sixty million, while the brand is four hundred million. HudaBeauty is manufactured in Dubai, where her parents were from. Kattan is the second richest beauty influencer, right behind Sofiya Nygaard. HudaBeauty is declared one of the fastest growing beauty brands.
CV’s staff prepare their booth for visiting 8th graders from local middle schools to advertise journalism in hopes of recruiting future writers (Meanna Smith/Ethic News)
Citrus Valley High School invited incoming freshmen to the CV campus on Monday, March 6, 2023, for ‘Becoming a Blackhawk Day’. Hundreds of eighth grade students from middle schools including Beattie, Moore and Cope Middle Schools toured the CV campus and were introduced to the many extracurricular clubs and classes provided at CV. After a brief welcome by the Citrus Valley Cheer team, choir and counselors, students were released to explore the club booths and discover clubs that indulged their interests. The event featured 25 booths, including but not limited to, ASB, AVID, Theatre Arts, Mock Trial, Choir, Concert Band and, of course, Ethic News.
Hallee Resendez and Melina Bline pose for a picture at their booth for ASB. (Meanna Smith/ Ethic News Photo)
Junior Riley Houser, representing the Latin class, said “I’m very excited to welcome the new Blackhawks, they’re so small and have so much potential.” While representing the art class, Serena Almanza said “art is such a fun class and we’re so excited to welcome in the new freshman.”
A visiting eighth grader and soon to be Citrus Valley High School freshman, Braylon Smith said, “it’s really cool to see my future high school and so far I’m happy with what I see.”
The production and design class presented their different show props, clothing, and equipment used to put on their creative shows. (Mia Caliva/ Ethic News Photo)
While the event was being held there were two different groups of students doing different activities. One of the groups was in the gym where many booths were held for different classes and clubs. All of the eighth grade students were given a bingo card which they had to get stamped throughout the day. There were many classes on the card and were stamped after they visited different booths. These bingo cards were needed for the counselors to see which classes they had to choose from to apply for the students future schedules. Students were to visit different booths and get their bingo cards stamped. The other group was being toured around the school and shown different elective classes.
Soon to be freshmen were allowed to roam for nearly 30 minutes before taking a tour of CV’s campus. (MeAnna Smith/ Ethic News photo)
CV’s Editor-in-Chief, Destiny Ramos, talks to the soon to be freshman about Ethic News. (MeAnna Smith/ Ethic News photo)
Mia Caliva, MeAnna Smith and Destiny Ramos pose in front of their booth with the mascots Bubby and Bubbet. (Meanna Smith/ Ethic News Photo)
“Becoming a Blackhawk” provided an opportunity for incoming freshmen to get an idea of what to expect from their high school. Instead of figuring it out along the way, students got the chance to plan ahead in which classes and clubs they would like to participate in. Middle schoolers chatted with students that attend Citrus Valley to get a student perspective and connect with their soon-to-be peers.
On Feb. 12, 2023, Singer-songwriter Rihanna performed at the 57th Super Bowl Halftime show after seven years of not performing. Rihanna is a 34-year-old Barbadian pop and R&B singer. She is known for her famous songs like, “Pon Del Rey”, “Love On The Brain”, “Woo” and many more.
After Rihanna released her last album “Anti” on Jan. 12, 2016, she took a step back from the music industry to focus on other things like her cosmetics brand, “Fenty Beauty” in September 2017. In 2022, she released “Lift Me Up” which was a part of the Black Panther Wakanda Forever soundtrack. Her last tour was her Anti Tour from March 2016 to November 2016. Since her album and tour, Rihanna did not perform or make music for seven years. During the seven-year time period, she started dating A$AP Rocky, a 34-year American rapper. Rihanna and A$AP Rocky started dating in May 2021 and have been together since. On May 13, 2022, she gave birth to her first child.
Rihanna standing on the platform at the Superbowl before performing (FentyBeauty/Instagram)
Rihanna performed her most popular songs Sunday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, sponsored by Apple Music. Her setlist included
-B—- Better Have My Money
-Where Have You Been
-Only Girl
-We Found Love
-Rude Boy
-Work
-Wild Thoughts
-Pour It Up
-All of the Lights
-Run This Town
-Umbrella
-Diamonds
Rihanna also announced her pregnancy with her second child. She opened her performance by showing her stomach and announcing to everyone that she is pregnant after the show. Rihanna performed in an all red outfit while her dancers took the stage in all white. She was on a platform 15 to 60 feet off the ground during certain parts of the performance. There was speculation since she announced she was performing at the Superbowl of who her special guest would be, however, she performed alone with her dancers. The choreography was created by Parris Goebel, a choreographer and founder of The Palace Dance Studio”. During the performance, she took the opportunity to promote her beauty brand “Fenty Beauty” by touching up her makeup in the middle of the show.
The performance was 13 minutes long and needed over 800 people to make the show possible. Aaron Siebert, the project leader for the making of the platforms had said that it was “The most technically advanced Super Bowl halftime show that’s ever been done because of the amount of tech used to move the platforms.” Her halftime show performance will go down in pop cultural history.
Note: This article contains spoilers for ‘The Last of Us’ video game series and show.
HBO releases its adaptation of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us video game series. (Flickr)
The first episode of ‘The Last of Us’ (TLOU)series premiered on Jan. 15, 2023 on HBO Max. The show is set to air weekly on Sundays at 6 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST). TLOU is set in a present-day post-apocalyptic world in America after a deadly fungal virus outbreak 20 years prior. It is based on a popular video game series that was originally released on June 14, 2013. The sequel was released seven years later on June 19, 2020, and won eight awards, including Game of The Year for the 2020 Game Awards. The original creator of the video game series, Neil Druckman, has worked as both a writer and an executive producer on the show.
The series follows Joel Miller, a middle-aged man attempting to survive in a post-apocalyptic world after the loss of his daughter Sarah on outbreak day, 20 years earlier. He then comes across Ellie Williams, a 14-year-old girl who was recently bitten by a zombie but has not yet turned. It becomes his responsibility to transport her to the Fireflies, an organization whose mission is to restore government control and find a cure for the Cordyceps (zombie) virus. As Joel grows attached to Ellie, he is forced to choose between her or a cure that could potentially save the world.
The creators of the game, Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin, originally branded their name as “JAM Software INC.” They changed their brand name to “Naughty Dog” in 1989 and were picked up by Sony in 2001. They left Naughty Dog in 2004 but the company continued to develop games. Other than TLOU, their most famous games are ‘Crash Bandicoot’ and the ‘Uncharted’ series, which was recently adapted into a movie released in 2022.
Pedro Pascal plays Joel Miller and Bella Ramsey plays Ellie Williams in TLOU tv series. There are a variety of other famous actors, such as Nick Offerman, Ashley Johnson, Anna Torv, and more. Pascal and Ramsey had also previously played roles on the HBO series ‘Game of Thrones’. The two played very separate roles in different years but now get to star together in TLOU.
TLOU, in both the game and the series, has representation and deals with many imposing social issues. The show, so far, features more representation than the game, with Sam, a recently introduced supporting character, being deaf, when in the game he has his full hearing. Many of the main characters in the series and game are also African American, Hispanic, Asian, Jewish, etc.
There is also plenty of LGBTQ+ representation within the show and the game. The HBO series has been facing much criticism for this inclusion. In the game, Ellie is queer which is shown in the extra downloadable content (DLC) and the second game, HBO has made no indication of changing this for the tv series. There are also two queer characters named Bill and Frank, while fans believe that the characters are only subtly hinted to be queer in the game, the show takes a more direct approach when portraying their story.
In the game, the pair eventually separates and Bill and Joel come across Frank’s dead body where he left a very hateful note to Bill. This sequence is meant to show the hardships of life outside the designated safe zones. However, the show takes a more delicate and romantic approach by displaying the two characters living peacefully outside the walls while they grow old together.
When Frank eventually becomes ill, he requests for Bill to make his last day happy by getting married. Frank also requests that they have a candlelit dinner where Bill puts painkillers in his drink so that he may die peacefully. Bill completes this request and also drinks the wine against Frank’s wishes, so they can peacefully die together in bed. In both the game and the show, their love is very tragic, but in the show, it is handled very delicately. Many fans found this factor to be very romantic while others posted their criticism online.
In the second game of TLOU, there is also a 13-year-old transgender male character named Lev, who is taken care of by a main character named Abby. Lev, alongside his sister Yara, was originally in a cult called the Seraphites until they fled and were eventually rescued by Abby. Due to the beliefs of the cult, Lev experiences extreme discrimination and even threats to his life from others in the cult, including his mother. The game further touches on Lev’s hardships in a way that mirrors the treatment of trans children in both reality and the series.
Ramsey recently opened up about being genderfluid as stated in an interview conducted by the New York Times this past January, where they said, “in terms of pronouns, I really couldn’t care less.” As written by Jack King of the Gentlemen’s Quarterly, in response to the backlash of the third episode of the series featuring Bill and Frank, Ramsey stated that fans are “gonna have to get used to it.”
Pascal and Ramsey have gotten to bond and have discussions concerning gender, as Pascal has a sister, Lux Pascal, who is transgender. Ramsey told the New York Times that Pascal was “super supportive” and that their conversations “weren’t always deep; they could be funny and humorous, the whole spectrum. We were just very honest and open with each other.”
Ramsey further continues into her relationship with Pascal and her relationship with the executive producer Craig Mazin. When asked what her thoughts are on being a part of TLOU she responded, “I love it so much. And the people: Craig, Pedro. I want to spend all of my time with them.” She then goes on to say that she sees them as a “safety blanket” and that she’s “gained two fathers in a way.” Many fans agree that Pascal and Ramsey’s relationships with the crew will positively influence how well they work together starring in TLOU.
It has been a little over a month since ‘The Last of Us’ came out and the show has already averaged over 20 million views. It is also the second adaptation of a Naughty Dog video game in less than a year. TLOU has two experienced stars with a close relationship portraying the main characters Ellie and Joel. The show and game both provide representation for people with disabilities, minorities, and the LGBTQ+ community.
The series manages to make small changes while keeping the original premise of the game by starting from the beginning of the storyline. This way new fans aren’t confused when watching the show and can still play the game afterward and longtime fans are also able to enjoy the different interpretations from the same creators. Since the creator of the game will be working on the show, fans are certain that it will do the game justice.
In the month of February, it is considered the month of love which is represented by people showing those around you how much you love and appreciate them. The possAbilities club at Citrus Valley High School made it possible for everyone in the special education class to have a chance to receive something on valentines day.
Savannah Hudson, possAbilities club president is posing with students on campus who received a valentine’s day gram (Photo courtesy of Rylie Grames)
They held a PossAbilities club meeting and brainstormed what they were going to do, they ultimately came to the conclusion to give every student a flower with a note tied to it as well as getting the advanced mixed choir to come and sing to the students, much like a sing a gram. The club was sponsored by Hilton Flowers, a local business in Redlands where they were more than happy to donate.
Rylie Grames (Treasurer), Riley Brossia (Vice President), Dania Martinez (Secretary) and Savannah Hudson (President), and with help from fellow students created notes to tie to each of the flowers to let the Special Education students know that they are loved no matter the circumstances. On February 13th, Hudson picked up the flowers and they tied the notes to the flower to be ready to give to the students the next day.
During first period on February 14th, Brossia, Grames, and Hudson walked into the special education class, taught by Christine Hearon, Meghan Hudson, Pam Martin, Phil Noiset, Reggie Pulliam, Chanel Tessitore, and April Finazzo helped with the flowers and chocolates and “immediately saw the surprise and joyful look on the Special Education students and teachers” Hudson says enthusiastically. Each one of them were very grateful for our gifts to them. Hudson, Brossia, and Grames stayed in the class for a while handing out one by one a flower and chocolate. They made some great conversations with some of the Special Education students,Robert and Samuel, and then continued to the other classrooms.
Hudson shares, “Overall the experience of knowing that PossAbilities Club made an entire class feel loved on a holiday where some don’t have the opportunity to share it, made us feel uplifted.”
The month of February has been designated as National Black History Month after Carter G. Woodson created what he called Negro History Week in 1926. Carter held Negro History Week during the second week of Febururay, in honor of Frederick Douglas’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays. After this, Woodson’s concept was expanded into Black History Month which was officially established in 1986 when congress passed Public Law 99-244.
During this Black History Month, Citrus Valley High School’s Black Student Union (BSU) club presented multiple different activities in celebration. During the month of February, BSU hosted an after school movie night, had different members of BSU give a quote on the announcements every day, hosted a living wax museum, sold chocolate covered strawberry valentine grams, and hosted a black history themed spirit week.
Starting from the 13 to 17, BSU planned themed days for the entire week. These days included Sunday’s best, where people dressed in their best church. Fresh prince day where everyone dressed in 90s decade fashion. Harlem Renaissance day in which students dressed in 1920s fashion. Next, there was Favorite Television show/ Sitcom where students dressed up as a character from their favorite tv show or sitcom. Lastly, wear red, green, and black day where students will wear red, green, or black clothing articles to represent the colors of the African flag.
In regards to the BSU spirit week, junior Jazz Daughtrey stated “It made me, as a black student on campus, feel connected to other black students on campus and even if only BSU members participated, we were the only group that truly mattered.”
BSU advisor Sheena Debose dressed up during the Harlem Renaissance themed spirit day, dressed in 1920’s attire. (Meanna Smith/Ethic News photo)
Junior Jazz Daughtrey dressed up for favorite television show/sitcom day, dressed up as game show host Steve Harvey. (Meanna Smith/Ethic News photo)
On Valentine’s Day, BSU made chocolate covered strawberries and sold them as valentines grams. The grams were packaged and delivered to classes on Valentine’s day. BSU used the selling of the grams as a fundraiser to fund events in the future.
The making and decorating of the chocolate covered strawberries. (Meanna Smith/Ethic News photo)
On Feb. 17, 2023, BSU hosted an after school movie night that began with karaoke. There was pizza provided as well as other snacks and beverages. The movie night began at 5pm showing the 2002 film “Barbershop” as a way to celebrate black entertainment. BSU member and senior, Amanda Keza, stated “the movie night was a lot of fun and it was important because it helped me find a sense of community on campus.”
Students watching the film in the Citrus Valley High School Bistro. (Meanna Smith/Ethic News photo)
BSU also presented its first ‘Living Wax Museum’ event in the library during lunch on Feb. 21. Members of BSU dressed up as historical black figures and created poster boards for students and staff to see during lunch. The event was very popular and even had a line formed outside of the library to enter. Some of the historical figures that were presented include Jimmy Hendrix, Rosa Parks, and Kathleen Cleaver.
BSU president and senior Amanda Keza presenting Jimmy Hendrix during the Living Wax Museum. (Meanna Smith/Ethic News photo)
Black History Month on campus was very active and fun for many students. It was important to so many students to finally see Black History Month celebrated on campus and to connect with different people.
By MELANIE PEREZ, XIOMARA SANCHEZ and JULIANNA TALAVERA
JULIETA ROBLES, PAIGE SAILOR and LEON JUAREZ contributed to this article
Orangewood High School students received big news concerning graduation credit requirements today.
An afternoon assembly notified seniors of the Redlands School Board’s passage of Emergency Resolution No. 25, which modifies the requirements for high school graduation. With this resolution, the Redlands Unified School District credit requirement for the 2023 and 2024 graduating classes changed from 225 to 200 by reducing 25 elective credits.
Seniors at Orangewood were called to an assembly today by Principal Carli Norris for the surprise announcement.
“They just called all the seniors up through the speakers and that was pretty much it,” says Orangewood senior Natalie Lopez.
Orangewood senior Kamren Shackles said that walking into the assembly, “it was like nothing really changed. Like you were walking into lunch or something.”
Orangewood High School senior Kamren Shackles learned that he would be graduating much sooner than expected due to Redlands School Board Resolution No. 25 reducing elective graduation credit requirements. “School really goes by fast when you’re at the end,” says Shackles. (Photo courtesy of Natalie Lopez)
At the assembly it was revealed that this resolution had passed and graduation requirements were dropped by 25 elective credits.
The resolution states, “This flexibility will reduce all RUSD High School Graduation Credits from the required 225 Credits to a required 200 credits, equating to a reduction of twenty-five (25) elective credits…”
Lopez says, “Everyone processed it differently, but like everyone was happy and shocked, cause everyone had different credits. And a lot of people graduated at that time.”
According to the resolution, the decision was made “due to the statewide emergency concerning the coronavirus (COVID-19).”
This resolution applies district-wide. High schools affected are Citrus Valley High School, Redlands High School, Redlands East Valley High School, Orangewood High School and eAcademy.
It additionally modifies graduation requirements for the Adult Education Program to 180, while it was previously 200.
The resolution states that “the Modified Graduation Course Requirements for the Adult Education program will be reduced from the required 200 credits to a required 180 credits, equating to a reduction of twenty (20) elective credits for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years.”
At an Orangewood High School assembly on Feb. 23, 2023, seniors received transcripts showing the change in their graduation credit requirements before and after Emergency Resolution No. 25. The graduation credit requirement changes to 200 from 225 for high school students in the Redlands Unified School District for the classes of 2023 and 2024, current juniors and seniors. (Photos courtesy of Kamren Shackles)
With this resolution, students at Orangewood have been given an advantage. Many seniors at Orangewood have been put ahead on their graduation status and others will now be able to graduate within the 2022-23 school year. Select students are able to graduate earlier than expected or on time.
Some students were notified today that they would be graduating this grading block which ends on March 10.
Lopez, who just this morning was on track to graduate in June learned that she will be graduating this block.
“I’m sad because I’m leaving friends, but I’m ready to get out of here. It’s still exciting,” says Lopez.
Although Shackles was not expecting the announcement, he does not feel that it changes his plans or feel unprepared.
“It’s more like you’re being brought up to the plate earlier than you expected,” says Shackles, “So you gotta just think of your plan and solidify it more than you did before.”
This resolution also has impacts for juniors at Orangewood who want to go back to their comprehensive high schools.
For Orangewood students to return to their home schools at the beginning of their senior year, they have to have 60 or less credits left to complete. For some Orangewood juniors, this puts them on track to do that.
The current resolution is not one-size-fits-all, however, and may not help all students who were struggling.
The resolution specifies that “the prescribed course of study may not accommodate the needs of some students.”
Shackles says that at the assembly some students received transcripts stating that they would need to go to adult school.
“You’re kindof, I guess, not satisfied, but relieved,” says Shackles, “It’s like, ‘Okay, well at least I know. It’s not like in limbo if I’m going to graduate or if I’m not.’ So I think the assembly was definitely a good push for people to know where they’re going now.”
For Orangewood seniors starting their next steps sooner than expected, there are a range of emotions.
Shackles says, “For me, I know I would have liked it [comprehensive high school] more, but this is for the better. So I’m definitely not mad about where I’m at or where I’ve been taken to. And I hope it continues in a good way. So, no regrets.”
For Lopez, it feels like a flashback.
“I just remember being in middle school and elementary school and now I’m graduating this block,” says Lopez. “I remember being at REV with like all my friends, and then like out of nowhere I’m being sent to Orangewood and now I’m graduating early.”
The resolution states that it “shall become effective immediately upon its adoption and shall remain in effect until the end of the 2023-24 school year.”
“You gotta do life now though,” says Shackles. “Someone was like, ‘you ready to get out there and like do actual things?’ It’s like, no. But I’ll try. I’ll for sure try.”
Super Bowl LVII was held for the first time in Arizona Cardinals’ stadium on Sunday Feb.12, 2023. (NFL.com)
Super Bowl LVII took place on Sunday Feb. 12, 2023 at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles faced off resulting in the Chiefs bringing home a victory with a close score of 38-35.
The game started out with an Eagles touchdown nearly five minutes into the quarter with the extra point, and the Eagles leading 7-0. However the lead did not last long as the Chiefs scored a touchdown almost immediately after the Eagles, tying the score. With 4:25 remaining in the first quarter, the Eagles punted the ball back to the Chiefs after a fourth down and failed to meet field goal range. In a minute, the Chiefs managed to get into field goal range at 3:15 and kicked at 2:28. The kick was not good, leaving the score 7-7 by the end of the quarter.
The Eagles had the ball by the time the second quarter began, being at the 42 yard line after an offside penalty to the Chiefs. At 14:52, the Eagles scored a touchdown with the extra point, now leading by seven points. The Chiefs took the ball on their 20-yard line afterwards and soon had to punt back to the Eagles at 13:29. Fortunately for the Chiefs, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts fumbled the ball at 9:53, resulting in Chiefs’ linebacker Nick Bolton recovering the ball and scoring a touchdown soon after, tying the score once again.
At 5:18 in the quarter, the Eagles made the decision to go forward on fourth down, where Hurts ran nearly 20 yards to secure the first down. Two minutes later, the Eagles made the same decision once again on 4th-and-2 after the Chiefs were flagged and penalized for offsides. It resulted in an automatic first down for the Eagles who were now five yards closer to the goal. 20 seconds later, Hurts scored a touchdown, now making the score 21-14. At 1:33 remaining in the first half, Eagles linebacker T.J. Edwards sacked Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, putting intense pressure on his already high-sprained ankle from the first playoff game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Mahomes was seen limping off the field to be treated at the sidelines while the ball was punted back to the Eagles, who would later score a three-point field goal and end the first half with a score of 24-14.
The third quarter started off with the Chiefs playing offense. Five minutes into the quarter, the Eagles defense had allowed the Chiefs to travel 75 yards in ten plays, ending with a 1-yard touchdown by running back Isiah Pacheco. The score difference at this point in the game was now the missed field goal attempt by Chiefs’ kicker Harrison Butker in the first quarter.
On the Eagles’ first play of the third quarter, Hurts gave the ball to running back Miles Sanders, who was immediately hit by Chiefs’ cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. The referees allowed the play to continue as the ball came loose, which allowed Bolton to recover it and run for 24 yards to the endzone which was called a touchdown on the field. The replay official overturned the call afterwards. At 1:45 remaining in the quarter, Eagles kicker Jake Elliot made the score 27-21 with a 33-yard field goal, ending the quarter.
The Chiefs started off the last quarter and quickly made a touchdown, making the score 28-27. The ball was kicked off to the Eagles who did not manage to make it to field goal range, so it was abruptly punted back to the Chiefs when there was 10:30 remaining in the game. At 9:22, Chiefs wide receiver Skyy Moore scored a touchdown, updating the score to 35-27. The ball was kicked off once again to the Eagles. At 5:15 remaining, they scored a touchdown and instead of a field goal, decided to rush for two points to tie up the score. Their attempt would be in vain later, as the Chiefs kicked a field goal at 0:08 to win the game, 38-35.
The two teams made for an entertaining game and made many fans throughout the world very happy. The Chiefs now have three Super Bowl wins accumulated throughout their time as an NFL team.
Note: This article references gun violence by suicide.
The total number of deaths by gun violence in America has reached past 6,000 as of mid-February. (Gun Violence Archive)
More lives were claimed by gun violence in 2020 than in any other year recorded in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nations around the world have criticized our application of the Second Amendment. “China has issued a new report analyzing the human rights record of the U.S. throughout the past year, looking specifically at reports of racial injustice, gun violence, and the country’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” as stated in an article written by Tom O’Connor of Newsweek.
As shown by the latest Marist Poll on gun control, “(45% definitely vote for, to 48% definitely vote against) on the proposal to ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons.” Americans are divided on how gun control should be monitored and the necessity of a complete ban on semi-automatic weapons.
According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), as of mid-February, there have been 80 mass shootings in the United States so far. In total, there have been over 6,000 gun-violence-related deaths as of January first. Over half of these deaths, 3,432, have been by suicide and this fact has not changed since the new year. 31 children ages 0-11 have been killed and 79 have been injured, 222 teenagers ages 12-17 have been killed, and 501 have been injured. These numbers have only continued to rise since previous years.
As reported by the GVA, from 2014-2020, there has been a 7,000 increase in overall gun violence-related deaths. There has also been a 400 increase in young children injured or killed yearly, for teenagers their statistics have doubled. Of widespread gun violence including death and injuries numbers have gone up by over 17,000.
As stated by Amnesty International, “In the U.S. alone from 2009-2016 156 mass shootings killed 848 and left 339 people injured. “Public mass shootings account for less than 1% of gun deaths in the U.S.”
Minorities are often disproportionately affected by these mass shootings and gun violence in particular. “In the USA, firearm homicide disproportionately impacts African American communities, particularly young black men. 14,542 people in the USA lost their lives in gun homicides in 2017. African Americans accounted for 58.5% of these nationwide, despite making up just 13% of the US population.”
According to Amnesty International, “Most children who are victims of firearm killings in the USA are from minority communities. Homicide is the second leading cause of death among black children and 65% of those killings are committed with guns.”
Women in difficult situations, such as women with abusive partners are also disproportionately affected by gun violence. As written by Amnesty International, “In 2017, some 87,000 women were intentionally killed around the world. More than half of them, 50,000 (58%) were killed by intimate partners or family members.” Globally over a hundred women are intentionally killed by a family member including intimate partners every day.
Since this is a global occurrence people often make the mistake of thinking that the U.S. has lower levels of gender-based gun violence. However, as reported by the Chicago Policy Review, “Of all femicide cases in the high-income world, 70% are committed in the U.S.” Femicide is a type of hate crime in which women are intentionally killed based on their gender. Although women with difficult lives are disproportionately affected, every woman living in America is at risk of femicide.
Children have also been at extreme risk for gun violence in recent years. “For more than 60 years, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of injury-related death among young people. Beginning in 2017, however, firearm-related injuries took their place to become the most common cause of death from injury”, according to a study done by The New England Journal of Medicine.
As children grow more at risk of gun violence more children have been losing their lives. “In 2021 3,597 children died by gunfire, according to provisional statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The death rate from guns was the highest it has been in more than 20 years,” according to the New York Times.
As gun violence rises, some states have chosen to tighten restrictions while other states remain loosely regulated. “Carrying a gun openly is against state law or is legal only in limited circumstances (e.g., while hunting) or when legally used for self-defense (includes the District of Columbia, New York, and South Carolina).” While complete open carry of a firearm without a permit is allowed in over half of U.S. states, “including Alaska, New Mexico, West Virginia, and Utah.” As reported by the USCCA.
Several organizations have been created to advocate for stricter gun laws or for protecting the Second Amendment. The National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America, and the Second Amendment Foundation are organizations in support of the Second Amendment. Gun Free Kids, Third Way, and the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence are all organizations in support of tightening gun control. Individuals can donate to any of these six organizations that support their opinion in the way that best suits their needs.
Genesis, a school dance hosted on the Yucaipa Performing Arts Center property, invited high school students from Orangewood, Grove, Citrus Valley, Redlands High, and Redlands East Valley High for a fun night on Feb. 10.
This event lasted from 7-11 p.m. and offered an array of entertainment ranging from a maze, a video game truck, concession stands, outdoor photo booths, and a DJ with a large outdoor space allocated for dancing. Inside the YPAC building were virtual reality stations, a stage for karaoke, a nacho bar, and various other game tables.
RHS junior Andrew Winter says, “The karaoke was the best part. Singing with friends and a cheering audience was amazing.”
Eva Valtierrez a REV senior says, “It was very entertaining and fun. A good chance to reconnect with old friends.”
Citrus Valley junior Kylie McCue says, “I think that it went really well with all the schools. All of the games made it really inclusive and always made it so there was something to do for everyone, but I ended up in the karaoke room a lot because it was really fun.”
An RHS sophomore Tristan Eubanks says, “Doing karaoke with my friends was the highlight of my night. The snacks were great.”
An overview of the outdoor concession stands, photo booths, and the crowd can be seen here. (ALEX VERDUZCO/Ethic News photo)
The Yucaipa Performing Arts Center illuminated by lights with the Genesis color scheme welcomes in high school students by the designated Redlands High School entrance on Feb. 10, 2023 in Yucaipa, California. (ALEX VERDUZCO/Ethic News photo)
A sign of the dance greets students walking by the stage on Feb. 10, 2023. (SPENCER MOORE/Ethic News photo)
Purple and blue lights surround the main stage highlighting the crowd and area for dancing. (ALEX VERDUZCO/Ethic News photo)
The main stage is illuminated by blue lights while the DJ entertains the lively crowd with popular songs and remixes. (SPENCER MOORE/Ethic News photo)
The Mexico National soccer team hired a new head coach after Gerado Martino’s contract ended and his poor showing at the 2022 World Cup.
Martino is referred to as the head coach that possibly delivered Mexico’s poorest performance at a World Cup.
This performance made them not pass the group stage since 1978 which only had two goals within the three games.
“We competed well in the group stage matches, but we did not reach our level in the first two years, but we did improve in the last one,” Martino said in an interview after the World Cup.
After Martino’s failed performance and ended contract, new head coach Diego Cocca was hired on Feb. 10 after his position of Tigres UANL manager. Cocca’s contract is until 2026.
Mexican soccer coach Miguel Herrera known, as Piojo by Mexican soccer fans, and Uruguayan soccer coach Guillermo Almada, were fighting for the position of head coach soon having the place taken by Cocca.
Many social media users express concerns about Cocca’s work even when working in Liga MX. With Cocca being Argentinian some people do not trust his work due to ex-head coach Martino.
Fans are hoping that Cocca might call back Javier Hernandez, known as Chicharito, after Hernandez was not called up in the 2022 World Cup after being the top scorer in the selection. Fans also, hope to see Carlos Vela, after Vela not wanting to be called up.
In Cocca’s words in a video interview on TUDN USA on YouTube, “I want players who wear the country’s jersey, who sing the anthem and feel proud and feel proud to be where they are at.”
The Orangewood High School students accepting awards, along with their families, were invited to the school’s multi-purpose room the morning of Jan. 20.
Greeted and welcomed by the school’s principal, counselors, and other school staff, the second quarter awards assembly of the school year started promptly.
First, announcing the Honor Roll students. Second, the Students of the Quarter, who were selected by their teachers for various class subjects. And lastly, those with perfect attendance.
When the students’ names were called, they walked up to the front of the stage to their principal, Carli Norris. There, she shook hands with and congratulated each student as she handed them their awards.
Claudia Ramirez, a senior at Orangewood, said, “I’m thankful for the awards that I got.”
After all the awards were handed out and received, students and parents were treated to lunch. School staff handed out tacos and burritos from Del Taco. Students and their families were able to share a meal together and hang out until the bell rang for their school’s lunch.
Eunice Rodriguez, a parent of one of the students who received an award, stated, “I appreciated that they thought about the students and the parents and were kind enough to feed us lunch.”
Orangewood High School counselors Jason Knight and Georgina Pinto participate in the quarter awards assembly on Jan. 20, 2023. (ANGEL LEON/ Ethic News photo)
Orangewood High School senior Grace Martinez shows her award, surrounded with family and her friend Senior Ceerra Toliver after the quarter awards assembly on Jan. 20, 2023. (ANGEL LEON/ Ethic News photo)
Orangewood High School senior Carolina Cadena stands with her parents and shows her award after the quarter awards assembly on Jan. 20, 2023. (ANGEL LEON/ Ethic News photo)
Orangewood High School seniors Siniva Tuaumu and Azaraiah Williams enjoy the Del Taco lunch provided to students and families after the quarter awards assembly on Jan. 20, 2023. (ANGEL LEON/ Ethic News photo)
Orangewood High School seniors Giovanni Galvan, Rachel Jacobo Aries and Mya Trujillo show their awards after the quarter awards assembly on Jan. 20, 2023. (ANGEL LEON/ Ethic News photo)
Have you ever bought something because it became a trend and later question why you’ve purchased it?
Trends created on social media have created an overbearing amount of overconsumption that affects essentially every aspect of our lives.
Trends have always been going around, although they are always usually different they’ve grown to become short lived after each one begins. With our current technology becoming extremely advanced over the years, overconsumption has had no pause to it. Aside from overconsumption affecting the world’s status of climate, it has also affected the mentality of most people as the idea of perception has become important to most young individuals and causes people to follow trends.
For example, with the app Tik Tok gaining popularity in 2020 as a result of COVID keeping people inside their homes, many individuals looked for an outlet that was new unlike Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. The growth on Tik Tok was up to 180 percent amongst 15-25 year olds. On the app Tik Tok most videos were up to a minute, most times less. We saw trends in food, ideologies, politics, and most significantly materialistic items. Websites such as Shein and AliExpress created ways for you to buy and receive clothes at a very cheap price with an extended period of time waiting to receive your item. Many videos on Tik Tok circulated popularizing 90’s style with a modern take on it. Clothing items such as band tees, mini tank tops, and baggy jeans were once again popularized. Other articles such as cd’s, vinyls, specific types of jewelry, and other accessories also blew up during this time. These trends of 2020 as a result of Tik Tok began to create endless niches for people on the internet. Fast fashion was at its peak and the cycles of trends began to die at a rapid pace.
With the internet becoming extremely advanced in its ways to purchase items there has been an influx of shopping online and a decrease in retail shopping. With this being said, various websites offer fast delivery with no stress of having to step outside your home. As a result of quick shipping and variety of merchandise, there has been a large amount of trash ending up in landfill that is returned items people have purchased online since customers are unsatisfied. People’s expectations are raised when something is marketed to them online and different in quality once received in person. The trash in landfills continues to grow at a concerning rate. Companies understand this but most have done nothing about it. Many apps and websites that sell products of any sort often have an “as seen on Tik Tok” selection or a word with the end “tok”. Amazon, Ulta, Target, Barnes and Noble and various other stores being either online or in person have become aware of the influx of shoppers as a result of Tik Tok. Corporations have made it extremely easy for people to mindlessly buy these items as it benefits them by setting up a selection of merchandise that has recently gained popularity through social media. Now more than ever the internet has advanced and will continue to do so, it will only become easier for customers to shop any time they’d like.
Further more people now with greater reason care about opinion and perception, this varies whether it is about themselves or the people around them. Most individuals have at some point in their life followed a trend of their time, as humans we look to connect with those around us. If you look around and see others with the same thing, it will begin to feel important to you too. With this being said, people are extremely likely to follow what is deemed as “cool.” They buy the clothes or change something about their physical appearance in order to feel bonded to those around them. We are affected socially by trends and feel pressured to participate, it is a part of human nature. By this process, overconsumption has escalated, corporations use sweatshops to keep up with trends and quickly put out merchandise. The quality, time, effort, and skill for someone to make a product has become irrelevant to people while the price and relevance of the product itself has become the most valued features. Marketers have seen these opportunities and take their chances to grow, they value money and sales while the amount of consequences resulting from these industries is infinite. This has only been the beginning of what marketing has become and it will continue to change, corporations understand the vulnerability of people that want to be a part of something and have taken advantage of it.
Although there are multiple potential alternatives to solving this issue, I believe some of them include changing the types of materials corporations use in their merchandise to something slightly more eco friendly. By doing this, the mass production of these items would be less harmful if they are thrown out. Since most if not all corporations use materials that are unsustainable they will be in landfill for many years to come, with eco-friendly perishable materials this problem can be avoided and decreased.
For these reasons, social media has created overconsumption to be in an overbearing state that will be extremely hard to return from. This has only been the beginning of the drastic change we see happen to the world as a result of social media unless we make efforts to reverse it.
A random act of kindness card handed out during Kindness Week at Citrus Valley High School with the words “text a friend that you are happy to see them today” (MIA CALIVA/ Ethic News Photo).
The week of Feb. 6, 2023, Citrus Valley High School enters the new month on a note of love and kindness.
Perhaps in the spirit of Valentine’s Day and Counselor Appreciation Week counselors at CVHS take the extra step to spend a week encouraging kindness in students.
CV counselors introduced “Kindness Week” to students on Monday morning by passing out cards with random acts of kindness on them. Students are meant to complete the random act and pass it on to a friend for them to complete as well.
These colorful cards included “text your friend that you are happy to see them today” and “hold the door open for someone and say hi” as well as many others.
On Tuesday, counselors walked around campus handing out candy to students who completed their random act of kindness.
On Wednesday, posters were put up all around campus asking students to sign if they “pledge to be together against bullying and united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion”. The posters were filled with signatures and posted on CV’s office doors as a reminder to practice kindness.
A poster that reads “pledge to be together against bullying and united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion” filled with several student signatures at Citrus Valley High School (MIA CALIVA/ Ethic News Photo).
On Friday, students expressed their appreciation for their counselors, in theme for Counselor Appreciation Week, by answering one fun fact about their counselor and were rewarded with a piece of candy.
Inspired by National Bullying Prevention Day which happened in January, Citrus Valley counselor Helga Reese organized Kindness Week with the other counselors.
Reese says she “realized [kindness] is something we need to bring more attention to” on campus.
Reese reminds us of the importance of kindness when she says “kindness is a small thing, that still does take a little effort, but it can really change your day.”
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm announced the recent scientific breakthrough in nuclear fusion at a Department of Energy press conference. (Youtube/U.S. Department of Energy)
For decades a future of clean, zero-carbon emission energy has always seemed far from reality. However, with a recent demonstration of nuclear fusion in a California ignition research lab, clean energy and many more great scientific feats lie even closer in the near future.
One early morning on December 5, 2022, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California ran a laser fusion experiment where 192 laser beams blasted a small cylinder containing a pellet of diamond-encased hydrogen. In a blink, lasting less than 100 trillionths of a second, 3.15 megajoules of energy output was produced. The reaction was powered by 2.05 megajoules of laser energy meaning 1.5 mJ of energy gain was produced from the reaction.
Being able to produce excess energy from nuclear fusion is the same type of reaction the sun uses to produce its solar energy which warms and sustains life on our Earth. Fundamentally, these Californian scientists were the first in the world to harness the power of the sun. Their progress enables future research to extend to new gateways of nuclear science and modern nuclear technology.
Statistics from Our World in Data report that as little as 0.003% of the greenhouse gas emissions that come from burning fossil fuels are produced in the life cycle of a nuclear power plant. This proves just how clean nuclear energy is and shows its potential in pushing America even closer to a clean energy future.
This breakthrough in nuclear fusion energy greatly advances research and development of nuclear weapons and will strengthen national security as well.
A few days after the fusion breakthrough the Department of Energy held a press conference to announce the amazing discovery.
At this conference, NNSA (National Nuclear Security Administration) Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs Dr. Marvin Adams says, “this will lead to laboratory experiments that help NNSA defense programs continue to maintain confidence in our deterrent without nuclear explosive testing”.
NNSA administrator Jill Hruby adds, “we understand our nuclear weapons better than we did when we were testing. Unlocking ignition at [LLNL] will allow us to probe at the extreme conditions found at the center of nuclear explosions”.
The recent Inflation Reduction Act signed in by the Biden Administration that extends billions of dollars to incentivize industries and utilities towards cleaner and nuclear energy is also greatly supportive and committed to the nuclear fusion breakthrough.
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm explains, “The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting our world-class scientists… whose work will help us solve humanity’s most complex and pressing problems, like providing clean power to combat climate change and maintaining a nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing”.
With this breakthrough, America is put at the very front on the world stage leading a nuclear energy revolution.
Granholm concludes, “This is what it looks like for America to lead… and we are just getting started”.
Citrus Valley High School hosted spirit week Feb. 6 to 10 leading up to the Genesis dance.
Genesis is a dance that happens annually where all three high schools can participate in its festivities. Themes for this spirit week include, “School Swap Day,” “Zoom Day,” “Shades Day,” “Favorite Teacher Day,” and “Color War.”
MONDAY
Monday’s theme was “School Swap.” Students of Citrus Valley had to dress up in the other district high school’s merchandise or school colors.
Juniors Jonathan Ontiveros and Finnian Fry posing with each other while wearing different Redlands Unified School District school colors. (Monique Varela/Ethic News)
Freshman students, Isabella Amodor, Isaiah Stockon, Julian Dolgado, Ryan Monterio, Gunnar Ochoa, Audrianna Reveles, pose together sporting Redlands East Valley High, Orangewood and Redlands High School merchandise. (Monique Varela/Ethic News)
Isabella Amodor, a freshman at Citrus Valley, wore a Redlands East Valley High hoodie for Monday’s spirit day, “School Swap.” (Monique Varela/Ethic News)
TUESDAY
The theme Tuesday had was “Zoom day.” COVID had impacted all students who then had to go online due to safety. On “Zoom day”, students had to wear something formal on top while their bottoms were pajamas.
Sophomore Zane Palacios is wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a button up shirt for Tuesday’s Spirit day. (Marshall Scott/Ethic News)
Lizzette Contreras, a sophomore at Citrus Valley is wearing Heart pajama pants with a tie for “Zoom Day.” (Marshall Scott/Ethic News)
Freshman Evelin Gallardo-Diaz is wearing polar bear skiing pajama pants and a classy dress shirt on top. (Marshall Scott/Ethic News)
WEDNESDAY
On Wednesday it was “Shades day”, where students needed to wear their favorite pair of sunglasses.
Freshman students, Bronix Aiono, Makayla Washington, Tyler Bookman, Noah Vaiaoga all pose together while wearing shades in honor of “Shades day” (Marshall Scott/Ethic News).
Makayla Washington, a ninth grader, wears her favorite pair of shades for Thursday’s spirit week (Marshall Scott/Ethic News).
Bronix Aiono holds his hoodie up while showing off his favorite sunglasses for the Genesis spirit week (Marshall Scott/Ethic News).
THURSDAY
Thurday’s spirit day was “Favorite Teacher day”, on this day students needed to dress up as their favorite teacher.
Sophomore Abigail Landa dresses up as freshman English teacher Stephen Howard for “Dress as your favorite teacher day”. (Monique Varela/Ethic News).
Sophomore Tim Obillo holds a clipboard pretending to be Amber Tygart, a PE teacher for Thursday’s spirit day. (Monique Varela/ Ethic News).
Freshman Chloe Malloy dresses up as Kate Fonken-Stoker and poses next to each other in honor of “Dress as your favorite teacher day”. (Monique Varela/Ethic News).
FRIDAY
The spirit-week for Friday was “Color War”, students needed to wear their assigned color based on their grade. The freshman’s assigned color was black, sophomores color was blue, juniors were to wear purple, and seniors were pink.
Olivia Wortley wears blue for their sophomore color on Friday’s spirit week “Color Wars day” (Marshall Scott/Ethic News).
Sophomore, AJ Roderos is wearing a blue Adidas shirt for “color war” day. (Monique Varela/Ethic News)
Sophomore Journey Parrott is wearing a blue collared shirt showing what grade level she’s in. (Marshall Scott/Ethic News)
Freshmen, Alyssa Camacho, Kylie White, and Julia Pollard wear black showing their color pride Sophomore student Danica Tometich wears blue to show her sophomore color. Junior, Brooklyn Sandoval wears purple as her class color. (Marshall Scott/Ethic News)
This spirit week would be the last Genesis themed spirit week for the sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Genesis spirit week was very exciting for some of these specific individuals and was a definite success.
One of Interquest’s dogs is in the process of searching a classroom. (Interquest Detection Canines)
Interquest Detection Canines, a nationwide detection canine service, had its first patrol on campus on Jan. 10, 2023. They used canines to search the area for drugs, such as marajuana or cocaine, as well as gunpowder, pyrotechnics, and fireworks. The Redlands Unified School District had originally utilized the Redlands Police department for these services, but due to capacity limits, are no longer able to. This caused RUSD to look into Interquest, which leaves students and staff that knew Interquest was contracted, wondering who they are and what to expect.
Interquest’s main purpose, as stated before, is to find drugs and gunpowder related substances on someone’s person. They operate on school campuses and workplace environments as well as giving services as counseling and comfort dogs. Interquest utilizes non-aggressive, retriever, dog breeds, most notably being the golden and Labrador retrievers which have been extensively trained to detect the listed substances. Interquest has provided successful services for over 1,200 different school districts and private schools as well.
Interquest uses an extensive process in order to locate contraband items and Cameron Nabhan, Vice Principal at Citrus Valley High School, has provided detailed information of that process. According to Nabhan, the entire visit is completely unannounced in order to be “completely random” and avoid “any accusations of unfairness or profiling or anything like that.” The search “started with the E building” with a classroom that is “randomly selected.” From that point, all “the students are asked to wait outside” as the “dog goes in and does multiple sweeps of all the bags and backpacks in the room, and if the dog has a cue to alert the handler if there’s something that they smell and they identify, the handler will instruct the dog to continue searching other things and then reroute them and have them come back to it.” After the bag is checked by the handler to make sure a substance has been found, one of the “campus security officers” present will place the bag “on a table just so, as the dog continues to search, [they] grab the right bag” after the search is completed. Once the search is complete, students are allowed to return to the classroom, and if a student is marked with a substance, they are taken “into a room that is not being used” and are questioned regarding the marked bag, away from other students.
Nabhan has said that “each student was cooperative ” and had no problems answering all questions asked by school security. This is most likely because most students have nothing to hide, as of the “five classrooms” searched, “seven bags were identified by the canine and of those seven bags, only one was found to be in possession of illegal substance.” Most of the bags identified were identified due to residual odor, which is a smell that remains after the source has been removed. This is most likely from an older relative or friend smoking drugs of some sort, around the student, which then gets the scent on their bag.
Nabhan says that this project comes from the goal “to be proactive about campus safety and to promote, as a part of the campus community, that administration and safety will take any preventative measures and proactive measures that we can take to kind of ensure the safety of every student.” The project spawned from observations from campus security, the most prevalent one being the frequent bathroom visits by individual students, who are even skipping class to do so. This has even caused security to close the girls bathroom in the B building during passing periods and lunch.
Students at CV haven’t had the most positive reaction to the canine searches on campus, with sophomore Marcus Perry saying, “It’s a little bit scary having them search us sometimes” and that “it should probably be a little bit more of a last resort kind of thing cause they’re a little spooky.”
CV sophomore, Noah Jaffer, put his thoughts out simply and clearly, saying that he thinks the program is “not gonna stop people from doing drugs.”
Due to their unpredictable nature, it is unknown when Interquest is going to return to Citrus Valley. Nabhan says that “3 [or 4] more visits” are scheduled with Interquest this semester, giving them more time to show the school, and the district as a whole, what value they can bring and how effective they are at keeping schools safe.
Girls’ varsity soccer having a fun time posing on picture day (Courtesy of Liz Fierro)
Making Blackhawk history, the girls’ soccer program at Citrus Valley has excelled within the years, holding the title for the fourth consecutive year in a row as the Citrus Belt League champs.
Starting league games the first week of January, the Blackhawks traveled for their first league game against the Beaumont Cougars where the Blackhawks won 2-0 starting off the season strong. On the fifth of January, the girls had their first home game of the season that Thursday in Hodges Stadium against Cajon. Keeping up the strong start, the varsity team took their second win against the Cowgirls with a score 11 to 1. The following Tuesday, the Blackhawks hosted another home game against Redlands East Valley for their third game of CBL winning 2 to 1.
On January 12, 2023, the Blackhawks traveled to Yucaipa for an away game. CV came out very strong. Once the whistle was blown, Ava Lopez, a Junior at CV, put a goal in the back of the net within the first 5 minutes, getting the game going. The girls were victorious over the T-Birds with a shutout of 4-0. For the last game of the first round of CBL games, the Blackhawks held a home conference against Redlands High School. Blowing the final whistle for the game, CV finished the game 6 to 0 against the Terriers.
Already halfway through league games, the girls’ varsity team practiced hard to hold down their undefeated status and first place spot. Going for their second time this season, the Blackhawks versus the Cougars in their home field took another win of 4-1. Traveling to Cajon on the 24 of January, CV beat Cajon on their turf with a final score of 3-1. Thursday, the 26 of January, the girls’ soccer team prepared themselves for a late night game at 7 p.m against the Wildcats.
Pushing through the season with teamwork and hard work, the Blackhawks came out on top against REV 6-0. Held in Hodges stadium, the Blackhawks went head to head against Yucaipa’s T-Birds in a tough nail biting game. Running off adrenaline both on and off the field, in the last five minutes of the second half, senior Sabrina Benjamin, scored the game winning goal to put them over Yucaipa with a final score of 2-1. The last game was held in Terrier town on February 2nd. At the away game against RHS, the girls finished their last league game 4-1 against the terriers.
Taking a look into the past to remember where it all started and how far the girls’ soccer program has come, Assistant Coach Allen Thoe shares, “When we first joined Citrus Belt League (CBL) we had never beaten Yucaipa and we always had tough battles with REV and RHS on all levels. Four years ago, led by seniors Sam Smith and Mashayla Leilua, we managed to break through and beat Yucaipa for the first time ever to take first place in the league standings.”
Senior and captain of the CV girls’ varsity soccer for the 2022-23 team, Marika Lee says, “It feels great to be a part of this accomplishment, I’m really proud of our team and how hard we’ve all worked for this. We put in the work and got the result, so I’m extremely grateful for everyone who was a part of the team during those four years.”
Clinching CBL for the fourth year in a row, the Citrus Valley girls’ varsity team move onto CIF games to be determined.
In November of 2021 during the Walt Disney companies investor day event, Walt Disney Animation Studios announced the release of a new series titled “Tiana” which will be a sequel series of the 2009 animated Disney film “The Princess and the Frog”.
“Tiana”is set to release in 2023 and will premiere on Disney Plus. The series will be a musical comedy series written and directed by Stella Meghie and produced by Jennifer Lee. Meghie stated that “writing at disney animation was a dream before I even knew it was possible.”
The only concept art released for the new series which shows Tiana traveling on a boat while running and holding a suitcase. (Walt Disney Studios)
Because the series is a sequel of “The Princess and the Frog”, it will pick up where the movie ended, meaning there is a very low chance of a content shortage for this series. So far, Disney has given fans a short synopsis for the upcoming series, stating “This series follows newly crowned princess of Maldonia on a new adventure, but her New Orleans past isn’t far behind.”
The new series will be the princess’s first adventure since 2009 and will offer fans a chance to see how she is managing her new royal title as princess of Maldonia as well as running her restaurant and navigating marriage. When asked what being the voice of the first black princess meant to her, Anika Noni Rose, voice actor of Tiana in the new series, has said that “it says a lot to little brown children definitely, that they can be princesses, and that they have no doubt about it anymore.”
One of the most important aspects of this series is the representation of a black princess outside of just a one hour and thirty minute movie. Although the movie did offer representation, Disney fans are hoping to see more of Tiana as a human rather than the animal form she portrayed during the majority of the movie. The return of princess Tiana allows black Disney fans and young black children to have the representation that hasn’t been widely offered by Disney.
Since the announcement of “Tiana”, the upcoming series has received strong support and excitement from fans. Fans have not been given an exact release date for the series, however, “Tiana” offers a large fan base and a plot that many fans can’t wait to watch.
Mauricio Arellano, the current Superintendent of the RUSD. (Redlands Unified School District)
As of 9:00 am on February 8 2023, Mauricio Arellano, the Superintendent of Redlands Unified School District, announced that he will be leaving his position with RUSD.
In Arellano’s letter to RUSD parents and staff, he states that he has “accepted the position of Superintendent for the San Bernardino Unified School District” and will be leaving within the next few months. The plans moving forward have not yet been released.
The Board of Education president, Melissa Ayala-Quintero, also sent out an email to RUSD families saying “Although we will surely miss him, we will not forget the positive and profound impact he has made in our District these past years.”
Information regarding the new change will be released at a later date.
Actor Jeremy Renner had gotten into a snow plowing accident, On Jan. 1, 2023, outside of his home in Reno, Nevada. Jeremy Renner is a 52-year-old American actor who is known as the beloved Marvel character “Hawkeye”.
Renner was crushed by his snow plow machine on new years day when he was clearing snow on his driveway. Once he had gotten out of the snowplow to help someone with their vehicle, the machine started to roll and ran over Renner, causing him deadly injuries. Fortunately, his neighbor, who is a doctor, was available to treat his leg and other injuries until he was airlifted to the hospital. After the accident, Renner suffered blunt chest trauma and other orthopedic injuries.
Actor Jeremy Renner at a premiere. (File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI)
The 911 call was later released, saying how he was crushed under the vehicle, had breathing difficulties, and that he was in “rough shape”. It was also said that the right side of his chest had collapsed and his upper torso was crushed. Renner’s neighbor had called 911 which lasted over twenty minutes. During the call, Renner’s breathing was becoming shallow and he kept drifting off. Emergency services came and he was flown to the hospital by a helicopter.
Renner’s hospital selfie responding to all questions and love being sent from all over the world. (Jeremy Renner/Instagram)
On Jan. 3, 2023, Renner posted on his Instagram account that he was well and expressed his gratitude to everyone sending their regards saying, “Too messed up now to type. But I send love to you all.” Renner had spent his 52nd birthday in the hospital and was in the intensive care unit after he had undergone two surgeries. He would often post himself near his family, friends, and his doctors. Sophomore Mandy Espinoza stated, “ I was very surprised when I found out about the accident” when asked about her reaction to finding out about the accident. She also said that she was “happy and glad” that Renner was okay and healing.
On Jan. 16, 2023, he posted on his Twitter account stating, “Outside my brain fog in recovery, I was very excited to watch episode 201 with my family at home” revealing that he was released from the hospital. Renner is now healing in his home with his family.
Brandon Ford is a newer addition to the Redlands East Valley High School staff and is in his second year teaching on campus. Before REV, he spent 18 years teaching at Redlands High School.
Brandon Ford poses at his desk in his classroom at Redlands East Valley in Redlands, California on Jan. 17, 2023 (ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News Photo)
What does your involvement look like on campus?
I teach two different classes. I teach American government for two sections and sociology for two sections, mostly upperclassmen and then I am the head softball coach on campus.
How do you hope to positively affect the staff and students here at REV?
I think the best way to impact, to be a cog in the machine, is to try and be myself. I am a pretty energetic person, I’m very passionate and I care about my students in the classroom and I care about the players that play for me and I think that the more that we have on campus [students] that the kids know that the staff is unified under the ideas of trying to help them and nurture them through these tough times of school.
How would you describe your high school years?
I grew up in a small town, a farming area, we don’t even have a stoplight still, so it was a small school with about 350 kids when I went to high school. School for me was not easy, it was a struggle having some learning disabilities and things we didn’t know back then, and it made certain subjects hard. And so I had to go and get extra help and tutors in math and science just to get through since nobody in my family had gone to college but I was told at an early age that I was going to. I needed to make sure I was on a path to do that.
If you could leave your high school self a message, what would it be?
What I would tell myself is to just keep doing what I’m doing, keep working hard and have that work ethic—don’t be afraid to get help. Honestly, believe in yourself because you’re going to get there kid, you’re going to be able to achieve this and reach the goals you want to reach so keep believing and trusting yourself.
Where did you attend college?
I started out taking a football scholarship to Chico State University after high school, but they dropped their football program and I transferred to the University of Redlands. I finished there, with my social studies degree. I coached in college for two years while I was getting my masters in education at the University of Redlands. I never moved back home, I fell in love with this place.
What guided you to this career choice?
I was impacted at an early age. I was involved in a lot of sports, my goal was to be a professional baseball player. I was good enough to play in college and was proud of that but I had teachers and coaches in school, who I still tell stories about in my classroom. They believed in me and pushed me. I was an athlete that responded to being challenged and they knew how to challenge me in the right ways. When you put out the work ethic, they notice that and give you positive praise for that and I built relationships with those people. I sat back in class one day as a junior [in high school] and I remember just thinking about what I wanted to do and I thought about these people, teachers, coaches. I thought, ‘That’s a good life,’ you get a chance to be on campus and play a positive role in mentoring these people that are trying to figure out their lives and need more help.
Redlands East Valley sociology teacher and softball coach, Brandon Ford, stands in front of banners and posters hanging on his classroom wall of the J-Wing of the REV campus. (ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News Photo)
What would you be if you weren’t a teacher?
I would probably be a firefighter or go into the military. What I would have liked to be but probably would have never done is be a DJ or someone working for a company that had to do with music because I love music a lot.
Which hobbies and/or interests would you like to share with students to take interest in?
I believe if you want the students to buy into your classroom then you have to get them to buy into you as a person, they have to know that you are a person with likes and dislikes. I try to show them my love of music and the places I’ve seen, and the bands I’ve seen. I like to talk about sports a lot and life stories in my classroom. I have no problem connecting who I am and what my journey has been and letting the students know that. I feel that making connections with pop culture and making connections to the students helps them buy into you as a person.
Any advice for REV students?
Life is a journey, not a destination, don’t feel like you have to have it all figured out right now. If you do that’s great, if you don’t you’re alright. Life is going to take you down these roads and paths that you’re going to have to choose and sometimes you’re going to pick the wrong ones and sometimes the right ones. Believe in yourself and understand that this is your journey and never lose sight of that. Don’t let the hard times take you far out of your path, you only get one shot. Bet on yourself and believe that you can do this and you’ll succeed. It’s not a race to get to the end, it’s how you get there.
After a year of absence, season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race premiered on Jan. 6, 2023. (Wikimedia Commons).
Season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race premiered on Jan. 6 in the form of a special two-part episode a year after the premiere of season 14. This season is set to air hour-long episodes on Music Television (MTV) every Friday at 8 pm. The newest cast features a record of 16 contestants competing for a cash prize of $200,000, the highest prize to date. Ariana Grande made a special appearance in the two-part premiere episode eight years after her first appearance in season seven. Viewers are excited to see what else the new season has to offer for its long-time fans.
Ariana Grande appears as a guest judge for the two-part premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 15. (Wikimedia Commons)
The premise of RuPaul’s Drag Race is for drag queens from all over the world to compete in a series of challenges related to drag, most often including acting, singing, dancing, cat-walking, and talent shows. Each season takes about a month to record and a winner is crowned after a final challenge, typically a lip sync, with the prize being thousands of dollars.
The first mini-challenge was a photoshoot and a drag-themed car wash as a throwback to the first-ever mini challenge, the prize was $2,500. The main challenge in part two of the premiere was a talent show with a cash prize of $5,000. For the newest episode, the main challenge was to write and perform an infomercial with a cash prize of $5,000.
Unlike in other seasons, a queen was eliminated in the premiere episode, and another later on in episode three. Beginning episode four on Jan. 20, there will only be 14 queens left to compete in the competition.
RuPaul’s Drag Race is followed by its transphobic past as it enters season 15. (Picryl)
RuPaul’s Drag Race has experienced much controversy and hardship since its first debut on Feb. 2, 2009. The most recent and shocking is RuPaul’s transphobic commentary during an interview with the Guardian. He stated that he would most likely not let trans women compete on the show because “Drag loses its sense of danger and its sense of irony once it’s not men doing it.”
Since then he has apologized for his commentary and stated that he “understands and regrets the hurt I have caused. The trans community is the hero of our shared LGBTQ+ movement. You are my teachers”. Although five full seasons have aired since his transphobic comments, the show still faces criticism for it today.
In terms of general hardship during the pandemic, the show had to go through many changes to combat the lockdown. The finale of season 12 was almost completely derailed due to strict lockdown regulations. The reunion episode for the cast that season was also online which in many ways took away the purpose of a reunion.
RuPaul’s Drag Raceand its members serve as a beacon of inspiration to the LGBTQ+ community. (Metro Weekly)
The show itself in many ways is a beacon of hope for the LGBTQ+ community, especially in times of hardship, making the crew and cast under extra pressure to perform through the struggles of the pandemic. They succeeded in making season 13 a success even after the hardships of season 12. Season 13 was one of their longest seasons and it came with multiple spin-offs and international versions.
RuPaul’s Drag Race shocks its viewers every new season, from bringing world-renowned celebrities as guest judges to making a tremendous comeback. Through controversy, drama, and worldwide pandemics the show has continued to thrive. Although the show has been around for nearly 14 years the crew still manages to come up with new ideas to keep things interesting. This provides an easy way for new viewers to jump into the show as every season is unique. The show’s multiple Emmy awards prove that it is worth the watch.
Depending on your source, the recent lunar new year may be the year of the rabbit or year of the cat depending on what culture you are celebrating. For Chinese Lunar New Year, it is the year of the rabbit, but for Vietnamese Lunar New Year, it is the year of the cat.
Besides having a year of the cat instead of the year of the rabbit, Tết differs from Chinese new year by having the year of the buffalo instead of the year of the ox and the year of the goat instead of the year of the sheep.
The Vietnamese Lunar New Year is called Tết Nguyên Đán or simply Tết which directly translates to “the first morning of the first day of the new period.”
According to the Asian Nation, Tết is almost like New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Christmas, and Thanksgiving combined because it is the biggest and most important holiday to many Vietnamese.
Tết Nguyên Đán is celebrated for the first three days of the first month of the Vietnamese lunar calendar which is around late and early February. According to ThoughtCo., some traditions can be observed for up to a week. This year, Tết will begin on Jan. 22, 2023.
Those who celebrate it for three days usually spend the first day with immediate family, the second for visiting friends, and the third day is dedicated to teachers and visiting temples.
Similar to Chinese Lunar New Year, Tết is used as a fresh start, so in preparation of the coming new year, individuals clean and dust their homes in hopes of attracting luck and as much good fortune as possible.
“Before Tết, we prepare the house by cleaning it entirely,” said Redlands East Valley High School senior Jennifer Huynh, “It’s believed that cleaning your house before the new year will bring you good luck because it gets rid of the bad luck and misfortune.”
Another tradition during Tết is to hand out red envelopes with money inside to children.
“People give out lucky money which is called li xì,” said REV senior Chi Vo.
“For my family tradition, we all wear red and go to my grandma’s house,” said Redlands East Valley High School junior Kayla Vu, “My grandma makes a lot of food including moon cakes. Later in the night, the older people in the family like my aunts and uncles give me and my cousins money in red envelopes.”
All can now take part in the Vietnamese Lunar New Year by attending a festival. The popular festival is called the UVSA Tết Fest, and it is organized by the United Vietnamese Student Alliance (UVSA). Tết Fest is held in Orange County at the OC Fair and Event Center and tickets are $8 which are purchased at the main gate.
Tết Fest went from Jan. 27 to Jan. 29. Festival activities include a pho eating contest, lion dancing, and plenty of food and merchandise from small businesses to purchase.
Citrus Valley’s first spirit week of Jan. 17-20 2023 consisted of the student body’s favorite spirit weeks from previous years. The spirit days were leading up to the rally of the 2023 year. The Associated Study Body (ASB) of Citrus Valley brought back “Anything but a backpack,” “Barbecue dads versus Soccer Moms,” “White Lies,” and “2000’s day.”
TUESDAY
Tuesday’s theme was “Anything but a backpack.” Students were to bring items that could hold their school supplies that was ‘anything but a backpack’.
Image 1: Freshman Iris Price holds a store bag with her school supplies for ‘Anything but a Backpack’ day. (Marshall Scott/ Ethic News Photo)
Image 2: Sophomore Taylor Baumann poses with a suitcase for spirit day. (Marshall Scott/ Ethics News Photo)
Image 3: Freshman Alexander Carreon holds a child’s Lightning McQueen ride-on for spirit week. (Marshall Scott/ Ethic News Photo)
WEDNESDAY
The theme for Wednesday was “BBQ dads vs Soccer Moms.” Students had to dress as their interpretations of what Barbeque dads and Soccer moms meant.
Image 1: Madison Sauerbrun, a freshman at CV poses as a ‘soccer mom’ for spirit-week. (Marshall Scott/ Ethic News Photo)
Image 2: Micheal Carballo, a Freshman, dresses as a barbecue dad for CV’s ‘Throwback’ spirit-week. (Marshall Scott/Ethic News Photo).
Elliot Anderson, a Math teacher at CV dresses as a barbecue dad with his big smile for Wednesday’s ‘BBQ Dads vs Soccer Moms.’ (Marshall Scott/ Ethic News Photo).
THURSDAY
The theme students had to follow for Thursday was “White Lies or Wear White.” Students had to write untrue statements on white shirts/papers/paper plates and wear them around campus.
Image 1: Freshman, Monserrat Barrera, poses with her white lie ‘I am 6′ 1’ for spirit-week. (Marshall Scott/ Ethic News Photo)
Image 2: Juniors, Riley Houser and Julian Ramos wear white for Thursday’s ‘White Lies’ spirit-week. (Marshall Scott/ Ethic News Photo)
Image 3: Martin Lopez, a Junior, wore a shirt saying “School security can catch me.” for “White Lies” spirit day. (Marshall Scott/ Ethic News Photo)
FRIDAY
The last day of Spirit week went back in time as students dressed up in 2000’s clothing trends. The official theme being “2000’s day or wear black and gold.” Students had the choice of wearing CV gear or 2000’s clothing.
Image 1: Junior Jazz Daughtrey poses in her Britney Spears inspired 2000’s outfit. (Monique Valera/Ethic News Photo)
Image 2: Sophomores Abigail Landa, Mackayla Herrera, and Amaya Pantaleon pose with Junior Leila Clemons in their CV and black and gold attire. (Monique Valera/Ethic News Photo)
Image 3: Sophomores Todd Hessell and Elise pose together wearing 2000’s wear for Friday’s “2000’s day” theme. (Monique Varela/Ethic News Photo)
The Redlands Scholarship Foundation application process is being offered at each Redlands Unified School District high school to give seniors the chance to earn money for their education.
The applications opened Friday, Jan. 30, at 6 a.m. The deadline to submit applications is Feb. 6.
Students may use scholarships towards community college, university and maybe even trade school.
The scholarship foundation was created as a memorial in 1966. On the RCSF website it states that “inspired community members created the first scholarship to honor Mr. Kenneth Hurlbert, Assistant Superintendent”.
According to RCSF website, they have been “supporting over 131 community, business,educational, and individual donors who desire to make a positive impact on students’ lives.”
Seniors have a week to prepare their main essay and any additional essays for a chance to earn a scholarship at whichever high school the senior attends.
By MAURICIO PLIEGO, CRAIG MORRISON and KENDRA BURDICK
The first games on the new Redlands East Valley High School stadium are expected to be played this week by the REV boys and girls soccer teams, who will also have their senior nights at these games.
REV boys soccer plays versus RHS on Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 5:30 pm and REV girls soccer plays versus Cajon High School on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 5:30 pm.
When Redlands East Valley High School first opened in the 1997 – 1998 school year, it did so without a stadium.
Each of the other two comprehensive high schools in the Redlands Unified School District have had their own stadiums: the Larry Dodge Stadium at Redlands High School and Robert Hodges Stadium at Citrus Valley High School.
Marking the 25th year of REV’s anniversary, the school administration announced on June 6, 2022 at 3:30 pm that they would begin breaking ground for the building of a stadium.
REV Principal Robert Clarey and Superintendent Mauricio Arellano addressed the crowd gathered around the soon-to-be stadium with speeches. Along with Clarey and Arellano, several school board members were in attendance and had the honor of shoveling the first heaps of dirt.
Redlands East Valley High School mascot Wendy the Wildcat stands next to the shovels meant to symbolize the breaking of ground for the new stadium on June 6, 2022. (Craig Morrison / Ethic News Photo)
Student-athletes, Spirit leaders, and school and community leaders expressed excitement for the long-awaited stadium that was set to open for winter or spring sports next year if construction goes as planned.
“I’m really happy that REV’s getting a stadium cause now people can’t make excuses and finally realize how amazing we are,” said Junior Emmanuel Wallace, track and field and basketball athlete. “Besides, it’ll be nice to not have to run on a bad dirt track.”
Redlands East Valley High School football players walk down towards the field as they prepare to be part of the announcement of the new field on June 6, 2022. (Ava Larson / Ethic News Photo)
“I’m happy that our school’s finally getting this stadium so we can improve and be the best we can be,” said REV student Teddy Collins.
Over the last six months, progress on the construction of the stadium has been visible as students and staff attend school.
On Jan. 23, the REV marching band was among the first to stand on the new field meant for the stadium and began to prepare for a performance. It was a small performance meant for the teaching and faculty staff of the school.
Caption: Drum Major Jennan Foutz stands to prepare for her first performance on the newly set grass of the future Redlands East Valley High School stadium on Jan. 23, 2023. (Geffrey Acosta / Ethic News Photo)
Current senior and Drum major Jennan Foutz said, “Now that we have this field it’s relieving that we can actually do what we have to in order to win competitions and to get better than we’ve ever been before. The field affects the band’s playing through our attitude, we sound better when we’re more enthusiastic and it’s hard to have that high energy level when we don’t have a field. It’s also safer for our feet to glide cause that affects the sound, if you bounce and have to gopher holes to worry about it makes the sound wavy and not consistent. Now the sound will be consistent and we’ll be able to know what to improve on.”
A marching band hat and trumpet sit on the newly set grass of the new Redlands East Valley High School stadium on January 23, 2023, as the marching band prepares for a performance. (Geffrey Acosta / Ethic News Photo)
Citrus Valley High School’s mock trial team won the semi finals against Oak Hills Red on Jan. 12.
After winning against Oak Hills Red, Citrus Valley mock trial became the top team in San Bernardino County.
Acuna states, “This is my first time winning semi finals and I’m nervous but more excited.”
The mock trial team’s teacher coaches are Kathryn Fonken-Stoker and Debbie Muniz.
Fonken-Stoker states, “The team is very slightly nervous, but we’re excited.”
The team will compete in the finals on Saturday, Jan. 14. If the team wins this match, they will advance to state finals and compete to win the title of mock trial state champions.
Juliana Acuna, senior at Citrus Valley, was awarded the MVP title for her role as witness. (MEANNA SMITH/ETHIC NEWS)
Sometimes, the best things in life are free, and games are usually no exception.
While paid games dominate the market for good reason – after all, most people make games to make a profit – there’s a whole world of demos, free games, and all sorts of interesting things out there.
After playing quite a number of free games, some good and some bad, I feel that free games are better than some may expect, and in fact are often goldmines for new perspectives, small ideas, and inspiration. While they have their drawbacks, free games are generally one of the most interesting parts of the genre and are great for beginners to video games overall.
Free games have many advantages over paid ones, and should be considered a viable alternative.
Before proceeding, a word on vocabulary: “free” here doesn’t mean “free to play,” as in games that are free, but have optional or occasionally “optional,” in-game purchases. Some of these can be extremely fun or interesting to talk about, and will be here hopefully, but these aren’t the subject of the article. So, for sake of clarity, “free” means anything that doesn’t expect any payment from you: “free” games are free, be they demos, full games, or just little side-projects pushed onto Steam.
While scouring Steam at night for free games to play (I had, and still have, little money to buy games) I saw this obscure little game about something that sounded silly, a game called Dark Egg. After seeing it was a text adventure game “with a map,” the author thought to put it in a list with all the other free games and demos they found interesting, and thought not much of it. A few games later, I decided to give it a go. The moment the in-game character – which had not even been given a name, face or description outside a few lines of text – stepped into a rain-soaked town, it was obvious it was something special.
A few hours later, over the course of a night and morning, I had found a game that not only mastered surrealist writing, but gave an entirely new perspective, a new well of ideas and moods to draw from and create. It only used text and a clear map of where to go, along with a barely present combat system, to immerse oneself in a world permanently wreathed by fog and snow, of monolithic ruins, and of genuine humanity in places least expected.
Is it perfect? No, hardly. Some puzzles take forever to solve, the combat is little utilized and some of the characters feel repetitive (through the course of the game, there are TWO old men who miss their families, with much the same reaction if you discover said families’ ultimate fate), and just generally obtuse logic at times. However, it made me realize the value of free games.
Of course, not all free games or demos are Dark Egg – most are as one would expect. Some are like Kach. It’s easy to see Kach’s heavily stylized, extremely pixelated 3D environments, and get intrigued. An hour or so later, everything was extremely confused: what had just happened? The plot, as it could be understood, is that there is an older brother to a younger sister, who has a habit of hiding in haunted houses. After plodding along one, and finding out something about “morphosis,” the apparent method of transforming things into other things to heal them, at the cost of making them extremely aggressive, the player stumbled into a room to discover sister was dead, except she wasn’t, and the thing ended on a cliffhanger. Inspiring? Not exactly, even if there’s always appreciation of the work that this takes.
However, be them great or bad, like the examples before, the point to be made here is that both of them are worth talking about. Even a bad game has something to say, something to repeat to friends, even if its just because of how stupid that something was. They’re both free, too. All it takes is storage space.
So what do good free games have to offer over paid games? Well, free games tend to offer an unique experience over a short period of time. These are typically used to explore smaller, more experimental stories, novel gameplay ideas, or generally new things. Some may explore the creator(s)’ life story, some may be developed over a day as a challenge (a practice known as “game jams”), some may be just to test a concept and some may be demos, but all of them offer something interesting.
Along with that, some of them are electrifying. Free games can be a major source of inspiration and new ideas, beyond what playing a paid game might have. Being able to play a lot of them over the course of a single afternoon due to their short playtime means one can blend together ideas and get a wide range of concepts. Often, the best approach to creation is to draw from a wide, wide variety of sources: free games can provide just that.
However, there are some noticeable shortcomings. Free games rarely provide week-long epics that leave one stunned and overcome with emotion, or constantly rewarding multiplayer experiences. Their free nature means that they’re more amateurish, so optimization of space and performance is no guarantee: many of these games are perfectly fine to play, but some may be surprisingly taxing on the system. Always have the task manager open, just in case.
FEATURE IMAGE: Keyboard and controller (NADIA CENICEROS/ Ethic News photo)
Not everyone likes school. Long hours, lots of work, frustration and burnout. For some, it feels stressful and unnecessary, a social mess. However, how do people with autism spectrum disorder feel about it?
The author of this article has autism, and in their experience, thinks that school is especially difficult for anyone with ASD, due to the stress and awkwardness of having to work through a system not designed with anyone on the spectrum in mind.
First and foremost, diagnoses are an issue. Expensive, difficult to get ahold of and finicky, diagnoses are one of the major barriers to qualifying; they shouldn’t be. It takes multiple phone calls, complex layers of dead ends and insurance not covering what it should be covering just to get an appointment and it’s rarely cheap. Even if one is lucky enough to get an appointment, and one can pay for it, costs begin in the hundreds of dollars and only increase, which may or may not be covered by insurance.
Secondly, even with an accommodation, getting a 504 plan respected is another process in itself. While rarely do teachers intentionally or maliciously ignore requests, sometimes it’s just a matter of being difficult to work with. For example, a student with accommodations to type being required by a teacher to print things out would be within the bounds of a 504, but frustrating to do. Another example is that people with ASD do not typically like social interactions like public speaking or group work, but it’s impossible to have a single kid graded entirely differently, so it simply ends up as an annoyance. It is rarely malicious, but always annoying to the student.
Thirdly, it’s an issue of school overall. Any game or event requiring to sit in an uncomfortable, loud environment is difficult, so being encouraged to do such always is met with a groan. Frankly, it makes school spirit more of an annoying obligation rather than a memorable point in time. At high school campuses specifically, it’s horrible for anyone with ASD to navigate in certain spots.
Overall, school could be better for those with ASD. Even with a diagnosis and a 504, it’s difficult to adapt and this should be changed for the better. More formal accommodations and separate spaces, like at lunch or during passing periods, for people with 504s would be nice.
FEATURE IMAGE: Ribbon representing autism with black background from Canva.com
While female athletes make up a total of 44% of all athletes, they receive a fraction of the coverage male sports do, as female sports coverage is less than 10% of all media attention.
This is according to Togethxr, a media company founded by female olympians Alex Morgan, Sue Bird, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel launched a platform in March 2021 dedicated to showcasing more women in sports.
These decorated athletes use their voice to uplift fellow women in the field of sports and put out content to shine a spotlight on those who otherwise would not be featured in televised programs.
Digital art created to incorporate the sports of founders of Togethxr, sports coverage company highlighting women in the media on Dec. 15, 2022 (ALEX VERDUZCO/Ethic News media)
Since 1989, a study has been conducted every five years by the University of Southern California and Purdue University, with the purpose of revealing the percentage of female sports media coverage when compared to male sports coverage. The most recent findings, published in 2019, revealed that 95% of sports media coverage tends to revolve around men’s sports, leaving that remaining 5% to presumably feature women’s sports.
These results raise the following questions, “Why do men’s sports grab the most attention?” and, “Do women deserve more recognition in media coverage?” Yes, female athletes put in the same amount of training and undergo the same requirements to be recruited in professional sports as do their male competitors. Why are sports presented differently based on the gender of the players? If, according to the study’s data, women are receiving some small amount of attention in the media, then why is the percent staying the same rather than increasing over time?
Cheryl Cooky, professor at Purdue University of American Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, explains that the reasoning behind this is due to women landing a piece in the news that is often overshadowed by multiple accomplishments done by male athletes. With this, “one and done,” as she refers to it, the amount of content highlighting women’s achievements in sports is buried by the male dominated industry, and their surplus of coverage which limits the attention of female athletes. This restricts the increase of recognition women receive.
Do female athletes deserve more recognition in sports? Redlands East Valley High School student athletes weigh in.
Kate Sorenson of the REV varsity girls’ wrestling team says, “Girls’ wrestling is rarely ever shown in the media which makes opportunities far fewer. If women received the same amount of media coverage in our sport, we’d experience far more success and earn more praise for our accomplishments. Media coverage improves the quality of sports by increasing participation. For wrestling, the more women we have on the team, the more competitive we can be as a school. It’s hard to get girls interested in wrestling when girls are a minority.”
Kate Sorenson, representing Redlands East Valley High School varsity girls’ wrestling, stands in front of the weight room doors on Dec. 5, 2022. (ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News photo)
Jason Knutson, mixed doubles badminton player at REV says, “Yes, womans’ sports should have more recognition, but the reason they don’t is because their sports are newer to the world than mens’ sports so they haven’t gained as much popularity and publicity.”
Jason Knutson, from the Redlands East Valley High School badminton team, stands in the REV library after school on Dec. 5, 2022. (ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News photo)
“Yes, I do feel like girls in sports are unrecognized. I feel like this is also a part of hidden misogyny,” says Kate Heinze of the varsity water polo and swim team. “For example, boys’ water polo has been given money and is always talked about. But for girls’ water polo, we are a division 6 team and almost beat a team that has future Olympians on it; additionally, boards like the ABC [Aquatics Booster Club] refuses to give us money to travel to games for California Interscholastic Federation because we are destined to lose– why are they giving the boys’ team a chance but not ours? We deserve it just as much because we are bringing in wins.”
Celine Hill, captain of the varsity cheerleaders and water polo says, “Yeah, I believe women deserve equal representation in all fields including athletics. Like at football games, cheerleaders have supporters too and yet all the ticket money made goes toward the football players. Girls don’t seem to get funding in [school] sports like the boys do.”
Kate Heinze and Celine Hill varsity girls’ water polo players stand in front of the Redlands East Valley High School swimming pool fence on Dec. 5, 2022. (ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News photo)
Dylan Cockerill, a member of the cross country and track team says, “Yes, women deserve equal representation compared to men.”
Jared Rubow, varsity boys’ tennis player, “Yes, that way we [as a society] can watch more tournaments.”
LEFT: Jared Rubow, Redlands East Valley High School varsity boys tennis player, stands in front of the trees on school campus before class starts on Dec. 5, 2022. RIGHT: Dylan Cockerill, REV cross country and track runner, stands in front of the pool fence after school on Dec. 5, 2022. (ALEX VERDUZCO, Ethic News Photo)
High Schools across Redlands competed in a hot cocoa competition. The competition tookplace on Dec. 9 between Citrus Valley High School, Redlands East Valley High School and Redlands High School.
Citrus Valley High School, Redlands High School and Redlands East Valley High School each promoted the hot cocoa competition on their instagram accounts. (Instagram screenshots/ Ethic News media)
The competition was also named the “Mug-of-War” contest.
Kylie McCue, a Citrus Valley junior, said,”It was good. Participation was good and hopefully it will be an annual thing.”
At each high school, the student government representatives scanned identification cards, filled cups with water, and provided hot chocolate packets. Students had to come before school to have their cups filled. Citrus Valley also went out of their way to provide disposable cups to anyone who did not bring their own cup.
The winner was announced at the end of lunch. The results were posted on Instagram announcing that RHS had won the competition by 45 cups with Citrus Valley coming in second and REV placing third.
Citrus Valley junior Riley Brossia said,”Even though we lost, I think it really rallied our school spirit.”
All three high schools posted the results of the “Mug-of-War” on their instagram accounts. Citrus Valley High School and Redlands East Valley High School congratulated Redlands High School for their win. (Instagram screenshot/ Ethic News media)
Overall the competition was a big success with Citrus Valley, REV and RHS all receiving high participation in the first “Mug-of-War” hot cocoa challenge.
It was announced that this was going to be an annual tradition and this year was the first.
Upon entering, to the left is a display of outfits showing what can be put together based on what the store offers. The third mannequin has on a shirt from the popular Netflix show, Stranger Things, and its season three character, Eddie Munson’s Dungeons and Dragons campaign long sleeved tee shirt. (ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News photo)
One of the newest locations of the popular retailer Hot Topic has launched and officially opened during the week of Nov. 18. This Hot Topic is located in Redlands in the Mountain Grove shopping center near popular retailers such as Tilly’s, Ulta and GAP. On the other side are restaurants like Mod Pizza, Chipotle and Waba Grill. With this new addition, it is expected to add to the teenage audience and broaden the selection of stores available in the shopping center.
In the first photo, a display case shows merchandise highlighting the Kirby character from a video game company, Nintendo. On the left a selection of shirts can be seen. Featured on their right is a little bit of their Funko Pop collectible toys that are for sale. In the second photo, a different view of the shirt selection offered at Hot Topic is shown. This specific angle features television shows, movies and characters.(ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News photo)
Giavonna Galloway, a Redlands East Valley sophomore says, “I am intrigued but I’m not really excited because I don’t normally like what they sell. I’m probably going to check it out anyway because I like some of the jewelry.”
The Redlands Hot Topic location offers a replica of the Byers’ home from season one of Netflix original, Stranger Things. In this scene, Joyce Byers hangs up Christmas lights on her living room wall to communicate with her son.
(ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News photo)
REV senior Eva Valtierrez says, “I think the new Hot Topic is a really cool place to shop at and it has a lot of merchandise that I really enjoy liking and purchasing. I admire the amount of accessories I’m interested in and I like that they sell little elements from my favorite movies, tv shows and bands.”
This section of Hot Topic houses a display case of horror movie merchandise such as, Halloween, that stands in front of the character tee shirts, Kirby display, and selection of Funko Pop collectibles. (ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News photo)
REV junior, Brittany Arreola adds, “I like that they cater to niche interests.”
Kelly Welch, REV senior, says, “I think Hot Topic and their fanbase have shifted a lot from the 2010’s. I used to shop there religiously, but it still holds a special place in my heart.”
Hot Topic carries apparel as well as accessories such as keychains, blankets and bags ranging from Loungefly character backpacks to totebags and more. Along with the array of shirts, there is an assortment of sweaters and hoodies with character and brand merchandise.
Tim Burton’s newest show “Wednesday” was released on Netflix on Nov. 23 and longtime fans are eager to see whether it is worth the watch. Tim Burton has not directed anything since the live-action remake of Dumbo in 2019. Not only has he come to direct “Wednesday” but he has brought his long-time partner Danny Elfman to help him produce the music for the show.
Together Burton and Elfman have done 17 films in 37 years. Some of their greatest hits include “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “Alice in Wonderland, Beetlejuice,” “Planet of the Apes,” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” The two talented artists have had bumps in the road regarding their relationship, with their disagreements affecting their projects in the past. However as they create more films together the more they strengthen their relationships and skills in filmmaking.
“Wednesday” gives a unique spin on the classic character Wednesday Addams from the original show “The Addams Family” created in 1964. Wednesday was expelled from her previous school and transferred to Nevermore Academy after assaulting a student who bullied her brother Pugsley. While she is at Nevermore, Wednesday struggles with making friends at her new school due to her detached personality and trust issues. She also struggles with the relationship she has with her family members, her mother Morticia Addams in particular.
When Wednesday first moves in she is welcomed by her new roommate Enid who is a werewolf without full control of her powers. The two have a striking contrast in their personalities, with Enid’s side of the room being bright and whimsical while Wednesday’s is dark and creepy. Originally, the two do not get along but they begin to bond during a school tournament where they must team up against a school bully. This jumpstarts a heavily one-sided friendship between the two, in which Wednesday cares for Enid but won’t admit it. Together they navigate through hardships and difficulties in their relationship and at Nevermore.
Unfortunately, Wednesday must navigate through much more than relationships and school bullies during her time at Nevermore. Wednesday is in her mother’s shadow as she struggles to meet up to Morticia’s legacy of excellence she left behind at the academy. Wednesday soon discovers that Morticia left behind a darker shadow with even darker secrets than Wednesday imagined. Secrets about her parent’s time at the academy and the dark history of the small town that she lives in. As she investigates these dark secrets she learns which of her friends she should trust, and which she should not.
“Wednesday” has queer representation and metaphors sprinkled throughout the show. Enid comes from a family of werewolves however she has yet to transform or “wolf out.” Her mother comes up with the plan to send her to conversion therapy for werewolves, which Enid heavily detested. Many fans saw this as a strong metaphor for repressed sexuality especially since the students at Nevermore are referred to as outcasts.
One of the characters named Eugene is overall a side character and the school’s beekeeper, however, he has more relevance later on in the show. Eugene has two moms who are mentioned and shown a couple of times throughout the series. They do not have much plot relevance but provide queer representation to the show overall.
Wednesday on Netflix credited with having an extremely diverse cast for the production of the show. (Just Jared Jr.)
Aside from queer representation “Wednesday” also provides representation for minorities. The show offers a very diverse cast with many of the main characters being minorities. The Addams themselves are a Hispanic family as depicted in the original 1964 series. The show does a great job of subtly showing Wednesday’s culture through her character. In the series, the Addams speak Spanish in short phrases to each other. They also bring up aspects of their culture such as how they celebrate Día de Los Muertos.
There are also metaphors for discrimination and the struggles of immigration sprinkled throughout “Wednesday.” Wednesday’s parents Morticia and Gomez Addams suffer discrimination at the hands of the town’s police chief and mayor often. The students at Nevermore all have some kind of power or are mythical creatures. The rest of the town looks down upon them and they are referred to as “outcasts.” It is a popular fan analysis that this is not just a metaphor for the repression of sexuality but a metaphor for discrimination that minorities face.
Wednesday honors the original Addams Family show through easter eggs and callbacks. (screenshot from PickPik)
During the entire duration of the first season of “Wednesday” , the series has many callbacks to the original Addams Family show and the movies. Possibly their biggest reference is the code to get into the secret society at Nevermore is to snap twice. Wednesday also hates pilgrims in the show and does not hide her feelings during a school field trip to the town’s history museum. This is a reference to the movie “Addams Family Values.”In this movie, there is a scene where Wednesday crashes her camp play with the true story of Thanksgiving dressed as Pocahontas in an act of defiance.
Many classic Addams family characters appear as a callback to the original, such as Thing, Lurch, and Fester Addams, who has been the most anticipated character to appear on “Wednesday.” These are just a few examples of the many clever callbacks Tim Burton and his team have devised to make sure the fans never forget the original Addams Family.
Netflix hosts Wednesday Addams-themed drag show and faces accusations of queer baiting its viewers. (photo of Netflix screen)
“Wednesday” is a well-thought-out show that has hundreds of hands continuing to work on it. But as many tv shows do, Tim Burton’s newest project is currently facing some criticism and accusations. The biggest accusation that Wednesday is facing is that the show queerbaits its viewers into watching the show.
This accusation stems from the fact that in many ways Wednesday is advertised to be a very queer show. In the show there are metaphors of sexuality regarding feeling outcast and forced to change yourself, Eugene has two moms, and Enid and Wednesday become exceptionally close.
Many fans anticipated Wednesday to be a queer character, especially a character with conflicted feelings concerning attraction. Jenna Ortega, the actress of Wednesday, insinuates in interviews and tweets that Enid and Wednesday are a fitting pair. But then Wednesday does not get together with Enid but ends up in a triangle between two boys.
Regardless of whether or not Wednesday is queer many fans thought that her being in a love triangle is very out of character and does not do the original Wednesday justice. Jenna Ortega stated that Wednesday is not a “boy crazy” character and that she didn’t want her to be in a love triangle.
Netflix hides replies to their tweets that suggest that Wednesday Addams is queer. (screenshot from Pop Crave)
Netflix especially is facing criticism for hosting a Wednesday-themed drag show in celebration of the show’s release when the only queer characters in the show are Eugene’s moms. Netflix also hid replies to their tweets when fans suggested that Wednesday may be queer. Many fans feel silenced by Netflix for having their replies hidden and that the show gives the illusion of being queer to get viewers and then silences fans when they say it’s not.
Another big criticism of the “Wednesday” show is the computed generated imagery, especially with the monsters that appear in the show. Many fans felt that the CGI was far from perfect, especially for a show that Tim Burton directed. The CGI is said to have been so poor that it makes it hard to be scared when watching the show. A big element of “Wednesday” is the horror so many fans were left heavily disappointed in this aspect of the show.
Tim Burton’s newest series “Wednesday”has been a heavily anticipated series since he and Danny Elfman have come back to create a show after three years of absence. “Wednesday” features many classic Addams Family characters and has many callbacks to the original series. It does a great job of representing minorities and other communities however there is debate on how well it represents the queer community.
“Wednesday” is meant to encapsulate the original Wednesday Addams and in many ways, the show succeeds without a second doubt. But the debates on the romantic aspect of her character and whether it does her character justice have been left unsolved. With the fanbase being divided over whether or not the show does Wednesday Addams justice, fans of the classic should watch it so they can decide the truth for themselves.
Featured image: Netflix releases the new show Wednesday which tells the story of the classic character Wednesday Addams. (screenshot from Trusted Reviews)
Amongst the chaos and politics of the Oct. 25 Redlands Unified School Board meeting, a local swim team named the Inland Empire Aquatics took to the podium to request pool access at Citrus Valley High School. The Inland Empire Aquatics Club has been adamant in requesting this pool access, with several student-athletes and parents speaking during public participation with the School Board, sharing their stories and reasons for request.
Citrus Valley High School parent Karen Hitter says, “[IEAQ] started at a community pool in Highland, and then to Pacific high school, and finally we were at Indian Springs High School before we were pushed out by another San Bernardino High School.”
IEAQ is currently practicing at Indian Springs High School. IEAQ reportedly does not have access to any other pools in Redlands.
Public participation from IEAQ parents and athletes also reveals that another local swim team, the Redlands Swim Team, has access to all Redlands pools, including the pool at Crafton Hills College in Yucaipa, which makes the appearance that IEAQ is being unfairly mistreated.
RST has access to all local facilities due to an old contract with the District from over many years ago. Several parents and students remarked that this old contract should be terminated as it prevents other aquatics teams from growing and providing for many athletes.
The Board was provided with statistics when Redlands Unified School District resident Maria Figueroa said, “Roughly 80% of Citrus Valley aquatics athletes come from clubs other than RST.”
Despite the fact that many Citrus Valley aquatic athletes are members at IEAQ, limited pool access for IEAQ prevents Citrus Valley athletes from pursuing their extracurriculars.
Figueroa goes on to express her disappointment with the School Board. She says, “This creates inequality with access to Citrus Valley and RST’s ability to serve Citrus Valley athletes.”
Hitter says, “We just want a fair opportunity to use or share the facility.”
The IEAQ team carries more than 100 competitive swimming members per year but has had fewer members since COVID. Still, the club is still largely community-oriented.
Citrus Valley student Jonah Martinez says, “I’ve been a member of this family for 6 years. We’ve all grown close together through COVID. Nothing had broken us apart and now thanks to the relevant and old contracts, exclusive clubs, and decisions made by the district and school board we are ultimately torn apart.”
Supporters feel that because of restricted pool access, IEAQ is being broken up and prevented from possibly giving rise to many great swimming athletes. Several requests have been denied multiple times and many are upset at what they feel is mistreatment.
The Redlands School Board has still yet to allow pool access.
In a heartfelt conclusion, Martinez says, “This issue is beyond contracts, rights, and laws. I just want to be with my teammates and under the advice and direction of my coaches.”
Feature photo: An empty Citrus Valley High School swimming pool prior to the water polo match on Dec. 15, 2022. (DESTINY RAMOS/ Ethic News photo)
Mitsuki Laycock is a 32-year-old indie alternative artist. All of Mitskis’s songs have stories of the beautiful but tragic realities of life described in such a poetic way.
She is Japanese and white and due to her father’s job, she moved around quite a bit. She grew up in Japan, Malaysia, China, Turkey, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mitski was originally going to study film at Hunter College but decided to transfer to The State University of New York Purchase College’s Conservatory of Music, where she studied studio composition. This is also when she made two of her albums Lush (2012) and Retired from Sad, New Career in Business (2013).
All of Mitski’s songs have deep meanings. A personal favorite is “A Burning Hill” from the Puberty 2 album. This song describes realizing how she is finally taking responsibility for her self-destruction. She uses a forest fire as an analogy, “I am a forest fire, And I am the fire and I am the forest and I am the witness watching it, I stand in the village watching it.” Where the song is placed places a significant role, it is the last song in the album.
Core themes in this album are emptiness, filling the void, and bringing yourself back up. Being full of the emptiness and not knowing where it is precisely from, but that that you are being consumed by it. To fill the emptiness, abusing substances or seeking validation from other people fills the void but makes you angry and even more empty because you find your happiness depending on your partner or the substance. It shows stepping back and seeing the damage that has been done, how you were the one hurting yourself all along. You finally realize that you are the only one that brings yourself back up, and the only way to do that is to be with yourself.
Another favorite in Puberty 2 is, “I bet on losing dogs.” The title itself has a big meaning on its own. Envision you are watching a dog fight, and your dog or the one that you are betting on is losing miserably. As you are seeing it slowly lose its life people ask if you are still betting on it. You and everyone around you know that the dog is going to lose but you will continue to bet on it.
One of the first lyrics in the song “ I know they’re losing and I pay for my place by the ring, where I’ll be looking in their eyes when they’re down, I’ll be there by their side, I’m losing by their side.” This makes the point of you trying to hold on to but you are slowly but surely losing grip. This message is repeated throughout the song in different words.
Known as an amazing counselor and great human being, students already miss him and he hasn’t left yet.
Jason Knight, Orangewood High School counselor, is known around campus as a kind and comedic counselor that can relate to students and their situations.
Although he loves Redlands, Knight is going to move to Tennessee and work as a behavioral intervention teacher at an elementary school.
Orangewood High School guidance counselor Jason Knight and senior Lauren Bishop stand at the front entrance. Knight has been Bishop’s counselor at Orangewood and she says of Knight, “He makes me so comfortable because he can actually relate to my situation.” (JOSHUA ZATARAIN/ Ethic News photo)
Knight has been working in the fields of education for “a while now“ or to be more accurate, 30 years.
As a guidance counselor, Knight’s favorite part of his job is “helping students graduate.”
On the contrary Knight’ hardest part of being a counselor is “watching students struggle with stuff such as personal issues and that sort; it makes it hard for them to graduate.”
“Mr. Knight is comforting and he actually listens when you open up to him,” says Orangewood junior Xiomara Sanchez.
Unlike traditional quarter or semester calendars, Orangewood operates in a block system where grades are due every three weeks and counselors have to check transcripts of every student assigned to them every three weeks. Having to check 150 students almost at the same time monthly can be stressful but Knight manages.
Angel Leon describes Knight as “a cool counselor.”
“He understands the situation I’m going through because of the situations that we share,” says Leon.
Knight is from San Diego and claims to be “like an Orangewood student, to be completely honest.”
As a teenager, Knight says, “I didn’t like school. I think that’s part of why I do okay here.”
His advice to his teenage self would be, “Work a little bit harder in high school because it does make a difference.”
Before being a counselor, he worked for a car dealership delivering car parts and then as a teacher.
Outside of his work, Knight enjoys being outdoors and volunteering for the police department.
In his community volunteer role, Knight says that he likes the people he works with but has seen “ugly fires, bad accidents and people who aren’t always happy with you.”
Knight describes himself as an introverted extrovert who enjoys the outdoors.
He says he’s going to miss waking up to “the view of the hills in my front yard.”
He likes to travel and his idea of traveling is going camping, hiking and just overall being outdoors.
He likes visiting national parks with his wife and his goal is to hit all of the national parks in the contiguous United States.
As an outdoors person, he doesn’t play video games much now, but remembers playing Atari as a kid or going to the pizza place to play video games.
Knight also used to speak a little German but over the years he’s lost it as he never really used it.
He loves his family and friends and likes “just hanging out and being able to talk to somebody that will listen.”
He owns a Chiwawa Mix and her name is Trixsy who he says is very friendly.
As to the controversial question on whether pineapple belongs on a pizza, Knight says, “If you ask my wife she would say yes but, if you ask me, I’m not so sure.”
This semester is his last with Redlands Unified School District and as a counselor at Orangewood. After that, he will start his new position as a behavior intervention teacher in Tennessee.
His message is, “Let’s treat each other with kindness, because we all need it.”
Tatsuki Fujimoto is a manga author with a great rise in recent years. He started his career making one-shots and has a series ongoing currently. His works stand out so much, as he takes things with simple concepts and plots, to then twist and turn, subverting the expectations of readers both new and experienced within the medium.
After recently reading a majority of his works, being his many one-shots and two manga series, he never misses. Easily the most versatile author out there. I completely believe he can make any kind of story in any genre and come out with a masterpiece, or at the very least be something incredibly enjoyable.
I find the plots in each of his manga to be not only interesting, but also carry some themes I can jive with. “Just Listen to The Song,” has the premise of a teenage boy confessing his feelings to a girl through a song he uploaded on the internet, but catching some unwanted attention. As an indirect summary, I’d relate it to the phrase, “It’s not that deep.” Or another one of his one-shots, “Sasaki Catches the Bullet,” dedicated to hyperbolically telling you the power of belief.
It doesn’t stop within his storytelling, the art he creates is phenomenal. In his series, “Fire Punch,” the action sequences feel daunting, crisp, clear, and delightfully fun. Some are also extremely creative as well. I also feel that the premise of why his art is so amazing isn’t about having precise and clean linework, or putting meticulous details within each page, it’s the innate ability to have an idea formed and executing it beautifully.
When it comes to his most popular series, both in terms of the manga and anime community, “Chainsawman.” A dark shounen that really catches your attention. Due to the series having been done by weekly release, the rougher edges of the art adds a gritty aesthetic, and in a way enhances your immersion, not being your typical everyday manga.
More in regards to “Fire Punch,” I feel that this manga has waved itself over the threshold, between normality and complete pedal to the metal absurdity. It truly is nothing like anything I’ve ever read before. Interesting environment and story forming this conglomerate that calls itself a manga.
What you also see a lot out of Fujimoto’s works is how he writes his characters. They’re defined within their stories, and despite their comical nature, do feel very human. Examples being his one-shots like “Look Back” depicting a story of two artists, “Love is Blind,” a man that won’t let even God stop him from confessing his love, and his most recent, “Goodbye, Eri,” a truly captivating experience, a manga I resonate with deeply.
“Goodbye, Eri” captures the premise of a boy using his phone to record his mother’s remain time before she inevitably passes from her illness, and after her death meets a girl on a rooftop for which he was going to commit suicide on. Being one of the many people confused on their first read of the story, it was a little jarring, but after many re-reads, it has become my favorite of Fujimoto’s works. How he is able to flesh out his characters so well in such a short amount of time truly astonishes me.
Tatsuki Fujimoto is a staple within the manga community, not ever really knowing what he’d do next. The praises and compliments about his unmatched creativity you hear about is not something you should overlook. And within the recent years of massive popularity, I wouldn’t blame him if he ever showed massive amounts of hubris.
The United States and Russia made a prisoner exchange on Dec. 8.
Brittney Griner is a professional basketball player who was captured by Russian forces in Russia. Victor Bout is an arms dealer captured by U.S. forces.
The U.S tried to include Paul Whelan in the trade but couldn’t do so. Paul Whellan is a former veteran who was captured by the Russians.
“Everything is possible,”Putin said when communicating with American officials.
He is talking about possibly trading someone else we have for Paull Whellan. The Russians really want Vadim Krasikov.
When he heard the news that he would not be included in the prisoner exchange, Whellan told CNN that he is “greatly disappointed…I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”
Paul Whellan has been captured and held in Russia for four years. While Griner hasn’t been there for less than one year.
The prisoner exchange has given people mixed feelings towards the decision government officials made. Some are happy that the U.S. got back an American from Russia custody. Others are upset that we gave away an arms dealer nicknamed “The Merchant of Death.”
Many people are happy to see Brittney Griner return to her home. MAny people also are upset and think the U.S. got the worst part of the deal.
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